Feb 24, 2012

Pg. 2

Equality for everyone!

Mooney sends CVHS over the moon

Olympian likes Prop. 8 ruling

VOLUME 55, ISSUE 7

Prop. 8 marriage ban thrown out once again

Pg. 4

Maestra Mooney es muy buena

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Trojans devoured by O’Dowd Dragons

PROP 8: Page 11

Tim Pak / Photo Editor

Senior Dawson Johnson prevents the Bishop O’Dowd player from stealing the ball during the boys varsity basketball game on Feb. 8. See Page 8 for story.

aided by Cash for College Staff Writer

Every year, CVHS is sponsored by the state of California to hold an annual workshop, Cash for College, which took place on Jan. 31. The entire senior class and their families were welcomed, and a presentation was given to the audience about the general college institution, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and scholarships.

“I think Cash for College is a great service for people to learn about FAFSA,” said Career Center director Melanie Small.

Around 360 students and parents arrived and gathered around the CVHS cafeteria. Students were required to sign in, which automatically gave them an opportunity to win a $1000 scholarship. Essays and applica-

Students’ cars could be towed during construction Online Editor

Students and parents

By Joyce Liang

WWW.CVHSOLYMPIAN.COM

By Michael Castillo

Editor-in-Chief

tions were not required for the scholarship.

The workshop was divided into two parts: it began with a short presentation about general college information, then students/parents were led to the computer lab to submit the FAFSA online at http://www. fafsa.gov.

Murad Dibbini, the dean of Holy Names College, was the guest speaker who gave the short presentation during the workshop alongside CVHS counselor Natalie Mathrole.

Small believes that it is important for students to apply for financial student aid. To those who are not aware of FAFSA, it is a free application for students to apply for financial aid so they can potentially be funded for college.

CASH: Page 10

Pg. 9

Four Trojans qualify for state

CASTRO VALLEY, CA 94546

By Anna Balassone CVHS senior Austin Bruckner stood outside San Francisco’s Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, Feb. 7, holding a pro-gay rights sign and anxiously awaiting the results of the Proposition 8 hearing that was going on inside. The decision was supposed to be made at 10 a.m. but, as the results would not be announced publicly, Bruckner’s fellow protesters were refreshing their laptops and smartphones in eager anticipation of the decision’s arrival on the Internet.

“We were doing a chant when this lady on her laptop randomly said ‘It’s unconstitutional,’” explained Bruckner. “When we realized that the woman was reading the decision that had been made, we all started crying and hugging each other.”

The outburst of emotion described by Bruckner was a response to the momentous decision made that morning by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Proposition 8, California’s ban on gay marriage, is unconstitutional because it violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees

Who says girls can’t wrestle?

All parking for CVHS students will be eliminated as of March 1 due to the construction of 3,000 solar panels over the staff, senior and junior parking lots.

The school intends to tow the cars of students parked on campus without warning. “We will tow on first offense,” said Assistant Principal Matt Steinecke, who is in charge of the logistics of the project. “There is not enough time or space to mess around with warnings.”

Towing expenses will likely run around $200 per vehicle, school officials estimate.

While student parking will be eliminated, $7 refunds will be available for all who bought $20 parking permits. “If they get a refund though, we will not reissue a permit should the lots reopen,” explained Steinecke.

The panels will provide for 75 percent of the school’s energy needs, and are expected to save the district $100,000 annually.

They will last for 30 years.

The $6.6 million project was partially funded by a $1.4 million PG&E grant. The district received the grant on two conditions: the first being that construction would start before the summer of 2012, and the second being that the district would re-

ceive no solar energy kickbacks from the company.

Solar panel users who run up an energy surplus often have the option to sell their extra energy back to the power company. Under the conditions of the grant, CVHS will not have this option.

“PG&E usually buys energy from its clients who use solar panels,” said Steinecke. “Not so for us; in our case, it is purely a donation.”

The effects of the construction will be felt most directly by seniors, who hold most of the school’s parking permits. Nonetheless, students of all grade levels are nervous about the congestion that is sure to come.

“I don’t like the idea [of eliminating student parking], and I think it’s unfair,” said junior Janice Lu. In the event that the panels are not fully installed by the end of the school year, the school will stop all construction for graduation week to reduce gridlock.

Construction will be resumed after graduation.

Despite the inconvenience of installation, the benefits of transitioning to solar power cannot be ignored. .

“It’s like buying a gym membership,” Steinecke said. “You buy it up front, and then get to use it for an extended amount of time.”

Proposed parcel tax plan rejected

By Melody Moteabbed Staff Writer

The school board rejected a proposed parcel tax – a tax on real estate that Castro Valley property owners would be required to pay – that possibly could have helped out the financial crises of the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD).

According to Superintendent Jim Negri, the school board received a recommendation to not proceed with the parcel tax proposal due to weak support.

This dismayed the board, which could have used the money for educational benefits such as more qualified teachers, an increase in modern technology, and smaller class sizes.

The recommendation was determined from a survey by the Center of Community Opinion, which suggested the proposal

be delayed. The factors that led to the decision included the fact that there was uncertainty on how the parcel taxes may be used, the support from K-12 parents was not enough to pass a two-thirds majority vote, and the only costs voters would likely support was at an annual cost of $50 or less per property owner.

“In theory, (a parcel tax) is good for schools, parents, and the districts,” said John Green, a CVHS teacher and president of the Castro Valley Teachers Association. “What parents don’t notice is how important it is. This is urgent and very important for cherished school activities students enjoy. Without these funds, there will be further cuts.”

While Green pointed out that these extra dollars could directly help schools by keeping athletics and other programs available, he did note that there are also

some cons.

“It’s a total of $200,000 more to have the proposal passed on the ballot. People are already having trouble with money as it is. If it doesn’t pass, money will be wasted on the amounts of printed paper ballots which had been used for it.”

Appealing to personal income issues, he asserted that “the parcel tax is regressive and is a flat tax, which means that people living in big mansions will pay the same taxes as those lowerincome people struggling. It’s essentially unfair. And the fact that communities have to pay, as opposed to the state, will probably drive people away from liking it.”

It is plausible that the parcel tax issue will be debated about in the future and, in the hopes of many, approved.

Strike down marriage ban, we say

Editorial: We at The Olympian approve of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. But the fight against Proposition 8 is not over yet; defenders will likely appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

For now, the Court of Appeals has put a “stay on the decision,” keeping Proposition 8 in place until the Supreme Court passes judgment on the case.

Proposition 8 states that only marriage between one man and one woman is valid in California.

In other words, gay marriage is banned in our state. However, same-sex couples who were married during the four-month period when gay marriage was legal in 2008 were allowed to keep their marital status.

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that no one should be denied equal protection under the law. We believe that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional because it does not give homosexual couples the same legal status as heterosexual couples. According to the Declaration of Independence, we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For some, marriage plays a vital part in attaining happiness. With Prop.

8, homosexuals are excluded from discovering the happiness that can be found through marriage.

We hope that by allowing gay marriage, people will become more tolerant towards each other. This may not happen with our generation or even the generation after that, but our grandchildren and their kids may lose the prejudice against gays that plagues our society today.

We at The Olympian believe that marriage equality does not harm anyone. Sexual orientation is not a choice, and being attracted to the same sex does not harm heterosexuals in any way. Besides, gay

Many factors affect people’s success

By Emily Courchaine

Kate Pellegrini / Opinion Editor

marriage will actually help our economy. In California, couples have to pay fees to obtain a marriage license. If couples decide to have a wedding ceremony, even more money will circulate into the economy through the employment of wedding planners, florists, cake designers, etc. The legalization of gay marriage will help alleviate our debt crisis.

We hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will also rule Proposition 8 as unconstitutional, not only

because it provides many benefits for the future, but also because gay marriage is a human rights issue. Besides, many advocates for Proposition 8 cite religion as an argument, and in the US, we have a separation of church and state. Religious matters should not impact our government. The overruling of Proposition 8 is a step towards a more tolerant future, and we hope that the Supreme Court makes the same decision as the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

PHOTOpinions pinions By: Matt Talajkowski

Should same-sex marriage be allowed?

“It should be legal.

If you love somebody, you should be able to marry.”

- Maya Para, freshman

“A man and a man is still marriage” - Aaron Lewis, junior

“It should be legal, no matter gay or straight.”

- Nadia Finkelman, sophomore

“To be honest, I don’t care if they are married under the law. But to be married under God, that gets to me.”

- Shaun Thiers, senior

Staff Writer Many people seem to be under the impression that the majority of Americans are given equal opportunity because everyone can attend a public school and move on to get a job or go to college with enough hard work. The fact is, however, that a huge determining factor in people’s success is not their personal dedication to working hard, but the environment into which they are born. Location, race, gender, and income are all factors that have nothing to do with ability, but have a huge impact on a child’s ability to succeed.

Growing up in a more affluent neighborhood gives students a distinct advantage, because they have the opportunity to attend a public school that has the money to provide AP classes and the materials for strong science, art, and vocational departments, which will ultimately improve their chance of getting into colleges. Rural and inner city schools are frequently much more crowded than wealthy suburban schools, with classes up to 50 percent larger, and each student receiving fewer supplies and less teacher attention.

While some people might be inclined to believe that people from low-income families just are not as smart as wealthier kids (after all, their parents weren’t smart enough to be successful, so it is possible that the kids are inherently less intelligent), poorer children are less likely to succeed regardless of their intelligence or their capacity to learn. Even if children from a

poor family are fortunate enough to end up in a good school district, they are still at a disadvantage because they are more likely to be “tracked” lower than students from high-income households, even when they do well on tests.

Tracking is a system employed by many school districts in which students are put into groups based on their performance in elementary school. If a child is put into a lower track, he or she is likely to receive a lower quality education than students on higher tracks all the way through high school.

Gender and race also play a role in success. According to Time Magazine, in 2008 the average woman earned 77 percent of what the average man made. Women of certain ethnicities made even less than that, with African American women earning 68 percent and Latinas making as little as 58 percent of the average man’s wage. While many people argue on behalf of the “self-made man” when it comes to discussions concerning “socialist” ideals, it should be acknowledged that women are forced to fill a significant gap before they are able to “make” themselves as successful as men.

I do not mean to undermine the achievements of successful Americans, because unless you are Paris Hilton, it takes a lot of time and effort to attain financial success. In fact, since we can’t all be born white middle-class males, nor can we eliminate prejudice in the working class, equal opportunity is highly improbable. After all, our country needs people to work lower-paying and less desirable jobs that many college graduates would turn their noses up at. But that is just the issue: we need them, and it astonishes me that so many people judge the intelligence, worth, and work ethic of others based on their socioeconomic status.

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2011 Editor-in-Chief.............................................................Anna Balassone City Editor...................................................................Dana Lin Copy Editor.........................................................Holden Parks News Editor...........................................................Natalie Chin Opinion Editor.............................................................Kate Pellegrini Feature Editor............................................................Amber Yang Sports Editor.............................................................Reyna Garcia Arts and Entertainment Editor........................................SangEun Choi Photo Editors..............................................................Rebecca Fong Tim Pak Business Manager......................................................Matt Barney Online Editor......................................................Michael Castillo

Staff Writers: Lily Carrell, Suzanna Chak, Betty Chen, Eva Chen, Emily Courchaine, Rachel Crary, Cheyenne Donatello, Natalie Fazeli, Alex Gao, Jane Hong, Anya Keller, Joyce Liang, Victoria Liang, Melody Moteabbed, Camilo Riveros, Fassa Sar, Matt Talajkowski, Lillian Xie, Christina Yee Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

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Olympian

The February 24, 2012

3

Unexpected chat reveals perspective of another time He looked to his son, CVHS teacher and athletic director Andy Popper. Then he said, “I’m going to leave soon.”

I knew that this was a moment I would not forget and I took the opportunity.

“May I take your picture?” I asked.

“Of course, can my son be in it too?”

“Definitely”.

And that was that.

“I looked into

By Tim Pak Photo Editor

I had to shoot my school’s basketball game recently. I don’t enjoy shooting sports and I prepared myself for a crappy night of unmotivated photography. Around me there were other photographers shooting away while I stood behind the backboard, comparing the loud “click-clacking” of the other cameras to the lifelessness of my own. I swear, one guy was shooting at least 10 frames per second; I chuckled at the thought of how much editing he was going to do. As the halftime buzzer rang, I went cross-court to get ready for the second half. I noticed an old man but paid no attention to him. Mere minutes went by and he asked me, “Is that digital?”

I replied, “yes,” and I immediately knew it was going to be a good night. He had a sparkle in his eye and I knew he wanted to talk. It was just basic stuff at first: “Are you the school’s photographer? What school would you like to go to? UCLA? Such a great school, you would love it there. I

his eyes and saw his yearning to be back 60 years...

”

Tim Pak / Photo Editor

Stan Popper (right) and his son Athletic Director Andy Popper (left) pose during the Castro Valley vs. Bishop O’Dowd basketball game.

started shooting back in 1992, so that was when I was about 61.”

At that moment, thousands of questions popped into my head. I started with an easy one.

“How were the girls back then?”

I asked.

“Oh my, they were much more proper. Wore long skirts past their knees and always covered themselves up. They had class.”

I laughed at that, then started to ask him more questions. I asked him what his favorite decade was and he immediately said, “The 50s.”

When asked why, he replied, “It was just better. No crime. You didn’t have to worry about your stuff being stolen. You could leave the doors open and you could find people asking others if they needed a ride home. You can’t do that anymore. I remember that Mom always used to cook the meals, three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There were no fat kids back then.

No McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell. Life was just better.”

He then told me something that I know will stick me with

for a long time.

“These are the best times of your life,” he said. “You’re young. After college, it just goes downhill. You get married, you have to work, you have kids, the fun kind of just leaves you.

Just know that these are the best times of your life.”

I looked into his eyes and I saw his yearning to be back 60 years, when his mother would be there for him, when “steak dinners were a buck fifty, when a milkshake this big was ten cents, when there was no crime.”

We lost the basketball game, but I couldn’t care less.

I met this man. I only know his name is Stan Popper. He will be 81 this year and he lived through eight decades that will never be able to be lived again. He heard Sinatra and Glenn Miller on the radio. He paid 10 cents for a matinee show and stayed there for six hours. I will never be able to live through what he told me.

He envied me for being young and restless.

I envied him for being able to live through such great times and wanting more of it.

I was born in the wrong generation.

Damn…

Students suffer from geography deficit disorder tinually expose students to world geography.

I think the underlying component of this issue is our culture’s general disinterest with the rest of the world. When creating state standards, people may not include content involving much geography because they don’t think it is very important. This ends up hurting students, as it makes them less likely to understand world politics and learn about other cultures.

It is ultimately essential that this generation learn more world geography so we can participate more actively in the world, not just in the US. I know that I will be looking everywhere I can in the future to improve my knowledge of the world map.

By Anya Keller Staff Writer

It has recently become very apparent to me how little knowledge many of my peers have of global geography. If a teacher asks about a foreign country or city in class, the room usually falls silent until one student raises his or her hand to make a brave, and often incorrect, guess. I, myself, do not have as much knowledge of geography as I would like either. I know very few world capitals, and I am sure I would leave most spaces empty if I were to fill in a blank world map.

Many would blame the

Dana Lin / City Editor students for this general ignorance, and in some ways that is fair. After all, most of us have taken CCG and learned the world map. But it is difficult for us as students to carry those facts on in our memories after only a semester of exposure. It is also true that we can learn geography on our own, learning from

maps on the Internet or from atlases, but most students are not motivated to do that, and it would be hard to learn without formal education.

It is not really reasonable to blame the teachers for not teaching the students more geography, either. Most history teachers have to focus on state standards when creating

lesson plans, and those standards rarely include extensive knowledge of geography.

CCG teachers, whose job is to teach geography, generally do a fantastic job, but are only given one semester to impart knowledge of the world map onto their students. Teachers are limited by the education system in their ability to con-

Letters to the Editor 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.

A s ta r i s a d d e d t o t h e C V H S S pa n i s h u n i v e r s e

By Natalie Chin News Editor

While most Spanish teachers go by “profesor” or “profesora,” Thelma Mooney prefers her students to call her the more informal “maestra.”

This current school year is Mooney’s eighth year teaching Spanish and first year at CVHS teaching Spanish 2 and AP Spanish.

“I think I was born a teacher.

Good teachers teach throughout their life. I was always excited to learn and just wanted to share what I learned with others,” she said.

Mooney’s eagerness to teach is apparent to her students and permeates the classroom atmosphere.

“I like maestra’s class because she’s always enthusiastic about the topic and she does a really good job explaining to us the

Natalie Chin / News Editor

Thelma Mooney has taught for eight years at other schools and this is her first year teaching at CVHS. stories that we read, making them more interesting and relatable,” claimed Sarah Blacher, a senior in Mooney’s AP Spanish class.

Although Mooney loves teaching any age group, teenagers are

her favorite.

“Teenage years are such a beautiful time. Whenever anyone over 30 years old is asked about their teenage years, they always smile,” said Mooney.

The adolescent students of CVHS can easily see her love for teaching.

“Maestra Mooney is an exemplary educator and has all the characteristics of a wonderful teacher,” stated Travis Mattas, a TA for Mooney’s sixth period class.

From experience, Mooney knows the difficulties of learning a new language, which helps her teach Spanish to non-native speakers.

Born in El Salvador, Mooney lived there until she was 13 years old. During eighth grade, her family fled from the El Salvadoran civil wars in the 1980s and immigrated to the United States.

“I remember my friends the most and growing up with them, especially the day I left because I never saw them again,” revealed Mooney.

Coming to America, Mooney did not speak English, but surrounded herself with English speakers and quickly learned the language.

She advises recent immigrants to “have patience because everyone wants to go back. But the US really is the land of opportunity to those who seek it.”

Previously, Mooney taught at a charter school of approximately 400 students compared to the nearly 3,000 students at CVHS. Although the student-teacher ratio was lower at her old school, Mooney already loves CVHS. “What’s there not to love?” she

asked. “The staff feels like [a] family of really warm people. And the students are very respectful towards me which is something I

“ Maestra

Mooney is an exemplary educator and has all the characteristics of a wonderful teacher.”

Travis Mattas Senior really value.”

After taking her Spanish class, she hopes that her students leave with a strong desire to continue learning Spanish and that her class changed their lives forever.

“I hope that I can be a person they can think back to as someone in their life just as my students have become a part of my life,” she said.

Winterball - to be off campus or not to be?

Different location for Winterball suggested

ferently.

“It takes away from prom,” said senior Breana Lastiri.

Additionally, it would also make it more expensive and costly if Winterball took place off campus. It would also be inconvenient for some lower classmen since most of them can’t drive.

“Some parents also like it better because it’s closer and at a central place,” said Leadership teacher Nicholas Whitaker.

According to senior Kelsey

By Betty Chen Staff Writer

In the history of CVHS, the annual Winterball has always taken place on campus. However, this year the Leadership class has suggested a fresh, new idea: having Winterball off the CVHS campus.

Leadership recently conducted a survey throughout the school to see what students think about having a change in venue. Fiftysix percent of the school supported the change in venue while 44 percent disagreed with it.

Although the final decision has not been made yet, the leadership class has said they should know very soon.

As the issue is still being dis-

“ It takes

away from prom.”

Breana Lastiri Senior

Lily Carrell / Staff Writer

CVHS students celebrate what may be the last winterball on the Castro Valley High campus. cussed, there are different views and opinions on this topic. Some people supporting the change argue it’s a fun and new twist

to the tradition of Winterball at CVHS. It would allow freshmen and sophomores to have a fresh and different experience. And

even though it’s convenient to have it at CVHS, it would be very exciting to have it off campus.

However, others argue dif-

Donovan, “We’re not exactly sure yet; it’s all up to the class of ’13 senior officers. I think it’s a good idea.”

For now, the percentages in favor of and against the decision are pretty close and, ultimately, the final call is up to the class officers of 2013.

Olympian

The February 24, 2012

5

A-B-C, easy as 1-2-3, at freshman spelling bee “Vestige” and “larynx” conclude excitement

By Suzanna Chak Staff Writer

The tick of the clock, the eerie silence of the room (no buzzing of any kind), and the patient stares from the moderators and other contestants waiting to see if you spell your word correctly.

One little letter could knock you out of the competition, and the word might just haunt you forever…

Every year, there is a spelling bee in the CVUSD for grades seven through nine. Here at CVHS, the process begins in the English classes of freshmen students.

In each class, there is a minispelling bee. The winners represented their classes in the schoolwide spelling bee. This year, the school-wide spelling bee was in room 501 and hosted by English teachers Tina Johansson and Col-

Suzanna Chak/ Staff Writer

Helen Liao, Esther Lim, Grey Janowsi, and Jessica Domingo survived the final round and will compete at the district wide spelling bee.

leen Mullany.

“There is a county bee and the district needs to send representatives,” explained Johansson.

“English is one of the most difficult languages to spell because

of all the influences from other languages,” she added.

Green paper was passed out and Johansson explained the rules. Finally, after much anticipation, the spelling bee began,

and the room was silent. One by one, Johansson gave out the words, Mullany gave the definitions and origins if asked for, and the students attempted to spell them out. And faster than

a bee can pollinate sunflower, it was the end of round one. Six students remained. Johansson and Mullany switched roles, and round two began.

Round two, like round one, was full of quizzical looks (many words the contestants had never heard of), hesitant writing, and deep thinking.

With some brains, preservation, and just a bit of luck, four people survived the round: Jessica Domingo, Grey Janowski, Helen Liao, and Esther Lim. All four will compete at the districtwide spelling bee at Canyon Middle School on Feb. 21.

The field was reduced to three, and then there were two…

Janowski and Lim battled head to head. Sometimes, one would get one right but the next wrong.

Neither was able to spell two in a row correctly, which was necessary to win the competition.

“We’re going to be here ‘til ten!” Johansson joked.

However, in the end, Janowski prevailed, correctly spelling the words “vestige” and “larynx.”

“It’s nerve-wracking to spell in front of people. But it feels good to do well,” Janowski said.

Still, all contestants walked away with a prize: a bigger vocabulary!

Science bowl stimulates thinking CVHS teams placed fourth and fifth in Science Bowl

By Holden Parks & Dana Lin “What section of the small intestine is the first to receive gastric contents?”

“What term is given to a body of sediments deposited where a stream flows into a body of standing water and its velocity and transporting power are suddenly reduced?”

“In the Standard Model of particle physics, all forces arise because of the exchange of what fundamental class of particles?”

Who knows the answers to those questions? The CVHS science bowl teams do!

Two teams from CVHS competed in the regional Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl at Las Positas College on Jan. 28. The first team (Castro Valley #1), consisting of seniors Bright Zhou, Holden Parks, Mason Kwan, Dana Lin, and Yeseong Kim, placed fourth overall, and the second team (Castro Valley #2, also known as Team Gryffindor), consisting of seniors Seamus Guerin, Lydia Henderson,

Katie Weese, Brian Zhang, and sophomore Mira Muhlfelder, placed fifth in its preliminary bracket.

“I went into the competition just wanting to do better than last year, to get past the preliminary rounds,” said Zhou, the captain of the first team.

“But I never expected getting as far as we did. After winning

“ It pays to

study something, not cram, mind you, but just focus on one topic. ” Bright Zhou Senior

the first few matches, every success thereafter was just unbelievable.”

Guerin, captain of Team Gryffindor, was also pleased with his team’s performance: “Even though we didn’t place super high, I’m so proud of Team Gryffindor for going out and competing in the first

place,” said Guerin. “I’ll admit that I was pretty nervous going from round to round, but when it’s game time, it’s game time.”

There were a total of 24 teams at the competition, which began with each of the teams being placed into a preliminary round with five other teams.

The two teams with the best records in their respective pools moved on to the semifinal rounds. The competition itself was won by a team from Irvington High School, with a team from Foothill High School placing second, and a team from Dougherty Valley High School placing third.

Both CVHS teams were coached by chemistry teacher Deborah Yager. Team members met intermittently throughout this past year in preparation for the event. Each meeting consisted of studying various topics in math and science, including chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and others.

The amount of studying, however, increased exponentially as the competition approached.

“The Kaplan and Princeton review books that warn students to never study the night before a test are wrong,” proclaimed Zhou. “It pays to study something, not cram, mind you, but just focus on one topic. I learned plant hormones the night before, and karma rewarded me with five questions about abscisic acid and ethylene.”

Eat Food. Save Schools.

There’s one day a week when dining out really makes a difference. That’s when participating restaurants donate a portion of every check to Save Our Schools in Castro Valley.

Join us every Thursday for “Thursday Dine Out.” Choose a participating restaurant and enjoy a meal while you’re helping Save our Schools.

Visit thursdaydineout.com for a list of restaurants.

Help save Castro Valley’s schools at soscv.org.

Girl with Dragon Tattoo an instant hit

By Betty Chen Staff Writer

Zachary Porter of Allstar Weekend passionately sings one of the band’s hits.

Matt Talajkowski / Staff Writer

All the Way tour attracts screaming fan girls

By Natalie Fazeli Staff Writer

The people are screaming, the pressed bodies are pushing to get closer; it’s so hot you think you’re going to suffocate. No this isn’t a natural disaster; it’s a group of fan girls at an Allstar Weekend concert.

On Allstar Weekend’s 2012 tour, the All the Way tour, the band stopped by the Fillmore in San Francisco to play its music for us in the Bay Area.

The band brought with it three other bands: The After Party, Hollywood Ending, and Before You Exit.

The After Party came first and sang, among many songs, “Oops I Did it Again” by Britney Spears, which was interesting with a guy’s voice. Both Hollywood Ending and Before You Exit also sang not only their own songs, but popular songs which made the crowd go even wilder, because then they too could sing along.

The first three bands were okay, although their music was a little too girlie, but the best was Allstar Weekend. You could feel the girls’ hormones thrumming in the air as the guys came on stage. I got excited too, until I heard the music.

Every single song of Allstar Weekend is about how much the members miss or love their girlfriends. Some of their songs don’t even make sense, like “Party Like it’s Not Your Birthday” and it isn’t as if their songs have any deep meaning or anything.

They are truly a boy band in every sense. Wikipedia even refers to them as an example of a “pop boy band” trying to act punk. Relying on looks and not talent is how Allstar Weekend gets by with so many hits. Allstar Weekend originated from Disney, so this kind of behavior is common with these Disneylike bands.

“Relying on

looks and not talent is how Allstar Weekend gets by with so many hits. ”

During the concert they brought a girl from the crowd onto the stage to sing with Zachary Porter, who is the lead vocalist, and she practically cried with happiness. But the fan-girl favorite of the band is Cameron Quiseng who, at the concert, was pinched on his butt by some adoring fan girl.

Overall, I would say they weren’t that bad and some of their songs, like “A Different Side of Me”, are catchy and fun to listen to. The best part was watching the adoring fan girls freak out at any little thing they did.

Natalie Fazeli / Staff Writer

Connor McDonough of Before You Exit excites the crowd.

The best-selling novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson instantly hit the New York Times best-seller list, and when it was announced there was going to be an American adaption movie made out of the novel, the roars were high. Although there had already been a Swedish version of the film, the anticipation for the American version was even bigger and the talks were even louder.

The movie directed by renowned director David Fincher includes a mix of casts with the fresh-face newcomer Rooney Mara playing the much-prized role of the dark haired, tattooed hacker Lisbeth Salander, while Daniel Craig plays the newly bankrupted businessman Mikael Blomkvist.

The film starts off a bit slowly, leaving many wondering when the girl with the dragon tattoo will come into action. Many would say when the dark and moody Lisbeth Salander appears, the action begins. The twisted and complicated plot will leave the audience thinking throughout the movie. For those that have read the books, the ending will not be a complete shocker. Although the movie does have some explicit and inappropriate scenes, the movie certainly focuses more on the plot.

For those that are looking for a movie that has a blend of mystery and drama with a somewhat moody atmosphere, then The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the movie for you. With Rooney Mara nominated for an Academy Award for best actress, it reassures her performance in the movie. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is definitely a movie worth checking out.

Olympian

The February 24, 2012

7

New Mission: Impossible Man on a Ledge throws logic off the edge is a film masterpiece

By Alex Gao Staff Writer

I learned the true meaning of having something defy all your expectations when I went to see Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. I went to the theatre with very basic expectations in mind. Yes, Tom Cruise was in it, and yes, it was a new Mission: Impossible movie, but I was not expecting too much.

Ghost Protocol might be new and seemingly exciting, but after many horrible sequels, I did not expect this one to be better than the old Impossible movies.

However, I was in for a huge surprise. The movie was nothing like what I expected, but much, much more than that.

Compared to previous Mission: Impossible movies, Ghost

Protocol was far more intricate and enthralling.

Ghost Protocol continues the story of the IMF (Impossible Missions Force). It starts at the Kremlin, in Russia, when a bomb goes off, and the members of the IMF are the primary suspects in the terrorist strike.

The President initiates “Ghost Protocol,” which disavows the entire IMF, allowing its members to act under the radar.

With this, they begin one of their most dangerous missions, searching for the true perpetrator behind the bombing as the safety of American citizens is threatened by an imminent nuclear disaster.

Overall, the movie deserves two thumbs up and a standing ovation. I found myself enthralled by every part of the movie. The actors, the special effects, the music combined for a successful movie. In my opinion, it was a masterpiece.

Plot holes and flaws in reason weaken the Jan. 27 movie release Man on a Ledge. The basis of this movie requires the viewer to do either of the following: leave your logic at the door, or leave.

Sentenced to prison for purportedly stealing a $40 million dollar diamond, former cop Nick Cassidy makes a desperate bid for proving his innocence. How so? By threatening to jump off the window ledge of a New York skyscraper, of course. He won’t be coming down until someone helps win his freedom.

There’s your summary. The storyline drew this reporter in at first, too. Sadly, there isn’t much hope for a movie made of cheap thrills, a predictable cast of characters, and gaps in the plot’s credibility.

rector’s death and Dolly Parton as the director’s widow. While the film offered strong and talented vocalists, there was a lack of decent song selections. The only two worth mentioning are Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

Joyful Noise is not only a musical but also a comedy. But I don’t consider it a comedy at all. I sat rather emotionless through the entire film. There were a few scattered laughs throughout the theatre but those were from people born with extra funny bones because there was absolutely nothing to laugh about. The funniest scene was when a minor character unexpectedly died, not because death is anything to be laughed about, but because it was the only unforeseen event.

Everything else in the film was predictable. One could

practically play out the plot in mind without even watching the trailer. Think of the most typical factors of a movie ever – the teenage girl who happens to be just so darn pretty that boys fight over, the swoon-worthy bad boy with the voice of a million angels who captures the heart of the girl by helping out her brother with Asperger’s syndrome, the father in the military who is separated from his family – if I say anymore, I’d just about give away the entire movie. Picture a mash up of the awful High School Musical and Glee with endless references to God and there you have it.

So if you have a bit of money to spare and you feel like torturing yourself for nearly two hours, go ahead and watch Joyful Noise.

Just prepare to watch a screen of people in purple robes relentlessly singing, dancing, and praying.

shelter, and other necessities, so it gets drained pretty quickly.

The addition of rampant crime does not help matters, for stealing time is very common. In fact, the main character, Will Salas, played by Timberlake, is robbed of much of his time on his 25th birthday.

Salas, like most of the population, lives in Dayton. Dayton is like a ghetto, and is therefore dangerous; crime lords control and hoard much of the time and function as loan sharks. People are so poor that it is not uncommon for someone to take out a loan for a few hours just to work for wages that will provide time for the next day. Most people work at factories that pay meager wages, so the denizens of Dayton are in constant debt. Death is also commonplace; there are bodies lying on the streets because of clocks that have “timed out.”

Beyond Dayton is New Greenwich, a city where the rich live.

The residents of New Greenwich

don’t have to constantly monitor their clocks like the poor because once they turn 25, they can be given 100 years easily from their parents. While the lives of the poor revolve around making enough time to live another day, the rich spend their days throwing lavish parties and living ostentatiously.

The plot line of In Time is reminiscent to Robin Hood.

Salas tries to bring justice by giving the poor more time. As such, his running away from the authorities takes up most of the screen time.

Although the air of danger makes for great action scenes, Niccol uses them to make up for his dull writing, which creates a lackluster viewing experience.

In Time offers a great buildup for a thought-provoking movie.

Unfortunately, the premise of In Time is the only part of the movie that is well written. Unless you don’t mind the absence of an engaging plot, In Time is a film you should definitely avoid.

By Rebecca Fong Photo Editor

Exploiting the common fear of heights is just what the writer of this movie accomplished, because why in the world would any sane man put himself in that situation willingly? There are more than enough almostslips in this movie and frankly, the sight of Cassidy balancing on that ledge is enough to cause a decent whoosh of adrenaline.

An admittedly good car chase in the first half-hour won some points. The only thing to keep in mind is that these are unoriginal, overused, mindless techniques to get a rise out of the audience.

If you’re into that sort of thing, though, that’s perfectly fine.

“ ...leave

your logic at the Joyful Noise brings this critic no joy door, or leave. ”

By SangEun Choi A&E Editor

Given I was a few minutes late and didn’t know what I was about to see, the sudden singing of a church choir surprised me.

And not in the good way – the people on screen were smiling and singing and looked rather pained.

Joyful Noise is about a church choir in the small town of Pacashau that struggles to break through traditional Gospel styles and compete in the “Joyful Noise” competition under a financial deficit. The movie stars Queen Latifah as the strict mother of two teenagers who takes over the choir after the di-

For a man on a mission to save his own skin, Cassidy’s daringness - or stupidity - certainly

Moneyball hits one out of the park

By Christina Yee Staff Writer

Based on an extraordinary true story, Moneyball smashed a home run and soared over fences in the box offices last October. Recently released on DVD, this compelling, mindblowing movie will not only rise above expectations, but will leave you breathless and

In Time out of time to impress

By Lillian Xie Staff Writer

In Time, starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried and directed by Andrew Niccol, had all the makings of becoming a big hit. It had a good cast and an intriguing premise with a lot of potential. However, all the elements of a first-rate movie cannot make up for poor execution.

The movie is set in a world where time is the form of currency. People stop aging at 25, at which point their internal clocks are activated, essentially counting down to their deaths.

Everyone starts out with one year on their glowing digital countdown clocks, which is illuminated on their forearms.

Although one year may seem like a good amount to start off with, time must be used to buy food,

builds suspense around his story and the mystery of why he would risk life and limb 21 stories above Manhattan. But the supporting cast of characters hardly encourages the viewer to engage with, or even like, any of them. Their roles are wornout, complete with the jerk cop who undergoes something of a change of tact, the obligatory eye-candy girlfriend, and the close friend who turns out to be - spoiler alert - not so friendly in the end.

As for flaws in believability, the actions of the NYPD and the legal system leave a bad taste in the mouth. For one incident of theft, Cassidy’s given decades, as in plural, of jail time. The judge denies his legal appeals. New York’s cops don’t even recognize Cassidy as their ex-coworker, although even if they had, they’d probably lack the sense to put two and two together to realize why the man’s threatening to jump in the first place.

Man on a Ledge would be best as an airline movie; not really worth seeking out on your own, but hey, it’s there in front of you and a way to kill time. So why not? If you’re out on the town with two hours to fry and nothing else to hold your attention, you may as well give this movie a go. Just make sure to find a nice safe spot outside the theater for your logical self to wait in the meantime.

possibly in tears.

Set back in the early 2000s, the movie centers around the A’s, who have just lost a crucial five-game series against the Yankees that would have sent them to the American League Championship Series.

Instead, the organization starts to crumble, losing its three best players to other teams during the offseason.

Forced to rebuild a winning team with a budget that seems almost nonexistent as its once high hopes slowly start to

dwindle, the Oakland A’s don’t seem to stand a chance for the upcoming 2002 season. That’s where the story of General Manager Billy Beane begins.

Played by Brad Pitt, Beane at first believes that his team is going to crash and burn, but after an encounter with Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, his thoughts slowly change from a negative perspective to a positive outlook. Hiring Brand as his assistant, Beane begins to assemble a team equipped with players dubbed untalented by the press.

Considered imperfect and criticized beyond belief, the team is seen as an island of “misfit toys.” In spite of this, Beane sees potential and that is all it takes as he falls head first into a whirlwind of events that would later impact the game of baseball forever.

Pulled from the pages of the celebrated book by Michael Lewis, Moneyball is not just for baseball fanatics. The story of an underdog defying the odds set against him is the main focus.

Showing actual clips of the real life events, you are pulled into the movie as the rollercoaster ride of the 2002 season unravels before your very eyes. Intense and emotional, it will capture your attention from the first moments to the final seconds.

You will laugh as Pitt’s sense of humor is projected so vividly through the camera’s lens; you will cheer alongside Pitt and Hill as they capture the heart and soul of baseball; you will possibly shed a couple tears, so set a tissue box in hand’s reach; but most of all, you will be left inspired.

Trojans torched by Dragons’ fire

Baseball derby hits a home run

By Lily Carrell Staff Writer

“Swing batta batta batta swing!”

The CVHS baseball program held its first Home Run Derby on Saturday, Feb. 4, in honor of the newly installed outfield fence. The entry fee of $20 paid by each participant went toward the CVHS baseball program. At least 40 competitors participated in the Derby, with 22 advancing to the second round.

“ Tim Pak/ Photo Editor

Point guard Jalen McFerren poises to shoot the ball as a Bishop O’Dowd player attempts to block his shot.

By Cheyenne Donatello Staff Writer

Bishop O’Dowd beat the CVHS boys varsity basketball team with an aggressive fourth quarter on Feb. 8, winning with a 23-point margin, 65-42.

This was one of the most exciting games of the year since O’Dowd is the Trojans’ arch rival. The game had the parking lot full and cars parked down the street. With the gym at full capacity and a rowdy crowd, the intense game began.

In a grueling battle of teamwork the Trojans were up in the first quarter at 13-11. At half time with CVHS down only three points at 25-29, the crowd was still optimistic of winning. But after the third quarter O’Dowd shot up with a 12-point lead. The Trojans responded with a run of 8-1, cutting O’Dowd’s lead to 43-38. The Dragons fired ahead in the fourth quarter while the Trojans only scored 4 points.

“I felt disappointed that we lost and that we as a team must stride to get better from that night,” said player Jonathan

The program is preparing them for the next level of baseball. ” Darrell Lavin

Event Coordinator The Home Run Derby champion was Ryan “Rowdy” Tellez from Elk Grove High School, who hit the most home runs in the final round, with one reaching more than 450 feet.

In order to move on to the second round, participants were allowed ten swings to hit a minimum of one home run, which is approximately 300 feet down the line. Second round players were then allowed to swing away until getting ten “outs,” which is anything other than a home run.

The top five competitors who hit the most home runs in this round went on to the finals. These contenders included Tellez, Michael Echavia from Amador High School, CVHS graduate Caleb Cooper, Hayward High School’s Robert Monchak, and Paddy O’Brien from Miramonte High School.

“It was a great event and all the participants had a lot of fun,” said CVHS junior Luke Huerta, one of the competitors.

The Home Run Derby attracted the attention of some professional baseball scouts, as well as pro-ball players who traveled far for this event. The CVHS baseball program hopes to make the derby an annual showcase.

Event coordinator Darrell Lavin said the players have worked extremely hard to raise money for the baseball program.

“Coach Iglesias has done an amazing job of transforming the program from what it was,” said Lavin. “The program is preparing them for the next level of baseball, but more importantly, what’s needed in life: hard work and respect.”

Tim Pak / Photo Editor

Forward Derrick Clayton jumps to score as opponents and fellow teammates wait in case of a rebound.

Davis.

Dawson Johnson led the game with 15 points and Derrick Clayton scored 11 points as well.

“Everyone who played tried hard,” said Coach Nick Jones.

Since Bishop O’Dowd is in a different division, CVHS basketball

teams will not play them again this year.

Even after the loss, the team still has a good chance to go to the NCS playoffs. The Trojans’ record fell to 18 wins and five losses, with ten wins and three losses in the HAAL.

Lily Carrell / Staff Writer

The newly erected fence creates a boundary for baseball players to hit home runs.

The line between school spirit and becoming a disturbance

By Cheyenne Donatello Staff Writer

Tim Pak / Photo Editor

The Trojan Den roars with enthusiasm as the Trojans go up against the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons.

What is the boundary between school spirit and becoming a disturbance to the game? During the CVHS vs. Bishop O’Dowd basketball game, I was standing amongst the Trojan Den in a mixture of chaos and cheering. There is no doubt that the Trojan Den is the loudest section in the audience; its cheers boom and echo off the walls.

If your seat is among the Den, do not expect to actually sit. While the game is in action, you’re standing up. Bleachers are not comfortable in the first place, especially with people continually trying to walk

around you.

The Den has a variety of cheers, from chanting “Who’s your daddy? Castro Valley!” to spirit fingers while the CVHS team is shooting their free throws. But there were some chants that were not exactly appropriate for school.

Multiple students were kicked out of the game for shouting “F*** O’Dowd!” In retaliation many more students turned around in the bleachers and shouted the same thing. Due to how many students yelled, the staff couldn’t make all the students leave.

The chaos continued as the Den started jumping up and down on the bleachers while humming a tune. Within all the jumping,

students were falling down left and right. I braced myself for the bleachers to collapse. The more intense the game, the more riled up the jumping became. I could see people trying to escape from the jumping mess.

There has to be a middle ground between chaos and supporting your team. The Trojan Den section should be clearly marked so that any visitors or people who are not accustomed to attending games know what they are in for.

The staff does the best it can do to control the chaos without trying to disrupt everyone’s fun. Just note that if you are finding a seat at a game be prepared if you’re sitting with the Trojan Den.

Olympian

The February 24, 2012

9

Trojans’ opponents in league changing

By Alex Gao

Emily Courchaine / Staff Writer

Girls wrestling captain and senior Pam Crosby wrestles with her opponent at NCS.

Girls wrestlers advance to state

By Reyna Garcia Sports Editor

A great accomplishment has been made for the CVHS girls wrestling team. Four girls will go to state championships after placing highly at NCS. Pam Crosby, Emily Courchaine, Rebecca Busch and Alysia Baker will all be competing.

Last year you didn’t have to qualify to go to State, but this year you do, reported Courchaine.

“I’m excited and really looking forward to it. All the top people will be there, so it will be a challenge,” said Courchaine, a junior who has been on the team since she was a freshman.

Crosby as a senior and captain has been on the team all four years. She hopes the state championships will be rewarding and all her hard work will pay off.

Sophomore Rebecca Busch made it to state last year, but had a knee injury. This year she has a pinched nerve,

but should be able to compete. After last year with her knee injury and not having been able to wrestle, this year “is a big deal for me,” said Busch.

Freshman Alysia Baker says going to state is “amazing and cool.” She plans to wrestle for the rest of her high school career, but will be moving to Southern California.

The state championships will be held Feb. 24 and 25 at Lemoore High School.

Staff Writer CVHS sports teams have always stood up to the competition offered by the other schools.

However, with the addition of new schools to its current league, and the loss of another, can CVHS still keep up with the incoming competition?

The new league will contain a total of 12 teams. Schools like Berkeley High, Alameda High, and Piedmont High will be added, while Moreau Catholic High School will be leaving the league.

Other than that, the current Hayward Area Athletic League teams will stay as they are, so none of the current sports teams at CVHS will have to change in order to enter the new league.

Within the league, the 12 teams will be sorted into two competitive leagues of six teams.

These matchups will be based on competitiveness of each school’s various sports teams. This means

that one of our sports teams will be matched with one of equal skill and competitiveness from another school, and so on.

The main reason for the change in the HAAL league comes from the league re-alignments that happen every two years. Teams that are imbalanced in other leagues are moved around based on their competitiveness and skill.

The teams will also be assigned with their geographical areas in mind, meaning there will be a North/South division, and an East/West division. Also, among the teams currently in the HAAL leagues, there will be an A and a B league.

Will CVHS teams be able to handle the new league changes and the competition they offer?

Though the future is uncertain, with enough practice and effort, CVHS can maintain the high standards set by its sports teams in the years to come.

Martore signs to Cal

Camilo Riveros / Staff Writer

Celeste Martore signs her National Letter of Intent to play soccer at UC Berkeley.

Or i g i n a l Ou st a n di n g Opp o n e nts Rachel Crary / Staff Writer

k

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Kevin Morimoto, freshman Freshman Kevin Morimoto joined track and field in eighth grade and competed in the 1600-meter and the 3200-meter (about one and two mile) races.

“I like the challenge of it,” said Morimoto.

He claimed that he was not competing with other people, other schools, or anyone else, but actually “competing against myself.” To him, it is all about improving previous personal times rather than fighting for first place.

Morimoto would like to participate in cross country and track in college if he has the chance.

During the cross country season, Morimoto ran on the freshman/sophomore team. As the season ended back in November, he is now looking forward to the start of the track and field season.

Kristen Shak, sophomore

Sophomore Kristen Shak is a skilled varsity tennis player at CVHS with the dream of becoming team captain one day. Shak began playing tennis at the age of ten and has not stopped since.

“I like being able to bond with our team,” said Shak. She cherishes the relationships she is able to build with her fellow teammates. Shak also loves being able to play with her friends that are all on the team with her.

Although she likes playing leisurely with her friends, Shak also takes the game seriously. She has won a few tournaments that she has participated in and has also won league two years in a row.

Shak has plans to play tennis for clubs after high school and to never stop playing for the rest of her life.

Andre Decoito, junior

Andre Decoito is a junior on the wrestling team at CVHS. He started wrestling in sixth grade and has since joined the team every year up to this point.

Decoito works hard when it comes to wrestling. When asked what about the sport appealed to him, he answered without hesitation: “The feeling you get after you win that match that you put all that hard work into.” For him, that moment is worth all the training and hard work it calls for.

Decoito is enjoying a great season of wrestling this year. He has been in the finals of the tournaments he has participated in. He plans on continuing wrestling in college depending on what a college offers him. For now, though, he still has the rest of the season ahead of him.

Breana Lastiri, senior

Senior Breana Lastiri is an experienced cheerleader at CVHS. She is a flier, or the person that is usually thrown up into the air for different stunts. Lastiri joined the cheerleading team in her sophomore year.

“I like being able to support the school,” said Lastiri. Lastiri loves cheering athletes on and seeing them doing well in a game.

She also enjoys leading the crowd into excitement and cheer.

The year she joined the cheerleading team, Lastiri was presented with the “Most Coachable Award” at an acknowledgement ceremony held by the team for appreciation of its team members. As of now, Lastiri is uncertain about her college plans, but decides that if cheerleading were available at whichever college she attends, she would join the team and cheer on her fellow classmates there.

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Number-crunching geniuses enter math challenge

By Christina Yee

‘outside the box’ and use fundamentals from many different topics in math like geometry and probability. Nonetheless, it was fun trying to solve hard math problems!” junior Kristie Huie commented. When questioned if she’d recommend the competition to other students, she replied, “I do recommend the AMC to others. It’s a good experience and it’s good for colleges to see.”

Staff Writer

The nerve-wracking tick-tocks of the classroom clock, the rapid scribbles of squeaking #2 pencils, and the pounding hearts of stressed out students were just a few familiar sounds heard throughout the American Mathematics Competition (AMC).

Held on Feb. 7, the 75-minute competition designed as a test was not only administered on the CVHS campus, but in hundreds of schools nationwide.

CVHS administered to their students two AMC exams that tested mathematics on a high school level: the AMC 10, given only to freshmen and sophomores, and the AMC 12, aimed more towards juniors and seniors, but can be taken in any grade level. The multiple choice competition might seem easy since it contains only 25 questions, but the examination covered a wide range of concepts and was proven quite difficult to many. Although some students were on the brink of a math-ache after enduring the AMC, such a challenging test is one worth taking.

“The AMC is for students who want to demonstrate their mathematical abilities,” said Andrea Eldridge, the Mathematics Department Chair. “You can receive certificates and plaques of achievement and recognition if you score high. Plus, it looks

“

All of the questions required you to think ‘outside the box...’ ”

Holden Parks / Copy Editor

AMC test takers sit at their desks and struggle to find answers to their problems. good on college résumés!” she added with a laugh.

Math teacher Glenn Mitchell also stated that the AMC is a significant and beneficial test to consider taking during high school.

“The questions [on the AMC] are written in a non-traditional textbook way and it really brings

Power outage unplugs Internet

By Victoria Liang Staff Writer

A power outage in Castro Valley on the morning of Jan. 23, caused the Castro Valley Unified School District’s Internet to go offline. Because the Internet was offline, there was a huge inconvenience to everyone in the district.

Usually the district’s large backup battery would supply the data room that manages servers and network connections for the district with the power to keep it running. But in this case, the backup battery was used up before the power came back on. This caused the system to shut down its servers.

“The shutdown process worked as designed and no data stored on servers was damaged or lost. However, one of the switches that manages network communication lost its configuration,” said Bruce Gidlund, the district’s technology director.

Therefore the Internet was still down, even though the power was back on. This could not have been fixed easily because the only way to know that this was the problem was only through the process of

elimination of the other possible problems. The server was easily fixed after the problem was identified.

While the district was fixing the problem, CVHS had no Internet connection. Teachers of the computer classes were reviewing for finals, but the server crash frustrated some teachers because the curriculum was online.

“It was frustrating, but I understand this happens,” said computer teacher Chris Burns.

The Internet connection problem not only affected the computer classes; it affected everybody at the school. Teachers couldn’t go on Aeries to take attendance and students couldn’t go online to check their grades.

Even though the Internet connection was having problems, the tech support at CVHS could not do a thing about it.

“The district had problems. We can just wait for it to be fixed,” said Monica Herendeen, computer support technician.

Luckily, the problem only lasted for a day. But sadly it was right before finals and was a huge inconvenience for both students and teachers.

out the creativeness in students when they try and answer the problems, as there are many ways in solving them,” said Mitchell. “Also, some colleges, especially those centered around mathematics, science, and engineering, usually ask about AMC 10 and AMC 12 test results, expecting that you had already

Kristie Huie Junior

taken them.”

In addition to the teachers’ views of the AMC, some students also believe that this mathematics competition is a test significant enough to be given at least a try.

“To tell you the truth, the AMC was quite challenging. All of the questions required you to think

Overall, the AMC was a challenge, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Instead, it was a door opening into a future of endless possibilities. Add up those numbers and you’ll soon realize why the AMC is a test-styled competition you don’t want to regret not taking.

kick, then a header. The Trojans were unable to score.

“It was a really good game. We could have played better,” said junior Kayla Utley.

Despite the loss, the varsity team played hard all year, with only two losses.

“We kicked balls and we kicked butt,” said team captain Sophia Barnhart.

One of those losses came

against Bishop O’Dowd, though the Trojans beat the Dragons earlier in the season.

“It was a big win for us,” Utley said. “Beating O’Dowd was amazing.”

The team finished second to the Dragons in the HAAL and lost only two games all year.

“We did well this year,” said Barnhart. “We always play hard.”

year-round. Only about onefourth or less of the senior class normally applies for the scholarships offered at CVHS. If a student were to apply for a scholarship, it would be likely that his or her chance of receiving the scholarship is relatively high because not a lot of students apply.

Seniors can apply for the Cas-

tro Valley Education Foundation (CVEF) scholarship program, submit an application, and be eligible for many scholarships offered locally. For more information, please visit http://www. cvef.org.

For any questions about scholarships and financial aid, contact Small at the CVHS Career Center.

Girls soccer team victorious in defeat

By Matt Talajkowski Staff Writer

After a successful season, the girls varsity soccer team advanced to NCS but lost its last game to Carondelet, 1-0.

“We tried hard and we played well in the last game. It’s too bad it didn’t turn out,” said junior Taylor Keenan.

The game was over after Carondelet scored off a corner

CASH: from Page 1 With the unstable economy, Small believes it is highly recommended for students to apply for financial aid and scholarships.

“Everyone should be applying for scholarships,” said Small.

A diverse amount of scholarships are offered to students

RECYCLE!

Olympian

The February 24, 2012

Dodgeball tournament fires up players, spectators

By Camilo Riveros Staff Writer

The whistle blows, and a herd of the top athletic talent at CVHS runs towards the center of an arena to grab as many balls as possible in order to gain an advantage in the battle they are about to undertake. This is only one of many scenarios that play out in our gymnasium once a year during dodge ball week.

“It’s a tournament that has been here longer than I’ve been in charge of student activities and it seems to keep growing every year. Students come out for fun and others for pride, either way it’s always very fun to watch,” said Student Activities Director Nick Whitaker.

Teams of six students sign up every year to compete in this lunchtime activity that takes place in February. At the end of it all, only one team is left standing while all the others are left watching, and anxiously waiting for next year when they can once again compete for the title.

The rules are simple enough: knock out the other teams’ play-

ers before they knock your out yours and keep doing it until the championship game where everyone wants to be.

Some students come out for some friendly competition, and others are more serious and determined to win, sometimes even pre-ordering jerseys and team costumes that entertain us all. While the games are entertaining enough, sometimes the funniest part of the tournament is the reactions of some winners and losers.

“I brought honor to my family,” said Oriental Tea Squad player Hernest Chow who had the game winning “out” in his game against the Messy Oaks.

Chow and other players had a huge role in what many could call a tournament full of upsets, with the highlight game being Turf Team 2.0 (an all-girls team) taking away The Honey Badgers’ (filled with mostly varsity football players) chances at the crown with their unexpected win.

The CVHS staff also had a disappointing showing this year, with the all-teachers Team Discovery Channel suffering a

11

first round defeat at the hands of Lindberg and the Ball Boys.

When asked to comment about their loss, most of the teachers had no comment except for history teacher Kevin Batchelor.

“I’m very bitter about our loss today,” Batchelor said.

It’s apparent that losing in the tournament, in front of the whole student body, can be a very hard thing to swallow, especially for the teachers who suffered defeat at the hands of the students some of them personally teach.

There is no big extravagant prize at the end of it all, but the championship winning team usually comes out with an immense amount of pride and bragging rights for the rest of the year.

While giving students bragging rights isn’t the overall goal of the leadership class, which organizes the tournament every year, it’s only one of the many positive outcomes of the week.

“It’s a way for us to keep our students on campus, and safe from off-campus dangers at lunchtime, all the while bringing most of the student body together for a week of fun and competition,” Whitaker said.

Tim Pak / Photo Editor

Dodgeball teams battled for the championship title.

PROP 8: from Page 1

equal protection under the law.

The court’s decision, which goes against the statewide majority that ruled in accordance with Proposition 8 when it was on the ballot in 2008, makes no immediate change in marital status for homosexuals in California. It does, however, further the investigation of Proposition 8 to a federal level. In the coming months, the issue may land in the Supreme Court and a final ruling could be made.

Many Californians are very excited about the court’s decision.

“I think it’s wonderful because it is the first time a Federal Appeals Court has upheld the right of same-sex couples to marry,” said history teacher Roger Kim. Although the decision is a positive one, Kim said, “not knowing what will happen at the Supreme Court level is a little nerveracking.”

While the decision does have many supporters, its opponents are at the ready with arguments to serve as its invalidation. To se-

nior Trinity Bustria, agreeing or disagreeing with the court’s decision is not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with Proposition 8 itself, but rather with the court’s use of the 14th Amendment as constitutional evidence.

Bustria explained that “one of the faulty grounds for Proposition 8's overturn was the appeal to the 14th Amendment, an amendment that was illegally ratified after the Civil War.” According to Bustria, “The bigger issue involved in this whole debacle is the 14th Amendment; its legality should be examined by the Supreme Court and not the current question around Proposition 8.”

Regardless of the opinions of its opponents, the decision has made it apparent that the argument over Proposition 8 is not over. Gay rights activists will not stop until they achieve their goal: true marriage equality.

And while the decision does not provide any immediate change, it is, as Bruckner put it, “a step in the right direction.”

ESLR posters depicting six images of exemplary leaders (and Yoda) have been posted around campus to show the values students should extract from their time at CVHS.

CVHS inspired by ESLR posters

By Anya Keller Staff Writer

You may have noticed the new black and white poster appearing in classrooms all over campus.

These are called ESLR (Expected School-wide Learning Results) posters, and they are meant to represent six values that students should be getting out of their experience at CVHS. The posters were made by visual arts teacher Adrian Lopez’s Graphic Design class after Lopez noticed that older posters on campus featuring the same messages were unlikely to grab students’ attentions.

“The old poster had so much text that I can’t even read it,” he commented. “The first thing people see is an image. We tried to draw people in with the image to get them interested in the text.”

The Graphic Design class chose six images of people who were examples of the expected outcomes of the students’ education at CVHS. Yoda represents “Knowledge,” “Responsible individuals” is exemplified by Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa shows what “Community Participants” are all about, Eleanor Roosevelt embodies “Life-long Learners,” Martin Luther King Jr. characterizes “Effective Communicators” and Albert Einstein epitomizes “Critical Thinkers.”

“We tried to choose an image that embodied the idea for the students,” Lopez said. “The toughest part was to choose an image that’s powerful and that everyone would recognize.”

Originally, the ideals “Community Participants” and “Lifelong Learners” were going to be represented by images of the

raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima and a picture of Steve Jobs, but some teachers raised concerns that the posters lacked female role models. Due to this, the class was prompted to add Mother Teresa and Eleanor Roosevelt.

“We all looked at them before we presented them,” said Lopez. “Once it was brought up, we said ‘Oh, that’s totally true.

We need to put women in the ESLRs.’ I told the class and they completely agreed.”

The posters were meant to get students thinking about where they should be learning with the education they’re receiving.

Lopez hopes the revised posters will be more likely to prompt students to think about these issues by getting their attention.

“My ultimate goal was for them to be noticed,” said Lopez.

State leaders sound off on taxes, cuts and education

By Jane Hong

a responsibility to drill down and suggest ways to improve the system within California.”

And while Steinberg went into detail about the decreasing of graduation and college admission rates of high school students and how such issues could be resolved, he never touched on the fact that the public education system has been suffering due to lack of funding.

School administrations and teachers strive to provide students with courses that both challenge and help them to direct

their career paths. However, the reduction of availability of these classes and the increased amount of students put into each class slowly weaken the education system.

In addition to this, both Democrats and Republicans currently serving our state government have voted in favor of these education cuts. Can politicians honestly argue that education is their priority when supporting such drastic cuts that affect all California students?

One example of a politician

who is interested in instigating change when it comes to education is Democratic Assembly Speaker John Perez. He firmly believes that California has the opportunity to grow and thrive so long as the state attempts to reform the education budget.

“We need to find solutions that ease education finance burden,” he said.

In fact, Perez and Steinberg have recently proposed a plan in which undergraduate students from families with a household income of less than $150,000

would have their tuition and fees cut down by two-thirds.

California State University students would save about $4,000 annually while University of California students would have about $8,100 annual savings.

This program, called the “Middle Class Scholarship,” would cost the state about $1 billion a year; this would be raised by eliminating a corporate tax break.

Republicans disagree with the idea of raising any taxes. Huff said, “It’s tough economic stuff, but I don’t believe that taxes are the way.”

While Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway asserted that we need to restore the education system we used to have in California, she spoke for the majority of her party when saying that she did not think that temporary taxes that affect permanent programs were fair.

“We’re not mean people,” she explained. “We just don’t believe that taxes are always the way to solve problems.”

Regardless of whether taxes are the solution to the current budget crisis, the fact that all educators and students have been suffering as a result of lack of funding is apparent. Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, who represents Castro Valley, believes in the protection of education funding, especially for K-12. She explained, however, that it’s too early to tell what the future of the overall education system looks like for Californians.

“It’s a little bit too early to say exactly what is going to get cut,” she said. “We don’t really know what’s going to happen this year.”

So, you may be asking: what is the public education structure going to look like in the future?

Well, stay tuned.

thought we were completely insignificant to society before, but I finally was able to acknowledge just how much of an impact that I, as a journalist, have.

The speakers included two Democratic politicians and two Republican politicians. The day began with some key points from Assembly Speaker John Pèrez and then a short talk from Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, both of whom made sure to emphasize the importance of education in this budget crisis. The two Republican speakers were Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway and Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff.

While I very much liked the Democrats’ speeches, I wasn’t in favor in those from the Republicans. I’m not saying this because I am biased towards Democrats; I honestly did not like what the Republicans had to say. I felt as though Conway didn’t really say much of anything. She talked about her personal life too much and didn’t address any important issues. She was

very defensive and stressed that the current budget crisis was the fault of the Democrats. Huff, on the other hand, stressed how important STAR testing was for students.

After the speeches, there was a moment for the attendees to ask questions. Olympian staff writer Kate Pellegrini asked Huff what he thought about the current education predicament and he completely ignored her question.

He beat around the figurative bush, rambling on about something, but still not answering what Pellegrini asked. Olympian advisor Matt Johanson asked Huff why he felt STAR tests were important. Huff talked about everything that had to do with STAR tests except for why he felt they were important.

We also got to talk to Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett and Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi.

Talking to Corbett was absolutely amazing. Everything she said was incredibly sincere and she even let us into her life by

telling us about herself and her son. She even knew about the things going on at CVHS. She went on to tell us that she is “an East Bay girl.” She gave us information on bills pertaining to education and others that teens could relate to. Every question we asked was answered with a clear and thoroughly informative answer. Corbett is an amazing interviewee; if only they could all be as informative and warm.

The drastic differences between Corbett and Hayashi were quite clear. Last year Hayashi was arrested for shoplifting in San Francisco at Neiman Marcus and later pleaded no contest. It was later reported that she had a brain tumor and that that may have been the reason for thievery.

As journalists, we were of course very curious about the entire predicament and wanted to ask her about it. However, we also know that journalists do not ask hard questions first. We began by asking her what bills she had passed pertaining to education. Staff writer Jane Hong

posed the question in a very articulate and well-mannered way, but it didn’t seem to get through to Hayashi. She stopped Hong to ask how each of us were and why we were interested in journalism.

When we returned to Hong’s question, she scolded Hong, saying that the question was worded too broadly (it wasn’t). She then continued to talk about one thing and one thing only, a bill that she had passed to make sure that athletes with concussions got the care and rest they needed; in response to each question, she reverted to talking about the concussion bill.

The avoidance of answers from the Republican speakers and the oddball interview with Hayashi showed me just how important it is for a journalist to get a story out to the masses and how important it is to ask and ask until you get the vital information so that you can supply the people with what they need to know. As journalists it is our job to get the story right no matter what. This is not always easy, as we learned.

Staff Writer

During a field trip to Sacramento on Feb. 1, junior Kate Pellegrini eagerly seized the opportunity to question Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff about the future of California’s education system. She asked why a whopping 97 percent of all cuts are aimed towards education and how he planned on adjusting or fixing this issue.

“Well, stay tuned,” he said.

Students seem to have no choice but to stay tuned as our state government delves into possible changes to the current education system. In December of last year, Gov. Jerry Brown announced that K-12 school budgets would be reduced by about $330 million, including $248 million that accounts for bus transportation. The University of California, California State University, and the state’s community college system have lost an additional $100 million.

Under the governor ’s proposed plan, the sales tax would increase by half a cent and income taxes would increase between one and two percentage points depending on whether people earn at least $500,000 per year. These taxes would expire after five years. If Brown’s tax measure fails to pass, public school funding could automatically be cut by $4.8 billion.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg is just one of the many politicians who support Brown’s most recent plan. He explained that strengthening the public school system is of importance to him: “Certainly every politician when asked a question about education will tell you that it’s their priority, and education is my priority,” he stated. “We have

Matt Talajkowski / Staff Writer

At the Capitol Building, top Democrats and Republicans met Olympian staff members.

Capitol visit shows journalism’s value and challenges

By Reyna Garcia Sports Editor

As a journalism student at CVHS I am often given superb opportunities. Recently I was able to go to Sacramento, and listen to several different speakers hosted by the California Newspaper Publishers Association. As a journalist I learned something that I had not yet been able to realize so far in my experiences.

I realized just how profoundly and incredibly important journalists, newspapers, and news reports are to society, and just how hard it sometimes is to get stories out. Not to say that I had