Jan 20, 2005

Volume 48, Issue 5

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2005

Castro Valley, CA 94546

CVHS cabinet proposed changing dance title Members said Sadie Hawkins is a sexist name

By Katie Parr Staff Writer

Alexia Laines / Staff Writer

Seniors (from left) Landon Nash, Derek Music, Sean Rothi, Ryan Sandoval, Jake Haas get in touch with their feminine side at the Mr. CV competition.

Vandals defaced teacher's poster

Homophobic slurs marred science room's door art

By Denise Wong Staff Writer

Recently, science teacher Melissa Kindelspire found one of her door posters had been defaced by an anonymous vandal.

The vandal had taken the poster off the door, wrote homophobic slurs on the poster, and spat on it before crumpling it up.

“I left the room for [a moment], then when I came back, I saw it on the ground.

“It was during third period,” said Kindelspire.

The incident was reported to administrators.

However, Kindelspire does not think there will be much to find out about this incident.

“They can't do anything about it because it was kind of random,” explained Kindelspire. “[And] I don't know of anyone else that has had someone deface school or personal property with homophobic slurs this year.”

Nevertheless, Kindelspire does know a lot of people who have had things said to them or about them.

They were close enough to hear the remarks.

There were a few that have had

things thrown at them, too.

“One student that I talked to says that they have gotten more harassment this year than they have the previous three years combined,” Kindelspire added.

Homophobia has been a big issue at CVHS, and still is, because it is such a diverse community.

Many people, like Kindelspire, have observed that the homophobia is increasing.

“Everyone has a responsibility to address [homophobia] when they hear it, rather than ignore it,” said history teacher Kathleen Cassidy.

Staff members, as well as some students, have noticed the increase of homophobia.

It seems more obvious this year than any other year.

They believe that most people

PHOBIA: Page 8

Members of the Castro Valley High presidential cabinet proposed changing the name of the Sadie Hawkins dance because they believe its title and tradition are sexist and homophobic.

Senior Amanda Gelender instigated the idea and other cabinet members enthusiastically supported it.

“The Sadie Hawkins dance is a very outdated idea,” said junior Shara Neff, a member of the cabinet and president of the Spectrum club.

Girls traditionally ask boys to the Sadie Hawkins dance, which is also the junior class fundraiser.

Sadie Hawkins was a 1937 cartoon character who was so ugly that her father was afraid that she would never marry.

He decided to hold a contest in which every man in town would run away from her, and the first one Sadie caught would have to marry her.

“A 1937 ideal is not helping us today,” Neff pointed out.

ASB President Tim Cole brought

Gelender’s proposal to the House of Representatives, where it was not received well.

When they brought up the issue of homosexuals and the dance, Gelender said a representative shouted, “Why don’t the bitches just ask the butches?” The outburst led to uproar and the matter was not resolved.

“We are going to attack it more adamantly when we get closer to the date,” said Cole.

The Sadie Hawkins dance is scheduled for Feb. 25.

“Everyone needs to feel comfortable going to the dances,” Cole added. “We’re working to find a common ground so it doesn’t have to turn into a huge political debate.”

Cole said that the House might eventually vote on the matter, but it is ultimately up to the junior class officers.

Students have mixed feelings about Gelender’s proposal.

“Many students that I spoke with do not support the idea of the change,” said junior treasurer Alex Barbour.

Junior Melissa Rocha is one. “I believe people who oppose Sadie Hawkins just want attention and don’t know what they’re talking about,” said Rocha.

Either way, there will still be a dance. According to junior class President Kelsey Hayes, changing the name of Sadie Hawkins probably wouldn’t have a big effect on class funds.

“If it were replaced, the dance would be a dress-up dance,” said Hayes. “We would just put a lot more focus on the theme.”

Bush supports abstinence over safe sex

By Krissy Bussell Staff Writer

President Bush has proposed spending $170 million on abstinence-only education in 2005, but this will not affect CVHS. The re-election of Bush guarantees that more federal funds will go to teaching kids abstinence but California state law requires that teachers include a discussion on sexually transmitted diseases and the benefits and consequences of all methods of birth control.

Jean Emrich, a health teacher at CVHS, commented that all the health teachers teach the same.

They teach about both abstinence and contraceptives.

“The only way to be 100 percent safe from sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy is abstinence,” said Emrich.

Emrich said that she tells her students the information she is giving is not just information for

tomorrow, but it is information for the rest of their lives. “It’s important to know, for basic knowledge, about how your body works,” said

Emrich.

Pat Parker, a health teacher at CVHS, stated that since Bush has been in office, teaching has not

changed.

“We always have taught abstinence,” said Parker. “We are right in line with what Bush is asking.”

Melissa Love / Staff Writer

Education about contraceptives such as condoms will not be funded by Bush.

Parker stated that the health teachers teach about contraceptives and family planning. “We teach all commercially available contraceptive ways,” said Parker.

Senior Chris Murphy said that he thinks teaching abstinence will not make kids have sex any less.

“Bush needs to talk more about safe sex and not only abstinence,” said Murphy. “I don’t think teaching abstinence will stop kids from having sex. It isn’t going to change anything; he is just wasting money.”

Senior Jeremy Barton agreed partially with Murphy’s view on Bush's plan.

“I think that teaching abstinence will stop kids from having sex temporarily but when they do have sex they won't know what type of safety methods to use. I feel that Bush should teach abstinence but he should also show the kids safety methods to use in case they do decide to have sex,” said Barton.

2

OPINION

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Don't "terminate" tenure... yet Rock the casbah

Editorial:

While California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to reform teacher salaries based upon merit as a teacher instead to tenure is an admirable idea, the plan is far more rhetoric than substance at the moment.

Although we at The Olympian feel removing incompetent teachers who have kept their jobs due to tenure is a worthy goal, we see no plan to determine competence fairly.

If the state bases “merit” upon standardized testing scores, it would inevitably fail, as there is no dispute that standardized testing is flawed. There is no guarantee that students will actually take the test or put effort into their scores if they do take the test.

Other alternatives are no

By Rada Feldman Editor-in-Chief

The smaller, the better

better. If the grades earned by students became the criteria, the teachers’ pressure to keep their jobs would motivate them to give students A’s regardless of what grades they actually deserved. And if evaluations are the basis, competence is at the mercy of whatever façade the teacher has put on for the day and the

bias of the evaluator.

This is not to say that tenure-based pay is an unflawed system. The tenure policy for retainment and raises allows unfit teachers to not only keep the job they do badly, but receive more money as the years go by. To make matters worse, it could encourage quality teachers to

not put in the effort that students deserve, since it doesn’t really matter when it comes to their paycheck.

While we at The Olympian feel tenure-based pay is a system in definite need of an overhaul, but replacing it with a system with no guarantee of improvement wouldn't do anyone any good.

ample to the rest of us at CVHS about how we can help other people.

The horrific events that took place in December frightened and saddened the entire world. Who would have thought the disaster would wipe out more than 150,000 of the world’s population?

But while we all sat at home watching the news, the ISU

at CVHS was up and doing something about it. The ISU started a school-wide fundraising drive in which students may donate in their fifth period classes. With a goal of $12,000, the ISU will send the money to the American Red Cross, which will then support citizens in stricken countries.

Perhaps this turn of events will give us all a sense of thankfulness, even after the

holiday season. With all of the blessings we receive, we have much to be thankful for. We have homes, clothes, food, and an education.

Since all of us have this opportunity to share our fortune with others, we should take our wallets out, reach in for a couple of bucks, and donate the money to a cause that’s much more important than that nice shirt we were saving up for.

Act, don't agonize

Editorial:

We commend the Indian Student Union for being so caring to those less fortunate than ourselves in other parts of the world. By acting promptly and efficiently in response to the East Asian earthquake and tsunami, its members have been an ex-

The Olympian is a publication of the Journalism Class, Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2005 Editor-In-Chief............................................................Rada Feldman City Editors........................................................................Erin Gaab Athena Gianopoulos Ben Topkins News Editor..........................................................Yelena Teplitskaya Opinion Editor.........................................................Randy Eisenberg Feature Editor.............................................Marie Antoniette Manuel Sports Editor.................................................Kawaianiani Malandish Copy Editors.............................................................Samantha Basto Divya Gopakumar Photo Editor.......................................................................Sean Ryan Systems Manager..............................................................Fabian Ma Business Managers................................................Moryah Schindler Analisa Harangozo Staff Writers: Krissy Bussell, Amanda Gelender, Quincy Hilburn, Alexia Laines, Kara Lawrence, Eric Lee, Melissa Love, Trini McGeogh, Katie Parr, Haseeb Sadat, Stephanie Spitzer, Arianna Spratley, Flora Tsang, Brett Volz, Denise Wong Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

LETTERS To the Editor Dear Editor: As a concerned citizen I am responding to the article entitled “Prohibition Redux.” While I found many good points and see evident thorough research to this opinion piece, I wished to voice a few concerns. Yes, a person using drugs in his home sealed off from the world is a victimless crime.

However, the biggest danger I can see is the effect on the children of parents who use drugs. A parent while high cannot be an effective parent and can become downright abusive creating lasting effects on the child. A parent while high could leave drugs out for children out of carelessness giving children access to addictive and deadly substances.

While making drugs legal in every country would stop the organized crime that supplies it, one country such as America cannot have a great effect on organized crime and may only make it easier for drug cartels to supply drugs to other countries.

In a society where hard drugs are as available as cigarettes, abuse of these harder drugs may increase significantly. (One only need to read “There is no hope with dope”, issue three). The author of “Prohibition Redux” suggests regulation, yet it is my opinion that no regulation could effectively address these problems. You, as the reader, decide for yourself.

Tyler Crabe

With companies like Clear Channel governing the world of music, it is hard to find an intimate atmosphere to escape to when you simply want to bang your head and shake your hips to some genuinely grand tunes. Fortunately, amidst all of the huge billboard ads owned by, gasp, Clear Channel and liquor stores, small, cozy venues that offer an alternative to the pseudomainstream music scene, do in fact, exist.

Gyrating your hips and head to a talented (unblemished by MTV and all its horrors) band in a sweaty, over-crowded room with a bunch of hipsters in tight corduroy pants and pretty sweaters is a much more pleasant way to spend your time than going to a large arena with a bunch of noisy Avril Lavigne look-alikes.

There's an amazing amount of hidden talent lurking within our very own Bay Area. Just last month, I had the pleasure of rocking out to a junk punk band called Babyland that played on trash cans and their computer as they sprayed air freshener into the crowd. Unique experiences, like dancing with a man dressed in a chicken costume as the lead singer of the Rock n’ Roll Adventure Kids repeatedly slurs “Yee-haw!” over his drunkenness, cannot be found in a band that is touring the country in a big fancy tour bus. Nor can you find a bunch of middle-aged men, who go by the name of the Phenomenauts, in astronaut suits instigating an amazing mosh pit as they sing about their travels in space.

Watching music live should be all about the experience. No fancy explosions or skipping tracks; instead, just the real, gorgeous deal.

In a small venue, there is so much energy cramped up into one small room as everyone lets go in their own creative way. One cannot resist getting sucked into that energy and truly feeling and connecting with the music.

There are no seats, no big screen, no gross heads in your way. Everything crazy is normal and that is the most beautiful thing about small venues. No one is there judging or staring at you.

They are there enjoying the music along with you. Enjoy music that is created solely for you and not the thousands of jumping teenyboppers with their jelly bracelets.

Don’t get sucked into having to see a bunch of drunk imposters bashing their guitars onto gigantic stages as you stand on your toes gluing your eyes to a huge screen.

Instead, allow yourself to experience the gorgeousness of small venues where you can simply be yourself listening to some amazing music.

3 It’s crazy to cut carbs So you’ve got senioritis...

OPINION

Thursday, January 20, 2005

By Yelena Teplitskaya News Editor

I have never seen so many breads promising to contain no carbohydrates in the supermarket.

Color me puzzled, but as I was taught bread was the source of carbohydrates, along with pasta, grains and the like. Then again, this was back in the day, back before Dr. Atkins revolutionized the average diet and plucked out an entire food group in the name of weight loss, which caught the eye of adults and teenagers alike.

It was simply preposterous to eliminate carbohydrates, which provide a person with energy, but people bought it.

The Atkins diet presents a plan of dropping all carbohydrates from one’s diet during the first three weeks of the induction phase and then slowly reintroducing them into that diet in limited portions.

And despite the ridiculous notion of suddenly not eating bread, spaghetti and candy for three weeks,

the plan works, hence its popularity. Of course, if I stopped eating a large part of my meal daily, I would lose weight too. That doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

Carbohydrates are in a person’s diet for a reason. They’re there to provide energy for the body daily and that makes them a very important part of the meal. When the Atkins diet completely eliminates carbohydrates from a person’s diet, no one feels any immediate changes or lack of energy even though the body now has to adjust to getting its energy elsewhere.

Additionally, Atkins is extremely effective in its induction stage, successfully ridding many people of unwanted weight for which carbohydrates were apparently responsible. However, as some of my friends that tried it reintroduced breads and pasta into their diet, they stopped the drastic weight loss and maintained a steady weight. Of course, they felt dissatisfied with this stage and returned to completely yanking out

carbohydrates from their daily meals because that’s when they were losing pounds like crazy.

What Atkins fails to explain is that, along with providing energy, carbohydrates are also a difficult food group to eliminate because they are split into helpful and harmful categories. Simple carbohydrates, commonly available to the public as white bread, white pasta, candy, cookies, and white rice, offer no useful value because the bleached flour they are made of contains nothing but simple sugars that would explain short splurges of energy. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, offer long-term energy, and come in the forms of whole grain bread, pasta and rice.

Instead of completely banishing carbohydrates from your body, you could replace the fatty, useless white breads with whole grain bread and eat that sandwich guilt-free, because after all, we all kind of rely on carbohydrates to give us that energy.

working with hot vapor that usually burns my skin, and by the end of the day my arms and shoulders are in pain,” said Alvaro Saavedro to a labor rights investig ator, a Mexican worker (according to the Global Exchange). “We have to meet the quota of 1,000 pieces per day. That translates to more than a piece every minute. The quota is so high that we cannot even go to the bathroom or drink water or anything for the whole day.”

Currently, there are no major clothing companies that have agreed to completely eradicate their abusive working conditions.

Companies especially notorious for using sweatshop labor are: Adidas, Fila, Gap, Nike, Gildan Activewear, Kappa, Old Navy, Levis, Lotto, Mizuno, North Sails, Ralph Lauren, Puma, Reebok, Umbro, Forever 21, Disney, and Banana Republic (according to the Clean Clothes Campaign, the National Labor Committee, the Garment Workers Center, and the Global Exchange). If you’re curious about the labor and environmental standards of the places you shop, check them out at www.responsibleshopper.org.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to supporting companies that use sweatshop labor. Organizations and product labels have been established to combat companies that unfairly treat their workers.

These fair trade/ethical trade labels can be found through the internet and include: American Apparel, Bishopston Trading Company, Dignity Return, Ethical Threads, Gossypium, Kuyichi, Made in Dignity, No Sweat, People Tree, Sweatx, Oko-Fair (Eco-Fair), TransFair USA, and the Fair Trade Federation.

Buying second hand items and supporting local artisans are other ways of boycotting companies that use sweatshop labor. Of course, by merely boycotting a company they probably won’t change their labor standards. I encourage you to let the clothing companies whose products you buy know that you are a loyal customer concerned about sweatshop labor. Just one phone call or letter can make a big difference. Join an organization like Sweatshop Watch, The Global Exchange, or United Students Against Sweatshops and take action to pressure companies to abandon their abusive practices.

Smash the sweatshops

By Amanda Gelender Staff Writer

We just ended the season when many people go on consumer frenzies, buying up goods for the people in their lives they want to express appreciation for. Most of the time we forget that the Old Navy shirt we’re buying was actually sewn by a human being in a factory somewhere. Sweatshop labor is a huge problem worldwide, and I would like to encourage you to remain conscious about where and how the products you buy are made.

Definitions vary, but generally, a sweatshop is a workplace that exploits its workers with arbitrary discipline, extreme exploitation such as extremely low wages, and a working environment with poor health and safety standards.

Oftentimes workers labor for 80 hours a week with mandatory, unpaid overtime. Women workers, especially, are sexually harassed and discriminated against. Some sweatshops bind their workers to sewing machines. It’s very difficult to form unions, and there‘s no job security.

“I spend all day on my feet,

To Dear Editor: We just wanted to say that we are glad that finally a student had the guts to stand up and say that the girls at CVHS dress way too skimpy. We would have to say that Flora (Tsang) sounds ahead of the curve when it comes to maturity, common sense and decency. Great

LETTERS the Editor

work Flora! We speak on behalf of many parents that have discussed the topic amongst themselves for a long time and wondered if anything would ever be done about it.

Keep up the good work!

Dave, Becky, and Courtney Wright

The Olympian welcomes letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit letters for libel, spelling, grammar, length and style. Please limit letters to 200 words. All letters must be signed. Submit letters to cvhsolympian@yahoo.com or the Olympian office in room 113.

By Athena Gianopoulos City Editor

It’s 1:37 a.m. and I just started studying for a psych test tomorrow morning— or should I say in a few hours? I’ve been told all my life to study early because staying up late and getting less sleep will work against you. Well kids, teachers are wrong. Caffeine is the answer. But in any event, why did I wait to start studying until now?

It’s simple really; a little friend of mine I like to call “senioritis” has taken over.

Now, you may not think this is a real disease, but ask any senior in high school and they will assure you that it, in fact, is. But then again, they might not even be in school for you to ask them that, so maybe you should just take my word for it.

It’s not that I’m necessarily lazy, as the majority of the adult population likes to cast us senioritis victims off as, it’s just that I’m tired.

Back in the day my goals were to 1) do homework, study and, in turn, get good grades, 2) attend school everyday because I wanted to experience everything, and 3) be superwoman. However, these three things combined is a one-way ticket to Burnedoutville, USA. I used to be motivated, but now,

what do I have going for me? High school is basically this: work your ass off for the first three years and then enjoy/suffer the fruits of your labor senior year. I have one more college application left before I’m really in the final stage of senioritis. Then you’ll be lucky to even see me in class anymore.

My new revised, senioritisinfected goals are as follows: 1) sleep as much as possible to make up for last year, 2) sit around and wait for college rejection letters and 3) give advice to underclassmen and show them the light.

No matter if you overworked yourself before senior year or you did nothing, senioritis has no prerequisites for infection.

Beware— you will get senioritis at one point or another, there’s just no avoiding it.

Don’t be scared knowing that your future is already predetermined, just bear in mind that your fire will burn out someday so don’t load up on the hard classes and absolutely do not sign up for seven periods. Seven periods is the devil.

So, my lovely underclassmen, I shall continue to watch you work like slaves until I graduate, and then it will soon be your turn to rule the kingdom of senioritis.

Goodbye motivation and hello foxy college, at least I hope.

Moronic modesty

By Randy Eisenberg Opinion Editor

When people complain about “immodest” or “indecent” attire, all I have to say is, “Can you pull the stick out of your ass now?”

The school tries to enforce its version of “modesty” upon us via the dress code, which cannot be enforced effectively upon such a large student body, so why not give in and place effort into something more productive, such as … educating?

The justification for this foolishness is that it is a “distraction to the learning environment.” Apparently the administration cannot decide whether to treat us as savages, or sophisticated human beings, but either way, there’s still no point. If we’re actually civilized, we are obviously capable of maintaining focus despite however “distracting” someone’s attire may be. After all, how would great civilizations have come about if humans had to stop every hour for fornication?

And if we’re savages that are incapable of self control, we’re going to gawk regardless of whatever someone’s wearing, so why not at least make it something a little

more attractive to goggle at?

Naysayers may object to the greater frequency of seeing “jello-like thighs,” as it has been put, but to them, I must ask that if “unattractive” sights offend you, then how do you manage to get through the day without retching, as plenty of other physical traits that are perfectly permissible to show can be just as unattractive?

Unfortunately, it’s not just Castro Valley that gets a bit touchy about “immodesty” – it’s the entire nation. If England’s youth can handle the presence of soft-core pornography in a daily newspaper, then why was America up in arms over a brief flash of Janet Jackson’s breast?

This fixation upon modesty merely shows how shallow we as a community and a culture are.

When we are more concerned with how much skin someone is showing than their thoughts, ideas, or personality, we perpetuate the stupidity of superficiality.

After all, Gandhi walked around in little more than a diaper, so why do we make such a big deal out of cleavage?

If a little “immodesty” is what it takes to free our minds, then bring on the “jello-like thighs.”

4

FEATURE

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Weiman travels to Africa to ease the pain of victims

By Analisa Harangozo Business Manager

Senior Gabby Weiman will take a two-week philanthropic trip to Africa in mid-March of this year.

World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization devoted to helping children and their communities worldwide, to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty, will fund all of the ex-

penses of Weiman’s trip to Africa.

Promoters of the program introduced the opportunity to Weiman through her church.

“A guy came to church one day telling us about it and how they are looking for a variety of kids from different schools,” Weiman said.

During the two weeks spent in Africa, Weiman will embark upon a unique experience.

Weiman will spend one week in Ethiopia and the other in Chad.

Cafeteria allows students to have a taste of the world

By Brett Volz Staff Writer

The school has changed quite a bit over the last ten years. From new buildings to new teachers, the school is always improving itself. One often overlooked area of campus has been trying hard to improve as well.

The cafeteria at Castro Valley High School refuses to believe in the age-old ideal of horrible school food. It is the cafeteria’s mission to make the food purchased on campus both look and taste good enough to eat.

The food on campus is not just tasty, but is becoming more and more ethnically diverse now as well. Starting in 1998, chief of cafeteria staff Denise Music implemented a plan to bring more cultures into the food sold on campus. Since then, she has tried many things, from the now standard noo-

dle bowls to even African food, although some foods are more successful than others. “I have to serve food the kids will eat and if I tried to serve more unusual things like sushi, most of it would be left at the end of the day,” she said.

In fact, many of the things students take for granted are a direct result of the efforts of the cafeteria staff in recent years. Things like breakfast, deli sandwiches and even the Straw Hat Pizza on campus would not exist without the help of Music and her staff. “We try to give the students choices,” she said, “which is a big difference from when I went to school here.”

As health crazes such as the Atkins Diet sweep the nation, the cafeteria adapts to the changing dietary tastes of the students. It has added the carb-friendly wrap to the menu to keep carb-conscious students on campus for lunch.

FOOD: Page 7

She will spend her time helping out refugee camps by setting up tents.

According to Weiman, these camps will shelter many individuals fleeing from some hostile rebels entering into Darfur, Sudan and violating innocent people.

News sources such as w w w. w o r l d n e t d a i l y. c o m states that the U.S. had declared the crisis in Sudan a genocide in September 2004.

For years, Sudan has faced a civil

war between its northern and southern regions due to various disputes.

“We conclude that genocide has been committed in Darfur and that the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed [tribal malitia] bear responsibility and genocide may still be occurring,” said Secretary of State Colin Powell.

In addition to all this, Weiman will participate in a 30 hour fast in order to raise money to help citizens of these poverty-stricken countries.

Each person participating has a goal of 12 sponsors who will hopefully donate up to 30 dollars each. This amount of 30 dollars would be enough to support one child for an entire year.

The money will go towards food, clothing and other necessities for these children.

“I am not so much excited as I am thankful for the opportunity to help these people and see them smile,” Weiman said.

By Stephanie Spitzer

ers were here, too,” she said. “I had Ms. Frasca, Ms. Gasser, Ms. Bucklin, and Ms. Gray as a student.”

English teacher Daren Wilkerson graduated from CVHS in 1994.

“I’ve wanted

to teach high school since I was in high school. Naturally teachers want to teach at their own high school, but I never thought I’d be lucky enough to come here.”

“I was in a band and we used to play up at the football field

during events,” Wilkerson said.

According to Wilkerson, it was possible to fit the entire school into the gym for events in 1994.

“The school’s grown at least 50 percent in the last 10 years,” he said.

“There’s m o r e space now, which is necessary, but it can feel impersonal,” Wilkerson said. “The physical improvements to the school are obvio u s l y b e t t e r. ” “Things w e r e more personal back then, though,” he said. “I miss that.”

There has also been a lot of improvement in terms of race issues on campus, Wilkerson said. “There was less awareness of racial issues, and too much tolerance by the administration of racial problems.”

questioning their sexuality.

One of the few male members in attendance was available for comment, but requested to remain anonymous in this article because he was afraid he would get jumped.

“Homophobia is a very big problem,” he said. “I’ve already been threatened once. It’s kind of odd being one of the only guys in the club. Otherwise, it’s a nice place to come to and be able to feel free and safe.”

Throughout the lunch period, the dozen or so students present joked, laughed, and some talked openly about their sexuality.

“We try to raise awareness about (homophobia) and try to bring things into the light, like transgender awareness,” said Aja Lee, Spectrum’s treasurer.

In addition to tabling, the club has guest speakers and holds dis-

cussions about homophobia.

“Some people make fun of us, and some people try to understand us. Others just avoid us completely,” said Lee. Several club members expressed concern about staff involvement (or lack there of) in curbing homophobia on campus.

“I hear homophobic comments, and teachers don’t address them.

I hear ‘that’s so gay,’ and the ‘f’ word in the hall,” said senior Felicia Guan, vice-president of Spectrum. “I don’t know if teachers hear or not, but most of the time, they don’t stop them.”

Some students at the meeting were gay and others were not, but it didn’t seem to matter at all; the members are unconditionally accepting and respectful.

“We try to be as open as possible. We don’t care what sexual orientation you are,” said Lee.

Teachers relive old school days Staff Writer

Some of CVHS’ students liked the school so much they came back here to teach.

Barb a r a Klews, the new German teacher, is from the class of 1997. “ W e w e r e a lot smaller then. I k n e w everyone from my class.

We had somewhere around 3 8 0 people, c o m pared to your 700-something,” said Klews.

There was a lot less security and a lot more pranks, according to Klews. “Some of the same teach-

Spectrum welcomes everyone

By Amanda Gelender Staff Writer

Melissa Love / Staff Writer

Junior Natalie Wede displays the food currently available on the CVHS campus.

Spectrum, or the Gay-Straight Alliance, was founded in 1999

by Eric Elms, Rebecca Moy, and Shayna Gelender.

Now in its fifth year, the club is as strong as ever.

Gelender (who graduated from CVHS in 2000) said that when she attended the school only a couple of gay students were out, and a lot of staff members were openly gay.

“It was really exciting [to start the club] because support came from everywhere,” said Gelender.

“There were at least eight or ten staff members who volunteered as advisors. A lot of people were really supportive.”

Spectrum functions as a safe space for students who are gay or

FEATURE

Thursday, January 20, 2005

5

Teens offered jobs

By Brett Volz Staff Writer

Alexia Laines / Staff Writer

Seniors (from left) Rio Martinez, Larsson Brunsvold, Andrés Enriquez, and Zach Porter sing their hearts out as this year’s Noteables.

Noteables carry a tune

By Alexia Laines

cool idea, because these are really talented singers and performers,” said Susoeff. “Hopefully they can inspire others.” The class coordinated the group, and then left it up to the singers to continue their falalalalas. 2004 CVHS graduate Tyler Crabe, a former member of the singing quartet, was recently replaced with Martinez because of scheduling hardships.

“It was a lot of fun though,” said Crabe. “It helped me grow as a performer.” The Noteables sung high and low, and were even able to nab a grand prize at the Alameda

County Fair while doing it.

“Even though I’m forced to listen to them over and over and over and over, their songs still bring the harmonizing barbershop chords that usually I would not enjoy, but this I tolerate,” said senior Robert Pagan, friend of the Noteables.

As far as the Noteables making a premiere in college, “that’s a tough question,” said Enriquez. “I don’t really know; we might be ending it this year.”

However, as far as going out in style, “we’ll end it in a bang,” said Porter.

Staff Writer

“Sometimes I’m in one band, sometimes two or three

Daren Wilkerson may be an English teacher by day but, like many other people, he has a busy social life.

Wilkerson recently started taking graduate classes on Wednesday nights. He became accustomed to his busy life by adjusting to hectic schedules before. He claims to be “addicted to being busy [and] addicted to being active,” so he needs to keep doing things or he’ll feel a void in his life.

Wilkerson played the drums in CVHS graduate Blair Hansen’s band, but chose to quit to focus on his graduate studies. He has been in several other bands such as “The Fleeting Trance” and “Wildlife.”

at once,” said Wilkerson.

Wilkerson tries to not overlap

his activities, but he cannot always control that. He was the freshmen class advisor for Homecoming around the same time he acted in the play “Last Night of Ballyhoo.”

“Last Night of Ballyhoo” began in mid-October, ran for five weeks at the Chanticleers Theatre and ended on Nov. 20.

“When you have to stay busy, you get burned out, [but that] doesn’t mean I don’t need a break,” said Wilkerson.

He teaches drums to three students and still finds time to play the guitar and harmonica. He can relate to several of his students who are stressed and overwhelmed. “[It’s best to] give three things 300 percent [and] not give seven things only 35 percent,” stated Wilkerson.

Staff Writer

Do–Re-Mi-Fa-So! If you enjoy listening to the stylings of the barbershop, you should listen to the singing quartet right here at CVHS. Seniors Andrés Enriquez, Larsson Brunsvold, Zach Porter, and Mt. Eden senior Rio Martinez make up this quartet called the Noteables.

According to Enriquez a n d P o r t e r, c h o i r t e a c h e r Susanna Susoeff created this singing sensation last year.

“I just thought it would be a really

When students need money and their parents tell them to get a job, it leaves students looking into the daunting world of work.

While probably not urgent, the desire for disposable income is so immense that it drives students to great lengths; within limits of course.

“I don’t think I could work at a place like Macy’s, I couldn’t smile like that for ten bucks an hour. It’s just not worth it,” said junior Peter Bayuk.

Personal preferences aside, jobs for students are common, and many companies give Melanie Small, the Career Center Technician, job opportunities to pass on to students, which she posts on the wall of the Career Center. Even if none of the jobs on the wall appeal, she is there to help students find jobs they want to do.

“It’s been real slow lately, but if you really want to work, there’s something out there,” Small said.

Among the jobs on the Career Center wall are: fast food jobs, secretarial posts, and tutoring positions. While not exactly careers, these jobs give a steady supply of

money.

In order to legally work a student must apply for a work permit.

Among the requirements for a permit are a 2.0 GPA and at least 90 percent attendance.

Unfortunately most of the job offers in the Career Center are not local. Student workers need transportation, and oftentimes parents or friends are unwilling to supply it.

“If you want a job in Castro Valley, you really need to be in the right place at the right time… the best thing you can do is just look for ‘now hiring’ signs in windows,” said senior Breeanna Watson.

A good start is to ask people you know if they have jobs, and if they do, try to get them to put in a good word about you with the boss. If all else fails, desperate students can sit down with a phone book and call all the places they think they would like to work at. This is not for the weak of heart however, as this method can lead to being turned down many times.

Despite the challenges, students cycle in and out of jobs regularly, and many places have room for another worker who is bold enough to ask for one.

Wilkerson drums to his own beat

By Denise Wong

Sean Ryan / Photo Editor

Senior Chris Perkins displays his tattoos.

Traut’s a poet, now everyone knows it

By Kara Lawrence Staff Writer

CVHS junior Tia Traut is one spicy poet by having her poem published in a book by the International Poet Society. “I do poetry occasionally and when I’m in the mood for writing,” said Traut.

The book’s title is Colors of Life, and can be purchased online at: poetry.com. “People from around the world are published in the book,” said

Traut. Traut has also been recognized on famouspoets.com.

The poem she wrote about in Colors of Life is titled Home. Traut wrote her poem in her geometry class last year.

“I was bored and I wanted to be at home,” said Traut. The poem includes thoughts of adventures, memories, sad and happy times and just relaxing at home.

The book, Colors of Life was published in the spring of 2004 when Traut was only 15 years old.

“When I do it [poetry], I just start thinking about different words to use to describe things,” said Traut.

In the book Colors of Life, there is a biography right next to Traut’s poem. Traut found out about the poem contest through Seventeen magazine. Traut saw an ad in the back of the magazine for a poetry contest that was no cost, so she decided to enter into it, and she later on got published in the book.

Even though Traut is not interested in forming a career around

her poetic talent, her family is still very proud of her. “They think I’m good at writing,” said Traut.

Traut is inspired by events that affect her daily life, for example things she has experienced or seen. “It’s not just people who inspire me, but it’s activities in my life that make me want to write poetry,” said Traut.

“It’s not like I do poetry all the time, it’s like doodling, you doodle when you’re in a certain mood,” said Traut.

Traut is also known for her humorous poems. One poem she wrote about is a person walking on a sandy beach and how his feet are hurting him. “One time I wrote this poem about an ant, and at the end of the poem it goes, ‘Smash my life is over,’” said Traut.

Traut understands that poetry is not for everyone and that some kids might think it is too much drama. “If you’re not into poetry that’s fine, just don’t diss on it, and find your own thing,” said Traut.

6

SPORTS

Ultimate Frisbee a hit at CVHS

By Brett Volz Staff Writer

The sport of Ultimate Frisbee, called just Ultimate by its devout followers, will probably go down in physical education history as one of the most requested sports of all time. Students love the fact that a frisbee can be turned into a tactical and unique game.

The Castro Valley High School team, the Red Hand, is headed by none other than math teacher Jesse Woodward.

Woodward is more than just an average player. The adult team that he plays for, Brass Monkey, found success at both sectionals and regionals, eventually making it all the way to the semi-finals of the national tournament, meaning they placed third out of the entire country.

“I had never gotten out of sectionals. It would have been nice to win, but I was proud just to get that far,” Woodward said.

Brass Monkey faced off against teams from Louisiana, Seattle, Washington D.C and many other places to get to Nationals. The pool of 600 teams was slowly narrowed down to just 60, spread across four divisions, Brass Monkey being one of them. Not too bad for a team that had only been practicing for six months.

Brass Monkey’s winning streak came to an end, however, when they lost to tournament champion Shazzam, a team they had beaten three times before in other tournament, Woodward was still thrilled though.

The basics of Ultimate are as follows. The game is played by two teams of seven players each.

At the beginning of the game, each team starts at opposite ends of a football field sized field, their goal being to reach their opponents end zone, similar to football. One team starts the game by throwing the frisbee to the opposing team, and the fun begins.

In an effort to reach the opposing end zone, the frisbee must be passed from player to player, because a player must stand in place when he/she has the frisbee. If the frisbee is ever dropped by a player or intercepted by the opposing team, the frisbee changes possession, and the game starts moving in the opposite direction, towards a different end zone. Surprisingly, this is all accomplished without a referee.

One of the main attractions of Ultimate Frisbee is that it is so different from other sports. In Ultimate Frisbee, there is no referee to make decisions. Ultimate players believe in what they call “the spirit of the game.”

Through this, all rules calls are made by the players themselves; all players are expected to own

up to their own fouls. Even if it is the game deciding point of a national tournament, the players are expected to make use the right judgment, and bear no anger from their teammates, even if the team loses because of a player’s call.

Woodward explained the spirit as, “What separates [Ultimate Frisbee] from other sports. People come looking for something different, and that’s what they get.

Everyone expects you to make the right call.”

Woodward is always recruiting for the Red Hand, and can be reached in his room, 701.

Woodward encourages everyone to join.

“The kids aren’t there just to compete, they’re there to have fun. They’re there because they love frisbee.”

By Samantha Basto Copy Editor

Senior Andrea Phillips, who was the No. 1 singles player on Varsity girls’ tennis for four years at CVHS, looks forward to the next four years she will spend at the University of Cincinnati.

Phillips started playing tennis at the age of five, and has now played for more than 12 years. With a winning streak of 75 matches, she was bound to be noticed.

Phillips was spotted by the tennis coach from the University of Cincinnati by chance.

When she was playing in a national tournament, the coach from

Boys soccer team hopes to compete in NCS playoffs

By Haseeb Sadat Staff Writer

The Castro Valley boys’ soccer team will be vying for a North Coast Section playoff after a third place finish in the Hayward Area Athletic League last year. The Trojans will again be a solid squad with plenty of experience.

The team is led by seniors Jason Huber (stopper), Jacob Greene (marking back), Kevan Turner (forward), and Temoc Munoz (goalie). Matt Mitchell, Mathew Hepworth, Alex Sincerny, and Mark Traverso also figure into

Staff Writer

Standout soccer player Ali Sill is picking up where she left off last season: as one of the most dangerous girls’ soccer players in Northern California. The senior forward is racking up goals and assists with reckless abandon.

Sill has retained the title of scoring champ in the North Coast Section two of the past three years, and was second in goals scored her freshman year. With a wide array of dazzling moves and swift footwork, the senior captain has earned enough recognition to receive a

Alexia Laines / Staff Writer

Senior Jenner Christensen gets ready to shoot the ball during the basketball game against rival Moreau.

UC was watching the court next to her. When they weren’t playing, the coach happened to look over onto the court Phillips was playing in, and liked the way she played.

“She offered me an official visit to Cincinnati so that I could see the school. She offered me the scholarship at the airport right before I left to come home. The scholarship covers everything: tuition, room and board, books, food…basically everything that the school can legally give me.

It’s great,” said Phillips.

Although Denver University was Phillips first choice, she chose this particular university, because it “had a great feel.”

“My biggest clue was that I was able to imagine myself actually living there. I wasn’t able to do that with many of the other schools that I visited,” stated Phillips.

Phillips also had a scholarship offer from Syracuse, and was accepted to Columbia in New York City.

The University of Cincinnati

is a Division I school, and there, Phillips intends to major in psychology.

As for her tennis career, Phillips said, “Beyond college, I can’t say what will happen. It will not be a career, but I may still play at leisure from time to time.”

Phillips is excited to play on UC’s tennis team with four other freshmen. She plans to be on the team all four years.

She is anxious about leaving her friends and family, but feels it’s also an exciting experience.

“Of course I’m a little nervous...I’ll be living on my own on the other side of the country.

Within a few months I’m sure that everything will work out fine. I’ll be just fine,” stated Phillips.

Please do not forget to recycle this newspaper.

Thank You.

the mix.

“I think we have great team chemistry,” said Turner. “We will give our fans a run for their money at NCS.” To do so, the Trojans will have to overcome league foes Bishop O’Dowd and defending champs Arroyo.

The team has already picked up an impressive victory over the Dragons as league play has recently gotten under way.

“Our goal is to win league and make NCS,” proclaimed Greene.

“It isn’t going to be easy because we have tough league.”

Senior Ali Sill is still a soccer superstar

By Haseeb Sadat

Andrea Phillips wins scholarship Tennis star accepts full ride to Cincinnati

Thursday, January 20, 2005

full scholarship at Fresno State.

Head coach Paul McCallion raved about Sill’s unique soccer skill and dedication to the game to a local ANG newspaper. He also added this bold statement: “She is that good, and I’ve seen a lot of great players in my time. She is truly unbelievable.”

Although Sill has accomplished most of her individual goals, she has yet to win the big game that defines true champions in a team sport: a North Coast Section title.

“This year our team looks very good,” said high-scoring forward Ali Sill. “Our top goal is to be back to back league champions.”

7

Thursday, January 20, 2005

How to handle sexual harassment

By Arianna Spratley Staff Writer

The night before the Homecoming game, the Varsity cheerleaders went as usual to decorate the football players’ locker room.

Written on the white board were rude and offensive comments addressed towards the cheerleaders.

The members of the cheerleading squad said the words were of a sexual nature and the message contained a lot of profanity.

“When I saw the writing, I was really disappointed. We put a lot of time and effort into decorating the locker room and the team members’ houses. It hurts to realize we are so unappreciated for all of our hard work,” said Assistant Head Cheerleader Becky Crump.

If a student witnesses acts of sexual harassment and does not report it to the administrators or staff, the problem cannot be fixed and may escalate.

“Anytime students feel they

have been mistreated sexually whether it is verbal or physical, they should report it to any adult on campus they feel comfortable talking to,” said counselor Susan Elliott.

If students are feeling sexually harassed the first step to take is to report it.

A student can go into their house office and fill out an informal complaint. The informational complaint will document their experience.

Afterwards they can talk to either an assistant principal or a counselor, depending on who is available.

The person they feel is harassing them will be called in that day to talk to an AP. The AP will try to find a solution through talking to both parties and sometimes the AP will send students to peer mediation to solve the problem.

If the problem continues the AP will notify the student’s par-

ents along with the principal. In severe cases, it can even go to the superintendent.

A parent can also choose to make out a police report so a restraining order and other steps can be taken.

When the school does not notify the police for sexual harassment, it can take its own action to address the problem.

Punishments can range from detention, Saturday school, loss of privileges, and even expulsion.

Sexual harassment is not thought to be a big problem on campus and is not reported very often. However, Elliott feels that sexual harassment may take place on campus that just does not get reported.

When the coach of the Varsity team was notified after this event, Head Cheerleader Kendall Rose said Varsity football coach Craig Nieves apologized and said that he would back the cheerleaders about who had done it.

dents attend CVHS rallies, assemblies and are mainstreamed into the general population of CVHS.

“I’m a little bit,” said Christina when asked if she is excited about graduating. Her future goals are working in the restraint business after she graduates.

After graduating from SDC, the school district watches after the graduates from 18 to 22 years old.

The graduates have the choice of working full of half time or going to school full time. “It’s their choice,” said Venton.

“It is really great, the Advanced American Sign Language class is coming in during fourth period to help the kids. They come in two days a week and teach the kids basic sign language. The kids love it because they get one on one help,” said Venton.

“I’m really, really happy about it,” said Christina, when ASL students come and teach.

Christina would like everyone to know one thing. “Just try and get along,” said Christina.

Disabled get help in SDC

By Kara Lawrence Staff Writer

We all have difficulties of our own in life, but being disabled at CVHS is more of a difficulty than anything else.

“This was my chosen profession,” said Laura Venton, teacher of disabled kids at CHVS. The class for the severely handicapped is called Special Day Class or SDC. “It differs from the regular education program. The curriculum for SDC is specific to their individual needs,” said Venton.

There is no special schedule, or lunch break. It is the same time as the rest of the students at CVHS. Castro Valley Unified School District offers speech classes, therapy, counseling, and psychology therapists to help severely handicapped students that may require it.

All severely handicapped stu-

“It differs from the regular education programs.

LAURA VENTON Teacher

”

Inside SDC there are two medically involved students, they both have medical aides [one on one aide help].

“Students are nice, but one kid in art class is not,” said Christina.

Christina has no special adaptations; she has speech and language classes.

Stadium renovation is long time in coming

By Eric Lee and Alexia Laines

Staff Writers “Every time I went to a game or assembly, I definitely did not like sitting on those bleachers,” said freshman Patrick Smalley.

“They’re terrible.”

The school district is planning to have talks of renovated athletic fields and stadium at CVHS. A five year facility master plan will be presented to the district board members in the spring.

The plan holds many renovations for the athletic fields, including outfitting the football fields with artificial turf, and new lights and talk has been going around campus of a possible removal and replacement of the stadium’s old,

“ bleachers The have to be replaced immediately.

PETER BREWER Teacher

”

outdated bleachers.

The planned stadium would include bleachers made from aluminum that seat about 2,500 people.

“Nothing is finalized as of yet,” said track head coach Peter Brewer. “These bleachers are so old, so something must be done soon.”

According to physical education teachers, the track, softball, and football fields at CVHS are unsafe. Students have been complaining for years about the poor conditions of the PE fields and equipment.

“The PE equipment being poor is not true,” claims PE department chair, Shari Rodriquez. “Compared to other schools around us, we have a lot more stuff.”

However, the athletic fields admittedly have numerous problems with them. Among the flaws are the large number of gopher holes and terrible irrigation systems in the softball fields said Rodriquez.

The bleachers conditions are unsafe as well as uncomfortable to sit on. “We’re working on plans for demo work to start at the end of January,” said Mark Miller, a member of the CVUSD maintenance staff. “We’re still getting estimates from contractors.”

Earlier this year, the PE department brought up a proposal to rejuvenate the athletic fields in a school district meeting. Unfortunately, the projected costs of restoring the fields are in the ballpark range of around $10 million, according to school district Superintendent Jim Fitzpatrick.

With California in a tight budget crisis, that would make it impossible to receive adequate funding for the project.

“I really like to see the work to the fields happen, but it is out of our hands,” said PE teacher Marie Gray. “It’s up to the district office to see if we have enough money.”

“Right now the overall stadium is less focused on than the bleachers,” said Brewer. “The bleachers have to be replaced immediately.”

“The athletic facilities have been serviceable for many years, but now it’s time to be updated,” said Fitzpatrick. “It’s to the point when the fields need to be sufficient for the sort of competitive events that [CVHS] want to hold.”

More choices added to the school menu FOOD: Page 4

There are even plans to bring another off-campus store, Blenzers, onto campus to help out with its healthy drinks and smoothies.

Music said that she is “behind it all the way” and is “willing to work with the students to get results.”

Through an international menu, healthy food choices, and off-campus stores, the cafeteria is trying to enrich the lunch period for everyone on campus.

Maybe students who find it so hard to make it to an off-campus lunch destination and back again in the measly 40-minute lunch break, will find reasons to stay on campus. This would make it much easier for students to get to their sixth-period classes on time.

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Melissa Love / Staff Writer

The school district is looking to have the old bleachers replaced with aluminum bleachers.

8

DISTRACTIONS

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Seniors fill out college applications

By Arianna Spratley Staff Writer

Sean Ryan / Photo Editor

Juniors Stephanie Vossekuil and Sandra Lane busily inform students about international human rights day.

Amnesty shed light on Sudan genocide

By Arianna Spratley Staff Writer

Amnesty international is shedding light on the genocide going on in Sudan. The club gave a presentation about the genocide on Dec. 9. On Dec. 10, Amnesty International set up tables to inform students on campus about international human rights day.

At the presentation, Amnesty International members Daria Garina and Alex Feldman informed CVHS students about Sudan’s genocide. Before the presentation Garina and Feldman researched the genocide to familarize themselves with the situation. The lesson effectively taught the audience about the conditions the African farmers are experiencing in Sudan.

“The presentation told the facts.

The purpose of the teaching was to inform people about a human rights violation and get them involved in helping the victims in Sudan,” said Amnesty International President Nicole Marcotte.

In Sudan, there are two main cultures consisting of Arabic nomads of the north and the African farming communities of the south.

When tension began to rise between the two groups, big African terrorists bombed an airport, because they felt the government favored Arabic nomads.

Instead of using the regular army, the government of Sudan, gave guns to the Arabic militia and told them to get rid of the terrorist threat. Now the militia is

killing civilians and burning down the African farming communities of the south, because Arabic nomads do not like them. As many people died in Sudan in one day as the number of people did in the entire Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the United States.

“We want to educate the people about the genocide so everyone can know about what is going on.

We also want to get people in touch with a reliable place to make donations in order to help those being massacred,” said Amnesty International member Alex Feldman.

The presentation has collected $200 to help those in Sudan.

All the information in this article was collected from Amnesty International members in Sudan and CNN.

Homophobia remains big campus issue PHOBIA: From Page 1 do not understand the history and significance of the words they use.

“A lot of people don't really understand that they are hurting someone else when they use putdowns as jokes with their friends [and] other people overhear their conversations and are upset by [them],” said Kindelspire.

There is a Gay-Straight Alliance club here at CVHS. It is also known as Spectrum.

The club was founded by CVHS graduate, Shayna Gelender, and Kindelspire is now the current club advisor.

The club also teaches students about homophobia and heterosexism.

It was designed to make students, of any sexuality, feel comfortable.

“Skin color is not a choice.

Sexuality is not a choice,” stated

senior Sarah Davini.

An issue regarding the Sadie Hawkins' dance about being homophobic was brought up. Senior Amanda Gelender brought up the issue during a House of Representatives meeting.

“Skin color is not a choice.

Sexuality is not a choice.

SARAH DAVINI Senior

”

“If Sadie Hawkins is a tradition because the girl asks the guy, does it mean that girls can’t ask guys

to other dances?" asked Davini, in support of Gelender.

Even though the homophobic dance issue was important to several students and staff, there was little change made.

But, the school has been trying to reduce the amount of homophobia.

By spreading knowledge about homophobia, it can dwindle.

“I applaud anything you can do that brings change to the environment," said Cassidy.

Kindelspire suggested that more students and staff need to stand up whenever they hear an insult of any kind.

By doing so, the amount of homophobia can be reduced, if more people know what homophobia is about.

“It is hard and scary to stick up for what is right when you do not know the person, so start with your friends. Stop using put-downs as jokes and ask the people you hang out with not to do it either,” recommended Kindelspire, for those who are not as aggressive as others.

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas break is a busy time for high school seniors.

They are rushing to get their college applications in, which include an essay, if they are applying to a private college or to a UC. Some seniors on this campus took the opportunity to write about what inspires them to attend college.

Lori Chiu and Sean Baldo both wrote about how they are first generation children in America and how that affects their drive to go to college.

Chiu’s parents immigrated from China and Korea at age 16. They met when they attended a class to learn English.

They were married and they vowed to put their children through college. Chiu’s brother has already made it to college, now all that is left is Lori.

Chiu’s plans is to follow in her brother’s footsteps but to go even further. She plans to go to a fouryear college like UC Berkeley or UC Los Angeles and then go to grad. school. Chiu says that she wants to be a lawyer.

“I want to become a district attorney and do better than my brother. We are very competitive,” said Chiu.

Baldo’s parents came to the United States from Italy in order

to get better jobs because even those with a college education in Italy were having problems getting jobs. He had a rough life and took on a lot of responsibility at an early age. Baldo wrote about how he took on a lot of responsibility at an early age and raised his brother and sister because his parents were always working.

Baldo will be the first person in his family to go to college and wrote about how his parents were so proud to have a family member finally going to college.

“I like that my younger brother and sister look up to me and want to go to college too,” said Baldo.

When writing a college application essay it is important to stick to the queston you are writing on especially in UC applications. Talk about your personal experiences and what obstacles you have over come as a student.

Mention things that set you apart like being the first one in your family to go to college. Make sure you check spelling and grammer.

“Put a face on your application, let your personality come through,” said counselor Susan Elliot.

When applying don’t write about information that you have put in other places in your application like your GPA. Some colleges will look at your application ahead of time, so check out whether or not that’s a possibility.

Teachers opposed optional winter assembly

By Stephanie Spitzer Staff Writer

The leadership class tried to make the winter assembly optional but the teachers did not agree with it.

“We wanted to have a study session in the library for the students that didn’t want to come to the assembly,” said ASB President Tim Cole. “The teachers would have had to approve it, because they’d have to supervise the students and give them passes. They didn’t agree to it.”

Teachers, on the other hand, felt that making the assembly optional would eradicate a sense of unity between the students.

“A couple people in my department had reservations about the idea,” said English department chair Patricia Magda. “We weren’t fully against having the assembly optional, but a couple of people were worried that the assembly is when the school comes together, and if some people were allowed to get out of it, the school would be less cohesive.”

Assemblies are one of the few events where every student gets to participate in a school function.

“Some teachers expressed concern to me that everyone should be involved in school wide things that happen outside of the classroom,” said Foreign Languages department chair Wendy Hahn.