March 2, 2007

VOLUME 50, ISSUE 7

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2007

Be grateful for your high school

CASTRO VALLEY, CA 94546

DECAsino Wrestling Royale soars to rocks new heights

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Calculators taken, students penalized

By Alexandra Shiluk Staff Writer

Saritha Kosarussavadi & Flora Tsang

Nine Advanced Placement Chemistry students had to retake the final exam because of suspicious materials on their calculators.

Fire alarm pulling culprit apprehended

By Kevin Hanley Staff Writer

Everyone at school is aware that the fire alarm has been pulled roughly eleven times in two weeks and cost the school thousands of dollars. Hopefully, the reign of annoyance is over, as the student allegedly responsible has been apprehended.

According to Assistant Principal S u e Goldman, the

“The two second act of pulling the fire alarm sets in motion a very large chain of events,” Goldman said. “Three thousand people must evacuate the school, the security system is alerted, and the fire department must rush to the school.

There are serious ramifications for a false alarm. Fire fighters could be pulled away from real emergencies, the school loses a lot of

By Ariel Navarro Staff Writer

Recently, the student resource officers at CVHS have been cracking down on student smokers on and off campus by enforcing rules more strictly.

“We’ve probably cited around 15 to 20 kids so far,” said Deputy Tim Vales.

The consequences of being caught smoking are either a ticket (which includes a fine that varies), or mandatory tobacco education classes.

M alleged culprit, a sophomore boy whose name was withheld, will face a five-day suspension, 40 hours of community service, and was arrested and must appear in court. Although his crime carried a possible $1,000 fine, the school and the police have decided not to impose it, “although we could,” said Goldman.

Once the alleged culprit realized the severity of his crime, he was very honest and sorry for what he did.

Goldman stressed that this was indeed a very serious crime.

money, and, if a person is injured during the event, it changes from a misdemeanor to a felony.”

The repeated interruptions of class because of the constant pulling of the fire alarms had made many of the teachers at CVHS very upset.

“It was a complete and utter disruption of class,” said Spanish teacher Clare Ensenat.

ALARMS: Page 8

Perhaps succumbing to the pressures of highly competitive college admission standards, 11 Castro Valley High School Advanced Placement Chemistry students were accused of cheating during finals week by storing test information on their graphing calculators.

Richard Schneck’s second period AP Chemistry class was completely taken aback as he required his students to relinquish their calculators to him at the conclusion of their final examination in January in order to ensure that they did not contain any suspicious notes. This action was in response to a tip the teacher received from several of his associates in the Pleasanton

The sheriffs department has gotten many phone calls from local business around the school campus complaining of student smokers.

“There are no excuses. If you get caught with cigarettes, matches, lighters, or anything you can use for smoking, you get a ticket,” said Vales.

The campus police are checking Castro Village, streets, stores, and everywhere else in close proximity to the school.

More students smoke at CVHS than meet the eye. Statistics shows that each day, almost 6,000 teen-

and Livermore school districts.

Schneck and Assistant Principal Jesse Woodward later inspected the students’ calculators and clearly identified six of the 32 as containing the suspected “extra information.”

Students later found a note taped to Schneck’s classroom door, stating that suspicious documents had been found in several of the calculators and that the owners of these should attend a meeting held later in that week.

Eleven students showed up for the meeting.

Two of Schneck’s students were issued zeros for the final exam and suffered a two-letter drop in their semester grades, he said.

CHEATING: Page 8

agers under the age of 18 begin smoking. Nearly 2,000 teens will become regular smokers. At least 4.5 million U.S teenagers are cigarette smokers. One third of all smokers start before the age of fourteen.

This rule has been in effect since just before winter break. The officers said that they will continue looking for student smokers until the complaints stop and will begin again if the complaints begin again.

“It’s a vicious circle,” said Vales.

V C r.

Alex Feldman Saritha Kosarussavadi / Photo Editor

Congratulations to Alex Feldman, the senior deemed Mr. CV.

Cheaters, stop copying long enough to read this Editorial: Recently, there was a serious cheating incident in an AP Chemistry class at CVHS, in which 11 students were punished severely (community service, retake finals and more), while two students were flunked.

Multiple students were found to have unauthorized information stored in their calculators during their final examination. The two students who flunked the final were storing actual answers to the test onto their calculators. This incident has directed the attention of administrators and others to the attitude that students have about cheating.

We at The Olympian firmly maintain that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.

Cheating is not okay, and is certainly cheating - whether you’re caught doing it or not.

Certainly, there is stress on students to achieve and get good grades. This, however, does not justify cheating.

It doesn’t matter if the

teacher didn’t tell any of his students that he was going to check their calculators; the students shouldn’t have had any type of material that could be condoned as cheating in there at all.

It is a dishonorable act and reflects badly upon all of us, as students. Every single one of us has an aspiration, a goal of some kind, and consequently, the stress of attempting to succeed in that. Not all of us relinquish our ethics to do so.

By cheating, you are not only breaking the rules, but breaking a trust and demeaning yourself in the process. One just can’t learn by cheating.

And cheating for other students in the next class? Good friends help each other, not cheat for each other.

Do students really think that they can cheat their way through life? Sure, they can try, but eventually, everyone gets caught. They aren’t achieving anything by stealing someone else’s work. So, for the sake of everyone, don’t cheat.

PHOTOpinions COMPILED BY TIM BUHLIG

What punishment should there be for those who are caught pulling fire alarms?

“Since it’s fun to be out of “I think students should get class, just give them a suspended because it’s disdetention.” – David Flores, ruptive and disrespectful.” freshman – James Bohn, senior

“They should be expelled because it’s disrupting school and it costs the school money. It’s just immature.” – Kayla Voskes, junior

“They should be expelled because they caused a lot of trouble and wasted our time.”

– Frankie Soares, sophomore

Th e Fl ora Fac tor

Oakland High School Student-teacher connections display pride for school even with graffiti

Be proud & prideful

By Flora Tsang Editor-In-Chief

I say Oakland, you say: poor, bad schools, dangerous, ghetto.

I say Castro Valley, they say: rich, snobby, good schools, preppy.

Ever since I was a wee little girl, one of my secret wishes was to visit another school and experience what it was like there.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Oakland High School and shadow one of my friends there.

OHS was the school I visited because of one reason – it’s different there, even though it’s a short 15 miles away from CVHS. According to the stats, the school is 52% Asian, 28% African-American and 16% Hispanic compared to our school which is 53% Caucasian, 22% Asian, 13% Hispanic and 5% AfricanAmerican. While only 11% of the student body at CVHS purchases free/reduced lunches, 72% of OHS students use a little machine in the cafeteria to enter their code numbers for lunch.

Before actually visiting, I anticipated the most exaggerated description of what I heard about – gang-infested hallways, old broken-down furniture, incom-

petent teachers and disinterested students.

Surprisingly though, there was a fair share of both good and bad teachers – the same as all other schools. What was interesting was that a lot of the teachers seemed friendly with the students, as opposed to aloof adults there to lead a class.

In every single class I attended, jokes and conversation were rampant. As a result, the teachers knew their students and the students knew their teachers.

In one class, the learning environment was so comfortable that three or four courageous students went in front of the English class and belted out gorgeous sounds while others rapped. And every student performs once a quarter, illustrating how comfortable an atmosphere they really have.

Yes, the test scores are low.

The bathrooms are plastered with graffiti. The carpets? Absolutely disgusting. At the same time though, the students were given the opportunity to learn.

With many AP classes and two outstanding academies (Visual Arts and Environmental Science), the students can go far. One student I spoke with, however, felt that students weren’t taking advantage

of the possibilities.

OHS senior Beatrice Sanchez said, “I think the majority of the school comes just for the lunch – the socializing and the food...they don’t really care about the learning.”

After hearing her say that about her school, I realized how lucky I am to be going to CVHS. No matter how much we complain about school, tedious homework or terrible teachers, we have it good. Students at OHS are just like students at CVHS, but they don’t have the same opportunities.

OHS English teacher Te d H a r r i s said this: “It’s like which came first, the chicken or the egg? Are students not taking their education seriously because the education is bad, or is the education bad because the students don’t care?”

Students, take advantage of all the events, activities, and aids that our school gives us.

Be thankful for them – a lot of students wish they had as much as we do, but don’t. Don’t throw trash everywhere. Don’t vandalize the bathrooms. Don’t disrespect your teachers. And start caring, so that we can all say “I go to CVHS!” with pride.

“I anticipated...

gang-infested hallways, old broken-down furniture, incompetent teachers and disinterested students.

”

The Olympian is a student publication of the Journalism Class, Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2007

Flora Tsang, Mari Robinson, Gray Bae, Ellen Yau, Kamry Zhang, Malena Bell,Dawn Berden, Kyle Friedrich , Saritha Kosarussavadi, Michelle Matsui, Candace Wong, Tim Buhlig, Julianne Burnette, Sophiana Carrell, Becky Chao, Hayden Folks, Kevin Hanley, Amber Kury, Esther Lee, Stephanie Lombardo, Laura Mitchell, Ariel Navarro, Chris (Hongzhe) Qian, Sholeh Salimi, Alexandra Shiluk Advisor: Matt Johanson

Save me a spot! My brother died

By Sophiana Carrell Staff Writer

I closed the newspaper and placed it back down on the kitchen table, shocked with what I had just read. Had there been another bombing in Bangladesh? More bloody deaths in the war between India and Pakistan? No, it was a letter sent into Dear Abby, the beloved advice column in the San Francisco Chronicle.

It was submitted by a mother who had just come across her daughter’s college application essay.

The girl had not let her mother read it before sending it to Princeton, “the number one college in America” as of 2007.

The essay was all about the daughter’s brother and how he had died tragically. This distressed the mother since she had never had a son.

The girl was accepted to Princeton, but had completely fabricated a horrible story in hopes that the admission officers at the ever so prestigious college would take her “dreadful” circumstances into consideration. Now, the mother was faced with the trying decision of whether or not to tell her daughter, as well as the Princeton administration, that she knew about the

catastrophic lie.

I didn’t realize that people were performing such desperate acts in order to get into a “brand-name” Ivy League university.

Another perfect example is Kaavya Viswanathan, a former

Harvard sophomore. Viswanathan began working on her novel, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life when she was in high school in order to add it to her application. The book was published by the well-known Little, Brown and Company publishers and was instantly a hit.

Months later, the company pulled Viswanathan’s novel from the shelves due to plagiarism allegations. It turned out that portions of the book had been borrowed from other novels.

I actually read the book before it

was pulled from stores and found it ironic that it was about a girl named Opal and the crazy things she did to get into Harvard.

Both of these stories seem absolutely insane and should make me think of why people are com-

mitting such outlandish acts for a higher education. But I still believe college is a big deal.

It consumes most of my thoughts from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep, and even still, college haunts my dreams. I find myself getting sucked into this irresistible college frenzy.

Last year, though only a freshman, I already knew about all eight Ivy League institutions, where they were, and which ones were the toughest to get into.

I constantly thought about how amazing it would be to hear people

gasp as I divulged that I, Sophiana Carrell, had claimed a spot at Harvard or Yale.

Is it enough? Ballet, piano, Girl Scouts, starting a new school club, having a rigorous academic schedule, good grades, essay contests, speech contests?

Though I love all the activities I do and college is definitely not my only motive, I can’t help but hope that these will boost my chances of acceptance and give me a shot at the Ivies.

Since when did college become a competition?

Emily Griffin, a senior at CVHS feels the same way. “As you fill out your application all you think about is, ‘What do they want to hear?

What’s different about you?’” said Griffin. “You look at people now and instead of thinking, ‘Wow, they’re very accomplished,’ you just think about how they’re better than you.”

So, what’s the solution for the never-ending race to the ivy-covered gates? There is none.

Unfortunately, this race is not for everyone and those who have made it have either attempted to change the world at fifteen and risen above unbearable circumstances, or like some, made their lives a lie in the name of education.

Challenge Day and the challenging life afterwards

By Dawn Berden Copy Editor

When I woke up the morning of Thursday, Feb. 15, I knew I wasn’t going to get through the day without crying my eyes out. That day, of course, was Challenge Day, and other than knowing I was going to need a tissue, I really didn’t know what to expect.

As a person with a very mild form of social anxiety, the idea of being trapped in the cafeteria annex with something like 150 other students was a little more than daunting. For the first hour I was shaking in my boots and not even the kind faces of the hosts, Sister B and Justin, could relax me. Still nervous after several games involving sitting on strangers’ laps and booty dancing with even more strangers, I began to worry that I was going to completely miss the point of Challenge Day. By lunchtime, all my feelings of apprehension disappeared, and

I don’t really know why.

I mean, in any other situation I would have refused to come out of my protective exoskeleton and totally spoiled the party for everyone.

Maybe it was seeing the ex-

tivity, whether it’s directed at them personally or it’s just a slur meant to undermine their race, age, size, gender, economic status, level of education… the list goes on. Unfortunately, high school is one of the most intense breeding places for these kinds of hatred.

Seriously, it’s like a stanky petri dish up in here.

After listening to even more total strangers pour their hearts out to me and then doing the same to them, it occurred to me that if all the haters in the world knew the first thing about the people they hate on, they’d think twice about throwing around derogatory terms and insults.

But after participating in a little exercise called the Power Shuffle, I immediately had another epiphany: no matter who you are or how perfect you may be, someone’s going to find a way to bring you

“ I’m not about to be responsible

for some huge balloon spraying hatred...like some kind of herky-jerky sprinkler head. cited expressions on everyone else’s faces that cheered me up, or maybe it was seeing teachers and administrators acting crazy right alongside students. Actually, come to think of it, it was probably because the moment I walked through the door, I knew I wasn’t going to be judged.

When navigating through the world, it’s nearly impossible for any person to go a single day without facing some kind of nega-

”

down.

I’m not going to bother trying to convince my adoring readers not to judge others. A vast majority of us do it without even noticing, so don’t take my word for it.

Instead, try to take note of how it feels when someone else judges you or treats you differently than they would treat someone else just because they think they know what you’re like. Just take note.

Before I went to Challenge Day, I actually thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out I’m perfectly fine – it’s the world that’s got the problem.

As Sister B put it, there’s a huge balloon full of everyone’s repressed emotions, and that balloon leaks out on everyone else in the form of hatred. Well, I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m not about to be responsible for some huge balloon spraying hatred and intolerance all over the place like some kind of herkyjerky sprinkler head.

My friends and I are coming around with mops.

Draft a dumb, dreadful idea

By Kyle Friedrich Copy Editor

The draft: very few words can inspire so much controversy, and with good reason. Just when the words are mentioned, mental images appear of protests and riots during the Vietnam War. But what does the draft (which was discontinued in 1972) have to do with us today? Well, Senator Charles Rangel and a few other Democrats are trying to pass legislation to reinstate the draft, even after a failed attempt in 2003. Some people just haven’t been learning from history.

The bill would require a mandatory service for men and women from ages 18-26. Not necessarily just military service, but

“ Would you

really entrust your life to some kid who just got pulled out of college to go fight in Iraq?

”

other civil service jobs. College students would not be exempt.

Rangel’s reasoning for his new bill is that it would make the military more heterogeneous, because Rangel believes that the military is primarily made up of ethnic minorities from poor neighborhoods. Not only has Rangel’s claim been disproved by studies, the ethnic makeup of the military is not a problem.

And while it is unlikely that this bill will pass, it is completely insulting to young people that people like Rangel would play politics with our lives and time.

Telling kids that you are going to force them to work for a few years after they graduate for minimal pay is borderline slavery and a sign of an oppressive government.

Drafting as a way of recruiting soldiers has many other practical downsides as well. When soldiers are fighting against their will, it is not an effective military. Soldiers are supposed to be able to trust their comrades with their lives.

Would you really entrust your life to some kid who just got pulled out of college to go fight in Iraq?

I don’t think so.

We are better off leaving the wars to the people who actually want to fight in them.

D a s h i n g D E C A Step team secures win delivers great show

Alexandra Shiluk / Staff Writer

DECA’s James Bond cast present the 100 dollar check to the winners of a fabulous night of entertainment.

By Alexandra Shiluk Staff Writer

“Bond, James Bond” was the motto for this year’s variety show.

The annual event, presented by DECA, performed to a packed audience in the cafeteria despite several endorsement problems.

This year, the talent show’s theme was DECAsino Royale complementing the most recent installment of the 007 series, released late last year.

Hosting the show were colorful and entertaining characters including senior Daniel Wong as James Bond, the villainous Mr. Oddjob played by senior James Huh, the materialistic Ms. Moneypenny played by sophomore Julia Joung, and senior Joey

“

the most entertaining portions of the show, as time after time the cocky James Bond was hilariously rejected by his own Bond girls in response to clichés like “Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten-I-see.”

The program opened with an amazing beep-boxing performance by ASB Vice President Michael Elias and senior Corey Hur, followed by senior Drew Heuer’s interesting lip-synching attempt to backing track “If I Were a Superhero.”

Noteworthy performances included an incredible drum solo by Ryan Long, Gabby Wood’s upbeat

As time after time the cocky James Bond was hilariously rejected by his own Bond girls... ”

Wainwright as the even cockier James Bond double.

At set intervals, several heavily made-up Bond girls would bear the winning Bingo coordinates across the stage.

Between skits, pickup lines were ad-libbed by the two James Bonds to stall for time backstage. This impromptu segment of the program ultimately ended up being one of

and comical ballad “Taylor Works at Starbucks,” Improv’s anticipated entertaining sketch – featuring the villainous Jesus and his sidekick Dark Cocoa – and senior Kellean Beyelia’s amazing vocal performance.

The night’s best performers, however, were CV F L AV O R – four girls of the Step Te a m t h a t alternatively

danced, chanted, and clapped to various hip hop beats.

When asked what he thought about the show, guest judge and counselor Duane Magno described the performances as “hyphy.”

Overall, DECA was pleased with the final turnout.

“We thought they did a really good job,” said senior Devyn Mills, director of the event.

By Sophiana Carrell Staff Writer

After participating in the annual stepping competition on Feb. 10 at Aragon High School, the CVHS step team walked away with its second victory.

This was just after the eight steppers won the first place prize of $100 at the DECA variety show.

Stepping, also known as stomping, was originally derived from the South African Welly boot dance, a dance in which performers wear Wellington rain boots adorned with bells. This is also believed by some to be the root of tap-dancing. The choreographed dances are also sometimes accompanied with rhymes or chants but consist mostly of clapping and stomping rhythms.

Stepping is not only a type of dance, but a intricate art form.

It is centered around team work and builds a strong community deeply rooted in honor and selfexpression.

About two and a half years ago, a small group of CVHS students approached Assistant Principal Shamar Edwards. In college,

Edwards was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority involved with stepping, at Cal State Long Beach. “Stepping is an art form

that truly belongs to black Greek fraternities and sororities,” said Edwards.

Because of her experience, Edwards is now the advisor, coach, and choreographer of the victorious step team. This year, however, the steppers created their own choreography for the competition.

“This year we had a scaryspooky theme and last year they were divas and we did this America’s Next Top Model thing,” said Edwards of the event in which they competed against four other step teams from local high schools.

“We had a great time. There was a good energy.”

The step team will share their talent when they perform the same routine for Days of Diversity.

Unfortunately, the fate of the award-winning step team is in jeopardy.

Most of the eight steppers are graduating this year, and Edwards is concerned for the group. “If it’s going to continue, we’ll need to recruit,” she said.

is considered the winner. Winds and currents add to the challenge of contenders.

“My father built my first boat when I was five and taught me how to sail,” said Gilmour, when asked about how she started her hobby.

ball or basketball, says Gilmour.

It’s for people who enjoy the sport, but prefer not to be out on the racecourse all the time “I’m into rules, and there’s a rulebook for sailing that everyone in the world adheres to. It’s a

“...last year

they were divas and we did this America’s Next Top Model thing Shamar Edwards Assistant Principal

”

Sailing away from the oven

By Becky Chao Staff Writer

Vickie Gilmour, ruler of the toasty foods room, also happens to be a sailing judge for the Olympics.

So far this s c h o o l y e a r, she’s been to Australia twice to oversee races in Perth and Adelaide.

“I’ve been a senior judge for over ten years,” said Gilmour, who has also been an umpire at America’s Cup, one of the best-known international sailing races.

Chris (Hongzhe) Qian / Staff Writer Surprisingly, Foods teacher Vickie Gilmour proudly displays a picture Larry Ellison, t h e C E O o f of her other love, sailing.

Oracle, is part of the 2007 American entry for the prize.

Sailing races usually last 45 minutes to three and a half hours, according to Gilmour. The first person who passes all the marks

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There’s still time to join our staff! Come by during 8th period in Rm. 113 and check out what happens behind the scenes.

“The San Francisco Bay tends to be windier than most places, [but] I was born and raised here. I’m a third-generation Californian.”

Choosing an umpire for sailing is similar to picking one for base-

self-governing sport, but when someone protests [against someone who fouled them], that’s when a judge comes in.”

“Sailing – I love sailing.

It’s freedom… just me and the wind making decisions,” explained G i l m o u r. “ I meet people who do what I do. A couple weeks ago in Australia, I saw people I haven’t seen in 20 years and they’re still sailing and I’m still sailing.

“To me, it’s relaxing until a race.”

To Sacramento we go

By Flora Tsang Editor-In-Chief

After a semester of learning about how the government works, or about the economy, seniors were given the opportunity to visit the state capital for a day.

“It was fun acting all business-y and speaking to important people,” said senior Sarah Erspamer.

After a self-guided tour around the different areas of the building and eating lunch in the capital dining area, the students engaged in a discussion about immigration with Senator Gill Cedillo and Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, representing Los Angeles and Cathedral City, respectively.

Students addressed specific questions to the two and had the opportunity to share their views on immigration.

“You had the feeling as if you were making on impact on their decisions,” said Erspamer.

The event, called LegiSchool, is an event specifically for high

school students around California, and CVHS students participate in it every year.

“ ...he never

truly answered the questions... ”

Katrina Dutchover Senior

“I like how the students get to interact with lawmakers,” said social studies teacher Carmelina Frasca.

Some of the students, however, weren’t completely pleased with the responses of the representatives.

“The senator spoke as if he had a prepared answer for all

the questions and he never truly answered the questions that were asked of him,” said senior Katrina Dutchover.

Though Cedillo was a Democrat and Garcia a Republican, the two had views that were surprisingly similar.

“They both seemed like moderates – I like it better when the panelists have more extreme views,” said Frasca.

Overall though, the discussion was lively as everyone shared their views. From border patrol to drivers licenses, illegal immigration came alive that day in the room at the capitol.

“People have passionate feelings about illegal immigration and what should be done,” said Frasca.

For recent immigrants who are students, the trip was even more special because it was their first chance to see government first hand.

“It opened my eyes to see the way the American government works,” said senior Hewen Cao.

Experience Real Business

By Hayden Folks Staff Writer

Be a better businessperson

Ever wanted to be a real businessman, garbed in a fancy business suit, clutching a sleek leather bag or wallet? Get an early start in high school!

The newest club at Castro Valley High School is Real Business. The goal of the new club is to promote business and to spread the knowledge of how business works.

Founder Alex Hoopes, a senior, and the other club members plan to spread business knowledge through

many mediums like speakers and activities. At this point they have only had four meetings and are still planning future activities.

The club is currently doing a stock activity to teach club members just how stocks work and to show them how to go into stocks themselves.

“I have enjoyed the last few meetings in Real Business and will enjoy meetings in the future.

I just hope that the club takes off,” said Kevin Leleu a senior.

The club will have speakers that are businessmen or women that have leadership qualities, take initiative and are knowledgeable.

They are also planning fundraisers to raise money for more club activities.

Another fun thing they will be doing is fieldtrips. They are currently considering either a fieldtrip

to the headquarters of Chevron or Safeway, which many believe to be fun and a good opportunity to learn about the business world.

The club doesn’t concentrate on one kind of business. Club members are interested in all types of business. Every kind of business is part of this club.

Feel free to visit or join the club – meetings are every Thursday at lunch in room 507.

Second sequel hardly improves from prequels

By Kyle Friedrich Copy Editor

At first glance, Activision’s new WWII first person shooter game, Call of Duty 3, seems nothing short of amazing. The game puts you in the role of allied soldiers from four different countries, with the goal of liberating France.

CoD has realistic graphics and incredible sound that makes you believe you are actually in a huge war, but then you will realize that graphics and sound are pretty much the only good features of CoD. Sure, the faces and uni-

forms of the soldiers look life-like, and the explosions and gunshots are convincing, but CoD has its share of problems, especially in single player mode.

The biggest annoyances are the respawning enemies and poor artificial intelligence. For example, German troops will appear indefinitely until you get past a certain respawn point, which means that you have to play recklessly to get past it. Also, the majority of your

friendly soldiers cannot die unless it is in the script for them to do so, but that is for the sake of the story and character development.

On a more positive note, multiplayer mode is much more enjoyable than the single player campaign, where players must use stealth and tactical playing to win matches. There are seven different classes that you can choose from (such as rifleman, medic, scout, support, etc.), so it means that working as a team is very important. What ruins multiplayer is a number of technical problems, which can make it very difficult to join matches.

Overall, Call of Duty looks realistic, but the gameplay really isn’t that great.

It is hardly a step up from Call of Duty 2. If you like first person shooters, it might be worth renting.

I wouldn’t recommend getting CoD 3 if you already have CoD 2, because the new game isn’t really that much better.

I reviewed this game for the Xbox 360. It is also available on the PS3, Wii, and PS2, although the graphics on the latter version are obviously not as good as the graphics on the new consoles.

Don’t even bother with the Wii version as it has no multiplayer at all, and I have heard that it can be hard to control with the Wii’s unusual controller.

The Queen rules as usual

By Laura Mitchell Staff Writer

Chances are, most high school students passed on going to see The Queen. I mean, who wants to see a film about a stodgy, old-fashioned English monarch when there are plenty of cheesy romantic comedies and gory horror movies playing in theaters?

Wrong - those who chose not to go see The Queen missed out on a really thoughtful, interesting, “behind the scenes” film about how the Queen of England - and the rest of the royal family and British government - reacted in and related to each other in those first chaotic

days after Princess Diana tragically died in a car crash.

The Queen, starring acclaimed actress Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, is especially focused on the Queen’s private troubles; everything from dealing with Princess Diana’s death, the media, the recent election of Tony Blair as British Prime Minister, and the disapproval of the British people of her response (or lack thereof) to Diana’s death.

And, as the Shakespeare quote at the beginning of the film says, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

The Queen must grapple with the difficult issues of tradition versus m o d e r n i t y, e x pressing emotions, change, public image, and duty at a time when it seems that everyone in her country is watching her every move.

The plotline of the movie is also

helped along by the supporting actors, who are overall very good.

The “star,” Helen Mirren is of course exceptional (she even mastered Queen Elizabeth’s walk for the film), but actor Michael Sheen also gives an excellent performance as Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Other wonderful aspects of The Queen are the emotional scenes that are subtle, yet touching, in particular a scene that occurs when the Queen finally goes to visit a memorial set up by the public to honor Princess Diana.

The sensitivity in this film is another reason why it’s not too hard to see why it has garnered 6 Academy Award nominations, and multiple other nominations and awards.

Although a rather serious and sometimes slow-moving film, it manages to not be boring, and the excellent acting and interesting issues discussed make it a worthwhile watch.

What can I say? The Queen rules.

Petty siblings make dynamic duo

By Mari Robinson City Editor

The Petty siblings, senior Will and sophomore Lisa, set the basketball court on fire.

Will, a Varsity shooting guard and forward, has led the league with an average of 21.2 points per game and a record of 43 threepointers though, he modestly said, “For those numbers my teammates deserve the credit. They are the ones who pass me the ball and set screens for me to get open.”

He was named to the Washington High Husky Classical All-Tournament team, a team composed of the tournament’s best players as voted by the coaches and voted tournament Most Valuable Player during the Eureka High Logger Classic.

Will’s basketball success is sure to follow him to college. He has been in contact with many schools in and around California, including Humboldt State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Occidental College and Azusa-Pacific University. He hasn’t decided which school he will attend but many have offered him full or partial scholarships.

Lisa, a guard, has been on the girls Varsity team since her freshman year. Her future plans for basketball are clear: “I know I will play the rest of my high school career for sure and my wish is to play Division I (in college).”

Though Will says that basketball was never a Petty family tradition, both siblings started playing in a church league when they were in second grade.

“When I was younger, Lisa

would have to go to all my games and watch, and I think that is where she got her initial desire to play, but from then on it was all her,” said Will.

Lisa agrees that what inspired to give basketball a try was “watching my brother play and wanting to be better than him when I was younger,” she said.

The Pettys practice together most of the time at the nearest basketball court or the gym, playing games

of one-on-one and working on techniques.

“To help her I usually guard her so she can get used to playing against bigger and stronger opponents,” said Will.

Obviously, the Petty siblings have a passion for their sport.

“The best thing about basketball for me is just coming to play every day with a fun, close-knit, familylike team, like we have this year,” said Will.

Iglesias’ infinite interests

By Kamry Zhang Feature Editor

Mari Robinson / City Editor

The talented Lisa Petty, sophomore, and Will Petty, senior, play a game of one-on-one at break.

Spicy salsa dancing, acting, Stanford pitching…what hasn’t P.E. teacher, new JV baseball head coach and hip-hop club advisor Mario Iglesias done?

“I want­­to learn to play guitar so I can play Beatle songs to my future kids like my dad used to do for me,” said Iglesias.

Originally hailing from Hayward High, Iglesias began his baseball career in the Castro Valley Little League. He is also the founder of the breakdancing club of HHS. In his sophomore, junior and senior years at HHS, he pitched three undefeated seasons. No one else in the HAAL could stand the wrath of Iglesia’s pitching arm.

After graduation, Iglesias received a full scholarship to Stanford University and pitched for four years for the Cardinals.

He also obtained a psychology degree in 1996. Being a formidable pitcher certainly helped him get a free ride to the prestigious institution; however, Iglesias also earned outstanding grades, maintaining a GPA of 4.2 in high school.

Iglesias was also the first per-

son in his family to go to college.

His older brother, Michael, played pro ball right after high school for ten years.

That same year, the Chicago White Sox signed him in a minor league contract. Due to arm trouble, he quit playing baseball in 2001 and continues to pursue baseball in another aspect.

Iglesias and Michael are cofounders and CEOs of Headfirst Baseball West Coast which focuses on improving athletic and academic performance in young baseball hopefuls. Mario knows the importance of getting a good education thanks to his parents’ strict regimen of making him study for two hours on school days whether he had homework or not.

Although Iglesias played baseball and coaches the sport, his interests delve into anything but sports. He enjoys the more artistic things in life like visiting foreign museums and watching bullfighting.

Many people view bullfighting as a “macho” sport but “it’s not, bullfighting is an art,” commented Iglesias. “If you know how it’s done, you would understand that it is very beautiful and artistic.”

Iglesias would like to travel to Spain to view the bullfighting festival, teach Spanish instead of P.E., and eventually start a family.

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

Esther Lee / Staff Writer

Kaitlin Endo, freshman Varsity girls basketball team player Kaitlin Endo scored the winning lay-up in a basketball tournament in Reno. She has been playing basketball for seven years and currently plays as a shooting guard. “I like the pace of the game and how fast it is,” said Endo.

Even though she enjoys playing basketball, school comes first for Endo. Playing basketball is valuable for her because it keeps her in shape, lets her meet new people, and improves her time managing skills.

Jeysikah Thompson, sophomore

Jeysikah Thompson enjoys track because it’s an easy way to meet people, it keeps her in shape, and it gets her out of school. She’s been running track since fifth grade, and is now a Varsity runner for the Trojans. She sprints the 100 and 200 meters and runs the relays as well. She is considering as a future career. Track is one of her loves because “it makes me feel like I did something good. It makes my mom proud.”

Jake Pawid, junior

Anthony Crans, senior

National tennis player Jake Pawid once took third place in Little Mo, a tennis tournament. He is number one on Varsity boys tennis team. Pawid has enjoyed playing tennis since he was ten years old.

“I love hitting the ball and beating people,” said Pawid. Even though he does not consider playing tennis as a future career, he is interested in playing in college. According to Pawid, learning discipline is one of the many benefits of tennis.

Star swimmer Anthony Crans competed in NCS last year and spent the last ten years on a summer swimming league. He is on the Varsity swimming team and finds relays exhilarating. He swims the 100-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter individual medley. He enjoys the camaraderie of his teammates. Swimming, for him, is a way to stay in shape more than a career. “It makes me feel better about myself because I’m in shape,” said Crans. Swimming also gives Crans motivation to use time effectively.

Wrestlers place first in HAAL Trojans suffer frustrating defeat in semi-finals

By Julianne Burnette Staff Writer

The girls wrestling team at CVHS has soared to new heights this past season. The notoriously successful team finished first in HAAL, closely trailed by San Leandro. The team also boasts its two state-champion members, seniors Gabrielle Solis and Jessica Klever.

“It’s a small team, but it’s also the most united team in my experience.

We’ve had a pretty good season,” said Chelsea Grassechi, a senior and six-year wrestler.

Through a lot of determination and even more hard work this season’s team has achieved great things, among them the creation of a comfortable and tight-knit atmosphere within the team.

“We’ve bonded really well this year. It’s important to have a close relationship with your teammates,” explained freshman wrestler, Julia Dirnu.

All of the members have grown this season, as well.

“We’re ending the season with eight girls. This team has been successful, especially [considering its] size,” said the coach Steve Solis. “I love watching the competition and

Game outcome determined by debatable call

By Alexandra Shiluk Staff Writer

Julianne Burnette / Staff Writer

Freshman Julia Dirnu, top in her weight class, wrestles During the girls Varsity soccer her way to victory.

NCS semifinals, the Trojans were the kids as they mature both as wrestlers, and as young people.”

Many of the girls placed first in their weight classes, and those who didn’t got second.

“I’ve been wrestling for seven years,” said senior and statechampion Gabrielle. “It’s really good to see my hard work pay

off.”

Wrestling this season has been an experience for all of the team’s members.

Dirnu summed it up this way: “[This season] I’ve learned life lessons, made new friends and had fun. [It has taught] me a lot.”

defeated for the fourth consecutive time by the San Ramon Valley Wolves, the defending champions, in the last minute of overtime.

Despite Castro Valley coach Paul McCallion’s optimistic expectations, the Trojans walked away that night with feelings of bitter disappointment and anger as the referee called a debatable foul against stopper Alex Huerta just outside the eighteen-yard box. The resulting golden goal, a low drive to the right post, ended the game – giving the Wolves the 2-1 lead that allowed them to advance to the final round of NCS.

The Trojans, who received the first number one seed for NCS in HAAL history, felt cheated out of victory by the referee.

“I don’t believe a ref should dictate the outcome of the game.

I think they obviously got home field advantage,” said junior midfielder Jenny Laponte.

CVHS freshman Eileen Maes, scored first off of a pass from freshman Morgan Castain, putting the Trojans in the lead earlier in the first half; however the Wolves countered almost immediately, leaving the score tied 1-1 at the half.

Both teams seemed relatively well-matched throughout the second half. Several exceptional saves made by the CVHS goalkeeper, senior Bianca Delahouseye and defensive clears from sweeper sophomore Donna Nyugen which enabled the Trojans to keep the score at 1-1, forcing the game into a ten minute overtime with the “golden goal” in effect. After the second additional overtime – if the game were to remain tied – the match would be decided by penalty kicks.

Eventually though, the referee’s issuing of the foul ultimately decided the game, putting San Ramon Valley into the finals with Monte Vista.

By Becky Chao Staff Writer

Freshman Science will transform into Environmental Science, 40 percent of the chemistry teachers may leave CVHS next year, regular Biology and Chemistry classes will get new books, and Advanced Freshman Science will be eliminated . So, is next year going to be complete chaos?

“No,” said science department chair Melissa Kindelspire, laughing. “I mean, Ms. Yi leaving [isn’t] a good thing, but the curriculum changes are good changes. It’s not like any of the changes are driving people away, we’re just having an odd bit of bad luck having so many positions open at a time.”

However, Freshman Science currently has a quarter of chemistry that could help students in regular chemistry.

“I personally don’t agree that students will be in trouble two years later when they take Chemistry. The students developmentally ready to learn about the atom did and the students that aren’t ready…are better off in a class that is engaging and integrates the science standards in a

meaningful way instead of jumping from subject to subject like we do now,” said Kindelspire.

“The original idea [was] all students with the general knowledge,” said Chemistry teacher Patricia Parker.

“We voted and talked a really long time and feel strongly [about the] freshman level overall,” said Kindelspire. “Honestly I’m not sure how much the students remember from Freshman Science.”

Kindelspire also said environmental science would include some chemistry, but it would be applied in a way the science department hopes will get the freshmen to see how science affects their lives.

The Biology teachers usually also teach Freshman Science and they should find teaching the environmental approach easier than the current physical emphasis.

Freshmen Science isn’t the only class geting new books - Biology classes will get a new edition of the current book, and a more “traditional” book for the regular chemistry class that will be presented in a more direct way, said Kindelspire.

Of CVHS’ five chemistry teachers, one is considering retirement; a second could be on medical leave next year; another teacher only works part-time and has carpool problems. Most likely, there will be two openings in their ranks.

“I had two different teachers last year. I didn’t really see the point,” said sophomore Emily Austin, when asked about Freshman Science last year.

The Advanced Freshman Science classes won’t be offered anymore – the science department believes the accelerated students would just go on to regular biology instead.

“I’ll miss teaching AFS,” said Lynne Tierney, the primary AFS teacher. “But I look forward to teaching chemistry next year.”

The semester-long environmental science class for upperclassmen will be canceled; however, AP Environmental Science will still be available.

There will also be two new semester courses offered in the department -- Forensic Science and a health academy class exploring different units, such as firefighting and nursing, which will be offered for elective credit only.

ALARMS: Page 1 “It undermines the school’s safety, and having taught at a school that burned down, I find that very distressing.”

“It upsets me when I have to stop class,” said math teacher Lori MacDonald. “I also think it is a major safety issue when kids don’t take the fire alarm seriously,

CHEATING: Page 1 The other nine students were allowed to retake a different final exam after committing to 20 hours of community service as well as writing a letter that was

“

Ultimately, a situation where the pressure to get into a school is so great that morals can be easily pushed aside…is just wrong.

”

RICHARD SCHNECK AP Chemistry teacher

which they don’t anymore.”

Many students were irked as well.

“It’s annoying and loses the school money,” said junior Mike Tsang.

“The constant pulling of the fire alarm is downplaying the threat of an actual fire and jeopardizing our school’s safety,” agreed senior Adam Vanderveer.

to be viewed by their parents, teachers, and counselors explaining why the extra material was on their calculators.

In their letters, five of the students claim that they unknowingly received these chemistry notes while downloading games from other students’ graphing calculators.

“I think it’s hella stupid… we’re being accused of something we didn’t do,” said a senior boy who wished to remain anonymous.

As a follow-up to the cheating incident, Schneck instructed his students to anonymously answer an integrity-based questionnaire.

He was shocked by the answers he received.

Approximately one third of the class responded that it was acceptable to cheat on homework and tests in order to get into a good college.

“Ultimately, a situation where the pressure to get into a school is so great that morals can be easily pushed aside…is just wrong,” said Schneck.

One repercussion of the combination of this intense student pressure and the availability of massive amounts of inexpensive graphing calculator memory is the growing refusal of science department teachers from permitting the use of graphing calculators on their tests.

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