Nov 20, 2009

CVHS alumnus on the air

Pg. 4

Brodie Brazil reports sports on Comcast

Pg. 5

Students Boys sweep defy laws away the of physics? competition

Breakdancers show off their moves

Pg. 7

Girls race their way to success

Girl safe after close call; suspect arrested

Two minds ponder the meaning of art

By Alicia Harger and Igor Breyman A 17-year-old senior girl said a man attacked her as she walked to CVHS near San Miguel and Lux on Oct. 27.

He came at her from the side and touched her below the waist, she said. She escaped unharmed and ran to the school, where she notified campus security, which then notified the sheriff’s department.

Deputy Tim Vales arrested Benjamin Alvarez, 18, moments later near the school. He was

“Don’t walk with

Howard Whang / Photo Editor

your iPod blasting and always walk with a buddy.

Zack Rice (left) and Sam Temming (right) perform in the play Piccaso at the Lapin Agile, directed

by English teacher Daren Wilkerson. See Page 6.

Revelation club takes a stand at CVHS

By Igor Breyman Staff Writer

As humans, we are subject to our own judgment. For many this is the refusal of any religious institution, but for some at this school, it’s a chance to invite the un-opinionated majority to see their side of the issue.

“Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God,” said senior Vika Mukha, president of CVHS’s Revelation Club.

The Revelation Club is devoted to spreading the word of God, but in a respectable manner.

“All we want is for the students of CVHS to find out how powerful the love of God is,”

Students stuck in scheduling traffic jam

By Dana Lin Staff Writer

The start of the 2009-2010 school year at CVHS has so far been a crammed one. Many students want to change their classes, but most cannot due to limited space.

“I have roughly 440 students,” said sophomore house counselor Duane Magno. “About half the students I work with try to transfer classes.”

Out of all of Magno’s students who attempt to change classes, only an estimated 10-20 percent actually succeed.

The district lost $4.1 million of funding this year, which limits the number of teachers CVHS can afford to hire. The fewer teachers

there are, the fewer classes there are available to the students.

Some subjects, such as video production, have been completely eliminated. The Japanese I class was very close to being cut from the foreign language department, but many protests and speeches from students and parents allowed it to stay.

“I wanted to change history classes because of the excess amount of homework,” said sophomore Yusef Abouremeleh.

“My counselor was a bit negative about me switching out since there weren’t many spots for world civilization classes.”

“I wanted to go from orchestra to band,” said sophomore Jason

CLASS: Page 8

said Mukha.

Mukha also addressed the challenges of the club, stating that it’s hard to maintain a club that is a minority in the Bay Area, but it’s reassuring in a place such as the Bay Area. In history class, students tend to debate issues, leaving one side victorious and the other not so

Senior Girl

glorious. That’s when club members are actually affected by their status as a minority, yet that’s why it takes a stronger person to stand up for his or her ideals.

The Revelation Club sponsored a day of silence on Oct. 20, demonstrating how the voices of aborted infants are taken away, and in

CLUB: Page 5

”

booked in Santa Rita Jail on charges of attempted kidnapping and sexual battery.

“I don’t really remember what happened very well. It was such an adrenaline rush,” said the girl, who added that the experience was very frightening.

ASSAULT: Page 8

Settling into a new school schedule

By Max Kahane Staff Writer

Although traffic is heavy near CVHS every day around 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., this new schedule is working out well overall, school officials say.

“This year ’s schedule has been challenging especially when it comes to first period,” said CVHS Principal Pete Alvarez.

With most students and staff arriving to start school in period 1, the traffic has been a major problem. Even with the new stoplight, cars ravage near the school like a plague.

Lots of people have been tardy, but Alvarez said, “The schedule has nothing to do with tardies.”

It is the actual traffic and the

irresponsibility of students that makes people late. We can’t help that there is traffic, said Alvarez.

But we can be responsible and not be late. The only thing you can do about traffic is to try to find alternate ways to get to class. As for

“Tardy sweeps will be

passed once or twice a week unless people show responsibility.

Pete Alvarez Principal

”

tardies, it is all up to the students.

If they are not punished for being tardy, then they are never going to learn. This is why the administration does tardy sweeps.

“Tardy sweeps will be passed

once or twice a week unless people show responsibility,” explained Alvarez.

Also the traffic leaving after school is hectic. Cars have a hard time moving and traffic moves slowly. It often takes at least half an hour to get off school property.

According to some teachers, this year ’s schedule is better than last year’s schedule because there is less confusion on when to start school.

Thus, there are fewer tardies because everyone knows when to start and when to end class.

With fewer students taking seven classes, the school day is shorter than last year for many students.

“The new schedule needed to happen,” said Assistant Principal Jesse Woodward.

Procrastination promotes purposeful play

By Howard Whang Photo Editor

Procrastination is perhaps the second most unproductive trait of humans, second only to sleeping. Procrastination can be traced to the feeling that

one does not want to do something. Why do people not want to do “something?” Because that something involves work, exerting energy, or is just plain boring. Simply put, people hate doing it.

But since procrastination means merely putting something off, the task will eventually have to be done anyways.

Pro procrastinators are able to procrastinate until the last moment, and still complete a task without compromising the quality of the work.

One reason that people are able to do work so efficiently

and successfully after procrastinating is because of the added pressure of the deadline. Deadlines are usually extremely unreasonable as well as threatening; why else would they have the word “dead” in it?

At this point, I would also like to draw attention to the word “procrastinate,” which also contains the prefix “pro,” which means a plus or positive aspect of, so it appears that procrastinating is a good thing if based on how the word is derived.

Procrastinating is especially good for people who like to

“live for now” and worry about later, later. It is good for people like us living in earthquake country. Take this situation hypothetically. I decide to do all of my homework before going to play some video games. Right as I finish my homework, an earthquake strikes. A bunch of people die, and most importantly, the school is demolished. All the hours I just spent on my homework is wasted, because school doesn’t exist anymore. Perhaps my house burns down, and my homework along with it. All the homework I did is wasted. And what if the earthquake kills me?

Homework could not matter less!

On the other hand, if I had fun and enjoyed life as much as possible before the earthquake hit, then I would not have to do any of the homework at all. Instead, I can face the earthquake knowing that I was smart and did not waste time doing things that don’t matter anymore. Perhaps my video game system or TV got destroyed in the earthquake.

At least I spent the last possible minutes with something I liked instead of something I hated, like homework.

Longer school year would hurt students and teachers Editorial: We at The Olympian do not agree with President Barack Obama and his Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s wish to extend school days in U.S. schools, by either making the school day longer or making summer vacation shorter.

While we agree that American students spend less time in school than students in other countries and that their

test scores are comparatively lower, this proposition has many negative effects.

For each student that attends a school day, the state allocates a certain amount of money to the school district. During these tough economic times, it would be unreasonable to add more school days to the calendar, which would result in an increase in money the

state must give to schools. The government would have to generate more money to pay teachers and staff members for the additional school days.

In addition, students will be less willing to go to school.

More students will feel overwhelmed and find the additional school days unnecessary.

Some will want to cut school or even drop out.

This increase in school days will make life harder for both students and staff members.

Students will spend less time with their families and will not have the freedom to pursue after school jobs because of a longer school year. This will change students’ and staff members’ lifestyles as they will need to spend more time at school than at home. Teachers will also have

to work more days. A shorter summer vacation would also be a drastic change for the American public.

Although The Olympian sees the necessity to better education by benefit a longer school calendar, this proposition is unnecessary. Its costs and its negative consequences are far greater than its positive effects.

College applications: The highlight of any high school career

By Joseph Wan Editor-in-Chief

As a senior, there’s one thing, and only one thing, on my mind right now. It’s something exciting, something I’ve always looked forward to, something I just know I’ll remember for the rest of my life. That’s right.

It’s the wonderful, beautiful, awe-inspiring event called the college application process.

What? Did you think I was talking about Homecoming?

There’s no way Homecoming could beat applying for colleges. Prancing around in garish costumes while screaming my lungs off? I’m only going to regret it later when I have to play charades with my friend because I’ve lost my voice.

Instead of throwing my heart

and soul into a short-lived week of adrenaline and high blood pressure, I’d rather do something productive, and it’s not like the college application process is hard. I’ve always been good at filling in forms.

Aside from that, I just have to write an essay… or two… or three… Okay, so one for each school I apply to, but how hard can that be? Besides, it’s good preparation for college. What better way to prepare myself for the rigors of higher education than by writing essays? Sure, I might lose a few years—and all my hair—in the process, but that’s a small price to pay to achieve the American dream.

It’s also the perfect excuse for ignoring the piles of homework teachers send my way. Whenever I’m asked why I didn’t do my homework, I can always answer with, “My dog prefers my homework over my college essays. Homework has more flavor.”

At the very least, I could explain to my English teacher that I was studying for the SAT. I mean, have you seen those

vocabulary words? Floccinaucinihilipilification. Try saying that five times fast. And yes, that’s an actual word, though quite a worthless one—but I digress.

Fun fact: apparently, statistics have proven that the multiple-hundred-questiontest also known as the SAT is actually a great indicator of a student’s knowledge. For example, if I get a high score in English, I know I’ve got the language down. It’s not like there are tricks and methods to taking the test that can raise my score. It’s only a rumor that classes specifically tutor test takers in strategies for taking the SAT. Ultimately, I guess if the college you’re going to requires none of that—or if you’re not going to college—you have an excuse for enjoying Homecoming. But you don’t know what you’re missing. I pity you poor people, bereft of the experience of a lifetime.

And paying for all of it? Oh joy—but I say that in a good way.

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2009 Editors-In-Chief...............................................................Irene Liang Joseph Wan City Editor.......................................................................Erin Mundy News Editor...........................................................Alexandra Gomes Opinion Editor..............................................................Alicia Harger Feature Editor............................................................Lawrence Ham Sports Editor.............................................................Moises Fonseca Arts and Entertainment Editor........................................Sarah Gilchriese Copy Editor.........................................................Brandon Lui Photo Editor..............................................................Howard Whang Business Managers......................................................Lindsay Oda Hillman Zheng Staff Writers: Bianca Arias, Wessam Aziz, Nic Barradas, Aditi Bhatia, Igor Breyman, Tiffany Choi, Amanda Chouinard, Kearny Combs, Joe DiRosa, Yoon Jung, Max Kahane, Simrit Kaur, Kate Kim, Melissa Lau, Nick Leonardo, Dana Lin, Jose Luna, Trevin Smith, Georgina Sousa Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

Block days are a bad idea

By Nick Leonardo Staff Writer

The class begins to slow down and I think that it should almost be over. I turn around to look at the clock and my heart sinks, another hour left. It’s block day.

The hour drags by and I think of all the things that happen in the world that take an hour. Four quarters of a football game, or primetime T.V. specials. It is hard to imagine having to continue to sit in the class for that long.

Finally the bell rings and I’m set free. It feels like I haven’t seen the sun or used my legs in days.

As I walk outside I realize that I only have ten minutes before I’m again confined to a desk for an hour and 40 minutes. At the end of my break I say good-bye to

fresh air and natural light again and go into my class. This seems as though it’s a punishment. But, it’s not. It is a block day at CVHS. Nobody likes block classes, even teachers get jumpy near the end of the second hour. I don’t think they’re good for anybody.

How much can a person’s mind learn and retain when it must stay focused for that long? It feels like elementary school again, regulated to one class. Except they get recess and we’re lucky if we get a couple minutes break in between hours. I do have to admit that it’s nice to have a day off from each class but such long periods are not worth it.

In my opinion we should just do away with block days all together, even if that means all five days of traditional schedule. There is no reason to have classes that long. I don’t learn more because I can’t concentrate that long. If anything, I learn less because I’m thinking about how long the class is. I can’t imagine teachers liking having to plan for almost two hours of stuff to do. I say we do everybody a favor and do away with block days.

Let them eat sugar

By Aditi Bhatia Staff Writer

As you walk through the crowded halls of CVHS, a candy bar, Coke, or sugarfilled energy drink is visible in almost every student’s hand.

These sugary items aren’t sold at school. They’re considered unhealthy and are banned by the state.

But does it matter that these items are banned if students can find alternative ways to get them?

Schools should remove this ban on selling items containing sugar. Although sodas and other items containing high amounts of sugar and caffeine can be harmful if taken in excess, students should be able to make the right decision for themselves.

Students should be allowed to spend their money however they want to, and by selling

soft drinks such as Coke and other sugary items on campus, the school could make up the money it has lost from budget cuts.

Students would no longer have to go off campus during school hours to buy an energy drink or candy bar. Instead they could buy it directly from the school, which would also help the school budget crisis in the process. Our school would be less dependent on donations given by parents, and would have more money for helping fund sports, science classes, and more teachers.

Caffeine and sugar could also help students stay awake and alert, instead of having them fall asleep during math class or a history lecture. Although school officials are banning these items in an effort to improve each student’s diet so that they do not face obesity in the future, their efforts have gone to waste. Students can still continue to bring candy from off-campus sources, distribute it to other people, and buy more later on.

Selling these items in school would benefit both the school population and the school district as well.

The true meaning of Homecoming

By Kate Kim Staff Writer

Homecoming. Just mentioning this word has the power to fill students with excitement. It is one of the few things we will reminisce upon when as adults.

We might say to our kids, “Ah, I remember Homecoming in high school. We dressed up, danced, made floats, marched, and enjoyed the unification of our school. Those were the days…”

That is what we should be saying. Unfortunately, for the past few Homecomings, we paid more attention to the competition among the classes rather than the unity of our school.

CVHS has a history of exciting and organized Homecomings that cannot be compared to other schools. Homecoming is something we have always made a big deal of, and I am proud of us for that. The majority of our school participates in some way, and I love seeing students of all different cliques par-

ticipate in helping their classes win Homecoming. Though it originally was an annual event for visiting graduates, it is now an event meant to bring the school together through a little competition among the classes.

“During Homecoming, a lot of the classes were taking the competition a little too seriously. Especially afterwards, I would constantly hear people complaining about the results and different rumors going on about why a certain class lost,” said sophomore Jane Hong.

There were rumors going around about things such as why the junior float got third place and why the sophomore song girls got first place. I think it is unnecessary to make up stories about why the classes lost or won. The results are the results. There’s no way a “reason” is going to change that. Why can’t they just learn to take it and deal with it?

Another result of the out-ofhand competition among the classes was the vandalism of homes. Tensions were created among the classes from these actions. Things got out of hand because some students took the competition a lot more seriously than they should’ve

taken it.

“I think that Homecoming is overly competitive and drives people to do things they will regret. It’s just unnecessary to do those horrific actions,” said junior Michael Small.

Whatever happened to being unified? Because students were so carried away with Homecoming, they did things that they wouldn’t normally do. Their actions led to broken laws and school consequences.

I know that students become unaware of their actions in the midst of the Homecoming craze. However, that gives them no right to take foolish actions. Not only did their actions fail to help their class win, they got punished for them.

Overall, their actions don’t help anybody, so why do it?

The same goes for spreading rumors about why a certain class won or lost.

I would love for CVHS to put aside all these past mistakes, learn from them, and make next year ’s Homecoming a fantastic one.

If we all make wise decisions, follow the rules, and respect each other, the unification of our school will happen naturally.

Shake off that college pressure

By Erin Mundy City Editor

I’ve always had a plan to pursue journalism at SF State since I found it was something that I enjoyed doing. When I recently realized that this path I had so meticulously carved and planned out might not be the one I really want to take, I panicked. I realized that I didn’t have an inkling of an idea what my other options were, or if there even were any.

It never really fazed me when people would speak of their plans to apply to schools like Cal, UCLA, or even Stanford.

I had never really felt the pressure or need to go to any of those schools because I felt confident that I could not only succeed but thrive at SFSU. Although I’m glad I realized this sooner rather than later, I was overwhelmed with all the pressures and feelings of necessity that I hadn’t felt before. As a senior, the majority of

conversations with classmates consist of college plans and class courses since we’re all enduring the application process together right now. Hearing about hopes of acceptance into Yale—4.5 GPAs, six different SAT scores, and a list of extracurricular activities many pages long—is quite possibly one of the most defeating and demeaning feelings. I’ve begun to feel this need to go to a school I had never considered before and only knew of for its high praise and pretentiousness.

Why is it that we feel this need to go to the prestigious, highly competitive school where our rate of success is likely lower than somewhere we could actually handle going? All the pressures of getting into a “good school” are flooding in, and I find myself taking on more than I can handle and stretching myself thinner than I have before.

Despite being constantly reminded that I don’t need a degree from Harvard to be successful, it seems like anything less than a UC education is below my capability and my own standards. I suppose it’s just that I see so many in my class excel and accomplish exceptional things, and I feel pangs of jealousy. I know that I too am capable of that suc-

cess, but I struggled to apply myself and now I find myself lost somewhere on the path to college.

Rather than sit back and relax, feeling content and confident as every senior should, I am terrified, overwhelmed, and restless. It’s unfortunate that we are brought to think that the best option, whether attainable or not, is the only option. How that came to be, I’m unsure, but it’s an irrational fear that only mars the joys senior year is meant to bring.

So, despite my ability to take my own advice, I advise every single one of you to take a deep breath, relax, and realize that college (like your SAT scores or your weighted GPA) is only one stepping stone in this big path that is life. All the choices made and actions taken up to now are definite, all that’s left to do is work towards a better future.

Letters to the Editor

The Olympian encourages letters from our readers. Please note that pieces should be under 300 words and are subject to editing and verification. They can be e-mailed to cvhsolympian@gmail.com, delivered to Mr. Johanson’s box in the office, or dropped off at The Olympian office in room 113.

Pop shove it down to BAPF skate shop

By Joe DiRosa Staff Writer

Life is all good for Castro Valley skaters with a recently opened skate park and now the town’s own skate shop.

The new BAPF Skate Shop on 2579 Castro Valley Blvd, open since the summer, belongs to Victor Law, who works in maintenance for CVHS and other schools.

“We wanted the shop’s name to have a type of comic book effect like ‘POW,’ or ‘BOOM,’ but we picked BAPF,” said Law. “It was an investment to start a family business.”

Alexis Law, Law’s son, started skating as a young teen in middle school and has gone back into skating after high school. He is now the co-owner of BAPF. With great customer service and respectful employees, BAPF can hook up skaters with the best setup in town.

The shop sells brand name decks such as DGK, Consolidated, Almost, Element, and Zero. They carry trucks by Independent, Venture, Silvers and Destructo. They are well stocked with wheels from

Ricta and Flip Wheels, and bearings by Reds and Bones Swiss.

“They have all the best parts to build your dream skateboard,” said Marcus Pereira, nephew of the skate shop’s owner and a junior at CVHS. The shop has a variety of styles of clothing in their inventory. It also has its own T-shirts with the BAPF logo in many styles for men and women.

The shop is even starting up its own BAPF skate team and sponsored a few local skaters with major skill.

Some of the team riders are Chris Abrew, Elsworth Lear, and Brett Allen.

“Business right now is slow but we hope things will pick up,” said Law. Fans of pro skaters Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen and Rob Dyrdek would be proud to own a skateboard built with parts from BAPF Skate Shop. So do a 360 heel flip down to the newest retail shop on the boulevard and make a purchase today.

Check out the store’s web page at www.myspace.com/ BAPFskateshop.

Teachers vs. students in Battle of the Bands

By Wessam Aziz Staff Writer

If you think you are cooler than your teachers I would encourage you to think twice, especially if you have Alan Archambault for math, Jared Cavaness for Spanish, Ian Rodriquez for English, or Nick Whitaker for Student Activities.

These four teachers are in the band called “The Geezers” and they rocked the cafeteria on Oct. 23 in Battle of the Bands.

“It was Archambault’s idea, ” said Rodriquez who was the bass player for “The Geezers.”

Archambault played the guitar while Whitaker sang.

The teachers had to borrow a student drummer since they didn’t have one. The drummer played with them only during the performance.

“I think we did really well considering we never practiced and never played with a drummer. I‘m happy with how we played,” said Rodriquez.

Rodriquez chose the song the

band played from the wellknown band, Weezer. The band got their name from Weezer as well.

The teachers started rehearsing in room 402 only a week and a half before they performed, but they didn’t practice as often.

“We just did it for fun,” said Rodriquez. It is the first time that teachers played in Battle of the Bands, which is a fundraiser to raise money for the DECA club on campus. The teachers couldn’t actually compete with the students since they were judges as well so they only played for fun.

Sometimes there are things that you just have to do without thinking about how you are going to look in front of everybody in order to have fun. Whitaker said he really had fun singing even though he said he was not good at it. “ I can get on stage and jump around and make a fool out of myself. I’m good at that,” said Whitaker.

Nick Leonardo / Staff Writer

Brodie Brazil, a 12-time Emmy award nominee, works as an anchor, reporter and producer at Comcast SportsNet, but he got his start in journalism at The Olympian.

Alumnus in the sports reporting industry Olympian spends day with Brazil

By Amanda Chouinard Staff Writer

What kind of working man does basically everything from being on camera to producing in the field, writing, making his own shows, editing, and putting it all together?

Well that would be CVHS alumus Brodie Brazil, reporter and producer for Comcast SportsNet. Since his early days at CVHS, Brazil has wanted to be on television. Brazil started as an ambitious teenager chasing a dream by making videos of Canyon Middle School’s eighth grade football team.

He also interned in San Jose at a television station when he was in high school, and made the long commute three times a week from Castro Valley. He later graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in broadcast journalism.

“ It seems like the

world’s most perfect job to many sports fanatics, but it consists of a lot of work.

”

His early quest for success has also led him to receive 12 Emmy nominations for his work in broadcast journalism.

When asked about his favorite high school teacher, Brazil said, “Mrs. [Clare] Ensenat must have

done something right, because I took Spanish all four years.”

Brazil said that being able to speak a second language is definitely helpful in his job, especially when he interviews players because he can have a more personable interview.

When Brazil is on camera, people at home only see him from the waist up, so he takes advantage of this and wears jeans and running shoes, “Because I know that that desk will not move,” he exclaimed.

Being a sports anchor isn’t all fun and games. It seems like the world’s most perfect job to many sports fanatics, but it consists of a lot of work. Brazil goes to games, constantly watches highlights, and TiVos lots of information to be prepared for his job.

Brazil is an asset to Comcast as noted by his co-workers who said that Brazil does everything and he does everything well.

Hiking Club hikes to new heights

By Nick Leonardo Staff Writer

The hiking club, started by presidents Amanda Chouinard and Diana Joost, has found a great way to get exercise and explore the many scenic trails around the Bay Area.

“We really enjoy hiking. It’s lots of fun and a great way to get exercise,” said Joost.

Over the summer Chouinard spent a lot of time on trails hiking.

One trail stood out from the rest because it inspired her love

of hiking.

The John Muir Trail, spanning 211 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney was her favorite as she hiked a portion of the extremely long trail. With her good friend Joost’s help, who also has a history of hiking, the hiking club was born.

The group meets on Mondays at lunch to plan their weekly Saturday trips.

For their first hike, which took place in early October, they decided on the always popular and scenic Lake Chabot.

On that Saturday morning a

group of 15 embarked on a five mile, 2.5 hour hike. The long trip was sure to fulfill the group’s goal of exercise.

The presidents considered the hike a success since they feared that their first outing would not attract many people.

If the weekend rolls around and you’re feeling out of shape from a long week of school lunches and sitting in classrooms, head outside and go on a hike. If you like it you’re definitely not alone. Join the hiking club and share your love of hiking.

Break dancing: “It’s pretty cool” Learn g-kicks, body glides, munch airflares at weekly club

By Nic Barradas Staff Writer

Most people know a jackhammer as a tool used for roadside construction, but the Break Dance Club dares you to explore a whole new definition that will blow your mind. Ask anyone in this groundbreaking dance club, and vice president Nick Tsang and the other members will get on the ground and start spinning on one hand like you wouldn’t believe.

Now picture the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “coin drop.”

Like me, you probably thought of a coin hitting the floor. If you asked any one of the 30 or so members, however, they’ll dive to the ground and start spinning and popping in an indescribable fury of awesomeness, especially senior club president Caleb Soon.

This is what the Break Dance club is all about.

Soon is an impeccable example of what the true goal of the club is. When he joined this revolutionary club his freshman year, it was his very first time break dancing.

Soon has since climbed the ranks and is now president and a break

dancing pro. In three years his predecessors in the club taught him everything he knows and he continues to learn.

“You make a different, stronger kind of friendship. You can’t meet people like this,” responded Soon when asked why he loves the club.

The club meets on Tuesdays in the old mat room. This is where the club members make the magic happen. They hold battles in which members face off against each other in epic battles of dance.

Many of the more advanced moves have bizarre names like zulu spins, pikes, body glides, g-kicks, munch airflares, windmill criticals, and too many others to count.

Going to the club is the only way you will ever really know what these moves look like. The club has experienced members who are unquestionably devoted to teaching anyone who shows up to the meetings or is interested in break dancing.

Many freshmen sign up for the club and by the end of the year they can pop, lock, and drop. It’s an extraordinary experience that can only be found at the club.

“People who don’t know actually learn. Freshmen [who] come in kind of goof off at first, but the guys take them and teach them. They really learn, it’s pretty cool,” said club advisor and science teacher Robert Patrick.

Small step towards a healthier lifestyle

By Hillman Zheng Staff Writer

Sick and tired of people abroad joking about fat Americans? Obesity in America may seem like a serious issue without a feasible solution, but anything can be changed by starting locally. The Eat Right Club is a perfect example of starting local right here at school.

“I hope that our club will inspire the youth in our school to eat

I hope that our “club will inspire the

youth in our school to eat healthy and live healthy lifestyles.

Caitlin Yee Vice President

”

healthy and live healthy lifestyles,” said Caitlin Yee, vice president of the Eat Right Club.

In addition to raising awarness about eating healthy, the Eat Right Club provides different mouthwatering food samples every week.

They have had smoothies, sal-

ads, wraps, and pasta, as well as exotic foods like star fruit. After trying the appetizing foods, the members discuss the nutrition facts of what they have just tasted.

At the first meeting of the year, the food sample of the week was Lemon Pasta Salad. The tangy sweet-and-sour Dijon mustard and lemon juice sauce wrapped around the corkscrew pasta, tomatoes, and cheese made my tongue salivate as I dissolved the flavor party in my mouth. The salad convinced me that healthy food can be tasty too.

“I think it’s a great way for people to try new healthy foods,” said junior Julia Yu, a member of the Eat Right Club.

Recently, the club participated in the annual Health and Fitness Fair at CVHS. The Eat Right Club also plans to have exercising events at parks, depending on what the members want to do.The club currently has 25 members, but they are happy to have more.

Feel free to stop by the meetings on Fridays in room 901 during upperclassmen’s lunch and try some healthy alternatives.

Nic Barradas / Staff Writer

Members of the Break Dance Club show off some of their unique dance tricks.

CLUB: From page 1

the same way, the club members took away their voices for a day.

This event was not forced upon anyone; it was the individual’s choice to participate.

It also did not use any personal attacks, and had a great

turnout overall.

Both Mukha and Vice President Jakki Waal were more than pleased with the outcome and that people understood their message about taking their own voices for the voices those children will never have.

The club meets on Wednesdays

in room 906, and their overall goal is to just get their message across.

“A generation that wants silence, their revelation,” said Waal, describing their club motto.

“Go live, find out the truth,” said Mukha.

Remix better than original

Buon appetito at Mangia Mi

By Wessam Aziz

By Brandon Lui

“Forever” is a great hip-hop song by the famous hip-hop artists Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. It is one of the best hiphop singles of the year 2009.

Besides containing several successful and popular stars, “Forever” has a really good beat that will catch your attention even if you are not so into hip-hop. The song’s hook also makes it almost impossible not to move along with it. It also has good lyrics, which is something that hip-hop has been lacking for a while.

Drake was the first to drop a rhyme, followed by Kanye, then “The Best Rapper Alive” Lil Wayne. After him, it was Eminem, who dropped quick rhymes with the great flow that makes him famous.

It is a really encouraging song in which each rapper is talking about his life and their rags to riches stories.

In the music video, pictures of Lebron James are shown along with videos of his old basketball games from when he was young and from after he became a star.

The song is a remix of one of Drake’s old songs that is also called “Forever,” which was sung on the same beat but to different lyrics.

Mangia Mi calls itself a gourmet Italian restaurant and it does with good accord. The restaurant décor is a blend of a modern kitchen’s stainless steel and old-school food art. The art doesn’t just represent delicious meals, but also all the meals the restaurant serves. The low lighting adds even greater emphasis to the inside decorations.

Mangia Mi’s menu boasts familiar foods like pizza and pasta, and some unfamiliar names like Contorni and Secondi. One of their most popular dishes is their lasagne di carne, which I tried myself.

The first thing you’ll see is the stack of carefully layered pasta, fresh tomato, and cheese. Before you take a bite you’ll be flooded with the smell of the fresh tomato. Once you take your first bite you’ll taste the Bolognese sauce, béchamel, and the light taste of mozzarella giving it texture. When you get towards the center of the dish, you’ll taste the

Staff Writer

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pepper and spices they sprinkle on. It will leave your throat with a warm feeling between bites. It’s clear why it’s one of their signature menu items.

The little restaurant is not without its faults though. For instance, expect to wait 20 minutes or more for your main dish. Their salads are surprisingly large and well decorated, but kind of pricey, ranging from $8 to $11.

The building itself wasn’t meant to house so many hungry customers due to its small design. The stainless steel mentioned earlier looks nice, but makes much of the sound in the room amplified. This in combination with the large dinner crowd doesn’t make it quite the place for a large group to attend.

The restaurant is ideal for a party of two or four at the max, but anymore people and expect to wait for a table and food. It would be smarter to go for an early lunch because the restaurant will also be serving paninis. Mangia Mi is located in Danville on 406 Hartz Avenue.

It may be a little out of the way, but it’s well worth the trip.

Lots of laughs for Picasso at the Lapin Agile

By Simrit Kaur Staff Writer

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a comedy-filled play that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the moment the curtains open to the moment they close.

The play takes place in Paris, 1904 in a bistro (bar) called the Lapin Agile. The story revolves around three main characters that positively influenced the twentieth century: famous painter Pablo Picasso (Igor Breyman), mathematician and scientist Albert Einstein (Zach Rice), and a musician-visitor whose character cannot be revealed (Matthew Untiedt). “All great things come in threes,” meaning “there must be a third” person (or visitor) to complete the triangle.

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Einstein is a 25-year-old genius certain that his mathematical and scientific discoveries will change the century.

Picasso is a weird, womanizing “bold character” who is convinced that his paintings and sketches will be put to use positively. In the middle of the play, a famous musician from the future time-warps into the past and helps the characters realize the twentieth century will have a great impact on the world.

Although it takes a few minutes to get used to the setting and characters, the story is entertaining and comical to watch, and I could sit back and relax during the play. I enjoyed how the actors portrayed themselves to fit the personalities of the various characters of the play.

The play, written by Steve Martin and directed by English teacher Daren Wilkerson, ran approximately 80 minutes. The play showed in the Center for the Arts in the first two weekends of November.

All in all, I would rate this play with four and a half out of five stars.

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Cross country teams dominate HAAL Championships Trojans edge Dragons in close girls race Boys run to impressive sweep of rivals

By Sarah Gilchriese A&E Editor

The final HAAL race of the cross county season was an astonishing and amazing win for the varsity boys. On Nov. 14 at Hayward High School’s 3.0 mile course, the boys ran for the best score since 1980.

The boys scored 1-5, completely dominating their competition with a full out sweep.

“Towards the end of the season we kept working, and had a great show at the HAAL finals,” said junior Anthony Martore. Martore scored third with an amazing time of 15:56. As Martore is a junior, he will be coming back next year to make the team stronger.

“We did great as a team. We closed up the gap and ran well,” said senior Will Weekes. Weekes ran a time of 15:49, and placed second.

Throughout the race, the boys stayed in the top seven. The only competition was Arroyo and O’Dowd’s top runners.

“They have exceeded even our expectations. They basically continue to vault themselves into one of the best teams ever,” said head coach Michael Spencer. “I knew they were something special.”

“They did a tremendous job,” said coach Raol Perez.

This year was the 50th annual HAAL finals, and the boys cel-

By Nick Leonardo

Bianca Arias / Staff Writer

Ben Eversole won the boys varsity race as the Trojans team scored a perfect 15 points. ebrated well. 1980 was the last year that Castro Valley’s boys varsity scored 1-5 at HAAL finals.

“I think that they had to go through a number of obstacles, but had a clear focus for the end of the season; they have arrived,” said former head coach Peter Brewer.

“They showed that all the hard work throughout the season paid off,” explained coach Kevin Shintani.

Junior Ben Eversole came in

first place, with a time of 15:40.

Eversole will also be back next year to defend his league title.

Senior Tom Ashby ran his last HAAL race, with a time of 16:00, which put him in fourth place.

Junior Erich Coulter brought up the pack with a time of 16:02, and scored fifth. Junior Greg Owyang, the sixth runner for the Trojans, ran for a time of 18:57.

The boys will run again at NCS in hopes of qualifying for the state champiopnships.

Staff Writer The rain went away and the sun came out on Saturday morning Nov. 14 at Hayward High School. With the sun came a win for the Castro Valley girls varsity cross country team, edging out rival Bishop O’ Dowd by a score of 34 points to 38 in the HAAL championships.

Senior Elise Wummer placed first with a time of 18:36 on the three mile course. Junior Kelsey Santisteban came in a close second with a time of 18:41. The race for first came down to the final 800 meters as Santisteban was not able to hold the lead, which she had kept the entire race.

The rest of the six-girl team was not far behind. Senior Chelsea Schneider placed seventh with a time of 19:39. Senior Nicole Yang held off a Hayward High runner in the final stretch for eleventh place and a time of 20:09. Junior Gabrielle White was close behind in thirteenth place, finishing with a time of 20:11. Junior Marisa Martinez finished strong, coming in fifteenth place overall with a time of 20:31.

The three-mile race, which loops around Hayward High

School, started off with a bang as 34 varsity girls looked to bring home the HAAL championship. Santisteban opened a large lead early on and looked to be in control, but Wummer slowly began to close the gap.

The front of the race was a sea of green as no Trojans girl was ever in the bottom half. By the final mile Wummer had closed in and was behind her teammate by only four seconds.

Wummer pulled even at the final downhill closing in on 800 meters to the finish. She was able to pull away, winning by five seconds and earning the narrow victory.

“It feels good,” said Wummer, who is in her first year of cross country.

According to head coach Mike Spencer, Saturday was not the big race.

“We didn’t look super sharp, but that wasn’t the goal,” said Spencer. “We want to be our sharpest at NCS.” The coach also added that the runners in the middle of the group need a little bit of a boost.

“We haven’t found a way to do it yet. We’ll do it next week for sure,” said Spencer.

The victory was bittersweet for the senior runners who ran their last HAAL race. Their season, however, is not over yet. Tomorrow’s race at Hayward is even more important as it will determine which teams will advance to the state meet.

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

Trevin Smith / Staff Writer

Haley Smith, freshman Haley Smith is currently the captain of the junior varsity dance team here at CVHS. She loves to dance and has been dancing Castro Valley Performing Arts dance studio her whole life. Even though she is a freshman, Haley has taken on the huge responsibility of being a captain of the junior varsity squad. One of her favorite things to do on the dance team this year has been performing with the JV team at all the football games. She plans on dancing and cheering for her remaining four years here at CVHS.

Anthony Vivieros, sophomore Anthony Vivieros just finished his second season of CVHS football.

This was his first season of junior varsity football. He plays defensive tackle and offensive guard and loves the game. Before coming to CVHS, Vivieros played Pop Warner football for three years and is now aiming to play varsity next year for his junior season. He has practiced very hard during this entire season and is ready to take it to the next level next year for the Trojans. His favorite part about playing football was, “Getting the chance to crack someone during the game,” said Vivieros.

Erich Coulter, junior Junior Erich Coulter is a star athlete for cross country. He loves the sport and has been running since fourth grade. He is currently in his third season of varsity and plans to run for the varsity team again next year. Coulter said that he likes “hanging out with all the other athletes.” He trains very hard each season for cross country and loves making new friends and competing. Coulter is currently undecided on whether or not to do cross country in college, but for now he is enjoying his time here.

Kayleigh Zahn, senior Senior Kayleigh Zahn is a very valuable player for the CVHS girls varsity volleyball team. She has been playing the game since she was in the fourth grade and can’t get enough of the sport. With two years of playing varsity under her belt, Zahn will miss all of her friends on the team after graduating this year. She is still deciding whether or not to play college ball. She enjoys “bonding with the team, and getting that adrenaline rush when we play,” said Zahn.

Teacher battles against budget cuts

By Kearny Combs Staff Writer

“California is the eighth largest state in North America. I think it’s reasonable to argue that we should be able to obtain money,” said history teacher John Green.

Green is one of the hundreds of thousands of teachers fighting against school budget cuts.

California has cut over $16 billion and 20,000 teaching occupations as well.

CVUSD is expected to lose about $3 million in funds next school year. This potentially means that some sports, classes, and even food/snack items will be omitted next year, if not this year. Class sizes may also increase.

“Fees will increase, supplies will drop, and complete chaos will occur. If more teachers lose their jobs, more violence and less learning will be the motto of the school system. Without teachers and counselors, the schools will not function,” said Green.

Green is an officer of the Castro Valley Teachers Association (CVTA), a group dedicated to defend schools from budget cuts.

In the past couple of years, he has led protests and rallies, spoken at school board meetings, and has even worn pink on certain days to represent the pink slips teachers who have been laid off received.

“The fact that I wear pink and

ASSAULT: From page 1

At the time of his arrest, Alvarez was driving a truck without license plates, the sheriff’s office reported, and a serrated knife fell out of his jacket. He had in his truck the license plates, bungee cords and a bunch of plastic bags.

Just after lunch the day of the kidnapping, the CVHS administration came over the intercom

CLASS: From page 1

Yu. “They had to rearrange my whole schedule, and honors chemistry classes were packed, so I had nowhere to move.”

Connie Huang, a sophomore, asked to change from Honors Chemistry to regular Chemistry.

Her request was one of the select few that were fulfilled.

“It’s less stressful now,” said Huang. “It’s just that I couldn’t pick the teachers I wanted, but it’s good because only two of my classes got switched around.”

Other than transferring classes, doubling up on science classes

lead rallies is not embarrassing for me personally. What is embarrassing, however, is the fact that teachers like myself must do these things to save the future of our schools. All we are trying to do is help students and preserve the education system. If cuts are made each year there’ll be nothing left of it,” said Green.

Green also mentioned that students can assist in the fight against budget cuts. If you’re an athlete, pay your fees. That’s the only way the school is going to be able to afford to keep your sport.

For students in general, don’t cut class. Last year the school was paid about $7,000 per student, but this year it’s about $5,000. So being in class and not ditching is very important.

Green also encourages doing rallies and chants during lunch and after school. If you’re the silent type, then put up signs around the neighborhood or put it on your Myspace or Facebook page.

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease: this problem needs to be solved. It’s going to require the help of all of us—teachers, students, and parents. We’ve got to make as much noise as possible.

If we fail to do so, then don’t expect change to happen. Each year is bound to get worse,” said Green. and made an announcement about the event to the school, reminding students to be alert and careful when going to and from school.

For other students who walk to school, the girl gave some tips. “Don’t walk with your iPod blasting and always walk with a buddy. Two is better than one,” she said. has become harder. Taking two science classes is only possible if there’s extra space, which is highly unlikely because many of the science classes are very popular.

“I remember when some students could take three science classes at one time,” said Magno.

A few years ago, CVHS would just open up a new class if enough students wanted to take the subject. However, the new budget has disabled the school from doing so.

“I think it’s very unfortunate,” said Magno.

Essay clinic helps the college-bound

By Hillman Zheng Staff Writer

This year seniors were able to participate in a college essay clinic held by English and social studies teachers, as well as counselors, from Oct. 19 to Oct. 30.

The clinic, headed by English teacher Clare LePell, provided an opportunity for seniors who want to attend four-year universities or private colleges to get educated feedback on the quality of their college application essays.

Seniors who took part in the essay clinic were assigned a teacher and had two one-on-one meetings with them. The first meeting consisted of a general

reviewing of the essay and the second one was a closer read.

“It may not seem like it, but it is really hard to write about yourself,” said English teacher Ian Rodriquez. “I remember what a pain it was to write my entrance letter, so I decided to help those who are currently writing theirs.”

The idea of the college essay clinic had been discussed by teachers in the English department for a while and was finally approved by the School Improvement Program (SIP) last year. The local school site council voted on the proposal by LePell and Michelle Lew. Teachers and counselors who participated in the essay clinic were paid by the SIP. Many students found the essay clinic a positive and beneficial

experience.

“I thought it was very organized and helpful because we got one-on-one attention,” said senior Gloria Lee. “I also liked how they allowed the people in the Light the Lights concert to go first so we could make it to dress rehearsal on time.” “[The teachers] are very understanding and flexible,” added senior Gabe San Diego.

Last year, around nine staff members and 90 seniors participated in the essay clinic. This year, 14 staff members and 133 seniors took part in the clinic.

“I’m very excited by having that many students and teachers participate,” said LePell.

“It gives students valuable feedback from teachers.”