Oct 28, 2011

Pg. 3

Saying goodbye to Steve

Apple’s Jobs leaves mark on history

VOLUME 55, ISSUE 2

Painting, sculpting, drawing

Pg. 5

Olympian seeking student artwork

Trojan wins World Series ring

Giants trainer with local roots

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011 CASTRO VALLEY, CA 94546

Seniors score a second win

WWW.CVHSOLYMPIAN.COM

Trojan teams face budget axe

By Matt Talajkowski Staff Writer

Victoria Liang / Staff Writer

For the second straight year, the Class of 2012 wins the homecoming competition. See stories and photos on pages 6, 7 and 12.

Tardy students swept to detention

By Alex Gao Staff Writer

Tardy sweeps have been making an increased amount of rounds at school this year.

Though some may say the increased number of sweeps is beneficial and will help the school crack down on tardies, some students have a different opinion on these sweeps.

There has been an increasing number of tardy sweeps in these first few weeks of school.

For some students, this increase is just something new added to daily school life. However, to other students, the increase represents a deadly curse.

Some students, though never a victim of a tardy sweep, live in fear of one day invoking its wrath. As the rate at which tardy sweeps occur increases, the paranoia of being caught in one begins to spread.

“Even though it is a good idea, sometimes too much is too

much,” said junior Eiji Kono, echoing the thoughts of many other students on campus. “Other kids are becoming paranoid and are rushing to class in fear of being caught in a tardy sweep.”

Many students on campus would agree with Kono’s words, as the constant fear of tardy sweeps and the unpredictability at which they appear have left students in a state nearing paranoia.

This raises the question: are tardy sweeps overdone? Junior Leo Liang thinks that they most certainly are.

Being a victim of one of the recent sweeps by a stroke of bad luck, Liang believes that the tardy sweeps are helpful, but should only be implemented “once every two weeks” with a warning beforehand. However, this would take away from the real purpose of tardy sweeps.

“We implemented the increased rates of tardy sweeps

because teachers were getting frustrated by the amount of tardy students,” stated Assistant Principal Jesse Woodward.

There have been around five tardy sweeps since the beginning of the school year, and according to Woodward, the sweeps have already begun showing results.

The amount of students caught per tardy sweep has gone down from around 60 in the first week to fewer than 30 in the most recent sweep.

“The tardy sweeps so far have always been around break and lunch, when kids have more time to get to class,” said Woodward.

This means that getting caught in a sweep by being late due to traffic from lunch is no longer an acceptable excuse.

In order to avoid being late, it may be easier to simply not leave campus for lunch, or leave earlier to be safe and not risk being caught in a tardy sweep and receiving a detention.

costs.

“The first reason we undertook this project was for budgetary concerns,” said Bush.

Indeed, although the total cost of the project is estimated at $6,600,000, Bush assured students that existing programs will not be affected.

“Since the project will generate savings for the district – about $100,000 per year – rather than adding expense, no programs will be cut,” he said.

The district managed to avoid additional budget cuts through its decision to borrow the money

for the project instead of paying out of its pocket. In addition, contributions from PG&E and other sources accounted for a large portion of the expense.

In this way, the panels will effectively leave the district $100,000 better off each year than it would have been without the panels, a welcome change in an economic climate where schools everywhere are being forced to cut programs just to pay the bills.

The solar panels will be installed over the staff lot, the senior lot, and part of the junior lot,

Here comes the sun, it’s all right

By Michael Castillo Staff Writer

In January, CVUSD will begin construction of 3,000 solar panels at CVHS, Canyon Middle School, and the Adult School/ District Office complex.

The project, spearheaded

by Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush, aims to have solar panels fully installed at CVHS by mid-May. The panels are expected to provide 75 percent of the school’s energy needs, in addition to saving the district $100,000 per year in energy

SOLAR: Page 12

Pg. 10

As budget cuts continue to affect the CVHS athletics program, the badminton team and the boys golf team may be suspended this school year.

Last year, CVHS asked athletes to pay for their program which the district no longer supports financially. Some teams had a high rate of payment but badminton and boys golf did not.

CVHS has given badminton players until Nov. 30 to raise $3,800 to avoid suspension of their team in 2012. Players and their families are trying to raise the money.

“I would love if people came to our events and helped volunteer. We also have car washes and bake sales which all help the badminton team,” said sophomore Kelly Chan of the badminton team.

“All the teams pay; they can do it too.

Andy Popper Athletic Director

”

The badminton team plans to raise the money needed by asking for the families of CVHS students to come watch and participate in the badminton and golf matches, and maybe stop by their occasional fundraiser or bake sale.

Last year, out of the 44 people on the badminton team, only six families made the requested donation to the program, leaving a deficit of $10,450.

“But don’t just blame the team,” said Andrew Fox, a member of the badminton team. “We normally get a lot more money from our sponsors, and this year we didn’t. We are $3,800 short, but the team is working hard to keep it going.”

In boys golf, seven out of 12 players donated, leaving the team a $1,625 deficit. The team will face a deadline and a fundraising requirement like the badminton squad, said Athletic Director Andy Popper, though they have not been determined yet.

All sports teams ask for donations and normally receive them, but badminton and boys golf took an especially hard hit.

“It’s up to them,” said Popper.

“All the teams pay; they can do it too.”

Although the future for the boys golf and badminton teams looks is uncertain, members of the team feel like they can still make it.

“Last year we had about 48 people on the badminton team,” said Chan. “This year, we have over 100 people wanting to help.”

CVHS began asking for sports donations in the 2009-2010 school year when district support dropped. The school asks for $275 from athletes in sports including badminton and $325 for athletes in sports like golf.

As the badminton and golf teams continue to struggle, they ask for the Castro Valley community to reach out and support them.

“It is as simple as stopping by at one of our games, or sending a small donation,” says Chan.

“It’s that easy to keep the teams going, and to help out your community.”

CVUSD Graphic

Solar panels are coming to the staff, senior and junior parking lots in 2012.

The Olympian says to sweep away tardy sweeps

Editorial: The rise of panic, the quickening of footsteps, and the fast walk that turns into a light jog—your ordinary rush to narrowly avoid getting a detention. As you plop into your seat just as the bell rings and class starts, your annoyance grows when you realize there was no tardy sweep after all.

For the most part, you’re one to care about being on time.

You consider the notion that you can unluckily receive a tardy sweep for being late one out of many times you were on time. Everyone has those days…so why should you deserve a detention for being late one time?

We at The Olympian oppose the numerous tardy sweeps occurring because of the unfairness of it all and the counterproductive action students might take in response.

Tardy sweeps are all about disciplining students to teach them to be in class when the second bell rings. In other words, they’re stressing the importance of being on time.

This year, there have been at least five tardy sweeps. Sixty students were given detentions the first tardy sweep and 25 were given the fourth time.

They usually occur the period after lunch, but there can be ones in the morning after

By Lillian Xie Staff Writer

Andie Smith / Opinion Editor

break.

Although we respect the fact that there is a true attempt to crack down on people who don’t come to class on time, surprise tardy sweeps aren’t as beneficial as they’re cracked up to be—they come with many flaws.

Many students, when discovering there was a tardy sweep, simply leave campus to avoid getting a detention. Some, who are always late, probably won’t

care that they get a detention.

Most of us at The Olympian feel that there should be some alterations to the current consequences. For instance, teachers should give the detentions themselves. Having students walk all the way to the student union and stand in line to get a pass and detention slip takes up a lot of class time and is wasteful.

Also, we feel that teachers should be the ones enforcing

the detentions. If they create a stricter environment, we believe there would be fewer tardies and more discipline, rather than a surprise tardy sweep that has kids who are usually on time running for their lives to their classes.

We at The Olympian believe students should understand the importance of punctuality and practice it, but we realize it is unfair to penalize people who are rarely late.

about sagging pants to make it seem like the dress code isn’t targeting girls only.

They claimed that many students’ attire was “inappropriate” and “distracting.”

They cautioned young women not to show too much skin, lest people get “the wrong idea.” And, eventually, they persuaded school officials to reform their methods of enforcing the dress code, becoming stricter.

Much of the language used to describe issues people have with student attire is problematic. Those harboring conservative attitudes toward how students should dress criticize young women for showing what they consider to be too much skin.

They claim that female students will distract other students by wearing revealing clothing, when, in reality, it is the responsibility of each student to control his or her mind and focus in class.

Students need to learn how to live and function in a world where other people have bodies at varying degrees of exposure.

It is not the student’s fault if someone is distracted by the appearance of her or his body. We teach students harmful lessons by placing the responsibility of how oth-

agree that clothing is acceptable, no one should feel it is her or his business to tell them otherwise. Clothing choice is personal and should not be eligible for public scrutiny.

People have the ability to ignore the clothing choices of others, as they do not really affect them. Students are, however, negatively affected by harassment and judgment from their peers, teachers, and school administrators prompted by their attire.

People should mind their own business and leave decisions regarding clothing to the individuals wearing the clothing in question.

If modest dress is important to people, they should cover themselves up, but refrain from pushing their values about clothing onto those who don’t share them.

Teachers should teach their students not worry about their clothing.

New dress code infringes on students’ rights

By Anya Keller Staff Writer

I have found that many people think it is their right to exhibit outrage in response to students’ clothing choices. I find this ridiculous, as no one is really affected by what other people decide to wear. Furthermore, it is not anyone’s responsibility to dictate what is appropriate for students to wear.

Last year, many cried out against the dressing habits of students, claiming girls’ shorts were getting too short, their necklines too low, and their tops too sheer. They even threw in some talk

Prevent pointless penny production

“

Clothing choice is personal and should not be eligible for public scrutiny. ”

ers view them on themselves.

It is intrusive to dictate what young adults and teenagers should wear to school.

If students and their parents

Letters to the Editor

The Olympian encourages letters from our readers. Please note that letters must be signed and no longer than 200 words. They can be e-mailed to cvhsolympian@gmail.com, delivered to Mr. Johanson’s box in the office, or dropped off at our Olympian office in Room 113.

Money is defined as a good that is used to make transactions involving the transfer of goods and services. To make these transactions more efficient, we should exclude the penny from our national currency.

The penny is a useless coin because its cost of production is more than its face value.

In 2010, it took 1.79 cents to produce a penny. In the last year, the production of the penny has generated a loss of $27.4 million.

The production of the penny is a huge waste of our tax dollars. If we stopped the production and circulation of pennies, we would be able to use our money for a better cause, such as funding for education.

Although it seems logical to discontinue the use of pennies, there are some people who have taken a pro-penny stance. One of their biggest arguments is that prices will be higher because everything will have to be rounded up to the nickel. This argument is misleading because it does not take into account the fact that the rounding only occurs for the total price of a purchase of multiple items, and not for each separate item bought.

Robert Whaples, a professor of economics at Wake Forest University, has researched the effects of rounding to the nickel. Whaples used data from nearly 200,000 transactions from a multi-state convenience store chain to show that rounding would have virtually no effect.

“Customers wouldn’t lose from rounding our current prices, these data say,” said Whaples.

“In fact, I found that customers gain just a miniscule amount, about one cent for every 40 transactions, which really amounts to zero. The convenience stores and the customers basically broke even.”

Some could argue that we should keep the penny for the sentimental value. But is that really worth it if we’re losing money? Some could also argue that keeping the penny is a way of honoring Lincoln, but we have already done that by putting Lincoln on our $5 bills.

The penny is useless. The emotional attachment to this coin is not worth the money we lose from producing it.

Olympian

Steve Jobs was the soul of Apple

Staff Writer

By Anna Balassone Editor-in-Chief

Andie Smith / Opinion Editor

stand computers, Macs have always been the product that drew my attention. I love the software Mac computers used, the fast and efficient way the computers operated, and the computers’ amazing graphics.

When the first iPhone came out, I was begging my parents to buy me one, but sadly the cost was just too high. Even though Apple computers cost thousands of dollars, customers keep coming back to buy more and more. Apple time and time again never let me down; I know that if

I were to buy one of its products, I’d be satisfied with it. Without Jobs behind the scenes, though, I start to question each and every product.

When Jobs stepped down as CEO, he still had a position of being a board chairman, but now we have nothing except a memory of him and his creations.

The new CEO, Tim Cook, has to prove to the world that the next generation of Apple will revolutionize technology yet again.

Otherwise, he better prepare for bankruptcy.

who know a little bit from the past, this is only an example of history repeating itself.

Colombians like me, who have escaped a country of drug violence, only see our past and grief coming back to life in the new faces of innocent Mexican men, women, and children.

Colombian people went through the very same things that we see on the news today back in the 80s and 90s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Drug Cartel terrorized our people with random acts of violence to remind the government to stay out of its business.

Virtually the same exact events are taking place in Mexico today: the bombings at the casino in Monterrey are a perfect example.

The violence isn’t the only thing we can relate to, and as hard as it may be to understand, it’s not Mexico’s biggest problem.

Political corruption might be the worst issue that the Mexican people will have to deal with, and sadly it’s only begin-

ning. The difficult thing about corruption is how to end it. You can’t use the police, because most of the cops are on the cartels’ payroll. You can’t depend on the politicians to do something about it, because most of the time they will either be too afraid to do anything or they will also be on a payroll.

My country and my people suffered through 20 years of political violence due to the drug trade. We lost hundreds of thousands of lives and our international image was tarnished and humiliated by movies like Scarface. It’s sad to think that this is exactly the same place Mexico is heading.

I watch the news every once in a while, and I can’t help but recall the same events that I heard my parents cry about on the news, the same events I grew up hearing stories about in my childhood. While most people look at Mexico and wonder how they will ever make it through this, I see that country with hope. In time, this too shall pass for them.

Mexico: history repeats itself

By Camilo Riveros Staff Writer

Americans have many opinions about the country of Mexico, and typically they think of it as a great vacation spot, or a place with a lot of culture. Tragically their opinions are changing daily due to the incredible surge in terrorist violence committed by Mexican drug cartels against their own people.

To many looking from the outside in, this is shocking and never-before-seen, but to people

3

Analyze This

The world needs more dreamers

By Eva Chen Steve Jobs, the visionary behind the first Apple computer, changed the way we view technology today. Product after product has somehow satisfied each customer with sleek designs and smooth function; without him, will Apple ever be the same?

On Oct. 5, Jobs’ death hit the world. News reporters, fans, customers, and even enemies were shocked at the news that this great CEO, who ruled with an iron thumb, could just disappear.

A lot of people say that Steve Jobs is Apple and Apple is Steve Jobs, and that without him the company will never be the same.

This statement was drilled into the American mind, and can lead to an economic disaster. Days after his death, the iPhone 4 made its debut, and people around the nation lined up in the middle of the night just to buy one of the last products that Jobs had influenced, because the next products might never be the same without him in the picture.

Apple is a company that was first created by Jobs, and he has since led the company to the point it is at today. Jobs attracted customers and potential shareholders by always being ahead of everyone else; he found potential in products that people would never have thought of. By using these unique products, he molded them into a masterpiece.

Even when he had pancreatic cancer, he still continued creating new products that demanded the world’s attention.

Since the time I could under-

The October 28, 2011

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question has been the proverbial bane of my existence for 16 years now. As a child, I thought that the elusive answer would magically reveal itself as I aged. In truth, however, finding it has only gotten more difficult with time.

When children were unsure about how to answer the question in elementary school, parents and teachers would simply say, “follow your dreams.”

Why is it, then, that “pick a job that pays well” is the advice most adults have now? Such a contradiction leaves many students confused and disheartened.

I have seen too many parents force their college students into certain majors just because their paychecks could be relatively high. Consequently, I have seen too many students change from these high-paying majors that their parents forced upon them to majors they actually care about.

I understand that in a bad economy, it is natural for adults to encourage teenagers to enter certain fields, like math and science, that are expanding and hiring. After all, according to CNNMoney. com, all of the top ten best jobs in fast-growth fields (some of which include software

developer and civil engineer) are based in those two subjects.

But, what about the individuals for whom math and science do not come naturally?

Or, more importantly, what about the individuals who are not passionate about math or science? Why should they be encouraged to spend their lives doing something that does not provide fulfillment and happiness?

It sickens me to know that, because of a downtrodden economy, following one’s dreams is only acceptable if the end result is an adequate income. Pursuing a career in any other less lucrative field is considered foolish.

If all students were forced to go down a career path solely because they knew it was financially sound, where would all of the artists come from? How about teachers?

Everyone has different talents and, instead of trying to box all students into the same category, society should be encouraging each individual’s own growth.

Unless I am completely wrong about the philosophy of adults. If their one true goal is that their children achieve financial stability, that is fine.

But society then needs to stop showing children a facade of the real world by telling them to do what they love if, in most cases, they will be criticized for making such a decision.

Regardless, doing a job for which one has no passion is like living an empty life. When I look back at my life in 50 years, I would rather say that I enjoyed my low-paying job than say that I made copious amounts of money in an occupation I resented.

So, to everyone who seeks a profession with more focus on passion than profit, more power to you. The world needs more people who follow their dreams.

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

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

CVHS potentially offering new advanced classes next year AP Biology, AP Economics among possible offerings

By Victoria Liang Staff Writer

Eva Chen/ Staff Writer

Melissa Elizalde, Amber Yang, Emily Hui, and Andrew Juntilla (from left) pose for the camera during Relay For Life at Canyon Middle School, a summer event celebrating cancer survivors and remembering lost loved ones.

ACS club calls the shots for cancer

By Eva Chen Staff Writer

American Cancer Society Club members are a group of students who come together to raise awareness of cancer. These dedicated club members give up their free time to attend events that not only teach the community ways to prevent different cancers, but also raise funds for cancer research.

Through the years, American Cancer Society has grown to a point where it is known nationwide. This group has helped people get through energy-draining treatments and provides support to cancer patients whenever times gets too rough.

“It had made me aware of how cancer is dangerous, and how many people have it in this world and how it could be dangerous if you don’t care for it in time,” commented Janice Lu, vice president of the CVHS club.

Since 2003, the year that American Cancer Society CVHS Club was established, it has grown

to be one of the biggest clubs on campus with as many as 100 members each year. This year President Jolinna Nguyen leads the club with the help of her fellow officers, Janice Lu (vice president), Emily Hui (secretary), Sabrina Li (treasurer), Cindy Ma (committee chair), Joyce Liang (public relations), and Amanda Suhalim (historian).

Every Wednesday during lunch, Room 768 is flooded with new and returning members.

During each meeting, members learn new facts about cancer and ways to become aware of it so that it can be treated early.

Aside from learning about cancer, members also play an active role in fundraising money. Each week, members have the opportunity to go out in their community and spread the word of cancer prevention. An example of these community service efforts is the event that took place at San Francisco at Golden Gate Park on Oct. 22, where people walked to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Members gathered at six o’clock in

the morning to volunteer as ACS personal cheerleaders by supporting each passing walker with words of encouragement and loud cheers.

The club also holds and attends events and fundraisers such as door-to-doors, blitz, relay walks, bake sales, garage sales, and car washes.

Club advisor Laura O’Brien, a biotechnology and chemistry teacher, supports this club by providing her room as the meeting spot for club members. She has a strong opinion on how the club is beneficial to the students.

“I think it’s unique not only in term of service clubs and volunteer work, but there is this educational component,” explained O’Brien. “Like at the meeting today, Jolinna was talking about the different types of cancer and how it could be prevented when it’s more likely to be treatable.”

Cancer treatment is nothing to laugh about; it’s a painful process that affects a person’s body and mind, but with the help of each member, ACS can bring a world with more birthdays.

More AP classes may be offered at CVHS next year. AP Biology and AP Economics classes are both under consideration.

At the moment, the idea of additional AP classes is in its first stages. Teachers from departments like science and social studies vote on the proposals, which can then advance to the school’s leadership council. If it approves, the proposals advance to the school board.

One of the AP classes the school wants is AP Economics.

At the moment, the idea of this class has been approved by the teachers and is heading to the leadership council meeting.

If AP Economics gets approved, it will be very different from the current CVHS economics classes. This class won’t be only a semester, but a whole year.

Concepts will be explored to a greater depth and detail. It will also make CVHS one of the few schools that has an AP Economics class.

“It will be a lot more interesting and it’s different,” said social studies teacher David Roth-Rossi.

AP Biology would also be different from Honors Biology and regular biology.

“There will be more labs,” said science teacher Robert Patrick, “and it will only be available to juniors and seniors.”

It would also go more in depth and have more detail, just like AP Economics.

In addition to those classes, AP Government was considered. But this class definitely will not be available next year because social studies teachers did not approve it by vote.

Some who didn’t agree with the idea of AP Government were social studies teachers Carmelina Frasca and Mark Mladinich.

Frasca expressed that if CVHS has an AP Government class, colleges will think that since the school offers AP, the kids that push hard will take the AP class.

“It counts against the students,” said Frasca. “The existing government class has opportunity for advanced students to excel.”

Mladinich said, “I like having students who are in different skill levels. It gives different perspectives for the subject.”

He also thinks that the curriculum fits everyone and the advance students can take a lot from the class.

Even though this class won’t be an option for next year, other teachers feel that they should give it a chance.

“We are going to ask students about their opinion on the issue,” stated social studies teacher Roger Kim, “and if the students like the idea of AP Government, then the teachers will reconsider it.”

To some students these new AP classes would sound like a great opportunity. One would receive more knowledge about the world and college credit for these classes. There are many benefits to these classes, but they also have a few downers.

Students would have to work harder, as the curriculum would go more in depth.

Another difficulty with these new AP classes is that they will make scheduling more challening.

Broadway star amazes Advanced Drama class Students benefit from veteran

By Melody Moteabbed Staff Writer

Broadway “veteran” Lois Grandi, who recently assisted in teaching the courses of the Advanced Drama class, departed on Oct. 4 after two weeks at CVHS. Grandi, who has starred in numerous shows on Broadway including Carousel, The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, and Oklahoma!

was invited by David Judson, a CVHS drama teacher, after she had been his director in the performance of Chicago during the summer. Grandi was the founder and artistic director of her own personal business, Playhouse West, a small yet strikingly successful theater company in the Bay Area.

Judson invited Grandi to help with the class, sensing that it would be an extremely useful and productive way to start the year, which proved to be true. Many students feel like they have improved their acting skills due to the “different” teachings of the director.

Senior Malia Leines strongly insisted that Grandi’s lessons

were a bit different than what her class was normally used to, but that, overall, it was a very beneficial experience.

I feel like, as a “whole, we’ve all

become a lot more realistic in our acting.

Kelsey Wood Junior

”

“She certainly was different in how she was really direct and forward about what she wanted,” Leines stated. “She focused on improvising and

building character as opposed to the traditional ‘get your lines memorized.’”

Another helpful yet foreign activity Leines recalled was a game called “Tell Us About The Time,” in which students were to imagine scenarios that their characters were in and improvise to try and fit them into the situation, making up background information for unexplained scenes. The class did this and other activities for practice of shows including Steel Magnolias, Rabbit Hole, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to list a few.

“She’s a big Broadway source,” Leines continued.

“She definitely helped us all a lot and we learned a bunch

from the whole thing.”

“I can tell I’ve changed a lot.

I feel like, as a whole, we’ve all become a lot more realistic in our acting,” agreed junior Kelsey Wood.

Even experienced drama teacher Tiffany Daily acquired new techniques from Grandi.

“Everybody, including Mr. Judson and myself, learned a lot through working with her,” explained Daily.

Regardless of whether Grandi will return in the future, this was quite an opportunity for the Advanced Drama students, who were privileged in working with her. As shown by these students, Grandi’s presence has truly paid off.

Olympian

The October 28, 2011

5

Jerrald Loche

Isabella Tang

James Grigg

Araceli Gonzales

Attention artists: Olympian seeks artwork for website

By Cheyenne Donatello Staff Writer

Students are invited to submit their artwork to The Olympian website, www.cvhsolympian. com. This provides an opportunity for students to express a message to the community through art.

Students and teachers can submit their work to cvhsolympian@gmail.com. The Olympian

asks artists to limit themselves to send in only one piece of art work. The art should be shown in JPG image files, size up to 8 x 10 inches (horizontal or vertical), resolution 72 dpi with file sizes up to 1 MG. Submissions should include artists’ names and the works’ titles.

It is a way for an individual’s artwork to be seen by the community and also shows the com-

munity how artistic and creative CVHS truly is.

“We’d like to give our artists the attention they deserve and draw more visitors to our web site at the same time,” said journalism teacher Matt Johanson.

Some drawings and photos of sculptures are already found at www.cvhsolympian.com/ artists-corner/.

The fact that CVHS still has

an art program is a great thing considering that the art programs of most other schools have been canceled due to budget cuts. This gives students and teachers a way to show their individuality and show the community why CVHS stands out in comparison to other high schools.

Not only does CVHS have an outstanding art program, but it also has incredibly talented art-

ists, and by publishing their art on the school website they can get the appreciation they rightfully deserve.

Digital Arts and Design Academy (DADA) student Mirina Lualamana said, “It’s good publicity about how great our art department is and it could get CVHS noticed a lot more in this department than in just academics itself.”

Global Glimpse to give students glimpse of the globe

By Joyce Liang Staff Writer

Traveling, interacting and learning about developing countries are all part of Global Glimpse, a non-profit organization that is in talks to be launched at CVHS in the summer of 2013.

Global Glimpse will allow students in their junior and senior years to travel internationally in a group while being educated about the diversities of different cultures. This organization emphasizes community service,

college preparation, mutual understanding, and, of course, respect.

“Students will get to travel to Nicaragua to learn about the culture, language, and where people live and study lessons to become successful,” said English teacher Anne Parris.

Global Glimpse is one of the largest international programs in Nicaragua. Nicaragua is in the heart of Central America and, with its white sand beaches, rich coffee lands, huge volcanoes, and tropical jungles, visitors

will be fascinated by the unlimited adventures and discoveries they’ll be able to witness. The enthusiastic, strong, and proud people of Nicaragua will share their history and cultures with the travelers.

Participants will actively be involved in Global Glimpse with no direct fee. Fundraisers, such as car washes, will be held by the students to help pay for the entire cost of the trip.

“This program was started because fewer than ten percent of people had passports and not

a lot of people get to travel,” explained Parris.

After participating in Global Glimpse, students will gain personal insight of who they are and the different cultures they’ve witnessed. They will also learn how to apply for a passport. With these experiences gained, students will be capable of tackling economic, political, and social struggles in the future.

“I think [Global Glimpse] is an awesome idea. You can learn a lot by going to a country for three weeks,” said history teacher Ian

Rodriquez.

Parris, who is organizing the program for summer of 2013, says that members of GRAEL Academy will have first priority to sign up. Applications will include an interview between five and ten minutes. Students who are accepted will be given a little background on the country so they’ll have a sense of what it’s like before they go.

More information will be posted in the future. For any questions, see Parris in Room 506 or go to www.globalglimpse.org.

By Anya Keller

I don’t feel there’s a huge difference. They both deal with stories about humans - history just happens to be true.”

When asked about GRAEL, Rodriquez stated that he is very interested in social justice and enjoys being part of the academy.

“I really like all the teachers in the academy. I think people need to know about human rights and human rights violations and what it means to be in a community,” he said.

Rodriquez is also a CVHS alumnus, and even wrote for The Olympian. He recalls his experience as a positive one: “I wasn’t involved in a lot in high school, but my best memories came from The Olympian,” he said. “I met a lot of people I wouldn’t have otherwise met.”

Outside of school, Rodriquez enjoys comic books, video games, and Star Wars. He commented “I’m actually really, really nerdy.”

He also frequently plays basketball after school, and likes going to concerts.

Rodriquez has two historyrelated tattoos, one of Richard the Lionheart, and one of the Bayeux Tapestry.

“I really like medieval history.

I like knights and medieval artwork,” he said.

Students find Rodriquez interesting and are very happy to have him working on campus.

Joelle Bassette, one of his sophomore students, commented, “He’s really cool. He makes the subject fun and exciting and he’s organized.”

“Really nerdy” tattooed teacher loves comics Staff Writer

Anya Keller/ Staff Writer

History teacher Ian Rodriquez uses his teaching skills in his modern world history class.

Ian Rodriquez, who has taught English for the past three years at CVHS, recently switched to teaching social studies for the GRAEL (Global Rights Activism Education and Law) academy, a switch made possible by John Green’s election as the teachers’ union president.

“I was asked if it was something I’d like to do,” Rodriquez said. “It’s my favorite subject.”

Rodriquez, who has a history degree from UC Santa Cruz, doesn’t find the switch from English to social studies to be very different. Wh en ask ed about his experience with changing between the two subjects, he said, “They’re pretty similar, so

Dana Lin/ City Editor

Loving Mat Kearney’s Young Love Romance song of the decade

By Kate Pellegrini Staff Writer

Mat Kearney wowed fans world-wide with the release of his latest album, Young Love, which is available anywhere good music is sold (Target, Best Buy, iTunes, etc.). Never one to be monotonous or predictable in his music, he brings to each of his songs distinct personalities, catchy tunes, and unique stories to tell.

Kicking off the album is his no. 1 hit single “Hey Mama,” a fun, bouncy tune with a driving beat and words and melodies that will run through your head all day. He then switches gears with the cute and unexpected song, “Count On Me,” in which

Kearney sweetly and appropriately incorporates auto-tuned children’s voices in a delightful call-and-response style song about friendship and love.

“...he brings

to each of his songs distinct personalities, catchy tunes, and unique stories... ”

Kearney creates a personal favorite in the song “She Got the Honey,” which has both simple,

Do you wish you could “Never Grow Up”?

By Joyce Liang Staff Writer

The soft, soothing melody of Taylor Swift’s single, “Never Grow Up,” from her latest album Speak Now, is one of my favorite songs. “Never Grow Up” makes us realize that we all miss the simplicity of being a child as we’re growing up.

When I was younger, I remember everything being relaxed and carefree, as Swift sings, “To you, everything’s funny. You have nothing to regret.” Now in high school, I feel like all of us have to worry a lot more. For me, I always feel obligated to get good grades and get into a good college so I can have a bright future ahead of me.

As you grow up, you’re going to realize that life isn’t going to be the same as it was when you were younger. One day you’re going to have to leave your family and head to college, live in an apartment, and provide for yourself. “So here I am in my new apartment,

in a big city, they just dropped me off. It’s so much colder than I thought it would be, so I tuck myself in, and turn the nightlight on,” sings Swift.

When we grow up, it’s not going to be as easy as it was when when we were little. “I just realized everything I have is someday going to be gone,” sings Swift, which in my opinion, was the best line out of the whole song because it summarizes its theme.

Other than the fact that Swift’s song is very relatable, it also has a catchy tune. The lyrics were well written and listeners would easily be able to relate their own life to the song.

I give the song five stars because I enjoyed the lyrics and message of the song, as sometimes I wish that I could “Never Grow Up.”

catchy lyrics and a fun, pop-y beat made for blowing up amps and rattling license plates. He wraps up the album with a touching personal song, “Rochester,” a soulful yet optimistic song written from the point of view of his father.

I must admit, when I first purchased the album, I was slightly afraid that his songs would all sound the same, or that “Hey Mama” would be the only song worth listening to. I’m happy to say that I was utterly mistaken. Each and every song is a gem, and Kearney never loses himself in the world of auto-tune or techno features. His poignant messages and inspiring rapping in between catchy choruses only add to the beauty of his work.

By Eva Chen Staff Writer

“Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum is a slow melodic song that emphasizes the idea of taking love slowly, one step at a time. Upon hearing this song, I was blown away by how the voices of singers Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley blended together to create this beautiful song. Their soft voices made me want to just sway to the music.

I find it really touching that this song talks about a slow love, the kind that lasts forever; you don’t see this kind of love a lot anymore. This song also reminds us of what a true relationship should be like.

You can hear and feel the love radiating off this song. There are so many emotions behind this song that it almost made me cry.

I was hooked when these lyrics came up: Be the one I’ve been Waiting for my whole life Even though Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley are the singers

you hear throughout this song, you shouldn’t dismiss Dave Haywood, the pianist, guitarist, and background singer of the band; he is the one that created this beautiful piece that went along with the sweet voices of the singer.

Thanks to every member of the band, they were rewarded by being nominated for the 51st Grammy Awards and took home the title “Best Country Music by Duo or Group.”

“Just a Kiss” was first presented on American Idol on May 5, 2011, and has become a huge hit since then. This song has been replaying in radio stations over and over again; people just can’t get enough of it. Lady Antebellum’s albums are being sold at your local stores; go check it out!

Caf é Rumi delights customers

By Emily Courchaine Staff Writer

If you are ever looking for a hot drink, a delicious snack, or a tasty Mediterranean meal, you can find all of those things at Café Rumi, a comfortable little café that opened about a year ago on the corner of Heyer and Center streets. Café Rumi boasts a wide variety of delicious foods and drinks, making it a great place for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.

The beverages there are di-

verse and always satisfying. On a hot day you can get iced teas and coffees, or try one of their delicious and healthy smoothies.

If you are looking for something hot to drink, the café has excellent Nutella hot chocolate and as many different coffee and tea drinks as any Starbucks or Peet’s.

In addition to drinks, Café Rumi has a fairly large menu of food. In the morning you can get traditional breakfast foods such as waffles, bacon, eggs, and toast.

For lunch and dinner they serve several different gyros, sandwiches, kebobs, and rice dishes.

If you just want a little treat to go with your coffee, they have a selection of heavenly pastries

and cookies at the counter.

To top it all off, Café Rumi has a great atmosphere and friendly, welcoming employees. The café is nicely decorated with pretty lights and colorful fabrics, and has several comfy chairs in addition to tables. In the corner there is a bookshelf with a variety of different books and magazines to look at while you are waiting for your food or enjoying your tea.

Café Rumi is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., so you can stop by pretty much whenever you want something delicious for any meal. I always enjoy going to Café Rumi and I definitely give it five stars for reasonably priced food, drinks, and great service.

chronological order as Lousiana was most interested in showing his audience how he has progressed as an artist over time.

Written over various instrumentals, Growth is a product of this 18-year-old’s complex emotions tangled into clever lyrics for each song.

“One thing I stand by religiously for each song I create is that I absolutely cannot write or rap anything that isn’t true,” said Louisiana. “I think trials and things that test me as a person provide the most inspiration.”

The mixtape serves as a lens into Louisana’s tribulations over the past few years and has an inspiring effect on teenagers.

Ever since I was introduced to his tape, I have listened to several tracks repeatedly. From songs with an exciting beat to songs that have a mellow tone, there is sure to be a song in this tape for all lovers of music.

His regard and passion for music and hip-hop is evident, especially when listening to his work. Louisana is constantly being inspired by various artists and working on new material for his many fans.

“I make music simply because I love to do so,” he explained.

Louisana has high hopes to pursue music as a career but is primarily focusing on his college education. He is currently studying at California State East Bay in Hayward.

“I’m going to keep making music my way,” says Louisana.

“I’m well aware that music is a highly competitive area of work—a lot of people want to do it. But I’m taking life as it comes.

If a career comes to me, so be it.”

Growth is available for free downloads on MediaFire and all information concerning Louisana’s work can be found on his Facebook and Twitter.

CVHS alumnus premieres mixtape

By Jane Hong Staff Writer

I believe in music -- its exhilaration, its salvation, its humor, its elated nobility, and its power to pierce the basic fineness of a human being. I believe in the sound that flows through the mind with a concentrated intensity that baffles basic description.

Amidst the mainstream songs that plague our society today, discovering music that possesses this type of sound is hard to come across. However, I discovered it immediately when listening to Christian Louisana’s mixtape, Growth. Louisana graduated last year and premiered his original mixtape in August.

The mixtape is arranged in

Olympian

The October 28, 2011

9

Doctor Who’s still got The Red Hot Chili Peppers “Get On Top” legs and nightmares

By Lillian Xie Staff Writer

Chameleon Circuit’s second album, Still Got Legs, showcases the band’s overwhelmingly large amount of creativity. As a trock (time lord rock) band that started from Youtube, they’ve come a long way and have been very successful with their music.

Still Got Legs features a large array of instruments and melodies, so the listener never gets bored. The album really grows on you. Every time I replayed the album, I found myself liking it more and more.

One of my favorite songs from the album is “Kiss the Girl.” The song is based on an episode of Doctor Who called “The Lodger.” However, people who aren’t necessarily fans of Doctor Who can still enjoy this musical piece. The lyrics are easily relatable, because they simply tell a love story.

Another one of my favorite songs from Still Got Legs is

“Nightmares.” I like this song because it has a darker feel to it. The singer’s voice mixed with the grungy instrumentals successfully conveys the emotions of the lyrics.

If you’re a fan of Doctor Who, this album would be a terrific addition to your music collection because Chameleon Circuit’s music is based on the show.

However, this album can be enjoyed even if you aren’t a Doctor Who fan. Chameleon Circuit’s songs are very easy to relate to and it would be an interesting experience to apply your own meanings to the songs.

You can buy a physical copy of Still Got Legs at dftba. com. Alternatively, you can buy a digital copy on iTunes.

A whole new side to Avril Lavigne

By Victoria Liang Staff Writer

Canadian pop singer Avril Lavigne was known as a tomboy, then a rebel, and then a punk princess. However her newest album, Goodbye Lullaby, has a different approach. Goodbye Lullaby is full of romance, which is new to Lavigne, but the album still has her personality.

fans to know that she’s in a new phase.

Although her songs are mostly romantic, they don’t all end happily. But Goodbye Lullaby tells the listener that love gets tough, and, what the hell, you should just mess around and make your life fun and relaxing again.

“...her emo-

tional singing and meaningful lyrics...

By Matt Talajkowski Staff Writer

The Red Hot Chili Peppers recently released their new album I’m With You in July, satisfying their fans all around the world. The new album features all the punk rock and funky tunes that their other albums contain, along with new genres not typical of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Ten albums later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers show they still have what it takes to “Get on Top.” While the Chili Peppers still hold on to their punk/funk fusion, the band has some new twists. The new album features the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer, replacing their old guitar player,

The album starts with a short, slow song, “Black Star.” Using the piano and her angelic voice, she makes the song simple and haunting. The song was a nice introduction to her album, but after she finishes the song, she switches back to her usual mean-girl mode with “What the Hell.” “What the Hell” was just a bait for all her previous fans. It had her usual raw sound to it, but it also has romance. The slow switch to romance gets all her previous

The new album presents a refreshing new sound compared to many new bands, but still hangs on to the rock ’n’ roll. But don’t be worried, with lyrics like “sugar daddy” and “Cosmo Shiva” the Red Hot

Chili Peppers go right on with their funk. Although as any Chili Peppers fan knows, one is hard pressed to find a Peppers album that does not contain the words sugar or daddy.

The new album contains 13 songs, all of which contain their bass guitar player “Flea” going utterly mad, while the smooth sound of Klinghoffer on the guitar seeps through.

Although the new album has sold all over the world, some critics call the new album, “a lazy excuse” and even Chili Peppers fans agree that some songs sound a little whiny and dull. But all agree that the Chili Peppers have made an incredible comeback after switching out guitar players.

By the end of the album, listeners will be able to stay in touch with the modern music of today, while reliving some of the Chili Peppers famous funk and punk.

Do you want to be a Glee star?

By Anya Keller Staff Writer

Utilizing high drama, music, and a wildly popular television program, The Glee Project makes for an entertaining show.

The Glee Project premiered on Oxygen this summer in hopes of finding a talented winner to be awarded a seven- episode arch on the television series Glee. It began with 12 contestants, narrowed down from over 40 applicants, who competed using their singing, acting, and dancing abilities, with one being eliminated weekly.

The contestants start each week with a “homework assignment” where they are given a song to perform for a mystery judge, who is always a Glee cast member. The judge picks a winner who he or she

then gives a private lesson.

Later, the entire group makes a music video, from which a bottom three is chosen based on performance. The bottom three must re-audition to secure their place on the show, where two are “called back.”

“ The Glee

Project is an enjoyable way to relax and spend an hour being entertained...

”

Although a winner has recently been chosen, the show

is still fun to watch. It displays a wide variety of music styles, and many chances for contestants to either succeed or fail, with shocking developments all along the way. The show is also a great way to learn about the art of musical theatre and the way show business works in general, as the casting direc-

tors reveal a lot of insight into how they make their choices.

I would give it a rating of five stars. If you like Glee, you will love The Glee Project.

The Glee Project is an enjoyable way to relax and spend an hour being entertained while listening to new interpretations of familiar songs and experiencing extraordinary talent.

Left jab, left jab, upper cut, finish! they like that “family reunion” moment or the fighting robots.

”

Even though Lavigne is getting older, her music makes you think that she is still in her younger years. If you were a first-time listener, her emotional singing and meaningful lyrics would lead you to conclude that she knows how people feel and that she connects with them. In “4 Real,” Lavigne expresses that it’s hard to know if a person is being real, and this can certainly connect with everybody.

Her lyrics relate to everyone and her music expresses everyone’s hopes, dreams, and frustrations. The theme in her new album is that love is tough, but the experience is worth it.

John Frusciante.

The Chili Peppers showed a soft side with the song “Meet Me at the Corner,” which worried many Chili Pepper enthusiasts that the Peppers were losing their funk and punk, and will not be as popular as they used to be.

By Ryan Gray Staff Writer

Left jab, left jab, upper cut, and the finish. Two gargantuan machines go out in a fight to the death in an overcrowded ring of people wanting to see the violence. The Almighty Zeus, king of all robot boxers, waits for a challenge worthy of his skill. But there is a tiny unknown bot working its way up the ranks, and it may just have what it takes to defeat the champ.

A new movie was released in October called Real Steel. It can attract people of all ages and backgrounds, regardless if

As entertaining as it is to see giant robots beat themselves to scrap metal in boxing rings, what gets you is the emotion you seem to feel from the life-

less machines. It’s as if they have souls, feelings, and the will to go on. The end is pretty fantastic, because even when you try to guess what might happen next, you will still be surprised.

Although I liked it overall, the movie could really use more fighting scenes, because what you get is only a taste of the true action the movie could provide. Also, a small romance montage slipped in the middle of the movie, and the 20 minutes that was used to describe the whole thing could be better spent on a thing such as, oh, for example, fighting robots.

Overall I give Real Steel five out of five stars. It may need some very fine tuning, but it is definitely a movie you will want to see again and again.

Trojans win, great end to homecoming

By Anna Balassone Editor-in-Chief

Camilo Riveros / Staff Writer

Anthony Reyes discusses his career as a Giants trainer with Olympian staff writers.

This Trojan won a Giants title ring

By Lily Carrell & Natalie Fazeli

While the parade celebrating the Giants’ World Series victory flooded the streets of San Francisco, numerous fans cheered as the baseball players rode by in cable cars. People shouted as marching bands and floats proceeded down the street.

One person who particularly enjoyed the parade was CVHS graduate Anthony Reyes, a minor league athletic trainer for the San Francisco Giants since 2003. He had the opportunity to sit alongside the players during the event.

“I never knew there would be so many Giants fans out there,” Reyes said. “It was awesome.”

At age seven, Reyes played baseball in the Castro Valley Little League, positioned as second base infield. Reyes continued to play at CVHS,

where he decided not to go with a baseball career.

Reyes went to the University of Washington majoring in engineering and computer science but after realizing he still had a passion for athletics, transferred to San Jose State and graduated in 2004. Shortly after, he took an internship with the Giants as an athletic trainer.

“I didn’t know what an athletic trainer did,” said Reyes, referring to a time before he got into the baseball business. While athletic trainers may sound like those who tell players to do push-ups or help them improve their batting skills, they really attend to the overall health of the players.

Athletic trainers are the first responders to Giants players who get injured out on the field.

Reyes works mainly for a minor league team in Fresno, but as an employee of the Giants, he is sometimes called to assist with the major league club. It

just so happens that Reyes was training the team late in 2010 when the Giants won the World Series.

After the Giants victory, the players were on the field while Reyes was stuck in the dugout. Will Clark, Reyes’ favorite player as a child, helped him push through a crowd of writers to join the celebration.

What made the World Series victory especially exciting for Reyes was the fact that he knows all of the players and shares many memories with them. “I’ve known Pablo Sandoval since he was 18 years old,” Reyes recalled.

Like the Giants players, Reyes also received a beautiful championship ring.

“It was probably the most amazing thing that’s happened in my life, ever,” Reyes said of the team’s championship.

The Trojans varsity football team trounced the Arroyo Dons in a 41-14 victory at the homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 21. Fans from throughout the entire Castro Valley community filled the stands in support of the team.

“The more people that are at the game, the more pressure there is,” explained Castro Valley quarterback Luke Huerta. “But we came into the game confident, knowing we were going to win.”

The Trojans started on a good note, with junior Patrick Cheek scoring a touchdown less than a minute after the game had begun.

In the middle of the second quarter, the Dons scored a touchdown to the disappointment of the Castro Valley fans. The upset didn’t last long, however, as the Trojans quickly rebounded with touchdowns from Cheek and junior Nick Lerschen by the time the second quarter had ended.

Not only was there an outstanding display of football, but the halftime show proved to be spectacular. To begin the festivities, the CVHS dance and cheer teams along with the Canyon and Creekside middle school cheer teams entertained the crowd with an impressive performance.

Seeing the local schools perform together was especially powerful.

“I think our collaboration is a really great unifying experience for Castro Valley,” said senior dance team member Kaitlin Abendroth. “I hope that tradition continues.”

The cheer and dance team performance was followed by the presentation of homecoming court and royalty. And as a grand finale, the CVHS marching band played while a dazzling display of fireworks lit up the sky above the stadium.

Once the third quarter got underway, Huerta threw a touchdown pass to Jon Marsh to bring the score to 28-8. The Dons appeared to be coming back for the win when they next scored a touchdown, but the Trojans quickly retaliated with another touchdown from Cheek.

Finally, the Trojans finished off the fourth quarter with one last touchdown, leaving the final score as 41-14 in Castro Valley’s favor.

After every Trojan touchdown throughout the course of the game, junior Nick Lima was able to achieve flawless kicks to score the extra points. It seemed that the announcer’s most common catchphrase was, “Nick Lima’s kick is good!”

Coach Nic McMaster considers Lima’s kicking abilities to be a useful asset to the team. “He has been a great weapon the entire year because of his leg,” explained McMaster.

McMaster proceeded to commend the Trojan defense on an excellent game. “Trevor Trammell, Austin Gayle, Brandon Gonzales, Forrest Ferguson, and David Valladares all did a very good job defensively as well,” said McMaster. “They all contributed to stopping Arroyo’s run game and each played a big role in stopping the passing game of Arroyo as well.”

The Trojans made their fans proud in their win against Arroyo, creating the perfect ending to an exciting homecoming.

Ask Betty! Ask Betty!

Ask Betty

By Ryan Gray Staff Writer

Betty Chen / Staff Writer

Girls varsity golf team and coach Ed Blom show off their fourth HAAL tournament title at Monarch Bay Golf Course.

On Oct. 17, the CVHS girls golf team was victorious at the HAAL tournament held at Monarch Bay Golf Course in San Leandro. It was the fourth HAAL title for the CVHS girls golf team. The individual scores were Betty Chen-71, Melissa Hosman-77, Kendra Morris-81, Lauren Quan-87, Danielle Diaz-91 and last but not least Emily Lasalle with a score of 98.

All six players who participated in the tournament are seniors, and two of them are already verbally committed to

play college golf.

The CVHS girls golf team also showed off its skills against the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons. On Oct. 11, the Trojans destroyed the Dragons in a nine-hole match, achieving a fantastic victory with a score of 210-275.

“I’m pretty sure we are going to win,” said senior Kendra Morris while talking about how she felt the game would turn out.

After the match, team members thought they did alright in comparison to their other games, with one member even getting two pars during the match.

Olympian

The October 28, 2011

11

CVHS welcomes new dance coach

By Lillian Xie

Lily Carrell / Staff Writer

Sophomore Nicole Anthony finishes the Junior Brandon Arias takes nineteenth girls varsity run in fourth place. place with a time of 17:37.

Trojans sprint to a win at invitational

By Lily Carrell Staff Writer

CVHS runners displayed great strength and endurance at the Trojan Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 8. CVHS competed with schools including Livermore, De La Salle, Westmoor, and Las Lomas. The girls varsity team’s hard work and dedication proved valuable when it received the title of “Team Champions.”

The event took place at Canyon Middle School where both the girls and boys varsity teams ran a scenic, three-mile course in 70-degree weather.

With an impressive time of 20:34, Nicole Anthony placed fourth in the girls varsity

run. Samantha Fong finished with a time of 21:01, immediately followed by Alexandria Embody in ninth place at 21:06. The Trojans took first place with an overall score of 62 points.

“ I feel strong and I like the pain. ” Nicole Anthony Sophomore

When asked how she felt about her victory, Anthony re-

sponded with a smile, saying “I feel strong and I like the pain.”

CVHS boys varsity runners also performed well. Brandon Arias took 19th place with an astounding time of 17:37. Eshed Margalit finished at 18:42, seconds before Alvin Lin with a time of 18:44. The boys varsity team took ninth place with an overall score of 215 points.

“I feel happy because I got a time a lot better than I expected to get,” Arias explained after the race.

The exasperating three-mile route involved running up steep hills and ridges, requiring great stamina and determination. The top five runners to complete the course received medals.

Staff Writer Sierra Gordon is this year’s new dance team coach. She has extensive knowledge in contemporary, hip hop, and jazz, which she incorporates into her coaching.

Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, she was a member of the three-time national championship University of Tennessee Dance Team. Gordon was also an instructor for the Universal Dance Association, which hosts top-ranking dance teams in the nation. As of now, Gordon is currently a member of the Golden State Warrior Girls.

Gordon is very passionate about dance. “I’ve been a dancer my whole life and my passion is to dance on a stage,” said Gordon. “Being on that basketball court with the Warriors fans was like a stage, so I get to do what I love to do.”

Gordon has a lot of teaching experience, which she utilizes to coach the CVHS

dance team. At the Universal Dance Association, she taught students for three summers.

She also taught many private lessons for middle and high school dance teams.

With experience as both a dancer and a teacher, Gordon decided to start coaching at CVHS. “I became a coach at Castro Valley because I enjoy the community,” explained Gordon. “I also enjoy mentoring and teaching the young talent that Castro Valley offers.”

“The new dance coach is really cool,” said dancer Tiffany Tse. “She’s fun to work with and her style of teaching is different, which is refreshing.”

She also commented on the dance team’s dynamic. “We work very well together as a team because we all help each other out,” Tse continued.

“And although we take dancing seriously, we also like to have fun. In fact, our goal is to have fun while putting on a great performance.”

Lillian Xie / Staff Writer

Photographer Namefor / Their Title Sierra Gordon demonstrates a dance the varsity dance team.

Pa s s i o n ate Pe r ky P l aye rs

Emily Courchaine / Staff Writer

k

.

.

Alison Dhont, Freshman Freshman Alison Dhont is enthusiastic about cheering on the Trojans with her friends on the junior varsity cheer squad.

Dhont started as a cheerleader for Creekside Middle School when she was in eighth grade, and after cheering for the Wildcats for a year she decided she wanted to continue in high school.

“I like being a part of the school,” said Dhont. She also enjoys the camaraderie of cheering because “it’s like a family on the squad.”

Although the squad only performs during football and basketball seasons, Dhont enjoys going to practice throughout the year. This year she hopes to improve her skills and master more difficult stunts.

Kendrick Calkins, Sophomore Kendrick Calkins is a sophomore on the JV football team. He played football for the first time when he was 7, but stopped until he joined the freshman team last fall. This year Calkins enjoys being a guard as well as a defensive end for his team.

“I’m small for an offensive lineman, but I’m a good blocker,” said Calkins.

Calkins and his team began training for this year’s football season in February by lifting weights and conditioning. It takes a lot of time and dedication, but it is worth it to Calkins to put in the effort.

“I love football,” said Calkins. “It’s an amazing sport.”

There are only a few games left in the season, and Calkins’ goal is to win all of them.

Daniel Nourot, Junior

Sarah Dimitratos, Senior

As a dedicated member of the CVHS cross country team, Daniel Nourot knows the value of hard work and perseverance. In order to stay in shape and continue to improve as a runner, Nourot does track in the spring in addition to weight lifting and running year-round.

After growing up in a family of runners, Nourot began running cross country as a freshman at CVHS and has been “carrying on the family tradition” ever since.

“It’s fun getting to know other people and going out and running all over Castro Valley,” said Nourot.

Nourot has been enjoying the cross country season so far, and said that he hopes “to be an NCS alternate or JV champ.”

Sarah Dimitratos is an opposite hitter on the varsity girls volleyball team.

Dimitratos began playing volleyball in seventh grade. After helping the Creekside team win championships in eighth grade, Dimitratos went on to play volleyball in high school and has been enjoying being on both club and CVHS teams since then.

“My favorite thing about playing volleyball is bonding with my teams both in club and at school,” said Dimitratos. “Also, I love how there is always something to work on in volleyball.”

After high school, Dimitratos wants to focus on school more than volleyball.

As a result, she plans on playing intramural volleyball.

Olympian

The October 28, 2011

CVHS homecoming goes green

By Jane Hong Staff Writer

Homecoming has been an established tradition at CVHS for decades and is slowly evolving as the years continue. Changes this year included a new recycling category and eco-friendly requirements for Homecoming floats.

“There are two big things that Leadership would like to continue when it comes to Homecoming: being more environmentally conscious and creating something lasting,” explained Student Activities Coordinator Nicholas Whitaker.

Each class spends all of Homecoming week constructing its own parade float that reflects its class theme. This 200-point category requires a large amount of supplies such as wood, paint, tissue paper, and chicken wire.

The Saturday after Homecoming week, the floats are torn down and thrown away because these materials are not reusable or recyclable.

This year, all class floats were required to use water-based paint. As a result of this more eco-friendly approach, the wood used for majority of the float can

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allowing the panels maximum sunlight while providing shaded parking for cars underneath. The shaded parking will be achieved by installing unique canopy structures that will allow the panels to rest on top of an open frame, leaving the space below open for cars.

Students were generally supportive of the project, though some worried about the obstruction to student parking during construction.

Sophomore Caleb Kim voiced his concerns: “I really support what they’re doing; it’s innovative and energy efficient. My only worry is where people will park during construction,” Kim said.

Space is limited in the student parking lots, and many who applied for a spot this year did

be composted at the end of the week.

The recyclable bottles and can drive was a new category implemented in this year’s Homecoming. All students were encouraged to bring recyclable bottles and cans on the day of their march to gain more points for their class.

“Our goal at CVHS is to become the most ‘green’ school we possibly can. Promoting recycling with these new requirements is just a few of the many steps we can take to accomplish this goal,” stated Environmental Commissioner Su-Lin Terhell.

ASB President Kyle Linayao agreed by saying that Homecoming should be much more than just class spirit.

“The leadership class wanted to help improve our community and the environment; the best way to encourage people is through Homecoming,” said Linayao.

Whitaker stated that future plans include adding more changes that will benefit the community as the years continue.

“Ideally, we would like Homecoming to become a zero-impact event,” said Whitaker. not get one. From January until mid-May, space will get even more tight. The construction will obstruct some of the staff and senior lots as well as some of the junior lot; many of the remaining student parking spots will be given to staff members. The school is considering refunds to parking permit holders.

The decision to start construction in the middle of the school year was primarily a budgetary one; PG&E pledged to donate $1.4 million to the project if it began before the summer of 2012.

In addition, although the project has been in motion for years, not until recently did lowered interest rates allow the district to move ahead with the planning.

Bush wished to get the project moving before costs rose again.

District administrators have worked closely with Assistant

Juniors jump for joy

Melody Moteabbed / Staff Writer

Juniors dance their way into second place in Song Girls and second place overall.

2011 CVHS Homecoming Results

First place: SENIORS

Third place: SOPHOMORES

Second place: JUNIORS Principal Matt Steinecke and Principal Mary Ann Valles to make sure that, come construction day, everything goes as planned. After years of work, their efforts are finally about to come to fruition.

In addition to the obvious budgetary and environmental benefits the solar panels will bring, Bush hopes to introduce an educational unit on solar energy as well.

“The science involved in this is very interesting. We’re hoping to get a curriculum component in this as well, to introduce solar to science classes,” he said.

For now, however, students will have to wait while the project moves into its final stage.

If everything goes as planned, CVHS students can expect shaded parking and a more energy efficient school by spring finals.

Wall-E and Up earn rotten tomatoes

By Natalie Fazeli Staff Writer

Students were angry this year over the themes that were picked for their class to represent during homecoming. Both the sophomore and senior classes protested against their themes, Wall-E and Up, respectively.

Sophomore students had three petitions going around to change the theme. Each petition had the students’ names, the themes they wanted, and a section for comments.

“We felt like we weren’t represented at the meeting,” said Angelina Parra, one of the students who made a petition. “The representatives need to realize we have a say also.” The petition had about 50 signatures on it.

She said that all the sophomores

wanted was a revote.

The problem, however, was that each petition, and almost every name, requested a different Pixar movie.

At the homecoming class meeting for sophomores Wall-E was not a top choice. Sophomores’ top choices were Up and Toy Story.

“Basically, we made an executive decision for the majority of the crowd,” sophomore class president Sarah Lee explained.

After Up was chosen by the seniors the sophomore officers decided not to pick Toy Story because the movie seemed too diverse and had too many subthemes. “[The meeting] wasn’t a vote; it was a survey,” said Lee. She and her fellow officers chose

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what they thought was best for the other students. “With Wall-E we could have robotic and outerspace subthemes.”

The seniors also had a hard time with their theme, Up. Many seniors who didn’t show up at their meeting this year wanted the theme Toy Story. They assumed that it would be chosen as the theme.

But the ones who did show up voted for Up. The senior officers went with what the majority of the crowd wanted at the meeting.

“The big factor is, if you’re not at the meeting, you cannot complain,” said Kelsey Donovan, the senior class secretary. There was no revote.

Donovan said that the point of homecoming isn’t the theme, it is “coming together as one.”

Fourth place: FRESHMEN

Social media banned for court candidates

By Rachel Crary Staff Writer

CVHS is no longer allowing those running for homecoming court to promote themselves through social media such as Facebook as of this year.

This rule officially applies to homecoming court candidates in an attempt to make elections fair for everyone.

“We’re depending on the candidates to follow the rules,” said Jane Hong, member of CVHS Leadership.

In previous years, there were many Facebook statuses and groups promoting a particular candidate. For those that did not have a Facebook, it seemed unfair because they had no comparable way of promoting themselves.

“We wanted to make sure it is as fair as possible,” said Starla House, one of the Leadership students in charge of this new policy.

Without the help of Facebook, homecoming court candidates will have to promote themselves by other means. This will cause more verbal communication

between candidates and their fellow classmates.

This rule may “help them get out there more,” continued House. “It gives people a better reason to vote for the candidates.”

If anyone is caught promoting themselves through social media, they will face consequences. For the first offense, the candidate will get a warning from Leadership. Any more violations will result in a severe talk and possible disqualification from the election.

Students are encouraged to notify Leadership if they find anyone violating the rules. The leadership students in charge of the policy will also be watching those running for court on Facebook to make sure they do not post statuses or create groups to promote themselves.

Students and candidates have much to say on this matter as it will affect the outcome of elections.

“It’s harder to spread the word,” said sophomore Janessa Tsang, a candidate for the homecoming court elections.