HUB Print Issue: September 23

Page 1

HUB THE

Everything you want to know about homecoming www.bluedevilhub.com

September 23, 2011

Davis Senior High School

INDEX News

1

Features

3

Op-Ed

5

In-Depth

6

Entertainment

8

Sports

10

Volume 86, Issue 2

www.bluedevilhub.com

When pranks go too far

Vandalism increases during homecoming week Band teacher Fred Lange, who is disabled and uses a motorized wheelchair, was toilet-papered last Tuesday night. He announced to his class Wednesday that he was shaken by the incident, especially because he and his wife were unable to clean up the mess. Lange received a phone call midday Wednesday from a person who offered to bring a group over to remove the toilet paper from his home. After school on Wednesday, a team of Lange’s students, led by sophomore Casey Powers, assembled on Lange’s lawn to remove the toilet paper from the trees. Reaching skyward through clustered leaves, seniors Jenny Horn and Alina Lusebrink, along with juniors Katherine Mills and Francesca Hovagimian, dislodged billowing strands of toilet paper from high branches. They leaped from the ground and twisted long metal rods. Lively cheers ensued the falling of every strand of toilet paper, and gradually the amount of hanging streams of toilet paper diminished. “I would really like to focus on the positive outcome of this,” Lange said. “There are random acts of pranking, but from it we get random [acts of kindness].” According to Lange, not only did students come by Wednesday to help him, but neighbors stopped by during the day to assist as well. “They really helped us,” Lange said. He appreciates the unity and the sense of community effort that this event cultivated. Is this incident an indicator of the tricks and pranks that we may see this homecoming weekend? With homecoming today, both DHS administration and the

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO

By Gary Djajapranata HUB Staff Writer

Senior Alina Lusebrink (right) and junior Francesca Hovagimian remove toilet paper from a tree in band teacher Fred Lange’s front yard on Sept. 21. Toilet-papering is a common prank during the week of homecoming.

Davis Police Department expect to see an increase in the number of pranks and acts of vandalism. “During homecoming week there are frequent in-

cidences of toilet-papering throughout the neighborhood and other vandalism where property is destroyed,” Vice Principal Stacy Desideri said.

According to Desideri, the reason that such incidents are commonplace is because many students don’t understand the difference between a prank and an act of vandal-

ism. “What they think is a prank turns out to be an act of vandalism,” Desideri said. However, the Davis Police Department clearly

distinguishes between the two, and defines vandalism as an act that incurs property damage. For example, the person(s) who removed the classroom and bathroom signs at the beginning of the school year committed vandalism because school property was affected, according to the administration. This incident confused many new students. Social studies teacher Peter Reilly recalls having several sophomores walk mistakenly into his classroom on the first day of school because of the missing room numbers. “They were disoriented and really frustrated,” Reilly said. “I took them and walked them to their classes.” “Unfortunately, many things start off as pranks,” said Lt. Paul Doroshov of the Davis Police Department. “But then kids get carried away and don’t understand what they’re doing.” Desideri said that when dealing with such incidents, “we have to work in coordination with not just school policy and education code policy, but local law enforcement, because it frequently bleeds over into a coordinated effort.” At the senior assembly on Sept. 16, Principal Jacquelyn Moore told seniors that last year, the administration received a phone call from a woman in her seventies whose home had been toilet-papered. According to Moore, the woman was unable to clean it up herself and unable to afford to pay someone to do the job for her. Moore challenged the senior class this year to think of new traditions for homecoming that would not involve destructive pranking or vandalism. Reilly has a message for students: “Just think about what you’re doing. Think about it.”

Rescheduling creates conflict for Davis fans

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO

By Nick Juanitas & Glenn Hull HUB Staff Writers

Senior Ryan Gross makes a diagonal run into the penalty area during a home game against Vintage High School on Sept. 15. On this play, Gross drew a penalty kick, which senior Jacob Weiss scored.

Coby Yamauchi competes as a Halo pro

Features | Page 3

DHS varsity soccer players were looking forward to a packed away game against the Jesuit Marauders until they found out that the homecoming football game had been switched to the same day. Now it appears as though there will be fewer fans present to cheer them on due to the scheduling conflict. The men’s varsity soccer game was originally scheduled for Sept. 24 at Jesuit High School but was changed to 4 p.m. on Sept. 23 due to the fact that Sept. 24 was Jesuit’s homecoming game. The DHS homecoming game was scheduled for Oct. 7 against Franklin High School of Elk Grove at 7:15 p.m., but the game date conflicted with the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. Because

of the conflict with Yom Kippur, the DHS administration decided to move the game up two weeks to the Sept. 23 game against Colfax High School. Although the soccer game and football games do not overlap in their times, varsity soccer co-captain Ryan Gross believes that many fans will not be able to make the trip out to Jesuit High School for the 4 p.m. start. Opposition grew from both DHS soccer players and fans alike, especially Gross, a senior. “This has many problems: first of all, we will miss the homecoming events like the parade, and if anyone like Matt [Austin], for example, is king, he will not be able to do any of that stuff for the school,” Gross said. Gross has been attempting to change the date of the soccer game to a date that does not conflict with homecoming. Gross comOn the 10th anniversary, we take a look back

In-Depth | Pages 6-7

municated with DHS varsity soccer coach Ashley Yudin, Jesuit varsity soccer coach Paul Rose and both schools’ administrations in an attempt to reschedule the game to a date that appeals to both schools’ interests. However, attempts to change the date failed. “ We had no other options because it was the only date still available,” DHS athletic director Dennis Foster said. Gross believed that Foster was very helpful in looking out for both teams’ best interests. The DHS vs. Jesuit soccer game is considered to be one of the premier sporting events at DHS. “Davis vs. Jesuit … it is like our own homecoming game,” Yudin said. Because of the scheduling conflict, many DHS sports fans will have to choose between seeing their homecoming game or the longanticipated DHS vs. Jesuit

soccer game. “The Davis-Jesuit game is such a big tradition and event for the school. Everyone loves the game and it would be something that many kids would miss out on should it be on homecoming,” Gross said. One of the main concerns that Gross and his teammates have is that they will be unable to participate in the many events associated with homecoming, such as the parade at 1 p.m., the carnival that begins at 5:30 p.m. and the JV and varsity football games at 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., respectively. However, ASB president Courtney Jimenez sees the added soccer game as a benefit to the already exciting day of homecoming. “It sounds like a long day, but there’s something exciting going on at all times of the day to be a part of,” Jimenez said.

Should homecoming be soccer or football?

Op-Ed | Page 5


Squirrel attacks janitor, steals food

IPAB Old Gym

Each shaded section on the map corresponds to a different bathroom and a different hall pass color. The darkest area gives out blue hall passes. The slightly shaded area gives out pink hall passes. The lightest area gives out yellow hall passes. The bathrooms in each section are marked by stars.

MPR

Blue Hall Pass Red Hall Pass

Library

Yellow Hall Pass Bathroom

Color-coded hall passes come to DHS By Daniel Tutt News Editor

The administration has again restructured the hall pass policy. With the beginning of this year came a color-coded hall pass policy which includes multiple kinds of passes. Kathleen Hunter, campus safety supervisor, said the reason for implementing a new policy was “students wandering around campus when they were supposed to be going to the bathroom.” The new policy divides the school into three areas, each assigned a different color and bathroom. Each area is monitored by a campus supervisor who keeps an

eye out for students with passes of the incorrect color. If a student needs a pass for a reason other than the bathroom, the teacher must write the reason on the pass. For campus supervisors, the new policy makes someone who is wandering easier to spot. Supervisors just have to watch for passes in their area which are the wrong colors. This policy affects students in that it restricts students to using only the closest bathroom to their classroom. Some students, like junior Daniel Bonetti, dislike the idea of hall passes in general. “It’s a waste of time for the teacher and the only

reason hall passes are needed is because some students ruin it for everyone … Students should have the kind of trust so that hall passes are not needed,” Bonetti said. At DHS, teachers determine specific hall pass policies. Many teachers, such as Kelly Thomsen, give students a certain amount of extra credit if they do not use passes during a semester, while other teachers, such as Dan Gonzalez, give out passes whenever students ask. The new policy allows students with pink passes to go to the bathroom by the gym, students with yellow passes to go to the bathroom by the library and students with blue passes to go to the bathroom by the S - buildings.

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO

Lurking around every corner of the DHS campus are loads of hungry, food-seeking squirrels. This summer, janitor Rodolfo Garibay learned that when it comes to their chow, squirrels can also be awfully violent. “I was working, I see the squirrel eating something, it fall on the floor, I get it, put it in my hand [to give to the squirrel], the squirrel finish the food, climb on my hand and it bite me,” Garibay said while pointing to the very spot on his forearm in which the teeth-sinking incident occurred. Garibay successfully detached the squirrel from his arm by shaking it until the squirrel let go. Then came the blood gushing, and later, the hospital. “I went to the hospital emergency, the doctors give me two shots on my hand and arm for infection,” he said. Garibay was free of poison and infection and his wounds have healed up nicely. However, his opinion on squirrels has altered. He no longer thinks squirrels are cute. “For me no, no more,” he said. Garibay rated his pain during the bite as “maybe nine” out of ten. He still has no idea why the squirrel bit him. “Other times I saw some kids give the [squirrel] food, but I never see very well,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know exactly why the squirrel bite me.” Although it may be the first documented issue at DHS, aggressive squirrels have been problematic for a matter of years. A similar incident to Garibay’s occurred in Mountain View, Calif. in 2006. Four-year-

old Andrew Packard was unwrapping his muffin when a hostile squirrel reportedly lunged at him from a tree and repeatedly bit him all over the arms. This squirrel, like Garibay’s, also tried to latch on to Packard’s arms. After Garibay’s incident, rumors flew about what really happened. “The janitor was emptying the big dumpster, and there was a squirrel in there and the squirrels got used to eating all [the students’] food. It hadn’t gotten any food all summer and it became really aggressive and violent and so while he was emptying the dumpster it like, latched on to him and wouldn’t let go and he had to get people to help him and he had to get stitches. I think … I’m not really sure if that all happened,” junior Sarah Strutzel said. However, between all the alterations, the baseline of the story remained unchanged: there was indeed a squirrel bite, and as with any other incident on the DHS campus, it needed to be reported. Once Principal Jacquelyn Moore heard about the biting incident, she took action. “I followed up with [maintenance and operations] to make sure the trash cans are covered better. I also contacted the science department to figure out ways to better educate students about squirrels and just animals in general,” she said. As for squirrel-biting incidents being a future issue, there should be no further problems as long as people keep their wits about them. “They are not any more [dangerous] than a golf cart is a hazard, or carrying too many books,” Moore said.

New Gym

CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC

By Grace Calhoun HUB Staff Writer

Page 2

News

CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC

September 23, 2011

Students observe physics teacher Wayne Raymond dropping items from the top of the Richard Brunelle Performing Arts Center for a physics experiment. Raymond’s class is studying how gravity affects objects in free fall.

Coming together Physics Honors and Introductory Analysis combine into a core By Katie Van Deynze HUB Staff Writer

Students enrolled in Physics Honors and Introductory Analysis this year are in what teachers are calling a “pilot” class that is taught in two periods in the hope of integrating the two subjects. For these students, third period is the math portion and fourth period is the physics portion. The two classes are what some would call a core; the same students are in both classes. Wayne Raymond is the teacher for Physics Honors and Trish Butler is the teacher for Introductory Analysis. Both teachers hope to have the students find the links between the two subjects and enhance their learning. “Research shows that knowing the applications makes students

more interested in learning it,” Butler said. She explained that many of her math students ask when they will use the math they learn in the future. Physics is a good way to integrate math into real-world scenarios. Raymond and Butler are trying to line up their two curriculums so the students are learning related concepts in both classes at the same time. Butler said she hopes to avoid a situation in which students learn a physics concept months before beginning it in her math class. Butler aims to have the students learn the linked concepts simultaneously. Butler also explained that if two concepts in her and Raymond’s classes were to overlap, they could try to have a combined lab across both periods. Junior Adam Raabe is a student

in the core and said that it is too early to tell how the class will work. Raabe explained that good communication between the teachers will hopefully make this class a success. The initial idea for this integrated course came from Principal Jacquelyn Moore. “We know there is a close connection between these two subjects, but often that interconnectedness is not clear to students or teachers,” Moore said. According to Moore, several other countries with higher math scores have an integrated math approach combining algebra, geometry and trigonometry with the science curriculum. Butler said it may take several years to measure the success of this integrated approach, and decide if it is a good fit for DHS.


Page 3

The HUB

Features

SPEAK of the DEVIL Features

Student with disability dominates Halo rankings

DHS sophomores Coby Yamauchi (left) and Mark Bruemmer battle against each other during a game of Halo. Many of Yamauchi’s friends come over to play on his extensive game set.

two losses. Like any other highlevel competition, players must give hours over to the game: Coby practices about five hours every day. “[His skill] is not a matter of him being in a wheelchair; it’s beyond that,” Ana said. “He has good focus and he is very detail oriented.” While Coby is still searching online Halo forums for a fourth teammate, he dedicates his practice time to perfecting his cohesion with his two other teammates, ages 18 and

20. “[Winning] is not about just one person doing well; there’s a lot of teamwork to it also,” Coby said. But for the team to succeed, individuals must be competent. Experience is the key to upping skill and ensuring a win, according to Coby. “This game is so random; you can’t base everything on a strategy all the time,” Coby said. “I’m so used to [Halo] because I have played it ever since it came out.”

ZERO DEGREES

of

Not every teenage boy can say that his mother pushes him to play Halo online for hours a day. But for sophomore Coby “Cobys2Fast” Yamauchi, gaming is a passion as well as an opportunity to compete against pro gamers. For Yamauchi, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 7, gaming is a viable opportunity to thrive without disadvantage. “We’re very fortunate he has video games,” said Coby’s mother, Ana Yamauchi. “He’s finally on an equal playing field with everyone else.” What first attracted Coby to Halo was a chance to bond with his older cousin. But 10 years later, the Yamauchi family sees his passion as prospectively scoring him the title of “pro.” Coby, who goes to Davis School for Independent Study, will travel next month to Orlando, Fla. to compete in a Halo tournament with his team of four, where he hopes to seat higher than ever and become a pro gamer. With more practice, Coby is optimistic that he can move from his personal best ranking of 33rd to 16th place. Once a team places 16th or better, the four gamers of the team are considered to have gone pro. Coby has already attended several tournaments this year, which are hosted by Major League Gaming in Dallas, Texas and Anaheim. Thousands of gamers from countries across the globe compete for a grand prize of $100,000 and for the title of pro gamer. But the top prizes are only awarded to the teams that can game for three days without losing, as competitors are eliminated after

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

By Kelsey Ewing & Kashmir Kravitz HUB Staff Writers

While the ordinary Halo player may not give Coby much competition (“I don’t think anyone in this room can beat me”), he enjoys the challenge of playing online with other prospective pros. This past summer, Coby hosted three pro teams in his house, where the teams practiced against each other in preparation for a tournament in Anaheim. In Anaheim, Coby’s team was less successful than at earlier tournaments. Connections like those made

SEPARATION even a combination!

By SHAUNA SIMON HUB Staff Writer

Describe the other two in one word. KT: Give me a second [grabs her iPhone thesaurus]. MS: Rudy, I’d say classy. Kiki, definitely dramatic. RB: Loud [Kiki] and tall [Mikie]. KT: Mikie, exuberant, and Rudy, vigorous.

Juniors Kiki Tanaka, Mikie Schlosser and Rudy Buhlman have been inseparable friends for five years. They always have fun together, whether they are playing lacrosse, having an intense water gun fight or spending a Friday night cuddling and eating ice cream.

What’s your favorite thing to do together? KT: Cruisin’, DACin’ [going to the gym]. RB: Gym, tan, lax [lacrosse]. MS: Eating and running, well running with Rudy. Oh! And watching the show “Say Yes to the Dress”... I always say yes.

Any weird quirks about each other that no one else would know? RB: Mikie’s a cover hog. When Mikie and I sleep together, he always hogs the blanket. MS: I like to get myself in a little crevice! Well now everyone knows we cuddle. Thanks Rudy! KT: Mikie likes to try on my clothes and Rudy likes to pick out my outfits.

What do you do when you hang out? KT: Mikie copies my homework. MS: I copy her homework and we eat her ice cream. RB: Yeah, eat ice cream. Also play lacrosse. Oh, and talk to Clay [Kiki’s dad].

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

What’s a fun fact that people should know about if they don’t know you guys? MS: Rudy has a 1968 GTO [Pontiac]. That’ll get you some friends, Rudy. He’s also really good at lacrosse. Kiki’s extremely needy! RB: Well, no one really knows Mikie has a brother. Mikie’s extremely athletic! Kiki’s got some nice calves along with an awful sock tan. KT: Mikie likes to touch my head. Rudy prefers pants over shorts. What’s your best memory together? KT: Once we had a huge Nerf gun fight. Rudy’s house was a battlefield! Mikie made his fortress and then it was every man for himself! MS: One time, I made this huge root beer float. KT: You always make those. MS: Yeah, but this one was more marvelous. I used like half a thing of ice cream.

with these pros and other gamers are significant reasons for Ana to encourage Coby’s gaming habits. “He knows he has to do his homework and exercise before he can play video games,” Ana said. “But [gaming] is his element.” The better Coby performs at Halo, the more Ana encourages him to continue in the direction toward going pro. “There’s not much else he can do,” Ana said. “If he were able bodied, things would be different.”

From left to right: Friends Kiki Tanaka, Rudy Buhlman and Mikie Schlosser.

RB: I’m gonna have to go with eating dinner with Clay and Chris [Kiki’s parents].

What food combination describes your friendship?

KT: I’d like to think that we’re like pie and ice cream. I’m the crust, because everything else depends on it. Rudy’s the filling that makes it fun and Mikie’s the ice cream. You know, just adds a little

extra! MS: Rudy is the peanut butter to my jelly. Yeah, I don’t really know how that made sense. RB: Pie. KT: Wow, Rudy, that’s not

Do you know of any secret obsessions the other two have? KT: Mikie really likes small animals and Rudy likes to have three lunches a day. RB: I don’t really know anything Kiki does like, but I know a lot of things she doesn’t like. Um, she doesn’t like being touched. She doesn’t really like me. And Mikie doesn’t like to change clothing. KT: Haha, oh my god, he never changes clothes! RB: And not really a secret, but [Mikie likes] sugar. Oh! And sour candy. MS: Well, after hearing that, Rudy and Kiki both suck. And anything I [buy] Kiki wants and begs for!


September 23, 2011

Page 4

Features Entertainment

Teachers go electronic Get The Look Facebook and other social media allow students, teachers to connect By Chloe Kim Editor-in-Chief

Shirt: $5 from All Things Right and Relevant

It’s no secret that AP courses require heavy workloads and lengthy in-depth discussions, and often lead to questions outside of class. In the past, students could email teachers individually, call a peer to tough it out together or simply try to tackle the problem on their own. These days, however, there’s a new alternative. To help facilitate learning, some teachers are turning to a medium familiar to most students: Facebook. Social studies teacher Hilary Brittan maintains a Facebook group for her AP U.S. History students. The group is classified as “closed” on Facebook, requiring an invite to gain access. The group format allows Brittan to interact with students through Facebook without “friending” students, which she is ethically opposed to. Brittan uses the group as a way to post assignments, update due dates, answer questions and host discussion of topics covered in class. Senior Alex Marelich, who took Brittan’s APUSH course as a junior, took advantage of the Facebook group and its features. “I usually lose a lot of my assignments, so when you go straight to the Facebook page, she puts them up as a public document so everyone can download them really easily,” Marelich said. The biggest advantage of reaching out using Facebook is the ease of access for the students, according to Brittan. Because Facebook allows Brittan and students to post on a wall visible to all members of the group, it often fosters more efficient communication. “It’s a way for me to be able to communicate with them and create a forum that is easy for them to use,” Brittan said. “I can communicate with them in real time, and everybody can get their answer at once, as opposed to one kid emailing me a question and receiving one response. It helps a lot of other people.” Another benefit of using a social network as a teaching tool is the sense of community it fos-

Add group me

Belt: $15 from H&M

mbership?

Do you want

to join “DHS APU

SH?

Cancel

ANNAMARIE PILON/ HUB GRAPHIC

Join

cebook has specific advantages not available through other mediums. Lee sees Facebook as a way to reach out to students in a manner familiar to them. “It seems to be a very useful way to connect with students and get the information out to them in a way they find easily accessible,” Lee said. “I’m able to easily post links on the Facebook page. It’s easy to post reminders or announcements regarding modification of assignments. The difference between the Facebook page and email is that you’re meeting students where they already are. The students who have talked to me like it very much.” Like Brittan, Lee likes the interactive nature of Facebook. “Students can post questions to each other and study together. I’ve seen that happen with AP U.S. History with some of the document-based questions and the discussions there. They can clarify and help each other study,” Lee said.

Skirt: Homemade

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

ters. Senior Vivian Au, who also took Brittan’s APUSH course last year, believes the Facebook group helped the students in the class to bond. “Our APUSH support group from last year was used a lot. It was helpful academic-wise and made our class more tight-knit,” Au said. Brittan agrees. “Because the class is so rigorous, it’s a way for them to have sort of a community among themselves where they can help each other, and I think it fosters kind of a family atmosphere. They get a lot closer through that,” she said. “My kids do a study guide every single week for a chapter in their AP book and if they’re having a problem struggling with something, they’ll post a question asking, ‘Hey, where did you find the information for question three on here?’ and people respond. It’s a constant sort of academic dialogue.” Social studies teacher Chris Lee, who has a Facebook page for his APUSH and his AP Human Geography classes, also believes Fa-

Shoes: Gift from a friend in Nicaragua GIRL OF THE GOLDEN DRESS Senior Lin Yang describes herself as more of a girly person, and enjoys expressing it by wearing fun clothes while not spending too much cash. She enjoys creating her own items of clothing and draws inspiration from various magazines. “I love to just look through all of the pictures,” Yang said. The first thing Yang ever made was in eighth grade textiles class, where she made a gold sequin dress. “I would never wear it, but it was a lot of fun to make!” she said. By GENNY BENNETT HUB Staff Writer

Day in the life In between a hectic day of homework, chores and school, junior Mike McTygue still finds time to fulfill his love of football. With lunchtime meetings, weightlifting and full-padded practice, the varsity football player gets in almost six hours of football a day. McTygue plays as a linebacker and third string quarterback. This will be McTygue’s eighth season playing football in Davis. 6:40 a.m.: Wakes up and finishes his homework from the night before. 8:00 a.m.: Walks his dog before school. 8:40 a.m.: Arrives at school. 11:52 a.m.: Attends football meeting and watches film of previous games. 2:35 p.m.: Weightlifts with football team. 3:15 p.m.: Goes over plays with coaches and team.

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

4:15 p.m.: Full-padded practice.

By NICK JUANITAS HUB Staff Writer

7:45 p.m.: Gets home from practice and eats dinner. 8:00 p.m.: Does homework. 9:30 p.m.: Passes out from exhaustion.

Check out homecoming radio stories on bluedevilhub.com

The HUB’s “Dirt on Davis” radio show airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. on KDRT, 93.7 FM.


September 23, 2011

Page 5

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE Opinions & Editorials

Soccer vs. Football By Kelly Goss Editor-in-Chief

Each fall, high schools around the U.S. host homecoming traditions around a varsity football game, but should DHS continue this tradition? The majority of DHS students have spent part of their childhood participating in the Davis Youth Soccer League and American Youth Soccer Organization programs. Should the DHS homecoming match the strong presence of soccer in the Davis community? Students and coaches debate the answer.

Stick with football tradition

Soccer is best homecoming choice for Davis

Although soccer is her favorite sport to watch, varsity soccer player Arianna Heyer believes that homecoming should be kept as a tradition for football. Heyer believes that football “is a sport that in the community at large is largely appreciated and in the spirit of American high school tradition is the sport to be focused on for homecoming festivities.” Varsity football coach Steve Smyte feels that if DHS hosted a soccer homecoming instead of a football homecoming, the school would be looked at as a joke. “I respect what soccer players do and I applaud their success; however, football is king in America,” he said. Senior linebacker Corey Nelson and junior linebacker Bray Harwood, both players for the varsity team, feel that DHS should keep homecoming for the football team because soccer already has many traditions and recognition in the

tify Davis as the soccer-oriented town it is. “A tradition would be lost, but Davis would become more special because it went against the standard,” Yen said. Toofan doesn’t suggest that DHS commit now to a soccer homecoming, but take the chance to try a new tradition. “ I’ve never heard of another school hosting a soccer game for their homecoming, and I think that this approach would be a great chance for this school to try something completely new,” he said. “And worst case scenario, if this idea for some reason utterly fails, we’ve only wasted one year.” For Anderson, DHS hosting a soccer homecoming would be a chance for him to “play [his] heart out in front of a stadium full of fans and represent DHS.”

CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC

Senior Kaveh Toofan feels that “sometimes it’s not bad to break tradition. With a team that finished second in its sectionfinals last year, a soccer homecoming game would be nothing but exciting,” he said. Men’s varsity soccer coach Ashley Yudin feels that a soccer homecoming at DHS “is a novel idea” but that it is not in the hands of coaches. “ I do not think that it is bad to look at the issue, but it is up to the students and the administration,” Yudin said. Toofan and men’s varsity soccer player Connor Anderson believe that students are suggesting a soccer homecoming because of the popularity of the annual Davis vs. Jesuit game. “There must be a reason that so many people acquire so much happiness and enjoyment from such a simple game,” Toofan said. “People experience so much suspense, heart breaking, gratification and ecstasy from soccer.” Senior Michael Yen feels that a soccer homecoming game would bring more school spirit because the soccer team holds more successful game statistics in its past than the football team does. Yen also feels that a soccer homecoming would iden-

Davis community. “Losing homecoming would wipe out any chances of making football bigger in Davis,” Harwood said. Senior Kate Latsch, a varsity soccer player, feels that homecoming should be saved for the football team because the soccer team already has the annual Davis vs. Jesuit game, and that football games are more social events than soccer games. Heyer also agrees that the different atmospheres of soccer versus football games makes football games a better candidate for homecoming. “A football game takes two to three hours and there is much more time without action. A soccer game is shorter and more intense, especially if it were to be played on the grass soccer field,” she said. Senior Harrison Castañon agrees with Heyer and Latsch that football games tie into the homecoming social aspects and that a soccer game would not work with the traditions of homecoming such as cheerleaders and the parade. For Heyer, a football homecoming “would mean a typical event of American high school that allows for a lot of social interaction with the entire student body.”

The Compromise

Seniors Reta Gasser and Jacob Weiss, a men’s varsity soccer player, propose a compromise: keep all DHS football traditions but simply add another homecoming for soccer. “The more the better,” Weiss said. “Two homecomings would only add more school unity and spirit.” Gasser feels that giving soccer its own official homecoming would recognize and give credit to the strong soccer presence in the community and the high school. “Two homecomings could be a way to show the diversity of sports at DHS and the progressiveness of Davis,” she said. Toofan feels though that in the end, “no matter what sport is chosen for homecoming, DHS students will come out and support our school 110 percent.”

By Anna Sturla HUB Staff Writer

Every school day, regardless of weather or temperature, there are dozens of DHS students walking around in college sweatshirts. Many of them are displaying their passion for a college sports team, or have family members attending the school. However, there are those that wear college sweatshirts to tell the world exactly where they are going next, showing off Yale, Princeton, Stanford and Harvard sweatshirts, months before the supposed admission. There is nothing wrong with being warm, a bit ambitious, or proud of a favorite college sports team. But there are other sweatshirts, other ways of motivation, and no one applies to Harvard solely for its athletic reputation. There is something wrong with very publicly and visually advertising a plan to attend the world’s most competitive college; wearing sweatshirts from such intensely selective schools does not exactly boast either forethought or good manners. It’s like a football player walking onto the Super

Bowl field wearing an “MVP” shirt. If he doesn’t get the honor, he seems overly presumptuous, and if he does, he still seems rude. There’s also a hysteria that can build up about college. Though the competitive climate at DHS can spur many individuals to perform better in academics, students wearing the sweatshirts of the nation’s most exclusive universities gives the message to others that they should also be aiming for the most exclusive and selective colleges that might not even be the right fit for them. But perhaps the greatest reason why it’s a bad idea to parade in a sweatshirt from a highly selective college is that, by definition, most people do not get in. A cumulative 94 people applied to Stanford from DHS for the school years 2010-2012, according to the DHS Naviance program. Only 12 got in. There have been more than 12 Stanfordsweatshirt wearing DHS students in the past two school years. Most of these individuals wearing these sweatshirts and applying to these schools have worked hard, with the majority enrolling in the hardest classes and

ANNAMARIE/HUB GRAPHIC

Students bundled up in too much pride

taking the most prestigious extracurriculars. With the putting on of the sweatshirt at the start of their high school career, for a sad many there will also be a taking-off the sweatshirt, and a putting on of those safety school sweatshirts. This robs many of the ability to feel proud of their still-exceptional accomplishment. Most have still gotten into excellent schools, but instead of feeling a healthy pride, many can only feel a letdown that they didn’t get into that one top-10 school. This also disregards the many individuals who also worked hard, just to get into those schools. DHS students should apply away to all the most exclusive schools to their heart’s content, but they should at the very least wait until after the college accepts them before they start wearing that sweatshirt.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Write a letter! The HUB appreciates its readers and enjoys hearing feedback. If you want to write us a letter, submit it to L-20 or dhshub@gaggle.net. Your opinion matters! The HUB Policy The HUB is written, edited and typed by members of the DHS HUB class. It is a non-profit publication paid for by advertisements and donations. The HUB was established as an open forum of student ideas and expression. Our content reflects the interests and ideas of students but not necessarily those of the Davis Senior High School administration and faculty. Staff opinions are the majority opinion of the HUB staff. This publication is not subject to prior review. The administration of Davis Senior High School should not be held responsible for The HUB’s content. The HUB 315 W. 14th St. Davis, CA 95616 Editors-in-Chief: Kelly Goss, Chloe Kim Copy Editor: Gary Djajapranata News Editor: Daniel Tutt Features Editor: Anna Sturla Op-Ed Editor: Madie Delmendo Entertainment Editor: Rubia Siddiqi Sports Editor: Kelsey Ewing In-Depth Editor: Monica LopezLara Infographic Editor: Emily Gao Website Editor: Lauren Blackwell Webmaster: Marc Santana

Radio Producer: Grace Calhoun Art Director: Charlotte Chen Graphic Artists: Annamarie Pilon, Henry Anker Photographers: Anders Young, Peter Lin, Lani Chang, Jenny Davisson Business Manager: Jiajing Zhang HUB Staff Writers: Glenn Hull, Mara Seaton, Nick Juanitas, Genny Bennett, Linda Ge, Katie Van Deynze, Meem Mohsin, Shauna Simon, Kashmir Kravitz Adviser: Kelly Wilkerson


Page 6

In-Depth

September 23, 2011

EMMA CLOUSE/COURTESY PHOTO

We reme A decade after

Senior Emma Clouse, sophomore Chloe Clouse and family members stand across the harbor from the Twin Towers in 2001. This photo was taken on a family trip eight days before the Sept. 11 attacks.

Teaching the day when history stopped By Anna Sturla HUB Staff Writer

Hilary Brittan was a college student on Sept. 11, 2001. She received a phone call early that morning from her sister, telling her to turn on her TV. Brittan did, and watched as the events of Sept.11 unfolded. She was joined by a growing number of her fellow Americans, as frantic phone calls were made, as radio clocks went off, and as mothers woke up their children—some of them Brittan’s future students—telling them that something terrible had just happened. Together they watched, in shock and horror, as a second plane hit, as people leapt from buildings, as two towers fell 3,000 miles away. They watched as their country’s shining city on a hill choked in a noxious cloud of smoke, construction material and human dust. Every September, Brittan and other social studies teachers make a choice of whether or not they should teach about Sept. 11, 2001. They must contend with the confines of a fast-paced curriculum, the emotional rawness to both themselves and their students, and, finally, a student body that did not ex-

perience Sept. 11 first-hand. The events of Sept. 11 were shown on live television. For many of those who watched, the experience is a traumatic memory. “I don’t remember the TV being turned off for a couple of days,” Brittan said. “And I remember crying. And I didn’t really start crying til they were interviewing the people who were on the street, who were just covered in dirt and dust and debris, and people were just walking around dazed…and early on, when they were showing people jumping to their deaths from the buildings.” “It’s really painful,” Fern O’Brien, another social studies teacher, said. O’Brien remembers telling her husband that he should write a memoir about how much his life has changed since the attacks. Her husband has served multiple deployments in the U.S. Air Force, and is currently serving as a colonel. “You’ve been gone half our daughters’ lives,” she remembered telling him. “And all because of that.” Social studies teachers must also deal with students who have been either directly or indirectly affected by the attacks, treading the boundary between emotional sensitivity and doing justice to an event that changed their students’ lives. “I think that 9/11 has just impacted my

life, and still impacts people’s lives, and people seem to forget that,” said senior Emma Clouse, whose father is also currently serving as a colonel in the Air Force. “My dad is still serving because of that day,” she said. Some teachers choose not to go as indepth about the specific details of Sept. 11 because of how students might react. “I think it’s very hard to watch [coverage of 9/11],” O’Brien said, “and for some students…I don’t know how it’s going to affect them.” Peter Reilly, another social studies teacher, said he has not changed his curriculum about the day because of how students might feel about it. However, on the day of the attacks, he did allow one student, whose mother was a United Airlines flight attendant on the New York to San Francisco route, to be excused. “I remember calling his house that night to make sure everything was all right,” Reilly said. But while social studies teachers would like to cover the events of Sept.11 and their impact on global and national affairs, many feel the pressure to keep up with the fastpaced and highly structured curriculum required for the AP exams. Some teachers may reflect on the day with their college prep

classes, but do not have the time to do the same with their AP classes. “You’re on such a treadmill,” Reilly said. “You can’t take time. You can’t take an hour.” Ultimately, the greatest challenge is that the DHS student population is changing, and in the future, students will have been too young during the attacks of Sept. 11 to remember them. Teachers must now strive to teach students the importance of the event, even though it may be hard for these students to put themselves in the shoes of those affected because they were too young. “I think it’s important for young people to understand that the world doesn’t revolve around them,” Reilly said, who stresses the importance of empathy. “It may seem really far away, and it may seem like has nothing to do with you,” O’Brien said, “but you’d be surprised how people are connected.” “I think that you really can’t understand history, unless you can walk in someone else’s shoes,” Brittan said. “If you can see things from all people’s perspectives, then you can make the most informed decisions, because you care about someone other than yourself.”


Page 7

In-Depth

ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC

The HUB

ember . . . the destruction Terror on the television Ten years ago the Blue Devils of today were in kindergarten, first and second grade. We were young, but the attacks of Sept.11 will always stay with us. Although The HUB contacted sophomores, those interviewed were too young to clearly remember the attacks. We remember… Alex Barbaria, senior On Sept. 11, I was in second grade. We were running late for my carpool to school with my neighbors. We ran over to their house and were knocking furiously at the door and no one came. So we just walked in and they were all standing around the television. I can still remember where the television was, on the far side of the living room. They told us to watch the television and that’s when I saw the second plane hit the tower and all the parents were silent. I went to school and talked about it in class for the rest of the day, not knowing at that time how big of a deal it actually was. Patrick Zhang, senior I was watching “The Simpsons” and I was pissed off that this was interrupting my show because I didn’t know what was going on. I was like “Mom! There’s something on the TV that is not ‘The Simpsons’.” I didn’t realize until a couple years later how significant that event was in history. Daniel Dutulescu, junior I remember waking up and hearing the TV buzz loudly. It was a foggy day, depressing and thick. Then my mom came in my room to tell me what happened. At that age, in the first grade, I didn’t understand her. Now that I look back, it’s an eerie feeling. I feel bad for everyone that lost a loved one, not only in the incident, but also in the war. I cannot fully understand what they must be feeling; it must be unbearable. Furthermore, I feel bad

for the kids at school that were bullied and treated badly by the stereotypes formed after the incident. Zanyar Mansoubi, senior I was at school and my teacher told the class. She was super quiet, and said, “Kids, we’ve had an attack on New York. Some terrorists took down a couple buildings.” I think this was before the Pentagon plane hit. Someone called my teacher on her cell phone and she started crying. Emily Urhammer-Morrow, senior I woke up and usually I would go into my mom’s room because she would have the TV on. I went in and I remember that she was getting dressed. I remember that she was in the middle of putting on tights, and she just stopped with her tights on only one foot and stared at the TV. I had no idea what was happening. I looked at the TV just in time to see the first plane fly into the tower. I remember the news lady kept on talking and the planes kept hitting the towers and they were falling over and she had no idea what was happening. I was really confused and my mom kept on shushing me when I would ask her questions. Then we went to school and sat in a big circle and talked about it all day long. Cynthia Ochoa, senior I remember my mom picking me, my brother and cousin up from school and rushing us home. I remember her being scared and as soon as we got through the door, she turned

on the TV. I remember us all crying and being so scared… I just remember my mom saying some bad guys were trying to hurt us and that they killed a lot of people. Hannah Puckett, junior I remember I was eating cereal for breakfast, watching cartoons and getting ready for school. All of a sudden, the cartoons switched to the news showing a plane crashing into the Twin Towers and my mom was going “Oh my God!” and stealing the TV from me to watch the news coverage. I’m happy that they made a memorial to remember all the innocent people and the rescuers who died in the attacks. Hopefully, it made a lot of families who lost people feel better. Stephanie Cello, junior I remember seeing it on TV while getting ready for school with my mom. My mom was in shock, but I didn’t understand what was going on. Even though I do not know anyone that died on 9/11, I still get sad and angry for what happened. Kenneth Chow, junior I remember my parents and teachers talking about it, and the reporters on TV were interviewing victims and families. I remember it was on the TV and radio for months after the incident. Ceci Cajandig, junior I was sitting on a couch watching the TV which showed the towers falling down ei-

ther live or recorded; I can’t remember. All I know is that at the time, I didn’t think much of the event because I didn’t understand what was going on. It seemed more like a movie than reality. Kate Harris, junior I was 6, so I don’t really remember much about it. I think my parents were watching it on TV and that’s how I found out. I feel like the amount of security we have to put up with regarding it is ridiculous. I think that it’s exactly the response that the terrorists wanted, and that we should have approached it differently. Brian Reed, junior I remember my parents telling me something and watching the news a lot, but I didn’t understand what happened until the next day. At school, we had a moment of silence right after recess, and that’s when I finally understood what had happened. After hearing more and more about what happened, I understood it more. I kinda wish I had been older when it happened. I was only in first grade. So I feel like if I had been older, it would have a greater effect on me. But it is still a significant memory, and a date in history that I will never forget. Stories compiled by Madie Delmendo & Monica Lopez-Lara HUB Staff Writers

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

What do you think has changed in the past 10 years?

Grace Navarrot, junior: “People tend to be more stereotypical about certain ethnic groups and airport security has dramatically increased.”

Yunus Tezcan, senior: “It takes a lot longer to get through the airport and people from Idaho called me a terrorist because I’m Middle Eastern.”

Cara Meadows-Smith, senior: “My dad knew a lot of people that died on 9/11 which had a negative impact. At airports, people think I’m a terrorist and I get checked all the time.”

Shayne Clementi, senior: “I don’t remember much about traveling before 9/11, but now it’s really stressful to travel.”


The HUB

Page 8

DEVIL’S FUNHOUSE Entertainment

Teen art show displays student work

Environmentally friendly creations fill Davis Arts Center A Girl Scout for a decade, senior Elizabeth Kubey always knew that the day would come for her to complete a Gold Award, the highest achievement within the organization. One component of Kubey’s Gold Award is Teen Eco Art (TEA), an art show for teens addressing environmental issues. Kubey says that she focused on teens for her art show because she believes that they are more open minded and can be influenced into participating in the efforts to clean the community. The inspiration for TEA flourished from a combination of Kubey’s love of art and passion for protecting the environment. “I have always been into the environment and very persistent about making friends recycle, so I knew I wanted to involve that with my Gold Award project,” Kubey said. “Then junior year I took Art History and Drawing/Painting and discovered how awesome art can be with expressing an idea and opening our eyes to the world,” Kubey said. Although Kubey has already been completing prerequisites for her Gold Award for a few years, she only began organizing TEA this past July, when she contacted teens whom she thought may be interested in participating in the art show. After positive feedback from many local teens, Kubey began to contact local gallery owners and decided to hold the show in the Davis Arts Center. Since before the beginning of the school year, Kubey has been advertising her show on Facebook and putting up flyers in DHS art rooms and in local businesses in Downtown Davis. Kubey says that while organizing the event, she has received positive

MONICA LOPEZ-LARA/HUB PHOTO

By Monica Lopez-lara HUB Staff Writer

Senior Blake McDonald works on his art pieces in art teacher Lynette Diem’s second period ceramics class on Sept. 16. McDonald was contacted by Kubey, who had seen his previous work, to participate in Teen Eco Art.

support and enthusiasm from the Davis community. “I’ve been thrilled with the response for the show; I never thought I could get so many people to come together so fast. I’ve been in contact with about 35 teen artists who are interested in the project. The director of the Davis Art Center, Erie Vitiello, has been very helpful figuring out details for the show,” Kubey said. One teen artist whom Kubey

contacted was senior Blake McDonald. McDonald decided to participate in the show by submitting a ceramic piece about art’s impact on the environment. Senior Rose Leander is also participating in the art show. Her contribution to the art show was inspired by nature. “I submitted photos to the show; I took some of ladybugs on a rock and one of a bird’s nest in someone’s hand,” Leander said.

Kubey says that ultimately, her goal for this project is to leave a lasting impression on the Davis community, and to spread awareness about how environmental issues impact our community and how the town can come together to help as a whole. “Through Teen Eco Art, teens will express their views on the beauty of nature and the importance of recycling, reusing, and reducing waste ... overall I want

people to think about their actions and how they impact the environment,” Kubey said. DHS clubs such as Environmental Club and Peer Helping will also be assisting with the show’s set-up, pick-up and reception on Sept. 24 from 7-8:30 p.m. Donations raised from the reception will go toward installing recycling bins at DHS’s football stadium.

Drama students to perform in Scotland Senior Travis Selph was driving to his home in West Sacramento on the night of Sept. 8. Although his eyes were on the road, his mind was as far from I-80 as possible. His thoughts were consumed by only one question: Will I make the list? Selph, along with approximately 50 other drama students, attended three days of tryouts in the Richard Brunelle Performing Arts Building to see if he would be selected to perform in “Tartuffe,” a comedy by the French playwright Molière. At 8 p.m. on Sept. 8, a final casting list went out informing Selph and 22 others that they were selected. Normally, the stakes wouldn’t be so high, but according to Selph, this isn’t just any old play that will have a three day stint on campus. The production that Selph will be in will be put on in Edinburgh, Scotland in the summer of 2012. The DHS drama department received a letter from the American High School Theater Festival last February informing it that it had been nominated to apply to perform at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh. The department was nominated by a late friend of Drama teacher Gwyn Bruch’s as a surprise. Unfortunately, he passed before he had a chance to see their success. Established in 1947, the festival, commonly called “The Fringe”, sold more than 1 million tickets in 2009. Before their performance in

ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC

By Mara Seaton HUB Staff Writer

Endi n burgh, the drama deapartment will get plenty of practice performing “Tartuffe” in March at DHS. “Tartuffe,” or “The Imposter,” is a French comedy about a family fooled by a man named Tartuffe who is posing as a holy man in order to swindel a family out of their fortune. Selph was selected to play Orgon, the patriarch of the unlucky family. Bruch had an opportunity to attend the most recent festival and was both intimidated and excited. “I was beyond scared,” she said, “and it was the most life-changing trip I’ve ever taken.” The group will perform on an international stage in front of audiences ranging from dozens to hundreds of people. When the selected drama students arrive in Scotland next summer, they will be able to see profes-

sional and college productions, connect with different high schools from the U.S. and Canada and perform the play four times. The group will also get a chance t o ex-

plore Scotland. “The entire trip will be very busy, but I hear speculation that we might actually be able to visit the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the castle they use [for the Harry Potter films],” Selph said. The festival is the world’s largest festival of the arts and is very selective. Out of approximately 350 schools across America and Canada, DHS was one of 51 to be selected to perform. This op-

portunity is not being taken lightly by those fortunate enough to be chosen. “I feel very, very privileged to be one of the few selected as well as being able to make one of the two lead roles with one of my friends, Jack Davis,” Selph said. According to Bruch, getting accepted to the festival was the hardest part. “One of the catagories the board judged on was how many trophies you’ve won. We don’t win trophies,” Bruch said. Instead of trophies, the drama department put together a fiveminute video with footage from past productions and three pages of testimonials from parents, teachers and community members praising the productions. “I thought that was amazing that we didn’t need trophies. Our work spoke for itself,” Bruch said. Despite some misunderstandings amongst the cast, they will not be performing in front of judges. The Fringe is not a competitive festival. “The competitive part was getting chosen,” Bruch said. Bruch will go to the festival with chaperones and 23 students in Au-

gust of 2012. In order to do so, they will need to start fundraising far in advance. “I don’t travel, I don’t fundraise, and I don’t do festivals, and we are going to a festival and we are fundraising for $100,000, which, I’ll faint if I really think about. And we’re traveling to Edinburgh, and we’re all incredibly excited,” Bruch said. To start raising money for the trip, fundraising manager Christine Alexander is now organizing “DHS Drama Presents: A Faerie Tale Frenzy,” a children’s carnival from 1-4 p.m. on Sept. 25. “You can come with your kid and everybody in the drama department will be in costume, dressed up like princes and princesses,” Alexander said. “You can get food and listen to music and our group, Fairytales on Request, will be performing. If you wanna come with your kid and get knighted… come check it out.” Alexander suggests that students who are interested in donating should talk to her about fundraising opportunities and visit Bruch in P-11 or check out www.dhsdrama. net.


Page 9

September 23, 2011

Entertainment

Cafe Diablo debuts

Teachers Chris Lee and Helen Spangler perform for a live audience during Picnic Day at UC Davis with their band, South City Lights. The pop/rock band performs at many local venues in Yolo County throughout the year.

Teachers, students express themselves through music By Rubia Siddiqi Entertainment Editor

While giving a lecture on reflective writing, English teacher Helen Spangler suddenly strayed from her original point about descriptive sentences and instead started reminiscing about her experiences performing in front of live audiences. Aside from her professional career as a teacher, Spangler has devoted a large part of her life to music--her escape from stress. “As I’ve grown older, music has become even more important to me because life is hard, you have responsibilities and it is important to do something for yourself,” she said. “Music is my way to forget about the responsibilities I have for a little while.” For the past 20 years, Spangler has been in various music groups and she has worked with many different musicians along with her

husband, Tim Spangler. Through experimentation, she has developed her talent and discovered what she enjoys. “I play the electric bass, which is really fun. I’m pretty protective of it because people always want a turn performing it.” Currently, Spangler is part of a band called South City Lights with her husband Tim and social studies teacher Chris Lee. The band assembled about one year ago, when Spangler and her husband learned that Lee shared their passion for music. “It was actually kind of funny. Our kids were best friends and we met at my daughter’s birthday party and we started talking about music—that was probably the first real conversation I had ever had with [Lee],” Spangler said. To produce a song, South City Lights goes through a process of drafting ideas, then continues on to edit the draft, where the band members collaborate lyrics, melo-

dies, chords and sound ideas. Finally, they focus on details that will make the final piece. Spangler is very satisfied with her group members and believes she and her husband have found a stable band to work with. “Because we’re all around the same age range, we have common influences, which helps when we are composing a song,” she said. Teachers are not the only ones who have musical talent; a select number of students also have a keen sense of music. Da Vinci senior Nat Lefkoff is part of the band Simon and the Fire Breathers, which has been active for two years. “We play around the area pretty frequently, give out and sell CDs and we post music on the web,” Lefkoff said. Lefkoff and the three other members of Simon and the Fire Breathers compose music using rhythm guitar, bass, drums and electric guitar. The rock/alterna-

tive band writes songs about many subjects, usually circling the topics of life, death, meaning and love. “[Being a part of a band is great because] it’s really fun. Performing for other people is one of the most fulfilling things I do,” Lefkoff said. Junior Jason Harris also likes participating in a band and, like Simon and the Fire Breathers, his band, Uncle Tony, performs at local venues in Davis and Sacramento. Both these bands and South City Lights feature their music on websites for fans to enjoy. Uncle Tony consists of four members who devote two hours per week to perfecting their songs and performance. The members are inspired mainly by music, rather than life experiences as Simon and the Fire Breathers. “As a band, we enjoy the freedom to express ourselves through our music,” Harris said.

Thanks to the efforts of the DHS Ambassadors, students at DHS will soon have their very own cafe – complete with food, beverages and comfortable furniture. The DHS Ambassadors is a group of students who work with head counselor Courtenay Tessler to improve the DHS community and act as a student voice in school affairs. The group brainstormed the idea last year, envisioning a place where students could relax, do homework and chat with friends. “The idea just came up one day, and Ms. Tessler said it was a really great idea and we kept it on our list of things we wanted to do,” senior Emma Clouse said. The students and teachers started to figure out logistics and ask around to see if this idea was possible. After hearing the ambassadors’ idea, ROP Yolo County called and offered to fund the project. ROP offered to pay for the teacher, Jeanne Pettigrew, and contributed a start-up fee. The cafe will be run by students in Pettigrew’s new ROP Food Services class, and they will be learning to run the cafe like a business, creating the menu and making the food. “The food is up to ROP Food Service. They can sell whatever. Our job is to keep it legal,” Clouse said. For example, the ambassadors have to work around a state law that says you cannot sell 30 minutes before or after school, according to senior Tomas Gepts. And caffeinated drinks are not allowed to be sold on campus, according to Clouse. Due to this rule, the coffee sold at the cafe will be decaffeinated. The Cafe Diablo crew was able to pick up used furniture from Borders. “Cafe Diablo will be using some liquidated furniture from Borders, which I helped move this summer,” senior Emma Hunter said. According to Tessler they even got the “Seattle’s Best” sign. Cafe Diablo will be located in the C-building in the old social sciences offices. Gepts explained that Cafe Diablo will be helpful for students who “have to be there before school for a test makeup, or if you have to be there after for sports.” Hunter hopes that it will be open at lunch so students will be able to sit inside on rainy days. Tessler explained that after school “there will be the opportunity for clubs to have it after school and they can use it for a fundraiser, sponsor an event, an open mic or maybe comedy hour to advertise it.” Tessler estimated that Cafe Diablo will be open for business in four to six weeks.

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO

HELEN SPANGLER/COURTESY PHOTO

By Katie Van Deynze & Chloe Kim HUB Staff Writers

Students walk past the old social sciences offices in the C-building, which will soon become Cafe Diablo. In about four to six weeks, the studentrun cafe will be available to those on campus before and after school.


September 23, 2011

Page 10

Sports

Olympic-level bonding

Sports stats

DHS vs. Jesuit Rivalry soccer game, Sept. 23

By Emily Gao Infographic Editor

STATS

By Emily Gao Infographic editor

Information comes from coaches and athletes. An asterisk (*) indicates preseason record.

Cross country

Top women runners: Sophie Meads, Tess Williams, Laney Teaford Top men runners: Jack Scranton, Daniel Gonzalez, Ryan Greenough Next meet: Stanford Invitational at Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 24

Varsity field hockey

Record: 2-2-0 Next home game: Monday, Sept. 26 at 4:00 against Lassen Leading scorer: Kylie Drexel

PETER LIN/ HUB ILLUSTRATION

KABA ALKEBULAN/ COURTESY PHOTO

At the start of each season, the JV and varsity field hockey teams combine in an annual bonding event called the Field Hockey Olympics. The players are put into Olympic teams and each team comes up with a secret theme. Everything they do during the competition relates back to their team theme. Each team is judged on its costumes, its skits and its performance in activities such as the three-legged race and Ultimate Frisbee. In order to persuade the judges, who are the coaches, that their team is the best, every team brings bribes for them. Sophomore Natalie Silver says that “the whole thing is just kind of over the top” and everyone gets really into it and goes crazy. Members of Silver’s team, the Rednecks, dressed up in plaid, made beer bellies, and painted their necks red. Their bribes to the judges were sunflower seeds, beef jerky, root beer and KFC. In her opinion, the “best part [of the Olympics] is rolling up in the car with your team all piled in, where everybody gets to see what you’re dressed up as.” In addition to the big celebration at the start of the new season, the JV field hockey team holds scavenger hunts downtown, has pasta feeds and attends football games together throughout the year. For JV home games, each player is assigned a buddy player on the team who she give gifts to before the game.

JV field hockey

Record: 2-2-0 Next home game: Monday, Sept. 26 at 2:30 against Lassen Leading scorer: Sara Pinto

Varsity football

Record: 2-1-0* Next home game: Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:15 against Colfax Leading scorers: Winfred Roberson & Kris Mackewitz Impact player: Shayne Reagan (eight touchdowns)

By Linda Ge HUB Staff Writer

JV football

Nothing is as intense as the rivalry between the DHS and Jesuit High School soccer teams. School bleachers are never as packed as they are when it’s time for the annual game. This year, the soccer players are trying to live up to high expectations. KABA Jesuit junior Kaba Alkebulan is a starting defensive midfielder. He is looking forward to the upcoming game. “I love the rivalry because I know Davis brings their A-game and it’s fun to have really good competition,” Alkebulan said. In 2003, Jesuit soccer was #1 in the nation, according to NSCAA/ Adidas, the authority on soccer rankings. Alkebulan is aware of his peers’ high expectations. “Classmates always expect a good, strong game that a lot of people attend. They really expect us to do well, so we use that as a part of motivation,” Alkebulan said. He is confident in his team’s skills and powerful dynamic. “We have a strong team that really meshes together and [we] make each other play better.”

KIAN Junior Kian Bagheri is a center midfielder on the DHS varsity team. In the face of the Jesuit challenge, Bagheri is calm and collected. He feels that his team is prepared for the game. “People talk about it. It’s always on our minds. Every game we play is in preparation for the Jesuit game. Yes, there is a lot of pressure for us to do well, but at the moment, we are taking every game as it comes. We’ve been there before and we know what is required of us,” Bagheri said. Bagheri says that the team has been working on a series of new strategies. “I think we will have a very good approach going into the game. We know they are fast and good on the counterattack. We’ll want to stop that. Every game or practice from here on out will be vital in preparation for the Jesuit game, and we will do everything we can to ensure that we will be successful,” Bagheri said.

Record: 2-1-0* Next home game: Friday, Sept. 23 at 5:00 against Colfax Impact players: Marvin Grant, Wally Perez, Joey Dossa, Ricky Rico, Eli Castro & Zac Slavich

Women’s water polo

Record: 5-1-0 Next home game: Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 3:25 at Arroyo Pool against Franklin

Men’s varsity soccer

Record: 6-1-2 Next home game: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 4:00 against Monterey Trail Leading Scorer: Tom Nolan & Colin Holtz

Men’s JV soccer

Record: 9-0-0 Next home game: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 against Monterey Trail Leading Scorer: David Villegas

Women’s varsity volleyball

Record: 7-1-0* Next home game: Thursday, Sept. 29 at 6:00 against Woodland

Women’s JV volleyball

Record: 5-2-0* Next home game: Thursday, Sept. 29 at 5:00 against Woodland

5 FACTS ABOUT WOMEN’S TENNIS COACH SALLY HOSLEY By Glenn hull HUB Staff Writer

4

1 2

She played high school tennis at Lincoln in Stockton. She enjoyed it because all of her tennis buddies played at her rival schools, so she got to play against them every week. Her team wasn’t very strong, and the girls were not very serious, but it was a fun experience, according to Hosley.

UC Davis was a perfect fit for her. She was the fourth child in her family to attend the university, so she was very familiar with the campus. Her favorite part of playing on the UCD team was traveling and playing around the country with girls who became her best friends.

3

HENRY ANKER/ HUB GRAPHIC

Her favorite tennis acomplishments were playing number one singles and doubles for UCD in her freshman year and when she made it to the semifinals of a national tournament at age 16. In the old days, her parents would drop her off at a tournament in the Bay Area on Monday and pick her up on Friday. Players would stay at other players’ homes for a week. That’s how she connected with all her tennis friends; she is still friends with them today. “DHS has been a great school,” Hosley said. Also, her players are very committed to their academics throughout the tennis season.

5

She feels lucky to have been raised playing and competing in tennis. After playing in college, she was burned out and did not pick up a racket for six years. Shortly after and between having three children, she played occasionally. Now, she’s “fortunate enough to be able to coach and teach every day!”

ATHLETES OF THE ISSUE

Men’s varsity water polo player David Lester has been playing water polo since sixth grade. Lester is still deciding whether or not to pursue his sport at colleges like UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, Claremont McKenna or Pomona, or whether to play in college through a club team. Whatever his decision, Lester says he “will definitely continue to play water polo after high school.”

Nikki Persinger, center for the women’s varsity volleyball team, has been playing volleyball ever since the seventh grade and for all of her three years at DHS. Persinger is still deciding whether or not she will play at the collegiate level at a Division II school. Why do you love your sport?

Why do you love your sport?

It really gives me a sense of fufillment, and I love being on a team with everyone and being around great people.

Whenever I’m stressed out from school or homework, it’s a really good way to get out some stress. Plus, water polo never gets boring. There’s no downtime in the game and you’re always working. It’s a really intense, physical sport.

What’s your most memorable moment with volleyball? The moments when we’ve been able to run a strong offense and just building team rapport.

What’s typically running through your head when you’re playing in an intense match?

What’s typically running through your head during an intense match?

You really don’t have time to think in an intense water polo game. You only are thinking ‘where’s the ball? Where are the defenders? Where are my teammates?’ There’s so much going on that you don’t have time to think of much else.

I generally am just thinking about winning and am always asking myself what can I do to help my team be better. What have you learned from your sport?

I’ve really learned the value of working hard and that hard work pays off. We’ve also had to learn to work as a team. Last year we had a lot of talent on the team, but if you don’t work together that talent won’t matter.

By Kelly Goss Editor-In-Chief

PETER LIN/ HUB PHOTO

What have you learned from your sport?

I’ve learned the value of communication and how to be a good team player.


September 23, 2011

Page 11

Sports

New field hockey coach takes the turf The Lady Blue Devils of the varsity field hockey team will swing, steal and score under new leadership this year. Coach Sandie Marotti-Huckins may be new to coaching at DHS, but she is not at all new to coaching field hockey. For 20 years, she has been training field hockey teams across the country, including teams in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and UC Davis. Now coaching the Blue Devils, Marotti-Huckins says that she expects nothing less than former varsity coach Katy Loge did: be at practice, give 100 percent, take care of yourself and be there for your teammates. Marotti-Huckins has her sights set on very ambitious league goals. “I knew that, traditionally, Davis has always had a pretty decent team,” she said. “My biggest goal coming here was to make them better; not in the top three, but number one.” To accomplish this, MarottiHuckins is emphasizing some changes both on and off the field, including a focus on individual improvement. She also has a different competitive philosophy, stressing the importance of a “more controlled game.” Marotti-Huckins encompasses her philosophy into one single motto. “My policy is come, work hard, play hard, have a good time and

PETER LIN/HUB PHOTO

By Gary Djajapranata & Rubia Siddiqi HUB Staff Writers

Varsity field hockey coach Sandie Marotti-Huckins watches her team play Chico High School on Sept. 19. Marotti-Huckins replaced last year’s coach Katy Loge and, so far, the team has seen success with a record of two wins and two losses.

win,” she said. Marotti-Huckins also had the team elect four captains this season, which is double the amount that the team traditionally has. These captains are seniors Megan Whitworth and Brynne Satre and juniors Malia Fujisawa and Kayla Robinson. “We have four captains because each of us brings a different vibe,” Fujisawa said. “Megan and I are more motherly toward the team,

like team moms. And Kayla and Brynne are strong leaders and can control a crowd.” Fujisawa comments that ever since Marotti-Huckins took the reins of the team, the intensity and focus level of practice has increased. “When we’re doing drills, she doesn’t want us talking about school or boys...she wants us to practice,” Fujisawa said. Robinson adds that under the leadership of Marotti-Huckins,

practice is timed to allow for position-specific drills. According to Robinson, Marotti-Huckins sets specific amounts of time for the development of specific skills. This is efficiently facilitated because according to Robinson, “there is a good distribution of positions among the captains.” With a 2-2 record under her belt, Marotti-Huckins is confident about the season ahead, and in the abilities of certain key players. She

relies on Robinson for a “solid midfield,” junior Kylie Drexel, who is “one of the leading scorers in the league,” and Whitworth, who “probably has the strongest defense in the league.” “I think the season looks very promising,” Marotti-Huckins said. “I predict that it’ll be between us and Chico in the league championship, and I expect to win.”

Lifetime sports faces issues with enrollment

GENNY BENNETT/HUB PHOTO

By Meem Mohsin & Linda Ge HUB Staff Writers

Simon Pitfield, head coach and owner of Davis Fencing Academy, demonstrates the basic fencing stance used by athletes. The Davis Fencing Academy, which has been open since 1999, provides classes six days a week for a wide range of skill levels and interests.

En garde! Students cross blades By Genny Bennett HUB Staff Writer

Throughout the halls of DHS, students sport their field hockey, football, tennis, volleyball and various other jerseys, but it’s no easy task to spot a fencer among the multitude of athletes. Although it is not a very common sport, or one recognized by DHS as a school sport, fencing is a big part of some students’ lives. The objective of fencing is for one fencer to hit the opponent with a weapon without being hit first. This objective is basic, but Simon Pitfield, owner and head coach at the Davis Fencing Academy on Second Street, describes fencing as “a full-body workout, as well as a mental workout; it’s more like a chess match and you have to constantly be thinking of where to make your next move.” Each fencing bout lasts around six minutes, and is played until one player scores five points or until

time runs out. Senior Ian Bloise began fencing in the sixth grade at the Davis Fencing Academy. “I enjoy the one versus one aspect of fencing. It makes the sport much more intense and exciting than regular sports teams,” Bloise said. Bloise, who fences the epee, one of the three basic types of fencing, has won a few major titles during his time fencing. In 2006, he claimed third place in summer nationals in Miami, and a few years later won the North American Cup for his age group. Pitfield, a fencer of 16 years himself, knows what it takes to succeed in fencing. “The best fencers are people who are athletic and like to think a lot. They are the type of people who are constantly thinking about their next move and asking themselves ‘how can I do things differently?’” Pitfield said. Fencing often lies in the shadow of more common sports, but for Bloise it is perfect.

“As a kid I was kind of nerdy and really enjoyed movies like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’. I wanted to find a way to get a piece of the action and fencing worked,” he said. Senior Eliot Childress was a regular at the Davis Fencing Academy for a few years but now only goes every so often when the mood hits him. “Fencing is just an all-around great sport,” Childress said. “It keeps you fit, improves your hand eye coordination, teaches you to react in the blink of an eye; it’s unlike any other sport I’ve ever done. Above all it allows you to meet amazing people. Oh, and I almost forgot, you get to play with swords.” Bloise has recently taken a break from fencing to get involved with school-related sports; he now runs cross country and track. He plans to go back to fencing with a more recreational approach when he has more free time.

In recent years, DHS has introduced the Lifetime Sports program as an alternative for traditional P.E. classes. Students participating in the program must be DHS athletes and do both written homework and physical activity each week. While students disagree over whether Lifetime Sports is a worthwhile class in itself, many do end up picking it over P.E. Because Lifetime Sports replaces a traditional P.E. class during the day and affords participants an extra free period, the program faced over-enrollment issues last year. Instructors were forced to drop all athletes except for those participating year-round on varsity sports teams, but the issue has worked itself out in the new academic year. “This year, we didn’t have a problem anymore. We just added more sections,” Lifetime Sports instructor Leigh Whitmire said. Senior Parker Senders is a member of the varsity ski team. Unlike the seasons of year-round sports like cheerleading, or sports that run the majority of the school year such as baseball, the ski season lasts for a few short weeks in the wintertime. Last year, skiers had difficulties enrolling in Lifetime Sports because the short season carried over between two semesters. This year, DHS skiers

like Senders face no problems with the program. “I’m in Lifetime Sports and like every other athlete in their off-season, I do my best to stay in shape for when ski season does come around,” Senders said. Sophomore cheerleader Rana Eser, who is unaware of the problems with enrollment last year, enjoys benefits of being in Lifetime Sports that she wouldn’t have had otherwise. Because Eser does not have to attend a regular P.E. class during the day, she has a lot more time on her hands. “It’s amazing getting out after six periods, and it’s so relaxed. I can do homework if I have a lot, hang out with people, or take my time getting ready for cheerleading,” Eser said. Despite these benefits, some students see drawbacks to the course. While they need to earn their P.E. credits, some students do not think Lifetime Sports is as effective of a substitute program as it should be. Junior Elisa Nelson feels that the requirements for staying in Lifetime Sports are unnecessary. “The commitment of being a year-round cheerleader should be enough. But not only do I have to fulfill my weekly quota for physical activity, I have to complete written assignments as well,” Nelson said. “I don’t care about meeting with my instructor weekly, but sometimes I forget to do my assignments and it reflects badly on my grade.”

“Everybody Dance Now” Jazz Choir Dance Competition Oct. 1, 2011

Check out www.bluedevilhub.com for a photo essay of tonight’s homecoming football game.

Visit www.bluedevilhub.com for a photo essay of tonight’s soccer game against Jesuit.


The HUB

Page 12

SPORTING DEVIL Sports

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

Fall athletes swing, swim, stride and spike

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

Cross country runners warm up with dynamic stretches before their practice on Tuesday. The team is midway through its regular season, which lasts through early November. However, some runners could compete at the state meet in late November, depending on their performance in sub-section and section championships.

Senior Jordan Kelly spikes a ball at volleyball practice on Sept. 21 while sophomore Mackenzie Harrison looks on.

PETER LIN/HUB PHOTO

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO

Senior Anna Klavins steps onto the court and returns a serve at tennis practice on Sept. 20.

Water polo players tread water at a practice on Sept. 20. The team is competing at a tournament in La Jolla this weekend.

Football prepares for homecoming game Homecoming is when alumni come back and revisit the glory days with old friends. It is also the DHS football team’s most prominent home game during the entire year. This year, DHS will play Colfax tonight at Halden Field. Senior Corey Nelson

plays on the football team and claims he will not be preparing any differently for homecoming because it’s just another game with more people in the stands. Nelson does not like to get caught up in something that might end with disappointment, but he has high hopes. “Homecoming is the next step to ending the dark era of Davis football, and at the end of the night, the score-

board will let us all know if we took that step,” Nelson said. Junior Braydon Harwood has a different view on homecoming football preparation. He claims that this year is a grudge game because they have not beaten Colfax in seven years. “Homecoming is an emotional time for me because not only do I love this game but I love my team,” Har-

wood said. Based on the team’s 2-1 performance so far, Harwood thinks that DHS will finally have an opportunity to win this highattendance game. However, his game preparation will not vary from his normal routine. “I always pray before games, and do the same things and for homecoming it’s nothing different,” Harwood said.

Junior Grant Dickerson practices very hard in order to succeed for homecoming. The team watches film of past games in order to improve on weaknesses, according to Dickerson. One tradition Dickerson indicates is that the team members ride a semi-truck through downtown in the homecoming parade. Before a game, they take time to relax and go over ev-

ery last detail of their game plan. Dickerson’s emotions are the same every week—he’s excited to play in another game and have another chance to do his absolute best. “Every game will be tougher. From here on out we will play very good teams,” Dickerson said. “But through hard work and preparation I think we can beat anyone.”

The football team practices its kickoff in anticipation for tonight’s homecoming game at 7:15 p.m. at Halden Field. While some players changed their pre-game routines for the high-attendance game, others prepared for this game as if it were a regular game.

PETER LIN/HUB PHOTO

By Meem Mohsin HUB Staff Writer


October 21, 2011

Page 15

Sports

RECRUITED: Colleges take interest in DHS athletes “I’m applying to two schools I do not think I would get into if it wasn’t for crew,” Burns said. The University of California system has a process called “admission by exception” to consider students who fall below grade and test requirements. According to the UC website, “a small number of students who have the ability and potential to succeed at UC — but don’t meet [UC] academic requirements — are admitted by exception” each year. Admission by exception is one way that prospective student athletes who don’t meet a university’s standard can still be admitted, but according to Wright, this is rare. “We only do it once in a great while. I’ve only done it once in my 15 years here and that student ended up doing just fine,” Wright said. He doesn’t like to consider students who don’t meet UCD’s standards because he doesn’t wish to create an “unnecessary problem” if that student is unable to keep his or her grades above a 2.0 GPA, the NCAA’s requirement to play. Karen Yoder, the head coach of the softball team at UCD, asks her Prospective Student Athletes (PSA) to send her an unofficial transcript, test scores, any current classes that are not on transcript and how high a priority UCD is on their college list. If the PSA looks promising,

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

Continued from back page

The women’s water polo team practices at Arroyo Pool. Several players, including seniors Rachael Johnson and Hailey Wright, are talking with collegiate coaches for possible recruitment for the fall 2012 school year.

Yoder sets up a visit to the campus. Yoder takes only students who would already be eligible to be admitted to UCD. Yoder’s team has set a GPA goal of 2.81, which according to Yoder is the average

non-student athlete GPA at UCD. “I take the description of a student athlete very seriously and I only want to recruit a PSA that will succeed here in the academic environment first, before she achieves success on the playing field,” Yo-

der said. Yoder believes that student athletes bring more than just athletic prowess to a college, and admissions officers value certain qualities that are specific to athletes. “I believe along with other ex-

tracurricular events and activities, athletics open an opportunity for students that are well rounded and can enrich a student body with their dedication, time management and commitment to the university,” Yoder said.

By Glenn Hull HUB Staff Writer

Jimmer Fredette, who scored the highest points per game in the NCAA last season, has arrived in Sacramento. Fredette was drafted by the Sacramento Kings this year, causing anticipation for his arrival to spread throughout campus. Fredette was the recipient of many “National Player of the Year” awards during his last college season playing for Brigham Young University. Last season, Kevin Durant, a professional basketball player, said on Twitter that “Jimmer Fredette is the best scorer in the world!!” Despite all the hype around Jimmer’s success, some DHS students are unsure if he will help. “Jimmer has the possibility to be a scoring threat for the Kings; he may not be what his team needs. With Tyreke Evans, the Kings already have a player who can shoot. What they really need is a point guard who can pass the ball, score and be sound defensively,” said junior Michael Carriere, a sports enthusiast. Although Carriere is a Lakers fan, and is unsure about how dominating Fredette will be in the NBA, Fredette will keep him more interested in the Kings. “With Jimmer’s potential, I will definitely follow the Kings at the start of the season. In the past, I have only gone to Kings games to

see the away team play. Jimmer is one more reason for me to see the Kings play,” Carriere said. Another student, Sam Theg, a senior, is skeptical about the ability of the Kings. “I think Jesus could come and play for the Kings and they would still suck,” Theg said. But many fans of the Kings were thrilled to get Fredette, a star college player. Fredette went to Brigham Young University, a Mormon university, and he is able to capitalize on his popularity through the Mormon community. Junior Maddy Purves is a Mormon, and although she is not a big basketball fan, she is still looking forward to see Jimmer play. “I love Jimmer; he’s amazing and somewhat attractive and Mormon, how much better can you get?” Purves said. Purves also added that “he will make me watch the Kings more; who cared about them before he came?” The Kings’ acquisition of Jimmer won’t affect how many games some students watch. “This won’t make me watch them more because I already watch every game,” sophomore Riley Kent said. All the excitement built around Jimmer will make more people and students support and watch Sacramento’s local basketball team. It is another way for our community to become even closer, according to Carriere.

FRED GLADDIS/ENTERPRISE PHOTO

Bieber fever? Nah, I’ve got Jimmer fever

Former women’s varsity coach Allen Carlson motivates last season’s team. Carlson, who resigned this year, led the team to a section title last year.

Star women’s soccer coach retires By Nick Juanitas HUB Staff Writer

Section titles, one league championship, and recognition as State High School Coach of the Year. Some coaches just dream about these accomplishments, but not women’s varsity soccer coach Allen Carlson; he has turned these dreams into reality. Carlson has won a total of four Sac-Joaquin Section Titles, 13 Delta Valley League championships and has been named “California State High School Coach of the Year” twice. Carlson, who teaches sixth grade GATE at Korematsu Elementary, has been coaching the women’s varsity team for 19 years. Before that, he coached the JV men’s team

Scouts seek Blue Devil athletes By Kashmir Kravitz HUB Staff Writer

Scouts, or recruiters for college sports, will send a coach and another representative for a certain college to high school tournaments or recruiting events to observe prospective players. Scouts are not the people whom players will personally talk to; instead they will talk to the college coach. Contacting a college coach Varsity lacrosse player and junior Mikie Schlosser started contacting coaches his sophomore year. Players can contact college coaches at any time, but coaches cannot email players until Sept. 1 of their junior year or call until July 1 after their junior year, according to Schlosser. “What most coaches will do is call your high school or club team coach, and then your coach can relay the information to you and

then you can call the college coach. You are always allowed to call the coach; they just can’t return your calls,” Schlosser said. After the University of Southern California contacted junior lacrosse player Kylie Drexel, she then attended the women’s lacrosse summer camp this year and committed to attend USC.

has been contacted by UCLA for cross country, said that it is important focus on making a good impression when talking to a coach. “I try to make a lot of eye contact,” Meads said. After a game, coaches aren’t allowed to come up to players, but players can usually catch them and introduce themselves.

Don’t be afraid When talking to a college coach, it is important not to act afraid or overconfident. Doing so will lead coaches to perceive incompetence, arrogance or a bad sportsmanship, according to Drexel. Drexel said that the USC coaches daunted her because three of them played for the USA lacrosse team. “Some coaches are extremely intimidating and some are very laidback. Some coaches act really friendly and some just act normal. The more you talk to them the easier it gets,” Schlosser said. Sophomore Sophie Meads, who

Be yourself Colleges will not recruit based purely on playing ability; they also look for personality and talent. “For recruiting, they first and foremost care about athletic ability. But if you’re a really bad sport, they won’t want you,” Meads said. Having a strong and noticeable personality can set players apart from other possible recruits. “Coaches care equally about you as a player and as a person,” Schlosser said. “They are looking for kids with not only good talent, but also with good character.”

for nine years. After last year’s season, when the varsity team was ranked number one in the nation, he decided it was time to retire as head coach. “I didn’t know if I could give it 100 percent and that’s not fair to the kids,” Carlson said. Junior goalkeeper Maddy Purves believes he retired from coaching because of how great the prior season was. “He resigned because he had to retire sometime or other, and since last season was such a great season it was probably the perfect time to stop,” Purves said. Carlson believes that the coaches in line to replace him will do well with the team. The applications for new coaches closed on Oct. 10. Carlson made impressions on his players for many years, and they

will miss him during the next season, according to Purves. “I’ll miss his favorite sayings and quotes because he always used the same ones, but I’m also excited to see who will be the new coach and how it works out,” Purves said. Although he resigned from coaching, Carlson has not ruled out a possibility of returning to coaching. He knows that if he finds that he misses it, he can return to coaching, though it may be at a level other than high school. Even though Carlson is retiring, the team still believes it has a great shot to continue to dominance in the league. “The team will continue to strive for excellence without him here.” senior and player Kate Latsch said. “We need to defend our championship.”


Page 16

The HUB

SPORTING DEVIL

PETER LIN/HUB PHOTOS

Sports

Senior and varsity baseball player Ben Eckels practices his pitch. Eckels throws a 89-92 mph fastball and is being scouted by the Major League Baseball Association.

Arm of a champion

His family loves the game; he plays on four different teams; his first word was ‘ball.’ It’s only natural that senior Ben Eckels will want to keep playing baseball after high school. While college-level baseball is an option, Eckels, who pitches for the varsity baseball team, is on track to be eligible to be drafted by the Major League Baseball Association in June 2012. “He’s got the talent to play

after high school,” varsity baseball coach Dan Ariola said. “He could go a long way.” In fact, MLB scouts already have an eye on Eckels. He has been showcased in front of Oakland Athletics scouts as well as college scouts by playing on the Oakland Athletics Area Code Team, for which players can only try out if they have an invitation. Eckels has played for the Colorado Rockies scout team since his sophomore year. Since then, he has played for the team in front of college and professional scouts looking to recruit amateur players.

Blue Devils recruited for collegiate teams By Madison Delmendo HUB Staff Writer

As many Blue Devils delve into the world of college applications, some breathe easily, already knowing where their futures lie. Student athletes, who have their eyes set on collegiate competition, have been talking to coaches and visiting schools for months, and many have offers and schools locked in for next year. So the question arises: do recruited athletes have a hand up in admissions? Senior Rachel Johnson, a varsity women’s water polo player, started the recruitment process in junior year. Johnson filled out recruit questionnaires with information on academics and athletics. Under NCAA rules, coaches were able to contact Johnson with emails, phone calls and meetings after July 1. One of the coaches who received scores and transcripts from Johnson is Jamie Wright, UC Davis head women’s water polo coach. Before grades and scores reach Wright, the admission packet is submitted to the UCD admissions office for an “initial assessment” to see if that student would, under regular circumstances, be admitted to UCD. According to Wright, the lowest admissible grade-pointaverage for UCD is a 3.0. After a prospective athlete is cleared by admissions, coaches can then decide whether to sponsor a student or not. Wright believes that recruitment “can help dramatically [in admissions].” “It’s not a firm guarantee, but close enough. You will get a note from the admissions office saying that if you fulfill all the necessary requirements, your admission is guaranteed,” Wright said. Johnson has narrowed her

choice down to two schools, Stanford and UCD, and believes that recruitment is helpful in the admission process. “Whether or not they are recruited, it gives students an edge in the application process for those who were able to keep up good grades as well as balance a hectic sports schedule,” Johnson said. “I think that this is fair because the time and effort that student athletes put into both school and sports should pay off in getting into a good college.” Senior Christina Burns agrees with Johnson that sports help you get into college, even if you aren’t being recruited for one because schools like to see extracurricular and involvement in team activities. But Burns still believes that recruitment is crucial for some athlete’s admission into more competitive schools. “If you are recruited for athletics in school, they can often guarantee you admission into the school so you skip a lot of the stress of college applications,” Burns said. Burns, a varsity rower for River City Rowing Club, believes that crew can be especially helpful in college admissions over other sports because it isn’t as common. “For women especially, crew can be an ‘in’ into college because there are less female rowers than male rowers, so coaches are always searching for more,” Burns said. “Girls also get more scholarship money because schools have to balance the money they spend on men’s football with women’s sports as well.” Burns has been emailing coaches and visiting colleges, like Johnson. Burns is currently talking with coaches at University of

In addition to this scout team and the DHS team, Eckels plays for the Austin Sun Devils in Texas, a high school-age professional team. The team consists of handpicked players from across the nation. If not drafted by a professional team, Eckels is considering playing for University of San Francisco, Florida State University or North Carolina University. While Eckels does have significant experience that contributes to his success, he also has what Ariola calls a “natural arm.”

“It’s rare that someone has that type of an arm,” Ariola said. “You can play baseball your whole life, but only a small percentage of players will develop that kind of arm.” Eckels has been playing since he was five and, until he was 12, was coached by his dad. Ariola first witnessed Eckels play when he was 10. Since then, Ariola has watched Eckels’s pitch get stronger. However, skill and experience alone are not all it takes to make a player so highly desirable. “No matter what you’ve got, it depends on how smart

and crafty you are on the mound,” Ariola said. Because Eckels is strong in both skill and mindset, he is able to thrive, according to Ariola. “[Eckels] is the performance leader on our team. Most people [on the team] do not like to hit against him in practice, but I don’t mind hitting off the best,” senior Chris Gnos said. Gnos and Eckels have been playing together since they were 10. Ariola sees Eckels as a leader on his varsity team. “He can provide a lot of leadership and maturity from

the all-star teams [he has played on] and bring it back to our program,” Ariola said. While baseball may become a career for Eckels, he does not let the prospect of playing professionally change his feelings toward the sport. “I love being able to get out on the field and just forget about everything and my mind just sets on one thing,” Eckels said. “The most important thing to him now is to be a good social leader, citizen at school and to focus on academics,” Ariola said. “Baseball will take care of itself.”

SUPPLEMENTS: Protein powder offered at football breakfast Continued from front page The nutritional supplementation portion of the packet given to the players makes it clear the “issue with supplements found at the local ‘muscle’ store is that there has not been research evidence to support the claims the manufacturers make, and more importantly, can contain substances that would come up positive during drug testing.” It also states that it is not worth risking a player’s eligibility to increase his or her strength. However, the packet also includes “thumbs-up” ratings for 12 legal supplements, as well as guidelines for creatine supplementation. According to Smyte, this portion of the packet was not created by the strength and conditioning coach, but came from another source. The California Interscholastic Federation guidelines state that “school administrators, coaches, parents/caregivers, and certified athletic administrators must send a strong message that discourages the use of supplements for performance enhancements.” Smyte said that the coaching staff never advocated the use of creatine and in fact, the guidelines for creatine were included in the packet to discourage the use of creatine among players. “We do not advocate anything beyond your regular protein powder,” he said. Protein powder is on the table when football players

gather for a zero period break- bylaw also states that only fast two or three days a week. non-muscle building nutriRich Jenness, president of tional supplements may be the DHS provided to Football tudents There is not a clear sand Backers, those the team’s permissible consensus about booster whether supplements non-muscle club, said building that foot- like Muscle Milk violate nutritional ball playsupplement the bylaw. ers are are identified given food choices such as according to the following eggs, milk, bagels, pancakes, classes: carbohydrate/electrobananas, peanut butter and lyte drinks; energy bars; carbread every school morning bohydrate boosters and vitafrom January through June mins and minerals.” after early workouts. AccordIf this or any other CIF bying to Jenness, the Backers law is violated, CIF officials provide Costco brand whey “shall have power to suspend, to fine or otherwise penalize and soy protein powder. The junior defensive player any member school.” said he has seen Muscle Milk The problem is that there brand protein powder at the is not a clear consensus about whether protein supplements breakfasts. In The HUB’s first inter- like Muscle Milk violate the view with Athletic Director bylaw. After Foster became aware Dennis Foster, Foster stated that he was unaware of play- of the protein powder, he still ers “being given anything did not feel that it was viothat’s a supplement or any- lating any CIF rules, and if it was “then I would stop it,” thing of that nature.” Smyte, however, was he said. “[The football team] aware that protein powder is two and forever; if [they] was being distributed at the were doing anything perbreakfasts, but added that to formance enhancing, [they] him protein powder “is just a would be winning.” The Sac-Joaquin Section food source.” According to the CIF Commissioner for the CIF, Sports Medicine Handbook, Pete Saco, would not comCIF Bylaw 22.B.12 “prohib- ment on whether the proits school personnel includ- tein powder provided was ing athletic directors, sports permissible. However, Barcoaches, school officials or bara Fiege, CIF Los Angeles employees or booster club/ City Section Commissioner, support groups from distrib- said any protein powder inuting supplements[…] The cluding Muscle Milk that is

“marketed as a ‘muscle building’ supplement is not allowed under [state] rules for school personnel to distribute.” According to Chang, protein powder is definitely a muscle building supplement. Smyte said that protein powder is necessary in the recovery process for muscle building. “So one of the things we have to understand about weightlifting is that when you weight lift, you tear muscle,” Smyte said. “The way you build muscle back up is through protein.” To add to the confusion, Fiege noted that Muscle Milk Collegiate, a similar product that changed its marketing to take out all words associated with muscle building, can now be distributed because the wording change means it is no longer considered to be “muscle-building.” Jenness said that the booster club was not aware of any CIF rules that prohibit protein powder, but if the club is made aware, it “will absolutely cease and desist and the protein powder will not be provided anymore.” Whether or not the distribution of protein powder and the football program’s supplement handout violate CIF guidelines or bylaws, Smyte believes that “the bigger story here is, how do we define supplements, and what are good supplements and what are bad supplements?”

Does Weight Actually Matter? Comparing average weight & heaviest team member of DVC teams

Heaviest Teammate (pounds)

Laguna Monterey Elk Creek Grove Trail

DHS

Grant

Franklin

310

365

300

290

285

265

191.1 lbs

184.0 lbs

184.0 lbs

182.0 lbs

San Diego, UC San Diego, UCLA and St. Mary’s. RECRUITED

continued on 15

Average Team Weight

200.1 lbs

197.5 lbs

CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC

By Kelsey Ewing Sports Editor


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.