January 28 Issue | Issue 4, Volume 2

What’s inside:

2013 RECAP RECAP

The Phoenix January 28, 2014

Fremont High School, Vol. 2 Issue No. 4

The Muslim Student Association: A modern approach to a traditional culture

by Neha Mannikar & Hauraa Aalabdulrasul

Arts & Entertainment Editors

Equipped with prayer rugs, tea and a whole lot of determination, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) is taking steps to educate students about their faith and culture in hopes of influencing perspectives on Muslims.

The MSA club was created at Fremont this year by president Ahmed Shorab, senior, with the main goal of changing students’ outlooks on Islam. But MSA is not new to Fremont’s community.

“My friend started an MSA here a few years before, but it failed,” Shorab said. “So I kind of wanted to start one, try it out myself, and see how it worked out. What I really want to accomplish is getting people familiar with Muslim culture besides what’s portrayed in the media today. I want to break stereotypes and show people the truth, so people can get to know Muslims for who they really are.”

Advisor Jeff Kakes, World History teacher, became interested in the club when his student and current vice-president, Hasna El Nouou, told him about their main goals.

“I was excited about it because it was a chance for them to educate people about a religion or belief set that a lot of people have common misperceptions about,” Kakes said. “It’s really neat to see the enthusiasm for the club, both internally, by the people who are part of the club, and other students that aren’t but want to learn more about Islam.”

The club meets every other week on Tuesday and has lunchtime socials every month, where they showcase their culture and dispel misconceptions. During socials, members bring in cultural examples and share facts about Islam. Their second social took place on Thursday, Jan. 9th. At the social, students crowded around prayer rugs, adorning desks in vibrant shades of red, yellow and green. Some students learned how to write

See Clearing the fog on page 2 Neha Mannikar | The Phoenix

Student makes effort to decrease obesity rates

by Priya Lee

Lead Photographer

Every state in the nation has at least a 25 percent obesity rate and one Fremont High School junior, Neeja Patel, is trying to bring that number down with her organization, Eat Right, Be Bright, Live Active.

Eat Right, Be Bright, Live Active targets preventing, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension (high blood

pressure) and diabetes, which are all proven to be related to obesity. Those are also diseases Patel’s family has a history of, which is why she wants to help solve this problem.

“The point to get across is healthy living,” Patel said.

“It’s preventative medicine.

The initial goal was to get rid of those three diseases and it just spiraled from there to living to prevent most diseases. Most diseases

are easily preventable, but there are some things that speed along the process. My goal is to alleviate some of the symptoms that cause those diseases.”

Patel first thought of creating this organization when she visited her uncle, who is a cardiothoracic surgeon and aunt in South Carolina. She was surprised to see in-shape people at the lake, while there were so many morbidly obese peo-

ple at the shopping malls.

With the help of her uncle’s private practice, Patel conducted research at Carolina Cardiology Associates to start her organization.

“I conducted interviews of the patients to look at their life-style and the activities that they do,” Patel said. “After I did all of that and compiled the research into my presentation, I started compiling a board of directors and adults to help

me and that was the barebones of the organization.”

Eat Right, Be Bright, Live Active now has between 12 to 20 active volunteers with five of those volunteers that go out in the community and give informative talks that teach people how to eat healthy and exercise. Patel has given presentations at middle schools, at the YMCA and even had an online conference with the National

Association for Health and Fitness, a well-known, nonprofit health organization.

“It was really nice to have them hear our presentation, see our research and give us ideas and a little bit of mentorship,” Patel said.

Patel’s uncle is also on her board of directors since he helped her find data, conduct the analysis and

See Healthy Lifestyle on page 3

News Deol is a big deal

Jan. 28, 2014

2

by Alex Noyes Staff Writer

This year, on Feb. 7, Fremont High School is going to have it’s Winter Formal in the large gym, for couples and students whom have asked other students to come socialize and dance after a long week at school.

Winter Formal will have some changes this year, including a new theme, which changes every year and a new student disc jockey to hopefully satisfy the music interests of the students.

The theme options of this year’s are Black and White, Under the Sea, Hollywood, and Winter Wonderland, compared to last years Mardi Gras theme.

The venue last year had various kinds of ethnic foods from all different cultures.

Fremont ASB plays a huge part in planning and setting up Winter Formal, which includes coordinating the theme, DJ, ticket prices, attire, and other aspects of the dance.

Tickets are sold for $15 with or without a student ASB card, making formal an affordable event for all students.

“I hope Winter Formal is an enjoyable and affordable dance.” Amy Gibson,

ASB director, said.

The Mardi Gras theme last year divided up the big gym into different sections, with the food towards the back and picture booths available as you walked in.

Another tradition of Winter Formal at Fremont is the Formal court, which has a panel of eight students, two per class. The students voted on whom to elect onto court through paper ballots, adding to the excitement and anticipation of Formal.

Last year’s Winter Formal definitely was not a memorable experience, aside from Formal court.

The changes that are occurring are bound to vastly improve this year’s formal.

Most definitely the biggest change in this year’s Winter Formal was the student DJ being hired, senior Isaac Deol. A member of ASB, Deol has been involved in the past with Winter Formal and will undoubtedly determine how well this year’s dance goes.

“Isaacs going to be good, he has a better handle on what people want to hear,” Gibson said.

The change from last year’s student DJ, Aryan Izadi, to this years experienced DJ, Deol, comes

from a background of playing music during lunchtimes and DJ-ing other events.

The whole idea of a student DJ at Fremont is to provide the students with the music they want to listen to. With the image of a student behind the turn tables, the hype and excitement for Winter Formal will increase drastically.

“I have a good feeling about this year’s Winter Formal and I am expecting it to go much better than last years,” Deol said Last year, the music played was very unique house and techno kind of music. This year Isaac hopes to take the song requests and make formal as much as involved with the students as possible.

“I know what the students want, the music should be on point,” Deol said.

Isaac has compiled a huge playlist of his own songs in addition to the songs that students will request. The song playlist is over 100 songs.

What won’t change about Winter Formal this year is the overwhelming spirit and excitement the students will bring to the dance floor.

Debate team’s retro comeback Clearing the fog

by Marinn Cedillo Staff Writer

Fremont High School participated in the first speech and debate meet since the 70s.

According to head debate coach, Greg Lambrecht, the debate team hosted the meet on Dec. 8th. It began Saturday at 9 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. The debate team was recently resurrected and have only until now begun competing.

During the competition there was plenty of intermingling among the 100 plus debaters that attended the meet. Since the meet was hosted at FHS, the competing schools were very supportive and encouraging of the team. FHS competed with the highest-ranking teams in the state and tied with Leland High School.

Fremont’s debate team had three undefeated debaters: sophomore Garima Kapila, sophomore Justin Young and sophomore, Nick Mak. Bellarmine, Lynbrook, Sacred Heart and Evergreen High Schools were among the 16 schools that competed. Competing against other schools has united the team all the more.

“Great to have FHS represented in Speech and Debate again and I hope that we will continue to excel at future competitions,” Aisha Lomando, second coach of the speech and debate team

said.

The team has been active for two years, although they had never participated in an organized debate meet until last Dec. The team was founded by a group of students and only two of the original founders still remain at FHS: junior Annam Quraishi and junior Jenny Han. “They have been very supportive for one another and we all work together step-by-step,” Kapila said.

The team met twice a week for two hours after school towards the meet; the week of the competition they met daily. They held mini debates to practice for the meet. With the help of admin and teachers, they were able to get the practice

varsity. Novice members have never competed before and varsity members have participated in a competition. After their recent meet all members of the debate team graduated from being novices to being on the varsity level. The coaches are sure that with the upperclassmen support they need they can succeed.

High school debate consists of two types of debate methods, Lincoln and Douglas debate and Policy debate.

“LD consists mainly of philosophy,” freshman, Sharvani Jha, said. “It is based on the actual debates between Lincoln and Douglas. Policy debate however focuses more on real life events, like what actions the

Certain research on ideas including values of justice/morality helped in gaining more in-depth knowledge about society in general. Mainly it was just more practice the better.

Sophomore Garima Kapila

they wanted. They went above and beyond for this meet to make sure they were prepared and ready.

Now that they have had practice, veteran members will be able to provide insight and knowledge for the students who intend on joining the team in the future. There are two rankings for debaters: novice and

US should take.”

The current roster for the debate team has around 30 members but Lambrecht hopes that more students join soon, to have at least 75 members if not more. A team with a lot of members would enable them to participate in competitions with higher prestige and participate for sweepstakes.

Although the team is new they have already had their own mix-ups. A mere few weeks before the meet was scheduled to happen, the coaches found out that they had been preparing for the wrong topic. The coaches were upfront and informed the students of their mistake. Together they worked through it.

“It had many positive sides to it, such as being able to apply and test out similar ideas that we were now sure that would work as we could connect the topics together,” Kapila said. “Certain research on ideas including values of justice and morality helped in gaining more in-depth knowledge about society in general. Mainly it was just more practice the better.”

The next meet the team will be participating in will be on Feb. 27 at Overfelt High School. Now that the team has competed in their first competition and graduated to the varsity level, the meets they will attend now will be more competitive.

Lambrecht has big plans for the future of the debate team.

“We basically want to become the powerhouse of the district and restore the FHS speech and debate team to the glory it once had within the next four years,” Lambrecht said.

The Fremont debate team has returned.

Continued from page 1 their names in Arabic and sampled tea, while others tried on hijabs and henna tattoos. Board members circulated the room, answering questions and conversing with the members.

“It’s really fun and I’ve learned so much more information on the Muslim religion,” sophomore, Mikayla Monaghan, said. “I didn’t know too much before. I’ve learned lots of different facts, like about prayers, where they’re from and more. I really liked the name writing and tea. I definitely view Muslims differently after this.”

Finding people interested in the club hasn’t been too difficult for Shorab. The socials have grown from a starting point of about eight people to a full room of students from a variety of religions.

“People want to know more, to learn,” Shorab said.

“We’re trying to teach people. Most misunderstand the religion or don’t actually know a Muslim, so this provides a place where you can meet Muslims and learn about the culture.”

For Kakes, the quick progress of MSA has been impressive.

“I’m looking forward to seeing people’s perceptions change about the religion,” Kakes said. “I’m not Muslim myself, but I think it has a lot of positive aspects and messages to it. Most people break Muslims and Islam down to the standard things, like terrorism and hate, which does not apply to the vast majority of the people of this religion. Educating people, and seeing people becoming aware of that now, where they grow up and can therefore influence others is really cool.”

The club’s membership and influence have both taken an upward shift. It may be the beginning for MSA, but they hope to continue the trend and increase interest.

“I think people will be quite surprised,” Kakes said.

“If they have any preconceived notions about what Islam is all about, they should check it out and see if they’re right.”

In the future, Shorab looks forward to more planning meetings, socials and even a field trip to tour a mosque, like the Muslim Community Association in Santa Clara. But most of all, he looks forward to seeing a change.

“I hope people will realize and learn about the true Islam, realize that Muslims aren’t what is portrayed in the news,” Shorab said. “We’re just normal people.”

News

Jan. 28, 2014

3

The Phoenix 1279 Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd. Room 76 Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408)522-2400 thephxnews@gmail.com Managing Editor Alex Bernauer News Editors Melissa Parlan Ashley Chavez Photo Courtesy of Fremont Union High School District

Twenty-first century vision Chau Ngayen Sports Editor

The cafeteria and 30s wing is set to be replaced with a two story cafeteria and a classroom building, which was proposed in the Measure B Bond Program, a $198 million bond that replaces aging infrastructure in the schools of the Fremont Union High School District.

Construction is expected to start Feb. 27 and it’s anticipated end date is in the summer of 2015. The fencing for the construction will be put up on Jan. 27. Of course, for such a large project, there might be some problems such as rearranging the piping and weather for such a largescale project.

The portables near the wrestling room and auto tech were built to accommodate the needs for summer school students, provide classrooms for teachers in the 30s wings and to have less disruption once construction starts. Although the classrooms are smaller, some feel that it is worth

building a more beautiful campus.

A priority that the bond lists for the construction of the buildings is that they meet a “21st Century Vision”, a vision of modernization of buildings to meet 21st century designs.

That is, they do not look out of place or from another era. Initially, the plan was to only build a new cafeteria, not a classroom building.

However, The Board of Trustees, approved of building a classroom building in 2008, because of the expected student growth at Fremont High School.

The building will house 16 classrooms.

Currently, the cafeteria is dysfunctional and does not meet the 21st century vision, but rather, meets the 20th Century Vision.

“My mom went to school here in 1963 and when I was talking to her about all of the equipment, how it looks and where everything is placed, she told me it was exactly as when she was here,” Food Service Manager, Paula Lopez said.

All of the kitchenware will be boxed and stored at the FUHSD storage. Some will be stored in the storage room at FHS. Brunch and lunch will be served out of two food trucks. One will be near the large gym and the other, near the cafeteria construction fence.

Although construction will inevitably cause disruptions in classrooms with all of the jack hammering and nail hammering, some students find it worth it and there are also cases where the end of construction was worth it.

“In 2001, the 20s and 30s wings were the library and even though there were some disruptions, looking at our beautiful library is definitely worth it,” Dass said.

Buying lunch and brunch might take longer since the environment will be different, but students should cut some slack for the cafeteria workers, since moving all of the equipment by themselves is stressful.

Noise and blocked passages will all be disruptions to classroom, but they are

inevitable.

“There’s a restroom and staff lounge in the 30s wing and losing the proximity is definitely an inconvenience,” English teacher, Sonia Dass, said. “Now, I’ll have to walk all the way to the other side.

Another inconvenience of the construction is that the side parking lot on Fremont Ave., will be closed until construction of the cafeteria and classroom building is finished.

“I fear the noise big time,” Lauren Potter, history teacher, said.

Nonetheless, despite the mixed feelings from students and teachers about the large scope of construction and the newly anticipated cafeteria and classroom building, there’s a common thought.

“It’s good that we finally have construction starting and the lunch ladies deserve it because they work so hard,” senior, Liza Benabbas, said. “The old cafeteria was so ghetto and ugly and crowded and they worked in such a small place. I wish I could be around and chill in it.”

Promoting a healthy lifestyle Continued from page 1 initial preliminary work.

Her aunt, who’s an accountant, helps Patel as her CFO. However, the organization did not just pop up overnight. There was a lot of planning that Patel had to do to create the organization. Patel started filling out the paperwork in June 2013 and six weeks later to get all of the research done. The organization is classified as a 501(c)(3), which means that it’s a non-profit organization that is operated for scientific reasons.

“The paperwork was long and I had my dad help me look over it, but it was do-able,” Patel said. “It’s daunting at first because you don’t know what’s required, but after internet research, it was better.”

Other than speeches and informative talks,

volunteers help people from the community.

“They go out and help certain people in the community by actually giving one-on-one mentorship,” Patel said. “I have senior citizens who want to go out and lose weight, be healthier or have a change in life-style.”

Some of her volunteers go shopping with clients to plan a healthy balanced diet. They also plan weekly menus that the patron can follow and plan daily exercises that the person can perform. One of the volunteers goes out with a senior citizen to do aerobics and water activities with.

The organization has a hotline that people can call if they are about to eat unhealthy. The support line is there to remind them of their goals and urge to stick with them.

Sports Editor Chau Nguyen Marcus Saranglao Arts & Entertainment Editors Hauraa Aalabdulrasul Neha Mannikar Opinon Editors Kayla Layaoen Jasmine Salik Lead Artist Kristina Lechuga Copy Editors Sonya Jindal Juan Martinez Business Managers Tatiana Castillo Sarah Arkoh Lead Photographer Priya Lee Photographers Elliot Lehman Briana Castillo Staff Writers Gaby Anaya Marinn Cedillo Mike Capovilla Rebekah Granlund Chanel Johnson Savanna Kiene Joanah Nguyen Alex Noyes Chris Peterson Sergio Rodriguez Nicole Stibbard Adviser Ms. Stacey Stebbins The Phoenix, protected under the California Education code, is a public forum for the students of Fremont High School. The Phoenix staff will publish features, editorials, news, and sports in an unbiased and professional manner.

Editorials are the official opinion of The Phoenix. Opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Phoenix.

All content decisions are made by the student editors, and in no way reflect the official policy of Fremont High School, nor the opinions of the administration, faculty, or the adviser.

Photo Courtesy of Eat Right, Be Bright, Live Active

It’s sometimes hard to run an organization for Patel because she’s underage and there are many things that she is unable to do, but she still make it work from the help of her parents and volunteers. She’s not allowed to directly go up to people to advertise for her organization; instead she needs to go off of referrals.

“Mostly I’ve been going off of referrals from senior citizens because there are

some liabilities with me going up to people and asking: ‘Can I help you change your lifestyle,’” Patel said. “Many people aren’t that receptive to that as well.”

Patel is always looking for volunteers to be a part of her organization and also inform the public and as well as living a healthy lifestyle.

If you wish to contact her for more information, you can email her at eatrightbebrightliveactive@gmail.com.

Business advertisements are accepted in The Phoenix.

However, The Phoenix reserves the right to deny any ad. Those interested in running advertisements can call the Business Manager at (408)522-2400, or email thephxnews@gmail.com.

Lettters to the editor and questions for the advice column, may be submitted to room 76, Ms. Stebbins’ mailbox, or emailed to thephxnews@gmail.com. Identities of those who submit questions will remain anonymous. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to styles and policy. Letters to the editor will be published at the discretion of the staff.

The Phoenix is the official student newspaper, and is distributed free of cost to the students. The Phoenix publishes eight issues throughout the school year.

Opinion Re-opening the closet Sarah has a cool job Jan. 28, 2014

4

by Kayla Layaoen Opinion Editor

“I ,

uh, I don’t really like boys,” I explained awkwardly to my

uncle.

I’ve most recently had to come out to somebody just last week, at my uncle’s inquisition about the presence of a boy in my life. It gets tiring at times, having to constantly state something about myself that I wish didn’t have to be such a big deal.

Yes, I, Kayla Layaoen, am — gasp! — a lesbian. I have always been and I always will be. I don’t really have a problem with this anymore — all of my friends have been supportive, my family is still intact and my dogs do not fear coming near the family homosexual (aka me).

It’s gotten to the point where most people already know this and I don’t have to tell them.

But “most” is a key word there. Since I don’t have my sexuality tattooed across my forehead, I can’t expect everyone to just know and leave me alone. People ask if there’s a boy I’ve got a crush on, or who the “boy” I’m always texting is or if I’m going on a date whenever I’m alone with a boy. I don’t have a problem with any of these things.

I’ve become very accustomed to heteronormativity, and I deal with it accordingly. As we all know, everyone is “straight until proven gay.”

Sometimes, though, it gets a little tiring having to tell people all the time. It used to be a big deal, when I was 13 and tearfully choked

to get used to me showing up in a suit instead of a dress to formal events sometimes since I’m finally comfortable enough to admit that I hate dresses, but oh well.

The most heartfelt response I have ever received probably came from one of my best friends in middle

up the words “I have to tell you something” to my friends. It was definitely a big deal when I told my mom for the first time last year and when I angrily barked at my sister, “I like girls, okay?!”

But it isn’t anymore. It’s just me. It’s just who I am.

And who I am is still regular old Kayla, who likes video games and field hockey and loves the color bubblegum pink more than anything.

Maybe now people will have

school, a lovely young lady named Tingyee. I told her about the girl that I had been crushing on for a little while and her new boyfriend. This was my first conscious crush on a girl (which also happened to be my first crush on a straight girl). Tingyee looked at me, thought for a few seconds, and knew that nothing had changed except for the addition of an extra little bit of trust. She said it was okay. She said that we were

still friends and we would always be friends and nothing could change that. She thanked me for opening up to her and asked me more about that girl. She hugged me. I cried.

And I was very, very blessed to have experienced that same response again and again. I am eternally grateful that I have friends who love and support me no matter what, but I wish they didn’t have to. I’m not saying that I wish they were homophobes — just that I wish it wasn’t something that they had to reassure me they were okay with. I wish that it could be like me telling them that I was Filipino, or vegetarian or a writer.

We should be able to say alright and move on, as a few of my friends have.

I don’t mind people being surprised and I definitely don’t mind them being accepting, but coming out shouldn’t have to be a huge thing. I shouldn’t have to worry about whether somebody will still want to go on playdates with me or share their peanut butter sandwiches anymore.

I’m a big girl, and most of the people in my life are big as well. However they deal with it is their choice, and I am honored that people have always chosen to respond positively.

I am gay. I am okay. My friends are okay, too.

by Sarah Arkoh

Business Manager

“H

ey mom, can I have 50 bucks?”

“Here’s $10.”

I needed a job.

My parents pay for most of the things I need (ex. food, clothing and shelter). But there are a lot of times that I want to spend money on things I don’t really need (ex. a life-size poster of Channing Tatum, an iPad and every shade of OPI nail polish). So what did I do? I got a job.

I recently started working at American Multi-Cinema, or more commonly known as AMC. I started right before Thanksgiving break and hope to work through the summer. However, getting a job wasn’t that easy. And working is even harder.

I started applying to every civilian job within a five mile radius. McDonald’s, Old Navy, Pinkberry, Taco Bell — you name it. I was 15 at the time and didn’t have much to put on my application besides “honor student.” After an interview at Old Navy, where they told me I was a year too young, I decided to volunteer instead. I spent my time at the Santa Clara Library, helping kids with runny noses find books. It wasn’t super exciting but it was fun and it was work experience.

With this new experience under my belt, I applied to AMC at the start of November and got called in for an interview a week later. I was beyond excited.

The interview was quick and to the point. (Are you friendly? Yes. What is your greatest accomplishment? Won a writing contest last year. Can you start training next week? Sure.) And training was just as easy. (A couple hours in a classroom setting and a quick shift on the floor.) I was ready to roll, making minimum wage of course.

My job is easy (ripping tickets, sweeping up popcorn, cleaning IMAX glasses, serving hot dogs and the like).

Meeting new people was also a challenge. Depending on how big the place is, you may have to meet 10-50 new people. It’s definitely nice being around others who deal with you more maturely than most kids at school.

Being 16, there are a lot of things to keep track of.

During the week, I can’t work past 10 p.m. And on Friday and Saturday, I can’t work past 12:30 a.m. AMC is very flexible when it comes to things like that, but not all teen workers have managers that are that understanding. These guidelines can be a bit of a nuisance if you’re saving for any big purchase, but they’re definitely good to have in order to keep your priorities straight.

Recently I started the whole “I need to get my license” process. And it has been beyond expensive. Some of the costs included an online class ($60), a written test at the DMV ($36), behind-the-wheel training with a private instructor ($270) and the never ending worry of my parents (priceless), all of which my parents lovingly paid for. But the costs don’t stop there. Now that I have my license, I have to pay about $60 a month in car insurance, all while saving for my own car.

Getting a job helped lessen the burden on my parents.

I definitely encourage working in high school because it teaches responsibility. It also teaches you how the real world works. Believe it or not, it’s not all twerking and essays.

So all you people out there who want jobs? Go get ‘em.

New year, new experiences, new you

by Briana Castillo Staff Writer

N

ew Year’s resolutions are made to be broken.

It shouldn’t be a big shock that half of your friends have already abandoned their New Year’s resolution just a month into the year.

My Twitter feed is full of people vowing to never drink soda, lose weight and never eat junk food again. Really? You know you’re going to fail. So why would you announce to the world the goals you’ve set,

even though you will most likely abandon them by the second week? Third, max.

Fourth, if you lie about it.

I think the reason why we fail to keep our resolutions isn’t because we don’t have the willpower but because we make it too stressful for ourselves.

Saying you’re not going to eat junk food or drink soda, sets yourself up for failure.

I mean I sure couldn’t last a month without both.

Start small to adjust toward your goals. For instance, you can create a plan to help you better approach

your goal. Instead of saying that you’re never going to eat junk food, discipline yourself to not eat as much as you usually do. If you do eat too much junk food think of the negative consequences.

Make sure that if you’re trying to lose weight you’re doing it for yourself and because you want to, not because someone said you should or to take selfies in the bathroom.

I think New Year’s resolutions are stupid. I don’t see why people decide all of the sudden on Jan. 1st

to change something they don’t like about themselves.

That’s why New Year’s resolutions are usually about bettering yourself and changing something you don’t like. If you don’t like something about yourself change it, but don’t wait till the beginning of the year, you’re obviously going to start off unhappy and stressed out.

The common saying: “You can become anything you want” is a lie. I think you should strive for your goals, but something good isn’t going to just come to

you. If you want to reach your goals you have to be able to pay the price. You have to work for it. For instance if you’re trying to lose weight, yes you’re going to have to take time out of what you normally do to

go lose weight. It doesn’t just take time, it also takes lots of effort. I’m not saying it’s going to be impossible but it’s not going to be easy. If you really want to do it, nothing should get in the way. You shouldn’t stop because someone told you that you couldn’t do it.

What people say about you shouldn’t faze you at all, it should actually push you to try harder so in the end you can say: “I told you I could to it” to everyone that doubted you.

I hope you all had a happy New Year.

OPINION

Jan. 28, 2014

5

Living with autism: his life is not a label

by Kristina Lechuga Lead Artist

W

hen most babies are born, they are given pacifiers. When my brother was born, he was given an oxygen mask.

I was only three years old at the time. I had no capability to understand what exactly was going on with my new baby brother, Kristian. Not only did I fall off a statue of a stone alligator while waiting outside the hospital with my grandparents, but that day signified the biggest change that would ever happen in my life. When I was much older, I learned that he couldn’t breathe the moment he was born, and had remained in intensive care for three days. The way my dad described it made it seem like an episode of 20/20.

My family noticed that by the time he was nearly three years old, he still hadn’t said his first word.

He made no eye contact with anyone, never pointed, never had imaginary play, and had no sense of sur-

rounding. He was in his own world, and no one could figure out why.

I had just ended my last year at a Catholic private school, about to begin my first year at a public school.

I was just turning seven on the first day of school, and I was scared. What I didn’t know was that my parents were, too. They wanted an answer for what was happening to their youngest child.

After a day-long evaluation by multiple doctors at Stanford hospital, my parents were told that Kristian had autism. Suddenly, my parents, who didn’t know the difference between “autistic” and “artistic,” were becoming experts on the mental disorder. It was a confusing time for all of

us. Whereas some families may have been completely devastated by the news, we took it as an initiative to learn as much as we could in order to get Kristian the help he needed.

My whole family learned sign language since my brother could not talk.

I found my 2nd grade self reading books on sign language from the library.

When my brother wanted more food or needed something, he had the sign language to communicate that.

It was a powerful communication tool that, luckily, he learned easily. Most kids, let alone adults, don’t know what “occupational therapy” is, or what an “IEP meeting” is, but these terms became a part of our everyday language in my household.

The way I reacted to my brother’s autism makes me guilty. I was young, selfish and angry. I was mostly jealous. Why did my little brother get so much more attention than I did? I was already somewhat of a spoiled brat, but the birth of my brother and the extra attention he got pushed me

to my limit. It was nobody’s fault; it was just the way things were. Most home videos from this time consist of my parents attempting to record my brother, then me jumping in front of the camera yelling, “Record me instead!” I cringe when I watch them today.

Still, he was my brother, and no matter how much more attention I thought he got, I still loved him. Maybe, at that age, it would be expected that I’d be embarrassed to hang out with my younger brother, especially one of the “special needs” kids. I wasn’t embarrassed at all. I was proud.

I was so happy that by the time my brother was five, he had finally said his first words. I was grateful that he got occupational therapy classes, speech classes and passionate teachers who nearly cried tears of joy whenever he did something independently. Some really did cry.

But the ultimate tearjerker happened one week ago.

“Kristina, can we sit down and talk?” he asked.

“Of course dude.

What’s up?”

“You know, I have an autistic brain, right?”

Everything stopped, and I got the chills. Did he just say “autistic?” He couldn’t have. He must have meant artistic, or something. He couldn’t have known what that meant, no one ever taught him. No self-awareness. He wasn’t even aware that he’s in a special education class, right? My thoughts were jabbing tears at my eyes.

“What do you mean?” I quietly asked.

“The way my brain is made. It’s an autistic brain.

And I don’t like being in special education. I’m embarrassed, Kristina. I want to be with the normal kids, in a normal class.” In that moment, I really learned what it felt like to be speechless.

The experiences I gained from watching my brother achieve great heights is much different than most sibling relationships. He has a good sense of humor; in fact, he is hilarious. He is the hardest

worker I know. He is my best friend. Sure, we fight like any other siblings do, but we always manage to make up in the end, even if it means Kristian offering to buy me something from Starbucks to gain my forgiveness. It’s hard to complain when I have a grande caramel macchiato in hand.

Having a brother with autism has taught me many things, but the most important thing that Kristian has shown me over the years is that your life is not a label.

We are all only human, with our own difficulties that we must overcome. In every personal struggle I’ve ever had, I look to Kristian for guidance. He may be three years younger than me, but I am not hesitant to say that he is my role model. If there’s anything that drives my desire to be successful, it’s watching my brother grow from having to communicate by pointing to pictures to now getting better grades than I did on my 7th grade report card. Kristian never gives up. I know I’ll never give up, either.

Winter formal

by Tatiana Castillo Staff Writer

W

Marinn Cedillo | The Phoenix

Save the manatees 2014

by Ashley Chavez News Editor

Call it whatever you want to call it: a sea cow, an underwater hairless dog or a whale dolphin. It’s a manatee, and it’s awesome.

Manatees are large gray sea mammals, typically ten feet in length and weighting 800 to 1200 pounds. They are most commonly found between Texas and all the way up to S.C. They cannot survive easily in deeper regions of the ocean, which is why they live in shallow waters such as bays and rivers. They feed off of aquatic vegetation. Due to their herbivorious eating habits and their gentle nature, they have virtually no enemies. It is as though manatees are in no trouble at all. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Manatees have been on the verge of extinction for decades. Their only enemy and sole factor for their extinction is humans. It’s no secret that humans are known for endangering animal habitats. The entire ocean is a victim of the human race. Manatees are especially vulnerable because of how close they live to shores.

Manatees are often victims of boat collisions, hunting and captivity. It’s highly unlikely to find a manatee with an intact tail. When boats come in contact with a manatee, their tails get caught in the boat’s propeller. I’m sure you can imagine the pain and physical damage that causes the manatee.

Every year, issues around the world are widely covered by news organizations and other kinds of publicity. However, many issues are unrecognized and neglected. Issues regarding animals are rarely a thoroughly covered topic, unless done by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the Save The Whales campaign. While the media continues to ignore many species in danger, individual clubs are taking action.

I myself have made it my New Year’s resolution to join to cause to save the manatees. In third grade I gave a presentation to my class on the prevention of manatee extinction and my naïve little heart thought that would do the trick. I’ve learned over the years that it will take a lot more. The Save The Manatee Club (savethemanatee.org) has various ways for you to get involved. You can even adopt a manatee.

It’s easy to take a little time out of your day to spread awareness. Manatees need more publicity than they get. They are kind and gentle creatures; victims of preventable harm. If you can’t take action, at least be aware. Manatees deserve more from us humans.

inter Formal is supposed to be one of the most lively and enthusiastic dances of the school year. However, Fremont is notorious for throwing some dull and empty Winter Formals.

So far, both my freshman and sophomore year Winter Formals were bad experiences. Not only was the music bad, but the atmosphere was as well. There were hardly any people and the students who did choose to attend only stood around in the corners of the gym with groups of their friends, leaving the actual dancing space pretty much empty.

The music has been the largest issue of past years’ formals. DJs seemed to only play the same few songs that we already hear all day every day on the radio. Also, all songs were repeated at least twice throughout the whole dance. The DJs do have out request lists, which students love to fill with all of their favorite songs. Every time a student adds to the list, the DJ promises to play the song before the night ends. Unfortunately, only about 2 out of the many songs written down are played. But if the list is full, why does the DJ continue playing the same crappy music we all dread? Luckily, this year Fremont will be using Isaac Deol as a student DJ. Deol plays music during lunch in the 40s wing at times, and most of the time has people surrounding the speakers. I have faith that this will lead to a better dance.

Hardly anyone really goes to formal and when talking to some friends about it, they all gave me the same answer: “It sucked last year, why would I go?” Because don’t believe in our school’s ability to host a good dance, students refuse to go, leaving the dance with lots of empty spaces. The students who do choose to go enjoy themselves for a little bit, but in previous years I’ve noticed that people get so bored they actually leave the dance super early to go somewhere else for fun. I myself also left formal early my freshman year due to bordeom.

I was much happier going home and watching movies on my couch, which is kind of disappointing because I expected to have a better time with my friends at a dance.

Having Deol as DJ has already encouraged many more students to attend Winter Formal on Feb. 7. Like they say, “The DJ makes the party.” Although I do still have my doubts about how formal will be this year, I do believe that more people will come and better music will be played. All I know for sure is that it will be better than last year’s Winter Formal.

Special Feature

6

Jan, 28 2014

2013

Social media breakthrough, Vine, is launched.

The Miami Heat won the NBA Finals.

The President was Inauguration

Justin Timberlake released The 20/20 Experience.

The Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl.

Baz Luhrmann’s take on the famous novel The Great Gatsby is released.

The Defense of Marriage Act was ruled unconstitutional.

Jan

Feb

March

May

June

The Royal baby was born.

Political thriller Argo wins Best Picture at the Oscars.

Lance Armstrong admitted to taking performanceenhancing drugs.

April

The Boston Bombing during the Boston Marathon.

The Louisville Cardinals won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Championship.

The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup.

Special Feature

Jan. 28, 2014

7

RECAP

News Entertainment Sports Web

The Boston Red Sox win the World Series.

Katy Perry releases summer hit, Roar.

Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela died.

The Make-AWish Foundation granted “Batkid” the opportunity to save San Francisco.

Miley Cyrus “twerks” her way to renewed fame alongside Robin Thicke at MTV’s Video Music Awards.

The 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

Killer Whale documentary, Blackfish, was released.

Asiana Airlines flight 214 ccrashed while approaching San Francisco, Calif.

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

The government shut down.

The Zimmerman Trial concluded.

Nov

Dec

Fast and Furious star Paul Walker died.

Duck Dynasty Dad, Phil Robertson suspened from show for anti-gay remarks.

Internet sensation, What Does the Fox Say rose to fame.

Paula Deen sued for discrimination.

Highly anticipated space film, Gravity, was released.

Beyonce released surprise self-titled visual album.

Glee star Cory Monteith died.

Photos courtesy of a variety of websites and do not belong to The Phoenix.

OPINION

8

Jan. 28, 2014

Hipsters, hypocrites and Indian culture

by Sonya Jindal Copy Editor

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hen I was growing up, I was constantly teased for being Indian. People would tell me to “go eat curry” or that I “smell bad”. I would participate in the talent show with some other Indian girls and do Dandiya, a type of Indian dance involving decorative sticks. I always dreaded when my mom signed me up for these dances because I knew it would come with a year’s worth of teasing from my classmates.

There was nothing cool about being Indian in elementary and middle school and I always found myself distancing myself from the other Indian kids because I didn’t want to be associated with that crowd and fit the stereotypes other kids had placed on Indians.

When kids would ask me if I was Catholic or Christian, I would just say Catholic because that’s what my mom grew up as, instead of stating that I was actually a Hindu. I was just embarrassed by my culture and ethnicity, not because I was ashamed of actually being Indian, but because of the way other kids had portrayed the life, with their greased-back braids and traditional outfits.

When high school started, the teasing began to subside. I would still get the usual “curry” taunts,

but I had grown a strong enough personality to coincide their snarky remarks. Over the past few years or so, I

started to notice people showing an interest in the Indian culture. I would see girls with mehndi, or henna, on different parts of their body, and see the Om symbol being drawn and used on Instagram captions.

Slowly, the boys and girls who had teased me about my own ethnicity were actually beginning to want to be a part of it!

I would hear people talk about Ganesh Ji as their own god, even though they had once made fun of his elephant looks. I would see people wearing Bindis and taking pictures, yet they had mocked me in school and

asked, “Where’s your red dot?” I would hear

ciating my culture, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s absolutely amazing how my culture is spreading and being grasped by others; what I’m annoyed by is the way people still treat Indians.

I see these little hipster kids with their tapestries and Binidis act so incredibly

the conversations between people about which incense was good to buy, yet that was once the smell they were repulsed by. I would see the Om symbol tattooed on girls and displayed all over t-shirts, regardless of the fact that they had tormented me with the “ommmm” sounds as I walked by.

I’m not upset that people are appreKristina Lechuga | The Phoenix

Ask Esteban

go through the day, then it isn’t your place to tell them what or what not to wear.

by Esteban

Advice Columnist

Q

: One of my friends is getting into drugs and it is starting to scare me. I know it is out of my control, but what can I do to help?

A: It all depends on how much you truly care for your friend and what lengths you are willing to go to for them.

You should definitely not be afraid to voice your opinion to your friend. Whenever you think they are making a mistake, tell them and hope they’ll listen. If your friendship matters to them, they should take your opinion seriously. Nonetheless, it is important to realize that they can make their own choices and that they are entitled to them. As a friend however, it’s your responsibility to tell them what you believe are those good choices. It’s also important to keep in mind to never give up on them. Losing a friend over something like this is pointless and you should fight for your friendship. If their choices are starting to affect you however, then you should tell them that. If your friendship matters to them, then they will hopefully reevaluate their actions.

rude to pure Indians. Every time there’s an Indian substitute at school, these very kids eat the sub alive. They comment on their vile smell, disgustingly mock their accents, and

downright just disrespect them. I always want to say something and speak up for the substitute, but the constant fears of the elementary school taunts engulf my mind.

It’s also quite sad how much people will pay to take part of this “trend.” I’ve seen girls spend hundreds of dollar at Urban Outfitters or Johnny Was buying tapestries or other Indian made products, which you could easily get for less than $10 at an Indian Bazaar.

And no matter what, these people will never get over the Indian food. I’ve met people who claim they “love” Indian food, yet in reality, they’ve only tried butter chicken and naan. While there’s the other group that’s totally invested in the Indian culture, there is still the group that is utterly disgusted by the food and smell, which is completely disrespectful.

As much as I want to be happy with the way my culture is intertwining with others, I will always have the taunting from my previous peers in the back of my mind. For now, I must live with these uneasy feelings and realize that these people are just invested in the trend and will slowly move on and forget about their Indian hipster ways.

So in the wise words of a true Indian hipster, “Namaste.”

Q: Socratic seminars are my nightmare. How do I deal with the people that dominate the conversation with points only to show off their own intellect?

Q: Why do girls find it necessary to cake makeup on? I saw a girl wearing fake eyelashes to school and I was really confused.

I think natural beauty is the best kind and more girls should embrace that.

A: Some girls are really selfconscious and are too afraid to embrace their flaws.

That’s why they wear a layer of makeup to hide behind. I believe they have unrealistic expectations of girls’ beauty.

No one should feel the need to layer on makeup everyday at school to feel accepted and pretty. Not a single person is perfect and more people need to really understand what that means.

However, if the person is comfortable wearing that much makeup to school, then you should let them be. Not everyone shares the same views as you. If wearing fake eyelashes gives them the extra confidence to

A: The best way to deal with people like this is to ignore them. Most of the time, people who try to dominate conversations crave attention. By not giving it to them, maybe they will stop seeking it from the whole class. You should also keep an open mind. Maybe the person talking is truly interested in the topic up for discussion and isn’t only acting that way just to show off. You should always give people chances. It might come off as them wanting to show off in front of the whole class, but sometimes people really want to demonstrate what they know to prove themselves. Socratic seminars are also graded discussions, so you should keep that in mind. Obviously the more you participate the more credit you get. Maybe you should try participating more instead of focusing on what other people are saying.

Q: I’m worried that I won’t get a date to prom this year. I’m not looking for a significant other, but I still want to go to prom and I don’t want to go alone. What should I do?

Should I go with a friend because I think that would be really awkward?

A: You only have two main opportunities to go to prom in your high school career, so you should try to make the best of it. Go on the hunt. Put yourself out there and you’ll be surprised on who you find. Talk to more people and try to keep an open mind. Don’t be too picky, especially if you’re still deciding last minute. It’s also important to remember it’s fine to go by yourself and with friends as well. You can have an equally fun time without having a date. The most essential thing to remember is to have a great time, no matter whom you are with.

Q: How do you gently turn down a guy when you find out from a third party?

A: Be straight up with your feelings towards them. Show them lots of hints that you’re not interested, sometimes people don’t get the memo at first. If you keep on showing

them signs you don’t intend on taking your relationship further, they will figure it out. You should also remember not to be mean, and try not to act awkward around them. Since you’ve find out from a third party, the person is not aware that you know about their feelings. Try and act how you normally would, all the while showing them the signs you are not interested. If that doesn’t work, then you should consider telling them directly that you don’t have feelings for them. After that, they should get the memo.

Q: I’m tired of being alone. My question is how can I take the initiative step to get out of this despair? I’m just tired of not experiencing what other people have. Can you give me that push to get out of this pathetic lifestyle?

A: At the end of the day, everybody needs someone to help them get through their problems, someone to talk to and someone to bounce ideas off of. Everyone needs to get advice from someone. If you’re really shy and don’t have the courage and an outgoing personality, take it slow. Try to talk to a new person the first week.

The next week, talk to two

other people and so on. Find people you can relate to and have similar interests, or just turn your head and talk to your lab partner. You should also remember to not be too picky about who you talk to either. Whenever there is someone you feel you can start a conversation with, do it. No matter who you try and talk to, you are bound to make friends.

Fremont is known for its friendly environment.

Q: I like a girl who is a year younger than me. She likes me as a friend, but wouldn’t date me because she doesn’t like that I’m older than her. How can I convince her that our age difference isn’t a big deal?

A: You are right, it isn’t a big deal, but for some people it is. Show her she can be comfortable around you and maybe she’ll think less of it. You can’t make her like you, she either does or she doesn’t, regardless of age. Maybe she’s saying that because it’s more awkward saying, “I don’t like you for you”, but who knows.

Q: Will you marry me?

A: I expect a formal asking with roses and a ring so big it doesn’t fit in the box.

Arts & Entertainment Some movies are worth melting for Jan. 28, 2014

by Sarah Arkoh

Business Manager

Cheerful winter music. A talkative snowman named Olaf. And two unstoppable sisters. It is none other than Disney’s Frozen.

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Frozen can pretty much be summed up in one word: adorable. It is the story of two Disney princesses, Elsa and Anna, born into the kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa, voiced by Idina Menzel, is the older of the two sisters. Her character can control winter, but her power tends to escalate wildly when she panics. Since her parents don’t want anyone to know of this ordeal, they instill in her the motto, “Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let it show.” Elsa soon learns to hide her powers from others in the kingdom.

Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell, sets off on a journey to find her sister, Elsa, after she has

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

an emotional breakdown and accidentally freezes their town, Arendelle. On the way to find Elsa and help unfreeze the kingdom, Anna meets Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff ), his ever-loyal reindeer, Sven and a funny snowman named Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad).

This movie is centered on the two sisters, who learn that sometimes a little love is all it takes. One thing that makes Frozen stand out from other Disney movies is the message of girl power.

Almost every Disney princess movie out there teaches little girls that they need an attractive prince to come to their rescue. Frozen breaks that stereotype. Anna and Elsa learn to rely on each other and not any Disney prince.

Frozen is not only super cute, but can also be described as empowering.

The amount of girl power in this movie, the music, and the development of the characters make this one of the best Disney movies that this generation has seen.

The movie is staged in Norway and for most of the movie the landscape is covered in snow. One thing that is noticeable during the movie is the amazing snow animations. Animators traveled to Norway to study landscapes, ensuring

that the scenes in the movie would seem realistic to viewers. They also studied winter snow in Wyoming to create the amazing world of Frozen. Snow, unlike most weather effects, follows a complex pattern.

Creator of Frozen created a material point method (MTM) in order to achieve these realistic effects. This algorithm allowed all the snowfall to be realistic in the movie, falling around the characters and creating a “fluff” effect when landing.

Another huge part of Frozen is the soundtrack.

It features 32 songs and actors from the movie, as well as Demi Lovato. The soundtrack was released two days before the movie on Nov. 25, 2013. Within four weeks, the Frozen soundtrack was number

one on the Top of Billboard 200, beating out Beyonce. The soundtrack also sold 165,000 copies on iTunes, making it number one during the week of Jan. 5, 2014.

Not only was Frozen the number one movie in the country for weeks, it is also the number two Dis-

ney movie of all time, hot on the heels of the Lion King. Frozen has currently raked in $669 million in the box office and that number is still growing. It was recently announced that Frozen is in the works to become a Broadway show.

While some are against the idea, fearing that this would ruin the movie, Disney has agreed that they will take their time creating the Broadway show, making for a great experience.

Frozen was an amazing onscreen experience

and one of the best movies of 2013. With its unique plot, message and amazing characters, it is definitely worth seeing before it leaves theaters.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Getting rid of that Santa belly Firebirds around campus dream... potato chips. Not only will starving yourself make you gain weight, but it is also incredibly unhealthy for your body. Not eating will result in a loss of nutrients and essential vitamins you normally get from a healthy meal.

by Hauraa Aalabdulrasul Arts & Entertainment Editor

After stuffing your face during the past few months, it is time to put away the cookie jar and get started on losing that holiday weight.

Here are a few tips to get you started before swimsuit season rolls in.

Write it down. The best way to reach your goal is to write it down. By writing down what you want to accomplish, it will become realistic and more serious. When creating your list, remember to be very specific. Planning to lose five pounds “soon” won’t be as effective as saying you will lose five pounds on an exact date.

Not only will starving yourself make you gain weight, but it is also incredibly unhealthy for your body.

And since you’ve got that pen in your hand, record your workouts and what foods you plan on eating.

Keeping a food diary will help you both keep track of what you are eating, and maintain a healthy diet.

You may be surprised to see how making a commitment on paper could make

Kristina Lechuga | The Phoenix

a big difference.

Get to Exercising. You may have found that the only kind of exercise you had this holiday season was raising your spoon. But now that the holidays are over, it is time to whip out those exercise clothes and hit the gym. Not only will you burn off those extra calories, but you will also attain a more positive attitude, which can help you make healthier food choices. Exercising in the morning is a great way to start your day and will motivate you to stay healthy throughout the day.

Also, if exercising seems like a boring thing to do, then make it fun with a friend.

Having someone nearby to motivate you will give you a higher chance of getting rid of that extra weight.

Don’t stop eating. You may think that after eating all that food, keeping yourself from eating throughout the day and skipping meals will help you to shed those pounds. However, you will just get hungrier and it will be harder to stick to a healthy meal plan. You will find yourself hiding in your closet, secretly eating those

Get Rid of the Temptation. In order to start your dieting, you will need to get rid of the holiday food to resist the temptation.

Instead of pie and fruitcake, stack your refrigerator and cabinet shelves with fruits, vegetables and healthy snacks. For example, instead of that homemade brownie, substitute it for a low calorie brownie, like Fiber One brownies that are packed with needed fiber for your body. And a final tip to get rid of the temptation is…

Donate. The holiday season may be over, but it doesn’t mean the less fortunate will stop being hungry. If you have extra food that you don’t need, then donate it to your local charity organization.

Some good options are the Salvation Army or a homeless shelter. Shelters are great places to bring leftover holiday food and experience the joy of giving back to the needy.

Donating will get rid of any temptation to overeat and will make you feel

“of becoming the first female president.” “of grduating high school, going to college and gettng my master’s degree.” “of a world where gender is not a binary”.

“Of becoming a professional photographer.” “of finding a cure for cancer.” “of having a banner in the big gym.” “of becoming a famous broadway actress.” “that girls will one day be able to walk around with the respect that they deserve.”

“Of being successful in psychology and in life.” “of coaching my son’s baseball team.”

Marinn Cedillo | The Phoenix

10

Arts & Entertainment

Jan. 28, 2014

How to relationship: Valentines’s Day

by Chau Nguyen Sports Editor

I don’t really know how to have a good relationship, but here’s my advice on how to have a fantastic relationship.

Visit the dating website meetmykindergartenteacher.com.

Don’t communicate with each other. Hold all of your anger inside and then lash out at your partner.

If you’ve been dating for a week, they should be able to read your mind and know what you like and dislike. If the way they act or behave is bothering you, don’t tell them.

Ladies: To determine what “base” you should allow your partner to get to, simply count their number of teeth, and divide that by your dress size.

Applying Whiteout on their hair while they sleep will tell them that you will always be there for them, regardless if they are old.

It is imperative that in the relationship, you should say, “Why do I have to deal with your crap?” It is also imperative that this should be repeated often, for it shows how romantic you are.

Remember: Money solves anything.

To practice fantastic kissing skills, stand in front of a mirror and pretend to kiss yourself—only if you are attractive.

Applying Whiteout on their hair while they sleep will tell them that you will always be there for them, regardless if they are old.

If you want to spend time with them, but they have to do something totally unimportant like go to their sister’s funeral, just ask nicely, but don’t be pushy.

Never mind, be pushy.

If you leave an argument frustrated and angry,

jump right back in the argument. You’re not done.

When on dates, require them to pay in pennies so the cashier can joyfully count all of them. As you both wait, you can gaze into each other’s eyes.

Install video cameras.

Everywhere. Yes, yes, everywhere.

Can’t go wrong with leaving them.

Tell them you have something more important to do than spend your anniversary together, like doodling on Post-it notes.

Instead of talking to each other, use Facebook stickers and emojis. Never communicate using the English language, or in fact, any language at all. A picture is worth a thousand words and emojis are novels.

Things to bring on Valentine’s Day are one can of Ranch flavored Pringles, a copy of the Berenstain Bears and a TI-84 Calculator Plus.

Kristina Lechuga|The Phoenix

Also, tell them how much you really want to be with them, but that they currently suck both in life and as a potential significant other. Then tell them how much better you would do without them.

Before the first kiss, tell them how your breath might not smell well because you are a cannibal.

If you’ve tried all of these tips and they didn’t work, just remember: Complaining is the best thing to do.

If you’ve read this far, then you should know that these are not tips for a successful, healthy relationship. A relationship is not a one-way street. You must be willing to be patient and

understand your significant other. These tips were just for fun, but if you really want a fantastic relationship, be open. It’s not all about you.

Maintain conversations instead of using the Facebook stickers and emojis. A relationship is much more than that. A successful relationship needs communication. If you have a problem, voice it. Asking your friends what they would do or what you should do should not come first, unless it is a big issue.

If you have an issue and they don’t acknowledge it, drop them. If you want to elevate yourself and have great relationships, cut the bottom feeders out. Your friends are not dating your significant other. You are.

Any relationship should not be a chore to you.

They are all opportunities to learn about yourself and others. And sometimes, even get to first base.

Talent spotlight

by Mike Capovilla

Staff Writer

Sixteen year old Sean Keegan has been playing classical guitar for almost as long as he has been able to walk, and has won more awards for his playing than Michael Phelps has won in the Olympics. Keegan, junior, has competed in and won many national and worldwide guitar competitions, such as the World Wide Guitar Competition.

He has met and performed with some of the most prolific and respected names in the classical guitar world such as Francisco Guerau, who has been considered by many in the community to be the father of modern classical guitar.

Classic guitar is not a very common route for young children who are interested in music. But Sean says that he was naturally drawn towards it.

“I enjoy the complex patterns and Photo courtesy of Sean Keegan sophisticated nature of the pieces I perform,” Keegan said. “It’s a really painstaking practicing process, but once the composition is perfect it’s the most satisfying thing in the world.”

Keegan started playing at age four and has played every single day since then, practicing for nearly two hours a day.

“Practice actually does make perfect in this case,” Keegan said. “It might be a cliche but in the case of extremely complex music, practicing is one of the most important concepts.”

One is his favorite things is playing with other musicians and performing with multiple people.

“Playing duets is an incredibly interesting and entertaining experience that can happen to you as a musician,” Keegan said. “I love learning to play along and adjust to other peoples styles and stuff like that.”

On top of his extremely high recognition as a guitarist, Keegan also participates in many after-school activities such as Cross Country. He has ranked highly in many events and meets.

“I enjoy the balancing act,” Keegan said. “It really relaxes me, having stuff to do.

My life can get pretty packed. I have guitar, Cross Country family stuff. I would not have it any other way. I love having a full schedule because it makes the down, calm moments so much more special.”

He anticipates that he will continue to be involved with music for the rest of his life.

“It would be pretty weird to not have anything music related in my life,” Keegan said. “It would feel pretty unnatural after doing it for such a long time. Music is a huge part of my life. I would not be the person that I am today.”

Keegan attributes many of the successes in his life to the determination and the good work ethics he learned from his time as a classical guitar player.

“I absolutely love it,” Keegan said. “There is nothing I enjoy more than putting in a couple of hours of practice. I can’t wait to continue my career doing this.”

STUDENTS work hard to prepare for winter percussion competitions.

Elliot Lehman | The Phoenix

Drumroll please

by Gaby Anaya Staff Writer

With Winter Percussion competitions just around the corner, students have been spending their time working on skills and preparing for what is to come.

Winter Percussion competitions are similar to those of Marching Band, except the only instruments used in Winter Percussion are drums. Also, instead of competing in a field, they compete in a gym.

Students have practice three times a week, and have been working on percussion rudiments, which are basic strokes that students do with their hands. They have also been working on rhythmic pattern, including footwork and the combination of the two.

“Right now they are auditioning, or working on basic skills, so they know what instruments are going to be assigned to them,” Joseph Kelly, band teacher

said. “When the staff gives them the show music, students know what they are doing.”

Although Kelly isn’t sure what the show music will be yet, the students are already making progress in their preparations.

Students have been practicing for the evaluations, which determined which division they would compete in. Evaluations come before competitions and judge skills to place schools in the appropriate division.

“The idea is that they want to put groups in the proper competitive class,” Kelly said. “For example, Homestead High School has this really awesome percussion section. They are really good. They compete in the world class, which is the highest level. Now [Fremont] has a really good percussion group but we are not in the same group skill wise, so it would be unfair to compete.”

Evaluations were on Saturday, Jan. 25th at Logan High School, Union City.

Students will now move on to compete against other high schools at the end of Feb. “It’s nerve racking, not knowing if you will make it or not, but it can also be very fun,” student Gabriella Quiroz said.

Fremont will be hosting a drum show on Feb. 22.

Students will be judged on three elements, which will then be combined to give the final score. Winter Percussion aims to get in the 80’s this year.

“The shows are a little bit shorter, usually like five minutes. “ Kelly said. “You have three judges that judge you in music, they judge you in visual and they judge you in effect.”

If you are looking to see what winter percussion is all about, Feb. 22 is the day to come out and see their hard work pay off.

Sports Miguel Morales: on and off the field Jan. 28, 2014

by Chris Peterson Staff Writer

At the age of 11, Miguel Morales inner instincts kicked in. He wanted to play soccer after watching a game on T.V. Sixteen and unstoppable, Morales is the captain of the Fremont High School varsity soccer team. What separates him as a captain from a player is that he shows excellent qualities of a leader.

“Making decisions for the team’s benefit, helping motivate my teammates and listening to the coach and team for their thoughts on the matter,” Morales said.

“Whatever it takes, you just got you and your team to do it.”

Through his dedication and skill, he has made himself an outstanding athlete.

He’s put countless hours of practice to create the soccer skills that he displays today, which had led him to many awards.

“When I was a freshman at 14 I used to play with Azteca Untied, Morales said. “I won two times a championship in Milpitas. I

11

got injured the next season sitting out for a year through that hardship. I learned to stretch more and warm up better to avoid injures.”

Every day after school, Morales begins practice at 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. to become mentally and physically stronger. On the weekends, he comes to FHS alone to practice more.

“Miguel is one of the top in the league,” coach Mike Baker said. “He is dedicated and skillful. He is one of the main reasons why we did good last season.”

Practices consist of scrimmages, shooting dribbling the ball, passing the ball and running to improve endurance and speed.

While solo, Morales comes to FHS to practice by himself, focusing on shots and drills that improve his ability to control the ball.

“The more I practice with the team and by myself, the more my abilities will improve on the field,” Morales said.

Morales plays a variation of positions. He plays mid-right and center-forward. He is considered one of the main strikers for the

team. By practicing outside of school and in school, Morales makes time for soccer because it might not have started at a young age, but it’s what he does.

He’s humble and doesn’t like disappointing people, especially the ones that look up to him.

“Last year when I was a sophomore in varsity we went to CCS and went to penalties,” Morales said. “I missed one out of 5 penalties. The one I missed kept us of from the next game, which was the semi-finals.

I cried out of disappointment, I was frustrated with myself for not being able to perform at my highest level in front of my team and the crowd.”

Morales established himself as a force to be reckoned with. In his sophomore season, he scored a goal, allowing the team to win the game. This made it one of the first games where he helped the team win in varsity.

“I ran up toward the goal when my teammate passed me the ball then I kicked it in,” Morales said.

“Afterwards. I started yelling

out of excitement and high fived all of my team. It was one of my best moments.”

It motivates him. Motivation to perform above and

Priya Lee | The Phoenix

JUNIOR Miguel Morales dribbles the soccer ball past a Palo Alto

Prep time well spent

by Melissa Parlan News Editor

The boys varsity basketball team started the season with a new starting five, but what hasn’t changed is the success and positive reputation the team gives to Fremont High School.

The boys played through the pre-season strong, ending with a five to seven record, preparing the team well for season.

“It was a good way to end pre-season,” Coach Jason Townsend said. “We played a good mixture of different teams. We won the games I knew we would.”

To be a part of a team is to work together and to reach the same goals.”

Junior Mohammed Abdulrasul The team started out with many new players with no experience playing on the varsity level and only nine returning players.

Despite this newness to the team, pre-season gave the boys the chance to improve and grow as basketball players.

“Everybody is a key team player,” Townsend said. “Everybody has improved. From shooting to ball handling, everyone’s skills improved and learned

beyond, just like famous soccer player Leonardo Messi. Respect, is what he wants.

“I want to be a profes-

sional soccer player because it’s my dream and my goal as well as my future,” Morales said. “Through that, I want the fame, the money and the cars. I want to feel important, so people will have respect for me the way people have respect for Leo Messi.”

Morales works hand in hand with his co-captain, junior Julio Angel Frias.

They plan out what is needed to improve for future games and what is needed for the players to improve. Furthermore, they also discuss the aspects of how to reach these goals of making the team better and also, how to improve the players.

“Miguel is a good player, good friend and good commander,” Angel Frias said.

Despite all of his accomplishments Morales stays true to his humble side.

“The coach made a hard decision picking me for the head captain, ‘cause there’s a lot of good players that could do the job just fine and arguably just as good as me,” Morales said.

Getting there

by Juan Martinez

Copy Editor

Melissa Parlan | The Phoenix

FREMONT guards against Gunn High School during a game, winning the game with a score of 62-60.

quickly.”

Not only has preseason given room for improvement, but it gave time to develop a strong, productive, well working team of ten, leaving no newcomer left behind, “The biggest thing I’ve improved on is teamwork and working with different players,” junior Mohammed Abdulrasul said.

“I’ve definitely been more involved with my teammates and know how to be a team player. I used to focus mainly on making my shots and my skills, but now I’ve realized that to be apart of a team is to work together and to reach the same goals.”

The pre-season sets up the team to prepare for the upcoming league, despite that the league will be vastly different from what

they’ve already faced during the pre-season. Compared to previous leagues, this would require the team to adapt to different techniques that their rival teams have in their aresenal. It reinforces the team’s mindset that fremont needs to create indivdual tactics and counterattacks against each rival teams indivudually.

“This year is more of a challenge,” Townsend said.

“Coaches prepare more and there is more strategy involved. We will be doing more film study and game prep.”

One of these challenges include playing good teams. The team looks forward to playing Santa Clara High School and more importantly, Wilcox High School.

“I look forward to play-

ing against Wilcox since they’re projected to be the best team in the league,” Abdulrasul said.

With pre-season out of the way and this season underway, Townsend expects the team to continue their improvement of skills and teamwork.

“My expectation for the team is to continue to get better every game,” Townsend said. “Every game is an improvement and getting better and not looking backwards.”

With constant competitive spirit and improvements on being a better player in each of their roles, the team is expected to end the season with a seven to five record. Their hard work leading up to the league, and a chance at Central Coast Sections.

As we return from winter break, the boys varsity soccer team was scrimmaging for league games during the break. Now that we’re back, the boys have begun playing their league games and the sad news is: the struggle to Central Coast Section is real.

With a record of two wins, two losses and one tie, the team enters the league at a slow pace and have a lot to work with towards making the league playoffs.

In a recent home game against Mountain View, the team was defeated with a score of 0-3. The loss came as shock to the team and the fans due to their previous game ending in a tie.

The game started off as anyones game; anything could happen. A couple of player changes and 90 minutes later, Mountain View had won the game to the dismay of the supporters of Fremont.

Still, the league is far from over as the season still has seven games left. Currently, the league that the soccer team is competing in called the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division. The SCVAL consists of 14 schools including Fremont, Cupertino, Homestead, Lynbrook, Mountain View, Saratoga, Los Altos, Milpitas, Palo Alto, Wilcox, Gunn, Los Gatos, Monta Vista, and Santa Clara High school.

“We could have played better,” junior Jackson Ellis said. “We weren’t prepared enough. The Mountain View team is good but they’re beatable. We have a good chance at CCS but we haven’t played to our potential.”

A year ago, the varsity soccer team made it to the CCS playoffs. Now, they’re kicking aside their struggles and are practicing harder, towards their goal for this season. The first round of the 2014 soccer playoffs isn’t until Feb. 25-26 which may seem really close but it is still far enough away for Fremont to make a comeback.

“The team this year has a lot of potential,” Coach Peter Alexeeff Torres said. “It’s a struggle to make it.”

In these times the stands could use some more Fremont supporters to cheer on our soccer team.

The stands are almost empty, the spectators are usually all the parents and other supportive families, but there still are no genuine Firebirds in the stands cheering them on.

Compared to the football games, it’s like a ghost town and it might help them to have a few more fans.

Sports

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Jan. 28, 2014

Work and play hard, all the way to CCS

by Jasmine Salik

Assistant Opinion Editor

It’s that time of year again, where we’ve almost forgotten the highlights of fall sports and make room for the winter sports we’ve missed for so long, including the girls varsity soccer team, stronger and better than ever.

We all have high hopes for our girls varsity soccer team and so do they.

“I expect that since we finished so well and strong last year, that we shouldn’t be any different this year,” Coach Megan Finney-Kravets said. “We should go out there thinking that we are a good team and play strong.”

Many people agree with Finney-Kravets and also have high hopes and expectations for this year’s season, including new varsity sophomore, Gianna Pezzella.

“I expect that we will do very well this year,” Pezzella said. “With a lot of hard work, I feel that the outcome will be great.”

Their pre-season is already over and the team is very pleased with their performance.

“I think our team has preformed pretty well this pre-season so far,” Captain Shelby Cox, senior said. “We have a young team so we’re still trying to get all of the teamwork working, but we have a lot of good individual

players.”

Last year, they only had half a field to practice with, which was a big challenge for the girls, since they needed to work on their shooting.

“Since we actually have a full field this year, we will be able to use both goals instead of one goal the entire practice, so we will be able to focus more on scrimmaging with two goals and having that opportunity of shooting on both sides,” Finney-Kravets said.

Reflecting on past seasons and constantly looking for ways to improve, these are the factors that are taken into consideration to make up a great team. Fortunately, the team has already started improving, including returning sophomore, Nicole Henry.

“We are going to put in a lot more hard work and dedication to improve,” Henry said.

Many on the team agree with Henry’s statement and have already been thinking of ways to enhance their soccer abilities.

“Last year I actually think we did really well, I just think that there were a couple of teams we had some difficulties with, so if we can just play better against those teams, I think we have a really good shot at doing well this year,” sopho-

more Elizabeth Luotto said.

During pre-season, the team was successful and only lost one game.

“We’ve only lost one game against Scotts Valley and it was a very good loss, meaning that we worked really hard and it was a close game,” Finney-Kravets said.

The girls have been contemplating ways to improve their team as a whole. At the beginning of the season, members of the team set expectations and goals for themselves.

Many believe they have met them.

“The season hasn’t started yet, but so far I think our team has been working really hard and we have accomplished many of our expectations already,” Pezzella stated.

The girl’s pre-season isn’t what you’d call a warm-up, since the coaches scheduled difficult games to see what the team is up against.

“We don’t really have an easy league in our preseason, since we play in the El Camino lower division,” Coach Miranda Zumbahlen said. “We’ve scheduled hard games because it helps us develop as a team and show what we truly need to work on.”

Great sport seasons can be measured and evaluated by looking at many aspects of the team, however, for many players,

Jasmine Salik| The Phoenix

SOPHOMORE Gianna Pezella tries to steal the ball from a Monta Vista player and pass it to her teammate.

great seasons come down to just three simple ideas.

“The factors for making a successful season are participating and being here, keeping a good positive mind and atmosphere here on the field between the players and coaches and also communicating on and off the field,” Finney-Kravets said.

It’s one thing to state your goals and expectations verbally. It’s another to demonstrate them through

actions. The girls have shown no trouble showing off their skills during their games.

“I think the first five minutes of each half are amazing and we come out really strong,” Cox said.

The team’s chances of making to Central Coast Section are higher than ever and with a lot of hard work and dedication, the team believes they can make it to the top.

“I believe that we can

make it to CCS this year,” Zumbahlen said. “We have tough games ahead of us but I believe if all of us come together as a team and work hard, we will be able to accomplish going to CCS.” Being on varsity can be tough and time consuming, but the girls are willing to do it, for the love of soccer.

“Yes the varsity team does take away a few hours of my day, but I love coming out here and playing with my team and playing soccer in general,” Pezzella said.

Pinning down willpower and strength

by Marcus Saranglao Assistant Sports Editor

The air is composed of pure sweat as soon as you step inside the wrestling room.

Your nostrils are filled with the smell of testosterone. However, inside this possibly intoxicated warehouse, Fremont High School’s wrestling team is pumped up for training.

They meet inside the worn out, large shed by the portables everyday at 3:30 p.m. Just from looking, all you need is a shirt and shorts or sweatpants and the training begins.

Everyday, we work as hard as we can. They watch our matches, record our matches and watch them again. They find exactly what we did wrong and practice again.

Senior Gary Miltenberger

Their routines include sprints, basic yoga stretches, pull ups, rolls and of course, sparring with each other within their weight.

According to Erik

Duus, coach of the FHS wrestling team, the wrestlers work against him. It’s tough love, but it creates a stronger bond between coach and wrestler.

“They’re crying, they’re cursing at me, saying that I’m the meanest guy on the planet,” Duus said. “But after it’s all said and done, they thank me and they’re grateful when it comes to match time.

They’re ready.”

In a limited training room, there are inconveniences that may hinder their wrestling performance.

“We run in a circle, in a small hot room, for about three hours and we sprint in there and that’s a problem cause there’s like 30 of us And we work out a lot and we don’t even use machines to work out. We usually just use our bodies to work out, so we’re pretty much pulling our own weight in there,” senior Evonne Evien said.

Determined to pulling their own weight, hard work is all they need.

According to senior Gary Miltenberger, the coach records their performances in games and guides them for improvements for each of their own individual

Priya Lee | The Phoenix

JUNIOR Dominick Huerta pins down a Monta Vista wrestler and tries to hold him down for the count.

weaknesses.

“Everyday, we work as hard as we can,” Miltenberger said. They watch our matches, record our matches and watch them again. They find exactly what we did wrong and practice again.

Duus says there are two aspects of being a wrestler: mentality and vitality.

Currently undefeated in dual-meets, team against team, Duus pushes their limits as wrestlers, as well as improving their weak points.

“We know that before a match, their opponents would try to find their Achille’s heel,” Duus said.

”We’re preparing them for a fight. When it comes to match time, they’re ready to perform.”

The mentality of feeling exhausted comes within short time and the physical aspects of giving out builds up. Duus, a veteran wrestler, remarks that even a great well built wrestler would be completely exhausted within moments during training.

According to an anonymous source, strength and willpower unlocks the potential in a wrestler.

“It’s all mental, so you feel like you’re tired, and you feel like your body is about to give up. “Coach

always says it’s [only] mentally. You just need to push yourselves and you just have to tell yourself that you are not tired, cause you really got a lot more left in the tank.”

Wrestling also shares a common drawback with other sports, the end of the day becomes very tiresome.

It can be tiring, from walking home, riding the bus late and picked up while waiting in the cold weather is a not so swell way to end the day. Still, wrestler, Evien doesn’t think it’s a burden, rather another school activity.

“Everyday, we work as hard as we can,” Milten-

berger said. “They [coaches] watch our matches, record our matches, and watch them again. They find exactly what we did wrong, and practice again.”

So far, things have been going well. Recently, they’ve won 2nd place of all of California Coast Section at a tournament in Santa Cruz, as well as winning their own local tournament, 4th Annual Webber Lawson Varsity tournament, hosted at the FHS gym back in Dec. Although their performances at local tournaments weren’t great.

But, there is always room for improvement.

“We are the hardest working sports team on this campus than any other team,” Duus said. I’ll gurantee you that.”

Their shared mutual goal pumps them up: the dream for ranking top in CCS and in states competition. In pursuit of that goal, they grow stronger together.

“Well that’s the main goal and main objective, that’s why we’re here,” Fremont wrestler said.

“To get to CCS and states because that’s what matters. It makes me a better wrestler because you need that push.”