October 15, 2013 Issue | Issue 1, Volume 2

What’s inside:

Tribute to Kevin Guardado

see page 3

The Phoenix October 15, 2013

Robots invade Fremont

By Priya Lee

On Oct. 4th and 5th, at Fremont High School over 36 teams went head to head, vying to win first place at the Calgames Robotics Competition.

Calgames is an annual robotics competition that is run by The Western Region Robotics Forum (WRRF), which is a non-profit organization that promotes the educational use of robotics and helps the FIRST robotics teams in the Bay Area. FIRST stands for: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

The Fremont High School team is a FIRST robotics team and Calgames is an off-season event that concludes the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Game of Ultimate Ascent.

Every year, the FRC has a game that the robotics teams build robots for and compete in during the months of January and February. Calgames is a unique competition compared to the norm.

“The thing that is special about Calgames is that normally you get six weeks to build, design and then go to competition,” senior Hailey Sanidad said.

“We’re in October right now, we’ve had several months to modify, to perfect, to get everything working right, so at Calgames you see a lot more robots that can do what they were designed to do.”

For this robotics com-

Fremont High School, Vol. 2 Issue No. 1

Construction ends, settling in begins

By Melissa Parlan

Melissa Parlan|The Phoenix

PREPARATIONS are complete in the newly reonvated 90s wing.

specific number that applies to each school for admission to competitions is 3501. The team’s supervisor is David Dobervich and they are sponsored by many organizations such as the FUHSD Foundation, Abott Fund, Symantec, SolidWorks, Brin-Wojcicki Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Evil Mad Scientist, Neonode, JCPenny and Igenex.

Most of the members on the robotics team are proud of their accomplishments, because it takes a lot of work and knowledge to see something that you built ultimately come to life.

“Just the rush of adrenaline to see something that you created fight and

As the 2013-14 school year started, students entered Fremont to see the 90’s wing under construction to provide science students and teachers with more classrooms.

This project began the Monday after school started and to this day, renovations aren’t completely finished.

Most of the construction was internal, with tearing down the wall that divided math classrooms that stood in current classrooms 92 and 93 to make one classroom. These classrooms will mimic classrooms current classrooms 90 and 91.

“Little things they find and go through, like errors in piping, drainage and ventilation, that don’t always go as smoothly as they want push back the actual finishing date and take more time,” Bryan Emmert, Fremont High School Principal, said.

Physics teacher Michael Amarillas, currently teaches his classes next to the two classrooms that are coming to a finishing point. He explains his mixed feelings for the project.

“I knew it would be a headache from the start, with the power tools and flaws in lighting and ventilation due to the construction work,” Amarillas said. “But with the project so close to being done and the construction workers hammering out the last few issues, it’s becoming exciting.”

Parent volunteers have been moving science supplies into the new rooms,as well as science teachers Michelle Wanger, Anita Wu and Celia Dudley, who will be using the classrooms.

See Robotics on page 4

Construction on page 4

Priya Lee|The Phoenix

THE Large Gym is packed with those anticipating the who would win in the next match.

petition, the teams are randomly selected to be on the red alliance or blue alliance with two other teams. Then, whichever team wins the most points at the end of the match is the team that wins. The alliances can score points by shooting a Frisbee into an opening, or climbing the pyramids that are placed in the robotics ring.

“There isn’t always a clear winner, because you are always working in a group of three and that group of three system also helps promote FIRST’s mission of gracious professionalism,” Sanidad said. “It isn’t meant to be like, we’re going to smash their robot, because a robot that may be your enemy in one match might be in your alliance the

next.”

This was Fremont’s first time hosting Calgames and the gym was packed with students, teams and robots from other schools.

The Fremont High School robotics team placed eighth in the competition with their robot, Oddjob and made it to the quarterfinals.

“We did really well, considering that we’re one of the newer teams, even at that event,” senior Stuart McCrorie said. “We ended up getting eighth overall, which is really good, and we beat some of the teams that have been in existence for many years.”

The Fremont Robotics Team has been in existence for only four years and has over 30 members. Fremont’s

District-wide college fair is a big success

By Kristina Lechuga

Fremont High School held its annual district-wide college fair on September 19th, featuring over 100 colleges both local and outof-state.

Present were many well-known prestigious colleges, such as UCLA, Stanford and Cal Poly, which attracted both students and parents alike, giving out free informational pamphlets and other items. The college fair proved to be beneficial for students interested in college, or those who don’t know where to start. “I don’t know where I want to go to college yet, but the college fair helped me to keep my options open,” Monsi Magal, junior at Fremont, said.

“It’s a good opportunity for a real person experience and insight.”

For some students, the college fair is the only option to gain useful information about colleges.

“I have no idea how to use Naviance. I think I may have added some random colleges to my favorites list during freshman year,” Casey Young, junior at Homestead High school, said. “This is the only way I can really learn about college,” Nicole Krause, junior at Homestead, said. Many students showed enthusiastic appreciation for the free merchandise and publications that were being handed out during the fair.

“Look at all this free stuff I’ve gotten,” Krause said.

Priya Lee |The Phoenix

COLLEGE representative speaks to a Fremont High School student and his mom during the College Fair.

Other students attended the college fair with more specific goals in mind. Abby Duerr, junior at Fremont High School, attended the fair hoping to find a military college, but with no luck. “I figured this was the best place to find information on one,” Duerr said. Despite the large amount of colleges present, some students such as Duerr expressed disappointment by the lack of diversity between them.

Whether students showed up to the FUHSD college fair with specific goals in mind, or just to get a glimpse at what their future for college may be like, every attendant returned home with new knowledge (or free merchandise).

News

2

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 Sports Editor Chau Nguyen Arts & Entertainment Editors Savanna Kiene Hauraa Aalabdulrasul Neha Mannikar Opinon Editors Kayla Layaoen Jasmine Salik Art & Design Editor Kristina Lechuga Copy Editors Sonya Jindal Juan Martinez Business Managers Tatiana Castillo Sarah Arkoh Photographers Priya Lee Elliot Lehman Briana Castillo Tech/Online Manager Mike Capovilla Staff Writers Gaby Anaya Marinn Cedillo Rebekah Granlund Chanel Johnson Joanah Nguyen Alex Noyes Chris Peterson Sergio Rodriguez Marcus Saranglao Nicole Stibbard Alexis Szewczyk 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.

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.

OCT. 15, 2013

Once a Firebird, always a Firebird

by Savanna Kiene

“It is a bittersweet time for me, as after more than ten years of working at Fremont High School I will soon leave my job at Fremont to be the new Coordinator of Communications for the Fremont Union High School District.

Monday, November 4 will be my first day at the District Office in this new role,” Sue Larson said.

Whether you’ve seen her taking photographs, stolen pieces of candy from her desk or visited her during lunchtime, chances are you know Larson. She has been nicknamed the “mom” of Fremont because of her amazing work students and her loving and caring personality. Because of her strong connection to Fremont staff and students, many people had conflicting emotions when they read her announcement on Facebook. With over 300 likes, it was evident there was much support. Comments such as: “No, Mrs. Larson, don’t leave us!!! We will miss you so much!! Nevertheless congratulations on the promotion,” Paris Trytten, senior, said.

“Congratulations Mrs. Larson! I’m so happy for you, but it’ll be hard to see you go. We’ll miss you!”

Malia Ramos junior, said.

These are perfect examples of how the students are incredibly proud of her new job, but will miss her moth-

LARSON reminising on the good memories made in her years at Fremont.

erly role in the Fremont community.

At Fremont, Larson was executive assistant to Principal , Bryan Emmert. Not only did she support Emmert, but she

The students and the staff are so precious to me. I will miss them deeply.

Sue Larson also helped people find answers to their questions, or point them in the direction of someone who could tell them the answer. She worked with the students, staff and other community members on school-related

projects and served as a photographer for certain school events. Her work here at Fremont was well appreciated and will be missed dearly.

Her new title is the Communications Coordinator for the Fremont High School Union District. In her new job, she gets to “tell stories of amazing kids and students and staff all over the district,” Larson said.

She will work with “You know that I will be looking especially for Fremont stories to tell,” Larson said.

No matter what title Larson holds, she will always be a part of Fremont to all of us. In her announcement on Facebook, she said:

Elliot Lehman | The Phoenix

“A phrase that speaks to that reality is ‘Once Fremont, always Fremont.’”

The words ring true as her desk is emptied out,a new member to Fremont .

Emmert specifically wants only the most caring person with a heart for students to replace her position.

That desk will always be a welcoming place, no matter who works at it.

“I will always cherish the opportunity to work at Fremont High School.

It’s been the best job of my life. The students and the staff are so precious to me.

I will miss them deeply.”

Well Mrs. Larson, there’s no doubt in our hearts that we will miss you too.

Problematic parking gets fixed

by Chris Peterson

A new system has been put into effect this year for the use of Fremont student parking spaces. The hope behind the policy is to eliminate parking hassles while providing better-organized distributions of parking space for the students who have the privilege to drive. In the past, parking was providedo on a first come first serve basis, but this year the school wanted to make it less chaotic.

“The decision for the change in policy was made by the admin team last year because of the issues we faced.

The protocol is a mix of other schools policies combined to create our own to come up with the numbered spots,” Noe Ochoa, Dean of students and administrator for parking, said.

For the new process, students need to submit a Student Vehicle Registration & Parking Permit Application to the ASB office to apply for a parking space. In the paper work, students are required to provide driver’s license number, insurance information, vehicle registration and a parent’s signature. If students have low grades their parking space can be taken away until they show

PARKING spaces are kept more organized with the new number system.

improvement.

“It’s more structured than before and helps us monitor better. Last year if someone was in a fender bender we couldn’t really help them but now we can check around their spot and investigate,” Ochoa said.

Along with the numbered parking system that makes students feel good that their spot will always be there, it gives them a feeling of security of where to park their valuable car.

“The parking spots give

every student their own place that belongs to them, it feels good to know that when you come back from lunch your spot is open,” Pablo Gomez, junior, said.

However one of the disadvantages of this new rule, is that if someone takes another student’s spot, the original spot owner has to park in section 1-20 and contact the dean to resolve the issue.

“Before people would randomly park and students with passes couldn’t park because there weren’t any

Priya Lee | The Phoenix

spaces left,” Ochoa said.

Although to some, the new parking policy does not appear to have any affect on improving the parking system from prior years.

“I haven’t really seen improvements for the old policy since it’s not been in place long enough to say but students like it a lot,” Cheryl Stockhaus, financial technician said.

The only difference from the old system is that the spaces are numbered now.

In Loving Memory of Kevin Guardado Beloved friend, brother, and son.

I love and miss you Kevin.

It still feels so unreal. I’ll see you up there one day, though.

Kevin was always a really funny guy. He would light up a room whenever he walked in. I wish I could’ve chilled with him more.

Kevin is a genuine person. He is one of the nicest people I ever met. Kevin will always be with us in our hearts.

I miss you my dude... We all miss you. The crew Kevin had one of the loudest laughs I’ve heard. It always put a smile on my face whenever I was around him. He truly was one of the most won’t be the same without you. I was blessed to have met you and spent so many years with you. compassionate and caring people I knew. I love you, Kevy.

Rest easy Kevs.

I miss you bro. The crew will

You were such a funny guy, Kevin. It was a good few years with you. I’ll be thinking of you. See you later.

I’ll keep our memories forever, I miss you best friend.

I love you so much Kevin. I’m gonna miss everything about you.

I know you’re up there watching Kevin, we will always remember Kevin always knew how over us and red nosing for Jesus! I you. Rest in peace. Thank you for to come to class with love you Kevs.

all the wonderful memories you left with us.

Kevin your soul was so beautiful even from a distance. Your personality and amazing smile will forever live in all of our hearts.

a positive attitude and make people laugh.

Kevin is such a wonderful person. He knew how to make anyone laugh. He is my best friend. I remember him always with a smile. He always loved to sing too, I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend. I love and miss you Kevin.

never be the same again. We know that you are still with us by our sides and in our hearts.

Love you bro.

Kevin was a great AVID brother and a truly kind, funny person. I’ll never forget when Kevin let me chill in his car on the Friday before the accident for the first time. He will never be forgotten.

Kevin was the funniest guy at our school. We will never forget about his “body roll punch”

Kevin we will never forget you. Your Avid family loves you, and will forever miss you.

Hi Kev! I miss you. Your presence always Kevin and his amazing positive attitude made people’s days better just by you blurtalways make everyone’s day better. He’s ing out random words or just by your laugh. so caring and he has such a big heart.

You’ll always have an open seat in AVID, His heart-warming hug and friendliLove you. ness will always stay with everyone who know and love him.

Messages courtesy of the AVID Class of 2014

Photos courtesy of friends, family, and LifeTouch

Kevin was a caring person; he always put others first. He worked especially hard this last year of high school, trying to maintain straight A’s to make my dad proud. He really wanted to make people happy. Kevin even got his first job at Walgreens and started working two days before the accident. A few weeks later, we received a paycheck, his first from a real job, totaling $97.61. We were all very proud of Kevin. We love him and will miss him a lot. The best memory I have with him was when he gave me two tickets to see Wiz Khalifa and ASAP Rocky at the Under the Influence Tour. I still remember he said, “We’re going to see ASAP and Wiz Khalifa!” I will never forget that day. It was the best birthday present I’ve ever had. On behalf of our family, I would like to thank Fremont High School for everything they have done for us. From the parking spot and locker to the candlelight vigil, we know Kevin will always be loved and remembered.

Message from Kevin’s brother, Irvin Guardado

News

4

Alumni makes impact, even after graduation

By Sarah Arkoh

Fremont High School’s class of 2013 Alumni, Denzel Campos, was recently awarded the Outstanding Senior Award for his numerous accomplishments during his senior year.

The Outstanding Senior Award is given to a high school student based on their accomplishments during their senior year. Going into senior year, Campos was determined to end his time at Fremont with a bang. Campos describes his final year at Fremont as fun, yet busy.

“I did as much as I [could] with the given time I had left at Fremont and I think I did a lot considering certain circumstances,” Campos said.

Some of Campos’ circumstances included Advanced Placement and honor classes, AVID, varsity sports, serving as a member of ASB Cabinet, family and financial struggles and working throughout the week and weekends. “It was a constant struggle to balance everything all at once,” Campos said.

Campos contributed a lot to his community throughout his final year at FHS. Events he participated in include Walk-A-Thons, the annual Stanford Blood Drive and serving as a cabin leader at Walden West, where he served over 100 community service hours in just one week.

Another event Campos participated in was a fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Sandy, which struck the eastern United

States in October of 2012.

Campos and members of ASB were able to raise over $200 that was donated to the Red Cross, benefiting victims. The Red Cross is an organization that offers health and safety services to people in the US as well as internationally. The Red Cross also provides relief to victims of various natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.

I was first of all speechless.

And after my supervisor explained to me how neat of an award it was, I was completely shocked as to being the one senior, especially considering that I never heard of a Fremont recipient to ever receive this award. I really felt honored to be the one picked out of all the other nominations in the area and I still think it’s mind-blowing.

Alumni Denzel Campos Several weeks before the Award Ceremony, Campos was selected to receive the Outstanding Senior Award. Because of miscommunication, it took awhile for Campos to be notified.

A supervisor from Campos’ job called him, letting him know he had won.

“I was first of all speechless,” Campos said. “And after

Construction: a summer project comes to end

my supervisor explained to me how neat of an award it was, I was completely shocked as to being the one senior, especially considering that I never heard of a Fremont recipient to ever receive this award. I really felt honored to be the one picked out of all the other nominations in the area and I still think it’s mind-blowing.”

One requirement in receiving this award is to be nominated by an administrative figure. Former FHS dean, Eric Wong, nominated Campos. He thanks Wong for the nomination and wishes him the best of luck at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, where he is serving as an administrator.

Campos is currently a freshman at San Francisco State University where he is studying kinesiology, the study of human movement.

He hopes to one day become a physical therapist.

“My plan right now is to take in and enjoy the first year college experience, but I will continue my involvement,” Campos said. Campos is currently in the process of joining Alpha Phi Omega (APO) a national community service based fraternity at SFSU. APO is the largest fraternity in the US. There are chapters on over 350 university campuses. The fraternity emphasizes leadership, friendship and service.

Campos plans on doing internships and participating in various clubs this year at SFSU. He hopes to continue serving his community now and in the future.

The reconstructing of two new science buildings seem like a minor project, however, it’ll benefit both science teachers and science students, which is a large portion of Fremont, because two years of science are needed for graduation. Before, science teachers have had a complex organization of where they would teach each of their classes, due to the lack of science buildings.

“Now, with the addition of two new classrooms, teachers won’t have to move around as much to teach their different classes and students will have an easier time finding their instructors,” Amarillas said.

In addition to improvements in teacher classroom location, the 90’s building has been equipped with everything needed for science, especially chemistry, which requires a substantial amount of supplies. Each classroom is installed with fume hoods, cabinet space and lab counters. To separate classrooms 90 and 91, a hallway was added, including a prep room to prepare for lab lessons and store materials.

Although construction was pushed back further into the first month of school, credibility to the construction workers must be given. They work before and after school hours and during the weekends to complete the project and get a tremendous amount of changes done.

Despite all of the changes that Fremont’s campus have and will yet to endured, construction may seem like a bothersome hassle, but it’s long term effects are well worth it all.

“Campuses, for any school, are always going through construction,” Amarillas said. “New students come in and graduate, populations change. Fremont is a dynamic environment. The only thing that stays constant, is the changes.”

Robotics: They’re geniuses Continued from page 1

Priya Lee| The Phoenix

SENIOR Stuart McCrorie, junior Kenny Nguyen and junior Sitar Harel control their robot in the Calgames competiton at Fremont High School.

adrenaline to see something that you created fight and compete against something that someone else created is great,” junior Sitar Harel said.

“I just really like doing it,” McCrorie said. “Personally it’s always really interesting and cool to see all of the different ideas that people come up with and it’s just really awesome to be at the competitions and doing this with other teams that have gone through the exact same thing that you have. We’re given all the same materials, but you have something that looks entirely different.”

Last year, the team made it to finals at the Central Valley Regional Competition, but lost during the last match. The members of the robotics team hope to do

even better this season than the last.

“Upcoming season, I think we have a really good chance of doing well,” McCrorie said. “We learned quite a bit going in to this and we also learned a lot last year, so our experience level right now I believe is far ahead where we should be, so I think that’s really good coming into next season.”

According to Harel, victory is possible if the squad works hard during the next months before the competition season.

Building a robot isn’t a task that can be completed during one lunch period, so the robotics team meets after school and communicates mostly by email. If you wish to join the team you can contact Sanidad at sanidadhailey2014@gmail.com.

Guidance to a higher education

By Neha Mannikar

Continued from page 1

OCT. 15, 2013

Despite the stress and fear associated with college applications, more students than ever are finding their way to college with confidence, thanks to the guidance team’s efforts.

From class presentations and speakers to workshops and appointments, the guidance office has its hands full preparing for the class of 2014. As the highly successful workshops have shown, more students are attending workshops than expected from past years.

Each year, the amount of Firebirds attending universities has increased, holding even more promise for this year’s seniors.

Earlier this year, students attended workshops for private, out of state, Universities of California, and California State Universities.

The rest of October and November still hold more opportunities to get help with essays, supplements, and more. The Personal Statement Workshop will take place on Friday, Oct.

18th, and there will be more opportunities to work on essays and supplements.

Guidance counselor Eddie Buhisan (Bo) correlates the workshops to a more facilitated application process.

“It’s a layered approach,” Bo said. “One good thing is that the workshops produce more questions

Plan well. Just keep on going and it will all work out.

Guidance Counselor Eddie Buhisan (Bo) and broaden their horizons.

A lot of kids think things they haven’t thought of, find schools they hadn’t anticipated applying to. We’re giving them information to be successful in the process.”

Information has definitely been a struggle for many students.

“It’s just the deadlines, the application process, all the pieces that are required … It could be daunting for a lot of seniors,” Bo said.

However, with the school’s

preparation, students are able to go into the process more confidently.

Senior Rebecca Han believes the guidance workshops and presentations have helped her greatly.

“Time is going to go a lot faster than we think it’s going to be,” Han said. “That motivated me to get started right away. The process is hard; managing everything, getting everything organized, together and on time for all these deadlines. But it’s manageable with all the help we get.”

Looking past the deadlines and paperwork, the reigning fear factor of college applications is fear itself.

“This is a very complex and scary process, but if they get a chance to get their questions answered, they have less fear,” Bo said.

“A lot of seniors are very well prepared, a lot more prepared than they realize.

They just need someone to validate what they know and say ‘You’re on the right track and everything is going to be fine.’”

Though the process may be difficult and trying, Han has drawn confidence from the help she’s received.

“It’s definitely intimidating,” Han said. “Just the thought of going to college and that this is a deciding factor for your future. You’re deciding where you’re going to be for the next couple of years. But when I’m completely lost and don’t know where to start, the counselors and workshops give you that push you need and everything you need to know.”

In the end, college applications just boil down to perseverance and dedication.

“I know I have a lot of help, and that a lot of people are going through the same thing as me,” Han said. “I’m not alone.”

Bo also agrees that keeping a calm and positive outlook will make the process go more smoothly.

“Plan well,” Bo said.

“Just keep on going and it will all work out.”

OPINION

OCT. 15, 2013

5

All work, no play− or sleep

By Neha Mannikar

Kristina Lechuga | The Phoenix

Fresh out of middle school and off of the deep end

By Nicole Stibbard

Being a freshman isn’t the easiest thing out there, but being at Fremont makes it a little bit easier.

When entering high school, I thought it would take a lot of time to feel like I was a part of things. I expected all the stereotypical things like being called “fresh meat” and being ignored by the upperclassmen. However, it was the opposite.

It’s true some students aren’t the biggest fans of us ‘newbies.’ I must say I’ve never experienced such a welcoming place.

I was surprised with the amount of spirit Fremont has after attending the rallies and a few football games. Almost every student wore their class colors, and let’s not forget the kids who went all out with face paint.

In every movie, high school is evil, but so far from what I’ve experienced, it is what you

make of it. The only thing that isn’t so great would be going from the top of the food chain as an 8th grader back down to the very bottom as a freshman. Thankfully for me, I don’t look like a freshman, according to my classmates. Having upperclassmen friends is definitely a pro. They come in handy when you are freaking out and have no idea where to go. I know on the first day I was completely lost, missing the chance to get a locker which happened to many freshman. Also a downside would be having someone at your side to tease you about being a ‘freshie.’

Being a freshman

definitely isn’t the easiest thing with all of your teachers and guidance counselors telling you everything you must know and prepare for during the next four years of our young lives. Everything is happening more quickly than it did during middle school. We jump right into things as soon as possible. Freshman year isn’t too different from what I expected it to be.

I was expecting it go by slower and not jump in to work as quickly as we have. Mainly, us freshmen try to look as nonchalant as we can when going from class to class around campus. Still, most of the freshmen during the first week look like chickens with their heads cut off.

I am certain I have had moments like that as well.

I think we all attempt to look like we know what we are doing just to avoid the dreaded stereotype of the constantly confused freshman, but in the end, most of us fail.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the recommended average amount of sleep for teenagers is about 9.25 hours. But based on surveys at Fremont, we average about six.

Lack of sleep is not an uncommon issue. With every additional project, assignment and extracurricular, sleep gets tossed onto the back burner. And, without sleep, students find it harder to focus and do their best.

When the body doesn’t get enough sleep, the consequences can be harmful.

After the initial alertness comes a powerful drowsiness. This can be as simple as falling asleep in class or during homework, or as dangerous as feeling drowsy behind the wheel. The National Sleep Foundation states that drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 accidents per year.

When fingers are pointed, it’s always the

students who get the blame for wasting time and moving inefficiently. But how can students be efficient running on two hours of sleep? There are so many activities that compete for attention; from homework to clubs and SATs to college applications, students have no time to focus on health.

It’s become into a cycle of sorts. Students don’t eat well, sleep well or get enough exercise. As a result, they work lethargically and drag tasks past their allotted time, again disregarding sleep.

An increased workload not only increases potential for harm, but also decreases productivity and learning.

Homework, many teachers argue, is essential for practicing concepts learned in class. But really, staring at that worksheet at 3:00 am with droopy eyes does not lead to a sudden understanding and knowledge.

Instead of using homework as a way to study, students just end up moving through

it with detachment, the only goal being to finish it as quickly as possible.

When the main purpose of homework is minimized to completion, students aren’t learning.

Today, too much is expected of students. High school is a time when students can discover what they want to do in life, who they are as people and most importantly, a place where students can learn.

Additionally, students are expected to be well rounded and excel in everything.

They are expected to juggle schoolwork and other activities and still dedicate the same amount of energy and commitment to everything they do. But with such high expectations from schools, students are just too overwhelmed. Sleep truly is a necessity, and schools need to coordinate so that students still have time to dedicate to themselves. Maybe then students can actually accomplish what schools are meant for—learning.

Ask Esteban

Q: How do I gain back trust from someone?

A: It depends on the person and what circumstances you two went through. In the worst case scenario where they don’t even want to look at you, you need to give them time to mend their broken trust. Give them time alone and away from you. Don’t assume you can instantly fix their trust, because from their perspective betraying their trust doesn’t mean anything to you. In the best case scenario where he/she is willing to hear you out, give them your full honest explanation. You don’t want to lie when she/he is willing to meet you halfway. Again, it depends on the situation.

The stronger the bonds you have with that person, the path to recovery is more likely to be walked.

Q: I felt terrible when I turned down Fredrick* who told me that he had a crush on me. I still like Tyrone* who graduated last year. Even though it was a one-sided thing, I just can’t commit to dating other people when I still like him. Is it wrong for me to think that there may still be a chance I can be with Tyrone*? *Names changed for confidentiality A: I understand the gist of what you’re asking, but there’s still some ambiguity on what grounds your relationship with Tyrone. Before that, let me reassure you that you shouldn’t feel bad about rejecting Fredrick, it’s not like you owed him a relationship.

If you were close

friends with Tyrone, you definitely have a shot at going to him and confessing your feelings. If he rejects you, there’s no reason you two can’t still be friends. Your relationship with Tyrone won’t be strained to the extent of never speaking to each other again.

If you two were just friends, you’re walking a gray line. This is tricky to advise, because the outcome solely depends on what interests you two share. You can’t build a relationship with very few interests in common. It lacks grounds to establish a strong relationship.

The more interests you two have in common, the more reasons to develop the incentive to ask Tyrone out, right?

The OCP means tuna again for many

By Marinn Cedillo

High school, where students get more privileges and responsibilities. Or do they?

A year ago freshmen attending Fremont High School were able to leave campus during lunch to eat. This year we have to stay on campus for at least another semester.

The Open Campus Privilege (OCP) that started taking effect this year had most Fremont students in doubt. Open Campus Privilege (or OCP for short) is a new policy that requires students to provide their ID before leaving campus. Students that have bad behavior or grades are not allowed to

leave. The hype has died down since the beginning of the year, but many still think of OCP as a major inconvenience.

One thing I was looking forward to coming into high school was being able to eat lunch somewhere other than the school cafeteria. That dream ended up being put on hold for another

semester, although waiting never hurt anybody. I wouldn’t consider jumping the fence an option, but I can’t say I enjoy having the same thing to eat every day, considering all through middle school I had the same lunch for three straight years.

It must also be a big problem for freshmen that can’t pack a lunch from home because they don’t have time in the morning.

Even if students get their lunch from school, they end up spending a lot of time in lunch lines and if you get to the lunch line too late you end up eating cold food. Personally, I’ve been through all of these scenarios and they weren’t

fun. I was honestly really excited to leave campus, but I won’t get to until half the year is over.

I’m certain OCP was created with the best of intentions. Providing help for those who need it to raise their grades and having events to keep those who stay on campus entertained. It definitely seems like a great idea in theory and as I didn’t have these privileges before to compare, I can’t exactly complain.

I’m sure everyone is familiar with how middle school worked. All of a sudden we had dances and school clubs and students went to Starbucks on late starts. We were being

prepared for high school.

We had a different teacher for each class, but we were

I wouldn’t consider jumping the fence as an option, but I can’t say I enjoy having the same thing to eat every day, considering all through middle school I had the same lunch for three straight years. never given the opportunity to leave campus. We weren’t even allowed to go to certain parts of campus.

Now, we’re so close but so far.

The reason behind

freshmen having to wait one semester to leave is supposedly to provide one less distraction to help us adjust to high school life.

I have to say though, I was probably adjusted to this school two weeks in. The whole idea of high school being a scary and terrifying transition is one big misconception, especially at Fremont High School, where the reputation never mentions the school’s welcoming environment.

In reality, it’s just middle school on a larger scale. It seems completely absurd that we need five months to adjust to a place we visit daily. I, for one, am ready to eat somewhere new.

Special Feature

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OCT. 15, 2013

Special Feature

OCT. 15, 2013

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

STUDENTS Mason McCloskey and Anna Goryachikova contribute to the chant for watermelon.

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Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

RUNNERS dive into the watermelon after a tiring race.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

THE largest turnout ever starts the 31st annual Watermelon Run.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

WATERMELONS given to runner as a reward for their hard work.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

WATER POLO team members proudly run in uniform.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

RAJ BHARGAVA, senior, proudly raises his first place prize.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

THE runners finishing one out of the two lap race.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

RUNNERS Omri Levia, Ashleigh Pillay and David Tran try their hardest to finish the race.

Elliot Lehman | The Phoenix

KAIA MAKIHARA, Hip-Hop club member, shows off his moves during club day.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

JASON TOWNSEND, coach and P.E. teacher finishes the race.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

WATERMELONS patienlty waiting to be devoured by runners

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

RUNNERS anxiously wait to dive into the watermelon.

STUDENTS keeping thier pace to last the whole race.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

ALUMNI Steven Canalez runs swiftly to get to the finish line.

THE ROBOTICS team informing students all about thier fantastic club.

Elliot Lehman | The Phoenix

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

BRYAN EMMERT, principal, finishing the race.

MEMBER of Anime Club proudly presents their poster.

Elliot Lehman | The Phoenix

A HUGE TURN OUT during Club Day considered successful for clubs.

Elliot Lehman | The Phoenix

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OPINION

OCT. 15, 2013

Overcoming the The good, the bad and the OCP burden of loss

By Gaby Anaya

By Jasmine Salik

We can all agree that everyone is different and unique in their own way.

Everyone has his or her own traits, personalities and background stories.

How someone deals with loss in their life is also a special part of who they are.

As many of you have heard, there has been a tragic and unfortunate loss in the Fremont High School community and many people have been experiencing grief and depression. It is important to know that there are numerous, healthy ways to deal with these overpowering emotions.

Loss and death are natural parts of life, things that everyone on Earth has to go through. All beings have to deal with its hardships. There is no escaping it.

Unfortunately loss does not come alone: it brings something called grief along with it. Most people view grief as a negative and painful component to deal with.

They often link grief with depression and darkness, bringing a pessimistic vibe to the word.

The majority of people do not acknowledge the fact that grief is an essential part of moving on from and ultimately, coping with death. People may do everything in their power to escape dealing with this specific emotion.

To get a better sense of how to cope with loss, more specifically death, you need to fully understand what exactly grief is.

Grief is a natural response to death. It is the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love or cherish is suddenly taken away from you. It is the key part of moving on. You might not want to deal with all of the emotions and confusion that comes along with grief. Regardless, it is the essential part to moving on.

The off campus privilege, also known as the OCP, is a way for students to be able to go off campus to eat at nearby places of business. Last year, students who did poorly in school could go just walk off campus, but this year, if you would like to be able to enjoy going out for lunch you will have to work hard to earn it.

PROS Less trouble outside of school: It’s nice to keep our community safe because in a way we are all a big family. Family takes care family.

Also we should show the people in our community how much we respect their neighborhood, its surrounding and the places of business and how responsible we are.

Better grades: To be able to enjoy the privilege of going off campus, study hard and raise your grades. Getting good grades and not being late to most of your classes is your ticket out. Having the OCP is a motivation to push yourself to do your best and even more, which earns you good grades.

Get help from teachers: It’s important if you don’t grasp what you are learning or have questions about the material that you talk to your teachers. Lunch is a great time to do so.

Without the distractions of leaving campus you can do this easily Establish a type of tradition: It’s a good idea for freshmen and all students to get used to working and pushing themselves to earn what they want. Not everything in life is given you have to work to get what you want, and the OCP is a great way to get used to that idea.

CONS Promotes even more rule breaking: Students that may have bad grades or are late to most of their classes don’t often try making an effort to change the fact that they are not doing so well. In the short time I have spent here I have seen students jump the fence and walk off campus.

Campus is crowded: I understand students with bad grades or students that forget their ID cards have to stay, but by making them stay, our campus gets too crowed. Most shady spots are taken, and seats are gone.

Friends ditch you: Say your friends leave and go off campus.

Not only are you missing out on a great lunch, but you have to settle for school lunches and sit alone, which isn’t a great way to spend your lunch.

Time consuming: Sometimes a lot of students are going off campus and the line to leave gets too long, so while you spend 5-10 minutes standing there, you are just losing time to eat.

Degrading: Freshmen start to feel even more left out than they already are. Although it isn’t a matter of feelings, but rules and restrictions, it still divides us from the upperclassmen and the sophomores.

You need to deal with the emotions you are feeling.

Ignoring or pushing them away will only make your feelings worse in the long run.

Many people believe the pain will go away faster if you do not deal with it and ignore these feelings. This is altogether untrue; you need to deal with the emotions you are feeling. Ignoring or pushing them away will only make your feelings worse in the long run.

With all of these things in mind, it is essential to understand that you are not alone in the journey to recovery. There are many people in your life that can help you get through and overcome these tough times.

A great and reliable option is turning to good friends and family members, people you can trust and feel comfortable talking to. Just talking about your feelings with other people and hearing their advice will make you feel better and will lift weight off your shoulders.

However if you feel you need more professional advice and the pain is too much to bear, you should consider visiting a therapist or grief counselor with lots of experience.

Many people at FHS have been talking to their friends and teachers about their feelings regarding death, bringing them a sense of relief and comfort. As a result, this act of sharing feelings brought the people that make up this special community even closer together.

Students and teachers have gotten together several times to mourn loss and death in numerous different ways including the candlelight vigil, a touching and beautiful ceremony. People who cared about this loved one got together and expressed their shared feelings, giving advice and comfort to those who needed it.

Other ways people at FHS and around the world have been coping with loss is to think about and appreciate the positive memories you once shared with that person.

Try to avoid the ones that bring you guilt or sadness; focus on the happy thoughts. Think about the great memories and laughs you once shared. It is important to avoid pushing those thoughts away; they are natural and you should always smile about them.

Do not ignore your feelings. Instead, embrace them.

Talk about your emotions, write them, sing and dance, whatever you need to do to get them out of your system and your mind.

Constantly thinking about your loved one’s death and replaying scenes in your head you regret or actions or words you wish you should have taken or said, will in fact make you hurt inside. Instead focus on the love and strong relationship you once had.

Keep them forever engraved in your hearts, not cemented in your mind.

Matthew Greene for the Phoenix

Stressful before it even starts

By Alex Noyes

Many seniors at Fremont High School have begun to prepare for the next chapter of their lives.

College application deadlines are right around the corner and if you ask almost any senior applying to a 4-year university, they would probably tell you that they have procrastinated on their brag-sheets and personal statement essays that they should’ve started during summer.

The stress is building for many who aspire to attend a UC or private school and have to meet all the deadlines while maintaining exceptional grades and keeping up with other extracurricular activities.

There’s no greater/ stronger feeling of stress than having hours and hours of homework during

the school week, while your college application deadlines only get closer. Colleges expect you to have a quality personal statement, solid test scores, and good grades to even be looked at, which is scary for many students.

Despite all the stress and nervousness that college applications bring, Fremont High School is a united community with a main goal of supporting its students. We may think we are alone through this stressful process of filling out college applications, but the truth is we are not.

The Fremont High School guidance team works extremely hard to support our seniors by holding all kinds of college workshops.

These workshops focus specifically on different aspects of the whole college application process. Students have opportunities at Fremont High School that other schools do not offer, like the chance to improve your essays and step-by-step applying to colleges and financial aid.

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of the college application process: a way for

students to tell their story and to show schools what makes them unique. It can easily separate you from the many other students that have similar grades and test scores.

The college workshops mentioned earlier incorporated a private and university of California personal statement workshop that helped students edit their essays or help shape them.

Even if you think you have the “perfect” personal statement, there’s always something to work on to improve it.

The guidance team wants to ensure that all students that aspire to go to colleges have support because present day colleges have much higher expectations for applicants. College admissions dating back to when our parents went to college to now have progressively become more and more competitive. Competition for a spot at the top UC’s, CSU’s, and private schools, is not just within Fremont High School, but with the rest of the nation.

The small group of students that are applying to private schools are required to prove themselves

even more than students applying to California state or UC schools. In addition to the personal statement, students must submit two letters of recommendation: one from an administrator, and one from a teacher or coach.

It is extremely important that you choose the people to write your letters of recommendation wisely.

The best people to ask are people that have seen you grow and develop over your high school years. Once you have decided which teachers you would like to write you a letter of recommendation, maybe think about asking someone else.

The most important part about the letter of recommendation is letting teachers and administrators brag about you and your exceptional work that made an impact on them on a personal level.

The college application process as a whole is one big bundle of stress that almost all seniors at Fremont must deal with. This makes getting that first acceptance letter that most relieving feeling for all students seeing all their hard work pay off.

Arts & Entertainment Marching band season takes off OCT. 15, 2013

By Ashley Chavez There are many elements that unite Fremont as a school and a community.

However, some might undermine the importance of one specifically. The crucial backbone to the Fremont community has returned – the Fremont Firebird Marching Band.

Without the band, there is no celebration at football games. Without the band, there is no kickoff to the Watermelon Run. Without the band, Fremont lacks a huge factor in its pride and its reputation.

The band is currently working to perfect their field show, “The Firebird,” based on the ancient legend of the mythical creature, the phoenix, dying and rising from its ashes. The music is from a ballet by Igor Stravinksy from 1910. “[The music] has a very uplifting feel,” band director Joe Kelly said. “It’s very beautiful.”

Throughout the season, many changes can be made to the show. The band performed their field show for the first time on Friday, Oct. 4th and on the following Saturday, the 5th, for

the district exposition. They performed seven minutes out of the nine full minutes.

At that point, the show was still not finalized. Kelly allows room for improvements all throughout the year.

“It’s hard, the music is challenging,” Kelly said.

“But the kids are doing really well.”

Despite how rough the show might be in the beginning, the band is working hard to perform flawlessly.

“It’s significantly harder than previous years,” senior Randy Manzanares, said. “It’s getting there, it’s going to turn out great.”

This year, the band has five drum majors. During the field shows the band is led by the main drum majors: Zoe Adams and Gabriel Varelas. The parade drum major is Arden Castle. The co-drum majors who lead mostly during football games are Raj Barghava and Manuel Mendoza.

The band lost many members as the class of 2013 graduated. Last year the band marched with 123 members and roughly forty of them were seniors.

However, the band has not fallen short of members.

Ashley Chavez | The Phoenix

ALMOST 900 musicians took the field during San Jose State University’s halftime show

Instead, it has grown. This year they will be marching with 128 members, 35 of them being freshmen who were able to fill any gaps the band worried there would be after losing the seniors last year. The different classes are proportioned very evenly. “[The classes] are basically 30, 30, 30, 30,” Kelly said. “It’s really well balanced.”

“We are a family,” sophomore Emily Harding said. “If you don’t

understand something, the upperclassmen always help you out.”

The band attends many events throughout the season, but most recently on Sept. 27th the band joined 10 other high school bands for Band Day at the San Jose State University football game. Kelly had brought them there twice before. They do not participate every year, but every four or five years.

During the halftime show, the 11 bands took

Halloween: the do’s and don’ts

by Juan Martinez

Halloween is that one day where it is acceptable to dress up scary, provocatively, or silly, but it’s almost impossible to pull off. No holiday is perfect but here are a few simple pointers to improve your experience.

Costumes are the very essence of Halloween and wearing a costume is a classic tradition. Nobody would just walk up to someone’s front door in a t-shirt and sweatpants just to ask for candy. It would be really awkward and it sounds more like the premise of a poorly written child abduction movie. So keep in mind that a little effort could be worth it to make Halloween more festive. Be creative in choosing or creating a costume.

“You should wear something that represents your personality” junior Sarah Mcglothlen said. This is true; people are generally more comfortable being something close to who they are.

Just remember to dress appropriately if children are present. For example, it’s not a good idea to dress up in a provocative costume at a family event. People are going to make rude comments, take pictures and not a lot of people want to be remembered as the person that wore the nurse costume.

Another thing: if pairing up for a group costume,

the field and performed together playing hits from throughout the decades such as Elton John’s Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) and Kiss’ Shout it Out Loud. After San Jose State University’s own Spartan Marching Band joined the high school bands on the field, the bands totaled almost 900 musicians.

More bands attended this Band Day than any of the previous years.

SJSU’s band director, Scott Pearson, taught Kelly

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when he attended school there. Kelly was able to direct the 900 kids on the field along side Pearson.

Due to Kelly’s connection with Pearson, Kelly’s style is heavily influenced by Pearson’s.

“It’s awesome,” Kelly said. “I love it because I get to show off how good my kids are.”

With San Jose State being Kelly’s own former college makes it an especially rewarding experience every time he and his band are able to attend Band Day. “It’s really cool to bring my kids home,” Kelly said. “It’s a very cool, sentimental thing.”

On top of that, not very often are bands able to play with nine other bands.

“It sounded great,” Kelly said. “When are most of us ever going to have that opportunity? It’s a rare thing.”

With the band off to a good start to the season, Fremont has yet to see what is in store. The Firebird Marching Band has brought many victories back home and will continue to do so during the 2013 season.

Hollywood: say goodbye to creativity

by Mike Capovilla

Photo courtesy of Matthew Greene

be on the same page. All costumes are acceptable but keep all these ideas in mind when choosing, creating or buying your Halloween costumes.

At Fremont we have our traditions. The annual costume contest is a hit with those who want to show off their costume.

Participation is appreciated since some costumes deserve some props. The participants include administrators, teachers, and students. The categories include funniest, scariest, best group and most creative. The choir room is transformed to a haunted house. It’s a fun attraction during the week before Halloween.

Next topic is trick or treating. Going to a house and asking for candy isn’t as simple as it may seem. Some houses have bowls of candy, so don’t be that jerk that takes

all the candy, that’s so rude and mean. Don’t go running around trying to scare little kids and taking their candy. Nothing says ruined Halloween to a kid like running down the street screaming with urine soaked underwear.

Also don’t be that lazy person that goes to the same house twice. Someone’s bound to recognize the person so why bother?

If anybody asks, nobody is too old to be trick or treating.

In most recent years kids have taken to the tradition of pulling pranks on just about anyone.

From egging or tepee-ing a house to fake blood, pranks are generally a hilarious way to make people shriek. Some pranks can go too far and lead to unwanted consequences.

History teacher Daniel Young says to “check apples for razorblades”.

This refers to an old prank where people actually giving out apples with surprise, razorblades. Don’t be like those evil people; all jokes or pranks should be in good taste.

Halloween is also a good time to throw a party.

This year Halloween is on a Thursday, which for most students is a school night. A party is a common way to celebrate the holidays. The most enjoyable parties are those with a small group of friends. A good party includes friends, food, and fun. Don’t expect to have a Project X party because someone’s probably going to be arrested at the end, or the person who hosted the party is going to have a horrible time cleaning that mess up. So keep it simple, clean, and make it a night to remember. Happy Halloween.

Why take the time to write an original script when you could just take someone else’s, with an established fan base and ten times the revenue?

Some of the best movies of all time are adaptations. Lord of the Rings, Fight Club, Shawshank Redemption and many more are thought of as some of the most successful. This is an idea that Hollywood took and ran away with, which is why only two out of the highest grossing movies of the last century are original, meaning not an adaptation, sequel, or reboot. Also, looking at the big picture, only two of the highest grossing movies of all time are original. (One if you don’t count Titanic.)

Comparing the top 10 films of the past ten years, many of the highest grossing films are franchises or sequels of big movies, such as the Dark Knight Trilogy or the beloved Disney franchise Toy Story, that were not book adaptations or sequels to previous films.

Coming from a business standpoint, it all makes sense. Adapting a beloved book series such as Harry Potter is a proven success for studios. Making a sequel to a movie everybody likes is guaranteed to get people in seats. Just look at the almost 23 film franchise, James Bond. But what does this mean for the creativity of Hollywood when almost every big movie from the 1980s is being remade into a more “dark, gritty, and modern” version today?

It does mean that the big time directors like Michael Bay will keep making huge, big budget movies that critics hate and even fans can’t admit are good.

With indie films becoming more and more popular, directors still have an outlet for making creative films and taking more risky filmmaking chances that Hollywood seems to have just lost interest in. The creative filmmaking process will live on, just in a different format than the summer blockbuster.

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Arts & Entertainment

OCT. 15, 2013

The best of the best: iTunes’ top albums

by Elliot Lehman

After sifting through iTunes’ list of 100 albums, these three came out on top — a psychedelic surf rock album, an alternative-rock album and a techno funk album.

Number Three - Modern Vampires of the City

by Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend sounds great because of their unique and catchy songs like “Cousins” and “Oxford Comma”. Due to their spontaneous sound and attitude, this album was unpredictable. They try to stay creative and new, which could turn out very badly for some bands, but this band manages to pull it off. At first, the album seemed less complex and not as fun, as compared to their previous albums. However, after listening to the album for a second time, it was actually impressive.

They retain their old California surf-rock sound, but at the same time they keep it new and exciting. Even though this album is not as well done as their first one, it still deserves a spot in the top three.

Number Two - Mechanical Bull by Kings of Leon Mechanical Bull is King of Leon’s sixth album, and with it comes a much different sound than their previous albums. Before, Kings of Leon had a more melancholy and dramatic

sound, but in this album, they take a much more upbeat tone.

Mechanical Bull is a big contrast from their previous sound.

Sadness and drama is what you would usually find in Kings of Leon music, but they changed up this album by creating a fun and up beat sound that makes you want to rock out but also relax. The Top 100 list is filled with generic sounds, but in this album, Anthony Followill’s voice brings a new and enjoyable element to the table. A unique voice is a must have for a band to be recognizable. The diversity and unique sound of this band is what separates it from the rest. After five other albums, they have clearly become more experienced. This band has a great attitude and a really full sound. They would be great live. Overall, it is a great album.

Number One - Ran-

Photo courtesy of RCA Records

Photo courtesy of Columbia Records

dom Access Memory (RAM) by Daft Punk Popularized by the song “Get Lucky”, Random Access Memory is a drastically different from almost everything else on the Top 100 list.

This album is an incredibly fluid and diverse collection of disco-like prog-pop songs.

Although their most popular hit is very repetitive, the rest of this album is not like this. RAM has a wide variety of sounds, from the classic synthesizer found in most electronic music to huge orchestral sounds. Daft Punk

has somehow morphed together into something incredible. Much like previous songs by Daft Punk, they used their classic style of sampling. They even included a monologue about a musician’s experience and playing guitar. This monologue is something usually not found in most of today’s music, but Daft Punk makes it work. This mostly lyricfree album offers something new that most listeners will be pleasantly surprised by. It is clear why this album is on the Top 100 chart.

Photo courtesy of XL Recordings

Time flies in Second chapter of Insidious drama class

lives in shadow of prequel

by Hauraa Aalabdulrasul

Have any plans this weekend? If not, then meet up with some friends and catch one of the latest movies, Insidious Chapter 2. This action-packed horror film brings the Lambert family back to the big screen, with surprises that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

The original film is about the family discovering a dark supernatural force and their son Dalton, being haunted by mysterious creatures. They try to save him from being taken into “The Further” and getting lost forever. The sequel follows the Lambert family as they try to correct the mysterious wrongs of the past, while trying to survive the supernatural attacks of the spirits that refuse to leave them alone.

Though not as suspenseful as the first, Insidious Chapter 2 has a very well developed story line and ties up many loose ends from the first movie. The second movie also contains a lot of dark humor from our two favorite ghost hunters from the first film, Specs and Tucker. In fact, there is so much humor that it seems to get a bit goofy at

times, taking away from the scary moments. Despite the silly scenes, this low budget film brought in a whopping $41.1 million in its opening weekend.

Although the movie was low budget, director James Wan did a great job making everything look believable. The film has a very haunted house-like feel to it, but it isn’t gross.

The creatures are realistically frightening, and make the viewer feel as if they are under attack. The movie has darker colors and shades, adding to the terrifying atmosphere that will leave the audience asking for more.

Cast members include Patrick Wilson and Rose Bryne who played the married couple, Josh and Renai Lambert, and Ty Simpkons, who plays their son, Dalton.

All actors do a phenomenal job making every moment seem so real. The characters have real chemistry with each other and the audience. Their talents captivated the audience and made each person feel like they were a part of the adventure. Overall, this movie gets 4 out of 5 stars, and anyone who enjoys thrillers should check it out.

Photo courtesy of FILMDISTRICT

by: Rebekah Granlund

Television sets that talk directly to the viewer, and monkeys who write Shakespeare? That’s right, these are components of the FHS Drama Department’s first play of the year, Time Flies by David Ives.

This play is a bundle of short plays that have been put together to create the amazing show. The plays included are Mere Mortals, Variations on the Death of Trotsky, Captive Audience, Degas, C’est Moi, The Philadelphia, Words Words Words, A Singular Kind of Guy, and Sure Thing. Each play is one act long. Directors of the play vary from two teachers to a handful of students, where each student has some sort of role in the play, either as a director or actor.

Each play comes from a totally different genre, which spices things up a bit. Wait, I’m sorry, did you say talking Mayflies? Time Flies revolves around two mayflies that realize time is flying by faster than they think. Mere Mortals, A Singular of Guy, and Degas C’est Moi are all plays where the characters are definitely far from what we believe them to be. Now let’s get down to the monkey business. Words Words Words is centered around a trio of monkeys left in a room to produce one of the best plays of all time-with whatever body part they so choose to type with. Variations on the death of Trotsky is somewhat self-explanatory. Trotsky wakes up totally oblivious to the fact he’s already dead. Talk about clueless. Sure Thing, how does one describe sure thing? Let’s just say it’s a sure thing this guy is going to get a date by the end of the night. Last, let’s take a trip to Philly. The Philadelphia revolves around two guys in different states of mind.

Finally “Captive Audience”, a play about a television set that literally captivates its viewer.

The drama department has prepared a wonderful season for FHS students to look forward to. The rest of the plays for the season are as follows: “Delusion” by Robert Patrick in December, “The Foreigner” by Larry Shue in January, Shakespeare’s “Othello” in March, The school musical “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” by Michael Finn in May. The New Play Festival takes place in June, and “Dramapalooza”, when the beginning drama stars get their chance to shine, will take place one night in May. The department has a great season coming up, so be sure to make your way out to the productions this year.

Sports

OCT. 15, 2013

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New trainer: qualified first aid, first rate

by Priya Lee

Because of all the excitement during sporting events, most don’t realize that to maintain a functioning team you need an outstanding, qualified athletic trainer, like the newly hired Alise Juanes.

The job of the athletic trainer at Fremont is to keep all the athletes healthy and at the top of their game.

Juanes does preventative taping, so the athletes don’t get injured and injury assessments to diagnose the athletes if they are experiencing pain. She tries to incorporate some rehabilitation to better them, and if the injury is more serious, then Juanes refers the player to a medical doctor for Xrays or an MRI. Aside from helping injured players, Juanes’ other tasks are paperwork and game coverage. During football season, students may see her tending to the

Priya Lee | The Phoenix

TRAINER Alise Juanes ensures that Sam Kanogataa is staying hydrated through out the football game.

players’ injuries during games with emergency care if needed. Later on in the year she may be working during basketball and volleyball games.

Juanes is at Fremont after school from Monday through Friday from three to six in the afternoon. She is always eager to help.

“I think my favorite part about the job is if somebody does get hurt– which I really don’t like–is working with them one on one, rehabilitating them to full return to play and seeing them back out on the field, doing what they do best,” Juanes said.

“The big thing is just

being available, so when athletes get hurt during the day, then they come here and I try and help them as best as I can,” Juanes said.

Juanes enjoys Fremont High School and said that she found the school by accident, but it was a perfect fit for her, because of the proximity to her day job as

a PE teacher as well as her home.

“It’s been good [here at Fremont]. It was kind of a rough start just because I pretty much started the day that everybody else started.

It didn’t give me time to prepare like I usually like to and get things organized,” Juanes said.

Juanes used to be an athlete herself and has experience in the field of sports medicine. She has been a certified athletic trainer for nine years and has worked at numerous schools including Gunn High School and Live Oak High School. She has treated a multitude of injuries such as spinal chord injuries and broken bones. Juanes enjoys being an athletic trainer and being a part of the athletic community.

“In high school, I got a pretty severe ankle sprain and my soccer coach happened to be a certified

athletic trainer so I was thinking about being a doctor or a physical therapist, but then I learned about athletic training,” Juanes said. “I liked the idea of helping athletes return to play and do something they love, and still get to kind of be involved in the athletic world instead of stuck in a cubicle or an office.”

Juanes finds her job to be freeing because she has the options of going outside and watching the games, or staying in the office helping people. However, there are moments as an athletic trainer that Juanes finds extra rewarding.

“I think my favorite part about the job is if somebody does get hurt– which I really don’t like–is working with them one on one, rehabilitating them to full return to play and seeing them back out on the field, doing what they do best,” Juanes said.

Hard work is never sold out at the snack shack

by Alex Bernauer

When you think of Fremont High School football games, two things come to mind: bundling up in the windy bleachers with all of your friends and baked potatoes. Baked potatoes not only help keep warm, they are really tasty. Yet not many people ever ask where the baked potatoes come from or any of the other food. It is as if the little shack by the front gate is magical. Today is the day to learn how unmagical the snack bar is and understand the amount of hard work the athletic boosters put into the snack bar.

According to Jennifer Bernauer, Vice President of Athletic Booster, to run the snack bar for all the home football games combined is equal to roughly 97 volunteer hours. This work is divided up amongst a 27 person crew of volunteers,

who are parents of students at Fremont.

“Most of the volunteers enjoy helping out with the snack bar, because they find it a fun way to be involved without embarrassing their kids,” Julie Luotto, President of Athletic Boosters, said.

The preparation that goes into snack bar prior to a home football game is immense. According to Luotto, two days before the game is when most of the shopping happens. This includes restocking on Gatorade, water, soda, candy, hot dogs, nacho cheese, and all the other goodies. However the baked potatoes are purchased separately The baked potatoes are purchased through a connection that Anne McCloskey, Athletic Booster Treasurer, has to Sundance, a Palo Alto steak house restaurant. McCloskey buys a case that contains roughly

Ashley Chavez| The Phoenix

VOLUNTEERS hard at work to serve food for the crowd.

seventy potatoes already cooked and wrapped in tin foil from the restaurant for each home game. This inside connection saves a lot of work for the volunteers and makes their shopping slightly easier.

To put into perspective how much food is usually bought at these shopping

excursions. During the Homestead football game last month, they bought eight cases of hamburgers, with 40 hamburgers in each case, and that still wasn’t enough and sold out of hamburgers during the game.

So that means, during the Homestead game 320

hamburgers were sold. That is a huge number of people that were fed and requires a lot of work. Let alone the stress that comes with long lines of hungry teenagers demanding fast service.

“The work that goes on inside the snack bar is not easy,” Bernauer said. “It is labor intensive and you’re constantly on your feet.”

On a Friday home football game volunteers arrive around 3:30pm for the junior varsity game and do not leave till a little before 11pm, which is after the varsity game. That amount of work is longer than a regular school day.

“We as athletic boosters pride ourselves on offering an affordable menu and going to extreme lengths to make sure the fan experience is positive,” Luotto said.

The athletic boosters put a ton of hard work into

the snack bar, however that is not the only area the athletic boosters contribute towards. They do lots of work with all the sports and have donated numerous items to various sports programs over the years. Including bleachers for baseball, golf bags for the golf team and uniform support for every sport.

This year the athletic boosters plan to donate $17,000 to various sports at Fremont. Athletic Boosters make their money through membership fees and by selling spirit wear, but the majority money comes from concession sales.

This goes to show that athletic boosters are doing a great job with the snack bar. So next time the worker from inside the snack bar hands you that large, tasty baked potato, don’t be afraid to say “thank you.”

Omri Levia Position: Right Flat, Hole Set Why is water polo important to you?

Water polo is a really big stress reliever, so at the end of the day I can just fire balls into the cage as hard as a want and it’s quality exercise

Elizabeth Luotto Position: Setter Why is volleyball important to you?

I really love playing volleyball. It’s a pretty hard sport to learn. There’s lots of technical things involved, so it really pushes me to work hard, and that’s why it’s important to me.

Fall firebird athletes Alejandra Flores Postion: Runner Why is cross-country important to you?

Cross-country is important to me because it keeps me on track, not only with school, but everything around me. I have to find time and I can’t slack off

How well do you think your team will do this season?

I’ll do pretty well if I just keep up with my training and eating habits.

Rea Brakaj Position: Hole set, Point Why is water polo important to you?

It’s just really fun. I like swimming and that water polo is a team sport, so it just makes it more fun playing with the other girls.

How well do you think your team will do this season?

We expect to do really well.

We won our first game against Monta Vista and we haven’t won against Monta Vista in a while. It looks like we’re really strong this year.

Anthony Carreon Position: Wide Receiver, Cornerback Why is football important to you?

It’s something I love. I’ve been playing the sport since I was nine years old.

Cassandra Beck Position: Singles Why is tennis important to you?

It’s a way where I can have fun and meet new people.

It’s a nice way to have fun, exercise and get outside.

How well do you think your team will do this season?

We should do well. I’m positive we’re going to do well.

I hope we get back into the play-offs again.

How well do you think your team will do this season?

I think we have a pretty good team this year. We have to make sure to stay positive and work together.

How well do you think your team will do this season?

I think we’ll do decently.

We have a pretty small team in terms of the size of our players, but we are really dedicated to win.

How well do you think your team will do this season?

I think we’re going to do really well. We’re putting in lots of hard work right now, so we should do pretty well.

Sports

12

OCT. 15, 2013

Football unites despite crushing defeat

by Chau Nguyen

The devastating 26-55 football score against the Homestead Mustangs on Sept. 12 bonded Fremont’s varsity football team and shows their ability to bring their best to future games.

7:30. Bleachers are filled, Gatorade bottles are filled. Long lines just to get in. The game starts. A barrage of offensive plays gives Fremont seven points. Add a two-point conversion play.

8-0.

But from then on, the Mustangs got back on their hooves and made amazing play. They even made two consecutive touchdowns after an interception.

8-27.

Fremont made a jaw dropping play after senior Anthony Carreon received a throw from senior Ricky Te’o. However, despite their teamwork and effort, Fremont lost by 29 points. They learned a whole lot from it and are prepared for future games.

“It makes us want to fight for more,” Te’o said.

The loss against Homestead fueled the players with determination to win their next game. They plan to practice harder every single

day and prepare yourself for game day throughout the whole week. Maybe even watch football film with the team to study the other team’s offense and defense.

That’s what they do.

“After that, we did everything as a team,” sophomore Michael Alva said. “Studied, practiced, everything.”

Before games, their mindset is leaving victorious. Determination and confidence help the players to push themselves because it’s like a promise they can’t break.

“We’re always coming into games thinking we’re going to come out winning,” Alva said. “Bigger, small, whatever.”

There were numerous injuries and some players have recovered from them, but the injuries had a great impact on the team. Three concussions, a chronic knee injury, a broken left thumb and one season ending injury and more. The impact of the injuries on the team are large because some players are still out recovering. It leads to a smaller roster and fewer players to work with.

“They’re victims of circumstances,” Jake Messina, coach of the varsity football

team and World History teacher said. “But a lot of work has to be done. What we’re doing is very rogue.”

Small things like telling a teammate to pull through when he’s on the ground or handing him some Gatorade just shows how much teamwork there is and morale support.

“After losing, it just makes you realize how much of a bond you have with everyone,” Jose Parra, senior said.

The team understands why they lost and in preparation for their next game, they’ve covered up the their defense and made some adjustments for offense.

“We have five goals every week and if we’re meeting all five of them, I think we’re going to win,” Messina said.

Getting past defeats, overcoming struggles and injuries, shows how much of a bond these guys have and even though it was a disappointing loss for the new coach and team, especially because it was against a rival team, it shows how they can pull through.

“If I can do anything to help my team,” Parra said.

“I’m willing to do it.”

Priya Lee | The Phoenix

Priya Lee | The Phoenix

TOP: Senior wide receiver Anthony Carreon gets tackled.

BOTTOM: Tight end and linebacker Sam Kanogataa gets swarmed by the Mustangs.