Volume 62, Issue 1

VOL. 62, ISSUE 1

the PAGE www.laslomaspage.com

September 28, 2012

NEWS 2

The closing of the local Aerie store, beloved

by Las Lomas girls, will pose the question: Where can I now go to get bras and panties?

C. Baloue & B. Johnson

Whose Wives delivers drama with small cast

by Kelsey Angus Co-Sports Editor

FEATURES 5

With new trendy stores like Brandy Melville sporting religious paraphernalia, like crosses and hamsas, students are prompted to consider the real meaning of religion.

When the curtains go up at this year’s fall play, Whose Wives Are They Anyway?, the spotlight will be on a decidely smaller cast—only nine actors—as compared to the roughly 50 students who acted in The Music Man last year.

Nearly 60 students auditioned for the play, but drama teacher Taron Hensley opted for a play with a smaller cast.

“You need to pick many different types of plays to give

the school and the students the opportunity to try as many different styles of theater as possible,” Hensley said.

Whose Wives Are They Anyway?, a farce, is the story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, improbable situations, wordplay and physical humor.

“It is about what happens when two people try to continue to lie to cover their tracks and all of the ridiculous hilarity that happens after that,” said Hensley.

The script caused some raised eyebrows at auditions be-

cause of some of its sexual innuendos, but Hensley said the play is pretty innocuous.

“This play is as innocent as the old television show Three’s Company,” said Hensley. “It’s not about sex. It’s about all the crazy things people do when they think the wrong thing without actually asking. There is actually no swearing or anything suggestive. It is just about overreacting—it’s a comedy.”

Although some students were disappointed that the cast would be so small, Hensley said this size is more normal than

some students might think.

“Most high school plays are this size,” said Hensley. “This school, since I’ve been here, has been used to the large casts.

Most plays aren’t many more that 12 to 15, so now they are getting the experience that most drama students in America are getting with this nine-person play.”

Hensley also stated that the size of the play does not determine which play he picks. Instead, he chose this one because continued on page 3

Parking ticket influx Fresh Start takes care of WC’s homeless causes controversy OPINIONS 9

Should army recruiters be allowed on school campuses?

ENTERTAINMENT 13 Project X v. Las Lomas: What are high school parties really like?

SPORTS 14

After winning NCS championships the past two seasons, the Knights’ boys water polo team has been moved up to Division I for this year’s NCS tournament.

by Scott Dresser and Jonathan Hawthorne Co-Editor-in-Chief and Co-Sports Editor Last week early 20 student cars were ticketed in the Las Lomas parking lot during a two-day administrative clamp-down.

While some students were ticketed by the Walnut Creek Police Department for parking in incorrect spots, others were dealt the $45 ticket for not displaying their placards.

The majority of students ticketed owned carpool passes after paying $50 for a reserved spot before the school year started.

Senior Maddie Dautel has a carpool spot in the parking lot and received a violation from the WCPD on Thursday, Sept. 20.

“I paid for the spot,” said Dautel. “They could’ve checked the registration on my car to see it was my spot. It just makes me mad because I shouldn’t be charged for parking in the spot that I reserved in the beginning of the year.”

Students who paid for parking spots had to submit their license plate numbers and car registration to the attendance office when the passes were purchased.

Senior Megan Flannery received a ticket on Sept. 19 for failing to place her carpool pass in the dash of her car.

“The administration recommends not to drive with the pass, so I have to store it in my glove box when I drive,” said Flannery.

“I feel like I should’ve at least gotten a warning first. I completely think that WCPD should’ve checked with the school first because they have my license plate on record.”

There are 63 spots designated for carpool use. According to administration, 18 tickets were issued on Sept. 19 and 20.

Senior Arman Lim was issued tickets on back-to-back days for different infractions.

Lim said that he came to school early on the morning of his second ticket specifically to … continued on page 2

Sierra Lupoi poses with a fellow participant.

by Rachel Ball-Jones Opinions Editor Tucked away beside St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walnut Creek is a Fresh Start, an unusual aid center for Walnut Creek’s homeless, houseless and underemployed population.

According to executive director William Lunghi, Fresh Start’s main service is not something listed in its pamphlet.

“We provide a place where people can come and get away from being homeless,” said Lunghi.

“Where they can interact with people who are in similar circumstances so they don’t feel put down upon and they have some kind of equality.”

Operations supervisor

and participant William Lewis agreed.

“Fresh Start is family,” said Lewis. “That’s the biggest thing you lose when you become homeless.”

The respite center’s services include laundry, showers, and food (both meals and pantry items) for its participants, 42 percent of whom have a mental illness or disability and are unable to obtain employment.

Many of Fresh Start’s weekly participants have been a part of the organization for several years.

Lewis has been homeless for 10 years, living out of his car for three of those years. “[Fresh Start] is like community,” said Lewis. “If a homeless person ever goes missing, people won’t miss

R. Ball-Jones

them. Here, we find you.”

According to Lewis, Walnut Creek is a good place to be and is safer than surrounding cities.

“I’d rather be homeless in Walnut Creek than have a house in Concord,” said Lewis.

During Lewis’ 10 years at Fresh Start, Lewis’ greatest influence has been Susan Prathers, the founder of the center who died in 2008.

“She was my hero. She taught me a lot,” said Lewis. “It’s a lot easier to make someone’s life worth saving than it is to save their life.”

Lewis ensures that all new participants follow the proper procedures when coming to the center for the first time. …continued on page 5

NEWS

Page 2

NEWS FLASH Las Lomas girls lose some critical support

by Simone Stankus Staff Writer Las Lomas girls must find a new place to buy their bras.

Aerie at the Sun Valley Mall closed on Sept. 16. American Eagle employees refused to give any information about why the store closed.

Junior Mia Panlilio has been shopping at Aerie since it opened a few years ago.

“I was disappointed because I shop there a lot,” said Panlilio. “It also is kind of shocking because that store is really popular, which makes its closing kind of strange.”

Women who are committed to getting their undergarments at Aerie will have to travel far. The closest location is at Westfield Mall in San Francisco.

“I am willing to go to San Francisco to get Aerie stuff,” said junior Shahar Roda. “Every time I go the Westfield Mall, I’ll be sure to buy something from Aerie.”

But even some devoted Aerie shoppers say the trip isn’t worth it.

Panlilio said, “Going to San Francisco to shop at Aerie, or any store actually, is a hassle, so I would not go out of my way just to shop there.”

Anthropologie gives us one more place to shop

by Alison Taplin Staff Writer The Spirit Halloween store will have to find a new location this October, because Anthropologie has moved in at the corner of Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Locust St. The store, which has been under construction for over a year, opened on Sept. 12.

Joanna Follman, Anthropologie’s Marketing Coordinator, said Walnut Creek was the perfect place for their new store.

“The location appealed greatly to us. We took into consideration the whereabouts of our online customer, as well as who our core customer is and what her lifestyle is like.”

Sophomore Meredith Johnson agrees that Walnut Creek was a good location for Anthropologie.

“I think it’s a mix between Urban Outfitters and Neiman Marcus,” Johnson said, “so I think it fits pretty well downtown.”

Anthropologie is offers expensive clothes with a bohemian or laid-back feel. Clothes and accessories are displayed in antique furniture that makes exploring the store feel a little bit like visiting someone’s home.

Clothing items range from $30 to over $150, but Anthropologie also sells a wide variety of household items.

“Our assortment includes clothing, accessories, shoes, home furnishings, gifts and décor,” said Follman.

Some items may be too expensive for a high schooler’s budget. However, Follman said their average customer has been out of high school for a long time.

“Our typical customer is 28 to 50 years old,” said Follman.

In addition to the opening of the Walnut Creek store, another celebration is just around the corner for Anthropologie.

“We are actually coming upon our 20th anniversary this October,” said Follman.

September 28, 2012

Walnut Creek Baking Company shuts down, making way for Bake!

by Adanya Lustig Features Editor On Aug. 28, three days before the Walnut Creek Baking Company closed, a man walked into the bakery, bought a Ziploc bag full of chocolate chip cookies, and said, “This is the last of them.”

Eleven days later, a new bakery opened in the same location.

The owner of Bake! and wife of the building’s landlord, Denise Ellwood, explained how the change came about.

“The prior owner was selling the business, and we saw it as an opportunity to keep something that is part of the community going, and I was interested in changing careers so we decided to talk to her and we made an offer,” said Ellwood.

Nancie Crow, a five-year employee at the

Walnut Creek Baking Company, sees the situation differently.

“Taking a business by forcing someone financially just isn’t right,” said Crow.

The Walnut Creek Baking Company was an institution in Walnut Creek for 10 years, but Ellwood is confident that the new bakery will keep in tradition with the old.

“Most of it is staying the same, it’s the same baker, the recipes are the same, the C. Baloue

quality is the same because it’s the same people making it,” said Ellwood. “We don’t substitute any ingredients. It’s all handmade.

The only thing that’s changing is the name, by the prior owner’s request.”

Crow said that the previous owner, Denise Vickers, is going to take some time off.

Vickers was not available for comment.

“They didn’t give her a lot of options for getting a new lease or selling it to someone else,” said Vickers. “He kind of had his eyes on it as a business.”

Ellwood said that no employees were laid off because of the change in ownership, but they are hiring new employees.

Crow said that she chose to leave the Walnut Creek Baking Company because she did not want to work for the new management.

“Some of the people that worked there before did stick around,” said Crow. “In this economy, you can’t just leave a job. I don’t think anyone working in the bakery is happy.” continued on page 4…

Students irate and disgruntled over sudden surge of parking citations …continued from page 1 avoid getting another ticket.

According to Lim, for the first ticket, he parked in a space in which the “Staff ” label had been painted over. For the second ticket, he said that he parked in a recently converted carpool spot where the cone marking the split between hunting and carpool spots had been placed.

“I came to school early and I bought a parking pass for $25 and I still get a ticket,” said Lim. “It’s kind of pointless.”

Principal Matt Campbell said that before tickets are issued, the campus supervisors review the violations before calling the city’s parking enforcement.

“When the police come down, there are three separate people that verify the car or the space,” Campbell said. “For example, if there’s a student that’s parked in a staff, they verify that it is not a staff car.”

At other schools in the district, parking violations are handled differently.

According to Campbell, Acalanes coordinates with the Lafayette police to issue tickets, but Campolindo and Miramonte administrations both control parking violations and ticketing in their respective parking lots.

Senior Cailin Wolff was ticketed for parking in a carpool-designated spot on Sept.

20. She said she thinks that the Las Lomas parking lot is confusing, and that it feels like the ticket is left up to the judgement of the parking enforcement.

“When security is going around and calling the police to issue tickets, it seems like we are the victims here in this situation,” said Wolff.

Campbell said that the parking lot at Las Lomas is monitored by the city of Walnut Creek, so the school does not have control of the parking lot “because we are a public entity; we are a public high school.”

“We are within the City of Walnut Creek and they have jurisdiction over our parking lot,” said Campbell. “We don’t issue our own quote-unquote Las Lomas tickets, so it’s a practice that has been around here for many years.”

Campbell said that the money collected from students for parking passes is kept by the school to help pay for expenses involving the parking lot. That money does not go to the city.

“It’s called the parking lot account,” said Campbell. “For example, the delineators— the little thing out front that goes around in that quarter circle—that was paid for out of that fund. So if we need to do improvements to the parking lot—if we need to repaint, or whatever—then the money is used from that account to pay for parking lot improvements.”

He said that money from the account also goes to improving school safety.

According to Campbell, even though the parking lot is a public entity, it is still Las

Photo Illustration by B. Johnson

Lomas’ duty to fund upgrades.

“The money comes from Las Lomas,” he said. “I have never asked the city to help to pay for parking lot improvements, but I would imagine it’s Las Lomas’ responsibility to do that.”

Campbell said that if the placard is not displayed, campus supervisors look to see if they can find the pass somewhere in the car. If they determine that they can’t find the placard, a ticket can be issued.

Senior Louise Nott said that she received a ticket when her placard was in view.

“I was ticketed on the 13th for not having my pass visible, but it was on my dashboard, and the administration claimed it wasn’t,” said Nott.

Campbell said that, prior to the two-day mass ticketing, the administration had issued sufficient warnings to students who were in violation.

“Ronnie and Jim have written many warnings and have had many conversations with kids communicating when in violation,” said Campbell. “Lot of warnings, lot of conversations. It seems like a month of warnings and having conversations with people would be sufficient.”

Some of the students who received tickets on Sept. 19 and 20 said they had never got that message.

Of the 12 students contacted by The Page for this story, 10 said that they had not received warnings.

“I had my pass on my dashboard prior to being ticketed, and I was told that they would hand warnings out on the 20th and then begin ticketing the next day,” said Nott.

“Because I didn’t receive a warning, I assumed my pass was visible from my dashboard. I then received a ticket the next day.”

Of the 12 students contacted by The Page, eight owned carpool spots and were parked in their own spots when they were ticketed for not having their placards showing.

These students did not have their carpool placards hanging in their cars. There is a warning on the placards to not drive with

it hanging, and some students forget to put them up when arriving at school.

“I was in a rush to school, and I forgot to put it up because I don’t keep it up all day every day,” said junior Nikki Salgado. “It does tell us to not drive with it up on the actual pass. I have a carpool spot. I shouldn’t have to worry about getting a ticket at school.”

Other students were equally frustrated when they received tickets.

“I didn’t have my tag showing,” said Flannery. “But I’ve never forgotten it before and it was in my glove compartment because I personally don’t like driving with it on my mirror.”

Senior Brenna Hack was in a hurry on the morning she received her ticket.

“I always put it up,” said Hack. “But I was in a rush one morning and forgot and it was sitting right in my center piece.”

Senior Katie Fosse had a similar experience.

“I was parked in a hunting spot and forgot to put my tag up,” Fosse said. “It was sitting in my cup holder.”

At leasrt two students who received tickets are going to contest them with the Walnut Creek police.

Flannery has chosen not to start the appeal process for the ticket. She has decided to simply pay her ticket because she and her parents agree that parking tickets are a part of life.

Campbell said that in the future he and the other administrators will look for alternative ways to discipline students who violate the parking lot policy, such as picking up trash at lunch or Friday Schools.

“I don’t want kids to be fined, but at the same time I want them to follow the rules,” Campbell said. “I know parking is an issue here, and we’re moving forward.”

He added, “I want to work with the students to make sure that it’s a safe parking lot and that the expectations for the lot are clear.”

(Ed. Note: One of the writers for this story was among the 18 students ticketed.)

NEWS

September 28, 2012

Page 3

Controversy over small cast for fall play Change in freshman class officer Continued from page 1 … of its extreme hilarity.

“I pick a play based on what I think is going to be entertaining, what I think the kids are going to have a good time with and what is going to entertain the community,” said Hensley. “That always trumps how many kids are going to be in the play.”

Also, supervising a cast can be a daunting task if there are lots of students in the play.

“Last year with Music Man, I was managing 50 to 60 kids by myself, so that gets very tough on the kids and on myself,” said Hensley. “It’s not an easy situation, so I decided to try it a little different this year.”

According to junior Juliana McCormick, there are both advantages and drawbacks with a large cast.

“Having a large cast is great because you can develop a wide variety of friendships,” said McCormick. “However, it’s difficult to have a large group of people consistently focusing and working on bettering the show.”

Despite Hensley’s explanation of his decisions, some students were still disappointed with the prospect of the smaller cast.

Sophomore Kathryn Curran, who was part of the cast for both

Music Man and Macbeth, also did not receive a roll in Whose Wives.

Although frustrated at first, Curran chose to be involved in the play in another way.

“I was upset,” said Curran. “I wasn’t angry, just more wanting to know what I did wrong, but in the end I realized that it was better for me to be involved in it in any way that I could be. I’m now one of the assistant directors, so I take blocking notes and I basically do whatever Mr. Hensley needs me to do.”

Curran now views getting cut not as a bad thing, but as an opportunity to explore the different jobs in theater.

“It is definitely a different part of drama that is a really important part, and I think it’ll be a good experience for me to get a little taste of something else,” said Curran.

“Even though it wasnt exactly what I had planned, I think it’s going to work out great.”

Junior Brendan McNaughton had never auditioned for a play but chose to try out for Whose Wives anyway despite the long odds.

“I feel like it was almost unwise of me to have this be the first play I try out for because there was so much competition because there were very few parts, but at the

same time, you got to start somewhere,” he said. “I’d never tried out before, and I figured that if I tried out, although it wasn’t very likely I would get in, that I could feel good about myself, that I would know that I tried.”

McNaughton plans to continue his pursuit of a role, but he feels discouraged.

“I think that if there is another small cast I’ll still go for it, but I feel like I won’t have much of a chance, so it’ll be kind of useless,” said McNaughton.

Junior Mikaela Auclair, who had ensemble roles in Hello Dolly and Macbeth, was surprised to be chosen for the prominent role of Tina, the hotel receptionist.

“I was definitely surprised because I’ve never had such a big role in the department before, so I just kind of wondered why he chose me,” said Auclair.

Auclair, Hensley and Curran all agreed that the play is laugh-outloud funny.

“There is a lot of physical comedy, so you definitely won’t get bored,” said Auclair. “It’s just great. Las Lomas hasn’t done a play like this in a while. There is a lot of running around and comedy that doesn’t always involve speaking and jokes. There is more to it.”

selection process for the better

by Julianna Hansen, Charlotte Pletsch and Cole Souder Staff Writers and Co-News Editor For years, freshman class officers have been elected by their peers at the beginning of the school year. In contrast, this year the officers were hand picked by members of last year’s leadership class.

Students who wanted to be considered for leadership had to fill out an application while at Walnut Creek Intermediate.

The students in leadership at WCI were notified of the change and in charge of spreading the news to prospective freshmen class officers.

“We were the first ones to know about it but we didn’t actually be the first ones to have it, we were just the first ones to know about it and we were in charge of spreading the word around the school and it was open to anyone who wanted to pick up the application,” said current freshman vice-president Nick Baldacci.

The application asked students why they thought they would be the right person for the job.

“So you filled out an application and the questions were like

about why you think you would be good in leadership and about the qualities you have that would make you better fit for the position you’re applying for,” said freshman class president Jack Farrell.

Principal Matt Campbell said that the change was made because of logistical problems with the previous method.

“For those four or five kids who win the election, its great for them, but then they have to rearrange their schedule and get used to a whole new set of classes,” said Campbell of the previous system.

Farrell believes that the new method is a better way to choose freshmen officials.

“I thought the system was very unbiased because you were elected and it wasn’t like a popularity vote,” said Farrell.

If the change in election process had not occurred, Baldacci said that he would have still gone for a leadership position.

“I’m not afraid of like doing a speech or anything like that or having an election, putting up posters spreading the word so yeah I still would have ran,” said Baldacci.

Addtional reporting by Cara Doran, Taylor Michaud and Aliya Sondel

Lenient dress code enforcement makes way for astounding number of violators

by Tanner Larkin, Reagan Murray, Donovan Rogers, Paul Turek and wCole Souder Staff Writers and Co-News Editor It’s in your school planner. Page nine.

Article 3 of the Las Lomas dress code reads, “Clothes shall conform to standards of decency and good taste. Clothes shall be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times … low-cut tops, bare midriffs and

skirts or shorts shorter than mid-thigh are prohibited.”

Much like the jaywalking law, the dress code is rarely followed by Las Lomas’ student body and only lightly enforced.

On three recent mornings, students posted at the three main entrances to school—at the main office, by the Whole Foods parking lot and next to the gate by the Iron Horse Trail—tallied the number of students who violated certain dress code rules on a given

day.

One day, 55 students came onto campus with exposed midriffs. On another morning, 27 students—all boys—were wearing parts low enough to reveal the students’ underwear.

By far, the most common violation of the dress code is made by girls who wear shorts shorter than mid—thigh. On the morning of the observation, 250 girls—one—third of the female student body—broke the rule.

“That’s not good,” said associate principal Matt Baldwin. “That needs to be addressed immediately.”

Baldwin said that administrators were talking to students about their apparel.

“Right now, we are doing the ‘polite reminder’, and this is not only for girls. The dress code goes for guys too,” said Baldwin.

“But this needs to be addressed, and we’re trying to cover as much as we can. No pun intended.”

Photo illustration by B. Johnson

Ribbon.io allows online writers the rare opportunity to provide quality over quantity

by Parteek Saran Staff Writer Gregory Hosono, a Boston, Massachusetts high school student and founder of Ribbon.io, has created a platform where talented student writers can write and have their work exposed to the public.

Hosono came up with the idea when he saw that one of the big-

gest problems with online journalism is the quality of writers and content.

According to Hosono, “It’s not about content, it’s about volume.”

Many of the most popular news sites focus more on post counts rather on the quality of posts because more quantity means more ad revenue.

Hosono decided that Ribbon.

The Page is published approximately every month during the school year by the journalism class at Las Lomas High School except for holidays and breaks.

Editors-in-Chief: Martina Barrera-Hernandez Scott Dresser

Send letters to: The Page Las Lomas High School 1460 South Main Street Walnut Creek, CA 94596

io would solve the problem of lack of quality content by creating a community for the very best of writers. Ribbon.io focuses on making it easy for students to provide quality content.

Ribbon.io provides a “Column” to users where they can create high—quality content and on their own pace. Ribbon.io also has it’s advantages over tradition forms

of online content generation.

Blogging platforms are usually the common option for writers; however, it can be difficult getting set up and may also require payments for certain features.

One problem with existing publications is that writing isn’t exposed to readers because it gets lost with all the irrelevant stories.

Students who are interested in

Opinions Editor: Rachel Ball- Jones

Multimedia Editor Chessa Melhman

Design Editor: Breanne Johnson

Entertainment Editors: Ben Kirsebom Margaret Moore

Adviser: Emelie C. Gunnison

News Editors: Cole Souder Mika Talwar

Sports Editors: Kelsey Angus Jonathan Hawthorne

Features Editor: Adanya Lustig

Business Manager: Ellie Shaw

the PAGE

getting involved can visit Ribbon. io to begin the application process.

The application process is simple requiring the name, e-mail address and brief information as to what makes one a unique Ribbon writer.

They’re looking for talented student writers who can provide a unique perspective to current news.

NEWS

Page 4

September 28, 2012

Teachers flip classrooms to reduce homework

by Angela Guo Staff Writer Imagine this for a second: you’re home after school and you begin doing your homework. Except, your only homework is to watch a video that your teacher posted on Schoolloop. The video contains a lecture, so you take a few notes.

In class the next day, you complete an assignment to make sure you understand the material from the video you watched. You leave class with no homework other than watching another video that your teacher posted once you get home.

Earlier this month, Lund began teaching her Algebra 2/Trigonometry classes in a “flipped classroom,” a new teaching method that differs from a traditional classroom by having students watch videos of lectures at home, and then do their “homework” in class.

“They have to watch only a 10or 15-minute video at most,” Lund said. “They can do it at the comfort of when it fits in their schedule, they don’t have to carry a book home and they can listen to it on an iPhone or an iPad.” Lund is trying the flipped classroom method to make class time more productive, while decreasing her students’ homework load.

“When you’re instructing and giving a lecture, it’s pretty much a passive time for students anyway,” Lund said. “So why not do the passive part at home?”

As soon as she heard about this method last year, Lund knew she wanted to try it.

“It immediately clicked with me,” said Lund. “If students can do the homework during class, they can get the answers to their questions, and plus, they have ac-

cess to other people’s strategies. It just totally makes sense.”

Since two teachers from a Colorado high school came up with the idea of online lectures in 2007, the flipped classroom method has been gaining popularity.

Bill Doherty, a math teacher at Campolindo, has been teaching in a flipped classroom since last year, according to Lund.

changed her methods after learning about flipped classrooms.

“If I have [my students] watch a video, I have [them] watch it for homework rather than wasting 20 minutes watching it in class,” Fisher said. “Then we can use it as more discussion time in class.”

English teacher William Cautero, who attended the same conference, noted his concerns about the

Photo illustration by B. Johnson

“I only have my Pencast,” Lund said, referring to her videos. “So I would like to eventually progress to getting some of the same technology that [Doherty] has, so the lectures can have a little more zing to them.”

History teacher Kim Fisher, who attended a conference where she learned about flipped classrooms, supports flipping the classroom because it opens up more time for one-on-one teaching with kids who are struggling.

Although she hasn’t fully flipped her classroom, Fisher has

potential side effects of a flipped classroom.

“If students really are listening and watching the videos and lectures at home, then they could have more time to work on the problems in class,” Cautero said.

“But there’s the whole issue of, ‘Will students really listen to the lectures?’”

This issue has been brought up

by Lund’s Algebra 2/Trigonometry students.

“Half of the class [doesn’t] watch it because we forget or we don’t care,” said sophomore Ryan

Reynolds, who does watch Lund’s Pencasts and still thinks that the flipped classroom is a still good idea.

“We have time to do all our stuff in class,” he said. “Then when that’s done, we go home and watch a video that takes a shorter amount of time than homework.”

Sophomore Kevin Yu also likes this method because it saves time.

“At first I thought it was pretty confusing because I’ve never seen this kind of teaching,” Yu said.

“Once I started using the Pencasts, I decided that it was actually a good idea because [the teacher] doesn’t have to waste time in class to teach people.”

Sophomore Elyse Ong likes that a flipped classroom makes learning more efficient, but noted the problems with people who don’t watch Lund’s Pencasts.

“People become super confused and don’t understand how to do the homework problems, and then the teacher has to give the whole lecture to the class again, which just wastes time,” Ong said.

However, the students who do the watch the Pencasts are taking advantage of the benefits of a flipped classroom.

“Anything that means less homework is good for me,” said Ong. “You also get more one on one interaction with the teacher about your questions to help tackle those specific problems that we get confused about.”

Since Lund has flipped her classroom for a few weeks, she has noticed that not all her students watched the Pencasts, but has high hopes for the rest of the year.

“It’s not a smooth sailing yet,” Lund said. “I feel that the kids [who] are taking advantage of it really like it. My scores are pretty high on tests and quizzes, so that’s pretty good.”

Walnut Creek Baking Company is toast Continued from page 2 …

Crow said that the Walnut Creek Baking Company had a great vibe, in part because people who worked there were not there just for the paycheck.

“People worked there because they liked it, there was a lot of love and good energy in the bakery,” said Crow. “It was a community spot.”

While some Walnut Creek residents are shocked at the loss of their favorite bakery, Ellwood feels people are happy they can still consume the same treats.

“I think for the most part they are happy to discover it is open again with their favorites, whether it is the ham and Swiss cheese croissant, blueberry scone or the Dutch crunch chocolate cookie,” said Ellwood. “Everyone has their own particular favorites.”

However Crow, who also works at Target, does not think the new bakery will succeed.

“I get a couple of people a day coming up to me and saying they’re disappointed,” said Crow.

“It has the same stuff but it didn’t feel the same, it didn’t look the same,” Crow said she misses the Walnut Creek Baking Company and was disappointed that the original store was gone, especially because Vickers had built the business from scratch.

“I believe that when you get things in an underhanded way, it comes back around to you,” said Crow.

Ellwood remarked that the decision to buy the bakery happened quickly.

“It was a very short thing,” she said. “We started discussions in June and it completed at the end of August. We took over September first.”

FEATURES

September 28, 2012

Page 5

In the 21st century, religion is put on the backburner Fresh Start takes

by Breanne Johnson enforced.” able to love and marry and that we should care of homeless Design Editor According to the Center for Religion spread love not hatred.”

“You cannot see her, just her eyes,” said senior Mahmoud Al-Alusi.

He was talking about the devoutly religious Muslim women in Iraq, who wear burka hijab head dresses from head-to-toe in accordance with their religion. Al-Alusi moved from Iraq to Egypt, and then Egypt to California in 2010.

Senior Basma Memon was born in Pakistan and considers herself “halfway religious.”

“There are a lot of things we don’t fol-

and Culture at USC, 21.5 percent of Contra Costa residents are Roman Catholic, 2.3 percent are Jewish, 2 percent Mormon, 1.2 percent Presbyterian, and so forth decreasing sequentially. Of the Roman Catholic, 55.3 percent are adherents.

According to AP Mobile, students born in or after 1994 are less likely to affiliate themselves with a certain religion. This raises two questions: Has religious culture in the Bay Area changed in the recent years?

Is religion, specifically the Catholic sect, treated increasingly as a rough guideline of

Senior Leila Nomani, a Christian born into a Muslim family, agrees.

“For most of the literal teachings in the Bible, I can’t say I completely agree with, especially the Old Testament, “said Nomani.

“I also can’t seem to wrap my head around the idea that my religion is the only way to salvation. Some part of that seems wrong to me, and I still don’t completely understand it.”

Senior Gwendolyn Gabie, a Protestant Christian and member of the Evangelical Covenant Church, agreed that the Bible

B. Johnson

low because Islam has a lot of rules such as wearing the hijab, but I don’t cover my hair and my mom never did,” she said. “I don’t really let someone tell me what’s right in the religion from what’s wrong. Like even some things my parents believe and I disagree. I definitely think that comes from me growing up here.”

Junior Shahar Roda, who is Jewish and was born in Israel, believes religious diversity in the Bay Area encourages residents to be open to new ideas.

“In Israel, people are more judgmental towards other religions because they are so used to uniformity because they are surrounded by people who practice the same religion as them,” said Roda. “In the United States, people are taught that being different is acceptable while in Israel that ideal is less

principles, or possibly even a trend?

“The religious culture here doesn’t really focus on one religion,” said Memon. “It doesn’t really focus on religions at all from my perspective. In Pakistan, it’s an Islamic republic, so you hear the prayer five times a day. Everybody’s doing the same thing— they’re all in the same boat, so you’re more encouraged to do it, whereas here, if I were not to follow my religion it wouldn’t be a big deal. Everyone’s is so different here, they all have different religious beliefs and, it’s pretty secular.”

Senior Adrienne Boukis is a Christian and says she agrees with the majority, but not all, of the religion’s teachings. “When it comes to things like gay rights and stoning people, I tend I disagree with the Bible,” she said. “I believe that homosexuals should be

should be interpreted loosely.

“I disagree with a lot of current fundamentalists who take Bible verses out of context and use it to persecute of condemn others” said Gabie. “I don’t think that the Bible should always be taken literally, but the concepts should be studied under the context of the time period and understood then before being translated to today’s society because, let’s be honest, a lot has changed in the world since biblical times.”

Whether or not adherence to religious principles in the Bay Area is growing increasingly lax, AP Mobile reports that the class of 2016 is less likely to understand biblical references.

English teacher Lori Gieleghem has seen …continued on Page 7

continued from cover …

After that, he makes sure that everyone is taken care of.

“You’ve got to remember people’s names,” said Lewis. “You’ve got to remember people’s likes. Little likes.”

Fresh Start provides specific, case-bycase help for its participants, each of whom has a personal case file and works with a counselor who helps the participant cope with his or her situation and find needed resources.

“We advocate for government benefits like social security,” said Lunghi. “In the past two months we’ve gotten five people SSI payments.”

Fresh Start has many rules about conduct, including bans on alcohol, drugs, violence and weapons. Participants must also respect Fresh Start’s equipment and space.

“We have a strict rule against people who come here on drugs or alcohol and they’re discharged,” said Lunghi. “They have the ability to come back if they can show that they’ve gone to like AA or the equivalent of AA for drugs for at least one month.”

Fresh Start has received a lot of flak for their rules, which are unusual for a help center to have. “We’re criticized a lot by people on the outside but we keep them,” said Lunghi.

In spite of all its accomplishments, the future of Fresh Start is somewhat uncertain.

“Our largest source of funding for Fresh Start is the [radio station] KGO’s Thanksgiving charity drive,” said Lunghi. “However, KGO was recently bought out so there’s a possibility that that will be difficult for us.”

Additionally, Lunghi and his wife Robin will retire at the end of October. “I’m 76 and I’d like to do something else now,” said Lunghi.

However, the two have no plans to leave the center without a future.

“The way it looks now is that the church could take it over but that’s up in the air now in terms of how far they can go with it. It costs at least 10 K a month to keep going,” said Lunghi.

Lewis may also retire along with Lunghi, but with or without Lunghi and Lewis, Fresh Start has a future in its volunteers and community.

“If we accepted all of the people who wanted to volunteer, we would have three times as many volunteers as participants,” said Lunghi.

Underclassmen are freaking out about the style of dancing at Las Lomas

by Adanya Lustig Features Editor “It’s dark, there’s loud music, it’s crowded, there’s colorful lights, almost everyone is dancing, some people are freaking, some are dancing with friends,” said one freshman girl.

This is the back-to-school dance. This is the first time the freshman have ever experienced dancing at high school, and it shocks many.

“I think it’s … inappropriate.

I saw the staff and they saw the provocative dancing. They had no problem with it, and I was very disturbed by that,” said an anonymous freshman male.

However Matt Baldwin, one of the associate principals, has made an attempt to make the dances more appropriate and more appealing to all students.

“The people that were supervising the dance walked through the people that were dancing every song and made sure that everybody was doing what they were supposed to be doing and acting appropriately,” said Baldwin.

Baldwin adds that his priority is safety.

“The number one act of the administration is to make sure everyone is safe and feels safe at a dance or on campus,” said Baldwin. “And if they don’t feel safe,

then that’s a huge detriment to your high school experience.”

Safety is not the only issue for everyone, some parents, like Godfrey Mwangi, father of freshman Silvia Gathondu, find the way of dancing inexcusable.

“I don’t like when anyone dances provocatively, let alone my kid,” said Mwangi.

On the other end of the spectrum, Kelly Schoenberg, mother of Junior Lewis Schoenberg, has no problem with the way kids dance. “…they can express themselves in any way they want,” she said.

Upperclassmen have conflicting views on grinding as well.

“It’s kind of silly, a little depressing,” said senior Levi Russell.

“It’s the closest thing to sex they can get, I guess… They’re too embarrassed to do any real dancing.

You don’t have to have any groove to ‘freak.’”

Senior Riley Loventhal disagrees with Russell about freaking’s sexual connotation.

“I think that it kinda started sexual,” he said. “Everyone kind of just dances with everyone. It’s not very sexual, it’s kind of and having fun.”

Loventhal also understands the lack of action on part of the administration.

“They can’t tell people not to do it because it’s a dance, and I

think that they’re a little more relaxed when it’s in an environment where learning isn’t the priority,” said Loventhal.

Reporting by Kaleah Duffy, Sam Goldman, Regan Murray, Dono Rich, Donovan Rogers, Paul Turek and Tanner Larkin.

Graphic by A. Lustig and B. Johnson

FEATURES Seniors defend their turf Page 6

by Victoria Lewis Staff Writer Senior Hannah Eiler expresses her frustration via Twitter when junior Trenton Matson sat on the senior lawn. ‘@trentnasty dear Trenton, It’s called a SENIOR lawn…,’ she tweeted.

Matson tagged Eiler and Rachel Nieto and Maddie Borch, also seniors who were also frustrated by his choice of lunch spot, in his response. ‘@rachellnietoo @hannaheiler @Maddiecb17 sorry guys I won’t eat there tomorrow,’ he wrote.

While the senior lawn is usually reserved for seniors only, Matson later explained why he sits there.

‘I don’t really care what they think because they have the right to sit with their friends, so I think I have the right to sit with mine,’ said Matson.

The rally court and senior lawn have become central areas of the Las Lomas campus not only because of their layout but also because of the student’s social life.

Junior Michelle Yu explained how the rally court works.

‘I think the rally court is for the upperclassmen,’ she said. ‘It’s not anything against the sophomores and freshmen. It’s just like, when I was a freshman, people were like, ‘That’s the rally court, that’s where the upperclassmen sit,’ and it’s just kind of a rule you go by.’

While Las Lomas has a reputation for being accepting of all types of people, there have always been disputes over where certain students each lunch.

Amanda Sossman, who graduated in 2010, explained the rules regarding underclassmen sitting in the rally court during her years of high school.

‘If underclassmen wanted to sit in the rally court, they had to be invited,’ said Sossman. ‘It was always either the loud, popular boys or some freshman girl that a senior boy was after. An underclassman would never sit there with their group of friends.’

Eiler feels that one must earn his or her way to the rally court and senior lawn.

‘I think the rule for the rally court is that anybody who is a junior or senior earned their way into this area,’ said Eiler. ‘The senior lawn is, in my opinion, specifically for seniors. We’ve waited for three years and it’s the one thing reserved for us.’

But what about for students like Matson, who aren’t seniors but eat on the senior lawn because that’s where his primary group of friends sit?

Many students are firm in their belief that seniority rules, even in cases like Matson’s.

‘The juniors on the senior lawn were say-

ing to stay away from their spot and stuff and it’s like, you’re sitting on our lawn, don’t start telling us that we need to be intimidated by you being in our area. They need to know their place,’ said Eiler.

Underclassmen, like freshman Shannon Delaporta, don’t have to ask to know that a large portion of the student body would not accept them sitting in the rally court.

‘I just know not to sit there,’ she said.

Many juniors and seniors enjoy the control they feel that they have over the rally court.

‘The underclassmen should be intimidated; it’s what we went through and it’s just tradition,’ said Matson.

While a large number of students are thrilled to be able to take advantage of the rally court and senior lawn as lunch spots, there are some upperclassmen who choose to eat elsewhere.

Junior Jared Groman and his friends are fine with their choice to sit in the 400 wing instead of the rally court.

‘It’s just dumb,’ says Groman, ‘There’s not even any shade in the rally court. It seems like it would suck to sit there.’

Junior Madi Hight chooses to not sit in the rally court because her lunch spot holds a special significance to her group.

‘Pierce Leibermann built this spot for his Eagle Project, so as his friends, of course we want to use it,’ said Height. ‘He did a great job, and it’s quiet and shady and a good spot in general.’

Yu’s view of the rally court has changed over the years.

‘I used to think that the rally court was a place of superiority as a freshman, but now that we’re sitting here I feel like there isn’t any popular/unpopular drama. To me the rally court just looks like the juniors and seniors collaborating as one,’ said Yu. When social studies teacher Mike Downing was a Las Lomas student in the late 1990s, the popular lunch spot was elsewhere.

‘The big deal was not the rally court, he said. ‘The big deal was the senior lawn, which at that time was a lawn where the theater is. I think the transition happened when they were building the theatre and the lawn was ripped out, so they moved to the lawn by the rally court and forgot about the old lawn.’

Downing explained how he believes the rally court came to be such a coveted lunch spot.

‘I guess since the rally court is right next to that lawn it became another area for seniors to show dominance over, as well as the juniors.’

Regardless of who is sitting there, at the end of the day, as Yu put it, ‘It’s just a place to eat lunch.’

September 28, 2012

J. Hawthorne Melissa May, Wynn O’Donnell, Anna Keith and Hailey Melhman talk to sports psychologist Ashley Herrell.

Athletes make use of psychologists

by Cassie Baloue Staff Writer When Las Lomas athletes are feeling low and in need of someone to talk to, they can turn to their teams’ sports psychologists.

Sports psychologists are there for players if they ever need to talk about issues related to the game or something going on at school.

Co-captain of the varsity volleyball team, Rachel Nieto, finds the psychologist helpful.

‘We get to look at things in a different outlook,’ said Nieto.

The players meet as a group at least once a week with their psychologist to talk about how to strengthen team chemistry and become more united.

For some teams, such as volleyball, it is also required for players to have an hourlong one-on-one meeting with their psychologist during which they have check-ins and view the progress they have been making mentally, during their season.

Tennis player Kate Pidromova finds these check-ins beneficial.

‘We learn how to handle stress,’ said Pidromova, a junior.

For some players this program is a good opportunity to express themselves to their team in an easy way. For others, it may not mean as much.

Because cross country is a sport that is more about the individual than the team as a whole, some runners, such as sophomore Thea Sherwood, find the psychologist unhelpful.

‘We haven’t had any personal time with

her,’ said Sherwood. ‘She hasn’t really affected me.’

However, other cross country runners do find the psychologist beneficial.

Sophomore Ashley Coin said that she looks for motivation from the psychologist.

‘She is really encouraging,’ said Coin.

‘She helped me with some mental stuff for running.’

Since people can not read each other’s minds communication is a key element of volleyball, but it’s something teams struggle with.

‘As a team we work on communication … so we become a better team,’ said sophomore Elis Feyzieva, who is the libero for the JV volleyball team.

Freshman Adrienne Lim, the setter on the JV volleyball team, thinks that being able to rely on each other makes the team better.

‘By helping us be mentally prepared, it gives us a better race,’ said sophomore Devon Rogers, track and field team.

Rebecca Stevenson, the psychologist for the JV volleyball team, feels that players respond well after meeting with her.

‘It’s not just all physical,’ said Stevenson.

‘There is a mental component as well.’

Pallarino agrees with Stevenson.

‘Sometimes there are mental barriers that we have that block our ability to play,’ said Pallarino.

Meeting with their team psychologist gives players time to talk and clear the air of past games or issues with teammates.

Players identify issues during group meetings to prevent them from happening during games.

Bright lights and buzzing phones are keeping students awake past bedtime

by Alex Faulkner Staff Writer The feeling of staying up with a bright light in the darkness is thrilling, but is it damaging your health?

Sleep is becoming increasingly low on a typical teenager’s list of priorities, which can in part be blamed on technology.

School nurse Kathi Mooney said that teenagers need more sleep.

“Teenagers don’t really realize this, but they need eight and a half to nine and a half hours of sleep per night because their bodies are still changing and growing,” she said.

“If that’s disrupted, you’re going to have a decreased level of cognition and a level of academic performance.”

Toby Lustig, a local pediatrician, pointed out the stress factor put on teenagers these days.

“There are studies that show that some of this technology has increased stress and agitation in some of these kids,” said Lustig.

“It’s hard to know all the ways that’s occurring, but a lot has to do with broken sleep, but then there’s some teenagers that get very stressed out if they don’t have their phone, or if they think they should be getting more texts, it becomes more socially difficult.”

(In the interest of full disclosure, Toby Lustig is the father of the Features Editor, Adanya Lustig.)

Because of the increased need for social interaction, Mooney has noticed that many students are not getting enough sleep.

Photo Illustration by Regan Murray

“I took a poll in my class the other day, I think two kids raised their hand out of 30 that actually got eight hours or more of sleep,” said Mooney. “Then I said seven and a few more, then I said six and then I felt like most of them got less than five.”

University of Massachusetts professor and sleep researcher Rebecca Spencer is also a professional in sleep research. Spencer discussed the concept of light therapy, which is when the brain receives light and signals the body to stay awake and alert.

“The idea is that it’s wake promoting, and it’s alertness promoting,” said Spencer. “But if people are using computers right before bed, then what they’re doing is using light

therapy right before bed. They’re taking that idea and they’re telling their brains stay awake, when really, obviously you want to fall asleep.”

Light isn’t the only thing that can disrupt sleeping, it can also be what you are viewing.

“There’s also just the content that you’re watching or that you’re getting,” said Spencer. “So, most often we’re watching TV programs that are highly stimulating, or we’re playing computer games that are highly stimulating, and all of that stimulation is very activating to your personal system, meaning it’s very wake-promoting.”

Mooney said that technology should be used in moderation.

“I think if you use it in a proper manner, it’s just like everything else out there—the abuse of alcohol, the abuse of caffeine, the abuse of tobacco—we need to be aware of how much we’re using and when we’re using it,” Mooney said.

The circadian rhythm, or the internal clock, cannot only be disrupted by technology, but also different wake up times.

“The sleep psychologists say that in order to create the best circadian rhythm that you can, the number one trick is to get up at the same time,” Lustig said.

Lustig advises students to take advantage of the time they have to sleep.

“The thing you could do on the weekends is to take naps, if you can, and you can try on the weekends to go to bed a little bit earlier,” he added. “I know that sounds ridiculous, but that would help.”

Teachers are trying to help students get more hours of sleep.

“You need to know that the teachers are working on that, and we will be working on not having all your tests on Friday, so you know that you guys are being supported,” Mooney said. “You need to know that we realize this.”

If parents understand the need for sleep, they can help their children get enough rest.

“Parents also need to realize that teenagers are falling asleep as early as their bodies will let them,” said Spencer. “The poor teenagers are in a point in their lives where their bodies are going to fall asleep when they’re ready to fall asleep.”

FEATURES In the 21st century, religion is put on the backburner

September 28, 2012

Page 7

Continued from page 5 … this phenomenon among her own students.

“Oh god, yes,” she said. “I think that fewer people are going to Sunday school and learning their Bible stories,” said Gieleghem.

“It’s a real handicap for these folks when studying … the literature of Europe which gave rise to the literature of America. No matter where you go in Western literature … you’re going to run into biblical references, … Christ figures, all over the place.

That leaves aside whether it’s the holy word of God or not, that doesn’t even come into it. It’s just that authors will use religious symbolism and by religious symbolism it’s Judeo-Christian.”

For English teacher William Cautero, the shift has not been so evident.

“As far as underclassmen, I can’t say I’ve noticed a distinct difference,” said Cautero.

“In AP, there are always several that are pretty savvy for whatever reason, but it seems to

me that its remained fairly constant.”

English teacher Ra Reyes siad his students’ religious views are diverse and that is reflected in class discussions.

“I think that people bring a variety of knowledge and background about biblical references,” said Reyes. “I wouldn’t say there’s been a general change in awareness, but I think there’s usually only a handful of people who know the details behind certain biblical stories and their connection to history.”

He added, however, that he thinks the importance of biblical stories is undervalued.

“They’re very rich and that they have a lot to teach us, so whether or not a person is faithful or believes in a particular faith, I don’t think that’s necessary to understanding the richness of the story,” said Reyes.

While students may not know their bible verses, religious symbols have become popular fashion statements.

A trendy new clothing store called Brandy Melville is a major source of the religious merchandise seen around campus. Senior Josey Lonzo is very familiar with its products.

“I do love Brandy Melville and I have noticed they have a lot of religious affiliated accessories and tanks,” she said. “I am not religious, and the crosses I just have as an accessory because I liked the way they look and how they can tie together an outfit. I don’t feel as though using religious affiliated merchandise is a bad thing because it is such a common thing in this day and age.”

Boukis believes Christian symbols should be worn solely by observers of Christianity.

“I don’t think it’s right for those who don’t believe to sport the cross,” she said.

“The cross, although an ancient way for all people to be killed, is very important to a lot of Christians and it should be respected.”

Memon also believes that religious symbols and artifacts, like those worn in Paki-

stan, should be treated with the utmost respect.

“In our culture if you’re wearing something, you should be clean all the time and you shouldn’t go to the bathroom while wearing it because it has religious sayings and it’s sacred,” said Memon. “I view all religions that way, so I mean if you believe in it yeah you should wear it, but not everyone.”

Gabie is excited about the prospect of crosses becoming a part of the fashion world but believes they should still remain sacred to Christianity.

“It’s great that people aren’t ashamed to wear the symbol of Christ and Christianity and that it’s fashionable to do so,” said Gabie. “On the other hand, though, I think it’s disrespectful if not worn as a symbol of their faith.

“If you wanna rock the Christian cross, that’s great for you. But I think that you should have a faith to stand behind that necklace or T-shirt.”

Las Lomas students look for inspiration in those around them

by Angela Guo Staff Writer For sophomore Natalie Rich, it was the leaders of two organizations called Invisible Children and Free the Children who inspired her. Rich reads what these organizations do to help other countries and hopes that she can do the same one day.

“I want to join Invisible Children, work with them, go to Africa, do whatever I can to help and see where that takes me,” said Rich.

Rich has founded a club called Invisible to Invincible at Las Lomas. Rich believes that if it weren't for Invisible Children, she would be ignorant about the world and uninterested in helping other countries.

“People call it the ‘white man’s burden,’” she said. “I don’t think I’m entitled to help, but I really want to help.”

Senior Casey Leonard has been active in the Gay-Straight Alliance since his junior year. Now co-president of the club, Leonard said that he draws inspiration from Megan Green, the previous leader of the GSA. “I’ve seen her help other people struggling with their sexuality,” Leonard said. “I inherited this responsibility from her.”

Leonard mentioned others on campus who have helped him.

“Ms. Gieleghem is fantastic,” said Leonard. “She helps to stop homophobia on campus.

Merritt [Rollins] is great for letting us use [her room] as a base and helping the GSA.” Leonard is also inspired by the members of the GSA, who are all committed to stopping homophobia.

“You see homophobia on campus, and it breaks my heart,” Leonard said.

“It’s discrimination, and it really doesn’t belong here because we’re all more mature than that.”

Would you ever try an Ironman triathlon, which consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile marathon run? Two years ago, senior Andreas Thallaug was inspired when he watched his father complete an Ironman in about 12 and a half hours.

“He was the one who made me see that someone could actually do that long of a race,” Thallaug said. “I watched him do it and I knew there were shorter triathlons, so I’m like, ‘All right, maybe I should start doing this.’”

Since then, Thallaug has trained with his father and now participates in shorter triathlons.

“When I started [doing triathlons], I was in that transitional phase where I was kind of growing out of tennis and I wasn’t having as much fun, so I started getting into running,” he said.

Similarly, Thallaug’s father ran before he began doing triathlons.

“He started because he wanted to get in shape,” said Thallaug. “He did running before with his team until a friend suggested that he try a triathlon.”

Triathlons now play a large role in the two’s lives. “[My father and I] both have a big passion for it,” Thallaug said.

Thallaug aspires to go to the 2020 Olympics and thanked his father for inspiring him to get into triathlons.

“He was really the one that started it all,” Thallaug said. “And now it’s all self driven.”

You’ve probably heard of and will someday take the SAT, but have you ever heard of the MCAT? The Medical College Admission Test is an exam that prospective medical students must pass before entering medical school and becoming a doctor.

When junior Sasha Kupisk’s grandmother immigrated to America from Russia in her 30s, she managed to learn English and pass the MCAT to become a doctor.

“All the people she knew and all of her family told her that she would not be able to succeed or pass the medical exam,” said Kupisk. “And she proved them wrong.”

Her grandmother’s story taught a valuable lesson to Kupisk.

“I think that her story really taught me the value of hard work and that with enough hard work you can pretty much achieve anything,” Kupisk said.

Photos by G. Gardner

OPINIONS In defense of Disney princesses Cleverly camouflaged

Page 8

September 28, 2012

by Samantha Maddox Staff Writer I have diagnosed myself with the Disney disease.

Judge all you want, but I love the movies and characters. In fact, you could say I’m a tad bit obsessed. It has been a big part of my life since I was little and dressed up as Sleeping Beauty for Halloween.

She was my favorite princess and I loved everything about the movie, especially the fairies and the way Prince Philip saved Princess Aurora in the end.

The whole story was just—not to sound corny— magical.

And this was true for every Disney story. I was captivated by the adventures and I loved to watch the prince and the princess ride off into the glorious sunset at the end.

But I always knew the movies were just cartoons: I did not watch the movies and suddenly become a dependent damsel in distress and I did not yearn for my waist to be tinier than my head.

But some people like to take these movies to a whole new level and think that Disney heroines are not good role models. I actually find it sad when I hear about parents not letting their kids watch certain Disney movies for fear that they will be negatively influenced by the women models portrayed in the films. When I was little, I thought of these princesses as wonderful characters, but now that I’m older I see that they have so much more to offer than what I saw as a child. In fact, these women are not just splendid characters, but also inspiring role models.

Take the movie Mulan, for instance. She takes her father’s spot in the army and saves China. Did I miss something, because last time I checked, saving a country is a pretty big deal? How about Meg in Hercules? She is a confident, headstrong woman who risks her life for Herc. We also have Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. She worked and went to school practically nonstop to earn money for her dream of opening up a restaurant.

She is pretty independent, to say the least.

The Disney heroines are not damsels in distress, nor are they self—deprecating, mindless princesses. They are smart and talented. They have dreams and hopes for a better future. They perform courageous acts, like saving China.

They stand up for what they believe in, like marrying a street rat instead of someone of royalty. The Photo illustration by B. Johnson

Disney movies are progressively creating stronger female characters with deeper personalities.

Kids could always be watching the alternatives, like Teen Mom or Jersey Shore. Walt Disney did not create his movies to corrupt children and make them think that their life will be a big fairytale. His goal was to give them the hopes and dreams of a fairytale. He wanted to open their imaginations, so they could see that they could make life into anything they really put their mind to. “Crowded classrooms and half—day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource—the minds of our children,” said Disney. His movies open up the imagination and help discover knew things about yourself.

I’m sorry, but if you don’t want your kids to be influenced by the media then go lock them in a closet. That is really the only alternative since we are immersed in media 24/7. Disney should be the least of a parent’s concerns.

Just because I enjoy watching the princes save the princesses doesn’t mean I am hopeless and dependent on a man to do everything for me. It is just part of what makes a great fairytale story line. Yes, there are other ways to write a fairytale, but, seriously, we need a little romance.

It makes it interesting, even if it is a children’s movie. No need to get your panties in a twist.

Maybe Disney has given me false hope on being saved by a prince or a half—naked jungle man, but I think that overall Disney has taught children (and teenagers) that they need to chase their dreams and have hope that something good will come of it.

If I ever have a daughter, I don’t want her to only know the harsh truths of reality because that isn’t what life is about.

Kids need to see that happy endings are possible. The Disney heroines are strong, independent women who have been important in the shaping of who I am. I don’t think I turned out too bad.

by Ben Kirsebom Co-Entertainment Editor It is not uncommon to look up from one’s walk across campus to see the uniforms of American servicemen and women. They are not here to visit former teachers or sit in on classes. They are here to beguile your fellow students to enlist in the armed forces.

High school seniors have reached the cusp of their education—the crucial turning point of their lives from teenager to adult. It is absurd to think that they are anywhere near ready to make a decision that could drastically change their lives.

Recruiters tell students about the grand promise of a stipend to cover college tuition in exchange for service. But according to the Seattle Draft and Military Counseling Center, over 20 percent of military personnel never receive their stipends because they do not complete the contract, usually because they receive something less than an honorable discharge. For others, the funds inadequately compensate for the rising cost of higher education.

Life in the armed forces is also physically and mentally grueling. Drill sergeants bark orders and belittle recruits so that they will be prepared for life in their respective fields. According to the official U.S. Coast Guard website, the most difficult aspects of basic training are the sleep deprivation and self-doubt. In some units, up to twenty percent of recruits do not pass basic training.

Although the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was recently overturned by President Obama, the principles of the armed forces are not always ones with which young adults, or anyone for that matter, should familiarize themselves. The armed forces have long been associated with homophobia, sexism, racism, violence and intolerance. This doesn’t coincide with the “safe atmosphere” that many high schools are trying to develop.

The U.S. Supreme Court thinks differently, however, because it ruled in the 2006 case Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights that college campuses are not allowed to ban military recruiters even if they have rules against recruitment by employers or colleges that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. If they choose to abstain, they lose federal financing.

A clause in President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act requires that high schools provide students’ names, addresses and telephone listings to military recruiters as part of the policy of the U.S. Department of Education.

Like other schools, Las Lomas uses an “opt-out” system if students want to remove their names from these lists, but some schools make it harder for the military to contact students. Berkeley High has banned recruiters from its campus and instated an “opt-in” policy which requires parents to fill out paperwork in order to have their child’s contact information sent to recruiters. Berkeley High has seen a record low number of students who “opt-in” in recent years.

In the U.S., military recruiters must be allowed onto high school campuses who also allow college representatives and employers to recruit on campus. This is wrong because it makes light of our safe-school atmosphere.

After all, the military’s ultimate objective is to teach people to fight and kill.

That doesn’t really seem like it is making the world a better place—and it sure doesn’t feel like treating others how you want to be treated.

Recruiter speaks with students in the College and Career Center.

C. Baloue

The California legislature has (almost) fixed the budget This year, the California state budget is in shambles. For months, the legislature failed to reach any conclusions. Even now that there is a budget proposal, there are problems.

One of the more controversial issues this November will be about funding for education, something that directly affects this student body. The budget, as it stands, cuts almost 5.9 billion dollars for education with no plan to find alternate funding.

There are two propositions on the ballot this November which are designed to fix this hole the state government has created. First is Brown’s Proposition 30, which raises income taxes for those making over $250,000 and adds .25 percent to the state sales tax.

Second is Molly Munger’s proposition 38, which raises income taxes for almost the entire state.

Neither of these propositions actually fix the problems that are so pernicious for the state. They both merely plug the holes created in the deplorable state budget proposal.

However, Proposition 30 would allocate almost as much money to education as the legislature has cut, preventing another mas-

14 out of 14 editors approved this editorial, with 0 abstaining sive predicament for the state education munity colleges.

Without this funding, costs of education system.

On the other hand, proposition 38 pro- will once again rise in California. For many years, California prided itself on its stelvides less revenue for education and raislar educational system. Now, es taxes for the entire state for a total even attending community of twelve years. Prop 30’s selective college is thousands tax is a more reasonable option, of dollars in tuition which only taxes the top and textbooks. brackets of taxpayGrade schools ers. in lower— Speincome cifically, 89 areas percent of have money raised sufwill go toward fered grade schools, and 11 percent of funding will go to com-

Art by L. Amaro

greatly in the last few years, and test scores and other educational A tax hike may seem unreasonable in economic situations such as ours, but it is indisputable that California’s educational system is in desperate need of reform.

Though tax rates in California are already some of the highest in the nation, the added revenues will go toward something arguably more important than shavings off of a paycheck. Investing in education is an infrastructure improvement worth sacrificing for.

For many years, California prided itself on its stellar educational system. Now, even attending community college costs thousands of dollars in tuition and textbooks.

Grade schools in lower—income areas have suffered greatly in the last few years, and test scores and other standards are becoming increasingly difficult for struggling schools.

This November, California residents will vote between several options. They can choose to uphold California’s caliber of education and reputation for excellence. The alternative is to can save their pennies to pay for the education of future generation when the system is even more broken.

OPINIONS

September 28, 2012

Page 9

When life hands you lice, grab shampoo and keep on trekkin’

by Marcela Oñate-Trules Staff Writer As I have gotten older I have learned how to make bad experiences not so bad.

I have realized that this is a skill that this is essential to my wellbeing because sometimes things just don’t happen the way you planned them.

I’ve come to the conclusion that when this happens the only thing you can do is laugh—fall on the ground and laugh.

It was the summer of 2010 and I was touring around Europe with my mom and sister. After England we arrived in Venice, that’s where my story begins.

Prior to leaving the States my mom had warned us to pack light. We were going a lot of places and would have to carry our luggage everywhere with us.

Of course, being the teenage girls we are my sister Amanda and I did not listen to her.

We each packed huge suitcases and expected it to be no big deal.

Surely my mom was exaggerating about the difficulty of carrying our

luggage.

We arrived in Venice and the weather strangely resembled that of a steam room; it was almost impossible to remember that you were outside. It was so excruciatingly

hot that we were dripping in sweat after being outside for five minutes. Our small hotel was only a short walk through town but those few minutes felt like an eternity. We carried our bags up and down stairs in the vicious heat through the swarms of people.

We were almost were at our hotel when Amanda broke down. She dropped her luggage, and I witnessed a 17-year-old girl have a huge tantrum.

“IT’S HOT!” She yelled. “I CAN’T CARRY THESE BAGS!” After she finished, we kept walking, and when we arrived, we realized and our luck followed us. The hotel had no air conditioning.

Instead of crying, we just laughed—a lot.

Our first few days in Venice were lovely despite the heat and congestion around us. However, things changed on our last night in Venice.

Illustration by Lauren Amaro

continued on page 10…

Kindness over self-absorption New, unconventional eating method

by Grace Gardner Staff Writer It was fifth period in the middle of a long week. Walking through rows of lockers, I passed a dozen or so of my classmates without saying

a word.

I slipped into the bathroom to fix myself up a bit. A girl I recognized was already there. I’d seen her in the hallway a million times. I always thought she was pretty, but that was beside the point.

I complimented her on her hair, and asked if it was natural.

She looked unsure, and replied “Really?”, sounding surprised.

I was confused. I said it and I had meant it. Why wouldn’t I? “Well, I don’t know.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant. I looked up and I could tell she was hurt, that something wasn’t right.

“Someone just said something… mean to me” “Like what?” I was honestly concerned.

She was obviously a nice girl.

“Someone said I was ugly, and weird looking.” Her eyes began to water.

At this point I was confused. Here was this really sweet, beautiful girl who was obviously upset. I couldn’t believe someone would actually say that.

Thinking it was just a matter of a jealous girl projecting insecurities on her, I figured I knew how to handle this.

I’d seen it happen a million times before to my friends.

I turned her to face the mirror. “Look at you, your beautiful.” and smiled encouragingly.

She attempted a smile back and sort of

shook her head, heading out of the bathroom. I wish I would have said more, but at the same time, it was enough.

When she left I sort of stood there, thinking about what had happened, about how hurt she must have been before I came in.

I couldn’t help but wonder, what if I hadn’t said anything?

I was so glad I did.

I read a story once about a timid boy who was bullied every day at school. One day, he had finally had enough.

He planned on taking his life when he returned home.

As he was getting off the bus, he dropped his books and to his surprise, another boy stopped to help him pick them up.

It wasn’t much, but that single act of kindness gave him hope, enough that he decided he would not go through with his private plan—at least not that night anyway.

I’ve always been touched by that kind of story, but like so many others of its kind, it’s difficult to apply its lesson in everyday life.

Our minds are focused so much on ourselves; when you’re sitting with your friends at brunch, or walking between classes, you don’t think about the boy who dropped his books.

It doesn’t cross your mind that that one compliment you give could change someone’s perspective, or that helping someone out could save a life.

We take it all in, oblivious to the hurt and simply pass by. Somehow these helpful words we all have the potential to speak remain unspoken, their reviving effect nullified.

The point is, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a stranger or a friend, we should all give a shot at being nice to people.

Behind that girl I talked to was someone who called her ugly, and that boy has been bullied.

Make the effort.

It might not seem like much to you, but it might mean something to someone else.

That chance in itself makes it worth it.

by Devin Thebeau Staff Writer When I first picked up The Paleo Solution

by Robb Wolf I thought it would be an interesting read. I heard a lot about the Paleo diet before and it sounded like something I could do, so I grabbed the book, my dad, and the last chocolate bar that I would eat and I went to the cash register.

“You sure you want to do this?” said my coach. “I’ve heard it’s both difficult and expensive.” I took a moment to think about what my dad just said, this was going to be life changing. I wouldn’t be able to eat my any of favorite foods in an effort to be healthier.

The Paleo diet was initially created by the Paleolithic humans based on the food that they had available. The main thing that they ate was protein, all of that protein was things that they hunted for or fished for, making the meat very lean and healthy.

The key idea of the Paleo Diet is that over two million years of human evolution our dietary system works the best when we get back to basics. The natural food that made the prehistoric humans thrive is the same things that modern humans can eat to flourish in this very advanced society.

Had I know hown difficult it was going to be to change my eating style, I might have thought twice. The book said to avoid dairy, grains, processed food and sugars, legumes, starches, and alcohol.

“With a very simple shift we not only remove the foods that are at odds with our health (grains, legumes, and dairy) but we also increase our intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants,” said Wolf on his website. “Improved blood lipids, weight loss and reduced pain is proof enough.”

I know from experience that this cleanse makes people feel very healthy.

After a lot of convincing and research I began my Paleo diet. I had to make a lot of changes in my life and dietary habits.

We cleared out the pantry and loaded it with every thing paleo - nuts, seeds and water. Looking at the skeleton of what used to be my second favorite place in the house was depressing. I kept asking myself, “Why am I doing this again?” I couldn’t quit because I promised my dad I wouldn’t and I wanted to prove I could do it.

The hardest part of the whole diet came at the end of week 1 - my first trip to a restaurant. I bet I looked like a crazy person looking at the menu then back at this big book I brought. It was so hard going to an Italian restaurant and not ordering a big bowl of pasta.

I ended up ordering a grilled chicken with a small salad on the side with no dressing and an assortment of veggies. It was amazing because I was able to take what I had been doing at home to the outside world. I felt accomplished, a person who was strong in battling against my favorite food.

Another place that used to bring me joy was the grocery store, most people enter with a normal shopping list, but I walked in with an entire book.

People stood next to me looking at the book and every once in a while asking me, “What kinds of food are you looking for?” or, “Why do you do that to yourself ?” and “Do you like it?”

Since then, my diet has morphed into a hybrid of what it started out to be and I’ve made my own additions. I’ve taken the main concepts, eating healthy and full of nutrition, and eat my favorite types of food on one day a week. My “cheat day,” is my favorite day of the week because it’s the day I have pancakes for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner.

I’ve noticed that I feel a lot healthier and happier than when I had a poor diet. All you have to do is be conscious of what you are putting into your body. You can feel better too.

My week without technology: harder than you could ever imagine

by Bryanna Rivera Staff Writer One missing little gadget flipped my world upside down. One day during lunch last year I thought I had lost my phone.

I freaked out. I checked all my classes, and had all my friends call my phone, with a minor anxiety attack along the way. My whole life was on that phone. When I got home, I found my phone sitting on my dining room table.

It was a huge relief, but I also realized how much I depend on my phone alone, not even considering my computer, TV or iPod.

This year I decided to do a little experiment and challenge myself to see if I could go a week without using my daily technology. The rules were no phone, internet, TV, iPod and the computer was only to be used for typing up papers.

The night before my challenge, I took all my homework off of School Loop wrote it into my dust-covered planner, had a last major music/dance session, watched the latest episode of Switched at Birth and logged off Facebook for the week. In attempt to keep from cracking, I turned both my phone and iPod off and hid them.

In the mornings instead of waking up to my alarm clock on my phone, I had to ask my mom to wake me up. School itself wasn’t too bad. All of a sudden I had to find new ways to curb my boredom. I even started going to bed early because I couldn’t watch late night TV.

Photo illustration by B. Johnson

Although I was able to get through the school week, when the weekend rolled around, I was petrified. Luckily, my mom had already planned for me to go to my brother and cousin’s soccer games. I also

had errands and chores for Sunday, so I had a filled weekend and was able to narrowly escape 48 hours of pure boredom.

By Sunday, I couldn’t wait to get my gadjets back. Even though I was able to really get into my book, I really just wanted my iPod and phone back. Out of my week, I only cracked three times.

Even though I learned how to live my day-to-day life without technology, I will never do this again. I learned to appreciate the technology and not take it for granted. I realized how vital my technology is for my life besides my social circle, like keeping up in school and being able to communicate with my parents and others. As tough as it was, the past week was a great learning experience and I would recommend that others try it and see how it changes your daily life. Hello again, phone, Internet, iPod, TV and may we never say goodbye again.

OPINIONS

September 28, 2012

Page 10

Harsh words, untold consequences Learning from lice and life 14 out of 14 editors approved this editorial, with 0 abstaining If you heard the “N” word screamed across the rally court, it would probably give you pause. Would the words slut, whore or tramp have a similar effect?

The idea that women could be reprehensible for their sexual activity while men remain free to do what they want inherently suggests that somehow a woman’s sexual freedom should be less than a man’s.

The next logical conclusion is that a woman’s personal freedom is somehow less important than a man’s.

Examples of this are apparent throughout the media and on this campus.

Take, for example, the media’s reaction to Sandra Fluke’s debacle with Congress last year.

Fluke was not simply campaigning for birth control. She was fighting for women’s health to be offered more comprehensively on her school campus. The media mostly ignored this issue, painting Fluke’s plight as strictly about her need for contraceptives.

Health care is essential to well-being, and the denial of equal health care to women furthers the denial of equality as a whole.

Each year, one out of every six women in the United States has been a victim of assault, according to RAINN. 97 percent of rapists will never go to jail, either because the rapes are not reported or because they are not convicted.

Two-thirds of assaults are committed by someone the victim already knows, and one-third of rapists are friends or acquaintances.

More than half of rapes are not reported to police, in part because some women fear people wouldn’t

believe them or they feel responsible for what has happened to them.

This problem can’t be simply written off as far removed from the Las Lomas campus. It’s not uncommon to walk through the halls and hear someone call a girl a derogatory name.

Girls are often made to feel guilty for choices that shouldn’t be made public or judged publicly. “Good” girls are praised for not being promiscuous.

They’re told that if they dress “like that,” then they have low self esteem and that boys will only like them for their bodies.

Girls who are comfortable with their bodies and their choices are often construed as overly promiscuous and made to feel bad about their decisions.

Even though most of the time people are joking, using such vocabulary creates a culture that condones the mistreatment of women. Boys have been known to discuss which girls are “easiest,” or most easily taken advantage of.

With the sanctioning of the word slut (and its many connotations) comes the idea that in addition to the many issues the world has with the female sexuality, women now must pay out of pocket for their health care and can be responsible for their own rape.

This has a profound effect on generations to come. Mothers tell their daughters always to be strong and exert free will in all aspects of their lives. Our culture tells them that they’re whores if they wear certain clothes or think certain things or make choices others don’t agree with.

Thoughtful people avoid using a range of slurs meant to attack a person’s race or religion. Why is it still okay to call girls such awful names?

Photo illustration by B. Johnson

Continued from page 9 …

We were getting ready to see Venice alive at night and have “girl time.”

Amanda was braiding my hair when she screamed and called my mom over.

I had lice.

This wasn’t the first time my family had been badgered with lice. The year prior was any parent’s worst nightmare, I got lice 3 or 4 times.

Even though our epic trip in Italy wasn’t what we thought it would be, it was still awesome.

We didn’t let our series of unfortunate events ruin our trip.

“

”

It was always the same procedure: my mom freaked out, I wasn’t allowed to leave the house, and my hair was fried and destroyed by the toxic treatment that kills lice, but we had never before gotten lice away from home, we wondered if Italy even sold lice removal products.

That night we were in panic. Amanda wouldn’t touch me because she was so disgusted and claimed I was plaguing my family with my carelessness, and my mom was crying about how her last night in Venice was ruined.

Our next week in Italy was filled with the treatment and combing of my luscious lice infected mane. We went to countless drug stores and looked for the treatment but none of them carried the products we needed. Finally, when we went to Florence, my mom found a lice product like no other.

This was the terminator of all lice products. It was a thick gooey substance that reeked of gasoline but got the job done. I think the use of it has changed my scalp forever.

We spent nights in the bathroom of our hotel with magnifying glasses,searching for lice, dead and alive, while cracking jokes in a delusional and altered state.

When we got to Bologna, I’m sure that the managers of our small and homey hotel thought my family was full of neat freaks. We paid them extra to wash our clothes twice or three times in boiling hot water, and we requested a small vacuum to clean our suitcases in case the louses were living there.

Our time in Italy was coming to a close, and it was not the trip we expected it to be. Instead of spending the majority of our time visiting cathedrals and museums we were dealing with the army of bugs invading my head. Even though our epic trip in Italy wasn’t what we thought it would be it was still awesome.

We didn’t let our series of unfortunate events dictate and ruin our trip.

We made the best out of our time in Italy and embraced the bumps along the way. Sometimes that’s the only way to get by, love what life gives you.

Cherish every moment and make the best out of what you thought was the worst.

Page 11

September 28, 2012

No confusion at Chef Jon Lee Every Day disappoints readers

by Spencer Cox Staff Writer While it may seem like Chef Jon Lee has his Asian cuisine mixed up, there is nothing confusing about this restaurant.

When the owners first started the restaurant they felt like they didn’t know what they were doing, they felt confused. But they should have nothing to be confused about, because Chef Jon Lee Asian Confusion Cuisine is superb.

Chef Jon Lee is a casual restaurant with different and original Asian dishes. The restaurant is small—there are only about eight or nine tables—but it doesn’t feel cramped.

The overall atmosphere is pleasant, the room is well lit and a few paintings hang from the wall. The service is exceptional and the staff is very friendly.

The first dish I ordered was the Creamy Cheesy Crab Puffs, which was exceptional.

The crispy golden outside had a satisfying crunch and the crab and cream cheese inside melted in my mouth. It was a little sweet and a little bit spicy; the flavors were balanced to perfection.

The next dish was the aptly named Sticky Crunchy Chicken. The tender chicken is

glazed in a sugary, caramelized sauce that gave it its crunch. It was by far the best dish that I tried. Next out was the Spicy and Sour soup with shredded chicken and an assortment of vegetables. It was quite spicy—not recommend for someone who cannot handle spice.

One of the tastier items in the menu was the Basil Rice, which is brown rice with basil, beef and carrots on top. Although simple, it was a nice change of flavor. The basil nicely accented all the other flavors and gave the dish its uniqueness.

The last two dishes that I ordered were Mongolian beef and a half rack of ribs.

The Mongolian beef was chewy and flavorless, a let down compared to the previous dishes. However, the ribs were delicious, and while they were not particularly tender, the sauce made up for it. The ribs were rich and sweet just like the Sticky Crunchy Chicken.

The overall dining experience was superb and the service spot on. The chef even came out and talked to the guests individually and asked them about their meals.

The prices were a bit high, ranging from eight to $15. Chef Jon Lee Asian Confusion Cuisine is definitely worth visiting. I encourage anyone who is looking for something new to come try it out.

Patrons at Chef John Lee enjoy friendly staff and delicious food.

D. Rogers

by Mika Talwar Co-News Editor “I wake up. Immediately I have to figure out who I am.”

Thus begins David Levithan’s newest young-adult novel, Every Day. The book was released on Aug. 28, and follows the life of A, who wakes up every morning in a different person’s body.

One morning, A wakes up in sixteen-yearold Justin’s body and subsequently falls for Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. A then tries to make Rhiannon fall in love with him, even though his form is different every day—girl, boy, fat, skinny, tall, short—and the people A embodies have lives and obligations of their own. Levithan uses this complicated relationship to address several thought-provoking questions.

In an interview with The Children’s Book Review, Levithan said, “…when I sat down to write the novel, it was clear to me that there were two questions I had to answer: What was it like to live life entirely as a self, with no set gender, race, sexuality, family, friends, and so forth? In other words, who would we be, if we were entirely, purely ourselves? And the second question: What would it be like to love someone like that? Could you, in fact, love someone even if his/her gender, race, sexuality, family, friends, and so forth shifted every day?”

Although Levithan is trying to portray a powerful romance that transcends their physical bodies, he fails to explain the connection between A and Rhiannon. Without that explanation, A’s instant-love for her seems quite creepy.

While Levithan is trying to make this relationship work, he makes the situations unrealistically convenient.

A always seems to be within driving distance of Rhiannon, and is always in the body of a teenager. Levithan vaguely mentions that these rules exist for A, but fails to explain why A knows them or how they work.

For example, he only stays in each body for one day, and he “jumps” at exactly midnight. He can access his hosts’ memories, but he never lands in the same person twice, and his hosts never remember being “possessed” by A. There is also an unnecessary subplot, where one of the people who A embodies remembers his possession, and becomes convinced that he had been possessed by

the devil.

This leads to A having a confusing encounter with a preacher, who teases A about the possibility of staying in a body for more than one day.

This is never clarified or resolved, and the reader is left wondering why it was included in the first place.

A also comes off as preachy throughout most of the book, going on about love and equality to a ridiculous extent.

A often becomes angry with Rhiannon for being uncomfortable with him when he is in the body of a girl. The bodies A ends up in are also unrealistically “different,” as he embodies an improbable number of gay, lesbian, and transgendered bodies throughout the book, making the book seem like a supernatural after-school special.

Although this novel had an interesting premise, it does not deliver. The execution is lackluster, with rushed subplots and minimal character development. The ending is disappointing, and the book fails to answer the questions that Levithan tries to address.

This was Levithan’s first foray into science fiction, and hopefully his last.

While he excels in writing contemporary fiction, he cannot adequately develop and explain a world where supernatural events occur. One is better off reading one of his earlier novels, such as Boy Meets Boy or Wide Awake.

Citra Grill makes its mark with Mediterranean cuisine

by Margaret Moore Co-Entertainment Editor Many restaurants line the streets of downtown Walnut Creek, and on July 30 Olympic Boulevard gained a new addition.

Citra Grill is a trendy new spot geared towards sophisticated Walnut Creek clientele.

In its prime location across the street from Forever 21 and the movie theater, Citra Grill is a fantastic new option for healthy food.

Citra Grill is a small grill with indoor and outdoor seating, open for lunch and dinner.

Although small they have a variety of menu options. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine with plenty tangy flavors.

The restaurant walls are vibrant and colorful with rich green, yellow and orange tones. The tables are nicely spaced out so there is no fear of pushing out one’s chair and bumping into a neighboring table.

Since Citra Grill offers take-out, they have provided a spacious, comfortable set of ottomans and chairs for waiting.

During my visit, I ordered the small chicken dish, which includes a chicken skewer, cabbage salad, cold potatoes and a

tomato and cucumber salad served over a bed of lettuce and pita bread. Small order contains one skewer while the large order is served with two skewers.

The chicken was grilled to perfection and marinated in a tangy citrus sauce, which seeped into the pita bread underneath.

It gave the otherwise bland and uninteresting bread an exciting unexpected flavor.

The implied way to eat the dish is to compile the meat, lettuce and pita into a wrap, this way all the flavors combine into a tantalizing dish. However it is not necessary to make a wrap to enjoy this meal; the chicken and side salads are enjoyable when eaten separately.

The most disappointing part of my meal was one of Citra Grill’s specialty drinks, the Sour Cherry. It was anything but sour. It tasted as if they had poured straight grenadine (what Shirley temples are made of) into a glass and renamed it Sour Cherry.

When the owner found out that we were dissatisfied with our drinks, he offered my

friends and me a free dessert. Throughout the meal, the owner kept coming out and asking the customers if they were enjoying their meals and if there was anything that he could do for them.

When Citra Grill originally opened, there were many complaints about the unreasonable pricing. Recently, however, they lowered prices and dishes are now priced around nine dollars.

While Citra Grill started out as a somewhat expensive, chic restaurant, it has modi-

fied its prices to match the restaurant’s clientele.

Many diverse businesses have come and gone in this particular location, but Citra Grill is sure to last the test of time because their unique approach to Mediterranean Cuisine.

This amiable warm, restaurant is certainly worth a visit from any hungry teenager on his or her way to the movies, or any worn out shopper looking for a tasty, well-priced meal.

Diners enjoy their Mediteranean styled meals at Citra Grill.

C. Pletsch

Page 12

September 28, 2012

music

gles individuals encounter in the midst of growing up; “I got scared/Can’t seem to find it either here or there/Did I lose my rhythm now/Am I lost? /Am I found?”

Go Radio nicely incorporates piano into the beginning of the track when Lancaster sings, “I hear you say the sun is setting and it’s time to find belief/In something other than a heart that to of the songs that best kind of encapsulates seems the feel of the record and the way that we’re dangle from a string/ going- the direction that we’re moving.”

From songs like “Close The Distance” and We’ve “Hear Me Out,” lyrics “I set to read a story strung on of kindness where even just one kiss could this piano.”

Apart change how we read this/ and help us get lost/ in the pattern so ageless it conquers the from piano, cost” and “The pictures on the wall my dear/ Go Radio The Holy Ghost himself can’t make appear,” also incorbelie that Go Radio was once “punk-rock” in porates keyboard into the eyes of the music critics.

“Baltimore,” the second track on Go Ra- songs like dio’s sophomore album, has an interlude near- “Close The Distance,” “Over Me” and “The ly identical to the CSI theme song.

Drums quickly kick in and Lancaster’s Ending.”

In the past, this has been fairly voice takes command and steers the song into a mid-tempo thrum of guitars and slow beats. uncommon for the band.

The further the band strays from Compared to its first full-length album Lucky Street (Deluxe Edition), Go Radio regular up-tempo drumbeats and guitar strums, the better the album is embracing new sounds showcasing more gets. In an interview for the band’s calming, heartfelt lyrics. album premiere on Billboard.com, Written by Go Radio guitarist Alex Reed, Lancaster said, “I hate to use the “Lost And Found” resembles the many strugword mature or more grown-up because that usually insinuates a soph-

Go Radio resonates with fans

by Danielle Kirsebom Staff Writer There’s a feeling when you learn something important about yourself or someone that you were not yet prepared to hear and suddenly your life spirals out of control.

Then for a split second all you want to do is test everybody’s boundaries.

It’s a feeling that requires disconnection from reality, plugging in your earphones, turning your music up as loud as it can go, taking a deep breath and walking the wrong way in the hallway.

Go Radio’s new song “I Won’t Lie” puts listeners into a similar state and is the perfect soundtrack for that feeling.

With heartfelt lyrics enveloped in dramatic, melodious tones, lead singer Jason Lancaster takes the cake for having the ability to release his emotions through piano keys and vocal chords.

In a bonus commentary available for download with the album, Lancasters says, “It’s one

omore slump for some people. But it really is a more adult album for us.”

In contrast to their previously released album Lucky Street, Close The Distance has leapt beyond any other record they have released.

By premiering the album on Sept. 13, Go Radio gave fans a taste of Close The Distance before it was released on September 18 via Fearless Records.

However, the premiere did not include bonus tracks, “If That’s Tonight,” Live, Learn, Let Go,” “Go To Hell” (Piano Version) and “I Won’t Lie” (Acoustic Version), all of which marinate in the angelic tone of Lancaster’s voice.

Go Radio has grown out of its premature album slump and has graduated— producing a heart-throbbing sophomore record.

The band has certainly matured and fans hope that they will continue to grow.

Close The Distance is a huge step in the right direction that dedicated fans will appreciate.

New albums recommended by the Entertainment Editors Matt & Kim - Lightning Releasing October 2nd

Mumford & Sons - Babel Released September 25

Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams, Releasing October 9

Sun Airway - Soft Fall Releasing October 2nd

Naytronix - Dirty Glow Releasing October 9

Tame Impala - Lonerism Releasing October 9

Chrome Canyon - Elemental Themes, Releasing October 9

Carly Rae Jepsen fails to impress Beacon is a light in a sea of music

by Ellie Shaw Business Manager This summer, Carly Rae Jepsen rose to fame with her debut single, “Call Me Maybe.” Groups such as the Harvard baseball team, the U.S. Olympic swim team and the Miami Dolphin cheerleaders have been seen all over YouTube covering the song. “Call Me Maybe” was featured in Jepsen’s debut album, Curiosity, which was released in February of this year.

Now the Canadian Idol contestant is releasing her second album titled Kiss on September 18th.

The song “Kiss” is a huge contrast compared to “Call Me Maybe,” showcasing Jepsen’s totally new sound. “Call Me Maybe” almost seems like a nursery rhyme compared to “Kiss.” “Kiss” isn’t as juvenile and repetitive as “Call Me Maybe.”

The song has a certain Cyndi Lauper eighties tone to it that makes you want to throw on your scrunchies and leg warmers.

Although “Kiss” has a different sound to “Call Me Maybe,” both songs have a cheesyyet- loveable vibe to them.

The lyrics, “And you, I’m dancing to where you are/ And you’re dancing to where I am,” from “Kiss” mirror the childishness of “I missed you so bad/and you should know that/I missed you so, so bad,” almost perfectly.

One of two duets on Jepsen’s new album features teen heartthrob, Justin Bieber.

Unlike “Kiss”, this is not a dance song.

“Beautiful” has more of a Colbie Caillet

tone; serene and calm. Its vibe is similar to those artists such as Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson and Phillip Phillips. It is almost too mushy and appears to be trying to hard; therefore it comes off as a parody. Justin Bieber’s inclusion in the song is unnecessary since he and Jensen have virtually the same sounding voice.

Another duet that is featured on this album includes the popular band Owl City.

This duet, “Good Time” has received many popular reviews. Despite the fact that it was released in June, as of midSeptember, it still holds a stable number nine spot on the Billboard Chart.

“Good Time” is a great song for barbeques because it has such a great summer vibe and was definitely more planned out then the Bieber-Jepsen duet. Owl City’s collected voice helps balance out Jepsen’s somewhat shrill voice.

One song that must be given honor to is one of Jepsen’s calm and beautiful songs, “Almost Said It.” The listener cannot help but feel like this song represents the type of artist she wanted to be; not the frilly, high pitched, “Call Me Maybe” singer.

This song reminds listeners of a love struck thirteen year old girl. Unfortunately, this song is just an iTunes bonus track when really it deserves to be its own single.

Overall this album fails to live up to all the hype of “Call Me Maybe.” With many of the songs sounding similar to “Call Me Maybe,” there is little differentiation throughout the album. This disappointing album isn’t worth much of a listener’s time.

by Cole Souder Co-News Editor After experiencing moderate success in 2010 with its first full length album, Tourist History, Two Door Cinema Club is at it again, releasing their second album, Beacon, on Sept. 3 The first track on Beacon, “Next Year,” sets the mood for the rest of the album.

Its opening – a futuristic, electronic beat – is replaced by the lone voice of lead vocalist Alex Trimble. “Next Year” is (almost annoyingly) catchy, but the smooth beat makes it irresistible.

On top of that, the track has a strange nostalgic feel despite the electronic background in the second verse. What makes the track great is the contrast between the beat and the lyrics.

Although up-tempo and joyful, the lyrics tell a different story, one of a love that never managed to work: “Maybe sometime,/ In a long time,/You’ll remember/What I had said there./I said, I’ll be home for next year.”

The album is dynamic in nature, with transitions between soft, homework music and up-beat driving music.

Beyond that, the songs themselves are constantly shifting, switching back and forth between simply instruments, to simply vocals, to a combination of the two.

Beacon, a decent album the for the first five tracks, becomes special with its sixth song, “Sleep Alone.” Released early as a single, it goes above and beyond as the best song of the album as a result of its unique, amazing beats.

The overlaying guitars along with the quick tapping of the drum, both of which are accompanied by some of the more cheerfully sung lyrics of the album, come

together perfectly in harmonious beauty.

The second to last track is a song holding the album’s name, Beacon.

Two Door Cinema Club shows some of its versatility in this song, as it sounds more like something from a Pink Floyd album rather than the album it is on.

The spiritual bass line and hushed lyrics are deeply emotional and a great way to wrap up the album.

In an era of auto-tuning and formulaic songs, Beacon is a breath of fresh air. The album is original, which, unfortunately can be a quality that is difficult to find these days.

Beacon has experienced incredible international success, as it was the number one and two album on the Irish and UK charts, respectively.

Is Beacon the greatest album ever? No. But Beacon is solid from top to bottom, with no weak points in any of the 12 tracks.

Page 13

September 28, 2012

Project X not like LL parties... or is it?

by Martina Barrera-Hernandez Co-Editor-in-Chief Hip hop music is blasting, naked girls are running around, teenagers are drinking alcohol and popping pills, the house is trashed and there’s no authoritative adult in sight.

According to the movie Project X, released in March and directed by Nima Nourizadeh, this is what a typical high school party looks like.

While this might sound like fun to some students, Project X is not an accurate representation of reality.

Sophomore Brieln Ordonec said that the parties he has been to are “boring, pointless [and] not worth going to.”

Junior Jack Drury agrees with Ordonec that real parties and Project X parties simply don’t compare. His analysis is succinct.

Project X parties: “Crazy, rad, boobies.” Las Lomas parties: “Boring, not as fun, no boobies.”

Even kids who throw parties, like senior Connor Bell, agree that high school parties aren’t like Project X, but he says they real parties are fun. He called them an “opportunity to kick back and forget about school for a night,” in an interview on Facebook.

Bell recently attempted to throw a party in the hopes of having it get to “Project X level” but his efforts were thwarted, in part because the school administration found out about his plan.

“I’m not gunna lie, my party would have been up there along with Project X,” Bell wrote. “Unfortunately we will never get to know what it could have been.”

Unlike the character of Thomas in Project X who threw a party while his parents were gone, Bell’s parents had some knowledge of their son’s plans.

“They knew I was throwing a party—-to what extent they had no idea,” said Bell.

Las Lomas mother Ann Hein said that many parents actually do know the extent to which real high school parties can escalate.

“I think parents know more about what’s going on,” said Hein. She said that she know that “drinking, pot-smoking, dancing, eating and probably sex” can all be part of the party scene.

But even Bell acknowledges that Project X is not realistic.

“Project X is what everyone wants to happen, but it never gets to that point,” said Bell.

Senior Chris Bouey said that real high school parties don’t try to imitate Project X,

but that they can get out of hand. He said that students are “not necessarily specifically trying to re-create the movie, but trying to throw a huge over-the-top party, yes.”

Ordonec thinks that Project X motivates students to be wilder.

“It looks like a lot of fun so they want to have better parties and throw bigger parties so things get more out of control because that’s what people want when they go to

movies Nemo Returns

by Alison Taplin Staff Writer

parties—-for things to get out of control,” said Ordonec.

Although students who watch Project X may be inclined to throw ragers, the ending of the movie provides a cautionary tale: a fire engulfs the party-thrower’s house and the police come in to shut down the party.

Although the raging fire may seem like a bit of a long shot at the average high school party, a police intervention is not.

According to Walnut Creek police officer Nick Olson, the police get involved if there is any kind of call about a disturbance.

“We will also get involved if we develop intel about the party and any potentials for issues that may result like groups coming from outside areas,” said Olson.

In contrast to Project X, which makes light of the repercussions of throwing a party, the real consequences are much more severe.

While teenagers may be under the impression that all party-goers are responsible for their own actions, the homeowner is actually held responsible for the activities of all the underage drinkers at the house.

“Homeowners can be cited, especially if

there is alcohol is involved and minors... [They] can also become liable for the actions of those attending the party,” said Olson. “For example, if a homeowner was to allow minors to drink and one of those minors left and killed himself or someone else, the homeowner could be held liable.”

One senior who held a party after last year’s prom, said she would not hold a big party again because of the responsibility that comes with the territory.

“It’s different when it’s at your house because you’re responsible for keeping everything under control and if anything gets broken or stolen it’s on you,” she said.

Bell, on the other hand, regardless of the responsibility that comes with throwing parties, will try again.

“Well, it’s always safer to go to a party then to host one, but if no one is hosting I have an obligation as a senior to have fun,” said Bell. “You have to know how to balance work and fun.”

Reporting by staff writers Max Amen, Lauren Gardner, Colin McCormick, Troy Miller and

The classic underwater voyage of clown fish Nemo and Marlin has returned to the big screen, but this time in 3D. The DisneyPixar feature, originally released in 2003, returned to theaters on Sept. 14.

Disney Pixar has recently re-released several movies in 3D. Finding Nemo was a smart choice because the ocean scenery greatly benefits from the digital enhancements more so than The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, films that did not offer many scenes that could be improved with 3D. In Nemo, the 3D makes the audience feel as if they are underwater with the sea life, When Marlin and Dory set out on their quest for Nemo, the audience is swimming right alongside them.

Since there is so much action in the scene with Bruce the shark, many expected it to be better because of the digital enhancements. However, there was no difference.

Another scene that one would think would be enhanced by the digital retouching was the scene where the diver captures Nemo, but there were few differences.

Nevertheless, a few scenes improved.

When the whale swallows Marlin and Dory the taste buds and flowing water surrounding the whale looked more realistic.

The 3D imaging also enriches the amusing scene where Dory is talking to the baby jellyfish. This is because the long tentacles and bell (top) of the jellyfish really stand out in 3D. Like always, Disney focuses on the little details by customizing the 3D glasses to have a clownfish pattern and a detachable snorkel (which is really a straw) complete with an orange plastic mouthpiece.

High school audiences will certainly enjoy the movie because of the cheery childhood memories it provokes. At any age, a well-designed animated movie is always enjoyable.

SPORTS

Page 14

September 28, 2012

Boys water polo moves up to Division I for 2012 NCS campaign

by Jonathan Hawthorne and Devin Thebeau Co-Sports Editor and Staff Writer After two straight years of NCS titles, the boys water polo team enters the season as the definite favorite to defend its NCS title.

Before the season started, Las Lomas applied to be a member of the NCS Division I group for the playoffs, and on Sept. 21, Las Lomas was informed that it would officially become a new member of Division I. This will significantly change the quality of opponents for the playoffs. Because of previous playoff success, the Knights will play against the most prestigious and storied programs in the NCS section.

Some of these teams include Miramonte, San Ramon Valley-Danville, Acalanes, Campolindo and De La Salle.

The team has gotten off to a fast start overall, but suffered a close loss of 11-8 against De La Salle on Sept. 18.

Junior Sam Toriggino netted two goals and sophomore David Kessler also had two goals in the Knights’ defeat. Also, junior goalkeeper Spencer Creed saved 11 shots on goal.

Despite the score, Las Lomas was able to remain competitive for a majority of the game. At halftime, the Knights and the Spartans were locked at 5-5.

J. Hawthorne Junior Sam Toriggino shoots during a 11-8 defeat to De La Salle-Concord on Sept. 18

In the De La Salle game, the Knights were able to show that they can keep up with one of the top programs in the NCS.

Senior Thomas Donovan said that the team’s success is well within reach.

“We just need to re-focus, I think that

the talent is all there,” said Donovan.

This year, the starting rotation is led a group of returning seniors who help to anchor the offensive and defensive attacks.

“We have a lot of seniors this year, so I think that’s definitely a big help,” said Donovan. “We were really young as a team last year, so there’s definitely more experience this season.”

Offensively, Las Lomas benefits from a strong counter-attack.

“The key to our offense is the quick drives, heads up game play, and again, the team chemistry,” said senior captain Connor Thompson. “Since everyone has played with each other in high school polo and/or club, we know what our team mate is likely to do.”

Thompson has been especially impressed with Kessler this season.

“As goofy and gangly as he is, he has a huge presence and lots of talent in the water,” said Thompson. “Being only a sophomore, I have high expectations for this kid for years to come.”

The Knights are hopeful that they will continue their winning tradition. With the skilled underclassmen and juniors they are very confident that they will be a force for years to come.

The Knights’ next games will be in the CCS Invitational today and tomorrow.

Girls water polo struggles to remain afloat with many new new faces on team

by Kate Didion Staff Writer Senior Morgan Davenport knew that once the “Fresh Five” left Las Lomas, the road to a second consecutive NCS title would be a long one.

So this year, everything is different. Davenport leads a team that is rebuilding with a new coach and new starters at most positions.

“Last year, once we won, I knew that we weren’t going to be as good,” said Davenport. “I knew that it wouldn’t be as stressful because there isn’t such an expectation to win. It’s more about friend

ship and being a team.”

On Sept. 21, the Knights took on Northgate, losing 11-8.

“It was one of those games where we can look back and point out exactly what we did wrong,” said senior captain Cailin Wolf in a text interview. The Knights played in the St. Francis Autumn Invitational on Sept. 15. They won two of their four games, beating Palo Alto 9-6 and St. Ignatius-San Francisco 8-5.

Led by Wolf and Davenport, the team made its season debut at the Acalanes Tournament on Sept. 8. The Knights won the first of their four games, beating Arch-

bishop Mitty-San Jose 13-12 after coming back from a two-point deficit after the third quarter.

Sophomore Kim Johnson led the team in goals with five while Davenport contributed four.

Additionally, Johnson led the team with 25 kickouts drawn throughout the four game tournament. Fellow sophomore Tasia Sinkevich had seven steals. Senior McKenna Horton had 29 saves on goal in the four games.

Junior Sarah Ward and Johnson each contributed with four assists while Senior Louise Nott had three assists and two steals.

Last year, five of Las Lomas’

starting players, known as the “Fresh Five,” graduated.

Ward does not think that losing the “Fresh Five” has ruined Las Lomas’ chances in NCS this year.

“It’s going to be interesting for people to see how we grow as a team and how we build ourselves up from last year and how we prove people wrong,” said Ward.

Joe Born is the new coach, and Johnson is excited to learn the new system.

“He’s pushing us really hard,” said Johnson. “It’s hard to coach a brand new team and he has to learn quickly what everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are.”

Ward had similar positive things to say about Born.

“He knows how to get inexperienced players up to a certain level,” said Ward. “He’s always encouraging us and wants to make us all strong individual players.”

Johnson knows that Las Lomas has set high standards for itself in the past few years with an NCS championship last year and a DFAL victory the year before.

“The entire team has the goal of trying to maintain Las Lomas’ reputation of being the best,” said Johnson.

The Knights’ next game is against Campolindo on Oct. 3.

Athletes of the Month Morgan Davenport Water Polo

Robby Ow Football

Senior captain Morgan Davenport, a four-year varsity player, contributed four goals against Archbishop Mitty on Sept 8.

Davenport led the team with five goals and two assists against St. Ignatius on Sept. 15.

Senior Robby Ow recorded two interceptions and netted five catches for 89 yards and four carries for 26 yards to help lead the Knights to a win over Alhambra on Sept. 21. Against Northgate, Ow caught six passes for 106 yards.

Fav. Artist: Coldplay Fav. Athlete: Patrick Williss Fav. Subject: Science Fav. Food: Carrots Fav. Movie: Toy Story

Fav. Artist: Adele Fav. Athlete: Tanner Glass Fav. Subject: Japanese Fav. Food: Sushi & Buffalo Wild Wings Fav. Movie: The Departures

J. Hawthorne

B. Johnson

SPORTS

September 28, 2012

Page 15

Knights beat Dons in three sets to remain undefeated in DFAL Golf keeps spirit

by Bryanna Rivera Staff Writer The Knights volleyball team has started off its league season with two early wins.

On Sept. 20, the Knights took down Acalanes in three sets, outscoring the Dons 25-11, 25-16 and 25-11.

Senior Rachel Linden led the team in both digs and assists, with 17 and 28, respectively. Additionally, seniors Maddie Borch and Rachel Nieto had eight kills and senior Geneva Duffy contributed seven.

On Sept. 18, Las Lomas beat Alhambra. Co-captain Nieto, a senior, was proud of the team’s performance.

“We finally played together as a team at the level we are capable of playing at,” said Nieto.

The Knights won by margins of 25-15, 25-15 and 25-11. Junior Youki Bradley had 17 digs, Nieto had 18 kills and Linden had six aces. Borch and Duffy also made significant contributions at the net with eight and seven kills, respectively.

The team traveled to play against Heritage-Brentwood on Sept. 13 where it won in the fourth set.

After the Knights started the game strong by winning the first two sets by margins of 25-23 and 25-22, Heritage came back to win the third set 25-14.

However, the Knights were able to seal the win in the fourth set, winning 25-16.

Duffy and Borch had 10 and 11 kills, respectively, and Borch also led the team in blocking with four blocks. Nieto and Bradley each recorded 15 digs.

On Sept. 11, the team played Clayton Valley. The game was a

S. Dresser Seniors Maddie Borch and Geneva Duffy go up for a block against Acalanes.

close but solid test for Las Lomas.

After taking the first two sets 25-23 and 25-21, Las Lomas fell 22-25 in the third set but was able to close out its victory with a 2519 win in the fourth set. Linden had five aces and 27 assists. Nieto had 22 digs along with 13 kills. Junior Lauren Fitterer and Duffy recorded nine kills each.

The Knights had their only loss of the season so far to San Ramon Valley-Danville on Sept. 6. After falling 23-25 in the first set, the Knights rallied to win the second 25-20.

However, the Knights dropped the next two sets by margins of 19-25 and 17-25, allowing San Ramon to emerge with the win.

Nieto had 13 kills, 20 digs and four aces to lead the team in all three categories. Borch had four blocks and Fitterer also made a large offensive contribution with eight kills.

To open the season, the Knights faced Monte Vista-Danville team on Sept. 4. After starting off the match with a first-game loss of 2125, the Knights were able to come back to win the last three sets, outscoring the Mustangs 25-20, 2522 and 25-19 to send Las Lomas home with the win.

Nieto and Borch had 17 and 12 kills, respectively, and Linden had 31 assists.

After a third-place finish in league last year, the team, especially Nieto, has high hopes for the season.

Nieto said that her goals are to “win league and to be in the finals for the NCS championship.”

San Ramon Valley won’t be the only tough opponent for the volleyball team.

“Our biggest obstacle would be Campo,” said Nieto.

However, playing difficult opponents won’t be the only hurdle

this team faces this year. Fitterer feels that one of the team’s challenges comes from within.

Acalanes “Possible obstacles would be playing as a team under our coaches,” said Fitterer.

Although both of these players see possible difficulties for the season, they also see great potential for their team.

“We’ve really grown and matured,” said Nieto. “Our skill level has improved and we’ve gotten closer as a team.”

Fitterer sees similar strength in the team.

“We have a lot more potential than last year,” said Fitterer. “Everyone’s more competitive and wants to win.”

This year Fitterer gets the chance to play along side her sister Courtney, a sophomore, who is a new addition to the varsity team this year.

“It’s weird when we’re practicing together and right next to each other,” said Fitterer. “It’s convenient driving-wise.”

Alongside Courtney Fitterer, Haley Glass is the other sophomore added to the varsity team this year. Even though she’s new to the team, she has made a significant impact.

“I think I get a lot of playing time,” said Glass. “I normally get to play back row, or I get to play front row.”

Glass mentioned what it’s been like being the youngest on the team.

“It’s so weird being the baby,” said Glass. “Now I’m being told things to work on.”

At press time, the Knights were preparing to play Dublin on Sept.

25 and Campolindo on Sept. 27.

Their record currently stands at 5-1(2-0 DFAL).

up despite losses

by Kate Didion Staff Writer The girls golf team is hitting the green with lots of returning talent. Freshman Anna Shumar, the only new member of the team, is playing a key role in improving the team from last year.

“This year’s team is a lot better than last year and our freshman girl is really good so that adds a good element to the team,” said sophomore Shelly Shea.

The team is also hoping to improve upon its record of zero wins last season.

Although other schools will be difficult competitors, Shea has a positive outlook.

“We’re in a really tough league,” Shea said. “We still have a long way to go.”

The Knights are currently 0-5 in DFAL play with seven more matches remaining in the season.

On Sept. 10, the team played Dougherty Valley. The wildcats won, shooting 228 to Las Lomas’ 295. Although disappointed with the loss, the Knights knew they played their best.

“They’re a great team but we were definitely competition and they were watching their back more than usual,” said Shea.

Senior captain Victoria Beall had similar feelings about the match.

“Unfortunately we didn’t win, but everyone played well and everyone shot the best scores they’ve shot this season,” said Beall.

The team has become very close this year.

“We’re all really close and are friends outside the team,” said Shea. “We work well together and have a family bond.”

SPORTS

Page 16

September 28, 2012

Knights football beats Alhambra in first league game

by Jonathan Hawthorne Co-Sports Editor Head coach Doug Longero marched his team back to the locker room after a disappointing loss to Northgate without the traditional postgame meeting on the field.

He knew that he needed to make some personnel changes following a loss that dropped the Knights to 1-3 on the season in the “Battle of the Creek.”

His changes paid off.

Las Lomas was able to pick up its second win of the season in its league-opener against Alhambra on Sept. 21 by a final score of 49-24.

The Knights got out to a quick 7-3 lead over the visiting Bulldogs and then never looked back as they cruised to victory to improve their record to 2-3 (1-0 DFAL).

Of the changes implemented by Longero for the Alhambra game, perhaps the most surprising was the conversion of senior quarterback Jackson Miller to tight end.

Longero was impressed with Miller’s effort in the new role.

“He was physical getting off the ball and had a lot of energy,” said Longero. “He helped this team win.”

Senior Adam Wood took over as the primary quarterback and passed for 202 yards on 13 of 19 completions. He tallied two touchdowns passing and one touchdown running.

Additionally, senior Kyle Hill took over the primary rushing responsibilities. Hill rushed 20 times for 81 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.

Coming out of halftime, the Bulldogs attempted an onside kick to regain some momentum. However, senior Edwin Matthews stepped up and recovered the onside kick, ultimately leading to a Knights touchdown on the ensuing drive.

Seniors Brayton Milner and Robby Ow

led the receiving corps for the Knights. Milner had four catches for 27 yards and two touchdowns and Ow added five catches for 89 yards. Ow also had four carries for 26 yards and two interceptions on defense.

Ow was close to scoring a touchdown during the third quarter when he returned his interception about 75 yards for an apparent touchdown, but the score was negated by a block in the back penalty against Las Lomas.

Senior Derrick Stom said that Longero’s changes helped the team become more confident on Friday night.

“Basically, we didn’t really feel that we were playing up to our potential,” said Stom.

“Longero made a few changes, and after that we felt a lot better about the team.”

Ow sees the importance of creating a fresh start in league play and dedicating time to practice during the week.

“I think it’s huge in terms of confidence,” said Ow. “The younger guys see how we play, see how we prepare during the week, and to come out Friday night when it really counts is a great boost.”

Longero said that Ow had been a big contributor on both sides of the ball.

“He’s been doing it all year, and we just needed him to play well, and he did,” said Longero. “It was a great team effort.”

Defensively, the team played well overall, limiting the Bulldogs to 24 points.

“In practice, our defensive line coach preaches every single play to go hard, and that’s what we did this week,” said Stom, who had three tackles for the Las Lomas.

For the Knights, the game against Alhambra was a bright spot because of the way the team played earlier in the season.

The Knights lost to two top ten East Bay teams—No. 10 Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland and No. 9 Foothill-Pleasanton—as well as the loss against Northgate. The Knights picked up a win against a Mission San Jose squad that went 2-8 last year overall.

J. Hawthorne Senior Robby Ow runs for a first down during the game against Mission San Jose on Sept. 7.

In the Northgate game, Hill returned from early season head injuries to help on offense and defense. Hill scored on the first drive of the second half on a 5 yard touchdown run. On the ensuring two-point conversion, Wood connected with Ow to cut the Knights’ deficit to 14-11. That was the closest the Knights would come to a win in the second half.

Following the disappointing loss to the

Broncos, Longero had some critical words for the team.

“The bottom line is that we haven’t played very well,” said Longero. “We have to work a lot harder in practice to become a better team. We’ll have to see if we can do it in league. The jury is still out on this team to see how good we are going to be.”

Tonight, the Knights will travel to Acalanes to play the Dons at 7 p.m.

Tennis builds on last year’s successful season Cross country places well in DFAL

by Cassie Baloue Staff Writer The girls tennis team is striving for a league title despite some early setbacks against league rivals.

Seniors Chessa Mehlman and Seila Besirovic will provide leadership this year as team captains.

“They’re awesome, they’re a very good combination of leadership, expectations and fun,” said senior Leila Nomani.

The team is made up predominantly of seniors with a only a few juniors and sophomores and two freshmen. The Knights will benefit from improvements that have been made since last year when the team made the DFAL championships.

“Everyone has really improved on the team from last year,” said sophomore Zoe Grenville. “I think we really have a strong team, we have been off to a great start.”

The girls won their league match against Alhambra on Sept.

11 by a score of 9-0. However, the Knights fell to Acalanes on Sept.

18.

On Sept. 20, the Knights played host to league rival Campolindo.

Even though the team the game

overall, Nomani and her junior partner Kate Pidromova highlighted the game with the Knights’ only victory.

For Nomani and the rest of the team, the goals will be to provide support for the underclassmen and create a team environment that will help them advance to the postseason.

“I feel like we have a lot more team goals this year than we did last year,” said Nomani. “Last year it was more about how we did individually. This year, we’re a lot more team oriented which is an awesome feeling. We expect to do a lot better cohesively and cheer

each other on.”

Because tennis is a very in-

dividual sport, it’s important to become a team that is friendly both on and off the court.

Besirovic said that the team is also participating in team activities, such as dress ups.

“Instead of becoming individual players on the court we are becoming more team players,” said Besirovic.

With the girls being much closer this year, players are looking forward to playing more as a team and become unified.

“I think we are all improving as players when it comes to the mental performance,” said Besirovic.

This year is especially significant for the girls because they are playing on their newly renovated tennis courts for the first season.

“They’re great! They’re super nice and new,” said Grenville.

On Oct. 2, the Knights will travel to Dougherty Valley for a 3:30 p.m. match.

Senior Seila Besirovic rallies during a match against Campolindo on Sept. 20.

J. Hawthorne

by Simone Stankus Staff Writer With a new season comes new leadership for the Knights’ cross country team.

Juniors Clare Orton, Sydney Carroll, Pamela Borden and Kelly Tarter have been named captains of this year’s cross country team and are all looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.

Carroll has noticed that being captain makes the experience different than in previous years.

“I really enjoy being a captain because I feel that I am getting to know so many different people on the team, people that I might not have originally talked to if I wasn’t a captain,” Carroll said.

The other captains are also optimistic about this chance to lead their fellow runners.

“This is a fantastic opportunity since it forces you to truly be a leader for the group and not do some of the silly, questionable things that you might normally do,” said Borden. “It has brought me closer to all of the runners as I’m getting more involved with them.”

Orton is also enjoying the new responsibility.

“We get to help decide what dress days and fun team activities we do together, not just leading warm-ups, core work and stretching,” said Orton.

With a change in captains comes a change in routine. Tarter and Carroll will be hosting yoga sessions every Friday. These sessions are a half hour each and are designed to help the team increase the runners’ flexibility and strength, as well as to promote relaxation on recovery days.

“So far the general reaction has been very positive, and we’ve had fewer injuries than usual this sea-

son,” said Tarter.

The team this year is also very motivated.

With the transfer of junior Aidan Goltra to Campolindo, the team must work even harder to succeed.

“Both varsity teams have more incentive to get faster, and the whole team, boys and girls, are already so unified and spirited,” said Orton.

Proof of the team’s spirit was in evidence at the Monte Vista race, where runners not only cheered for their teammates but also for runners from Miramonte whom they met at cross country camp.

“There was also a line of Las Lomas people who had already run their races that did the wave as a runner from any school passed by, especially if they were in the back of their race,” said Orton.

All the captains have faith in their team this season.

“I believe that we’ll be a killer force out on the courses since our varsity has gotten much faster and there are other fast runners in both JV and frosh/soph,” said Borden.

Borden’s predictions have proven true so far.

At the Knights’ DFAL meet on Sept. 19, varsity finished first overall.

Freshman Chloe Hansel and Orton came in third and fourth, respectively, to lead the team for the girls.

Junior Kailen Swain and Tarter got top two in the school for the boys, placing eighth and 13th.

At the Woodbridge Invitational on Sept. 15, the girls placed third while the boys got fourth.

Swain placed ninth to lead the Knights while Tarter finished 13th.

Leading the girls again were Hansel and Orton, who placed fourth and sixth, respectively.

The Knights next race will be the Clovis Invitational on Oct. 9.