Volume 63, Issue 5

VOL. 63, ISSUE 5

the PAGE www.laslomaspage.com

March 28, 2014

LL seeks to decrease the number of D and F students

by Natalie Hawthorne Co-News Editor

NEWS 2 Dress donations spark low income student’s fairytale dreams

FEATURES 5 From first movie theater to Neiman Marcus: Walnut Creek’s first century

COLUMNS 6 Eating disordered thinking: societal pressures bring guilt to life’s simplest pleasures

ENTERTAINMENT 10 Who needs plane tickets when you can eat your way across the world?

Walnut Creek’s interesting food offerings

SPORTS 12 Swimming season off to an impressive start. Find out who has already qualified for NCS!

Last semester, 326 Las Lomas students had a D or an F in one of their classes. This means that almost 22 percent of Las Lomas students are not on track to attend a fouryear college.

Low grades are an obvious indicator of a struggling student, but there are other factors that designate the need for additional support. Principal Matt Campbell has been trying to figure out how to identify and help these students.

“There could be someone walking by us right now that could be dealing with something at home and you would have no idea, but they’re trying to hold it together, and they’re doing whatever they can, so maybe they’re getting C’s, but they’re doing whatever they can just to get C’s,” said Campbell.

To help identify students in need of additional support, the Student Review Team— made up of administrators, counselors, the school psychologist, and a resource teacher—meets once a week.

“The struggles can be a lot of different things. It can be social, emotional, academic,” said associate principal Matt Baldwin, who is part of SRT. “So generally when we find a student that is struggling in one of those ways, no matter who is identifying the student, they get brought up at SRT.” The team looks for ways to best support the students, with anything from changing where they sit in class to referring them for a 504 plan, which outlines support based on a student’s disability.

“The SRT process gets the ball rolling so that people can be aware, and sometimes we just want to communicate that people are concerned,” said Campbell.

If the SRT suggestions are not enough, the next step in the process is the Student

Support Team, recently established this semester.

“If you had a student that is just apathetic, and not accessing the curriculum, not being proactive, then the point of the SST is to show the student, ‘These are all the things we have available.’ Here’s all the resources: the interventions, the tutoring, all this different stuff, and you choose not to access any of them,” said Baldwin.

The SST differs from the SRT because the meeting includes the student, his or her parents or guardians, and all of his or her teachers. The goal is to

“

“If all these people are taking time out of their day, and out of their year, to support me and they really have a real concern to see me succeed, then what am I doing?

”

give the student and the family a voice in the process.

“I think sometimes showing that all of these people are there, and they care about your education, they’re there for you and they’re there to support you—I think that helps motivate kids,” said Baldwin. “If all these people are taking time out of their day, and out of their year, to support me and they really have a real concern to see me succeed, then what am I doing?”

However, there are also many students that are struggling to hold on to their passing grades, especially in math classes.

Math department chair Mark Lewis, who

teaches Math Applications and Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry, has taught a wide range of students.

“I know there’s this culture these days where kids are in a rush to get to high levels of math, to be competitive for colleges,” said Lewis. “But math is one of those things that takes time for a lot of students to truly understand it.”

In an effort to beef up their college applications, the students’ grades—and their sanity—may suffer.

“Sometimes students do themselves a disservice if they try to rush too quickly,” Lewis said. “We are an open enrollment district, so a student that wants to rise to a challenge in a higher math class is allowed to do so even if it was recommended they go a little slower,” said Lewis.

The math tutoring center, run by math teachers competent in all levels of math, is available for students before school, during lunch, and after school. However, many students seek private tutors, which is a more challenging option for low-income students.

“In the end, we want students to be able to learn the material and be successful, and in a perfect world, private tutoring wouldn’t be necessary to accomplish that,” said Lewis. “I would hope more students try to take advantage of what we offer here.”

Paying for a tutor doesn’t guarantee a good grade. Math teacher Cathy Sillavo doesn’t believe that paying for a tutor will give kids an advantage.

“In one of my classes, there were two kids that said they have tutoring, and one kid had a grade of C, and the other had a grade of A,” she said.

“If you go to a tutor and it’s different, it can be confusing,” said Davis. “I don’t know of anyone that went to a tutor really got that much out of it. Their grades weren’t that much better or anything like that.”

Food truck consortium theBend comes to WC

by Ryan Brenes Staff Writer Food trucks were once associated with bad cuisine and food poisoning, but in recent years they have become a popular location for people to get quick, gourmet food.

In San Francisco, food truck marketplaces have become popular places for business people to get a quick lunch and browse gourmet markets for dinner.

Now food trucks are making their way to downtown Walnut Creek. The marketplace, called theBEND, invented by Matt Marinelli and his father, will open up for business in mid-April, and will set up on the site of the old Le Virage Restaurant, which was also owned by the Marinelli Family.

“To honor my grandpa, I figured I’d name the place I started after the place he started back in the 1970s,” said Marinelli.

The marketplace will be located on 2211 North Main Street, and its hours, Monday through Saturday, will be 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and then again 5-9 p.m. Marinelli hopes it will attract nearby corporate workers and people driving past.

“The location has always been known to attract people as well as be successful,” said Marinelli.

However, Marinelli doesn’t know who will frequent the new trucks.

“We don’t have a specific target audience,” he said. “It’s just in a great location where a ton of people pass by.”

He and his dad came up with the idea to bring these restaurants-on-the-go to Walnut Creek after their own food trucks were closed down by the city of Walnut Creek.

“My dad and I both started on the project back in June, where we had a couple food trucks out there, and they were successful, but the only problem was that the city of Walnut Creek came by one day and

“

We offer a higher end experience while dining in our market

”

shut us down,” said Marinelli.

After he was forced to close his food trucks, Marinelli had the idea of going to the city and presenting the idea as a successful local business.

“We started going through the process of getting a permit, doing a bunch of site modifications, and here we are today,” Marinelli said. “We’re looking to open in the next couple of weeks.”

He thinks that theBEND will attract customers “because we offer a higher end experience while dining in our market,” said Marinelli. “This will contribute to the image of Walnut Creek by providing a premiere market experience rather than throwing together some tables and chairs in a haphazard way and calling it a market. We will have premium umbrellas and tables to provide a comforting environment for customers.”

The food trucks themselves will come

from all over the Bay Area, with different types of foods: Japanese cuisine, Mexican cuisine and even hot dogs. Marinelli said it’s a diversity that will please everyone.

“The food truck vendors come to us, and they pay us a rental fee to come onto the property and sell their food,” Marinelli said.

The vendors that will make frequent visits to theBEND will be Blue Saigon, Go Streatery, Street Dogs, United Bites, Twister Truck, Lexie’s Frozen Custard and Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen.

United Bites, one of the vendors selling at marketplace, offers a Hispanic and Asian fusion.

“We have pulled pork tacos and jerk chicken tacos with an Asian inspired slaw,” said Adam Gross of United Bites.

One menu item is the BBQ Porky Fries: french fries topped with cocoa-espressorubbed pulled pork and jack cheese.

NEWS

Page 2

March 28, 2014

Princess Project donations create a true Cinderella story

by Aliya Sondel Staff Writer Prom is just around the corner, and for most juniors, this is a time of fun, excitement, planning and stress. Some people in the Walnut Creek area have the leisure to search for a dress, fall in love with it and buy it on the spot. However, others have a harder time finding dresses they can afford a dress.

This problem gave sophomore Regan Murray the inspiration for the Las Lomas Prom Dress Drive.

“We’ve been running announcements all week. It says ‘Bippidi-bobbidi-boo, Las Lomas! Come donate your dresses to Room 502,’” said Murray. “So people just bring in their formal dresses, whether that be from a quinceañera, homecoming, a banquet, prom.”

Murray contined by explaining the process of donating previously owned prom dresses. Murray said, “You bring it into Room 502. We have bags. We also have a dress rack if you want to bring it in on a clothes hanger.”

Dresses will be donated to the Princess Project in San Francisco.

The project has been going on in San Francisco since 2002 and according to their website, they have helped over 20,000 teens. Carolyn Estebez of the Princess Project Board of Directors explained the program.

“Our founders were inspired 11 years ago by a young woman that

they knew that could not afford a dress for prom,” said Estebez.

“They asked friends and family to donate, and overnight, they had more donations than they could have imagined! The rest is history, and now we have served over

20,000 teens.”

Estebez said that all students deserve to have the time of their lives at prom, no matter what his or her story is.

“We believe that it’s important for every teen to experience self-

confidence and inner beauty—and to have a prom experience of their dreams, regardless of their financial situation,” said Estebez. “We do not ask for proof of need. We trust that the teens that come to us need the dresses.”

This project has become such a success that it now provides dresses for students in Silicon Valley and San Diego, too.

On average, the company tries to give the teens up to four different dresses to look at so that they have a wide variety to choose between.

It accepts donations from high school students and from businesses that carry prom or ball dresses. The Princess Project has requirements for donated dresses.

“We get many corporate and public donations,” said Estebez.

“We just ask that the dresses be in good condition, be clean, promappropriate and be a current style from the last five years.”

As for receiving a dress, anyone with a student ID is eligible.

The Princess Project also accept many other clothing items.

“Accessories donations, including handbags, jewelry, wraps and hair accessories are just some of the items they accept,” said Estebez.

Murray solicited donations from all of the schools in the district.

“From Campolindo, we got about 15-20 [dresses], from Miramonte we got a lot as well—I would say about 10—and from Las Lomas, so far we have gotten three, but we will see how the rest of the week turns out,” said Murray.

Graphic by C. Baloue and N. Hawthorne

Cafeteria provides work for students GSA set to revise freshman workshops

by Danielle Kaye and Carolina Trimble Staff Writers If you think the cafeteria is crazy during lunch, imagine what it is like behind the counters. Mary Summers, who runs the Las Lomas cafeteria, tells us what it is like working in our cafeteria.

“I start my days here at 4:45 in the morning and leave at 1:15 in the afternoon. I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the kitchen. Everything from making sure we have enough products on hand to serve all the students, continually monitoring all aspects of food prep to insure we are meeting the standard of the district along with all the local, state and federal restrictions, regulations and guidelines,” said Summers.

Alongside Summers, you have also probably seen some students on the other side of the counter.

Among those faces are junior Gio Barrientos and sophomore Travis Nixon. Barrientos explains why he personally chooses to work in the cafeteria.

“It gives me an opportunity to gain

some work experience and a chance to make new friends. Not to mention the five dollars and free lunch every day.” said Barrientos Sophomore Travis Nixon is there for similar reasons.

“I work there because I get free food and get paid, the people are really nice too, and it’s warm.” said Nixon.

Aside from what you see everyday in the cafeteria, there is a lot of inside work and decision making that has to be done.

“I think there is a misconception out there that we just cook stuff. Running a commercial kitchen has a lot of moving parts. You have to meet requirements from the government and timelines. You need to work within the guidelines and still satisfy your clients, You have to be able to plan ahead, stick to a schedule and also be flexible for when your power goes off or something doesn’t come in,” said Summers.

So, next time you walk out of the cafeteria with a tray full of food, take a second to appreciate all the hard work the cafeteria staff have put into getting it there.

C. Baloue

Students serve lunch in the cafeteria

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.

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

Editor-in-Chief: Ben Kirsebom Managing Editor: Margaret Moore Web Guru: Cooper Ogden Photography and Design Editor: Cassie Baloue

by Brendan McNaughton Staff Writer GSA workshops have become a memorable part of the freshman experience.

Junior Carly Wade remembers getting choked up listening to the presentation.

“It was really on an emotional level,” Wade said. “I remember hearing their stories and feeling bad about how gay people were treated.”

These days, one of the purposes is to inform students about two state laws that protect the rights of LGBTQ students in California. One essentially makes all forms of bullying illegal, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race or religion. The other requires schools to allow students to access sports teams and restroom according to their gender identity.

The workshop leaders, who are also members of the Las Lomas Gay-Straight Alliance, share personal experiences and then encourage volunteers to share their own.

Two weeks ago, Principal Matt Campbell received three complaints from parents, some of whom were upset that they had been told about the workshops. Others complained about the content. As a result, the workshops have been postponed.

“We wanted to re-evaluate the curriculum,” said Campbell, who added that he consulted with Merritt Rollins, the staff advisor to the GSA. “The people who were making the presentations, allegedly, made some disparaging comment about religious people who may not support the LGBTQ community.”

But the GSA remains optimistic and is willing to revise the workshops.

“We received some negative feedback, which we are taking under consideration,

and we are revising the workshops,” said GSA president junior Kevin Masukawa.

The GSA has already taught eight of the workshops, which are held in freshman World History classes. In a recent workshop, freshmen talked to GSA leaders senior Bea Wonnebauer and sophomore Jay Hitomi about different scenarios.

“I’m not strong, so I couldn’t stand up for a gay person being harassed, but I sympathize with them,” said one student.

To this, one of the workshop leaders said, “In that situation, notify a teacher.”

Wonnebauer and Hitomi passed around a bag to collect anonymous questions. The bag circulated among the students and then made its way back to the front of the class where they were read aloud. The first note was carefully unrolled.

“How do you know if you’re gay, straight, or transgender?”

There was a pause.

“That’s a great question and a hard one to answer,” said Wonnebauer. “Just follow your heart and don’t let labels restrict you.”

This statement reinforces the GSA’s belief that sexuality isn’t black and white.

“It’s intrinsic, inside you, emotional,” Wonnebauer said.

When the workshop ended Freshman Elaine Paules said, “It’s awesome that they’re orienting students because there will always be people who just don’t understand.”

The GSA continues to organize other events in order to increase tolerance. One such event was “Skirts For Sasha,” which was a school wide event where skirts were worn in honor of a transsexual student who was harassed in Oakland and had his skirt set on fire.

The workshops have not yet been rescheduled, but may resume after spring break.

News Editors: Natalie Hawthorne Alison Taplin

Entertainment Editor: Bryanna Rivera

Features Editor: Grace Gardner

Business Managers: Lauren Gardner Charlotte Pletsch

Columns Editor: Marcela Oñate-Trules

Copy Editor: Angela Guo

Sports Editors: Kelsey Angus Kate Didion

Adviser: Emelie C. Gunnison

the

PAGE

NEWS

Page 3

March 28, 2014

Maddy Krauss lifts her senior project to a higher standard

by Angela Guo Copy Editor For five weeks, senior Maddy Krauss had to weigh all her food, drink protein shakes and go to the gym 13 times a week. This all paid off when she took home two trophies on Feb. 8 at the 2014 Muscle Evolution Championships, a bodybuilding competition in San Jose.

“My mom and I have been seeing a trainer for a couple years now,” Krauss said. “After a while, when I really started to see results in my body and my strength, [my trainer] told me I could be a competitor and follow in her footsteps.”

Krauss trained intensively for five weeks to prepare for one show.

“I was in the gym twice a day,” she said. “I’d wake up at four in the morning and go before school, then I’d go right from school back to the gym.”

Krauss met with her coach, Kenny Cali, weekly.

“I put on a swimsuit and pose, and he tells me, ‘Okay, you need to cut this, this and this out of your diet. You need to work on this muscle group more this week,’” said Krauss.

Kris Rico has been Krauss’s trainer for about two years.

“Our training usu-

ally consists of building strength, increasing endurance and performance, and practicing safety, form, range of motion and stretching,” said Rico. “The shoulders and glutes are typically the main focus, and Maddy has established both with all of her hard work she puts into the gym.”

After weeks of training, Krauss is still working hard on sculpting her body. Currently in preparation for her next competition in May, Krauss admitted that training is tough.

“It is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “It consumes every second of every day. Every night I spend 30 to 45 minutes packing all my meals for the next day. But it’s the most rewarding thing. The day of the show is so much fun.”

The day of the competition, Krauss went out and got her hair and makeup done and got a spray tan.

At the competition, which was split into different divisions, the competitors were lined up by height and age. Then each competitor had a 10-second solo on the stage to walk to the front of the stage, do a front, side, and back pose, and then go back.

“When I walked offstage and got a hug from my friends and family, and my coach, and my trainer, it was the best feeling ever,” said Krauss.

Psychology and world history

teacher Jessica Bacchus trains with Krauss.

Bacchus went to the San Jose competition to show her support for Krauss, and had a fun experience “seeing all these crazily fit people everywhere.”

“She looked amazing,” said Bacchus. “And her confidence radiating out of her—it was so awesome to see a student really rise and find that right before my eyes.”

Rico made Krauss “Barbie brownies” as a reward.

“They’re fudge brownies with M&M’s, Reese’s, Oreos, and she videotaped me eating it,” Krauss said. “It was amazing.”

Rico never enters her students into competitions unless she is confident they can place within the top five.

“I have to say overall I’ve never met anyone like Maddy,” said Rico. “A young lady who is so devoted to health and fitness is an inspiration to many.”

Krauss competed in two categories, placing fourth in open, a big category for all ages, and fifth in novice. Her next competition is on May 10, in Hayward.

“It’s a lot closer, and I would love if my friends and people from school can go,” said Krauss.

Photos courtesy of Maddy Krauss

High tech dophins make a large splash Baseball funds strike out again

by Stephen Ivy Staff Writer Imagine taking a nice, lazy swim in the coastal waters of Hawaii over spring break. You spot a swift motion in the water near you.

You go underwater to get a closer look, and realize it’s a dolphin, armed with a blinking tagging device and high-tech equipment.

This is not something out of a science-fiction novel, as one might think. This is a reality that was helped to be created by the Navy Marine Mammal Program of San Diego.

“They have just wonderful facilities here in San Diego,” said Ed Budzyna of the Navy Marine Mammal Program. “They have a diet that is very specific and they have a combination of different fish that they are fed. We have staff veterinarians that instruct them every day and do tests and write papers on their progress and

so forth. We have trainers that work with them everyday to keep the feeding and the care top quality. They are actually fed restaurantquality fish.”

And yes, Navy dolphins have been to Hawaii. In addition, they have been to the Mediterranean, and even the Middle East.

A different marine mammal team, as a part of the U.S. Navy’s Special Clearance Team One, helped disarm more than 100 mines and traps planted by Saddam Hussein’s forces in the port of Umm Qasr in the Middle East.

“In the program we have sea lions and dolphins,” said Ed Budzyna of the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program. “They are trained to find objects in the water and attack scuba divers. There are different markers that they use both to indicate where an object is, and also to tag swimmers in the water.”

Some of the objects the animals find are expensive to replace, and others could present a danger

to Navy personnel and vessels.

The process of tagging an enemy swimmer is a move practiced many times by the marine mammals of the NMMP (Navy Marine Mammal Program). It takes them approximately two years to master each maneuver through extensive training. So how is an enemy swimmer detected and caught by a dolphin or sea lion?

“The sea lion carries [the tag] down and it has a little light on it,” Budzyna said. “When it bumps into a diver, the light goes off and it’s this bright flashing light. So in the dead of night, it’s pretty obvious where that diver is.”

The animals are not trained to physically attack divers, only to mark them. According to the NMMP website, the animals are trained to detect, locate and mark all swimmers or all mines in an area of interest or concern. After doing their job, navy divers enter the water and deal with the situation from there.

A military officer trains a dolphin the for Navy Marine Mammal Program.

by Jordan Katzeff Staff Writer Las Lomas High School baseball has had a spike in player fee, rising from the previous $250 to $500, because of the massive expenses that the baseball team has and the lack of revenue the program is bringing in.

For the spring season, the baseball program spent a total of $27,500 on coaches, equipment, clothes and transportation. However, the program brought in only $24,000, leading to a loss in revenue and thus the increase in player fee.

According to Paul Gendron, the Las Lomas Boosters President, the reason for the spike is that players’ families are not making donations to the district.

“Unfortunately many parents were not aware that sports are 100 percent funded by parent donations and fund raising. The district does not budget any funds toward sports. Many parents were not paying the $250 donation to the district so there was a significant shortfall that came out of district reserves,” said Gendron. “The district anticipated some parents, ones that could not afford the donation, would not pay the $250 fee.

Unfortunately, the lack of participation was well beyond what should have been a few hardship cases.”

A problem occurring within the team is the minimal amount of people paying the fee. At print, only 11 people, including both JV and varsity baseball players, have payed the fee, leading to less than half of the $17,000 needed from all 34 players.

Since the district does not cover the costs of expenditures, relying on volunteers becomes a risky business.

According to Sherri McGoff, the Las Lomas Finance Technician, some changes need to be made to make sure that the program can continue to have enough money to run.

“Making cutbacks may be necessary,” said McGoff. “You may need to start recycling uniforms or

cut purchases that aren’t needed.

In order to gain some money, maybe try fundraisers or ask for donations at games or cut out tournaments from the schedule.”

Possible cutbacks include the amount of clothes the team buys as part of the “spirit pack”: three hats, three shirts, a sweater, a belt, socks and a pregame jersey.

A recent fundraiser was held at Las Lomas, which was run by the players and coaches, to host the juniors tryouts and practice for the Walnut Creek Little League. The team raised $3000.

Charging tickets at the game is a possibility to raise some money, but a portion of the money goes to the ticket salesperson and another portion goes to ASB, so that possibility is unlikely.

According to McGoff, another source of funding is Boosters membership.

“If an estimated 20 of 34 of players join the Boosters program, then it is possible that the team gets money back to them,” said McGoff.

The district, in conjunction with a task force made up of school administrators and parents, developed the new funding model that puts each sport in charge of covering their own costs.

Another possible solution comes from a new program called the Pal Account.

In this account, if an athlete makes a contribution to something, then $25 is put into a separate account to cover the costs of somebody who may not be able to afford to play or to programs who may have a short fall in money.

The decrease in participation can be seen in other sports as well.

This problem has led Gendron to believe that if the participation levels don’t increase and/or the teams don’t raise enough to cover their budgets, the district may be moving to drop some of the programs or cut back the programs.

The cutbacks may include dropping the low participation programs or dropping freshman or JV teams.

The goal for upcoming sports seasons is to increase participation in order to avoid funding cuts.

FEATURES

Page 4

March 28, 2014

Bay Area hiking options fit for trail seekers of all experience levels

by Spencer Cox and Cooper Ogden Staff Writers Hiking is a fantastic way to get out and experience the great outdoors and get a good workout while you’re at it. Whether you are a novice hiker, an experienced outdoorsman or somewhere in between, there is a trail for everyone. If you love to hike, but you feel like you are stuck in a hiking rut, no need to fear! We are here to help. We have selected four lesser-known hikes in the East Bay that have beautiful views and provide a sense of adventure. So, without further ado, we present our four favorite hikes in the East Bay:

Hike#1 Benham Ct. Trail Approx Distance: 1.9 mi.

Approx Time: 35-50 min.

Hike #4: Brushy Peak Regional Park. Livermore, CA Approx Distance: 4 mi.

Approx Time: 1 - 2 hours

Hike #3: Thornewood Open Space Approx Distance: 1.2 mi Approx Time: 40 min - 1 hour The Thornewood Open Space preserve is located in the hills above Woodside in San Mateo County. It is about halfway up the ridge. There is a free parking lot with a small single-track trailhead nearby. This area often has a heavy fog bank that makes for very comfortable hiking conditions. The trail starts out through a very mystical forest environment, which eventually opens up and gives you a panoramic view of the South Bay Area. After this, it turns sharply toward the ridge and the hiker can follow a narrow path down into a redwood forest.

Upon reaching the bottom, one is met with a small lake that is surrounded by majestic, tall trees. The hike concludes with a short walk down into another valley with a creek at the bottom. This then loops back up to the main trail and back to the parking lot.

This route is for the novice hiker. While it contains two fairly steep grades, for the most part it is not very strenuous. If you’re looking to get back into the hiking routine but you don’t want to go whole hog right away, then this is the hike for you. The first part of the hike allows you to embrace your inner creeper and stare into the lavish backyards of extravagant mansions. While this is a perk of the hike it is not the main focus. If you prefer a natural experience, no need to worry. Only a short distance into the hike, you have a sweeping view of the entirety of the shell ridge open space. This is due to the fact that the hike is located at the southern tip of the open space, which is already at a higher elevation than the rest. The trailhead is located in a more secluded area, making this hike trafficked by fewer people. This easy hike provides seclusion and a great view.

The Brushy Peak hike is a scenic walk in the south east bay. Just off the freeway beyond Livermore, it is easily accessible. The path starts out at a free parking lot and slowly heads up hill. Flattening out for a few hundred feet it winds past a small lake and then narrows out as it climbs up the ridge. It is steep and strenuous at certain parts. As the climbing continues the trail runs behind the hill as it passes by interesting rock formations and Hike #2: beautiful oak trees. A few switchbacks later, it reaches Eugene O’Neill House. Danville CA the summit point. It doesn’t reach the top because the Approx Distance: 3 min peak of the ridge used to be a sacred Native American Approx Time: 45 min -1 hour and 15 min meeting area. It remains fenced off today. On the way down the trail turns back into a This hike is a bit harder than the first. This three-mile trail wide fire road and heads south. leads up to a bay area historic landmark, the house of Eugene The loop ends with a switchback O’Neill, a famous play write and writer. The duration of the hike is at a fairly steep into a valley and runs back into uphill grade, however once you see the view at the top, there will be no regrets. The the parking lot. The hike is on the majority of the trail is under a shady eucalyptus forest running parallel to a small challenging side but the view at creek. After a good deal of uphill trekking and getting a nice burn in your legs, the the top is breathtaking. Overall, forest clears and there is a stunning breath taking view of Mt. Diablo and the valley it is a fantastic hike if you have below. Out on the edge of a very steep hill at the top, lies the Eugene O’Neill house. a little more time on your hands It is a beautiful Spanish style house that overlooks the valley. Although, there is a and are prepared for a climb. road leading up to the house, we would definitely recommend the hike because of Bring water! its enchanting natural aspect.

We write, but we also have rights: California student press laws

by Grace Gardner Features Editor “The goal of a newspaper is not to please its readers.”

Student Press Law Center attorney Adam Goldstein would know. It’s his job to defend student journalists who are criticized for their work.

“Newspapers serve the truth, not the convenient truth,” Goldstin said.

After receiving a chorus of criticism from its readers, ranging from whether or not a school newspaper should cover controversial topics to what language is protected in the student press, The Page staff decided to report on itself in order to determine the purpose and the responsibility of a studentrun newspaper.

In a high school setting, a reporter’s duty to report on issues related to the school can conflict with that same reporter’s relationships within such a small community.

But Goldstein said that writing about a difficult topic can have real effects on student journalists.

“I’ve heard students say, ‘Well, I had this story but I didn’t want to write it because I needed a recommendation for college,” Goldstein said.

As far as deciding what to write about, journalists do not set out to create the news, but rather, they respond to what is already happening.

Contra Costa Times reporter Katie Nelson said a good news story begins “through curiosity on a story that’s already been out.”

Story ideas may or may not “work out.”

Sometimes information can be disproven throughout the reporting process.

“Stories are kind of like a science experiment. You have a hypothesis and you go through all these interviews to find out whether or not what you thought is correct,” said Nelson.

Regardless of the end product, a reporter has to try to be fair throughout the report-

ing process.

“Advocacy is when a story has an explicit call to action. So if you had a news story saying ‘Let’s all go down to the administration building and do x, y and z.’, that would be advocacy,” Goldstein said.

No news story is designed to advocate. A newspaper may only present an opinion in the designated section of the paper. (In this issue, that’s page eight.)

Writing for a news publication is different from writing a blog or posting on Facebook.

“As a reporter, you HAVE to get stuff right,” said Cynthia Gorney, a professor at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, in an e-mail. “That means you have to take the extra steps of checking your story, figuring out whether it’s fair (is there a totally different side with a different point of view? If so, you gotta find ’em and give ’em their say) and indicating to your reader exactly how you know it’s true. Bloggers and Facebook posters don’t have to do that.”

That means The Page does not fabricate quotes.

And it takes seriously accusations of misquoting.

Interviewees and sources have rights, too.

Interviewees cannot read stories before they are published, but they can ask for their quotes to be read back to them, and they do not have to answer all questions.

If a reporter agrees to use a source anonymously, this is a legal agreement.In California, it’s called the Leonard Law. “It says you can’t be punished for engaging in speech that’s protected off school grounds by the First Amendment or the California Constitution,” Goldstein said.

“You actually can’t be punished even at a private school, for refusing to disclose the identity of a source in California.”

High school journalists often receive criticism for the use of anonymous sources, but Goldstein said that high school journalists have to rely on anonymous sources more than professional journalists “because the threat of retaliation is so much more present.”

He said that if readers of school papers stopped comparing the work of student Journalism Class 2014

journalists with the work of professional journalists, this might change.

“If you step back, take a deep breath and act like a grown-up the way people do in the real world, then the publication wouldn’t be so full of anonymous sources,” he said.

In California, student reporters are held to the same ethical and legal standards as reporters outside of school. In order to do that, reporters must report on current issues, even if those issues are sticky.

“If drugs are going on around school, then you talk about the drugs,” Goldstein said. “Some admin will say, ‘Gee I better take steps to stop the drugs’, and then others will say I better take steps to get people to stop talking about the drugs.”

California students are protected more than many of their peers in other states, Goldstein said.

“What has subjected high school student in a lot of states to more censorship is the Hazelwood decision, which was from 1988. But California already had a law in the books in the seventies protecting the right of high school journalist to publish freely.”

The law gives student newspapers the right to publish without being subject to censorship unless the content is obscene, libelous, or makes a call of action that could result in an event that would create a major disruption on campus.

Even with those high standards, student journalists wo Goldstein has advice for people who might want to curb the reporting of a student press.

“You’ve got time for this?” he asked.

“You’ve solved all the educational problems so you’ve got time to look over my shoulder while I write a story? A lot of people will try to be better if they want better press, not cover up the bad stuff.”

Readers are invited to send their feedback to The Page by sending letters to the editor to: Las Lomas Page, 1460 South Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94595.

FEATURES Centennial celebration: looking back at Walnut Creek Page 5

March 28, 2014

1914

1914 Walnut Creek is incorporated.

by Mika Talwar Staff Writer

1920 Walnut Creek’s first movie theatre, the Ramona, opens.

1941

1921 Main Street is paved.

1926 The Walnut Growers Association opens a large walnut processing plant on Walnut Avenue.

Walnut Creek’s first fire station opens on Bonanza Street.

1936 The city’s first Walnut Festival and parade are held.

1939

Lommel’s Creamery, which, in its prime served thousands people a day, opens.

1949 Civic Park opens (originally called City Park).

1951

Broadway Shopping Center opens with 38 stores.

Las Lomas High School opens.

1952 The Contra Costa Courier-Journal, which launched in 1911, is bought

by Dean Lesher and renamed the Contra Costa Times.

1976

1940

1930s

1958

Torrential rains flood downtown Walnut Creek.

1960

1940

Interstate 680 opens.

1961

The Walnut Creek Library opens.

1964

The Rossmoor retirement community opens in Tice Valley.

1970

Heather Farms park opens.

1973 Walnut opens.

Creek’s

BART

station

1976

1958

President Gerald Ford visits and dedicates the Liberty Bell Plaza to celebrate America’s bicentennial.

1985 The Broadway Shopping Center becomes Broadway Plaza.

1940

1990 The Lesher Center for the Arts opens.

2006 The Free Ride trolley links BART to downtown.

2010 The renovated Walnut Creek library opens, after closing in 2007.

2014 Construction begins on the renovation of Broadway Plaza.

Photos and information courtesy of the Walnut Creek Historical Society.

The Walnut Creek Historical Society has a permanent display on the second floor of the Walnut Creek Library. The display rotates every few months and will be showing periods of Walnut Creek’s last 100 years through 2014.

The Historical Society also has a museum, the Shadelands Ranch Museum, located on Ygnacio Valley Road. Tours are offered on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

COLUMNS

Page 6

March 28, 2014

Eating disordered thinking and behavior in young women

by Maya Asregadoo Staff Writer Recently, as we were eating lunch together, a friend of mine made a comment that legitimately scared me. She had packed a few cookies in a small plastic baggie, and was nibbling on them almost imperceptibly when my gaze happened to fall on her.

Thinking that I was looking at her eating the cookies, she giggled guiltily: “I know, I’m being fat.”

This comment stuck with me. Not because it was unique, but rather, for the opposite reason. This type of comment, the guilty—almost bashful—looks when attention is focused on a girl’s “bad” behavior, has become so common that it is starting to become almost scary. My guy friends never do this.

Eating is not something that most men overanalyze as most women seem to do. If men are hungry, most will eat until they are full as they should; this is normal behavior.

Too many girls, however, seem to have adopted what can only be classified as eatingdisordered behavior.

Many write this trend off, claiming that is just how girls are, but this is incredibly serious. Eating-disordered thinking can lead to dangerous eating-disordered behavior very, very quickly. It did with me.

During the spring of 2009, I decided to go on a diet. I have a vague memory of not feeling good enough, of needing to improve myself, so I began to restrict my eating.

Healthfully, at first—fewer desserts, more fruits and vegetables, etc.

Eventually, portion control became a bigger focus of mine. I began to eat less of each meal, and once summer vacation rolled around, I began to eat completely different meals altogether. Instead of eating a sandwich for lunch, for example, I would eat a small bowl of cereal. Never mind the fact that I had eaten the same thing for breakfast, as well.

While this was beginning, my parents were a little concerned, but not overly so. They trusted me to know my limits, and to stay healthy. Until school started up, that is.

By fall, I was barely eating anything. I would eat the smallest bowl of cereal that I could manage to without raising suspicion for breakfast. I would throw most, if not all, of my lunch away at school. I would pick at dinner, hoping that my parents wouldn’t notice. Eventually they did.

By the time my parents began to become concerned, I had lost a shocking amount of weight, and after confirming with my doctor that not only did I have an eating disorder, but due to the fact that I was so emaciated, I was at risk of heart failure, I was put on a strict diet and even stricter schedule. I had to eat three very large, calorie-heavy meals, one large, calorie heavy snack, and drink a large protein shake after dinner every day.

I had weekly appointments with a medical doctor, a therapist and a nutritionist. I was pulled out of P.E., as straining my heart was absolutely out of the question—I didn’t want to have to test Mrs. Hoy’s CPR skills.

I had to stop ice skating for the same reason, something that I had really enjoyed and

resented having to give up.

I was constantly being shuttled from appointment to appointment, leaving very little time to study and possibly even to spend time with my friends.

I was being forced to eat constantly, as well—huge, calorie-dense portions that left me painfully full. I was never hungry during that time. I obsessed over the fact that all of this was going to make me gain weight like crazy, and honestly, I would cry over it

for hours. I got in fights with my parents nearly every day over whether I would eat what they put in front of me or not.

And all the while, I felt that I couldn’t tell my friends all of this—what if they thought that I was a freak? What if they started treating me differently, or started comment-

ing on what I was eating just as my parents did? I am still, to this day, nervous of certain friends reading this.

This was a long, difficult recovery, but I got through it, eventually. By spring of 2010, I was back to a normal weight, back to eating (relatively) normally, and last but not least, back in P.E. For better or for worse. I am mostly recovered now-- I don’t think that I will ever be free of my eating disorder completely, but I can at least function somewhat normally at this point.

Disordered thinking can very quickly escalate to nearly fatal behavior. And the scary part is that rates of eating disorders keep rising.

This way of thinking needs to stop, or at the very least, these rates need to start decreasing.

Right now, our society teaches girls that “indulging”—eating normally, voicing their opinions without apologizing for having them— is almost sinful.

We teach girls to create space around them instead of occupying it. This is one of the major contributors to the development of eating disorders in girls.

Girls feeling like they need to occupy less space, to be “perfect,” can lead to toxic thinking. We can all do our part to aid in purging this toxic mindset from our culture.

We can stop calling girls “fat” as an insult—one of the worst insults out there, in fact.

We can start to teach girls to start being more bold: in their eating, in speaking up in class or at meetings, in stating their opinions boldly instead of filtering. And hopefully, fewer and fewer girls will have to go through what I did, what so many others have, in the future.

Graphic by C. Baloue

Speeding cars, flashing lights: a police ride along Livin la vida loca

by Ellie Shaw Staff Writer Friday night. 10 p.m. Walnut Creek.

WCPD Officer Will Appell spots a small white car heading up North Main Street going about 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. It isn’t going dangerously fast, so we do a U-turn to follow it but we don’t turn on the sirens.

The instant the subject sees us by the gas station, he speeds off so fast that the other cars have to stop suddenly in the intersection to make way for him. We turn on our sirens and follow the car that’s now going 80 miles per hour into the usually quiet Larkey neighborhood.

“Do you have your seatbelt on?” Officer Appel asks me.

I nod my head yes.

We never caught up, but the car chase made for a thrilling conclusion to my ridealong with a cop.

I have been a nosey person my entire life, so I was thrilled when I found out anyone could do a ride-along with a Walnut Creek police officer.

While I have never been interested in being a police officer, I have always been fascinated with the way this city works. I called the police department in February, and three weeks later, a police officer called me and I scheduled my appointment.

March 7. 7:00 p.m. Walnut Creek Police Department, North Broadway. I met Officer Appel in the lobby. We walked to the side of the police department building and climbed into his cop car. He introduced himself as mid-30s graduate of Ygnacio

Valley High School.

7:13 p.m. We go to a parking lot behind the 7-Eleven on the corner of Civic and Pine Street. There we met another police officer in his own car. Officer Appel told me that this is the place cops go when they want to check their e-mails or eat knowing that they are safe.

8:36 p.m. We go to the maintenance yard located next to North Main Street on-ramp to I-680. This is the city maintenance yard where any car owned by the city can go to get fixed. As we were leaving the maintenance yard and about to turn right on a green, a car runs a red light. We follow it without turning the sirens on until we find a safe place to turn over the guy. Officer Appel tells me that he needs to find a safe place to pull someone over that is not only safe for the subject but also for the officer.

It turns out that the man we pulled

over was a member of the U.S Army who said he ran the red light because he had to use the restroom. We give him a warning, but not a ticket. Officer Appel tells me that it’s his job to keep me safe, but it’s the army officer’s job to keep America safe, which seems reasonable.

9:33 p.m. We’re driving along Ygnacio Valley Road when we start to follow a Nissan that doesn’t have its lights on. We pull it over to make sure the driver is all right.

She says she forgot to turn on the lights and she’s just trying to get home. So we give her a warning, too.

The night proceeds without event until the chase is underway. My journal, cell phone and pencil all fly off of my seat when we get seem to catch air going over one of Larkey’s little bumps. And although it feels

like we chase the white car for a half an hour, in reality it is only four minutes.

Sadly, we lose the car at the Geary Road and Pleasant Hill Road intersection.

When we knew we wouldn’t be able to find his car that night, I had a nice conversation with Officer Appel. While we stood guard at the intersection, he told me that while it was incredibly disappointing that we didn’t get to catch that guy, the thing that mattered at the end of the day was that he and I both got home safely.

No matter how dangerous that guy was and how much he is endangering people around him, police officers have to think about opportunity cost and decide if it is really worth it.

10:35 p.m. I’m back in my car in the Target lot, where I had parked at the beginning of the night. The car chase was over, and it had been the most exhilarating experience of my life. On the drive back to my car, Officer Appel had told me the police department only has about six car chases per year, so the fact that I got to be a part of one was really rare.

The action was fun, but so was the rest of the night. Officer Appel talked to me as if I was an actual person and not just a high school student. Officer Appel talked to me a lot about the importance of association— that the people you hang out with and the alliances you make can mean everything. I didn’t expect that I would tell him all these things about my life, my future (and the trouble I get into now), but I felt really comfortable. He was just a normal person, not a cop who was looking to arrest me.

by Ben Kirsebom Editor in Chief Sometimes I feel homesick, so I listen to the lush, colorful rhythms and melodies of bachata, salsa, merengue and reggaeton.

The sounds take me back to dimly lit salsa bars in Costa Rica, where everyone knows how to dance perfectly.

They take me back to nights wandering with my host siblings through the dusty roads of my community.

They take me back to a region of the world that fascinates and baffles me at the same time, a region with diverse cultures, histories and peoples. I feel incarcerated in Walnut Creek—my soul longs to be back dancing in Latin America.

Latino culture thrives on the idea of optimism and living each day as it comes, which is well represented in the colorful beats of artists such as Marc Anthony and Celia Cruz. There truly is no better remedy when I’m feeling down than a dose of my favorite Latin songs to help me imagine I’m on a boat somewhere in the Caribbean.

Latin music is also the true language of love. There is nothing sexier than salsa and bachata dancing and the smooth rhythms and steamy bars and clubs.

I think back to long nights attempting to follow along dancing to salsa music while stumbling over my own feet—but hey, it was still kind of sexy. The music played in the discoteca fulfills the senses and emotions with its enchanting diversity.

It is the energy and vibrancy of this rhythm that set the soul free. I hope that listening to the sounds of Latin America will always keep me lively and in pursuit of new adventures.

March 28, 2014

COLUMNS

Page 7

The chronicles of a pizza guy Love, it needs no translation

by Sam Goldman Staff Writer Walking out the door, grabbing my keys out of my pocket, I shout, “Driver out, no sides!”

“Buckle up, drive safe” resonates throughout the kitchen as I approach my car. I then get into my car, enter the address into my GPS, and drive off to deliver yet another pizza.

Since about mid-December I’ve worked as a pizza delivery boy for Papa John’s Pizza.

I remember walking in and inquiring about a job after a particularly terrible day of failing a test and discovering I had been deferred from one of my top choice schools. After filling out the job application, expecting to apply as a pizza maker, Boris, who’s now my boss, told me that he was only looking for drivers.

Never did I expect to work as a pizza delivery boy, but the prospect of finally getting a job after months of trying and getting hassled by my dad was too overwhelming. When I first started, the pace of the job was extremely overwhelming and stressful.

Despite the stressful work environment during the NFL playoffs and busy weekends, once I started getting the hang of things, work has been great. Although I hate using my own car, hearing the same six songs on every radio station every night, paying for my own gas and missing almost every sporting event on Friday night, tips make it all worthwhile, especially when I made $80 in tips for four and a half hours of work during the Battle of the Creek.

Many people think my job is the job of

a typical high school senior as gloriously depicted in every high school movie, but I am actually the only employee who fits this stereotype. For me, this is a temporary job I took up to make some extra money before college, but for my other co-workers this is their main source of income. While it’s easy to write off pizza delivery drivers as lazy and uneducated, that definitely isn’t the case. One of my coworkers is taking classes at DVC to become an electrical engineer, and another is currently training to become a massage therapist.

Although my work days start pretty much the same—get to work around 5:30, wait a little while, then clock in when a delivery is up—each day ends up being a little different. Whether it be blasting gangsta rap when making a delivery in Rossmoor or surprising someone’s significant other with a pizza because they’re working the graveyard shift on Valentine’s Day, my day is always full of entertainment.

About a month ago, I had the pleasant experience of delivering to a rather plump, hairy and greasy man over by ClubSport. He was courteous enough to answer the door naked with his pornography in clear view. To my relief, he hid his lower half behind the door, but the experience was interesting, to be sure.

At least I have a story to tell my friends.

Overall, I love my job—despite the occasional mess-ups that seem to happen at the worst of times and customers who have no concept of tipping.

Even though I haven’t been there long, having a source of income other than my parents’ wallets has taught me how to be smart with my paychecks, prioritize time between school and fun and become much more responsible. I never expected to be a pizza delivery boy as a high school senior, but I’m more than happy to have a job and my own money.

Besides, nobody is ever mad to see the pizza guy.

by Lauren Gardner Business Manager Every morning, every day after school, every “goodnight” and “welcome home,” my dad is bombarded by mounds of kisses around the face, a tight hug, and an “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

It has been like this ever since I can remember.

This routine may have originated from my mother’s side of tight-knit, warm-hearted, loud-mouthed Spaniards, for whom affectionate behavior is considered normal, and anything else could be seen as rude.

Growing up in my affectionate household made me believe this was the way one should greet his or her family, friends and other people in his or her lives. By this, I mean kisses on the cheek, long, over-exaggerated hugs, and “how-are-you-tell-me-allabout-your-life” types of greetings.

Unfortunately, in Walnut Creek, people have extraordinarily large personal bubbles and their opinions on goodbye kisses on the cheek and handholding in the hallway are that it is a) uncomfortable, b) inappropriate or c) something they do not wish to partake in, unless it is with a boyfriend or girlfriend, but definitely not with a friend and, god forbid, their family.

My friend Carly and I used to have Spanish class together. When we would leave our classroom, I would take to her side as we strolled through the bustling hallways at brunch and would slip my fingers into her hand, a very comfortable way for me to walk with a friend.

In my mind, this demonstrates that I am attentive, listening and affectionate. She would awkwardly smile and in a matter of

15 seconds, if that, her grip would weaken drastically and her hand would drop safely to her side. I would notice but usually keep quiet, feeling a little hurt but also understanding that she doesn’t perceive my affection the same way, much like most of my friends. I am used to it.

Domenico, my best friend, has a tendency to say very cute things that are unique to his character. This consists of little phrases or reactions to things that can only be described as so him. When this sort of event occurs I have to show him how much he means to me by granting him a giant grandma kiss on the cheek. His response to my gift is usually a sour face, followed by wiping his cheek clean from the “germs” and “grossness” I may or may not have passed onto him.

Domenico and I both work at Vitality Bowls. One day, the subject came up about how my co-workers used to think it was really weird that I would kiss them all when I arrived at work. I sort of figured that, so I wasn’t surprised or offended by this.

What did surprise me was when the topic of kissing parents came up. Rayna, a coworker, mentioned how weird it would be for her parents to kiss her on the lips.

What?! My ears perked up.

“What do you mean? You don’t kiss your parents on the lips?”

She said that she did not and she was surprised that I did. My other Hispanic friend Lauren shared my same reaction, saying she kisses her parents on the lips too.

She is fond of my affection; I think it makes her feel at home.

I realize you, reader, may be shocked and weirded out at the things I have just told you.

Maybe it sounds like I have a crush on everyone, because for the average Walnut Creek teenager this loving behavior is strictly limited to his or her significant other.

To me, there is no such thing as being too nice, too affectionate, or too loving. Everyone has ways of showing affection, and one can find him or herself in every medium.

We need to recognize and appreciate love and appreciation in all of the forms they may come in.

Sending love across the country: How to make long distance work These are the things I wish I had known from the start: 1) Communication is key. With the 3000-mile distance, there is no room for hidden messages or playing games. There were times when misunderstandings developed easily, and a joking comments came a c r o s s as snarky criticism. “Susie Lou is so hot!” can seem threatening rather

by Tabea Wonnebauer Staff Writer In the early months of my relationship with my girlfriend, I told myself that long distance would be out of the question.

August would be the end of the line for us because it would mark the beginning of a 3000-mile separation. July flew by like the wind, which we spent together adventuring in forests and stargazing at Fish Ranch.

Before long, it was mid-August. The subject of our relationship was dangerous territory, both of us preferring to bask in the glory of the languid days of summer.

But eventually it was time to face the facts: starting on Aug. 20, we would be separated by nine states and an eight-hour flight. With the dread of our separation hanging over us, we finally had a conversation about our future. The summer had been so perfect and we had grown so close that breaking up just because of distance seemed almost unthinkable. The promise I had made myself flew out the window.

Most of my friends thought I was crazy to stay in a relationship with someone in college across the country. Maybe I was. Maybe I still am. Long distance is difficult, but as time goes on, I’m becoming more and more aware about the things that make it even in the slightest bit easier. I had no clue how to really handle the distance and have had to play it by ear, figuring it out as I go.

than lighthearted. Picking up emotional reactions has become much harder when I can’t see her facial expressions, hear the intonations of her voice and read her body language.

Feelings have to be voiced to be clearly conveyed. In the midst of all the feelings that come up, most of all, missing each other, we try hard not to forget the positive things-we reminisce together, share exciting news and make plans for the summer when she’ll be home for three months.

2)Distractions and jealousies do arise. I have found that dating someone far away,

especially someone in college where parties and new, fascinating people are plentiful, brings plenty of opportunity to be jealous.

In the end, however, we are both invested in the relationship, and these jealousies are nothing more than minor distractions.

3) Skype is our best friend. Video chatting is the closest substitute to actually spending time together. While spontaneous Skype chats are fun, I have found it to be important to have an established

time f o r Sk ype dates. A few weeks into my long-distance relationship I started becoming swamped w i t h college applications and school work that I became so distracted by everything happening on this side of the country that more and more days passed without video chatting, or even talking on the phone. During winter break, we decided

that Tuesdays would be date night, no matter what. Since then, all my Tuesday nights have been spent watching The Bachelor and chatting for hours on Skype. No matter how busy our lives get, we can always squeeze in our Tuesday night Bach date.

4) Mail surprises are the best. There’s hardly anything better than opening my mailbox and finding my name handwritten on an envelope buried beneath junk and bills. She remembers the little things and puts effort into my letters. For Valentine’s D a y, I received a handmade 56-piece puzzle, meticulously colored-in and cut-out.

A few weeks later, she sent me a tea bag stitched into the shape of a heart with a note that read, “Have a cup of tea on me.”

It absolutely made my day.

People are right when they say that long distance is really, really hard. However, I have found that it actually has strengthened my relationship, proving that it can endure tough situations. Every second apart becomes completely worth it the moment I see her emerging from the airport terminal. An important thing to re- member is that being long distance is temporary. Most likely I’ll be going to college nearby, if not in the same city.

Knowing that we made long distance work gives me confidence that almost any hurdles in a relationship can be conquered.

OPINIONS Healthy eating is more than eating your vegetables March 28, 2014

Page 8

by Carly Nolan Staff Writer We all like to think we know what goes into the foods we eat.

We glance at the nutritional facts on the back of our food and feel good about labels that declare it as a “healthy alternative” or “fat-free,” and anything with the word “veggie” in the name must be good for us, right?

Maybe not so much.

The truth is, most of the food that we think is healthy has a lot of hidden sodium, sugar and chemicals.

Take gluten-free products for example.

Most people who go gluten free indulge in gluten-free alternatives.

But the fact of the matter is bread is bread, and gluten-free bread is just bread without gluten and some other stuff added in to make it as bread-like as possible.

If you choose to go gluten-free, it’s best to just stay away from any breadlike product.

It is also important to tread carefully with sports supplements like protein bars and energy drinks.

Most of the protein and granola bars on the shelves are essentially glorified candy bars since the sugar they can contain sometimes outweigh the nutritional value.

The same goes for energy and workout drinks like Gatorade or Mon-

sters.

Oftentimes they are mostly made up of caffeine, electrolytes, water and incredible amounts of sugar.

When you need hydration for an activity, it’s usually best to stick to water.

Eating naturally is also majorly beneficial when it comes to fruits and veggies.

Many of the fruit product foods we eat like applesauce, juices, dried fruit and fruit cocktails (unless the label explicitly says “sugar free”) have tons of sugar added for taste.

Even if the label does say sugar free, beware of chemical sweeteners: They can be even worse for you.

Foods like veggie chips, kale chips and spinach-flavored bread products oftentimes contain very little vegetables in them, and may be loaded with sodium and toppers like cheese in order to make them taste less like a vegetable.

The best choice would be to eat fresh fruits and veggies.

However, it is also important that we pay attention to where our fresh food comes from.

While there are only limited studies proving that genetically modified organisms have negative effects on our health, a lot of what goes on in the world of GMOs is pretty shady.

A study that was conducted in France involving rats and Monsanto genetically modified corn had pretty shocking results.

Many of the rats had tumors in their stomachs, along with kidney and liver damage.

The worst part was that 50 percent of males and 70 percent of the female rats that were fed the GMO corn died prematurely, whereas in the control group, only 30 percent of males and 20 percent of females died prematurely.

The French government has since banned Monsanto GMO products.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that we don’t get fooled by unhealthy food masquerading as a healthy alternative.

If we want to eat healthy, it is

essential that we look into everything we eat, so that we know exactly what it is we are putting into our bodies.

We’ll only ever have one body, so we should know how we’re fueling it.

Death penalty in America merely a hollow principle

by Tanner Larkin Staff Writer China. Iran. Saudi Arabia. Iraq.

These four countries are the world’s most frequent practitioners of capital punishment.

China executes thousands of its citizens every year, many for so-called political crimes.

In Iran, offenses such as homosexuality are liable for the death penalty.

In Saudi Arabia, adulterers are hanged in public.

In fact, states without the “ death penalty do not differ significantly in their murder rates from those that continue to carry it out.

”

Iraq battles its insurgents with mass hangings.

Which country ought to be next on the list? Turkey? Venezuela? Russia?

None of these countries even allow the death penalty anymore.

Sadly, it is the United States of America that comes in fifth.

America is the only Western nation to remain intransi-

gent in the use of “ultimate justice.”

France, for instance, retired the infamous guillotine almost forty years ago. (Yes, they used the guillotine into the 1970s.)

America’s fellow top executioners are autocratic, kleptocratic and plutocratic.

Why such strange bedfellows, Lady Liberty?

In America, advocates for the death penalty have attempted to paint their position as logical, scientific, and even lifesaving.

They posit that the risk of death is enough to deter potential murderers, averting the crime and saving a life. Numerous studies have been produced to support this claim.

So if executing a bad guy will save a good guy, isn’t it worth it?

Except no one will be saved and it isn’t worth it.

That argument is superficially logical but unsupported by hard facts.

According to a study of these studies (call it study-ception) by the National Research Council, those studies purporting to show that the death penalty deters crime are all fundamentally flawed in their data, models and analysis.

In fact, states without the death penalty do not differ significantly in their murder rates from those that continue to carry it out.

And a study of leading criminologists found that nine out of ten experts believed that the death penalty does not serve as a deterrent.

So if executing people doesn’t have the benefit attributed to it by advocates, what’s the point?

Even if capital punishment works, can we afford it?

Supporters of capital punishment sophistically claim that executing a criminal is cheaper than giving him life in prison.

This seems like common sense, as life in prison means decades worth of food, board, and medical expenses.

But this reasoning is as false as it is simple.

According to the Death Penalty In-

formation Center, capital punishment costs ten million dollars more yearly than life sentences.

T his cost is accrued through repeated and lengthy trials as well as the need to maintain higher security for those on death row.

But, despite the exorbitant cost misspent on obtaining death sentences and maintaining those found guilty on death row, the vast majority of such prisoners will not, in fact, be executed.

In California, for example, there are almost 700 people sitting on death row, yet no one has been executed in eight years.

Since 1977, California has wasted four billion dollars on the death penalty, resulting in a grand total of…13 executions.

According to Huffington Post, California could save as much as $130 million every year by converting all death sentences to life in pris-

on.

The vast majority of those sentenced to death will languish for the rest of their lives on death row without being executed.

What’s the difference between this uneventful fate and being sentenced to life in prison, you may ask?

We spend many millions more on the former yet, in the end, all we achieve is a hollow principle.

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 10

March 28, 2014

Travel the world in just a few tasty bites this spring break Dragon 2000 Walnut Creek is full of people from all over the world, so you don’t have to hop onto an airplane and travel to another country to experience a different cuisine. Places in and around Walnut Creek like La Scala, the Kasra Market, Silk Road, Dragon 2000, and Ha La Sushi can give you those culinary experiences.

Kasra Market The Kasra Market has been in Walnut Creek for over 10 years and is frequented by customers who come to buy things and chat. The store does not only have Persian and Iranian products, but also many more from around the world. There is a corner wall filled with different types of teas and a rack of pickles and pastries. In the back, there are many types of beverages, some of which I had never seen before. I would recommend coming to this store if you want to experience a taste of Persian/Iranian culture.

Dragon 2000 is located in the same shopping center as Petco and Red House and tucked into the corner with a pretty fountain in front. Walking in, I was greeted by the owner, who was welcoming and immediately grabbed a menu and led me to a table. The place has calming music, lots of dragon statues and coy fish around, which adds to the authentic atmosphere.

I received my sweet and sour chicken and chicken fried rice, steaming hot and in decent time. The menu has a plethora of great choices, and I must say their fried rice is incredible! Each part of the menu has different parts to it: chicken, tofu, meat, veggies, etc. All of which are tasty and reasonably priced. If you have a craving for Chinese food, I would definitely check it out!

Ha La Sushi Silk Road La Scala First of all, La Scala is really cool!

There were lots of people sitting outside, enjoying the evening weather and chatting. Inside, there were people sitting around, enjoying their food and drinks, catching up with friends, and others on their computers taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi. The establishment itself is a lot different from your typical coffee shop. It has housemade pastries and absolutely amazing looking desserts. Not to mention a menu of Italian and French coffees and drinks. The barista was really nice and attentive, and people from all walks of life fill the place. Outside, in a little plaza, there is a calm fountain and more tables. La Scala stays open until 1 a.m., so if you’re in the mood for a latenight snack drive on over!

Silk Road, located on Bonanza street right across from the Wells Fargo Bank in Downtown Walnut Creek, has an authentic Mediterranean atmosphere. Instrumental music playing, low lights hanging from the outside canvas roof and native pots and potpourri surrounding the place further added to the Mediterranean feel. There’s a map of the Mediterranean that gives an insight to the variety of the menu. The menu consists of many different staples from Spanish going east to Turkish dishes. A couple minutes after sitting down during my visit, I received a platter with a giant piece of pita bread and a salsa. I ordered the penne dish with Greek lamb gyros and substituted in fettuccine noodles. It was rich and savory, and the lamb gyros were cooked perfectly.

The pricing is very reasonable. I would recommend Silk Road if you’re looking for a Mediterranean place that has an authentic menu and atmosphere.

Ha La Sushi in Alamo is the place to go when a sushi craving emerges. Not only is the place cozy and the staff super nice, but the food is incredible! Walking in on an early dinner, I had the chance to see that the sushi counter was full of different kinds.

The waitress was very doting, and my dad and I ordered very quickly. I first ordered Edamame, and my dad ordered tempura and shrimp sashimi. I got chicken sukiyaki with giant pieces of tofu and steaming hot broth.

The food came out hot and was fantastic. The pricing is reasonable and the place is really nice.

by Alex Faulkner Staff Writer

Frozen reaches fame Classically trained artists turn hip-hop

by Charlotte Pletsch Co-Business Manager Since its release in November, Disney’s Frozen has won two Oscars and a Golden Globe. It hit $1 billion of ticket sales in the worldwide box office and has been referred to as a throwback to the “Disney Renaissance” era, which includes movies like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. It also has a massive fan following that has gone so far to be referred to as a “cult” by Time magazine.

Sacramento lawyer and a natural birth instructor Renée Dall, a mother of three young children, said the film was surprisingly appealing.

“It’s a welcome departure from the Disney narrative where the princess gets saved by a man,” Dall said. “So I liked it more than I thought I was going to. There are still lots of issues with it, but for a Disney movie, it’s great.”

For Dall, watching a children’s film with two strong female characters is a relief.

“Parents are happy to see girls not being depicted as weak and needing to be saved,” she said.

In addition to its refreshing plot, the film’s soundtrack has wide appeal. The CD is a staple in the Dall residence.

“We listen to the soundtrack in its entirety in pretty constant rotation in the car,” Dall said.

Her six-year-old daughter and her four-year-old son frequently sing over the karaoke version of “Let It Go.” Even their four-month-old sister seems to like it.

“If the baby is crying, we put

on ‘Let It Go’ and she is calm immediately,” Dall said. “Not sure how this will affect her in the future.”

The two protagonists of the film are the ice queen Elsa and her lovable but dorky younger sister Anna. Dall noted that while Anna dolls are widely available, Elsa dolls are more rare, and when they do come up for sale, it’s at a pretty penny. Kids love Elsa, who demonstrates that even queens with magical ice powers get scared—and that anyone can overcome fear with a little help, whether that help is from a sister or a singing magical snowman.

“You can create your own path, and that path can change,” said Dall.

In the film, when Elsa reaches the snow-covered mountain where she chooses to construct her ice castle, she breaks out into song with the movie’s single “Let It Go,” a song with surprisingly depth.

However, a great soundtrack isn’t all that Frozen has in its favor.

In an interview, San Francisco Chronicle film critic Peter Hartlaub called Frozen a “charming return to the genre,” noting that the writing prefers clever wordplay to senseless humor.

It’s pretty hard to not smile when Olaf the snowman says, “Oh, I don’t know why but I’ve always loved the idea of summer... and sun... and all things hot...”

Frozen is a Disney musical with two strong female protagonists, frequent comic relief and a winning soundtrack. It’s no wonder Frozen has amassed such a following.

by Aidan Snoderly Staff Writer Music and experiments in sound are an ever-changing art form that grows in diversity due to new technologies, new talent and quite honestly, new looks.

Society’s obsession with “the new” is probably why classical music isn’t as appreciated as it once was, but classical music, whether we like it or not, continues to leave its mark on music today. Many modern musicians from different genres cite classical music as a huge inspiration.

Electronic producer and musician Will Wiesenfeld of Baths and [Post-Foetus] claims his first introduction into music was playing classical piano.

In an interview with Pitchfork, he revealed he had been taking lessons from a young age. Classical piano taught him the intricate skills involved in playing music on the piano, and though he didn’t enjoy it, he claimed it helped him in the long run and was his gateway into writing and recording music.

On the the track “Inter” from his latest album Obsidian, there is a simple melody played on the guitar that repeats over and over again throughout the whole song.

This sort of repetition can be found in many classical songs, such as “By the Sleepy Lagoon”

by Eric Coates. Another classical influence can be found on the track “Ironworks,” also from his

latest album, Obsidian. The whole song is played to the tune of a somber piano, played in a classical manner similar to Edvard Grieg in his piece “Watchman’s Song.” He uses the skills from classical piano to make a new sound that is even more interesting.

Christopher James Gholson, better known as Drumma Boy, is a famed rap and hip-hop producer who also cites classical music as being his first huge inspiration.

Information from an article written by Christopher himself in the Huffington Post states that as a young boy in Memphis, Tennessee, Christopher was surrounded by musical talent.

His mother was a pro opera singer and his father, a first chair clarinet player in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for more

than forty years. Later realizing that hip hop artists like Nas and Young Buck were incorporating classical music samples into their music, he combined his two loves of classical music and hip hop and become a rap producer. In “House Shoes” by Snoop Dogg (which was produced by Christopher) a violin sample is played in during the song, and uses a classical scale that can be heard in most classical songs. Christopher states that it helps to utilize orchestra scales in order to figure out a melody for a rap song, and that artists like Beethoven still are big inspirations for him today.

Classical music is inspiring to just about every generation of musicians. As we search for “the new” in music, we must remember the roots of modern music, and the importance of the foundation that classical music has laid down for us.

SPORTS

March 28, 2014

Page 11

Lacrosse finds success with camaraderie Tennis team grows in popularity

by Megan Mallon Staff Writer

by Alex Udd Staff Writer

The boys lacrosse team has started off strong this season, heading into the second half of the season with a 6-2 record.

On March 18 the boys played against Miramonte. The Knights won 9-2. Junior Colin Rutan led the team with 5 goals, along with his teammates, senior co-captain Austin Warner, senior Troy Stotka, and junior Zack Sherrod, who each scored one goal.

On Mar 11 the Knights faced Campolindo for their first league game, winning with a final score of 12-5. Rutan, Warner, and Sinnot led the team, scoring 4, 3, and 2 goals, respectively.

Senior co-captain Sam Tomei believes that the closeness of the team and their camaraderie allows the boys to work well together.

“The awesome thing about our team this year is that we are all friends,” said Tomei. “Being friends adds a very different dynamic to our team because we

The boys matched up against Acalanes on Thursday March 13.

Unfortunately they lost 1-8 to the Dons.

Senior captain Alex Taylor explains that there were a lot of tie breakers and they were a really good team. Junior Sam Welden agrees that there were a lot of close matches that could’ve gone either way.

“We have talent this year so I want the team to put all of our talent together and win more matches,” said Welden. “I think people would learn a lot more about individual sports by going to tennis matches and seeing how tough it is to do an individual sport where you are out there by yourself.”

On March 11, the Knights took on the Dougherty Valley Wildcats, and they suffered a 0-9 loss.

The team played Alhambra on March 6. Varsity triumphed over the Bulldogs with a score of 7-2.

Varsity coach Rob Allison is

Golf relies on senior leadership

by Kate Didion Co-Sports Editor With four seniors returning to the team as four-year varsity players, the Las Lomas boys golf team hopes to lead through experience.

Senior co-captain Teddy Ford has big goals for the team this season, and believes that this will finally be their year.

“I feel like we finally have what it takes to compete with the top teams in the league,” said Ford.

“A specific goal I have for us is to average under 200 in our league matches. No Las Lomas golf team has ever done that before, and this is the most talent we’ll have on the team for a long time.”

Although the Kights have not played any matches yet, they scrimmaged Alhambra on March 13.

At press time, the team was preparing for its first league match against Miramonte on March 28.

Junior Wyatt Bunting tries to shoot the ball.

have a lot of fun playing together. Last year we were certainly all friends, but we did not have the same bond that we do this year.”

Tomei also believes the team has potential for a DFAL title and hopes to push into the later rounds of NCS. “As a team, we always want to do better than the previous year,”

B. Kirsebom

said Tomei. “This year we hope to win DFAL, and get past second round of NCS.” Warner believes that although they’ve been winning, their best lacrosse is still ahead of them.

“If we play up to our potential, we should be able to contend for the DFAL title and make a strong run during NCS,” said Warner.

starting his third season with great enthusiasm.

“This year is very different because I’ve learned a lot over the last two years so things are smoother,” said Allison. “There are a lot of returning players so I’m not educating as many players for the first time. We also have a lot more talent. Our growth has gone from about 18 players three years ago on both squads; we are carrying 33 this year between both teams.”

Junior varsity coach Pete Sutherland agrees that this years team is one of the strongest teams the school has had in years.

“We have a good group of returners and new players with a lot of talent,” said Sutherland. “I am looking forward to the players improving their skills and having a close cohesive team.”

Senior David Weiner-Light echoed this sentiment.

“This year, we’re hoping to be competitive with some of the better teams in our league, such as Acalanes, Miramonte and Campolindo,” said Weiner-Light.

Young boys team volleyball prepared for long term success

By Kyle Ivy Staff Writer The new season is looking hopeful for the boys varsity volleyball team.

Most recently, the Knights beat Livermore on March 20 in a thrilling five set match.

After falling behind two sets to none, the Knights closed out the victory by winning three consecutive games 25-15, 25-18 and 15-11.

The team also showed its strengths in the NorCal Invitational on March 15 when a 2521, 25-19 victory over Oak Ridge made the Knights the silver division champions.

Junior Max White has high hopes for the remainder of the season.

“We have a really talented group of guys and I think we’ll go far,” he explained. “I see us seeding high in NCS and we have no reason not to go all the way.”

K. Angus Junior Dennis Yamada attacks the ball against Livermore on March 20.

This year’s team is unique in a way that may contribute to their success.

The varsity volleyball team only has one freshman, one sophomore and one senior on the team; the

rest are juniors.

White believes that this is both a good and bad thing.

“Having one senior asks for a lot of leadership from the younger guys which can be hard if you

don’t have the right people,” said White. “I think having one senior is also good because next year we will have the exact same team.”

Junior Alexis Behrooz expands on this.

“We all like each other, and we hangout together, which can be crucial for having good chemistry,” said Behrooz. “This is another advantage of having a juniorbased varsity team.”

Since volleyball is such a team reliant game, this year’s team is in a good place.

“I think that our team has improved so much recently,” White said. “It is still early but I think things will go very well and our next few games will show that.”

Behrooz also shares these hopes for the new year.

“This year is really going to be a fun year, and a stepping stone to next year.”

The Knights next game is on April 9 against Acalanes.

Athletes of the Month Danny Uesugi Baseball What is your favorite memory of your sport?

I would say winning all-league last year because it was an honor, and it was rewarding and satisfying.

If you could go anywhere where would you go?

I would go to Bora Bora because those pictures on Twitter are really nice.

If you could go back to any moment in sports history, what would it be?

I would want to go back to the World Series between the A’s and the Giants, but not the earthquake.

Natalie Baldacci Lacrosse If you could go anywhere where would you go?

Italy because it has the best food and the most amazing sights to see.

If you could go to dinner with anyone, who would it be?

Justin Timberlake, because he writes beautiful music, he’s funny, he’s an actor. He’s the total package.

If you could go back to any moment in sports history, what would it be?

The Big Game of Cal vs. Stanford when the band ran onto the field.

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

A day at the beach.

K. Angus

SPORTS Many swimmers already qualify for NCS Page 12

by Alison Taplin Co-News Editor Swimming is off to a strong start this season, winning both of its home meets against Dublin and Northgate.

The Knights established their dominance early in the Northgate meet by winning both the girls and boys 200-yard medley relays with times of 1:52.63 and 1:38.10, both NCS automatic times. The Knights continued to impress, winning girls and boys 50-yard freestyle. Sophomore Gabbie Heng earned an NCS consideration cut with her time of 25.53. Coming in first for the boys, junior Matt Horner swam a 21.78, automatically qualifying him for NCS. Horner also earned an NCS consideration in the 100-yard freestyle with a 48.33.

Horner hopes to improve his place in NCS this year after placing eighth last year in the 50-yard freestyle.

“This year, I’d like to win the 50 and be top four in the 100 free,” said Horner. “I’m also hoping to make an All-American automatic cut in the 50 and 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly.”

The Knights continued to make NCS considerations and automatic qualifications throughout the meet. In the girls 500-yard freestyle, Las Lomas swept the first four places. Senior Sarah Ward and sophomore Jessica Gillis placed first and second with a 5.30.09 and a 5.31.31, both earning NCS consideration. Heng and freshman Roxy Wheaton came in third and fourth.

Las Lomas also swept the boys 200-yard freestyle relay. Sophomore Noah Williams, Senior Garrett Middleton, Juniors Will

March 28, 2014

Softball has strong start to season

by Kate Didion Co-Sports Editor

Courtesy of J. Freels

Senior Sam Torrigino swims breastroke.

Knox and Matt Horner placed first with a 1:31.1. All three 200-yard freestyle relays earned NCS consideration times.

The Knights won both girls and boys 100-yard breaststroke. Junior Kate Didion automatically qualified for NCS, swimming a 1:06.49.

Junior Aaron Lutzker also qualified automatically with a 1:00.21. Both Didion and Lutzker received considerations in their other events as well.

With numerous NCS considerations and automatic qualifications early in the season, the team has high hopes for the rest of the

season. Senior co-captain Annie Marinchak sees the team making an impression at league.

“The team’s goal is to place top three overall at DFAL, have a higher percentage of swimmers qualify for NCS, and to have many swimmers in finals,” said Marinchak.

According to senior co-captain Sam Toriggino, in order to reach their goals the team must continue to improve until the end of the season.

“We have to continue to work hard at practice and be ready to race at the end of the season,” said Toriggino.

The girls softball team is looking forward to the rest of the season and is heading further into league play with an overall record of 3-4.

On March 18, the Knights traveled to Campolindo to take on the cougars, losing 14-4. Junior Alyssa Younger led the team with two runs batted in. Also contributing to the Knights score were junior Veronica Locher and sophomore Ashley Gardenal, each with one run batted in.

Junior Shelby Husted explained that the team lacked energy in the game against Campolindo, but that she feels like the team can do better.

“We have one more game against them, so we really want to win and that’s our motivation,” said Husted.

The Knights earned an impressive victory over Ygnacio Valley, beating the Warriors 22-0. Junior Serina Bansraj was key in helping the Knights to their definitive win, allowing no hits and only one walk.

The underclassmen led the Knights in RBIs. Sophomore Alison Hodge and freshman Paige Cassidy had four and three RBIs, respectively.

On Mar 12, the Knights fell 19-0 to San Lorenzo.

Just two days earlier, the Knights took on Mt. Eden in a close game that ended with a 21-17 loss for Las Lomas.

At press time, the Knights were scheduled to play Dougherty Valley on March 27.

Girls lacrosse set on winning DFAL Track dominates Alhambra

by Kate Didion Co-Sports Editor

by Kelsey Angus Co-Sports Editor After a first-round loss in NCS last year and yet another second place finish in league, Las Lomas girls lacrosse is working extra hard this year to make it farther.

Most recently, the team played Dougherty Valley on March 21 and won 12-11 in overtime. According to senior captain Natalie Baldacci, this game helped unite the team.

“We were so much better than them,” said Baldacci. “I thought that we shouldn’t be there, that we should have killed them. We really worked together in overtime and put our talent together to become a more united unit.”

Baldacci led the team with nine goals, and sophomore Maddie Meyers, junior Amelia Kerautret and senior Charlotte Leonard followed with four, three and one goal, respectively.

Previously, the Knights had a tough 20-13 loss against Miramonte on March 18. Baldacci and junior Sarah Nejedly led the team with five goals each, while senior goalie Jacqueline Cashman tal-

Senior Natalie Baldacci looks for a teammate to pass to.

lied seven saves.

According to senior captain Camille Fuller, it is a whole different team this year.

“This year we are by far a more unified team,” said Fuller. “Last year we had some really amazing players but we relied on them too much to win games. This year we definitely work more as a whole team to win games. Which I think in the long run leads to a stronger

B. Kirsebom

and more successful team.”

This success is also coming with the addition of a new coach, Emily Hook.

“She is bringing an extra element to our team that we were lacking before,” said Fuller. “She is a no-nonsense kind of coach so when we are at practice we are there to work to exceptions.”

The Knights next game is tonight against Dublin.

The track and field team is looking to improve in individual events and as a team this season.

On March 19, the Knights hosted Dougherty Valley and Alhambra.

The girls lost to Dougherty Valley 73-60, but defeated Alhambra 79-44. The boys had a close meet against Dougherty Valley, winning by a close margin of 66-65. The boys dominated Alhambra 82-35.

Las Lomas started the meet off strong, winning both the mens and womens 1600-meter races. Sophomore Chloe Hansel clocked in first for the girls with a time of 5:12.08. Junior Keeson Davis ran a 4:31.72, winning the boys event.

Davis was pleased with his success in the meet and looks forward to more chances to reach his goals.

“I really want to break 4:30 in the 1600,” said Davis. “It’s my favorite race and I’m very close and

I know I can do it.”

Sophomore Anaya Alexander placed first in the girls 200-meter race with a time of 26.39. Nicole Thorpe, a junior, placed third in the race with a 28.24.

In the boys 100-meter race, senior Nigel Burnett edged out junior teammate Lincoln Kiragu to win the race, running 11.32 and 11.43, respectively.

Seniors Kailen Swain, Miles Dawes and Gabriel Newman swept the top three in the boys 800-meter race, running 2:03.80, 2:05.36 and 2:06.05, respectively.

Las Lomas also placed well in field events. Junior Nma Mbeledogu placed first in the high jump, jumping 5’00’’. Senior Cassandra Butler placed first in the shot put and second in the discus throw. Junior Zackary Fulks had an impressive showing in the field events, winning the long jump and placing second in the triple jump.

The team will compete at the Stanford Invitational on April 4.

Baseball off to rough start, looks to improve

by Kelsey Angus Co-Sports Editor Although the team is off to a rough 2-7 start, Las Lomas baseball has a lot of potential and young talent.

On Tuesday, the Knights beat Miramonte, 7-6, after coming back from a 5-0 deficit.

Before that, the team played Campolindo on March 18 in its league opener. The Knights fell 5-2, but the game was truly much closer in senior Danny Uesugi’s eyes.

“It was looking pretty good until the fifth inning,” said Uesugi.

“It was tied 1-1 and then we made

three errors in one inning and kind of fell apart.”

According to senior Sal Vargas, the team’s best showing so far was in the season opener against Petaluma on Feb. 22.

“We came out strong and pulled off a nice victory against a good ball club,” said Vargas.

However, the Knights would go on a six-game losing streak after this first win.

“We got off to a slow start, but I think we can still make NCS if we play well in league,” said Uesugi.

Last year, the Knights lost eight key seniors, so that is something that they are looking to adjust to.

“It hurt us because we lost a lot of leadership,” said Uesugi.

“Those guys had been on varsity for a long time.”

Additionally, the team this year is especially young.

“The main difference from our team last year is that we have very few seniors this year,” said Vargas.

“Only five. It is up to us seniors (and some juniors) this year to lead the team by example. This years team is unique in the fact that we are quite young for a varsity team.

But we aren’t lacking in skill by any means just because we are young.”

The team was scheduled to play Dougherty Valley yesterday and will play Freedom on April 8.

N. Hawthorne Sophomore Clayton Fritschi attempts to jump as far as he can in the long jump on March 19.