Volume 65, Issue 2

the Page VOL. 65, ISSUE 2

WWW.LASLOMASPAGE.COM

DECEMBER 18, 2015

A DAY IN THE CITY

GENDER NEUTRALITY

FEELING THE PRESSURE

What to do, eat and see in the Mission and Haight districts

Everyone deserves a restroom on campus

Las Lomas students and staff talk about stress

In this issue 3-4....................................................................NEWS 5-7...................................OPINIONS AND COLUMNS 8-10............................................................FEATURES 12-13.............................................ENTERTAINMENT 15-16............................................................SPORTS

S T A F F Layout Editor: Kyle Ivy

Opinions/Columns Editor: Charlotte Pletsch

News Editors: Quinn McMillian Raelyn Kaplam

Sports Editors: Valerie Fetzer Danielle Fleming-Craig Aliya Sondel

Entertainment Editors: Grace Bridges Isabel Bartling Advisor: Emelie C. Gunnison

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This page: A.J. Osborn

Cover: R. Larson

Features Editor: Tanvi Saran

Lead Photographers: Aisha Horley Raina Larson

In this issue 3-4....................................................................NEWS 5-7...................................OPINIONS AND COLUMNS 8-10............................................................FEATURES 12-13.............................................ENTERTAINMENT 15-16............................................................SPORTS

S T A F F Layout Editor: Kyle Ivy

Opinions/Columns Editor: Charlotte Pletsch

News Editors: Quinn McMillian Raelyn Kaplam

Sports Editors: Valerie Fetzer Danielle Fleming-Craig Aliya Sondel

Entertainment Editors: Grace Bridges Isabel Bartling Advisor: Emelie C. Gunnison

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This page: A.J. Osborn

Cover: R. Larson

Features Editor: Tanvi Saran

Lead Photographers: Aisha Horley Raina Larson

N E W S Too many Knights at the table? Las Lomas feeling crowded

By Audrely Zhou This year, 1528 students are enrolled in Las Lomas. That’s more than Campolindo by over 200 and more than Miramonte by 300. Acalanes has the second highest student population with about 1400.

Superintendent John Nickerson said the district has been trying to figure out a solution to the crowded conditions for at least six months.

“We’ve been having discussions about the projected enrollment growth at Las Lomas, which is projected to get larger in future years,” Nickerson said.

According to district data, Las Lomas is projected to grow to nearly 1700 by 2020. Social Studies teacher China Harvey said that a crowded campus is a problem for everyone at school.

“When a teacher has to share a room with another teacher, or they have to move out of their rooms during a prep, it’s doing our students a disservice,” said Harvey.

When she wants to help students outside of class, it’s hard to find a place to do so.

“I’ll do it in the Social Studies office, but other teachers are in here as well: Now they’ve lost their prep space, and the student I’m meeting with doesn’t feel comfortable because we are trying to have a one-on-one conversation with other teachers in the room.”

Harvey worries that when teachers can’t work in their classrooms, students are less inclined to seek them out for help: “They know that I don’t have my own space—and that they don’t know where to find me.”

Many Las Lomas teachers share classrooms with each other.

“This is my first year that I don’t move classrooms, but normally I’m moving between two classrooms, and it’s especially hard for science because I have labs,” said science teacher Jesse Polivka.

“So I’m constantly in and out of classrooms, which is obviously not optimal. It’s a hassle!”

Principal Matt Campbell knows that teachers are frustrated: “We have a lot of really great students here and a lot of really great staff. Having that limited amount of space makes it really challenging to teach in and it’s challenging to be a student. I have heard that a lot—that student has a hard time finding their teachers.”

To tackle the problem, the district has put together a task force made up of administrators and teachers to figure out a solution.

French teacher Mona Mulhair, who is a member of that group, said that the committee is trying to find an optimal way of dealing with the limited space issue here at Las Lomas.

“It’s going to take some time to find the solution because the number of teachers doesn’t match the number of classrooms that we have,” she said.

The group met for the first time on Dec. 3.

“We had so many ideas, but nothing yet is concrete,” said Mulhair. “And I do remember we had this issue happen so long ago and the district had to have a portable to accommodate the teachers who didn’t have any place to go.”

When asked about the possibility of portables, Campbell said, “As of right now, it is not an possibility. That’s why we are looking at the options in terms of just looking at the existing space

on campus.”

As of now, looking at existing space and finding better use of it seems to be the ideal decision. “This coming May, one of the thing they wanted to do was examine the use of classrooms at Las Lomas because the other schools, when they have been crowded like that, have looked at their classrooms and figured out a way use different spaces different ways, which is something they haven’t done at Las Lomas,” said Nickerson. “It’s really just looking at the use of classrooms – how those are being used and if there is better use of them. That’s what they’ve done in Acalanes, Campolindo and Miramonte and they have been able to produce several extra classrooms from it.”

Some Walnut Creek residents assume that that the widespread construction of new apartments developments will contribute to the projected increase enrollment rate at Las Lomas. To this, Nickerson says, “Most of the growth is not happening because of the developments. What they’re finding with the new developments is that they’re not producing a lot of students.”

Nickerson said that most of those tenants “are either single, don’t have kids or retirees.” Instead, he said, “most of the growth that’s happening is just natural demographic swings in existing housing.

Regardless of where those students are coming from, the district is going to have to come up with the space for them to attend school.

Students fill the College/Career Center.

R. Larson

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N E W S

Are you smarter than the ____ team?

Average GPAs of Las Lomas Fall Sports Teams 2015 Men Cross country 3.51 JV volleyball 3.45 JV water polo 3.4 Frosh football 3.23 Varsity water polo 3.22 Varsity football 3.16 JV football 2.89

Women Cross country 3.63 Golf 3.6 Varsity tennis 3.57 Frosh volleyball 3.56 JV tennis 3.49 Varsity water polo 3.46 JV volleyball 3.45 JV water polo 3.41 Varsity volleyball 3.34

‘Octothorpic,’ an outlet for creativity

by Raelyn Kaplan Incorporating webcomics, music, podcasts, and more, the website ‘Octothorpic’ has been successfully run by Junior Blair Selph for almost a year.

“It was me and one of my friends named Brandon,” said Selph. “We’ve always been creative and really been trying to create something. A few years ago (it might have been two at this point), we had this idea for a comic and we started developing it. We eventually decided to create the Octothorpic site to house that project and to house the other projects we’ve been creating.”

A webcomic titled “Crucible” is Octothorpic’s main focus, but it also includes various other works, one of which is described

by the site as “a sort-of daily podcast about school life.”

“The website is mostly for news about the stuff that I’m trying to create, which includes video games, comics, just creative stuff,” Selph said.

According to Selph, the site is still in the process of acquiring the recognition she hopes it someday will.

“I write news posts so far, because a lot of the projects I’m trying to create are somewhat difficult to produce. None of them are actually out yet, which is unfortunate,” she said. “The internet is a big place and it’s difficult to get your voice out there without really having a consumer base or without advertising.”

Blair and Octothorpic co-creator Brandon Akin. Graphic courtesey of B. Selph.

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OPINION

Everyone needs a place to pee to peace

by Aisha Horley Everyone has experienced that feeling when you’re driving somewhere and you’re stuck on that long stretch of empty road to nowhere and you really have to go to the bathroom.

Now imagine having to feel like that every time you want to go to the bathroom at school.

People on the gender spectrum who identify differently from their born sex have to deal with this every day. And sometimes trying to choose between the girls and boys bathrooms can be so stressful that they often end up avoiding using either all day.

It is ridiculous that anyone should have to worry about something as simple as going to the bathroom.

Being transgender is a term many accept but still do not understand. Bianca, a senior who only wanted to use his first name, said, “Being trans is identifying with a gender outside of what I was assigned with at birth.”

“Everyone experiences gender differently—it’s unique to everyone.”

California law says that “no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, [or] gender identity.”

As of January 2014, students have a right to access school facilities that are consistent with their gender identity no matter what it says on their school records. The law describe gender as “sex and includes a person’s gender identity and gender expression.”

All students are allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with, but people who classify themselves as agender feel that they relate with neither male or female but rather they have what could be

thought of as no gender. These students therefore feel like they don’t fit in either the female or male bathroom.

Las Lomas offers these students access to a bathroom in the health office, but some students said they would feel uncomfortable having to ask to use it.

“I would feel a bit uncomfortable asking to use a different bathroom, as I am not “out” about my gender identity to everyone,” said one student who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Bianca said that not everyone knew it was there—and it’s hard to get into that restroom when the nurse is not in her office.

“It feels like it kind of isolates people and ostracizes them.”

It is not enough for the school to tell transgender students that they can use a different restroom from their peers. Instead, Las Lomas needs an easily accessible bathroom in a central location that all students know about.

Having a gender neutral facility could help many at school who do feel they are agender, transgender or others.

“I have had multiple experiences where I feel that a neutral bathroom would have been helpful or better than a gendered bathroom,” said the student who asked to remain anonymous. “I was born a girl, although I look more like a boy and often feel more like one. I always end up using the female bathroom, where I often get weird looks. These issues usually cause me to never use public bathrooms, which would be solved with a gender neutral bathroom.”

Bianca said that many students would be happy to see a gender neutral facility on campus.

“I personally could benefit from it and just having a space that I don’t have to

feel as gendered when you’re going to the bathroom and everything and just knowing that I have so many friends that could benefit from it so that they don’t have to use facilities that don’t fit with their gender when they are using gender facilities.”

Associate principal Amanda Renno said that although she did not know of any previous proposals for a restroom, “I defiantly think there could be a conversation about that.”

While it isn’t a definite guarantee, it shows hope for transgender and other students to feel safe in their school. Transgender students already have to go through many troubles of gender dysphoria.

“They want a single stall they want something where it’s just them in that space,” Bianca said.

Figuring out gender can be such a long and deeply personal process.

“I think I’ve kind of known my whole life, but I came to terms with beings trans male this school year,” Bianca said. “I’ve been exploring my gender since I was 15, ever since I figured I could do that.”

When a gender neutral bathroom is accessible it doesn’t lead to the issue of questioning which bathroom one wants to use. Bianca said, “Right now since I’m still working on coming out I still use the girls bathrooms, but my eventual goal is to be able to use what I identify with, which would be the male bathrooms.”

But it’s not just about transgender and agender students. A gender neutral bathroom is just that: a restroom for everyone and anyone in the gender spectrum.

Offering this facility would give these students a safe space where they do not run into the problem of having to choose a bathroom they do not feel they belong.

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O P I N I O N S

A

Asking questions about proccesed meats

by Damian Guzman

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Cancer Research UK

Only 3.2% of Americans call themselves vegetarian.

Many vegetarians choose to refrain from meat mainly because of the cruelties animals are exposed to in living spaces and slaughterhouses. Most people eat meat due to habit, or because it tastes good. Many Americans often call vegetarians ridiculous and can’t imagine giving up meat. I can’t imagine it myself. But something might cause a shift in attitude towards vegetarianism, even appealing to people not focusing on the harm endured by the animals.

More and more evidence is appearing suggesting that a lifestyle of eating meat, especially processed meat, may lead to cancer and other serious health complications.

“I’m a vegetarian because I don’t want to be part of an industry that feeds of cruelty and death of innocent animals,” said Wanda Stamford, a senior at Piedmont High School. The animals are mistreated as the people purchasing the meat are ied to by believing that protein can only be found in meat, an outdated lie that has been proven wrong multiple times considering that 100g of cow meat contains less protein than 100g of broccoli. The vegetarian lifestyle is also healthier, the meat sold in supermarkets or butcher shops is genetically modified and passes through processes of coloring to make it look red, the processes that

the meat goes through before coming to the plate are related to many diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Any individual who praises their own health should become a vegetarian, it is an altruistic stand that benefits one’s health along with saving the thousands of innocent animals from a cruel ending.”

Not eating meat is a foreign idea to America, and not one we really want to consider.

But to stay healthy, it may become a necessity. This generation is predicted to be the first generation of people who are supposed to die younger than their parents. This is due to our diets and the scourge of obesity. While meat is not the only factor in this, it is considered to be one. Meat, although a great source of protein, also contains high levels of sodium, about 310 milligrams per ounce in processed meat. That is about 13% of the recommended amount of daily sodium intake, around 2,300 milligrams. The amount of sodium in non-processed meat is much lower, around 77 milligrams.

The problem with this is that processed meat is much more common than non-processed meat. Beef jerky, sausages, “fresh” beef patties, chicken nuggets and more are all processed meats and widely available in grocery stores and fast food restaurants. Processed meats are also more popular due to their cheapness and how easy they are to prepare.

According to the University of California Medical School, “Children who eat more than 12 hotdogs per month have nine times the normal risk of developing childhood leukemia.”

Americans should actually pay attention to what they are eating. Processed meat needs to stop being presented as a fundamental part of a diet.

Kids going to school have little choices other than to eat cheap chicken nuggets, processed

pepperoni pizza, or mechanically separated beef. Parent’s also need to be more aware of what foods they get their kids. Most parents do not think twice when buying snacks or quick microwavable foods for their kids. Most American’s are misinformed about meat and their diets through false observational studies, the unreliability of dietary questionnaires, and the notion that food consumption can be a marker of health.

N D

C O L U M N S

Despite terrorist attacks, Paris prevails

by Raelyn Kaplan I was walking to my car on a Friday afternoon that had been going just as ordinarily as any other.

“Raelyn!” I heard from behind me. I turned around and found my friend’s mom sitting in her car, listening intently to a radio broadcast. “Did you hear what happened in Paris?”

Bombings, shootings, multiple synchronized attacks, and hostages were all words used in the frenetic description of the horror that was happening in the city I used to call home. My thoughts immediately jumped to the Parisian friends and family I was planning to visit over Thanksgiving break—only five days from now. Were they okay? Fortunately, they all confirmed that they were unharmed.

Our trip had been planned for months.

Would we be safe there? Yes, we decided, the idea of going was scary. But if we chose to change our plans, it would only be letting the terrorists win. We refused to give them the satisfaction and power of seeing the fear they had so intentionally instilled. We landed in Paris five days later.

“Look behind you,” my mom whispered. I turned around to come face-toface with a camouflage uniform and a machine gun. I had been in the airport for a total of five minutes and the warmth of the colorful “Welcome to Paris” sign was already fading. My French passport was examined more thoroughly than usual upon reaching passport control.

The city was on high alert. Security guards waited at the entrance of every store. Each bag to pass through the door was checked for weapons, and jackets were opened to ensure that no one was attached to explosives. Our bodies were even scanned with a metal wand. The few people responsible for the attacks had managed to jeopardize humanity’s trust in “Paris is still standing”

R. Kaplan

such a way that, I, a 16-year-old girl, could no longer walk into a store without first proving my innocence.

Though inconvenient, I was willing to be searched if it meant being safe for the greater good. Just as my family could not trust that the city was safe, the city could not trust that we were safe people.

Passing groups of soldiers and their weapons on the street was a daily occuance, and walking next to a fully loaded machine gun naturally made me uneasy. I wondered, how safe did the soldiers feel?

Their faces were blank as stone and their stiff body language radiated intensity.

We drove past a public square that had become a memorial site to those lost to the attacks. Loving notes lay with overflowing flowers and candles. Grieving loved ones stood mourning. This was not Paris. Paris is vibrant, bursting with life, buzzing with activity, and it is proudly known as “the city of love.” It was as if the terrorists stole all of those beautiful attributes and replaced them with fear. My home was frozen in a bubble of sadness.

And yet, coexisting with the terror was also a beautiful amount of resilience from the French people. Cafés were still full. Streets were still crowded with activity. Graffiti was sprayed into inspirational messages throughout the city with saying such as, “Paris will always be Paris,” and “Paris is still standing.” Fear was interspersed within an even stronger rebound.

There was no distinct surge of relief when it came time return home, as if the persistent French spirit had inspired the worry out of me. While it’s a scary thought to be in a place where terrorism has hit, I realize that it is just as likely to happen here in California on any given day because it is so hard to predict where terrorists will strike next. In the meantime, Paris is recovering and strong, and taught me that all we can do is live fearlessly in the moment.

F E A T

L AS

LOMAS

STUDENT

What does stress feel like to you?

“Stress is an emotional sensation like in my stomach almost. Kind of like dizzy-ing and painful and uncomfortable. Like butterflies but in a bad way. Stress is something that inhibits progress.”

-Alina K, Senior “Excessive stress gives me anxiety that can be difficult to manage in certain circumstances. Stress makes me doubt my abilities and it leads me to believe that I cannot achieve certain tasks that others can complete easily.”

-Mariclare Newsom, Sophmore “Stress feels like I’m trapped behind a cage, but anything I do won’t amount to anything. Stress influences me to give up and procrastinate.”

-Andrew Baker, Senior

“Stress feels like a billion mean cats trying to claw my eyes out.”

-Claire Sellick, Freshman “Stress is kind of like drowning and not being able to breathe when everyone else around you is fine and well.”

-Komal Sethi, Sophmore “Stress feels like you putting your hand on a hot grill and just leaving it there until you finally finish whatever you needed to do.

There is a panic and it starts to affect you physically, but it doesn’t go away until you finished whatever project or test you need to do.

Stress makes me more panicked and I become more easily angered at tiny things. Life starts to feel like a life or death situation that I am just not good at handling.”

-Jackie Leonard, Junior

How does stress influence you?

“Exhaustion. Irritation. But there are those times where it’s so overwhelming that I’ve just broken down crying. I’ve actually talked to some of my friends and they’ve had that happen to them as well.

But I’m just mentally drained.”

-Mireya Montolvan, Freshman

8

“Exhaustion. Irritation. But there are those times where it’s so overwhelming that I’ve just broken down crying. I’ve actually talked to some of my friends and they’ve had that happen to them as well.

But I’m just mentally drained.”

-Morgan Kaplan, Senior

U R E S

S

FEEL

THE

PRESSURE

Which stresses you out more: Homework or tests?

“I feel like if I don’t understand the homework I won’t do well on the test. And it takes me a while to actually finish my homework so when I have a lot of it, it stresses me out on how long it’s gonna take. But when it’s like a big test like finals, it’s really stressful because you’ve learned all this new stuff and forgot the stuff you learned earlier that semester, you have to go back and relearn all of it.”

-Rose Peckham, Sophomore

“Tests stress me out more because the grading is weighted and tests affect your grades more. Also, tests are harder than homework.”

-Lily Stine, Freshman “Tests, because tests are what really changes your grade from an A- to a B+ or from a B- to an A- where homework can not change your grade drastically.”

-Nikki Nilsson, Junior

Why do you think students cheat?

“I think students cheat because there is so much pressure to do well. Our generation has basically been told that in order to have a job when they’re older, they have to get into a “good” college, which means getting “good” grades in high school. So many students think their entire future revolves around what grades they get now.”

-Morgan Kaplan, Senior “People cheat when they feel like they have no other option, if they need at least three hours of sleep and school starts in four hours they’re gonna do whatever it takes to get that sleep. Or, if this test is going to affect 50% of their grade, people are going to definitely do whatever they can to secure a good grade on that test.”

-Jackie Leonard, Junior “Because society calls for advancement in life, like college etc., and with that fear they want to do well. They would rather cheat to get a good grade than risk not answering it. At that moment in time they fear that the rewards greatly exceed the loss. So they cheat pretty much to get ahead because I mean survival of the fittest.”

-Ryan Aster, Junior

“The demands if school and the demands of their extracurricular activities aren’t giving them enough time to do their work, but we should also be teaching them that if you’re going to sign up for all these things you have to be able to manage the demand. And so you’re going to have to manage our schedule. If your schedule is so demanding that you can’t do your work for school you need to fix something. We are not teaching kids how to do that. So they are overwhelmed, they are cheating because they don’t have time.”

- Meredith Tate, Teacher “I think students cheat because they didn’t learn the material very well. They could also just be lazy and not want to try and do their work. I think they could also cheat because they have other things the night before and don’t have enough time at night to do their homework or study for a test. There are only so many hours in a day to get everything you need to do done.”

- Victoria Scalfaro, Junior “It’s the pressure of succeeding.”

-Mireya Montalvan, Freshman

What would you rate your stress on a scale of 1 to 5?

“Students cheat because it makes everything easier on their lives.

1, if they didn’t study it saves them. 2, they might be too lazy. 3, if they fail at something, they don’t have to blame it on themselves because they have that other person (who they cheated from) to blame.”

-Claire Sellick, Freshman “Well, the stress of having it affect on your future make people want to cheat and that outweighs the knowledge of admitting that you’re wrong.”

-Evan Nolan, Sophomore

“School gives me a 4. I would say my school stress level is so high because colleges really look at grades when admitting students.”

-Morgan Kaplan, Senior “Probably 4. And I don’t have a lot of pressure in my life. And when I do, it’s related to school. It’s stressful to know that these four years can make or break your career. And it’s all so mentally and physically challenging that when you get home, you just want to lay down, but then you feel pressure because you know you should do your homework instead.”

-Rose Peckham, Sophomore 9 K. IVY

Controlling Stress with Mindfulness

R. Larson

by Raina Larson “It’s going to happen a lot that the mind wanders, because thats the nature of the mind,” said Erica Amundson, an art teacher at Las Lomas, when asked about what her mindfulness sessions. “So what we’re seeing when we do it is we’re seeing the nature of the mind: what the mind does and being okay with what happens at that particular moment.”

Amundson holds sessions every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school and in her art classes, and she has been meditating on her own for about 15 years. “It helps me as a person, it helps me as a teacher, and sharing it with my students, I feel like it it’s allows them to be kinder and gentler to themselves.”

She talks about an anchor, or where you notice the sensation of your breath in the body the most. An anchor could be anything from the rising and falling of the chest to the 10

sounds of the room to a phrase that someone repeats to themselves. In her sessions, Amundson helps herself, or her students, find peace by having them close their eyes and notice any sensations in the body, emotions, or if the mind is in the past, present, or thinking of future events. “We can label that, just be aware of what’s happening, and then again bring the attention back to the anchor.”

Amundson has attendedd various trainings for learning—and later teaching—her mindfulness sessions. She said that she did it and kept on doing the practice because she noticed that she was more patient, present, and just more at peace in general, although she clarified that it did not make her feel peaceful all the time, but that it allowed her to access peace when she needed it.

Amundson said that she started practicing with her students when she saw that in the arts, people were becoming overly concerned with the product, and not the pro-

cess. “It’s just not a fun way to experience art.

It’s not a holistic, rich approach to the arts,” she said. Although school can be a stressful place, with grades and assignments, and extra circulars, Amundson says that students should be motivated and interested by themselves, as opposed to any policies around the school. She talked about how it’s helped her change her approach as a teacher, making her less concerned with the little things and helping her see what she really wants for her students, like managing themselves, not being too hard on themselves, and just to be happy.

Amundson says that she thinks that at least some her students are stressed, and that mindfulness can help with it, if you do it on a regular basis. Mindfulness, although it should not be enforced, is a great method to relax and relive stress, when individuals do it for their own purposes. “It’s not really something to be achieved. It’s something to notice.”

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E N T E R T A

From left to right: Tim Chuang, Sarah Tero, Claire Yu, Emily Bartling, & Reilly Terao

I. Bartling

20 strings + five friends = mesmerizing music

by Izzy Bartling The moment the group plays, you can feel a magnetic pull that is willing you to get lost in the sound. With junior Tim Chuang on the cello, senior Sarah Tero on the viola, senior Claire Yu on the violin, freshman Emily Bartling on the violin and sophomore Reilly Terao on the cello, the musical talent and compatible personalities of these students help to create the perfect group to make music.

Most of their practices take place at my house, so I get to hear them play often. It’s quite a treat to listen to and watch them play; the music is mesmerizing and they play so comfortably together.

Throughout any song they are practicing or performing, they are always smiling at each other.

“We are really more of friends than a group that just plays music,” Tim said. “I mean, we do play music together, but it’s really more of a close bond.”

Yu shared something similar.

“I like how we’ve become so close, and we can just tell each other everything, and we work well together,” she said. “We don’t get frustrated.”

Each of the students in the group are dedicated to music and either started their instruments in middle school or elementary school.

“In the fourth grade, my school music teacher was coming around and showing us a bunch of instruments and was pretty much trying to recruit us into the music program and when she got to the viola, she started playing the star wars theme song and I’m a big fan of Star Wars,” Tero said. “After this, I really wanted to play the viola and I asked my dad, but he said ‘no, you have to play the violin,’ so I played the violin until seventh grade when Ms. Ziegas-Brown was like, ‘Hey, we have a cello and a bass. Now we need a viola,.Who wants to volunteer?’ And I was like, This is my time, and so I said, ‘Sure I will.’

And I’ve been playing viola ever since.”

The string quartet was created in September of last year by Tarao with the help of the

Las Lomas music teacher Kara Ravina. Terao chooses the music and helps out finding gigs.

“I usually go off of what the rest of the group wants to play or stuff I hear on the radio or on YouTube. Mostly YouTube,” Terao said.

Since the beginning of this year, there have been some changes including the addition of freshman Emily Bartling.

“I was so excited to join. I knew that playing in the quartet would make me more passionate about playing and it has definitely proved to be true,” said Bartling.

Not too long ago, the string quartet made a surprising appearance in the rally court and carried out a successful flash mob.

“It was kind of nice seeing the reaction of the people. It was really unexpected and exciting,” said Chuang.

The quartet plans to play in a variety of different places including downtown Walnut Creek and Rossmoor.

Wherever they perform, they will continue to excite and amaze people with their wonderful talent and close bond.

I N M E N T A Day in the Mission and Haight Districts of SF

by Tanvi Saran & Julia Ju 1. E l M a t a t e

In the heart of the Mission is El Matate, a bright yellow restaurant on the corner of Bryant and 23rd. The hard to miss building is very warm on the inside and the smell of Mexican food is infectious. Not only is the building very charming, but the food has a charm itself. Everything from the enchiladas to the flan is great. The place isn’t expensive, has variety, and serves truly tasty food.

2. Va l e n c i a S t r e e t & B a l my A l l ey M u r a l s

No trip to San Francisco’s Mission District is complete without a trip to the Balmy Alley Murals. The hidden gem is located in between 24th Street and Garfield Square. While spending only an hour of your time, you can check out this small street of murals encompassing culture, emotion, and heritage and incorporating the representation of human rights, gentrification, and Hurricane Katrina, all in art form. Not only are the murals beautiful, but they are also powerful and inspiring.

3. Ta r t i n e B a ke r y

Tartine Bakery is a famous bakery shop located on Guerrero Street, known for its delectable food and a huge line always stretching around it. Inside the shop, many kinds of cake, bread, cookies, and more are displayed on the counter. Their croissants are popular because of its delightfully buttery taste that greatly satisfies the appetite of customers. Also, the Banana Cream Tart is another one of their famous treats. This popular pastry contains slices of banana and chocolate shavings on top.

4. Mission Dolores Park

Mission Dolores Park is a beautiful as it sounds. This vivacious park is the perfect place for a picnic with friends, exercising, or just relaxing. With its breathtaking view of the city, the park attracts a variety of different people from families and young-adults to old men playing rap music from a boombox. A sporty crowd tends to form because of the available tennis and basketball courts. On calm days, Mission Dolores serves as an oasis for people looking for a good place to unwind from a long day.

5. T h e M i l l

If you are looking for the perfect place for a coffee stop, The Mill is the place to go. Along with its extensive variety of coffees, lattes and espressos, this popular coffee shop satisfies one’s hunger too. They have many types of bread, including Garlic Potato Bread with Cream Cheese and the delicious Cinnamon Toast. The coffee shop itself is a great place to hang out, work or to just rest in. Everything from the simple but warm interior design to the delicious food and drinks convinces people to want to keep coming back.

Photos 1-4, 6-7: J. Ju Photo 5: T. Saran

6. H a y e s S t r e e t

If you are looking for the best area to do some shopping and snacking, Hayes Street is the place. Filled with small gift shops, unique boutiques, and lots of restaurants, this lively street is welcoming to any crowd. It’s a great place to visit with friends and family.

7. S o u v l a

Located on Hayes Street is the unique and delicious Greek restaurant called Souvla. On some days it may be hard to miss because of the restaurant’s small size, but during most days, it can easily be spotted by long lines traveling outside the door. The food served there is one-of-a-kind. The perfectly seasoned chicken wraps are a recommended item.

Freshman Alexa Evans takes on varsity sports

A. Evans

by Alison Phillips Starter on varsity for two consecutive sports, freshman Alexa Evans has the pressure of entering high school as a varsity athlete for fall volleyball and winter basketball. It was quite a transition for Evans, since both sports require five days of practice a week as opposed to two days, when she was in middle school. “The game is a lot more fast paced,” said Evans. However, playing alongside upperclassmen has taught her a lot.

She started competing in basketball at

the young age of four. Although she does not have a set position, her coach’s goal is to have her be a point guard. What drives Evans’ passion about basketball is “how intense it is and how it’s always go, go, go. There’s never a time where you’re just standing around.” said Evans.

“I learned so much, especially in volleyball because the person, Adrienne Lim, that played my position took the time to teach me,” said Evans.

Evans’ work ethic and dedication to her sports lead her to early success, as well as sprouting to the height of 5’8, which is beneficial when being playing sports that require reach.

Evans is the only freshman on varsity volleyball; however, she does not feel inferior to her older team members.

“I feel that I’ve been very accepted because they don’t treat me like I’m younger because I’m almost at an equal playing level.” said Evans.

“The reason why I push so hard to be on two varsity sports is because that’s how I tell myself that all of my hard work has paid off.” said Evans.

Evans has been playing volleyball since the sixth grade as a setter, and as an occa-

sional right side position. Her inspiration to starting volleyball at a young age was by being exposed to watching her older sisters play and she, “always thought it was cool.”

Volleyball to Evans is defined as, “a very big team sport, it’s not a sport that you could have one star player because you never know where the ball’s gonna go.

And everyone on the team has to be on the same page, otherwise the team doesn’t work.”

Evan’s goal is to play Division I College Volleyball, and making varsity as a freshman proved to her that she has a chance of progressing and gaining skill, in which she hopes will lead to a volleyball scholarship.

Captain of the varsity Basketball team, Senior Ari Miralles, shares what she likes best about having Evans on the team.

“Alexa is hands down my wingman and my other half. We have this clear chemistry on the court that makes playing the game so much easier and more fun,” said Miralles. “I know where she is and she knows where I am at all times and we both know what the other needs. I really don’t even know how it happened so quickly and effortlessly but I am so glad to have her on the team.”

Julia Wang excels in tennis and pole vaulting

by Audrely Zhou As she sprinted up to the net for a drop shot, junior tennis player Julia Wang fell and flung her racket to the side after misplacing a step. “It was the middle of the first set,” said Wang.

“I was going up for a drop shot and I rolled my ankle.”

Dragging her injured ankle across the pale blue court, Wang was told by her coach that it was fine if she forfeited her at DFAL championships.

“I really was just going to quit after that game, but after a while I thought, ‘Why not? I’ll just finish it. I don’t want to just forfeit,’” said Wang.

She ended up beating her opponent from Dougherty Valley with a score of 6-4, 6-3, and advancing on to NCS. Wang has played tennis competitively for six years and she is the captain to Las Lomas girls’ tennis team.

“Going into high school I was very excited to join the team. I got to meet a lot

of new people and become friends,” said Wang. “But being the captain is sometimes stressful because you have all the authority and you’d feel bad now and then.”

However, many of her teammates acknowledge Wang for her great leadership and genuine personality. “Julia is a super good leader,” said senior Haley Mehlman, a fellow captain. “Her enthusiasm helped motivate the team and her hard work during practice served as a role model for the other players.”

Sophomore Sofia Monroy, a fellow teammate, agrees with Mehlman. “Julia Wang is an exemplary tennis player,” said Monroy. “She always puts 100% effort into her matches which is something we should all do. She set up team bonding activities which brought our team closer together and helped pick us back up when our spirits were down.”

Aside from striving on the courts, Wang also excells in

J. Wang

tennis. Wang is a pole vaulter for track and field. “I started pole vaulting my freshman year during track season,” said Wang. “This is going to be my third year.”

Winning DFAL with ease her sophomore year, Wang proceeded onto NCS. “Because pole vaulting is not its own sport, not that many people know about it,” said Wang. “I won NCS for pole vaulting last year.”

Being both an incredible player and leader, Julia Wang’s efforts and tenacity is greatly appreciated. “She is fun, loving and sweet.” said Monroy.

Wang’s enthuiasm, well-roundedness, and love for her sport has lead her to achieve great goals and thrive at various competitions. “She won DFAL, which not only reflect her incredible skills, but also the determination and hard work she put into the team.”

S P O R T S Colin Hannigan strives in competetive bowling

by Gracie Bridges For most of us, bowling may be something we do for fun with our friends on a Saturday night. However, for senior Colin Hannigan, bowling has become his uncommon sport of choice. Hannigan has been playing ever since he ended his baseball career in 2007. Hannigan’s unique talent was recognized by a family friend who saw potential in him.

“I used to play baseball and just go to the bowling alley for fun with one of my family friends, but at one of my baseball games she came up to me and brought me a bowling ball and told me that I was now going to be bowling with her in a league,” said Hannigan.

He said that bowling comes with benefits, like earning scholarships for college.

“For every league or tournament I play in there’s a chance of winning a scholarship.” said Hannigan. “If you place well enough then you get a scholarship which can be used for any post high school education.”

Hannigan said he would love to have a Las Lomas bowling team, but it might not be too realistic considering the small number of bowlers. “It would be super cool, but like there’s not enough people I don’t think.”

Off campus, however, Hannigan says that many young people bowl.

“There’s a good 15 people that are in my league that are right around my age and then there’s a tournament that includes all of NorCal and there is probably a good 140 kids that are my age,” Hannigan said.

For now, Hannigan bowls at Paddock

Bowl in Martinez and practices twice a week.By practicing consistently, he continues to prepare for his tournament that involves everyone in his bowling league which Hannigan states is, “once a week every Sunday.”

Retiring from playing baseball was a successful decision for Hannigan. His natural talent continues to progress in his bowling career, to the point where his performance has almost reached perfection.

“I’ve shot a 299, which is one pin away from a perfect game,” said Hannigan.

One of the reasons Hannigan excells at his sport is because of his enthuiasm and passion. Overall, Hannigan shares what his favorite part of the sport really consists of.

He mainly enjoys “competing with people all over northern California and meeting new people.”

Athletes of the Month Ari Miralles Basketball

Jeff Caldwell Wrestling

Position: Point Guard

Weight Class: 138/132

Your most embarrassing moment while playing here at Las Lomas: One time my sophomore year, my team and I arrived at an away game pretty early, and when it came time to gear up I realized I forgot my jersey, so I needed to borrow Alison Hodge’s shooting shirt and use medical tape to tape my number onto the front and back.

Your most embarrassing moment while playing here at Las Lomas: My most embarassing moment was when I broke my nose on Willie Amens’ knee

Best friend on Snapchat: Haleem!

Best friend on Snapchat: Adam Laserre Go-to snack before a game: Pb&J because it keeps me full.

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