Issue 3 by The Campanile

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The Campanile

Vol. XCV, No. 3

50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • www.palycampanile.org

Friday, November 9, 2012

Five propositions pass

Voters approve Prop 30 for emergency school funding Charlie Dulik editor-in-chief

lection day in California can often be predictable and boring. On Nov. 6, Californians overwhelmingly re-elected prominent Democrats like President Barack Obama, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Anna Eshoo, and Democrats in the state assembly are on the verge of a supermajority. However, California state propositions, from legalized marijuana to banning same-sex marriage, have a history of contentious debate and close results. Here is a breakdown of the five statewide propositions that voters approved, and what they mean for Californians.

Staff aim to create a policy with a focus on intervention rather than punishment. Albert lee Maya Kitayama Staff Writers

Prop 30

Governor Jerry Brown can breathe a sigh of relief. Proposition 30, the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act which he championed, passed by a 7.2 percent margin, with 53.6 percent of voters supporting the measure and 46.4 percent opposing. Prop. 30 will raise the income tax on individuals making more than $250,000 a year for the next seven years. Prop. 30 will also increase sales tax by a quarter of a cent per dollar, bringing it up to 7.5 percent. The money raised from the tax hike is estimated to generate between $6 and $7.6 billion for education, which will prevent billion dollar trigger cuts on Jan. 1 that were projected to have drastic effects on state schools. The measure bans the use of its funds for administrative costs and instead allows local school boards to decide how to allocate the money. Though the proposition focuses its revenue on

Academic honesty policy committee formed

Michael Wang/the campanile

the education system, some money is diverted for public safety and paying the state’s debt. The measure includes a provision to the state Constitution to dedicate money from the vehicle license fee (about $6 billion a year) to local governments to cover the costs of state programs under their jurisdiction. Prop 35

Endorsed by both the Democratic and Republican Parties of California,

Proposition 35 passed with 81.1 percent of the support of California voters. Prop. 35 creates tougher sentences and increased fines for human trafficking convictions. The bill legislates that human traffickers must register as sex offenders, and requires registered sex offenders to disclose Internet activities and identities to law enforcement. This proposition will cost state and local governments a few million dollars a year. Revenue raised from the increased fines goes

toward causes such as human trafficking victims. Prop 36

Proposition 36 reforms California’s “Three Strikes Law.” Previously, if an offender with two serious or violent felonies committed a third felony, even if the crime was nonviolent, they would automatically be sentenced to life in prison. Prop. 36 dictates that the offender would only be required See PROPOSITIONS, A4

new committee of teachers convened at Paly to discuss changes to the current academic honesty policy. The committee will clarify the current policy. “Our goal is to clarify to students, parents and teachers what the academic policy is going to be like,” history teacher and committee member Adam Yonkers said. “There is a lot of murkiness around the academic honesty policy now. By being more clear with our policies, everyone can be on the same page.” The committee, including teachers Kelli Hagen, Radu Toma, Kirk Hinton, Adam Yonkers, Grant Blackburn and principal Phil Winston, is discussing ways to prevent students from cheating instead of merely punishing them. “We want the policy to do what it’s supposed to do, like teach kids how to cite, or what was wrong about what they did,” Yonkers said. Though Winston says no concrete changes have been made to the policy yet, he also believes the policy should teach students more than punish them. “We’re aiming for the policy to be more interventionist rather than strict,” Winston said. “It is hard for a student to come back from a zero. That student would lose motivation and a sense of well-being.” See CHEATING, A3

Local Election Results Cystic fibrosis carrier returns to Jordan Alvin kim

editor-in-chief

itizens of Palo Alto visited the voting booths on Nov. 6, voting on key local issues. For Palo Alto City Council, voters re-elected Pat Burt and Greg Schmid. They also elected newcomers Liz Kniss who was a former mayor and Marc Berman who is a local attorney. Incumbents Melissa Baten Caswell and Camille Townsend won their bids for the Board of Education.

Heidi Emberling, who emphasized her background in education, received the final spot over opponent Ken Dauber, who wished to bring a more data-based approach to the council. Voters in Santa Clara County passed Measure A, which will increase the sales tax in order to aid local schools. Measure B, which will implement a cleaner water program, also passed. Measure C, which would allow up to three medical marijuana dispensaries to run in Palo Alto following a set of strict guidelines, did not pass.

Junior debater qualifies for prestigious tournament

Travis Chen earned an early invitation to the Tournament of Champions after three bids. Lily Zhang Staff Writer

unior debater Travis Chen, qualified for the Tournament of Champions after earning several debate bids from recent tournaments. Chen has placed in many of the past debate tournaments he attended, earning three bids that has allowed him to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Tournaments have

INSIDE News.....................................A1-A5 Spotlight...............................A6-A7 ASB Post......................................A8 Opinion............................A9-A12 Lifestyle....................................B1 Student Life.................................B2 Culture...................................B3 Music..................................B4 Performing Arts.....................B5-B6 Community............................B7-B8 Sports...................................C1-C8

different standards of earning a bid. In the Greenhill Fall Classic tournament and the Heart of Texas Invitational at St. Mark’s High School, debaters must reach the octafinals in order to receive a bid. “[The Tournament of Champions] is a tournament at the end of the year that invites 70 high school debaters from all over the country to compete,” Chen said. Chen won the debate team’s first bid of the season in the Greenhill Fall Classic in Addison, Texas from Sept. 22 to 23. Chen placed in the Semifinals of the Lincoln-Douglas debate which according to his coach, See DEBATE, A3

PAUSD will allow Colman Chadman to continue to attend Jordan Middle School.

charlie dulik Nira Krasnow editors-in-chief

ixth grader Colman Chadman returned to Jordan Middle School on Nov. 6 after an 11 day absence. School officials had requested Chadam transfer to Terman Middle School, stating that as a carrier of the cystic fibrosis mutation, he posed a health risk to two siblings at Jordan with cystic fibrosis. Although the family had initially decided to take the issue to court, they were able to settle with the district out of court. An agreement was reached in which the two students would both attend Jordan Middle School, so long as the school implemented cystic fibrosis cross-infection protocols, according to a press release from the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). PAUSD had ordered Chadam to move schools eight weeks into the school year, after deciding that some level of risk remained in allowing a cystic fibrosis carrier to attend school with a student with the disease. School officials were “not willing to risk a potentially life-threatening illness among kids,” PAUSD’s attorney, Lenore Silverman, said, according to the San Francisco

Michael short/sf Chronicle

Colman Chadam, a carrier of cystic fibrosis at Jordan Middle School, climbs a tree in his backyard.

Chronicle. Chadam then left Jordan, and was home-schooled until an agreement could be reached. “I was sad but at the same time I was mad because I understood that I hadn’t done anything wrong,” Colman said, according to Today. “It feels like I’m being bullied in a way that is not right.” Chadam’s parents attempted to convince the district that as a carrier of the disease, their son does not pose a risk to anyone at the school and should not be forced to move schools. However, administrators were not convinced, leading to the family’s decision to take the district to court.

“They made this decision without seeing one medical record on my son,” Colman’s mother, Jennifer Chadam said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “Honestly if I felt Colman was a risk to others, I would move him. I don’t want anyone to get sick.” The district’s arrived at their decision to order the school change in order to keep all students as safe as possible. “Based on the advice of medical experts, [the transfer] is the zero risk option,” PAUSD associate superintendent of education service Charles

mick rodgers/Creative commons

Chang ju wu/creative commons

See JORDAN, A3

Spotlight Sleep An in-depth analysis of the sleep deprivation epidemic. A6-A7

News Election

Opinion College Visits

The Obama administration’s plans for the next four years. A4

Students should take advantage of visiting colleges. A10

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

A2 NEWS

Students hold first Paly political debate

School Board Update

STaff Writer

senior staff writer

Jensen Hsiao

Students represent the views of Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians in a debate hosted by the librarian Rachel Kellerman.

epresentatives from the Libertarian, Democratic and Republican clubs representatives from Paly met to debate government issues relating to the presidential election on Thursday Nov. 1 in the English Resource Center (ERC). The debate was held by librarian Rachel Kellerman with the help of history teacher Eric Bloom. Kellerman gave each party two minutes to address and two minutes to rebuttal each of the three questions, as well as a two minute opening for each party and three minute closing. There were two people representing each of the three parties: juniors Thibault Serlet and Aaron Slipper from the Libertarian Club represented the Libertarian Party. Seniors Ben Hawthorne and Spencer Carlson represented the Democratic viewpoint; seniors Yasna Haghdoost and Josh Arfin represented the Republican viewpoint because no actual members of the party were willing to participate.

jensen hsia0/The Campanile

Juniors Aaron Slipper and Thibault Serlet present their libertarian stances during the heated debate.

Starting with the Democrats opening the debate, Hawthorne stated that the Democrats have done a great job in government with Obama as president. “Bin Laden is dead,” Hawthorne said. “Besides being the party of prosperity and security, we are the party of liberty. We recognize that a strong government is necessary to protect our rights.” Following Hawthorne’s opening statement, Serlet opened for the position of the Libertarian party. “Our nation is addicted, except our opiate is not heroin, our opiate

is reckless spending,” Serlet said. “Everyday we give up freedoms and liberties in the name of security. But all that money comes from somewhere and it’s being taxed straight from our future. Libertarianism is the belief that you can be both fiscally acceptable and socially accepting because you should not have to choose. Now is not the time for stagnation as such will only lead to our damnation.” Arfin gave the last opening statement for the debate to represent the Republican side. He addressed Obama’s shortcomings.

“The problem is the results of these past four years,” Arfin said. “Obamacare prevents our country from getting the jobs we need to continue. The last four years Obama has tried what he thinks will work but it doesn’t. We are nine million jobs away from where the president said we would be. This is not a course we can continue for the United States.” After the openings, the first topic that the representatives addressed was unemployment and how to solve this issue. The parties were asked, “What are the major differences between your parties in how you would go about creating new jobs? ” The debate then moved to the topic of illegal immigrants that are currently productive members of society.

Besides being the party of prosperity and security, we are the party of liberty Ben Hawthorne Democratic Representative

The final question, regarding foreign policy, was “What do each of you see as the United State role in the world?” This was the first collaborative Paly debate hosted by the political clubs and students look forward to more debates like this in the future.

Facebook builds new community projects Elizabeth bowman business manager

Facebook creates new projects to build relations with its neighbors in Palo Alto.

acebook plans to further develop relationships with neighbors, according to Susan Gonzales, head of the community engagement board at Facebook. The company is offering donations of $500,000 total upon application, specifically to nonprofits such as those in Belle Haven, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. In East Palo Alto, Facebook will award grants to companies and organizations that provide computer and social-media training, programs for 13- to 18- year-old kids as well as organizations that provide college scholarships, according to Palo Alto Online.

East Palo Alto is also looking for other nonprofits whos programs offer “life experiences to ignite an interest in learning,” according to an information sheet about the fund. Facebook is currently accepting applications for its first round of grants, which will be reviewed by Kirsten Keith, mayor of the city of Menlo Park, Laura Martinez, mayor of the city of East Palo Alto and several Facebook employees. The number of grants awarded every year will depend on the number of applications received, according to Facebook spokesman Tucker Bounds. “We’re looking for nonprofits who serve East Palo Alto residents, nonprofits who may be located here and with good track records, who might be willing to collaborate with other nonprofits,” Martinez said according Palo Alto Online. According to HuffPost San Francisco, Facebook is investing in nonprofit organizations throughout the Bay Area as a deal with the City

of Menlo Park to double the number of employees at its headquarters near Bayfront Expressway and Willow Road. In Menlo Park, Facebook is targeting “nonprofits with a history of proven success providing services,”

I think this is wonderful of Facebook, giving back to our community. It’s always a positive to give money to a nonprofit that is doing good work. Kirsten Keith Menlo Park Mayor

according to Keith. These services could include anything from “the Project Read adult literacy program to Meal on Wheels for homebound seniors.” Many companies are closing due to the recent downturn in the economy. However, Keith is hoping that

Will Kershner

The Palo Alto Unified School District School Board (PAUSD) met on Oct. 23 to continue discussions on major topics in the community. The school board has been encouraged to approve a bid for the replacement of a gym heater and certain gas lines at Gunn High School and replacements of athletics stadium fences and entry gates at Paly. Improvements were also suggested for in between hallway wings at J.L.S Middle School. The school board also authorized an addendum in the amount of $63,078 to AEDIS Architecture and Planning for site improvements on hallways wings at JLS and the connection of underground utilities at Jordan. Afterwards, the school board approved several programs such as the amended Child Development Contracts for 2012-2013, the Adult School Courses and the changes in the Strong Schools Bond. The local elections which have ended included challengers Heidi Emberling and Ken Dauber as well as incumbents Camille Townsend and Melissa Baten Caswell for the Board of Education. Caswell, Townsend and Emberling won.

ASB Update alBert Lee

a grant to Belle Haven, a Menlo Park neighbor, will help nonprofits continue to stay afloat. She commends Facebook for their charitable efforts. “I think this is wonderful of Facebook, giving back to our community,” Keith said, according to the HuffPost. “It’s always a positive to give money to a nonprofit that is doing good work.” Facebook has committed $14.5 million over the next 14 years to fund many other public benefits in the community. This money will be used for different purposes such as providing job training programs, improving pedestrian pathways, encouraging employees to share rides or taking the bus to work. Interested nonprofits are asked to email info@venturesfoundation.org for additional information about the charitable foundation grants. For this quarter, the deadline to be considered for a grant is Nov. 30.

staff writer

The Paly Associated Student Body (ASB) is working on publicity and transparency, according to ASB vice president Soo Song. “Publicity is raising awareness about what is going on,” Song said. “As representatives of students, we want to communicate with Paly. For example, we publicized the student center menu to help students become aware of food options at the student center and foster willingness to buy student center food.” The PTSA technology committee, a committee to buy technology for Paly, is being publicized to get student input on what technology is needed in classrooms. The Calendar Advisory Committee, a committee created to get feedback on the effectiveness of the current schedule, is also being publicized. The committee will take input on what could improve in the current schedule, and use input for the next school year schedule to be made in two years.

UPCOMING EVENTs

NEWS BRIEFS

Turkey Trot to be held on Nov. 15

CBS news station films segment on Paly elective classes

kian Mchugh

Chrissie Cheng

Staff Writer

Spotlight editor

The 8th annual Turkey Trot at Paly will be held Thursday, Nov. 15. The feast will be held at lunch from 11:35 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on the Paly quad. This tradition began at Gunn, called Turkey Feast, but eight years ago, school board member Camille Townsend proposed that the lunch be brought to Paly as well. The main purpose of the Turkey Trot is to collect canned goods for the Ecumenical Hunger Program and raise money for its Teen Holiday Fund. To participate in this lunch. students need to bring a $5 donation or three cans and $2 donation. The items recommended to put in the canned goods bins include soups, sauces, cake or brownie mixes or any shampoos according to families. Last year 75 turkeys and 145 pies were purchased to feed the hungry Paly students. Anne Stewart currently heads the Turkey Trot. “Everyone just enjoys themselves because it’s a relaxing day on the quad where everyone can give thanks,” Stewart said. “It is one of the few days of the year in which parents, teachers, custodians and students all come together for a good cause.” Parents who are interested in volunteering at this event or anyone with questions can contact Anne Stewart at stewnet1@pacbell.net.

Local TV news station CBS San Francisco (CBS SF) filmed at Paly for its “Cool School: Palo Alto High’s Elective Classes Attracting Attention” segment on Oct. 15. CBS SF chooses schools around the Bay Area that not only have outstanding academics, but also have high achieving sports, electives, arts, music and more. The segment premiered on the morning of Oct. 25 and acknowledged that Paly is not only known for its academic achievements but also is now getting national recognition for its “cool” activities and various electives offered to its students that other schools do not have. CBS mentioned the unique journalism programs such as InFocus Television Network and Viking sports magazine. CBS also highlighted Paly’s state titles in both football and volleyball, filming the trophy and awards displayed throughout the Tower Building. CBS interviewed vice principal Jerry Berkson, getting his opinion on the different electives given at the school. “We have a lot of high achievers, but then again there is something for everyone,” Berkson said during the CBS interview.

However, the elective that gave Paly the major “cool factor” in the CBS segment is the glass blowing elective. CBS featured the elective by filming the glass blowing class in the outdoor patio, mentioning how Paly is only one of the few public high schools to offer it. They filmed many of the students in action, showing the process on how to make glass pieces, and even included step by step directions on how to make a glass flower by sophomore student Jeremy Revlock. CBS also focused on how the students sell the glass pieces they created to help fund the program. When asked about CBS’ visit to Paly, glass blowing teacher Steven Ferrera said that he was honored the class was deemed ‘cool’ and knew this students would represent the glass blowing class well on camera. “I had 100 percent confidence in them that they would do great,” Ferrera said. The CBS news anchor even brought a glass flower from Paly art’s glass blowing class to the CBS news studio to show-off during the live broadcast. Local CBS SF is known for broadcasting up to-date-news, sports, music and information in each city. Those interested in watching the video are able to find it available online under the Local CBS SF Latest News section.

NOV

THE CRUCIBle

NOV

VETERAN’S DAY

NOV

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

NOV

TURKEY TROT

NOV

THANKSGIVING BREAK

21-23

Come see the last showing of The Crucible at 7:30 p.m.

Students and staff get the school day off as the nation celebrates the work and time of army veterans.

Numerous international groups will explain their study abroad programs at lunch on the quad.

Bring $5 or three cans and $2 dollars to partake in the student-favorite Turkey Trot.

Instead of complaining about your overly affectionate relatives, embrace this opportunity to gorge yourself sans judgment.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

NEWS

Art Center celebrates Day of the Dead

Leslie Wan Staff Writer

he Palo Alto Art Center celebrated the fourth annual Day of the Dead, otherwise known as “Los Dias de Los Muertos” on Sunday, Oct. 28. The center coordinated with the Junior Museum and Zoo and the Children’s Library to promote community bonding, family entertainment and cultural awareness. Each year, the Art Center includes a theme to go along with the Day of the Dead celebration. This year, the theme of the event is breast cancer awareness since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During the event, the Art Center includes a special altar with numerous drawings and pictures by children, patients and survivors whose lives have been influenced by breast cancer. This year’s event marked the first year that the Art Center held the Day of the Dead community celebration at the brand new center. “Last year we held the event at the Lucie Stern Hospital in Palo Alto, so this year is kind of our homecoming event,” Palo Alto Art Center Family Coordinator Dominique Enriquez said. From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. families participated in numerous activities at the Art Center including sugar skulls, paper arts, face painting and milagros. Booths throughout the center were set outside for children to do

the cultural activities and learn more about the significance of the Day of the Dead. In addition, the participants contributed to numerous community altars throughout the center and at the Junior Museum and Zoo. The altars were first created by Palo Alto organizations such as the Teen Arts Council East College Prep and the Children’s Theatre, then the participants were allowed to contribute their own artwork to the altars. From 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Junior Museum and Zoo, the participants contributed their own work to a community altar.

It surpassed my imagination. It didn’t seem real until I actually saw it in color. The dancers and crafts all came out together really well. Margot Richard Teen Volunteer

At 1:30 p.m, participants watched a musical performance by Cascada de Flores and immediately listened to a special Day of the Dead storytelling at the Children’s Library. Children of all ages were able to learned more about the traditions, cultures and stories of the Day of the Dead. At 2:30 p.m., participants watched a traditional Mexican performance by Raices de Mexico Dancers. Children from ages four to 13, dressed in colorful costumes and

Leslie Wan/The CAmpanile

Decorations are placed on the altar to commemorate the Day of the Dead.

skeletal-painted faces performed to the claps and beats of the audience and music. By the end of the day, volunteers, staff and families enjoyed making Mexican arts and crafts and watching performances. They also learned more about the traditions and culture of the Mexican tradition of their holiday Day of the Dead.

“It surpassed my imagination,” teen volunteer Margot Richard said. “It didn’t seem real until I actually saw it in color. The dancers and crafts all came out together really well. I got to talk to a lot of different people and learn about their stories.” Enriquez hopes to include more community involvement and have an overall larger people turnout next year.

“One of the goals for next year would be to reach out to more people in the community and get more community involvement in our family events,” Enriquez said. Overall, the Day of the Dead event turned out to be a success and the Palo Alto Art Center hopes to organize this event again for next year along with other numerous other family cultural events.

Academic Honesty committee established Cystic Fibrosis student stays at

CHEATING, continued from A1

The current academic policy stipulates that teachers use “professional judgment” to determine if cheating has occurred. The first time a student is caught cheating, the student receives a zero on the assignment and the dean logs the offense in a discipline file. A second offense results in the student being dropped from the class with an F. A third offense results in suspension. In each of these stages, “counseling is provided for the student and family to find acceptable ways to meet course obligations,” according to the current Academic Honesty policy. “Students made the current policy some twenty years ago because they were sick and tired of other kids cheating,” assistant principal Kathie Lawrence said. Currently, there are very few repeat offenders who cheat after getting caught. Winston says even if the new policy created by the Academic Honesty Committee is less lenient, the number of cheaters will probably not rise. “The world is very different from what it was twenty years ago,” Winston said. “With the advent [of technology, there] are more ways to cheat. The current policy is simply

devastating to students and is not as supportive as it could be.” According to a poll done by The Campanile in a 2002 issue, reported by staff writer Sarah Rizk, of the 447 students polled at Paly, 73 percent indicated that they copied homework. Since the administration only filed cheating offenses for less than one percent of all students that year according to assistant principal Doug Walker in a previous Campanile article, most students that year were not caught cheating. How do the numbers compare to the situation today?

According to a poll done by The Campanile in a 2002 issue, reported by staff writer Sarah Rizk, of the 447 students polled at Paly, 73 percent indicated they copied homework. On Facebook, numerous groups exist where students gather to talk about homework or tests. Some current students get tests from previous years’ classes via email or chat about test problems from friends, according to one anonymous student. “It’s all about getting into college,” the anonymous student said. “The

probability of getting caught cheating is really small. Would you rather get into college with straight A’s through cheating, or struggle through school through your own work getting B’s?” Guidance counselor Selene Singares refutes that logic, questioning the larger effect of cheating. “Putting moral questions aside, if you got into college through cheating, how will you get through college and real life?” Singares said. “You can’t always cheat through life. The main person you’re hurting through cheating is yourself.” Last year, The Campanile published the opinion of an anonymous writer who proclaimed to be a cheater in the article “Why I cheat.” The student thought the tests he cheated on were useless, so cheating on the material would have no impact on the student. According to another anonymous student, the current policy’s consequences did not deter that student from cheating. “The consequences only apply to those who get caught,” the student said. “If you don’t get caught, cheating is okay.” Another anonymous student agrees. “The smartest kids are those who cheat and work hard,” another anonymous student said. “The mediocre students just work, and the dumb kids just cheat.”

Jordan Middle School JORDAN, continued from A1

Young said, according to ABC News. Cystic fibrosis is the most common life-threatening genetic disease in the United States. It infects 30,000 to 35,000 people, according to Dr. David Cornfield, chief of pulmonary medicine at Lucille Packard’s Children’s Hospital. The disease is autosomal recessive, so only those with two cystic fibrosis alleles (or mutations) have the manifestation of the disease. Carriers do not have the cystic fibrosis, nor do they display any of the symptoms of the disease. According to Dr. Cornfield, one in 22 caucasians are carriers of the cystic fibrosis mutation. Ten million children and adults are carriers of the cystic fibrosis genetic mutation but they do not have the disease, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. If Chadam is indeed only a carrier of one allele of the disease, there is no current medical protocol that would have required him to be segregated from other students with cystic fibrosis. “I know of no episodes when anybody has ever recommended that people who are carriers of the gene

Junior Travis Chen qualifies for Tournament of Champions

his elimination in the preliminary rounds last year. “I hope to do better than what I did last year and potentially make it

DEBATE, continued from A1

Jennie Savage is thought to be one of the most competitive and prestigious tournaments in the country, allowing only the top 12 debaters in the nation to participate. His most recent bid occurred at the Meadows High School tournament in Las Vegas. Only a week before that, he won the prestigious 2012 Heart of Texas Invitational at St. Mark’s High School. That is where he defeated HarvardWestlake’s Michael O’Krent to clinch the title and bring home the second bid to qualify for the Tournament of Champions set in May of 2013. Chen then placed highly at the Meadows High School tournament, and he brought home yet another bid for the team, all in the time period of a few months. According to Savage, it is extremely rare to qualify so early on. “As you know, Travis has already qualified for the Tournament of Champions in October when the tournament isn’t until May of next year,” Savage said. “It is very rare for debaters to qualify so early on in the year, yet Travis has already done so.”

As you know, Travis has already qualified for the Tournament of Champions in October when the tournament isn’t until May of next year. It is very rare for debaters to qualify so early on in the year, yet Travis has already done so. Jennie Savage Debate Coach

Courtesy of Travis Chen

Travis Chen emerges victorious at the 2012 Heart of Texas Invitational at St. Mark’s High School.

Paly debate team coach Jennie Savage does not believe in setting any goals for Chen in the upcoming tournament. She says the team is focusing on the team. “I don’t have any goals for Travis at all,” Savage said. “We’re committed

to helping our students find their own goals and we support what they want to achieve.” However, Chen, who debated in the Tournament of Champions last year, wishes to improve his standings and overall performance from

past the preliminary rounds and into the elimination round,” Chen said. “[The elimination round] is basically a round of 16 people who go through single eliminations.” Although looking to advance his standings, Chen also sees the challenges of the tournament. “It’s a very difficult tournament and there will be many talented debaters there but I’ll definitely try my best,” Chen said.

only are isolated from people with cystic fibrosis,” Dr. Cornfield said. “There is no precedent that I know of. [There’s nothing] in the literature, there’s not scientific rationale for it.” However, Dr. Cornfield asserts that there would be sound rationale for people with cystic fibrosis to be isolated from other people with the disease. “If two people with cystic fibrosis who are not family members come into contact, one person could inoculate the other person with bacteria that might not be good for them,” Dr. Cornfield said. According to Dr. Cornfield, this is why cystic fibrosis patients are kept separate from other patients at the clinic. “In fact, the recommendations that are carried out in virtually every accredited [cystic fibrosis] clinic now is when a patient comes in with cystic fibrosis, we no longer keep them in the waiting room,” Dr. Cornfield said. “They are brought directly into the examining room because we do not want them in the waiting room with other patients with cystic fibrosis. One carrier patient [of cystic fibrosis] might give the other patients an infection. This issue is not a concern for a carrier.”

Chen credits much of his success and achievements to his coaches. “My coach Jennie Savage has been a big influence throughout my career,” Chen said. “My other coaches and teammates have also been a huge help to me as well.” From the moment he arrived to Paly, Chen has played a large role in the debate team, participating in debate tournaments around the country and helping the team win titles, according to Savage. “Travis is an amazing asset to the team, and although he focuses generally on technical debate, he excels at persuasive debate as well,” Savage said. “He’s remained remarkably humble despite the fact that he’s a national circuit champion.” Debate captain and teammate Julia Lee agrees with Savage about Chen’s progress. “Travis is an amazing teammate in many ways,” Lee said. “He is always willing to divide up the work and to offer his own. This year, he has been going to a lot of circuit tournaments all around the country and has never failed to bring back an award for the team.”

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

NEWS

Roadmap for Obama’s second term Ben Hawthorne Business manager

n Nov. 6, Barack Obama secured a second term as President of the United States of America. While The Campanile congratulates Obama on his victory, we must ask: what exactly, Mr. President, will you do in the next four years? The Economy

The focus of Obama’s re-election campaign was the economy, so it is reasonable to assume that he will make strengthening the economy his top priority. The centerpiece of the President’s first-term economic policy was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (i.e. the stimulus), which made long-term investments in infrastructure, green energy, education and manufacturing. Obama plans to enact another stimulus in his second term, named the American Jobs Act, which will cut income and payroll taxes and increase infrastructure and education spending. The rest of his economic plan consists of an overhaul of the tax code and investments in energy. Obama promises to raise the capital gains tax (a tax on investments and stocks held for more than one year that primarily affects the wealthy) from 15 to 20 percent and to raise taxes on the top two tax brackets from 33 and 35 percent to 36 and 39.6 percent, respectively. His tax plan also includes promises to eliminate loopholes and to streamline the tax code for businesses and individuals. The plan specifies phasing out loopholes for those with incomes over $200,000 and eliminating many loopholes for large companies, although how it plans to streamline the tax code remains unclear. He also aims to create or extend numerous tax credits for individuals and businesses, such as a $3,000 credit per each worker hired for businesses, cut the corporate tax rate, eliminate the tax credit for outsourcing and extend the Bush tax cuts and other tax cuts and credits for individuals with incomes less than $200,000. For the President, economic policy and fiscal policy dovetail, which is why he has proposed a plan

for cutting the deficit. His plan for reducing the deficit centers around an 80-page plan that he drafted in 2011. Obama calls for raising taxes on the wealthy by eliminating the capital gains tax, raising marginal income tax rates and eliminating loopholes for the wealthy. His plan also incorporates spending cuts. Obama plans to cut $257 billion from discretionary spending, primary by cutting subsidies to agriculture and the oil industry. He will also cut $450 billion from the defense budget, try to cut Medicare’s budget by negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices and to levy an additional Social Security tax of 2-4 percent on those with incomes over $200,000 to try to make Social Security solvent, among other things. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this budget will cut the debt by $2 trillion and increase GDP growth by 0.6 percent, although the President’s opponents point out that his budget adds $4 trillion to the deficit when compared to the CBO’s baseline budget, which includes the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and sequestration. Despite his willingness to cut the deficit, Obama has stated that he will try to prevent the impending “fiscal cliff” (the combination of the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and sequestration), which is projected by the CBO to put the economy back into recession. Like much of Obama’s economic policy, however, his deficit plan is unlikely to pass through the Republican-controlled House. Indeed, because the Democrats do not control Congress, the only thing that Obama can be guaranteed to do in his second term is to cement the achievements of his first term. Two of his main accomplishments, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a banking and financial sector reform law, and the Affordable Care Act, still have major provisions that need to be implemented. The main achievement of DoddFrank was to require regulatory agencies and new committees set up by the law to draft and enact certain regulations of the financial sector. Only one-half of these rules have been drafted however, so Obama will have to fight to get the rest drafted. Similarly, most of the important

Steve Jurvetson/creative commons

President Barack Obama gives a speech in Silicon Valley about the economy and his plans for the future.

provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including the individual mandate and the ban on gender discrimination by insurance companies, will be enacted in 2014. Since several states are already trying to fight these provisions, both through legislation and governor decree, Obama will have to fight, using the courts, influence over state governments and possibly legislation, to ensure that the main provisions of healthcare reform get enacted. Energy Policy

The President’s energy policy in his next term will be similar to his first term’s energy policy. Obama plans to focus primarily on funding alternative energy while also expanding access to cheap hydrocarbons. He aims to raise fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles, set a requirement that all utilities must produce 80 percent of their electricity by 2035, continue funding and supporting the alternative energy industry and increase gas, oil and coal production by opening up some public lands to drilling and encouraging fracking (a new, controversial type of natural gas extraction) while insisting on higher environmental safeguards for drilling and fracking.

the Constitution. He also plans to enact the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (which bans discrimination in hiring people based on sexual orientation and gender identity) and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes. Immigration

On the issue of immigration, the President’s platform notes his support for reforming and streamlining the immigration process, although his platform lists no explicit reforms. He is a noted supporter of the DREAM Act, which would provide permanent residency status to illegal immigrants who are students or soldiers, and he would probably make trying to pass the DREAM Act his biggest goal as far as immigration is concerned. Since Obama has described his failure to pass the the DREAM Act as the biggest failure of his first term, he will probably make passing the DREAM Act one of his top priorities this term. Although Obama fought for all of these issues in his first term, the extent to which he would be able

Social Issues

Vain for life poetess/creative commons

President Obama and his family greet supporters in Chicago before his acceptance speech on election night.

On social policy, Obama supports gay rights, gender equality and immigration reform. The most important social policy for Obama is women’s rights, judging by the amount of focus he placed on it in his first term. The President aims to expand free contraceptive access to women, pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which aims to make it easier for victims of wage discrimination to discover if they are being discriminated against and to seek justice and to try to pass other bills that combat sexual violence and wage discrimination. The President believes that women should be allowed to get abortions, so he will likely oppose any legislation that restricts access to abortions, both in Congress and at the state level. In terms of gay rights issues, Obama supports legalization of samesex marriage, although how he plans to achieve this is unclear, as it can only be accomplished by amending

Obama’s primary foreign policy challenge in his next term will be to ensure that the 2014 withdrawal from Afghanistan goes well. to achieve them in his second term is limited due to both the limited Constitutional role of the President and the fact that the House is controlled by Republicans. The most important way that Obama can influence social policy is through whom he appoints to the Supreme Court. Four justices are in their late 70s and are likely to retire. The Court is set to rule on cases concerning the constitutionality of the 1968 Civil Rights Act, the Defense of Marriage Act, affirmative action and California’s Proposition 8, among other important social issues, so Obama’s appointments will have long-lasting effects on social issues.

Foreign Policy

The foreign policy of Obama’s second term, like his first term, will be centered on slowly ending the War on Terror while preparing to face other, more long-term threats. Obama’s primary foreign policy challenge in his next term will be to ensure that the 2014 withdrawal from Afghanistan goes well. The success of the withdrawal will be contingent on whether Afghan security forces are able to fight terrorism on their own by 2014 and whether the Afghani government will be able to become functioning, strong and non-corrupt, so the President will likely focus on making these things happen in his second term. Even after the Afghanistan withdrawal, we will have to keep fighting terrorism. He will probably continue his policy of drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, and will have to manage the backlash that they generate, although he has offered no specifics. The President’s primary foreign policy strategy is to shift American power away from the Middle East and towards Asia. The centerpiece of this effort will be to continue the “pivot” to Asia, which is the rebalancing of American power towards East Asia and especially China. The President promises to shift 60 percent of our military strength to Asia by 2020, an effort that is already underway, and to attack China’s allegedly unfair trade policies, although he probably will not do so due to the risk of starting a trade war. Unfortunately, he has offered few specifics on other major foreign policy issues, including Iran, the rise of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and the economic crisis in Europe. Judging from his first-term’s record, Obama will likely try to reach out to Brazil and India, sanction Iran and continue to find a diplomatic way to end Iran’s nuclear program. Barack Obama has a difficult four years ahead of him. He will have to fix the economy, prevent the deficit from spiraling further out of control, protect the rights of minorities and refocus our foreign policy towards long-term threats, all while having to battle strong Republican opposition in Congress. We wish him good luck. He’ll need it.

California voters pass five out of 11 propositions PROPOSITIONS, continued from A1

only be required to serve life in prison if their third felony is “violent or serious.” Offenders whose third felony is nonviolent would serve is nonviolent would serve shorter sentences. In addition to reforming future sentences, Prop. 36 allows some offenders whose third felony was nonviolent to be resentenced to shorter sentences. The proposition aims to reduce the quantity of prisoners in overcrowded California prisons while still keeping rapists, murders and other serious criminals behind bars. Money saved from the altered sentence lengths

is projected to be around $70 million annually, with the possibility of becoming up to $90 million per year over the next few decades. However, the costs of re-sentencing those convicted with non-violent third crimes will cost the state a few million dollars over the next few years. The proposition passed with around 69 percent of Californians voting for it. Prop 39

Just over 60 percent of Californians voted for Proposition 39, a ballot

initiative aiming to close the state’s business tax loophole, which costs the state over a billion dollars in tax collection annually. Prop. 39 throws out an existing law that allows multistate businesses to choose to pay income tax in other states with lower rates, and only pay California income tax proportional to the amount of Californians the business employs. Under Prop. 39, multistate businesses’ will now pay California income tax calculated proportionally to the percentage of their sales in the state.

As an extra kicker, $500 million of the new funds found by closing the loophole will be directed towards new clean energy projects in the state for the next five years. The remaining $500 million is loosely directed towards funding for schools. Prop 40

Guided by endorsements from both the Democratic and Republican Parties of California, Proposition 40 coasted to an overwhelming victory with 74.1 percent support.

New State Senate districts will drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission. Previously, undemocratic commissions and legislatures approved of congressional districts, and were heavily criticized for gerrymandering (manipulating districts to favor a party or interest group). Under Prop. 40, citizens will now be consulted to review and vote on redistricting plans before they may become laws. This change will come with no fiscal impact on taxpayers or the state’s general fund.

The Campanile

Friday, November 9, 2012

NEWS

Online databases provide reliable sources for research

charlotte barry/the campanile

Students receive texts from teachers concerning homework assignments.

Teachers text students to communicate Julia kwasnick Staff writer

Julia poppy Social media editor

lancing over the assignment sheet, a student notices that Wikipedia is not an accepted source for the research paper that is due at 11:59 p.m. tonight. Considering the fact that the Internet is filled with millions of resources, the student begins to stress out because there is no clear place to start the research. If only this student were aware of the tremendous, detailed and, most importantly, credible databases available to all Paly student’s through the Paly Library’s Libguide. Questioned and tested in the crucible of experience, the databases have been hand picked and paid for by the school. These databases include Statista, Encyclopedia Britannica Online, EBSCOhost Research Databases, Points of View and JSTOR. For some students, Libguides enables them to find required resources that are not available to the average citizen. “[I have used the databases] because some classes require use of

scholarly journals that I can’t find with a simple Google search,” senior Peter Skorokhodov said. While students like Skorokhodov have used the library’s database subscription, others have deemed these resources as unnecessary. However, other students do not value the Libguide as an unmatchable source. “I have never used the Paly Library Libguide,” junior Omri Newman said. “I’ve never really found myself in the position where I needed it.” I have used the databases because some classes require use of scholary journals that I can’t find with a simple Google search. Peter Skorokhodov Senior

Similarly, one senior has decided to utilize resources like the library or a search engine. “I’ve never needed to [use the Library Libguide],” senior Clare Gill said. “If I need to research something

usually I just Google it, or look in the library for a book rather than sorting through the stuff on the Libguide looking for useful information.” In contrast, students have used the library’s database subscriptions successfully for specific projects. This is a result of a teacher assigning the students to use the databases rather than students using the library’s Libguide. “As a resource it is fantastic, and I have found it very helpful,” junior Kate Marinkovich said. “But without the influence of a specific topic I’m not sure it would have the same positive effect. I have never used it as a personal resource.” Furthermore, other students are not even aware of the Library’s Libguide and research database subscriptions. “I have not [used them],” junior Amon Suh Perez. “I do not know what that is.” While the library’s databases may not always prove necessary, they are a plethora of reliable information, including scholastic journals, scholarly journals and statistics, that many students have yet to take advantage of.

ertain math teachers at Paly, including math teachers Suzanne Antink and Judy Choy, have begun using Remind101, a texting service, as a way to notify students of homework changes and Infinite Campus updates. Remind101 allows teachers and students to communicate via texting without knowing each other’s phone numbers. When texts are sent, this service protects each party’s phone number, allowing teachers to notify students. The service was more generally created in order to guarantee that students see math class updates. “Students [weren’t] getting emails, so when we [would] email them from Schoology, students weren’t [seeing the emails],” Antink said. Students have responded positively to Remind101 because it notifies them of Infinite Campus updates, saving them time and worry. “I think [Remind101] is good when they text you when test [or] quiz grades have been uploaded,” senior Brian Chen said. “It saves you a lot of time and panic.” Before Remind101 was put in place, some students did not know when Infinite Campus would be uploaded. However, Remind101 eliminates this issue completely.

“One time, Mrs. Choy posted tests late on Sunday night. No one checked, and [when] she handed them out in class we had to sit through the anxiety of not knowing what we got,” Choy said. “Now there’s no suspense. I can find out how badly I failed instantly.” Other Paly students find Remind101’s allowing teachers to notify students of homework changes the service’s most appealing feature. “[Remind101] is good thing because it makes students more up to date on [homework assignments],” junior Raphael Bargues said. However, because the system has not become and part of the teachers’ everyday schedules yet, teachers are not continuously updating students. “Mrs. Choy has only recently started using it,” Chen said. “She has sent us a total of three text messages.” Some Paly math students do not find the new texting system is used to its full potential. “I think it’s a great idea, but it should be used more often,” Paly junior Neal Biswas said. “However, the idea is a great way to connect teachers and students.” Antink concludes that, although she does not use Remind101 frequently, it is a beneficial service for students. “It is a great way for us [teachers] to get ahold of [our students],” Antink said.

Friday, November 9, 2012

SPOTLIGHT

The Campanile

we’ll sleep on it By Alvin Kim Design by Chrissie Cheng & Bo Field

hy does the human body require sleep? Scientists still “I think the counselors do a good job of recommending stimulations at times in which light previously could not have cannot determine the true answer to this timeless caseloads or talking them out of way too high of a caseload,” existed. question. In an era where technology and social media Berkson said. “But there are some kids or families who just “Having light during the night gives the wrong clue to your provide incentives to stay up later socializing or exploring the won’t go with that. I’m sure there are kids who are taking six circadian rhythm,” Mignot said. “The problem with [social Internet, students have to balance an increasing amount of or seven AP classes, and that’s probably too much. We can’t media] is that it does shift the clock toward even later hours.” schoolwork and extracurriculars while avoiding these dis- mandate someone doing things but we can recommend and Additionally, students naturally use social media to intertracting temptations. This combination leads to a widespread suggest.” act with others, sometimes sacrificing sleep in order to case of sleep deprivation, which has negative effects that are Toma agreed, saying that he always had a mantra stating continue talking with their friends. often underestimated or ignored. that students need to plan well ahead in order to keep their “I became friends with some non-sleeping juniors during Emmanuel Mignot, director of the Stanford Center for health in mind for the future. my sophomore year so I chatted with them a lot at night,” Sleep Sciences, explained that high school students live in “Look for quality rather than quantity,” Toma said. “Don’t Lee said. “Sophomore year was when my workload increased a phase where their bodies require but often do not obtain overestimate what you put on your plate; nine out of 10 peo- and I actually had to sleep less to keep up with my courseextra sleep. He said most high school students require around ple overestimate the courseload they can handle in 11th and work and my procrastinating habits.” eight hours. 12th grade because they tend to judge the level of difficulty of In the survey when asked about the largest cause of “Not only is there a need for more sleep that occurs after the classes they sign up for based on the level of difficulty of sleep deficit, 44 percent of seniors responded with schoolpuberty but at the same time they have to work a lot more and the classes they took in the 9th and 10th grade.” work while another 44 percent responded with television, the they can’t go to sleep in the evening,” Mignot said. “It’s like However, some students manage to take rigorous courses internet or social media. 47 percent of freshmen also chose a perfect storm. That’s why there’s so much sleep deprivation. while retaining a high amount of sleep. Junior Nicholas the latter. While the percentages were not as high for the Senior John Kim agreed, saying that an increasing course- Quach, who takes BC Calculus, AP French, AP Physics, AP other classes, a significant portion still chose television, the load in his junior and senior years lead to him decreasing his Chemistry, regular US History and American Literature, internet or social media as the primary cause, showing that amount of sleep. manages to sleep nine hours every night, an amount which students recognize the amount of time they spend socializing “My sleeping is spohe claims his friends often ridi- and the effect it has on their amount of sleep. radic, so I usually sleep at cule him over. While students can help lessen their sleep debt by not 2:00 and wake up at 6:30, “[You’ve] got to make some sacrifices. Go to bed “I do all of my homework being distracted by the internet and limiting procrastination, plus a 1.5 hour nap,” Kim during the weekend,” Quach some students believe that the school can help students get said. “I’m usually com- earlier. If it means not getting as much work done, said. “If you finish it weeks more sleep. pletely sleepy during zero, in advance, then you can just “I think the teachers could be a little more flexible and first and second periods. so be it. You’re more attentive in class and you can get through the small triv- strategically place tests so they don’t end up all on the same The first two periods of do better and think more on tests.” ial amount of homework they day,” Kim said. “Probably also make the course catalog actuthe day I absolutely cannot give the day before. You sac- ally reflect reality.” - Eilon Tzur, Senior focus.” rifice your weekend to do your Lee said that she wished Paly could help teach skills that Teachers also take homework.” would help students avoid the social pitfalls that lead to note of this lack of focus For those unwilling to give repeatedly long nights. and sleepiness in class. Math Department Instructional up their cherished time on the weekends, they have to sac“I think all students could benefit from practicing prioriSupervisor Radu Toma said that sleep deprivation occurs not rifice other aspects. Senior Eilon Tzur, who takes three AP tization and time management,” Lee said. “I think there are only at Paly but worldwide for all ages, and he recognizes that classes and participates in varsity basketball and track, said classes that teach time management and other academic skills some students can not help but fall asleep. that he values his sleep greatly, choosing to sleep at 9:30 on campus, but that’s a separate class that you have to take “We see people falling asleep in class sometimes not rather than staying up late to finish all of his work. that is geared towards only a select group of students.” because of the fact that they don’t care about the class,” “[You’ve] got to make some sacrifices,” Tzur said. “Go to While these changes can quickly be implemented on Toma said. “We see people falling asleep in honors classes bed earlier. If it means not getting as much work done, so be campus, some believe that there are other district wide develsometimes. And the people that we know very well that are it. You’re more attentive in class and you can do better and opments that could be made that would help students with actually not just serious about the work in general but are stu- think more on tests.” their sleep habits but cannot be accomplished due to logistidents who are interested in that particular subject.” Mignot repeated the importance of sleep in terms of cal issues. While students usually joke about dozing in class and see memory retention. He recognized that many students pre“I think we made a very good change in shifting to it frequently, sleep deprivation creates more serious effects fer to cram study late night before a test but said that this 8:15 than 7:50,” Toma said. “If I had a choice in ideal ciron emotional well-being that can impact students for the rest method does not allow for the information to be kept long cumstances I would start at 9:00 or better yet at 10:00. of their lives. Unlike nodding off on a desk, the emotional term. Unfortunately you can’t do that because of objective reasons impact of sleep deprivation is not as easy to notice for both “Sleep is essential to consolidate some type of memories,” like schedules of athletic meetings in afternoons at differthose who are affected and those around them. Mignot said. “We know for sure that there are certain tasks ent schools. Unless it’s not just a city wide but a system wide “For sure we know that lack of sleep in teenagers espe- that if you do them and you don’t sleep, you may not remem- change, I don’t see how it could be accomplished.” cially changes emotional liability, so it probably helps to ber. Cramming too much is Mignot also agreed that create more social problems and more things that fuel other like cheating. You may do delaying the start of school behavioral issues,” Mignot said. “There are studies that show a little better on the exam “I think everything should be made so the kids would help students, but he for sure that in teenagers at the start of the school year there but it probably won’t be as more specifically wished that are lots of behavioral issues and depressional anxieties when good for your brain in the learn more. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is schools would implement a people are able to sleep perfectly well in the break and sud- long run as to retain the more scientific method in always the case.” denly have to wake up much earlier than they usually do.” information you need to order to see where it can truly In addition, Mignot said that students fail to recognize sleep over it and process it.” improve. He pointed to a study - Emmanuel Mignot, Director of the other potentially devastating effects of sleep deprivation, such Unfortunately for most where a school district changed Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences as driving while extremely sleepy. students, in addition to their start time from 7:00 a.m. “If you’re tired, just stop and sleep; don’t continue to facing the plethora of to 8:00 a.m. and saw an objecdrive,” Mignot said. “If you drive and you have a blank, you schoolwork they have to combat their greatest enemy: them- tive improvement in grades. can be going 100 mph and then you’re unconscious for 10 selves. Senior Julia Lee said she averages around five hours “I find it amazing that in school we don’t do experiments seconds. You can just run into a wall without even braking of sleep a night in addition to one to two hour naps. Despite to say what would be best for kids,” Mignot said. “I know so the accidents are even more dangerous than other acci- schoolwork placing a role in this low amount of sleep, she parents feel bad about this but some simple things like trying dents, even those that involve drugs or alcohols because at said she blames her habits more. to see if this time would be better at a certain age. I find it least there are some reflexes then.” “I don’t think I ever had so much work that I had to sleep amazing that we’re still on a curriculum that’s basically from Despite these serious consequences, many students con- three to four hours a day while also diligently doing work all the 19th century. The brain might be maturing differently tinue to lead sleep-deprived lives. In a survey conducted in day long,” Lee said. “I’ve learned to prioritize and focus on now than from 100 years ago.” which 50 randomly selected Paly students from each grade my work throughout my high school career, but there have Mignot believes that the people in charge of the school were asked how much sleep they averaged on a school day, been times when I didn’t exactly know how to do that and systems overlook and underestimate the importance of sleep, the results showed that 72 percent of seniors, 86 percent of consequently had to work at later hours.” partially due to the politicalization of school. juniors, 52 percent of sophomores and 42 percent of freshOne major development in the recent years that lead to “Sleep is one particular aspect that should be studied much men sleep less than eight hours. this procrastination in students is the advent of the Internet more and respected much more as I think it’s important to be The resulting question remains whether there exists a fea- and social media sites such as Facebook. Not only do these clear minded when you learn,” Mignot said. “I think everysible method to alleviate sleep deprivation and whether this outlets allow students to connect with each other at any time thing should be made so the kids learn more. Unfortunately, task falls on the hand of the administration and teachers who of the day, but light from computer screens also affect one’s I don’t think this is always the case.” run the school or the students who attend it. circadian clock, which is an inherent biological process that While both students and administration can attest to the Assistant principal Jerry Berkson said that the district is normally defines when one feels tired and when one feels fact that sleep deprivation poses an issue for not only Paly working on surveying homework and testing loads in order awake. students but people everywhere, there does not appear to exist to lower stress. Prior to the development of artificial light, all of the stim- a simple and practical solution that can quickly be impleHowever, he said that sometimes the administration can- ulation that drove the circadian clock came from the sun. mented. Combined with the rising pervasiveness of sleep not persuade students from undertaking a schedule in which The body has been wired to associate light with awake- deprivation and artificial light, sleep deprivation will continue sleep deprivation cannot be avoided. ness and darkness with sleep. These days, the body receives to flourish and if not dealt with, can remain for posterity.

“We know you can’t catch up your sleep debt in one night. If you sleep only five hours every day and you hope by sleeping a few hours more in the weekend you can catch up, it’s never enough. You need several nights to catch up and some people think even longer than that to restore your brain to a stable plateau.” - Emmanuel Mignot, Director of the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences

The Campanile

Friday, November 9, 2012

SPOTLIGHT

A sample of 50 students from each grade were selected using a random number generator. The questions and answers shown are worded exactly as they were on the survey:

which of the following is the largest cost of sleep deficit?

51% schoolwork

31% 10% 5% 3%

T.V./INTERNET/ social media

SPORTS

OTHER

JOBS/VOLUNTEER

How many hours of sleep do you think you need daily to function at your optimal level?

Has the need for sleep or the lack of it ever prompted you to cheat on homework or tests?

50% 35% 14% 1%

No it has not made me cheat

only on homework

on homework and tests

only on tests

The Campanile

Friday, November 9, 2012

SPONSORED PAGE

THE ASB POST

The Official Newsletter of the Palo Alto High School Associated Student Body ASB’s theme this year is “Integration and Inclusion.” Our main goals this year are to: a) increase ASB’s involvement in all student activities and b) ensure that the student body always knows what ASB is doing. We hope to achieve these goals by boosting publicity and making it more effective. We want to strengthen the communication with the student body and enact more ASB events and activities on campus geared towards improving student life. For anyone seeking the latest updates about ASB, make sure to visit our website (https://sites.google.com/site/pahsasb/), Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/#!/palyasb), and Twitter account (https://twitter.com/palyasb).

Executive Board

Jessica Tam, Soo Song, Josh Madej, and Charlie Dulik ASB President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary The ASB Executive Council would like to congratulate all of the class officers and commissioners for a successful Spirit Week 2012! We enjoyed helping each of the officers with their respective contributions to Spirit Week for the student body to enjoy. This year’s Spirit Week was not only fair, but also fun and competitive, which brought a great atmosphere to the campus. However, though Spirit Week may be over, ASB isn’t finished yet! We still have a lot of things planned for the rest of the year, including getting more live music at Paly, Post-Finals Cookies and Cocoa, and prom. We’ll also be stopping by clubs in the next few months to increase communication between ASB and clubs and to make sure things are going smoothly. You can expect to see new ideas on campus including new fundraisers and events. We’re looking forward to serving the Paly community for the rest of the year!

Class Officers

Rick Takeuchi and Anika Avadhani Sophomore President, Vice President

Hi fellow sophomores, we are glad that we went through Spirit Week so successfully. We want to thank everyone who helped with designing the float, coordinating people for Spirit Week activities, creating cheers, and leading rallies. This year, we tried our best to boost communication with everyone on Facebook. If you have any suggestions for next year, please let either of us know! Representing the sophomore class at Spirit Week activities has been a blast. In the upcoming months, we aim to encourage class unity and continue working with the class adviser for any class activities. We plan to communicate with you all more frequently about what’s going on at school. You can also look forward to the annual underclassmen fundraiser in April! Another thing to look forward to are more amazing dances like B.E.D. Keep us updated on what you want, such as new events or class activities!

Audrey DeBruine, Kate Marinkovich Junior President and Vice President

Sophie parker/thecampanile

Juniors Jack Anderson and Andrew Frick compete against the seniors in the relay race competition

Heyyyyyyyy juniors, spirit week was legit! A big thanks goes to everyone who participated in rallies, worked on the float, helped out with the spirit dance, and gave us input! It was amazing seeing our class come together throughout the week. We hope you had a fun time at BED. Along with the rest of ASB, we plan to continue working hard this year. We absolutely love representing you!

Emma Hammerson and Owen Dulik Freshman President, Vice President

Hey freshmen! Although we finished last this year for Spirit Week, we definitely did really well! So many freshmen participated and as the week went on, participation and spirit kept going up. Our freshman class has been called the best in years. Our float was success, and we want to thank everyone who helped us with the float throughout the week. The class unity in rallies and float building made the week a success. Knowing what we do now, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with next year! The annual underclassmen fundraiser will take place in April, but please let us know if you have any ideas or feedback before then! We hope to have an even better spirit week next year so any ideas you have please message us with them and we will be sure to incorpoorate them next year!

Michael Wang, Josh Stabinsky Senior President and Vice President Bon jovi senior class! So... we won spirit week, fair and square, and we’re the first to do so since the spirit week policy change. There were some tense moments over spirit week, and Gunn’s results didn’t help either, but we pulled ahead and dominated. Now that Spirit Week’s over, Josh and I are focusing on the next big thing at hand: Prom. While we can’t disclose the venue yet, we’re working to make this Prom the best possible. We will be revisiting the venue in mid November to iron out the details and begin making final plans for execution. We’re also constantly working on improving our dances, which we hope you’ve seen in B.E.D. That sums it up for now, but again, if you have any new ideas, no matter how far-fetched, feel free to run them by me or Josh anytime.

Commissioners and Representatives

Bria Vicenti, Lorraine Chen Social Commissioners

Thanks everyone for coming to B.E.D! The Big Electronic Dance was a major success! With our free admission, we had 530+ attendees and everyone had a lot of fun. A big thank you goes to SOS Entertainment for the awesome decorations, which transformed the gym with the black lights, haze machine, and electronic dance music. There was also plenty of candy and cookies for everyone to enjoy. The dance was a great way for everyone to relax and have fun after a long and heated Spirit Week. ASB is reinventing dances this year, and BED was just the start. Look forward to more dances second semester!

Israa Beige Multicultural Representative

Sophie Parker, Emma Ketchum Spirit Commissioners

Spirit week was awesome this year! It was great to see each grade dress up and support their class at the rally.We felt that spirit week went really smoothly compared to last year, we ran through each activity beforehand to make sure it worked. We also increased transparency by having all of the judges sheets online and updating the Paly ASB website every day. We would also like to thank all of the staff that judged the activities, as well as the Mayor of East Palo Alto and members of the Gunn ASB, who judged the floats and dances during the last Friday rally. Next, we spirit commissioners will be working on the winter rally, which includes the staff vs. student basketball game, and helping the senior class officers with Prom.

Keri Gee, Jack Anderson Sports Commissioners

Hi Paly! it was a lot of fun to see everyone so spirited during Spirit Week. The vibe was awesome and activities went smoothly (props to the Spirit Commissioners)! You can expect a ton of new and interesting activities geared toward raising multicultural awareness at school this year, something that has not been done as much in years past. Something to look forward to are the African Drum and Dance group that will be coming to Paly on November 28th and be dancing at lunch on the quad! Another new idea I will be launching soon is publiticity around school that will inform students about different cultures and religions that exist. In addition, I will be creating a blog with ASB composed by Paly students about their perspective on their culture and religion, as well as how this view may affect their lives. Through these activites, I hope to introduce all of you to a different aspect of Paly life!

Hey everyone! We have succeeded in getting a mascot for Paly and we feel that this has been a huge success at all of the football games. We hope it will continue to be just as successful through the winter and basketball season. There’s also been great attendance at football games. At the Paly Goes Green Homecoming game we had a great turn-out and great enthusiasm from all of the fans, especially the student section. As sports commissioners, we hope to continue this trend of high attendance at sporting events through the basketball season. A goal of ours is to have the student section full at each and every basketball game. We hope that the 6th man club will stay alive at Paly as we cheer on our very own Vikings basketball team.

Sophie parker/thecampanile

Senior Aldis Petriceks shoots a three pointer in the big gym to warm up before the basketball competitions begin.

Seniors scream and shout during th lunch rally on the track on Color Day. Seniors sported green, Juniors wore yellow, sophomores were red and freshmen rocked orange.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

OPINION A9

Class cheers should not face ASB censorship

Jack Paladin Staff Writer

ivalry—competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field. Rivalry is what Spirit Week: four grades battling it out in hopes of achieving victory, as well as bragging rights for the rest of the year. That is what Spirit Week would look like ideally, and that would make it a much more enjoyable experience for all. During this year’s Spirit Week, students witnessed otherwise.

This year we witnessed grades clapping for other grades and even writing cheers supporting the other grades. Now what is the point of that? We are supposed to be competing, not uniting. This is but one week out of the entire school year where each class can try its hardest to insult, demoralize or do whatever else to the other classes. But with this new forced sense of “positivity” this becomes impossible. During Spirit Week, classes were required to show their cheers to ASB advisor Matt Hall before using them during the rallies. If Hall deemed a certain cheer inappropriate, it would not be used in a rally.Though this practice is highly subjective—Hall should be monitoring the cheers for explicit content and vulgarity, not pointedness. Apart from a few sensitive souls, students are more or less indifferent when specific groups or people are the targets of these “mean” cheers. If the

class does not mind losing points for their cheers then they should by all means utilize the cheer. Spirit Week has worked for years like this and there have been no major incidents. The strongest response to a “mean” cheer is perhaps an awkward chuckle, accompanied by a handful of boos. So if people are not taking these cheers seriously and just shrug them off, there is no reason why we should be censored from using the cheers that we want to use. Spirit Week is the one week when it is socially acceptable for members of all grades can shout their brains out, dress like a lunatic and go crazy. People deserve to have fun during a week that is supposed to be fun. But, having fun is more difficult without the use of mean cheers. The junior class first shifted its approach and started using positive cheers and clapping instead of instead of booing. However, this was only perceived as sarcasm and snideness by the other grades, against all

Alexander Jenson

original intentions. Whether these cheers were mean-spirited in intent is rather irrelevant, because the message was muddled. There is no reason that high school students should not be allowed to make their own decisions and be

censored for comments that are not deemed inappropriate. And anyways, in the end no matter what we say to each other, we are still all friends. Right? Hall was not available to comment on this issue.

Revised Spirit Week point system still contains many flaws

Bowen Gerould Staff writer

fter 2011’s contreversial Spirit Week, ASB tried to make this year’s Spirit Week different.

During this year’s Spirit Week, ASB tried to be more open with its scoring system, and like most years in the past, seniors came away victorious. Although tradition holds that the seniors should always win since it is their last Spirit Week, it is unfair for the senior class to be awarded points solely to keep the tradition going. The seniors should earn their victory by being the loudest, most spirited class. The only difference between this year and last year was that ASB did not give away points unfairly this year where one could argue they did last year, and the seniors earned the crown

this year without the bonus of additional points. ASB handled this year’s Spirit Week judging well this year, only imparting minor biases on the judgement of “Best Dressed” which is impossible to actually determine without bias towards upperclassmen. Seniors won that category four out of five times and got second the other day. Another problem was the cheer category that ASB had implemented for this year’s Spirit Week. Usually the cheering points are awarded 50 for fourth place 100 for third, 150 for second and 200 for first. This year the points were given out so that any

individual class could score a 200, even if the other classes also did. Once, all four classes scored a 200. This delegitimizes cheering during Spirit Week because there is no competition if you cannot win first in that category. Another issue was the three point contest changing its format. In years past, the seniors and freshmen and the juniors and sophomores would go head to head, competing for a spot in the final round. The two victors would have another shootoff for the ultimate crown at the end which was more exciting for the student body. This year, all four grades shot separately in one round and the winner

would be the shooter who scored the most out of them all. This was less exciting and caused confusion and disappointment for some students expecting a final round. One last issue with Spirit Week was the way that points like sportsmanship and cleanliness were awarded. Cleanliness is fairly straightforward, but it is unclear what were considered deductions for unsportsmanlike conduct. That seems like a category that could carry some bias without criteria. The methods ASB used to assign points to each grade were not ideal, which is something that ASB should fix to eliminate controversy.

Homecoming dance improved

Irene Ezran Staff Writer

he Big Electronic Dance (B.E.D.), held on Oct. 27 in the Paly small gym, was an improvement from past homecoming dances, but changes are still necessary in order to continue refining this annual Paly dance. This year the dance theme was Electronic Dance Music, which was an improvement from last year’s white-out theme. Many students thought that having a new theme was a great way to encourage people to attend. “I think this was probably the most successful dance that Paly has had in many years, even though it still wasn’t great,” junior Shiri Arnon said. “But people actually wanted to go, so it was good.” One reason for the success of this Homecoming dance was that it was well advertised by the Associative Student Body (ASB) Social Commissioners Bria Vicenti and Lorraine Chen. When the theme was announced, Vicenti posted a video on Facebook that encouraged students to go to the dance. As a result, the attendance increased from the 430 people that attended last year’s homecoming dance to over 530 people who attended this year. “We brought something new to the table, and we got a lot more interest and enthusiasm for the dance,” Vicenti said. “The theme brought a lot of people, and while I feel Paly dances still have a negative stigma to them, B.E.D. was a huge step in breaking that.” Another reason for the increased attendance was that the homecoming dance was free, so more students showed up. “I think having this free dance really helped because it got people to come and see how we’re changing it

up,” freshman class president Owen Dulik said. “And now I think people will want to come and see how we’re doing in the future.” Also, this year ASB made a huge effort to change the setup from how it was in the past. “Previous homecoming dances were barely decorated and attendance was poor,” Chen said. However for B.E.D., ASB ordered more lighting equipment and technicians from SOS Entertainment, the company that Paly uses to plan dances. Many students appreciated the change in setup of homecoming, and they enjoyed dancing under the new lighting effects. “I think [Homecoming] was a lot better,” junior Lauren Kerr said. “The atmosphere was really cool and I really liked the decorations.” Although B.E.D. was a major improvement from previous dances, many people did not like the music because it was very electronic. As a result, a large amount of people came to the dance for only a short period of time. “It was an improvement from last year because there were more people who came,” junior Becca Althoff said. “But I thought since there was only one kind of music, a lot of people left really quickly.” Chen, who has received several complaints of ‘bad music,’ believes that in the future, ASB will focus on choosing a better playlist. One way to address this issue is to make a music playlist based on song requests from the students. “So far I’ve heard some negative comments on the music, both at Back to School Dance and homecoming,” Chen said. “We will be more careful on how DJs are selected and make sure the songs requested from students are played.” Although there were some issues with the music, overall ASB has done a great job planning the homecoming dance this year. If ASB makes different themes every dance and accommodates the students’ song choices, Paly dance attendance will continue to improve and dances will be more successful. “We’re going to keep coming up with bigger and better ideas to draw in interest,” Vicenti said. “[We will] make sure we have great music and decorations to make people want to stay.”

Friday, November 9, 2012

A10

The Campanile

OPINION

Fire drill system in need of reform anna mcgarrigle Lifestyle editor

t is a godsend for students during a boring class period and a nuisance for teachers’ lesson plans. We seem to have fire alarms on a monthly basis, and even a daily basis during the last weeks of school. And luckily, despite all of these alarms, we have experienced no serious fire threats on campus. But to anyone who has seen a Paly fire drill, the careless chaos appears to be anything but safety proof. Would the allegedly organized pandemonium on the football field suffice to organize and catalog students if buildings were up in flames? Most would say no. But assistant principal Jerry Berkson is finally working to streamline the process, with safety being the first priority. “We’ve had so many false alarms that we’re in the “boy who cried wolf” syndrome where people don’t take it seriously,” Berkson said. After seeing the escalated chaos due to the false alarm on Wednesday, Nov. 3, Berkson has begun work on a new drill process. The present system is so flawed that current drills are not even being implemented correctly, according to Berkson.

“We’ve had so many false alarms over the last two years, and everyone’s frustrated,” Berkson said. “As soon as we get the all-clear, we clear, where we should actually complete the process so people are used to it.” In the past two years, Paly has experienced fire drills every few weeks. Out of this number, exactly zero have been from a serious fire threat. Causes include burning popcorn, fried chemistry experiments and the most ludicrous of all, burning curling irons from girls primping their hairdos in the ladies room. Berkson is looking to simplify the structure of drills by eliminating complications that have resulted in the chaotic procession currently in place. “Is sending students to their fourth period class the right thing?” Berkson said. “I mean if it happens during second period, you should just go with your second period class.” Other issues like teachers with preps will be addressed. “I’ve got to come up with a few ideas and run them by a few people, including staff,” Berkson said. “Staff members have emailed me saying they have ideas, so I’ll talk with them and get their input.” After almost four years of absolute mayhem during drills, Paly will finally get a drill system that does not waste everyone’s time while also keeping students in safe practice for a real drill. “People have to take it seriously because you don’t want to get your hands caught in the cookie jar at the time when it is real,” Berkson said. Hopefully this reform will take place soon, preferably before the class of 2013 graduates. You would think that this safety issue would have been taken care of long ago.

alexander jenson/the campanile

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to CVS.”

Students should take advantage of college representative visits at CCC

charlotte barry copy editor

Marie ezran senior staff writer

n the midst of college applications, Paly on-campus college visits are not only the perfect way to learn more about a school, but also a good way to meet with a representative from that college. With up to five college visits a day and more than 150 visits per year, from liberal arts colleges to pre-professional universities, the College and Career Center (CCC) offers a variety of opportunities for students to learn more about the colleges they are applying to. In the beginning of the school year, the College and Career Center posts the college visits for the upcoming months both on Naviance and on a calendar bulletin located in the Tower building in front of the CCC. It can also be accessed on the daily bulletin via the Paly school website. In order to attend these meetings, it is required to have a slip signed 24 hour in advance by the student’s teacher of the class when the college will be visiting. This form can be picked up at the College Career Center or downloaded from the CCC website (which is linked on the Paly website) under the “College Visits to Paly” tab.

Five days a week, almost every hour, representatives from all around the world come to talk about their colleges and answer any questions students may have. These sessions usually run for 45 minutes; just enough time to talk about the academic life, college social scene, and application process. “The college visits have definitely helped,” senior Alexia Garcia said. “You can get informations from the website and the alumni’s of the school but it is nice to get a professional inside scoop from the representatives. They not only know the life on campus but also the admission statistics.” Visiting the college campus can sometimes be a time-consuming and expensive trip so college visits are a great alternative for students to ask questions about the school and get more information about the programs. “It saves you the time from attending a college information center during a college visit because it is pretty much the same thing, senior Josh Oh said. “ They say the same information and you can ask question like you would at a normal information session.” In addition to learning more about the college and campus, students get to meet the school’s representative, who may also sometimes be the school’s regional admission director. If this is the case, he or she will be the first one to read a Paly student application, rate it and pass it on either to other admission readers, a committee, or straight to the dean of admissions. “It varies from campus to campus how influential the representative is,” Paly College and Career Advisor Sandra Cernobori said. “At some of

schools, by meeting with a representative, you demonstrate interest in the school and some schools factor it in more than others. Even if its a public school that comes to visit, often schools read by regions and they are familiar with Paly because they come in year after year.” In addition these visits are usually held before the application is due which allows students to ask logistical questions about the application or get more information about what the school is looking for in the essays and supplements. Representatives mostly come in the fall season and occasionally in the spring. Furthermore, if a student is unable to come to the college representative visit, he or she can go to the CCC and ask to look through the interview notes that were taken by a parent-volunteer during the talk or look on the “counselor notes” in the “college profile” section of the Naviance website. “There is a parent volunteer who takes the most salient, interesting things the representatives says and then enters them in,” Cernobori said. “Extra materials are also kept on file if students want to look at them.” Attending college representative visits are a great opportunity for students to get more information about the school in general, meet with the school’s representative, and for some colleges, it is noted on the application that a student shows interest in the school. Taking the time to attend could be very worth wile for your college application experience If you are interested in learning more about this topic, go to paly.net/ college or log on to your Naviance account under the “colleges” tab.

Seniors would benefit from more frequent advisories

jake kerman opinion editor

taff members, the rumors are true. Students at Paly do not exactly look forward to having advisory. Most of the time they involve technical handouts, instructional PowerPoints created by the administration and a lackluster or forgotten snack. However, this lesser-known rumor is also true: students recognize the value of advisory. We may complain about going to it, complain about what goes on in it and complain some more. Despite this, all kids know that the relationship with the teacher advisor is valuable. On one side is an unlimited, willing resource of knowledge and advice. Advice that cannot be summarized in size 12 Times New Roman on yellow leaflets. On the other is insecurity about the future and the need for reassurance. Fact: teenagers like having their questions answered. Especially when it comes to seniors, and even more so when those questions pertain to the collegiate application process. Advisory presents an opportunity for seniors to get these questions answered. But so far this year, during the heat of the application process, seniors have had so few advisories that the number could be counted on

one hand. The lack of senior advisories has distressed a fair number of students. “We haven’t had advisory in weeks so I can’t get my questions answered,” said a senior who wished to remain unnamed. Admittedly, the advisors have a lot on their plates to get done. They have to get the freshman class familiar with a high school environment. The juniors need help navigating the cesspool that is standardized testing. And the sophomores, well, need help being sophomores. All the same, there is no process more important in one’s high school career than applying to college, and it should be treated as such. When teenagers cannot get advice from a primary source, they turn elsewhere for instruction. This could be a bitter sibling, jealous classmate or an overbearing parent. Seniors will keep looking for help until they are satisfied, and the so-called “help” that was received may actually be the furthest thing from it. By scheduling more advisories for seniors, the administration can make sure that seniors maintain a balanced perspective on the application process and stay away from the stress that the district has tried so hard to avoid. Seniors do not want more advisories because they are looking for a good time. They can socialize with friends outside the classroom, and the ranch-dipping tray is probably better left unconsumed. What seniors want is guidance, and teacher-advisors are great at giving it. They know their advisees, so it is personalized and provide students with what they need to hear. Seniors are at the top in all facets of the school, whether it be age, experience or need for advice. Why should advisory time be any different?

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

OPINION

A11

The Political Crazies: Candidates in Review

Donald Trump

Michele Bachmann

onald “The Donald” Trump announced his bid for presidency around the same time that he raised “serious questions” regarding the birthplace of the Kenyan Muslim who holds the highest office in the land. The move caused many a respected journalist to pee his pants in excitement over the enticing prospect of several tedious months of news coverage as unsubstantial as Trump’s platform. Undoubtedly the lowest moment in Trump’s campaign occurred when he was subjected to a thorough and systematic roasting (inspired in part by his obsession with the “birther controversy”) in the 2011 White House Correspondent’s Dinner by comedian Seth Meyers and President Barack Obama. Trump’s stony face throughout the entire ordeal, juxtaposed by the raucous laughter of those surrounding him, displayed a level of gratuity that the nation had never seen before, until it saw Osama bin Laden get shot in the face and dumped in the sea about two hours later. So overall a good night. Trump withdrew his bid for the presidency thereafter. His hair could not be reached for comment.

innesota’s pride and joy, Representative in Congress and Sarah Palin 2.0, Michele Bachmann rose to national prominence as the Tea Party darling and a spokesperson for “real America.” No word yet on where voters may find “real America,” and a cursory overview of Bachmann’s now-defunct campaign website did not shed any further light on that curious bit of information. The campaign faced controversy when ABC News uncovered that Bachmann and her husband Marcus co-owned a Christian counseling service named Bachmann and Associates. Undercover footage of one particular therapy session revealed that the company provided “pray the gay away” services, wherein gay people were reoriented to align themselves with the straight line that is honest Christian heterosexuality. Even more damning footage of Marcus Bachmann dancing with his wife provoked late-night TV hosts to amusedly point out that judged solely by his flamboyant dancing style (only to be rivaled by Modern Family’s Cam Tucker), Marcus Bachmann himself would make an excellent candidate for gay-straightening therapy.

Newt Gingrich

pon entering the fray of Republican candidates, Former Speaker of the House and Lego figurine Newt Gingrich was hailed as a wise, respected and experienced statesman who would bring his political and intellectual gravitas to the media circus freakshow known as the presidential campaign. To win over voters with his rational thinking and calm demeanor, Newt Gingrich appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with David Gregory, and with regards to Paul Ryan’s budget plan he stated “I don’t think right wing social engineering is any more desirable

Rick Perry

un totin’, mentally-retardedpeople-executin’ Texas Governor Rick Perry and “firm believer” in intelligent design rocked the Grand Ol’ Party with his winning attitude and his less-than-winning oratory abilities. It soon became hard to take a man seriously who couldn’t remember the third agency of government whose spending he would cut (“I would do away with the Education, the . . . Commerce and—let’s see—I can’t.

Nov. 6 2012 ended 18 months of shameless pandering, endless sound bites and outrageous TV spots. While Barack Obama ultimately emerged victorious over Mitt Romney, let us not forget all of the other fascinating and occasionally crazy candidates who were vying for the highest office in the land. Text by Yasna Haghdoost, Editor-in-Chief

Art by Alexander Jenson, Cartoonist

Rick Santorum

ormer Pennsylvania Senator Richard Santorum, the man who forever loathes Google for having irrevocably tainted his name with a frothy mixture of shame and ridicule, once boldly stated in an March 2011 interview with WEZS Radio that “the reason Social Security is in big trouble is we don’t have enough workers to support the retirees. Well a third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion, because one in three pregnancies end in abortion.”

than left wing social engineering.” This unleashed a wave of outrage in Gingrich’s party, who saw his statements as nothing short of traitorous and cowardly, and thus proving once and for all that Hell hath no fury like a Republican scorned. Gingrich immediately sought to rectify the situation, and by the end of his campaign, he had made marked progress from making rational statements supporting bipartisanship to unveiling plans for a moon colony by the end of his second term. An improvement by any standards. To round off the whole fiasco, news emerged that Gingrich had cheated on his previous two wives while they were severely ill with cancer and multiple sclerosis, respectively. Political aficionados will fondly reminisce of the similarities between that and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate John Edward’s revelation of an extramarital affair while his wife was dying of cancer. Such sweet memories should serve as motivating forces within our country, reminding us that being a pathological liar and a morally degenerate person with an utter lack of regard for the plight of others transcends political parties and unifies our nation as a whole. The third one, I can’t. Sorry. Oops.” (The Department of Energy, Rick). But Perry managed to compensate for his increasing stiffness in debate performances and public appearances with a fantastical and what can only be described as a completely drunken 2011 speech in New Hampshire, where he slurred his way through an incoherent and at times suggestive discourse sprinkled with such gems as “Today has been awesome gurrrrrl!” and “That little tax plan that I shared with you doesn’t force the Granite State to expand your tax footprint. . . if you know what I mean.” Perry’s shining moment came with the airing of a TV spot in which Perry (wearing, ironically, a Brokeback Mountain-inspired getup) declared, “There’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” He then promised America that “as president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion and I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.” It’s a wonder his campaign didn’t get any further.

Thus, from the onset, Santorum established his reputation as a religious conservative powerhouse with the evangelical balls to push the most pressing issues of our nation to the forefront, including, and mostly limited to, abortion, gay marriage, contraception, gay contraception, prayer at schools, prayer at work, prayer at home and prayer anywhere, really. He’s not too fussy. Incidentally, it was after a weekend of intense “prayer and thought” that Santorum suspended his campaign and called it quits, so godless sodomites really shouldn’t complain about the whole prayer thing.

Sarah Palin

Ron Paul

espite going on a “One Nation” bus tour in a monstrosity of a vehicle emblazoned with the American Flag, the Liberty Bell AND the Declaration of Independence, the former Alaska Governor wasn’t running for president. But the Campanile website gets more traffic with every mention of this tundra beauty’s name, so to keep our publication up and running, we’ll spend more time talking about her instead of relevant issues, like, oh we don’t know, who actually ran for president.

welve-term Texas Congressman Ron Paul and Libertarian-posing-as-aRepublican candidate Ron Paul is still probably running for president. Race is over? Well that won’t stop him. But to be fair to Paul, it takes an extraordinary degree of resilience to continue fighting through a campaign when everyone, including the Republican political machine as well as all of the major news networks, seem to work under the assumption that you don’t even exist.

Gary Johnson

ormer Governor New Mexico Gary Johnson initially ran as a Republican, then successfully pursued the Libertarian Party nomination. In a June 5 interview with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show earlier this year (which sums up the extent of media coverage he received), Johnson stated, “The libertarian candidate’s going to come at Obama from the left and come at Mitt Romney from the right.” Rick Santorum reportedly shuddered at the candidate “coming both ways.

Herman Cain

EO of Godfather’s Pizza Herman Cain found himself thrust into the spotlight during the Republican primaries after the media gods declared him the winner of the first Republican primary debate. And it’s not hard to see why: Cain’s debate performance elucidated a nuanced and substantiated analysis of the current state of affairs in the United States, with

During the earlier presidential debates, Paul angrily condemned American intervention, claiming that the situation in Iran is “Just like... in Iraq: build up the war propaganda! There was no Al Qaeda in Iraq! It’s time we quit this; it’s trillions of dollars we’re spending on these wars!” Despite the fact that these honest and ideologically consistent pleas were met with boisterous approval from the cheering Republican crowd in the debate audience, the debate moderator, mirroring the general sentiment of those in the upper echelons of the Republican party, condescendingly dismissed Paul’s statements as what can politely be described as batshizz crazy. Karl Rove reportedly nodded his head in satisfaction at Ron Paul’s treatment throughout the debate and its aftermath. Some of Paul’s more outspoken views include the complete legalization of marijuana and cocaine AND heroin (wow, someone is needy). The stoner vote clearly did little to improve Paul’s chances, despite the fact that his campaign was thoroughly backed and supported by the Dorito-Industrial complex. thoroughly-researched crowdpleasers such as “we need to get government out of the way,” and “if you look at the current administration, it is the worst in current history” as well as “government doesn’t create jobs; businesses create jobs.” Okay, so mostly just crowd-pleasers. However, the Cain train came to a screeching halt when it turned out that the Hermanitor was delivering more than just pizzas: information surfaced that Cain was the subject of at least two complaints from different women for sexually suggestive behavior. This of course, disillusioned food lovers throughout America, as they caught a glimpse of the neverbefore-seen underbelly of the pizza industry, one that was comprised of an entirely different type of pies and sausages. Despite these numerous setbacks, the man who professed his favorite ice cream flavor to be “black walnut” ended his campaign with an inspiring quote from Pokémon: “Life can be a challenge; life can seem impossible.” Amen, black walnut.

Friday, November 9, 2012

A12

The Campanile

EDITORIALS

Student voice needed on Academic Honesty Committee

t is a commonplace observation that cheating occurs at all levels of academic rigor, often at the benefit of those who need it the least. Being as pervasive of a problem as it is, the problem is not only an issue of equality, but of moral development. Being surrounded in an academic environment with widespread academic dishonesty sends the wrong message to the impressionable high school demographic, and it is a message they carry with them through higher education and beyond. Addressing academic dishonesty at Paly is therefore a very important issue. Academic dishonesty has long been a problem of the student population, and the Campanile commends the administration for taking steps to understand and ameliorate the problem through the Academic Honesty Committee. We also recognize and praise the committee’s effort towards reducing cheating not only through revision of punishment, but also

through clarifying what constitutes academic dishonesty and working to prevent it in the first place. That being said, a vital voice is missing on the committee, and it is that of the students. The Campanile recommends that students, in addition to teachers and administrators, should contribute to the revised policy. Students are the group that such policies aim to correct, thus it is important to have a student perspective on the committee. Having the student perspective will give additional insight into problems facing students that may cause them to cheat, as well as to the unseen social dynamics that may foster cheating behavior. A student committee member will aid in understanding how students see cheating, and the role cheating has in Paly’s academic environment. While it may be easy to assume that any student introduced to the committee would be inclined to support a lighter policy on academic dishonesty, that is not true. The

NOVEMBER’S TOP TEN LIST “Most Annoying Things To Do On Facebook”

Library technology useful, but environment too strict

he Paly library hosts a collection of useful tools, and The Campanile would like to begin by commending the library staff for the services it has made available to students. While many students have used databases such as JSTOR, Encyclopedia Britannica Online, and EBSCOhost Research Databases, the librarians have provided a new database for students called Statista, which can be accessed through Schoology. Statista compiles diverse and accurate statistics, giving students yet another reliable tool to use in an age where anyone can share incorrect information on the Internet. Additionally, it features graphs and other visuals that students can download to use in their academic research as well. These graphs can not only be used to better interpret data but can be used for use as visuals in presentations. Another aspect of technology that the library has embraced are the E-readers, such as Kindles, which allow students to read digital copies of books. By using E-readers, students benefit from the convenience of having many different books stored in one object. If students are unsure of whether E-readers fit their reading style, these students can verify for themselves by borrowing and testing one from the library. The library staff has also recently worked to create events that foster student participation, such as the first student political debate organized by Rachel Kellerman, in which she also acted as a moderator.

The Campanile commends the library staff for its efforts to engage students intellectually in innovative ways and looks forward to more occurrences like these. However, one aspect of the library that seemingly contradicts this openness to students is the policy of kicking students out on the basis of not doing work. While it is understandable that the librarians would like to create an atmosphere in which students can focus and complete work, some students claim to have been asked to leave the library even when being quiet. The librarians have succeeded in making the library a location where students want to stay in, with the decorative mural, comfortable chairs and plethora of computers. Therefore, The Campanile believes that if students would like to spend their time resting or socializing with friends in the library, they deserve the right to do so, as long as they do not disrupt others. Sometimes students are talking to each other while collaborating on various assignments for classes. The library should first and foremost be a place to get academic work done. When students who are speaking with others about academia and get kicked it, it defeats the purpose of the library itself. Students should respect the librarians by understanding the volume level they need to stay. But at the same time the librarians should seek to allow the library to not only be a place for work but a place of relaxation and decompression.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Lowering parking permit costs is a step backward I want to compliment Heather Strathearn on her thoughtful response to the ASB’s puzzling and unfortunate decision to lower the price of parking permits at Paly. As a Paly parent and a past member of the Green Team I am surprised at the decision to use excess funds to make it easier for students to drive to school when it has so clearly been a goal of the school’s to reduce traffic both for the sake of the environment and for safety reasons, if not for the health of the students. Giving an incentive, by reducing the permit price, for students to drive to school seems like a step backwards. The traffic in the parking lots and near to Paly is already dangerous. I know several students, including my daughter, who have been hit by cars while riding their bikes. The parking lots are overcrowded and I cannot imagine what they will be like with this added encouragement for more kids to drive to school. I strongly recommend that the ASB and Paly staff reconsider this decision. Instead, as suggested in Heather’s commentary, consider using the money for more bike racks and possibly some incentives for choosing healthier options for getting to school. It is in the best interest of everyone concerned to have students walking, biking or using public transportation for their own health as well as that of the environment’s. DANIELLE MEWES, Paly Parent

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Got something on your mind?

Submit a letter to the editor at campanile.opinion@gmail.com

10) Starting sentences with “so basically.” So basically, it’s really shallow.

majority of students also wish to end Paly’s cheating problem and restore our system back to one that rewards merit over dishonesty. As a side note, we hope that the student chosen will not be a “mole” per se, but an unbiased student perspective and resource. If the administration chooses to introduce a student opening to the committee, we recommend that selection be by application so that the administration can have the final say over the applicant pool. Furthermore, the candidate should be a senior with four years of experience at Paly, so that he or she may have a good perspective of the issue and be free from social and/or other burdens that may impede him (or her) from making an unbiased decision. The Campanile believes that having a student present in the committee will be highly valuable to school policy revisions of academic dishonesty, and will hopefully reduce the need and prevalence for academic dishonesty in the coming years.

9) Stupid name changes. Don’t give me that lame college excuse. 8) Posting song lyrics. This should require no explanation. 7) Back and forth romantic banter. Cell phones were created for a reason. 6) A constant stream of attempted humor. We know you’re funny. 5) Ranting. For each like you get, there’s another five people laughing. 4) Depressing posts. Social media is not a place to broadcast your sorrows. 3) Profile picture lovefests. You’re so cute! No, You’re so cute! No, this is really annoying! 2) Fishing for compliments. “My hair looks so awful!” Yes, it does. 1) Claiming “Photo Cr3dZ$.” Is there a reason you weren’t in the photo? -JAKE KERMAN

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting.” TOM STOPPARD

COMIC OF THE MONTH

“The harsh realities of election night”

Alexander Jenson

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Kate Apostolou • Charlie Dulik• Yasna Haghdoost Alvin Kim • Nira Krasnow • Michael Wang News Editor Elena Pinsker Business Managers Ben Hawthorne Elizabeth Bowman

Opinion Editor Jake Kerman

Spotlight Editor Chrissie Cheng

Lifestyle Editor Anna McGarrigle

Art Director Kate Apostolou

Features Editor Grace Fang

Sports Editors Logan Mendenhall Sophie Parker

Technology Editors Wesley Shiau Beth Yan

A&E Editor Emily Tran Graphic Artist Bo Field

Copy Editor Charlotte Barry

Photography Editors Adam Mansour Gina Scarpino

Social Media Editor Julia Poppy Cartoonist Alexander Jenson

Staff Writers Joshua Arfin Charlotte Barry Brandon Byer Andrew Choi Rachel Cui Ryan Deslauriers Samuel Dodson Irene Ezran Marie Ezran James Foug Bowen Gerould

Jensen Hsiao Josefin Kenrick William Kershner Maya Kitayama Julia Kwasnick Albert Lee Emily Lee Kian McHugh Will Mendenhall Jack Paladin Perri Pond

Charlotte Barry Chrissie Cheng Jensen Hsiao

Emily Rosenthal Gina Scarpino Ziv Schwartz Blake Smith Jordan Smith Angela Stern Kelly Stern Kyle Stewart Heather Strathearn Daniel Tachna-Fram Alex Taussig

Photographers

Adam Mansour Anna McGarrigle Logan Mendenhall

Sidhanth Venkatasubramaniam Leslie Wan Rachel Wilson Michelle Yin John Young Hillel Zand Jacob Zenger Lily Zhang Stephenie Zhang Jonathan Ziegler Alvina Zou

Gina Scarpino Emily Tran Hillel Zand

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The Campanile

LIFESTYLE DAnCe DruGS

An investigation into the rise of illicit narcotics at Paly dances, and how breathalyzers have incentivized drug usage text by Charlie Dulik design by Anna McGarrigle

“I do not feel responsible at all for a kid who [thinks he/she] has to be on drugs at a social event such as a dance.”

Drug use among U.S. high school students*

used marijuana on school property currently use cocaine ever used ecstasy ever used heroin ever used a hallucinogen offered/sold illegal drugs on school property

Footloose: Elijah Waxman by Jonathan Ziegler

B6 Pistachiomania

-Vice Principal Jerry Berkson

currently use marijuana

Friday, November 9, 2012

23.1% 5.9% 3.0% 8.2% 2.9% 8.7% 25.6%

*by % of students in U.S.: CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, published June 2012

“

At the last Paly dance, I did mescaline.

very action, no matter how well-intentioned, has unintended “I do not feel responsible at all for a kid consequences. Since the instatement of mandatory breathalyz- who has to be on drugs at a social event such ing at all Paly dances in 2008, there have been zero incidents of as a dance,” Berkson said. students being caught drinking during school events, according to Vice The main cognitive dissonance between students and administrators seems to be between Principal Jerry Berkson. One would think that this is a positive step forward for the school the necessity of engaging in the use of illegal and for student safety. However, this decrease in drinking has given rise substances. “Students think they have to do it,” Alex said. “Administrators to a new trend at Paly: replacing alcohol with recreational drugs. “At the last Paly dance, I did mescaline,” anonymous senior Morgan don’t understand that mindset. But by making it harder to drink, they’re just encouraging other things.” said. At the October’s Homecoming “B.E.D.” themed dance alone, students reported usage of marijuana, mescaline and ecstasy, and even drinking alcohol inside the dance. he administration admits that the breathalyzer policy has “I smoked weed before, but I know some people that rolled [took not prevented intoxication, just changed the form. However, ecstasy] and I heard some seniors snuck in vodka,” anonymous junior they feel that the mandatory breathalyzer policy has decreased the Alex said. “It’s almost funny how inept the administration is at catch- amount of students drinking alcohol before dances. ing things right under their nose.” “You can’t catch everything and everyone who’s doing someThe drug usage is not limited to a small pocket of students, but is thing they’re not supposed to,” Berkson said. “In four years we reported as occurring in many groups of dance attendees. have not had an alcohol related issue. That does not mean peo“I wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of upperclassmen smoked ple are not sneaking alcohol in, but we have definitely curbed the before the dance,” Alex said. issues of alcohol use at our dances.” Though some students allege high levels of student narcotic usage, Though the consumption of alcohol at and before dances has the administration has not witnessed a substantiation of these claims. decreased, some students feel that breathalyzer policy has just “We have not seen evidence [of increased drug usage],” Berkson pushed alcohol consumption to different times and places. said. “That’s not to say it doesn’t exist, but there hasn’t been evidence “I save it all and binge drink all at once afterwards,” anonymous to do something about it... We have to know of a problem before we senior Stephen said. deal with it.” The administration feels that breathalyzer policy serves the purThough the administration has not had success in catching students pose of limiting the liability of the school and keeping students partaking in alternative drug usage, many students feel a burgeoning safe on campus, as opposed to looking out for their well-being off usage of drugs at school dances. campus. “Definitely more people have turned to things other than alco“It is the school’s responsibility to make sure students are safe on hol, because [administrators] check for alcohol, but [the student] still their way, at and on their way back from school events,” Berkson wants to go to the dances,” Morgan said. “I resorted to other types of said. “We are maximizing those odds by breathalyzing kids at our narcotics.” dances.” Some students remark that though drinking has decreased, student safety has not increased. tudents that take part in drug usage before the dance have “Breathalyzers made [dances] way more dangerous, because I stated a necessity to arrive intoxicated. Since breathalyzer policy know at least 20 people who have turned to either ecstasy or messeverely discourages drinking alcohol, students that are set on drug caline or cocaine, even,” Morgan said. usage are driven to push their consumption. The administration is resistant to the idea of reforming the cur“Because I am being breathalyzed and I am attempting to rent policy on breathalyzers. “I don’t see anything positive about [reversing policy],” Berkson come to the dance with a certain level of intoxication, said. “I trust most of the students. If we don’t breathalyze, some stu[the policy] causes me to smoke a much higher dents will drink, correct? If we do breathalyze, no one drinks... We amount of marijuana before cannot be part of the experimentation of drugs and alcohol in the the dance,” anonymous growth of a teenager.” senior Casey said. For now, breathalyzer policy is here to stay. Whether the emergThe administration feels that ing culture of student drug experimentation that has followed suit regardless of any policy of diswill cement itself in tradition is another question. couragement, some students are All student names in this article have been changed to protect privacy. immovably set on using drugs. (a mild hallucinogen similar to Peyote)

“

By making it harder to drink, they’re just encouraging other things.

INSIDE

thinking outside of the [glass] box. B8

Yasna haghdoost

Imagine a desert as far as the eye can see. Occasionally a camel trots by carrying a turban-clad man. Geysers gush out an abundance of crude oil for any passersby to take. Far off in the distance, little children play in a deserted nuclear waste facility. The stereotyping of Iran is not the most offensive thing about this image; rather, it is the fact that pistachios have not received a single mention. Persian pistachios are undoubtedly the best species of pistachios found in the world. However, thanks to the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, America has placed a trade embargo on Iran, and few Americans since then have had the honor of indulging in these most delectable delicacies. So unless you are an American diplomat, somehow came across an Iranian passport or have illicit dealings with Persian pistachiosmuggling rings, then chances are you have been deprived of this transcendental gastronomic experience. There are a few misconceptions about Iran’s “smiling nut.” First, there is a belief among some that Iranian pistachios are inherently inferior due to a poor water supply, lack of proper resources and substandard farming techniques. I won’t deny that with regards to resources, Iran’s got nothing on the States, but it is a testament to the inherent superiority of Iranian pistachios that even with the difficulties that our farmers face, our pistachios are the best effing pistachios you will ever taste. Second, a rumor has been circulating that in Iran, pistachios are dyed red to cover up the splotch marks that result from the aforementioned poor cultivation practices. This is false. Sure, there might be some cheap generic bazaar brand that undergo this dying practice, but most pistachio farms treat their nuts with a care that renders the red dye unnecessary. The Iranian people’s relationship with pistachios has historically been marked with a love and tenderness bordering on an unhealthy obsession. It is considered a sin beyond absolution for a Persian household to not have a plate of pistachios on the living room coffee table for guests and family members to consume. Such is the extent of our love affair that pistachios were the Iranian equivalent of popcorn, until they were banned from movie theaters approximately 15 years ago owing to the irritating sound pollution that pistachio consumption posed. And rightfully so: the sensuous dialogue of “Achmed: An Islamic Odyssey” is markedly more difficult to comprehend over the snapping and crackling and munching that pistachio consumption inevitably poses. Famed and learned Quran scholars (i.e. me) have recently begun to speculate that previous interpretations of the Holy Book are incorrect, and that the gift to those who enter heaven is actually “72 pistachios.” Rest assured that 72 pistachios is a much more welcomed and superior gift to any true Persian. I am truly sorry for all of you in America who will never experience the marvel that is the Iranian pistachio. While California pistachios are undoubtedly fantastic, there is a certain to these exotic Persian delicacies that renders them otherworldly and divine beyond any human comprehension.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

STUDENT LIFE

Students continue to drive drunk despite risks

Many Paly students are aware of the consequences of driving drunk but still choose to drive under the influence. Jordan Smith Senior Staff Writer

ess than two years ago in California there were 195,879 DUI (Driving Under the Influence) arrests, 24,343 traffic related injuries involving alcohol and 1,768 traffic-related deaths that were a result of alcohol and other drugs, according to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. More than eight percent of the DUI arrests in 2012 can be attributed to persons under the legal drinking age of 21. Despite California’s DUI statistics and warnings of potential consequences, many Paly students still choose to drink and drive. Combined with an underdeveloped mind, inexperienced driving and an intoxicated body, the risk of seriously injuring oneself and others is exponentially increased. A person over the age of 21 can be arrested for driving while under the influence if their blood alcohol content (BAC) is above 0.08 percent. A 140 pounds male would have to consume three drinks within an hour in order to have a BAC greater than or equal to 0.08 percent. Any person under the age of 21 that has a blood alcohol content of 0.01 percent or greater is breaking the law and may suffer criminal penalties. Students typically drive drunk on Friday and Saturday nights. After a long week of tests, projects, college applications, SAT’s and ACT’s,

teenagers are turning to alcohol as a prime method of fun and relaxation. “Everyone knows not to do it, but when it comes down to it, a lot of people think they can handle it and do it anyway,” anonymous senior Karen said. Many students agree that drinking and driving is both unethical and dangerous. However, the same students will admit to driving under the influence. “It’s not a matter of being able to drive drunk,” anonymous senior Quintin said. “I personally don’t think driving drunk is that hard I just feel that if you have a broken tail light or something you can get [caught] by the cops, which really really sucks,” Often times, students feel they have no other Why do I drink o p t i o n b u t t o drive. Especially and drive? while under the Because I influence, drinkwanna go ing and driving home. If you seems like a great don’t get home way to get home. then you have “Why do I to sleep in your drink and drive?” anonymous senior car and that Darrel said. sucks. “Because I want “Darrel” to go home. If you Anonymous Senior don’t get home then you have to sleep in your car and that sucks. You’re drunk and want your bed.” Some who have driven drunk have attributed their nonchalant attitudes of their parents. “I don’t think people realize how drunk adults are when they drive,” anonymous senior Dwight said. “My dad will be driving on [Highway] 17 just hammered.”

Adam Mansour/The Campanile

Students feel that they have no other option but to drive under the influence.

While a potential alternative to drunk driving is the use of designated drivers, many students are losing faith in their designated drivers because oftentimes the drivers choose to drink anyway. Most of the time, the designated drivers will not confide in their passengers about drinking, putting many lives at risk. “A big problem is that a lot of designated drivers offer people rides when they have also been drinking,”anonymous senior Claire said. “I’ve been in a car for twenty minutes and then the driver goes ‘oh you know I’m drunk right?.”

The term ‘DDD’ (Designated Drunk Driver) is one that is used often. Some students have a system in which at the end of the night they designate the least drunk person to drive. “I have been driven by someone drunk, but I trust them more than I trust myself,” anonymous junior Alex said. A common fear students share is getting in trouble with their parents. Instead of calling parents for a ride, students choose to drive drunk home and avoid the risk of getting in trouble.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get people to drive you home because everyone else is drunk too and if you were to call your parents you would probably get in trouble,” anonymous senior Darwin said. “You figure there’s a low chance of getting pulled over so you take the risk.” While there are students who choose to drink and drive, there are also many students advocating safe and smart drinking methods. Walking, biking and sleeping over are alternative routes to driving under the influence that some students choose to take.

Cheap restaurants replaced at Town and Country Small restaurants are forced out of Town and Country Village due to increases in rent prices. michelle yin staff writer

or the last couple of years, Town and Country Village has been drastically raising the cost of its lease, forcing a heap of small popular restaurants such as Spot Pizza, Rojoz, Korean Barbecue and Hobees to close. Town and Country appears to be transforming into a higher-end plaza, which is evident by the replacement of these restaurants, with more lavish ones and thus turning away students, even though they are a large group of customers. From the beginning of school year in August until school lets out in May, hordes of hungry high school students, including those from Castilleja and Paly, make their way over to Town and Country looking for something to eat for lunch. However, students have begun to feel discouraged when their wallet is emptied after one or two meals. “I find it harder to get cheaper food because Town and Country seems to be slowly closing down the cheaper stores or forcing the remaining stores to raise prices in order for them to keep their place in Town and Country,” junior Andrew Watson said.

Town and Country has been replacing many of the stores with more expensive ones. Spot Pizza which offers two slices and a medium drink for $5 was replaced with Howie’s Artisan Pizza, which only offers one slice and a small drink for the same price. Likewise, Rojoz which offers around $4 for a burrito, was replaced with Lulu’s Taqueria, which offers $7 for a burrito with a student discount. Among one of the most popular lunchtime options for students was Korean Barbecue, which has also been recently closed as a result of the inability to afford another rise in Town and Country’s lease prices according to the owner’s son. It offered a large amount of food for relatively cheap prices in comparison to the other restaurants. “I definitely do not go [to Town and Country] as much now that Korean Barbecue is closed,” Watson said. “It was the best place to get food at lunch.” Students feel that options have been curtailed by the closing of cheaper stores. As a result, many students have felt the need to resort to bringing homemade lunches and avoid crossing over the tempting street to Town and Country in order to preserve their allowances that have not increased with the increasing food prices. “I don’t buy things at Town and Country anymore,” junior Angela Pomeroy said. “I have minimal

allowance as it is and don’t want to spend it all on over-priced food.” Many students have felt that the closing of cheaper stores is not only a hindrance against feeding their hunger but they also feel someone castigated by Town and Country. For example, the stores that do remain as good options for students during

I find it harder to get cheaper food because Town and Country seems to be slowly closing down the cheaper stores or forcing the remaining stores to raise prices in order for them to keep their place in Town and Country, Andrew Watson Junior

lunch such as Calafia have created store policies forcing only students to leave all belongings outside. “I despise feeling judged different because of being a teenager,” Pomeroy said. “All customers should be treated equally.” Overall, students feel that cheaper options have been withering away year after year, and it is becoming harder to afford lunch. After failed protesting attempts like “Occupy Town and Country” led by junior Hillel Zand, it is likely that students will just have to suffer the high prices.

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

Town and Country Village has been replacing many small popular stores with higher end stores, including those favored by Paly students.

Christina Chu, realtor Silicon Valley Realty ccchu26@gmail.com dre#01439795

1-(650)-919-3725

www.silicontechrealty.com Donation to Adolescent Counseling Services at Close of Escrow

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

CULTURE

New entertainment hired for dances

Beth yan

technology editor

ight emanating from the DJ booth casts patterns along the wood-paneled walls, illuminating the dancers gathered in the center of the room. This was the scene that took place at this year’s homecoming dance, which was promoted as a Big Electronic Dance, or BED for short. Everything from the music to the students’ clothing reflected its electronic theme. Due to consecutive low dance attendances, the Associated Student Body (ASB) decided to hire SOS Entertainment, a southern California based event planning company. “[SOS Entertainment] advertised to [Student Activities Director] Mr. Hall at a student activities advisor fair a while back and so when we started talking about hosting an electronic dance, he pulled out their card,” ASB social commissioner Bria Vicenti said. “We looked up their website and were overall pretty impressed with what they could do.” From DJing to providing the decor, SOS Entertainment provides full service and equipment for planning parties, dances and formal functions. Each year, they arrange

around 600 school, corporate and private events. “We are more than a party planning company,” Derek Sage, owner and founder of SOS Entertainment said. “We own all of the technical equipment that we use on our events. We have an amazing team of 10 full time employees and 40 part time employees [and] have offices and warehouses in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Jose.” Sage discovered his passion for DJing in his early teens and continued to DJ private parties and birthdays throughout high school. After graduation, he officially created SOS Entertainment in 2002 and began producing larger events. The company quickly grew, but the team members at still emphasize close interactions with clientele. “We do whatever we can within our power to make sure each client has a great experience,” Sage said. “We, of course, want to exceed our customer’s expectations each event. We focus on long-term relationships with clients that allow us to understand their needs more with each event we help them with. We’ve been working with some of our clients for over ten years.” Although this is the first time SOS Entertainment has worked with

courtesy of sos entertainment

SOS Entertainment, the company used to plan the Homecoming dance, provided new lighting effects.

Paly, many students were impressed with the way the company executed the dance. “The lights made this Homecoming a lot better than all the other dances I’ve been to at Paly,” senior Eva Din said. “I feel like [ASB] really tried to get as many people as possible [to attend] by using attractions like the lights.” Vicenti agreed that the high-tech decor that SOS Entertainment provides makes the company unique.

“I’m satisfied with [SOS Entertainment] for the most part,” Vicenti said. “I loved the lighting effects and I thought they executed that very well.” However, the lighting is not the only factor that makes this company distinctive. SOS Entertainment has put an emphasis on trying to benefit their surrounding community. This company value can be seen through the actions of SOS Entertainment and

through the ways SOS Entertainment has given back to communities. “Our business model is different than [that of] any other company,” Sage said. “We are motivated by our basic company mission: discover, progress and contribute. In the last four years, we have contributed over $500,000 in donations and discounts to non-profit organizations. There is a drive and purpose that exists within our company that I seldom see in organizations.”

Sister cities connect Palo Alto to world cultures Josefin Kenrick Staff Writer

hat do Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan, France, Mexico and the Philippines all have in common? They are all sister cities of Palo Alto where one can go to study abroad and learn about different cultures. The Sister City program is directed by a community volunteer organization called Neighbors Abroad, whose purpose is to promote both international and intercultural understanding for people who take part in the program. Neighbors Abroad was founded in 1963 after President Eisenhower enacted the Town Affiliation Program. Since then, Neighbors Abroad has won 13 awards from Sister Cities International and recognition from the United Nations and Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce. Palo Alto has six total sister cities: Linköping, Sweden, Enschede, the Netherlands, Tsuchiura, Japan, Albi, France, Oaxaca, Mexico and Palo, the Philippines. Although not all six cities have this opportunity, it is possible to participate in an exchange program through Neighbors Abroad with Oaxaca, Mexico over the summer. Paly junior Sarah Bramlett chose to do this program last summer and

was pleased with the experience she had. “I was in Oaxaca for three weeks and then I came back with my exchange sister Carmina to Palo Alto for three weeks,” Bramlett said. “It was really fun and interesting.” Bramlett and a sophomore at Gunn were the only participants in the program this year. “I think the reason that not many people came is just that it is not very well advertised,” Bramlett said. “I think it was really well organized and it’s a really fun idea and it worked out well for me.” However, 40 years ago this same program to Oaxaca had more participants and a different structure. Christine Hale, one of Paly’s art teachers, participated in this same program during 1972 and had a very rewarding experience. “[I went] between my junior and senior year,” Hale said. “I had been studying Spanish on the AP track and that was the main program that was available for students [at that time] in terms of going and having a group experience.” While Bramlett was in Mexico, she stayed with a family and would go on trips with them to historic ruins or to town markets. Similarly, Hale stayed with a family in Oaxaca and both Bramlett and Hale were featured in the Oaxacan newspaper while they were there.

“Being in the newspaper was really cool,” Bramlett said. “We got to meet the town mayor which was also pretty fun.” Afterwards, Bramlett and her exchange student came back to Palo Alto where the Carmina stayed for three weeks. “We visited San Francisco and went to Cambodia,” Bramlett said. “We did a lot of Bay Area activities together and it was cool to show her what it’s like where I live.”

It was a nice balance of structured and unstructured and I got to do all of these things [besides classes] on my own. Christine Hale Art teacher

However, Hale did not host a Oaxacan exchange student in California, and she stayed in Oaxaca for six weeks over the summer, as opposed to Bramlett’s three weeks. Hale also took morning classes with 16 other students in the program. “Students lived with families and we would go on field trips then have classes during weekdays,” Hale said. “It was a nice balance of structured and unstructured and I got to do all of these things [besides classes].” One interesting cultural experience Hale was witnessing a tradition

called “Dar la vuelta” in which teenagers gather in the town square. “Boys would walk in one direction and the girls would walk in another,” Hale said. “It was a sort of flirtation. My host sister had a [boyfriend] who brought people to serenade her in the middle of the night, and this was not just being cute-sy. We stood on the balcony while they serenaded her. It was amazing.” Another exchange program that Neighbors Abroad conducts is with Tsuchiura, Palo Alto’s sister city in Japan. Many students may be more familiar with this program because it operates through PAUSD’s middle schools. In this program, students from Japan come to Palo Alto and have a buddy with whom they stay and follow around at school. During the summer, students from Palo Alto go to visit Tsuchiura and other cities like Hiroshima and Kyoto. Along with student exchanges that offer cultural learning about other countries, the Neighbors Abroad

program features many projects that are currently happening in other parts of the world. For example, nine scholarships are annually awarded to students in Palo, Leyte of the Philippines. In Oaxaca, the Albergue Infantil Josefino project works to create a home for abandoned, orphaned or abused children. Palo Alto is very involved with their sister cities in other ways, such as having band trips. Paly’s Jazz Band has visited and performed in Enschede, The Netherlands as well as in Albi, France. Linköping, Sweden contributed the FjarrenVanner (Foreign Friends) plank sculpture to Palo Alto’s art scene in 1989. Additionally, a Palo Alto citizen painted a beautiful mural on Linköping’s concert hall in the year 1991. A display containing information regarding Palo Alto’s sister cities can be found in front of the Palo Alto City Hall on Hamilton Street and more information is also available online at www.paloaltoonline.org.

Friday, November 9, 2012

B4 MUSIC Two Paly students play with Stanford Band

The Campanile

GRace Fang

features Editor

laying in Paly’s band just is not enough music for juniors Eli Weitzman and Jackson Hansen, two of the youngest members in the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB), Stanford’s student marching band. “I first heard about the LSJUMB when I went to Stanford games as a younger kid,” junior Eli Weitzman said. “I always loved their enthusiasm and energy, and when I heard from my friend Cameron that you could actually play with them I did some more research.” The band plays at events in the Stanford community but also plays at events all over the Bay Area. The student leadership group ‘Staph’ is responsible for deciding whether an event is something the band wants to do and is able to do, according to Public Relations Recruiter Brian Flamm. “We perform at a lot of athletic events,” Flamm said. “All the football games, men and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball games and sometimes soccer and water polo—pretty much any event as long as it fits into our schedule.” LSJUMB is an open community and invites musicians of all levels . Some have been playing in a band since elementary school; others have never touched an instrument. “We have people who have played for years in high school marching bands and some really good musicians, but we also have people who have never read music or touched an instrument in their lives,” Flamm said. “Those who haven’t need to learn their instruments and not get too bad at them.”

Joe mabel/creative commons

The Stanford Marching Band displays a few of their famous costumes while playing at the Honk Fest West in 2010.

Weitzman is one member who has many years of experience playing an instrument, which eventually branched off to experimentations with many other instruments. He has played in the Jane Lathrop Stanford (JLS) Middle School band all three years as well as in the Paly band and jazz band for the past three years. “I started clarinet in fifth grade and switched to alto sax,” Weitzman said. “Since then I have played a lot of bari sax, clarinet, bass clarinet and recently tenor sax.” Hansen learned about LSJUMB by attending numerous Stanford football games. He has also been playing in a band all three years in middle school and in Paly, though he especially loves playing in LSJUMB because he enjoys being around other members of the band. “I play tenor sax; it is by far the best instrument,” Hansen said. “I still participate in band at Paly, and have since

sixth grade at Jordan but the Stanford band really makes it way more fun because everybody in the sections is awesome.” Generally about one tenth of the students at Stanford become somewhat involved in the band, according to Flamm since there are a multitude of ways to get involved. I first heard about the LSJUMB when I went to Stanford games as a younger kid. I always loved their enthusiasm and energy... Eli Weitzman Junior

“[LSJUMB] is pretty popular,” Flamm said. “The experience on the band is really whatever you want it to be; you can go to one thing or you can go to a lot of things.”

For the Paly members, the time commitment of participating in events has become an issue, though Weitzman and Hansen hope that it will change over time. Either way, they are able to go to as many practices as they please. “The time commitment is completely up to you,” Weitzman said. “I have been unable to go as often as I would like because of school but there are practices every Monday and Wednesday. Currently they aren’t allowing [Jack and I] to play at football games because of liability but we are hoping that will change soon.” For positions on the band, the LSJUMB hold elections every year in January, and the people who win the positions hold them until September, in which their position terminates, according to Acosta. “Sophomore year, I became the librarian, which requires that I take a new set of about 70 songs and print

them out,” Fierro said. “First we have to choose them for a big list that we have in the cabinets of thousands of different songs, and every quarter we choose which ones to add. Overall, LSJUMB is an eccentric band that is welcoming to all members of the community. “LSJUMB is a pretty relaxed organization,” Weitzman said. “While they do have form online you can fill out, they are open to walk-ins—even if you don’t play any instrument or read music.” Weitzman always enjoys playing for the band for other reasons, most of all the increase of choice. “I love playing with LSJUMB because of the freedom its gives you,” Weitzman said. “Because it is a student-run organization, the band is really based off tradition. At Paly we have a lot of band tradition, but it has been limited by the staff. With LSJUMB you have the freedom to go out there and have fun, be with friends, and most of all support Stanford.”

Hebrews of hip-hop: rappers take to the world stage Hillel zand Staff writer

n a field dominated by gangsters and tough images, an unlikely faction has emerged in the hiphop/rap genre. While their cultural heritage may not be as painstakingly obvious as it is for rappers like Kosha Dillz, white Jewish hip hop artists are beginning to make a name for themselves in the music industry. Arie Hasit, a rabbinical student from New Jersey now living in Jerusalem, wrote his college thesis at Harvard University on Israeli hip hop and its social effects. He says that “there is the prevalent notion that white people are not meant to do hip-hop,” but sees “no reason it [hip hop] shouldn’t break color and ethnic barriers.” “Jews have been involved with hip hop since fairly early on in hip hop’s commercial stage, most notably with the Beastie Boys and [Israeli Def Jam producer] Lyor Cohen,” Hasit said. Eli Kamerow, better known as KAM Royal, is an unsigned rapper from Washington D.C., currently studying at Tulane University. He spent a semester of high school living in Israel, where he was one of Hasit’s students. As he slowly inches his way into the limelight, he recognizes the importance of his religion and how it sets him apart as an artist. “I embrace my Judaism and it shapes who I am as a person,” Kamerow said. “It would be dishonest for me not to allow my Judaism to influence my artistry.” Kamerow has performed with fellow Jewish artists Mac Miller and Timeflies and has worked with Jewish music producers. He hopes to someday collaborate with Matisyahu, the reggae/pop star who is arguably the face of Judaism in the music industry today. Kamero says that he “bonded with Cal and Rez [of Timeflies] over the fact that [they’re] all Jewish.”

Most white rappers immediately draw comparisons to Eminem, the godfather of Caucasian rap, and Kamerow acknowledges that it is inevitable for white rappers to be associated with one another. “Now I don’t think all white rappers sound alike but there certainly are some that do,” Kamerow said. “And I don’t think it’s surprising that some sound alike as many white artists come from similar backgrounds and have similar life stories.” Other white Jewish rappers are rising to fame. Some up-and-coming and some already well-established, they have made their case in this rapidly-evolving genre. Although It would be most Jewish dishonest for hip hop artists me not to allow do not come my Judaism to off as religious influence my as Matisyahu, artistry. who recently left Orthodox Eli Kamerow Judaism behind, KAM Royal their religion does bond them as a new wave of Jewish artists hits the music industry. Hoodie Allen

Steven Markowitz began his career under the name “Steve Witz” as part of a rap duo from the University of Pennsylvania that won MTVU’s Best Music on Campus Award in 2009. Markowitz later moved to the Bay Area and worked at Google by day and wrote lyrics and performed by night, before leaving to pursue his musical career as Hoodie Allen. Markowitz, 23, has released three mixtapes including “Leap Year” in 2011, which includes a song titled “James Franco,” named after the Paly alum. His first full-length album, “All American,” was released in April 2012 and peaked at 10 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200. Having toured with Mike Posner, Chiddy Bang and The Cataracs,

Courtesy of Joe Gall Photography, evan benner, city limits/creative commons

From left to right: Jewish rappers Hoodie Allen, Timeflies and Mac Miller

Markowitz is on the express train for fame, especially after his hit single “No Interruption,” which has nearly 6 million hits on YouTube. Hailing from Long Island, Markowitz acts as the Jewish-boy-next-door in the music industry and has more of a pop edge to his raps. His minimally explicit lyrics reminisce on relationships and having fun and are perfect laid-back tracks. Markowitz will be performing at Castilleja School on Nov. 30 from 8-11 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online for $15. Timeflies

Cal Shapiro and Rob “Rez” Resnick, both 22, met at Tufts University where they were both members of a funk/hip-hop band. The two went on to form their own duo, Timeflies, in 2010 and currently live in New York City. Their music strives to break through the norms of music genres and create a pop-hip-hoprap-electronic-dubstep hybrid by incorporating Shapiro’s vocals and Resnick’s unique instrumentals. In two short years, Timeflies has amassed 100 thousand followers on both Facebook and Twitter, and 36 million views on YouTube. They have been called “musical masterminds” by

Vanity Fair and in May 2012, MTV named Timeflies as a musical group that is “About to Break.” Every Tuesday, the duo releases a video on YouTube aptly named “Timeflies Tuesdays.” In these videos, Resnick lays down unique mixes of popular tracks, such as “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen, and also samples songs one would never associate with rap beats, like “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles. Hidden in these videos is perhaps the best kept secret in America in Shapiro’s innate freestyling abilities. Picking out words or phrases from a hat and turning them into rhymes on the spot is not unheard of, but Shapiro’s talent for creating unique and meaningful lyrics on the spot that are often witty, is second to none. Timeflies released their first album, “The Scotch Tape,” in 2011 and came out with a mixtape titled “Under the Influence” earlier this year. Both contain original songs with more electro-dubstep beats by Resnick, yet their rise to fame highlighting Shapiro’s freestyling capabilities (and singing) via social media should never be forgotten. Mac Miller

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home or only listen to Beethoven and Bach. At only 20 years old, Malcolm James McCormick has made a name for himself by being one of the music industry’s biggest wild childs. McCormick had his bar mitzvah at age 13 and released his first mixtape two years later while still attending high school in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Since then, he has released one extended play (EP) and a handful of mixtapes, most notably “K.I.D.S.” and “Best Day Ever,” in addition to being signed to Rostrum Records, the label of fellow Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, in 2010. “Donald Trump,” his most popular single to date, has garnered 70 million hits on YouTube. One of Billboard’s “21 Under 21,” McCormick released his muchanticipated debut album, “Blue Slide Park,” in July 2011, which peaked at number one, and he is reportedly working on a second one to be released sometime in 2013. A selftaught musician, McCormick has learned to play the piano, guitar, bass and drums, and of course, how to have fun. His lyrics often advertise his carefree approach to life and the fact that partying, women and getting high are his three favorite pastimes are no secret and have turned him into a crowd favorite.

The Campanile

Friday, November 9, 2012

PERFORMING ARTS

Junior Elijah Waxman breaks it down

Anna mcgarrigle/the campanile

Elijah Waxman demonstrates b-boy moves he commonly uses in breakdancing battles. Waxman has competed in five battles, in which he and an opponent fight to have the best moves.

Waxman brings dance battle and b-boy culture to Paly as he pursues his dream of becoming a professional. Jonathan ziegler staff writer

t’s 9 p.m., and junior Elijah Waxman, or by his stage name, Kelevra Roc, receives a text message for the dance battle location. He has been selected to battle some of the most intense b-boys in the Bay Area, and hopes to win. In modern-day culture, a b-boy refers to break-boy, or one who breakdances. But, when breakdancing was created, b-boy referred to Bronx-boy. The Bronx, New York City was the epicenter of breakdancing, and from there it spread all over the world. Waxman started breakdancing in middle school. He was hesitant to play a sport and wanted to explore other types of extracurriculars. “I started my formal breakdancing career at Mitchell Park’s, The Drop [an after-school activities

center. I learned from several people in San Jose that gave me my foundation before the studio in San Jose got shut down,” Waxman said. “[Then, I] had to teach myself for a whole year and I started practicing in San Francisco, which is where I am practicing today.” Waxman’s training schedule consists of practice in San Francisco three days a week and three hours each day. When he is not practicing in San Francisco he tries to allot time to practicing at school or home. At Paly, Waxman believes that the staff has been supportive of his efforts to move along his breakdancing journey. “[Student Activities Director Matt Hall and Physical Education teacher Kay Gibson] have made it pretty easy for me to use the dance studio,” Waxman said. “Gibson usually lets me use the speakers and come in during fourth period to practice a little bit before Gibson has her class, and in general the Paly staff has been pretty cool with me using the space I need to practice.” Waxman trains for hours each week to compete in battles. These

battles are held at night and are judged by the host. The criteria are simple: have the best moves and the best dance. “I have battled about five times,” Waxman said. “I plan to do more; [five battles] is not the largest amount of competitions for the people my age so far.” Despite his rapid growth, Waxman ran into two major roadblocks this year. Waxman injured his back twice and towards the end of the 2011-2012 school year, he dislocated his right shoulder but he has now come back from both injuries and is now practicing at full strength to achieve his goals. “I want to get up to the point where I can travel all around the world and let people know that even a kid from Palo Alto as a b-boy can still be on the world-class level too and be one of the top competitors,” Waxman said. Waxman hopes to continue breakdancing so long as he can avoid injuries. “[Breakdancing] is my passion,” Waxman said. “It is actually the one thing in life that makes me really

happy. Other than school and being around other people, this is the one thing that keeps me really occupied and the one thing that has helped me adjust to life in general.” Before he started breakdancing, Waxman thought of himself as an outsider because of the lack of common interests he had with other people. [Breakdancing] is my passion. It is actually the one thing in life that makes me really happy. Elijah Waxman Junior

“In general, breakdancing has taught me to be easy on the people around you and [not] so nervous,” Waxman said. “Before I started dancing I was kind of a shut-in, and then I started meeting other people who were like me, and they helped me come out of my shell as a person.” As Waxman progresses, he enjoys the honor of meeting some of the most well-known b-boys in the world.

“You get to know some of the best [dancers] in the world,” Waxman said. “But, you get to know these people so well that they don’t seem famous anymore and you can relate to them as an elder sibling or best friend.” Although Waxman’s parents both support him as a dancer and want him to be occupied, they would also like for him to be kept out of any activities that could potentially injure him severely. “[My parents] both see that I have a real talent for breakdancing and they want to see me go far with it.” Waxman said. Waxman has gained much support from the Paly community throughout his appearances at school sponsored dances, in the dance studio during tutorial and in the spirit dances. He always strives for excellence with each performance. “What it all comes down to is staying headstrong, being body smart and knowing the correct way to practice to get to the pro level,” Waxman said. “All I know is, I’m going to keep pushing myself to the next level no matter what.”

Junior Jennifer Wang shows dedication to ballet

As Wang pursues her passion for dance, she defies the misconception that ballet is not a sport. angela stern staff writer

any people view ballet as simply tutus and leotards, but in truth there is much more to it. Ballet is both an art and a sport and requires long rigorous hours of practice and dedication. Paly junior Jennifer Wang has been dancing ballet for about ten years, and her hard work has been well worth it. Wang currently dances for the City Ballet School in San Francisco and commutes up to the city every weekday after school for a four hour class. Wang sacrifices free time in order to balance ballet and high school. “I used to dance at a place in Cupertino for the first few years,” Wang said. “Then, I danced at Western Ballet for a while, and then at the Menlo Park Academy of Dance before moving to the City Ballet School.” Wang loves the City Ballet School for the teachers’ dedication to ballet, their style and the environment. “It really is like a school; you get to know everyone, and the teachers are great.” Wang said. “City Ballet School is a lot more focused on ballet. Plus, I like the Russian training style they use.”

The school’s daily classes consist of a two-hour general class, followed by classes that target specific skills. “We start with barre work and then move to the center and do jumps,” Wang said. “Afterwards, we have other classes like rehearsal or pointe. We mostly do ballet but some contemporary dance too.” The director of the school, Galina Alexandrova, has danced in Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Russia and the San Francisco Ballet as well. “[Alexandrova] is great, she’s pretty much the best teacher I’ve ever had,” Wang said. Although Wang’s future in ballet is bright, she has not decided on a path due to many possible career options. “I’m not ruling anything out, but being professional would be great,” Wang said. “There’s also the possibility of getting accepted into a company right after high school, but I’ll have to audition for that. I’m lucky because a lot of companies hold auditions in San Francisco, but I wouldn’t [audition] yet, I’ll wait until I’m ready.” Wang is considering looking into colleges with dance majors, but she is still waiting to decide on which path she will take. Wang says a misconception about ballet is that people view it as an art and not as a sport. She views it as a combination of both. “It’s very strenuous, you get injured a lot and it’s really tiring, so in that way it’s like a sport, but it’s also definitely an art because it’s meant to be a way to express yourself,” Wang said.

Like other ballet dancers, Wang herself has suffered from injuries. She was out of ballet for seven months due to an os trigonum in her ankle, an extra bone irritated from dancing. “Half the time I was out was to avoid surgery and to fix it by other means, and the second half I spent recovering from surgery,” Wang said.

Stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding ballet feed into why many view it as an art and not a rigorous sport, but that is far from the truth. “People just put their arms up and twirl around and think that’s what ballet is, which is kind of irritating,” Wang said. “Or they talk about

walking on your toes when that’s completely different than pointe. Some people think ballet is just prancing around but that’s really not what happens.” Despite the long, laborious hours, the risk of injury, and a demanding workload from Paly, Wang will continue to pursue her passion for ballet.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

TECHNOLOGY Microsoft debuts vibrant new operating system

Ceo1O17/Creative commons

Above is Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 8. The new user interface touts a highly impressive start-up screen and a streamlined method for organizing tiled applications. Below is a view of the personalized tablet option of the new software. Windows 8 keeps many program basics the same while updating to a modern color scheme.

WILLIAM KERSHNER SENIOR Staff writer

Heather strathearn STAFF WRITER

he start menu is gone. The traditional Microsoft desktop trademarked by that infamous landscape of a green grass field is hidden. In its place stands Windows 8, Microsoft’s new operating system. The biggest change is the startup screen. Previously, when logging in, one saw a desktop with shortcuts to applications such as Chrome or Word. Now one sees those same applications but enlarged and formatted in such a way to resemble that of a smartphone background. This new screen gives the owner the ability to customize the homescreen, showing anything from

games, the Internet, Microsoft Office programs, etc., and a simple panning to the right shows a sidebar filled with helpful tools such as the share button. This tiled approach comes as a nice refresher to the bland and repetitive shortcuts from Windows 7. While this start-up screen is the first sight a user sees when starting the computer, the actual desktop still exists. It is hidden within a couple of mouse clicks and looks and functions the same as before. The only difference is the lack of a start button, which may surprise some users. The new Microsoft software was released Friday, Oct. 26, and although it was based on Windows 7, Windows 8 varies greatly from the seventh edition. The new softwares include Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT (for tablets).

Microsoft’s new personalized and sleek setup works for any computer and is attached to a Microsoft account that remotely one can log into. While Microsoft has updated their PC experience, a more publicized addition is the Windows 8 tablet experience, which now runs on the OS of Windows RT. These tablets have interchangeable magnetic keyboards, stands built in and an USB port. The main difference in software is that the Windows RT runs off the store. This means it updates constantly, but is dependent on the apps on the store. With all these changes, navigating the new software can get complicated. As a result, Microsoft has added tutorials in their store with posted schedules online to help users get used to their new computer.

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Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

COMMUNITY

B7 Longest serving teachers love Paly experience Two veteran teachers reflect on their careers and how their jobs have changed over the years. Stephenie zhang staff writer

everal names can be recognized at Paly for decades in the past— Antink, Wojcicki, Williamson, O’Hara, Geller, Steiner, McNulty, Hansen and more. These names date way back to the 1980s and 1990s— when the now veteran teachers first arrived to join the Paly cast. Suzanne Antink has been teaching at Paly for 30 years, totalling 36 years that she has been teaching altogether. Prior to teaching at Paly, Ms. Antink taught at a small school; she taught a few English classes and every single math class, including a calculus class for free in the morning to two students. “The school I was at was a very small school,” Antink said. “I loved the school, it was really cool. But I did not have anybody to work with. I was the only math teacher, and I was lonesome.” As a result, Antink began to attend math conferences and at one, she met a teacher named Larry Hawkinson who worked in the Palo Alto Unified School District. When there was a job opening, Antink applied, and she has stayed ever since. “I realized how hungry I was to work with other math people,” Antink said. “The amount of support for students learning beautiful math [has kept me here]. I had never been at a place where I had felt so at home.” For Antink, the environment here fosters a general delight for

mathematics in the community, which includes parents, teachers and students. “I think math is so beautiful,” Antink said. “Here, parents think that and a lot of students think that, and it is satisfying to be with my peers, whether they are younger than me or older than me. I love the fact that I have people that love math beside me. There isn’t anything like it.” Each year, Antink builds relationships with students based on mutual respect and cooperation; they work together in order to develop progress. “Students treat me well, and I hope I treat them well,” Antink said. “I just feel that we work together to move forward. Those kinds of things happen all the time here. I learn a lot all the time. I love being here and am never bored.” And in moving forward, times change, people change and expectations change. According to Antink, over the years she has been at Paly, the educational expectations for students have risen, but they also have access to new technology in order to facilitate the transition. “Students have to learn a lot more than they ever did before, but they also have really cool tools in order to learn to the new depth they need to,” Antink said. “[The students] need to be able to synthesize more and apply more and that is hard work, and they seem to do okay. Otherwise I think we still have sweet, wonderful human beings who want to change the world. I’m just so impressed and I just love being around the students.” Since starting at Paly, Antink has had the opportunity to teach an array of classes within the spectrum of math and computer science, teaching every single math course from Algebra 1 all the way to AP BC Calculus, with the

‘72 Campanile editor reflects on journalism career Kate Apostolou Editor in Chief

ack in the day when wearing camouflage was not just a semiannual senior tradition but rather the permanent attire for students drafted to Vietnam, senior Erica Gerard scurried around the Paly campus collecting stories from her Campanile staff writers covering the war abroad. As The Campanile’s editor-in-chief from 1972 to 1973, Erica Gerard, now Erica Gerard Di Bona, developed journalistic skills that would propel her career as a powerful woman in the news industry. According to Di Bona, journalism came naturally to her at a young age, as it suited her curiosity. “I really liked having access to what people were thinking, and what the opinions were and writing, and journalism combined all of those aspects,” Di Bona said. During her years at Paly, she wrote for The Campanile as well as The Palo Alto Times, a daily newspaper for Palo Alto and its neighboring cities. After showing her dedication to and aptitude for journalism, Di Bona says that she was clearly a qualified candidate for the position of editorin-chief of The Campanile. However, according to Di Bona, the role was not traditionally given to girls. “It was a really big deal when I got nominated and elected to be the first woman editor [in 12 years],” Di Bona said. Despite the controversy, Di Bona was a motivated leader and recalls working every day after school on the newspaper. The position also gave her an opportunity to build confidence and work on her personal skills. “I was a little bit shy growing up, so it gave me a chance to talk to people and have some backing behind me,” Di Bona said. Di Bona’s Paly journalism experience combined with her strong work ethic soon led her to the communications department at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and then immediately to a job at CBS after interning at the company in her final quarter at UCLA. “[The journalism background] was a key piece of what I had coming into [the television business],” Di Bona said. While at CBS, Di Bona worked her way up the ranks, starting as

a typist in the promotions department during her internship. When offered the job, Di Bona began in the news department, working on the assignment desk and doing background research before the reporters went out to various locations. She soon transferred into the programming department, where she became an associate producer and executive manager of magazine shows, then six to 20 minute segments. “At one point I was working for five or six shows, and every show won an Emmy,” Di Bona said. Di Bona cites her experience in high school as helpful to her job at CBS because she constantly had to find trustworthy people to hire. “I could read a resume and read between the lines because I was trained journalistically to read between the lines and know what was really going on,” Di Bona said. Although Di Bona no longer works as a journalist, she has not given up writing. She is currently working on a novel, a fictionalized memoir, told through the medium of thank you notes. She has become very familiar with writing thank you notes, as she sends out notes acknowledging others’ good deeds everyday. “I realized that most people just want to be engaged,” Di Bona said. “They want to be seen, they want to be appreciated, or they want to be heard. That’s part of what my thank you notes are for, and that’s what journalism does too.” Di Bona continues to respect journalists for their service to the public. “[Journalists are] the ones who keep our world straight,” Di Bona said. “If we don’t have that accountability, we don’t have any way to judge where we’re floating in things.” Di Bona reflects positively on her high school journalism career and recognizes how it helped her build the skills, such as reading between the lines and personal presentation, that lead her to professional success in journalism. She encourages current high schoolers to pursue their passions just as she did. “Try and get with the smartest people that you can,” Di Bona said. “Try to find the community of people who are interested in the same things, so that you get to expand your world. And use this time to really play with and enjoy the things you love because those may be what guide you through your career.”

Nikki freyermuth/the campanile

Math teacher Suzanne Antink helps a student during tutorial. She has been teaching at Paly for 30 years, making her one of the longest-serving teachers at Paly.

exception of Multivariable Calculus (introduced this year) and Algebra 1/ Geometry (AIG). Eight years after Ms. Antink’s arrival brought a new teacher from a different end of the course spectrum: theater and film-centric Ron Williamson, who joined the Paly staff in the 1990-1991 school year, 22 years ago. Before Paly, Williamson taught theater and film at the University of Texas at Austin and then after, managed the Gifted Education in East Palo Alto. Former principal Sandra Pearson later brought Williamson here to Paly to teach theater. Since then, Williamson has been involved in the development and inception of many inveterate programs as well as taught an extensive medley of courses. “I’ve taught a lot of stuff,” Williamson said. “I began and taught

Ethnic Studies the first time it was ever done here [at Paly]. The film program was one developed by students and me. I was in the first TEAM. I’ve taught English. I did Film Studies before it was Film Comp a long time ago. So, I’ve been able to do a lot of stuff and to keep current in things is interesting. To see people expand their minds and getting creative is cool. I haven’t been bored much.” Williamson has been captivated by the students’ dedication and cooperation, which leads to their ability to produce professional and exemplary work. “The students have kept me here and they’re so wonderful and marvelous, but while that’s true, the collaboration between students, the creativity that I have been able to engender, hopefully, in students, and

having fun has also [kept me here],” Williamson said. During his extensive time teaching at Paly, Williamson has developed fond memories of working with students in their film and theater work. “The first senior project we ever did was a student directed/produced production of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot which sold out the first two nights,” Williamson said. “It was all [the students] and it was great. People from the profession said it was better than a lot of the professional stuff, and we still get that.” To Williamson, over the past 22 years, Paly has definitely changed, as shown by changes in his classroom and the developing technology in use. “When I first came here we had one computer lab that was tied to a mainframe,” Williamson said. “It was a whole different world.”

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

CULTURE

2000

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

The new Apple store is made of a glass front and roof.

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

Inside, the store is full of natural light, creating a sense of openness.

New Apple store offers excellent service and great environment

Apple launches new, beautifully designed store on University Avenue

Jonathan Ziegler Staff writer

t has finally arrived: the new Apple store on 340 University Avenue. Despite much secrecy and the store being covered up, the new Apple store opened its doors on Sat. Oct. 27 at 10 a.m., handing out shirts to the first 1,000 people in line to enter the store at its entrance. The store features a new revolutionary design, consisting of a glass roof and a floor-to-ceiling storefront. The walls of the new store have a stone-like pattern, and are made up of Apple’s classic gray color. Also, the new store is estimated to be around 15,030 square feet and is estimated to cost around $3.15 million, according to 9-to-5mac.com. On Friday Nov. 3, I went in to the new Apple store to buy a screen protector for my iPhone 5. As soon as I entered the doors, I saw Apple employees on both sides of the door waiting to greet me and get me situated as soon as possible. At the front of the store laid all of Apple’s main products, including its iPhone 5, Macbook Pro, iMac, iPad and recently its brand new iPad minis. Towards the back, the store had cases, product accessories and Apple’s classic “Genius Bar,” which provides free customer support on all Apple products (The Genius Bar is a pre-existing feature in Apple Stores).

After checking out the iPad Mini, I went to the back of the store to purchase my iPhone 5 screen protector, and of course it was there. The second I picked up the product, an Apple employee came up to me to explain the benefits of the screen protector and its features; I thanked him and went across the store to see all of the accessories that integrate with Apples products. After looking around for a while, I was greeted by another employee, who answered all my questions about the accessories and such. The employee rung up the screen protector that I wished to buy, and the checkout process was phenomenal. I did not have to move or do anything; I gave him my credit card and he said I was all set. I was pretty content and then he asked me if I would like him to put on the screen protector. This type of service was remarkable; moreover, the employee put on the screen protector with perfection. My experience at the new Apple store was great. The new store looks flawless, revolutionary and innovative, especially the high use of glass. But that is not why the new store is so wonderful; the attention to detail for service is exceptional and the ability to walk in the store and feel like you are talking to a real person rather than a car sales associate is what makes the store, and all of the Apple stores, so much better. To all of those at Apple who made this store possible, thank you.

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

From the street, the new Apple store appears busy.

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

The new store is very spacious, which provides room for many Apple products, staff and customers.

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

Plenty of computers are on display, allowing shorter wait-time for customers to view.

This edition featuring

Gary Chen with The Campanile’s own Alvin Kim and Michael Wang

The Campanile: So can you describe your relationship with Pokémon. Gary Chen: It’s a lifelong thing; it’s a way of life. TC: Who’s your favorite Pokémon? GC: This is interesting. A lot of people like Pikachu, Charizard or random legendries, but my favorite is Lanturn. TC: Is that the dolphin one? GC: Not a dolphin! TC: The angular fish? GC: Yes, it is an angular fish. It is so awesome. TC: So I know one of your favorite pastimes is trolling people. GC: Oh I love that. TC: Can you give us an example? GC: When someone uses the wrong “your” like “your stupid” what about you’re stupid? TC: What kinds of reactions have you gotten from this? GC: Well actually a lot of people don’t take it seriously but some people say, “What are you doing, get off of my posts. Get out of here.” TC: What’s your best trolling moment? GC: So my little sister she was talking about how Pokémon weren’t real and then I got technical and said that Pokémon were real otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about them and then every time she made an argument I said “Yeah they do make sounds just turn up the volume.” “Do they live and breath?” “Yeah just check the animations,” and then she started crying. TC: Wait how old is your sister? GC: She turned ten today. TC: Do you feel bad about this? GC: No I don’t. TC: Why not? GC: I live with her. I mean I like my siblings. I take them for granted way too much. TC: How has your second year of Paly been? GC: My science club is really awesome with lots of awesome people. TC: What do like about the science club kids? GC: Well we have fellow nerds doing nerdy stuff. TC: What about what would you have to say about people’s perceptions of science clubs? GC: People always think that science club people are way out of their league. Science club really isn’t out of your league. If you’re good at one thing in science you’re good enough for science club. TC: So more people should try it out maybe? GC: Oh yeah a lot of people say “I’m just too stupid.” No you’re not, no one’s stupid. You’re just good at different things TC: So what are you good at? GC: Memorizing stuff. I’m pretty good at that but there is more to life than memorizing stuff. TC: What else do you want to do? GC: I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket. The whole point of schooling is to get yourself familiar in lots of subjects so you’ll have options when you get into college. TC: A lot of people are going to see this, do you have a final message you’d like to say? GC: Well I was thinking of a way to break the fourth wall so here it is.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

SPORTS

Student-athletes receive prestigious college scholarships C6

That’s why the Giants were so good. They used one another for motivation and found ways to scrap and fight to win games. Reflections on the World Series.

Winter Sports: preview of the upcoming season

Andrew choi/The campanile

Soccer, wrestling and basketball are in full swing of their pre-season training as they prepare for the upcoming months of games and tournaments.

Teams prepare for the upcoming season and place high hopes on the new players’ performances this season. Will mendenhall staff writer

s the end nears for the fall sports season, athletes and coaches around Palo Alto are looking towards the coming winter season with hope and ambition. Sports such as wrestling, basketball and soccer are already in the thick of preseason training. This winter, Paly will have a combination of teams looking to stay on top of their leagues and others looking to prove themselves. After having won leagues last year, Paly boys’ wrestling approaches the upcoming season with confidence. Junior Jordan Gans is excited to prove himself once again. “I feel like we really have a good shot this year,” Gans said. “We [Paly wrestling] won leagues last year, and are gonna come after it with the same tenacity this season. I can’t wait to get out on the mat again.” Having lost in the Central Coast Section (CCS) last year, the team has

become more unified and focused in its pursuit of the coveted title. “It is apparent that the team has a new drive to win CCS this year since we just missed it last year,” Gans said. “It’s this goal that is bringing the team together this year.” Boys’ basketball also looks to clinch the CCS title this year, after having lost 70-52 in the quarterfinals

With the loss of several key seniors a pressure is put on the team to prove we are still great, so we have been working hard during offseason conditioning to get ready for the upcoming season. Hope Crockett Junior

to number three seed St. Francis High School. Having finished the year with a record of 20 wins and only four

losses, it will be a tough road to repeat the season the Vikings had. but they aim to improve on their already stellar record. “This year we aim to keep up our intensity going into the upcoming season,” senior Mathias Schmutz said. “We have been working hard

Cricket 101

this preseason and hope to win CCS this year.” But with several key players having graduated last year, the team is forced to focus on rebuilding. “We lost a lot of good seniors this year and have been working to replace the players we lost.” Schmutz said. “It will be interesting to see which new players step up.” The girls’ basketball team also has high hopes for the upcoming season. After finishing the regular season with a record of 17 wins and four losses, the team ended up with a three-way tie for leagues with Wilcox and Gunn. During CCS, the Vikings eased their way to the championship game by beating Salinas 52-36 and Wilcox 45-33. As the final game rolled around, Paly was all set to play Gunn in a battle for the coveted CCS title. But the Vikings would eventually lose 41-39, claiming second in CCS. After the success it had last year, the team feels added pressure to perform this season. “This year all the girls on the team are trying extra hard and really getting focused for the upcoming season,” junior Hope Crockett said. “With the loss of several key seniors, a pressure is put on the team to prove we are still great, so we have been working hard

during offseason conditioning to get ready for the upcoming season.” After a disappointing season with a record of 0-8-2, boys’ varsity soccer looks to rebuild its season and prove that, with a new found mentality, they have what it takes to win more games. Last year, due to injuries and conflict with club teams, the Vikings lost several key players, while only one starter returned for the 20112012 season. The loss of players was apparent as the losing streak began for the Vikings. “Last year was more of a transitional period,” preseason captain Paul Stefanski said. “But since then we have grown as a team. This year we are bigger, stronger and faster, and since it’s almost the same roster as last year, most of us are used to working together.” The team also consists of several young players, bringing fresh blood to a team that was in a critical need of players. “I’m expecting great things from the four freshmen who were on varsity last year, especially Paul Mewes,” Stefanski said. “I think that by his senior year, Paul has what it takes to be one of the best players on the team. I am also expecting a lot from Steven Blatman on the defensive end,” Stefanski said. “He is a solid

INSIDE Skiing

player. Wesley Woo and Preston Kuppe have also shown significant improvement from last year.”

It will be interesting to see which new players step up. Mathias Schmutz Senior

Lastly, girls’ soccer having won only five games overall last season look to spring back to the top. With new players stepping up this year, the team hopes to make CCS this year. “Last year was not our best season,” junior Sunny Lyu said. “But this year we hope to win league and make it as far into CCS as possible.” The team has high hopes for the upcoming season, as it looks to its young players to prove themselves. “A talented new player on the team this year is freshman Jacey Pederson,” Lyu said. “She has great fundamental skills, and I look forward to having her on the team.” From basketball to soccer, all teams have high hopes for the upcoming season. Overall, many teams will be relying on young players to lead them to the glorified CCS title.

STudent coaches

From the field to the sideline

Bringing India’s favorite sport to Paly

Catch some powder

in the sports they love. C3

A detailed guide to the interworkings

Before hitting the slopes, read about all

of the lesser known pastime. C7

of the different skiing locations you can

giants victory

visit this winter. C8

Students coach and mentor younger generations

Bay Area pride

Celebrating the victory of the Bay Area baseball team’s World Series win. C4-5

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

C2 SPORTS

Paly graduate gains national recognition in college Fresno State wide reciever (WR) Davante Adams has been placed on the Biletnikoff Award watch list for top WR in the nation.

Daniel Tachna-fram Staff Writer

n the 2010 California Division I State Championship game, Paly senior Davante Adams, playing with an injured ankle, hauled in four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown en route to helping the Vikings defeat the Corona Centennial Huskies 15-13. Less than two months later, Adams signed his national letter of intent to play Division I football for the Fresno State University Bulldogs. Since then Adams’ football career has taken off. Although he was redshirted his first year at Fresno State, that did not stop Adams from being recognized as a stand out player; Adams won the Dick Duncan Scout Team Player of the Year award for offense. “Davante, [is] not a regular freshman, he’s going to do real well,” fellow Fresno State wide receiver Josh Harper said in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. Adams was not on the Bulldogs first-team offense when Fresno State’s pre-season training camps began in July. However, Adams put forth his best effort to change that and succeeded. Before the first week of training camp was over, Adams had moved his way

up from the bottom of the depth chart all the way to the top, passing returning starters along the way. “From the first day I walked in, Davante seemed determined to be a great football player,” Bulldogs receivers coach Ron Antoine said in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. After earning his starting spot, he continued to remain hot for the rest of the season. In his first game as a redshirt freshman, Adams had seven receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns, making him the first Fresno State player ever to have more than 100 receiving yards in his firstever career game. Adams’ best performance came in a recent game against the University of New Mexico in which he collected nine receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Even more impressive is that, as a redshirt freshman, Adams is currently leading all Bulldogs wide receivers with 907 total yards, ten touchdowns, and an average of just over 90 yards per game. Adams’ ten touchdowns puts him second on the team in scoring, trailing only senior running back Robbie Rouse, and his 71 receptions is the most of any Division I FBS freshman wide receiver, and tied for fifth out of all wide receivers. Adams’ 907 receiving yards puts him on top of the leader boards for all receivers in the Mountain West Conference, as well as the ninth most receiving yards in all of Division I college football.

Courtesy OF the ASsociated Press

Paly graduate Davante Adams, now playing for Fresno State, tries to avoid a tackle from Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Adams has caught 71 passes and currently leads the Bulldogs with 907 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Adams is also tied for 5th in wide receiver touchdowns in all of division I. Outside of Fresno State, people have also started to take notice of what Adams is doing. After an impressive game in which he caught eight passes for 102 yards against San Diego State University, Adams was added to the 2012 Biletnikoff Award watch list. Adams is one of only four freshmen nominated for the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented to the best wide receiver in college football every year. Past winners of the Biletnikoff award include many NFL players,

including stars such as Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald. Adams has helped lead the Bulldogs to a 7-3 record (5-1 in conference play), with one of their losses coming at the hands of the number three ranked Oregon Ducks, in a game that saw Adams rack up 12 catches for 92 yards. Fresno State’s 7-3 mark makes them bowl eligible this season. Since he was redshirted his first year at Fresno State, Adams could elect to leave Fresno State and enter the NFL draft after his sophomore

season. Adams is the rare combination of size and speed that is very attractive to NFL scouts. Standing at 6’2’’ and weighing 200 pounds as a freshman, Adams sprints a 40 yard dash in under 4.5 seconds. Many people have begun to speculate that it is not unlikely that Adams could be playing on Sundays by fall of 2014. “When the football is in the air, no one wants it more than Davante,” Fresno State Quarterback Derek Carr told the Orlando Sentinel. He’s the type of receiver I like throwing to.”

Boys’ water polo frustrated by referees’ controversial decision

On Oct. 23, high school referees did not award Paly a penalty shot after an alleged foul, resulting in a loss to Los Gatos High School during the overtime period.

Sophie Parker Sports EDitor

s the buzzer was called at the last home game against Los Altos High School on Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m., some players and fans were left disappointed. This game was a close one with the score continuously changing back and forth and rolling into over time when the final score being 12-11 after a controversial call made by the referees. “It was a very intense game,” coach Brandon Johnson said. “It was the seniors last home game and everyone wanted to win for them.” Unfortunately, the game ended on a controversial call against Paly Los Altos scored in the first half of the overtime but then Paly was ready to fight back against Los Gatos. The Vikings consistently took shots on the goal, but it was not until the last 10 seconds of the hard fought game that they had a perfect time to score. Paly moved the ball down the pool as the time was running out, and just as senior Quinn Rockwell was about to shoot, the goalie hit him when trying to defend the goal. After this moment the clock hit zero and the referee blew the whistle. Both the players and the two coaches assumed

ANDREW CHOI/The Campanile

Scott Powell (left), and Ethan Look (right) both practice their shooting during one of the team’s practices. Though some of the players are still disappointed in the outcome of the Los Gatos game, the team is attempting to rebound and prepare for the upcoming CCS playoffs.

Rockwell would get a penalty shot which would give them a chance to tie the score and go into another overtime. Instead, the referees just claimed the game was over and walked away. The water polo coaches, very frustrated, told the team to wait in the water as they talked to the referees. “Even though it was an annoying call, I kind of agree with the referees on the call because there were a lot of clock troubles throughout the game where the clock stopped and started a lot,” senior goalie Brent Schroder said. “After the shot, they stopped the clock for too long, so the game had finished.” In the end, the referees refused to allow the Vikings to take a penalty shot, so the final score was 11-12 Los Altos. Some of the players were disappointed with the outcome because

they felt that the referees gave them the chance to continue into overtime, then the Vikings may have won the game. “We were disappointed that we weren’t able to take our momentum from our 4-0 run to overtime and put the game away,” Schroder said. “We were more upset at our playing than at the referees because you’re going to have bad referees but you have to focus on how you play.” The team took this call as a lesson for the future to rise up and overcome what had happened the game prior. The water polo team has won its last three games with close scores, and the boys have learned to fight back through various adverse situations in order to win. “After this game, we played Gunn and won in overtime and won all our games in the tournament, so now all of us are used to these higher pressure

games,” Schroder said. “It will be helpful for our younger players to get used to these close games as we go into the postseason.” The water polo coach stated that the team deserves credit for their persistent effort throughout the game We were disappointed that we weren’t able to take our momentum from our 4-0 run to overtime and put the game away.” Brent Schroder Senior

“I told the guys I was very proud of them for continuing to fight until the final buzzer,” Johnson said. “It showed a lot of character and maturity on their

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part to keeping battling Gatos to the bitter end.” Despite their upsetting and controversial loss against Los Altos, the Paly varsity boys’ know they must overcome what happened and look towards CCS. “My goal is to get Los Altos back,” Schroder said. “If we win our first game in SCVALs against Los Gatos, we will then be guaranteed [a spot] in CCS, a goal we are hoping to achieve as a team.” To coach Johnson, the teams’ goals consist of more than a CCS title. “We can not drop our play to the level of our opponent,” Johnson said. “If teams want to beat us, they have to play with a higher intensity and at a faster pace than we do. If we can become consistent about playing our best every game, we will be a very hard team to beat.”

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The Campanile

Friday, November 9, 2012

SPORTS C3

Vikings on verge of league title

Anna Mcgarrigle/The Campanile

Junior quarterback Keller Chryst evades a defender against Saratoga High School during the Viking’s Homecoming game. Chryst has led the Vikings to a 7-2 record so far this year.

Brandon Byer Senior staff writer

Bowen Gerould staff wrter

ountain View High School did not prove to be much of a roadblock for the Paly football team as the Vikings dominated the game from the start winning by a score of 56-28 on the road. Senior running back Justin Gates-Mouton accounted for three touchdowns as he diced up the Mountain View defense. The Vikings currently are first in their league having a one game lead over Milpitas High School. Senior running back Matt Tolbert also eclipsed a major milestone for his season as he surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark by running for

a 75 yard touchdown score against Mountain View. Paly dominated Mountain View throughout the entire first half, taking a 35-0 lead into the locker room with big play after big play from the running game. “The offensive line as a whole played very well, ” senior Spencer Drazovich said. “This is exactly the way we want to play which is to pound the football and play a physical brand of football.” Based on the way Palo Alto dominated Mountain View on both sides of the ball, Drazovich sees limitless potential for this team as they prepare for CCS playoffs which are right around the corner. “I do believe we can compete with anyone in the section,” Drazovich said. “We have some of the best raw talent, and when we are hitting on all

cylinders we are extremely tough to beat.” Before the Mountain View game, the Vikings hosted a match up against Saratoga High School in the final home game of the year, where the Vikings continued their win streak with an impressive 51-34 win. Viking senior running back Matt Tolbert, junior fullback Andrew Frick and senior wide receiver Justin GatesMouton each contributed to the game with two touchdowns apiece. Junior wide receiver Malcolm Davis and senior wide receiver De’Antay Williams each also had a touchdown. “When we are able to run the ball so many things open up offensively,” junior wide receiver Malcolm Davis said. “It makes it much easier for Keller to pass when the defense looks run and we run play action so he can then hit our receivers down the field.

The Viking special teams also played well, as they converted all but one extra point attempt, which have given the Vikings problems earlier in the year. A few weeks back the Vikings hosted the Los Gatos High School Wildcats for one of the bigger rivalry games in front of the home crowd. With some timely defense and long touchdown plays the Vikings rolled to a 25-7 victory which at the time improved their record to 5-2 overall. “On defense this year we’ve been very good at getting to the opposing quarterback,” Frick said. “We have have great toughness in our front seven, coupled with great speed in the back four which makes us a difficult defense to beat.” Offensively, three Keller Chryst touchdown passes coupled with a

rushing touchdown by senior Matt Tolbert overshadowed penalties, a fumble and an interception that could have cost the Vikings had their defense not been so strong. The Vikings also saw problems regarding special teams during this game with a combination of poor snaps and fumbled holds, as they were only able to convert one out of four extra points. Paly travels to Santa Clara High School this week in the final league and regular season matchup of the season. Paly has a record of 7-2 (5-1) looking to close their final game of their season with one more victory. On the other hand, Santa Clara High School has a record of 5-4 (2-4) and will try to pull the upset of the Vikings at their home field this Friday.

Students hope to increase popularity of ultimate frisbee Ziv Schwartz Staff writer

hizzing through the crisp air at around 25 miles per hour, this eccentric floating disk may seem odd to the common man, yet for some Paly students, it is a way of life. It is no surprise that the game of ultimate frisbee has picked up steam in the last couple years due to its laidback style and its absence of multiple necessities; all that is needed is a frisbee and some open space. Because of Paly’s large and spacious campus it was only a matter of time before the floating disks began sailing across the Quad. Every tutorial, Thursday and Friday after school the same group of people run back and forth on the Quad tossing the frisbee, trying to get better. These students are the members of Paly’s Ultimate Frisbee Club which has existed at Paly for around the past 10 years. “Right now, it’s mostly pickup games,” junior Samuel Mignot,

co-president of the Frisbee Club, said. “[We’re] just trying to get some people interested in the game and teach them the basics through small games.” Mignot is no stranger to the frisbee field. He has been an avid member of Paly’s club and even played as young child with his older brother, Xavier Mignot. “Outside of school, it was just a few pick-up games here and there that I’d tag along to,” Mignot said. “At school last year, I joined the club and luckily we got a great coach, Mr. Farina. He really helped organize ultimate [frisbee] at Paly and that’s what led me to begin playing at school.” Starting last spring, Chris Farina, a history and psychology teacher at Paly, began helping the club out by running practices and signing the team up for multiple tournaments. “In the fall we sometimes play against Gunn and Menlo-Atherton students,” Mignot said. “During the spring we play in tournaments against other schools. Mr. Farina really helped us last year by communicating

with the local groups and making sure we went to tournaments, run by ‘USA Ultimate.’” The club intends on forming its own team under the direction of Farina this spring and participating in multiple tournaments. The alluring aspect of the game of frisbee is the way it differs from all other common sports. “I like how the frisbee moves and how it differs from the movement of the balls used in other games,” Mignot said. “I think the different [options] one has in throwing it and catching it adds a lot to the game.” Looking back at the past couple years at Paly, a sharp contrast can be seen regarding how the sport has evolved. “It [used to be] pick-up frisbee on a small field,” former Paly alum, John Xia, said. “[The games were] lots of fun and turned out to be a great introduction to frisbee. Not super competitive at all.” Xia, who graduated in 2010, was an avid member of Paly’s Frisbee Club and was one of the main proponents of evolving the club and the

sport’s popularity to the entire student body. Junior Bryant Vergara recently moved from Vancouver, Canada to Palo Alto. As an avid frisbee player, Vergara has noticed that there are many differences between the frisbee played in Canada and in the U.S. “Frisbee is relatively popular in Canada,” Vergara said. “I think that people here are a lot more passionate to play frisbee.” What is different between Paly and Vergara’s former school is the fact that Vergara’s former school had its own ultimate frisbee team and ultimate frisbee was considered sport throughout the entire school. “We had around 20 people on the team, including myself,” Vergara

said. “However, we didn’t have a lot of people that knew how to play. It was more of ‘join if you’re okay.’ Here people are actually good.” Members of the Paly Frisbee Club share the greatest bond simply in their desire to promote the sport they love. “I believe that frisbee is under the radar to the majority of Paly students,” Vergara said. “It would be cool if we became a recognized team and sport.” And his teammates agree. “I would like to see frisbee become a credible sport at Paly,” Mignot said. “The main goal at this time is simply to get people to try out the game and see if they like it. Once we get there we’ll see where it goes.”

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The Campanile

Friday, November 9, 2012

C4 SPORTS

Giants players pose for the press during their victory parade in San Francisco. The Giants beat the Detroit Tigers in four games to win their second World Series title in three years.

Giants parade serves as reminder of fans’ support alvin kim

editor-in-chief

iants baseball: torture. Avid fans of this San Francisco baseball team proudly claim this motto, taking pride in their gritty wins and spectacular comebacks. After the Giants won their second World Series in three years by sweeping the Detroit Tigers, these fans were ready to return to San Francisco where they just celebrated two years ago. I decided to attend this parade, figuring that the odds of it happening again in my lifetime were small enough to warrant a visit. Not even a big Giants fan myself, I had to borrow my older brother’s Giants gear in order to blend in with the crowd. I woke up at 6:30 a.m. and expected the Caltrain to be relatively empty. I was wrong. The train was already full, forcing me to stand in the cramped room between two train cars. Looking left and right, I saw Giants jerseys, hats and other random gear. Two people sitting near the back of the car pulled out beers, showing me what to expect for the rest of the day. Upon reaching San Francisco and leaving the train station, the sheer amount of people astonished me. It was not even 8:00 a.m. yet and the sidewalks were packed with large and exuberant crowds. Walking towards the Civic Center, where the speeches would be held, I could smell the stench of the city and saw an incredibly wide range of people, including multiple street vendors at each block selling Giants championship clothing, dedicated sign-holding fans crowding against the fence to reserve their spot for the parade and even toddlers being pushed around in strollers while sporting Giants gear. After miles of walking, I finally arrived at the Civic Center. Large monitors were scattered around and multiple banners hung from the Civic Center itself. A considerable crowd had already formed in front of the center, these people waiting to save spots for the speech. I joined them, and the wait began. Armed with only my camera, a box of goldfish and five bags

ALVIN KIM/the CAMPANILE

A Giants fan holds up his young son so that his son can get a better view. An estimated one million fans came out to the streets of San Francisco making it very difficult to see the parade and speeches.

of fruit snacks, I quickly became bored. I tried to listen in on everything, hearing a family nearby sing random ditties such as “Take me out to the ballgame” and members in the crowd screaming “Marco!” to be answered by another group responding with “Scutaro!” The atmosphere initially was positive, as the fans still

contained a lot of energy. Dedicated fans waved around their signs, some of them congratulating players, other ridiculing the Tigers and one saying that God awarded everyone with a World Series win. It hit 11 a.m., when the parade was about to start at the end of Market Street, and the fans believed

the speeches would therefore begin in the next two hours as the parade should have reached the Civic Center by then. But then it hit 1:00 p.m. And then 1:30 p.m., with no sign of the players arriving nor the speeches starting any time in the near future. Since the Giants personnel refused to attempt

to entertain the waiting crowd, we had to resort to our own methods. I heard cheers coming from the behind me and I turned my head to see a surprising sight. Baguettes were flying left and right, initially starting off whole but with each throw getting ripped into smaller and smaller chunks. As the food throwing permeated throughout the crowd, a doughnut appeared to spontaneously combust in a nearby person’s hand when he reached up to pluck it out of the air. I even saw a lone Poptart soaring through the sky. However, this form of entertainment did not last long, and the crowd grew restless. Every few minutes, new people who just came here with unabashedly shove their way through the crowd muttering “Excuse me” in order to get a better view, but in the process stealing the spot of people who had been waiting since the early morning. It finally hit 2:00 p.m., and Gangnam Style started blasting on the speakers. After the song ended, the speeches finally began, with key members of the Giants personnel talking but not being heard as the speaker system did not carry well throughout the crowd. After some generic thank yous, the moment everyone was waiting for finally began. One by one, players were introduced onto to the stage, prompting the crowd to finally revitalize and regain its energy. Yelling loudly, the fans in the crowd cheered for their favorite players, with fan favorites Pablo Sandoval and Marco Scutaro receiving especially loud yells. This moment made up for the previous five hours of waiting in the same spot, as the unifying feeling of celebrating a team’s success with thousands of others can not be emulated elsewhere. The parade made me realize how important the Giants are to some people and how much this World Series victory means to those true dedicated fans who supported the team through the long years. The parade was just as much a celebration for the players who won as for the fans who pushed the players to win.

The Campanile

Friday, November 9, 2012

SPORTS C5

Courtesy of alex byer

Hordes of baseball fans crowd San Francisco’s Market Street celebrating the Giants’ triumph

ALVIN KIM/the CAMPANILE

Courtesy of alex byer

Banners show popular nicknames for several Giants strategies, such as Sergio Romo’s “Romobomb”.

ALVIN KIM/the CAMPANILE

Fans show excitement after viewing key home runs hit during the season on a screen.

A season to remember kyle stewart

Senior staff writer

et’s sit down for a minute and reflect on how awesome the 2012 San Francisco Giants were. This team ignited the city. The camaraderie built between Giants teammates was too much for any opposing team to handle. As a result, the Giants are now the 2012 World Series champions! This is now the second time in the past three years that the Giants have sported the crown atop their spot. Yet, the 2012 Giants are more special than the Giants team of 2010, not because they were more talented but because this team banded together through the thick and thin and ultimately came out on top. Earlier in the season, the Giant’s World Series chances became slim after losing closer Brian Wilson to season-ending elbow surgery. The days got worse as the Giant’s lost their all-star MVP Melky Cabrera due to a positive steroid test. Cabrera was handed a fifty game suspension but the Giants decided not to reinstate Cabrera after his suspension because the Giants have

class. This was a power move by a power baseball team. They essentially showed the world that they could win with a clean baseball team that had players who motivated each other. They did not want a tainted world series on their hands. Not reinstating Cabrera only made the Giants stronger. The Giants’ knew they needed to make a push if they were going to want to beat out the depth of their division rival the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the all-star break, the Dodgers acquired stud shortstop Hanley Ramirez from the Miami Marlins as well as Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford from the Boston Red Sox in one of the biggest trades of all time. The Giants’ front office acted fast in acquiring veteran outfielder Hunter Pence from the Philadelphia Phillies as well as veteran second baseman Marco Scutaro from the Colorado Rockies. By season’s end, the Giants beat out the Dodgers and won their division, making their way into the 2012 postseason. From here, the Giants’ run became sheer magic. In the Giant’s first series

ALVIN KIM/the CAMPANILE

Supporters demonstrated their loyalty through their attire, such as this supporter’s facial paint.

against the Cincinnati Reds, they were down two games to zero in a best of five series. Of course, with Hunter Pence’s leadership in the clubhouse and Tim Lincecum’s relief efforts, the Giants stormed back to win three straight games and moved on to the National League Championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals. In this series, true heroism came The out within Giants deserve Giants players. every bit of The Cardinals jumped to a this honor. quick three This Giants to one series team had it all; lead and only class, dignity, needed one character and more win to tradition. advance to the World Series, but the inner passion of the Giants team as a whole did not let that happen. The Giants fired back, taking the series in seven games, advancing to the World Series. The Giants can attribute their second comeback in the playoffs to two guys, journeyman Marco Scutaro

and previously thought to be overpaid Barry Zito (who is now worth his contract). In the seven games that were played in the National League Championship Series, Marco Scutaro had 14 hits and batted .500. These are incredibly impressive statistics for any baseball player. In addition, when the Giants were down three games to one and were on the brink of elimination, veteran Barry Zito stepped up in game five to throw seven and two thirds scoreless innings. This was the turning point in the Giant’s postseason run, because up until that point Barry Zito was always known as an overpaid washed out pitcher, but he proved the world wrong by pitching his best when it mattered the most. The Giants won that game five to zero, and from there things became easy. In game one of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, Barry Zito came back firing, pitching five and two thirds innings of one run baseball. Pablo Sandoval lit the night up as well, hitting three home runs in his first three at bats, tieing a World Series record. From there, Hunter Pence’s leadership within the clubhouse and the

Giants’ dominance as a whole led them to a four game sweep of the Tigers and the honor of World Series champions. The Giants deserve every bit of this honor. They defied the odds and the pundits’ East Coast bias against them, showing the world that the West Coast is the best coast. This Giants team had it all; class, dignity, character and tradition. “I think that’s why the Giants were so good; they used one another for motivation and found ways to scrap and fight to win games,” senior Sean Harvey said. “It was every player contributing, from Zito’s comeback to Lincecum coming out of the bullpen they had it all, not to mention, Bruce Bochy’s managerial genius and Hunter Pence’s heart of a lion.” The 2012 Giants were such a special group of guys that it is sad to see this season go because it won’t happen again anytime soon. There won’t be a team in major league baseball quite like the 2012 Giants for a long long time. It’s a good thing; let’s relish this championship run and remember what these 2012 Giants did, forever! Let us revel in achievements of these master-class sportmen.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

C6 SPORTS

Paly athletes appreciative of scholarship opportunities Brandon Byer

Senior Staff writer

or many young athletes, high school sports mark the end of their athletic careers. But for those fortunate players that do get the opportunity to play in college, a scholarship is one of the greatest gifts. Junior quarterback Keller Chryst is one of the most sought out quarterback prospects in the class of 2014. He has been rated on recruiting services such as ESPN and Rivals to be one of the top watchlist players in the entire country. He has already received scholarship offers from both Stanford University and University of Southern California, and still has high interest from universities such as Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Alabama. University of Alabama

is ranked number one in college football. “It’s an honor to receive a scholarship offer,” Chryst said. “It feels like my work has been noticed, but it pushes me to work harder to be better, and to prove I have earned those offers.” Chryst has been keeping everything in perspective despite his many offers by staying humble and keeping his mind on becoming a better player. He does not want to become complacent about his achievements. “Complacency is a trap that you can’t allow yourself to fall into,” Chryst said. “Just because you may get some praise doesn’t mean that you can just stop working. You have to always be working on your game and reducing your mistakes as much as you can.” Senior varsity lacrosse player Genevieve Lucas-Conwell committed

to Fresno State last year and has enjoyed large amounts of success as a junior playing for the varsity lacrosse team despite a serious knee injury near the start of the season. “To be a [Division I] athlete is an amazing opportunity because not many kids can say that they played a sport in college especially at such a high level,” Lucas-Conwell said. “ I’m so excited to play my first game for Fresno State, but I have a senior season to go and we are expecting [to do] big things this year.” Lucas-Conwell has been working throughout her career at Paly honing her skills as a lacrosse player to become as well rounded as she can. Her work ethic is what has gotten her to this point in her athletic career. Lucas-Conwell said that the first scholarship offer she received shocked her but validated all of the time and

effort she had spent getting better during practices and in the off-season. “I was a bit shocked when I received my first offer because you have to be really dedicated to even get a [scholarship] offer and work really hard, so it just validated everything that I’ve done here at Paly so far,” Lucas-Conwell said. Senior lacrosse player Walker Mees has also put in countless hours on the astroturf working on his shot, cradling and defense. His tireless effort resulted in a scholarship offer from Kenyon University in Ohio. “Kenyon’s recruiting is a little different due to the fact it is a Division III school,” Mees said. “Essentially I have been granted a guaranteed spot on the team, and they are also helping me through admissions.” Like Lucas-Conwell, Mees was elated when he first received word that

the coach wanted him to go play for their school. He understands that not many high school athletes receive the opportunity he will get to experience during his four years in college. “When the coach [Coach Misarti] first told me that he wanted me at Kenyon I didn’t really know what to think,” Mees said. “I knew I was a good player, but I never really expected to be offered a spot on a college roster.” Mees is greatly appreciative to have the opportunity to play at the college level. “I couldn’t be happier to play lacrosse at a top Division III school, and one especially that has such high prestige in academics,” Mees said. These hard-working athletes have worked hard at their respective sports, and now their hard work and dedication is paying off.

Tennis team reaches playoffs after successful season Josefin KeNrick staff writers

irls’ varsity tennis is looking to finish off strong with only Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) and Central Coast Section (CCS) left in the season. “We played well this year,” junior captain Felicia Wang said. “We improved our record by a lot.” Wang’s positive attitude is reflected in the teams scores, as they have beaten Mountain View, Milpitas and Los Altos high schools among others. As of now, the only games left for the team are SCVALs and CCS. “I think we will do very well at SCVALs,” Wang said. “Some of the stronger players from other teams have graduated, so it gives us a bigger chance for some of our players to get into CCS individual.” Some players have qualified for CCS such as junior captain Aashli Budhiraja, junior Hollie Kool and senior Tiffany Nguyen.

This year, the tennis team improved their record against their biggest competition, Lynbrook High School and Monta Vista High School. “Often times we would lose 3-4 by a super close match,” Wang said. “We need to learn how to grasp tie breakers.” The team is very happy with the performance this season according to Budhiraja. “We were really mentally strong during SCVALS even though not all of us made it through.” Budhiraja said. “We had such close losses against the top ranked schools like Monta Vista,” Kool said. “I think we can say this year has been a success: we improved our mental game, were more positive, and won more.” Wang is also happy with the improvement that the team has made. “Looking back at the season, I’ve realized how much we’ve improved even though we have had the same players,” Wang said. “I am excited for next season.”

Josefin Kenrick/the campanile

Junior Felicia Wang smashes a backhand shot during a match. The girls’ varsity tennis team made CCS; their games begin the week of Nov. 5.

Girls’ water polo places in CCS Leslie Wan Staff Writer

fter losing to Henry M. Gunn High School (Gunn) 8-4 in their final league game, the girls’ varsity water polo team still has high hopes of securing a spot in the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament. “We should have been tied in the third quarter, but when they got a couple easy shots, and then in the last quarter, we just came apart,” co-captain Martine LeClerc said. The team has not been able to defeat Gunn in the majority of their games; however, they are starting to improve their scores with a win from the junior varsity. The team believes that in order for them to defeat Gunn, they need to not only focus more on guarding the key players, but also focusing on their attitudes. “They got one goal, and then we were all like “Oh my god!, what’s happening’, and then we kind of just lost it,” senior Abby Bromberg said.

Despite their loss against Gunn, the team has high hopes in the next few games. They will not be using the “m-drop,” a defensive technique, as often as they had before in league games, but rather use it as a back-up plan. “If we can guard the team leader set and keep the them fronted, then we don’t need it,” LeClerc said. “We will only use the m-drop if the team is overpowering us.” Overall, the team feels like the season has been successful. They were able to improve greatly in communication and in working more cohesively as a team especially with the addition of seven junior varsity players to the team. “Overall, it has been a drastic improvement in all areas of our game,” head coach Spencer Dornin said. “Our defense has really come together, we know how to attack our opposing defenses and some younger players have really become scoring stars.” LeClerc agrees that the team has improved in improving communication.

“We have definitely improved on communication because we were very

Cross country finishes strong Jack Paladin Alvina Zou Staff writers

Our defense has really come together, we know how to attack our opposing defenses and some younger players have really become scoring stars. Spencer Dornin Head Coach

disoriented in the beginning of the year,” LeClerc said. Bromberg believes that the players have improved in working as a team. “Last year, we would pass the ball to only one key player and she would score all the goals,” Bromberg said. “However, this year, we were able to work together more and we have a lot of strong shooters.” The team hopes to defeat their next opponent, Wilcox High School, in their upcoming game. If the team defeats Wilcox, they will be guaranteed a spot in the first round of the CCS tournament.

s the season comes to an end, cross country only has two meets left: Central Coast Section (CCS) championships and California Interscholastic Federation State Championships (CIF). Sophomore Nate Cook qualified individually; the girls’ team also qualified for CCS. “This season seemed to go really quick,” boys’ varsity coach Marcus Stone said. “It seems like just a few weeks ago I was starting up. I feel like this season as a whole went awesome and am sad that it has to end so soon. As I said before everyone on the team has done really great this year and everyone has improved.” The team underwent a few setbacks throughout the season, but has long since overcome these setbacks. During the Monterey Invite (Torro Park) on Nov. 19, the team was missing a sizeable portion of their runners.

Three of the boys’ teams’ top varsity runners were missing which led to the team placing eleventh. Now, the team looks toward their remaining qualifying runners. “I think as a team we did pretty much all we could given a lot of health issues,” junior girls’ varsity team captain Audrey DeBruine said. “Maybe next year we can focus more on hills which I don’t think we did enough of this year, but overall we’ve been really good about pushing ourselves to be the best we can be.” Although the season is coming to an end, the team is still thinking ahead for next year’s season. The boys’ coach already sees potential in young athletes on the team. “We are looking really strong for next year,” Stone said. “I have seen a lot of younger kids work hard in each practice and look strong. As long as the team trains [during] the off season and takes [workouts] serious[ly] next year, [we’ll be] really strong,” Stone said. The girls’ team and Cook will compete at CCS on Nov. 10; those who qualify will continue to CIF.

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Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

SPORTS C7

Boys’ water polo finishes successful season, prepares for CCS playoffs After a rough loss in the first round of leagues, the team and its two new coaches are preparing to take on the CCS tournament. Irene Ezran Staff wRiter

t has been a successful season for the boys’ varsity water polo team, and they are now looking forward to competing in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) and Central Coast Section (CCS) tournaments, following a 7-5-0 league record. On Oct. 23, the water polo team held a senior night to honor the achievements of the seniors throughout the season before playing a game against Los Altos High School. This game was controversial because during overtime a Los Altos player committed a foul, which normally would have caused the game to continue into a second overtime. However, the referees thought that the clock should have started running earlier and therefore, the game time had expired. Paly ended up losing the match 11-12. Many players were upset because they felt that the referees had been

unfair to Paly and should have continued let the game continue. However, most of the players were happy with their performance in the game. “The senior game versus Los Altos was a great game,” junior player Omri Newman said. “I think that was the best game we played as a team all year [because] our intensity was high and our morale was up.” After this controversial game Paly played Gunn on Oct. 25, beating them 10-8. This was their last game before the SCVAL tournament, which started on Nov. 1. Throughout the season, the team performed well in its league games. “I think the team has exceeded everyone’s expectations,” coach Brandon Johnson said. “The [players] came in ready to work and compete at their highest level this year.” As the team approaches the SCVAL and CCS tournaments, the coaches continue to have high hopes and they believe that the team has a good chance of winning. “There is never a game we go into thinking we can’t win,” Johnson said. “We have to take it one game at a time and not look too far ahead, but we feel that if we play together and play our style of water polo we are a very tough team to beat.” One of the team’s greatest strength this year is that the players are faster

Andrew Choi/The Campanile

Junior Sam Kelley practices shooting during a team practice on Nov. 5 in anticipation of the CCS playoffs. The team defeated Homestead 12-9 on Nov. 3 in a SCVAL playoff game and will enter CCS playoffs as the number eight seed.

than most other schools in the water. “Our strength has to be our speed,” Johnson said. “We have a ton of guys who can get up and down the pool in a hurry, so we try [to] use that to our advantage.” In addition, the players believe that their lack of communication results with poor starts in games. “The biggest weakness is that we have very weak starts,” Newman said. “We can’t seem to work together as a team until the second quarter, which usually leaves us behind by a few goals.” Although the team tends to start slow, players are often able to fight back and beat the opposing players. “We are always able to fight our way back into a game,” Newman said. “We are almost always successful in bouncing back.” The team’s coaches, Matt and Brandon Johnson, dedicated a lot of time towards improving each player’s skills throughout the season. “The coaches this season were phenomenal,” Newman said. “They were everything I could ask for. I’ve become a way better player under their coaching.” In addition, the team captains, seniors Nolan Perla-Ward, Quinn Rockwell and Bret Pinsker, helped greatly improve the team’s communication. Both in and out of the pool, the team feels as if their morale has been boosted through team bonding. “Our captains are also great,” Newman said. “They work together with each other as well as with the coaches.” In addition, the captains have set goods examples and have helped direct the team, which was useful for the first year coaches. “The three [captains], along with the other three seniors set the example for the younger guys with their work ethic and competitiveness,” M. Johnson said. “They really want the team to be successful.” Since the team captains and several other valuable players are graduating, the team will have to step up their game next season if they want to continue this year’s success. “Next year I want to show the other schools in our league that you can never mess with the Vikings,” Newman said.

Alvin kim/the Campanile

Juniors Becca Raffel and Keri Gee fight to keep a point alive in their game against Los Gatos High School.

Paly girls’ volleyball looks promising as it enters playoffs After losing key seniors last year, this year’s team continued a seven-year streak of league championship wins.

Rachel Cui Daniel Tachna-Fram Staff writers

he Paly varsity volleyball team lost its senior night game against Los Gatos on Tuesday Oct. 30. The team lost two of the five games to Los Gatos, with the final game’s score of 15 to 11 in favor of Los Gatos. Although the team lost, senior players Sophia Bono and Shelby Knowles enjoyed spending their last season at Paly with their teammates above all else. “I’m going to miss my teammates and getting to spend special moments with them on and off the court,” Bono said. Similar to Bono, head coach David Winn is bittersweet about the departing senior players. According to Winn, he saw Knowles as a hardworking and well-deserving role model for others to look up to. “Shelby [Knowles] is a gifted person, and it has been amazing watching her mature as a person and

as a volleyball player,” Winn said. “She is the type of person I hope my daughters grow up to be like.” Winn also acknowledges Bono’s large contributions and influences to the varsity team this year. “Sophia [Bono] has played in another person’s shadow a lot of her career, between JV and playing behind Kimmy Whitson last year,” Winn said. “But, she’s a big part of this team.” Throughout the season, Winn believes that his team’s chances of winning the State Championship were as good as, if not better than, any other team in the Division I league. “There [were] a lot of teams that [seemed] better than us on paper, but I [liked] our chances against anyone,” Winn said. With their 3-0 victory against Gunn High School on Thursday Nov. 1 and Homestead High School’s loss, the Paly varsity volleyball team became league champions for the seventh year in a row. Impressed with the girls’ victories this year, Winn expressed his content with this season’s results. “This team has definitely surpassed my expectations,” Winn said. “Nobody expected us to be this good after losing the five studs we did last year.”

Cricket for Dummies: A guide to the international sport Although cricket is uncommon in the United States, it remains one of Asia and Europe’s most popular sports. Alex Taussig sidhanth venkatasubramanian Senior staff writer & Staff writer

ndia is a country with a staggering and delightful assortment of individual ethnicities, religions, sects, beliefs, dialects, faiths and convictions. However, the tie that binds this patchwork quilt of communities is a sport that is one of the most enduring and durable legacies of India’s colonial past: cricket. Cricket, like nothing else, has managed to help an entire nation bridge its innumerable divisions, battle misery and economic despair, forgive deep and divisive communal strife and allowed its people to come together to collectively celebrate victory and mourn defeat on the world stage. With that preamble, let us embark on a guided tour of the rules of cricket to equip every reader with the ability to savor a game of cricket should opportunity present itself. Although there are different formats of cricket which consist of varying lengths, the eventual goal in any cricket game when broken down to its essence is very similar to that of baseball: there are two teams of 11 that both get an inning to bat, during which they attempt to maximize the number of runs they score, while the bowling (pitching) team attempts to limit these runs. Typically each team is allowed to bat for a maximum of 50 overs (a play consisting of 6 balls, or ‘pitches’), unless 10 players are dismissed (out) before the 50 overs have elapsed. Once either of these conditions have been met, the teams trade roles, and the second batting team must score more runs than the first did

under the same constraints in order to win the game. Simple enough thus far? Runs may be scored in one of two ways. If a batsman (batter) hits the ball hard enough for the ball to reach the boundary of the stadium, then his team is awarded six runs for a direct hit (akin to an out of the park homerun) or four runs if the ball bounced some number of times before reaching the boundary (similar to a leg home run). If the ball fails to reach the boundary, the batsman can still attempt to run between the two wickets (bases) in the center of the field as long as he is not run out (tagged) by the fielders of the other side. In such a situation, the batsman would receive one run for every time he exchanged sides. However, there are also numerous ways for a batsman to be dismissed. In addition to the aforementioned situation of being “run out,” a batsman may also be dismissed if a fielder catches a ball off the bat before it bounces, if he misses the ball and it proceeds to hit a set of sticks in the middle of the field (known as the wicket), or if he misses the ball and it proceeds to hit some part of his body within the line of wickets, as judged by the umpire (referee). Aside from a few technicalities that are beyond the scope of this article, there are but a few other differences between cricket and baseball which would be prudent to be kept in mind. First, batting occurs in the center of the field, and the ball can legitimately be hit in any direction. There is no such thing as a foul ball in cricket. Second, there are always two batsmen who are on the field at any point in time, who stand at opposite ends of a strip of the field known as the “pitch” (the two wickets are hammered into the grounds on opposite ends of this pitch). Third, batsmen continue to bat until they are out (or if the 50 allotted overs for his team

elapse). Unlike in baseball, one does not see the same player have three, four or five at bats. Depending on the form of cricket being played, a game can last anywhere from a few hours to five days (in the latter form of the game, each team gets an opportunity to bat and bowl twice). Even after five days of playing, a game may and often does end in a tie, a reason why the young fans of cricket around the world are attempting to do away with all forms of cricket except for the new “20-20” version of the game,

which involves intense blitzkrieg batting that is entertaining to watch and more or less guarantees a victor. While most Paly students lack any interest in cricket and likely process only vague perceptions of its very existence, the sport captivates millions of fans across the globe every year. If you grow bored of ultimate frisbee and hacky-sack, an attempt at cricket can present a very entertaining way to spend a few hours, or five days.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Campanile

C8 SPORTS

Best jensen hsiao staff writer

Because of the early and plentiful snow this season, skiers and snowboarders are both heading over to the slopes, many of which are opening soon.

alifornia may not get snow year round, but even the Golden State full of sunshine experiences a hearty snowfall during the winter months, giving you skiers and boarders a chance to practice your skills. So dust off your skis, boots and poles and head up to Tahoe to hit the many slopes that will soon be open; it is going to be a great season. This year, the snow hit Tahoe early in the season. Hopefully this means we will have plenty of snow this season unlike last year. Last year Tahoe had a record breaking low amount of snow, and the year prior there were record breaking high amounts of snow. Skiers and snowboarders alike were disappointed last year and are now excited to see there is now over two feet of fresh powder on the slopes. “The conditions last year were really bad and unfortunate because it wasn’t cold enough,” junior Paul Bienaime said. “It really demoralized

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us. This year we got a lot of snow really early so it should be pretty exciting. And after a bad year there is rarely a bad year so I’m crossing my fingers for a good winter.” With the conditions looking good this year, resorts are already beginning to open. In the Tahoe area resorts Boreal and Squaw were the first to open up. Northstar and Alpine are both planning to open later this month. Boreal is unique because it makes a large percentage of its snow with its many snow machines. Boreal is located right off interstate highway 80 and usually is the first resort to open and the last to close. Some do not enjoy skiing at Boreal because it is very industrial and does not give off the pure untouched mountain vibe like many other large resorts do. “Boreal [is] terrible,” sophomore Oliver Tucher said. “They are on a highway and the snow was really bad. I much prefer Kirkwood. [Kirkwood] is an all terrain mountain where you can find everything—you just have to look for it. It’s steep and you can do groomers or powder or moguls on the same day—it’s totally up to the individual. It’s more geared towards skiing.” Resorts are typically either geared towards skiing on the terrain on the mountain or the hospitality of the mountain. Both types of resorts have great skiing because most mountains are similar. However, different resorts cater to different types of

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people. Resorts like Northstar and Squaw are family-oriented because they have “villages” with shops, restaurants and hotels right on the snow which makes skiing more friendly and convenient. Alpine Meadow and Kirkwood, are more geared towards intense skiers, as they have plenty of fast lifts and are not as crowded as the resorts that have been build-up. That being said, the resorts that do not have hotels right on the slopes often have many nearby houses where visitors can stay with a large group of friends and family. I just like the pow. I like to stomp the pow and just shred. The feeling when you hit a fresh set of powder is like no other. You feel like you are lifted into a new world. Paul Bienaime Junior

Whatever the type of resort, people still ski at them all. People love skiing for lots of different reason: it is a good form of exercise while still being fun. What influences the level of enjoyment the most are the snow conditions at the time, according to students. “I just like the pow,” Bienaime said referring to powder snow. “I like to stomp the pow and just shred. The

to S

feeling when you hit a fresh set of powder is like no other. You feel like you are lifted into a new world.” Some skiing is more challenging than others. Skiing is a very complex sport. There are a multitude of levels you can be and everyone finds their own harmony with the snow when skiing. “Skiing is just fun,” junior George Keller said. “It’s not stressful, there are no rules, you can go wherever you want on the mountain and do whatever you want on it.” It takes years to get to be able to ski any type of run on the mountain. Keller has been skiing since he was four to obtain the level where he is today. He can now safely say that he can go “wherever on the mountain.” Tucher started skiing when he was three at Kirkwood. “Everyone should definitely try skiing,” Tucher said. “The better you get the more fun it gets. Go out and give it a try. It doesn’t matter where you go for your first run, just get a ski instructor. Sales [for ski equipment] are usually during Thanksgiving so if you need to buy skis [try] Any Mountain.” For those not interested in buying skis, Ski Renters of Mountain View offers rental options. Renting at the slopes in Tahoe can be more convenient but costs more. “It costs a lot of money, so not everyone can ski,” Bienaime said. “But if you are fortunate enough to go skiing, you should push through the bad weather, and once you reach a certain point, you will fall in love.”

ki Ski Resorts OCT 26

Boreal

NOV 16

Northstar

NOV 21

Squaw

19749 Boreal Ridge Road, Soda Springs, CA 95728

5001 Northstar Drive, Truckee, CA 96161

1960 Squaw Valley Road, Squaw Valley, CA 96146

NOV Kirkwood 1501 Kirkwood 21

Meadows Drive, Kirkwood, CA 95646

DEC 7

Alpine Village

2600 Alpine Meadows Road, Tahoe City, CA