Raven Report Sequoia High School
Volume V, Issue 2
1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062
October 14, 2011
German classes cut, Mandarin proposed By ERICK CASTRO and TY DEWES, Staff Reporters
Photo by Caroline Lempert
Junior Mikey Taylor has played in place of injured senior quarterback James Beekley and the Cherokees are 4-1.
Sequoia deals with injury as season continues at Woodside By JARRETT CROWELL Staff Reporter After months of hard work, the Sequoia football team is ready to play Woodside tonight, Oct. 14 at Woodside High School at 7 p.m. Sequoia, coming into the game 4-1, is looking to put another one in the win column and beat their cross town rival. The Sequoia and Woodside rivalry goes way back. Spanish teacher Cristelda Guillen, who graduated from Sequoia in 2001, remembered her days of the Woodside and Sequoia rivalry. “The Woodside and Sequoia football games were always a big deal. The orange vs. the purple and all the spirit. I always knew when Woodside was coming to play,” Guillen said. If this game has always been a big deal for the fans, imagine what the hype is for the players. Sophomore varsity football player Matt Jenkins really feels the tension building for the upcoming game. “People in the locker room have
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been talking about it, and that is Taylor has really stepped up well and the game that everyone wants to filled the role. Also we’ve won two games already with me sitting out so I win most,” Jenkins said. Woodside, coming off a shaky think we can do great.” All players and fans alike were devyear last year (1-9) is looking to steal one away from the defending astated when Beekley was hurt but Lake Division champions. Sequoia Jenkins is still hopeful. “At first I thought it would be a rehad a great year last year and made it all the way to the championship ally hard obstacle to overcome,” Jenkins said. “And game before losing no to Willow Glen. “People in the locker room have although “We definately been talking about it, and that is one can fill the have a chance to go the game that everyone wants to shoes of Beekley, Mikey Taylor has to the champion- win most.” ship game again. —Matt Jenkins, stepped up well.” Beekley’s inThe team is looksophomore running back jury happened at ing very good,” the wrong time. Jenkins said. “Before I got injured, I had a chance The Cherokees however, are hindered by the injury of their star to get a scholarship and play football quarterback, senior James Beekley in college. Now coaches say that I can who tore his ACL in the first game walk on to their program and then of the year. The ACL is an impor- try to get a scholarship after my freshtant ligament in the knee and Beek- man year,” Beekley said. Walking on is ley will sit out the remaining games much harder and you are not guaranteed a scholarship.” of the season. With or without Beekley, the team “I think the team will do fine without me,” Beekley said. “Mikey will try to beat rival Woodside.
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The Sequoia IB program exposes students to the cultures of many other countries, with language programs such as Spanish, French, and German. Wait, scratch that. As of this year, German will not be offered. Sequoia and Gunn High School had been the last two schools on the Peninsula to still have a German class available to students, but this year Sequoia has cut German 1 class, and it will no longer be available for freshmen at Sequoia. “I think that for an IB school, it’s very sad that German is being cut,” said German teacher Claudia MeyerKispersky. “It is important for IB students to learn about many cultures.” According to IVP Lisa Gleaton, the cost for one class period is $22,000. Because of the low number of students in higher levels of German, the school is cutting the program completely. “A lot of kids want to take [German] and their parents want them to. The school is letting kids down,” said freshman Sarah Huber. The sophomores, juniors, and seniors taking German right now will be able to finish their last years of German and the program will be cut following their completion. The German club will still be active at Sequoia and they still plan to go to Germany in June. “My goal is really to keep German alive at Sequoia,” Meyer-Kispersky said. The phasing out of the German program at Sequoia has not had a major impact on the amount of students in Spanish and French. “It’s similar to where the classes were last year,” said Spanish teacher Edith Salvatore. “It might only end up being two or three kids extra [per class].” See LANGUAGE, page 2
76 students responded to a Facebook survey:
What new language do you wish Sequoia offered? 38% Italian 20% Mandarin
12% Russian 9 % Japanese 4% Latin