April 2011 Highlander

LOOK INSIDE:

Late start cancelled for 2011-2012 school year

New biotech building takes shape

See page 3 for details

See page 9 for details

The Highlander Carlmont High School Newspaper Volume II, Issue 7, April 2011 See us online at http://scotscoop.com

Changes to Carlmont By Jasmine Rishi Staff Writer

The school we attend looks a lot different than the way it looked when we were all born. Over the last 20 years, not only has the school’s architecture changed, but thousands of students have passed through Carlmont. Each generation of teenagers has brought their own different styles of fashion, slang and interests to the school. Current math teacher Mary Codianne was part of the 1973 graduating class. One of the many differences she notices between the students from then to now are their academic goals. “More students in this day are planning on going to four-year colleges,” said Codianne.

Caffeine: legal addiction

48%

“Students are also taking more advanced classes than they did when I went to Carlmont, and they spend much more time pursuing their music interests, sports, etc. It seems like in this day a lot of students just seem to have a lot more talent then when I went to school here.” Robert Tsuchiyama, a Carlmont teacher since 1988, also noticed a major difference between the academic goals of students. “With the addition of so many new and demanding courses, the curriculum has quite a bit,” said Tsuchiyama. “The top math students back then would take Calculus AB -we only had one AP option for math students back then. Today we have Calculus BC, MultiContinued on page 13

This Google Earth image from 1993 shows Carlmont prior to many improvements done during the last 18 years.

Of students surveyed said they drink coffee on a daily basis Regular caffeine consumption can reduce caffeine sensitivity

Do you like caffeinated beverages? 14% No caffeine

36% No preference

50% Caffeine

By Bridget Newman Staff Writer Wake up, shower, get dressed, and make coffee and breakfast. The stereotypical morning we have all learned from our parents and see in just about every movie or television show has become part of our daily routine. But at what age does the caffeine addiction start and is it safe? Caffeine is known all over the world to be the best method of pulling through on long work nights, meeting deadlines, and to complete that project that there just doesn’t seem to be

enough time for. “I have to drink Turkish tea every morning or else I will fall asleep in class,” commented Zelal Ugur on her morning routine. Contrary to popular belief, recent studies have shown that caffeine does not actually eliminate the need for sleep. It simply tricks your body into feeling like sleep is not needed. But in due time your need for sleep with catch up to you. Teenagers who drink caffeine on a regular basis have more

difficulty sleeping and are not capable of falling into deep sleep. Forty-eight percent of students here at Carlmont High School say they either have to drink coffee or tea in the morning to function correctly throughout the school day. “I drink coffee every morning to wake myself up. I started in 8th grade,” said sophomore, Matthew Amato. Caffeine is considered a drug. Continued on page 13

New baseball bat regulations challenging players By Erica Valbusa Staff Writer

The change in baseball bat regulations for the 2011 season has taught the Carlmont players that they cannot rely solely on home runs to win a game. The main reason for the change in bat regulations was for the safety of the players. Last year, a pitcher from Marin Catholic High School was hit in the head by a line-drive and was in a coma for 21 days. He has since recovered, but a representative from the school brought the incident to the attention of the state legislature.

The new regulation calls for all composite bats to be banned. Composite bats have an aluminum exterior, but on the inside, they have a woven graphite wall. Anything else that doesn’t meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard is also banned. The BBCOR standard measures the “trampoline effect” of the bat. The trampoline effect of the bat can be compared to standing on the ground and jumping, versus standing on a trampoline and jumping. The composite bats had a higher trampoline effect, and that is why the balls came off of the bat faster. The hollow core in the composite

bats ensure that the batted ball retains its pitched energy and adds to the power of the bat speed. “I had to get a new bat, and it doesn’t have as much pop and the ball doesn’t go as far,” commented pitcher and outfielder Nic Bongi. Composite bats also have a larger “sweet spot,” the place on the bat where no vibrations occur when the ball is hit there. The average sweet spot on a composite bat is about eight inches, and on other bats, it is only about three inches. With the composite bat, a hit on the sweet spot is much easier to achieve than with a hit on a wood or aluminum bat. Continued on page 13

Photos by Gianna Dimick

News and Opinions Haiti vs. Japan Japan needs help Page 2

The Haitian earthquake a more severe situation Flickr/Creative Commons

By Alex Porter

News and Opinion editor

The earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 was, and still is, a more severe problem than the recent quake in Japan despite the larger media attention. It seems that people have “replaced” the tragedy of the quake that left all of Haiti destroyed and distraught with the new masterpiece of the Japan tsunami-causing earthquake. The consequences of the Haitian earthquake are much more serious and should have received some more, much-needed, attention from the media for support. Although the earthquake hitting Japan struck at a magnitude of 8.9, the seventh largest ever recorded, the causalities and number of misplaced is much lower than those of Haiti. There is an estimation of about 11,200 citizens who have died in Japan, while Haiti’s death toll reached to about 316,000. That is about a 300,000 difference in deaths. This does not include the number of people left stranded and homeless. About one million to one and a half million Haitian people have been left without homes. It is much more strenuous on the citizens of Haiti to be left with no home because, unlike the modern Japanese who have shelters with supplies and medical attention, the Haitian government could only provide makeshift tents. Haitian government cannot afford to help its people. With no true structures to keep people organized and safe, crime had broken out in both Japan and Haiti after the earthquakes. Looting has become a large issue. Crime becomes a very serious issue in Haiti, because the police are not strict and many women and children are left abandoned.

Flickr/Creative Commons

Disease is another issue that the Haitian people must endure. Cholera outbreaks received about 917 deaths, with 14,600 hospitalized and more in counting. The environment does not help with the beating sun and unclean sewage water. Haiti is still going through the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake and will continue to struggle as relief aid fades. Charity groups have lost focus after a year and new groups are emerging to help Japan. Although each of these recent events are indeed disasters, on comparing the two, Haiti still holds out to have worse consequences.

How students can help the Japanese in distress By Savannah Jack Staff Writer

As most of us know, the recent devastation in Japan has left thousands of civilians without homes, and thousands of them dead. There are currently over 11,000 deaths and 17,000 missing people due to the tsunami and earthquake that occurred on March 11 2011. Japanese families are not only grieving over the loss of their loved ones and nation, but over their mental state. The citizens are psychologically damaged. They have witnessed a natural disaster, important people in their lives are deceased and their homes have been destroyed along with meaningful items that can never be replaced. Families are left with nothing and struggle for survival. It may not be years until we see a smile on any Japanese citizen. Adding on to the psychological issues, most of their health is at risk. This is partly due to the radiation leaking in the air and also because there is not enough food and water to go around. Japanese overseas are starving, stressed, and scared. Many Americans are doing as much as they can to help their fellow humans, but there is still more room for us to assist this country in need. The Oakland A’s have donated 50,000 dollars for Japanese relief efforts, countless celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Rebecca Black and Justin Bieber have donated large quantities of their personal earnings and the American Red Cross has donated over 120.5 million dollars. Students can always quickly donate money for disaster relief to the American Red Cross at https://american.redcross.org. Just ten dollars would help. Some of our own Carlmont students have began to compile money to send to Japan. The student-run Helping Humanities club has organized an easy way for students to give aid.

Although giving money is the most effortless way to contribute, there are other ways to help out. Countless of Bay Area locations are donating part of their profits to Japan. Download to Donate is a collaboration with Save the Children where you spend only ten dollars to buy music and give back to Japan victims at the same time. Many people have started to “spread the heart” by drawing a heart on their cheek, symbolizing hope for Japan’s future. Celebrity, Shenae Grimes started Spread The Heart after being in Japan during the 8.9 magnitude earthquake. Another organization called Socks For Japan sends socks to victims in need. This may seem insignificant compared to other issues but this is probably the most helpful thing to do. People are freezing and deserve to feel warmth. The author Jason Kelly who put together this organization, allows you to write a care letter to the sock receivers. A tragedy happens every second, so why not help out one person in need? We are fortunate enough to be able to give back to our world. Instead of spending money on those earrings or that video game you could do without, why not just give a small donation to something that really matters. After all we’re all connected.

Flickr/Creative Commons

Why not make every day a good day? Defining having each day as its own By Arik Schoessow Staff Writer

Everybody has “those days”, the days that stick out or are unforgettable, the days that are celebrated in memory. Think about all of the normal days that you spend and how they pass like wisps, fading into the horizon to be forgotten. Where is the line between the cherished days and those that pass by without impact? Why do we not break the barrier on most days and instead force ourselves to continue living in the mundane when we could be experiencing every day with the knowledge that it will make us thrive? It is because we strive to remember, and because of our perception regarding sentimental value that we build a barrier between mundane and great days. The value of our days is measured in memory. The more ‘non-mundane’ things are the more we remember them, so we

assign a higher mental value to them. But what about this: What if everything was outstanding? What if we could have every day because everything is a bonus. Well, everything is a bonus. With every action comes an equal and opposite reaction. That is a law of physics. Now for

Let’s say someone gets robbed, on one hand there is the man who lost money but on the other hand there is the guy who just made some. There it is, a bonus. Now, the concept isn’t that simple, though it can be, and it still stands up to higher scrutiny, though it can be difficult to find the bonus of some situations there is always a bonus to be found. Only once you know that everything is a bonus, and I mean know, can you begin to have every day. Once everything is a bonus, there are no regrets. A regret is something that, if possible, a person would go back in time to change. How can anyone want to change the flow of time if they know that everything is a bonus? Basically, to have every day a person can’t try to make the world. The world is made and everything that ever happens is just another bonus to the linear, ever-expanding model of time that we perceive,

“Break down the wall between ordinary and outstanding, look at things in the majesty of the moment and refuse to believe that there is such a thing as mundane. Trip to every single moment because you make your own fascination” bonuses, it works differently, for bonuses every action has a reaction, but they are not equal and opposite according to any terms that we understand. Anything that happens spawns other happenings, and though they may seem negative from some point of view they are always positive from another. Equality is relevant.

another addition to infinity. That is why everything is incredible, it is just what happened to be. Break down the wall between ordinary and outstanding, look at things in the majesty of the moment and refuse to believe that there is such a thing as mundane. Trip to every single moment because you make your own fascination. Leaves falling, wind blowing, clouds being, everything as it is is already so incredible. Be water.

Flickr/Creative Commons

News and Opinions

Demand for women dominance By Jorja Flynn

the men went out into the world and made a difference, and it was not until Staff Writer the 1970s that women became more acWhen most people think of action movtive in politics and demanded an equal ies they tend to think of one man saving place in society. the world and the pretty damsel in dis“Women are usually portrayed as weak tress, but few think of a woman saving because the movthe world. ies are written In the olden days it and directed was understandable by men,” said that women were Maggie Tsang, a treated as second sophomore. class, but with Before the 70s, modern day rights there had been from the women’s a few female liberation movement, superheroes, like one would think that Wonder Woman, women would have Supergirl, and a larger role in the Batwoman, who media. preceded Batgirl, One of the oldest but they usustories about heally did not play a roes is the story of major role in the King Arthur and his crime fighting, Knights of the Round and left the big Table. It is all about fights to the men. how Arthur’s knights A lot of people would ride around do not think of and be protectors of women as posIllustrated by Curtis Fan the peace and how sible heroes because they were always savthey cannot gain as much muscle as men, ing the helpless women. and typically are not as aggressive. Even For thousands of generations women today, in the time of supposed equality, were content to sit on the sidelines while

women are not allowed to serve on the front line in the military. Though women did make a lot of progress in gaining more social equality, Hollywood still does not see them as equals to men. When asked to name several of his favorite heroes from movies or books, Shane Callan, a junior named, “Harry Potter, Huckleberry Finn, Odysseus, and Forest Gump.” Callan was unable to name any strong female heroes from either books or movies, and said, “I don't think I've seen a movie with a strong heroine but there needs to be more.” There have been a few movies with female heroes such as the Resident Evil series, Aeon Flux, Underworld, and Elektra to name a few, though not many people actually liked Elektra. It seems like a lot, but when compared to the extensive list of movies with male protagonists it seems rather short. Theoretically in modern day America, women are equal to men, but they still do not receive the same roles in movies as men, like in action movies, and hardly have a reputation for being tough. With a little more protests here and there though, that can all change.

Page 3

Highlander Staff Editor-in-chief:

Online:

News and Op:

Photo Editors:

Christina Belasco

Alex Porter

Entertainment: Sarah Levin

Scot Scoop:

Steven Tsujisaka

Gianna Dimick Curtis Fan

Cartoonists: Curtis Fan Elizabeth Max

Gianna Dimick

Features:

Jenna Chambers Carly Bertolozzi

Fun Page: Anna Wheeler

Sports:

Dana Bloom Jacob Cox

Staff Writers: Emily Beiers Sarah Biklen Kendall Bishop Shannon Chang Ashley Dierolf Mary Farmar Joshua Faulkner Jorja Flynn Nikolas Frazier Ivan Garin

Connor Moore Bridget Newman Reyna Ortiz Matthew Ray Jasmine Rishi Miranda Santana Arik Schoessow Erica Valbusa Annie Wesolek Noelani Zane

Faculty Adviser: Justin Raisner

The Highlander is published eight times a year as an open forum for student expression. Comments can be sent via email to editor@scotscoop.com Visit scotscoop.com for daily content updates, videos, slideshows, and more.

Update: No more late start schedule Bell schedule will not change next year By Annie Wesolek Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Mar.30, the school board decided to dismiss the change to a late start schedule for the 2011-2012 school year. Instead, the bell schedule will remain unchanged for next year. Since the first mention of a changed start time, the Carlmont campus has been divided between students who embraced the change, and those who preferred that things stay the same. After the school board decided to enact the late start schedule in the 2011-2012 school year, new information came to

light about how this new schedule would negatively affect traffic and its financial state. ”I’m glad [the school board] took our findings into consideration,” said Principal Raul Zamora. One of the major problems posed by the new schedule was transportation from East Palo Alto to Carlmont. Had the late stat schedule started next fall, the school would have to purchase additional buses and bus drivers to get the students from E. Palo Alto to school on time. The administration will continue to review the transportation problems for the E. Palo Alto students. Their findings will

be presented at the January and February school board meeting next year. Administrators have deliberated over the idea of having E. Palo Alto students start at what would be zero period with the late start schedule, but until a definitive plan is produced, Carlmont will continue with “business as usual,” Zamora concluded. Let the school know how you feel about the proposed bell schedule in the commenting to scotscoop.com. This article originally appeared on scotscoop.com

Highlander file photo

Real life ‘Inception’ Insight and discussion on lucid dreaming By Matthew Ray Staff Writer

The dream state is a realm of consciousness truly like no other. There is unlimited time, resource, potential, and experience in dreams. When one can apply the limitless potential of their dreams to their everyday life anything is possible and all is lucid. A lucid dream, for those who don’t know, is a dream in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming. Typically this is triggered by the realization of something peculiarly out of place in the dream. Though more often than not, everything is out of place in dreams. It is difficult for most to reach the lucid dream state but it can be done, and it is practiced almost as an art by many different cultures around the world. There are many different ways to realize that you are in a dream. One exercise is to just literately ask yourself if you are dreaming, even when you are certain you’re awake. Most of the exercises are habit formations to find oddness in the dream state. More exercises include looking at your hands, for they are supposed to be in flux; switching on and off light switches to see if the light goes away, looking at clocks for a time that doesn’t make sense, and making a mental note of something you pass by daily in waking life to get used to it and notice if it is any different in the dream realm. I did an experiment for one month where I recorded every dream that I had, including any part of a dream I remembered, in a notebook. The amount of lucidity in my

dreaming was low, I had about two lucid dreams throughout the month. What startled me most was that the first dream I recorded took up three pages in my notebook and by the end of the month I remembered an upwards of five dreams a night each taking up about ten pages. The dream journal is an extremely profound experiment that I recommend to anyone willing to try. Dreaming is not only done at night though. As Edgar Alan Poe once said, “Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only by night.” Daydreaming can be just as useful as nightly dreaming and it’s always lucid. The mind can create an entirely different world separate from the waking world, a place in your head where you can hide or relax or think. It isn’t simply thinking space but more of a room for seclusion where you see yourself walking around or painting or playing music. It’s a place to visualize the imagination. Lucid dreaming can be not just fun, but extremely useful. Once you realize that you are dreaming, you can do anything you want to. But aside from flying, running up walls, and manipulating people you can have some of the greatest conversations of your life with people that you will never know. Alan Watts once said, “One day you will wake to find that you are dreaming the dream of living the life that you actually living today.” Make that day today.

“There is unlimited time, resource, potential, and experience in dreams. When one can apply the limitless potential of their dreams to their everyday life anything is possible and all is lucid”

Features What is the relevance of STAR testing? Page 4

By Connor Moore Staff Writer

Carlmont students have been taking the STAR tests longer than any student can probably remember and every year the same question gets asked: “Why do we even have to take these?” As if sitting in a plastic chair for two to three hours as winter fades into spring wasn’t hard enough for teenagers already, STAR tests tends to be a tedious and redundant task for students. Staring at a Scan-Tron whilst bubbling in answers, looking at page after page of exam booklets that are designed to test how well we meet the “standards,” and continuing the rest of the day with abnormally long classes; and that is just day one. Not to mention that there is an entire two week block of testing to follow. Many people understand the scores they receive seem to effect someone, somewhere, in some random situation, but what few people realize is that a series of low test scores hit incredibly close to home.

“I’ve never actually known much about what my test scores end up boiling down to. I realize getting ‘Advanced’ is better than ‘Basic’, but other than that I don’t know if they hold significance towards anything more than letting your parents know how well your doing,” said sophomore Kayla Tabari. Overall, low test scores on a STAR test would probably do more damage to one’s confidence in school than their permanent record. However, STAR scores appear on transcripts and are available to be viewed by colleges. Seeing as that colleges have more important platforms such as SAT and ACT scores to evaluate students, STAR tests usually coast under the radar.

The party who receives the worst end of an accumulation of less than desirable STAR test scores are the teachers and schools of students who reap the scores. The way in which the effects can be seen are more like the unwritten rules amongst a group of friends. In short: prolonged and mass bad habits are frowned upon. A trend amongst an individual or string of individuals warrants the criticism towards those who provide and house their educations; i.e. Teachers and the schools they belong to. This is why students must repetitiously take these STAR Photo by Jeff Sudmeir tests. As sophomores, Carlmont students take the CAHSEE’s. The STAR and CAHSEE exams are later fused together in an equation in which the basic evaluation of a student is produced, and this is called

the Academic Performance Index (API). The API essentially ranks student all over the country side-by-side based on, you guessed it, performance. Carlmont is a school in which STAR score related trends are extremely positive. The big sign at the school’s entrance, along with the flag being waved in the upper quad, deem Carlmont a distinguished school. This means that Carlmont has a reputation for standing out amongst other schools for its tendency of equipping its graduates with what the California deems as the firm understanding of adequate knowledge and proper usage of the “standards.” There is hope around the bend for this year’s test takers. Carlmont seniors are exempt from STAR tests, and can bask in the glory of waking up to go to school at 10 o’ clock in the morning for two entire weeks which are followed by another week of break for Spring vacation.

Symptoms include very low energy, low self-esteem, and a severe “down in the dumps” attitude. People with depression get sick easier and stay sick longer. Mood swings and fatigue become an issue. “Don’t suffer in silence, definitely talk to someone,” said SOS president Lisa Cooper. Depression can often lead to

destructive behavior, anxiety and unfortunately suicide. Bad habits such as self-harm and drug and alcohol abuse may develop, which make the situation worse. The most common form of self-harm is cutting. Although thought of as a “release,” all that comes from it are very unattractive scars and risks of infection, which does not help sadness whatsoever. “The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it and pretending as if I'm having 100 percent fun,” said Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain before he killed himself. Even years of glory and love from fans couldn’t save him. “Depression occurs at some point in everyone's life,” said school therapist and SOS Coordinator Shelley Bustamante. “Depending on the severity of the depression episode some of the following steps might be considered as an intervention: counseling or psychological assessment, medication evaluation, suicide assessment, and group or individual therapy,” added Bustamante. It’s important to keep in mind that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

When sadness turns serious By Miranda Santana Staff Writer Throughout high school, you can count on someone saying “I’m depressed” in the hallways. There’s a difference between diagnosed depression and the everyday blues. Kids fail tests, break up with their boy-

friends/girlfriends and they get in fights with friends. Sadness may cloud your mind for a few days but it eventually leaves. This is the ordinary blues. Depression is a diagnosed psychological disorder. It is a reaction to a profoundly sad event and it takes an effect on the body as well as the mind.

Features

Page 5

The Princess Project makes prom dreams come true By Gloria Cruz Staff Writer For girls, the perfect prom night consists of a great night and a gorgeous dress. For some girls, however, money for dress may prevent them from attending perhaps the most memorable night in High School. “Prom is expensive, and if students can’t afford a ticket, we [ the school] can help. If they can’t afford a dress they’ll [the Princess Project] will help them” according to Shelley Bustamante. The princess project helps those that have no more money for a prom dress obtain one. This organization has been going on since 2002, a girl couldn’t af-

ford a prom dress. She got help family and friends who offered their the dresses they didn’t want any more for her to chose. In 2003 they had 650 girls that were looking for help with getting a dress and now they have more than 3,384 girls. To get a dress students have to sign up at The Princess Project website, princessproject.org, or ask a staff member at school who would probably know about this, for example, Ms. Bustamante. They’ll send student updates and at last a letter where it will tell the student

where to go and what to do. In the letter they inform the student that she has to take her school ID with her. They will also inform the student about how much time they are going to give her to chose a dress and an accessory. It also tells the student what she can’t do like bring a guest or cell phones. There will be many dresses and sizes for every girl to get one that she likes.

I really did feel like a princess, something that in my life I have never felt,” said a Princess Project Participant.

“When I put the dress on, everyone's jaws dropped. I really did feel like a princess, something that in my life I have never felt,” said a Princess Project Participant. Girls can also make appointments if they wish to have group boutiques. This means that they have an advance appointment to go in a group with their friends to try on dresses together, If a girl has a dress that is nice to wear to prom and she doesn’t want to wear anymore, she can give it away. The Princess Project accepts dress and money donations. Anyone can also volunteer. According to the website more than 600 people volunteer helping girls get their dress.

What really lurks the depths of the atmosphere?

Aliens: far fetched myth or a close reality? Carlmont students believe in Aliens Reyna Ortiz

By Anna Wheeler Junior Editor

Staff Writer

There is a chance that intelligent life does exist on other planets

There has been much discussion about whether or not there is intelligent life outside of Earth. Since there is no hard evidence, such as actual sighting of aliens, many people do not believe that aliens truly exist. However, could they be real? Despite lack of positive signs, the answer is yes: scientists and astronomers have, in the past, found evidence that aliens could be living in outer space. In one situation, astronomers found that it is possible that a primitive alien species inhabit on of Saturn’s moons, Titan. Titan is typically too cold to even have water on its surface, but it does have the conditions with which life could form. Furthermore, the possibility of life on other planets could be backed up with the various “sighting” of UFOs, such as the Roswell UFO incident. This incident was a crash in 1947 that was investigated by the United States military. Allegedly, the object that crashed was truly just the debris of a high-altitude surveillance balloon. Proponents of UFOs, however, believe that it really was a UFO and that the military was just trying to cover it up. On top of everything, the Roswell incident is by no means the only situation of its sort. Even more evidence is provided by experiences that humans have actually had in outer space. For example, when Apollo 11 was three days into its flight when they sent a message to mission control asking about the position of a piece of the rocket that had detached in the beginning of the flight. The reason they wanted to know was because there was a piece of equipment following alongside the rocket. Although it may seem unlikely to many, there is a chance that intelligent life does exist on other planets.

Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance

Typically when people imagine an alien, they think of a little green creature with two black eyes that drives a space craft. A vast majority of students at Carlmont seem to believe that these foreigners from outer space are not just fictional creatures. According to the Scots on campus, aliens are real; they are just waiting to be discovered. Junior Nicci Betteo is an expert on aliens. “Sometimes I make hats out of aluminum foil to try to communicate with the aliens,” she sarcastically admitted. Betteo is positive aliens are out there stating, “I definitely believe there are aliens because I have seen legit sightings.” However, there is a minority of Carlmont High School students who are skeptical. Junior Aimee Lucchesi is firm on the idea that aliens do not exist. “I do not believe in aliens. I have spent so much time researching aliens, and I have come

“Sometimes I make hats out of aluminum foil to try to communicate with the aliens”

Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance

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to the definite conclusion that they do not exist on this planet or in any universe,” she stated, “They are simply propaganda to create fear amongst people.” Sophomore Joe Walters blatantly announced, “I do believe in aliens! They’re out there.” When asked if he believes in aliens, junior Joe Lasala responded saying, “I don’t doubt it, but I think there’s something out there. Being an enthusiast in aliens, he claims, “I think I’m from Jupiter!” Junior Conor Brummer likes to see the more logical aspect as to why aliens truly do exist. “Why would the government create Area 64 if there weren’t aliens? One day the government won’t be able to hide a UFO, and the world will see we aren’t alone on this universe,” declared Brummer. Whatever the case may be, Carlmont students are proudly admitting that they believe in aliens. Until the world has legitimate proof, there will continue to be controversy over the existence of aliens.

Graphic Design & Printing Services Linda Zane c: 650-867-4312 kirkpatricksdance.com e: aeDesign@me.com

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Features

Bullying meets the 21st Century By Steven Tsujisaka Online Editor

Bullying has always been known as a “normal part of growing up.� Boys have been known to be physically violent with other boys, while girls verbally abused each other by commenting on others’ appearance or spreading rumors. Since the digital age came about, teenagers quickly adapted to social networking sites, text messaging, and web blogs to create their own digital lives and socialize with friends. Along with the growth of social networking, the amount of threats, sexual explicit content, and harassment through cell phones and the Internet is on the rise. This growing trend has been getting more attention because texting, Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets are being used to carry it out. The amount of bullying among teenagers can lead to isolation and even suicide. “No family should have to go through what these families have gone through,� President Barack Obama said. “No child should feel that alone.� On Mar. 10, more than 150 students and teachers attended Obama’s address to the nation about the extensive amount of bullying and how he and his administration are trying to reduce the amount of it.

Obama began his address stating that classmates taunted him for having large ears and a funny name. “I have to say that with big ears and the name that I have, I wasn’t immune,� Obama said. “I didn’t emerge unscathed.� The president announced the White House officially opened a government-run website StopBullying.gov filled with resources for students, parents and educators to prevent or reduce the amount of bullying. At Carlmont High School, the administration and staff have zero tolerance for bullying, especially cyber-bullying. In recent years, the number of bullying cases at Carlmont have raised because of social networking sites, specifically MySpace and Facebook. “[Students] hold onto their anger and the cyber form of bullying is a way to channel out that anger without having to deal with consequences directly,� Shelley Bustamante, Carlmont High School’s SOS coordinator, said. Bustamante said that a few years ago, two Carlmont male students went on MySpace and sent out a massive amount of messages stating that another student, who was a victim of bullying for many years, was planning on bringing a gun to

school to shoot everyone. The next day, most students received the message. Some decided not to show up to school while others reported the message to administrators. The male student, who was completely oblivious, was immediately sent to the office and was proven innocent, but the student no longer attended school because he felt uncomfortable being around other students who were terrified of him. Joni Gordon, Carlmont’s administrative vice-principle, reported that Carlmont

had approximately 100 reports of students being cyber-bullied last year alone. Cyber-bullying is a growing issue that is becoming more serious every day. For those who are being bullied or know someone who is being bullied, there are ways for students to remain anonymous and receive help. “By letting someone else know, you’re helping stop the behavior and potentially stop further victims from having the same experience,� Bustamante concluded.

Library staff supports students By Anna Wheeler Junior Editor

Carlmont has so many amazing programs and departments that some of them sometimes don’t get as much recognition as they should be getting. One of the main departments on Carlmont’s campus is the Library Media Center, commonly known as the library. It may not seem like much at

first, but there’s a tremendous amount of work done that not many people know about. Librarians Alice Laine, library research and class assignments services, and Donna Feitelberg, textbook services, work together in order to keep the library running as the well-oiled machine that it is. Laine has been working at Carlmont’s library for six years now. She has both teaching and library credentials as well as a master’s degree. Her job is to work with the students and teachers to supply students with the proper materials. “What people don’t understand is how much time collection development takes,� she said. Laine spends a large amount of time adding to the fiction and non-fiction book collections. On the library website, Laine creates research pages filled with web links, book titles,

newspaper articles, and more references for students working on class research projects in the library. On the other side of the library, Feitelberg is working just as hard managing classroom textbooks. Her job is to distribute and collect textbooks throughout the course of the school year, and even into the summer. She works for 11 months, getting only July off for summer vacation. Feitelberg also manages the distribution and rotation of English novels for classes. Feitelberg, claims that her “favorite question to be asked is ‘Do you ever get bored?’� It amuses her because it shows that, in reality, everyone thinks there is so little to do when the truth is, the library staff puts so much effort into managing the library to make the library system easier for all students and teachers. It just proves that all their hard work has paid off. Originally appeared on Scotscoop.com

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Features When Apple is left without its core

Page 7

By Nikos Frazier Staff Writer

Since its beginning in 1976, Steve Jobs has been a fountain of product and marketing ideas for Apple, Inc. However, if he is forced to leave because of his pancreatic cancer and/or other health reasons who would take over his empire. Ensuring another victory over PCs for Apple in the coming years would be difficult if they were to lose their fearless leader. But Apple has consistently been able to amaze consumers with innovative products and the constant “wow” factor. In 2004, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and went through a Whipple procedure to have the tumor removed. In 2009, he underwent a liver transplant due to the spread of the cancer. He is currently on a medical leave of absence. Who will take over his role as CEO if he leaves due to cancer? In 2004 and currently, Timothy Cook, COO of Apple Inc, has been acting CEO of the company and is generally thought to be doing a good job. Phil Schiller, the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing. Schiller gave the Final Keynote Address at the 2008 Macworld Exposition, due to Jobs “leave of absence.” Either candidate would do well, and based on the latest net worth of Apple, the change wouldn’t effect the value of its stock very much. Since Apple went public on September

12, 1984, at $3.25, to April 1, 2011, at $351.29, the company has impressed the world. When Apple didn’t have jobs 1985-1996, the stock stayed relatively the same, averaging $12.16. Upon his return, however, the stock started to sore. As assumed, every time a product is introduced stocks rise, but as time

pushing them out first and faster than their competitors. Another key issue would be handling the transition to keep employees and shareholders from leaving the company. The successor might do this by giving a “State of the Company Address” or meeting with key board members, vice-presidents and Union

Illustrated by Nikos Frazier

goes by, it falls back to its original price. Under Jobs guidance, Apple has kept on soaring. Jobs is also worth around $8.3 billion. Apple products are still sought after more than Microsoft and PC products, putting a higher amount of pressure on Jobs and his executive board. Jobs successor’s first goal would have to be to find a good attack strategy to keep Apple products current and always

representatives. Steven Paul Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco. He was first introduced to computers at age 12 when he was offered a summer internship by then Hewlett-Packard President, William Hewlett. After graduating high school, he attended Reed College, but later dropped out. He worked at another few computer companies including Atari. In 1976 Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak

and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Inc. in Job’s garage. As their first CEO, Jobs brought in John Sulley from Pepsi-Cola by telling him, “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?” Jobs ran the company until 1985, when he was ousted by the Board of Directors. Jobs left and founded NeXT computer later that year. In 1986, Jobs acquired a division of Lucasfilm, ltd. for $10 million and named it Pixar. He remained at NeXT computers until Apple bought them in 1996 for $429 million. Jobs went with his company and was made Apple Inc’s new CEO in 1997. He currently owns the majority of the stocks at 7.5 million shares. Jobs is a majority stock holder of Disney and a member of their executive board. He engineered Disney’s acquisition of Pixar. He was recently removed, however, because of his current health status. One major problem that is the help Apple gives out. As many costumers know, currently all Genius Bar appointments are free (not including repair costs). A new CEO might find this a way to get a lot of money from something that was once free and always in high demand. Though this might be logical, a lot of consumers would feel as though they are receiving the “PC” technical support as opposed to the old Mac technical support.

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Scot Scoop

Girls Scouts loved for cookies, but what else? By Dana Bloom Sports Editor Being a Girl Scout often appears to many people as being tacky and lame, except every March when Girl Scouts roam the streets selling cookies. Girl Scouts of America has become a very popular organization over the last 83 years and many girls have been, and are currently involved with the organization. Girl Scouts focus on giving back to the community, building friendships, and establishing leadership skills. Why would anyone not want to become a Girl Scout?

For some girls, the label of being a Girl Scout makes them feel to childish. For others they do not participate in Girl Scouts because they are too busy. Either way, many girls not associated with Girl Scouts ignore the meaning of the organization and look upon the participants as being silly and not cool. When asked her opinion of Girl Scouts, an anonymous Carlmont student replied, “I think Girl Scouts is for weird kids and it is kind of stupid. I think it is also very childish. That is the reason I quit after a year of Girl Scouts.” People who want nothing to

Loved with cookies

do with Girl Scout’s are often the people who make sarcastic jokes and kid around with the Girl Scouts. It is not uncommon for Girl Scouts to be given odd facial expressions or to receive rude comments. Carlmont student and Girl Scout Kelly Robinson stated, “I get weird looks. I probably get looks because people do not understand what we [Girl Scouts] actually do. All they normally know is that we sell cookies.” Many Girl Scouts may take these weird remarks personally but other Girl Scouts have learned to ignore them because they are so common and mean

nothing to them. “Now, I do not really care about the comments. I laugh along with them if they crack jokes and just tell them they are jealous. I am sure that some girls would get offended,” Robinson commented. Although some people may think Girl Scouts are weird, all those ideas become nonexistent every spring when Girl Scouts begin to sell their famous cookies. All the ideas about Girl Scouts being childish are thrown out the window. When sisters, brothers, and teachers begin to walk around Carlmont advertising cookie sales for their particular Girl Scout, students close their

mouths and just pull out their money. It is no longer the question of whether or not Girl Scouts are tacky, it is “should I buy Thin Mints or Samoas?” The vibe towards Girl Scouts definitely changes when cookies are sold. Claire Porter, a Carlmont student and Girl Scout mentioned, “I feel I am appreciated more by kids my age when I sell cookies.” Girl Scouts is an important organization in our community and the girls participating in it should be appreciated year round, not only when they sell Girl Scout Cookies.

Shunned without

The history behind the cookies By Emily Beiers Staff Writer We all know the time of the year when our pants get a little tighter. It’s when the Girl Scout Cookies come out. Every year, Girl Scout troops around the world sell cookies in order to fund community service and leadership projects, and for leadership projects. This 700 million dollar program is the largest girl-led business in the country. Girls sell in different places such as outside grocery stores, businesses, and door to door marketing of neighbors.

The Monthly Quad Snapshot

Photo by Curtis Fan

Lio Vaitai, Jake Nilson, Kevin Bajurin and Craig Mason preform songs including, “Forget You” and “Snow” in the quad at lunch on Thursday, March 31. The band helped promote Jake Nilson’s drum clinic on Sunday, April 3.

Girl Scout cookies are very popular around the Bay Area, and people look forward to Girl Scout cookie season. The cookies consist of a variety including Lemon Chalet Cremes, Trefoils, Do-Si-Dos, Samoas, Dulce de Leche, Thank U Berry Munch, Tagalongs, and Thin Mints. When surveyed around Carlmont, most students liked Samoas the best, followed by Thins Mints and Tagalongs. Students rarely mentioned any of the other ones. However, Girl Scouts have many roles besides selling Girl Scout Cookies. Today, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts in the world. There are Girl Scout Troops in more than 92 different countries. Girl Scouts was founded by Juliette Gordon Low, who organized the first Girl Scout Troop in 1912, in Savannah, Georgia. The Girl Scouts mission is to build girls with courage, confidence, and character. In girl scouts, girls create friendship and fun. There are many exercises such as field trips, sports skill-building clinics, community service projects, and cultural exchanges. Here, Girl Scouts learn respect, decision making skills, and leadership skills. Girl Scouts looks very good for the future, and raises very strong girls. In fact, two thirds of the US congresswomen have been in Girl Scouts. Senior Karen Wright has been in Girl Scouts for 12 years. She has achieved the bronze, silver, and gold awards. For her bronze award, she made cat and dog toys for the human society. For her silver award, she collected old tennis shoes and sent them to be turned into pavement for basketball courts and soccer fields in underprivileged areas. If the shoes were in good shape, she sent them to kids who didn’t own a pair. For her gold award, she visited Costa Rica and raised money for a high school there who wanted to have a girl’s soccer team but could not afford it. She raised over 1,000 dollars and delivered uniforms, balls, and goalie gloves to them. “Girl Scouts is all about staying together with people who you aren’t necessarily close with. It gives you an opportunity to give back to the community,” said Wright. On March 12, 2011, the Girl Scouts celebrated their 99th reunion. The participation in Girl Scouts has grown majorly, and still continues to grow. There are six different levels of being a girl scout. This includes being a Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador. Most girls join a troop where they can find a safe place to grow and share new experiences.

Students voted on their favorite cookie.

42%

like Samoas the best

34%

like Thin Mints the best

22%

like Tagalongs the best

2%

like Lemon Chalets the best

Scot Scoop

Page 9

Construction for the new biotech building continues Carlmont biotech teachers and students plan for future changes By Noelani Zane

Staff Writer Countless rumors have had students wondering: what is being built near T-hall? The new biotechnology building is currently under construction and plans to open for use in October of 2011. Construction started after destroying what was previously known as U-wing, the old Arts wing, to make room for the new structure. Biotechnology teachers Tina Doss and Dan Raffa applied for a Career Technical Education grant through the California Department of Education and received a $3 million grant which the Sequoia Union High School District then matched with an additional $3 million that is being used to fund the new facility. Carlmont’s Biotechnology Career program is a science course designed to teach students the fundamentals of the rapidly growing biotechnology industry through a hands-on lab experience.

The program started up in 2002 after Doss and Raffa received a Specialized Secondary Program grant to fuel the program which has been running successfully for the past eight years. The new two-story building will host three biotech classes and possibly an AP biology class. In addition to new state-of-theart labs, Carlmont continues to “go green” with solar panels. These solar panels will be used to heat water, and therefore reduce energy input, naturally lowering Carlmont’s electricity bill. The current biotechnology classes are located in classrooms C-3 and C-4 where they share space with other science classes. “Biotech is a really fun hands-on class but it [the room] can get very crammed and sometimes the teacher can’t give his full attention to individuals because of how many students there are in the class,” said biotech student Jen Lotfy. With the larger facility, class sizes will reduce, allowing

Talk Back

What are you most excited for during Spring Break? “The freedom away from school and going to theme parks.” William Lash, Freshman “Hanging out with friends and playing basketball.” Kingston Jack, Sophomore

“The parties.” Romtin Ziaee, Junior “Not going to school and being with my friends.” Simone McCarthy, Freshman

“To hang out with people and chill” Nathan Galacia, Junior “I’m going to Mexico!” Megan James, Junior “Sleeping” Kiana Hall, Senior

students to have more focused lessons with a smaller student to teacher ratio. “Carlmont’s [biotech] courses are recognized by local biotechnology industries because of our well-known program,” said Doss. There are approximately nine hundred biotechnology companies in the Bay Area, making it the largest biotech capital in the world. Many Carlmont students who are interested in pursuing a career in biotechnology are given the opportunity to obtain internships at local biotech companies because of our popular program. In some cases, students furthered their biotech careers and applied for jobs where they interned. Students in the biotech program have visited biotechnology companies on field trips to Genentech, DNA 2.0, and Skyline to observe their programs. The new biotechnology building is scheduled for completion on July 20, 2011 and will hopefully be ready for use in fall of 2011.

Photo by Jeff Sudmeir

The biotechnology building is going behind T hall, just before the baseball field. The building is estimated to be open in October 2011.

The importance of the SAT Why do we take it and what do you have to do to prepare for it? Ashley Dierolf

Staff Writer The SAT is the most widely used college admissions test that almost all juniors anticipate taking due to the significance this single test has on their future. Recently, the SAT changed quite a bit by adding a writing section, which covers grammar and sentence structure and includes an essay. The math section was also made more difficult, with more questions regarding Algebra II and geometry. These changes extended the length of the test, as well as increasing the best possible score from 1600 to 2400. For many students, their score on the SAT greatly influences where they are able to apply for college. According to Rick Dalton, former director of enrollment planning at Middlebury College in Vermont, the importance of one’s score on the SAT depends on where they plan on going. Average SAT scores for UCLA, for example, range from 1730 to 2100. Long Beach State, however, has an average SAT scores of 1380 to 1630. The amount of emphasis placed on the SAT does not match up with its importance regarding college applications.

According to Dalton, schools usually look at grades, class rank, and what type of classes the student takes first. Then, extra-curricular activities and volunteer work come into the equation, with test scores coming last. “I try to focus on getting good grades first over preparing for the SAT,” replied junior Amy Kistler. The argument of whether or not the SAT should be required for college applications has been debated for more than 40 years. Critics of the SAT claim that it is racially unequal. With such a diverse student population at Carlmont, it is inevitable that English is not the first language for some students. When faced with the dense vocabulary and writing portions of the SAT, they may not score as well as native English-speakers. “The English section on the SAT is hard for me,” commented Jay Patel, a junior who learned English in elementary school, “they should try and make it fairer for people like me.” Critics also claim that the SAT does not actually measure a student’s intelligence, but rather how well they know the SAT and their ability to take it.

“I don’t think the SAT accurately tests how smart someone is,” replied junior Shaina Chemparathy, “It tests more how many vocabulary words you can memorize and how fast you can read those passages.” A student being familiar with the SAT comes with a price. Not only do students have to pay for the actual SAT, but any type of preparation as well. The Princeton Review offers weekly SAT preparation classes for six weeks at a rate of $799 to $899. With an expense that high, it’s clear not all students can afford to prepare as well as others. Even practice SAT tests and SAT books can cost more than $25. Is it reasonable for colleges to require a test where students who have more money are better prepared and therefore more likely to score higher? “I take SAT prep classes every Saturday and Sunday for a month,” said Chemparathy, “if I didn’t have these SAT prep classes, I would never study.” For college-bound juniors, the SAT may seem like the most important aspect of their year, but it’s never too early for younger grades to prepare.

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Entertainment

Heart of a Soul Surfer Smile, you’re on camera Bethany Hamilton, the one-armed hero How YouTube became so popular By Annie Wesolek Staff Writer

At age 13, Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm to a shark attack. Most people put through such a trauma would quit, and give up on their dreams. However, pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton got back on the board and continued on in her aspirations to become the best surfer she could be. Hamilton, along with the help of Rick Bundschuh and Sheryl Berk, published an autobiography on October 5, 2004. On November 12, 2007 Hamilton released a documentary entitled “The Heart of a Soul Surfer” about her life and the struggles that come with the loss of a major appendage. This April, Hamilton’s book is being adapted into a major motion picture, starring Annasophia Robb as the younger Bethany Hamilton. Though the day she lost her arm would change her life forever, to Hamilton, it was a normal morning. She woke up early, like usual, and she and her mother headed out to go surfing. When she arrived at the beach she found her best friend Alana and Alana’s dad who, like her were also in search of the biggest waves. Confident her daughter was in good hands, Cheri Hamilton left Bethany to surf with Alana. While waiting for a wave Hamilton’s left hand dangled in the water, her silver watch catching a glare from the sun. Some experts believe that it was Hamilton’s silver watch that attracted the 15 ft shark. Paddling back to shore and waiting for an ambulance caused Hamilton to loses around 60% of blood volume. Once

friends realized that the ambulance wouldn’t arrive soon enough, Hamilton was rushed to Wilcox Memorial Hospital in the back of Alana’s dad’s pick up truck. Hamilton was saved but as a lasting reminder of the accident, she lost her left arm just below the shoulder. Hamilton always knew she wanted to turn her surfing obsession into a career. “As I started winning more contests, it seemed possible that I might be able to become a professional surfer,” said Hamilton. When she was eight years old, Hamilton participated in her first surfing competition and at the age of nine she gained her sponsor Rip-curl. Surprisingly, after Hamilton’s shark attack, she decided that she was going to continue in her dream to become a pro surfer. Only a few months after the attack, Hamilton got back on the board. Surfing is a very physically demanding sport, even with the use of both arms. “It’s mostly upper body strength.” said Brandon Mar, a Carlmont surfer. Despite Hamilton’s disadvantage, she was back in the competition circuit within a year of her accident. She won her first national title, in the Explorer Women’s division of 2005 NSSA National Championship. Hamilton’s religious beliefs have inspired movie producers to include character Sarah Hill, played by Carrie Underwood. In real life, Sarah Hill is Hamilton’s religious leader and friend. This will be Carrie Underwood’s premiere role in a major motion picture. Bethany Hamilton’s attack is not a cautionary tale, but an example of never giving up even when life throws you curve balls.

Creative Commons

By Mary Farmar Staff Writer

It’s what you surf when you’re bored or what you go on when you want to watch recent music videos. YouTube has become a popular site that almost everyone has clicked on at least once. YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. It was created in February 2005 and was founded by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. The company’s headquarters are in San Bruno, California and uses Adobe Flash Technology to display a variety of user-generated video content. Individuals have mostly uploaded the content on YouTube, but some of the videos also come from media corporations such as Vevo, Hulu, BBC, and CBS. It all started at a dinner party that Chen and Hurley attended, though Karim was not there. The founders of YouTube were discussing how they had difficulty sharing videos with each other. They started to come up with ways on how they could share videos and came up with the idea of a website titled “u-tube” where videos could be uploaded and shared with friends. The name “u-tube” was changed to YouTube because another website had claimed the name as its own. YouTube began as a venture-funded technology start up or a group of people going to a bank to persuade the bank to invest in their idea. This was mainly from the US investing 11.5 million during November 2005 and April 2006. The very first video that was uploaded on YouTube was titled, “me at the zoo” showing Karim at the San Diego Zoo. This video was uploaded April 23, 2005 and can still be viewed today. When asked what his favorite YouTube videos were sophomore Joey Craig said, “I like the family guy bird is the word

Photo by Nikos Frazier

video, tosh.0, and the fail-blog videos on YouTube.” Some YouTube videos receive up to half a billion views. The most viewed video on YouTube is Justin Bieber’s song “Baby” has a total of 501,663,591 views. Following Justin Bieber’s song “Baby” is Lady Gaga’s song “Bad Romance” with a total of 362,136,750 views. After Lady Gaga’s song follows Shakira’s song “Waka Waka” with a total of 323,440,461 views. Music videos are not the only frequently viewed content on YouTube. A comical video called “Charlie Bit My Finger” has 298,165,174 views. When asked what videos do you usually watch when you go on YouTube, senior Paula Pearl said, “I watch the newest music videos because I like to keep up to date.” Sophomore Brent Tom answered this when asked the same question, “I watch a funny African-American woman named Glozell1.” Users all around the world are allowed to upload all kinds of videos, though there are some regulations on what you cannot upload. When viewing videos on YouTube you can like, dislike, comment, or flag a video (or comment on that video) as inappropriate. When a video or comment is marked as inappropriate this message will go straight staff for a review. The Staff will review the video after they get the flagged comment and the staff will decide whether it is inappropriate or not. Videos on YouTube can range from recent music videos or funny clips of sport injuries. Whether you go on YouTube for entertainment, news, or for a quick laugh, YouTube has become part of our daily lives.

How To: show a little lady a good time By Sarah Biklen Staff Writer

Since the dawn of time people have longed for companionship. Whether one chooses to find this company in a dog or a human, it seems the beginning of any relationship starts with something called a date. First, let’s explore the world of online dating. Some folks believe that if they master the art of chatting online they can somehow transfer those skills to the real world of dating. Although this is true for some, most must contemplate many things before taking this plunge. It is important that, when choosing an activity to pursue with your online match, you consider their interests. Perhaps in an online conversation you can casually bring up hobbies, “So I’ve noticed you listed live action role play

as one of your sports. Is this something you do often?” Planning a date centered around dinner and LARP could get you into a sticky situation if the date had accidentally checked this box when creating their profile. In addition be yourself throughout the entire process. If you find it difficult to charm a lady over instant messaging plan a live date early on in the friendship. It is better to have premature face-to-face contact than to keep making a fool of yourself on the Internet. Plus, by meeting a match early on in the process, you can make sure they are not middle aged men looking for comfort from little girls, unless this is what you desire. As an awkward person myself, I know what it is like to deal with an ‘all thumbs’ kind of gal or guy. One can spot an awkward person online in several ways.

For example, someone who uses a lot of ellipses or makes inappropriate jokes which they fail to address may in fact be awkward. If you spot these warning signs, plan your date accordingly. Fill the short time you two have together with lots of activity. For example, if your match is a nature lover, take them on a hike or go zip-lining. Then, in the event of awkward silences, your date can justify their apparent reserve by claiming to “appreciate the view” or, using a more intellectual approach, “relish in the sound of silence.” Another proposition is to take your date somewhere with a lot of visual excitement. Then, in the event of silence, either of you could pick out something interesting on the wall or in sky and comment on it.

The classic dinner and a movie still works with an awkward date if you can’t find anything more exciting. Sometimes a little eye contact can bring two people closer than exchanging meaningless small talk. If the sparks aren’t flying on your date, throw in a pick up line. Your date will be surprised that you are using a strategy that is meant to be an introduction and might admire your style. Try not to objectify them with lines such as, “I heard milk was good for you, but damn how much did you drink?!” Be more straightforward and romantic, using phrases such as “You’ll do.” At the end of the day the company is far more important that the setting. So my best advice is choose a good setting, but choose a great date.

Entertainment

Page 11

Generation Dance Behind the scenes of the spring dance showcase By Kendall Bishop Staff Writer

As the month of May approaches, Carlmont students look forward to the annual spring Dance Showcase. What students may not know is the careful planning and preparing which starts months ahead of time, to get the show completely ready before spring time rolls around. During the first semester of every school year, dancers in the intermediate and advanced dance class are required to choreograph a dance, solo or duet, for their final exam. The project includes strict guidelines which are around the general theme of the show for that year. After about five weeks of movement development, the students perform their dance to the rest of their class. After carefully reviewing the dances, dance director, Ame Secrist chooses about twelve dances from both classes to put in the show. This year’s show is called “Generation Dance”. The dances in the show are based upon specific songs the choreographers chose to represent an older family member’s story. Advanced dancers Haley Ivers and Hannah Moore, choreographed a dance together which was chosen for the show. Haley explained the story behind their dance, “Hannah’s mom had a boyfriend who died in car crash during her senior year in high school. She was devastated because she still loved him. Hannah’s mom and her boyfriend loved the song “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones, so we decided to choreograph our dance to the song “Wild Horses” by Natasha Bedingfield.” Each dance in the show presents an important and unique message. “Each dance is not the literal story, some are an abstract portrayal, but they all started from the original concept,” stated Secrist. Advanced dancer, Olivia Reidy com-

Logan McPherson practicing for the big performance Photo by Gianna Dimick mented on her dance, “My song called “The Face” reflects my story which is based on someone guiding you through life. The dance I created reminds me that someone is always there for you.” The students that choreographed the dances chosen for the show, are given two weeks out of a three month period to teach their dance to the rest of the

dancers in their class. Ivers explained how difficult it can be to teach a dance to other students, “This is my first time ever choreographing, it was difficult figuring out transitions and positions of dancers as well as making it all flow together. Teaching it can be nerve racking especially because some people don’t listen. But the hardest part

is trying to make the dance convey the message and for the dancer’s to understand and be able to portray the story.” If the choreographers feel their dance needs more practice time outside of the fifty minute class period, they are able to schedule lunch time rehearsals in addition to the random outside of school practices. The outside of school rehearsals become more frequent the closer the show gets. Three weeks before the show debuts, the dancers start rehearsing in the theater where there is intense after school rehearsals. Not to mention the other technical details that need to be perfected before the show which include, costume alterations and stage lighting . “There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into the show which includes costuming, making sure the costumes fit the essence of the dance, technical elements as well as artwork that promotes the show,” stated Secrist. Senior dancer, Jenna Bogardus expressed her feelings about the show, “Even though the show is time consuming with the long rehearsals, and a lot of hard work, it always pays off in the end because dancing in the show is a blast.” The show dates are May 5th, 6th and 7th in the Carlmont Performing Arts Center. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.carlmontperformingarts. com $15 for adults and $12 for children, seniors and students. Secrist described what viewers can expect to see, “A wide variety of choreography that emulates the story of the dance. In addition there’s a wide variety of music, from The Beatles, to Rascal Flatts. That’s one of my favorite parts about the show.” Although there is a lot of elements that go into making the annual dance show possible, the outcome is rewarding for the dancers as well as for the many who go to watch it.

Confessions of a Scaredy-Cat By Sarah Levin

Entertainment Editor OK, I’ll admit it. I am probably the biggest wimp ever when it comes to horror movies. If I’m watching TV and one comes on, I’ll immediately change the channel. I recently went to the movies and got teased for refusing to look at the screen during the preview for “Devil.” To sum it up, I’m a wuss. And I’m fine with it. I take it in stride. My only problem is that nowadays, horror movies seem to be EVERYWHERE. There are previews not only in the movie theaters, but now also on TV, and even popping up as ads in the middle of YouTube clips. Of course, I could become Amish, forgo all technology, and amuse myself in educational ways. Unfortunately, my attention span doesn’t allow for that. And even living like a recluse won’t protect me from the biggest cornucopia of terror: school. Because no matter what, I’m always going to have to deal with horror movie fanatics talking about the latest freaky flick.

Now, I’m not writing this article to bash people who like horror movies (Heck, I’m best friends with a couple of them). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You just have to understand that to me, this opinion doesn’t make any sense! I go to the movies to eat popcorn, have fun with friends, and enjoy quality dialogue and plot. Unless the movie is terrible. Then, I go to complain about it afterwards. I DON’T go to a movie to spend two hours jumping in my seat and thinking to myself, “Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, he’s right behind you! TURN AROUND YOU IDIOT!” Believe me, I’ve tried to embrace the horror genre. I’ve sat through the beginnings of several horror movies. I’m fine in the beginning, when they have a nice family and there’s happy music playing. But by the time the bad guy rears his ugly, usually disfigured head, I’m either insisting we turn it off or simply running out of the room. Since then, I’ve been pleaded with by

family and friends alike to try again. Though, some of their arguments are a tiny bit flawed. “Oh, you should go see Human Centipede! It’s awful! I almost threw up!” Gee, I can’t wait. So, for this month’s article. I thought I’d try to figure out exactly what people find so appealing about horror movies. There must be something I’m missing, hiding behind the buckets of red corn syrup. Sophomore Justin Quan pins his love of horror movies on the exiting adrenaline rush that comes with them. However, he admits he finds it funny to “watch other people’s reactions as they watch the movie.” I can understand this. Who doesn’t like watching high school boys jump out of their seats or scream like little girls? “I like thrillers more than just general horror movies,” says Kenny Cunningham, Sophomore. “They usually have better plots.” I must confess, before writing this article I had no idea there were subgenres of horror movies. Appar-

This month, I try to figure out why horror movies are worth the scare

ently in thrillers, the bad guy does more lurking in the shadows, and less hacking people with machetes. Who knew? However, in all cases, everyone said their love of horror movies is due to the suspense. It’s not so much being scared out of your mind- it’s being scared out of your mind while knowing you are, in fact, completely safe. For fans, watching a horror movie is like riding a roller coaster. I must admit, the fans did make some convincing points. I was almost persuaded into trying again. Almost. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever change. To all you horror movie aficionados out there, I salute you. You inspire scaredycats like me to put our fears aside, and enjoy the primal rush of adrenaline and terror that comes from a good scary movie. Who knows? Maybe this article will convince one of you to try watching horror movies. Maybe you’ll adore them. All I know is, it won’t be me. Because, to put it simply, I love sleep way too much to risk losing it.

Did you

Fun Stuff know...

1. You can’t kill yourself by holding your breath. 2. Coca- Cola would be green if coloring wasn’t added to it. 3. Hitler was a vegetarian. 4. More people are killed by bees than snakes every year. 5. Owls are the only bird that can see the color blue. 6. In 1893, a case was held before the Supreme Court to determine if tomatoes were considered a fruit or a vegetable in society in order to properly tax them. 7. “Rhythm” is the longest English word with out a vowel. 8. Earth is the only planet not named after a god. 9. In Oklahoma, you can be arrested for making ugly faces at a dog. 10. In Danville, Pennsylvania, all fire hydrants must be checked one hour prior to a fire.

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Horoscopes Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Don’t dwell on the small things. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It could do you good this month. Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) The days are zooming past. Don’t let good opportunities slip through your fingers. Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Everyone is special in their own way. Find a way to remind them of it. It could pay off for you in the long run. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) Life may have made a mess for you during these past few months, but don’t give up. Everything will fall into place. Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Time for some good deeds! Recycle, compliment someone, help out around home. Just remember: A little goes a long way. Leo (July 23 - August 22) Expand your horizons. If your life is feeling dull, find a new hobby. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Take some time for yourself. Stop trying to please others and focus on you. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) Be true to yourself. Never let the opinions of others shape who you are. Aries (March 21 - April 19) It’s not the end of the world. Try not to overreact this month. Libra (September 23 - October 22) It’s the right time to be logical about things. Listen to your head, not your heart. Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) The simple things in life are sometimes the best. See beauty in the small things this month. Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Never lose sight of your goals. The journey may be great, but don’t forget about the destination.

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Egg Hunt Illustration by Curtis Fan

Page 12

Extras Baseball bat regulations Caffeine addictions

Page 13

(Continued from front page)

Another test, the Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR), measures the performance of non-wood bats. It states that the maximum speed of a ball can be no faster than 95 miles per hour. Officials found that many balls hit off of composite bats were faster than the maximum allowed speed. “Personally, the safety of the players has to be paramount, so I support it. It can’t be unsafe for the players,” commented assistant coach Rick Lavezzo. Bongi disagrees with Lavezzo and doesn’t see why a regulation change was necessary. “A pitcher is still going

to get hurt if they are hit by a line drive, not matter what kind of bat is used.” Due to the new rule, both Lavezzo and Bongi have seen a dramatic change in the game. Balls that were home runs last year are now fly balls and easy groundouts. “At this time last year, we had seven home runs, and we currently have zero,” added Lavezzo, showing how much of an impact the bats have on the game. Lavezzo stated that the new regulation will actually help the players in the long run. “It’s a whole different game now. We have to play small ball, where more things come into play, such as stealing and bunting. The players don’t know this, but it will actually make them better.”

(Continued from front page) A socially acceptable drug, but it is by far the most commonly abused drug throughout the world. When taken in small or moderate amounts it can increase mental alertness. However in higher doses it can cause anxiety, headaches, moods swings, and dizziness. The body can also become very addicted to caffeine and suffer withdrawals

once it stops consuming it on a regular basis. “If I don’t drink coffee everyday then I feel really light headed and I can get annoyed easily,” said Jacob Handler. It is important to understand that each individual has a different tolerance for the effects of caffeine. It can have many very positive effects, but if abused, like any other addictive drug can have unhealthy effects.

Sign up for Journalism JOURNALISM UC G Elective CTE Graduation Credit Extra-curricular Activity Have a voice Make a difference

Because of late start, every Wednesday morning Starbucks in the Carlmont Shopping Center is flooded with many students to get their daily fix of caffeine. Pictured here is Kaela Ismael with the newly designed Starbucks cup.

Carlmont changes

Be a part of the Carlmont Highlander Staff

See Mr. Raisner inUCroom A14 for details Meets and CSU A-G Elective Requirements Fullfils CTE Graduation Requirement

(Continued from front page)

If you have questions or interest, drop by room A-14 at lunch or after school to chat with Mr. Raisner

variable Calculus, AP statistics which weren’t options back then,” he continued. Students today have the opportunity to take more advanced courses and to challenge themselves. Tsuchiyama went on to say, “Students also face more academic pressures than ever before. The course load today is much more difficult than it was 20 years ago. The very top students would take three AP courses by the time they graduated, and there was no CAHSEE test. Students today are definitely much more prepared for the demands of college.” There are also hugely varied fashion trends from the 70’s and 80’s to today. “I remember the year I started at Carlmont was the first year girls were allowed to wear pants to school. But only slacks were allowed, we still weren’t allowed to wear jeans,” said Codianne. Tsuchiyama also added, “I never had to tell anyone to pull up their pants when I first started teaching at Carlmont.” Sports and clubs have also changed throughout the years at Carlmont. “We’ve also had a great sports program at Carlmont,” recalled Tsuchiyama. “When I went to Sequoia, everyone hated Carlmont because they would dominate in every major sport.” Tsuchiyama also commented, “We used to have an Academic Decathlon team, as well. But this was before we had our Quiz Team!” As Carlmont reflects through the years of students that have graduated and gone on with their lives, it gets ready to once again graduate a senior class who will soon be taking on the world.

Page 14

Sports

Less than seconds away Field improvements strike out rain and cancellations By Jacob Cox Junior Editor

Photo by Gianna Dimick

Scot Scoop Editor

The boys varsity relay team has shot at breaking more Carlmont swim team records in one season than in any other year since 1991. The team, consisting of Vladimir Khrolov, Jason Wong, Adam Fecher and Ivan Garin has already set a new record for the 200 yard Medley relay (50 yard backstroke, 50 yard breaststroke, 50 yard butterfly and 50 yard freestyle) and are hoping to beat the other two relay records as well. Khrolov said, “We’ll be in the top three for P.A.L.s, definitely.” Khrolov, a senior here at Carlmont, has been swimming for six years. His favorite events are the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, but the times he’s striving to beat are for the 50 free and 100 free. The record for the 50 is currently 21.51 seconds and for the 100, it is 47.92 seconds. Last year, at P.A.Ls, he was within three tenths of a second from the 50 freestyle record. Jim Kelly, the varsity swim coach, commented on what makes Khrolov’s freestyle so fast, “For Vlad, I would say it’s the strength of his kick and the length of his stroke.” When Khrolov was asked if he will be able to top both of these by the end of the swim season he responded, “Hopefully.” Wong’s main event is 100 breaststroke. He has been swimming since he was about nine years old and is now a junior here at Carlmont. His coach first recognized his ability for breaststroke when he was eleven. “He just noticed I was going really fast,” Wong commented. During the swim meet against Sequoia High School on Thursday March 31, Wong beat the breaststroke record set by Spencer Weden last year. His time was a 1:01.58, 1.12 seconds faster than last year’s record. Fecher has been swimming since he was 8 and started swimming year-around when he was 10. His favorite events are the 200 freestyle and the 200 backstroke. Fecher said, “ For the 200 free I want to go 1:49 and for the 200 back I want to go 2:00.” Garin has the chance to see his name next to three different records. He mostly swims the 100 butterfly and the 200 I.M. (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle), but as of March 31 he also has

broken the school record for 100 back with a time of 56.10 seconds. He has been swimming since he was nine and is now a sophomore. “My coach started to recognize how fast I was when I was twelve and I was ranked nationally in the top 20 for the 200 fly then.” The record for 100 fly is 55.05 seconds, and the record for the 200 I.M. is a 2:03.03. “I want to break a :53 and a 2:00,” Garin stated when asked about his ideal times. Fecher said, “The varsity team this year has been the best team we’ve had out of the three years I’ve been here. We dominate,” but to keep this up, they will have to continue to work hard and push themselves to the limit. Photo by Gianna Dimick

Photo by Jacob Cox

By Gianna Dimick

Baseball, America’s pastime, is characterized by sunny weather and clear skies. Although it is commonly associated with summer, it takes place between the months of February and May for high schools along the peninsula. Unfortunately, this time period generally includes heavy rainstorms, leading to game cancellations and restructured schedules. In previous seasons, Carlmont’s baseball field had been greatly affected by rainfall. An uneven outfield contributed to the damage, as water naturally flowed from left to right leading to major flooding along the first base line and in right field. Sophomore Nick Rich, a current starter for the junior varsity baseball team, endured the muddy and unpleasant conditions of right field for much of last season as the starting right fielder. “At times, it got so bad that the ball would stick in the mud on a pop fly,” commented Rich. However, players weren’t the only ones affected by rain. Fluctuating rainfall led to many cancellations and rescheduled games, which put working parents in a bind when they wanted to attend games. Jay Anthony, father of junior and current varsity third baseman Ryan Anthony, expressed his feelings towards last year’s inconstant schedule: “I specifically remember one situation last year in which I left work early to attend a game, but when I got to the school I was told that the game was cancelled due to rain. It was extremely annoying because leaving work early meant that I would have to wake up extra early for work that morning, and work late the following day as well.” While rain is mother nature, and cannot be prevented, improvements to the field’s drainage system were necessary and varsity Head Coach Rich Valero decided changes had to be made. To the delight of many, including outfielders for both varsity and junior varsity Carlmont baseball teams, the new drainage system has made a noticeable difference in the 2011 season. According to junior Nic Bongi, second year varsity outfielder, “the draining is much better because we’ve gotten some games in this year after it rained that we would have had no chance at last year.” Despite brutal weather in late March that called for tornado and flash flood warnings, the baseball field at Carlmont held up reasonably well. Just one home game was affected by rain thus far, demonstrating the drainage improvements in 2011. Carlmont’s field has been in better shape than others along the peninsula, such as Terra Nova. On March 30, Carlmont played an “away” game on their home field, because Terra Nova’s field was still damaged from the previous week’s rain. The early start to the high school baseball season comes with rain each and every year, but Carlmont’s efforts to combat this issue have proved to be beneficial.

Sports Sports offerings evolve over time

Page 15

By Shannon Chang Staff Writer

Carlmont sports have developed a lot since the start of Carlmont High School in 1952. As of now, Carlmont has 14 sports compared to the 13 sports Carlmont began with. The most recent addition to Carlmont’s sports family is Lacrosse. It has just begun its first season for Carlmont as a result of lacrosse players working to help it become a Carlmont Sport. 50 years ago, wrestling was a major sport at Carlmont, but over time it has become less popular and it has been eliminated from Carlmont sports. Instead of pom pon, we have a cheer leading team. Cheer has recently begun competing in competitions thanks to their new coach, Jelica Baker. Many things changed about sports, in-

cluding the amount of girls’ sports teams. Jim Liggett stated, “In basketball, the girls teams could not cross the half court line and they were not allowed to play defense because adults thought it was too hard for girls to play.” Like Liggett said, Carlmont sports used to stress was that girls weren’t supposed to play lots of sports. Liggett, current varsity softball coach and former wrestling, baseball, basketball, football, and soccer coach, commented, “The sports director and other coaches did not think that girls were supposed to play vigorous sports. They also did not think that girls could handle playing more than 12 games a season.” Liggett left his mark on Carlmont sports by organizing the girls’ softball team into having more than 20 games each season.

Gradually, sports and their participants became more and more accustomed to girls playing sports. Liggett also mentioned, “I like coaching softball but football had a sense of camaraderie. All the coaches spent a lot of time together, so we developed good bonds with each other: we made the practice plans together, we called plays together, and we collectively chose who to play.” Former wrestler for the Carlmont Scots, Tim Ritter, said, “I am not quite sure how the sports have changed because I have not really been exposed to it but I transferred to Carlmont as a sophomore and sports was a great way to transition to a new school and meet new friends.” Sophomore Taylor Choye, stated, “I think Carlmont has a very strong athletic

program and we are very fortunate to have parents that support physical activity so much,” when asked about the Carlmont sports as of today. Sophomore Jackie Li commented, “Carlmont sports are very good and we dominate in all sports, if not by winning, we have winning sportsmanship and by having good team spirit.” As Ritter, Choye, and Li pointed out, being a part of a sports team is a great way exercise, raise school spirit and meet new friends and it has been for more than 50 years. Carlmont sports have evolved into a thriving program by letting girls and boys participate equally.

Track leaps forward Petersen runs to East with new coach Coast on scholarship By Ivan Garin

He gained national recognition after he won California states. After high school, Staff Writer his expertise took him on a full ride to As the Spring track season begins, a University of California at Santa Barbara new change has occurred throughout the where he majored in a philosophy of whole track team. Carlmont track team ethics. has always been a powerhouse and one He further gained fame by setting the of the most popular sports. However, in third highest mark in school history. Afprevious years the team has been crititer college, Murray competed at nationcized for a lack of leadership and instead als. of one strong team, it was made up of Competing in the Big West conference divisions of individual stars. This lead to he won nine individual championships. most of the spotlight hanging on indiTo this day his UCSB record still stands Photo by Noelani Zane vidual victories, after ten years. rather that team Through his whole track wins. career, his highest throwThis year, a ing mark was 187 feet, a new coach has mere five feet away from joined the team the Olympic mark of 192 and hopes to feet. Over his four years in change all of college he won a total of 29 that. individual titles. “The old Murray’s coaching experiprogram wasn’t ence includes eight years very teamof coaching varying from based and just Santa Barbara High School had several to Sequoia. Along with individual stars. that he is a certified sports I want to trainer. change that so After losing many strong that there is seniors last year, Carlmont more unity, so enters the season with we become better as a team,” stated new many inexperienced faces, but the large coach Cheyne Murray. number of incoming freshman has also Many of the athletes on the team have raised some heads. Coach Murray hopes already taken a liking to Murray for his to welcome these newcomers into a personality. more team-friendly atmosphere so that in “He has a big focus on team bonding future years the Carlmont track team will and mutual success. He’s also quiet fash- only rise in prowess, not just individuionable as he sports true religion jeans,” ally, but as a team. said Zachary Levin, a long distance runner on the team. Others see him for his incredible coaching talent and ability to relate to his students. “He’s disciplined and knows what he’s talking about. He’s a coach who can relate to his kids,” said sprinter Jessie Gifford. Murray started out his career at Menlo Atherton high school where he instantly was recognized for his talent in the shotput, although he also has experience in the javelin, hammer, and discus. He also Photo by Ryan Dimick participated in football and basketball.

Photo by Spencer Allen and Margaret Gallagher

By Josh Faulkner Staff Writer

To become a successful long distance runner takes a lot of hard work, determination, and perseverance. Carlmont cross country star, Jessie Petersen, is a prime example of a successful long distance runner. She is one of, if not the most successful runner, Carlmont has ever had. Petersen picked up the sport of running in middle school while she was training for her main sport at the time, soccer. During middle school, Petersen loved running, but did not consider it to be a sport that she would actually pursue. When Petersen came to Carlmont she decided to stop playing soccer, and realized that she wanted to become a long distance runner. This decision has turned out to be the best decision she could have ever made. Throughout her career at Carlmont, Petersen accomplished many amazing feats in the Peninsula Athletic League championships, Central Coast Section championships, Northern California championships, and even at the California State Finals. Petersen has won the Peninsula Athletic League and Central Coast Section championships in both her junior and senior year. In the State Finals, Petersen finished in 16th place

in her junior year, and 8th place in her senior year. The way that all of these goals were achieved was through an incredible work ethic and determination to be the best runner she could be. Petersen runs four to five miles in the morning, and six to nine miles at practice, for an average of 80 miles a week. With these accomplishments and this strong of a work ethic, Peterson was offered a scholarship by a handful of Division I schools including University of Colorado, University of CaliforniaBerkeley, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Syracuse University. The process of determining which university she would attend was driven mainly by visits to her to top three choices: Syracuse, Colorado, and UC-Berkeley. She narrowed down her choices by taking into consideration the schools’ campus, program, and running conditions. Both of the Arizona schools have really hot weather which would bring bad running conditions. UC- Berkeley does not have a prestigious running program and that is an important part in making her decision. This left Petersen with the University of Colorado and Syracuse University. When Petersen visited Colorado she loved the environment but the scholarship was based on performance instead of guaranteed, and it did not seem like the right fit for her. Syracuse University seemed to be the perfect fit. It fit all of the areas that Petersen took into consideration in making her decision having great teammates, a great campus, great running areas, and a scholarship with 3 ½ years tuition guaranteed. Jessie Petersen earned every moment of her successful running career by putting so much time and effort into becoming the best runner she could possibly become. Petersen will bring this work ethic and determination with her to the east coast and Carlmont wishes her the best in everything she accomplishes in her running career.

Sports

Page 16

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Ryan Tierney Photos by Noelani Zane, Curtis Fan, and Gianna Dimick