The
Highlander Where are students in the class of 2013 going for college? Pgs.12 and 13
May 2013, Vol IV, Issue VIII
www.scotscoop.com
Langkusch leaving
Scots get caught By Erica Valbusa Online Editor
Carlmont’s AP English Language teacher retires after 20 years of teaching. Page 15
Senior sports wrap-up
Senior sports highlights and spotlight athletes from the 2012-2013 school year. Pgs. 22 & 23
Our generation
Kids today live a very different lifestyle from the generations before us. Pgs. 6 & 7
Who shares your seat?
One seat in E11, three students throughout the day. Do you know the person who sat in your seat before you? Pgs. 18 & 19
Many students spend countless hours studying for tests and exams. Others cheat. Recently, Carlmont administrators found that a group of students were using cell phones to take pictures of exams and communicate answers with each other. “I got caught on a chapter test for AP Psychology. The reason I got caught was because the kid that gave me the answers for the test got his phone confiscated and searched. He didn’t delete his message history, thus showing he sent out the answers to the test,” said an involved student whose name is being withheld. Carlmont had a similar cheating occurrence during first semester finals, when students found the answers to the AP Government final on the Internet. What is it exactly that drives students to feel the need to cheat? “It is difficult to say,” stated Administrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame. “A lot of stress is put on students, it can be hard to keep up in high-level classes. The competition to get into college is definitely a high level of stress.” “I feel badly for students who feel this is the way. The adults in society, parents, have put amazing pressures on students. It is crazy. There are more kids and more competition. Times have changed. Cheating is a cry for help,” said Carlmont Principal Lisa Gleaton. Carlmont is currently looking at the academic policies of other schools in the district to help decide what kind of policy should be implemented on this campus. “We like Woodside High School’s academic policy, but nothing has been cleared yet. We would like to have more people look at it. The more buyin, the better. We never want to be in the position of people saying that they don’t know about the policies,” added Gleaton. If a student is found cheating, his or her parents and teachers will be informed and he or she will receive a zero on the assignment. Students might not receive a letter of recommendation if he or she is caught cheating. Some college
Photo by Gianna Dimick
require students to submit letters of recommendation with their application. Without them, students will not and cannot be considered for admission. “Students don’t have a right to a letter of rec. What is a teacher supposed to write about you if you are found cheating in class?” said Gleaton. Is it legal for a school to search through a student’s cell phone? With probable cause, yes. “The administration has the right to search a phone if we have reason to believe that there is an issue. That being said, we can’t go way far back in the phone’s history,” stated Fishtrom. “I wouldn’t do it again. The reward really isn’t worth the risk. The consequences were F on that test and a disciplinary action on my record. Think about the consequences if you get caught,” commented the student involved.
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Turning the page Seniors reflect on high school By Rachel Schuster Features Editor As graduation nears closer each day, Carlmont seniors look to the event not as an ending, but a fresh start. Graduation is seen as a rite of passage, an event where the student moves from one life stage to the next. Carlmont senior Emily Cox is ready to take this leap, much like the majority of her peers. “I’m excited to graduate, but I’m terrified,” Cox said. “I want to go to college and start a new part of my life, but at the same time I don’t want to leave Carlmont because it’s like my home. I feel like I grew up here and it’s made me who I am.” Cox joked that her class of 2013 is “not normal,” in the sense that her peers are “so smart, way above average, and everyone is going to such amazing colleges.” Connor Moore expressed a similar opinion, commenting, “We are an exceptional group of people in terms of our ability to succeed. I can name people that are going to Ivy League schools, Stanford, Berkeley, and I’m so proud to be affiliated with that.” The journey the seniors endured to reach their graduation was no easy feat. Especially this past year with challenging classes, college applications, loads of extracurriculars, and flourishing social lives. “Considering the amount of craziness and stress we had this year, I feel like all we've been through has brought our class closer together," said Cox. Ironically, the closer the seniors may have become, the farther apart they will be next year when they have all parted their separate ways. “I’m ready to move on, but graduating means leaving behind a lot of memories and a lot of people. And that can be positive or negative, depending on how you look at it,” said Moore. Amanda Morris couldn't believe that graduation was just around the corner, explaining how her “four years at Carlmont are over,” and she couldn't believe how “they flew by.” Seniors have spent their past four years
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Beloved Carlmont VP announces departure By Dominic Gialdini Campus Editor After six years of service to the Carlmont community, Instructional Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom is leaving to become the Director of Instructional Technology for the Sequoia Union High School District. Fishtrom’s decision to take the newly-created position for the district did not come easily. Although he looks forward to beginning his new career, which will entail enlightening staff members throughout the school district on how to integrate technology into their curriculums, there are numerous aspects of Carlmont that he will miss. “I am sad about leaving the students here. I love the students, as well as the team that I work with,”
said Fishtrom. Throughout his time at Carlmont, Fishtrom developed strong relationships with staff and students alike. “The entire Carlmont community has been very supportive of me and I am very thankful for that,” said Fishtrom. Sharon Bologna, Fishtrom’s secretary, explained her mixed emotions on Fishtrom’s parting: “I’m sad because I love working with him and he’s a great boss, but [the new job] is a great opportunity for him because it’s something that he’s always wanted to do, so you can’t not be happy for him. But we [the faculty] are definitely going to miss him.” As administrative vice principal, Fishtrom experienced many rewarding moments at Carlmont.
“The highlight of my Carlmont career was an accumulation of a variety of individual things, such as connecting with students and making them see their potential,” said Fishtrom. Fishtrom especially took pride in the students whose academic careers he helped turn around. “There are students who struggle during freshman year. Not giving up on them and telling them that they have value is key. There are many students who come back as adults and thank [the faculty] for helping them out. That is what the job is about - getting people in the right direction,” said Fishtrom. Students sense the dedication that Fishtrom has shown for them. Senior Connor Fenech expressed the high regard in which he holds Fishtrom: “I think he is a very hon-
est guy and is very supportive of all the kids, with their academics and extracurriculars. He is very involved with students and it is a shame that we are losing him.” Fishtrom experienced humbling moments at Carlmont that will continue to resonate with him after he leaves: “The moment that was one of the most powerful for me is when Mr. Tsuchiyama and I were walking up a hallway as he and I were talking and seeing the number of students who stopped everything they were doing to address him, and say, ‘hi.’ The impact he had on everyone for being a person who leads so much and cares so much about students really impacted me.” In addition to the profound moments, Fishtrom has had his fair
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