The
HIGHLANDER Read about the 2012 Election on pages 8 and 9
www.scotscoop.com
October 2012, Vol IV, Issue II
Where do you stand? Civic Scots “Hey, let’s look up your class rank,” said my teacher. Instantly, my mind began to race and my palms started to sweat. I had never felt my heart pound so erratically in my chest. I wanted to know, but then I really didn’t. My stomach lurched as he moved towards the computer and searched for my profile. After clicking on my name, he read the screen for a few moments, then turned to look at me. I held my breath, still in on edge as he pondered whether or not I would like what I was about to hear, while I questioned whether or not I wanted to hear it. Class rank, also known as class percentile, is a measure of how a student’s performance compares to other students in his or her class. For example, a student may have a grade point average (GPA) better than 350 of his or her peers in a class of 500. Therefore, his or her class rank would be 150, and he or she would be in the top 30 percent of that class. Many students strive to get to the top of their class, like senior Luke Li. “I always work really hard. I take challenging classes and do all my homework ,” said Li. Even though students like Li put in an enormous effort with their school work to get into the top 20 percentile, counselor Kim Miller believes “the top 20 percentile is not that big of a deal. What’s important to schools like the UCs is the top 9 percent, which they determine for themselves after applications are sent in.” Well, as I stood there determining whether or not I wanted to know my rank, I realized that for me it was a big deal. Especially since every single college application
10%
By Grace Chang News and Opinion Editor
20% Photo illustration of Luke Li by Gianna Dimick
By Rachel Schuster Fun Page Editor
30%
Continued on page 12
Although many seniors at Carlmont have not turned 18 in time to vote in the election, they will have the opportunity to participate in a different method. Through democracyLIVE, a program run by the San Mateo County Election Office, Carlmont seniors will be able to be more involved in the election by being an election officer. Many students were affected by the fact that they would not be able to have a say in the 2012 election. “I was really disappointed when I realized that I would be a couple of months too young to vote in the election so I wanted to get involved somehow,” said senior Luke Branscum In order to participate in the program, senior from Carlmont had to meet some requirements such as being a US citizen, older than 16, and have GPA of 2.5 or higher. Aside from meeting the basic requirements, the seniors also had to go through an application process in which they filled out an application form and wrote a one-page reflection as to why they wanted to participate, their view on politics, and the political process. Afterwards students who were chosen to become election officers had to take a 3-hour training class, in order to learn all their responsibilities. “I have always found politics interesting and I especially think that elections are critical to young people in terms of the effects they could have on our education and our futures. I think it is a very good way to get involved and understand what goes on in the system that makes our country run. It is a fantastic opportunity and I expect to have a good time doing it,” said Branscum On Election Day, students will report to their assigned polling site by 6:00 am and work until 9:30 p.m. with two Continued on page 12
Halloween to the extreme: Eucalyptus Street By Kellan McDonough Multimedia Editor
regarded as classified information. The people who live on Eucalyptus stop at nothing to deliver an amazing Halloween experience. The event involves lots of effort and money, but the people on Eucalyptus work together to bring the street to life. Parent of Carlmont student Julian Herns and contributor
Every October, Eucalyptus Street in San Carlos decks out its houses with Halloween spirit and ornamentations. Kids come from far away just to trick-or-treat on the beloved street. Photo by Gianna Dimick Though Halloween is on a Wednesday this year, it won’t stop Eucalyptus Street from continuing its festivities. The tradition will endure, and the people living on the street hope to make it as big as ever. Carlmont students, especially those who live in San Carlos, are very familiar with spending their Halloween night on Eucalyptus Street. Junior Roxy Barker commented, “I go every year to Eucalyptus on Halloween and this year, the juniors and seniors from Advanced Dance are performing Thriller on Eucalyptus on Halloween night.” The Thriller performance is an annual Carlmont tradition in which Beginning dance moves to the well-known Michael Jackson song in the upper quad. “Thriller is something to look forward to every Halloween,” added Barker. “And this year, we will learn the routine to bring it to the whole San Carlos community.” Other than the Carlmont Dance program performing Thriller, any information regarding the theme or decorations on Eucalyptus is Children dress up in costumes to go trick or treating on Halloween night.
Varsity soccer will not play under lights, page 14
Homecoming on pages 10 and 11
to the incredible street, Rick Herns commented, “My staff will work on the event for about three weeks. We will gather materials, make costumes, build props, design the special effects, make a sound track, design a lighting plan and send contracts to the performers. We don’t start setting up until the morning of Halloween, and then it will take five of my crew about six hours to set up.” Eucalyptus Street takes huge measures to ensure that its Halloween experience is safe. The street is completely shut down and there are security patrols all night. The San Carlos police department blocks Eucalyptus from traffic and helps control safety in the huge crowds of people. Most of the work put into the event comes from the people who live on the street. The owners of the houses put up their own individual decorations, but sometimes an event planner like Herns is hired to furnish the street. Herns commented, “I work for one man, who owns two houses that are side-by-side on Eucalyptus. He pays us to create the Halloween extravaganza on his property, and he participates as a character in the theme we are doing. The other residents participate independently, if they desire, and many of the houses are elaborately decorated.” Every year, Eucalyptus does not cease to impress. Even those who visit the street annually on Halloween night continue to be amazed by the spectacle. Junior Claudia Pazmandi stated, “I always go to Eucalyptus with my family and close friends. Its never boring, even after going for so many years.” Carlmont students can definitely look forward to a wellplanned event with lots to marvel.
Everything you need to know about applying to college on pages 4 and 5
Page 2
News and Opinions
Who are our guinea pigs? The truth about animal testing and its effects By Annie Wesolek Staff Writer
Though animal testing is a hot-button issue on the national scale, many Carlmont students feel that they don’t fully understand the facts about animal testing enough to know where they fall on the issue. Senior Melanie Albanese said, “obviously animal testing is wrong, but I really don’t know enough about it to give my opinion.” One of the most commonly asked question about animal testing is: Does testing harm the animals? The answer to this is both yes and no. Some testers are able to use numbing agents and assuage most of the pain experienced by the animal test subject. Although even if the animal can’t feel any pain, experiments have lasting effects on the subject. In one such experiment where beagles are used to test the effects of smoking, scientist cut a hole in the dogs’ throats so that they are forced to inhale cigarette smoke for a whole year. Apart from the obvious physical stress test subjects experience, the animals return to a small cramped cage when they’re not being used. Small rodents who are generally kept in shoebox sized plastic boxes are the most used test subjects because scientist don’t have to report their use. Less used larger animals, such
as cats, dogs, and primates are kept in metal cages. For smarter animals, these cages cause emotional stress from confinement and lack of social contact. This harsh treatment of the test subjects is far from uncommon, which begs the question: If animal tests are so cruel, why are they still in practice and what are they used for? The two most common uses of animal are for medical research and for commercial research. Many of today's medical advances are made possible through animal testing. The use of animal testing has helped to create vaccines for incurable diseases such as smallpox, rabies, and anthrax. The successful eradication of polio wouldn’t have been possible without animal testing. Along with advances in pharmaceuticals,
test operations on animals have helped to develop important organ transplant and open heart surgical techniques. Animal testing has become a “necessary evil” because of all of its benefits. The less noble side of animal testing is commercial testing. In commercial tests, animals are used to test out commercial goods such as makeup or cleaning supplies. This form of animal testing is the most criticized because though these products may improve the life of the consumer, they have no legitimate medical benefit. Individuals who strongly disagree with animal testing seek to raise awareness of other alternatives. These opponents argue that animal testing is unnecessary in the modern world due to the fact that we can use certain
computer simulations to gather test data. On the other hand, proponents of animal testing believe that animals don’t have rights and that animal testing is necessary to furthering society. This perspective is derived from the darwinist idea of survival of the fittest: If it will benefit mankind to use animals for testing, it’s acceptable. Though many view animal testing as a black and white issue, the most common opinion about animal testing falls more in the grey area. Many students find that while they believe testing on animals is immoral, they also see the importance animal testing has in developing lifesaving drugs or perfecting medical procedures. Other students agree that animal testing is fundamentally wrong, but that it’s an unalterable tradition, like Carlmont senior Sameen Shahid who said, “It’s wrong, but we’re surrounded by products that use animal testing and it will be difficult to make a change in the industry.” Shahid is right; our stores are packed with products that use animal testing. The animals need the public to be their voice and a force against animal testing. Without wide spread support and awareness, animals will continue to be our guinea pigs.
Facebook and Google censoring your every search
By Nikos Frazier Staff Writer
think that filtering does not allow you to get different views or opinions on a certain subject and it gives you biased results based on what you As our world is now run by the internet and social believe.” media, the need to filter out unwanted information, Eli Pariser, publicized this issue in his commonly referred to as “spam” came about, but not TED Talk video in May 2011, first bealways with the users consent. came aware of this issue when he started to But this filtering is not always knowingly done notice that only half of his friends statuses by the user, it is done by your daily patterns. Taking would be on his homepage and the rest, into account how you surf the web, how you search just vanished. Google, whose Facebook post you comment on. And Pariser told viewers in his video that, eventually a pattern is created. “Your filter bubble is your own personal, A website like Facebook then uses an algorithm to unique universe of information that you filter the things you like to see and put the at the top live in online. What’s in your filter bubble of your news feed. depends on who you are, and it depends Then, after a while, instead of showing you all of on what you do. But you don’t decide your friends status updates, the many hundred, they what gets in — and more importantly, you show you the updates that they think would appeal to don’t see what gets edited out.” you the most. In the process, the the user only a small Patel already knew about this practice list of their friends statuses. and commented, “I did [know about it], “I have watched my students type in keywords and but never paid much attention to it.” get completely different answers for all the major But there were complaints as early on as search engines. It makes me wonder if Congress will 2002, when Google intentionally censored step in and pass federal laws in regards to the InterScientology, a religious group, information net. This is probably just the beginning...” Science and teachings. Instructional Leader Tina Doss stated. But there are some ways to stop these Google and Facebook are siphoning off articles filterings. While on your News Feed secand people’s opinions and websites to best fit what it tion on Facebook, there is an option to thinks we want to see. “sort.” Under this menu, users can click Eshani Patel, a Carlmont Senior, commented “I on, “most recent” or “top news feed.”
Screenshot by Nikos Frazier Same Google searches performed on two seperate accounts display different search results
Third world countries censor the internet, but as it turns out, those countries are not the only ones censoring.
News and Opinions
Page 3
Flu Shots: are they helpful or harmful? By Alan Yan and Michael Bastaki Staff Writers
Getting a flu shot has been hotly debated amongst the medical community, and now the debate has trickled down to Carlmont. The flu shot can be useful for defending against the strain(s) of influenza virus in the coming flu season, but opponents said that the vaccine does not work and might harm you. The flu is an infectious disease that spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, and results in 250 thousand to 500 thousand deaths a year. Doctors and scientists study various strains of the virus each
year and pick the strain(s) that they think will be most widespread during the flu season. They then take an inactive strain of that virus and make it into the flu vaccine. After the injection of the vaccine the body builds its immunity against the strain of flu in the vaccine. Supporters of the flu vaccine suggested the vaccine could also help the body develop immunity to other biologically similar flu strains. The Sequoia Union High School District Nurse Judith Sencenbaugh stated, “The concept [of the flu shot] is a great idea, but if you practice proper hand hygiene, you probably won’t get sick.” However, Kim S. Erlich M.D., medical director of Infection Control, wrote in her Mills-Peninsula’s Infection Control Newsletter that, “People who receive influenza vaccination are less likely to develop influenza, less likely to miss work during the flu season due to respiratory illnesses, and less likely to transmit flu to those around them.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
began recommending the influenza vaccine to health care workers in 1981 and emphasized to doctors the urgency of vaccination for members of vulnerable age groups. The CDC suggested, “Everyone 6 months of age and older are recommended to get the flu vaccine, which includes even the healthiest adults.” According to a poll of 130 students conducted between Oct. 3 and Oct. 5, 65 percent of Carlmont students get the flu shot while 35 percent don’t. Junior Joe McGill, stated, “If I ever get [the shot], it’s because there is a very bad case [of the flu].” Sophomore Leila Stier stated, “I get the flu shot because my doctor recommends it.” There was some controversy surrounding the flu shot. For instance, opponents said that the flu shot only guaranteed protection against one strain of the flu, which means recipients are not guaranteed safety from other strains of the flu. Some people that get the flu shot complain of side-effects similar to that of the flu (such as low-grade fever, aches, and pains), which is why Sencenbaugh also stated, “I don’t like the flu shots because… it makes you sick.” Sophomore Madison Norman said, “I’m just really careful not to get the flu, and I don’t like shots.” The potential danger of vaccines was evident in the 1976 swine flu vaccine, as this vaccine was known to cause perma-
Graphic by Alan Yan and Michael Bastaki
nent nerve damage in approximately 2,700 reported cases. Furthermore, there is potential danger that a future flu pandemic can be catastrophic. Katherine Harmon’s article, What Will the Next Influenza Pandemic Look Like? stated, “In the real world, a not-so foreign infection is circulating among animals every day of every year. If it picks up just a handful of certain mutations, it could start spreading among people, with a mortality rate as high as 60 percent.” Frederick Hayden, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine spoke about the possibility of a flu pandemic and said, “What is clear is that it is [a matter of ] when [the flu will mutate], not if.”
Reflection of a childhood: sometimes it is nice to just be a kid
By Sarah Levin Staff Writer
When did being a kid become uncool? As toddlers, we lived in a state of eternal bliss, unaware that our lives had any schedule beyond wake up, eat, play, and sleep. We were sent outside, where we allowed our imagination to turn us into everything from Batman to a monkey. No one cared if we felt like humming to ourselves for an hour straight, or colored the sky purple and the ground orange. We were encouraged to be whatever and whoever we wanted, and to not care what anyone thought. Then elementary school hit. Dragged kicking and screaming from our sleep-deprived parents, we learned everything we needed to learn for the rest of our lives: colors, numbers, and to not go around putting worms in people’s hair because you wouldn’t like it if they did that.
Making friends was never easier than in elementary. Show a kid your toy trucks or Barbie dolls, and 90 percent of the time you’d be BFFs within ten minutes. Of course they could always just call you a fart-face and push you into the sandbox, but there were thirty other kids in your class who appreciated the subtle beauty of Hot Wheels. Sure we felt like we were growing up, but elementary school was really our last immature hurrah. After elementary, our childhoods screeched to a halt and our imaginations were packed away into airtight shipping crates. Middle school took everything elementary school taught us about how to make friends and chucked it out a high-rise window. If you went up and showed a guy your Hot Wheels, you’d basically be signing your name on a list called “Please Pick on Me Every Chance You Get.” Barbie dolls were basically the same thing for middle school girls.
I recently had a chance to observe seventh graders in their natural habitat (as a reluctant chaperone for a middle school dance), and there were a few times where I thought I was watching “Jersey Shore: The Early Days.” Hair had been flat ironed into submission, push-up bras peeked out to say “howdy-doo,”and the so-called “shorts” they wore contained less material than an average pocket. Oompa-loompa makeup jobs abounded, and I’m pretty sure most of them would need a shovel to take it all off. The guys were no better. I’m not sure if the dance had a “skinny jeans, Vans, flat brims, condescending attitude” dress-code, but if so, they were dressed to the nines. A large pack congregated in the back, occasionally shoving one poor soul forward into the gyrating maw of the girls, only to have him retreat in shame when he realized he doesn’t know how to dance. Continued on Page 12
Editorial: students with conservative values should be able to speak up Here at Carlmont High School, we support National Coming Out Week, we accept gays, we accept lesbians, and everything in between. We seem to accept everything, except Republicans. The Highlander’s mission is to deliver current news relative to those affiliated with Carlmont. As journalists, it is critical that the stories remain objective and address both sides of every argument. In the past, there have been students who wished to remain anonymous for one reason or another. Our policy on anonymous sources states that if it is absolutely necessary for an individual’s identity to be hidden, the writer of the story must tell the editor-in-chief and the name will be changed. This has not been a large problem in the past, but the elections have brought about a puzzling predicament that went unrecognized before. Every piece of acceptance fits into this giant puzzle that makes up Carlmont. As a part of the most liberal state in America, we seem to stay true to the very tolerant and accepting views that California is known for and they too are a part of the puzzle, but there are some pieces missing. Acceptance for conservative values is one of them. The Highlander has come across many students who are unwilling to share their names in fear of judgement by their less conservative peers. “I just don’t know if I want to be interviewed because then it’s like I’m labeling myself as a Republican and there’s a chance there could be backlash. I mean I wouldn’t
call myself a Republican, I’m just voting for are credible and true, something that cannot it was absolutely necessary, but because we the Republican candidate in this election,” be proven if some sources are indeed anonywant to the Carlmont body to understand said a Carlmont senior who also wished to mous. what effect the attitude on campus has on remain anonymous. This predicament, this fear of judgement, some students. We stand to make a point. It’s quite ironic actually. Carlmont has this fear of expressing values not represented Carlmont is generally a very accepting school, shown such embracement of touchy subjects. by the whole, has shaped the Highlander. We but there is a small piece that is being left out; There are people who believe in gay marhave decided to allow anonymous sources in a piece that would fit in Carlmont’s puzzle riage, and who are pro-choice, yet Carlmont the case of the elections articles, not because and make it that much more complete. has created an environment in which those who are farther to the right are scared to speak their minds. This has posed a problem for the Highlander news staff as it becomes very difficult to put together an The mission of The Highlander is to accurately and honestly cover communal objective article when only one side is as well as school events. As a student run open forum newspaper, we strive to willing to outrightly proclaim a point incorporate multiple views and represent the diverse community at Carlmont. of view. That is why the staff is calling upon Editor-in-Chief: Staff Writers: the Carlmont student body to take Fun Page: Timothy Layten Gianna Dimick Ayesha Abbasi a step back and think about the way Claudia Leist Rachel Schuster Jessica Adair judgement is passed. People didn’t just Sarah Levin Managing Editor: Michael Bastaki come up with this fear of being ridiRobert Lyon Sports: Arianna Bayangos Alex Porter Conrad May culed for morals or views that do not Monica Bayasgalan Ryan Freeman Karenna Meredith support the majority, this fear must Reggie Chatman News and Op: Virginia O’Callahan have come from somewhere. Gabriela D’Souza Online: John Russell Grace Chang This is not an attack on Democrats Veronika Dvorakova Katherine Savin Erica Valbusa or those will more liberal views. The Tara Ebrahimpour Scott Schulze Nikos Frazier Entertainment: point is to address the fact that some Shira Stein Back Page: Kriten Friis people at this school find it hard to Sabrina Leung Karissa Tom Carly Bertolozzi Ivan Garin believe what they want and talk about Natalie Tussy Dominic Gialdini those beliefs freely because the rest of Daniel Wang Campus Graham Godwin Mulitmedia: Maxwell Ware Carlmont is not willing to listen. Jacob Rudger Matthew Harris Kellan McDonough Andrew Wedvick A journalist’s job is compromised Asha Karim Annie Wesolek when the opposition will not speak Ashley Kawakami Features: Faculty Adviser: Alan Yan or will not give a name. As a newsSarah Klieves Justin Raisner Anna Wheeler Grace Yi paper, it is expected that all articles
The Highlander
College
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The benefits of early applications
Does early application better your chances? By Erica Valbusa Online Editor One of the key decisions that seniors must make while filling out college applications is deciding how they will apply. Some colleges offer the option of applying early action, which is where students can submit their application at an earlier time and also find out if they have been admitted at an earlier time. Even if a student is accepted, he or she can continue to apply to other schools. Early decision, however, is a binding contract. If a student applies early decision to a school and is accepted, he or she is required to attend that school. Early decision applicants are expected to submit only one early decision application to one school. Both early action and early decision applicants find out if they have been admitted to the college in mid-December. Students should note that applying early to a school does not increase or improve their chances of being accepted to that school. “Students who apply early action to a school usually fall into three categories. Either they are accepted, denied completely, or placed in the pool with students who applied regular decision,” said Carlmont’s head guidance counselor Tammy DePaoli. According to DePaoli, applying early can be beneficial because “getting one thing out the way can be helpful for students, and if a student applies Early Decision and finds out that he or she is admitted, the student will not have to spend more money on additional applications.” However, not all students agree with DePaoli or see the helpfulness in applying early. “Applying to a school early doesn’t give you enough time to prepare and it gives people less time to read your essays,” stated senior Gillian Spring. Rolling admission is another type of application that colleges use. Students applying to schools who use rolling admission can submit their applications anytime over
How Will You Apply? Regular Decision
Early Action
Rolling Admission
Early Decsion
Non-Binding
Non-Binding
Non-Binding
Binding
Regular decision is the normal process where applicants submit their applications by the published due date. Students who apply to schools regular decision are not obligated to attend the schools that accept them.
Applicants have the opportunity to apply earlier than the regular decision deadline. Students learn if they are accepted or denied earlier, but aren’t required to attend the school if accepted.
Students submit their applications over a large window, usually over six months. The colleges review the applications as soon as they come in and notfiy the applicant if they are accepted or denied within weeks of applying. Students are not obligated to attend the schools that they are accepted to.
Applicants apply ED to their first choice college. If accepted, students agree to attend that college. Although students can apply ED to only one school, they can still apply to other colleges through regular decision. If students are accepted through ED, they must withdraw their applications from other schools.
Decisions Released: March/April
Decisions Released: January
Decisions Released: Weeks after submission
Decisions Released: Mid-December Infographic by Erica Valbusa
a large window, which is generally over six months long. Students can begin to send in their
applications in the summer before their senior year and midway through their senior year. Despite this large window, students are
advised to submit their applications soon after the school begins to accept them.
Are college counselors worth the cost? By John Russell and Andrew Wedvick Staff Writers At a time a when college admissions are more competitive than ever, many families turn to professionals to help get their child into college. These counselors, who are often Ivy League educated, can charge upwards of $150 per hour to assist with admissions tasks. Most services also offer comprehensive, 24/7 counseling for high school students. This type of service costs thousands of dollars, anywhere from $4,000-$6,000 for an entire year. What do thousands of dollars in counseling get you? In short, a polished, professional end product, designed to stand out in a sea of applications. Counselors work constantly to optimize applicants’ resumes to appeal to colleges. They guide students on class choices, summer jobs, and extracurriculars to maximize their chances of gaining acceptance to the highly competitive schools of their choice. Kim Miller, a college counselor at Carlmont, said, “The only difference really between our job and a private counselor is the range of students which we see on a daily basis.” On average, a public high school counselor will advise upwards of 450 students a year. “We have access to the exact same information that private counselors do, probably even more... We have similar training and attend the same seminars,” stated Miller.
Even though Miller asserts that her students receive the same guidance as those who pay for private counseling, the reality is that public counselors cannot devote the same amount of time to individual students. Students that are more proactive can schedule regular meetings with school counselors, however, busy schedules and limited hours limits the amount of face-to-face time they can have. Kayla Wright, a senior applying to 14 colleges this year said of her private counselor, “I would be so behind on college apps without her. She organizes me and gives me deadlines for things. I’m on track and not stressed at all about the whole process. I skype with her about twice a week. I don’t really like having someone tell me what to do but if she helps me get into Harvey Mudd, I can’t complain.” She mentioned that the services she received cost $3,700. “I would definitely consider using a private counselor; this part of the year is pretty stressful for me. If they didn’t take up a lot of free time I would be more inclined to get one,” said Drake Lem, another senior faced with the college admissions process. Some people criticize private counselors because they create an uneven playing field for higher-income families. Students from lower-income backgrounds simply cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars for these counselors on top of tuition and other fees that come with the admissions process. The average cost of a public four year university is around
36,000 dollars. According to FinAid.org, around 49% of all undergraduates come out of college with debt from student loans. Despite financial aid, this is still a huge burden on students from poorer backgrounds. It is not feasible for poor families to pay thousands of dollars for private counseling before their children even set foot on a college campus. This raises an ethical question as to the fairness of richer students paying their way into admission into top schools. By allowing richer students to throw money at the admissions process, a system is being established where high income students are getting more opportunity, and poorer students are being left by the wayside. Although the effects are not immediately clear, the upward mobility of lower income families is being limited as fewer and fewer of their children are going on to obtain middle class jobs. Social implications aside, is it worth the money? College costs are going up every year, and people are seeing less of their paycheck in their pockets. Trade school graduate’s salaries are higher than those of 4 year college grads, and in the current job market, finding a job that these graduates are not overqualified for is becoming quite tough. More and more college grads are moving back in with their parents, and are having trouble finding jobs in their field. Many families are now questioning the wisdom of spending thousands of dollars on private counseling.
College
Page 5
A letter that guarantees admission to the UCs By Natalie Tussy and Monica Bayasgalan Staff Writers Applying to college is probably one of the most stressful things in high school, but if there were a letter that could guarantee UC admission, the whole process would seem so much easier. Carlmont students have been talking about a supposed letter that can insure UC admission. This letter is part of the ELC program, otherwise known as Eligibility in the Local Context. It allows colleges to recognize and reward top-performing high school students throughout California. Senior Sydney Smith commented, “Although being a part of ELC may be a plus, I don’t believe it will have much impact on me getting into a UC ‘easily.’” In order to be qualified for the ELC program, students must be ranked in the top nine percent of their class. For example, if a class consists of 500 students, then a person needs to be ranked 60th or lower to be ELC status, but the program only allows Carlmont to submit the top 58 students total. The ELC process begins in May of junior year, when a class rank is calculated, revealing the top 20 percent of the junior class. Those students are then notified about the ELC program through a letter, and are asked if Carlmont can send their contact information to the UCs. At the end of junior year, the class rank is recalculated (including second semester grades) to calculate the top 58 students, whose contact information is then sent out. Later during fall of senior year, the UCs reach out to students and applications are submitted. Unfortunately, ELC is not a guaranteed ticket to a UC of choice, but rather any non-impacted UC.
Some UCs like UC Berkeley and UCLA don’t qualify for this program because they are impacted schools, meaning there are not enough spots for ELC students. At this point UC Merced is the only non impacted California University. “In the past in order to be in the top 15 percent of your class you needed a 4.2 or higher. If you are ELC status you will be given an ELC identification number and you are admitted to a non impacted UC campus,” added college counselor Connie Dominguez. Colleges in the past have used race to create diversity, but in recent years, there have been many controversies over it, so colleges have stopped using race as a factor. To make up for this loss of diversity, the UC system has turned to the ELC program, which applies only to California High Schools that are enrolled through the program. The purpose of the program is to give every student a chance, no matter where he or she is from. Every enrolled high school is given the same opportunity, allowing many underprivileged students a chance to go to a competitive university in California. Guidance Counselor Kim Miller stated, “In the past, some of the less impacted schools [UCSB and UC Davis] would admit any ELC student but they aren’t necessarily doing that anymore.” Throughout the years being considered ELC status has become more challenging and the requirements have been raised. As race becomes less of a diversifying factor ELC will become more of an important factor, therefore colleges besides the UC system may create similar programs of their own. The ELC program does not guarantee UC admission of choice, so is it really worth it?
What is your class rank? By Erica Valbusa Online Editor Many schools use a process known as decile ranking to see where a student lies among his or her class. Carlmont uses the first listed GPA on a student’s transcript to
Chart was taken from Naviance
determine his or her ranking. The rankings begin in the tenth percentile and end in the ninetieth percentile. “I pay a lot of attention to my decile ranking because I don’t like getting low grades,” said senior Nava Dallal. Usually, private colleges are the schools that ask for a student’s decile ranking. However, there are some public colleges who will ask for a student’s decile ranking on the application. Ideal decile rankings vary from school to school and are one of the many factors that colleges look at in the application process. “In a student’s senior year, private schools ask for a mid-year report, which includes a student’s first semester grades. These grades are factored into the student’s decile ranking, but they don’t change that much,” commented Carlmont’s head counselor Tammy DePaoli. * CSU’s average SAT score excludes the writing section
Infographic by Sarah Levin
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Entertainment
Are computers going to replace conventional televisions? By Arianna Bayangos and Grace Yi Staff Writers With the many features of the computer and its advanced technology, some believe that the use of the TV is coming to an end. Using the computer has been a popular pastime among students and has become a part of some students’ daily routine. Some Carlmont students rely on the computer for watching TV shows and movies, playing video games, social networking, catching up with the news, and doing work for school. “The computer already has taken over the TV because the computer is more customizable and more personal with the internet,” declared junior Ryan Pau. Pau relies on his computer for his music, DJing, and homework. On average, he spends over eight hours per day on the computer. With new seasons of popular shows such as “How I Met Your Mother,” “Modern Family,” “Glee,” “Castle,” and the “X-Factor,” past watchers have become hooked and want to watch their favorite shows on the same day it airs. Websites such as Youtube, Hulu, and Netflix allow people to watch TV shows of
their choice at anytime and have the chance to watch an episode that they had missed the night before. They can also skip advertisements and go straight to the episode. The development of tabs and other applications has also allowed computer users to update newsfeeds and rely on the internet for many social activities and entertainment. While the technology of computers continue to advance, the TV has also made significant improvements. The TV has become more interactive with video game consoles such as the Wii and Xbox. In addition to those, the TV has also made significant improvements, such as 3D TVs, high definition TVs and Blu Ray, to enhance one’s viewing experience. Sophomore Andrew Wach believes that the computer hasn’t completely taken over the TV. “I don’t think TV is old fashioned because there are new technologies with all the film editing and now with the media the audience feel so close to the characters that they don’t want to leave them,” commented Wach. Others believe that the TV will not lose popularity among users and is used as a time to relax and bond with family and friends. “While watching TV, you do not have to
Hours spent Using the Computer Per Day
4-8 hours 14%
0-2 hours 44%
2-4 hours 42%
186 Carlmont students polled
Infographic designed by Arianna Bayangos and Grace Yi
do any work or press anything except the remote control. You can just lay down and relax. Plus, it has a bigger screen,” stated freshman Stephanie Yen. Although the TV and computer have differences, their technology has been blended into new technology devices to create applications on smart phones such as Youtube and Hulu. Roku, a stream player that works as a computer and TV, allows people to instantly access Facebook, Pandora, Netflix, and Hulu Plus on
their tvs. Additionally, Apple has created an Apple TV, which connects a user’s itunes to their TV. Apple TV’s main feature, AirPlay, allows users to play movies, show pictures and videos, and reveal webpages on their TV through Wifi. Despite the differing views among users, both the TV and computer will continue to bring advancement in technology and be frequently used for years to come.
New Apple on the block
Top smartphone apps for school
By Scott Schulze and Sarah Klieves Staff Writers
By Ivan Garin Staff Writer
The iPhone 5 was released on Friday, Sept. 21, 2012. However, its new design and new features also came mixed reviews. Customers camped out in front of Apple stores worldwide to be at the front of the lines to purchase the new thinner, lighter, and faster Apple product. The phone is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than its predecessors. The iPhone 5 also features a four-inch retina screen, making the phone slightly longer. The screen now has greater color saturation and less glare when it is in direct sunlight. Apple said that the newest addition to its product line “the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone.” Sophomore Andrew Wach said that his favorite feature of the iPhone 5 is the screen because “it allows you to see so much more while you’re using the phone, yet it still feels comfortable in your hand.” One major change in the design of the phone is that the back is now made of aluminum versus the glass that the iPhone 4 and 4s were made of. Previous generations of iPhones were made of aluminum with a plastic plate or just plastic. For the first time since 2001 when Apple released its first iPod, Apple has decided to change its 30-pin dock connector to the new Lightning connector. Lightning is also reversible, making it easier to use. Other enhancements include updates to the front-facing camera, which is now capable of shooting 720p video at 30 frames per second. Allegedly, the video mode is better for FaceTime and other applications that use the front camera. In addition to the new design, new software was released. The new software, called iOS 6, has over 200 new features; including Apple-designed Maps, Facebook integration, Passbook, cellular FaceTime, new calling features, and Guided Access. Wach stated that being able to use FaceTime over cellular is his favorite thing about iOS 6 because “now I am able to use it anywhere I am and it’s always easy to show my friends or family something.” iOS 6 is not only available for the iPhone 5, but also for the iPad 2 and 3, the fourth generation iPod touch and onward, and for the iPhone 3Gs, 4, and 4S. The iOS update is free and can be done straight from an iPhone or iPad.
When asked about iOS 6, Carlmont junior Kiana Ghazouli stated that she likes it because the update is “simple and easy to use.” Wach also commented that it was “a great update.” Although some Carlmont students enjoy using the iOS 6, other students, as well as other Apple customers, were not too pleased with all of the new features. Shortly after the release of the software update, Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized for the disappointment felt by Maps users. In his apology, Cook stated: “At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. [Apple] will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.” Carlmont junior Julia Albertson stated that she wasn’t a fan of Maps because it is confusing. “I was already used to the old maps and [having] to learn a whole new system is really annoying,” commented Albertson. Ghazouli, however, stated that the new Maps is “easy to use and is very similar to the old one, and that she has not “encountered any issues with its directions.” Not all students at Carlmont have iPhones. With the release of the iPhone 5, students may be trying to figure out if they will switch their phone or not. Junior Robert Zuniga said that he wouldn’t switch phones, but would possibly Photohe taken by Sarah Klieves switch “for Siri.” Though there were not many huge changes to the iPhone 5 from its predecessors, Apple customers still appreciate the phone for what it is and what it does, even with its flaws.
The new iPhone 5
The use of technology in today’s classrooms is vital for a student’s success. Whether it be SMART boards or Mac laptops, technology’s effect on Carlmont students is everywhere. One form of technology that is often ignored, although it’s capabilities for education are vast, is the average smart phone. They are mostly used for socializing among groups of friends on applications like Facebook and Instagram rather than for school purposes. However, Droids, iPhones, and smartphones have similar apps that can help you stay organized and complete tasks faster and easier. Here are the top apps to help you succeed in each of your school subjects. General: MyHomework (free): This app serves as a digital planner, organizing your homework, tests, and projects in separate categories. Amazon Kindle (free) Instead of carrying around books, you can now download e-books that Amazon sells for the kindle and enjoy reading anywhere. Evernote (free) For the first time, you can organize both typed and voiced notes together on the Internet, where you can share them with friends or review after class. gFlashPro ($4.99) Although the price is steep, this app revolutionizes the concept of flashcards. It allows you to use google spreadsheet to create flashcards where you can insert videos, pictures, and voice memos to help you study. Math:
AlgebraPrep ($2.99): Like some high school students, math might not be your forte. This app will make algebra like a breeze with it’s videos, practice tests, and examples. Units (free): This useful app comes in handy for the many kinds of metric and imperial measurements in a general math class. It allows you to convert anything from speed and power to currency and temperature. PI83 Graphing Calculator ($0.99) For those days when you can’t find your calculator, there’s always this trusty and easy to use app. It recreates Texas instruments most common calculator, the TI-83, for a lot cheaper of a price. English: Dictionary.com (free): It’s simple, free, and includes audio with a thesaurus. Learn a word’s definition and pronunciation in seconds. Grammar HD (free): This app lets you review and learn grammar like never before with the use of an interactive notebook and mini-quizzes to make sure you improve your writing and word selection when it comes to essays. Science: Chemical touch pro ($0.99) For all of you enrolled in chemistry, you no longer have to memorize the periodic table. This app includes masses, densities, and boiling points of all the elements. Language: Language tutors (free) Includes Spanish, French, Chinese, and German. Makes learning a second language fun with the help of audio flash cards, puzzle games, and practice tests. High school can be very stressful because of the high number of classes a student must take and the workload for those classes. Most students do not enjoy spending most of their time studying for that upcoming test or reviewing a certain topic that they don’t understand. However, with the use of educational apps, learning can be enjoyable.
Entertainment
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Are high school students too old to trick-or-treat? By Ryan Freeman Sports Editor Halloween is the one night of the year where stuffing your face with candy while dressed as your favorite power ranger is socially acceptable. Ranging from pop culture icons like Tim Tebow and Paris Hilton to the Halloween clichés of Disney princesses and monsters, Halloween is a chance to “be something you’re not,” explained junior Matt Gallelo. High school is the age where you are transitioning away from childhood and into the real world. With a rigorous grind day in and day out followed by an enormous load of other activities, a holiday like Halloween is perfect for letting out some steam. “People want to be festive,” said junior Lauren Elliot. “It’s about being scared and going out with friends to get candy”. Although many people will still dress up, some do not share the same perspective. “A lot of people feel they are too old for costumes,” explained junior Chloe Scott. Whether being at old age of 18 is considered old or not, the real issue is one that has infected high school halls for ages. “People feel they would receive a lot of judgment,” said junior Jeff Wagenseller With acceptance falling extremely high on the priority list of most teenagers, Halloween is just another one of the many aspects deeply
affected by it. Unfortunately for many, the chance to enjoy themselves without the stress of everyday life is ruined by their judgmental peers. “They think it’s for kids,” stated junior Sydney Levine, who is thinking about dressing up with her friends as characters from ‘Mean Girls’. Fortunately for many in this uncomfortable situation, high school is also the time when a new avenue of Halloween fun opens up as trick-or-treating closes. “The best part of Halloween is the parties and candy,” added Wagenseller These costume parties represent the more mature side of Halloween. “I go to parties because they are the best thing to do on Halloween night,” explained sophomore Brandon Magpaypo. “There are more people to hang out with at parties than when you go trick or treating” These parties give you the opportunity to dress up and embrace the holiday spirit while taking a different approach celebrating it. “[The parties] are more sophisticated,” commented senior Justin Quan. Although many party-going students feel trick or treating is too immature, some do not see the two ideas as divided as others. As candy sacks grow full and the younger trick or treaters grow tired, most of the houses will begin to close up shop. This allows some of the “more mature” candy seekers to spend the rest of their Hal-
Infographic designed by Rachel Schuster and Virginia O’Callahan loween in a more “mature” way. With most parties going late into the night, those who wish to trick-or-treat and party in the same night would not run into any issues. “After you go trick or treating you go and party,” explained senior Zack Wooster. Although many students do not share the
same opinion on how a high schooler should be spending Halloween, most agree on the main idea of Halloween. “It’s all about getting in the Halloween spirit,” concluded Wooster.
Carlmont students rock out at Save the Music Festival By Veronika Dvorakova and Shira Stein Staff Writers Multitudes of volunteers and performers shook up Twin Pines Park on Oct. 14 from 11:00am to 5:00pm during the 10th Annual Save the Music Festival. The Save the Music Festival raises money for School Force, which supports programs in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District that would otherwise be cut for lack of funding. Senior Katy Spalding, a member of advanced dance said, “[Save the Music] has been a great investment of my time. It doesn’t require learning any new dances, and it’s a good way to get performance practice while earning community service hours. Performing has been really fun because the kids always love the high energy dances.” The festival was filled with sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that pulled the attendees in. People of all ages roamed the park between performance stages. School Force originated when parent Dave Karlin wanted to save the instrumental music programs at local elementary schools. After a tax measure that would give $4 million dollars towards California schools was not passed, the continuation of those programs was in jeopardy. At the formation of School Force, they raised $36,275, and in most recent years have raised $1.6 million dollars during a spring 2010 campaign that went toward many programs in schools. Genevieve Tep, choir director at Carlmont, discussed the importance of Save the Music: “Save the Music keeps funding flowing for elementary and middle school music programs, so those younger students can and will get involved. With them starting music at a young age, they’ll continue it into high school.” The multitudes of booths worked by people in light yellow “volunteer” t-shirts of-
fered various games to engage in. Some students at Carlmont have expressed their excitement for this event and advocated their support. “I love music. It’s my life, and I like being able to support it with all that great music” declared Miles Coe, a junior at Carlmont and a member of multiple performing arts groups. Versatile as the people attending were the performances. Many Carlmont students participated in filling the park with the sound of music. Though the acoustics were poor on the outdoor stages, vocal performers pulled through as bands were audible all the way from the neighboring Safeway. The choir director at Carlmont and Ralston Chamber Choir performing at Save the Music. Ralston Middle School, Photo taken by Shira Stein Peter Thielen, is very $36,275, and in most recent years have raised Education analysis, during a study of 25,000 fond of the event and $1.6 million dollars during a spring 2010 secondary school students in California, the stated that: “[The Save campaign that went toward many programs in ones who participated in the arts since childthe Music Festival] schools. hood showed a significant margin of success brings people together By raising money to ensure a high quality by grade 12. to celebrate the wondereducation from a young age, students conHaving these programs support kids for the ful music program in the Belmont-Redwood tinue onto more successful lives as stated by rest of their lives and allows our community Shores District. It fosters awareness of its multiple studies. to prosper for future generations to come. importance, and allows the community to According to a U.S. Department of enjoy live music.” School Force originated when parent Dave Karlin wanted to save the instrumental music programs at local elementary schools. After a tax measure that would give $4 million dollars towards California schools was not passed, the continuation of those programs was in jeopardy. At the formation of School Force, they raised Photo taken by Veronika Dvorakova A little girl enjoys Save the Muscic
“[The Save the Music Festival] brings people together to celebrate the wonderful music program... It fosters awareness of its importance, and allows the community to enjoy live music.”
2012 Presidential Election
Page 8
Good job so far Obama Overview: By Graham Godwin Staff Writer
Four years ago an inspired electorate energized the country with chants of “Yes We Can” and “Change we can believe in.” Barack Obama promised “bold, swift action” regarding the ailing economy and a concentrated effort of cooperation to break the biased grip on Congress, that had divided Washington. Thanks to the Bush and Cheney era, Obama inherited one of the messiest cleanup jobs of all time, with American troops waged in two wars halfway across the world and the global economy within a sliver of worldwide depression. Four years later, Americans find themselves doing a reality check. Do the promises that Obama made in 2008 still ring true today? Has the President done enough to warrant another four years at the helm of the most powerful country in the world? When asked to grade his four years in office, Obama has answered with a simple “incomplete.” This is fair considering that according to PoliFact.com, of all of the promises Obama has made in his campaign, and time in office, 32 percent are either stalled or incomplete. Voters can also take into consideration that Obama has only broken 16 percent of his promises, and kept 32 percent of them. The Republicans made Obama work hard for anything and everything he’s wanted to change in office, which they publicly admitted that they were going to do. The majority of Obama’s plans are set to affect America in the long run, changing Presidents now would be detrimental to fours years of so called progress. But have we really been making progress as a nation? Can you remember how things were four years ago?
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION FOUR YEAR REPORT CARD: The Economy: Summary: To many people, this is the central issue of this presidential campaign. Since Obama took office in 2008, the economy as a whole has gotten worse. Gasoline prices, the rate of poverty, food stamp use and federal debt have all gotten worse in the last four years. The price of gas is what irks Americans the most, in 2009, gas was $1.74 per gallon, it has now soared to $4.79 per gallon. Some positives, the unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent, but has now dropped to 7.8 percent and trending downward. The stock market has also gradually improved under Obama.
Verdict: Obama needs more time to prove that can he can bring back the American economy, recent signs show it is trending upwards.The biggest drawback on Obama’s economic plans has been his inability to erase the national debt, which has reached $16 trillion.
Barack Obama
Grade: C-
Foreign Policy:
Summary: Since Obama took office, the United States has devastated al Qaeda’s leadership, most notably with the gutsy mission that took out Osama Bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The United States has reached a pivotal moment – as we definitively end the war in Iraq and begin to wind down the war in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, we have refocused on a broader set of priorities around the globe that will allow the United States to be safe, strong, and prosperous in the 21st century. Obama’s policy is set on a form of realism that is unafraid to deploy American power but mindful that its use must be tempered by practical limits and a dose of selfawareness. Verdict: The president has slowly withdrawn our troops from the Middle East, which is a good sign. The mission to kill Osama Bin Laden was extremely risky, but it turned out to be a success and Obama carried out the orders that resulted in disposing the worlds most wanted man.
By Gabriela d’Souza Staff Writer
Grade: B
Health Care: Summary: The Obamacare Healthcare bill is a bill enacted to grant more rights to “have not” Americans who struggle to obtain health insurance. Obamacare ensures that Americans will be able to seek medical attention and help millions of Americans who are not provided for under the current health care plan. Verdict: The Supreme Court deemed Obamacare does not violate the constitution. This is an example of Obama looking ahead for the future of America, which is the theme for the majority of his policies.
Grade: B+
Final Verdict: When the nation elected Barack Obama to be president four years ago it was supposed to bring immediate change and benefits to the American people, this wasn’t realistic considering the condition we were in as a nation. Obama deserves four more years to carry out his policies and prove his positive effect on the American people.
Final Grade: B-
STUDENT POLL: Students were asked which candidate they would vote for during the upcoming 2012 Presidential Election. A majority of the students said they would reelect President Barack Obama, with the minority siding with Governor Mitt Romney or a third party candidate. Look on page 9 to see the viewpoint of the minority voters.
If you were able to vote in the 2012 Presidential Election who would you vote for? Other
Mitt Romney
Barack Obama
3% Class of 2016
16% 81%
Class of 2015
Inforgraphic by Alex Porter
12% 65% 10%
Class of 2014
20% 70% 7%
Class of 2013
18% 75%
image from Flickr by DonkeyHotey
23%
In 2008 Democratic Nominee Barack Obama took office under the banner of change and unity. With an articulate and hands-on approach to politics, Obama possesses an oldschool charm that has captured the eye of many Americans. The 51-year-old candidate has recently had to deal with a growing number of issues with his presidency. Questions about ObamaCare, the stagnant national unemployment rate, his previous big-government approach, and national debt have begun to surface. “I don’t think that Obama is at fault for the debt or unemployment rates. He came into office with a giant mess to clean up. And for four years, that’s what he has been doing,” stated junior Grace Gowen. Some of the most recognized success of the Obama administration is the hunting down and killing of Osama bin-Laden, decrease in unemployment rates, recovery of the automotive industry, and withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and Iraq. “Obama definitely did a good job with his foreign policies during the Arab Spring,” said Gowen, “he effectively aided three successful revolutions.” Obama hopes to continue the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan within his next term and engage in a direct diplomacy with the new governments, tighten economic sanctions and create international cooperation. One major objection to President Obama is people’s beliefs that he has not done quite as much, or even any, of what he said he would. “Republicans have a lot of power in government and everything is just getting stalled, but Obama says one thing and always does another,” stated sophomore Sam Jones**, “he basically has not made any improvements for America.” In relation to the economy, Obama repealed Bush tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000, he lowered taxes on the manufacturing industry. Stimulus spending and tax cuts were added to help the economy grow (short term); he cut spending and raise taxes on wealthy to reduce deficit (long term). Obama supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants that includes: learning English, paying fines, and tougher penalties for hiring illegal immigrants. He voted for a fence along the Mexican border. Obama also issued an executive order to not deport certain undocumented immigrants. Obama and Romney are far apart on everything from federal education policy and Washington’s role in health care and social institutions to Wall Street regulations and efforts to reduce the unemployment rate. The Presidential Campaign 2012 is more than banners, brass bands, and angry attack ads, as America stands at a crossroads, this election will determine which of two starkly different paths we will take.
2012 Presidential Election
Page 9
Overview: It’s not easy being red Mitt Romney By Anna Wheeler Features Editor
By Gabriela d’Souza Staff Writer
**Names have been changed
image from Flickr by DonkeyHotey
Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney is a man of experience. With a vast personal fortune, a successful private career, a stint in public office and a family life, the 65-yearold Republican nominee hopes to top off his career by becoming President of the United States of America. “I think Romney has more experience [as a candidate],” stated junior Mary Smith**, “he had to run a state! Obama never had to. But in social aspects [of the election] I am leaning more toward Obama.” The journey has not been smooth for Romney. From the beginning he faced tremendous resistance from the GOP conservative base, from women and from minority groups. There have been strong concerns over his fundamental political ideology, and his indecisive political stances especially concerning health care. “Romney’s 2006 health care reform was basically the forerunner of [President] Obama’s ObamaCare Act,” said freshman John Samuels**, “but for some reason he is now against his own idea.” Romney proposes that individuals purchase their own health insurance, rather than through employers, he also wants to allow insurance across state lines. Another aspect of Romney’s health care forum involves allowing states to ban abortions and make birth control unavailable to women. In 1994, Romney was pro-choice; however, he changed his platform when preparing to run for President. “It’s not fair to restrict women from birth control or abortions,” continued Smith, “that right of choice should not be taken away, especially from a bunch of men.” For the economy, Romney plans to make Bush tax cuts permanent. He also would lower corporate tax rate across the board to 25 percent. While cutting taxes and regulations to encourage business. To reduce the deficit, Romney would cut “non-security discretionary [government] spending by five percent. In relation to immigration, he would “turn off the magnets like tuition breaks or other breaks that draw people into this country illegally.” Gov. Romney also believes that English should the official language of the United States, solidifying American values. Obama and Romney are far apart on everything from federal education policy and Washington’s role in health care and social institutions to Wall Street regulations and efforts to reduce the unemployment rate. The Presidential Campaign 2012 is more than banners, brass bands, and angry attack ads, as America stands at a crossroads this election will determine which of two starkly different paths we will take.
California and liberalism, in the minds of many, go hand-in-hand. Statistically, California is one of the least conservative states. Forty-three percent of Californians consider themselves to be Democrats while only 30 percent consider themselves Republican. Furthermore, California's government is more or less dominated by Democrats. The current governor, Jerry Brown, is a Democrat, as are both Senators. Of the 53 seats that California has in the House of Representatives, 34 are held by Democrats. In fact, due to the government being predominantly Democrat, being a Republican in California has many disadvantages. “When it comes to electing a President, if you are part of the minority party, your popular vote isn’t going to be counted in the Electoral College because all of your state’s Gillian Spring, senior and Republican at Carlmont stands by her vote for Romney electors are going to be voting for the other However, that does not mean that Republicans are candidate. It’s almost as though your vote is nonexistent in the Carlmont community. wasted,” AP Government teacher Kris Weisman said. Students who identify with a more conservative ideology “The biggest disadvantage in most of California is have a variety of different feelings about being conservative in that, at least along the coast and House districts that are California. predominantly Democrat, your House of Representatives "I've never really been discriminated against [for being member is not going to be representing you ideologically,” Republican] but sometimes people will joke around and poke Weisman said. fun. Nothing major, but sometimes it can get on my nerves. The San Francisco Bay Area in particular is a difficult place for Republicans to live. Of the 43 percent of Californians who They have their own beliefs, why can't I just have mine? In California, sometimes people assume you automatically call themselves Democrats, 26 percent live in the Bay Area. On a list of the 25 most liberal cities in America, California believe things they do, or are really surprised to find out you don't. Also, it can seem like you're being sucked into things appears four times in the top 10: Berkeley as number three, you don't believe in, or don't have your beliefs or values or Oakland as number five, Inglewood as number six, and San political ideals represented or addressed. You have to go along Francisco as number nine. with the majority, because they have most of the control,” said “There are House districts in California that are Piety. predominantly Republican, but certainly in the Bay Area and Other students feel that there is a very clear preference L.A, you’re not going to be represented,” Weisman said. when it comes to Carlmont. California is not only liberal on paper. Because California “It’s annoying how a lot of teachers are clearly biased is so liberal, many assume that because someone is from towards Democratic ideology and I think it’s unfair to California, it means that they identify with Democratic students who are more conservative,” said Courtney ideology. Heatherington. “When I'm in other parts of the country, as soon as I say Perhaps without knowing it, Carlmont teachers, staff, I'm from California, or specifically San Francisco, people and other students contribute to more conservative students will think that I believe in some of the radical liberal or feeling discriminated against. Democratic things going on in California/SF,” said senior “From the perspective of being in school, especially in social Tanner Piety. studies classes, it can be - as much as the teacher might work Carlmont is not much different than the remainder of hard to try to insure respect and open discussion - it can still California, dominated for the most part by liberals. Although the majority of Carlmont students cannot vote, many identify feel intimidating and awkward to be sitting in a classroom when your ideology is quite different from most of the people with certain ideological viewpoints, primarily liberal. in the class,” said Weisman.
Country of independents By Tim Layten & Tara Ebrahimpour Staff Writers In the 2012 presidential election, the deciding factor of who will win a seat in the White House may come down to the independent voters. Independent voters are registered voters that are unaffiliated with a certain political party such as the Republican party or the Democratic party. It is less common for Americans to associate themselves with a particular political party nowadays. “It’s hard to be an independent voter. You have to look for a candidate that has similar views as you, which is hard to find these days,” said senior Max Grogan Crane. According to Washingtonexaminer.com, independent voters made up of 33 percent of the overall results in the 2008 presidential election. Eventual winner Barack Obama won 52 percent of independent votes, while Republican John McCain won only 44 percent. According to Bloomberg.com, in swing states such as Florida and Ohio, the number of registered independent voters have grown by about 443,000 since the 2008 election. Many political officials believe that the 2012 election will be decided by the independent voters. Statistics have shown
that voters have become more knowledgeable on issues and policies. During their campaigns, 2012 presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are making the effort to try and appeal to the independent voters and the economic and social issues that are to be addressed in the next four years. They had mixed reactions on all things from economics to social behavior. History teacher Jayson Waller stated, ”People want to avoid associating themselves with the hard right or hard left because the people that associate themselves with one of those parties create a lot of tension and gridlock between each other.” Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have allowed identified independent voters to express their views on a worldwide platform. In order for politicians to win over future independent voters, they will have to be able to address issues that every voter will want fixed. With the growing number of independent voters, Carlmont students and the future generation of America will no longer be accustomed to politicians campaigning with their traditional far left or far right beliefs. Instead, politicians will have to appeal to voters that consider themselves in the center of the political spectrum in order to create a better and stronger America.
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Campus
Students get gassed by high prices By Virginia O’Callahan Staff Writer Historically, gas prices have been raised and lowered depending on the time of the year and amount of oil distributed. It has been a completely different story in California this year. In recent months, the price of gas has skyrocketed to nearly $5 a gallon in some areas. With higher prices, students have found it harder to pay for their gas since it puts more strain on their wallet. Senior Peter Ravenelle said, “[The high prices] affect me negatively, and this spike isn't helping anyone but the oil company CEOs.” While prices around the nation have slowly begun to decrease, California gas prices have consistently plateaued and increased. In California, oil reserves and inventories are at the lowest they have been in over 10 years. “I remember when a while ago, people kept complaining about the high prices, and so they carpooled and tried saving gas and eventually the gas prices lowered,” recalled
senior Josi Flynn. It’s hard enough to find a job for a lot of people in the suffering economy, and after the gas price increase it seems a more pressing issue at hand for some students who need to find a way to compensate for the price jump. Ravenelle shared the same concern: “I'm part of the middle class, but we're not doing so well due to the economy.” “I thought by now they’d have the cars
that run on water,” commented Flynn, who suggested the possible solution. “It would be better than filling up a gas tank.” Prices are expected to keep rising, and eventually hit above $5 a gallon in some areas. Some students have noticed this upward trend in the prices, but the majority of those who drive don’t have an idea why prices are rising in the first place. The price of gas is partially controlled by
Infographic by Matt Harris
the fact that California law calls for strict pollution limits and cleaner-burning gasoline. California-specific regulations for producing gasoline make the state vulnerable to price spikes when supplies go down. According to a FOX news report, the highest average price ever for regular gasoline in the state of California was $4.61 in 2008. “It's a real pain, because they're raising them simply because more people have been driving,” Ravenelle inferred. According to the same FOX news source, the California gas prices specifically are predicted to continue to spike while the nation’s average gas prices start to decrease. Among the probable causes for the price spikes, the Aug. 6 fire at a Chevron refinery in Richmond left one of the region's largest refineries producing at a reduced capacity. The fire prompted a 25.8-cent spike in the average price of gas in the Sacramento-area within a few days. Price spikes are expected to continue for an indefinite amount of time before very slowly dropping, only by a few cents a gallon over a period of time.
Carlmont lends a helping hand
“Adopt-a-Unit” program reaches out to troops By Ashley Kawakami and Karissa Tom Staff Writers
Jarrod Harrison, Carlmont history and yearbook teacher, is leading the new Adopta-Unit program at Carlmont to help donate care packages to the 101st Airborne Unit. Mothers of Carlmont alumni were involved with Adopt-a-Unit and approached Harrison for help. The mothers said they weren’t getting many donations for their winter shipment. Harrison decided this would be the first year Carlmont would participate because many of the people serving are only a few years older than Carlmont students and are making huge sacrifices. Harrison said, “It’s a good way for us to support the people who are fighting for our country and sacrificing for us.” According to The New York Times, 86,000 troops remain in Afghanistan. Of those still in Afghanistan, the 101st Airborne Unit has about 200 people. Carlmont’s goal is to gather enough items to send all 200 of them a winter care package. Adopt-a-Unit has requested the following: coffee, water flavorings, beef jerky, power bars, ziplocs, stationary, clothes to keep warm, and foods like Cup-a-Noodles. Carlmont teachers agree that it is impor-
tant for students to learn why giving back to the community is beneficial. US history teacher Linda Garvey said, “These people are making huge sacrifices and they are going through many hardships and they should know people at home other than their families are thinking of them.” Academy history teacher and veteran Greg Schoenstein stated, “Many of the soldiers feel forgotten. They don’t always understand the war and it wasn’t them that made it happen so it’s nice for them know that people at home support them.” Some Carlmont teachers are also taking this as a teaching moment to go deeper into some part of history that is normally glossed over. History teacher Jamie Garcia wants to support the troops and discuss some pieces of history he doesn’t normally get to cover in his classes. Garcia said, “The main thing is that the army doesn’t provide many necessities for the soldiers, and also as a teacher it shows kids the unit behind pivotal battles.” The 101st Airborne Unit was started in August of 1942 and continues to this day. The 101st has fought in historic wars including World War II, the Vietnam War, and are now are serving in the Middle East. According to the Adopt-a-Unit website, the program started locally in San Mateo in
1967 during the Vietnam War. Sergeant Joe and gives me a better grade." Artavia had asked his sister to do something Teachers like Garvey offer extra credit for at home that would help raise the troop her classes to bring in the needed materials. morale. His sister, Linda Patterson, was able Garvey said, “I’ve found that often students to get San Mateo to adopt her brother’s do good things if they are rewarded. I put the unit and ended up raising troop morale as extra credit in the participation category to hoped. Adopt-a-Unit believes that it is imencourage positive participation in the comportant to have a strong link between home munity.” and those risking their lives to let them Students are highly encouraged contribute know people care. to Adopt-a-Unit to help support the 101st Schoenstein also believes the connection Airborne Unit as the soldiers continue to between home to the troops is important, sacrifice for all of us. “When I served in Bosnia we had soldier As Garcia said, “It’s a token of humanity mail and it was really nice to get it and for us to reach out to them as a community.” know people at home were wishing us well. Also being a veteran I know the value of the packages and appreciation the people who receive the care packages have.” To reach Carlmont’s goal of donating substantial winter care packages for all the soldiers in the 101st, some students are motivated by extra credit. Carlmont sophomore Simon DeSmet Bacon said, "I've donated six Cup-aNoodles for extra credit, it makes me feel good inside Students donate items to the troops in Afganistan
Carlmont students need a lesson in manners
All over Carlmont, students routinely forget to pick up their trash and continue to leave restrooms messy. Early October saw the closure of the quad to students as a solution to the trash problem, and food is still prohibited during lunch on the football field. “We closed the quad because students need to be aware that they need to pick up after themselves, we have an excellent custodial staff that shouldn’t have to waste time cleaning up after students instead of maintaining the campus” said Crame. Any person who walks around the campus at lunch can see the empty juice boxes, spilled chocolate milk and partially eaten food left by students at tables, despite the garbage cans placed at the end of every hall and doorway.
Students who are caught littering or who need to clear detentions can be seen around picking up trash as part of the campus beautification program. Given latex gloves and plastic bags, they clean up after other students who litter. “It’s annoying that (the campus) looks dirty all the time,” said sophomore Jason Beaman. Senior Casey Wilkinson agreed, saying, “It just makes the campus look messy.” Although trash on the ground continues to be a problem at Carlmont, students have improved behaviorally in the past few years, says Administrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame. “Since six years ago, when I first came to Carlmont, we’ve seen a big improvement in student behavior,” said Crame, “There were students who would stand in the hallways as a form of intimidation to both staff and students. It was a team approach from admin to ensure that students know first and foremost
that Carlmont is a place of learning.” Cafeteria Manager Tracy McGuinness agreed, saying “Students are better now, the administration doesn’t put up with misbehavior any more.” Carlmont students have displayed good behavior by getting involved in the community. For example, Carlmont is home to Helping Humanity and Rotary clubs to promote charity among students, as well as it’s own Gay-Straight Alliance club, as part of a larger program to stop homophobia on campus. Another example of improved behavior at the school has been displayed through the graduation rates over the past few years. Districtwide, the Sequoia Union High School District’s graduation rate increased from 70% in 2008 to over 90% in 2010. Behavior has definitely been better over the past few years, but the general politeness on Student trash has become a problem all over campus campus can still be improved.
Photo by Jacob Rudger
By Matt Harris Staff Wrter
Campus
Page 11
2012 Homecoming combines spirit and change By Claudia Leist and Ayesha Abbasi Staff Writers Powderpuff football, lunchtime activities, an assembly, the night football game, and the Saturday night dance were the highlights of Carlmont’s Homecoming week. It is the one week of the year where the student population can join together to show their school spirit. This is a way for Carlmont to kick off each new school year in order to make memories that can last a lifetime. However, homecoming is not as extravagant as it seems. “It isn’t High School Musical, if you know what I mean,” said sophomore Mariko Orii. Although some students may think homecoming is just popularity contest, there’s a lot of work put in to make it a fun week for students and staff. Every day of the week has an individual theme to help boost school spirits; these themes range from sports gear to Scots pride. Another big aspect of lunchtime entertainment that entices students is the girls powderpuff football games. Rather than real football, each grade plays a friendly game of flag football with boys football players as their coaches. “It’s a really good way to represent each class and it’s a fun lead up to the real homecoming game,” stated sophomore Frieda Freeman. On Thursday of Homecoming Week, ASB put on an electric assembly to get students pumped up for the Homecoming game. The assembly was composed of performances by intermediate and advanced dance, choir, drum line, cheerleading, varsity football, and the Carlmont Cup finals. All the hype of the week led up to one of the biggest events regarding class representation, the Homecoming floats. During halftime of the varsity football game, a select number of students from each class stepped onto their personally designed floats and paraded around the track. It was a fierce com-
petition for the most cheers and for homecoming court nominees. Although every class float was uniquely decorated, the seniors stole the show. Their “bleed blue”-themed, 21-foot flat-bed, tow truck was able to hold 50 people; and at the end of the half, the class of 2013 stormed the field in spirited fashion. This year was the first year that Carlmont High School hosted a homecoming game at the newly renovated Bruce Usher Memorial Field under permanent lights with a new speaker system. “This was a huge step for our school, and we proved it. This huge crowd gave more support for our team to get pumped for the game,” said senior varsity football player Jacob Poulicakos. Despite the football team’s 27-0 loss to El Camino, Carlmont’s Homecoming game was exciting. There were performances by the band, the cheerleaders, and the Carlmont drumline. The week ended with the homecoming dance; this year featuring the popular Bay Area music group, Starting Six. It was no easy task to get them to Carlmont, but the ASB Dance commission, led by Kelsey Morgan and Syna Zali, was able to pull through. “There was so much more complicated planning involved with this dance because of Starting Six” said Activities Director and ASB teacher Jim Kelly. “I was really excited about this year’s homecoming because it was my last hurrah as a senior, and I just love dancing,” said senior Ella Stoney. There are many students who look forward to the Homecoming week, but there are many students who find it overrated. “There’s a lot of drama that everyone has to deal with,” said junior Benjamin Garcia. Homecoming is bound to improve for years to come, but this year provided a huge step in the right direction. The hope for the future is that students will be more appreciative for all the work put into making Homecoming Week the best it can be.
Homecoming Royalty 2012 King
Queen Connor Moore - Varsity Basketball - ASB - Screamin’ Scots - Lagarza Basketball Camp Counselor
Prince
Duke
Lord
Reggie Chatman - ASB Junior Class President - Varsity Soccer - BSU - Screamin’ Scots
Shelby Rebholtz - Varsity Football - Lacrosse - AVID - Debate Club
Princess
Kayla Tabari - ASB Vice President - Site Council - Advanced Dance - Volunteer at Mills Peninsula Hospital
Sydney Posern - Varsity Cheer - Screamin’ Scots - Super Spirited - Bleeds Blue
Duchess Frieda Freeman - Competitive Ice Skating - Advanced Dance - GSA - CSF -Screamin’ Scots
Lady Mateen Nozzari - ASB - Freshman Class Vice President - Soccer - High voice specialist
Tori Shanefelter - ASB - Freshman Class Vice President - Powderpuff Champion
Photos by Kat Savin, Kristen Friis, and Jacob Rudger
Open enrollment allows students to challenge themselves With open enrollment policy, is it too easy to get into advanced classes at Carlmont? By Sabrina Leung Entertainment Editor Carlmont's open enrollment policy has caused an influx of students to apply for advanced courses and elicit some concern about whether all students are academically prepared for the challenging courses. “I believe that not all students should be able to take advanced courses because those who did not perform well in regular classes may not be as successful in an AP [Advanced Placement] or honors course and it’s not fair to their classmates who are,” said junior Anne Litton. According to Carlmont’s 2011-2012 Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) report, there has been an increase in number of students taking at A-G courses, high school courses required for entrance to the University of California and the California State University systems, and at least one AS[Advanced Standing]/AP class over the last four years. The number of students taking an AP course also increased by 25 percent and as have the number of sections offered as more students registered for more courses.
Some teachers believe that the increase of enrollment is caused by the competitive admissions to colleges and students seeking to challenge themselves in high school to prove that they are college-ready. “I believe more students are taking AP/AS classes because regular class courses are not as open. The regular course does not challenge students or emphasize critical thinking. Parents want their kids to learn more than what is written in the text and open up to new ideas,” said AP English Language and Composition teacher Gail Langkusch. One of Carlmont’s academic challenges is to increase the number of ethnically underrepresented students in honors and AP courses. In 2010-2011, Carlmont’s administration hoped to close this achievement gap by revising the school policy with students interested in enrolling in advanced courses. These meetings have resulted in the implementation of the open enrollment policy for the Guidance Department. Teachers will recommend students for enrollment in advanced courses, but a signature is no longer considered a barrier to student placement in these courses. The new policy has ensured that all students have equal access to challenging courses. “Based on the Office of Civil Rights, students have the right to enroll in any academic level course. There is also no limit on the number of
“Based on the Office of Civil Rights, students have the right to enroll in any academic level course. There is also no limit on the number of advanced courses a student is allowed to take at Carlmont,” stated Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom.
advanced courses a student is allowed to take at Carlmont,” stated Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom. The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is a federal agency with the responsibility of ensuring equal access to education through the enforcement of civil rights. The agency is specifically responsible for enforcing numerous federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in all public institutions that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. Students may not be discriminated based on sex, race, gender disability from involvement in school activities or academic courses. Some believe that the open enrollment policy is beneficial in preparing students for college and has had no negative impact on Carlmont’s academic performance. “I support Carlmont’s open enrollment policy because it allows students to take more advanced courses to challenge themselves and be motivated by their peers. Although some students may not be as prepared or successful as other, the advanced curriculum helps build determination needed to become an AP student and in college,” added Langkusch. Similarly, Fishtrom noted that, “Not many students take advantage of this policy. We advise students not to take an overload of advanced courses and to enroll in the correct class according to their academic level. Although every student has the right to enroll in any class, Carlmont has continued to see a significant increase in passing rates on AP tests.” From 2008 to 2011, Carlmont has shown
a 37 percent increase in the number of AP exams taken; the percentage of students scoring a three or above escalated by 30 percent. Despite Carlmont’s academic improvement, some are concerned that the policy will affect the learning environment in classrooms. “If the majority of the class is not academically prepared to take a challenging course, then the teacher would have to simplify and slow things down, causing students who are actually academically prepared to not learn as much as they should in an advanced course,” stated Litton. In order to monitor enrollment in AS and AP courses, Carlmont plans to make additional changes to this policy in the coming years. “Currently, students who take an AP class are not required to take the AP test and automatically receive a grade bump, potentially receiving a GPA of 5.0 out of 4.0. In the next couple of years, students must take the AP test if they want the grade bump on their GPA,” said Fishtrom. Although there is some discontent concerning the open enrollment policy by students and faculty, this is one major step towards improving test scores and ensuring that all Carlmont students are well prepared for posthigh-school college and career opportunities.
Photo by Jacob Rudger
Page 12
Extras
Looking back on childhood (continued from page 3) Watching a guy and a girl dance was like watching two people trying to get out of one straightjacket (except during slow songs, when the walls, ceiling, and floor became the most interesting things in the world to stare at as you and your lucky date sway awkwardly from side-to-side, a minimum of two full feet apart). I verged from hysteria brought on by trying not to laugh to absolute disgust. But beyond the actions of the tweens, the most surprising things were what they said. From my perch by the pretzels, I had to spend my entire night listening to guys talk about how they “did so much beer last night” and girls calling “dibs” on guys (including one very entertaining moment where two girls “dibbed” the same guy and one said, “He’s mine! We talked for like, five minutes, and he
said he liked my hair.” Truly a deep, meaningful connection). I didn’t think much on it, until I walked down our hallways and listened in to a few conversations. A group of senior girls were debating furiously whether Captain America and Iron Man made a better team than Superman and Batman-- and which would win in a wrestling match. A boy in my History class made a speech about Obama and Romey’s health care plans, then was heard telling a group of his friends that “Toy Story 3” made him cry-- to which his friend pointed out that “Up” was WAY sadder. Choir kids spend their time either talking about musicals, or singing Disney songs in large groups.The other day, I saw a boy thoroughly entertained by a Razor mini-skateboard (and making “whoosh”
sound effects while jumping with it). When did middle schoolers decide that it wasn’t “cool” anymore to enjoy being thirteen years old? When did middle school just become an excuse to practice everything you think you needed in high school- and did they base their impressions on purely from
“Glee” and “90210”? And, more importantly, if they could see us, would WE be “uncool”? These are the last years of our lives that we can still claim to be kids; mature kids with stubble and drivers licenses, but kids nonetheless. Don’t spend it trying to grow up. Just step back, pop in a Disney movie, and savor the moment.
Student participation in 2012 election (continued from front) breaks in between. Their responsibilities will include checking in registered voters, issuing ballots, assisting the voters with any part of the process, as well as setting up and taking down the voting machines and materials. Along with the experience of being an election officer, each student will be paid a total of $125. They will receive $25 for taking the training session and an additional $100 for their work on Election Day. “I believe that the program is a great opportunity because it allows the youth to become more involved in the political system,” said senior Kelsey Morgan Along with the experience and $125, students will also able to fulfill their requirement in Government and Economics classes of participating in some form of political service or community service for at least 10 hours each semester. “It’s a great hands-on experience of democracy at work for Carlmont’s Government and Economics students. They actually play an important role in the voting process,” said stated AP Government and Economics teacher Kris Weisman Although democracyLIVE was originally going to only accept 53 people from
Carlmont, the Election Office reviewed all the applications sent in from Carlmont and accepted around 100 seniors. By allowing high school students to participate, democracyLIVE will be able to get more people working at polling places, mostly young students who can easily handle the new electronic voting , and have young people become more involved in the election process, hoping to encourage them to vote as they get older. “Ms. Ramroth, Mr. Gray and I are very grateful to the administration and all the teachers at Carlmont who support the program. We’ve seen students come back to school the next day bubbling over with information about how many or how few people voted. I’ve watched them come grab a voter registration form from their parents or fill out a vote by mail registration for themselves so they can vote when they’re in college. It seems clear from observations that once students do this for a day, they’re more likely to vote for the rest of their lives. It makes a difference,” said Weisman Carlmont has participated in democracyLIVE since 2006 and has proven to be quite popular among the students, with the large number of applicants.
Class Rank (continued from front) asked me, “What’s your class rank?” So the moment I agreed to hearing where I stood in the senior class of 2013, I was desperately hoping that I was in the top 20 percent – maybe even top 10. “Everyone thinks you have to be a part of the top 10,” said college counselor Connie Dominguez. “But here at Carlmont we’ve had students in the top 20 to 30 percentiles get into Ivy League schools.” According to Dominguez, most colleges that look at the class rank are actually calculating your GPA and putting it into their own deciles, as well. “So rather than focusing on taking as many AS or AP classes as possible and stressing yourself out, I recommend taking a few APs that you are passionate about, and doing really well in them,” advised Dominguez. Dominguez believes that when students strive to add as many five-point classes as they can to boost their GPA and rank, they end up in a lower decile for not doing so well in these challenging courses. Stocking up on AP classes and adding hours to my homework was exactly what I had been doing the past three years of my high school life. I constantly felt the pressure to take the best classes, to get the best grades, and to be in the best percentile. So when my teacher told me what my rank was, my immediate
reaction was, “Wow. I failed.” However, as the initial shock began to fade, I realized that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I wasn’t in the top 10, sure, but I wasn’t in the bottom 10. “When I checked my rank on Naviance, I was disappointed that I wasn’t where I had hoped to be,” said senior Taylor Choye. “But if you think about it, our class in so smart and so competitive that the individual deciles are so much harder to get into.” In fact, the deciles have risen quite a bit from the class of 2011. For them, to be in the top 20, the minimum GPA was a 3.79, whereas now the minimum is 3.86. “I feel like if I’m not taking all the classes that I do, then I’m not going to be good enough. But I hate feeling like I have to compete with, like, my friends just so I can have a higher GPA,” said senior Abbey Holman. Competition exists throughout all ages of the human life. It exists in kindergarten when children fight for the best glue stick. It exists in middle school when preteens evaluate each other’s clothes and appearances. And it exists in high school when students are trying to get into the best college in the country. Worrying about your class rank is like worrying about a game of kickball. You stand in a line like cattle and wait as the team captains size you up and choose who they decide are the best players. The goal is to get chosen first. That’s how you know you’re good enough. If you’re the last one standing, the captains are probably arguing over who has to take you, instead of who wants you on their team. You might as well not even play. Class rank is the same way. A lot of students are under the impression that if you’re not at the top, then what’s the point of playing?
Fun Page
Taurus (April 20 - May 30): Your loyalty to your friends will be tested this month. An opportunity to betray them and advance yourself will present itself, but resisting it will save the friendship. That is, if you want to save it.
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): Your life lately has been really stressful, but don’t worry;Things are about to change. The stars are aligned in your favor this month.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20): Are you ready for a fantastic month filled with lots of fun and excitement? Well buckle up, because this month is going to take you for a wild ride!
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19): “Absolute drag” would be a good way to describe the upcoming month. You will realize very early on that this month is going to be extremely boring.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22): This month is the perfect time to come out of your shell and enjoy the world. Your introverted nature may make this challenging, but your endeavor will be rewarded.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18): This month, all of your dreams will come true. Unfortunately, this includes nightmares, which might not be very fun.Tread carefully, and try to keep your mind on happy thoughts.
Leo (July 23 - August 22): You have a lion’s courage inside of you, and this month it will show. You’ll be daring and take a lot of risks, but not everything will turn out how you want it to, so beware of unnecessary risks.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20): This month, you will realize that your labors have finally reached fruition, except you won’t be able to benefit from them. However, your hardy nature will allow you to pick yourself back up.
Virgo (August 23 - September 22): You will crave perfection even more than normal this month, so be prepared to spend a lot of time straightening out things around the house and making your homework look pristine.
Aries (March 21 - April 19): This month you will need to put in extra hard work to acheive a goal. This may cause you to be antisocial, so make sure not to neglet friends.
Libra (September 23 - October 22): Your zen is balanced this month. You will go above and beyond your normal boundaries and achieve greatness.
Madlibs It was a ____________ Halloween night. Gabe and his friend ________ were (adjective)
What are you going to be for Halloween? Photo by Max Ware
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21): This month is the perfect opportunity to go out and have fun. Halloween is going to be a night to remember, you’ll score big with all sorts of candy. Don’t forget to brush your teeth...
Talk Back
“I”m going to be Scream. When in doubt, go for the original.” - Nick Korjeff
Photo by Max Ware
October Horoscopes
Page 13
(name)
dressed as __________ and _________. The were very excited for a _________ (noun)
(noun)
(adjective)
night of trick-or-treating. They __________ down the street and _________ up (verb)
(verb)
“I’m going to be a gypsy.” - Danielle Al-Abed
to the first door. “___________ or treat!” they yelled as the door began to open. (noun)
They could hear a creepy _________ coming from inside. “Uh-oh... what was that?” asked Gabe. All of a sudden, a _________ ________ jumped out of the house and (adjective)
(noun)
_________ them all the way home. They were so scared that they ____________. (verb)
(verb)
Photo by Max Ware
(noun)
Photo by Max Ware
“I want to be Mitt Romney.” - Brandon Magpayo
Photo by Max Ware
“I’m going to to be Little Red Riding Hood.” - Gabi Dimick
Comic by Asha Karim
“I’m gonna be the ‘Where’s Waldo’ guy.” - Zach Levin
Sports
Page 14
No lights for varsity soccer, just JV
Varsity players outraged by controversial schedule change By Jacob Rudger Campus Editor When the 2012 Carlmont soccer schedules came out in September, it left some players rejoicing and others complaining. Carlmont varsity soccer players have never had the chance to play under the lights at home, and with new lights installed at Bruce Usher Memorial field, they thought 2012 would be the year. “When I found out we were getting lights this year I was pretty pumped,” said varsity midfielder Andrew Durlofsky, “Playing under the lights is so different than a regular game. It’s a big motivator for our team.” Little did Durlofsky and the rest of the Carlmont boys and girls varsity squads know, their home games are set to start at 4:00, in broad daylight, this season. The junior varsity teams, however, will have a 5:30 start time, playing under the lights all season long. Before Carlmont had lights, the soccer games would start at 3:00 for varsity and 4:30 for junior varsity. The earlier start time was given to the varsity team in order to guarantee a full game uninterrupted by darkness. In most of their games,
Highlander File Photo
junior varsity wasn’t even able to finish before the sun set. Junior Varsity Soccer player Emma Lin said, “I actually think varsity should be playing under the lights, I really don’t see why we should be. It’s going to be cool, but knowing that a bunch of varsity players are going to be mad at us doesn’t really work.” The decision to have varsity start before junior varsity with the lights this year was made by the PAL board of managers, which is made up of athletic directors and administrators. “The board of managers made their decision based on a couple things. One being the factor of warm up time for the varsity teams. While [junior varsity] will have to warm up during the varsity game in the area behind the goal, the varsity coaches wanted to have the whole field to prepare on before games,” said Carlmont Athletic Director, Patrick Smith. The longer warm up idea didn’t make many varsity players change their minds about the issue. In fact, it almost strengthened their opposition to the decision. “I think warming up is overrated. Honestly, what’s important is stretching and doing a little jogging before the game, which we could easily do while junior varsity plays. After their game is over all we need is five or ten minutes to shoot around a little bit and we’re ready to go,” said Durlofsky. Something to understand about this controversy is that the administration simply does not have the time to oversee multiple games per week at a late hour. For football games, the administration understands that its role is to oversee five games per season, each between the hours of 3:00 and 9:30. But with soccer, the administration has a greater responsibility. For example, in the beginning of February the girls team has two home games in one week. In that same week the boys team have a home game. That’s six games in three days; a total of about nine hours of commitment for the administration.
Photo by Jacob Rudger
Despite the reasonable explanations about the decision, it comes down to a simple equation for soccer players: no lights for varsity + lights for junior varsity = unfair. “I’m pretty pissed. We’ve been waiting forever to get lights at Carlmont, and we still have to play in the light. When football gets to have night games all the time, we don’t, and we actually win. It’s unjust,” said varsity left back Keea Khalili.
Extra parking lot is dangerous Girls lacrosse comes to Carlmont
New Student Parking Lot
New parking lot/Throwing field border
a problem and there is a cage around the discus throwing area. Eight-foot fences are all around the field.” Some students do not think that eight feet is tall enough though, not only for the track and field events, but also because of football and soccer. Crame reassures students that the area has been “measured out based on [longest thrown] records of high school students before.” As for wild footballs and soccer balls flying over the fences, Crame continues, “Soccer balls are the most concern, but both are highly unlikely because of the angle of the field.” Only time will tell if the fences are going to do their jobs. Soccer starts in Winter, and track and field starts in Spring. For all the students beginning to park in the extended lot, park Photo by Alex Porter with caution.
Girls lacrosse has been added to the list of sports, two years after the addition of boy’s lacrosse. Even though there has been no selection of who the coach is going to be, there has been a strong interest shown by the students. A meeting was held to see how many girls would be interested in playing lacrosse and 42 girls attended, which was more than what was expected, since only one team is going to be fielded. Athletic Director Pat Smith said there was a high interest in the new sport and that more girls showed up than expected. Now that there are more than enough girls that were interested in playing lacrosse this spring, the only thing that still needs to be done is to put the team together, starting with the coach. Junior Isabella Sziraczky said, “I think it is really good we are creating a girls lacrosse team because it sounds like a fun sport and there are a lot of girls that are interested in playing. I will definitely go to watch them play.” When boys lacrosse was first started, the team finished their season with only one win. The very next season the boys achieved a 9-6 winning record that carried them to the playoffs. They even had enough This spring girls will be able to play lacrosse too kids interested in playing that they created both a varsity and a JV team? both a varsity and a JV team. With only a few girls playing on the field at Junior Silas Pang said, “Lacrosse is a really a time, there will probably be enough girls to fun sport and I think it’s good that there is create two teams, depending on if that many now a girls team because the Carlmont program has been getting better and better and it girls show up to tryouts, and if there is going just shows how popular the sport is becoming to be cuts. Although the specifics about the team are here at Carlmont.” With 42 girls interested in playing, the next still unknown, it is certain that there is going to be a girls lacrosse team. question is whether there be enough girls for Highlander File Photos
Cars parked in the newly extended Scot’s Gym parking lot are at risk of danger because the lot is too close to the practice throwing field. Along with the construction of the new football field, a practice throwing area for the track and field events was added. The students who participate in the shotput and discus events, which involve heavy objects being thrown long distances, will need to use the field. The concern of one of these objects hitting the cars parked in the lot and thus damaging the cars, is theoretically a large concern but most students are not worried. “I would be surprised if someone could throw it that far,” stated senior Olivia Ong. Students are now allowed to park in the lot, but many do not realize the risk of securing a spot there. The fences around the field are tall, but there is always a chance for error. When asked about the security of the throwing area, Administrative Vice Principal, Ralph Crame, said, “Shotput should not be
By Conrad May Staff Writer
Photo by Alex Porter
By Alex Porter Managing Editor
Sports Football face lift leaves students satisfied
By Reggie Chatman and Karenna Meredith Staff Writers
Claire Porter, a junior, said, “This is the high school experience I’ve always wanted. This alone makes the school much better.”
Photos by Nikos Frazier
Carlmont High school’s Bruce Usher Memorial Field’s makeover has changed the spectator experience for the fans of Carlmont High School. Over the summer Carlmont installed new lights, introduced a new snack shack location, built brand new away team bleachers, added an improved PA system, and a parking lot all surrounding a new 120 yard field that comes complete with a huge Carlmont Logo in the middle of the field and a newly painted track. From the spectator’s view these present both benefits and problems. Students at Carlmont, like 12th grader Sarah Farbstein, are happy about the changes. She said, “I enjoy the new snack shack and the new variety of foods sold there.” The snack shack is located by the Scots Gym and features the following foods: nachos, various candies, hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, soups, muffins, popcorn, a variety of drinks, and tri-tip sandwiches. Many students expressed excitement when asked about the new field and its various amenities. Claire Porter, a junior, said, “This is the high school experience I’ve always wanted. This alone makes the school much better.” School spirit has increased due to the new amenities. According to junior Claire Noemer, “This by itself will raise school spirit.” Tyler Smith, a senior on the varsity football team said, “The changes have made the home games way more exciting” and he says “I’m glad it happened my senior year.” Even administration members are excited about the new
additions. Administrative Vice Principal, Ralph Crame said, “When I walked in, it finally felt like a stadium. It had that stadium feel and a certain energy about it.” However not all the students enjoy the new changes. Alex Smith, a sophomore, said, “We are helping the other team.” He went on to explain that giving the other team visitors bleachers could be assisting them. He expressed he does like the fact that they don’t have to share the bleachers anymore but said that “new bleachers on the other side encourage the other team to bring more people.” Brand new rules have been established such as a single entrance at the south side of the field which makes both sets of bleachers accessible. This is different than the multiple entrances previously which forced spectators to walk on the track to get around the field. Jack Tilly, a junior, said, “The new entrance is way better than it was before.” Also, “in and out” privileges are not allowed which means leaving the stadium and trying to re-enter later is not an option.
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The new changes include a new snack shack location and a new ticket booth location The new parking lot, located by the Scots gym allows visitors to have easier access to the entrance. The field and lights do not just affect the football team and their games, but also other sports and their practice schedules. JV and Varsity soccer teams will each be using the field at separate times, and the lights will allow the teams to practice later.
Infographic by Conrad May
Best and Worst Costume Ideas
Favorite Halloween Candy
Voted upon by the Highlander Staff
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Least Favorite Halloween Candy
Stories of Students’ previous experiences
“I was trickor-treating at this house and they said they wouldn’t give me candy unless I entertained them. I didn’t know what to do, so I sang them a Christmas song. They gave me three pieces of candy!”
Amelia Tupou, junior
“When I was 8 years old or so, I was trick-or-treating and a deer with a massive rack of horns almost ran me over! Then it jumped off a car and over a fence.”
Franklin Rice, junior “Once, in Belmont, someone put vodka infused gummy bears out and the police came and inspected it. This was two years ago, so I’m steering clear of gummy bears for a while.”
Elena Mateus, freshman Based on poll of Carlmont students.