Volume VII: Issue V. May 2012

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volume XX, issue X

of stuart hall high school

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month year

Stuart Hall High School | Schools of the Sacred Heart, San Francisco | Volume VI1, Issue V | May 2012

the round table

roundtable.sacredsf.org

a forum for students

editors@shhsroundtable.com

Table of Contents School News

Senior Pages..........................10-14

Our Incoming Freshman ...................................5 Congratulations to the seniors. A complete list of the graduates and the colleges that they will be attending.

Sports

Big Boats, Big Fun.............................................3 NBA Draft.......................................................4-5 Move ‘em Out..................................................6-7 Giants Round Up...............................................7 Faster than Fast..............................................17 Baseball Does it Again.....................................18 Road to the Gold...............................................18 Swimming for a Good Season..........................19

Special Features

Senior Reflection.............................................8-9 Ask an Indie Game Designer...........................15 Wise Words.......................................................16 Summer’s Up....................................................19

Front cover design by Peter Melling ‘12 Back cover photos by Mr. Sergio Vasquez, Ms. Heather Cenzer, Mrs. Belle Akers, Mr. Raymond O’Connor, Mr. Mike Armstrong, Mr. Steve Samut and Mrs. Saltveit

Staff and Publication Information Editor Brandan La

Layout Editor Peter Melling

Copy Editor Connor Satterfield

Website Editor Kevin Wong

Staff Connor Abbott Robeil Anderbrhan Lucas Chan Tim Connolly Taro Duncan James Hernandez Raymond Jiang

stuart hall high school

Corrections the round table goes to great lengths to ensure that all material is accurate, timely, and factual. However, errors sometimes occur. If you notice a factual mistake, please send an e-mail to lori.saltveit@sacredsf.org with “Reader Discovers Error!” in the subject line.

Liam Lynch Peter Melling Colin Ryan Sebastian Sandoval Donovan Van Kevin Wong Austin Woo

Faculty Moderator Mrs. Saltveit member

Online content: Please visit the online round table at: http://roundtable.sacredsf.org/

the round table | Founded 2005 by Nick Dietz, Corey Linehan, Tom Pardini, Joey Plonsker, Ms. Sarah Slonaker

editors’ corner Stuart Hall, We are only a couple of days from the end of the school year, but it seems as if school had only started. The last few days mean so many different things to each class. For freshmen, it’s a step closer to finishing that first year and moving up the high school ladder. Sophomores, you will be entering the world of AP’s and college searches but don’t worry too much because you will also become upperclassmen, the head honchos. For you juniors, senior year comes and goes by so fast so remember to cherish every moment you have as a senior. And to the seniors, you’re just days away from putting on a suit and walking across the stage to receive that diploma.

It is a relief to have finished the school year, but as I write this final letter, I also realize how this is also a bittersweet moment. As a senior, I will be leaving the round table along with senior staff members Colin Ryan, Connor Satterfield, Donovan Van, Kevin Wong, Peter Melling, Raymond Jiang, Sebastian Sandoval, and Tim Connolly. I am incredibly proud of the team’s hard work in creating such engaging and perceptive articles. I would also like to thank our moderator Mrs. Lori Saltveit for providing so much time and energy in helping put together issues and running newspaper so smoothly. And although we leave, I am confident that next year will be even better under the leadership of the new Editor-in-Chief, Liam Lynch.

My years with the round table have been an amazing experience, giving me opportunity and inspiration to develop my writing as well as leadership. The creativity, enthusiasm, and humor from the newspaper community have made my experience so enjoyable and memorable. As I close my last editor’s corner, I would like to thank everyone for their support whether you be a student, faculty member, or parent and wish the Class of 2012 the best in your future endeavors. Congratulations seniors, and go Knights!

Happy reading, Brandan La ‘12 Editor-in-Chief

sports

Big Boats, Big Fun Sailing comes to SF

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org|| round table

The biggest sailing regatta in the world, the America’s Cup is coming to San Francisco in 2013. There are eight teams competing for the title of world champion. This includes the Bay Area’s own, the Oracle Racing Sailing team. They have been doing

by Taro Duncan ‘14

incredibly well in the qualifying races around the world. These races were held all over Europe, including locations like Portugal and Italy.

The boats used for these races are AC-45’s which boast incredible speed and maneuverability. They are also one of the most technologically advanced racing yachts in the world.

However, the real boats that the sailors are going to use are the AC72. The AC-45 is a fraction of the size of the AC-72. The AC-72’s is 72 feet long and has a mast that is over 40 meters. These enormous boats can reach over 35 knots; motorboats must run at full speed to sail next to them.

The America’s Cup will be incredibly beneficial to the city of

San Francisco. It will increase the Bay Area’s notoriety for sailing but will also generate huge revenue for the city. People will come from all over the world to watch these insanely exciting races. The exact date of the America’s Cup in San Francisco has yet to be determined, but people are really looking forward to it. But when the big boats come to race in San Francisco, the best spots to observe the race will be at Crissy Field, The St. Francis, or Golden Gate yacht clubs. Overall the America’s Cup will be an awesome event for sailing, creating a lot excitement throughout the San Francisco community.

the round table | page 3

sports

NBA Draft

by Connor Abbot ‘14

Great NBA draft class set to take the league by storm. (who have the top 2 picks in the draft) by helping them with their rebounding and providing a big man for guards D.J. Augustin or John Wall, respectfully.

Moving forward, Robinson could develop into a “Tim Duncan” power forward/ center combination for his team.

Photo courtesy of ign.com|| round table On June 28, the stars of College Basketball will join together to unveil their fate in the NBA and where they will play their first seasons in one of the most famous sports leagues in the world. Below are the top 5 college stars and which order they will be most likely selected in the upcoming draft.

1) Thomas Robinson – University of Kansas (Junior) – Power Forward Robinson comes into the draft with a fabulous season in which he dominated the competition on the way to leading his team to the National Championship. Despite his losing efforts, Robinson was able to finish the season averaging 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds, astounding numbers that far surpass his competition in the draft. Although many predict that Kentucky big man Anthony Davis will precede Robinson in the draft, Robinson’s larger build, better numbers, and greater experience in college will help general managers realize that he is the superior prospect in the upcoming draft.

Robinson will make a good fit on a team like Charlotte or Washington

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2) Anthony Davis – University of Kentucky (Freshman) – Power Forward The talk of college basketball this season, the giant, lanky power forward named Anthony Davis took the world of college basketball by storm. The big man out of Chicago far surpassed all of his fellow freshman by dominating everyone he came across throughout the season. After winning the Naismith College Player of the Year and the D1 Blocked Shots Leader for the season, Davis lead his star-studded Kentucky team to win a National Championship against dangerous Kansas, furthering his already strong reputation as the best player in college basketball. His numbers, which include 14.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game are astounding for a freshman, and his frighteningly large wingspan helps him tower over his opponents.

Despite seemingly being destined for stardom in the NBA, Davis’ build will become a problem for him moving forward. Although his 6’10”, 220 lbs. frame has helped him dominate college ball, 6’10” is only average for a NBA forward and 220 lbs. is tiny for a man of such size.

Davis’ play, build, and stats relate to those of Chris Bosch. His previous domination of the post game will disappear, as he will get knocked

around by the giantic forwards and centers of the NBA. If he can put some muscle on in a NBA gym, he could flourish into a more solid player, but until then, he could turn out to be an NBA bust.

3) Harrison Barnes – University of North Carolina (Sophomore) – Small Forward Barnes, who many thought could have gone as the first pick in the draft last year, chose to stick around Chapel Hill for another year to try to take a talented team to the National Championship. Despite being favored by many to go all the way, the Tar Heels lost in the Elite Eight to a fantastic Jayhawks team.

Although it didn’t work out exactly as Barnes had planned, he had another solid season that further helped his candidacy as an NBA star. Averaging 17.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, Barnes’ large 6’8”, 215 lbs. build will help put him in a great position to be able to quickly become a dominant small forward (to put it in perspective, current Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is also a 6’8” small forward). Harrison Barnes, who most clearly relates to Kevin Durant, could enter the NBA and quickly rise to stardom.

4) Andre Drummond – University of Connecticut – (Freshman) – Center Andre Drummond is a man-child.

That’s what too many scouts said about the towering young center in high school, and he’s simply cemented that reputation in his freshman year. Standing at a dominating 6’11”, weighing in at a monstrous 270 lbs., and having a wingspan that stretches over 7 feet, this center is a monster on the court, and he could be in for another growth spurt. Drummond’s

athleticism will help him keep up with the stars of the NBA, as his weight will help him muscle around big centers. This young man could easily be the next Dwight Howard if he is able to muscle out these larger centers.

5) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – University of Kentucky (Freshman)Small Forward Another rookie starter on Kentucky’s National Championship team, Kidd-Gilchrist is what many

think to be the best player coming out of college. A little bit small for a forward (Kidd-Gilchrist stands at 6’6” 216 lbs.), he could make a tall shooting guard on any NBA team.

Scouts love his hard work ethic, and say that with that this attidude combined with his great leadership, he’ll be a coach favorite in the NBA. Kidd-Gilchrist best compares to Andre Iguodala. His defense is flawless, with a surprising 7.4 rebounds per game for such a small player. Kidd-Gilchrist’s only flaws

are his lack of range. He has trouble with his perimeter shooting, or for that matter anything beyond 15 feet.

His play resembles that of a power forward, though due to his height, will most likely be a small forward in the NBA. Michael’s biggest problem is that although he’s a solid all-around player, he’s not necessarily a master of any certain skill, so it’s hard for a coach to know where to put him on the court.

school news

Our Incoming Freshmen

by Austin Woo ‘15

The new guys.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Dennis Phillips|| Only two short years ago, Stuart Hall High School came close to shutting down; with rumors and discussions spread throughout the SHHS community, causing worry.

With a lack of students and funds, many parents as well as students grew greatly concerned and eager to find any way possible in which they could help our school. Not only did our small community in these short two years, raise enough funds to stabilize SHHS, but we also manage to promote our school and dramatically increase the enrollment of the 2012-2013 school year leaving a great milestone in our evergrowing Stuart Hall High School history.

This year’s freshmen are already of a large variety, with different talents, interests, and skill sets; each of them have found their own “niche” at SHHS and are quite comfortable and feel at home in this connected community. Many teachers, such as Mrs. Saltveit, are impressed with this year’s freshmen, “I was very impressed with the freshmen this year, and they are really smart.” On the contrary, as amazing as this year’s freshmen class is, it has been confirmed that the incoming freshmen of next year, the Class of 2016 are on par, and just as big as the Class of 2015. With 49 students coming from over 28 different schools, comes a variety of new and soon to be familiar faces that will soon enter our community at SHHS. In fact from our brother school, comes seven new freshmen from Stuart Hall for Boys. That roster includes Zachary Avilia, Duncan McDonell, Lucius Johnson, Matty Jung, Evan Kim, Robbie Vanderlaan, and Andrew Veld.

Many other students are also coming from St. Vincent De Paul, NDV, and St. Brendan’s.

These incoming freshmen are also tremendously talented, each with their own unique qualities

that will only further add to our strong community at Stuart Hall High School. A large amount of incoming freshmen will be taking advanced classes next year, as well as contributing to our sports teams. “Next year’s freshman are promising,” Mr. Khan, our head of admission, confirms, “ It’s a bright group and many of them are good test takers. In fact, this may be our best test taking class yet. We also have a lot of athletes coming; our school is going to have more crosscountry runners, as well as many football, basketball, soccer, and baseball players.”

Like a rose bush, this year will soon come to an end and drop its older petals by graduating its matured seniors, just as new petals will come in the form of our new incoming freshmen. As the seniors come closer to graduation, the juniors ready themselves to become Stuart Hall’s new leaders. Just as the sophomores begin to take their new and higher place as juniors, this year’s freshmen (2015) sigh in relief that the freshmen finish-line is up ahead. No longer will they dread being at the bottom of the food chain, for the new freshmen are soon to arrive and contribute to our ever growing community at SHHS.

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sports

Move ‘em Out!

by Peter Melling ‘12

Who’s staying and who’s leaving in sports.

Photoshop by Peter Melling || round table

Team relocation has been a constant problem in professional sports. While relocation has produced several successful teams (the Giants and Dodgers going to California, the New Jersey Devils leaving Colorado, and the Lakers going from Minneapolis to Los Angeles), many woes have been produced as well (the legal problems faced when the first Cleveland Browns team moved to Baltimore, the “midnight travel” of the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis, and the departure of two hockey teams from Atlanta, almost 30 years apart).

Even today, this is still an issue, as there are possibilities of teams shifting locations right now, in each of the “big four” sports.

Football The problem the NFL is faced with is a simple one: how will they fill the Los Angeles market? The focus for a move to LA are involve mostly teams that have stadium problems, like the Vikings, Chargers, Raiders, and Jaguars. Since the Vikings recently got a measure passed in the Minnesota state senate to build a new downtown stadium to replace the aging Metrodome, and the round table | page 6

the Jaguars have a new owner who is committed to staying in Jacksonville, they are unlikely to be relocated.

The benefit of having the Chargers move would be that it wouldn’t alienate their Southern California fan base, and they are in the AFC West, therefore negating realignment that could unbalance the divisions of the NFL. This is much the same situation for the Oakland Raiders, as they are playing in an aging stadium, and the team was previously located in LA (where they won a Superbowl). Mark Davis, the team’s current owner, has not stated anything about an LA move, but it is looking like a viable option.

Still, there is an alternative that would be quite pleasing to LA football fans: the St. Louis Rams.

They rank near the bottom of the entire NFL in attendance at St. Louis, and despite renovations to the Edward Jones Dome, the team still struggles to draw fans and get wins (a 29-83 record over the past 7 seasons has not helped). A move to Los Angeles would help rejuvenate the franchise, and help them return to their roots in LA. They also are in the NFC West, so no realignment is required. This move also has the bonus of adding the 49ers and Chargers as location-based rivals.

The Rams, at the moment, seem to be the best solution to the Los Angeles problem in the NFL. Baseball Many teams in the MLB are quite secure in their location.

However, two teams are problematic: the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics. Both play in outdated stadiums, and both have attendance problems. The A’s have

stated openly their desire to relocate, and the Rays have hinted at such a desire as well (the Rays could not even sell out a playoff game last year). The situations for both teams are quite different.

While the Tampa Bay public has voted against a new publicly funded stadium for the Rays, the team still has strong enough success on the field to invite interest from the public and private investors to potentially build a new stadium in the Tampa Bay area.

The A’s on the other hand, seem destined by owner Lew Wolff’s desire to move to San Jose or even Sacramento. There is little support for a new stadium in Oakland, but the MLB has remained quiet about their policies to block moves from either Tampa or Oakland. A potential move is a far more gray area in the MLB than the NFL, but it still pertinent to have some kind of plan for both the Rays and the A’s.

Basketball The NBA is currently losing millions of dollars on smallmarket teams that have problems maintaining any kind of fan base. Teams like the Sacramento Kings and the Charlotte Bobcats both reflect these problems. The Kings’ owners are hoping to move to Anaheim or another location in Southern California, but the Sacramento public has blocked their moves. However, their attendance is incredibly low, and has become a drain on the NBA. The NBA will be forced to make an official move at some point, and hopefully soon.

The Bobcats have suffered under the poor ownership of Michael Jordan for some time. Trading star players for draft busts, poor drafting choices, and other financial misadventures are the main reasons why this franchise has fallen on

its knees. The Bobcats’ attendance has fallen slowly, and Jordan has stated his desire to sell the team if the Bobcats’ performance does not improve. If he were to sell the team, the biggest interest for a new team would most likely come from either Seattle (once a new arena is built) to restore the Supersonics (the Bobcats would take on the Sonics history and wipe out their own history) or from Kansas City to fill the Sprint Center.

Realignment would be required, but it could be relatively easy shuffling the teams. It is still a far better option than letting the team waste away in Charlotte.

Hockey It seems that the mistake of the Southern expansion of the 1990’s has caught up to commissioner Gary Bettman. The Thrashers have already moved to Winnipeg, and should the attendance woes of the Coyotes, Panthers, Predators, and Blue Jackets continue, they could be next.

The Coyotes, one of the few league-owned teams, seem the most likely for a move, either to Quebec City (a new arena is being planned) or Kansas City (the Sprint Center is ready to go for hockey as well).

Seattle also looks likely, and with

realignment planned, this should work out well.

The Panthers and Predators could stay if their attendance improves (which it has since both teams have had recent playoff appearances), and the Blue Jackets could move to a large market near Columbus (Cleveland or Cincinnati ideally).

The ineptitude of Gary Bettman’s leadership might be a problem, but the owners could overcome it.

sports

Giants Round Up

by Colin Ryan ‘12

2012 season swings off.

Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report|| round table

As the 2012 baseball season swings off, the Giants seem to be off to a rough start. The Giants are dealing with injuries and performance issues.

Barely a week into the season, the Giants have had to deal with an injury that could leave the team without its closer for the rest of 2012. Brian Wilson has “structural issues” with his right elbow, and wemt into surgery. The team

doctor plans to get second and third opinion on the MRI exam Wilson had on April 20. But assuming those opinions aren’t dramatically different, Wilson appears to be out for the season.

Also Giants ace pitcher, Tim Lincecum is off to a poor start for the season. The zip on Lincecum’s fastball is down. His ERA is 10.54, and he was winless in his first three starts. This is the first time in Lincecum’s career that he has allowed five-or-more runs in three straight starts. According to manager Bruce Bochy, once Tim gets

his confidence back he will be back to his old self.

The Giants are currently in second place in the National League West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They presently have 23 wins and 21 loses. They are seven games out of first and are making headway to taking over the first place position in their division. The Giants are predicted to finish first in their division in front of the Dodgers and go on to the playoffs.

At this point in the season, it is a two team race. The Diamondbacks have also had the injury bug hit them, and they can barely knock the ball around at their home stadium.

In their current state, they are in no position to defend their National League West crown. The Rockies are as stagnant as they were last year, with poor pitching and a poor offense that cannot make up for pitcher’s mistakes. The Padres are pretty much out of the race, coming in at 29th place in the latest ESPN power rankings analysis. San Francisco appears to be the only credible threat to the Dodgers at the moment, if things go Bochy’s way through the rest of the season.

(Note: Article was last updated on 5/23)

the round table | page 7

special features

Senior Reflection

by Tim Connolly ‘12

Looking back at four years.

Photo by Mrs. Lori Saltveit || round table

As a senior in my final weeks at Stuart Hall, it’s tough to believe how fast the past four years have gone by. I’ve been asked to write a reflection on what these years have meant to me.

The four years I’ve spent at Stuart Hall have had many highs as well as many lows, but these all combined to make my high school experience. The bonds I’ve made and the things I have learned will stick with me for the rest of my life. That journey began with freshman year.

Excited, scared, and worried are all three great adjectives to describe how I felt prior to my first day of Freshman Success. At this point in time I was a small and also quite shy little boy. On the first day of Freshman Success most, if not all, my fears were expelled. It seemed to me that I had just entered a community of individuals who, like me, wanted to make high school, a the round table | page 8

fun experience. What I remember most about this year would have to be the bus rides to and from soccer games and practices. These were times after school when we all had the opportunity to hang out and bond as a team. I remember the way that Orestes and Kofi would argue non-stop every day about whose culture was better, or the way any time Will left his bag unattended we would take whatever happened to be inside and hide it.

I learned a lot that year though.

I began to realize that I had a lot more freedom to play with as opposed to the very structured and rigid education I received at St. Gabriel’s. I enjoyed this freedom but sometimes took advantage of it too much and suffered the consequences.

For example, I realized that sometimes not doing the reading for Mr. Britton’s history class could go unnoticed, but the day before the test I found myself cramming all the past readings into a small window of time. It was through experiences like these that I matured my freshman

year. The most important realization I came to could be summed up in the famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “With great freedom, comes great responsibility”.

Sophomore year was a lot different from freshman year. As a class I felt that we had really come together, and the awkwardness at the beginning of freshman year was not present that year. Not quite upperclassmen, but not freshmen, we as a class began to explore different niches. I found my niche in sports and this is what really characterized my sophomore year.

Firstly, I moved up to varsity soccer.

Soccer on the varsity team was both exciting and intimidating. Still not at physically comparable level to a lot of the varsity players, the year was a struggle. Through this struggle I developed a specific part of my character that I am proud of. In the face of adversity my competitive nature compelled me to work harder and this quality transferred over to most parts of my life.

Later in the year, I was chosen to be captain of the JV basketball team.

This was the first time I was ever chosen to be in a leadership position.

This forced me to change from being the shy individual I normally was, to the more outgoing guy that I believe I am today. Some of my most memorable moments came during Mr. Halkyard’s chemistry class. The one that jumps out at me was the time when Baldwin hid inside Mr. Halkyard’s podium and halfway through the class jumped out to scare him. Also our sophomore retreat was a fun day out at Planet Granite. It gave us a chance to get to know each other better outside of a school context and we all really bonded during this time. Overall, sophomore year was one of great changes, for the class and me. After that year we were ready to make

the transition from underclassmen to a position of leadership as upperclassmen.

Arriving on my first day of campus as a junior was different.

The summer was characterized by the school’s fiscal crisis. Our community pulled together and was able to navigate through this dark time. It was a huge scare for the community, but it was also a time in which the community came together to fight for a common cause. Our first day on campus was weird after the events that preceded it, but everyone was happy to see each other after the summer. It was strange not to have the seniors of the year before on campus anymore, especially because they were the first set of upperclassmen we had all become close with. I especially missed their presence on the basketball court.

This was my first year playing varsity basketball.

The team was on a high after its success in the previous year, and most of the guys were looking to build upon this success. The previous year featured Ikenna Nwadibia, Frank Duncan, and Joe Hurd and their graduation cast a dark shadow on the teams’ success my junior year. The team persevered though and fought to get just as far as the

team before us did. Junior year was our first year as upperclassmen. It was yet another reason this time was so special. Being upperclassmen brought a sense of responsibility.

No longer were we the new kids in town; we were the school’s seasoned veterans. Junior year was full of new experiences: one such experience was prom. Junior year was both fun and eventful.

Senior year has been great thus far. The beginning was somewhat sad because all of the seniors from the previous years were gone. This was sad for me especially because a lot of the guys in that class had become some of my closest friends.

It was definitely strange to not have them around me since we had spent so much time together in previous years. It was a valuable experience though, because it forced me to reach out and start making bonds with other people in my class. This was a positive experience for the most part because I really did reach out to all my classmates and I believe that I have become closer with some of the guys I didn’t know much about.

The college process characterized my senior year. As usual for many college bound seniors, a lot of my time was spent researching and visiting colleges, as well as filling

out applications. The college process ended up being relatively successful for me. Of the fifteen colleges I applied to I was accepted to eleven, including my top three of Kenyon, Pitzer, and Occidental. Senior year hasn’t been all college applications though. In between college work, sports, and homework I have found time to bond with my friends, but most importantly my family. I have realized that there are only a couple more months that I’m going to have with my family and I’ve tried to make the most of it. One of the highlights of the year would have to be the senior retreat. The senior retreat was really unlike any other experience that I’ve had before. I wish we had this retreat earlier in the year because it brought our class so much closer together.

Overall, the last four years that I’ve been at Stuart Hall have been some of the most fun, challenging, and exciting years of my life. The bonds that I’ve made with my classmate as well as the faculty has helped create an experience that I will never forget. I hope that as I take my next step in life, these people will always remain close to me.

Photo by Mr. Scott Roos||round table the round table | page 9

Nicholas Alvarez

Xavier University

Addison Chan

University of California, Berkeley

Alex Asdourian

Michael Chan

Loyola University, New Orleans

Chapman University

Nick Berardi

Chapman University Will Campbell

Boston College

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Kyle Chew

University of California, Davis Andy Chung

Santa Clara University

Tim Connolly

Kenyon College

Andrew Fejt

University of Portland

Harry Conrad

Jack Gruber

Skidmore College

Southern Methodist University

Owen Dayton

Joe Hildula

University of Portland

Tulane University

Skyler Dayton

Peter Holper

Whittier College

Loyola University, Chicago

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Hiro Imaizumi

Boston College

Raymond Jiang

University of California, Santa Cruz Grant Kawahatsu

Syracuse University Daniel Kuznetsov

University of Michigan

the round table | page 12

Brandan La

Stanford University

Baldwin Liu

Chapman University

Lucas Long

Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts Peter Melling

Lewis & Clark College

Patrick Miller

University of Norte Dame

Devan Patel

The George Washington University LaBoyd Ricard

University of La Verne Nathan Rosenblum

Western New England University

Colin Ryan

Purdue University

Sebastian Sandoval

Boston College

Connor Satterfield

Chapman University

Calvin Schrader

University of California, Davis

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Baard Soedal

John Warda

Year Abroad

University of San Francisco

Felix Sudderth

Brian Williams

University of California, Santa Cruz

San Francisco State University

Ramey Syufy

Loyola Marymount University Donovan Van

New York University

the round table | page 14

Kevin Wong

University of Southern California

special features

Ask an Indie Game Designer

by Donovan Van ‘12

Just how hard is it exactly?

ended up wandering most of the time and were generally unproductive. Not until we entered our first crunch time around December of this year did we start pulling off effective 19 hour days and successfully pushing out new builds.

Photo by Brandan La || round table

Describe your current project in a nutshell?

A: Dark Deception, our open-source RPG, has just left its prototyping phase and is currently in its crowd funding phase. It is an adventure game in the vein of Pokemon set in a dystopian 2019 California controlled by two private military corporations at an uneasy truce. The gamer plays as Xavier Harvey, a soldier for MSF (Millites Sine Fines), who accidentally breaks the peace-treaty holding the companies at peace, thereby reigniting an apocalyptic war. The game’s storyline follows Xavier’s quest to end the very war that he started.

How would you describe your work as an indie game designer?

A: I am the producer behind our projects and as a result, I am responsible for coordinating my team, allocating resources, testing builds, interacting with the community, managing art assets and directing the project.

What challenges presented themselves to you as an indie game designer?

A: For the first year of the Dark Deception project, the biggest challenge was focusing our resources and personnel. Without any true financial or time constraints, we

Did you ever doubt yourself?

A: My biggest concern with the creative vision we have for our games, particularly the Dark Deception project, is whether or not our consumers would be willing to accept or understand our ideas. Another big doubt that has plagued me is the sustainability of the studio because we live in a world where 95% of indie studios fail, and the quality of life for game developers hovers below any other sector of the entertainment industry.

What things have you done which are conducive to your future in game design?

A: I attended the 2012 Global Game Jam along with my other developer Bård Søedal to produce “Y.A.Z.G. - Yet Another Zombie Game”. The experience allowed us to develop our creative skills and mental endurance, letting us grow stronger as developers.

Why become an indie game designer? What are some cool things about it?

A: Indie game development strays far from the mainstream conceptions of what this line of work can bring. The emotional investment that you put into your work far outstrips anything that the industry can bring. The creativity that comes out of this art form pushes the very boundaries of our petty contemporary conceptions of consciousness and experience.

What led you to become an indie game designer?

A: I was mentored by a pair of AI researches from UC Santa Cruz.

They are working on creating “true” artificial intelligence, computer programs that can autonomously make decisions based on personal histories and emotions that are malleable based on their context and interactions with other intelligences.

They’ve worked on two games, Facade, a dynamic conversation game, and Prom Week, a comic social simulation.

Do you have any other aspirations other than game design?

A: I like the pursuit of philosophy and literature.

Do you think you will continue you work in this field in college?

A: Whether or not my current studio, Subtle Stone, will survive into the next year, is a question that has yet to be asked. However, I do plan to host a Global Game Jam at SCA-IMD (University of Southern California’s Interactive Media Department) and work on a number of casual projects for browsers. I am very interested in developing for iOS and other mobile devices, as not enough unique and interesting things have been done with a multitouch interface.

As one can take from this, the life of an indie game designer is a hard one. Problems range from funding to hiring employees. Even still, Kevin continues to realize his dream and does a service to all other aspiring independent game designers by doing so. Kevin is going on to USC’s Interactive Media Department to continue and we at The Hall hope to see his games take off and for us to be able to play those games in the future. the round table | page 15

special features

Wise Words

by Kevin Wong ‘12

Advice to juniors for senior year, from a senior.

Photo by Mr. Sergio Vasquez || round table

Congratulations. You’ve done it.

You’ve made it through three years at Stuart Hall High School, and in that brief time, you’ve witnessed more than you have seen in any other period in your life. Senior year is supposed to be the apotheosis of your experience as a youth, and as you prepare to legally conclude your childhood, here are five pieces of wisdom to meditate on based on my successes and screw-ups.

1. Pursue an Independent Project: Try pursuing a long-term creative project that you will work on developing for the duration of the school year. For me, this manifested itself as Dark Deception, my videogame project that will likely extend for several more years. Other types of people may be interested in developing bands, musical acts, spearheading school events or launching companies. No matter what kind of project it may be, a “concluding project” of sorts acts well as a “climax” of your highschool career and makes your youth the round table | page 16

feel better spent because there are many other ways to be a leader than joining Student Council.

2. Be Friendly: Be friends with everyone in your class. Three years is too long to carry around stupid grudges and misgivings, which are frankly, a waste of time. Spend time with people you have not connected with and move beyond your comfort zone: this you will witness on your Senior Retreat. Get out of the house on weekends and spend your time doing something valuable with your friends because as you will witness, senior year flies by quickly.

3. Do Sports: If you haven’t already done so, pursuing a dedicated sport truly enhances the overall experience of being in high school. Dedicating a few hours after school, every day of the week, builds solidarity with your team and your own physical capabilities. Your mental threshold strengthens character while allowing you to build a sense of living for something other than yourself, a critical notion to possess while growing up.

4. Get a Sense of What You Want to do With Your Life: This will come into critical importance as you prepare to enter college and decide what you would like to pursue as your concentration.

While this may be a lot to ask of teenagers, what it means for your overall happiness throughout the course of your life is of great importance. Waking up at the age of 40 with the realization that you hate the career that you began at 18 is a situation any reasonable person would like to avoid. Look beyond what pays well and consider what gives you life and energy. When you realize that work and play have become married together and are indistinguishable, then you know that you’ve found what makes your existence in this world meaningful for humanity.

5. Treasure your Existence: Life does not begin at adulthood; life has already begun and proceeds with every moment. Your time in this world is limited and already you are closing in on the final moments of your childhood. Treasure the time you have left in high school and spend that time in a meaningful way. Time is too rare a resource to be wasted on meaningless drivel.

Make every moment in your life count towards something. What that will be and how it will manifest itself to you remains your choice.

sports

Faster than Fast

by Liam Lynch ‘13

Track: The Last Leg.

Photos by Jeff Nemy || round table

The season for the 2012 Track team is finally coming to a close, and is heading down the home stretch.

This year’s team has been dynamic and is on the cutting edge with a host of new talent from all classes.

Every event this year, from the long distance to the sprints and hurdles, to the field has been improved dramatically due to the influx of new athletes to the team. In the freshman class, 19 new athletes from both Convent and Stuart Hall joined the team. This is a tremendous amount of athletes to join from one year to the next.

In the sprints, freshmen Benjamin and Bosco Bapuopeleh are speeding through the competition with their impressive performances in the 4X100 meter, 110-meter hurdles, 100-meter, and the 200-meter dashes. Freshmen Will Hackel and John Quinlan are also making impactful efforts against the competition in the 400-meter sprint.

On the girls’ side Jane Stephens and Julia Nemy are moving up in the ranks among the team.

On Saturday, May 12, the

Convent and Stuart Hall Track and Field team competed in the BAC Championship Meet at Chabot College. The Knights and Cubs competed against all other schools in the Bay Area Conference (BAC), including their top league competitor in the BCL West: the Lick-Wilmerding Tigers. The BAC Championship Meet proved to be a one for the books with a total of 41 personal bests and 8 broken or tied school records. The effort proved just good enough to win the meet, beating league rival Lick 154153, and to become overall league

champions for 2012.

The track team continued onto the NCS Class A Championship a week later with Convent setting six school records. Sophomore Tess Holland, by placing 3rd in the 100 also became the first Cub to qualify for the NCS Meet of Champions.

The Knights also had a stellar performance at the meet breaking three school records. Freshman Bosco Bapuopeleh set new records for both the 100 and 200 m sprints with 11.11 and 22.39 respectively.

Senior Owen Dayton placed 3rd in discus with a throw of 121’ 3”. The 4 X 400 capped the day off with a 3:31.14 to finish 2nd. As a team, Stuart Hall placed 3rd at the meet, only 4 points behind first place.

A total of nine athletes from the track team qualified for the NCS Meet of Champions where they will compete against all schools from the section: Tess Holland, LaBoyd Ricard, John Warda, Sterling Kirk, Bosco Bapuopeleh, Joe Hildula, Matt McCrum, Tim Connolly, and Owen Dayton. The meet will take place May 25-26.

The whole Sacred Heart Community is rooting for their Knights and Cubs as they enter the final test of their strength, and wishes them good luck and fortitude.

the round table | page 17

sports

Baseball Does it Again

by Peter Melling ‘12

The Knights win their second consecutive BCL West title! percentage.

Despite losing seniors like Connor Bottum and TJ Najera, the team was able to recover with repositioning players (moving senior Harry Conrad to middle infield and sophomore Gerald Reader to catcher) and with strong performances by Photo by Wendy Wisniewski || round table the freshmen (Stephen Everest filling the RHP spot with a 2.41 Well, it happened. The 2012 ERA and hitting .316 and George Stuart Hall Baseball team Wisniewski stealing 7 bases). In an has become the first team in interview with SanFranPreps.com, school history to win back-toCoach Eddie Russell said, “Stephen back championships. The team is an outstanding player and for a went undefeated in league, with freshman, he is extremely composed. opponents only hitting .181 off of We also have four other freshmen the pitching and defense, while the that are good ballplayers, so I’m Knights hit .314 with a .402 on-base really happy I have a chance to work

Road to the Gold

Photos by Wendy Wisniewski || round table

Highlights of this year’s baseball playoffs.

the round table | page 18

with these kids in the future and watch them develop.”

The BCL West playoff series was probably the best performance by the Knights. In the first game, Stephen Everest (playing with a stress fracture in his plant foot) only gave up 1 hit and struck out 5 over the course of 6 innings. The Knights would go on to win that game behind the strong hitting performances of Alex Asdourian (4 for 4, with 3 RBI’s) and Gerald Reader (2 for 3, with a double, triple, and 2 RBI’s).

The Knights would go on to win that game 8-2.

The Championship Game was even more of a spectacle, with Ben Carrasco only allowing 3 hits and striking out 7 in 7 innings, and a 6-run 5th Inning. The Knights never lost a lead in the entire playoff series, and got an automatic bid in the NCS tournament. Their quest for a repeat was a success.

special features

Summer’s Up

by Lucas Chan ‘14

The best ways to spend your time before school starts again.

Francisco that might make this summer the best break ever. Here are some ideas that might pry you away from the couch.

Photo by Taro Duncan|| round table

Summer’s coming along and Stuart Hall students are prepping for that time of year again, with no more homework, test cramming, or ALEKS (YES!). While sitting at home watching TV and playing video games may seem like they could keep you occupied the entire summer, there are also a lot of other fun activities to do around San

sports

Live 105 BFD Well maybe it’s not the most well known festival nor does it have a cute mascot like Outside Lands (Ranger Dave, whatever happened to your cute bison buddy?) but Live 105 has been around for quite awhile and is celebrating its 18th year in the Bay Area. This year, the festival is filled with a variety of great bands like Cake, Garbage, FUN, Silversun Pickups, and Jane’s Addiction. Tickets start at around $35 so you don’t have burn your wallet to go.

Haight Ashbury Street Festival There’s nothing more interesting in San Francisco than hanging out in the Haight. June 12th marks the

34th annual Haight Ashbury Street Festival, which includes a variety of fun things to do for all ages. Some fun activities include arts and crafts, performances, and (of all things) mug making, where locals come and decorate their own coffee mugs. The festival is a great way for locals to get together and have a good time while living out that Summer of Love groove again.

Sunday Streets The best things in San Francisco are free, including the weekly Sunday Streets. Though it may sound somewhat boring to just bike around Golden Gate Park with no cars, the side attractions like the weekly dancing and acting performances around the Academy of Sciences are a great bonus. A San Francisco exclusive, Sunday Streets have something for everyone to enjoy.

Swimming for a Good Season

by James Hernandez ‘15

Knights and Cubs rock the pool.

Photo by Mr. O’Connor|| round table

This years Knights swim season got off to a good start. Especially since the team grew immensely since last year, from one person on the team to nine. After only a few

weeks of practice the team participated in nine swim meets this season. Although the Knights gave a valiant effort, with new swimmers Benzi Blatman and Jeremy Hyunh placing in their individual meets and breaking school records most of the matches were won by other schools.

As in past years the swim team is a coed venture with the girls from Convent of the Sacred Heart. The Cubs had more success winning most of their meet. Even through

chattering teeth, blue skin and anticipation of their next race, both groups gave an effort that everyone should be proud of. This year’s coach, Victoria was pleased with everyone’s progress when she was interviewed early in the season. We should all give the first coach, Mike Vigil from the class of 2006, a big thanks for starting the coed team at Convent and paving the way for future swimmers.

the round table | page 19

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