December 2011

T H E

BOLT

September 2011 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657 Volume 12, Issue 1 December 2011 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657 Volume 12, Issue 3

CIF In this Issue...

Recap Features:

A Talk With Thomas: A Welcome from Your President Natasha Sakraney ‘12 Front Page Editor

Phil Kaye Returns to Sage

B: Could you explain a little bit about how the dances have changed this year? And how did you and the StuCo achieve the goal of making dances more affordable?

TH: As a student body president, I want !"# $"%&# !"# '(# )*+# ,%"-./01# !2)!# 3# '*4#

cost of the dances. This shows StuCo’s B : H o w a r e s p i r i t r a l l i e s and the administration’s commitment to g o i n g t o w o r k t h i s y e a r ? making events accessible for all students. TH: Spirit rallies will remain class The Bolt (B): What are you most B: Some people may say that academics competitions. We will also try and excited about for this upcoming year? and other things should be given higher recognize the athletes from our sports Natasha Sakraney ‘12 T h o m a s H a g u e ( T H ) : I a m priority than school dances? Why are teams in spirit rallies. Although will be most excited to see kids get Front Page Editor Remembering a Day That you personally celebrating our individual classes, we super involved and for us to Girls’ Tennis: CIF Runner-Up Will Never Be Forgotten......2 s o p a s s i o n a t e Sophia Falmagne ‘12 also want to celebrate the whole school. have a great time while bringing In a nail-biting match in Claremont on MonStaff Writer about the topic B: How do you respond when people day, November 22, the Sage Hill girls’ meaning tennis and change to the school. of Sage dances? say that Sage is losing its “Saginess”?

B: How would you express the An alumnus of Sage Hill, Phil Kaye team lost by games in the CIF Championship TH: Dances are TH: I think that if Sage stays the dynamic on StuCo this year? first fell in love with spoken word poetry tennis match. This is the second year in a row a n i m p o r t a n t same every year then it shows that the TH: This year we have, by far, the his senior year of high school, and that Sage has lost to the St. Margaret’s in the o p p o r during t u n i t y students are complacent. I think that best Student Council I have ever been has since a national sensation as CIF finals. The two teams split the 18 sets, and f o r s t u d e n t s become part of “Saginess” is the desire to create a part of. The reason for this is that messenger of this little-known art form. unfortunately Sage lost in games 69-65.every member is there for the right t o r ea m i n d your own unique year at the school. I His immense success at a young age can Boys’ Cross Country: themselves that think the senior class, as leaders of the reasons and truly has a passion for the most likely be attributed passion notshaping they are still school, In the CIF finals, the Sage Hill Boys’ work that they do. Although we still Cross plays to a his large role in only for writing, but also for spreading the die if k i d s .

S c h o o l Country team placed 5th to make the have lots of work top 7 each year. Saginess will only to do, the whole word about his craft, no pun intended.

Sage students work in local soup kitchen to aid the homeless during Service Learning is supposed to the kids no longer care about it, but I teams to qualify for state.

The team went on Girls’ Volleyball Ready for StuCo deserves great recognition Phil wasdon’t see that happening anytime soon! born and raised in Southern fun. Students to place 8th in state. Chris Andras ‘13 finished for the work they have done over the an Epic Season......................3 can learn to B: California, attended University, What’s Brown one piece of advice you with the highest time for Sage with a time of summer. StuCo doesn’t even usually '*4#!2/#-).)*7/# would have for the and has since been touring thefreshmen country class?

16:50, and Dylan Thies ‘13 finished nextwork over the summer. I trust them with between a

s trong TH: Don’t be afraid to be a little weird. performing and teaching workshops in fully to make decisions because the time of 17:21.

Photo courtesy of:Thomas Hague commitment to be a little weird, Even if you might venues that range from maximum security they always make the right ones.

Girls’ Cross Country: academics and desire to enjoy themselves. that just makes you incredibly special.

B :CIF W h a t c h a n g e s h a v e y o u prisons to sold out theaters to high schools.

The Sage Hill Girls’ Cross Country ran in and make this school the best it can be. I personally have experienced some of B: What’s your favorite thing about Sage? i m p20 l e m e n t e d i n t h e s c h o o l ?

When he isn’t on the road, he lives in New Finals at Mt. Sac on Saturday, November To be quite honest, the dance prices were my most valuable learning at Sage Hill TH: My favorite thing about Sage is that TH: We’ve made a few new York City where he published his first book and finished their season by placing 10th.The the main problem that I found. I talked outside of the classroom. Even though it’s a home away from home, a place last year: A Light Bulb Symphony. top finisher was Sophia Witte ‘13 whochanges ran a to keep students in the to many students last year after Prom, Photos academics extremely Courtesy of are Natasha Sakraney important, I where I feel comfortable to be who I loop about everything that is going Phil Kaye opened his third performance time of 20:34. and it became obvious that people did think I have grown more outside of Erika Lynn-Green ‘13 the am. I actually have a part this amazing on at Sage. We have installed a before the students of Sage with an inGirls’ Volleyball: CIF Champions! not want to spend hundreds of dollars classroom and want make sure that others All Dressed Up: An Interview place and the sense of responsibility flat screen TV in the Upper Staff Writer spirational piece that left first-time Kaye Hundreds of excited Sage Hill fans clad in green on dances. It really shows how great can experience this growth as well. And that With Ms. Blackwell..............4 students have here makes it so Humanities for announcement and he Dorothy Chandlerour school is if one of our main problem Pavilion is a glittering, pillared symbol of Los Angeles’s elite, the viewers and seasoned spectators alike in packed the gym at Cypress College to pictures. We have also successfully watch with the new dance pricing, I just wanted unique. The list of my favorite things opera house that Lincoln Center wishes it could have. It is not a building awe. (He later admitted, the goes amazement is dance prices! With the help of many the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team defeat St. to show that that if a anyone you see a problem, about Sage to just on and on. organized the calendar board to associates with homelessness, though an unnoticed man sleeps pressed against wall audience, that he wrote the entire Margaret’s to become the CIF Southernmake Sec- it easy for students to see faculty members and administrators, the administrators the are willing of to his work of the parking garage.$/#$/%/#)-./#!"#156*5'7)*!.+#%/487/#!2/# This reality is a very different side of the city: Los Angeles as the composition on the plane from New York. with you and that you can enact change.

tion Division IV-AA Champions on Saturday, all that’s going on at the school.

Sports:

No One Is Home Until Everyone Is Home

T

Arts:

Homeless Capital of America.

What is more, he had been forced to give November 20th. Sage won in an exciting fifth There are more than 24,000 homeless Angelinos.

Daunting as this fact is, there are many a disclaimer to his neighbors in the cabin game; the score was 27-29, 25-21, 22-25, 25organizations that work tirelessly to reverse homeless trends in The City of Angels. that he would be muttering to himself for 18, 15-9. Senior Captain Alayna Lewis said, Last week I had the privilege to attend an annual award party at the Dorothy Chandler the duration of the flight.)

“It was an honor to be on such a cohesive, hiscelebrating these groundbreaking organizations, the Corporation for Supportive This brings up the question: what extory-making team.” This years girls’ volleyball

Fast forward hosted to the by start of You’re Funny...But You’re Yoon word?

Cha ‘13 introduces Housing (CSH).

Heather Goldin ‘12 actly is spoken It is simply writtenher !251# 172"".# +/)%9# 3# $)1# '*)..+# )-./# Shannon Zhang ‘12 team is the second volleyball team to ever win Assistant Editor­in­Chief Going to Hell.........................5 CSH’s mission is to end homelessness in LA through permanent supportive housing, Editor­In­Chief “Challenges of the Month” poetry that is meant to be performed, and,and to test out the idea with an edition a CIF title and has made it farther in the state of The Bolt from last year.

With a defined by them as “housing with services to prevent and end homelessness”.

CSH also debuts Ms. Orr’s monthly guest as such, the cadence of what is said and the

playoffs than any other girls’ volleyball team

Welcome to The Bolt little experimentation, I successfully gives grants to dozens of other organizations, to build, equip, improve, and ensure the

Confused by our Town Meeting sound of the words as a whole hold much puzzles.

Jenna Shapiro ’13, in Sage history! uploaded an all edition of The Bolt to 2011­2012! It’s been almost a announcement at the beginning of safety of housing for homeless people over California, including Orange County. weight in the ideas the artist is conveying. one of our fabulous Assistant month of school and already Issuu voila! citizens—a We have a majority virtual of whom the year? Don’t be confused­­I’m Orange County has about 7000and homeless work fulltime Phil saysEditor­in­Chiefs, himself though, that the “I reason says, am so edition of the Bolt on our hands. some of us are counting here to clear things up! When I said, but simply cannot pay the astronomical housing costs. (Monthly, a single-bedroom he lovesincredibly this form of excited expression more than for newspaper Our hope for the future of The down the days to summer.

“The Bolt is going virtual,” I meant apartment in Orange County costs three times more minimum wage.) In an effort any other is precisely that it is so open.

Bolt is that, along with the than monthly it. The Bolt can now be accessed As freshmen forge new this year! We will be making to change thisIssuu. phenomenon, supportive housing is being built all over the county. Last He told Sage withLiterally. a smile, “anybody can publishing of the paper, the online digitally from the website history.

I’m especially friendships on the retreat this version will be linked in the bi­weekly

week, The Courtyards in Long Beach won the Quality in Operations and Management do this.”

All that’s necessary is yourself com (pronounced issue). Curious excited about the online version, Community E­News email, which is week, seniors prepare for the from CSH. and a microphone—there other to about how this award idea came about?

New Teachers........................6 which will allow are our noschool '*).#1!%/!72#8*!5.#6%)48)!5"*:# Let me explain: The work of CSH andsent to both students and parents. The the organizations it supports is incredibly important but stressful, requirements. reach a broader audience. YAY!” Shannon Zhang ‘12 can’t wait Itfor another year Back track so Ito wasSpring surprisedat at thelink will also be visible in the paper enthusiasm of all of the people who I met I last week. taught When asked whether he tries to find a itself so it will be easily accessible.

We decided to assign Sage, where a me junior took on an Editor-In-Chief filled here, with a forceful lesson—what at Sage, and theadvantage education we receive is spontaneous for a certain cadence while writing, as on the we doOne common The Sage newspaper server gasped itsinternship final at the OC Register to !2/#*/$#1!);;#$%5!/%1#!"#)#1,/75'7# purpose. plane ride, he replied that to write the to online newspapers is the ease of all­school hugs and other breaths sometime in late October. Despitegain some professional journalism their a support system for moments found only at Sage.

That purpose is not the SAT, and that purpose is not even to get into college, though Sage poem, hepage has toas perform it. The intonation sharing more visuals in addition to the experience.

On her mind was efforts, the Sage tech guys were unable to saleditors.

Congratulations to all preparesUniversity us for both. Thetext. The Bolt welcomes Megan Diaz purpose of our excellent education is to share everyone it withThe start of a naturally new gets “built in.” her visit to Columbia vage the archives of our past issues. We, The the new writers listed below! We ‘14 as this year’s photo editor, who who could not qualify for it, or who could not afford it when they did+/)%#).1"#0/)*1#!2/#'%1!#5118/# qualify—and to do He followed his first piece with somethe previous November, where Bolt staff, were devastated, but simultaneously will be in charge of a special section of our completely student­run also love aguest so asjust she read about increasing so the passionately. thing more upbeat: poemwriters, that served inspired to improve something we love.technological improvements 1,/75'7#not !"# !2/# "*.5*/#toBolt.

The new problems, have to be in supposedly let us know if you want to write!

We as teenagers, equipped change deep-set a response letter to American rapper and section will add more pictures related newspaper! After three years It’s been ten years since the founding of digital journalism. How cool would Environmentalists Unite......7 Front page: Elise Sugarman passionate about changing these problems now, or in we the willissue grow into a cripplingly inefactor Nas, who released a disconsolately on The Bolt staff, I’m honored to the articles contained Sage’s student-run newspaper. The editors it be to bring a fective digital aspect to generation. ‘ 1 3

a n d

M o l l y

Wa ng ‘13 titled album Hip Hop is Dead in 2006. that month. The online version also to serve as your Editor­In­ school newspaper, The Bolt? decided to direct our frustration at the our server The cycles of homelessness, illiteracy and inopportunity that affect so many people F e a t u r e s :

J o y

C h a n gwith ‘ 1 3 Phil Kaye then paused to connect means more photos in color, a previous Chief. This year, we’re lucky few days into my internship, I towards a complete redesign of The Bolt.A With around the country, and especially in LA, are cycles that can be broken, as CSH demlimitation with print. his listeners about the Sage experience.

In a n d

Vi c t o r i a

G r i f f i n

‘13 asked the features editor, who I was to have an extraordinary the generous help of our advisors, we formatted successAnother goal we are trying to onstrates through the high rates of the people they have housed. Many of the that moment, he was purely and sincerely working with, if he knew about any S p o r t s :

H a l l a n d

M c k e n n a editorial board. We also new templates and produced multiple drafts of reach is a complete online archive of all organizations that they support have the mantra “whatever it takes, for as long it takes”. good ideas or websites that I could one former Sage student conversing with ‘15 and Kavi Sakraney ‘14 welcome Miss Ehret, a new articles in those final weeks of fall. previous editions of The Bolt. Looking use. My goal was that for the next I heard this attitude repeated again and again in acceptance speeches, where praises were a group of current ones. And he proved back through old Bolt newspapers is addition to college counseling Arts: Celeste Broderick ’14, Jeremy We have since polished the look of the pages, school year, students not given forwould passion, and new problems were addressed. once more to be utterly down to earth and a great way to look back on Sage’s as well as the quality of the writing. In spite office, as weekend, our advisor. She Dorne ’13, and Sidney Lee ’15 only ofbe able to access the Hunter, school CEO of CSH, ended the evening by saying, “Have Jonathan a good supportive. history, and with the recent 10­year the technological shenanigans, you arenewspaper around school when an now has until extensive experience in Opinions: Eric Zhang ’14, because on Monday we must redouble our efforts.

No one is home everyone is Phil Eclosed anniversary, I know my curiosity about issue came out, but also online.

Draw your favorite animal in r i k a his L performance y n n ­ G r e e with n ’ 1a 4 , holding the third issue of the year! both journalism and dealing home.”

It was a powerful, sobering message of dedication to the enormity of the problem Sage’s beginning has been sparked special tribute to Sage Hill that could and O n l i n e n e w s p a p e r a n d 10 seconds..............................8 a n d S o p h i a F a l m a g n only e ‘12 Journalism is at once both a very public somewhat. With the help of Nikki with stressed out teenage ofbecoming homelessness. come from such a thriving alumnus: “This magazines are more School Life: Brian Slaughter a mysterious process. Send us your questions, Imai, Director of Library Recources, writers—a skill that comes in We need to get passionate about our problems—the real problems of our world. Hucommon, and, as a result, becoming place lets you dream big.” comments, concerns! We will always havethe space all previous will everyone soon be is able main source man of information.

I suffering is universal.

No one is issues home until home.handy during editing sessions! ’15 and Juliette Singarella ‘14 to be viewed in an online database via for your voice. followed my editor to the desk of We are also thrilled Lifestyle: Andrea Candelaria For more information visit www.csh.org.

Opinions:

The Bolt Goes Virtual

Welcome to the The Bolt!

Note from School Life: the Editor Lifestyle:

Backpage:

the library section of Sage’s website, Kevin Sablan, who works on the an archive that will continue to grow Register’s technical areas, which as we publish more and more issues of includes its website and other social The Bolt. media outlets. Sablan suggested HOLIDAY SPECIALS tearing down our scarlet letters a site called Issuu.com, which “First and foremost: Starbucks. Need I say “We are all Hester Prynne from one time to another.” involves uploading the issues of The Bolt in PDF form for a nice, more?”

– page 6 – page 7 high quality online version of our own student­run newspaper!

inside

to reveal some new additions ’ 1 3 a n d K a t i e B i c k ‘ 1 2 to our program—Heather G o l d i n ‘ index 1 2 , o u r s a v v y Editor’s note: It is with heavy hearts Sage Youtube Sensation.……..…....………..02 Assistant Editor­in­Chief, that the entire Bolt staff expresses No-Shave November …………………….…..03 our condolences for alumnus writes about online Spotify:our The New iTunes.………………...…..04 version in the article to AngstGeoffrey Burns’s family. It is never NBA Lockout Causes Among Fans…05 the left. On the back page, easy to accept the loss of someone of such admirable character.

He will always be in our hearts.

December 2011 The Bolt

2 Features

Sage YouTube Sensation Sanna Taskinen covers “Almost Lover” by A Fine Frenzy Maddy Abbott ‘15

Staff Writer

Sage Hill is a community where students can feel comfortable trying new things and taking risks. But even so, it’s not always easy for students to take that first leap of faith.

Sanna Taskinen, a senior at Sage, proves that taking a risk truly does pay off. Just this year, Sanna decided to really pursue her passion of singing.

When a video of Sanna singing was posted on Youtube, the sensation had almost 3000 views within two days.

Sanna admits that the popularity of this video gave her a boost of confidence, for people from all over watched and commented, and in one case, said that they enjoyed her cover better than the actual recorded song.

I had the chance to talk to Sanna about her recent success along with future plans.

Bolt (B): Do you plan to pursue your love of singing after Sage?

Sanna (S): No, I mainly just use music as an outlet. I admire those people who make music their lives, but for me, singing is just an everday hobby.

B: Has Sage provided you with opportunities that have allowed you to explore music further?

S: Well, I am the president of the Sage Hill Singers, an advanced singing group on campus led by Ms. Eddy. It’s been a great experience for me. I’ve learned so much more about classical music, a genre that varies from the alternative music I primarily listen to.

B: So how did your video really get posted?

Elise Sugarman ‘13

Staff Writer

Courtesy of Sanna Taskinen

Taskinen’s video can be found on YouTube by searching for, “Sanna Almost Lover”

Did you have any idea it would attract this much attention?

S: Honestly, I was avoiding college applications, and finally just convinced myself to sit down and record a video. I finally did, but I didn’t have enough confidence to post in on Youtube for the world to see, and that’s when a friend of mine posted it. Within a couple days, the video had almost 3000 views, yet I’m still convinced all those hits are just from Sage kids watching multiple times. Anyways, I still am so appreciative of all of the support I received, and once again, I was excited that people other than just my friends and family admired my work.

Dr. Murray’s Verdict Molly Wang ‘13

Staff Writer

It took jurors in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray nine hours of deliberation to come back with a guilty verdict.

Judge Michael Pastor warned everyone in the courtroom to remain silent as the verdict was read, but with the proclamation of the jury’s decision, La Toya Jackson, the late pop icon’s sister, let out a loud but short scream. Outside the downtown Los Angeles County courthouse, Jackson fans erupted in cheers, singing “Beat It” while waving signs that read “Guilty,” “Killer,” and “Justice for Michael.”

The trial was a two-year legal battle over who was responsible for Michael Jackson’s sudden death. Murray was Jackson’s personal physician, and had found the king of pop in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse. Jackson was later declared dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on June 25, 2009. Before his death however, Jackson reportedly had been administered propofol to help him sleep, along with a slew of other drugs. After investigating Murray, law enforcement officials convicted him of involuntary

Speaking with Siri

Phot Courtesy of Google Images

Doctor Conrad Murray at his trial moments before conviction.

manslaughter.

In six weeks together, the jurors in the trial had listened attentively to 49 witness testimonies, with the exception of Murray’s who chose not to testify. When a decision was reached on November 7, 2011, Murray was immediately handcuffed and taken away.

Judge Michael Pastor denied bail, asserting, “This is not a crime involving a mistake of judgment. … This was a crime where the end result was the death of a human being.” Sentencing is set for November 29, with Murray facing the loss of his medical license along with up to four years in prison on the conviction.

The jury was not asked to determine whether Murray actually gave Jackson the fatal

dose of propfol, only whether he was primarily responsible for the singer’s death. The defense had contended Jackson gave himself the fatal dose. The lead defense lawyer, Ed Chernoff, asked, “If it were anybody else but Michael Jackson, would this doctor be here today?” Supporters for Murray contended that it was Jackson’s serious drug addiction that killed him and said that Murray was a Christian man of upstanding character. A former Murray patient and current friend, Donna DiGiacomo sobbed as she spoke of the verdict. “This man didn’t deserve this. They needed a scapegoat,” she said.

In the end, it came down to the fact that the doctor acted with criminal negligence in administering a deadly dose of propofol to Jackson who was desperate to get some sleep to rehearse for his comeback concert tour, “This is It” at London’s O2 Arena.

“We have to be phenomenal,” Jackson said about his “This Is It” concerts. “When people leave this show, I want them to say, ‘I’ve never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I’ve never seen nothing like this. … He’s the greatest entertainer in the world.”

Take a look around Sage: whether it be an iPhone, iPod, Macbook, etc, you may notice the majority of the students carry at least one apple product.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Photo Courtesy of Google Images after the release of the iPhone Photo Courtesy of Google Images 4s in the middle of October, the new Apple product quickly joined the Sage community.

So, what’s the difference between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4s? Unlike the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4s has Sage students’ new favorite “computer:” Siri. “Siri” is a new iPhone feature that allows users to send messages, set reminders, search for information, and much more!

Junior Dina Aluzri says, “Siri is great!! She is like my new best friend! One time I told her ‘I love you’ and she responded back to me by saying, ‘I hope you don’t say that to other mobile phones!’ It is so funny that she is programmed to not only help me, but also to be someone to talk to for a good laugh!”

In addition to the hilarious “Siri” feature, the iPhone 4s’ software is double the speed of that of the iPhone 4. Dina also says, “The iPhone 4s is basically a computer in your hand.”

The iPhone 4s’ camera is also eight megapixels! Junior Allie Barke says, “Besides Siri, the camera is my favorite part. It takes really clear pictures for a phone—it is almost as good as a digital camera! Plus, it can zoom in and out, which the original iPhones couldn’t do.”

The iPhone 4s and iPhone 4 share a few new features though such as iMessage. iMessage is free instant messaging on the phone. iPhone 4s and iPhone 4 holders can use the new system to communicate not only with other iPhone 4s and 4 users, but also with iPad and iPod holders! Dina comments, “iMessage is great because you can see if your message got delivered and read and see when the other person is typing.”

Another feature shared by both the iPhone 4s and iPhone 4 is the reminders application which is a beneficial tool for organized Sage students.

Allie says, “The to-do lists are extremely helpful for keeping track of homework. And it always fun to check off something from my to-do list.”

Finally, both iPhones have another new, important feature: the iCloud. The iCloud allows users to store their information from their iPhones onto their computers—you can never lose anything that is on your iPhone that you want to save!

The iPhone 4s is beneficial for Sage students—from asking Siri silly questions to photographing memories to storing important information, Sage students can never get bored with the iPhone 4s!

December 2011 The Bolt

school life 3

Watermelon Juice, Cold Showers, and Priceless Memories Sage Global Experience: Costa Rica 2011 Eric Zhang ‘14

Staff Writer

Costa Rica. A distant, exotic location for adventures rafting, surfing, and scaling cliffs a few-stories high. A magnificent backdrop, but that’s all it is: a backdrop.

In the end, it was not the luxuries of the trip, but the experiences I had and the people I spent them with that highlighted my Global Experience trip to Costa Rica last spring.

When I applied for the Costa Rica trip, I was a freshman, searching for excitement. I had no idea what to expect, but I soon found out that instead of being the typical getaway, Costa Rica required me to spend time with my peers at a local village, helping remodel a school while staying with native families.

We paired up, and were assigned to certain families in the village for home stays. Within a short period of time, our curiosity, fascination, and respect for each other’s cultures overcame the obstacles of the language barrier and a very different way of life.

Together with David Swerd-

Photo Courtesy of Eric Zhang low ’14, I lived with a modest family of four. With our limited Spanish-speaking skills, we struggled to communicate with our family. Despite this, our host family continuously persevered, using hand motions animatedly to try to see if we preferred freshly squeezed watermelon or orange juice.

The sheer enthusiasm was apparent on all of their faces, from their farming father to their six-year-old daughter, Mariana.

I noticed every single detail they’d installed prior to our

visit: the installment of a light bulb in our makeshift bedroom, the purchase of a cover for the sofa, and the recent slaughter of a chicken for dinner.

As David and I gave them some gifts we’d brought from the US, such as a headlamp and a Barbie doll, we saw our family’s eyes light up.

With a headlamp, their father could now perform a lot of tasks at night, which would not have been possible without the new technology.

Yet through it all, what shocked me the most was these

Costa Ricans’ ability to accept and prosper with what they have. Living in a humble home with just two rooms and a kitchen, a television that only works on good days, and no hot water, these locals lived their lives as if they were kings.

Everyone always wore a smile, and politely greeted everyone they saw.

As our respective families gathered together during a fiesta at the school on the last night, we ate and played a massive soccer match together, while dancing and teaching each other parts of our culture.

Immersed in a world thousands of miles away from home, the Global Experience offered me perspective on the people of this world.

It is an experience that I would recommend for anyone to venture on, as it truly is life-changing. Former Student Body President Jared Hoffman ’11 says it best, “As the beat for the Black Eyed Peas song, “The Time” hit its momentous drop, and Sage Hill students broke it down alongside Costa Ricans

elementary school students, it occurred to me that these trips weren’t just to purvey a new area of the world, but to open us to the possibility that our life at home might not be the only way.

To spend a few weeks without cell phones and Facebook, to suffer through long bus rides that transformed into cherished memories due to hour-long giggle sessions, to get used to the cold showers, and to engage with children whom we share so much with despite our surface-level differences reaffirmed the purpose of travelling to lands far from home.

Without travel, it’s easy to forget that we with hot showers are the minority rather than majority, and just as easy to classify other regions as inferior, other peoples as uncivilized, or other governments as corrupt.

But from seeing little Huberto wiggle his hips to the funky tones, it was clear that we had been out-danced, and that these people who seemed at first so strange, weren’t very different after all.”

One-Five Has Definitely Arrived: Freshman Class Recap Halland McKenna ‘15

Staff Writer

The freshmen class has only been together for two months, yet we have already created friendships that will thrive for a lifetime. “There are obvious differences in personalities throughout the grade, but somehow we mold into one,” says freshman Parker Reposa.

We mold into one. We are a melting pot of differing opinions, styles, cultures, and interests.

At the freshmen retreat, this class was a variety; however, at the pep rally, this class was one. Sage Hill was wrapped in a blanket of orange, and it was clear each and every freshman had a common goal—to win.

As the freshman co-chair, I picture the class of 2015 remembering their freshmen year not

A Female perspective

“Some guys can pull it off, but some guys end up looking like gorillas. A lot of them max out at a certain length, so they should just stay clean-shaven because they’ll look better then.”

Katie Bick ‘12

only as the time when they first stepped foot on the enchanting Sage Hill campus, but also the time when they created enduring friendships and memories.

For this exact reason, Milad and I are in the process of organizing events where the freshmen will have multiple chances to take their friendships to the next level and really get to know one another.

How about a bonfire at the beach? Guitars, s’mores, campfire, and friends all construct the ideal setting for a time to de-stress before the demanding finals in mid-December.

We have also discussed a probable freshmen movie night in the near future. What is better than watching a moving, comfortable in the middle of all

Freshmen show off their spirit at the first Sage pep rally of the year Photos Courtesy of Halland McKenna

No Shave November Jeremy Dorne ‘13

Staff Writer

Here at Sage, Thanksgiving festivities and the lead up to winter holidays is often associated with manly, untamed, facial hair.

“No Shave November” has become a Sage Hill staple, a showcase for the school’s best facial hair growers.

At Monday, October 31’s town meeting, Jason Cowan reminded everyone about his favorite event of the year.

Cowan, in a Poffenbergeresque manner, said, “It’s that time of year again. Shave tonight and prepare for ‘No Shave November’.”

your peers with a bag of popcorn?

Exactly.

“It would really be a great time if every single freshman showed up to the events. It would be entertaining and we would remember it for a long time,” freshman Tyler Hague mentions.

Milad and I will announce the upcoming events soon, and we encourage every freshman and freshwoman to come and enjoy themselves.

We are a great class, and that is something to celebrate.

“The next four years will be nothing short of amazing,” Freshman Maddy Abbott says with a convincing smile.

Who could disagree with her?

The rest of the journey through our high school careers looks exceptionally promising.

Jason, an avid facial hair grower, has been trying to grow a complete “Novembeard” for years. Over the years, his patchy neck beard has evolved into a beard that most high schoolers would be proud of.

The tradition of “No Shave November” can be traced back to Trent Friedmann, Class of 2010, who made the holiday what it is today.

November is a hard month for many to partake the festivities of No Shave November. Among the photo opportunities in November are Thanksgiving and holiday card photos. The men of “No Shave November” flaunt their beards proudly.

John Paulsen upon being asked if he was partaking in the holiday enthusiastically answered, “Of course.”

Paulsen had been a critic of underclassmen with strange resemblances of facial hair for years during the month but is one of the Sage faculty’s most avid supporters of “No Shave November.”

His reddish and scratchy beard has grown steadily throughout the month, but Paulsen seems ready to get shave his facial hair come December 1st.

However, some students at Sage are bothered by this tradition.

Senior Katie Bick says, “Some

guys can pull it off, but some guys end up looking like gorillas. A lot of them max out at a certain length, so they should just stay clean-shaven because they’ll look better then.”

Ashkan Khayami ‘12 takes a more practical approach to the tradition and says, “Food gets stuck in my beard. It’s grown so long that I’ve had to shampoo it.”

“No Shave November” has gained much momentum over the years and looks as if it is here to stay, despite the existence of other opinions. This holiday is yet another reminder of the special eccentricities of Sage Hill.

December 2011 The Bolt

4 arts

Composed of Passion Brian Slaughter ‘15 Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy of Facebook

An Evening Masquerade

played the role of the man, also partnering with the other dances to carry out impressive lifts and flips.

Assistant Editor-in-Chief In her dance, “Sweet Dreams,” Taylor Lipman On November 18 and 19, the long-anticipated cleverly used sly, sneaky movements and dark masks Dance Ensemble: Performance in Progress took center to convey her message of the secrecy of people’s mostage in the Black Box Theatre. The informal show, an tives. She also proved that others’ ruthless intentions annual event in which seasoned dancers are given the paired with our own relaxed vigilance can end up opportunity to present their creativity and original hurting us, but we must find “the power that helps choreography with Sage Hill, was comprised of six us to watch out for our best interest.” Her dance was pieces. After several weeks and countless hours of most definitely a powerful piece in itself. preparation, choreographers and talented dancers In Elizabeth Geocaris’s piece, “Infectious,” one were finally able to present their hard work. The show, person has an unrecognizable disease, represented entitled “An Evening Masquerade,” incorporated the by a half-faced mask. As the dance progresses, ancommon appearance of masks to contrarily expose guished viewers watch as more people acquire the various messages. disease and mask, while other dancers desperately The show opened with Ms. Blackwell’s piece, attempt to remain healthy.

“The Eye Was Made to Look Out.” In this dance, Ms. The closing piece entitled “Monsters” by Becky Blackwell divided the dancers into three color groups Wilson features a group of zombies who are reprerepresentative of different emotions. Through these sentative of people that feel unnoticed, or “dead to colors and, in turn, the various notions that are hid- the world,” as Wilson described. The dance declares den beneath people’s figurative masks, Ms. Blackwell their breaking point, as they finally rise up and come demonstrated the different ideas that lie beneath human to life. will. Her inclusion of instrumental music and sharp Senior Taylor Lipman remarked, “The informal movements further serve to express the mysterious, show is an opportunity for Dance Ensemble to show conflicting nature of human will.

Sage Hill how hard we have trained for the past two Ashlee Queathem’s “Lost in the Dark” piece com- and a half months. Our creativity and dedication municated the strong message of the struggle for truly paid off, and the show was a success!” independence. The piece begins with lost individuals Ms. Blackwell is known for saying that strong who cannot make their own decisions, but Queathem choreography takes its audience “on a journey.” describes that “the apex of this piece represents a Each and every piece in the informal show truly breakthrough in the lives of these individual char- transported its viewers—whether to the distant site acters—completely independent personas emerge in of a graveyard or to the recesses of our own souls. A each dancer in order to portray triumph and renewed huge final applause from the Sage Hill community confidence.” goes out to all of the dancers who participated.

“Falling to Pieces,” Chelsea Roth’s piece, is a frac- ad tured love story in which two lovers face heartbreak and disappointment. Guest artist Quinntin Ruiz (’13)

Jenna Shapiro ‘13

Spotify: The New Itunes Savannah Gardner ‘13 Arts Editor

My parents love Spotify because they don’t see all these monthly iTunes bills on their credit card.

I haven’t bought a single song on iTunes since being ‘invited’ to join Spotify by my friend and fellow Junior Paige Masonek two months ago (or should I say that my parents haven’t bought me any songs!).

Paige says, “I love listening to music, and I love all types of music, so having the opportunity to listen to any song on the internet that I want

for free is amazing!”

The reason is that I don’t need to buy any music any more - that Spotify is waiting for me to summon it to my computer free of charge.

Someone must be paying to listen to Ingrid Michaelson or LMFAO or (as anyone who read my story in The Bolt will know) Taylor Swift for the music of theirs I’ve been playing 24/7 but it’s not me or my parents.

For those people that don’t know, basic Spotify is free. You can search new music and old and play it on your laptop.

The only inconvenience is that the songs

are occasionally interrupted by adverts, which must be one way they make some cash.

Another way is to charge $4.99 or a premium $9.99 a month so you can get rid of the pesky ads, get a better sound, play songs offline and use it on your phone.

Since September, all new mem bers must also tie their Spotify into their Facebook accounts which means you can see what your friends are listening to and swap music.

It’s all so good it really feels like it should be illegal.

Launched in Sweden

Photo Courtesy of Facebook On December 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.in the Black Box

Theater Pro Libertate by Casey Astorino (Class of 2012) will be performed by the Sage Hill Singers at the “Mostly Sacred” winter concert.

“I’ve performed my piano pieces, but it [Pro Libertate] will be the first choral piece; it’s also the only one I’ve written,” says Astorino. She is a member of the Sage Hill Singers, with whom she will perform her choral piece, and she’s played the piano since she was 4 and composed for 7 years.

Astorino, who is applying to college as a music composition major, offers some background on the piece. Megan Eddy, the choral director at Sage Hill, suggested that Astorino could write something for the choir because she had only written for piano before.

At first, Casey’s admiration for the beauty of Latin inspired the piece. “I didn’t want to write anything in English because I thought Latin was really beautiful so I looked up Latin quotes. The site I found with Latin quotes inspired it. The title means ‘For Liberty,’” she explains.

“The song is about a surviving soldier in the aftermath of war.”

Choral composition’s greatest influence on her beliefs as a musician has been due to music having a unique way of expressing very real feelings. Astorino explains that her passion for composing was driven by “the fact that I think song is more powerful than words and I can say anything with it. I feel that music is so expressive in general.”

in 2008, it is now based primarily in the UK and although it has been big in Europe for a while, it has only really become established in this country this year.

It is incredibly userfriendly and I believe it’s the future – maybe even the savior – of legal music consumption.

The company boasts it has only spend a few thousand on marketing and relies instead on word of mouth to turn it from a cult phenomenon to a mass market monster.

The big challenge is to make the service profit-

able and satisfy the demands of the musicians who need to be paid for their artistry to flourish in the future.

So Sage, download your Spotify accounts today, add your friends on facebook, and help create the new and improved Itunes, where you can get free music anytime you want.

And coming from my own personal experiences, I promise you, your parents will stop yelling at you for all of your itunes bills!

Sign up and I’m sure you won’t regret it!

December 2011 The Bolt

sports 5

CONGRATULATIONS GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL! Photos Courtesy of Natasha Sakraney and The OC Register

Interview with the Girls’ Soccer Coach: Catie Chase “Her spunk, enthusiasm, and passion motivates us and always encourages us to work harder but still have fun while doing it.”

Danielle Kain ‘12

Kavi Sakraney ‘14 Staff Writer

The Bolt (B): I know that you are not new to Sage soccer, but you are new to the varsity team. What is the transition like for you to move from head JV coach to head varsity coach?

Catie Chase (CC): Thankfully, I had a very positive transition from coaching the J.V. team to the Varsity team. Everyone, especially the girls, have been more than welcoming.

B: What is your soccer background as a player and coach?

CC: I played club soccer at the highest level my entire life for the Irvine Strikers. I also played in ODP (Olympic development program). Later I played Division- 1 soccer for Western Kentucky University in the Sunbelt Conference. Last year was my first year coaching a for Sage, and this will be my second year.

B: How did you end up coaching at sage?

CC: I ended up coaching at Sage after I had met J.R. at a tournament, and he bragged about how amazing Sage was.

B: What do you like most about your job of coaching girls’ soccer?

CC: My favorite part about coaching at Sage is the

Star Golfer: Senior Erin Hong Erika Lynn-Green ‘14 Staff Writer

Senior golfer Erin Hong has achieved great success this year, proving that dedication and hard work provide results.

In eighth grade, Hong’s little brother encouraged her to try golf . She enjoyed it and decided to play in high school. Hong has played for the golf team since her freshman year. She describes the team as a “dedicated group”, which impressively placed second in League this season.

Hong golfed exceptionally well this year, progressing through League Individuals to the second round of CIF. “My ultimate goal was state, which would have been the fourth round, so that was disappointing,” she says. “But I’m glad that even though high school golf is over for me, golf isn’t.”

Hong is planning to continue golfing in college, hopefully in the Northeast. Though her focus is on college, she has considered the possibility of playing golf beyond her collegiate years, “Playing any sport at a professional level takes so much dedication,” she says. “It’s definitely an option, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”

Dedication is not a problem for Hong, who can be found at the range for at least two hours every day, putting and practicing her short game as well as driving. “Playing on the course is how you hone your coursemanagement skills,” Hong says. “Playing a lot is your mental practice.”

Such a high level of dedication does take a toll. In July, Hong hurt her left knee, and has gone to physical therapy two to three times a week since.

“That was a big obstacle,” she says. “But ironically I’ve gotten stronger and better through physical therapy.”

Hong’s golfing also affects school. “This is the most school I’ve missed since—ever,” she says laughing. Despite fewer matches due to Oxford Academy dropping out of League, Hong’s personal success this year caused more absences.

She also has to balance StuCo, as she has been the Class of 2012’s cochair since her sophomore year. While Hong’s leadership post is timeconsuming, getting to know her classmates drives her to continue.

Erin Hong is focused on the future and is only positive about her golfing experience so far. “If you want it badly, you can get it by working hard,” she says. “Never give up and play to win, a.k.a. work hard.”

team. I could not ask for a better group of girls.

They are always positive and are determined to do well. I also love the environment at Sage.

Everyone is very supportive.

B: Describe the process on preparing the girls physically and mentally for the upcoming season.

CC: This year, starting day 1, we have emphasized being physically fit. We are training every day- running hills, stairs, and anything else we can find. The fitter we are, the less likely we are to

make mistakes in the game. As far as preparing mentally, we (Megan Cid and I) have instilled in the girls the importance of hard work. If we put in the effort, we will see positive results.

B: What are some of your goals this year for the team?

CC: We definitely want to have a successful season. It would be great to win our league and of course be victorious against Saint Margaret’s.

More than anything, I want the girls to be passionate about soccer and love every second that they are spending on the field.

B: How successful do you think the team can be this year? What will it take for the girls to be able go this far?

CC: I see good things in our future. :) it is going to be a long road, probably with some bumps, but with our fitness, positive mentality, and determination I think we will succeed.

B: Anything else you would like to say about yourself as a coach or the team this season?

CC: Go Lightning!

Photo Courtesy of Catie Chase

NBA Lockout Causes Angst Among Fans

Eric Zhang ‘14

Staff Writer

The 2011 NBA Lockout started on July 1, a few weeks after the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Finals. For over five months, the future of the league was in doubt. Until a few weeks ago, the lockout was the dominant point of discussion for basketball fans worldwide.

By definition, a lockout is when an employer prevents their employees from working. It’s almost like a strike, but the other way around. A lockout in the NBA happens when the owners of the teams (the employers) “lock out” their employees, or the basketball players. Literally, this means that the owners don’t even let them practice in team facilities.

The lockout is due to the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), or the agreement the two sides had agreed upon for the previous contract in 2005.

The agreement discusses salary options and the share that the players and owners receive from the “basketball related income” (BRI). In the previous agreement, players received 57% of the revenue while the owners received 43%.

At around 3 AM Eastern Time on November 26th, the owners and players’ union agreed to a deal after a 17-hour bargaining session. This new deal splits the revenue right down the middle, just around 50-50.

A marathon meeting, the two sides grinded it out with perseverance and compromise, sending waves of relief and anticipation for the return of the NBA throughout the world. Within half an hour, reports of

the tentative deal had spread around media outlets, causing people on Facebook to jump into a statusposting spree.

For many of us at Sage, the NBA represents much more than just basketball games on TV. The NBA provides an outlet for stressed out individuals that can identify themselves as part of a community.

Junior Kent Kawaguchi says, “[The NBA] is something that my family enjoyed together. We would go to games and watch games on TV with each other. There’s always something to talk about with the NBA. Watching basketball has been a part of my life since I was a little kid, and during the lockout, it seemed like something was missing.”

Junior Caitlin Nguyen added, “Not only is the NBA a source of entertainment, but staying loyal to a team adds to the dynamic. During the lockout, I hadn’t been able to root for my team or be excited for some big game coming up.” A source of passion too, fans of the game are finally being graced with some basketball.

The first scheduled games will be on Christmas, a day traditionally marked as a day for marquee matchups. This year, it will also be the season opener for the league as reigning MVP Derrick Rose leads his Chicago Bulls against the Lakers. On the other side of the country, the Miami Heat will try to avenge their Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Get ready everyone, because the NBA’s back!

December 2011 The Bolt

6 opinions the

Bolt

The Bolt is published monthly as the official Sage Hill student-run newspaper. Since our founding year in 2000, we have served as a public forum for the Sage community. Our goal is to uphold a high standard of quality journalism in a way that is both engaging and informative for students and faculty. All issues are stored online in the archive at http://issuu.com/shsbolt. Please contact Shannon Zhang at 12ZhangS@sagehillschool.org if you have any questions, or a desire to guest write or take photographs for The Bolt.

Editor-in-Chief

Shannon Zhang ‘12

Tearing Down Our Scarlet Letters

Anonymous

There is always a time in our lives where we will make mistakes. If humankind never made mistakes, its society would never advance. So now I ask you to take a moment, think of your mistakes and regrets, and keenly reflect on how your mistakes affected you. Did you benefit? Or did you improve yourself? Now take another moment to reflect on how you dealt with reaping what you had sewn, and how you felt in that moment.

For the underclassmen who have yet to discover The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and to those who will get what I mean by this reference, we are Hester Prynne from one time to another. No matter how hard we try to live with flawless integrity, we will always have our moments of selfishness.

I think we all could have been witnesses to the feeling of exposing the invisible letter on our chests, and although hopefully we aren’t walking down the path of shame with a baby revealing our “mistake,” I can

say on my behalf that I have had to walk holding that same shame she did. So once you go back to that place of how you felt after you had commited your crime, just remember: if you learned from that mistake, you have advanced. You have had your “time out” in the corner of the room facing the white wall. We make our apologies, and take that scarlet letter down and create a new and improved version of ourselves.

So just remember, you are not alone. As once one stated, “We talk like we know what’s going on. But we don’t. We don’t know anything. We’re young and we’re gonna screwup a lot. We’re gona keep changing our minds and even sometimes our hearts. And through all that, the only thing we can truly offer each other is... forgiveness.”

Keep this with you the next time you see someone who has made a mistake, and when the time comes, let him or her tear down the scarlet letter.

Assistant Editors-inChief

Heather Goldin ‘12, Jenna Shapiro ‘13

Front Page

Editor: Natasha Sakraney ‘12 Writers: Elise Sugarman ‘13, Molly Wang ‘13

Features

Editors: Darren Chen ‘13, Natalie Kobsa-Mark ‘12 Writers: Joy Chang ‘13, Victoria Griffin ‘13

School Life

Editor: Joelle Nanula ‘14 Writers: Juliette Singarella ‘14, Brian Slaughter ‘15

Arts

Troy Davis at his trial in 1989 Photo Courtesy of CBS News

Sports

Heather Goldin ‘12

Editor:Savannah Gardner ‘13 Writers: Celeste Broderick ‘14, Jeremy Dorne ‘13, Sidney Lee ‘15

Editor: Sophia Herzlinger ‘12 Writers: Spenser Apramian ‘12, Halland Mckenna ‘15, Kavi Sakraney ‘14

Opinions

Editor: Ashkan Khayami ‘12 Writers: Sophia Falmagne ‘12, Erika Lynn-Green ‘14, Eric Zhang ‘14

Lifestyle

Editor: Carlyn Kane ‘14 Writers: Andrea Candelaria ‘13, Katherine Bick ‘12

Back Page

Editor: Yoon Cha ‘13

Advisor

Joanne Ehret Sage Hill School established 2000 20402 Newport Coast Drive Newport Coast, CA 92657 (949) 219-0100 http://www.sagehillschool.org

Assistant. Editor-in-Chief

While sitting in my hotel room, beginning to pack, my dad turns on the TV to Saturday Night Live. If you have ever watched this comedic show, you know that the plot line revolves around poking fun at all current news, from politics and celebrities to movies and commercial products.

On this particular episode, one sketch caught my eye. During the “Update with Seth Meyers,” Seth brought up the Penn State Scandal. He remarked on it as being “one of the worst in the history of college athletics.”

The supposed humor kicked in when the character of The Devil asked Seth to quickly sum up the story that he hadn’t yet heard about. Seth Meyers relayed the story to him via whispers, making a point about how hushed the content of the scandal is portrayed.

The Devil responded by

Has the Jury Reached a...

Ashkan Khayami ‘12 Opinions Editor

“I believe that this case illustrates that this Court’s approach in extraordinary motions for new trials based on new evidence is overly rigid and fails to allow an adequate inquiry into the fundamental question, which is whether or not an innocent person might have been convicted or even, as in this case, might be put to death. “ --Chief Justice In the film, The Mummy, before hanging Brandon Fraiser, the executioner asks “Any last requests?” and Brandon Fraiser replies, “Yeah, loosen the rope.”

Pretty funny, right? Well, something very similar was probably going through Troy Davis’s mind before his execution.

Troy Davis was a 42-yearold African American and in 1989 he was convicted of killing a Savannah police officer in Georgia. Although no physical evidence and very sketchy—no!

I mean really darn sketchy!— witnesses were presented to the Georgian jury—including seven black jurors—which later sentenced him death by lethal injection.

It would take more than 20 years for his stay on death row to end. Two main appeals were made to grant Davis clemency with the last one taking place just days before his execution.

Despite various petitions and advocates—including Amnesty International—the Georgia board of appeals denied him clemency.

Some attribute it to statements made by the MacPhail widow who stated, “For some-

one to ludicrously say that [Davis] was a victim — we are the victims,” (LA times) After a four hour delay of his execution for a legal review to take place, Troy Davis was executed…The MacPhail family still maintains that Troy Davis deserved the death penalty.

I really only have two things to say. First, there is a reason we don’t allow a victim’s family to carry out sentencing: because they’re emotional, they’re angry, and they want blood; it’s natural, but still wrong. That’s why we have a court with nice wooden benches with very “willing” jurors on them: so that a defendent can be judged by his or her peers.

I think it’s unethical for the Georgia Board of appeals to allow a statement from the widow who had no first hand knowledge of the incident and a deep bias. I would hope in the future that the judicial system would remember that a victim’s (or a victim’s spouse more accurately) emotion is not evidence of another’s guilt.

Second, however tragic Davis’s death might have been, it might not have been in vain.

The recent poll indicated that the penalty’s opposition has gone up to 35%—the highest in almost forty years. Although this might be an emotional reaction to the large amount of recent suspicious executions, groups like Death Penalty Focus look at such data—as do I—with hope of a more civilized era where we’ll finally put that age old saying, “two wrongs don’t make a right” to good use.

Penn State Scandal �������� being outraged and upset. He represented the majority of newsreaders everywhere who know any small detail about the scandal.

For me, the scandal is not about the content (assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky being formally charged with sexually abusing eight boys), but it’s impact on the college’s reputation.

Allegedly, the college saw no drops in application number.

Actually, Penn State saw a 4% increase in applications from last year.

In addition, the number of students making on campus visits to the school are no different from last year. Alumni and prospective students have reasoned that, “One bad episode does not define the school.”

From my dad’s perspective, he wasn’t sure what to think about it, saying that “I

don’t know what I would think if you were applying to Penn State.” I had mixed emotions about this, wishing to side with other perspective students while wondering if the event would have an impact on my college education.

The media has rumored the Penn State football program will not be allowed to play in the Bowl games; although the Bowl program may be fighting a media battle of their own, not allowing the players to participate might be a worse decision.

Sadusky and the Administration are at fault, not the players.

When I first heard about this scandal, there was a distance barrier, as it didn’t directly affect me and my college search.

Quickly it became personal when I started hearing about a simliar story with the Syracuse University Basketball Team, and Syracuse is on my college

list.

The story is that after eight years, victims have come forward to explain their sexual abuse involving Syracuse Basketball Coach, Bernie Fine. The chancellor of Syracuse, Nancy Cantor, decided to fire him.

Many positive reactions were received revolving around her decision being a good one.

After learning about the story, my opinion of the Penn State Scandal as a perspective student became clear: one person’s poor choice could not affect my decision to apply to the university.

I like the school too much to withdraw my application. From Penn State University, only two students withdrew their applications. I have decided that, had I applied, I probably wouldn’t be one of the two.

December 2011 The Bolt

lifestyle 7

An O.C. Winter

Seasons GREETINGS

Wonderland

Joelle Nanula ‘14

School Life Editor

It’s that timestudents of year again –name that muchloved season when the air gets colder, the stars seem brighter, and we dig up our coats, hats, scarves, and favorite holiday movies in preparation for the days ahead.

Victoria Griffin ‘13

Staff Writer

The holiday cheer and buzzing Christmas atmosphere can be felt all around Orange County this season. All sections of the O.C. celebrate unique and cheerful Holiday traditions to brighten up this time of the year!

One of the most notable Holiday events in Orange County is the Ring of Lights celebration on Balboa Island. This celebration is a competition to see who can capture the Island’s spirit of Christmas with seasonal lights.

The competing neighbors adorn the outside of their houses and lawns with Christmas or Hanukkah themed lights and decorations. The Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce decides the winner of the house competition, with many categories and qualifications in which to earn a prize.

A short walk around the island is a great way to celebrate the Holiday season and to feel the seasonal cheer and merriment!

Along with a house competition, the Ring of Lights celebration also has a boat section. Boats dressed up in Christmas lights, bearing decorations of reindeers with luminescent noses and the jolliness of Santa Claus glide across the coast while awe-struck onlookers enjoy the moment of true Christmas Spirit.

Hundreds of people crowd onto the Island’s beach to watch the Boat Parade each year. Maggie Ann Re, an annual attendee of the boat parade has said, “Balboa’s boat parade is always fun during Christmas. It’s an event that brings together the entire community for the celebration of the Holidays in a way that is unique to Orange County.”

The boat parade takes place for five consecutive days, this year between December 14-18, beginning at 6:30 PM. Eagerly awaited every year is the Christmas Tree Lighting at Fashion Island, a favorite of the local holiday traditions. The 90 foot Christmas tree, decorated with over 20,000 Christmas lights is one of the most popular events of all the Orange

Photo Courtesy of Victoria Griffin

County Christmas celebrations.

“There is something about seeing the Christmas tree at Fashion Island that makes December truly feel like Christmas season.” Carlyn Kane, a junior at Sage Hill School has said. This tree of holiday cheer can be seen all through December, and is a popular destination for Christmas card pictures.

An additional favorite in Orange County is the Hanukkah lighting ceremony. The Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach has a Hanukkah lighting almost every night at 5:40 PM in December to celebrate and remember the special miracle of Hanukkah which has been celebrated for thousand of years.

The Kwanzaa Celebration of 2011 is another longawaited event in Orange County. It is hosted by Orange County’s National Council of Negro Women Incorporated, and takes place this year in Anaheim on December 26.

The Kwanzaa celebration is an opportunity to shop at the African Marketplace, and enjoy African cuisine, along with many other exhibits recognizing African culture and community.

With all of the events to treasure this year, the holiday season of 2011 can be one of the best yet with new and old traditions to share with friends and family.

Save the Fun Zone Katie Bick ‘12

Staff Writer

When the Balboa Fun Zone was planned to change into an ocean educational center, Corona Del Mar Highschool students began taking action with a movement called Occupy Fun Zone scheduled for Saturday November 5th.

They wanted to rally on the same day of the educational center’s preview open house. Many students not only at CdM but also at Sage Hill have created lifelong memories from their childhood at the Balboa Fun Zone.

They don’t want to see those memories ruined, but they do admit that the Fun Zone could be fixed up.

One of the movement leaders, a sophomore at CdM, created a Facebook group with over 200 followers. Her main goal is to show that all generations have formed memories there. She hopes to convince the Newport Harbor Nauti-

cal Museum to renovate Fun Zone rather than replacing it with ExplorOcean.

However, as the movement began to grow, the occupiers changed their name from “Occupy Fun Zone” to “Save the Fun Zone on Friday.” They were aware that if they began furthering the movement including a campout, they would seem to be associated with the other violent Occupy movements around the country.

Since many Sage Hill students live in Newport, they have much to say about the issue.

Senior Mukti Patel describes the Fun Zone as “one of the oldest things about Newport” saying that “she used to go there with her family to bond almost every weekend during the summer.”

Mukti has memories of going to get ice cream and then playing the bowling games

with her brother, memories that cannot be fufilled by younger generations if the Fun Zone is torn down.

Mukti further comments that “making something educational is always good, but the Fun Zone isn’t the right place. They can find a different place to put an educational center.”

Many Sage students voiced the same opinion, yet others take the opposing side. Senior Rannah Dhabiri believes that turning the Fun Zone into an educational center is a good thing.

She thinks that our younger generations should spend their time learning instead of wasting there time with amusement parks like the Fun Zone.

As the next few months unfold, we will know whether ocean education will outweigh the memories created by the Balboa Fun Zone.

No matter what holidays you celebrate, there is a certain magic about the winter months that touches us all. It is a joyful time for everyone; a season worth celebrating.

Thankfully, there are countless holiday specials out there to help us celebrate it.

I will now take a moment to list some of these timeless, holiday favorites that prove it is the season to be jolly.

First and foremost: Starbucks. Need I say more?

It seems like we each have our own holiday drink of choice from America’s favorite coffee shop. There’s the sweet and spicy Gingerbread Latte; the Peppermint Mocha, rich and chocolatey with a hint of mint; the very autumnal Pumpkin Spice Latte; and the beloved Eggnog Latte, a Christmassy, creamy indulgence that no Starbucks drinker can resist.

Sophomore Erika Lynn-Green recommends the Pumpkin Spice Latte. She says, “It’s delicious because they add pumpkin flavor to the entire drink, so even the froth tastes like fall.”

So be sure to stop by Starbucks on your way home from school. Because really, when it’s cold outside and the sky is gray, there’s nothing better than coffee to warm your hands and brighten your mood.

For shoppers everywhere, the holiday season is also one that is chock-full of great deals on winter clothing. One step into Target, and you enter a world of half-priced sweaters, fuzzy jackets, and scarves in a rainbow of colors.

Planning a ski trip? They have clothes for that.

Thinking of building a snowman? The wool mittens are in aisle nine; and they’re half off, too!

The great prices that come with the holiday season not only make it easier to buy, but they also make it easier to give. Sophomore John Wells says, “It’s an amazing feeling when you can give out without needing to receive.” Evidently, better prices yield more gifts for everyone.

Almost anywhere you go, the holiday spirit is visibly present, both in the products that line store shelves and in the smiles on shopper’s faces.

Children squeal when they come upon advent calendars in the supermarket.

Hardware stores clear out their window displays to make room for Christmas tree lights, glittering menorahs, and miniature trains that run on tracks splattered with fake snow. Your local Hallmark store puts up a rack of colorful holiday cards, each with something meaningful inside.

As you look around at the bright, merry atmosphere that surrounds you, you feel, for a moment, like a child again. . And that’s what the holidays are all about – the way all the little things come together to make a season that is truly special.

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November Highlights Photos courtesy of Lauren Burke

THE FANTASTICKS The show ran from 3 Nov through 6 Nov, 2011, with total of 6 performances.

Cast: Nicky Boulos John Wells Sydney Endicott Savannah Gardnerh Rachel Cramer Maggie Ann Re Nick Justice Tiana Lowe Leland Stephens Caitlin Cohn Kimaya Gokhale Natalie Kobsa-Mark

NOVEMBER CLASS COMPETITION Featuring pies, whipped cream, sprinkles, and general madness... Typical Sage town meeting.

GIRL’S VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Victory at home game against St. Margaret’s for CIF Championship.

CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH WINNER Congratulations to Emmanuel Zavaleta (‘14) for successfully completing last month’s challenge, solving Ms. Orr’s crossword puzzle.

Want to draw a comic for the Bolt?

The Backpage is now calling all Sage artists for comic strips. Digital or on paper, any format is acceptable. Submit it to the Backpage box or email (thebolt@sagehillschool.org). Contact Yoon Cha (13chay@sagehillschool.org) for more details.

December 2011 The Bolt

COMIC