Vol. XLVIII, No. 1

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. XLVIII NO. 1

September 28, 2012

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

On September 21, 2012, the space shuttle Endeavour’s ferried flight marked the final airborne journey for NASA’s surviving shuttles. The shuttle flew over parts of the Bay Area in commemoration of the NASA Ames Research Center. The shuttle then traveled to the California Science Center in Los Angeles, its final resting place.

Thousands traveled to different vantage points across the Bay Area to catch a glimpse of the shuttle. The shuttle flight path included a loop around the Golden Gate Bridge and a dip over Moffett Field. The Smoke Signal traveled to Van’s Restaurant in Belmont to photograph the shuttle as it flew over the peninsula.

Read about our coverage of this momentuous day online at thesmokesignal.org.

The Smoke Signal would like to thank Van’s Restaurant on the Hill at 815 Belmont Ave., Belmont, CA 94002 for their kind support and permission to use their facilities. ▪

layout by nihar parikh, photos by editor-in-chief allan ko & graphics editor angie wang

P-Wing renovation continues

Liu places third at IBO

By Kerrie Wu Staff Writer Over the summer, Senior Raymond Liu placed third at the 23rd annual International Biology Olympiad (IBO), held in Singapore from July 8-15. At the competition, four high school students

Liu scored in the top 10% of the USABO open exam to qualify for the semifinal exam. At semifinals, he scored within the top 20 to get to the final exam. The twoday final exam was held at Purdue University at the end of a 12-day long residential camp, where the finalists trained and studied with leading US biologists for 10 days.

graphics editor angie wang

Fencing surrounding P-1, P-2, P-3, and P-4 blocks off old classrooms until renovations are complete. This change limits student parking for the duration of the year.

By Vivian Jair Staff Writer This year, MSJ will undergo the massive campus improvement project of constructing a new twostory building. Following a year of plan review, the project was recently approved by the state government.

The two-story building will be constructed between the M-Wing and student parking lot, replacing the aging P-Wing portables. The project is expected to take about a year,

with the new building estimated to be ready for use by the 2013-14 school year.

In preparation, temporary portables have already been set up in the lower parking lot, and will accommodate classes during construction.

Classes taking place in rooms P-1, P-2, P-3, and P-4 have all been moved to temporary portables. Due to this change, parking spaces are now limited, and the priority will be given to seniors and ROP students.

Fences were also placed around the

October 5 Blood Drive

October 19 Homecoming Game Tak Stadium 7:00 pm

renovation area, which will be permanent until the building’s completion.

Currently, the project is still in the preliminary stage. Principal Sandra Prairie helped choose tiling, flooring, and color schemes for the new building in early September. However, no construction has started yet, as school administrators are still in the process of selecting a

See MSJ NEWS Page 3 October 20 Homecoming Dance Gym 7:00 pm

Raymond Liu (center) and his three teammates won gold medals at IBO.

from each of about 60 countries, all top scorers from their respective country’s National Biology Olympiads, took an exam testing their problem-solving and experimental skills in biology.

Liu entered the 2012 USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) because of his passion for biology. msj trivia

Think you know all about MSJ? Answer the questions on page 9 and check out the answers online.

Feature

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The four top scoring participants, including Liu, were selected to be part of Team USA to represent the US. The IBO exam was a grueling two-part test, with one theoretical

See IBO NEWS Page 3

say no to bullying

FUSD has implemented new measures to take a stronger stand against bullying.

News

healthy vending

Notice the new vending machines in the gym quad?

Read all about it online.

Feature

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News in Brief “Gangnam Style” trending all over The infamous South Korean “Gangnam Style” music video by PSY earlier this summer has generated a huge buzz across the world— and its reach now extends to one of the most isolated countries in the world. North Korean government website www.uriminzokkiri. com recently released a video poking fun at a South Korean presidential candidate. The video opens with the candidate’s face slapped on the body of an animated figure performing the signature Gangnam style horse dance. Since its upload in July, “Gangnam Style” has garnered over 220 million hits on Youtube, making it one of today’s most trending pieces of pop culture all around the world.

hancinema.net

Korean rapper Psy’s “Gangnam Style” opens the world to K-pop.

Ad attacking Islam runs in subways New York’s subways will be sporting a controversial ad this week that many have described as hateful to Muslims. The American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) produced the ad that reads, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” The organization won a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA); the judge ruled the ad falls within the AFDI’s First Amendment rights. The MTA is now considering limiting future ads to commercial interests.

canberratimes.com.au

Controversial ad will run in New York City subways as per the federal court ruling protecting the AFDI’s First amendment rights.

Plans for Downtown Fremont On Wednesday, Sep. 19, the Fremont City Council approved a Downtown Community Plan for the city of Fremont. The plan offers guidelines and plans to construct a traditional downtown area for the city, and rezoned about 110 acres in the middle of the city for its purposes. Fremont leaders hope to carry out the plan quickly and efficiently to provide, as the city’s senior planner Wayne Morris said, “an area that’s vibrant for people to live and visit…to make it a place where people want to be in Fremont.”

fremont.gov

A draft of the Downtown Community Plan has been approved.

COMPILED BY STAFF WRITERS ANITA ALEM, ARUSHI ATLURI, AND TAMMY TSENG

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News 3

PTAs host election forum at MSJ

By Rachel Choi & Jade Shi Centerspread Editor and Feature Editor

In preparation for the upcoming elections in Fremont this November, Mission Possible PFA partnered with local elementary school PTAs to host a Political Candidate’s Public Forum to inform the public of each candidates’ views and goals. The forum, held in MSJ’s room C-120 on September 14, allowed students and parents to submit questions to the candidates for Mayor, City Council, and the FUSD School Board.

At the start of the forum, mayoral candidates were given the opportunity to present their individual qualifications and visions to the audience. Aziz Akbari, an 18-year-old medical engineering student at USC, stressed his youth and “unbiased, innovative approach to solving problems” in his hopes to bring biotech companies to Fremont, increase retail and dining options, improve education, and preserve historical districts. Steve Cho stated his desire to “give Fremont an identity”, and with his eight years of experience on the city council, attract businesses to Fremont, create a “downtown” with a Performing Arts Center, and improve public safety. Bill Harrison, a life-

long resident of Fremont and member of the city council since 2006, strives to bring more businesses to Fremont, strengthen city services, increase potential for jobs, and get the city more involved in education. Anu Natarajan, the current Vice-Mayor, stresses making Fremont a center for emerging green technology, enhancing community involvement, and developing a thriving downtown.

Following the mayoral candidates, the five candidates for city council presented their platforms. As Sue Chan was unable to attend due to city business, her husband read her platform speech on her behalf. Chan has been an advocate of anti-bullying, having hosted a private screening of “Bully” in collaboration with FUSD. She has also hosted a forum to dicuss the documentary, “Vincent Who?” in an effort to raise awreness for racial discrimination, especially among Asian-Pacific Islanders.Vinnie Bacon stressed creating a downtown Fremont akin to that of downtown Pleasanton, Livermore, or Mountain View. John Dutra stated his commitment to establishing quality local businesses and urged protection of open spac-

centerspread editor rachel choi

(From left to right) Mayoral candidates Aziz Akbari, Steve Cho, Bill Harrison, and Anu Natarjan answer questions regarding their views and goals.

IBO | MSJ’s winner MSJ | Campus continued from page 1

continued from page 1

part focusing on interpreting graphs and data, and a practical part focusing on laboratory skills.

However, the IBO was not all testing. Liu and the other students had various outings during the day, such as visiting a zoo and a bird park. He also described his favorite experience. “One of our team members actually had his birthday during the IBO. We had a so-called ‘social night’ where people from the different countries would go up and share elements of their culture through song, dance, etc., so we had K-pop from the Koreans and this interesting salsa-type dance from Mexico. We went up and sang “Bad Romance” and after that we got everyone in the crowd to sing Happy Birthday in their own native language to our team member. That was really great.”

Raymond also appreciated the diversity of the students participating. “I think the greatest lesson I learned from this was being exposed to all these different cultures of the world. We talked to Greece and learned what they think about the financial crisis there, for instance. And it was cool to talk with Iran, for example–turns out none of their population hate the US, I’m told; only the government. Things like that highlight how international the competition is,” says Liu. The Purdue University News Service stated that nearly 10,500 students registered for the USABO in 2012. According to AP Biology Teacher Karrie Ware, who has led the USABO program at MSJ for the past five years, 15 MSJ participants moved on to semifinals in 2012. In the same year, Senior Hamilton Trinh advanced to USABO finals with Liu. MSJ typically has 100 students participate in the open exam each year. ▪

construction contractor. The actual building of the new facility is expected to take place over the next summer, prior to the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. Just like the A-Wing structure, the two-story building will be built off-site and brought on campus by construction crews once they are ready to place.

Upon completion, the new two-story building will contain six standard classrooms, two student bathrooms, a conference room, and more space for storage. The classrooms will also have new whiteboards and LCD projectors for displaying videos and slideshows.

There are also plans to repave the student parking lot after the building’s construction.

In addition, the building will host features supporting the special education program, including five special education classrooms.

There will also be a new loop constructed near the building for bus access, making it more accessible for disabled students.

Overall, the new building is designed to boost the special education program and provide an improved facility for our campus. By the fall of 2013, MSJ students will be able to witness for themselves the changes that the new two-story building brings. ▪

graphics editor angie wang

Temporary portables are placed in the student parking lot until the two-story building can be built.

centerspread editor rachel choi

Fremont election candidates are advertising all over Fremont gearing up for election day: November 6.

es in the city. Rick Jones spoke of his experience as a former Fremont Police officer who, through working as a high school resource officer, dealt with the general public on a daily basis. Likewise, Dr. Rakesh Sharma stressed creating trust between the city council and the residents of Fremont.

The final portion of the event gave a chance for the school board candidates to present their views and answer audience questions. In her opening comments, candidate Desrie Campbell spoke about her extensive experience in education, including her position as president of the Fremont Education Foundation.

Ann Crosbie stated her priorities: equity for an inspiring education, meeting the needs for students’ global future, and advocacy for funding from various sources. Reshma Karipineni placed prominence on decreasing reliance on unstable state funds and focusing on student achievement and communication across all groups involved. Lily Mei desires to improve achievement levels of all schools and get to know each family’s needs better. Hiu Ng, expressed his “interest in reality,” and stressed his

previous experience talking to other officials to “fight for your kids.” Yang Shao emphasized that he would bring a unique perspective to the board through using his experience as a cancer researcher to tackle problems and apply new measures and solutions.

The well-attended forum provided an environment for Fremont residents to better get to know the candidates, and hopefully prepared them to vote in the city elections on November 6. ▪

centerspread editor rachel choi

(From left to right) Fremont city council candidates Rick Jones and Dr. Rakesh Sharma present their visions.

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Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 48, No. 1 | September 28, 2012 www.thesmokesignal.org

41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 657-3600 Editors-in-Chief Frank Chen, Allan Ko News Nihar Parikh, Aishwarya Thakur Opinion Kyle Qian, Sonali Toppur Feature Jin Peng, Jade Shi Centerspread Rachel Choi, Anusha

Rijhsinghani A&E Tanya Raja, Alekya Rajanala Sports Kenny Jacoby, Vishak Menon Graphics Angie Wang, Sherry Xiao Web Jaynelle Gao, Jonathon Teng Tech Sai Chilakapati, Anna Zeng Business Vivian Jair Circulation Supriya Yelimeli Ads Grace Wu, Lindy Zeng Events Anjali Kanthilal. Kerrie Wu

Writers & Photographers Anita Alem, Arushi Atluri, Tingting Bi, Jason Chen, Laura Chen, Leah Feuerman, Ishan Goyal, Catherine Ho, Genevieve Huang, Tiffany Huang, Nina Krishnan, Irisa Lee, Marisa Lenci, Hairol Ma, Peter Qiu, Aamir Rasheed, Hannah Shih, Sanjay Sreekumar, Tammy Tseng, Peter Xu, Angela Wang, Catherine Wang, Shirby Wang

Advisor Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@the smokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliation. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit for clarity and length.

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The Smoke Signal’s right to freedom of speech and press is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

In the Aftermath

By Sonali Toppur Opinion Editor “I hate people like you.”

Even after so many years, these five words still manage to unnerve me. As a first grader, I found it hard to understand the significance of 9/11, but there was no questioning the fact that I quickly felt the impact hard. It puzzled me why a rather nice boy in my class, with whom I had thought to be friends, would hate me because of the attack on our nation. I soon understood that it was because I looked like the people who were said to be responsible for 9/11. That image that was shown on the evening news and in the daily paper was the image of an enemy of America, and to many that image looked like me.

The recent Oak Creek tragedy, where a white supremacist shot and killed six people at a Sikh Temple before fatally shooting himself brings back the memories of the numerous hate crimes against Sikhs, as well as Indians and Muslims in our country.

The traditional Sikh turban and beard, which are a part of their religious identities, have made them the victims of fear and discrimination in this post 9/11 era that we live in. For a long time now, the hate crimes against Sikhs in particular have been labeled as cases of mistaken identity, implying that the shooter mistook the Sikh people for Muslims, their intended target.

In fact, the FBI does not even track Sikh hate crimes, as they have always been labeled as anti-Muslim crimes.

I believe that it is necessary to consider that the Oak Creek shooter could have been targeting Sikhs, and that it was not yet another mistaken identity problem. It is not right to automatically assume that any crime against a Sikh was intended to be against a Muslim. There has been discrimination against the Sikh people going on since the first documented riot that took place in 1907. I agree that the waves of panic and terror in the aftermath of 9/11 have led to a lot more of these hate crimes. I experienced it first hand to a small degree, but I do not feel that the government can effectively combat Sikh hate crimes without classifying them as just that. If we begin keeping an official record of anti-Sikh hate crimes, we can begin to fight against misinformation and ignorance against all persecuted groups in America, including Muslims and Indians.

In addition to redefining Sikh hate crimes, I also strongly believe that education is key in order to slowly try and eradicate hate and discrimination from our society. I don’t blame that boy for what he said to me; he was a result of society and his environment. Our generation can make changes to prevent environments like that from forming again by keeping ourselves educated and continuing to learn. It is in our hands, and ultimately our responsibility to shape a wellinformed America, and a well-informed America is an empathetic America. ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

Opinion 5

right on Q “Owed” to the Internet

By Kyle Qian Opinion Editor A month ago, the Internet mourned the death of Neil Armstrong. Some said he was a mortal man who touched the face of God. Others were shocked at his passing, being just two days after he was stripped of seven Tour de France titles. Still others remembered him as a cornerstone of modern jazz music, the charismatic trumpeter from Louisiana, in which case that would be the second time he passed away.

Yes, the Internet is powerful, just not always in a positive sense. I mean, just imagine what would happen if something like politics made its way onto the Inter—oh wait, it already happened.

Make no mistake. In 2008, President Obama would not have had a lead of 10 million popular votes if it weren’t for the Internet’s population of Millennials between the ages 18 and 29. The Internet as we know it today (the World Wide Web) is in its 20s, not much older or younger than many of its most active users. With 66 percent of young voters (18-29) supporting Obama in 2008, the Internet is, by extension, left-leaning.

This is where the Internet’s prowess in self-propagation comes into play. Just as some users thought Neil Armstrong was a black professional cyclist-moonwalker-jazz artist, the Internet’s viral circulation of quirky Obama quotes and moments is almost always simultaneously widespread and devoid of any actual politics. This phenomenon reached a fever pitch in late

August when Obama hosted an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. Even though he did actually answer 10 questions, some of which regard matters that profoundly impact young voters, we paid more attention to the mere fact that he showed up at all.

One must keep in mind that Obama’s social media presence and Internet PR campaigns are very deliberately planned.

In other words, the election committee is well aware that the Internet is a source of easy-to-please voters. Meanwhile, the opposite is true for Romney, whose Internet presence is mild in comparison.

Romney has 1.1 million followers to Obama’s 20.1 million on Twitter and 7.3 million likes to Obama’s 28.8 million on Facebook.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I like Obama. He’s a nice guy, and it’s important to have a likeable, relatable head of state. However, that is no excuse to be uninformed, regardless of your political affiliation. If you yourself are a young, self-proclaimed supporter of either candidate, I sorely hope your views are based on more than just tweets, cheeky Facebook posts, and animated GIFs on Tumblr.

To rehash an old saying: you can lead a man to the Internet, the most prolific amalgamation of human intellect ever assembled, but you can’t force him to #think. ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

EDITORIAL: College Admissions The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board AB 1500 and AB 1501, the Middle Class Scholarship bill, made an aggressive push to support the education system, particularly its accessibility to middle class families who earn less than $150,000 annually.

The Middle Class Scholarship bill proposed to save nearly 42,000 University of California (UC) students approximately $8,000 and 150,000 California State University (CSU) students $4,000 per year. This outpouring of money is coming from the pockets of outof-state corporations. The bill passed in the California State Assembly on August 13, but failed to pass in Senate on August 31, largely due to opposition from Republican state senators. These senators believe that closing the tax “loophole” will make California’s business climate less friendly to large corporations. However, the editorial board of the Smoke Signal feels the measure is misguided. There is no question that the “loophole” should be closed and the tax revenue should be used on aid to the UC and CSU system, but it should be funneled through scholarships instead of financial aid.

Currently, out-of-state businesses pay a lower tax rate than local, in-state companies because they operate over state lines. This bill forces the companies to pay the higher in-state tax rate, consequently increasing tax revenues for the state. California--according to the bill’s author and primary advocate Assembly Speaker John Perez--would receive approximately $1 billion annually from the measure, which the state will use to fund these scholarships.

However, the tuition at UCs and CSUs has steadily increased over the past few years, so there is certainly documented evidence that California’s students desperately need financial relief.

Arbitrarily raising the financial aid coverage to families making $150,000 a year poses two problems. The first is that setting a cutoff number alienates families making only a little more from the aid. The main problem with the existing system is the aid is not proportionately distributed; it is extremely bottom-heavy. Families making $152,000 a year can receive no aid while families making $130,000 can receive tens of thousands of dollars. This state needs a system that grants aid in a graduated fashion.

The fundamental capitalist ideology that has been prevalent in this nation since its conception needs to be applied to this system as well.

Educational aid will be better served if it inspires students to overcome their disadvantages instead of attempting to push out of them.

Therefore, the Smoke Signal proposes that the additional tax revenue be used to fund merit-b ased scholarships that require students to maintain strong academic, moral, and social standards throughout their collegiate journey. This system fixes the issue of the cutoff number by holistically determining candidates for the scholarship and provides a strong incentive for the students to do well in college. To counteract the possible skew of these scholarships towards wealthy families, the scholarship reviewers should take the families’ financial situation into account in the holistic evaluation.

This process, coupled with the existing financial aid system that helps students in dire need, will use the state’s limited funds to best help the Californian students in need. ▪

editor-in-chief allan ko

Send letters to the editors at opinion@thesmokesignal.org editor-in-chief frank chen

6 Opinion

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PRO

By Supriya Yelimeli Staff Writer

In the past year, gun violence has begun to cause an increased impact in the United States. Shootings in Colorado, Florida, and Wisconsin have recharged the gun control debate, fueling activists that support increased gun control with evidence to support their claims. Statistics have shown an increase in gun-related violence, and the American sense of wellbeing is slowly deteriorating. With an issue like this, we need to reevaluate the methods we are using to reduce gun violence.

After the Dark Knight shooting in Aurora, Colorado, The Denver Post reported that gun sales went up 43 percent due to the considerable dose of fear given to the public. Because of the state of matters, people have failed to consider that gun violence cannot be reduced by using a gun in a “defensive” manner. By definition a gun is meant to maim or puncture, causing injury. Although a gun may pro-

vide peace of mind, the only true defensive weapons are security systems and bullet proof vests, the benefits of which are far outweighed by the false security that a gun provides. Americans need an actual defensive weapon, one that doesn’t require killing someone else in order to protect themselves.

More guns equates to more murders, murders that can be prevented if those against gun control consider the issue from a rational perspective.

One of the main arguments of the NCA and other gun control opposing groups is the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment states, “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Used to uphold the right to bear arms, any violation of this amendment can quickly draw cries of “this is unconstitutional!”, but often forgotten is the fact that this is still an amendment, its purpose being to adapt and change to fit the ideals and lifestyle of the present time.

When the Constitution was written, our

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of fatalities in America. By looking only at the numbers there is no evident reason to enforce gun control, but the fact that is most often overlooked is that amid the 0.8 percent, there are still 642,518 deaths that could have been actively prevented. Still, people attempt to overlook the cause of these deaths through loopholes and ignorance, creating a prominent firearm issue that no one feels is necessary to act upon.

As with most debates concerning controversial issues, there is no definite right and wrong, but the risk involved with guns isn’t one worth taking for a false sense of wellbeing. In some cases the gun might kill the criminal, and in some it might be part of a terrible accident. It’s like a game of Russian roulette, only the victims don’t know they’re playing it. ▪

forefathers thought ahead to a day when messages wouldn’t be delivered by pigeon and had the good sense to leave room for amendments. In 1776, they were unaware of automatic weapons; the only guns available to the public were equivalent to BB guns. Technology and lifestyles are very different from the way they were 250 years ago, but for many groups that are against gun control, this amendment seems to be conveniently set in stone. The ideals that founded America are being manipulated to fit the needs of a few people, ultimately leading to the unraveling of our lifestyles.

Statistics are another common argument used to validate the safety of firearms. The rates of death due to firearm use fall below drowning, suffocation, poisoning, and motor vehicle accidents.

In 2011, fatalities due to accidental firearm use made up 0.8 percent of the total, not even included in the top 10 causes

Taking Sides: 73 105 Gun Control

out of MSJ students polled by the Smoke Signal support

increased gun control

July 20, 2012 Aurora, Colorado Century movie theater 12 dead, 58 injured January 8, 2011 Tucson, Arizona Gabrielle Giffords shot 6 dead, 14 injured

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By Anna Zeng Staff Writer

Imagine an American with a gun. If that gun is taken away from him, have we accomplished our goal? Yes, say gun control advocates. No, says reality.

Gun control, one of the great political issues of American history, was supposedly resolved with the Second Amendment. The Amendment states that people may bear arms because having a militia is great for public safety.

The American Revolution was a time when Americans were in love with the notion of liberty and self-reliability, and when having a gun for the family wasn’t

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August 5, 2012 Oak Creek, Wisconsin Sikh temple 7 dead, 4 injured

such a bad idea. However, guns from the eighteenth century were muskets – heavy, clunky, big firearms that needed to be reloaded every few rounds; compared to the modern firearm, the musket might as well function as a cudgel. Considering that the Second Amendment was written for an ancient handheld gunpowder cannon, you’d think the government would have altered the Amendment to reasonably take handguns and AK-47s into consideration.

Traditional gun control does not work in a modern world. When gun control propositions are finally written into law, they seldom do anything at all. A range of differentiated crime rates – homicide rates, suicide rates, violent crime rates, and others – were virtually unaffected, says one ground-breaking study conducted by Kleck and Patterson,

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January 1, 2012 Illegal to openly carry an unloaded handgun in public October 1, 2011 California penal code 12025 makes it illegal to carry a concealed firearm

32 out of 105

MSJ students polled by the Smoke Signal support

reduced gun control

by the implementation of 18 types of gun control laws in the US. Out of 15 states with the highest homicide rates in the country, 10 states have strict gun control laws in place; despite this, many gun control advocates are still pushing for more stringent laws.

We must realize that guns are not the sole problem. True, the US does account for over 50 percent of the world’s civilian-owned firearms, but the US has an average homicide rate and an incredibly low violent crime rate in comparison to some notable gun-restricted countries, like the United Kingdom (UK). The US has three firearm homicides per 100,000 people, and the UK has seven firearm homicides per 10,000,000 people; despite this, the US has 460 violent crimes per 100,000 people compared to more than two thousand violent crimes per 100,000 people in the UK. These statistics, from the National Center for Policy Analy-

sis, confirm the obvious: guns aren’t the only weapons of choice. With limited access to firearms, criminals in the UK have overwhelmingly turned to knives and other small, concealable weapons, which may be used multiple times without consequence of ammunition, explaining the discrepancy between the two figures.

In the battle to fight crime, officials cannot expect to stop crime by solely taking away weapons, just as parents cannot expect toddlers to stop fooling around by taking away their toys. Why these crimes occur isn’t a mystery, and we, as a country, struggle to remember that. During the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises, the Aurora theater shooting starred a real-life, PhD mirror of the Joker, complete with questionable sanity. The Internet flooded discussion forums and social network sites with posts, but despite having these necessary, crucial discussions, no concrete steps have been made to improve the mental healthcare system or to design an effective safeguarding program to prevent would-be criminals from falling through the cracks. Gun control is not the best fix for our broken system. ▪ studioeres . com , dreamstime . com

Friday, September 28, 2012

By Kyle Qian

The Smoke Signal

iPad will more than likely be obsolete, assuming they’ve all survived to begin with.

Staff Writer Alternatives? Of course there are some! Well… kind of. The iBooks Author tool that allows anyOn Jan. 19, 2012, to the joy of hunchbacked students everywhere, Apple announced iBooks one to create e-books and textbooks does indeed 2 for the iPad, which will feature interactive, use the popular ePub format, but Apple has slyly digitized textbooks. Primarily targeting the tweaked it so that it is essentially incompatible K-12 audience, iBooks 2 seeks to bring “a more with anything other than Apple products. Furdynamic, engaging, and truly interactive way to thermore, in what was called “greedy and evil” by Ed Bott, a writer for www.ZDNet.com, a busiread and learn”.

Can it be? A world in which learning about ness technology news website published by CBS vertebrae doesn’t require breaking our own? Interac tive, the End User License Agreement The integration of technology has for a long for iBooks stipulates that anything written in time been the next frontier for education, and the iBook format can only be sold through the this textbook initiative by Apple, if success- iTunes store, from which Apple receives a 30% ful, will undoubtedly be the next step towards cut. If Apple rejects a book, it cannot be legally a true 21st century education. It seems like a sold anywhere else.

The idea that Apple is truly committed to the win-win scenario, but behind the glossy metallic finish of the millions of iPads sold world- betterment of education seems dubious at best. wide, seems to lie the question in the back of In a California district like FUSD that already everyone’s minds: how are we going to pay for struggles with budget cuts, teacher salaries, and class sizes, paying for thousands of iPads isn’t this?

Apple’s Vol-Apple is launching iBooks2 for the iPad for students. going togeek.com be on the agenda ume Purchase Program will allow educational anytime soon. As Avram Piltch of Fox News institutions to purchase digitized textbooks in writes, “It’s a [system] so expensive that it will volume, but tucked away at the very end of only help the privileged few.”

Even with the supposed good intentions of the FAQs reads this little caveat: “In the case of books, the student as the end user must re- expanding technology to classrooms, Apple has deem the book using his or her own Apple ID, a long way to go. At this point, the promise just and the student owns the book”. At $15 apiece, seems too good to be true. ▪ the textbooks may seem cheaper than their $75 paper counterparts, but considering that a paper textbook could last well over five years, purchasing a new e-textbook for every student every year quickly closes the price gap. Add to that, the cost of buying an iPad ($500) for every student and providing tech support, as well as the fact that an iPad can’t survive a coffee spill like a biology book can. Furthermore, Apple has an annoyingly expensive (for customers) habit of releasing new toys every single year, so by the time five years have passed, the current

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By Grace Wu Staff Writer

Recently The New York Times released an investigative report on working conditions in Foxconn, a major electronics manufacturer for many large corporations such as Apple.

The article focused on Foxconn’s factories in China, reporting on conditions in the factories and Apple’s role in the conditions. The article sparked wide spread criticism and even protest from the mass media, but it’s easy to criticize from the comfort of our spacious workplaces and $4200 average monthly salary. In order to understand the whole story, we must take a look at the circumstances that the Chinese workers face. We can’t simply compare American conditions to those conditions.

Despite the poor conditions outlined in the article, thousands of eager Chinese workers lined up for hours on January 30 in Zhengzhou, China for jobs in Foxconn’s Zhengzhou campus. The base salary of 1650 Yuan (US$261) may just be the cost of an iPod touch in America, but in China, a Foxconn job is seen as lucrative. The workers know that the salary at Foxconn is much higher than those offered by other companies.

The reality is Foxconn’s conditions are idyllic compared to other small factories in China, where workers usually sleep under their work stations and can’t afford to rent apartments that are complementary at Foxconn. The company provides food and shelter at no cost to the workers, along with their monthly salary. Their living facilities resemble a city. Thousands of workers live in dorms and eat in industrial cafeterias.

The company even offers onsite counseling for their workers, providing psychological counseling for those in need. Foxconn gained notoriety for attempted suicides but their suicide rates are low compared to China’s suicide rate. Last

Opinion 7

year there were 18 suicides out of 700,000 Foxconn workers meanwhile according to the World Health Organization 14 out of 100,000 people committed suicide per year in China.One of the hopeful workers in line said,“Working conditions in smaller factories are even worse (than Foxconn). They have even longer work hours.

The major reason is that suppliers are not at the top of the value chain and major brands can easily replace them. Also, workers in China do not have labor unions, and the Chinese government always protects the large companies.”

How can working conditions improve in China? As the worker said, improvements can only be made with the support of the Chinese government. Currently, the Chinese government protects the interest of the corporations due to fear of losing billions in revenue from manufacturing, the biggest source of jobs in China.

In fact, many cities in China offer a staggering amount in incentives and tax cuts to corporations in hopes of boosting the economy through manufacturing.

In an idealistic world, human labor rights would be a standard but working conditions will inevitably vary. Before feeling guilty and swearing to never buy another Apple product again, consider this: the only way that the less fortunate can move up is if they are given an opportunity to. Foxconn’s factories are presenting much better opportunities than were offered before. Through international trade China has been introduced to the global market; minimum wage and therefore standard of living will rise. According to official data released by the Chinese government, minimum wage has increased 12.5 percent every year from 2005 to 2010. The government has also planned to raise minimum wages 13 percent per year through 2015. In the foreseeable future China will work towards standardized labor laws, but without opportunity there is no potential for growth. ▪

8 Feature

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Man Survival Guide Gentleman Edition

By Jin Peng Feature Editor

Alas, with the school year fresh upon us, it has never been more important to make a great impression upon our peers, a task so important that its repercussions will weigh heavily on us for the rest of our lives. Nothing speaks more of peril than successfully maneuvering ourselves up the social ladder, achieving hearty relationships with our teachers, our coaches, our classmates, and of course, let it never be forgotten, the ladies. If you are startled by the magnitude of this assignment, fear not, for you have stumbled upon the three-trick pony that will trebuchet you to social acclaim in a matter of paragraphs, as it shall transform you into a real gentleman, a gentleman so real that all your dreams will come true. Nice guys may finish last, but remember, gentlemen always place first. #1 Attire As confirmed by Claudio’s famous line “Are our eyes our own?” from Shakespeare’s box office hit, Finding Nemo, the first quality any gentleman must have is a striking but subtle appearance. Like that of an ancient Chinese female-soldier-rebel, your attire must be as strong as a raging fire, yet as tranquil as a forest. That’s why the first step to becoming a real gentleman is to don the black and white tuxedo every single day of the week. The tuxedo excels because of its announcing look, yet reserved design, proving to everyone that you are bold, suave, but still highly refined. In addition, a real gentleman looks like a gentleman all the time and every time, so make sure that your tuxedo is washed daily so you can wear it daily. Consistency is crucial in a world where people like to not only judge a book by its cover, but also judge a book by its cover many times over.

#2 Language A real gentleman cannot come by without communicating with his admirers. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that you master the language of sophistication, a fluent and soothing medley of words that can befriend even the harshest of arch-nemeses, and lure even the most exacting of women. The trick is to apply a slight modification to your current colloquial syntax, all the while adopting some oral traditions that stem from French and East Siberian roots. As a ground rule, always add a “le” before every noun and at the end every sentence (the more the merrier), and always apply the passive voice if possible. In essence, it should look something like this.

“Le girl, le dance, le oui, le please?”

The Smoke Signal

TEACHERs' TRIATHLON

By Sonali Toppur Opinion Editor

On September 16, 2012, Social Studies Teacher Jaime Richards, English Teacher John Boegman, and Math Teacher Charlie Brucker competed in the 25th Annual Tri for Real triathlon in Pleasanton, CA. Part of a larger Tri for Fun series, the event was a short distance triathlon, open to participants with all levels of ability, which serves as a way to introduce more people to competing in triathlons and make it more accessible to novices. To complete the event, each of the 250 or so participants swam 700 yards, ran four miles, and completed a 20 mile bike ride.

“I had two goals for this triathlon,” said Richards. “My first goal was to finish without walking or pushing my bike.

The second was to not be last.” Richards shared that he had always aspired to do a triathlon one day, especially as he didn’t know how much longer he had to do one.

This was his first triathlon, and according to him he “probably won’t do it again unless other people do it with him.” He encountered a surprise during the swimming portion, finding it not as difficult as he had expected, and discovering instead that the biking section proved the most difficult.

Boegman performed extremely well in the triathlon, being the first one in his heat to get out of the water, and ending strong by placing near the middle of finish times. He recently recovered from an injury to his back that he received last spring. This was his first attempt at a triathlon, though he has competed in other events such as biking for the Livestrong organization, of which he is a strong supporter. The Livestrong foundation sup-

After all the high-fives and handshakes are completed, the next rung to climb is personality. The secret to a real gentleman’s personality, however, cannot merely be characterized by adjectives such as “swank” and “super-duper.” In fact, if anything, a real gentleman must carry with him a sense of mystery. If people ask you “What’s your name dude?” the only acceptable reply is “Yes.” When you make accidental eye contact, your life’s immediate goal is to maintain that eye contact as long as possible. To be strange with confidence and purpose only reaffirms a gentleman’s swagger, as the only things you’ll be confusing are the people around you, arousing them to wonder if they are missing a piece of the puzzle. Acting with superiority in the face of eccentricity only causes others to feel like they are the eccentric ones. From mystery stems curiosity, and from an unanswered curiosity stems acceptance - a real gentleman is accepted simply because. ▪ graphics by staff writer jaynelle gao

courtesy john boegman

ports and empowers people affected by cancer, and raises money and awareness for cancer research.

Brucker excelled the running portion, having run some 10k events and the Boston Marathon in 2000 which was a qualifying event. “He was already lapping me by the time I started my run,” said Richards. Over the summer Brucker completed a century ride, which is a bike ride of one hundred miles or more within 12 hours. This triathlon for Brucker was one of several, including a notable one that he ran in San Diego, 1988. “I’m not pretending to be young, but in my age group I do okay,” said Brucker.

All three teachers agreed that the experience was one that they were glad to have shared together. “I really liked this event,” said Brucker, “because it encourages novices to compete in triathlons, which at first appear very daunting but end up being a great experience, after the

Tamara Aboumrad, Pro Soccer Player

By Catherine Ho Staff Writer

Senior Tamara Aboumrad has spent 10 years of her life participating in one of her passions, soccer. Her dedication has allowed her to achieve many wins and grow as a person. She will be playing soccer for UC Berkeley next fall.

Smoke Signal: How long have you been playing soccer?

Tamara Aboumrad: I first started playing soccer when I was 6 years old. I had always begged my dad to let me play earlier and he finally let me sign up for my first team in the first grade.

SS: What are some of the teams you have played on for the past few years?

TA: I currently play for the Pleasanton Rage ECNL team. I also played on the Cal-North state team and the Region IV Olympic Development Teams (ODP). Before I went to Rage two years ago, I played for my dad my whole life in Fremont.

#3 Character

Friday, September 28, 2012

SS: What positions have you played? What’s your current position?

TA: I pretty much play every position, depending on the game and where my coach needs me, but my main position is centermid.

SS: What is the most memorable experience you have had playing soccer?

TA: The most memorable experience I have had with soccer was when I was playing with the Cal-North state team and we were playing against Cal-South in the Regional Championship game. We were the best two teams fighting for the chance to go to Nationals. I was playing with a fractured bone in my ankle and we were down 1 to 0. With

about two minutes left in the game, I took a ball down the line, crossed it and we scored to tie it up. We ended up losing in overtime but it was the most intense game I have ever played in, Cal-South being our biggest rivals from the very first year of ODP. SS: Do you see yourself playing soccer after high school?

TA: Yes, I do see myself playing soccer after high school. College soccer was always my dream growing up. I began contacting coaches at schools I had always wanted to play for.

Then out of the blue during my sophomore year, the Cal Berkeley coach called me and asked me to go on a visit to their campus. I had never even thought of going there and really didn’t have any interest in going there.

When I got there with my dad for the visit and they walked me around the campus and showed me all the cool free stuff I get for playing there, I immediately fell in love!

About one month later, I made my decision and verbally committed to Cal! I will be signing my official commitment February 6th and moving out there in July to start training with the team! ▪

staff writer catherine ho

courtesy tamara aboumrad

Friday, September 28, 2012

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Feature 9

MSJ TRIVIA

By Jade Shi and Sherry Xiao Feature Editor and Graphics Editor

Myth: Can I read it in one night? (Note: reading and understanding are two different matters) Finding: Depends School ends at about 3:00 and starts at about 8:00, so assuming one hour for meals, two hours for other homework, and five hours for sleep, we’ll define one night as nine hours, or 540 minutes.

Have you ever wondered how many seconds it takes to walk from one end of the campus to the other? Ever asked yourself exactly how many textbooks you can fit into your locker before the door pops clean off and you have to face the administration’s ire? Hopefully, you answered yes to these questions. If you answered no, that’s all right too, because the Smoke Signal, like Apple, is in the business of giving you what you want before you know you want it, so read on and find out what you never knew you always wanted to know.

Myth: Can the lockers hold all my textbooks?

Finding: Confirmed, unless you share your locker or are selfstudying five APs An average size C-Wing locker can hold 11 textbooks, one textbook-size workbook, one fat novel, one skinny novel, and a bunch of other things stuffed in the cracks and still be able to close.

In other words, our test locker could fit one AP Human Geography textbook, one AP Psychology workbook, one AP Environmental Science textbook, one AP World History textbook, one Literature Anthology, one Government textbook, two AP Statistics textbooks, four AP Calculus textbooks, one copy of the Iliad, one copy of Pygmalion, a lab notebook, a pencil case, an eyeglasses case, and a scientific calculator.

Disclaimer: This article was written mainly for entertainment purposes and the data within is not intended to be statistically significant.

To Kill a Mockingbird: 540 min./384 pages = 1.41 min/page Might be possible, but it does not sound extraordinarily fun.

Much Ado About Nothing: 540 min./120 pages = 4.5 min./page All the more reason to go ahead and read it the first day you get it!

Just don’t spoil the ending or expect any in-depth analytical geMyth: Are seven minutes of passnius to appear in your noggin. ing period enough?

Finding: Plausible The Grapes of Wrath: 520 min./464 pages = 1.12 min./ The test subject, who also page happens to be writing this artiNow consider that there are cle, walked across campus, from more than 475 words on page the door of B35 to the door of P6, two of the novel and that the with no traffic at a leisurely pace average adult reads at a rate of in 3:26:96. Opening a locker, put200-300 words per minute. We ting away one textbook and two can’t tell you how to live your notebooks, and taking out one book life, but 1.12 min/pg… Choose and putting it in a backpack took the wisely. subject 00:49:22. A trip to the bathroom took the subject 1:48:32. Added together, The Iliad: 540 min./704 pages this takes 6:04:50, but it also assumes that = 0.76 min./page the locker and the bathroom don’t require Don’t do it. detours from the original route and that subject is packed up and at the door the moment the bell rings. If, by some wild stroke of luck, this is true for you, you have another 00:55:50 for whatever you please, so fold an origami crane! Make a new friend! The possibilities are endless.

graphics editor sherry xiao

2.

A) The amphitheater mural was painted in 2001.

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A) Members of MSJ’s Cross-Country Team were ranked champions of all of Northern California in 1979.

B) MSJ was initially designed to hold 1,600-1,800 students, with eight wings and a main office.

B) MSJ lost NCS Football in 1978.

In the spirit of old-fashioned icebreaker games, the Smoke Signal is here to give you some facts you maybe didn’t know about MSJ (along with a great many falsehoods), and break the ice between you and this lovely campus within which you study, eat, socialize, and complain about work.

To measure the degree of ice chipped and forever crushed after today’s quiz:

C) In 1979, MSJ won NCS Football in the Oakland Coliseum and beat Logan 64-0.

C) Home-Ec used to be taught in the N-Wing, and Woodshop in the E-Wing, which is why the E-Wing does not have a girl’s bathroom.

3.

A) Math Teacher Charlie Brucker ran in the Boston Marathon in celebration of his fiftieth birthday.

4.

A) Senior Michael Choi swims the fastest butterfly of anyone to ever come through MSJ.

B) Social Studies Teacher Nancy Benton once worked in the Economics Department of a publishing company.

B) MSJ has the highest passing rate for AP Statistics of large, public high schools.

C) English Teacher John Boegman qualified for 200 meter free Olympic trial cuts in 1984.

C) MSJ was named a National Blue Ribbon School in the years 1980, 1996, and 2008.

schiavihomes.com, mythbusters2012.eventbrite.com, wordpress.com, deviantart.com

10 Centerspread

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Friday, September 28, 2012

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Centerspread 11

With the start of a another school year, it’s important for new students to get familiar with the MSJ campus! What can you do at the career center? Where can you go to buy bagels and cream cheese? What’s taught in those extremely new A-wing classrooms? TheSmoke Signal has created a guide to answer all of your questions!

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By Jaynelle Gao, Allan Ko, Aishwarya Thakur, and Lindy Zeng

TOP TEN TIPS

Staff Writer, Editor-in-Chief, News Editor, and Staff Writer

P7: Don’t be fooled! P-7, English Teacher Elizabeth Waller’s classroom, is located in the E-Wing, not the P-Wing!

The morning bulletin may have some important information that can be useful to you at one point or another. If your first period class is too noisy and you missed the announcements, the bulletin is posted in the career center as well as on www.msjhs.org.

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LIBRARY

center

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Two-strap it. Don’t use a rolling backpack in the cramped halls of MSJ; you’re a hazard to yourself as well as to others.

The Career Center is found in the Bell Tower Quad next to the Student Store, and open from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Come here for a wide variety of up-to-date college, scholarship, career, and employment information or planning resources. Applications, forms, and other details are available for standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, and the bulletin board is updated weekly with scholarships, summer programs, job openings, and test prep courses. Guest speakers and representatives from colleges across the US also come to the Career Center to talk to students at lunch or after school. College and Career Specialist Janet Aldinger is always available to give students advice about universities, job applications, and more.

career

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Get involved in clubs—we have so many that you’re bound to find something you like! By the time senior year rolls around, you will have created a legacy by being part of an organization on campus.

Fields g n i k r Pa Lot

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When people say they didn’t study and got an a+, don’t believe them. Nobody is born knowing E=mc2.

Found next to the Bell Tower Quad, the library is, of course, full of books, from graphic novels to reference books organized in the Dewey Decimal System. Nevertheless, the library also hosts a computer lab filled with Apple iMacs, and allows students access to printing capabilities (for a small fee). It’s common for teachers wishing to incorporate Internet research or other digital media activities in their lessons to take their students to the library for class. For a wide range of literary resources, visit the library website by going to www.msjhs.org and clicking the “Library” tab.

The left line at the cafeteria located between the E and C-wings normally goes faster, but don’t tell anybody; you don’t want a crowd there, do you?

At the far end of the C-Wing is C-120, a spacious auditorium with a stage, projector screen, and over a hundred seats.

Many concerts, talent shows, or informational workshops are hosted in C-120, but it’s most often used for Student Council meetings every Wednesday at lunch. Come to Student Council for announcements from clubs, class officers, ASB, or other school organizations, as well as to see student groups applying to become official MSJ clubs.

C120

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If you see P-7 on your schedule, don’t go to the P-wing. P-7 is located behind the E-wing. The architects thought us MSJ students needed to be tested all the time.

Take advantage of the fact that you go to a school like MSJ. Everyone around you is intelligent in their own way—and so are you.

Learn how to study and work hard now so you won’t be shocked by what college throws at you.

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Don’t get caught on Palm Avenue driving 40 mph. The speed limit here is 25mph, so keep your eyes on your speedometer.

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Reach out for help! MASH (Math and Science Help) is every tuesday and thursday during lunch and after school and is a great way for students to form study groups.

MSJ is not the level of hell that Dante forgot to mention. We most certainly have our own enjoyable times; Homecoming and Multicultural weeks are just a few MSJ traditions that we all look forward to every year. What makes these weeks even more entertaining is when you participate in them, so play a part in the Homecoming skit or sell food and celebrate different cultures during Multicultural Week!

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12 Feature

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New Teacher FEATURE

By Anjali Kanthilal, Vivian Jair, Anna Zeng Staff Writers

The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 28, 2012

Nina LaRosa: (Honors English 9 & Honors English 11)

Tanya Roundy: (English 11 and Drama)

Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about yourself.

Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about yourself.

Nina LaRosa: I am a proud San Francisco native from an Tanya Roundy: I am married with six chilItalian American family. I currently live in Oakland. For high dren. I have a Bachelors Degree in English and school, I went to San Francisco’s Saint Ignatius College Preparatoa Masters Degree in Education. I have lived in ry, a private Jesuit school. I attended Cal (Berkeley) for college—go Utah, Southern California, Wyoming, Idaho, Golden Bear Pride! American Literature, which I am teaching along Utah and now Northern California. with ninth grade Honors English, is my favorite subject.

This year, MSJ welcomes five new teachers to the SS: What do you hope to accomplish at MSJ? school staff. The Smoke Signal interviewed each of SS: What do you hope to accomplish at MSJ? TR: I hope that I can bring some energy and these teachers for exclusive details on their perNL: I told my students that by the end of the year I hoped they would life to the theatre program to build it back up. I also sonal lives, as well as their opinions on their become better critical thinkers and writers. As for me, I want to get through the hope to share knowledge with and learn from my teaching careers. year with grace, patience, and integrity. I want to show my students the best of students so that we both grow and become better myself and the curriculum. people for society.

In addition, we bid Mrs. Sugden and

Mrs. Kwon farewell as they part with SS: Do you have any interesting hobbies or things to do in your free time?

SS: Do you have any interesting hobbies or NL: I enjoy swimming, hiking, and cooking. I recently went rock climbing as well, alMSJ, their legacies as influential things you do in your free time? though I ended up injuring my shoulder. I also enjoy going to the Farmer’s Market and makcoaches, mentors and friends TR: What’s free time? When I have a moment to ing food with what I find. Of course, I love having made their mark on our breathe though, I like to play the piano, write music, to read, but so do most English teachers school forevermore. We wish Don Hui: poetry and other texts. [laughs]. This actually might be a bit suryou the best of luck, Mrs. (Ceramics & Digital Imaging) prising, but I really like science as well. I Kwon and Mrs. Sugden!

Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about yourself.

SS: Do you have any previous work experience? could probably pass the chemistry tests (Information on their Don Hui: I graduated from MSJ in 2003. I’ve TR: This is beginning my seventh year teaching from MSJ—of course, I’d have to study replacements were been coaching volleyball at MSJ for six years. I attended and before that I worked as a Teacher’s assistant, though!

I also love Giants baseball games not available.)

Ohlone College before transferring to San Jose State Uniand Cal football games, as well as visiting CNA/Ward Clerk in a hospital, a substitute teacher, versity to finish my B.A. in Fine Arts. Afterward, I finished my dad in Sonoma. I absolutely adore my and housekeeping in a hospital. little black cat, Matteo—his name means my teaching credential in Art at Cal State East Bay. I used to Matthew in Italian—who is my first furry cut hair for a living in high school.

SS: What do you like about teaching? pet!

Thanks to him, I now feel like I unTR: I love that moment when a student “gets it” derstand the whole world of animals.

SS: What do you hope to accomplish at MSJ? or when I get a really cool insight from a student and DH: I hope to develop other skills in MSJ students outside of acaI “get it” in a new way that I never thought of before. demia, such as social, physical, creative, and life skills. Unfortunately, SS: What do you like about teaching? many MSJ students often feel pressured to take unnecessarily heavy acaNL: I really like that every day and evdemic loads at the detriment of developing other aforementioned skills in ery year, things are different. Each day the school. I understand that pressure. I’ve been there before. My goal is to teach activities and subjects change, while each my students to pursue excellence in ALL areas, whether it be academics, sports, year the students are new. It helps keep Tanya hobbies, social skills, etc. Not being “naturally gifted” in an area is not an excuse to things fresh. Also, I don’t have to sit behind give up or be satisfied with failure.

Roundy a desk and can actually choose what we do each day. On top of that, even though my SS: Do you have any interesting hobArshiya Sultana: students sometimes frustrate me, interactbies or things you do in your free time?

(Biology and Integrated Science) ing with teenagers every day is unpredictDH: I play volleyball in adult leagues able and exciting!

Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about and sometimes travel to other states yourself. and countries for tournaments. I play Arshiya Sultana: I grew up in India, the drums and guitar for my Christian where I obtained my Masters in BiolNina LaRosa church. Ironically, I don’t draw and paint James ogy.

I immigrated to the Bay Area and nearly as much as I play volleyball, write, Nation: decided to become a teacher! I’m overplay music, cook, coach, or work out. Bejoyed about teaching Biology and Inteing an artist is an approach to life, not (US History grated Science this year! necessarily creating images. and World History) SS: What do you hope to accomSS: What do you like about teaching?

Smoke Signal: plish at MSJ? DH: I enjoy the atmosphere of sharTell us a little about AS: I want to instill in my students ing ideas, exploring new skills, making yourself ? appreciation and understanding of scimistakes and learning from them, and JN: I have been teachence, and I want them to share the most importantly, learning about life. ing for about 45 years. 22 ½ wonder and passion I experience with Plus, sometimes it’s more fun hanging of them were over at Robertbiology. That’s what I think will make a out with kids than it is with adults! (The son Opportunity. I’m married. I truly successful year. live in San Francisco. My wife is key word is “sometimes.”) I particularly Swedish, so I spend my summers in enjoy working with high school stuSS: Do you have any interesting Sweden.

And I have a dog that I like a dents because they are old enough to hobbies or things you do in your free lot.

I’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, have wisdom, but not yet old enough to time? and hitchhiking all over the world. make wise choices consistently. I want AS: I enjoy reading, chess, and to be there and help them make wiser playing badminton.

SS: What do you hope to accomplish choices without having to always learn at MSJ? the hard way.

SS: What do you like about teachJN: I hope to get Mission students to ing? think about things that they might not AS: I love teaching especially otherwise think about. I want to explore when it comes to interacting with the ideas that are slightly outside the mainDon Hui students. Sharing the learning journey stream because my view of the world is with them and witnessing the spark of slightly out of the mainstream. And I understanding are treasured feelings I don’t think students here get a lot of that always look forward to seeing in class. necessarily. I just want to see people be successful.

SS: Do you have any interesting hobbies or things you do in your free time?

JN: Not really. I like music. I work on my house every summer, so that’s a bit of a hobby for me.

SS: What do you like about teaching?

JN: I like the challenge. I like the young students, most of the time. I like having the opportunity to help move this culture in a good direction. I don’t think things are going well, but a great place to start changing the future are the young guys.

Arshiya Sultana

James Nation photos by vivian jair, anjali kanthilal, supriya yelimeli, anna zeng

Friday, September 28, 2012

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photos by graphics editors angie wang and sherry xiao, staff writers jaynelle gao and supriya yelimeli

14 Arts & Entertainment

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‘Lawless’ Thrown in Jail

The Smoke Signal

Killers Win the ‘Battle’

By Grace Wu Staff Writer

By Supriya Yelimeli Staff Writer

Based on Matt Bondurant’s novel The Wettest County in the World, Lawless is an account of the true life events of the Bondurant family. The scene is set in 1931 Virginia, with three brothers selling bootleg whiskey during Prohibition. One day while they are comfortably running their dry saloon, the youngest, Jack (Shia LaBeouf ), witnesses one of their competitors being shot and killed. The new sheriff Charley Rakes (Guy Pearce) later approaches Jack and Forrest (Tom Hardy) and demands a cut of their bootleg profit. Thus begins an intense adventure to keep their business a secret and their profits to themselves. Assisting in their endeavors are Bertha Minnix and Maggie Beauford, the brothers’ respective love interests. Forrest plays the role of the responsible older brother, teaching Jack, the wild one, to fend for himself. Along the way they also meet Floyd Banner (Gary

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Oldman), who becomes a regular client and assists them in capturing Rakes and his men. When the bootlegging business become more dangerous than they ever imagined, the two brothers must fight to survive.

According to this movie, Prohibition was a time of cowboy hats, pretty women, and a ridiculous amount of manly strutting. Movies are supposed to deliver some aspect of realism, but Lawless went out of the way to glorify any events that might have taken place. The film was filled to the brim with old timey standoffs and biting oneliners. Unfortunately, these were the only memorable parts of the film. The chemistry between the brothers is lacking and Hardy is often overshadowed by LaBeouf ’s overenthusiastic character. Moreover, when watching a movie about a time period as exhilarating and dangerous as Prohibition, an audience member would expect to feel some of that suspense. The problem

was that the only thing the movie excelled in was gruesome shock value from the violence, creating a very tiring aftereffect.

Although equipped with talented actors and an experienced director, Lawless came across as a rookie attempt at a classic outlaw movie. It had all the right parts: guns, alcohol, questionable women--but failed to come together to make an enjoyable movie. The one redeeming factor was Hardy’s performance, a quiet but commanding presence that delivered lines such as “We control the fear,” in the perfect mixture of growl and emotion.

Hollywood veterans like Oldman brought charm and star power to the movie, but this did not save it from its forced Western feel. The story definitely strikes a chord, but the dialogue and plot is too processed and formulaic to be vintage gold. It was an honorable attempt, but Lawless belongs in the backwoods. ▪ Rating: C-

‘Food & Liquor’ more than satisfying

reginaspektormusic.net rap-up.com

By Jin Peng Feature Editor

Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor II The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 is a feast for the alternative hip hop and R&B soul, stacked heavily with satisfying beats in a lively mix of Fiasco’s signature swagger and unorthodoxy. The album encompasses a variety of styles absent from mainstream hip-hop, establishing a new blend of tracks while keeping Fiasco’s slick rap intact.

“Strange Fruition” kicks the album off with a slow but heavy set of beats. The instrumental features a falsetto and violin loop that provides a strong contrast to the cho-

rus, which is layered smoothly with the lyrics. It provides a mellow but soothing transition into “Roses”¸ a track highly reminiscent of Fiasco’s previous album Lasers. Most notably, however, is the next track, “Around My Way”, a catchy and novel mix of saxophone and progressive rock. Fiasco features modern hip hop’s first blend of saxophone and rap, giving the song a jazzy touch.

Fiasco marks his signature style in “B*tch Bad” and “Lamborghini Angels”, providing the core of Fiasco in Food & Liquor II The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. Both tracks offer groovy synths and the classic kick drum-snare characteristic of moderately paced hip hop.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Fiasco incorporates his trademark rap into both songs surprisingly well, while staying away from the trite chorus format of mainstream music. “Heart Donor,” arguably the most unique track of the album, is cloaked in a mellow R&B beat, providing a shift in the pace of music within the album.

To top off the album, “Battle Scars,” a slow track with a wistful touch, provides a nostalgic medley of piano and singing from Guy Sebastian.

From beginning to end, Food & Liquor II The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 does not fail to please.

Embracing the grace of his words while smoothly blending them into a variety of fresh styles of music, Lupe Fiasco’s latest album is an uncontested success. ▪ Rating: A+

foodandliquorparttwo.com

The Killers’ highly-anticipated fourth studio album, Battle Born, marks the long awaited return of the band after a two-year hiatus.The Killers is one of the most prominent American rock bands and they have a large fan base with over 15 million albums sold worldwide. The13 track album, Battle Born, starts off with “Flesh and Bone,” a song with all the hallmarks of a classic Killers creation with powerful guitar riffs throughout the piece and fiery lyrics.

The next song, “Runaways,” brings even more energy to the album, emphasizing The Killers’ status as a stadium-rock band. “The Way It Was,” a romantic balladrock about a past love, provides a mellow refreshing change of pace after the fast moving rock songs. “A Matter of Time,” “The Rising Tide,” and “Be Still” start out as soft slow rock ballads but slowly build into full-fledged rock songs. The tempo slows down drastically in “Heart of a Girl,” offering a genre switch from heavy rock to light country rock. Finally, the album wraps up

with the song “Battle Born,” which is immediately distinguishable as The Killers’ song, starting out as a light rock highlighting lead singer Brandon Flower’s suave vocals and eventually using guitar riffs to build up to an explosive finale.

The Killers make an impressive comeback with Battle Born. It’s clear that the album is written about personal problems that are universal: heartbreak, broken families, dreams, and lost loves. Whether you are an avid rock fan or a stranger to the rock genre, overarching themes in the songs make for a relatable listening experience.

The album strays away from the band’s usual genre and offers an unexpected variety of styles with an eclectic mix of classic rock, alternative, country-rock, and ballads. Even though the wide variety of genres may be new for fans, the band’s use of familiar elements like synthesizers to enhance the guitar vibe, remains purely characteristic of The Killers. Overall, Battle Born is a great album to rock out to. Fans and new listeners won’t be disappointed with this album. ▪ Rating: A-

fanpop.com

‘House’ Falls Flat

By Vishak Menon Sports Editor

On a cold September night, I sauntered over to Pacific Commons without the highest of expectations.

I have watched my fair share of horror movies and know that many have a tendency to be a bit predictable. House at the End of the Street definitely had its fair share of moments that cause the audience to groan as the main character opens doors that should be left closed and refuses to turn around to see what is behind her. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the talent of young actress Jennifer Lawrence. In this sinister story, Lawrence plays Elissa, a rebellious teen that has moved into a new town with her mother (Elisabeth Shue).

The premise arises from Elissa and her mother taking residence in a home adjacent to one where a child murdered both of her parents four years earlier. The child is presumed dead but her older brother Ryan (Max Theriot) now inhabits the house alone. Elissa soon befriends Ryan and sees him as a lonely yet sweet man who is misunderstood by the community. But Ryan’s secrets soon begin to unravel.

House at the End of the Street definitely has some honest moments.

Scenes of Elissa’s and her mother’s parent-child drama have real emotion behind them, and the budding romance between Elissa and Ryan is palpable from the start. However, there is little in terms of a supporting cast; several supplementary roles fall flat and make the story less believable. Before long, even the sentiments developed for the lead actors begin to wear away.

To be fair, this movie had an interesting twist that most of the audience will not see coming. This should help keep most viewers on their toes despite an overall uninspired plot. If you’re looking for some charged scenes with Lawrence, then it will be worth it. But fans of true thrillers may want to wait for the DVD. ▪ Rating: C+

houseattheendofthestreet.com

Friday, September 28, 2012

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Friday, September 28, 2012

Ocean’s rising tide of success tumblr.com

By Anusha Rijhsinghani Centerspread Editor

With each passing day, social networking becomes more deeply ingrained into our daily lives. From Facebook to Tumblr, students look for ways to constantly stay connected with the surrounding world whilst also being entertained. While Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin have consistently proven to be the most popular over the past few years, social blogging sites such as Tumblr are making a strong appearance in the networking world. Tumblr alone has grown 166 percent in the past year and has created over 70 million blog URLs for its users, placing it under the top 20 most trafficked sites in the US. It has surpassed the popularity of both WordPress and Pinterest, two other well-known blogging sites, because of its simplicity and straightforwardness. It allows its users to publish information in a variety of forms including text, photo, quote, chat, link, audio, and video and then spread their content by having other users "re-blog" them. This creates a dashboard, similar to Facebook's newsfeed, that is customized to each person's unique taste. “Tumblr famous” posts include The Senior Supper, a photo of a group of MSJ seniors that mirrors da Vinci’s The Last Supper. With its popularity on the rise, the questions of what makes Tumblr so appealing to users come into play.

Simplicity One of the best aspects of Tumlbr is that its process and actions are pared down to the bare essentials. It takes just one simple click for a user to create their own post, re-blog someone else’s, or scroll through their dashboard.

Personalized Like any other blogging site, Tumblr acts as a medium or utility for users to share their opinions without any restrictions to hold them back. This definitely has its downside, however, as it allows many controversial topics to surface through user posts. Each user also has his or her own unique dashboard, as mentioned before, with lists from other users that they choose to follow.

News Even though Tumblr is a blogging site, it keeps its users aware of what's going on around the world. As soon as a newsworthy event occurs, there are posts everywhere on Tumblr. Although the quality of the news is biased towards every user's individual opinion, it's still an efficient way for users to be exposed to the issues being raised around the world. During this current election year, for example, Tumblr has been constantly updated with political news, including recaps of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, campaign strategies, and other timely information. Campaigners use this knowledge to their advantage by using social media such as these sites to advance their causes.

As a whole, Tumblr and other blogging sites act as a source of entertainment for users around the world, while still providing a constant source of information. With its unique and simple layout and creative content, it is evident why Tumblr’s popularity has been on the rise, making it one of the strongest social networking sites out there. ▪

By Frank Chen Editor-in-Chief

fansfrankocean.com

Long-time listeners of main-stream R&B/hip pop will find rising singer/songwriter Frank Ocean to be a breath of fresh air. Amidst a sea of heavy bass and hard-core rap, Ocean’s music stands out because of its smooth and mellow rhythm.

Ocean’s personal life shaped much of his distinct style. He grew up in the jazz and blues culture of New Orleans, Louisiana, where he also attended college to begin his music career. Ocean’s education, however, was interrupted by Hurricane Katrina, which flooded his recording facility. As a result, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a ghostwriter for pop stars such as Justin Bieber, John Legend, and Beyonce Knowles.

Channel Orange, Ocean’s debut album released in July, is the perfect example of how he connects his culture and life experiences to his music. Blues and jazz is the central theme throughout the album, most noticeably in “Sweet Life” and “Crack Rock.” Ocean also explores spirituality and desires, dominant characteristics of neo-soul music, through

“Sierra Leone”, “Monks”, and “Bad Religion”. Ocean does not limit himself to the restraints of solely R&B, for he incorporates electro elements into songs like “Pilot Jones” and “Pyramids”.

Throughout the album, Ocean seems to be reflecting critically on the lavish and affluent life lived by celebrities today. He points out their sedentary lifestyle in “Super Rich Kids” and their use of drugs in “Crack Rock”.

While the beginning and end of the album are soft, the middle is lively; one might even say that Channel Orange illustrates Ocean’s view of a celebrity’s life: humble beginnings in the industry, lavish lifestyles when famous, and reticent endings when out of the mainstream.

According to the Associated Press, Ocean revealed that he is gay through his Tumblr page this past summer. In a world of R&Bs and hip pop, where anti-gay sentiments have long been the norm, Ocean frankly defied the stereotype. His openness about his sexuality gained wide support from many artists, including 50 Cent and Jamie Foxx.

Although a new artist, Ocean has his own special talents. While his album did not have the loud beats found in some mainstream R&B, Channel Orange certainly took Ocean’s musical career off with a loud bang. ▪

frankocean.com

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18 Sports

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By Kenny Jacoby & Vishak Menon Sports Editors

Down on Doping I have finally achieved my lifetime goal: I now have just as many Tour de France gold medals as Lance Armstrong.

On August 23, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stripped Armstrong of his seven consecutive Tour de France titles, after he announced he was no longer going to fight his doping charges. For more than a decade, the USADA has accused Armstrong of leading a systematic doping ring involving performance-enhancing drugs (PED) on his Tour-winning teams.

When Armstrong surrendered, I was heartbroken. I can only be led to believe that Armstrong indeed did take steroids. Who would give in to those accusations if they truly hadn’t done it? Armstrong used to represent the notion that anything is possible, and that no amount of adversity is too much to overcome. Steroids, however, represent cheating. Even if Armstrong really didn’t dope, it is hard to believe that the man who embodied personal struggle and hardship, looked death in the eye, overcame all the odds, and went on to achieve his lifetime dream seven times would be the one to throw in the towel.

Armstrong’s Cinderella story that gave hope to everyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer now seems too good to be true. Another underdog story that was shot down on PED charges is that of Melky Ca-

brera. Cabrera was having the season of his life on the Giants this year. He was the AllStar game MVP, he had the most hits in the entire MLB, and he was in line to win the batting title with a whopping .346 batting average. Giants fans embraced Melky, who always seemed to come up big in the clutch and even had his own fan club at games—the Melk-men. But then Melky was slapped with a 50-game suspension by the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for testing positive for testosterone, and now shocked Giants fans like myself are left with the realization that his dominant season never should have happened.

Cabrera was the fourth MLB player to

sportsworldreport.com

Melky Cabrera, holding his All-Star Game MVP trophy, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for testosterone.

get caught using PEDs this season, joining his teammate, relief pitcher Guillermo Mota, Philadelphia infielder Freddy Galvis, and free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd. A week after Melky’s suspension, A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon was given the exact same suspension for the exact same charges. In hindsight, all signs pointed to Colon’s use of steroids. Af-

A new look for MVAL coaching staff: head coach/offensive coordinator Sam Baugh and defensive coordinator Kevin Bella. Both Baugh, the preAfter winning the Mission Valley vious MSJ junior varsity coach, and Bella, Athletic League (MVAL) title for three the head coach who led the California consecutive years and eleven out of the School for the Deaf to an 8-4 record last past thirteen seasons, James Logan High season, will bring needed experience to this School football team’s run can be described team. Since only five starters from last year as complete dominance. As a result, this have returned, they will have a relatively offseason, the North Coast Section (NCS) new starting unit. Senior Captain James granted its football team independent Gao said, “Regardless of which game status, meaning that they still are play- counts and which game doesn’t, the team ing MVAL teams during their 10-game will go out each week promising a fight. season, but are not in contention for the To have the toughest game in the year not league crown. count towards the league record opens up In exchange, Moreau Catholic, a school the competition between the rest of the schools.” that had Some key previously members competed in MVAL of MSJ’s up until football the 1990’s, team are has rer unningjoined the back/corleague. nerback M VA L Izze Shafi, previously w i d e consisted receiver/ of seven free safety paparazzI911 s c h o o l s : Moreau Catholic High School will join MVAL this year.

Brandon AmeriAu, linecan, Mission San Jose, Irvington, Ken- backer/tight end Eric Gonzalez, tight nedy, Washington, Newark Memorial and end/defensive end James Gao, and middle Logan. With the recent addition of the linebacker/offensive tackle Shane Keenan.

Mariners, each respective school will hold With the exit of the long-time powera season league schedule consisting of 14 house in the MVAL football league, the games. race to the league crown is up for grabs.

For the past 20 years, the Moreau Cath- When asked about their goals this season, olic Mariners football team were part of Head Coach Sam Baugh said, “The first the Hayward Area Athletic League. Last goal is to snap the 39 league game losing season, the Mariners football team finished streak. The second goal is to win back the 6-5 in the Bay Shore Athletic League, but Spike Bowl Trophy from Irvington. This have since added offensive coordinator is MSJ’s team and we need everyone’s help Rob Gatrell, who led the Windsor High and support as we strive for excellence.”

School football team to the NCS Division Last year, MSJ ended 2-8 overall and II title last year. With a strong coaching 0-6 in league. Currently, they hold a restaff, the Mariners will be serious contend- cord of 1-2, with a dominant win of 53ers for the league title.

12 over Thurgood Marshall High School.

However, there have been drastic MSJ will host Irvington High School on changes for the MSJ football team as well. Saturday, September 29, at Tak Fudenna Two vital members have been added to the Stadium at 7:00 PM. ▪

By Jonny Teng Staff Writer

The Smoke Signal

ter winning the AL Cy Young award in 2005 with a 21-8 record and 3.48 earned run average (ERA), Colon struggled from 2006 to 2009 due to injuries and poor conditioning.

During that span, Colon never reached more than six wins, and only recorded one winning season—a 4-2 record. Colon took the whole 2010 season off, and this year he resurged with a 10-9 record and a 3.43 ERA at age 39.

So given the facts, it’s not a huge shock that Colon was doping. But it is a shame that now a surprise or comeback player won’t be able to have a good season without the questions of steroids coming to mind.

Steroids are becoming more and more commonplace in professional sports. This season in baseball has had the most PEDrelated suspensions in history. In football, steroid use barely warrants a penalty. Renowned Houston linebacker Brian Cushing was caught with a banned substance and he was suspended for just four games. As the use of steroids increases in pro sports, the penalty for steroid abuse is not getting any harsher.

PEDs have no place in professional sports.

They are not something that the sport should have to adapt to. They are unfair, and they put those who have earned their place honorably at a disadvantage. I firmly believe that any athlete who takes steroids and is caught should be banned from the sport for life. It takes three offenses in the MLB and NHL to receive lifetime bans, and there is no guaranteed ban in the NFL or NBA, There should be no third chances, or even second chances; one failed test and you should be done.

Steroids change the game and compro-

Friday, September 28, 2012

mise the integrity of the sport. After all, any win a team earned with a player on PEDs might not have happened had the player not cheated. The USADA and the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program need to become more of a presence in professional sports, and must start handing down more severe punishments. Eventually, every PED offense should warrant a lifetime ban from the sport, like that given to Lance Armstrong.

At that point, once a few different players are caught and subsequently banned, all athletes will stop taking steroids for fear of a lifetime ban. At the rate we are going right now, in 30 years, steroids use will be so prolific that players will feel like they have to take PEDs in order to stay on the same level as their opponents and teammates around them. Unless we want to see the Hall of Fame littered with asterisks, the anti-steroid organizations need to start delivering more severe punishments to players of all sports immediately. ▪

thelifeofluxury.com

Lance Armstrong was recently stripped of his seven consecutive Tour de France victories.

Girls’ Volleyball comes up just short

By Sai Chilakapati Staff Writer

On Tuesday, September 18, the MSJ Warriors Girls’ Volleyball team played their first match of the season at home against Moreau Catholic. Though MSJ fell short of victory, losing in four sets, the girls put on an excellent performance that electrified the crowd, which was on its feet the whole time, cheering on the Warriors in the close game.

MSJ started the game out strong, staying point-to-point with Moreau. In the middle of the set, they were tied 12-12 but faulty communication combined with killer serves from Moreau caught MSJ off guard, and Moreau began to pull away. However, MSJ didn’t give up the set easily, as they fought hard led by MSJ’s star player of the night, Sophomore Vicki Petersen, who absolutely crushed the ball at the net. Despite long rallies, Moreau maintained the lead and closed the set 25-17.

In the second set, Moreau capitalized on their momentum from winning the first set and got off to a strong 20-8 run despite long rallies and great shots from MSJ players. Before MSJ could regroup and mount a comeback, Moreau was already far ahead.

Moreau won the set 25-18, despite a strong 10-5 run from MSJ. MSJ was resilient in the third set. Car-

rying over their momentum from a great run in the second set, MSJ was desperate for a win. They got off to a strong 11-6 lead with great kills from Senior Tiffany Chen and Junior Kerrie Wu. However, after a strategic timeout, Moreau mounted a comeback, tying the game at 14-14. But MSJ made a strong statement to Moreau that this set was theirs for the taking after great aces from Chen, strong blocks from Junior Erin Cochran, and perfect sets from Senior Captain Shannon Chua that amounted to an electrifying 11-6 run that gave MSJ its first set.

With the crowd electrified, MSJ fought with heart and energy against Moreau in the fourth set. Both sides exchanged points and were all tied at 17 after great aces by Petersen and timely kills from Chen. But, after a few points, MSJ found itself again in a 18-21 hole after some unforced errors.

With kills by Chen and Petersen, MSJ fought hard to protect its chances of winning, but couldn’t pull in close enough to beat Moreau as Moreau won the set 25-23, handing MSJ its first loss of the season.

Despite the loss, their young talent and energetic rookies clearly show the potential for improvement. In time, this developing

MSJ team foreshadows successes similar to that of the 2009 Girls’ Volleyball team that made it all the way to the second round of the North Coast Sectionals. ▪

photo by walter yu

Senior Tiffany Chen bumps the ball for MSJ.

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Smoke Signal

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Sports 19

Coaches' Corner: Football

By Nihar Parikh News Editor

son and it shows. We expect to improve every week.

SS: What have you changed in the practice routine?

SB: The practice routine at MSJ is totally different than in the past. Our players first participate in a mandatory study hall two days a week and two days of weight lifting before even hitting the practice field. Once on the practice field, our time is spent in developing the individual skills and techniques required for our specific plays to be successful. The overall intensity and competition level in practice is raised since each individual position coach determines the starters for a game based off of the week’s game plan and individual player execution. Time is also dedicated to overall team development but it ends up being more of a mesh period where things such as timing and little adjustments are worked out.

Coach Baugh hopes to bring the team to new heights with his hard work ethic.

After posting a 0-6 record in league play last year, the MSJ varsity football team made a change in the head coach position for the 2012 season, promoting Samuel Baugh to the position. The Smoke Signal sat down with Coach Baugh to discuss the upcoming season.

Smoke Signal: What other positions did you hold before you became the head coach at MSJ? Samuel Baugh: The past three seasons I have been the Head JV Football Coach here at MSJ. Prior to my arrival at MSJ, I was the Assistant Head JV Football Coach at American High School. My coaching experience started in the youth football leagues in Georgia and Alabama where I worked as a Defensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach.

I also served as a Head Football Coach for

photo by nihar parikh

various units throughout my 13 years in the US Army.

SS: What are your goals for the season?

SB: This is year one. We have established some realistic and obtainable goals to build off of going forward: compete every week for the win, win a league game and snap the streak, and bring the “Spike Bowl” Trophy back home from Irvington where it belongs.

SS: Based on what you have seen at training camp over the summer, what are your expectations for this team?

SB: This is a very talented team with huge potential. Talent and potential does not equal wins without hard work and sacrifice. These players sacrificed much of their summer attending workouts, camps, passing league, and scrimmages just getting prepared for this sea-

PENNALTY STATE

By Jason Chen Staff Writer

addition, the report asserted that the four men “exhibited a striking lack of empathy for Sandusky’s victims by failing to inquire about their safety and well-being.”

Due to the severe ramifications of the scandal and the actions of several key members of the school, the sweeping penalties imposed on Penn State are justified. The most significant of Penn State’s wrongdoings is their attempt to conceal the severity of the scandal from the public and the law. Why didn’t the school notify authorities when the first sign of trouble surfaced? Maybe the school wanted to protect its name and integrity, but the public will never know. However, Penn State’s actions prove that the university places its football program in higher regard than the integrity of the school as an educational institute. The football team deserves the brunt of the punishment because Sandusky helped many players throughout the years and significantly influenced the outcome of many games. The Penn State community will never be the same, for the scandal caused irreparable harm to many of the victims and their families. The severity of the penalties serves as a stark reminder to the magnitude of the scandal that embroiled Penn State and ensures that a situation like this will never happen again. ▪

On Nov. 4, 2011, the downward spiral of Penn State’s football program began when Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly indicted assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, on 40 counts of sex crimes against young boys.

Soon, head coach Joe Paterno was relieved of his coaching duties and school president Graham Spanier was forced to resign amid a storm of controversy. Eventually, Sandusky was found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse and now faces a minimum 60 years in prison.

On July 23, the NCAA imposed some of the steepest penalties ever on a NCAA member school. The penalties forever shattered the reputation of the entire university and the legacy of legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

The unprecedented NCAA penalties included five years probation, a four-year postseason ban, vacating all wins from 1998 to 2011, and a $60 million fine that goes toward an endowment for preventing child abuse. Are such penalties too harsh or just right for the actions of Penn State and Jerry Sandusky?

In July, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released the Freeh report, which detailed the findings of the FBI’s investigation into the scandal. The report stated that Penn State did not follow protocol by failing to notify authorities in a timely manner. Freeh also concluded that Paterno, Spanier, senior vice president Gary Schultz, and athletic director Tim Curley conspired in “concealing Sandusky’s activities from the Board of Trustees, the university comthecomingcrisis.com munity, and authorities.” In Former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky on the shoulders of his players.

SS: What new game day tactics, on the offense or defense, are you employing this year?

SB: Our coaching staff meets every Sunday at an undisclosed location around a huge conference table to discuss our game plan for a given week. Players receive the game plan and film study via a web based server called Hudl. Each individual coach can telestrate

aspects of the game plan on the film and share those with specific players, groups, or the whole team. The challenge for running the offense or defense is what players we have to run. In other words, what can we be good at and how do we use that against our opponent? Football is broken down into percentages and those percentages help us make decisions in given situations.

SS: Who do you think will be the hardest league match-up for you this year?

SB: Every week is going to be tough. Nobody wants to be the team that loses to MSJ. Our focus right now is Washington because we play them first. Injuries and other issues can change the makeup of a team overnight. We have to stay focused on the task at hand and right now that task is [the team] that is next in line in front of us.

SS: Are there any standout players on the Varsity team so far?

SB: There are a number of standout Varsity players. All 26 of them. Ismail Shafi cannot run the football successfully without ten other teammates working hard and having success on the field. Those 10 other teammates are not prepared to work hard and be successful unless every one of our players works hard in practice to prepare them. ▪

SEE YOU AT THE GAME

Var./JV Football: Irvington vs MSJ, @ Tak. Sept. 29, JV 4:30/Varsity 7:00 PM Girls Var./JV Girls’ Tennis: Washington @ MSJ. Oct. 2, Starting time: 3:45 PM Var./JV Boys’/Girls’ Water Polo: MSJ @ Irvington. Oct. 2, Starting time: 4:30 PM JV Var./JV Girls’ Volleyball: Washington @ MSJ. Oct. 2, Starting time: 5:00 PM Cross Country: American @ MSJ. Oct. 3, Starting time: 3:30 PM

Gymnastics: MSJ vs Las Lomas @ Bay Aerials. Oct. 4, Starting time: 6:00 PM

Photo 20

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 28, 2012

photos by graphics editors angie wang and sherry xiao, editor-in-chief allan ko, graphics by graphics editor sherry xiao