Intro/Staff Page Staff List Photo Editor Paige Borsos
Editors-in-Chief Emy Kelty Nathan Norimoto Managing Editors Mira Ahmad Sam Borsos John Dickerson Alan Lamarque Jacob Lauing Copy Editors Peter Dennis Anne Hildebrand Hilda Huang Business Managers Kevin Kannappan Jacob Lauing Columnists Peter Dennis Brennan Miller Shannon Scheel
Staff Anthony Amanoni Scotty Bara Emma Beckstrom Charlotte Biffar Spencer Drazovich Kevin Dukovic Julia Farino Marina Foley Michelle Friedlander Sapir Frozenfar Jonny Glazier Nina Kelty Colin Patterson Austin Poore Rohit Ramkumar Nora Rosati Alana Schwartz Grant Shorin Nikolai Solgaard Sammy Solomon Michael Strong Annie Susco
Adviser Ellen Austin
The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Letters to the editor The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Advertising in The Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by e-mail at vikingeds @gmail.com.
Staff View: Who do you want to be?
When the typical high school athlete quits a sport in order to pursue another passion, few people outside of his or her team tend to really care. But at the professional level, higher stakes are at play. Instead of having to face a few upset teammates, Michael Jordan was questioned by nearly every basketball fan alive when he chose to retire from basketball to play minor league baseball. Jordan’s example has an important message. Straying off a projected path in order to pursue a different passion is a daring maneuver, but one that may nevertheless be necessary for ultimate fulfillment. Baseball player Ozzy Braff (‘12) received the opportunity many Paly athletes can only dream of: playing for a Division I college team. However, Braff came to realize that the intense lifestyle required for Division I sports was not for him, and instead plans to play
Letter from the Editors Dear Readers,
This issue we decided to do a complete overhaul of our design with inspiration from Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, Oprah and Vanity Fair. From the table of contents to Last Word, you’ll see fresh new designs that pop off the page. The weeks we spent researching, planning, and executing the redesign were dedicated to commemorating the fifth year anniversary of The Viking. We would like to thank every member of The Viking from its founding year in 2007 to the present for their commitment to the magazine. Along with the redesign, we have also
Printing Services The Viking is printed six times a year by FrickeParks Press in Fremont, Calif.
4 | THE VIKING |
for a Division III school to better meet his overall goals for personal success. Re-prioritizing that kind of talent may seem ridiculous to some, but in reality what’s ridiculous is assuming talent goes hand in hand with happiness. Those gifted with natural talent are expected to take advantage of it, even when a talent is not a passion. Almost every student at Paly, athlete or not, has felt pressure to meet expectations at some point in high school. Unfortunately, the fine line between motivational pressure and burdensome pressure is often crossed. Expectations often grow out of a public understanding of success. Success is more than a label, a hall of fame reputation, a sweatshirt from a Division I school or meeting an expectation. Success is finding one’s passion and seeking ultimate happiness, a noble goal for everyone to pursue. To accomplish such a lofty objective, there is a
w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m
question to be considered: Who do you want to be? Most of us, when asked, would respond with a title: professional athlete, class president, drama enthusiast, valedictorian -- the list goes on. Together, our qualities define us, but alone they are nothing more than aimless categorizations. Our personal happiness should matter more than the way others define us. We will all find that the road ahead is bumpy and takes surprising turns, but if we pay attention to who we are, and do not allow ourselves to succumb to ‘objective measures of success,’ the high school ending will be a very satisfying and promising one. The Viking believes we should strive to be more than just an objectified label; we should strive to be decent human beings, content with our lives and fulfilling our passions. The first step is simple: stop and reflect. Who do you want to be?
selected the new leadership for next year. We want to congratulate Kevin Dukovic, Alan Lamarque, and Nora Rosati for earning the position of editor-in-chief of the 2012-2013 school year. We wish the best of luck to the incoming management, and have the utmost confidence that they will continue a tradition of excellence. Lastly, working on The Viking as a staff writers junior year, then taking the reigns as editors-in-chief senior year has been one of the most rewarding experiences of both of our high school careers. Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout the school year, we couldn’t have done it without your love.
With Love, Emy and Nathan photography by Paige Borsos