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May 2013, Vol IV, Issue VIIIwww.scotscoop.com

After six years of service to the Carlmont community, Instructional Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom is leaving to become the Director of Instructional Technology for the Se-quoia Union High School District.

Fishtrom’s decision to take the newly-created position for the district did not come easily. Although he looks forward to be-ginning his new career, which will entail enlightening staff members throughout the school district on how to integrate technology into their curriculums, there are numer-ous aspects of Carlmont that he will miss.

“I am sad about leaving the students here. I love the students, as well as the team that I work with,”

said Fishtrom.Throughout his time at Carl-

mont, Fishtrom developed strong relationships with staff and students alike.

“The entire Carlmont commu-nity has been very supportive of me and I am very thankful for that,” said Fishtrom.

Sharon Bologna, Fishtrom’s secretary, explained her mixed emo-tions on Fishtrom’s parting: “I’m sad because I love working with him and he’s a great boss, but [the new job] is a great opportunity for him because it’s something that he’s always wanted to do, so you can’t not be happy for him. But we [the faculty] are definitely going to miss him.”

As administrative vice principal, Fishtrom experienced many reward-ing moments at Carlmont.

Turning the page

As graduation nears closer each day, Carlmont seniors look to the event not as an ending, but a fresh start.

Graduation is seen as a rite of passage, an event where the student moves from one life stage to the next. Carlmont senior Emily Cox is ready to take this leap, much like the majority of her peers.

“I’m excited to graduate, but I’m terrified,” Cox said. “I want to go to college and start a new part of my life, but at the same time I don’t want to leave Carlmont because it’s like my home. I feel like I grew up here and it’s made me who I am.”

Cox joked that her class of 2013 is “not normal,” in the sense that her peers are “so smart, way above average, and everyone is going to such amazing colleges.”

Connor Moore expressed a similar opinion, commenting, “We are an exceptional group of people in terms of our ability to succeed. I can name people that are going to Ivy League schools, Stanford, Berkeley, and I’m so proud to be affiliated with that.”

The journey the seniors endured to reach their graduation was no easy feat. Especially this past year with challenging classes, college applications, loads of extracurriculars, and flourishing social lives.

“Considering the amount of craziness and stress we had this year, I feel like all we've been through has brought our class closer together," said Cox.

Ironically, the closer the seniors may have become, the farther apart they will be next year when they have all parted their separate ways.

“I’m ready to move on, but graduating means leaving behind a lot of memories and a lot of people. And that can be positive or negative, depending on how you look at it,” said Moore.

Amanda Morris couldn't believe that grad-uation was just around the corner, explaining how her “four years at Carlmont are over,” and she couldn't believe how “they flew by.”

Seniors have spent their past four years

Scots get caught

Beloved Carlmont VP announces departure“The highlight of my Carlmont

career was an accumulation of a variety of individual things, such as connecting with students and mak-ing them see their potential,” said Fishtrom.

Fishtrom especially took pride in the students whose academic careers he helped turn around.

“There are students who struggle during freshman year. Not giving up on them and telling them that they have value is key. There are many students who come back as adults and thank [the faculty] for helping them out. That is what the job is about - getting people in the right direction,” said Fishtrom.

Students sense the dedication that Fishtrom has shown for them.

Senior Connor Fenech expressed the high regard in which he holds Fishtrom: “I think he is a very hon-

est guy and is very supportive of all the kids, with their academics and extracurriculars. He is very involved with students and it is a shame that we are losing him.”

Fishtrom experienced humbling moments at Carlmont that will continue to resonate with him after he leaves: “The moment that was one of the most powerful for me is when Mr. Tsuchiyama and I were walking up a hallway as he and I were talking and seeing the number of students who stopped everything they were doing to address him, and say, ‘hi.’ The impact he had on everyone for being a person who leads so much and cares so much about students really impacted me.”

In addition to the profound moments, Fishtrom has had his fair

Langkusch leaving

Carlmont’s AP Eng-lish Language teacher retires after 20 years of teaching. Page 15

Senior sports wrap-up

Senior sports high-lights and spotlight athletes from the 2012-2013 school year.Pgs. 22 & 23

Many students spend countless hours studying for tests and exams. Others cheat.

Recently, Carlmont administrators found that a group of students were using cell phones to take pictures of exams and communicate answers with each other.

“I got caught on a chapter test for AP Psychology. The reason I got caught was because the kid that gave me the answers for the test got his phone confiscated and searched. He didn’t delete his message history, thus showing he sent out the answers to the test,” said an involved student whose name is being withheld.

Carlmont had a similar cheating occur-rence during first semester finals, when students found the answers to the AP Government final on the Internet.

What is it exactly that drives students to feel the need to cheat?

“It is difficult to say,” stated Admin-istrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame. “A lot of stress is put on students, it can be hard to keep up in high-level classes. The competition to get into college is definitely a high level of stress.”

“I feel badly for students who feel this is the way. The adults in society, parents, have put amazing pressures on students. It is crazy. There are more kids and more competition. Times have changed. Cheating is a cry for help,” said Carlmont Principal Lisa Gleaton.

Carlmont is currently looking at the academic policies of other schools in the district to help decide what kind of policy should be implemented on this campus.

“We like Woodside High School’s academic policy, but nothing has been cleared yet. We would like to have more people look at it. The more buy-in, the better. We never want to be in the position of people saying that they don’t know about the policies,” added Gleaton.

If a student is found cheating, his or her parents and teachers will be informed and he or she will receive a zero on the assignment.

Students might not receive a letter of recommen-dation if he or she is caught cheating. Some college

require students to submit letters of recommen-dation with their application.

Without them, students will not and cannot be considered for admission.

“Students don’t have a right to a letter of rec. What is a teacher supposed to write about you if you are found cheating in class?” said Gleaton.

Is it legal for a school to search through a stu-dent’s cell phone? With probable cause, yes.

“The administration has the right to search a phone if we have reason to believe that there is an issue. That being said, we can’t go way far back in the phone’s history,” stated Fishtrom.

“I wouldn’t do it again. The reward really isn’t worth the risk. The consequences were F on that test and a disciplinary action on my record. Think about the consequences if you get caught,” commented the student involved.

By Erica Valbusa

Online editOrBy Rachel SchusterFeatures editOr

Our generation

Kids today live a very different lifestyle from the generations before us.Pgs. 6 & 7

Where are students in the class of 2013 going for college? Pgs.12 and 13

By Dominic GialdiniCampus editOr

Continued on pg. 20 Continued on pg. 20

Continued on pg. 20

Seniors reflect on high school

Who shares your seat?

Photo by Gianna Dimick

One seat in E11, three students throughout the day. Do you know the person who sat in your seat before you?Pgs. 18 & 19

News and OpinionsPage 2

Physical, personal, cerebral growthBy Annie WesolekstaFF Writer

When distant relatives come in from out of town, they always com-ment on the same thing: how much I’ve grown. They wonder at what in-stant I grew to be so different from the little girl they remember. Though I consider myself a highly attentive person, I’m unable to find a definite timestamp. Growth is a process that happens over time rather than in one instant.

Growth is a universal process for all of humanity. It takes place over the span of your whole life. It’s easier to see if you look at two endpoints, but

almost impossible to perceive if you look at only one moment. The act of growing is compara-ble to riding an airplane: you know where you began, but you can never realize how far you’ve traveled over the time period you’ve been flying until you see where you’ve landed. Witnessing growth is strictly a retrospective pursuit. Over the past year of school, every student at Carl-mont has experienced some sort of growth, whether it’s physical or internal.

Physical growth is probably the most recognizable form of change. Height, weight, or hair length changes are all common identifiers of the natural passage of time. By comparison, per-sonal growth is much harder to identify because it takes place on the inside.

Personal growth covers a wide range of areas, but can best be described as a change in at-titude or perception of the world. An individual can most commonly experience personal growth through learning from past mistakes. As time passes, you often look back at mistakes you’ve made and cringed, even if they seemed like a good idea at the time.

George Washington once said, “To rectify past blunders is impossible, but we might profit by the experience of them.” With each mistake we make, we gain knowledge and wisdom for the future.

Knowledge acquired through life experience is instrumental in advancing our personal growth. Though as a kid it may have seemed like you were superman, multiple broken bones and trip to the hospital have taught you that you are not as invincible as you had previously suspected and that you should be more careful with your body.

Not only does personal growth helps us to gain a better understanding of the world and in-crease our capacity to complete tasks, but cerebral growth does as well. Due to recent advances in MRI technology, scientist have discovered that the brain continues to develop past the be-ginning years of life and well into the thirties. The prefrontal cortex, which is active in inhibit-ing inappropriate behavior, performing high level cognitive functions, and social interactions, undergoes significant growth of the period of adolescence.

As your brain develops during these, you may notice that your actions and speech become more regulated; Thoughts that you would have probably announced in front of a crowded room when you were younger, now seem more private and less appropriate for publication. You may also notice an increased ability to complete sophisticated tasks. As a freshman, the idea of taking one let alone four AP tests is unfathomable, yet junior and seniors accomplish this feat all the time. The development of your brain is yet another way in which you grow and progress.

If you were able to take a snapshot of your physical appearance, aspirations, thoughts, and mental comprehension from a year ago and compare it to a snapshot of yourself today, you would see a significant difference between the two. It’s important to recognize all the changes you go through, because changing and growing are the fundamentals of life. Though it may not seem like it, you’ve grown significantly this past year. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself where did I start? Where did I finish? Recognizing both the beginning and the ending of a journey will help you identify how you got there.

Looking back as a seniorBy Sarah LevinstaFF Writer You know, looking back, I probably learned more in the first few years

of school than I did in the later ones. Oh sure, high school has taught me a lot of useful things. Equations

for surface area. The periodic table of elements. How to drop an egg three stories without breaking it. You know, all the things I’ll need for a career in writing. But, truthfully? Looking back, it’s the lessons I learned early on in life that prepared me for the real world.

Preschool was a well of knowledge; it’s where you learn that unlike at home, you’re not the most important person in the world. There are other

kids out there, people your age and your level that you need to learn to get along with. Some of them, you like a whole ton. Some of them, you want to push off the top level of the play-ground. That doesn’t matter. They are all people, and all of them deserve your respect.

Kindergarten is where you learn to treat others how you want to be treated (a rule that isn’t followed by nearly as much of society as it should be). Where you learn that recess is the exception, not the norm. Where you learn the twenty-six letters that will make up every picture book, every novel, every piece of paperwork you’ll ever read. Where you won’t appreciate the naps that you’ll yearn for later in life.

Then, later on, you learn another lesson. It starts with cursive in third grade, and is culmi-nated by being forced to play “Hot Cross Buns” on a squeaky recorder. Sometimes, in life, you have to do things you don’t like. Things that seem pointless, and sometimes they really are. The lesson you learn, however, is that sometimes, that’s just life. You need to put your head down and suffer through the things you don’t like in order to reach the things you do.

The more school you go through, the more teachers and bosses you learn to get along with (despite how much they make you want to scream). Group projects come and go, leaving the knowledge that picking up someone else’s slack is, unfortunately, something we all have to deal with.

And now, we’ve reached graduation. A point in our lives when we are expected to be adults, to make our own lives and blaze our own trails. But, even as we head off to our “real” lives, we shouldn’t forget what we learned as kids.

That sharing is always going to make friends.That though sticks and stones may break your bones, words hurt more than you’d think.That you need to clean up your own mess.That saying “I’m sorry” is sometimes the hardest thing to do.And, most importantly, that you need to raise your hand. To speak up, and speak out. Be-

cause in this world, you need to learn to make yourself heard.Good luck, seniors. And no matter where you go and what you do, don’t forget kindergar-

ten.

What are SAT Subject Tests?By Tara EbrahimpourstaFF Writer

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Juniors at Carlmont have been frantically studying and preparing, even after taking their SAT test. One might wonder what they are stressing out about; the answer is the SAT subject tests.

SAT subject tests are standardized tests that are optional for students to take. There are 20 different subject tests, each with a time limit of an hour. The subjects include History, Eng-lish, Math, Sciences, and Language. Within each subject, there are specific categories such as US History, Literature and Biology amongst others.

Junior Alex Kumamoto took the Math, Chemistry, and History tests. He recom-mends subject tests, “Anyone applying to college should take them. It doesn’t affect you much.” Junior Raj Aurora, who took the Chemistry and Math subject tests said, “I do recommend them since it helps for college ap-plications and they [the subject tests] are the subjects you choose, so it’s a plus!”

Students can take up to three tests on any given day, but they cannot take them on the same day as the official SAT test. The test is offered six times a year, giving students more opportunities to take them. The cost is 77 dollars per test.

Students take the tests to better their chances of getting into their dream school. Usually, they are optional, but some schools require students to take them for admission. They are a way for students to demonstrate their knowledge and showcase their strong suits in specific subjects.

Some colleges use them to place students in the right classes, ones that are appropriate for their abilities. Senior Hailey Miller, who got a perfect score on the Biology test said, “ I would recommend it only if you do well, especially if you are really strong on certain subject, you will stand out.”

Certain schools recommend that applicants take the subject tests. One particular school

that recommends it is Berkeley, which recom-mends it only to students who are applying as Math/Science majors, according to college counselor Connie Dominguez.

It is recommended that these students take the Math Level 2 test and a Science test that is related to their major. Not many schools in California require SAT subject tests, but many Ivy League schools do as well as other private schools. These schools include California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Columbia, Cor-nell University, and Duke, among others. Ac-cording to collegeapps.about.com, Ivy League schools require two or more subject tests for admission. A fraction of Carlmont juniors are applying to in-state schools.

Neither UC’s (University of California) and CSU’s (California State Universities) require applicants to take subject tests. According to Dominguez, UC’s used to require them, but don’t anymore, due to miscommunication regarding the application process.

If a student submits an SAT subject test score with their application to these schools, they will be ignored and it won’t help or harm their chance of admission. Students who come to California from other states or who haven’t met all their A-G requirements can take a subject test to earn credits.

The A-G requirements are a set list of required courses that are needed in order for students to be eligible to attend UC or CSU schools. Aurora added, “As for the tests they aren’t too easy. But they are nowhere near the difficulty of the AP Chem test.”

A student who wished to stay anonymous said that the majority of the schools he was considering require the SAT subject tests. “I found the experience frustrating because of the Math subject test. I took it twice. I didn’t do well the first time, because I wasn’t well prepared, but when I took it the second time I did well. I prepared with prep books.”

All in all, an SAT subject test is a great opportunity for students to be recognized by colleges, and in many cases improve one’s chance of getting accepted to college.

News and Opinions Page 3

The Highlander

Sports:Ryan Freeman

Online:Erica Valbusa

Back Page:Carly Bertolozzi

Fun Page:Karissa TomArianna Bayangos

Faculty Adviser:Justin Raisner

Photographers:Karenna MeredithVeronika Dvorak

Columnists:Sarah LevinAnnie Wesolek

The mission of The Highlander is to accurately and honestly cover communal as well as school events. As a student run open forum newspaper, we strive to incorporate multiple views and represent the diverse community at Carlmont.

Ayesha AbbasiJessica AdairMichael BastakiMonica BayasgalanGrace ChangReggie ChatmanGabriela D’SouzaTara EbrahimpourNikos FrazierKristen FriisIvan GarinGraham GodwinMatthew Harris Timothy LaytenClaudia LeistRobert LyonConrad MayVirginia O’CallahanJohn RussellKatherine SavinScott SchulzeShira SteinNatalie TussyDaniel WangMaxwell WareAndrew WedvickAlan YanGrace Yi

Staff Writers:

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Editor-in-Chief:Gianna Dimick

Managing Editor: Alex Porter

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CampusJacob RudgerDominic GialdiniSarah Klieves

Features:Anna WheelerAshley KawakamiRachel Schuster

Looking back as a senior Should getting a scholarship be based on race?By Grace YistaFF Writer

With the increase of ethnic minority groups in our community, some question whether current scholarships that revolve these types of people should be considered “racist scholarships.”

The Bill of Rights states that all people have the same natural rights regardless of race, sex, or other characteristics. However this phrase does not stand true for some scholarships. Di-versity of race, gender and traits has become a factor of many scholarships.

Scholarships, such as the Hispanic Schol-arship, Council Scholarship and the Ko-rean American Scholarship, are awarded to students based on their race and ethnic background.

Some claim that these forms of scholarships aren’t fair because a person cannot change their race just to obtain a scholarship.

“You shouldn’t be given a scholarship or rejected from something you can’t control and which has no impact over who you actually are,” noted junior Scott Harris

Similarly, others note that universities

Editorial: How to say goodbye before you graduate

For about 500 students, there will never be another homecoming in high school. Or another fall sports season. Or another quote and baby picture in the yearbook. It is the end of senior year.

Graduation signifies that a new beginning is ahead. College is near for most of us and we will make new friends and start a new chapter of our lives. But in order to do that, we first have to say goodbye.

Goodbye is the hardest part. How is it possible to tell people who mean so much to us exactly how much you will miss them?

It’s not. You can, however, say thank you.Say thank you to everyone, your classmates, your best friends, the person who sat next to

you in photography for the entire year whom you did not know before taking the class. Say thank you to everyone who made your year that much better.

Say thank you to the people who taught you something. It is hard to leave any class at Carl-mont without having learned anything, whether it be an intellectual concept, emotional point of growth or a physical task you overcame. Thank the teachers who taught you these things.

Thank your parents. Parents, as protective as they might have been, as “cool” as they might have been, as embarrassing as they might have been, did help you through high school. It might have been directly or for some of us, indirectly, but regardless, they have helped you reach where you are on now. Thank them for being there, pushing you to do well, or for ac-cepting the path you are on even if it is the one they never wanted for you. Thank them for every meal they made you before you went rushing off to soccer practice and every time they brought your parka to the swim meet because you left it at home. They really do more for you than you think.

Thank your friends for their support. High school would be twice as stressful and not as much fun without them. Friends are sometimes the people in high school that you feel you can go to about anything and it is important to show them your appreciation.

It is easy to underestimate the power of gratitude, after all we say thank you to the people who bring us our food at a restaurant and give us our change at a cash register, but in truth, a simple thanks means more than that to people who matter. Thank you means you depended on him or her at some point, you required their help, their guidance, their support. You needed them.

Goodbyes are difficult but saying thank you will make it easier. We will all miss our best friends, our teachers, our families, but we tend to reflect on that longing and sadness and forget to remind them how much they have done for us.

If all goodbyes are easy for you, then what are you leaving behind that is important to you? Maybe there are some things that seem irrelevant to our future and we are ready to give them up with an simple goodbye but there should be something in high school that made an impact in your life one way or another. Someone who taught you who you shouldn’t be or who you are. And they deserve to have a proper goodbye.

should accept students for their potential instead of their indigenous culture.

“Scholarships should be based on actions like academics, community service, and extracurricular activities. I don’t think it’s fair to give someone a scholarship over something they have literally no control over such as their race,” commented junior Sarah Burry.

These specialized scholarships have led some to believe that the abundant amount of minority scholarships has put the “majority races,” such as Caucasian people, at a disad-vantage. However new studies have shown that although foreign civilians are labeled as minority groups, Caucasians are identified as being discriminated against by other races.

A Public Religion Research Institute poll found 44 percent of Americans as being discriminated against in the same bigotry as blacks and other minorities.

Sophomore Amanda Breslauer said, “There are plenty of affluent races other than Cau-casians. I should have an equal chance as any other race to get a scholarship.”

Although ethnic minority groups consisted of African Americans, Asians, and Hispan-ics, many are arguing that white people are

becoming the minority because the white students cannot obtain many scholarships be-cause they are not part of the minority group.

A Texas group called “Former Majority As-sociation for Equality,”offers white men $500 college scholarships which Colby Bohannan, the group’s president says white men do not have the equal scholarship opportunities as women and other ethnic groups.

“There aren’t many scholarships that a white person can walk into based on race, then again there seems to be more opportuni-

ties for white people if you look at poverty rates in the US,” said Burry.

Associations that support minorities such as the American Institute of Certified Public Ac-countant (AICPA) which is the world’s largest association representing the accounting profession, awarded a total of $14.6 million in scholarships to approximately 8,000 race minority students.

There are debates on who receives what scholarship, however regarding race based scholarships are still discussed today.

Some colleges offer scholarships to students of a specific race, background, ethnicity or sexual orientation

Several scholarships are offered to students of specific races and other criteria

A little appreciation goes a long way, say thank you to those who matter

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What I Wish I Had Known...Page 4

It’s not that scary.Despite what the TV shows and movies

about high school may say, freshman year is not that bad.

Freshman Friday is not real. No throwing into dumpsters or shoving into lockers, no smacking papers out of hands so they fly through the hallway. None of that.

As an incoming freshman, it is normal to be nervous or feel as if you aren’t prepared. According to a poll asking if students felt as if they were prepared coming into freshman year, about 36 percent of Carlmont students did not feel prepared.

“I’m pretty nervous, everyone is taller and a bigger school is intimidating,” said incoming freshman, Benson Wu.

In today’s society, it is common for freshman to believe all the stereotypes they hear about high school, and that can scare them.

Behind all of the typical “captain of the football team beats up the freshman” and “homecoming queen shoves the freshman

down the stairs” rumors, high school is pretty normal. Normal meaning you just go to classes then go home.

Though it may seem intimidating being a freshman at a large school of over 2100 students, there are ways to survive.

One or the greatest things you can do at Carlmont is get involved. There tons of clubs and electives to choose from, one of which you could fall in love with.

“Do everything you can to get involved,” said freshman president and upcoming sophomore president, Timmy Miller. “You’ll have more work to do, but just be a part of any extra curricular classes you can take.”

Another great way to get involved is try out for a sport. Even if you don’t think you’ll make the team, try out anyway.

“I did cross country before school even started. I met so many fun people so high school wasn’t as scary the first day,” said freshman Amelia Armstrong. “Knowing a lot of people in the upper classes from the sport made me feel alot better. I was also on soccer and it made me become so much closer with people I already knew so I’m really thankful for high school sports.”

Don’t be afraid to talk to people in your classes.

A lot of times if you come from a small school, branching out to new people in classes will help you connect with other people.

Even if the people in your classes are older than you, talk to them anyway, because they could give you good advice.

“If I could re-do freshman year, I would try to make friends with people from older grades,” said sophomore David Maia. “It helps to get tips on what classes to take for following years.”

It’s really easy to succeed freshman year if you keep up academically as well.

“I wish I could have done better academically my first semester,” said freshman Zoey Poulicakos. “Do your homework, go to class, and do what you’re supposed to do and you’ll be fine.”

Whether you are coming from a big school or a small school, sometimes just hearing the words “high school” can be scary. As long as you do what you want to do and make the most out of your time, you will be bound to have some of the best four years of your life.

Junior year is often referred to as the hardest year of high school according to some Carlmont students.

When junior year rolls around most sophomores are excited to become upperclassmen, finally being able to go to prom, and having priority over underclassmen.

“I am looking forward to finally being able to say that I am an upperclassmen! Based on what everyone has told me about the classes I am planning to take, I am not expecting my workload to be that strenuous. Most students use junior year as an opportunity to stock up on as many AP’s as they can, but i know that if i put myself in that situation than i would be overloaded and fall behind. I’m taking two APs and I think that’s plenty along with 4 other junior-level classes,” said sophomore Gianna Schuster.

But along with all the benefits of becoming a junior, the title also comes with a lot of hard work and studying.

“I wish I knew that I would have so much homework and so little time; it sucks,” said Julian Smith a junior.

Junior year is also the year with the most

tests and exams.“There are so many tests to take like AP

tests, SAT, ACT, and SAT subject test,” said junior Jessie Real.

The incoming juniors also have to start thinking about college and considering their major.

Picking a major is one of the hardest decisions during high school as well as choosing which college to attend.

Touring colleges is another experience students may have during junior year. The process of traveling and choosing a ‘dream school’ takes a long time and can affect school work.

Another hard decision to make is picking what classes to take. Many sophomores while making their schedule for the next year will choose to take the most AP classes they can in order for it to look good on college applications.

“You shouldn’t feel like you have to take every advanced class available, you should only take the advanced classes you actually want to take,” advises Real.

Picking the classes that benefit you the most will allow more time to do other things such as sports and volunteering.

Charley Bernardo, a junior said, “Make sure to balance out your AP classes because if

you do activities outside of school it can affect your grades tremendously.”

A big tip for incoming juniors is to start early and get ahead on everything.

For example, start studying for big exams such as SAT and ACT. These tests go on college applications and are a big part of getting accepted into college.

“My biggest tip is don’t procrastinate on SAT, take it as many times as you can and study for it because before you know it it’s time to take it and you are gonna be unprepared,” said Kiana Yekrang.

Getting caught up in school work can affect your friendship with someone, according to Yekrang

“Try to make a lot of new friends because you only have two more years with these people and you want to make the best of it,” added Yekrang.

Juniors have to juggle AP classes, school activities, sports, volunteering, and preparing for college all while trying to maintain a social life.

Although junior year is the toughest year out of high school the memories you make along the way and the people you meet is worth the hard work.

Freshman Year: the start of it all

Junior Year: so close, yet so far

By Kristen FriisstaFF Writer

By Monica BayasgalanstaFF Writer

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What I Wish I Had Known... Page 5

After the end of freshman year, everyone feels a sense of relief, knowing that they will no longer be a freshman, but instead a sophomore.

During sophomore year there are many new experiences that students go through, such as learning how to drive, and starting to look into colleges, but at the same time sophomores quickly learn how to deal with the increase in work and stress.

The expectation of sophomore year is different for every person, with some looking forward to sophomore year and others dreading the thought of more work and difficult classes.

“I expect more work because the classes will be more challenging than this year, but at the same time I look forward to the new classes because I will get to meet new people,” stated freshman Daphne Schwartz.

Although many freshmen have an optimistic view of sophomore year, they may be underestimating the many differences between freshman and sophomore year.

“Freshman year went by so fast! The classes I took were manageable and so was the homework. I didn’t realize how much more work sophomore year was going to be,” stated sophomore Adelyn Yau.

The amount of homework students get as freshmen increases greatly for some, depending on the classes they take as sophomores.

Sophomore Andrew Wach commented, “I wish I knew how much homework I would have. Although, I felt pretty prepared going into sophomore year.”

Some sophomores say that they wish they knew how fast the year goes by and that they should have started thinking about the future, and college applications.

“I wish I knew how fast everything goes by because now I have to start worrying about AP classes and SAT and college,” said sophomore Emily Rudger.

During freshman and even sophomore year, SAT and ACT seem so far away, as both are taken during junior year, but the reality is that preparation for both can never start too early, and getting a head start on studying is not a bad idea.

Sophomore year may seem like a dream to freshmen who just want to get rid of the label “freshman,” but don’t realize the differences in difficulty between freshman and sophomore year.

The reality is that as a sophomore, a student is still not an upperclassman, but is finally not a freshman anymore.

As a lower classman, students still don’t have the ability to go to prom, and also do not have priority over upperclassman. On the flip side, students go into the year knowing the campus, the people, and what to expect.

Learning to drive is one of the biggest benefits of sophomore year, and many freshmen think of it as the best part of being a sophomore.

Freshman Natalie Stainton said, “I’m looking forward to being able to drive myself around so I don’t have to rely on my mom and my sister for rides all the time.”

Sophomore year is a fun experience and freshmen should not be scared of going into the next grade, but they definitely need to be prepared for more work, and getting serious about college.

College applications. AP testing. Graduation. Saying goodbye.

Senior year is a daunting year for most people. It is the year everyone is told to pick out where to go for the next few years and what they should do for the rest of their life.

Not everything is as it seems, though. There is so much more than applications and tests that go into senior year. There are a few things people do not emphasize enough about senior year that are some of the most important aspects.

If college is the future plan, do not stress out every minute about whether or not a college is going to offer admission or not. Everyone is going to go where they are meant to go, and colleges will recognize who will be the best choice for their school. A lot of the time, they will accept a person. So start early, and do not freak out. People look crazy when they obsess over it.

Application results are simply decisions that reflect how successful a college thinks an individual will do when in attendance. They are more projections than final judges of character.

Some things not told to incoming seniors

is that—SHOCKER—grades and test scores do not reflect a person’s real intelligence. Of course, it’s all helpful, but they do not express the individuality a person has. This individuality is something colleges look for, sometimes more than raw scores.

Speaking of individuality, although it has been beaten into the ground, “being yourself ” is important. No one likes a copy-cat.

Personal statements in applications can be as or even more important than SAT/ACT scores or grades. The essays are supposed to tell schools who the person is behind the numbers and need to reflect a person’s abilities that cannot be shown otherwise. Talents, passions, and explanations should be put into these statements and should not be taken lightly.

Rather than be perfect, be authentic. Perfection is not as important as authenticity. So what if there is an “A-” rather than an “A,” it is still an “A.” “B”s will not kill anyone, either. A person who is genuine is much more interesting not only to colleges, but also to his or her peers.

Also on the college topic, not everyone is Ivy League or even UC material. For many, it has been pounded into our minds that getting perfect grades and getting into a great school is the only option after high school. Maybe

for some people, it is.But for most people, there is not one

formula that must be followed in order to be considered successful. Life itself is not a one-track road everyone follows, and much is the same for high school. College is not the only option, either. The military, the work force, and community college are completely viable options for anyone.

Do not stress. Yes, it is easier said than done, for sure. But what some people do not know is that too much stress can actually have physical effects on a person. Ranging from fatigue to depression, stress is no laughing matter. Taking time out of thinking about school and work is important. Go for a run, paint, do anything just to get school off the mind.

Senior year is a perfectly fine time to perfect study habits, it is not too late if they are not perfect yet. Improve upon note-taking and studying habits, it helps enormously to have them down going out of high school and into college.

So incoming seniors, one last thing: do not forget to be awesome and have fun with this year. It is the last year of high school, so be sure make it the best one yet.

Sophomore Year: the wise fool

Senior Year: the final countdown

By Natalie TussystaFF Writer

By Virginia O’CallahanstaFF Writer

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FeaturesPage 6

Terrorism: Making us strongerBy Karenna MeredithstaFF Writer

Just because we have lived under the shadow of terrorism, doesn’t make it any less terrible. People consider our genera-tion to be desensitized to terrorism and mass murder since we have never lived in a world without it.

Most of us were young when 9/11 occurred. Our parents were shaken by the unthinkable violent acts that transpired, but we were merely thrust unknowingly into a lifestyle where terrorism would be present in the rest of our lives. Violent crimes happen so often that sometimes it can seem as though we are immune to their shock value. But we are not.

We survive in an era where safety is diminishing. Nothing is safe anymore, not movie theaters, classrooms, office buildings, or even finish lines at a marathon. The world throws these horrific tragedies at us and just when we think it can’t get worse, it does.

According to The Daily Beast, “Since the rampage at New-ton nearly 4,000 people have been killed in gun violence or roughly 30 a day.”

Earlier generations consider us to be lazy and insensitive to the many tragedies that have occurred over the last ten years. It may be true that we do not respond in the same manner as those who are less familiar with such travesties, but we are still affected by them. Our parents’ generation was hit with the tragedy of terrorism unexpectedly.

Consider a child whose parent died when they were young.

They will grow up without a parent. While they may be used to their situation, it does not make them any less sensitive to it than someone whose parents died when they were an adult.

We have merely adapted to the reality of our situation. There will always be pain that resonates, sometimes a trag-edy can strike and take our knees out from under us. But we regain balance and stand up even stronger than before.

The media glorifies violence and terrorism so it is not wonder that some members of our generation could struggle with a lack of sensitivity. Instead of shining light on the positive events that occur daily, the news covers each and every tragedy. More likely than not, the cover story on a local newspaper is about the latest adversity the country has had

to face. Whether it be an act of terrorism or mass violence, the media has decided that the negative elements of the event garner more attention than any positive aftermath. That is not to say that tragic events do not deserve the public’s attention, or that the public does not deserve to be informed. But there is unnecessary coverage of the individuals who commit such heinous crimes, from which they gain extreme and undeserv-ing attention.

Take for example the Boston Marathon bombing, where runners continued racing past their 26.2 mile mark to a local hospital where they could donate blood.

We are a society that does not stay down for long, we refuse to tap out. But I do not consider that to be weakness or lack of sensitivity, I consider it to be strength.

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Infographic by Ashley Kawakami

Features Page 7

Raising the bar

Social media: the new online popularity contest

Group text: a benefit or a bane?

By Arianna BayangosJuniOr editOr

By Gabriela D’SouzastaFF Writer

By Kellan McDonoughmultimedia editOr

Social cliques are rooted in high school campuses, but now with new technology, cyber cliques have also begun to form.

Apple iPhone messenger, as well as other applications such as the Kik messenger app, now allow people to communicate in groups via one thread.

“It's pretty neat because you don't have to send individual messages to a select few,” said senior Andrew Cardozo, “but instead send the messages to the entire group.”

Group messages, or “grexts” as they are called in some circles, allow for a continuous conversation with multiple people, that can begin in person and never end over text.

In some ways, when people create group messages they are also creating a new social group. For some this is a way to bring more people together, but for others it does the exact opposite.

“Group messages keep you in the loop on what your friends are doing, [and they] can bring some serious entertainment,” said senior Michelle Swarovski.

This entertainment, however, can sometimes come at the expense of other friends as group messages allow for cliques to form within cliques adding for social tensions within groups of friends and disengagement of others.

“Group messages can be really good for the people in the message but it also excludes others and gives them a sense of marginalization,” said junior Pasha Minkovsky.

Group messaging enables a select few to create special ties in a group in the form of inside jokes, references, and memories.

In creating these ties between some people, group messaging can push others to the side and account for a sense of loneli-ness and disparagement among friends that many teenagers face.

“In the end, group messages are good and bad- it really just depends on the situation,” said Minkovsky.

Just as text messaging and other forms of socialization take time and focus away from work and school, so do group mes-sages.

“Group messages are an efficient way to talk to more than one friend at once and they're good for planning. But they can be distracting and hard to keep up with,” said junior Isabella Sziraczky.

These conversations can continue for hours, taking up time that people would normally be spending on other things.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids ages 8-18 now spend, on average, seven and a half hours in front of a screen each day, three of which are for phones and other such devices.

“Because they are constantly being used, group messages need to be looked at a lot,” continued Minkovsky, “If you put your phone down, even for a little, you can miss a ton of mes-sages and then have to spend time scrolling up to figure out what everyone is discussing.”

By adding extra “screen time” to the already large three hours used daily by social networking and other activities, group messaging pulls people into never ending conversations about constantly changing topics.

Imagine not looking at your phone for more than an hour.

Our generation has become obsessed with sharing everything that is happening in their lives through social media sites such as Face-book, Twitter, and Instagram.

Alexis Wilson, a junior said, “Teenagers like to keep in touch with their friends. We like to be updated with the most popular trend. Whether that’s keeping in touch with friends or our favorite celebrities.”

According to a survey of over a thousand 13-17 year olds conducted by Common Sense Media in June 2012, 90% of teenagers in the United States have used some form of social media.

The craze has increased over the past few years with students constantly on Facebook throughout a school day or posting pictures of everything they do and where they go. The issue of privacy has been completely disre-garded while students are on social media.

Social media allows people to update their friends and family around the world on their lives and find out about others.

Leah Roe, a sophomore commented, “(Facebook) just entertains people, but I think I read somewhere that Facebook actu-ally makes it seem like everyone is having more fun than you. I agree because it does seem like everyone's life is really eventful.”

Facebook and Twitter let people highlight important events in their lives such as moving

Our generation has a much harder time getting into college than the older generation did. Thirty years ago, getting into schools like Stanford, UCLA, and even Harvard were highly possible without doing much more than getting okay grades and taking the SAT.

Our parents did not have to take as many AP classes, nor did they have to participate in as many extracurriculars to get accepted into college. Furthermore, most of the schools our parents attended did not even offer AP classes.

Math teacher Robert Tsuchiyama said, "When I was in high school I had no AP classes. School only had advanced English and Math. I only had a 3.7 and I still got into Berkeley. I didn't even go.”

That’s not to say that it wasn’t impressive to get into those schools. Our parents did have to work hard to get accepted into college, but our generation has to work much harder.

Junior Isabella Sziraczky commented, “More people are try-ing to get into college and we're expected to be smarter than past generations because we have more resources.”

Students applying to competitive schools are expected to take at least two AP classes, but most competitive colleges like to see advanced placement in a majority of a student’s studies.

SAT or ACT scores are expected to be above 2000. Focus and preparation for standardized tests is expected if students in this generation want to get into a competitive school.

Tsuchiyama continued, “I applied to one college and took the SAT one time. There wasn’t nearly as much pressure and we were still getting into good colleges. Now there’s more pressure and competition.”

The higher standard isn’t just between now and our parents generation. Six years ago, high school juniors did not have to take the rigorous courses we currently do to get into college.

Junior Theo Fedronic commented, “When my older sister applied to college, she only took two AP classes.”

Sometimes students take classes to please and impress colleges, not because they want to take them. And this trend won’t change as long as colleges continue critical and harsh examination of applications.

to a different place or a relationship update.However, with the endless amount of shar-

ing on these websites, some people get caught up in gaining popularity and approval in so-cial media sites through many “likes” on their photos or followers on Twitter or Instagram.

Wilson added, “I feel like people want to get a lot of likes on their profile pictures to feel good about themselves. They feel their

picture is ‘good’ and ‘pretty enough.’”In addition to wanting approval from their

peers through social media, most teenagers feel inclined to use social media because of its popularity among people their age.

Victoria Nilson, an English teacher com-mented, “Teenagers are by nature very social. I would imagine that there must be a feeling that if you don’t participate in it, you’re miss-

ing out on something. Stereotypically, teenag-ers tend to function a bit more with a herd mentality. It’s hard to resist that social pres-sure and that’s something that’s been spoken about forever not just for this generation.”

On the contrary, some older people don’t rely on social media as much as teenagers.

Gayle McGinnis, a Math teacher said, “We’re used to socializing without it. So some of us appreciate talking to a person face to face or talking to them on the phone rather than texting or emailing. I think we’re just less inclined to pick up a new tech device when we’re used to our old ways. I use my landline more than my cell phone.”

Even though social media makes it easy to communicate with others, the older genera-tion may sometimes be overwhelmed by the amount of detail shared by others.

McGinnis added, “Facebook is great for families to keep in touch with each other but I don’t need to know what my nephews and nieces are doing every minute of the day. With Twitter, I’m sure there are valuable uses for that but it’s a lot of detail I’m not inter-ested in and so my life is much more simple without it.”

The trend of social media obsession will continue to grow, making it easy to connect with friends and family. While this may be an irreversible trend, teenagers should consider adopting the same values of older generations, keeping their personal lives private and not solely relying on social media as a tool for communication.

Photo by G

race Yi

Photo by Grace YiTwo friends sit at the same table on their phones instead of interacting.

Social media rules some lives with notifications while others are not.

FeaturesPage 8

Student rights vs. administrative authoritiesOne has seen enough crime shows to know what to do if the police knocks on one’s door

and demands to search one’s property: stand, look indignant and demand to see their warrant.After all, it's one’s property, and unless one gives permission or a judge orders the search, one

should have control over their rights, right?Yes, provided that one is not a student. “After the school administration conducted Facebook searches on three of my classmates’ ac-

counts, the students were suspended because they posted ‘vulgar’ comments on their Facebook wall,” said junior Chris Wong.

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects all Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures performed by a government entity. While students are granted the same rights as any legal adult under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), school administrators have more power to restrict the right than any other right of a student when dealing with student privacy, otherwise known as the right of a students to be secure in their person. Legally, teachers and administrators can search without either permission or a warrant.

According to Sequoia Union High School District’s school policy, no school employee can conduct a search that involves “conducting a body cavity search of a pupil manually or with an instrument” or “removing or arranging any or all of the clothing of a pupil to permit a visual inspection.” Additionally, the school can not search a student without “reasonable suspicion.”

Reasonable suspicion includes a school official overhearing, seeing or smelling something first-hand, or a tip from a reliable source. The school officials must also be reasonable in the way they search one, based on one’s age and what they are searching for. Students do not have to consent with the decision in order to be searched.

Another form of suspicion that can be used is individualized suspicion, which means school officials must have a reasonable suspicion that a search of a particular student might uncover evidence of a violation of a school rule. For example, if a school official has information that some students are using drugs or drinking alcohol, it would not justify a search of all students in a class or at a game.

Currently, school lockers are an exception even to the lower standard of constitutional protection from unreasonable searches that applies in schools generally. However, the right to search one’s locker does not extend to closed bags inside one’s locker. Those may only be searched if a school official has a reasonable suspicion that the search might uncover evidence

that one violated a school rule.“I don’t think the school should be allowed to search students because it’s an invasion of

privacy. But one time, the school searched a student and the student ended up being the actual suspect of the crime,” said freshman Cameron Kuo.

Others believe that schools should only be able to search students under reasonable condi-tion and must draw a line between the safety of students and one’s privacy.

“I think they should be able to search us, but only under a suspension of drugs, liquor, or weapons. However, students should be allowed to stop the search; teachers shouldn't be search-ing phones though because there's no reason too,” said sophomore Dario Johnson.

In the 1985 case of New Jersey v. T.L.O., the Supreme Court held that a “reasonable cause” standard applies to searches of students and their possessions by school officials under the Fourth Amendment. California's own state Supreme Court expanded upon the ruling by stat-ing that "reasonable grounds" must be supported by "articulable facts” that are not based on hunches or rumors are not justified.

While the “reasonable cause” standard continues to govern most searches, the U.S. Supreme Court recently held that a more intrusive search, such as searching a student’s underwear, is in a category of its own, demanding its own specific suspicions.

Although these regulations are meant to impose school safety, some students believe that the school administrations searches are infringing students’ rights and invaded one’s privacy.

“It’s unfair that students can't deal certain issues on their own and the counselors at our school can information to suspend students. The administration shouldn't have the rights to do so since it is violating our privacy. School life and social life should not be put together unless it is a direct threat to the school or another student,” commented junior Chris Wong.

A matter which has not yet been reviewed is what powers school officials have to search stu-dents before they are on school grounds. It is clear that the power exists on school grounds to provide a safe environment for learning, but it may be a leap for some schools to make to insist that they also have the power to prevent drugs or weapons from even entering school grounds. Some, however, believe that this should not be allowed.

“I think it’s ridiculous that the school can already search us anytime and anywhere at school. They would be abusing my constitutional rights if they could search me even at home or any-where outside of school,” added Wong.

Where the limits of such a power lie, or if such power exists at all, is subject to debate until they are taken up by the courts.

By Sabrina Leungentertainment editOr

My business is none of admin’s businessBy Andrew WedvickstaFF Writer

Kenny Linnell, a junior at Carlmont high school, made a common driving error: he for-got to turn his headlights off after he parked his truck.

After leaving them on all day, it was no surprise that his truck did not start after school. Once his friends helped him jump the battery, they remained parked in his spot on Alameda de las Pulgas, just outside of Carlmont.

“We were sitting in my car, and a school resource officer walks up and asks to see my license for no reason at all,” said Lin-nell. “Under pressure, I gave it to him and he made us get out and sit on the curb while he searched our backpacks and our persons, which resulted in finding nothing illegal.”

While School Resource Officers do not work for Carlmont directly, they do enforce school rules and are a reflection of the values that Carlmont holds. Carlmont administra-tors and School Resource Officers alike want to do everything they can to keep Carlmont as safe as possible, but students like Linnell think that these measures are now intruding

on student’s privacy and natural rights, espe-cially outside of school.

Accord-ing to Carlmont’s student handbook, if you are on school prop-erty, then you may be searched at any time if there is a reason to do so.

Where things start to get less distinct is determining what out-of-classroom activi-ties interrupt learning, and what constitutes “reasonable suspicion.”

If sitting in your truck outside of school grounds is reasonable suspicion for search and seizure, then where do we draw the line to determine what is “unreasonable suspicion.”

Robert Fishtrom, Carlmont’s Instructional Vice Principal, said, “reasonable suspicion

can be a smell coming from a backpack, a report of illegal activities, or a student return-ing from being off the closed campus.”

Another form of monitoring students outside of school is through social media.

When asked if tracking social media is necessary for stu-dents’ safety, Fishstrom said, “Yes and no. If something happens on a social network that creates a disruption in the learning environ-ment, then California Ed Code says we can take disciplinary action on it.”

Lucas Rich, a junior at Carlmont, was called into the office and given a four day lunch suspension when administration un-covered a photo of him on facebook flipping off the camera.

“I felt angry and confused,” said Rich.

“They said it was because the picture was taken on school grounds, but its not like it was directed towards someone in particular. Plus, they had gone through my other photos which made me feel unsafe... It felt like an invasion of privacy.”

Carlmont’s liability of their students’ safety allowed for intervention +in Rich’s case, since they are “responsible for the safety of students until they get home,” said Fishtrom.

Essentially, if a student has not been home after school, everything they do must be in line with what the school rules dictate is okay and is not okay.

Students like Rich and Linnell feel these rules are unfair, and give the administration too much wiggle room to punish students for breaking school rules, outside of school grounds.

As students of Carlmont high school, we are bound to certain rules that are in place to ensure our safety. However, as citizens of the United States we are guaranteed certain in-alienable rights that are in place to ensure the majority does not become less powerful than the minority. If you value your privacy, then know your rights and do not make yourself a target for unwanted attention.

photo by Veronika Dvorakova

Features Page 9

Opinion: How much freedom do we really have?

Profoundly private: administration searches explained

By John RussellstaFF Writer

By Ayesha AbbasistaFF Writer

We are conditioned to expect some degree of privacy when it comes to our personal affairs. So when an administration begins to sift through the personal lives of its students, problems are bound to arise.

Administration has taken to unlocking phones and examining their contents, even using police software to unearth erased mes-sages.

For a nation so emphatically pro-civil liber-ties, it comes as a surprise that students are forced to expect such Big Brother tactics from a young age.

What are students being taught for the rest of their lives if their privacy is not respected now?

It isn’t simply about pragmatism and pos-sible student crimes, this is about condition-ing our students to forget that democratic society is built upon the idea that every person is granted certain civil liberties, and that a government that does not respect those liberties is rightfully overthrown.

No one is advocating revolution, but it is important to examine the effects of the administration’s actions.

Our phones, the centerpiece of our digital

lives, carry all of our thoughts, feelings, photos, intimate discussions, and are the single most private device we carry to school everyday.

If we simply submit to these breaches of privacy without questioning them first, we are blind to the fact that by giving up our phones for examination and punishment so willingly, we are crossing a boundary that may have wider reaching implications.

We run the risk of desensitizing students to breaches of privacy if these deep examinations of personal contents are allowed to continue without proper evaluation.

Probable cause has become quite elastic in the light of recent cheating scandals, and the following phone witch-hunt highlighted to many the underlying causes of the increased searches.

Search our phones when student lives are at risk, by all means. But the recent cheating scandal had nothing to do with student lives. No, Administration only started this inquisi-tion because of a picture taken during the STAR tests.

And no, not of the test.A picture of a student sleeping, posted on

Instagram hours later.This student’s phone was searched and

seized, and a following deep examination of personal contents found evidence of academic

dishonesty. If all students phones were seized and

examined, then the culture of cheating within our school would be uncovered. But Admin knows this! Yes, everyone and their mother knows that all students cheat in some fashion. Why did this only come into their sights now?

Because state tests are taken much more seriously than regular tests.

So really, Admin could pursue cheating much more severely, but that would result in the punishment of the vast majority of the student body.

As seen in the AP Government cheating scandal during finals week last semester, the quantity of students caught cheating lessened the punitive blow felt by individuals. The students were given minimal punishment, and the threat of withholding letters of recommendation and permanent marks on student transcripts were not applied to the AP Government students, threats held over the heads of the few involved in last month’s cheating scandal.

This type of macro enforcement would only be used if Admin decided to pursue cheating in a concerted fashion. However, no governing body should be expected to examine all of its students; that would only confirm the Orwellian fantasies of those look-

ing to lambast the administration. It is more nuanced than that: Students are

always going to be engaging in some ne-farious activities, just as not all citizens of a society follow every law.

The important thing to realize, is that if we just submit to these searches without ques-tion, we run the risk of teaching students that their privacy is permeable, and that without substantial cause every message they have ever sent can be poured over by a room-full of administrators.

As we near adulthood, we should be given the same rights afforded to adults under the Fourth Amendment, preventing search and seizure without probable cause. Our rights should be respected just as all citizens’ are. Without reasonable cause for a search and seizure of student property, administrators should not be allowed to take our phones and sift through every detail of our lives.

Yes, some cases where student behavior merits search and seizure may fall through the proverbial cracks, but we risk far more than a few cases of harmful behavior if we let our privacy be infringed upon so readily under the California Education Code.

We stand to lose our commitment to civil liberties, and ideology that our country was built upon.

All Americans are protected against “un-reasonable” searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment. But what is and isn’t classified as “reasonable” varies depending on the context.

“The moment a student walks onto campus with a cellphone, car, or backpack we have the right to search and confiscate it,” said Carlmont’s Assistant Vice Principal Ralph Crame.

Preventing harm from occurring is a critical job for administrators, and to ensure safety, certain measures must be taken.

Searching students lockers, phones, and backpacks can be a useful tool, not only in preventing harmful attacks, but also in keep-ing schools alcohol and drug-free.

“Students need to realize that bringing bad things onto campus is not only going to hurt them but hurt others too. You’re supposed to learn here not throw a party,” said junior Luca Cargonja.

It’s very rare that searching a student’s locker or backpack is not a justifiable act. However it may be inappropriate for a school to conduct an extensive search on a student’s personal property.

“I think it’s really understandable that administration is allowed to do things of that sort, but it would be weird if they searched your house,” said sophomore Ravina Gujral.

When administration searches a student’s personal property on the basis of a supposed attack with the use of weapons and they come across drugs it can’t always be used against the student in a court of law.

“It depends on what it is, but the parents will be informed if I have concerns of any sort,” said Crame.

Junior Hayden Seto said, “My phone was recently searched because someone had dropped my name during the cheating scan-dal and I honestly had nothing to hide.”

He continued to explain that he was not a part of the cheating scandal at all, so he simply “handed it over and let them look through whatever they needed to so that my name was cleared.”

Seto questioned, “If you’re not doing anything wrong, then why would you try to ‘defend your rights?’”

Knowing rights and laws is a prominent aspect of being an American citizen, but giv-ing up rights on school property is an ordeal students everywhere are faced with everyday.

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Administrative Vice Principal Jennifer Cho searches a student’s locker.

EntertainmentPage 10

Country invading, terrorist sacking: the movie

The standoff: the reel and the paperbackBy Karissa TomstaFF Writer

By Scott SchulzstaFF Writer

The theme of terrorism has be-come a common concept in differ-ent movies. Often, plots are based on terrorism or the thought that America has external threats.

It is curious why many movies are moving towards this trend.

Its possible that it could be due to over actual way of life and how there are legitimate terrorists organizations trying to attack us.

Another possibility is that the way the news stations broad-cast events makes reality appear more threatening.

A few examples are Iron Man 3, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, and G.I Joe Retali-ation.

There are two main types of terrorism movies. There is the and G.I. Joe type, where the heroes have to defend their coun-try or themselves from the terrorists’ attacks. The other type is like Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, where

the story focuses on a the United States entering into the terrorists’ countries to counteract their terror-ism.

Argo is a movie set in the late 1970s to early 1980s. The plot

of the movie is

constructing a plan to bring six American captives home from the heart of anti-American Iraq. They try to escape using a scheme of film-ing a movie called “Argo.” They run into many obstacles to make their escape as difficult as it can be.

This relates to today because recently three college student from America accidentally crossed into Iranian territory and were held in prison for many months. The United States government had to work hard to get them released.

Zero Dark Thirty is based on the event of Osama Bin Laden’s

assassination by Seal Team Six. It retells the event from the American soldiers’

point of view.Iron Man 3,

even though it is not the most realistic movie, deals with internal

attacks on

the United States. The terrorists existed within the united States and conducted bombings and national threats the progressively worsened.

This is really relative in the sense of bombings because of the very recent Boston Marathon Bomb-ings. There were acts of terrorism on United States soil.

According to the American Acad-emy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry, “Seeing and hearing about local and world events, such as natural disasters, catastrophic events, and crime reports, may cause children to experience stress, anxiety, and fears.”

Junior Kevin Juarez said that terrorist movies make him “a bit” worried in real life, just because “there are a lot of people mad at the US for the actions we have taken in foreign countries and they take their vengeance on innocent people.”

The constant reminder from movies and the news about terror-ist organizations working to attack America is a thought often kept in the back of the mind for Ameri-cans, especially children. The threat of terrorism is ever present. Although we live in a post-9/11 world filled with war, the United States still seems to be a safe place.

Turning a popular book into a movie has become an easy way to create a blockbuster.

Making books into movies is a unique way to involve the fans of the book while benefitting both the book and the movie.

Sophomore Johanna Hendriksen said, “When you read the book and you see the characters in your head, you have pre-defined notions. Being able to see how the director decides to represent the characters and how close [the movie] is to how I saw it in my head is cool.”

After the success of the Harry Potter mov-ies, more companies have been looking into bringing books on the big screen. According to The-numbers.com, the last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, made a total of $1,328,111,219 in the world-wide box office.

The movies and the books give readers a way to connect and see how someone else interprets

the book.Hendriksen said, “You think that this actor

would be great and you start hearing who is play-ing who. It is interesting seeing how the making of the movie unfolds.”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower written by Stephen Chbosky was turned into a movie and it was released October 12, 2012. It is about an incoming high school freshman named Charlie who started writing letters to a stranger to cope with the fear.

The fans enjoyed seeing the book in the big screen and seeing the characters being brought to life.

Sophomore Anna Shutovska said, “They re-ally brought the emotions alive. I liked how the movie stayed close to the book. The flashbacks added another element to the movie and it was cool being able to see [the main character] as a little kid.”

Another popular series, the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is also being produced. The first book has already been released as a movie and Catching Fire, the second book of the series is

Cartoon by Dominic Gialdini

to be released as a movie in November 2013.According to the Hungergamesmovies.org,

there have been 23 million copies of the first book sold. The Hunger Games costs $10.99 at Barnes and Noble, making the profit about $252,770,000. The Examiner said, the Hunger Games movie made a box office profit of $251 million domestically.

Students are also excited for the release of the Great Gatsby movie. Some students are required to read the book and are looking for-ward to watching the movie. The book is about the life of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby living in New York in the summer of 1922.

“I’m excited to see the movie because the previews looked cool. The book doesn’t have as dramatic scenes as it might be portrayed in the movie,” said junior Isabella Paragas.

According to a poll from the students, 16 percent of students usually read the book after watching the movie.

A few teachers, like Mrs. Nilson use the mov-ies as a way to supplement student’s reading. The films give students the ability to understand

the text on a deeper and visual level by see-ing how the actors and the director decide to portray the characters.

“For novels, I think that it is good for gen-eral comprehension but you have to be careful because sometimes the films change the text. But I think for engagement and having the students feel connected to a work, that film is a great medium,” Nilson said, “It builds a sense of connection and adds to an overall apprecia-tion of the work.”

On the other hand, movies can leave out crucial details to books leaving fans unhappy.

Sophomore Samantha Fong said, “They always change stuff and sometimes it is not in a good way. Sometimes they change the whole plot, like in Percy Jackson.”

According to a student poll, 79 percent of students like the book series more than the movie.

From the pages to the big screen, popular books being turned into movies has become a new trend for engaging audiences every-where.

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Entertainment Page 11

Harmonizing: friendship on a major scale

Student bands create a buzz on campus

By Jessica AdairstaFF Writer

The music programs at Carlmont have cre-ated long-lasting friendships, helped students find their talent, and changed lives forever.

Choir has one of the most tight-knit and consistent group of music students at Carl-mont. Masaya Takahashi, a senior in Mens Choir, the all-male choir, said, “Choir is different from everything else because it is generally open to all skill levels and there are more people. I met so many different friends through choir, and the best part is, I get to perform with them.”

Choir has six different singing groups. For groups like Womens Choir, Mens Choir, and Concert Choir, there is no musical experience needed to join. But for groups like Treble Clef, Chamber Singers, and Show Choir, extensive musical knowledge is necessary.

Despite the numerous different groups, choir unites under one common passion: singing. “Everybody in choir has a shared love for singing,” said Tereza Dvorak, a senior in Treble Clef who has been in choir all four years.

Despite having many different singing groups, choir comes together like one big happy family. “Everybody is friends,” said Danielle Bickel, a junior in Treble Clef, the all-female choir. “It’s like a huge family. Everybody supports each other and there is no judgement.”

Whether it’s a love of singing, the value of making new friends, or the satisfaction of per-forming, there are many reasons to join choir. “I joined choir because it’s an opportunity to meet people that you normally wouldn’t have the chance to. It opens you up to new things and people,” said Bickel.

Masaya Takahashi, a senior in Men’s Choir added, “I needed a CTE like others do, so I chose choir because it has both singing and it’s like a team. It’s significant because I know

how to sing, and I get to do things with people I like.”

Another unique aspect of choir is it’s cheerful environment, “Choir is that one place where I can be myself and people don’t judge me. Everyone’s is weird and encouraging; choir kids don’t like to put down one another,” said Leesan Kwok, a junior in Chamber Singers, the advanced choral group.

Miles Harris, a senior in Men’s Choir, had a different reason.

“My counselor thought that choir would be a good fit for me, so I joined. I actually really got a lot out of it and made some good friends.”

Whatever the reason is for joining choir, the most important aspect is what you take away from it. Tereza Dvorak quote, “I’ve had many leadership opportunities in choir which have taught me a lot. My music skills of course have advanced a lot, which will help college choir auditions. But mainly the friends I’ve made over the years have mattered the most.”

Marco Sevilla, a sophomore in Chamber Singers, the advance choral group, added, “Choir has allowed me to express myself in ways that I never thought I could, like per-forming in front of people.”

Some students have even decided to further their love of singing.

“Because of choir, I decided to be part of our school’s musical, “Guys and Dolls.” I also plan to continue to sing in my college, if they have a choir,” said Takahashi.

Despite all the hard work in choir, students still find a way to have fun and relax together. “Backstage of each concert was by far the best because I could intermingle with people, and do things like drawing, talking, dancing, giving and receiving piggyback rides.”

For seniors in choir, the school-year is almost over, as is their time in Carlmont Choir. Dvorak said, “I will miss Mrs.Tep and having a choir class everyday.”

Harris added, “The constancy of seeing the same people every day in the choir room will

Photos by Doris LeePhoto collage by Sabrina Leung

be missed.”Takahashi leaves his legacy of Carlmont

Choir, “Without choir, I probably would not

have met the close friends I have now. They have been my support group throughout my high school career.”

By Reggie ChatmanstaFF Writer

A popular high school stereotype is that bands are a part of the culture of a high school environment.

Even though times have changed and high school bands have become less a part of the popular culture, it doesn’t keep musically inclined students from participating in groups of their own.

“Its a fun process. I joined my first band going into freshman year. Playing shows all over the East Bay, all over California, including southern California and playing shows is a good experience,” said junior Ethan Wallace, “I learned a lot about communicating with managers, staying on top of handling money and tickets. It’s not just rocking out all the time, I learn a lot of responsibility, and a lot of being able to handle different situations.”

Bands such as the Beatles in the 1960’s were revered as superstars and people swooned at the sheer thought of be-ing near them. The superstar rock star attitude continued through the 1970s as the band KISS rose to fame. Bands still exist but are not looked at the same way they once were.

“The music scene has really changed. We played at a party once and nobody was really into it. I wouldn’t say its di-minishing but its just not a good area for bands in this area. I wish there were more bands. It’s just not a popular thing

like in the 70’s,” said junior Wesley Settles.The music scene has really changed as the use of comput-

ers have become more popular. Artists such as Deadmau5, and Skrillex use technology to create their music.

“I think the 90s were really big in music as far as real instrumental music. Bands, rock bands and grunge. That was really popular,” said Wallace, “this is a new era of music and now you have DJ’s as opposed to rock and roll artists and stuff like that. It’s just a generation thing. I wouldn’t say playing music isn’t as popular, it’s just that it’s a completely different style now so now it kinda takes away from your five piece rock and roll band to being one guy behind a computer writing music like that. It’s all about what you are into.”

“We played at a party before and it wasn’t that good. Nobody was really into it. I don’t think this is a good area for bands,” said Settles.

Settles is in a school band called the FEDS that consists of Josh Fagel, Martin Adams, and Austin Lockhart. They played in the Carlmont’s Got Talent show last year and won the first place prize.

“We mess around. We jam a lot and then we find gigs which is the hardest thing ever,” said Fagel.

However, being a high schooler in a band has caused some to have a difficult time balancing between school and their interests.

“Being a high schooler in a band outside of school is stressful and hard. Having to deal with music and school at

the same time and trying to figure out what you want to do after high school as far as staying locally and continuing with the band and in college or do I go off to college outside of the state and start anew again,” said Wallace.

“It’s hard to be in a band because venues don’t take them seriously. You can’t play bars or anything like that. We are barely able to play clubs. I feel like that should be changed. Its music. Freedom of expression. I think everyone should be able to do it. It should be played wherever. If its good music, its good music. It shouldn’t be bias,” said Settles.

The FEDS band members jamming away at their musicPhoto by the FEDS

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College

Page 12

JOHN LUCKENBACH

GPA: 3.8

COLLEGE: Purdue University

MAJOR: Areonautical Engineering

FAVORITE CARLMONT MEMORY: “APUSH with Mr. Gomez, because it was a challenging class but there was a lot of cool people and Gomez was a wonderful teacher, that it made it a good experience.”

DAIJA CRISMAS-HUGGINS

GPA: 2.8

COLLEGE: College of San Mateo

MAJOR: Education

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS SCHOOL: “My parents didn’t go to college, so I knew I was going to be the one to go.”

ADVICE: “If you don’t know where to go or what to do, go to a community college to figure things out.”

American River Arizona State University Baroch UniversityBaylor CollegeBoise StateBoston UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrown UniversityCal Poly (SLO)Cal Poly (Pomona)Canada College

Chabot CollegeChapman UniversityChico State College of RedwoodsCollege of San MateoColumbia UniversityDe Anza State CollegeDelta CollegeEast Bay CollegeFoothill College

Fullerton StateGonzonga CollegeHarvey Mudd UniversityKent State UniversityLas Positas CollegeLewis and Clark Long Beach StateMassachusetts Institue of Technology Menlo Atherton CollegeMesa College, San Diego

Mission CollegeMontgomgery CollegeMorehouse CollegeNorthridge StateNorthwestern StateOhio State UniversityOregon State UniversityPenn State University Pepperdine University Portland State

75% 23%

Colleges in California

Attending a UC

College Page 13

KAYLA TABARI

GPA: 4.1

COLLEGE: University of San Francisco

MAJOR: Nursing

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS SCHOOL: “USF has a really good nursing program. It was also important to have local connections because I want to stay in the area in the long-run.”

RYAN MCGUIRE

GPA: 3.6

SCHOOL: California Highway Patrol Academy

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS SCHOOL: “I was always interested in law enforcement and Highway Patrol is a more advanced academy.”

ADVICE: “Volunteer in what your’re interested in to see if you really like it as a career.”

Princeton University Puget SoundPurdue University Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Clara UniversitySan Francisco StateSan Diego State University San Marcos CollegeSan Jose StateSkyline College

Sonoma StateStanford UniversitySterling CollegeTexas Christian University Tufts University UC BerkeleyUC DavisUC Irvine UC Los AngelesUC Merced

UC RiversideUC Santa BarbaraUC Santa CruzUC San DiegoUniversity of AlabamaUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of Colorado, BoulderUniversity of DenverUniversity of Hawaii, ManoaUniversity of Kentucky

University of Massachusetts, AmherstUniversity of Nevada, RenoUniversity of OregonUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of TulsaUniversity of WashingtonWellesley CollegeWest Valley CollegeWestern Washington University

19% 30%

4%of students will be doing other

activites besides college(military, international, travel,

and others)

each dot represents a college that a student is attending next year

Out-of-state college

Attending a 2-year college

By alex pOrter and nikOs Frazier

Campus

Page 14

Problem not solved: gravel remainsBy Daniel WangstaFF Writer

Will the hallways between B and C hall and C and D hall ever be refurbished? If so, when?

When students returned from summer vacation for the 2012-13 school year, many were excited about the new renovations occur-ring at Carlmont.

For one, the football field was completely redone. The turf was new and, to the delight of football, soccer, and lacrosse players, stadium lights were added too, allowing athletes to play at night.

In addition to the face lift to the football field, the hallways between B and C halls along with between C and D halls were cleared into dirt and gravel.

Students were happy to see the halls being reduced to gravel since they believed the hallways would soon contain picnic tables, allowing more students to sit comfortably during lunch.

Fast forward to May 2013. The large gravel and dirt patches between B and C and C and D halls respectively are looking more desolate than ever.

Since the hallways have consisted simply of gravel for the past nine months, many students are taking note of the situation.

Regarding the hallways, freshman Roy Lin said, “Carlmont should place picnic tables on the gravel re-ally soon so that more students will have a more comfortable place to eat during lunch.”

However, according to Adminis-trative Vice Principal Ralph Crame, the main reason for clearing the outside hallways to gravel was not to accommodate more students

during lunch or to make the hall-ways look nicer.

Crame said, “Those halls below the gravel areas were leaking so water was coming down into the

hallways. So, workers had to water-proof the wall and install a french drain to divert the water away from the hallways.”

Water seeping into the hallways

Your new best friend, or your worst nightmare? By Grace ChangstaFF Writer

As college approaches, many se-niors have been busy getting settled with finding their roommates, who could potentially be their new best friend or their worst nightmare.

Most colleges have a group page on Facebook for the incoming freshmen class that allows them to meet new people and get to know the school better.

One aspect of the group page is that it allows seniors to post information about themselves and view others’ information in order to potentially find their perfect roommate.

“The group page is really help-ful because it allows you to make friends early and find a possible roommate,” said senior Taylor Choye.

Many seniors have already been able to find their soon to be room-mate.

“Basically, I just searched on the Facebook wall for someone who posted something I agreed with. I then messaged them asking about their hobbies, extracurricular activi-ties, studying habits, etc. Then we

just hit it off and we’re homies now. I was also able to meet him at the student day at Cal Poly,” said Tim Gachot.

Although there is always the op-tion of having a randomly assigned roommate, some students have decided to not take the chance.

“My roommate commented on my post and I chose him because he had the same major and interests. I didn’t want to have a roommate randomly assigned because I didn’t want to be living with someone who I don’t get along with,” said Ryan Hutson.

However not all seniors have found the perfect roommate and have decided to put the match up to fate.

“I think that it is part of the college experience to walk through the door with the excitement of not knowing who you will be paired up with,” said Choye.

“Getting randomly assigned a roommate is part of the college experience and it helps you meet new people and make new friends,”

said Bryan Ding.Some seniors have been able to

use the experience of older siblings or friends to decide whether they should leave it up to fate or find a roommate.

“I decided to go with a random roommate because it’s part of the freshman experience. My brother and sister both chose random roommates and it worked out well for them,” said Lindsey Berger.

They also have the option to experience best of both worlds; at many of the colleges the incom-ing freshmen can have up to three roommates. There are the dorms that typically live two or three stu-dents, and there are the suites that live up to four students.

College-bound seniors have multiple options for choosing a roommate, but the questions still outweigh the answers

Many college-bound students joined “admitted student” pages on Facebook, and received messages like the one above.

Brent Tom, who will be living in a triple dorm, has found one room-mate and they have decided to leave the third roommate to be randomly assigned.

“I wanted to have the assurance that I got a roommate that was compatible, but I also wanted to have the random roommate to meet someone different,” said Tom.

On the other hand colleges such as Stanford have a different method of assigning roommates for the incoming freshmen.

“For [Stanford] you fill out an application and the school matches you up with someone that you will fit well with, so I didn’t get the op-portunity to choose a roommate,” said Mindy Yang.

“I didn’t want to have a roommate randomly assigned because I didn’t want to be living with someone who I don’t get along with,” said Ryan Hutson.

Various seniors also believe that their roommate assignment will work out either way.

“Although my roommate and I may not get along, I hope for the best and I hear that there are resi-dential advisors that can help you get a new roommate,” said Choye.

Senior Jasmine Rishi was go-ing to have a randomly assigned roommate but was later pleasantly surprised.

“I was planning on having a ran-domly assigned roommate because I couldn’t find one after searching for a long time, but then this girl mes-saged me a couple weeks later and we clicked!” said Rishi.

Whether one was able to find a roommate, or was randomly as-signed one, the seniors are looking forward to starting their college experience.

can both be a hazard to students and objects left in lockers. There-fore, the wall separating the lockers from the outside hallways was waterproofed and a french drain,

which is a trench that contains a pipe that redirects water, was set up in the summer of 2012.

So that explains why the hallways were cleared to gravel. But will the hallways remain just as gravel?

“The workers haven’t completed the project yet because they want to first make sure the waterproofing is successful,” Crame said. “Since after this year there was no water in the hallways after the rainy season, there’s plans on what landscaping materials what we’re going to put on the gravel.”

At first, Carlmont administra-tors were planning on placing pavers where the gravel currently is. But according to Crame, the pavers would cost approximately $100,000.

Instead, , if everything goes to plan, the gravel will be replaced by grass this summer. In addition to the grass, Crame said, “There will also be some picnic tables, since we realized that students need more space to eat lunch.”

Hopefully, everything will go to plan, and by the time we return to school in the fall, there will be new picnic tables and grass, providing a stark change from the gravel.

Before the school year, some of the grass hallways were torn out and replaced by gravel. Students want the grass back, but there has been no resolution to this rocky problem.

Photo by Jacob Rudger

Infographic by Nikos Frazier

Campus

Page 15

Langkusch leaves 20-year legacyBy Graham GodwinstaFF Writer

It was 1993, and Bill Clinton was sworn in as our 42nd Presi-dent, succeeding George H. Bush. Six people were killed and 1000 people were injured as the World Trade Center was bombed for the first time. The Buffalo Bills lost their third straight Super Bowl, and Whitney Houston was heard every-where singing “I Will Always Love You.” It was two years before Mi-chelle Pfeiffer’s infamous portrayal of a teacher working at Carlmont High School in the movie “Danger-ous Minds.”

Amongst all of this, in 1993, Gail Langkusch arrived at Carl-mont High School as an English teacher. She could not have known that she would remain at Carlmont for 20 straight years. Over those two decades, upwards of 3,000 high school students would learn English from Langkusch, and she would inspire and guide many more.

When Langkusch started at Carlmont in 1993, it was a much different place. The school popula-tion consistently fluctuated between 1200 and 1400 students, the foot-ball field was grass, and the facilities Carlmont had to offer couldn’t hold a candle to today’s.

Since her arrival, Langkusch has strived to implement the same mes-sage in all her students, Langkusch said, “I’d like all my students to leave here knowing that they don’t have to agree with anyone, they can develop their own world view, and whatever anyone else thinks doesn’t

matter, what they believe in is what matters.”

Carlmont has had Langkusch for these twenty years, but she wasn’t always set on the course of being a teacher. After majoring in Home Education and getting a minor in English from San Jose State, Lang-kusch decided to be a stay at home mom and raise her two children.

However, following a divorce Langkusch decided that it was time for her to pursue the profession of a teacher. She went back to school and got her masters degree in Eng-lish and her teaching credentials.

Since then Langkusch has enjoyed continued success teach-ing many classes, ranging from AP English to Drivers Education.

However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing during Langkusch’s tenure. Langkusch said, “The big-gest challenge has been dealing with the government and how it has be-come more and more restrictive of the teaching that goes on here.” She credits rigid state requirements and an onslaught of standardized testing to the lowered morale of teachers throughout the years.

Regardless of state regulations Langkusch has remained one of the most popular teachers on campus.

Junior Pasha Minkovsky, who has Langkusch for AP English this year, credits Langkusch’s popularity to her “free flowing, interesting, and engaging teaching style,” and her ability to “connect with students outside of the classroom.”

Langkusch has also built a reper-toire for the diversity of the content she teaches, “I like that she teaches

us about a plethora of is-sues and debates going on around the world instead of just making us write es-says everyday,” said, junior, Josh Fagel.

Langkusch has a wide variety of plans for her re-tirement, this summer she plans to assist her daughter who is due to have twins. She also hopes to use her Home Education degree to work with foster children.

Langkusch cannot work for the district for 6 months, but she plans on doing some substituting once and awhile here at Carlmont.

Traveling is also on the agenda, as Langkusch has a long list of countries she would like to visit when the opportunities arise.

On June 6 of this year Gail Langkusch will teach her final English class and retire after 20 years as an educator at Carlmont High School.

When asked about what she will remember most about Carlmont Langkusch had this to say, “Teenag-ers are the best, the way they think, the way they approach things, the way they deal with life itself. What they think is funny, how they learn, and when they see that hall light turn on, that’s the best part of teaching here at Carlmont.”

Gail Langkusch is ready to say farewell to Carlmont High School, but the legacy she will leave behind will not be forgotten.

CampusPage 16

Same classes: not the same

By Tim LaytenstaFF Writer

When teachers make classes fun

By Sarah KlievesCampus editOr

many ways depending on who is doing the reading and grading.

Freshman Nathan Kinsey is in Humes’ AS English I class. Kinsey stated that he feels “our [assignments] might be graded a little more easily, but our question topics might be harder.”

In contrast, Pyper Hayden who is a student in Jus-tin Raisner’s freshman AS English I class believes that if multiple teachers teach

Photo by Kat SavinHistory teacher Jaime Garcia educating students with a smile on his face

Class can be a lot more fun if the teacher is hilarious. Teachers that have a great sense of humor have their own unique ways of teach-ing material to their students. Often times, these teachers are very popular among the students that take the class and they typically do well in the class thanks to the teaching

style. “I think it’s a lot easier to do well in a class

when you love the person that’s teaching the class, It makes you motivated to go to class every day,” stated senior Connor Moore.

Carlmont is very fortunate to be the home of several funny and eccentric teachers that entertain students everyday. Their teaching styles somehow can influence students to

always be motivated to get involved during class despite the subject.

“If I have a funny teacher I’m more likely to pay attention during class and always look for the next joke to be dropped, I feel like it get’s the class more involved,” said senior Max Mcbride.

Typically it’s hard for students to have respect for their teachers because they tell us to do work that we might not always feel like doing. However, students can enjoy the class more if their teacher has a good sense of humor and gets the class involved in a posi-tive way.

“People will more likely respect the teacher,” stated senior Luke Li.

Theo Chatman is only a freshman, but he has already been very fortunate to be taught by some great teachers at Carlmont.

“I have to say Mr. Garcia is the funniest teacher, he’s always cracking jokes and saying crazy stuff.”

One of the most popular teachers at Carl-mont is history teacher Jayson Waller. He has been entertaining his students for years has an excellent sense of humor. Waller had a posi-

tive impact on Moore, even though he taught a subject he didn’t feel strongly about.

“I use to hate history but when I went to Mr. Waller’s class everyday, I enjoyed every class period because he’s a funny guy and he delivered the material well.”

Other popular funny teachers at Carlmont include Andy Ramroth, David Talcott, Joey Hill, Robert Tsuchiyama, and Jarrod Har-rison. These teachers have affected the lives of students at Carlmont. Students like Chatman are lucky to have someone put a smile on their face every time they walk into class.

“Somedays you might not be having a very good day but a teacher with a positive vibe can create a good effect on kids because it can brighten their day and make it a posi-tive learning environment for students,” said Chatman.

Carlmont is very lucky to have so many interesting and intelligent teachers that really know how to entertain their students and prepare them with the knowledge they need to know. These teachers will always have a special place in the lives of every Carlmont student.

shouldn’t be affecting the student’s grade.”

Although some students feel that their work may be graded on who they are and their relationship with the teacher, that is not necessarily the case.

Humes believes that grad-ing based on the relationship the student and the teacher have “should never happen. I hope that is not happening because that is horrifying. Grades should never be based on feelings.”

Fixing the problem of grad-ing discrepancies would be arduous.

With the way schools are run today and the amount of students who want to take certain courses, it would be difficult to have only one teacher teach a course.

According to the Carlmont High School staff directory, there are twenty teachers that teach English classes for every

Carlmont student. That leaves a lot of room for differences in teach-

ing styles, classroom environments, and

grading styles.It would help

to only have one teacher be teaching

a course, “because then there’s not two different

styles teaching the same sub-ject and people wouldn’t get upset with different grades,” Hayden stated.

Humes said that teach-ers can help to eliminate discrepancies by having “common assessments and common rubrics,” in addition to collaboration between the teachers who are instructing a particular course.

It appears that no matter who teaches what classes, some students will always feel that they might be graded unfairly.

photos by Reggie Chatman and Veronika Dvorakora

certain course is practically out of the question, multiple teachers have to teach the same course which leads to conflicts concerning grades.

English teacher Jody Humes believes that al-though grading discrepan-

cies can be minimized, they will “inevitably

happen.”In a

poll of 102 Carl-

mont stu-

dents, 96 percent believe that if more than one teacher teaches the same course, one teacher is an easier grader than the other.

In classes such as math, having two teachers teach the same course is not that big of a deal. There are set answers to the problem, and as long as a student comes up with the correct answer, they receive the points.

However, in classes such as English, assignments like essays may be interpreted in

“Why did you score better on that essay than I did?”

Having multiple teachers teach a course can lead to many problems, the main one being different grading scales for the same assign-

ments.Grading discrepan-

cies “happen all the time,” according to sophomore Catherine Schulze.

While the reality of having one teacher in-struct all classes in a

the same course, one is an easier grader than the other “because every teacher has a different style of grading.”

Students may also feel that their work is graded on who they are as a person, not so much as on the work they produce.

“In other classes if a teacher likes a student, they can grade them [either] unfairly or fairly, but in some of my classes it depends on who you are. I feel like most

teachers grade on whether or not they like you,”

said Schulze. “On something that’s

your own work that they can

judge, they grade it

on who you

are

and if your work is satisfactory.”

Kinsey thought the op-posite. “All teachers have different grading styles, but they’re all pretty much based on how much effort you put into it.”

Hayden believes that “the relationship between the student and the teacher shouldn’t matter. That

5/23/2013 - 5/31/2013

Campus Page 17

Different methods of learningBy Kat SavinstaFF Writer

By Shira SteinstaFF Writer

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Along with visual learners, there are kinesthetic learners.

According to a Highlander poll, 21 percent of Carlmont’s student body are kinesthetic learners.

“My favorite teacher freshman year was Mr. Rais-ner,” said Gianna Schuster, a sophomore. “He made us do a lot of group activities and proj-ects, so I got an opportunity to learn from my classmates and I benefited a lot from that.”

Lastly there are audible learners.About 13 percent of Carlmont students are

audible learners.“I learn the most from lectures,” said

Angelina Castillo, a sophomore. “When they are interesting and when teachers keep me listening, I learn a lot from them.”

When asked what the perfect teacher would be like, students seemed to have the same reaction.

“The perfect teacher would be someone who is passionate about what they do and someone who really does want to make a difference in the student’s education,” said Schuster. “But, at the same time, they make learning fun and they have to have a sense of humor.”

“The perfect teacher would definitely be fun in class, but still teach us all of the mate-rial,” said Castillo. “I like it when the teacher really connects with their students and gets more on a friend level with their students because it makes it easier to ask questions and learn.”

In the end, Carlmont students all vary in the way they learn but most seem to have the same opinion when it comes to the dream teacher.

High school students constantly face obstacles to their success, but sometimes it comes from people who are supposed to help them, which creates major problems.

While many teachers care about students’ well-beings and achievements, some don’t act like it and don’t put their best effort into teaching material, according to Steven A. Meyers, author of Do Your Students Care Whether You Care About Them? Those teach-ers, while not regular, are still easily found and make students lives more difficult.

Those types of teachers might over-control students, not have personal goals for teaching, have motivation driven by things other than the student’s needs, be highly disorganized, be unwilling to provide extra help, and may not encourage their students.

Sophomore Mariya Chichmarenko said, “I first ask my friends [for help with work I do not understand]. If they don't know, then I'll google it. If I'm really desperate I'll try the textbook or I'll go in before class and ask the teacher for help. They're usually more helpful with tips and what not when it's more one-on-one teaching.”

Students are able to voice their complaints to teachers or administrators, but some do not feel comfortable doing so and complain to their friends instead, which only hurts them.

“I want any complaint to be specific and to tell me how a student’s need is not being met through teacher instruction,” stated Instruc-tional Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom.

Slam poetry such as “I Will Not Let An Exam Result Determine My Fate” and “Why I Hate School But Love Education” by poet Suli Breaks explains how schools today teach students to memorize facts and dates, but that the information learned will not help in the

real world, and that when students internal-ize the failure, they feel like they will never succeed.

Chichmarenko said, “I just try my best to keep learning. Most of the time I want to give up, but I know that'll never help me. The only thing I can do is try to help myself if no one else can help me.”

Of the teachers who do care, many use their colleagues for assistance and new ideas, according to Dr. Bob Kizlik, author of Tips on Becoming a Teacher.

“I pay attention to what the students are doing and how they react to [my teaching], but I have to balance that with what the state objectives are. The big thing is to pay atten-tion to what you’re doing and being willing and able to adjust if it doesn’t work. In the history department, we try to collaborate and share,” stated social studies teacher Jarrod Harrison.

The school district also tries to help inef-fective teachers improve their teaching styles with a lot of opportunities to do so.

Fishtrom commented, “The district provides a lot of professional development opportunities to give teaching strategies. The district also gives lots of tools like Smart Boards, iPads, etc. We, as administrators, try to get into classes as often as we can to give teachers positive feedback. It’s really about staying positive and focused on our goals.”

Even when teachers receive all kinds of help, sometimes they still don’t improve in their quality of teaching.

“Teachers are evaluated on the teaching standards every other year. For a process of dismissal or improvement to begin, a teacher has to be found unsatisfactory though an ex-tensive process. It’s a very intense process and, the bottom line is, we are here to educate students, so we need to meet their needs,” said Fishtrom.

Students dream of having teachers who are entertaining, but also want a teacher who helps them to understand the information being taught.

Teachers can teach by lecturing, interacting in the classroom with students, incorporat-ing media with their teaching styles and a combination of these methods.

The style is not as important as the effec-tiveness of what is being taught.

Each student has a unique way of learn-ing. Some may benefit from a lecture format, while another may learn more from interact-ing in the classroom and with other students outside of the classroom.

The three main ways of learning in which most Carlmont students use are visually, audibly, and kinesthetically.

Students at Carlmont seem to prefer teaching styles that keep them engaged and interested in class.

Most students are visual learners. As a visual learner, students usually work better with visual imagery such as pictures, charts, graphs, or videos.

Kinesthetic learners benefit from more hands-on activities such as projects.

Audible learners tend to learn more from lectures, listening to tapes or recordings.

“Ms. Kirberg was a fun and nice teacher,” said Joseph Hamdun a junior. “She made the whole class work together and we did a lot of projects to keep the class interesting.”

At Carlmont, 67 percent of students, who responded to a Highlander poll, are visual learners.

“The perfect teacher would be someone who doesn’t constantly lecture and keeps ev-eryone involved,” said junior Carmen Larson. “I think Ms. T, who teaches English III, is a good teacher because her class is a lot of fun and it is very interactive.”

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CampusPage 18

When we walk into a classroom we sit at our desk. Key word: our.

That wonderful fake wood desk is all ours for 50 minutes, so we stake our claim to it.

Normally we do not think about the person who occupied the same seat a mere seven minutes ago, the only time we do is when something is wrong with the desk we question the previous ownership.

We have all had that moment where we sit down and there is some mystery substance on the desk, or that awesome piece of fresh gum left right where you had to put your hand. Only then do we really think about the person who sat there and usually we are slightly annoyed and want to give them a piece of our mind.

So unless the person who sat in the desk was particularly slobby that day we do not think about that person or their life, and ultimately them and

Do you know a girl who rides motocross? Plays volleyball? Raises sheep?

Well, Daphne Schwartz does all of the above.

Here is a freshman with some very distinct extracurriculars.

Schwartz balances her time between a normal freshman load with the addition of AS English with all of her unique activities.

Riding motocross and playing volleyball, Schwartz is no stranger to sports.

At the young age of four Schwartz was introduced to moto-cross by her dad and continues to race and ride to this day.

Schwartz said, “I got into mo-tocross because my dad has been doing motocross for a long time, so when I was four he bought me a bike.”

Alexander Chung is a hardwork-ing and determined student with very big plans for the future.

In order to reach his goals, Chung takes many advanced

Hockey playing PierceBy Max WarestaFF Writer

The students in the seatBy Ashley KawakamiJuniOr editOr

Do you know Daphne?

By Ashley KawakamiJuniOr editOr

The stranger in second periodBy Michael BastakistaFF Writer

classes, “I take AP Chemistry, AG Calculus, AS English II, Spanish I, and Modern European History.”

Chung is very talented at science, and even took a science class over the summer in order to take AP Chemistry his sophomore year.

When asked about how he plans to accomplish his goals, Chung stated, “I have to get good grades, and take a lot of extracurriculars.”

And Chung does just that. One such extracurricular activity is swimming, “I’ve been on Varsity Carlmont Swim Team since my freshman year,” he stated.

Another extracurricular Chung intends to do is NICAfund, which is a Los Angeles based non-profit organization that sends high school students to Nicaragua over the

Schwartz finds time on the week-ends to go ride and race motocross.

On top of riding motocross Schwartz is also a volleyball player, and played for the Carlmont junior varsity team.

Sports are not the only thing Schwartz enjoys, but she has an obvious love for animals.

Schwartz has been a member of 4-H for about four years.

Every year, for 4-H, she raises a sheep.

Schwartz said, “I buy a sheep every year and then I show it in the San Mateo County Fair.”

In addition to the annual raising of sheep, Schwartz has other pets including a dog, two cats, two rab-bits, and nine chickens.

Schwartz has an obvious love for animals, and when she is older she aspires to be a large animal veteri-narian.

In the future Schwartz wants to attend either UC Davis or Cal Poly.

Image courtesy of Daphne Schwartz

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their life remain a mystery.It is no different as we mosey

our way down C hall.We walk past hundreds of

people on a daily basis, sometimes

making awkward eye contact or accidentally bumping into them. We never take time to think about that kid we unintention-

ally knocked into on our way to math, what is their story? Who are they?

And then there are those kids you look at and say, “They go

here?”No matter how many

people we think we know, in all honestly we know only a mere frac-tion of the total student body.

So for all those won-der-ers who have tried to carry on a conversa-tion through scribbled handwriting on the desk to the next occupant, we have done a tiny bit of digging for you.

We selected one desk in math teacher Robert Tsuchiyama’s room and written about each of the unique students that oc-cupy that desk in a day, students we may or may not know.

The person that sits in your seat before you in

math may be a lot more interest-ing than you gave them credit for.

Image courtesy of Daphne SchwartzDaphne Schwartz in a motocross race

Daphne Schwartz with her sheep

summer to help the natives learn English.

“All I know is that I’m going to teach kids... Every week their teacher changes, so I’m going to be their teacher for a week,” stated Chung.

Chung has also created a new extracurricular tailor-made to his interests, as he has added a new sports activity available to all of his fellow students.

“I created a cycling club re-cently, we have twelve members right now and we tend to go on monthly rides,” said Chung.

Chung’s main goal is to attend Harvard University, and after college he wants to become an astronaut.

Chung plans to be accepted to the college of his dreams by, “Scor-ing well on the SAT, and doing very well in all of my classes.”

Were Pierce Bartolo to have his life described in one word, that word would be “hockey.”

Bartolo has been playing hockey for almost eight years now, and is currently on the Golden State Elite

AA team on defense. His team made it to the Caja playdowns last year. On hockey, Bartolo said, “It’s fast paced. I’ve tried other sports, like baseball, but they were too slow, and I like the physical aspect of the game.”

Hockey can be danger-ously physical at times, however, especially for a defender. “I’ve had two

concussions and a fractured AC (Acromioclavicular) joint,” said Bartolo.

For college, Bartolo is looking at Boston University and Boston College for hockey. He hopes to major in physical therapy or sports medicine. “[Going pro in hockey] is my first, ultimate dream. But, yeah, I got my back-up plan set up, in case everything goes wrong.”

When Bartolo isn’t on the ice, which is three to four days a week of practice, he enjoys watching movies on HBO, and also rent-ing them. He also goes to church on Sundays, to Central Peninsula Church in Foster City. He also listed some of his favorite recre-ational activities to be hanging out with friends, and sleeping.

stressed that his experience with firearms has been focused on edu-cation and self- protection, “not anything that would hurt anyone, except for defending oneself.”

As far as his choice of becoming a Republican, Gamaley said, “My parents were never very opinion-ated in politics, as far as I was concerned. I kind of chose my own path.”

Gamaley also vol-unteers with the Youth Men’s Service League, where he helps the needy and homeless. “It feels good to help people, to help the public out,” said Gamaley. In the same spirit of helping others, Gamaley hopes to at-tend UC Davis to study medicine.

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Campus Page 19

Carlmont junior Michael Ho sees a higher meaning to video games and plays Dungeons and Dragons when he hangs out with friends.

“As humans we cannot really do very much, so we play video games to get super human capabilities because beyond that we are noth-ing, but a bunch of thinking apes,” said Ho.

Ho enjoys the feeling of power that was given to him from video games.

“I like the ability to make others seem like nothing. I like the abili-ties in video games like being able to destroy buildings, and fighting monsters the size of skyscrapers,” said Ho.

When not playing video games, Ho plays a role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, with his friends.

Ho said, “My other hobby is Dungeons and Dragons. My role as the Gamemaster (the person that creates the scenario of the game) is to try to craft a world for my players. I have to come up with

A sophomore, Lev Gamaley is in Mr. Tsuchiyama’s sixth period AG Calculus class.

He was a member of the Carl-mont frosh-soph football team. Gamaley has played football for 8 years, and also has played lacrosse on a club team for two years.

Lev Gamaley: An all-around athleteBy Max WarestaFF Writer

The GamemasterBy Alan YanstaFF Writer

The amazing artistBy Alan YanstaFF Writer

“I have been doing art for as long as I can remember. I have always liked drawing and being creative,” said Carlmont junior Stefan Dismond.

Using his passion for art, Dis-mond created a business by selling shoes with his art on them.

Dismond covers shoes with art themes requested by his clients such as the Bust of Nefertiti, tigers, space, and the Giants.

Carlmont sophomore Zach Govani said, “When I see his art, I feel intense feelings of pleasure. It is nothing short of ecstasy.”

The birth of Dismond’s idea started with a small intention.

Dismond said, “It started with freshmen orientation and I wanted something cool to talk to people about, so I drew some Sharpie on my shoes and it took off from there. I started doing more and more stuff and last year I started selling them.”

From an attempt at an ice-breaker, Dismond transformed something simple into a business venture that is admired by people in and out of Carlmont.

“I have gotten many people from track who are interested, so I should have a lot of business over summer. Many of customers are either students at Carlmont or people at my dentist office,” said Dismond.

Though business is growing, Dismond plans on expanding into other types of clothing.

“I am trying to branch out more because the shoes are pretty time consuming and I like doing it, but I want to start making t-shirts,” said Dismond.

Dismond has created a success-ful business out of a passion.

every encounter, every non-player character (NPC), everything that they meet, fight, see, hear, and feel.”

Ho likes to be able to hang out with his friends while enjoying these activities.

Carlmont junior Alex Riley said, “He may not be that good at play-ing video games, but it is still fun to play with him. It is really fun to mess with him. I do not normally agree with him when he creates the Dungeons and Dragons scenarios, but when we play, we have a lot of fun.”

Ho mixes the deep meaning of games with the fun of hanging out with friends.

Infographic by Sarah Klieves

Gamaley also enjoys mountain and BMX biking with friends.

Politically, Gamaley considers himself to be different from many of his peers at Carlmont: he is an active Republican.

“I want to do Tea Party rallies and stuff like that when I get a little older, when my vote really mat-ters,” said Gamaley. Gamaley said that he did support the most recent

Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, but that he disagreed with some of Romney’s policies. “I think Ron Paul would have been a very good candidate for president,” said Gamaley.

Gamaley also strongly believes in Second Amendment Rights. He has frequently visited shooting ranges and has been hunting. His family owns a few firearms, and Gamaley

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ExtrasPage 20

share of laughs at Carlmont. He said, ”A couple of years ago we had a different cell phone and electronic device policy. We wouldn’t let kids use them during passing periods. One day, I was walking out of the office and a student was using his phone between fifth and sixth period. I took it to see what he was doing and it turns out he was play-ing Words With Friends against Mr. Raffa.”

The only aspects of the job that Fishtrom will not miss are “the long nights and weekends, which are

Continued from frontCarlmont VP announces departure

hard on the family, as well as coor-dinating all the testing dates.”

Fishtrom is very pleased with the time he spent as instructional vice principal: “I have absolutely no regrets of being a vice principal here at school. It’s been the highlight of my career.”

“If I had one last message to send to everyone at school, it would be to always believe in yourself. Don’t ever give up on yourself, and if you can dream it, you can accomplish it,” said Fishtrom, “and I would per-sonally thank them for everything they have brought to my life.”

building relationships that may last a lifetime.

“Out of everything at Carlmont I will probably miss the people the most because I've made some really good friends and its going to be dif-ferent not seeing them everyday and playing hacky sack at lunch,” said Christopher Fong.

“I think I will miss my teachers the most,” said Lupe Tuitavake. “ I've had a lot of great ones that give me so much help and support”

They've also experienced unfor-gettable moments at venues that Carlmont has provided for them.

“This year in water polo when we played our first CCS game. The whole team was pumped and every-

one was cheering,” said Bryan Ding. “That was my favorite memory of senior year.”

Tim Gachot took a moment to reminisce on his favorite moments, at Carlmont.

“From complaining about swim team with all my teammates, to winning swim meets, to having a good performance with the improv troupe, to actually getting a song to sound good in Out of the Blue or Fine Tuning, Carlmont has definitely helped me sort out my priorities and find what I’m pas-sionate about," said Gachot. "I got to try out multiple sports, clubs and I also got to choose my academic path which helped me understand

what I want to do in college.”Like Gachot, Moore has also had

some life-changing experiences this past year that have steered him in the right direction for his future.

"Now I know what kind of person I am. I know what I can and cannot do, I know how much time I need to prepare myself for certain things," said Moore.

As senior year comes to a close, the hardest task is the final goodbye,

"Part of me wants to stay, but saying goodbye is a part of grow-ing," said Ding.

But one thing the graduates will always remember is the spirited school that they leave behind.

"I would not have chosen any other school," said Moore. "I am so proud to be a Scot."

Turning the page Continued from front

Fun Page Page 21

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SportsPage 22

Senior Athlete Spotlight

The Carlmont varsity baseball team incred-ible season. Much of this success can be accredited to newcomer and star pitcher Ryan Hogan.

Hogan started playing baseball at the young age of four and was immediately recognized for his natural talent. He went on to become one of the top pitchers in little league. However, once he entered into the more competitive world of high school baseball, he realized that talent alone would not get him far.

Hogan said, “Playing against top teams in the nation really forces me to work all the more harder. CCS has a lot of very talented teams. It’s a lot more competitive than play-ing in most leagues.’

Hogan also played a crucial part on the U-18 Colt All Star team the last two sum-mers when they traveled to Lafayette, Indiana for the Colt World Championships. In one of the biggest and most talented youth base-ball competitions in the world, Hogan as a starting pitcher helped his team defeat Puerto Rico in the finals both years to take home the world championship.

After transferring to Carlmont midway through his junior year, Hogan was chal-lenged to both adapt to a new team with a very different style of play than St. Francis. Along with that, due to transfer rules, he was only allowed to practice with the team and not allowed to play in any games.

From water polo to track, senior Rachel Bellin has managed to be successful while having fun throughout her high school career.

She has played water polo and participated in track and field all four years at Carlmont, being the only girl hurdler for two years on the varsity track team.

“I started track because my brothers are in-volved with it, so it is sort of a family thing,” she said.

Bellin was awarded frosh-soph PAL cham-pion her sophomore year for track, but was disqualified this past season for a false start.

“Getting disqualified was a really unsuc-cessful moment for me,” said Bellin.

However, getting disqualified didn’t stop her. She went on to secure her spot in CCS for high jump, hoping to end her track and field legacy at Carlmont on a good note.

On the other hand, Bellin succeeded in water as much as she did on land.

“I started playing water polo because a lot of my friends played, but then once they all quit I continued playing club, which took me to my first junior Olympics,” said Bellin.

This year will be Bellin’s third year at the junior Olympics for water polo, and she says

By Ivan GarinstaFF Writer

By Claudia LeiststaFF Writer

it gets more exciting every year.“My junior year we got a new water polo

coach and we moved up a league, and this year we went to CCS for the first time,” said Bellin.

“Ray is the fiercest athlete and she kills her competition because she always puts 100% into workouts and meets. She’s DANGER-OUS,” said Bellin’s water polo teammate Eliza Abinader.

When asked how she balances grades and sports in her everyday life, Bellin replied confidently.

“I get the best grades when I’m playing sports,” she said. “When I’m not playing sports, like during winter, my grades drop.”

Many students feel that when they are playing a sport every day after school, they are better with time management. They know how much more limited their schedules are for homework, so it keeps them focused and prioritized.

Bellin’s college aspirations are high as she moves on from Carlmont sports into her big-ger and brighter athletic future.

“I am going to be playing water polo in college next school year at San Jose State University,” said Bellin.

San Jose State is ranked tenth in the nation for womens water polo, making this a presti-gious honor for Bellin to be part of the team.

Not only has Bellin managed to keep herself sane every year while balancing sports, school, and a social life, she has continued to succeed in her goals as an athlete, a student, and a teammate to look up to.

At the beginning of the season, Hogan proved his importance in a 9-2 win over Lynbrook. In six innings, he allowed just one earned run off of three hits.

In an early season game, Hogan led the scots to an 8-1 win over the Menlo-Atherton Bears, only allowing four singles over six innings. The Scots improved to a 4-0 PAL record and 12-2 overall record.

Leading into the final week of the regular season, the Scots were in a three way tie for first place in PAL’s with the Burlingame Pan-thers and the Terra Nova Tigers. Each team had a record of seven wins and four losses. The Scots dominated their last two games to take first place over Burlingame and Terra Nova.

This year, Hogan is back and ready to prove himself in his final year of high school baseball. The Scots qualified as the top PAL seed in the CCS championships, where one game can be the difference between staying and going home.

Hogan’s teammate Marcus Fukuhara said “Hogan is definitely one of the hardest work-ing players on our team, along with that he is really talented. Once he gets in the zone he is a force to be reckoned with. He’s definitely a great guy to be on our pitching staff, especial-ly at CCS since he has already played other teams in the WCAL and knows a lot of their heavy hitters.’

Although the scots fell to Homestead High School, in part to an uncharacteristic start from Hogan in the first round of CCS, Hogan and the rest of the team still have a fantastic season to look back on.

AD Space

photo by Kristen Dames

The dual sport athlete shares her keys to a balanced life

Ryan Hogan Rachel BellinPitcher and junior year transfer helps lead Carlmont to CCS

“Ray is the fiercest athlete and she kills her competition be-cause she always puts 100% into workouts and meets.”

photo by Johnathan Corvello

Sports Page 23

Senior Sports Highlights

~Monica Chin~

All good things must come to an endP.E. teacher David Low steps down as the varsity mens basketball coach

At the beginning of every high school sports season, players must reevaluate them-selves and their team due to the departed seniors.

For Carlmont’s mens varsity basketball, they must cope with losing both seniors and their commander-in-chief. After 12 years, current Carlmont P.E. teacher David Low has decided to relinquish his position to current Athletic Director and P.E. teacher Patrick Smith.

“I have steadily been coaching for a lot of years,” explained Low. “A coach that wants to have a consistently competitive team has to be willing to put in a lot of hours...Physically I am tired”

Although Low has spent a large portion of his life coaching, his love for the game started many years before he arrived at Carlmont.

“I have always had a passion for basketball and after my playing days in high school, coaching was the next step to staying involved with the sport,” explained Low.

After coaching for 19 years at Lowell High School in San Francisco, Low made the switch over to Carlmont in 2001 and continued on until his 31st and final season last winter.

“It’s really sad that he is stepping down,” said basketball player Joseph Rodriguez. “Ever since playing under him for a few games after

getting called up for CCS, I was excited to play under a coach with as much experience as him.”

Renowned by many for his dedicated coaching style and passion for the game, Low enjoyed developing strong relationships with his players.

“The best part of coaching has been being able to coach so many wonderful players and seeing them grow as both basketball players and student-athletes,” explained Low. “Out of everything, I probably will miss the most being able to develop player’s basketball skills, the strategy and competitiveness of the games, and the interaction between myself and the players on and off the court.”

Coach Low’s efforts have left a lasting impression on the players as large as the one they have left on him.

Star shooting guard Michael Costello expressed his feelings for Coach Low, “We looked up to him as a leader and a mentor. I’ll never forget his dedication to making every player better.”

Newly named coach Smith has very large shoes to fill, but the players feel confident with the switch as he is familiar with the team’s current playing style and systems. “I am really disappointed that Coach Low is no longer in charge, but Smith is going to do a great job because he has been coaching under Low.”

After years of dedication to his teams over the years, Low and the men’s varsity team capped off a tumultuous and emotional season with a semifinal finish in the CCS playoffs.

Low’s impact on Carlmont basketball will never be forgotten and although he will no longer be a part of the team physically, he will still be a part of the team in spirit.

“My last words for the team are to keep the tradition going,” said Low. “Represent your team with class!”

Low will still be a presence of inspiration and spirit as he will continue to teach physical education as he did previously.

By Ryan FreemanspOrts editOr

“During a soccer game when we got in a fight with Burlingame.”

~Justin Quan~

“When we made the CCS finals for basket-ball.”

~Shawn Geronimo~

“Winning PAL last year in soccer.”

~Emily Cox~

“Senior night for vol-leyball because it was special, fun, and our last night of playing.”

~Amanda Morris~

“I finished 11th in state and broke a record with a five minute mile pace.”

~Daniel Bereket~

“Scoring a goal with a bicycle kick.”

~Luke Peterson~

“My 98-yard kickoff return junior year.”

~Jesse Gifford~

“When David Hobbs tried to dunk but ended up falling.”

~Connor Moore~

SUMMER INTERNSHIP SAN CARLOS POLITICAL CAMPAIGN

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Friday, May 3, 13

“The CCS semi-finals junior year for volley-ball

“Girls water polo going to CCS for the first time”

~Lauren Denney~

photo by Grace Yi

Photos by Bobby Lyon

Recorded by Bobby Lyon

Go HereSenior Notes

Virginia O’CallahanStaff Writer

Sarah LevinColumnist

Carly BertolozziChief of Design

Nikos FrazierStaff Writer

Jacob RudgerCampus Editor

Rachel SchusterSenior Editor

Anna WheelerFeatures Editor Erica Valbusa

Scots Scoop Editor-in-Chief

Alex PorterManaging Editor

Tim Layten Staff Writer

Karenna Meredith Staff Writer

Grace ChangStaff Writer

Annie WesolekColumnist

Gianna DimickEditor-in-Chief