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SANMATE HIVolume LXXXVVII, No. 8 www.thebearcat.net Friday, April 27, 2012

An Award-Winning Publication

The BEST NAME IN SCHOOL NEWS SINCE 1922

See PENINSULA, page 10

Victoria XiaoEditor-In-Chief

Graphic by Vikash morar

DaTa From oNLiNE poLL by THE HI

Community Angered Over PHS Plan

Is Peninsula High School, the con-tinuation school for students in the district who haven’t earned enough credits to graduate, going to be built on the San Mateo High School baseball field? Time will tell. Superintendent Scott Laurence recently announced that the school district is considering options to either renovate the current Peninsula site or construct a new place for it somewhere else. One of these options involves moving Peninsula to San Mateo’s campus. The plan has met with opposition from administrators, teachers, students, and parents at San Mateo. A petition circulated by social studies teacher Mr. Ortega raised concerns about distrac-tions to learning for the Peninsula stu-dents, enforcing closed campuses with two schools adjacent to one another, shared use of facilities, San Mateo’s reputation and parent perception of the school, and traffic issues. At press time, close to 100 San Mateo High School staff and teachers have signed the petition. “This might be one of the few issues that the staff agrees on completely. The only other issue would be that World War III is a bad idea,” said Mr. Ortega.Peninsula is currently located on the Crestmoor school site in San Bruno. However, the site has long been due for renovation. It was built in 1962 to less stringent standards and codes. Four possible plans include renovat-ing the Crestmoor site, constructing a new campus on land that the district would buy, constructing Peninsula on Hillsdale’s campus or constructing Peninsula on San Mateo’s campus. These plans are currently under review by the school board, which typi-

cally meets one Thursday a month at 7 p.m. at the San Mateo Adult School. If Peninsula were built on the current baseball field, the baseball field would then be moved to where the San Mateo Adult School and the SMART center are located. The adult school would then be relocated partially but remain adjacent to both campuses. The district offices and bus yards would also be re-located, most likely to a separate site, according to the superintendent in an interview with The San Mateo Hi. Currently, 80 percent of the 248 students who attend Peninsula live south of Millbrae. Transportation is an obstacle in most students’ lives, and the hill from the public bus stop to the Crestmoor campus is hard to traverse for some students, such a pregnant teens, according to the plans being reviewed by the board. As a result, the district wants to relocate Peninsula to a more central location in San Mateo. It also wants to consolidate district services, including district offices, bus yards, and nutri-tion services, that are currently spread out across the district. One big motivation is the value of the land Peninsula is on. If the Crestmoor site were vacated, then the district could lease it out. Superinten-dent Laurence indicated that private schools have expressed an interest in leasing the site in the past. The district considered selling the property two years ago, and an analysis from about seven years ago valued the Crestmoor site at more than $100 million. However, most asked about the plan to move Peninsula to San Mateo did not like the plan. In an opinion poll conducted by The San Mateo Hi, 53 of 56 responses were negative. “Having worked at Peninsula High, for over 20 years, I think it’s a terrible idea. Peninsula students have needs that are not easily addressed in a con-

ventional high school setting. That’s why they’re at Peninsula,” said Ms. Fassler, an English language learner specialist at Burlingame and San Ma-teo High Schools. Ms. Fassler also felt that Crestmoor was not a bad location for Peninsula. “Being a the Crestmoor campus is ideal. They have their own school, facilities, fields, and identity. They can’t get blamed for the actions of others and they are also less likely to cute as there is no public transporta-tion during the school day and it’s a really long walk down that hill,” Ms. Fassler said. Others participating in the poll agreed it was a bad plan. “Peninsula students are not bad stu-dents, and we’re not saying they are, but the district knows full well that we at San Mateo have fought long and hard to dispel the negative reputation of San Mateo, and the move to put it on our campus shows complete and utter disregard for our work and efforts,” said a teacher, who asked to remain anonymous. Other teachers worried about impact on incoming classes. “Our high school competes for stu-dents, and having this nearby would make it even harder. We value a di-verse campus, which means attracting students from San Mateo, Foster City, and Hillsborough,” said Ms. McCabe, teacher at San Mateo High School. Students have also voiced dissent. “A couple years ago, we had really poor STAR testing scores, and now it’s really great that we’re improving those scores thanks to Mateo Mad-ness. At the moment we are trying to rebuild a positive reputation for our school, and bringing Peninsula High School to our campus will bring us right back to where we started. The test scores of the students from Peninsula

iNsiDE FEaTUrED oNLiNENews....................................1, 10

Opinion................................ 2-3

Features................................ 4-5

Arts & Entertainment......... 6-8

La Esquina Latina..................9

Sports.................................11-12

College Admittance:A Guessing Game

ExtracurricularActivities

Hunger Games

Planea Tu Futuro

www.thebearcat.net

Should Peninsula High Be Moved to San Mateo High?NO YES

“There are noeducationalreasons.... Making such a costly move without theexpectation of a...positive impact on students seems foolhardy andill-advised.”

—Karen Vanuska, teacher

“ We’ve worked hard to createthe community and safe setting at SMHS.... While it’s unfair to blacklist all Peninsulastudents as bad kids...they’re there for a reason. SMHS is already labeled as the ‘ghetto’ school unfairly.”

—Nicholas Wetherbee,SMHS spirit commissioner

Left: San Mateo High School right now. Right: The proposed layout of Peninsula and San Mateo High School on the same campus. The bus yard and district offices would move off campus to a new location.

Visit The Bearcat for exclu-sive quotes to the Peninsula opinion poll!

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“It should not be done. The average high schoolkid has enough distractions.... I will apply to private schools or for anintra-districttransfer before seeing thisimplemented.”

—Carol George, parent

Friday, April 27, 2012SANMATEOHIPage 2

College Applicants Must Play The Guessing Game In our parents generation, the college application process was relatively simple: if one got straight A’s, did a sport, or an extracurricular or two, one could get into the college of their choice. However, our genera-tion faces a rising set of expectations from colleges to be not only smart and well rounded, but extraordinary. Getting a 4.0 consistently throughout high school is no longer enough to satisfy colleges. Now we have to stand out, be special in a variety of different ways, to show them that we deserve to be admitted to their school. With the bar raised so high, count-less students struggle to understand what is expected of them, what they must do to get that acceptance letter. Some over-work themselves to ex-haustion, a point where their health is put at risk. But students don’t have time to stay at home and take a sick day to recuperate; they can’t afford to fall behind. The cause of this is related to so many young people today excelling in ways that we never have before. Some focus on one skill or field and become protégés. Some students

Talia GurevichOpinion Editor

take a different route and participate in a variety of new and innovative projects, like starting companies, brands, community service programs, researching cures for disease, or creating non-profit philanthropic or-ganizations. It seems that it’s this gen-eration’s mission to become famous

by the time we’re 18. For instance, Bay Area high school senior William Kim started a micro-lending company called Happy Day Micro Funds. This company gained national attention when President Obama named them in a speech. Many struggle with the college

process because even when they subject themselves to countless extra-curriculars, sports, programs, and AP classes, and even do something ex-traordinary, they still get rejected from the schools they applied to. In fact, the UC school sytem only accepts 15% of all applicants on policy, so you still

might get denied regardless of your accomplishments. And that’s the real issue. An applicant can do everything they possibly can and apply all their effort into that one goal and still get denied. The question on everyone’s mind after receiving such news is: what could I have done wrong? Or worse still: what didn’t I do? Despite those questions, It might not be anything that you’ve done or haven’t done. You might’ve done exactly what is expected. The sad truth is that when it comes down to you and another applicant, and a decision must be made, the applicant with a more amazing resume will be the one chosen. There will always be someone out there who has not only done everything you’ve done, but they’ve done all that and more. Unless you discover a new treat-ment for cancer or finish your train-ing as a concert pianist by playing in Carnegie Hall, it’s unlikely you’ll get into your top college choice. Schools aren’t looking for just another smart student. They get thousands of ap-plicants like that every year. They’re looking for someone who’ll make them look good, because unfortunate-ly, in the end, it’s not about us, or what we want in a college. It’s all about them and what they want in us.

The path to college is a complex and confusing process

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Put An End To Standardized Testing Standardized testing affects every contemporary student all over the country, whether its because of state testing, SATs, the ACT, the STAR or even APs. Every student is faced with these tests, but the real question is how accurately they actually measure a student’s capabilities. Standardized tests were created by the United States, as well as indi-vidual states, to measure a student’s knowledge and how much they’ve learned from their teachers. However, some things that students learn can’t simply be tested with standardized tests. If schools are meant to prepare students for the work force later in life, they should be more directed towards actually preparing them and not just forcing knowledge into their heads. For example, even if a student knows everything about the nervous system, he or she may not know what to do if he or she was a doctor with a patient who is suffering from a problem with his nervous system. Physics or calculus students who know how forces work know nothing about the process in which buildings are designed or put into construction. In reality, even though students learn a lot in the educational system, there is still a lot more they need to learn to

Vikash MorarEditor-In-Chief

understand certain occupations. Many students pick certain goals for the future without knowing much about what these jobs involve. It would be much more beneficial for schools to test students based on things they will have to do in the oc-cupations they want to do, so they can have experience with them prior to actually joining the work force. If students were tested based on things they would do in jobs, they would be much more prepared for these jobs and would be much bet-ter at them when they start working. Standardized testing currently is just a measure of how much knowledge a student can cram into their heads at

No, Not Really. A Satirical Column

Be Confident.Approach the test with the smug confidence of a man approaching a vending machine with the correct amount of change.

Be Cool.Nothing tells the CollegeBoard you deserve a 2400 like being cool. Wear shades. Wear a tux. Drive to the test-ing center in a limo. Listen to “Bang A Gong” by T-Rex.

Be Loud.The SAT is graded on a curve, so if others do poorly, it’s easier for you to do well. For example, yelling “OH MY GOD THERE’S A RAT!” will likely disturb everyone around you. You can also yell “FIRE!” but that’s just obnoxious.

Use a British Accent.Everyone knows there’s a reason why it’s easier to win the Academy

Award if you’re British. No one actu-ally knows what the reason is, but it’s gotta mean something. Heck, write your essay in a British accent. Maybe you’ll get a puh-fect scoh.

Need To Guess? Bubble in “A-C-D-C.”Your SAT Score will reflect your choices of “A-C-D-C.” AC/DC (a band from the 70’s) was great. Therefore, by the transitive property of ACDC, your SAT score will be great.

Be Lexicographic.Be really lexicographic--whatever that word means to you. No one knows the definition, anyway.

Don’t Know Vocab? Make it up.Shakespeare did it; he became the illegitimate father of practically half the English language. You do it; you’ll be the illegitimate owner of a great SAT score.

Karen CheeA&E Editor

one time. On top of not being help-ful in terms of the job environment, many students will simply forget this information once the tests are over. Standardized tests measure a student’s knowledge at one time, but students do not retain this informa-tion for periods much longer than that. Before the tests, students cram as much as they can to learn all of the information, but once the tests are over, they don’t mind forgetting everything because they won’t have to do anything with it. If standardized tests focused less on useless information, than they would be much more accurate in measuring students’ knowledge.

Seven Steps To Get A 2400 On The SAT

The SAT is just one of many standardized tests.

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SANMATEOHIThe Voice Of San Mateo High

Founded in 1922

Advisor

Editors-in-Chief

P.C. Fergusson

Vikash MorarVictoria Xiao

Joey WongTalia GurevichJean Fan

Fabiola Prieto

Karen Chee

Jonathon Mou

Anuja Argade

Andrea Caceres

Cristina Dressel

Tiffany Fujii

Tommy Imperial

Ava Gerami

Hannah Poplack

Zach Lorenzini

Jeremy GofmanKayla Rose

Ian Thompson

Rachael WanConnie Hsieh

Diana BrewerPhoto Editor

Jonathan Slowey Web Editor

Business Manager

Staff Writers

News EditorOpinion Editor

Features Editor

Esquina Latina Editor

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Sports Editor

Copy Editors

Shan Zaidi

Friday, April 27, 2012 SANMATEOHI Page 3

opinion

We’re Sick Of The Same Song and Cake

Birthday parties are the epitome of all things cheery and fun. It’s an entire 24 hours out of 365 days dedicated to celebrate your existence. And hon-estly, whoever doesn’t appreciate this is just a stick in the mud that needs a good pulling. Point one: the gifts. Even if you tell the world how you despise presents, who in their right mind would listen to that? It is their obligation to give you something to make you happy; it’s the truth. Now, you wouldn’t want to diminish the adoration and passion society devotes into placing a smile on your face right? Point two, the freedom. Okay, maybe if you’re turning six, freedom may not be the best factor to dissect. But aside from this, birthday parties usually allow greater flexibility. Parents tend to adhere to the social principles of birthday regulations, and thus, will let you spread your wings and fly. Point three: the menu. Chances are, you’ll probably eat at your favorite eatery or somewhere out of the norm. This expands your taste palette, ad-vancing your expertise in the culinary world. Or it could just leave your

pro:Anuja Argade Staff Writer

tummy very, very happy. And, just to throw it in here-- point four: the Facebook. Seeing all those wishes from people, with whom you’d probably never speak in person is pretty great. It’s a pleasant little self-esteem boost, something we could all use now and then. Having said that, birthday parties generally fill people with joy. This is one of the best ways to de-stress and feel super special. And whether planned or as an unexpected little surprise, you’ll never see a frown on someone’s face when they open the door to see all that was set out just for them. Once again, to those sticks in the mud out there, don’t hate on birthday celebrations.

con:Vikash Morar Editor In Chief Everyone has a birthday, a day filled with happiness and presents and friends letting you win all the battles. Birthdays are days where your friends let you decide everything and have your way all day. There’s one thing wrong with this though. Why do we have to wait for birthdays to show our friends how much we care about them? Can’t we just let them know that they’re impor-tant all the time or, at least, when they need to hear it most? Birthdays are fun events in people’s lives, but they are incredibly point-less. Everybody should be able to feel special all the time without a major reason. Birthday parties are also fun, but can’t people just plan hangouts that are like birthday parties without having a random reason? Birthdays are interesting, but in re-ality, they don’t mean anything aside from the sixteenth, eighteenth, and twenty-first birthdays. Besides these four important events, the classic cli-ché, “age is just a number” certainly does apply. At these ages, people gain certain

rights and privileges, but besides them, ages don’t do anything in terms of people’s lives. Birthdays are milestones, but they aren’t necessary important milestones with things like the education system marking the growth of an individual. Kids enjoy celebrations all about them, but there can be similar celebrations given for achievement instead of growth to promote the development in goals in children. Birthdays also lead to families reuniting to celebrate together, but families can celebrate for others reasons instead, including this achievement possibility. Families have other holidays that are universally accepted that can be used as a catalyst for unity.

The Benefits of Solitude

Average American teenagers spend seven hours a day at school, a couple hours participating in extracurricular activities, and maybe a few more hanging out with friends. In between, they cultivate their virtual persona: Facebooking, texting, IMing, e-mail-ing, etc. Only on rare occasions will they ever truly be “alone.” And for most, solitude scares them. Girls will go to the bathroom together. People eating alone are s y m p a t h i z e d wi th . F r iday nights passed alone entai ls l o se r s t a tu s . Not only is be-ing alone un-derappreciated in America, the very idea of solitude carries an unfair social stigma in our society. Solitude has become almost a sort of disease in the way people go to great lengths to avoid it. William Deresiewicz, an Ameri-can writer and literary critic, said in his essay “The End of Solitude,” that “the great contemporary terror is anonymity...we live exclusively in relation to others, and what disap-pears from our lives is solitude.” A

similar theme appears in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, where Jay Gatsby’s personality was a “great succession of perfect movements” His personality, rather than coming from within, was defined from out to in. But why is solitude important? Only alone can we grow and reflect our true personalities. “No real ex-cellence, personal or social, artistic, philosophical, scientific or moral, can arise without solitude.”

Some of the greatest minds of our time recog-nized the impor-tance of solitude-- H e n r y D a v i d Thoreau famously acknowledged it in his retreat to Walden Pond. But because sol i tude comes hand in hand with its younger broth-er, loneliness, it is

feared rather than revered in our society. It also, as Deresiewicz puts it, comes with boredom. And American society, with the rise of television and 3G phones and the internet and other infrastructure has an ineptitude for boredom. Nowadays we can’t allow ourselves a moment of peace form the onslaught of information we recieve from others. We have forgotten the importance of individual growth.

Conversation enriches the understanding but solitude is the school of genius.-Edward Gibbon

Jean Fan Features Editor

Birthday cakes are a classic example of birthday celebrations

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Teens Get Creative With Their Alcohol

The Administration Welcomes Pen

Anuja ArgadeStaff Writer

Ridiculousness has reached a new level. Teenagers in California have been drinking hand sanitizer because of its alcohol content. And the num-ber of kids ingesting the poison has dramatically increased since March of this year, with a whopping 16 cases reported. First of all, teenagers are very naïve as it is; it’s in our nature. But to do something so dim-witted as drink a bottle of something that could send you straight to the hospital 5 minutes after, or worse, kill you, is downright imprudent. Unfortunately, this type of thing has happened before with other substances. In the 1920’s, during the Prohibition, people would buy rub-bing alcohol since real liquer wasn’t available to them. Drinking that stuff would send people straight to the hospital. More recently, teenagers have used the substances in nail polish remover, paint-thinner, Dust-Off, and aerosol cans to get high. Using these chemicals can result in brain damage or death. Even at this age we should not even touch alcohol, or so we’re not sup-posed to. And not to promote drinking at all, but at the bare minimum, drink something actually meant for human consumption. Since rubbing alcohol and sanitizing gels are not illegal for minors to pur-chase, the danger of this happening again is always present. Honestly, this kind of news only further proves how far behind the rest of the world we are. People need to stop participating in these new, easy ways to get intoxicated. If teens don’t sober up (in all senses of the word), then who knows what else they’ll try?

The Administration has been play-ing around with an idea for a few weeks now to move Peninsula High School to San Mateo High School’s campus. Peninsula would be built on our baseball field, while our baseball field would be relocated elsewhere. This proposition has been negatively received by many, including teachers, students, and parents. The Adminis-tration favors this move for reasons outlined on page 1. The truth is, many oppose this proposition because it’s a terrible solution to a problem Penin-sula is having with their campus, and it inconveniences those who attend San Mateo. Peninsula (Pen) has earned itself an unfortunate reputation in the past. Many students currently attending there have contacts at San Mateo, Burlingame, Hillsdale, and other schools in the district. The student body at Peninsula has ended up attending there because of prob-lems that could have affected their academic performance. Many parents are concerned by this proposition because of Pen’s reputation, and the affect it might have on their children. With Pen located less than 50 feet away from San Mateo’s campus, parents fear that it might have a negative influence, and possibly endanger their kids.

Students dislike the idea of hav-ing Pen on their campus because it would result in the loss of their base-ball field and space in general. Many who participate in sports like base-ball and softball are angry because it would change their routines. San Mateo’s campus is already shared by many other entities, including The Adult School and the SMART Center. Having one more institution on our campus would simply be too much. Pen has good reason for this move because their campus is in serious disrepair and hasn’t been improved since being built in 1962. However, they shouldn’t move to another exist-ing school’s campus, especially San Mateo’s which already has limited space. In fact, we weren’t the only

school considered in this proposition, several others in the district were candidates as well. Why do they need to use another school’s campus at all? Why can’t they simply apply the necessary repairs and renovations to their existing campus? Wouldn’t that be a simpler solution that wouldn’t inconvenience any other school? San Mateo has conducted an opin-ion poll available to students, teach-ers, and parents so they can express their opinion in an organized fashion. When looking through the various responses, those who’ve answered all are almost unanimously against the change. Many fear the impact that Pen might have on San Mateo’s existing reputation. “This makes no sense and serves as a deterrent to current students.” Says

one concerned par-ent from the opin-ion poll. “If this is truly something that will be happen-ing, both SMHS students and par-ents (current and incoming) should have a say, and that should be the biggest factor in this decision…To relocate Peninsula is short sighted and not a solution for

SMHS.”The SMHS Bearcat has to relinquish territory to the Pen Puma

photo courtesy of sanmateohigh.org

Talia GurevichOpinion Editor

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Friday, April 27, 2012 SANMATEOHIPage 4

FeaturesExtracurriculars: To Do or Not To Do?

Every year I get a sheet that warns me of taking too many APs, which gives me a good budget of the time

I have and yet every year I completely ignore it. Who

needs sleep? Who needs time to eat? We cut out all sorts of important things from our daily lives so we can take 5 APs and still have time to be on sports and do clubs and community service and jobs.

Can you honestly remem-ber the last time you

weren’t tired? When did rest take a back

Ava GeramiStaff Writer

Con: The Need for Balance

Pro: The Busier, The BetterHannah PoplackBusiness Manager

Many teens use Facebook, tweet tweets, and text in their spare time, but

increasingly bored with his extra free time. With an interest in film, be asked around, and was offered an internship with an independent film director working with an acting class. For the past five weeks, Derin has met with the cast and crew to help develop the film. “It’s made me more certain that I want to pursue a career in the film industry. It’s awesome that I get to do something I love so much, and be productive at the same time,” Derin shared. Derin works on set, helping hold up the mic for the student actors and ed-iting clips for the director. “It’s really time consuming, but definitely worth it,” he said when asked if he regretted making such a big commitment. Once a week for three hours, Derin meets

and helps develop the dark comedy, which will be featured in independent festivals in the coming months. It seems that with our desperate dependence on technology and Inter-net communication, teenagers spend a horrendous amount of time on the computer and in front of a television screen. In fact, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey presented by the New York Times, kids ages eight to eighteen spend an average of seven and a half hours a day with an electronic device. It’s easy to get trapped in a world of smiley emoticons and clever status up-dates, but individuals like Derin High show us that it is possible to reject the norm and pursue something more ambitious than wasting away, iPhone, laptop, or tablet in hand.

Junior Gains Insight as InternCristina DresselStaff Writer

Bearcat Develops into Young MathematicianAva GeramiStaff Writer

I love being busy. I like going to prac-tice, participating in my community, playing in the band, and spending time with family and friends. But people assume that because of my commitments, I neglect my studies. This could not be any farther from the truth. My activities not only enhance my education, they have helped to shape me into the person I am today. Over the years the word “over-committed” has gained a negative connotation. But what’s wrong with being involved in things outside of school? The alternative is watching TV or spending hours on Facebook. Wouldn’t it be better if these students played a sport, went out for a run, took a music class, or volunteered? Participating in extracurricular activities can only be considered a good thing. The Institute of Education Sciences found in 2011 that 98.9% of students in the highest performing sector (according to data collected on Standardized Test Scores), participate in one or more activity outside of school. They also found that these students are 97% more likely to go to college. Extra curriculars are a crucial investment in our educations and our futures. And by definition of “investment,” outside activities cannot negatively affect academic careers. In the short run activities obviously restrict the amount of time for studies outside of school. But these same activities teach students how to better manage their time. Because I have a limited amount of time to study, I try to make every sec-

seat to everything else? Extracurriculars are great. Studies show they promote academic improve-ment and help you with your focus and coordination. But there’s a cost. At complete efficiency maybe we could

d o a l l t h e s e things and

n o t w e a r o u r s e l v e s

out, but no one is completely ef-

ficient. I can’t be expected to handle all these things in my life without going completely psychotic. One day, I just woke up and couldn’t move. My whole body screamed at me and told me it needed more sleep, more rest. When you wear yourself out in one aspect of your life, it starts affect-ing the rest of your life negatively as well. Your personality changes. Some peo-ple get snappy and yell at everyone, some people curl up into themselves and see their lives with a black tint, some people just shut down. Extracurriculars are good to an extent, but after a while it gets to be too much and it just affects everything about your life. It’s hard to find a balance, but it’s important that we realize without a balance we could end up completely ruining our lives.

ond count, learning first-hand the importance of the truism “work hard, play hard.” I now budget my time, work efficiently, and study without distractions. I have learned to always be present, whether it be in the classroom or the track. Because of the projects I have com-pleted, the teams I have been a part of, the bands I play in, and the time that I put into my studies, I have grown into the person I am today. My activities have taught me skills that just can’t be taught in a classroom. From my community service work, I have learned about my community and have been taught compassion. On the field, the courts, and the gym, I have learned about practice and dedication. Playing an instrument has taught me to listen to others. Being involved in programs here at school has taught me to better work with a group. Our teen years are the most important

t i m e in our lives to e x p e -r i ence a n d learn new things, as well as try new activities. The opportunity to participate in these ac t iv i -t i e s should

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what do you do that separates you from the rest of us? Do you play a unique sport? Do you have the highest rating in COD out of all your friends? Junior Derin High has an interesting and notable hobby—interning at a film company. Derin decided to look for the intern-ship as he noticed himself growing

After working at his film internship, junior Derin High has found his passion in the world of cinema.

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Bent over a textbook, Karen Chee manages to look adorable even when she’s in the middle of a fierce study session. Known by all as a quirky little de-light, #KarenChee charmed her way into all our hearts.

county and is now being judged at a state level. “I’m continuing the research that Diophantus and Fermat studied in the x^2 + Ny^2 sequences, where N is a whole number. I’m focusing on x^2 + 5y^2 because the number pattern in that is drastically different from the other, regular sequences,” Karen said. After reorganizing her data, she named her project “The Table of Secrets. “The table I made,” Karen said, “Explains how and why the sequence

be valued as highly as our education, because it is a combination of the two that will carry us to greater things. So go do something! Be active. Its in your best interest.

With a long list of accomplish-

ments, her name has long been

been in the spotlight for her math project that won first place at

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associated with success. To top it off, l a t e l y s h e ’s

produces the numbers it does.” So what kind of math does Karen find herself most drawn to? She said: “The math that I like to do depends a whole lot on creativity and being able to question data and imagine possible solutions; it’s not like the plug-n-chug math we usually see in school.” But when asked about becoming a mathematician, Karen firmly shakes her head no. “I like math, but only as a hobby,” she said. “My favorite subjects are actually English and History.” Math as a hobby? She’s obviously a prodigy.

Friday, April 27, 2012 SANMATEOHI Page 5

FEaTURES

lomography.com

Bringing the Web to You

Sites that Inspire

9gag.com

thedailywh.at

This website showcases an older form of photog-raphy, analogue pictures. You can randomize it and see recently posted pictures, or go to the selected tab to see the very best of the site. Check out the store in San Francisco (on Sutter Street) for cool events.

Ava GeramiStaff Writer

lookbook.nu

Sometimes when I’m stumbling around in the dark at 6:30 in the morning trying to dress myself and I just can’t put any outfits together, I look on this site for inspiration. Users create their own outfits and model them, and the best ones make the front page.

The best memes from around the internet gather on this site to provide users with a real chuckle. You can spend hours on the front page just scrolling from one funny meme to another.

The Daily What really lives up to its name. Ev-eryday they post a new article or photo that either shocks or amuses you.

S.E.E.D.S Club Hosts Motivational SpeakersJonathan SloweyWeb Editor

Hundreds of students gathered in the gym dur-ing tutorial to witness two inspirational speak-ers talk about their en-vironmental stories and impact on our society: Erica Fernandez and Carlos Rodriguez. The Power of One assem-bly, put together by San Mateo’s Green Commis-sioner Kiana Woodward, sought to inspire San Mateo students to help out in their communities. In only 37 minutes, the two speakers give their stories and moved hun-dreds of students to help the environment. Erica Fernandez, cur-rently a senior at Stan-ford, had a very inspiring story to tell at the as-sembly. Born in a male-dominated society in Mexico, Erica was told that she wasn’t going to go beyond the expected house jobs women have been paired with for centuries. In her home-town, a large oil com-pany wanted to build a pipeline running through it, ultimately causing danger and a loss of land space. After complaints, the oil company spent more money to extend the pipeline, avoiding the richer communi-ties to appease them. Obviously this left the less-rich communities

unhappy, and Erica rallied up people to protest and defend. Through it all, Erica succeeded in taking down the billion-dollar oil company, despite everyone telling her that she was never going to accomplish anything in her life. What she wanted everyone to know was that, despite if people tell you otherwise, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Carlos Rodriguez, the second speaker, is another environmental hero and businessman. Growing up locally along the peninsula, Carlos attended CSM and then transferred to UC Berkeley. His father owned a roofing company which Carlos had no inter-est in. However, as time went on, he decided to help his father in the family business and ended up revolutionizing it. Creating a method in which the roof tiles could be recycled after they are

torn off and turned into asphalt for the roads, Carlos improved the family business tenfold. This also provided a very green alternative to throwing the roof tiles into a landfill, where they would pollute the earth by not being recycled. Carlos’s story inspired students and told them that, no matter where they came from or where they went, they could make a difference in their communities. Kiana Woodward, Green Commis-sioner for San Mateo High School, organized this very successful event, with hundreds of students attending with their tutorial classes. As San Mateo’s own green hero, Kiana pulled together two very inspirational people to impact the student body in a way that was relatable and interesting. Already, students are recycling more, paying more attention to greener clubs,

and thinking about their futures. S.E.E.D.S, the club behind the event rallied up people to attend the assem-bly. Tutorial talks, fliers, and posters around the school brought in several tutorial classes bring hundreds of stu-dents. Ms. Catalli, the tech team, and volunteers set time before the rally to make sure everything went as planned – and everything did. After the assembly, a luncheon was held at the Leadership room in appre-ciation of the two speakers. Students had the opportunity to get to know the speakers more personally as they ate delicious foods. To end the day, the speakers were given a tour of San Mateo High School and were outside during lunch. San Mateo was very fortunate for their appearances, and everyone had a great time meeting them.

Jean FanFeatures Editor

What is the internet for? Adults use it for e-mail. Teenagers use it for Face-book. Children use it for games. But with the rise of popularity in the use of internet, the service has been used for almost any function that can be dreamed up. There are, of course, “taboos” that are still in place: for example, trolling was once seen as a “bad” thing to do online. But memes dominated the internet this year, and with the rise of the inter-net, trolling is only going to gain more and more steam. Trolling has become a part of our everyday life, be it online or in real life, and it has generally been accepted as a funny pastime rather than an annoyance. Professional troll David Thorne has practically made annoying people into a career: When people send him e-mails with requests that he has no intention of fulfilling, he uses e-mail to a) get out of doing what he has to do or b)just make the person he’s talk-ing to very, very mad. Either way, it is hilarious. Unfortunately, his humor is left unappreciated by his victims. In this way, he has published two books, titled The Internet is a Play-ground and, more recently, I’ll Go Home Then; It’s Warm and it has

Check out more David Thorne at 27bslash6.com.

Green Commissioner Kiana Woodward poses with speakers Erica Fernandez and Carlos Rodriguez against a poster titled “Power of One” in the quad.

After David Thorne’s book recieved raving reviews, he published a second book releasing unseen-before trolling.

Has Trolling Become a Profession?Chairs. Is it wrong to trick and annoy people in this way online? It can be argued as so, given that the people that Thorne bothers are real people, and many of them are going through challenging times in their lives. One woman, for example, emailed Thorne asking him to make a poster of her cat, who had gotten lost. Thorne replied in his usual style: instead of making a poster for her that could be used, he used his savvy design skills to create a movie style poster of her cat. While funny, it had virtually no use. The woman clearly did not know who she was dealing with. A series of emails later, Thorne had created a poster mimicking the form of the show “Lost,” a flyer with the wrong cat (he used Puss the Boots from Shrek instead of the woman’s lost cat), and finally, a poster that offered a $2,000 reward that the woman had not actually offered. The woman finally just agreed to a flyer of her cat with a really, ri-diculously silly red hat. David Thorne wins again.

We want your dresses. Donate your formal

homecoming or prom dresses, shoes, and

accessories to Volun-teer Club’s first annual

Prom Shop.

Please drop off your dresses at the main office starting April 30.

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A&EKayla RoseStaff Writer

The Odds Were Ever In Their Favor Fans have been itching in anticipa-tion for The Hunger Games—the biggest movie to hit the teen market since Twilight—is a multi-million dollar success. But is it as good as the book? As an ardent fan of the book, I thought the movie was a wonderful portrayal of what reader were pictur-ing. For those of you who don’t know what the movie or books are about, it are set in a futuristic place where two children from each of 12 districts is randomly chosen to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games, which all of society watches. As Katniss says, “There are 24 of us, and only one comes out.” Part of the appeal to this movie is that both males and females can enjoy it, and it’s not subjective to one gender. One of the reasons for this is the horrific amount of violence the characters are subjected to, mostly due to the games. There is quite a bit of death, blood, and limited gore. Plus, there are some fighting scenes and a lot of things blowing up. Some characters also sustain some gruesome injuries. There are many action-packed scenes that will satisfy everyone’s bloodlust. In comparison to the books, the movie follows very closely to the plot, characters, and details. The movie is extremely loyal to the authors’ vision.

All of the main plot points and details were faithful to the book. There were minor differences, and others that were bigger, but those only improved the movie. The death of Seneca Crane takes place in the second book, but it was placed in the first movie, also in a different method and setting. The attacking dogs at the end were supposed to contain eyes

from dead children, but this wasn’t included. Plus, Katniss’ relationship with the Avox girl was missing, which was a tad disappointing Before the movie, I was concerned about how the love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta was to be characterized. All three of the actors did a fabulous job with sexual tension, clearly showing their emotions, so

we could see where they stood with each other. Jennifer Lawrence, who played the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, especially did a great job, because her relationship with Peeta(at least in the beginning) is basically a publicity stunt to keep them alive. Lawrence was able to let us feel what Katniss was feeling, whether she was speak-

ing or not. In general, the chemistry between Lawrence and each of her love inter-ests were believable and intriguing. What really put the cherry on top was Jennifer Lawrence and her portrayal of Katniss. I felt as if the Katniss in the book leapt off of the page and onto screen. Lawrence was phenomenal, and embodied Katniss’ personality, as well as physical look. She also trained with an Olympian for archery, which was apparent from her wonderful skills. The dedication to her character shines through in her effortless portrayal. Josh Hutcherson, who played Peeta Mellark, threw fans for a loop once we saw his artificial blonde hair, but that was quickly overcome by his clear encompassment of Peeta. Hutcherson is perfect for Peeta, because you can see his internal conflicts. I would call it pretty successful when you are able to see a character’s inner turmoil. Even if you haven’t read the books, this movie will appeal to you. The superb acting from the main charac-ters is very enticing. Plus, this isn’t a chick flick, and will be fascinating to a wide audience range. Katniss is an extremely strong female lead in an action film, which is rare enough, but she manages to be incredibly endear-ing and relatable. I recommend The Hunger Games if you want to be entertained for two and a half hours. I guarantee you will be at the edge of your seat rooting Katniss on.

Anuja ArgadeStaff Writer With the school year slowly dying down and the summer quickly ap-proaching, everyone’s in a completely different mood. And it’s especially apparent in what they’re wearing: hot colors. Coral is very played out, yet the color always manages to make a comeback year after year, regardless. For a more neutral, flexible take on this youthful color, Macy’s has the perfect thing. A Kensie Sleeveless Scoop Neck A- Line Maxi Dress in Coral ($68) is a fantastically flowing, simple-toned maxi, great for those laid-back days ahead. In keeping with youth, white does the trick. Charlotte Russe’s Scalloped T-Strap Cork Heel in White ($32) is the perfectly pretty spring shoe. It’s also lightweight and breathable due to the faux-cork platform and strap

design. Mint is such a refreshing color, es-pecially on a Satin Maxi Skirt in Sea Green ($25) from Forever 21. The texture is so smooth and almost fluid-like, ideal for laying in the prickly grass or for going on a stroll in Half Moon Bay. On a side note: it’s not too see-through either. Springtime is, without a doubt, the time for lips to really shine. Be it fuchsia or honey, you will see almost every shade this season. Lancôme’s La Laque Fever in Lucent Nude ($26) is a peach-beige toned, neutral gloss—super versatile and universally flattering. Then on the other hand, we have L’Absolu Rouge in Spice Pink ($30), also by Lancôme. It’s a creamy, poppy mauve-pink with nourishing benefits. Take the season by storm and work that color; there’s nothing to lose, only to gain.

Tommy’s Little Album Corner

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) discuss matters of life and death.

Left to Right: La Laque Fever, Satin Maxi Skirt, Cork Heel

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Tommy ImperialStaff Writer with a Corner Fetish

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om Since his 2009 solo debut, M. Ward has a lot of expectations to fulfill. Luckily, A

Wasteland Companion does not disappoint. The album bursts open with full color and in full form with “Clean Slate,” an acoustic indie-folk track that lightly and playfully sets the tone for the remaining songs. Utilizing his powerful orbit of popular indie-acts and connections, members of Dr. Dog, Sonic Youth, and even Zooey Deschanel herself provide their best. Perhaps the album’s focal point is the harmonious “Wild Goose,” in which M.Ward’s potential and talent is realized completely and reminiscent of “Old Hollywood.” Above all, M. Ward knows exactly who is his target audience, and A Wasteland Companion hits the target repeatedly.

If there’s anyone who could take a listener’s emotional core and flip it inside out to the point of despair, it’s Beach House. Like their previous work, Beach House’s Bloom sends listeners out to a lonely sea with questionable hope for being saved. Though this sounds unappealing in every conceivable way, it’s music like this that brings us back to earth. The album’s first two tracks, “Myth” and “Wild” open strong and shed new light on the band’s already impressive repertoire of songs. Thankfully, the collection of ten songs successfully ends rather abruptly before the treachery of becoming monotonous. A combination of moody melodies and noise-pop, the formula is almost too good not to work. Fluctuating between anxiety and humble sorrow, Bloom solidifies the band’s firm control on this dream-induced genre.

In recent years, a fascination with The White Stripes has only escalated, especially since their tragic breakup. Now, half the band is poised to kick-start his solo career in fitting form. Jack White’s debut, Blunderbuss, is exactly what one would expect him to produce: something utterly unexpected. White’s charismatic lyricism is more tried and true than ever, sinking even lower into the depths of his brooding romances. Though void of any groundbreaking riffs that The White Stripes capitalized on, White bleeds his frustration on paper noticeably more so than anything he’s done thus far. Luckily, for fans of The Stripes, White’s solo sound is not too far off from what we’ve known of him. Despite an incorporation of blues-y and brighter undertones, White delivers altogether what anyone could ask from him.

A Wasteland Companion - M. Ward

Bloom - Beach House

Blunderbuss - The White Stripes

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Friday, April 27, 2012

HI PLAYLISTMythBeach House

The Only PlaceBest Coast

For A FoolThe Shins

How Come You Never Go ThereFeist

HandcuffsBrand New

HomeworkBig Deal

PrimadonnaMarina & The Diamond

LusitaniaAndrew Bird & St. Vincent

Calling Your BluffPOP ETC

ShadowsWarpaint

THE

This month’s list by Zach Lorenzini

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

“Everybody lies.” One of the central aphorisms of the popular television show House MD. After eight successful seasons of be-ing on air, the popular medical drama starring Hugh Laurie as the acerbic Dr. Gregory House is finally coming to an end. One of the only dramas that has each of its episodes arcing around a medical procedure, the basic formula for each episode is easy to see: a patient with an unknown disease, House and his team try different, often unconventional tactics to diagnose the patient, and the patient is (usually) cured. Though the medical drama is suspenseful and ex-citing, the show’s real delights are the suspenseful storylines and witty, biting dialogue between the characters. Head of the Diagnostics Department at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Dr. House receives the cases that the other doctors are un-able to diagnose. From illnesses like Mastocystosis to Polyglandular Au-toimmune Syndrome Type III, House and his team of diagnosticians work solve the medical maladies, usually depending on House’s keen insight and intuition on the inner workings of the human body. But unlike other doctors, House does whatever he can to avoid actu-ally meeting with the patient; he has notably terrible bedside manner and is honest to the point of being rude. Filled with uncommon traits for a protago-nist, the character of House is aptly described as an antihero, someone whose actions and purposes are unlike those of a regular heroic figure. The show has notable ties to the famed detective stories of Sherlock Holmes. House, a play on the name “Holmes,” is so antisocial and distant

that he only has one true friend, Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). The best friend relationship between the two, who often live together, is similar to that of Holmes and his only friend, Dr. John Watson. And while Holmes is faced with seemingly im-possible mysteries, House is faced with seemingly impossible medical mysteries. House is helped by his team of di-agnosticians, who work alongside him and do the work he’d rather not do. At the start of the show, the team con-sisted of three doctors who step down at the end of season three; the fourth begins with House holding a reality game-show type program to pick a new team, which then switches around to leave House with his current team of four: Doctors Chase (Jesse Spencer), Taub (Peter Jacobsen), Adams (Odette Annable), and Park (Charlyne Yi). Notable intermediary doctors include Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) and Kutner (Kal Penn). All the main characters are played incredibly well by the actors, but the most outstanding actor is arguably the one playing Dr. House himself. Hugh

Laurie portrays the role of the cur-mudgeonly and misanthropic genius doctor perfectly. His American accent is flawless; so convincing, in fact, the casting director Bryan Singer did not initially realize Laurie was actually a British comic actor—certainly not someone who would pass for a grumpy American doctor. But he was cast before Singer realized and, thankfully, was allowed to stay on. David Shore, creator and execu-tive producer of the show, says “The show will have a very fitting ending. I think the fans will be the satisfied. Not all the characters’ stories will have their endings tied up neatly, but that’s how we’ve done it for the past eight years.” For now, all we know about the sea-son finale is that former cast members Olivia Wilde and Amber Tamblyn will return to reprise their respective roles as Thirteen and Martha M. Masters. Called “Everybody Dies,” the show’s swan song looks to be a bleak one. That’s parallel to the rest of the show, as House likes to quote the ‘philoso-pher’ Jagger: “You can’t always get what you want.”

Karen CheeA&E Editor

(left to right) Doctors Foreman, Adams, Park, Laurie, and Chase working with a patient and an EMT.

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Ronnie Ficarro, bassist for Falling in Reverse, puts on a show at the Warped Tour kickoff concert.

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SF Getting Warped

Close to 100 bands are coming to San Francisco this summer for the annual Vans Warped Tour music fes-tival. The bands vary from the genres of rock and pop to rap and hip-hop. This festival attracts 15,000 to 20,000 people at every one of its stops around the country. Some of the major bands that are playing this year are Yellowcard, Breathe Carolina, Falling in Reverse, Rise Against, and All Time Low. However, there are many more bands than these, even though some are only going to certain locations. For example, Rise Against will only be playing at four shows in the Midwest and, unfortunately, will not be playing in San Francisco. Vans Warped Tour is an event that gives the audience complete control by having different bands playing at different stages at various times, so

everyone can choose which bands they want to hear and avoid bands they don’t like. In addition, with the sheer number of bands present at Warped Tour, it is unlikely that you will have a preferred band to go to at every moment, so there are many opportunities for you to walk around and listen to new bands you’ve never heard before. Vans Warped Tour is scheduled to take place at 41 places all over the country and will be going on during the entire summer. It will be in San Francisco on June 23 at AT&T Park from 11AM until around 8PM. It’s not only a big event for the fans, who can see many of their favorite bands at once, but also for the sponsors who profit from the popularity of all of the big names that come to the festival. Vans Warped Tour has 51 American sponsors and 4 Canadian sponsors, the biggest of which are Vans itself and Monster Energy Drink.

Vikash MorarEditor-in-Chief

Listen To Music From All Over The WorldAva GeramiStaff Writer

From a country ridden with American pop, we get the wonderful band the BB Brunes. Since 2006, they’ve been gracing us with alternative rock. Influenced by prominent bands like The Strokes and Amy Winehouse, they mix sultry voices with the sexiest language known to man, French. Recommended: Dis Moi, Lalalove You.

With a sound quite like no other, Na-poleon Solo has made quite an impact on the Spanish music boards. With a strong rhythm and an uptempo, it gives a different sound not heard too often in the States. Recommended: Carmona Lolaila, Perdiendo El Tiempo

Referred to by Rolling Stone as a “freak-folk icon”, Devendra Banhart mixes in southern folk with Latin roots. Sometimes singing in English, sometimes in Spanish, Banhart keeps it fresh and has revolutionized the way we think about folk music.Recommended: Lover, Baby

Ever in the mood for an Italian Scottish singer? Me too! Paolo Nutini mixes blues and jazz to rock your ears. It’s literally so good, you will have to stop yourself from dancing in public. Personally, I never succeed in the stopping department. Recommended: Jenny Don’t be Hasty

With a sound reminis-cent of the 60’s, the Last Shadow Puppets’ sooth-ing sound is a sharp deviation from lead singer Alex Turner’s other band Arctic Mon-keys. Joined by Miles Kane, Alex Turner has managed to pull off yet another success.Recommended: My Mistakes Were Made For You, The Age of Understatement

FRANCE SPAIN

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A primarily instrumental duo, Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba use their native instruments to make beautiful songs that don’t need words to describe their feelings. Recommended: I Speak Fula, Musow

Several years after the ending of the popular animated television show Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans were extremely excited to hear of its sequel: The Legend of Korra. Taking place several decades after the first series, this continues the series, answering questions, and furthering the plot. “The Legend of Korra is a refreshing addition- I like how it continues with the regular characters and furthers the series,” said junior Vi Bautista. Like Vi has stated, The Legend of Korra builds from the plot of The Avatar, however, taking place several decades later. The main character is now Korra, who takes over Aang from the first series. One common concern is that the time period between the two series has been left unpainted. “It’s really cool that

they decided to continue the series, but I really want to know what hap-pened between the two,” said junior Caroline Arima. There is no doubt that The Legend of Korra will use that to pull in fans of the first series, but until then, that period of time remains mostly untouched. “The Legend of Korra may not as good as the first [series] but it has the potential to build up to its level,” claimed junior Rebecca Tien. The show revolves around the concept of “bending”, or manipulat-ing elements of the earth such as fire bending, air bending, water bending, and earth bending. Only one person can hone the ability of bending all four elements, and this person is called the Avatar. In the second series the protagonist Korra, the incarnation of Aang, is the next Avatar.

The Next Step of Avatar:Face The Legend of Korra

Jonathan SloweyWeb Editor

MALI

“The Legend of Korra makes me really sad because all of the main characters are dead, but it makes me really happy because I’ve been waiting for it for so long,” said junior Clem-ent Sero. Katara, a main character from the original series, is now an elder – most fans are used to her being an agile teenager taking part in the romance and action of the original series. As Clement said, most of the characters from the original series have passed on, but many have been kept a mys-tery. Fans will have to keep watching to get their questions answered. There are only 3 episodes of The Legend of Korra released. Two were released as a combined pilot online, and the other one was released on tele-vision. Catch it on CartoonNetwork on Saturdays at 11AM.

Juanes, who first became famous in the States for his song La Camisa Negra, mixes an uptempo with a rock-like beat. With his charming Latin voice, his music is not for those that can’t handle being swept off their feet. Recommended: Me Enamora, La Camisa Negra

Gotye recently hit the American mu-sic scene with his single Somebody I Used to Know, and shocked us all with his unique style. Mixing instru-mentals and his incredible voice, Gotye has created a new sound we can all appreciate. Recommended: Somebody That I Used to Know, Hearts a Mess

COLOMBIANAUSTRALIAN

With a laid back, classic sound, Loveholic comes to defy our expectations of Korean music. She has a smooth, dainty voice which can be manipulated to sing multiple genres. Recommended: Sylvia, Rainy Day

KOREAN FILIPINOAstrolab has a primarily instrumental sound, with soft vocals to accompany it. It has a calming affect while also being uptempo and joyful sounding. Recommended: Sulk to Hidden, Crys-tal Clear

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SANMATEOHI Página 9Viernes, 27 de abril, 2012

10

¿Qué vas a hacer el cinco de mayo?

“ Haremos mole y saldremos a la calle a comprar adornos”.

“ Voy a Pasar tiempo con mi fa-milia y hacemos tamales”.

“Pienso en la importancia de la independencia para México y todas las nacionalidades.”

“Voy a t rabajar ves t ida de Méxicana”.

“Voy a ir a Yosemitie”.Vanessa SeveroGabriela Topete

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Señor OrtegaRoberto Torres

10 9

MI Nina Bonita Chino Y Nacho

Colecionista de CancionesCamila

El Mejor PerfumeLa Original Banda Limon

Versos Del AlmaVoz De Mando

Si Tu Me BesasVictor Manuelle

Las top 7 Fabiola Prieto

Sentimientos Vico C

Recuerdo Ese Momento Arcangel

PREGUNTADELMES

Karina panomeno

Fabiola PrietoEditora de LEL

Los colegios de Hisdalle, Oregon y San Mateo recorrerán 4 millas para representar como los indocumentados no tenemos voz. Con “La Marcha de El Silencio”, una caminata con el propósito de que los estudiantes indocumentados puedan ser escuchados, apoyaremos el “Dream Club”; representar-emos como los indocumentados no podemos opinar en este país, y no podemos votar. Los estudiantes nos reuniremos el dia 4 de mayo llenos de orgullo , vestidos de blanco y en silencio. La Marcha de el Silencio comen-zará en el colegio de Hisdalle y ter-minará en el colegio de San Mateo. los estudintes estan plaeando llegan

a la escuela se San mateo y terminar con una celebracion. “ Queremos que esta marcha tenga un final feliz,

música, para terminar bien” dice Emilie La marcha fue Organizada por Los miembros de el club Latino de El co-legio de Hisdalle, y ellos se pusieron en contacto con el colegio de San Mateo y de Oregon para que todos participemos. El club de la “Raza Unida” y el “ Dream Club” van a estar unidos en esta caminata. “nosotros estamos dejando a los estudiantes que organi-cen esta caminata, porque queremos que ellos tengan su propio criterio de los que ellos quieren hacer y quieren creer pero siempre los apoyamos” dice el señor Morales. La Marcha de el Silencio estará abierta para todos los estudiantes que quieran ir y apoyar a los estudiantes indocumentados y quieran ayudar-nos a representar como los indocu-mentados, no tenemos voz ni voto.

Fabiola PrietoEditora de LEL

La Señora Fenech y Furgiuele sonrien a la camara.

Tres Colegios se Reunen Para la Marcha del Silencio

queremos organizar una comida o a lo mejor vendría bien un poco de

“ ‘La Marcha de El Silencio’ es con el propósito de que los estu-diantes indocu-mentados sean escuchados.”

—EmilieBohorquez

¿Algunas veces te has sentido que todos saben algo que tú no?Cuando comenzó el ano escolar yo sentía que todo el mundo sabía los pasos para ir a la universidad pero yo no sabia. No sabia cuales eran los tramites o como comenzar los pasos así que comencé por ir con el señor Asp para que me diera la iniciativa, por medio de el conocí a la señora Fenech y a la señora Furgiuele, las encargadas del College and Career Center. Hice una cita con la señora Furgiuele quien me dijo “tu no puedes aplicar a una universidad de 4 anos porque te falta una clase de ingles” dijo la señora Furgiuele. Me sentí muy triste y quise haber re-gresado el tiempo para haber hecho una cita en el centro de carreras cuando era una junior y así haber to-mado esa clase en el verano. Por no haber empezado a planear temprano, perdí una oportunidad. Después de hablar con Ms. Furgi-uele, la Sra. Fenech me dio una lista

de becas a ala cual que podía aplicar. Llene las aplicaciones y las entregue en el centro de carrera. Al comienzo de mi clase de ingles después de haberle entregado las aplicaciones, recibí una nota que decía urgente. Llegue al centro de carera. “Fabiola, no vas a poder aplicar a es-tas becas por que no llenaste el cues-tionario que te dijimos que llenaras cuando te hablamos en tu clase de ingles” dijo la señora Fenech. “Yo estoy en un ingles de junior y no creo que ustedes me llamaron para hacer este cuestionario” le re-spondí. Ella me explico que a todos los estudiantes se les llama en su clase de ingles, pero como yo había estado en el programa de ELD, estoy en una clase de ingles para los estu-diantes del once grado. Por eso, ella no me tenía en su lista de los seniors. En ese momento, me di cuenta de que si me paso eso a mi, a cuantos estudiantes de ELD les ha pasado lo mismo? Hoy en día hay más de diez seniors en clases de ingles con juniors y sophomores. La señora Fenech y yo descubrimos que a los

estudiantes de ELD no estaban en la lista de haber tomado el cuestionario. Al final, la Señora Fenech me dijo que si, podía aplicar a las becas. “Ese cuestionario nos ayuda a nosotros a saber cuales estudiantes van a ir a una universidad de 4 anos y cuales estudiantes van al colegio

de dos años, nos pone una bandera roja a los estudiantes que van a ir a una universidad para ayudarles primero, también la información que escriben los estudiantes nos ayuda con las cartas de recomendación”.dice el señor Morales. “Cada ano tenemos un cambio en nuestro sistema. Algunos anos damos nuestras presentaciones sobre el centro de carrera (Career Center) en las clases de ingles y otras veces

las hacemos en las clases de historia. Este ano toco en las clases de ingles y por esa razón se nos paso incluir a los estuantes de ELD. Para los próxi-

Sigue Estos Pasos para que Puedas Planear Tu Futuro Antes de que Sea Demasiado Tarde

y ellas te responderán a todas tus preguntas.2. Asegúrate de que llenes el señor cuestionario.

“Por no haber empezado tem-prano perdí una oportunidad.”

mos años vamos a tratar de ser mas cuidado-sos con los estu-diantes” dijo el Señor Morales. Por eso es tan impor-tante de que los estuantes tomen la iniciativa y en los principios de su ano como senior co-miencen a pensar acerca del colegio. Aquí están los pasos recomendados por el Sr. Morales:1. Conoce el personal de el centro de carrera ellos te ayudaran con tu FASFA, también te ayudaran a aplicar con el colegio que necesites,

maestros para que

te den consejos de donde encontrar la información que necesitas.5. el último paso y el más impor-tante, toma la iniciativa tu mismo y la responsabilidad del proceso y comienza temprano.Estos pasos son la diferencia entre sí vas a el colegio o no.

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3. Haz una cita con tu consejero u otro, el que tú creas que te sientes mas seguro.4. Ponte en contacto con uno de tus

Page 10 SANMATEOHI Friday, April 27, 2012

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Kayla RoseSatff Writer

Rachael WanStaff Writer

Sojourned into the Past

Mateo Masquerades at Prom

PENINSULA, from page 1

GSA Rightly Silent

“A handshake is greater than a fist,” is a motto taken up by Jeff Steinberg, the creator of the Sojourn to the Past trip. Students all around the country were given the opportunity to walk in the shoes of famous civil rights activists this past spring break. A few students from San Mateo High School, Mi-chael Adachi, Domenic Ininguez, and Jasmine Rivera, went on the Sojourn and traveled to the South, where they heard stories of the hardships of those who were discriminated against and how they decided to take fate into their own hands by fighting without violence for the rights they deserved. Mr. Steinberg, a former history teacher from Capuchino High School, created the Sojourn to the past in 1999. It began as a program to inform junior and senior high school students about the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s and to inspire them to be more engaged in their own society, specifi-cally in the field of social justice. The trip also aimed to help students realize that they can fight for what they be-lieve in without using violence. On this inspirational trip the students heard speakers like John Lewis, a United States congressman, Simeon Wright, Emmett Till’s cousin, and Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the students in the Little Rock Nine. These speakers, along with many others, made the things read in history books become much more than stories; the events in history were turned into the

April 20 is the annual day of silence to protest the bullying and harassment of people in the LGBT community. The SMHS Gay Straight Alliance Club promotes this and participates every year, but you don’t have to be in the club to participate. “I participate in Day of Silence for a myriad of reasons, but the biggest one is to protest that LGBT people lack a voice in society. The goal is to draw attention to that fact. We would love for everyone to participate!” said junior Victoria Xiao. This is meant to be a serious activ-ity, but as Vicki said, “There’s always a few jokers that just use this as a chance to get out of their class work, and that’s not really what the move-ment is about. I’d rather that the day be comprised of people who truly believe in LGBT rights, instead of

people who halfheartedly participate or participate for other reasons.” “I do encourage others to participate if they believe in these goals. Also I would love for the entire student body to stand behind this cause as well. The point is to, in essence, “speak” for those who can’t,” said junior Re-becca Tien. “I participate in day of silence to understand the challenge of being un-derrepresented. The goal is to show the gay, lesbian, transgender, and ques-tioning community at our school that they have my support and love, and the more people who participate, the more loudly that message is heard!” said senior Eleni Jacobson. “I don’t blindly encourage everyone to partici-pate; this day can be really challenging and emotionally draining.” Join GSA for more events support-ing LGBT rights. GSA meets every Thursday at lunch in A143.

Top Left: Shaina Prasad, Nicole Koch, Nancy Code-ro, McKenna Koledo, and Jashrine Prasad. Top Right: Elyse Gil, Andrew Qare, Chrissy Domingo, and Sean Beckstead. Cen-ter: A group of juniors. Bottom left: Brianna Wong, Lauren Hirata, Kristen Leong, Carolyn Sy, and Kelli Fujinaga. Bottom right: Melanie Leng and Megan Lapaga

real life experiences of women and men who were discriminated against but refused to stay silent. This ten-day trip began in Atlanta, Georgia. From there the students, led by trip chaperones traveled to Mont-gomery, Selma, and Birmingham, Alabama; Hattiesburg and Jackson, Mississippi; Little Rock, Missouri; and last by not least, Memphis, Ten-nessee. Led by Mr. Steinberg, the stu-dents went to historical locations such as the Edmund Pettus Bridge, at which the Bloody Sunday march occurred on March 7, 1965, and Central High School in Little Rock, at which nine African American students weren’t permitted to enter due to the color of their skin. “There was so many memorable things about that trip, but if I had to choose, I would say that visiting the exact place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated was the most memorable part of the trip,” said Michael Adachi, a junior who attended the trip. Through this program students learned about fellow Americans who refused to back down and accept things for the way they were. People who participated in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s risked being imprisoned or even killed for speaking against the very government that was supposed to protect them. Students, who are interested in learning more about the civil rights movement and bringing a world without racism forward, can visit sojournproject.com.

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won’t combine with ours, but still the presence of Peninsula High School on our campus might turn incoming fresh-men away,” said Christine Hughes, sophomore. Others shared similar concerns. “San Mateo High has been trying to change the stigma it has for not being a good choice for students. The school is striving to be the ‘choice school’ in San Mateo, rather than having future students apply for transfers to Aragon and Hillsdale because they are thought of as ‘better schools’. The efforts of making San Mateo a “choice school” will be gone as the parents who care about their child’s high school experi-ence will seek other school options for their children,” said Tami Chiu, parent. “Any negative perceptions about SMHS that were already prevalent

will only be intensified,” said Emily Tatoian, senior. Of all the options, the San Mateo option has the most pros listed by the district. Some pros include “synergy of shared courses” and “scheduling possibilities that could support more than ‘just’ alternative education stu-dents,” raising questions as to whether the schools would really be kept separate. San Mateo and Peninsula have high concentrations of certain demograph-ics—Latinos, working-class students, and English learners. To concentrate both student bodies on the San Mateo campus would strain resources and heighten socioeconomic differences, according to Mr. Ortega. Overall, the response from the com-munity has been negative. “Although I do care about the fu-ture and education of the students at

Mateo in Uproar over PHS PlanPeninsula High School, the district should recognize how this action will negatively affect staff and students at San Mateo,” said Kat Fadrilan, sophomore. Superintendent Laurence said that the issue has not been decided yet and that all options are still up for discussion. The final decision will be made by the board at an open meeting, date to be determined. At the PTO meeting on Monday, April 23, when the issue was discussed, par-ents showed up in droves. The meeting was standing room only. All are encouraged to attend the meeting and engage in the decision process by communicating with the board members. The next board meet-ing is May 10.For breaking news about Penin-sula, visit www.thebearcat.net.

SANMATEOHIFriday, April 27, 2012 Page 11

Sports

Lady swimmers, left to right, Julia Hansen Sammy Gold, and Samantha Low

8 THINGS TOKNOW ABOUTSWIMMING

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We smell like chlorine all day,everyday.

Tan lines are inevitable.

We swim no matterwhat the weather is like, rain or shine—unless there is a storm.

Girls wear one–piece swimsuits..

There are four different types ofstrokes in a single race.

Sunscreen iscrucial for preventing burns.

The water will alwaysand forever feel disgusting.

Boys wear speedos.

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Warriors Come Close to Victory At Bollywood NightAnuja ArgadeStaff Writer

Bollywood night at the Oracle Arena-- our beloved Golden State Warriors battled the Dallas Mavericks in a fairly close game of 103 to 112. Regarding this loss, the question at hand is: what’s in store for the Warriors franchise without Monta Ellis? It’s no surprise that Warrior fans were left brokenhearted upon losing one of their star players. While the key component of the trade, Andrew Bogut, is out for the season, the War-riors have made much progress with the help of rookies Klay Thompson and Charles Jenkins. Team owner Joe Lacob was intensely booed during a ceremony in honor of hall of famer retiree, Chris Mullin. However, hope is not lost for the dubs, as the team sees a positive future in the 2012-2013 season.

Although Ellis is gone, we still have some amazing superstar po-tential: Klay Thompson and David Lee. Together, they scored about half the points earned by their team, and dominated the rebound stats. Lee led all scorers with 30 points, with 8 rebounds, while rookie Klay Thomp-son hit 24 points, while grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists. The chemistry between them is un-deniable. Fresh players like Thompson are the reason why the rebuilding phase of a team doesn’t seem so detri-mental. And along with the experience that Lee possesses, the two are an unstoppable, dynamic duo. Nate Robinson also reinforced that a team is called a team for a reason. He provided smooth passes, broke some legs, and hit hard dunks, chipping in 19 points and 8 assists. As with any team that experiences a loss, the Warriors are making the best

with what they have.They are a bit short handed, but the post-season is there for a reason: improvement. This chapter is about reconnecting the loose ends, building strong relationships and remolding the team to properly adhere to the strengths and weaknesses of each player, and to live up to the name of a Warrior. And as for coach Mark Jackson, it looks like he’s also working hard to make sure the Warriors are a balanced, successful team. All in all, the second annual Bol-lywood night was a fabulous event. It provded unique and exotic entertain-ment for all to enjoy. The Warrior girls wore contemporary Indian dresses, the food consisted of samosas and fried goods, and even Bhangra Na-tion performed during halftime. It wa a refreshing change of pace from the usual Oracle Arena festivities, and regardless of how the game went, all the fans, had a great time.

Track Runners Sprint into PALS

Joey WongNews Editor

As spring season comes to an end, one of the most popular sports, track and field, finishes off strong. The team is one of the largest in the past couple years, over 90 students ready to dominate P.A.L trials today, Friday, April 27th. The season ended with their last league meet at Mills High School on April 19. Last Saturday, San Mateo High School’s track and field team hosted their third annual Bearcat Invitational. The Invitational had a great turnout with over 40 high schools attending. Athletes ran their events despite the warm weather and earned personal records. “There was a lot of good competition. We did pretty well regardless of the heat. Now we’re looking forward to P.A.L trials,” said Tarryn O’Mahoney, a junior. Tarryn placed first in the 400 meters event and fifth in the 200 meter event. Tarryn has been an excellent runner, being on the team for the past three years while contributing her extreme,

agile quickness. “It was a great event to bring all the high schools together in a competitive yet fun event,” said Andrew Qare, a ju-nior. “It gives us all a lot of experience, especially for the younger kids.” He placed second in the 4 by 100 meters relay event, seventh in the 200 meters event, and fifteenth in the 100 meters race. Andrew has been on the track and field team for two years now, and has done nothing but benefit the team both on and off the field. The team is staying strong and preparing for the big event today. The P.A.L. will be held at Terra Nova High School. There are a great number of athletes moving forward to P.A.L. trials, all of them competing hard for a victory. If the team has qualifying times, then the team will move forward to P.A.L. finals and even qualify for C.C.S. trials and finals. Come support the track and field team today in the P.A.L. trials for varsity. Victory is crucial if Mateo wants to earn a division title this year, and your support will help the athletic bearcats reach that goal. Keep up the support.

Mateo Baseball SwingsInto End of SeasonTiffany FujiiStaff Writer

Our baseball team has good potential and many talented players this season. With four wins and 14 losses, they are currently having a rough season, but they definitely have had some good plays and games. There are some notable players from the team this year that stand out from the rest. Senior Robert Murphy, fresh-man Alejandro Meza, junior Daryl Semien Jr., freshman Ryan Fujinaga and senior Manohar Jois are excep-tional baseball players. “Daryl and Manohar lead the team,” said Ryan Fujinaga, “I think I helped lead the team too.” “We had a couple of good games, for the majority we made good hits

and made good plays.” said Ryan. “Our preseason expectation was to make it to CCS,” said Ryan and senior Ricardo Toribio. “I think we have good potential,” Ricardo added. According to Ryan, the head coach, Jesse Velez, “runs the team very well and keeps our field in good shape.” Ricardo stated that the coach told them to “Never give up in trying to achieve your goal” throughout their season. Ryan also told us about the fun side of the Assistant Coach. “Our assistant coach says to get ready in four minutes but actually gives us about 20 minutes or longer,” said Ryan, “so we always joke about the assistant coach’s ‘per-sonal four minutes.’” The Varsity baseball team’s next game will be on April 28 at Half Moon Bay.

Sophomore Sophie Elliot skillfully clears a hurdle during a race.

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Correction: last issue’s 8 things misidentified Nate Erlick for Ryan Fujinaga. We apologize for the error.

Friday, April 27, 2012 SANMATEOHISportS

Page 12

Mateo Golfers Tee Off Into CCS Together

Our boy’s golf team rose out from the lower division and became num-ber one. In CCS, usually only select players from a golf team can qualify, but the Mateo golf team is different than the norm, as the entire team has qualified for pre-CCS and will be play-ing against the Bay Division which consists of nearby schools such as Aragon, Hillsdale and Burlingame. Out of eight games, they had seven wins, so they were not able to win the Ocean division, but since they de-feated the winners who they are tied with, (Sequoia), twice, so they are considered num-ber one. With a team composed of all grades, the team embodies both young talent and veteran experience. They hadn’t expected the season to be so competitive, since they were in a lower division, but some games were merely a stroke away. Although the Ocean Champion title has eluded the surging golf team, Coach Mr. Ikeda al-ways tells his players to “play smart,” by still following all the rules and not

trying to make “miracle shots.” Freshmen Rick Da and Josh Leviloff are considered the young golf prodigies on the team. Seniors Darren Toler and Harry Su were valuable players in the season, as both senior veterans shot low scores throughout the entire season. “They didn’t let their scores get in the way of their playing,” said Junior Mi-chael Asuncion, “We always made

comebacks because we are positive think-ers.” Even with Dar-ren Toler’s hindering ankle injury, he team was able to come out on top. The seniors on the team are Maxx Mc-Neil, Kenta Ogawa, Harry Su, and Darren Toler, juniors are Michael Asuncion and Robert Weath-ers, sophomore Jake Monash and fresh-men Josh Leviloff and Rick Da. These

nine men are leading San Mateo to victory this week as they begin their pre-CCS on Wednes-day, April 24. You can’t support the golfers at their meets, but you can definately support them at school. Be sure to congradulate them in the halls when-ever you see them.

“We alwaysmake comebacksbecause weare positive thinkers.”

-Mike Asuncion

Shan ZaidiStaff Writer

Senior Harry Su prepares to chip his way into the green for a par.

Varsity Baseball Springs into Success

From top, counter-clockwise: Drew Carreon catches a ball while Robert Murphy, right, tags the base.

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