The Spectrum February 2011 820 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91911 Volume LXII, No. 4

• Athletic teams switching to SBay league Page 2

• ‘Huck Finn’ changes will distort history Page 3

• Valentine’s Day Shoutouts Pages 6-7

• ‘True Grit’ a bona fide classic western Page 10 • Girls’ hoops remain optimistic Page 12

by Luis MendezStaff Writer

What’s Inside: CUTTING CLASS(ES)

Classes short of minimum enrollment face elimination

There’s good news and bad news in terms of class offerings for the 2011-12 school year.

First, the good news: CVH: may offer up to six new classes.The key is each must enroll at least 33 students, and preferrably 35.

Those classes would include two new advanced placement offerings, AP art history and AP chemistry. These classes will be offfered primarily to seniors and juniors.

Other additions are beginning band, Beginning Choir, Music Appreciation, and ROP Sports Medicine Pathway.

However, at least three classes will no longer be offered. American Sign Language, Crossroads, and World Geography Accelerated have all been eliminated.

Furthermore, classes with low enrollment will be cut.

Principal Steve Lizarraga said the classes must enroll a minimum of 33 students in order to be maintained.

This means certain electives; SCPA and AP classes that traditionally have low enrollment could be chopped.

Classes that are capped, such as

special eduation and ELD, will not be affected by the change.

The cuts are forced by the ongoing budget problems, fewer FTEs, and

higher student/teacher ratio.Mr. Lizarraga said that the school

can no longer afford to have classes with 15 to 20 students when there are core academic classes with 40 to 45 students.

“(We have to do this) to equalize class sizes,” Mr. Lizarraga said. “I will not have 25 students in one class and 50 students in a math class.”

At this point, the school’s two publications, the yearbook and newspaper could be in jeopardy.

Both traditionally have low enrollments because many students don’t have room for an elective, and both classes function optimally at 15-25 students.

This year’s Scroll has 26 staffers, while The Spectrum has 18 members, although it began the year with 22.

However, if one or both of the publications failed to enroll 33 students, it would not necessarily mean the end for them.

One option would be to merge them into one class. A smaller class could also survive if the teacher had a maximum number of students overall.

SDSU’s pledges to honor ‘Compact’by Siboney SalgadoStaff Writer

Despite the financial crisis that has created many cuts in the state budget, the SUHSD’s Compact for Success with SDSU “will remain in effect for the class of 2015.”

While overall it is becoming more and more difficult for students to get into CSUs and UCs because of budget cutbacks, SUHSD students

who complete the “Five Benchmarks” will continue to become Compact Scholars once they are enrolled at SDSU.

They will continue to receive advising during their undergraduate studies. Financial aid is also available for eligible students, as well as study abroad and volunteer opportunities.

Sarah Mendoza, an SDSU junior who is double majoring in math (for the single subject teaching credential)

and business management, graduated from Southwest High School in 2007 and has been a Compact Scholar since entering SDSU.

“Being in the Compact program allowed me to get more involved in school-related activities and introduced me to wonderful people,” she said.

The benchmarks for the Compact are:

• Enroll in the SUHSD in middle

school and maintain continuous enrollment.

• Attain as CSU GPA of 3.0 or higher by the time of application and maintain GPA through senior year.

• Complete all CSU a-g course requirements.

• Satisfy the ELM (entry level math placement test) and the EPT (entry level English placement test).

• Have taken the SAT reasoning test or the ACT test.

Interested in college, but money is making it difficult for you? Applying for financial aid can help you get thru college without much money being spent. Smartest way to go is FAFSA.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is exactly what it says.

It is a free application for federal student aid such as scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study; and you can receive up to $20,000 for one year.

Scholarships are money for college that you do not have to pay back and are usually based on what you want to study, your academic performances or extracurricular activities, including you special talents.

Grants are also free money and are usually based on your financial needs.

Work-study lets you work and earn your money for college with a job either on or off campus. Loans are money that you borrow and must repay later with interest.

All these federal student aid opportunities help you pay for your college expenses.

Not only does it pay for the college tuition but also any fees, books, housing, meal plans, and even transportation. It can cover on an estimate of $25,000 for students

by Siboney SalgadoStaff Writer

FAFSA is easy money to help with college costs

living on campus.The best way to apply for FAFSA

is online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Make sure it is the right website because if not and they charge you then it is obviously a scam; this is a FREE application for financial aid.

If you don’t have a computer at home then there are computers available here at school or at the public library.

The application usually takes up to an hour long, if you have all information you need available when you start to fill out the FAFSA form.

You can use the FAFSA on the web worksheet to gather all information needed for filling out the FAFSA online.

This worksheet you can print and is available on the website. If you do not wish to apply online then you may call 800.433.3243 and they will

mail you an application to fill out.Applications are available in

Spanish and English. Keep in mind that if you apply online, results will come faster than by mail.

Application does not have to be completed in one sitting; you can save your information up to 45 days.

Jan. 1 is the first day to apply for FAFSA and March 2 is the deadline.

Be sure to apply as soon as possible because to sooner you turn it in the more money you may receive.

You should apply to FAFSA every year from your senior year in high school to your senior year in college.

In order to apply you are going to need to figure out if you are a dependent or independent student.

Independent students only have to fill out information of their selves, but if you are dependent then you must also give information of whomever

you are dependent on.First you are going to need a PIN

for you and a separate one for your parents if you are dependent on them. You get the PIN at: www.pin.ed.gov.

Information you may need to provide includes your social security number, driver’s license if you have one, PIN, financial records, and alien registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen.

Next step after you gather all your information is to complete your FAFSA application.

Carefully read, answer and review every question to give the best possible information to your knowledge.

If you are a male then you must register with the U.S. Selective Service.

Best thing to do is keep a copy and document all your FAFSA records because the colleges may ask for

them later. If you provide your email address then you will receive an instant confirmation after you have submitted you application.

One main thing to not forget is to never share your PIN with anyone.

Later you will use your PIN to check your status on your FAFSA.

Once you submitted your application, be sure to receive a confirmation number.

This tells you that your application has successfully been submitted. It is good to keep in touch with the FAFSA office; you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR).

If you do not hear from them within three weeks go to the website and click on “check status of a submitted FAFSA or print signature page.”

Once you are qualified for financial aid and they give you money for college how do you get the actual money?

Well, the money will go to your college first to pay for tuitions, fees and housing if provided by school.

Then the remaining funds will go to your books, supplies, transportations and any other expense for college.

If you are doing work-study then you will be paid after you work, usually every two weeks.

The financial aid will only cover one year so you are going to have to apply for FAFSA every year, just be sure to update any changes from your information.

The FAFSA is worth the work.

FAFSA is an easy , accessible way for students to get up to $20,000 for college.

Small classes (top) are likely to become a thing of the past as CVH at-tempts to reduce the number of large classes on campus.

The Spectrum/News •February 2011

by Alexa ColesStaff Writer

2

Reading Period could be history next year

Something has to change. That is what Principal Steve Lizarraga and teachers are saying as they band together to create a form of academic intervention to be implemented during the school day.

The name of this group is the Intervention Committee Leadership Team (ICLT). The ICLT is a team of eight staff members, headed by Mr. Lizarraga. The members are Dr. Daniel Cohen, Mr. David Hatz, Mr. Love, Ms. Georgia Mendez, Ms. Maggie Padilla, Ms. Michelle Roberts, and Ms. Michelle Spielman.

One teacher stated that these teachers gathered together and created this team to “find or devise an intervention that would best benefit students during the school day.”

Mr. Lizarraga explained that the school’s need for an intervention is evidenced by the students’ test scores.

Online, one can find CST scores for the schools in Sweetwater, and

Chula Vista Senior High is given a 5 out of 10, which is a 50 percent. That is an F in conventional grading terms. The End of Course Exams can also be reflected in this score.

Mr. Lizarraga and our teachers believe that something should be done to help the students having trouble during school.

The ICLT’s first meeting was lsat September. Thus began the research. Each of the teachers visited one or two schools in the Sweetwater District to

observe the programs at each school. Every month, the group would

meet to discuss their findings. The high schools that were observed were Sweetwater, Otay Ranch, Olympian, Preuss Charter, Hoover, and Castle Park.

An example of the intervention programs that the teachers observed is an extension to the class period when the teacher can teach a concept more thoroughly and/or give struggling students more help.

Another method was a period where students that are doing well can tutor the ones that are struggling in the subject. There was another method like this one; however, the students would go to whatever class they need help in.

After the group had finished the observation stage, they began working on figuring out which method would be best for CVH. As the process comes to a close, Mr. Lizarraga seems to feel they have a promising idea for

an intervention program that would benefit all of the students.

The idea is to have a period where students can retake tests, work on homework, and catch up in their classes. To keep the students who do not need the intervention productive, the older students and A/B students would be student tutors.

Mr. Lizarraga would like for the teachers to vote after their next faculty meeting in mid-February.

Although some teachers have indicated they would prefer to wait until March in order to better make a decision, Mr. Lizarraga seems to want to get the vote over so the staff and begin planning on how to implement it for the school year of 2011-2012.

Because the goal is an intervention during the school day, the schedule will be changed around. The change could be as major as adding block schedule or as minor as replacing reading period.

If the staff were to reject the intervention proposal, the schedule (with reading period) would remain in force.

by Luis MendezStaff Writer

The Ark Storm is the latest in catastrophe prone weather to hit the newsstands in California. But what is the Ark Storm and more importantly what can we do to prepare for such a disaster.

An Ark Storm would be a statewide disaster. Extensive flooding is highly possible in the California Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Shore, San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange Counties, several coastal communities, and various riverside communities around the state.

Because of its large geographic size and the state’s economic dependencies, an Ark Storm would affect all Californian counties and all economic sectors.

In 1862, the last great storm in California hit, which at the time seemed big; it had been raining for 45 days the counties surrounding the coast had all been inundated, and in what is now, southern California,

thousands of cattle had drowned; the point being that, this storm may have been big, but according to recent meteorologist reports this storm makes the 1862 storm look like a faulty sprinkler head.

For now we need to prepare for

this storm by stocking up on supplies. Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home’s vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.

Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane

hazard. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community. Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet. These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.

Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact; so all your family members have a single point of contact. Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate. Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.

Check your insurance coverage - flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance. Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a Disaster Supply Kit.

Use a special NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every 6 months, as you do with your smoke detectors. And lastly take a First Aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.

With all this in mind you will be able to maintain your safety in a disaster situation on top of these things you might think of packing waterproof matches, fresh water, flash lights, and batteries.

Use this information well and don’t be caught unprepared.

Ark Storm added to list of disasters to hit state

Athletic teams are movingto the South Bay Leagueby Luis MendezStaff Writer

As of the next school year, all sports with the exception of football are switching leagues with Olympian High School from the Metro League to the South Bay League.

The reason behind this sudden change is because the principals from all of the schools in the district get together and decides which teams have improved and they try to find an even balance of competition between all schools.

CVH athletic director Rex Johnson said, “This switch is positive because it is good for the athletic department in a way that it will be more competitive.”

He also explained that there was no possibility of certain sports that could stay within the Metro League, it was either all sports or none.

If this were to occur it would be very expensive to have a split of leagues. For example, if Girls’ Basketball moved down to the South Bay League and Boys’ Basketball stayed

in the Metro League, there would be more money spent for transportation because there would never be a time where one team would be playing at home and the other away.

This league switch will only be for a two-year period, and then the principals will gather again and see who improved and another league change will occur.

The whole purpose of this change is to emphasize competitiveness between schools within the district.

Our school will now be up against schools such as Montgomery and Sweetwater High School, Sweetwater being Chula Vista High’s number one rival.

Other schools in the South Bay league include Mar Vista, San Ysidro, Southwest and Eastlake.

The decision has been officially made and hopefully should have some positive outcomes.

From here, it is simply a matter of seeing what comes of it and how the sports teams handle the change in the following year.

But the simple fact remains, that

by Nataly AngelesStaff Writer

The graduation date and time for the class of 2011 has finally been set after much confusion.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1 at 1p.m., at Southwestern College’s DeVore Stadium.

The senior class has been anticipating the decision since the beginning of the school year because many hoped it would be held at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater.

But the change in location was not a suggestion because the district found itself almost forced to hold it at the amphitheater because of construction at SWC. The District was contacted by the college and asked to move many high schools’ graduations to another location since the field was about to go under remodeling, thus the idea of having the graduation at the amphitheater.

The change of location for this year’s graduation brought about many frustrations, not only to the

senior class but also the school staff, especially Mr. Scott Tanner, assistant principal in charge of student activities.

Being the one responsible for the arrangements of the event, Mr. Tanner found that even though Cricket seemed like a great location, with ample space and handicap parking, it

lacked dates and time.“They only had two days available

for approximately nine high schools,” Mr. Tanner explained, “so they had scheduled only two hours per high school, one right after the other.”

The people would have only been crashing trying to get in or out, creating much chaos and confusion.

Fortunately, SWC postponed the remodeling of the field thus moving all the graduation dates and times to convenience from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. costing the ASB about $1,400.

No other information was available at press time, but Mr. Tanner is enthusiastic about holding graduation at the college.

GRADUATION MOVED TO SWC

GRADUATION:Where: SWCWhen: Wednesday, June 1Time: 1 p.m.

What is expected during Reading Period v.s. What often happens during Reading Period

The 1862 flood that hit California flooded the streets and damaged the entirety of Southern California.

Shift from Cricket provides better time slot for class of 2011

Opinion

3

by Nataly AngelesStaff Writer

Stereotyping still wrong by Nicole WalkerSports Editor

True meaning of Valentine’s Day

by Mark ZepedaStaff Writer

by Josh BrilesStaff Writer

When someone mentions a German you think Hitler. You think evil people who kill without mercy, racists. People make such a big deal out of racism, and yet they rarely mention stereotypes.

This is absurd, since they both go hand in hand. It’s really hard to find one without the other.

Someone should do something about stereotyping because it is not right. No one should ever judge before they interact with that other person.

Almost no one stops to think of the fact that Hitler was not even German but rather Austrian, and think of people like Albert Einstein, the scientist, Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, or even Levi Strauss the German-born American entrepreneur. All of who made a great difference in the United States and throughout the world.

Everyone’s mind always goes to the negative, to the ugliness that disturbs the mind. Now I am not saying that I stand innocent against stereotyping, but that is the exact reason that I find myself writing this. I want to change my wrong doings

and make a difference.It is ignorant and arrogant of

me and others who stereotype. Because just like bullying, racism, and even lying, everyone is always encounters it, whether as the victim, the wrongdoer or just an expectation everyone is involved.

Germans are not the only ethnic group that greatly suffers from stereotyping, but historically one of the most recognized ones.

Another one would be Chinese. What comes to mind? Arrogant people who pretend to know it all. We don’t stop to think about the fact that this people came from a country where they struggled every day to be

able to get a plate of food on the table, where they were restricted from many liberties.

No, we only think that they came to the U.S. to take the better schools and the better jobs.

Stereotyping is only a step away from racism and is developed because we are too ignorant, too unwilling to go out of our ways to get to know these people better and make fair judgments of their characters.

To build up our own self-confidence and hold ourselves higher than everyone else, sounding a little bit too much like racism, only having to add the factor of anger, disgust and rejection in the mix.

Valentine’s Day is three days away, but, honestly, what really is the point of it?

It is the day that allows every couple to show their affection and appreciation to one another and to also do the traditional bouquet of flowers with chocolates and a stuffed animal.

A lot of hearts seem to always get torn a part on this day as well, whether it is a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend or an individual having to spend Valentine’s Day alone.

Of course, a lot can depend on whether or not a person is in a relationship or not, but at the same time there should be no reason that Valentine’s Day is the day you shower your significant other with love.

Personally, I have been involved with my significant other for a while now and I could love this person 24/7, 365 days a year, and there doesn’t need to be a day that markets my relationship.

Although it is nice to spoil the one you love on a specific day, I feel as if this is a day that card and floral companies make a profit for

something that could be done any day.

At the same time, younger kids learn the importance of showing affection and emotion with Valentine’s cards that they exchange, and the candy that is passed out. So, I guess Valentine’s Day could be an important day as they learn many important personal traits that should be carried throughout life.

But there are many people who think differently than I, and Valentine’s Day will continue to be considered “the day of love,” and people will continue to market this day in such a way that is supposedly showing how much they love the person(s) in their lives.

BIG CHANGES TO TWAIN CLASSIC

The latest edition of the Mark Twain classic, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” will have a major and highly unnecessary change. The “N” word will be taken out and replaced with the word “slave.”

When the book was written. the “N” word was part of people’s vocabulary, and it was just the way people talked, and so it would be inappropriate to make a story that was written in the latter half of the 19th century politically correct for the 21st century where the definition and of words have changed drastically within the past century.

Even people who believed that former slaves should be equal under the law called them the “N” word, not out of prejudice or racism but simply the vocabulary at that time.

Additionally, the change would make Huck Finn look like a slave owner. In the story Jim is Huck’s black friend who escaped from slavery (even though he was already freed from his owner) and there is a part when Huck says “He’s my nigger!”

In that scene someone is trying to take Jim away from Huck so he could sell him. If Huck says “He’s my slave,” it would completely change the relationship between these characters to slave and master opposed to friend to friend.

The main reason given for this change is that not everyone is mature enough to read this book

unedited and that it expresses attitudes not current with modern-day standards.

People need to understand that there are words that can be neutral if they are used in a certain context and inn Huck Finn, they are.

Another reason the book is being edited is because of how common the “N” word is in Twain’s novel, and there are school districts that ban the book from being part of the curriculum.

But to change the vocabulary used in a text (for this reason) can change our understanding about a great many things that are reflected in the times in which the novel was written.

If people were as politically correct then as they are now, the novel would have a different meaning and the lessons given in the novel would change or vanish altogether.

Censorship of a classic of a text so that it may be used in an academic setting is fundamentally wrong.

I swear, we need to changeour attitude about cussing

F---!Shocked? You shouldn’t be.Everyone has heard someone

swear, so don’t lie to me saying otherwise. The time has come for society to address this problem.

I will admit, cussing does sometimes make people look like an idiot; and it does slowly degrade society to a bunch of mindless idiots who just say “bleep it,” instead of trying to find a well-constructed academic phrase to suit their needs.

However, I do believe that we truly need swear words in our life and should use them on a daily basis.

I have an aunt, whom I love dearly, that says she becomes physically ill whenever she hears a cuss word. She will stop watching a movie if there are more than four F words in that movie.

The first time I witnessed this, I was stunned: she left the house 30 minutes into “Pulp Fiction” just because Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta kept swearing. This was two years ago, and she has even considered watching the movie again; but that got me thinking, how can a word make someone physically ill?

That is like saying the word “blueberry” makes me sick, I don’t think it’s possible. The point is, it is all about the intent of the word, the word itself really can’t harm you.

For example, if I said “you are an idiot,” you would understand directly what I am saying; and if I said “you are a bleeping idiot,” you would still know directly what I am saying. The intent of the phrase hasn’t changed, however everyone seems to be strung up on the fact that I just swore.

If you said both to a teacher (please

don’t, I hope you would have the brains to realize that I’m not telling you to cuss out your teachers) most if not all would be aggravated by the fact that you said he aforementioned word to them, and not that you called them an idiot.

The swear word in that sentence didn’t change my feelings towards you, it just expressed my feelings towards you in a more direct manner. I obviously could have saying something different, like “your lack of intelligence completely astounds me, you are proof to me that ignorance is bliss.”

The intent is still the same, but the first phrase seems slightly more direct

There are many types of swear words. The F-bomb is not the only one out there.

Some words can be blasphemous, (like the word “damn”) they can be disgusting objects, (use your imagination) they can be animal names, or even racial/ethnic/gender slurs.

I use almost all of these words on a daily basis, mostly for humor, and some people get offended when use some of them. I have also realized that I can’t use certain words in different types of company.

It is more socially acceptable to say the “damn” compared to the F-word. It’s as if someone is sitting in chair and finding words in the dictionary and declaring them bad or inappropriate. The ebb and flow of society on swear words is truly amazing if you look at the entirety of it; some words have become worse to say while others are now in our regular active vocabulary.

Society’s ignorance on vocabulary has made swear words exist. Five hundred years ago, the word “damn” was one of the worst things to say. Now it’s commonly used by many people without a second thought.

The B-word also is interesting to look at. Initially, it was used when referring to a female dog; then it suddenly began referring to people and became the worst thing to say to a woman.

Now, it is still considered a swear word, however the harshness is slowly declining towards “damn.”

Society has changed. Instead of saying “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me,” we say, “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will kill my inner child forever.”

This really makes me sad, because I am really not in the mood to be politically correct about everything.

Huckleberry Finn is a classic.

Valentine’s Day is too commercial.Adolf Hitler and Albert Einstein linked to stereotyping.

4 The Spectrum/Opinions • February 2011

Arizona conflict continues Win-win isn’t realby Mark ZepedaStaff Writer

by Luis MendezStaff Writer

by Yevgeniya MaysyuraStaff Writer by Mark Zepeda

Staff Writer

Recently, Arizona state representative John Kavanagh (Republican) has proposed legislation that would end birth right citizenship in order to deny the children of illegal immigrants the benefits of U.S citizenship such as health care and free public education.

Birth right citizenship was established by the 14th amendment after the Civil War. There are those who argue that that “dispensing” U.S citizenship would increase costs to education and other benefits.

Another problem is that there are many (but certainly not all) illegal immigrants refuse to assimilate into American society and that has led to things like bilingual education, which is a considerable handicap since most schools of higher education are operated solely in English.

Another problem that is argued is that the fourteenth amendment is being misinterpreted.

The author of the fourteenth amendment, Jacob Howard, described the clause as excluding, “persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers.”

With this it is clear that birthright citizenship is granted to citizens of

the United States but the author did not express his view about whom it excluded directly in the constitution and because of this people have argued that birthright citizenship applies to everyone.

Though some regard Europe as liberal, many countries there deny birthright citizenship to illegal immigrants.

The United States should change the fourteenth amendment so that birthright citizenship is guaranteed to those who either have at least one parent that is a U.S citizen or whose parent or parents are legal residents of the United States.

Unfortunately, changing an amendment of the Constitution would take a considerable amount

of time and effort not to mention that currently we have divided government. There are two ways to amend the constitution.

One ways is to gain a two-thirds vote in both houses of congress then it must go to the states for approval, the other way is to have two-third of state legislatures in order to have a Constitutional Convention, then if any amendments are proposed it must go back to the states and must be approved by three fourths of state legislatures or conventions.

This issue in Arizona though further adds to the argument that there needs to be immigration reform, which is not a high priority as of now considering all the other problems that face us.

Win-Win. It’s fourth on the list of seven habits that most people in this school read when they were just freshmen.

But what is a win-win situation? Is it in the instance where you feel happy that you lost or the feeling that you received a seemingly fair trade?

Well like it or not, instances were everyone comes out a winner are almost non-existent. Loss has always been a factor that everyone can relate to rich or poor example: job loss to the poor as opposed to stock investments lost to the rich, but this book claimed to have the secret to everybody winning.

A win-win situation, also called a win-win game or non-zero-sum game in game theory, is a situation by which cooperation, compromise, or group participation leads to all participants benefiting.

The term can be applied to many aspects of daily living, and it is far different from a zero-sum game or win-lose situation, where the dominant factor is that at least one person wins while another loses.

These are also called zero-sum games and examples include most two-person board games. For instance a chess game is zero-sum. One winner is added to one loser, resulting in a total of zero.

Throughout the history of man there has always been one winner one loser; however, there are the situations in which there are many winners, yet history has time and time again proven that there is never a win-win in which both parties gain fair compensation.

War. It is the first situation that comes to mind when thinking win-lose situations, always one loser, never any win-win situations.

In the American revolution, America gained freedom over England after being oppressed but England was so far under they had lost the war quite a ways in (thanks to the war proceeding the American revolution); and yet for the Americans it could seem to be a win-win however with the thousands of lives lost in pursuit of this goal loss is still experienced on some level.

Win-Win can only be described as the partial truth. Perspective is the true teller of whether or not there was any win-win in the situation.

So with such a limited scope of things that would even qualify as win-win, you might ask yourself what was this book referring to; and that might be that although these situations are so limited in the world we live in today we should strive to make every situation in to these win-win situations, but with so little real examples, we are left with a sort of cliff hanger, in this sense we will never know a real life definition of a win-win situation.

Nothing to like about ‘like’

There is a certain belief that if you write a sentence and it doesn’t make sense, then it shouldn’t be said aloud because, most probably, it won’t make any sense either. So, like, you get it? Right? Like, seriously, this is like so easy!

As the sentence above demonstrates, the most common word that is very conveniently and yet annoyingly used every single day in every single person’s vocabulary is “like.” Unfortunately, while some responsibly and coherently utilize the verb in their speech, some use it for no apparent reason, other than deprivation of speech.

It seems as if ‘”like” is introduced as the new “big and smart” word that has to be put in every other sentence to make an impression because anyway nobody knows what exactly it means.

But “like” is a very well-known word, it means to enjoy something, to be attracted to someone, or to represent a preference to something.

What is prompting teenagers everywhere to engage this over-used ragged word is it lack of reading excerpts that demonstrate how sentences should be formed and how they should send out the meaning, or is it the linguistic culture of our generation?

Most likely it is both, and perhaps there are many more reasons. Whatever the reasons are this improper usage is degrading the English language.

While working on this article I took the time to listen to a few students in our school while they made a speech on front of the class or merely engaged in a conversation with their friends. The average number of times “like” used per 10 other words was 7.

However, there may be benefits to this unusual style of speaking : our

brain is engaged in catching words that do relate to the topic and filtering those that don’t add any information at all ( like the word ‘like’) . So with this new skill that is developed we may be able to … solve mystery notes, maybe.

But, I doubt this skill would be much more important than the skill of being able to communicate with others. Language is a very important part of communication, especially verbal.

And if a potential boss, mother-in-law, boyfriend/girlfriend is annoyed at waiting through the unnecessary words to hear anything meaningful then the communication skill has not been achieved and those people will not want to hear anything of the sort again.

Thinking before speaking, reading more, quality books, and listening to educated speeches might help one be aware of their verbal surroundings and will improve their own linguistic flaws.

We’ve seen it during, anti-war protests. On cartoons and on the news, but does burning your country’s flag really send the appropriate message?

The U.S flag has gone through a lot, but it being burned to protest against a war or a decision made by the federal government is too much. If people are that upset to the point where they need to do something physical to the flag an act of washing the flag though not as vivid as it being burned can still send a powerful message.

Imagine an anti-war rally being held and it’s all over the news and a protester gets out a bucket of water and soap, then proceeds to wash the flag. This might cause people to reflect on what really needs to be changed to our government so that it is “clean” and not “dirty.”

There have been proposals to make

Flag burning takes freedom too far

an amendment banning the burning of the flag illegal but such legislation would be a violation of the first amendment and people should protest in a manner they seem fit as long it is peaceful.

Also, if people were to burn other objects associated to an institution in order to protest , it would send the wrong message like burning the cross to protest against the catholic church or burning books to protest an educational system.

This is our generation’s ‘Sputnik Moment’by Mark ZepedaStaff Writer

During his State of the Union address, President Obama declared that this is our “Sputnik Moment,” and there are those who criticize him on the right for making that historical event relevant to the needs and demands of the 21st century.

Back then we were engaged in a cold war with Russia in which we were massing up weapons and developing sophisticated technologies to determine which society was superior.

Today the threat we face is not a militaristic one that would determine whether the world would be communistic or capitalistic but an

economic one. Countries like India and China have growing economies and are graduating higher numbers of college graduates.

Math and science scores in our country are unacceptable and unless something is done we will lose our place as the world’s top economy and

the world will turn its back on U.S economic interest.

When the sputnik moment happened, the government began paying for people’s education id they went into a science or engineering field and 12 years after the soviets beat us into space, we beat them to

the moon and have gone farther into space than anyone at the time could possibly imagine.

Now in order for United States to continue to maintain its place as the sole superpower, the federal government should and must do what it did in the ’50s and ’60s, paying for the education of people with certain majors that would further develop and expand our economy.

Not only should the federal government step up its role, but we ourselves should increase involvement in this fast paced global economy.

The “Greatest Generation “was called so because of the enormous task they undertook. They had to fight and win the second World War on two fronts. Many brave men and

women answered FDR’s call then out of that many heroes came to be and we ascended to the position we are in now but we have the potential to be as great or even greater.

Now with Obama’s call, we have an obligation to accept the responsibility of securing the American Dream for future generations by equipping ourselves with tools needed to remain competitive in the global market. India and China are not our enemies but action must be taken nonetheless.

After FDR’s declaration and the sputnik launch in 1957, heroes were made and horizons expanded. Now as back then this is a time for heroes, this is the time to live up to being an American.

Now let us show the world what we are made of.

This Russian satellite was the origin of the term “Sputnik Moment.”

It’s up to the Senate to give the ultimate decision.

The Spectrum Staff

EditorNathan Hermanson

Opinion EditorJesusa Isidro

Sports EditorNicole Walker

Copy EditorsRobert BroomfieldAmanda MagallanesSiboney SalgadoElena Silva

Staff WritersJosh BrilesAlexa ColesAdrian GonzalezYevgeniya MasyuraLuis MendezIliana MorenoJessica VillaAndrew WoodendMark Zepeda

PhotographersNataly AngelesAmanda MagallanesJayme Taitague

Contributing PhotographersJesusa Isidro

ArtistAdrian Martinez

AdvisorMr. David Hatz

The Spectrum is published throughout the school year by the newspaper staff at Chula Vista High School. The views expressed in The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect those of the students, faculty or staff of CVH, or those of the Sweetwater Union High School District. The Spectrum welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication, and may be edited for clarity or space. Letters may be delivered to Room 1842, placed in Mr. Hatz’s mail box in the main office, or emailed to: spectrum_newspaper@yahoo.com. Submissions may be edited for brevity and clarity.

The Spectrum/Opinions • February 2011

5

by Josh BrilesStaff Writer

by Jesusa IsidroOpinion Editor

Conspiracy theories are hot topics

Just like last time, I don’t have an opinion on any of these beliefs. I just state what is given, and let you decide what actually happened.

If you would like to think the whole world is coming to get you, that fine with me, just as long as you don’t scare me in the process.

However, if you do believe that all of these incidents are a coincidence, that is fine with me too.

JFK AssassinationOne of the biggest “conspiracies”

of the century. On Nov. 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President Kennedy from a sixth floor window and killed him.

The authorities immediately arrested him, and before he could go to trial a man named Jack Ruby killed him. Immediately after, the Warren Commission went on a10 month investigation trying to explain what happened.

However, after 40 years of polls being taken, 80 percent of the entire United States believes the Warren Commission was wrong in some capacity.

The Warren Commission said that: (this book is really long, so I’m paraphrasing) Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the murder of Kennedy, and Jack Ruby acted alone in killing of Oswald. During the assassination, they concluded that three bullets were fired from a Texas School Book Depository, which was behind Kennedy’s car.

The first shot hit Kennedy in the upper back exited his neck (He shot from the sixth floor, looking down. Don’t bullets normally travel in a straight line?) and caused damage to the passenger of the front seat; the second shot missed entirely, and the third shot hit Kennedy in the head,

fatally wounding him.They noted they found three

empty shells by the window of where Oswald “shot” Kennedy and a Carcano Rifle that matched the bullet casings. Finally, if Kennedy hadn’t had ordered the Secret Service to not stand behind his car, he would have been spared the fatal head wound.

After this was published, many people were skeptical of the conclusions: First, Kennedy’s reaction to the final shot was not normal. His body, instead of going with the direction of the bullet moved toward it. The arterial spray (the ejection of blood and brains from his skull) was also moving in the opposite direction.

Second, the first shot to hit Kennedy struck him in the back, then exited through his neck; the commenced to wound the front seat passenger in three separate locations, once in the chest, once in his right wrist, and finally in his left thigh.

The most interesting part of this situation was that the bullet (which seemed to be not even fired, it was still in its casing) was found in the backseat of the car. After all of

the damage this bullet caused, it completely made a 180-degree turn and fell into the backseat of the motorcade.

There are dozens of other things that the Warren Commission put in their report that seemed damn near impossible, however I only have limited space for this article.

Google becomes Big BrotherThis is actually possible, however,

the chances of it happening are highly unlikely.

The theory is that Google takes over Amazon.com and begins producing customized media by taking only certain usable facts from the old media. Users play into the system by blogging and using location-broadcasting tools to let others (and more importantly, the new and improved Google system) know everything they are doing, and everywhere they are. Imagine an information tyrant that knows everything you search for, and everything you buy.

They will have control over your searches, your emails, even your car insurance (if you do it online, which most people are starting to pick up.)

Google has 2 billion searches a day, and about 300 million people use Google at least once a day. More than half of all the searches in the world go through it. The company has the best catalog of human wants, habits and questions; and they are all cataloged by user.

Google has access to the earth’s satellite imagery and more people are adding building information; the company has image-recognition technology, top of the line audio technology and a catalog of everything on T.V.

If the company wanted to, they could probably begin cataloging all of the visual and audio content on the internet.

Since your search data is linked with your shopping data, and your shopping is linked to your email, if this ever happened the entire world would be sent to its’ knees. However, Google has promised that no one is reading any of the content searched, (except for automated machines) and the firmly declared they wouldn’t sell it.

What if they changed their minds?Google may be a powerful

company now, but we do have other search engines. Yahoo could become the new super-computer; it does have an almost infinite amount of data fro users playing games, sending emails, and reading the newspaper. We can live on without Google.

All I am asking of you right now is to consider. Consider the possibilities and the coincidences of these events happening. I don’t expect you to join a group and try and hunt down the answers, or even try to prevent a global catastrophe.

We must also consider that possibility that these events might not even be related at all. No one knows the whole story, so we can never say what actually happened.

Learn like your life depends on it – it just might

It is a truth universally known that a student, whether they be a “good” one or not, will eventually, if they haven’t yet, raise this question: “When the “bleep” will I ever have to use this “bleep”?

Don’t get me wrong. of course we’ll use some of this “stuff” someday. But when?

Is our future boss going to march down to our future cubicle and demand, “Tell me the quadratic equation right now or you’re fired”?

Maybe when you were younger and you actually had the sense to ask your teacher these kinds of questions, they said something like, “Well little (insert name here), you have to know multiplication if you’re going to be an accountant.”

What the heck? When did I ever say I wanted to be an accountant?

Education is awesome. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. It undoubtedly equals power, freedom, liberty, and all that good stuff. It’s pretty much the root of everything. It’s why civilization is still standing after hundreds of thousands of years. It’s the reason why we have all these cool stuff like iPhones, video games, and democracy.

And so, ever since someone

decided that education is indeed a good thing, thus existed learning and from there on, schools. You know, the banes of our existence, the source of our anguish, that array of trying-so-hard-to-look-distinguished buildings that foster the education of America’s youth. Or it could be a fortress that instructs juvenile delinquents on the bare minimums and forces socialization. Depends on whom you ask.

And in this happy place, we toil (well, some of us) for like, half of the six or seven hours that the government requires us to stay here for. So we learn the usual stuff – our ancestors screwed the Native Americans, a positive and a negative equals a negative, Edgar Allan Poe was a really messed up dude, and so on.

Some students find their niche. They don’t want to sit at a computer all day and add numbers; no they want to sell out Madison Square Garden. Forget about checking some old guy’s heart rate, they’d rather be creating masterpieces in their studios by the French Riviera.

There’s just one thing though – those office bodies; the accountant, the doctor – they’ll be the comfortable ones. They’ll be the ones that are going to be able to buy a house and cars and go on vacations once or twice a year. They’ll be the ones who are going to be hailed as the winners of their generation.

And the others?As disheartening as it is to believe,

more than 95 percent of you big-time dreamers will languish for years before realizing that it’s not going to

happen. As President Obama stated in his State of the Union address, “[the] world has changed… Many people watching tonight can probably remember a time when finding a good job meant showing up at a nearby factory or a business downtown. You didn’t always need a degree, and your competition was pretty much limited to your neighbors. If you worked hard, chances are you’d have a job for life, with a decent paycheck and good benefits and the occasional promotion.”

That’s not the case anymore. The motto for the coming decades has changed, now everyone should realize that it’s time to exercise practicality.

Of course no piano teacher is ever tells his or her students that “Hey kids I know some of you guys are here because you need it to graduate and that’s awesome”-cue a thumbs up-“ but then some others of you are really, really enjoying this and that is also awesome” – cue a double thumbs up – “but I gotta tell you kids, it’s pretty much a one in a million chance that you’ll ever actually manage to survive off of this. Sorry junior.” Cue sympathetic voice.

So back on the educational front. Again, when do we need to know this “stuff”?

To tell you the truth, not everything that you learn from your teachers will be useful. It’s doubtful that even a

quarter of the stuff you’ve learned so far will be useful in the future. But the point is that you should learn it anyway, because our futures are not mapped out.

Very few individuals know what they’re going to be after high school. It’s highly likely that you’re not going to be the next big thing and that you will have fall back into some career that seems really mundane at the moment.

Learn kiddies, learn. Learn like your lives depend on it. It may just be the case.

Dallas’s Dealey Plaza has become the “Mecca” for conspiracy theorists.

Students should quesrion the value of their education.

Valentines“To all my good friends! You are all very important to me and are among the greatest people I have ever met. I hope you all have wonderful and happy lifes. Have a happy Valentine’s Day and hopefully all your other Valentine days are as happy as you’ve made me.” - Mark Zepeda

To: John

Hi John! I just wanted to publicly expose our love(: By the way, would you go to Sadie Hawkins with me? - Maricela Toops

To: Harper Howell, Jocelyn Valencia, and Zayra Duran

I looooooove you guys!!! - Elena Silva

To: the marshmallow chipmunk kirby with a penguin, The initial sparks may no longer flicker, but the burning flame burns as the fu-ture for us is ever bright as we approach our first Valentine’s Day together. - Edgar Garfias

To: Dani Garcia“You are my only exception and I love you with all my heart...Will you be my Valentine? Love you forever and always, -Johnny Hewuse

To: NewspaperWe may have our issues, but in the end, we’re a family. No mat-ter what happens. - Anonymous

To: Nathan Hermanson

The Deadpool to my Siryn, the Nathan Drake to my Elena Fisher, and the Roland to my Susannah (minus the cancer, a love triangle, and charyou tree). Happy Valentines Day. - Charizard

6 The Spectrum/Features • February 2011

Shoutouts

To: Robert Broomfield, Jesusa Isidro, Nataly Angeles, Nathan Hermanson “You guys are cool, awesome, and funny. It’s fun sharing food with you guys. Love you guys!!” - Elena Silva

To: Yevgeniya Masyura

Though the miles are long and the way is arduous, I wouldtravel foreverto reach the prizeat its end:you. - Thomas Baker

To: Taylor Langston

I love you so much.I am glad you are mine. I love you a bunch.I am glad to think of you all the time.I made this poem straight from my heart.You wake me up like coffee in a cupbut after a year and five months it is just the start.I hope we never part. - Timmy Vu

To: Everyone who does not have a valentine

To those without a valentine, I just want to say that I’ll be your valentine, this Valentines Day! - Anonymous

To: Lonely Hearts

Happy Single Awareness to all the lonely hearts out there! - Anonymous

To: Meanie

A part of you has grown in me.And so you see, it’s you and me.Together, but never apart.Maybe in dis-tance, but never in heart. - Anonymous

To: Senior Lunch Crew and Ryan

Happy Valentines Day to the Senior Lunch Crew plus Guero and Corey and my wonderful boy-friend. I love you guy’s lots! - Karli, the blonde one

7The Spectrum/Features • February 2011

8

Features

by Nataly AngelesStaff Writer

Name: Patrick Mallory Birthday: January 31st, 1981Home town: Poway, CaliforniaHigh school: Poway High School University: SDSU and National University Major: PhysicsFavorite movie: The Rock, “Because I am intrigued about anything that deals with our past, our history”Favorite book: “The World of Physics: Mysteries, Magic, and Myth,” by John W. JewettBest Memory: “Reaching the peak at Machupichu for the first time when I was 27. It was a breath-taking experience”Worst memory: “Having to tell my father about his brother’s death, after being informed three hours before”Family history and background: “I am 50% Portuguese and 50% Irish; my maternal grandfather came as a stowaway from Portugal and settled in Fresno California in the late 1800s. I don’t know much about my Irish descent except that there is a belief in the family that our last name used to be Omallory.”Favorite thing about CVH: “The students and the spirit. But most importantly, the fact that the environment in the whole school makes it feel as if everyone is a family.”Personal Message to the student body: “Be nice to your teachers. Take pride in whatever you do and always give your best at them. GO TO SATUDAY SCHOOL “

Everyone assumes that the academic decathlon involves buzzers, trivia and such.

Not true. That is the academic league. The academic decathlon is prestigious, involves the entire nation, and the future of our nation participates. The academic decathlon builds up the confidence of the student, and it’s super preparation for college.

Every year, CVH’s Academic decathlon competes against 25 other teams in the San Diego area. Dr. Daniel Cohen, the advisor, started the academic decathlon again in 2002 and has suprervised it for the past eight years.

So far CVH hasn’t been to the nationals, but they have been in the top ten locally, years ago. Dr. Cohen hopes that this year they will make it to the top ten, which is a reasonable goal due to the fact that there is no

Club Spotlight

by Elena SilvaStaff Writer

class for the academic decathlon and many of the members are in SCPA.

A 3.0 or higher is needed to join the academic decathlon. Members that have been in the team for four years, throughout high school, are Mark Zepeda and Gabriel Espinosa.

To prepare the team members, packets are given to each member based on the topic they chose to focus on. The reason why it’s set up with different categories is so that every member can have the opportunity to participate.

There most recent match was last Saturday. The competition included seven multiple-choice question tests, two speeches and one interview.

This year’s topic is the Great Depression, with question topics including economics, history, science/geology, language/literature, math, art and music.

“Every year the topic changes, so it’s really hard to prepare for” says Dr. Cohen.

Next year’s topic will be announced either March or April.

Featured: Mr. Mallory

Teacher Spotlight

Valentine’s DayScavenger Hunt

by Siboney Salgadoand Jayme TaitagueStaff Writers

It’s that time again Spartans! We present a special Valentines Day’ scavenger hunt. This time the baskets are Valentines’ Day themed so you can give these baskets to that special someone, so the stakes are even higher.

The answers for the scavenger hunt are hidden throughout the paper and will require some thinking. The following ‘short-answer’ questions must be answered completely for full credit. You can circle the answers where they are found, write them on a piece of paper, or even right here.

Once you believe you have successfully answered each question, bring them into the Newspaper room

(1842) for confirmation. If confirmed, you will get a REWARD.

It is first come first served, so try to beat out the other Spartans to get the prize. The answers will be taken on Valentines’ Day, Monday February 14th. So make sure your answers are CORRECT. Have fun and have a happy Valentines’ Day, Spartans.

1). What movie is thought to be the only notable western film in the years to come?

___________________________

2). The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) has taken the place of what channel?

___________________________

3). Who introduced the United States to Black History Month and in what year?

___________________________4) What are the names of the two

members of the Academic Decathlon who have been apart of Decathlon for four years?

___________________________5) What does FAFSA stand for?

What is their purpose?___________________________

Every year the SUHSD puts together an Honor Band composed of approximately 65 of the best musicians throughout the district.

This symphonic band is assembled in order to provide the strongest high school and middle school musicians with the chance to join students from other schools and perform pieces of literature in a free concert.

This year’s honor band includes eight of CVH’s outstanding musicians: seniors Noel Naranjo (trumpet), Darren Novoa (trumpet), Josue Rodriguez (alto saxophone) and Angel Ivan Vazquez (French horn); sophomore Elias Diaz (alto saxophone); and freshmen Jesus De La Madrid (percussion), Joshua Guevara (clarinet) and Enrique May (percussion). More 200 students audition each year with the hopes

Honor Band features 8 CVH musiciansby Nataly AngelesStaff Writer

of taking a spot in the 65-member symphonic band (grades 10-12) or the 60-member concert band (grades 7-9). But the simple desire to join this band is not enough. Students have to audition in front of experienced music conductors, playing two musical scales according to their instrument, a chromatic scale, an audition piece, and sight-read.

Guiavara and Naranjo both confirmed that performing a piece after sight reading for the first time was a most challenging and nerve-wracking experience – but definitely worth it after being named to the prestigious group.

This year’s free concert will be held in the new Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.

San Diego State University’s Director of Bands Shannon Kitelinger will be in charge of conducting the Symphonic Band. Guest conductor Dr. Robert Fleming will direct the Concert Band.

Black History Month important for all studentsby Elena SilvaStaff Writer

Since 1976, Black History Month, also referred to as African American History Month, is celebrated every February to remember the important people and events in history regarding African Americans.

Not only is it celebrated in the United States, but also in Canada and the United Kingdom (they celebrate it the month of October). It is special due to the fact that it gives recognition to African Americans and their achievements and history.

It was first introduced by United States historian Carter Woodson. He began Black History Month in 1926.

Woodson chose the second week

of February because it marked the birthdays of two influential Americans who influenced many African Americans: former president Abraham Lincoln and former slave

and abolitionist Fredrick Douglass.CVH’s YBS has an assembly

prepared in lieu of Black History Month. The assembly is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25. For YBS, “the

assembly is a chance to celebrate and show respect towards black history month, and to show how hard they have worked for the assembly” says Mr. Smith, the group’s adviser.

Black History Month is celebrated nationwide and networks such as Nickeledeon and Disney Channel devote many commercials to making awareness of the month’s themes of the awareness for racial equality.

Numerous African Americans have made many advancements in the fields of literature, entertainment, and politics, among many others. During this month, teachers in elementary and junior high schools teach about the achievements of such people as Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and many others.

Black History Month is very important to not only African Americans but to all the differnt ethnicities, for it enhances the acceptance of physical differences.

Founder Carter Woodson President Abraham Lincoln Abolitionist Fredrick Douglass

Academic Decathlon team features

some of school’s best and brightest

Academic Decathlon team featuressome of school’s best and brightest

9The Spectrum/Features • February 2011

As we have been hearing now for the past few weeks, we are having a Sadie Hawkins Dance.

The dance a much like CVH’s previous Girls’ League Dance that has not been held in the last three years, is a dance where the conventional role is switched and the girls ask the guys to the dance.

The dance will be held in the gym on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, from 8 p.m.-midnight. Tickets are $12 with an ASB card and $14 without.

For those that are wondering why it is being held at the gymnasium the reason is quite simple, in previous years this dance has showed the least attendance and razed the least money. In addition, the school does not have enough funding to rent out a larger location for the amount of students that are expected to show up. However, simply because the dance will be held in the gymnasium is no reason not to attend. The gymnasium will be decorated for the dance and ready for all of us Spartans to enjoy and celebrate.

Sadie Hawkins’ dances are

Big Dance Feb. 26by Iliana MorenoStaff Writer

unique because it is the one time that girls get to invite boys, rather than the tradition boy ask girl.

Who was Sadie Hawkins? Here’s the story, according to About.com:

“Believe it or not, the entire tradition of the girl-asks-boy dance originates from a comic strip. In the famous cartoon-turned-musical Li’l Abner, there was a designated day in November when unmarried women could chase bachelors around the town in hopes of catching them for marriage.In the comic strip, little Miss Sadie Hawkins was “the homeliest gal in all them hills” and this fateful day was her favorite – and the town bachelor’s most dreaded – day of the year. As the comic gained popularity, a holiday inspired by the perpetually single Sadie was born.

Love is in the air! February is a month for romance because, conveniently enough, the holiday of love takes place right in the middle of the month.

St. Valentine’s Day is loved or despised for personal reasons, but nobody can deny that upon thinking of the day the images that come to mind are fat little armed cupids, purple/red/pink hearts decorating every store window, high prices for potential presents for girls and women, and the number of years that a person has spent their Valentine’s Day alone, with no Valentine.

This happy holiday that celebrates happy marriages, dating, love in general, is celebrated on the day the beheading of St. Valentine took place because he would not denounce his faith.

The holy priest of Rome was beaten by clubs in order to rid him of his beliefs, and when that proved to be ineffectual he was beheaded. All these events took place during the reign of Claudius II.

Claudius II was also known as Claudius the Cruel; during his reign Rome engaged in bloody and hideous activities, and the ruler demanded more men to join the military.

However, he realized that most men did not want to leave their families- they loved. In order to rid his men

of this inglorious thing called Love, Claudius canceled all marriages and engagements.

He thought that he solved the problem, but beliefs of the people were still in religion. St. Valentine secretly married those in love and for that he was sentenced to death.

The holy priest died on Feb. 14 because he believed in his religion, the bonds of love both to God and a life companion, and the importance of caring for others. Therefore this day

by Yevgeniya MaysyuraStaff Writer

is subtly celebrated for these things and the man who fought for them, although many do not realize that it is not only centered on one’s significant other.

“... he believed in religion, the bonds of love both to God and life companion...”

Origin of Valentine’s Day

Staff and students are reminded that they can check out The Spectrum any time by simply going to our online website: http://www.cvhspectrum.com. The paper also can be accessed through the CVH website. The Spectrum online features past and current editions, as well as exclusive features. Students are encouraged to provide feedback and ideas for future additions to The Spectrum.

Miss Sadie Hawkins herself.

A classic painting of the original St. Valentine.

10

Entertainment

‘True Grit’ succeeds where most westerns fail

Before brothers Joel and Ethan Coen’s “True Grit” hit the top of the box office this past winter, the only western in the past decade to have reached the same kind of success was the also Coen Brothers produced 2007 “No Country for Old Men” and Ang Lee’s 2005 romance “Brokeback Mountain.”

There have been some westerns produced in the past few years that were met with some critical accolades and acted by well-known talent, but none have reached the same mainstream success as the previously mentioned films.

“True Grit” is a remake of the 1969 classic film of the same name, which is based on a 1968 novel by Charles Portis. The original starred “The Duke” John Wayne, who won a Golden Globe his only Academy Award for his portrayal of the cantankerous one-eyed U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn.

by Jesusa IsidroStaff Writer

The remake, which is more faithful to the Portis novel, stars Jeff Bridges as Cogburn, Matt Damon as Texas Ranger La Bouef, Josh Brolin as the hunted fugitive Tom Chaney, and unknown Hailee Steinfeld, who takes over Kim Darby’s role from the 1969 version.

The film’s plot follows 14-year-old

Mattie Ross, who hires Cogburn to hunt down Chaney, her father’s hired hand turned killer.

La Bouef, who means to also capture Chaney for a prior charge, joins them in tracking Chaney, who has joined the gang of the outlaw “Lucky” Ned Pepper (played in the 1969 version by Robert DuVall and

in the remake by Barry Pepper), into Indian Territory.

“True Grit” has been met with critical success and has been nominated by several awards, including nominations as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay as well as nods for Bridges and Steinfeld for Academy Awards in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories respectively.

Before the success of “Brokeback Mountain,” the biggest western film to date was Kevin Costner’s 1990 film “Dances with Wolves.” But it would be the only huge western success in the next fifteen years.

The western film genre is a dead one, and is no longer supported by mainstream audiences.

There was a Western craze in the latter half of the twentieth century, launching the careers of classic film legends such as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood.In its heyday movie studios produced a set number of western films a year.

Television westerns such as “Bonanza” and “Gunsmoke” were

hugely popular. With the appeal among audiences

having died away, most are now reluctant to produce them.

To the industries they are now deemed “toxic,” and those concerned about profit will not touch them.

The western genre is an American original, usually portraying the trials of a judicious, shrewd protagonist attempting to make an honorable living in the lawless societies of the “Wild West.”

It’s not a plot that’s unheard of, and the themes of the quintessential western have been recycled into other genres, perhaps discarding the need for traditional westerns. Furthermore, they are seen as “boring” and “old-fashioned.”

As society has progressed, the qualities so admired by audiences in western heroes have shifted and been passed on to the modern anti-heroes.

As it usually goes, there may be a brief western revival in the future. But for now the reality seems to be that “True Grit” will be the only notable western film in the years to come.

Lil B is featured artistby Adrian GonzalezStaff Writer

Lil B The Based God is this month’s Artist of The Issue.

With more than1,200 songs, 900 freestyles, 12 official mix-tapes, and three official albums in his catalog, Lil B is becoming the next big thing in the world of hip hop.

Every day he seems to drop a new song/video/freestyle over his extremely entertaining twitter account and previously over his 1,000 different myspaces.

The man has even put out a book entitled “Takin’ Over by Imposing the Positive,” and has become an internet “meme” with the popular phrase “Thank You Based God.”

Brandon McCartney’s beginnings

as a rapper date back to 2004 with the California group, The Pack finding fame in the very popular Vans Song. After the group took a hiatus, The Based God took the solo route and began putting out a plethora of songs over all the major social networking sites.

Most of the songs are extremely ridiculous with titles such as “Wonton Soup,” “Like a Martian,” and “What That Mouf Do” with lyrics that can not be published in a school newspaper.

But Lil B does have a decent collection of songs that are more on a serious note such as “”I’m God, “Age of Information,” “Birth of Rap,” and a whole album with song’s such as these entitled “Angel’s Exodus” boasting a crucified Lil B with money hanging out his breast pockets and a crown of thorns.

Lil B considers himself the god of

all things based. Based being defined as being true to yourself, speaking exactly what you feel, and not caring how others see you.

This ideology can be seen in his “based” freestyles where he let’s off an unconscious stream of thoughts over a beat.

While others may find this an excuse for his below basic lyricism but I personally find it extremely entertaining. With his major label debut coming out later in the year most likely on Soulja Boy’s SODMG imprint, the mainstream have been becoming accepting of the goon turned god.

He is even playing Coachella, a big musical festival in Palm Springs.

No one really knows if his career is going to have longevity but right now, he has a bright future ahead of him.

Google it! This has become one of the most used phrases in the present day. It is crazy it think that what started as a small simple search engine on Sept. 4 1998 has exploded in to a billion-dollar corporation.

Google has become an Internet superpower controlling six percent of all Internet traffic. Since its creation Google has expended its search engine to included maps images videos and much more.

As strange as it is to thing Google has become part of our every day lives its everywhere even in your back pocket. Google has gone further than just a site on the Internet, in 2008 Google came out with the Google phone (G1) its first but not its last.

After that point Google had almost everyones attention all of the Droid phones now have Google search application making it much more

by Iliana MorenoStaff Writer

Google takes over internet

accessible and powerful. If Google had stopped there it would still be a internet superpower but mabey not as powerful.

Google was quickly rising and it is in no rush to slow down. Google has gone past just phones in 2010 Google teamed up with Sony and came out

with Google TV. Is impressive to see how far the

search engine has come in 13 years and its even more impressive to think where it will be in another 13 years.

Google it” the simple phrase that has captured the attention of a generation.

Gamestop offers goodgames and cheap pricesby Robert BroomfieldStaff Writer

Some people think that only costly games are the good ones, but at Gamestop there are several good games for cheap prices.

A lot of people don’t look at the old games they keep looking for the new releases, but if you look back for a while and there’s a game you would of like to have that you did not get for some reason.

A good game that you might want to get is “Assassins Creed.”

Get the first one so you can understand the story. It is only $9.99.

Once you become proficient, consider buying the second one.

The purchase the latest one in the series, “Assassin Creed Brotherhood.”

After passing the two first games, I would guess the price for “Brotherhood” went down.

This is a good strategy for saving

money and knowing what’s happening on the story.

Another good game is “Mass Effect.” I love how you can decide what dialogue you use for each person you talk to.

For instance, you can be cruel to some one or you can be nice – it all depends on you.

But the video game also come with action you get to be a commander in a ship your last name will be Shepard and everyone in the ship will refer to you as Captain Shepard.

This game will take some time to pass, but don’t worry – take your time because all your stats will go to the “Mass Effect 2,” so you know you will save so money by buying the first one and then when you pass the first one the second mass effect will go down in price.

There are really good deals in everywhere the only thing you got to do is look for them..

Hopefully this will help you save some money.

The original ‘True Grit’ starred western great John Wayne.

The Google TV interface is just another sign of Google’s takeover.

Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect are great and inexpensive games.

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by Nathan HermansonEditor

EntertainmentValentine’s Day Special Buy/Try/Pass

We have a special Valentine’s Day edition of BTP for you this issue. Today we’ll be covering some of the most quirky titles relating to love. A Japanese game where your objective is to kiss as many people as you can, a Tarantino written film that deals with the romance of a prostitute and a man who worships Elvis, and a classic sounding album from a man who used to be a DJ. Hope you enjoy.

“Chulip”: Originating in Japan, Chulip obviously has its quirks from the get go. You play as a young boy (nameless until you give him one) who dreams of falling in love with the girl of his dreams and living a long and happy life with her.

When reality slaps you in the face, you recall that the girl of your dreams is around, but she has no interest in you. So when you try to get her to like you, she rejects you. Dejected, the boy finds a solution.

One of the main reasons she doesn’t like him is because he has a reputation as a simple poor boy and she can’t have that. So, to build up his reputation, he must kiss as

many people as possible.Yes. You read that right.This game is all about kissing

as many people as you can. Did I mention this game was quirky?

It plays like an RPG and feels a lot like games like “Harvest Moon.” You wander around town and just ... kiss people.

It’s a free-roaming game and it has a 24 hour schedule. In those 24 hours, you have to find every person you can and attempt to kiss them. In doing so, you build up reputation and ‘heart points’.

This game is no AAA title by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a fun game that provides some silliness. If you’re looking for pure fun and want to experience a concept that is pretty fresh, give this game a try.

“True Romance”: Written by Tarantino and released in 1993, “True Romance” is one of those odd love stories. The story follows the love between a comic book aficionado who admires Elvis (Clarence) and a prostitute (Alabama).

After one of the best nights of both their lives, they realize they don’t want to be apart. She doesn’t care what happens to them from there, but all she knows is that she loves him. And from there, stuff gets crazy.

Like a true Tarantino film, True Romance starts with a simple

situation that is completely innocent (well ... not completely but what is completely innocent?) that spirals out of control.

Drug lords, pimps, movie producers, and mafia are all involved by the end of this film. It’s insane. But it’s good, boy is it good.

The portrayal of pure innocence by Patricia Arquette (Alabama) is one that propels the film and makes Christian Slater’s character (Clarence) even better. The dynamic

between them is... odd but it works. And it’s definitely love. You aren’t entirely sure why, but you definitely feel that it is love.

One of my favorite Tarantino written films, True Romance is definitely worth a watch. This movie is a definite buy with a Nathan seal of approval.

“A Strange Arrangement”: The debut album of Mayer Hawthorne, “A Strange Arrangement” (ASA) features some soulful singing trapped

in an unlikely body.But before the album, some

history. Mayer Hawthorne was at one time known as DJ Haircut. He partied underground and didn’t find much success.

He always knew he had a good voice as he would sing for his friends from time to time, but didn’t see himself making something out of it. After singing some classic songs for some important people, Mayer Hawthorne was born.

This album features some soulful tracks that channel such greats as The Temptations and Marvin Gaye. It’s all music that you expect to have been recorded in the 70’s. It’s just awesome how this guy has made such old music sound new.

Mayer Hawthorne’s album is a mix of both classic covers and new music with lyrics that make you wonder if they’re actually original. It’s that amazing ability for Mayer to simply replicate that pure sound from the 70’s that makes this album great.

It is a definite love album. Most of the songs that were released in this style in the 70’s dealt with the sorrow of losing another or talking about how a great a certain gal was. It’s all good fun and another definite buy.

‘The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’byYevgeniya MasyuraStaff Writer

Jekyll and Hyde. Evil and good. That’s as far as we know.

However, “The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is much more complex than the simple war between the good and the bad. There is also the ugly.

Robert Louis Stevenson, born in Scotland in 1850, was heavily influenced by the society’s norms of the time, which pushed him to write an allegory of good and evil.

The short story is told from a point of view of a lawyer who is an old friend of Dr. Jekyll. When something

strange is starting to happen in London involving a certain Mr.Hyde the lawyer is determined to find him.

“If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr.Seek” –thinks Jekyll’s friend.

Through suspense, Stevenson guides the reader in search of Mr.Hyde and all the clues point to the good-natured Doctor Jekyll.

Each time Hyde’s name is mentioned the characters who have met him bring up the fact that he sends a feeling of deformity.

This feeling of deformity and his apparent misanthropy promote Mr. Hyde as the evil in the short story. Only through a maze of complications does the reader find out who Hyde is. And apparently it is Jekyll himself.

Stevenson finds a way to show the duality of human personalities in providing a character who found a formula to separate his evil side from

himself.However, while the main hope of

Jekyll was to completely rid himself of evil, he only created one person

– an evil Hyde, and Jekyll himself stayed the same way – consisting of a balance of the good and evil.

Stevenson here argues that if a person is not able to accept themselves with both sides of their personality, then such issues as Mr.Hyde or a case of ‘split personality’ may result.

The short story soon after its publication was made into over 123 publications. However, the adaptations are nothing to the original because they were recreated in a different way then the author wrote it.

These adaptations lose the mystery aspect of Hyde’s true identity and the suspense is not as nerve wrecking as in the original.

Sampling music allows more freedomby Adrian GonzalezStaff Writer

Nasir Jones said it best in his song “No Idea’s Original” that “No Idea’s original, there’s nothing new under the sun/It’s never what you do but how it’s done.”

This can apply very well to the music world. Many producers use a method entitled sampling to compose their beats. Sampling involves taking a section from a movie, video game, television show, and music etc to create something entirely new.

Producers such as RZA, Kanye West, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock have became big names in the music industry because of their unique ways of sampling records. Sampling originated in the ‘60s with

artists such as The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel began using this method of taking radio broadcasts and putting them in their songs.

But in 1971, artist John Kongos became the first artist to sample another song with “He’s Gonna Step On You Again” and is even recognized by the Guinness World Records. Sampling did not become widely popular though until a new music genre began to rise in the ’70s and ’80s that is now known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop pioneers such as Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc sampled various records for their break beats. Many artists have made a career solely out of sampling. Instrumental hip hop artist, DJ Shadow’s critically acclaimed first album, “Endtroducing,” was created entirely out of samples. Gnarls Barkley

Member DJ Dangermouse main claim to fame is his mash-up record between Jay Z’s “The Black Album” and The Beatles’ “The White Album” entitled “The Grey Album.”

This led Beatles’ representatives to sue the somewhat unknown DJ and producer at the time but eventually the lawsuit was dropped. Producers such as DJ Premier, Kanye West, and The Rza have created classics with old soul records from the ‘50s and 60 and from old kung fu movies. Sampling has been around for over fifty years and will most likely not die out. A new emerging trend though is the use of live instrumentals, which is also equally impressive. Sampling will only get bigger with new music coming out almost every day.

A good resource to research samples is Whosampled.com.

Videogames are educationalby Adrian GonzalezStaff Writer

Video games have come a long way since the days of Pong. No longer are they just a form of entertainment, they contain well written stories, cinematic elements, and are even educational at times.

Not educational oriented games either, actual big name titles such as “Metal Gear Solid” and the original “Call of Duties.” Although there are classic educational games like “Oregon Trai” and “Math Blaster” that taught subjects like history and math. To be honest, I have learned more from a game and self research than some classes. Games such as “Metal Gear Solid” and “Call of Duty” all have fictional stories but with real life events and history behind it.

For instance, “Call of Duty” is set in the World War II period and feature real battles such as D-Day and The Battle of El Alamein, but contain fictional characters. “Metal Gear Solid” is the same but is set during the Cold War and current events. The games themselves aren’t much of the teacher but the person playing because to fully appreciate the story, they would have to have previous knowledge of such events and study. These classics such as “Oregon Trail” and “Math Blaster” are video games designed specifically for education but are genuinely fun. It is nice to feel nostalgic about these titles considering many have grown up with them. Only time will tell if games finally become considered more than just mindless fun. If video games can be considered as art, I don’t see why they can’t be deemed educational.

Book Review

“True Romance” and “Chulip” are two activities good for Valentine’s Day

12

by Jessica VillaStaff Writer

Girls’ hoops starts slow, but remain optimistic The Chula Vista Lady Spartans

basketball team is currently on a slow start to their goal with a 2-4 league record and a 9-14 overall record. Leading the team are captains, Nicole Walker (senior) playing post and forward, and Kassandra Mazon (junior) playing guard.

Key players are twelfth graders Nicole Walker, Tiana Huoston playing forward, and Charleen Lopez at guard. Also junior Kassandra Mazon, and tenth graders Anessa Wolfblack, and Sierra Thomas both at guard and point guard. “Though those may be key players on our team, I believe everyone contributes and gets what needs to be done.” says Walker.

“I’m enjoying the season.” says varsity head coach De Jesus “I have a great group of girls to coach and with not so many experience girls this year, it has giving me a chance to coach more.” The varsity team

has only 3 returners. One of which, (Nicole Walker) really knows how to control the team and run the court. “We still hope to make it to CIF playoffs of course, but our goal is to first beat Eastlake which will increase our chance for playoffs.” says Coach De Jesus. “Making it to playoffs is always our goals for season, and also to just let the girls have fun.”

For next season, moving into a new league will be a different challenge. “ I am looking forward to next season,” comments De Jesus “especially since our rival, Sweetwater, is going to be in the same league.” It has been a tradition here at CVHS that Sweetwater High School is our rivals. “ It’ll be interesting playing our them twice.”

Losing six seniors this year, coach De Jesus still believes next years team will do good. “Our guard position will be strong still but I’m just hoping that the young players will step up for post position.”

by Nicole WalkerSports Editor

The CVH soccer teams have been in season for over three weeks now.

The boys’ team was 2-1-1 at press time, with its major competition coming from Bonita Vista and Hilltop.

Captains Jose Vega and Edgar Ochoa lead the Spartans in their defense and offense and the team’s chemistry brings it all together.

The boys’ senior night is Thursday, Feb. 17 at home against Otay Ranch High School.

The girls’ team has an overall record of 2-2-11 while its league record is 0-4.

The Lady Spartans’ biggest competition throughout this season has been Hilltop and Eastlake. Captains Jessica Villa, Adrienne Bidwell, and Co-captain Stephanie Torres bring the team together and the motivation, leadership and team chemistry the team shares has brought out the best abilities of the team itself.

Bidwell was recently recognized in a write up on the Internet about her abilities to balance her social life, her athletics, and her schoolwork.

The girls’ senior night will be Thursday, Feb. 17 at Otay Ranch High School.

Both the girls and the boys continue their season with games next Tuesday against Mater Dei.

Soccer teams’ senior nights are set for Feb. 17

Roller Hockey is a very unique sport; I know that people have tried to do the sport, and gone down in flames.

The people that are capable of succeeding in this sport really have something going for them. The students on our CVHS roller hockey team, have proven themselves worthy.

Recently, the team began having confrontations with the Mar Vista team about their abilities. From what I heard, our CVHS team took the insults happily; only later to completely annihilate the team.

With a score of 20-0 it is obvious that Mar Vista can not compete with the Spartans.

The record for this season wasn’t extravagant, however the boys did play hard and really gave it their best efforts; regardless of all the new players that were on the team.

Team Captain Brad Bonney says “We really tried hard to win more games, and most of the players (including myself) were extremely committed to the team and hope to see it become better over the years.”

There were many new players on the team. Some of the boys couldn’t even use the skates correctly when they started, however after many months of intense training, all have become used to riding forward,

backward, and even sideways to give themselves the advantage over the other team.

First year player Aaron Smith says “If I didn’t have the help of my fellow team members, I probably would never have been able to play as well as I do.”

We all hope the best for the Roller Hockey team, and all are welcomed to join next year.

by Josh BrilesStaff Writer

Roller Hockey a tough sportThe Chula Vista boy’s basketball

team has started off their season with a 2-4 league record and an 11-11 overall. The Spartan team is currently in 4th place right behind Otay Ranch in first, Eastlake in second, and Hilltop in third.

Leading the varsity team this year are seniors Jeffrey Ayers playing shooting guard, Omar Stewart at point guard, and Darron Edwards playing small forward. The key players on the team are juniors Thomas Nollie at small forward, and shooting guard Ian Lapuz.

The varsity boys started off their season with a loss, home against

Hilltop on Wednesday night January 19th, but came back with a win the following game away at Mater Dei (55-48).

Though the team lost 4 games so far, Coach Galvan believes his team has been doing well. “Considering how nobody thought the season would be like this, I think we have done pretty good.”

Their goals for the rest of the season are to just keep competing. “All the games we’ve lost have been close games against strong teams,” said coach Galvan “ we really haven’t been blown out before.”

Looking into a new league for next year coach Galvan may not approve, “but what can I really do about it, what the district say, goes.”

by Jessica VillaStaff Writer

The people that are capable of succeeding in this sport really have something going for them.

Boys’ basketball confident

Sports

Charlene Lopez takes a shot over a Baron. Anessa Wolfblack drives iagainst Bonita Vista.

Senior Tony Alxaraz dribbles the ball into opposition during a boys’ soccer practice.

Senior Jose Serrano takes a shot. Two Spartans clash for the ball.