The Panther Prints Informing and Educating the Pinewood Community and the Surrounding Area for 25 Years Volume I. Edition 4.
December 16, 2011
25th Annual Edition
Pinewood Administration Reaffirms Drug Policy SHANI ROSENTHAL STAFF WRITER Last month, each grade attended a meeting where they learned about Pinewood’s drug and alcohol policy as well as how Breathalyzer tests may now be conducted at Pinewood events such as dances. At the meetings, Pinewood P r e s i dent Scott Riches, Principal MarkGardner, guidance counselor Tina Maier, and other members of the Pinewood administration gathered to discussed Pinewood’s drug and alcohol policy, the punishments for those who use drugs and alcohol on campus and at Pinewood events, and the importance of using good discretion. They also offered counseling to any student who was interested or needs support. “We wanted to remind the students of the school’s drug and alcohol policy and the consequences for not adhering
to the school’s policy,” Riches said. In response to recent concerns over alcohol and drug usage, each high school grade had its own meeting, which took place throughout the day. After students from gathered into the theater, the meeting began with a restatement of Pinewood’s drug and alcohol policy taken from the student handbook, which states that: “Any student who intentionally sells, gives, possesses, uses, or is under the influence of illicit drugs, narcotics, alcohol or tobacco in or on school property, at lunch, or at school activities both on- and off-campus may be suspended or expelled from school immediately and reported to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for possible legal action. Students who display suspect behavior at school activities may be asked to take a Breathalyzer test.” Yet, these consequences were not meant to be solely for punitive actions but as a preventative step for the future.
“The hope was that students would be made more aware of the policy which would result in them making good decisions and choices,” Riches said. Gardner and Riches also discussed with students the punishments and effects of making poor decisions when it comes to alcohol and drug use. “The ramifications of either expulsion or suspension can be very detrimental when a student applies to college or is a senior and has already applied to the colleges. Suspension stays on your record and is reported to the colleges,” Gardner said. To prevent any student abuse of alcohol or drugs, Gardner announced that Breathalyzer tests would randomly be done at Pinewood events and dances. “We have really great students who always behave excellently, but we want the one or two students who may cross the line realize we aren’t going to let them spoil the functions for the rest of the classes,” Gardner said. At the end of the meeting, Maier of-
fered students the opportunity to talk with her. She publicized her ability to comfort any overstressed or concerned students and reiterated the importance of the dangers of alcohol and drug use. Riches and Gardner said it was necessary to hold these meetings to make sure each student knows the implications and consequences involved with taking drugs and alcohol. While they feel the issue to be an important one, they still place a large amount of trust on the Pinewood student body at large. “I feel that the majority of our students are very responsible and make good decisions,” Riches said. “It is just a few who have partaken in illegal substances,” Gardner added. “The majority know what they should be doing. There may be a few who get involved with alcohol or drugs away from school. I wish they would make better choices. I really hope that they don’t bring these things onto the Pinewood campus or to Pinewood events.”
Pinewood Performs “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Pinewood students perform “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in the Pinewood Theater Dec. 8-10. Photos taken by Faiz Khan.
Why Is There No Rolling Across the Finish Line Proves Hansen’s Biggest Birthday Gift Veteran’s Day Assembly? But why do a triathlon? “I liked [the idea] so much because of the expectation to really master each element and push yourself in every discipline for the whole race,” Hansen said, “and it provided the perNov. 20 was a regular Saturday for a majority fect opportunity to combine my passion for triathof us teenagers, but not for Pinewood senior Jen- lons with my need to show Nancy how much she ny Hansen. Upon turning 18, Hansen completed means to me.” her very first Ironman triathlon in Tempe, Ariz., to Preparing for this race was no easy task. Balancing show her support school, college for the Blazeapplications, man foundation and the rigorin finding a cure ous training, for Amyotrophic Hansen spent Lateral Scleroof a lot of her sis, a disease of time helping to the nerve cells find a cure for in which muscle ALS. “I had a strength dimishcoach and got es and eventue-mails through ally even disintea training webgrates so that site every night they are no longer to tell me what functionable. I was doing in The Ironman the next two includes swimdays,” Hansen ming 2.4 miles, said, “I had to biking 112 miles, be super orand running 26.2 ganized and miles. She was know exactly 1:20:08 on the what my trainswim, 9:42 in ing was.” transition between To date, she Senior Jenny Hansen poses with the medal and plaque she earned after winevents, 6:45:47 on ning 3rd place at the Ironman traithlon in Tempe, Arizona. Photos taken by has raised an the bike, 7:06 in Emily Ng. impressive $41, transition, and 5:01 609 through in the marathon, for a total of 13 hours, 23 minutes, countless fundraisers. “I learned that I broke my and 45 seconds. fundraising goal the day before Thanksgiving, “By the third loop, I was hurting bad. I had never so there was lots to be thankful for this year,” Hancramped during training, but looking back, I was sen said. thinking, ‘Ok I know what cramping feels like Even though she completed the Ironman and now,’” Hansen said. reached her fundraising goal, Hansen is not planHansen was, and still is, determined to do all she ning on stopping there. “This doesn’t mean that is capable of doing to bring hope to people suffer- the fight is over. ALS still hasn’t been cured and ing from ALS disease. Hansen became inspired dur- ultimately, that is the only goal I care about,” ing her sophomore year after her basketball coach, Hansen said. dear friend, and member of the Pinewood comIn the end, Hansen could not have asked for a munity, Nancy had been diagnosed with ALS back better ending to the race. “The odds are 1 in 20, but in May 2009. my mom caught up with me, and we rolled across “Nancy’s diagnosis [made] time limited; I wanted the finish line together.. I can’t put the emotions into to do the race before the disease took its toll,” Han- words, but visually I can relive the memory every sen said. single day,” Hansen said.
ANNIE KONG STAFF WRITER
SARAH LAWSON STAFF WRITER
Veterans Day, honoring veterans who fought in past or current wars, was on Nov. 11, and for the last two years, Pinewood has hosted a Veteran’s Day assemblies on Nov. 12 to commemorate all the veterans who have fought in wars for the United States. However, this past year, no Veteran’s Day assembly was held. Last year, the theme for 2009-2010’s Excellence Assembly was “Make a Difference,” and for Veteran’s Day, Pinewood hosted World War II veteran Jack Knell and Captain Mark Flitton, who was sent to combat in regions in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. This assembly, featuring the moving stories and slideshows of their experiences, proved popular with the students and left many feeling disappointed when they noticed a lack of a Veteran’s Day Assembly this year. “I was quite upset that there was no assembly for this year’s Veterans Day,” freshman Sydney Goeld said. “I think that it is important to honor our soldiers who fought for us, as well as to commemorate the soldiers who are fighting for us this very moment.”
“
I think that it is important to honor our soldiers who fought for us, as well as to commemorate the soldiers who are fighting for us this very moment. --freshman Sydney Goeld
”
However, the Pinewood administration intended to spotlight a different theme this year. “The last two assemblies held on Veterans Day were assemblies put on by the School Board. They were part of what are called ‘Excellence Assemblies.’ This year, they wanted to have a different theme for their Excellence Assembly that differed from a ‘Veterans Day’ theme. Before the recent two Veteran’s assemblies, we didn’t do anything special on this day, so we basically just reverted back to that,” Principal Mark Gardner said. In the past, schedules included office hours and alloted time for assemblies. New changes were made to this year’s schedule. In the past, office hours occurred on Monday and time was given for assemblies on Tuesday; however, the administration realized that the majority of students did not take advantage of the time allotted for office hours to talk with teachers or clarify material learned in class, so the schedule was amended in order to give more time for classes and allow for flexibility to host assemblies on a modified Friday schedule.As a result of these changes, there have been less assemblies at Pinewood, and the lack of a Veteran’s Day Assembly may be the result of these scheduling changes. Nevertheless, many students were disappointed that the administration did not highlight this national holiday as in years past. “It is a tragedy that this great holiday could pass by without even a minor glimpse of notoriety,” freshman Travis Jones said.
Opinion 2
Fair or Foul?
The Editor’s Corner GARRETT BIGGS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Two famous presidential philanderers, Grover Cleveland and Andrew Jackson. Photos taken from crghenry.org. VICTORIA GARDINER STAFF WRITER Elections season is not only remembered in the hearts of every American as a time of democracy and patriotism, but as a feeding frenzy for tabloids and gossip columnists. Suddenly, here is a plethora of targets that will not only have the juiciest, most tantalizing gossip, but the resulting damage control will continue to perpetuate the story, thus producing more actions to twist into criticism. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing a politician with egg on his face as much as the next person, but at what point does it stop being tabloid fodder, and start to actually matter? History provides us with plenty of examples of Presidents’ personal lives being brought to the forefront of the media for the amusement of the masses. At times this information has been irrelevant and trivial, at others, even leaving lasting damage to the candidate’s personal life. One example of this that we can lift from American history, is a marital scandal involving President Andrew Jackson. It turned out that the divorce of Jackson’s wife to her first husband had never been properly finalized, and that her current marriage was void because of this. The Jackson’s rectified this clerical error immediately, but not before the media could get a hold of it. Rachel Jackson was bat-
tered with slander during her husband’s campaign. She died shortly before her husband’s inauguration, and though there is no evidence to suggest it, Jackson blamed the media’s slander and the shame it brought her for her death. So fair or foul? I say foul. If Jackson had not rectified his marriage, then there would be something to talk about, but given the circumstances this slander was just an attempt to discredit Jackson during his campaign. In addition to Jackson, history also provides us with President Grover Cleveland, who was slandered by opponents during his presidential campaign for having sired an illegitimate child. It got to the point where Cleveland’s opponents had single mothers standing at his speeches with their young children in tow chanting, “ma ma, where’s my pa?” After Cleveland’s victory, his supporters retorted back in kind with “He’s in the White House, ha ha ha.” It would be a fair thing to bring up, if Cleveland had left his lover and child to fend for themselves, but, in fact, Cleveland regularly paid the required child support and went to great lengths to ensure that his child was happy, healthy and educated. Not only is it irrelevant to bring up indiscretions that the target in question owns up to, but it gives them the chance to show that they have a sense of responsibility. It does more good than harm to the candidate’s reputation.
However, there are situations where a political figure’s indiscretions can matter greatly. The most famous example being Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Not only did this little fling expose Clinton’s moral shortcomings, he made a mistake by lying to his wife and the American people about it. The tryst became fair game the moment the attempt was made to cover it up. And finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Newt Gingrich. Fair or foul? In my view, absolutely, one hundred percent, beyond the shadow of a doubt…fair. A cornerstone of Gingrich’s campaign is his supposed family values. How can the American public believe in the ‘family values’ of a man who has not only had three wives, but divorced the first two promptly after they were diagnosed with terminal illnesses? In the case of his second wife, doctors explicitly advised that stress would take a great toll on her health. Last time I checked, divorce proceedings were’nt exactly massage therapy. So at what point does a candidate’s personal life begin to matter in their politics? Answer: when indiscretions of their personal life contradict major components of their policies, or when they have the gaul to blatantly lie to the American public about the matter. But if the indiscretion is something they are owning up to, it is best to leave it alone.
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WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS, AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! IF THESE OPINION/EDITORIAL ARTICLES, OR ANY OF THE ONES ON THE OTHER PAGES SOLICIT A RESPONSE, PLEASE EMAIL US AT:
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EDITORS IN CHIEF: Garrett Biggs Max Darrow NEWS EDITORS: Matti Thurston Emily Zhang ADVISOR: Kim Wetzel
FEATURES EDITORS: Karalena Davis Niuniu Teo SPORTS EDITORS: Max Darrow Stephen Yu
Panther Prints Staff OP/ED EDITORS: Garrett Biggs Tiffany Chen
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Robin Sanders PHOTO EDITOR: Lindsay Riches
STAFF WRITERS: Ben Brown Sam Carp Rorie Duncan Kevin Endersby Victoria Gardiner Andrew Gerson Alex Hasnain Annie Kong Sarah Lawson
For those of you who are familiar with the Opinion pages of the Panther Prints, you may recognize the fact that I have had an opinion article in almost every single issue of the Prints since my freshman year. I have established my views on a number of issues from why indigo has been taken out of the rainbow (I’m still mad), to an increase in the number of Christians living in China. Yet I have a problem, and that is that I am loud, and although I am now the editor-in-chief of the Panther Prints, I rant endlessly during layout about a number of issues proving to be a liability in production. Thus, the editor’s corner was invented. This is a place of meditation, where instead of being loud and writing an opinion article, I can be quiet and write my opinion article faster. No longer will our wonderful advisor Kim Wetzel, have to tell me to shut up and write. Instead, my “worthwhile?” thoughts will now be published for the school to read. Yikes. This week is Oscar Week, and although I am not exactly a religious follower of it as opposed to some of my colleagues, I was startled by a recent article published in the Los Angeles Times. For those of you who do not know, the 5,765 Academy Voters names are kept secret from the
Oscar trophies on display. Photo taken from everythingmultimediaonline.wordpress.com.
public, so influence is not swayed. That said, the LA Times did find out quite a bit about the voters. According to the Times, “Oscar voters are nearly 94% Caucasian and 77% male, The Times found. Blacks are about 2% of the academy, and Latinos are less than 2%.” This group of voters is clearly less diverse than the general movie going public, and this upsets me on a number of levels. First of all, because of this, the winners of the Oscars will not reflect the opinion of the general public. Isn’t true success in film-making, when a large number of people respect and enjoy your show, opposed to a small group of rich white men that only represent a minority of the population? Wouldn’t this explain why horrible British dramas that nobody has ever seen win every single year and movies like “The Blind Side” and “Avatar” lose? It actually is a country for old men. (Three points to the person that gets why that is a funny reference). In other news, I am back from New York after attending the Broadway Student Summit with eight other Pinewood actors. I also have been officially quoted for the first time on page 5! Karalena, my Arts & Culture editor, will be getting yelled at later for letting that quote be published. The point of this aside is that I was impressed by the increase of religious Broadway shows spreading through New York. While there I attended a revival of “Godspell”, and the new musical “Sister Act”. It is clear that these shows have decided to put religion (specifically Christianity in the most fun light possible). Christian or not you have to respect the strategy of trying to capture a new generation, by making religion as fun as possible. And now my word limit is up, so I will see you in the satirical issue this April. Later, folks.
Owen Lewis Austin Liang Raquel Perez Camille Polster Shani Rosenthal Kelly Ryan Brittany Schulte Etelle Stephan Sydni Topper Karina Uppal
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Faiz & Natasha Khan Amrith Deepak Vishal Jindal Emily Ng David Rodden Annie Whitacre WEB MASTER: Alex Banning
Editorial 3
Welcome to America!
Image Taken From http://collegecandy.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/starbucks_barista.jpg?w=408&h=408
RAQUEL PEREZ STAFF WRITER “Hello, how are you today?” asked the smiling 20 year-old behind the counter. “Good, thanks…and you?” I replied as I reminded myself that this was what I was
supposed to answer, and not just a good old “Fine, thanks, bye.” As I handed my $3 for the overpriced coffee, the conversation continued. “I am wonderful!! Christmas is just great, isn’t it?” At this point (I had gotten my change back), I was more than ready to leave since I saw
that this overly-cheerful small talk was going nowhere. I answered back with something equally lively and started on my way. For some reason, the girl didn’t feel I should be going anywhere. Three eternal minutes and after having caused an extremely long queue (my bad) later, I left the shop. It goes without saying that this was all after sharing quite a few irrelevant facts about my life, which were of absolutely no interest to either of us. This is just one of the many times I have felt slightly harassed by the false friendliness Americans convey. When I arrived in America, I was shocked by how similar everything was to those unoriginal Hollywood films. It just seemed so obvious to me that no one meant what he said that I couldn’t understand why no one else was annoyed by it. I grew up moving back and forth between London and Rome. Even when I had settled down in Madrid, my friends were constantly coming and going. Despite feeling like I had always been surrounded by people from all over the world (including Americans), I was shocked to find how scarcely prepared I was for what was coming. Something that I had previously noticed when coming here on holiday was the excessive kindness Americans seemed to show. Whether it’s when I go to a restaurant, when I’m at a store, when I see your neighbours, people are all just far too nice for someone I’ve just met. At first, I found this to be a mixture between pleasing and fake. I found it unnatural for everyone to ask me about my day and personal details of my life despite him or her not knowing me or having any interest whatsoever in my answer.
This never happens in Europe, so all these situations were very awkward and bizarre for me. On the other hand, everyone appeared to be the exact opposite in every other aspect of social life. Now, I was confused. I felt the only reason people were nice to me was because they were getting paid to act that way. Every other human being in San Francisco had no issue pushing, blocking the sidewalk, staring, or messing around with their chewing gum every two seconds in public. There’s such a contradiction. Everyone is so terribly polite in some ways and so absurdly rude in others, when funnily enough it isn’t even their intention (I hope). Now past my original confusion and after having spent a fair amount of time with Americans, I think it’s safe to say that as a European I am simply used to more straightforward relationships. Europeans in general just don’t have the same values and concepts of affection as Americans do here. So, to me, it’s been strange getting used to this overwhelming friendliness as I have to keep mentally correcting myself. I’m more confident now of my understanding of how it all works: it’s just a difference in character and personality. To be honest, having discovered this (and it has taken me a while), I feel we’re all the same, when it comes down to it. We just have a different way of presenting ourselves to the world. Ironically enough, now every time the man at the Safeway asks me the same old questions, I find myself thinking that hey, after all, where else in the world are you going to find this? Nowhere, and that’s what makes this whole misleading friendliness so great: it’s unique.
Occupy Wall Street AUSTIN LIANG STAFF WRITER The Occupy Movement is an international movement protesting social and economic inequality. This movement’s first largely publicized protests took place on Wall Street on Sept. 17 earlier this year, started by a Canadian-based group called Adbusters. From there, this movement has spread to all corners of the globe, even reaching our very own San Francisco and Oakland. Supporters advocate the slogan, “We are the 99 percent,” referring to the large concentration of wealth among the top 1 percent income makers of the United States Protesters have drawn up various demands, some of which are to campaign finance reform, to help improve student loans, and to develop a fair and democratic fiscal and political market. Their underlying sentiment, however, is rage against what they see as the corruption of banks, and income inequality. Risky lending practices by major banks played a huge role in the crisis of 2008. Even after substantial government bailouts, the banks refused to release their tight hold on credit and instead used the extra capital to finance their bosses’ bonuses. This inherent unfairness fuels much of the protesters’ anger today. As of income inequaliy, the gap between the rich and the poor is quite large. After the start of the Great Recession, the total wealth owned by the top 1 percent of Americans grew from 34.6 percent to 37.1 percent. Moreover, in the last 30 years, the income of the top 1 percent of Americans have grown by 275 percent while the 60 percent of Americans in the middle of the income scale saw their wealth grow only by 40 percent (http://money.cnn. com/2011/02/22/news/economy/income_inequality/index.htm). Though the protesters’ key ideas are valid, the lack of clear leadership could hamper their effectiveness. Movements need leaders in order to truly succeed. Gandhi led the Indian independence movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Civil Rights movement. The Tea Partiers found their leaders in Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, and managed to profoundly shift the discourse of the Republican Party. Movements without leaders tend to sputter.
In the Egyptian Revolution, Mubarak stepped down more than seven months ago, but protests are still happening all over the country because there is still unfair and harsh ruling from the military leaders. Egypt’s protesters do not have any clear leader or organization, and therefore are still struggling to create a peaceful society for themselves to live in. If the Occupy protestors do not have a leader step up or show initiative and drive for economic change, then they will most likely fail to achieve anything substantial. Without a leader, the Occupy movement will simply confuse those who might listen with their wide range of opinions and voices. The Occupy momement’s protests have spread all over the world, inducing sitdowns
Cartoon by David Rodden
everywhere. Occassionaly such protests have induced extreme police reaction. The most notorious of police actions is probably the police response to peaceful UC protesters. One policeman literally paced back and forth along a row of sitting protestors, pepper spraying as he went. He continued unperturbed even as bystanders chanted, “Shame on you!” While the protesters were given multiple warnings to move out of the way and break things up, this extreme police response is in no way justified. All the protesters really were doing were sitting and chanting. Even though it is the police’s job to protect other citizens from possible acts of violence from these protesters (or clearing major thoroughfares), the cops went too far in making sure that wouldn’t happen.
In this case, the police are overstepping their bounds as protectors and are in fact abusing their power mindlessly to help “protect” people, but hurting others in the process. Instead of brutally spraying people with pepper spray, a more peaceful solution, such as a three-day notice of eviction, could have been used. Over 3,200 arrests, more than 100 injuries, and 8 deaths have occurred from when police officers tried to forcefully disband an adrenalized crowd. The Occupy Movement is definitely going to create change around the world. With less police brutality and more initiative shown from these determined protesters, they can better strive to create a fair and uncorrupted economic system that benefits everyone appropriately.
features 4
L a c y ’s C h r i s t m a s Visitors from Oregon
Scott Lacy’s album artwork, which is available for download on iTunes. Courtesy of Scott Lacy.
KARINA UPPAL STAFF WRITER
“My family and I loved the song selection in the album! All the songs are very pretty and add to the holiday spirit. Every song is beautifully played, and I could tell how much time and effort he put into making them sound so lovely and delicate. The way each song flows, getting quieter at some parts, more intense or spirited at other parts, was very suitable for each piece,” senior Ava Adlaparvar said. Some students believed that the album, which was being sold at the Performing Arts booth at the Jamboree, would have been much more interesting if Lacy had sung in it. “I wanted to hear Mr. Lacy’s voice on his album, but as it turns out, the CD is all instrumental. It was kind of a disappointment, but the CD is still amazing,” freshman Carson Robinette said. Most of the students who have listened to Lacy’s Christmas CD enjoy its mood and style. “I think the songs on the CD are very emotional. It is great background piano music. People should definitely buy the album; it is perfect for the season,” freshman Hannah Manheim said. Not only do the students find “This Christmas” a calming CD, but members of the Pinewood faculty also find it beautiful. “The CD is just gorgeous. The quality is surprisingly amazing for it being just piano… Really, he is so good, and I think we are really lucky to have him here [at Pinewood],” Office Manager Kristina Nakagawa said. Lacy enjoys more relaxed music, which is probably why “This Christmas” is a soothing album. “My recordings tend to be more acoustic in sound. I guess in this crazy world of noise and fast paced days, I always look to music to calm my soul and create peace. That is what I want to give to my listeners,” Lacy said.
Christmas is in the air and with it, music, songs, and carols. Pinewood’s new music teacher, Scott Lacy, has released his new Christmas album called “This Christmas”, his second CD after his debut CD from 2004, “A Quiet Place.” His album, “This Christmas,” is out on iTunes, CD Baby, and other websites, available for download. “You can download it, or buy it directly from me. I am currently trying to get people to download it as I would love to get the album into the top 50 Christmas albums on iTunes this holiday season,” Lacy said. Lacy is one of the country’s most sought-after talents. Not only has he directed more than 120 theatre productions working with prestigious theatre companies such as the Tony Award winning La Jolla Playhouse, but he is also a vocal coach whose clients include award winning performers. Lacy’s fondness for music and singing beHear My Song: gan at a young age. “I began playing the piano at age four. I honestly don’t remember much An Evening With except that my sister was taking lessons, and Scott Lacy I wanted to too. I studied classical piano for most of my life up until college. I have always loved to sing, but I began my formal study of voice lessons at the age of 15. After beginning these lessons, I immediately shifted my focus to becoming a singer and professional performer,” Scott Lacy said. Mr. Lacy is a successful recording artist and has recorded seven albums with various artists. According to Lacy, “This Christmas” was all piano “by accident.” “When I lived in San Diego before I moved up to San Francisco, the Lamb’s Players Theatre, an award-winning theatre company, asked me to create a musical soundtrack, with a mod- The poster advertisement for G. Scott Lacy’s ern setting and soothing style, for a Christmas upcoming performance, Hear My Song: An Eveplay. One night after everyone had left the re- ning with G. Scott Lacy. Courtesy of Scott Lacy. hearsal, the sound designer and I recorded for Scott Lacy has an upcoming perforthree hours until 3 a.m., and what came out of it is this Christmas album. There was no real mance in San Francisco on Jan. 30. plan; it just kind of happened,” Lacy said. According to his own website, Hear My Many Pinewood students have had the oppor- Song is “a musical ride through his life tunity to listen to the CD and think the album from a young child to the present. Artfully is gorgeous and offers a relaxing feel to it. weaving story and song, Mr. Lacy inti-
Question of the Month
mately shares his journey through Broadway, Pop and Cabaret standards.” Visit www.gscottlacy.com for more details.
VICTORIA GARDINER STAFF WRITER On Nov. 18, Christopher Michael Rivera and Orion Bradshaw of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival performed a series of comedic skits under the guise of a “lecture” on the value of the written word. Through comical skits and scenes taken from Shakespeare’s plays, such as a “Hot Tub Time Machine” parody of a skit originally featuring Hugh Laurie [House], and scenes taken from Othello, the two both educated and entertained through their antics. Rivera and Bradshaw sat down with Panher Prints writer Victoria Gardiner in between their performances for the high school and the junior high, to pick their brains about why they do what they do. How did you each start with the school tour program? Bradshaw: I was a company member for three season. After a while I started teaching at the Festival campus, this was my fourth year applying for the school tour program and they finally let me in. Rivera: This is my fourth year with the school tour program. I started in 2007 the year I joined the OSF. [The Oregon Shakespeare Festival]. Bradshaw takes the stage. Photo by Faiz Khan.
What has been your favorite experience while on a school tour? Bradshaw: One tour this season we went to a really poor school in a really rough neighborhood, and after the performance one teacher had all of her student sign a big thank you card, and some of the comments were pretty generic, but a few of them were really heartfelt and sincere, and its always great to see that. Rivera: I love working with kids during the workshops or the performance and just seeing their light bulbs go off. Seeing kids who might usually be quiet and withdrawn in class come out of their shell in a workshop because they understand Shakespeare and words. It’s really cool because we see it happen happens in so many different ways. Rivera rouses the audience. Photo by Faiz Khan.
Rivera and Bradshaw help each other through a Hamlet monologue. Photo by Faiz Khan.
What sort of things do you want students to walk away from the performance with? Bradshaw: We want students to be excited about words and language, and not just Shakespeare. I want to see students excited about learning language and being creative with it. Rivera: I want to see students develop an new interest in stuff like Shakespeare, and understand it. We make a joke about it in the show, but it [Shakespeare] isn’t just Elizabethan ruffs. Its great to see this sort of wall come down as kids develop an understanding, I want kids to walk away from the show and not be intimidated by Shakespeare anymore, so they can enjoy learning it.
What’s the strangest present or gift you have ever received?
“For my wedding gift, my college roommate got me a cockatiel that lived for 16 years.”
“I once got a gun lamp where the base looked like a little gun.”
“I got a teacup pig.”
“Once I got this little box and I opened it, and it was gnome.”
“I got a desk once.”
-Sabra Abraham Teacher
-Adrienne Whitlock Senior
-Colin Gulesserian, Junior
-Charlotte Johnson Sophomore
-Cole Mitchell Freshman
Arts And Culture 5
Art At Zoe’s RORIE DUNCAN STAFF WRITER The 2011 Pinewood Art Show was a hit among Pinewood faculty, students, and parents. On Friday, Dec. 2, Cafe Zoe in Menlo Park hosted Pinewoodʼs first art show containing of all the art from the studentsʼ first semester at Pinewood. From 7-9 p.m., parents, teachers, and students enjoyed a wide variety of art. Studentsʼ work was hung up on the walls as well as studentsʼ videos, which were projected on a wall behind the counter for all to enjoy. Delicious food was served as guests made conversation about the presented work. People came and went as they pleased so it was an all-around relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. “Everyone there seemed to really enjoy the art. The setting was perfect and the art itself was magnificent,” P.E. teacher Doc Schepler said. The art was organized on different walls according to each class added a pop of color to the walls. However, art was not the only entertainment at the
show this year. Sophomores Quinn Foster and Daniel Shvarts, along with former Pinewood student Parker Shaefle, provided an acoustic set of music with songs like “Gives you Hell,” “Wonderwall,” “Everlong,” “Where is my mind,” “Ghost who Walks,” and “Far From Never.” The music added a whole new artistic element to the show. “I thought it was a really nice function. The cafe was a great place to have it, and in my opinion the music added to the whole atmosphere of it. It was my first “gig” kind of thing and I was really nervous but letʼs just say: if I can play through that I think I can play through anything. It was a great show,” Foster said. Applause and compliments from the audience showed that they too enjoyed the show. Another thing that made Cafe Zoe the perfect location was the delicious food that was served. From bread and cheese to lemon squares and sandwiches, those who attended were in for a treat. “It was really nice to be able to play there and the art was incredible, but the best part was the cheese paninis. It was the greatest thing to
ever enter my mouth,” Shvarts said. “The food was really good and the music was great. Seeing my friends perform was awesome, and it was all around just really really fun,” junior Claire Nolan said. With a unanimous vote, the art show wowed the critics and defined a new approach to art at Pinewood. Jared Leake, the new art teacher replacing Casey Smith, has made a great and innovative new approach to art, creating new classes that have caught the attention of many Pinewood students who had never previously participated in art courses. These new classes, including photography and graphic and digital design, have made the art program more fun and exciting by giving students a larger variety of arts explore. “Heʼs a really chill, laidback guy and makes the classes fun and exciting by showing his enthusiasm for the class,” junior Colin Gulesserian said. By making the show a social event, Leake showed how inspiring art can be, making even more students interested in his entertaining but educational classes.
Can You Spell“Hilarious”? SYDNI TOPPER STAFF WRITER Singing, dancing, hilarious jokes, a talented cast: this musical has it all. Pinewood’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” which ran for two nights with one matinée, completely captivated audience members for all two and a half hours of the show. “I don’t think I stopped laughing for the entire time!” freshman Whitney Mathews said. The cast included all kinds of unique characters, from the nerdy and pompous William Barfée, played by sophomore Talmage Wise, to the saucy Marta Martinez, played by senior Ava Adlparvar. “Every single one of us had a distinct, interesting, and hilarious character, which let us really get into the show and go full out,” Adlparvar said. The musical takes place in a small town called Putnam, where each year, a competitive spelling bee takes place. At the beginning of the musical, each participant was introduced, and the 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee commenced. Soon, they audience got to participate in the Spelling Bee as well. Four audience members were chosen at random and had the chance to spell words that were either ri-
diculously easy or insanely difficult. “My favorite part was the improv nature of this show. You never know what could happen on stage since we had volunteer spellers from the audience. Every night was different, but it was so much fun,” director Spencer Williams said. “It was honestly the most fun play I think I’ve ever been in, and there was not a moment when I wasn’t busting out laughing with the other cast members,” said junior Lindsay Riches, who played Olive Ostrovsky. Throughout the play, each character goes through a personal conflict while spelling incredibly difficult words, cracking hysterical jokes, and listening to Vice Principal Douglas Panch, played by senior Max Darrow’s entertainingly unhelpful definitions and sentences. Each character has his or her own unique struggle. For example, Marcy Park, played by freshman Eri Yoshimoto, had always been a humorless overachiever. However, after being called “too serious,” she decides that she is tired of always winning at everything, and she throws the competition. Another character, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, played by Claire Witzke, was a nerdy girl who wanted to win the competition in order to impress her two dads and win their affection. However, she tries to cheat
and sabotage Barfée’s “magic foot,” which helps him spell the words correctly. She herself gets disqualified when she spells the word “vug” incorrectly. Other actors, such as Garrett Biggs and Carson Robinette both played equally funny rolls also. In the end, it comes down to two competitors, Ostrovsky, a smalltown girl who can’t pay the entrance fee, and Barfée, an arrogant know-itall. When Ostrovsky misses a word, it is up to Barfée to decide if he wants to take the prize or let the beautiful Ostrovsky win. Unsurprisingly, he takes the prize and wins a $200 scholarship towards his future education. However, Panch shows his sensitive side and gives Olive Ostrovsky $25 from his wallet so she can pay the entrance fee. The show ended with each character telling a bit about what happened in their future. “My favorite part of performing is the very end when we’re doing our bows. It makes me happy when people clap because it shows that they liked the play and everything we did,” said junior Jenny Paz, who took the role of Rona Lisa Peretti, a former Putnam Spelling Bee winner and one of the announcers at the 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee. “The whole cast is so relieved that it all came together, and I will never forget being a part of this oneof-a-kind musical,” Riches said.
A Gamer’s Guide to Christmas VICTORIA GARDINER STAFF WRITER With the Holidays right around the corner, many big-label video game companies are pulling out all the stops with their latest and greatest releases. Some of this season’s games have been the most anticipated of the year; here are a few to look out for. ASSASSIN’S CREED: REVELATIONS System: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Rating: M Single Player / Online Multiplayer The fourth installment in the highly successful “Assassin’s Creed” series, “Revelations” follows the journey of Ezio Auditore, who is now grand master of the Assassin’s brotherhood on his journey through the Middle East to piece together the legacy of his ancestor, Altair Ibin LaAhad. The game also exposes major revelations about the series protagonist, Desmond Miles, and the mysterious Subject 16. “Revelations” still contains many of the features of its predecessor, “Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood,” such as a revamped multiplayer campaign, but it improves on the assassin apprentice metagame first debuted in Brotherhood. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD System: Wii Rating: E 10+ Single Player After the massive Success of LoZ: “Twilight Princess” on the Wii ,Zelda fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of a new console installment of the series. With a five-year delay, peppered with hand held system releases, the wait is finally over. “Skyward Sword” serves as the prequel to the series’ cornerstone game, “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.” Throughout the game, the player discovers the origin of several of the series’ repeating themes such as “The Master Sword,” and the origins of the series’ antagonist, Ganondorf. Just as its predecessor, “Skyward Sword” utilizes the Wii’s motion sensor controls in gameplay, though the improved software leads to a much smoother gaming experience. MARIO KART 7 System: Nintendo 3DS Rating: E Single Player / Online Multiplayer Just like every “Mario Kart” installment before it, “Mario Kart 7” promises to be just as addictive as the last. “Mario Kart 7” continues as a comic, carton style, racing game, incorporating themes, settings, and characters, from Nintendo’s classic Mario Brothers series. However, this is the first installment of the series to use the 3D presentation of the new Nintendo 3DS. The game also presents a first person perspective option where the player controls their go-kart gyroscopically by tilting the 3DS to move. Like prior versions of the game, “Mario Kart 7” looks to be a fun and comical distraction for gamers who aren’t concerned with complex and building storylines and just want to have some fun. SKYRIM System: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Rating: M Single Player Fully titled, “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” this has been one of the year’s most highly anticipated games. A completely open world, role playing game with stunning graphics, music, and the complex building story line that the series is known for, “Skyrim” is an absolute must for lovers of “Dark Fantasy RPG’s.” “Skyrim” is entirely open world. While it does follow a storyline, the gameplay is nonlinear, meaning the player can do just about whatever they want at any give time. In addition, there are scores of options for players to customize their characters, appearance, skills, personality, and allegiances. The game incorporates a complete setting, with every single mentioned location and the space reachable by the player during gameplay. The game developers designed the setting by hand and Bethesda Softworks actually developed a new graphic engine specifically for the “Skyrim.” Bethesda has outdone itself to create an absolutely beautiful and complex game.
Far left: Junior Claire Witzke, freshman Carson Robinette, juniorJenny Paz, and sophomore Talmage Wise perform one of the musical dance numbers. Top right: Sophomore Talmage Wise performs on stage. Left: Freshman Eri Yoshimoto shows off her flexibility during one performance. Above: junior Lindsay Riches sings in the musical. Photos courtesy of Faiz Khan.
Sports 6
Tebow Wins Again
First Seasonal Sports Awards Ceremony a Success BRITTANY SCHULTE STAFF WRITER
Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow warms up before a game versus the San Diego Chargers. Tebow led his team to victory in overtime against the division rival. Photo taken from google.com.
MAX DARROW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Within his first 11 professional National Football League starts, Denver Broncos quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow has produced six fourth-quarter comebacks and has improved his record as a starter this year to 7-1. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to achieve this feat. Yet Tebow is constantly criticized by multitudes of Americans and sports analysts and is often labeled as a “kiss-up” a “poser,” and “a bad quarterback who cannot throw the ball.” But how does a bad quarterback come into a leadership position in a devastated locker room and suddenly put the Broncos in first place in their division, enroute to their first playoff birth since 2005? Obviously he must be doing something right. Though Tebow does not throw the ball over 300 yards every game as Aaron Rodgers does, or throw the perfect passes that Tom Brady does, he has a quality that takes most quarterbacks a career to develop: He knows how to win. “He gets the job done,” freshman Cole Mitchell said. “If he works on passing, he will develop into a great quarterback.” “I think he is a winner and I am excited to see how long it lasts,” Assistant Athletic Director Chad Morin said. As Tebow is young and inexperienced, he does have a lot of room to grow. Nev-
ertheless, he may never be the quarterback that John Elway was or Peyton Manning is. But if he can continue his clutch performances and further develop his skills as a leader, people will begin to realize if they haven’t already that he is a very special player. Since he is young and inexperienced, he creates immense amounts of entertainment for NFL fans around the country. Most football fans know that if the Pittsburgh Steelers get the ball with two minutes left and are behind, Ben Roethlisberger will lead them to victory. But because of Tebow’s style, only he and his teammates are confident that he will win. “I like Tebow because he is entertaining to watch in the fourth quarter and in overtime,” seventh grader Tommy Bruggeman said. Tebow may not have gained the respect of analysts and many football fans, but he has certainly gained the respect of fellow NFL players. Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback of the era, praised Tebow for his performance against the tough defense of the Chicago Bears, completing 21 passes for 236 yards, 191 of which were in the fourth quarter and overtime. “Everyone says he struggles throwing the ball. What I saw last night, he had no problems throwing the ball,” Brady said. “He threw the ball extremely well when I was watching.” With Tebow at the lead, the Broncos’ season has taken a 180-degree turn from a terrible one to a playoff bound one.
Making a Statement: Varsity Boys Basketball Wins Two Tournaments ANDREW GERSON STAFF WRITER The 7-1 varsity boys basketball team has had a strong start to the season, winning the Redwood Classic in Boonville for the second consecutive year. After defeating Branson in a close semifinal game, the boys handled the Stuart Hall Knights in the finals by a score of 75-47. “We were all there fully for each other, and I think that was the main reason why we won [the tournament],” senior Solomone Wolfgramm said. Senior Dante Fraioli was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament after averaging 16 points and four steals a game for a Pinewood squad that averaged 81 points a game during the tournament. Unfortunately, the momentum from the tournament did not carry over to their next game, as the boys lost in a non-league competition to St. Ignatius by a score of 73-66 despite leading at the half. Despite losing to this well-known and respected Division I team, the boys still had good vibes going into their next tournament. “The team culture is unbelievable this year. Everyone is cheering for each other,” senior Cameron Helvey said. Next on the Panthers’ schedule was the Cloverdale Tournament, where the team continued their strong start as the top ranked Division V team in the Central Coast Section. After trailing their opponents by 22 points in the final game of the tournament, the boys made a last-minute effort to win the game by one point in the final seconds. Still, the boys have vowed not let the team’s high
ranking and recent success get to their heads. “We’re going to take every team that we play as a tough game,” Wolfgramm said. After winning the CCS Divison V finals last year, the team lost in the Northern California playoffs (NorCals) and fell short of a state title game. Despite the losses of four key seniors from last year, the Panthers still have lofty goals to achieve. Led by Fraioli, Wolfgramm, Helvey, and fellow senior guard Bradley Naumann, the school should expect a high-scoring offense and a tenacious defense that will wear down opponents. While fans see success in the form of players on the court, the coaching staff is a huge part of the team’s great potential. Head Coach Jason Peery’s intense practices and smart game plan have helped build a team that is always prepared. “Without Coach [Peery], I don’t think we would have the tournament,” Wolfgramm said. At school, students and faculty are very supportive of the team as evidenced by the consistently strong fan turnout year in and year out, and this year is no different. However, this year fans are as hopeful as ever. “I think they will go farther than last year,” senior Evan Chan said. The team feels similarly, as many returning players hope that their deep post-season run last year will help them as this season brings new challenges. Coupled with ferocity and talent, this is a team that many teams fear to play against. “If we have a [good] kind of mindset, we can go as far as we want. And that’s the state finals,” Wolfgramm said.
On Thursday, Dec. 8, the Pinewood Athletics Department held its first ever Fall Sports Awards Ceremony. Coaches, athletes, parents, and fellow students gathered in the gym at lunch to celebrate the athletes who participated in fall sports. The fall sports include varsity football, cross-country, girls varsity and junior varsity volleyball, and girls varsity tennis. The coaches presented their players with many awards, including Most Valuable Player (MVP), Most Improved, and the Senior Award. In addition to celebrating the season’s achievements, the Fall Sports Awards also acted as a final goodbye to departing seniors. After a very successful season going 3-1 in league play, the varsity football team unveiled a new banner in the gymnasium: a championship banner with the year “2011” on it. On top of revealing the banner, senior and captain Dante Fraioli was awarded co-League MVP. Senior Emily Zhang of the girls tennis team was voted onto the All-League First Team for her fourth consecutive year, as many other players from all of the teams were voted to the All-League first and second teams. This is the first year that the awards have not been all presented at a final ceremony at the end of the year. Instead, the athlet-
ic department decided to have an awards ceremony at the end of each season—one for the fall, winter, and spring. “The biggest thing that made us switch was that we wanted to recognize our athletes now, at the end of their season, instead of waiting till May,” Athletic Director Matt Stimson said. Another change is that the awards ceremony was held at lunch instead of on a school night. This encouraged more students to attend, including students who did not participate in a sport but who wanted to be there and support their classmates. Pizza and drinks were served before the ceremony, which may have been another incentive for many students to attend. These changes seem to be worthwhile and a great improvement from previous years. “I really liked the ceremony. It was fun to receive the award in front of everyone and I think that having it at lunch was a good idea. It was quick, easy, and it made it so a lot of people could be there,” sophomore and JV Volleyball MVP Sarah Cilker said. According to Stimson, the turnout for the Fall Sports Awards was better than expected and many seemed to be pleased with the new changes. “The turnout was great, the pizza was great, and I think the coaches did an excellent job,” Stimson said. For a list of all of the award winners, see page 7.
Boys Flourish and Girls Fall in Alumni Ba sketball Ga mes KEVIN ENDERSBY STAFF WRITER
On Nov. 27, both former and current basketball players came to Pinewood’s Upper Campus Gym to play the annual alumni games. The girls lost, but the boys easily defeated the alumni. Students, spectators and the players all were very excited to reunite with friends and family, some after only a few years and others after many years. “All different kinds of alumni came; some were last year’s seniors and others were from as far back as 1993,” senior Nate Brown said. “It was fun to play with all of the alumni again.” “There were some guys, most of whom I had never seen before,” junior Josh Rose said. “There were also some people that had been on the team a few years ago like Peter Gallagher, Simon Hochberg, and Parker Fields, and it was just good to see them again and play basketball with them. It was fun to see a lot of the guys that were here last year, and it’s good to see them back in the Pinewood gym. I guess you could say we could have gotten a better turnout, but it was still good to see everyone who came.” This year’s boys varsity team took the game seriously. “I considered it more of a scrimmage or even a real game because there was no point in the game when we said, ‘Oh, we’re just going to take it easy on them,’” Rose said. “It was more of, like, ‘We have to get better.’” In fact, the boys team showed no mercy. “We crushed the alumni,” Brown said. “The game was definitely more like a real game.” Even though the current team dominated, all of the players on both teams were still able to enjoy the game.
“It was fun to play against people like Peter and my brother,” senior Dante Fraioli said, referring to his older brother Nick Fraioli who played on the team five years ago. “Even though it was just the people who are always able to attend, like most of last years’ seniors and a couple of die-hard basketball fanatics from a few years ago, it was still really fun. Even though it may have been fun and entertaining to be playing against your old friends and such, it was still competitive and we treated it as a real game.” The girls on the other hand, had a slightly larger, even more competitive turnout. “We had alumni who had played in college and were outstanding players, like Emily Liang, Sami Field-Polisso, Tika Koshiyama-Diaz, Sarah Feely, Daniella Roark, Liz Altmaier, Sebnam Kimyacioglu, and our assistant coach Anna Tracy,” varsity sophomore Kendahl Wallis-Lang said. The score was a bit closer in their game, partially due to the incredible skill of many alumni. “We played really well,” Wallis-Lang said. “It was really fun to be able to play against them. They were all really good, but I think we held our own. It was definitely more of a game than a friendly scrimmage.” Even though they played well, the girls team lost by six points to the alumni in the end. According to the players, the boys win wasn’t an accident or even necessarily due to the lack of skill of the alumni. “I think that conditioning was a large part of [our win],” Fraioli said. “Our team also played better as a team while the alumni didn’t really have a chance to be prepared.”
The varsity boys basketball team poses for a picture after defeating Berean Christian 57-56 in the final moments of the game, winning the Cloverdale Tournament. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Riches.
Sports 7
Colonna triumphs at xc state championships STEPHEN YU SPORTS EDITOR On Nov. 5, 2006, senior Megan Endersby represented Pinewood at the CIF State Cross Country Championships. Finishing in 91st place with a time of 21:49 (7:02 pace) in the women’s Division V 5,000 meters, Endersby surprised the entire Pinewood community with such a stunning performance. Flash-forward five years and meet a legacy in the making: freshman Nicole Colonna. On Nov. 26, 2011 at Woodwark Park in Fresno, California, Colonna also competed in the Division V CIF State Cross Country Championship but this time with much different results. Colonna finished 25th out of 175 of California’s fastest runners with a time of 19:45, two minutes faster than Endersby’s. Her performance solidified her budding high school cross country career as she placed second out of the 23 freshmen that participated. Although Colonna faced stark competition, she did not falter or lose sight of her goals. Remembering all the efforts she put into practice helped provide the extra kick she needed to finish races strongly. “During the State race I was so nervous that I was shaking. There were about 175 girls there and when I looked down the line there was just a never ending line of girls. I ran my best 5k time that day with a 19:45. I just ran my normal race and pushed myself until I crossed the final finish line,” Colonna said. Colonna’s speed and athleticism allowed her to compete amongst many upperclassmen, which ultimately helped build her confidence by adding experience. “I was extremely nervous at all of the high level meets such as CCS and State. It was also definitely intimidating to look around at all your competition and
Freshman Nicole Colonna running in the heat of competition. Photos by Faiz Khan.
see how old and experienced they all looked,” Colonna said. Perhaps it was this intimidation that contributed to Colonna’s stellar performance. Competing against mainly juniors and seniors, Colonna went into State with a calm, composed mindset that any place would suffice. “My expectations for the race were to place in the 40’s or 50th place. I was extremely shocked to learn that I finished 25. When I finished I thought I was in the high 30’s. I am extremely proud of my performance and I could not have run a better race than I did that day. Looking back, I don’t think I would do anything different. I think I ran the race of my life in State and I would not change a thing,” Colonna said. With three seasons still ahead of her, Colonna remains optimistic and enthusiastic, looking for ways to challenge herself to become a better runner.
What happened to Jingleball? SAM CARP STAFF WRITER The annual Jingleball tournament for Pinewood has been delayed until next year. The annual dodge ball tournament was scheduled to be held on Dec. 6, but due to the lack of participation from the students, it has been canceled. “There just weren’t enough students who signed up,” Activities Director Jackee Bruno said. The concept and objective of Jingleball is to raise money to offset the cost of winter formal tickets, and the more students who sign up, the lower the cost. In the past, the competition and participation for Jingleball had been immense. Students from freshman to seniors battle it
out on the tennis courts, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging. By the end of lunch, students would exit the battlefield bruised, dirty, and tired. It’s unclear why students failed to sign up this year. Some students speculate that it could be the price, which was lowered from last year to $40. Another reason could be the lack of advertisement. “I think my first thought to the cancellation of Jingleball was just astonishment. Why didn’t anybody want to play? I then realized that the Associated Student Body does need to take partial blame for the lack of participation. We need to do a better job of getting the word out,” senior and ASB President Bradley Naumann said. Bruno said he hopes the annual tradition will resume next year.
Fall sports awards team awards Football
Panther award - mikey naumann mvp - dante f raioli most improved player - kai kawashima
league awards football
co-mvp - dante fraioli first team - kevin sweat first team - mikey naumann first team - john bennett
cross country
most outstanding runner - nicole colonna
senior award - niuniu teo senior award - hannah dabagian
Cross country
first team - nicole colonna
“I see myself improving and becoming more successful every year, and to do this I will train as hard as I can and I will work hard to be the best that I can be,” Colonna said. An integral part of Colonna’s success came from her relationship with her teammates and coach. Both parties provided support in times of success and failure. “I was new to the cross country team this year because I am a freshman, but almost immediately my teammates started supporting me and cheering me on and made me feel part of the team. No matter how far behind I was in the race or no matter how disappointed in myself I was after the race was over, they all were always there to support me and congratulate me at the finish line after every race,” Colonna said. However, Colonna’s dedication to the sport provided her with the most motivation to perform at a high level.
“I motivated myself. I am a very competitive person and I always push myself to my limit. There were also my coach and my teammates that motivated me to do well because I did not want to disappoint them,” Colonna said. With the cross country season over, reminiscent memories presided over the entire team, but none was more prevalent than Colonna’s success. The entire team reveled in their successes from particpating in the WBAL championships to qualifying for the CCS championships. Even the first few meets harbored many memories among the teammates. “It is so hard to choose my favorite part of the season. There are just so many good memories from running with this team this year. The highlight for me was being privileged to run in state but also the practices when everyone was together and joking around were so much fun,” Colonna said.
Girls Basketball teams in developing season ROBIN SANDERS ASSISTANT EDITOR As the basketball season gets under way, the girl’s JV and Varsity teams must train hard in order to compete against competitive bay area teams. The girls’ varsity has been training especially hard. With five seniors graduated, the incoming freshmen must work extremely hard to uphold the precedent set by last year’s state championship team. Varsity won their first game against International High School, ending with an impressive 70-44 victory. Unfortunately, the team lost their second game against Scott’s Valley with a close 48-49 deficit. Currently at a 1-2 record, Doc and his team are confident about improving their standings. Kendahl Wallis-Lang, a sophomore who played varsity last year, is happy with the progress that the team is making. “This year has been really fun and we’re all getting alot better. Everyone is really excited for the season... and we’re coming together really well,” Wallis-Lang said. Kelly Doran, a senior on the team, has similar, albeit more realistic, views about the season. “There’s a lot of new players,a lot of things to learn, and a lot of meshing that needs to happen, but we are looking good” Doran said. The team as a whole is looking forward to their next few games. They are looking forward to getting a win on the
road as they travel to Overfelt High and Lincoln High. The JV team is also hoping to continue to improve in their game. They have a 12 record so far, having just took part in a Burlingame Tournament. They played the neighboring Gunn High School, where they unfortunately lost. However, they won their second game against Mission San Francisco with an ending score of 2423. The team lost their last game to Santa Cruz High School 50-20. Nancy Sutter, junior, has been playing on the team since her sophomore year, and was able to put the team’s standing in perspective. “We have mostly freshmen, with two sophomores and 2 juniors. When we play we are at a bit of a disadvantage because we are mostly short and skinny compared to tall girls we play,” Sutter said. While they may not be the most physical team out there, the JVgirls are excited for the season. Sutter commented that there was good chemistry between the players and the coach. “Our new coach Larry is really cool and helpful, and he makes the team come together a lot,” she said. In addition, in-team chemistry is strong as well. Junior Haley Longbottom noted that all the team members were getting along well. “It has actually been really fun so far this year, and we are all getting along so well. I hope that we will be able to work together on the court as well as we do off of it” she said.
jv volleyball
offensive player - rorie duncan most valuable player - sarah cilker most improved player - juka kim
varsity volleyball 2nd team - kandace korver
honorable mention - adrienne whitlock
varsity volleyball
honorable mention - jenn bodine
most valuable player - kandace korver rookie of the year - karalena davis hardest worker - adrienne whitlock
varsity tennis
varsity tennis
coaches award - nancy sutter coaches award - hannah manheim
first team - emily zhang honorable mention - nancy sutter honorable mention - katie wen honorable mention - tiffany chen
From left to right -senior Jenny Hansen, sophomore Leanna Bade, freshman Monique McDevitt, sophomore Kendahl Wallis-Lang, and freshman Marissa Hing. Photo by Emily Ng.
News 8
Winter Formal: Fun For All ALEX HASNAIN STAFF WRITER Pinewood held its annual junior high winter formal on Dec. 2 in the theater. Nearly all of the eighth grade and much of the seventh grade attended, taking part in assorted activities and lots of dancing. Per tradition, the Pinewood Junior high students arrived in nice clothes, ranging from simple polo shirts to full-on suits and formal dresses. “There was an emotional buzz in the air with everybody looking so fine,” eighth grader Michael Zhao said. This year’s dance was very similar to that of years before. There were refreshments outside, decorations inside, and very loud music all around. Students took advantage of a photo booth set up in the corner, where they posed for silly pictures. There was the famous “Best Dresser” contest for the males, with the winners receiving a small prize. Seventh grader Patrick Ennis took first in his tuxedo, while eighth grader Alec Dallas and his black suit nabbed second. Alex Banning, a seventh grader, won third place by wearing a fedora. Some liked the dance and enjoyed the pop music being played by DJ Doug Eivers, Pinewood’s theatre director.
“I thought the dance was really fun. Pretty much everybody went,” seventh grader Rebecca Stebbins said. “Most of the time everyone was inside dancing. My favorite part was the slow dances.” Some people found ways to entertain themselves outside of the dancing and the contests. “Mainly, people just stood in groups and just talked…but I liked hanging out and taking pictures with my friends,” eighth grader Natalie Gracia said.
TOP: Jaspaul Ghumman, Jackie Gerson, Raika Kim, Hannah Ditzler, Carolyn Ehrlich, and Michaela Podlesh line up to get pictures taken. LEFT: Dominick Twombly and Olivia Biggs enjoy a slow dance. RIGHT: Robert Sanders, Ethan Wallis-Lang, Ryan Chandra, and Elliot Foad sway to the music. Photos coutresy of Elaina Tyson
Pinewood Welcomes new Debate Coach Murphy BEN BROWN STAFF WRITER This year, Pinewood’s debate team hired a new coach, Laralyn Murphy. Murphy did six years of debate in her junior high school and high school years, has coached at Santa Clara University’s summer debate camp, and is currently working towards a master’s degree in economics. “I’m very happy to be Pinewood’s new debate coach,” Murphy said. Murphy has not made any significant changes to the Pinewood debate program; however the team has been competing in many more tournaments this year. “The practice you gain in tournaments can’t compare to the practice that we get in the classroom. One reason is that there is a much greater variety of competition at tournaments. In class, Pinewood students can only debate each other, where at tournaments, they might be competing against students from all over northern California and maybe even out of state. Also, there is only time in one class to do one debate round, but at a tournament, they do anywhere between four to six rounds, so going to a tournament provides at least four times the practice than a class. So class is important for discussing debate theory and current events, but the tournaments are the point of debate. It’s like the difference between practicing basketball and going to a game: there’s no point in practicing if you’re not going to play the game.” There are many different types of debate in the world, but Pinewood only competes in parliamentary debate, with the exception of junior cocaptain Alison Chang, who also competes in Lincoln-Douglas debate. The rules in Parliamentary debate are a derivative of the rules of British Parliament. In this type of debate,
Pinewood debate coach Laralyn Murphy antipicating a strong year in JV and Varsity debate. Photo by Vishal Jindal
individuals compete while others watch. On the other hand, LincolnDouglas debate developed from a series of presidential debates held between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858. This form of debate is one-on-one where philosophical ideas are applied to real-life problems, and the competitors usually alternate whether they are arguing for or against the proposition. In practice, the team will do a wide variety of exercises to pre-
pare for tournaments. The team will do speaking exercises, such as pretending they are a presidential candidate. They will do case analysis, which is where they write a short report on a round they lost in a previous tournament and how they could have made it go better. They will discuss current events and debate theory. And they will put it all together and have practice rounds. “The topic on which will be debated is never known until the students are in the prep room,
Ms. Maier’s Art Sale AMRITH DEEPAK STAFF WRITER Pinewood counselor Tina Maier participated in a Christmas art show from Friday Dec. 2 to Sunday Dec. 4, which was a craft fair at an artist guild in Pacifica, California. Fifty artists who are part of the guild sold their artwork, intending to sell them as Christmas gifts. The art show started on Friday with a live reception, with wine and music to kick start the event. Most people sold paintings and photography. Maier was the only one who sold clothing. By taking a garment and embellishing it by adding additional detailing, Maier introduced her own applique. “I took a $4 jacked and put my own original design on top of it,” Maier said. Overall, the show seemed to have been under-advertised. “It went OK. There is not a lot of foot traffic in Pacifica. There could’ve been better advertising,” Maier said. Despite the shortage of customers, Maier still made a profit. All of the unsold items are posted on her ETSY website, which sells handmade goods from all over the world. “I was a professional tailor before becoming a counselor at Pinewood. It is a passion,” Maier said.
and no Internet is allowed to be used. Prep time usually lasts about 20 minutes, and once that time is up, the students go to the room in which they will debate,” Freshman Sydney Goeld said. “Parliamentary Debate requires a lot of background knowledge about political systems, economics, and current events. The strong academics at Pinewood give our debaters a competitive edge because so many subjects cross-apply to their debate rounds,” Murphy said. It also works the other
way: Debate helps students prepare for school and life. Her main goal is improving the students’ person chances of success as opposed winning tournaments. “As we approach 2012, I’m looking forward to another exciting semester here and I’m hoping that we’ll get even more students interested in joining in January,” Murphy said. Those interested in joining Murphy’s speech and debate course should talk with Laurie Wilson in the office or contact Murphy at laralynmurphy@ gmail.com.