Panther Prints | November 2011

The Panther Prints Informing and Educating the Pinewood Community and the Surrounding Area for 25 Years Volume I. Edition 3.

November 18th, 2011

25th Annual Edition

Sadie s G o - e rs dr e s s to i m press... and scare My favorite part was when Jack Hochberg started DJ-ing towards the end of the dance. He had some mad swag. For next year, perPinewood held its annual chance student council could proSadies dance on Oct. 29. A vide some better food selection beday earlier, Pinewood’s Jucause my taste buds were not too nior High students attended aroused by the available options,” their own Halloween dance. senior Kandace Korver said. Both dances were held in the “Sadies was great. I think people Pinewood Theater, though the had a good time. There were a lot high school dance ran from 8of people who dressed up and there 11 p.m. and the junior high dance were some really cool and original was held from 7:30-10 p.m. costumes there so that made it pretLike many of Pinewood’s ty exciting to see. Also, we had a other dances—people came but good turnout and a lot of girls asked not enough to make the dance boys to the dance, ” senior and Ascrowded, though almost evsociated Student Body Activities eryone enjoyed it. Dressing member Evan Chan said. “I really up and comparing costumes, liked seeing everyone’s costumes, dancing to popular songs, and and almost everyone dressed up. I hanging out with friends made think the goal for next year is to this dance another big hit. Freshman Hannah Manheim and sophomore Natalie Arnheim gather in the Pinewood Theater for the Pinewood Sadies get even more people to go beOn the other hand, the junior dance. Photo courtesy of Hannah Manheim. cause even though there were a lot favorite part was the snowball! It was Plus there were very few cups, so some high Halloween dance was very of people there, I think it would be popular with almost everyone attend- nice how everyone got to dance with at people had to share cups,” Kim said. great to get even more people to go.” Like the junior high dance, the High ing the dance. Both the decorations and least one person, and it was an excuse Overall, both of these Halloween the music were well-received, but the to dance with the ‘special someone.’” School dance was popular too, though dances turned out to be a pleasant surThough the Halloween dance was there was criticsm over the music prise. “It was a lot better than the jusnowball, in which everyone rotates and must dance with someone different each excellent in terms of music and and food choice. However, the cos- nior high dances. A lot more people time, proved one of the most popular. fun, there was a minor issue with tume competition made the Sadies than I thought ended up going, so it “I thought the dance was pretty good, the quantity of drinks and cups. dance a hit; everyone enjoyed sharing was fun, but we weren’t really allowed especially the decorations...it looked like “They could have had more drinks… and showing their costume to others. to leave the area.My favorite part “It was fun seeing everyone’s costume was getting to coordinate outfits with the student council put a lot of effort in The drinks ran out in the first half of the it,” eighth grader Raika Kim said. “My dance, and everyone was super thirsty. and the competition was just grand… my date,” freshman Leah Hess said. ALEX HASNAIN STAFF WRITER

Intr oducing Dr. Hock:

Sadness spreads as students Pinewood’s New College Counselor learn of sea Lion’s death Each year, the process of college applications can be stressful, and so far, she has shown a lot of support and time for this years’ seniors.“ I spend lots of hours… many hours. Depending on how many a At the beginning of this year, Dr. Peggy Hock student wants to come in. I provide as much as each joined the Pinewood staff as our new college coun- senior needs, willing to come early and stay late, selor. With a lot of experience under her belt, Hock which I normally do,” Hock said. had been college counseling since 1992 before joinFor college meetings, colleges contact Pinewood ing the Pinewood community. because they want students. For the colleges who Hock had been the director of college counseling have not set up a Pinewood meeting, Hock calls for Notre Dame in San Jose before going into in- through connections and asks whether they would dependent consulting for college counseling in San be interested in visiting. Francisco. Hock also taught the college counseling The current seniors seem to be impressed with certificate program in Hock’s commitment Berkeley and an online and credibility. “She course for University really knows what of California Los Anshe’s doing when she geles. talks about college. Her other profesShe really knows sions include a profeswhat the applicasor of psychology at tion administration Dartmouth, a research is looking for and scientist at Stanford that’s really helpduring medical school, ful. I really trust her and a disability coordiin aiding me in my nator at Menlo college. college adventure,” Hock also writes enviSenior Dante Fraioli ronmental children’s said. books for Scholastic, “She gets to know but when she was a me so that she can student, Hock attended pick colleges that fit University of FloridaPinewood welcomes Dr. Peggy Hock, who joined the Pinewood commu- my academic and for two years, thennity as the new college counselor this year. Photo by Vishal Jindal. social profile. She went to Columbia and proceeded to get her Ph.D. gives you tips on different things besides the essay, there also. like how to use your space in the essays. Overall she Luckily, Pinewood was the school of choice for gives you tips and suggestions on your application Hock.“I really like the students and the schools phi- and then reviews what you have done and then gives losophy and the fact that they will support me in you feedback,” Senior Bradley Naumann said. really working individually with the students in the Though the seniors are in the midst of their applicollege application process,” Hock said. cation process, Hock wanted to send a word to those What attracted Hock to Pinewood is the self-mo- who will undergo the process in a few years. tivation and academic curiosity she saw among the “Be the best high-school students you can be. student body.“They like to learn, they are nice to Understand how you learn best and work on each other and they take on academic challenges your study skills. Find a couple of things you love without getting too stressed about them,” Hock to do and do them well (outside). Take time to said. figure out what you’re interested in. At least eight At each cycle of the college process, Hock makes hours of sleep a night,” Hock said. “To develop sure that Pinewood students and their families un- as a leader in the activities that you enjoy the derstand the college admission process. Then Hock most and take the most challenges classes you can helps the seniors choose what colleges to apply to in the areas that you’re most interested in. Use your and complete their application, making sure that summers well to explore your interests. Try reading each student attends the school that fits them best. for fun.”

KELLY RYAN STAFF WRITER

ETELLE STEPHAN STAFF WRITER

After the heroic rescue of “Pinewood” the sea lion by Pinewood’s marine biology class, Pinewood’s condition deteriorated leading to his death due to kidney failure on Sept. 29, two days after his rescue. Pinewood was found on Rodeo Beach suffering from a bacterial infection called Leptospirosis and malnourishment, and was taken to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, where treatment was futile. On a class field trip, seniors Ryland Chan, Evan Chan, Brianna Quincy, and Casey Cairo, juniors Veronica Boyce, Branden Hing, and marine biology teacher Monica Ventrice came upon volunteers rescuing the sea lion and were called to action with the rescue. They carried the sea lion to safety, and due to their help, it was named Pinewood. Pinewood had clearly not eaten in days and was severely underweight and dehydrated, according to the volunteers on site. He was diagnosed with Leptospirosis, which affects the kidneys, and was treated with antibiotics; for the malnourishment and dehydration, he was given fluids and fish to help maintain proper nutrients. Although Pinewood was given around-the-clock care, he sadly did not respond to any stimuli or

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By the time “Pinewood” was rescued, his kidneys had already begun to fail and the damage was irreversible. ---Adam Ratner, Marketing Manager of the Marine Mammal Center

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food, and his health continued to deteriorate. Unfortunately, two days after his rescue by Pinewood students, “Pinewood” passed away. Doctors say he was already in early stages of kidney failure due to the bacterial infection when he was found, and by the time he reached the Marine Mammal Center, he was already very sick and skinny. According to Adam Ratner, Marketing Manager of the Marine Mammal Center, “ By the time Pinewood was rescued, his kidneys had already begun to fail and the damage was irreversible.” Sometimes the animals rescued by the center are not found in time, and the damage has already been done. “I guess I’m not that surprised because I know that about 50 percent of their animals die there, and when we saw it, it looked pretty skinny,” Ventrice said. When looking into the statistics at Marine Mammal Center, currently around 80 percent of their patients on-site are diagnosed with Leptospirosis, and they have already rescued over 150 animals this year with the disease. Ratner said that unfortunately it appears there is an outbreak of this disease this year. According to the Marine Mammal Center website, the reason for the epidemics is still unknown. However, these epidemics allow the scientists to research the disease more iπn depth and hopefully find cures, but more research is still needed to find the cause of the outbreaks and prevent more of these fatal diseases.

Opinion 2

Protecting Children from Emotional Abuse: an Editorial

The badge used by child protective services. Picture taken from positivepins.com

VICTORIA GARDINER STAFF WRITER When people consider child abuse, the most common image rendered is one of physical abuse. Bruises and broken bones, crooked noses

and black eyes. I’m not denying how absolutely horrible physical child abuse is, nor am I attempting to belittle how much damage it does to a child; however, its presence is so overused in pop culture and media that few people even consider emotional abuse.

People don’t usually consider emotional abuse because it is much harder to define than physical abuse. If you hit your child, you have physically abused them and convicted a prosecutable crime. It’s that black and white. But, things that may be highly emotionally damaging to a child are not prohibited under law. If you tell a child you hate them or you don’t want them, sure its frowned upon, but there is no real consequence. I will be the first to admit that prosecuting emotional abuse can be a slippery slope. Perhaps the parent in question simply lost their temper and nine times out of ten they are a wonderful parent, and this one instance gets blown out of proportion. Can you prosecute on someone’s emotionallyfueled mistake? No. If taken to that extreme, prosecuting and sentencing for emotional abuse would tear more families apart than it would keep together. However, it is this fear of the slippery slope that has pre-

Time to Give More Than Thanks...

vented lawmakers from legislating in favor of protecting emotionally-abused children. The CPS, or Child Protective Services, exists to do just that: to protect children and teenagers from abusive homes. However, unless there is evidence of physical abuse, they are unable to intercede. Even if a child is emotionally distraught and unstable, CPS is unable to remove them from their homes to protect them. To this end, many children hurt themselves as a cry for help if they feel trapped in their circumstances. Only after botched suicide attempts -- whether the botching is intentional or not -- and a far from wonderful stay in the local hospital, can CPS agents remove a child from their home if and only if they feel, and can sufficiently prove, that the child’s situation at home is damaging them to the point of self harm. If authorities were able to remove children suspected of being emotionally abused, before depression and despair escalated to the point of self

mutilation, not only would time, money and medical resources be saved, but significantly less trauma would be done to the child. Additionally, for years, the prescribed cure for emotional abuse has simply been to “suck it up.” People have not, until recently, began to fully consider the damage emotional abuse does to children, and only even more recently have realized that that damage is repeated in the next generation until someone is brave enough to face what could be their great grandmother’s demons. Emotional abuse warps a person’s sense of relationships. A child who is shunned when they fail grows up thinking that is the appropriate reaction and raises their kids in the same manner they were raised. Only until someone is brave enough to break the cycle does the abuse stop. Physical abuse against children is terrible, but it doesn’t live on. Emotional trauma can last for decades.

THE PANTHER PRINTS WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. 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:

pantherprints@pinewood.edu (all lower caps)

At times, it seems that the food is dominating the actual meaning of Thansksiving, and “eating” what it’s really about... Cartoon by David Rodden.

GARRETT BIGGS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF As Thanksgiving, or at the very least, Thanksgiving break approaches, many people will find themselves this November giving thanks for a number of things. Whether it be for food, shelter, friends or just general well-being, we at Pinewood have a lot to be thankful for. So when I began to think about what I was thankful for recently, something occured to me. While it is important to be thankful for the things that we have, being thankful isn’t enough. Because even if we appreciate what we have, it does not change the fact that many

people have very little to be thankful for. According to the U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday Sept. 13, 2011, the nation’s poverty rate rose to 15.1% (46.2 million) in 2010, up from 14.3% (approximately 43.6 million) in 2009 and to its highest level since 1993. In 2008, 13.2% (39.8 million) Americans lived in relative poverty. That said, the poverty threshold in the United States is $22,350 (total yearly income) for a family of four. Now let’s say that someone worked 4,368 hours a year, which is approximately 12 hours a day, seven days a week. If they were working for minimum wage, which is

EDITORS IN CHIEF: Garrett Biggs Max Darrow

FEATURES EDITORS: Karalena Davis Niuniu Teo

NEWS EDITORS: Matti Thurston Emily Zhang

SPORTS EDITORS: Max Darrow Stephen Yu

We look forward to hearing from you!

$7.25 at the federal level, they would make $31,668 a year. To earn not even $10,000 above the poverty level, at minimum wage, you would have to work 50 percent of the entire year

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To earn not even $10,000 above the poverty level, at minimum wage, you would have to work 50% of the year to support a family.

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to support a family. It becomes easy to see how even if there are only 15 percent of families living under the poverty level, there are many living just on the brink, with

statistics like that. And people are starting to notice this. As more and more Americans become aware and angered of the current state of affairs in the economy, we are seeing widespread protests growing across the country. Whether it be an Occupy protest, or an independent protest, the facts remain: people want change. So here is a note to those protesting: Stop. There is time for that later. This Thanksgiving, instead of whining, help. There are charity opportunities everywhere around Thanksgiving time. Soup kitchens are constantly looking for extra hands as well as food packaging charities. As I’ve said, giving thanks is important. Realizing that we are

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 Austin Liang Camille Polster Shani Rosenthal Kelly Ryan Brittany Shulte Etelle Stephan Sydni Topper Karina Uppal

lucky is one of the first steps we can do in making a real difference. Go and help. I’m about to use the most cliched quotes ever, but oh well. As President John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” It sounds silly because you have heard it a million times, but it is true. You might find yourself Black Friday shopping this break. Or you might find yourself complaining that the government isn’t doing their job. Instead of justifying all of this by saying you are thankful for what you do have, make a difference. Why just sit there and be thankful, when you could give somebody something to be thankful for? PHOTOGRAPHERS: Vishal Jindal Faiz Khan Emily Ng David Rodden Annie Whitacre ADVISOR: Kim Wetzel

Editorial 3

Our Troops Are Coming Home

Photo taken from http://www.turnontheinternet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Iraqis-Fear-Renewed-Violence-As-U.S.-Troops-Withdraw.jpg.

BRITTANY SCHULTE STAFF WRITER Nine years after President Bush first declared war on Iraq, the United States is finally ready to bring all American troops home. On October 21, President Barack Obama addressed the country and announced that all U.S. troops will be home for the holidays. The Obama administration defends its decision by noting that it lines up with the Bush Administration’s previous plans to withdraw troops by the end of this year, thereby making it a bipartisan commitment. Families of soldiers are ecstatic to see loved ones return. Secretary of State Hilary Hillary Clinton stresses that the sole reason for occupying Iraq was to give them the opportunity to develop their own form of democracy to create a successful future. Now that they have their democracy,

it is no longer our place to step in and dictate how their government needs to be run. However, Republicans criticize the decision and question whether Obama’s actions are for mere political gain and whether he is looking out for the country’s long-term goals. Critics argue that Iraq is simply not ready for a full troop withdrawal and that leaving Iraq abruptly will turn back the clock nine years, leaving Iraq as chaotic and confused as it was back when we first arrived in 2001. Also, by completely withdrawing from Iraq, detractors say that we are effectively admitting that we have weakened considerably through the past 10 years due to trillions of dollars in debt and that our progress in Iraq has been slow and minimal. There is no perfect solution to the political mess that is occurring in the Middle East. The key here is for the United States to step back into a humble position and realize that

NEW LIBYA LEADERSHIP FRAGILE BEN BROWN STAFF WRITER For 42 years, Muammar Qaddafi ruled Libya with an iron fist and gathered titles such as “the mad dog of the Middle East” from Ronald Reagan and “the crazy Libyan” from Egyptian president Anwar elSadat. On Oct. 20, 2011, his rule came crashing to an end with his violent death at the hands of rebel forces. The interim government, the National Transitional Council, has filled the political void created by Qaddafi’s death and has been working on establishing a democracy. However, the Muslim Brotherhood also has political influence in Libya. Under Qaddafi’s rule, the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya had been repressed and working in secret. The Brotherhood in Libya claims to have no association with the Brotherhood in other countries, but shares the same values and objectives. “Largely drawn from the devout educated middle classes and university campuses in Tripoli and Benghazi, the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood was founded in the mid-1950s,” according to a CNN article. “We believe that the political reform is the true and natural gateway for all other kinds of reform,” said Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Dr. Mohamed ElSayed Habib. “We have announced our acceptance of democracy that acknowl-

edges political pluralism, the peaceful rotation of power and the fact that the nation is the source of all powers. As we see it, political reform includes the termination of the state of emergency, restoring public freedoms, including the right to establish political parties, whatever their tendencies may be, and the freedom of the press, freedom of criticism and thought, freedom of peaceful demonstrations, freedom of assembly.” However, the Brotherhood also states that they want Islam to encompass all aspects of life in Libya, from law to personal rights and relations. If what Habib said is true, the influence the Muslim Brotherhood could have on the government Libya could be beneficial in that it would limit the effects of more extremist Muslim factions, such as Al Qaeda. However, the Muslim Brotherhood seems to be not all that they appear to be. They are suspected of supporting jihadist violent crimes, such as the assassination of Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nukrashi Pasha in 1948. The hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks had associations with the Muslim Brotherhood as well. And, more conservative Islamic beliefs largely limit equality of the sexes, which is seen directly in the Quran. This inequality would prevent Libya from becoming, in a Western sense, a truly modern state.

we cannot force Iraq into a perfect democracy. Even if our country is considered a world “superpower” and is one of the most developed countries of the world, we do not inherently have the right to police other countries even as our arrogance may have led us do so. After years under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has struggled to rise from political turmoil and terrorist threats even with the constant aid of American troops. However, the fact that Saddam Hussein has been overthrown and that the opportunity for a new government has been established should be enough to allow American troops to return home. It is no longer our responsibility to hold Iraq’s hand as it struggles to maintain a self-running government: we have already helped them considerably, and it is up to them now. We have not left this war empty-handed. After all, dictator Saddam Hussein and

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden are now dead. Moreover, Iraq is making the gradual transition towards a modern democracy. By withdrawing all U.S. troops, the Obama Administration is not turning a blind eye to Iraqi affairs. Instead, it is promoting the idea that the U.S. is willing to step aside and be a passenger rather than an unyielding driver on the road to peace in the Middle East. In order to maintain a strong, functioning government, Iraq must be able to claim ownership of the development of its government and therefore must be given the opportunity to make mistakes along the road. A democracy cannot be forced among the people. Rather, it has to arise through its own will. The American government owes it to the people to ensure we leave this war with heads held high and the knowledge that we have helped a nation begin the long journey towards democracy.

Helping the Advantaged TIFFANY CHEN OP-ED EDITOR We like to think of America as a meritocracy, where people are judged and rewarded based on their individual abilities rather than their family lineage or other such thing. Most believe in the American Dream, the idea that each person can pull himself up by his “bootstraps” and become “successful.” While we like to think of ourselves as non-discriminatory, there is one key area of our society that often discriminates based upon lineage and race. In many private universities, and especially in the ones that everyone wants to get into (myself included), weighty preference is given to those called “legacies”—children of alumni. The concept that one has a better chance into a school just because one’s parents went to said school is unfair and goes against the very idea of the meritocracy that the United States is supposed to promote. Elite universities feed graduates into top jobs and represent the pinnacle of American learning and culture; yet, they practice perhaps the oldest form of discrimination: that of class. Proponents of legacy preferences say that the improved bonds of parent and children encourage alumni to contribute more to school coffers, thereby promoting the welfare of the school as a whole. The idea isn’t even really justified: as an example, after Texas A&M eliminated legacy preferences in 2004, donations fell slightly but then increased substantially from 2005 to 2007. The policy of legacy preferences actively pre-

vents many other perfectly capable candidates from making it into an elite college. The acceptance rate for legacies at Harvard has been at around 30 percent the past few years, some four times over the regular acceptance rate, and the student population is made up of some 12 to 13 percent legacies, according a May 2011 article in the Harvard Crimson. Compare the percentage of legacies of Harvard to that of a school that doesn’t use legacy preferences and the difference is huge: Caltech’s legacies make up only 1.5 percent of the undergraduate population. Many students with legacies are already at the top of the socioeconomic ladder. Their parents are probably quite well off and (obviously) well educated. Their homes would be full of books, their diets good, their upbringing (relatively) easy. They really don’t need any more help getting into an elite school; with such resources at their disposal, they should be able to get themselves into elite schools on their own merit. The policy of legacy preferences is perpetuating an upper class of advantaged elites and contributing absolutely nothing to a university’s “diversity” (that so many universities claim to embrace—Stanford University has a page link on their undergraduate admissions front page that states “Diversity at Stanford”). In our society today such a blatant form of nepotism should not be allowed to stand. Giving students a plus on their admissions process merely because of the well educated parents to whom they were born to already happens: it manifests itself in a more relaxed childhood and better test scores. No need to reward students twice for being born lucky.

Features 4

Destination:DC

The 8th graders caught Barack Obama’s speech at Arlington on Veteran’s day. Photo by Kim Wetzel.

AMRITH DEEPAK STAFF WRITER

ment in Colonial Virginia and the colony’s contribution to the American Revolution. “My favorite part was the ghost story tour in Williamsburg because they were interesting and I like to be scared,” eighth grader Kyle Murphy said. In Jamestown, they saw a replica of the first permanent settlement in the New World, including James Fort, Powhatan Indian Village, Three Ships (the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery), and a glasshouse. On Tuesday, the group went to Charlottesville where they saw Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home. In Washington D.C., students took a Smithsonian tour that included the American History Museum and the Air and Space Museum. They visited several memorials, including the Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Iwo Jima, which is a tribute to U.S. marines. Another highlight included visiting the U.S. Senate gallery, where they watched the Senate in action. The eighth graders also made trips to the White House, Capitol, Library of Congress, and the Newseum - a museum dedicated to Journalism. Eighth grader Ketki Samel found the Sept.11 exhibit at the Newseum touching. “I didn’t know how much the reporters risked their lives,” she said. Students and chaperones alike enjoyed the “Pirates of Penzance” dinner theater as well as trips to Mount Vernon and the Spy Museum. “It was a tiring, and exhaustive trip,” Ribaudo said. “I’ve been on this trip since I was 13. I learn something new every time I go. It’s even more amazing to see students seeing Washington DC for the first time.”

It truly was the trip of a lifetime. The eighth graders’ weeklong trip to Washington D.C. ended on a high note last week when students got the opportunity to watch President Barack Obama speak at a Veteran’s Day Memorial Service at Arlington National Cemetery. First Lady Michelle Obama was also in attendance. “Serendipity isn’t usually part of the game plan, but sometimes the stars align and once in a lifetime events happen,” Computer teacher and trip organizer Phil Ribaudo said. “The sun found a way of shining on Pinewood’s 2011, 8th grade trip to D.C.” Students waited in the chilly morning for two hours to see the president, who spoke about veteran’s benefits and the ending of the Iraq war. “I was like, whoa, no way, the president isn’t actually coming! And then I saw his face, and I thought, holy smokes!” Eighth grader Jackie Gerson said. While students were excited about seeing the President, there were other highlights of the trip, too. The agenda for the five days was packed with activities. On Monday, the group toured Williamsburg and Jamestown. In Colonial Williamsburg, they saw the Courthouse, where they participated in a mock trial based on Historical Cases. 8th graders pose for a picture at Mount Vernon, The group also went to craft shops and the the old home of George Washington. Photo by Capitol Building to learn about the govern- Kim Wetzel.

blazeman Kid finishes strong

Jenny Hansen Blazemans Roll across the finish line for Ironman. Photo provided by Jenny Hansen.

NIUNIU TEO FEATURES EDITOR As October slid into the orange leaves and gusty winds of November, Jenny Hansen was hard at work. Squeezed somewhere in the small hours between, training for Ironman, going to basketball practice, and spending an inordinate amount of time on any given class project, she held a fundraiser at Pinewood to help find a cure to Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. “I broke $30,000 total this weekend and am now at $31,601. I raised just over $1,000 from Pinewood. Though I set a goal of $1,406—140.6 [is] the distance of an Ironman—I knew that it was lofty and am really pleased with how much was raised by the students,” she said. The money is going to the Blazeman Foundation, founded in honor of Jon Blais, who did the Ironman in Kona after being diagnosed with ALS. The foundation is now run by his parents. In it’s mission statement, it states a purpose of “[supporting] cutting-edge scientific research to find the causes and a cure for ALS” (waronals.com). “There is no cure for ALS. I think the most effective way to battle ALS is to raise awareness and raise money, which is exactly what I am doing,” Hansen said. “ALS is a disease that has had no progress in terms of treatment for 80 years. No other disease has that horrible of a track record. [And yet,] lots of people don’t even know what ALS is.” The Ironman Triathalon is a long-sidstance triathalon that consists of 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a marathon (about 26.2 miles), to be held Nov. 20. Perhaps the link

between fighting ALS and Ironman may be unclear at first glance, but to Hansen, the two have become inextricably linked in her homage to the victims of ALS. “I feel that it is my duty to attempt the largest challenge I can find to parallel the even bigger challenge of finding a cure for ALS,” she said. “Nancy has played a huge role in my life, and being a member of the Blazeman Foundation made me realize that to honor such an important life I wanted to do something monumental. An Ironman was the closest thing that I could come up with. So, combining them felt natural to me.” Thanks to Hansen, the Pinewood community has become well acquainted with the consequences and efforts that accompany this highly destructive yet widely unknown disease. Most recently, she held an assembly that spread awareness for her cause. “I held the assembly because I wanted to inform Pinewood about what I was doing and because I wanted the school to join me in fighting against this horrible disease. [It] felt like the best and biggest way to spread my message to the entire student body,” Hansen said. Pinewood has become a community fully aware and supportive of ALS patients. However, as life after Pinewood grows closer for Jenny, her fight against ALS will continue. “I plan on making it an important part of my life until there is a cure for ALS,” Hansen said. “The one thing that I know for sure is that I will never cross another finish line on my feet. Blazeman Roll forever and ever more!” Check out Hansen’s fundraising website, blazekid.org, to make a donation. To learn more about the Blazeman fight against ALS, visit waronals.com.

a beast is born picture perfect AUSTIN LIANG STAFF WRITER A beast is prowling the corridors of Pinewood School. A new general science club known as the Eco Bipedal Environmental Animal Science Team, better known as the acronym ecoBEAST, held its first meeting during lunch on Nov. 5. EcoBEAST is dedicated to saving the environment and help animals. “Its missions are to focus on environmental issues, [make] the school more green, and [focus on] issues concerning animals,” biology teacher and club advisor Monica Ventrice said. EcoBEAST’s members are from two science clubs at Pinewood: the Green Team and the Animal Club, which have come together. The environmental side and former Green Team of ecoBEAST will first start a project to create a better recycling system as well as picking up trash for Pinewood to try to make the school more environmentally friendly along with reducing carbon dioxide emissions. “It would make a really nice impact, especially if we get compost and recycling bins,” sophomore Annie Whitacre said. Not only would Pinewood be more green, but it would gain monetary profit as well. Some schools in the Bay Area have saved $150 a month from paper recycling alone. ecoBEAST will also try to arrange to participate in local school competitions for recycling. “It would be based on the school that has the most recycling capita, or the highest percent of recycled materials,” junior Branden Hing said.“From there, then we will expand to other projects to increase environmentalism.” “We might go to houses with open fruit trees and orchards and pick it to increase community awareness,” junior Sam Carp said. Carp, along with Hing, were co-founders of the former Green Team. EcoBEAST is willing to look into any other science-related topics and projects students want to do.

The goal of the former Animal Club, now integrated into ecoBEAST, is to help all types of animals. “We’re trying to spread animal welfare and awareness,” senior Brianna Quincy said. “I feel as though we as humans should change what we have done, which is cause extinction for animals by destruction of habitats, and give back to the animals.” Quincy, along with seniors Maureen LaMont and Amelia Lampron-York were co-leaders of the Animal Club, and now are leading ecoBEAST in a joint effort with Hing and Carp. EcoBEAST is looking to connect with various animal shelters throughout the year in order to help spread animal welfare and advocating animal rights. EcoBEAST is also planning to help marine life as well as domestic animals. “We’re looking to give a voice to those that don’t [have one]-to animals.” Carp said. EcoBEAST is also looking to reach into the community outside Pinewood in other ways as well. “We’re planning to start fundraising for science-related projects,” Ventrice said. This money will go to various environmental or animal-beneficial tasks that lie in the future. “Some fundraising projects we might do are bake sales, movie nights, and selling t-shirts,” Quincy said. The size of this club is currently small, but hopes to gain more members, anyone who wants to help the environment or animals. “I feel as a lot of people don’t know what effect humans have on the environment and animals, and we should change that,” Quincy said. EcoBEAST not only is able to help strong-willed students that want to reduce global warming and animal abuse, but can give members experience for possible college courses or jobs in environmental science, an area that has over 90,000 jobs today. The ecoBEAST club is a way to achieve these goals of saving the ozone layer or endangered animals. “Science is needed to fix problems around the world, as they are mostly science-related, such as global warming or deforestation,” Ventrice said. “Science is the future.”

KARINA UPPAL STAFF WRITER With the arrival of new teacher Jared Leake, Pinewood students were offered an art class focused on digital photography. At the start of the school year, five electives were proposed, and digital photography was the one most students selected; now, this class consists of nine students. Being the first year this class is being taught by Leake, the course material is often flexible and changes depending on the students’ preferences. “I am absolutely loving the class so far because we basically get to tell him what we want to do, and then he puts it into the curriculum. It is not a set assignment. For example, if we want to do something like long exposure then he makes an assignment around that concept,” senior Casey Cairo said. This new elective has satisfied the needs of the Pinewood students, many of which have been interested in photography. “I joined the class because I needed to take an elective so that I could graduate, but mostly because I have been involved in photography for a while and its one of my greatest interests that I might like to pursue in the future,” junior Gabrielle Amos-Grosser said. Unlike most classes, this class allows the students outdoor activities and field trips. “We go on many field trips to take pictures. So far, we have gone to Wunderlich Park to learn about exposure. We have also been to the theater twice to take light exposure pictures, and we did a photo shoot for Halloween. The class is educational as well as fun,” junior Brooke Wills said. Like most of Pinewood’s electives, this class brings out the students’ imaginative sides. “Mr. Leake often gives us criteria,

and then we go out and take pictures trying to match it... Mr. Leake gives us a ton of freedom, which is great because we can be really creative,” senior Evan Chan said. Because it is an art class, the students must complete many projects. “You learn about the cameras, you understand how to take pictures, and you learn how to edit them using Photoshop,” Wills said. Although digital photography engages the students with a large amount of work, it is still an enjoyable experience for them. “So far we’ve learned how to adjust the settings on our camera and how to use Photoshop, as well as learning how to take long exposure photos to create light paintings, completing assignments out of class to experiment on our own, taking portraits of the actors in “All My Sons,” and creating our own blogs to share our work. We’ve been pretty busy, but we’re having too much fun to notice,” junior Sarah Barrus said. Most who are taking this elective seem satisfied with their experience. “The class as a whole is a lot of fun. You really feel like a professional photographer when you learn something new about your camera. I am loving [the class],” Amos-Grosser said. The students do not just take pictures for their own pleasure and for the class, but they also exhibit them in student showcases. “We actually frame and map the pictures we take to put them on display. The long-term goal for this class is to prepare for Dec. 7th, where there is going to be a student show case at Café Zoe in Menlo Park. There is going to be a lot of artwork there, including a lot of digital photography work from our class, so come for it,” Leake said. Check out the Pinewood Digital Photography blog at http://pinewoodphoto.blogspot. com/ where you can find posts and pictures related to the students’ assignments as well as links to their blogs.

Arts & Culture 5

Choir Sails to Santa Barbara CAMILLE POLSTER STAFF WRITER

Above: Choir students smile for a picture on the windswept deck of the whale-watching boat. Below: The choir enjoys a day on the ocean where they get some great shots of the local wildlife. Right: Choir performs solo at the festival, directed by Spencer Williams. Photos courtesy of Spencer Williams.

“Spelling Bee” to Be Fun KARALENA DAVIS FEATURES EDITOR Bee, B-E-E…. You are correct! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is coming to Pinewood. Originally conceived by Rebecca Feldman, this hilarious improvisational-based musical comedy will be oerformed at Pinewood in December and directed by Pinewood performing arts teachers Doug Eivers, Spencer Williams, and Scott Lacey. Otherwise known as “Spelling Bee,” this comedy has won two Tony Awards, and Pinewood is hoping for great results. Unlike previous productions put on at Pinewood, “Spelling Bee” contains lots of improvisation and moments where the audience can become involved -- if they dare. “It’s totally different because there’s a lot of audience participation. It’s the exact opposite of “All My Sons,’” Williams said. The play follows a children’s spelling bee filled with distracted spellers, sabotage, impossible words, and catchy songs. The comedy has over 20 musical numbers. However, unlike most musicals, there is no separate ensemble from the main actors. “It’s nice because everyone get’s showcased and carries a larger part in the musical. I’m also excited for the improv,” said junior Claire Witzke, who will play the character Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere. Rehearsals are well underway, seeing as auditions took place in September and the cast is already decided.

“The hardest part about starting rehearsals is probably the blocking, which is basically getting your places on stage correct and getting the choreography memorized,” freshman Carson Robinette said.

All of the actors are excited to get the out the finished product. “I’m really excited for costumes! I don’t know why but I love getting into the character’s costume because it’s like you become the actual person,” Robinette said. Although choosing cast members was a tough decision, those working on “Spelling Bee” are confident that the cast is a great match for the production. “You’re looking at talent, but you’re also looking at potential. It’s all about finding a good fit for everyone. These roles will feature students in a light that they haven’t been seen in in the past,” Williams said. “Spelling Bee” will feature a number of performers who were in Pinewoods’ fall drama: “All My Sons,” including Talmage Wise, Garrett Biggs, Claire Witzke, Ben Montrym, and Carson Robinette. Each will be taking on brand new roles that are almost the opposite of the more serious characters they had to portray in “All My Sons.” But which character will take home the prize of a two-hundred dollar savings bond in the end? I guess you’ll just have to watch to find out. Performances will take place in the Pinewood upper campus theater on December 8-10 with two performances at 7 p.m. and one at 2 p.m.

Whales, dolphins, and sea lions, Oh My! Not only were the Pinewood Singers and Women’s Chorus able to enjoy the Santa Barbara wildlife as they sailed on the high seas, but they were also able to work with a professional clinician to perform before an audience alone and with other choirs. Pinewood Singers and Women’s Chorus left Friday, Oct. 28 for their trip to Santa Barbara, spending all of Friday driving there and arriving in the late afternoon to begin work-shopping, or working privately with the choral specialist to perfect their songs before their performance. It was a short two-day trip, where each choir performed once on their own and then once more with all the other choirs that were there. Both students from Pinewood Singers and Women’s Chorus attended the trip as well as students from Castilleja’s Choir. In total there were 53 stu-

dents and five teachers on the trip. “The trip was very exciting to see so many different types of choirs perform. It was an awesome festival and I’m so glad the students had this opportunity,” Williams said. “It was a good experience because it gave us a chance to work with a different conductor and meet new people,” junior Brooke Wills said. Before performing, each choir went to a church where they were able to perform their songs separately and then a clinician worked with each choir individually on singing mechanics, such as pronunciation and facial expressions, to help them improve the performance of their songs. “The clinicians really helped us figure out new dynamics that made our performance much more interesting,” Wills said. The choirs then went to the next church and watched the other school’s choirs perform. After dinner, Pinewood joined all the other choirs at the final destination for the night where they watched

a few more performances. Then, joining with the other choirs, they sang the final and largest piece of the night, “And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth,” by Felix Mendelssohn. The other choir performances were all very good, and there was a good mix of different choir levels,” Wills said. Most of the students enjoyed the performance very much and on Saturday morning, they finished the trip off with a group whale watching excursion where the students were able to see Humpback and Minke Whales as well as dolphins and sea lions. This activity was a fun way to wrap up the trip and get the students out and about in preparation for the six-hour bus ride ahead of them. Almost all of the students agreed that the whale-watching tour was the best part of the entire trip. “It was great being out on the water and seeing the whales. The fun times on the boat made the whole trip worthwhile,” Sophomore Sarah Cilker said.

“Ides Of March” Offers Scandal, Suspense

Movie Title: The Ides Of March Director: George Clooney Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, and Seymour Hoffman. Playing: Century Cinemas 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View; Redwood City 20, 825 Middlefield Rd., Redwood City RORIE DUNCAN STAFF WRITER The Ides of March...sound familiar? This movie is a direct reference to the famous Shakespeare play, “Julius Caesar.” In the play, Caesar is warned on the Ides of March that he will be betrayed by one of his closet friends, and without taking this warning to heart, strolls into the capitol building and is assassinated by his closet friend Brutus. The movie “The Ides of March” doesn’t exactly follow along this storyline, but it does involve betrayal, cheating, lies, corruption, and blackmail. With a star cast that includes George Clooney, Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Ryan Gosling, and Paul Giamatti, the movie illustrates the charisma, attitude, and in-depth knowledge of the politicians in America. Although the campaign portrayal in this movie seems unrealistic, it still follows along the same patterns we see in today’s government. Democratic candidate Mike Morris, played by Clooney, has a set of morals that he defends throughout. The main message of the “Ides of March” is to show the test of loyalty, even when the stakes are high. Brave, intelligent, and talent-

ed campaign leader Stephen Meyers, played by Ryan Gosling, shows how much relationships can be tested. He betrays, lies, and cheats to get what he wants, which proves to be successful in the end. “Ryan Gosling is my favorite actor in this movie because of his great performance and consistent acting,” said junior Victoria Gardiner. Through testing his relationships with an intern, Molly, played by Wood, and his political enemy, played by Giamatti, he shows the true value of a man’s character. Following only a small snippet of the campaign, winning the Ohio Primary election, “The Ides of March” shows the intense, stressful, and secretive lives of people in American government. With a unique script, complex storyline, and not one, but many scandals, this movie is sure to interest both teenagers and adults alike. Although this film is not a thriller, it shows a complicated path of twist and turns that are sure to keep viewers excited and thinking throughout the flick. The “Ides of March” leaves viewers dangling in a cliff-hanger that fails to address one final question: What are the results of the election? I guess we will never know.

Sports 6

Seniors Strive for State KEVIN ENDERSBY STAFF WRITER The past few weeks, Pinewood basketball players have stepped forward to begin team tryouts and training. The boys teams began to play Nov. 1 but have had open gyms throughout the beginning of the year and participated in a summer league as well. The girls varsity team has been staying fit through Sparta, a training program sponsored by Adidas, as a team since September, and individually through Sparta and other programs throughout the summer. When asked about how his team looks this year compared to previous years, boys varsity Head Coach Jason Peery feels that it’s difficult to tell. “It’s hard to compare this team to other years,” Peery said. “We lost a lot of size and great leadership from the last couple of years, but we still have most of our speed, shooting, and scoring. Our four seniors from last year had great attitudes, and were big, vocal, and great leaders. I think if this team can master its own emotions and stick (Left) Freshmen Marissa Hing and Gaabi Bade prepare for a drill during the girls practice at the Fabian together, this team can go as far as it wants Gym. (Right) Senior Nate Brown practices layups before practice begins. Photos by Emily Ng. a successful season. In addition, they it, it’s just a matter of pulling together and, to go.” On the other hand, senior varsity guard have seasoned senior post players return- in practice and games, putting in as much Bradley Naumann commented that he ing, and a new group of sophomores and as we want to get out,” Naumann said. “In order to make it to state, our practice habits thought this year’s team is much better juniors with speed. “Having so many seniors this year is ob- must be unlike any teams in the entire state. than previous ones. “Compared to other years, I feel like the basketball team viously a huge advantage,” Naumann said. Our defensive habits have to be relentless, this year is the best it’s been in a while,” “The experience that we have all gained and on offense, it’s a matter of executing to Naumann said. “True, we did lose four cru- throughout our high school careers is really perfection. Like I said, we definitely have cial seniors: Kyle Riches, Aaron Daines, going to benefit the outcome of our season. the talent to do so, it’s just a matter of how Arun Sundaresan, and Peter Gallagher. We know what is coming and we know what we use this talent.” With a new assistant coach, the boys varHowever, because our team still has a ma- needs to be done in order to achieve our goals. jority of its starters and because we have Having so many seniors is going to sity team also has a new viewpoint to alter their defensive strategy. improved so much since last season, I feel help us greatly.” “Our two leading scorers from last year “Our new assistant coach that they as if we are bound to be the best team in return, Solomone Wolfgramm and Camer- brought in from Michigan State took his the league.” Senior Dante Fraioli has even more on Helvey, and their athleticism is going to team to the championships; he knows how confidence in the skill of the varsity cause problems for our opponents on both to run the defense,” Fraioli said. “I definiteteam. “Our team is definitely best skill- ends of the floor,” Peery said. “Our team’s ly think we’re going to make it all the way wise in our league,” Fraioli said. “We speed is tremendous and we should score to state.” For the boys junior varsity basketball still have our skill players, and other in bunches. It remains to be seen whether teams lost theirs. I don’t think we’ll or not we have the mentality to physi- team, this year there were many freshhave many weaknesses; we have outside cally go out and be as tough and vocal as men who came out. JV Head Coach William Roan is still deciphering shooters, inside guys, and as skilled an past teams.” Overall, the boys varsity team is very conhis team. offense as a defense.” “It’s very difficult to compare JV teams Because of their eight seniors on var- fident this year, gunning for a win at CCS from previous years because each team is sity this year, the boys’ varsity coaches and even the state championship game. and players are hopeful and excited for “We have the weapons and experience to do different and always changing,” Roan said.

Soccer: New Beginnings SYDNI TOPPER STAFF WRITER The girls and boys soccer teams have returned to the stage for another year of hard work and fun. Each team has new players and new goals, and they are ready for a successful season. In past years, the girls soccer team has not been as successful as they had the potential to be. Coach and P.E. teacher Whitney Wood is quite happy about the turnaround that the program experienced last year. “Last year things changed for us. We suddenly had new, young players with soccer experience. We accomplished all of our goals, won the games we should have and lost the games to teams that were better than us. We were consistent and truly believed in ourselves. We ended up in third place, right where we belonged,” she said. This year, the team’s captain, senior Adrienne Whitlock, thinks that they can do even better. “We probably have the most talented team I’ve played on in all four years of high school, thanks to our awesome new freshmen and transfer students,” she said. The girls team has seven new players this year. “I like being on the team a lot. Everyone is really nice and accepting,” junior transfer student Emma Grillo said. With all the fresh talent that has been added to the team, the athletes have higher expectations for the season. Their main goal is to win the league, and the first league game is at home on Nov. 29 against East Side Prep. The team’s biggest rival is the Crystal Springs Uplands Gryphons, but the coaches believe that the team has the skill to beat them.

“Our team motto of the year is ‘Sweat. Sacrifice. Success,’ which encompasses a lot of what we want to do, which is work really hard and sacrifice a lot to reap the benefit of winning league and being successful as a team,” Whitlock said. The boys soccer team also has not been very successful in the past. However, with the addition of six players, the boys are confident this year. Head Coach Danny Aregai is whipping the team into shape with lots of conditioning. The players are very excited for the alumni game on Dec. 17. “Our goals for the year are to beat Crystal Springs and to finish in the top five for league this year,” junior team captain Grayson Burdon said. Burdon is a veteran player who has played on many competitive teams since his youth. Due to his extensive soccer knowledge, experience and role as the team captain, he summed up what he feels the team needs to do in order to achieve its goals. “My advice to the team is to keep working hard; everything we do in practice will pay off during the games,” Burdon said. As for both teams, the influx of new players will add depth to both rosters and improve each team’s chance at achieving their goals. As a assistant coach to the girls team, history teacher and athlete himself, Daniel Cristiani knows the amount of pressure on his students and athletes. “Like all Pinewood students, the athletes have tremendous academic workloads and lots of other responsibilities, and I hope that everyone can appreciate the impressive job they do of being ideal student-athletes,” he said.

“From what I have seen, we will have an awesome group of players this year to build on for the basketball program. Our biggest strengths are still yet to be determined. My gut feeling says that we will be a tough and scrappy team. We have guys who want to win and want to get better each practice. We have a lot of guys who will become impact players for this program.” On the varsity girls side, five freshmen are on the team. Because of this, some players and coaches agree that this may be the perfect year for strong development, especially after losing five seniors last year. “The team is different this year because we’re a younger and less experienced team, but we’ve already improved so much,” sophomore Kendahl Wallis-Lang said. “The freshmen are catching on really quickly and are definitely stepping up to the challenge. It was a pretty big loss [when the seniors graduated] not only because they were our key players, but they were our role models. The team dynamic is different now because everyone is younger, but everyone is doing a really good job stepping up to the plate.” “Overall, we are a young team in the process of becoming great,” girls varsity Head Coach Doc Scheppler said. “We are strong and athletic, and if we can improve our technical and tactical basketball skills we should have a productive year. We have developed the strength and quickness to play at the Varsity level. We are a Pinewood team in terms of effort, playing style and our standard of excellence.” While the girls are still developing their new team, many have taken advantage of the Sparta program offered to develop their individual game. “The Sparta program helped our team so much,” Wallis-Lang said. “It’s a place that takes each athlete’s needs and creates workouts for them to improve in specific areas. It has helped all of us become stronger and hopefully will prevent any injuries.” On the whole, the girls are very excited to start the season. “I’m most excited to see how well we can do this year and see how much more we can improve because we’ve already come so far,” Wallis-Lang said. “It’s going to be a fun season and I can’t wait for games to start.”

So Long, Paterno ANDREW GERSON STAFF WRITER “This is a tragedy,” former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said. Tragedy is the only way to describe recent events in State College, Pennsylvania. After a tumultuous week, Paterno was fired on Nov. 9 by the university’s board of trustees. Paterno had already announced his retirement by the end of his 46th season coaching the Nittany Lions in the face of a child sexual abuse case involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky, who was seen on campus as late as last week, has been charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse to eight known victims. Sandusky’s alleged crimes first became known to Paterno in 2002, when former graduate assistant Mike McQueary allegedly reported to Paterno that Sandusky was fondling a child in the locker room showers. However, one of the key issues of this scandal is the exact wording that McQueary used to describe the incident. Only McQueary and Paterno know exactly what McQueary told Paterno, but Paterno intends to clarify McQueary’s language as soon as possible. Paterno did not immediately call the police or child protective services, although allegations of sexual assault of a child must be reported by Pennsylvania law. Instead, he informed Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President of Finance and Business Gary Schultz, both of whom have been charged with failure to report the allegations. According to the Pennsylvania attorney general, Paterno appears to have fulfilled his legal obligations and will not face any charges. The effects of the scandal could easily affect Pennsylvania State University as a whole. The revenue made from Penn State’s prodigious football program will decrease as high

school stars will look to avoid the aftermath of the scandal and commit to other colleges. Many alumni will retract annual donations in the wake of this incident, which will greatly hurt the university financially. “I don’t think it’s going to be permanent, but I think it’s going to hurt for awhile,” Pinewood teacher Scott Green said. The scandal probably will not have much of an impact on Paterno’s legacy as the winningest head coach in college football. Legally, he did nothing wrong, so he does not deserve to have any of his 409 wins or his record 24 bowl victories revoked. Everyone on campus reveres the man who is affectionately called “JoePa” and has coached only at Penn State. By 2007, he had already earned a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. “He’s already done so much for the school and has done so much for the college football community. I feel like his records will still stand out more than this incident,” Pinewood senior Alex Stitt said. Many people have echoed similar sentiments when speaking to Paterno’s legacy. He is one of the greatest coaches in the history of football at the collegiate and professional levels. But as an icon who stood for strong morals and discipline during his coaching tenure, Paterno could have done more to stop Sandusky. Those who looked up to him always expected greatness, but on that fateful day in 2002, Paterno had a moment of weakness. “There’s always going to be questions on what coach Paterno could have done,” Stitt said. As a coach, Paterno will still go down in history as one of the all-time greats to ever coach the game of football. As a person, his morals will forever be in question. He did not protect children when he had the opportunity. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more,” Paterno said.

Sports 7

Football Team Brings Home the Banner STEPHEN YU SPORTS EDITOR Despite a slow start, the 8-man football team turned its 2011 season around by bringing home the victorious banner with a win of 56-6 in the league championships against Anchorpoint Christian on Oct 28. A combination of hard work and strong work ethics helped the team overcome the injuries that many of its players suffered throughout the season. The rookies demonstrated their ability to step up and assume larger roles, hinting at the budding potential of the future football team. Although Anchorpoint has beaten Pinewood every year for the past three years, the team still went into the game brimming with confidence. Each player knew what was on the line and exploded offensively. At the same time Pinewood excelled defensively and limited Anchorpoint to six points by shutting them out in the second half. “I think the team played very well. Despite the fact that our defensive end Nate Bell broke his wrist and senior Max Darrow had a concussion at the first six minute mark, the players, including me, have stepped up for them,” sophomore Kai Kawashima said. The losses forced many players to be thrust into new positions, but everyone adapted quickly and played passionately. “My first game as a defensive lineman, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I loved the aggression of it. I wish we could have the season over again and play the first few games over again, yet i am so very proud to have been a part of this team,” senior Mikey Naumann said. The game contained many unbelievable plays offensively and defensively. “We didn’t pass much, but when we did I put the ball on spot to allow my receivers enough room to make a move on their defender. I went out during the first quar-

Senior Kevin Sweat (11) denies an Anchor Point touchdown while sophomore Greg Naumann (1) looks on. Photo by Faiz Khan.

ter due to a badly sprained ankle, and later would return in the second half and fight through the pain to win the game,” senior quarterback John Bennett said. “The most memorable play? Definitely my little brother’s one-handed interception. Hands down,” Naumann said. Winning its last two games, Pinewood finished the season with a 5-3 record. Both the coaches and the players believed that they had accomplished many of their goals but also acknowledged their shortcomings. “This season we had a lack of leadership; however, we did have a lot of passion. For me, I tried to set the example rather than talk the talk. I never quit, never sat out, and moved on pure passion to win. This is the

Renewed Rivalries in Boys Volleyball Intramurals SAM CARP STAFF WRITER Volleyball Intramurals scores are in and the winners are… the teachers! With an exciting 2-0 win over the seniors, the teachers won the volleyball intramurals that took place over the course of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the week of Nov 7. “It was a rumble, and the better men won,” staff member Chad Morin said. The tournament began differently than most Pinewood intramurals do, with the seniors playing the freshmen and the juniors playing the sophomores. Balls flew everywhere, being spiked, bumped, set, tipped, and frequently missed. The winners of these two games were the juniors over the sophomores, 2-0, and the seniors over the freshmen, 2-0. “Wait till next year, I’ll be playing,” sophomore Michael John Stevens said. The freshman and sophomore losses meant that the second round of the tournament, which took place on Thursday, would be between the juniors and the seniors. Everybody knew this was going to be a tough, stressful match, because the grades have been rivals for the past few years, and nobody wanted the humility of going home as a loser. The winner of this game would also receive the privilege of having a chance to play the teachers, and nobody wanted to miss that opportunity. “I could taste the suspense in the air,” junior Haley Longbottom said. On game day, the seniors emerged from

the locker room with their classic neongreen shirts and the juniors advanced on to the court wearing a stunning array of tracksuit outfits. The game started out like any other, a bump here, a set there, a tip mixed in every now and then. Then, suddenly, a spike was hammered down by the seniors’ front man, Solomone Wolfgramm, on the unsuspecting juniors, and everybody in the gym knew that the game was on. A half hour later, after the smoke had cleared and the sweat had dried up, the seniors emerged victorious, and the juniors thanked them for a good game and were sent to the locker room, rubbing their red wrists and bruised knees. The final score of the game was 2-0. “I wasn’t surprised by the turnout though because the seniors already beat the juniors in frisbee too. But we’ll get’ em next year,” junior Brooke Wills said. “Going in we knew how athletic the senior class was…we just wanted to have fun…we’ve shown we can hang with them…but height plays a big role in volleyball and we were susceptible to that. Next year watch out,” junior Owen Lewis said. On Friday, the seniors and the teachers met in battle on the gymnasium floor, and after twenty minutes, the teachers emerged, through the jeering and booing of disappointed senior fans, victorious. “Pure luck. Everyone has their off days. If there were a next time, we’d get them for sure,” senior Kim Beers said. The volleyball intramural has come to an end, and with it goes shame, defeat, hope, and floor burns.

Juniors Ali Rafie and Owen Lewis jump to block sophomore Sander’s tip (Left). Senior Bradley Naumann throws his hands up to prevent the freshmen from scoring. Photos by Annie Whitacre.

best pinewood football team we have had, and it will show when we finally hang up that banner in the gym,” Bennett said. “Our team did a great job of making sure we improved every week. We started off slow, which happens, but we didn’t let our start determine our finish. I think every player is a better man than when they started,” head coach Mike Tirabassi said. The departure of many seniors in key positions this year, such as Daniel Branski, John Bennett, Darrow, Dante Fraioli, Naumann, and Kevin Sweat has created a deficit of players for the team in the future. “Next year, we need numbers. We will be losing a lot of seniors. Having 20 or more players is the key to success. Pinewood foot-

ball will only continue its success if more and more students decide to give it a shot each year,” Tirabassi said. The 2011 team finished the best season in Pinewood’s history: one filled with pride and accomplishments, team members said. The players improved while having fun. “We absolutely met our goal as a team this season. We had a goal to get better each week and put ourselves in a position to win the championship. We did that. We got better each game. Everyone had fun playing together and executing as a team. It was an outstanding team effort this year. I couldn’t be prouder of anyone on this team. Glad to be a part of it,” assistant coach Matt Irvin said.

A Farewell to the Seniors ROBIN SANDERS ASSISTANT EDITOR As wonderful as they are, seniors at all high schools must eventually graduate, meaning that the sports they play this year will be the last season they can participate in, whether it be football, girls tennis, cross country, and volleyball. The seniors that are graduating this year will be sorely missed at Pinewood, where the sports program utilizes whoever they can get their hands on. From wherever they started, whether it be freshmen year or this being their first year at Pinewood, each and every senior has brought skill, experience, and joy to their teams. Seniors Ryland Chan, Niuniu Teo, Evan Chan, Hannah Dabagian, and Niharika Advani, all participated in high school cross country this year. They were all very pleased with this year’s turnout, and were sad that this was their last season. At their last meet, regretful hugs and nostalgic high fives were shared by all on the team, each representing the bonds that the seniors created with their teammates. “I really enjoyed this year, and I feel like I bonded with everyone on the team. I’m going to miss all my teammates” Chan said.

And it wasn’t just the cross country team that shared such saddening goodbyes. Senior Kandance Korver was also reminiscent of her last volleyball season. “My last volleyball season was definitely the best one so far,” Korver said. Not only, according to Korver, did her team improve as the season progressed, but she was very happy with the chemistry that the team formed. “The girls improved a great deal and I am really proud of them. We have never played so well as a team which is a great improvement,” she said. The joy of finishing another season is tempered with the bitter thought that this is the last season. With pictures taken and memories filed away, it’s only a matter of time until reality kicks back in. “We’ve had a lot of fun together and I will miss them a lot!” Korver said. Being both the most experienced and the most respected of the team, these seniors have made Pinewood proud this year, with each helping their teammates become better athletes, students, and people throughout the course of the season. They have contributed to Pinewood by improving the sports, dedicating themselves to upholding the principles of this school, and ensuring that the lower generations will have good, strong role models to look up to.

From left to right - Nihariki Advani, Ryland Chan, Evan Chan, Hannah Dabagian, Niuniu Teo (Left). Kandace Korver, Adrienne Whitlock, Ava Adlparvar, Jenn Bodine (Right). Photos by Niuniu Teo and Annie Whitacre.

News 8

Pumpkin Day: Scary Good Fun with Freshmen’s First Victory took off the blindfold and pumpkin over the fence five onto the stage and tag one of ping their mummy would ANNIE KONG sprinted to the next people times. Then, once the ordeal the three people participating be the champions of the pumpkin day contest. in line for the next portion of tossing the pumpkin over in the mummy wrap. STAFF WRITER The mummy rap confive times was completed, The mummy wrap comof the rally. Hollis Vannice On Halloween, Pinewood completed the candy tast- the two people would switch posed of three people from testants were each given a hosted Pumpkin Day, an an- ing identification first for the sides and toss the pumpkin each grade (two wrappers, one theme, and were then timed nual tradition at Pinewood. freshman class, giving them back and forth another five mummy), and two rolls of toi- for one minute. The objective of the rap times. let paper. The objective was to Taking place during lunch, a huge lead in the rally. The next component of The pumpkin was securely successfully wrap a selected contest was to see which this year’s Pumpkin Day competition included a rally the rally was the pumpkin wrapped in duct tape a few person with toilet paper before mummy was able to come between the freshman, soph- toss. This particular toss had times so that the pumpkin the other classes. The mummy up with the most creative omore, junior, and senior two people stand on oppo- would not explode. After would then become the person ideas on their feet in just classes, with activities such site sides of the fence to the the pumpkin toss was com- who rapped in the mummy rap. one minute. This was reas the pumpkin toss, pumpkin tennis courts, and throw the pleted, one participant ran The first group to finish wrap- peated twice, with the freshcarving, as well as the famous “Mummy Wrap and Rap.” The competition started at around 12:15 p.m., with pumpkin carving as the opening event. With the advantage of the whole lunch period, each class was instructed to design the most outrageous and creative carving. The winner of this year’s pumpkin carving contest was the sophomore class. Andrew Yaholkovsky and Karalena Davis represented the sophomore class and carved a large pumpkin with a ferocious face, chomping down on a smaller pumpkin. While the carving got underway, the rally truly began with a candy identification test. One person from each class stepped up to a table on the stage to correctly identify five candies, along with one other candy for bonus points. Then, once the person correctly identified each candy, they David Wells, Carson Robinette, and Jackee Bruno participating in Pumpkin Day’s “Mummy Rap and Wrap.” Picture Taken by Annie Whitacre

men starting first for the first round, and the seniors starting first for the second round. Carson Robinette, freshman, was the winner of the mummy rap, with his creative off-the-top-of-his-head rap. “Pumpkin day was a really interesting but fun experience for me, as I got to rap and say crazy stuff,” Robinette said. “I was amazed that I won, but I am really glad that I contributed to our class winning the competition.” The winner of the pumpkin day rally, as well the mummy rap, was the freshman class. Their success marked the first victory for the freshman this year. Near the end of lunch, Sabra Abraham, the new high school chemistry teacher, blew up three pumpkins, with each blast louder than the last. “I am thrilled that I can be at Pinewood, where there is such a high level of participation at every event like this one,” Abraham said. “Everyone has so much fun.” A large crowd showed up for this years’ pumpkin day competition, and many people wanted to participate in the rally. The level of fun was high, as well as the enjoyment and laughter. “It was really fun,” senior Jenn Bodine said. “Everyone had a great time.”

French Honors Travels to SF SARAH LAWSON STAFF WRITER French students took their learning outside of the classrom during a movie-viewing field trip to San Francisco on Thurs, Oct. 27. The students, accompanied by the two French teachers Anna Daniel and Michael Tetzlaff, travelled to Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco to a viewing of “La Permission de Minuit.” “La Permission de Minuit” is a French film starring Romain, a young boy who has the devastating genetic disorder Xeroderma Pigmentosum (a disease where the patient cannot repair damage cause by UV light) and his relationship with his dermatologist David who acts like his father figure. Translated, the title means “Permission to Midnight” since children suffering from XP, also known as ‘moon children’ can only come out at night when there is no UV light. Most people suffering from XP live only a short time, and due to David and Romain’s tight connection, David does everything within his power to try and find a cure for XP. However, David must transfer his job to Geneva, Switzerland and thus leave Romain, cureless and hopeless, without a doctor. Students had nothing but positive, enthusiastic things to say regarding their movie viewing experience as a whole. “The acting was pretty much flawless, and the storyline was both interesting and engaging, leaving an emotional impact on the audience,” sophomore Rishi Sinha said. When the students were asked to rate the trip on

Poster for the film viewed in San Francisco. Adapted from movie’s website

a scale from 1 to 10, “the average was an 8 out of 10,” Tetzlaff said. After watching the film, the students got a chance to have a question-and-answer session with Delphine Gleize, the director of the dramatic film. “It’s very rare that you actually get to speak with a director about his or her film; it was definitely worth it,” Sinha said. While nearly all of the students agreed on how emotionally stimulating this foreign film was, some had differing thoughts on the question-and-answer session that followed. The students were late coming back, thus making them late to play or sports practice, so they were in a slight hurry to leave. “The Q & A session was a little bit too long in my view,” senior Ava Adlparvar said. This experience was not only enjoyable for the students; the director enjoyed their presence too. “[Gleize] sent us a letter the other day… she liked how interested we were in the movie,” sophomore Sid Kurkure said. This is not the first time that the French department has decided to take students on a day trip to learn about the French culture they hear and see so much about sitting in class. “This is a yearly event… [to which] we have accepted [the San Francisco Youth Education Program’s] invitation to a free French movie showing for the last seven years,” Tetzlaff said. The annual movie-viewing and cultural trip is for all French students currently taking French 3 or higher. “[The movie trip] is part of our curriculum and therefore mandatory in the sense that we want to expand our students’ horizons, and that includes exposing them to a French director’s view of topics pertaining to French adolescents,” Tetzlaff said.

The Writ Gets A New Look SHANI ROSENTHAL STAFF WRITER This year, Pinewood’s literarary magazine “The Writ” will incorporate and introduce many new changes, under the guidance of a new staff. “The Writ” is a literary magazine that is released at the end of each school year. This year the editors of

“The Writ”, freshmen Katherine Tseung and Damla Cehreli, decided along with teacher advisor, David Wells, to include a new poetry contest. The theme of the contest is “inanimate objects.” All students, junior high and high school, as well as faculty members are encouraged to write and submit an entry for this contest, story, or other literary piece.

The new staff members are already making an impact, preparing to fill the void of last year’s seniors. “[My job is to] collect submissions and make contests [for the magazine], and I am really excited to do it,” said Cehreli. This year’s magazine has big shoes to fill after the very popular 20102011 edition of “The Writ,” which included many submissions from upper-campus students. “Everyone

should participate because it is fun and the magazine is published,” said Cehreli. Each year, the magazine evolves and includes a different element of literature. In the 2009-2010 edition of “The Writ,” the magazine included illustrations, various types of poetry, and six word novels from several students in each grade. Last year’s magazine added short stories to the above

list. This year, however, “The Writ” will include a poetry contest; hopefully encouraging some competitive writers to contribute their work. Any writers, experienced or novice that are interested in publishing their work in the writ should contact and send their work to Wells (dwells@pinewood.edu), Cehreli (damiemommy3@gmail.com), or Tseung (ktseung@gmail.com).