January 24, 2012 Washington High School 38442 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94536 www.whshatchet.com Vol. 93 Issue 5

The HatchetT E L L I N G T H E T R U T H S I N C E 1 9 1 6

What’sChoppin’?

See Features, pages 6-7See News, page 2 See Arts and Entertainment, page 8

Photo by Maleka Mau

Activities Director Helen Paris talks to senior Akhila Nekkanti during her Leadership class. Paris is scheduled to be awarded at the Tenth Annual Excellence in Education Gala.

Paris to receive honor for excellence

Candy Grams will be sold in the student center Feb. 1-13 for 50 cents each. The 10th one is free.

Final countdown...

Anjelo TulioAlexAnder richStaff Reporters

Longtime Mayor of Fremont died on Dec. 29, 2011 after a battle with pneumonia at Kaiser Permanente Hospital.

Mayor Bob Wasserman, after serving as police chief for the city, joined the city council in 1994 and was elected Mayor in 2004. Since then Wasserman has worked to try and attract new businesses to Fremont such as the Oakland Athletics and Tesla Motors. Among Wasserman’s achievements was to keep the NUMMI factory operating and attracting new businesses to Fremont, especially in the Pacific Commons area.

Wasserman has had a connection to the city of Fremont for years. He also frequents nearby local high schools to encourage teens to do their best. Wasserman has visited Washington High School on several different occasions and has had a positive reaction during assemblies.

Vice Mayor Anu Natarajan now takes the office as Interim Mayor. Among the council members vying for the vacant mayor’s seat, City Council Member Dominic Dutra looks to be appointed mayor after Natarajan serves 60 days when the City Council appoints a new mayor. Dutra has served on the city council since 2002 and is CEO of the realty firm Dutra Enterprises, and is a long time Fremont resident.

Fremont mayor dies after seven years in office

-Anirudh Pamula

Activities Director Helen Paris was recently named the 2012 Excellence in Education FUSD Honoree. She is scheduled to receive the award on Feb. 24 at the Tenth Annual Excellence in Education Gala.

The award, which is typically given to education administrators, came as a surprise to Paris. Last year’s award went to Parvin Ahmadi, the former Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and current Pleasanton School’s

Superintendent.“It is a very prestigious award,”

Principal Linda Fernandez said. “It goes to people who go far above the call of duty.”

Paris says the award recognizes the WHS Leadership p r o g r a m . According to Fernandez, the program was c o m p l e t e l y changed when Paris took command. Her contributions include fun assemblies, the outside sound system, Memorial Grove,

3D technology evolves

her achievements that will be a part of the resolution. The Fremont Fire Department will also receive the Community Honor Award, last awarded to Dale Hardware.

“To take a school as diverse as this and make it one spirit is amazing,” Fernandez said.

Paris has invited her whole family to attend Fremont Education Foundation’s Gala fundraiser. The event is aimed to benefit the Innovative Education Grants program, as well as to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to students.

and the paws in the gym. However, she also acknowledges the students in the Leadership program for the award she is receiving.

“The award is for an outstanding job working with kids in Fremont,” Sociology and History teacher Tim Nichols said.

Paris will be recognized

by a resolution written by State Assembly Member Bob Wieckowski to be adopted by the state congress. She wrote a list of

FUSD’s budget is cut by millions of dollarsAlexAnder richStaff Reporter

Fall Semester Finals ScheduleFinal 1: 8:00- 9:57Brunch: 9:57- 10:17Final 2: 10:23- 12:20

Wednesday: Periods 1 and 2Thursday: Periods 3 and 4Friday: Periods 5 and 6

‘To take a school as diverse as this and make it one spirit is amazing’

“

“

It goes to people who go far above the call of duty.

Linda Fernandez

WHS places third in Drive to Succeed contest

Governor Jerry Brown unveiled his proposal for decreasing the state deficit on Jan. 6.

Brown needs to close a $9.2 billion gap.

His budget cuts will only take effect if his proposal for an increased income tax on those making more than $250,000 and

his half-cent sales tax increase is rejected by voters in November.

His proposals, which were accidentally released a week early, includes a $4.8 billion cut to public education, equivalent of removing 3 weeks of school, according to the Los Angeles Times.

California would also have to make cuts on social securities like health care.

FUSD Superintendent Jim Morris said in an email that our district will be cut $11.5 million. The district will not know the exact amount of funding until November.

“While I believe Governor Brown understands the importance of education, his budget proposal contradicts his commitment to supporting schools,” Morris

said. “Another year of budget uncertainty is not good for students.”

Some believe the proposed cuts are to distress voters into supporting the tax increases.

“I think it’s a scare tactic,” senior Peter Braun said. “If he wasn’t trying to manipulate the public, he would have chosen to cut something less important.”

News PAGE 2The HatchetJanuary 24, 2012

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Republican primary race intensifies as elections near

Anirudh PAmulAStaff Reporter

Students and teachers are paying more attention as the presidential race draws closer.

For several candidates, the title of front runner has been meaningless, with poll leaders changing week by week since the June Iowa straw poll. Although the lack of a clear front runner may be alarming to voters this fear has receded as more and more primaries show what the voters want.

Despite the surges of many different candidates, few have actually stuck around. Ex-Governer Mitt Romney has already won the New Hampshire primary and while Newt Gingrich has won the South Carolina primary. Although the bulk of the primaries will not

be complete until mid spring; California’s republican primary will not happen until June 5.

“I think Romney is a good front runner,” history teacher David Stephenson said.

The current primary system awards the party nomination for the candidate with the most amount of delegates at the end of the primaries. Although the system faces controversy over days of the primary, there is still support for the system.

“ The primary system is good, it generates a lot of attention, if anything most candidates get too much coverage,” Stephenson said.

The progression of primaries have also weeded out less popular candidates. In January alone both ex-governors Jon Hunstman and Rick Perry dropped out of the race. While the Hunstman campaign

was running low on money and placed all of their faith in the New Hampshire primary, the Perry campaign announced his withdrawl from the race after low poll numbers on Jan. 19.

“It’ll be interesting to see who will come up on top in the current primaries, right now there is a lot of negative campaigning and it really works, they are not really focusing

on the President and are attacking each other,” Government teacher Elizabeth Dewitt said.

Students are also keeping up with the elections as many seniors can vote in the general election in

November and the primaries in June. Since the last presidential e l e c t i o n , California has changed its primary system that allows any registered voter regardless of party to vote in a primary.

California has also become the first state in the nation to use this approach, with this new system California’s 17.2 million voter can now vote for any primary candidate

they choose. With more than five months

left until the first votes are casted towards the election, some eligible students are dissatisfied with the current presidential race.

“In the current Republican primaries, all of the candidates are appealing to the die hard Republicans, attempting to capture votes and secure the presidential nomination. When the general election comes around these candidates are going to have to go back on their promises and have a more moderate position or give Obama the election,” senior Ryan White said.

Since there are still four diffrent candidates vying for the Republivcan nomination, students and staff are looking foreword to and paying attention to the Presidential race.

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...all of the candidates are appealing to the die hard Republicans...When the general election comes around these candidates are going to have to go back on their promises and have a more moderate position or give Obama the election

Ryan White

Facebook voting gets Auto Shop to third place Anjelo TulioAnirudh PAmulAStaff Reporters

Washington High School’s Auto Shop entered Universal Technical Institute’s Drive to Succeed Scholarship Foundation. Out of 70 school nationwide, Washington placed third, winning $5,000 .

Auto shop teacher Doug Nahale was informed by UTI representative and frequent guest speaker Ben Williams of a video contest with a large cash prize to the top 3 schools in November.

The Contest consisted of schools sending in videos of why they need the money and what they would do with it if they win. Nahale plans to use the money to provide the Auto Shop with new tools and new computer technology to assist the students. Many of the Auto Shop’s tools were stolen or damaged during Nahale’s hiatus. Nahale was gone for over a year when he was diagnosed with Non-Hogkins Lymphoma.

Filming began over Thanksgiving break. A group of students along with Nahale filmed the video in the Auto Shop. The original video was eight minutes long, but UTI asked to edit it down to three minutes. The Auto Shop

originally had only three days before the deadline but fortunately the deadline was extended.

“I wish that they told us about it last year, it is a great opportunity, this is the second year they have

done this contest,” Nahale said.Voting began on UTI’s Facebook

page on Jan. 10. It was a week long contest but due to a glitch in the system,votes were reset and the deadline was extended to Jan. 18.

Washington quickly mobilized when voting began and through Facebook acquired more than 1500 votes. Washington managed to stay in the top 3 for a majority of the contest. The grand prize

was $25,000 with the runners up earning $10,000 and $5,000.

Oak Lawn High School from Illinois and Wayne Hills High school in New Jersey won first and second respectively.

Photo by Anjelo Tulio

A view of the Auto shop classroom. Many parts and supplies were damaged and stolen during Nahale’s absence from Hon-Hogkins Lymphoma.

Students and teachers pay close attention to potential presidential candidates

News PAGE 3The Hatchet

January 24, 2012

Seniors: Get ready to vote!Favorites Categories 2012

Boys & Girls -Best Hair -Best Smile -Best Laugh -Best Car -Best Eyes -First to Settle Down -Biggest Flirt -Most Athletic -Most Spirited -Class Jester -Next Bill Gates -Most Likely to be a Super Senior -Attached at the Hip (boys, girls) -Most Likely to Streak Across the Football Field

*Only seniors can vote*Voting will be in the first week of February

*start thinking of who you’d like to vote for

*One boy and one girl will be voted winners of each category

Students cooperate with pregnant teachers

Math teacher Sabrina Chiu, AVID and English teacher Brynn Osicka, English teacher Beej Jasani, and Science teacher Michelle Terrell are expecting babies this coming year.

Students have had to tolerate their teachers’ different mood swings and cravings. Senior Shruti Bali has been with her AVID teacher Osicka since her sophomore year and smiles at the fact that she wants food so much she changed her wallpaper to lumpia after senior Kristi Bernardez brought her some.

According to Terrell’s students, she is the teacher with the most noticeable cravings.

“I get her water every day from the upper E-Building water

fountain,” junior Matt Ricci said.Students have been lenient

when the teachers need patience. Junior Anil Noori sees how Chiu is more impatient so he tries to go on with his lessons with more patience than he would with other teachers. He tries not to ask as many questions as he normally would.

In addition, students are ready for when their teachers go on their maternity leave, and they’ll be left with a substitute for the remainder of the year.

“We know that she [Mrs. Chiu] is leaving soon,” said sophomore Eddie Hernandez.

In some cases, the teacher may not even be able to get to school before they leave. Junior Lucas Ammerman expects to definitely have more subs for the rest of the school year and is making preparations for it.

Karen aryataStaff Reporter

State honors disability advocatealex rich Staff Reporter

Yesterday was Ed Roberts day. Roberts was an outspoken leader who emphasized equal rights for disabled students.

Ed Roberts was diagnosed with polio at the age of 14. He was the first student in a wheelchair to be admitted to the University of California, Berkeley, in 1962.

At the time, it was typical for universities to tell students with disabilities that they could not accommodate them, and that they should seek an education elsewhere.

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II believe it’s the right thing to do. The SOPA law infringes upon the rights of the people

Evan Stenholm

Websites go dark in protest of billanjelo tulioStaff Reporter

Wikipedia.com blacked out its website on Jan. 18 for 24 hours in protest against p r o p o s e d l e g i s l a t i o n s that threatened to censor the Internet.

W i k i p e d i a aimed to raise a w a r e n e s s against the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House of Representatives and the Protect Intellectual Property Act under

consideration in the Senate. Both proposed bills plan to prevent trafficking of copyrighted goods and intellectual property, giving

the US government and copyright holders the ability to blacklist sites that they thought infringed on copyrights.

Censorship of community-based websites such as

Wikipedia limit the right to free speech. Visitors of the site during the black out saw the message: “Imagine a world without free

Photo by Anjelo Tulio

A student finds wikipedia has blacked itself out in protest of SOPA and PIPA. Other sites such as google, Reddit and Craigslit also joined in the protest.

knowledge.” Wikipedia is branded as “the largest encyclopedia in human history,” information that Wikipedia provides is valuable to many students.

“I believe it’s the right thing to do. The SOPA law infringes upon the rights of the people. It did make looking things up on the Internet more difficult, but it wasn’t too much of a problem.” Junior Evan Stenholm said.

Like Wikipedia, websites such as Google.com, Reddit.com and Craigslist.com also urged visitors to protest against SOPA and PIPA. They promote petitions that notify congress to vote No on Jan. 24.

The director of Berkeley’s student health center offered Roberts a room in an empty wing on the third floor. As more disabled students were put in this wing, it became known as the Rolling Quads, with Roberts as their leader.

With Roberts’ help, Berkeley founded the Physically Disabled Students Program, the first of its kind in any university in the nation.

Jerry Brown appointed Roberts to direct the Department of Rehabilitation in 1975, and in 1983 he co-founded the World Institute on Disability.

Ed Roberts died in 1995 at

56, and is now recognized as the father of the independent living movement for people with disabilities and special needs.

In 2010, Jan. 23, his birthday, was deemed “Ed Roberts Day” in California, when, according to the law, “all public schools and educational institutions are encouraged to conduct exercises remembering the life of Ed Roberts, recognizing his accomplishments as well as the accomplishments of other Californians with disabilities, and familiarizing pupils with the contributions that Ed Roberts and other Californians with disabilities have made to this state.”

Photo by KAren AryATA

AVID teacher Brynn Osicka teachers class while pregnant. There are currently four teachers pregnant on campus.

OpiniOns PAGE 4The HatchetJanuary 24, 2012

The HatchetWashington High School, 38442 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94536

www.whshatchet.com ▪ (510) 505-7300 The Hatchet is a forum for student expression and discussion of ideas uncen-

sored by school officials. The Hatchet staff seeks to ethically produce an accurate record of the news, sports, issues and people of the WHS community.

Editor-in-ChiefNoelle Fujii

News EditorKenneth Chang

Opinions Editor Nadine Morishita

Features EditorsBharathi GandhiKaitlyn Martinez

A&E EditorTeja Thota

Sports EditorEric Chu

Photo Editor Daniel Tsay

Business Manager

Karen Arayata

Staff ReportersAdrianne Manseau

Alex RichAmelia Chu

Angely GuevaraAnirudh Pamula

Anjelo TulioBritney SanchezBrooke Eicher

Chloe NgChristina Chen

Gerald LiHarley LitzelmanJennifer Chang

Jessica StilesJill HuynhJosh RozulKelsi Ocon

Kimberly HendersonKurt PenaKyle FloydLydia KungMaleka MauMark Soltero

Maureen MadridSylvia Liang

Zoe Hu

Pretty much every living being has, at some point in their life, been bullied with varying levels of severity. A majority of people are able to get to adulthood in two or fewer pieces even if they still hold that feeling of inadequacy with them.

But what about the ones that don't?

The most recent case that comes to mind is the 10 year-old Ashlynn Conner from Illinois. According to Huffington Post, Conner's classmates had been calling her "fat, ugly, and [a] slut." After getting her hair cut short, children referred to her as "pretty boy." It got to a point where, unable to handle their cruel taunts, Conner hung herself in her bedroom closet.

Plenty of questions went through my head when I heard this story: how did a 10 year-old know how to tie a noose? Where did her classmates hear words like "slut" and where did they get the idea that Conner was anything close? But the most pressing question was "Where were the adults in all this?"

Well, Chicago Tribune says that when Conner went to her teachers

for help with the harassment, they told her she was being a "tattle-tale" and did nothing.

For me, that hit pretty close to home. My middle-school tormenters all went unpunished despite my multiple attempts to get help from the adults around me. Everyone told me to just suck it up, including my parents. While I was never at a point where I was ready to hang myself in my closet, it hurt. It was a bleak time with very few bright points.

And my taunts were extremely mild and pretty short-lived compared to what some kids go through.

Some spend all their teenage years being sent cold-blooded anonymous messages through websites like Formspring and Tumblr, physically and emotionally beaten up in the locker rooms, catcalled and harassed sometimes in the streets, but mostly in school. All for having a socially unacceptable body shape, for being queer or transgender (or for just enjoying things that are stereotyped as things only queer people like), for being a certain race or religion or dressing a certain way.

The dedication that people put into their bullying may outweigh the dedication some teachers put

into ignoring the fact that their students are real people who need help and can't just "put up" with the torments they're subjected to. There are some clubs on campus specifically meant as a refuge for the bullied, Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) being the main one. Though it focuses on our GSM (Gender and Sexuality Minority) youth, anybody is welcome.

It is meant for people of all orientations and genders to join together and discuss serious and interesting topics, primarily of those involving gay rights, but all topics are welcome. Unfortunately, there are some students who are too scared to partake in clubs like this for fear of how other people will judge them.

These sorts of suicides are not far and few between. Teachers and students need to start stepping up; if they hear derogatory slang being thrown around in classrooms, they shouldn't ignore it, because kids are taking those words to heart.

When we think there's something wrong with us, we let that feeling fester and take over our lives until eventually it leaves us a lifeless hull.

Everyone feels that way. Shouldn't we be doing something about it?

Zoe HuStaff Reporter

Anyone can stand up to bullying

Finals are here and stress is in every classroom. Grades are on the line just because of one test that is a substantial part of your grade.

To me it's pointless to attend school for a whole semester for three days of constant testing to determine whether we learned and remembered all of the material.

"Finals should be given to test the students knowledge in what has been taught to them through out the semester therefore the teacher will know where the student stands," junior Andrea Terrazas said.

I understand that we should get evaluated for how much knowledge we retain, but teachers should also understand that not all students learn at the same pace and we do not all know study methods that will help us keep that knowledge. I am not saying that we shouldn't have finals, just that they shouldn't be worth such a big percentage of your grade.

"I think that it shouldn't be a part of your grade but instead your scores on the final should just show up on your transcript in its own box," senior Michael Mcmullin said.

Taking finals is supposed to be great way to prepare for college exams. You can find efficient ways of studying, and it could also be a great way to form study groups and meet new people. But you don't need the finals to do those things;

you just need to want to do them. Finals shouldn't be a reason

to study your tail off, you should always do your best at your own capabilities. It seems that the work we put into our classes doesn’t matter even though that work is

supposed to be what's covered on the finals.

If finals weren't worth as much as they are, students wouldn't have so much to worry about. And it is bad enough that we have possibly six finals and countless hours of

studying to do. If finals could be dismissed for something more custom to the student that apply to the specific individuals strengths, it could possibly lead to better scores and a better understanding of what you learned over the semester.

Students should take a step to stop it

Mark SolteroStaff reporter

Illustration by Ira Horecka Students are anxious about finals and stress to do their best. Most finals have a big impact on grades.

Students stress about finals

OpiniOns PAGE 5The Hatchet

January 24, 2012

EDITORIAL

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How would you survive without technology?Huskies in the Halls

Worm Of the Apple By Harley Litzelman

Bad culture makes bad media

All media is a reflection of culture. As in any free market, the success of media is determined by how well it serves its customers. That freedom of service offers a platform upon which the most voyeuristic, petty, and irrelevant information can flood the airwaves under the convincing disguises of 'Breaking News' or 'Expert Analysis.' Media serves the short term impulses of its audience like a street dealer supplying his customers with the high they incessantly chase. We would expect this in the shameless markets of entertainment and sports news, but it has also taken control of political journalism, climaxing every four years in presidential elections.

The election fever surrounding political campaigns is not unlike the fanfare associated with any other media. Political junkies follow campaigns much as they would sports. Elections have their favorites, underdogs, early risers, and come-from-behind victors. Media coverage is primarily concerned with campaign organization, like a field commander strategically mobilizing his resources to defeat his opponents and conquer the battlefield.

This metaphor assumes the static, definite characteristics of the open battlefield. On the plane of war, this is sensible. The battlefield of elections, however, is voter opinion. And when the tendencies of voting populations become so predictable that the question of their preference has more to do with the tactical genius of campaign organizers rather than how capable these candidates are at tackling issues, there is a significant problem with voters' priorities.

Media, then, is only a reflection of those priorities. Political media is only concerned with the latest negative campaign advertisement or how expensive a certain candidate's haircut is only when there is public interest in that issue. These petty concerns compete with actual issues for their audience's attention.

To fight this, the public must rethink its priorities and demand a media focused on the critical issues. You cannot criticize large-scale media attention to petty, unimportant issues without criticizing our culture's own attention to those very issues. All supply has its demand. Only through public responsibility, at the expense of frivolous gossip, will our media cover the real issues of our time.

Use good judgment when judging others

Writing an article about how judging others is bad is hard without sounding overly arrogant and instructive. Judging people at first sight or after a first interaction can be damaging. We all do it, to some extent. But acknowledging those facts raises a series of questions. Exactly how much will judging others affect our relationships with them? At what point does it become damaging? Is there any way to avoid it?

Well, the answer to the last question is, frankly, no. At the very least, we always have a preconceived idea of how to

speak to somebody based on their appearance. We talk to children a certain way, and elderly people a certain way, both because of our perceptions of their intelligence or competence entirely based on their apparent age. That kind of judgment is unavoidable, and is not the result of poor taste. Children are mentally less developed, and the elderly deserve our patience.

Problems arise when we begin to judge based on things that don't necessarily have any effect on the way they act. Judging people because of the way they dress, their race, their religion, or other ancillary characteristics is what can be damaging.

"[Judging] creates random

little stereotypes even with, like, different colors of hair. It doesn’t even have to be something as big as race, it can be something as little as hair," an anonymous junior said.

In addition to being bigoted, those kinds of judgments, where we neglect to even interact with people based on their appearance, can result in missed opportunities. Any person you deliberately ignore could be someone who would have ended up being important to you in some way.

"If you judge someone before you even know them, you might not try to connect with them, or try to befriend them, and so you lose out on a relationship," senior Ryan Walla said.

Most importantly, if these traits play a role in the way you approach others, then you are assigning value to those traits, and as a result, assigning value to people.

It's tough, because as we grow up we are taught to focus on aspects of people that do not really matter. We are all guilty of having preconceived notions about groups of people at times, but it does not have to be that way.

If we approach each interaction with each person as an interaction with a new person who has a new perspective, then it becomes easier not to judge, because you will have nothing to judge.

Kyle FloydStaff Reporter

No rehabilitation, no hope

Judgment is necessary, but preconceptions are dangerous

Governor Jerry Brown released a plan to shut down the three remaining youth prisons in his budget blueprint on Jan. 5. The state started with 11 youth prisons which were cut down to three in 1997. If this plan is approved by the Legislature, California will be the first state to entirely close its youth prisons. The prisons would then be phased out, meaning as soon as the current inmates finish up their terms, the prisons would close and not accept any new coming offenders. This means the responsibility to jail the new coming youthful offenders would fall to the local governments which could send these new offenders to an adult jail, even if the offender were 12 or 13 years old.

Instead of closing down the youth prisons, California should improve the youth prison system by investing in rehabilitation systems that the inmates need.

California's youth prisons are notorious for their 23-hour confinements and staff beatings. Parents have complained about hearing their kids have been hit and not fed enough. But according to an article by ABC7, close to home rehabilitation seems to be more successful. Shutting down the prisons would be worse than leaving the kids there.

Starting from the age of 12, children can be sent to youth prisons. And at the age of 14, they can be tried as an adult. If these youthful offenders were sent to a regular, adult jail, they would be subjected to influences by real criminals and brutal beatings by other inmates. A 12 -year old child with the potential to be a functioning member of society should not be subjected to that.

If the youth prisons were closed, we would be condemning people to more violence. They wouldn't get the care that they need and they wouldn't be able to recover from their pasts.

Children are supposed to be the future and when a child is in need, people should help. Improvements to the system would clear the bad image of the youth prisons being cruel,violent places. Although it's supposed to be punishment for these crimes, a youth prison should also be a place to learn and better oneself.

The state should invest in a development system so the young inmates can get better. The inmates should have legitimate rehabilitation opportunities and the treatment they need.

FEATURESPAGE 6The HatchetJanuary 24, 2012

PAGE 7The Hatchet

January 24, 2012

Will Earth succumb to some sort of cataclysmic end this year? There has been an ongoing cycle of doomsday theories, instilling fear in many people. It is frightening to imagine such catastrophic occurrences, but there is no concrete evidence that they will happen this year.

Many theories coincide with the year 2012, explaining why there is so much buzz surrounding an apocalypse. The cyclic Mayan calendar, the Long Count, measures the lengthy period of time known as the Great Cycle. The Mayans interpreted the Great Cycle as a growth cycle where humanity reaches the next level of spiritual development. Scholars compared the dates of the Long Count with the Gregorian calendar and the current Great Cycle, and discovered that the current Great Cycle, which began on Aug. 11, 3114 B.C., will end on Dec. 21.

Developed in the mid-1970s after Terrence McKenna experimented with psychedelic drugs, “timewave zero” stated that the Earth's time will run out and its interconnectedness will increase, creating an infinite complexity in which everything and anything possible will occur at the same time. McKenna derived his “timewave zero” function from the King Wen sequence of I-Ching hexagrams to create a graph representing Earth’s interconnectedness. In the resulting waveform, dips correlated with significant events in our

Jill HuynHGerald liStaff Reporters

I t ’ s ( N O T ) t h e E n d o f t h e W o r l dhistory. What was unusual with McKenna's graph was its abrupt stop on Dec. 21, 2012.

Another theory explains that on Dec. 21, the Sun will align with the center of the Milky Way, causing the Earth's poles to shift and wreak havoc on our world and its inhabitants. Some people believe that a Planet X, also known as Nibiru, will collide into the world, thus annihilating all life forms. Others simply believe that the sun will explode and kill us all. Or a black hole known as Sagittarius A* will suck our planet into a black oblivion.

There has been no scientific proof to confirm any of these theories. Scientists have made statements contradicting these theories and have affirmed that the end is not near. The Mayan Long Count may be ending, but this could very well mean the start of a new period, according to NASA. The space administration adds that if there was a Planet X, it would be visible from Earth and would have been spotted by now. The closest the planet could be is four billion miles away. NASA also says that a reversal of the poles isn't deadly to humans and won't happen for another few millennia. The Sun's solar flares reach a high every eleven years and only interfere with satellite communication; the next solar maximum is between 2012 and 2014.

Scientists have their own theories as to how the end will come. Astrophysicist Donald Brownlee and paleontologist Peter Ward propose that the Sun will eat up all of Earth's carbon dioxide.

Slowly but surely, all of the Earth's plants will die out and animals will retreat to the ocean as days on Earth become hotter and hotter, undoing all evolution. The oceans will completely evaporate and the Earth will become too hot to sustain life, similar to the situation on Mars. Sabatino Sofia, a solar physicist, states that the Sun will become a red supergiant and masses will explode off the star, engulfing the dead Earth. The Sun will then be a white dwarf star, the size of Earth, and cool off until it is no longer seen in space. This process will take a few hundred million years though.

If thousands of birds start dropping dead, locusts eat entire fields of crops, and tsunami waves rise over thousands of feet, you are only watching a movie. It does not seem likely that an apocalypse, Rapture, or doomsday will occur anytime soon. The Earth will eventually come to an end in the hundred million years ahead of us, but we won't be here to experience it.

These theories of an end are our era's popular culture and keep the public aware and living in a little bit of fear. We all have to have some kind of unknown in our lives and this is simply part of it. Who knows? Maybe a deadly, infectious virus will spread the globe and we’ll become zombies, or technology will rule us and be our demise. All good things must come to an end, but our stable planet won’t be facing any danger for quite a while. For now, live happily where you are doing what you are doing. After all, ignorance is bliss.

Yo

ur H

oro

scop

e fo

r the

Ye

ar

Watch out for seagulls. Not only are they going to try to rob you, they will tempt you to join their cult.

It may seem like you’re getting a lot of at-tention from coffee baristas but they are only trying to sell you more cof-fee. There is nothing special there.

You will find a little baby, but don’t you dare pick it up. The baby is most likely to be your long, lost twin sister or your regular, psychotic stalker.

Please, please, please stop trying to be so seductive. It will get you in major trouble, and you will end up losing your passport.

Oh yeah, go ahead, get a tat-too. Don’t forget to pick up a surgeon for your amputation.

Stay away from farms and cotton fields. Someone out there will try to abduct you.

Don’t try so hard; you’re not fooling anyone. And also, fake things will be the end of you.

Did you notice how you’re growing a second brain? Oh yeah, get that checked.

Taurus 4/20-5/20

Gemini 5/21-6/21

Cancer 6/22-7/22

Virgo 8/23-9/22

Libra 9/23-10/22

Scorpio 10/23-11/21

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21

Capricorn 12/22-1/19

Aquarius 1/20-2/18Leo 7/23-8/22

Pisces 2/19-3/20

Stop biting your nails! You might need them when you get stuck in a burrow to scratch your way out.

You will have many embarrass-ing moments this year. As if your life isn’t embarrassing enough...

You will actually have a great year! No. Just kidding. Keep your toes away from grand pianos and cellos.

There’s only one way to say this: electric saws are not for alone time.

Aries 3/21-4/19H

oroscopes and Illustration by BH

ara

tHi G

an

di

T H E F I N A L C o u n t d o w n

Illustration by Kaitlyn Martinez

"I want to reduce national debt! Our country would be an all-around better place for all mankind who live here." – Vivian Tsai (11)

"Pass gay marriage. It's ridiculous to allow it, then revoke it like 'Oh, JK!'" – Molly Tapken (12)

"Helping a student one at a time is the way to go. I want to help make sure my brother goes to school everyday. He is a senior and has been skipping a lot lately to do his college apps." – Lynn Chu (11)

“Make everyone get along. Then people are more understanding and there will be less violence.” – Jace Padilla (9)

"In some parts of the world (third world countries), there is still discrimination towards women. So, I would like to change that! I'd start by getting people with similar opinions and thoughts together and working secretly without the help of these third world countries because the government in many of these countries is corrupted." – Shweta Sugnani (12)

“To make the world a better place we should expand medical technology in other countries. Some places don't have the adequate supplies.” – Danielle Lowe (9)

“Teach everyone to respect each other and their wishes. Everyone needs to accept each other for who they are.” – Jesse Wheeler (9)

"End world poverty; although I'm not

sure how to start." – Richard Nguyen (12)

“We are going to have a tsunami and an earthquake. The Mayans told me.” – Samir Ebadi (9)

"The Ravens will win the Superbowl because they have Ray Lewis on the team." –

Jaire Gipson(10)"There is going to be a Middle Eastern revolution, because the people are so unhappy with the dictatorship that they are going to rebel."– Jeordan Anudon(9)

"Someone is going to shoot a nuclear missile, causing a nuclear war, or the Third World War to begin." – Simon Lu (9)

"I would go to the Phillipines and visit my grandma." – Lauren Tagalog (10)

"I would marry Justin Bieber."

– Amanda Lopez (10) "I would love for my band to open for a show. It would be an amazing experience for all of us.” – Andre Buettner (11)

“I would get my songs published. I would usually wait because I'm so young, but if the world is ending it doesn't really matter.” – Saranya Chandrasekhar (9)

"Live in different countries and learn different languages and cultures." – Monica Macabitas (12)

"Obama's going to get reelected

because everyone else sucks." –

Stephanie Zee (12)

2 0 1 2 : W h a t D o Yo u T h i n k ?

Compiled by Staff Reporters Jennifer CHanG, lydia KunG, adrianne Manseau, Kelsi OCOn

What do you will predict this year?

What changes do you wish to see this year?

What would you do if the world was ending?

A&E PAGE 8The HatchetJanuary 24, 2012

Students prepare for Multicultural WeekSylvia liangStaff Reporter

Many Washington High School students have begun putting together their performances for the annual Multicultural Assembly, which is on March 28. Although it is still months away, their performances require weeks of planning and organizing.

Seniors Bharathi Gandi, Shweta Sugnani, and Akhila Nekkanti, the choreographers of the Bollywood routine, have already begun coordinating for the assembly; they have been meeting weekly since the first week of January and plan on practicing daily in February. The choreographers have learned from last year to start practicing earlier to perfect their routine and to be more organized. In addition, they have made changes to their dance, but retained the traditional choreography from Bollywood movies. At the end of their routine, they have organized a surprise for their performance.

“We have a lot of people from many cultural backgrounds doing the Indian dance this year. It’s going to be bold and exciting for sure!” Nekkanti said.

The MeCHa club has also started preparing their performance for the assembly. Seniors Cecilia Diaz and Jacquelin Silva, and juniors Moises Gonzales, Edgar Garcia, and Jazmin Mendez have been holding practices every Tuesday and Wednesday at the amphitheater

since before winter break started. This year, they are performing one dance instead of two because the choreography for their dance is longer and more complex. Additionally, they are stricter this year about practice attendance since the people who did show up spent their time fooling around rather than practice. So far, they have recruited about 20 dancers, half of them boys and the other half girls.

“I [participate in the assembly] because I love to dance and I get to show the school my culture in a way that makes us, the Latinos, look good. And I get to meet new friends every year,” MeCHa dance choreographer Mendez said.

The small handful of Tahitian dancers have started organizing their dance as well. After their main choreographer, alumnus Dylan Francisco, graduated last year, they all have to help choreograph. Learning from their mistakes last year, the dancers decided to establish their routine early on and perfect it, so they don’t have to make changes later.

“I think that this year will turn out better than the years before because it’ll be much simpler, I’m juiced!” junior Martina Asong said.

A new act put together by students this year is the Korean performance, carried out by juniors David Fung and Nathaniel Lee, sophomores Myat Theingi, Paulina Hsieh, Evelyn Li, Ellie Seiei, and freshman Sarah Yi.

“When I heard early in the school year that some schoolmates are trying to start a Korean performance as well, I was very excited and supportive because there’s traditionally been a lack of Asian heritage presented at the Multicultural Assemblies,” Fung said.

Photo by Kasy Tu From left to right, sophomore Myat Theingi, sophomore Evelyn Li, junior Nathaniel Lee, sophomore Paulina Hsieh, and sophomore Ellie Seiei practice part of their routine. The Korean group is a new addition to this year’s Multicultural Assembly.

Artist Spotlight: Evie Chang, aspiring and inspiring

Art is a skill that sophomore Evie Chang has been practicing for as long as she can remember. For Chang, art is an outlet where she can show her emotions. She began taking her art more seriously in third grade when she recognized her talents.

“I remember drawing a picture of a fox and thinking, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good. Let’s try it again,’” Chang said.

Chang’s third grade teacher presented her with more opportunities to practice and showcase her work. Since then, Chang has continued to draw on her own. Although she took art

classes in school, she didn’t find them very helpful, and has instead developed her style in her own way.

Since she had realized her enthusiasm for art, Chang has entered art competitions and has won prize money for her work, but her underlying reason for

drawing is always for the pleasure of it. Chang mainly draws for her friends as well as creates pieces of art as an outlet for her emotions.

“Art is where I can let my

Sophomore Evie Chang

poses outside

the Eggers building.

Like many other artists,

she hopes to make her

hobby a larger part of

her life.

Photo by Kimberly

Henderson

emotions go. I don’t really have a favorite thing to draw, it all depends on how I am feeling at the time,” Chang said.

Although Chang speaks modestly about her art, her friends admire her drawings.

“They’re really pretty and realistic with good shading,” sophomore Preyrna Yadav said.

Being able to draw well is also a great skill to have for school. Projects often demand nice artwork, and artistic talent is something Chang can always rely on for such tasks.

Chang has inspired other younger kids to pursue art, and although she finds that it is just a hobby for now, she can imagine it becoming a larger part of her life when she goes into college.

3D movies, more prominent in modern entertainment

Kimberly HenderSonJeSSica StileS Staff Reporters

JeSSica StileSKimberly HenderSon Staff Reporters

As technology changes and grows, so does the list of ways to create and enhance digital worlds. Although it has been around for a couple decades, digital 3D is an innovation for television and movies when compared with other breakthroughs in technology. 3D technology appeared in the film The Power of Love (1922).

Many people find that watching

movies in 3D can provide more suspense and adrenaline rushes. Ultimately, only the viewer can decide whether 3D heightens the quality of watching a movie or television program, but huge leaps have already been made. Gray polarized 3D glasses, which allow a viewer to watch a screen in full color, have replaced the cardboard red-and-blue anaglyph glasses. LC shutter glasses, which eliminate the overlapping image, or “ghosting” effect of polarized glasses, are available for 3D televisions.

The 3D experience can be very enjoyable if the animation is done well, but it can also be overwhelming. Many people come out of the theater feeling light-headed, having dry eyes, and experiencing a headache. Watching a 3D movie strains your eyes slightly by making you blink less and focus in and out several times on the screen. The effects of this are not seriously harmful, but they can create a temporary annoyance. Normally, people are so awestruck by the scenes, they don’t notice it.

Businesses have released TVs that have 3D options, but for now, you must have 3D glasses to actually use these features. Companies such as Stream TV Networks Inc. have plans to release a 3D television that does not require glasses before the year’s end. Such a television would be a breakthrough, but purchasing these products could be extremely expensive. Even 3D TVs on the market right now can cost from $800 to $5000.

In the past few years, the most marketed and widely available

outlet for 3D seems to be animated features or re-releases, especially from animation giants like Disney, Dreamworks, and Pixar. However, companies like Nvidia have also been working to popularize 3D PCs and gaming. Although many people like the idea of 3D, having 3D TVs and computers could make the divide between reality and fantasy even more indistinct.

If 3D continues on its highly successful path in the coming years, however, it may completely become a generational norm.

These students will be performing to 2PM’s “Again and Again” and are choreographing their movements through the song’s music video. They have decided to simplify their act by relying on visuals rather than musical elements. They considered involving the music but it created

“

“

I don’t really have a favorite thing to draw, it all depends on how I am feeling at the time.

Evie Chang

variables that would cause complications in the performance.

Many of these dancers are proud to represent their culture in the assembly. They feel accomplished because they know that they are perfecting a performance that would show their separate ethnicities to the rest of the school.

Are you ready for the

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SportS PAGE 10The HatchetJanuary 24, 2012

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Fractures, contusions, strains, sprains, and lacerations are all physical injuries an unfortunate student can get while playing a sport. However, physical injuries may come with impacts on an athlete’s mind as well.

Contact sports, especially football and wrestling, have a high chance of athletes getting injured during games or meets. The risk of breaking a bone, bruising or cramping up can take a toll mentally on a player. Some psychological effects that can occur after an injury is inflicted are the fears of going back onto the field and holding back to prevent further injuries from occurring.

The stress of not being able to play can also mentally hurt the player on the team, impacting performance and confidence.

“Wrestling is more than just a physical

sport, it’s a mental sport too. During games you can see people break down crying,” senior Dominic Cesena said.

An injury on the team affects not only the person who receives the injury, but also the whole team.

“When someone gets injured…it holds the whole team back,” Cesena said. “We don’t have as many people at practice and it might discourage the younger players on our team.”

Injuries are a concern for any player. However, most players try not to think about them during the games.

“Injuries during a game aren’t really what we think about as players, but everybody always gets hurt and it’s a natural process that sometimes is just unavoidable,” junior Kenny Kahlon said.

But for the majority of players it’s about getting better and recuperating faster for next year.

Kurt PenaStaff Reporter

Freshman Harman Sra is the only freshman player on the varsity basketball team. He is determined to strengthen his potential at the high school level in preparation for his goal to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky.

He started off his basketball career in an outside league called Bay Area Supreme. He balances a year round traveling team and WHS’s varsity basketball team. He is inspired by his friends and also fellow teammate sophomore Sanket Desai. Sra and Desai have been playing on the same team since they were in fifth grade.

“Harman is a clutch three point

shooter with a good post game,” junior Ryan Ghaith said.

Sra enjoys being the only freshman on the team because he feels like he’s a part of the team. On the downside, he misses playing with his teammates from junior high. Althought unable to reminisce with old teammates, Sra said he’s glad he gets to start every game.

“If I could change one thing about this season...it would be to have more games in the season,” Sra said.

Sra enjoys being able to stay in fit while having a great time as well as seeing supporters cheer him on. He looks up to NBA small forward Kevin Durant on the Oklahoma City Thunders, but favorites the Miami Heat. Sra plays as a power forward and center on WHS varsity basketball and on Bay Area Supreme.

MaleKa MauChloe ngStaff Reporters

Photo by Maleka Mau

Players have underlying concerns for injuries

Photo by Britney Sanchez

Junior Kenny Kahlon sits on the sideline with his injured leg. Kahlon is planned to recover from his torn ACL and MCL sometime in August.

Hatchet athlete of the month

SportSPAGE 11The Hatchet

January 24, 2012

The wrestling team is trying to improve their performance with the same routine every practice to accomplish being in shape physically and mentally for this season.

Head Coach of the wrestling team, Kyle Wright balances coaching WHS’s team and taking classes at Chabot College. Besides being enrolled at Chabot, he wrestles for their team and uses his experience towards improving the wrestlers at WHS.

The team starts off their practices with regimented workout

Britney SanchezStaff Reporter

Seniors Kristy Dunne, Garvin Martinez, and Alex Diaz are just a few students here at WHS that are involved in some type of extreme sport.

Extreme sports are considered any recreational activities that involve high risks, aggressive and spectacular stunts, and usually appeal to the young. However, they are harder to get interested in without them being offered in high school.

Sports like dirt biking, snowboarding, paddling, are a few you would not find within the vicinity of the usual high school sports like football, tennis, basketball, baseball, volleyball, wrestling, water polo, softball, and others.

Very few people know where to begin to get into the extreme sports that they would want to do. The easiest way get involved in some type of extreme sport, is to just ask the peers around you.

Your friends are bound to lead you to someone that knows where to start.

Dunne took up the sport

of motocross racing since she was in second grade and is quite familiar with its aspects. Cities like Hollister, San Jose, and Central Valley are where Dunne practices and are open to potential racers as well.

Martinez is one of many snowboarders here at WHS. He first learned how to snowboard when he took lessons at Northstar Ski Resort. Martinez recommends going to any ski resort at least once to really get the full experience of the basics to snowboarding. If you are interested in snowboarding, a few close by ski resorts you can go to are Northstar, Boreal, and Dodge Ridge.

Diaz took up the sport boxing and describes any other extreme sport to be perfect ways of getting that on the edge feeling.

“I love the adrenaline feeling I get while boxing, and I don’t feel the sports we have here [WHS] will get me that feeling,” Diaz said.

Dunne, Martinez, and Diaz are student athletes who have scoped out further interest than the basic high school sports. They encourage other WHS students to do as well.

JoSh rozulStaff Reporter

The WHS cheer team is expected to attend every basketball game. As a former cheerleader, being at basketball games felt pointless. Whether the boys got anything from our presence was unknown.

At away games we would simply sit down and yell. The goal is to bring the team some spirit and to

get the crowd rowdy.“I feel like I don’t do anything

but I still like going and screaming my head off,” varsity cheerleader senior Jenna Bettencourt said.

However, some people feel differently and believe the exciting chants and school pride intimidate the opposing team. With this advantage the team has a better chance of winning.

“Yes because [cheerleaders]

they distract the other players,” junior Suraj Patel said.

Fans enjoy the girls’ enthusiasms as well.

“Yeah it always lends support. They are representing,” teacher Tom Lunceford said.

In a close game the cheerleaders pump the crowd up as much as possible.

“I liked to get the crowd pumped,” senior Katie Boyles said.

Photo by Josh Rozul

WHS’s varsity cheer team performs at half time during the boys JV basketball game against Newark. The cheerleaders will be at the next boys basketball games on Jan. 25.

Brooke eicherStaff Reporter

that consists of multiple routines before they actually start practice. The workout initiates with a thirty minute run and moves onto stretches. After, the team does forty push ups, fifty V-ups, and sixty mountain climbers. Lastly, the wrestlers conclude the workout with dead-lifts, which are literally wrestlers carrying their teammates from one end of the gym to the other. Practice is finally started and goes on for another hour once workouts end. Practice is where the wrestlers are taught new moves and are challenged mentally.

“Some people can’t handle the situation. [Wrestling] It’s not just a physical sport, its mostly mental,”

senior Dominic Cesena said. Assistant coach Garrett Wu

said that 90 percent of wrestling depends on a wrestler’s mentality because no other teammate is out on that mat to help you. In some cases, wrestlers break down emotionally during practice, but its nothing others on the team haven’t seen before.

“When people break down it is a part of life, you face challenges and you just grow toughness out of it,” Wu said.

Senior Brittany Kinney said that training is hard but their coaches want this team to be on top. The wrestling team’s next meet is Feb. 1 against American at Washington.

Photo by BRitney sanchez Junior Zackory Morton and sophomore Elijah Johnson dead-lift their teammates across the gym. Wrestling concludes their workout with dead-lifts before moving on to practice.

Outside sports give alternative thrill

Workouts toughen wrestlers

Cheerleaders play important role

Photos PAGE 12The HatchetJanuary 24, 2012

Photo by Britney Sanchez

Senior Dominic Cesena wrestles with a fellow Husky during wrestling practice. Last year, Cesena, along with four other WHS wrestlers, made it to NCS championships.

Photos by Maleka Mau Clockwise from top left: Juniors Jazmin Mendez, Harley Litzelman, Katie Rodriggs, John Nguyen, Nolan Petersen play the Paper Challenge during the winter rally. Government and Economics teacher Mark Soltau gets pied in the face by senior Samantha Steadman as senior Emma Johnston stands in front of him. The cast of “Night of the Living Dead” perform the ending dance from the play during the winter rally. The winter rally took place on January 21 in the gym.

Senior Waleed

Salemi lifts junior Zack

Morton in a fireman’s

carry during wrestling practice.

The wrestling

team meets everyday in

the auxiliary gym to

practice.

Photo by Britney Sanchez

Left to right: Senior Matt Nowzari receives his award for his musical composition. A crowd of people await the announcement of the winners. Senior Daniel Tsay walks off stage after receiving an award for his film production. Both Nowzari and Tsay’s entries moved up to state.

Photos by alBert tSay