Volume IV, Issue 5 1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062 February 3, 2011

Sequoia High School

New gym all the buzz at Sequoia

FeatureValentine’s Day: Can you find true love in high school? Page 3

Teacher FeatureMs. Salvatore returns after having triplets

Page 6

SportsGirls and boys soccer seasons underway

Page 8

By LAYNE DIENER, REBECCA SAND and SANTIAGO ORTEGAStaff Reporters and Layout Editor

All schools in the Sequoia Union High School District are in the process of modifying their respective start times after a study was conduct-ed at Stanford saying that students do better in school when they get up later. The results of the study caused the district to mandate that all four schools must move their start times to at least 30 minutes later for at least

We are the Ravens. We are the Cherokees. We are the Ravokees? Although the decision to ban the Cherokee mascot was made ten years ago by the dis-trict board, confusion about our mascot still stirs through-out Sequoia, mainly at sport-ing events. Are we allowed to consider ourselves Cherokees or must we be fully fledged Sequoia Ravens? “When we’re promoting a team, we have evolved to the point where we are now just saying ‘Go Sequoia,’” said Leader-ship teacher Lauren Reibstein. The origin of the Se-quoia Cherokee mascot dates back to 1925. Sequoia was originally named after the gi-ant redwood trees in the area. The Sequoia tree itself was given its name after Chief Se-quoyah, who was a prominent Cherokee and a well known educator. Thus, the commit-tee who chose our team name decided that “the Cherokees” would be a great fit.

60 percent of the school’s popula-tion.Woodside and Menlo-Atherton already went through the process of changing their start times and are currently using their new schedules. Both Sequoia and Carlmont waited to create a schedule that would best fit their needs in terms of parents, students and faculty, and this will go into effect in the 2011-2012 year. “I think it will help, but we won’t know until we try it,” said Principal Bonnie Hansen. “The benefits out-weigh the setbacks.”

This decision is dependent on many factors from traffic to trans-portation to sports and even home-work. For example, if we start a half hour earlier, will it really allow stu-dents to sleep in? Sophomore Alsace Patrone said, “[The schedule] won’t change anything; students will be tired or tardy either way.” Here are the facts: The Sequoia Site Council looked at the new schedules for Menlo-Atherton and Woodside High School and came up with three options that they

10 years later, confusion lingers regarding mascot

Go to SCHEDULE, page 2

By NICKIE PUCEL and CONNOR GROSSMAN Staff Reporters

Go to GYM, page 2

Raven ReportStudents’ dreams of sleeping in come true next fall

No problems, no outcries for a change, nothing came up about the mascot for 75 years. Then, in 2000, a Sequoia English class took their concerns regarding the mascot to the district board. Soon after the board took action and temporar-ily banned selling school items with any Indian im-age on it. The Sequoia Union High School District board ordered Morgan March-banks, the principal at the time, to form a “task force” comprised of students, teachers, parents and Native American representatives

to research all aspects of the issue, ensure that all sides would have their voices heard, and ultimately

make a decision. The controversy raged on for nearly a year, and on Feb. 21, 2001, the board announced it had come to a consensus. The Chero-kee mascot and all images and stereotypes associated with the Cherokee would be banned and removed from the school. There

thought would suit Sequoia the best. In order to get an idea of the new schedule that most parents, stu-dents and teachers wanted, the staff created an online survey as well as a written survey. Over 700 students took the survey as well as 300 par-ents. These groups were represented demographically in proportion to Sequoia’s population. The main reasons that the sched-ule is changing is because the staff believes that if the schedule is

Go to MASCOT, page 7

The fence that once blocked off around 18,000 sq. ft of land near Sequoia’s pool is at last gone. The money used for the constuction of the new gym was allocated from the Measure J School Bond passed in 2008. The addition to the Se-quoia campus brings much needed functionality to our students and our commu-nity. This gym adds a place

for basketball, volleyball, and badminton to practice and play, and it also creates indoor space for rallies and other school events that demand its 1,400 seat capac-ity. The gym also houses an area where food can be served at events. The brand new gym will be home to the 2010-2011 basketball boys and girls league games and badminton. The new gym is upgraded from the current one, which sat 950 students, to now seat-ing 1,400 students. However with 1,977 students at Se-

quoia, many people wonder why does the gym only seats 1,400 people. One may ques-tion the fact that $10 million was spent on the new gym and it is not able to seat the entire school. In the words of math teacher Michael Fee-ney, “the principal must be hoping for a lot of kids to be on The No Privileges List.” The basketball court on the gym has some flaws accord-ing to those who have played on it. Sophomore JV Basketball captain Try Khov said “Its

By WILLIAM BAKER and MATT BROTHER-TONStaff Reporters

“We are the Cherokees. You can say Cherokees, you can write Cherokees, but you can’t draw Cherokees.” —Lauren Reibstein, teacher

2

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News

SCHEDULE (from pg 1)

“I don’t think [the bleachers] affected me or the team yet, but it might.”

—Junior Matt Elliot

moved it will help kids sleep longer and get to school on time. The survey at Stan-ford said that since teenag-ers naturally stay up later at night, and get up later, teenagers function better later in the day. So if school starts later, then students will be less tired and have more energy. Junior Laura Posados who attended Woodside High School for part of the 2010 school year says the sched-ule change was beneficial. “If you don’t have a sev-enth, you have more time

in the mornings to men-tally and physically prepare yourself for the day. I had a seventh, but most of my friends did get more sleep and we all functioned better later in the day.”Science teacher Geoffrey Gaily also believes, “First and second period tend to have very low energy and third and fourth period tend to have lot higher energy. [The teachers] don’t care what the schedule ends up being as long as it ben-efits the students.”

GYM (from pg 1)not really what I expected it to be. It’s kinda like the regular gym, just with more bleachers and longer basketball courts.” If you watch a game, you will notice that the players sit on the front row of the same bleachers that the fans sit in. “Its irritating when were that close to the court and the players have to be careful not to fly into the bleach-

ers,” said Khov. During games, it would be ideal for players to be com-pletly focused on the game. Because the bleachers are so close to the court, it gives players an obstacle that they have to worry about during the game. However, so far it hasn’t been to much of a problem. Junior Matt Elliot, captain of the Varsity team said, “I don’t think its

affected me or the team yet, but it might.” The arrival of the new gym has profoundly increased attendance

to school basketball games. “People want to

come see the new gym,” said Khov. “Basketball games are a great way for people to see it.” The new gym will be

great for purposes other than sports, too. For rallies, kids will flood into the gym and watch grade level activi-

ties and cheer wildly. Sophmore Lilly Nelson said, “I haven’t been in the new gym yet, and I’m excited to see it during the rally.” Principal Bonnie Hansen said to Redwood City Patch, “It really kills the buzz when you have to have a ral-ly in the rain,” Hansen laughed. “And you don’t have to worry about sound getting swept away by the wind.” The new gym is a great benefit to Sequoia, and many future generations will get to enjoy it.

The new gym is bringing new life to Sequoia campus with increased attendance at games. Fri-day’s winter sports rally was held in the new gym for the first time. Photo by Matt Brotherton.

3Feature

Valentine’s Day The Raven Report investigated Sequoia’s take

on Valentine’s Day and high school relationships through a survey and interviews.

Valentine’ Day is not just about expressing your love for a boyfriend or girlfriend, its a day for making yourself and everyone around you feel special.

In a poll of 100 Sequoia students, 67 percent said they were single. When spending the day of love without a lover, you can either sulk or embrace it.

A unique approach to Valentine’s Day is to celebrate a different kind of love, and treasure the relationships you do have.

Seventy nine percent of surveyed students said that they miss the candy and valentines passed out in elemen-tary school. But who says it has to stop as you get older?

“I always make cookies and cards for my friends,” said freshman Mary Hodges.

“My friends and I trade Valentines, and even though none of us are in a relationship, we definitely make the day special,” said Hodges.

Originally a day to celebrate the ones you love, Feb. 14 has warped into a superficial day of over-priced roses, pitying yourself for being single, basing your self esteem on how many secret

commercialized,” said Glenda Ortez-Galan, Sequoia’s head Guidance Counselor. “It’s not what it should be anymore.”

Though the price of showing someone you love them rises, couples continue to purchase expensive gifts for their significant others. Expressing your love on Valentine’s Day, in recent years, comes down to the amount of dollars you spend on them.

Despite the negativity and super-ficial gift giving, there are still many Sequoia couples who treasure Val-entine’s Day as a celebration of their love.

With romantic dinners, thought-ful gifts, and time to just enjoy each other’s company, the real meaning behind Valentine’s Day is still present in some relationships.

Regardless of your relationship sta-tus, Valentine’s Day should be a day to make the people you love feel special, no matter what kind of “love” it is.

If you’re single, throw out the ice cream and tissue boxes, and throw a party instead. If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, make sure they know you don’t take them for granted-- but make sure the spotlight is on your relationship, not how much you spent on their gift and dinner.

Sequoia Spotlight:

Do you miss the candy and cards passed out in elementary school?

How long has your longest

relation-ship lasted?

Do you think love can exist in a high school relationship?

Are you currently in

a relationship with someone

at Sequoia?

Yes, I’m currently in love-

Yes you can be, but I’m not-

Yes you can be, and I want to be-

No, you can’t be-

Love doesn’t exist-

My boyfriend/girlfriend goes

somewhere else

admirers you have, and how many valentines you get.

“I think it’s a distraction from what a relationship should be” said freshman Matt Jenkins. Although it’s the “day of love”, it’s undeniable that Valentine’s

Day has gone over the top. With drug stores and television

throwing red and pink candy at your face, it’s easy to get sucked in with the hype of the holiday.

“It’s definitely become over-

By CAROLINE LEMPERTand SAMI MASTStaff Reporter and Feature Editor

Steven Wong

Have you ever wondered where you and your high school sweet-heart will be in 20 years? Has anyone ever told you you’re “too young to be in love?”

Wong is confident that love can exist in high school. Wong speaks from experience; he fell in love with his wife in high school. After seven years of dating, he proposed to her on Valentine’s Day.

“I think high school students can definitely be in love,” said Wong.

“Their love may mature over

time, but it can still find true love while in high school.”

For all the pessimists who complain about the overcommer-

cialization of Valen-tine’s Day, Wong’s sto-ry perfectly exemplifies how the original purpose

of Valen-tine’s Day is still alive and well.

“It’s the day for lovers, and it should be celebrated between lov-ers. It’s not overrated.”

—Caroline Lempert and Sami Mast

Steven Wong and high school sweet-heart Sheva Hu with their child.

Sequoia math teacher found ‘Wong’ lasting love back in high school

4 Feature

Cooking class adds spice to Sequoia hallways

It’s 8:20 AM on a Monday morn-ing, the halls are empty, and the only sound to be heard is the low hum of a copying machine printing handouts somewhere in the distance. The stu-dents are asleep in their classrooms-- mentally at least -- and the teachers are bustling about trying to engage these overworked students as best they can.

Then, as if some unknown force is compelling them- 31 droopy eyed teenagers lift their heads in unison, sniffing the air as if they are wild animals trying to pick up on a trail. It’s 8:20 AM on a Monday morning, and the cooking class is hard at work stirring up tantalizing dishes whose pungent scents waft through the halls and linger straight into the classrooms.

“I love cook-ing, baking and teaching, that’s the simple answer,” said Lindsay Washington whose culinary arts class in room 13 has the privilege of cooking (and eating) their own tasty creations every day.

“Typically we start off with a demo of whatever we’re going to

cook that day. First semester we made appetizers, side dishes, and holiday

meals. Second semester were focusing more on entrees and main dishes,” said Washing-ton.

“My favorite dish so far is definitely the macaroni,” said senior Lizeth Cuevas.

“Three cheese macaroni, Deli-cious,” agreed senior Taylor Lamantia.

While others envy and drool, the students continue to be challenged by new recipes that they can carry on

at home and share with family and friends.

These students are in Food II; a class that focuses more on the recipes of making a dish, whereas Food I is geared towards learning measure-ments and chopping skills. Com-prised of juniors and seniors, this advanced class manages to cook up something sweet or savory almost everyday.

“We cook a large variety of food, some desserts and some dinners,” said Cuevas, “but they’re all delicious.”

The laid back atmosphere of the class creates the prime cooking envi-ronment for the students.

“Everyone is really chill here, they’re all easy going and talkative,” Cuevas said.

“The people are great,” Lamantia agreed. “We have a fun time.”

Learning how to cook is an impor-tant skill, and it simply cannot be put off for the last minute. “I’ve always had a passion for baking,” Lamantia said. “And since I’ll be moving out soon I really need to learn how to cook.”

High school is the perfect time to find balance between going out and eating with your friends, and staying home and cooking for your friends. “In college I would cook to stay sane from my major. i cooked for my neighbors, lots of taco bars, and lots of midnight baking,” said Washing-ton

This class gives students more than just a free snack, it teaches them how to choose to eat healthy and provide for themselves. “In learning how to cook you learn how to eat, and what to eat,” Washington said. “You learn how to make food and choose not to just eat at fast food restaurants.”

So when the seasoned aroma of freshly baked feasts drifts into your 1st period classroom, don’t reject it for mocking your hunger. instead, accept the scent as a messenger, and heed its presence as a suggestion for a great elective.

Art electives help students relax and find creative outlets

By ANNA DAGUM and LAUREL DEARBORN Staff Reporters

You are following the beat of music, your hands are dirty and now your thinking what you should create next. This is how a typical day starts in ceramics class. Sequoia’s elective art classes provide students the op-portunity to show their creative side while getting time to relax during the school hours.

Art is a significant part of ev-eryday living,” said Ceramics teacher Lindsey Becker, people who do not appreciate art are “missing out on all the natural cues that Mother Nature

and man have created.”Art “helps us connect to ourselves,

to the earth and to other people. It lets us express ourselves in the ways we are not able to describe in words,”Art Teacher Mozy DaCosta said.

The presence of art has been around for centuries and has always been a big influence on all of us. Anyone who has painted a picture, written a poem, taken dance, or even played with clay, has connected with their “artsy side”.

There are a number of classes here at Sequoia that let students express

See ARTS, page 5

By ZEENAT ALINews Editor

Freshman Sydney Cohn, enrolled in Art I, uses her talent to finger paint a self portrait. Photo by Zeenat Ali.

“In learning how to cook you learn how to eat.”

—Culinary Arts Teacher Lindsay Washington

Students enrolled in Culinary Arts whip up tantalizing dishes every day. Photo by Anna Dagum.

Sequoia High School

Raven Report2010-2011

Editor-in-Chief Sarina Kocher

News EditorsZeenat Ali and Alex Deas

Feature EditorSami Mast

Staff ReportersWilliam Baker Matt Brotherton Anna Dagum

Laurel Dearborn Layne Diener Connor Grossman Will James Caroline Lempert Nickie Pucel Rebecca Sand

Jacob Warren Josh Pitkofsky

Faculty adviserKim Vinh

Mission StatementThe Raven Report strives to provide Sequoia High School with informative, engaging and relevant news. The staff will exercise

integrity and adaptability while promoting justice and transparency through professional reporting about the school, the community,

and the world.

Letters to the EditorThe Raven Report welcomes letters to the editor from students, parents, or community members, sent to Room 308 or by email

to ravenreport09@gmail.com. Letters must include the writer’s full name and ID number, and the staff reserves the

right to edit for space and style.

Sports EditorDaniel Jude

Layout EditorSantiago Ortega

5Feature

Robotics Club: Not all nerds and math

themselves and have a good time. Sequoia of-fers Art I, Draw/Paint , Ceramics , Photography, Stage Craft, Journalism, Yearbook, Clothing, Foods, Woods and many more.

A day in Ceramics class is different from a day in any other regular academic class. The ceram-ics class, also known as the Ceramics Palace, is like no other class. This building was specially built for ceramics. As you walk in you pick up an apron and you take a seat. The teacher begins her lesson. After, you get up to get your clay and the tunes start to play. That’s when the art in you begins to be expressed.

Senior Bianca Maldonado said that when she is in ceramics she feels that it’s “fun, relaxing and creative even though it’s challenging...in a way.”

“You learn but you don’t get bored. It’s never a boring assignment where everyone has to have it all the same. It’s an individual project that always comes out how you want it not the way the teacher wants it, “ said Photography senior Abby Vargas.

Taking these classes can help students discover new skills that they might not have known before. Feeling the satisfaction of creating something of your own is the ultimate benefit of taking a Sequoia art class.

You have no limit in what you can do, and also if you have an idea in in your mind, you have endless resources to create it,” said Vargas.

The “Purple Reign” robotics team has placed 21st out of 28 spots in its first ever First Tech Chal-lenge (FTC), and aims to repeat its Team 100 trip to nationals in Atlanta later this year.

The team headed by juniors Vinoj Govinthsamy, Connor Wake, and Connor Reiss was flattered with two awards at FTC, the design award, and judges awarded for most spirited. The team is now preparing for its Team 100 Challenge that will take place in March and April.

The team is comprised of students from Wood-side, Carlmont, and Sequoia, and has six weeks to design and build a robot no bigger than five feet when entering the ring, but can expand. The team during this six week period works on a rigorous schedule to get everything done working on week-ends from 9a.m-6p.m and on some weekdays from

3p.m-6p.m, as six weeks is not nearly enough time to build a robot according to Wake.

The team also has mentors that “make sure we don’t kill anyone” according to head programmer Connor Wake.

Contrary to common belief the team is not all about math or quantum physics the team is all about doing “cool stuff ” such as making “five foot tall killer robots,” said Wake. The team also uses Tech Shop, a workshop in Palo Alto dedicated to using professional equipment such as 3D printers, and plasma welders to construct their machines.

The Robotics club according to advisor Laura Larkin is mainly comprised of students that “played with a lot of legos and blocks,” and to join the club no prior knowledge is necessary, only that the students come in with an open mind, and a lot of energy as well as a need to wear cool hats, dress up. The team is looking for students interested in web design and marketing.

By LIAM O’HARAStaff Reporter

ARTS (from pg. 4)Left: Sequoia students (from left to right) Simon Ferry, Michal Walichiewicz, Vinoj Govin-thasamy, Austin Mier, and Con-nor Reiss examine their newly constructed robot.

Below: Sequoia robot battles for field position in FTC 2010. Pho-tos by Sequoia Robotics club.

Junior Rigo Vallejo and senior Manny Pintor work on finger painting their self potraits. Photo by Zeenat Ali.

6Feature

Twins and triplets share more than genes By JOSH PITKOFSKY and SARINA KOCHER GROSSStaff Reporter and Editor-in-Chief

On your way to class, you see many faces that all blur together. With hundreds of students rushing through Sequoia’s halls, sometimes students might think that they are seeing dou-ble. Clones? Sleep deprivation? No, it is probably one of the many pairs of twins and triplets here at Sequoia.

According to a study done by the National Center for Health Statistics, 3 out of every 100 births are twins. The chance of having triplets is even lower, with about 1 in ever 8,100 births result in triplets.

Despite their rarity, Spanish teacher Edith Salvatore recently re-turned from her maternity leave this semester after the birth of her triplets, named Max, Daniel, and Caroline. The buzz about her baby triplets led the Raven Report to explore the rela-tionships between multiples and how they are treated at school.

“The first day I got back, I made my students watch a slide show of baby pictures,” said Salvatore. Salva-tore has a lot on her hands with three new babies at home while teaching and also moving houses.

“Things are crazy now, but what I’m most worried about is when they learn how to run... now that will be difficult,” said Salvatore. Having twin or triplet siblings proves to be a blessing and also a challenge. The Salvatore family is adjusting to their new life, while embracing the new experience of parenthood.

Ms. Salvatore has encounted twins and triplets in her classroom before. She had the Bliss twins in their Fresh-man year.

“Alex and Alyssa got mad at me because I couldn’t tell them apart, but they talk the same, dress the same, and finish each others sentences,” said Salvatore.

Sophomore identical twins Alex and Alyssa Bliss have been in all of the same classes together since kindergarten. Sometimes even their close friends have trouble telling them apart. In addition to having classes together, the Bliss twins are also on the same team for soccer and track as well as having the same group of friends. They spend most of their time together and feel strange when they are not with one another.

“Sometimes I wish that I could be more of an individual because then it wouldn’t be so hard to be apart [from each other]. It’s nice to always have someone be with you,” said Alyssa. Since they are usually together, the

Bliss sisters find that many of their peers treat them and associate them as one person. “It’s annoying when people tell us, ‘you’re like the same person’, because we’re not,” said Alyssa.

Similarly, freshman twins Saman-tha and Emma Peyton also said that many people do not see them as in-dividuals and think of them as being the same person. “We are definitely different people,” said Samantha.

Being twins brings a lot of attention and many frequently asked

questions about what it is like to have a ‘double’.

“We pretty much get the same questions everyday: how do your parents tell you apart? Which one is the good twin and the bad twin? Do you guys have twin

telepathy?” said Alex. “Or when we’re standing next to each other, people will ask, ‘Are you guys twins?!’ It gets old,” added Alyssa, finishing her sister’s sentence.

The Peyton sisters agree that the strangest question that they are asked is “Are you identical twins?” when they are standing right next to each other, Samantha being about a foot taller.

Sophomore twins Aubry and Han-nah Westerlind have a very strong relationship, and are practically best friends. They have almost almost all the same classes, yet like the Bliss twins, have decided that they will hopefully go to different colleges.

“It’s nice to have a person that you can tell everything to, we have lots of inside jokes,” said Hannah. “Some-times we will look at each other and start laughing,” Aubry added.

Like the Westerlind twins, sopho-more fraternal twins Jerod and Alaina Woo are in sync with one another.

“We are very supportive and share friends,” said Alaina. Nevertheless, the twins still compete over things like grades and sports; and like most sib-lings, they have their disagreements.

“I’m older, its a sign of maturity,” said Jerod. Although it is a com-mon stereotype that the oldest twin or triplet is more mature than their siblings, there is no scientific evidence that proves this.

The Westerlind twins agree that the most common question that they are asked is “Do you guys have twin telepathy?”. The Bliss sisters are also frequently asked the same ques-tion.

Although they say that they do not have ‘twin telepathy’, the Bliss sisters are able to know what one another is thinking just by looking at each other. They claim that this is because they are almost always together and are each others’ best friends.

“Sometimes I wish that I could be more of an individual because then it wouldn’t be so hard to be apart [from each other]. It’s nice to always have someone be with you.”

— sophomore Alyssa Bliss

Spanish teacher Edith Salvatore’s four-month-old triplets: Max, Daniel, and Caroline (left to right) may look similar, but they already have very different personalities. Photo courtesy of Edith Salvatore.

Sophomores Jerod and Alaina Woo Freshmen Samantha and Emma Peyton

Sophomores Alyssa and Alex BlissSophomores Hannah and

Aubry Westerlind

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Seeing double?

7Sports

MASCOT (from page 1)

The new gym hosted two exciting first games at its debut: the varsity boys won 54-45 against West-moor, while the girls varsity won 41-30 against Woodside. The 2011 season is bringing big hopes to Sequoia basketball this school year.

“We played really hard. It was nice to get our first league win,” said junior Matt Elliot, captain of the boys varsity team.

The games were both close until the fourth quar-ter, but both teams were able to pull through and ensure their win.

“All of our games so far have been really close, so we’re now in competition with the entire league,” said varsity girls senior captain Nicole Serrano.

This year,the boys have a freshman team and a junior varsity team in addition to varsity. The junior varsity boys and girls teams both faced defeat against Woodside and Westmoor on Jan. 14, though both games were close. But prospects for the rest of the season are still very high. Last Friday’s game, which the rally led into, proved this to be true.

The girls faced the challenge of playing an inner league rival, but were able to come through for the win. “[Sophomore] Alaina Woo was on fire dur-ing the first half. She scored 17 points overall in the game,” said varsity teammate senior Elizabeth Schaffernoth.

“Our bigger guys, junior James Beekley and sophomore Julian Bertero played really tough on defense. We had some clutch shots from Josh [Lauese] and Jerod [Woo],” said Elliott.

Friday’s games had everything a school needs to pump up its spirit and ensure a strong fan base for this season. The win brought together students and faculty to cheer on their teams against a much rivaled school.

“Everyone has really shown they can stay fo-cused. We’re able to feed off the crowd’s energy. It feels good to know we have a lot of support”, said

Gym construction revives teams’ spiritsBy ALEX DEASStaff Reporter

Sophomore Alaina Woo, left, goes up to block an opponent’s shot. Photos by Madel Duval.

Upcoming games

Varsity Girls:•Tuesday, Feb. 8 vs. Capuchino 6:00 p.m.•Friday, Feb. 11 vs. Hillsdale 6:15 p.m.

JV Girls:•Tuesday, Feb. 8 vs. Capuchino 4:30 p.m.•Friday, Feb. 11 vs. Hillsdale 3:15 p.m.

Varsity Boys:•Wednesday, Feb. 2 @Westmoore 6:00 p.m.•Wednesday, Feb. 9 vs. Capuchino 6:00 p.m.•Friday, Feb. 11 vs. Oceana 7:45 p.m.

JV Boys:•Wednesday, Feb. 2 @Westmoore 4:30 p.m.•Wednesday, Feb. 9 vs. Capuchino 4:30 p.m.•Friday, Feb. 11 vs. Oceana 6:00 p.m.

was also much discussion over wheth-er or not we should retain the Chero-kee name, and, after much debate, the board decided to let Sequoia keep it. As a result, there are different rules which specify when we can or can’t use Cherokees.

“We are the Cherokees. You can say Cherokees, you can write Chero-kees, but you can’t draw Cherokees, and you can’t depict a Cherokee visually,” said Reibstein.

With the Chero-kee having repre-sented Sequoia for 75 years, it was inevitable that the decision made by the board would be met with strong opposition.

”Many people hold the tradition near and dear to their hearts.” said Reibstein.

In a survey taken by the Sequoia Alumni Association during the pro-cess, 99 percent of all alumni voted that they wanted to keep the Chero-kee mascot.

In an e-mail sent in 2000 about the mascot change, Lora Mortenson, a member of the 1976 graduating class,

said, “I cannot believe some wants to change the name Sequoia Cherokee. MY VOTE IS NO, NO WAY, NOT EVEN, NEVER.”

Mary Kinnick, class of 1960, was part of the 1 percent of alumni who supported the ban.

In another e-mail from 2000, she said, “Racism runs deep and is so

embedded in our historical symbols that we just don’t ‘see’ them.”

The voices of the alumni were heard, but to no avail. Quickly afterwards,

all efforts turned to selecting a new mascot. Suggestions were welcome from anyone in the community, and Sequoia Leadership gathered ideas proposed by students, teachers and others. Students and teachers voted on the different ideas, and on April 26, 2002, the raven was selected as Sequoia’s mascot. From that point on, Sequoia was to be represented by Rooty the Raven, but he isn’t perfect.

“We can promote Rooty the Raven as our mascot, but we shouldn’t really depict a raven visually either,” said

Reibstein.“[The Raven costume] smells bad

and I saw a guy in it, he was really sweaty and he almost fainted,” said Leadership student Jeremy Smith.

In general, the raven has symbol-ized love, wisdom, and hope. And, since our mascot could no longer be the Cherokees, the raven seemed to be the next best option, for it has specific ties with the Chero-kee people: its name signifies good for-tune and symbolizes one who has special powers.

For Sequoia, the raven has been a mat-ter of controversy and debate. One side agrees with this decision, for they believe that the Cherokee mascot was offensive, and that Native Americans wouldn’t be able to take themselves seriously if they saw themselves as a school mascot. The other side disagrees, and they argue that the Cherokee mascot was not demeaning, but that it was a gesture of respect to the great Chero-kee Chief Sequoyah.

“This happened during a time where people started to become sensi-tive towards this kind of thing,” said Principal’s Secretary Dottress Rollin, who assisted Marchbanks throughout the controversy. “Not once was there

any intent to disrespect a nation or group of people. While I don’t necessarily agree with the outcome, I believe it was handled very well by Mrs. March-banks.”

Smith wants us to change back to the Cherokees.

“I think we could do a good job of portray-ing the Cherokees well

and doing research so we wouldn’t offend them, but instead give

them pride,” he said.Despite the disagreements and

arguments that occurred, Reibstein doesn’t foresee any change coming.

“Everyone understands that if they open it up it’s like Pandora’s Box, it will explode again,” she said.

So for now, good old smelly Rooty will remain as Sequoia’s mascot. We are proud to be the Cherokees, and proud to be represented by a raven.

Elliott.Even with new teammates and a new gym which

sparked up controversy at the start, the teams seem to have adapted well.

“We are really excited for this season. We’re working really hard to get to playoffs. Thats our goal, as a team”, said Schaffernoth.

“The team has changed a lot, but the loss has caused a lot of players to gain more responsibility on the court and improve their skills”, said Elliott.

This season is shaping up to be an exciting one. Seeing how great the players have played on Friday and in the past years when given the support of loving fans, should inspire us all to come out and support our basketball team. The next quad games are on Febuary 11. Come out and support our girls against Hillsdale and our boys against Oceana.

“We could do a good job of portraying the Cherokees well and doing research so we wouldn’t offend them, but instead give them pride.” —Sophomore Jeremy Smith

Rooty the Raven has repre-sented Sequoia since 2002. Photo by Raven Report staff.

Sophomore Julian Bertero shoots over a defender in the first game in the new gym.

8SportsSoccer teams shoot for high goals going into new season

Sequoia soccer season has begun as both the girls and boys teams take another shot at the league title. Last year the boys JV and Varsity won the Bay division, but the varsity team was ousted from CCS by Willow Glen. The girls team, newly in the Bay divi-sion last year, dropped back down to Ocean where they look to repeat the success of the 08-09 year.

The girls JV team has adjusted phenomenally to the new division, as they are vying for a title.

“We are working really well as a team and practicing the things we need to work on after each game. We don’t let our record distract us or change the way we approach the game,” said sophomore Mariah Driver.

With new coach Lee Mitchell, they are “crazy good,” said varsity coach Melissa Schmidt. “They are definitely favorites to win the division.”

“The varsity team are contenders,” adds Schmidt. “We can make a run at the top.”

“I love watching [the girls] learn, work hard, and grow.” said Schmidt.

“The best part about playing for Sequoia is the friendships you make with other girls,” said Savannah Rae, an 11th grader and former Sequoia player. “You end up meeting people that you wouldn’t normally talk to.”

With bond-ing activities like team dinners and a game-bear, which is a stuffed teddy bear given to the best player of a specific game and then at the end of the season to the most deserving teammate.

These fun motivational tactics help

the players. “She’s always positive, encouraging us and wanting us to do our best,” said junior Sarah Singh, a new addition to the varsity team.

Captains Paige Gillooley and Kinsey Dittmar make sure the team can work together, especially with the influx of new players. The team has five freshmen and 10 sophomores

this year, with only two seniors.

“The captains relate to the girls well, and keep us wanting to do better by exam-ple,” Singh said. With leading scorers sopho-mores Mariana Frey and Shelby Escobedo, who have four goals each, the team will do their best

to get back on top of the division.In the Bay division, the boys

teams look to continue their success. Sequoia’s boys soccer team has been in the Bay division for 23 years, and

each season has had special moments.“The best moment of this season

was beating Hillsdale 2-1. (Hillsdale was first in the division) We really pulled through as a team,” said sopho-more Nick Polati, a captain of the JV team.

Polati played for the JV team last year, but this year he sets the example of a good Sequoia soccer player.

“He has to think for himself, listen, and know what to do with the ball when it comes to him,” said JV coach Larry Pedicord.

Pedicord, beloved by both the var-sity and JV team, has been coaching the Sequoia JV team for over 20 years. “I like to meet the new kids, teach them and get to know them,” he said.

Fredy Ramirez, a Sequoia graduate, is partnering with Pedicord this year. This is his first year coaching the team and he said, “I like this level, doing new stuff with the young kids.”

Ramirez’s brother, Jorge, is playing for Sequoia’s varsity team, who have a 2-3-2 record, incuding victories over Serra and Monte Vista. Like always, the varsity team has high aspirations for this year, and the players have

New wrestling coach John Peavler, and the wres-tling team have enjoyed mixed success this season following a coaching change and 6 new wrestlers.

The team’s goal was simply to have a good time and to improve over the coarse of the season, but as team leaders emerged, many individual achiev-ments insued as first year female wrestler Francesca Lampert placed fourth in her first tournament in Albany.

Lampert said she enjoyed becoming Sequoia’s “first competitive female wrestler” and the support of fellow wrestler Elise Levin-Guracar.

Lampert wasn’t the only one who enjoyed success this season. Also finishing with medals in

their sights set on CCS.“I think w can make CCS if we

put in all our strength and work our hardest,” said team manager Marcial Barron.

Second year coach Julio Calles agreed, “I truly believe if we work harder, it won’t be easy, but I know we can get back to CCS and do better.”

The always-inspiring Calles has been instrumental in putting this team together, motivating the players to keep grades up and go to college. “I use my experience, I tell them I went to college because of soccer, they can do it too.”

“I think our team has lots of good controlled, passing technique,” said senior Anibal Campos. “We need to focus and keep a positive attitude [to get to CCS].”

The focus will be on what the teams have excelled at so far this year, and how to finish their seasons with success. All four Sequoia soccer teams want to be great this year. Whether that means simply playing as one unit or going deep into CCS, every player and coach shows their dedication every time they step onto the field.

By WILL JAMES AND DANIEL JUDEStaff Reporter and Sports Editor

Albany were Nestor Martinez and Luis Gonzalez who placed in third.

The team’s next meet will be on Thursday Feb.3 and will feature both the varsity and junior varsity teams in a dual meet at Sequoia High School.

Upcoming Meets and Tournaments• Burlingame HS Dual Meet - 2/3 at

Sequoia• Colt Invitational Tournament - 2/5 at

South City HS• PAL Championships - 2/11 at

Burlingame• CCS Championships - 2/25-26 at

San Jose

By LIAM OHARAStaff Reporter

Boys and girls, varsity and junior varsity, all looking to improve on recent success

New coach helps wrestlers pin medalsWith help of first girl, wrestlers find success in Albany

Winter Sports on the way out• Boys Basketball• Girls Basketball• Boys Soccer• Girls Soccer• Wrestling

Spring Sports about to start• Boys Tennis• Baseball• Softball• Badminton• Golf• Swimming• Track

#15 takes a free kick as Sequoia Alums play local semi-pro team Mezcala in an exhibition game. Photo by Eileen Bray

Upcoming Games: Boys• vs. Menlo-Atherton - 2/2• vs. Burlingame - 2/4• @ Terra Nova - 2/9• @ Westmoor - 2/11• vs. Woodside - 2/14• vs. Carlmont - 2/16Girls• vs. Mills - 2/3• @ Capuchino - 2/8• vs. Half Moon Bay - 2/10• @ El Camino - 2/15• @ Westmoor - 2/17