Volume 21, Issue 2

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The oice INDEX News............................1-3 Student Life......................4 Opinions.......................6-7 Features.......................8-9 Entertainment...........10-11 Sports.......................12-13 Humor............................15 Irvington News Student Life Features Entertainment Irvington Sports Humor Guest Writer: Cindy Yang, winner of Mrs. Devaku- mar’s mental health story and poem contest 2 Mine or yours? Sam- sung and Apple battle over intel- lectual property. 6 Seniors automatically put in Varsity Sports-fair or not? 6 Spearheading student pri- vacy vs. administrative rights. How far should schools be able to see of yur cyberlife? 6-7 See what one Voice staff member thinks about “Red,” Taylor Swift’s new al- bum. 11 Fall Show Preview: “The Diviners” 11 Quiz: Find out what Thanksgiving dish matches your personality. 10 Winter Sports Pre- views: Find out more about the winter sports and what’s coming up. 13 MVALS/NCS: Find out about how IHS sports did on MVALS/NCS. 12 10 Recap of the Giants’ win in the World Series. 13 Black Friday Deals: Find out where the best deals arefor this year’s Black Friday. 10 Get a glimpse of the The Wall of Shame and Fame. 8-9 Inspect new IHS Bumper Stickers. 15 How to name and not name a hurricane. 15 Find out how to sur- vive Black Friday. 15 Spanish Club and MEChA plan Dia de Los Muer- tos. 2 Recap of Indopak’s Diwali and Eid Celebration. 2 Reflections contest winners and recap 2 Find out about Key Club’s Fall Rally North 2 What’s New Vapur Bottles stolen from shed Prior to the 2012 election, Fremont was part of the 13th Congressional District, represent- ed by Congressman Pete Stark, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Fremont’s mayor was Bob Wasserman. Robert “Bob” Wieckowski and Suzanne “Sue” Chan were Fremont’s city council members. Winners of the 2012 elec- tion: Fremont was re-districted from the 13th to the 15th Con- gressional District. 31-year-old Eric Swalwell won by 5% of the vote for Congressman, beat- ing longtime Congressman Pete Stark. Swalwell prioritizes creating jobs and stabilizing the economy, creating a “mobile Congress” to keep Members of Congress accessible and account- able, and improving education. Senator Dianne Feinstein won re-election for senator with Gardening Shed Robbed, Thief at Large By Kelsey Wong An unknown thief stole $270 worth of Vapur Bottles from the blue recycling shed in what seemed to be an apparent bur- glary. On the afternoon of Mon- day, October 29, during the time Gardening Club usually uses the blue shed, members discovered that 27 of the vapor bottles were gone, along with the combination lock used to secure the door. The thief and the where- abouts of the bottles are still un- known. Vapur bottles are essen- tially reusable water bottles; they are also flexible in shape and BPA free. The bottles belong to FIERCE, an inter-district green organization, which had been selling them for a fundraiser. They stored the bottles in the gardening club shed. “I really wonder who did this,” said Kimberly Chin, vice president of Gardening Club. “Obviously he or she doesn’t care about other people.” “It astonishes me that anyone would take the water bottles since, I mean, what could they possibly do with a bulk of water bottles?” said senior Pallavi Sherikar, presi- dent of FIERCE. “I think we would all notice if an onslaught of vapor bottles were sold at school.” According to Sherikar, the money from the Vapur bottles would have gone towards green events, gardening supplies, or oth- er related areas. Now, FIERCE has to compensate for $300 worth of stolen bottles. “Honestly, we just want our bottles and money back,” con- cluded Sherikar. “[The stolen bottles are] still AWOL, and we are looking into it,” said Mr. Jackson, vice princi- pal of Irvington. “So far, I talked to everyone who has access to the shed, but we don’t know where they are at.” “If you steal something, you lose peoples’ trust,” commented Chin. “So we [Gardening Club] are more cautious now.” Local Election Results e new leaders of Fremont more than 80% of the vote. Frein- stein focuses in international drug control, government intelligence, and energy and water develop- ment. Bill Harrison won election for Fremont mayor with only 35% of the vote. He participates in early child development organizations and charities. Vinnie Bacon and Suzanne “Sue” Chan won city council member positions. Bacon worked on saving Niles canyon, Coyote Hills, and other landmarks of Fremont. He also discouraged the building of a ballpark near the Warm Springs area by publishing a list of concerns from the com- munity on his 2008 campaign website. Chan participated in a variety of interests, including Washington Hospital Foundation, Citizens for a Better Community, Give a Child a Smile Dental Fairs, and South Bay Chinese Club. By Sophia Chan Irvington’s band teacher receives Education Foundation Grant Mr. Charlie Rodda Awarded Local Grant Honor By Nisha Patel On Friday, October 26, Mr. Charlie Rodda, director of Ir- vington’s Wind Ensemble, Sym- phonic Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Marching Band, was awarded an Education Founda- tion Grant after being recognized by the community for his dedica- tion and excellence in the class- room. As one of our very own Visu- al and Performing Arts teachers, Mr. Rodda’s efforts have made Irvington High School live up to its name. For the last 20 years, Mr. Rodda, however, has devoted his time and efforts to the music department beyond just the class- room. Band parents nominated Mr. Rodda in early spring for this award, and at the Pleasanton ceremony hosted by the Educa- tion Foundation, he was granted $599. This money will be used to help pay for uniforms and instru- ments. “I just love working with the kids. Every year is a challenge, but my goal is to make every year bet- ter and better,” said Mr. Rodda when asked about why he teaches band. “A big part of my success is because of the continual sup- port from the parents and student leaders.” Mr. Rodda, the only band teacher to receive this award, identifies Irvington’s magnet pro- gram as being a significant factor in the school’s success because greater numbers of talented, committed student musicians par- ticipate. “Mr. Rodda is the type of teacher who pushes you to strive to be the best you can without seeming forceful,” says junior Devin Sigler. “He spends many hours, working from 0 period Jazz band to 7th period Marching Band, devoting himself to make sure every student enjoys the time they spend playing music.” The Education Foundation is committed to the process of seeking out worthy candidates as recipients of grants, and works to acknowledge outstanding pub- lic educators for their invaluable contribution to the teaching pro- fession. Funds for the Foundation are contributed primarily by Mason- McDuffie Real Estate, its part- ners, employees, and especially independent agents. Education Foundation was established in 1992, and as one of the most sig- nificant teacher grant programs in the Bay Area, hopes to con- tinue to build upon the ideals that were set forth at its foundation. Photo: Nisha Patel Students have a new resource at their fingertips Irvington ITA Sophomores Receive iPads By Simran Moza This year, the Information Technology Academy purchased an iPad 2 for every sophomore in the program. The sophomores re- ceived their iPads in late October, and they are allowed to keep the iPads until the end of the school year. Teachers hope to further the students’ education by integrating the iPad into their lesson plans. The classes that incorporate the iPad 2 into their curriculum include Mr. Albizo’s Computer Support classes, Ms. Lynn’s Bio- tech classes, Mr.Vucurevichs’s History classes, and Mr. Phillip’s English classes. Both teachers and students are very enthusiastic about this convenient resource. This is a very sophisticated “way to inte- grate technology with routine assignments,” said Mr. Phillips, English teacher who teaches ITA sophomores. According to Phil- lips, the ITA budget also allows each student to purchase 4 apps of their choice (within a reason- able price range). Students use the iPad to type up notes during lectures or explore apps during their spare time. “We are very lucky to get these because they make learning so much more enjoyable,” said sophomore Vincent Chu, “I use my iPad for many things. I can use it to access some of my text- books, so it’s really convenient. Not only are they helpful when it comes to schoolwork, but we also have a lot of fun with the apps in our free time. ” According to Apple, the iPad2 is faster, lighter and thinner than the first iPad. Teachers hope that this new, portable gateway to information will give an edge to these students. Opinions Meet the cast of The Diviners, ICT’s fall production 4 Get your scoop on the latest interational news in our World News Spotlight. 2 Standardized test myths busted. Find out why one Voice writer likes the SAT. 6 Read a review on a nearby Japanese restaurant 11 Rising star Kendrick Lamar releases album, good kid m.A.A.d. city. 11 Mr. Rodda has been at Irvington for the last 20 years. From left to right: Vincent Chu, Mi- chelle Tu, and David Le look at the iPad during advisory.. Photo: Kelsey Wong The gardening shed, the scene of the crime, is located near the P-wing of Irvington. Photo: Kelsey Wong Photo: Kelsey Wong Stacey Lin, secretary of Gardening Club, holds up a Vapur Bottle. ihsvoice.com Volume 21.2 November 15,2012 Visit ihsvoice.com for more news

description

Irvington Voice, 21.2 . Irvington High School, Fremont, California

Transcript of Volume 21, Issue 2

Visit ihsvoice.com for more news

The oice

INDEXNews............................1-3Student Life......................4Opinions.......................6-7Features.......................8-9Entertainment...........10-11Sports.......................12-13Humor............................15

Irvington News

Student Life

Features

Entertainment

Irvington Sports

Humor

Guest Writer: Cindy Yang, winner of Mrs. Devaku-mar’s mental health story and poem contest 2

Mine or yours? Sam-sung and Apple battle over intel-lectual property. 6

Seniors automatically put in Varsity Sports-fair or not? 6

Spearheading student pri-vacy vs. administrative rights. How far should schools be able to see of yur cyberlife? 6-7

See what one Voice staff member thinks about “Red,” Taylor Swift’s new al-bum. 11

Fall Show Preview: “The Diviners” 11

Quiz: Find out what Thanksgiving dish matches your personality. 10

Winter Sports Pre-views: Find out more about the winter sports and what’s coming up. 13

MVALS/NCS: Find out about how IHS sports did on MVALS/NCS. 1210

Recap of the Giants’ win in the World Series. 13

Black Friday Deals: Find out where the best deals arefor this year’s Black Friday. 10

Get a glimpse of the The Wall of Shame and Fame. 8-9

Inspect new IHS Bumper Stickers. 15

How to name and not name a hurricane. 15

Find out how to sur-vive Black Friday. 15

Spanish Club and MEChA plan Dia de Los Muer-tos. 2

Recap of Indopak’s Diwali and Eid Celebration. 2

Reflections contest winners and recap 2

Find out about Key Club’s Fall Rally North 2

What’s New

Vapur Bottles stolen from shed

Prior to the 2012 election, Fremont was part of the 13th Congressional District, represent-ed by Congressman Pete Stark, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Fremont’s mayor was Bob Wasserman. Robert “Bob” Wieckowski and Suzanne “Sue” Chan were Fremont’s city council members. Winners of the 2012 elec-tion: Fremont was re-districted from the 13th to the 15th Con-gressional District. 31-year-old Eric Swalwell won by 5% of the vote for Congressman, beat-ing longtime Congressman Pete Stark. Swalwell prioritizes creating jobs and stabilizing the economy, creating a “mobile Congress” to keep Members of Congress accessible and account-able, and improving education. Senator Dianne Feinstein won re-election for senator with

Gardening Shed Robbed, Thief at Large By Kelsey Wong

An unknown thief stole $270 worth of Vapur Bottles from the blue recycling shed in what seemed to be an apparent bur-glary. On the afternoon of Mon-day, October 29, during the time Gardening Club usually uses the blue shed, members discovered that 27 of the vapor bottles were gone, along with the combination lock used to secure the door. The thief and the where-abouts of the bottles are still un-known. Vapur bottles are essen-

tially reusable water bottles; they are also flexible in shape and BPA free. The bottles belong to FIERCE, an inter-district green organization, which had been selling them for a fundraiser. They stored the bottles in the gardening club shed. “I really wonder who did this,” said Kimberly Chin, vice president of Gardening Club. “Obviously he or she doesn’t care about other people.” “It astonishes me that anyone would take the water bottles since, I mean, what could they possibly do with a bulk of water bottles?” said senior Pallavi Sherikar, presi-dent of FIERCE. “I think we would all notice if an onslaught of vapor bottles were sold at school.” According to Sherikar, the money from the Vapur bottles would have gone towards green events, gardening supplies, or oth-

er related areas. Now, FIERCE has to compensate for $300 worth of stolen bottles. “Honestly, we just want our bottles and money back,” con-cluded Sherikar. “[The stolen bottles are] still AWOL, and we are looking into it,” said Mr. Jackson, vice princi-pal of Irvington. “So far, I talked to everyone who has access to the shed, but we don’t know where they are at.” “If you steal something, you lose peoples’ trust,” commented Chin. “So we [Gardening Club] are more cautious now.”

Local Election ResultsThe new leaders of Fremont

more than 80% of the vote. Frein-stein focuses in international drug control, government intelligence, and energy and water develop-ment. Bill Harrison won election for Fremont mayor with only 35% of the vote. He participates in early child development organizations and charities. Vinnie Bacon and Suzanne “Sue” Chan won city council member positions. Bacon worked on saving Niles canyon, Coyote Hills, and other landmarks of Fremont. He also discouraged the building of a ballpark near the Warm Springs area by publishing a list of concerns from the com-munity on his 2008 campaign website. Chan participated in a variety of interests, including Washington Hospital Foundation, Citizens for a Better Community, Give a Child a Smile Dental Fairs, and South Bay Chinese Club.

By Sophia Chan

Irvington’s band teacher receives Education Foundation GrantMr. Charlie Rodda Awarded Local Grant Honor

By Nisha Patel On Friday, October 26, Mr. Charlie Rodda, director of Ir-vington’s Wind Ensemble, Sym-phonic Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Marching Band, was awarded an Education Founda-tion Grant after being recognized by the community for his dedica-tion and excellence in the class-room. As one of our very own Visu-al and Performing Arts teachers, Mr. Rodda’s efforts have made Irvington High School live up to its name. For the last 20 years, Mr. Rodda, however, has devoted his time and efforts to the music department beyond just the class-room. Band parents nominated Mr. Rodda in early spring for this award, and at the Pleasanton ceremony hosted by the Educa-tion Foundation, he was granted $599. This money will be used to help pay for uniforms and instru-ments. “I just love working with the kids. Every year is a challenge, but my goal is to make every year bet-

ter and better,” said Mr. Rodda when asked about why he teaches band. “A big part of my success is because of the continual sup-port from the parents and student leaders.” Mr. Rodda, the only band teacher to receive this award, identifies Irvington’s magnet pro-gram as being a significant factor in the school’s success because greater numbers of talented, committed student musicians par-

ticipate. “Mr. Rodda is the type of teacher who pushes you to strive to be the best you can without seeming forceful,” says junior Devin Sigler. “He spends many hours, working from 0 period Jazz band to 7th period Marching Band, devoting himself to make sure every student enjoys the time they spend playing music.” The Education Foundation is committed to the process of seeking out worthy candidates as recipients of grants, and works to acknowledge outstanding pub-lic educators for their invaluable contribution to the teaching pro-fession. Funds for the Foundation are contributed primarily by Mason-McDuffie Real Estate, its part-ners, employees, and especially independent agents. Education Foundation was established in 1992, and as one of the most sig-nificant teacher grant programs in the Bay Area, hopes to con-tinue to build upon the ideals that were set forth at its foundation.

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Students have a new resource at their fingertipsIrvington ITA Sophomores Receive iPads

By Simran Moza

This year, the Information Technology Academy purchased an iPad 2 for every sophomore in the program. The sophomores re-ceived their iPads in late October, and they are allowed to keep the iPads until the end of the school

year. Teachers hope to further the students’ education by integrating the iPad into their lesson plans. The classes that incorporate the iPad 2 into their curriculum include Mr. Albizo’s Computer Support classes, Ms. Lynn’s Bio-tech classes, Mr.Vucurevichs’s History classes, and Mr. Phillip’s English classes. Both teachers and students are very enthusiastic about this convenient resource. This is a very sophisticated “way to inte-grate technology with routine assignments,” said Mr. Phillips, English teacher who teaches ITA sophomores. According to Phil-lips, the ITA budget also allows each student to purchase 4 apps of their choice (within a reason-

able price range). Students use the iPad to type up notes during lectures or explore apps during their spare time. “We are very lucky to get these because they make learning so much more enjoyable,” said sophomore Vincent Chu, “I use my iPad for many things. I can use it to access some of my text-books, so it’s really convenient. Not only are they helpful when it comes to schoolwork, but we also have a lot of fun with the apps in our free time. ” According to Apple, the iPad2 is faster, lighter and thinner than the first iPad. Teachers hope that this new, portable gateway to information will give an edge to these students.

Opinions

Meet the cast of The Diviners, ICT’s fall production 4

Get your scoop on the latest interational news in our World News Spotlight. 2

Standardized test myths busted. Find out why one Voice writer likes the SAT. 6

Read a review on a nearby Japanese restaurant 11

Rising star Kendrick Lamar releases album, good kid m.A.A.d. city. 11

Mr. Rodda has been at Irvington for the last 20 years.

From left to right: Vincent Chu, Mi-chelle Tu, and David Le look at the iPad during advisory..

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The gardening shed, the scene of the crime, is located near the P-wing of Irvington.

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Stacey Lin, secretary of Gardening Club, holds up a Vapur Bottle.

ihsvoice.com Volume 21.2 November 15,2012

Visit ihsvoice.com for more news

Writer:

News2 | The Voice 21.2

Cindy Yang

Background Health teacher Mrs. Deva-kumar organized a mental health story or poem competition as an assignment for her health classes. The winner for the newspa-per contest was Cindy Yang, and the first place winners for the web contest were Shannon Tseng and Daniel Ho. 2nd place had a3-way tie between Christina Du, Yamini Pattan, Aismit Das, Ad-itya Sriram, Corrine Maes andMichelle Chin.

Unforgettable by Cindy YangShe walks around

Afraid to face her fearsAfraid to embrace the world

Afraid to let anyone near

She is one of 2 millionYet she feels alone

Alone to fight this diseaseStruggling on her own

Eight summers agoWhen she still knew how to smile

Everything just changedAnd not just for a while

A gunshot firedA scream from within

She ran in cryingDropping her marble-filled tin

What she saw she would never forgetPaint-like blood spread across the floor

And no matter how much she cried; how much she plead

Her mother would not be with her anymore

“Post-traumatic stress disorder”That’s what the doctor said

An anxiety disorderTriggered by the pastss

She sits alone at lunchNot trusting any friendsNot trusting any men

Her relationships at their ends

Once a prodigious painterShe neglected her gift

She cannot paint without her motherOr use the color red.

Slowly slipping awayLosing all control

Thinking thoughts of depressionAnd giving up all her goals

One day she received a noteWritten by whom she didn’t know

It told her to take actionAnd stop feeling so low

It told her she was worth itThat the loss was not her faultThat she needed some support

That this disease needs to come to a halt

So with the new found courageShe went out to seek helpShe talked to her doctor

She started to care about herself

Her doctor recommended psychotherapyTo help her control her fearTo make sense of the horror

That has haunted her all these years

But most importantlyShe started to paint once again

A portrait of her motherWearing a red cardigan

Indopak brings traditional Indian/Pakistani holiday to Irvington studentsIrvington Celebrates Diwali, Eid

By Japjot Bal

On Friday November 9, 2012 Irvington’s Indopak club held its annual Diwali and Eid Showcase in the library. The showcase’s goal is to bring the most celebrated holiday, Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, to Irvington.

The showcase ran for the first five periods of the day and consisted of an educational slide-show, traditional Indian sweets, and various culture-based booths. The Indian attire booth pre-sented an array of traditional clothing styles, and the accessories

booth allowed the students to try on bangles and bindis, decorative marks worn in the middle of the forehead. Other booths included the henna booth, in which stu-dents could get temporary henna tattoos, the language booth and a dandia/rass booth, which gave students information and allowed them to try out some dandia/raas dance steps. Some of the students also had a chance to learn cho-reographed Bollywood-inspired dance moves. Junior Krishna Basude, a volunteer at the showcase, said, “I think this year we involved the audience a lot better and reached out to a lot more people.” Only a couple classes were able to go to the showcase due to sched-

MEChA and Spanish Club work together to preserve Spanish traditionSpanish Club, MEChA Presents Día de los Muertos

By Hugo Vera

Spanish Club and MEChA worked together and presented a large exhibit of the Spanish holiday known as “Dia dia de Los Meurtos,” which was put on display in the small gym on No-vember 2. Every Spanish class was able to attend an informative PowerPoint that day and then observe the student-provided art-work afterwards.

MEChA, Spanish Club, and all of Irvington’s Spanish classes participated in this event. “The Dia de los Muertos is an exhibit done by all of the Spanish classes that celebrates and commemorates the lives of those we care about who have passed away,” said Mr. Ballado (the advisor of MEChA) on the efforts of Irvington students. “It’s also a great way to celebrate life and death”. The event was mainly planned by students. “We’ve been planning this event for about a month now, and it’s one of our biggest events. I planned this with my council, and the various Span-ish classes helped out in terms of clean up and set-up,” said senior Lucas Yum, who helped plan the event. “It went pretty well but there were certain things we could have worked on. The pre-

sentation was a bit too short, and I would’ve loved to have more ac-tivities.” “Dia de los Muertos” means “Day of the Dead” in Spanish, and is a proud tradition of Latin-

American culture, with roots to Mexico. During this celebration in the fall, people paint cardboard skulls, eat candy, and light candles to honor their beloved family members who have passed away.

From left to right: Students observe altars in the IHS small gym that com-memorate the dead

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Katie Maldonaldo gazes on at the altar set up honoring the dead.

Students participate in the Diwali/Eid exhibit. Diwali this year is Tuesday, November 13.

IHS Lady Vikings proudly show their work for the Eid and Diwali showcase

uling conflicts. However, those students who were able to attend participated in the dancing por-tion of the showcase. Senior Muhammad Muqta-dir congratulated Indopak on a well-executed showcase and said, “Since I’m a new student at this school, it was my first year being a part of this. I’m very impressed.”

Guest

SNewNovember 2012| 3

Sp o t LightW

orld N e w s

By Mariam Syeda-Quadri

More Death In Syria

The Syrian government was pushed for a four day cease-fire on the Syrian citizens in honor of the four day Muslim holiday. This failed truce left hundreds of Syrians dead. The international forces were accused of standing by in this continued senseless killing. “What is happening in Syria is not a civil war but a genocide, a war of extermination with a li-cense to kill by the Syrian govern-ment and the international com-munity,” President Qatar stated, according to the official Qatar News Agency. The Muslim Holiday of Eid-ul-Adha started on Friday the 26th and ended on Monday the 29th. The Syrian government said they would comply with the four-day truce but at the same time mili-tary forces would respond to any violence portrayed on land. This implied that no cease-fire would really occur. The death count was 407 civilians dead in these four days.

Australia EmbracesAsian Culture

The prime minister of Australia is aspiring to require every child in Australia to learn an Asian language. Australia’s prime minister believes that we are being lead into an Asian century and she believes this will make Australia more competitive in the foreign world. “Whatever else this century brings, it will bring Asia’s return to global leadership, Asia’s rise. This is not only unstoppable, it is gathering pace,” Gillard said in a policy white paper by the name of, “Australia in The Asian Century.” The chief goal for this in-corporation of Asian culture is to incorporate Asian Languages, in particular Hindi, Mandarin, Jap-anese, or Indonesian within all Australian schools’ curriculum. Students will also be required to learn Asian culture. There is a policy with 25 objectives outlin-ing everything they are planning on incorporating and this is predicted to be put into action by 2025. Prime Minister Gillard believes that the next economic boom will be taken over by the middle class of Asia. Gillard wants to make sure Asia is a friend and not a foe in the inter-national community for years to come.

Key Clubbers Band Together at Annual Fally Rally NorthNorthern California and Nevada Key Clubbers gather for Kiwanis international project and spiritBy Shirley Lin

Saturday, October 27th marked the annual Key Club spirit rally, Fall Rally North at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom at Vallejo that members of the in-ternational service learning club from Northern California and Nevada attend. “Fall Rally North is not only a way to celebrate Key Club, but a way to help to raise money for a Kiwanis international project called the Pediatric Trauma Pre-vention,” said Irvington Key Club president, senior Vivian Nguyen. “By auctioning off Lieutenant Governors from different divi-sions during spirit rallies, we can enjoyably fund-raise for PTP while showcasing our spirit. Last year we fundraised over $100,000 for PTP, and I hope we outmatch our accomplishments last year.” Pediatric Trauma Prevention serves to prevent Pediatric Trau-ma, the leading cause of death among children ages 14 and un-der in the United States. “FRN is the biggest fall event for Northern Cali-fornia and Nevada Key Clubbers,”Division 12 East Lieu-

tenant Governor senior Vanessa Yeh from Milpitas High School said. “FRN has roughly 3,000 to 4,000 members attend every year.” Key Club International is di-vided into districts, divisions, then regions. Irvington Key Club falls under region 17, division 12 east, and in the California-Nevada-Hawaii district. Starting at 8 A.M., Key Clubbers from different divisions arrived at Six Flags decked out in their division colors and spirit gear. Gold and blue clashed with orange, black and white, green, purple, yellow, and many more colors. Key Clubbers also repre-sented their division mascots by dressing in costumes such as a

grizzly bear and a yeti. Two separate rallies were held in the Chabot stadium, one at 11 A.M. and the other at 1 P.M. At each rally, different divi-sions tried to outdo each other in a spirit battle. The division that won the spirit battle got to take home the spirit stick at the end of the rally. Division 7 South in the first rally obtained the spirit stick and Division 12 South won it dur-ing the second rally. In between the spirit battles, the Lieutenant Governors, rep-resentatives for their divisions in their districts and the District Executive members were also auctioned off. Whichever district wins the bid for a LTG or an ex-ecutive member gets to spend the

rest of the day with him or her. According to Vanessa, all the money in the auction is donated to PTP. After the rallies ended, Key Clubbers had the rest of the time to themselves to go on rides, eat, enjoy each others’ companies, or to play games. The staff at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom got involved in FRN by frequently asking over the speakers, “Key Clubbers, how do you feel?” Key Clubbers all over the park then had to respond with the “How Do You Feel” cheer. “I really enjoy coming to FRN because it reminds me of all the dedication and energy so many Key Clubbers, like myself, put into making these service projects possible. It’s an amaz-ing feeling to see people come together and have fun helping others! That’s the most reward-ing feeling I have whenever I do anything related to Key Club,” said Vivian. “I love how we have so much pride in representing our home club or division, but when it comes down to it, we’re all part of one Key Club family.”

PTSA Showcases Reflections WinnersWinning entries displayed in Norse HallBy Michelle Lang On Thursday, November 1st, Irvington High School’s PTSA showcased the entries submitted to its annual contest, PTSA Re-flections, in Norse Hall. Certifi-cates of participation were given to all contestants, while winners from each category, visual art, photography, literature, music, and film, were announced. This year’s theme was “The Magic of a Moment.” Over 80 entries were submitted to the con-test. Three winners were selected from each category, with the ex-ception of film, which had less than three entries, and photogra-

phy, in which four winners were selected. In total, there were 14 winners. “I thought this year’s theme was good because everyone can relate to it,” said senior Moniyka Sachar, a winner in the literature category. “I’m excited about ad-vancing onto the next level of competition.” Each high school’s Reflec-tions winners will have their en-tries submitted to the Fremont Council for further judging. The contest escalates to the national level after going through various local competitions. Winners who receive Outstanding Interpreta-

tion Awards will be awarded $800 and a gold medal, while $200 will be awarded to their local PTA. “I didn’t expect to move on in the competition,” said senior Bekky Shin. This year marked the third time she has entered the PTSA Reflections contest. “I’m glad that they liked my artwork.” The PTSA Reflections con-test is an ongoing, 50-year pro-gram. It receives 11 million en-tries nationwide each year. The 14 winning entries in Irvington High School’s Reflec-tions contest were Irene Chon’s “Encourage,” Shannon Lin’s “Breath,” and Bekky Shin’s “Re-

union” in the visual arts catego-ry; Michelle Lang’s “Stargazer,” Moniyka Sachar’s “Live in the Moment,” Sonia Sachar’s “The Hero Within Us” in the litera-ture category; Victoria Hous-ton’s “Wish for the Moment” and “Spirit Dream” and Naier Wong’s “Falling Rain” in the musical composition category; Aditya Sri-ram’s “Sea-ing our Underwater World” in the film production cat-egory; and Kelly Chang’s “Chap-ter,” Beverly Yee’s “John Hope,” Brian Larson’s “Lightning on the Lake,” and Charlotte Chen’s “A Moment of Laughter” in the photograph category.

Roughly 3000 to 4000 members at-tended FRN

22 IHS key clubbers attended Fall Rally

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S tudent Life4 | The Voice 21.2

Meet the Diviners Cast

Character Student

C. C. Showers: Robert Ritchie Buddy: Jacob Rosein Jennie Mae: Rachel HoFerris: Matt HongBasil: Sammie KanGoldie Cheyenne GenbergNorma: Kyra HalpennyDarlene: Mina BaldivinoDewey: Nicholas SaudMelvin: Dylan MaislerLuella: Savannah Benedetti

Cast 1Character Student

C. C. Showers: Robert Ritchie Buddy: Jacob Rosein Jennie Mae: Katie KellyFerris: Matt HongBasil: Will NorthGoldie Savannah RiddleNorma: Samantha LiuDarlene: Frances RamselDewey: Tristan PeronaMelvin: Zachary LewLuella: Thao Le

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Interview with the leads & director

Rachel Ho

1. Describe your character and how can you relate to her?My character is named Jennie Mae. She is definitely the over-bearing mother type, since her mom died when she was 7. She loves her little brother very much, but when C.C. Showers come to town she decided to take a chance and escape from her mother role, even if it was only for a little while. I can relate to her because as teens we are always trying to break out of our molds and become some-one different, but in the end who we are cannot be changed.

2. What do you think of the plot/characters?The plot is absolutely heartbreak-ingly, beautifully, fantastically, tragic. It takes the audience on a ride through the age of the depression and gives a fantastic storyline as well as characters to achieve it. The characters are all so deep. They follow no stereo-type and my fellow cast members create such complex characters that make me want to achieve that level of complexity.3. Do you plan to continue per-forming arts during college?I am a weirdo since I've never been part of the drama program, but I wanted to participate in the plays and musicals. It's not that I don’t want to take the class, I just don't have the periods to take a drama course. The answer is of course, I will continue in perform-ing arts in college, no matter what I choose to do in life. The theatre is as big a part of me as my arm or my leg. You can't take away my leg and ask me not to feel pain.

Katie Kelly

1. Describe your character and how can you relate to her?

2. What made you try out for this play in particular?

3. What do you think of the plot/characters?

4. What is your favorite memory about the whole experience?

6. Do you plan to continue per-forming arts during college?

I love Jennie Mae. I think the thing that we have the most in common is that we both have younger brothers to take care of. The way she loves Buddy is simi-lar to the way I love my 3-year-old brother Mark. She is also a teenager and that definitely helps me understand what she’s going through.

I tried out for this play because it’s a drama, and even though I’ve done many shows in my life, I have never been in a play so dra-matic. It’s definitely the saddest show I’ve ever performed in.

I really enjoyed working with Robert (co-star) on our scenes. I think it really helped me under-stand our characters’ relationship better!

Hopefully, yes! I have done the-atre as long as I can remember. It’s my passion and I hope I never stop it.

Robert Ritchie

1. How were you inspired to join drama?My friends influenced me to audi-tion for the musical.

2. What are some difficulties you've encountered when being the lead compared to being a sup-porting role?Being the lead means more lines and more blocking [position on stage]. There's a lot more stress because a lot more is put on your shoulders. You basically run the play. If you mess up, everything is basically ruined.3. Describe the character in your own words. How do you relate to him? How do you get into char-acter?

My character is a retired preacher who wanted to find himself. He has a hard life, in my opinion, and I have a hard life, so I can relate to him that way. I use the script to imagine what he would be like and how he would act. I think of what scene is happening and imagine the emotion that the scene should have.4. What do you like most about the play?

Throughout all the rehearsals I must say that my favorite part would be getting to be so close to my castmates. We're all like one big family and we have so many inside jokes! I just really love my cast!

5. Anything you want to say to your cast?I love you guys, and these past two months have been amazing working with you. And you all are so talented. Don't make me a preacher!

Jacob Rosen

1. What inspired you to audi-tion and why did you audition for this role?My love of theatre inspired me to audition. I didn’t enjoy acting when I first started, but by the time I had finished my first show I really did enjoy and wanted to continue acting. I had auditioned for this role because I wanted to see what would happen since I am a freshman. I felt amazed and honored because I’m a freshman and I was expecting for an upper-classman to get the part.

2. Describe your character and why you can relate to him?Buddy is a mentally retarded and hydrophobic boy. He believes that he is the reason for his mother’s death, who had drowned in wa-ter. Unlike him, I am not a hydro-phobic, but I can relate to him in terms of age.

3. Do you plan to be involved in ICT in the next years?Definitely! I love theatre and I want to be able to do it as much as possible here!

Mr. DiLorenzo

1. Why did you choose this play?The Diviners is one of my favor-ite plays. I try to select plays that delve into multiple high school subjects. There’s a lot of symbol-ism and strong history aspects that are presented in this play, since it is set during the Great De-pression. I’m not only looking for plays that will entertain but I’m looking for ones that will educate at the same time. Aside from that, this is just an exquisitely well writ-ten play. 2. What makes this fall show a “must-see?”

I think it’s a “must-see” show be-cause it is a turning point for the performing arts department of this school. We are not known for being a strong performing arts school and this will definitely take us to the next level due to the high caliber work going into this production. The sets are intricate and the kids are doing a great job. This heartfelt story moving so be sure to bring your Kleenex.

3. Is there anything that makes this show stand out?What’s really cool about this show is that last year I lost a lot of phenomenal seniors that have now graduated. This show fea-tures a lot of new faces and talent that many students haven’t seen. People will be absolutely shocked at this show. I like picking plays that nobody’s heard of because I want people’s interests to grow on things that are not on the re-quired reading list.

The plot in this show is extremely moving (but I don’t want to ruin anything). The best part about the characters is they are all from this tiny town. Everyone knows everyone else’s business, except when this new preacher (Cece Showers) comes into town.

Upcoming show dates for The Diviners

November 29th 7 PMNovember 30th 7 PM

December 1 2PM & 7PM December 6 7PM

December 7 7PMDecember 8th 2PM & 7PM

Check out wwww.

irvington-conserva-tory.org

to purchase tickets and

for more information!

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Cast 2

Interviews and photos by Chizobam Nwagwu, Sophia Chan and Rashi Saxena

Photo: Sirena Myint

Opinions4 | The Voice 21.2

Determining The Reach of the LawLoco parentis and the need for school interferenceBy Aditya Kumar

Since the conception of our govern-ment, our country has taken part in a constant tug-of-war between upholding individual rights and preserving common welfare. Nowhere is this conflict more evi-dent than in our public schools. In addition to restricting speech con-sidered to be a “clear and present dan-ger,” schools have the additional onus of maintaining a safe and conducive educa-tional environment. They operate under loco parentis, a legal doctrine that allows schools to act as a “parent” figure to stu-dents. This doctrine allows administration

to search lockers, punish students for don-ning hats and issue suspensions for swear-ing or other disorderly conduct. When a student or group of students acts in a way contrary to the fundamental educational mission of the school, faculty can take appropriate measures to remedy such actions through detentions, suspen-sions and expulsions. Such disciplinary ac-tion needs to be taken in the current Pied-mont High School case in which varsity male athletes made a lewd “Slut League” online in which female students were rated on an online dashboard.

Although this is an incident outside of school grounds, courts across the nation have established precedents for offensive or insulting speech. Most notably, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) ruled that administra-tors can censor student-published material (specifically in student-run newspapers, but has been extended in some cases to cover online content) that conflicts with a school’s “legitimate pedagogical goals.” The ac-tions of the Piedmont athletes do, in fact, fall under the school’s jurisdiction, because posting crude comments online could lead to emotional distress for the girls on the website, directly interfering with their edu-cation. What if those girls dropped out of school? What if the trajectory of their edu-cation was shifted by these boys? What if the school did not get involved?

Whether we like it or not, teachers and administration have a vested inter-est in preserving a safe educational en-vironment – its clear that we as students need rules to learn and grow as individu-als. There is no doubt that these student perpetrators should be punished for their heinous actions to the fullest extent of the law.

First Year Seniors Always Play VarsityFact or fictionBy Devin Trubey

At Irvington High School it has always been implied that seniors automatically play on the varsity team. North Coast Sec-tional coordinator, Gil Lemon said, “It is not an NCS or a CIF rule, but it can be a rule in your specific athletic league or a de-cision made by your athletic director.” Ir-vington’s Athletic Director, Michelle Stone said, “First time senior, first time player, you will probably get cut.” If the senior doesn’t have the skills, it doesn’t make sense to give them a junior varsity spot. Junior varsity is there for the sole purpose of developing players. By developing a senior that will leave after one season, “you are taking the spot of a potential four year player”, said Michelle Stone.

Coach Silvernale, head of the varsity football team, brings up an excellent point that, “It’s not about fairness; it is about safety. You can’t have an eighteen year old almost-man play against younger kids.” Seniors are generally built bigger and stronger than underclassmen. It is danger-ous to have players of different ages and sizes go against each other. It is for this ex-act reason that football players under the age of fifteen years old are not allowed to play on varsity unless they have signed a waiver. It is unsafe and unfair to the other players to use a senior as a ringer to win games. Who would use a six-foot-tall senior to dunk against junior varsity teams in bas-ketball games. As a coach you should really

ask yourself, what are you trying to prove and more importantly, what does your pro-gram represent? It is unfair to the underclassmen that have been patiently waiting to play varsity for a senior to just waltz in and take their spot. Juniors need that time on varsity to learn new plays, get accustomed to the speed and intensity of the game and a new coach. Sports like volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball keep a very limited roster. Basketball and volleyball both keep a maximum of twelve players and there-fore it is very easy to get cut. But to throw in a wildcard that is only going to play for a year is unfair to those that have worked so hard and spent their time on junior var-sity. It might be implied that seniors, even if it’s their first year playing, automatically go to varsity, but do they really deserve that spot?

A Blessing in Disguise Why the SAT levels the academic playing fieldBy Pallavi Sherikar

Every year, more than two million stu-dents sharpen their number two pencils, cram their heads with a plethora of large vocabulary words, and stretch their brain muscles in preparation for the four hour long Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The SAT, engineered by educators and college officials, is the most-used exam in terms of college admissions. Each question on the SAT is rumored to have been researched and tested over a thousand times before be-ing selected for official use. Time and time again, however, the SAT has been harshly criticized for its inability to test actual in-telligence, thus deeming it unnecessary. The SAT, as much as we all like to groan

and moan about it, is necessary for college admissions, and we as Irvington students should be especially happy for its existence. The SAT tests three critical areas: math, reading, and writing. What people do not realize is that the SAT is not test-ing specifically their knowledge in certain areas (despite what the proctors always tell say), but rather their ability to take the test. So yes: the SAT does not provide an ac-curate reflection of our intelligence, but it provides an accurate reflection of our test-taking abilities. Why is this necessary? Because every college, every profession, ev-ery job requires that we know how to take tests: for medical students, it’s the MCAT;

for law students, it’s the LSAT; for engi-neers, it’s the GRE. Tests are a part of our culture, and much of the world’s culture as well. Tests enable us to numerically differ-entiate ourselves from the rest of the popu-lation. So it makes sense that our ability to take tests is related to how well we will do on the tests that will inevitably be thrown at us in college. As Irvington High School students, we come from a school that is fairly dis-tinguished for having rigorous classes and high expectations. We should be especially happy that the SAT sets a standard among students all around America. We all know that there are certain schools with certain classes, or certain teachers, where getting an A is infinitely easier than getting an A in say the AP Physics or AP Literature classes at Irvington. But do colleges know that? Colleges simply cannot account for all the

little factors that affect student’s grades. The SAT remedies that by placing all stu-dents on the exact same playing field. Take it as a blessing in disguise.

(Un)Intellectual PropertyThe issue with copyright infringement casesBy Michelle Lang

Starting in April 2011, Apple Inc., creator of the highly successful iPhone and iPad products (among many others), has been engaged in an all-out patent war with Samsung Electronics, creator of the just-as-popular line of Android phones and tablet computers. The Korea-based company has long been a main component supplier to Apple, but that has not stopped Apple from suing Samsung on various grounds, including perceived similarities in style, design, function, and trademarks. In turn, Samsung has attempted to sue Apple for alleged infringements on other patents. This war, however, fought with battalions of wily lawyers and ranks of cunning pros-ecutors, is a mockery of the idea of intel-lectual property. The idea of intellectual property

emerged in the late 19th century as a way to police the theft of concepts that are not concrete. It gained weight and popularity in the latter half of the 20th century as more and more issues regarding plagiarism arose. The controversy of intellectual prop-erty is obvious: how can you judge whether an idea is stolen or not? There is a difference between directly copying an original idea because it would bring in more profit and using an idea be-cause of its overwhelming functionality. Take, for example, one exceedingly ridicu-lous attempt of Apple’s to sue for copyright infringement: Apple tried to sue Sam-sung in the summer of 2011 for copying the iPad’s rounded edges. Yes, that’s right. Apple argued that having a tablet without pointy corners was a totally original idea

that should not be used by anyone else. Thank god that the jury in charge of the trial threw out that claim. Other equally ridiculous infringement claims, however, such as the ability to zoom in on the phone and tablet screen by pinching, were con-sidered seriously and were actually tried in court. Don’t get me wrong. Intellectual prop-erty deserves to be protected by the law. Plagiarism is a serious problem, especially among artists and inventors. When the two plaintiffs are multibillion dollar franchises obsessed with squashing each other down, however, the court system should be a lot less indulging. Instead of examining whose idea it was (because honestly, since when has anyone ever had a truly original idea?), intellectual property suits concerning prod-ucts like phones and tablets should be cen-tered upon functionality. If the design in question is a marked improvement upon the basic capabilities and convenience of

the product, then it should be free to use for all companies involved with its produc-tion. A smartphone is a smartphone. Cases of copyright infringement that are clearly only meant to reduce competition should be disregarded entirely as they distract from real patenting issues.

Intimidating senior ousts talented freshmen.Photo: Nisha Patel

S opinionNovember 2012| 5

The VOICE is a student-run newspaper with the sole purpose of providing an open forum for student expression. Any-thing printed represents the opinion of the writer, but not necessar-ily that of the VOICE staff, the administration or faculty of Irvington High School, or any person affiliated with the Fremont Unified School District. The VOICE does not discriminate against race, political orientation, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Although the VOICE will never refuse to publish stu-dent guest submission based on the aforementioned factors, we reserve the right to edit or not publish them.

Advisor: MAtthew PhilliPs

[email protected] out our new website! http://www.ihsvoice.com(510) 656-5711 ext. 46401

*Deadline Workers

POLICY STATEMENT:

VOICE STAFF 2012-2013Editors-in-ChiEf: Shirley Lin* Nisha Patel*nEws Editors: Jenny Lu* Eswar Dhinakaran*fEaturEs Editors: Sophia Chan* Kanika Priyadarshi*EntErtainmEnt Editors: Japjot Bal* Rashi Saxena*sports Editors: Eugene Wong* Karthik Mayilvahanan*humor Editor: Adi Kumar*

Disagree with the writers? Bring your letters to the editor to room 101A or e-mail them to staff@

ihsvoice.com. We welcome all comments.

staff writErs: Jason Amico Simran Moza Enya Kuo Chizobam Nwagwu Iris Lee Chandni Patel Sonakshi Maheshwari Pallavi Sherikar Brandon McAlister Devin Trubey Cindy Meng Jared Tse Hugo Vera Aaron Whitaker

POLICY STATEMENT:

Columnist: Eswar DhinakaranBusinEss managEr: Melanie DohertyCopy Editor: Michelle LangwEd Editors: Kelsey Wong Mariam Syeda-QuadriphotographEr: Kelsey WongapprEntiCEs: nEws: Jason Amicoopinions: Enya Kuo fEaturEs: Iris LeeEntErtainmEnt: Chizobam Nwagwusports: Cindy Menghumor: Brandon McAlisterphoto: Jared Tse Hugo Vera

Hang LooseWhy free time is importantBy Eswar Dhinakaran

A lot of us stress out far too much. Growing gray hairs from stress in high school is not a good way to remember the last four years of your childhood. As high schoolers, we are at an important thresh-old of our lives. We are coming to a close of our mandatory education at the same time that we are coming to a close of the first chapter of our lives. We are ready to become mature, functioning figures in soci-ety and this often calls for us to behave and carry the demeanor of adults. And it’s sad that things like free time and “hanging out” become distant specks behind our backs as the monster of stress and the real world looms in front of us. It’s under the realization that I am soon to be an adult that I look at my future with a small degree of repulsion. Yes, there are many perks of being an adult: more re-spect, being able to vote and having com-

plete charge of your own life. Yet what we often don’t fully realize is that as we open the door to our future, we close the door behind us on our childhood. Those dog days of the summer when we carelessly played with our friends, running around the house, jumping on beds, and getting caught doing downright stupid things: we all have had those moments of joy and carelessness when we lived in the moment. And as we go through high school, all of that playfulness seems to pull away and becomes a dusty relic of a simpler time. Suddenly, it’s time for us to put on our seat belts and get ready for the rest of our lives. We no longer have the luxury of having nothing bearing down on our shoulders and we can’t forget our worries: we have to act on them. I realize that I too often fall victim to the viciousness of simply caring too much. There is a fine line between dedication to your goals and on obsession with perfec-tion. So I want to cut my readers a deal: let’s dedicate 30 minutes a day outside of the constrictive environment of school to just unwind with those who matter and en-joy the fact that we are just eukaryotic or-ganisms that have a finite amount of time on this lonely blue marble in the vast ex-panse of the universe. We are going to be stressed, but let’s change a few things so that we aren’t har-boring regrets in the future. School can be tough, but take things with a grain of salt. Make some free time so that you can do

stupid things in your ultimate years of your childhood. Pulling your hairs out of your scalp over school-work and the obscurity of your fu-ture shows admirable dedication but really isn’t an admirable physi-cal quality. Hang out, hang loose, but don’t hang up on your friend’s phone calls. Own your time in high school so that high school doesn’t end up owning you. Maybe adulthood won’t be so bad, but we don’t know yet so make the best of now or you’ll make the best of never.

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WALL OF FAME

Sonia Sotomayor is one of many Puerto Ricans from the Bronx, NY. Her uneducated parents could only afford to live in tenement houses. After her father’s death, they moved to the lackluster Bronxdale hous-ing projects. Sonia’s mother, her “life inspiration,” encouraged her to pursue a better education. After she was accepted into the private Catholic Car-dinal Spellman High School, the projects fell to gang vio-lence and they relocated. De-spite these obstacles, Sonia graduated as valedictorian with a scholarship to Princeton. She later earned her law de-gree at Yale Law School, also on scholarship. Both schools had few Puerto Ricans and even fewer women; she de-scribed the experience as “land-

ing in an alien country.” She started practicing law at a private firm but determinedly built her career. She has held positions (through nominations from NY Senator Moynihan, and presidents H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama) in the U.S. District Court for the South-ern District of NY, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor rose from poverty to become the first Hispanic and third female Supreme Court Justice in 2009.

John Davison Rockefeller was born in 1839 to a poor family that moved from New York to rural Ohio. His father was an alcoholic scam artist and his mother was a struggling maid, which motivated Rockefeller to escape poverty forever. As a young man, Rockefeller invested everything he had and began pumping out crude oil on Ohio. He then started importing his oil to railroad giants such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, which sky-rocketed his profits. In 1870, Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company, which lived up to its name. In the time that he ran the Standard Oil Compa-ny, Rockefeller engaged in cutthroat business tactics by lowering his oil prices to extinguish and buy out his competition. Through his te-nacity and wit, Rockefeller monopolized the Standard Oil Compa-ny into America’s only oil company. J.D. Rockefeller returned to New York and passed away in 1937, at age 97, as the world’s richest man in his time. His legacy lives on in his image as an ambitious entre-preneur and philanthropist, with Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, and his great-grandson and West-Virginian senator J.D. Rockefeller IV.

Oprah Winfrey, Talk-Show Host

J.K. Rowling, International Best-Selling Author

By Nisha Patel

By Sonakshi MaheshwariSonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court JusticeBy Chandni Patel

J.D. Rockefeller, Standard Oil Company Billionaire

By Hugo Vera

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on an isolated farm in Mississippi where she would entertain herself by playact-ing before her audience of farm animals. While living with her mother in a Milwau-kee ghetto, she began making speeches at social gatherings, immediately knowing that she wanted to be “paid to talk.” During the childhood years she spent there, Oprah was raped by a cousin at age 9, and later molested by both a male family friend and an uncle. Oprah earned her first job as a Nashville radio report-er, and later enrolled at Tennes-see State University to pursue a career in radio and televi-sion broadcasting. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore, where she

hosted People are Talking, was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show, and in 1986, launched The Oprah Win-frey Show as a nationally syndicated program. With its viewing on 120 channels and an audience of 10 million people, the show earned $125 million by the end of its first year. She soon gained ownership of the program from ABC, drawing it under the control of Harpo Produc-tions. Although she remains one of the highest paid entertainers world-wide and has won several Emmys, Winfrey has made generous contri-butions to charitable organizations and has made her mark on history.

Selling over 400 mil-lion copies, J.K. Rowling is best known for her popu-lar children’s series about a young wizard named Harry Potter. Rowling first envi-sioned this series on a train from Manchester to Lon-don and later proceeded to writing them in a small coffee shop called The El-ephant House in Edinburgh. She sent her manuscript to twelve different publishers but was quickly rejected on the basis that her story wouldn’t sell. Finally, af-ter his co-worker’s daugh-ter wanted to read more of it, Barry Cunningham decided to publish 1000 copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Since then, Rowl-

ing’s success has been explosive overnight, creating an interna-tional sensation with millions of fans. Currently she is the Presi-dent of Gingerbread Charity and is working on an encyclopedia for Harry Potter’s wizard world. Her most recent novel came out on September 27th, 2012 for young adults and is titled The Ca-sual Vacancy. Before Rowling got the idea of creating Harry Pot-ter, she had hit rock bottom, considering suicide due to her poor living conditions. After a difficult start, J.K. Rowling has created her place in the world as a successful writer and a multi-billionaire.

Venus and Serena Williams, Tennis ChampionsBy Aaron Whitaker

The Williams sisters are known today as tennis phe-nomena, but their road to fame was by no means easy. The sisters grew up in a crime-stricken neighborhood in Compton, Califor-nia. Their father, Richard, had decided to relocate the fam-ily from Lynwood in

order to expose his daughters to the ugly possibilities of life in order to encourage them to do well in school and work hard to achieve success. Before the age of five, the sisters began prac-ticing tennis on courts filled with potholes and miss-ing nets. A big tennis fan, their father coached them rig-orously using the knowledge he gained from handbooks. In 1994, Venus competed in her first professional match at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland. She was defeated, but she did not give up. By 2000, she dominated the tennis world. Serena’s first professional event was the Bell Challenge in Quebec City in 1995. Like Venus, she suffered a tough loss, but she persevered, and by 2001, became one of the top-10 tennis players in the world. Venus and Serena have earned a total of 22 and 30 grand slam titles respectively and have each been awarded 4 Olympic gold medals.

Amanda Bynes started her acting ca-reer at the age of 7 in several small plays and commercials. Nickelodeon produc-ers discovered her while she was do-ing stand-up com-edy at the Laugh Fac-tory in Hollywood. By the age of 10, she had acted in All That for three years. At the age of thir-teen she acted in her own comedy sketch show, The Amanda Show, for 4 years. Bynes then starred in a new show What I Like About You, and acted in sever-

al movies including Hairspray and Easy A. She also had a clothing line called “Dear by Amanda Bynes”. Bynes fell from people’s eyes in 2012, when she was pulled over in L.A. for talking on the phone while driving, then sped away and later paid off the ticket at the sheriff’s office. She also collided into a County Sheriff radio car and was later arrested for driving under the influence. She was held in custody at West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station with $5,000 bail. Later in September, Amanda was found driving reck-lessly on a suspended license while smoking from a marijuana pipe. De-spite her recent flaws and mishaps, Amanda Bynes is now living in New York as a retired actress with hopes of starting her next clothing line.

WALL OF shAME

At the age of 25, Armstrong was ranked number one in the cycling world. That same year, how-ever, Armstrong was diagnosed with tes-ticular cancer and had less than a 40 percent chance of living. He endured rounds of chemotherapy and fully recovered from cancer. Armstrong immediately went back to training, and went on to win the 1999 Tour de France, the most prestigious cycling race in the world. It was then that Armstrong became an international star. Lat-

er he went on to win six more Tour de France titles and was named as one of Times Magazine 100 Most Influential People in 2008. Times changed in August of 2012, when Armstrong was stripped of cycling titles he received between 1998 to 2005 and banned from cycling for life after a charge was made by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stating that he had been taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs from 1998 to 2005. Armstrong also stepped down from the position of chairman of Livestrong, a nonprofit organization he founded, and lost an endorsement with long-time sponsor Nike.

Bo Xilai was an esteemed Chi-nese parliament official, provin-cial governor, and mayor of Dalian, a city in northeastern China; he led his city well, fought organized crime, and distinguished himself as a char-ismatic leader in China. Beginning late 2011, how-ever, a series of scandals exposed Bo’s hypocrisy. On No-

vember 14, 2011, police found British citizen Neil Heywood dead in a Chongqing hotel room. He was close the Bo family and al-legedly helped the family transfer laundered money overseas. Gu Kailai, Bo Xilai’s wife, poisoned Heywood after he threatened to reveal the family’s businesses and deals. On February 2, 2012, Bo’s police chief Wang Lijun sought refuge at a United States em-bassy. Wang was against Bo’s eavesdropping and wiretapping ac-tivities in the city, and he had feared for his life for opposing Bo. By October 26, 2012, Bo had lost all his government posi-tions. Currently, he is facing investigation and criminal charges, and the Chinese government has kept affairs involving Bo from the public.

Born on November 2, 1755 to a royal Austrian fam-ily, Marie Antoinette grew up in a pampered and care-free lifestyle. Although she was given private instruction as a child, she did not take her studies very seriously. She married Louis XVI of France and assumed the throne as Queen of France at the age of 19. Marie Antoinette was a very sociable person, fre-quently attending parties and sporting extravagant fash-ion styles such as billowy dresses and that often set the fashion trends across Europe. Her public image would slowly deteriorate

as her flamboyant private life overshadowed her participation in royal duties. Rumors of an affair began to surface around 1780, when Marie started attending night parties and theatres and spend-ing excessive amounts of money with a group of young French nobles without the King. The diamond necklace affair was another infamous rumor that added to her negative public image. Libelous pamphlets appeared when Marie Antoinette was accused of stealing a diamond necklace worth nearly a hundred million dollars if val-ued today. When her French subjects rebelled, the queen and king tried to flee to Varennes. They were unsuccessful in their attempts and jailed by revolutionaries. Later, Marie Antoinette was found guilty of treason and faced the guillotine in rags and poor health.

Bo Xilai, DisgracedChinaOfficialBy Enya Kuo

Marie Antoinette, Beheaded Queen of FranceBy Eugene Wong

Amanda Bynes, Child Actor Turned Alcoholic Lance Armstrong,

Sports Idol to DruggieBy Melanie Doherty

By Kelsey Wong

FEATURES 21.2FEATURES 21.2Wall of Fame Photos [left to right]: oprahwinfrey-fans.blogspot.com, students.cis.uab.edu, oyez.org, scifabulous.com, students.cis.uab.eduWall of Shame Photos [left to right]: clubs.calvin.edu, vintspiration.com, ouchpress.com, ideastream.org

ntertainmentE10 | The Voice 21.2

Adi's Guide to Black Friday DealsBe like (Rebecca) Black and shop on Friday

By Aditya Kumar

Want to try some-thing new? Try out the Samsung Gal-axy Tablet, a great alternative to the iPad.

This Macbook is only 1100 dollars, hun-dred dollars off the speedy laptop – this is a perfect going away gift for graduating se-nior friends. *cough* like me *cough*

Jewelry at K-mart? How can you not, when this beautiful So-fia Vegara heart neck-lace is 80 percent off, a great gift for moms and girlfriends.

Look cool, calm, col-lected, and respected in this new blue blazer that stings eyes like a taser that you wear for only thirty five dollars.

Kohls: Men’s Chaps Quilted JacketThis winter favorite is 60 percent off at only forty dollars, a warm jacket to get us guys through this cold season.#comfy

K-Mart: Select Sofia Necklace

Amazon: Apple MacBook Pro Best Buy: Samsung Galaxy Tablet with 8 GB Memory

Target: Converse one star devon blazer

Question ManWhat do you see in this pic-ture?

By Karthik Mayilvahanan

Mandeep Chabra (9)

An angry Book

Shea Conlon (10)

Bird’s head

Alexandra Vu (11)

Barn house

Key Maislr (12)

Monster house

Which Thanksgiving Dish Are You?Take a quiz to find out!By Cindy Meng

Instructions: Record your choice for each question.1. When you notice a stranger crying, youA. walk away B. ask them what’s wrong C. immediately tell them a joke D. give them a hug

4. A day without internet isA. the end of the world, because you cannot Tweet/Instagram B. the perfect opportunity to catch up with your friends C. no big deal D. a good break from the world

6. You only have $50 total for Christ-mas gift shopping, youA. spend it all on yourself B. donate at least half to charity C. spend the money equally for friends/family/yourself D. save up

2. After a difficult test, youA. complain about the exam to any-one who would listen B. console your crying classmates C. allow yourself a short period of lamentation, but quickly move on D. look forward to ace the next exam

5. On a typical weekend, you can be foundA. having a sleepover with the BFFs B. volunteering C. at a sport tournament, then class council meeting, then a late night concert D. spending quality time with family

7. You are studying for an important final, but people keep texting you for academic help, youA. ignore them B. drop everything to help themC. help them half-heartedlyD. kindly ask them to refer to the textbook/internet 8. You favorite movie character isA. Regina George from “Mean Girls” B. Dory from “Finding Nemo” C. Captain Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean” D. Bruce Wayne from “Batman”

3. People describe you asA. talkative B. unselfish/caring C. easygoing/approachable D. dependent/supportive

Photo: barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com Photo: suzyeaton.com

Photo: simplyrecipes.com

Photo: dailysavings.allyou.com

Mandeep Chabra (9)A Bridge

Shea Conlon (10)Waves

Alexandra Vu (11)

Dragon

Key Maislr (12)Castle gate

Pictures Karthnk M.

clothing-and-accessories.become.com/ gadgetsin.commacbook.com

kmart.com

clothing-and-accessories.become.com

Photos:Photos:

Mashed Potatoes with Gravy (4 or more A’s)Aside from the turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy receive the most attention dur-ing Thanksgiving dinner. Likewise, you are usually the center of attention, amusing people from left to right. But remember to share the spotlight!

Cranberry Sauce (4 or more B’s)Like all berries, you are sweet and pre-cious. Your caring and bubbly personal-ity can make anyone’s day. Continue to spread your positive energy!

Corn and Green Beans (4 or more C’s)The various ways to prepare corn and green beans define your ability to maintain har-monious relationships with people of all personalities. Treasure the rarity of your flexible personality. Stuffing (4 or more D’s)

Stuffed tomatoes, stuffed pep-pers, stuffed zucchinis, you are it all! Being the main emo-tional and physical support for loved ones, you and your op-timism is always admired and greatly appreciated.

November 2012 | 11

entertainmenTSwift deviates from her classic, well-known country music, and attempts at pop music

Albu

m R

evie

w: R

edAlbum

Review: good

kid, m.A.A.d. city

By Kanika PriyadarshiPhoto: seatgeek.com

Swift wears bold lipstick to represent her new album.

At midnight on October 22nd, hip-hop art-ist Kendrick Lamar released his first major studio album, “good kid, m.A.A.d city” digitally and in stores. It sold over 240,000 copies in its first week, was ranked number 2 on the Billboard 200 at the time of its release, and has been streamed more than 3 million times on Spotify. XXL magazine awarded the album its highest possible rating, an “XXL,” saying “there’s not a single

Rising artist,Kendrick Lamar’s first album under Aftermath promises to be an instant classicBy Jason Amico

loophole” and it “will certainly hurt the self-esteem of many rappers out now while also inspiring them to reach these heights [that Kendrick Lamar reached with this album].” The album begins with a prayer by Kendrick and his family in “Sherane: a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter” and goes on to tell a story of a day in the life of 17-year-old Kendrick Lamar living in Compton, CA, a place where several of his family members and friends were killed by gang violence. He discusses rap-ping with his friends to get away from the violence and the stress, making bad deci-sions, and learning from his mistakes. In my opinion, this album de-

serves to be grouped with rap classics such as “Illmatic” by Nas. All 17 tracks, includ-ingl the 5 bonus tracks from the Deluxe Edition, feature eloquent, sharp stanzas with extraordinary instrumental accom-paniment, as several background beats were made by trap industry icons Dr. Dre and Scoop DeVille. Each track has pas-sion, and the collaborations with Drake (“Poetic Justice”) and Mary J. Blige (“Now or Never”) are more cohesive and har-monic than anyone could have expected. The album is, by all means, a classic and I would encourage all hip-hop fans and music enthusi-asts everywhere to give it a listen.

Kendrick’s album cover showcases (left to right) his two uncles, Kendrick, and his grandpa.

Photo: rollingstone.com

Rest

aura

nt R

evie

w:

Anik

i’s S

ushi

I walked into Ani-ki’s Sushi with high expecta-tions after seeing all the great reviews on Yelp. I was neither disappointed nor enthralled. As expected for 7 pm on a Saturday night, the restaurant was jam-packed. I waited over 30 minutes to be seated, and there was still a trail of people waiting to be seated after me. I can see why Aniki’s is so popular though – it’s barely a month old and carries a lively vibe.

Aniki’s shines...moderatelyBy Kelsey Wong

Located across from the Fre-mont Hub, the ambiance of Aniki’s is loud and colorful, a chattering storm fill-ing up the small joint while upbeat jazz music rolls in the background. The res-taurant is brightly lit and seems to be the busiest restaurant on the entire block. Aniki’s serves what most people would con-sider your typical Japanese cuisine – sushi rolls, udon, tempura, bentos and a lot of other dishes. The sushi roll names are pret-ty creative, for some of them are unique to Fremont, such as the Ohlone Roll, Mis-sion Peak Roll, and Charlie Chaplin Roll. I tried the tempura udon, chick-

en teriyaki, and A’s Sushi Roll. The udon and teriyaki were probably the tastiest I’ve had in all of Fremont. The A’s Sushi Roll though, was heavy, and after a cou-ple pieces I felt somewhat sluggish. The cost of all three dishes totaled roughly $40 with tax, so I would recommend go-ing dutch if planning to eat with friends. The best part of Aniki’s was definitely the service. The waitress who attended to my table was professional and thoughtful. She apologized for the long wait and constantly checked on me to make sure I was satisfied with the food. The restaurant also gave all its customers a

complimentary Spicy Crunch Crab Salad. Without a doubt, Aniki’s did not disappoint in any way. On the oth-er hand, I found that there is nothing there that made it stand out compared to other restaurants in Fremont. How-ever, I would recommend for you to head over to Aniki’s to judge for yourself.

Aniki’s Teriyaki Chicken barely meets expecta-tions

Photo: Kelsey Wong

Fall Show Preview

: “The Diviners”

The Irvington Conservatory Theater’s fall show, “The Divin-ers,” opens on Thursday, November 29th and stars Robert Ritchie, Kaeo Tiwanak, Jacob Rosen, Rachel Ho, and Katie Kelly in the lead roles. Set in Indiana during the Great Depres-sion, the play centers around Buddy Layman, a mentally challenged boy who has a special talent

Irvington Conservatory Theater ready to deliver a touching dramaBy Enya Kuo

for finding underground sources of water. Since a traumatic childhood drowning incident, Buddy has feared and avoided water. C. C. Showers is a for-mer preacher who arrives at the town and quickly develops a special connec-tion with Buddy. Showers soon becomes Buddy’s friend, teacher, and mentor. The plot futher develops when Jennie Mae, Buddy’s sister, becomes at-tracted to C. C. Showers. While C. C. Showers continuously works with Buddy to help him overcome his fear of wa-ter, events and misunderstandings in-tervene and pave the way for a tragedy.

The play’s cast has been working adamently to live up to the Conservatory Theater’s reputation of successful plays. “We practice from after school to around six every day,” said ju-nior Samantha Liu, a cast member. “Come and see what happens to [Buddy],” said sophomore Yoobin Kim, a member of the stagecraft crew. “Come out and watch the show, it’ll be marvelous!”

Photo: alaskapublic.org

The play’s poster epitomizes a community’s desire for guidance.

Mov

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Bo

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alph

James Bond is back! After M.G.M. Studios finally overcame financial troubles, the James Bond franchise will return with its 23rd installment, Skyfall. In this film, Agent 007 returns to action after a near-death experience and must stop an evil mastermind from killing off all of England’s M16 agents before it’s too late. The film stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Javier Bardem.

Head on over to a theater this Thanksgiving break to enjoy the hottest new moviesBy Hugo Vera

Disney-Pixar return with this ani-mation comedy about getting a “restart” in life. Wreck-It Ralph is a villain arcade-game character who is sick of getting humiliated and defeated over and over again. He then embarks on an epic journey through other arcade games to make his dream of being a beloved hero a reality. Wreck It Ralph features voice acting by John C. Reily, Sarah Silver-man, and Jane Lynch.

American history comes alive in this dramatic and biopic film directed by Stephen Spielberg. Lincoln chronicles the tragic, yet heroic presidency of President Abraham Lincoln in his efforts to end slavery, win the Civil War, and reunite America. Lincoln stars Daniel-Day Lewis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee Jones.

Photo: 007.com

Photo: imbd.comPhoto: showfilmfirst.com

The new movie opened November 9th with an opening of $87.8 million Ralph shows his true compassion in Pixar’s

new movie.

Daniel Day Lewis weffectivly portrays Lincoln’s enduring spirit

On October 23rd, 2012, Big Machine Records released Taylor Swift’s 4th new album, “Red,” packed with 16 songs and 4 singles. Swift attempted to appeal to an audience who enjoys not only country, but also pop. Although a majority of her fans responded positively to her new style of music, a few fans remained devout

to her old country music. Regardless, the album quickly gained popularity, and be-came the fastest-selling album in over a decade, selling over 1.2 million copies na-tionwide within its first week of release. Even though some fans did not enjoy her attempt at the new genre, her music conveyed the same type of messages about relationships that her other albums did, pleasing fans who love to relate their lives with her music. Swift’s lyrics to a few songs might disappoint fans because some of

her lyrics are not very deep; however, the catchy beats definitely make up for that. Her first single, “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” has a striking beat, but the lyrics themselves are explanatory and critics accuse them to be a little ama-teur. Nevertheless, most of her songs cre-ate a party-like mood, and leave listeners pleased overall with her newest release.

By Pallavi SherikarBy Japjot Bal

By Chizobam NwaguBy Melanie Doherty

Photo : Carlos Mangrobang

On Wednesday, November 7th, the lady Vikings had their NCS game and played a tough game against Heritage High School. They lost in 3 sets 12-25, 24-26 and 12-25. Freshman Ga-briela Charbeneau had 11 digs, Junior Laura Hubacek had 7 kills and Senior Danielle Carothers had 7 digs, 8 kills and 12 assists. "I would say we had a pretty good year. We had some excellent games and some other games that we grew and learned a lot from," said Coach Martin. "I'm going to miss my seniors... especially Danielle since I had her all four years. As far as NCS it was a bit like last year. We just need to bring it and we didn't." Last year, the Vikings also lost their first NCS game in 3 sets. "I think the team has developed enormously throughout the season. But during NCS, we defi-

nitely could have played better. Our team had so much potential to be successful, yet we let it slip away," said senior Nicole Ho, "I know next year the girls will be ready to fight! I wish you guys the best of

luck." The Vikings end their season with a win-loss record of 18-10.

On October 29th, the Irvington Girls tennis team had begun their first of several matches to come at the MVALS tourna-ment. Their success at MVALS would determine who would qualify onto this season’s North Coast Section (NCS). Every school was equipped with 4 singles athletes 3 doubles JV teams which com-posed primarily of their

entire varsity team. Junior Aishwarya Aravind and her partner Senior Archana Yadawa were among the

JV doubles teams set to play. “I helped out with NVALS last year and I thought it was re-ally fun and a great experience,” said Yadawa. “We respect every player out there no matter what their position is and try to help as much as we can.” By the second day of MVALS, only one doubles team and three singles players re-mained from Irvington. The re-sults for the 2nd round of singles were as follows: Jacquelyn Hoang defeated Thananjeyan (Mission) by injury default and Flanagan (Washington) defeated Congrui Lin (6-3, 4-6, 6-3). The results for 2nd round doubles were as

follows: Vida Bao and Jamie Lagman defeated Cheruki/Siu (American) 6-1 and 6-1. “Ev-ery school had improved,” said senior Vida Bao, “ so we faced some pretty difficult matches.” By the third day, quarterfi-nals were underway with singles players Jacquelyn Hoang, Shar-man Tang, and doubles players Vida Bao and Jamie Lagman left standing. Vida Bao and Jamie Lagman were able to qualify for the semi-final match that would hold their ticket to an NCS quali-fication. “My partner and I were doing well until I had sprained my ankle and were were forced to forfeit to Logan, 4-2,” said Bao “I'm pretty satisfied, I think everyone gave it their all and tried their hardest in most of the matches,” said Jamie Lagman. “We did pretty well consider-ing that there was pretty good competition. And my expectation is that hopefully everyone on the team who is planning to try out next year will practice through-out the school year and during summer so we can have a decent team next year. I don't think we'll be the top team, but I think we'll be up there with all the other good teams.”

MVAL/NCS Coverage

The Cross Country Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL) meet took place on Thursday, November 8, 2012, marking one of the last cross country meets of a successful season. The team did fairly well considering the bad weather and the injury sustained by one of their integral team-mates. The runners arrived around noon at Coyote Hills prepped to end the season well. Unfortunate-ly, the weather conditions were not ideal. "Although we didn't have prime weather conditions," explained captain and senior Joie Lin, "everyone on the team still performed extremely well, even the ones who had to run through hail."

Freshman Eliza-

beth Rickey managed to place fifth in the varsity girls race, bringing up Irvington's overall ranking. Junior Varsity boys finished third in the final position, with freshmen Chad Walker finishing in second place. Rankings are made based on cumulative times and places. In MVALs, the top five runners on each team score points for the team. Points are awarded based on the place that those competi-tors receive. First place gets one point, while seventeenth place gets seventeen points. By this meth-

Cross Country Team Sprints to the End Runners work hard and put their best foot forward at MVALs

Girls Tennis Meets Obstacles at NCSIrvington doubles team member injured at MVALS

Having doubled in size, Irvington’s Gymnastics team finished off their strong season with great wins at their MVALs on November 3rd. Four JV com-petitors, Kathy Pham, Kelly Lui, Mkaela, and Nikki Formoso placed in the top 10; Michelle Brier, Var-sity, placed 1st; Eshana, Varsity, won 3rd; Lillian Mangrobang, Varsity Elite, won 1st all-around champ; and Kristin Kodama, Varsity Elite, placed 6th all-around. At MVALs, Michelle Brier (Freshman) placed 1st on Bars and 1st All-Around for the Varsity level with a 34. Lilian Mangrobang

(Senior) placed 1st on Floor with the MVAL high score of a 9.9 and took 1st All-Around for

the Varsity-Elite level. Lilian was also the 2012

MVAL individual champion scoring

a 38.4. Captain, Nikki

Formoso, says, “Every single gymnast showed

hard work, determina-tion, and perseverance. I

think as a 4-year gymnast it was amazing to watch

our team change from year to year.” Lilian Mangrobang recog-nizes the contribution team’s new coach, Lesley de Dios. She says, “Without her, we could not have achieved what we achieved this year as a team and individually.”

od, the lower the total points, the better the team is doing. The cumulative times of the first five runners are also added, and once again, the lower the total times

are, the better it is for the team. Varsity boys suffered a regrettable accident when cross country star junior

Matt Doerner sprained his ankle halfway through the race. When asked what was going through his mind dur-ing the race, Doerner replied, "I had never

Gymnasts Wow at MVALsTeam closes season wih award-winning performance

Volleyball Ends Season with Tough NCS Loss

From top to bottom: Michelle Brier, Lilian Mangrobang, and Nikki Formoso

had such a serious injury come on like

that so quickly. I tried to convince myself that

the pain was just in my head so that I could keep

running, but it got to the point that it was unbearable

so I had no choice but to stop." The team did not let this dimin-

ish their spirits as they came together at the end of the meet and attracted everyone's eyes with their rousing chant "I've got a squirrel, it's in my pants!"

From left to right: Krish Masand, Alex Rodriguez, and Sanjeev Reddy

Photo : Jason Amico

From left to right: Seniors Amy Laus, Cammie Kajioka and Daniel Carothers

Girls tennis seniors from left to rights: Delphine Ho, Vida Bao, Congrui Lin, Abi Garcia, Archana Yadawa, Kathleen Wang

Photo : Aishwarya Aravind

Photo : Jeremy Hubacek

Girls volleyball team hopes for better luck next year

Sports12 | The Voice 21.2

By Hugo Vera

By Aaron Whitaker

The Giants’s season was filled with challenges, including the loss of key players such as Melky Ca-brera, Freddy Sanchez, and Brian Wilson; however, the Giants were able to persevere and achieve the title of 2012 World Series Cham-pions. The Giants were not the top contenders to make it to the world series. In fact, experts be-lieved that they would not make it past the National League Divi-sional Series (NLDS), considering the Reds went into the series with a better record than the Giants, and therefore, home field advan-tage, but the Giants proved them wrong. After losing two straight games at home, the odds were against the Giants since, in order to win the NLDS, they had to win three straight games on the road. Nonetheless, the Giants were able to shut out the Reds in Cincinnati and win the series 3-2. The National League Cham-pionship Series came around and the Giants faced the previ-ous world champions: The Car-dinals. After being down 3-1 in the series, many speculated the Cardinals would take a trip to their 2nd World Series in a row. But the Giants and their fans didn’t give up and the team made another comeback beating the Cardinals in the series 4-3. Fans were pumped and analysts were

shocked as the Giants went on to compete in their second world series in three seasons. The World Series pitted the Giants against the Tigers, and the Giants were granted home field advantage. The first two games at home were full of suspense as fans paid enormous chunks of money to watch a once, or in the Giant’s case, twice-in-a-life-time event. The vibe at AT&T Park was eccentric as the Giants pummeled the Tigers in the first two games of the series. Head-ing on the road to Detroit, the ecstatic Tigers fans and chilly fall weather may have thrown a curveball on the Giants’s playing. However, baseball critics were proven wrong again and the Gi-ants swept the Tigers in the se-ries 4-0, even though the Giants struggled to make it through the previous two series. The Giants became the 21st team in history to achieve a world series sweep. Baseball fans and sports analysts underestimated the Gi-ants and the talent of their play-ers. In the end, the underdogs came out victorious. Following the win, manager Bruce Bochy tweeted a shout out to the fans on the Giants fans’ official twitter feed: “[Giants fans] play such a critical role in our success. These guys feed off of that. Thank all of you.”

IHS varsity boys soccer team is optimistic about the new season as they hope to continue the success they had the previous season. Last season, the team’s most memorable moment was a win against Logan High School during their senior night. “It was a long and intense game but we came out with an unexpected but phenomenal win, “ said junior

and Varsity player Geoffrey Sasa-ki. “I love being able to continue playing the sport I’ve loved since 2nd grade and represent the best high school.” The team has kept together a core group of players for the past two years, and this year, its goal is NCS. The team also has new uniforms this year. IHS varsity girls soccer team looks forward to the upcoming season with hopes to place high in NCS. After a big win against

Mission San Jose High School’s varsity girls team, Irvington’s girls soccer is hoping to place higher in the league this season. “We have a lot of potential among our new and returning players,” said junior Yvette Cuellar. “The team has always been like a huge family along with the boys soccer team. We all have a bond that al-lows all of us to feel comfortable and have fun. I’m definitely look-ing forward to the new season!”

After players had been train-ing all through summer, fall bas-ketball tryouts began during the week of November 5th. Varsity coach Ron Littleton held open gym sessions for students inter-ested in trying out for basketball in the 2012 winter season. This year the tryouts are go-ing to be focused more on endur-ance rather than just basketball skills. A week before the tryouts,

the basketball players ran twenty miles. When asked how this af-fected his skills, junior basketball player Nish Dara responded, “We are faster stronger, and sim-ply just last longer on the court, which is very crucial to the game overall.” Last year our varsity team wasn’t the strongest, falling to a season record of 0-12. However, our JV team went 7-5 last season. Many players from the JV team from last year will be trying out for Varsity. “This year our new varsity coach has gotten more serious and strict and I feel it will pay off this season,” said junior Simran Bal. The strength of the JV team from last year will spill into Varsity this year and players are confident that they will be able to turn around the Varsity’s record.

The Irvington High School wrestling team has not won a Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL) Championship since 1972. However, it still has gotten a total of four individual North Coast Section (NCS) qualifiers and state-placers which have helped to fuel the program. “I hope I am successful in building up the team and having a successful season in MVALs,” says senior Peter Denyer. “Per-

sonally, I hope to make it to N.C.S. and doing the best I can.” The official practices began on Nov. 5, but the team had been doing offseason workouts since July. “As of now, our team looks great in our preseason prac-tices”, said senior Gabe Higares. “We’re all disciplined and ready for the season.” This year, the I.H.S. wres-tlers also look to settle the score

with longtime MVAL rivals such as Washington, Mission San Jose, and James Logan High in Logan’s farewell season to the league. In addition, the size of the team has increased with over 15 new wrestlers in the first prac-tices of try-outs. “This year we have a bigger team with a lot of young kids with promise and potential”, said head coach Michael Damaso. “I hope we go far in everything.”

The girls soccer team held tryouts for the upcoming season from 11/5-11/9Photo : Jenny Lu

Viking Wrestling Strives for VictoryHigh expections for upcoming seaon

San Francisco Sweeps De-troit 4-0

Giants persevere against heavy odds

Tryouts Focus on EnduranceReviving Viking Basketball

High Hopes for Irvington Soccer Viking soccer looks to repeat previous success.

By Mariam Syeda-Quadri

Photo : sportswurlz.com

Junior Nishanth Dara shoots in a game against American High School. The JV team went 7-5 last season.

SSportNovember 2012| 13

By Jenny Lu

Phot

o: Ja

nice

Lin

(Above) A smart shopper recognizes that Black Friday is near. The Black Friday mentality must always be with you: every man for himself

Photo Credit: previous.presstv.ir

November 2012| 15

6. Grab the biggest, most spacious chair and sit as comfortably as you can. After all, a party is for fun and how can someone have fun when they aren’t comfortable? Don’t worry about others. Worry-ing is your host’s job.

7. Go around and inspect all the decorations. The hosts should know what is lacking. What if they make the same mistake every year? Be the nice guest and make sure to tell them clearly what was wrong.

8. Tell your hosts how the food is while everyone is eating. Con-structive criticism is always good even if it makes people feel bad. Everyone has room for improvement.

9. No need to act all prim and proper. What would be the point of suddenly acting nice for just one day? Friends don’t need to be nice to each other.

10. Make sure to tell all the little kids about Santa Claus. We don’t want our future generations to have the wrong ideas about how the world actually works.

Best:

Katrina: The girl who cruelly ditched you for the cool kids once she found out you were dressing up as a banana for Hallow-een.

Walter: The annoying kid who sat across from you in physics, copied all your an-swers, and managed to get a higher grade than you.

Fabian: That annoying pop singer, or should I say wailer.

Big Blow of 1913: Now that’s more like it.

Worst:

Bob: Oh god, this go-to generic name re-ally does instill so much fear in my heart.

Noel: ‘Tis the season to be jolly

Agnes: Are we really going to name a hurricane after dear, sweet grandma Ag-nes? The one who gives me jellybeans every time I visit?

Sandy: I’m sorry, is this a huricane or a tropical retirement home?

Wilma: If people are really that into the Flintstones, wouldn’t Fred be somewhat more intimidating?

By Jenny Lu

Best/Worst Names for a Hurricane

On November 15th, we ventured into the jungle of cars in the Irvington parking lot to find the following bumper stickers on students’ cars:

1. “I WIP my hair back and forth”

2. “Passing Lee? NaBrO”

3. “Can you hear me in the back?”

4. “100%? Dude I didn’t study at all!”

5. “I don’t always eat lunch, but when I do…it’s at Bronco Billy’s”

6. “QU*ST my life”

7. “America’s Best-at-Voting School”

8. “Need consultant today. Will do any-thing”

9. “IS THAT IRON MAN!?”

10. “We have a school newspaper?”

By Iris LeeA candid snapshot of student lifeIHS Bumper Stickers

By Simran MozaDon’t “Believe” everything you hear#BaldforBieber and other Internet Hoaxes

“I’m pretty much a crazy armadillo-man”

For many years, Black Friday has been neglected as an official national holiday, subjugated beneath Thanks-giving and Halloween. But in 2012, Black Friday is finally being nationally recognized as a holiday of major impor-tance. Americans, rejoice! Black Friday is the official first day of the Christmas shopping season. It’s an aggressive, competitive, win-at-all-costs group of fiery shoppers. As the Black Friday carol goes: ‘Faces pressed against the cold store window, shoe laces tied tight; If I’m not the first through those doors,no question I’ll start a fight.’ Its clear that Black Friday isn’t just the biggest shop-ping event of the year. No, Black Friday is centered on beating thy neighbor to the best deal. To help you pre-pare for the first official Black Friday holiday here are the survival tips for the week. White Monday: do 500 push-ups and drink protein shakes with every meal. On Yellow Tuesday, schedule a one hour sparring match with any local professional fight-er. On Blue Wednesday, finalize your shopping list, a.k.a. ‘The Hit List.’ On Brown Thursday (Thanksgiving), load up on turkey and mashed potatoes, and get a good night’s sleep. Black Friday: The day is here. 12:01 A.M. As soon as the store doors open, elbow the person on your left and trip the person on your right as you sprint towards your number one gift on The Hit List. Here’s to a successful Black Friday!

By Brandon McAlisterA forgetten holiday reawakened

Photo: webix.comRemember that this man is the one who gave you the eggplant parmagiana instead of the parmeggiano

Photo: freerepublic.com

Photo: inquistr.com

Several facebook pages like “R.I.P. Carlton” were set up, one gaining more than 430,000 likes. Ribeiro responded via his Twitter not long after, assuring his fans that he was still very much alive. He wrote, “I guess FB has a page saying I died. I wonder what people are gonna say at my funeral?” After finally realizing that the actor was not in fact dead, the owner of the page “R.I.P. Carlton” has amended the page’s bio to, “The actor of Carlton is NOT dead. Only the career.”

1. Arrive late. What’s the fun in coming on time? Make a grand entrance once the party has started. Everyone is sure to notice you.

2. Don’t bother dressing up. These people are your friends and have probably seen you in your pajamas. What is the point of dressing up when they have already seen not dressed up? Be comfortable.

3. Don’t bring a gift. Your hosts chose to have a party; it wasn’t mandatory. So why spend money on a gift?

4. Take the food first. What’s the point of being polite and waiting till the end when everything will be over? Someone has to start eating. Do you really want to be responsible for all that wasted food?

5. Talk loudly. All of your thoughts and opinions are very important so make sure to talk loud enough so everyone in the party can hear what you have to say. You are a very knowledgeable person after all.

By Rashi Saxena

How to Ruin the Holidays

Santa Claus? Once you tell kids that this fat man doesn’t exist, they’ll thank you for enlightening them #holidayjoy #realtalk

R humo A few weeks ago, Entertainment To-night tweeted, “Pop star Justin Bieber was diagnosed with cancer earlier this morning. Bieber fans are shaving their heads to show support.” Fueling this rumor was a mali-cious photoshopped tweet, making it seem as if it were from Justin Bieber’s certified ac-count. The tweet read, “Several of my AWE-SOME supporters are shaving their heads to help me get through this! I love my fans! #BaldforBieber.” This was all it took to get the topic trending and countless girls to be-gin cutting off all their hair for their idol, posting pictures of them working their new look along with the hashtag. His body guard later confirmed that this was just a faux can-cer scare; evidently, this was not done soon enough. This is not the only time people have been naïve enough to fall for anything they read on the Internet. More recently, a cruel rumor surfaced in the media, claiming Al-fonso Ribeiro, better known as Carlton Banks from the hit show Fresh Prince of Bel Air was killed in a horrific accident.

This goes without saying, but don’t believe everything you hear on the internet. Unless its about Justin Bieber.

Photo: fairfax.blogspot.com

Hurricane Noel? Really?

Surefire tips and tricks that will dispel the holiday joy

Black Friday Survival Guide

Photo: previous.pressty.ir

PHOTOS 21.2

CLUB RUSH

PHOTOS BY: JASON AMICO, CHIZOBAM NWAGWU, NISHA PATEL, AND KELSEY WONG

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

HALLOWEEN

CROSS COUNTRY MVALS