The highlanderCarlmont High School Student Newspaper Volume 1, Issue 1 - September/October 2009

School’s Out for Summer?Summer school may no longer be availableBy Lexi Friis, Staff Writer

Although not everyone goes to summer school, there are people who need it to graduate and who may not have that opportunity anymore. Due to the recent budget crisis, summer school last year was only available at one high school in the district. Carlmont’s Instruc-tional Vice Principal, Mr. Lynn Bailey says that “as of now our school doesn’t know anything,

neither does the district (for what will happen next year). If the economy keeps going as it’s going, I’m not sure what will happen with summer school.” One teacher even predicts that summer school will not happen for the next two years. And this isn’t only a problem for the students- several teach-ers at Carlmont were supposed to teach at summer school last year, but didn’t end up getting the chance to because of budget continued on page 6...

By Jenna ChambersStaff Writer

In light of the recent bomb in-cident at Hillsdale High School, Carlmont students may won-der whether or not they are safe here and how Carlmont would handle such a situation. When students at Hillsdale High School woke up on the morning of August 24th, they never expected to be evacuated from their classes just a few hours later. Shortly after 8 A.M., the suspect, Alex Youshock, ar-rived at the school allegedly possessing ten homemade pipe bombs, a chainsaw and a sword. He was only able to set off two of the ten pipe bombs before be-ing wrestled to the ground by staff members. Minutes later, the police ar-rived at the school and Yoush-ock, a 17 year-old former Hill-sdale High School student, was arrested. The entire school was escorted off campus to near-by

By Christina Belasco, Staff Writer

Mr. Dylan Shelley made the difficult decision to step down from his position as varsity football coach amid questions surrounding the players’ blis-tered hands and other incidents. The culminating incident was a drill used as punishment that led to severe blistering of several players’ hands. According to team captains Nick Passanisi and David Zepeda-Campos, the punishment was a joint decision between them and the assistant coaches due to a few players ditching out on running at the beginning of practice. The combination of this intense drill with the scorch-ing heat of the turf led to players getting huge, painful blisters on their hands. “First we said one ‘Big Three’ –bear crawl, crabwalk, and back-pedal. Our coach said it wasn’t enough so I said okay three ‘Big Threes’ and we did that,” Pas-sinisi explained in the San Jose Mercury News who devoted a lot of press to the incident. “As soon as we knew a kid was hurt we stopped.” Mr. Shelley said about the event. When asked about how he and the team felt about the punish-ment, linebacker Nick Davidov-ich remarked that “We always complained like normal but we knew we did something wrong, and we knew we had to get it over with one way or another… I don’t believe that he (Shelley) knew that we were going to get

Tough Practices and Blisters Lead to Varsity Coach Resignation

Is Carlmont Prepared Against Possible Threats?

Abbot Middle School. No one was killed or injured during the incident. After hearing a loud noise, a teacher went to see what was going on. She immediately went back to her classroom and locked the door. In 2007, Hillsdale had invested in “Columbine Locks” - doors that lock from the inside. Currently, Carlmont classroom doors lock from the outside but the Carlmont administration is looking into investing in the Columbine Locks. However, the cost is something to take into ac-count. To install these interior locks, Hillsdale spent an estimated $100,000 - about $200 per door. According to Ms. Gordon, Ad-ministrative Vice Principal and head of emergency plans, “If our school were to have a situa-tion such as the one at Hillsdale, the response would be very sim-ilar.” Our school would go into lock-down, the police would be quickly notified and every-one would be escorted to a safe place. Just as the students at Hillsdale were escorted to the nearby middle school Abbott, our students would be escorted to Tierra Linda middle school across the street. “After the Hillsdale incident, I sent out an e-mail providing a refresher of all the emergency plans” said Ms. Gordon. This re-minder included a sheet of what the staff should do in different emergency situations such as earthquakes, bomb threats, pro-

those blisters. Once he real-ized what was happening to our hands he made us stop.” The blisters were about 2-3 inches in diameter on the palms of the players’ hands and the marks were still visible weeks after the punishment. Although coaches stopped the punishment as soon as the in-juries were known, many feel that the players’ well-being is the ultimate responsibility of the coach, no matter what happens. Mr. Shelley commented on re-signing, “I loved coaching these guys. They worked really hard and we were about to have a re-ally good season. I appreciate all of their support and I’m just heartbroken that I’m not going to be a part of this anymore.” Though team morale has re-cently been down he doesn’t want them to give up. “I want them to get behind (new Coach Corey) Turnbeaugh and have a great season. I don’t want them to be quitters.” One player who asked not to be identified said, “Shelley was too rough and took little things way over the top. In Oregon, he grabbed [a player] by his face just because he didn’t have his chinstrap on.” However, many of the players see things from a different per-spective. “There’s a lot of false rumors going around. We deserved all the punishments we got. There was nothing he did any foot-ball coach wouldn’t do,” said Zepeda-Campos. However, that does lead to the question: are

Football Field or Frying Pan?What’s Going On at C-Mont?

What if Swine Flu Strikes?Full Color Sports Photos

An unidentified player shows his blistered hands two weeks after the incident.

cuts. So what does this mean for students who need to finish their credits? Nova-net, an on-line school program might be available next year, but that is not guaranteed. So if a student needs to complete their credits, they will have to take classes at a community college during the summer in order to graduate. It does not cost anything

coaches pushing their players too hard? In Kentucky, a football coach went on trial charged with reck-less homicide in the death of a 15-year-old who collapsed dur-ing practice last August and died three days later. In recent weeks, at least two teenagers have died as a result of pushing themselves too hard. On August 25, a 13-year-old Vernon Middle School student (in Texas) died after practicing in triple digit heat. Also, in Bollingbrook, Il-linois, a Curie High football player collapsed during a game on September 4th. Quaashi A. Chandler, 18, a senior, collapsed on the sidelines during the game and died from mucus plugging the airways in the lungs, accord-ing to the Will County Coroner’s office. Corey Turnbeaugh, the former JV football coach was chosen to take Mr. Shelley’s place as var-sity coach. Raul Zamora, principal of Carlmont High School said

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An orange vest and an ID - is this enough to make use safe?

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October 2009 Page 2

Due to the recent construction of Carlmont’s new music department, the drama classes have found themselves temporarily without a permanent home. Last year, the drama class had been placed in the Student Union, but since the creation of the after school detention center, the Student Union has become unavailable for this year’s drama classes. For the time being, the classes have been placed in E-17, a classroom in Carlmont’s math hall; definitely not an ideal location for a rowdy class of actors. Some students may ask, why can’t they use the brand new theater? It’s because

the new music department is currently in construction and the choir students have nowhere else to go. A classroom is unsuitable for the choir classes when they have 30 plus students. The only place large enough for the classes is in the theater. Unfortunately that leaves the drama classes in a small classroom where it’s harder for the actors to participate in interactive activities. In a classroom full of chairs the art of acting is even more difficult, as acting requires space to move freely. Danielle Grimsby, a drama student said, “It’s really difficult to act properly when you have to worry about running into desks and such and it kinda defeats the whole image that you as an actor are

trying to present to your audience.” Ms. Nancy Martin, the school’s drama teacher, has been working hard to get her students into a proper setting. She’s been meeting with administration to help her find a place for her students, and it seems her efforts have not gone to waste. She has managed to relocate her sixth period, Drama I, students into the Student Union. The next focus is trying to get the advanced drama students into the Student Union full time as well. The only times the Student Union is available is on Friday when there is no detention, and that’s when they’ve been granted use. The class has been granted access to the theater stage every Wednesday as well. Ms. Martin said she is thankful the administration has been doing what they can to help them find space. Whether the Student Union is a step up from a classroom is up to the actors. Although Grimsby finds the Student Union better, saying that it, “gives us room to breathe so we can be productive with our work and have space to act at our full potential,” the Student Union lacks the atmosphere that a stage could

Where Art Thou Drama Class?By Joseline Diaz, Staff Writer

The drama classes have been shuffled so much, students don’t know where they will end up next.

Ms. Martin teaches her Drama I class in the softball field.

provide. Not only is the Student Union dirty and messy after lunch but kids are wandering in for detention. But, there is hope for an end to this problem. The administration treats all of their art students as professionals and does its best to provide them with a suitable learning environment. They have therefore been working very hard to find a proper setting for their drama students; who they have recognized as professional actors. “I’ve been in the drama department my entire Carlmont career and it really is sad to see where we’ve ended up. My hope is that all involved in this issue can come to a compromise that benefits all parties,” says Grimsby who is hopeful that there will soon be an end to this problem. If all goes well, the drama classes may have a proper home by next semester.

Ms. Martin and her Drama I class walk to the softball field to rehearse during sixth period

A Very Potter Musical: A Magically

Hilarious Event By Hannah Abney, Staff Writer

Youtube.com has brought us countless humorous videos, and now it presents A Very Potter Musical - a satire of the Harry Potter series created by students of the University of Michigan. The show is a riot and one that Potter fans shouldn’t miss. Written by Matt Lang, Nick Lang and Brian Holden, with music by AJ Holmes and Darren Criss (who also stars as Harry), the show premiered in early 2009. It includes fun and catchy songs such as “Totally Awesome,” the show’s opening number, as well as “Danger Granger.” Much like the Tony Award-winning musical on Broadway, Spamalot, the show pokes fun at recent pop culture phenomena, such as Zac Efron and High School Musical. This type of humor allows for a closer connection between the cast and audience as the audience makes fun of Efron and HSM (with love of course) along with the actors on stage. The musical satirizes the characters in the Potter series by giving them special quirks. As opposed to the book’s Harry, this Harry actually has a personality. In the play, Harry is said to be a twelve year-old kid who plays guitar to defeat dragons as opposed to the traditional wand method, and he also relies on Hermione to get his homework done. Ron is constantly eating which is especially hilarious at the opening of the second act when he enters with a three foot Hershey’s bar after a fight with

Hermione. Draco is constantly rolling on the floor as he attempts to strike a pose and fails, the show’s way of portraying his constant failures in the Potter series. Of course, there’s Dumbledore, humorously brought to life by Dylan Saunders. Dumbledore is Zac Efron’s biggest fan. He also believes Snape to be the “sexiest man [he has] ever met.” Snape is an absolute riot, as his suave, sinister persona is transgressed into a lanky walk and talk which will bring audiences to their knees with laughter. As its villain, the show turns to the villain of the first book, professor Quirrel with Voldemort attached to his head. The two are an “odd couple” and during the year Voldemort spends on Quirrel’s head, develop a sort of friendship that reveals the softer side of Voldemort (who really loves to tap dance). Now, die-hard Potter fans may read this and instantly want to crumple up this review and promptly send hate mail to starkidpotter, the YouTube user name for A Very Potter Musical’s creators. However, the show was created by fans for fans, and means no harm. And if it can make someone like me, who has never read the Harry Potter Books, a fan of the Potter series, then it can’t be all that bad. Even though the show is somewhat long, as it covers twenty-three videos, it’s definitely worth watching. Just one video will have you laughing on the floor and wanting more.

Horoscopes What’s your destiny? Libra (September 23 - October 22): Your birthday is coming up soon!An unexpected visitor will arrive at your doorstep, so look forward to the best one yet.Scorpio (October 23 - November 21):Don’t stress and cram for that big exam. Take a break and relax, you may know more than you think..

Sagitarious (November 22 - December 21):If you do your best in your 3rd period class an eBehavior “praise” might be coming your way.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19): Unleash the beast and work your hard-est in a sport or outside activity. It will definitly pay off.

Aquarius (January 20 - Febuary 18):Try your best not to get in an arguement with someone who is itching for one. It may end badly.

Pisces (Febuary 19 - March 20):Put on your dancing shoes, the dance is just around the corner and you’re about to have the best time ever.

Aries (March 21 - April 19):Check your e-mail at least once this week. An important cyber message may be waiting for you.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20):Received an unexpected gift lately? Maybe it’s because you appreciate the people around you.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21):Your lunch times in October will have you waiting for 4th period to end early every day.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22):Set your alarm early. There may be a tardy in the near future.

Leo (July 23 - August 22):Your personality today is a plus for school life. Pick up a book at the Belmont Library and you may find it has a hidden message.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22):Make sure your I.D. is visible all day. You never know who is watching...

Entertainment

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EntertainmentDangerous Effects of Energy Drinks:The Unintended Results of a Taste TestBy Noele Pennington, Sports Editor As great as energy drinks may seem, they can cause devastating effects on the people who drink them; I can speak from my own experience. Some say that an energy drink can give you energy for a game or to help stay up later. Clayton Weatherly, Anne Marie Palladino, Charles Pennington, myself, and another student (who asked to remain anonymous) tested nine energy drinks at school, during lunch. Each of us had a different type of reaction from the drinks, but we all had one thing in common: we all experienced at least one negative effect. When we tested the drinks, all of us had around forty ounces each. After the drinks were all finished, we all had huge stomach aches. Pennington said, “Yes, I had a stomach ache, but I drink them often so the effects don’t bother me.” For me, after ten minutes, the caffeine started to kick in. I was tapping my fingers, my hands and body were shaking, and I couldn’t even focus in

my classes. The anonymous student who tested said, “Oh my god, I got heart burn during 7th [period] today, and I have only had it one other time in my life.” Nowhere on the can or bottle do the drinks warn of the possible negative effects, so it’s like walking around blind folded when you drink them - you never know the outcome. Weatherly said, “I had no effects, I

was completely fine, but after drinking all of them I had a stomach ache.” Weatherly and Pennington both said that they drink around one or two energy drinks every two weeks. Palladino and the other student both said that they

only have energy drinks when they are with friends and trying to stay up longer, mainly at sleepovers. Energy drinks all have their own effects and they vary depending on who drinks them. I’m a tall, smaller-sized female who had around forty ounces and I was shaking and unable to focus. However when a taller, more muscular male who drinks them more often has

forty or more ounces, it doesn’t have the same effect. If you look at the back of any drink, it will usually tell you how much caffeine is in the can. Red Bull has 77 milligrams in every 8 ounces. That’s a lot of caffeine for that little of liquid. All five of us tested Monster, Amp, Rockstar, Venom, Rockstar Juiced, Full throttle, Nos, Red Bull, and a Target brand to see if they could guess which cup had the right drink in it. Out of all nine drinks, Weatherly’s favorite was Full Throttle and he was able to identify all but one of them in a blind taste test. Pennington’s favorite was Amp and he had two wrong, Palladino’s favorite was Amp and she also had two wrong. The other student who tested reported her favorite was Rockstar Juiced, and she had three wrong. Next time, think of the consequences before you drink an energy drink.

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Rockin’ for the Arts BenefitRock out at this awesome show and help keep the arts program rollin’

By Hannah Abney, Staff Writer

Come one, come all, to Carlmont’s greatest show of fall. On October 22nd and 23rd the Carlmont Arts council will proudly present Rockin’ for the Arts, a benefit for the performing arts program. Carlmont’s Jazz Band, Out-of-the-Blue and In Treble, will be perform-ing, along with a Steely Dan tribute by Aja Vu and a special appearance by Caravanserai, the best Santana tribute band in the U.S. To experience a fabulous night of music and support a good cause, come to Carlmont’s Community perform-ing arts center at 7pm the evenings of October 22nd and 23rd. Admission fees are only $25 for adults and $15 for students; not much to ask for a seat to this rockin’ show.

“I got heart burn during 7th today, and I have only had it one other time in my life.”

October 2009 Page 4

ScoT ScoopNew Sheriff in TownThe Freshman Aren’t the Only Unfamiliar Faces This Year

By: Dylan CoyneEditor-in-Chief

There’s a strange new face patrolling the halls of Carlmont these days and no one seems to know anything about him except that he is in charge. In an effort to get to know him better we asked our new principal, Raul Zamora, a few questions. Raul Zamora grew up in El Paso, Texas with his family and attended Riverside High School. All throughout his high school career, Zamora was extremely in-volved in campus and school activities. He was ASB president, a member of the band, and a drum major. Like many of us, he remembers the stress of high school and “a lot of late nights.” All in all, he recalls high school as an “exciting time” where he learned a lot and made many friends. High school has its great moments and its more stressful moments as well. Mr. Zamora remembers two of the best mo-ments of his high school years as when his school’s jazz band won top jazz en-semble in the state and when his school’s student council won the state award for student council most active in the school and the community. Although very proud of his other ac-complishments Zamora recalls strug-gling especially with chemistry saying, “I always had problems with using for-mulas.” Mr. Zamora credits his success in school to his parents who taught him to always give his best effort. After graduating from high school, Zamora left home to attend the Univer-sity of Nevada Las Vegas where he stud-ied Music Education and Music Perfor-mance on Trumpet. He then transferred to CSU, Chico and graduated with a Bachelors in Music Education and Music Performance on Trumpet. He went on to earn his Masters from the University of Illinois and is currently studying for his Doctorate in Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne located in southern California. While continuing his own education, Mr. Zamora has still had more than enough time to make a difference as an

administrator despite his busy schedule. Before becoming principal at Carlmont, Zamora was the principal at Miramonte High School in Orinda. According to the API index, Miramonte is currently the number one ranked public school district in California for academic performance. Before his arrival, Miramonte was ranked 11th in the state, but it moved up to eigth by the time he left. When asked how he was able to help the school achieve this impressive record he gave most of the credit to the teachers, students, and parents. He added that the increased scores are a result of “…teachers focused on meet-ing the California Standards, doing their best to align their curriculums with [the state’s standards].” He also mentioned that the parents of the students made helpful financial com-mitments by donating a lot of money. Fortunately, Mr. Zamora plans to help Carlmont make the same kind of prog-ress. “There are three areas that we focus on,” he said, “student engagement, teach-er and staff collaboration, and new tools and practices.” He also stressed that “it’s important for teachers to work together.” It is evident that in the last 10 to 15 years Carlmont has already come a long way and made a lot of progress, Zamora plans to focus “not so much on chang-ing the school but on following what’s already in place.” Above all, Mr. Zamora is excited to “help the students and staff progress” and is “looking forward to a successful school year”.

By: Savannah JackScot Scoop Editor

There are many reasons why people choose to volunteer. Some want to meet new people, some want to feel better about themselves, and still others just want to do something useful with their time. Sure, community service can get you a few extra credit points or look good on a college application, but the people who really make a difference are often the ones who go unnoticed. Ian Schornstein, a junior at Carlmont, is an inspiring example of how much of an impact one person can have on the lives of people in need. Just this last year, Ian was able to go on a trip to New Orleans with his church’s youth group to help out victims of Hur-ricane Katrina. Although reports about the Hurricane have faded from the headlines and the news no longer dwells on the plights of its victims, the damage done by Hurri-cane Katrina still permeates the lives of those who were affected by the storm. Three years later, many streets are still empty, homes are still vacant, and entire communities are wiped out. Hundreds of families are still displaced and sadly those who continue to be the most greatly impacted by the damage are the children of New Orleans.

Making a Difference One Step at a Time

“My group went down to an elementary school in a neighborhood that had been hit pretty hard [by the storm] to run a pro-gram for kids who needed extra help with reading,” said Ian. What’s important to realize is that be-fore the Hurricane hit, these families and children were already struggling to get by. The storm took away, in many cases, the little that these families had. “Some of [the kid’s] parents had left to go look for places to live or for work,” recalled Ian. It’s easy to forget situations like these when the media is no longer flashing the pictures of pillaged homes all over your television, but what makes Ian stand out is that he chose not to forget. He went out of his way to help others and ended up making an incredible impact. Not only was Ian able to help others but the experience touched his own life as well. “You hear about what happened on the news but you don’t actually get to see the damage and the impacted lives.” Well, the trip gave Ian the opportunity to do just that. “The best part was when random people on the street were thanking us just for being there.” Often times we don’t even realize the impact that we can have on the lives of others and on the world. Ian’s story is admirable and inspiring. Not everyone has to travel to another state to volunteer but everyone can make a difference. There are hundreds of other

students out there who take time out of their lives to volunteer in the community and to serve people who can’t necessarily give anything back. We want to know who you are. If you or anyone you know is going out of their way to make a difference tell us YRU Here by emailing

us at jraisner@seq.org or stopping by room A14.

Animation Club- Interested in animation? Come to D-26 on Fridays and dive deep into learning about the history and heritage of animation. Explore with Mr. Sheridan. Art Club- Are you an artistic person and enjoy making art? Advisor Ms. Condos does and will advise you on how to make great artwork! Come draw and color in U-2 on Wednesdays. Asian American Club- Are you of Asian ethnicity and want to learn more about your culture? Then visit Mr. Fung in A-10 on Thursdays and be united with others of Asian ethnicity. Black Student Union- Want to share your African-American culture? The club meetings will be held in A-15 at 12:15 on Wednesdays. Develop leadership skills and learn about other cultures. Join Ms. Wade for some fun when associating your-self with Regional and State BSU organizations. California Scholarship Federation- Have you maintained high grades? If you have and are interested in being recognized at graduation go visit Mr. Long in E-15 every other Tuesday. This club is a community service organization for students with high academic achievements. Cantonese Club- If you’re a Cantonese American stop by Ms. Chiang in T-10 on Fridays. It’s a fun way to meet all Cantonese American students at Carlmont. Carlmont Comedy Club- Are you interested in sharing your talent outside of what you can do in class? Are you interested in hat humor and performing in front of an audience? If you are this is the perfect club for you. So join Mr. Waller in E-6 at lunch. Boost Carlmont’s school spirit and bring performers together. Carlmont Beach Volleyball Club- Do you enjoy playing beach volleyball? Or do you want to learn how to play beach volleyball? Meetings will usually be held on

Get Your Club On...Check Out What You’re Missing

Talk Back

“Yeah, because I know there are secu-rity guards and teach-

ers and staff who know how to take

care of everybody”-Taylor Sarget, ‘12

Yes, because those things only hap-

pen every once in a while”

-Tori Herfert, ‘13

Do you feel safe at Carlmont after

the recentHillsdale attack?

“Yes, I’m not worried about it. I’m justgoing to school”

-Tyrone Love, ‘10

“Yes. I feel like it’s a rare chance that some-thing like that would happen at Carlmont”-Mackenzie Stent, ‘11

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Is one of these people our next profile? How did you make a difference? Email us at jraisner@seq.org to tell your story.

October 2009 Page 5

ScoT Scoop

the weekends from two o’clock- four o’clock in E-6. Join Mrs. Mills to play beach volleyball and teach newcomers the techniques, rules, and strategies of beach vol-leyball. Carlmont GYA- Do you want to end global warming and educate people who don’t really care? Drop by A-11 once a month to inspire youth to become involved about putting and end to pollution and global warming. Come visit Mr. O’Hara and become green leaders. Chinese Culture Club- Do you know how to play Chinese chess? Or how to use a Chinese yo-yo? If you are curious how to do these activities come to T-10 on Fridays with Ms. Chaing. Learn about the Chinese culture and play some enjoyable games! CHIPSA- Who wants to represent their Latin culture? If you do then you should join Ms. Cestone and Mr. Gomez in C-11 on Fridays. Get familiar with the Latin traditions and have some fun! Christian Club- Want to learn more about God? Support and build other people up in C-13 on Wednesdays with Ms. Redman. COSEA- Concerned about the environment? If you want to make students more aware of issues facing the environment then come to C-3 on Fridays with Ms. Perna. Creative Arts Club- If you are interested in critiquing and sharing art, this club is for you. Come to A-2 on Fridays and learn about creative artwork with Ms. Lang-kusch and Mr. Sheridan. Creative Writing- Do you want to write stories with proper technique? Ms. Langkusch does and will teach you how in A-2 on Fridays. Also practice drawing, shading, lighting, and proportion techniques.

How To: Be You, But BetterSleep All Night, Play All DayBy: Sarah BiklenScot Scoop Editor The bell rings at eight o’ clock and students shuffle into class while their teacher hastily tries to start the day’s lesson. A few shameless students hustle in tardy and try to sneak into their seats before they receive an e-behavior dis-cipline. Whether tardy or on time these students all have something in common. Besides the fact that they don’t want to be at school, most of them are half asleep. Sleep deprivation is a major problem in our country, with nearly forty percent of all Americans being moderately to severely sleep deprived. Insomnia and other sleep disorders mainly develop in the teen years, which is unfortunately the time period in which the body re-quires the most amount of rest. Teens, in fact, require a generous nine or more hours of sleep a night and on average only receive seven. I recently asked fifty random Carlmont students if they feel they receive enough sleep during the week and, unfortu-nately, only ten percent responded yes. This was no shock - morn-ings at Carl-mont could be compared to a scene from a zombie movie. Although we are used to being tired and have adapted various ways to deal with our fatigue during the day, we should all aim to get more sleep at night. This may seem a far-fetched goal for some but there are actually a lot of tips for getting more rest that require very little time and energy. For instance, avoiding energy drinks,

sugary breakfasts’, caffeine, and junk food when you are feeling worn-out in any way will undoubtedly lead you to feel more energetic during the day. This is because all of these substances cause you to crash later on in the day. Try sticking to low-calorie, low-fat foods, and stocking up on fruits, vegetables, and protein. Another easy strategy that is often overlooked is to limit your exposure to light before going to bed. This is because the production of melatonin, a hormone released by a gland in your brain that causes feelings of sleepiness and lowering of the body’s temperature, is inhibited by light. So be sure to make your room as dark as possible before going to sleep. And finally, it is critical that you try to minimize stimulating activities such as texting, watching TV, playing video games, or using the computer right before bed. These activities will excite your brain and nervous system and cause you to feel more energetic and alert. Try exchanging your late night TV for a hot bath or another quiet activity. Taylor Phillips ’11

recommends, “warm milk, soft music, and counting your blessings.” If your current routine isn’t working for you, it may be time to try something new. Replace counting sheep

and tossing in bed all night with one of the strategies listed above. Who knows? Maybe you and the sheep will both end up getting more rest.

Get Your Club On...Check Out What You’re Missing

The freshmen tried to prove how smart they are during the rally held on September 11 in the quad.

By Anne Marie Palladino, Staff Writer

There’s a way to get rid of detentions without having to serve them. If you earn five praises after you are assigned a detention, the new eBehavior system will automatically remove your detention from the system. eBehavior is a new system that’s not only about detentions, but also about recognizing the good behavior being displayed in the classroom. The school has decided on eBehavior as their new behavior management system. Basically, it’s just replacing the old system. Students are in this system whether they are signed up or not. Signing up is just a way students and parents can access the behavior record. Students are not required to have an account unless it is assigned in class (which is up to the teacher). The new system gives parents much easier access to their student’s behavior record. The school bought this new system in hopes that it will improve behavior communication. The school believes it is worth the money because, “There is always a problem with communication.” says Administrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame, “and it’s a good way to manage detentions.” The system also makes it easier to manage detentions, as students have

probably seen the detention lists hung up around school. Not only does eBehavior help organize detentions, but it also allows teachers to give their students positive feedback by “praising” them. “The old system had no way of keeping record of positive behavior,” recalled Mr. Crame. Through their account, students can access their record and see what all the teachers and staff members see when they look up their name. Students can also set it so that they receive a text message every time they get a praise or discipline. Behaviors that merit praise include being on task, completing homework on time, good attendance, having respectful behavior, having school spirit, listening and following directions,

positive contribution in class, putting forth effort, or wearing an ID. Additionally, teachers can fill in any reason for praise or leave extra comments. However, cutting class, disrespectful behavior, a dress code violation, littering, not dressing for

P.E., a violation of the electronic device policy, or a violation of the respect policy are all automatic detentions. eBehavior will probably be around for a while. Mr. Crame said, “My hope is that we keep [the system] because I believe it has improved communication.

MORE NEXT MONTH...

Got Praise?eBehavior: Finally, a reward for good behavior

The Monthly Quad Snapshot

By Dana Bloom

October 2009 Page 6

News & OpinionsObamacareWhat lies are being spread to defeat his healthcare plan

Today in our senate, the new health care bill faces a determined opposition consisting of abusers of negative propaganda, and some outright liars, thus prohibiting the success of a long needed health care reform in America. In case you were away from civilization for a year or so, you should know that our country is in the midst of a fiscal crisis. This is no time for lengthy squabbles debating whether or not to ensure our people with the quality health care they need now more than ever. The people of this nation are ready for reform, and the only way to give them that is by actually reforming something. This isn’t just another sidetrack for the president to boost his moral character. In truth, it is a necessary and procrastinated development that should already be in place in our country. Right now, there are millions of American families, some of whose children go to our own school, who, every night, sit around their table squirming with doubt - doubt of a future for their children, not knowing whether or not to pay the rent, or keep health care after being let go from a “downsizing.” Do these families have to make these decisions to save the American economy? No! Are they? Yes. This kind of mistreatment of our people is cruel, and pathetic. What kind of congress would be willing to stand by while our unemployment rate skyrockets and our social comfort deteriorates at an even faster rate? Congress is not, however, full of bigots and cheaters. There are those in congress who choose to decide for what is best on the behalf of the people. Unfortunately, there are a few people who will do almost

anything to stop reform in its tracks. Some say that “death panels” will be sent door to door verifying when and how you want to die if you are a senior citizen. Some say Obama’s plan will cover illegal immigrants. These are all fallacies. Some insist that this plan is the death of democracy as we know it in the United States, and that the government would complete a socialist plan to take over the economy. However, we know by now that Obama is not a Socialist. As president Obama said whilst addressing congress, “We are the only democracy - the only advanced democracy on earth, the only wealthy nation - that allows such hardships on its people.” The idea here is to better our democracy, not leave it in ruin. If we do not take the initiative to aid our people and ensure their future is ripe with opportunity, then our status as a nation will diminish. We will not be able to contend in the global market, our reputation will be further ruined, our economic hiatus between rich and poor will engulf the middle class, and, in time, we will be looked upon as the example of a nonresponsive failure of a government. This health care bill is the beginning to stopping all that which may be yet to come, but it is being whipped back at every moment of hope. Nobody is just getting the raw truth, prohibiting our people from being more than puppets. This is unacceptable. We cannot allow ourselves to become a nation of corporate zombies. Fight the machine! Please, go take a trip to the internet and find out what is really going on in the white house. Otherwise, if we let this bill fail, our people will continue to suffer.

Football Field or Frying Pan?Turf field raises questions

The football field at Carlmont High School has been measured at temperatures that have the potential to cause great harm to those who practice on it. Artificial turf fields are quite popular among athletes; they are easy to maintain, very durable, and do not get muddy during rain, like regular grass. However, the highly regarded field may be doing more harm than good. “Turf can get up to 150% hotter than grass,” said Marcus Farhad, Carlmont’s Health Aide and assistant Varsity football coach. Once the Highlander staff found this out, we conducted a laser temperature reading of the field. The results showed that on an 88°F day, the turf can reach up to 180°F. The maximum temperature human skin can touch before being burned is 130°F. This fact, however, does not stop coaches from allowing athletes to practice barefoot and barehanded on the turf every day. Do the players have anything to say about the heat of the turf? “Usually it’s not that bad if you have shoes on,” stated Junior Varsity football player Mark Concilla, “but sometimes you can barely touch it.” Recently, the turf’s extreme temperatures have created physical problems for the Varsity football team. After doing bear crawls around the field, the players began to notice giant blisters forming on their hands, which ended up lasting for a number of weeks. “The heat’s okay,” said Varsity captain Nick Passanisi. “I’ve never had a problem with it, except for the blisters, but they’re fine now.”

By Arik Schoessow, Staff Writer

By Laney McGrew, News Editor

What if Swine Flu Strikes Us? H1N1 Flu, better known as Swine Flu, has been sweeping the nation as well as its schools. Although Carlmont High School has not had a full blown outbreak, are we prepared for a possible epidemic? Since teenagers are more vulnerable than other age groups, it’s important that each student stay alert about his or her own well being. This means that feeling a little ill shouldn’t be shrugged off and called the common cold. Instead, take a day off and see if the symptoms advance. The normal flu and H1N1 flu are alike in many ways; both consist of a cough, fever over 100 degrees, sneezing, sore throat, and many other basic flu-like symptoms. According to the Sequoia Union High School District Nurse, Judy Sencenbaugh, if someone on campus has a fever, he or she will be sent home until the fever is gone for one day without the help of fever medication, but Carlmont High School itself is unable to diagnose any student. However, just because you don’t have a fever or any other symptoms, doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.

By Ashley Dierolf, Entertainment Editor Sencenbaugh provided some valuable information, “You can be contagious one day before getting symptoms and as long as five days after getting sick.” Even without symptoms, the H1N1 flu is still affecting the body and able to be spread. With over 2,000 cases of H1N1 flu and over 20 deaths in California alone, this up-and-coming possible epidemic isn’t something Carlmont should be taking lightly. According to most major news sources, schools are a prime target for this epidemic due to the close contact students have with one another every day. A few high schools in the New England states have gone as far as to create rules which limit close contact between students. So far administration hasn’t told us we can’t hug our friends, but is the administration really doing enough? Many students think that if someone on campus is to catch H1N1, the school would close down for a week or two, which would then be made up by extending the school year However, that’s far from the truth.

For the Health Office in San Mateo County to decide whether or not Carlmont should be shut down, at least 460 of the approximately 2,300 students attending the school must be diagnosed with H1N1 by a doctor and out sick for the time being. The percentage of faculty and staff also has to be worked into the equation; if too many of them are out sick and the school is unable to properly function, Carlmont would be closed down for a week or two. At some point, it is out of the school’s hands and into our own to remember a few rules while this is going down: always wash your hands, cough and sneeze into a tissue or arm, don’t share food or drink, get a seasonal flu vaccination, and ultimately stay home and visit a doctor if symptoms start to appear.

FREE SKATE RENTALFree ice skate rental with your Carlmont ID

815 Old County Road, Belmont650-592-0533 • www.belmonticeland.cominformation@belmonticeland.com

Every Saturday night from 8:30–10:30pm

Summer SchoolContinued from Page 1

A laser thermometer reads the field temperature. It was 88 degrees when this reading was taken.

to attend a community college during the summer for high school students and they conveniently offer many high school courses. The only danger is that they might become full with all of the in-coming students. And this threat is even greater considering that Carlmont has not yet thought of alternatives to raise money towards summer school. Without summer school, fewer students will be able to graduate, and the gradua-tion rates at Carlmont will decrease. Some students rely on summer school to retake classes in order to get a pass-ing grade. One sophomore student, who went to summer school last year, said, “If there is no summer school and I need to finish my credits, and then I’m [in bad shape]. That’s going to be a problem; I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Another student who attended summer school last year says, “since I had to take English last year in summer school and you need four years of English to gradu-ate, if I needed to retake it, I would have to take a support class and have seven pe-riods which I don’t want.” Bottom line, the possibility of not hav-ing summer school is going to have ma-jor affects on students and staff members alike.

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Players stretch on the hot turf while vol-leyball players warm up on the track

Welcome from The adviSor

Welcome to The Highlander. We chose the name of the paper for many reasons. Since we are the Carlmont Scots, there is the obvious connection to the Scottish Highlanders. In addition, the Highlander was Carlmont’s original mascot. Also, the school is located in some pretty high lands (anyone who has walked from El Camino can attest to that). In a way, we are all Highlanders. This newspaper is about you and for you. It was produced by the students in Journalism 2, and you can look for this paper every month. We welcome all suggestions and submissions. I’d like to thank our advertisers, and I encourage all of our readers to support them. If you like what we’re doing, we also accept donations to help with printing costs. I’d also like to thank the school administration and the school district for helping set up our journalism program as both a CTE class and a UC elective. Please submit all questions about advertising, donations, submissions, article ideas, or comments to jraisner@seq.org

Regards, Mr. Raisner

October 2009 Page 7SporTS

VOLLEYBALL Sophomore volleyball captain, Haley Bazzani, has been playing volleyball since she was in sixth grade at Ralston Middle School. She initially got involved in the sport because of her friend and teammate, Ashley Duba. Bazzani gets support from her teammates, parents, and last year’s girls frosh-soph volleyball coach, Julie Davies. They keep her head in the game and keep her going. Part of being one of the team captains means that she must keep the girls focused and pumped during a challenging game or a tough practice. Before practice, Bazzani and the rest of the team attend a mandatory study hall in order to do homework. This allows the girls to play the sport they love, but also maintain school and other activities.

Sports Profiles - Know Your Team

in a written statement. “Coach Turn-beaugh was Carlmont’s frosh-soph football coach last year when the team went 7-3. He is now coaching a number of students who he coached last year, and he is looking forward to working with all the players during the season.” Though there has been much controver-sy over this issue, Mr. Shelley has always been an extremely dedicated teacher and coach. He never missed a practice or game. To say he cared about his play-ers and students very much would be an understatement. He held study hall in his room every day for players that needed extra help with their schoolwork. During the sum-mer, he would even drive to East Palo Alto to pick up the kids and take them to Carlmont to lift weights before sum-mer school. Mr. Shelley has worked with some of the kids for four years, so he is sad to see it end, but the support they give helps him through it. There were countless emails from par-ents (both positive and negative) and there were even a few texts from the play-ers saying thank yous and goodbyes. Varsity player Elliot Lieberman said, “I’ve had a lot of problems this year. My parents got divorced, I got kicked out of my house and honestly, I’ve learned more and grown up more on the football field than I have at home. I’ve learned more about life and more about how to be a man from Coach Shelley than anywhere else. Life’s hard and football’s hard.” Mr. Shelley has made an overall posi-tive impact as varsity football coach and it is everyone’s belief that Corey Turn-beaugh will do the same. “While we understand that some peo-ple have strong feelings about the coach-ing change, we are pleased to hear that Coach Turnbeaugh continues to gain the support of players and parents. We look forward to a positive season for our stu-dent athletes and the entire Carlmont community.” It is district policy that personnel mat-ters have to stay confidential according to Administrative Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom, but he was allowed to say, “Mr. Shelley resigned for personal reasons,” and, “I just want the best possible foot-ball program to move forward from here on out.” All anyone can hope for is that in the fu-ture there are as few problems as possible and that the team can push through and have the great season they are capable of having.

Coach resigns Continued from Page 1

WATER POLO Adam Fecher, a sophomore, has been playing water polo since he was seven-years-old. He decided to try it because he loved being in the water. His parents support him by going to his games, and his coach supports him by helping him develop as a water polo player. Fecher enjoys hanging out with his team, especially friends, Adam Govani and Avi Vigdorchik, because they all “get along really nicely for such a big team.” Although Fecher prefers water polo over academics, he knows that school always comes first. With almost all advanced classes, he has a hard time trying to find free time. He is very dedicated to the Carlmont JV water polo team, and wouldn’t trade water polo for any other sport.

FOOTBALL Carlmont senior Nick Passanisi plays for the varsity football team. Not only is he the starting quarter back, but he is also one of the captains. Passanisi has been playing football for seven years and would never choose another sport over football. He was supported by his parents for the last seven years with his decision to play, and they helped him by taking him to his practices and games. Passanisi has already had some challenges to face in the ’09 season. The hardest part for him was stepping up as a leader and holding his team together when their head coach, Mr. Dylan Shelley, resigned. “It’s challenging… and different now that Shelley’s gone,” Passanisi stated.

Thanks to his coaches (Coach Shelley in particular), Passanisi considers himself successful in playing football. Now that he’s a senior, it is getting harder to balance school and football, but he’s managing to do what he loves while getting good grades at the same time.

cedures for evacuation, and a reminder that four drills will be performed this year: a lockdown drill, an earthquake drill, and two evacuation drills. When students were asked if they thought our school would be prepared for an emergency, sophomore Olivia Riedy responded “There should be more drills at school other than fire drills because I don’t think our school would know what to do in case of an emergency like the one at Hillsdale.” Carlmont has explicit instructions as to what to do in case of an emergency. But what we need to do is inform new and returning students and staff every year of the emergency plans and continue performing different drills to ensure our school’s preparedness in case of an emer-gency.

Ready for Bomb? Continued from Page 1

Profiles and photos by Nicci Betteo, Sports Editor

Highlander Staff

Editor-in-ChiefDylan Coyne

News EditorLaney McGrew

Entertainment EditorAshley Dierolf

Scot Scoop EditorsSarah BiklenSavannah Jack

Sports Editors/PhotographersNicci BetteoDana BloomNoele Pennington

Staff WritersHannah AbneyJocelyn DiazLexi FriisAnne Marie PalladinoArik SchoessowJenna ChambersStaff Writer

Graphics DesignDaniel Rubinstein

Faculty AdvisorMr. Justin Raisner

October 2009 Page 8

SporTS BulleTin

Ryan Lippi runs around a Santa Cruz defensive man, helping the

Scots move closer to the end zone.

Melissa Won serves to her opponent. The tennis team eventually took home the win.

Shannon Garrett spiked a ball over the net for a crucial point. The Scots went

on to win the game.

Amanda Morris serves a bullet over the net, contributing to the Scots victory.

Senior Dylan Coyne, blocks a shot while playing Sequoia. The team battled against

their rival in a very close game.

Scots defense prevents a first down.

Varsity Shines, FS Falls in Season OpenersBy Noele Pennington, Staff Writer

Carlmont Varsity vs. Santa Cruz Varsity The varsity game turned out to be a great game to start off the season. Captain Nick Passanisi said they had a lot of fun this game and they did well considering what went on earlier that week. Passanisi said that all the players did well that game and they all contributed to a good game. Tenshow Streets scored three touchdowns and intercepted one pass. After the game, all of the Varsity players ran up to where former head Coach Shelley watched the game. The ending score of the game was a close 27-20 victory for the Scots.

Carlmont JV vs. Santa Cruz JV Opening day was not great for junior varsity football. With their original coach gone, the junior varsity did better than most expected but not well enough to win. Mark Concilla, one of the captains for the game said, “We played well even though we dealt with the new coach thing.” Concilla added that Joe LaSala had an outstanding game with his great defense and running over many opponents. Will Zepeda-Campos added, “We had a good game, but at the beginning of the 4th quarter we started to get tired.” In the end, Santa Cruz took home a 12-0 victory.

CALENDAR - Be There to Cheer On Your Scots!

9/24 4:00-BHS-jv away 3:30-BHS-v home

3:15-jv 4:30-v-home-BHS

gv-3:00 gjv-4:00 bv-4:45 bjv-5:30-home-Mills9/26 9:00-Stanford 11:00 jv-2:00-v-away-Aragon9/29 3:30-v 4:00-jv-away-Aragon

3:15-jv 4:30-v-away-Aragon

gv-5:00 gjv-6:00 bv-3:00 bjv-4:00-home-Hillsdale10/1 3:00-Capp-jv away

3:30-v 4:00-jv-home-San Mateo3:15-jv 4:30-v-away-Mills

gv-3:00 gjv-4:00 bv-4:45 bjv-5:30-home-Terra Nova10/2 3:005-Capp-v away10/3 9:00-Half Moon Bay10/5 3:30-v 4:00-jv-home-El Camino10/6 3:15-Crystal Springs

3:30-Westmoor-v home3:15-jv 4:30-v-home-San Mateo

10/8 3:00-Half Moon Bay-jv away3:30-v 4:00-jv-away-Woodside

3:15-jv 4:30-v-home-Sequoia

gv-3:00 gjv-4:00 bv-4:45 bjv-5:30-home-Half moon Bay10/9 3:00-Half Moon Bay-v home-homecoming game10/13 4:00-MA-jv home

3:30-MA-v away3:15-jv-4:30-v-home-Woodside

gv-4:30 gjv-5:30-home-Mercy10/15 3:00-San Mateo-jv home

3:30-v 4:00 jv-home-Mills3:15-jv-4:30-v-home-MA

10/16 3:00-San Mateo-v away10/17 9:00-Hayward10/20 3:30-v 4:00-jv-home-BHS

3:15-jv 4:30-v-away-BHS

gv-4:00 gjv-5:00 bv-2:00 bjv-3:00-away-Mills10/22 3:00-BHS-jv home

3:30-v 4:00-jv-home-Aragon3:15-jv 4:00-v-home-Aragon

gv-2:00 gjv-3:00 bv-3:45 bjv-5:15-away-Hillsdale10/23 3:00-BHS-v home10/24 8:30-Mt Sac, Orange

Mike Rosenberg leaps over a defender

Mike Rosenberg soars over a defender to score in the Varsity victory

Photos by Nicci Betteo, Dana Bloom, and Noele Pennington