TheDublinShielDVolume 2, Issue 3 8151 Village Parkway Dublin, CA 94568 Friday, December 16, 2011

Mr. Dublin Wows the CrowdBy Kathy Walker

Munchie Mart Serving Up More Than FoodBy Jasmine Virk

ABOVE: From left to right, workability coordinator Cheryl Phipps, student Gabriella Sandoval, special education teacher Jamie Mel-vin, student Tania Garcia, and DECA advisor Lisa Pong. Credit: Jasmine Virk Early Wednesday morning after the first period bell, Tania Garcia and Gabriella Sandoval make their way to the portables amidst the rush of students. They enter the Munchie Mart, thoroughly wash their hands, and put on their pink work shirts. Gabriella takes a tray of assorted muffins and puts them in individual Ziploc bags while Tania loads the cart that goes out during passing period. They both

Gaels’ Season Comes to an EndBy Chandler Bullock

ABOVE: The Gaels shutting out Dougherty Valley on Senior night was one of the highlights of one of the best football seasons in Dublin High’s History. CREDIT: Kim Baumann

The Gaels’ successful season, and run in the NCS playoffs came to an end Friday, December 2 when they were defeated by Windsor Hiigh School. Many Dub-lin fans made the long drive from Dublin in order to see this game of historic proportion for Dublin High School football. The whole Dublin High band even made the trip, which added to the excitement before the game. The Windsor High School Jag-

Upcoming Events12/15-12/17: Don Nelson Clas-sic @ DHS 7-11pm

12/16: Minimum Day! The Dublin Shield wishes you Happy Holidays!

12/19-12/21: Women’s Soccer Tri-Valley Classic

12/21: Women’s Varsity Basket-ball vs. Monte Vista @ Home, 7:30pm

1/3: Men’s Varsity Basketball vs. Dougherty Valley @ Home, 5:30 pm and Women’s Varsity Basketball vs. Dougherty Valley @ Home, 7pm

1/4: Men’s Varsity Soccer vs. Alhambra @ Home, 6pm1/5-1/8: Student Directed One Acts

1/6: Women’s Varsity Soccer vs. Campolindo @ Home, 6:15 pm and Women’s Varsity Basket-ball vs. Miramonte @ Home, 7pm

1/13: Men’s Varsity Soccer vs. Dougherty Valley @ Home, 6pm

1/16: NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

1/18-1/20: 1st Semester Finals: Minimum Day Release

1/20: End of the 1st Semester

work diligently until the fridge, pantry, and carts are fully stocked and ready for the students. Tania and Gabriella are spe-cial education students, who along with Dani Page and Ella Castillo, take part in the work-ability program here at Dublin High. The workability program is a state funded program that gives students in special educa-tion experience and support in

the vocational field. The program provides employment skills train-ing, occupational experience, and follow-up care for after the students graduate. The ultimate goal of the program is to help the students make a successful transi-tion from school to employment and independence. The workability program is funded through and administered by the California Department of Education, Special Education Division. Workability coordinator Cheryl Phipps and special educa-tion teacher Jamie Melvin work with the grant’s money to give the students volunteer and work experience. The students volunteer in the Munchie Mart and help set up the carts and stock the fridge and cabinets. Another student works in the Dublin High library and wipes down the tables, pushes in the chairs, and works on learning the Dewey Decimal system. Last year, the program also had sites...

See “MART” On Page 6

uars received the kick-off from Dublin High. The Jaguars were led down the field by their quarterback Christian McAlvin who was not afraid to run the ball if given the opportunity. The Jags drove the ball down the the Gaels’ 10 yard-line with their heavy run game un-til a fumble turned the ball over to the Gaels, a momentum changer.

How to Choose the Perfect Present for Your Significant Other

Page 3

Student Poems by Andrew Priestly and Sanah Begum

Page 6

The Right to Say Merry Christmas?

Page 7

See “GAELS” on Page 4

ABOVE: The boys of Mr. Dublin pose for a group shot.The crowd hushed as the lights dimmed, marking the beginning of Mr Dublin: 2011, hosted by the Class of 2012. One of the biggest events of the year sold out yet again to an en-thusiastic crowd. With everything from dancing to stripping down to swimwear, all barriers were bro-ken to make this show the most memorable show DHS has ever hosted. The show began with all of the Mr. Dublin contestants coming out onto the stage to dance. As the show continued, the crowd got an idea of what each contestant was like with some very entertaining introductions. Mr. September, Joe Nealon, introduced himself with “outside, the leafs are falling; just like I am falling for you.”

Other contestants’ pick-up lines were rather suggestive. Mr. Sol-lom-Brotherton, a judge, said “I hear they toned it down a lot from practice. I’m proud of their self-control.” Whether it was the short intro-duction lining out their interests and extra curricular activites, or their attempts at cheesy pick-up lines regarding their month, one thing that for certain is that each contestant tried his very best to steal the hearts of the judges for that one chance to be crowned Mr. Dublin. As the show progressed, the acts only got better. For the talent portion of the show, two months came together to put on acts that ranged from dancing to downright madness on the stage. Christopher Harral, one of the

Mr. July’s, said his favorite part of the competition was the talent portion. Chris said that he “liked being able to write the script for our talent, and being able to work with [his] group.” The talent that stole the show was Mr. September, Joe Nealon, and Mr. June, Matt Digirolamo’s indescribable performance. Judg-es couldn’t contain their laughter as the two performed on stage to a medley of several popular songs from varying genres. An incred-ibly hilarious dance doesn’t even cover it. After the talent portion, the formal wear portion followed along with questions and answers from each boy. The boys each had unique responses that reflected their sensitive souls. The Mr. Dublin helper girls joined

the contestants onstage for a final partner dance and the winners of the lunch dates were announced by hostesses, Annette Sommers and Monica Moorjani. For gain-ing the highest bid amount, Matt Digirolamo was awarded “Mr. Congeniality.” Once the lunch date winners were announced and brought on stage, Joe Nealon was crowned as this year’s Mr. Dublin. Mr. June, Matt Digirolamo was announced as first runner up and Mr. July, Chris Harral was second runner up. Joe’s advice to those who want to participate in Mr. Dublin in the future: “You have to be different; stand out, and be creative.” This year’s Mr. Dublin was a suc-cess as a fundraiser and a night of chocking laughter. Thank you Class of 2012 Seniors; it was a great show. If you missed out last Thursday night, be sure to pre-order your copy of the Mr. Dublin DVD, coming soon for a low price of $5!BELOW: Mr. Dublin Winner Joe Nealon.

Brain Games to Help Get you Through Winter Break!

Page 4 and 5

Shield Shouts f or $5 140 char-acters and $7 with picture.

Contact Mr. Aminian in room M-203 or by email at

aminianbidjan@dublinusd.org

2 The Dublin Shield News

World’s Largest Solar Bridge Project By Swarna Lnu

Above: Picture of the World’s Largest Solar Bridge Project in London. The bridge is located in Black-friars is rumored to be completed in 2012.

More Than ChristmasBy Lauren Flint Decorating Christmas trees, setting up lights and nut crackers around the house, singing Christ-mas carols, and opening presents on Christmas morning are all com-mon annual traditions that most of us look forward to as the winter season approaches.

Although these traditions are fun, Christmas was originally celebrat-ed by Christians to recognize and honor the birth of Jesus Christ; but as time goes on, Christmas becomes more and more of a secular holiday. The fact that the nativity scene, which illustrates the scene in Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth, is less and less acknowl-edged every year proves that the true meaning of Christmas is often forgotten, or even unknown to many who celebrate it. Just like the meaning of Christmas, the meaning of other holidays is lost in all of the shopping and holiday party madness.

Hanukkah is another common known holiday, but most people do not know what it’s all about. The Jewish people celebrate this holiday to commemorate the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E. After they gained back the temple, they “cleansed” the temple by burning oil in the temple’s menorah for 8 days. The small amount of oil lasted,

and that is why they celebrate the miracle of the Hanukkah oil. They light the hannukiyah in memory of this miracle. Other Hanukkah traditions include spinning the dreidel, and eating fried foods; such as sufganiyot, or doughnuts, and livivot, also referred to as potato pancakes. Unlike Christmas and Hanuk-kah, Kwanzaa is a non-religious holiday. It is based on the year-end harvest festivals that have taken place in Africa for thousands of years. Dr. Maulana Kerenga created it in 1966 to celebrate and honor values from ancient African American culture. It was also meant to inspire African Ameri-cans who were working towards progress for their communities and people.

Kwanzaa takes place from December 26th to January 1st. On December 31st, families gather for a great feast, or Karamu, to eat traditional African American dishes. These dishes also include ingredients that the African Ameri-can people brought to the United States. Each day, a different principle is honored. These principles include: unity, self-determination, respon-sibility, cooperative economics, sense of purpose, creativity, and faith. All of the principles are hon-ored in order to improve the com-munity and all of the people in it. Symbolic imagery is a major part of Kwanzaa. The symbols include a unity cup, a candleholder, fruits/nuts/vegetables, seven candles, a mat, an ear of corn, and gifts. Each of these symbols are in some way related to family, com-munity, or the harvest in Africa. Green, black, and red are the symbolic colors of Kwanza. Green for the fertile land of Africa, black for the color of the people, and red for the blood shed during their struggle for freedom. Whether you are celebrating Jesus’ birthday, the re-dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, or honoring your culture, be sure that you remember the true meaning of the holidays! Have a happy holi-day season Dublin High!

Feeling the Pain While Waiting for the PlaneBy Hailai Arghandiwal

Happy Holidays! It is truly a blessed time in which families all across our nation gather to cel-ebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Although it is a beautiful time, traveling may prove to be quite difficult. Because of the increased awareness and security at airports, things have become pretty hectic. Before 2001, traveling by plane was not so difficult to do. Security procedures were not as stringent and it seemed as if people were trusted much more. Unfortunately, because of the tragic events of 9/11, things have changed. The Transportation Security Admin-istration (TSA) has implemented new measures to ensure optimal security while traveling. Although this is understandable we must ask ourselves, where did trust in mankind go? Why is everyone so scared of each other? Unfortu-nately, we have arrived at a point

in time where the reality of our world has become scarred. TSA regulations and rules do protect the safety of travelers, so we must respect it in any case. There is a rush of travelers dur-ing the holiday season and we must take into account measures to speed up the security check process. TSA recently announced that they will increase the use of manual pat-down searches, increase the use of new explosive trace detectors, and will also refer more passengers for screening based on visual observations, even if detectors do not go off. My brother fell victim to the “visual observation” test while traveling to Seattle to visit his best friend. Be-cause he was alone and of Middle Eastern descent he was pulled aside for questioning. My brother was not mad at the situation at all. He described the process as necessary. Although some of his

pride was hurt, it is important to understand the purpose for going about such processes. You never know how long the security check-point may take, so it is important to take precautions. Here are a couple tips to speed up the security check process:1. While in line, take laptops and video cameras out of their cases and bags. Also, place all metal items into a carry-on bag. 2. If you have any doubt as to whether or not your shoe has metal, take them off and place them in a bin to go through the x-ray machines. 3. Do not wear jewelery or shoes that will set off the metal detector. 4. Go to the airport in plenty of time. 5. Do not over pack bags. 6. Double check to make sure you have not packed prohibited items. 7. Gifts that are wrapped will be subject to further investigation. Do not try to disguise prohibited products as gifts. Times have changed. Rules and regulations have become much more strict and stern in order to protect the rights of men and women who travel. This cannot be frowned upon, but we sometimes must ask ourselves at any point in time whether or not we should treat every human being as a possible suspect. In times such as these, we must all remember to embrace the holidays and remem-ber why we are traveling in the first place. In a time of peace we must make sure that chaos at air-port security checkpoints stays at a minimum as much as possible. Happy travels! Also, we wish you all a Happy Hanukkah, Kwan-zaa, Christmas and New Year!

ABOVE: Santa is slowed down by TSA security while traveling from the North Pole. Credit: Google Images.

Blackfriars, London is on its way to building the world’s largest solar bridge. The bridge is rumored to have 90,000 KiloWatts per hour of electricity a year when finished. The bridge is set to be built above the Thames River. The solar bridge will replace the previous one to better suit the needs of the citizens in the United Kingdom. The bridge is expected to be completed by mid-2012. In addition to the solar bridge, rain harvesting systems and sun pipes will be included for natu-ral lighting. Twenty four trains an hour will be able to run on the bridge when finished. This will result in more availability for seats. Lindsay Vamplew, the director, stated, “We’re creating

a spacious, modern station and delivering a vastly improved train service for passengers, while at the same time installing London’s largest solar array.” The company planning on building the bridge, Network Rail, is lowering their carbon footprint by 25%. This will save plenty of energy for London. The station has been closed since 2009, during the renovation and when it reopens in 2012, it will be the very first station to span a river with a solar bridge. The project is estimated to be 7.3 million pounds, but even though it costs too much, in the long run it will de-crease the cost of electricity bills. Even the annual Co2 emissions are reported to reduce by over 500 tons.

Previously, the bridge was built and finished in 1886, and the new bridge will replace the former Victorian bridge. When finished, the bridge will contain over 5,000 photovoltaic panels. “Blackfriars Bridge is an ideal location for so-lar; a new, iconic large roof space, right in the heart of London,” said Solarcentury chief executive, Derry Newman, in a statement. He also stated, “The Victorian rail bridge at Blackfriars is part of our railway history”. Although there is a bridge in Brisbane, Austraila, the Kurilpa footbridge, and sixteen thousand solar panels were laid on top of a bridge in Belgium, this bridge will be the first to decreas-es the amount of carbon by 25 percent.

3 The Dublin ShieldEntertainmentOut with the Old, In with the New YearBy David Diaz As the fantastic year of 2011 comes to a close, you might be thinking to yourself, “what new resolution or goals am I going to accomplish in the following months to come?” Making a New Year’s Resolution can be a fun experience that leads on to further self improvement. It sounds simple enough, but the key is to not get carried away. Before you choose to set a goal for yourself, you should self reflect with a few simple questions. First, does the goal seem realistic and achievable? As stated on proac-tivechange.com, “40 to 45% of Americans make one or more resolutions each year and as time goes on 75% make it past their first week, 46% make it past their sixth month, but astonishingly less than 10% of people who set New Year’s resolutions actually achieve them.” Setting simple, yet admirable, ambitions for yourself can be the difference between the

feelings of depression or elation. The second step you should take after figuring out your objective is to make a plan and write down all of your goals in specific detail. Then, invision yourself obtain-ing that final achievement. From there, work backwards thinking about what steps need to be taken until you actually reach this goal. The third and final step that should be taken is to set your goals so that they tie in with your life. There’s no logic in creating a goal that pertains to becoming more social when your grades are in danger of failing. Take the initiative and find out what new changes seem right for you. Dublin High History teacher, Mr. Shaw ties in his goals with his life. Mr. Shaw said that he “makes enough time with friends and family, while juggling coach-ing two sports,teaching, and also being an assistant to the athletic director.” This upcoming year, Mr.

ABOVE: People in New york wait during the final moments to watch the Ball drop in Time Square, signifying the start of an exciting new year.

Credit: Google Images

How To: Buy a Christmas Present For Your Significant OtherBy Annette Sommers

Scorsese’s Amazing “Hugo”By Michael Nguyen

Yes, ladies and gentlemen; it is that time of year again. Mistletoe is perched on top of every door, and Wal-mart is overflowing with every one’s favorite candy cane themed wrapping paper. Cuddling up close to the fire with a mug of hot cocoa is sure to make sparks fly during this chilly season. But as Christmas nears, one is faced with the trou-bling dilemma of gift ideas. Whether you’re the couple who has been together since middle school, or that new pair still awk-wardly approaching the “I kinda, maybe like you” phase, the following steps are sure to make this holiday season one to remember.

Step 1: The Card You’re standing in the Hallmark store, a card in each hand. You are wondering whether you should buy the funny card or the sentimental card. Weighing your options, you consider the pros and cons of each one. The funny card has cats tangled up in Christmas lights, and as everyone knows, cats on cards are hilarious. But hey, the sentimental card is written in fancy cursive, and that has to count for something, right? Wrong. First off, get your behind out of the Hallmark store; you’ve already wasted too much time in there and we all know most of that time was spent checking out the ‘dirty humor’ section. The best kind of card is a homemade one, and the fact that it saves a few bucks is conveniently pleasing as well. Paste a cute picture of the two of you on the front and add a few lines of memo-ries inside, and (BAM!) you have yourself a Christmas card.

Step 2: The Gift When thinking of meaningful gifts for that special someone try to avoid the typical cliches. Things like jewelry or clothes might seem like a nice gift, but it lacks the wow-factor everyone searches for under the wrapping paper. Instead, take into consider-ation these unique ideas: Forever Lazy: Part Snuggie, part Onesie; need I say more? I’m not sure about the rest of you, but this is at the top of my wish list. Random Kiosk Gift: When walking through the mall, most of us have built up a defense to the pestering kiosk workers hounding

you as you walk past them. I am normally in support of this shunning, but during the gift giving season you will find that some of the best presents are found in the most unlikely places. Whether is may be a remote controlled helicopter, or a snazzy new pil-low pet, take a glance at the nearest kiosk stand and see what they have for you!

Step 3: Things to Remember Gifts to Avoid: Work out DVDs, a nose hair trimmer, wrinkle cream, breath mints. If any of these items were on your possible gift list, then your significant other won’t be so significant for long. Teacher Opinion: Dublin High’s new teach-er, Mr. Aminian, reveals his go-to gift for the ladies: “I would give my special woman a homemade scarf to keep her warm when I’m not there to do it myself.” This endearing gift is sure result in multiple “awe’s”, making scarves the ideal gift option for undecided fellows out there. The Gift Exchange: When swapping presents with that special someone, make sure you handle the situation as delicately as possible. If you don’t find favor in the gift you receive, the most mature thing to do is lie. Hopefully the recipient of your gift cares enough about you to do the same.

ABOVE: The Forever Lazy can be found at locations from $20-30.

If you’re looking for a unique new movie to watch, then Hugo would be a very good choice. The movie is based on the New York Times best-selling book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, and the movie is pretty faithful to the book. The screen rights to the book were bought sometime in 2007, and the movie itself was directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Paramount Pictures. This movie was the legendary director’s first attempt at a children’s movie and his first film shot in 3-D. The book and the film are both tributes to the era of silent films, and more specifically the French filmmaker, George Méliès. This movie is set around a Paris train station in the 1930s. It re-volves around a boy named Hugo,

who is played by Asa Butterfield. He was orphaned by a museum fire which killed his father, and is taken care of by his uncle who maintains the clocks that are run-ning in the train station. The uncle teaches him how to maintain the clocks before he mysteriously dis-appears. With no other means of supporting himself, Hugo is forced to shoplift in order to keep himself fed. Hugo spends his free time working on the broken automaton, a mechanical man, that his father had left behind. One day, Hugo is out stealing mechanical parts in order to work on the automaton, but is caught by the toy store owner, played by Ben Kings-ley. Although this situation was unfortunate for Hugo, he was able to meet Isabella (Chloe Grace Moretz) through it, and this was when his real adventures began. The main antagonist in this movie would have to be the sta-tion inspector Gustav, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. He provides comic relief in this movie has he attempts to send the guardian-less Hugo to the orphanage. The mov-ie seems to have developed the character of the station inspector a lot more than its book counterpart. Although Cohen is more known for his infamous “mockumentary” films, this isn’t his first time in a children’s movie, as he starred in the Madagascar series. The movie was released on November 23, 2011, and as of December 10, has a score of 94% on the movie rating site Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of eight out of ten. So it’s safe to say that you definitely won’t be disappointed if “Hugo”.

Shaw plans on achieving good time management and becoming a good organizer. Around campus, both staff and students have been putting tre-mendous amounts of thought into what they plan to achieve. When Senior Brandon Funk was asked of his plans for a new years resolution, he boldly specified, “This last year I’ve found myself straying from being who I want to be. And honestly, the only thing that I want to be, is myself...This new year, I don’t want to find my-self holding my head in my hands, asking myself “who am I?” I want to be able to look in the mirror, and see Brandon (Beefunk).’ Brandon also continued to say that, “life gives you chances to make corrections, and New Year’s is just another chance to get things right.” So instead of just celebrating one holiday this December, let’s all make it a part of ourselves to set some goals for the New Year. Whether they’re academic, social, or personal, they will all bring us one step closer to a euphoric feeling of happiness in the year to come.

ABOVE: Since the 28th of No-vember, Hugo has been playing in all theaters in both standard viewing and the popular, 3D.

4 The Dublin Shield Sports

Gaels Break the IceBy Kyle Dayton

It’s Time to Re-LAXBy Lauren Koa Ladies, it’s that time of the year again! It’s time to take out your super cute goggles and lacrosse stick, head to conditioning and get ready for the upcoming lacrosse season! Lacrosse has been popular for years in the United States on the East Coast, but is growing and spreading massively around the West Coast. It is even the national summer sport of Canada! The roots of the sport are trailed back to the Native American tribes in North America, who originally played Lacrosse using wooden sticks with nets. Today, the sport is played with shafts made of metal alloy, topped with strung nets, referred to as heads and a small rubber ball. Typically, there are eleven girls, including the goalie, on the field from each team, running, passing, cradling and screaming “got ball!” The sport is non-contact, but anyone who has been to a lacrosse game can tell you that the girls really have to be aggressive. Like many other sports, lacrosse is about teamwork and working together to score goals on the other team. The lacrosse program here at Dublin High is relatively new, but has been going strong since 2007. Last year, the team qualified for North Coast Sectional for the first time in school history. Despite the loss of six seniors on the var-sity team, the girls are determined to succeed.

On their way to conditioning, returning varsity players Maddie Perry and Morgan Samples said “We are making NCS [again] this year. Best believe it!” And this year, under the new direction of Dublin High Anatomy and Biology teacher, Coach Shaun Martins and returning var-sity coach, Coach Christine Hop-kins, the Lady Gaels are excited and determined to play harder and make it further into NCS. Whether you are new to the sport or experienced, anyone interested in playing for the Lady Gaels La-crosse team is welcome to head out to condition with Coach Mar-tins and the rest of the team after school. They’re all willing to work with you and help you get ready for the upcoming season. Varsity athlete, senior Hannah Villanueva said that, “I became more confident in my game after playing with other experienced girls and mimicking their skills.” On Mondays and Wednes-days, conditioning focuses on getting back into shape, training for endurance with some good, old-fashioned running. On Tues-days and Thursdays, the ladies bring their mouth guards, goggles and lacrosse sticks, because on these days, conditioning focuses on stick skills. They meet behind the old gym at 3:15, by the girls’ locker room, so don’t be bashful; come out to play with them!

It is always fun to attend the sporting events that Dublin High has to offer, especially now that the winter sports such as soc-cer, basketball, and wrestling are beginning. However, another sport has now joined the winter sports ranks. Dublin High’s new hockey club has started its season. The club began meeting during the begin-ning of this school year, and they have worked to build a full team. Although hockey may not seem to be a big sport in this area, you might be surprised by the amount of students you see around cam-pus out on the ice.

The Gaels recently had their first game against California High School at Dublin’s own Dublin Iceland. There was a great turnout in Dublin fans to watch the game on Sunday, and those who came were not disappointed by what they saw. The puck dropped at 6:00 PM, with Dublin in blue jer-seys and Cal in orange. The first period proved to be a slow start for Dublin, ending in a score of 3-1 with Cal High in the lead. However by the second and third quarter, the Gaels picked up their pace, and came back strongly. They ended the game with a winning score of 16-6.

The top scorers were Spencer Schoech with six goals, Nathan Lundberg with three goals, and Brad Friedman with three goals. Jake Minton and Johnny Garrity contributed to the offense as well with three and five assists respec-tively. It was also Andre Moyce’s first time in goal, and his team-mates expressed their opinions that he did a great job. Team Captain Spencer Schoech remarked that “Dublin High’s first ever hockey game was awesome, we had a lot support from our school and we are not going to stop winning.” Senior Nathan Lundberg also added, “We have a strong team and I’m looking forward to a good season.” Whether or not you have been a hockey fan in the past, you might as well see what excitement the Dublin High team has to offer. There are plenty more games coming up in the next couple months, and the decision to check one of them out will not be regret-ted. The team was very impressed by how much support they got on Sunday, and they are hoping that it continues to grow down the road. We wish them luck with the rest of their season.

GAELS from page 1 This momentum was soon gone as two plays later senior quarter-back Edward Achziger was pres-sured and had his pass picked off by Vince Valdes, who returned the ball to the end zone for a 7-0 Windsor lead. The Gaels were unable to gener-ate enough offense to counter the strong defensive line of the Jaguars as they were able to both create pressure, and prevent any type of run from breaking loose. With 6:13 left in the second quarter the that pressure forced an errant throw by Achziger which was picked off by Derek Hensley of Windsor. Windsor turned this interception into points with a 25 yard pass that put the Jaguars up by 14 with 3:57 left in the half. The Jaguars later capped off the half with a 2-yard run by McAlvin to put the Jaguars up 21-0.

The Jaguars were able to tack on two more touchdowns in the second half, and put an end to the season that had taken hold of the whole community. The Gaels finished with an 8-5 record, a tre-mendous improvement with a new coaching staff, and a new system that was put in place. The Dublin community embraced the changes of the coaching staff, the new logo and made Gaels stadium the place to be on Friday nights. This football team has left the community with many memories: Taking down Alhambra for the homecoming game, the 40-0 thrashing of Dougherty Valley, and no one can forget the thrilling overtime victory at College Park. The football team has left an im-print on the community, a lasting imprint that will grow with years to come.

Down1. “Gross!”2. What you do at a the table3. A drink served hot or iced4. Not “no”5. Something that rings 6. Overcast7. Keeps ears warm8. Keeps neck warm9. Colorful in Fall10. Frosty11. Casual greeting12. Not day15. Loud sound16. coldest time of year17. Make you laugh18. Type of man that wears blue tights19. Great present from Nintendo

Across1. January 12. What you do to a landing3. “_____” what?”4. Autumn5. Sweets6. Enjoyable10. Winter clothing11. Frequently12. Frilly13. Immediately14. Let it __________!15. Not hers16. Time off from school17. Not down18. Location19. Result of laughter20. Popular name for a dog

Fall/Winter Crossword by SuperSibs.org

ABOVE: A brave Gael races to beat a Cal player to the puck.

ABOVE: Players huddle together for a pregame talk.

LEFT: Dublin defends against the knights

Sports 5 The Dublin Shield Campus Life

Your Bully is Our ProblemBy Paolo Cordero

On SelfGrowth.com: The On-line Self-Improvement, Monique MacKinnon wrote her article, “The softer side of business bullying: 3 steps to empowering yourself”. According to her, the 3 steps followed: acknowledge your fear, think of a bully you have attracted into your life, and confront your bully. Although MacKinnon’s targeted audience were the adult business people, high-school students can easily incorporate her advice into their own bullying experience.Step 1: Acknowledge your fear Even as a child, our subcon-

scious perceives a parent’s or adult’s anger projected towards us as a punishment and reinforce-ment. We learn from our mistakes and in response grow to better ourselves . High school bullies, however, are not our parents and their insults, jokes, and abuse only create doubt and fear. High school bullies find their torment by degrading our individuality and flaws from everyone else. The truth is that, there is nothing wrong with being an individual and if you are constantly being harassed and humiliated, you are a victim of bullying. On that note, you must either talk to a friend, a parent, or

an adult on campus to cope with any doubtful and depressing emo-tions you may be feeling.Step 2: Understand your bully There must be another factor that influences your tormentor to commit their tormenting. A bully might actually have a soft side, have insecurities, or a low self-esteem. Maybe they were just raised in a tough and territorial environment, or maybe there is a deep secret beneath that icy skin. So, ask yourself these questions:What past relationship have you had with this bully?Who is he/she friends with, is he/she influenced by the wrong crowd?Does your bully have a difficult life at home?Is your bully a victim of another bully?Step 3: Confront your bully with or without an adult If you have finally evaluated your sense of fear (Step 1) and attempted to interpret the reasons behind your bully’s actions (Step 2) its time to confront your bully in a verbal, individual, violent-free way. At Dublin High School, us students and our teachers always stress a safe environment, and we all have the option to speak one-on-one with our bullies or intervene with our bully’s actions with a teacher by our side. MacKinnon ended her article with these words, “ Remember this practical tip about bullying: If you use your own inner security and self-worth, you can perceive beyond the bully’s threats, as well as past your fear and self-doubt. You will then be able to respond with loving assertiveness and strength.” Great advice that can be applied to any bully-type dilemma.

ABOVE: A case of schoolyard bullying that should not be tolor-tated.

Beauty In the MakingBy David Diaz

ABOVE: Members of Beatury Club sit and practice, while helping to build self-confidence.

Teacher Spotlight: Madame LeaBy Dajah Turner

From her first job being a model for a shampoo commercial and getting an 800 on her math SAT, Mrs. Lea turned into an amazing foreign language teacher. Mrs. Lea grew up in the Bay Area in San Mateo,growing up with her mom and her aunt, being the most influential people in her life after her parents separated. At a young age, Mrs. Lea didn’t want to be a teacher, but a Television News-caster. Getting her major in com-munications at UC Berkeley, she was out of luck with a job because it was before broadcast television was popular. Mrs. Lea taught in Palo Alto, Chi-cago, and Dublin at Wells Middle School in 1987, and then finally DHS in 1992. Mrs. Lea first learned her current foreign language specialty when she was 13 years old. She had a nanny from Nigeria, Africa who taught her French. She fell in love with the language. As Mrs. Lea got older she learned how much

she loved speaking French and working with kids. “It was the best of both worlds,” says Mrs. Lea. She started teaching foreign language at age 20 years old when her old French teacher from high school came down with breast cancer. Since she spoke French, Mrs. Lea substituted for her teacher for the rest of the school year. After that, she never looked back. That fall, Mrs. Lea went to Stanford University with a full scholarship, where she earned her Masters degree in Education after a year. You can now find Mrs. Lea in room M101 doing what she does best, speaking French and teach-ing others this language. There are many things you may not know about this amazing teacher but the most interesting thing is when she was modeling at 20 years old she was 5’11 and 115 pounds. Outside of school Mrs. Lea has a pretty cool life with her husband

Ken and dog Mathilda. She loves all outdoor activities like hiking and biking. With no children Mrs. Lea says, “It was not in the stars for me.” Although, she will stay busy with her 10 nieces and nephews. Volunteering at homeless shelters and clothing drives are some ways of helping Mrs. Lea’s community. She also active in her foreign community like “Doctors with Borders” and Heifer.org, who provide resources for the world’s less than fortunate people. Mrs. Lea has evolved as a teacher in many ways. She’s really tolerant and much more patient, but little things bother her now than before, like when her class complains about too much homework. Mrs. Lea is a sweet, wonderful teacher. She will be here for 5 more years then will retire age 55. She will then start traveling the world with husband Ken. We will miss her!

ABOVE: Ms.Lea and her husband, Ken, a photographer and instructor at UCLA. Credit: Ms. Lea

Sudoku Objective

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to fol-low. In a 9 by 9 square Sudoku game:

+Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order

+Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order

+Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9

Have you ever felt the desire to learn more about yourself, to project an enticing image towards others while boosting self con-fidence? Well, Robyn Rowell (Junior) and many other students who share these ideas have come up with an organization just for you, called The Beauty Club. The first thing I noticed when walking into the Beauty Club was how relaxed and welcoming the members were, I was immediately greeted followed by a brief intro-duction to what the beauty club is all about, and a friendly greeting with the current Club representa-tives. The remainder of the time at the meeting was spent towards giving its newest members basic tips into making your skin look healthier and future dates for the next club meetings. This is Beauty Club’s first year at DHS, and is a student-run club welcoming and influencing both guys and girls to bring “out the beauty in everyone”. The Beauty Club is hosted in Ms. Jacob-Bohart’s room (M113) and she described the Beauty Club, as “not just a club where you learn to put on make up, its a place for girls and guys to come together and discuss there lives like a bunch of friends and learn how to pres-ent and take care of themselves,

which is a very important thing to do in a young teen’s life” When Senior Bayshta Nabizida was asked, about the perks of Beauty Club and its affect as a teenager, she replied “I Love watching Robyn show us amazing makeup tutorials, but it has done more then just teach me how to apply different makeup, its a learn-ing environment like no other here at DHS, and it helps build self confidence.“ There are currently fifteen mem-bers within the Beauty Club and they with more members have open doors for any of those willing to join through the school year. Club President Robyn Rowell explains “We are a very hands on and artistic club, that inspires to teach both girls and guys how to apply awesome makeup. So Come in to M113 and tell your friends too!” Club meetings are scheduled reg-ularly every Tuesday after school in Mrs Jacob-Bohart’s room. Walk ins are greatly appreciated and if there are any questions about the Beauty Club you can contact vice president Lauren flint about the time and date of the next Club meeting or log on to Facebook and become a member of the Beauty Club fan page.

6 The Dublin Shield Campus Life Opinion

The Truth Behind the GaelBy Chandler Bullock

A common folklore among Dub-lin High students is that we are the Gaels because of Saint Mary’s University in Moraga. It is often said that when Dublin High first started in 1967 Saint Mary’s do-nated all of their old equipment to our sports programs, with “Gaels” already stitched on to most of the equipment. In asking both students and par-ents what the Gael was, they often believed that the Gael is a person of Irish descent. But according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary a Gael is “a Celtic especially Gaelic-speaking inhabitant of Ireland, Scotland, or the Isle of Man” A Gael seems to have some association with Ireland, as well as Scotland in the research for what the Gael is. According to Principal Shimizu, the first principal of Don Landers, with an assistant principal named Bob Hagler who was a basketball coach at Saint Mary’s college at the time. Since there were not

ABOVE: The Gael as we know it today. Will it stick around?a lot of funds at the time, “Bob Hagler arranged for Saint Mary’s to donate uniforms for athletes to use. But this meant that our school uniforms had to become red, white, and blue and we had to become the Gaels.” We have been able to differentiate from the Saint Mary’s Gaels in that we made it necessary to have a differ-ent logo. In talking to Athletic Director Shawn McHugh about the Gael and what it meant to him he had mentioned that he has been trying to change the Gael mascot for the last five years in order to get Dub-lin High out of the shadow of Saint Mary’s. But this would be a huge undertaking financially due to the amount of new uniforms that would need to be bought. He also mentioned that there is “a new vibe to the school” which would mean that now is the perfect time for a change. But Dublin High has been the Gaels since 1967 before the

Vietnam war ended, and the Fair Housing Act was implemented. Senior Dan Digirolamo described the Gael as “fierce”, while Sopho-more Jack Nealon mentioned that the Gael is “intimidating”. Nealon expressed his greatest displeasure with the possibility that the mascot be changed with “I wouldn’t like it”. The DHS alumni should also be a key part in this decision. In ask-ing Dublin Social Studies teacher and former Dublin grad, Ms. Car-hart about the chance that there would be a change in mascot, she mentioned that she would be dis-appointed that the Irish connection would be lost. The Gael has always been a staple within the Dublin com-munity, as thousands of students have come out of the one Dublin High School with the distinction of the Gael. To some it is a symbol of Dublin as a community, but does Dublin want the change?

Student SubmittedPoems

Over the trail we blaze! By Andrew PriestleyThey say the apple falls from the tree, But this is false.My path is not written in stone;No one has a plan for me;I have no shoes to fill I stand in no ones shadow but my own.It is my own road that I build, I am not a premade trail.So compare me to another if you choose but I’m telling you now, I am the way I am because I choose it to be so. Point hungry fingers have only one direction to travel, And that is towards me.So abolish your confusion and open your Ears,I am an individual That lacks a guardian angel, For they are myth.But when I decide to make my path a glorious one that others strive to navigate,I shall be a proven legend.

My First Love By Sanah BegumWhen I saw you, I got caught in your eyeswhen I met you, I got hypnotized‘cause of your good looks,it made me feel good insidelet’s go out so there’s nothing to hidebut it’s time to say goodbye,i wish we didn’t break up, ‘cause

Every time I see you, I just can’t thinkhow we’re not together, my heart just sinksover the ocean, like the ship titanicknowing how we’re not together againhave to admit, that I cant liei wish it wouldn’t end like this

Maybe this was a mistakeI really thought you’re the onesomething that will never changeis that you’re the one i truly lovedI try to get over youI do what i can doI try to get you out of my mindsomething tells me that it’s not timeI gave it all, and we fell hardbut, you’ll always be my first love

MART From Page 1off-campus for students to utilize in gaining job skills. Through these experiences, Ms. Phipps says that students “learn what potential employers want, how to dress for the job, not to talk to friends while working, and how to be on time.” In addition to teaching the stu-dents vital occupational skills, the students also really enjoy partici-pating in the program. Tania Gar-cia said, “I enjoy organizing the cart.” “I’ve learned many things, including how to do things myself,” says Gabriella Sandoval, another student in the program. The workability program has already shown promising results. After three years of working in the program, one young student has just been accepted into Las Posi-tas and is studying in their welding

program. Ms. Phipps ensures that her students are making progress by calling them one or two years after graduation to check up on them. If the student is not doing well, Ms. Phipps refers them to career centers, looks for job opportuni-ties, gives them resources, and introduces them to potential col-leges and programs. The workability program at Dublin High uses the Munchie Mart to teach students work skills and give them job experience. Ms. Phipps says that Lisa Pong, DECA advisor, has been “a team player that is fundamental to the work-ability program.” Ms. Pong says that the program has also benefit-ed her as well. “The students do all of the preparation work for the Munchie Mart and I’m allowed to

have my hands free to take care of my own work,” says Ms. Pong. Thanks to the help of the students in the program, she now no longer has to worry about having enough food for the customers or having to constantly replenish her cabinet and fridge. The workability program has been mutually beneficial for both special education students and for students in general education as well. Without the program, students wouldn’t be able to enjoy snacks from the Munchie Mart at passing period or at lunch. Most importantly, the program is vital to helping the special education students gain the work skills and volunteer experience essential to independence.

If you would like to see your poems, artwork, or photos in The Dublin Shield contact Mr. Aminian at aminianbidjan@dublinusd.org or in room M-203.

LEFT: Sad Panda is sad. Artwork. Credit: SnowBoundPanda (deviantart.com)

Sad Panda of the Month: Mr. Aminian would like to send out his deepest regrets for misplacing the email a student sent him with the cute drawing of Pikachu. You were not forgotten, nor ignored! Please resend it and we will find a place for it next issure. Again, he send his sincerest apologies.

7 The Dublin Shield Opinion

Keeping The “Merry Christmas” Spirit AliveBy Jessica Rose

ABOVE: An IHOP window, showing that even local businesses are in support of spreading Christmas cheer. Credit: nickgraywfu

Technology: Help Or Hinder?By Brynne Miller

New technologies are produced every day. We have millions of photos, articles, and games at our fingertips. We can view the world from a simple computer screen. Technology has advanced our world in so many ways. It has aided in global communication between politicians, and even helped us have a small conversa-tion from a room away. Although technology helps us so much, it begs the question: how is technol-ogy affecting our generation? Will our generation lose our indepen-dence to our cravings for technol-

It’s Not Worth ItBy Taylor Weber

Around the holiday season, the question that always comes up is, “Should people be allowed to say ‘Merry Christmas’ during the holidays?” If you ask around, it is guaranteed that you will find people who believe it should and those who believe it should not. Then the question you would have to stop and ask yourself is,“Well, why do people feel the way they do?” Beliefs about the holidays vary from person to person. It could be because of a religion or just because they might prefer saying “Happy Holidays” to “Merry Christmas.” Whatever the reason, one preference should not deter-mine whether or not anyone else can make their own decision. When asked whether they preferred to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” during the holiday season, thirty-five stu-dents out of a class of thirty-seven stated that they would rather say “Merry Christmas.” For the two who did not, it is understandable. Saying “Merry Christmas” could be offensive to them or it could be that they simply like to be

more general in wishing people a happy holiday season. That is their preference, but those who are in charge should not only be appealing to the few students who think differently, and they should pay attention to those who actually have something to say, or show, in this case. Assumptions are always made about things like this by people who do not care to ask why or why not a person feels the way they do, and the assumptions create controversial issues that should not exist. When wishing a “Merry Christ-mas” to friends and teachers on the DHS campus last year, I was told by a couple of teachers that I should be careful with what I say, because some people will find it offensive and complain. What reason do they have to tell me what I can and can not say during the holiday season? It isn’t wrong for peoples’ opinions to differ on this topic. What is wrong is taking away a right that anyone should have. Saying “Merry Christmas” isn’t illegal, so why should it be looked down upon and changed?

Christmas has the word “Christ” in it for a reason. For some people, it is a religious belief, and when they are told that they are not allowed to say it, it is con-sidered offensive. Isn’t it enough that “Christmas Break” has been changed to “Winter Break,” and that what was called a “Christmas Concert,” is now called a “Winter Concert”? The holiday that is most talked about in December, is Christmas. In October, people go around saying “Happy Hal-loween,” and in November people say “Happy Thanksgiving.” Not ev-eryone celebrates those holidays and those who don’t, are tolerant of those who do celebrate them. If we are supposed to be a society of tolerance, then why can we not follow that? If someone is told that they are being offensive in say-ing “Merry Christmas,” then they should stand up and say they are being offended right back. People should be able to make their own personal decision about saying “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holi-days.” It is one of those things that should be the people’s choice. Hope For Less Traffic?

By Celena Lozano

Are you ready for less traffic going to and from school? Well that is what the city of Dublin is working towards on an intersection close to Dublin High. About a month ago, I think we all noticed that there was a new traffic signal being put up on the cross street of Amador Valley Boulevard And Brighton Drive, but did it cross you to wonder why? I’m sure if you are one of those people always stuck in traffic around that area, you had a guess. I use this route to get to and from school everyday so I know how annoying it is to sit and wait at the cross street. When I’m sitting there waiting, I think to myself either, “I’m going to be late to school” or “I want to be home already.” In my opinion, this new traffic signal will be very effective to the traffic and maybe more kids will even be on time to their first period. Maybe I was the only one thinking about the impact the traffic signal will have? Maybe not. I was curious to know what other people were

thinking, or if they even noticed, so I took some time to find out. When I asked sophomore, Britly Ng, how she felt about the new traffic signal she said, “Hopefully the traffic will get better because I’m al-ways stuck in a long line on my way to school before I turn on Brighton.” When asked if she hits a lot of traffic on this point of her route, Tori Shipp, Junior, responded with, “No, because I go to school at 6:30. I didn’t notice the new light, but I’ll look out for it tomorrow.” As of right now, the traffic signal is still not working, but is in progress. As of the middle of November, the construction of the traffic signal was about 95% complete. Due to the four to six week period it will take to provide energy for the traffic signal, it will hopefully be functioning by the end of December. This is accord-ing to Mr. Sbranti, Dublin governor and a teacher here at Dublin High, who got his information from PG&E. Hopefully we’ll see a difference in the traffic when we get back from winter break.

ABOVE: Intersection of Amador Valley Boulevard and Brighton Drive. Credit: Celena Lozano

Recently I was arrested for shoplifting at JC Penny’s. Needless to say, my parents weren’t ex-actly thrilled. Minimal words were spoken to me and I could see the disappointment in their eyes every time I glanced their way. It tore me apart and they couldn’t stand me for what I did. I had no one to blame but myself, it was stupid and selfish and I utterly regret it. Temptation is everywhere and can be completely unavoidable at times, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. When acted on, temptation has the power to diminish friend-ships, destroy families, rupture trust, and break hearts; but only if you let it get that far. Tempta-tion can be a daunting weapon, especially when used to defile the law, but getting arrested and facing those you let down is not worth it and shatters the bonds that you have worked so hard to build. Growing up, there are times when you may think you don’t have as much as you desire, especially when in comparison to those around you. You may think the only way to not feel as though you are not less than others is to take things into your own hands, literally. You steal. You may steal to fill a void that has been left open, because of past or present trag-edies, or you steal because you’re just plain greedy. Regardless of the reason, it happens, sometimes too often for one’s own good. You may think if you do it once, you won’t get caught and move on; but that’s not how it works. You do it once and you’re almost instantly hooked. The adrenaline takes over like a catalyst and you feel an intense rush. You begin to acquire things you could once never afford. However, it doesn’t last. Once you begin to think you’re not going to get caught, that’s

when it happens. Soon a guy stops you in the middle of the mall, pulls out his badge and says the three scariest words a thief will ever hear, “Come with me.” Your stomach drops, your eyes begin to water and you’re reciting your last words to your friends because you know you’re parents are going to kill you when they find out. As you’re sitting alone waiting for the police to arrive, you think back to the beginning and realize how stupid and selfish you were.You’re shaking, biting your nails and trying your hardest to keep yourself to-gether, but as soon as you’re alone you completely breakdown and feels as though nothing will ever be okay again. Stealing is a rush and once you start it’s almost impossible to stop without a good reason. Getting ar-rested was my reason to stop, but how many of you want it to go that far? It’s not worth it by any means.

ABOVE: It’s not worth going to Jail. Credit: http://media.pho-tobucket.com/image/jail/sheli-lahtheguide/Jail.jpg?o=45:

ogy? Apple recently released the iPod 4S, featuring Siri, a program which you can talk to, which will under-stand, answer your questions, and even carry on a conversation. Ryan McRee, a junior, said about Siri on his iPhone 4s, “it actually responds very [human-like]; it’s really impressive how realistic it is. If I need to look something up on the Internet, I’ll ask Siri, and she’ll find it for me.” This new feature allows stu-dents to complete assignments more easily, but it can also easily

distract them. Many students are against the fact that cell-phones and other technology use is prohibited in the classroom. “We are trying to help students learn technology etiquette,” said Mrs. Young on this topic. “Technol-ogy can help if it is used correctly and wisely.” Most teenagers have easy ac-cess to camera phones these days. A big problem with our generation is “sex-ting.” “Sex-ting” is sending racy pictures of yourself or others or even having an off-color conversation. “What students don’t realize is that even having a racy picture on their phone is possession of child pornography. They can get arrested for it,” says Mrs. Young. “Some students have to learn hard lessons.” Cellphones are not the only is-sues for our generation. Facebook is also becoming a problem. Companies are beginning to do “Facebook background checks.” If they find something that concerns them on someone’s page, it could keep them from a job. “There is a such thing as a ‘cy-ber citizenship.’ It’s knowing what to communicate, how to communi-cate, and where. Some things are just not meant to be shared like that,” says Mrs. Young. The point of this article is not to down-grade technology. Technol-ogy has positively advanced our civilization so much. “We have infinite amounts of information at our fingertips, and worldwide communication instantly,” states Mrs. Young. “Technology is great. We just need to take it with a grain of salt.”

ABOVE: iPhone 4S with its innovative new application, Siri. Credit: Google

8 The Dublin Shield Friday December 16, 2011

What Are You Most Excited About For The Holidays?By Stephanie Lam

“I’m most excited about the money flowing out of the pockets of my friends and family into my hands.”

-Alan Poindexter

“I am most excited about see-ing my family and hopefully getting an iPhone 4S.”

-Wana Kohistani

“I’m most excited for winter break because it means there’s no school and I don’t have to see people I don’t like.”-Veronica Highsmith

“I’m most excited about our two week break-- relaxing, sleep-ing in, and getting to enjoy time with family and friends.”

-Lyzandra Nieves“I’m most excited about seeing fam-ily, visiting friends and lots of pres-ents Christmas day.”

-Justin Tatum

Happy 18th Birthday Austin Ogden! We love you!Love, Mom, Dad, and Liliana

Happy Birthday Austie!Love, Becca

Managing EditorChandler Bullock

Layout EditorsStephanie Lam

Minu SonaliCelena Lozano

News EditorJasmine Virk

Opinion EditorAnnette Sommers

Natalie Miller

Entertainment EditorMichael Nguyen

Taylor Weber

Sports EditorKyle Dayton

Kathleen Walker

Campus Life EditorPaolo Cordero

David Diaz

Photo EditorLauren FlintJessica Rose

Artwork EditorDajah Turner

Distribution ManagerHalai Arghandiwal

Public Relations ManagerSwarna Lnu

Advertising ManagerBrynne Miller

AdviserBidjan Aminian

Editor-in-ChiefLauren Koa

The Dublin Shield Staff

Mission Statement: The Dublin Shield is Dublin High’s exclusive student-run newspaper with the intent to inform the community of what is happening on and off campus. We provide entertain-ing and factual articles to educate and enlighten our peers. Through the dedication and hard work of our staff, we pro-duce a well organized monthly news periodical. We strive for journalistic excellence in all of our endeavors and hope to produce a product that satisfies our readers.

Helping Out This Holiday SeasonBy Natalie Miller

ABOVE: Dublin Students help pose while helping out. Are you hoping to get on Santa’s “Nice List” this Christmas? One way to do so is to get involved with charities. You can do some-thing nice for someone less fortu-nate this year and earn a check next to your name from the fat man.This year, Dublin High held a clothing drive for the community. Students turned in their gently used clothes and shoes into their first period. The clothes were due by December 1st so if you missed that deadline, don’t worry, you still have plenty of opportunities to skip the naughty list this year. If you have clothes that you’d like to get rid of, you can always donate them to thrift stores. Shepherd’s Gate is a great thrift store, located in Livermore, to donate your clothes and find great

deals. Shepherd’s Gate helps sup-port homeless and abused women and children on their road to a new life. They not only raise funds but they provide job training for women who are trying to get back on their feet. Another thrift store to check out for shopping or donation purposes is Goodwill. Goodwill’s mission is to, “enhance the dignity and qual-ity of life of individuals, families and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential through the power of work.” You can get involved with Goodwill by shopping, donating household items or clothing or by volunteering your time. The nearest Goodwill is located here in Dublin, next to the Payless in the

Dublin Plaza Shopping Center. Alameda County Community Food Bank is another great way to get involved in the community. You can get together with some friends and head over to the Food Bank and sort food! Now, it may not sound very exciting but it’s for a good cause. You sort, screen, box and shelve food items. These boxes are then distributed to the Food Bank’s partner agencies. If you’re up for a bit of a drive, you can head to Oakland or San Francisco and volunteer at Moth-er’s Kitchen. Mother’s Kitchen cooks and serves hot lunch meals to the poor and homeless. The Oakland soup kitchen feeds about 120 persons per day, 75% are homeless. Even doing something small can help in a big way. Next time you enter the mall to do some Christ-mas shopping, don’t ignore those bell ringers with the red bucket. Drop some coins or a couple of dollars in. Anything, no matter how small, helps. So, get involved in the community and help out the less fortunate, homeless, and poor people out there. Doing these things can earn you a spot on Santa’s “Nice List” this year but another great reason is just to be nice and spread holiday cheer. The holiday season is a time for giving, so this year, give more, and you’ll end up receiving more.