Cheerleaders and Dance team

perform live

By Julianne BurnetteStaff Writer

At a quick glance, 15 students are in Madame Teresa Marsh-ment’s tutorial session. Some are finishing their homework, mak-ing up a test, or getting French help from Marshment.

Scenes like this are becoming less and less frequent as students decide to spend their tutorial time elsewhere. Many students spend the time relaxing and hanging out with friends.

“Does anyone ever make use of tutorial?” asked junior Louie Chen.

His rhetorical question rep-resents the attitude of some students regarding the weekly 30-minute block, which many

treat as an extended break.Chen might have a point. Dur-

ing tutorial, it seems like the courtyard is just as full as dur-ing break or lunch. Students mill around, talking with their friends or eating snacks from the vending machines.

Statistics seem to support this idea.

“Eighty to 85% of the student population is hanging out in the courtyard, or trying to sneak off campus, etc,” said Principal Lisa Garcia.

Tutorial is useful for many students who are using the time to study for tests or finish home-work.

“Sometimes I do my homework if I need to finish up,” said senior James Son.

By Esther LeeStaff Writer

This graph shows the percentages of what students do during tutorial. Statistics were taken from a poll of 100 students.

eSther lee / Staff Writer

31%23%

6%

30% 10%

By Kevin HanleyStaff Writer

The 2006-2007 school year has come, with the small learn-ing communities in full swing. By the fall of 2009, every CVHS student will be signed up in an academy.

Some are elated at the ad-vancement of this program, while others are concerned about the problems it may bring.

“We have students that are feeling connected to teachers and other students,” science teacher and academy director Richard Schneck said proudly. “They’re not lost.”

With high hopes to expand and give students a chance to gain focus and explore their options for life after high school, those involved in the academy program believe it is a good place to start and help students.

Encouragingly, there is a $950,000 grant dedicated to advancing the program, specifi-cally for teacher and adminis-trator coaching, rewriting cur-riculums and academy-focused field trips.

“The kids in my classes have a focus,” said sophomore and art academy student Rebecca Marshall. “It makes the classes better.”

However, some people have worries about what effects the small learning communities are having. “The concept is great,”

said John Petersen, a science and academy teacher. “But teaching [an academy class] has some-times proven difficult.”

Some students expressed frus-tration at the class requirements for joining an academy, while others said they just weren’t interested in any of the offered topics.

“If you have an interest in the area, I think you should be able to [take part in an academy],” said sophomore artist Amy King. “I wasn’t able to take the art academy because I wasn’t in Art 3-4, which I took last year.”

Teachers, even those with doubts, are making an effort to make the most of their classes.

“I think as they continue do-ing it, the program will get bet-ter and better,” said social studies teacher Ed Burnette.

“I think we do a disservice to a lot of students at this school,” said Mona Kreuzer, a lead teacher for the business academy. “We aren’t currently teaching students life skills - the stuff that will make them suc-cessful.”

Many people believe that the academy program will solve this problem that has plagued the CVHS campus.

“People don’t really know what it is yet,” commented Petersen. “Why not try it, if it could work? Our [ultimate] pur-pose is the education of young people.”

There will be three new classes added to CVHS as part of the academies program.

Within the Health Academy, Pre-nursing/EMT will be a new course, taught by Elaine Gardener while the Art Academy will of-fer Graphic Design, taught by Jo Sutton. Larry Weiss will teach an class on Engineering and Construction Materials.

“This is the first wave of many new classes we want to bring to CVHS,” said science teacher Richard Schneck. “These classes were brought forward after a stu-dent survey. The goal is to have

all students find a class or area of interest they can enjoy.”

Along with the classes will be many new activities, as well.

“Pre-nursing/EMT will have many guest speakers and feature an internship component that al-lows students work at hospitals,” said Gardener.

Concerning engineering and construction, Weiss said, “This class will show students the various career opportunities in the construction and engineering industry. This class will cover jobs that require a five-year ap-prenticeship for jobs that require a 4 year engineering degree, and everything in between.”

Students seemed fairly divided

in their academy opinions.Freshman Leanna Chavez said,

“I think the academies are pretty awesome. They let students take classes about what they’re inter-ested in and let friends take classes together.”

Negative opinions about the academies still arose amidst all the praise.

“I think the academies segregate kids into groups so they don’t get much variety,” said junior Andrew Huber.

Whether they want it or not, more students will be placed into new academies. This semester’s new classes are just the beginning of that process. As a result, more academies will be added as well.

Romance is in the

See page 8 for more

Valentine's Day photos!

Saritha KoSaruSSavadi / Photo editor

VOLUME 50, ISSUE 6 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2007 VALENTINE'S DAY CASTRO VALLEY, CA 94546

Pg. 7

Getting tough on cutters and latebirds

Save your money - save the world!

By Flora TsangEditor-in-ChiEf

The Olympian is a student publication of the Journalism Class, Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2007

Editor-In-Chief..............................................Flora TsangCity Editor................................................Mari Robinson News Editor......................................................Gray BaeOpinion Editor..................................................Ellen YauFeature Editor.............................................Kamry ZhangSports Editor.............................................Malena Bell Copy Editors..............................................Dawn Berden Kyle Friedrich Photo Editor..................................Saritha KosarussavadiSystems Manager..............................................Gray BaeBusiness Managers................................Michelle Matsui Candace Wong

Staff Writers: Tim Buhlig, Julianne Burnette, Sophiana Carrell, Becky Chao, Hayden Folks, Kevin Hanley, Amber Kury, Esther Lee, Stephanie Lombardo, Laura Mitchell, Ariel Navarro, Chris (Hongzhe) Qian, Sholeh Salimi, Alexandra Shiluk

Advisor......................................................Matt Johanson

Editorial:

COMPILED BY JULIANNE BURNETTE

PHOTOPiniOnsPHOTOPiniOnsPHOTOPiniOns

“It’s reasonable. Why not? People

should go to class.” – Walter Kaneshiro,

freshman

“It’s fair, but there are students who try to go

to school, but don’t end up meeting the require-

ments.” – Ernesto Garcia, junior

“It’s a good incentive for kids to go to class on time. Going to a dance

is a privilege.” – Caitlin Lushington, sophomore

“I think it’s fair, so that students will take school more seriously. They’ll appreciate the dances a

lot more.” – Laurel Shannon, senior

What do you think of the new dance atten-dance policy, which doesn't allow

students with excessive tardies and absences into the dances?

Currently at CVHS, stu-dents who have incurred at least ten tardies or five cuts are not permitted to at-tend dances. Some of these students get the option of attending a Saturday school to make up the missed class time.

This chance, however, is not always available. The decision is made by an as-sistant principal, on a case-by-case basis. Those who have more than 30 tardies or ten cuts in a single quarter are not given the opportunity to attend a Saturday school

I have a confession to make. Please, don’t laugh at me, but...I’ve only stepped into Ab-ercrombie and Fitch for a grand total of (drum roll, please) one time. I don’t carry any Coach purses nor do I own any cloth-ing from Hollister.

Looking around at my peers at school, I seem to be part of the minority.

Flying eagles, seagulls and moose follow me from class to class. The word ABERCROM-BIE screams at me from tote bags and sweatshirts. I don’t really understand, though. Why in the world do teenagers spend so much money on clothing, and not think twice about it?

Undoubtedly, clothing is nec-

make-up. We at The Olympian

believe that this is, for the most part, a fair and reason-able policy for our school to have.

Dances, and any other after-school activities are a privilege for the students, not a right. Our primary focus should be on our academic progress. Attending a dance is secondary to learning, so when students fail to take the most basic steps toward get-ting an education (attending school), there is no reason for them to be allowed to attend dances.

Also, the students at this school were aware of this

policy beforehand. We all know that ditching class and being late all the time has its consequences. Why should those who diligently attend class, and those who seem not to care about their courses at all have the same privileges?

The answer is, well, they shouldn’t. We have all been forewarned. If you don’t go to class, you won’t be going to the dances. Our actions have consequences, and we should all take responsibil-ity for what we do. While those who are restricted by this may not like it, they can hardly claim that it is unfair.

T h e F l o r a F a c t o ressary, and to buy high-priced, high quality clothing is fine; however, if the only reason the clothing is expensive is because there’s a moose on it, then that seems absolutely crazy. Don’t get me started on ripped jeans, either – a fad that I hope will end very soon. There’s no difference between buying that and buying a stained shirt. They’re both blem-ished and defective.

I realize that shopping is fun (and probably a favorite sport for many students), and that buying nice things yields happy thoughts. But do we ever stop and think about how materialistic American society really is?

Without the coolest new hot pink cell phone and the hottest, newest Jordans on us, it seems as if we can’t go on with life. Without a doubt, teenagers today thrive on having fashionable possessions.

During the commercial break of another episode of Pimp My Ride, one might notice yet another commercial from an organization that’s trying to raise money for a good cause.

We’ve all seen them before – little girls and little boys in Af-rica or Asia who are all skin and bones, with big, sad eyes staring at the faces of the viewers. Then the nice, old man comes on and tells

us that if we only donate a mere $20, we can sponsor one of the lovely children for a year, providing them with a life with food and clothing.

What? $20? That’s way too much, or so we claim. Then, we change the channel and focus our atten-tion back to My Super Sweet 16, which flaunts loaded teenage girls who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their sweet sixteen birthday parties. These shows, my friend, are the epitome of American materialism.

Imagine the possibilities. How much could a school like CVHS fundraise if each student pledged to buy one less piece of clothing and instead, set aside a fund to raise money for a worthy cause?

Our school consists of, more or less, 2,900 students. If each student bought one less shirt valued at $15, our school would raise roughly $43,500, which would potentially sponsor 2,170 children in need. This is an idea. Will it actually come through and happen? It’s doubtful.

But the next time you pick up a cute shirt, or trendy pair of Uggs, think about those children. Don’t conform to the materialism of those around you, but step out to make a difference with whatever you’ve been so blessed with so far.

Those children are still out there. And they’re still hungry.

By Michelle MatsuiBusiness Manager

Role-play still active in adulthood

This is absolutely absurd! At first, I could not believe the words that I heard, shaking the very foundations of my beliefs. It cannot be, I thought. I must figure out the truth.

Onward I ventured, desperately hoping for someone, anyone, to dispel the lies playing in my mind. After finding some female students, I earnestly asked them the one question that would change my life: Do you like good guys, or bad guys?

Calm yourself, I thought, but the results inevitably stayed the same. Girls prefer the “bad” boy to the good one. How can this be? Why hadn’t I been told of this earlier? Can I still get a girlfriend?

Yes, with so many questions, I delved into the curiosities of the female mind. “In economic terms, there is an extremely high demand for scarce human resources.” said senior Kamry Zhang. But even they could not precisely explain the attraction of a bad boy.

No one, save my amigos, could answer this question. They ex-plained that women prefer to be controlled. If they’re right, I guess I’ll have to be a eunuch for the rest of my life.

The desire to scream coursed through my entire body, sup-pressed momentarily by one question: is this true? With the information I gathered, all the pieces strangely, yet logically fit together.

However beaten I felt, I could not accept this. Why should my chances be lowered just for be-ing who I am? Surely I have not harmed anyone, and yet, I will inevitably fail because of it.

In all this, I tried to figure out why. There must be more to it than just the appeal. What is it about “bad” boys that attracts females so much?

All my life, there was just me and my dreams and the desire to help everyone and bring smiles to their faces. That apparently seems to be my greatest flaw. Perhaps the answer lies in the thrill. Whenever people think of a good boy, do they think of adventure? No, they think of a goody-two shoes without any of that danger and excitement within them.

If that is the main problem, I must tell you that not all good boys are boring. If given a chance, all males have that “bad boy” side of us that can take you on an adven-ture you will never forget.

It was a Friday night and as a teenager, I would have loved to hang out with my friends or at least stay home and watch a movie after a long week of school.

But what did I end up doing? I was forced to go to a boring housewarming party full of middle-aged men and women where everyone was talking about business, and prejudiced sexist stereotypes were rein-forced .

And after two hours of sitting

By Gray Baenews editor

at the dining table staring at my plate, about to die of boredom, I had to wash an insane amount of dishes with the other wom-en at the party. During this time, the men were merely lounging on the couch talk-ing about work or sports. What a picturesque scene of a typi-cal family… from fifty years ago!

Just the fact that I had to work at a party

LETTERS To the Editor

Dear Editor,

The problem with people today is that they don’t hold themselves accountable for their own actions. The article last month “Girls need not be boy toys” states that society has “brainwashed” girls into treat-ing guys like they are royalty.

If girls can’t take responsibility for their own actions, then who can?

The article concludes that a girl feels obligated to change her entire being in order to get a guy to like her.

Let me point out the ridiculous-ness of this statement: does this mean that girls date guys just in order to dump them? Or does she not have the foresight to see that a guy doesn’t like her? Is she so ignorant and blind to the facts that she can’t see reality? I find that no-tion difficult to accept about any girl. In fact, the girls I know are anything but blind.

I know a lot of great actors, but

very few of them can change their total personality for eternity. If girls feel that they have to change in order to get a guy to like them, then aren’t they just dating the guy for a little while, if they can’t hold onto that change for life?

If a girl is stupid enough to think that she is inferior to a guy, then she probably is. In addition, if she is stupid enough to think that she needs to act inferior to a guy for him to like her, then she should dump that guy, since he is more of a moron than she is if she is the only one dancing the tango of love. He is the real loser, since he doesn’t even like the girl.

If girls want a guy to like them, then why don’t they be themselves, because that’s who they are? Don’t try and get a guy to like you if he doesn’t like you, and just feels su-perior through a temporary act that you put on. Just don’t blame the guy, you’re the one that is putting on the charm, and he’s just dumb enough to fall for it.

Andrew Huber, junior

Dear Editor,

I would like to comment on two articles that appeared in the Jan. 25 issue of The Olympian.

First, I applaud you for the stance you took in your editorial (“Mandatory service does a body good”). I have long thought that all young Americans should complete some type of national service. We are so blessed to live in a country that affords us the opportunities we have.

However, I fear that with each generation since the founding of this nation there has been a steady increase in a complacency and ego-centrism that only serves to threaten the future of the quality of life we enjoy.

I believe that my generation has spoiled its children and not done enough to encourage a sense of commitment to improving the quality of life for themselves and others.

I know first hand what it means

to serve your country and make a sacrifice for a cause (even if you may disagree with it in principle); my son, who is in the Army and a 2002 graduate of CVHS, is cur-rently on a second tour of duty in Iraq, stationed in Baghdad.

Secondly, I take issue with a statement made in the article entitled “Minority clubs unite to motivate.”

The article stated, “The leader-ship class has a small fraction of minorities, disheartening many of the minority population at CVHS.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

As the leadership class teacher, I offer you these statistics from my class roster: 52.5% Caucasian (less than the total school percentage), 25% Asian, 12.5% Hispanic, 7.5% African-American, 2.5% Middle Eastern. It distresses me when comments are made without of-fering the statistics to support the assertions.

Linda LittleDirector of Student Activities

Service for spoiled generation Don’t play blame game

But how can guys wear

pink in pub-lic, saying that only real men wear pink, if

they can’t help with a few chores...?

“

”I didn’t want to be at was bad enough, but the prejudice that I was subject to for being of the female variety was enough to make me gag.

In this day and age, many hope or like to believe that men and

women have f i n a l l y b e -come equals, and that the ridiculous no-tions that men “bring home the bacon” and that women “belong in the kitchen” have finally been shattered. Unfortunate-ly, these sexist i d e a l s s t i l l exist and are still practiced in even the most equal of

households. In my house, my parents share

the responsibility of doing house-hold chores equally.

They both work all day and

have a joint income to support our family.

However, during the holidays or social events, my mom is trapped in the kitchen cooking and clean-ing while my dad sits out with the guests and talks. And I wonder to myself: why is it that this only happens to pretty much all fami-lies during parties?

Unfortunately, men and women still have a subconscious propen-sity for gravitating towards their expected destinations when there are others around.

It seems as if guys feel the need to prove to others that they are indeed manly and women end up falling into their stereotypes either out of habit or because they can’t stand to see the dirty dishes just lying around.

But how can guys wear pink in public, saying that only real men wear pink, if they can’t help with a few chores in front of others as well?

Men are expected to be stronger than women and a re looked down upon and crit icized if they (gasp!) lose to a girl.

T h i s c r e a t e s one of the worst dilemmas for guys when they compete against a girl. If they win, then who cares, they only beat a girl. But if they lose, they lost to a girl, so basi-cally they lose either way.

For girls, this stereotype can be either beneficial or detrimental.

In certain events, if a girl were to do badly, they can always simply say, “Oh well, I’m a girl. We can’t do that anyway.”

Even I have used this excuse to make up for when I can’t throw, or when I am unable to open a jar of jam.

Lowered expectations for girls also help to glorify female accom-plishments because the public is so surprised by their success.

However, these same expecta-tions demean women and make it seem as if women are inferior to men for one reason or another.

By this time, we as a society should be able to get past these sexist stereotypes and recognize the equality of men and women. This may lead to some disappoint-ments for some who use these ste-reotypes to their advantages, but at least men might get off their butts to help clean up once in a while.

Girls, give the good guy a chance!

What’s wrong with the “good guy,” huh?

“

”

The...Choir had started a

conga line and a mosh pit in front of the stage.

Campaign against gang violence in school

Chapel concert raises the roof

Drugs? Violence? Gangs? The new Aquarius Project is on a mis-sion to tackle all those down.

“The Aquarius Project is a program…to make available the appropriate resources, to provide employment opportunities, and anti-violence programs to…youth, and to educate…so that these youth will be inspired to make a positive impact in their communities,” reads the mission statement of the group, an anti-gang/violence youth service organization currently as a “boys’ group.”

The Aquarius Project was founded and run by Hewitt Joyner, who implemented the extremely successful anti-gang/youth vio-lence program. Joyner has now turned to the Bay Area, involved in anti-violence and gang preven-tion services for schools.

Joyner is currently under con-tract with CVHS, giving presenta-tions to “at risk youth” and other students who may be influenced into thinking that some of the

negative aspects of “hip-hop culture” like gangs, violence, and drugs are cool.

The presentations, say Assistant Principal Jesse Woodward are all about “showing the effects, such as prison, of different lifestyle decisions - getting involved in violence, gangs, and drugs…and showing students the realities of a violent lifestyle.”

As there is “not too much of a gang problem” at CVHS, it’s here to keep boys out of gangs and showing them that the violence they might see in videos or hear in rap songs is not desirable for their own lives, no matter how cool it may seem.

Instead, the 30 or so boys who currently attend Project Aquarius meetings once a month are pointed towards going to college and get-ting involved in positive activi-ties.

Woodward says that The Aquar-ius Project meetings are “open to anyone,” and interested students can learn more about the goals and history of The Aquarius Project at www.aquariusproject.org.

Junior Michael Batis takes a test drive with the go cart he built with classmates for a science project.

Kamry Zhang / Feature editor

As an overwhelming crowd of people jumped up and started “raising the roof” in the Redwood Chapel during the Light the Lights show, I looked around myself to double-check that I was in the right place.

On Feb. 2, a large group of people, mostly over the age of 50, packed into the crowded Chapel to fill all the orchestra-level seating to take part in Light the Lights, an annual event devoted to raising money for the Center for the Arts. This year the beloved event raked in almost $3,000.

The famous maestro Michael Morgan emceed the show as the CVHS Symphonic Band opened the performance with “American Fanfare,” kicking off the patriotic-themed night.

Canyon Middle School Choral Ensemble then performed “What’d I Say: A Tribute to Ray Charles.” The lovely medley included the songs “Georgia On My Mind” and “Hallelujah, I Love Her So,” with beautiful, smooth transitions linking the songs. At the medley’s

end, I heard a man seated behind me say, “Ray Charles never sang it like that!”

The Creekside Middle School

By Sophiana CarrellStaff Writer

Choir sang the religious song “Steady My Tremblin’ Soul.” Decked out in full blue and gold choir robes, displaying their school colors, the ensemble hit the gospel notes with precision.

Both choirs then united, barely able to fit on the stage, to sing “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” and the strong voices of the two choirs combined to create a highly enjoyable piece.

The CVHS Symphony Orches-

tra and A Cappella Choir took to the stage and performed an unforgettable version of Battle of Jericho, receiving cheers and a standing ovation.

Though the Castro Valley schools’ performances were entertaining, they couldn’t even prepare the audience for the main event of the evening: the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir.

Immediately, the gospel choir captivated the entire audience with their rich-toned vocals and teal and purple robes. Moving perfectly in-synch with the vari-ous rhythms, the group had the whole audience clapping and cheering by the third song. And by the fifth song, the A Cappella Choir had started a conga line and a mosh pit in front of the stage. The technical crew at the Chapel even turned on the lights so that people could dance in the aisles.

I noticed, as the church pews vibrated with musical beats, that there was an unbelievable spiri-tual vibe throughout the build-ing. I never could imagine that a concert, let alone one that usually caters to an older audience, could be so uplifting and invigorating.

By Laura MitchellStaff Writer

Happy Valentine’s Day from The Olympian..

The paper needs loving too. Please recycle this issue.

Actor, lawyer, priest, coach, and teacher – math teacher Martin Wal-dron has done it all.

Born in Ireland, Waldron was

By Chris QianStaff Writer

Multifaceted Martin

In the terrific completion of Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus Trilogy, Ptolemy’s Gate combines

Regina Spektor’s music is dif-ferent from any other artist’s music in the pop, and indie world. Every moment I listen to her songs, I am intrigued and amazed at how this experimental rock artist can so eas-ily captivate her audience.

With a new goal of getting into the pop scene, Regina Spektor has shocked many of her old time fans with her quite “poppy” and non-original new album, Begin

to Hope. Although the songs are much

more “poppy,” Regina still man-aged to create her new album with captivating style and lyrics.

determined to become a Catholic priest and spread the word of God. He chose Biafra as his destination and served there as a mis-sionary in the late 1960s.

A civil war broke out in Nigeria that led to the cre-ation of Biafra, a country that existed for only three years, 1967-1970. The war brought famine and mass murder to its citizens in that region.

Waldron helped poor women and children suf-fering in Biafra by provid-ing them food and shelter. Yet his reward contains no love or sympathy. After the Nigerian government regain control of the occu-pied area, Biafra, they put

Second album in the slums

Waldron under house arrest for a month and accused him of helping the rebels.

After escaping persecution in Biafra, Waldron came to America because “It was an opportunity for me.”

After falling in love with a woman, Waldron decided to give up his position as a priest.

“Love liberated me,” explaining how he got married.

Waldron has also been a teacher

By Amber KuryStaff Writer

for more than 30 years. He taught students in Oakland and Fremont before he came to CVHS as a ge-ometry and algebra teacher. He has a passion for sharing his knowl-edge to the future generation.

Students remember him as more

than just a great teacher, but as a friend as well.

“Brother Waldron is definitely one of a kind. It’s not often you meet a man who leaves an impact everywhere he goes,” said senior Jodi Tam. “His vivacity holds his students’ attention, making him one of the most exceptional teachers here. A man like him deserves much recognition for his intelligence, generosity, and

integrity.” As a hobby, Waldron also enjoys

acting. He loves the interaction between actors and the audience. He acts in local theaters whenever time allows.

One of his favorite plays is End-game by Samuel Beckett, which he took part in at the Berkeley City Club.

Beside acting and teach-ing, Waldron is also a part-time lawyer.

“My friend said to me: ‘If you spend three to four hours a day in the theater, why don’t you become a lawyer? Because that’s how much time it takes for you to go to law school,’” he explained as his reason for becoming a lawyer.

However, that is not the entire story. Waldron is in-terested in law because he believes helping people is a privilege. Currently, he is still a working lawyer in the field of family law.

Waldron is looking forward to exploring life’s many adventures. However, one thing he regrets is not having an Eng-lish credential, because he loves the beauty of language.

Waldron’s life is a story of pas-sion, betrayal and love but there is still room for more chapters for the future.

“If I had a penny for every mo-ment brother Waldron inspired me, I’d be filthy rich,” said Tam as an honor to Waldron’s work.

an in t r igu ing world of magic and real life is-sues with mag-nificent heart and humor.

I found it to be an exciting and witty adventure of fantasy.

Nathaniel, a young magician, cont inues his quest through t h e p o l i t i c a l world of England, where the gov-ernment is being monopolized by magic-users.

In his new ministry position, he has many new responsibilities and a plethora of conspiracies to

unravel.Bartimaeus, the oppressed djinn

who acts as one of Nathaniel’s many unwilling servants, still has a biting sense of humor and an argumentative spirit, which makes for an abundance of hilari-ous situations.

Characters, old and new, quickly become wound up in the most dia-bolical of the plots against the ma-gician-government that Nathaniel and Bartimaeus have faced yet.

With a hint of seriousness, the third installment brings all of the characters to turning points in their lives, facing them with real-izations and decisions that could make all the difference in the fight to come.

This story is interesting and filled to the brim with an engaging, caust ic humor, without losing any of the essentials of the fantasy genre. Ptolemy’s Gate is a fun and easy read, but may be considered a bit juvenile.

Compared to more realistic and s o m b e r b o o k s i t m a y s e e m

frivolous, but it manages to be entertaining, if not academically stimulating.

I would recommend this book to any fantasy enthusiast who feels like having a really good laugh.

“All around, people looking half dead, walking on the side-walk, hotter than a match ...come-on come-on and dance all night, despite the heat it’ll be al-right,” she sings in the song “Summer in the City.”

When I first heard the album, I was quite bothered. It felt like Regina stopped making her cre-ative songs just to conform to the pop world.

It was disappointing. I wish she had added a few more original and creative songs on her album, for that is truly what made her a memorable artist.

Now she is just like every other pop artist.

M a n y n e w fans have been pulled into her new album. In the U.S., Begin to Hope has sold 160,000 copies. It is available

at music stores like Rasputin and iTunes from $12 to $15. All of the songs are different from each other, which keeps the listener interested.

They songs vary from piano to acoustic and electric guitar. Some parts of the songs are hummed, sung, even sung in different lan-guages, yet they all soothe the ears and mind.

Despite her change in style, this is a great album for new listeners who like rock. It is catchy and fun to listen to. As for old Regina Spektor fans, this album will be disappointing to hear.

ChriS (hong Qian / Staff Writer

An excitingend to a trilogy

By Julianne BurnetteStaff Writer

David Bromme has had a long time passion for basketball; he has been playing since he was a sixth grader. He says that the reason he loves basketball is because “it is fun and fast paced.” When asked what his favorite basket-ball memory was he responded, “I’d have to say, winning the JV title my freshman year.” Bromme says that basketball takes up a lot of his time but on the other hand, it brings him closer to his team-mates. He doesn’t want to do it in the future though: “Naw, I’m too short but it’s fun for now,” he said. Anyone who has seen Bromme play would tell you that height has nothing to do with talent.

S u p e r S a v v y Sp o r ts St a rs

David Broome, junior Mitchell Levi, seniorMegan Lee, sophomoreDash Oliver, sophomore

Ariel Navarro / Staff Writer

Dash did not get his name for no reason. “He’s the fastest kid in the school,” said Mustafa Nawapzada, sophomore. Oliver started running and playing football for CVHS last year. His favorite memory of track is “going to the junior Olympics with my summer league track team, Oakland PAL.” His favor-ite memory of playing football for CVHS is winning last years and this years HAAL championship. Oliver is not only talented but passionate about what he does. Oliver says that he would love to peruse a career in either of these sports. As he said, “whichever works out the best.”

When most kids were eating play-dough, Meagan Lee played soccer. She discovered her love for running track in the sixth grade. Lee said that her favor-ite part of playing soccer is “the competition. I’m naturally a very competitive person.” Her favorite part of running track is the friends she has made. She has many fond memories in her sport career, like goofing off on the bus ride with her teammates on her way to a track competition. Lee is focused on the future and says that she would love to run track for UC Davis. She says that playing soccer and run-ning relieves her stress and helps her just get through the day.

Mitchell Levi is a multi-talented young man with a history of foot-ball for four years and volleyball for three years. Yes ladies, he is the complete package but alas, he is taken. Levi says that his favorite part of playing football and vol-leyball is “the rush I get when I play.” His favorite memory of playing football is “our 7-3 record this year and all of our wins.” Levi thinks that a future career in foot-ball or volleyball is doubtful but he will not give up hope. Levi loves playing football, as well as volleyball, and describes it as “exhilarating.”

After a long season full of hard work, sweat and discipline, the CVHS boys wrestling team se-cured its third straight HAAL title after easily winning the dual meet against the San Leandro Pirates, 51-18.

The Trojans won seven out of 11 matches and had two forfeit wins.

Leading the team to their wins were senior co-captains Chris Mata, George Montesdeoca and Keoni Bail.

Montesdeoca and Mata both won by decision while Ryden Ishida, Shayne Bonsall and Chris Gascon all won by pins for Castro Valley.

Although San Leandro won a few of the matches, the Trojans

By Stephanie LombardoStaff Writer

Keoni BailSenior Co-Captain

We areprobably the

most in-shape team because we take pride in our condi-

tioning.” continued to pull ahead with more

wins.“I’m really proud of the effort

they gave. They wrestled very hard,” said three-year head coach Josh Wheeler.

The Trojans say that the main reason for their success is their tough conditioning routine. Their endurance helped them win in the third round when their opponents start to get tired.

“We run a lot. We are probably the most in-shape team because we take pride in our condition-ing,” said Bail.

“

Wrestlers win third consecutive HAAL title

Senior Chris Mata struggles with an opponent (right) before forcing him to the ground (above).

After having lost three of their top wrestlers for the majority of the season (including Montes-deoca, Jason Herring and Alex Livingston) the Trojan team has still managed to retain their status as the top wrestling team in the whole league.

“I broke my hand, but I contin-ued to practice. Now I feel like I have to make up for lost time,” said Montesdeoca.

The Trojans took first place in HAAL league, which guarantees them a bid to NCS, where they have high hopes of success.

Stephanie lombardo / Staff Writer

Over 17,000 people were in the audience when the CVHS cheer squad and dance team performed together at a Golden State Warriors game on Jan. 27. Not only that, but the game and a portion of their per-formance were televised live.

“You guys haven’t kicked this hard since…ever,” said cheer coach Sandy Garcia to a few of the girls on the team.

“They did a wonderful job,” said

By Malena BellSportS Editor

dance coach Rob Perri.The two groups worked to-

gether for two months to learn and perfect their routine. The re-sult was an excellent performance that obviously had a lot of effort put into it.

“Everybody did a great job,” said senior Deanna Ott.

The audience was very re-ceptive to the performance and cheered enthusiastically for them when they finished. The girls were thankful to be able to perform at such a major event.

“It’s a really nice privilege to have,” said Ott.

The group also had matching costumes to compliment their performance. They all wore cos-tumes similar to the regular ones worn by the dance team. The costumes were still being finished the night of the performance, and were barely completed in time.

“I’m so happy it’s over…I thought I was going to throw up,” said junior Iesia Sanders, who also said after the performance, “I feel accomplished.”

The dance team and cheer squad teamed up to put on an outstanding performance.ChriS (hongzhE) Qian / Staff Writer

Cheer and dance perform for Warriors fans

Boys soccer shoots goals straight into

Rebel faces

With only one loss so far, the Varsity boys soccer team defeated San Lorenzo High in a decisive 3-0 victory on Feb. 2.

Even though both powerful teams of the HAAL played hard, at the end of the first half neither had managed to score.

Shortly into the second half the Trojans took the lead with a goal by senior Kurt Thompson, followed by two more goals, clinching a major victory for the school’s team.

“We did pretty good,” said player

Ben Tripp. “We had a pretty tough first half, but we really got it together in the second half and took the lead.”

The team has been doing well this season, but both players and coaches agree that it has had some difficulty.

“Our loss to Bishop O’Dowd is hurting us,” said Tripp.

“We’ve been doing well, but not as well as we could be do-ing,” said coach Al Peacock.

Still, this victory is very ben-eficial for the team.

“This win is huge,” said Pea-cock. “San Lorenzo is a good team.”

Whether the team will attend NCS this year is a “wild card” according to Tripp.

“Bishop O’Dowd has to lose or tie in their next game and we have to win all our upcoming matches,” he said.

By Kevin HanleyStaff WritEr

J.D. James makes a crucial block in the Trojans’ battle against the Rebels.

StEphaniE lombardo / Staff Writer

Compiled by Mari RobinsonCity Editor

“Well, I already have my dream girl, and she’s very pretty and has a good sense of humor and has a good personality. She’s very respectful to my friends and fam-ily,” said Kyle Davilla, junior.

“She has to wear nice clothes, wash daily, and she can’t date all my friends,” said Andrew Scott, junior.

“She has to be attractive, she has to be nice and classy, she needs a good sense of humor, and she has to be active,” said junior John Sayage.

The Ideal Woman The Perfect Man“He has to be able to make me

laugh. I’m not even friends with people who don’t make me laugh,” said junior Mina Masoudi.

“He should have a nice body because I need something good

By Tim BuhligStaff WritEr

By Stephanie LombardoStaff WritEr

to look at,” said senior Katie McDonagh.

“He has to listen to me and care about what I say,” said junior Em-ily Marciel.

“He has to have nice teeth,” said senior Devyn Mills.

“He has to be able to keep me interested because I get bored easily,” said junior Veronica von Brauch.

“He has to have a nice smile and personality and he has to be family oriented,” said freshman Shelby Gerstenberger.

“He has to be really sweet and have nice eyes,” said freshman Molly Ratto.

10) If you were a new sandwich at McDonalds, you would be called McGorgeous. 9) Good thing I brought my library card because I’m checking you out! 8) You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy. 7) Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by you again? 6) I’m a Love Pirate, and I’m here for your booty! 5) I would say “God bless you,” but it looks like he already did. 4) Can I take your picture? I want Santa to know exactly what I want for Christmas. 3) Damn, Sugar, settle down. I’m diabetic. 2) Apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living? 1) Do you work for the post office? Because I could have sworn you were checking out my package.

1. John Green, social studies teacher

“For our first anniversary, my wife surprised me with a trip to Monterey Bay to go whale watch-ing. On the way there she wouldn’t tell me where we were going and she would just yell at me to turn here and it was really nice. But while we were whale watching, I got sick for two hours off the back of the boat so we ended up spend-ing our first anniversary together with vomit.”

2. John Lovato, math teacher“When I was in college at UC

Berkeley, I was flying a kite above the Cal Stadium with my girlfriend, looking out across the bay. It felt like kismet [it was meant to be].”

3. Richard Schneck, science teacher

“My most romantic moment was when I was dating my high school sweetheart and we went to this very nice restaurant, the Odyssey Restaurant in San Fernando Val-ley. It was really romantic with a view of the valley and all the lights twinkling. We were very much in love and we made a promise that we would meet at that same res-taurant again eight years after high

Compiled by Michelle Mat-sui & Candace Wong

school. After high school, we split up and went our separate ways but about seven years after high school I called her and asked if we were still doing what we had promised, to which she said of course. So we met up there, rekindled our rela-tionship and we got married two years later. We have now been mar-ried for over 20 lovely years.”

4. Jully Yi, science teacher“For new years, I went to visit

my fiancé’s family for the first time and when I got there, the whole family yelled out ‘SHE’S HERE!!!’ very excitedly with their arms waving and they were running towards me. It was so traumatic.”

5. K.C. Wachs, Engl ish teacher

“One time, my date made me dinner with heart-shaped beets for Valentine’s Day.”

6. Kelli Bacher, counselor“When I was in college at UC

San Diego, one date took me out to the cliffs overlooking the ocean for a picnic. We had strawberries and cool whip as we watched the sunset. It was really romantic, but to be honest, it was a first date and sort of overkill, but still very nice.”

7. Amanda Wong, sophomore“For my half-year anniversary

with my boyfriend, he took me to San Francisco to hang out and then we went to his house in San Jose. In his house there were a bunch of candles and he made me dinner. We watched Pirates of the Carib-bean and sat by the fireplace.”

8. Jyra Valenzuela, freshman“For a Valentine’s Day party, I

was wearing a long red dress and when I got out of my van, it got caught in the door. It was pretty embarrassing, especially since my crush was standing right there next to me.”

9. Hillary Ajel, junior“For New Year’s Eve, I went to

my friend’s house for a party. Dur-ing the countdown, my boyfriend and I were getting ready to kiss at midnight but right as we were about to kiss, my friend’s mom popped into the room and threw quarters up everywhere. I had to quickly turn so that she wouldn’t interrupt us mid-kiss.”

10. Paulina Cheng, junior“I was at Great America with

my friend and we had decided to go on the Demon. We were riding it and just as the coaster was about to drop down, he asked me out, hoping that I would scream out ‘YYYYEEE-AHHHH.’ It was so corny, but it was cute that he was so hopeful.”

“Dark hair, thin, nice, warm and into music, preferably clas-sical piano,” said teacher Steven Wilkinson.

Photos compiled by: Saritha Kosarussavadi & Chris (Hongzhe) Qian

Correction: The Olympian incorrectly reported in “Are class sizes too big?” (Jan. 2007), that the average class size at CVHS is 32.2. That number is the average for science classes, but schoolwide, the average class size is 29.8.