Serving the Archbishop Mitty Community Volume 22 Number 2 December 2012

Whether you desire comedy, thriller, or romance—adventure, horror, or drama—The 39 Steps is for you. Passion-ate and whimsical, this award-winning theater adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s

lm is coming to itty this anuary. ea-turing avant-garde characters, lighting, and music, along with quick-changes, the play promises to bring a performance the community will never forget.

Based on a 1935 Hitchcock thriller, itself based loosely on a novel of the same name, The 39 Steps is a uniquely British production. It features four actors playing the over roles present in the lm the

heroes, the villains, the spies, the lovers, and more.Mr. Doug Santana, itty’s irector of rama and the sole faculty member involved

in the school production, explains that this feature renders the play truly comical in nature. It transforms the grave horror of the original lm into silly, onty Pythonesque humor.

hough composed of eight actors rather than four, itty’s cast retains much of the excitement and stimulating confusion of rapidly changing roles. One leading character, as a matter of fact, undergoes four changes in a single minute. As r. antana notes, The 39 Steps is like a play within a play —one that truly showcases its actors’ skills.

The protagonist, Richard Hannay, is an ordinary Englishman who gets pulled into the center of a boiling con ict. The other characters are no less engaging, and r.

antana states that the actors will be using English, cottish, and erman accents as they perform their lines.

The stage will have basic scenery—including a steamer trunk, a door, and crates—but the actors will use a variety of wigs, costumes, and other props to signal their frequent transformations. ue to the ealous pace, sometimes a mere addition of a hat will be enough to convert one character into another.

In order to create these scenery changes and character transformations, itty is renting props from TheatreWorks, a professional theater company in the Bay Area. r.

antana af rms that this is indeed a special opportunity for itty students to work with professional props and to attempt a strikingly new style of performance.

itty is also hiring set and lighting designers to help embellish and illuminate the stage. Yet, due again to the accelerated pace of the play, the lighting will perhaps play a more important role than the set in highlighting the development of the intrigue. The music in the play will furthermore come from Hitchcock soundtracks, and the play itself will feature many puns on other Hitchcock movies.

The play will have two casts of 8 actors, so if one watches the play one night and returns the next, he or she will have two entirely different experiences. The actors will be rehearsing after school until the week of nals, and they will return a couple days before the holidays end to practice their parts. Their first performance, conse-quently, will be on anuary 11—shortly after school resumes.

o far, the actors have been working hard to master this challenging play —one that few other high schools in the region have ever performed. But as r.

antana explains, they have also been able to enjoy themselves and express their more creative sides.

enior cast member AnnaLiese Burich comments, I’m excited to have the audience appreciate how clever the show’s dialogue and character changes are. It’s really a great, loving parody of Alfred Hitchcock’s original work.

The 39 Steps promises to be one of itty’s truly dis-tinctive works. And you will certainly not want to miss this thrilling experience.

INSIDE:

By Jennifer Sherwood & Riya DangeStaff Writers

Dan Fitzgerald was one of those rare people who had the ability to make a lasting impression on everyone around him. Although it has been forty-three years since he rst coached at itty, his memory has not faded from the mind of anyone who had the chance to work with him.

Back in 19 9, itty, as a relatively new school, had not yet made a name for itself in the world of high school sports. The rafters in the ien ym, now lled with championship banners, were just about empty. However, it took an it gerald only two years to begin to change that.

In his third year as a head coach, he led the team to its rst appearance in the hampionships, after winning

the program’s rst W A title. The banners that the men’s varsity basketball team would eventually earn really began with an it gerald. And although it gerald’s coaching career at itty only spanned three years, his memory has remained with the itty community ever since.

After his leave from Archbishop itty, he went on to coach collegiate basketball at on aga niversity, in pokane, Washington. In his 15 years there, he ac-cumulated an astounding r sum , nishing with 5 wins and 171 losses.

When it gerald passed away unexpectedly in anuary of 1 , a group of itty alumni who were close to him decided to arrange a charity-driven basketball tournament in his honor called The it . Greg Heinrichs, the direc-tor of this memorial event, expressed his great respect and profound admiration for oach it gerald He had a way of presenting himself and his ideas that were inspiring. an is part of the real legacy of itty. He was one of those rst people who planted the seed and raised the bar. And itty has really taken off since then.

r. Heinrichs and many other itty alumni, includ-ing Tim Walsh father of erri Walsh , united to organi e the an it gerald emorial Basketball Tournament in

pokane, Washington. ow in its second year running, the

tournament hosts eight basketball teams, and the proceeds go to a number of charities, including the Boys and irls

lub of pokane and the Archbishop itty an it gerald emorial cholarship Endowment. In particular, the schol-

arship provides full nancial aid for two students, adding not only to his athletic legacy, but also his lasting presence at itty. ast year, the tournament raised over , for charity. This year, they hope to surpass that total.

ow, it is itty’s turn to show our appreciation for one of our most beloved basketball coaches. On riday,

ecember 7, Archbishop itty will be continuing the tradi-tion by hosting the memorial basketball game, The it , against esuit High chool in honor of oach it gerald. All proceeds from the game will bene t the same charities as the big pokane tournament.

Ms. Meghan Kovaleski, the irector of Alumni Relations and the organi er of the itty memorial game, called the event a great opportunity to gather and remember an. There will also be a special reception after the game for an’s family and alumni, to which the entire 1971 Hall of ame team is invited. Bob Freitas, a member of the championship team, reminisced, rom an institutional level, an taught about commitment, hard work, and believing, and he articulated exactly how to meet each of those standards.

In addition, rs. ovaleski emphasi ed, this will be the only pre-season home game at itty. That’s a big

deal. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. in the ien ym.Mr. Tim Kennedy, coach of the men’s varsity bas-

ketball team, gave us all one more compelling reason to attend the game it promises to be thrilling.

We are excited to play esuit, he said. They have a tough program and a winning tradition. It will be a good test for us.

However, the memorial basketball game is much more than that. It is a chance to raise money for charity as well as a chance to show our appreciation for the man who helped set itty on track for athletic success. I

would love for everybody to make it to the game, oach ennedy said. They can see us play for the rst time and

see how the new season is going to start.Bottom line, the memorial basketball game is a great

opportunity to bene t charity, honor an in uential coach, and watch a great basketball game between our very own Archbishop itty onarchs and the esuit High chool

arauders. All students are encouraged to be there in order to support a good cause and honor a great coach.

This game brings back a powerful reminder that, when one man shoots for athletic greatness for his team, an entire school can score.

“The Fitz” with take place Friday, December 7,

at 7:00 p.m. in Fien Gym.

For more information, visit www.thefitztourney.net

Dan Fitzgerald coaching the 1971 basketball team.

Image Courtesy of Mr. Kimont

Hoops for Hope

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Image Courtesy of Mr. Kimont

By Omid Mirfendereski &Payam Mirfendereski

Staff Writers

Photo Courtesy of Yearbook Staff

OPINIONSOpposing Viewpoints:The American Dream

THE DREAM IS DEADTHE DREAM IS ALIVE

Teenagers excel at a myriad of things—procrastinating could become an Olympic sport along with stirring up unnecessary drama and creating witty Facebook sta-tuses—but arguably our greatest trait is our ability to complain about everything without real basis for our claims. We feel trapped by the system, acting as the protagonist in a struggle against all odds. Each of us feels as if we are the main character of our own movie, chronicling our con icts with poli-tics, the economy, and culture.

But do we really have the right to this frame of mind?

Today’s generation claims to be more dissatis ed with the government than those of previous times; however, what they do not realize is that teens have fought against “the man” since the concept of a ruling body. The righteousness of people in early adulthood has been the driving force for all major po-litical shifts, as they are the ones that care the most about creating social change.

But, as they age, they become less politically active, resulting from their less disillusioned disposition, and ultimately showing that a sense of personal tragedy at the hands of the state is only a passing phase that every person, regardless of generation, has gone through.

Young people today should realize that they are no different than the protestors of over 40 years ago. Now, I am not saying that protesting is petty and that we should become complacent about our government, as it is our duty to ght for what we believe.

However, we need to realize that our plight is not any more dif cult than the one faced by previous generations, so can we please stop threatening to move to Canada whenever our government does something wrong?

On top of that, there is a level of con-ceit required to believe that our struggle is special, especially since our situation is so much better off than any of the past. I’ll admit that the nited tates has its aws—there is no doubt that repairs can and should be made—however, if we were to compare modern life to that of any other point in history, we would note the increased liberty and luxuries.

The ability to protest is a gift in itself—had we lived 40 years ago, we would be unable to access the information we are pro-testing now. Our government is much more open, honest, and clear than it has generally been in the past, an often forgotten point.

The position of economic disillusion-ment is also refutable. Recession certainly leaves much to be desired and, yes, many young people are upset about it. However, unemployment rates among college students should not be as high as they are. There is once again a culture of self-entitlement; people with liberal arts degrees could very well be employed, but because of the pomp-ous nature of their majors, they nd many jobs beneath them.

There is an expectation among college students that a college education is key to everything, and upon receiving it, compa-nies will suddenly begin ghting to become their employer. Many college graduates have failed to succeed because of such

preconceptions, so they take up their picket signs and protest on Wall Street.

Our complaints may feel righteous and self-pity well deserved, but let’s not forget that our parents have made it through similar or worse situations, especially if they im-migrated here. No one ever said that riches were easy to achieve, so we must learn to face our economic dif culties with the same determined attitude; after all the American Dream is the idea that you can achieve any-thing, if you are willing to dedicate yourself.

What I am trying to get across here is that ‘the lost generation’ is nothing more than a misconception. The last “lost gen-eration” was in the ’60s—the hippies and

ower children. Those very same hippies

and ower children have become adults and are now in charge of running the nation.

They fought off any sense of disil-lusionment in a worse political, economic atmosphere (mid-Cold War, secretive government, not allowed to vote, cultural revolutions, etc.).

In contrast, we have the most transpar-ent government the world has ever seen, federally guaranteed rights for almost all groups, and no nukes pointed at Russia; yet we still have stoners taking camping trips to the middle of our corporate capitals to complain about life.

We have not become disillusioned with the American Dream; we are simply expect-ant children waiting for others to hand us the ideal world.

Our generation has heard of the Ameri-can dream ever since we were in grade school. I can still distinctly recall how our teachers would weave tales of men who rose from rags to riches, and how we gathered around eagerly, waiting to hear how we could emulate their success. Back then, we were confident that America would offer us the fruit of wealth so long as we had dedication and perseverance. Yet, as we grew older, fortune seemed to become less achievable, more just a story we were told. With the seemingly endless recession, political squabbling, and international con-

ict, many have abandoned their belief in the dream, and in turn become disillusioned with America.

The possibility of rising from rags to riches is fantastic but, in our current economic atmosphere, only lottery win-ners seem to realize such dreams. With unemployment still ickering around 8 , it’s no surprise that nearly half of the un-employed have their family relationships strained. Too many in our generation have been forced to see our parents struggle just to make ends meet.

But our parents are not alone in the struggle, we too have been overwhelmed by economic woes. Our California public schools have faced over 5 billion dollars in cuts. The dream of college no longer is a nancial option for many of us, and even for those who can afford it, the less than stellar job market means that half of us

will be unable to nd full-time jobs when we graduate. The core idea that dedication and perseverance can make a certain dif-ference in our scal status is completely foreign to us.

We, as a generation, have realized the truth about the American dream—a truth that Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz discloses after a lifetime of study. He reveals that “the American dream has become a myth... [it] is not supported by the data.”

Overwhelming evidence labels the dream as unachievable and our generation is not surprised. After seeing so much eco-nomic stress within our families, schools, and communities, I think we all know in our hearts that such fantastic dreams are often just dreams, nothing more. However, economic turpentine is not the only cause of our pessimism; I believe that our great-est source of disappointment has been our unbearable political atmosphere.

During the just completed election, we saw American politics for what it is: a dog ght. We saw debates lled with skewed facts, lies, and campaigns squander-ing nearly 6 billion dollars of cash while America sits in recession.

Evidence from Pew Polls show 67 of Americans grew tired of political games two months before the election came to a close. Nothing is more disillusioning than seeing two grown men groveling to gain public favor and electoral votes. Our demo-cratic system is no longer about achieving the common good for our future; it is about achieving temporary power in a rivalry between two political machines.

The election aside, American politics is in itself a depressing topic of discussion. With a war in the Middle East that only

3 of Americans approve of, government transparency is at an all time low. With 15 trillion dollars of federal debt, it is a mystery how anyone expects us to be optimistic and contribute more than a third of our incomes to a system that is neither capable of tell-ing us where the money is really going nor managing that money effectively.

We, as humans, inherently want to be proud of a governmental system that is at the least trying to make progress, but when most of our generation cannot remember the last time the California state budget was balanced, pride is dif cult to muster. Our nation simply has not moved forward in our living memories.

Being American should be something that everyone says with pride and optimism, but in reality it isn’t.

The American dream no longer seems very realistic, and our politics offer little comfort. Our generation has, incontrovert-ibly, grown tired of bearing witness to the growing nation’s debt, the widening economic gap, and the squabbling of our nation’s dysfunctional government.

We no longer want to believe in a myth. We no longer want to see politicians, who are de ned by their political parties, waste our time. We simply want to move forward economically and politically, but as of now we have little basis to believe that this is indeed possible.

By Daniel Braginsky Staff Writer

By Kelvin Fann Staff Writer

THE AMERICAN TAKEOVERBy Ryan Ballard

Staff Writer When Marco Polo traveled to China,

he entered a world unknown: one that was imperial, exotic, unfamiliar and utterly Chi-nese. When I stepped foot in China, one of the rst things I saw was a FC.

Though my ECJ class studied modern China prior to our trip, part of me still hoped to be immersed in some foreign realm of all things Chinese, just as Marco Polo had been. However, upon arriving at the Beijing International Airport, I couldn’t help but be unsatis ed with the lack of culture.

Where were the emperors? The Chinese lanterns? If not for the Chinese characters atop the buildings we passed—and of course, the Chinese people—one might have mistaken the city of Beijing for something like Washington D.C. When you’re in the center of China’s biggest cities, it’s hard to grasp that you’re on the other side of the world if your surroundings look very much like those at home and your Starbucks tastes the same.

This is not to suggest China’s culture has totally evaporated. Long-observed Con-fucian ideals—R n, loyalty and lial piety to name a few—still make up the fabric of social etiquette. And many historic temples

in Shanghai and Beijing are now museums, untouched by the claws of modernization.

However, the fact remains that China and other world powers reference America as a template to improve themselves. On the one hand, this phenomenon is weaving a common cultural thread—but does a “cul-ture” of consumerism have any substance? The planet is homogenizing and not for the better.

We Americans pride ourselves on having freedom of expression and equal opportunity, and many people around the world want to embrace these ideals. How-ever, our cultural identity has changed a bit since 1776—nowadays, consumerism is the American way. Because so many fast food restaurants, shopping malls, Targets and Walmarts span our country, we have count-less opportunities to spend money—and where money is spent, the economy bene ts.

The United States thrives off of this ob-session with material goods, so China—and just about every nation wanting to give its economy a boost—follows in our capitalist and consumerist footsteps. Over the past two decades especially, China has striven to emulate every facet of our economy from skyscrapers to entucky Fried Chicken.

Thus far, mimicking the U.S. has been

wildly successful in terms of GDP—in fact, China’s rapid- re economy is expected to overtake our own by 2016. But there is a ca-veat to this boom: if China continues on this track, there will no longer be one America, but two. Not only will the remnants of China’s cultural identity be shrouded by the ranks of Colonel Sanders—every country will want a chance at Americanizing itself .

Japan, Australia, Israel, South orea and the entirety of Western Europe have suddenly become chock full of American

companies, inundated by American media and American product advertisements.

Big-name corporations like McDon-ald’s, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Microsoft, and Dell have taken root in over 200 different nations, and there is little to stop them from swallowing the entire globe.

In the near future, traveling to a foreign country might be like visiting a replica of your own cultural backyard. But what kind of world will we live in if so many nations are just a copy of the United States?

By Brian Khieu

By Kaitlin MillikenOpinions Editor

“It’s global warming, man,” are the words uttered only by liberal, non-conformist hippie types. It’s not like anyone else in our society takes the time to ponder the issue of Earth’s climate change, for there are more important things for us to worry about. College admissions, school, jobs, internships, relationships, and so forth all take pre-cedence over an issue we have “no control” of. So let’s just cringe internally when we pay at the pump and shake our heads sadly at the thought of helpless polar bears drowning in what used to be Arctic ice. Let’s continue to live as we always have, largely ignoring environmental issues.

That is, until a superstorm terrorizes 24 out of the 50 states in our beloved nation and wracks up an estimated $50 billion worth of damage.

Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record and the tenth hurricane of the year, last month crippled affected areas throughout the east coast and threw the issue of climate change back into public view. It is extremely hard to turn a blind eye

when 8 million homes have no electricity, communities cannot access clean water, and the New York subway is ooded.

Sandy, in essence, is partly the effect of irresponsible environ-mental policy. High amounts of carbon are released into the

atmosphere; the gases trap heat from the sun, via the green-house effect. The heat radiates, warming the earth as a whole, and warmer oceans give storms more energy. In short, irre-sponsible carbon emissions result in storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Future disasters like Sandy could be prevented, or

at the very least lessened, if the public were to reduce its carbon footprint.

But sound science and a sense of impending

doom do not seem to faze our fossil-fuel based society. Being the economic power that we are, environmentalism is often placed on the back-burner while capitalism reigns supreme.

An example is the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The Act would require that businesses buy permits to release greenhouse gases and would put a cap on the total amount of harmful gases emitted nationally. The bill died in the Senate, for fear that the economy would react negatively. And let’s not forget about the recent presi-dential election, when renewable energy was forgotten. Instead, offshore drilling and increased coal use were portrayed as the key to economic success. Lowering gas prices and winning public favor are, after all, more important than supporting clean energy. As a nation, America has wealth at its heart, and a strange concoction of pollutants and oil coursing through its veins. Capitalism keeps the monster alive, and government policy—or lack thereof—enables it.

The most disappointing aspect of environmental deterioration is the desensitized public; the majority of whom are apathetic and unwilling to support the changes needed to help the environment. Inaction is largely caused by the hedonistic ethos of a community so heavily focused on the “I”. Living for the moment is re ected in the irresponsible use of resources, as people rarely ever think about the future—if so it is about their future not future generations. Many don’t care if their progeny will be plagued with frequent natural disasters and unfavorable weather patterns. In addition, laziness prevents people from making small changes, simply because of the inconve-nience. Why bike when I can drive the distance in a fraction of the time? It seems like too much of a burden. The in exibility from a spoiled society ultimately wreaks havoc on the planet’s fragile ecosystem.

Should Hurricane Sandy mean anything to our society, I can only hope it’s this: We, as a country, need to become stewards of the earth on a national and personal level.

Acknowledging our negative impact on the planet—climate change, natural disaster, pollution, and so forth—is the rst step. Let’s take the phrase “It’s global warming,

man,” recognize its importance, and act upon it for the betterment of the planet.

Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record and the tenth hurricaneof the year, llasast month crippled affected areas throughout the east coast and threw theisi sue of climate change back into public view. It is extremely hard to turn a blind eye

whwhw en 8 million homes have no electricity, communities cannot access clean water,anana d d the New York subway is ooded.

Sandy, in essence, is partly the effect of irresponsible environ-mental policy. High amounts of carbon are released into the

atmosphere; the gases trap heat from the sun, via the green-house effect. The heat radiates, warming the earth as a whole,and warmmerer o oceceanans s gig ve storms more energy. In short, irre-spspoonsiiblble carbon emiisssions result in storms, hurricanes, and tototoooornrnnrnadadadddddadoeoeooooo s. F Fututurure disasterrs like Sandy could be prevented, or

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policy or lack thereof enables it. The most disappointing aspect of environmental deterioration is the desensitized

public; the majority of whom are apathetic and unwilling to support the changes needed to help the environment. Inaction is largely caused by the hedonistic ethos of a community so heavily focused on the “I”. Living for the moment is re ected in the irresponsible use of resources, as people rarely ever think about the future—if so it is about their future not future generations. Many don’t care if their progeny will be plagued with frequent natural disasters and unfavorable weather patterns. In addition, laziness prevents people from making small changes, simply because of the inconve-nience. Why bike when I can drive thhe e didistance in a fraction of the time? It seems liketoo much of a burdrdenen. . ThThe e inn eexixibibililityty ffroromm a spoileled society ultimately wreaks havocon the planeet’t s s frfragagilile e ececososysystetem.m.

Shohoululd d HuHurrrrici ane SaSandndy y memeanan anynyththini g toto o ourur s sococieietyty, I I cacan n only hope it’s this:We, ass a a c couountntryry,, neneeded t to o bebecocomem s stetewawardrds s ofof t thehe e eararth on a nanationalal a andnd p perersos nal level.

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THE WORLD IS MELTING AND IT’S YOUR FAULT

By Rachita PandyaStaff Writer

No one would pass up an opportunity to invest in India and China. Unfortunately, we are also hesitant to invest in women, despite the fact that it is bene cial to the global economy, the women, and the organization.

Workplace integration is not just a gender discrimina-tion issue—it is an economic one. Research conducted all over the world shows how gender balance, especially at the highest levels of leadership, enhances performance and productivity. And, in the business world, who doesn’t need this competitive edge?

Issues regarding women’s advancement have recently become a high priority for the European nations, as women’s under-representation in European Union (EU) positions has sparked internal con ict. The European Parliament’s Economic Affair’s committee voted down the nomination of Luxembourg’s Yves Mersch to the European Central Bank board. Furthermore, the EU’s Justice Commissioner, Viviane Redding, is persistent about imposing an EU-wide quota for women on supervisory boards.

Women’s representation has become a hot-button issue, igniting a number of debates and ultimately putting the is-sue of gender inequality front and center. The problem of having so few women at the top and a new focus on the

bene ts of hiring and promoting more women, for both individual organizations and the economy as a whole, is now clearer than ever.

Being a woman that will enter the workforce in the near future myself, I need to be given the same economic opportunities as men in order to pursue my career and use my talents to my utmost capability. Organizations need to understand that men and women have the same potential, and in certain cases, women have even greater assets to drive a company toward successful growth.

Recent statistics offer hope for myself and other women in the business world. Over the next decade, the impact of women on the global economy—as producers, entrepreneurs, employees, and consumers—will be as signi cant as the impact of India’s or China’s one billion plus population, if not greater. Essentially, if women are ef ciently employed, we will have an additional one billion individuals contributing to the global economy.

Estimates show that if female employment rates were to match those of males, overall Gross Domestic Product would grow considerably—in the United States by 5 , in Japan by 9 , and in developing countries like Egypt by a substantial 34 . That is signi cant to a world economy in recession.

The World Economic Forum, an international organi-

zation committed to shaping global, regional, and industry agendas, also publishes an annual Global Gender Gap Report. The data clearly shows a strong correspondence between those countries that are successful at reducing the gender gap and those that are the most economically competitive.

All the statistics and case studies point to the same conclusion: Investing in women leads to a brighter future—a light for both rst world countries looking to further improve their economic stand-ing, and developing countries relying on new talent.

Indeed, in the current economic climate there is no ex-cuse to ignore one of the largest untapped economic engines. It’s time for the pri-vate sector to seize this marvelous oppor-tunity and give women the status and prestige they deserve.

Since its inception, the Internet has evolved into the ultimate vehicle for opinion sharing. And with access to the Internet so readily available, it is no surprise that one can rarely last a day without seeing someone else’s viewpoint shared across the “web” in an internet review, user comments, or most commonly through social networking.

While the constant sharing of opinions is a great way to create a well-informed and open-minded public, a line must be drawn between helpful, informative insights and the commonly found extreme points of view that are expressed in harsh (and often poorly written) criticisms posted to the Internet without provocation.

Commenting sections often lose their meaning. Instead of cordially agreeing or disagreeing with an article

on a news site, users will simply throw down the rst insult that comes to their mind, instigating what can be a quite long back-and-forth of insults—either to character or principle.

This utter lack of courtesy detracts from the democratic possibilities pre-sented by the internet. Informed debate is absent in these ame wars found on news websites, entertainment websites, and even sites like Word Reference where intelligent discussion about the use (or lack of) written accents in the English language devolved into a racially-charged ght between a user from Spain and a user from the U .

Non face-to-face conversation, via chat-rooms, social-networking, or forums, a certain amount of courage

nds its way into each of the “speakers” and suddenly, things are said that would

be considered rude in any other form of communication.

The disconnectedness provided by the computer screen generates a lack of concern for the individuals affected by the comment. A feeling of detachment and a sense of anonymity contribute to the stalwart stances internet users take on ideas and have transformed the internet into the battleground of clash-ing opinions.

A mindset of “I will never see this person in real life,” seems to make it okay to insult a person’s race, gender or nationality (with a crude ad hominem argument), all the while berating them because they thought The Dark Knightwas better than The Dark Knight Rises.

It’s of course true that the Internet is a vast place, and that it is incredibly difficult to control the thousands of

people who pass through a site, leav-ing their two-second opinion before returning to Facebook for the fourth time in the last hour. Even the system of “thumbs-up” and “thumbs-down” that may seem to work on sites like YouTube, can serve as a method of belittling someone whose opinion is not in concordance with one’s own.

While many websites that sport discussion forums generally appoint moderators to review postings for their content, this method is often underem-ployed.

Websites should more actively moderate postings to combat the lack of courteousness that plagues the internet, but it is ultimately up to the user to make the call before criticizing a person who lives halfway across the world for enjoying watching a cat play the piano.

By Jordan RehbockStaff Writer

Every se-nior has spent

hours studying for exams, weeks sitting through

classes and tutoring sessions, and what seems to be an overwhelming number of months worrying about where all this will take them.

The desire to do well in high school is supposed to culminate in acceptance into a renowned college, but what does it really take to get into the school of your dreams? Is it a GPA, test scores, and letters of recommendation? Or is it personal statements and extra-curriculars? Or maybe, it’s all of the above? Most students would answer yes to

all of these questions. But one unspoken factor still whispers discouragement to even the best of students: luck.

The areas of achievement that colleges focus on are unnerving enough without adding luck into the mix. For while one student may be brilliant when it comes to math and science, this same applicant could nd writing a coherent personal statement more daunting than rocket science itself. Conversely, one might possess the talent to write an impressive essay on a life-altering experience, but he or she may have a signi cantly lower GPA due to struggles in algebra and chemistry.

Beyond academics, college acceptances are fraught with chance, because so many exceptional students apply to the best of colleges every year and no college can admit all applicants into their school.

The particular luck of having parents or a sibling that attended a school and thus being labeled a “legacy” is one aspect of the admissions process that is

undoubtedly unfair. As Richard D. ahlenberg points out in The New York Times, “Studies have shown that being the child of an alumnas adds the equivalent of 160

SAT points to one’s application (...not factoring in the new writing section of the test) and increases one’s chances of admission by almost 20 percentage points.” Students with such connections receive an undeserved boost that can help them be admitted into the college of their dreams.

I am not saying that these students automatically gain acceptance—below average grades, few extra-curriculars, and behavioral problems can still hinder the chance of admission. But legacies have a greater margin for error, as a few mistakes throughout high school can be covered up by donations from alumni parents. When you are that student, the one who needs every grade to be perfect and every small extracurricular ac-tivity to be heroic in order to create hope for a bright future, this unfair advantage stings.

I myself struggle to be the academic star that can get into the top schools. Un-fortunately, I do not have the advantages that legacies have, being a rst generation American citizen in my family. No, my grandmother was not an incredible track star at Stanford back in her day, and my nonexistent aunt—as my parents were both only children—did not graduate from Harvard, but I know that I am not alone.

The worry that encases me on days when I am up to my neck in homework and whatever else I am doing to give myself a better transcript can be overwhelming, but fear not, my fellow newbies; the silver lining to our cloud is that we are motivated to learn more and work harder, because after all, success tastes sweetest when worked for hardest.

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Arts & EntertainmentModels Take Mitty

Sarah Stoch

Morgan Olson

For some, Fashion Week is an exclusive invitation for fashion designers, fashion magazines, and people with expensive taste that sets the standards for what’s “in” and what’s “out.” For others, like Mitty’s very own junior, Sarah Stoch, Fashion Week is simply a heightened version of the modeling job she has when she isn’t busy with Mitty’s Advocacy Project or the new exercise club, Whip It. From the age of 11, Sarah took initiative by simply picking up the phone and setting up an appointment with John Robert Powers School System, a modeling and acting company (which has alumni like Josh Duhamel and Niki Taylor) after seeing a commercial for it on TV.

Her mind-set and “go get it” attitude have paid off, and she is currently signed with HMM (Halverson Model Management). If you’re lucky you might see Sarah strutting down the runway at Santana Row and other places around the Bay Area.

AL: How old were you when you started modeling?SS: I started getting into modeling when I was 12 years old. Previous to that, I did some acting.AL: What got you interested in modeling in the rst place?SS: One day I was watching TV and a commercial for a modeling and acting company, John Robert powers, came on and that was enough for me. I called the number on the screen and set up and appointment for myself. I was 11 at the time.AL: Has a modeling agency ever asked you to change your physical appearance before they would hire you? If yes, how do you react to this?SS: Yes, I have been told several times to change myself, but I don’t let it get to me. I know it’s just in order to make me moremarketable. I don’t feel like I need to change the way I look to make someone else satis ed, but know that the way I look has a lot to do with the industry that I am involved in.AL: Has working in the modeling industry contributed to you own sense of style?SS: I know what looks good and I like to take risks with my wardrobe on occasion. I wouldn’t say I dress in some of the clothes I’ve modeled, but I love putting out ts together

A Sport and an Art Form

When people hear the name “Archbishop Mitty High School,” they think athletes, performers, and scholars, yet our school is composed of much more talent than simply that. Morgan Olson, a senior here at Mitty, is a shining example: a teen model for 4 years, Morgan works with one of the top modeling agencies in the country, Ford Model Management.

Few have the opportunity to participate in such an interesting eld, getting to work with important business people in the worldwide fashion industry. However, while the majority of us struggle with Biology cheat-sheets or APUSH reading over the week, Morgan has admirably been able to balance her glamorous double life with little trouble.

HJ: How did you get started in modeling?MO: I started in 8th grade when my mom’s friend recommended that I put my pictures up on a website for Ford Model Management’s open call that allows anyone interested in modeling to post pictures on the site. I nally got called in and booked HJ: How do you balance your social, academic, and modeling lives?MO: I’m very careful about minimizing the number of days I am absent from school. I also go home early from shoots or events in order to stay focused on school work. HJ: How does modeling in uence your own style? MO: I’m constantly introduced to different types of styles, as it simply comes with being in the business; I have to be exposed and understand these styles. For school I like to stay casual, but for parties and events I incorporate some styles that I get from modeling. HJ: Have you had the opportunity to meet celebrity fashionistas and/or models?MO: I haven’t been able to meet famous models, but I have met Leonardo DiCaprio, Jim Carrey and Michelle Branch. HJ: What are you thoughts on this year’s Fashion Week? MO: I absolutely adored the Marc Jacobs show. He’s de nitely one of my favorite designers

By Harika Janjam and Amanda LaheyStaff Writers

By Monica GoffStaff Writer

Plié. Changement. Sous sous. Jeté. Fouetté. Unless you are a dancer yourself, these terms are likely foreign to you. But these terms are everyday language to senior Danielle Fishler, a dancer who has heard them since she was three years old.

Danielle committed to strictly ballet in the fth grade, and with this came the opportu-nity to perform annually in The Nutcracker, a piece performed almost everywhere during the Christmas season. Committing to ballet was a huge responsibility and required real dedication, but Danielle nds the positive side of her years of work: “Ballet is an escape for me,” she says. “After a long day of school, I go to ballet and am able to forget about life for a few hours and clear my mind.”

Ballet is often referred to as the “root of all dance” because its technique shows up in almost every other style of dance. This makes ballet dancers some of the most skilled dancers, as their technique and strength are impeccable. “Many people have this misconception, saying that, ‘Oh, you’re just a ballerina, that’s not as hard as a sport. But the fact is, ballet takes a lot of athleticism, strength, and ability to push through pain while also having artistry, exibility and passion on top of that. To me, it is both a sport and an art form.”

Danielle is performing in her last annual Nutcracker on Decem-ber 7, 8, and 9, as the Snow Queen and Arabian, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

The Christmas Concerts: December 3rd & 5th

Tired of listening to the trite recordings of the classic Christmas tunes on KOIT? Well, why not go to a live concert? You’ll feel the bass of Exodus and the striking harmonies of Jazz and Concert Choir deep in your bones. You’ll feel the fa la la la la las of the holidays, with all of its pure and bounteous joy. For free.

Winter Dance Recital: December 7th

So, you think you can dance? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you probably can’t. But, our dance teams and classes can You can feel the spirit of Christmas expressed through motion and motion alone in the Kinkade. Who wouldn’t want to go?

A Classic ChristmasBy Nicole Rejer

Staff WriterAmidst the covers of popular Christmas songs, we often forget the original greats who made them so popular. So, I’ve taken some time to hand-pick the true classics that give you that good old-fashioned Christmas feeling.

5. Little Saint Nick, The Beach BoysChristmas goes Californian with this classic 1964 Beach Boys hit. If you didn’t think the “surfer boys” could do Christmas, you are greatly mistaken.

4. The Christmas Song, The King Cole TrioEven though the song was written in the middle of the sweltering summer, this song makes you want to curl up in front of a re with a sweater and hot chocolate. Nat King Cole wishes us a Merry Christmas as nobody else can.

3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), Darlene Love It’s been covered by everyone from John Bon Jovi to Leighton Meester, but nobody can sing it quite like Love, with her mind-blowing vocals and pure power. Originally intended for Ronnie Spector, Love rose to the challenge of bringing pure, unmatched emotion to the song.

2. Blue Christmas, Elvis PresleyYou can’t leave the King of Rock and Roll off any list, and this one is no exception. This tale of non-mutual love is a staple in every household come December. Elvis named “Blue Christmas” as his favorite personally-recorded Christmas song, so why shouldn’t we?

1. O Holy Night, Nat King ColeMaybe I’m biased because I love Nat King Cole so much, but to me, this is the quintessential Christmas carol. The lyrics perfectly sum up the true meaning of Christmas—often forgotten by many of us today. The great Nat King Cole’s emotional voice is enough to give you goosebumps.

After watching an unspeakable number of baby animal videos on YouTube (while successfully avoiding your essay due tomorrow), you stumble upon the intriguingly titled “Pale Kid Raps Fast.” Congratulations, one minute and twenty-eight seconds later, you’ve just experienced the rap genius that is George Watsky. A San Francisco native, Watsky is also a rapper, writer, and performer who rose to prominence after his Internet videos went viral, even having his talents featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He specializes in slam poetry, competitions where original works are competitively recited. Watsky is now a successful musician who has released 2 studio albums, 1 live album, and 4 mixtapes and EPs. His third studio album, entitled Cardboard Castles, is scheduled for release in 2013. And, lucky for us, he was able to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions and give us some insight on what it is like to be a pale kid who raps fast.

BD: How did you get into poetry & rapping? What inspired you?GW: I saw “Def Poetry Jam” before it went to Broadway when I was 15. It was inspiring to know that there was contemporary poetry that I directly related to. In terms of rap, I heard it for the rst time just like all my peers did—the radio.

BD: Do you think that growing up in the Bay Area/San Francisco was a helpful catalyst to your success? GW: Absolutely. San Francisco has a rich tradition of poetry and a particularly strong youth poetry slam scene. San Francisco was a very supportive community to nd my feet in the arts.

BD: Who are your personal favorite artists?GW: Some of my favorite poets are Beau Sia, Saul Williams, Rives and Rafael Casal. My favorite playwright is Martin MacDonagh. My favorite rappers are Andre 3000, Eminem, and Pharoahe Monch. I love Stevie Wonder, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and the Beatles.

BD: If you could collaborate with anyone (dead or alive), who would it be and why?GW: Maybe John Lennon. I’d love to get Andre 3000 on a song.

BD: Which of your songs are you the most proud of producing? Which song of yours would you say essentially represents your sound/style best?GW: I’m proud of the lyrical content of “4AM Monday.” I think “Who’s Been Loving You” is a good example of the brand of positivity I’m aiming for as well.

BD: Tell us something unique about yourself that no one would know otherwise.GW: I took salsa lessons for a year and a half. I took tango lessons for two weeks and then quit.

Interested in Watsky’s music? Find him on Twitter at @gwatsky and YouTube at gwatsky

By Bella DiLisio and Meghana KilledarA&E Editor and Staff Writer

Do You Hear the People Sing? The Great American FilmBy Niki Griswold

Staff WriterBy Ryan Ballard

Staff Writer

To say that I am excited for the new movie adaptation of Les Miserables would be a gross understatement. Every time I see the trailer, I get shortness of breath, an erratic heartbeat, and many many tears. From the moment I was given the soundtrack as a child, and learned of the plot from my parents, I was hooked.

Epic, majestic, and brilliant hardly begin to describe the iconic musical score and story, a dramatic saga that follows ex-convict Jean Valjean and his journey from a man devoid of integrity to one with honor and kindness. After escaping from prison and vowing to be a better man, Valjean rescues the daughter of a dying prostitute, adopts her as his own, and takes her with him on his seemingly never-ending journey run-ning from the Parisian policeman, Javert, who is bent on returning Valjean to prison.

Set during the Paris Uprising of 1832, Les Miserables has something for everyone, from violence to romance to comedy and tragedy, and turned out to be one of the best ways to teach me many valuable lessons in an entertaining, movable, and relatable way. I read the book for the rst time in eighth grade (although I will not comment on whether I actually nished all 1,500 pages) and nally saw the musical in person in San Francisco just this year.

So, after this long history of such a personal connection to “Les Mis,” as fans lovingly call it, the new movie adaptation seemed too good to be true. With an all-star cast consisting of brilliantly talented actors and actresses such as Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Eddie Redmayne, this movie adaptation is not likely to disappoint.

As I watched the trailer for the rst time, and heard Anne Hathaway’s raw and stunning voice brimming with emotion, I knew that it was going to be pure magic. My predictions were only further substantiated when I learned that it was lmed without a pre-recorded soundtrack, which means that all of the singing was recorded live during each take, which allowed the actors complete freedom for spontaneity in their delivery, and added to the humanly imperfect characters with whom I had already fallen in love.

With the release on Christmas Day, I know I will be one of the rst in line to see this new adaptation, with friends, family, or “On My Own,” because I don’t think I will be able to wait “One Day More.”

If you’ve been itching to see the highly anticipated lm adaptation of The Great Gatbsy, one of the most beloved American novels of all time, it looks as though you’ll have to wait a bit longer. Back in May, production released a teaser showing just how grand a spectacle this high pro le movie will be, promising a Christmas release. Unfortunately, lm and literature connoisseurs won’t be seeing the movie until May, a full year after the rst trailer’s release.

For those who were making Christmas Day plans to see a celebrated work of lit-erature on the big screen, have no fear—I recommend Les Miserables. In fact, it was perhaps the fear of competing with that very movie that drove director Baz Luhrmann to postpone Gatsby in the rst place. However, the of cial Warner Bros. statement is that, as a summer ick, the movie will “reach the largest audience possible” and gross much more money. Luhrmann, director of Moulin Rouge and Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, is highly meticulous in his work, so the later date is probably a more feasible goal to put this extremely ambitious, three-dimensional undertaking on its feet, anyway.

However, there is some controversy with the classic book being turned into a movie, with the argument that a lm adaptation will somehow lessen the value of the novel itself. It is true that reading and movie-going are two very different experiences, but do not buy into the propaganda that reading is the only valid form of entertainment, while movies will turn your brain into mush. There are indeed those heralded works of literature that we study in school, that we strive to emulate and quote in posh conver-sations, but then there are also those lousy, poorly written books with little substance and little merit. The same logic can be applied to movies.

To those that are up in arms about degrading a classic novel, I hate to break it to you, but The Great Gatsby has already been adapted to the big screen ve times. It is true that many movies are produced just to make money, or to entertain the masses without making them think. However, rest assured, Gatsby will not be categorized with lms such as Jackass 3D and Twilight. With a star-studded cast, a $125 million budget and ve extra months to perfect the lm, Gatsby is likely to bring an artistic, stunningly tasteful movie to the screen. It will make “The Great American Novel” truly a “Great American Film.”

Monarch Critics

In a Nutshell

Following eight punk-rock studio records, Green Day has created an album trilogy—Uno, Dos, and Tré. In divergence from their previous work, the band has incorporated more of a rock-n-roll sound, reminiscent of an intimate garage-band sound.

Among upbeat, irresponsible songs such as “Ashley,” the band has crafted several more thoughtful, reflective songs, such as “Wild One” that paints the haunting portrait of girl who’s lost sight of herself and the world. Songs also stand out on opposite sides of the spectrum: where “Lazy Bones” is all bashing drums and ranting lyrics, “Amy” (a tribute to the late Amy Wine-house) has a simple, soft arrangement to go along with a wistful melody. The band completes an eclectic collection of songs filled with Armstrong’s memories, includ-ing mournful losses, bashing parties, and frustration of not t-ting expectations.

By Emily MaligStaff Writer

By Shannon LamStaff Writer

By Kasturi KulkarniStaff Writer

By Ana MontoyaStaff Writer

Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded—The Re-Up is not a re-release; it includes eight brand-new songs. Minaj describes the raw, mix-tape feel to her album, stating,“The Re-Up is what I do naturally. It’s what I came into the game doing.”

Minaj’s new album quite obviously serves as a fresh rebuttal to the countless critics who attacked her for selling out and moving into a more pop, less hip-hop genre. While sticking to her roots in the more rap-heavy tracks such as “Hell Yeah,” she also displays her con dence in tracks like “High School” and “I’m Legit,” which also feature artists such as Tyga and Lil Wayne.

There is no doubt that Nicki Minaj has one of the best rap ows. For the first time, there was no mention of her alter-ego, Roman, in any of the songs of this album, which made the album feel like a more down-to-earth Nicki.

From working in a pawn shop with his father to having his single hit double platinum, Phillip Phillips’ life over this last year has certainly been action-packed. And, his album is his chance to beat the American Idol curse of fading away into oblivion.

Phillips’ album, “The World From the Side of the Moon,” is driven by love, with tracks about trying to nd oneself that re ect his young age. His single “Home” is already a hit, and in the album he recreates the magic with songs like “Gone, Gone, Gone,” “Where We Came From,” and “So Easy.” The songs sound similar at rst, but the more you listen, the more his poetic lyrics shine.

Philips, in this al-bum, proves that he’s a singer with substance, with his var ie ty of sounds, from coun-try to jazz. As the title promises, this album delivers in showing the listener a whole new world in which Phillips and his songs thrive.

Based on Doris Kerns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Spielberg’s new movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as our nation’s sixteenth president and Sally Field as his beloved wife. Lincoln recounts the president’s desperate struggle to emancipate the slaves as the Civil War drags on into its fourth year. In a nation divided by war and the issue of slavery, President Lincoln faces dual dilemmas of eradicating slavery and unifying the country.

Lincoln is hardly a dreary, boring bio-graphical drama. Tony Kushner’s screen-play brilliantly combines the weighty and witty elements of President Lincoln, bal-ancing the man’s devoted attention to the troublesome issues of slavery and war with his affable nature and love for storytelling. Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal of the presi-dent is authentic beyond belief: he captures Lincoln’s congenial nature, as well as his speech and mannerisms.

Lincoln captures the essence of our nation’s history and how it was forever changed by the work of one incredible man. In a time when rampant political discord is prominent, this lm is a reminder that politics can be noble when they are used to achieve a purpose that is so worth ghting for. Lincoln is not just a lesson in history; it is also a lesson in importance of equality and justice. Once again, the brilliant artistic genius of this director is unparalleled. Lincoln is a masterpiece with impeccable actors, a sharp and touching screenplay, and the excellent direction expected from a master like Spielberg; it will undoubtedly be considered one of the best lms of the year.

By Jenny BarrettoStaff Writer

By Amulya YerrapotuStaff Writer

In the world of Rise of the Guardians, childhood myths are all real, appointed by the mysterious Man on the Moon to watch over the children of the world. The most important of these mythical gures, Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Eas-ter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman (a mute) are granted the status of Guardian. All is well, until one day, Pitch Black, a.k.a. the Boogieman (Jude Law) awakens and begins snuf ng out the belief in the children’s hearts, causing the Guardians to lose power.

Though it seems cliché, Rise of the Guardians offers a fresh take on the tried and true “The children must believe ” formula. Instead of the stereotypical jolly Santa Claus, we get a buff, tattooed man with a hilarious Russian accent. The Easter Bunny wields dual boomerangs and an Australian accent. But the joy isn’t in the characters themselves; it’s in seeing the characters interact and bounce off of each other.

What’s more, the animation is warm and inviting, with trails of sparkles and sweeping camera angles. Every movement of the movie feels uid and alive, just sparkling with magic. It really lends itself to the overall childlike sense of wonder the movie undoubt-edly conveys.

However, at its core, Rise of the Guardians is still only a kid’s movie. And while the child in me was giggling like a little girl while watching, the teenager in me was groaning at how easily I could predict what would happen next, and at the cheesiness of every scene.

Overall, Rise of the Guardians stands as a good movie, but nothing more than that. Unfortunately, the charming characters and animation can’t save the movie’s predictable plot, but make for an amusing movie nonetheless. If anything, the movie will at least bring a smile to your face.

Despite her previous lackluster act-ing, Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella Cullen-Swan, surprises the audience. Her compassion towards Edward and her daughter is very real, as is Robert Pattinson’s, who plays Edward Cullen. Mackenzie Foy, Rami Malek, and My-Anna Buring, who play Renesmee Cullen, Benjamin, and Tanya respectively, are only a handful of the new characters in Breaking Dawn Part 2, and their perfor-mances in the lm have de nitely made me want to keep an eye out for them in other movies. Director Bill Condon’s ability to combine action, romance, and tension in one lm and blend it together has made this movie de nitely worth watching.

Whether you are a Twilight fan or not, this

lm is a must-see. It is the perfect ending to the saga, and one that brings tears to my eyes knowing that it is the end.

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“I think competition gets in the way when the end goal becomes the focus. The A is the destination, but you ignore the learning along the way,” wisely observes rst-year English teacher, Ms. Kate Thomas. The competition surrounding high school students in their race to be accepted into an incredible college has spiraled upward at a maddening pace. In the past relatively recent years, the standards of academic success have risen far beyond the threshold of “normalcy.”

However, it wasn’t always like this. In the last thirty years the standards of education have skyrocketed from their humble beginnings, clearly depicted through the change in offered math courses.

“I was in the honors math course,” recalls Mr. Bill Abb, one of Mitty’s highly esteemed math teachers and class of 1972 graduate from Homestead High School. “I took algebra as a freshmen, geometry as a sophomore, algebra 2 as a junior, and pre-calculus as a senior. Calculus wasn’t even offered in the curriculum.” To put this further into perspective, in Mr. Abb’s rst year of teaching at Mitty in 1980 there were only 16 students in the newly created Calculus class, a measly number compared to the over 160 students in Calculus AB this year.

The trend of pushing for honors and AP courses is evident in all subjects available at Mitty. “How fast can I get there?” seems to be the question on the minds of all students aiming to reach the standards required by their coveted universities, and the level of competition amongst peers has risen accordingly.

As Mitty class of 2007 alumna, Ms. Thomas recalls, “Kids back then always wanted to know what grade you got on a nal paper, what score you received on your SAT there were de nitely a lot of kids who wanted to be considered the absolute best or the smartest or the fastest.”

As students continue to look for every possible way to put themselves ahead of their peers, and as colleges make it that much harder to be accepted year after year, perhaps there are some lessons to be learned from the past: there is real value in going at your own pace, and never sacri cing quality of education and learning for quantity of courses or GPA points. In the long run, the education one retains and remembers is what determines true intelligence. As the late Brother Gore once declared to Mr. Abb, “The smartest class at Mitty was the class of 1972.”

By Sanika PuranikStaff Writer

Today, people spend dollars left and right without even thinking of how much that dollar is actually worth. $5 today might be considered an extremely small amount of money, but back in the 1960s, it was worth a lot more, because money in ates as time passes.

Along with the gas prices exponentially rising, today’s cars are gas-guzzlers. During the ’60s in California, 25 cents could get you a gallon of gas. Today, gas costs a whopping $4 per gallon on average. That’s a 1500 increase

The $5 foot long sandwich at Subway today could have bought you a gallon of milk for $0.95, a bottle of ketchup for $0.22, a dozen eggs for $0.53, a bar of chocolate for $0.05, cake mix for $0.25, and a pound of fresh sirloin steak for $0.85, all in 1965. You’d even be left with extra money How about that for grocery shopping?

Movie tickets back then were around a dollar each, whilea ticket today wavers around $10.

A brand new house would cost you $12,700, and a brand new car sold for about $2,600

You might be wishing you were living back in the ’60s, but think about how the minimum wage was only a mere dollar. The next time you think of $5 as useless, think again Imagine the cost of living 50 years from now

By Jasmine TsaiStaff Writer

1950s: Swing dancing was developed in the early 1940s and perfected in the 1950s. Swing was fun, energetic, and popular among teenagers for its crazy foot movements, occasional lifts, and jumps A popular form of this dance was the Lindy Hop, developed speci cally in the Harlem areas of New York.

1960s: Next to be popularized was the Twist, developed from rock-and-roll. To perform this, dancers would join hands, go face-to-face, twist their hips, and shuf e their feet. This style of dance was referenced in The Beatles’ song “Twist and Shout ” It conveyed the lively and upbeat spirit of the Turbulent ’60s.

1970s: Disco was a product of the Counter-Culture Movement in which many people from minority communities such as African-Americans, Latinos, Gays participated. Forms of disco include the “Bump,” “Penguin,” “Boogaloo,” “Watergate,” and the “Robot.” This dance sparked a fashion revolution as dancers came decked out in extravagant, glittery, and owery clothing.

1990s: Hip Hop was popular among the black community. It was originally performed on the street with music coming from a boombox. Later, it branched into styles such as “popping,” “breakdancing,” and “locking.” This dance in uenced modern dance as seen in all four “Step-Up” lms. Hip Hop is for anyone who can move to the beat while appearing to have no bones in their bodies

By Catherine Deane and Justin TamStaff Writers

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Gothic (1140-1500): The Gothic style of architecture ourished during the medieval period in Europe. It is

often characterized by complex stained glass windows, gargoyles, and distinct pillars. Originally prominent in religious buildings such as cathedrals, churches, and

abbeys, the style was soon popularized and integrated into buildings such as universities and town halls. However, due to the massive weight of stone, the

buildings were often unstable.

Victorian (1840-1900): The Victorian style of architecture was most prominent in England during the

rule of Queen Victoria. The style emphasized wealth and sophistication through its unique and fancy designs. Similarly, owners of Victorian homes were often social

and af uent people, as the houses served as a visible signs of luxury. These houses can

still be seen in downtown today.

By Kenny NguyenStaff Writer

American Colonial (1600-1700): The American Colonial style was introduced to the continent as the result of the culmination of many unique styles of architecture. The

outcome was a form unique to North America. This style is often described as simple, yet elegant, with its steep roofs and plain whitewashed walls. One can still see many examples of this style of architecture at the Ivy League schools on the east

coast, where it originally developed.

20th Century (1919-Present): The 20th Century style is marked by several contemporary trends, such as modernism

and structuralism. Modernism emphasizes the function demonstrated by the late Frank Lloyd Wright, while

structuralism utilizes basic structures as the design. These trends show the common similarity in the simplicity of

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From princesses to adorable talking animals, Disney has perfected the art of keeping children entertained for an hour and half. However, looking back in time, it’s amazing to see the development and backgrounds of the characters, speci cally prin-cesses.

One of the original princesses is Snow White(1944), a young, beautiful girl who runs away to the woods in order to escape from her evil stepmother. Stumbling upon a house of seven dwarves, she is given the feminine duty of being their housekeeper. Her Prince Charming is the one to determine the princess’ ultimate fate, bringing her back to life with a kiss.

Disney then began to move towards a more self-achieving and con dent role model, such as Poca-hontas (1995) and Mulan (1998). Pocahontas is a strong woman who is able to defend the life of the man she loves, unlike Snow White and Cinderella(1950) who have to wait for their knight-in-shining-armor to come to the rescue.

Mulan is able to take this girl power to a whole new level, dressing up as a man to ght for her country, proving her equality to any man. This shift in the characteristics of the princess is due to the need for better role models for the young female viewers in a modern audience.

If they grew up thinking that their only role in society is to cook and clean, and that true love could only occur at rst sight, imagine where our society would be

Another development is the increase in the diver-sity of the princesses. Moving from Caucasian Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, little girls can now look up to Native American Pocahontas, Asian Mulan, Arabian Jasmine, and, most recently in 2009, Afri-can American Tiana.

These developments are all wise moves on Dis-ney’s part, allowing girls everywhere to have stron-ger and more diverse role models, while sticking to the story line that people of all ages will continue to love and cherish.

By Sanjana SarathyStaff Writer

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Music has been around since the start of time. Over the years, catchy tunes have evolved, and new genres have been created. But even with all this new music, many modern artists cover and incorporate portions of old classics into their own songs.

Covers“I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton (covered by Whitney Houston): A timeless, classic love song that is still a hit today. Although this song is constantly referenced as a hit by the late and great Whitney Houston, country-singer Dolly Parton actually wrote and released it in 1976, topping Billboard Hot Country Songs twice.

Classics in Modern-Day Songs“50 Ways to Say Goodbye” by Train and “Phantom of the Opera”: Has almost the exact same tune as the theme song from the famous 1986 musical. Although the two songs sound incredibly similar, Train gave a modern twist to this classic. Instead of the dark, ominous tone of organs, brass instruments were used in the recording of the new pop song, giving it a livelier, brighter beat. The lead singer sings comical, creative lyrics about himself, who, not wanting to tell his friends that his girlfriend dumped him, invents all these different ways to say that she died.

By Sydney Chiu and Rose LeStaff Writers

Ethan Han

The immediate mood given off by the monochro-matic image of this coastal community is calmness and tranquility. Upon closer inspection, however, one can see the decidedly urban buildings creep-ing into the background. Harshly cutting into the landscape, they juxtapose the more natural, inte-grated shacks which tuck neatly and organically along the opposite shore. Like the clouds sub-tly drifting over the mountains, urbanization is slowly becoming an inevitable reality all around the world. Some see this as a positive change, while others feel threatened by its encroachment on and replacement of nature. What is most im-

preservation and progress. Both the old and the new are important in their own way, as evident by the eclectic mixture of urban and organic that will continue to unfold throughout our lifetime.

Amanda LeStaff Writer

If you are lacking inspira-tion, what do you do to spark your imagination?I listen to music and try to come up with something more conceptual based off of the lyrics.

What comes to mind when you think of "perspective?"I think of different angles that an image can be captured from, or unique concepts.

perceive the world?

Julia BorelloStaff Writer

Megan Baggett

Monarch Photography

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Justice AwarenessProfiles in Justice

Spotlight on: Nathan Rodgers

Rasika Raghavan and Brianna MimsStaff Writers

Leanna Syrimis Staff Writer

M.A.P. CornerMitty Advocacy Project Update

For all Mitty students, it is a requirement to serve 20 hours each year. However, senior Nathan Rodgers has dedicated additional amounts of his time to Loaves and Fishes, an organization he

enjoys serving as a volunteer leader.

What is Loaves and Fishes and what do you do there?Located in East San Jose, Loaves and Fishes is a non-pro t

kitchen in which families, the homeless, and seniors are served free hot meals. Nathan volunteers at the St. Maria Goretti Kitchen where he assists in setting up dinner and guiding other volunteers. “When they walk in I have them sign in and either send them in

to help the cooks or set up the hall,” says Nathan. People who need additional assistance also go to Nathan, who

introduces them to other non-pro t organizations and programs.

As a freshman, he wanted a more interactive and inspirational service experience,so he put some thought into nding an organization he would enjoy participating in. This process

led him to nd Loaves and Fishes, and for four years he has participated in this organization.

After only one day, Nathan returned to Loaves and Fishes because the volunteer staff and the cooks were so welcoming. Besides enjoying time with the staff, Nathan explains that the highlight of his day is having conversations with the people he helps. When the meal is served, he gets to walk around and talk to all the kids, families, and adults that are always happy to talk

about their day. His favorite memory from volunteering at Loaves and Fishes was last Christmas: the singing of carols, a visit from Santa, gifts for every kid, and true Christmas spirit. It reminded

Nathan of how much he has bonded and helped these people through his volunteering.

With California being one of the worst states regarding Hu-man Traf cking, MAP has been working with Congresswoman

oe Lofgren as members of the Bay Area Anti-Human Traf cking Coalition.

Katherine Krist, president of MAP, states, “We’re one of the few youth groups on this panel and will be working closely with her of ce to nd ways to increase awareness.”

Recently, students also met with the District Attorney of California, the leading Sgt. of Oakland and San Jose’s Human Traf cking Squads and the author of Proposition 35 at the Stanford Coalition Meeting discussing the implications of Proposition 35. During the election last month, Proposition 35 passed, extending the sentencing time for human traf ckers within California, and increasing the amount of money a victim can receive in damages and restitutions.

On February 2, MAP will be hosting their biggest event of the year, the Youth Advocacy Leadership Conference. Multiple breakout sessions will be held by a variety of speakers about the issues MAP will be taking up in the next legislative year, how to advocate, and how one can get involved in politics beyond high school.

Nikita DandiaStaff Writer

On October 9, 2012, the Taliban attempted to murder Malala Yousafzai, a fteen-year-old Pakistani school-girl, simply for asserting her right to an education. Malala was shot in the neck and head on her way home from school, and was later transported to Birmingham, England, for treatment, where she is still in recovery.

Malala, who began her activism at age eleven, has faced many threats to her health and safety from the Taliban due to her belief in a woman’s right to education; however, she is unfazed in the face of adversity.

Unfortunately, instances like the attempt on Malala’s life are not unique in the area: almost 100 attacks on schools, students, and teachers have occurred this year alone. However, Malala’s ghting spirit has not only become a symbol for women’s rights to education, but a source of hope for women around the world searching for empowerment.

Many Middle Eastern women are beginning to more adamantly demand equal opportunities in educa-tion, but are faced with obstacles, resistance, and even oppression by their own governments. In Pakistan, not even 30 of primary or secondary schools extend enrollment to women and girls. Similarly, the Iranian government has recently banned women from participating in many university major programs. In Saudi Arabia, the government’s extremely gender-segregated schooling system provides only poor and minimal

education to women and girls. Iraqi women face similar obstacles, as well as the widespread poverty which prevents most parents from

sending their daughters to school. However, in other Middle Eastern areas, including Pales-

tine, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt, the trends in women’s education have been, as in the United States, encouraging: enrollment has increased, and women are beginning to outnumber and even outscore men at all levels of education.

To help spread this progress, women are stepping up, and many religious groups and non-government organizations have managed to open hundreds of schools in an effort to improve lit-

eracy and education for women. The Pakistani government has also pledged to open many more in honor of Malala’s struggle

and sacri ce. Clearly, Malala’s story is merely one of many in the

ght for universal education in a changing world, indicating a growing movement toward equality that is long overdue. As her friends and family proclaim, “[Malala] has stood by us and for our education up to now, and now it is time that we should stand by her and complete her mission.”

In its Millennium Goals, the U.N. declared that as a global community, we can achieve uni-versal education by 2015. With young Malala’s courageous example, we can come together as a global community to strive for justice and equality in the classroom and provide a brighter future for young people all over the

world, men and women alike.

Brenan BalbidoStaff Writer

On October 24, Htun Thein ed the town of Kyaukpyu by boat along with his sister-in-law and hundreds of other Rohingya Muslims. The destination was Sittwe, the capital of the Rakhine state and home to refugee camps.

As Htun claimed, the boats came to a stop at the instruction of the national navy, and the refugees were told to turn around. Because the group had meager supplies, three children and perhaps even twin newborns died of malnutrition on the way back (whether or not the new-borns existed is unclear).

The Rakhine state is located along the western coast of Myanmar, a country to the east of Bangladesh and to the west of Vietnam (before 1989, Myanmar was called Bur-ma). Currently, the Rakhine state is the site of violence between a Buddhist majority and an Islamic minority.

What caused the con ict? About half a year ago, a group of men raped and murdered a Rakhine woman. Locals claimed the culprits were Rohingya

Muslims. Days later, ethnic Rakhine Buddhists killed ten Muslims, on the questionable assumption that the culprits were amongst the group. However, the sus-pected culprits were in jail at the time. A week later, a large number of Rohingya Muslims burned houses in Bohmu village, an event widely considered to be the beginning of the tragic 2012 Rakhine State Riots.

Myanmar has 800,000 Rohingya Muslims, about 100,000 of whom have been displaced by the violence. So far, more than 4,600 houses have

been burned. The casualty count is disputed. A June statement by Tun Khin of the Bur-mese Rohingya Organization UK claims that the con ict had taken 650 Muslim ca-sualties. In con-trast, a November article from The Daily Times (based in Pakistan) attri-butes 180 deaths to the riots.

For reflec-tion, ask yourself

how you can make a difference in the lives of others, even to those halfway around the world, like Htun Thein. Although the answer may be daunting, I urge you to follow through by both better informing your-self and sharing what you learn with others.

Explosion of Violence in Burma

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A Fight for Equality in Education

A Burmese refugee and family seek escape.

Catherine Gong and Sankar SrinivasanStaff Writers

A rumor that sometimes circulates among students is that Mitty does not always separate the recycling from the trash. In an effort to rectify any doubts, we asked several key gures involved in the program what the real truth is.

Frank Medrano, part of our maintenance staff on campus, rst pointed out the two dif-ferent cans he had—one for garbage and one for recycling. “Honestly,” he said, “I try my best to do my part and separate the trash from recycling. If I see a stack of papers in the trash, I will put them in with the recyclables.”

Mr. Helmer shed more light on the issue. As our Chief Financial Of cer, he oversees our facilities and maintenance crews. Mr. Helmer had never heard about the rumor himself, but explained that Mitty’s recycling program has been in effect for several years.

The school began to switch from single barrel carts to the more ef cient dual barrel trash carts three to four years ago. The dual barrel cart, which is what Frank uses, makes it easier to separate trash from recycling. However, not all of the custodians have switched over to the dual barrels, making it dif cult to separate trash from recycling. But when Mr.

Helmer talked to one of the crew with a single barrel cart, he nonetheless used two separate bags to differentiate. Though Mr. Helmer believes the rumor to be false, he will nevertheless look into getting all the custodians the more ef cient dual barrel carts. In addition, he encourages us as students to use the trash and recycling cans properly to ease the workload of the maintenance crew.

Mr. Accorsi highlighted a key point on the same issue. As the previous modera-tor of the green club, he details how often students “just throw recyclables in the trash.” He explained how a survey of Mitty recycling would show just how com-monly this occurs.

Yet the current green club has a slightly different take on the issue. They argued how the common belief that “Mitty doesn’t really recycle” is in fact a self-ful lling prophecy, as it fosters passivity towards recycling. The green club takes active strides

in xing the issue by raising awareness on what is recyclable. Ultimately, they stress the importance for students to not only recycle properly at Mitty, but to carry these same environmentally-sound habits with them outside of campus.

Mitty Recycling Rumor Debunked

After lengthy examinations during school and tiring sports practices, students yearn for the comfort and warmth of their home. Most of the people we know are fortunate enough to have a place they call home—so every teenager probably lives in the same situation, right?

Think Again. In San Jose, 601 youths under the age of twenty-four, 15 of the city’s total homeless

population, were homeless in 2011. In just two years, from 2009 to 2011, the number of homeless teenagers almost doubled. But as these numbers climb, the number of resources available fails to follow suit. These statistics powerfully suggest that teenage homelessness is indeed an important issue of our time as more and more teens have nowhere to go and are forced to live in an unsafe environment.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) offers two main courses of action in order to lower the teenage homeless population of San Jose: ef cient forms of temporary shelter and proper methods of obtaining data. The organization urges the city of San Jose and its residents to formulate systems of “crisis response”—effectively dealing with teens and their various situations.

Second, the NAEH explains the necessity for better methods of gathering information related to homeless teens. By doing so, the government can more effectively decide how to cope with the growing issue of teen homelessness.

While improvement seems dif cult, more organizations are sprouting up across the Bay Area, ready to assist homeless teens. The Bill Wilson Center offers shelter and coun-seling services for youth aged eleven to seventeen—a much-needed boon to the home-less teenagers of San Jose. The Sobrato House offers overnight shelter and is a source of information for homeless and at-risk youth. An increased sense of awareness among the members of our community is paving the way for more and better resources to prevent teenage homelessness and guide those suffering under it.

Change can only be achieved when we take concrete steps towards eradicating teen-age homelessness; if the necessary actions are

performed, we will no doubt see progress at our very doorstep.

Teens in TattersManasi Patwa

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The Dandelion Project

Natali KnightStaff Writer

Cavalia is the equestrian performance that is all the rave with horse and acrobatics lovers alike. This thrilling and moving team of aerialists and majestic white stallions and geldings have traveled to venues in large cities across the country. According to founder Normand Latourelle of his company’s philosophy, “The horses in this show only do the things a horse would do in nature. A horse has to stay a horse. This is not a machine.”

The company’s staff is intuitive to the feelings of these gentle giants. Horses are given two hours for play each day and train for only one hour on average. They are

fed grain, hay, and carrots four times a day. No horse makeup is applied to cover imperfections on their coats, rather artistic lighting is used to

make them appear radiantly white. In addition, the horses receive ample rest between performances

and long vacations during relocations of the compa-ny’s site. Finally, Cavalia horses are never handled aggressively or viciously; a horse will never be pushed beyond its comfort zone. In fact, it is not

uncommon during a performance for one to break from the pre-choreographed routine. Trainers uphold the company’s philosophy by adapting to the horses whim, allowing it the freedom of expression, never forcing it to submission. Clearly, Cavalia is a supporter of animal rights.

By comparison, other circuses seem like a relic of a barbaric age of cruelty. Just last year, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was forced to pay the largest ne in US circus history: $270,000. By beating their animals, causing the death of a lion and a baby elephant, and forcing lame elephants to perform despite searing chronic pain, the circus violated the Animal Welfare Act, which was introduced in 2007. In a stark con-trast to how Cavalia’s animals are treated, Ringling animal trainers may use whips and steel-tipped bullhooks to control their animals. At this moment, Massachusetts is taking the initiative to pass legislation banning bullhooks.

As awareness of animal abuse in circuses is growing, other states need to follow Mas-sachusetts’ example in eliminating violence and instead providing animals with the respect they deserve.

Laura CervantesStaff Writer

Changing the way things are isn’t always the easiest thing in the

world. But when you have the drive and passion to do so, you can help hundreds. And that’s exactly what members of the Mandarin

club aim to do with the Dandelion Project. The Dandelion Project is based off of the efforts of the Dandelion School in Beijing, China. They work to provide an

education to those who could not otherwise afford one. The idea to bring this project to Mitty sprouted last year when senior Stephen Kwok went on Ethics Culture and Justice: China (ECJ) last summer, where they visited the Dandelion School. Stephen recalls: “We spent a day at the school helping teach the students. I was really touched by how eager the students were to go to school and how optimistic they were about their lives, despite the fact that most were unlikely to even make it to high school. However, I saw hope for each and every one of them.” Through the Dandelion Project, Mandarin Club members such as Stephen hope to collect much needed school supplies to donate to the Dandelion School in Beijing. In donating, we fuel the dreams of these children; we give them something to hope for. The goal is that the Dandelion Project become an annual drive, so that each year supplies are being donated. We can each take small steps toward a collective goal. Making a difference in the lives of these children is as simple as donating school supplies, something we take

for granted. The Dandelion Project exempli es how much impact we can have. As Stephen so well put it, “the only thing anyone can ask for is a chance. After

all, all the talent in the world is meaningless when you don’t have the opportunity to put it on display.”

Handling Horseplay:

Frank Medrano, maintenance staff (left) and Mr. Helmer, CFO (right)

By Cherie Cole, Stephen Kwok, Erik Chu, and Cameron Schott

Staff Writer and Sports Editors

Field HockeyThe Women’s Field Hockey team raised another banner

with a CCS title. After the Monarchs nished the regular season with a 14-3-2 record, they entered the postseason with a championship on their mind.

In the rst round of CCS, Mitty defeated Lynbrook 4-0; however, the next round was much tougher. The Monarchs were deadlocked in a 1-1 tie with Gilroy in the semi- nals and after two overtimes the game went into penalty shots. After two rounds, Mitty nally prevailed and advanced to face league rival Los Gatos in the nals.

Los Gatos was the only team to defeat the Monarchs in league play, but Mitty was looking for revenge. After a goal from senior Agustina Singh early in the second half, the Monarchs played stellar defense to hang on and capture their fth CCS title.

“Field hockey took over my life and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,” said senior goalie Amy Crawford. “This team is my family and we fought to leave a legacy and accomplished that by winning the CCS title.”

Women’s VolleyballThe Mitty Women’s Volleyball team dominated through-

out the regular season and has proceeded to cruise through postseason play.

The Monarchs nished the regular season undefeated while capturing tournament victories in the Archbishop Mitty Invitational, Panther Challenge, Stockton Classic, and

Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions. They only dropped a combined six sets in the regular season en route to a 29-0 regular season record.

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occurred in the nals of the Santa

Barbara Tournament of Champions when the

Monarchs faced off against Marymount. Mitty dropped the rst two sets 23-25, 24-26, but the Monarchs rebounded to win the next three sets 30-28, 25-22, 15-4.

Postseason play has been no different for the Monarchs. Mitty swept through the WCAL play-offs without dropping a set. They proceeded to defeat Cupertino, St. Francis, and Los Gatos to take home a CCS

title.

Mitty now has their sights set on their ninth state cham-pionship and their third national title. The Monarchs are currently the 2nd best team in the nation according to the

cellent 25 rankings from Maxpreps.com.“My expectations for the rest of the season are that we

continue to improve and work hard each and every day and stay focused and determined on the court,” said WCAL Player of the Year Anne Marie Schmidt.

Mitty defeated Pleasant Valley and Los Lomas to advance to the NorCal nals, and is now only one win away from a state championship.

FootballThe Football team

had a solid campaign of its own by qualifying for the CCS Open Division playoffs.

After a 7-3 regular season re-cord, the Monarchs were awarded the seventh seed in the prestigious Open Division that features the best teams in the CCS. Mitty faced an undefeated Oak Grove team in the

rst round, but dominated the game in an easy 24-0 victory. It was Mitty’s rst shutout of the season, with the defense holding an explosive Oak Grove offense to just 121 yards.

With this win, Mitty was able to advance to the semi- nals against St. Ignatius. The game was tight with a 10-10 score at halftime, but the Monarchs fell short when St. Ignatius scored on their nal drive to win 25-22. Although this is not how the Monarchs wanted to end their season, it was a successful year altogether.

Cross-CountryThe Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country teams put

together impressive seasons once again. The Women’s team built on their 3rd-place nish in the CCS Finals last year and absolutely dominated this season. The team took rst place in each of its WCAL meets and entered the CCS Finals as heavy favorites. They proceeded to make quick work of the competition and captured the CCS title, with the 2nd place team a distant 36 points behind. The Monarchs certainly demonstrated their depth as all seven runners placed in the top 31. Senior Molly Haar, who took 5th individually, then led the team to a 13th place nish at the California State Finals.

After sending only two individuals to the CCS Finals last season, the men demonstrated vast improvement and quali ed to participate as a complete seven-man team. In a strong showing, the Monarchs took home a respectable 7th place nish. Senior Richard Guzikowski led the way and took 16th overall individually.

Water PoloUnder new head coach Aaron Waldrip and strong senior

leadership, the Women’s Water Polo team enjoyed one its best seasons in recent memory. The team amassed an impressive 16-11 overall record and quali ed for the CCS Division I playoffs.

In CCS play, the Monarchs put together a strong perfor-mance and defeated Gunn High School in a tight game, 10-8. However, in the semi- nals, the Monarchs lost a close match 11-7 to the eventual CCS champion, St. Francis.

Through their great success this season, the Monarchs have proven to others in the region that they are a force to be reckoned with.

The Men’s Water Polo team was solid as well. The team’s season was highlighted with a strong showing in the Moraga Tournament, where Mitty won three of its four games.

Women’s GolfThe Women’s Golf team had another good year and

quali ed for the CCS playoffs for a second consecutive season. After a 5th place nish in WCAL play, the Monarchs followed with an 8th place nish in CCS.

“Having my last year, I couldn’t have asked for a better team,” said senior Dani Aiello. “Even on our worst days we were there to support each other and always pushed ourselves to do our best.”

Women’s TennisFor the past decade, the Women’s Tennis team has been

the dominant force in the Bay Area, and the 2012 season was no different.

The Monarchs completed another undefeated sea-son in the WCAL en route to their seventh straight WCAL title.

The girls accumu-lated a dominating 20-3 overall record, leading to their eighth straight CCS appearance.

In CCS play, Mitty cruised early on, but in a highly anticipated semi nal match-up, the Monarchs’ great season came to a disappointing end when they lost to St. Francis in an extremely close match, 8-10.

Despite this tough loss, se-nior Kennedy Davis remained positive.

“ We h a d a g r e a t season,”said Davis, “I’m sad that this is my last year playing for Mitty, but I’m glad to be leaving with such amaz-ing friendships.”

SPORTSFall Sports Wrap-Up Successful 2012 Season

out the regular season and has proceeded topostseason play.

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NCAA Signing Day

Women’s SoftballCatherine Callaway, Harvard UniversityAshley Chestnut, UC San DiegoKiersten Nordin, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Women’s VolleyballCaitlyn Hipsher, George Mason University

Women’s Sand VolleyballAlexandra Wheeler, USC

Photo courtesy of Kiersten Nordin

Recently signed athletes join together on November 14 to celebrate their decisions.

Women’s CrewShelby Schwerm, UC Berkeley

Women’s BasketballEmily Dinger, Brown UniversityD’Andree Galipeau, Academy of ArtVanessa Garner, New Mexico StateKalyn Simon, University of San Francisco

Women’s TennisKennedy Davis, San Diego State

By Cameron Schott and Erik ChuSports Editors

The NCAA early signing period marks a new beginning for these aspiring athletes. Their special talents have been recognized by these ne athletic and academic institutions. For these seniors, it not only af rms a successful high school career, but also signals a new chapter of their athletic endeavors. All of their hard work culminates in this one, very important decision. We hope to see all of these talented athletes continue their triumphs into the next levels.

an 8th place nish in CCS.my last year, I couldn’t have asked for a better nior Dani Aiello. “Even on our worst days we upport each other and always pushed ourselves.”

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By Jorge RodriguezStaff Writer

This upcoming fall, the Archbishop Mitty Basketball team will go for its third consecutive state championship victory, trying to continue its basketball dominance in California.

Coached by Tim Kennedy and led by current senior Aaron Gordon, the Monarchs ended last season with a 31-3 overall record as they grabbed their second consecutive state champion-ship with a 78-57 win over the Mavericks of La Costa Canyon.

In an outstanding junior year, the nationally recognized Gor-don averaged 22.9 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. Gordon, ESPN’s No. 7 overall recruit in the Class of 2013, is a blue-chip prospect whose skills have attracted the attention of national-powerhouses such as Kentucky, Washington, and Arizona.

Gordon, with the help of experienced senior leaders and talented underclassmen, once again plans to reign over their division and the state of California.

However, this year is dramatically different from last year with the addition of an open division. The open division will be for teams from any division, any section, and regardless of enroll-ment. As a result, the path to the championship for the Monarchs

will include even more challenges.This year they intend to exceed last year’s success with a

truly unforgettable season. In a tough non-conference schedule, Mitty will play nationally-ranked Prestonwood Christian, Fort Bend Travis, and Salesian.

Kennedy will lead a group that lost ve seniors, four of which were starters, with a very determined and focused run through their 2012-2013 schedule.

When asked about the upcoming season, Gordon said, “Our success thrives off of great team defense and hard work.”

According to Gordon and many other players, the key for this season is to ride their team chemistry and defense in order to reach another championship.

Kennedy and the Monarchs feel that last year’s outcome was very rewarding, but now they have a target on their backs. They are the hunted, and they feel that they must surpass this year’s expectations to be successful.

Archbishop Mitty prides itself on having a very disciplined and hard-working team. These characteristics will be crucial to sustaining excellence not only throughout this season, but also for many seasons to come.

Men’s Basketball

By Brian ConsiglioStaff Writer

Mitty’s Men’s Soccer team looks to start off the 2012-2013 campaign the same way they nished the last one: winning.

Last winter the Monarchs were crowned WCAL playoff champions after a victorious 1-0 thriller, taking down their cross town rivals, St. Francis, in the championship game.

They nished their season with an impressive 15-7-2 record, and in the top ten of the CCS standings.

This year the squad has a dozen returning players, including a very strong and deep senior class.

“We de nitely have a very talented group of guys, and it will be interesting to see how we take our individual talent and come together as a uni ed team,” says head coach Cesar Sanchez.

In just his 3rd year as head coach, Coach Sanchez has re-vamped the program into one that is in the running not just for league titles, but sectional titles, year after year. His ability to connect with his players inspires them to put forth a valiant effort each and every time they step on the pitch.

However, the most crucial key to success for this team is not

actually a trait that can be coached, but rather lies within every coach and athlete.

“I think what will lead us to success this year is our pas-sion, and will to compete,” says returning senior Connor Kurze. “Every player loves the game, and so do our coaches. We want to win so badly that we will do whatever it takes to be successful.”

Last year, Kurze not only led the team in goal scoring, but was also one of the top goal scorers in the WCAL. He was recognized as the Junior of the Year by The San Jose Mercury News and was named to the All-WCAL First Team.

Star mid elders Andres Ochoa and Eric Espinoza return after spectacular sophomore seasons. Ochoa was named last year’s WCAL Mid elder of the Year while Espinoza made the All-WCAL Second Team.

The Monarchs are stellar between the posts as well, with goalie Ryan Foo returning for his senior season.

After Christmas break, league play really heats up. Notable home matches include Jan. 8 against St. Francis, and February 6th against cross-town rivals Bellarmine. With a strong returning core, the team looks forward to another successful year.

Men’s Soccer

By Tyler GrayStaff Writer

It seemingly cannot get any better for Archbishop Mitty’s Women’s Soccer team. The Monarchs are coming off of a 20-1-4 record, back-to-back Central Coast Section championships, and a national ranking. The upcoming season is one in which the Monarchs will try to repeat their recent success.

After losing leading scorer Ana Marija Sola to gradua-tion, it will be up to returning players such as Hannah Reed, Gabrielle Vargas, and Ashley Kirchick to usher in a new age of dominance.

The only new honor that Mitty may look to achieve is removing the “co” after being crowned CCS co-champions. Last year the Monarchs shared the title with Aragon after a thrilling 2-2 tie that included a goal by Stephanie Rebagliati in the nal minute of overtime.

“Our goal for the season is simple—win and win as a team,” said Reed. “We are going to work hard on building our team unity and becoming a bigger powerhouse than in the past few years.”

Although the Monarchs are losing their top player in scor-ing and assists, they feel as if their experience and leadership will help them continue their success. No one player is going to overshadow another, and the Monarchs will play as a true team in the upcoming season.

They also realize what success means. Success means being the target of every other school in the area. Finishing as the fourth ranked team in the country will certainly bring a lot of attention to their upcoming season.

“We are de nitely the team to beat this year so we have a huge target on our backs,” Reed added. “But that’s what makes us better. The competition and the need to protect our title means we are out for blood and we will for sure be dominating the season and ending it with a raised banner.”

This level of con dence and tenacity is what the team will rely on throughout the grueling season. They are the epitome of a team in every way, and wish to carry over the success of previous years into another dominant season.

The team’s goal is simple: to win and bring even more championships to Archbishop Mitty.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez

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Staff WriterThe Archbishop Mitty Women’s Basketball team’s magical

season ended last year with a Division II State Championship victory over JW North of Riverside. The team nished with a 28-5 record, took WCAL, CCS, NorCal, and State titles, and ranked 16th in the country. Can it happen again this season?

Senior D’Andree Galipeau is hopeful about the upcom-ing year, but realizes that “losing three seniors that were very talented obviously changes the team.”

However, this year’s squad hopes to bring cohesive team chemistry to another successful season.

Senior Kalyn Simon will be expected to contribute with her outstanding speed, scoring, passing, and defensive skills. Point guard Vanessa Garner will return after leading the team in assists and Emily Dinger’s stellar shooting should play a factor as well.

Head Coach Sue Phillips, who enters her 21st year of coach-ing at Mitty, states that she expects her new seniors to step-up both on and off the court.

Junior Kelli Hayes will be called on to continue her out-

standing play from last season. Her post-season awards included the California All-State Girls Basketball Team (Honorable Mention) in MaxPreps and The San Jose Mercury News’ Player of the Year. Her versatility enables her to play or defend any position on the court.

Coach Phillips believes this will be “a promising season, with a great mix of talent, experience, and youth. The newcom-ers will be the ‘X’ factor.”

The pre-season will again prove to be a daunting challenge for the Monarchs, with games against Bishop O’Dowd, currently ranked 1 in the nation, and powerhouses St. Mary’s (Stockton) and St. Mary’s (Berkeley).

The team has been invited to play in the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Arizona, where they will face many of the best teams in the country. “These challenging games will be the stepping-stones to future success later in the season,” added Coach Phillips.

The Monarchs are favored to defend their WCAL regular season and tournament titles. They start the preseason ranked

2 in NorCal and 4 in the State by Cal High Sports.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie LopezJunior Andres Ochoa battles for the ball.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez

Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie LopezSenior Tyler Gray sets up a play

Mr. Mick VanValkenburg & Mr. Craig Whitt

NewsAneesh Akella, Ashley Do,

Kelvin Leong, & Kevin Tran

OpinionsJessica Dumov, Nina Ge,

Katherine Kirst, & Kaitlin Milliken

AnnaLiese Burich, Bella DiLisioChitra Marti, & Jisoo Kim

Piyali Banerjee, Kanako Shimizu,& Puja Subramaniam

Elena Georgieva, Jeemin Kwon,Carlisle Micallef, & Katrina Vokt

Erik Chu, Stephen Kwok,David Mace, & Cameron Schott

Emily Guzman, Brian Nguyen,& Rachel Wakley

The Monarch is published for the students, faculty, and parents of Archbishop Mitty High School.

Before a growing crowd of elders at the Villa Fontana Retirement home on October 28, a group of Archbishop Mitty High School students performed a concert that included an eclectic mix, from classical hits like the “Pathetique” Sonata by Beethoven to contem-porary songs like Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper” and OneRepublic’s “Secret.” However, this opportunity to perform in front of a grateful audience would not be possible without the Music for Hearts club.

Last year, seniors Sarah Tsou, Pratyusha Javangula, Jeemin Kwon, and Elena Georgieva decided to create this new club. With Ms. Amie Jan as its moderator, this club is designed to allow students to perform and appreciate music with their peers and with elders from senior centers around Silicon Valley.

Senior Jeemin Kwon states, “The reason we started this club with the others was that we wanted to create a group in which people could perform and appreciate music in a safe environment, while being of service to others.”

The club’s purpose, she continues, is to reach out to others using the universal medium

of music. Students can perform pieces of their choice and can socialize with the elderly in their community. After performing, members spend another hour talking to the residents at the retirement home about everything from musical interests to their life experiences and political views. This gives students an enriching outlet to receive Christian Service hours.

The club also conveniently presents the opportunity for all students with an interest in performing music to participate, but one certainly does not have to be a musical prodigy to join. Additionally, students who sing or play virtually any instrument can join.

Co-founder senior Elena Georgieva remarks, “We have students singing and play-ing practically any instrument. We have pianists, singers, violinists, guitarists, utists... drummers... practically every instrument.” As for the performances themselves, the only requirement is that the pieces are respectful to the audience, and that they have been well prepared. Students may choose anything from solo selections to duet or group ensembles.

Even though completing Christian service hours is an obvious bene t of the club, sophomore Nicolas Kuo says his favorite part is just being able to go and play music with friends. “During meetings, while we practice, sometimes other people will randomly join in on us... or we will just suddenly throw a song together, and it actually sounds good.” These impromptu “jam sessions” attest to the fact that the members have a genuine love for creating and performing music.

Senior Pratyusha Javangula describes her pride in the club, saying, “I think my favorite part of the club would have to be the rehearsals, because I am constantly amazed at how much musical talent we have in the Mitty community. I brighten knowing that there are such amazing musicians and people at Mitty, and that I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work with them.”

The club anticipates that it will continue to expand and develop into a well-respected service organization both on and off campus. However, a more intimate goal of Music for Hearts is to help build the skill of its members.

Senior Sarah Tsou explains, “We hope that we will be able to develop the musical talents of our members, helping them to not only build musical repertoire, but also perfor-mance experience and con dence in an atmosphere that is both fun and service-oriented.”

Music for Hearts provides much needed opportunities for musicians to share their talents with their peers and branch out to perform for members of the greater Silicon Valley community, speci cally senior citizens. Furthermore, it creates a music-oriented environ-ment in which musicians can test out new styles. Ultimately, for those who love music, this club is an ideal way to get involved on campus and in the community.

For more information, please email: amhsmusicforhearts@gmail.com

Archbishop Mitty High School5000 Mitty Way,

San Jose, CA 95129

By Pooja Patel & Kushal SinghStaff Writers

Talented sophomore Annie Zhang blew away some of the most critically acclaimed galleries in the nation at the 2012 American Art Awards with her paintings. Submitting two pieces amongst the work of professionals, adults, and college students, she was surprised to nd herself with two victories: third place in Religious and Spiritual and sixth place in Political Commentary.

The American Art Awards was the rst national competition that Annie has ever participated in, making this achievement even more memorable. She notes, “It was an honor to be recognized on such a large scale. This competition gave me more con dence in my abilities and proved that my work is appreciated not just by my friends and family, but also by other people. And as an artist, that is all I could ever ask for.”

For inspiration, Annie points to her experience at Mitty, which has served as the subject of several of her art pieces. One such artwork is “Awaken-ing Faith,” which was in uenced by the freshman theme of awakening and self-discovery. This piece captures a young girl, surrounded by a mosaic of colors, resembling the stain-glassed windows of Mitty’s chapel.

Though she admits that she is sometimes subject to “artist’s block,” she has never stopped loving to create art. “Ever since I was little, I loved to doodle,” she recalls. “When I wake up, I am always anxious to start a new project or nish the one I was already working on.”

Even at an early age, Annie was recognized by her community as a talented artist. Guided by several mentors, she has become more comfortable with her artistic abilities.

Currently, her artwork only revolves around realism, portraying subjects without embellishment or interpre-tation. However, in the future, she hopes to expand her artistic horizons by experimenting with impressionism and surrealism. Not only that, but she also plans on undertaking different creative mediums, such as acrylic.

Regardless of which medium or theme she uses though, the vibrancy of life is a unifying theme in all of her artwork. Through her paintings, she wants “to convey a concept, message, or theme.” It is with that sole purpose that motivates her to continue drawing and painting. She adds, “We rush too much through our daily activities, so I enjoy using bright colors to capture the richness of life in a single moment.”

For Annie, through her current experiences, her art serves to inspire other students at school. Among her many contributions, she has also started a new Animation section in the AMHS Robotics Team. With her pro ciency in graphic design, she has helped create Mitty minutes and will, later in the school year, enter in animation competitions.

Annie Zhang is truly an inspiration to all Mitty students through her determination to think outside the box and explore new ideas—a quality which has resulted in her continuing success. As she puts it, “There is only one way to make progress: with passion, and without the fear of failure. Everything else will fall into place after that.”

STUDENT CENTE(RED)

By Pei-Ling Lee & Katie EricksenStaff Writers

ompetition that Annie has ever participated in, making this was an honor to be recognized on such a large scale. This

and proved that my work is appreciated eople. And

y lher

Music for Hearts members perform at the San Tomas Convalescent Hospital.