NONPROllT

ORGANlZATlON
US POSTAGl PAlD
PlRMlT NO. 82
SAN MATlO, CA
Facebook vote brings 2Cellos to Aragon
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Getting ready to take the SAT? Check out the
new policy and security updates.
Activism or slacktivism? Read about students
motives for driving social change.
Curious about Aragon Republicans? Check out
the schools conservative constituency.
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Free, public education is a
cornerstone of American cul-
ture. However, the defnition
of free education is under
debate as Californian educa-
tion confronts a new law that
declares all school fees to
be illegal. Gov. Jerry Brown
signed the assembly bill,
AB 1373, which forbids the
schools from requiring stu-
dents to pay for PE uniforms,
textbooks, lab fees, extracur-
ricular activities or security
deposits.
In response to this new
law, history teacher William
Colglazier says, Our educa-
tion still has inequality within
it. lThis law| is an attempt
to fx it. The new law also
raises the question of what
it means for education to be
truly free.
Junior Sean Gao says,
Right now, public education
is free in the sense that you
don't have to pay teachers to
teach you.
This law arose out of a
lawsuit beginning on Sept.
9, 2010, when the Ameri-
can Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) sued the State of
California, arguing public
schools forcing students to
pay for school supplies vio-
lated state constitution. The
Los Angeles Superior Court
ruled in January of this year
that ensuring that schools
were not collecting unconsti-
tutional funds from their stu-
dents was the State of Cali-
fornia's responsibility. The
ACLU dropped their lawsuit
in response to the recently en-
acted law.
In the past couple of years,
Aragon has eliminated many
requirements for students to
purchase materials. These
changes in school policy
have been met with a mixture
of displeasure and approval
from Aragon teachers.
English teacher Victoria
Daniel says, I understand
lthe ACLU lawsuit's| posi-
tion. However, it puts schools
in a really diffcult position.
The reality is we don't have
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The Aragon varsity football
team bounced back from the
previous week's loss at Menlo-
Atherton with a 42-7 defeat of the
Half Moon Bay Cougars last Fri-
day afternoon. This win improves
the Dons' record to 1-1 in PALs
and 3-1 overall.
The key to victory for the
Dons was the lethal combination
of junior quarterback Nat Blood
and senior wide receiver Aldo
Severson. Blood completed 11 of
18 passes for 178 yards and four
touchdowns. Severson caught
fve of those passes, three of them
for touchdowns.
The Dons got off to a diffcult
start, with a score of 0-0 after
the frst quarter. During the frst
quarter, the Dons only gained 10
yards of total offense.
Head coach Steve Sell knew
before Friday's game that it
would be diffcult playing an af-
ternoon game after fve straight
night games. Says Sell, I was
worried about it. That frst after-
noon game is always worrisome.
After the rough frst quarter,
the Dons' offense picked up in the
second quarter with three touch-
downs. The offense was helped
signifcantly by some great de-
fensive turnovers. Senior David
Menoa made a crucial fumble
recovery which led to a 30 yard
catch and run by Severson for the
Dons' second touchdown.
Says Blood, We realized
that we made mistakes in the
frst quarter, and we were able to
bounce back frst of all from last
week, and second of all from that
frst quarter.
This passing breakthrough is
a relatively new strategy for the
Dons. Prior to the last few games,
they have relied heavily on their
running attack. However, the run-
ning game still succeeded against
Half Moon Bay, with both senior
Marcel Jackson and junior Jor-
don Crisologo rushing for touch-
downs.
Says Sell, We have unique
players. lI| fght the internal bat-
tle of sticking to our core offense
or shaping the offense around the
great athletes we have.
Coming into last Friday's
game, many Dons believed that
the running game was the strength
of the team. Among them was
senior kick returner and running
back J.D. Elzie, who says, Our
strength is defnitely our speed
and explosiveness.
Junior cornerback Daniel Alas
said, Our main weakness is
probably our tackling. We miss
too many tackles. We need to fn-
ish better.
This year, the Dons are back
in the Bay division after spend-
ing last year in the lower-level
Ocean division. Since they tied
with Half Moon Bay for the lead
in the Ocean last year, both teams
moved up to the Bay division for
this season. In the 2010-2011 sea-
son, the Dons were last in the Bay
division and fnished with a divi-
sion worst of 4-6.
Half Moon Bay drops to 0-1
PAL Bay and 1-3 overall. Last
year they beat Aragon 21-20 in a
close game at Aragon. Half Moon
Bay also moved up to the Bay Di-
vision for this season after going
(3-0) in divisional games last sea-
son and (6-3) overall.
CONTlNUED ON PAGE 7
JASON MAl
2Cellos duo Stjean Hauser and Luka Sulic erIorm U2's "With or Without ou" on electric cellos.
VALERlE PEREZ
VALERlE PEREZ VALERlE PEREZ
Above. Seniors Jovanne Mejia-Ortiz and David Manoa chase down HalI
Moon Bay's quarterback. Below. Mejia-Ortiz on the line.
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After an intense battle on a
Facebook poll, Aragon beat Hill-
sdale, Junipero Serra and San
Mateo High School for a visit
and performance from 2Cellos.
2Cellos is a cellist duo made up
of Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser.
The Croatian duo was discov-
ered after posting their own cello
interpretation of Michael Jack-
son's Smooth Criminal. The
video instantly became a hit, re-
ceiving over three million views
in two weeks. Since then, 2Cellos
has performed with well-known
artists, including Elton John and
Red Hot Chili Peppers. 2Cellos
has also been a guest appearance
on the tv show Glee.
CONTlNUED ON PAGE 7
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Seven months ago, the San
Mateo Union High School Dis-
trict (SMUHSD), which includes
Aragon, started making a surplus
of energy per month, allowing
the school to sell back to the grid.
Aragon generates enough power
to sustain itself and sell off the
excess. These 17,000 solar pan-
els on the roofs of Aragon have
proven to be a great asset to the
school.
The solar energy production
is displayed on the television
mounted on the wall of the atten-
dance offce. It displays the en-
ergy production peak, the amount
of energy produced today, and the
total energy produced overall.
SMUHSD allocates the funds
accrued from the energy surplus
towards the classroom. The En-
vironmental Impact Committee
supervisor Amy Schwartz, com-
ments, One of the major advan-
tages to having the solar panels
is from an administrative and
district level, it saves the school
money. It costs money up front
to put in the solar panels, but be-
cause you're saving money each
year on the electric bills, you
should be able to pay off that up
front cost. If we are generating
so much energy with the solar
panels, you can sell it back to the
utility.
McManus adds, It depends on
the weather patterns. There's air
conditioning during the summer
months for work hours. During
the winter, the billing goes down
substantially by 20 to 30 percent
as there isn't as much activity on
the roofs.
By the time lunch arrives on
a sunny day, Aragon's solar pan-
els have already produced 6,190
kilowatt hours (kWh). That is
the equivalent of 10,240 miles
not driven by car. Of course, the
amount of energy generated per
day depends on the weather and
how long the school day is. Solar
electric systems generate power
during daylight hours, specifcal-
ly between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The
solar energy can also be turned
off with a switch. The most en-
ergy produced in a day at Aragon
is 2,403.28 kilowatts, and the
total energy produced since the
solar panels have been activated
is 20.11 gigawatts. A SunPower
Employee states, It's a lot: 20.11
gigawatts are enough to power
300 households for a year.
Aside from the solar panels,
Aragon has advanced other en-
vironmentally friendly practices.
Vice principal Joe Mahood states,
The classroom walls are all insu-
lated, but the library wall and the
offce walls . it's very expensive
to insulate.
He adds, These are all double
pane windows, all the way on
the outside, so these are more
eco-friendly than then the others
ones. In addition, Mahood adds,
When I leave, lthe lights| will
automatically turn off. These
fuorescent lights turn off when
they don't sense movement, sav-
ing energy in the long run. They
are located all around campus in
classrooms as well as the offce.
From the perspective of stu-
dent activism, the EIC is working
towards more ways to become a
greener school. Schwartz con-
cludes, I think it really is more
student-driven and something
that students have an interest in.
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The US News 8 World Report
2012 Best High Schools ratings
ranked Aragon as the ffty-ffth
best school in the state and the
two hundred seventy-seventh
best school in the nation. Aragon
also achieved the distinction of
being ranked as the eighty-ffth
best school in the country for the
areas of science, technology, en-
gineering, and math, collectively
known in education as STEM.
Such achievements have placed
Aragon as the top-ranked school
in the San Mateo Union High
School District in all categories.
US News 8 World Report is
not alone in their evalu-
ations: Newsweek
has given Ara-
gon the similar
rankings of two
hundred forty-
ffth in the country and fortieth in
the state. A big feat for the staff,
administration, and students, Mr.
Coe remarks, This is a vindica-
tion of the curriculum and the
teaching methods that the faculty
is using. It also attests to the fact
that they are able to motivate stu-
dents to do their best.
To rank schools, US News 8
World Report teamed up with the
American Institutes for Research,
a behavioral and social science
research organization. They em-
ploy a three-step methodology the
news magazine explains aims to
provide a clear, unbiased picture
of how well public schools serve
all of their students. . . in prepar-
ing them to demonstrate prof-
ciency in basic skills as well as
readiness for college-level
work.
In the frst two steps,
the research frm
sought to deter-
mine how well a
school served its
underprivileged
students and
mi nor i t i es.
They frst
d e t e r -
mined how well a school's general
populations did on standardized
reading and math tests, then ap-
plied the amount of low-income
and minority students to their
data. Schools with disadvantaged
students scoring higher than the
statewide average were passed on
to the third level.
In California, all public
schools are required to devise a
plan, called the Single Plan for
Student Achievement, that lays
out how they will address the
needs of all students. Mr. Coe
explains, The plan forces you to
look at test data for a variety of
disaggregated groups. By look-
ing at that we have been able to
identify particular groups of stu-
dents that we want to make sure
we are doing all we can for. lAra-
gon| has been doing the longest
and probably the most sustained
effort on it.
Schools that pass the second
step are then evaluated based on
college readiness, which is de-
fned by how well a school pre-
pares students for college-level
work as evaluated by Advanced
Placement (AP) participation and
achievement. Schools are each
given a college readiness index,
which is determined by two sepa-
rate calculations. The frst one,
which constitutes 23 percent of
the total index, is measured by
how many seniors attempted
at least one AP test throughout
their high school career. The sec-
ond one, which is 73 percent of
the total index, measures how
many seniors took an AP test and
passed. Overall, Aragon's college
readiness index was 34.4 out of
100, which ranked it at two hun-
dred and seventy-seventh in the
nation out of the four thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven
schools proceeding to the fnal
ranking.
AP classes are designed as rig-
orous college-level courses to im-
part skills on students that will be
useful in higher education. Phys-
ics teacher Steve Ratto thinks
much of Aragon's success with
AP courses comes from teachers
who teach pre-AP classes. We
spend a lot of time in the regular
classes making sure that students
have the knowledge and the abil-
ity and the drive. The teachers in
general here are very good at pre-
paring students, so that when they
get lto AP|, they can shine.
Aragon has made recent
strides in the science and tech-
nology subjects, as evident by
a ranking of eighty-ffth in the
country for STEM achievement.
The STEM Achievement Index is
calculated similarly to the college
readiness index: however, AP
tests considered for the ranking
are only within STEM subjects.
Aragon graduate Rashmi Jain,
a sophomore at UC San Diego,
notes, My AP science classes
gave me the basic foundation info
that comes up repeatedly in col-
lege classes. Because of AP sci-
ence at Aragon, I was able to get
ahead in college science classes."
Overall, the US News 8
World Report ranking affects how
Aragon is viewed on a both a lo-
cal and national basis, providing
further incentive for all schools
to develop and maintain high
achieving students. The news
agency notes that recognizing
schools that are performing well
and providing them as models to
other schools will inspire educa-
tors and communities to do bet-
ter.
KYRA FUNG
everything we need.
To comply with the new
regulations, Aragon must have
copies of any books read in
English classes available for
students. The English depart-
ment met to discuss the rul-
ing and decided that freshmen
English classes would no lon-
ger require summer reading,
since it would be too diffcult
to provide books, a change that
Daniel regrets. Daniel says,
We should have tried to make
lsummer reading| work. I've
never had a kid come to me and
say, 'I didn't do my summer
reading because I couldn't af-
ford it.'
On the other hand, Athletic
Director Steve Sell thinks that
the new policy has had a posi-
tive effect upon Aragon athlet-
ics. Sell says, I think lthe new
policy is| good... I just found it
absurd that we had to go to the
parents to supply basic equip-
ment like balls. Now, lP.E.
students| can supply their own
school-colored shirt if they
want to. In addition, science
classes no longer send out lists
of suggested donations, nor can
music classes charge additional
fees for dress clothes.
Aragon still permits some
charges, such as requiring stu-
dents to pay for optional music
feld trips and cleaning costs
for performance clothes. How-
ever, with the installment of the
new law, these charges could
also come under contention.
Junior Melissa Ma says, I
don't think it's fair, especially
for specifc low income fami-
lies who don't have the means
to buy school books.
Teacher Jennifer Wei does
not think that the ruling has
had much of an impact on Ara-
gon. Wei says, Aragon has a
tradition of students wanting
to buy their novels anyway.
Although classes can no lon-
ger require students to take
the $87 Advanced Placement
tests, this has not been much of
a problem for junior AP Eng-
lish. Wei says, lI've| never
had a student not take the AP
test because of cost. The AP,
for example, has fee waivers...
Magically, Aragon always has
enough money to cover it.
Some of Aragon's funds
come from Aragon's Fair
Share Program, a fundrais-
ing program that helps to fund
technology, library hours, and
additional teachers. Since the
suggested Fair Share dona-
tion of $600 is optional, it is
permitted under the new laws,
which allow voluntary dona-
tions. However, Fair Share
does not meet all of teachers'
needs. Science teacher Kevin
Doyle says, If anybody breaks
anything, lthe budget| adds up
pretty quickly.
Wei says, Ideally, lthe
ACLU lawsuit| makes perfect
sense. In the future, Aragon
students and faculty will deter-
mine whether those ideals can
meet the realities of public edu-
cation at Aragon.
CONTlNUED FROM PAGE l
DATA COURTESY OF SUNPOWER
For more information on solar
panels and renewable energy,
check out the information display
in the main oce.
For more exclusive content,
visit www.aragonoutlook.org
NEWS
vo:tmz :::, :sstz o. 2
:utusnnv, Oc:onzu !8, 20!2 2
lnergy conservation in action at Aragon
Aragon rises in national and state rankings
ACLU update
For more content, including
articles and photos, visit
aragonoutlook.org
nv ANcri~ Soiis
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After several accounts of
student impersonations, the
College Board has enhanced its
security policies for the SAT to
prevent students from cheating.
In past years, some students
have paid young people to take
the SAT for them. According
to an article by Washington
Monthly, Samuel Eshagoff,
a college student from Great
Neck, New York, impersonated
students and took their SAT or
ACT exams. He charged up
to $2,300 to take a student's
exam. Eshagoff scored 2100 for
his own SAT, but scored from
2170 to 2220 for other students'
tests. Eshagoff was charged
with impersonation and fal-
sifying business records. Al-
though Eshagoff pleaded not
guilty, his case led to a further
investigation of other possible
SAT frauds. Because of this, 20
more students were criminally
charged.
Because of these recent in-
cidents, the College Board has
decided to implement a stricter
security procedure for the SAT.
The most signifcant chang-
es include providing a recent
photo for registration and re-
quired presentation of the stu-
dent's photo ID multiple times
throughout the day: for admis-
sion into testing center, before
entering a testing room, after
breaks, and to collect the an-
swer sheet. Students must sign
an agreement stating that they
are aware of the consequences
of cheating and must also pre-
register in order to take the
testwalk-ins are no longer al-
lowed.
Senior Angela Hung ex-
plains, I think these changes
are necessary to prevent more
people from cheating, but I'm
not sure how effective the new
requirements are. I had to add a
photo of myself onto the admis-
sions ticket, but people can still
easily cheat.
Students at Aragon are very
familiar with the pressure that
is placed upon them by the SAT.
Hung explains, I think people
get too desperate due to pres-
sure and competition to get into
the more selective universities,
and all the stress can push peo-
ple to cheat. A lot of people are
tempted to go back to another
section on the testwhich is
cheatingand think they can
get away with it when the proc-
tor isn't paying attention.
Senior Kelly Walsh agrees,
I'm sure these new changes
will help some, but if students
are that determined to cheat,
they'll fnd a way. I think stu-
dents cheat mainly because
there is so much unnecessary
pressure for them to do well.
English teacher Victoria
Daniel, who teaches the Sum-
mit SAT Prep Course, along
with math teacher Adam Ja-
cobs, comments, Unfortunate-
ly, the changes have come out
of the unfortunate circumstanc-
es of cheating. And yes, I think
this is such a competitive time
now, and with the technology
that allows all these underhand
things to go on, unfortunately
they are necessary.
Yet the new rigidity of the
security system is not some-
thing students look forward to.
Hung explains, I'm totally fne
with having the picture on my
ticket, but having to check the
ID before entering the center,
the room and after breaks feels
like a huge waste of time. It's
annoying but I'm okay with it.
Walsh comments, I don't
really mind complying lwith|
these new security policies be-
cause I'm not going to cheat
on the test. They get annoying,
especially when you're already
annoyed from being up so early
on a Saturday, but I'll get over
it.
These new rules might seem
cumbersome, but cheating in
American high schools is not an
inconsiderable issue. Accord-
ing to a survey by endtherace.
org, out of 240,000 high school
students surveyed, 93 percent
of them admitted to cheating.
However, in a different study, it
is said that 2,000 students cheat
on the SAT out of the 2 million
who take it.
Senior Lindsey Chen says,
Cheating has always been a
problem in high schools, but
I defnitely think there are de-
grees of harshness in which
rules should be implemented
and enforced. Some policies
are, in my opinion, overdra-
matic, and students shouldn't
be placed on the academic dis-
honestly list because they cop-
ied a worksheet that they could
not fnish the night before due
to sports or extracurriculars. I
agree that when students pla-
giarize entire paragraphs or on
exams, there should be conse-
quences. Overall, I think cheat-
ing is a problem in high school,
but in varying degrees.
Hung has some advice for
those feeling the stress from
testing. Just chill out! Your
SAT score is not worth every-
thing. Students should focus on
their passions and not a single
standardized test. They should
just try their best and whatever
happens, happens, she says.
Having dealt with the new
changes to the policy, Hung
recounts, I don't think it was
very different from my past
experiences, I thought that it
would be a lot more annoying,
having to present my ID after
leaving the room for a break,
but it really wasn't a big deal.
It defnitely did not hinder my
performance.
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Following the release of an
anti-Islamic video by Nakoula
Basseley Nakoula in early Sep-
tember, Egyptian citizens at-
tacked the United States Embassy
in Cairo. Angry civilians pulled
the American fag down in protest
over the video, which depicted
the Prophet Muhammad as an
adulterer and a lunatic.
Junior Arash Jalali-Sohi dis-
agrees with the message of the
video and explains, I think the
video is outrageous. It denounces
the validity of the second largest
religion in
the world.
J u -
nior Abdo
Boukhalil
says, It's
m o r a l l y
wrong to
make vid-
eos like
that. that
r i d i c u l e
others land| cause innocent peo-
ple to get hurt. but I don't think
the government lshould| censor
videos like that.
Since its release, the video has
been banned in Egypt and Libya
among other nations. Many won-
der why the United States govern-
ment has not taken similar steps.
U.S. Government teacher
Frederick Chancellor explains,
We have freedom of speech in
this country. and lto censor|
would mean to take away some
of our freedoms.
Sophomore Masao Dahlgren
agrees and says, The frst amend-
ment should always be a top pri-
ority. The video could be catego-
rized as hate speech, but I don't
think that it would be right for the
government to actively censor. It
would kind of be hypocrisy to go
back on our basic rights.
Even though the United States
government has not censored
the video, it does not mean the
government supports the video.
President Barack Obama has
spoken out against it and said, I
have made it clear that the United
States government had nothing to
do with this video, and I believe
its message must be rejected by
all who respect our common hu-
manity. It is an insult not only to
Muslims, but to America as well.
However, numerous protests
against the United States have
taken place in countless cities
around the world. One reason,
Chancellor explains, is the dif-
fering levels of freedom in the
United States and other nations.
Because they do not have the
same level of freedom of speech
that we have, I think it's diffcult
for people in those countries to
understand why the lU.S.| gov-
ernment has not taken action to
stop that
from be-
ing on the
i n t e r n e t .
Many have
grown up
in coun-
tries that
are pseudo
democr a-
cies if not
o u t r i g h t
dictatorships, so for them to try to
understand our government and
how we operate is very diffcult.
The assumption is that the leaders
here are as dictatorial as the lead-
ers there, says Chancellor.
Nonetheless, the protests in
response to the video are a trou-
bling sign for an already unstable
region with often-times strained
relations with the United States.
Many wonder whether the tur-
moil of the Arab Spring will
evolve into an Arab Winter. Dur-
ing the Arab
Spring, a
period of
political tur-
moil that be-
gan in Dec.
of 2010 in
the Middle
East, sev-
eral leaders, most notably Muam-
mar Gaddaf of Libya and Hosni
Mubarak of Egypt, were ousted
after numerous demonstrations
and often times violent confron-
tations. However, one glimmer
of hope lies in the fact that the
leaders of multiple newly formed
governments, including Egypt,
Yemen, and Libya, have proven
themselves capable enough to
speak out condemning not only
the video, but also the violent
protests with notable effects: they
have further reassured their com-
mitment to the security of U.S.
embassies and consulates.
In the United States, these se-
ries of events have impacted the
upcoming presidential election.
Republican candidate Mitt Rom-
ney has voiced his disapproval of
the president's response claiming,
It's disgraceful that the Obama
administration's frst response
was not to condemn attacks on
our diplomatic missions, but to
sympathize with those who waged
the attacks. These remarks actu-
ally refer to a statement issued by
the U.S. embassy in Cairo, while
President Obama's response did
indeed condemn the acts of vio-
lence.
In terms of its ramifcations
for the future, the video has made
signifcant impacts such as further
establishing the power of digital
media in infuencing popular sen-
timent and straining America's
reputation in the world.
Dahlgren points to the long
history of Arab relations with the
West and states, saying, U.S. in-
terventions in the past. lhave|
really damaged the U.S.'s reputa-
tion already, and this is another
thing to add to the list. The Mid-
dle East has always had this ani-
mosity towards Western culture
in general. lgoing back| to the
far past even to the Crusades.
While the uprisings against
America in
response to
the video are
concerning,
the greater
question of
whether the
Arab Spring
governments
will be able to govern effectively
and quell civil unrest remains to
be seen. If they do not, the world
may be on the brink of another
long season of revolution.
PHOTO COURTESY OF A.ANlS VlA FLlCKR
A Syrian ghter takes cover near central Aleo on Aug. 7, 2012.
"lt's mora//v wrong to make v|d-
eos /|ke that. that r|d|c/e oth-
ers /andj cases |nnocent peop/e
to get hrt. bt l don't th|nk the
government /sho/dj censor v|d-
eos /|ke that.
Abdo BoukhaIiI
Junior
"l th|nk the v|deo |s otrageos.
lt denonces the va/|d|tv ol the
second /argest re/|g|on |n the
wor/d.
Arash JaIaIi-Sohi
Junior
vo:tmz :::, :sstz o. 2
:utusnnv, Oc:onzu !8, 20!2
NEWS
3
Analyzing the Arab Winter
SAT tightens security,
more requirements
nv l:iiv SurN
Nrvs S1~ii
Recently, two new philan-
thropic clubs have been added to
the list of the 32 existing clubs at
Aragon.
The new No Kid Hungry
Club, advised by English teacher
James Daniel, is part of a family
of clubs and organizations across
the United States that aims to end
hunger in America by 2013.
According to the website of the
organization, one in fve students
in America are hungry. This club
focuses on kids who can't af-
ford food. It might not be appar-
ent here, but it happens in other
places, and this club just wants to
raise awareness about childhood
hunger, says club president and
junior Celene Bolanos.
Freshman club member Bri-
ana Reynolds says, I think we
can raise enough money by 2013.
I've never heard of people in San
Mateo that are hungry, but you
hear it on the news and you know
it happens.
Regarding the immediate ac-
tion taken by the club, Bolanos
adds, Sept. 6 was National 'Go
Orange' day. Orange is actually
the color of hunger awareness. I
think it's really bright and it's an
optimistic color.
The club wants to have more
unoffcial 'Go Orange' days at
least every other month. Current-
ly, the club members are planning
a pledge party where they sign a
pledge to commit to ending hun-
ger by 2013. Looking toward
the future, more fundraisers and
events are in the works. We want
to sell orange sunglasses and do-
nate the profts, says Bolanos,
since we can get them at a dis-
count.
In addition to the No Kid
Hungry Club, People for Animal
Welfare (PAW), advised by his-
tory teacher Jennifer Johnson,
was restarted. Freshman Yumena
Kawasaki, the club secretary and
treasurer, says, We heard there
was an animal club, and we tried
to join, but we got the news that it
was no longer active, so we start-
ed it up again.
Club vice president, freshman
Meghan Wong says, lThe pur-
pose of the club is| to assist lo-
cal humane societies in their fght
against animal cruelty.
Regarding club activities,
freshman club president Victoria
Hoznek adds, lWe can donate|
animal food, dog toys, cat toys,
used towels. We kind of want
to do volunteering as a club and
ask them for group volunteering
opportunities, because they can
never get enough volunteers and
it would be more fun and useful.
The club hopes to fundraise
and raise awareness about animal
cruelty at school. Says Kawasaki,
We want to do bake sales and
blanket drives. Hoznek agrees.
We want to attend the next food
fair, and we want the food we sell
to refect what we do in the club.
Why have a regular cookie when
you can have one shaped like a
paw print?
Additionally, PAW plans to
enlist the help of local restaurants
to raise awareness and money for
their cause. At Panda Express,
they can give you 20 percent to-
wards your cause, and it's really
yummy, so we can do that, says
Hoznek.
For their frst project, how-
ever, PAW plans to adopt a wild
animal with the money they earn
from fundraisers. Hoznek says,
You send them money and they
give you updates and pictures. A
lot of animals you can adopt are
endangered animals because they
want to prevent them from going
extinct.
Many clubs at Aragon, like
PAW, have existed previously un-
der the management of past class-
es. According to leadership advis-
er Catherine Williamson, A club
would become inactive when the
offcers graduate and people stop
coming to the clubs. A big thing
is that if underclassmen can't take
over, like the Gentlemen's Club
last year, which had a lot of se-
niors.
Williamson adds, The stu-
dents have to generate the inter-
est. The frst thing is, make sure
you have an adviser and get ten
signatures of people who want to
reactivate it. The administration
does the initial approval and the
only time we've ever hesitated on
it is if there's a similar club.
For example, No Kid Hungry
is similar to the older existing
club End World Hunger. How-
ever, the scopes of their causes
are different: No Kid Hungry fo-
cuses on impoverished students
in America, while End World
Hunger focuses on world hunger.
If it has a slight difference,
then we'll take it. When you're at
a high school, they probably get
similar ideas from books and on-
line, says Williamson.
nv WrNnv YU
Nrvs S1~ii
Kicking off the new school
year, students came back to fnd
several surprising changes to Ara-
gon High School, namely an un-
fnished and barren Center Court.
Started over the summer, the
renovations on Center Court were
expected to be complete before
the frst week of school. How-
ever, due to delays, construction
continued into the frst month of
school, affecting many Leader-
ship-run events.
As part of Measure M, a
district-wide bond measure to
remodel and modernize high
schools within the San Mateo
Union High School District, Cen-
ter Court received many new ad-
ditions and upgrades. The main
changes to Center Court were the
additions of cement blocks and
the pathways encircling the new-
ly laid grass.
Regarding these changes,
Principal Patricia Kurtz states,
The idea for adding the cement
pathways on the grass was for the
ADA, or Americans with Dis-
abilities Act, so that people with
wheelchairs could accessibly
watch swim meets, water polo
games, and whatnot from Center
Court.
In order to fnish Center Court
before the 2012-2013 school
year, construction workers started
the project as soon as summer va-
cation began. Unfortunately, due
to delays, construction still went
into the school year.
Plant Manager Rick Master-
son explains, We knew con-
struction would run longer than
we had wanted because we're
dealing with the soil underneath.
Delays are normal though. There
was a lot of bedrock underneath
the school, which brought in ir-
rigation problems and involved
more digging, delaying construc-
tion for about a month.
By the frst week of school,
the new sod was fnally laid onto
Center Court. Although construc-
tion was technically complete,
Center Court was roped off-limits
to test the soil and to allow the
grass to set.
Originally, construction work-
ers expected that Center Court
would need approximately 120
days to set. However, after a little
over a month, Center Court was
unexpectedly opened early for
student use.
Masterson says, Center Court
was originally supposed to set for
120 days to let everything cure
and settle in. After letting the
grass set a little over a month, the
soil tests came back normal and
up to code. So, we checked it out
and saw that it didn't hurt to let
students have lCenter Court| ear-
ly and enjoy it.
For the short period Center
Court was unavailable, Leader-
ship activities that originally were
planned to take place there were
affected.
At the beginning of the school
year, upon learning that it would
not have access to Center Court,
Leadership was faced with
tough decisions. Without a loca-
tion, Leadership had to decide
whether it should cut out the an-
nual Welcome Back Dance and
the Welcome
Back Rally en-
tirely or seek
out new loca-
tions.
In the end,
L e a d e r s h i p
was unable
to fnd an on-
campus loca-
tion for the an-
nual Welcome
Back Dance.
On the sub-
ject, Leader-
ship Teacher Catherine William-
son states, Since the gyms were
both unavailable due to construc-
tion, there was no alternate loca-
tion for the dance, and this is one
dance we always hold on campus.
Luckily, cancelling the Welcome
Back Dance was not a huge deal
for us since it is typically a small-
er dance anyway.
For the Welcome Back Rally,
Leadership decided on an un-
expected locationthe football
feld. Initially worried about the
student reactions and the logistics
of relocating, Leadership was sur-
prised by the positive response of
the frst rally.
Williamson comments, Hav-
ing Center Court unavailable for
the Welcome Back Rally forced
us to try the football feld for a
lunchtime rally. It showed us
what a wonderful facility the feld
is.
Now that Center Court is
open, Leadership plans to return
for rallies.
Williamson says, We'll be go-
ing back to Center Court because
while the football feld was a nice
location, it is more convenient to
have rallies on Center Court be-
cause it is right here in the middle
of school. When we do our fun
and games for the rallies, we'll
just have to work the blocks and
walkways into the layout plan.
As students return to Center
Court during lunch, there have
been mixed opinions about the
new design.
I like how the grass is all
new. I think it's a good place dur-
ing lunch to just relax and take
a break from sitting in class all
day, says junior Megumi No-
zawa.
Regarding the quaint ambi-
ance, Williamson states, The
landscaping is so nice and very
aesthetically pleasing. It hits all
the right buttons for everyone.
While many are pleased with
the design of Center Court, others
fnd several issues with the new
additions.
On the potential safety hazards,
senior Vanessa Poon comments,
I feel that the changes in Center
Court were a little unnecessary. I
remember last year after the con-
struction for the swimming pool,
a lot of students would play Fris-
bee or hacky sacks. Now, with the
cement foor in Center Court, it is
very diffcult to run and now has
a higher risk of injuries.
Sophomore Anny Tang says,
I think the concrete blocks in
Center Court need more vibrant
colors to enrich our school's spir-
it.
Senior Kathryn DeWitt adds,
While I do believe that it's im-
portant that there is equal access
for viewing water polo games
and swim meets, I personally
liked Center Court the way it was
before better. The cement blocks
on Center Court limit seating be-
cause when sitting on a block, it's
harder to sit in a circle and talk to
friends during lunch.
Nevertheless, while not all of
Aragon has gotten used to Center
Court just yet, Kurtz concludes,
We're so fortunate to have the
opportunity to enjoy and make
use of a brand-new, renovated
Center Court.
Juniors oshi ee and Nicole Sanchez and sohomore Lexi Oliva sign
the No Kids Hungry Club ledge oster.

Students enjoy the newly renovated Center Court.

NEWS
vo:tmz :::, :sstz o. 2
:utusnnv, oc:onzu !8, 20!2 4
Extreme makeover:
New school year welcomes
two new philanthropic clubs
center court edition
For many students, this means getting a full
night of rest before each day of school. However,
with overloaded schedules, sleep deprivation feels
unavoidable. Try bringing tea, coffee or another hot
drink to school in the mornings. If that is not your
cup of tea, try out other ways of keeping yourself
awake such as bringing a water bottle or snack.
Once you fgure out what works for you, make sure
to have your comfort-item on hand any day that
you will be particularly tired or need to be extra
alert.
Be ready to attack, academically and with
a number two pencil of course, whatever as-
sessment is placed in front of you. Treat
test material like you would a signifcant
other, minus the candlelit dinners: you
should be able to rattle off the con-
tent's favorite fower, core values, and
eye color without a second thought.
Trust the time and effort you put into
the material to pay off during tests.
Additionally, if romantic dinners with
your textbook really do help you learn
the material better, then by all means go
for it.

Why? Because that is the time it takes for your
body to complete an entire cycle of sleep. Psychol-
ogy teacher Carlo Corti says, Students fall into a
deep sleep after 43 minutes. A full sleep cycle is 90
minutes. At the end of the 90 minutes is when you
are almost awake and you wake up naturally. So you
should commit to a 90 minute nap. When you nap
and do not wake up at the end of a sleep cycle you
are more likely to be irritable and lethargic. Taking
this advice will make you more amiable and this
will make you more approachable. Incidentally, this
might help you with the fourth tip.

Get to know your peers in class. Finding a study
group or buddy for every class is vital for your grade
and more importantly, your sanity. In English and
history classes, have someone with which to swap
your essays and papers. In a foreign language class,
you need to practice speaking the language with a
partner outside of class: having those one sided con-
versations in front of a mirror before oral fnals just
does not cut it. In a math or science class, when you
cannot grasp a concept or equation, have a friend ex-
plain it or work through a problem. Remember that
everyone has different strengths.
There is a reason your teachers want you to par-
ticipate in class. Verbalizing a thought or concept
will help to cement it in your mind. Push yourself
to play an active role in class, heyyou might even
enjoy it!
As much as you may love recycling, its time to
channel your inner hoarder. AP classes typically ac-
cumulate massive amounts of paper each semester.
Do not forget that when the AP tests roll around,
you will still need to know things that you learned
in August. A good way to assess if you have kept
enough papers is if you can take all of your papers
out, throw them into a pile, and roll around in them.
If you start fling and storing papers now, you will
not end up with a giant mound to sift through in May
before exams.

Ask your teachers for assignments in advance so

you can get work done over the weekend before a
busy week. During an overwhelming week, this al-
lows you to stay on top of coursework and your ex-
tracurricular activities without pulling out your hair.
When you are given an assignment that is not due
for three weeks, it is enticing to put it off until the
night before it is due. Instead, try dividing every big
assignment into three parts. Open your calendar and
set a due date for each segment of the assignment. If
you plan ahead, you can compensate for any particu-
larly busy weeks and not feel overwhelmed when
the fnal due date arrives. One third of the work
times three due dates equals one happy student.
Schoolloop can be both a valuable resource and a
generator of anxiety. Your central goal is most likely
to get a high grade in the course, but remember that
you are expanding your skill set by working hard in
the class. Focus on your learning. As a result, you
will not only be prepared in May but will also ben-
eft from the knowledge you have gained throughout
the year. If something falls through the cracks, do
not despaireat some chocolate and shake it off.

Amongst all of your work do not forget to look

up from your books and see what the weather is
like outside. Although at times it is easy to forget
that there is more to life than studying, taking time
off from your work is vital to your success. Any
time you feel overwhelmed, it is time to set your
work aside and take a break. As always, romantic
dinners with your textbook are also an option.
AP clouueu con cerlolnly overwhelm, bul when bolonced cor-
reclly, lhey oIIer o hlghly rewordlng polh lhrough hlgh uchool
lhol wlll leove o loullng lmpocl upon your llIe. Toklng on AP
clouu oll comeu down lo menlollly. lI you pul your mlnd lo ll, you
wlll be oble lo remember oll Iorly-Iour preuldenlu ond dlulln-
guluh belween relrogrode ond onlerogrode omneulo. Pemember
lhol reloxollon, bolonced wllh Iocuued ond hord work, lu o vllol
porl oI on AP llIeulyle. So, brove odvenlurer oI lhe wlld londu
oI lhe AP, uue lhlu gulde when you need lo novlgole your woy
ocrouu lhe lreocherouu lerroln or oround obulocleu lhol oppeor
ln your polh. You hove on llluulrlouu journey oheod oI you.
Bv ANnvrv ScuiiiiNc ~Nn Kiv~ BvrNNrv
lr~1Uvrs ~Nn Nrvs lni1ovs
2. Enler leulu ond llmed
wrlleu wllh lhe rlghl,
poulllve mlnduel.
7. Gel oheod beIore o blg
week oI exlrocurrlculor com-
mllmenlu.
SHANNON BODEAU
1. Do wholever ll lokeu lo
remoln ollenllve ln clouu.
3. Toke nopu ln mulllpleu
oI 90 mlnuleu.
4. Sludy ln groupu.
5. Speok up ln clouu.
6. Sove oll oI your poperu!
8. Sel uhorl-lerm deodllneu
Ior long-lerm ouulgnmenlu.
9. Do nol lel lhe numberu
gel lo you.
10. Pelox!
vo:tmz :::, :sstz o. 2
:utusnnv, Oc:onzu !8, 20!2
5 FEATURES
10 STEPS TO SUCCESS
A
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FEATURES
vo:tmz :::, :sstz o. 2
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TV on the lnternet
Bad entertainment...is entertaining?
Teacher Leuers of Recommendation
nv MUvv~v S~Nn:rvrv
ir~1Uvrs s1~ii
Around 6 p.m. after school,
Aragon sophomore Dasha
Shestakov is fnished with her
homework. She might watch TV
while she practices her drawing,
do housework, or surf the in-
ternet while the TV plays in the
background. As she sits on her
couch, however, she does not
reach for the cable TV remote.
Instead, she grasps for the white
game controller with the pale
Wii logo on the front.
Shestakov is one of many
students who has discovered
internet TV show streaming as
a substitute to traditional cable
television. You can choose
what shows you want to watch
without waiting for them to
come on, she says. Most of
the time, she streams through
her game consolea method
which 30 percent of all Netfix
subscribers use. Alternatively,
she could watch by using a web
browser or another dedicated de-
vice. Because of the versatility
of streaming, it is renowned in
our instant-entertainment world.
Junior Ria Patel praises
streaming services for alleviat-
ing the frustrating and compli-
cated schedules of cable TV.
When you want to watch mov-
ies and shows when they're not
on air, Netfix and Hulu make it
easier.
This accessibility, however,
can be haunting for students.
Having thousands of hours of
shows and movies at the click
of a mouse is extremely distract-
ing. Senior Will Abrams says,
Instead of you not doing your
homework only while a TV
show is on air, you can watch
TV at any time. It affects study
habits.
The idea of a more con-
trolling viewer base in televi-
sion does not always transcend
generations, some argue. Patel
claims kids watch more tele-
vision than adults do. Adults
have more busy lives with work,
while kids are more eager to
watch TV after school is over.
In fact, teenagers are the sec-
ond most television dependent
age group, outmatched only by
adults over age 63.
The way Americans satisfy
their hunger for television
exemplifed by the 230 billion
hours watched every yearis
not strictly legal. The TV show
piracy epidemic is often attrib-
uted to the growing demand of
instant viewing.
TV shows are among the
most pirated forms of media,
only behind movies and por-
nography in terms of illegal
downloads. The HBO program
Game of Thrones, for exam-
ple, is on track to be the most
pirated show of 2012 with
downloads in the millions, ac-
cording to Forbes. The show's
innumerable illegal downloads
are often attributed to HBO's
proprietary and expensive cable
service, not to mention the dif-
fculty of subscribing in regions
outside the U.S. It's unfair how
people in other countries can't
view HBO, Shestakov com-
ments. Still, any kind of piracy
is wrong.
Even though the majority of
illegal conduct occurs through
downloads, not all piracy and il-
legal TV show viewing is strict-
ly through downloadable media.
Patel says, People might pirate
movies or TV shows and sell
them illegally to gain proft.
National Public Radio reports
that there is a rising trend of
groups of illegitimate websites
that stream illegal content and
receive ad revenue on the side.
Ironically, the reason that
many have turned away from
cable TV is because of the same
intrusive advertisements. When
you're watching a movie lon ca-
ble|, advertisements always ap-
pear at the best part of the movie
and that ruins the mood, says
sophomore Jahan Rassouli.
Ads on illegitimate sites are
sometimes even worse. They
can litter the sidebars, play while
the video buffers, or even pop
up and expand when the mouse
strays too near. It is questionable
whether this illegal free stream-
ing is more convenient or more
pleasant than cable TV, especial-
ly when the advertisements are
equally or more invasive.
For now, not all types of TV
shows are present in the stream-
ing scene. Ria Patel thinks that
sports might make the switch to
internet viewing, but with added
diffculty. They could transi-
tion, but you would be late for
the excitement. It isn't the same
to view them after they happen.
Websites like Livestream and
Youtube hope to remedy this
problem. They plan to add social
connectivity to the experience
for communicating all of those
expressions of victory, surprise,
and awe in sports or live events.
The desire for connectivity in
entertainment becomes increas-
ingly apparent as the younger
generations reach adulthood.
As a result, cable TV is often
stomped upon. Basic subscribers
of cable television decreased by
nearly 2 million people in 2010,
reports the U.S. Census.
TV as a whole has a long his-
tory, and many Aragon students
agree it will not perish imme-
diately. Cable TV isn't going
away soon, Rassouli concludes.
Cable companies are like to-
bacco companies.
nv l~N B~vvir
ir~1Uvrs s1~ii
Senior Keaton Moe goes
home from an exhausting day of
school, walks into his room, and
quickly turns on his iTunes. He
scrolls down to the N section
and proceeds to blast the 2000
hit-single, Bye Bye Bye by the
boy band *Nsync. Often, Moe
gets backlash when explaining
that his favorite musical group
is a forgotten commodity of the
boy band era. Many people dis-
like *Nsync, but I feel like lthose
people| do enjoy the music deep
down inside . . .Their criticisms
are just a product of them reject-
ing what they want to associate
themselves with, he explains.
Enjoying entertainment that
society has deemed bad appears
to be a growing trend. Music like
Rebecca Black's Friday and
the recently popular sensation,
Gangnam Style, have reached
huge audiences due to the wide
accessibility offered by the Inter-
net. One person talks about it so
everybody wants to know what
they are talking about. Then, ev-
erybody listens to it and if it's
entertaining, other people want to
hear it, explains sophomore Si-
enna Williams.
Black's music, full of dreadful
singing and repetitive lyrics, is
bad, yet people seemed to enjoy
it enough to watch it. Freshman
Ryan McAullife says, It all re-
ally depends on the style that peo-
ple like and how catchy the song
is. He says, People watched
Rebecca Black because it's just
funny.
Still, the defnition of bad
entertainment is not concrete.
Friday, though criticized for its
lyrics, can be considered a qual-
ity video in terms of both audio
and video editing, even though
its popularity can be attributed to
other factors. McAullife explains,
People were just not serious. The
second she started singing, people
were just laughing and having a
good time.
Moe agrees, In order for
someone to believe entertainment
is good or bad, they have to take
it seriously, he explains. People
laugh at Rebecca Black because
she just wasn't serious.
Similarly, Gangnam Style
features provocative dancing and
a catchy beat. Many disregard the
song's lyrics as nonsense, but its
distinguishing beat can frequently
be heard on major radio stations.
Considering that few students un-
derstand the lyrics, it is a wonder
that many can be seen mimicking
the undulating dance patterns.
Curiously, people often enjoy
this kind of entertainment solely
because of its lack of a serious
vibe. Sophomore Matt Savage, a
fan of big budget action movies,
enjoys the excitement. He says,
Although they don't put much
time into the actual stories and
characters, they put their energy
into great explosions and scenes.
Not a lot of time is really put into
its purpose. Not all movies should
be like this, but the ones that are
are very entertaining.
Sophomore Kevin Ruttenberg
justifes his hidden love of the hit
television show Glee. It al-
lows me to escape my daily prob-
lems and go along for the ride. It's
so stereotypical and takes the ste-
reotypes to such a high level that
it makes the show humorous and
entertaining.
Even though the mainstream
media and society often criticize
such media, bad entertainment
is becoming a signifcant force
in viral media. For the average
teenager, perhaps bad enter-
tainment is nothing new, for from
the reception of recent viral hits,
it appears that such entertainment
has achieved the essential ambi-
tion of all entertainers that is,
simply to entertain.
nv ls~~c W~Nc
Nrvs s1~n
For many seniors, the frst
semester of the year is defned
by college applications. In addi-
tion to writing essays, submitting
transcripts, and answering ques-
tionnaires, students applying to
private colleges and universities
must obtain letters of recommen-
dation from their teachers and ad-
ministrators.
While the University of Cali-
fornia and California State Uni-
versity systems do not ask for let-
ters of recommendation, private
colleges and universities usually
require two letters, each from core
subject teachers. Other colleges
or universities may require only
one letter of recommendation.
Senior Kelly Walsh says,
Most colleges want junior and
senior year core class teachers in
addition to a guidance counselor
recommendation.
Senior David Koshy says,
Teachers can give colleges an
idea of who a student is beyond
the grades. They could write
whether they were hardworking,
funny, or shy. It gives colleges
a pretty accurate look at the stu-
dent's personality rather than just
looking at numbers on a piece of
paper.
Due to the overwhelming
amount of students needing let-
ters of recommendation, teachers
often have to spend their spare
time writing these letters. Science
teacher Katherine Ward says,
Good letters take me at least two
hours per letter, and the time has
to come out of the non-school
day. This year, I will need to fnd
about sixty extra hours to get all
of the letters done, meaning I will
spend evenings and weekends
writing letters.
Says counselor Steve
Allekotte, I write 23 to 30 letters
per year. Before I write each one,
I read through a student's appli-
cation packet, which includes the
resume, parent brag sheet, college
essays, and transcript. Then, I in-
terview the students and ask them
about their most meaningful high
school experiences, how they've
changed since freshman year,
what major they have in mind,
and how their friends and family
would describe them. I want to
get a sense of where they've been,
who they are, and where they're
going.
Due to the time commitment,
many teachers are now limiting
the number of letters they are
willing to write. Many students
could be turned away by their
favorite teachers. Senior Mar-
vin Yang says, When you don't
get your favorite teacher to write
it, just go to your next favorite
teacher. Ask a teacher in whose
class you excelled.
This hard work does not go
unappreciated. Koshy says, I'm
sure all students are very appre-
ciative of teachers. We know that
the letters take lots of time and
work, and their work is for the
beneft of us, so we appreciate
them a lot for doing this.
Visit aragonoutlook.org to view
even more content and to browse
our archives for past articles!
CARMEN CHEN
PRESTON HARRY
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It pulses. It shakes. There is
something evocative and unique
about its unorthodox melodies.
It's different, says Junior Da-
vid Leong. That's what people
like. It's not your average love
song. This type of music that
utilizes distinctly warped elec-
tronic sounds and a heavy bass
is known as dubstep, and it has
grown into one of the most rec-
ognizable sounds of the current
music scene.
Dubstep's distinctive beats
have found their way into a va-
riety of musical genres. I'm not
sure if it's mainstream every-
where, but it is in hip hop. It's
becoming mainstream in that.
Many dancers use it, and K-pop
(Korean pop) artists are starting
to use it too says senior dance
team member Mickey Alvarez.
Dubstep has come far from its
roots in the 1990s United King-
dom grime movement. Although
now a distinct genre, Dubstep has
retained some essential properties
from the dark and eclectic UK
grime electronica from which it
evolved. It maintains the grime's
140 beat per minute standard and
it's wobbly, warped character.
Dubstep's typical style centers
on its base effect and limited vo-
cals. Beats, bass, lots of bass
says senior Casey Fitzgerald
when asked to describe dubstep's
defning characteristic. Dubstep's
rhythm centers on this base effect.
Dubstep songs will commonly
have a soft, dreamy melody cre-
ated by electronic sounds that
will abruptly reach the drop and
suddenly the intensity of the song
will escalate.
It's like an electric fart, says
Alvarez. Most of the dubstep
people make sounds like that.
There is some musicality in it,
but most of the time it sounds like
an electric fart. Alvarez refers to
dubstep's tendency to blend elec-
tronic sounds together and use
huge, explosive melodies.
Leong has changed his origi-
nal opinions about dubstep. He
says At frst I was like,
this is crazy. Now I'm
like, it's really, really cool. Dub-
step's conglomeration of potent
effects has allowed it to become a
power player in the music scene.
Skrillex won the 2012 Grammy
for Best Dance/Electronica al-
bum for Nice Sprites and Scary
Monsters, a popular song that
appears on many radio stations.
Band Director Troy Davis lis-
tened to Nice Sprites and Scary
Monsters and gathered his frst
impression of dubstep. It sounds
almost like something from a vid-
eo game or a movie, says Davis.
Davis does not believe that
dubstep is really a mainstream ap-
peal at the moment, but he adds,
You'll start hearing it in other
felds...these new effects are inte-
grated into the groove: it's some-
thing not really used this way be-
fore.
Indeed, although dubstep is
usually integrated into dance mel-
odies, it has shown itself in a va-
riety of alternative acts like Muse
and Alex Clare. Alex Clare's Too
Close has been a popular radio
hit as well as the background song
to Internet Explorer's commer-
cial, played extensively during
NBC's coverage of the Olympics.
Muse's new album The Second
Law features songs that use dub-
step effects. This is a surprising
testament to the versatility of
dubstep as dubstep is not typi-
cally associated with lyrical
music and because Muse created
some of these dubstep sounds
with the use of a guitar instead of
electronic effects.
I never thought it would hit
mainstream, says Senior Steven
Callas. In reality, dubstep has
shown certain signs of becoming
a part of mainstream music. This
development may be attributed to
some of dubstep's defning char-
acteristics, like the focus on base
and its use of unique electronic
sounds.
Fitzgerald agrees, Dubstep
puts more beats and rhythm to
songs instead of just lyrics.
Dubstep's heavy and power-
ful use of bass may explain its
quick rise to popularity and its
promise on the dance foor. With
heavy vibrations that can be felt
by a dancer, dubstep has started
appearing in many dance events.
Alvarez says The best time to
listen to dubstep is with a crowd
of people. It's like a rave type of
music.
Alvarez explains how dubstep
helps him explore other types of
dancing. He says For instance,
waving and botting. The reason is
that the beats have that sound ef-
fect, like a wave or robot.
Dubstep's emerging infuences
on the dance scene and its versa-
tility in different musical genres
have given it a solid base to grow
and become a true staple of main-
stream music.
CONTlNUED FROM PAGE l
On Monday, the 2Cellos vis-
ited Aragon for a three song per-
formance. Every seat in the new
theater was flled with students
anticipating this world-renown
duo.
The pair certainly wowed
Aragon students. After every
piece, the audience broke out in
applause, as well as hoots and
shouts, and in some instances, I
love you! was heard from the
crowd.
Sophomore Guy Geva com-
ments on the performance, I
thought that lthe| performance
was really good. I liked how in-
volved and into the music both
cellists are. They didn't just play
noise: they played real music ...
I might continue to follow their
career.
Junior Jacqueline Pei ex-
plains, I lwas| excited to see
them in person after watching
them online and seeing them
on 'Glee.' I think that they are
uniquely talented. You see a lot
of musicians playing pianos and
guitars, but you rarely see cel-
los.
Sophomore Grisel Lopez,
who stopped playing violin when
she got to high school four years
of playing, comments, I def-
nitely wish lthe performance|
was longer because I really liked
the music. It was my frst time
seeing a cello performance like
that, and it lmade| me want to
play the violin again.
David Martin, orchestra and
choir director adds, It was ex-
citing, but I wish I had had time
to enjoy it. That being said, what
a great way to have that theater
inaugurated having students
come there to see world-class
guys make beautiful music.
In between songs, Martin
asked Hauser and Sulic questions
about their lives and experiences
as cellists. Hauser's tongue-in-
cheek responses caused the au-
dience to erupt in laughter. Dur-
ing one instance, Martin asked
what ages they were. Twelve,
responded Hauser, with a smile.
As the audience laughed, Sulic
chuckled, Yes, his behavior is
that of a twelve year old.
Their playful attitudes were
apparent even in their playing,
in which Hauser would encour-
age the audience to clap with the
beat: both cellist smiled widely at
the crowd as they performed.
However, even though instant
stardom and shows almost every
night can be exciting, these things
can be stressful as well. 2Cellos
has been on the road for a year
and a half, and life gets hectic for
the pair. Jazmin Sherman, their
day-to-day manager comments
that she's, Dealing with sort of
the day to day aspects of their life
the touring, the press runs, lots
of traveling, lots of visas.
Not only is it hectic for the cel-
lists, but for the people that man-
age them as well. Luka Sertic,
their driver comments, What I
know for now is that they're real
jokers, and if you're the driver,
you really got to keep your eye
on them because they like to go
out and run away, and I'll have a
hectic time fnding them. We're
all backstage and getting all the
cellos in the car. I come and,
boom! Stjepans's gone. Like,
'Where'd Stejpan go?' He was
here with two chicks.
Because of their musical
childhoods, both Hauser and
Sulic feel strongly about inspir-
ing more kids to love music.
Gary Allen, board member of the
Croatian Scholarship Fund and
promoter of Oct. 14 fundrais-
ing 2Cellos concert, comments,
They were excited to come to
the high school because it's flled
with students of music and all of
those types of good things ... they
went through high school musi-
cal lessons and all that, and so
these are their fans: they'd much
rather come to something like
this, not have to talk to the press
and all that. This is the pulse of
music, is young kids. So that's
why they wanted to come to this
after the concert.
Sherman adds, We just want-
ed to give back to the local high
school, and visit their music de-
partment. These guys have been
doing music since they were fve.
They were sponsored by Elton
John to practice at the World
Academy of Music in London.
Luka was on a scholarship, so
they feel very strongly about
kids.
Martin notes, They lHauser
and Sulic| can really be ambas-
sadors for music education. They
said they were completely blown
away when so many people
raised their hands saying they
were involved in the music pro-
gram. They didn't expect that,
and they said, 'Wow, that's unbe-
lievable!' They love that.
This performance could not
have happened without winning
the Facebook poll. Students were
just as active during the lead-up
to the concert as they were dur-
ing the 2Cellos's visit. A Face-
book event was created by senior
Olivia Simon to prompt students
to share the poll with their friends
and families and have them vote
for 2Cellos to visit Aragon.
Sophomore Dawit Bairu says,
When I found out about the
competition, I started listening
to their music and I realized that
they are really talented. I wanted
them to come to Aragon, so I in-
vited a lot of my friends to the
event on Facebook so we could
get more votes.
Despite the majority of Ara-
gon students voting for Aragon,
some Dons decided to vote for
the rivals instead.
Junior Eric Carlson, who vot-
ed for Hillsdale, explains, Well,
I think that with the pipe bombs
and everything that's happened
to them, they deserve a nice con-
cert at their school.
No matter who they voted
for, this was surely a memorable
event for most Dons.
CONTlNUED FROM PAGE l
On Friday, the Dons will go to
Sacred Heart Preparatory to take
on the Gators, who are currently
2-0 in PALs and 6-0 overall. The
Gators have shut out their last
four opponents and have allowed
only 9 points this season.
Sell says, We have to execute
better. We have to block better.
We have to do everything bet-
ter to score against Sacred Heart
Prep.
The Dons return home on
Oct. 26 to face division foe Terra
Nova, followed by a road game at
Burlingame before the homecom-
ing game on Nov. 9.
Concludes Sell, There's noth-
ing but tough teams ahead of us.
Visit our new and improved website,
aragonoutlook.org, to browse web-
exclusive articles and view photos
and graphics from previous issues.
MARlA MENSHlKOVA
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FEATURES
7
School success: 2Cellos group comes to Aragon
Dubstep: What`s up with aII the wub-wub`s'
Aragon
Dons face
on against
Half Moon
Bay
Cougars
How long did you participate?
Number of Student Responses
Number of
Student
Responses
How did you
participate?
Number of Student Responses
In your opinion, what was the main
purpose of this movement or group?
Somewhat
Eective
Very Eective
In your
opinion, how
effective was
this movement
or group in
fulllinq its
main purpose?
Number of
Student
Responses
How did vou nd out about this
movement or group?
Have
you ever
participated
in an activist
movement or
group?
27%
3%
10%
ACTIVISM STUDENT CULTURE
SOCIAL MEDIA
CLICKTIVISM
The average Facebook user has 200
friendswith a single click, they can put any-
thing in front of those 200 pairs of eyes. If one per-
son out of those 200 clicks Like or makes a com-
ment, the story is put in front of all of their friends as
wellnow 400 people see the story. Extrapolated from
the average amount of friends per user, the potential
audience can jump to forty thousand people. Yet stu-
dent activism is not solely limited to Facebook; sites
like Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, LiveJournal, and
Blogger have all fed the accessibility of online
clicktivism. Undeniably, social media
has a huge infuence of today's ac-
tivism among the youth.

FAUX-GRASSROOTS
ASTROTURF
It's clear why companies pay social media manag-
ers as much as $78,000 per year to maintain the corporate
Facebook page; they can advertise their product to thousands, if
not millions, of people without having to pay a penny for ad place-
ment.The fact that corporations can put relatively little effort into mak-
ing things Like-able shows how effective social media can be in develop-
ing a large supporter base. This is very benefcial for the charity entrepreneur.
Starting a charitable organization no longer requires searching for grants or
building an archetypal grassroots movement before becoming successful; the
support of a community can now be tapped within seconds online. This sort of
faux-grassroots media empowerment is especially characteristic of youth, who
are most likely to be exposed to such outreach. But is someone who once donat-
ed $10 via text message or liked a page on Facebook an activist? Asocial
media charity may have ambitious goals, but the signifcance of its contribu-
tion to society may be dependent on the attention span of its activists.
When a user clicks on a Facebook page, it takes them mere seconds
to read about or share the cause. But in the fad-like wave of status
updates and trending tweets, it is easy for a cause to get old. Hu-
man traffcking will not be wiped out in a month, but surely
any Facebook user will get tired of the same cause
dominating their news feed for four weeks
straight.
ALLOCATION
OF FUNDS
In cases where more extensive participation is
requested, allocation of funds is often unclear or mis-
leading. Invisible Children, the organization behind the
Kony 2012 movement, reportedly spent a third of its fund-
raising dollars on the flm it produced, another third on flm-
related advocacy, and the rest on a mission to end the war and
rehabilitate war-affected children. After its initial popularity hype
in March, critics blasted the organization for its media-centric char-
ity model and vague purpose: its specifc involvement in Uganda
remains highly contested.
Interestingly, the internet has also made some solutions pos-
sible. Charity Navigator is a website that independently reviews
and rates charities for public access. The service makes it
much easier to hold activist groups accountable, but more
importantly, it reduces the amount of work needed to
do so. That may be the key to ensuring that on-
line users are not misled by illegitimate
or poorly managed organiza-
tions.
LEGITIMACY
Attention-grabbing campaigns and rapid
requests for small, distributed action permeate social
activism. Social critics have called it frivolous as a resulta
system of activist campaigning where very little actual progress is
made, despite having more hype than traditional activist movements.
There is no application process or review period to create a Facebook
page; Facebook simply requires that the creator of a page is an authorized
representative of their organization, which can be anything from a 10-member
school club to the American Cancer Society. Large, offcial charities are subject to
extensive regulation, but an amateur, startup, or ill-organized movement with few
fnancial rules can just as easily garner a following online. On Facebook, they are
just as much a group as the American Cancer Society, yet have no reputation to back
up their promises or oversight to ensure they don't misuse people's time and money.
In effect, they are more likely to be dependent on online mediums, and thus may
get disproportionate attention from youth. Consequently, social media has made it
easier for activist movements to reach a broad participation base while holding
very little accountability. With over 42 million pages on Facebook and millions
of non-profts to choose from, a student activist who wants to be responsible
with his time or money has his work cut out for him: the detailed fnancial
reports of a large, reputable charity are easily googled, but one would
be hard-pressed to fnd any information about a recently-started
local movement. A moving viral video can solicit immediate
participation, but while the cause may be clearly and
poignantly illustrated, the purpose of the orga-
nization is not always so apparent.
SUSTAINED
SIGNIFICANCE
Some groupsperhaps those not dependent upon
the faux-grassroots of the internet to build a new supporter
basehave effectively adapted to this new culture of student
activism and its reliance upon social media.
Aragon senior Sam Alavi, president of Gay Straight Alliance, re-
cently conducted a GSA student photo campaign which also relied on
social media to encourage youth to participate. She explains its success,
saying, We're going to post the photos the week of October 14th, which is
Ally week... People can physically see the change they make on campus, and
know that they're actually making a difference. With la campaign| like Kony
2012, it's happening on the other side of the world: we don't see it, we don't
hear about what's going on day to day. She adds, It makes it more diffcult
to stay involved.
Yet in a culture where social media is prone to function as a double-
edged sword, the difference between a sustained cause and a fash in
the pan may be subtle. Alavi says, I think raising awareness is a
really important frst step. But saying you're an activist because
you liked a page is not enough. I would encourage people
to move past raising awareness and towards
actually making a
difference.
TRENDS
WITHIN TRENDS
With the growth of social me-
dia's infuence, there's no doubt that
activism movements can easily grab the
attention of more peopleespecially the
youthwith less effort. However, while
some individual movements appear to have
little to no staying power, social media
has simultaneously allowed for the sus-
tained development and moderniza-
tion of other student activist
groups.
A FLASH IN THE PAN
Student activism can often be charac-
terized by a fash in the pan phenomenon. For
example, the Catalyst movement's local Facebook page
garnered 100 photo submissions in the span of two days, and
then remained relatively inactive, receiving its remaining 27 pho-
to submissions over the span of two weeks. The group page has been
entirely inactive since Sept. 1. Similarly, Kony 2012 died off quickly
after its initial fare-up. The Kony 2012 video was uploaded on March 3,
and the corresponding youth-driven Cover the Night protests were sup-
posed to take place more than a month later, on April 20. While the video
accumulated more than 83 million views before April 20, the Kony 2012
campaign was a distant memory by the time the day of the protest rolled
around. As a result, only a few cities around the world reported gatherings,
which ranged from 20 to 30 people, participating in Cover the Night.
In both casesboth of which depended heavily on social mediathe
actual substantial yield of activism seems to be remarkably low com-
pared to the initial enthusiasm generated. In the case of amateur,
startup, or ill-organized movements, the dominance of so-
cial media in contemporary student activism may feed
the fashpan effect more than it aids the activist
cause.
INHERENT BENEFIT
Even novice groups that may have
been a fash in the pan have fulflled an
arguable purpose. Particularly for young adults
in high school and college, experimentingalbeit
temporarilywith such forms of activism can help to
provide valuable experience, develop an individual ideol-
ogy, or create an affnity for future involvement. Aragon
science teacher Amy Schwartz, who encourages her AP
Environmental Science students to become more involved
in environmentalist causes, says, Going out and partici-
pating in these activities is a way to better understand
environmental issues rather than just reading it in a
textbook. I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in
college, so from personal experience, I can say
that 'making a difference' makes a differ-
ence in your life, not just others'
llives|.
ULTERIORINFLUENCE
Other infuences may serve to ex-
plain why activism in student culture has
changed. Last presidential election, voters focked
to booths in abnormally high numbers, yet even such
record participation only amounted to 64 percent of the eli-
gible population. Slacktivism itself may be an integral part
of American society that is exemplifed most clearly in youth
culture. However, there is also an infuence unique to the younger
demographic that may be feeding this newly developed culture:
increased academic competition. As competitiveness for college
admissions continues to escalate, community service has be-
come one of the essential elements of a desirable resume. As
a result, some students may have begun using activism as
a path to fulfll this perceived requirement. The outcome
may be a subculture of pseudo-activismactivism
fueled by ulterior motives rather than true con-
cern or investment in an issueunique to
contemporary student academic
culture.
SLACKTIVISM THE CONCEPT
There is an undeniable correlation between contemporary student
activism and slacktivism, which may be rooted in the youth's affnity to social
media. Increasingly, young people are faced with the ability to directly affect something that
moved themfrequently, all it requires is a push of button. The internet has opened a new avenue of ease
for the student activist; supporting the Catalyst movement, for example, simply required taking a photo; supporting
the KONYmovement was achieved by pressing a button to share the group's video.
While the jury is still out on morality of the current generation's perceived laziness on the activism front, a different
question begs to be answered: is anything being achieved? Are student activists actually affecting change? In the light of many
such fash in the pan examples, one might be tempted to answer No. The rapid-fre response seems just as conducive to a
rapid-extinguishment. When a person is pulled into a campaign such as Kony, they may be only moved to the point of sharing a video.
This level of involvement represents a signifcant lack of convictiona lack of conviction that culminated clearly in the Cover the
Night failure. However, while some student activists may be slacktivists, they still hold the potential to affect great change.
This is evident in the movement surrounding the Trayvon Martin case. Many people credit the awareness the 2-million strong petition
garnered as the driving force behind pressuring the prosecution to move in on Trayvon's killer. The online petition required an infnitesimal
amount of time for one person to completebut continued dedication was not what the cause required. Supporters simply needed a signifcant
amount of public pressure to be placed upon the prosecutiona feat that the petition may very well have accomplished with the help of those very
same students clicking a button.
So perhaps the current student culture is not lazy in character, but has simply had greater opportunities of ease afforded to them. Facebook did not
exist ten years ago. Youtube is a similarly recent phenomena. The apparent youth ability to broadcast pleas for help and garner support with a
few clicks of a mouse in a relatively new concept fairly unique to this demographic. While slacktivism itself may be characterized by the
culmination of various new examples, it may also be the culmina- tion of a new culture itself. Perhaps activism has not defned this
culture, but contemporary circumstances have changed the concept of student
a c t i v i s m itself.
ACTIVISMTHE CONCEPT
Last summer, senior Lindsey Chen attended the Asian Pacifc American Leadership Institute (APALI) where she
made videos and brochures and conducted surveys about sex traffcking. She and the other students discovered the
Catalyst Foundation online and its program called Project Backpack, which attempts to provide support for students
in Vietnam through donations of food, books, uniforms, and training supplies. Chen and other students started the
Facebook event named Human Traffcking Awareness and invited all of their friends. The page asked for people
to post pictures of themselves with pieces of paper saying I am a catalyst to end Human Traffcking and to vote
yes on Proposition 33, the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act initiative on November 6. About 130
pictures have been posted on the page, which was completely unexpected, commented Chen. For every picture
posted, the Catalyst Foundation receives $1 for Project Backpack. So far, about 3,000 pictures are in the website's
gallery, some of which are from Aragon students.
For several days this summer, it seemed as if Facebook newsfeeds were fooded with pictures of people
posing with pieces of paper with I am a catalyst to end Human Traffcking written on them. It was highly
reminiscent of the time when there were about twenty posts about the Kony 2012 movement per night.
Critics have coined the term slacktivism to describe this relatively new form of activism, where a person
does not necessarily need to expend a huge amount of time or energy to contribute to a cause. However,
the new trend remains a highly contested topic; on the Cover the Night: San MateoKony 2012
Facebook page, Facebook user Olga Terets commented, watching a video does not make you an
activist, to which Aragon junior Diyar Banna responded, we aren't activists. we
car e, isn't that enough?
Slacktivism may only hint at an underlying and
complex change in student activism culture. While
there always has been a small minority of citi-
zens that are very committed to activist
causes, there is no doubt that activ-
ism has expandedbut how has
its expansion changed the
concept of activism
itself?
ARAGON
GSA PHOTO
CAMPAIGN
FOR SOCIAL
EQUALITY
PHOTOS
COURTESY
OF SAM
ALAVI
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0
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California's Constitution guar-
antees every student the right to
a free public education under
Article 9, Section 1, stating, A
general diffusion of knowledge
and intelligence being essential
to the preservation of the rights
and liberties of the people, the
Legislature shall encourage by
all suitable means the promotion
of intellectual, scientifc, moral,
and agricultural improvement.
The Constitution expands on this
guarantee, stating in Section 3 that
The Legislature shall provide for
a system of common schools by
which a free school shall be kept
up and supported in each district
at least six months in every year
l180 school days|, after the frst
year in which a school has been
established.
However, the guarantee of a
free education has continually
raised issues. In 1984, the Cali-
fornia Supreme Court ruled in
Hartzell v. Connell that it is un-
constitutional for public schools
to charge students any fees for
curricular or extracurricular edu-
cational programs. Still, the issue
remained unresolved. On Sept. 9,
2010, the American Civil Liber-
ties Union (ACLU) of Northern
California, Southern California,
and San Diego fled a class ac-
tion lawsuit on behalf of two stu-
dents who had been forced to pay
for school materials like PE uni-
forms and textbooks. The ACLU
argued that this violated Section
7.3 of Article 9 of the California
Constitution, which states that
such costs should be covered by
the state.
Following Governor Jerry
Brown's signing of Assembly
Bill 1373 on Sept. 29, 2012, the
ACLU dropped the lawsuit. Ac-
cording to Brooks Allen, direc-
tor of education advocacy for the
ACLU of Southern California,
AB 1373 will provide the nec-
essary guidance, notifcation and
accountability currently lacking
in our educational system to iden-
tify and address illegal school
fees. The new bill attempts to
ensure free education by deeming
fees for educational activities
to be illegal.
The bill defnes educational
activities as those of an integral
fundamental part of elementary
and secondary education, includ-
ing, but not limited to, curricular
and extracurricular activities.
The bill aims to provide equal
educational opportunities for stu-
dents of all socioeconomic class-
es by enforcing the Constitution's
no charge guarantee. Thus,
Article 3.3 defnes illegal fees as
pupil fees, a fee, deposit, or
other charge imposed on pupils,
or a pupil's parents or guardians,
in violation of Section 49011 and
Section 3 of Article IX of the
California Constitution, which re-
quire educational activities to be
provided free of charge to all pu-
pils without regard to their fami-
lies' ability or willingness to pay
fees or request special waivers.
Furthermore, the bill requires the
State Department of Education
to distribute guidance to districts
every three years regarding pupil
fees in order to eliminate any dis-
crepancies in interpretation.
Assembly member Ricardo
Lara, who introduced the bill,
states, Equal educational op-
portunity in free public schools is
the bedrock of our democratic so-
ciety, promising that every child
will have a chance to achieve the
American dream. AB 1373 en-
sures the 'free schools' guarantee
is applied equally to all children
in our state and remains a mean-
ingful protection in our Constitu-
tion.
Similarly, the Aragon Out-
look believes that, as all students
are entitled to a core education,
all courses on the A-G list (as
released by the University of
California) ought to be the bed-
rock for all students in the pub-
lic school system. Ideally, extra-
curricular activities and activities
that are not necessary for gradu-
ation would be equalized (guar-
anteed for all students with the
same amount of allocated funds).
However, the Outlook sees no
way to do this without signifcant
reduction in the quality of ex-
perience for some of the parties
involved or a severe increase in
taxes, and, thus, believes it should
not be attempted.
The A-G list is comprised of
courses that are essential to the
basic education of all students.
It is imperative that core class-
es, especially those required for
graduation, be provided without
any extraneous charges. The A-G
list not only provides for a well-
rounded high school education,
but helps to ensure preparation
for higher level education by the
state standards.
The Outlook agrees with the
spirit of the bill, but it is imprac-
tical to equalize extracurricular
activities by eliminating fees. As
these activities are not covered
in the A-G list, this is an unnec-
essary and unrealistic burden on
the public education system. The
defnition of educational activi-
ties should not include extracur-
ricular activities.
The term extracurricular ac-
tivities encompasses an enor-
mous range of school oppor-
tunities. Now, extracurricular
activities like feld trips would
be subject to the same fee re-
strictions as curricular activities.
Schools will no longer be able
charge fees regardless of wheth-
er the class or activity is elective
or compulsory. The district will
be forced to support clubs, sports,
and elective classes or else risk
violating state law. Music trips,
drama, Model United Nations
conferences, sports and a host of
other programs will have to rely
solely on district funding, volun-
tary fund-raisers and donations.
The Aragon Robotics Team, for
example, sent 32 members of the
team to St. Louis last year to the
FIRST Championship. With the
new law, Robotics would have
been required to offer this experi-
ence to each member and amass
the additional $29,000 of com-
petition expenses by donations,
fundraisers or district funding in
order to comply with the standard
of a free education. Contrary to
the egalitarian ideals of the bill,
the provisions would eliminate a
signifcant number of educational
opportunities as parents and stu-
dents would almost certainly fo-
cus their monetary contributions
into specifc areas of personal in-
terest. As a result, the district bud-
get and donations to Fair Share
would be unable to sustain all of
Aragon's clubs. Ironically, just
like the original Southern Cali-
fornia lawsuit that sparked this
debate, the new legislation would
potentially provoke renewed con-
tention over the freeloader ef-
fect by forcing Aragon clubs to
provide all opportunities at no
cost. Even though sports, drama
and music programs are already
supported by booster programs,
the new legislation burdens clubs
since those unable to offer a free
experience would be required to
severely reduce the educational
quality of the offered activity to
everyone or cease to exist. Clubs
would evolve into classes in the
sense that they offer an educa-
tional activity that would require
suffcient interest and funding to
exist, whereas the fundamental
purpose of clubs is to provide
otherwise unique learning experi-
ences for students.
Though the bill's purpose is to
ensure equal educational oppor-
tunity in free public schools, the
Outlook believes this is an impos-
sible goal, even if free education
is guaranteed. The bill's attempts
to equalize curricular and extra-
curricular education are too ex-
cessive to offer any beneft to the
public education system and in-
stead detract from the educational
opportunities available to its
students. Thus, the Outlook be-
lieves that any further attempts at
equalizing and leveling education
should not be made beyond the
guarantee of a free education ac-
cording to the A-G requirements.
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In the midst of a tumultuous
election season, several issues are
expected to surface. One issue is
the United States government's
defense spending and whether
or not this spending should be
curbed or boosted. President
Obama contends that the defense
budget remain the same, while
Republican rival Mitt Romney
insists that the budget should be
increased.
According to a statement re-
leased by the Stockholm Interna-
tional Peace Research Institution
(SIPRI), the United States was
the biggest military spender in
2011, with $711 billion allocated
towards the military budget. This
makes up 41 percent of all inter-
national spendinga signifcant
proportion dedicated to a single
nation. The United States retains
a tremendous GDP, and while it
ranks frst in overall spending, it
only ranks eleventh for the per-
cent of GDP put towards the mili-
tary budget.
Military spending only ac-
counts for about 20 percent of
the entire budget, a seemingly
surprising number despite the
daunting price tag. Most defense
spending is dedicated towards
the similarly named Department
of Defense and covers a variety
of costs ranging from waging
war to paying veteran pensions.
Many people can sympathize
with somewhat generous military
benefts and pensions, while some
condemn the high cost of war and
the United States' dramatic role in
world affairs.
But the question remains, how
much should the United States
spend? Among Aragon students,
many think the US should de-
crease military spending. Sopho-
more Masao Dahlgren noted, It
should defnitely be decreased
by a bit, not by much. Military
spending should be shifted else-
where. Our policies are outdated
and money is wasted on bureau-
cracy. Senior Alvin Ho added,
40 percent is too disproportion-
ate for one coun-
try to spend.
I know we're
important and
benefcial lto
foreign affairs|,
it's just that we
shouldn't be pulling the world.
But where could the govern-
ment shift any funds? Senior Ra-
chel Van Heteran suggested, Ev-
eryone always complains how
expensive social programs like
Medicare are, maybe we could
shift it there. In light of the re-
cent political debates over Medi-
care and Medicaid reform, that
proposition seems like a common
thought. Modern World History
teacher Ron Berggren agreed,
saying, It should go to social
programs and infrastructure, and
just taking care of people in this
country. Things that help busi-
ness, jobs, and the economy.
Senior George Medan added,
lWe should| balance the lfed-
eral| budget, get rid of debt: it's
a no brainer. Make people want to
do business.
Following the recent release
of an anti-Islamic flm, protests
erupted across the Middle East,
during which several American
embassies were besieged. In one
particular instance, members of
an Islamist militia assaulted the
American embassy in Libya, kill-
ing the ambassador and several
others. The resulting anti-Ameri-
can sentiments were reminiscent
of the bombing of the USS Cole
in 2000 and the terrorist attacks
on September 11, 2001.
When asked if he's worried
about possible
terrorist threats
raised by anti-
American senti-
ments, Berggren
noted that, de-
spite potential
budget cuts, I think we're safer
as a country just because of the
raised awareness. Hopefully in-
telligence agencies have been
working together to share infor-
mation.
Dahlgren disagreed, stating,
lWe're| more at risk. We keep
breeding hate, which just turns
into death.
Naturally, most Americans
tend to feel a sense of pride in the
nation's military status. Regard-
ing America's pride in its armed
forces, Medan stated, Defense is
a necessity. But I don't think we
need to be the 'best' lcountry|
it's prideful enough to be able
to defend ourselves. Berggren
tentatively agreed, adding, You
must have a way to defend your
country. Should it be the absolute
best? I don't know. We are now,
and that would be good to main-
tain.
The discrepancy between two
defnitions of defense has been
brought to the spotlight in re-
cent months with two confict-
ing ideologies. During his frst
presidential campaign, President
Obama planned to reintroduce
the United States to the world and
take a gentler approach to world
affairs than the previous Bush
administration. He managed to
partially fulfll this goal with the
withdrawal in Iraq and drawdown
in Afghanistan while strengthen-
ing national security. Governor
Romney, on the other hand, em-
braced Bush's neo-conserva-
tive approach to foreign policy.
In essence, neo-conservatives
believe that the United States can
justifably look out for the coun-
try's interests abroad, and support
the use of military force if neces-
sary.
As it stands, the two nations the
United States invaded, Afghani-
stan and Iraq, are both extremely
factionalized nations, and are no-
toriously diffcult to govern. It's
predicted that without American
aid, Iraq will eventually collapse
into civil war. Likewise, Afghani-
stan is still struggling to defend
itself from Taliban insurgents, the
remnants of the former dictatorial
regime.
Throughout American history,
the country has had a stake in for-
eign affairs. Regardless of who
the next president is, or what he
supports, it is likely that the Unit-
ed States will not hesitate to in-
volve itself in foreign affairs. Af-
ter all, Van Heteran added wryly,
It's the American way.
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lr~1Uvrs S1~ii
When one thinks of the po-
litical environment at Aragon, it's
hard not to think of highly liberal
cities nearby, like San Francisco
and Berkeley. While San Fran-
cisco is a famous liberal hub, and
Berkeley is ranked the third most
liberal city in America, the politi-
cal atmosphere at Aragon is not
as intense as one may be led to
believe.
I'd say a lot of students are
uninformed lon politics| and
probably don't read the newspa-
per or watch the news stations as
much as others, senior James
Garcia comments. However, he
adds, everybody has an opinion.
Most people I know are liberals.
While the liberal environment
of the Bay Area has contributed
to a mostly Democratic student
body, a deeper inspection of Ara-
gon's political community reveals
that there is defnitely a base of
loyal Republicans amongst Dem-
ocrats and Independents.
On a national scale, politics
have currently been heating up.
Concerned with America's fscal
policy, the Tea Party has clearly
stated its support for cutting gov-
ernment spending. In spite of the
fact that nearly half of all Tea Par-
tiers choose not to identify as part
of the Republican Party, many
Democrats see Tea Party Repub-
licans and non-Tea Party Repub-
licans in the same light.
Senior Smita Jain, a Democrat,
believes there is no real divide be-
tween the Tea Party's stated goals
and Republican Party's platform.
The Tea Party's stance on ma-
jor issues like the federal budget,
immigration policy, or taxation
is more in line with Republican
views than they are with Demo-
cratic views. The views of the Tea
Party on most issues aren't differ-
ent enough to be classifed as an
entirely different party, she says.
For some Republicans, this
Democratic viewpoint does not
accurately refect how they see
their political affliations. For in-
stance, Garcia, a Republican, be-
lieves that the Tea Party is much
more radical than the GOP.
The Tea Party states its plans
and beliefs publicly while the
GOP tends to hide details. That
being said, the GOP tends to at-
tract more on-the-fence voters,
while the Tea Party gains the at-
tention of more hardcore Repub-
licans, he says.
Junior Nathan Zhang, also a
Republican, remarks, The Tea
Partiers also favor a small gov-
ernment to a stronger degree than
most Republicans.
Some Republicans feel that,
like the Democrats' perception of
the GOP and the Tea Party, many
political views of conservatives
are over-generalizations.
People tend to think of each
party in its extreme form, as if
they lean way to one side or the
other, which isn't really the posi-
tion of the majority. For instance,
all Republicans are not complete-
ly right-wing conservatives,
says Zhang.
This generalization of Re-
publicans can be seen on a more
specifc level at Aragon. Even in
a place where the political atmo-
sphere is not extremely intense,
Republicans' political affliations
can lead to some negative stereo-
typing, which can lead to prob-
lems as serious as verbal threats
and bullying.
In my experience, I've been
accused of hating the environ-
ment, being selfsh, etcetera, just
because of the label 'Republi-
can,' says Garcia. People have
jokingly made rude remarks or
said something like, 'Oh, I can't
be your friend anymore because
you're a Republican.'
An anonymous Republican
speaks of a similar experience.
I was the only Republican in my
class lin middle school|, and.
people would make jokes. Dur-
ing Proposition 8, some would
approach me and speak against
what I'd say, she says.
The anonymous Republican
believes that many stereotypes
regarding Republicans can be
hurtful and inaccurate. I think
lRepublicans| are stereotyped as
rich, but I'm not that. I'm actually
on fnancial aid, she says.
Sophomore Kelsey O'Donnell
has experienced similar stereo-
typing. A lot of Republicans
tend to be pretty religious. But
I'm a Catholic and am pro-gay
marriage, which is surprising,
apparently, to some people, she
says.
Zhang believes Aragon's lib-
eral majority is a major cause for
the misunderstandings local Re-
publicans face. I feel that,
at Aragon, the
Democrat i c
m a j o r i t y
doesn't like
the Republican
constituency at
school. They tend
to portray Republi-
cans as self-centered
and selfsh and only
caring about them-
selves.
While many Republi-
cans at Aragon have had to deal
with an overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic student body, senior Bran-
don Gordon has a much differ-
ent experience. When he was ten
years old, Gordon moved to Re-
publican-dominated Texas, where
he attended middle school and
high school before moving back
to California, seven years later.
Here the word 'conservative'
has a very negative connotation,
but in Texas, the word 'liberal'
has the same effect, he says.
Despite the political tension
nowadays, differences in opinion
do not always amount to threats
and confrontations. The kind of
views I see in the media can be
so extreme sometimes, so in that
sense I can seem to agree with
most of the things they say,
Democrat Smita Jain remarks.
But, she adds, I suppose there
are more moderate Republicans
somewhere along the line who I
can see more eye to eye with.
I just don't hear about them
enough.
"Delense |s a necess|tv.
Bt l don't th|nk we need to
be the 'best' /contrvj....
George Medan
Senior
Visit aragonoutlook.org to view
exclusive articles and photos
and browse previous issues.
llephants in the room Republicans at Aragon
EAVAN HUTH
PRESTON HARRY
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American defense spendingwhere do we draw the line?
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lr~1Uvrs S1~ii
While it may be easier to stick
with the mainstream culture, it is
often times more rewarding to be
part of a more unique crowd. This
can be applied to many different
aspects of student life at Aragon,
but is most easily seen in the
school's musical community.
At Aragon, most music stu-
dents choose to play a common
classical instrument. However, a
select-few students' passion for
music has led them to play exotic
alternative instruments. These in-
struments provide a unique out-
let for self-expression within the
Aragon community.
For some students, playing
a unique instrument is a way to
embrace their culture. For in-
stance, senior Yue Pang plays the
guzheng, a traditional Chinese
instrument. The guzheng was de-
veloped over 2300 years ago in
China. It resembles a long wood-
en board with 20 strings tied from
end to end and is played through
plucking the strings.
While it may seem compli-
cated, Pang says, It's just like a
table guitar.
Another senior, Sally Hoso-
kawa, plays the koto, a traditional
Japanese instrument. I like that
the koto is an instrument from my
own culture. I can really be a part
of it, says Hosokawa.
A cousin of the guzheng,
the koto has 13 strings and is a
common instrument in Japanese
chamber music. In Japanese his-
tory, the koto music represented a
form of entertainment for the roy-
alty and higher class.
A connection with the past can
drive students to pick up instru-
ments that would seem out of
place in the average modern or-
chestra or band. Musicians such
as Pang and Hosokawa not only
experience the cultures their re-
spective instruments embody, but
also play a role in their revival
and evolution.
Musical instruments are an
undeniable way for students to
develop strong ties with their
cultures. Many of these ties stem
from childhood.
Junior Andrew Louden plays
the mandolin, a traditional Euro-
pean instrument. His interest in
stringed-instruments was born in
his childhood.
When I was little, whenever
my mom would take me to the
Farmer's Market, I would stand
in front of the guitar player and
watch him he says.
In light of alternative musi-
cians' obvious dedication to their
instruments, one comes to won-
der why instruments like the gu-
zheng, koto or mandolin are not
as well known as instruments like
the guitar or piano.
One important reason is the
instruments' specifc styles. With
an instrument such as the guitar,
one has the ability to play a large
range of music across various
genres, while playing an instru-
ment such as the koto locks one
into a narrower genre. The koto
is solely a Japanese instrument,
so not as many people know it as
well, explains Hosokawa.
Despite their instruments ap-
parent lack of popularity and rec-
ognition, the musicians that play
these alternative instruments all
share a similar passion for music.
No matter what culture they come
from or choose to represent, they
are all extremely passionate for
the music they play.
It's just another vessel for my
playing. Another antenna for my
creativity, says Louden.
Ciro WriNn~v
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Aragon Leadership will host
three dances throughout the
2012-2013 school year. Home-
coming will be held on Nov. 10
at the Hiller Aviation Museum in
San Carlos. Winter Formal will
be held at the San Mateo Marriot
on Feb. 2. Prom will be held for
upperclassmen at the San Fran-
cisco Galleria on April 20.
All dances will be held at the
same venues that they were held
at last year, which is generally a
Leadership tradition. Says Lead-
ership teacher and activities di-
rector Catherine Williamson, We
know that these locations can
handle the 600 or more people.
Students have mixed
opinions over the ven-
ues. Sophomore and
leadership student
Samantha Bhaumik
says, The museum
part lof the Hiller Avia-
tion Museum| is really
fun to walk around in,
but it doesn't go with
the themes lLeader-
ship| wants to do in the
future.
Junior Emily Pereira
says, A lot of people
don't like the museum be-
cause the airplanes mess
up the themes. I liked the
Marriot lfor Formal|. It's just
Aragon in one room, instead of
at the museum, but for a larger
amount of people it's really tight.
At the Marriot, everybody dances
and the foor shakes.
Leadership is optimistic about
attendance for this year's dances.
Says Aragon Student Body Presi-
dent Keaton Moe, Population is
about the same, and they are in
the same places, so attendance
should be about the same. The
cost of tickets should be about the
same, but maybe we'll tweak it a
little.
While Leadership has released
the dates and locations of this
year's dances, the themes for
all three have yet to be released.
The themes for Homecoming and
Winter Formal are always deter-
mined by the Leadership class,
while the theme for Prom is deter-
mined by the senior class.
Last year, Homecoming had
a Wish the Night Away theme
because it occurred on Nov. 11,
2011. Winter Formal was dubbed
The Black and White Ball,
which encouraged all attendees
to don black or white ensembles.
Last year's prom theme was For-
est of Pandora, based on James
Cameron's flm, Avatar.
These themes received posi-
tive reviews from students. Soph-
omore Julise Hall says, I liked
lthe Black and White Ball|. It was
classy and fun, but it could have
been more interesting.
Says Williamson, We've got
some good themes coming this
year.
Leadership upholds same
dances, same venues
Please visit aragonoutlook.org for
more content and photographs
as well as previous issues..
TlNA PAl
SAMANTHA SOON
Senior Sally Hosokawa plucks the Koto, a Japanese traditional instrument.
FEATURES
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Alternative
instruments
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The photography phenomenon Science outside of
the classroom
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lr~1Uvrs S1~ii
To some, it seems as if many
of teens are photographers these
days. Students walk around the
hallways of Aragon with their
DSLRs hanging on straps around
their neck or in camera bags on
their shoulder.
This surge in photography's
popularity is not just a coinci-
dence. Technology has grown
in the past few years, especially
with the release of the Apple
products, smart phones, laptops,
and more. Our world has trans-
formed into the era of technology.
People want the newest gadgets
available to them, and among
these gadgets are high-tech, easy
to use cameras.
This might be one of the rea-
sons why kids and adults alike are
more interested in photography
nowadays: it's simply easier to
take a clearer picture. With digital
cameras, the viewing screen right
on the camera makes for faster
and immediate feedback. Espe-
cially which our fast-paced cul-
ture, having fast cameras increas-
es the appeal of photography.
Electronic prices have also
dropped, and DSLRs are cheaper
than ever. The Canon EOS 20D
came out in 2003, and the expect-
ed street price was $7,000. When
the Canon EOS 60D was released
a few weeks ago, the body of the
camera sold for $1,200 maxi-
mum.
130 students are currently en-
rolled in photography classes at
Aragon. Back in 2007, when Ara-
gon only offered three periods
of Digital Photography per day,
only 94 students were registered
for the class.
However, Aragon started of-
fering two more periods of pho-
tography because of the larger
number of students who wanted
to take the class. The amount of
students continued to increase
until the program eventually
reached full capacity.
This trend is refected nation-
wide as well. According to the
College Board web site, 13,410
students were enrolled in AP Stu-
dio-2-D Design in the year 2007,
many of whom were taking AP
Photo. By 2011, 21,763 students
were taking the class, almost
twice as many aspiring photogra-
phers in just four years.
But perhaps students love
photography because of the sim-
plicity of it. Photography is one
of the easiest art forms. You just
click the shutter, Aragon's Digi-
tal Photography teacher, Nicholas
Carrillo, says. It's free expres-
sion through actual moments,
junior Jocelyn Lam adds. Every
picture is a memory. A memory
that can be captured with just one
click.
Photography is, in part, about
connections with other people. In
sophomore Veto Condo's case,
photography is a family passion.
My family is into photography,
Condo says. The same goes for
freshman Jessica Westmont, who
is enrolled in Photography 1-2
this year. My sister ltook| it and
it seems interesting, she says.
Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr,
Flickr, and countless other web
sites play a big part in the height-
ened popularity of photography.
Photography is more relatable
to daily lives, because of the lso-
cial media|, freshman Christina
Tun Zan says. Instead of just a
hobby, Instagram and Facebook
have made lphotography| social,
sophomore Elaine Shu adds.
Social networking plays a
huge part in viewing and sharing
pictures online. In freshman Sar-
ah Leyson's words, Instagram
is life. Before, it was fastest to
connect with friends and family
by writing messages in a post or
an e-mail, instead of hooking up
your camera to your laptop. Now,
with cameras on mobile devices,
it takes mere seconds to upload
photos somewhere on the inter-
net.
It's fun to see pictures, Shu
remarks. You can communicate
via photos instead of statuses.
You had a hard time imagin-
ing the scenario before. Now the
photo can take you to the place
they're at, freshman Angela
Bonanni says.
We're a visual culture, Car-
rillo adds. Our generation likes to
not just communicate and express
through words also with pictures.
But not all students appreci-
ates the effect social media has
had on photography. For exam-
ple, senior Laynie Mitchell says,
It's a convenient art form, but
degraded.
Pictures on Instagram aren't
real photography. They could be
bad examples, and you don't put
much effort into them, says se-
nior Tyler Bray, who spends an
hour a day taking pictures for AP
Studio-2-D Design. Peter Kan-
torczyk agrees. If a picture lon
Instagram| has no good form, it
makes photography look like a
joke.
Photography has changed our
world. It has taken technology to
new heights, expanded our view
on the world, and allowed us to
show things from our own per-
sonal points of view. We use it to
document beauty, nature, people,
and most importantly--memories.
In the words of Eudora Welty, A
good snapshot keeps a moment
from running away.
nv VivciNi~ Hsi~o
lr~1Uvrs S1~ii
On September 21, 2012 third
period PE students looked up to
witness a landmark moment in
time, as the space shuttle En-
deavour made its fnal fight.
As Endeavour, piggybacking on
top of a jumbo jet, few by, the
majority of the students seemed
curious about the object fying
overhead and discussions began.
It's hard not to be interested in
a space shuttle fying right over
one's head, for many science
means hours of homework, dry
textbook reading, and studying.
Even in the 21st century, where
major scientifc discoveries are
made regularly, many students
interest in science can only be
described as apathy.
With the discovery of the
Higgs Boson Particle, advances
in stem cell research, and the
landing of the Mars rover Curi-
osity, 2012 has been an event-
ful year for the scientifc com-
munity. But, as with the nation,
Aragon student's interests vary.
Sophomore Danhel Fajardo says,
Stuff like the Mars rover is in-
teresting because they lcan| fnd
life. It's a new discovery, and it
relates to you.
Yahoo, and other sites which
can be used to obtain informa-
tion while surfng the web, fuel
junior Akil Hamsath's interest in
science. If I fnd something that
catches my eye, I'll look at it, but
I'll also purposely look stuff up
that I hear about at school.
Other students, who associate
science with tests tubes, phys-
ics, and homework, show less
interest in science. I don't really
care labout the discoveries|, but
if it affects me--like the world's
gonna end--I'll look it up, says
freshman Siva Etu. For students
like Etu, the absence of a direct
correlation between them and
most new scientifc discoveries
greatly diminishes their interest
in science.
On the other side of the spec-
trum, students enjoy the hands-
on experience of science and fnd
a stronger correlation between
themselves and the discoveries.
Sophomore Catherine O'Brien,
who obtains scientifc infor-
mation on scientifc blogs and
shows like NASA, Bill Nye, and
Cosmos, says, I like to know
how things work. Sometimes,
I'll do experiments with my mi-
croscope and do cross-sections.
In regard to new scientifc dis-
coveries, O'Brien
says, It's cool that
technology has ad-
vanced and that it
could go so far to
fnd a different type of life. The
'Curiosity' is cool in that it helps
us fgure out how to colonize
lMars|.
Sophomore Kelsey
O'Donnell, president of the new-
ly founded Aragon Science Club,
shares O'Brien's enthusiasm for
science. I have always loved
science. Growing up, I was al-
ways exploring and asking ques-
tions, she says. In explanation
of her love of science, O'Donnell
says, Science is everything that
happens. Everything comes back
to it.
O'Donnell hopes to spread her
enthusiasm for science through
her club. The Aragon Science
Club lis a place| for students to
get to do what they don't get to
do in class, she says. We're
planning to go on feld trips to
the Academy of Sciences or like
NASA.
Katherine Ward, Aragon's
AP Biology teacher, has a great
appreciation for science. Sci-
ence helps us understand why.
It makes us appreciate the world
and makes us part of it, and the
more we know, the better deci-
sions we can make, she says.
However, when it comes to
experiments such as the Higgs-
Boson particle, which deals with
astronomically diffcult sub-
atomic structures, many people,
including teachers like Ward
have a diffculty comprehending
the entirety of the experiment.
Ward says, Being a scientist
doesn't mean you have to know
everything. It's the beauty of it
as well as the process of trial and
error and actually seeing some
evidence. Seeing someone actu-
ally succeeded in proving some-
thing like Higgs-Boson particle
and knowing there can still be
improvements made, is some-
thing to be appreciated.
Ranging from the mechanics
of the latest iPhone to the reason
why someone feels groggy in the
morning, science is everywhere.
While few students at Aragon
perform cross-sections in their
free time, many students share
a deep curiosity for the world
around them. When Endeavour
made her last fight, everyone
outside turned his or her face to
the sky. Famous science-fction
author, Ray Bradbury, describes
a shared sense of fascination:
The best scientist is open to
experience and begins with a
romance--the idea that anything
is possible.
ALEX FURUYA
TlNA PAl
Seniors Tyler Bray and Brandon Leow work on Iraming their hotos in AP
Photograhy.
vo:tmz :::, :sstz o. 2
:utusnnv, Oc:onzu !8, 20!2
FEATURES
!5
Classic
school
projects
Do American
students still
study abroad`
nv RrciN~ WrN
lr~1Uvrs S1~ii
There was the time when
we were doing Rube Goldberg
machines and someone asked if
they could put fre in theirs, says
science teacher Kevin Doyle. It
looked like we could make it safe.
What they said they were going
to do and what they did were
not quite the same thing, and we
found out that fre blankets actu-
ally do work for putting out fres.
While not everyone has set
fre to their assignment, the stu-
dents and staff at Aragon have
had numerous experiences with
class projects. From making new
friends to putting out fres during
a science experiment, everyone
has negative and positive class
project experiences.
At a surface level, class proj-
ects simply bring a different kind
of experience to the classroom.
The PNP game, short for Power
and Pride, is a favorite among
many Aragon students. The game
consists of teams of students who
earn points by expressing patrio-
tism for their made up countries
and battling other nations.
It was very fun to make a
ton of propaganda and support
my country,
says senior
Derrick Le-
ong. Although
PNP is really
a week-long
simulation of
World War I,
some argue
that textbook reading would be
suffcient to teach the concepts.
Doyle believes both styles of
teaching have their merits. Sit-
ting in a desk and listening has
its advantages in terms of how
fast you can get information out,
but it doesn't necessarily sink in.
I think class projects are a good
way to get more of that going on.
Teachers also appreciate the
change in classroom routine.
English teacher James Daniel
says, I really like the speech unit
that we do: it's fun to see the kids
get up there. Its all these differ-
ent topics, and sometimes they're
funny and sometimes they're sad.
I really enjoy that.
Class projects tend to allow
more diverse work opportunities
and leave room for creativity and
ingenuity.
Daniel says, There was a
project where lstudents| were
supposed to
take some line
from Othello
and they could
do a poem or
a rap song, or
s o me t h i n g .
Most kids take
a song, like a
rap song, and
use something
like that. This
kid, who was a fantastic musi-
cian, wrote a song from scratch. It
was a brand-new song and he got
up and played it on his guitar. It
sounded like
it could have
been on the
radio. It was
phenomenal.
Doyle re-
calls, When
I was teach-
ing physics, I
did a catapult project one year. I
got a video from one of the stu-
dents where they got their dads
to hold onto the catapult to prop
it up to get the basketball inside.
They came really close to getting
a half-court shot. That was really
exciting.
Even under stressful situa-
tions, class projects can also bring
out the best in students. English
teacher Dena Johnson says, Last
year, there was a debate. It was
going to be three girls against
two. One girl got very sick and
she ended up missing the next
three weeks of school. The day
of the debate, I asked one of the
girls on the other team if she
would switch sides, which meant
she had to re-write her speeches
and she had to re-write her cross-
examination questions and she
did it. She did a great job.
While individual projects are
i nt er es t i ng,
group proj-
ects also spark
positive and
negative ex-
periences.
S o p h o -
more Eve Mc-
Nally recalls
the poetry
slam, I was
on the stage
and my friend and I had this plan
where we had matching white
hoodies and we would take them
off at the end and everything. We
also had a rain stick because our
poem was about rain. My friend
forgot her line, so, I used the rain
stick to cover up the words so my
teacher wouldn't notice. We got
100 percent.
On the other hand, group
projects can pose a dilemma for
teachers and students, as the issue
of splitting up work equally can
cause confict among students.
Johnson says, It is always
hard to fgure out who should be
working together. There is always
the problem of someone taking
over, or the people not doing
enough work. I feel like that is
the hardest part about assigning
projects. There are always slack-
ers. I fnd that that is a very dif-
fcult thing to grade and manage.
People don't want to snitch on
them and you're not going to say
'Oh, she didn't do any work.' I
think class projects are great, but
I think that is a part that teachers
struggle with.
Although class projects bring
new perspectives on textbook
curriculum, the educational value
of a project often does not com-
pensate for the workload or the
class time it occupies.
Still, perhaps it is not the edu-
cational merit that dictates the
success of a class project but
rather its ability to foster creative
thinking and to diverge from a
strict curriculum.
CARMEN CHEN
nv Nicx Toii~
lr~1Uvrs S1~ii
A foreign exchange student
gets the opportunity to live in
a strange place and learn about
a completely different culture.
Some foreign exchange students
have to speak a foreign language
and adapt to a new education
system: they make friends they
would have never known other-
wise and experience a completely
new way of life. Unfortunately,
fewer and fewer American stu-
dents have been choosing to
study abroad.
For many who do decide to
study abroad, the experience is
unforgettable. When he was in
college, Spanish teacher Ben
Ho spent a semester studying in
Mexico and a year in Spain. He
said, The experience was really
eye opening. It was hard to adjust
to the new schedule. You learn a
lot about yourself outside of your
comfort zone. According to Ho,
the education system is more dif-
fcult. He said, They don't hold
your hand or walk you through
activities.
Even with these added diffcul-
ties, studying in a foreign country
did not hurt his schooling, and by
travelling to other countries, Ho
was able to live in a whole new
culture.
This past summer, junior Lau-
rel Machak said, I enjoyed the
totally different experience of
traveling to lNicaragua|. She
spent much of the summer in
Nicaragua with the Amigos pro-
gram. Amigos is an organization
that sends students to different
Spanish speaking countries to
live in and help a community.
Laurel commented, My time in
Nicaragua was really good work
experience with a lot of indepen-
dence and a great way to practice
Spanish.
With all these benefts to being
an exchange student, why don't
more Americans participate in
the program? The total number
of American high school students
sent on a long-term exchange was
1,980 in 2009 to 2010. In contrast,
28,142 international exchange
students came to America.
Surprisingly, in this time pe-
riod, costs of travelling interna-
tionally have not dramatically
increased. Cell phone and lap
top technologies have improved,
making it easier to stay connected
to the people being left behind at
home.
In other countries, especially
among the European Union, it is
still common to study abroad, and
the amount of foreign exchange
students sent to America from
2003 to 2011 have stayed pretty
much the same.
And as senior Sharon Borden
proves, not knowing the language
is not a reason to stay at home.
Borden hosted an exchange stu-
dent from Japan, and she decided
to travel there this coming July
despite not speaking Japanese.
Here in America, the competi-
tiveness of getting into the best
colleges is a big reason to stay at
home instead of studying abroad.
Students are afraid that by miss-
ing a semester of high school to
travel to another country, they
will not get credit for classes.
Most high schools do not count
the time spent abroad as credits
for graduating.
Junior Max Herrera has been
very involved in the exchange
student process. His brother spent
time living with a family in Spain
two summers ago, and the Herre-
ra's housed an exchange student
this past summer. Max said, lit
was a| great way to experience
other cultures, and to see what
life's like for teenagers in other
countries.
However, even after seeing all
the benefts of being an exchange
student, Max still does not want
to miss time in high school to
go abroad, because he wants to
focus on school and friends and
to concentrate on getting into a
good college. But he would love
to study abroad in college.
According to Aragon's col-
lege and career counselor Laurie
Tezak, Colleges like exchange
students, if they satisfy course
requirements abroad. So fears
of being hurt by leaving school
to go abroad are unfounded, as
long as the student works with
the program to make sure course
requirements are satisfed. Still,
high school is the time to hang
out with friends, play sports, and
enjoy the social life. It is a lot to
give up to study abroad.
Preshmen Aris Recidoro, Teague Bredd, and Neil Swanson laugh while
acting out characters Irom To Kill a Mockingbird in AS English class.
MELlSSA MOY
"Sitting in a desk and lis-
tening has its advantages in
terms of how fast you can get
information out, but it doesn't
necessarily sink in. l think
class projects are a good way
to get more of that going on."
Kevin DoyIe
Science Teacher
Visit aragonoutlook.org to browse
web-exclusive articles and view
content from previous issues.
"lt |s a/wavs hard to hgre
ot who sho/d be work|ng to-
gether.
Dena Johnson
EngIish Teacher
nv Vic1ovi~ Y~N
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On Oct. 3, the Girls Varsity
Golf Team took on Mills for their
fourth game of the season. After
two and a half hours of heated
rounds in the intense sun, the dons
were victorious in beating Mills,
with an overall score of 224.
Sophomore Valerie Chen says,
The game was good. Kelly Fang
shot her best score. I matched my
best score, and everyone else did
pretty well. I got a 42, Kelly got
a 33.
Coach Guy Oling says, lBe-
fore the game|, I just get them
focused on the match, make sure
they feel confdent because they
are quite capable, and also just
point out what they need to do.
Every hole is a new beginning.
If they have a great hole, stay fo-
cused and they can do it again. If
they have a bad hole, then start
again on the next hole and it's a
new beginning.
Since starting the season with
strong results, Sophomore Kelly
Fang remarks, We've actually
been doing pretty well this sea-
son. Last year we lost to Burlin-
game both times, but this year,
we beat Burlingame both times
which puts us in second place.
Other members of the team, in-
cluding Junior Jacqueline Pei and
Senior Jessica Mallos agreed,
saying, Our season has just been
amazing.
Additionally, Oling com-
mends the team and says, The
Aragon Girl's Golf team is do-
ing very well. We are now 8-1,
and we have only one loss to the
very good San Mateo team. Right
now, we're in second place, but
we have a chance to beat San Ma-
teo.
As for the obstacles that the
team overcomes in the game,
Fang says, Putting is the most
stressful part of the game because
it requires a lot of precision. If
you went just a little bit out of
line, it could mean missing the
punt, she adds, You drive for
the show but putt for the dough.
Pei says, The most stress-
ful part is when you're playing
badly on a hole: the ball isn't go-
ing where you want it to go, like
when the shot was great but it
slowly rolled into the sand bun-
ker. But then you just tell yourself
that it's not too late to recover and
it's always better to recover than
just give up.
The strength of the team lies
in its support. Mallos says, We
all get along and are really sup-
portive no matter what. Pei adds,
Even if you do badly, they'll still
support you.
The team credits its success
to the hard work invested during
practice. The team practices at
both Poplar Creek Golf Course
and Mariner's Point driving
range. Oling remarks, lDuring
practice| we try to not only get
golf strategy and how to play the
course but also lwork| on the dif-
ferent clubs. There are up to 14
clubs you can use in your bag and
obviously they have a variety of
uses and distances. So not only
do we work on the ability to hit
the ball, but also strategies on the
golf course.
Pei says, Mr. Oling gives
you tips and tricks to better your
stance and swing. But not only
that, he lightens the mood so you
feel comfortable and relaxed,
which is really the whole essence
of golf. I mean, you can't not
lighten up after one of his awe-
some puns.
In addition to the strategic
aspect of practice, Sophomore
Caroline DiGioacchino says,
There's a lot of talking during
practice, but that's what makes it
so much funbeing able to con-
nect with your teammates.
Despite starting a new season,
the core of last year's team re-
mains. Fang comments, We've
gotten more consistent. We've
improved a lot since last year be-
cause we are consistently scoring
the scores we thought were im-
possible last year.
Oling says, We've improved.
Each individual has improved
their game to the point where,
not only is Kelly the best player
from last year, Valerie Chen has
improved immensely, Lindsey
Block has improved. Our seniors
have really stepped it upthat's
Cheena Sakoma and Jessica Mal-
los. Both of them have taken on
leadership roles and have really
given us a lot of depth.
As a returning team member,
Mallos says, Being a senior on
the team is really fun because we
are the ones with the most experi-
ence of how the league plays, so
we can help the younger players
learn the rules. It's much more
easygoing as a senior.
Additionally, the support and
encouragement fostered by Oling
propels the team forward. Fang
says, Mr. Oling will never put
you down. Instead, he simply ac-
centuates your good points and
he'll tell you to fx your weak
points. He loves to joke around
and usually does it to take away
some of the stress.
Chen adds, Oling's a great
coach. He's encouraging and pos-
itive one hundred percent of the
time.
Praising the strong start and
a promising future, Oling says,
We're solid all the way through.
Everybody contributesevery
single person contributes. Every-
body's score is important.
Bv Rv~N CuroNc
Nrvs S1~ii
Aragon's girls tennis team cur-
rently ranks fourth in the Peninsu-
la Athletic League Bay Division.
If the team can keep its standing
entering the PAL Finals, they will
face off against the top four teams
from the Ocean Division on Oct.
23 and 26 in the PAL Team Tour-
nament.
Last week, the team started off
losing their second match against
the Carlmont team, with a score
of 1-6, on Oct. 9. However, on
Oct. 11, the team fnished with
a victory when they defeated
Woodside 3-2 for a second time.
Entering the season, the team
was regarded as a strong champi-
onship contender. Despite signif-
cant change in the doubles lineup
and a new head coach, the team
has had a solid season with a 6-3
win-lose standing. On Sept. 6,
Aragon won their match against
Burlingame's two-time champion
team.
In response to last Tuesday's
loss, the team's new coach, Linda
Brown, says, lThe team| wants
to win. They are competitive.
But once the match is done, the
match is done. I don't think there
are any hard feelings. After the
team competitions, I'm going to
see how far we lcan| get in the in-
dividual competitions. Hopefully
lwe will| fnish well there.
Menlo-Atherton tennis coach
Tom Sorenson says, I think that
Aragon is capable of winning any
match, including matches against
Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, and
Burlingame. We can't afford to
look past Aragon or Carlmont.
lAragon| is a well-disciplined
team and dangerous team.
After the Oct. 9 game, junior
Kaede Ishikawa said, lWe could
have played| a lot better. A feel-
ing that many of the team mem-
bers share.
I haven't been playing well
myself and that kind of repeated
itself. Performance-wise, I could
have done better, said Ishikawa.
Junior Aislinn Oka, No. 3 sin-
gles, looked at the loss as a learn-
ing experience. Oka said, I think
I made a lot of errors. And my
service game wasn't very good. I
had a really bad match. I know I
could have done better and what
to do next time. .
Juniors Victoria Sun and Me-
lissa Ma, the team's No. 1 dou-
bles, remain undefeated. Sun said,
It was alright. We just have to
keep the ball in play and be more
consistent. And also work on be-
ing more aggressive.
The team is very well round-
ed with a competitive mind set,
high potential, and a strong com-
mitment to the game. We want
to try and return to CCS (Central
Coast Section Conference) be-
cause lwe| were there last year,
says Brown.
Ishikawa says, lThe team| is
at a low point right now, so things
can only get better. I'm being op-
timistic.
Sohomore Lindsay Block takes a shot on the green.
SAMANTHA SOON
Junior Aislinn Oka serves during a match.
SAM ALAVl
Seniors Allison Kuo and Susan Kim congratulate each other.
CRlSTlNA ASHBAUGH
vo:tmz :::, :sstz o. 2
:utusnnv, oc:onzu !8, 20!2 ! SPORTS
Lady Dons golf team soundly trounces Mills
Despite mixed results, Aragon girls tennis well into strong season