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Hide emergency money in an empty chapstick tube to pre-vent people from stealing it.

Sticking your shoe in a freezer will allow you remove gum stuck on it in no time.

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|THE EVOLUTION OF BULLYING

In the past, bullying was largely confined to school grounds. As often depicted in the media, victims of bullying would be seen being slammed into lockers or being assaulted. Insults would be passed face-to-face.

But as the technological era races on, bullying too has evolved to become more high tech. While physical and emotional bullying continues to take place on campus, bullies have taken to a new place to pick on their victims: the internet.

In the past few years, cyberbullying has become more prevalent. Not only can bullies now taunt their victims via texting and instant messaging, open

forums allowing for anonymous posting, such as Formspring and the popular blogging site, Tumblr, has given bullies a dangerous way to provoke their victims. From sending anonymous hate messages to impersonating other students on Facebook, bullies can now reach their victims in many more ways.

The scariest part is that cyberbullying is almost impossible to manage.

With trolling an act on the internet done to provoke anger becoming increasingly popular, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish jokes from taunts. Monitoring Facebook and social networking sites is almost impossible.

For Amanda Todd, a fifteen year old Canadian student, cyberbullying cost her her life. Anonymous users on the internet

The most common types of cyberbullying are mean and hurtful comments (14.3%) followed by rumors spread (13.3%).

Teens who spend more than three hours per school day on online social

networks are

110%more likely to be cyberbullied.

88% of social media-using teens have seen someone be mean or cruel on a social networking site. 1 in 6parents knows their child has been bullied via a social networking site

|BULLYING ON RB HIGHS CAMPUS: WHAT TO DOoutside of school.

Though bullying is a prevalent problem that comes in a variety of forms, some of them minor, every case has a solution: if they are reported to the administration, the administration can help.

If students are not comfortable with reporting bullying attempts to the administration, there are other resources that may help them cope with the ongoing bullying. Bullying hotlines can be found online.

One of the most important things they should remember is that there are always other ways to cope with the pain other than suicide, self harm, or drugs - it will get better.

The principal of RB High School, David LeMaster, said that there are always instances of bullying, and as soon as the administration gets wind of a problem, they follow up on it.

The most common form of bullying here is probably name-calling and tampering with other

students property. They do things like messing with the lockers, or turning someones backpack inside outbut they mean it as a joke, LeMaster said, The other student doesnt see it as a joke.

According to LeMaster, most instances of bullying are meant as a joke by the aggressor, while it is not being taken as a joke by the victim.

An assistant principal, Mary Jo

BULLYINGan epidemic in todays schools

:

posted pictures of her topless. After numerous taunts and threats from classmates, Todd moved to a different city; yet, the taunts on social networking sites continued.

Her story of bullying went viral after she posted a video about it. Using note cards to tell her story, she said, Everyday I think, Why am I still here?I have nobody. I need someone.

CNN reported that shortly after Todd posted her video, the premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark, responded in another video stating, No one deserves to be bullied. No one earns it. No one asks for it. It is not a rite of passage. Bullying has to stop. Every child has to feel safe at school.

Unfortunately, despite all the attention Todds video garnered, she committed suicide.

A lot of students dont really

think about what they post online, said Principal David Lemaster. They just go and spout whatever they would like. When we get ahold of that, it can be very incriminating. Many students have also complained that since the Internet is outside of school, it is outside of the schools jurisdiction; however, there is this thing called

Compulsory-Education. This means that a school must make all students feel safe to maximize education.

LeMaster said that another indication of harassment versus free speech is when the act is ongoing. When a person is repeatedly verbally abused online, it can be classified as harassment.

Thomas, said that almost every case depends on the circumstances. Each case needs to be individually analyzed to see if it is indeed a case of bullying.

More complex than simple misunderstandings are cases outside of school that are arguably covered under the First Amendment right to free speech.

LeMaster said that cases turn from free speech to harassment when it affects a student at school.

If a student feels harassed or threatened by another student at the same school, it is very much our business to handle.

Both LeMaster and Thomas mentioned that a person need not

be fearful about reporting a case of bullying. LeMaster said that the best way to report offenses is straight to the administration: when it goes through the parent, it is just a re-tell of the same story the student has, and when it goes through a teacher, they need to formally announce the case to the administration.

For those reasons, the best way to alert the administration of an issue is to go straight to an administrative member.

If a student is embarrassed, LeMaster said, the next best thing is to talk to their counselor, or to talk to a trusted teacher.

All cases, though, ought to be reported; both in school, and

By Melody HuangEditor-in-Chief

By Grant NoeStaff Writer

Though bullying is a prevalent problem that comes in a variety of forms, some of them minor,

every case has a solution: if they are reported to the administration, the administration can help.

Infographic data via uKnowKids Graphic produced by Gautam Gupta

Photo by Gautam Gupta

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 20122 NEWS

Students first-hand experience working at a polling center

The definition of a democracy is a system of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the political decisions that affect their individual lives. Based on that simplified definition, the people living in the United States are fortunate enough to experience the benefits of a democracy and one of the most common methods of becom-ing involved in political activism is by vot-ing in the presidential election. High school students, however, are equally guaranteed this privilege of participation because they are able to take one day off from school in order to serve their civil duty as poll work-ers in the election. And that is exactly what some students here at RB High decided to do during the recent presidential election.

Some high school students were as ac-tively involved in politics this election as legal adults based on their participation as poll workers in the election. Before Nov. 6, all poll workers had to complete an online training in order to become familiar with the materials and the tasks that they need

to accomplish. I went online and entered the username and password needed to start the training. I was then directed to a series of lessons that I needed to accomplish be-fore taking the final test at the very end. I clicked through each lesson and it was very interactive: it had videos of workers explaining their experiences as well as elaborat-ing on the impor-tance of my duty as a poll worker. I learned about the different col-ored ballots and which one to give the voter when needed.

It was very confusing at first, but on the day of Nov. 6, I applied all of the informa-tion that I learned in the online class in ad-dition to the instructions presented to me in the in-person class experience. The online class was definitely an outdated training course in terms of its technological aspects, but it was thorough and helped me with my

duties on Election Day. And because of the in-person class, I was able to understand the actual process of working at the polls much more after actively using it and I was grate-ful that I completed the training.

A day before Election Day, I was required to go to my assigned polling place in order to help set up

some of the voting sup-plies and polling booths. I was introduced to my precinct inspector and the three other workers that would be with me throughout the follow-ing day. I was the only teenager in the whole group and at first I was intimidated because I

was not sure how I was going to work with adults. Once I met my inspector, he told me what to do and reaffirmed the things I had learned in my classes and reminded me of everything I needed to know. He was not the friendliest person to work with in an official election, but it was a serious job that needed to be performed correctly. On

the day of Election Day, I worked a total of sixteen hours with these same adults. It was not necessarily an enjoyable experi-ence to work with them because they made the environment stressed and tense. It was difficult to work around that at first, but ul-timately I focused on my job and ignored everyone else.

The length of my work time was sixteen hours. I got a taste of what it is like in a real job and how to work for a boss.

I was a clerk, and my job was to greet the voters coming in to vote and help them find their name on the address index. I had them sign at the spot and then gave them the appropriate ballot needed for them to vote. With the ballot, I also gave them a secrecy sleeve, pen and voters receipt and directed them to the booth. After they finished vot-ing, they would hand me their ballot and I slid it in the box with the secrecy sleeve. Then I offered them an I Voted sticker. The job itself was a lot more than I expect-ed and it took a lot more work and effort than just lounging around doing nothing. I learned many techniques and skills for the next time I work.

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Silver Spur Editorial Policy: The opinions expressed in the Silver Spur are not necessarily the opinions of the staff, administration, or the students of Rancho Bernardo High School. They are not representative of the opinions of the Silver Spur staff as a whole. The Silver Spur is a public forum for students to

express their individual opinions.

I was a clerk and my job was to greet the voters coming in to vote and helping them find their name on the

address index.

Royal Regiment beats Arcadia High School at tournamentThe band players see this competition

as an opportunity to improve and gain knowledge.

For a lot of people, this tournament was a wake-up call, Stephan Ahn, junior, said. People started to realize why other people would dedicate so much time to be in marching band. The feeling of achieving something after hours of hard work is quite satisfying.

After winning the competition, noticeable changes have been detected in the overall demeanor of the performers.

I felt that it was a good performance for the band and that we made a substantial amount of improvement since we first started up through that point; from there we can only get better, said Ahn.

With marching season drawing to a close, the last few competitions and practices are expected to be the most grueling.

Our director will push us to our limit in these few days. I expect a lot of focus during the rehearsals, and everyone should give their 120 percent effort, said Zhu.

RB Highs band program will continue to impress as it intends to continue its legacy of success.

On Oct. 27, RB Highs band marked a great milestone. At the Mt. Carmel open Invitational tournament, the Royal Regiment beat Arcadia, the best band in California.

The Mt. Carmel tournament is the first tournament of the season with both a parade and field competition.

The band performed Bravura for the parade competition. and placed second. The band played Cleopatra in the field show and placed first. The bands overall score was higher than Arcadias, so they placed first at this competition.

However, the band members did not expect to place this high; they did not enter the competition with the highest of expectations.

As our very first official tournament, we were simply looking for a feel, Jonathan Zhu, sophomore, said. Our main goal was to go out and just give it our all, because the freshmen hadnt experienced a tournament prior to Mt. Carmel. Of course, we were still trying to win, but it wasnt top priority at that particular tournament.

BRONCOS INSIDE SCOOP: Who would you vote for in the 2012 elections?

National Results School Results*

ROMNEY OBAMA

54%46%ROMNEY OBAMA

50%48%*Polling results taken from a sample size of 146 students

After delayed results, RB High sees API score rise to 848

By Jenny JeongSports Editor

Conducted by Julie Kim, David Wang, Jack Miao

Want to be a part of the Silver Spur? We take submissions from any students, whether it be articles, op-eds, short stories, photographs, or cartoons. Each submission will be reviewed by our editorial staff and will be published, space and time permitting.

For more information, contactsubmissions@thesilverspur.org.

By Stacy Luu and Michael Rupic

RB Highs Academic Performance Index (API) rose by seven points to a score of 848. The API is measured based on the results of the California High School Exit Exam and California Standard Tests.

The score can range from a minimum of 200 point to 1000 with a state goal of above 800 for all schools. This years score results were delayed by two months because of an electronic violation that a student in a northern district committed.

From my understanding, there was an irregularity at one of the schools testing sites, said principal David LeMaster. Someone randomly bubbled in answers and took a picture and uploaded it to the internet.

The delay did not affect the scoring, and the states goal remained the same from previous years.

The states goal is for any school already in the 800s to keep improving its score and not revert back to a lower school, said LeMaster. A main reason for these tests is to see if certain groups are reaching the schools targets.

Most of the minority groups at RB High met their targeted API score with the exception of English learners and students with disabilities.

We want to see all students with different demographics, socio-economics, English learners and kids with special needs go further, said LeMaster.

Currently RB High is ranked fourth out

of six high schools with Westview and Del Norte leading the district with scores above 865.

I believe we can achieve scores just as high, if not higher than other schools in our district, said LeMaster. Its just a matter of our students buying into the test and focusing on it.

The API score provides a measure for

a schools progress as well as recognition from colleges. This allows colleges to compare students from high ranking high schools to ones from lower ones and decide which one is more college ready.

Colleges will look at our score and know that our students come from a tough, reputable school, said LeMaster. The API score matters because then colleges will know how we stand compared to other schools.

The scores also provide the administration with guidelines for where RB High needs to improve next year such as in areas like mathematics and chemistry, where the most students scored below the states recommendation.

I like to look at other schools outside of our district that are similar to us and find out what they are doing differently, said LeMaster. Then maybe we can try to use their technique and improve our school as well.

Starting from 2015, RB High will implement a new type of Core Testing that may affect the basis of how the API is scored.

We will still have a type of accountability measure that will be similar to the API, but it is uncertain as of now, said LeMaster.

By Gopika MavalankarSports Editor

STAR results, as well as other factors, go into determining a schools API score. Photo by Gautam Gupta

Royal Regiment poses for a picture at a football game Photo by Joanna Cheng

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 2012 3NEWS

Correction to last issues article: In the article about Diane Hotzs La Jolla Rough Water feat, source Meg Halaska was incorrectly attributed to being Hotzs friend; however, Halaska is Hotzs wife. The Silver Spur sincerely apologizes for this error.

Everyone has seen the buildings slowly being constructed and heard the rattling of machinery going on at RB High. Poway Unified School District made a plan in their Proposition U that granted all schools in the district certain benefits.

While other schools, like Mt. Carmel and Poway High, have undergone immense rennovations, RB High has yet to see new facilities or buildings.

For the most part, the latest improvements RB High had were the new overhead projectors, as promised in a technology education plan given by the district several years ago. But this year, because RB High was excluded from these improvements, a new food kiosk is being built, and is expected to yield positive results.

Construction of the kiosk began the day school went out last year, and, according to Steve Kushner, the Food and Nutrition Supervisor, is expected to be finished by Thanksgiving. The construction of the kiosk was entirely paid for by Poway Unified School District as part of the contract that was previously made.

RB High is currently the only high school to still have the food carts around the school. All other schools have food stands, and have eliminated the cart system.

FOOD KIOSK OPENS IN SMALL QUAD

NEWS CORNER: Whats going on around RB High? NEW FEDERAL GUIDELINES:An insight into cafeteria food lunches

Now the new food kiosk being built is going to replace the food carts that were once situated around the campus. Instead of two carts, there will be a building to which students can go to buy food, snacks, and drinks.

The new kiosk will give students more options, Principal Dave LeMaster said.

He believes that the kiosk will be greatly beneficial to students who are seeking to buy food. Now, students have different places they can go to buy food during break or lunch. The food at the kiosk will also be warm, instead of unheated snacks from the food carts. There will be multiple lines in the kiosk, which will make it faster and easier to purchase food.

I personally like the idea of a new food kiosk, LeMaster states.

The kiosk will also have staff bathrooms, making it more convenient for employees, and will help to make the cafeteria less crowded. The food kiosk is also conveniently located in the small quad, allowing all students to have easy access to it during lunch or snack break. It is almost a second cafeteria, having the same foods as those served in the lunch area.

As construction finishes up, students will be able to start ordering food from the new food kiosk. The fencing that used to surround the construction area has been removed.

By David WangStaff Writer

Construction finishes up on the new food kiosk in the small quad. Photo by Gautam Gupta

With rates of childhood obesity skyrocketing, more than tripling over the last thirty years according to the CDCC, Congress, along with the USDA, passed several federal mandated guidelines for the National School Lunch Program, some of which are effective for the 2012-2013 school year. However, along with the viral 4-minute parody song We are Hungry in protest of these changes, controversy has arisen across the nation on specifically, whether or not the school lunches are enough for a growing student.

In December of 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hungry-Free Act, espoused by First Lady Michelle Obama and signed into law by President Barack Obama, in which for the first time in fifteen years, USDA had changed its policies. Vicissitudes effective this 2012-2013 school year, student lunches now must not only contain less sodium, saturated fats,

and trans fats as well as starchy vegetables, but also incorporate an increased amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Each lunch must contain one third of the Recommended Dietary Allowance, more commonly referred as the RDA, of protein, vitamins and minerals, represented in the forms of milk (now only 1% or fat free flavored or unflavored milk), grains, meat/meat alternatives, fruits, and vegetables. In addition, these federal guidelines limited an average of 600, 750, and 850 calories per lunch for elementary school students, middle school students, and high school students, respectively; however, there is an unlimited amount of serving of fruits or vegetables.

According to Steve Kushner, the supervisor of the Food and Nutrition here at RB, he fully endorses these changes, saying that they are necessary, especially with the high rates of child obesity, and that the schools are doing their part to help.

However, the nation had not regarded the change as kindly as Kushner had. In response to these calories limits, students from a

Kansas high school filmed a parody song, turning the popular song We are Young into We are Hungry , invoking a nationwide controversy, from students alleging that school lunches were not enough to last them through the day, to the Republicans attempting to pass the No Hungry Kids Act.

In RB High, Jad Barrere, a freshman who regularly buys food from the cafeteria, said, I feel as if the food is enough to last for all of school, but perhaps some sort of snack is necessary before dinner.

However, Allen Gao, a sophomore, feels that the school lunch often isnt enough to satisfy his needs. I have a voracious appetite, he said.

Kushner, in response to the video and these allegations, said, The entre is no longer the majority of the meal, now its just one component. If you just focus on the entre, then you will be hungry.

Furthermore, he adds that this school lunch encourages students to eat more of a balanced meal, and despite the tasty food, it would take time for students to adjust to the healthier options.

By Lynn BiStaff Writer

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 20124 OPINIONS

Stop stalking and start livingBy Ashley Carmichael

Staff Writer

The increase in social networking today is one of the many reasons why more students are not as focused on academics. Have you ever found yourself wondering if someone posted something on Instagram? Or maybe youre curious as to what your favorite celebrity tweeted. The bottom line is, the youth of our generation is becoming more obsessed with social networking, and as a result, slacking off on school work.

I like social networking because its a good way to stay connected to friends you may have not seen in a while, sophomore Colleen Anderson said. However, it can definitely become distracting if youre on them while trying to do homework.

According to psychologists, students who use Facebook while they study can get significantly lower grades than those who do not. In 2010, scores on exams for high school students with social networks or other similar websites on their top visited web browsing sites decreased 20 percent. Students thought that they could multitask by switching from homework to social networking and back and forth. In reality, it only made them stay up later working on homework, which is also why so many students are sleep deprived.

I, myself, have often run into this problem with social networks because Facebook really prevented me from setting my priorities straight. Imagine living in the 1930s; no one had access to the Internet, whatsoever. People probably got more work done than our society does today. If this problem becomes big enough, the government should consider shutting down these social network sites for an allotted time across the United States. In the end, this could be beneficial

to improving test scores and improving Americas education.

I often find myself on tumblr for a couple of hours after I get home from school, senior Alyssa Cable said. I think people that have serious problems with trying to finish homework while spending time on social network sites should block the sites for allotted times while they complete their homework.

Studies show that not only is it more healthy, but it helps people focus more if they take breaks between tasks that need to be completed. Imagine that you have math, English, science, history, and Spanish homework. First, think of the homework that you dislike the most. Then, focus solely on that homework and nothing else. After that homework is finished, take a 10 to 15 minute break. Work your way down

the homework list, from worst to best, and take 10 to 15 breaks between each. In the end, you finish your homework more quickly along with doing what you like.

Social networking is a good way to keep in contact with people, junior Kiley Gansert said. But at the same time it is a popularity contest with who can get the most likes and comments. I deleted my Facebook as a result of becoming distracted while doing homework.

The average high school student attempts to achieve some type of balance between his or her academic and social lives. Maintaining a balance between good grades and a social life is not easy. But if you follow the steps for completing homework, the reward you will receive is better than anything else in the world to high school students: sleep.

Cartoon by Amy Ma

Apple admires the fruit of its labor: the thinnest, fastest, lightest iPhone yet

Financial analysts are reporting a sudden decline in sales of Apples recently released iPhone 5, which set sales records for the Cupertino-based tech company in late September.

Analysts suggest that news of Apples next phone, the iPhone 6, has many consumers holding off on the current model in anticipation of the features rumored to come with the upgrade. Although most sources indicate that the next iteration of Apples popular smartphone line will not be released until January, the most tech-savvy users are opting to wait so they can stay up-to-date with the latest features.

The iPhone 6 is purported to be the first phone to come equipped with 11G cellular technology, which can download movies faster than Apple can come out with the iPhone 7, according to sources familiar with the matter. The 11G service will not be available from any of the major US cellular carriers such as Verizon or AT&T; instead, users will sign a lifetime non-cancellable contract with Apple for voice and data services.

Rumors suggest that Apple has scaled up many of the minor changes it made with the iPhone 5. As the iPhone 5s six percent screen stretch was met with widespread approval, experts predict that the iPhone 6 will triple its predecessors screen size

By Gautam Gupta

Photo Editor

for viewing pleasure. Some users have expressed that an eight-inch phone could potentially be unwieldy, but sources report that Apple is also developing a custom-fitted iPhone carrying case, set to retail at $99.

The iPhones camera is due for an upgrade as well. Apple has reportedly partnered with the photo-sharing giant Instagram in developing the iPhone 6s 20-megapixel camera, which has been optimized with a food mode and a hipster mode for taking grainy low-resolution pictures for use on social networks.

Siri, Apples personal voice assistant, has undergone significant improvements for the iPhone 6. Siri will be able to make and answer phone calls, entirely removing the need for conversations. Sources have reported an even more exciting feature where Siri will be able to remotely connect to Apples new iHome and iCar. This will allow Siri to manage the household, cook meals, and drive the owner anywherea boon for many iPhone users who are often too engrossed in a game of Angry Birds to bother with such menial tasks.

With less than 11 months left until the new iPhones release, now is a great time to start saving up. Riots in Apples manufacturing plants combined with the phones new technologies have forced Apple to raise prices, and analysts expect the iPhone to start at $999 for the 2GB model. Many eager consumers have already begun selling cars, homes, pets, and siblings in anticipation of the new iPhone, sure to be a success like all other Apple products.

Procrastination is the act of putting off a task of high priority for one of lower priority. Although it is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of students procrastinate, only 50 percent of them are chronic procrastinators, according to the American Psychological Association.

Procrastination sources from many causes. Chronic procrastination is often linked to low self-esteem, fear of failure, a lack of skill of knowledge for the task at hand, or the desire for more pleasurable activities. Those who procrastinate often feel guilt, a loss in productivity, as well as disappointment for failing to meet responsibilities or commitments. These feelings then lead to further procrastination, thus creating a cycle. People who become caught in this cycle often have trouble getting out of the cycle due to lack of support, low willpower, or low desire. All these factors amass to a destructive cycle.

Psychological studies have shown that there is a link between procrastination and problems concerning low self worth and anxiety. Procrastination is strongly connected to a lack of confidence, excessive dependence on others, a dislike for the task, or impulsiveness.

According to an article in Psychology Today, procrastination sources from human evolution. According to the article, laziness is a human adaptation used in the primitive times as a method of energy conservation. Energy and time was scarce, so it was preserved by laziness.

In order to survive, people of that era focused on short-term tasks that lacked structure or planning. Any energy wasted on long-term tasks would greatly tax them when a sudden disaster occurred. Today, the people of First World countries experience a lack of pressure for survival. Thus, they tend to procrastinate.

It is in the human mindset to prefer pleasure over pain; therefore, people usually put off tasks that inflict short-term pain (boredom, fatigue, etc.) for ones that bring about short-term pleasure.

I feel that procrastination is from not being in the mood, said junior Shubha Bhaskaran, You dont feel like doing [the work] because you want to do something else.

Procrastination is becoming an ongoing crisis in academic settings. According to the book The Procrastination Equation by Piers

Living the student life: why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?By Sophia Tao

Staff Writer

Steel, as high as 85 percent to 90 percent of college students are procrastinators. Of that percentage, only 75 percent of students admit to procrastination. The student syndrome is a term used to describe people who only devote themselves fully to completing the task at hand only when it is dangerously close to the deadline. These people often feel that they require pressure in order to produce decent work.

According to one of the chapters within the previously mentioned book, procrastination sometimes helps the grade and the pressure from rushing often produces better work since you know that its due soon. Other reasons for academic procrastination include fear of failure, high expectations, and responsibilities such as work that take the place of some of the time allotted to schoolwork.

Nevertheless, procrastination can be halted, although it is often difficult to do so. Chronic procrastinators rarely receive any external support due to the social belief that procrastination is caused by laziness and low willpower, and, therefore, the fault of the persons character. Procrastination can be stopped in many ways. One way is to consider the long-term benefits that productivity has to offer. For example, one may procrastinate less frequently if he views the grades on the final report a worthy reward.

I never procrastinate because I see grades and studying important, said senior Samantha Levine. Levine, despite being a member of the marching band, has no problem in completing her work due to the fact that she seeks the final grades as fulfillment.

I get good grades and develop an efficient

English: to be or not to be the most important subject in schoolBy Max Lata

Staff Writer

English is used everyday, and it is the glue of academics; therefore, it can be considered the most important subject students take in high school.

English teacher Kate Rudkin agrees with this belief.

English lays the foundation for success in many other subjects, said Rudkin.

Without English classes, the structure of any academic environment would lack a necessary sense of communication and the means of expressing thoughts would not be as effective. To study history, reading and comprehending the text is a major part of the course; this is true for math too. Without it, dates, facts and names would be an unorganized and meaningless collection of numbers and words.

The academic structure of a high school can be compared to the infrastructure of a city. A city needs roads, buildings, plumbing and electricity. If a city didnt have these things, it would not run as smoothly. Such is the case with English courses within an academic setting. English classes strengthen and unify all the subjects to help make up a city of learning called school.

There is much more to take away from an English course than when to insert a comma

or memorizing the weeks vocabulary words. While many English classes at RB High are centered around classic works of literature and grammar, there is much more one can glean from them. Books like Of Mice and Men or Lord of the Flies transcend to help with improving thinking skills as well as writing. A literary analysis essay has a thesis, a statement of the main idea that usually reveals a moral, and students must identify these ideas that teach them lifelong lessons.

Although the range of jobs centered on an English degree seems limited, many professional jobs need their employees to be strong in English.

While some might argue that math, in its world of numbers, does not

require one to be strong in English, others think otherwise.

Principles of Math and Standards for School Mathematics, an organization devoted to giving teachers the skills they need to teach math, agrees that English is important. They believe that

communication is needed in math and that it is essential to

sharing ideas and understanding. Like any other subject, math sometimes necessitates examples totally unrelated to math in order to get a point across to students.

English is like a lighthouse; it guides the other subjects in school, and without it the ships would smash into each other. No science essays or history textbooks would exist, and the stability of communication would be rocky.

study habit by not procrastinating, Levine said. Another way to stop procrastinating is to identify the source of procrastination and distance yourself from it.

For example, if you are unable to complete assignments due an addiction to texting, you may ask another person to hold on to your phone or place it in a location that is hard for you to access. Distance is the key. The less tangible the distraction is the less likely you are to become distracted by it.

The Internet is the main source of distraction, Levine said. According to the statistical company TechCrunch, the average teenager spends 31 hours a week online which, on average, is around 4.4 hours a day. Of those 31 hours, an average of 21 hours is spent on Facebook, 3.5 hours is spent on instant messaging, and two hours is spent on YouTube.

According to the news publication Daily Record, the average teenager only spends around three hours for homework help or research. Starting with the most difficult task is also another method. That way, you will feel more compelled to finish the rest of the work since they are much simpler.

Another method is to simply do it. Most people over-analyze a task, putting it off because they believe that it is beyond their abilities. By simply diving into it, people can eventually enter a workflow, which will lead to the rest of the work being completed.

Procrastination affects the lives of many teenagers. It is a growing issue among society. Overcoming it is vital, although it takes motivation, confidence, and ambition to do so. But once it is conquered, success is to follow.

Cartoon by Amy Ma

Cartoon by Nancy Kim

Distractions caused by social networks

English is like a lighthouse; it guides the other subjects in school, and without it the ships would smash into each

other.

Language is like the air we breathe. Its invisible, inescapable, indispensable, and we take it for granted. Richard Lederer

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 2012 5OPINIONSIs the United States falling behind educationally in its competitive status?

By Grant Noe

Staff Writer

While it may be true that the United States is not nearly as advanced in mathematics and science as other nations around the world, it is argued that we are well-rounded.

The documentary Two Million Minutes followed students from the United States, India, and China as they go through daily life in school. According to this documentary, it seems that students from both India and China are better focused on school than students from the United States.

American students tend to be more attracted to having fun, playing sports, and attending a party school for college. In other countries, it seems that students dont play nearly as many sports, and they tend to spend more time on studying and doing homework.

One Chinese student actually studies his math homework for fun on a nightly basis. It is things like this that makes the United States seem to be behind other countries.

But are the implications of being behind so serious?

For one thing, being behind could mean that the future of our nation is in the hands of other (soon to be more advanced) nations. It could also mean that our production of

weapons and other technology could slow down while other countries become superior through technological advancement.

Due to the implications of technology being so large, is extremely important for the United States to catch up. But keep in mind that math and science are not the only two important subjects.

Though the United States may be losing in the educational race for mathematics and science, we tend to be more well-rounded due to our knowledge in a wide range of other

subjects. On top of mathematics and science, American students are subject to studies in English, foreign languages, history, physical education, and the arts. This wide spectrum of education means that we are much more versatile than

students of other nations, though we may not be as advanced in specific subjects.

Another factor to consider is social skills. American students spend a lot of time with friends (both through social media and in person). This openness to socialization develops communication skills that are essential to function as a team in any scenario. We are also taught (through a number of different means) to be leaders.

Students of other countries appear to majorly lack leadership skills that are essential to hold any sort of managerial position.

Also, the high number of foreign immigrants ought not be overlooked; because so many people come to the United States from countries such as India and China, we are still able to have a large number of citizens with specific training in mathematics and science. And in companies that employ such workers, one might typically find an American citizen holding the title of manger above them all.

Cartoon by Amy Ma

The new normal is not necessarily normal: conformity in todays society By Sophia Tao

Staff Writer

Conformity is the act of changing ones behavior or opinions in order to fulfill social norms. The individual often conforms to these norms in response to real or imagined pressure from a person or a group of people. The pressure may source from either an individual or a collective group.

According to website Simply Psychology, people often conform due to a desire for acceptance among a group that usually possesses common traits, such as age, education, or culture, to the person seeking acceptance. Those who refuse to conform are often subject to consequences, such as social rejection or bullying.

Despite the negative connotation that the word conformity takes, social conformity does take on beneficial forms. For example, following traffic lights is a beneficial social norm that most people follow.

According to Simply Psychology, conformity is linked to three desires: the desire to fit in or be accepted, the desire to be correct, and the desire to conform to a social role.

The act of conforming in order to be liked or accepted is known as normative social influence. A person who engages in normative social influence does not necessarily have to believe the things they are doing or saying, but simply do them for the sake of approval.

According to the book Social Psychology by Michael A. Hogg, it is part of our human nature to feel the need to seek acceptance from others. This need is the reason why so many people change their behavior to match the majority despite their initial values as an individual. Besides the need of approval, it is also common knowledge that those who refuse to conform are considered outcasts. These outcasts often experience disapproval or even punishment from

the majority group. Normative influence often leads to public compliance, which is the act of doing of saying things despite the fact that it contradicts your beliefs.

People conform because they dont want to stand out, said junior Kayla Flanagan. They dont want to be bullied.

Another form of conformity is informational conformity. This form occurs when one turns to a group of people in order to obtain accurate information. Unlike normative influence, informational influence results when a person believes that another has more accurate information than they do.

This form of conformity is more prevalent when the person is placed in a situation in which they are unaware

of what to do. According to the BBC, people lose the confidence to make their own decisions and, thus, turn to another person for insight.

Informational acceptance often results in private acceptance in which the person genuinely believes that the information that they are obtaining is correct. Informational influence is extremely prevalent in an academic setting.

For example a student may change an answer due to the fact that the fact that the majority of their peers produce a common answer that is different to theirs. Even if the person genuinely believes that they have reached a correct answer, they will change it in the event of a majority difference in opinion.

There are factors that determine a persons likeliness to conform. According to PsychCentral, people who have lower

self esteems are more likely to conform than people who have a strong sense of self-identity. People who have lower self- esteems are more likely to do anything to avoid negative public opinions.

You conform because you dont want to be judged, said Nikoo Samee, a junior. The amount of pressure placed on the importance and necessity to conform is another factor.

According to Bibb Lantans social impact theory, factors affecting a persons likeliness to conform include the strength, size and proximity of the majority group. All these factor into the amount of pressure that a group forces on an individual to conform. The pressure to conform is also heightened if the majority group includes people such as family members or friends. Culture and gender are other factors that play into the likelihood of a person to conform.

But some wonder whether it is better to sacrifice individuality for the sake of conformity. Kulan Orgil, a junior, says that a balance between conformity and individuality is best. You dont want to be so individual that you become a sociopath or a murderer, but you also dont want to lose your identity.

Among teenagers and young adu, conformity is quite prevalent.

How you dress, talk, and your interests are all examples of conformity, Samee said. Students often experience pressure from their peers to become more like the majority group. According to a survey done by Truth Magazine, of the surveyed group of 337 teenagers, 90 percent have experienced peer pressure. Of that 90 percent, 80 percent have said to experience pressure weekly. According to Encyclopedia.com, the average teenager spends on average, over 40% of their time with their peers. In that time frame, the teen can experience pressure to conform.

Conformity is a common occurrence that many student experience throughout their daily lives. Understanding why we conform not only as individuals, but as a society has it benefits. It helps you examine your own behavior as well as the behavior of others.

Is hashtagging becoming excessive? #notachanceBy Julie Kim

Staff Writer

Hashtags are something many people are using today. People use it in order to identify a keyword or topic of interest by typing a hash mark (#) before a word. Though this trend has spread widely across the online society and the world, it has become a nuisance to others.

Hash tagging was used first by Chris Messina, who posted the first post on Twitter that would later be known as the hash tag. He wrote, how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp, on August 23, 2007.

Little did he know that that post had started an enormous trend and social network obsession that was later used to attract individuals to subjects of discussion. Twitter was and still is a popular network to post hash tags on.

But lately, hash tagging has been used for different purposes other than the ones originally intended for. Now, one can see Facebook statuses overflowing with these trends. It is outrageous how often they are used.

Hash tags are overused in places where they should not be, for example, Facebook, said Allen Gao, a sophomore.

Though he does not use them, Gao believes that people are overusing them and that there is no point to them.

Some may think that hash tags are of great use of them, but in actuality most believe that hash tagging is getting out of hand.

Facebook is a social network used frequently to post hash tags on. For example, one would post a photo of their dog, and in the caption they would write something like: #Labradoodle, #Dog, #Pets, #Cute, #ILoveMyDog.

Some people, though, still think that this trend should continue. They rely on hash tags to give others a new topic to discuss in conversation.

Sunny Kim, junior, has a contrary opinion of hash tags. She is a non-frequent user and does not believe that they are being overused.

Why should we restrict hash tags? Its like restricting freedom of speech, Sunny said.

Kim uses hash tags to emphasize the keyword [she is] typing. She finds hash tags a useful option on the Internet.

Most people are annoyed with this commonly featured trend. They believe it is overused and should be used less frequently.

Howon Choo, freshman, believes that hash tags are overused in messages, but this student does not mind them.

The use of hash tags is being abused and should be redirected in order to fulfill their rightful purposes to mark individual messages as relevant to a particular group in order to fulfill and to mark individual messages as belonging to a particular topic.

Its time to catch up on those zzzs: the importance of sleep to studentsBy Ibrahim Ali

Staff Writer

A clock that reads 12:30 am is a sight that has graced the sight of many students at RB High, and it indicates that these students are not getting enough sleep.

Sleeping is essential. It is the process through which we conserve energy. During the sleeping process important body and brain functions occur, so when the sleep quota is not fulfilled, consequences arise, and they are detrimental to students.

I constantly find myself drifting off to sleep in class when I dont get enough sleep, said junior Minh Huynh. Its hard enough to balance my higher level classes, but I keep getting sleep at the top of my priority list, even when I am bogged down by homework.

According to the Douglas Mental Health Institute, a world-class institute affiliated with McGill University, a new study that has found that 27 minutes more sleep each night among children ages seven to 11 helps them control their emotions and limits their impulsive behavior in school. The study has also found that a 54- minute decrease in sleep is linked to a decline in control over emotions and an increase in impulsive behavior in general.

Even adults are affected by sleep deprivation.

Not getting enough sleep makes me grumpy especially as I get older, said Principal David LeMaster. I also feel like Im not getting things done as Im supposed to when I dont get enough sleep for the night.

So what steps can you follow to prioritize your sleeping habits? The National Sleep Foundation recommends

the following remedies.One way to improve sleeping habits

is to nap, nap, and then nap some more. Naps can help pick you up and make you work more efficiently, that is if you plan them right. Naps that are too long or too close to bedtime can interfere with your regular sleep.

Another way to improve your sleeping habits is to avoid pills, vitamins, or drinks that can replace good sleep. Consuming caffeine close to bedtime can hurt your sleep, so avoid caffeine, tea, soda and chocolate late in the day, so you can get to sleep at night. Nicotine and alcohol can also interfere with your sleep.

Finally, you should try to establish a bed and wake time and stick to it, coming as close as you can on weekends. A consistent sleep schedule will help you feel less tired since it allows your body to get in sync with its natural patterns. You will find that its easier to fall asleep at bedtime with this type of routine.

Part of the problem to me is that students have too much on their plate. For others they go home to an empty house, said assistant principal Mary Jo Thomas. This would probably lead them to turn on the T.V and procrastinate further and ultimately not get enough sleep. Students should definitely strive to follow a routine to cure their sleep deprivation.

In the end, students are often affected by sleep deprivation. Not getting enough sleep can affect many vital aspects of a students life, such as their grades, citizenship, as well as their mental stability and well being.

Ultimately, it is the students themselves who make the choice of when they sleep, and they should pay attention to the negative consequences of not getting enough of it.Cartoon by Amy Ma

Sleeping less than seven hours per night increases your risk of obesity/weight gain, diabeters, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression Self-Reported Sleep-related Difficultues

Concentrating on things and remembering important information Working on homework. playing sports, and studying for tests or quizzes

Driving a car or riding a bike to school Performing employed work or volunteer service

Statistics courtesy of National Sleeping Foundation

Teens tend to have irregular sleep

patterns across the weekthey typically stay up late and sleep in late on non-school days, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of

their sleep

Students in our country seem to be more well-

rounded than students in other countries due to our knowledge in a wide range

of other subjects.

It is part of our human nature to

feel the need to seek acceptance from

others.

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind dont matter and those who matter dont mind. Dr. Seuss

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 20126 ENTERTAINMENT

B

Game

There are many games on the iOS devic-es that have become popular and common-place amongst iPhone lovers. Games such as Angry Birds, Temple Run, and Doodle Jump come to mind as some of the most famous games. In the midst of these legend-ary games emerges another, more impres-sive game: Infinity Blade 2.

The Infinity Blade series combines three impressive qualities to likely make it the most impressive game on the iOS: story, gameplay, and graphics.

One huge problem with many iOS games is that they have no story. Infinity Blade 2 has done a great job of incorporating a gaming-platform level of storyline. There is nothing quite like it on the iOSunfortu-nately a lot of gaming-platform games dont even measure up to the storyline in Infinity Blade 2.

As if an amazing storyline were not enough to make a game successful, the gameplay goes above and beyond. This is no typical fighting game with hard-to-han-dle controls and terrible animations. The controls are as simple as slash and tap, yet still challenging because you must know how to slash and when to tap to be effective.

By Grant NoeStaff Writer

This game was a huge success

-Grant Noe

Photo courtesy of infinityblade.wikia.com

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By Hana BradshawStaff Writer

Photo courtesy of kotaku.com

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The original Claim Jumper originally started in Irvine, California, and since then this $200 million restaurant chain has spread to over six states, and has gained over 200 chains.

I have heard about Claim Jumper and its famous menu, so I decided to try then place myself. With my family of five along with me, I was off to Claim Jumper.

We started with pretzel sticks. These soft pretzel sticks were buttery and delicious, especially dipped in the complimentary cheese sauce. Next, we ordered the main course. I ordered a Korean fried chicken pizza, which to my surprise, was actually light and tasty. The pizza looked like a normal pizza, but there was an Asian salad on top with pieces of Asian fried chicken. The combination of salad and pizza worked, and they complimented each other well.

The rest of my family ordered various items that included the following: the widow maker burger, the hickory smoked barbeque burger, and the roast chicken. All the food was gone within 20 minutes. Though I could not finish my small pizza, rest assured, my family was there for me to eat the rest.

Then came my familys Achilles heel:

dessert. Scanning through the dessert menu, though the decadent chocolate Motherlode cake with its six layers; it sounded absolutely delicious, but we decided to order the Chocolate Chip Calzone. This 1,908-calorie dessert was gone within minutes. Disregarding the enormous amount of calories we had just consumed for dinner, each of us took huge bites of the gooey calzone. The layers upon layers of chocolate chips melted in our mouths, and the soft bread portion of the desert melted in our mouths, and the hot steam within the pockets of the calzone rose with each bite. The highlight of the meal was definitely the desert.

In Claim Jumper, the environment is friendly and welcoming. The service is quick and I could not ask for a better team of waitresses/waiters. They make sure that my food arrives promptly as well as cracking jokes to lighten up the mood. This service is something you cannot find anywhere else.

All in all, Claim Jumper lived up to its reputation. All of our appetites were satisfied. Whether it was the appetizers, the pizzas, the burgers, or the amazing sweets, Claim Jumper had something for all our tastes. Do you have a picky taste when it comes to food? No matter! Claim Jumper has dozens of choices to choose from, and Im sure you will be able to find something worth eating.

Claim Jumper lived up to its expectations

-Hana Bradshaw

Not only is the in game fighting quite thrilling, it is also extremely in-depth. Infin-ity Blade 2 comes with an arsenal of weap-ons and equipment that can be bought and sold within the game. It also comes with an intuitive customization system in which gems are used to enhance certain weapons and armor however you would like.

Critics of the Infinity Blade 2 gameplay take issue with the rail-riding system in which the player taps a circle to go from place to place. While this may not seem as fun as a free-roam system might, it is ac-tually quite creative. Typically on the iOS, free-roam systems are clunky and hard to control. The makers of Infinity Blade 2 avoided this system altogether and replaced it with a system of animations that take the character from place to place in the game. And for people who just want to experience the action, each scene can be fast-forward-ed to skip quickly to the next battle.

The game is priced at around $6.99 un-less there are sales. While this may seem like a high price, compared to other plat-form games it is a nice value to accompany a good game. All things considered, Infinity Blade 2 is a cheap game, and is very much worth the purchase.

I strongly encourage every person with an iDevice to purchase Infinity Blade 2, as it is the best game on the market.

Harry Potter

After his post-Harry Potter success, actor Daniel Radcliffe ventured out from his adolescent stage as the globally renowed Harry Potter to be

By Gopika Mavalankar Sports Editor

a completey alrternate stage persona. He revived and starred the old British play Equus and controversially appeared in a nude scene.His acting skills were lauded and his maturity was acknowledged

by several critics who expected a Harry Potter-esqe actor. The playreceived high reviews and almost instantly became a popular sell-out. Another big hit, How to Succeed in Business Without ReallyTrying. Launched Radcliffes Broadway career even further after

he received a Drama Desk and League Award after his one yeartenure with the show. After taking a hiatus, Radcliffe starred in

the horror The Women in Black as a man who received the brunt of a ghostly apparition. After it was released, Radcliffewas offered several job offers for many upcoming videos. He chose to star in several more movies like in the The F Word

and the title characters voice for Pinocchio. To remain in thepublic view after Harry Potter ended, Radcliffe appeared on many

late night comedy shows and celebrity shows. He promoted severalimportant causes during his guest appearances, including the Candle

for Care prevention. He voiced a chracter in the show, The Simpsons, and had many great appearances on British networks throughout his 2010

hiatus. His voice over on the Simpsons led to his casting as main characterPinocchio and added more versatility to his resume. As well as his acting

Radcliffe has been strongly advocating against the issue of teen bullying andhomophobia. He created videos for the Trevor Project, an online community that

serves as a forum for an anti-bullying movement. His heavy presence against theissues of bullying led him to win the British Teen Hero Award for his desire tostop suicides and bullies in school. While he is active in several charities, DanielRadcliffes net value has been estimated around to be 14 million and was namedForbes Most Valuable Teenager in 2009. After finishing the Harry Potter prod-

uctions, Radcliffe amassed 28.5 million overall and was the 5th highest grossing

actor in 2010. Every year, Radcliffe asks his fans to donate to his favorite charity:Demelza House Childrens Hospice, which provides care for terminally-ill children

in the Kent, East Suusex and South London areas of Britain. In the book, Harry Potterand the Half Blood Prince, author J.K. Rowling named a character Demelza Rob-

raised $203,746 for the charity, BroadwayCares/EquityFightsAids 20th Gypsy of the Year Competition, setting a record for the most ever raised by a Broadway play. They not

only beat the amount raied by other Broadway musicals, but also came runner up for the best presentation., beating out every other musical with their own song and dance. He alsorevealed that he suffered from Dyspraxia, a disease that affected basic motor skills. Daniel

Radcliffe said in an interview with the UKs Daily Newspaper, I was having a hard time atschool, in terms of being crap at everything, with no discernible talent. The disease directly

affects his basic ability to write and tie his laces but actually led him to choose acting as his job.

Despite his acting and his disease, Daniel Radcliffe keeps himself busy with his own private life.He is a fan of underground and punk rock music and he likes to write short stories and poetry as a

passion. He still enjoys a close, tight-knit relationship with Harry Potter co-stars. Radcliffe believes

in not taking advantage of money and is determined not to make it a focus in his life. Daniel Radcliffesmotto to live by is, Fame can be damaging when people become reliant on it and it becomes their identity.

Daniel Radcliffe is seen as admirable and a down-to-earth actor who impresses the public with his personality

Claim Jumper(1977-2012)

Infinity Blade iOS (2010-2012)

ATHE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 2012 7ENTERTAINMENT

have a continuous story. Burkhardts police chief is secretly a Wesen and a member of a royal family that seeks power. The police chief is entangled in very messy affairs that include keeping Burkhardt safe because he needs him.

Despite its classification as a scarier, darker show, it does have a lot of humor. Arguably the funniest character on the show is Monroe, played by Silas Mitchell. Monroe is the shows comic relief that always has a line or two to ease the tension. Even his character is rather strange. He belongs to an aggressive race of Wesen, but he is reformed from his old ways. He fixes clocks, does pilates, and assists Burkhardt with his knowledge of the Wesen world.

One of the more gruesome episodes in the series was about a breed of Wesen that harvested organs. Burkhardt was forced into a case that included a dead body and several missing people. Later in the episode, it is revealed that the Wesen were attracting homeless teenagers with the promise of a job up in the mountains, but once they were there, they were strapped down to operating tables. There were no painkillers. Burkhardt manages to save a girl just before she is about to have her organs taken out.

If you love scary monsters and well executed-stories, Grimm is the show for you.

TV

In its second season, Grimm presents a new, edgy, macabre angle to the world of fairytales. Airing every Friday night at 9 on NBC, Grimm presents a unique story every episode.

Set in Portland, Oregon, Grimm follows Nick Burkhardt, a police detective and a Grimm. In this world, some people are monsters called Wesen, and Grimms have the ability to see them. Wesen can be good or evil, and it is a Grimms job to kill the bad ones.

Each episode produces a new breed of Wesen that is somehow involved in a crime Burkhardt is assigned to. His ability lets him understand the cases more and solve them more quickly, but not before he or someone else is almost killed. Because only he is able to see these creatures, he sometimes gets stuck into inexplicable predicaments.

Everything, right down to the perfect music being played in prime places, gives the show its creepy tone. Each episode starts with a low eerie beginning that includes a passage from a story, which foreshadows the episode.

The show sounds formulaic, but it does

By Max LataStaff Writer

Grimm(2012)

Grimm is a great show. Everyone should try it.

-Max Lata

Photo courtesy of opinionessoftheworld.com

ASBStudent

Store Chocolate pudding Crunchy cheese cheetos

Hot munchies mix Pirates booty white cheddar popcorn

Peach cups

Frosted strawberry poptart

Have you checked out the new items in the Student Store? Stop by and try the newest snacks! ALL profits from the Student Store go back to the students in the form of dances, sports, assemblies, clubs, etc.

Strawberry Nutrigrain

B

Photo courtesy of studentsalike.com

By Hana BradshawStaff Writer

Definitely a movie everyone should watch

- Hana Bradshaw

Imagine having to do deal with a life changing crises one year, and having an even worse one the next. In a nutshell, that is what Taken 2 is about. The film stars Liam Neeson and Famke Janssen.

The story starts off with a funeral for those Bryan Mills killed in Paris the previous year. He had to murder many people because human traffickers kidnapped his daughter and tried to sell her into prostitution. In order to get her back , ills had to kill the people because if he did not get to them first, they would have killed him. The leader of the group, and the father of the man who was electrocuted by Mills promises to the mourners to murder the man who murdered his son.

The next scene moves over to the states, and shows Mills visiting his estranged wifes house to pick up his daughter for the weekend. He finds out that his ex wifes new boyfriend has been verbally abusing her for past six months. Mills then promises his wife that their daughter Kim and the two of them will go on a vacation to Istanbul as a family to make her feel better.

Turns out, the people wanting to kill Mills have tracked him from Albania all the way

to Istanbul. These people kidnap Mills and his wife. For the next scenes, the majority of the movie shows Kim trying to save her parents, and Mills escaping. The men take her to a different location so that Mills and Kim cant find her.

Taken 2 grossed nearly 400 million dollars, making it an instant box office success. Director Olivier Megaton and producer LaMont Gibson took elements from the original Taken to create its sequel.Part of this was because viewers were content with the new spin of action apart from the main Taken movie.

Liam Neeson, the winner of more than seven awards, is an actor with a great reputation in Hollywood for being a brilliant actor in countless other movies. In Taken 2, he was no different. Being able to move and do his own stunts at an older age makes him very impressive.

Famke Janssen played the role of the mother of Kim and wife of Mills. You may have seen her in the X-Men movies as Jean Grey, but in this film, she showed her vulnerable side, as she was kidnapped by over twenty men. She played her role in perfect character.

Overall, Taken 2 is a good way to spend your weekend. Whether you like action, or not, the plot line has something everyone can enjoy.

Movie

Our Wizards TodayEvery time I come off-set, I am like

a normal kid again

Im going to do what I want to do.

Im going to be who I really am. Im going to figure out what that is.

Nothings really changed since the Harry Potter films came along.

Every part I play is just a variant of my own personality. I play me

when I act.

My character in Harry Potter has been a great evolution of character

Acting touches nerves that you have absolutely no

control over

By Gopika Mavalankar Sports Editor

Ron Weasley from Harry Potter is now star-ring in movies and setting his career into an all time high after the eight billion dollar worldwide phenomenom, Harry Potter. Rupert Grint acted

in school plays before he was casted as Ronald Weasley in 2001. Grint won 19 awards in his acting career including MTVs best kiss award and best British actor for BBC Radio. After years of playing one of the most loved characters, he starred in over four movies, and in one music video for musical sensation Ed Sheeran. In 2011, Grint also starred in the music video for the song, Lego House, originally by Ed Sheeran. Grint is now on cinematic break, but will start shooting for his new movie CBGB. Though the Harry Potter franchise ended over a year ago, the happi-ness Grint brought to viewers, old or young, will never be forgotten.

By Hana Bradshaw

Emma Watson has been an aspiring actress since she was six. She never acted professionally before Harry Potter. Working in between Harry Potter, Watson has worked on films such as Ballet Shoes

and The Tale of Despereaux. Working between both parts of the last Harry Potter film, Watson was enrolled into Brown University. After 18 months of schooling, she took a pause in her studies to film the final installment of the Harry Potter film series. She continued her studies reading English at Oxford University. Since Harry Potter, she has starred in the films My Week with Marilyn and The Perks of Being a Wallflower along with future films such as The Bling Ring. On top of films, she has done many modeling gigs for Burberry, Lancome, and People Tree. She has been featured in magazines such as Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and People.

Tom Felton, the archenemy of Harry Potter, be-gan his acting career at the age of 12 in the movie Anna and the King. Soon after, Felton found his way to fame through the extremely popular movie,

Harry Potter. He played the role of the antagonist, Draco Malfoy; Felton has re-mained in all eight Harry Potter movies. Once the Harry Potter Series ended, Felton continued to play the role of an antagonist in his new movies: Rise in the Planet of the Apes and From the Rough. Currently, he is working on Fangs of War and At-tatchment which are all scheduled to release in 2012 or 2013. Besides acting, Felton enjoys playing and recording music. Within the past five years, Felton has released a few songs including If you Could Be Anywhere and Time Well Spent. He also is a model for the clothing company Band of Outsiders.

By Zach Manlapid

By Jenny Jeong

Michael Gambon replaced Harris as the second Dumbledore. Gambon won this role because his version of Dumbledore was similar to himself.

All headmasters should be a bit scary, shouldnt they? A top wizard like him would be intimidating. And ultimately, hes protecting Harry. Essentially, I play myself. A little Irish, a little scary. Thats what Im like in real life. Gambon was successful in his role as Dumbledore. His attitude has tough portrayed him as an angry headmas-ter. This was completely different from the humble, grandfatherly figure depicted by Harris. Each actor portrays a different style of Dumbledore. Many fans have given opinions of who played a better Dumbledore. The majority of the fans said preferred Harris Dumbledore because he seemed more like a grandfather figure. Others said they were undecided because they do not know how Harris Dumb-ledore would be later in the series.

Taken 2 (2012)

Matthew Lewis played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series a character who definitely had an evolution throughout the movies. His debut was in the series Some Kind of Life. While the ma-jority of his acting career is made up by Harry Pot-

ter including an onset injury where his eardrum was ruptured by Helena Bonham Carter he has moved onto other film projects. He plays the role of reporter in the upcoming indie film Sweet Shop and the role Dodd in Wasteland. He was also cast in the five-part TV series The Syndicate. He had a stint in A Band of Buriers music video Filth. On top of film and music videos, Lewis made his stage debut playing Lester Cole in a touring production of Agatha Christies Verdict. He made his West End debut playing the role Mick in Our Boys at the Duchess Theatre, London.

By Zach Manlapid

By Kyle Apfeld By Kathy Rudkin

Severus Snape is one of the most iconic char-acters from the Harry Potter movies. Snape is a mysterious and seemingly cold character in the

famous movies. His character depicts much of the wizardry and rich creativity that belongs in Hogwarts. Today, Rickman is still a big deal. He is basking the success of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Along with winding down what could be his greatest role ever, Rickman is also working on a new movie that is projected to come out sometime in 2013. He scored a major part in an American movie called The Butler. While we all cannot imagine Rickman playing any other character as well as he did Snape, playing Ronald Reagan with Jane Fonda at his side as Nancy Reagan has the potential to help him ease movie goers into accepting him in other roles. After playing a character as strong and recognizable as Snape, he will need to rely on his limitless acting talent to keep his fan base wanting more.

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 20128 FEATURES

Schools often need to change to meet the needs of its students, and the infraction of the school dress code seems to be a problem that continues to plague the campus of RB High. But the question is this: what should change? The schools dress code, or how students dress?

The dress code at RB High is quite simple and seems easy to follow: tops and pants must not be revealing, shorts and skirts should be mid-thigh length, clothes should not promote violence, drugs, alcohol, profanity, and bandanas cannot be worn. However, many students fail to follow this simple policy.

I think the current school dress code is what the dress code should be, Jessica Chen, a junior, said. What annoys me, though, is that people dont listen to it a lot of the time. Guys sagging or girls wearing super short shorts, see through tops, or crop tops. In a way, it is kind of disgusting

because I am seeing way more of peoples bodies than I want to.

Some students believe that the reason why the dress code is not followed is because school officials do not enforce it strongly enough. There are offenses to not following the school dress code; however, nobody seems to be a strong advocate for punishing students for violating the dress code.

I believe that our schools dress code is not enforced very well because nobody seems to pay attention to it, and school officials do not seem to mind, Allen Gao, a sophomore said.

While Chen and Gao believe that improvements could be made to the schools dress code, other students see no problem with it.

The dress code has never been really relevant to me, simply because I feel like people should have the choice of what they wear, Jonathan Zhu, a sophomore said. As long as it is not sexual, racially, or culturally offensive, then I feel like there really isnt a problem.

Because of constant violations in the school dress code, some schools require school uniforms. While uniforms for

private schools are traditional, recently an increase in the amount of uniforms for public schools has occurred. A state education website,Mcfarland.k12.wi.us, states that in 1994, the Long Beach School District in California was the first public school district to enforce a uniform policy. However, many public schools cannot decide and continue to debate about the issue while considering the pros and cons.

Two of the benefits of school uniforms are that one does not need to spend as much money on clothes and dont have to worry as much about what to wear. Some students spend hours planning their outfits instead of focusing on academic activities. School uniforms would eliminate this problem, and students would be able to focus more on academics or extracurricular activities rather than worrying about their appearance at school.

One of the biggest cons of school uniforms is that they limit self expression. Most students express their individuality through the clothes they wear; wearing the same uniforms everyday would suppress this expression. Also, actually enforcing a policy on school uniforms would be

Rumor had it that RB High would require students to wear school uniforms

Revealing too much or completely covered up?

Senior Dyan Khor poses as a student wearing both regular clothes and a school uniform.

difficult.Students at RB High also have varying

thoughts on school uniforms.There are both advantages and

disadvantages, said junior Katia Stern. An advantage would be that people wouldnt have to worry about what to wear, and life would be a little easier. On the other hand, dressing freely is part of what makes people who they are, and it expresses their creativity. Choosing outfits can sometimes be the most fun part of the day, and if that is taken away, the student body would be very upset.

While Stern had a varying opinion, other students have a firm opinion.

I think it would be nice to not have to spend a ton of time in the morning thinking about what to wear to look nice, Chen said. Maybe its just me, but sometimes I feel out of place if I just want to throw on a t-shirt and jeans. It will be nice to not have to feel like I have to look good.

I think school uniforms should not be introduced to our school because we have the freedom to choose how we dress, Gao said. Thereby giving ourselves a sense of identity.

Students voice their opinions on RB Highs dress code and its overall effectiveness

*Polled out of a hundred and forty-nine RB High students.

1968*The 1968 Supreme

Court Case Tinker v Des Moines, in which two

students were suspend-ed for wearing wrist-

bands in protest of the Vietnam war, fueled the

debate of freedom of expression.

*Information taken from the American Civil Liberties Union website.

$100-200School uniforms on av-erage cost about $100-200 for a whole outift.

The pricey cost per year is a common argument

against school uniforms.

Mini-shorts are not al-lowed, and skirts must be at least mid-thigh.

By Jenny Jeong

Sports Editor

Tops must be secured with straps, no bare mid-riffs, and tops must not

reveal cleavage or a bra.

First offense would be that the Student will need to change his or her clothing, or will be giv-en a change of clothes to wear for the remainder of the school

day.

Cons-Uniforms restrict a stu-dents individuality and self-expression.

-Even with uniforms and rules in place, students will always find a way to break the dress code.

-The cost of uniforms can be high.

-Uniforms might make students feel uncomfort-able at school.

-Schools should cele-brate diversity.

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 2012 9FEATURES

Rumor had it that RB High would require students to wear school uniforms

Revealing too much or completely covered up?

Photo art by Gautam Gupta

Teachers discuss views on students methods of dressing and the many dress code violations

Due to a hoax that occurred in one classroom on campus, students around RB High have been seen pulling down their shorts, and pulling up their tank tops.

The security team around school has been paying very close attention to individuals who are in danger of potentially breaking the dress code. Ever since the dress code was enforced, students have been ignoring or challenging it. Finally, it came into light that RB High students have been stretching the dress code too far.

The rumor that began this dress code awareness around our school was centered around the idea that students were to receive uniforms during second semester of school becuase many girls and boys alike violate the dress code. This created an outrage in the student body. The argument was that school uniforms would detract from self-

expression. The students also argued that public schools must have the freedom of the expression.

How much expression is covered by the First Amendment? Students may argue that there are allowed to express their own fashion style and therefore wear whatever they please. This turns into a problem when the student wears clothes that are extremely derrogatory or too revealing. Those clothes detract and distrub the learning environment as well as attract unnecessary attention from students, teachers and faculty memebers. This prompted the ongoing rumor.

Not only are students becoming distracted by the often revealing clothes of some students, but the teachers and administration also have expressed their frustration.

Kay Kobliska of the campus security team is one who has to monitor the dress code on campus. Kobliska commented that she has dress coded over 15 students this year. According to Kobliska, the girls at RB High breach the dress code more than the boys.

I try to tell the girls at this school that going to school is like going to work. There

are just some things that you just wouldnt ever to wear to work. School is a place to learn, not a place to flaunt style. But I guess its understandable as stores these days seem to only make skimpy clothes for girls to wear.

According to science teacher Dawn Gamberale, the main reason why some students are breaking the dress code because they want to fit in. Another reason may be that the media may portray images of stars with revealing clothing and perfect propotional bodies, and this in turn affects a young person.

According to kidshealth.com, many teens are affected by the media because it emphasizes the importance of outer appearances, and the importance of having a good fashion sense to comform with the norms of society. Gamberale commented that though many young people are influenced by outside sources, it is mainly in stores that young people are torn between dressing appropriately, or keeping up with fashion forward styles.

I think that stores these days dont

particularly give young people choices in clothing, especially girls, said Gamberale. I feel like they are not really given an option in what clothing they could wear if they want to have the most fashionable styles.

Other teachers on campus complain about the way some students are dressing at RB High, particularily some girls in extremely short shorts and revealing shirts, and some boys dressing in pants that sag.

On the other hand, Tim Steigerwald of the math department has a different opinion than that of other teachers on campus.

I dont think that the dress code is too lenient at our school, Steigerwald said. The styles we had back the 80s were even worse than they our now! It isnt really an issue, and it doesnt really affect the learning environment, Steigerwald said.

If some of you thought that the uniform hoax was real, you were mistaken. It was an experiment given by a teacher in order to get a reaction from students. Students need to be classy citizens and dress appropriately at school. After all, there are many ways to be fashionable without being inappropriate.

50%*of fights and muggings in school decreased at the Long Beach School

District after implemen-tation of uniforms.

Seventy-fourpercent

of committed sexual offenses were reduced

after implementation of school uniforms.

42%

of public schools have adopted uniform man-

dates. *Statistics provided by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Twenty-fivepercent

of discipline referrals decreased once uni-

forms were enforced in Ruffner Middle School in

Virginia.

The most common type of uniform in the United

States is a button-up dress shirt with a necktie or a

polo/golf shirt.

Also necessary for school uni-forms are dress pants in khaki,

grey or blue, or skorts (skirt with shorts underneath) are available as well. Knee socks

vary between schools.

By Hana Bradshaw

Staff Writer

One of the pros to school uniforms is that it often

promotes school spirit, and they help unify the school.

Pros-There is less pressure on the student to decide what to wear each morn-ing.

-Students dont wear re-vealing or inappropriate clothes which results in less problems teachers and administrators have to deal with.

-Uniformity promotes a reduction of violence in school.

-Uniforms also promote a better academic learning environment.

Trevor Griffith virtually lives in the water. A surfer and an adept water polo player, Griffith shrugs off his attachment to the ubiquitous liquid.

I just like water, I guess, Griffith said. After starting water polo during his middle

school years, Griffith has never really stopped. I started in middle school and just really

enjoyed it, he said. Griffith also points out that water polo is tougher

than it seems. Its pretty tough having to stay above the water

while battling other players, Griffith said. It can get pretty physical.

As team captain this year, Griffith said that he especially enjoys hanging out with friends and the team spirit that water polo provides. The camaraderie he enjoys has also carried Griffith to work harder for the team.

This season has been a little tougher because we lost a lot of seniors, he said. I was the only senior.

Despite the relative lack of experience on the team this year, Griffith is still happy with the 4-18 season.

THE SILVER SPUR - NOVEMBER 16, 201210 SPORTSAthlete Spotlights for fall season sports 2012WATER POLO: Trevor Griffith GOLF: Raquel Ek CROSS COUNTRY: Brandon Gee

Senior year can be the beginning and the end of a lengthy journey. For cross country runner Brendan Gee, it is an opportunity for him to improve his technique and develop h