THE SPARTAN

La Cañada High SchoolVolume XX, Issue 2 November 18, 2009

Questions, comments or contributions? Contact us at lchsspartan@gmail.com.

What’s Inside

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The Great Shake OutBy Emily KimSpartan Staff

On October 15, 2009 the students of La Cañada High School, along with 6.9 million other Californians participated in “The Great California Shake Out,” the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history. According to the

ShakeOut website, “The purpose of the ShakeOut is to practice how to protect ourselves during earthquakes, and to get prepared at work, school, and home.” At approximately 10:15 a.m., all SSR classes heard a PA announce-ment telling students and staff to practice the “drop, cover, and hold on” drill. A few minutes later, an all-clear bell rang, notifying everyone to proceed to the football field. After about 40 minutes, another all-clear bell rang, end-ing a successful Shake Out drill. LCHS 9/12 Principal Ms. Audra Pittman “ap-preciates that LCUSD participates in this statewide event.” She also said that this drill went smoothly and that she was “very impressed with the reac-tions of the students and staff” who treated the drill as if it were a real event. The Great California Shake Out will now be held statewide on the third Thurs-day of October each year. Although students may think drills like these are bor-ing, they are necessary because earthquakes and fires are very possible events in California. In our state, it is not about if an earthquake will happen, but when it will happen. And as the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Flu Season FearBy Ian BalisySpartan Staff

Wash your hands, wash your hands, oh, and

by the way… wash your hands! The National Insti-tute of Allergy and Infec-tious Diseases (NIAID) reports that “seasonal influenza kills more than 36,000 people and hos-pitalizes 200,000 others” in the United Sates alone. On a global scale, 250,000 – 500,000 deaths are caused annually by the flu.Diagnosis of influenza is dependant on several conditions: if the virus is apparent in the commu-nity, if the patient has all of, or some of the symp-toms, and if the patient has a history of medical conditions. The symp-toms of influenza (body aches, chills, dry coughs, fever, headaches, stuffy nose, and sore throat) usually start very quickly, and can last from days to weeks! These symptoms, however, are not accurate indications of the date of contraction of flu; they can start a few days after you have received the vi-rus from another person, or contaminated object.“You can get the flu if someone around you who has the flu coughs or sneezes. You can get the flu simply by touch-ing a surface like a tele-

phone or door knob that has been contaminated by a touch from someone who has the flu. The vi-ruses can pass through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth,” states the NIAID.Regardless of whether you think you are safe from the flu, you are not. The risk is even greater in crowded, densely popu-lated areas, such as cities, office workplaces, and public schools. It isn’t far-fetched to say that people are never safe from the flu, and that all anyone can do to prevent it is to continu-ally wash his or her hands.Please, don’t panic! There are ways to cure and fight influenza. Not only are there simple prevention methods, but there are also specific medicines which health providers can prescribe, and flu vaccinations.As the NIAID explains, “Flu antivirals can be giv-en to treat someone who just became sick (within 2 days). When the medi-cines are given to some-one who is already ill, the symptoms and time the person is sick can be reduced.” The three types of influenza (Type A, the most common epidemic; Type B, the second most

common virus related to fewer epidemics; Type C, the least common virus not yet related to an epi-demic) are all treatable by way of vaccinations and/or medication used to sub-due symptoms. Recent studies show that vacci-nations, if taken within 2 days of contracting the vi-rus, are effective enough to reduce the duration of the symptoms by one full day.Now, with the H1N1 vi-rus (Swine Flu) in the pic-ture, people have become fearful of this flu season. However, there have not been enough reported cases of the H1N1 virus to consider it an epidemic, and very few people have died from it. And even so, these cases are not concerning in the sense that the victims have been very old, young, or sick. It is best to think of the H1N1 virus as the regu-lar flu, and try to prevent it by consistently and conscientiously WASH-ING YOUR HANDS.Mrs. Chandler, the dis-trict nurse, would like to remind students that “If you don’t feel well you should stay home. You can make up your work.”I think I forgot to men-tion something……. Oh! WASH YOUR HANDS !!!

A Sticky SituationBy Katherine PropperSpartan Staff

On October 1, about fifty stu-dents’ locks and three teachers’ locks were glued as a prank.

Many students were unable to open their lockers or were struggling to twist their number faces. Some people had to get their lock cut off to get inside their locker. The prank’s damages in broken locks were estimated to cost about $300. The culprits remain unknown, but if found, the pranksters could face suspen-sion and possible arrest. Tanya, LCHS’

head of security, advises, “Don’t pull pranks that are destructive to the school”. If anyone still has a sticky or bro-ken lock, find Tanya and she’ll ex-change your lock for a new one.

LCHS students patiently wait for the fire drill to end

Message in a Bottle Recently, Senior Michelle Van Wyk was chosen by the Tournament of Roses to be on the 2010 Rose Court! Michelle was selected out of about one thousand girls in the Pasadena-area and will represent La Canada High School on the court. Look out for her on January 1st at the 2010 Rose Parade! Congratulations, Michelle!

Spartan Life Marijuana Homecoming

2 November 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

newsRed Cross Provides Opportunities

Pink Ribbon Club Is In Action

U2 Rocks at the Rose Bowl and Youtube

The Music Shall Come By Alexandra Van WieSpartan Staff

It’s time to take those headphones off and appreciate some real music La Canada! October 14 marked the official start of

the 2009-2010 choral year. The dull summer hums were triumphed by the harmonious melodies of our very own chorus in their classic venue- the Lanterman Auditorium. The night was dominated by Italian and French lyrics and a few well-remembered songs of praise such as “Who Will Be a Witness?” were masterfully performed by the new choirs. A few of the honor choir students were highlighted in solo performances. Woody Buck played with the flitting notes of love song “Amarili, mia bella” while Rishi Menon sang out the bittersweet “Per la Gloria d’adorarvi.” A fresh new addition to Chamber Singers Megan Sanborn gave

a taste of her beautiful soprano voice in “Caro mio ben.” Claire Irvine, who was not able to try out for honor choir due to an unfortunate illness, still got her chance to shine when she sweetly sang “La Violette.” From “Good News!” to “Viva la Vida” the vocal performances of the various choirs made for a spectacular evening. To cap it off, the commanding presence of the Chamber Singers gave the audience goose-bumps in the four-song finale. “Kalinda” was new conductor Jeff Brookey’s masterpiece of the night as Mr. Emil Iliev’s piano, the vocals, and the entire instrumentation came together for a truly awe-inspiring symphony. I f you mi s sed ou t on t ha t glorious spectacle, you can still catch the Holiday Concert December 4th at 7 pm at the La Canada Presbyterian Church.

3 november 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

Spartan lifeBy David RheeSpartan Staff

Since its formation in 1881, the American Red Cross has set the

standard for good will. As a humanitarian organization that provides emergency as-sistance, disaster relief, and education inside the United States, the American Red Cross saves lives and wel-comes those who are in need. The organization is run and governed by volunteers and fueled by donations. Chapters of the American Red Cross can be found nationwide and near almost every neighbor-hood. In fact, more than a

Community College SuffersBy Krishna RajagopalanSpartan Staff

In the 2010 year and even after, hundreds of students are going to be applying to community colleges so they have a better

chance of getting into the four- year college of their choice. Unfortunately the current situa-tion with community colleges looks very grim. Community colleges across California are having to turn students down because of the state and federal budget cuts. Students many not be able to find the classes they need to meet their graduation requirements. Classes often fill very quickly, especially since there has been a sudden increase in the amount of stu-dents that are applying to community colleges.

Lines to see a counselor are out the door in certain colleges because students are franti-cally trying to add classes while the colleges tug in the other direction and cut classes, faculty, and student services. The budget cuts are already hitting close to home in colleges such as Glendale Community College. GCC has had to cut classes, faculty, student services and likely its second summer session. This could affect students who want to transfer to schools such as USC. Lots of the students are on the waitlist and oftentimes don’t get the classes they need to transfer to the col-lege of their choice. California community college cuts would mean a loss of 262,000 students. The Legislative Analyst’s Office has recommended that community college tuition be increased from $20 per unit to $26 per unit in January and $30 the next school year.

I recently visited a counselor at Glendale College and asked him how the budget situa-tion is looking in terms of getting the general education classes I need to transfer to the four year college of my choice and he said very coolly, “Yes the budget situation is hitting our campus but my advice to you is to register for classes on time and be as flexible as possible with instructors as well as class times, if you do this you will likely get the classes you need. I advise all of you fellow seniors to do the same because in the end it will pay off and you will likely get into the four year college of your choice. Glendale College is known as a hidden gem and personally I think it is one of the best community colleges in the area to apply to. Some college experts also say you will have to be flexible with which campus you take which classes but I don’t believe it will boil down to this if classes you are taking are registered for on time. Timing is what this issue and most issues boil down to. I recommend everyone who doesn’t get their top pick for a four –year college to apply to a local community college. Don’t be worried about the budget situation unless you apply too late. Once you decide to go to a commu-nity college it is a good idea to meet with a counselor at the college and develop a student educational plan. This will help organize your schedule so you know what classes you want to register for and also make sure it is done on time. Another added incentive is that you will have an idea of what you want to major in. All in all, it is a good idea to apply to community colleges and not let the budget crisis be a factor as long as you act smart and register for your classes on time. Remember, whatever way you go is your path to per-sonal success and academic achievement.

million Red Cross volunteers and 30,000 employees mo-bilize every year to provide assistance for those facing times of need whether it be disaster relief, poverty re-lief, or need of health care. There are many

chapters around our neigh-borhood of La Canada, even one in our very own high school. Other chapters can be found in La Crescenta or Pasadena and all who are interested are encour-aged to join. Red Cross has definitely changed lives- and not just the lives of whom are being helped, either. The Red Cross Foundation is a

symbiotic relationship that benefits both the volunteer and those being helped. Michael Choi, a sophomore at La Canada High School, said, “Red Cross gives me an emotional fulfillment that I can’t find anywhere else these days.” Michael Choi is currently ac-tive at a branch of Red Cross in La Crescenta housed in Gateway Academy. Just a few of the events that Michael has taken part in include a rally against cancer, a lead-ership development camp in the summer, and several outings that have allowed him to closely bond with his

fellow volunteers. Michael believes that his life has been changed for the bet-ter as his perspective of the world has been broadened and because he is able to share his well being with those who are less fortunate. For those not able

to join a club, there are other ways to participate. There will be a canned food drive from November 9 - November 20 and a toy drive from Decem-ber 7 - December 18. A basket will be put in the office during these dates. Help Red Cross reach out to the world by par-ticipating in fundraising and donating to the less fortunate.

the second-to-last North American date of U2’s 2009 360 tour. After this tour, the band is continuing their tour in Europe. The 2010 tour dates for North

America were announced recently, including a show at the Giants Stadium in July.

U2 has probably set a precedent for other bands and their activity with You-

Tube. Especially with the website’s massive reach, it is likely that other musi-cians and artists will try to stream their concerts live in the future as well.

By Margaret BeesleySpartan Staff

One woman out of eight is diagnosed with breast cancer

each year. To grow awareness Kinley Winnaman has started the Pink Ribbon Club. Her interest ni this cause began when her mom’s “best friend, Jenny Paynter, was diagnosed [with breast cancer] last April and got a barbaric surgery that really opened her eyes.” She states that her “aunt is also heavily involved in the or-ganization,” to find the cure.

The Pink Ribbon Club raises money to support the Susan G. Komen founda-tion for the cure. The club meets in the West Balcony every other Monday at lunch to discuss fundraisers to raise money to spread awareness. Kinley created this club to honor “around five women of La Canada who have had breast cancer or have breast cancer now.” Speakers are also invited to share their ex-periences and knowledge with the members of the group. Kinley has come up

with many ways our school can become a part of finding the cure and sharing aware-ness. The chair of the Orange County branch has already visited to educate the club about the motto, “best protec-tion is detection.” Kinley is also trying to contact the Mo-bil Mammogram station to come to the school and give optional checks. There will be an assembly in November with “an outrageous band” to support the new club. Kinley, being club president, has also come up with the idea for the

sports teams to wear pink at sports events. She is hoping for pink shirts, ribbons, and stickers to show our school’s support for the cause. The Pink Ribbon Club is collabo-rating with the Fight Cancer Club this year, to help raise money at the Blackout Dance in December. Kinley is also hoping to “rally a massive team for the Race for the Cure, at Dodgers stadium in March.” With encouragement from our school, this club will be able to spread aware-ness and fight for the cause.

The rock band U2 performed at the Rose Bowl on October 25, 2009. The concert had the fastest sell out and larg-est concert attendance of Rose Bowl history. It drew 97,000 fans in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena alone, and an additional 10 million peo-ple via YouTube’s webcast. The U2 concert was YouTube’s largest live streaming event, with view-ers watching from around the world. The full concert, which lasted about two and a half hours, is available on YouTube. Only three days after the live broadcast, more than 1.1 million viewers had already watched it. A spokesperson for Google, who owns the video-broad-casting site YouTube, said that while the concert was streaming, it was also a glob-al-trending topic on Twitter. This concert was

By Emily KimSpartan Staff

4November 18, 2009

La Cañada High School

Opinion5 November 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

Opinion

The Spartan Staff

Editor-in-ChiefAlicia Kim

Managing EditorDenny Choi

News EditorEmily Kim

Opinion EditorTerese Rutkowski

Features EditorsPreview/Review Editor

Back Page EditorsRebecca Han

Michelle Phillips Tamar Bezjian

Sports EditorDavid Choe

Photography EditorMargaret Beesley

Helen Won Joao Teixeira

Business ManagerAlexandra Van Wie

Layout Editors Joseph Kim

Kevork KurdoghlianChristi Choi Gina Yoon

ReportersBalisy, Ian

Belcher, DavidBelcher, Michael

Chon, BenGregg, John

Grubb Jones, AliceHartley, MargoKhan, AmeerKim, Joseph

Labelle, ChristopheLu, Sarena

Mkrtchian, DavidMoore, Erica

Propper, KatherineRajagopalan, Krishna

Rhee, DavidVoght, Naima

Williams, Hailey

AdvisorMr. Ben Powers

You wake up feeling kind of groggy, and take a look at your alarm clock. Your heart stops. It’s 7:30. O my god, you think to yourself, I am going to be

so late to first period….and then you remember! It isn’t first period, its STEP. Almost cathartically, you roll out of bed, but with a lesser sense of dread than usual, knowing full well that your tardy will mean absolutely nothing.

The Student Teacher Enrichment Program, better known as STEP, started in the second quarter of the 2008-2009 school year. Even before its inception, students were convinced that it was destined to fail. I even remember seeing a couple of petitions float-ing around intent on annihilating the nascent program.

But why? Why so much prejudice for a program that is meant to provide extra enrichment to your educa-tion. Well the answer’s simple: the majority of high school students don’t want any more enrichment than is already jammed into their heads daily. Last year the massive drop in attendance proved the student body’s sentiment about STEP.

Nonetheless, the program does hold some merit. Generally, teachers hold the program in high opinion. They see it as a good opportunity for a different perspective, one that does not comply with the rigid walls of educational curriculum. According to Mr. Padilla, “it’s great way to learn things that are not dictated by school curriculum” Even the student body is beginning warm up to the pro-gram. Senior Jack Gilbert, thinks, “because of STEP, I have more opportunities to do homework at school and not at home. It’s also a lot chiller if you’re late to STEP than being late to first period. No one even forces you to take STEP; you can just keep your SSR if you want.”

So next t ime you wake up la te wi th a bad case of the “Mondays”, relax. Its not your f i r s t pe r iod Ca lcu lus c l a s s . I t s on ly STEP.

Ameer KhanSpartan Staff

More Parking, Please! Marijuana-A Third-RailBy David MkrtchianSpartan Staff

Relax, it’s STEP

Hailey Williams Spartan Staff

Hey, don’t you just love the DEA?Ameer KhanSpartan StaffTraditionally, La Canada High, like many other high schools, gives way to the annual

pranks pulled throughout the year presumably by the current senior class of the time. It is the senior class’s duty to pull the best pranks, either going the precedent route

of the infamous old timers, or trying to one up other classes with the ultimate prank. If done genially, one can become the stuff of legends almost instantaneously overnight. LCHS has suffered many pranks from the hands of past seniors, and this year, as a part of the class of notorious ’10, it is our duty to implement ourselves memorably into the history of LCHS. Senior year is a revolutionary year for many reasons, academically and leisure-wise; it is the year of lasts for a concluding portion of our lives. Although not a priority, the senior prank(s) is an obligation and tradition for seniors. In the past few years, each senior class has distinguished themselves, or left their various marks at our school dutifully, although some of the pranks have become rather redun-dant. Just two weeks ago, as I was walking by the school pool, a friend pointed out a mattress at the pool’s bottom. The mattress was subtle and generally unnoticed. A similar prank occurred last year, and although the mattress was a spark of indication that the mis- chievous spirit has caught on earlier this year, it is slightly unoriginal and meek. There have been a series of minor pranks at our school, and whether or not they are the deeds of Spartans, is not clear. The classes of ’05, ’07 and ’09 brought legend- ary pranks up to par, with a VW Bug placed on the second floor, parking lot chaos, and streamer madness on our campus. We have some living up to do, but with the heav-ily diverse and unique minds in the class of X, a legendary class prank can easily be achieved. Unfortunately, it has been a tacit thought that our class of ’10 has been notably under spirited and less involved in school spirit, especially at assemblies. This year has been dif-ferent, and as the dominating class, we have shown greater enthusiasm and a new sense of school spirit in the first assembly. To redeem us, and restore glory to our legacy, it should be tacit that the Senior Class of 2010 will pull an epic prank. We know of the fine line between funny and vandalism, and although pranks are associated with jokes and comic themes, the class prank is more than just a practical joke on the whole school. Humor takes the edge off the seriousness of school, and is universal. Funny is funny, and the class prank requires a united effort from all to pull off the effects of a great prank. We want to be remembered as how we were as kids (in some cases, not so…), so what better way to express that than in a senior prank all our own? Years after we graduate, the legendary Class of ’10 should be told about in stories of nostalgic fondness or admiration. Let’s leave our mark, and inspire many to come.

The battle for control has been a central issue in the United States since the drafting of

the Constitution. There has never been a firm understanding of how far the Federal government can extend its power and responsibilities, yet time and time again it has taken matters in to its own scrupulous hands, committing wonderful atrocities with the so-called interests of its people as it’s excuse. One overextension of the US Federal Government is known by the illustri-ous and notorious title of the Drug Enforcement Agency, or simply DEA.

As any well-educated person well knows, there are many pressing issues in the world today. Rampant world poverty, the Bush wars, and health care defects are much more pressing than the problem of drug enforcement. The “war on drugs”, a charge that is led by the DEA, is a grossly exaggerated “emergency.” Federal tax dollars are gratuitously burned away in futile drug wars with poor Peruvian coca leaf farm-ers, while kids in Chicago murder each other because they have broken homes, no education, and no food.

The DEA sets a dangerous precedent for the future of our liberty. Despite California state law dictat-ing that medical marijuana is legal for medical use, and can be legally

dispensed in cannabis clubs, narcs continue to raid legitimate medical marijuana dispensaries. These raids also flout President Obama, who recently issued an executive order mandating an end to the raids: such a disregard for presidential author-ity is dangerous. If governmental agencies, such as the DEA and CIA, were allowed more power to func-tion independently, what will stop them from continually raping and debasing our civil rights after we are all sent away to Guantanamo Bay?

So when we all look back and reflect on Red Ribbon Week, we must ignore the great message that it sends to our children. Drugs are most egregious of course. And marijuana turns innocent children in to most ex-cellently heinous rapists. But the real message is that we should all support federal governments expansion. This does not despoil us as citizens of our personal freedom; rather, it gives us an opportunity to reminisce about the glory of fascist governments. Maybe we should adopt a fascist govern-ment, we’re already well down that path anyway. Now take a moment to applaud the liberty that we’ve earned since America’s greatest President, Mr. Richard Nixon, be-stowed upon us the judicious and be-nevolent Drug Enforcement Agency.

By Helen WonSpartan Staff

Immortalizing “X”

Why would there be swastikas and other such hateful symbols like a crossed out

Star of David found around La Canada High School? High School students in our bubble of a city are not very susceptible to influential, mindless, violent hate. In fact, prejudices are not prevalent at all in La Canada. Children are not taught, in a broad sense, that certain people are better than others or that the color of someone’s skin or their religious affiliation justifies hate. There have been racist undertones in La Canada, though not to this extent in recent history. But then why would hateful symbols such as swastikas be found on school grounds? T h e a n s w e r i s s i m p l e : STUPIDITY. High School students do not have the reputation of being thoughtful people who do not act without good reason. They are impulsive. It is rarely ever the case that prejudice is the motive of any act such as this, but it is much more common for the motive to be sheer stupid impulse. A swastika was recently found outside of Room 204, and has since been erased. We all lost a few brain cells the day it was drawn.

Swastikas?By Ian Balisy, David Mkrtchian and Terese RutkowskiSpartan Staff

It’s the end of September, you’re sixteen, and you’ve finally gotten your license. Now all you need is a parking pass

for La Canada High School. Here comes the bad news: there aren’t any spots left. Unfortunately, there are only one hundred parking passes for indi-vidual parking, and a lot more than one hundred students with licenses. While the school could create a parking structure by building multi-layer park-ing, the more sensible solution would be simply to print and sell more passes. Granted, high school students can carpool with friends. However, carpooling with a friend has quite a few drawbacks. Students would have to make sure their carpool buddy has the same schedule, meaning one doesn’t play sports while the other does, or one doesn’t come early for ASB while the other does. It would be unfair for either partner to be left without a ride should their “buddy” leave before them, or after them. Students would also have to make sure that they live in the area, because everyone knows how inconvenient it is to drive a friend home that lives on Sugar Loaf when you live up on Angeles Crest. It is easier and more practical

to have your own spot. Or even solely the chance of a spot. Why not sell three hundred, or three hundred and fifty, parking passes and base it on a first-come, first-serve basis? Subjecting our cars to vandalism or parking tickets in Hahamonga seems silly when all stu-dents could have the equal opportunity of getting a spot next to the baseball field or in front of the south gym. Why not send spend the money for that park-ing ticket on a parking pass at school where the money goes towards bet-tering your educational environment? Nicole Yonan, an eleventh grader, suggests, “There should just be more parking spots available. The school could, and should, open up the parking by the football field. I got my license after the passes became available, and it just isn’t fair to be refused a spot.” Rachel Baydian, a licensed eleventh grader, asks, “Why not print more? I mean, if someone’s not going to take the effort to get up early to go to school, why should he get a spot?” “The early bird catches the worm” is a mantra people have grown up with for years. Why not apply it to parking at La Canada High School?

Cannabis. Ganja. Mary Jane. Buddha. Scooby-Doo.Dracula. Dubies. Grass. Weed. Pot. Marijuana is a misunderstood plant. It is often construed negatively,

described as immoral and sinful. What remains to be un-derstood is that marijuana can help our society grow.

The economics of the r e c e s s i o n have forced people to look for different sources of revenue. People have opened their minds, after decades of stalwart opposi-tion, to the legalization of marijuana. Despite recent efforts at legalization, politicians have been cautious to discuss the issue for fear of a bombardment of criticism. Even Obama, with his “Change we can believe in” mantra, has in-stinctively shied away from the topic of marijuana because of the controversy surrounding the dis-cussion, like during his town halls.

Historically marijuana has been subject to hostile scrutiny because of its label as a “gateway” drug that leads smokers towards a “slippery slope”. But the realities of marijuana and its medical purposes have been misrepresented. Upon objective analysis of the effects of various other substances, Time magazine found that alcohol, cigarettes, and even McDonald’s a r e more detrimental to our health than a Cannabis plant. If marijuana is the beginning of a slippery slope, then what about cigarettes or alcohol, why aren’t they subject to the same criticism?

Fiscally speaking, marijuana has the potential to be a source of economic stimulus, while at the same time cutting

governmental costs. According to Parade magazine we spend $68 bil- lion dollars a year and $75 billion dollars

a year en- forcing marijuana related drug crimes, the ma- jority of which are nonviolent crimes.

Marijuana can save the crumbling education- a l sys tem of California. A 10% tax o n p o t , like similar t a x e s on alcohol and

cigarettes, could yield $1.4 billion

revenue every year, as well as create thou-

sands of jobs, help Cali-fornia in its deepening re-

cession, and cut violent drug crimes as there no longer would be any monetary

incentive to sell marijuana. It is interesting to note California’s expected educational budget shortfall is $1.4 billion. At

the same time we must hold the government ac-countable so that we avoid the fiasco that occurred with the California Lottery funds being siphoned away from e d u c a t i o n .

Despite its possible ben-efits, marijuana consumption and production needs to be regulated like other substances. Marijuana can help us where previously its illegality has hurt us.

America Please Come HomeBy Tyler Stenzel Guest Writer

America has a militaristic empire across the world. This empire is both a huge financial burden and also completely unnecessary.

As of March 2008, the United States had 290,000 troops deployed in over 100 countries around the world, not including Iraq and Afghanistan. There are around 50,000 troops in both Germany and Japan, and the rest scattered in other various countries.

The maintenance of the U.S Empire is an un-necessary burden on the American taxpayers. This year Obama increased the military budget to $651 billion, the highest in the world. Can the U.S. really afford to continue these policies? Is it really neces-sary to have tens of thousands of troops in sovereign nations across the globe? Of course we need troops in Germany, Angela Merkel is such a dangerous woman!

America’s presence and intervention in the Middle East has become a complete failure, both politically and financially for the U.S. We invaded Iraq on false acquisitions, and continue to linger there longer than any prior U.S war. While in Of-fice, Obama has only moved troops from Iraq to Afghanistan and instead replaced them with military contractors. He intends to keep some 40,000 “non-combative” troops in Iraq for who knows how long. Obama is expanding the war in Afghanistan and into Pakistan, mainly by use of drones that have killed countless Pakistani civilians. Al Qaeda is gone from Afghanistan but the Taliban strength, in terms of men is rapidly on the rise. We are now war monger-ing with Iran, who knows where that is going to go?

The Middle East has shown strong animos-ity towards the U.S. Even now most Israelis despise Obama. The longer we try to nation build and meddle with their affairs the longer there will be strong anti- U.S sentiment. The U.S has a long history of interven-ing in the Middle East. In 1953, the C.I.A’s overthrew the Iranian government, and guess where the Taliban received most of their weapons from? That’s right the, U.S! During the Soviet occupation we gave them countless amounts of money and weapons. Now they’re killing us with weapons we gave them. Go figure? The list goes on and on, and it’s the kind of the

stuff they seem to always leave out of the textbooks. U.S occupation just gives the native people more incentive to join the Taliban or perform acts of hatred against the U.S., using Islam as extra encouragement.

The War in Afghanistan is a war that cannot be won. Just look at history. The British failed and even the Soviets with 100,000 troops still couldn’t win. It’s a primitive country, they’re tribesmen. It’s a country run by an assortment of tribes, it’s how they’ve been for all of history, and all they want is their country back.

The U.S government seems to care more about establishing democracy in a nation half-way across the globe than helping out our own brothers and sisters suffering domestically. The U.S govern-ment and its people need to stop acting like we own the world, and start worrying about problems here at home. Just think what we could do with all the money we would save: the possibilities are endless! We wouldn’t have to send any more caskets home and continue killing innocent civilians. We could easily give everyone free health care, stopping a lot of con-tentious discussion nowadays!. If we really wanted to be at peace with the Muslim world, we would stop intervening with their affairs. What gives us the right to instill our values and ideals upon the world? With Obama’s election, the anti-war movement has been subdued, but foreign policy has not re-ally changed since the Bush Administration. It’s time for the U.S. to bring its troops home, not just in Iraq but the whole world. It is in the best inter-est of the world, as well as the U.S. What does the U.S. have to gain from what we are doing? I would love to hear someone justify, or someone who actu-ally supports America’s asinine foreign policy. We need to listen to our Founding Fathers and obey the Constitution. As George Washington said in his Farewell speech. They will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty. Looks like we have done a great job of listening to that! I’m sure our Founding Fathers are rolling over in their graves right now.

6 November 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

Features7 La Cañada High School

FeaturesNovember 18, 2009

Over the past three years aspiring artists have been establishing a foundation for photography at

our own high school, thanks to Mrs. Nich-olls Ali. Most students might recognize her as the sassy little Ms. G. She has run her own business as a graphic designer and is a professional photographer in and out of the studio. Ms. G has spent her time teaching photography at the Pasadena Art Armory Center and working as a web designer a t P a s a d e n a C o m m u n i t y College. She has also helped at the Center for Digital Story Telling. Having been a student of hers for two years now, I know personally she is an expert at what she teaches.

We are lucky enough to have Ms. G here, teaching ROP photography one, two, and Graphic Design at our high school. In Commercial Photography I, the students learn the functions of their digital cameras, printing skills, and basic Photoshop. They will also learn different techniques and see the art of professional photographers. The students in Com-mercial Photography II are second year students who have already been exposed to the basics of photography. This class specializes in black and white and color photography, digital exposure as well as film and film scanning. These students will also master putting together light-ing equipment and creating a studio set.

GALE PhotographyBy Margaret Beesley

Each photography student must be prepared to take pictures and download them within the class period by bringing a flash drive, their camera, and their portfo-lio each day to class. It is also necessary for the students to submit a piece of their work to the Reflections Contest during the year, and they must attend school functions and take photos of the activi-ties going on during the year. These new

found skills will help the students in both courses to create their own portfo-l i o o f t h e projects they produce. It is required that the students a t tend one art gallery of their choice per semester

and write up a report describing the type of art and their favorite feature of the gallery. It is essential to come prepared in order to be successful in the class.

In this course the students are as-signed projects in which they can express themselves and become more creative in their daily lives. Taylor Thompson has said Ms. G, “pushes everyone to do their best” in the class and achieve as much as they can through photography. Another student of hers, Anna Hause, believes that, “Ms. G really knows her stuff, and she has a great attitude towards teach-ing”. I recommend this class through experience, for it’s artistic assignments and Ms. G’s inspiration as a teacher.

At this time of the year, hearing the words SAT and ACT can raise stress levels for many students.

Common questions that tend to pop up around school are “which test should I take” and “do colleges take both?” The list goes on and on. By the end of this article, students should have a better idea upon which test they should take. Many people consider the SAT to be a more critical thinking test. While people tend to think that the ACT is a more content-based test, this is a mislead-ing conception. The ACT also promotes critical thinking skills, like the SAT. Two common subjects that test these skills are Math and English. As for the writing section, the ACT gives you an option. Students have the choice to take just the ACT or the ACT plus writing. In order to make this decision, students should visit college websites. Most colleges tend to prefer the ACT plus writing. Overall, colleges do not have a preference between these two tests. So, the choice of college should not affect a student’s decision between taking the ACT or the SAT.

The differences between the SAT and the ACT vary as positives and negatives. A well -known difference between the SAT and the ACT is the way they ask their questions. While the SAT tends to use language to confuse the test taker, the ACT words in a more straight-forward manner. So if a student is more talented at applying past knowledge, the ACT is a good choice for him/her. As for the grading system, the SAT takes off a quarter of a point for each missed question while the ACT, doesn’t take off any points. Instead, it encourages the students to guess. So if a student has a hard time eliminating incorrect answers, they should consider the ACT. Try not to stress out about this. Taking the PSAT is a good way to relieve this stress because it often times reveal to students which test they should take. A good score on the PSAT often times demonstrates the success you will have on the actual SAT. If you don’t do so well, no worries, start looking into the ACT. Good luck on making this decision.

By Michelle Phillips and Sarena Lu

SAT OR ACT?

Eat Your Breakfast!By Ian Balisy and Joao TeixeriaSpartan Staff

Spartan Staff

Check Out Chess ClubBy Joseph KimSpartan Staff

It’s the weekend; you want to get something to eat in the morning. Where to go, where to go… Even though most La Canada students think that there’s nothing in our city, there are most defi-nitely places to get a quality breakfast.

If you want to get a taste of a good ole’ 40’s diner breakfast, then go to Rocky Cola Café. It’s about 5 minutes away from the heart of La Canada, on the corner of Honolulu and Verdugo, and the resturaunt serves traditional American breakfast: eggs sunny side up, sausage, pancakes, and milkshakes.

If, on the other hand, you want to get a non-period piece breakfast and you’re possibly in the mood for Mexi-can, Lupe’s has surprisingly varied choices. Their breakfast burritos are awesome, and their prices are reasonable.

However, there are those of us that may still be pressed for time even on the weekends. In this case, most people would go to Golden Doughnuts Place. It

might not be the healthiest choice, serv-ing many different kinds of “terrible-for-you” doughnuts, but it certainly is fast. A healthier alternative to Golden Doughnut for a small, quick breakfast is Goldstein’s. Tasty bagels and fresh brewed coffee make for a wholesome, reasonable breakfast. Truthfully, they do not do any-thing one couldn’t do right in the comfort of his or her own home; anyone can make a bagel with cream cheese; anyone can add some eggs to it, for much less money.

T h e r e i s a place in La Canada, which has nestled itself perfectly into our community and has become one of the best break-fast places in the surrounding area. Dish is the ideal place for the fam-

ily Sunday brunch. It manages to maintain a family-oriented and small town feels, while attracting people from all over LA. Among the many delicious dishes served at Dish are the Apple Oat Cakes, a healthy and wholesome breakfast.

Checkmate! If you wish to feel the excitement

of capturing the opponent’s king through brilliant, strategic movements of chess pieces, Chess Club can provide a perfect environment for you. Founded and led by Junior Theodore Wu, Chess Club meets every Thursday to quench the thirst of LCHS’s most passionate chess players. T h e C h e s s Club meets in Ms. English’s room, 215 , a n d t h e membership f e e i s $ 5 .Chess Club is currently w e l c o m i n g a l l l e v e l s o f p l aye r s . Once every two weeks , t h e c l u b ’s p r e s i d e n t T h e o d o r e Wu , w h o competitively plays in local chess tournaments, wil l give lessons on various strategies and tricks of chess. Even beginners who have never played chess in their lives can follow thorough guides and instructions to eventually become a stellar chess player. More

advanced players can play with each other as well, and there are many chess boards available.“ I k n o w t h e r e a r e many chess players on campus who love chess,” commented Wu. “As one of them, I wanted to create a tight environment to provide healthy interactions among the p layers .” C h e s s C l u b also has fun events and plans. There is a rating

system that encourages i n t e n s e c o m p e t i t i o n among the members. For every game, the victor is awarded 50 points, and the loser loses 10 points. All members receive 10 points for being present at the meetings. Also, 10 points are awarded for participating or answering questions correct. The club

is also planning to have two tournaments per semester, where members can actually apply their s t ra tegies that they acquire throughout the semester. In tournaments, the top five students will be awarded with points. At the end of the year, Chess Club will award prizes to the three members with the highest number of points. Also, as players improve, Wu will seek opportunities

to compete with other s c h o o l s . “ I invented the rating system to bolster the competition among the members,” e x p l a i n e d Wu. “With competition, m e m b e r s can naturally b e c o m e b e t t e r

p l a y e r s ” C h e s s C l u b is a brand new club of LCHS that was recently approved by the ASB. It is a warm, welcoming club for anyone who desires to play and learn the classic board game of chess. Let’s all head towards chess club every Thursday to perfect our skills!

Time ManagementSpartan Staff By Ben Chon

SpartanStaff

Every superhero has a weakness. Super-man, the unstoppable “Man of Steel”, is inferior to a green, glowing rock known

as Kryptonite. Batman, the fearless Dark Knight, can’t control himself when an innocent life is threatened. The Hulk, able to destroy anything his path, can’t command his own anger.

Similarly, every student has a weakness. In most cases, this weakness is known as procrastination, a byproduct of poor time management. Before you are informed on how to fight procrastination, use the chart below to see how good your time management is!

QuestionsNot at

allRarely At

TimesOften Very

often

1 Are the tasks you work on the ones with highest priority?

2 Do you set aside time for planning and scheduling?

3Do you know how much time you are spending on certain tasks?

4 Before you perform your task, do you have an idea if it will be worth the time you put in?

5 Are you on time with deadlines and commitments?

6Do you know which tasks are on the high, medium, and low value?

7Do you have constantly have a to do list around you?

8When you are given a new assign-ment, do you right away prioritize its importance?

In spite of the conservative firewall surrounding the La Canada community, socialism has sprouted roots in the student body in the form of the Young Socialist Club.

Advisor Justin Valissidis isn’t surprised though, citing the students’ “keen awareness” as the catalyst for the club. It provides him an “opportunity to learn” and feed his appetites for contemporary U.S. politics and the “interchange of ideas.”

The club brings together friends and political acolytes for a discussion of current issues and policies. They are looking to correct what Ben Levin calls the “bad rap socialism gets.”

Founders Michael Burten and Joao Texeira intend to debate with the Young Democrats and Republicans in the near future, and so they are looking to develop posi-tions on issues. The topic for the first meeting was af-firmative action. Naturally, debate dealt primarily with its influence on college admissions. Students weighed the necessity of diversity against scholastic achievement.

Senior Alice Hall-Partyka clarified her position, stating, “[minorities] are protected in all instances” when applying to uni-versities. Despite the diversity of opinions, the first meeting pro-duced a consensus: “affirmative action has its time and place and is still necessary in a lot of systems but it should not be in law.”

The club shows promise for its commitment to a different mode of discussion. An alternative take on current affairs is both refreshing and encouraging. Al-though the membership is small, it can sustain itself with a nucleus of inquisitive students. If interested, come to Room 201 Thursdays at lunch and enhance the discussion.

Christophe LaBelleSpartan Staff

The Great Red Hope

Remember the old days when boys had a paper route and you attempted to finish the Sunday

crosswords? With the advent of the Internet, newspapers have ceased to be the prominent source of news. Already, many of America’s prestigious news-papers are declaring bankruptcy and losing circulation, including the Bos-ton Globe and The Chicago Sun Times. Contemporary newspapers seem to have less and less influence; people conclude that in a few short years, newspapers will be a fad of the past. According to The New York Times, people check the Internet up to five times or more a day. They check e-mail, Facebook, Wikipedia, Twitter, or the news. Whether it’s the Yahoo homepage or the Drudge Report, people utilize the Internet to keep up with local, national, and in-ternational headlines. With its easy ac-cessibility and at virtually no cost, the Internet acts as the most convenient source of news. It has the capacity to digitalize and distribute to millions of people breaking events and stories as events develop moment by moment. Nowadays, newspapers hardly report anything that has not already been reported on television or the web. Today’s plethora of 24-hour news channels including Fox News and CNN all compete to report break-ing stories. These news channels are

available for any person with cable or satellite making them very accessible to the public. People now choose to read, watch, and listen to more opin-ionated news sources such as openly biased blogs, news shows, and news-casts that either directly appeal to or challenge their perspectives and politi-cal doctrines. Political shows such as the “Colbert Report” and newscasts by Rush Limbaugh have shown to have much larger audiences than the The New York Times. More and more people prefer listening to their favor-ite political commentators to reading newspapers. Most people devote themselves to listening to specific commentators’ slants on the news such as that of Jon Stewart, Glenn Beck, Keith Olbermann, or Rachel Maddow. Newspaper editorials fail to compete.

Also adding to the decline of newspapers are their costs, a typical subscription to a major national paper costs about $40 a year, forcing more people to opt out in favor of “free” news. In addition to a decrease in sub-scribers and readers, businesses have stopped advertising in the papers in favor of putting their classifieds on the web instead. By doing so, newspapers lose their primary source of revenue.

Ul t imately, wi th com-petition from the Internet, TV, and radio, newspapers contin-ue to precipitate into extinction.

Katherine PropperSpartan Staff

Say Good-bye to Newspapers

November 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

LifestyleNovember 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

Preview Review8 9

Harry Potter and the Deathly HollowsBy David RheeSpartan Staff The adventure of Harry Potter and his two pals Ron and Hermione is soon drawing to a close as Harry nears his destiny of finally confronting Voldemort. However, this movie is unique as the seventh and final film in the popular Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows is set to be split into two parts. The first part is set for a November 19, 2010 release date while part two is set for approximately July 15, 2011. Although the movie rendition splits the final book into two parts, director David Yates says that, “they will be shot back to back and treated as if it were one film.” When asked why they came to this decision, David Yates an-swered, “Deathly Hallows is so rich, the story so dense and there is so much that is resolved that, after discussing it with [Rowling], we came to the conclusion that two parts were needed.” The decision of splitting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows prolongs the end of a ten year movie franchise that started with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in November 2001, yet promises a fulfilling experience that will be a closer recreation of the books than the other previous films.

Shutter Island Shutter Island is an upcoming mystery thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, this film focuses on two U.S. marshals who uncover a dark secret in a hospital holding facility for the criminally insane on an island in Massachusetts. However, there is no way to escape as a hurricane hits and an inmate riot traps them on the island. Although this movie was originally set to be released on October 2, 2009, Shutter Island is now set to be released somewhere in mid-February 2010.

Go Rent “Jennifer’s Body”“Jennifer’s Body” made $60 million in the box office. Want to make it $4 more?

By Alexandra Van WieSpartan Staff

A couple Fridays ago the culmination of many online pictures and one interesting online public service announcement featuring star-let Megan Fox finally hit the silver screen. “Jennifer’s Body” outlines the story of a typical modern day Indie band on their road to fame. Indie bands probably have it the toughest in today’s dy-namic society. They are born from scenes or dives during the brutal summer between senior year and college, but life doesn’t get any easier from there. A twisted comedic name brands their music in the battle-worn sea of angst. And with a purpose as dark as the de-construction of society, the vast element of competition between Indie bands sends a shiver up the spine. Throw in the fact that all other genres balk at them and their plight seems insurmountable. Yet one band based near Devil’s Kettle by the name of Low Shoul-der unearths the one sure-fire way to succeed in such a volatile environ-ment. During the film, the lead singer Nikolai Wolf belligerently retorts:

“Do you know how hard it is to make it as an Indie band these days? There are so many of us, and we’re all so cute and it’s like if you don’t get on Letterman or some retarded soundtrack, you’re screwed, okay? Satan is our only hope.”

Of course, Satan would never lend a claw without a catch. A certain Satanic ritual will allow the aide of the demon lord when a virgin is sacrificed to him, a chant is made over the corpse, and the ritual ends with some disemboweling hoo-ha.

This dark ceremony proves a complete success! Low Shoulder is able to claim their fame within a month. Their song “Through the Trees” makes a hit and soars to the top of the charts. It plays on every radio in the Midwestern area and it flourishes in the local high school Prom. Wolf’s band would have assuredly gotten gigs in the city and all over the country until another band would inevitably claim the throne.

In conclusion, if you’re looking to see a so-bad-it’s-funny teen slasher flick written by a former stripper with your emo best friend next spring, you should definitely rent “ Jennifer’s Body.”

T h e I n c o n v e n i e n c e o f B e i n g G r e e n By Margo Hartley Spartan Staff

Human beings are the number one reason as to why our earth is in such a devastating condition. Even though being environmentally friendly can be largely beneficial for not only our earth but also our health and well-being, it comes at a high price. Shop-ping for these organic and eco-friendly products is very inconvenient for most people, not to mention expensive. However, there are many tips to living green lives that are priceless and will benefit us all in the long run.

• Although a cliché, reduce, reuse, and re-cycle is not only a mantra that everyone should put into practice, but rather a lifestyle that people should enforce. Make sure to

recycle all your aluminum, paper, and wa-ter bottles, as well as reuse plastic bags and Ziplocs. Look for the recycling bins Green Club provides in most of the classrooms!

• Another good idea is to bring your lunch in a lunch box, or at least reuse your brown paper bags more than once. Even just eliminating this is hazardous to our environment can help lead to a better earth for the future.

• Water is an essential resource in our lives. Make sure you are preserving it to the best of your abilities. You can do this by turning the water off when brushing your teeth, or

even by brushing your teeth in the shower. Be conscious of how much water you are using, or ultimately wasting, during the day.

• Turn it off. Turn off all the lights when you leave a room, or during the day time open the curtains and let in the natural light of the sun in.

• When grocery shopping, you can buy cute reusable bags that fit a lot of prod-ucts. This is an excellent substitute for the throwaway brown bags and plastic bags that are used numerous times a day.

C h a r l i e a n d C h o c o l a t e Homecoming

Jonze’s Mona Lisa

In today’s world of film filled with clichéd vampire flicks and regurgitated action films, movies rarely are art, but “Where the Wild Things Are” directed by Spike Jonze defies that stereotype.

Like many, I was skeptical when I heard that a ten-sentence book was being transformed into a full-length movie, but Jonze’s movie coun-tered my preconceptions. The tale of a young boy named Max, and his escapades after running away from home is definitely worth watching.

For those of you who believe a movie should not change a single aspect of a book then this movie is not for you. Jonze does not fol-low the plot word for word, but rather makes it his own. He takes a fairly simplistic concept, albeit with good meanings, and turns it into so much more. Jonze has created a PG movie on the same level as the beloved Toy Story, or Groundhog Day. “Where the Wild Things Are” has simple messages about childhood and more complex messages about society. As you leave the theater not only will you feel that you spent your hard earned cash wisely, but, you also will leave contemplating the issues children face in today’s world where morals are constantly devolving.

Even though the majority of characters in this movie are “things” they will seem familiar to anyone who is a regular at the cinema. Some major actors who lent their voices to this film were, Forest Whitaker, James Gandolfini (lead from the Sopranos), and Mark Ruffalo (best know for his role in Zodiac). Along with these known quantities Max Records, who coincidentally played the protagonist Max, was magnificent. Do not be surprised if you see this twelve-year-old kid in a lot of movies in the next few years. On top of the solid acting and voiceovers the costumes brought the story to life and could bring this movie home an Oscar next year. Lastly the soundtrack is solid and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs music compliments this film.

In a recession going to see a movie may not seem like the best use of ones cash, but this film is an exception. This is the best movie Jonze has made so far and almost any audience will enjoy it. Take a friend, take a significant other, or go with your family; no matter whom you watch this with you will be glad you went. While this movie is by no means perfect, it is definitely worth seeing.

By John GreggSpartan Staff

All photos credit to: Facebook

Paper Plane Message

We have a website!

Visit us at: www.lcusd.org/lchs/thespartan/index/index.htm

Okay, if that is a little too long to remember try this: 1. Go to La Canada High School Website 2. Click on the “News and Publication” tab. 3. Click on School Newspaper.

Keep yourself updated with school news!

By David RheeSpartan Staff

10 November 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

Sports11 November 18, 2009 La Cañada High School

Sports

On October 15, 2009 the boys var-sity water polo team played against Temple City here at La Canada High

School. With a close score of 10 to 9 with La Canada coming out on top, the boys once again proved that they are unstoppable. The first quarter of the game began with the start-ers Udo Gyene, Captain Chris Louk, Aria Mahboubi in goal, Graeme Rothe, Christian Renfro, Jack Depew, and Justin Lee. At the start of the game Temple City won the sprint and tried to score, however it was saved by an amazing block by Mahboubi. After this both La Canada and Temple city scored, end-ing the first quarter at a tie at 2-2. To begin the second quarter, La Canada lost the sprint to get the ball and Temple City scored after Aria came out of the goal. Again Temple City scored twice during this quarter. La Canada player Justin Lee scored from set, and Chris-tian Renfro scored also, leaving the score at

half time tied once again at 4-4. At the start of the second half of the game, Temple City scored almost right away, closely followed by an LC goal from Chris Louk. Temple City scored again after a 5 meter penalty was called on LC goalie Mahboubi. La Canada also scored when Jack Depew shot off of a power play. With another score from Justin Lee and a Temple City goal, the third quarter ended at 7-8 with Temple City in the lead. Christian Renfro began the fourth and final quarter by winning the sprint and the ball for La Canada. Graeme Rothe scored off of a power play, and with 27 seconds left in the game, Udo Gyene scored for La Canada, putting the score at 10-8, with La Canada on top. Shortly after, with only 17 seconds left, Temple City scored bringing the score to 10-9. The game ended with La Canada triumphant, with a close score of 10-9.

La Canada Boys Varsity Water Polo Defeats Tem-ple City 10-9By Margo HartleySparatan Staff

Mr. Harvey has been teaching at LCHS since 1973, and many of us

know him because of that. This includes some current teach-ers, who were his pupils, in past years. What few people know is that he has also been working for the Dodgers for almost 40 years. The following is the summary of a conversation about a few of the many layers of Mr. Harvey.

By John GreggSpartan Staff

Mr. Harvey Makes His Sports Picks

Boys’ Varsity Water Polo took its first steps towards a Rio Hondo League title in a back-and-forth, double overtime victory over South Pasadena. For the Spartans the stakes were high in their

first Rio Hondo League match. They answered the call, taking a 5-2 lead at the five-minute mark of the second period. This opening surge was fueled by the scoring prowess of junior lefthander Christian Renfro.

Nonetheless, South Pasadena was able to close the gap by halftime trailing 6-5. As se- nior Kai Tang put it, “[W]e started getting lazy on de-fense and giving up cheesy goals and then not be-ing as aggres-sive on offense and we let them catch back up.” The Spar tans were fortunate not to lose their slim lead in the first minute of the third period, with senior net-minder Aria Mahboubi making two key saves to reserve the lead. Play continued in a back-and forth fashion, with neither side seizing control of the game. This played to South Pasadena’s advantage, who were un-derdogs yet posed the greatest threat to La Canada within the league.

Going into the fourth quarter with an 8-7 lead, La Canada was back on their heels, trying to slow the Tigers’ onslaught. The Spartans’ offensive struggles continued, and South Pasadena was able to tie the game up at 9-9 with 1:23 left to play. The Spartans’ last chance to take the lead, lest they go into overtime, came with nine seconds left. The pressure was

on, with the entire pool engulfed in chants of “L-C, L-C, L-C.” But the anticipation was not to be sat-isfied; an unsuc-cessful attempt on goal pushed the match into o v e r t i m e . A n d t h e Spartans didn’t h e l p t h e m -

selves when they conced-ed a goal only forty seconds into overtime. Yet they were reluctant

to see their efforts go all for naught. Indicative of the commitment and toughness that was needed to dominate from the beginning, Christian Renfro’s tying goal came not off of a pretty pass or nice play, but from the sheer determination to knock in the ball as it sat freely on the goal line. Having escaped this scare, La Canada was ready to claim victory in the second overtime. Once again, Renfro was the savior, scoring off Coach Herman Lopez’s designed play coming out of a timeout. As Kai Tang ex-plains, Christian is an absolute phenom and freak of nature. “[He’s] not only one of o u r fastest players but also one of our stron-ger shooters.” He wi l l be all the more convenien t dur ing the season, espe-cially when the Spartans go on the road to face the Tigers a g a i n . “ T h e game will be close too when we play them again at their pool” Tang said. “They always bring a huge crowd to their home games.”

By Christophe LaBelleSpartan Staff

Boys Varsity Water Polo

Spartans took the field on October 9, 2009, against Ar-

royo High School with high hopes; “we beat them last year, we can do this” was in everyone’s thoughts. The first quar-ter moved slowly. Arroyo caught the kickoff by Matt Faber and continued having a small gain until finally scoring with six minutes and twenty seconds left. The Spartan offense im-mediately responded with Josh Hansen scoring the tying touchdown only a minute and fifteen seconds later. Although having to hand off the ball to Arroyo, LC’s defense did a fantastic job keeping the Knights away from their side. Second quarter proved to be a bit harder for the Spartans. The AHS Knights scored early, with

eleven minutes and thirty-four seconds to go. How-ever, that didn’t dismay the Spartans. With five minutes and six seconds to go, LC made a touchdown, tying the score fourteen-all. Unfortunately, all of the euphoria seemed to blind the Spartans, who kicked the ball off to Arroyo and allowed Knights number forty-two to score their third touchdown of the game. La Canada went into the second half of the game strong, as evi-denced by the failure of the other team’s ban-ner compared to ours. The third quar-ter was a ping-pong ver-sion of football for quite a while. Each team gave up possession to each other until Arroyo kicked a field goal landing the score at twenty-four to fourteen.

Scott Gray re-sponded to this in the fourth quarter by catch-ing a pass on the fourth down with eight yards to go and running it into the enzone, closing the gap twenty-four to twenty-one. The Knights, on the other hand, had the answer to this problem: another touch-down by number forty-two. All of a sudden, the La Canada home bleachers came alive when our very own number eighty scored a touchdown, leaving the score thirty-one to twenty-seven Arroyo. For a mo-ment, it seemed as though the Spartans had a chance. Sadly enough, the Spartans were not able to continue their powerhouse offense through the rest of the fourth quarter, and ended the game with the losing score.

Spartans Lose to ArroyoBy Hailey WilliamsSpartan Staff

By Krishna RajagopalanSpartan Staff

The InterviewQ: What is your job with the Dodgers?Harvey: I used to be an usher for the owner’s box, but there is no owner’s box anymore.Q: Now where do you work for the Dodgers?Harvey: They moved me to the top deck, aisle 6.Q: Of all your years with the organization what would be your favorite memory?Harvey: Would have to be Kirk Gib-son’s homerun in the World Series.Q : F a v o r i t e P l a y e r ?Harvey: There have been so many greats. My favorite would have to be Sandy Kou-fax. He was the best pitcher I’ve ever seen.Q: How many World Series have you seen?Harvey: I’ve worked 5 World Series and 11 playoff series; I have also worked other events.Q: What would some of those other events be?Harvey: I’ve worked a lot of concerts, Roll-ing Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Michael Jackson. Also I was there when the pope came here. Oh, and the ’84 Olympics.Q: What is your view on the last few seasons?

Harvey: Last year Manny was great he was re-sponsible for doing what they did. But he hasn’t been the same hitter since the suspension.Q : H o w a b o u t t h e p l a y o f f s ?Harvey: Well the playoffs are going to be tough. Q : D o y o u f o l l o w a n y s p o r t s o t h e r t h a n b a s e b a l l ?Harvey: I’m a big College football fan.Q: So who do you think is going to win the nat ional championship?Harvey: Either, Florida or Alabama.Q: What team do you root for?Harvey: I’m rooting for Alabama be-cause they are in a fantasy league I’m in.Q : W h a t i s y o u r f a v o r -i t e m e m o r y a s a t e a c h e r ?Harvey: I t ’d have to be the s tu -dents , a l l the wonderful s tudents .Q: I heard you taught some of the teachers here. Care to name a few?H a r v e y : I t a u g h t M r . F r a n -z e n , W i l l i a m s , a n d D i C o n t i .

Last year, the junior vars i ty girls’ soccer team (of which I was a member) was introduced

to our new coach for the 2008-2009 season. His name was Jamen Amato. He informed us that he had played soccer since he was four, starting out in AYSO, moving to club, and later played for his high school, Polytechnic. We were then told that he had just graduated from Boston College in 2007, and had attended the school with a full soccer scholarship. But what impressed us the most was this: he had just finished chemotherapy two months prior to coming to coach us. In 2007, Jamen was first diagnosed with lymphoma. After 10 grueling months of sickness and tiring treatments, he came out alive. He jokingly told us, “It’s so nice to get hair back on your head!” Jamen was our coach, but he was much more that just that. He soon became our older brother, though we teased him, saying he was more of our “Soccer Mom” since he drove around in a little Volvo with soccer balls filling the backseat. He was always there if we needed to talk to him. He had a girlfriend, so he understood relationship problems; he had sisters, so he understood sibling rivalry; he had par-ents, so he understood the pressure they put on kids. No matter how bad we felt, when it came to game time, he always gave us the “I expect more of you” look. We finished the season with a fantastic record, and the last game was a victory. We all celebrated at the field and threw water on him and honored him the title of “Favorite Coach Ever”. Unfortunately, our euphoria didn’t last long. Five days later, Louie

A Coach Is Fondly RememberedBy Hailey WilliamsSpartan Staff

Bilotwitz, the head of the girls’ soccer teams, told us that Jamen had been diagnosed, again, with lymphoma. That was in February. Jamen was admitted into City of Hope, and endured extensive chemotherapy treat-ments until July, when he was allowed to go home. However, his sweet visit was cut short, and he was readmitted into City of Hope to continue che-motherapy. We wished him the best, though the news we kept receiving from doctors was that Jamen was not showing any signs of getting any better. On Wednesday, October, 14, 2009, Jamen’s journey ended. He was six days away from his twenty-fifth birthday. The team and I attended his fu-neral October 20, 2009. There we were surrounded by hundreds of people, all of whom cried during the ceremony. It was sad, but it was beautiful. Hear-

ing and learning so much about him from the people who meant the most in his life made all of us so glad we could have such a strong, determined, and gracious person as our coach. Jamen is survived by his two sisters, Mary and Ashley, his parents, his wife, Theresa, and the many who loved and cherished his company while he was alive. His family started the Ja-men Amato Fund, where donations to cancer research will be taken and greatly appreciated. The fund can be found by going to www.ThinkCure.org , and clicking on the number “one” on the box on the right hand side. Now we must all say good-bye to Jamen. But I am speaking for the whole team when I say that we cannot wait to see him again, and finally beat him in a game of soccer.

Jamen Amato played soccor for Boston College, graduting in 2007. He then went on to become the coach of the LCHS Junior Varsity Soccor team.

The La Canada Spartans recently had a varsity football game against Temple City. The game

was definitely intense and the players clearly had one goal in mind, which was to win. Unfortunately, much of the players’ high hopes were diminished, as the game didn’t turn out the way they would have liked. Although, one wouldn’t have known that the play-ers wishes were let down by the way the spectators cheered the players on whenever La Canada scored a touch-down. La Canada spectators were in rage as Temple City drew closer and closer to winning the game with their unexpected touchdowns. But that didn’t stop the La Canada players from play-ing as hard as they could and showing off what sportsmanship is all about. The coaches also were very involved in the game as usual, motivating their players to keep their spirits high.

Apparently, some of the spec-tators didn’t agree with one of the calls the referees made, but that didn’t seem to change the game much. One of those calls was when one of the La Canada receivers caught the football but the referee didn’t give any points to La Canada or even acknowledge that fact. One of the reasons La Canada hasn’t being doing so well is that receiver Josh Hansen is injured having sprained his left ankle at a previous game against Arroyo High. Another reason for our recent losses is that we lost several days

of practice due to the deadly Station Fire. Even after students returned to school, all outdoor sports practices were canceled until we were given the “all clear” by the LA County Department of Health. Clearly, practice is extremely important to a growing team of young athletes that wants to pull off a great season. What would have helped is if La Canada had found an alternate place to practice so they could keep the momen-tum going. Once practice did start, La Canada was able to make sure that they maintained a level of consistency that would be necessary to show off what a great football team La Canada has. What became more worrisome towards the end of the game was how La Canada was going to do against Blair High School in the annual Home-coming Game. If La Canada beats Blair High School, then La Canada can prob-ably say they have the capability to win the rest of the football games of the sea-son and possibly go to the CIF Finals. If not and even if La Canada wins, La Canada will have to crack down and get ready for some risky business; as is the motto of the senior class of 2010. So let us take the time to wish good luck to all the hardworking football players in this intense and chaotic season. With motivation from yourself and from the entire fellow Spartans, La Canada High School is sure you can make your school as proud as we are of having you playing during this exciting season.

Homecoming Game

Back PageSpartan

November 18, 2009

Questions:1.) Who is your favorite teacher?

2.) If you could meet any person alive today, who would it be?

3.) What’s your favorite quote?

By Katherine PropperSpartan Staff

4.) Describe your dream car.

Freshman: Emma Angold

Mitchell Davis.He’s awesome and I love his Youtbue show.

“When I look for a person, I look for their eyes because muscles weaken, skin wrinkles, and teeth become yellow. The eyes are a portal to someone’s soul”-Unknown

Purple Audi that’s big enough to fit all my friends.

Sophomore: Sam Whitefield

Al Gore.I admire his political views, and what he has done for the enviornment

“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”- Benjamin Franklin

Junior: Jason Kim

I would meet Roger Federer and ask him for some tips.

“3 extra points!” -Mrs. Chahine

I don’t really care too much about cars. Any-thing that won’t blow up on the freeway, I guess.

Senior: Katherine Ritcheson

Oprah, I feel as though she has changed and improved the lives of so many people. I only hope I can impact oth-ers like her.

“It’s not okay until the end, if it’s not okay, then it’s not the end”- Unknown

An old red Mini Coo-per, like the one from Italian Job.

Mr. Franzen. Mr. Cartnal. Ms. Hong. Mr. Cartnal.

MASH Criminal StupidityBy Alexandra Van Wie

Reed Graham’s Future

ChucklersBy David MkrtchianSpartan Staff

- Fun Fact #1: A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside. Freshmen beware!

- Fun Fact #2: A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h. You know those friends you don’t like?

- Fun Fact #3: In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals. Be sneaky. Very sneaky.

- Fun Fact #4:Every year, kids in North America spend close to half a billion dollars on chewing gum. Remember, don’t spit it out.

- Fun Fact #5:An average person laughs about 15 times a day. That’s 10 more times than you laughed after reading this article.

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.

Girlfriends:Maddi MurdockEryn BradleySarah FavroWinrey Rockbell

By Ben ChonSpartan Staff

- Police in Oakland, CA spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home. Af-ter firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them in the police line, shouting, “Please come out and give yourself up.”

Four Play

?

- A man walked into a Topeka, Kan-sas Kwik Stop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Appar-ently, the take was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours until police showed up and grabbed him.- Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn’t control himself during a line-

up. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words: “Give me all your money or I’ll shoot,” the man shouted, “that’s not what I said!”- A man went into a drug store, pulled a gun, announced a robbery, and pulled a Hefty-bag face mask over his head--and realized that he’d for-gotten to cut eyeholes in the mask.

Credit: The Freeman Institute

Spartan Staff

House:LoftMontrose apartmentCabinBeach House

Car:Toyota CamryHot WheelsMitsubishi Subaru SCI

Location:Rolling HeightsLa Canada FlintridgeSan DiegoCarlsbad

Kids:017

Job:Janitor Set DesignerAdult Film ActorWeatherman

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