THE ROAR - Quarry Lane School

FALL 2013
STUDENT-PRODUCED PUBLICATION
QuarryLane.org
Issue No. 3
THE ROAR
“Education is a lifelong commitment...”
!
!
!
Inspired by the recent government
shutdown:
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When trying to find an answer to a problem,
do you hold firm to your beliefs or
compromise to find a common solution? The
chart shows 20 Quarry Lane Students’
answers to this question.
!
THE ROAR EDITORIAL STAFF"
RAVI MADDALI.………………….…………….……………………EDITOR-IN-CHEIF "
MEHA AHLUWALIA……………………….…LAYOUT EDITOR,JOURNALIST"
ADRIAN MCCLURE…………………..LAYOUT PERSONNEL,JOURNALIST"
ANDREW MORGAN………………………………….………LAYOUT PERSONNEL"
NIKITA RAINA…………………………..…………………………………….JOURNALIST"
NIRALI PATEL………………………………………………………………….JOURNALIST"
CAROLINA AMPUERO………………..………………..…….……………JOURNALIST"
SCOTT ROWLAND…………………..…………………..………….……….JOURNALIST"
AAMIR SAYANI………………………………..……….…..………….………JOURNALIST"
NICOLE DE LA MONTANYA………………….………..……………..JOURNALIST"
AILEEN SEONG…………………..…………………….……………………..JOURNALIST"
ARJAV RAWAL………………………………………….……………………….JOURNALIST"
MICHAEL RUSNAK…………….……………………….……EDITOR,JOURNALIST"
ABHISHYANT KHARE……….………………………….…EDITOR,JOURNALIST"
CHRISTINA GE………………………………….……………………………………..EDITOR"
SWATI PATEL……………….….…LAYOUT PERSONNEL,PHOTOGRAPHER"
SNIGDHA KHARE………………….………………………………..PHOTOGRAPHER"
ROGER JIA……………………………….……………………………………COMIC ARTIST"
THE SITUATION IS HEATING UP "
BY MICHAEL RUSNAK"
Almost everyone has heard of global
warming, but for those of you who haven’t heard,
global warming refers to the increase of Earth’s
temperature by the emission of greenhouse gases.
Even those who have heard of global warming
don’t pay much attention. They don’t realize that
global warming could very likely become a major
problem in their lifetimes. According to a recent
study conducted by researchers at the University
of Hawaii, temperatures in the tropics could
potentially rise above climate variations by 2020.
This study examined data from the 1800s to
the present, predicting that projected temperatures
in the 2020’s and onwards will be higher than
temperatures in the past 200 years. The areas of
the world that will heat up first are the tropics and
developing countries. For example, Indonesia is
predicted to hit record temperatures in 2020,
compared to Hawaii, which will reach record
temperatures in 2043. However, eventually even
the north and south poles will succumb to this
temperature rise, and the entire world will reach
record temperatures by 2047. However, if actions
are taken to control greenhouse gas emissions, this
date can be pushed back to about 2069. Although
this sounds like good news, our current
technology makes it so that this temperature rise is
inevitable.
Environmental Science class’s curriculum. Global
warming is also covered in Quarry Lane’s biology
classes. In these classes, teachers discuss the realworld problem of global warming and educate
their students to its causes and possible solutions.
Despite this grim prediction, we cannot let
hopelessness pervade. The first step in improving
our situation is education. Earth’s climate and
global warming are part of Quarry Lane’s IB
Educating students about the global warming
is the first step to finding a solution to it in the
near future.
When asked about the issue, Quarry Lane
junior Ravi Maddali said that“global warming is a
serious issue which is often sidelined by at-themoment crises; we as a people need to understand
that we can’t keep on affecting the environment
the way that we do and not feel the
repercussions.”
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF POLITICS AND OTHER WORLD AFFAIRS"
BY RAVI MADDALI"
Many students in high schools, not necessarily
QLS, lack a sincere interest in current events.
Many argue, “Why does it apply to me?” Not to
sound apocalyptic, but this thinking is detrimental
to the future of not only the United States, but also
to the world. Quarry Lane students, however, are
aware of this importance. The school and its
students hold numerous fundraisers to bring
attention to and help ameliorate problems from
around the world. Before expanding on this,
however, one must first understand the problems
which afflict many high schoolers.
First and foremost, lack of political awareness
from a young age makes people more vulnerable
to being convinced by fancy rhetoric and not
facts. It is almost common knowledge that Fox
news, in general, is quite biased. This is not an
attack on the so-called “conservative agenda,” yet
large amounts of people watch Fox news and
believe even some of the most outrageous
comments made on it. The same can be said about
MSNBC.
It is hard to blame the people who view Fox
news for doing so, however, as this fault falls onto
their teachers and parents. This is because when
children are not educated in politics or made
aware of it from a younger age, they begin to
adapt and simulate the ideas of their parents, an
ideology not consistent with their time. This
phenomenon is omnipresent here in the Bay Area,
where vast numbers of teenagers identify
themselves as Democrats, yet prove to know very
little about the Democratic Party once questioned.
The opposite of such is present in the ‘Solid
South.’ This leads the future adults of the world to
grow up in politically monopolized environments.
What motivation is there for these people to
understand those with opposing views?
"
Now imagine a society where students are
well read on both perspectives (though there are
more than two political parties in the U.S, only
two of these are dominant). These people would
grow an opinion based on logical reasoning which
they comprehend, not the cryptic
reasoning of the preceding
generations.
at the best. But this is not the focus of the U.S.
We have decided that this game to see who will
pull out first has captivated Congress and the
President alike. Not to take away any importance
from the issue at hand in Congress, as the result of
this struggle will define American
health care for generations, but for
it to be more important than
bringing a murderer to justice is
pathetic. To claim that events such
as this could be avoided if people
were aware of global issues from
an early age would be naïve, but
to say that it wouldn’t make a
difference is misguided.
Another major disadvantage
of people’s lack of political
awareness is neglect of the
struggles of others around the
world. Again, this is not a
situation distinct to my school,
nor is it a universal truth. But it
is true that a significant number
Even though this problem is
of people care little about those Photo Credits: Snigdha Khare
indeed large, it is far from
suffering across the world,
universal, which the actions of
largely due to lack of awareness
Quarry Lane students have
of such struggles from an earlier age. I didn’t need
proven. As of right now, in my Spanish class, we
to conduct an extensive survey to come to that
are separated into 4 groups, each working on a
drastic conclusion, I only needed to look at the
distinct way of helping the victims of Syria. For
front page of many contemporary American
example, my group is making bracelets and
newspapers.
selling them for $5 each. All the proceeds will go
to Doctors Without Borders. Another group is
At the time of writing this, the main story on
working to raise funds for Peace Corps. Etc., etc.
many news sources is the conflict in Congress
On top of that, the Leadership class continuously
concerning funding the government; to summarize
partakes in large scale projects to help those in
the conflict, the Republican dominated House is
need around the world. Spanish club holds an
seeking to defund the Affordable Healthcare Act,
annual Salsa Night, all of the profits of which go
or ObamaCare, while the Senate will mostly likely
to helping those in need in Latin America. Quarry
not agree to and will throw any such bills back at
Lane students also hold the annual Fashion show,
the House. This has become the center of
whose proceeds go to helping the less fortunate in
discussion. It seems as if the world has forgotten
Africa. The list goes on.
what had happened only a couple of weeks ago.
Yes, Assad has agreed to relinquish weapons, but
that does not change the fact that he used them
indiscriminately on both rebels on children.
Videos of victims’ struggling are heart wrenching
With help and guidance from faculty, Quarry
Lane students make a difference in the world by
preparing themselves to lead such organizations in
the future.
Please note that the topics explored in this publication are the opinions of the author and based on personal experience. !
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They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Quarry Lane School.
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1
FALL 2013
STUDENT-PRODUCED PUBLICATION
NEW AT QLS"
CLUBS AND OTHER QUARRY LANE NEWS"
MODEL UN: BIG PLANS FOR A BIG CLUB"
BY MEHA AHLUWALIA"
This school year is expected to hold several
exciting new firsts for Quarry Lane’s Model
United Nations. What originally started two years
ago as a small club with only a handful of
students, is now QLS’s largest club, with over
forty-five members.
Model United Nation (MUN) conferences are
academic simulations of the United Nations and
its respective committees. Prior to the event,
students are given either a country or diplomat to
represent and a topic to discuss. They then spend
time researching their country’s stance on the
issue and write a position paper outlining their
country’s view in context.
During and while preparing for these
conferences, students are educated about current
events, quality communication, effective policy
making, globalization and diplomacy. With
chapters around the globe, conference
participants, known as delegates, are also given
the opportunity to meet and learn from peers
from around the world.
According to club founder and president,
Snigdha Khare, participants in MUN truly gain a
lot. “Not only do they hone their speaking and
research skills, but they also gain a new
perspective on the world,” says Khare. “Students
become more aware of the myriad of problems
the world faces, and how difficult it can be to
resolve some of these issues.”
Club Co-Vice President, Nicole de la
Montanya, spoke excitedly about the coming
year, saying “We're really excited about the new
additions to the group this year. So many new
kids signed up, and we can't wait to tap into their
potential and show them what MUN is really
about!”
want our school to win more awards this year.
Our first year, three of our students won awards,
and last year, four students were honored and two
won awards. Now, however, we want to win
school awards at every conference we go to, and
hopefully get on the list of the Top 25 Model UN
teams in the west coast.”
One MUN member described the
conferences as being “very rewarding.” The
student explained, “The conferences are great.
With all the delegates so passionate, it leads to a
very positive and motivating energy in every
committee.”
“Being in MUN really keeps you on your
toes. It helps to have history in your pocket as
well as current events,” says another student. “I
became incredibly knowledgeable about very
prevalent issues at these conferences and I also
came back feeling like I’ve learned a lot.”
Photo Credits: Snigdha Khare
When Khare originally started the club two
years ago, the small set of students participated in
only one conference. This past year, the club
attended three conferences, and is on track for
four this year. When asked about specific plans
for this year, Khare responded, “We really do
In addition, the MUN club is currently trying
to fundraise in hopes of attending a conference in
New York in March. They also plan on
organizing workshops for both new and returning
members so that everyone can learn how to
succeed at conferences.
Even just two months into school, Quarry
Lane’s MUN club is in full swing as members are
actively preparing for their first conference at
Stanford University in mid-November.
DANCE AND YOGA CLUB"
BY NIKITA RAINA"
This year, Quarry Lane houses a variety of
exciting new clubs. Many are brand new, while
others have been making notable changes.
Because we have so many different clubs, there is
something for everyone: a photography club for
students interested in cameras and photography,
global awareness club for people interested in
learning about the world outside of the United
States, Arts & Journal club for people who enjoy
painting, drawing, poetry, and writing, Harry
Potter club for all the J.K Rowling fans, and
many more. Joining a club not only gives
students an opportunity to interact with others
who share similar interests, but also allows
students to get involved in school while doing
something they enjoy.
One of the many clubs here at QLS is the
Dance and Yoga Club, started by Alana (junior)
last year. “I started this club in order to give
students at school a chance to relax their minds
through yoga and have fun and express
themselves through dance,” says Alana. One
large focus of the club is learning and practicing
new and different dance styles. Members of the
club are particularly excited about starting K-pop
dance. Ms. Lamberth, the club mentor, is an
experienced and talented dancer who has been
exposed to multiple dance forms and is willing to
work with students to help them learn and hone
their dance skills. Her passion for dance will
definitely fuel the students’ motivation to enjoy
what they’re doing and also encourage everyone
in the club.
The QLS Dance and Yoga Club meets every
Thursday after school. Alana and other members
of the club urge all people interested in dance and
yoga to come check out the club. For those who
wish to simply appreciate the members’ talent,
the club will have a performance at the Evening
of the Arts in December.
QLS WELCOMES NEW FACULTY"
BY NIRALI PATEL"
This year, The
Quarry Lane School
welcomes a handful
of new students and
faculty. These new
teachers are excited
for this school year,
and are ready to
share many great
experiences with the
students! With a full
academic year
ahead, The Roar has
interviewed several
of the new faculty
Photo Credits: QLS
to better understand
what they are most looking forward to.
Ms. Grace Ho, a new Upper School English
teacher who studied at the University of
2
California, Berkeley and Northwestern
University, told The Roar that she is most excited
to “help students grow.” She encourages
students: “Never give up. Don’t stop trying at
something just because you think you’re bad at it;
you’d be surprised what you can do!” She enjoys
talking with students about both school and life
in general.
Dr. Romesh Jain has come to Quarry Lane
after having already taught for 14 years. Dr. Jain
teaches numerous rigorous courses at Quarry
Lane including AP Computer Science, Applied
science and several other math classes. After
reflecting on his prior teaching experiences, Dr.
Jain gives Cougars a little tip to what his ideal
student would be: “He or she has to be honest.
When an assignment is given it should be turned
in on time. I like students who participate in
class, and who show that they are interested in
the topic. I also
appreciate it when
students take
charge, and help
the other students
around them.”
When asked how
students can best
succeed in not
only his class but
in school, Dr. Jain
advises students
to always “study
seriously because
life depends on
what you do as a
Photo Credits: QLS
student, so always
make sure to be
truthful, and compassionate about what you do."
Please note that the topics explored in this publication are the opinions of the author and based on personal experience. !
They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Quarry Lane School.
FALL 2013
STUDENT-PRODUCED PUBLICATION
BOOK REVIEWS
FALL INTO THE DARKNESS"
BY NICOLE DE LA MONTANYA "
Right from the beginning, this book catches
the attention of the reader with a trial. Young
Sharon, a teenager on the stand, has been accused
of first degree murder of her best friend Anne.
Christopher Pike was the first author to help
me start to move on from my Twilight days and
into more mature, well written material. Fall Into
Darkness did just that for me. The book has adult
themes, but its quick wit, snarky dialogue, and
plot twists make this book the perfect transitional
piece for kids that want to start moving higher up
into more mature pieces of literature, but aren’t
ready for full on adult novels yet. There are adult
themes, however, such as suicide, deceit, and
some graphic violence, so be prepared for
something darker than Magic Tree House.
Sharon is an easily relatable character as a
protagonist, but it is difficult to trust or believe
who is behind the death of her best friend,
making every character a plausible suspect. I
highly recommend this novel for anybody who
enjoys solving puzzles or likes being taken in
different directions. As a book, this is by far one
of my favorites of the Young Adult genre, and I
hope my fellow Quarry Lane students will think
so as well.
!
9.5/10
Available in the
Upper School
Library
Photo Credits: goodreads.com
THE HOUSE OF HADES"
BY ARJAV RAWAL"
SPOILER ALERT:
The House of Hades is a book that just came
out on October 9th, 2013. It’s written by an
author who has already set himself an eternal seat
in the place of writing books both for children
and adults. He has been named the #1 bestselling author on the New York Times. Sound
familiar? No, it's not David Baldacci. Baldacci
made a terrible debut with his children's writing.
I'm talking about Richard Russell Riordan, Jr.,
also known as Rick Riordan.
Riordan's past life in the Bay Area. (Yes, he was
a teacher at a school in SF.) In the end, the Greek
land their ships on the Roman’s land. The ship is
called the Argo II. The third book, the Mark of
Athena, focuses on the quests that the seven
demigods: Annabeth Chase (Athena/Minerva),
Percy Jackson (Poseidon/Neptune), Jason Grace
The first thing I see is the cover, designed by
John Rocco, a renowned artist and author. I open
the book and the summary has 2 main lines.
"Hazel stands at a crossroads.” "Annabeth and
Percy are overwhelmed.” Confused? Let's get
you up to date.
Most of you have already read the Percy
Jackson and the Olympians series, generally
shortened to PJO. I found out there was a spinoff
series that had released nearly a year after the
first book in the spinoff series came out. Not to
fear, though, I ordered the book quickly, and I
found it an interesting read. The series: The
Heroes of Olympus. The book's name: The Lost
Hero. Hera decided to do an exchange of Percy,
the hero from the aforementioned series, and
Jason, newcomer Roman hero. He finds his way
to a school where a satyr named Gleeson Hedge
is protecting him and two other demigods, Piper
& Leo. By the end of the book, we find out that
Jason is from a Roman demigod camp and that
Percy has been sent there, as per Hera's exchange
to make peace between Romans and Greeks. The
second book, The Son of Neptune, mainly focuses
on Percy's life at Camp Jupiter, the Roman camp
in Oakland. Probably a reference from Rick
looking for the Doors of Death, which
supposedly can help keep Gaea shut into Tartarus
forever. And now....
The House of Hades has been in the running
for over a year now. This is like Rick Riordan's
form of torture for his readers, but he has his
reasons. He frequently posts on his blog about
how he has to revise. The sneak peek was leaked
quite soon, and I read it. I found it a little too
secretive, if you don't mind me saying. Now, on
to reading the book!
Fast forward to a couple of hours later...
Photo Credits: goodreads.com
(Zeus/Jupiter), Hazel Levesque (Hades/Pluto),
Leo Valdez (Hephaestus/Vulcan), Piper McLean
(Aphrodite/Venus), and Frank Zhang (Ares/Mars)
go through. Did I mention that we also find out
why they are being sent on quests? Remember
how in PJO Kronos was rising? This time, Gaea
is rising. And it's not pretty. Sadly, at the end,
Percy and Annabeth fall into Tartarus, while
After reading the book I can safely say that it
had no lack of adventure. I have a feeling that a
lot of the middle schoolers will love the book.
There is also a romance aspect involved. Nico
comes out as gay when he is forced by Cupid to
reveal his secret. In book three, Nico ran away
from camp because he liked someone. Everyone
thought that "someone" was Annabeth. It turns
out it wasn't. It was Percy. And Percy is STILL
unaware. The book also marks the return for a lot
of characters from previous books like Kelli the
Empousa, Bob the Titan, formerly Iapetus,
changed to Bob after a dip in the River Lethe,
Khione who is the goddess of snow, known for
her evil ways), and, of course, Grover
Underwood, the satyr and Percy's best friend, and
Rachel Dare, the Oracle of Delphi for Camp
Half-Blood. The 5th book's name was revealed in
the same way that the other titles were revealed.
After all, nobody wants war except for Gaea,
Ares, and a couple of their followers and fans.
That's exactly what the theme seems to be in The
Blood of Olympus. Yes, you heard me right. The
Blood of Olympus. Well, Rick, so long, and
enjoy torturing us for the next year or so!
COMIC CORNER
"
Please note that the topics explored in this publication are the opinions of the author and based on personal experience. !
"
"
They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Quarry Lane School.
"
"
3
FALL 2013
STUDENT-PRODUCED PUBLICATION
SPORTS
NEW YEAR, NEW TEAM"
!Welcome back Cougars! It’s that time of
season again when everyone is a bit soccercrazed. The beginning of sport seasons here at
Quarry Lane tends to inspire excitement among
players and students alike. Students, filled with
school spirit, provide encouragement for the
players, who believe this support will help them.
On September 13th, 2013 the QLS soccer team
won 5 to 2 against Contra Costa Christian High
School; Adam Kirk scored 4 of those goals;
newcomer Yousseff Essanaa cored 1.
I had the opportunity to interview two of the
players here at QLS, Adam Kirk (sophomore)
and Dane Q. Sur (sophomore).
Adam is a soccer, or as he calls it ‘football’,
fanatic, and could tell you anything you wanted
to know about the sport. The following is a
transcription of the interview.
BY CAROLINA AMPUERO"
we have a good mix of ability, culture and
position. I think we’re going to have a fun year.
R: Do you think this team is better than last
year’s?
A: It’s hard to answer that since we lost a lot of
seniors last year who brought a lot of leadership
to the team. The seniors last year were also good
players, but we have some new freshman who
joined the team and they’re good players as well.
So I’d say it’s quite equal.
R: What do you think the team needs to improve
more on?
A: What I think what could be improved is, I
don’t know, maybe just the general commitment
of all the players and how seriously they take
[the game] because it is a sport and, we are
competing, so maybe a bit more organization
and commitment.
Dane: I think we actually have a much better
team than last year’s team, no offense to people
who’ve left, but it’s definitely a solid team and
the chemistry is pretty good since we’ve been
playing together for a long time.
R: What other position would you like to play?
D: Well if I had the actual skill to, I would be a
striker, just for the heck of scoring goals.
R: What is your prediction for the games this
season? How well do you think you guys will
do?
D: I think we still need some practice but our
team’s way stronger this year. Last year we had a
winning record and so I believe this will be a
good season.
R: What do you think about the new coach? Is he
good at what he’s doing?
A: I think the coach is good because he’s young
and has good, fresh ideas. He’s been good at
trying to help look at the different functional
parts. He trains quite functionally, like he looks
at one aspect of the game and then he’ll try to
tell us how to incorporate it into the real game.
He’s encouraging and has been trying to help
improve some of our less talented players. So,
yeah he’s good to work with and communicate
how he feels effectively.
Photo Credits: Laurens Hoogendijk
R: Adam, what do you think of this year’s team?
Adam: This year’s team is good, it’s quite deep in
quality because we have some good players and
The next person I interviewed is Dane Sur
who joins the team for the second year in a row,
providing strong defense. The following is a
transcript of the interview.
R: What do you think of this year’s team?
Photo Credits: Laurens Hoogendijk
Dane, like Adam, is enthusiastic about this
season, and expects great things from the team.
Good luck to the soccer team. We’ll see
everyone at the games!
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE OFF-SEASON"
BY AAMIR SAYANI"
The Golden State Warriors had a huge offseason this past summer. Acquiring veteran
player Andre Iguodala was just the icing on the
cake.
earn himself an All-Star invite after being denied
the honor last year.
consistent jump shot and becoming a more
defensive minded player. With the defensive core
of Iguodala, Thompson, and Bogut, Lee’s
weakness should be negligible.
Iguodala brings multiple skill sets to the
talented Warriors squad. With his offensive and
defensive abilities, Iguodala’s biggest benefit will
be to open up the floor for everyone else.
Youthful guards Stephen Curry and Klay
Thompson will value this asset. Whenever they
need a breather, Andre has the capability of
taking over the offensive load and allowing the
two to focus on their key strength, the 3-point
shot. With his ball handling skills, he can make Photo Credits: ESPN
athletic plays with electrifying dunks and make
crucial, unselfish passes to his teammates.
Last season, 3rd year shooting guard Klay
Iguodala will mesh perfectly under Coach Thompson significantly stepped up his game
Jackson, because he does not need any specific after the departure of the prolific scorer Monta
play calls; he can slash and set screens, and he Ellis. With his beautiful stroke and ability to get
can play almost any position on the court. an open shot, Klay Thompson will have a
Iguodala will give the Warriors that extra boost breakout season. Under the coaching of Mark
they were lacking last season.
Jackson, Klay has proven not only to be an
offensive threat, but also a lockdown defender.
Stephen Curry’s improvement will also help Playing alongside veteran Iguodala, Klay will
the Warriors a great deal. Curry has not only gradually improve his ball handling and become
developed as a knockdown shooter, but also is even a more versatile weapon with Curry’s
the captain of the Warriors ship. Last season, assistance.
Stephen Curry stepped up his game to an elite
level by averaging over 22 points per game,
David Lee is the heart and soul of the Warriors
distributing 7 assists, and shooting a career high team. The “Human Double-Double” averaged
46% from the 3-point line. He led his team to the nearly 20 points per game with a side of 11
playoffs despite numerous unfortunate injuries, rebounds. After facing a gruesome hip injury
but fell short to the more experienced San during the playoffs, he has come back even
Antonio Spurs team. With Curry becoming a stronger and more skillful than ever before. Over
superstar, and if he stays healthy, Stephen will the offseason, he has been working on a more
Andrew Bogut had a disappointing season last
year. Suffering from ongoing ankle injuries and
not having the time to fully recover seriously
affected his game. He tried maneuvering on the
court to mollify the fans, but his presence wasn’t
helpful. This is the last season of Andrew Bogut’s
NBA contract. This is the year where he will
show that he is not injury-prone and can still
have an impact on the team. This is the year
where we will get a foretaste of the real Andrew
Bogut.
4
During last year’s playoffs, Harrison Barnes
proved that he was worthy for a more valuable
role on the team. With his ability to get an open
shot, he has the potential to step up and assume
roles previously held by Jarret Jack and Carl
Landry, who left the Warriors during the
offseason. During the offseason, the Warrior also
picked up key role players such as Tony Douglas,
Marreese Speights, and Jermaine O’Neal.
Although the Warriors were able to add
Iguodala, they had to give up key components
Jarret Jack and Carl Landry during the process.
All in all, Iguodala’s knack for playmaking, the
development of the younger players, and a
healthier roster should bring the Warriors closer
to an NBA championship. The last time the
Warriors won a ring was in 1975, perhaps another
is in the close future.
Please note that the topics explored in this publication are the opinions of the author and based on personal experience. !
They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Quarry Lane School.
FALL 2013
STUDENT-PRODUCED PUBLICATION
POP CULTURE
GRAVITY"
BY ABHISHYANT KHARE"
When I went to see Gravity, directed by
Alfonso Cuarón, I had high expectations. It
received a 98% review on Rotten Tomatoes,
and being a sci-fi geek myself, I was excited
about seeing a movie taking
place entirely in outer space
and fortunately Gravity did
not disappoint at all. The
cinematography was superb,
the acting stellar, and the
storyline thrilling. However,
it’s the message of the movie
that made Gravity such an
amazing movie.
around in space without the restriction of
gravity. It is surreal and immediately grabs
your attention, giving you a faint desire to float
in space and join Sharif, who is dancing and
singing. Clooney brings a refreshing
air of humor to the movie, with
amusing repartees between himself,
Dr. Stone, and Mission Control.
The action picks up almost
immediately, when Mission Control
warns the astronauts that a Russian
missile strike on a defunct satellite
has launched tons of debris into a
high speed orbit around Earth and
The movie begins with
to abort the mission. After adjusting
Mission Specialist Dr. Ryan
the Hubble Telescope, Dr. Stone
Stone (Sandra Bullock), Matt
and Kowalski must make their way
Kowalski (George Clooney),
back to Explorer, the ship.
and Sharif (Paul Sharma),
However, the debris strikes, and Dr.
working on fixing the Hubble
Stone and Kowalski must shield
Space Telescope. The first
themselves. The action is thrilling,
few scenes demonstrate the
watching millions of pieces of
genius of Cuarón, who
debris fly seemingly towards you
accurately depicts working in Photo Credits: movies.com
and watching the astronauts
space in a free-floating
scramble desperately for safety.
environment. With a single
Unfortunately, the debris kills Sharif and
push objects can drift away into the void, and
destroys the Explorer, also cutting off
yet there is the freedom of being able to move
communication with Mission Control. Dr.
Stone and Matt Kowalski must make their way
to the International Space Station (ISS), the
next haven of safety. The movie mainly
consists of Dr. Stone trying to find some way
to get back to Earth, when the capsules in the
ISS turn out to be incapable of doing so.
Gravity’s storyline is simply amazing, and
part of the reason is Emmanuel Lubezki’s
cinematography. We watch the debris destroy
the satellites in complete silence, with
devastating speed. The most beautiful part of
the film is seeing a tiny astronaut against the
backdrop of the slowly spinning Earth. The
film’s score, composed by Steven Price, is
perfectly in sync with the film. The music
makes our hearts race as we panic with the
astronauts and fills us with sadness as we
watch the astronauts make sacrifices. This
combination creates a stunning experience of
space, evoking desires to fly out into space and
view the world in all its glory. Most
importantly, the movie has a heart-warming
message. The astronauts are clever, heroic, but
also insecure and afraid, reminding us that they
are still human. Furthermore, it demonstrates
that even against the vast lifelessness of space,
our humanity survives. Movies like this come
around once in a lifetime. Go see Gravity.
BLURRED LINES"
BY AILEEN SEONG"
“Blurred Lines” is a contemporary R&B
song written and sung by Robin Thicke, and
also features T.I. and Pharrell, that was released
on March 26, 2013. The song immediately
received attention for its controversial music
video and lyrics, which were quite racy and
open to different interpretations. Robin Thicke
briefly clarifies the title in an interview with
BBC Newsbeat, explaining that the phrase
“Blurred Lines” refers to the good girl/bad girl
idea and the thin boundaries of what is
considered “acceptable behavior.” However,
many critics feel that this song is very sexist
and degrading to females. Thicke is under fire
for trivializing women’s rights in this song.
This criticism hasn’t affected the song’s
popularity however, with the music video
receiving over 195 million hits on Youtube,
although one version was banned for being too
racy. Is it simply a good girl/bad girl song, or
something darker? I’ll leave that up to you to
decide.
Photo Credits: iTunes.com
APPLE SALES TOP NINE MILLION IN FIRST WEEKEND"
BY ADRIAN MCCLURE"
According to Apple, in its first weekend of
sales, it has already set a new record of over 9
million iPhones sold. This record tops last
year’s sales, which boasted 5 million sales,
Photo Credits: AppleInsider.com
according to Appleinsider. This year, Apple
decided to release two iPhones at once,
breaking its tradition of one iPhone a year. By
"
doing so, the company has caught spectators,
who in the past capital have had prophetic
accuracy concerning new apple products, by
surprise.
In IB Business class, we learned how mass
production could easily provide a surplus of
products. Nonetheless, despite Apple’s massive
supply chain, customers still managed to clear
all iPhone 5s stocks.This is because of the
name brand Apple has acquired over the years,
another concept learnt in IB Business. At this
point, Apple has earned itself a loyal fan base
that consists of people that are willing to buy,
and defend apple products, despite what
anybody may say about them. Buyers can be
seen waiting in lines for hours, sometimes
days, just to be able to purchase new products
within an hour of their release into the market.
Majority of these people know very little about
the product itself. All they know is that it’s
Apple, and that it’s going to be good. As
Quarry Lane junior Andrew Morgan said,
“loyal customers, like myself, keep on buying
apple products because there’s almost an
unofficial law that states that the product will
be good.”
Photo Credits: AppleInsider.com
Apple has yet to disappoint.
Please note that the topics explored in this publication are the opinions of the author and based on personal experience. !
"
They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Quarry Lane School.
"
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STUDENT-PRODUCED PUBLICATION
FALL 2013
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WORD BANK:
BIZZARO, BLUE, CLARK, DAILY, FLY, HEAT, IDENTITY, KENT,
KRYPTON, KRYPTONITE, LEX, LOIS, LUTHOR, PLANET, RED, SECRET,
STRENGTH, SUPERGIRL, SUPERMAN, VISION
SUDOKU"
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Please note that the topics explored in this publication are the opinions of the author and based on personal experience. !
They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Quarry Lane School.