5. 01-29-2015

pg. 2
Alumni on Face Off Gameshow
Fall Sport MVPs
pg. 11
Good grades worth it?
whshatchet.com ∙ Volume 96, Issue No. 5 ∙ January 29, 2015 ∙ Washington High School ∙ Fremont, CA 94536
Elepants save elephants
AASU brings
fight against
brutality to
WHS
Student inspired to start business supplying
elephant-themed Thai clothing to Fremont
By JASPER LEE
Staff Reporter
For some people, vacationing can
yield more than just relaxation to
the mind. It can also lead to some
inspiration. For Ohlone student
Nate Weintraub, it inspired the
creation of Elepants, a company
providing elephant-print pants
from Thailand. He came upon the
idea last summer during a visit
to Bangkok, Thailand. Weintraub
recalled seeing the other
Westerners wearing airy-looking
pants, all of which had different
designs on them. He ended up
buying multiple pairs of these Thai
pants for his friends and family, as
he was unsure if they were sold in
the United States.
“I was extremely satisfied with
my new pants, and decided to start
up ‘Elepants’ to sell them to people
who could not go to Thailand and
buy them themselves,” Weintraub
said.
Elepants are produced in
Thailand, and are made of 100%
cotton, giving them a soft and
light feel. Weintraub compares
wearing them to sitting on a cloud.
Elepants come in four different
colors: black, red, turquoise, and
purple. All pairs of pants feature
pictures of elephants, the national
animal of Thailand.
Weintraub felt obligated to give
back to the Thai people and the
elephants for selling the pants,
and decided to donate $2 out
of each pair of pants sold to the
Save Elephant Foundation. Thai
elephants are officially listed as
endangered species, and have
lost over 97% of their population
within the last 100 years. When
he came across this statistic while
researching about the elephants,
he concluded that his decision to
donate was justified.
Sales started in Dec. 2014,
with each pair of pants costing
$15. So far, Weintraub has been
focusing on advertising through
several mediums of social media.
The company has an Instagram,
@Thai_Elepants, and a Facebook
page, “Thai Elepants.” He hopes to
do more wide-scale promotions in
the future.
All pairs of pants are made in
Thailand, which are then shipped
to Weintraub’s house. Once a
customer purchases a pair of
pants, Weintraub ships them from
Fremont, California. Packages
are usually hand-delivered if
the purchase is local, rapidly
decreasing the wait period for the
By ELIZABETH YANG
Staff Reporter
Elepants founder and Ohlone student Nate Weintraub (left) poses
with friends wearing the Elepant pants. For every pair of pants
sold, $2 of the profit will go to the Save Elephant Foundation.
PHOTO BY NATE WEINTRAUB
pants. Weintraub has also created
a website, thaielepants.com, where
one can make a purchase or look
into the product background.
By early January, Weintraub
had already sold out his first batch
of Elepants. However, he has
re-stocked with many more pairs
since. Weintraub sees this as only
the beginning of his company.
He has plans to branch out into
different designs and other
elephant-themed accessories.
Weintraub hopes to release some
of these new products within the
next months, and that others will
help join him in fighting for the
elephants of Thailand.
“Elepants is more than just a
company that sells pants. It’s a way
to help the Thai community, a way
to help save the elephants, and
a way to help a local economy,”
Weintraub said.
Taux beta app coming soon
Student-run company hopes to bring music
sharing to new level through app
By ATUL Jayaram
Staff Reporter
Taux is a new company that is
currently developing an app, also
called Taux, that allows users to send
music to one another instantly. Taux
lets users send clips of songs to one
another, with the option of giving it
a like or a dislike. The purpose of the
app is to make the sharing of music
more fun and painless.
The idea behind the program
came from the limited music sharing
opportunities given by existing
companies. Apps like Spotify and
Pandora only allow streaming and
sharing to Facebook and Twitter.
Even when links were shared, they
were often ignored. Taux was made
to fix that problem and make music
sharing into an instant messaging
system that is more efficient and
personal.
“We thought the music sharing
process through other mediums was
very inefficient. People would often
ignore Facebook or YouTube links
sent to them, so we decided to make
an app that would let you send clips
of music. This clip maintains the
quality of the song without having
to listen to the entire 3 minute plus
song. Taux uses a simple, easy-to-
INSIDE:
pg. 4
use menu system so that users can
share seamlessly and effortlessly,”
senior Leon Eng, Co-founder and
CEO of Taux said.
Along with Eng, senior Kunal
Shah is Co-founder and CEO.
Other main figures of the company
include WHS seniors Siddharth
Selvakumar, Harshdeep Singh,
Rohan Parulkar, junior Sa’aadat
Hussain, sophomore Ganesh
Ramakrishan, and Moreau High
School senior Karthik Rameshbabu.
Their roles are Chief Strategy
Officer, Vice President of Marketing
and Sales, Chief Financial Officer,
Chief Operating Officer, and Chief
Marketing Officer, and Director of
Outreach respectively.
Eng manages web development
and runs team meetings. He works
closely with Chief Operating Officer
Hussain to make weekly plans that
run through the company’s goals
for the week. Shah is the main iOS
developer for the app and works
closely with the marketing team
for publicizing. He makes sure the
marketing and research for the
company is done on time and is
reviewed thoroughly. Shah also
organizes meetings with potential
continued on page 3
The African American
Student Union (AASU) came
together during the winter
assembly to raise awareness
about police brutality. The
assembly took place on Dec.
18 during husky period.
Members of the club held up
signs outside the gym with
the slogans #blacklivesmatter
and #handsupdontshoot. They
chanted these slogans at the
door as students filed past
them into the gym, making
sure that every student at WHS
was able to see their protests.
“I was really moved by
the display put on by AASU
and the unity they showed.
The events that have been
happening lately in the country
have been awful and there
needs to be more awareness,
which is why it is so great that
AASU did what they did before
and during the assembly,”
senior Ashley Fine said. Fine
attended the assembly and
observed from the bleachers.
The members also wore
black to show support while
the whole school participated
in a moment of silence for all
the lives lost to police brutality.
“Being in the assembly was
empowering and fun,” AASU
member James Verges stated.
For Verges, the main goal of
the assembly was to make
students aware of the events
that have been occurring and
to show that racially motivated
acts of violence do happen.
The issue of police brutality
has been a large topic of
discussion over the last few
months. Incidents such as the
shooting of Michael Brown by
police officer Darren Wilson
in Ferguson, Missouri have
sparked lots of conversation
and controversy. The African
American Student Union
wanted to be involved in
raising awareness about
incidents of police brutality
and racism.
“My brothers who are
half black, half Hispanic are
unfairly profiled by the justice
system. I felt like I needed to
support my people,” senior
Saidah Collins said. Collins
has been a member of AASU
for two years and hopes that
the students at WHS took
something away from the
assembly.
“I don’t want it to be just
about one race, I want all races
to understand that we need to
come together as a nation to
fight justice,” Collins said.
News 2 - 3 • Opinions 4 • Features 6 - 7 • Arts & Entertainment 8 - 9 • Sports 10 - 11 • Photos 12
2
NEWS
The Hatchet ∙ January 29, 2015
Students DECAcated to winning
By KAYLA GLADISH
Staff Reporter
The WHS DECA club
attended the Northern
California District Career
Development Conference,
also known as NorCal, on
Jan. 16-18 in San Ramon.
DECA clubs from high
schools and colleges in the
Northern California region
attend this conference
annually.
Among the WHS
winners, senior Siddharth
Selvakumar and freshman
Mihira Patel both won 1st
place in their respective
categories.
“All of the hard work we
put into our projects does pay
off. As a senior, it’s nice to
have my last year here be this
rewarding,” said Selvakumar,
who won in the Advertising
Campaign.
Patel won in the Principles
of Business Management and
Administration.
“I’m just a freshman, so
it was really nice to win like
this,” Patel said. “DECA
is something I want to
continue in the future, so I
take it as a good sign that this
conference went so well.”
DECA is an organization
that prepares students
interested in marketing,
finance, hospitality, and
management for leadership
positions in these fields.
To prepare for NorCal
members can take practice
exams and review them to
gauge their readiness. The
different types of events
require a variety of methods
for preparing.
Members can choose
between the categories, each
one having a written and a
speaking portion in front of
a judge. The time length for
preparation varies as well.
For example, written
reports are done before the
CHOPPIN’?
By
ALYSIA TRAN
Back to the 80s with
Sadies
Sadies will be held on Feb. 20. There will be
a costume contest with prizes awarded to
groups, so be sure to dress up with friends!
Ticket prices are yet to be determined but will
be around $8 to $15. Get your tickets in the
Student Center!
Senior Siddharth Selvakumar stands on stage as he receives his award.
PHOTO BY KAYLA GLADISH
competition, but for some
role playing events, members
have only have ten minutes
to prepare before they
compete in front of judges.
“DECA has taught
me a lot about business,
which has really helped me
because I am thinking about
majoring in marketing or
economics,” junior Kristen
Berling said.
Alumni faces off against artists on “Face Off”
By AUSTIN GEE
Staff Reporter
“Face Off ” is a reality television
game show on the Syfy channel.
The contestants are prosthetic
makeup artists who compete
against each other to create
prostheses such as those found
in science fiction and horror
films.
Julian Bonfiglio, a WHS
alumni from the class of 2007,
is a special effects makeup
artist competing on the show.
He owns a special effects lab
company in Fremont called
Bonfiglio Effects Studio. There
he makes custom masks and
prosthetics for people, and also
teaches prosthetic classes to
people of all ages.
Each week, the artists face a
challenge that tests their artistry
and techniques to create a full
makeup character to match a
theme over the course of 3 days.
The show had its first half of
a two part premier of the eighth
season on Jan. 13 and the second half on Jan. 20. It airs every
Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
Julian’s younger brother,
Brent Bonfiglio, graduated from
Washington in 2011. He has an
illness called neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA), which affects his
speech and motor skills. There
is currently no cure nor a standard course of treatment.
“Part of the reason I joined
the competition, besides my
passion for FX, is that I am
trying to spread awareness for
my younger brother’s illness
and to donate a large portion of
the [$100,000] prize money (if I
win) to research for a cure,” said
Bonfiglio.
The knowledge of his brother’s illness adds to the stress
of the competition. It is what
motivates him to give it his all
in order to win.
“It reminds me what I’m
there for,” Bonfiglio said.
News Briefs
Paws for a Cause
W h a t ’s
Show your talent
The talent show performances will be held on
Thursday Feb. 5 and Friday Feb. 6 at 7:00 p.m.
This is the drama department’s most famous
event so be sure to attend!
Lucky Stiff performances
Auditions for this spring’s musical, Lucky Stiff,
are on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10. Stop by the Husky
Theater for information. Performances will be
held on May 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, and 16 at 7 p.m.
Spring sports in season
Spring sports practices will begin on Feb. 9.
Sports include swim, track, boy’s tennis, boy’s
volleyball, badminton, golf, and lacrosse.
Hackathon for high
school students
For anyone interested in making an app,
website, or just coding in general, be sure to
attend the High School Hackathon in Paypal
Headquarters located in Silicon Valley. This
conference will be held from Feb. 7 at 11 a.m.
to Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are absolutely free
and can be purchased online at www.tinyurl.
com/hshacks2.
School’s out
By AKANSHA PRASAD
Staff Reporter
Top: Julian Bonfiglio poses while working on a mask for the competition. Middle left:
Bonfiglio poses with a model who is wearing the costume for a mask he designed. Middle right: a clay model of an alien face that is his recent mask that Bonfiglio is working
on. Bottom: the cast of “Face Off” poses for a photo.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JULIAN BONFIGLIO
All FUSD schools were closed on Dec. 11,
2014, due to an incoming storm. Students
were notified via School Loop, email, and
the FUSD website the day before to ensure
they did not come to school. In addition, the
school closures were announced on local news
channels.
The incoming storm was predicted to be
one of the worst Northern California had seen
during 2014. Strong winds exceeding 60 mph
were reported across the region and caused
several trees and power lines to collapse. Fremont, however, was not affected as severely as
nearby cities such as San Francisco.
The missed school day negatively impacted
teachers’ plans. Statistics teacher Patricia Horvath was forced to cut down a review day for
her classes’ upcoming test. Teachers struggled
to rearrange their plans to fit everything they
had planned before Christmas break began.
“We will not have to make up the school
day, although it is still unofficial,” Principal
Bob Moran said. Although schools are required, by law, to attend school a certain number of days, WHS is able to maneuver around
this due to some paperwork still underway.
In all, no students were hurt during the storm
and many were pleased by the extra day off.
January 29 , 2015 ∙ The Hatchet
Terrific turnout for Toy Drive
By BRANDON CHU
Staff Reporter
On Dec. 10, officers for clubs
around WHS assembled in
the Student Center during
lunch for an IOC (InterOrganizational Commission)
meeting.
Usually, Leadership holds
IOC meetings to discuss
upcoming events in which
clubs may be interested in
participating. By the end
of this meeting, however,
Leadership asked, and clubs
pledged, to donate at least
ten toys to WHS’s annual Toy
Drive. As a result, a total of
214 toys were donated this
year.
The initiative began near
the end of the IOC meeting
when Activities Director
Helen Paris suggested an
idea for clubs to donate as
many toys as possible. Clubs
called on their members to
donate toys.
By the time the Toy Drive
ended on Dec. 19, many
clubs had donated over
their goal of ten toys had
already begun to collect
more to further support the
cause. Toys collected for the
drive were donated to Lucile
Packard Children’s Hospital
and the Salvation Army.
The WHS American
Cancer Society (ACS)
donated the most toys of all
the clubs, collecting a total of
44 toys. ACS won a popcorn
party from ASB as a reward
for raising the most toys.
“Lucile Packard treats
cancer patients, so ACS
wanted to donate to the
cause,” ACS co-president
sophomore Himani Thakkar
said. “We definitely got more
toys than expected. We’re
a small club, but we have
dedicated members.”
After ACS, WHS Quiz
Bowl and French Club
donated 24 and 23 toys,
respectively.
Although the amount
of toys this year was only
a slight increase from the
amount collected last year,
there was more involvement
shown this year.
For IOC and Leadership
in general, the Toy Drive’s
success with the clubs’ help
may be the beginning of a
more involved community
that sees the transition from
relying on the student body
to asking clubs to ask their
members.
“We’re definitely going
to use clubs’ involvement
a lot more to get directly
to the student body,” IOC
commissioner senior Morgan
Flanagan said. “We haven’t
done this usually, but clubs
made a huge difference. We
usually rely on the student
body.”
Leadership collected over 200 new and
used toys for this year’s Toy Drive.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARY CONLON
East Bay officers SAVE the day
By CYNTHIA CHANG
Staff Reporter
Safe Alternatives to Violent
Environments hosted its second
annual COPS for Cops Service
Awards Event for East Bay police
officers on Jan. 13 at Washington
Township Hospital in the Anderson
Auditorium. SAVE is a nonprofit
organization that seeks to provide
support, educational opportunities,
and shelter for domestic violence
victims.
The ceremony specifically
honored East Bay police officers
that assisted domestic violence
victims. These officers included
San Leandro Detective Abe Teng,
Hayward officers Ken Landreth
and Libier Ledezma, and Fremont
officers Paul Richards and Jamil
Roberts.
SAVE has COPS (Community
Oriented Prevention Services)
advocates that collaborate with
these officers in the San Leandro,
Hayward, and Fremont police
departments to work with victims
of domestic violence.
The COPS program was
established in 1996. Since then, it
has been a way to provide support
and resources for domestic violence
victims who come into contact with
law enforcement officers.
Because the COPS advocates
work closely with the police
departments, abuse victims
can walk into the San Leandro,
Hayward, and Fremont police
departments and request a COPS
advocate's specific help.
COPS Advocates also give the
same crisis support, referrals,
and advice as hotline counselors.
Because COPS Advocates often
meet one-on-one with victims, they
establish long-term relationships
and can provide support as needed.
The Fremont's COPS advocate
can be reached at (510) 790-6939.
Anyone who is planning an
event to benefit SAVE or wants to
donate, should call (510) 574-2266
or visit [email protected].
The Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison, Officer Paul Richards,
Officer Jamil Roberts, and Fremont Police Chief Richard
Lucero pose for the camera at the second annual COPS
for Cops Service Awards presentation. The presentation
was held at Washington Hospital West. More photos can
be found on www.santacruzsentinel.com.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CYNTHIA CHANG
Improv Club improves dramatically
By SA’AADAT HUSSAIN
Staff Reporter
Drama teacher Matt Ballin started
Improv Club in December 2014. Improv
Club is not its own club; it is actually a
branch formed from the Performing Arts
Club. Improv is short for improvisational
acting.
Ballin, the advisor of the Performing Arts
Club, spoke with Derek Wilson, campus
supervisor, about having a separate branch
of improv because of Wilson’s background
knowledge on improvisational acting.
Improv club is not new as it comes and
goes throughout the years based on the
students’ interest in improv. Ballin has
noticed that throughout the years the
students have been participating less so he
hopes this year’s improv club sparks interest
in the students again.
“The best ideas are often the ones that
come spontaneously. Everyday we plan
things out, whether it be a meeting or a
Club
CORNER
morning ritual. Adding a little surprise and
drama is what makes life enjoyable, as this
improv stirs human creativity and brings
out our feelings at heart,” senior Thushar
Baiju said.
Since Ballin teaches drama, he teaches
a unit in the Drama class called improv,
and the Improv Club and improv unit go
through a similar routine.
“The improv unit in my drama class really
helped me in terms of acting. It made me
more open and it helped me overcome some
of my greatest fears of anxiety. I found my
experience in improv to not only benefit me
on stage but also in everyday life. Improv is
a skill that can be used daily,” senior Aditya
Parkash said.
They start off with lay-ups and perform
several activities such as games like Freeze
to improve their skills in improv. In Freeze,
two players start improvising a scene and
any other player can call freeze at any time.
Then that player replaces one of the actors,
and the two start a new scene.
Ballin believes that improv is vital in
acting.
“Improv has always been a popular
activity in my classes, and in addition to
being fun, it is also a great skill to have in
life because it helps in public speaking and
communicating.” Ballin said.
Ballin is eager to see if the students
will consistently show interest in Improv
Club so that they can move on to improv
competitions and performances. He wants
to see the club grow this year because he
believes improv can be a useful tool in life.
“I honestly think it’s a great way to get in
touch with the roots of acting and see how
your acting ability has changed as you’ve
grown as an actor and as a person,” club
president senior Kimberly Harp said.
NEWS
3
TAUX
Continued
from pg. 1
groups to talk partnerships and
advice.
Selvakumar creates all marketing
and development strategies
upon which the rest of the team
uses to make decisions. He acts
as the research and resource
officer providing the CEOs with
crucial research to help them in
their decision making process.
Selvakumar is also one of Taux’s
Android developers.
Ramakrishan is the head of
marketing. He reaches out to
organizations and companies to
get advice or to pitch the app. He
handles the marketing team and
coordinates each individual’s role.
Hussain handles the everyday
operations of the company, reviews
the weekly plan, and makes sure
that it is carried out properly. He
also works in Android developing
for Taux. Parulkar is head of
finances. He acts as the company’s
current sole investor and makes
bi-weekly financial reports. Singh
works closely with Ramakrishan,
Selvakumar, and Rameshbabu to
provide research for the marketing
team. He is also the company’s
only sales officer. As a sales officer,
Singh researches prices of premium
features and works directly with
the Parulkar. Finally, Rameshbabu
reports directly to Ramakrishnan
about possible outreach
opportunities with other companies
or organizations. He also seeks
possible financing opportunities and
reports.
The name Taux comes from
the words “talk” and “auxiliary”
so it literally means “to talk with
music”. The officers have stated that
they did not create the company
to make money, but rather to
give each of them experience
in entrepreneurship. Each of
the officers have other jobs and
companies that they work for, but
Taux is their number one priority.
They have also stated that they will
continue developing the company
and app during college, but could
still fail. If that occurs and the
company or idea does not work out
for any reason, they will move on as
a team to pursue other goals.
The app will be the main product
of the company and so far they
have not decided to make anymore.
Taux is being promoted on many
social media sites such as Facebook
and Twitter. The company also has
its own website at www.taux.me
where you can subscribe for the first
release of the app. The beta release
is scheduled to come out in late
February and will be available on the
iTunes App Store and Google Play
for free.
“We want this school to
understand that Taux is not
something extraordinary; anyone
can start a company. The most
important part of this company is
our ability to inspire others to not
just start a company, but become
diligent, professional, and humble
in the process. As the seniors in
this company leave, we hope to see
multiple companies being created
and students learning that the only
requirement for becoming successful
is self-confidence,” Shah said.
4
OPINIONS
The Hatchet ∙ January 29, 2015
Miranda
EXPRESS
By Miranda Young
Opinions Columnist
Cartoon by Cynthia Chang
THE
hatchet
Volume 96, Issue No. 5
Washington High School
38442 Fremont Blvd
Fremont, CA 94536
www.whshatchet.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
The Hatchet is a forum for student
expression uncensored by school
officials. The staff seeks to ethically
produce an accurate record of the
news, sports, issues and people
residing in WHS.
1300 copies are printed
monthly and distributed to students
who paid $2 of their ASB fee, and
to subscribers. WHS’ total student
population is 1833.
Content in the Opinions
section is the opinion of the author
and does not represent the opinions
of the school, the advertisers, or the
publication as a whole.
Letters to The Hatchet are
encouraged, but writers may be
asked to edit for space.
Editor-in-Chief
Matt van Sprakelaar
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Trevor Fung
Features Editors
Uma Bhatia
Jeffrey Yeung
News Editors
Ayeesha Hossain
Anjali Suthar
Opinions Editor
AnaChristina Arana
Photos Editor
Andrew Chen
Sports Editor
Rohan Parulkar
Online Editor
Nishtha Bhatia
Advertising Manager
Neha Nagesh
Advisor
David Skillings
Staff Reporters
Cynthia Chang
Brandon Chu
Austin Gee
Kayla Gladish
Ian Gunady
Sa’aadat Hussain
Atul Jayaram
Stephen Jeffery
Jasper Lee
Jin Lee
Jacob McCluskey
Sushma Parappagoudar
Christal Philip
Mursal Popal
Akansha Prasad
Adriel Sarpolio
Carissa Saylor
Pablo Solar-Sanchez
Alysia Tran
Elizabeth Yang
Waylon Yen
Miranda Young
Alex Yu
Editorials are so fun!
R
ecently, there have been several
events that have led us to question
our rights to freedom of speech
and expression, or at least our perception
of it. Most everyone is familiar with the
complications of Sony’s The Interview and
the unfortunate happenings with Charlie
Hebdo. However, there has been a case in
California that has not yet gathered national
attention, but is just
as important to our
rights as the first two
events.
Small-time L.A.
rapper Brandon
Duncan a.k.a Tiny Doo, is facing a possible
life-sentence in prison due to court charges
against his lyrics. Prosecutors are accusing
him of violating California Penal Code
182.5, which reads that whoever actively
participates in a gang, or has withheld
knowledge of one, or “who willfully
promotes, furthers, assists, or benefits from
any felonious criminal conduct by members
of that gang is guilty.”
Brandon Duncan is being charged
for mainly the last segment of the code.
Prosecutors believe that his recent album
No Safety is promoting gang activity and
benefiting from it, and that he may be
directly involved with these gang activities.
He has recently been released from custody
after reportedly being in jail for eight
months. However, Duncan’s charges remain.
Whether or not Duncan is actually
benefiting from gang activity, his artistic
expression is being infringed upon. In an
interview with CNN, he stated that he sees
his studio as a canvas, and that his lyrics are
just trying to paint a picture of life. For that,
he is being prosecuted.
This case calls into question an artist’s
ability to express themselves through their
choice of medium, and directly relates to
The Interview, Charlie Hebdo, and other
incidents as well.
Expressing yourself
through art may start to
become discouraged and
precarious. What these
situations may be doing
to other artists around the
world is both regrettable and distressing.
Art is an essential part of culture, and
having it lose genuineness or acceptance,
due to fear of controversy, would be
ultimately devastating.
This affects the regular citizen as well. We
all have the ability to become artists, and
we certainly will all have the opportunity to
express ourselves to the public. If we have
to be worried about offending someone,
or creating controversy, we may miss an
opportunity entirely.
One of America’s greatest perceived
characteristics is the ability to speak
freely. These official and unofficial acts of
censorship put that reputation in jeopardy.
And the bottom line is this: Duncan should
not be facing these charges, whether or not
he was actually involved in or benefiting
from gang activity, and the resulting
discouragement of freedom of expression
should be avoided.
Staff
EDITORIAL
Are A’s always worth it?
By Neha Nagesh
Staff Reporter
Vivid memories of January
2011 rush through my mind
every time I take a test. I
spent that entire month
cowering over my Geometry
textbook and thinking,
“How am I ever going to
pull this off and get an A
on this final?” Fast forward
to today - I no longer
experience the same stress.
I believe that the only
reason I worked incredibly
hard to achieve the grades I
wanted during my freshman
year was due to pressure
from my peers, manifested
in college admission
horror stories. I distinctly
remember a classmate
telling me that a single B
would ruin the chances I
had of being accepted into
any colleges. This caused me
to sacrifice my health - and
at times sanity - for the sake
of a perfect transcript.
My junior year of high
school proved to me that
overworking for that one
grade is not always worth
it. I was faced with two
choices in front of me: I
could either improve my B
in mathematics, or pursue a
long-time internship with a
small company. During the
two weeks I had to make
my choice, I could not stop
thinking about my GPA.
I attempted to convince
myself that it was possible
to do both. However, as I
became more level-headed, I
reconsidered this idea.
After speaking with a
friend of mine, my frame of
mind shifted drastically. I
suddenly began to question
everything I was ever told
about grades and college.
Within a matter of hours,
I realized that it would be
foolish of me to forgo an
opportunity that I might not
ever see again.
That semester, I accepted
a B in mathematics with
no regrets or apprehension
about the impact it may
have on my future. While
many of my classmates
would have judged me as
being complacent despite
having a less-than-perfect
grade, I knew that my time
was well-spent toward a
cause I genuinely cared
about. I also met valuable
connections through my
internship, so I more than
made up for my relatively
low grade in mathematics.
When we discuss
overworking for grades,
we often forget what our
opportunity costs are.
To some, the choices
are narrowed down to
overworking for grades or
attending events for a club.
To others, the opportunity
cost is a missed job
opportunity. There is no rule
that commands whether
or not we should exert
ourselves to receive nearperfect grades. It is up to us
to decide if an opportunity
is worth forgoing.
Hard work
versus talent
People who are “good” at things have
reached their level of success through one
of two ways: talent or hard work. Some
people are just born gifted; they can be
intuitive, athletic, or maybe just excellent
at entertaining people. Whatever the
subject is, they excel at it, for no other
reason than that they were born that way.
On the other side of the spectrum, there
are people who are average at things, but
work hard to become excellent. So what
matters more: talent, or hard work?
I have always thought that hard work
matters more. You can be incredibly
talented, but if you do not work hard,
your talent goes to waste. While there are
fewer talented people in the world, I feel
that anyone can be good at something
as long as they are willing to work hard.
People rise to greatness; they do not
suddenly become great.
Hard work is something that,
theoretically speaking, pays off. If you put
the work in, you get the work out. Even
talented people have to practice their skill
because as the cliché goes, practice makes
perfect. It makes sense; the more you do
something, the better you will be at it.
In school, where a grade is a grade, it
can be hard to differentiate between talent
and hard work. You may think a student
spends hours studying to get the grade
they desire, but in all actuality they are
simply incredibly intelligent, or vice versa.
When it comes to “is this person
succeeding because of hard work or
because of talent,” it may be difficult to
judge. In reality, this question can only
be answered by you. You are the only one
who truly knows just how much of your
success is due to talent, and how much is
due to hard work.
Athletics is an area where the results
of hard work are easily seen. Athletes
train multiple times a week in order to
enhance their natural abilities. There are
times when athletes who know that they
are gifted think that they can skip a day or
two of practice.
Sometimes, this time off is necessary in
order for muscles to recover. Other times,
this lack of commitment gives someone
who is less skilled an opportunity to
shine. In these situations, the harderworking player has the opportunity to
demonstrate their abilities.
According to society, however, talent
matters more. This is demonstrated by
the incredibly large salaries of celebrities.
I am not saying that these people did not
work hard to get where they are. But all
of them? Or even the majority of them?
I find myself with the state of mind that
some celebrities got lucky, some worked
hard, and others simply had talent that
allowed them to quickly outshine the
competition and rise to the top.
In all honesty, the question, “Which is
more important: talent or hard work?”
has a simple answer. Hard work trumps
talent unless talent works hard.
January 29, 2015 ∙ The Hatchet
5
6
FEATURES
January 29, 2015 ∙ The Hatchet
The Hatchet ∙ January 29, 2015
FEATURES
Did You Know?
573 students were asked, “Do you get enough sleep?” Out of the responses, over 50% of the sample
claimed that they do not gain adequate sleep on a daily basis.
Infographic made by Jeffrey Yeung
519 WHS students answered the question “What electronic device do you use the most throughout the week?” The phone was the most used electronic by over a 40% lead over the second most
used electronic, the computer. Tablet and television use tied for third at 5.1%.
INFOGRAPHIC MADE BY Pablo Solar Sanchez
636 people who answered the question “Which social media site do you use most often?” Instagram was used the most.
INFOGRAPHIC MADE BY CARISSA SAYLOR
Out of 388 WHS students who answered the question “How
much do you care about WHS?”, the majority said they were neutral. This was followed by “like”.
Community Service data for 1826 students taken from
Washington High School website. 73.5% of students have completed their service hour requirement. The average number of
hours per student is 116 hours.
INFOGRAPHIC MADE BY MIRANDA YOUNG.
INFOGRAPHIC MADE BY CHRISTAL PHILLIP.
583 WHS students answered the question “Have you ever
cheated on a test in high school?” 37% responded yes.
INFOGRAPHIC MADE BY JEFFREY YEUNG.
470 students answered the question “Did either of your parents
attend WHS?”. While most students are first
generation attendees, a few other actually have parents who are
alumni.
INFOGRAPHIC MADE BY JACOB MCCLUSKeY.
7
ong
8
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Hatchet ∙ January 29, 2015
Underrated TV: Black Mirror is a dark delight
By PABLO SOLAR-SANCHEZ
Staff Reporter
During the first episode of Black Mirror,
I was shocked to watch the scene in
which the prime minister of England was
pressured into having sex with a pig on
national television to ransom the princess.
Black Mirror focuses on the horrors of
unrestricted technological growth, and
how this affects the perception society has
of such technology. This British anthology
mini-series was created by Charlie Brooker,
and uses a completely different cast for
each episode. Brooker received inspiration
from The Twilight Zone and chose to name
the series “Black Mirror” because he sees
electronic screens as black mirrors that can
be found everywhere in the modern world.
Black Mirror manages to display
something fresh and exciting that will
engage viewers. In the second episode,
“Fifteen Million Merits,” the setting is in
the future where people are pedaling on
stationary bikes in a factory to create energy
for Britain. The bikes are connected to a
virtual world where one revolution on the
bike
is one virtual coin, a merit. I thought
I’m in a Hangman gig right
now.
this
was very creative because a happy,
game-like world is presented, but as the
episode continues, most of the characters
are unhappy. This episode focuses on the
hypocrisy of the poor who envy and hate
the rich, but forget about their cause once
they become rich themselves.
In the third episode, “The Entire History
of You,” a young rich father has a piece of
technology called a “grain” installed behind
his ear so that he can view all his previous,
saved memories. Everything he has seen
since the grain’s installation can be recalled
Hey, so I heard the
Hatchet had basically no
room for us this issue.
TV
Review
through a device and be projected on a
screen for him to view. He suspects that his
wife is cheating on him, and his paranoia
characterizes much of the episode. The
grain worsens his life because it reveals a
darker side to his wife, and he would have
never been exposed to his misery had he
chosen not to receive a grain implant.
In “Be Right Back”, a young couple is
enjoying their lives when the husband
dies in a car accident, and the wife
is overwhelmed by grief. A friend
recommends a service where they compile
the deceased’s public posts from all his
media sites and generate a computerized
version of the person that is able to
communicate via messaging. Martha, the
wife, becomes attached to the online version
of her husband and upgrades to voice by
allowing the program to go through saved
videos and calls of her husband. However,
when she saves up and buys the humanCheaters.
like, robotic look-alike of her husband, she
becomes miserable because the robot acts
differently from her husband. The robot
acts as her servant, and the show sends the
message that it is important for people to let
go of loved ones when they die.
In “White Bear,” a young girl wakes
up with amnesia, believing that she tried
to commit suicide but failed. When she
goes outside, there are people everywhere
with phones videotaping her, and there
are also people in masks trying to kill her.
Everything is not as it seems, as there is a
I see that… do these new
dimensions make me look
fat?
Liam’s implanted “grain” allows him to experience past events.
Photos by tumblr.com
greater purpose as to why she finds herself
in a miserable world, and Black Mirror does
an excellent job with the concept of this
episode, as it makes the viewers realize the
horrors of people who hold grudges.
In “The Waldo Effect,” a comedic bear
makes fun of celebrities on a comedy
show. Waldo the Bear becomes extremely
popular after making fun of a politician,
and the creater of the show decides to have
Waldo run against the politician. The show
continues by showing how much power
Waldo has due to his increasing popularity
and ability to create witty responses behind
the scenes. This episode had a very strong
message that a cartoon character can
influence the world if people choose to root
uh… are these comics the
funniest things in the
world?
for a likable character.
Each episode was very suspenseful and
thought-invoking, and the characters
developed very well given their single
episode appearances. However, I did not
really enjoy the ambiguous endings left
for personal interpretation, and because of
this I give this series a four out of five. The
concepts for each ideas are magnificent but
lacks something to wrap up each episode.
I would recommend this show and it is
available on Netflix for people to watch.
Oh hi
your b
Rating:
Wait… is that a yes or a
no… ?
Artist Spotlight: “Wenging” it all the way to Chicago
By CHRISTAL PHILIP and
SUSHMA PARAPPAGOUDAR
Staff Reporters
Nope, that’s
Oh.
Senior Cynthia Weng is an art
sensation. Weng has been drawing
since she was only about five
years old. She likes to experiment
with her artwork but tends to
base her work around modern
not…and conceptual pieces. Weng
I see what you
hasmean.
just been accepted into one
has won many renowned awards
of her top choices, the prestigious
over the course of her career.
academy called the School of Arts
During her time in Chinese
Institute of Chicago. Weng was
school, she participated in design
even accepted with a considerable
competitions and placed first three scholarship. Weng was thrilled to
times in a row. She has also won
be accepted.
the PTA Reflections competition
“I was accepted during winter
twice, once in her freshman year
break and it was like the best
and once in her junior year. Every
Christmas present ever,” Weng
now and then, she submits her
said. Her other top choice is the
art to the online Celebrating Art
Rhode Island School of Design.
contest; they have published her
She is currently working on a
artwork a couple times.
piece to submit to the Rhode
Weng plans on majoring in the
Island School of Design and will
field of architectural design. Weng be waiting for their response.
You know, we’ve never
talked to each other face to
face before.
Lets try it out.
Senior Cynthia Weng was accepted to the prestigious School of
Arts Institute of Chicago. Her artwork ranges from contemporary
to conceptual. Her work can be seen on Instagram under the
username Cymplicity9.
Photos provided by cynthia weng
$5 OFF orders
of $35 or more
Call or walk ins
January 29. 2015 ∙ The Hatchet
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Checkin’ Books Out
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
This novel is read by the sophomore class. It is set in South Africa in the early 1900s. It shows the true side of
Africa’s morbid, poverty stricken society. The main character is a priest named Stephan Kumalo who ultimately
tries to help guide his son to the right path even if that means losing him. We see the themes of religion, family,
and slavery play a wide role in this story. The setting goes from a rural area in Africa to a great big city full of
crimes and racism. Cry, the Beloved Country is a social protest against the structures of the society that would
later give rise to apartheid. Most of the story is in dialogue form and we have to take a logical guess on who
is talking by the context clues around the conversation. Cry the Beloved Country is worth a careful read for its
many-layered messages of loss and faith, of murder and penitence, of guilt and
Library Hours: Monday-Friday
redemption - and, through it all, Kumalo’s love for his people. We see the internal
7:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
struggle that one has to go through in their life. In the end, Kumalo saves his
(Closed
after
school on minimum days)
people and family and bond by creating a relationship with his white neighbor.
Ms.
Marie,
Teacher/Librarian
Although this book is extremely boring and difficult to read, it has great moral
Email:
[email protected]
themes and lessons.
Phone: (510) 505-7300 ext. 67133
This is a love story
about looking at
people for what they
are on the inside and
not the outside. The
protagonist, Derek
Fitzpatrick, is moving
in with his step-mom
and dad in a town
called Illinois. He meets
Ashyton Parker, the only girl on the football
varsity team. She has her own personal set
of trust issues. As Derek helps her get over
these issues, they ultimately fall for each
other. No matter how hard they try to stay
away from each other, nothing works. The
novel alternates between the two teens’ firstperson narratives. The writing was easy to
understand and is written in modern slang
teenage language. It is very cliched and has
a certain type of “Twilight love story” style.
BAY AREA DRIVING SCHOOL
$ 1.00 OFF
Driver’s Education & Training
ANY ICE CREAM PURCHASE
NILES ICE CREAM
SWEETS & EATS
Tel.
SPECIAL COUPON FOR
WASHINGTON HIGH HUSKIES
37699 Niles Blvd., Fremont
Expires 05/31/15
whshatchet.com is such an
awesome site...it makes me
sad that no one visits it :(
-Nishtha Bhatia
By MURSAL POPAL
Staff Reporter
Wild Cards by
Simone Elkeles
This story is set in Afghanistan in 1952. We soon learn that the father, in his journey to provide for his new
wife and growing family, has agreed to sell his daughter to a wealthy couple unable to bear their own in a deal
brokered by their valet, his brother. The separation of the brother and sister shows the bonds of family. It is a
novel about broken bonds and broken hearts. Just like Khaled Hosseini’s best seller The Kite Runner it shows
the devastation that people in third-world countries have to go through. This is an incredible read. Hosseini
is gifted at nailing down the most intricate of details and conceptions. However, this book tells the same
story from the point of view of several different characters and over three generations. The switches from one
character to another can be confusing, but overall it is still easy to understand.
COUPON
9
510-489-6933
BayAreaDriving.com
ONLINE & CLASSROOM Driver’s Ed
First 25% of Online Driver’s Ed is FREE
*FREE Pick-up & Return for Driver’s Training*
Fremont
Tutorial
Home
 K-12 Courses & AP
Courses
 Homework Help
 Enrichment
 Common Core
 SAT English and
Math
Beginner Dance Classes
for Teens!
MISSION DANCE
& PERFORMING
ARTS
CAPITOL CITY DRIVING SCHOOL
Fremont/Tri-Cities’ Oldest Driving School
capitoldriversed.com
BEHIND THE WHEEL
DRIVER’S TRAINING
available
(510) 791-7200
Beginner Classes for Teens
Hip-Hop  Tues. 6:30, Thurs. 7:30
& Sat. 1:30
Zumba  Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m.
(510) 304-1475
ONLINE DRIVER’S ED
Your neighborhood dance studio
since 1978
MISSION DANCE &
PERFORMING ARTS
42068 Osgood Road
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 651-2783
& Sat. 10:30 a.m.
Jazz  Fridays 5:30
Lyrical  Fridays 6:30
Ballet  Friday 4:30
B-boy/B-girl  Wednesday 6:30
Tumble, Stretch, & Strength  Thurs. 6:30
Now is the time to join!
Also classes for experienced dancers
in Jazz, Hip-Hop, Ballet, Tap and Lyrical
www.missiondancefremont.com
New
FREE REGISTRATION*
Student
with two consecutive months enrollment.
Promotion! For ages 13-18 only. Bring this ad!
*(value of $30)
32145 Alvarado Niles Rd. Suite 208 - Union City, CA 94587
10
SPORTS
The Hatchet ∙ January 29, 2015
Winter Sports updates
Basketball
Wrestling
Boys basketball started
off the season with a
jump, but has been
experiencing difficulties.
Their record in league is
currently 3-3.
“I think our season
is going great. We
started off strong and
together with 3 wins, but
experienced some speed
bumps lately,” junior
Mikai Stewart said.
Girls basketball record
is 2-5 in league play.
“The season started off
a little rough, but we are
working hard to improve
everyday,” senior Rachel
Wong said.
Wrestling’s season has
been steady but strong.
“We are making a
lot of progress from
previous seasons, and
this is really a building
year. I believe that
this year will be a
foundation for years to
come for the future of
WHS wrestling,” senior
captain Jermaine
White said.
Their record in
league is currently 1-2,
an average start, but
one with great potential
to get much better as
the season goes on this
winter.
Junior Brett Uemura
makes a move and
dribbles past a
defender in a match
versus Kennedy.
Photo by Joel Capra
By JIN LEE
Staff Reporter
Junior Bryce Ryals
performs a take down
during a practice match.
Photo by jin lee
Soccer
The girls soccer team has
a 6-2 record over the past
eight games.
“Our season is going well,”
sophomore Jessica Schultz
said. “Everyone is really
nice and supportive to each
other. Because we have so
many seniors on the team
this season, I look forward to
playing with new girls next
year.”
Boys soccer has a record
of 4-3 in league play.
“The first round of the
season was decent, but I
feel we could have pulled
through with a few more
wins than we did. The rest
of the season is going to be
crucial for us in qualifying
for NCS, which was one of
our main goals this season,”
junior Matt Flick said.
Glock fires in goal after goal
By ALEX YU
Staff Reporter
Jakobe Bryant
of the Month
that it’s a contact sport and a
group effort. When one person
scores, it is really as a result of the
rest of the team. You can’t really
just keep the ball to yourself,”
Glock said.
Glock has competed with her
team, Santa Clara Sporting, in
various regional tournaments that
took place in New Mexico and
Idaho. Her talent has attracted
the attention of college scouts
from Pepperdine University and
the University of Oregon.
Despite her accomplishments,
Glock still admits that it can
be nerve-wrecking to be one of
just two freshmen to play on
varsity this year. However, her
teammates have made it easier.
“Sometimes I get nervous
of screwing up because my
teammates are all talented
seniors, but they are all very nice
and supportive and have pushed
me to become a better player and
teammate,” Glock said.
By JACOB MCCLUSKEY
Sports Columnist
Pro Bowl is not pro
Freshman Kyllie Glock dribbles down the
sideline in a match versus Kennedy while a
defender chases after her.
Photo by Jake gordon
Lacrosse takes off
Lacrosse is official for
WHS this spring season
and has students itching
to get on the field. The
plans for the team were
finalized after the NCS
Board of Directors
approved the request to
start a team.
Excited students are
already practicing by
taking advantage of
a clinic hosted by the
city of Fremont during
January. Experienced
players of lacrosse are
helping coach beginners
at the clinic to help
jump-start the team.
Additionally, junior Karl
Schenck is conducting
a second clinic during
January and February, in
extra preparation for the
Photo by joel capra
Athlete
Freshman Kyllie Glock is
an important part of the
varsity girls soccer team. She
has been playing soccer since
fifth grade, when she initially
caught the eye of a coach while
playing indoor soccer with her
brother. From then on, she took
an interest in soccer. Her favorite
professional soccer player, Mia
Hamm, also inspired her to
continue to play soccer as she
got older. She read Hamm’s
biographies and watched a
documentary called “Dare to
Dream,” which highlighted
Hamm’s role on the 2004 Olympic
gold medal team that was hosted
in the U.S.
As an outside forward, Glock
does a lot of scoring. She is the
team’s second leading scorer
with five goals in thirteen games.
However, Glock enjoys soccer
mainly because of its emphasis on
teamwork and chemistry.
“I really like the
competitiveness of [soccer] and
By Stephen Jeffery
Staff Reporter
Junior Matt Flick performs
a shot outside of the
eighteen yard box in a
match Kennedy.
start of the season. Many
students, eager to get on
top of their game, are
attending the unofficial
practices at Central
Park. Official practice
will start on time with
other spring sports in
February.
The team has began to
fund the program thanks
to grants, donations and
sponsorships. All the
money will go directly
toward funding the large
price tag on equipping
the team with proper
gear and maintaining
the field.
A former Santa Clara
University women’s
lacrosse goalie will
be coaching for the
women’s team. Larry
Edelson, father of a
former WHS student,
will be the head and
men’s coach for WHS
lacrosse this season.
Greg Mengis, Santa
Clara University’s head
coach, will serve as the
assistant coach for the
boys team.
Lacrosse has gained
a lot of momentum at
WHS. The popularity
of the new sport
is expanding at an
exponential rate. The
coaches are expecting a
great turn out at tryouts
that will be held on Feb.
9 at the soccer fields
near the E wing.
“I am super excited
about coaching
lacrosse this season
at Washington, and I
expect that students
will be excited to be
able to participate in an
awesome game,” Coach
Edelson said.
Senior Grayson Nelson plays as the
goalkeeper during the lacrosse
team’s inaugaral practice.
Photo by stephen jeffery
Exhibition games usually go unnoticed,
but when the world’s greatest athletes
collide, the entertainment factor is
unprecedented. The NFL uses the Pro
Bowl to honor the best players that the
league has to offer. To add another factor
of entertainment value, the fans get a say
in who they get to see in these games.
However, the fan vote presents a major
flaw. Every year, the fan vote benefits
the more popular players as opposed
to those who truly deserve the honor.
For example, Chris Borland, the 49ers
linebacker, tallied an impressive 100
tackles in eight games as a starter and
still was nowhere to be found on the Pro
Bowl roster. Brian Cushing was given
the honor over Borland despite having
16 less tackles in his 14 games played.
Cushing has established himself as a
household name in the NFL over the past
few years, but his dip in production for
the 2014 season should have kept him
out of this year’s Pro Bowl festivities.
Fans showed, once again, that popularity
outweighs performance.
Football fans from WHS took part in
voting for their favorite athletes.
Sophomore Peter Correia was content
with finding both Odell Beckham Jr. and
Chris Harris Jr. on the roster.
“Harris represented my Broncos all
year! He was thrown at 89 times and
didn’t give up a single score. Choosing
him was too easy. And Beckham? I heard
that guy has pretty good hands,” Correia
said.
The Pro Bowl has its entertainment
purposes, but it definitely has its flaws.
January 29, 2015 ∙ The Hatchet
Fall Sports MVP’s
By adriel
sarpolio
Staff Reporter
Gymnastics
This years gymnastics MVP’s were seniors
Calyssa Nues and Christina Lee. Both of
these talented seniors were amongst the
top performers in both league games and
tournaments. Lee finished in the top three
of one tournament while Nues was a very
consistent performer.
“They are both are very talented
gymnasts and worked hard the whole
season,” senior Zoe Rayburn said.
Gymnastics completed a successful
season with Lee and Nues leading the way.
Seniors Christina Lee (right) and Calyssa
Nues (left) pose for a photo.
Photo by adriel sarpolio
Girls Volleyball
In a successful season that saw WHS defeat
powerful schools in JLHS, but falter against
weaker competition, the Volleyball team
MVP’s were Hannah Finnigan and Vai
Lousi. Match after match, the consistent
contributions of these two performers
“Vai really deserved MVP because she
contributed to the team by not only scoring
points, but by being a great teammate as
well,” senior Jeannette Huynh said.
Lousi’s powerful spikes and Finnigan’s
perfect passes were key to many victories
for the team. As key members of the varsity
team with one more year at WHS, Lousi
and Finnigan will look to continue their
good play into next season.
The team MVP’s for girls tennis were
sophomore Katie Chen and senior Morgan
Flanagan. It was Chen’s first year on varsity
and Flanagan’s third year.
“They are outstanding players who put a
100% effort into every practice and game no
matter how tired they were,” senior Patricia
Yeu said.
As a doubles player, Flanagan and her
partner Kaylee Chan were a dominant
duo winning many matches including
tournament matches.
As a first year player on varsity, Chen
became a very well rounded player.
Junior Mark Colbert, football MVP, poses
for a photo. Photo by adriel sarpolio
Girls Cross Country
The girls cross country MVP’s chosen were
senior Dylan Kennedy and sophomore Meera
Mehta. Meera has been on varsity for 2 years and
Kennedy for 3 years.
“I’m extremely proud at how determined and
hardworking these girls are,” senior Cynthia
Weng said.
In her last season of eligibility at WHS,
Kennedy had a very strong season of cross
country helping the team win a few matches this
season.
Mehta, a freshman last year, took a step in
becoming one of the best runners this year.
Sophomore Meera Mehta (left) and
senior Dylan Kennedy, co-MVPs
pose for a photo.
Photo by adriel sarpolio
Girls Water Polo
Junior Shelby Norris was chosen as the girls
water polo MVP. It was her second year her
varsity and she also made 2nd team NCS and was
all league mvp for MVALS.
“She worked really hard even when others
were messing around during practice and she
really deserves the award,” senior Amanda
Parker said.
In a sport that requires constant movement
and a lot of stamina, Norris rose above the rest in
order to lead her team to both team success and
individual succeeds.
Junior Shelby Norris, the waterpolo
MVP, poses for a photo.
Photo by waylon yen
Juniors Latahevai Louis (left) and Hannah
Finnigan (right) teammates and co-MVPs
pose for a photo.
Photo by adriel sarpolio
Senior Morgan Flanagan (above) and
sophomore Katie Chen (not pictured)
were girls tennis MVPs.
Photo by robbie hitchcock
Boys Cross Country
Seniors Hunter Phelps and Jace Padilla were chosen as
the boys cross country mvps. They have both been on
varsity for 3 years.
“Jace is really hardworking and determined and
Hunter always has a positive view and makes it fun to
run,” senior Dylan Lastinger said.
Running for the cross country team takes tremendous
stamina and strength, something that both Padilla and
Phelps have thanks to their outstanding conditioning
and training in practices everyday.
Both Phelps and Padilla have been training on varsity
for three years and have gotten better every year since
joining the team.
Seniors Jace Padilla (right)
and Hunter Phelps (left)pose
for a photo.
Photo by Adriel Sarpolio
Boys Water Polo
This years boys water polo MVP was senior
Mark Perry. Perry has been on varsity
for 3 years and it was his second time
winning team mvp. A fantastic player on
the waterpolo team, Perry dominates with
all around athleticism. Though his forte
is waterpolo, Perry uses his outstanding
quickness and stamina.
“I commend his hard work and it shows
when he plays which made it a joy to watch
him play,” senior James Verges said.
The waterpolo team enjoyed a good
season in large part due to the exceptional
talent of Perry.
Senior Mark Perry, the waterpolo MVP
poses for a photo.
Photo by adriel sarpolio
Don’t trip, Coach Tripp is here
By WAYLON YEN
Staff Reporter
A man of many talents, Coach
Tripp, athletic director and varsity
basketball coach, prides himself on
maintaining a code of excellence
at WHS. He started his basketball
coaching career in 1985, where he
was the freshman head coach at
AHS. After coaching at IHS, MSJHS,
and Livermore, he finally came to
WHS in 2003 and has been coaching
here ever since.
As athletic director, he oversees
all athletics, during the fall, winter,
and spring seasons. He is in charge
of making sure over 40 coaches are
doing their job correctly, making sure
all the student athlete paperwork
forms are filled out correctly,
attending meetings with other
athletic directors once a month, and
answering any questions that athletes
or coaches may have.
As the varsity basketball coach,
Tripp has had an extremely positive
experience. He loves interacting with
the different groups of kids and their
individual personalities.
“The administration has been
amazing, especially Mrs. Paris and
Mr. Nichols,” Tripp said.
His favorite part of coaching is
just being around the players, and
lending an ear if they ever need it.
His main goal for the team this year
is to make North Coast, by having a
record of 500 or better in the league,
division, or overall. Maintaining this
record is crucial. Last year, the team
made it to the first round of CIF and
11
Girls Tennis
Football
Junior Mark Colbert was chosen as this
year team MVP. Though the team as a
whole struggled during the season, Colbert
excelled in multiple areas of the game. His
versatility as a running back and his ability
to catch passes were a blessing to the team’s
ability to function on offense. Like most
players, Colbert also played defense where
he was a solid player as well.
“He is one of the hardest workers I know
and I’m really glad he still has another year
to grow and represent our school,” senior
Julian Nava said.
Even in a tumultuous season, the
exceptional talent of Colbert showed itself.
SPORTS
made NorCal. Tripp believes that
this year, the team could achieve the
same thing with the right amount of
dedication and determination.
However, the most important
thing for Tripp is not winning or
losing, but instilling his team with
proper values, morals, and teaching
them the proper way of playing a
team sport.
“I want them to understand that
playing basketball at Washington
High School will teach them life
lessons that will help them later
on. Working with teammates is
essential,” Tripp said.
He hopes that his players
will graduate with respect,
sportsmanship, communication
skills, and more basketball skill than
they entered high school with.
Varsity basketball coach and athletic director, Tripp,
poses for a photo. Photo by waylon yen
12
PHOTOS
The Hatchet ∙ January 29, 2015
Financial Aid Workshop
Dil Se
Seniors Carlo Javier, Sohrab Rashid, and Eduardo Pacheco fill out
paperwork at the financial aid workshop, which was held in the
WHS cafeteria. PHOTO BY AYEESHA HOSSAIN
Taal, WHS’ Bollywood dance team, performed at Irvington High School’s Charity Show,
Dil Se, on Saturday, Jan. 10. Dil Se raised funds for Project RISHI, a South Asian nonprofit
organization dedicated to granting impoverished communities basic human necessities.
Fifteen team members participated in the fusion dance routine, which was a blend of both
American and Indian dance styles and music.
Pictured clockwise from top left: Freshman Tara Bhatia and sophomores Ria Nigam and
Deepthi Guntipally; seniors Shivani Singh and Sumana Krishnakumar, junior Rahul Sheth,
and freshmen Tara Bhatia, Anmol Taneja, and Vidit Vinish; Seniors Priya Kohli and Shreenitha
Thirumudi; Seniors Sumana Krishnakumar, Nishtha Bhatia, and Priya Kohli.
PHOTOS BY SIMERJIT DHALIWAL
Seniors Jonathan Warren, Sarah Askham, and Shivam Kapoor
learn more about the different types of financial aid they can
receive for college at the workshop held Jan. 13.
PHOTO BY AYEESHA HOSSAIN
Tutoring Gurus
UC-Berkeley,
UCLA grad
tutors
Learn Smart.
Stay Ahead.
Store & Donation Hours
Mon ‐ Sat: 9am – 7pm
Sunday: 10am –7pm
37482 Fremont Blvd, 510‐795‐6100
Your Community Thrift Store
Summer SAT






Finest tutors (UC-Berkeley, UCLA grads)
Small class size < 12 (others 20-60)
1:1 test analysis and feedback (none by others)
8-week in-depth English/Math review
300 points up from diagnostic test
Best content in the industry
Cleaning up for college? We’ll love to receive your donations. We accept almost everything.
SAT-Subject, AP


In-depth 5 week review
Finest tutors, best curriculum
1:1 feedback
Small class size < 6


G7-12 Tutoring


Expert on AP/Honors subjects
One grade up in a quarter


Novel OSA teaching
Small class size (2-3)
Common Core, Algebra, Geometry, PreCal, Calculus,
Chemistry, Physics, Computers, Statistics, English,
Biology, G7-8 Math/Science.
(510)449-9233
[email protected]
www.tutoringgurus.com
#202, 3755 Washington Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538
Needing something for college? Come and Needing
something for college? Come and
discover what we have in store for you!
Student Only
Take Additional 15%‐Off on $5 $5 or more with this coupon and school ID
Coupon expires on 5/31/2015. Limit 1 coupon per student per purchase. Not valid with any other offers.
378482 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94536, 510‐795‐6100, www.hopeservices.org