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  • CVHS choir makes unforgettable memories at Carnegie Hall

    CVHS choir makes unforgettable memories at Carnegie Hall

    FRIDAY, APRIL 1

    Caitlin Forbes

    As the early morning started to surface, a group of about 100 students from the CVHS A Cappella choir roamed about San Francisco Airport, waiting for their 7:30 a.m. flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport. After finding our chaperones and roommates for the trip, we boarded the plane with dssdsdsd few parents and some grumpy looking passengers.

    After a five and a half hour flight we finally landed in the Big Apple! The air was muggy and half of us were still in a sleepy trance as we waited at baggage claim for our belongings and shuffled outside to wait for the buses. After waiting in the stale New York air for about an hour the late buses pulled up and we struggled with commute traffic into New York City for another hour or so. However, once in the city the excitement and the realization that we were in New York surfaced and energy surged through the group.

    After unloading from the buses, going to our (very small) rooms, and meeting with our chaperones to check in, we walked as a group to perform a “flash mob” song in the city. We performed for a bus tour, and then went to Times Square and performed there as well. Finally at around 10:30 p.m. we arrived back at our hotel and went to bed.

    SATURDAY, APRIL 2

    Zachary Deigert

    Saturday morning brought a plethera of tired students and the realization of a three hour time change. Students needed to wake up at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, which was a big shock for most because that is similar to a 4:00 a.m. wake up time on the Western half of the United States. Luckily for all the students we did not leave the hotel until 9:30, this left us with two and a half hours to get our bagel breakfast.

    At 9:30 we met up with the rest of our group down in the lobby. When we left the hotel we walked to the subway, and took it to the Statue of Liberty cruise. On this cruise, we were served a full buffet. This buffet included lots of food such as chicken, green beans, and brownies. We did not (unfortunately) get to get off at the Statue of Liberty Island, but we did get close enough to take some great photos with it.

    When the cruise ended, we headed to the Hilton Hotel. This hotel was where the choir rehearsals were held. The first rehearsal we had with the guest conductor was a daunting three hours. This is where we met the four other schools that were performing at Carnegie Hall. After this rehearsal we had another hour-long rehearsal with our own choir conductor, we went over the songs for our spotlight performance. When this ended, we promptly headed back to the hotel and went to bed.

    SUNDAY, APRIL 3

    Caitlin Forbes

    We woke up to donuts and coffee for breakfast and then walked over to the Hilton for our second rehearsal with the large group. After polishing our songs for three hours, we got to go to lunch. My roommate and I went to a lovely burger place called the Steak and Shake. After we ate, we had some time to kill before we had to meet with our chaperones again so we went souvenir shopping on Broadway.

    After lunch was over, the whole group went to see School of Rock, the musical on Broadway. It was amazing! The cast was super talented and it was great to see a Broadway show. After the show, we went to Senor Frogs, a restaurant and karaoke spot with loud music and a fun atmosphere.

    After eating (and singing a little) the groups made their way to the Rockefeller Tower, where we went on a tour and were able to explore the top of the building and see the view. Seeing the city at night was beautiful and breath-taking, but the cold wind and chilly air made us thankful to go back to the warm hotel. We got back pretty late (needless to say we all slept very well), but we were all excited for the performance at Carnegie Hall the next day.

    MONDAY, APRIL 4

    Zachary Deigert

    Come morning, we had a wake up call of 7:40 a.m. with breakfast at a restaurant. It was after this breakfast that we got our formal attire and began the walk to the Hilton. On our way there we stopped to get lunch and to have 15 minutes of free time to travel around a two-block radius. During this time most students decided to go to the Disney store. After the break we completed the long journey to the Hilton for our final rehearsal. This lasted for three hours, the shortest one we had all week.

    And afterwards we all got dressed in our tuxes/dresses, and walked to Carnegie Hall. It was here that we ran through a dress rehearsal of the entire performance. Carnegie started letting people in at 7:30. The performance started at 8:00, and both of our pieces sounded amazing, from the room filling stomps of “Conversion of Saul,” to the softness of “Magnum Mysterium.” When the other choirs joined us onstage for the rest of the performance, the hall seemed to fill with music. The performance officially ended at 10:30, but in our hearts, it seemed to never end. We left the hall to prepare for the after party. This party lasted from 11:30 to 1:00 in the morning and everyone who went found something fun to do. Heading back to the hotel was a long tiring walk, but going to sleep had never been so hard to [do].

    TUESDAY, APRIL 5

    Caitlin Forbes

    Our last day in New York was a good, but sad one. We were given some freedom on the morning to do whatever we wanted, so after my group and I got breakfast in the hotel bakery we went shopping in Times Square. The Forever 21 was gigantic, and the Disney store was magical. However, what made all of us the happiest was the Hershey store with ten-pound Kit Kat Bars and home to the largest purchasable Hershey bar in the world. Sadly though we had to return to our hotel room and pack up our things.

    After re-loading the buses, we headed to the 9/11 memorial museum. The museum was a modern, powerful, and informational reminder of the tragedy our country suffered. Although it was packed, people were silent and respectful, and both students and chaperones alike were touched by the intense experience.

    After the museum we had lunch on our own, and then went to the airport. Then the trip was over, and after saying goodbye to New York we boarded our 7:50 plane. Five and a half hours later we trudged down to baggage claim. Jet lagged, sleep-deprived, sore from walking, and tired. Students started to leave the airport around midnight, to get ready to return to daily life. However, no matter how tiring the trip was, it was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

  • The Olympian goes “Inside Out” of Pixar Studios

    The Olympian goes “Inside Out” of Pixar Studios

    When I first heard that I and a few other lucky Olympian staff members had the opportunity to go to Pixar Animation Studios, a plethora of emotions swirled inside of me. I was excited, anxious, curious, and most importantly, childish. Not childish as in immature, but the feeling of awe and wonder that is bestowed onto all of us as children. That feeling came back, and I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to come.

    Of course the days couldn’t go by quickly enough as I counted down to the trip. And finally the day came. We all piled into two cars at the end of lunch and soon enough found ourselves in Emeryville. The lawn was neatly manicured, and the first thing you saw after walking down the tree-lined path is the iconic Luxo ball and the Pixar lamp that is shown before each film. I immediately felt like I was a kid again, and memories of all of the wonderful films popped into my head. Looking around at the group, it was obvious that the feeling was contagious.

    Inside one of the main studio buildings, there was a huge model of two cars from the movie Cars, the Incredibles family (in their iconic poses), and huge Lego sculptures of Woody and Buzz guarding the front desk.

    To the right there was a case full of awards that the various films have won and it was very impressive. However, the most impressive item was an old Woody doll that sat in the corner of the case next to the awards. Jonas Rivera, a CVHS graduate and our guide for the day, explained its backstory. A boy had carried the Woody doll with him everywhere he went until his parents had bought him a new doll at Disneyland. Not wanting his treasured toy to go to waste, the boy wanted to give the old doll back to the store saying that Woody should “spend infinity and beyond” with Buzz Lightyear. Disney turned it over to Pixar, and it has been in their awards case ever since. Rivera explained that the doll is the best and most treasured thing in there, and that the joy and happiness that the movie had produced is the best award Pixar could ask for.

    Rivera has been at Pixar for many years and produced films like Up and Inside Out, which just won an Academy Award for best animated picture. Our afternoon with him made it obvious that Pixar truly works to make films for everyone to enjoy and connect with on a deep level. Each film is meticulously made with tons of concept art, teams of animators, a writing staff, actors, computer scientists, artists, and countless others. Most importantly, they always have a vision. What I learned that afternoon was that every detail was important, and every single aspect of a film is significant. I loved the Pixar movies, and am ecstatic for the releases of films like Finding Dory and Incredibles 2, but my love for Pixar delved to a new level.

    I appreciate the hardworking people that work hard and endlessly with the sole purpose of giving the world something entertaining and touching. Pixar is all about giving, and very much follows the expression: “It’s not what you get, it’s what you give.” The Pixar trip was amazing, and the information that I learned and the wonderful things that I saw will stick with me for the rest of my life.

    Rivera is an inspirational man from Castro Valley who gives back to the world with his wonderful films for all ages.

  • Combined lunch possibly coming our way

    Combined lunch possibly coming our way

    Do you like combined lunch? There is a possibility that next year, instead of the divided lunch between upperclassmen and freshmen on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, lunchtimes will come together in a singular period for the whole school. The aspect of a singular lunch has most teachers tremendously happy, because combining lunches has been a much discussed topic and has been debated for years between the faculty. However the students don’t share the same optimism as the teachers, and dread the possibility of a more crowded, rowdy, and chaotic lunchtime.

    A recent survey by the staff revealed that 60 percent of teachers wanted to eradicate the separated lunch that we currently have and have a single lunch period schoolwide.

    Teachers in favor of the change believe that it would largely benefit the school. They argue that a combined lunch would be inclusive, and allow everyone to have the ability to participate in special lunchtime activities. In addition there would be fewer special schedules, and a combined lunch would ensure a normal eating time for everyone, instead of the very early 11:36 a.m. lunch period that upperclassmen have.

    “Combined lunch is educationally and socially better for students. Educationally students have access to all teachers at lunch. There wouldn’t be a disruption of bells ringing during class, or kids in the hallways,” said social studies teacher Carmelina Frasca.

    Combined lunch daily would allow more students to attend more clubs, because the clubs would have an option of meeting on any day of the week instead of being confined to two block days. In addition, it would allow students to join more clubs, which looks very good when applying to colleges.

    However, many students see the negative side to combined lunches.

    “Lunch lines will be terrible. Freshmen need their own time to get used to the school,” said senior Vy Le.

    “I don’t want to be stuck with freshmen every single day, and the cafeteria would be too crowded,” said junior Christopher Trinh.

    Do freshmen need time alone to get acclimated to the school?

    Freshman Anna Tse thinks so, stating, “In all honesty I don’t think combined lunch is good. We already have it two days a week. It’s not a good interaction between classes.”

    Principal Blaine Torpey sees both sides of the issue. “I see the more primary reasons to change as simplifying our schedule so we have fewer special schedules, increasing student access to activities and teachers, and creating space for building intervention time into our schedule,” he said. “I see the primary reason against the change is the ninth graders losing their protected lunch time three days a week. I would also add that there is more space available to students when there is a split lunch.”

    An Olympian survey of more than 100 students showed that 76 percent oppose a combined lunch and 84 percent support a separated lunch period.

    However, 73 percent agreed with the faculty showing that a combined lunch would greatly benefit clubs. The survey also showed that 84 percent of the students do not feel like the separated lunch prevents them from enjoying lunchtime activities. Addressing the crowding issue, 81 percent of students said that the number one frustration that they have on combined lunch days was the overcrowded seating areas, with 75 percent saying that the increased traffic around the school causes the most frustration.

    CVHS is currently polling students to get their feedback about the combined lunch decision. However the school has not revealed a timetable as to when we will have a definite answer.

  • Seniors, it’s okay to be afraid

    Seniors, it’s okay to be afraid

    As we go into our second semester of senior year, the huge hill of high school seems to plateau. Finals are over, most college apps are submitted, and now seniors are left with the daunting task of waiting. As we wait for our final year to close, we must muster the strength to keep on going: do our homework, come to class on time (generally), and enjoy the familiar buzz of crowded hallways, and the feeling of being on top of the metaphorical food chain.

    Before we know it, high school will be over for us, and we will all have to move on. It may be scary, and I know that we have all had the shocking realization that we are almost adults in society’s eyes, but just know that it’s okay to be afraid. We have spent four years at this school, we have developed a comfortable routine, know the good lunch spots, know how long it takes to get to school, and have made friends.

    In just four short months, this will all be taken away from us. Some of us are ready to spread our wings, and greet the next stage of our lives with open arms, however for those of us that are scared know that it will be okay. Change is exciting, and although it may be scary it is a necessity for all of us to grow as people and discover the right path. So as the curtain falls on our final year in high school, try to make the most of it. We have so many exciting things coming up this year, like senior ball and graduation. Let’s focus more on embracing the change, and having a good experience with our fleeting time here.

  • Seniors impart wisdom on their freshman siblings

    Seniors impart wisdom on their freshman siblings

    When the bell rings on the first day of school, timid freshmen look for their classes, while seniors pull on their nicest sweatpants and mosey to class. But what happens when seniors have freshmen siblings?

    As the iconic Lion King song said, “It’s the circle of life.” Three pairs of senior/freshman siblings gave us a glimpse of what it’s like to go through this class metamorphosis. All three pairs of siblings were asked the same questions, but the answers were radically different.

    Quilleran (senior) and Grayson (freshman) Cronwall can be seen having intellectual conversations, and love to laugh together. When asked if his older brother gave him high school advice before school, Grayson answered a simple, “No,” but when asked about things he would do similarly to his brother, Grayson stated, “The language trips sound fun,” and after further consideration, “he’s made raps, and that sounds pretty fun.”

    The two brothers bond together over marching band and music. With final advice to his younger brother, Quilleran remarked, “Don’t do drugs, and make lots of friends.”

    Sisters Suhayla (senior) and Kameela (freshman) Hassan love to tease each other with a witty and loving dialogue that only siblings can have. When asked if her older sister has prepared her for high school, Kameela said, “No,” but is very excited to start her high school career.

    She’s excited about “more classes, and meeting more people, and learning a language” in addition to, “only two more years of physical education (PE).”

    The two sisters hang out together on block days at lunch, and sometimes at break. Kameela does not believe that she will follow her sister’s footsteps stating, “Everything is different, we have a lot of different interests.”

    Suhayla gave her sister some last advice, “It’s different than middle school, you have to change a lot.”

    The last pair of siblings is Keanu (senior) and Caillou (freshman) Dasalla. Both brothers have a loving banter, as Caillou is eager and ready to start high school.

    When asked if Keanu has given him advice, Caillou said, “Yeah, he’s given me advice: Get a smaller backpack, and learn how to manage locker space.”

    In terms of if he would do things differently or the same as his brother, Caillou simply said, “I don’t know,” but Keanu knew of some differences right off the bat, “I stay after school to do homework, but he needs to go home to do his.”

    With one last piece of advice, Keanu told his brother, “Don’t procrastinate, that’s the golden rule.”

    One thing that is apparent is that nothing can come between sibling love. Having an older brother or sister can be helpful to learn from their mistakes, to possibly have a better understanding of what high school is really about, and most of all having someone at a new school that you know will always have your back.

    But each class is different, and each person is different. The freshmen will have a completely different experience from their older siblings, but will remember the advice that they were given during their high school careers.

    For these older siblings, the class of 2016 will always be tied to the class of 2019.

  • Pops takes on your guilty pleasures!

    Pops takes on your guilty pleasures!

    Have you ever heard that one song on the radio that you like, but you worry what others will think? That one song that gets stuck in your head that won’t go away until you have to start singing it. That is what you would call your guilty pleasure song. This year, many beloved guilty pleasure songs made their way into CVHS’ Pops Concert 2015, “You Know You Love It.”

    Some of these songs included “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift, “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction, “Let It Go” from Frozen, and many more. The concert allowed choir students to sing in groups and perform their own solos. Throughout the show many performers displayed their musical talents.

    However, the best performance for me would have to have been when Women’s A Cappella performed “I Love Rock N’ Roll” by Joan Jett. The song was amazing, the performers were wonderful, and the costumes and set really fit the whole Rock N’ Roll vibe. Soloists in the song Zola Galbadrakh and Octavia Lim were outstanding.

    I didn’t know what to expect when I attended this show, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I found myself humming along to the songs as they echoed through the theater. The songs really did get stuck in my head after the show.

    Another amazing aspect of the performance was the amount of student leadership that went into the making of the show. The whole show was student-run by Pops directors Chloe Billings, Carmen Hom, Chris Baker, Maya Parra, Michael French, and Michaela Wood. These students took on a large leadership role and were responsible for coordinating rehearsals, organizing students, and supervising the progress of the numbers.

    I would like to applaud the performers for an outstanding performance. Whether or not you are a fan of guilty pleasure songs, the show was highly enjoyable for all.

    Listen to some of the performances here!

  • Rethink the way you treat teachers

    Rethink the way you treat teachers

    We have all had teachers that we think are over-the-top obnoxious, unfair, and unreasonable. Class, however, is not the time to express your feelings. As much as students would like to believe that teachers are out to get us with excessive homework, they really are just trying to do their job. Teachers do not deserve to be talked back to, insulted, and/or snapped at. I know that we have the freedom of speech, but words can hurt, and even though we see teachers as indestructible, they are people just like us.

    I’m not saying we don’t have the right to speak our minds, and believe me, I am not trying to be a teacher’s pet, but everything has a time and a place. If you are frustrated with a teacher, vent to your friends about it (it really helps, believe me), because it is a very awkward thing to experience someone talking back to a teacher during class. Sometimes a teacher says a snarky comment, and a student feels a need to retaliate, and then the class gets silent. The teacher and the student just kind of blink at each other in a stalemate until the teacher decides whether to either punish the student, or pretend like nothing happened. Meanwhile phones are flying as classmates spread the news, while others awkwardly pretend to be reading or doing work.

    I totally understand that people get emotional. We are all human (or at least I hope so), but management is key. Try to think about what teachers go through. They have up to six classes full of 25-30 students, which require grading work, creating curriculum, dealing with student drama, and preparing everyone for the next class. That sounds really exhausting.

    On the other hand, it’s not easy to be a student. We have to do a ton of homework, work, study, prepare for our future, and keep a healthy social life. When you break it down, it’s not easy to be a teacher or a student.

    So students, let’s give our teachers a break during the day. When you feel really upset or offended by a teacher, it’s better for everyone if you save your rant for a more sympathetic audience: friends, parents, even other teachers. Teachers, try to understand that students have a rough life as well. Students and teachers should respect each other at CVHS, which would foster a better learning environment for everyone.

  • Go behind the scenes to see the magic happen

    Go behind the scenes to see the magic happen

    When you go to a show, all you look at are the actors, but have you ever stopped to think about what goes on behind the scenes? Behind all of the special effects and moving props, the people dressed all in black have a very significant role.

    Looking behind the scenes at the Alice in Wonderland play, various power tool sounds can be heard accompanied by the smell of paint and the movements of bustling people. Lifting the curtain can reveal the Alice in Wonderland stage crew hard at work.

    When asked about the stage crew experience, first time crew member Maricela Corona replied, “It’s good so far, it’s just bad when people don’t show up to help. I also really like seeing how everything backstage works.”

    Stage crew is definitely stressful, but gives the participants a sense of community and trust.

    “You really need to trust people to carry their weight,” states Corona. “We all have different jobs, but work as one giant machine.”

    In stage crew, there are a lot of learning opportunities. Spotlight Operator Thomas Anthony remarked, “I’ve learned how to build a box, use a staple gun, and a power jig-saw, and all the work that goes behind a performance.”

    But stage crew wouldn’t be possible without Patrick Brandon, the technical director for the show. Brandon talks about his favorite part of stage crew. “I love working with the students when they learn something and then create something of their own.”

    When asked about the Alice in Wonderland crew, Brandon said, “It has been a great crew, they are dedicated, hardworking, and persistent.”

    Even though the job can be stressful, everyone is excited for the upcoming production. Brandon sums it up best stating, “I am looking forward to seeing it all come together, because it’s a total team effort seen on stage.”

    The stage crew is a hardworking, well-oiled machine, which definitely deserves a standing ovation.

  • Get out of the way in crowded hallways

    Get out of the way in crowded hallways

    We all know that mixture of aggression, frustration, and desperation that comes with walking down the halls. Why do people feel the need to talk to their friends right in the middle? I mean really, the hallways have a purpose and people have to get to their lockers. If you want somewhere quieter and less busy to talk to your friends, go somewhere else. It would significantly reduce the clutter if that happened.

    But it’s not just the surplus of people, it’s the attitude. Sorry I need to get to my locker that you are standing right in front of, the dirty looks really aren’t necessary. People give all these dirty looks to students that are just trying to get to their lockers, or out of the hall. No one is entitled to the whole hallway, and when there are people flooding the halls, maybe instead of giving dirty looks, just move.

    Between dodging people, balloons that always seem to be there, and trying to get to my locker, I start to feel more like I’m dancing or doing park-core with all of the weaving, dodging, and rushing. Seriously people we are a school of 3,000 students, we can’t all be talking and standing in the halls.

    Another thing that is super efficient is the mega line: When a group of friends decides it’s a great idea to walk in a horizontal line down a busy hallway, not allowing anyone to get by. Yes, that’s a great idea. During a time when the hall isn’t that busy, that is fine, but really during the ten minute break, do you really think that it’s a good idea?

    A factor that always makes the hallways out of control is the inability to know what side of the hall to walk on. It’s just like driving. Stick to one side of the hall going your direction and you’re golden. Don’t be that person that walks down the wrong side. It just adds to the confusion and constant chaos.

    Let’s all try to follow the hallway rules and make life a little easier for everyone.

  • CVHS student to be on the big screen

    CVHS senior Zach Cutler-Orrey was recently part of filming for an upcoming movie about Steve Jobs. Cutler-Orrey was an extra on the set, and was able to experience first hand what the movie production process was like.

    “Although it was tedious and boring between takes, it was extremely rewarding because as an upcoming actor, I got my very first taste of being on the set of a feature film and that was huge for me,” said Cutler-Orrey. “All day from morning until evening we shot scenes that ranged from us simply walking into the building to us applauding for Michael Fassbender (who plays Jobs).”

    Cutler-Orrey is an aspiring star at CVHS, and wants to follow his acting passion after he graduates.

    “I will continue training with the private film acting program that I currently study at, and after high school it will be me, my craft, my one-in-a-trillion girlfriend Danni Blaise, and more time to balance work and building up an acting career. To start, I will be shooting an indie film which I have a speaking role in,” said Cutler-Orrey.

    Cutler-Orrey has starred in several CVHS productions. Last year he played the role of Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, and has been cast as the White Rabbit in the CVHS upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland, which opens May 1.

    Cutler-Orrey described the filming experience as difficult, but worth the work.

    “Dressed in my thick 1980s jacket and packed into the San Francisco Opera House with over a thousand others, it was very hot. But this is my passion and it was definitely well worth it!” he said.

    Cutler-Orrey is following his dreams and is a rising star that belongs on the big screen.