November 5, 2010

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Issue 4 November 5th, 2010

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PulseMessage from the

Editors The Magazine Looks Different! We know, we know. We’re simply trying new things and experimenting with the ultimate look and feel of Pulse Magazine. We’ve slowly changed from a newspaper-looking news-mag to one that has more of a magazine feel and style to it. We have become heavily photo based as you will soon see and have altered the overall look of the pages. Also a great thanks to Dylan Howell as he has been heading up the photography depart-ment and making the aweomse cover shot of Stephanie Munkers possible. It is a step in a new direction and we hope you enjoy!

In reference to last issue and some of the comments we received from the content within, we have created a Letters to the Editors section that we will place in our next issue. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to submit them at [email protected]. Also make sure to visit our website at www.chspulse.com where you can directly comment on articles and read some that were not published.

-Sincerely your Editors-in-Chief Dylan Laidlaw and Daniel Graupensperger

Table of

Contents

2. News6. Feature12. Opinion14. Sports20. Arts}

Photo by Dylan Howell

TRANSCRIPTS1. Go to the Colfax High School web site (www.puhsd.k12.ca.us/colfax). Under the Information tab, select “Transcripts”.2. You will �ind there “Current Student Transcripts”. This page is all about what a transcript is, what you need it for, and how to get them.If you do not have access to a computer, you will �ind a printed copy of it in the of�ice.

Use the unof�icial copy you receive in English or American Government as a guide for college applica-tions and to get information about your grade point average, rank in class, and progress toward meeting your graduation requirements. You can also print out a “parent” version of your transcript from the parent portal.For more information or if you have questions, see Mrs. Rene Diez, Registrar, in the of�ice.

SCHOLARSHIPSE-mail Mary Weeks in the of�ice : [email protected]

You will receive e-mails regarding senior news, scholarships, college speakers, etc. You can see the list of scholarships available on our website under the Counseling Link. Scholarships applications are available on the web and some need to be picked up from Mrs. Weeks in the of�ice. Please come into the of�ice for any questions.

COLLEGEFYI: CSU and UC Apps are open!

*Make sure to start early and have your peers review any essays necessary on the application.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE3 student computersSAT/ACT InformationCollege Catalogs and brochuresCareer and college researchPersonality tests and interest surveysFinancial Aid and Scholarship informationCommunity contacts, interviews, shadowsCollege Application AssistanceChoices

CareerCruising GuidanceMonday, November 8th

First Day of Winter Sport Practice and Tryouts - All POTENTIAL ATHLETES must be cleared through the Athletic of�ice before they can try out and or practice for a sport even those currently playing a fall sport.

It is important to listen to the daily bulletin for meet-ing dates and current information. Parents can view the daily bulletin on our website at www.puhsd.k12.ca.us/colfax.

Athletes and Absences – Parents are reminded that students must attend the entire school day if they want to participate in a game, meet or practice on that day. Limited exceptions are made for medical, dental and other essential appointments, but only with prior approval by a school administrator. If your student has such an appointment, be sure to send a note to Rob Hitchcock, VP/AD; or Judy Hardman, VP at least 24 hours BEFORE the absence so your student will not miss playing or practice time.

Counselor’s Corner

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The political relationship between China and Taiwan is a line drawn roughly, open for interpretation. These two nations have been ruled separately since 1949, but natives of both sides see the ties between them differently. The majority of Chinese consider Taiwan a wayward province, while the Taiwanese mostly feel that they are an independent people as they have established a democratic govern-ment that differs from China and have their own president. Colfax High School’s Chinese exchange student, Jian Zheng (11), and Taiwanese exchange student, Ling-Ya Liu (11) offer their per-spectives on relations between China and Taiwan and explanations about their cultures. The controversy over Taiwan’s political status began in 1949, when a group of Chinese rebels were defeated by Nationalist forces in a civil war in China. The rebels were exiled to the island of Formosa and established the Republic of China, later to be called Taiwan. They were recognized by the United Nations, United States, and many other countries until the mainland People’s Republic of China gained this recognition and took over Taiwan’s seat in the United Nations in 1971 (geography.about.com).

Today, Taiwan generally lacks international recognition and still does not have a seat in the United Nations. However, the opinion of which is the accurate political status of Taiwan still varies between China and Taiwan. “Taiwan’s people think we are not a part of China, but the Chinese think that Taiwan is part of China,” said Colfax High School’s Taiwanese exchange student Ling-Ya Liu (11). Chinese exchange student Jian Zheng (11) said, “Chinese, of course, want Taiwan to be a part of China.” Matters have also changed since Ma Ying-Jeou was elected presi-dent of Taiwan in 2008. “Now Taiwan has a new principal (presi-dent) and, from the news, I think that he agrees to become one with China.” Zheng explained. “But the last principle disagrees.” Zheng is referring to Ying-Jeou’s hope to maintain a strong economic relationship with China. Wang Yi, head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, recently told overseas Chinese in New York that promoting

A Convoluted ControversyForeign exchange students shed light on China/Taiwan relations Michelle Read

Business Manager

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“Taiwan’s people think we are not a part of China, but the Chi-nese think that Taiwan is part of

China,” -Ling-Ya Liu (11)

economic ties with Taiwan was still the priority, state news agency Xinhua said (reuters.com). “In China, the new principal, I like this news, because they agree Taiwan to be a part of China,” said Zheng. However, Liu sees this not as a joining of the nations, but rather an economic friendship. “I think they don’t want to be enemy and he (President Ma Ying-Jeou) want to have a good (economic) relation-ship and be friends.” Despite the different perspectives held by both countries, both of these two students have experienced similar school life, family life, and enjoy some of the same activities. Liu and Zheng both described their high school education system as three years in length. “In China… We need to learn the whole thing in two years and the last year we have to repeat it and make it more in our ‘heart’,” said Zheng. Teachers at both of their high schools rotated between class-rooms rather than the students moving from class to class. The two enjoy swimming in the summer, hanging out with friends, and are close with their families. Their cultures are also similar. Both celebrate the Dragon Boat festival and the Moon festival. “Moon festival is a story,” explained Liu. “When in ancient times, there is civil war and they fight. And they (people on one side of the war) want to hold the secret: how to fight together and other people. And they don’t want to let them (the enemy) to know. So they make a moon cake and they put a small paper and write what they want to say and put it in the moon cake. And when they eat it they go ‘Oh,’ and (find the) paper and they know how to do.” A few differences also exist between the nations, such as languages. “We have many dialects; every province has a dialect, but we have one language that we use on the radio,” said Zheng. “When they speak that language, everyone from every dialect, they can under-stand it.” Whereas in Taiwan, the people speak mostly Mandarin and Taiwanese. Liu admitted that her viewpoint of the relationship between China and Taiwan has changed since her experiences in the United States “In Taiwan, I didn’t care about politics. But now, I care a little. Because, I think many people don’t understand the relationship between China and Taiwan. They think Taiwan is China. I think it’s not, because we have government and we have our own president. I think our government is very different. I care more now because somebody will say ‘China, China, China.’ They think I speak Chi-nese, so I’m from China. But I think we are different.”

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The fabled California high-speed train has left the minds of most of the state’s residents. But the project is far from over. In 2008, California voters passed Proposition 1A, which allocated $9 billion to fund the construction of a statewide bullet train service. Though the project has dropped out of sight and lacks nearby dead-lines, planning continues to move along. Construction and operation of California High Speed Rail is divided into two basic phases. According to a White House fact sheet from January, Phase I intends to complete a Los Angeles - San Fransisco Route by 2020. Phase II calls for the extension of track to Sacramento and San Diego by 2026. In the same report, the White House awarded the state of Cali-fornia $2.344 billion for funding high-speed rail construction and conventional rail improvements. The money comes from infrastruc-ture funds allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvest-ment Act.

The proposed route will connect 25 stations across Southern Cali-fornia, the Bay Area, and the Central Valley with trains travelling at up to 220 miles per hour. The main route link Los Angeles and San Francisco, with offshoots reaching Sacramento and San Diego. The California High-Speed Rail Authority, created to oversee the project, identifies job creation, fast, effective transport, and reduced carbon emissions as its primary goals for the undertaking. Implementation has been divided into 10 different geographical regions, each of which constitute a significant length of track in the system. The CHSRA has outlined an 8-stage planning and imple-mentation process that each region must complete in order to begin service. Each region in either Stage 2 or 3, which respectively consti-tute analysis of alternatives to the project and assessments of environ-mental and economic impact. However, while progress is being made, the timetable suggests that service is at least a decade away.

By 2020 , a bullet train is planned to be built from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Photo by: Dylan Howell

California High-Speed Rail Still On TrackPlanned statewide bullet train is still hap-pening, just not anytime soon

Alex Bonser Opinion Editor

Lights; camera;...coffee? The third annual Colfax High School Cafe Night presented by the Creative Writing Program is almost here and you know what that means: a chance to be involved in the community and to hear some unique writing by Colfax High School students. For one night only, Colfax High School will open its doors to the public to showcase students’ original stories, poems and one act plays. The coordinator of this event and the Creative Writing teacher, Jean Page, has been running the Cafe Night for three years now since she first got started in the Creative Writing Program. Page says that this event has many advantages. “It’s an opportunity for writers to share their work and also for the community to see how talented CHS students are. Along with that, it’s an opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zone and get up in front of an audience,” says Page. The Cafe Night will be held in the CHS library. Doors will be open at 5:45 pm and the readings will begin at 6 and run until 8:15. There is free admission along with free refreshments available to everyone that attend. Instead of one Creative Writing Class participating in the Cafe Night like in the past years, this year there will be two classes taking part. This brings the total to 67 students, 44 of which will be present-ing their work. Page also says there is another difference from this year’s event compared to previous:“It is volunteer this year unlike last year which was mandatory.” There are a variety of students participating this year, some of which

who have contributed in past year’s Cafe Nights and others who are new to the creative writing program altogether. Students who have taken part in the past have had a positive experience with the event. Talia Panelli (11) participated in last year’s Cafe Night. “Creative Writing became like a family,” Panelli said, “and able to do

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“The thing I personally enjoy most about the Cafe Night is its overall effect on the

audience and participants alike. At the Cafe Night we

get all kinds of feedback from complete strangers. It reinforces confidence in us writers and it’s a great feeling.”-Jackie Care (12)

Cafe NightCreative writing shines the spotlight on budding authors

Aspen FairchildStaff Writer

the Cafe Night together was really cool.” Jackie Care (12) was also a participant in previous Cafe Nights but is also a contributor to this year’s. She said that the audience had a great effect on her: “The thing I personally enjoy most about the Cafe Night is its overall effect on the audience and participants alike. At the Cafe Night we get all kinds of feedback from complete strangers. It reinforces confidence in us writers and it’s a great feeling.” Care is also shocked at the talent in this year’s class. “We just began practicing our reads and I am seriously impressed by the talent we have in the class. Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves!” Make sure to mark your calendars for November 10 for Cafe Night. And as Care insists, “it’s sure to be an amazing night!”

Colfax High School Cafe Night will be in the library starting at 6.

Photo by: Dylan Laidlaw

Skin becomes a new canvas; marked for life. This is a path that many teens embark on in their high school careers. Although not apparent, there are quite a few cases of teen tattooing right here in Colfax High. To learn a little more about what drives a teen to permanently modify their body, I had a talk with Stephanie Munkres about the stories behind her tattoos and her experiences with the needle.

Q: How many tattoos do you currently have?A: Three.

Q: What are your tattoos of?A: I have two barn swallows on my back shoulders, and a diamond behind my ear. The chin on one of the swallows is blue, and one is purple.

Q: How long have you had each of your tattoos?A: I got my first tattoo (first barn swallow) on my 16th birthday. The second tattoo was the diamond behind my ear, which I got roughly six months after the first one. And the third one (second barn swallow) was on my 17th birthday.

Q: Did it hurt being tattooed?A: No, it didn’t really hurt for me. The only part that was scary was the anticipation of the needle hitting your skin, but after that it’s more of a constant feeling rather than random spikes of pain.

Q: Where did you acquire your tattoos?A: I got them done by my brother’s friend at his house.

Q: How long did each of them take to do?A: The barn swallows took roughly an hour each, and the diamond took about 15 minutes.

Q: Where did you get the idea for your tattoos?A: I designed all of my tattoos on my own. I drew them all up before I got them.

Q: Do your tattoos symbolize anything?A: Yes, the two barn swallows on my back represent my brother and I, because I’m really close to him and he’s the only one in my family that I’m relatively close to. But the diamond, I only got it because it was free.

Q: Do you plan on getting any more tattoos in the future?A: Yes I do, and overall I want to get full sleeves. But I have the next five planned out. I want to get an octopus on my right elbow, “Veritas Unitas Caritas” (Truth, Unity, Love) as a banner between my swallows, a chest piece in cursive of some type, a cherry tree on my side, and Calvin & Hobbes on my foot in their radio flyer.

Q: Why did you decide to get tattoos as a teen rather than waiting until you were older?A: It was only a two year wait, so I would have gotten them anyway. But I asked my mom if I could get my lip pierced for my 16th birthday, and she said no. So I asked her if I could get a tattoo and she was ok with it as long as I could hide it, so I got it on my back shoulder.

Q: Have you ever considered going into any sort of profession involving tattoo art?A: Actually, yes. I am currently working on my apprenticeship, and the guy that I’m working under says he will give me a free tattoo gun once I’ve learned enough. I want to be able to do tattoo art on the side for extra cash.

Q: What is your overall opinion on teens getting tattoos?A: Well if they think that they’re ready and they won’t regret it, do it. I see it as a form of expression through body modification.

Tattooing has become a popular art form for many teens. Some just get them to have them, but some have a deep meaning that runs beneath each piece. You’ll never know what new masterpiece will be created next. There is no limit to where a creative idea will be engraved onto America’s youth, or the youth of Colfax High.

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Talking TatsThe art behind Stephanie Munkres

Dylan HowellPhoto Editor

“I see it as a form of expression through body modification.”

-Stephanie Munkres (12)

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Teenage Freedom

Living away from homeSuzanne Tustin

Staff Contributor

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Growing up in Roseville, California was anything but boring. My home life was no exception. I guess you could say that I didn’t have a conventional family. Oh, I had a mother and father whom I loved dearly, but some things were certainly different for me.

I grew up on a cul-de-sac. Every family on the block, except 2, had as least 3 children. There were about 20 homes on the street. It was great fun. I was an only child, so of course I was spoiled. Wrong! I worked everyday to keep the house clean, dog poop cleaned up, pool cleaned and chlorinated, (yes I had a pool) and the lawn mowed once a week. As you can probably figure out, my parents were clean freaks. I’m somewhere in between.

When I was about 10, my parents decided that they could make more money selling my father’s artwork on the weekends than he could make from a miserable, hot week’s work as a dry cleaner. My dad quit his job and started doing art shows full time. He did only local art shows until I started high school. He would work in his shop in the garage to build his artwork, metal sculpture. He was very good at what he did. He and my mom would travel all over the country to do invitation only art shows. They would travel for months at a time. Where did I fit into the grand scheme of things? I didn’t. I stayed alone quite a bit on the weekends, but what teen-ager would mind that? Not me! When they would be gone for 2 to 3 months, around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I would stay with someone.

My freshman year I stayed with a friend. There were 5 kids in the family. It was great since I didn’t have any siblings of my own. Besides, she had three cute older brothers to dream about anyway. They were from Spain originally, so there was a little culture diver-sity that fascinated me. The dad would talk Spanish to his children and English to me. I always just got half the conversation. I really didn’t mind.

My sophomore year was a nightmare. My grandparents stayed with me. Looking back on that experience I have to admit that I was the problem and not them. They probably wanted to disinherit me after that. I wouldn’t blame them.

“Where did I fit into the grand scheme of things? I didn’t. I

stayed alone quite a bit on the weekends, but what teenager

would mind that? Not me!”

Photo by: Zack Schweiger

Junior year was a blast. I stayed nights at the neighbor’s house dur-ing one of those two month trips. No details on this one, sorry.

Senior year I stayed alone with the exception of one pre-arranged friend. No details again…you’ll survive.

As you can see, my life was anything but boring. My parents did the best they could for our little family. Even though I enjoyed my freedom back then, things are very different today. I never even considered leaving my three daughters for 2 to 3 months; they were left alone only 1 night when the middle daughter was 18. I was so paranoid that something might happen to them; I had my friends cruise by the house every few hours. Live and learn, that’s my motto now.

Mom’s KitchenA homy location for Colfax catering Kylie Morrill

Staff Writer

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Photo by: Kylie Morrill

Many Colfax residents spend their mornings enjoying breakfast at local restaurant Mom’s Kitchen. People love the nostalgic feel of the restaurant. It’s the perfect venue for a family breakfast or just a place to drop in and have a quick meal.

For the past three years, Mom’s Kitchen has been contributing to the Colfax community with a smile. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch with the taste and aura of home-cooked meals. Many people who stop on their way home from Tahoe or Truckee claim it tops some of the restaurants in Sacramento or the Bay Area.

“The servers are really kind and don’t put on a fake smile for you,” said Dylan Howell (11) fondly of the restaraunt. “They’re actually happy to see you.”

If you were to walk into Mom’s Kitchen you would probably notice the distinct characteristic that defines the restaurant (besides the food). Lining the walls are pictures of generation upon generation of moms that have lived and worked in the Colfax area.

Mom’s Kitchen is a favorite for many Colfax High School students

as well as many community members. Its good food, friendly ser-vice, and familiar atmosphere make it a top choice among hungry patrons, locals and travellers alike. Overall, Mom’s Kitchen is a great restaurant and is enticing for all ages.

This is LifeHannah West

Staff Writer

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Imagine waking up every morning in a fog. The fog takes over your mind and body, and follows you through the day. It prevents you from doing the things that you love most. Now imagine feeling like that every single day. This is a challenge that Colfax student Jaymee Kirby is currently facing. She suffers from Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syn-drome, a rather rare and mysterious disease. CFIDS is a chronic illness that affects millions of people in the world but has no known cause, diagnostic test, or universally effective treatment. Because so little is known about this disease it makes it extreme-ly difficult for people who live with it. Jaymee was diagnosed in late February of 2010 after months of extensive medical testing. “Freshman year I noticed the symp-toms slightly, then I got really sick the last month of sophomore year and my system crashed completely and just never got bet-ter.” she said.

Jaymee’s experience is not uncommon for people suffering from CFIDS. The major symptoms are sleep difficulties, short-term memory problems, muscle pain, headaches, psychological prob-lems, and a severe incapacitating fatigue. She said that “It gives you half of your day-to-day energy that you usually have and you basically have no immune system.” These symptoms can have life changing effects. The severity of CFIDS varies in patients, with some people able to maintain fairly normal lives within strict limits, while others may be house-bound or bed-bound. Around 25% of people with CFIDS are fully disabled by the illness. “I can’t do half of the things that I used to. A lot of days I can’t even get out of bed.” said Jaymee Jaymee attempted running track this last year and physically crashed because of it. Before the illness, she had been running track for seven years and playing soccer for twelve years. Jaymee said that not being able to run track has been one of the hard-

Senior Jaymee Kirby suffers from a rare and debilitating disease, Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

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“I have my days where I get angry about it. But I try to stay optimistic and realize that this is life, and you just gotta deal with it.”

-Jaymee Kirby, 12

est parts of her whole illness. “I’ve been doing it since I was nine years old. It’s like my passion.” CFIDS is marked by a severe fatigue that isn’t improved by bed rest and is usually worsened by physical or mental activity. Wors-ening of symptoms typically follows even very modest physical exertion and can persist for days or weeks. “I came home one night from track practice and literally slept for 15 hours straight.” she said. In addition to being dedicated to sports, Jaymee was good. She ran the 100 meters, 200 meters, 100 meter relay and the 400 meter relay, and was the section champion in the 100 meters. Several colleges were already looking to recruit Jaymee, including her dream school, Pepperdine. But those dreams were quickly crushed when Jaymee was forced to give up the thing that she loved most. Because Jaymee has to spend so much time resting and going to the doctor’s she ends up missing quite a bit of school. “The sickness overall affects my grades and my schoolwork. I’m on an academic 504.” she said. Being on an academic 504 plan means that the school provides extra aid and services to ensure that Jaymee has the opportunity to be as successful as she would be without her ‘disabilities’. Jay-mee was advised to keep her course load light and only take two academic classes.“It put me off track for college so I can only go to a 2 year commu-nity college now.” she said. Not only is the cause of CFIDS unknown, but there isn’t even a test to show whether or not someone has it. Because the symp-toms of CFIDS are shared with many other illnesses it is often misdiagnosed. Studies indicate that fewer than 20% of CFIDS patients have been correctly diagnosed. Jaymee was put through dozens of complicated tests to deter-mine what exactly she suffers from, such as MRI’s, brain SPECT testing, treadmill tests, thyroid tests, lymes disease testing, countless blood and urine tests, and even a 24 hour heart moni-tor where she was hooked up to wires and machines. She said that “It’s really more of a process of elimination along with the symptoms.”

Along with physical ailments, CFIDS has a major effect on the brain. Numerous independent researchers have found abnormali-ties in the brain and nervous system of patients. Though CFIDS is not a form of depression, many patients become depressed because of the impact of the illness on their lives. When asked about the mental effects of the illness Jaymee said “It slows down your brain a lot. People look at me and assume that I’m okay but they don’t know how much it takes physically and mentally to be at the level I’m trying to be at.” Dealing with CFIDS requires an enormous amount of emotional support from friends and family. Going through something so traumatic, especially when the symptoms of CFIDS are so hard for others to recognize, has definitely affected Jaymee’s relation-ships. She mentioned that it has showed which of her friends are really willing to stand by her side, no matter what. She said that her family has been very supportive, though it has been difficult. “My mom is my rock in all of this. She helps me with everything I need. She’s there for me emotionally, and is always researching things for me.” There is no cure for the disease so most treatment programs are directed at relieving symptoms. Prescription medications can be useful in treating symptoms such as sleep problems, heart rate irregularities, pain, allergies, and depression. “We’re still in the process of finding treatments to make things easier. It’s really a lot of lifestyle choices that I have to make in order to make things easier.” she said. The most important thing for CFIDS patients to learn is how to manage activity levels. Patients must establish stable patterns of planned activity followed by planned rest. This kind of measured lifestyle will make it extremely difficult for Jaymee to have a career and children when she gets older. These are the things that she is most concerned about. She said “I have my days where I get angry about it. But I try to stay optimistic and realize that this is life, and you just gotta deal with it.” Jaymee is an example to live by. She is only seventeen years old and is already going through more than most of us will in our entire lives. Yet through all of the disappointments and challenges that CFIDS has brought to her life, Jaymee stays positive.

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Going to school and getting paid. Colfax High School’s school-run, tutoring program accomplishes this. This school year, Colfax High School students are sacrificing their lunches and after-school plans to help other students get caught up on their homework and to make a few bucks. But just how well is this program working? When students first heard that the school was starting a tutoring program on campus, images of intelligent students giving -small lessons to enthusiastic learners crossed their minds. This is not the present case in the school’s tutoring program. Firstly, this program is mostly comprised of students who are required to be tutored. As many know, being forced to do a task does not mean that one will approach it with enthusiasm. This cannot be avoided, but it shows that the tutoring is different from the private one-on-one tutoring many of us have been involved in. Secondly, the structure of the program revolves around making up missed assignments and boosting the student’s grade. Instead of spending the time at lunch and after school teaching students, tutors watch to see if students are doing their work. An anonymous tutor commented: “I don’t think that what I do should be called tutoring. It should be called something like babysitting.” For those who do not understand what the word “tutor” means, dictionary.com defines it as “a person employed to instruct another in some branch or branches of learning.” Thirdly, the system looks as if it is a punishment or a detention. Students are required to leave their third block class five minutes early and have until the second bell to eat their lunch. They have to work

constantly and are only supposed to talk to tutors or faculty. These students have to receive a certain number of “credits” before they are allowed to not go to tutoring. This forced period of making up home-work sometimes results in a better understanding of the subject, but mainly results in a greater dislike of the school because their social time is taken away. When asked about the success of the tutoring program Rob Hitch-cock, Assistant Principal, said: “We don’t know very much yet. We don’t have definitive results. We are starting to see some patterns, but we don’t have sufficient data.” Although the tutoring program had a bumpy start, the growth seems to be slowly increasing. More students are discovering the existence of the tutoring program and go there of their own free will. The tutoring program started off with around six or seven students with four tutors. As of today, it is normal to see 20 or more students with five tutors. Regardless of how the system is set up, the tutors do an excellent job instructing when they are able. CHS’s tutoring program is only in its early stages and has a lot of time to evolve. This program is not only for students who are behind in their homework, but for any student that needs help. For those interested, the tutoring program is held in Mr. Heinman’s room every lunch Monday through Thursday, and after school (usually in the library) Tuesday through Thursday.

Opinion

Students Teaching StudentsAndrew Sindel

Copy-Editor

A not-so-effecient method of “tutoring”

Photo by: Andrew Sindel

November Pulse Magazine 13

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When most people go to home football games on Thursday or Friday, there is a distinct voice that people are used to. The same echoing sound coming off the trees for as long as most can remem-ber. That is the voice of Dave Johnson, who has been announcing for twenty years now. “(Johnson) is the traditional voice on all levels, Freshmen, JV and Varsity. It is also my understanding that he announces all the Jr. Falcon games also,” said Rob Hitchcock, Vice Principal and Athletic Director at CHS, who greatly appreciates Johnson’s volunteering. “He comes in on his own time, there’s no pay, and it really brings the community together.” Johnson started out announcing and spotting for the falcons one night in 1990. “Pat would call the game and I filled in with what I called ‘the commercials,’” said Johnson. In 2004, Pat Plunkett retired from announcing, and that is when Johnson took full responsibility for being the “Voice of the Falcons” and has been ever since.

Interview With Dave JohnsonQ: What was your most memorable moment announcing?A: “I believe Colfax was playing Oakridge that night. That was the night that the lights were turned on for the first time for Fri-

The Man Behind the MicDave Johnson tells Pulse about his 20 years of volunteering as football announcer Bailey Bean

Staff Writer

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“It always makes me feel good to know that I am doing something that is positive and benefits the high school. I am able to watch the players and the cheerleaders develop from the Junior Falcons

through Varsity and many friendships have developed

over the years with the players, cheerleaders and their parents.”

- Dave Johnson

day Night Football at Colfax High School. My only regret about that night is that the football players and their parents that worked so hard to get the lights that graduated in June of 1990, including Brandon Bean and my son Doug, never got a chance to play ‘under the lights.’ I truly believe that this changed Colfax High School and its relationship with the community. That night when I got to the school, I looked out to the flag end of the field and the students had taken Styrofoam cups and spelled out (in the chain link fence) ‘Thank you Mr. Johnson.’ I was president of the Boosters Club (for 3 years) and spearheaded the project to get the lights. I will never for-get that the night was topped off by the varsity winning the game. It was incredible, each game has a highlight or two but I have to admit that last Friday nights win over Placer was probably the best game I have had the pleasure of announcing even if I did lose my voice in the first quarter of the game.”

Q: Have you ever been recognized because of your voice?A: “Amazingly yes, often I am asked, ‘Are you the announcer at Colfax?’ or ‘your voice sounds familiar, I know I have heard you somewhere?’ This is a small town and that is one of the benefits of being involved. I have a client who listed their home with me that lives off Magnolia in Grass Valley and they said that they can hear me when the sound carries just right.”

Q: What made you want to announce?A: “I have never been afraid to talk and I really feel that I bring a different style than most of the announcer I have heard. I try to make the visitors feel like they are important also. While it is not always easy, I do my best to be neutral in my announcing. My role as the announcer is not to do play-by-play it is to identify the players involved in the play. Our son, Doug who played for Colfax, graduat-ing in 1990 was my reason for starting. One of the things I try to do is call as many names as possible. My spotter, Glen Fredy, also feels that is important. We do not know whose parents, grandparents etc. might be in the stands so we try to give everybody a chance to hear their favorite player or cheerleader’s name. It always makes me feel good to know that I am doing something that is positive and benefits the high school. I am able to watch the players and the cheerleaders develop from the Junior Falcons through Varsity and many friend-ships have developed over the years with the players, cheerleaders and their parents.”

Football UpdateThe Varsity Football team advances into playoffs after defeating Placer in a rivalry game

Bailey BeanStaff Writer

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Friday night, the Falcons came out ready with the passion and determination that a rivalry game brings out in the best of athletes. With a few players sticking out at new positions, the Varsity Falcons came out with a win that left the community without anything to say. The Placer Hillmen came into this game averaging 44 points a game, but they hadn’t seen anything like the effort that Colfax’s defense put forth. The defense held the Hillimen to one offensive touchdown in the game, a one yard run to tie the game early in the second quarter 7-7. The Falcon’s defense also held the Hillmen pass-ing game to four throws, and one completion for 19 yards. Tommy Baldoni (12) led the rushing game for the falcons, with 69 yards, 25 carries, and a touchdown from 15 yards away from the end-zone. Austin Young’s (11) night consisted of 18 of 34 passes com-pleted for 178 yards. Josh Moreno (12), playing at outside linebacker for the first time since the eighth grade, stepped up to the challenge that defensive co-ordinator Jeff Bagget put in front of him. He finished the night with 8 tackles total, and the 31 yard game tying touchdown. The win came from a forced fourth down field-goal, which had the length but went just left of the uprights. Then came Matti Geissler, a foreign exchange student, with the leg of a soccer player, and a will to play football. The falcon offense set up the field goal and Geissler did the rest, kicking a 27 yard field goal to bring the Colfax fans pouring over the fence to congratulate the Falcons on there dramatic win.

Matti Giessler (11) kicks the final field goal in double over-time to defeat Placer.

Photos by: Gary Root

The Lady Falcons bump, set, and spike their way into playoffs as their season comes to an end. With an overall record of 7-2 in league trailing rivals Placer and Bear River. Though Colfax lost to their rival Placer, they defeated Bear River, another rival, in three straight games the first time they played and came out with a win the second time they played as well. “These lady falcons bring intensity and leave everything on the court. Our team plays with heart, and we don’t give up no matter the score,” stated head coach Vicky Satterlee. Satterlee commends stand out players Haley Biles (11), Erica Heikila (12), Iona Lofrano (11), Kelsey Whittet (11), Maddi Ittner (9), and Kassidy Gutierrez (12). In preseason play, the Lady Falcons were proud of beating Christian Brothers, El Dorado, Golden Sierra, and not coming out victorious but playing tough against Del Oro. This is what prepared them for a tough season ahead and showed them what they needed to improve on. Throughout the season the Lady Falcons have come together as a team weather it was in the game or on the weekends. The moments off the court is what brought the Lady Falcons together as a team. “The seniors on the bus ride, team sleepover parties, ‘just a little wiggle’, ‘yelling at Vicky awkwardly’, the seniors on the bus ride, nicknames Diane, Pelican, Gassy, Kevin, and Shamoo,” bonded these girls together said Senior Captain Erica Heikila. Also, Colfax brought a new coach to the staff this season. “Our new coach Jason Cole was very skillful and taught me many new things. He brought me encouragement and new skills to further my volleyball knowledge,” declared Heikila. “I know Colfax has potential to go far, we just need to bring our

Volleyball UpdateThe Varsity Falcons Fly into playoffs with an outstanding league record

Raegan LillieStaff Writer

Cross Country UpdateLeague meets completed; looking ahead to SubsectionsKyle Juchau

Staff Writer

November Pulse Magazine 17

Iona Lofrano (11) and Kelly Harris (10) players go up for a block in the game against Center.

Photo by: Gary Root

In Varsity Cross Country, Colfax placed fourth overall in league for both boys and girls. Dylan Laidlaw (12) led the boy’s team placing 11th out of 58 with a time of 18:00 and Alex Morgan (12) acquired 16th with a time of 18:22 in their last league meet at Twin Bridges. Andrew Sindel (12) and Connor Purviance (12) also helped Colfax attain fourth at the meet by participating in their very first cross country meet. They placed 39th and 43rd respectively. The girl’s varsity was led by Haley Walker (12) who placed 10th out of 40 with a time of 20:08 and also won the PVL “All-League Award”. Michelle Read (11) placed 14th for Colfax with 21:04 and Madeline Newman (10) also came in top 20 (placed 16) at 21:39. This season marked Coach Jim Howard’s first year as head coach.

He was co-coach in his previous years but was dubbed head coach for this season. He said the first year as head coach, “is a little bit more work, but in a lot of ways it’s easier. Because I’m the only decision maker, I can make decisions quicker and easier.” Cross country runners support Coach Howard, such as Sindel who stated, “he has so much knowledge and works so hard for the team.” Michelle Read (11), when asked how she felt about the denouement of cross country, said, “I am a little relieved because, I love the sport, but it takes up a lot of time”. Overall, the cross country team worked hard and made improve-ments. League is over but the runners are still practicing for cross country finals.

‘A’ game everytime we enter the gym,” states head Coach Satterlee. Colfax is going into playoffs with their heads up and their “A” game. “We always bring power,” said coach Satterlee and this is the attitude that will lead Colfax into their playoff matches.

Q: How long have you been playing sports?A: I have been playing sports for 13 years total; I played soccer since I was five and basketball since I was nine.

Q: What got you interested in basketball/soccer?A: I became interested in basketball because I saw many basketball players having a pizza party at Round Table, and was instantly hooked that moment.

Q: How do you feel your career as an athlete is going?A: I feel like my career as an athlete is going alright, but I’m always looking to improve myself.

Q: What are your post high-school goals for sports?A: I want to be the best back-up goalkeeper in NCAA Men’s Soccer.

Q: Who was your role model/favorite coach?A: Darren Thomas coached me in soccer since I was five up until high school. Another role model is my dad who has always helped me in every sport I play.

Q: Do you have any pre-game rituals? If so, what are they?A: Before every soccer game, I have to listen to Big Poppa by Biggie Smalls.

Q: What is your most proud or accomplished moment?A: My biggest and most proud moment in soccer so far was beating Placer at their stadium and breaking their undefeated streak.

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment in your athletic career?A: My most embarrassing moment in soccer was in my first game playing on the varsity level. I was a freshman and my coach pulled me up from JV and immediately started me against a league rival. I was so nervous that I dropped a really east shot from about 40 yards out and it slowly rolled into the goal. The stadium was packed and I felt everyone’s eyes on me. It was by far the worst experience of my career, and I would have to wait a year to get my redemption, when I led my team to playoffs. But for an entire year I was known as “the goalie that dropped the ball”.

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Athletes of the IssueGary Root

Editor

A one-on-one interview with notable Falcon Athletes: Adam McCord and Hannah Clark

Adam McCord

November Pulse Magazine 19

Q: How long have you been a gymnast?A: I have been a gymnast since I was four, so about twelve years, but I’ve only competed for nine.

Q: What got you interested in gymnastics?A: My mom got me started with classes and I was hooked ever since. I like the constant challenge of trying to better myself as an athlete and a person and of course being able to try and defy the laws of physics every day.

Q: How do you feel your career as an athlete is going?A: I feel like I am exactly where I should be at. As a kid, I dreamed of being an Olympic athlete, but in reality I am just excited to be looking at college gymnastics and the opportunities it will bring.

Q: What are your post high-school goals for sports?A: I would like to make it onto a division 1 college gymnastics team and be able to compete at that level and continue to learn more about the sport until graduation day.

Q: Who was your role model/favorite coach?A: My role model has been every Olympic athlete and of course my coach Mr. Miyagi. He was an excellent college gymnast and I feel privileged to be taught by such an incredible athlete and person.

Q: Do you have any pre-game rituals? If so, what are they?A: Unlike most people, I have no pre-meet rituals. All I do is mentally prepare myself for the competition during warm-ups and then look to my coach for any last minute advice before I step up to face the judges.

Q: What is your most proud or accomplished moment?A: In my sport you are constantly learning and mastering skills year after year, but I have to say my most accomplished moment was when I learned a cartwheel on the beam. Even though I could now do that kind of skill in my sleep, at the time it was a defining moment and I have never seen my mom more proud of me than at that time.

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment in your athletic career?A: As a gymnast I fall left and right. Embarrassment comes with the territory but most likely the worst fall I have ever had was when I was doing a release move off bars and I pealed off the bar and flew head first into the foam pit. As I was pleading for help, my team mates just stood and laugh as I helplessly kicked my feet in the air.

Photo by: Gary Root

Photo by: Tori Anderson

Hannah Clark

www.chspulse.comwww.chspulse.com

One of the greatest cinematic accomplishments of our generation is nearing its end. Millions of people will be fl ocking to theaters around the world to see the much anticipated fi rst half of the fi nal Harry Pot-ter movie later this month. Th e U.S. premiere for Deathly Hallows: Part 1 will be held in New York City on November 15th, and will be offi cially released throughout the country on November 19th. Th e second portion of the fi lm is set to come out July 15th, 2011. Because the series has received so much attention and praise, producer David Heyman led a proposal to split the fi lm into two in-stallments. According to Warner Bros. executive, Alan F. Horn it will allow “an extra hour and a half to celebrate what this franchise has been and do justice to all the words and ideas in the amazing story.” It was both a surprise and a thrill to Harry Potter fans when they discovered that the fi nal book would be split into two fi lms. Self pro-claimed Harry Potter Super-fan Holly Nann (12) said “I am extreme-ly glad because now they can fi t everything in the two parts.” Th e midnight showing of the movie is a huge attraction to dedi-cated fans. People show up hours early and dress up to the full extent. Nann (12) is planning on waiting in line at the movie theater as soon as she can get there aft er school, in a full Harry Potter costume. She says that the midnight showing is such a big deal because “You get to

see the movie before everyone else. What could be better than that?” Showings have been known to sell-out weeks in advance, and this year will be no exception. Colfax student Grant Gutierrez (12) even went so far as to mass-purchase 30 tickets to the midnight showing as soon as the box offi ces opened. He said that he did this because: “I knew there was a lot of interest, and I wanted as many of my friends in one theater as possible, as well as I thought it would be funny.” Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince set a new record for mid-night showings making $22.2 million last year, and Warner Brothers is looking to break the record again this time around. Expectations for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 are high and the test screening of the fi lm has so far received rave reviews. But if it seems like fans are especially excited about Part 1, then one can only imagine the hysteria that will arise with the release of Part 2 next July. When asked how she felt about the Harry Potter fi lm series coming to an end, Nann said “Honestly, I will be heartbroken. Harry Potter is the essence of our generation, and with them gone it’s like I’ll be forced to grow up.” So get your wands ready to see the two part fi nale of the worldwide phenomenon, premiering November 19th.

The Saga Begins to EndHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One introduces the closure to an epic story.

Hannah WestStaff Writer

November Pulse Magazine21

Published in 2005, Twilight was an instant sensation that took young readers into a world of love, war and mythical creatures. Stephanie Meyer reveals the tale of a seventeen-year-old girl who falls madly in love with a classmate who is, spoiler alert, a vampire. The novel takes its readers through epic battles between the love that Edward and Bella share and the world that fights against them. Though in contrast to the popularity of this tale, it is obvious to those who are able to separate their lives from fantasy that this novel is only a pimple on the face of modern literature. Twilight lacks everything that a book of this reputation should have and maintains only one positive attribute: vagueness. Meyer describes Bella as an average looking girl with brown hair. This about covers the extent to which Meyer describes the main character, thus leading the majority of Twilight’s preteen demographic to affiliate themselves with the sulky, ill deserving character who is Bella Swan. In giving little to no detailed description of this character, Meyer gives further reason for her readers to believe they have the ability to obtain the incredibly unrealistic life that Bella has managed to receive. However, Meyer finds plenty of time to give description of the over dramatized, erotic nature of Edward Cullen, the exceedingly moody vampire who only dampens the readers’ view of actual people. She describes Edward with such detail she is able to mention not only his visual appearance, but his smell, feel, and even taste. In providing this unnecessary information, Meyer creates an unreal character that only heightens the already skyrocketed expectations that young women have of love. The compilation of lack of description for the heroine and perfec-tion in the hero leads the almost entirely female demographic to fill in Bella’s empty shell with themselves, and swoon over the all too won-derful Edward. This appeal Meyer has created (though probably un-intentionally) can be summed up in one passage from the actual text. Bella thinks to herself, “I wasn’t interesting. And he was. Interesting… and brilliant… and mysterious… and perfect… and beautiful… and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand.” Lastly, it is vital that the young teens of the new generation to real-ize the poorness in writing that Meyer provides. The plot, though entertaining, is not the only factor in great writing. In fact, when dealing with these particular novels, plot is the only factor that can be observed, thus creating a story, not literature. Throughout the novel, Meyer fails to use any form of figurative lan-guage aside from boring, overused imagery. Literature should include a variety of sentence structures ad rhetorical devices. Instead, Meyer finds creative writing in exclamatory sentences in which a poorly used verb is introduced followed by a bland and somewhat irrelevant adjective preceding a noun, often referring to Edward’s eyes, odor, hair, skin, face, or “crooked smile.” For example, when Bella is talking to Edward at some point in the

story, she says, “As always, I was electrically aware of Edward sitting close enough to touch, as distant as if he were merely an invention of my imagination.” Let’s break down this sentence. “As always…” mis-take number one. How often does Edward stand close to Bella? As I recall, for the first half of the book, Edward seemed to be disgusted with her, refusing to be near her. So assuming that she has ever been in this situation before (keeping in mind that this is an excerpt from the second chapter) is ridiculous. “I was electrically aware…” Here is an example of Meyer’s inability to create a smooth sentence without the help of thesaurus.com. To be “electrically aware” of something would mean Bella would be dead or unconscious, because if electricity were to be involved to the point where she refers to Edward as, “an invention of [her] imagination,” would mean that she was either tazed to insanity or had an inad-equate writer providing her with unnecessary description. In contrast to these poor attributes pertaining to the grammatical status of Twilight, it can still be labeled a good read. The definition of a good read still remains that of an interesting book that serves no other purpose other than to entertain, presenting absolutely no academic value. While it is poorly written and contains nothing to enhance the intelligence of the reader, it still remains as a valid, though very cliche, piece of entertainment.

AntwilightRevealing the truth behind a sparkling wall of vampires and stupidity.

Kelcey JoyceEditor

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Staff:Bailey BeanBriana CastorinaHaley Walker CostanzoSteffany DunnAspen FairchildKyle JuchauStefanie KitschkeMegan KorfKai LewisRaegan LillieKylie MorrillMaddie NewmanHeather OverdevestRyan OwensGreg PainterTalia PanelliAlly RondoniHannah West

Editors:Alex Bonser (Opinion)

Jessica Garretson (News)Grant Gutierrez (Copy)

Spencer Hitchcock (Copy)Dylan Howell (Photo)

Alex Hurley (Web)Kelcey Joyce (Arts)

Michelle Read (Business)Gary Root (Sports)

Zack Schweiger (Feature)Andrew Sindel (Copy)

Editors-in-chief:Daniel Graupensperger

Dylan Laidlaw

Adviser:Mrs. Page

Mission Statement:The Falcon Free Press aims to provide Colfax High School and the

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