The Explorer

A hit without a bang

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:51:47 +0000

Imagine being a music artist who is able to produce one major hit, only to fall off the charts after the hype dies down.
The 80’s and 90’s were notorious for one hit wonders such as “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugar Hill Gang or “Whip It” by Devo. These songs are considered classics but many of the people who deem them this way don’t listen to them anymore.
“Technically, a ‘hit’ is a song that makes the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. For one-hit wonder status, this is usually narrowed down to the top 40,” Charles Bryant writes on HowStuffWorks.com.
One hitch that comes with one hit wonders is that many of these people are only known for that one song and are forgotten about within a year or two of the song’s release.
“I told [a young man] I was listening to Nada Surf. ‘Nada Surf?’ he said and then quietly laughed. ‘Like, that ‘Popular’ song?’ Most people, if they remember Nada Surf at all, remember them as a flash-in-the-pan group with the one song. In reality, Nada Surf has put out seven albums during its near 20-year career,” Times Entertainment reporter Roberta Parkin said.
Typically for only one song, people buy an entire album without realizing the quality of the rest of the album isn’t anywhere close to the song that they purchased it for. Granted, the people who are creating the hits aren’t complaining about making them but just one hit doesn’t mean they will have a wide and new fan base.
“Some legendary artists with huge followings have technically only had one Billboard hit,” Bryant said.
Some artists can claim that they’ve made a hit, but the one thing they overlook is that they didn’t have enough of a music career to be famous for it. An artist’s talents can’t be measured by the amount of songs they put on the charts.
“It’s doubtful that many people think of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin or Rush as one-hit wonders, even though they each charted only once,” Bryant said.
There are distinct lines between the legendary and the ordinary when it comes to the music industry and the charts aren’t an accurate way of measuring these lines. The charts scream quality over quantity but in an industry where quality and quantity must be matched in order for success, artists can’t rely on only one or two songs for their whole career.

Flipped classes change the way students learn

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:48:57 +0000

Over the past five years, Moreau’s laptop program has helped students and teachers bring themselves into the twenty-first century. But a few teachers take this use of technology to the next level, changing the way that students learn material.
Science teacher Joanne Couling and Social Studies chair Colleen Galloway have begun using what is called the FLIP method in their respective AP Chemistry and AP Government classes.
“The traditional definition of a flipped class is where videos [online] take the place of direct instruction,” Couling said. “This then allows students to get individual time in class to work with their teacher on key learning activities.”
Couling started applying this method just last year when she discovered numerous features that allow students to take learning with them everywhere.
“We make good use of [our] one-to-one laptop program,” Couling said. “I use Camtasia and YouTube for my podcasts, both made available through Moreau.”
These podcasts and videos are then uploaded to Moodle for students, and the classroom is officially flipped.
“Ms. Couling allows her students to watch podcasts and learn the lectures at home,” senior AP Chemistry student Jana Lee said. “I can watch her lectures whenever I want.”
Because the lectures are done through the podcasts or videos at home, what would in a normal class be “homework” is now done in the classroom.
“The class focuses on working on worksheets and clarifying concepts we didn’t understand during the podcast,” Lee said. “In other classes, students usually feel like they ‘get it’ at school but then when they go home and attempt to do homework, it doesn’t make any sense. [With this method], I can be more proactive with my learning.”
“In many ways, this idea allows class time to be more engaging,” senior Samhita Nanduri said. “We work with classmates on topics that we’ve learned already.”
Galloway also makes use of this method, but utilizes different technology provided on the laptop.
“Since all students have a computer, they all can have access to the PowerPoints that contain the information I would normally have to cover in class,” she said. “Class time can then be used to go more in-depth into topics and to apply and analyze the information they have learned.”
The benefits to this method are already visible, and the teachers hope their techniques will pay off on the AP exams.
“I would recommend other teachers consider the FLIP method for their classes if there is content for higher-order thinking activities,” Galloway said. “It is my hope [that] this better prepares the students for the AP exam.”
The students also feel that this way of learning is more efficient as well.
“With this method of learning, I can learn at my own pace at home, instead of getting bored at the rapid pace of classroom lectures,” senior Anmol Singh said.
FLIP has proved to be successful for classes across multiple departments
“Practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect,” Couling said. “If the teacher is with you while you do that ‘practice’ then misconceptions and errors can be spotted and corrected right away.”

Stress Overload

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:48:12 +0000

In high school most of us juggle sports, friends, family relationships, jobs, and of course our school work. A lot of people are perfectly fine when they are given multiple tasks, and work well under the pressure. But for many others this pressure so to speak, can bring them down.

Stress is defined as a response to different events that makes our bodies feel threatened or throw us “off balance” in some way. Since every-one’s level of tolerance is different, the way we deal with the unexpected is different from person to person.

Psychology teacher Colleen Galloway explains the state our bodies’ head into when we are going through all of this.

“When we are “stressed” our bodies respond with a fight or flight reaction,” Galloway said. “My psychology students will tell you this is the Sympathetic Division of the Autonomic Nervous System, that prepares our body to respond to a threat/being thrown off-balance, by increasing our heart rates; blood pressure; breathing and body temperatures.”

Numerous things and situations can lead us to be stressed out, but the best thing to do is to find ways to relieve or prevent that stress from occurring in the first place. One simple thing that everyone can do is just to be more organized. Math teacher Brittany Debrauwere talks about how writing things down helps her in the long run.

“I’m really good at keeping an organized planner. I color code things so I know based on the color what’s more significant,” Debrauwere said. “ If I know what to expect and I’m not surprised, it stresses me out less.”

Some of the most basic ways to lessen your tension levels is to take a step back and consider what is actually going on. Give time to yourself and if you can’t figure things out by yourself then try talking to someone close to you about it.

“It is also good to talk to others and just vent to them about the reasons that you are stressed, because usually we tend to blow things out of proportion and others can help us become grounded,” senior Michelle Popelka said.

Another simple thing like changing our perspective from time to time can make a huge difference. “Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one,” noted 20th-century psychologist Hans Selye said.

Read-a-thon

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:44:28 +0000

For many people the school library is a place to go to get projects done, catch up on homework, or to just find a good book. But on February 10, the Moreau Catholic library will be hosting its annual read-a-thon, where they promote reading and competition, all to help a good cause.

“We wanted to create an opportunity for students to explore their love of reading,” librarian Anne Arriaga said. “I think so often in high school we get caught up in what we have to read for classes [that] we don’t take the time to read for pleasure, so this is giving you 24 hours to do that.”

This whole reading marathon of sorts was first started last year when the idea arose from a different catholic school in Berkeley called St. Mary’s.

“We knew we had to bring this to Moreau,” Arriaga said. “What a great and unique opportunity for our students.”

Just like last year, this year will be filled with delectable food items, sleeping equipment, board/video games, different judges and also many teams of students with their wide variety of books hoping to last the full twenty-four hours.

With it being a competition, the rules are just as strict. One person has to be reading out loud at all times, and the judges walk around constantly to see if people are actually engaged. One of the librarians Susan Geiger explained how difficult this could actually be.

“It’s pretty grueling; kind of like the dance marathon in the thirties,” Geiger said. “The person who is not reading needs to be standing up. They are welcome to walk around, or [sing] karaoke and dance with the Wii which will all be viewable via live stream. So you have to be pretty active for 24 hours to make it.”

Not all contestants had a smooth ride to the finish. Senior Marlene Imana-Iyemura discussed how she had to go through the whole day with an injury to her lip.

“Half way through the night, my lip split in two. No one had any chap stick, so I had bite the proverbial bullet and continue reading through the pain,” Imana-Iyemura said. “The read-a-thon is definitely not for people who are unable [to] handle exhaustion.”

Throughout the course of the twenty-four hours the food is endless. The culinary arts department provides everyone with dinner, while the library staff supplies mid-night pizza, breakfast, lunch, and snacks, along with loads of coffee. Even with plenty of caffeine, staying up for a full day can be a difficult thing to do for some participants. Some people take a little snooze, but unfortunately for them it counts to their disadvantage because it violates one of the rules.

“The five second rule seems was called upon the most,” Arriaga explained. “ You start to nod off and you know your head will jolt you forward but [by] then a judge has already stopped you, so you’re disqualified.”

Through the day students came up with their own tactics to make sure they do not get kicked out. The people that were not reading would go sing karaoke or stand up on chairs close to the shelves so it would not cause them to lean on anything. Another strategy that was used was the use of ice.

“At four am, people were starting to hit that feeling of sleepiness,” Arriaga said. “Team members would put ice down the backs of [his or her] team members so [they] could stay awake longer.”

For people who could have not gone last year, and the ones that will not be able to go this year, there is the option to watch the live stream from the website. Teachers tuned in a few times last year to see what was going on.

“The interesting thing was the faculty reaction,” Geiger said. “We had people like Mrs. Kleczek online at like two o’clock in the morning saying, ‘I don’t know why I’m still watching this, it is addicting.’”

To make it through a whole read-a-thon it demands a lot of stamina and determination, but in the end all of its for a good cause. Everyone is encouraged to make donations either through the website or by donating books in the library. All of these donations will go directly to St. Leanders School in San Leandro.

Even though the deadline for this year’s read-a-thon has passed, there is always next year for those of you that couldn’t not make it this time around. And for the ones that are participating this year, good luck and happy reading.

Football Gears up for Next Season With Weight Training

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:42:53 +0000

Two Months. If you’re a football player for Moreau, that’s about all the time off you get in a year.

The Mariners’ annual spring weight training program started up again this January. This intensive program led by theology teacher and football coach Jaime Fernandez is an integral part of the team’s progress towards a winning season. Head coach Andrew Cotter believes that “off-season weight training is the backbone of our program. Coach Fernandez does a great job getting the most out of these young men. There is a correlation between the harder work the better you play.”

Past players also support the program and suggest anyone who wants to play next season should come out. “Off-season weight training for football is vital. It most definitely led to a better season for our players as individuals, and our team as a whole,” senior Jeremy Imlach said.

However some things are different this year, “While turnout has been great. Our numbers are down a little but the young men have been working extremely hard. I can truly say that this is the hardest working group I have been around, literally we can put a workout on the board and they are going to get it done. No need for arm twisting by the coaches. We are in this together, we have things to prove and a lot of doubters to prove wrong” Cotter said.

While the program is seeing a time of change, recently, change at Moreau has been good, seeing the Mariners improving to a annually winning team. “I have seen some new faces in the weight room, and some new faces all together, specifically freshman Jonathan Rameriz, Justin Sanchez, Drew Retallick, and Frank Ngo, and they have all been working hard” Cotter said.

These players are excited about the program and look forward to improvement through their participation “the workouts have helped me expand on what I learned during my first season. I feel that through the workouts I’ve improved in many ways under more personal-direct type coaching” freshman Andrew Retallick said.

Stop inaccuracy 2012

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:41:37 +0000

A viral video that has reached over 70 million hits has exposed a brutal tyrant who has presented himself as a problem for Ugandans. Or at least, had presented itself.
The video I speak of is the Kony 2012 propaganda video, in which the foundation Invisible Children explains how a war criminal named Joseph Kony and his military group, the Lord’s Rebel Army, abducted 30,000 children to use as soldiers and slaves.
“KONY 2012 portrays, in no uncertain terms, the image of a madman who manipulates children spiritually for his own tactical gains,” the group’s website states. “In a 30-minute film, however, many nuances of the 26-year conflict are admittedly lost or overlooked.”
The foundation relies upon using merchandise and other marketing tactics to try and sell products in order to raise enough money to run the movement.
While this disclaimer has been presented on the foundation’s website, the disclaimer is nowhere to be found in the video or in it’s description panel on Youtube. The lack of a clearly presented disclaimer has misled many people into thinking Kony is still a problem.
“The Lord’s Resistance Army was expelled from Uganda six years ago and has been reduced to a force of about 300 fighters now operating in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the Central African Republic (CAR),” Jocelyn Edwards writes for the Globalpost.
Not only has the information been skewed, but there has also been a huge controversy over the portrayal of the Ugandan people that has arisen with the release of the video.
“As a result of Invisible Children’s irresponsible advocacy, civilians in Uganda and central Africa may have to pay a steep price in their own lives so that a lot of young Americans can feel good about themselves, and a few can make good money,” writes Adam Branch of the Makerere Institute of Social Research.
“I got into the movement and I was going to buy the action kit, a collection of Kony 2012 pieces of merchandise, but they were all sold out when I wanted to buy it,” junior Sahaj Patel said.
However, one problem with the video that has caused it to receive negative attention is that much of the information used isn’t fully accurate.
The video has not only caused controversy over the Ugandan people’s portrayal, but over relief to Africa as a whole.
“Kony has been in Uganda causing problems for around ten to fifteen years and just now people in the more developed part of the world are hearing about him. The thing that bothers me the most is that we focus on Kony rather than the problems with rape, murder, and sickness in Africa,” theology teacher Jaime Fernandez said.
The problems that the Invisible Children foundation has highlighted are problems that no longer have merit in Uganda. There are bigger problems occurring in Uganda and many of the Ugandan people feel that the stop Kony movement is more disrespectful than it is helpful. Some of their main problems now are huge things that have managed to be ignored by this foundation. The country’s president and the lack of educational systems implemented in the country are currently causing more problems than Joseph Kony is.
“There has also been a massive backlash against the fact that the Invisible Children organization openly supports the 30-year dictator of Uganda Yoweri Museveni, a man who resorted to election fraud last year to hold on to power and has been implicated in murders and acts of genocide against his own people,” Paul Joseph Watson writes on Infowars.com.
While the Invisible Children foundation avoids presenting the current problems of the Ugandan people and has released an inaccurate video documentary to the whole world, it has done a good job of making a video go viral all over the internet in a matter of a few weeks.

From track to football

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:39:50 +0000

The coaching staff for Moreau athletics changes from time to time. Lately if you’ve been to any of the track meets or practices then you might have noticed a new coach for shot put and discus.

Daniel Green who has been one of Moreau’s football coaches has now also transitioned into teaching track.

He grew up playing both football and track, but it wasn’t until about two years ago he actually got into the teaching aspect of it.

Head track coach Diane Blackwell, who has been coaching track for over 35 years, got to work with him for the first time this year.

“He is easy going, caring, professional, willing to teach, dedicated to the sport and just a great coach overall,” Blackwell said.

Green discussed his transition from football to track.

“It was pretty easy, in the sense [that] I hadn’t coached track in a few years. But once you start coaching you know what you got to do,” Green said.

Athletes benefit from Green’s coaching and his emphasis on the fundamentals.

“He knows techniques that will help you improve your routine and gives you feedback on how you should change this or do that. But he doesn’t just tell you it bluntly, he makes them relatable to you,” senior Lupita Gonzalez said.

Making the switch from football to track, people may think you would need a whole different game plan, but that wasn’t the case this time. Green’s philosophy is to stick to the basics.

“I’m just getting them to make sure they’re using their legs to build up more power and not so much upper body. [Also] making sure what they are doing is proper so they aren’t throwing out their arm, especially shot put and discus wise,” Green said. “It’s kind of like a crawl before you walk theory, where we try to do the little small things then we build up to the whole throw or the shot.”

Senior Tim Kondo thrived under Green’s tutelage.

“Coach Green has helped me become a better athlete by continuously pushing me to go above and beyond to reach my full potential on the football field,” Kondo said.

As the season starts to take off, Green has made a bond with each one of his students.

“It’s just a lot of fun, I think that’s why it’s so easy. I have a lot of fun with the kids and the rest of the staff,” Green said.

His perspective balances healthy competition with personal growth.

“It’s kind of more a pressure-free sport to where it’s not so much about winning,” Green said. “It’s more about teaching kids to be competitive and to work hard and improve whatever it is they’re doing.”

Coach Green will also be starting as our new campus supervisor on Monday, March 26th.

Green takes over for Angel Lopez, who left Moreau in late February.

Prior to joining Moreau, Green served as an adolescent counselor at Willow Rock Crisis Center in San Leandro.

He also worked as the Social Development Director and Supervisor for Job Corps Center on Treasure Island, monitoring the safety and security of the facility and the dormitories.

My Precious Greenbacks: As Gas Prices Rise, Politicians Point Fingers

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:38:02 +0000

Spring marks more than the beginning of blossoming trees and warm weather. With the arrival of spring comes an increase in travel and subsequently our cost at the pump. A combination of disagreements over the past months, concerning both Iranian and Canadian policies, have led to a huge increase in gas prices to the tune of 50 cents nationally.

With gas prices rising at a record-setting pace, American citizens are now fearing a $5 or $6-a-gallon price. If the price of gasoline were to reach these milestones, our national economic recovery could be severely jeopardized and this would certainly affect the upcoming presidential election.

Oil supply concerns have grown in the United States as well as Europe after tightened sanctions on Iran led to U.S. crude prices for future delivery being pushed to $109.77 on Feb. 24, the highest in nine months, according to data compiled by the Associated Press.

President Obama rejected the proposed $7.6 billion dollar Keystone Pipeline that would move nearly 900,000 barrels of oil stateside daily.

“I feel president Obama’s decision was smart, because we only have one earth, but there is plenty of oil,” senior Jeremy Imlach said.

“The gas prices are surely tied in to politics, given what is going on with today’s political and economic situation,” senior Nick Rodden said.

This political decision has been under fire ever since, Bloomberg News stated that “Republicans including three of the party’s presidential candidates — Mr. Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia — have criticized President Barack Obama’s Jan. 18 rejection of Keystone XL after Nebraskans raised concerns about the pipeline polluting their groundwater.”
As Republicans criticize president Obama’s decision, they also begin the volley of negative sound bites and political commercials as the major parties gear up for the 2012 presidential election.

While some believe gasoline prices are simply becoming a matter of political warfare even Democratic former President Bill Clinton backed Keystone’s construction at a Washington-area energy conference stating “the extra cost of running it is infinitesimal compared to the revenues’ that the pipeline could produce.”

With the presidential election looming and many Moreau seniors coming of voting age, gas prices may alter Mariner voting tendencies, however geographically Bay Area voters tend to be largely democratic.

“The fact that the pipeline has not been on my radar surprises me, it’s something that I would definitely have to look into before casting my ballot,” father Tito Bonoan said.

However, what does this mean within our community? Many Moreau students may be seeing the road a lot less as this school year closes out, particularly due to the fact that as summer approaches prices are likely to escalate even further.

Rising oil prices could also mean more expensive goods for students at Moreau, food prices, school supplies and about every product under the sun is somewhat subject to the price of oil as shipping and production of goods is especially dependent on a large supply of fuel.

As alternate technologies continue to develop, we may begin to see more fuel friendly and even electric-powered vehicles on the roads around the Bay Area.

So the next time you fill up at the pump, ask yourself if you are doing your part in aiding our political process.

Funding more than hopes and dreams

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:37:06 +0000

Moreau strives to provide a quality education at an affordable price for the Mariner community.

In the past, Moreau has always been an advocate of need-based grants to their students. But in the last four years, the average annual figure has doubled. This year alone, Moreau granted in excess of 1.4 million dollars of need-based tuition assistance to roughly 30 percent of our students.

Several events and fundraisers help contribute to this massive fund, but one of the landmark perennial events is the Funding Hopes and Dreams Luncheon.

“This is the third year in a row that we are having ‘Funding Hopes and Dreams’ and we have an organized system for inviting people,” President of institutional advancement Tom Hyland said. “We invited people who have supported in the past and have made donations to tuition assistance or have made donations of a certain five hundred dollars or more to the school.”

While the luncheon is limited to those who Moreau invited based on their donation history, it was also possible to reserve 8 seats, as a table captain, through a collective donation of at least $1,000. But the most exciting donor this year was Fremont Bank.

“Our friends at Fremont Bank have made a very generous donation and they’re paying for the lunch and everybody who comes to the lunch can eat for free, but they are asked to make a donation. Plus, we do have some anonymous donors who agreed to match dollar for dollar, up to 45 thousand dollars,” Hyland said.

The luncheon is also one of the most effective fundraisers because it allows donors to experience how the funds directly affect their benefactors. The event featured speeches by Rick Maya ‘90 and Jennifer Rillamas ‘11. Maya is the Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Sacramento Diocese and is responsible for the division of over 55 million dollars in assets over 3 high schools and 10,000 students.

“The gift of a Moreau high school education is one that is near and dear to my family’s heart. I know for a fact that our family could have never afforded full tuition and without financial aid, it simply wouldn’t have happened” Maya said.

Rillamas’ family suffered through hardships during the 2009-2010 school year, and through the need based tuition assistance programs she was about to continue at Moreau, graduating with honors, all while going on to the University of Portland.

Both of the day’s keynote speakers inspired donors to give generously after they saw exactly how their money could go to work.

“I think that everyone our community needs to be given the opportunity to go to such a wonderful school such as Moreau, where possibilities are opened up so that students can achieve great things in life,” alumni Robert Warren said.

By donating donors knew with confidence they were helping better our society by providing young, studious people with financial backing to support their academic aspirations.

“This event is not only funding hopes and dreams, it’s creating them,” Rillamas said.

Career Day

adviser — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:36:19 +0000

Some of us might know exactly what it is we want to do when we get to college, but for others we might not have the slightest clue.

Moreau held its second Career Day on February 17, informing students on different paths they can take after they’ve completed high school.

Career Day lets alumni share their stories and professional experiences through the years. Dani Lorta, Alumni Relations Director, believes all students can benefit from this insight.

“What’s important about career day is that it’s an opportunity to see something new, and learn something different,” Lorta said. “And [also] to be able to ask questions in a field you’re curious about.”

This time around, the presenters included Justin Chimenti ’90- Sales/Marketing, Aura “Rose” (Suarez) Giuffre ’91- Legal Counsel, Christine Griffin ’00-Biochemist, Stacey Wiley ’89-Entrepreneur/Animal Care, Rob Fratus ’85-Firefighter/Paramedic and Roger Kuan ’90- IP Attorney.

Each of the presenters had a unique story. Wiley initially perused a degree in literature but it wasn’t for her. She had a love for animals and ended up staring her own business for dogs.

“Personally I didn’t know what I wanted to do till I was in my late 20’s,” Wiley said. “It’s okay not to know right off the bat, because I could have made some really bad decisions and be stuck in some professions that I was not really passionate about.”

Senior Brittney Nguyen benefited from Wiley’s presentation.

“I actually decided what career path I wanted to focus on after listening to that speaker,” Nguyen said. “Going really helped and I definitely recommend others to go to any speaker that remotely interests them.”

Griffin is a UCSF researcher and also a part-time teacher. She talked about why it’s important to maintain good relations with teachers and professors after high school and college.

“When you have a class that you really like, go and meet with your professor and talk to them because those connections you make will actually help [you] the rest of your life,” Griffin said. “I am still good friends with some of my professors here at Moreau Catholic, from my college and then from my graduate school. And through those contacts I have gotten more jobs and better jobs.”

Finding the right career takes some work. Chimenti, who now is in sales with Pandora, discussed how things don’t always come easily. For a few of us we might just choose a career, but not actually think about what it takes to actually get there.

“It’s a tough rode and it takes a long time to develop the skills that you need, and even if you fail few times [don’t] not give up. Keep pushing forward for the goal that you have in mind,” Chimenti said.

When choosing a career it’s important to go for something you are actually passionate about, otherwise there’s no point.

“The most important thing I learned was that you need to find a job that you enjoy, not settle for something that makes you miserable,” senior Cassie Boccaleoni said.

Students will have one last opportunity to experience this type of in-depth look at the professional world. The last Career Day of this year is currently scheduled for April 24.