Students wait anxiously for the game to be over

The game, with a score of 2-0, was nerve-wracking, to say the least.  A goal was not scored until the middle of the second half by senior Ali Sadri, which meant that the entire first half was punctuated by spurts of screaming and groaning as CdM missed goal after goal.

Junior Kjell Wolker was down with a dislocated shoulder, but got it popped back in and went back into the game.  Shortly after he went back in, he was taken down, and dislocated his shoulder again.  He was then out for the rest of the game.  Senior Paul Zubatov was also injured.  After going for a header against a La Mirada player, he was elbowed in the head, then fell to the ground, hitting his head again.  A player then tripped over him.  Zubatov stayed down, but eventually got up and kept on playing.  He finished the half, but Coach Greg Larssen sidelined him after Zubatov couldn’t remember anything during halftime.  “He was like, did I play well?  Coach, you gotta tell me if I played well.  We’re playing in the finals, right?” said Sadri. 

Zubatov went to the ER and was diagnosed with a concussion.  He was released and ready to celebrate with his team the next day though.

Burke commented on his teammates injuries.  [Zubatov] and [Wolker] are both key players to our team.  Having them hurt was something that scared our team.  Luckily, everyone stepped up and did what they had to win the game.”

La Mirada went into the game undefeated.  But Burke wasn’t too worried.  “I was a little nervous, but I was confident that if we played our game then we could win.”

About 20 minutes into the second half, senior Reed Williams was tripped, but the ref failed to call a foul.  Angered, senior Alex Mainthow tripped a La Mirada player hard, and got a yellow card.  Temporarily benched, Coach Larssen had to find a replacement, and chose Sadri.  When asked how he felt when he got to go in, Sadri replied, “Finally!  I wanted to go in so bad.  We lost Kjell [Wolker] and Paul [Zubatov], and I felt the game slipping in [La Mirada's] favor.  I knew it would come down to the final moments.” 

Sadri waves to the fans

However, after Sadri kicked the goal, he did not think it was going to go in.  “It was a bad shot, but the turf field let it skip.  I was thinking, did I actually do this?  It’s a dream come true.  I’ve had this dream since I first found out what CIF was.  When Reed [Williams] scored, I knew the dream was coming true.”

“Words cannot describe [Sadri's goal," said Burke.

After his goal, the excitement was almost tangible.  Sadri's grin threatened to split his face, and as he was tackled by his teammates, Sadri was all but jumping up and down.  "I'm super excited," said Sadri.  "I've gotten hugs, congratulations from people I don't even know.  I was in Pavilions, and some adults came up and congratulated me.  It's the best feeling."

Fans storm the field

After Williams scored his goal, he ran around the field, making his teammates catch him.  He was also tackled to the ground, and this time, CdM students rushed to the fence.  At this point, there was about ten minutes left in the game, and CdM knew they had it in the bag.  Students chanted down the last tweleve seconds of the game, and, regardless of the security guards and announcements over the loud speaker, stormed the field.  Sadri and Williams were the first to celebrate on the team, but the rest of the boys quickly made their way over to form a giant dogpile.  Players were put up onto shoulders as students rushed to join the boys, and the security guards just watched as hundreds of screaming teenagers jumped the fence.

The boys played their first state game on Tuesday against Castle Park.  They were tied 2-2 at the end of the game, and ended up battling in penalty kicks.  The score ended up 5-4, CdM, with sophomore goalie Connor Gaal saving two goals and junior Brian Ford making the winning penalty kick.  Congratulations CdM!  The boys are scheduled to play on Thursday, time and place to be determined.

Thus, with great sadness, I must write my review of the gold medal game, and of USA’s olympic performance overall.

The team began in the storm of controversy and media attention which very so often follows Toronto Maple Leafs’ general manager Brian Burke. Chosen to pick the Olympic team, Burke turned many heads with his selections. It was clear that the team did not follow the traditional mold. But what was also clear was the truculence and pugnacity of the players picked.

What was created was a team with clear top lines of skilled players, and effective role-players to fill the rest of the team. The epitome of this attitude is NEw Jersey’s Zach Parise, who may not be the most talented player on team USA, but is certainly the most effective. The defense was a unique combination of defensive grit and offensive talent. Clearly the leader amongst the blue-liners, and team USA’s main defensive weapon, is Nashville’s Ryan Suter, who consistently was USA’s top defensive player. Certainly, the goal position was pretty cut and dry – Buffalo’s Ryan Miller was the designated starter from the beginning, and gave little to the other hopeful goaltenders.

Criticism rained on the team, be it from despondent fans who had their American players uninvited to the snooty critics who lambasted Burke for creating a team more suited for a WWE brawl than an international tournament. To be fair, for a team that was expected to be young and inexperienced anyway, there were quite a few question marks. Players like Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury, who were consistently ignored in the pre-tournament rosters of arm-chair GM’s, were acclaimed as integral parts of the team.

Typically, the international teams pick the best players from their country; the top-line players in the NHL as well as those of scattered professional clubs across Europe. Than, either 4 offensive lines are rolled or the star players are pigeonholed into defensive roles.

Players like Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, and Dustin Brown are certainly not the best players on their team. In fact, there are more skilled Americans across the NHL who could have potentially made the team. But team USA’s leadership made the critical (and controversial) decision to forsake this route in order to create a proper team. This philosophy was the one famously espoused by legendary coach Herb Brooks, who said something to the effect of “I didn’t pick the best players, I picked the right ones.”

Wise words indeed. The United States’ team, after a mediocre round robin, cemented their place as a premier hockey nation when they defeated Canada 5-3 in one of the most intense games of the tournament. Brian Rafalski scored 2 goals and, along with stand-out Ryan Miller, lead the Americans to a rare victory over the powerhouse Canadians.

People across the nation celebrated the victory, hailing it as a triumph of the underdogs (one of the only times we can see ourselves as such) against the powerful Canadian team. CIF Soccer superstar Ali Sadri said, “I was super proud of the American team. Yeah, it was pretty nice to see them win.”

It was certainly a great victory for morale – America had gone over 50 years winless against the Canadiens in Olympic competition. But the round robin simply doesn’t matter. It’s all about the medal rounds.

But America didn’t fail to impress. Other than a slip-up against a defensively minded Swiss team, America cruised to the gold medal game, crushing Germany and especially Finland (against whom the Americans scored 6 goals in the first period).

But Canada was coming around as well. No one presented any real threat to them in the medal rounds, a fact especially illustrated by Canada’s 7-3 thrashing of the talented Russian team.

Thus, the stage was set for an epic clash between the United States, a team based on physical domination and a powerful for-check, and the Canadians, who could roll 4 lines and 3 pairings of elite players, outscoring and out-defending anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.

A veritable war between American and Canadian fans exploded across Hockeydom. Questions of defensive depth became questions of national pride, and soon the theatre of war expanded to all fronts. Canadians were made fun of for purchasing milk in bags, respecting people like Don Cherry, and being generally inferior to the United States.

The Canadians seemed to have the last laugh. Halfway through the game, the Americans found themselves down by 2 goals with their offense stymied by the elite defensive depth of the Canadians. However, Ryan Kesler tipped a shot from Patrick Kane which fluttered by goaltender Roberto Luongo to cut the lead in half. But the Canadians kept coming – only the fantastic play of Ryan Miller gave the Americans a chance to win.

With a minute left to go, the Canadians seemed to have victory in the palm of their hands. USA, in full desperation, pulled the goalie to bring an extra-attacker onto the ice. It was do or die, now or never. The clock ticked down to forty seconds, but the Americans couldn’t get anything started. Deep in the zone, Patrick Kane took control of a lose puck, and flung a shot at the net. An entire nation collectively held their breath.

But everyone knew a goal was coming. Luongo was unable to hold on to the puck, and Zach Parise pushed it home between the pads, tying the game at 2-2. Across the United States, viewers celebrated as loudly and any sports game could engender.

It was going to overtime.

It became clear that Canada was the better team from the moment the puck dropped. The Americans were unable to generate any pressure in the Canadians’ zone, and while the Canadians failed to generate good chances, they clearly controlled the flow of the game.

In the American’s zone, with a little over halfway to play in the overtime session, Brian Rafalski was unable to handle a Canadian turnover. Jarome Iginla quickly slid the puck to Sidney Crosby, who after a quiet game, whipped a shot through Ryan Miller’s pads.

The arena roared. It was over. Canada won.

We can analyze and over analyze the game to death. We can talk about how Rafalski’s poor defensive play cost the USA too many chances. We can discuss Phil Kessel essentially being a no-show for the game, if not the tournament. We can even fault Miller for letting in a save-able goal at such a crucial time.

But at the end of the day, when the analysts have found a new team to harass, and the media personalities have another soap box to occupy, and even the fans and players have gone back to their respective franchises, there is still one nation that got a gold medal, and another who got a silver medal. Players win as a team, and lose as a nation.

There is no tomorrow for Olympians. There is no learning process at this stage. This is do or die.

But the Americans have a lot to be proud of. They showed that, despite not having as much talent as the Russians or the Swedes perhaps, they are the second best hockey playing nation out there. And they did it without the old guard, without the Modano’s or the Tkachuk’s.

The ultimate tragedy may end up being this American story-line. Whereas almost every other team had players shooting for one last chance at the gold, the United States was a young team, with more first time Olympians than anyone else. They would be posed to have a dominant tournament in 2014 in Moscow. But the future of the Olympics for NHL players is in doubt, at least based on comments from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

Ignoring this, however, all I, and USA hockey, and you, and the players, can think about now is Moscow.

Along with the various events that PAL puts on each year, they also take pride in effectively utilizing the grant money they received to connect freshmen with their school.

“The grant we received is from Youth Connect and with that money we put on events for the freshmen and give them fun ways to connect with the school,” said junior PAL Sarah Light. PAL also visits freshmen English classes once a month in order to inform the students about different school activities and give them some inside tips about high school.

“We wanted to create an event that would be fun for the students but also be effective,” said junior PAL Kati Burke. The event was held on Friday during lunch on the soccer fields. Freshmen ate Carl’s Junior food and talked with other classmates. They also took part in a raffle and hung out on various jump houses.

“I had a lot of fun at the freshmen lunch. I got to meet new people and hang out,” said freshman Melis Gunay. With such a large class, many students don’t get the chance to get to know other people outside of their main group of friends. But upon checking in, freshmen wrote their names and favorite hobby on a nametag that would help spark conversations with other people.

After a lunch filled with delicious food, raffles, bounce houses, and bonding, the freshmen went on to fifth period with a stronger connection with each other and the school. And, with another activity being planned for later on in the year, the class of 2013 may emerge to be the most connected class on campus.

Youth Council President Rupen Dajee said, concerning the success of this years program, “We had a lot more people this year. We spent the last couple months planning, but it was made possible by our dedicated city employees who worked tirelessly to ensure the youths continued involvment with the city government.”

Students got to see the officials in their work environment from balancing conflicting interests to helping the public. For example those in the building department got to work with the Chief Inspector and the Deputy Building Official. There they were able to see how a remodeled house is analyzed, and got the chance to tour the new construction sites at Fashion Island. They had the chance to visit the yet to be released Nordstrom Building, the new site replacing the fountain, and the new Forever 21, which replaces the former Circuit City.

The program  featured internships with city council members, the city manager, administrative services department, building department, city attorney office, the city clerk, the recreation and senior services, library services, fire/marine department, general services, planning department, police department, public works, and utilities.

“It was a valuable experiance. It enlightened me about many of the cities programs that I would have otherwise not known,” said Senior Paul Zubatov, who interned with the Fire Department.

If you missed it this year, look for it next year, or maybe join Youth Council.

It all started ninety years ago when Girl Scouts started selling home-baked goods as a way to raise money. The selling of Girl Scout cookies is aimed at supporting local Girl Scout units, and a great way to fundraise; who doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies? Millions of boxes are sold each year and have been selling since 1917. During World War II, Girl Scouts sold calendars instead of cookies due to the shortage of flour, sugar, and butter. Cookie sales became so popular that Girl Scouts of the USA enlisted bakers to handle the production of the cookies. The selling of these cookies is not just to raise money but also to teach Girl Scouts valuable lessons such as financial skills and taking action in their communities.

Thin Mints are by far the most popular Girl Scout cookie around. Thin Mints are the biggest sellers, taking up 25% of sales. Samoas come behind with 19%, then Tagalongs with 13%, Do-si-dos with 11%, and Shortbread with 9%.

Most buyers buy many boxes so they can stock up on these sweet treats, but there is no need to feel bad for buying $50 worth of cookies because you are supporting your neighborhood Girl Scout troop.

The selling of Girl Scout cookies brings back many memories for girls at CdM who used to be Girl Scouts.

“I remember selling Girl Scout cookies in my neighborhood with my friends and now when other little Girl Scouts come by my house to sell cookies it always brings back memories,” said freshman Melis Gunay.

Samoas come as another amazing Girl Scout cookie. Somoas, or Caramel deLites, are doughnut-shaped cookies with a hole in the center, covered in caramel and toasted coconut and finished off with chocolate.

“Samoas are the best Girl Scout cookie, they are so good I could eat twenty boxes,” said junior Nick DeLotell.

But, don’t be fooled by these sweet little cookies. You may want to buy hundreds of boxes, but these cookies are not so healthy. Of course, any kind of cookie or sugar filled treat with high calories and fat isn’t the best thing to consume, but most of these delectable cookies do not come in a “reduced fat” form. Although the Girl Scout cookies have a few choices of reduced fat cookies, it’s not safe to say that Thin Mints are going to make you thin. Girl Scout cookies are tricky, but as a treat, these cookies are something to enjoy.

Altogether, Girl Scout cookies have been a tradition for many years and one of the best cookie brands. With each cookie and its diverse taste, Girl Scout cookies are a favorite among everyone and something great to enjoy.

One topic of discussion debated at the club meeting this week was if “sexting” (texting sexually explicit pictures to piers) should be made illegal. This question has arisen constantly in the past few years, as texting has become more and more popular especially among kids.

One member of Philosophy Club claimed, “It’s underage porn, so it needs to be illegal.”

However, others considered the drastic consequences of receiving one nude picture. In fact, the sender and/or receiver of the photo (depending on the situation) can even be labeled as a sex offender—a label that sticks to him or her for life.

One student said, “I don’t get why participants in a sexting situation could be labeled a sex offender if it was conscentual.”

Another topic that especially concerns the young people of today was the idea that people are gaining potentially dangerous confidence with the crutch of modern technology. With Facebook, AIM, iChat, and other instant messaging programs, individuals can find it much easier to talk to certain people without actually talking in person. Now with texting, one doesn’t even need to call someone as a way of having a conversation without meeting face-to-face; with texting, voices aren’t included and parties have more time to come up with responses. Naturally, problems may arise.

Shea O Hill said, “The internet gives people courage. Shier people can feel more comfortable being outgoing. Also, people become more courageous in confrontation, or sometimes in revenge.”

This “revenge” through modern technologies has developed the issue of cyber-bullying, a serious problem that has even resulted in death.

Getting more in touch with the outside world is much closer than flying to Washington D.C. All it takes is a trip to Room 209 for Philosophy Club meetings on Wednesdays. Share opinions, listen to others’ opinions, and learn something new.

The first song was an upbeat jazz routine with saxophone solos by freshman Meridith Flemming and Sophomore John Alser. It was a nice way to begin the evening with an quick song.

The next performance came from freshman Sienna Petree who sang the song “White Horse” by Taylor Swift while strumming along on her guitar. Her vocal performance was phenomenal and extremely mature sounding for her age. She was smooth, classy, and unlike other performances throughout the night, she wasn’t pitchy.

Another spectacular performance came from the trio of Wilson, Grandstaff, and Reiss. They performed the song “Use Somebody”; Wilson doing the vocals, Grandstaff on the guitar, and Reiss on the drum box. It was fun to watch, and a pleasure to listen to.

“[Our performance] turned out really well. Both Tanner and Karleh are so talented that it just meshed together and worked out really great,” said Reiss.

Another fun performance came from senior Heather Shields, junior Christian Lesko, and sophomore Shane Somerville. This trio really entertained the crowd with Shield’s vocals and Lesko and Somerville’s hysterical dancing.

“Heather sang the song really well and shane and christian really complimented her with their dancing. it was really funny,” said Reiss.

The Jazz Cafe also had some interesting poetry readings, most of which came from the friendly poet Shel Silverstein. An example comes from Yugina Yun, a sophomore who read “Sick”.

“I chose it because it was my favorite poem as a kid, and I tend to miss school alot. It was a perfect fit,” said Yun.

Overall it was a fun night at the Jazz Cafe with some stellar talent showings. The next Jazz Cafe is sure to be another hit.

When you wake up with that not-quite right feeling, immediately put a pot of water to boil. Once it reaches a hot temperature place the towel over your head and breath in the steam for a couple of minutes. In contrast, you can also jump into a hot shower ”The heat zaps any nasty cold bugs still lingering in your nose, before they make it any further. The moisture prevents irritation, clears nasal passages, and breaks up any mucus that may be starting to form” says infectious disease specialist Dr. Shoham.

Keep yourself hydrated. Though you hear that about two hundred times a day from your doctor to your football coach, it is crucial when you feel like you’re getting sick. Drink lots of tea, water and healthy fruit juices throughout the day, the liquids will help your body clean itself from the virus.

Echinacea and zinc are some popular natural remedies to take during a common cold to ward off the virus, but according to Shoham “vitamin C may help ward off some viral infections, but once the infection has set in, then it probably doesn’t have a role in making things better.” Shoham suggests that mom’s good old fashioned chicken soup is the way to go. It has a similar effect as drinking lots of liquids by cleansing your body and making sure things do not get blocked up.

Avoid dairy foods. Dairy tends to stimulate the production of mucus, which is the opposite of what you want when you have a cold. High fructose and fatty foods are also a good idea to avoid since they will most likely leave you feeling even more lethargic because they take a lot of energy to digest.

When you are sick, your body needs all of the rest in can get. So set up that TiVo and snuggle up with an extra cozy blanket and tune in a couple hours early. Take these simple tips and you are sure to be feeling  better in no time!

However, a seemingly insurmountable problem faced the superbly wise Triumvirate. The question was one which has plagued the minds of many titans

since the dawn of civilization. It was a question that legends such as Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar, men who dominated their time, could not even answer.

It is thus truly amazing that our wise rulers have been able to find a solution in Daniel Flaxman. “In many ways, he is our organization’s most fervent soul. Within his heart and mind lies powers and strength which even we have been unable to anticipate.” said Cahill Maffei the Cunning.

He fears not the intimidating eyes of the spell-bound masses. Indeed, legend has it that he tamed a ferocious dervish in the heart of Africa with his powerful debating techniques. Many have been left spellbound by the young man.

To ignore the rest of Flaxman’s impressive repertoire of talents, however, would be an unspeakable crime. His mind has been endowed by nature a sort of intelligence that rivals the ancient masters. His knowledge of the world is unspeakably outstanding for his age, bespeaking of many years of deep observation and introspection. His tough body has clearly been through more battles than even the most hardened of soldiers of fortune.

Flaxman has all the characteristics which indicate his leadership. No longer will I waste your time with a discussion of such, to truly grasp his greatness, one must observe  Flaxman in action himself (which, with his infinite wisdom and kindness, I’m sure he would happily bestow such a request).

We live in a time of great danger. Every second of every minute, the enemies of JSA gather around plotting our demise. They have instigated a deliberate attempt to destroy the insurance industry (in a plot which has infected the White House itself) in order to destroy JSA. We must stand and fight.

Thus, we have brought  our future leader to bear. Already, after his very first JSA convention, he was nominated for the top leadership position – that of JSA governor. He shall lead us to new heights of glory and vanquish those who seek to defile all we find holy. We all must agree, based on what has been established, that Flaxman would be the best choice – both in merit and in purity of heart and soul – for the position. We must unite in such a time of duress behind a man with the greatness to lead his peoplee through such a time.

However, division within JSA threatens this sort of powerful arrangement. Larry Saunders believes himself an

equally worthy candidate for the position of governor. One must examine the situation with all fairness however – Flaxman is by far a superior candidate. I have already delineated Flaxman’s incomparable leadership qualities, but other things must be addressed. Larry Saunders has a voice of most unimaginable obnoxiousness, in a way which makes himself known in

any room very quickly. Ironically, compared to such a gratingly loud voice, Saunders has a lack of height which must be considered by any objectively well informed voter.

Thus, we must choose our Winston Churchill over Neville Chamberlain as the enemies steadily make progress towards our gates. With our future so

uncertain, can we afford to make any sort of mistake in this process?

Daniel Flaxman himself explained that, “By my decree and my word I shall dictate the will of my people. With strong fist and stronger heart, I shall rule over JSA as determined by my divine mandate.”

But let us not forget the others. Also running for positions are Jason Johl and Silvia Reynolds. Support them too.

“I think every student who is able, should donate blood. It’s such a simple way for high school students to help others,” said blood drive organizer, senior Kasey Palermo.

Palermo brings up a strong point. High school students may not have the money to donate to those in need, but they certainly can participate in blood drives, where they can help save the lives of up to three people.

Junior, Candice Wang reflected on her previous blood drive experience, “It hurt really bad, and I was nervous, but I knew it was worth it because I was saving three lives.” Wang will be participating in next week’s blood drive.

The blood drive will be held this Wednesday, March 10 from 7:30 to 12:30, in the big gym. To participate, students must be at least 16 years old. Sign up forms are available outside the ASB office. Green forms are for 16 year old students, and they require a parent signature.  Yellow forms are for students aged 17 and up. All forms may be returned to the ASB office.

In addition to saving three lives, participants will receive free food, a free t-shirt, and they will be excused from any classes they happen to miss while donating.