The Drake Jolly Roger

The 2011-2012 school year welcomes the new clubs that are now part of our school. The new additions include the Politics Club, the Ocean Crusaders Club, the Drake News Association, the CIVIC Club, and the Daraja Club.

Students in the Drake News Association (DNA), take their “Passion” from the “P” in PIRATES to make a video news online club. Vice president, senior Ben Oseguera, says, “There hasn’t been a designated site for this news to go on yet, but we’re thinking of putting it on the Drake website or integrating [it] into the weekly bulletin.”

Senior Willa Murphy has also created the Politics Club. In this club, students discusses international, domestic, and local affairs. The students are also working toward spreading this passion for politics throughout the student body, and even young people within the community. “The young generation is usually the least involved in what’s going on, and I created the club in order to get more people interested in current issues,” said Murphy.

Last year, the Politics Club helped organize the petition for the new salad bar that has brought new crowds to the canteen. Murphy is currently working toward abolishing plastic bags in local grocery stores.

President of the new Ocean Crusaders Club senior Alya Toquinto makes use of her love of the beach and interest in environmental causes. “We will do several beach clean-ups on the weekends this year and do some mini-fundraisers so that we can send money to environmental oceanic organizations,” said Toquinto. Even though SEA-DISC has educated her on environmental issues, her love for the beach and yearning to make a difference has been there since day one.

Other students take the “I” in pirates and turn it into inspiration – in this case, on an international level. The Daraja Academy of Kenya was founded by local residents Jason and Jenni Doherty for the purpose of funding a free education for Kenyan girls who have the potential to succeed. The academy provides food, housing and schooling for exceptional girls who are hindered by poverty.

The Daraja Club raises money for these girls' tuitions.

Daraja Club president, junior Maddie Barto, describes the Dohertys as “truly good people who found something that inspired them to make a difference.”

This inspiration for educating and helping those affected by poverty has trickled down to Barto. She originally heard about it from her aunt, Julie Whyte, who has been an active participant in Daraja for several years. Whyte believes that committed high school students will bring energy and creative ideas on how to build these bridges from the U.S. to Kenya.

Barto said that in Swahili, “daraja” means bridge, and in many aspects the Daraja Academy of Kenya is a bridge from poverty to success, as well as a bridge of connection from girls in Kenya to students in Marin.

Barto is hoping that students will be able to connect with the girls at Daraja through Skype or even travel to the school in Kenya if enough money is raised. “This is something truly close to my heart and I want that inspiration to spread and raise awareness for youths around the world,” Barto said.

Whyte wrote in an e-mail, “I hope that they are able to launch a couple of projects that can help raise funds for the school, enabling even more exceptional Kenyan girls of poverty to find success and [their] true place in the global community. These girls are so different from the students in Marin in terms of money and opportunity, but they are also similar in their desires to express themselves and find out where they fit in the world.”

Junior Lindsy Mobley, president of the CIVIC (Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict) Club, has also been inspired by international causes – in her case, Iraq and Afghanistan. Mobley said that CIVIC is a non-profit organization that helps the innocent civilians in war-stricken countries, by giving them resources, such as medical treatment.

Mobley plans on raising money from bake sales and car washes to send to the CIVIC foundation. “We are also going to be sending letters to the president and senate to gain their recognition,” Mobley said.

Mobley said that she was inspired to establish an organization herself, after learning about the reality these innocent civilians endure, but when she found out there already was one, she decided to help them.

Junior Manami Takashina, vice president of the club, hopes that students will be interested and excited in aiding this program by “helping to fundraise and brainstorm ideas of other ways to help the program and ultimately the people.”

Junior Jasmine Gardner, new member of the CIVIC club, said, “I want to make a difference for victims of wars who had no choice to be uprooted. Also, [these] people don’t get recognition or help so I’m glad to be able to help them get their life back.”

   With the title The Devil Inside, I was expecting this movie to be about exorcism, but by the end it had brought the devil out of me because I had to sit through one the worst endings to any movie I have ever seen.

The Devil Inside is the perfect example of a low-budget, mockumentary-style horror movie in which you can see every event happen in the trailer. There are three essential scary scenes in the movie, each scarier than the one before. But for viewers who saw the trailer, none were surprising, thus ruining the movie.

The movie’s main character is a girl in her mid-twenties, Isabella Rossi, who hasn’t seen her mother since she was six years old. Her mother, Maria Rossi, started acting very strange and later killed three people when an exorcism was performed on her. The Devil Inside begins with a phone call to 911 and Maria Rossi demonically saying to a confused phone operator, “Three people…Three people are dead…I killed them.” After this line, the movie cuts to a crime scene, which is covered in blood.

It skips ahead about twenty years, and Isabella Rossi is in her mid-twenties. Her mother has been moved to a Catholic hospital for the mentally ill in Italy. Isabella wants to go find her mother because she hasn’t seen her in over 20 years, and decides to film her trip to Italy like a documentary.

Once the plot has been established, the audience members have to sit through a massive block of boring build-up, where there are a few fake interviews giving background details on the story, used instead of letting things naturally unfold. This continues for so long that the audience begins to forget the movie is supposed to be scary. At this point, a scary scene arrives but doesn’t last long, and then the whole process repeats itself.

At one point in the film, the priests working with Isabella decide she will need to witness an exorcism, which had nothing to do with the plot, contrary to expectations. It almost seems like the producers just threw in a scene to awaken the viewers who were falling asleep. But during the scene I was overjoyed just to see something scary, because that’s why I was there.

I’m not going to spoil the end, but it must be said that this movie has one of the worst climaxes ever. It seems as if the producers ran out of money during the filming of the final scene and just had to think of a way to end it as soon as possible. The last scene was pretty demonic and thrilling, until the random ending which ruined the entire thing.

The actors were all pretty low budget and sub-par. They were mostly just narrating scenes and shrieking from people being exorcised. The priests performing the exorcise, looked funny and I couldn’t really take them very seriously when they were chanting their prayers while grasping their demonic patients.

In the end, I give this movie one and a half hooks because it does have some freaky concepts and a few thrills that make you jump. The Devil Inside racked up a way higher-than-expected $34.5 million, so look for its producer Paramount Pictures to come out with a sequel or similar title. Let’s hope it carries a bit higher budget and some scenes not spoiled by the preview trailer.

Junior Tucker Wasuta gets his winter workout rock climbing | Courtesy of Tucker Wasuta

Snow-covered fields, chilly temperatures, and ice-covered lakes—that’s what most people picture when they think about winter. Fortunately in San Anselmo, we aren’t affected by chilly winter temperatures. So for those of us who are just looking for some winter excitement and don’t travel up to Tahoe to ski, three emerging indoor sports are headed your way.

Futsal

For the carefree souls, a pick-up game of Futsal might just be your cup of tea. According to futsal.com, the official website for the U.S. Futsal Federation (USFF), the sport originated in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930 when a man named Juan Carlos Ceriani created a version of soccer for youth competition in YMCAs. Ceriani’s version only had five players from each team, while the original game of soccer is played with eleven.

This new version of soccer grew rapidly in popularity, drawing in famous players like Pele, who developed his skill playing Futsal. The sport gained international attention as more and more soccer stars realized that it was a great way to train in the off-season, according to the USFF.

Futsal is similar to indoor soccer, but there are some key differences between the two. “In indoor soccer, you can play off the walls,” said junior Dylan Sewell. “Futsal is played with boundaries, whereas in indoor soccer, [the boundaries] are more made up.”

According to Sewell, Futsal is mainly a winter sport for people who want extra training and who just want to have some fun. “There are summer leagues [for Futsal], but they don’t get as many people out, so I think the majority of people play in the winter,” said Sewell.

Ice Skating

For the sports lover who seeks a winter-weather feel, ice-skating may be just the sport for you. According to Skating in America by Benjamin T. Wright, skating dates back to prehistoric times as a convenient way to get from place to place when lakes and bodies of water froze.

The U.S. Figure Skating Association, the national governing organization for the sport of figure skating in the U.S., states that there is a lot of demand in skating, with over 176,000 members in collegiate clubs, school affiliated clubs and Basic Skills programs.

Junior Chiyoko Wong has been ice-skating since the age of six, making this her tenth year on the rink. “I practice four to five days a week,” said Wong. “[The practices] are before school and once on Saturday mornings.”

The demanding practices could be something to scare people away from ice-skating. However, according to Wong, it makes a perfect winter sport because it doesn’t depend on the weather. “Since it’s already cold outside, its sort-of like, ‘oh well!’” said Wong.

Rock Climbing

And for those who are young at heart, and prefer adventurous activities, rock climbing may be right up your alley. According to Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, rock climbing was an important part of Victorian mountaineering in the Alps, but it is generally thought that the sport of rock climbing began in the end of the nineteenth century in various parts of Europe.

Its ability to be both an indoor and outdoor sport make it more adaptable to people, and according to junior Tucker Wasuta, it’s a great way to work out during the winter because if you have bad weather you can just go to a gym and climb. “I try to go to Planet Granite in San Francisco on Tuesday and Thursday, and then sometimes I go to the top of Mt. Tam with a group and climb there,” said Wasuta.

Planet Granite, located in Crissy Fields, is a popular choice among students. Juniors Olivia Johnstone and Seraphina Schinner also enjoy rock climbing there for their workouts. “It’s more of a strengthening thing than it is a cardio thing,” said Schinner. According to Johnstone, the sport is difficult but very fun.

This winter, new trends in the sport arena can be tailored to any lifestyle, no matter who you are. So whatever the weather outside, rain or snow, you can get great exercise this winter.

The lot at 101 San Anselmo Avenue, between the San Anselmo post office and venerable Caesar’s Cyclery, has hosted various ill-conceived businesses over the last few years, but none of those survived long.  Now, Sweetlife Bakery and Café has occupied this space.

I paid a visit to find out if it has the potential to buck the trend and become a lasting establishment in the community.
The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere, although slightly noisy. Apart from a pair of bizarre wall hangings made from mirrors, the aesthetic is neat and modern. Soft, yellow-tinged lighting complements the look well. There are many seating options – both tables and counters indoors, as well as additional tables outside.

The Café offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. The menu has a selection of red and white wines, and  beer is available. The bakery serves coffee, tea, and juices. I ordered the Caesar Salad, with Parmigiano-Reggiano and house croutons, for $7.00 and the Parisian Sandwich with French ham, Gruyere cheese, butter and Dijon mustard for $8.00.

Customers of Sweetlife Bakery and Cafe enjoy their tasty treats on the outside patio. (Blake Pannes | JR)

The staff was friendly and seemed very attentive, so I was surprised when my sandwich arrived ten minutes later without the salad. I assumed that the salad was simply taking longer, and began digging into the first part of my order.

The sandwich consisted of thin slices of ham and cheese stacked neatly between two pieces of flaky bread. The Dijon mustard was enough to impart some much-needed flavor to the combination, without being overpowering. Although the bread looked as if it might be tough, it was instead crisp and light. The result was a tasty sandwich which was more filling than I expected. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this item.

The sandwich was served with a small bowl of vegetables, including carrots, olives, and pickles. I found this to be a confusing choice. I’m not entirely sure how these had been prepared, since they weren’t listed on the menu, anddidn’t seem to have any relation to the sandwich, seeming like an afterthought. The sandwich was good enough to stand alone, and the vegetables seemed like an unnecessary attempt to fill space on the plate.

However, by that point I had a suspicion that my salad had been forgotten. This was confirmed when a waitress brought me my check. To the staff’s credit,  the missing salad was promptly delivered after I brought it to their attention, but the bungling of such a simple order was disappointing.

The Caesar Salad was unremarkable. It was fine—the lettuce tasted fresh, the dressing was as expected and the croutons were crunchy—but there was nothing to distinguish it from any other Caesar Salad in any other restaurant. It wasn’t bad, just bland. It would be nice if the house-made croutons were cut a little larger, so that their flavor could be appreciated more.

After finishing my meal, I examined the bakery options. The bakery offers slices of cake, cupcakes, various cookies, tarts, fresh bread, and more. I purchased a carrot cupcake for $3.50.

Sweetlife employees greet customers with cheerful smiles on their faces. (Blake Pannes | JR)

The cupcake was easily the highlight of the meal. It was soft, fluffy, moist, and topped with a delicious cream-cheese frosting that’s one of the best I’ve ever tasted. The combination of flavors was perfect. Once I finished it, I immediately wished I’d bought a second. I would return to Sweetlife just to eat another cupcake.

On the whole, I think Sweetlife is here to stay. The inviting atmosphere, appetizing food, and reasonable prices should prove to be a big draw, despite the kinks in the service. The staff seemed eager to help, so I’m confident that the service will only improve. It would be nice to see a slightly wider selection, both on the menu and in the bakery, but I enjoyed my meal—especially the dessert.  I would gladly eat at Sweetlife again.

“High school is a memorable time, that is if you’re sober enough to remember it,” said an anonymous junior boy. High school is a time for drunken mistakes, belligerent nights, and a time to bond with fellow classmates at these “functions”.

Although this perception is one of the many different genres of parties, everyone has heard the stories and rumors from those that have survived to tell the tale. The following article is a play-by-play made out of personal experiences and observations at a high school party.

9:00 PM

-At 9 o’clock on a Friday night, and generally most Saturdays, the likeliest place to find the average high school “partier” is on top, around, or inside of cars. The most desired destinations are Red Hill, or the place they most dread to be during the week but find so attractive on a Friday night, our school’s parking lot. Students of all high school grades, and even some graduates (those who are obviously exploring their higher education at COM) aimlessly stroll around the parking lot, awaiting the mass-text of an address.

While many avoid the enticing parking lots, if you want to attend a party, it’s almost inevitable that you will end up at Red Hill or Drake. Whether it’s to mingle with the homies or steal alcohol from CVS, one of these two locations seems to be the greatest decision before venturing out on a Friday night. That is only if the police don’t arrive at one of the two parking lots to herd them to another, more exclusive and secret location.

Although the Drake and Red Hill parking lots are limited to the Drake student body, throughout high schools in the Bay Area, this seems to be a common and recurring theme.

10:00 PM

-As the clock strikes ten, worried looks appear on disappointed teen’s faces. They question if a party is even going to happen, and if not, the dreaded thought that the aimless time-wasting might continue in the parking lot begins to spread.

As the wondering continues, as well as the abundant text messages going out to contacts, sometimes in groups of ten, there is generally a glimpse of hope. The roughhousing students stop as their phones simultaneously ding an address, rarely saying the name of the host and what town it is located in.

After opening the Maps application on the iPhone to discover how long the voyage will be, everyone looks towards one another; the most common words spoken are, “Let’s get there!” Whether it is around the corner, in Corte Madera, or the rare expedition to San Francisco, these high schoolers are ready to wreak havoc.

11:00 PM

— The caravan from one of the two previous locations has arrived, one car following the next through the hidden streets of Marin County. As the students maneuver their way into illegal parking spots along the crowded street, the deafening music is turned off, the girls fix their make-up and hair, and the guys grab their multiple fifths of liquor and 30-racks of beer. Concurrently, the students walk hand-in-hand towards their next senseless and belligerent night.

The inconsiderate teenagers trample the flowers as they enter the house without a knock. The partiers stop in the doorway for a few seconds so their eyes can adjust to the dimmed, sensual lighting and smoky, steamy atmosphere of what seems to be a

hot-boxed room. The firsts words anyone hears are, “Dude, you got here!” as fists pound through the haze.

After the brief and casual welcome, both boys and girls begin to look around at the people that are stumbling and falling around them, whether they are friends, strangers, exes, or the

hotties from the other Marin schools. As the gang of teenagers spreads from one end of the room to the other, sweat, smoke, and alcohol are generally splattered across the most commonly worn outfits—miniskirts and see-through tank tops. Finally, you come across the people you consider to be friends—”Let’s take shots!” Someone in a hoodie pulls a handle from a backpack as girls and boys from around the small, stuffy room become drawn to the most sacred thing at a party: 100 proof vodka. Girls slosh the poison down their throats, leaving mysterious faces of nausea and content, while boys down the foul smelling substance as if it were water. The lights get even darker, the bass is turned up, and the party officially begins.

12:00 AM

— As midnight approaches, the teens release their wild side and chaos breaks out in the house. The underclassmen flee home from the pandemonium to their curfews and the safety of their beds. The wreckage of the house, and kids, becomes uncontrollable. The beings we call high school students slowly develop into animals throughout the night.

The sketch kids arrive with hard drugs stuffed into their pockets and the dregs of coke are revealed in crevices along the kitchen counter. Girls stand half-naked, dancing on tables, not knowing realizing all the regrets they will hold in the morning when the pictures are is posted for all to see on Facebook. Almost everyone lights cigarettes and joints, sometimes accidentally catching people that walk by, leaving burns that are hardly felt.

The students run recklessly through the house, leaving picture frames strewn in all directions and vomit in places most adults would think unimaginable. The dance party in the living room slowly dissolves as people’s heads run with drunken slurs and irrational decisions; they head towards vacant bedrooms to make sloppy love, the remnants of which will later cause ramifications. .

The party, for those who have had one-too-many shots, has become a shipwreck. Girls begin to fight amongst themselves, as boyfriends step in to take care of their opponents. Punches are thrown and bruises around eyes begin to form. The bystanders release screeches of amusement, as well as fear. As the fighting continues, delicate artwork hanging from the walls, as well as other valuables distributed throughout the house are shattered. This evidence is one that cannot be hidden, for parents know when the cherished painting is no longer hanging and the only thing left intact is the faded wall surrounding its emptiness.

Those who are smart leave the crime scene, while those who believe one crazy fight is not enough stay until the bitter end. For those that make the perilous decision of continuing to party, they end up with their face in a toilet bowl, blacked out until sunrise. For some, the party has ended, and a cup of cold water and bread is the ideal remedy for a safe recovery. For others, the party has just begun, or so they think.

1:00 AM

— While the craziness has come to a low boil, there are enough drunken souls left for the police to arrive. One witness peers through the window and shouts, “Police!” The lights are turned off and the screams and shrills fade into silence. While some remain cool, others escape through bathroom windows and back doors. Although no one is sober, it seems that they would rather risk themselves and others than get a call home from the police.

Skid marks are left on the crowded streets as the shrieks of tires are heard for miles around. On this particular night, everyone has remained unharmed, but one-day the drunk drivers won’t be so lucky and their license, and life, will come to a halt. Although this time the party animals escaped safely, the poor boy left alone with a dumpster for a home is fined $700.00. The rest of the partiers leave with a case of regrets and a story to tell to the rest of the student body.

While Drake is just one of the thousands of schools where reckless parties occur and underage binge drinking is common, the results on the student poll handed out this past month did not compared to figures for the U.S. average. At Drake, 38% of students have drank at a party, while according to Centers for Disease Control and Protection, 42% of students on average have consumed alcohol at a party.

According to an anonymous senior boy, “Parties are what make high school fun and exciting, until the cops show up or you’re the one to throw the party.” On the contrary, a more laidback senior girl states, “I’ve never been to a party and don’t plan on attending one in the near future. Not to say I haven’t ever sipped on alcohol, [but] the craziness is just not my thing.”

According to the Tam District Healthy Kid Survey, conducted in 2009, Drake students have the highest percentage of binge drinking. While this may be correct, one junior girl says, “I have been to plenty of Redwood parties and there is no way we drink more than them. I believe that Drake students are just the most honest.”

While alcohol usage rates did not measure up to national averages, drug use appeared greatly above. According to Students Against Destructive Decisions, 6.7% of teenagers consistently use Marijuana at parties, while at Drake, 42% of students are common users.

Parties such as these have occurred for centuries, even John Steinbeck had his fair share of drunken nights. But here at Drake, there is no stopping the students, for most of them have all looked forward to high school, and the parties that accompany it, since their youngest years.

By Lincoln Robert Richards

As you drive around the corner of Highway 89, the usually-bustling hub of the north shore, Tahoe City, is little more than a ghost town. The snow that usually coats the town is nowhere to be seen. If you have driven through Tahoe City this winter, you have surely seen the effects the lack of snow has had for the locals and the Lake’s economy.

After last year’s unusually good season, the weather has taken a turn for the worse because of the La Niña weather pattern drifting in from the Pacific Ocean. The La Niña weather pattern has forced all the snow that normally would have hit the mid-Pacific up to the Northwest, up to the north of Lake Tahoe. Ski destinations in the northern states, such as Washington and Montana, are welcoming the abundance of extra snow and the skiers and snowboarders that followed the weather north.

Since 1902, there have only been eight years in which there was less snowfall than this year up until mid-January, according to the Western Regional Climate Center. Of these eight years, there were only four Decembers that saw no snow in Lake Tahoe.

Senior Sarah Melbostad witnessed the snow drought firsthand in early December. “[I went up the] first week of Christmas break. I looked outside of my house and normally you can sled down the hill, [but this year] it was just ground. There’s not enough snow to even sled, which is the problem,” Melbostad said. So far this ski season, Melbostad has only gone up to Tahoe once to check on her family’s cabin. “When I was up there it was 65 [degrees]. [If we went up again], I’d probably go hang out by the pool and play ping pong. Honestly there’s nothing to do [when there is no snow],” said Melbostad.

Melbostad is unaccustomed to travelling up the mountain so few times during the ski season. “[When there’s snow,] I go up like every other weekend or so. I ski at Northstar and Sugar Bowl, [and] every once in a while, Squaw [Valley],” said Melbostad. “At Northstar, the backside isn’t open and they’re charging $80 for a one-day lift ticket. If it was half price, sure, I’d go,” she added.

Almost all of the cities and towns surrounding the Lake have been hurt by the lack of snow this season. Restaurants and even the shopping markets are nearly vacant as the ski crowd has not arrived.

When ski resorts would normally be flourishing in February, they instead have to lay off their seasonal employees because of the devastation the weather has had on the Lake. Every week, the lack of snow raises concerns among the employees who count on snow to put food on their table.

The weather in Tahoe is surreal for mid-January. The lack of snow gives the illusion and feeling of summer. The only reminder of the season is the occasional ribbon of white, man-made snow stretching from the top of a mountain to the lake.

However, man-made snow fails to attract the skiers that usually pack into the Tahoe area this time of year. The normal congesting traffic that creeps all the way around the lake’s perimeter is virtually non-existent without the snow.

It’s no secret that some Tahoe locals have begun to think that winter may not even come this year. But luckily for them, a wave of storms came blowing across California two weeks into January. The storm system held warm, tropical water from Hawaii. While the storm did bring a few feet of snow in some areas, a good amount of the moisture released was rain because of the day temperatures at the lake.

While it was still not the storm anybody was hoping for, any snow is better than no snow, and resorts have taken full advantage of this opportunity to open more of the lifts that are usually running at full throttle this time of year.

While some resorts such as Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have over ten lifts now running, the rocky and barren peaks surrounding Lake Tahoe serve to remind everyone that this is one of the worst years for snow on record.

Teens hug it out in a “cinnamon roll” at a Spirit Rock Teen Retreat | Courtesy of Mike Shoup

Wheeler has been meditating on and off at Woodacre’s Spirit Rock Meditation Center for her whole life. She is currently in the high school meditation class, and also volunteers at the centers Family Days. Spirit Rock, one of the first and most well-known meditation centers in the country, offers a welcoming place to meditate for a community of both Buddhist and non-Buddhist identified meditators, loosely based on the Vipassana tradition of Buddhism.

 Almost every Marin teen’s parents forced them to do an extracurricular activity as a kid —for some, perhaps it was soccer or even ballroom dancing, but for me it was meditation. Back in the day, it wasn’t that cool, but it grew on me anyways.

As I gradually moved up from Spirit Rock kid’s classes in the yurt (teepee-esque room) to more mature middle school ones, and then to the high school sessions I’m about to graduate from, meditation became more that just another thing I do. Once the mindfulness practice from class integrated itself into my daily life, attending class became a conscious choice to pursue what I had learned to love.

From Vipassana romances (meditation crushes), to hot seats (hard-core meditative 20 questions), to Hey Big Buddha (meditative Hey Big Booty), to teen retreats (sitting still for a really long time, with some really awesome people), my quirky mindfulness community somehow managed to help form the individual that I am today.

I found that by continuously going to a weekend class, the ideas taught there affected my decisions and thinking throughout the week. From homework to intoxicants, meditation classes helped me to make decisions that were aligned with what I believed, instead of just doing things without awareness. Basically, I learned how to keep it real, Vipassana style.

My meditation friend Kiana Souza said about the topic, “The realest experiences of my life have arrived thanks to Spirit Rock…the thought of my life without this class is surreal.”

Although still uncommon, communities of meditating teenagers are growing in popularity. When I was a freshman or sophomore, my high school meditation sangha (community of meditators) consisted of a random assortment of about 15 people. Now the class average is closer to 40. As friends bring friends, old people bring new people, and everyone that’s meant to be there finds their way there, the community is still growing.

There must be something that makes people come back to sit still and focus on their breath every week. Said my fellow long-time meditator, Julian Von Nagel, during our last meditation class, “I don’t really like meditating that much, but every 99 mediocre meditations you have are worth that one mind-blowing experience.”

That’s one way to look at it, but I think the real reason people come is more than just the meditation. Spending a Sunday night with a group of mindful teenagers who just want to be real with each other affects your mindset during the rest of the week. Said meditator, Amory Mowrey, “I really love Spirit Rock because of the community- it’s what keeps bringing me back. I can meditate anywhere I want, but there’s not a lot of places where I can meditate in a room full of beautiful people who really just want to love you.”

The structure of a Spirit Rock teen meditation class is loose, consisting of between 15 to 30 or even 45 minutes of meditation; brief check-ins with the sangha; council (a longer check-in where people share their thoughts or personal stories on a mindfulness topic such as right speech, right action, or right sexuality), games, and dharma talks (our lovely volunteer teachers sharing the Buddha’s wisdom).

People tend to be more open with themselves and each other during a meditation class, because of the accepting mood that is set and adopted by the meditators. The openness sprouts many close friendships and relationships which grow during the course of a session, which lasts about six weeks or longer. During a session, teenagers from high schools throughout the Bay Area get to know each other on what our meditation teachers would call a ‘deeper level.’

That said, ‘deeper level’ stuff might not be for you. Given, there are a lot of hippies (something I’ve been called myself) found at any kind of westernized meditation class. But to me, meditation is less about free love and interconnectedness—those ideals are easy to talk about but difficult to truly practice–and more about training the mind and keeping sane and grounded throughout the week, month, year, high school, and beyond. If you’re interested, hey, maybe it’s meant to be.

There’s magic afoot in the halls of this school. During a recent tutorial, this writer sat down with a group of Magic: The Gathering players to find out just why this game has become so popular lately, and whether or not it’s just another senioritis distraction.

Anyone walking around campus at lunch or looking around during tutorial may have noticed the clusters of students intently peering at selections of cards. To those who have never played Magic (as it’s known to the fans), it can be a confusing sight. There’s little order or structure immediately apparent when the cards are spread on the table, but there’s actually a very precise system controlling each move.

“It’s a very complex game, and it takes a while to become an advanced player,” said senior John Wheeler, “but it’s easy to get started.” According to Wheeler, who has played Magic intermittently since the sixth grade, anybody can learn the basic rules in a few games.

Senior John Wheeler, Magic Fanatic, finds his inner wizard. (Melissa Hubbell | JR)

In Magic, gameplay revolves around cards which represent lands, creatures, sorceries, artifacts, instants, and enchantments. Creature and enchantment cards can’t be played unless a player has sufficient lands on the table. Each player creates a deck with a unique mix of these cards, seeking a strategic advantage over the other players.

Wheeler claimed to have spent at least $300 on Magic cards over the years. “Most spend a lot more,” he said. “The benefits of spending more money are more cards, new sets, [and] better combos.”

To see what the game was really like, this reporter sat across the table from Wheeler with a borrowed deck to try to learn to play. Just drawing the first seven cards from the deck, the intricate web of effects and requirements between cards was evident.

At one end of the table, a pair of rookie players were discussing the particular rules of a single card with noticeable confusion and anger. At the other end, though, senior Namkai Fairfield was whipping through a match. According to Fairfield, he first picked up the game when he was seven but, like Wheeler, has been an on-and-off player since his introduction.

“I like the art about it,” Fairfield said. “You can be really creative about the way you design your decks and the technique you use to beat other people.”

Creating a deck is no easy task. Fairfield estimated that there are “thousands and thousands” of Magic cards, and he’s not exaggerating: The organization that produces the game, Wizards of the Coast, claims nearly 12,000 unique cards have been created since the game’s original release in 1993. The cards, have very entertaining names: “Koth of the Hammer,” “Viridian Claw,” and “Wurmcoil Engine,” to name a few.

The game has been a global success and approximately six million people around the world play. The surprising popularity of the game has spawned the rise of tournaments, some with major cash prizes.

Fairfield, who has competed in some local tournaments, said, “They’re fun, but I think it’s more fun just to play.” Wheeler, who has never played competitively before, plans to enter a tournament in San Rafael later this month.

As this reporter stumbled through the basic motions of play, Wheeler offered to help. With just a quick glance at the cards, he made a suggestion, but before the move could be completed, the bell rang. “You would have won,” he said helpfully as everybody began packing up for class.

Although this reporter’s experience with the game was brief, it’s safe to say that discounting this game as childish would be a mistake. There’s enough complexity and unpredictability to keep even the most intelligent player on his toes. If you’re looking for a new challenge, you could do far worse than trying your hand at Magic.

Coach Boston in a huddle with her new girls tennis team.

Mary Boston is certainly not new to coaching or girls athletics. She has taught pe at Drake for 15 years and has coached 21 high school tennis seasons at various Bay Area high schools.

Boston is a skilled tennis player who first entered the sport at the age of eight. Tennis has remained constant in her life ever since.

Boston was a pioneer of Title Nine, winning one of the first women’s college athletic scholarships at the University of Rhode Island, where she played singles tennis. “It was such an exciting time for women,” said Boston. Title Nine ended discrimination by requiring equal funding for athletics in college sports in 1972.

Throughout Boston’s long and successful career in tennis, her many coaches influenced and shaped her as a player. “During one summer prep I was coached by a Marine Corp. Sergeant,” said Boston, recalling a more memorable coach. “We hit hundreds of balls and at least 50 serves a day. Since then, I have always liked to coach with lots of balls and lots of hitting.”

Boston’s background as a talented tennis player makes her an ideal tennis coach. “Ms. Boston is going to teach us a lot this year, I think we’ll go far with her as our new coach,” said senior Natalie Chapman.

This year Boston is thrilled to take on the tennis girls. “I have 26 players, which is 12 more than a typical tennis team,” said Boston. “But with the help of parent volunteers and extra courts at Canyon Racquet Club, I am not going to make any cuts.”

Like most coaches, Boston can’t be sure of how her team will fare this year, but she is optimistic for its success: “I have no idea [how the season will go] but I do know it will be better than last year.”

The sheer talent on the team has Boston excited to coach. This year’s talent is predicted to be successful throughout the MCALS; sophomores Samantha Gilbert, Jasmine Sagebiel, and senior Natalie Chapman have impressed Boston with their skill. Currently, these players hold the top starting positions. Boston also sees potential in some of the newest players on the team.

With Ms. Boston at the helm and all 26 players, girls tennis seems to be the team to watch.

Expectations for high school events | Courtesy of Ricky Durwood

Who wants to go to Disneyland? Raise your hand! Oh, sorry. This year, seniors can’t go.

All seniors look forward to the end-of-year senior trip to Disneyland. Many students whose older sibling have already graduated know that Disneyland is an ideal way to wave goodbye to high school. But now seniors are no longer given that opportunity. In fact, seniors have become complacent, expecting less from school social events and trips with each passing year and accepting it without second thought.

Three years ago, school social events like the recent Winter Formal were classy, exciting occasions where students were rewarded for a semester of hard work with a dance held in the stimulating city atmosphere. Little did the students know that this extravagant event was the last of its kind.

Due to the display of inappropriate behavior and provocative dancing at the Winter Formal four years ago, all dances thereafter were unfairly canceled. Even after the students finally went through unnecessary negotiations to prove to the administration they were worthy of a second chance, the dances were never the same.

Our formerly high expectations for school activities and social events have dropped; by settling for adequacy, we are settling for a significantly lesser experience.

Until recently, dance restrictions, ridiculous behavioral contracts and increased chaperones drained the excitement from school dances, which now are hosted solely in the unglamorous and much-too-familiar gym. While Leadership stepped up to impress the student body with this year’s Black and White Ball, it is only one success in a long line of barely adequate events. For those who never had the chance to witness the dances of 2008 and early 2009, you’ll never know what you missed. But the senior class had its taste of an upscale dance, and know that they are simply settling for less.

Why should the students continue to be punished for the decisions made by those who have long since graduated? The high school memories that students hope to accumulate and look back on are now plagued with restrictions, unnecessary sugar-coated activities and limitations. Should I even mention Senior bonding day?

Class privileges and traditions are slipping away. The class-versus-class callouts at rallies are nearly extinct as the administration attempts to manage students and mold us into one happy-go-lucky school community. What is so wrong with a little friendly competition to ignite the air with class spirit?

Instead of protesting and uttering tired complaints, the student body, in particular the senior class, has remained silent and unhappy with the outcome of past school social events. Settling for less is not enough to build lasting memories. Students need to have a voice and speak up when dances and events fall short of expectations.

There is time and room for improvement, to send off the senior class with a last hurrah. With the upcoming senior trip, which surprised many seniors who believed the trip had been eliminated, there is a chance for a truly spectacular event that will bring together the senior class and send them out with a bang.

According to Vice Principal Katy Foster, a combination of high costs, a reported unpleasant experience by some seniors in the past and a lack of inclusiveness was enough for the administration to put a foot down and veto Disneyland. Yet again.

Last year, in place of a senior trip, the school hosted a Senior Fun Day here at Drake, which according to Foster, was “a great success.” According to many of last year’s seniors, it was anything but a good time. Why settle for the predictable and boring? Seniors want excitement and the thrill of a new experience that brings us all together in a new way.

Senior class presidents Kendall Ardito and Leila Rader seem to have the same concern in mind and are now orchestrating a senior trip that raises the bar beyond the ground level. While an evening boat ride around the bay can’t compete with the adventure of Disneyland, it is an acceptable alternative for a class that is used to settling.

According to Ardito, the boat ride would cost students approximately ninety dollars—a hefty price just under the ‘back-breaking cost’ for Disneyland that excluded students in the past—and would tour the San Francisco Bay.

While this moonlit trip is currently being negotiated with the administration, due to the risks of students boarding with drugs and alcohol, it is the only chance we got for a memorable senior trip and final farewell. Kiss Disneyland goodbye and hope that the administration helps the senior class have at least one memorable night.