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Los Gatos High School
From our May issue
A Teen Perspective
Mountain versus City Living
Kelsey Appleton
Teenagers
living in the mountains have lifestyles that are different from
their suburban-dwelling counterparts. While the differences
aren’t as dramatic as some may believe, mountain living is, no
doubt, an acquired skill that can reap great benefits. As a
typical LGHS student and mountain resident, I have assembled a
list presenting the pros and cons of being a teenager in the
mountains.
Pros
One has endless
access to nature and the plethora of good, clean activities that
it provides. Mountain kids can enjoy hiking, tree-climbing,
sun-basking, exploring, swimming in creeks, tree-house building,
bird watching, camping in your own backyard, and hunting (if you
are into that sort of thing). The almost yearly inch or two of
snow provides several days of winter wonderland that inspires
jealousy in classmates who live downtown.
Living in fresh
mountain air means no inhaled toxins, which means unharmed brain
development, which means superior intelligence.
Growing up in a
more challenging environment breeds young men and women who are
more adept in many areas of life. For example, mountain teens
are more likely to dispose of “scary” insects and small animals,
walk around with bare feet, carry out adventures in the dark,
chop and haul wood for fire, drive long distances, and accept
dirty beards and flannel shirts.
The smaller
mountain communities of Loma, Lakeside, Lexington, and CT foster
a close bond among students that often lasts into their high
school years. In the mountains, students may know the name of
every other student in their school.
Cons
While many valley kids can stroll down the block and explore a
wide variety of exciting establishments, mountain kids must
drive long distances. For teens without driver’s licenses, this
dilemma can prove problematic They must carefully organize time
schedules for even the simplest meetings and events.
The quiet, pristine conditions of our mountain may seem like a
prison to a bored teenager. Nature activities are, frankly, not
always the ideal weekend pastime. The rural conditions up on the
mountain often require more work, especially for able-bodied
teenagers. Most manicured valley kids have never known, for
example, the torture of gathering kindling and carrying firewood
in all types of weather, including snow.
Weeklong power outages can become unbearable for mountain
dwellers. Food goes bad, the heater doesn’t work, Internet
access is down, and the pump on the well shuts off so that
running water is no longer accessible.
Bad weather means mudslides, which means trees falling, which
means roads are blocked. We are trapped in paradise.
Pro or con? It depends on the teen. What do you think?
From our February issue
Beyond the Mainstream
Creative Rock Music
Kelsey Appleton
There is no denying that many teenagers live
their lives caught in the chokehold of mainstream music.
Regardless of the genre, the majority of modern day chart
toppers are uninspired, repetitive, and severely lacking talent.
Sickeningly sentimental yet painfully insincere R&B, as well as
monotonous, perverted rap are only two examples of music that
many younger people find attractive. Do they actually enjoy
listening to this "music," or have they simply been sucked into
the mainstream music scene by other teens?
In addition, many of today’s musical artists,
especially those given special recognition by teenagers, are not
true artists. They rely on hired songwriters to come up with
lyrics that sound sufficiently meaningful and that will bring in
the dough. Perhaps these performers don’t comprehend that other
people cannot possibly understand anyone’s feelings but their
own. As a result, these songs sound more like forced little
stories and are in no way believable. It seems to me that these
hired songwriters could use their talents (or at least the
incentive of generous pay checks) to come up with something a
bit deeper.
Despite the overwhelming lack of musical
talent displayed by modern musicians, a batch of highly-skilled
and innovative artists has managed to set itself apart with
creativity, originality, and pure skill. Teens who have invested
effort in understanding the art of music are aware that there is
more out there than the music they hear on the radio and at
school dances.
The Shins and Death Cab For Cutie are two
bands whose names you will most likely recognize, simply because
they have made names for themselves based on their
distinguishable and original sounds. The Shins have gained
popularity with their catchy and upbeat tunes, their odd,
creative lyrics, and the incorporation of many different
inspirations to create a sound that is consistently unique.
Death Cab For Cutie is often on the mellower side, but captures
audiences with passionate piano pieces, dreamy guitar melodies,
and simple yet meaningful lyrics. The Postal Service, a duet
featuring Death Cab’s lead singer and songwriter Ben Gibbard and
Jimmy Tamborello integrates electronic sounds. Worth mentioning
are the Strokes, who provide a large inspiration for many bands.
They are the epitome of the modern-day rock band.
The Decemberists, though not as well known as
the previous bands, is truly one-of-a-kind. Their songs range
from sea shanties to haunting accounts of death. All manage to
tell a story. The Decemberists’ instrumental variation, as well
as their surprisingly large vocabulary, is also impressive.
Eisley, a family band formed when the lead singer was just
sixteen, is known for their dark, yet whimsical sound. They have
artfully mingled elements of country with traditional rock-band
instrumentals and wispy, delicate vocals. Neko Case, who also
performs with the New Pornographers, has also managed to
effectively combine country with her music.
When it comes to vocals, however, few can
compare with Fiona Apple. Her deep and passionate voice greatly
enhances her music, which is incredibly profound and emotional.
Imogen Heap, who produces music both solo and with her band Frou
Frou, also creates a unique sound with her odd vocals and use of
poppy, electronic beats. Jem is another female artist worthy of
recognition.
Rilo Kiley (one of my personal favorite
bands) created consistently excellent music until the release of
their latest album,
Under the Blacklight. Before this point, Rilo Kiley and
lead singer Jenny Lewis managed to lure fans with their
straightforward, quirky, endearing lyrics, catchy beats, and
varied subject matter.
The Velvet Teen, from Santa Rosa, is possibly
the least well-known of the aforementioned artists, but don’t
let this mislead you. The Velvet Teen incorporates a solid
guitar foundation with angelic vocals and quirky background
sound effects, such as video game shooting sounds. Although
there is nothing hugely distinguishable about this band, they
manage to maintain a sound that is surprisingly unique. Also
check out the gypsy-influenced Beirut, the truly odd musical
experimentations of Man Man, indie rock phenomenon Arcade Fire,
and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Fortunately, not all of the younger
generation has been lured into mainstream music. In fact, if you
take time to thoroughly explore the lesser-known artists, it is
impossible to be disappointed. These artists go so far as to
actually seek deeper meaning in their music to set themselves
apart, instead of merely making the last minute switch from
"you" to "U" as many R&B artists have done in the past.
From our December issue
A Typical Mountain Boy
Redwood Roy
Kelsey Appleton
Externally, Redwood Roy is not significantly
different from any of the other students at LGHS. In addition to
his permanently tousled hair, his inclination to loiter by
trees, and the fact that a subtle aroma of bark seems to linger
in the air after his prolonged presence, Roy is hardly
distinguishable from the average kid. Perhaps the uninformed
observer should reevaluate his initial assessment. Roy is an
entirely different specimen from the majority of the student
body: He lives in the mountains.
When approached by flat-landers inquiring
about the details of mountain living, Roy replies with a shrug
and an inwardly directed sigh. "If only the valley kids were
aware that every day is a struggle for survival," Roy reflects,
his face wrought with sorrow and regret. But Roy cannot be
bothered by the ignorance of his peers and the shallow, mundane
troubles of the average teenager. He has his life to worry
about. His daily routine is, in fact, exponentially different
from any other classmate, and I’m sure you mountain folk can
closely identify.
At 2:45 p.m. every Monday through Friday, Roy
mounts the 76 bus, just so he can keep up appearances with the
privileged suburban dwellers who finish school at the same time.
When the bus can no longer handle the treacherous curves and
unpaved dirt trails, (the only way to travel after exiting
Highway 17, as I’m sure you know) Roy whistles for his team of
wild coyotes to pull him home on his small wooden cart, parked
conveniently at the last bus stop.
After a brutal ride through toxic swamps,
frenzied cannibal communities, and long-abandoned, haunted
logging towns, Roy finally arrives home at about 6 p.m. His
first order of business is to fetch water for dinner. When the
other kids at school discovered he used a well, they were
flabbergasted at the thought of Roy cranking a bucket-
and-pulley contraption. "Haven’t you heard of the modern well?"
Roy responded. "You know, large, green, plastic?" The valley
kids merely shrugged and walked away with a look of subtle
disappointment, but Roy has yet to recover from his lie.
Everyone knows the Santa Cruz Mountains are, in reality, much
too rural to be equipped with modern wells. The society of
mountain kids long ago established a routine to fit in among
citizens of modern day civilization.
But Roy knew in his heart that he would never
truly fit in. In fact, he still finds it upsetting to recall the
moment when he first came to this realization. "I pondered my
miserable situation as I slowly cranked up bucket upon bucket of
pure, clean spring water," Roy explains. "And then I thought of
the valley kids drinking from their chlorine-ridden taps and I
went on my merry way."
At 6:30 p.m., Roy enters his lean-to
(fashioned of deer hides, of course) and slips into something
more comfortable, usually his raccoon-fur cloak that his mother
made him for his twelfth birthday. When this is dirty, Roy opts
for a simple, deer hide loincloth: a staple item in a mountain
resident’s wardrobe.
By 7 p.m. Roy no doubt has a strong hankering
for grub. Dinner typically consists of some type of meat (stored
high in the trees for protection from the ubiquitous bear
population), a leafy green, and a variety of forest fungus.
Given that plumbing and electricity are non-existent in the
homes of mountain residents, many standard methods of food
preparation are out of the question.
Roy hesitated for several, confused seconds
when asked about his level of experience with microwaves.
Rather, Roy’s mother cooks dinner over a large fire fueled by
decaying branches and sufficiently dried-out leaves. She has
also recently discovered that quail eggs are quite delicious
when poached and drizzled with diluted tree resin and shreds of
cured squirrel. Usually meat sources are plentiful, but
particularly cold winters can cause animals to go into early
hibernation. "In those cases," Roy admits ashamedly, "road kill
is often the only option for food."
Redwood Roy is just another mountain boy.
From our November issue
LGHS Spirit Week
Kelsey Appleton
It is not often that the mundane task of walking
through a hallway requires maneuvering through large
hordes of
intermingled Disney characters, athletes, pirates,
and casino dealers. In fact, it is rather unlikely that
these four different types of
people would ever cross each other’s paths. At the
end of October, however, this seemingly impossible
occurrence became reality
when Los Gatos High School students dressed up for
the fall 2007 Spirit Week.
Each day leading up to the biennial spirit rally,
held this year on Friday, October 20, LGHS students
dressed in a variety of costumes. On Monday, which was
pajama day, students had an excuse to lounge around in
clashing plaids and entirely school inappropriate but
ever-so-comfortable slippers. On Tuesday, the student
body resurrected the supposedly “re-emerging trend” of
tie-dye from its grave next to other flower-power era
fads. The LGHS Tie-Dye Club, which raises money to
donate to charity, even sold T-shirts on the front lawn
prior to Spirit Week.
On Wednesday, students asked each other, “would you
be my friend if I wore this?” and were free to don
whatever crazy attire they so desired. On Thursday,
freshmen dressed in Disney-related attire, in
correspondence with their theme, “Th e Seven Dwarves.”
Sophomores wore all sorts of athletic apparel for the
“Seventh Inning Stretch.” Juniors shivered their timbers
in seaworthy garb fit for even the most swashbuckling of
pirates bound to sail “The Seven Seas.” Seniors pulled
on high-roller dealer visors and other casino related
clothing for their theme, “777.” On Friday, everyone
dressed according to their class colors, which this year
were green for freshmen, orange for sophomores, blue for
juniors, and, as always, black for seniors.
The actual spirit rally was a one-of-a-kind school
event in which everyone participated Leadership students
and various teachers
divided the large gym into four decorated sections,
one for each grade. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and
seniors participated
in various competitions, including tug-o-war,
doughnut on a string, potato sack racing, balloon stomp,
and other games in which
they earned points for their class. The points were
accumulated throughout Spirit Week from the Spirit Rally
and other games held
on the front lawn during lunch.
As one of the few schools in California that still
holds large-scale spirit rallies, LGHS students take
pride in their wildcat status. As
a result, participation in Spirit Week is always
high, and a large majority of students dress
up. As Junior Spirit Commissioner Taylor Tolbert
says, “Spirit Week really unites [the members of each
class] and creates friendly
competition. It’s…fun to see everybody at school get
into it.” A highly anticipated event for most LGHS
students, Spirit Week
provided the opportunity for all members of the
school to have fun and show his or her spirit when the
pressures of school may
seem too hard to handle.
From our October issue
LGHS Students Showcase Their Skills
Kelsey Appleton
Although the trip into Los Gatos requires a
mere fifteen minutes of driving for most mountain residents, it
is not unusual for forest-dwelling folk to feel disconnected
from the outside world. Fortunately, there are easy ways for
everyone to become involved with the community. Even those
without children attending LGHS can show their support for the
high school.
Followers of LGHS activities are most likely
aware that Friday nights are game nights for the beloved Wildcat
football team. The energy-packed audience, comprised of students
and adults, can also enjoy performances by LGHS cheerleaders,
Paw de Chat dance team, marching band, and colorguard. At just
six dollars, football games are an inexpensive way to witness
some of Los Gatos High’s most talented young athletes. If
plowing one’s way through large, screaming hordes of teenagers
doesn’t tickle one’s fancy, there are plenty of other sporting
events that may prove more enjoyable. Game schedules for other
fall sports including girls’ volleyball, boys’ and girls’ water
polo, field hockey, girls’ tennis, and track and field can be
found at www.lghs.net/athletics/index.asp.
LGHS also produces students highly skilled in
the arts. Later this fall, a group of eleven or so student
actors will perform Margarite Edson’s
Wit under the direction of English teacher Steve Wong.
Simon Hudes, a senior at LGHS and one of the leading actors in
the play, describes
Wit as "a close look at the transcendence of life into
death and the ethics concerning the treatment of a dying cancer
patient." Impressive student performances and Wong’s
controversial topic choice are sure to make
Wit a memorable show. Also look forward to the
student-written AIDS benefit play, the spring musical, and
talent shows such as "Unplugged."
No matter what one’s interests, he or she is
certain to encounter a Los Gatos student with similar passions.
As a result, nearly everyone can become involved in the lives of
the younger generation by simply showing a little school spirit
or supporting student performances.
Questions regarding upcoming events can be
answered at www.lghs.net, or by calling the school,
408-354-2731.
From our September issue
Los Gatos High School Student Column
Support for students, by students
Kelsey Appleton
It is general knowledge that stress and difficult decisions
govern the lives of the younger generation. As teenagers find
themselves in increasingly stressful situations, however, it is
unlikely that they will seek guidance from specialists. In fact,
sitting across from a guidance counselor with his crossed legs,
twiddling thumbs, and all-knowing stare never seems very
appealing. The last thing a high-school student needs to hear in
a time of crisis is some regurgitated piece of “advice” from
someone much too calm for his own good.
While those trained in the art of guidance are often wonderful
people able to offer a word of sympathy, sometimes the only ones
able to relate to today’s struggling youth are their peers.
Enter Nancy Offer: local mountain resident and mother of two
LGHS graduates. In 1997, while working with CASA, a drug
awareness program, Offer was approached by an LGHS student also
involved in the program. The student asked Offer if she wanted
to know what it was really like going to Los Gatos High School.
After several conversations, the two came up with the idea for
Reality Check, a monthly publication to which students
could anonymously submit their personal stories regarding
specific topics. Offer saw this as an excellent opportunity to
“provide a voice for teens” and show students that their peers
were dealing with similar problems. For the first few years of
its existence, Reality Check remained somewhat unknown,
but students eventually caught on to the idea, and after ten
years of successful production, the award-winning publication
remains a valuable resource.
In 2002, Offer asked the Reality Check staff what they
thought freshmen needed to hear before entering high school.
Deliberation between Offer and her staff resulted in the
creation of Freshmen Skills Day (FSD) a daylong program run by
upperclassmen that all freshmen must attend at the beginning of
the school year. During FSD, the students rotate through several
stations that offer advice on controversial topics such as sex,
alcohol, parties, stress, and peer pressure. “The things
students hear during Freshmen Skills Day are not too much
different from what your parents tell you,” Offer explains, “but
often kids are more likely to listen to their peers, who they
know have recently been through these situations.” For this
reason, Offer finds it important that teens take part in
preparing freshmen for their lives to come.
At the end of 2005, several students were suspended for drinking
alcohol at school on St. Patrick’s Day. Not long afterward,
Reality Check received stories from several girls that
explained harmful decisions they had made under the influence of
alcohol. Offer’s reaction to these incidents was to find a way
to remind sophomores and upperclassmen of the ideas presented
ion Freshmen Skills Day. She created Students to Students (S2S),
a program that provides information and support to those who may
have forgotten what they learned as incoming freshmen. In an
effort to further aid the student body through high school, the
S2S staff assembles packets to distribute to juniors and
seniors, puts on an assembly for sophomores, and hangs posters
in the main hall drawn by student artists.
Nancy Offer makes it a top priority to listen to students
without judgment. “I trust that teens know more about their
lives than any adult,” she says. But Offer makes sure to point
out that Reality Check, Freshmen Skills Day, and Students
to Students are really “[our] programs.” “They are successful,”
she explains humbly, “because [the youth of Los Gatos High] have
put so much effort into them.” This may very well be true, but
one thing is for certain: thanks to the passion and dedication
of Nancy Offer, many LGHS teens have found it easier to cope
during years that often prove difficult for so many.
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