The Woodside World

Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat School’s Out for SummerBy Caleb Levine

On June 6, school o!cially ends, thus beginning the most exciting time of the year for Woodside students: summer.

Since the beginning of the school year, there is a single, glorious, thought linger-ing over the heads of some students at Woodside: summer vacation. By May and June, the titillating thrill of summer vacation takes control of many students, leaving school an absolute mess of eager, young, thrill-seeking students. But just what are these students so excited about?

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Continued on Page 7

June 2013 “The Voice of the Wildcats”

By Alexis Carlson

As the school year comes to a close, stu-dents of all grade levels look towards the next chapters in their lives. However, it is the seniors’ dramatic change from Wood-side High School to college and careers that is particularly emotional.

Woodside o"ers many opportunities for students to be involved in, from the arts department to all the sports teams, and all the clubs in between, there is something for everybody. Seniors have been here for almost four full years, and many of them

have gotten involved in the school com-munity in some way. It is these activities and hobbies that helped them #t into Woodside as freshmen and grow into a responsible seniors.

Luana Jury-Fogel ‘13 says, “As severe as my senioritis is right now, the closer gradua-tion gets, the sadder I get that I am pretty much done with all of the typical high school experiences like dancing at football and basketball games, prom, and all that good stu". I have always been really happy at Woodside, so it’s de#nitely a big deal to me to leave.”

In addition to missing the fun ways to get involved at Woodside, many seniors will also yearn for their old friends and teach-ers who helped them get to where they are today. Aaron Garcia ‘13 exclaims, “I greatly appreciate all of my current and former teachers for having taught me so much! I love Woodside High School and its loving, caring sta". There really is no better place to be! I will miss being a Wildcat!”

Now that the seniors are experts about the school and know Woodside like the back of their hands, they have some

After four years at Woodside High School, the seniors will be very missed as they move on next year

CONTENTS:SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER ..................2A HELPING PAW ......................................2TRANSFORMATIONS AT WOODSIDE .........2SENIORS “ON TOP OF THE WORLD” ...........3NEW YEAR, NEW PRINCIPAL ...................3

THE “LIFELONG LEARNER” RETIRES .........6JUST KEEP SWIMMING...OR NOT .............6DREAMS COME TRUE ...............................7WOODSIDE STANDS UP TO STAR ..............7ONCE A WILCAT, ALWAYS A WILDCAT.......7SENIOR DESTINATIONS ............................8

By Haley Sheetz

In past years, popularity seemed to be the key to winning a place in the Prom Court. This year, though, the winners came from a more diverse playing #eld.

The Prom Court nominees this year were from a variety of cliques, making it impos-sible to predict who would win the crown. In the end, though, it was Ben Arredondo ‘13, Demi Latham ‘13, Harry Patino ‘14, and Megan Healy ‘14 who prevailed as the 2013 Prom Court.

Dreams Come True

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Victories in the Prom Court come down to more than just popularity

Members of Woodside’s graduating class of 2013 sit together and $ash their smiles for the traditional Senior Panorama which is meant to capture a moment when the senior class is all together just before they move on from Woodside and to go their separate ways. Photo courtesy of LifeTouch

Prom King Ben Arredondo displays his crown and his personality, the trait which he believes helped him win. Photo by Will Palomares

A school-wide poll reveals that Woodside students are doing very diverse activities this summer, the majority being relaxing, vacationing, and working. Graphic by Caleb Levine

New Year, New PrincipalBy Luci Cerillo

Like all freshmen this year, Principal Diane Burbank started o" as a brand new face to most Woodside students. And like many new students, she is #nishing the school year as a more ac-complished, more popular, and more well-known #xture of the Woodside community.

“I really enjoyed [this school year] because I know so much more now that I’ll use at the beginning of next school year.” says Burbank, who has had a truly remarkable #rst year. One of Burbank’s many goals this was the construction of new buildings, and they are all on schedule to be ready for instruction at

Principal Burbank wears some of her best orange on Woodside’s “Crazy Orange Friday.” Burbank has fully embraced this special day, which occurs mostly on rally days, because it allows students to dress their craziest while still encouraging school spirit. Photo by Chris Guillen

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Art Contest Winners Revealed

Photography, First Place - “Crystal Springs” by Maryn Katz ‘13

Photography, Honorable Mention - “Spirit” by Kaylynn Crawford ‘13

The Woodside World held its 3rd Annual Art Contest this Spring to highlight the rich artistic talents of students in our community. Students had the opportunity to enter their artwork into six contest cat-egories. Winners were chosen by the number of “Likes” their art earned on the The Wood-side World’s Facebook Page. Shown here, and on pages 4 and 5 are the winners of the contest. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who entered. For the rest of the winners, turn to Pages 4 and 5

School’s Out for Summer Con’t

By Leira Montemayor

The school year for 2012-2013 is about to end, and it is re-ally interesting to know how some of our fellow Wildcats transformed throughout the year.

When people hear the word “learning”, they usually start thinking about school. The place where students read, write, and do activities that are challenging at times. It is best known as a students’ second home, a place where they can feel free to share who they really are and learn at the same time. But learning is not just about what a per-son can comprehend inside the four walls of a classroom, it is the ability of that person to apply what he or she just attained to the real world.

Zaire Williams ’16 confessed that what she has learned this year was an advantage for her because she can use it wherever she will go. “I learned that being nice to people is the fastest way to make friends,” said Williams. She admitted that the lesson she obtained this year was really important since she was new to the school and she did not know anyone before. “Woodside is pretty cool, I can see myself graduating from here,” she shared.

Likewise, Ryan Chang ’16 agreed on what Williams said. He shared that the lesson he learned from WHS that will remain with him, is about how to deal with time. “I learned to use the time wisely and to not waste it when it comes to learning,” Chang said. He described Woodside as interesting because there are a lot of people in Woodside who are of di"erent cultures and di"erent ethnicities.

Wyatt Arlie ‘15 also considered the lessons he learned to

be very helpful, because according to him, it’s similar to work. Turning in homework as much as possible this year was one of the things that Arlie learned. “This year I’ve had better grades than last year because of assignments, it corresponds to work so I think it’s useful,” he stated. Arlie also concluded that Woodside High is awesome because it is diverse, it has great teachers, and most of the kids are nice.

Kristine Diedrich ‘15 also shared something that she personally learned from Woodside. “I learned about being open to new and di"erent people and being able to accept them for who they are.” Diedrich considers the lessons she has attained are important

because it is not only a good skill for the future, but it also makes her think that it makes her a better person. She also said that she can use that skill everywhere and any-where. “So far, I can say that I have enjoyed every year at Woodside. I have met a lot of amazing people who I have a lot of fun with,” she explained.

On the other hand, English teacher Adele Alvarez indi-cated that every year she discovers something new from her students. “I feel that the job of a teacher or anyone and any profession is to continue to grow in their skills and to become better people,” Alvarez claimed. She thinks that each school year o"ers students the chance to learn things that will transform their lives. She explains, “Knowl-edge gives you the ability to make di"erent choices on

life, to see things di"erently, and to make a di"erence in the world, in your school, and in society.” Other qualities that Alvarez believes make WHS an inspiring place are all the sports, all the electives, the variety of people from di"erent places, the teach-ers who are willing to help their students, and the people who try to make everything better. “Woodside is awesome because I think school can be as awesome

as you want it to be, as great as you want it to be, or as bad as you want, but it’s all on how you want to see it,” she concluded.

Transformations at Woodside

A look at the variety of sta! and student plans for the most exciting time of the year

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A day at the beach is a popular summer excursion that some Woodside students will be going on. Many students that are vacationing are visiting beach-side communities such as L.A. and San Diego. Photo by Julian Colton

Upperclassmen (left) and Underclassmen (above) gather at the quad every brunch to catch up with their friends and share some knowledge that they have obtained. Photos by Leira Montemayor

Although the end of school means #nal testing and end-of-the-year projects, it also means an overall easier school day with less learning, more reviewing, and fun activities such as watching movies and Teen Talk. As school comes to a close, so do sports, clubs, and other in-school activi-ties. “I’m pretty eager for school to end,” said Ir-win Linares ‘16, “but I’m going to miss some of my ‘school’ friends.”

Woodside bids farewell to our outgoing seniors and prepares to welcome in new freshmen. Students say, “goodbye” to

teachers and “hello” to a summer of fun and relaxation. Well, at least that’s what students hope for summer, but some ter-rors like work, summer projects, and bore-dom are the fears that can be associated

with summer vacation.

The problem with summer vacation is that it’s not all fun and games. Many students have obliga-tions that aren’t very excit-ing such as jobs, summer

school, and other academic programs that they may not enjoy. According to a school-wide poll, the most common jobs for stu-dents seem to be working as a babysitter

or camp counselor. Although it may not be the most enjoyable summer experience, getting a job is a great way to earn money and meet new people. Of course, not all are working this summer. “I really have nothing to do this summer except playing Call of Duty and sleeping,” admitted a very content Scott Cuellar ‘16. Genaro Cisneros ‘15, a friend of Cuellar, is participating in a biotech internship with a few other stu-dents. “The rest of the summer I’ll basically just be relaxing.” Cisneros stated.

That’s what students are doing, but what do teachers think about all this? Lisa Prodromo, a freshman English teacher at Woodside believes that summer vacation should be a relaxing time for students no matter what grade. “I believe they [stu-dents] should read a book for pleasure, but besides that, vacation is vacation.” Besides a minor reading project, Prodromo doesn’t assign any big summer projects.

She also thinks that students bene#t from summer jobs. “Teens #nd out what jobs they like or just absolutely hate and don’t want to do in the future.”

The results of a Woodside World poll of over 300 students showed that most stu-dents have “relax” as a major part of their summer plans. The majority of Wildcats are also going on vacation, working, and/or visiting family. Most students who claimed they were traveling stated that they were visiting place in or near California such as Hawaii, Mexico, Washington, or Oregon. There were also a few students going pretty far to some places like the East Coast or even as far as Europe.

No matter what you’re doing this summer: traveling, relaxing, visiting colleges, work-ing, or something all your own, we at the Woodside World will you a great break full of fun and adventure.

Woodside High continues to inspire its students by helping them discover the world outside

The problem with summer vacation is that it’s not all fun and games. Many students have obligations that aren’t very exciting such as jobs, summer school, and other academic programs that they may not enjoy.

“Knowledge gives you the ability to make di!erent choices in life, to see things di!erently, and to make a di!erence in the world, in your school, and in society.” -Adele Alvarez

Woodside World Sta!:Editor-in-Chief: Makayla Karr-WarnerDesign Director: Abby Taussig

A & E Editor, Webmaster: Mackenzie BrayNews Editor: Chris GuillenStudent Life Editor: Kathleen Sandoval

Sports Editor: Collin MerwinArt Director: Maya Kuipers

Sta! Writers: Alexis Carlson, Luci Cerrillo, Freddie Corcoran, Ben Gumbley, Kenzie Humpries, Caleb Levine, Joel Martinez-Cobian, Nick Montalbano, Leira Montemayor, Emily Orrego, Harry Patino, Diego Perez, Haley Sheetz, Raul Torres, and Eugenia Vasquez

Advisor: Peter Cirincione

A Helping Paw

New Year, New Principal Con’tBurbank approached her "rst year administrating Woodside with excitement

By Harry Patino

As Woodside’s seniors take their last steps towards graduation in June, they leave behind an inevitable void; a void eager to be #lled by all manner of juniors and underclassmen, all looking to make their own senior years better than any that have come before.

But just what does senior year mean? To the seniors, themselves, it means a col-lective sigh of relieve and an assessment of their lives yet to come. To the budding juniors, the #nal year represents a sort of call to action, a challenge summarized by junior Emily Mo"at ‘14 as “your time to shine; your moment after three years of high school to step up and become the role models and the leaders of the school.” And yet others, like sophomore Kyle Lucas ‘15, are just “looking to party hard.”

As the end of a long and often strenu-ous chapter of one’s life, senior year must unfold with sense of solace, if not comple-tion. To that end, Ryan Blocker ‘13, puts it, “I think being a senior just makes you more con#dent in yourself. You just realize that it’s your last year in school and you have to make the most of it and do what you wanna do without worrying about how popular you are or how others feel about it.” When prompted on his summa-ry of school pride with the senior experi-ence, Blocker elaborated: “I do feel pride, more so in being a part of something great rather than categorically being a senior. We’ve really come together and done some pretty cool things this year so I’m proud of my friends and my class for that experience.” In the words of Isaiah

Labelle ‘13, “You just gotta keep senior year lowkey.”

While many perceive senior year as a chance to sit back and chill as the year unravels, Emma Adams ‘13, o"ers a far more daunting and #nal view of her wan-ing high school days: “Being a senior is like being on top of the world for the last time.” To Adams, the scope of school-wide events becomes a vibrant display of spir-it, in that, “homecoming week, dances, sports games- it’s all the last time to be a part of high school. You yell, chant, cheer and laugh louder than you ever thought you would. And knowing that you’re o" to college next year makes you appreci-ate the experiences even more.”

So it becomes evident that senior year, while varying in meaning to the seniors themselves, possesses a colossal impor-tance in the grand scheme of life. Yet as the seniors prepare to depart high school forever, the juniors make way; ready to make their #nal semesters, as Oscar Costantini ‘14, claims, “gnarlier than Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”

Whereas the senior assessment of senior year paints a picture of a re$ective and laid back atmosphere, the varying views from incoming juniors paint a vivid picture of things to come. On improving the basic aspects of senior year, Adam Stockford ‘14, stated that, “we gotta swag out that senior picnic times a million” and “our class is gonna make those basket-ball cheering sections get all kinds of stupid.” In terms far less charged, how-ever, Heather Magrin ‘14, o"ered a more introspective vision of “a class brought to-

gether as a family and kept that way with the maturity that comes with growing up.” Not straying from those basic senior pleasures, however, Magrin admitted “I can’t wait to put my college up on the glass wall.”

However, apart from all the visions, aspirations and assessments that senior years sums up for so many students, one common theme permeates the mold of diversity: have a really, really, really good time. In the words of incoming BOSA Vice President Mo"at, “There’s no big dog on campus that you’re afraid of or some up-perclassmen who swooped your position on a sports team or anything like that. You’ve #nally made it to the top and you can #nally carve out an experience you see #t.” When asked for words to impart on the generation of underclassmen who will, in time, #ll the void left by all future classes of Woodside seniors, Mo"at of-fered a simple mantra: “Keep it casual.”

Seniors “On Top of the World”Aspirations of Senior Year as the current seniors wait out the "nal strech

By Kenzie Humphries

Many of us have seen the curly-haired canine around campus, although not all of us know who she is or why she’s here. Her name is Taylor, and she’s here to help.

Taylor, Woodside’s resident Facility Dog, came to us in November of last year and has been helping students ever since. She can be seen trotting on leash through campus most days, often led by Maureen Campbell, the school’s Administrative Vice Principal. A trained and certi#ed service dog, Taylor serves to help bring a smile to everyone’s face when she’s near. Campbell says “Taylor is assigned to provide uncon-ditional support to all students and sta".” She was “trained and certi#ed as a facility dog through the Canine Angels Assistance Teams Organization in Grants Pass, Or-egon.”

Taylor is a type of service dog known as an emotional support animal; basically, she provides canine comfort to any students or sta" that need to be cheered up. With her wide grin and lolling pink tongue, it is a job that suits Taylor just #ne. Anyone will attest for her good nature and easygoing personality, as Taylor isn’t an uncommon sight in the halls of Woodside. More often than not, there are a few students eager to pet her, lingering and cooing.

Campbell, the person on the other end of Taylor’s leash most often, details her nor-mal routine from day-to-day. “She spends every #rst period in Ms. Staves’ class as well as other periods in classrooms when teach-ers request her. She especially loves to visit the chickens in the garden with Ms. Akey and play soccer with the students during lunch. She assists students in the o!ce that need some support and she enjoys visiting everyone that works in the Administration o!ce and everyone who happens to walk through the halls. She likes to greet stu-dents on campus during brunch and lunch. She has assisted the guidance counselors in their work counseling students and enjoys hanging with students that have special needs.”

When approaching Taylor, it’s best to ask for permission to pet or touch her #rst. If you see that she is walking or interacting with another student, you should probably wait before approaching or stay away alto-gether. It is not okay to o"er to give Taylor food or make distracting or rude noises at her. If you happen to dislike dogs, it’s as simple as continuing to walk past -- Taylor is well-mannered and well-trained, she won’t bother you.

Woodside’s resident Service Dog going on an entire year of assistance

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Principal Diane Burbank walks the “orange carpet” on opening night of her #rst spring musical, “Legally Blonde.” Photo by Kim Smith

Since early November, Taylor has been an integral part of the Woodside community, as she is shown here, posing for Woodside’s photography class.Photo by Kelcie Carle

the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. According to Burbank, “construction is on time and on budget so that’s always distress-ing towards the end of a construction project where you start to buy the furniture and the computers and do the cool stu". We’ve done a good job with that.” Along with the new buildings, Burbank has introduced several new ideas for stu-dents to receive special recognition: student of the week, student of the month, and a trip to Jamba Juice with Burbank herself to honor outstanding athletes.

Despite her numerous achievements this school year, Burbank has faced many hard-ships along the way; including the tragic deaths of two Woodside freshmen. The death of Leyla Beban in November 2012 struck the hearts of the entire Woodside community, including Burbank herself: “It’s always di!cult to be the leader when you’re grieving the same as the other people.” As a part of the grieving process, Burbank, along with other Woodside sta" members, “worked with the family and the freshmen who were a"ected most and knew [Leyla] the best to do the book drive.” Over 3,000 books were donated to the “Books for Beban” book drive, which was created in honor of Beban and her love of reading.

This school year has de#nitely been #lled with many memo-rable events for Burbank. One speci#c event stands out to her: “I would like to say that writing the schools of choice on the

windows as students make selec-tions throughout the year is my favorite.” Other events that Burbank particularly enjoyed this year were supportive student rallies, home-coming, and observing classrooms in action. “Some of the things that I’ll remember a lot are when I’m in the classroom and I’m seeing students saying, ‘Come here, come here, look at this!’ Whether it be a chemistry lab or even when I’m in the #tness room,” Burbank recalls fondly.

As the 2012-13 school year draws to an end, Burbank is looking forward to what the next school year has to o"er. However, when it comes to making Woodside a better environ-ment to thrive in, Burbank can’t do

it alone: “I’ll use the leadership bodies that are already in place: BOSA, Shared Decision Making Council (SDMC), and department chairs. I think that I’ll listen to other people’s good ideas.”

Juniors Adam Stockford, Emily Mo"at and Oki Costanti share a laugh during lunch. Many current seniors stress the importance of activities like this that should help the next generation “keep it casual.” Photo by Harry Patino

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first place winners

MusicDanny Dignin, ‘13

“Davvi - Bounce”

FilmAlex Herrera, ‘13

“Soccer, You Gotta Love It”

CeramicsKaylee Kuipers, ‘13

“Lidded Box”

2D ArtMariana Silverman, ‘16

“Apprehension”

PhotographyMaryn Katz, ‘13

“Crystal Springs”

PoetryAli McBride, ‘14

“Alive”That moment,

that fated moment,

when the clouds clear away

and open their gates,

releasing golden beams,

bringing a shudder of warmth

to the gentle palette of your face,

and you smile.

That is the moment

that you feel most alive,

fully aware of the subtle

rise and fall of your chest,

the automatic impulse

to close your fragile lids,

protecting the mysteries beneath

from the reality before it.

You realize that

the only thing real

in this world of optical illusions

and poker face bluffs

is your ability

to walk,

to breathe,

to think,

to live,

and the myriad of opportunities

open to you.

honorable mentions

MusicWyatt Giampa, ‘13

“This is It (Instrumental)”

FilmScott Feuerhelm, ‘13

“Slender”

CeramicsLauren Holland, ‘15

“Bank”

2D ArtGerardo Valencia, ‘14

“Tardis in Space”

PhotographyKaylynn Crawford, ‘13

“Spirit”

PoetryKristine Diedrich,

‘14 “Broken”I am broken

Shattered on the floor of realityMy dreams

Scattered among the pieces of my heart

The air I once breathed

Spills from my cracked lung

Not a shard remains

Of the whole that was

I am broken

What held me together is gone

It held me together with the promise

The promise of better; greater

But now it has left me

So the floor shall reap me

I am broken,

But never was I truly whole.

Go to our website:

WoodsideWorld.com

To fully experience the work

of Multimedia winners

and see more amazing entries!

The “Lifelong Learner” RetiresBased on a survey given to the boys of Woodside High, this is how the boys feel about swimming in PE. A little over #fty percent say that they love it. Graphic by Fred Corcoran

Just Keep Swimming... Or NotWoodside students address how they really feel about swimming in PEBy Fred Corcoran

Every California public high school student must take part in swimming during PE; however, not every student feels as enthusiastic about it. Woodside High students must take swimming for a month at the end of their PE year. Although it is hot out and can be a fun side of physical education, there are many negative aspects that cause a controversy between having to swim or not.

For some, swimming is a way of getting out of the heat and relaxing in a pool. Ray Hurst ‘16 admits, “I like it a lot because we don’t have to run in 90 degree weather, and instead of running, you can spend your time in water, avoiding sweat and the track.”

However, the weather is not going to be hot every day, especially not during the morning in #rst period. Alexis Carlson ‘16 complains, “I’m getting in the pool to swim for half an hour every day and I hate walking around all day with wet hair.” So what could Woodside do to take away the hatred of cold water during the morn-ing? Allegra Stangvik ‘16 suggests, “Everyone should have swimming last period. I feel bad for the ones who have it #rst period because last period you can tan and not care about getting ready for anything afterwards.”

First period isn’t the only period that is disliked. Hanna Amirsehhi ’16 says, “No one wants to do swimming in the middle of the day; it’s right before lunch and right before you are about to socialize.” Swimming may be fun, but some people need a while to get ready and that may not be possible with the amount of time they

are given to change.

“Swimming is a very important skill that is very useful during life, and the fact that Woodside High o"ers it is great,” comments Hilda Bejar ‘16 who also says, “I’m excited to learn how to swim because I’ve never had the chance before.” Getting the opportunity to learn to swim for free is something no one should take for granted.

Amirsehhi explains, “I am on the swim team so I have to get ready for swimming twice a day and then swim twice a day in the same pool. It’s a waste of time.” For people who can already swim, it can be a waste of time, but there is a lot of room for improvement. Swimming in PE isn’t just about learning how to swim, but it’s about getting your heart rate up and getting exercise.

Although swimming in PE is a wonderful opportunity, many don’t agree. Stangvik adds, “It’s unsanitary and gross.” Even though the pool is #lled with tons of chlo-rine which kills germs in seconds, many students still think of it as disgusting.

Carlson admits, “Hair, makeup, and getting ready for class is a big problem for me and a lot of other girls in my class, which could be why so many girls dislike it.”

The controversy over swimming in PE is so strong that taking it away may bring joy to some, but hurt too many. It is something the students of Woodside High need to face and accept.

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By Joel Martinez-Cobian

Seniors aren’t the only ones eagerly antici-pating the next phase of their lives. Janet Creech, AVID teacher and coordinator, will be retiring from a successful teaching career into a life of travel and exploration.

For those of you unfamiliar with AVID (Ad-vancement Via Individual Determination), it is self-described as an international pro-gram focused on “accelerating academic performance and e!ciency.” The program encourages students to “think about long-term career goals,” and facilitates the achievement of said goals by “promoting organization, collaboration, and per-sonal inquiry.” Based on that description, Woodside could not have chosen a better coordinator for the program.

In her actions and her words, Creech proves to be a caring and committed educator. Francisco Espinoza ‘16, who con-siders Creech “pretty chill,” also describes Creech as “very nice; Our education and us going to college really do matter to her. She never gets mad or anything.” Surpris-ingly, Creech’s dedication to teaching is not an e"ect of childhood aspiration. She reports that she “always wanted to be a doctor,” but was not accepted into medical school. Although Creech didn’t elaborate on this, the medical #eld was especially di!cult for women to break into during that time. According to “Op-

portunities for Women - Doors Are Open” on StateUniversity.com, “In the 40-year span between 1930 and 1970 only 14,000 women graduated from medical school, while over the 10-year period between 1970 and 1980 more than 20,000 women graduated.” If the Women’s Health move-ment of the early 70s had occurred just a short time earlier, we might know Janet Creech as a great doctor instead of a great teacher. Creech, however, was unfazed by the denial. She managed to put herself through college working as a hospital sec-retary and part-time waiter. From there, she went on to pursue a career in medical technology. She worked as a clinical lab scientist in a number of di"erent institu-

tions, eventually becoming chief technolo-gist at the US Public Health Service Hospi-tal in San Francisco. Creech eventually left her job as a clinical lab scientist to care for her two children. She was a stay-at-home mom, but continued to study architecture, crafts, and ethics in various institutions. As a parent she was deeply involved in school activities. Her involvement in the school community gave Creech the idea of becoming a teacher. “I thought I wouldn’t have to work summers!” she reports jok-ingly.

Creech’s work conduct is just one of many qualities that make her an awesome hu-man. She is family-oriented and consis-

tently keeps in touch with her daughter, who is currently in Thailand studying mycology. Catherine Wachtler, a teacher at Woodside who has worked with Creech in the science department as wells as in the AVID program, describes her as “thought-ful, organized, caring, and a lifelong learner.” She also confessed that it “has been [her] pleasure” to work with Creech, and that she respected her great ideas on how to make students think critically. While it is her job to promote academic success, Creech is also an advocate of #nd-ing personal ful#llment. “The continuous challenge [in life] was #nding myself,” she reports. “I would get so caught up in day to day living that I would not take time to step back and ask, ‘am I happy?’ Taking the time to think about what is going on in your life and what to do about it can be di!cult but we need to stop and re$ect on what will really make our time on Earth worthwhile.”

This, she hopes, is something that she can address thoroughly during her golden years. When asked on what she plans to do next, Creech stated, “The #rst place I’m going is Burning Man, a week in the Sierras chasing insects, and then Costa Rica.” No matter what lies ahead for this lifelong learner, she will always be able to look back at her teaching years with pride, knowing that she learned as much from her experiences teaching as her students learned from her.

Based on a survey given to the girls of Woodside High, this is how girls feel about swimming in PE. A little under #fty percent hate it. Graphic by Fred Corcoran

Creech contemplates, looking forward to her future while also looking back at the mark she has left here.Photo by Joel Martinez-Cobian

Prom Dreams Cont’d

Woodside Stands Up to STARBy Emily Orrego

Woodside has participated in California Standardized Testing (CST) for the past sixteen years, but now many students and teachers say that enough is enough.

Students in grades two through eleven take the CST every spring. They are tested in English, Math, Science, and History/Social Science. Other standardized tests, from benchmarks to exit exams, add up to a heavy testing load. These tests are almost entirely multiple choice and #lling answer bubbles well often seems as important as under-standing long passages or complex charts. Many believe that this method is no way to test a stu-dent’s knowledge. A few missed bubbles could be the di"erence between being judged “Pro#cient” and being judged “Basic.”

Some teachers argue that these yearly tests take up too much class time. On average two class periods are taken up for Math, two for English, one for Science, and one for History. All students, except seniors, take the CST at the end of the year, and signi#cant class time is spent preparing for the tests. Not only are classes being interrupted, but it is a stressful time for stu-dents. These test are now put on transcripts for colleges to see. Modern European His-tory teacher Jenny Ortez has observed in her classrooms that “by the end of all this testing, students feel overwhelmed, bored, tired, and frustrated.” Michelle Sandoval ’15 echoes these feelings, “I think testing just takes up too much time and on top of all my assignments, I have to worry about how well I do. It’s really stressful.”

Sophomores are forced to take the great-

est number of tests throughout the year. Steven Larreynaga ‘15 identi#es with this and points to the cause of some of this frus-tration, “They all test the same material and don’t seem to bene#t us.”

Although there are many who are against testing, plenty of others see the other side. The purpose of Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) is to determine students’ understanding of the California content standards. While some say it is a stress-ful time others don’t seem to mind. Alexi

Laguna ’15 says, “It is just a test we take every year and by now it has become something we are used to.”

Others have raised loud complaints this year and a petition to cut down on testing was circulated. This petition lead to the

decision for faculty members and students to attend a meeting to discuss the option of refusing STAR. More steps must be taken before we see the results of this meeting, but one thing is for sure, people at Wood-side are making moves. Moves that many hope will take us to a future without STAR.

Once a Wildcat Cont’dTeachers petition for a Woodside with fewer standardized tests

Senior Luana Jury-Fogel points to her future college, Loyola Marymount University, which she will be at-tending in the fall after four great years at Woodside High School. Photo by Alli Knapp

Sophomore Michelle Sandoval bubbles in answers on a Scantron sheet. Her class is frequently interrupted to prepare for STAR testing. Photo by Emily Orrego

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advice for underclassmen. High school is a time when students #nd out who they really are, make friends that could last a lifetime, try new things, and #nd out what they want to do in their future. Jury-Fogel says, “For all you underclassmen, some advice I can give you is to get good grades, try your hardest, not to procras-tinate, do challenge yourself, and get involved with the school and community. That will make things much easier when applying for college, I seriously mean it. In addition, the four years go by incredibly fast, so do not forget to enjoy every single day you have with your friends and awe-some teachers because soon all of those high school moments will be over. That all gets kind of surreal once you’re a senior.”

As sad as we are to see our seniors leave, we know they are moving on to even bigger and better places. The amazing teachers here have prepared them for

the next big stage in their lives. For some future graduates, excitement is taking over, while for others nerves are already kicking in.

Some students are going to be taking the road to further education and adulthood. Garcia says, “I’m not going to lie, the fact that I will be far away from home, on my own, is a bit intimidating, but at the same time it excites me with all the possible opportunities. I look forward to making the best out of my college life!”

This senior class is full of caring students who have touched the hearts of under-classmen and teachers alike. Unfortunate-ly, the joys of graduation come along with great sadness for those who must watch them leave. They have all been great ad-ditions to Woodside and will always be a part of the Wildcat community.

This year’s court agrees that winning involves much more than just popular-ity. The Prom King, Arredondo, previ-ously thought that only the most popular students had a chance of making it in the court. He says, “This year I honestly have a di"erent opinion on Prom Court. The nominations came from many dif-ferent cliques, and I feel that it was not a popularity contest.” More important than popularity, it seems, is personality. Many agree that being friendly and open with everyone is the best way to win the crown. Healy, who won Prom Princess, says, “This year I felt like the people who won, won because they deserved it and because people voted for them with good inten-tions.” It would seem that, this year at least, personality trumped popularity in the minds of voters.

Whether they are the most popular person in school or not, many people dream of being named into the Prom Court. It has long been considered one of the most notable achievements in teenagers’ social lives. Latham says that her immediate reaction was one of complete surprise: “As a freshman I was really quiet and I felt like I barely knew any people by the time that year was over. Now, after being voted as Prom Queen I #nally noticed that I have met a lot of awesome people who I can happily call my friends!” Arredondo agrees that winning was an unexpected and thrill-ing experience; one which helped change his perspective on Prom Court. He says, “Just the fact that I am gay and that I won Prom King kind of makes me place more emphasis on Prom King.”

The candidates agree that, whether they thought they had a chance or not, winning is a thrilling feeling. While it might not be as exciting as people make it out to be,

it is still an exciting time for the winners. Latham says that she was not originally swept o" her feet by the whole notion, but that winning has changed her mind: “At #rst I thought it was built up a little too much, and then after I won I realized how much fun it was.”

Although Prom Court announcements are a big part of Prom, they are only a small portion of the night’s festivities. Prom Prince Patino, prefers to put the whole experience in perspective saying, “I think it’s just a small part of a night meant to be much bigger than any one single person.” So, in going to prom, it is important to remember that it is a night about much more than winning king or queen. It is a night meant to showcase the friendships that have been formed, as well as a time to celebrate another year coming to a close.

Today’s Momen t sMoment s make Tomorrow’s M emo r i e sMemor i e s

Purchase a 2013 Yearbook!

$95 for all A limited supply is available on a

first come, first serve basis

After May 24, purchase in D-5 CASH ONLY

Prom King and Queen, Arredondo and Latham, with their prizes at the 2013 Prom. Unlike the stereotypi-cal Prom Court, this year’s diverse members feel that they won because of their friendliness and upbeat attitudes, not just popularity. Photo by Will Palomares

One thing is for sure, people at Woodside are making moves. Moves that many hope will take us to a future without STAR.

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OktobeRun Half Marathon & 5k Fun Run

Saturday, October 12, 2013 Courthouse Square, Redwood City

Register or Sponsor at www.whsfoundation.org

WHSF FUN RUN 2013

brought to you by the Woodside High School Foundation & Redwood City Education Foundation!

This fall, join hundreds of runners downtown for the annual road race and fun run to raise money for our local Redwood City schools and to support programs at Woodside High.

All proceeds will benefit the Woodside High School Foundation

The Woodside High School Foundation is dedicated to making a sustainable, positive impact on the quality of education for all Woodside students.!

Senior DestinationsAs the school year comes to a close and students are counting down the days until the last day of school and graduation, WHS seniors have deter-mined their plans for next year! See the below map for where seniors are heading o" to college!

University of Nevada, Reno

University of Utah

Barry University

Barnard College

Kenyon College

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Boston University

Utah State University

University of Kentucky

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of ArizonaArizona State University

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Caldwell College

McGill University

New England College

University of OregonWillamette University

University of Puget SoundUniversity of Washington

Gonzaga University

CSU Chico

CSU Sacramento

Sacramento City College

UC Davis

UC Santa Cruz

CSU Stanislaus

Emerson College

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Cuesta College

UC Santa BarbaraUC Los Angeles

Loyola Marymount University Santa Monica College

University of Southern California

Whitter CollegeVanguard University

UC Irvine

UC San DiegoCSU San DiegoSan Diego Mesa College

Chapman University

University of San Diego

CSU Sonoma

Chabot CollegeOhlone College

Berkeley City College

UC BerkeleyEx’pression Art School

College of San MateoNotre Dame de Namur

CSU San FranciscoUniversity of San Francisco

Canada College

Foothill College

Skyline College

De Anza CollegeMenlo College Graphic and Data Collection by Makayla Karr-Warner