Amalie Macgowan

Big Brother, a fictitious character created by George Orwell in his book “1984” as a representation of a totalitarian system seems to be making a return appearance in our own government.

Individual trophies were also won, with junior Charles Sun taking 4th place, freshman Brian Wai placing 7th, freshman Evan Ye in 10th, senior Jeff Young, last year's co-champion, came in13th and Sankash Shankar finished in 17th. Although Ye, Wai, and Shankar were newcomers to the championship, they contributed three of the top five individual scores for the team.

Go into a parking lot, any parking lot in northern California, and I'm sure you can find at least one vehicle with a banana yellow bumper sticker on the rear of their car. Almost everyone recognizes it, and almost every local has visited this famous destination at least once.

In ancient Rome, criminals were once released in the middle of a gigantic coliseum filled with armed and dangerous gladiators. After the trumpet sounded, the wrongdoers and the gladiators would have a go at one another, to the intense entertainment of the Roman citizens who had assembled to watch the carnage. After the gladiators effectively eliminated the population of wrongdoers in the coliseum, the audience would meander out, eyes bright with the memory of a good, plain fight. Apparently, times have not changed much since then. A recent acquisition of old documents following an investigation into Dallas school districts discovered a strange pastime that had once been regularly practiced at the South Oak Cliff High School from the year 2003 to about 2005. Students had been encouraged—sometimes even forced—to resolve their disputes physically; namely, in steel utility cages located in the boys’ locker room. The students would be locked inside the cage during lunch to battle it out with only their bare fists. Others at the school, including staff members, looked on, apparently amused.

More than 80 students entered the gym on March 17, to loud cheering and high-fives by a crowd of teachers and faculty. However, Challenge Day preparations began long before that. The planning began with seniors Mara Couch, Sanketh Katta and juniors Cindy Chang and Ameeka Shenoy. With collaboration from assistant principal Karen Hyde, countless hours were spent raising the $3,200 needed and filling out a web application for the Challenge Day Organization.

Sophomore Parth Dholakia was only 5 when he finished his first ice skating lesson at Logitech Ice Arena in San Jose. After stumbling off the ice and unlacing his skates, Dholakia saw the hockey players entering the rink with their large gear and formidable equipment. At that moment, Dholakia knew exactly what sport he wanted to play. He was impressed to say the least and made the decision to become a hockey player himself.

In light of Caroline Kennedy’s recent resignation from the senatorial nomination for New York’s then-vacant Senate seat, it’s harder to satirize her situation. In recent weeks, N.Y. Gov. David Paterson named Rep. Kirsten Billibrand as the new senator, ending the drama. Nonetheless, it is tempting to remember her nepotism-laced race for the Senate seat. It was as if we had been told, “Ask not what your country could do for you, but feel free to bug your state governor for a seat in the Senate.”

With Santa Clara Valley Athletic League finals beginning on Nov. 4, the varsity water polo girls feel they couldn't be more prepared for the games to come. Senior co-captain Alison Norris said the team has drastically advanced in its play this season, and she hopes that even against tough competitors such as Los Gatos and Los Altos, it will be able to play its best.

After two disappointing losses against Palo Alto on Oct. 7 and Los Gatos on Oct. 14, the members of the girls’ varsity water polo team were delighted with their 11-8 win against Mountain View on Oct. 16. The girls have taken their victory in stride and continue to improve. A big part of their success has been junior Lauren Opatrny who has put her best effort forth in order to strengthen the team. As sprinter on the team, she puts it on herself to make sure the ball gets to her team and that the game stays active.

When I found out my family would be in Minnesota during the Republican National Convention, I had my expectations high for an exciting weekend.

The swim caps have been dawned and the nets have been placed, as the girls’ varsity water polo team starts its season this month. All of the players are prepared for a challenging and rewarding season, but there is one problem. Alison Norris, senior co-captain along with senior Kaylee Pettingill, is one of the key players on this team and will have to play through the season with an arm injury.