The golden age of Bay Area sports

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh made famous the rally cry, “Who’s got it better than us?” and the team would always reply, “NOOOOOBODY.”  

These days, the entire Bay Area can answer coach Harbaugh with the same response when it comes to sports success. Bay Area sports teams are riding  a wave of success, winning and revival rarely seen by one region of the country at the same time.

This extraordinary and surprising success by almost all of our teams of has fans rejuvenated, and hungry for more.

The San Francisco Giants  paved the way for Bay Area sports, winning an improbable two World Series is three years. Both times, the Giants defied the experts and pundits all the way to hoisting the trophy.

The Giants are not done yet either, their shutdown rotation remains intact for at least another year and MVP Buster Posey isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Expect another season of winning from AT&T park.  

Ever since Jim Harbaugh has taken over the 49ers they have enjoyed a record of 27–9-1, reached back to back NFC championships, and were within 5 yards of a Super Bowl.

Harbaugh instilled a swagger that ignited a winner attitude for a team that is still largely composed of players who didn’t enjoy much success before he arrived.

The Niners also have a bright future, they are led by a swashbuckling quarterback by the name of Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, whose hometown is Turlock, CA, was embraced by fans all around the bay and if all goes well should be the face of the franchise for the next decade.

Optimism also springs from off the field too, the Niners are currently on pace to play their games in a brand new stadium in Santa Clara. This new modern stadium will be a massive upgrade over the deteriorated Candlestick Park.

Bay Area teams are not only winning over fans with victories and first place finishes, they are giving them world class venues to watch the games from. A renaissance of Bay Area stadiums and ballparks  AT&T Park, home of the Giants has been immediately topped the list of finest ballparks in the country when it opened in 12 years ago. It is sold out every night and is a “must see” for visitors and baseball fans from around the world. In recent years both Cal and Stanford have modernized and turned crusty old stadiums into state of the arc facilities for players and fans.

Not to be outdone, the Warriors and Forty Niners will open brand new facilities in the next few years, both massive upgrades to the deteriorated Candlestick Park and Oracle Arena.

Can we expect this success to continue for years to come? History says no. Only a New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles have ever seen two major league teams win championships in the same year. Philadelphia had 4 teams in championship games in 1980, with only the Philly’s winning in baseball. San Francisco has seen success like this before with the 49er’s winning the Super Bowl  back to back in ‘89 and ‘90, and between those wins the A’s beat the Giants to win the ‘89 World Series.

The Bay Area is undergoing a period of athletic revival. Never before have our sports teams been this good all at the same time. Sure our parents can go on and on about the Niner glory days, but we are living through a period unmatched in Bay Area history and we should count ourselves lucky.

Sadly not every team is catching the winning wave. The Raiders remain the most dysfunctional team in the NFL, leading in futility and failure. Just this week they announced that they will tarp over ten thousand seats, to make the decrepit stadium look less empty. The Raiders have not had a winning record in ten years and the future is not bright, thankfully less people will be able to see it. 

College admissions process can be ruthless

The proverbial “skinny” or “fat” letters are starting to arrive in mailboxes, signaling the answer to the long awaited questions, “where’d you get in?”

Students now know if they have been accepted, rejected or waitlisted to the colleges of their dreams.

When the answers flow in, people naturally want to broadcast the results to everyone they know.  Logging onto to Facebook with endless updates of smiley or sad faces, or posting acceptance letters on Instagram on a daily basis has become a natural occurrence for high school seniors.

Naturally, students are extremely excited, as March symbolizes the accumulation of 14 years of back breaking schoolwork.

But the other side of the process must be taken into account too, for every success story, comes one with an opposite ending. Instead of elation, a feeling of helpless dejection and second guessing.

Some students openly boast about getting accepted to schools that their best friends may have not gotten into, making what should be a joyous occasion, into a rather awkward conundrum. Students ask themselves, “How do I celebrate my achievements, without hurting the people around me?”

Which bears the question, should the college admission process be a bit more private?

Senior Emily Cox, was recently informed that she didn’t get into Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo, but all around her it seemed that her friends were getting nothing but good news, “Getting rejected from a college is a challenge within itself, especially when I knew that my grades, SAT scores, and extracurricular activities greatly out did some of the people that did get in, So yes, I was frustrated that some of my friends got into Cal Poly when I didn't, but it must mean that they either had something that I didn't, or their major wasn't as impacted as mine. You never know with college admissions.”

Cox however, was adamant that she would never root against her friends, “I always root for my friends to get into their dream schools, regardless of whether or not I applied to the same ones”

In the ideal world, everyone would get into the college of their choice, but with the competition so fierce it has become impossible for everyone to come out of the college admissions process happy, pitting friends against friends.

Cox said, “I was definitely upset that I didn’t get into Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I was frustrated that I was rejected and did not understand why I was turned away, but I reminded myself that I have been accepted into other great schools that see me as an individual, not just by my transcript.”

Students should not lament on the schools they did not get into, but instead look for the good in the schools that do want them, because at the end of the day its easier to feel appreciative to those that see qualities they would want at their school, rather than being spiteful towards schools that don’t.

Langkusch leaves 20 year legacy

It was 1993, and Bill Clinton was sworn in as our 42nd President, succeeding George H. Bush. Six people were killed and 1000 people were injured as the World Trade Center was bombed for the first time. The Buffalo Bills lost their third straight Super Bowl, and Whitney Houston was heard everywhere singing “I Will Always Love You.” It was two years before Michelle Pfeiffer’s infamous portrayal of a teacher working at Carlmont High School in the movie “Dangerous Minds.”

Amongst all of this, in 1993, Gail Langkusch arrived at Carlmont High School as an English teacher. She could not have known that she would remain at Carlmont for 20 straight years. Over those two decades, upwards of 3,000 high school students would learn English from Langkusch, and she would inspire and guide many many more.

When Langkusch started at Carlmont in 1993, it was a much different place. The school population consistently fluctuated between 1200 and 1400 students, the football field was grass, and the facilities Carlmont had to offer couldn’t hold a candle to today’s.

Since her arrival,Langkusch has strived to implement the same message in all her students, Langkusch said, “I’d like all my students to leave here knowing that they don’t have to agree with anyone, they can develop their own world view, and whatever anyone else thinks doesn’t matter, what they believe in is what matters.”

Carlmont has had Langkusch for these twenty years, but she wasn’t always set on the course of being a teacher. After majoring in Home Education and getting a minor in English from San Jose State, Langkusch decided to be a stay at home mom and raise her two children.

However, following a divorce Langkusch decided that it was time for her to pursue the profession of a teacher. She went back to school and got her masters degree in English and her teaching credentials.

Since then Langkusch has enjoyed continued success teaching many classes, ranging from AP English to Drivers Education.

However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing during Langkusch’s tenure. Langkusch said, “The biggest challenge has been dealing with the government and how it has become more and more restrictive of the teaching that goes on here.” She credits rigid state requirements and an onslaught of standardized testing to the lowered morale of teachers throughout the years.

Regardless of state regulations Langkusch has remained one of the most popular teachers on campus.

Junior Pasha Minkovsky, who has Langkusch for AP English this year, credits Langkusch’s popularity to her “free flowing, interesting, and engaging teaching style,” and her ability to “connect with students outside of the classroom.”

Langkusch has also built a repertoire for the diversity of the content she teaches,”I like that she teaches us about a plethora of issues and debates going on around the world instead of just making us write essays everyday,” said, junior, Josh Fagel.

Langkusch has a wide variety of plans for her retirement, this summer she plans to assist her daughter who is due to have twins. She also hopes to use her Home Education degree to work with foster children.

Langkusch cannot work for the district for 6 months, but she plans on doing some substituting once and awhile here at Carlmont.

Traveling is also on the agenda, as Langkusch has a long list of countries she would like to visit when the opportunities arise.

On June 6 of this year Gail Langkusch will teach her final English class and retire after after 20 years as an educator at Carlmont High School.

When asked about what she will remember most about Carlmont Langkusch had this to say, “Teenagers are the best, the way they think, the way they approach things, the way they deal with life itself. What they think is funny, how they learn, and when they see that hall light turn on, that’s the best part of teaching here at Carlmont.”

Time out, or Burn out!

For soon-to-be college freshman, what options are available to remedy the crisis of academic burnout, overwhelming stress and the uneasy feeling that maybe I’m just not ready to start college? For some, the solution is found in taking a break called a “gap year.”

Deferring college entrance for a year is a tradition that has been well established in both Europe and Australia. In the United States the idea of a gap year is just starting to catch on.  American students are beginning to realize the benefits of taking a year off before shouldering more stress and the heavy workload of college.

High school, for most students, is a tenuous, stress-ridden journey --- a rat race amongst America’s youth, all striving for that coveted place in the “right” college of their dreams.

Reports show that the chase for prized admissions starts earlier and earlier in children’s lives. Childhood is scripted for a hopeful future of “success” with academic and extracurricular activities often based on the direction of hired outside tutors, counselors, and consultants.  Admissions to selective pre-K, Kindergarten and grammar schools are proving to be statistically more difficult to gain entrance to than Harvard.

Senior Omeed Ansari commented, “Senior year is the cumulation of a lot of hard work, but our final year of high school isn’t a cakewalk, college admissions are stressful down to the wire, only then do people really feel like they can relax.”

Continuous high levels of pressure and stress at an early age are taking their toll. High school students endure late nights often walking around in a fog of exhaustion trying to focus on their required tasks or preparing for the next big exam.

Sadly, some teens turn to binge drinking, drug use, abuse of prescription psychiatric medication and other self-destructive behaviors in an attempt to deal with their adult levels of stress and uncertainty in their teenage years.

A recent study reported in the New York Times reveals that, “The emotional health of college freshmen, who feel buffeted by the recession and stressed by the pressures of high school, has declined to the lowest level since an annual survey of incoming students started collecting data 25 years ago.”

After understanding what a gap year was, Jordan Kiss, a junior,  seemed enthused about embarking on one, “I’d love to take a gap year, it would be awesome to have a year off and just refocus for college.”

A gap year can be a time to recharge between the life stages of high school and college. The goal is to remove yourself from the regular routines and pressures of academic life and engage in something completely different such as getting a job, pursuing a personal passion of music or the arts, traveling, working, volunteering, or living abroad.  

Admission officers from highly selective colleges including Harvard, Princeton, the University of North Carolina and Middlebury have come out strongly in favor of this approach, citing a year off as contributing significantly to their students’ overall college success.  

Bob Clagett, a former director of admissions at Middlebury College, says taking a gap year can help students gain a renewed focus on academics. “By stepping off the treadmill, they frequently remind themselves of what their education is all about,” he says. “They kind of reinvent themselves.”

A Gap year does not have to be an expensive year of travel and leisure, as long as it benefits the student in the long run and extends their academic success.

Guide to the class of 2013 senior panel

Thursday night in a packed student union, students and parents gathered to listen to a panel of graduating seniors who were chosen to speak about how they personally got through the college admissions process.

The 6 seniors were: Amir Abedrabbo (University of Santa Barbara California), Daniel Bereket (Stanford University), Laura Ong (Princeton University), Gianna Dimick (University of Santa Barbara California), Sydney Smith (University of Los Angles California), and Lauren Bruguera (Brown University).

The presentation began with Connie Dominguez, who is a guidance counselor at Carlmont, lauding all members of the panel for their hard work and dedication towards both academics and extra curriculars  throughout their four years at Carlmont.

Dominguez also commented, "that this could be the last senior panel that follows the present format."

Dominguez then went on to ask the panel a series of questions specifically about the college admission process. These are some of the questions that Dominguez asked, and the answers that the panel gave.

Describe how you narrowed down your college search? 
Daniel - "At first I was overwhelmed by the amount of colleges, and I knew there were a lot of colleges I had not looked into at all. I narrowed my search by using supermatch on Naviance, this matched me up with a large range of colleges that had what I was looking for. The easiest way to learn about colleges is word of mouth, just by talking to people, I was able to narrow down my search to a couple of schools."

Sydney - "I was able to narrow down my college search, by word of mouth and taking college tours. Taking college tours was really important to me, I felt this was the only way to completely know I liked a school."

Gianna - "I really was able to narrow down my college choices by looking for schools that met my requirements. At first a big factor for me was getting as far away from home as possible, with that in mind I really was interested in some schools on the east coast, like Boston University and Syracuse University. I also had a private counselor who helped me narrow down the schools that I was interested in."

Laura - "I was really interested schools that had the vibe which I was looking for; that was a school that was filled with people who were primarily focused on academics. Basically a school full of nerds! I felt like I'd be much more comfortable in an environment filled with the same people for me."

Amir - "I knew I wanted to stay in California, so I focused my search on mostly schools in California."

Can you share a strategy or mindset that helped you stay on top of the college process?

Amir - "I made a good list. A list is absolutely critical for the college admissions process, the list is what got me through the process. It helped me stay on top of the countless amount of deadlines and other important dates."

Daniel - "I know this is going to be tough for the juniors to hear, but the college admission process starts now. It is absolutely critical that you get ahead of the game and start your applications this summer. Junior year is definitely a burden, but so is first semester senior year. Its just as difficult and with all of these applications things can certainly begin to weigh you down. Thats why its so important to get a jump on things this summer so you can keep your workload at a manageable amount."

Laura - "I agree with Daniel! Get a jump on things this summer that way you can ensure that you put the best work into your applications! Also make sure that you do a lot of drafts for your essays, I did a ton of drafts and my final product was much different compared to when I started."

Gianna - "Again, start your applications this summer! I started mine in August and was able to not feel to overly overwhelmed during first semester. Its really important that you stand out on the essays, its the one way you can give these colleges an inside look on who you are as a person outside of school. Another lesson I quickly learned through the college admissions process is the amount of usernames and passwords you quickly accumulate. There are so many that you need to keep track of, I recommend that you make an address book that holds all of your usernames and passwords."

Lauren - "Regarding staying on top of the essay, I also started mine in the summer. At first I was having trouble coming up with what I wanted to say, I had so many thoughts swirling through my head and I really wanted to make sure that my essay really brought out who I was as a person. It was really difficult to narrow down what to write and at the same time ensure that I was presenting myself to colleges in a reputable way. I got over this by just writing what ever came to my head, and from this the essay writing went a lot smoother and I was able to successfully convey who I was as a person."

What kind of extracurriculars were you involved with outside of school? 

Lauren - "I was involved in basically all kinds of preforming arts, I've been heavily involved in Carlmont choir and I also did the musical all 4 years here at Carlmont. Outside of school I dance at a dance studio which I've been doing for a long time. I also volunteer at the dance studio by basically helping out anyway that I can. I'm interested in the medical field so I volunteered also at the Sequoia hospital."

Sydney - "Basically my extracurricular outside of school is dance, I've been dancing since I was 2 years old and I've been practicing 5 hours a day ever since. Like Lauren, I volunteer at my studio and teach classes to younger kids.  Last year as a junior I was accepted into Julliard, but I was looking for a school that had a balance between the arts and academics."

Gianna - "My main extracurricular revolved around journalism, I'm proud to have been involved in 24 editions of our newspaper the Carlmont Highlander. I've probably given close to 1000 hours to the newspaper as a photographer, staff writer, section editor and this year as editor in chief. Through journalism I've been presented with numerous awards for both my photography and my writing. But I also did other things around school, I was involved with numerous clubs and did water polo and swimming here at Carlmont."

Laura - "I did a lot of extracurriculars that revolved around the arts. I've been playing the piano since a young age and today I volunteer by helping kids learn how to play. I also am involved in choir here at Carlmont. Sophomore year I started a Philosophy club which I'm now the president of, it was cool to see the club grow each year."

Daniel - "I developed a love for music at a young age, so playing the trumpet makes up a huge portion of my extracurriculars. I play in a couple of prestigious groups that have traveled around the country. Sophomore year I discovered my love for running, at first I thought I was going to suck and it wasn't until my senior year that I really began to enjoy consistent success. This year after training hard all summer I was able to place 11th in the statewide cross country

Some of the top colleges in the country are going to be attended by Carlmont seniors

meet and I'm racing in the state race for track this weekend. My involvement in running is a testament to the idea that you don't know how good or how much you'll enjoy something till you give it a try. So I advise all of you to continue to branch out and look for new opportunities because you'll never know what you might find. "

Amir - "I think the key to finding an extracurricular is finding something that you're passionate about, show the colleges that what you do with your free time is really meaningful and important to you. For me that was working on cars and playing soccer."
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Here is a summary of the main points that the panel presented: 

• Do self reflections, figure out what kind of person you want the colleges to perceve you as. 
• Submit your applications early! Don't leave it to the last moment, you have no idea what kind of tech problems you could run into on the day of!
• Be genuine about your accomplishments, colleges do random audits to make sure what you're telling them is true. You don't want to be that person that gets caught lying on an application!
• Senior year is HARD. Don't leave your essays for the fall, get a head start during the summer so you're not stressed out in the fall.
• Visit colleges, there are a ton of things that colleges can't convey to perspective students on their website. Before choosing a college make sure that you've traveled there in the flesh, that way you get a first hand encounter with the place you'll be spending the next 4 years of your life.
• Colleges are looking for genuine people with genuine interests, don't present yourself as somebody your not, because in the long run, colleges are going to want you at their school for who you really are, not some phony persona.
• ESSAYS MATTER A LOT, don't blow them off! This is your chance to show the colleges who you really are!