Features Page 2:

Technology: Friend or Foe?

Pants on the Ground

Opinion Column

Features Page 3:

Controversal Corner

Bucket List

Features Page 4:

Gangs

Continued Operation Remote Drive-by

FeaturesPage 6:

Link Crew

The Pit

Underdog

Continued Technology: Friend or Foe?

Sports & Shines OnPage 7:

Athlete of the Month

The Pit

Page 8:

Gabriel Martinez: The Final Straw

Arts & EntertainmentPage 5:

3D Domination

Our Hearts Alive

Fashion Phases

Comic

Table of Contents

Salinas High School Established 1882Tuesday September 28, 2010

Ricky Maciel & Michael LiuFeatures Editor & Online Editor

The administration at Salinas High take com-fort in the fact that their computers are protected from harm by firewalls, screen monitoring, and oth-er such security measures, but exactly how secure are the computers? How easy is it to hack into the system? Most importantly, has it ever been done before? The answer is yes, by a team of amateur hackers who saw the cracks in the security system as a perfect playing ground to test their skills. This is their true story. Towards the end of last year, two sophomores who, for safety reasons, will be under the aliases of “Lenin” and “Trotsky,” hatched an idea. Lenin was a computer-programming enthusiast who had taken a new interest in hacking. Trotsky was a fellow class-mate with a rebellious streak. So Lenin, already skilled in bypassing the school’s network security, decided to take Trotsky under his wing as an appren-tice. A partnership was formed, one that would take the school authorities by storm. The main tool Lenin and Trotsky used for the basis of their hacking was the command prompt. The command prompt, a built-in program unknown to the majority of average computer users, allowed for direct interaction with the operating system. “Using the command prompt gives you a lot of con-trol over the computer and its network,” says Lenin.

“By knowing just a few commands, you can do stuff like bypassing the school filter or creating your own IM chat room with other computers on the same net-work.” The administration, however, already knew of the potential dangers that came with this appli-cation; so naturally, they blocked it from opening. What they didn’t prepare for was the possibility of students bypassing security to access it. Enter Note-pad. Like the command prompt, many have limited knowledge of the Notepad and think of it as only a

can shutdown any computer on the same net-work as yours,” explained Trotsky. “Lucky for us, all the library computers are on the same network, so I was able to shutdown any computer I wanted.” Using Notepad to by-pass the restriction to the command prompt, Lenin then showed Trotsky the commands needed to perform this task. With Lenin watching him, Trotsky began the process. Trotsky remembers the moments before his first successful shutdown: “The air felt thick and electrified.” he says. “My skin crawled in anticipation. As I typed the commands, I swear I felt the blood pounding through my fingertips and head like thick, delicious maple syrup imported from Canada.” To see the ef-fects of his work, he chose a computer in his line of sight. This poor unfortunate advance-ment in human technology just so happened to be computer number 21, the computer of a fellow classmate, Calvert Cazier, now a ju-nior at Salinas High. A few quick glances to make sure no librarian was approaching, and Trotsky was ready. Without the slightest feel-ing of remorse he pressed “enter,” thus seal-ing the fate of Computer 21. A couple sec-onds later, Computer 21’s screen went black. Trotsky was successful. Calvert, completely unaware at the time that a classmate was responsible for the seemingly random shutdown of his computer, recalls “Okay, my computer just decided to shut itself down so I’m gonna move now.” Satisfied with his progress and confident in their abilities, Lenin shared his “Master Plan” with Trotsky.

See OPERATION page 5

Operation Remote Drive-by

Sonia LopezSports Editor

Crowded halls, bandaged toes, and students standing in classrooms are all signs of a huge issue we have here at Salinas High. What is this issue you ask? I’m sure you are aware of overpopulation. Salinas High’s student body has increased. In the ’08-’09 school year there were 2,493 students. Today, there are about 2,600. SHS is the most popu-lous school in Salinas. With only about 1,500 lockers, there are not enough for the whole student body even when most of the lockers are being shared. Students believe overcrowding contributes to tardiness. Some students have reported that using the restroom during passing periods is impossible due to the long lines. Other students say the halls are too crowded to even move! Senior, Robyn Guzic, states

“When parking is full, we cannot park, when hall-ways are packed we cannot move, and do I have to

mention the girl’s restroom? We pretty much have to take a number and wait for it to be called!” Overcrowding seems to be a dilemma for the students here at Salinas High, whereas other high schools here in Salinas do not find overcrowding to be a problem. Everett Alva-rez High School, for example, does not have this issue. When asked about the overcrowd-ing of high schools senior at EAHS, Lizbeth Barron, says, “The only problem I’ve seen is the halls getting a little crowded when the bell rings, but that’s it.” Will Alvarez’s popu-lation ever be as great as Salinas High’s? It has been brought to light that Sali-nas High’s halls and stairs can be hazardous. People get stepped on and hit with oversized backpacks or purses every day! Sophomore,

Jake Flores, claims to be a victim of both these hazardous factors. “People should watch where they are going and get smaller backpacks!” Jake angrily says. Word to the wise, walk the halls at your own risk.

See OVERLOAD page

Cowboy Overload

simple word processing tool. However, Notepad is much more than that. “The great thing about Note-pad is that you can create batch files with it.” says Lenin. “Batch files are basically just a bunch of com-mands from the command prompt in a single file. So by using Notepad, you can create a script that gets past the school’s security with a command that di-rectly starts up the command prompt application.” With these two tools under their arsenal, Lenin and Trotsky were ready to take on the entire school com-puter system. However, before any daring attempts at hacking the entire school system were to be made, experimentation and practice runs were needed. The first of several of these began mid-way through 4th quarter, when their history class (period number will not be disclosed) met in the library to work on a proj-ect. The two sat towards the back of the library, on computer numbers 13 and 14. Their objective was simple, to test out the concept of a remote computer shutdown. “By using the command prompt, you

The Flashlight Staff would like to thank Ms. Gannon & Mr. Nichols for allowing us to use their room for our layout.

This is an example of a hacker hacking into a computer systems.

Students walk up and down the stairs to get to class.

September 28, 2010 The Flashlight Page 2

Features

Kaitlin Sandoval & Dominique PerezAssociate Editor & Entertainment Editor

Our generation has achieved technological advances such as: the Internet, iPods, video games, cell phones, and media streaming. We have grown too deeply attached to these devices, that we do not even realize how they are affecting us. We see the positive aspects of technology, but do we really ex-amine the negative? Is technology a friend or a foe? When the iPod Touch came out it supplied users to obtain an endless amount of information and entertainment right at your fingertips. Diana Beltran (‘11), a girl always seen with her iPod Touch in her hands, said that one of her favorite applications on her iPod is Dictionary.com. “Dictionary.com really helps me with homework for school,” confides Di-ana. The iPod Touch has been a favorable and enter-taining device, but can iPods’ lead to a loss of hear-ing at a quicker rate. Diana’s views about changing her ways of listening to her iPod was, “I would use my speakers to listen to music instead, or just keep my music on a lower level in my ear buds; but yes I do care about the possibility of becoming deaf at a faster rate.” Although it is fun to listen to music, but it is important to be aware of the volume.

We do not want the new trend to be, “Who wears the best hearing aid?” Another gadget that is used constant-ly are cell phones. We have progressed as a society, that uses texting as a daily way of communication. Alissa Magana (‘11), who is often seen texting, raves that, “It makes life convenient when I need to get in touch with someone for a relatively short amount of time.” However, who would have known, that 15 years after the invention of texting was brought to our hands, it would be making trouble in our health and on our roadways. Excessive texting puts our hands at risk of getting the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; a con-dition where repetitive movements compress a major nerve that leads to numbness. As tex-ting becomes more popular in our generation, so do the negative effects occurring with our bodies. On January 1, 2009, a law was passed regarding the extermination of using cellular devices on the road. Research from the In-surance Institute of Highway Safety showed that some drivers that use hand held devices while behind the wheel, put themselves at four times the risk of getting into a serious car crash, than someone who is not using a hand held device. It is daunting that someone can kill you by just texting a friend or family member while they are driving. Use cellular devices properly and smartly. Today’s technology has advanced to the point where games from the past, like pong, stand no chance next to the graphics of what we have today in video gaming. We are now able to enter virtual worlds to compete with fellow video gamers from across the

world. These virtual worlds allow us to es-cape from our daily lives; they also give us a sense of accomplishment, and can sometimes be a stress reliever. However, when the uses of these electronic games are not moderate, they can slowly take over social lives and become an addiction. For one South Korean man, video games became deadly. It cost him his life because he played online for an exces-sive 50 hours straight in 2005. The cause of his death is subject of heart failure from the exhaustion. However, gaming for the average teen has gotten to the point where more time is spent indoors playing games, than meeting the proper amount of exercise to stay fit. In 2006, Nintendo caught on to the health dam-ages and began the production of Wii Fit, a game combining fun and fitness to gamers. Since its release, it has been proven that get-ting fit has been an effective side effect of the program.

See TECH page 6

Technology: Friend or Foe?

Lexi SwanstonFundraising Director

Jail, the home place for the clothing style known as “saggy pants”, where weaker inmates wore too big of clothing so the dominant inmates could ‘get their way’ (insert winking face here). Later on, the hip hop industry took on that style, which appealed to many teens today. Whether you’re into this fad to look rebellious, trying to follow an idol/trend, or sim-ply can’t buy a belt, sagging your pants has become part of the modern fashion world. When interviewing students from Salinas High, many agree that, “Sag-ging your pants looks just plain moronic.” While oth-ers simply stated, “It’s just another look in fashion.” Tyler Dunn was asked “Why do you think guys sag there pants?”, he replied, “I don’t know what’s go-ing through their minds when choosing these types of outfits…it makes me want to pants them.” While other’s reaction, such as Richard Retamoza’s was,

“It’s comfortable and I like the way it looks on me.” In Salinas, sagging your pants is a common fashion statement for gang mem-bers, which sadly a lot of teens have turned to for clothing tips. Many teenagers get this look from famous rappers such as; Eminem, Snoop Dog and Lil Wayne. Who most likely follow this trend to look like they just got out of jail. A varsity football player, Nadar Ya-sin said, “If you sag too far down, it can get difficult to walk sometimes, but if you sag just enough it feels comfortable.” With sag-ging pants, comes a theme song by American Idol contestant Larry Platt, titled “Pants on the Ground.” The song is about young boys walking foolishly with their pants around their knees. Otto Kramm could agree with Larry, saying, “The style doesn’t appeal to me at all and looks stupid.”

Pants on the Ground

There are many humorous trends that follow up to this young hip look, such as; “Disco pants”, skinny jeans, and grunge/ripped clothing, but in the end we may never really know why certain people decide to wear their pants a little lower than usually. It’s just another wacky trend to write down for our generation.

Opinion Column: Off CampusLupita Uribe

Associate Editor

It is not uncommon to hear underclassmen ask; “Want to go off campus for lunch?”. As a senior with off campus privileges, I must admit that it is a bit irritating to know lowerclassmen are going off during lunch without having to earn that privilege. I remember as a freshman I wanted to go off campus so badly, that I was jealous of every upper-classman with the star sticker that allowed them off campus. The lowerclassmen have turned sneaking off campus into a constant habit. They either hop the fences by the 600s, sneak out through holes in the fences, or walk off where there is a supervisor that they know. Supervisors, of all people, should be the ones enforcing the rules during lunch, not encourag-ing underclassmen to break them.

Another concern is that every upper-classman with good grades should be allowed to go off; community service hours shouldn’t matter. Once you are a junior, you have matured more and most people can handle the responsibility of going off campus. So why not try letting all upperclassmen with a 2.5GPA or higher go off campus? Also, dear staff members, please enforce the rules on the lowerclassment. On that note, some administrators have taken charge and really started to change the way people go off campus. They are also starting to take initiative by checking people’s IDs when they are coming back onto campus. I believe that detention is the perfect conse-quence for the several people that get caught everyday for going off campus without the sticker. Though some people may think that

The Flashlight would love student in-teraction! We welcome advice, ques-tions, comments, pictures and even

articles. All you have to do is message us on Facebook.com, or if you would

like to be anonymous, leave your question/comment on Formspring.

me/TheFlashlight or email us at shstheflashlight@gmail.com.

it is kind of a harsh punishment, I think it is a good way to stop people from sneaking off. Also, some people think that we should just have an open campus, but I disagree. If we had an open campus, people would be able to go off campus anytime which would lead to a lot more people ditching class between pass-ing periods. Our campus is better off closed, yet all upperclassmen with good GPAs should have off campus.

Internet is relied on 24/7

Most guys seems to be sagging their pants.

People on Campus“What is your greatest fear?”

“I’m afraid of heights.” -Alex Fore ’13

People on Campus “What is your greatest fear?”

“My fear is Death” -Marina Rodriguez ’14

Page 3 The Flashlight September 28, 2010

FeaturesHorne and Horner on the CONTROVERSIAL CORNER

Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Brittney HornerFeatures Editor

Afroman was nominated for a Grammy back in 2002 for his infamous song “Because I Got High.” The lyrics begin, “It’s like I don’t care about nothin’ man, roll another blunt, yeah ‘cause . . .” The singer goes through a string of failures, from ditching class to going to court, and eventually claiming “I messed up my entire life because I got high.” Marijuana is the most easily acquired and commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In fact, according to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, over 2 million people use marijuana for the first time every year. Adoles-cences, and even adults, are de-sensitized to the negative conse-quences of smoking pot, which is glamorized by the media, such as the hit television sitcom That 70’s Show. Many Americans are un-aware of the harm they are caus-ing to their bodies and to society by using drugs. The effects of cannabis consist of memory loss, anxiety, paranoia, lack of concentration, and high risks of developing de-pression and/or schizophrenia later on in life. Some people argue that those effects are not nearly as bad as the effects of say, alcohol, which the withdraw symptoms alone are fatal, however this argument is un-fair. On Today, Dr. Nancy Snyder-man claimed, “Anytime you inhale smoke, whether it’s the smoke from a burning building, a cigarette, a ci-gar, or marijuana, you are causing damage.” Not only is it detrimental to inhale smoke, marijuana is more potent than tobacco. Join Togeth-er, a project of Boston University School of Public Health, provides studies which have proven smok-ing a single marijuana joint is 2.5 to 5 times worse than cigarettes in regards to damage done to the lungs. Thus, claiming marijuana is not “as bad as other legal things” is like saying a person who has al-ready gotten two speeding tickets

might as well keep driving keep driving 90 miles per hour. It does not make sense, in a country that promotes organic food, exercise, and sunscreen, yet fights against tobacco, overeating and other un-healthy addictions, that we would encourage smoking marijuana. For those who contend that marijuana, as the largest cash crop, will bring in more money to pay off California’s debt—the repara-tions outweigh the money that will be made. In fact, our debts will only increase as more people get sick from secondhand smoke and as more minors get thrown in juve-nile hall because they have easier access to the drug that will remain illegal for them. Proponents of le-galization claim that taxing the ad-dictive drug will help the state, but a similar comparison proves the fallacy of their argument. Alcohol costs the country over $180 bil-lion a year whereas only about $15 billion is collected in tax revenue; it is the same story with tobacco. Taxing marijuana will not pay off the debts California and the nation face. Some argue that marijuana is not a stepping stone to harder drugs and that petty marijuana dealers are taking up space in pris-ons that should go to murderers and rapists, however the facts speak for themselves—those who use mari-juana are more likely to have ac-cess to other drugs. Save Califor-nia, a campaign geared towards the good of families, claims that marijuana is a “gateway drug”, and there have been many cases sup-porting this theory. For example, on August 27th, Paris Hilton was driving with her boyfriend on the Las Vegas strip when a cop smelled marijuana. Initially, her boyfriend was arrested for possession, but while waiting in police custody, Paris accidentally dropped cocaine out of her purse. If the cop had not first been drawn in by the marijua-na, he would not have found Paris with possession of an even worse substance. Legalizing marijuana will make it harder on law enforce-ment to discover patterns of “soft” drug use and stop them before they develop into worse crimes. For those who still think marijuana should be legalized, feedback is welcome. However, little criticism is expected seeing as recreational stoners tend to lack motivation to write a letter and will use the paper to roll a joint in-stead.

Brian HorneAssociate Editor

The war on Cannabis has been waged for decades, and on November 2nd 2010, the residents of California will have the oppor-tunity to finally legalize the plant that for so long has caused count-less unnecessary problems. Propo-sition 19 allows people at least 21 years of age to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use. The legalization of this plant is a vital step in the long pro-cess of turning California’s econ-omy around, the benefits of the passing of Proposition 19 greatly outweighs any negative drawbacks it might have. Firstly it is no secret that many California citizens al-ready partake in the smoking and growing of Cannabis Sativa. This being the case, the passing of prop-osition 19 causing a substantial rise in the number of current users is highly unlikely. When speaking to Gilbert Olivares, the Salinas High School drug counselor, he stated, “people are going to continue to obtain and abuse drugs regardless of their legal standings. Seeing as how this proposition has no effect to anyone under the age of 21, I do not believe it will impact our stu-dents whatsoever”. However, the fact that peo-ple will continue to abuse drugs in spite of its legal status is a palpable defense when arguing the legal standpoint of marijuana. There are however, many concrete arguments that provide strong support for the passing of proposition 19. For ex-ample; when interviewing Patricia Vargas, our school’s librarian, she brought to my attention a very in-teresting argument, she said, “the people who are currently growing and cultivating marijuana are being forced to do so in our state parks and forests, exposing said areas to an array of harmful pesticides and fertilizers. If marijuana were to be legalized it would allow for a more controlled, state regulated growing process, keeping our forests and state parks clean.”

When considering the medical effects of Marijuana I felt I needed to extend my interviews outside the Salinas High School campus. However, my interviewee would like to remain anonymous. The Doctors feelings towards prop 19 were fairly straightforward. They stated, “While Proposition 19 could very well provide a new large source of income for the state of California, the legalization of any mind altering substance is a scary thought. The addictive prop-erties of prescription medications and alcohol (ethanol), two already legal drugs, are substantially great-er than marijuana. Nevertheless, use of Cannabis can cause great decreases in ones immune system and a rise in depressive behavior.” The Doctor brought to at-tention the most important aspect of Proposition 19. The Califor-nia legislature has estimated that taxing the previously untaxed domestically grown $14 billion marijuana market would produce $1.4 billion a year in sales tax revenue. It is a harsh reality that California’s state government’s budget deficit has grown to be the largest of all American states. This $1.4 could be the difference California has needed to climb out of a deep debt. So for anyone who can, remember, go out and vote on the November 2, 2010 California statewide ballot. You could make all the difference.

Brittney (‘11) takes a stand.

The FlashlightSports EditorsSonia Lopez, Zachary Teeter

Entertainment EditorsDominique Perez

Photography EditorDesiryn Gonzalez, Carolanne Garibay

Copy-write EditorsDavid Saucedo, Krystin Marks

Online EditorMichael Liu

Editor-in-ChiefJoseph Caballero

Associate EditorsBrian Horne, Kaitlin Sandoval, Lupita Uribe

Features EditorsBrittney Horner, Dean Hughes, Ricky Maciel

AdvisorMiriam Olivares

Business ManagerMiguel Jimenez

Fundraising DirectorLexi Swanston

Advertisement DirectorJaime Guzman

HistorianMichael Galmes

Staff ReportersIlsa Petersen, Tyionna Gordon,

Kyle Tankesley

Brian (‘11) fights for what he believes

September 28, 2010 The Flashlight Page 4

Features

OPERATIONContinued from page 1

According to Lenin, “The plan, code-name Remote Drive-by, was to successfully run a custom script designed by myself that, once put on just one of the school comput-ers, would plant a sort of a time bomb on all the computers in the network. Then at exactly 12:30pm, the commands from the script will activate and cause every single computer to simultaneously shut-down.” They both real-ized that this extremely ambitious plan had real and serious consequences, so it was more than just for kicks. For them it was some-thing much deeper, much bolder. It was a way to prove to themselves that they have the knowledge, skills, and audacity to stand up to the California school system and beat it. This rebellious desire is what sparked the genesis of Operation Remote Drive-By – a plan that assured they would end their sophomore year with a bang, or in more relevant terms, a mas-sive school system crash. Operation Remote Drive-By was set in motion the next day, but was not planned to be carried out until the following week. This was to give them more time to premeditate and prepare for a clean execution. Trotsky, however, became obsessed and could not wait; he quickly grew impatient and over-confident with his new-found ability. So after school on a Monday, he acted against Len-in’s advice and made his way to the library to wreak havoc on the computers – this time solo. “Stealth was key here. I knew that if we kept this up, the librarians would get suspi-cious so I decided that we should lay low for awhile,” recalls Lenin. This recklessness marked the beginning of Trotsky’s downfall. Apart from being in a bad spot visible from most angles, Trotsky also had no idea the li-brarians were on high alert and were watch-ing every single screen from their office. He opened up Notepad, began his work and successfully made it back into the command prompt. Then Mrs. Vargas approached him; he was caught red-handed. “We had indica-tion ahead of time that something was going on,” says Ms. Vargas. “So when I saw the c-prompt on our security monitoring system, I went to go check and there he was in the middle of an attempted shutdown.”

“The first thing came to my head was, ‘[expletive]’. I was really screwed,” admits Trotsky. Before he could delete the evidence, she printed what was on his computer screen and sent it to the office for them to see his attempt to shutdown one of their comput-ers. He knew he was done for. Everybody in the library had their eyes on him, and he felt completely ashamed. The girl on the com-puter next to him even began to laugh. “He got red and teary-eyed,” says Aisha Gharay, who watched him as he got caught. He was then taken to the front desk to be talked to, and was promptly kicked out of the library. The next day he was given a referral, which is quite fortunate considering computer van-dalism is grounds for being expelled and sent to Alisal. Lenin, who had not known of Trotsky’s solo venture, was outraged when he heard what happened. He confronted Trotsky on his failure, and disowned him as his apprentice. Lenin also experienced a change of heart. He realized that Operation Remote Drive-By could no longer be carried out, and he figured that maybe it didn’t have to be. After all, he knew he could have done it and got away with it, so he no longer saw a point. “I didn’t really want to anything ma-licious to the school. It was just kinda test-ing their boundaries,” says Lenin. “Besides, this school’s bad enough already without us messing around with it and making things worse.” Indeed, one could only imagine the havoc wreaked on the school if the script was expanded to include the computers of the fac-ulty. “The school depends on computers to operate functionally; you see how frustrated teachers get when their computer attendance system stops working,” says Trotsky. “Now imagine all the teachers and administrators in a scramble, struggling to get everything to work again if all the computers shut down – that was what could have happened if we had modified the script and carried out Operation Remote Drive-By. “Mr. Nichols, the graphic design/draft-ing teacher at Salinas High, gives his opin-ion: “If we didn’t have hackers, we wouldn’t have a need for security,” he says. He agreed that the school can both improve its security and relax the rigid filter restrictions in place at the same time, saying, “Everyone should have personal log-in on the computers with

ID so the school can keep better track of what is going on and increase individual account-ability instead of blanket blocking content.” When asked on the topic of hacking, he states, “Hackers can make better security. There are actually two types of hackers – good ones who are essential in the workplace and gov-ernment, and who protect institutions against cyber-terrorism, and there are bad ones who are serious threats and participate in activities such as fraud. So why sit around and waste time and money being on the bad side when you could be getting paid doing the same thing on the opposite end?” It was probably along these same lines that Lenin was think-ing when he decided to scrap his plans. So in the end, Operation Remote Drive-by was no more. Trotsky, now a junior at Salinas High, decided to stop hacking after getting caught. He now lives at home, and continues studying astronomy whenever he has free time which he doesn’t because of his ridiculous AP work-load. Lenin, also a junior now, remains an ar-dent computer enthusiast, although he no lon-ger deals with hacking either. He now focuses more on software engineering and practices whenever he can, which is never because he also has a ridiculous AP workload. Both Len-in and Trotsky remain close, yet they have never publicly talked about their debacle un-til now. It is rumored amongst their peers that they are Communist spies from Russia, but they deny such accusations. “It’s a lie, we are both normal conformist capitalist Americans who are avidly involved in the free market” says Trotsky. Lenin, when confronted about the rumors, simply states “I love the stock market.”

Gangs

Staff Reporter

No place is safe. With gangs, everyone is in danger. Gangs have been around for decades. Among the first gang members were Al Capone, Baby Face Nelson, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger. These hooligans defined the gangster image by robbing banks, pushing people around, and taking whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it. They dressed in suits and ties, and some argue they even had a sense of professionalism. Nationally, 50% of people killed by gang violence are innocent bystanders*. Per Capita, Sa-linas has more murders annually then Los Angeles. With so many people being affected by gangs, many ask“Why do gangs still exist?” and “Why do people join them?” The answers to these questions depend on the person involved. Some people join for money, safety, or excitement. Others join due to peer pres-sure, tradition, or because they have nowhere to go.

At home, kids are neglected and abused; par-ents leave them to fend for themselves. Do-mestic dysfuction is one of the many reasons young people join gangs. Peer pressure causes problems in ev-ery age group, every race, and every ethnic-ity. Most gang members are between the ages of 14-24 are are pressured into gangs by their peers. “Peer pressure made me do a lot of bad things and make hard choices,” said a 17 year old gang member. The members of gangs promise certain things--for a price. The price is a high; it is the undying love for the gang; to take up gang traditions, philosophies, and the willingness to take part in violent crimes, cre-ating a blind loyalty to the gang. Gangs then become the sense of survival; they provide shelter, money, and guidance. For members, the gang is the source of everything good in their life,

but to anyone not in the gang, the gang is a source of fear. By using violence and fear, the gang member is ensuring his gang safety, to keep their life and pride alive. One gang member confides, “It is a hard life and some-times I’m looked down upon”. Some gang members would leave if possible, but many claim it is impossible. Many have dropped out of school, therefore they have limited job skills. Few said they were too old to make it out. “Maybe if I was younger and still in school I could have made it out, but I am too old and cannot change,” said a 16 year old gang member. The gang is their life and pride, and therefore leaving would never be an option.

* Provided by Al Valdez, Ph.D in his 4th edi-tion book on Gangs

The infamous “DO NOT CROSS” tape

“It’s a lie, we are both normal con-formist capitalist

Americans who are avidly involved in the free market”

Page 5 The Flashlight September 28, 2010

Arts & Entertainment

David SaucedoCopy-write Editor

VHS is dead and 2D movies in theaters are vanishing. Movies have developed since the begin-ning of our generation. We have witnessed the ex-pansion of films in our homes and at the movie the-aters. Do you remember when you were younger and watched movies on your VHS players? How times have changed; now we don’t watch movies on VHS but rather on DVDs or Blue-Ray discs. As compared to VHS, DVDs provide a clearer visual quality. With DVDs, you can choose a scene quicker than with a VHS, and DVDs also allow people to choose be-tween different language settings. Blu-Ray discs of-fer a format that allows around five times the storage capacity holding about 25 GBs on a single disk.

With the extra memory able to be stored on the blu-ray discs in addition to the advance-ment of video and audio technology offers an even better quality than DVDs, “It (Blu-Ray discs) looks like you’re looking out the win-dow, like you’re in the movie.” Brian Torres (’11) says when asked his opinion on blu-ray. Everything seems to be in 3D in the movie theaters now. When asked if he likes 3D movies, Sammy Busane (’11), responded by saying, “Hell yeah! Have you not seen Avatar? 3D movies look awesome; they add a whole new experience to movie viewing.” A few years ago, only a handful of movies were in 3D. For example, Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (2003), The Polar Express (2004), Monster House (2006), and Beowulf (2007) are among only a few 3D films released since 2003, but the number of 3D movies in 2009 jumped significantly from 12 released in 2003-08 to 13 in 2009 alone. Some of these released in 2009 include Bloody Valen-tine, Ice Age 3, Avatar, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Final Destination. That number almost doubled in 2010, with movies such as Alice In Wonderland, Last Air Bender, Despicable Me, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Step Up 3D. It is expected that an even

higher amount of 3D movies will come out in 2011, until 2D movies become as vintage as VHS. Now we can ask more questions like what’s next, actually being inside the movie. Only time will tell if we advance further in media technology, but for now it’s safe to say VHS have become obsolete and 2D movies themselves seem to not be far behind.

3D Domination

Micheal Galmes Staff Reporter

Our Heart’s Alive is a 3-piece alternative pop/punk band formed in Marina, CA in late November of 2008. The band is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Thomas Hall, guitarist and backing vocal-ist Michael Galmes, a senior at Salinas High, and drummer/percussionist Jonathan Sliter. The band was formed by Thomas Hall, who recruited guitar-ist Michael Galmes, and long time friends drummer Jonathin Sliter, and bassit Seijin Dootson, who parted ways shortly after due to creative differences. The band has a sound similar to that of bands such as: Jimmy Eat World, Angels and Airwaves, and Box-car Racer. The members personal influences with bands such as: Oasis, Feeder, Red Panda, Blink-182, NOFX, Taking Back Sunday, and Rancid are also very evident. “Our Hearts Alive’s songs reflect on life as a whole, with lyrics such as ‘Cause I do not

know, and I dont know how, I’ve got alot of thoughts of things that could change this town, with my mind so clear and the air just right, I havent been this sure in my entire life’ from their song ‘There and Then’. The band considers that song to be a 7 minute masterpiece that tells about feelings of com-ing home to realities of a town you don’t feel you belong in, and a longing for the future. The emotion going into the song is strong all throughout. Our Heart’s alive has a growing fan base, and is currently in the studio record-ing their first full extended play (EP) which they hope to release in October, of 2010. You can visit them at their Myspace page www.myspace.com/ourheartsalive, or at their web-site www.OHAmusic.com

OUR HEART’S ALIVE

Comic As you can see this is all we have, and this is not enough. Feel free to stop by room 704 (or email us at shstheflashlight@gmail.com) and drop off your own comic, art, cartoon, poems, etc. We look for-ward to seeing what the school campus provides to The Flash-light.

Fashion Phases: The Moccasin SlipperCarolanne GaribayPhotography Editor

Moccasins: is it a new fashion trend or a clas-sic? According to mahalo.com, “moccasins were cre-ated by Native Americans as a way of protecting the feet and also distinguishing tribes. The tough, yet soft leather shoe was deigned to allow the wearer to feel the ground as they walked and also remain soundless. Various tribes redesigned the moccasin based on their geographical location, even creating a hard soled version for mountainous terrain. Today Native Americans still wear the moccasin during cer-emonial times, and the look of the shoe has surged into the mainstream becoming the look for men’s and women’s slippers…” Throughout the hallways on campus, it is ap-parent that this 15,000 year-old shoe remains a top choice among students. Are the moccasin slippers

worn today equal to those originally created by the Native Americans? Do they serve the same purpose? Are we creating tribes through our footwear? I, along with my peers, sported a pair of moccasins for an entire school year. Though cute and comfortable, after three months, this slipper lost form not allow-ing my feet much support, while the stitch-ing around the toe slowly began to unravel. Yes, I must admit, I spent a good deal of time sitting on the couch sewing up my favorite shoes. Native Americans, on the other hand, designed these shoes to be durable and han-dle the rough terrain. They were sewn with sinew, “a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting m-uscle to bone or bone to bone; a tendon or ligament.” Nothing compared to my syn-thetic piece of thread that lasted about four months.

Most would not choose to wear to-day’s moccasin to hike, hunt, or camp. Our comfortable, faux fur lined slippers could hardly withstand the conditions the shoe was originally created for. Not only were moccasins made for practical purposes, but also embellished with the beads and designs that would distinguish tribe and rank. We haven’t noticed Salinas High students beading and decorating their moccasins, so it would be a natural assump-tion we are one big tribe. Perhaps what we thought was a new trend, is really a classic created by the Native Americans thousands of years ago.

Our Hearts Alive performing on top and practicing on bottom.

People on Campus“What is your greatest fear?”

“OMG moths!”-Melanie Lehman ‘11

3D movies wow audiences

Moccasin Slippers

September 28, 2010 The Flashlight Page 6

Featuresright to sue and press charges against that person. Not only is plagiarism an issue, it is also important to be aware of the source of the information and to consider possible bias of the site. As technology has progressed, movie rental stores have become obsolete. Media streaming has become one of the simplest and easiest ways to uphold resources. We now can download movies, music, videos, and pic-tures right at the comfort of our own homes through companies such as: Netflix, Redbox, and Blockbuster Online. Nick Mundoz (’11), a fellow Netflix user said, “Media stream-ing is much easier than going to the store. You have the comfort of your own home to download things.” The bad thing about media streaming is that it’s decreasing job opportu-nities in the community. Already, Hollywood Video’s business has called it quits in our neighborhood. Who else will loose business next? When asked what he thinks about the future with media streaming occurring, Nick

TECHContinued from page 2

The Internet is one of the most com-monly used devices, but is the Internet a trust-worthy source of information? Nowadays, news, advice, and facts are all accessible through a single click of a button. However, sometimes we rely too much on the Internet to provide accurate information. On some sites, such as Wikipedia, “the free encyclope-dia that anyone can edit,” any person can put in their own data as factual information. The creators of Wikipedia are the first to admit that not every entry is reliable and might not be the best source as research material. An-other problem on the Internet is plagiarism, the act of using someone else’s work and calling it your own. Although it is very easy to plagiarize information on the Internet, it is also illegal. A writer who discovers someone using their literary work as their own has the

expresses, “When I check out Blockbuster I don’t see a lot of people in there. I think it might be open because of people who do not have Internet. I think major video stores will be open, but smaller ones won’t.” A former Blockbuster Manager, Paul Sandoval express-es his views, “Media Streaming is changing the whole dynamics of entertainment. Hol-lywood Video has gotten out of business, but Blockbuster is still going strong. Although, some Blockbuster stores that are non-prof-itable are closing down as well. In Salinas there use to be four Blockbusters, now only two are open.” Who knows what will be in store--or out of store--for our future with the continuation of media streaming. Technology is always changing and with the changes comes new knowledge. If misused, technology can be harmful, but if it is used responsibly, it can improve the quality of our lives.

Link CrewLupita Uribe

Associate Editor

Do you feel the ‘purple pride’ in the air? Doesn’t it feel different than last year (unless you’re a freshman of course)? Well, one of the reasons our school has more of a purple pride vibe is because of Link Crew. Link is a class/club where spirited and outgoing upperclassmen help freshmen make the transition into high school a much smoother experi-ance. They are responsible for welcoming freshmen to Salinas High at the freshmen orientation, hosting Link Crew and freshmen only mixers, and giving ad-vice to better each other. Salinas High is not the first school in Salinas to have a Link Crew; Alvarez and Alisal also have established Link Crews. It has only been at SHS for a couple of months and already you can feel the dif-ference in our school’s atmosphere. When asked how she feels Link has impacted Salinas High‘s atmosphere, Daniela Palma (‘11) said, “It has defi-nitely created a friendlier aura in the school. It‘s nice when we wear our Link shirts. It makes me feel like the school is made up of less cliques and it is more united.” They are not only here to help the freshmen; Link is also hoping to impact the school as a whole by finding out problems and coming up with fresh ideas on how to fix them. There are currently 86 of-ficial Link Leaders, therefore it is quite obvious that

they have enough people to make a big dif-ference on their own, although they want the rest of the school to join them and help im-prove our Cowboy territory! Link is looking to boost more than school spirit; they also want to make the school look nicer. They have started to discuss ideas that might make Salinas High look more school spirited. Although Link is mainly focused on the freshmen, they are hoping to accomplish much more with the school as a whole. Pratt elaborated by saying, “We want to affect the whole atmosphere and tone of the school. We are actually, right now, evaluating the school’s strengths and weaknesses, trying to make the school a better place for everybody.” That includes painting, planting, or completely replacing things around Salinas High. “We want to make it a place that people can be p-

roud of,” Pratt added. How do they plan to do this? Fundraising of course! Link meets every day during fourth peri-od, and they seem to be pretty confident in them-selves that they can get things done. Another big goal for the Link Leaders is preventing freshmen from failing. According to inside sources, Link is meeting up with fresh-men to find out their schedules, to see if they are failing classes, and to find their contact informa-tion so that it is easier to keep in touch with them throughout the year. When asked what she thinks of the Link leaders, Megan Rueda (‘14) said, “I think they’re great. I was really scared to come to high school at first, but they made me feel wel-comed!” It seems like Link Crew is definitely doing their job in welcoming. As the year goes by, we shall see whether this program is truly as beneficial as it seems.

UnderdogKrystin Marks

Copy-write Editor

Expectations put on the underclassmen, either good or bad, can cause excessive stress. Expecta-tions people put on themselves are goals they wish to achieve. These self-implemented expectations are much more important than the ones others have. It is detrimental on ones character to let others decide your goals. What might some of these expectations be? In a survey taken from a variety of freshman, the most common expectations were to make new friends, earn respect, get a girlfriend/boyfriend, and join a club or sport. In another survey taken of sopho-mores, juniors, and seniors, were asked, what did they expect from freshman. The most common answers were to act immature, be short, be a weenie, and get poor grades. Most expectations that come from other people are not always true. The low expectations put on freshmen are probably the cause to why they are being treated so poorly. The upperclassmen love to pick on them be-cause they are the ‘newbies’ of the school. They make fun of how they dress, how they act, how they som-times look so clueless, and their age. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors figure that because freshman are younger they are not as mature.

Most of the student body probably thinks that this doesn’t happen; but just to prove it, one person from each grade level was interviewed. Paul Vancediver (14) says,“I think we are treated unfairly because we’re the small people on campus. It gets taken overboard.” Sarah Ortega (‘13) re-plies, “They’re small so most of them get stomped on. They don’t deserve it because they don’t know what’s up.” Jamie Mayo, (‘12) answers “Some of them act immature, but they shouldn’t get treated badly.” Bobby Gomez (‘11) replies, “I think fresh-man are losers and need to be punished. They need to fear us everyday.

They don’t deserve it, but its tradition.” Clearly, the freshmen are not being treated the way they should be. Next time anyone is walking down the halls, take a look around and think about it. After all, in three years they become the next upperclassmen. Who knows what they might want to do for revenge. Your little brother, sister, or cousin might be next. It is up to everyone to change the future.

Link Crew lights up the campus!

Bobby Gomez (‘11)Paul Vancediver (‘14) Jamie Mayo (‘12) Sarah Ortega (‘13)

Page 7 The Flashlight September 28, 2010

Sports

Desiryn GonzalezPhotography Editor

After three years of attending Salinas High and participating in athletics here, Elizabeth (Ellie) Larronde is being recognized as Athlete of the Month for September. Ellie, a senior this year, is currently on the varsity volleyball team and has been for the past three years. She also played volleyball for the junior varsity team her freshman year. In addition to playing on the volleyball team, Ellie participated in basketball. Ultimately though, Ellie’s passion goes into volleyball. This student athlete understands that being a student is a priority above sports. Not only does she display excellence on the court, but she also displays a level of intelligence in the classroom. Ellie has been able to maintain good grades while taking AP courses throughout her years here at Salinas High. Being a good athlete and a good student are

amongst the many positive qualities that El-lie encompasses. Besides impressive skills Ellie shows her outstanding sportsmanship. Teammate Chantelle Mahusay (’11) com-ments positively on Ellie saying, “She al-ways has an upbeat attitude. We can always count on her to encourage us when were down.” Another, Andrea Leith (’11), goes on to say, “She takes control of the team. Ellie is very passionate about the game and is al-ways very supportive.” She has proven to be a well rounded person. Though they fell just short of the state championship title, with the help of Ellie, the volleyball team was able to win second place in state last year. Ellie received praise for her positive attributions. She was awarded second team T-cal, CIF sportmanship award, and the T-cal sports-manship award. She exemplifies what it is to be a cowboy athlete very well. Ellie works very hard towards all of her achievements. When asked what inspires her to work so hard, Ellie replies, “I just do the best I can.” The future looks bright for Ellie. She hopes to go on to a four year uni-versity and play volleyball at the collegiate level. With her grades and athletic skills there is no doubt that these goals are obtain-able for Ellie.

Athlete of the Month:Elizabeth Larronde

Congratulations Ellie.

Ellie fiercely spikes the ball.

The Pit Desiryn Gonzalez

Photography Editor

The food, the lights, the purple and gold, there is nothing like the atmosphere of being at the pit during a football game. Students, parents, and the community al-ways acknowledge football season here at Salinas High. It is a time of unity, school pride, and support for our players and coaches. Whether it is a place to socialize or to spec-tate, The Pit draws in crowds of numerous people just about every game. High school football has become more and more popular as time passes, it ranks amongst the most popular sports in the nation. High school football can be dated back to the late 19th century coexisting with college football. In the late 19th century and early 20th century many high school and college teams played against each other. Col-lege and high school football also come with other tradi-tions such as marching bands, mascots, and cheerleaders. For many students, the excitement of the games all comes from the atmosphere. Being at a game with friends is all that’s necessary to enjoying a Friday night at The Pit, but for others, the real thrill comes from the game itself. Students and fans love to go to watch the physical capabili-ties of the players. For some the stimulation comes from the three player collisions and the fifty-yard touchdowns. Here at Salinas High, football could be considered a big deal. Many of the events on campus revolve around the games. These events include fifth quarters, dances, and Homecoming week topped off with the big Homecoming game. Many fundraisers for other clubs and athletics are possible thanks to football games. Purple pride and school support is shown greatly amongst students and the community. As the season begins we must unify together to encourage our players and make this an enjoyable season for everyone. Good luck players and go Cowboys!

People watch as Salinas High and North High face off at the football jamboree.

Teammates watch as Ellie sets upfor a hit.

People on Campus“What is your greatest fear?”

“I would have to say its quick sand.”-Daisy Coronel ‘11

People on Campus“What is your greatest fear?”

“Umm...spiders”-Andre Corranza ‘12

September 28, 2010 The Flashlight Page 8

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Tiyonna GordonStaff Reporter

After 16 year-old Frank Sanchez was mur-dered on Capitol and West Market Street due to gang violence, a young man vowed to take a stand and hopefully make a difference in our community. Ev-eryday after school for the past month, Gabriel Mar-tinez (‘14), has stood on the corner of Capitol and West Market Street where his friend was slain. When asked why he stands and feels so strongly against gang violence, he stated, that he knew gang violence was wrong before, but the death of his fellow friend was the last straw. Concerned for his safety, a Flashlight staff re-porter asked, “Aren’t you afraid to stand out there,

The Flashlight Shines On:

Gabriel Martinez, The Final Straw

with the gang violence still going on? Do people yell disrespectful things to you?” He replied, “I’m not scared, people drive by and honk a lot and shout good job! It makes me feel good.” Gabriel wants to become a police officer and put criminals, including ones like those who murdered his friend, behind bars where they belong. Salinas High School’s “The Flashlight” shines on you. Keep your head up Gabriel and most importantly stay safe. If you would like to see Gabriel’s heroic effort to change the community, he will be on the corner of Capitol and West Market Street everyday after school. Gabriel Martinez (‘14) stands for what is right!