Forgotten Jocks: The Ladies of Woodside

Forgotten Jocks: The Ladies of Woodside

Not only are the boys’ sports setting goals and getting ready, but the girls’ are perfecting their game and heating it up this season.

By Ryan Blocker and Jason Garret

When people say “jock,” who comes to mind: the typical muscular, popular teenager in his Letterman jacket. We’ve seen it in movies a thousand times, and then some. But what about the other jocks, the ones no one ever thinks of, though they’re just as much of an athlete as the guys on the football team.

For those who are still confused, I’m referring to female athletes.  The ladies of Woodside have been prepping for their spring seasons for weeks, and now that the season's beginning, its time for them to put their preparation to the test. Always under appreciated, always underrated, and always overshadowed by their male peers, these girls deserve to have the spotlight when it so often shines the other way.

To read more go to the woodsideworld.com.

Is It Really Not Easy Being Green?

When the question “paper or plastic” is asked, one of the first responses is “plastic.” Although self-consciously everyone knows that paper has to be the better choice, plastics are a mystery with how helpful and harmful they are.

By Liza Bock

Every time you’re at the grocery store and the food is rung up and passed to the bag boy, the same old question is asked, “paper or plastic?” And, although environmentalists may say the healthier choice is paper or even reusable bags, is plastic really all that bad or does it have good? Everyone knows that paper has to be better because it’s made of trees so therefore it must be good for the environment. As true as that is, plastic remains a very useful product, but if you look at the bigger picture it is clear that plastics are better off not being used.

Ann Akey, a science teacher at Woodside High School whose credentials lie in economic and green education, said in an interview, “plastics are not all that bad. They are actually very useful because they serve many different purposes. As for polystyrene, I know there are different materials we could use to package and transfer food to go that work just as well and are definitely better for the environment.” She as well boldly states “plastics are very useful because of all their characteristics. They do not retain moisture, can hold a significant amount of items depending on the type of plastic because they do vary, and they’re cheap.”

To read more go to the woodsideworld.com.

Gay Marriage May Return to California

Prop 8 has been declared unconstitutional and Washington State legalized same-sex marriage. Will we be hearing wedding bells for same-sex couples in California, too?

By Liza Bock

We may have thought that same-sex marriage was no longer up for discussion  in California when Proposition 8 became law in 2008, banning same-sex marriage. We watched as other states, like New York and New Hampshire, legalized same-sex marriage, but we didn’t see any changes within California's borders.

That is, until February 7, when Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional by the federal court of appeals. The majority opinion, as stated by Judge Stephan Reinhardt is that “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples."

Less than a week later Washington State legalized same-sex marriage.

To read more go to the woodsideworld.com.

Eager Fans Prepare to Devour The Hunger Games

Students at Woodside are excited for the upcoming movie The Hunger Games. Could it possibly be the next Harry Potter of our generation?

By Abby Taussig

On March twenty-third, Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennfier Lawrence) will volunteer to take her sister’s place as District Twelve’s tribute to the Hunger Games, and Woodside High School students will be watching intently.

The Hunger Games movie is based off of Suzanne Collins' popular trilogy, but even people who have not read the books will journey to the theaters.  Although the story includes Katniss’ love story, freshman Athena Saxon says, “It doesn’t sound like an average romance novel.” Because she has not read the books, she got her impression from what her friends told her.  From what she has heard, “It sounds pretty interesting.”

To read more go to the woodsideworld.com.

Aida in a Nutshell

This March, Woodside High School’s highly anticipated musical performance of Aida will be opening to all who are eager to see it starting the 10th.

By Makayla Karr-Warner and Caitlin Bohaboy

March is the month of new things, one being the high school musical season. This year, many are anticipating of the performances of Woodside’s spring musical: Aida! Barry Woodruff, director of Aida, has chosen to perform this rock opera musical written by Elton John, and based on an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Sounds pretty challenging for a high school production, right? Well, Woodside has bravely accepted this challenge, and it is equipped with a cast of talent beyond the staff’s expectations.

“This is really hard, hard show. This is a trained voice level of performance,” said Shari Steele, a parent volunteer and the set and props manager for the set of Aida. “These people have trained voices, and Woodside always has really high trained talent.”

To read more go to the woodsideworld.com.