His love for the job stems from his love for baseball.
Fernandez played varsity baseball for three years and on a traveling team for five. Even though he’s trading the baseball field for the shot put ring with track and field this spring, Fernandez is playing in a summer adult softball league in Castro Valley.

Triple Play provides five batting cages and three mini tunnels for practice pitching. With its cement floors and high ceilings, it might seem like a creepy warehouse to someone not into baseball. But to Fernandez, a die-hard baseball fan, it’s anything but.
“Since everyone who goes there likes baseball I like to talk to a lot of the customers.”

While most customers are amateurs, he met prospective Oakland Athletics player Aaron Turner, who’s attending spring training. Even as a San Francisco Giants fan, Fernandez was still awe-struck despite his distaste for the A’s.
“He shook my hand.”

More common types of customers are couples on dates and kids with their dads. Fernandez supports the family atmosphere his work provides, as he recognizes how the sport brings his own family together.
“My uncles in Hawaii have a traveling softball team. I asked if I could play with them.”

Described as a “people person” by his co-worker Tyler Machado, Fernandez feels for customers who complain about having to shell out $3.75 for 18 pitches.
“We just say sorry. There’s nothing we can do because we’re really like the only batting cages in the Bay Area besides in San Ramon.”
He admitted he’d change the prices if he owned Triple Play.

Even though he’s not the boss, his job at the batting cages is still versatile, as it allows him to perfect his mopping skills, operate a cash register, work with a variety of ages and use chemicals. He protects the motors in the pitching machines from rubber build up from the rubber balls with the chemical acetone.

He does it all without complaining and has his friends with him when it’s rough.
“My boss is my best friend. He got me the job.”

Triple Play takes advantage of the 18 hours per week they have with Fernandez, who has an imposing stature.
“He’s Hawaiian. We use him as security sometimes,” Machado said.

In return, Fernandez takes advantage of what Triple Play offers when work is slow.
“I hit because I can hit for free,” he said. “I like something to do to clear my mind. It is kind of relaxing.”

But working can have its downsides, like taking out the trash by yourself at night.
“It’s pretty scary because it’s in an alley. It’s pretty spooky.”

It’s still not as scary as cleaning up after birthday parties, something his stature can’t protect him against.
“They leave cake on the floor. The floor is wet because they spill stuff and I have to pick stuff up with my hands…Kids are fun but they don’t listen. Adults comprehend what I’m saying.”

He appreciates the experiences from work, like mopping up cake and meeting almost-famous people, even though it means less time with friends.
“It’s satisfying to be a working man.”

The HP Pavilion (referred to as the “shark tank” because it houses San Jose Sharks games) hosted a night of hardcore sounds courtesy of Denmark band—Volbeat; Oakland locals—Machinehead; and gods of rock—Metallica.

Surrounded by a sold out crowd, the center stage was the center of attention for foreign band, Volbeat.  The singer noted the year marked their first time performing in the USA.  While an established band in their neck of the woods, Volbeat worked to set the tone for the night.  With Elvis-like vocals backed by a sound mixture of metal and country, the performance was just right for the arriving of fans who only came to see Metallica.  Midway through their set, they performed their single “Sad Man’s Tongue” dedicated to Johnny Cash; oddly enough the song carries undertones of the country legend as well.

Once off the stage, the setup for Oakland’s very own Machinehead began.  From touring with Slayer to even playing at Ozzfest, their performance was another walk in the park for the band.  Knowing just how to pump up the crowd and keep things loud, the band performed hits from their 2007 album, The Blackening.  It was at this point when moshing began and headbanging commenced for the concert.  The drummer even had his own little show going on.  He played a game of catch with his drumstick with a roadie out in the crowd.  Towards the end of their set, frontman Robb Flynn, spoke to the crowd saying that Metallica was the band inspiring them when they were young and formed in the early 90s.  At this point, it was appropriate for them to play their last song and leave the stage for Metallica to take on the rest of the night.

With practically a 30 minute setup and wait time for the culmination of everyone’s excitement.  Seats and entire rows that were once empty, were filled before the lights faded to black.  “Ecstasy of Gold” cued and fans whined to the opera singer’s tunes.  Immediately after their age-old introduction ended, heartbeats pulsated…literally.  The audio of “That Was Just Your Life” opened, then the band themselves took over the rest and played the multitude of heavy chords that launch the song from Death Magnetic, the band’s latest album.

“We are here to make you feel better, and you are here, whether you know it or not, to make us feel better”, frontman James Hetfield said.  And he did complete his mission.  The first older song that was played was “Ride The Lightning,” which churned massive crowd approval and piercing notes.  While at times the flow of the show was disrupted by songs from Death Magnetic (your typical Metallica fan wants to hear the classic stuff), the band was able to make the most of it by providing better quality than the recordings themselves.  Sometimes the sound quality was less than desirable, such as “Master of Puppets” and “Fight Fire With Fire” which sounded more like an incoherent collection of heavy chords than the synchronized progression of the recordings.

Even through the pure chaos and of the music and pyrotechnics on stage, however, the band slowed it down for “Nothing Else Matters” and picked it right back up to “Master of Puppets.”

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and Metallica decided to bring the night to an end with the hit from Kill ‘Em All, “Seek and Destroy.”  James and the rest of the band accomplished their mission and brought justice for all metalheads who attended.

“I like how they keep me warm and they also add something cute to your outfit.” junior Rhea Vera said.

“They’re accessories that give you the chance to add a little pop,” junior Vince Leus said. “They give a little life to the winter/fall season when everyone is wearing gray, black, and other dark colors because scarves come in many varieties.”

While some students believe that a scarf is just as much an accessory as it is a small portable heater, others disagree.

“I wear the thin kind of scarves rather than the ones that actually keep you warm because they come in so many patterns,” senior Gina Dalcin said. “Also, I think that they look a lot better than thick scarves. I usually wear them when I’m wearing a nice outfit or a sweater of some type.”

Whether you choose to wear thin or thick scarves, they can be found almost everywhere.

“I’ve actually knitted some for myself but I sometimes buy from Forever 21 and Nordstrom,” Vera said.

“I buy mine at Target, H&M, and American Apparel because they’re cheap and have cute styles. AA has a wide selection on colors,” said Leus.

A scarf can be more than just an accessory; it can complete one’s outfit. They can be worn many ways and are a real winter must have.

Originally submitted into the Slamdance Film Festival in 2006 by director Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity slowly gained its popularity with horror film aficionados and eventually was passed onto famous director Steven Spielberg. From there, the indie film made its big debut when officially released to the public by Paramount studios last month.

The movie revolves around the lives of Katie and Micah, a young couple who is terrorized by an unknown essence that is linked to Katie’s past. Little do they know that the traumatic experiences that occur during the middle of the night will escalate into a living nightmare.

Paranormal Activity is not your average horror flick – all of the footage is coming from the couple’s video recorder, just like a home movie. Not only does the movie leave the audience to experience the fear first hand, but it makes the presence of the supernatural even more realistic.

“The fact that it’s about a ghost and supposedly real is what makes it so scary,” sophomore Nicole Virrey says. “It was one of those movies that played tricks on your mind and made it seem very life-like.”

Paranormal shifts our fear to the time when we are most vulnerable – when we’re sleeping. Every night, the camera is placed in front of the couple’s bed, and the real paranormal activity begins. Simple things, like the sound of footsteps slowly creeping up the stairs and lurking shadows in the bedroom, are only a few of the scare tactics that are capable of sending goose bumps up one’s spine.
“The suspense is what makes [the movie] so scary!” junior Kris Okialda says. “I had an idea of what was going to happen, but didn’t really know when it would happen, which was pretty scary.”

Although the movie was fabricated and inspired by Peli’s own paranormal experiences, one thing is certain – nightmares & loss of sleep are guaranteed.

The main concept of the game is to use your summoned objects to solve a variety of puzzles. While this may seem deceptively simple, it’s the sheer amount of possibilities that make the game exciting.  For example, I was faced with the challenge of fetching a star from the top of a tree. On my first attempt, I decided to simply spawn a chainsaw and cut the tree down.  Second time around, I queued up some wings and flew straight up to the treetop.  Finally, I summoned a beaver, which quickly proceeded to gnaw at the tree’s trunk, allowing me to claim my prize when it came crashing down.

The game’s dictionary of words is exhaustive, amounting to over 20,000. But the game does come with its limits. No copyrighted names are allowed (sorry, no Optimus Primes or Chuck Norrises here), and certain object models are used more than once (God and Zeus look oddly familiar). Additionally, the game’s 200+ puzzles grow difficult at an unusually swift pace, not at all helped by the strange control scheme of moving your character via touch screen rather than the D-pad.  But quibbles aside, the meat of the game is what matters, and Scribblenauts certainly delivers.

The people behind the new show use phrases like “sense of family” and “sweet and funny” when talking about it, but these descriptions don’t seem to match up with Macfarlane’s past show profiles: the ones filled with that risky, perverted, sometimes straight idiotic thing we call satire. The most controversial thing about the show is its portrayal of a black family. Satire will definitely not disguise the use of the race card if the show exploits this concept to dust.

The show follows Cleveland Brown and his son as they leave their “Family Guy” friends behind for life in the west. Cleveland gets sidetracked by his high school sweetheart on a pit stop to his hometown and ends up moving in with Donna, her teenage daughter, Roberta, and 5-year-old son, Rallo.

While trying to combine the outrageous trademark humor with a more family-oriented appeal, the show has only produced an undefined and distorted demographic that is neither for family nor for hardcore “Family Guy” fans.  “It’s too soft, but still tries to be messed up and offensive,” said senior Errol Tongco. “It only ends up being stupid.”

The show does end up becoming this less intelligent version of “Family Guy”, without the wittiness, the edgy tone, the keen sense of comical timing and delivery. The show has many scenes like characters looking at their boogers under microscopes or snapping a chicken’s neck. Still, a lot of American viewers seem to want to see this kind of brainless vulgarity, making them easy targets for producers to profit simply by putting out the same thing in different forms. Forget innovation and quality, it’s all about the ratings in today’s world of television.

Jazz Mafia is a collective hip-hop orchestra with many of the Bay Area’s finest jazz and orchestra musicians. They represent what happens when straight-ahead Jazz music is mashed together with hip-hop spoken word. Electric violins, MC’s, live DJ scratching, and electrifying vocalists also add to the exciting and harmonious marriage of sounds. Due to the high expenses in operating and touring a 70-piece band, The Jazz Mafia’s Brass, Bows, and Beats US Tour/ album is currently on hold. Senior, Albert Baliwas said on their song “Ray Charles Tribute”: “I love his interpretation of Ray Charles’ sound”

SIGUR ROS
Showgaze/ Post-Rock/Visual

Sigur Ros may just be the kings of showgaze rock. The illustrious four-piece band creates cinematic soundscapes that literally send chills down your spine after listening for a good minute or so. The band produces an ethereal sound that goes well with lead singer Jonsi Birgissno’s falsetto voice. If you’re into the spacey and minimalistic sounding songs with weeping guitars textured over white noise and a plethora of different effects, Sigur Ros is definitely worth a listen. Senior, Damanjit Gil said on their song “Starálfur: “The singers voice is pretty impressive. He hit some crazy high notes.”

In most classes such a motley group of students working together would be rare, but in choir, it’s business as usual.

With the choir program having grown to include 100 students, the classes are making an extra effort to bridge the gap between the lower and upper classmen. The amount of younger students has motivated the choir veterans to do their part in getting everyone involved in the class.

The need for interaction between everyone in choir inspired several students to form what is called the Choir Council, a new group in charge of organizing class events.

“We try to make sure our fellow underclassmen are singing in a comfortable environment,” said senior Neil Enriquez, President of the Council.

According to Mr. Alparone, the upper and lower classmen must establish a constructive relationship with one another in order to have a successful choir. “Singing is meant to be with other people, as a sort of communication,” he said.

Creating this bond isn’t always simple, thanks to the traditional barriers that tend to exist between classes. While most juniors and seniors wouldn’t go out of their way to help out lower classmen, choir students see the need to be the exception.

“Singing requires confidence,” Enriquez said. “A person needs to be more comfortable with their surroundings if they want to develop.”

On September 12, the Council organized a retreat to Half Moon Bay in order to promote communication between students who normally wouldn’t talk to each other in the class.

“It was to our benefit,” junior Monica Santiago said. “We were able to form the relationships necessary in order for us to be more familiar with each other as a choir.”

“It used to be really awkward,” said sophomore Andrew Herce. “The retreat helped break down the walls that used to be between us.”

These relationships extend beyond just retreats, and have made their way into the classroom as well.

Sophomore Joseph Culaton describes himself as naturally shy, and appreciates the efforts of the Council. “The upperclassmen try to get us out of our shells and sing with everyone else,” he said.

As great as this newfound camaraderie is, it wouldn’t mean much if it didn’t help the class. With the growing number of students in choir, it could be hard to stay productive.

Luckily, the students seem to have risen to the challenge. “We’re more focused now,” Santiago said. “So hopefully that’ll work to our advantage.”

Alparone anticipates this focus will pay off, since he plans for the choirs to participate in more events this year, like the Golden State Choral Competition – a goal he expects a unified choir program will do well in.

But school comes first, and Alparone says he’s more than satisfied with how his classes are growing closer.

“Peer mentorship is important in high school, and it’s good to see it being constructive.”

Pop-rock/ Alternative

Do you enjoy creatively orchestrated guitar lines? Or 80’s sounding synth’s coupled with warm vocals? Phoenix is a French pop-rock band that performs their songs in English. Phoenix was formed by Laurent Brancowitz, who grew up in the thriving French pop culture that churned out widely acclaimed bands such as Daft Punk and Air. Phoenix is ideal for those looking for a mellow, loungy, and unpretentious sounding band that exceeds the trite and recycled sounds that a lot of typical pop bands seem to have nowadays. Junior, Anthony Tabinas said on their song “Too Young”: “It’s cute, it made me think back on my summer.”

DJ MITSU THE BEATS

Hip-hop/Jazz/Soul

Recently, the Japanese hip-hop scene has been on the rise. DJ Mitsu is yet another addition to the list of well established beat makers such as Nujabes who hail from Japan. Influenced by jazz and his father’s old soul records, Mitsu found his niche in the boroughs of hip-hop early on and took his beat producing to new heights. Mitsu’s is a perfect example of an artist with a good ear—someone who adjusts his sound scope for different styles of music. By doing this, Mitsu has produced a variety of remixes and instrumentals spanning from broken beat to house to jazzy-hip hop that all epitomize ‘good vibes’. Senior, Eric Cruz said on his song “My Lament” : “It has a chill jazzy beat that I can do homework to.”