Shazarose

Sense and Sensitivity

2011-11-26T17:11:00.001-08:00

Prologue

In the queendom of Paradina, every time a baby was conceived in a rich noble household, the services of the fairies’ guild never failed to be called upon.

For enough gold and riches, fairies would, while the baby was still in its mother’s womb, grant it gifts of beauty, grace, wit, intelligence, musical talent and other gifts that their wealthy parents could wish for their child.

Chapter 1

There were days when Erica wished she wasn’t born noble. Most of her life actually, for Erica belonged to an unfortunate minority of the nobility. Although she belonged to a powerful and prestigious noble house, her family was impoverished. She was the granddaughter of the Duchess of Allbright, but it mattered little, since matrilineal primogeniture meant that her mother, a second daughter, stood to inherit next to nothing.

At a young age, Erica was sent to live in her grandmother’s household, amongst the Duchess’s many other female wards. All her grandmother’s wards had one thing that she did not, magical gifts bestowed by fairies. Erica’s family had been deep in debt when she was conceived and her parents could not afford the services of the fairies’ guild.

Her peers at the Duchess’s house comprise mostly of lesser nobility. Despite the fact that Erica’s family was destitute and often reduced to begging for handouts from their rich relations, she still belonged to the powerful Allbright house, the oldest noble house in Paradina.

A mixture of envy and jealousy at Erica’s more august lineage, coupled with scorn at her lack of magical gifts, caused the spiteful girls to disdain Erica’s company. As a result, Erica grew up in the Duchess’s household often feeling lonely as she had neither friends nor close family by her side.

Chapter 2

At eighteen years of age, Erica could never be called beautiful, with too-full lips, a flat nose and eyes set too far apart. Her hands and feet were too big which made her clumsy on her feet and uncoordinated when trying to play musical instruments with her ungainly hands.

While her peers, most who were gifted with intelligence at birth, got easily bored with their studies, Erica worked hard at it despite her indifferent tutors, and it became one of the few things she excelled at. Whereas the other girls spent most of their free time outdoors riding and hunting, recreation time in between lessons would find Erica in the Duchess’s immense library, poring over books of economics, politics and sciences.

Erica was also exceedingly interested and curious to know what events occur beyond the Duchess’s estates. She often ventured to the kitchens to hear the latest news whenever new visitors came to visit the duchy, for the visitors’ servants were often all too happy to regale the duchess’s servants with the latest gossip.

Three weeks after Erica’s eighteenth birthday, the duchess summoned all of her female wards to attend on her. Erica was filled with trepidation, wondering if they were going to be sent back to their families.

They entered the great hall and curtsied to her grace, who sat in a throne-like chair at the end of the hall. The hall was filled with an almost impatient air; in all their years of living there, the Duchess had hardly ever paid any attention to them.

“You are all aware, I am sure, that our dear queen, being sadly widowed all these years, has no direct heir of her own,” the Duchess addressed them without preamble.

“Being of noble blood and therefore distantly related to her Majesty, she has hereby invited all of you and other noble girls throughout the queendom attend her in the hopes of adopting one of you as her daughter to rule after her.”

The hubbub of excitement threatened to drown out her next words.

“Silence!” the duchess pierced them with her steely blue eyes and the noise immediately subsided.

“I expect all of you to do your duty to your houses. Pack your belongings. We leave for court in two days’ hence. Dismissed.”

The young ladies in question could barely curtsy before spilling out of the great hall, breaking up into small groups to discuss what dresses they should bring and what they should wear.

The next two days was a frenzy of preparations as luggage was packed and then unpacked to try to squeeze in more stuff that were deemed necessary for the trip. It took Erica less than an hour to pack her meager possessions, leaving her plenty of time to daydream about what the capital city and palace would be like.

She had seen pictures of them and read about them in books, but she had never laid eyes or set foot in either places. Erica always wondered how they would like in real life, and now she’d have a chance to find out

Chapter 3

Erica was trying hard not to gawk like a country bumpkin at the city sights. Her nose had finally adjusted to the rioting smells of cooked food and stinky sewage smell that had assailed her even before the city came into sight.

Sadly, her mouth wasn’t as cooperative and refused to close, so she whipped out her fan and covered the lower half of her face to avoid looking so obviously provincial. She was partly comforted to see that the city was eliciting the same reaction from the girl sharing the carriage with her.

All too soon, they reached the royal palace proper, where with bones still jarring from the long carriage ride, they shakily alighted from the carriage and were unceremoniously rustled inside by the palace attendants before they had a chance to gape some more.

Erica was whisked into a room where she was divested of her clothes and ushered into a bathtub of warm water, whereupon she was thoroughly scrubbed clean of the journey’s grime. The efficient palace staff dressed her and did her hair then led her to the dining hall, where she was shown her seat. All this had been carried out at such a brisk pace that Erica barely had time to be overwhelmed by her surroundings.

The adjoining doors at the back of the hall disgorged more young noble ladies every few moments as Erica took in the dining hall with its many gorgeous tapestries adorning the walls. In no time, all of the seats were filled up. An expectant hum filled the air, for many of the seated guests were secretly hoping that the queen would join them.

“Noble ladies of Paradina. Her Majesty the Queen bids you welcome,” intoned a man gentleman who stood at the head of the table.

“She will not be joining you tonight but hopes you enjoy your dinner and the entertainment afterwards that she has arranged for you. Her Majesty also hopes that all of you will find your stay comfortable, and if not, the palace staff is always at your service and will provide you with whatever you need.” So saying, he executed a shallow bow at the assembled guests and exited the hall.

As if that was the cue for the meal to begin, servers now entered the hall carrying the first course of the meal, tureens and tureens of pea soup. The later courses all oddly enough, featured peas as well, with pea salad, braised fish, beef bourguignon and coq au vin, all with peas in them.

If anyone was baffled by the strange ingredient, nobody mentioned it, although Erica saw some of her dining companions surreptitiously picking out the peas from their dish. As for Erica, she didn’t mind peas, and took a small serving of each of the dishes served. Even so, Erica was so stuffed by the end that she could hardy eat more than a few bites of the surprisingly good sweet pea cake that was served for dessert.

Afterwards, they were entertained by the performances of the court jugglers, tumblers, minstrels and troubadours before finally retiring to bed. Liveried servants came to guide the wearied guests to their rooms. Totally exhausted, Erica did not even bother changing into her sleeping gown before tumbling into bed and promptly fell asleep.

Chapter 4

“No, no, no, Lady Allbright,” came the exasperated exhortations of the dancing master.

“Your posture is all wrong.” The dancing master began to mercilessly poke and prod Erica until she managed to assume the correct stance, as the other girls in the room began to smirk and whisper nasty comments to each other. Tears of pain and humilation involuntarily leaked out of Erica’s eyes as she struggled futilely to dance under her instructor’s ungentle ministrations. Her tears blinded her and caused her to miss her footing and trip. As she fell, a sense of vertigo envelop her.

***
Erica jerked awake, surprised to find that her face was streaked with tears and that her body felt bruised and battered, as though she had just endured another excruciating dancing lesson. She gingerly felt around the mattress, and was bemused to find tiny hard lumps scattered all over it. She must have been too exhausted to have been bothered by them before. She thought of ringing for a servant, but dismissed the idea almost immediately; the view from her window was still dark, which meant that the servants were most probably all still abed, and Erica was loathe to disturb what rest they could get.

Covering her right hand with a handkerchief, Erica began groping under the mattress, and was astonished at what she retrieved; raw green peas, right under the bed she was sleeping under! Erica carefully wrapped the peas in her clean unused handkerchief and placed it on the dresser. The task had left her feeling sleeping again, and Erica once more laid down on the now smooth bed, and before long she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 5

“Did milady sleep well?” asked the maid who was helping Erica dress for breakfast.

“Yes, I did, right after I removed the-- Ohh I almost forgot!” Erica went to the dresser and picked up her handkerchief, which still held the peas.

“Afterwards, would you mind bringing this to the kitchens? I found these peas under the mattress last night, and the cooks might have a use for them.”

“Of course, milady. I’ll be happy to do so.”

***

Breakfast, just like last night’s dinner, featured peas as well, with dishes such as pea omelet, pea pancakes and pea pottage. Once again, the queen was conspicuously absent. After breakfast, Erica and the other ladies were taken on a tour of the royal gardens. As Erica was taking in the sights, verdant green grass and leaves amidst a riot of colors from every bloom, a liveried man strode purposefully towards their group and approached Erica.

“Her Majesty the queen wishes to see you in her study.”

Erica could not have been more surprised had the man grown wings and simply flown away.

His words had been overheard by the other ladies, and their furtive murmurings made her uncomfortable. She hurried to follow the man as the whispers behind her grew ever more fevered and speculative.

Erica herself had absolutely no idea why the queen had singled her out to meet her. Perhaps her majesty was going to do the same to every noble lady, and Erica was simply the first person off her list.

She had half convinced herself that this was the case when they reached the queen’s study. Giving no time for Erica to compose herself, the man knocked on the door and announced Erica.

“Enter,” came the muffled reply, and Erica was left with no choice but to do so. Upon entering the room, Erica sang into her deepest curtsey.

“Rise. There’s no need to stand on formality here. Come, have a seat.” The queen’s voice had a musical lilt to it.

Erica obediently rose and sat on the first chair she came across. For once she was thankful for her cumbersome dress, whose long hem hid her shaking legs.

“You must be wondering why I asked for you,” the queen said.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Erica replied, proud that her voice barely held a quiver as she got her first good look at the queen. Her majesty hardly looked regal in her dressing gown, her hair, black streaked with grey in a simple braid. She had a kindly face, Erica decided, as the queen’s mouth crinkled whenever she smiled.

“Ah, I asked to see you because I wanted to have a good look at you. You passed the test with flying colors, you know.”

“Test, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. Test.” Erica could swear she saw a mischievous gleam in the queen’s eyes. “The test began with dinner. I gave orders to the cooks that peas were to be added to every dish. Then while you were all at dinner, I gave orders to the chambermaids to scatter peas right under your mattresses. I wanted to see how each of you would react. And you did admirably, my dear.”

“But I simply did what anyone else would have done, Your Majesty,” Erica’s utter bafflement emboldened her to answer.

“You did what any sensible person would have done, which wasn’t the case with the rest of your peers.” Here the queen gave a low chuckle. “Most of them rang for the chambermaids and demanded extra bedding, new beds and even new rooms. One lady even had the idea to place twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds on top of her bed. Can you imagine? She had to climb up to the top with a ladder. And the next morning, when the chambermaid asked if she slept well, she replied that she scarcely slept at all and that she was now blue and black all over. I shudder to think how the realm would fare with her as queen. I sometimes wonder if these fairy gifts serve no other purpose than to make us more narcissistic than we already are."

A wave of comprehension swept over Erica. “Your Majesty, you mean that this was the test to choose your...” And here Erica faltered and could not go on, for the enormity of what she was about to say threatened to overwhelm her.

“Yes, the test to choose my heir. You were the only one who was practical enough to search under the mattress yourself and find the peas. And even without knowing about the test, you connected the dots and sent the peas to the kitchens so that they wouldn’t be wasted. I need someone who is sensitive not to her own discomfort, but to the situation around her and knows how to act accordingly. That person is you.”

Epilogue

The queen died of old age 20 years later, and Erica ascended to the throne at the age of 38. With trade, education and the arts flourishing under her rule, the reign of Erica the First became known as Paradina’s Golden Age. Retellings of the pea test, however, did not pass unscathed through the ages. The most popular, albeit heavily distorted version came to be known as “The Princess and The Pea”. In a twist of irony, the story depicted the princess as a true princess for her sensitivity to the single pea that had been placed under two feather beds and twenty mattresses. Ascertained of her royal identity, the prince marries her, they live happily ever after, and the pea was placed in a museum. If Erica had been alive to hear that story, she would have been vastly amused and would have thought that the pea could have been put to better use, say in a beef casserole dish. Wouldn’t you agree?

Fin

The Real Sleeping Beauty

2011-09-26T16:06:00.001-07:00

Chapter 1

You think you know all about Sleeping Beauty. How she was cursed by a fairy to sleep for a hundred years before being awakened by the kiss of a handsome prince.

Well, you don’t.

I would know, because I am the real Sleeping Beauty, Princess Rosalind of Gardenia, so to speak.

After years of surreptitiously visiting fertility clinics, my parents finally succeeded in conceiving me. When I was born, Faebook invitations to attend the Wishgiving feast were sent out to every National Fairies League member.

According to Kate, my governess, more fairies turned up than had RSVPed yes, sending the whole castle into a great frenzy as more places had to be set up and more turkeys basted. Near the end of the feast, a stout fairy named Grisella got up to give her wish.

Bedecked in a gaudy purple gown that was at least two sizes too small for her and clearly inebriated by the copious amounts of wine she had drained, Grisella began to incoherently rail about how she was snubbed without an invitation because of her probation status with the NFL, on account of the fact that she had persistently exceeded her monthly quota of turning princes into frogs, inadvertently causing the market for gourmet frog legs to crash.

Before anyone could stop her, she had drunkenly swaggered up to my crib. She didn’t turn me into a tadpole, small consolation that, because she did something worse. She curse me to die on my eighteenth birthday. By pricking my finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, of all things. She then gave a very slurred hiccuping cackle before disappearing into a flurry of fairy dust.

Now magic is tricky. A fairy cannot completely undo another fairy’s spell because of magical copyright laws. Instead, the remaining fairies did their best to modify the curse within the parameters of the laws, one changing the spell from death to a 100 years’ ageless sleep, while another fairy changed it to a sleep that could be awoken only by true love’s kiss or the lapsing of a hundred years, whichever came first.

Chapter 2

In the curse’s aftermath, my parents discovered that they had indeed invited Grisella, but as she had been remiss in meticulously checking her Faebook updates, she was unaware of the invite. They tried to hunt her down in a bid to get her to reverse the spell, but by then she had already absconded to the kingdom of Schwyz and claimed political asylum there. The NFL simply terminated Grisella’s membership status and promptly washed their hands of the matter, denying any responsibility for Grisella’s curse.

It was left to my parents to try and mitigate the situation. They had their lawyers pore through every clause and modification of the curse, before finally deciding that only spindles on spinning wheels could conceivably pose a danger to my safety.

They reimbursed everyone who voluntarily gave up their spinning wheels, imposing a fine on those that didn’t comply. They also shut down the spinning wheel guild and provided funds for the retraining of these guildspeople in another profession. As for the spinning wheels, my parents had them chopped up and redistributed to the poor to be used as kindling during the winter.

Still, Gardenians resented having to revert back to the medieval way of spinning with a spindle and distaff. It was slow and laborious, and it greatly hurt the economy, since much of my country’s economy depended on the wool trade. The increase in labor costs meant that our woolen goods were no longer as competitive as those from neighboring countries. Thousands of people lost their jobs, and consumer spending took a heavy hit, plunging Gardenia’s economy into a downward spiral. It came as no surprise that Gardenians would snidely refer to the recession as The Great Spindle Depression.

Because of the more fortunate gifts of beauty, charm, wit, grace and charisma that had been bestowed on me at my christening, and because I was deemed somewhat responsible for this economic mess, my parents decided that I was to be the royal face of the spending program they initiated in an attempt to revitalize the economy.

Chapter 3

From a young age, I spend most of my life in the public eye, giving pretty speeches at public events that I had rehearsed for days beforehand,cutting ceremonial red ribbons for the opening of public orchards, fountains,roads and promoting other public works that were designed to create jobs.

In between such publicity events, I was forced to spend a lot of time with noble boys my age, in the hopes that they would fall in love with me and I with them, thereby taking care of the true love’s kiss clause of the curse. When I turned twelve, my parents invited a new prince to visit each month, with the same intention in mind.

The noble boys had clearly been taught by their parents to echo my views, likes and dislikes in the hope that it would endear me to them, which made them loathingly dull and insipid.

On the other hand, each new visiting prince was more pompous than than the one before. They often spent hours during the dinner banquets regaling me with tale after tale of their daring exploits, most probably products of their highly delusional minds. It was a wonder my long-suffering eardrums did not collapse in on themselves in protest.

With all these royal duties bearing down on me, I hardly had a moment to myself. I finally snapped on my fourteenth birthday, demanding that I be allowed to have some private time to myself.

After a lot of tears, unprincesslike tantrums and undignified foot stomping, my parents reluctantly relented and I was allowed to have two hours after lunch everyday to myself, unchaperoned but within the confines of the palace grounds.

It was during one of those cherished moments of free time that I first met Miken.

Chapter 4

One day, as I was sitting in a nice sunny spot in the royal gardens reading a book, a shadow fell over me and blotted out the sun. Annoyed, I looked up to see a tanned young gentleman standing in front of me.

“Surely a lovely day such as this could be better spent doing something else besides losing yourself in a book,” he opined.

“And what do you propose I do instead, sir?” I closed my book with an irritated snap.

“Would you like me to take you on a guided tour of the royal gardens instead?”

I looked down onto my hands and suppressed an inner groan. Not another of those pesky noble boys trying to woo my hand again.

I looked up into the young man’s face to demur, and got a good look at him.

He’s not a noble, I thought. His clothes, while well cut and fashioned of good material, was practical. And he also lacked a certain haughtiness that came naturally to the nobility.

Instead of the polite refusal I had planned, I asked: “And what makes you qualified to give me a tour, I might ask?”

“Why, I’m Miken, the head gardener’s son. I used to spend all my free time here, before I got sent off to boarding school to study to become a tutor. I have only recently returned,” he replied, punctuating it with an open honest smile.

His offer seems sincere and unpretentious, with no hint of a hidden agenda. It was a refreshing change from the insufferable suitors I had to endure in the past. It also didn’t hurt that he, even with his slightly crooked teeth, was quite good looking, and here he was lightly flirting with me, almost certainly unaware of my identity. I didn’t see why I shouldn’t take him up on his offer.

My book laid on the garden bench, forgotten.

Chapter 5

In the days that followed, Miken would certainly have ascertained my identity from his father or one of the other gardeners, but if he did, I never knew, because he never treated me any differently.

The next few years were heaven. What looked like generic decorative flowers or boring fruit trees became something more under Miken’s tutelage. I never knew plant biology could be so interesting. Those two hours we spent together every day between my royal duties and Miken’s tutoring jobs were the best time in my life.

If the gardeners saw the both of us, heads close together giggling like idiots, word never reached my parents. If any, they probably were secretly glad that their princess was spending so much time with one of their own.

My parents didn’t fail to notice the gradual change in me, how pure joy radiated from the very roots of my golden hair down to my dainty toes. I was so very in love, and I blossomed in it, never mind that I wasn’t even sure my feelings were being reciprocated by Miken, who treated me more like a best friend or a close sister rather than a lover or sweetheart.

My parents knew not the cause of my utter happiness, though they were kind enough not to inquire, probably figuring that I deserved whatever small happiness I could get, having to live constantly under the shadow of my curse.

Chapter 6

One day, as Miken and I were enjoying an afternoon tea under a mulberry tree in the orchard, something plopped into Miken’s cup, splashing the both of us with scalding hot tea.

“What is it, Miken?” I asked, peering over to look.

“I don’t know. Seems like some kind of bug.” So saying, he gingerly fished it out.

“Ewww. Gross. Don’t bring it anywhere near me.” Oddly enough, years of spending so much time in the gardens had not cured me of my aversion to bugs.

“Look. It’s wrapped in some sort of cocoon.” Miken began unraveling some sort of white material around his index finger to reveal a white caterpillar-like insect.

Fascinated despite my disgust, I crouched nearer to Miken to have a better look at the white stuff coiled around his finger.

“My finger feels warm. Here, let me wrap it around yours, so you can get what I mean.” He began unraveling it around his finger and delicately wrapping it around mine.

“Hmm. You are right. My finger does feel warm. And this material feels good on my skin.”

A crazy idea began to form in my head.

“Miken, if we can get enough of this white material from these bugs, do you think we can use it as a fabric to make clothes and such?”

“Why yes, I suppose. If there are thousands more of these bugs that can be found up in these trees, we could.” Miken replied, a thoughtful frown creasing his forehead.

Chapter 7

And so began this insane project of ours.

With Miken’s father’s explicit permission, we began roping in some of the gardeners, first swearing them all to secrecy before getting them to help look for more of those white cocoony bugs. It turns out that they inhabited only the mulberry trees, Miken hypothesising that the mulberry leaves was probably their source of food.

Fortunately, there was a whole grove of mulberry tree in the gardens, so it was a matter of Miken and the other gardens stripping only some of the mulberry bugs off each tree, leaving the rest to grow into a new generation of mulberry bugs, and throwing the bugs into a boiling vat of water to kill them off and better unravel the fabric.

As for me, the luxury of my free time ended with my upcoming eighteen birthday celebration being a mere six months away. It would be the year I reached my majority, and also the very possible fruition of my curse.

Arrangements had to be made for my birthday celebration, and my input for every aspect of it was expected. I became too busy to visit the royal gardens or to even inquire about the progress of our Mulberry project.

As the next six months of whirlwind preparations whisked me by, I hardly saw Miken anymore, and the sharp pain of missing his unpretentious company slowly faded to a dull ache. Did he feel the same way, I wonder?

Chapter 8

The day of my eighteenth birthday dawned bright and clear, just like the weatherfairy forecast predicted. Would my curse also come true with such unerring accuracy as well?

Brushing myself from such morbid thoughts, I strode forward to personally welcome my guests. With a smile plastered on my face, I shook countless hands and exchange meaningless pleasantries them, Gardenian noble families with their very eligible sons in prominent display. Also, surrounded by their retinues, princes from the surrounding kingdoms, all those who had previously been invited by my parents before, second sons and third sons and so on, all secretly hoping for one thing: that if the curse manifested, one of them might wake me up with true love’s kiss, thereby winning themselves a kingdom without first having to slay a dragon or some other equally arduous task that would have probably been too much for their pampered constitution. The thought of spending a lifetime with one of these pompous peacocks made me shudder inwardly.

Along with the guests came the myriad of presents, which had to be checked in through palace security; every present had to be opened to make sure that no spinning wheel had been smuggled through that way.

At the birthday feast, I made the appropriate appreciative noises as each gift was ceremoniously presented to me. I was idly tracing my hand over one of the gifts, a tall wooden model replica of Gardenia castle about two feet shorter than I was, when the curse got me. When one of my fingers brushed against the turrets, it was as though a mechanism had been unlocked, and the castle warped into a spinning wheel, complete with a spindle where the turret had been.

Startled, I recoiled from the contraption, and accidentally pricked my finger on the spindle, forcing a drop of blood from my finger.

My world tilted sideways before fading to black as I crumbled into an ungraceful heap on the carpeted floor.

Chapter 9

Awake, my first thought was: “How long has it been? Hours? Days? Years?”

I was in my bed, and there was no prince or the like hovering over me. Did that mean that a hundred years has passed?

No, that cannot be! I hastily got up of bed, and found that as I stood up, my real body stubbornly remained in bed.

Whoa. I heard of out-of-body experiences before, but never expected myself to experience one myself.

I tried to touch my prone body, and my hand passed right through, which felt almost too creepy. I was understandably appalled. Was I supposed to live in this corporeal form until someone woke me up with true love’s kiss, or failing that, a hundred years?

The hubbub of noises outside my room broke through my reverie. I walked towards my door, wondering that I didn’t simply sink through the floor. This was beginning to feel too surreal for my taste, and all my years of studies did not prepare me for dealing with the law of physics when living in an out-of-body state.

Curious to see what the commotion outside was all about, I was surprised when I got repelled backwards as I tried to pass through the door. It seemed as though there was some sort of spell preventing me from leaving.

Fortunately, my sense of hearing still seemed to work in this ghostly form, so I figured I’d eavesdrop instead.

It was hard to discern a single thread of conversation from the loud cacophony of voices, but soon, my ears adjusted.

The voices all seemed to be clamoring for one thing apparently, precedence to kiss me. Under normal circumstances, I would have been flattered, but I knew that in this case, the reason was mainly one of political pride; no prince or noble would stand to have their kingdom or house snubbed, taking their turn after another kingdom or noble house they deemed inferior to their own.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the crowd considerably settled down, and it was decided that lots be drawn to decide the order the eligible male specimens would enter to try their luck.

The door opened, and four of my ladies-in-waiting entered, one carrying a tube of beeswax, the second and third each carrying a box of handkerchief and bottle of thyme oil, the fourth carrying an inkpot, pen and scroll. The first two curtsied at my sleeping form and one gently dapped thyme oil on my lips with a handkerchief while the other applied beeswax. The other two ladies-in-waiting took their stations in front of the door.

Well, if it wasn’t the most clinical and sanitizing way to find true love’s kiss. My team of ladies-in-waiting worked together like a well-oiled machine, one dabbing each candidate’s lips with thyme oil as the other checked his name against a list, while the other two reapplied thyme and beeswax to my lips after each kiss.

It was the weirdest moment of my life, watching my prone form receive one kiss after another as the line of kissing candidates continue to thin throughout the night.

Chapter 10

A few hours before dawn, and hours after my room had been emptied of jilted kissers, a figure in a hooded cloak slipped quietly into my room, his footsteps barely making a whisper on the carpeted floor as he made his way to my bed.

Bemused that he hadn’t been amongst the earlier applicants, I tried to have a good look at his shadowed face, but then he kissed me, and all thoughts of his identity fled as all my senses exploded; the taste of honey exploding in my mouth like a burst of warm sunlight as the wind rustles through a grove of flowers, caressing my skin with my favorite scent of lilac.

I woke up to see Miken peering at my face, a tentative smile tugging his lips.

Chapter 11

A tumultuous uproar erupted throughout the castle when word spread that the head gardener’s son had broken the curse. My suitors, insulted that a lowly tutor had succeeded where they failed, left the castle in a huff. Good riddance I’d say.

My parents were naturally not pleased that my true love’s kiss came from someone with neither wealth nor political connections, but grudgingly gave their consent. Miken and I were married two months later.

At my wedding, I debuted a gown completely fashioned out of mulberry bug fabric. Miken’s mother and sisters had made the dress with the help of spinning wheels that had been reinstated throughout the kingdom following the breaking of the curse. The gown was a hit with the court ladies, who wanted to know where they could get one just like that.

Miken and I jointly patented the manufacturing of mulberry bug fabric, naming it Silv in honor of my mother-in-law, now the Lady Silvia. What began as a small family and family-in-law operation soon expanded into a royal enterprise. Tens of thousands of Gardenians were hired to meet up with the demand for Silv clothing that came not only throughout Gardenia, but other kingdoms and as well.

That, along with the moratorium on the ban for spinning wheels, created an economic boom and a golden age of prosperity for Gardenia. So much so that when I give birth to my first child this coming summer, Miken and I can surely spare the additional expense to send embossed invitations and liveried messengers to the NFL members on top of the Faebook invites, to ensure that no fairy gets snubbed, imagined or otherwise.

Fin

Stopping by the pond on a chilly Autumn day

2011-09-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

by Sharon Ho

Whose pond this is I most certainly know.
His mansion is a walk away though;
He does not know this is where I go,
A refuge to mull things over slow.

Events at Thornfield Hall have been so queer
A strange laugh, a mysterious fire, an attacked guest.
Odder still is that he seems to hold me dear
Since I am poor and plain, I have to confess.

Our different stations divides us.
He is the master of Thornfield Manor,
And I am only his ward’s governess.
Can we ever be together, I wonder?

Gazing at my watery mirror,
I wish for a better reflection.
Someone more worthy of his ardor,
A rich beauty to match his adoration.

-Jane Eyre

This poem is an amalgam of three works of art: Claude Monet's 1876 oil painting Pond At Montgeron, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and it is also a small tribute to Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

Pillowy Love

2011-09-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

Waking up pillow-less,
I crane my neck to check,
Sure enough, he’s commandeered
my entire pillow.
Sleeping with nary a care in the world,
Dreaming of Whiskas Temptations®.

Not withstanding the crick in my neck,
My heart wells up with love.
For my perennial pillow-hogger.

I’ve never like his type.
I’ve always thought
His kind was too aloof.

But someway, somehow,
He’s insinuated himself
Into my hard cynical heart.

Whenever I'm feeling down,
He uncannily knows.
He'll snuggle real close,
Melting into me like
warm comforting butter.

As I hammer away
At my assignments, or watch
A film for class, We sit together,
A mere feather’s breath apart.

Past bedtime, he saunters downstairs.
Blocking the computer screen,
He contemplates me in bemusement
As I bang away on the keyboards.

Day's done, we hit the sack together.
He snares a lion’s share of the pillow.
His warm body rumbles merrily along,
And his stout whiskers tickles my face;
A furry kiss, a pillowy texture of love.

The Gospel of St. Luke The Cat

2011-09-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

(A Bible for Cats and their human slaves)

The Ten Commandments

All Cats art thou Lord,
thou should Worship no other.
thou shall Make only Cats Idols.
thou shall Revere and Honor thy Cats.
human slaves, Submit and Obey.

Thou shall rest all 7 days of the week.
Thou shall be perennial Cat burglars.
Thou shall blame thy neighbor.
Thou shall also covet thy neighbor’s fish.
Thou shall be promiscuous and adulterous.
Thou shall be murderous and vicious.
Cats, your Lord commands you so.

The Seven Sins

Thou shall lust.
Thou shall eat till thou vomit.
Thou shall be greedy in all things.
Thou shall sleep 20 hours a day.
Thou shall rain down thy wrath.
On any that doth disturb thy sleep.
Thou shall envy thy neighbor’s fish.
Thou shall be proud and vain.
These are sins if thou doth not commit them.

The Seven Virtues

Thou shall be wonton, not chaste.
Thou shall not temper one’s greed.
Thou shall be selfish, not charitable.
Thou shall be lazy, not diligent.
Thou shall be impatient and violent.
Thou shall be evil and jealous, not kind.
Thou shall suffer hubris, not humble pie.
These are virtues if thou follow them.

The Devil's Brother

2011-09-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Oh Stanley
He’s a Serval Domestic Medley
He’s an Evil Savannah Cat
When You See Him You Go Scat

He’s Oscar’s Brother
With Chuck for a Father
Luke His Surrogate Brother
And Fonda for a Mother

He is the Epitome of Evil
That’s Definitely No Fake Call
His Brother is the Devil
After All

His Paws Full of Claws
He Leaves Your Face With Scratchy Flaws
With Terrifying Toenails He Draws Blood
Oh My God He Just Caused Noah’s Flood

Biting He Unleashes His Razor Sharp Teeth
They are Most Definitely Not A Myth
The Ground Shakes When He Pounces
For He Weighs A Great Many Ounces

Where He Leaps He Brings Gloom
When He Lands He Goes Boom
As He Stares At You From Across The Room
You Know You’re Awaiting Your Doom

When Luke Sees Him he Trembles and Cowers
For Brimming with Evil are His Diabolical Glowers
He Mutilates Chuck’s Beautiful Flowers
For Dark and Evil Are His Malicious Powers

He is Definitely Not As Innocent As He Looks
He Only Does that to Get into Chuck’s Good Books
Hear Not His Plantive Yowl
For When He Attacks With Excruciating Pain You’ll Surely Howl

Evil Emanates from Every Pore in His Body
He is The Vilest Villain from Every Fairy Tale Story
Beware Stanley for He is the Devil’s Brother
Even Satan Sees Him and Falter

A Love Poem Riddled with Clichés

2011-09-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

What is love?

Love is a blushing dove.
Love warms you like a glove.
Love is found in a hidden grove.
Love is more than a treasure trove.

Love is the water that feeds a cove.
Love is the road that gypsies rove.
Love is the scarf your mother wove.
Love is how hard your father strove.

Love smells like cinnamon and clove.
Love feels cozy like a hot stove.
Love is the light from above.
Love shines on a small alcove.

Love is in everything, by Jove!

Labor Day Picnic*

2011-09-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

This Labor Day at Coyote Point Park,
We had a lot of fun under the sun.
On grass fields flaked with eucalyptus bark,
It was perfect, like burger in a bun

Topped with sliced pickles, mustard and ketchup.
Tandoori chicken with basmati rice.
Sweet Jell-O shot to be slurped in a gulp,
Chilled Corona flavored with lemon slice.

Greek dolma lovingly wrapped in grape leaf,
Corn on the cob that's slathered with butter.
Thick, succulent, and well-seasoned grilled beef,
Pakora fried in gram flour batter.

This is the stuff that picnics are made of,
A great awesome way to spend your day off.

*While the poem, written in traditional sonnet form with iambic pentameter, seems to be obsessed with food, what I actually hope it does brings across is that the picnic is really about people, how friends of diverse cultural backgrounds came together to enjoy a traditional American Labor Day activity, as seen in the poem where verses about classic American barbeque foods are juxtaposed with that of other cuisines.

Pho Garden Challenge

2011-08-30T18:49:00.001-07:00

On Friday last
Right after class
We drove to the city
In about an hour fifty

To test our mettle
In a food battle
As we took our seat
Two pounds of meat

Plus two pounds of pho
In a bowl of broth like so
To finish in an hour
Using all our eating power

Else we had to pay 22 dollars
From our meager coffers
We had to sign a waiver
Yet we did not waver

At first we were so smug
All too soon our pants got snug
Those pho do pack a punch
Soaking soup up like a sponge

Near the end of the hour
The taste of noodles turns sour
So to save our fragile sanity
We reluctantly paid the penalty

It’s the worst idea we ever had
Why, we must have been mad
We wanted to win so bad
Losing just made us sad

How bruised our ego
To see our dignity go
Our tummies were in such pain
No more pho for us ever again

Poem written by Sharon Ho.
Photographs taken by Lu Zheng.
Challengers featured: Patrick O'Leary (right) and Ezekiel Luis.

Pho Garden, home of the Pho Garden Challenge, is located in San Francisco on
2109 Clement Street, between 22nd Ave & 23rd Ave. For anyone who is interested
to know more or deluded enough to try, you can check out their website for more
details at http://phogardensf.com/.

Il Mare

2011-08-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

(“The Sea” in Italian)

Inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus and written in the vein of Margaret Atwood’s Bread.

by Sharon Ho

You stand proudly on the prow of your ship Swift Katherine, named after your sweet fiancee, who shed copious tears unto your chest on the eve of your departure, tears which are not unlike the salty waters that your ship is swiftly slicing through. A salty sea breeze lovingly caresses the luscious hair that cascades down your shoulders, and it reminds you of the passionate lovemaking you enjoyed with Kate on your last night together. This memory elicits a smile on your sunburned face, and suddenly restless, you stride purposefully towards the ship’s railings. Gazing down into the azure depths of the ocean, you ponder its fathomless mysteries. What secrets lies yonder, you wonder. Perhaps mermaids, nereids and other mythical creatures do inhabit its boundless depths, all ruled by King Triton in the lost fabled city of Atlantis. Oh how you wish for the ability to breathe underwater, so that you may better explore all the amazing hidden wonders that the sea has to offer. Yes, although you do love Kate dearly, the sea will always be your first love, as surely as the lingering memory of Kate’s husky voice and lavender perfume is inexorably replaced by the briny tang in the air and the raucous shrieks of the seagulls who accompany you on your voyage.

The sea that you do so love has turned treacherous. As unpredictable as she is mercurial, she has sent a tumultuous storm to wreck your ship, as easily as though it was a child’s toy. You have been unceremoniously flung onto the watery depths, where you flay about fruitlessly to stay afloat of the roiling waves that slam into you every hour, every minute, every second. Your laughably pathetic attempts fail miserably as you swallow your weight in saltwater. After seemingly decades of this ceaseless struggle, your world fades to an infinite black. They say that in every person’s last moments on earth, a whole life of regrets flashes through your mind. So you would think that your last thoughts, as you drown in your watery grave, would be of Kate’s warm, soft lips as she embraced you with a longing desperate kiss before you board your ship. But no, in your last moments of struggle, the sole endless litany chanting through your mind is: “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die...”

You wake up completely battered and bruised, as the hot blazing sun scorches your already parched skin. You hurt all over, even in places you didn’t know existed. The hard gritty sand under you does nothing to ease your discomfort and wearily, creaking like an old man of eighty, you slowly struggle to your feet to peruse your surroundings. You find that you have been stranded on a tiny island barely ten feet wide. Exhausted by even this slight exertion, you collapse once again by the shore. All your senses narrow to a single sharp point, which is the excruciating thirst you feel, the constant burning and stabbing pain in your throat. The waves seem to lull you to drink the cool liquid seawater, but you know that doing so would doom you even more. How ironic, you think, to die of dehydration surrounded by miles and miles of water. An immeasurable amount of time passes, and you find you can bear it no longer. You dunk your head into the waters and drink in long draught after long draught. Pretty soon you are seized by an even more unquenchable thirst, and slowly but surely you begin to hallucinate.

You witness the Titan Cronus using a scythe to sever the genitals of his father, the sky god Uranus. Cronus flings the genitals into the ocean, and from the white foam that formed rose the goddess of love, Aphrodite, who floats ashore towards you on a scallop shell.

Strangely enough, Aphrodite is the spitting image of Katherine. She looks like she always does, a vision as a diaphanous gown of sheer silk hugs the curvaceous contours of her body. She reaches out her hand to you, yet you refuse to take it for fear that everything will dissolve into oblivion once you do. The lavender perfume scenting her hair calms your fears, and at this point you don’t really care anymore whether she is real or simply just a figment of your imagination. As you reach out to touch her lily white hands, this thought crosses your mind: that although the sea may indeed be your first love, you love and cherish Kate more.

Bulldogs spruce up Parkside

2010-10-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Devonte Street, 18; James Carter, 18; and Lucky Dozer, 19, clean up Parkside Elementary. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2010/09/07/News/Bulldogs.Spruce.Up.Parkside-3928818.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue date: 9/7/10

The Bulldogs took a break from football practice on Saturday, Aug. 21 to help spruce up Parkside Elementary School for their 2nd Annual Community Service Day.

The players joined other volunteers in collecting about 90 bags of trash, painting all the wheelchair ramps, the walls, the basketball courts, play areas, tables, benches and cleaning out the garden and planting trees.

"The school has been severely hit by budget cuts, and the only way to help maintain the school is through volunteer efforts," said Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Tim Tulloch.

The refurbishing effort was organized by a volunteer group called Parkside Dads, consisting mostly of the fathers of Shoreview's current students.

Tulloch is also a member.

The idea to volunteer came from the leadership group comprising of 10 players from the team.

"There a few different options on what volunteer work they could do, but they chose to clean up Parkside because they felt that that was the best option because it would have a direct effect on the community in making a difference," said Tulloch.

"We decided to clean up Parkside because we were all kids once and now as role models to them we want to show we do care about the kids and help them get a better experience of school than we did," said Marc Baker, an offensive lineman who is part of the leadership group. "It's important for our team to give back to the community and show we appreciate all that our community has done for us."

"I thought today was a great day seeing not only the team but also the coaches and others coming together to help paint and clean up the school," said running back Nate Newman, 19. "It shows how much we care about the community and also how much we don't mind taking the time out of our busy schedule to help others."

The Bulldogs plan to continue setting aside a day during the fall football season every year to volunteer.

"It is good for the players to learn that volunteering is important work and that they are more than just football players; they are also learning to be the leaders of tomorrow in helping to shape the community and this helps to increase their social awareness," Tulloch said.

This volunteering effort is part of the Bulldogs' Life Skills Development program. Players will also be attending workshops and talks as part of the program.

"Right now we are excited about a new mentoring program we launched just this summer through partnering with Bulldog alumnus Damion Caldwell's Walk Through Incorporated in which freshman and sophomore players are paired up with alumni as designated mentors," said Tulloch. "These mentors will help them continue to reach their end goal of getting their bachelor's degree and that is part of the bigger picture in our football program."

CSM Bulldog Spring Blue-White Football Game

2010-05-14T01:04:00.001-07:00

If I can sum up my thoughts on the game in a sentence, it will be that watching the game from the press box has been an interesting experience, to say the least.

The night before the Bulldog Spring Blue-White game, I had been unable to sleep until around 2 a.m., which accounted for the fact that I went right back to bed even after the alarm sounded at 7 a.m..

I had actually planned to cover the Bulldog alumni flag football game that started at 9 a.m., but I guess that was not to be.

Still, despite nearly missing the bus, I managed to arrive at the football stadium early to catch the Spring game, and after scouting for the best seats to watch the games from (directly under the press box), I started chatting with some of the people sitting beside me, which was fortuitous because my voice caught the attention of my friend from the press box.

She was there to film the game, and I went up to the press box to join her. Sitting in the press box was a Bulldog alumnus, who asked me if I was the one currently covering the Bulldogs, with the scholarship stories, which I replied in the affirmative. Then he asked me if I was getting paid for covering the Bulldogs, which elicited peals of laughter from me and a firm negative. Shortly after the game started, he left, leaving just me and my friend in the press box.

That was when things started to get interesting. I'm afraid to say I can't really remember what was happening in the first half of the game. The Bulldogs were playing touch football, but that wasn't what gave me amnesia.

At first, both head football coach Bret Pollack and receivers coach Gregg Patner shouted some instructions and also the scores to my friend, and it was hard to make out what they were trying to say through the noise on the field. Usually there would be someone who was in charge of updating the scoreboard, but on that day it was left to my friend, who was desperately trying to film the game and update the score according to what the coaches were shouting at her.

On normal game days, someone from the field will signal the score to the score keeper in the press box but since the coaches were busy trying to coach and referee the game at the same time, and my friend had only coach Patner's vocal cords to guide her by.

Pretty soon I gave up trying to concentrate on the game and was instead trying to help my friend make out what Coach Patner was shouting at her after each play. For one thing it took us like a quarter of the game to finally realize out which team's scores was supposed to be recorded as home or guest, (it was all so disorienting), although with Coach Patner shouting at us when we got the scores wrong (yes, we knew that touchdowns were worth 6 points and field goals were worth 3 points and all that, but we decided early on to focus solely on what coach Patner shouted to us) I am quite sure we got the final score right. At least I hope it is.

Near the end of the first half, trying to film the game, keep score, start and stop the clock all by herself was taking a toll on my friend, and I took over stopping and starting the clock under her directions, only for coach Patner to shout at my friend that we were supposed to start the clock at the snap.

After half time, slot receiver coach Mike Langridge came up to the press box to keep score, but the game only got weirder. Somehow or another, someone decided that nobody was going to try and convert a point after a team scored a touchdown, although coach Langridge bemusedly decided to award 7 points for each touchdown. Earlier on I had decided not to cover the game, but I began taking notes, just in case.

However, I gave up upon realizing that some of the players were not wearing any numbers, some of the players were not wearing their playing numbers, and some of last year's sophomores were actually playing too.

Overall I guess it was a pretty informal game. There was some horsing around, like when a player decided to playfully "score" a touchdown after a play ended, and a player rushing into the field halfway during a play after being called in by a coach. The game ended with the White team winning 40-34.

Coach Langridge left right after, though not before saying that it was nice to see me again (and he remembered my name even though I interviewed him over a month ago!).

Overall, I managed to get some impressions of only a few players: sophomore quarterback Julian Bernard, who did a pretty good job as the White team's quarterback, Defensive linebacker D.j. McDonough from the White team who got two interceptions, and Defensive lineman Sosefo Maka from the Blue team, who recorded a sack towards the end of the game. I'm pretty sure I missed out a lot of other players who were also standouts in the game.

All in all, it was a pretty interesting game, and I guess watching the game sort of ended my semester of covering the Bulldogs during their off-season on a happy note. When Fall comes around, I look forward to just sitting in the stands at their home games as a normal spectator without having to worry too much about keeping score.

Former Bulldog scores NFL contract

2010-05-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Raymond Emanuel Hisatake at Pro Day, April 1, 2010. Photo courtesy of Bay'bee Joy Saleapaga.

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2010/05/03/Sports/Former.Bulldog.Scores.Nfl.Contract-3917608.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue date: 5/3/10

In a world where most players enter college football programs with years of Pop Warner and high school playing experience, Raymond Emanuel Hisatake stands out.

Hisatake, 23, a former CSM Bulldog defensive lineman, signed a three-year free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers on April 24, and will be suiting up in a No. 62 Panthers uniform.

He received a $10,000 signing bonus and will have a first year salary of $320,000.

"It's a storybook tale," said his former CSM head coach Larry Owens.

"Ray having never played any football at high school to have an opportunity to play professional football and get paid for it, I am really excited for him. We at CSM love him a lot and are very happy for him and his family," he said.

Hisatake never played a football game before he came to CSM, said Owens.

When he first came for tryouts, he wasn't sure what the pads were and how to put them on.

"Ray was easy to coach," said Owens. "He would do everything you tell him to and he worked very hard and has come a long way."

"I am very thankful and very blessed," said Hisatake. "I gave my best and am happy that I will be able to represent CSM and the coaches."

Hisatake graduated from Westmoor High in Daly City, a school that did not have a football program, in 2004 and enrolled at CSM with the intention of joining the track-and-field program.

"It was very hard to get a full-ride scholarship to college through track-and-field," said Hisatake. "I spoke to a few colleges, and I found out that I was good but not good enough (to get a scholarship)."

Still, that did not stop Hisatake from winning the 2006 Coast Conference Track & Field Championship in discus throwing.

"I thought that since CSM had a football team, I might as well try out and hope to get into a Division III college football program," said Hisatake.

Instead, after greyshirting in 2004 and playing as a defensive lineman in 2005 and 2006, Histake won a scholarship to a Division I football program at the University of Hawaii.

At UH, he switched to playing in the offensive positions of left tackle, right guard and left guard.

"When I first saw and met Ray, we were in spring football and he was working out with the track team," said CSM Defensive Line Coach David Heck. "6'4" and 330 pounds does not come around too often. I remember his first play in his first game where he got driven down the field 15 yards and could not get off the block. Now he is the one driving people 15 yards down the field."

After graduating from UH on Dec. 20, 2009 with a bachelor degree in sociology, Hisatake spent three months in Arizona preparing for his Pro Day on April 1.

"I did well enough in the individual drills and managed to impress the Chicago Bear and Carolina Panther scouts," said Hisatake. "The Carolina Panthers gave me a call after the draft offering me a contract."

"Coach Heck was one of the first people outside of my family that I called," Hisatake said. "I consider Coach Heck my family and I still keep in touch with Coach O (Owens), (CSM Defensive Coordinator) Coach Tulloch and my Bulldog teammates; I will never forget the bonds of friendship I made with them."

"I felt so proud and thankful about Ray signing a pro contract; it couldn't have happened to a nicer kid," said Heck. "Coming from where he came from and never playing football to signing a pro contract is the reason I coach; just for him to have the opportunity to be in this position is a great thing. I think this is what junior college football is all about. Giving opportunities to young men that they didn't have coming out of high school."

"I'm happy for Ray," said Bulldog teammate Tevita Halaholo. "He's an athlete. I remember him doing perfect splits in the locker room; biggest dude I've ever seen do the splits. He will do a great job in the NFL."

"The coaches at CSM, they helped me a lot," said Hisatake. "Coach Owens gave me an opportunity to play despite me not having any football experience. I am proud to be part of a great football program at CSM which also helped me get ahead academically; I was able to graduate early from CSM with an AA majoring in liberal arts. Due to the program, I am the first in my family to graduate with a college degree."

"There are three things that I am really happy for him about- first that he got a scholarship to University of Hawaii, then when he got his bachelor's degree there, and now when he gets a shot at playing football professionally," said Owens.

"Ray represents what we all mean when we speak of being a Bulldog," said CSM Football Head Coach Bret Pollack. "He exemplifies our culture and fighting spirit of 'Play Hard, Never Quit' which rings true for all Bulldogs in the classroom, in the weight room, on the field, and in life. Ray continues to exemplify that culture and at the same time provide motivation for current and future CSM students and athletes."

Crash stuns Poles around the world

2010-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Memorial poem amidst a candle memorial in Lodz, Poland. Photo courtesy of Hanna Marciniak.

Kasia Jagusiak. Photo courtesy of Kasia Jagusiak.

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2010/04/19/News/Crash.Stuns.Poles.Around.The.World-3909068.shtml

Marcin Marciniak and Sharon Ho
Issue date: 4/19/10

The crash of a plane carrying 89 Polish dignitaries, including the president, shocked Poles, including CSM student Kasia Jagusiak.

Jagusiak, 24, a native of Poland learned of the crash while watching the news. Using Facebook, she quickly contacted her family and friends in Poland. "Poland is in mourning," she said. "The country is stunned. People are trying to find meaning, some reason for this tragedy, to have so many leading minds taken away so quickly and abruptly is stunning."

The plane crashed near the Katyn Woods in Russia, killing all 96 aboard. The delegation was traveling to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Forest massacre. Among the dead were the Commander of the Land Forces, Commander of the Navy, Deputy Defense Minister, Deputy Foreign Minister, and many top political, business, military and religious leaders. Also traveling on the plane were the families of the Katyn victims, social activists and many distinguished Poles.

"How could they have put so many political, military and business leaders on one plane?" Jagusiak asked.

The plane was a Soviet Tu-154, designed in the 1960s. It had been in service for 26 years. The Bulgarian government has grounded all Tu-154 flights until the official cause of the crash is determined.

The plane was denied permission to land due to weather conditions, but proceeded to attempt a landing anyway, according to reports by Russian investigators.

"The first day there was mostly disbelief and shock," said Hanna Marciniak, 23, a student in Lodz, Poland. "People were gathering in city centers, bringing flags, lighting candles, praying together, crying together."

"The support I've received from my friends, family and other students here on (CSM's) campus has been touching," said Jagusiak.

"Katyn is where so many lives were lost during World War II," said Marciniak. "The Katyn massacre was only two generations ago. It's still fresh in all our minds. Now, Katyn touches us all again, opening up old scars."

Since World War II, Katyn has been a source of tension between Poland and Russia. In 1943, mass graves containing tens of thousands of bodies were found in the Katyn forest in Russia, victims of the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939.

Until 1989, the Soviet government denied involvement and blamed the German army, despite the 1943 finding of the International Red Cross which found the Soviets were responsible. In Poland, the truth about Katyn was passed from generation to generation by oral communication, as anyone who publicly disputed the official version would be prosecuted.

"Their deaths were tragic and unnecessary," Marciniak said. "They died in a very symbolic place. May they rest in peace. I hope that - despite the efforts of politicians and media - that the relations with Russia will improve. The Russians are helping a lot to reveal the cause of the accident."

New slot receiver coach 'excited'

2010-04-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

New Bulldog slot receiver coach Mike Langridge. Photo courtesy of Mike Langridge.

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2010/04/19/Sports/New-Slot.Receiver.Coach.excited-3909211.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue date: 4/19/10

If there is one word that new slot receiver coach Mike Langridge can use to describe coming back to CSM, it is the word "excited."

"I am really excited to be back at CSM," said Langridge. "Being an alumni coach made it so much more special."

During the interview, Langridge, 36, used the word "excited" more than five times to describe how he felt about his new position.

Langridge replaces former slot receiver coach Manny Orta, who is unable to continue coaching at CSM due to a time conflict schedule with his new second job.

Langridge was a Bulldog defensive lineman in 1991 and 1992 before receiving a football scholarship to play at Arizona State University. During his senior year at Arizona State in 1995, he was voted by his teammates as the defense team captain, which he described as "an honor."

After his college football career, Langridge returned to his alma mater Serra High School, where he was team captain in Serra's 1990 Central Coast Section Championship football team, to coach football for 10 years, five years as a defensive coordinator, before taking on the position of head coach and offensive coordinator at Archbishop Riordan High School in 2006.

At Riordan, Langridge was named 2007 Examiner Coach of the Year, leading the Riordan Crusaders to their first ever CCS Championship with a score of 47-21.

"It will be an easy fit for Mike since he played here, so he understands the coaching we do at CSM," said head coach Bret Pollack. "What we gain is a coach from Riordan, which has a very tough conference, and the experience he would bring being a head coach before."

Langridge is currently finishing up the 2010 school year as assistant dean at Riordian, and has been working every Thursday with the Bulldog slot receivers for the past few weeks.

"I don't know what I can bring to the program just yet. For now, I am looking forward to a great year with the Bulldogs and keeping the strong Bulldog tradition going," said Langridge, who joins the ranks of Bulldog alumni-rich coaching staff. Eight of CSM's 12 football coaches, including Langridge, are Bulldog alumni.

"Coach Langridge is a fun person to be around," said sophomore Bulldog slot receiver Matt Sevelo, a Serra High School alumnus. "We all respect him and listen to what he tells us, like how he wants us to focus on keeping our eyes up while running routes. I have known Coach Langridge since the eighth grade as he coached my older brother and my cousins."

"I'm extremely proud my brother has joined the coaching staff at CSM," said Langridge's brother John, who worked with Langridge at Riordan as the defensive coordinator and is also a Bulldog alumnus. "I am going to miss coaching with him but I look forward to him coaching alongside my mentors while I was attending CSM."

Langridge currently lives in Redwood City with his four children and wife Collen, who herself was a Lady Bulldog basketball player under then women's basketball and head football coach Tom Martinez.

Bulldogs win scholarships to 4-year universities, remember coaches and teammates

2010-02-25T07:42:00.000-08:00

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2010/02/22/News/Bulldogs.Win.Scholarships.To.4Year.Universities.Remember.Coaches.And.Teammates-3883226.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue date: 2/22/10

Ten Bulldogs players have signed their letters of intent to play for the football teams of 4-year universities, earning them full scholarships to pursue their bachelor degrees.

No. 9 Quarterback Matthias Pelesasa with parents Joann and Gabriel Pelesasa and teammate Garrett Simpson. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Quarterback Matthias Pelesasa, 21, who helped lead the Bulldogs to their first ever State Championship game last year, is moving to the Sun Belt to play for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers.

"I would want my family to watch me play, but I think a change of lifestyle, transferring out of state to a new community would be a good experience for me," said Pelesasa of the move to the Mideast. "My family are all very happy for me and it is a great relief off my back for me to know that my parents no longer have to continue worrying about paying for my college education."

"All the successes I have accomplished are all due to the program," said Pelesasa. "CSM gave me a good foundation of football and academics; the coaches do whatever it takes to put us out there and I love them to death."

"I will always be proud to be a Bulldog for life and will always be proud to represent the program and the Bulldogs," Pelesasa said.

Pelesasa initially majored in communications in CSM but later switched to majoring in business management. "I am on the fence right now on which major to take (at Western Kentucky)," said Pelesasa. "I might major in business management and minor in communications or vice versa."

Pelesasa hopes to one day pursue a career as a sports broadcaster.

All-American safety Eddie Elder with his parents, Toni and Bryant Elder. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Despite verbally signing on to play for the University of Arizona Wildcats, a transcript discrepancy allowed All-American safety Eddie Jiles Elder, 20, who was named state defensive player of the year, to make a switch to play for rival Arizona State University Sun Devils.

"The football programs at both universities are both great, but I like it at Arizona State as it is more family oriented," Elder said.

And family is very important to Elder. "When you are on the field, you won't be as good if you have nothing to play for," said Elder. "When I play football, I play for my friends, and especially for my family. That is basically my goal when I am on the field."

Elder will miss his family, as although Arizona is only a state away from California, it is still a 12-hours' drive from Sacramento and his family won't be able to come watch him play as often.

He will also miss his other family, his Bulldogs football family. "The coaches were all very supportive and gave us real support whenever we needed it," said Elder. "My teammates and my coaches, they are like family to me too."

Elder majored in business and communications at CSM, but is seriously considering making a switch to majoring in social work at Arizona State. "I love children, and if football doesn't work out for me, I want to to work in a profession where I will be able to really help children."

Offensive lineman Kameron Edwards. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Offensive lineman Kameron Edwards, 19, has accepted a scholarship to Lamar University, where he would be part of the first football team that will be playing for Lamar since Lamar's football program was dropped in 1989.

"The reason I chose Lamar is that I want to be part of a new dynasty, part of a brand new program," Edwards said.

Edwards also cited the small classroom sizes for why he chose Lamar.

"Unlike schools like Arizona State (University) or (University of) Houston, where there are 60-70 students in each class, Lamar has small class sizes of 25 people, so I will be able to get more of the one-on-one learning I need," said Edwards. "Also, Lamar is more community-based, situated in the country, so there will be no distractions."

Edwards majored in liberal arts at CSM and will be majoring in sociology with a minor in business at Lamar.

"I am not doing this for myself; this degree is for my whole family, to help support my family," said Edwards. The Edwards family recently welcomed the birth of their newborn son Kameron Donte Edwards Jr. on Feb. 12 and his daughter Kamari turns one today. (Birthday Feb. 22)

Edwards plans to live in the dorms in his first year and move into an apartment in his second year so he can bring his family over. Edwards will be leaving for Lamar in June and will stay in touch with his family via Facebook and Skype. In the meantime, Edwards is busy concentrating on his studies at CSM and is looking to spend as much time with his family as he can.

He will also miss his mother, who is "proud that I am taking the right step", and his Bulldog family.

"I am never going to get the (Bulldog) experience anywhere else, an experience I will always remember and miss a lot," said Edwards.

Like Elder, Edwards had joined the CSM Bulldog football program because he wanted to get the same type of coaching that he got at Luther Burbank High. Luther Burbank High's coaching staff are Bulldog alumni.

"The coaches at CSM are all about teaching you how to survive in the real world," said Edwards. "They set that standard and put good pressure on your to get your grades up."

Edwards' real aim is to get a sports management degree, but as Lamar does not offer that major, he hopes to get it at another university after he graduates from Lamar. In high school, Edwards had made a promise with Elder that if either one makes it to the NFL, the other would support him as his agent.

"While I would love to play in the NFL one day myself, if that doesn't work out, I want to get a sports management degree so that I can be a sports agent and help support my Bulldog teammates who make it to the next level," said Edwards.

At Lamar, Edwards will be one hour's drive from where teammate Matangi Tonga currently is, at University of Houston. They both plan to find time to meet a few times a year amidst their packed academic and football schedules.

Matangi Tonga with his father Latiune Tonga. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch

All-American defensive lineman Matangi Tonga, 22, who was named most valuable defensive player in the state championship game last year, majored in physical science at CSM and wants to further his major at the University of Houston in Texas.

"I have been playing sports my whole life," said Tonga. "I have always been interested in player injury and would like to become a sports physical therapist. So it is important that I get my B.A. majoring in physical science (from University of Houston)."

"I have one year of eligibility left, so I want to go to a team that was going to be good," said Tonga of the Houston Cougars football team. "When you are playing for a good team, you are going to want to play your best."

Tonga hopes to one day play football professionally for the National Football League.

"That has always been my lifelong dream, hopefully to one day play in the NFL," said Tonga.

Tonga comes from a family of athletes; Tonga credits his athletic genes to his father Latiune Tonga, who used to played rugby. His older brother Manase Tonga played for Brigham Young University, his younger brother Siosifa Tonga plays for the Lewis and Clark (college) football team and Tonga played together with his cousin running back Seta Pohahau on the CSM Bulldogs team last year.

When Tonga first came to CSM more than two years ago, he was rusty from not playing football for two years, and he credits defensive line coach Dave Heck for helping him get back into the game.

"Coach Heck started to get me used to playing football again by teaching me the mechanics and techniques (of playing football)," Tonga said.

"All the coaches are all very willing to help," said Tonga. "If you do your part they do theirs. We have the best and dedicated coaching staff here at CSM, it is like a family."

"Everyone was so close together last year; everyone wanted to play well for each other," said Tonga. "We take pride in how we play. There was really no selfish play so we played well as a team and I think that is the reason we were ranked the number one defense in the state last year."

Tonga also credited his coaches for the ranking.

"(Defensive coordinator) Coach (Tim) Tulloch would be the first one to let us know whenever he felt that we were not playing to our fullest potential," Tonga said. "He would say to those of us who he thinks are slacking: 'You are not playing like a Bulldog'. We always try our best to give 100 percent and maybe even more after hearing that comment from him."

Slot receiver Eric Roberson with his mother, Terry Roberson. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Slot receiver Eric Roberson has signed on to play with the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks and looks forward to playing against Elder in their first game this fall against the Sun Devils.

"It's going to be a lot of fun; I promise not to whack him too hard if he makes me look good," joked Roberson in a role reversal of Elder's safety against his receiver position.

Like Tonga, Roberson has an associate degree majoring in physical science and is interested in a career as a personal fitness trainer.

He is currently taking some additional Math and English classes this spring at CSM before transferring to Northern Arizona in the fall.

"I like the atmosphere; the people there are very nice, the coaches are great and they have a great program," cited Roberson as his reasons for joining the Lumberjacks.

"Even though it is going to be different, not seeing my family everyday like I do here, it is part of the process," said Roberson. "It is a two-hour flight or nine-hour drive from California so my family will probably come to watch me play for half the games."

Roberson credits the Bulldog football program for all his successes on and off the field.

"Without them, who knows where I will be right now," said Roberson. "No offense to the other programs, but the Bulldogs have the greatest program, and there is not one that is better."

"From the coaches to the people behind the scenes, they check with our families to ensure that all of us are doing well; they make sure that each of us get our highlight videos and make sure - there are about 100 of us - that all of us are on track to get our AA degrees," said Roberson. "This is really a D1 (Division 1) program and I am honored to play with them and proud to call myself a Bulldog."

Earl Anthony Joseph with mother Sharaill Jones and sister Ketiesha. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Defensive back Earl Anthony Joseph has signed on to play with the William Jewell College Cardinals in Missouri.

The education and academics (at William Jewell) are good," said Joseph. "It reminds me of (College of) San Mateo."

"Also, just like the coaches at CSM, the football coaches at Missouri are down-to-earth; they got your back 100 percent and are willing to go the extra mile for you," Joseph said.

"I will still miss CSM and the camaraderie with my teammates," Joseph said. "Nowhere can you duplicate the coaches (at CSM) and nowhere can you duplicate the heart (of a community college like CSM)."

CSM will not the only thing that Joseph would miss.

"The hardest part of moving is not being with my family," said Joseph, who had just got back from driving his 13-year-old sister Ketiesha to school.

"I am leaving this Sunday (Jan. 24), so even if it is just a chance to spend an extra five minutes with my sister, I will take it," said Joseph. Joseph wakes up at 7 a.m. on school days to drive his sister to school as often as he can. "If it wasn't for football, I wouldn't want to leave, but I have been playing football since I was seven and this scholarship to Missouri is a great opportunity."

Joseph majored in business management at CSM, and hopes to get his bachelor degree in business management at William Jewell. "I want to go into finance and business, so it is important that I learn (business management) skills (from college)."

Andrew Moeaki with parents Lolohea and Fae Moeaki. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Defensive lineman Andrew Moeaki chose to commit to San José State University so he could stay close to his family.

"I chose San José because I want my family to see my games," said Moeaki, who has been living in San Mateo all his life.

Moeaki plans to major in sociology at CSM and San José. Like Elder, Moeaki likes working with children and working with people.

While he "would always want to remain on the field (playing football)" and hopes to play in the NFL one day, Moeaki is interested in working in the criminal justice system as a probation officer.

"I have been through that road when I was younger, and would like to help keep youths out of jail by helping them to get back on track," Moeaki said.

Moeaki is thankful for the many opportunities that CSM gave him and would miss his teammates, who are "all like brothers" to him. "Like we always say once a Bulldog always a Bulldog and everyone knows offense is cool but defense rules 'Darkside for Life'," said Moeaki, referring to the Bulldogs' No. 1 state defensive ranking last year.

"The CSM Bulldog program is more than just football," said Moeaki. "The coaches also teach you life lessons, like how to communicate with people. Without them and without the support of all of CSM, none of this would have been possible. I would like to give a special thanks to all my coaches and to the teachers that cared for me."

Running back David Aknin with mother Nancy. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Running back David Aknin has signed on to play with UC Berkeley and will be transferring there in June.

"I chose Berkeley because it is close to home so my friends and family can come to see me play," said Aknin, who lives in San Carlos. "I also chose Berkeley for the academics; my whole family taught me the importance of education." Washington Monthly ranked Berkeley first in its 2009 National University College rankings.

Aknin has an AA majoring in liberal arts at CSM but plans to major in economics at Berkeley. "I have a genuine interest in the finance industry," Aknin said.

"I am going to miss my teammates," Aknin said. "CSM is like my family and my second home. It was an amazing experience and I will never forget the coaches who help everyone of us evolve as a person and I am very thankful to all the supporters (of the team)."

Upon graduating from Carlmont High, Aknin initially joined high school teammate Anthony Burrell to play for City College of San Francisco but left the CCSF program after a month. "I found a better fit at CSM," Aknin said.

"CSM is an offensive team," joked Aknin in response to Moeaki's quip that "defense rules 'Darkside for Life'."

He looks forward to playing against Elder in a televised game on Nov. 26. "We may be buddies, but on the field it is business; we are top competitors," said Aknin with a laugh.

Aknin hopes to one day bring his game to the next level. "It is the dream of all aspiring (football) student athletes to play for the NFL," Aknin said.

Jack Forbes with parents Cindy and Jack Forbes. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

All-State outside linebacker Jack Forbes has committed to play for the Portland State University Vikings and will be leaving CSM on Mar. 27 or early April.

"My sister lives in Portland and I have extended family members living in Seattle," said Forbes, who lives in Pacifica. "I am a family guy; staying in the West Coast is very important to me and my family will be able to come and watch most of my games."

"I visited the university and it was right in the middle of the city; I am a city guy and I like the lights and city atmosphere," said Forbes. "The football program at Portland has a brand new coaching staff who are going to turn things around and I really want to try and help them out."

Forbes wants to follow in his father's footsteps and be a firefighter. His father is a fire captain at San Francisco.

Forbes plans to enroll at CSM's firefighter academy before transferring to Portland State to major in business and communications as Portland does not offer a major in Fire Technology.

"Firefighting is a good job; I grew up in that environment my whole life and it is like being around a big family," Forbes said.

"It is like a big family at CSM too; I will miss my teammates and coaches, the camaraderie and brotherhood," said Forbes. "All the coaches are great; they taught me a lot. My teammates I consider as my brothers. When I am on the field I trust them to watch my back just as I do theirs, and you can only trust family to do that."

Defensive back Owo Mobio with girlfriend Shonece Barney. Photo courtesy of Tim Tulloch.

Defensive back Owo Mobio has signed on to play with Wingate University Bulldogs in North Carolina.

"It just felt right; they really wanted me and as a player that's what you want, someone to want you to be a part of their family," said Mobio.

Mobio, who will be joining his new Bulldog family in the summer, credits the CSM Bulldogs program for helping him develop as a person both on and off the field.

"I don’t think I could have gotten anything like this anywhere else, not even at a four-year university," Mobio said. "The coaches at CSM taught me so much about how to be a man and also developed me as a player and student athlete. I am a CSM Bulldog for life."

"I am going to miss my teammates; they are great people and I love all of them," said Mobio. "I am going to miss my family a lot; I am also going to miss California. But I have to go and make both CSM and my family proud and make something of myself."

Mobio majored in liberal arts at CSM but will major in either political science or environmental science at Wingate.

"I hope to further my football career but if that doesn't happen I look to find a job in my major and work my way to the top just like it football," Mobio said. "I'm interested in politics and I want to be involved in the environment and making it better and safer for the future generation to come. I just want to contribute to the world and have an impact whether it be big or small."

"With hard work anything is possible," he continued. "It's like our saying: CSM plays hard and never quit. Playing hard and never quitting is not just in football and I think that everyone of us will go on to do great things."

"This is why we coach; we coach to help young men find opportunities, not only to help them develop as football players, but also to help them get a college education, a bachelor's degree, and help them develop as young men," said Tulloch of the scholarships.

"We are very happy for all of them; the scholarships will help them a lot," said Tulloch. "All the players have worked extremely hard."

About 15 to 20 Bulldogs players receive offers of scholarships from four-year universities every year but more can be expected this year due to the Bulldogs' most successful run since the program began in 1922. Many players are still in talks with the four-year universities and will sign their letters of intent by the end of spring.

Snippets of CSM San Matean History

2010-02-23T03:51:00.001-08:00

From Class Act: College of San Mateo: A History by Michael Svanevik & Shirley Burgett

Pg 20 (The precursor to The San Matean)

The Bark, as the student newspaper, a weekly, four-page, four-column publication first published in September 1924, was originally called, referred to the mansion (where CSM was first housed) as a "funny looking...dilapidated old house."

Pg 21

Bark writers faithfully recorded the school's deficiencies. Editors reported that the place "resounded" with the clicking of a single typewriter. When the overworked machine ceased to function in 1924, it was considered important enough to report in the town newspaper.

pg 26 (The birth of The San Matean)

Administrators and student body officers objected to the fact that the official junior college newspaper had been called The Bark. Perhaps they felt that the name was trival and lacked the dignity they believed this official journal deserved. Thus, upon movement of the campus back to Baldwin, the newspaper was changed to The San Matean. The first edition under the new masthead was Sept. 7, 1928. The San Matean, originally a sophisticated, eight-column full-sized newspaper, was published bi-weekly. The new journal was often touted as "the most professional of all junior college publications."

pg 28

An editorial in The San Matean noted that commuting students needed some sort of lounging room where they could assemble and talk. "The cars parked in front of the campus form a very incomplete clubroom." It was pointed out that their "lecture-wearied attention" would be attracted by the acquisition of a pool table. Deans weren't amused.

pg 38

Likewise, The San Matean, a large 17-inch by 22-inch format before the economic crisis, was now halved to "depression size." Editors claimed they'd overcome "all obstacles."

pg 41

She (Carlena Morris, wife of then CSM President Jum Morris) mailed copies of The San Matean by the hundreds.

pg 55

In fall 1944 (during World War II), eight of nine on The San Matean staff were women...

pg 61

During the college's last years at the Point (Coyote Point), many of the (steam) pipes burst. (Eroding steam pipes leading to the buildings were only a few inches underground) Each time one let go it sent up a spout of hot steam. (Philip C.) Garlington (then Dean of Instruction) added that they were patched in a sort of "band-aid" manner, but the campus often "resembled a Yellowstone Park geyser basin, we all watched carefully where we walked."

Students took perverse delight in these conditions, referring to the geysers of steam as "Mauna Loa." A writer in The San Matean noted that "frantic efforts" were being made to repair the persistent volcano which some "enraged students had trained to swallow up teachers." The writer noted that "the instructor of Sanskrit has been reported missing."

pg 66 (on choosing a new name for San Mateo Junior College)

Marlin Gill wrote in The San Matean (April 16, 1953) that the name College of San Mateo "would be a standing memorial to the junior college's [ast president, Charles S. Morris. The initials of the new name (CSM) would be the same as those of President Morris' initials. The school radio station already bears the code name KCSM."

pg 86 (on crowning the Homecoming Queen every year)

Editors of The San Matean were especially hard on the event: "Remember, only one girl comes out victorious. The rest go back to being dogs."

pg 87 (on then CSM President Julio Bortolazzo decreeing that cigarette machines would not be permitted on the new campus-College Heights)

The editor of The San Matean wrote: "To ban all tobacco sales on campus, even in the bookstore, seems an action unbefitting a respectable collegiate institution. The announcement that CSM is the third California junior college to ban tobacco sales does nothing to add to its stature."

pg 88

The San Matean ran advertisements headed: "Does LSD (a mind expanding substance not yet declared illegal) in sugar cubes spoil the taste of coffee?" Readers were encouraged to write Dr. Timothy Leary, Ph. D. for a long-playing record with the "facts about five levels of consciousness expansion."

pg 89 (on the campus dress code)

The campus dress code, rules established in the late 1950s at Coyote Point, became a focal point of further student agitation. Editors of The San Matean found the regulations "absurd and antiquated."

pg 106 (1968 riots at CSM)

Strikers wearing red arm bands entered the offices of The San Matean. Five typewriters were destroyed, one window to the outside was shattered and the glass cubicle around the adviser's office was smashed.

pg 109

In September 1969, The San Matean headlined: "The Agony and the Insanity-Will it Continue?"

pg 112

...Jeanie Higgins ('73) became the editor of The San Matean. This was the first time that women held these two important positions (the other being Debbie Rondoni ('73) who was elected student body president). Cartoons in the student newspaper which typically featured busy, empty-headed blonds almost immediately disappeared to be replaced by images of muscle-bound, air-headed men.

pg 113

The San Matean mocked tradition in the fall of 1972. "All you gorgeous guys can enter the 'Mr. CSM Body Beautiful Contest.'"

pg 128

Winthrop Griffin ('51), once the editor of The San Matean, graduated from Stanford where he had been editor of the Stanford Daily. He later commented that the instruction he received while at San Mateo was "as good or better than anything I got at Stanford." Griffin went to Washington and, during the 1960s, served as press secretary to Minnesota Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, Thereafter, Griffin became successful as a free-lance writer. Among his published works were Humphrey: A Candid Biography.

Snippets of CSM Bulldog Football History

2010-02-23T03:26:00.000-08:00

From Class Act: College of San Mateo: A History by Michael Svanevik & Shirley Burgett

pg 4

By the 1990s, attending football games was a thing of the past. Years ago such attendance was virtually mandatory. Those who failed to show up to root for the San Mateo College Bulldogs, as students chose to call themselves, faced being ostracized by friends.

pg 12

San Mateo Junior College was the youngest and smallest jaysee (as such institutions were called) in California. Thus, its gridiron performance in the first year was perhaps its original unique accomplishment. Of the 19 men enrolled, only four had played football. Undaunted, Coach John Wasley, a high school administrator, glued together an 11-man team. There were no substitutes.

Cheering on "the Dogs" became de rigueur during the college's early years. Local newspaper reporters, impressed by the obvious spirit and the "machine-like" quality of the players, termed the "Fighting Bulldogs" the "pluckiest football eleven on the Pacific Coast." The inaugural season will always stand out in the annals of the college as amazing.

Rain or shine, every member of the student body attended games. The San Mateo squad squared off against larger, more experienced opponents. San Jose State Teachers College fell to the Bulldogs in a scrappy contest by a score of 6 to 3. Santa Rosa Junior College crumbled 35-0. In the season finale, the Bulldogs "snapped and clawed" their way to a 33-0 victory over previously undefeated Sacramento Junior College.

In the years before World War II, San Mateo's football prowess was an awesome force to be reckoned with...

pg 41

(During World War II)

News-hungry servicemen asked about friends or inquired about the successes of the Bulldog football team.

pg 42

(Murius) McFadden unlocked the doors of the Bulldog kennel and led the Dogs to their first California Coast Conference Championship in football in 1925.

The Bulldogs, acting as a smoothly oiled powerful machine, won every conference game. There was pandemonium in the streets of San Mateo after the local boys rolled over San Jose State Teachers College by an impressive 44 to 12 score. Jubilation reigned in the last game of the season when the Bulldogs plowed their way to a 7 to 6 victory over Chico.

The following year, not having lost a football game to a jaysee team in three consecutive years, San Mateo travelled to Southern California to play Pasadena for a Thanksgiving Day classic, the Junior College Championship of California.

Twenty-two players and coaches boarded the S.S. Harvard, an overnight streamer to Los Angeles. But the ship sailed into the eye of a Pacific storm and all abroad became seasick, causing player to arrive weak and wobbly. Heavy rains before the game kep the "Macmen" from exercising stiff muscles and joints. On game day, the skies were bright and the Bulldog defensive game was dazzling, but in their weakened state they were unable to withstand a fourth quarter thrust by the Pasedena Pirates and fell in a 7 to 6 defeat. Spirits dampened, McFadden and his team had their Thanksgiving feast in Pasedena.

pg 43

McFadden's well-oiled gridiron machines dominated jaycee football for years. Championships were won in 1925 and again in 1928 when San Mateo won 10 consecutive games. The team took second place in the conference in 1924 and 1926...

pg 45

Murius McFadden's footballers in 1929 won the California Coast Conference Crown...

pg 43

Ray Daba ('35) recounted amazing tales of 1934 when the Bulldogs, the strongest team ever fielded at Baldwin, smashed their way to the state championship by ripping through San Francisco State, Stanford, St. Mary's, Marin, the University of California, Santa Rosa and Modesto.

The Big Game that year was played in Sacramento. A paddle wheeled riverboat was chartered to carry several hundred enthusiastic rooters on the overnight cruise. "There was a bit of drinking aboard." Daba admitted. "Nobody slept that night. Most students didn't have cabins except those who were especially affluent or who had planned to do special entertaining." Late in his career, McFadden admitted that the tradition of going to the Sacramento game by riverboat had to be stopped after the year 1935 when San Mateo students almost destroyed the boat.

By the time the team took to the field they were pretty exhausted. Nevertheless, the "Goddess of Fortune" shone on the Bulldogs. The stubborn and determined Sacramento Panthers led the first half, but the Blue and White came away triumphant with a 14 to 6 victory.

pg 80

Although not completed until 1964, a football stadium surrounded by a nine-lane, all weather-track was provided with 4,300 bleacher seats. Dedication of the new field Oct. 17, 1964 was cause for celebration. It was the first home gridiron in the college's 42-year history. (The field received a "baptism of fire" in a Golden Gate Conference clash between College of San Mateo and Diablo Valley College, a matchup the Bulldogs won by an impressive 29 to 13 score. The first touchdown was scored by CSM quarterback Chuck Hunt, No. 19, on an eight yard run around his right end.

pg 127

Super Bowl winning coaches and broadcasers Bill Walsh of the San Francisco Forty Niners and John Madden of the Oakland Raiders, were Bulldogs and played on the College of San Mateo gridiron during the 1950s. Running back Bill Ring ('79), played with the champion Forty Niners (1981-1986). He majored in business and felt "prepared academically in all areas." He graduated from Brigham Young University. (SR's Note: His son, Billy Ring, played at the College of San Mateo under Coach Larry Owens. Billy then enrolled at the University of Arizona in 2005 and redshirted the season. Right now he is on his second season with the Spartans. He first joined the team for 2008 spring practice and was a Safety prospect in 2009. Andrew Moeaki won a scholarship this year to play with the San Jose Spartans =D)

How Football Explains America-Feature on Polynesian Football Players

2010-02-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

Our CSM Bulldogs football team has a large number of Polynesian players (Think Drew Moeaki, Sosaia Mataele, Vai Liu, Ratu Rabelo, Matangi Tonga, Seta Pohahau, Will Vatuvei (1990-2010), Sosefo Maka, Patrick Latu, just to name a few; Quarterback Matthias Pelesasa is half-Samoan. A 2002 article from ESPN estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in mainland United States) is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American =D)

Here is an interesting segment from the book How Football Explains America about Polynesian football players, which can be bought from Amazon.com. If you use the link www.collegeofsanmateo.edu/Amazon, it will still take you directly to the Amazon.com link but Amazon.com will donate 4% of your purchases (whatever you buy, DVDs, books etc) back to CSM.

From pg 188-190 of How Football Explains America by Sal Paolantonio

The latest immigrant culture to find a home in the game of American football comes from the Polynesian Islands.

"It is because of the way the Polynesian culture is set up-chiefs rule villages," said Vai Sikahema, who was the first NFL football player from the South Pacific island of Tonga. "And they rule islands. Questions weren't asked or posed to the chief, or they were killed. So, the idea of a football coach, the one guy in charge, was perfectly acceptable to their Polynesian athlete. That father figure on the field works in our culture because it is our culture. It's the way in their homes. Fathers have the ultimate authority in their homes. That's the nature of our people."

In 2007, there were more than two dozen NFL players of Polynesian descent-from Junior Seau of the Patriots to Haloti Ngata of the Ravens to Ma'ake Kemoeatu of the Panthers to Toniu Fonoti of Atlanta to Troy Polamalu of the Steelers to Lora Tatupu, who went to three straight Prowl Bowls for the Seahawks and recently signed the richest contract for any Polynesian player-six years, $42 million. Tatupu, a deeply religious man, signed the contract two days before Easter Sunday. "It's a great Friday," he said.

The Polynesian islands were changed dramatically in the mid-1800s when Christian missionaries arrived. But not everything changed. The Christian "Mosaic Law" fit right in with Polynesian culture. "In Polynesia, it's an eye for an eye," said Sikahema. "It's not uncommon-even in modern society-for old men to duke it out. I've seen it in my own family. Even at weddings or celebrations, if two people have an issue, they fight. When the fight's over, they gather and they hug and they kiss. But families regularly settle their disputes that way. At its core, it's a warrior culture. That's why football fits in so perfectly."

The influx of Tongan boys into the school system in Euless, Texas-not far from Dallas-has made the local high school football team a spectacular success. The Euless Trojans won the Texas 5A Division I championship in 2005 and 2007. Before each game, the Tonga boys lead the team in the Haka (here is the link to a video clip of Bulldog Vai Liu leading his teammates in a Haka Bulldog style just before last year's State Championship game)-the ancient Polynesian war chant that calls for a fight to the death. The All Blacks rugby team of New Zealand-also containing many Polynesian players-has made the Haka their signature pregame ritual. Before the game, the All Blacks will actually face their opponents and do the Haka, finishing with a slash to the throat.

"We're the Italians and Irish of this century-we've only been in this country for 30 or 40 years, so our culture is still very much with us," said Sikahema, who was a record-setting punt returner in the NFL from 1986 to 1993. "Culturally, the fact that 300-pounders can be nimble on their feet, it is because they grew up doing these dances-the Haka. The fire knife dances. The hand-eye coordination that it takes to do these things. The warrior way. It's all why we have become so closely aligned with football as a way to get our way into American culture. It was my ticket here."

Now, it's not unusual for the Sikahema household in surburban Philadelphia to be the host for young Tongan and Samoean athletes who want to make it in American football. "There is no Polynesian word for cousin because it doesn's translate well in America. But the son of my father's brother is not my cousin. He's really my brother. So we all treat each other like that. And it's the same way for any teammate. We are all brothers. Polynesians instantly connected to the American game of football in that way-belief in the father figure structure, warrior culture, and the fight to the end. There is only one way up-to fight until you win."

How Football Explains America is an unapologetic look at the game of football in America, with Paolantonio often paralleling changes in the game to major events in American history. This is an interesting read, though some readers may be turned off by his righteous tone interspersed throughout the book. Readers should heed the warning he gives in the prologue: "So, please, by all means, check your political correctness at the gate." Strictly for football fans only.

First day of spring classes outed by power outage

2010-02-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

All morning and afternoon classes were cancelled on the first day of spring 2010 as a powerful storm caused a power outage at CSM on Jan. 19, plunging the campus into darkness and forcing a campus closure.

CSM experienced the power outage at approximately 5:41 a.m. A e-mail was sent to all CSM employees at 6:21 a.m. and students who were signed up for the emergency text messaging system received a text message at 6:36 a.m. informing them of the campus closure.

Three administrators in charge of the CSM website and its Facebook page posted a message of the campus closure at 6:54 a.m. and updated both the website and Facebook page hourly from 7 a.m. onwards. An e-mail was sent to students at 7:30 a.m. informing them of the campus closure.

"When I got to campus, I saw many people leaving and people were yelling that there were no classes," said CSM student Hansel Vargas-Machuca, who was on campus to attend his 8:10 a.m. intermediate algebra class.

Outside Building 1, worried students surrounded and peppered CSM President Mike Claire with questions about the campus closure, saying that they had friends who lived as far as Hayward and South San Francisco who needed to know about the campus closure so that they need not make the long trip to college.

Claire informed the students that both CSM and Cañada College were closed until further notice and offered the students water and soda.

"It was the least I could do," said Claire in an interview later that day. "We are doing the very best that we can to keep students informed via text messaging, the web, email, etc. There are many variables and unknowns associated with power outages and we do our best to act on the information we have at any given point in time."

Campus security ushered the students off the campus and e-mails were sent asking students to not come to campus unless they had been notified, either by text messages or e-mails, that the campus has reopened.

Power was finally restored to the whole campus at around 2:30 p.m. The CSM website and Facebook page were updated with the news and text messages and e-mails were promptly sent to all students to inform them that CSM would officially open at 5:00 p.m. and evening classes were to be held as scheduled.

This prompted students who had yet to purchase textbooks for their evening classes to make a mad rush to the CSM bookstore, which was open from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., to buy the required textbooks before the first classes of spring 2010 began at 6:30 p.m..

Lady Bulldogs defeat district rival Skyline College 68-54

2010-01-22T00:13:00.000-08:00

Media Credit: Hansel Vargas-Machuca
Lady Bulldog Patricia Malaspina, guarded by a Skyline Trojan, looks for a teammate to pass the ball to.

Media Credit: Hansel Vargas-Machuca
After sprinting across the court in an offensive rebound, Lady Bulldog Alexis Jenkins looks for a teammate to pass the ball to.

Media Credit: Hansel Vargas-Machuca
Lady Bulldog Erica Hayes prepares to block Skyline Trojan Rachelle Hwee's attempt at a shot.

Media Credit: Hansel Vargas-Machuca
The Lady Bulldogs surround Head Coach Michelle Warner for a 30-second briefing during a time-out session.

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2009/12/14/Sports/Lady-Bulldogs.Defeat.District.Rival.Skyline.College.6854-3854676.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue Date: 12/14/2009

Fresh after a 73-49 win against Mission College just two days ago, the Lady Bulldogs triumphed the Skyline College Trojans on Jan. 15 with a score of 68-54 to win their second conference game of the season.

The Bulldogs dominated the game against a smaller Skyline team with a whooping 30 offensive rebounds, having just pulled off a season-best of 62 rebounds against Mission on Jan. 13.

Although the Bulldogs led the scoreboards throughout the game, a determined Skyline dogged the Bulldogs relentlessly throughout the game. The Trojans nearly overtook CSM at one point, trailing by only four points 51-47 11 and a half minutes into the second period after lagging behind CSM 35-24 at halftime.

"You have to give Skyline a lot of credit; they had a lot of focus," said Bulldog head coach Michelle Warner.

Perhaps the Trojans focused too much on trying to score, because they committed nearly half of their 35 turnovers to traveling violations, which really hurt their chances. On the sidelines, Skyline head coach Trisha Hosley was understandably upset.

Despite scoring an average of three shots for every 10 attempts, the Bulldogs played well as a team, working hard in offensive rebounds, defensive play and assists to push CSM forward.

The Bulldogs scored half of their 68 points on second, third, and even fourth-chance opportunities. A Bulldog player would miss a shot, only for a teammate to grab the ball to try for another shot, and another, and sometimes even another until they finally scored, leading to amused chuckles from the bleachers.

"We did good; we played good defense and we played good together tonight," said Bulldogs forward Patricia Malaspina, who scored 20 points, just one point shy of teammate Erica Hayes' 21 points.

"We suffered a heartbreaking loss to Skyline last year, with them scoring in the last few seconds to win the game, so it is good to win," Malaspina said. "Hopefully we'll do that again at Skyline."

In their last home match against Skyline College in February 2009, the Bulldogs lost 52-54 after a CSM three-pointer tied the score with eight seconds left only, for the Trojans to reply with a rebound shot in the last seconds of the game.

"With a rival like Skyline, we don't want to lose," said Warner. "It was good to win against a district rival."

The Bulldogs are playing against City College of San Francisco next in an away game on Jan. 20 and will be meeting the Trojans at Skyline on Feb. 5.

Financial Aid Workshop to be held at local library

2010-01-17T02:43:00.000-08:00

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2009/12/14/News/Financial.Aid.Workshop.To.Be.Held.At.Local.Library-3853939.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue date: 12/14/09

The financial aid office will be holding a free financial aid application workshop on Jan. 23 at the San Mateo Public Library located on 55 West 3rd Avenue.

The workshop is open to current CSM students and senior high school students. Parents are also welcome.

There will be two workshop sessions; one student who attended each session will get a chance to win a $1,000 Cash for College scholarship.

"CSM has been participating in the Cash For Scholarship every year since 2005," said financial aid technician Jesenia Diaz.

More than 200 people attended the two workshop sessions last year, said Diaz.

"During the workshop, we will be going through the 2010-2011 Free Application for Federal Student Aid process," said financial aid technician Karen Chadwick. "Like last year, we will go through the whole FAFSA application line by line."

Students are advised to submit their FAFSA application by the Mar. 2 priority deadline so that they will be eligible to apply for the Cal Grant, said Diaz.

The workshop will take place in the Oak Room. The tentative schedule is as follows:

10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.: participants arriving
10:45 a.m. to 11.45 a.m.: first presentation
11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: open for questions
12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.: lunch break
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: second presentation
1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.: open for questions

Light refreshments in the form of pizza and drinks will be provided during the lunch break, Diaz said.

"We ask that students and their parents come in before the start of each presentation so that they will not miss any important information," said Diaz.

Ways you can help to support CSM

2010-01-14T03:19:00.000-08:00

http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2009/12/14/Editorial/Ways-You.Can.Help.To.Support.Csm-3853281.shtml

At the all-college budget forum held Nov. 30 last year, President Claire told a concerned college community that CSM was looking into an "eScrip" program that would allow local businesses to donate a portion of purchases made by supporters to the college.

Three weeks later, as of Dec. 21 last year, CSM is now part of the eScrip, Amazon Associates and S.H.A.R.E.S. programs.

Students and staff who own a credit card, a debit card, or a department store card, can sign up with the eScrip program. A percentage of the purchases made with a participating card will be donated to up to three organizations of your choice, one of which can be CSM. CSM's group ID is 500023653.

CSM is also now part of the Amazon Associates Program. Simply shop through this link: http://www.collegeofsanmateo.edu/Amazon and Amazon.com donates four percent of purchases back to CSM.

Students and staff who buy their groceries from Lucky, FoodMaxx, Savemart and Smartfoods can contact CSM director of marketing Beverley Madden at madden@smccd.edu or (650) 574-6538 to get a S.H.A.R.E.S. card. CSM will receive three percent of all qualifying purchases you make at these S.H.A.R.E.S. participating stores.

For more ways to support CSM, visit http://collegeofsanmateo.edu/communityandalumni/supportcsm.asp.

Information about the eScrip, Amazon Associates and S.H.A.R.E.S. programs were obtained by The San Matean through interviews with CSM director of marketing Beverley Madden and CSM President Michael Claire.

Friends and family celebrates life of '08 linebacker

2010-01-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2009/12/14/News/Friends.And.Family.Celebrates.Life.Of.08.Linebacker-3852764.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue Date: 12/14/09

Hayward's All Saints Catholic Church held a mass and vigil on Jan. 11 for former CSM linebacker William Robert Vatuvei, who died at age 19 on Jan. 3.

Vatuvei's funeral mass and burial took place on Jan. 12 at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward.

"Last night's vigil, which began at 7 p.m., went on until after 11 p.m.," said All Saints Catholic Church liturgical coordinator Mari Kriege in a phone interview.

"The whole chapel was so full that there were people standing at the back of the church," said Bulldog teammate Matangi Tonga, who attended the vigil. "That was a good thing because it showed his family that Will made an impact on so many people's lives."

"There were well over 2,000 people there," said Bulldog defensive coordinator Tim Tulloch in a phone interview. "There was such an overwhelming outpouring of support from the local community and it was amazing seeing how many lives he touched."

"The huge turnout just shows how great of a man Will was," said Bulldog teammate Jack Forbes, who attended the vigil. "Will was a special guy who always had a big smile on his face. We played the same position of outside linebacker. When Will first came to CSM, I sort of took him under my wing."

"(Will's death) really didn't hit me until after the mass ended and the break happened," said Bulldog teammate Josh Crigger, who also attended the vigil. "During the break all of the boys (Vatuvei's Bulldog teammates) met up and went to go see the body. That was probably the hardest part."

According to Crigger, Vatuvei's No. 44 Bulldog jersey, No. 44 Moreau Catholic High School football jersey and No. 44 Hayward High School football jersey were placed beside his casket.

Vatuvei, who loved football and played football for most of his short life, had a cousin who plays for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals; Vatuvei himself had a lifelong dream to pursue football as a career.

"Will was an amazing person to be around and was the definition of a team player," said Bulldog teammate David Aknin, who also attended the vigil. "He will truly be missed by the entire Bulldog family. Life is too short."

"It was crazy that he died so young; he was only 19 years old," said Tonga. "We played (football) together for one semester (fall 2008) and then the next thing you know he was gone."

Other Bulldog teammates who came to the vigil included Andrew Moeaki, Paul Fakahua and Ratu Rabelo.

"Will was a tough guy; it was painful to see him leave like that," said Moeaki. "It hurts all of us. He is gone but never forgotten; he will always be in our hearts. Ofa atu toko ua (I love you brother)."

"I just want people to know what a humble lion he was, always cheerful and caring and making people laugh," said Bulldog teammate Ratu Rabelo, who played as a sophomore outside linebacker together with a freshman outside linebacker Vatuvei in fall 2008. "He will be missed truly."

Vatuvei is also fondly remembered by members of his church.

"Will was a gentle giant; he was physically beautiful and his spirt was beautiful," said Kriege. Vatuvei is listed on the 2008 Bulldog football roster as 6'3".

"The Tongan community at All Saints built a platform of solid wood with loving hands and used it to carry the gospel," Kriege said. "The platform is really very heavy; the people who carry the platform are all these strong beautiful Tongan football players, and Will was part of that. I used to ask them if the platform was very heavy to carry and they were all like "nah, it's nothing."

Many people who knew Vatuvei personally spoke about him at the vigil.

"It showed how hard of a loss it was when people came up and talked about Will," said Crigger. "Coach T (Tulloch) had a great speech and showed a side of Will that not many got to see."

Tulloch spoke about the love Vatuvei's mother Fiona had for her son and also shared a few anecdotes about Vatuvei.

"I talked about a couple of those shared conversations I had with him, the first time he practised with us Bulldogs, and how even though Will had a rough exterior, inside he was really a mama's boy who love his mum very much," Tulloch said. "Fiona would call me once a week to check how Will was doing with school, simply showing a whole new level of love."

According to Kriege, the priest who led the homily told the crowded church that "while we might be tempted to focus on how he died, let us not waste time dwelling on that and instead focus on celebrating William and his life."

"The service was very touching," said Forbes.

"Throughout the whole night I was enjoying (the celebration about) his life, and there was many times where (the celebration) made a smile on my face," Crigger said.

"Will became part of our Bulldog family," Tulloch said. "He will always be in our hearts and we will never forget him. Once a Bulldog always a Bulldog."

Lady Bulldogs' late surge ran afoul of penalties

2010-01-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2009/12/14/Sports/Lady-Bulldogs.Late.Surge.Ran.Afoul.Of.Penalties-3852151.shtml

Sharon Ho
Issue Date: 1/11/09

CSM's Lady Bulldogs had victory snatched from their very jaws by visitors Foothill College 64-69 on Jan. 6, losing the game to two fouls made late in the game.

Foothill College dominated during the first half of the game, scoring 38 points to the Lady Bulldogs' 24 at the end of the first period.

Undeterred, the Lady Bulldogs led a surge in the second period, with No. 24 Erica Hayes scoring to close the gap 55-62 with three minutes left to the game.

Foothill Owls' No. 25 Ariel Castillo was hit hard while trying to stop Hayes. Castillo went down clutching her ribs but came back to play after taking a short break.

Lady Bulldogs No. 3 Jackie Orje's three-pointer scored CSM's lead 64-63, only for Foothill to counter with a two-pointer to steal the lead back 64-65.

Seconds later, the game had to be stopped when Hayes came down with cramps on her left leg.

The game resumed with the Lady Bulldogs trying to regain their lead and stop the Foothills Owl from scoring. Castillo was fouled twice by the Lady Bulldogs' defense and she went on to score four penalty points to win the game 64-69.

"Our defense almost won the game," said Lady Bulldogs head coach Michelle Warner. "(We) came up a little short."

"We picked up too late in the game," said Lady Bulldogs No. 21 Alexis Jenkins. "(We are) going to beat them at their house."

The Lady Bulldogs will play against Mission College next Wednesday Jan. 13 and will again play Foothill College in an away game on Jan. 29.