His physical mannerisms resembled those of a disabled man. I assumed  he had Asperger’s, a mild form of autism.  His speech was quite good, and, disregarding the continuous rubbing of his hands, he did not twitch. But still, it was obvious that something was off.

It’s that easy to judge someone at first glance. I was no quicker to judge this man than a TSA agent would with a Middle Eastern man.  In a world so focused on appearance, I, as a strong advocate for the “don’t judge a book by its cover” mantra, found myself doing exactly that.  I did not judge this man fairly, nor did I give him the opportunity to tell me anything about himself in order to make an accurate judgment.

And, of course, as the plane prepared to land, the man further confirmed my inkling by beginning to act more neurotically. After watching Revenge of the Nerds, he shut his laptop, cleaned off the case for several minutes until it was spotless, perfectly straightened his computer out on his lap, and meticulously placed the case upon his computer. With one hand carefully holding his computer, the DVD case, and his headphones, he hoisted up his black backpack, skillfully balancing it on one knee as he placed his laptop into the bag’s “made in sleeve.” He continued by methodically placing the rest of his materials into the bag before putting his backpack under the seat in front of him.

However, even though the man was obviously different, he was incredibly friendly.

When he saw me staring attentively at him while rapidly writing notes on the always handy barf bag, he offered me a charming grin.  He even started a conversation with the woman in the next seat, who was visibly delighted by his interest in her family and favorite movies. Despite his quirks, the man was a fabulous conversationalist who truly engaged his neighbor on the plane.

The man later explained that he has OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts or repetitive ritualized behaviors. Later in the conversation, he disclosed that along with OCD, he has extreme ADD. These conditions affect 8 to 9 million adults, and make up 10 percent of the population. Despite the fact that most of us consider these disorders to be abnormal or uncommon, they are increasingly prevalent in our society.

While the man on the plane initially seemed unusual, he is not very different from everyone else.  It can often be easy to label people, but in reality, we have so much more in common that we like to admit. In many ways, the man on the plane is more human than we are. How many of us actually start up meaningful conversations with those next to us on planes? I thought so. Instead of jumping to conclusions and segregating the “normal” from “disabled,” I aspire to be a little more like him, so that one day, I too can smile over the measly seven peanuts airlines give me.

Diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia, Becky Bauer spent a portion of their childhood in the hospital.

Cancer is the number one fatal disease among children, and seniors Becky Bauer and Adam Bacon are survivors; both diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a blood cancer, at a young age. In an exclusive interview with the Mirador, Bauer and Bacon share their experiences.

Mirador: How old were you when you first found out you had cancer?
Becky: I was in the second grade.
Adam: I was three when my mom realized I was easily bruising and had issues with fatigue. Luckily, my mom is a nurse and was alert to the symptoms, so I was rushed to a hospital.

M: How did you feel? At that age did you fully understand?
B: I didn’t fully grasp what was going on. I was mostly afraid because my parents seemed so upset.
A: I felt fine. I thought that everyone my age went through the whole cancer thing. I actually asked my brother when he would be getting his IVs and have his operations. Of course, he just looked at me like an idiot.

M: How were you treated?
B: I went through two and a half years of chemotherapy and had to live in the hospital for a couple months after I was first diagnosed. I had to get blood drawn every day, and about a week into treatment, I had surgery to get a Broviac Catheter installed in my chest. This tube allowed the doctors to easily draw blood and transfer medication into my body. After that, I started receiving daily medication that treated my cancer. It made me lose my hair and feel nauseous all the time.
A: I was treated at Children’s Hospital in Oakland. It was a pretty amazing time in my life, and I actually look back at it as some of my favorite years. I had chemo for about three months at the age of three. And then would have to have the same routine check up and spinal injections that Becky had. We both had the same type of cancer at roughly the same severity.

M: How did it affect your life at the time?
B: Immediately my whole world changed. I had to stop going to school and move into the hospital full time. I lost my spot in the community center play and my ability to see friends every day, and most importantly, I lost my hair. These things seem insignificant, but for a second grader, they were very self-defining. A lot of my friends visited me, and my teacher came to homeschool me. My favorite game was Guess Who and, after a while, my parents got tired of playing it with me, so the nurses would. Since I had to drink a lot of fluids, I wasn’t allowed to play unless I drank a water bottle.
A: It wasn’t too bad because I was a child. It wasn’t like I was being pulled out of school or anything. I got a lot of attention, so of course that is going to make any kid happy. I responded pretty well to the treatment, not a whole lot of negatives. The way that I passed the time when I was in the hospital was watching The Nightmare Before Christmas legitimately about 300 times.

M:: What was the worst part?
B: The pain and the constant feeling of nausea and fatigue. At first, I had to get a spinal tap every week, where the doctors would inject a needle into my back to test for the presence of cancerous cells, and that was definitely the most painful procedure. I also hated being on steroids, which I was treated with once a month. They made me really angry and crave so many different types of food. My parents would come home with random meals at my request like salmon, milkshakes, bacon, avocado, anything I felt like. Also I hated being mistaken as a boy because I had no hair. I remember one time I was shopping with my dad at the hardware store and the cashier said, “How are you doing, son?” I ran out of the store crying.
A: The worst part would be the anesthesia I had to receive. The feeling of going under isn’t very enjoyable, and when I had to have it every month, it really got to be a drag. Not to mention, when you’re young, everything looks massive, so IV needles looked like yard sticks to me. It’s not really something that you’re going to be fine with going into your hand. Also, the antibiotics I was on made me have this insatiable need for awful food, so I basically lived on hot dogs, BBQ Lays, and anything spicy.

M: How was the overall experience?
B: I became really close with my parents and sister and developed really good relationships with my doctors. I became best friends with my sister, Kelly, as she helped me through that experience. Even though the hospital could be really scary, she gave me brief glimpses of normal life. One of my favorite memories is when she would pull me in a wagon down the hallways of the hospital as I shouted for her to go faster. We would also hide in the elevators and jump out at people. She provided me opportunities to have a normal childhood, and I’m so glad she helped me through those times. At a young age I was forced to deal with a lot of responsibility. I always tried to interpret the results from my medical in an attempt to gain knowledge and feel a sense of security. So at a young age, I had a pretty big interest in medicine and science, and that’s one of my passions today.
A: I would actually say the overall experience was a good one.

M: Did you participate in Make-A-Wish?
B: Yes, once I was out of treatment and feeling healthy. At the time I was really into acting and wanted to experience what it was like to be on the set of a movie, so for my wish I got to have an extra role in the 2005 remake of Herbie Fully Loaded. I flew to LA with my family and was on the set for a week. I had my own director’s chair and met Lindsay Lohan, Matt Dylan, and Michael Keaton. Although my scene was deleted (Check out deleted scene #1 on the DVD!) it was such an amazing experience.
A: I went to Disneyland for my Make-A-Wish. Although, looking back, I wish I could have said, talk to me in like five years when I have more reasoning skills.

M: How did you feel when your cancer started going away?
B: On my last day of treatment my mom went out and bought me balloons and cake. We celebrated as I swallowed my last pill. Afterwards, I was relieved that it was finally over, but there was always this nagging fear that it would come back.
A: You don’t really feel anything when your cancer goes away. You just start getting less chemo.

M: Do you do anything cancer-related today?
B: Ever since I was diagnosed, I’ve gone to an oncology summer camp called Camp Okizu, which is a camp for kids both in treatment and in remission for all types of life threatening illnesses. The camp just provides regular, fun camp activities like swimming, hiking, archery, etc. and it’s funded through donations so it’s free. A lot of my friends there have prosthetic limbs or other types of handicaps. It’s fun to hang out with them and see how they’re able to adapt to their handicaps and lead a normal life. It’s been the highlight of my year since I was diagnosed because it gives me a chance to meet with people who have shared the same experiences and allows me to share my story with people who are still in treatment. Now that I’m 18, I’m going to spend most of my summer as a counselor there, and I’m really excited for that opportunity.
A: I go to the FACES medical program at Children’s Hospital, and occasionally talk to my mom’s patients at the Bone Marrow Transplant wing at Stanford, but that’s about it. Camp Okizu wasn’t really for me.

M: How has this experience affected your life later on?
B: I still have to go back for extensive checkups to make sure all the cancer cells are gone. As I get farther into remission, my checkups get farther and farther apart, which is good. I do have a really big interest in medicine and science now, and I hope that will inspire me to do something later in life. I also have this bond with all my friends at camp that is really special to me, and I hope that I can continue to attend every year.
A: Having cancer made me want to become a doctor. The way that my doctors took an absolutely awful time in my life and made it actually some of my favorite years in my life is something that I would actually like to be able to give other people.

Define Santorum.

NBC cannot cancel Community. Have we learned nothing from the Great Arrested Development Tragedy of 2006?

If you are planning to vote for Mitt Romney, you must be able to properly identify his first name. Also, if you are part of the 16 percent of people polled that claim that Mitt is short for Mittens, you are obligated to write in Mittens Romney on the ballot.

Hashtags are not to be used all willy-nilly, especially when you aren’t on Twitter. Seriously, it’s not clever.

Leggings are not pants. “Jeggings” are also not pants. Shirts that awkwardly hang longer than an average shirt and end halfway down your butt are not dresses. Combining said non-pants with said non-dresses does not make an appropriate outfit. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Arianna Huffington must end her crusade into journalism, and take up her rightful post as the Karl Rove of the Democratic Party.

Even hardcore health freaks must recognize that bread is far too amazing to ever consider giving up gluten voluntarily.

Someone needs to figure out why every single ladies’ room at Miramonte is perennially covered in a thin layer of murky water.

This is the year for Donald Trump to change his notorious comb-over hairstyle. Perhaps, The Donald could shave his head a la Bruce Willis or go with a Paul Simon friar-esque coif.

Despite her recent Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis, Mirador fan-favorite Paula Deen must not give up butter. Who else can give us recipes for hamburgers with donuts as buns?
To make up for last year’s snub, Ryan Gosling must be named Sexiest Man Alive in 2012. And the cover must involve his gorgeous face and a Hey girl meme.

The Al Gore internet joke is dead. It was never funny in the first place, and it’s even less funny after every single conservative pundit has parroted off some derivation of it.

Mad Men is not allowed to go on a ridiculously long extended hiatus ever again. The huddled masses cannot go over 500 days without a Don Draper fix.

Hillary Clinton must keep her current hairstyle. After a decade of questionable choices in the salon, Mrs. Clinton has hit a home run.

Newt Gingrich needs to enlist a member of his staff to follow him around constantly, and prevent him from doing ridiculous things like pledging to create a colony on the moon.

The students who brought drugs and alcohol on the trip made the conscious decision to do so, despite their prior knowledge obtained from drug education. Many of the teenagers attending SWAT did not bring these illicit items. The root of the issue is the students who brought the items, not a lack of drug education as a whole.

It’s unfair to lump all the teenagers who attended SWAT under one huge, drug filled category because not all of them participated in the illegal activity. It’s simply another case of peer pressure and a few individuals tainting an entire situation.

According to California Education Code Section 51260-51269,  “Instruction on drug education should be conducted in conjunction with courses” and “such instruction shall be sequential in nature and suited to meet the needs of students at their respective grade levels.” Every student on the bus to Salt Lake City, had they attended California public schools for the entirety of their education, received at least 10 years of grade appropriate drug and alcohol education.

Also, when the 250 sophomores, juniors, and seniors signed up for Summer Winter Action Tours’ three day ski trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, they were asked to sign a behavior contract stating their zero-tolerance for use of drugs and alcohol. As the agreement progresses, it states, “by signing this form, you understand and acknowledge that failure to comply with SWAT’s zero-tolerance policy may result in you being barred from participating in the Adventure or your removal and ejection from SWAT El Niño 2011.” Students were provided with several warnings from both a health and legal standpoint, yet they still chose to rebel.

Even with drug education aside, students know that bringing drugs over state borders is a federal offense. The fear of being caught shouldn’t have been the only thing holding kids back from carrying illicit items.

Another huge factor in the SWAT catastrophe that has been largely overlooked was the overall lack of responsible supervision. Having a 1:20 ratio of barely legal, 21-year-old staff to a large group of rampant teenagers is absolutely ridiculous.

SWAT staff members, although technically of legal age are only a handful of years older than the students that attended SWAT. Thus, the students likely don’t see them as authoritative figures.

Lack of parental support in double-checking the contents of their children’s bags also contributed greatly to the bust. “Prior to the trip’s departure date, we asked all parents to check their travelers’ luggage for any contraband items.  This simple, common sense practice was grossly overlooked and ignored by the parents we work so hard to appease and the students we tirelessly look after,” wrote Thomas Jaenichen, SWAT’s president, in an email to parents. “While many parents and families did follow through with the few tasks we asked of them, there was a clear and blatant disregard for the safety of others by those who failed to do so.”

California drug education does the best it can to inform students of the risks of drug and alcohol use, but it always comes down to individual choice.

Few people seem disturbed by the incident, which is disturbing, in and of itself. In transporting huge amounts of illegal substances, likely across state lines, the students had committed a federal crime.

Clearly for the students on the trip there was no indication, certainly no vibrant shift into Technicolor, to make them realize they were not in California, anymore. While the students knew they were in a different state, geographically, their actions demonstrate that they were unaware they had crossed over into different legal and cultural territory.

The penalty for trafficking even small amounts of marijuana is prison time and heavy fines, in addition to a permanent felony record.

“We had 250 kids,” Elko police chief Don Zumwalt told CBS San Francisco. “I could have written a citation and arrested them all and confiscated the buses, but logistically it would have been a nightmare.”

CBS reported that the juvenile detention facility in Elko had provisions to hold only 20 people.

“Las Vegas or Reno police might have done things differently,” Zumwalt said.

Because the students were let off with a warning, this became lost in the media coverage and discussions of the event. Few people seem to realize just how lucky these students are to not have gotten into much more serious trouble.

The party at fault for the SWAT trip fiasco is not the students. Drug usage by students in this community is so uninformed, it can barely be called a choice. The drug education at Miramonte, in addition to providing inadequate information about the health risks posed by drugs, does not inform students about the legal penalties of drug usage.

In the school’s defense, the long-term health risks of many drugs, marijuana included, are poorly documented because of the logistical obstacles in obtaining information about long-term health effects of any substance, especially an illegal one.

The legal penalties of drug use, however, are codified and readily available. The adults in the community have no excuse for inadequately educating their students and children about them.

In the Bay Area, drug usage is widely regarded with nonchalance. Both parents and students in the Miramonte community often refer to marijuana usage as something everyone does at least once. Recently, the movement to legalize marijuana has prompted parents, teachers, and other adults in influential positions to openly condone drug usage. One Miramonte parent has even gone public on national television about the marijuana-growing operation she set up in her home. Almost all drug education in the state, from the program at Oaksterdam University that teaches its students pot-growing techniques to drug education at Miramonte, accepts drugs as a legitimate aspect of our culture.

This nonchalant attitude toward illegal drugs fostered by the lax drug education system seems to be the reason the students on the SWAT trip were caught. The police organized a search of the bus only after witnessing some students from the trip smoking in a public place. That’s right: several students were naïve enough to flaunt their drugs publically after crossing the border into a less liberal state. These kids clearly need a wake-up call, one that should have been provided by drug education both in school and from their parents: when it comes to nonchalant attitudes towards marijuana usage, there’s no place like home.

Who Will Win: The Artist
2011 was admittedly an off-kilter year in Oscar movies. There isn’t a juggernaut or a unanimous favorite, nor is there a close neck-and-neck race between two strong contenders. Half the nominees for best picture received mixed reviews, and a few weren’t even considered worthy of a best picture nod. The Artist is the only movie that has attracted the amount of acclaim necessary to secure the win.

Who Should Win: The Artist
One word: Uggie. But in all seriousness, it’s hard not to get romantic about The Artist. It’s the most charming film of the year, and not just because of the black-and-white/silent film shtick. The Artist is the only film this year that went out on a limb, and it will win the Oscar for that.

BEST DIRECTOR:

Who Will Win: Michael Hazanavicious for The Artist
The Oscars often differ from the Golden Globes, so don’t bank on another Scorsese win. The reception for Hugo is only lukewarm, and Scorsese is relying on the fact that he is Martin Scorsese to take home the win. On the other hand, Michael Hazanavicious is super cool, super creative, and no one can pronounce his name. In other words, he’s a winner.

Who Should Win: Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen is the frontrunner for best screenplay, but most count him out for best director. However, Midnight in Paris is the most successful film in Allen’s repertoire. It has the rueful absurdities of classic Woody Allen movies, but Midnight feels fresh.  Ignore The Help; Midnight in Paris is the best ensemble of the year thanks to Woody.

BEST ACTOR:

Who Will Win: Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Best Actor is sort of an odd category this year. The George and Brad Bromance took matching nominations, but Demian Bichir and Gary Oldman pulled off two upsets. Everyone wants to hand Brad an Oscar, but he’s still middle of the pack. George is Oscar-worthy, but not as Oscar-worthy as he has been in the past. Jean Dujardin, on the other hand, is the fresh (and beautiful) face behind the sleeper hit of the year.

Who Should Win: Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Jean Dujardin is The Artist.  He’s the reason why so many skeptics finally gave into the silent film novelty, and he’s the reason why The Artist isn’t just an elaborate gimmick. Dujardin gives the most endearing performance of the year, bar none. And his teeth are supernaturally white. And he dances. Victory is his.

BEST ACTRESS:

Who Will Win: Viola Davis for The Help
Frontrunner Viola Davis is primed to win the Oscar. Her role is catnip for the Academy. Miss Aibileen Clark is practically Morgan Freeman meets Oprah. She made your mom cry with her “soulful” performance, and she already has a self-affirmation-style catchphrase: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” It’s in the bag unless The Meryl pulls off another surprise upset.

Who Should Win: Rooney Mara for Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Rooney Mara literally pierced her nipples to play the goth anti-heroine Lisbeth Salander. Forget the unfortunate haircut, the perpetual nudity, and the graphic rape. She pierced her nipples. But perhaps more importantly, Mara gives the most provocative and merciless modern superhero a hint of vulnerability amidst all of the badasserie.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Who Will Win: Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Christopher Plummer had this puppy won long before award season even started. I don’t want to say that there are no other nominees, but there really aren’t any other nominees. Especially after his acceptance speech at the Globes where he said, “And lastly, a fair lady called Elaine, my wife of 43 years, whose bravery and beauty haunts me still.” Swoon.

Who Should Win: Christopher Plummer for Beginners
The best performance of the year. No explanation required.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Who Will Win: Octavia Spencer for The Help
Octavia Spencer is a sure thing. America loves sassy women and poop. Double whammy.

Who Should Win: Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids
Once again, America loves poop jokes. Or rather, I love poop jokes, and Melissa McCarthy is the superior defecator. She has virtually no chance, but who cares. McCarthy plays the best comedic character in years, and it is the only performance in the best supporting actress category that will ever be remembered.

All aboard the train to Snub City!

Best Picture: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that War Horse (AKA: Dude Where’s My Horse?) just beat out Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Seriously, War Horse? The whole movie was three hours worth of turnips, blue eyes, and the Spielberg face.

Best Director: David Fincher for Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
A slap in the face. Go start a club with Christopher Nolan. I’m sure he has some sage wisdom on the matter.

Best Actor: Michael Fassbender for Shame
It’s understandable that Shame isn’t everyone’s taste. In all honesty, I cried in horror as much as I giggled uncomfortably. However, Fassbender was sort of amazing. In a scary way, but amazing nevertheless. And he’s gorgeous and charming and wildly talented and now no one will get to see him on the Red Carpet at the Oscars.

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar
J. Edgar sucked. The old age make-up made them look like burn victims. But still, it’s The DiCaprio in a biopic. Admittedly, this is certainly not Leo’s long-awaited Oscar, but he always deserves an Oscar nod.

Best Actress: Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About  Kevin
IT’S TILDA SWINTON. ONE OF HER USED TISSUES DESERVES A NOMINATION. NO JOKE. SHE IS THAT TALENTED.

Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia
Dunst made the comeback of the year in her role as the uber-depressed Justine in Melancholia. I wanted her to take the Dark Horse nomination so badly, but at least her hair is gorgeous.

Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks for Drive
Albert Brooks is arguably the biggest snub of them all. He was incredible going against typecast as the conniving villain in Drive. Christopher Plummer was a dead lock for the win, but Brooks was the honorable second place in nearly ever single projection.

Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley for The Descendants
As much as it pains me to say it, Shailene Woodley, that pregnant girl from that teen sex after-school special, gave the best performance of a teenager in recent memory. Sadly, the whole Secret Life thing was kind of working against her.

Budget Services Associate Superintendent Chris Learned and Superintendent John Nickerson said they believe the best case scenario for next year would involve over $2 million in deficit spending for the district. In the worst case scenario, Learned projects that the district will face roughly $5 million in deficit spending.

“We have to assume the worst case scenario,” Nickerson said.

Learned said the district plans to take action to mitigate the potential deficit spending.

“What we’re looking for is $2 million,” he said. “A million dollars from outside sources, parents clubs, foundations, and $1 million in reductions.”

The teachers’ union, the Acalanes Education Association, said it opposes Learned’s plan, which was discussed at the two board meetings.

“AEA’s position is that there shouldn’t be cuts,” said Nick Carpenter, a Miramonte teacher and the Lead Negotiator for the union.

At the end of this year, the district is projected to have a reserve of over $10 million, which Learned said is equivalent to about 19 percent of the district’s expenditures this year. The state mandates that the school district keep a reserve of at least 3 percent of expenditures.

Before the Wednesday board meeting, Carpenter said the agenda included plans to discuss ways to reach the district’s suggested goal of $1 million in reductions.

“AEA feels that, since they have such a large reserve, these cuts aren’t needed,” he said.

Carpenter said the union believes the district is going down a path that will possibly lead to layoffs. AEA has come to this conclusion based on the district’s presentation materials from the board meeting on Jan. 23 that the district uploaded to its website.

“It is very surprising,” Carpenter said. “With such a high reserve, we thought layoffs were out of the question.”

However, the district says it did not officially propose any cuts at the Jan. 23 meeting, nor did it plan to do so at the Wednesday meeting, though at press time the meeting had not taken place.

“I’m not sure how the message got out that the district is out to do mass layoffs,” Learned said. “That simply did not come out of that board meeting.”

Learned said all that was discussed at the Jan. 23 were the implications of Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget plan on the district’s budget for the next few years.

“My budget projection is we will deficit spend by $5 million next year,” he said. “I know the controversy is the district is sitting on a 19 percent ending fund balance. When you plug in the numbers for next year, that fund balance goes down to 10 percent.”

Learned said his projection is based on several major factors. First, he predicts that the district, which is in a period of declining enrollment, will have 179 fewer students next year, resulting in a reduction of $1.1 million of state funding. Second, if the governor’s tax initiative for education funding doesn’t pass in November, the district will lose an additional $2.2 million. He also said expenses for the district will increase by $1 million because there will be no furlough days next year as there have been in past years.

According to Learned’s multi-year projection, which assumes that Brown’s budget will not pass, the reserves will still be far above the 3 percent mandated by the state by the end of 2012-2013 school year. However, by the end of 2013-2014, the reserves will have dropped to 2 percent, and at the end of 2014-2015 the reserves will be completely depleted, and the district will be bankrupt.

“The district could absorb the worst case scenario next year, but the following year there would be major problems,” Nickerson said.

The union maintains that there is enough uncertainty surrounding Brown’s budget and the fiscal situation for the next three years that cuts should not be made at this time.

“We think it’s inappropriate with a large ending balance to go forward with layoffs,” Carpenter said. “We would like to persuade the board to reconsider what they are doing.”

Especially at Miramonte, with its strong academic program, some students feel an extra incentive to apply to these schools. From 2009 through 2011, there were 313 total applications to the Ivy League schools by Miramonte students.

However, some of the applications could be multiple applications by the same student.

Out of the 313 applications, only 38 were accepted by the schools. Additionally, 37 were waitlisted or deferred. This acceptance rate, of around eight percent, is approximately the same as the national acceptance rate in 2010.

Adjusted for multiple applications by the same student, and using a 300 person class size, each year anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of the Miramonte student body apply to at least one Ivy League School. Only two percent actually end up going, which also correlates to the national average.

“We do not have quotas for specific schools and generally see at least 10,000 different high schools represented in our applicant pool,” wrote Jason Locke, Director of the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Cornell University. “The admission committees look at schools individually and consider the unique educational program within each school as we make our decisions.”

Qualifications for getting into an Ivy League school are rigorous. For most of them, over 90 percent of the students who went were in the top 10 percent of their class, and had SAT scores over 2000. The scores needed have climbed higher over the past decade as more and more students send in applications, leading to greater selectivity. This has led to some students who would have potentially gotten in 20 years ago being turned away today.

Because the Ivies do not allow scholarships for sports, they instead operate by recruiting athletes, who still have to pay to attend the school. This means that athletes who attend Ivies also have to have above average SAT scores and GPAs, so they won’t sink in the rigorous academic program.

Ivy League also have a “need-blind” admissions policy, which means they do not look at the financial situation of the applicant.

Accordingly, they offer many financial benefits to less privileged students who are accepted, and in 2011 about half of the students in the Ivies received financial aid of some sort. This number has held steady through the increase in applications.

California Gov. Jerry Brown talks about his budget during a press conference in Sacramento, California, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. (L. Sterling/MCT)

In early January, Governor Jerry Brown announced his 2012-2013 Budget Plan.  If passed this plan would raise taxes on high−income earners and would increase the sales tax by half a percent.

Although scheduled to end within five years, this plan would generate an extra $7 billion for California.  It will be added to the November 2012 ballot.

Brown’s main goal is to reduce spending by $12.5 billion, use $12 billion for modifications and revenue extensions; and put $1.9 billion towards solutions to close the $1 billion reserve gap.

This plan includes an 8 to 10 percent cut in pay for state employees, including the already underpaid public school teachers.

If voters reject the tax increases, Brown proposed an alternative plan.  This would cut $5.2 billion in public school funding, including $4.8 billion from K-12 and community college education.

In Brown’s original plan, K-12 education was spared of tax cuts.  “Schools have borne the brunt of spending reductions in recent years,” Brown said in a press release.  “This budget [the November budget plan] maintains funding at the same level as the current year.”

“I think previous budget cuts have had a significant effect.  We were fortunate in that we passed a parcel tax,” Parent’s Club President Sandra Breber said.  “That made a big difference, and not all districts are able to do something like that.”

According to the School Finance Bulletin, a parcel tax is the common term for a school district “qualified special tax.”  These parcel taxes can be used for virtually anything.   The law does not specifically limit how the tax proceeds may be spent, but the school board can impose any limits it wants to in the ballot measure.

“The Parcel Tax has been a life saver.  Without the Parcel Tax and without the Parent’s Club, EFO and Boosters, we would have had to make even more cuts,” Principal Adam Clark said.

Brown would cut $200 million from both the University of California and Cal State University systems, and over $4 billion in welfare and health costs.

“They are always going to have debates when deciding what to cut.  We look at what we need for our students to graduate, and then what they need to be eligible for the UC schools,” said Clark.  “Class size is probably the biggest thing they would look at when cutting programs.”

“Ways that budget cuts affect us could be larger class sizes and possible loss of programs,” said Clark.

These budget cuts are raising concern among school districts throughout California.

“Our Parent’s Club, EFO, and Boosters, provide additional money that we use to add extra classes,” Clark said.  “They provide money to buy supplies and add services that we wouldn’t have without them.”

The Parent’s Club’s objective is to foster academic excellence by raising funds and providing volunteers to support and enhance the educational experience for all students at Miramonte.

“We are very fortunate because we live in a community where parents are very supportive of the school and education of their students,” Breber said.  “And they continue to be.”

Previous budget cuts have already caused a money struggle at Miramonte.  “It started in 2007-2008, and since then, we are actually being funded 20 percent less than what we should be funded at per student,” Clark said.

“We have increased our funding over the last three years,” Breber said.  “So as the school has experienced difficult situations with the state funding, we actually provide more.”

“The money can be directed differently year to year depending on what the needs are,” Breber said.  “Because enrollment goes up and down, the composition of the student body could possibly have an impact.”

The Miramonte administration knows how to be frugal with school funds.

“We save money in lots of ways,” Clark said. “First of all, our office staff is cut back, and we are very prudent with our use of supplies. We charge outside users to come in and use our facilities, and we are continuously reviewing our budgets to make sure we are using funds appropriately, trying to keep the money we use as close to the classroom as possible.”

Due to these cuts, schools have been forced to compensate in other ways. “We have higher class sizes, we have less office staff, we have less support staff, we have less staff development days, all of us [Miramonte staff] have taken furlough days,” Clark said.

According to the Acalanes Union High School District Associate Superintendent of Business Services Chris Learned, the district has built up its reserves to prepare for possible budget cuts.

Reserves are money put away and not needed for immediate use but available if required.  “We have reserves as well,” Breber said.  “We hope we don’t have to use them, but if you have to, then you will.”

If budget cuts were put in place “we would evaluate programs to assure efficiency and reduce or eliminate inefficiencies and rely on reserves,” Learned said.

Schools may also be forced to cut programs.  “That decision would be made at the district level, and it may be programs that have the lowest enrollment and ones that are least popular,” Clark said.

If programs were to be cut, “an evaluation would have to be completed before making a recommendation,” Learned said.

“Even with all the cuts that have taken place, and being funded 20 percent less, we are still the best high school district around,” Clark said. “Being able to offer the programs and the support that we do offer, and being able to have such high student achievement in the midst of this big budget crisis is just a great accomplishment.”

The SAT was once a mere common knowledge test that students only took once. Most kids applied to one or two colleges and almost always got in. Now, however, the test has become increasingly more difficult for students; SAT tutors are the norm and the ticket to a good score and thus a good college.

Eshaghoff represents the changing SAT culture. The SAT system has been heading in a downward spiral for years as kids feel the growing significance of the test. More infractions within the system are bound to arise as the magnitude of the test escalates, because as the SAT continues to increase in importance, pressure among students will only continue to increase too. In fact, it’s not a stretch to presume that as the test’s significance grows in determining college acceptances, students will resort to seeking desperate measures in order to ensure they’ll do well. It is now revealed that some are even desperate enough to hire an experienced kid to take it for them.

Many question whether the dishonest students involved with Eshaghoff stole the spots of more deserving peers. Eshaghoff admits that it’s possible, but everyone knows that it’s more than possible. In fact, it’s incredibly certain. While the SAT is not the only factor that matters, a higher score, even when paired with a low GPA, can surely be enough to raise the chances of college admissions. When that applicant is accepted into a college where they otherwise wouldn’t have even been considered, they most certainly have nudged someone more deserving out of the spot.

Kurt Landgraff, President of the Education Testing Service (ETS), the company that administers the SAT’s security, claims that 99 percent of the three million students that take the test each year do so honestly. Of course, that other one percent only represents the amount of cheating students that College Board is aware of. The ETS is deluded in thinking that this is in any way an accurate percentage, considering the current system.

Eshaghoff only needed to make a fake school ID card by using a computer program to superimpose his own photo into the frame. And honestly, the SAT proctors aren’t exactly hawks when it comes to security. A quick flash of the card to check the name is all that’s needed. No license, social security number, or passport is required. If the SAT is as important as the ETS and almost all major universities claim it is, there needs to be stronger security.

Also the punishment of Eshaghoff’s “business deals” is anything but severe. He received only a few hours of community service where he tutored low income students on SAT skills. And as for his “clients,” it is ETS policy to never reveal to the colleges any suspicions or confirmations of cheating. The students’ identities were actually protected by the ETS’s secrecy policy, so the students were truly untouchable.

While some may argue that Eshaghoff is the minority, what reason do we have not to suppose that he is just one of many who are taking advantage of the flawed system? This is merely an example of what is bound to continue happening now and in the future if security stays in its elementary level, and more importantly, if students feel forced to look into other options since the test is a major factor that determines their future after high school.