Cerritos, California
Sports
Editorials
Arts
Read about this year’s fall sports teams that made CIF.
Learn about what the drama students gained from a CSUF workshop.
Decide whether the complicated college process is worth all the stress.
Richard Gahr High School
The Gahr Forum Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Volume XLIV
Site Council Awards Money School Site Council managed school’s annual budget on wednesday. A majority of the programs propsed can now be put into action. By Antiem Tran Managing Editor
Nearly 60,000 dollars was awarded by School Site Council on Wednesday. Proposals were brought up by different members on campus. Each person was
given time to address how it pertains to the school’s SINGLE plan. After the proposals were ranked, Site Council voted on each proposal and decided if it should be passed and if it should receive the full requested amount.
Barack Wins the Mock
Schools in California participate in a mock election. Students turned out in record numbers to vote for the next president. By Gregory Poblete Staff Writer
Election Day was on Nov. 4 and many people had trouble debating on who should be our new president. Many students wished that they were old enough to vote this year, but they were out of luck. Fortunately, Miguel Canales, history teacher, arranged for Gahr High School to have a mock election. For many students in California that wanted their voices to be heard, had a chance to vote on Oct. 30. Students from all over California had the chance to participate in the “MyVote California Student Mock Election.” There were over 900 schools, and over 590,000 students in California that were able to cast their votes. The mock election was held by Debra Bowen, Secretary of State, and Jack O’ Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.. On Oct. 30, students voted in front of the career center. Students were able to vote for one of the candidates; Alan Keyes, Barack Obama, Cynthia McKinney, Bob Barr, Ralph Nader or John McCain. Even though the mock election votes didn’t count for the real thing, it gave students a good understanding that their votes did make a difference. Students learned the importance of voting by participating in the mock election.
In all, the council was able to fund thirteen of the thirty submitted proposals before running out of funds to distribute. The Site council adjourned and concluded on allocating the entire $57,649.50.
Issue III
Approved Proposals
Reading Pen Scanner Calculus Camp MUN Conferences InFocus Lamps School Marquee Scantrons Why Try Journals Museum of Tolerance Field Trip STAR Testing Incentives Exit Exam Testing Incentives Band/Colorguard Forum Printing Costs Speaker Training/Mntg
Amount
$1,995.95 $6,320 $7,899 $999.92 $15,000 $1,900.26 $5,000 $571 $5,000 $1,800 $2,221.37 $4,742 $4,200
PTSA Discusses Money, Students’ Futures, and Scholarships
Superintendent Smutts speaks at a PTSA meeting. PTSA members were introduced to the district’s plans for students.
Smutts stressed the job opportunities community colleges offer to students and suggested the option of transferring from a Waiting for a call to order, PTSA mem- two-year college to a four-year university bers snacked on Chick-Fil-A and cake. Karen Brown, education/scholarship This month’s PTSA meeting held in the chair, notified the PTSA members that three MPR on Nov. 12 thousand dollars was centered on worth of scholareducation opships- double the tions available amount of last for students after year’s scholarhigh school and ships- would be fundraising. available to the As guest class of 2009. speaker, SuperIn order to be intendent Dr. eligible for the Gary Smutts adscholarships sedressed the deniors must be PTSA clining economy members by Dec.1. Photograph taken by Eric Wilson and vowed not Princiipal Gina Zietlow, Superintendent Dr. Gary Ayesha Denson, to cut teachers, Smutts, and PTSA President Monica Manalo, pose fundraising chair, programs, or bus for picture after the meeting. reported that the transportation. PTSA has raised According to Smutts, $12 million are go- four hundred and eighty-three dollars and ing to be cut to the ABC School District in currently has a balance of five thousand January this school year. four hundred ninety-eight dollars and sixSmutts also spoke of the educational fu- ty-three cents. ture of the students in the ABC School DisYvonne Lorato, chair of membership, antrict. nounced that Gahr PTSA has the most new “Work is not a dirty word,” Smutts said. memberships this year. By Maria tuadi News editor
Adding Another Thompson
Mr and Mrs. Thompson have drafted another member to their team. The new addition was welcomed with open arms. By payton schachtell Features editor
Thanksgiving brings much to celebrate for Lisa and Chris Thompson, after the birth of their baby girl, Maya Karina Thompson. Maya Karina was born on Nov. 3 at 9:14 p.m. at the Irvine Kaiser Permanente five weeks before her due date. She weighed in at 4 pounds and 14 ounces and was only 17 inches tall. “This Thanksgiving we are going to have to stay at home instead of traveling,” Mr. Thompson said, “We are just going to have our own little family Thanksgiving.” Having a healthy baby may have given Thompson a lot to be thankful for this year, but having a new baby in the house is not
always a walk in the park. “Yeah, it is hard to be at school, because you always want to be at home,” Thompson said, “You want to make sure you aren’t missing any of the firsts.” Maya Karina is already making big changes of her own. “The hardest part is adjusting to the time schedule. You have to stay up all night and even though it is what I expected, the nights are getting longer,” Mr. Thompson said. The important thing for Mr. Thompson is having a healthy daughter and wife. “Mrs. Thompson is doing well. She is just at home getting used to, and loving, being a mom, but she should be back by the beginning of the second semester,” Mr. Thompson said.
Gahr says bonjour to exchange students
Students from France are set to visit the campus. Host families are needed. By Alexis Taylor Staff Writer
Between the weeks of Jan. 31 and Feb.13, you may see a few Gahr students roaming around campus with a French exchange student. During these weeks, Language and Friendship Inc. are enabling American families to host French students at a small cost. The program requires room and board, providing a separate bed. In those two weeks, the host families are able to learn a little bit about the French culture and provide him/her the “experience of an American high school because it is way different from France” Suzanne TenBroek, French teacher, said. Also, the exchange students are able to improve their English skills and go through life in America and gain new friendships in the process. The process is fairly easy, “anyone can do it, you have to be willing to be open and free,” TenBroek said, which means you don’t necessarily have to be a member of the French Club or be in the French class. “Just be open and enjoy the experience,” TenBroek said. The process begins with filling out an application and a home visit, followed by the matching process. Matching a student and their family with an exchange student is based on common interests and special circumstances. After being matched, the host family is given information about the student along with contact information. When all is complete, a host family meeting is held before his/her arrival to discuss hosting and any questions they might have. In two short weeks, you could have the experience of a lifetime, learning more about a different country and make a new friend. If you are interested in hosting, go to TenBroek’s room for additional information.
2 Sports
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
o ke Ma
Volleyball Falls Short
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For the first time in 30 years Coach Sonny Okamoto does not have a team that makes CIF
ak re
By Alisa Wong Staff Writer
Two weeks ago, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team played the last games of their season. According to the Press-Telegram of Long Beach, “For the first time in 30 years, the Gahr High girls volleyball team won’t be part of the CIF Southern Section playoffs.” “It will be great if we can make it! But if we don’t, it will be the biggest upset in the history of Gahr,” said Constance Reeves (11) before the week started. It was joyous at the beginning of the week with a win against Paramount, then the road became gloomy towards an unexpected exit. When the Girls Varsity Volleyball team played the Paramount Pirates (November 4), Paramount won the first set with a 7 point lead at 25-18, and continued on with their victory in the second set at 25-22. The Gladiators held on to the Pirates, and won the third match at 25-18. Beginning to cheer louder, the girls finished the fourth set at 25-22, calling for a tie-breaker match. The girls finished the night at 16-14 in the tie-breaker game. Tears of joy rolled down some of the girls’ cheeks that night. After their win on Tuesday night, the girls were tied for third place. “The girls need to understand the competitive level. (High school) sports is not a social activity, but a competitive environment. It requires commitment and dedication,” said Coach Sonny Okamoto. The team’s next game was against the undefeated Downey Vikings. After Tuesday’s game, the Girls Volleyball team looked like they started off with leftover motivation. They lost the first set by only 2 points. While the Vikings kept throwing out real and fake tips over the net, the Gladiators barely hit the ball back over. Yet, by the time the visitors side of the bleachers started chanting, “Undefeated! Undefeated!” The female Vikings swept our girls team straight through the next two sets ending the night. In order to have qualified for CIF, the girls would have needed to have won Friday night’s game (November 7) against North Torrance High School: 25-13, 25-16, and 25-21. Tears of woe struck the gym floor. According to Tiffany McCray (11), “Well this year we have a totally new varsity team with only two returners. We have really improved and progressed since our first game in the summer of this year.” The team would not have gotten this far and this close if not for that improvement. Since 1978, Gahr girls volleyball has gone to CIF every year. However, this year was Coach Sonny Okamoto’s first year not going to CIF playoffs. Next year is a new season and a year to work out the kinks that will hopefully build a CIF-worthy team. With workouts full of sweat, let us hope that the team will come back and return to the CIF playoffs with Gladiator pride.
DRAWN BY ALISA WONG
Girls Tennis Hold for 3rd After third place in league, Girls Tennis made it to CIF. By Pavan Rami Staff Writer
Girls Varsity Tennis, four time league champions, had a bittersweet season this year. “We’ve had lots of ups and downs this season. Some games we played really well while others we totally bombed,” said Allyn Bernardo (12). They placed third in the San Gabriel Valley League and made CIF, which still gives our school good bragging rights. However, the tennis team knows, that they would have been capable of much better. “The summer practices this year were too lenient,” said Cindy Wong (12), “and I think that’s one of the main reasons that our team didn’t play as good as we have in the years before.” On Thursday, October 30, the Girls Varsity and Junior Varsity Tennis teams played against the Downey Vikings at Downey High. Girls Tennis team had singles who had high hopes for the game
and came out on top at the end of the day, locking third place. “We made it to CIF,” said Cindy Wong, “and we have really good hopes for CIF this year. I think we can get pretty far this year and have a good shot and placing.” With CIF Photographed by Allyn Bernardo i n d i v i d u a l s Cindy Wong(12) prepared her stance for the upcoming coming up match. soon, and team The Girls moved to the next round CIF coming up even faster, the team last Thursday, where they went is practicing to go far. against Mark Keppel High School. CIF Playoffs for teams started on There the team ended their season November 11th where they went in the second round respectively. against Garden Grove and won with For the girls their season brought a two point lead. Finalizing the total new experiences. score at 10-8.
Girls Golf Finish Undefeated
Girls Golf finished another unchallenged season in league while having three individuals move on. By Nadia Fonseca Staff Writer
Girls Golf was in full swing this year. They finished an undefeated season in the San Gabriel Valley League. For the last four years, they have been league champions and this year and last year were both undefeated seasons. At the beginning of the season, the team entered San Gabriel Valley League, from the Orange League. “I’m really proud because we entered a new league and didn’t know what to expect,” said Sara Park (12). As if their record were not already
good enough, the team broke through and set a new school record. The record was set while the team was playing against Warren High School at the La Mirada Golf Course. The new record was 196 beating out a record of 208 that was set two years ago. Seniors Victoria Fallgren and Sara Park and Junior Ping Arajarayutt made CIF as individuals. The team made CIF but The girls take a picture after their CIF game. unfortunately they did not phazed by how close they were to make regionals. moving on to the next round. Just eight strokes short of the next level, Girls Golf does not seem to be
Sports
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Gahr Footballs End of a Great Season
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Gahr Football defeats the Pirates helping them get one step closer to CIF. By Crystal Goss Staff Writer
It was a disappointing Halloween night as the varsity football team suffered their first loss in the league against the Warren Bears. Both teams went into the game with a two-game winning streaks. The game started off strong for our Gladiators. The team scored on the first play of the game when Deondre Powell (12) received the kick and ran it for a touchdown. On the Gladiators’ next possession, Brenton Allen (11) scored the second touchdown making the score 14-0 with just a little over six minutes to go in the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter the score was 6-14. In the second quarter, Warren’s running back scored 13 points and by half-
time the score was 14-19 with Warren leading for the first time in the game. That game ended with a score of 21-39, a loss for the Gladiators and the loss gave away the league title. Now the team’s focus was toward making CIF playoffs. On November 7, a home game, the boys faced Paramount. Once again the game got off to a good start, but this time the boys came out with a victory with a score of 48-34. On Friday, November 14 in the game against Downey, the Gladiators fought hard, yet fell to the Vikings 23-31. Whether or not the team would advance to CIF came down to a coin toss. Even though they didn’t make CIF this season, the Gladiators still had a great season with many accomplishments.
Varsity Football on the line awaiting the Pirates’ next run.
Boys and Girls Cross Country Make CIF Both cross country teams moved onto CIF. BY Alisa Wong & Eric Wilson Staff Writer & Sports Editor
At La Mirada Regional Park, the Boys Cross Country team finished third overall at the San Gabriel Valley League Finals while the girls finished an anticipated second place. With our boys in third, and girls in second, both sides are able to move onto CIF. Chris Magallan (11) gained all-league status as he finished in 6th place out of the top seven. Those who ran at CIF Preliminaries (which were held on Saturday, November 15 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut) was Chris Magallan (11), Raul Galvan (12), Eric Wilson (12), Colin Dunbar (11), Jerry Peer (11), Guillermo Garcia (11), and Sam Lee (11).
The alternates are Carlo Aquino (10) and Donaldo Lopez (9). “I feel really happy seeing all my work this summer and season helped me and the team go to CIF,” expressed Raul Galvan(12). If the Boys Cross Country team were to qualify for CIF Finals, they must run at least a total time of 84 minutes and 30 seconds. “84:30 would make Finals, and we’re well within our capabilities to do that,” said Coach Leighliter. At the end of the season, Girls Cross Country finished their season second in the San Gabriel Valley League. The girls team is finishing two places higher than they did in the 2007 season. Lindsey Ragas (9) finished 4th followed by Sara Dionne (10) who finished 6th.
Both girls were named San Gabriel Valley League’s All-League by making the top seven. By placing 2nd overall in the San Gabriel Valley League, the girls have qualified for CIF Southern Section Division III Preliminaries held at Mount San Antonio College on Saturday November 15. “Our plan is to make it another week. Right now we’re on the bubble. We are going to have to beat 2 of 3 teams to make it,” said girls Coach Andy Knobloch. Both teams ran their fastest this past Saturday. The boys ran for a place of 9th in their heat while the girls team placed 8th respectively. After the Girls ran their heat, then Boys ran their heat, both teams found out that they both fell short of CIF Finals by a couple of places.
4 News Features
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Teachers Talk Alma Maters Educators have been sharing their knowledge with students for years. Now, they take the time to share a piece of the their college experience.
Photograph taken by Maria Tuadi
“Out of high school, I went to Long Beach City College for two years and then transferred to UCLA. I got accepted into UCLA right out of high school, but I wanted to play tennis and I wasn’t good enough to play tennis at UCLA. I saved my parents’ money.” –Lou Van Smaalen, Biology teacher
Photograph taken by Jewely Ramos
“I got my Associates degree in architectural technology and my Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Cal State Long Beach.” -Albert Garrido, Spanish teacher
Remembering how life used to be when they were the undergraduates of their day, the former students showed a side of themselves that may take some by surprise. Lou Van Smaalen spoke of choices that led him to a different path in life. Mimi Lim hoped for students to take advantage of their journeys toward getting degrees. Albert Garrido let students know about options. Scott Gordon showed students the importance of learning at any age. And David Madison gave kudos to extra curricular activities.
Photograph taken by Maria Tuadi
“The first time I went to college, I got a marketing degree from San Diego State. The second time around, many years later, I got my math credentials at Long Beach State.” –Scott Gordon, math teacher
Photograph taken by Maria Tuadi
“I majored in chemistry at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Once you get into your majors, you have a really close relationship with professors. That’s something I don’t want the students to miss out on.” -Mimi Lim, Chemistry teacher
Photograph taken by Jewely Ramos
“I went to Cal State Long Beach and I majored in ladies.” -David Madison, math teacher
Helpful Information for Seniors
F I N A N C I A L A I D for C O L L E G E Cal -Grant March 2, 2008
Application Deadline
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) March 2, 2008
Do I have to pay back the money?
No
Yes
Can I use it for schools that are out-of-state?
No
Yes
Do I have to be a California resident?
Yes
No
Do I have to have at least a 2.0 GPA?
Yes
No
Do I have to meet certain financial requirements?
Yes
Yes
Can I apply online?
Yes
Yes
College Application Deadlines University of California Fall: November 1-30 Winter: July 1-31 Spring: October 1-31 *UC Berkeley application process only open during Fall *UC Merced application process only open during Fall and Spring University of Southern California Fall: January 10
California State Universities Fall: October 1 - November 30 Winter: June 1 Spring: August 1 Summer: February 1 Ivy League Schools (i.e. New York, Boston, Cornell & Harvard University) Fall: January 1 Junior/Community Colleges Anytime before the Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer Sessions.
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Upcoming Activities November
• November 26th - Rally Poster Party • November 27th Thanksgiving (No School) • November 28th- No School • November 20th through 23rd - Fall Production, “Makin’ It”
December
• December 5th - Winter Rally • December 8th - Winter Formal Ticket Sale Begins • December 8th through December 17th - Toy Drive
Activities
Club of the Month: Multicultural Pearl Aguilar Beat Editor
The Multicultural Forum has been around Gahr High School for many years. However, many students on campus do not know much about it. Members of the Multicultural Forum did not know about the club despite the posters hanging on the hallways or daily announcements. Group members have talked to different people of various ethnicities to explain to them what the club is all about and invited them to the meetings to get more information. Janet Jen (11) has been part of the Multicultural Forum since her freshmen year, and today she is proudly the Photographed by Pearl Aguilar Forum’s treasure. Jen likes the club because Gahr High School is a very Multicultural Club Officers pose for the camera. diverse school and there are a lot of people who were parks and eat traditional food from different countries,” not born in America. “The Multicultural Forum is a way for people of Jen said. Twenty-one students make up the Multicultural different cultures to unite and get to know others of Forum varying from grades 9-12. different cultures and ethnicities,” Jen said. Many of the club members have been part the The club consists of people with a variety of ethnical backgrounds, such as Chinese, Indian, Korean, Multicultural forum since their freshmen year. The Multicultural Forum meets every last Friday of Vietnamese, Filipinos, and also Taiwanese. “We have a pot luck once in a while where we go to the month in room 207.
Korean Campus Ministry was banned from bringing in outside food.
ments. Kim buys items from restaurants, which do not provide their magine waiting for the monutritional information. ment the lunch bell rings to If he is able to prove the restaujoin fellow club members in rants do not fry or contain satua lunch event, only to find that the rated fats, he can be permitted to school had banned the club from serve food during bringing in any meetings. outside food. The Korean The Korean Campus MinisCampus Ministry try has different is unable to hold views on this isany more meal sue. gatherings under “Eating Korean the order of princifood within club pal Gina Zietlow. meeting has been “Federal and held regularly. School Board PoliWhen I found cy gives the specifout that we could ics on what can the no longer eat at school serve,” Zietclub meetings, I low explained. felt something is This meant the lost,” Veronica school does not Kim (12), vice have a stance on president, said. Photographed by Ted Chang these policies. “Hope it won’t The Korean Campus Ministry meet every Monday. “To deal with the make a difference,” growing problem of childhood profit from it. Eric Kim (12), president of the obesity,” Zietlow said. Teachers are restricted by the club, said. According to Tae Kim, the Ko- rules, being forbidden to bring In this case, the school orders rean Campus Ministry advisor, fried food of all types, also both are absolute and teachers cannot “They sent warnings before, but trans and saturated fats to school. oppose. now I got caught.” It also stated that teachers need The club will continue their Because he is unable to provide to provide nutritional information meetings, but now members will the nutritional information there- to prove it has met the require- feel they are missing something.
I
Forum
The Multicultural Forum enables different cultures to interact.
No Food Allowed by ted chang staff writer
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fore he cannot bring food items to school according to the education code 49430. School code defines the items allowed to be served by the school. Students are permitted to bring anything as long as they do not
AP Chemistry Goes Camping
Jackie Burneson takes her AP Chemistry class to O’Neill park for a camping experience. They will lab test water samples at the lake. by ted chang staff writer
This Thanksgiving, Jackie Burneson, a Chemistry teacher, is planning to take her AP Chemistry class on a camping trip. From November 27-29, AP Chemistry students are going to O’Neill Regional Park in Trabuco Canyon. The requirement is that the student must have been in AP Chemistry or is currently in the class. The fee for this trip is 60 dollars for food and supplies. Students are required to find their own form of transportation to reach the park on November 27 by 10 a.m. with a sleeping bag. Students will sleep in tents at the campsite, roast smores and eat Thanksgiving dinner. This is an educational trip, meaning students are required to do a lab. Burneson is sacrificing part of her Thanksgiving vacation to host this trip. “Camping is fun and we can go out and explore our environment,” Burneson said. Last Thursday was the deadline to turn in forms and money for this trip A meeting was held for final decisions and information about the camping trip.
6 Fashion
tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Picture Perfect Model By Dominique Santiago Arts Editor
A new face is about to “catwalk” her way through the campus as Senior Zemeta Choi reveals her “E! True Hollywood story.” “I was born in Missouri. I went back to Kyung Gi Do Korea when I was 2 years old and went to an international school there. I grew up very differently from all the other normal Korean students. I came back to California just last summer, around June or July,” Choi said. Choi stands out with her unique sense of fashion, which goes well with her angelic face. It is not a surprise to know that this young lady used to be a model back in her homeland. “One day I was shopping online and went on a Japanese clothing website called Mirimari. I ordered clothing and got to meet a lady who works there. She told me that she was looking for a tiny model that could fit the smallest size from their shop. It fitted me well! And that was the start of my modeling career,” Choi said.
“I had to stop my modeling career and go to California.” The clothes that she modeled for were top-quality brands and the clothing company that took her as a model is well-known by both Japanese and Korean customers. “I modeled Japanese clothes in Junju, Korea for the Mirimari Company,” Choi said. “They were looking for tiny models. Some of the clothes I wore were on Japanese magazines such as ‘Pop-Teen Magazine.’ I only remember some of the clothing brands I modeled for; they were Cecil Mcbee, Rojita, Sword Fish, and Mirimari.” She lived the celebrity life that an average teenage girl would die for. “Modeling is very exciting, you get paid a lot, get free clothes, be on the internet, get a lot of attention, meet new people, etc,” Choi said. However, aside from her “perfect,” happy life and all the luxury Choi has, she has had her hardships just as any other normal teenage girl. Choi’s family wanted the best for her and by sending her to California she would receive the best education. This was a big opportunity for Choi. “It was a huge decision coming here to America all by myself, I didn’t
know anything about America, and all I knew was English. It’s really tough to live with a random family as a guardian that you only get to know online,” Choi said. Though modeling comes with big benefits, Choi listened to her parents’ advice and also followed her dream. “I came here to get the best education,” Choi said. “My parents told me that Californian students get first dibs on the universities. So, I had to stop my modeling c a r e e r and go to California.” With determination in the eyes of the senior, she took on classes that can lead her to the path of her passion for art. “I’m currently involved in ATA, Art II, and Multi Media Sculpture I. I don’t plan on modeling for a living because I want to major in Illustration and Graphic Design. My plan is to graduate college at UCLA majoring in Arts, and get a Bachelor’s degree in Arts Center,” Choi said. It is impossible to miss this unique beauty that walks the campus grounds, and if you get the chance, give a friendly greeting and meet the local tiny celebrity.
Fall Fashion Finds By Lizbeth Ochoa Beat Editor
Men’s Hoodie MetroPark $179.00
Men’s Vest MetroPark $75.00
Women’s Coat Forever 21 $17.50
My Style Watch By Petra Slaughter Staff Writer
What are your favorite stores to shop? “Forever 21 and Target, those are the only places I shop.” How do you think your style is different? “It’s unique and it’s what other people are afraid to try.” What advice can you give others about fashion? “Just be yourself.”
Senior 2009
Women’s Coat Forever 21 $49.00
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Ads
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Arts
Fa s h Dreams
Reinventing Fashion
Students learn about the fashion ind
Students and teachers traveled for a movie and saw the clothes used in the movie.
In front of the school, 80 students of AT and Travel Club and ATA club were eager ing to run to the bus and head down to dow Los Angeles. These students had the chance to go into tigious school such as Fashion Institute of and Merchandising (FIDM) and The Los A County Museum, with William Hanson as guide. The students learned about the fashion try, for instance the upcoming season of Runway on Bravo was actually filmed on grounds. And the character Edna Mode from credibles was actually based on Edith H huge television and movie costume design helped make the curriculum for the school “Very well diverse, different people, ev
By Jewely Ramos Arts Editor
By bus, the Arts and Technology Academy (ATA) students watched High School Musical 3: Senior Year at El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. “It mixed all of the arts including theatre, music, dance, film and fashion,” ATA teacher Allison Chatman said. “And all of those arts, and what we saw had to do what we do in ATA.” Receiving information from Disney, she decided that art students and art teachers, Daniel Fernandez and Ivy Roulette, needed a break from art simultaneously learning art. “There was a live performance that included audience participation,” Chatman said. In the audience participation as a prep rally, senior Justin Angcaco danced and sang. “The show started right when we got there,” Chatman explained. Thirty-two students and three art teachers attended. Riding in the bus, Chatman believed “the traffic was really, really bad,” and riding to Hollywood took two hours and 15 minutes. “The cool thing about this is
ATA students gather in front of El Capitan Theater.
that ATA students [got] to see the clothes used for the movie,” Roulette said. The students and the ATA teachers saw Gabriella’s dress and Troy’s suit for prom in the movie. “I liked Zac Efron’s outfit, but Vanessa Hudgens’s outfit was ugly,” senior Shakirah Johnson said. Although the costumes were viewed, the ATA students and teachers expected more clothes. “I liked some of the costumes, especially Sharpay’s costume, because they were over the top,” Chatman said.
She joked that Sharpay was a kind of dog that is a wrinkly one. And while Troy and Chad were singing, girls screamed. “I was impressed by the dancing and singing,” Chatman said. The director of the high school musical movies, Ken Ortega, also directed this event. The trip also permitted students “to see the avenue of the stars,” Chatman said. Partaking in this event, students liked most was the High School Musical 3 movie. “It was just a fun day,” Johnson said.
Students and teachers striking a pose at t
Arts
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dustry. They traveled to FIDM. by lizbeth Ochoa beat editor
TA, Arts rly waitwntown
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very cultured there,” Michelle Gregory (11) said about her experience in FIDM. Ninety percent of graduates from FIDM were placed in areas of the fashion business they enjoy. One of these is Monique Lhuillier, who graduated and became a big name in the industry for her beautiful wedding gowns, which were worn by Britney Spears. A graduate named Kelly Martin won Project Runway, when she blew the judges away with a dress made of bleached vacuum cleaner bags and coffee filters, and another graduate designed the interior of Steven Spielberg’s private jet. They met a major student of Business Management at FIDM named Lindsey Bruce, who is in her third year at the school. “Everyone has to have a pair of red shoes, and a good trench coat,” Bruce said for fashion tips.
LET
D R A MA L I V E By Myia Dickens Staff Writer
Drama students learn how to fight and dance in fun drama workshops at California State Fullerton. The drama director, Mario Baca, invited his drama students to a drama workshop at California State Fullerton, which is one of the top schools in the country for visual and performing arts. Twenty-eight students were chosen to attend the workshops from his theatre lab class, the cast of the play and the students in his Drama I class. Students took workshops on acting, dancing, stage designing and managing the stage. A theatre lab student, Taurrean Hundley (11), took Improvisation, Stage Combat and Theatre Games. “My favorite was Stage Combat, because I learned a lot, and I liked all of the action,” Hundley said. He believed that the Improvisation games were
horrible because they were “nothing new.” “It was really fun, I really enjoyed it,” Hundley said, when asked about his overall experience. I really liked the campus too.” The cast of the play also attended Drama students practicing their death the workshop. skills in stage combat. Cast member, Nicole Colsten (12) shops. participated in Ballet, MusiGahr High School is incal Theatre and Stage Com- vited every year to attend bat. the workshops with other “I liked the guys that school around the country; [were] teaching, it was re- however, our school is the ally fun,” Colsten said. only school in the district to Overall, she had fun and participate in it. she loved the experience. Those attended were exThe workshops, on Nov. pected to teach what they 8 began at 8 a.m. and end at learned that following Mon12 p.m. where each student day, because not everyone were able to participate of went. their choice of three work-
the LACMA. Drawn by Lisa Kim
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10 Features
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tradition Runs Deep for Family
What do you do with your family on Thanksgiving? Students share their plans for the holiday weekend. by pearl aguilar beat editor
Whether you are starting new traditions or keeping old ones, Thanksgiving is a time for families to come together and celebrate. Katarina Pin (11) is new to campus. Pin moved to California from Houston, Texas. Back in Houston, Pin celebrated Thanksgiving at her aunt’s house every year for the past three to four years. Their Thanksgiving menu stems from their culture. “We have Asian food with rice, turkey, and more rice,” Pin said. An interesting part about Pin’s Thanksgiving tradition is her family consumes the big meal for breakfast and then later in the afternoon they go out. This year will be different for Pin because it is too expensive to travel these days, so
her family will celebrate at an aunt’s house nearby. Adam Jaramillo (9) celebrates his Thanksgiving a little differently from Pin’s family. “We go to my grandma’s house for Thanksgiving,” Jaramillo said. He also adds “We’ve been going there every year since I can rememPhoto by Chaniece Ponder ber.” Everyone cooks a different meal. One of Jaramillo’s favorite meals is Posole, which is a type Mexican soup. Jaramillo’s uncle who lives in Seattle, Washington with his family, flies down every year to be part of the traditional celebration. Jaramillo and his family spend their Thanksgiving eating and talking. What Jaramillo likes the most of the celebration, “Is that everyone is Photo by Chaniece Ponder together.”
Facts About Thanksgiving • The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 • On the first Thanksgiving pilgrims used knives and spoons to eat, but they didn’t have any forks. • The final Thursday of November was declared as the national day of thanksgiving by President Abraham Lincoln • Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1941 by Congress • The top turkey-producing state is Minnesota • Approximately 88 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving
• Cranberry, blueberry and Concord grape are the only three fruits that are wholly native to North American soil • The largest pumpkin pie baked weighed 2,020 pounds and measured over 12 feet long • Three towns take their name from the Thanksgiving holiday: Turkey, Texas; Turkey Creek, Louisiana; and Turkey, North Carolina • The first National Football League game was held on Thanksgiving Day on 1934 According to www.history.com
Spending Thanksgiving with the Spradlins
Ever wonder what a teacher does on Thanksgiving weekend? Here’s your chance to get a glance of the holidays for Mr. Spradlin.
T
by Chaniece Ponder staff writer
hanksgiving is only a few days away, and for English teacher Russ Spradlin it means much more than a lot of food and a few days off of school. It’s about the sentimental value within the holiday. “Usually, it’s a time for family,” Spradlin said. Thanksgiving time for Spradlin usually involves him and his wife going down to his parents’ house for the holidays. “I learned to leave the day of Thanksgiving rather than leaving the day before,” Spradlin said, “because a two-hour drive then turns into a four-hour drive.” During the time he has off, Spradlin says he usually ends up doing school work. On the contrast he also has time to spend with his friends and family. “Some friends and I ride bikes to Huntington Beach and back,” Spradlin said. When going through the preparations for Thanksgiving, Spradlin had one thing to say. “The women go shopping and the men watch football. It works,” Spradlin said.
Traditionally Spradlin’s mom likes to cook salmon, so usually he has salmon with his turkey. Before everyone eats their meals in the Spradlin family, they all go around the table to say who or what they are thankful for. Spradlin wants everyone to know that he looks forward to being with his family for Thanksgiving.
Photo by Chaniece Ponder
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Giving Thanks
A few students share what they are thankful for and what Thanksgiving means to them. By Courtney Taylor Staff writer
“Thanksgiving means a time to eat and be with my family. I’m grateful for my family and everything they have done for me,” Divinity Cowens (11) said.
Photo by Courtney Taylor
“Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and to realize you shouldn’t take everything for granted and food, you’re whole family gathering up to eat a big dinner. I’m grateful for my mother, my brother, my teachers, my grandparents, my home, and my health,”Amanda Zermeno (11) said.
Photo by Courtney Taylor
“It means family bonding and togetherness. I’m grateful for my family and friends and Jesus,” Aliesha Jones (10) said.
Photo by Courtney Taylor
“Thanksgiving means to me days to realize what you’re thankful for. I’m grateful for family and friends, and everything in between,” Juan Alvarez (11) said.
Photo by Courtney Taylor
“It means a special time where I can get together with my family and just hang out and talk. When you’re around them it makes you realize how great it is to have your family,” Monique Quarles (10) said.
Photo by Courtney Taylor
“Thanksgiving means going with you family. I am thankful for family, friends and Anthony,” Jack Yu (12) Said Photo by Courtney Taylor
“I’m thankful for my friends. It means giving thanks to your friends,” Sweekar Rama (9) said.
Photo by Courtney Taylor
WorkingIn the Kitchen Want to wow your family this Thanksgiving with an amazing dessert? This easy recipe for Lazy Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse is the perfect way to impress your friends and family. By payton schachtell features editor
Ingredients: One cup heavy cream Eight oz. Softened cream cheese One cup of sugar One teaspoon vanilla Two teaspoons pumpkin pie spice Instructions: 1. Beat cream until soft peaks form and set aside.
2. In another bowl, beat softened cream cheese, vanilla, pumpkin pie spices and sugar until light and fluffy. 3. Add the whipped cream and blend just until combined. 4. Let chill for at least two hours.
Features
11
12 Entertainment
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Twilight
The release of the film based on Stephenie Meyer’s bestseller Twilight.
By Fabian ZAmbrano & Quintin Mattear Staff Writer & Entertainment editor
It seems like you can not go anywhere on campus these days without seeing girls carrying Stephenie Meyer’s Bestseller Twilight, and it seems to be such a good read that even some teachers are starting to get into it. Since its publication in 2005 the book has been widely popular among romantic novel lovers, and even though its audience is more female oriented,
Photographed by Quintin Mattear
“I want to see the book come to life.” -Jeanora Price (12)
some guys are beginning to get caught up in the excitement as well. Even more exciting than the novel lately, is that the much-awaited “Twilight.” The film stars Kristen Stewart ( “The Messengers” and “In The Land of Women”) as the beautiful Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) as the compassionate vampire Edward Cullen and they seem to fit the role perfectly. One thing most fans fear is that Hollywood
Love with a
Bite
Photographed by Tiffany Francisco
might ruin the story by not staying true to the original source, such as with Eragon and A Series of Unfortunate Events. A couple of months prior to the announcement of its set premier date, there were some rumors that the date would be pushed back to beat “Harry Potter” at the box-office. It is also a well known rumor that it is because of “Twilight” that the release of the next “Harry Potter” film was pushed back to the summer of next year.
Photographed by Nadia Fonseca
“I am excited because I’m interested to see Hollywood’s interpretation of a great social commentary.” -Victoria Fallgren (12)
Photographed by Quintin Mattear
“The books are so good and I hope the movie is just as good.” - Briana Dominguez (11)
“I expect the movie to be just like the book but even better.” -Grace Hannah Guerrero (12)
Photographed by Tiffany Francisco
Photographed by Quintin Mattear
“Well I’m really hoping that it’s going to be the perfect visual for the book and it will be like my imagination coming to life.” -Keren Garcia (12)
“I am excited for the movie because it looks good and the book was amazing.” -Lauren Gendron (10)
Photographed by Quintin Mattear
“ I’m going the first day so that other people don’t ruin the experience.” -Nicole Hoag (10)
Entertainment
tuesday, November 25, 2008
November Reviews
13
Reviews of video games, books, and movies for this month
“Saw V”
“Rock’N’Rolla”
By Quintin Mattear Entertainment EDITOR
By FAbian zambrano Staff Writer
Another year, another horrifying film from the minds of Twisted Pictures. “Saw V” was released on October 24 and opened as second place in the box office with $32 million. The film picks up right where “Saw IV” ended with the discovery of Jigsaw’s newest apprentice, Detective Hoffman. Hoffman gets discovered as being Jigsaws apprentice and he must tie up all the loose ends at any costs. Without spoiling too much, die-hard fans of the series will not be disappointed. “Saw V” offers the same amount of gore that you would expect from any of the Saw series. The movie does have its flaws, such as the unbelievable acting and questionable storyline. This movie was definitely made for fans that have been watching the series since the beginning. It is strongly recommended that you watch part 1 through 4 before you decide to check out “Saw V”. While the series flare is starting to slow down, “Saw V” is a fine entry into the series and it should not be passed up.
This October Europe’s #1 box-office hit made its premiere in the U.S and Canada, with iffy results. Though it was considered to be an awesome film overseas, it has not been such a hit here. Critics have been saying its storyline is hard to follow and it’s hard to relate to the events portrayed in the film since its mostly based in England. Plus the whole English accent and slang The film stars Gerard Butler as Johnny Quid, a wasted rockstar looking for a quick buck, and the only American in the film, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as Roman. The film is about a real estate tycoon that leaves millions of pounds up for grabs and England’s shadiest characters all want a piece of it. The movie was fairly enjoyable though it was not as original as expected. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good heist or just a plain old action film.
Wrath of the Lich King
“Role Models”
11/4 “Get Smart”
BY Quintin Mattear Entertainment Editor
“Role Models” starring Paul Rudd, Sean William Scott, and Elizabeth Banks was released on November 7th. The movie is about two guys played by Rudd and Scott who get into huge trouble with the law and are forced to submit to a months worth of community service. The community service they must take part in is mentoring two of the most nonrespected kids in the mentoring program. At first glance the movie looks like another knock off of “The 40 Year old Virgin”, but it is a very different movie and it even offers the same amount of laughs. The cast all had perfect chemistry together and it showed with each of the perfect comedic timings. Especially Scott and Rudd who makes the perfect on screen team while dealing with their younger co-stars. “Role Models” should definitely not be passed up because it offers hilarious jokes and also delivers a touching story about growing up.
Breaking Dawn
DVD RELEASES 11/11 “Kung Fu Panda” “Hellboy 2” “Clone Wars” “This Christmas” “The Perfect Holiday” 11/18 “Wall-E” “Tropic Thunder” “Traveling Pants 2” 11/25 “Redemption” “Fred Claus” “Hancock” “Space Chimps”
Gears of War 2
by Christopher Feng Staff Writer
by Myia Dickens Staff Writer
BY Fabian Zambrano Staff Writer
Blizzard Entertainment’s latest expansion pack for World of Warcraft was released on Nov. 13th. Wrath of the Lich King is the second expansion pack, with the previous one being The Burning Crusade. With over 11 million subscribers worldwide, Blizzard did not let their subscribers down. This expansion, like any others, is jam-packed with new features. A major one is the addition of the new continent of Northrend, where the Lich King presides. In this new continent, there are 11 new regions, one of them being an outdoor player-versus-player map. Along with new zones comes new dungeons, 10 to be exact, and adding on to this there are also many new monsters to battle. One major highlight to Wrath is the introduction of a new hero class, the Death Knight. The requirement to create a Death Knight is to have a character that is level 55 or higher on the designated server that the player wants to create it on. Both the Alliance and Horde factions will be have access to this new class, and can be created with any race. Players will be questing and exploring these new lands in hopes of taking down the Lich King once and for all. Wrath of the Lich King comes in a standard edition and a collectors’ edition. The collector’s edition costs an extra $30 and comes with many extra features. It comes with the install disc in DVD-ROM format, an art book of the expansion, and exclusive in-game pet. Along with this comes an album with all the songs in the game, a mouse pad of Northrend, and 2 World of Warcraft Trading Card Game March of the Legion starter decks. If you find yourself interested in picking up World of Warcraft, it is recommended that you try the 10-day free trial. You can get the trial version from the World of Warcraft homepage, or get it from a friend that has the game.
Breaking Dawn could not have ended the Twilightseries any better. Released on August 2nd, Stephanie Meyer did an awesome job in making both “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” happy, without having it hurt Bella in anyway. At the end of the third book, Eclipse, Bella finds out how much Jacob likes her and how much she likes Jacob, but she still chooses to marry Edward, despite her feelings for Jacob. When finding out that Bella gets married, Jacob turns into a wolf and runs into the woods with no intention of coming back to Forks or even becoming human again. In Breaking Dawn, the past catches up to the Cullen family, while an incident during Edward and Bella’s wedding changes their lives and everyone around them forever. Jacob does eventully come back as a surprise from Edward to Bella for their wedding. The surprise was that Jacob got to dance with Bella during the reception, but it was soon interrupted, when Jacob finds out that Bella is going to become a vampire. The high point of the book, is when the Cullen family finds out that the Volturi was palnning to pay them a visit, to see if Bella was a vampire yet. To save Bella and everyone else’s lives, the Cullen family think of a smart idea by inviting everyone they know for the Volturi gathering, so the Volturi will be more lenient. Knowing that Carlisle knows people from all over the world, the Cullen family gather vampires from all over the world and even some vampires they do not know, but just to get revenge over the Volturi. Even though people must read the past three books to get into the fourth book, it will feel as if the series was worth the read. The fourth book wraps up all of the storylines and it gives the reader the fitting conclusion for the series.
This year’s most anticipated sequel to the Xbox 360 smash Gears of War was released on November 7th to excited gamers all over the world. The guys at Epic games have been working hard for the last 2 years to make sure that this year’s Gears is better than the previous installment. The game’s story picks up six months after the last game ended, with mankind believing, they finished off the onslaught of the Locust by striking them in their own territory but what they don’t realize is that something much bigger is in store for them. The first couple of levels are mainly just warm-ups to get you settled into the game, but things really heat up once you head underground into Locust territory. The gameplay progresses at a steady rate and the levels get more and more interesting as the game continues. Gears of War 2 also gives the player more information mostly concerning how the war started. The only thing better than the game play in Gears of War 2 is its stunning architectural feats, apparently Epic really took their time really constructing these gothic and worn down looking buildings as well as the almost impossibly gigantic caverns. Overall this game did not disappoint and it can be a contender as the game of the year with all of detailed gameplay and multiplayer. I strongly advise players to play on a harder setting then normal, as you may finish the game faster then you would like.
14 Editorials
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Spiritless and To Apply or not to Apply The futility of the college application process. With No Pride
Reasons for the lack of school spirit at Gahr. By Kanayo Uchemefuna Staff writer
The amount of school spirit found here at Gahr is almost non-existent. In the three years that I have attended this school, there has been a significant decline in Gahr spirit. I can’t remember the last time I heard someone yell “G-High,” or heard people actually get excited for a football game or school dance. When asked why the lack of school spirit, Staci Ani (11) responded “Because Gahr is uninteresting and irrelevant to my life. They need to do more activities that everyone likes. “ Many students will agree that the activities provided here do not appeal to the masses. The blame for lack of school spirit could easily go to ASB, but it really isn’t their fault. “I think ASB does try hard to come up with a lot of interesting activities to do, but a lot of the things we come up with aren’t approved by the school,” ASB officer Amanda Farah (11) said. ASB may be in charge of the many activities happening on campus, but students only have so much power. Administration has banned certain “inappropriate” music, much of which is hip-hop and rap. All of the current freshmen have never experienced a food fair at Gahr, because it was banned last year. “I understand that we are a distinguished school, but that is no reason for the administration to suppress us as students, they are too strict,” Rebekah Green (10) said. In last month’s Homecoming dance, less than eighty students attended. The low student attendance at dances has forced ASB to have difficulties incorporating the Sadie Hawkins Dance and possibly our school talent show may be cancelled. Currently ASB is also having a financial crisis. When no one attends the dances, ASB earns no money for future activities, therefore resulting in low budget dances. While all the blame cannot be put onto ASB, they can make a better effort to come up with activities that entertain and get students involved. Though traditions can be good, too many common events become repetitive and boring. The dance competition at the Homecoming rally was a good start, and we hope to see more creative ideas. Students feel that Gahr has a stereotype of being a dull and uninteresting school, and until improvements are made that will break this stereotype, the students will find it pointless to show spirit and be proud. Students need a say in something, and school activities should be one of those options given to students so that they can voice their opinion. Being restricted on every aspect of school only breaks our spirit. Will Gahr ever get its pep back?
BY CHRISTOPHER FENG Staff writer
We are about half way through the school year and seniors are just about ready to pull their hair out on college applications. This year should be about fun and relaxation as long as you’ve done what’s required for this year to go by smoothly; that is, until you have to apply for colleges. One must find out which colleges offer good programs for what he or she would like to specialize in, and then start praying that they accept him or her among all the other applicants. Applying for colleges is just a waste of time as it only leads to stressful situations, which could be avoided. You can either go to a UC, Cal State, junior college, trade school, or not go to any college at all and just start working. Of course, most students will apply for a Cal State or UC because of their parents. I know for Cal States, all you need are the grades, a decent SAT score, and they will accept you, but for UC’s, that’s a different story. “The past couple weeks were pretty hectic for me,” Eric Peng (12) said. “Not only did I have to fill out
all of my applications, but I had to study for tests in my AP classes, and the SAT II. ” You will spend all this time filling out applications for all these UC’s, and in the end, you won’t be sure if any of them will accept you. You also need to include an essay about yourself to try and persuade the examiners to accept you into their school. As if it wasn’t hard enough to figure out which schools would accept you, each one has different criteria in how they select their incoming students. Just to sum it all up, you need to fill out each individual application for all the schools you’re applying to, attach your essay, mail it off, sit down, cross your fingers, and wait. As for junior colleges, it’s even simpler. “I want to go to a junior college because it’s cheaper and easier for me,” Jessha Arana (12) said. “Also, I’m not totally sure what field I want to major in and if I go to a UC or Cal State, I might be wasting my time and money.”
Drawn By Lisa Kim Illustrator
You could just attend junior college then transfer to another school as soon as your third year. You would already have completed your general education, and would have saved tons of money. Applying for junior colleges is simpler, and not as timeconsuming as applications for UC’s. All you need to do is find out the application period for your junior college of choice, and within those days, go online and apply, and then you’re done. On a plus side, you don’t have to worry whether the school will accept or reject you, so you can just sit back and relax.
Barack Obama: Out To Make a Difference Why Barack Obama was the right choice for the President-elect. BY JULIE SINGH Staff writer
Election Day has passed us by, and the results are in. The new President-elect of the United States is Barack Obama, winning by 147 electoral votes, and 7,343,884 popular votes. Even though there were many supporting candidate John McCain, it was foreshadowed that Obama would have the lead in the end. All of these great qualities and dreams he presents just demonstrates what a difference he is going to bring about for our country. “He still believes in... solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain,” stated on Barack Obama’s official campaign site. This is one of those great ideas
Better Safe than Sorry
that Obama has for the United States. The idea to give the everyday American’s challenges more importance than the “political gain” is everything. There are so many great issues our President-elect wants to address for the better of the people. The economy is a major issue that he wishes to alleviate. He plans to provide a tax cut for working families and for small businesses and startups. Obama cares about all the American issues, such as education, which can be a prominent challenge for some. Obama will invest in early childhood education, and he will make college affordable to all Americans. By doing this, many parents will not have to stress about how they will pay for their children’s educa-
tions. Another pressing issue is health care, which is greatly in need of change in the United States. Our President-elect will make those changes by lowering health care costs, and promoting public health by providing affordable and accessible health care for all Americans. Obama wants to also improve our immigration system, and bring people out of the shadows. Obama wants all the immigrants to be on the path to becoming citizens. Obama becoming our first nonwhite President of the United States has brought joyful cheers and tears around the globe, and soon we will see what a great leader Barack Obama really is as he makes history.
Why the students at Gahr should have stayed home. BY Pavan Rami & Marisel vasquez Staff writer opinion editor
Last Monday, ash was pouring down like snow. One speck of dust may have been someone’s plasma TV, while another was from a family photo album. Ash was not only blanketing all our cars and streets, but was also polluting our air. As we breathe, we take in some of the ash which was just as bad as secondhand smoke. Many schools in the Los Angeles County were closed because of the poor air quality, so why were we at school? Our administration expects us to stay healthy,
but how are we supposed to if we cannot stay indoors even though we need to change classes? The administration has cancelled all sports, yet we were still at school breathing all the dust in. Despite their efforts to make us healthier, keeping us at school would contradict their hard work. The school controls what we eat, what we drink, what we wear, and our behavior because they believe that they know what is best for Gahr students, yet they force us to walk around in ashy weather. Our exposure to this harmful by product can affected our health in a negative way. To protect us from getting sick, or experiencing
any side effects, the school could have at the least provided simple masks, so that we didn’t have to inhale the dust. The administration completely disregarded our health and should not have forced us to attend school in the poor air quality. The air is causing problems for countless people, especially those with asthma, sinus, and other respiratory issues. Why put in harm innocent bystanders when we could have easily prevented this issue? We may not have been directly affected by the fires and forced to evacuate the area, but we did experience the after effects.
tuesday, November 25, 2008
Letters to the Editors Re: “ H o m e coming Fashio n Re: Activities F in d s ”
While reading the last two issues of your fashion column I notice a couple of things. One, your fashion column is very one sided. Not all Gahr students shop at Forever 21 or have styles that are even similar. Fashion is supposed to be about being a true individual, and not wearing the same style over and over again as seen in our fashion column. Some of us like funky names brands like: Up Against the Wall, Demo, etc.... but yet they aren’t considered fashion in our school newspaper. To show more diversity in our school paper shows clothing that all races where. This is for male and females alike. Because if you look around at Gahr our school is diverse in itself so why can’t our fashion column be? CRYSTAL MILLER Senior
Re: “Say No to Proposition 8”
It’s good that you were honest about your opinion and spoke about what you were feeling. However, I don’t agree that they should allow same sex marriages. I just think that it is right that a man should love a woman. A couple of years ago there was no problem when same sex marriages were not allowed but now they are causing problems and saying that its unfair. They should just leave things the ways they are. I am also a Christian and I believe God should be involved in everything and not be left out of government. God said that it is wrong and they should follow that. Another problem with same sex marriages is that they are going to teach little children about gay marriages if the law is passed. I don’t think that parents would want their children to be learning these things. It’s not a topic to be learned in grade school. I hope that you take it to mind and think about the things that might happen if the law is passed. SEANN RUSTOM Sophomore
Re: “Say No to Proposition 8”
I disagree with your article and I wish there was someone who had a article saying yes to proposition 8 and why. I did not like how you say you’re Christian and that you understand that the Lord does not allow same sex marriages, but you still say that it is somehow okay. As you say, “the Lord said that it is wrong, but that it is also the funny thing about this country we call America, religion is supposed to be separate from state.” I disagree with your statement and I think you made no sense. I say if you believe in the God, then why should you want other people to go against His law, and have them vote for something the devil would like? I wish that the article was changed or had another section saying yes to Prop. 8. I hope you rethink your decision and vote yes on Prop. 8, so America could listen to God’s law. KALEB GIRARD FARLEY Sophomore
Re: “Ghost Of Gahr”
I like the ghost stories in the Gahr Forum. They are scary and interesting at the same time and makes you come to school at that time of night. The stories will scare me now that I know what happens. Like when I come to a Gahr football game at night and have to go to my lockers I will be scared, because I am alone and I have the ghost stories in my mind. I think that this story is the best story in the forum. The ghost stories are kind of scary because of the fact that some ghosts appear near the 600 rooms. I think for some reason that the ghost stories are scarier than Knotts Scary Farm. The ghost stories were very interesting and scary, but I think the stories could have been written even scarier. But overall the stories were fun, exciting, interesting, and scary. HOON PARK Freshman
I want to give you a feedback for your articles and also tell you some stuff that you should add to The Gahr Forum to make it look better. The articles you wrote has allotted of information about it. The pictures that are drawn or taken looks nice with article and they give another look to the articles. It’s a good source for the people who want to know more about their teacher and the teachers who want to know more about their students. Like the article on price going higher for snack and lunch. I think that the article probably gave a lot of students a reason of price getting higher for food. Because students were mad and they didn’t know why the price went up for food. I found that the article on food pricing is really interesting and helpful because even I didn’t know why the food price went up all suddenly. Drawings and pictures are another thing that makes this newspaper so special because the way the pictures are taken. The pictures look like that they were taken by a real professional photographer. They put in the imaginary that helps students to understand the article better. MADHAV CHHURA Sophomore
Re: “The Better Candidate: Barack “The Reformer” Obama”
I enjoyed reading your views and opinions on Barack Obama because I agree with everything you said I feel the same way about him. I believe that he has the experience and he has what it takes to get this country back running the way it should be. He is an inspiration to not only African-Americans, but also Latinos, Asians, etc. and he stands for hope, pride, dignity, and change. The one thing important about him to me is his character and how educated and how well he speaks. MONIQUE QUARLES Sophomore
Re: Features
I think it was better than the first, personally because I mostly enjoyed the Halloween section. There wasn’t really anything that bothered me, or was difficult about this article. To me this article was almost perfect. There might have been a couple of tweaks but other than that this article was remarkable. It also put me into even more of the Halloween spirit, especially the “Once upon a Halloween”. I also liked the comparison of Halloween Haunt vs. Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. I visited Halloween Haunt, but not horror, and am hoping to visit that scary theme park next year. And lastly what I enjoyed was the new crossword puzzle and word search. It’s going to be real fun and challenging to figure out all the questions and missing words. So in conclusion I really liked this article, even more than the previous one. I am looking forward to the next one and hope it will be even than the two previous ones. Great Job! O’BRIAN ENE Freshman
Re: “Fall Movie Reviews”
I had greatly enjoyed your movie reviews. They were informative and helped me decide whether I would see the movie or not. The specific movie that interested me the most is Eagle Eye. I had heard good things about it for weeks, but now I will definitely see it. I also found the fact that George Lopez is a voice in Beverly Hills Chihuahua interesting. From the trailers, I would never recognize it was him. It is good to know that he is still in the business, since I love his work. If you need any more space to fill up, you should put up some movies that are coming out on DVDs. It’s cheaper than movies since you can watch them as many times that you want. Thank you for your time in reading my letter. Hope you can rate some good movies and skip the bad ones. JASON THAI Sophomore
Editorials
15
The
Gahr Forum Editor in Chief
Jessica Lee
Managing Editor
Antiem Tran
Design Editor
Donna Garcia
Activities Editors Tiffany Francisco Priyanka Patel Beat Editors Pearl Aguilar Lizbeth Ochoa Fashion Editor Donna Garcia
Arts Editors Dominique Santiago Jewely Ramos Entertainment Editor Quintin Mattear
Illustrators Lisa Kim Alisa Wong
News Editor Maria Tuadi
Opinion Editors Marisel Vasquez Mathias Adolfo Chau
Features Editor Payton Schachtell
Sports Editor Eric Wilson
Staff Writers
Ted Chang Myia Dickens Roman Duenas Christopher Feng Nadia Fonseca Crystal Goss Gregory Poblete Chaniece Ponder
Pavan Rami Julie Singh Petra Slaughter Alexis Taylor Courtney Taylor Kanayo Uchemefuna Nevin Villa Fabian Zambrano
Adviser Andrea Alfi
The Gahr Forum is published about once a month during the school year as a public forum for the student expression of news and opinion at Gahr High School at 11111 Artesia Blvd., Cerritos, CA 90703; Room 661. Telephone Number: (562) 926-5566 ext. 22088. Ads are available by calling the number above. Submissions to The Gahr Forum should be dropped off to Room 661, turned into Mrs. Alfi’s box, or emailed to thegahrforum@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. Major editorials which are unsigned represent the opinion of the staff as determined by the majority of the editorial board. All other editorial pieces will be signed and will represent the opinion of the writer. Reviews and regular columns will always be considered the opinion of the writer. All views and opinions are solely those of the author and are not considered to be the opinions of The Gahr Forum, the Editorial Board, the adviser, Gahr High School, or the ABC Unified School District. Corrections Significant corrections will be noted in the upcoming edition. Please send any corrections to: thegahrforum@gmail.com Letters to the Editors The Gahr Forum is an open forum for student and other public expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. The staff welcomes feedback, including letters to the editor, guest columns and other expressions of opinion from students, faculty, administrators, community residents and the general public. Please send feedback to: thegahrforum@gmail.com. The Gahr Forum staff will work to maintain the intent of feedback providers but reserves the right to edit all such submissions for length, grammar, invasion of privacy, potential libel, obscenity, and other factors consistent with California Education Code section 48907. Not all letters will be published; letters are published at the discretion of the editors, with the input from the staff’s adviser, based on the above-stated principles and on individual circumstances. Advertisements Ads with The Gahr Forum are printed with signed contracts. For more information, contact us by email at thegahrforum@gmail.com
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Forum Fun Page
tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Forum Crossword
Drawn by George Lam
Read this issue’s stories to find the answers.
ACROSS 3. What class is looking for homes to host foreign exchange students? 4. Which movie theater did the ATA field trip go to watch High School Musical 3? (two words) 6. What sport did not make CIF in 30 years? 8. What teacher was quoted on the Features page? 9. The ATA students are taking a field trip to the LA county --- and FIDM on November 13th. 10. According to a few Gahr students, --- is the most important thing in their lives. (found on Features) 11. Who was quoted in the “Club of the Month” article? (two words) 14. The mock --- were held in front of the Career Center, run by Mr. Canales. 15. Bella Swan falls for the mysterious --- Cullen in the book Twilight. 16. What are students spelling out on the bottom of the arts page? (two words) 17. What movie was released November 7, 2008? (two words) 19. What sport had an undefeated season? 20. What novel was published in 2005?
DOWN 1. Winter Formal ticket sales begin on --- 8th. 2. How many students went to the drama workshop? 5. --- was released on DVD on November 4th. (two words) 7. Who is “Out to Make a Difference?” 9. The Fall Fashion Finds are at Forever 21 and---. 12. According to Christopher Feng, college --- are a waste of time. 13. The Korean Campus Ministry was banned from bringing in outside ---. 18. Zemeta Choi, standing out with her unique fashion along with her angelic face, was born in ---.
Thanksgiving Wordsearch B E E G V Y D X C T G I L O A C F M G N P X C B D I N Y A M I W S B I O Q R N Z A V K L L P O M L R P J U E I E E M M R F Y W L H Q U W K E O A G D P C N K L T X R J U A R L H W P I U H U E E S N M M T T Y R N Y I Z S P K I B R O W N F V N G G P V H I O G C M A Y F L O A U F F A M I L Y autumn November brown orange cranberry pie
J R M Q R D J L W W T C L I L T N S C V A A H A E Z A P F A U R N S C I N T E E M J G K U B D Y I G S M M P R W L G N E T R C A I L V W E H D V C O Y B A C I V N M N R P N H S U A V T G R J Q R E W E R R A C S H Q F U R G T
Word Bank
fall pilgrims family pumpkin gathering thankful
gobble thanksgiving harvest turkey mayflower yellow
Winner of the October Issue
Patrick Lim Grade 11
ATTENTION! The first person to bring this page, completed with the correct answers, to Room 661 wins a prize!