Entertainment Granada’s own alternative rock band rises to fame`
VOLUME 50.5
Feature The Plaid Press wishes readers a happy Sports Boys’ basketball season comes to a Valentine’s Day
Granada Hills Charter High
close with a home game today
10535 Zelzah Ave, Granada Hills 91344
February 11, 2011
Academic Decathlon ties for first in Relay By Jenny Lee The Academic Decathlon team (Acadeca) competed against schools from all across the county in the Los Angeles Unified School District Regional Competition at Roybal Learning Center on January 29 and last Saturday, February 5. The team tied for first place scoring 58 out of the 60 possible points with John Marshall High School on the Super Quiz, a series of multiple-choice questions answered back-to-back and scored on the spot. The final scores at Hollywood High School are to be announced today, at the awards ceremony where individuals and teams receive medals for total scores on certain events. On the first day, the Honor, Scholastic, and Varsity teams—three different teams structured by grade point averages—gave speeches, wrote essays, and participated in interviews for the first part of the competition. The speech component of the competition consists of a prepared speech and an improvised speech where students are given one-minute to prepare a one-and-ahalf-minute to two-minute speech. For the interview, the preparations involve more of the faculty members in working with the team, asking questions and giving feedback to see how students respond to questions. The second part of the competition, last Saturday, consisted of a variety of
tests on seven subjects: economics, math, history, literature, art, music, and Super Quiz. The subject of the Super Quiz changes every year with this year’s subject being a science of choice: Geology. The literature, art, music, and history categories are all related to the specific year’s theme. This year’s theme is the Great Depression. To be successful in each of these events, students require much studying and thorough training before going into the competition. They began preparing for the events during the summer and continued working throughout the school year. “The team worked on and off during the summer and once the school year started, stayed later and later, working every day after school,” Acadeca Coach Mathew Arnold said. He is one of three coaches, including Spencer Wolf and Nicholas Weber. Staying as late as 8:30 pm every school night as the competitions near, team members put forward their highest effort to stay focused and study as much material as they can. A few scrimmages throughout the school year helped the students to prepare for the bigger competitions, helping them toward their annual goal of reaching the national level. The first large Acadeca competition took place in November, where schools
Photo courtesy of Tartan Yearbook
DECATHLETES: From left to right: Front row: Sindhura Seeni, Elysia Eastty, Hana Kong, Shagun Goyal, Coach Mathew Arnold; Middle row: Eugene Lee, Hamidah Mahmud, Celine Ta, Riki Higashida, Coach Spencer Wolf; Back row: Coach Nicholas Weber, Joon Lee, Austin Kang, Diego Ramirez-Ardon, Harsimar Dhanoa came together for a citywide scrimmage at Chatsworth High School. The team placed second overall in the region, losing first place to John Marshall High School. From then onward, the team has been preparing for the State Competition, which takes place on March 11. However, the team must place in the top group of
schools in City in order to progress to State and first in State to move onto Nationals. “We should qualify for the State Competition. We usually finish in the top five schools, so we expect to go to the state competition,” Arnold said. “If we win at State, then we go to Nationals.”
New York director is recruited for this year’s musical By Danielle Sink and Madushi Wanniarachchige School administration has invited New York theatrical director John Fanelli to put on a production of the 1980 musical Les Misérables here at Granada. Fanelli runs a program called Metropolitan Education Theater Network (METN), which brings afterschool theater programs to public schools in New York. “Directing young people is different than directing professionals,” Fanelli said. “I consider myself a teacher.” He directs fourteen major productions a year with METN including popular titles such as Grease, Sweeney Todd, and Oklahoma. And performing each play is a cast of students from ages five to eighteen, all of whom are being prepared for universitylevel theater. The program concentrates on teaching the actual process of putting on a production with emphasis on musical theater fundamentals like diction and stage presence. “Once you think like an actor, then you
perform like an actor,” Fanelli said. Because of how well these students learn to sing, act, and dance under the director’s tutelage, Security and Events Coordinator Michael Panman recommended Fanelli to Granada’s administration. Panman and Fanelli met each other when they were both working at METN – Panman working with lighting while Fanelli worked as a theatrical director. And now Fanelli will be here periodically from February to March to bring an authentic Broadway style production to Granada complete with the lighting, sound effects, and smoke. Currently the play is under the supervision of Fanelli’s understudy, assistant director Katie McGhie. McGhie will oversee the acting portion of the students’ rehearsals whereas singing and dancing will be supoervised by choir director Craig Gruenberg. “It’s going to be absolutely spectacular,” he said. “Everything will be high quality, professional, and visually pleasing.” Already Granada students have auditioned and received roles for the
production of Les Mis. Math teacher Jake Chipps, Sophomore Leidelle Magat, and senior Kurt Winterhalter will be playing the parts of Jean Valjean, Eponine, and Javert, respectively. “They will earn self-confidence through the accomplishment [of putting on a musical]” Fanelli said. And this specific musical’s opening night also happens to be its closing night. The one and only performance will be on Friday, April 29th with tickets selling for $10. “Everyone works really hard during rehearsals and it’s a really fun experience,” Magat said. For this reason, the director is determined to guide the actors as much as possible with this production. “I’ve seen the arts change peoples’ lives,” Fanelli said. “There’s something gratifying about successfully pulling off something as big as a musical.” The cast is also excited for the show. “I really hope a lot of people come and see the show since it’s definitely going to be something to remember,” Magat said.