The Pearl Post April 2024

Pearl Post

magazine is the official campus newsmagazine of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. The magazine is also posted online at http://www.thepearlpost.com.

FEATURES - Elizabeth Garcia’s floral business / Patron Ad / Club Corner: Earth Club / Earth Protection Infographic

OPINION - Editorial: SAT is classist / Pearl Voice: Mandatory standardized tests / Teaching life skills at schools

SPECIAL REPORTS - Raising low math scores / Infographic: Junior SBAC scores over the past decade

SPORTS - Women and the future of sports / Athletes of the Month

SPORTS - Spring Sports Photo Essay

14-15 ENTERTAINMENT - Artist of the Month: Mckenna Grace / Metro Boomin Album Review / Top 3 comedy movies

BACK COVER - Photo Essay: Fun in the sun

In our fourth print issue of the school year, we take a deep dive into the fundamentals of the American education system, which includes student performance on state math tests, standardized exams such as the SAT and the lack of classes that prepare students for life after high school.

As we analyze the weaknesses of the education system, we also propose potential solutions that we would like to see implemented.

Throughout the issue, we also take the time to spotlight our school’s student population through a photo essay on athletes and features on a student business and a student-run Earth Club.

We hope that as you read this magazine, our passion for our school community and for the importance of education are fully displayed.

Spring concert flourishes in April

By Yusuf Syed, @yusufos9

Students and families alike are all invited to attend this year’s Spring Passion Concert filled with springfueled fun.

“I’m excited to just play music because I was in a band in middle school but I haven’t performed music since then,” said senior Liam Curran, who plays bass. “So I’m excited to perform again,” Curran said.

The concert, which will be held in the Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) grove at 7 p.m. on April 30, will be the second spring concert held this month, with the first taking place on April 23 and setting a more intimate ambiance. This second concert will be larger and contain bigger instrument arrangements.

“I’m just most excited to be on stage and perform songs that I really like and sing from my heart,” said junior Benjamin Recinos, who will sing and play both

piano and guitar.

The concert’s setlist includes titles such as “Just a Girl” by No Doubt, “Zombie” by the Cranberries, “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr. and “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits. In all, 20 songs will be played at the Spring Passion Concert.

“Well, I’ve been practicing for my songs since winter break,” Curran said. “I’ve been practicing a lot so I wouldn’t mess up and so I feel more confident performing.”

This year, there isn’t a theme for the spring concerts. However, music teacher Wes Hambright and his students want to make and perform a memorable experience whether there’s a theme or not.

“It’s just (to) have a good time,” Hambright said. “Choose a bunch of good songs that we want to put together and celebrate with.”

JAYLEEN OROZCO-ESPARZA | THE PEARL POST Senior Khalel Gillen and sophomore Sebastian Olfatmanesh practice “I Will” by The Beatles on April 18 for the Spring Serenade Festival held on April 23.

JENNY MARQUEZ | THE PEARL POST Junior Leeron Nakash plays the piano on April 16 during a rehearsal of “Night Changes” by One Direction to prepare for the Spring Serenade Festival.

Elizabeth’s blooming flower business

By Jasmine McNair, @jasmine.mcnairr

After making a gift for her mother from a tutorial she saw on Tiktok, she soon found the start of her new business. Senior Elizabeth Garcia started her flower business and quickly gained customers interested in purchasing her ribbon rose bouquets.

“I wanted to make flowers for my mom and I just wanted to make something cute that would last forever,” Garcia said.

In May of last year, Garcia created the Instagram account @flowers. by_eli specifically for her to promote and for people to purchase her ribbon rose bouquets. A lot of orders she receives are typically for birthdays or Mother’s Day but she makes bouquets for any occasion upon request. Her most common order is pink, white or purple flowers but she is excited when people order bouquets she doesn’t typically make.

“

Behind the ribbon roses, a tedious and challenging process takes place. Her bouquets consist of different numbers of ribbon roses she handcrafts herself. The most difficult thing she faces in her business is how time-consuming it is while trying to balance school and having a part-time job all at the same time. Garcia explains how it takes around 16 hours for each bouquet but seeing her customer’s reactions make it all worth the while.

My favorite thing is seeing people’s reactions, I like seeing their smile or how much they like it and how they’re giving it away to a loved one or someone special.

- Senior Elizabeth Garcia

“My favorite one was this red and yellow bouquet that had 24 flowers,” Garcia said. “I just really like the different choice of colors since most people never choose those kinds of color combinations.”

After high school, she is considering expanding her business after adjusting to college life. She enjoys making roses but worries about her full schedule and hopes to be able to accomplish both things at

once. Garcia wants to try her best to balance her academic responsibilities while keeping her business going.

“My favorite thing is seeing people’s reactions,” Garcia said. “I like seeing their smile or how much they like it and how they’re giving it away to a loved one or someone special.”

JASMINE MCNAIR | THE PEARL POST

In the leadership workroom, senior Elizabeth Garcia practices making handmade ribbon rose bouquets for the bouqueting-making business she started last spring.

FLOWERS.BY_ELI | THE PEARL POST Senior ELizabeth Garcia sells a variety of bouquets on her account @flowers.by_eli.

Earth Club plans to root on campus

By Andre Arcilla, @cryogenic.cryptid Students’ passion for empowering Earth’s tomorrow

grows a new club.

After the school’s Volunteer for Our Sphere Club shut down, junior Emma Rosenberg felt like there was a gap in opportunities for environmental activism for students at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School.

“I’m really passionate about the environment and environmental issues,” said President Rosenberg, who is on staff of The Pearl Post. “I thought starting the club up again would give people the chance to participate in helping it out.”

The newly reopened and renamed Earth Club meets in Room 15 every Wednes-

day and it hasn’t been back for long, but members are already making sure to start drawing up various plans for future club activities.

They plan to beautify the campus by putting planters around the school and planting various crops. The club has had talks with math and Portuguese teacher Gonçalo Fino de Sousa to transform his outdoor area with greenery. They are considering organizing park clean-ups in collaboration with the non-profit organization TreePeople.

“At this school, some people don’t clean up their things and their trash, which

is simple to me,” said Vice President Alia Galvan, who is on staff of The Pearl Post as well. “Maybe it’s just one more piece of trash but it’s still adding to the pile of pollution.”

The club hopes to raise environmental awareness through posters and a plan to put succulents in classrooms so students can see the fruits of caring for the environment.

Rosenberg said that the club has come up with a plan to possibly sell succulents to help the club pay for new planters.

“(The environment) recently became an interest to me,” junior Jennie Lopez said. “As soon as I saw the club was formed, I thought I should probably do my part and help the environment.”

ANDRE ARCILLA | THE PEARL POST

Earth Club Vice President Alia Galvan and President Emma Rosenberg discuss upcoming projects for the club during a meeting in Room 15 on April 3.

ALEXA GARAY | THE PEARL POST On Earth Day and every day after that, there are many things people can do, such as volunteering for clean-ups, to help the enviroment and practice conservation.

Standardized testing only acts to increase student anxiety and reduce opportunities for college applicants.

shouldn’t consider standardized testing as it favors wealthier students and undermines low-income test takers.

Editorial

SAT is classist, remove it

Standardized tests, meant to gauge knowledge and skills for college readiness, became irrelevant to an ever-changing college admissions process. With a majority of schools choosing to keep their COVID-19 testoptional practices, colleges reverting to pre-pandemic policies appears out of touch by reinstating a flawed system of measuring a student’s college preparedness.

The University of California Board of Regents declared that standardized test scores will not be required for fall 2023 and fall 2024, eliminating the consideration of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or ACT test scores in future applications.

However, despite the sympathetic decision of colleges to continue testoptional policies, schools

such as Yale, Dartmouth and the University of Texas at Austin will start requiring standardized test scores from applicants beyond the 2025 application cycle. These decisions made by schools to reinstate standardized tests arrive as these exams attempt to stay relevant.

“

These decisions made by schools to reinstate standardized tests arrive as these exams attempt to stay relevant.

The SAT, administered by the College Board, switched to a fully digital format in the U.S. in spring 2024, leaving students stressed about studying for a new testing structure. The College Board boasts that the SAT plays an importance in the college admissions process, affecting students’

access to scholarships and opportunities, furthering pressure to do well. With shifts in the SAT format, students will be struck with test anxiety.

Access to resources for standardized tests is highly dependent on income. From previous years to recent data from 2022, the College Board’s SAT Suite of Assessments annual reports indicate that the SAT favors wealthier students. Test prep may not be accessible to lower-income families and students of color, leaving them out in achieving a good score.

Standardized tests should not be used in the application process. If test scores cannot accurately represent a student’s college readiness, the use of standardized testing in the college admissions process preserve a flawed system.

As some colleges revert to test requirements,mandatorywhat do you think of standardized tests becoming mandatory?

Freshman Isabella Tolosa

“It makes it scary but also it makes me feel like I need to study more. I need to prepare myself more because I know I have to get ready for that.”

Sophomore Abraam Grigorian

“I think it should be mandatory. But it should be an option. If a student does well in class but then fails on the test or gets a low score, then they don’t get into college.”

Junior Allison Gonzalez

“I think that is really unfair to those who can’t take tests that well because they may have good grades, but if these tests become mandatory it lowers their chances.”

Senior Anthony Jimenez

“I think it will push students to start taking these tests a bit more seriously. I think that that can be helpful for colleges but some people are pretty bad test takers.”

Interviews

& photos

by Alia Galvan

ANDRE ARCILLA | THE PEARL POST

Universities

Teach skills that go beyond school High school classes must reflect the real world.

By Donovan Ochoa @donovan_8a

As someone who will be a high school senior next school year, not knowing what to expect after graduation can be scary. There are many tasks I will have to complete in my adult life that I feel completely unprepared for. Handling money, time management and professional life are aspects of life that I and many other students don’t know how to balance.

In an article published by Inside Higher Ed, only 13% of students feel prepared to choose their path after high school. More can be done to ease the anxiety of students like me who feel underprepared for life after high school. More classes and electives should be added to prioritize life skills after graduation in the American education system.

Financial literacy is one example of a required class that would ease the stress of graduating students. Buying a car, opening a bank account and understanding insurance are all aspects of adult life I have yet to learn about in school. Offering financial literacy classes can better prepare students and ensure a financially secure life.

In an article published by the California Department of Education News Release

The

in March 2023, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond stated, “Ensuring that all young Californians have exposure to financial literacy is a vital step in closing inequality gaps and providing the skills and resources to improve their lives overall.”

Financial literacy classes can inform students on how to organize funds through teaching budgeting and how to save money.

account, should become included

balance or carry ourselves in the professional world.

“

We are not taught in school how to properly manage time, maintain a healthy work-life balance or carry ourselves in the professional

world.

- Donovan Ochoa

Another aspect of life that I feel is not talked enough about in the classroom is professional life. We are not taught in school how to properly manage time, maintain a healthy work-life

Many districts have adopted Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes that offer specific career knowledge to students and promote career preparation after high school. An article published by the U.S. Department of Education showed that “the median annual earnings eight years after high school were $23,950, compared to $20,015 for nonconcentrators,” which tells me career and professional life-oriented classes are highly beneficial and must be required nationwide.

Some students are swayed to take Advanced

Placement (AP) classes to get a GPA boost or to stand out in college admissions. Although AP classes can be important to some students who are interested in specific careers, a majority of the materials in advanced English, science and math classes do nothing to assist me in understanding post-high school subjects like insurance policy. Classes that educate students on life preparation should also be viewed in high regard.

The packed schedules of high school students today may cause a concern that there will be no room in students’ schedules. However, to work around the issue of busy schedules, offer life skill classes as electives.

The lack of resources offered to students concerning life after high school is a clear flaw in our education system.

KRISTIN INTAL | THE PEARL POST

need for courses that prepare students post-high school are crucial to understand the world past studying. Important life skills, such as learning to save and opening a bank

in general education.

Math teachers attempt raising

By Vanessa Morales @vane_m1110

Amid the lowest math scores of the past decade, math teachers Tuan “Duke” Huynh and Gonçalo Fino de Sousa are working together to support students to remedy the issue.

To help, Duke and Sousa allow students to retake tests multiple times, claiming that it is most important that students learn the material at their own pace, rather than feeling pressured to do so at the course’s pace. Sousa offers a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) prep class after school on Wednesdays, after-school tutoring on Thursdays and keeps his door open during lunch. They helped students prepare for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) exams that took place the week of April 22 by holding a Saturday school class the weekend before.

“The work day-to-day is to connect students with the math, the material and the standards that California puts for each of the classes that my students take,” Sousa said. “Starting back from spring break, my class that has the bigger population of juniors will be doing standardized test practice. I’ve also been offering an SAT class once a week after school to practice standardized test questions.”

Many students are taking advantage of the after school tutoring and extra help provided to bring up their math grades and scores.

“A lot of students including me are taking new opportunities like staying after school with Mr. Sousa because

he offers help for the work,” junior Daniela Partida said. “Part of the problem might be that teachers don’t teach in a way that helps students fully understand the material. Also, a lot of students lack the motivation, thinking that this material won't be important for their futures.”

According to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) math results of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) 2023 reported by EdSource, only 10% of students met or exceeded the state standard while the remaining 90% did not. Comparing this to the results from 2015-2022, these scores are the lowest the school has seen since then. Within the district, only 30.5% of students met or exceeded the state math standard.

ALIA GALVAN | THE PEARL POST

Since former geometry teacher Lori Seo’s resignation in early 2022, Duke was left in the math department on his own with different substitutes handling the other math classroom. While Duke taught Algebra 1 and 2, students tak-

ing geometry, precalculus and AP Calculus took their courses online with a long-term substitute. As a result of this gap in the math department for a year and a half, DPMHS’s SBAC math results dipped for the 2023 year.

ALIA GALVAN | THE PEARL POST

Math teacher Gonçalo Fino de Sousa helps junior Behishta Safi April 11 during his weekly Thursday tutoring. During tutoring, Sousa provides students assistance and extra practice on Algebra 1 and 2, geometry and precalculus exercises.

Sophomore Jordan Viviano and juniors Benjamin Recinos and Behishta Safi work in math teacher Gonçalo Fino de Sousa's weekly tutoring period after school.

the slope of all-time low scores

SATENIK AYRAPETYAN | THE PEARL POST Test scores from 2015-2023 showcase the percentage of juniors meeting the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) results for Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Los Angeles Unified School District and the state of California. Information from California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. The SBAC was not administered in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was optional in 2021. In 2023, only 10% of DPMHS students met SBAC math standards in 2022-2023. around 19.99%.

“For a while, we didn’t have a teacher. For the past two years, it was just me,” Duke said. “We just had online classes and substitutes. For a while, I was going back and forth trying to give lesson plans to the substitutes. We never had stability. A teacher has to have a good relationship with students in order for them to collect the knowledge. Now, Mr. Sousa and I have a good relationship and we connect well with our students.”

Students say the low test scores are due to a variety of issues such as lack of motivation on students’ parts, lack of resources given to teachers and long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel like part of it is

definitely lack of motivation," senior Natalya Lembo said. "Once we left the pandemic, the (work) ethic of students dropped significantly and has yet to fully redevelop." Teachers have also been very limited, creating a limited workspace for many schools. This may also be a leading factor in such low scores.”

Between 2018 and 2019, before the pandemic, the percentage of overall students who met or exceeded the standards remained between 31 and 33%. The percentage lowered in 2022 to 28% but rose to 30.5% in 2023. Data sourced from the CAASPP math scores suggest that the average percentage of juniors that meet the standards within LAUSD in 2023 was

Testing in 2020 was not given because of the pandemic, however, it became optional during 2021. The percentage of students in DPMHS who failed to meet or exceed the state standards in 2021 rose from 73.75% in 2019 to 85.11%, creating more than a 10% increase in just two years. DPMHS math teachers strive to change this.

“Mr. Sousa and I give many opportunities to take tests because sometimes you don’t learn the first time and that’s okay,” Duke said. “Doing that gives students the chance to learn a different language almost. I love social development and more encouragement for them to persevere in something that’s hard.”

Within the education system, professional development refers to resources and tools for teachers to improve the effectiveness of their curriculum. In spite of the low math scores, current professional development is focused on writing. Staff consider writing to be an important part of mastering math.

“Math students need to learn how to write to learn math,” Principal Armen Petrossian said. “They need to write in order to be able to justify their claims in mathematics. We have focused on writing as more of a learning tool across the curriculum. In the math department, we have been focusing on providing students with what they’re lacking in.”

Changing the game plan

Women’s sports participation surges despite gender stigma.

By Jenny Marquez @333.mirrors

Sophomore Marianna Alvarez-Patino, who plays on the Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) JV girl’s soccer team, explained how she’s faced gender inequality in her everyday life as a female athlete.

“I was playing with a group of guys and we were picking teams and they didn’t even try to choose me since they thought I was a bad player,” Alvarez-Patino said as she remembered this negative experience while being part of her first soccer team. “I thought this was so unfair but I quickly proved to them that I was a better player than they thought.”

For years, sports have been a predominately maledominated field. However, this idea of male athletes being more ideal stems from the misogynistic stereotypes placed on women discouraging them from becoming female athletes.

According to the National Women’s

women are frowned upon for participating in sports due to the lack of femininity it displayed and how it wasn’t the proper role of a woman. As a result, men’s sports gained popularity and have continued to grow ever since.

Compared to men’s participation in sports, women’s participation has historically been much lower than men’s. Regardless of this, AlvarezPatino and other female athletes don’t let it get to them and only push them to keep going to oppose this stigma. According to Project Play, a recent trend this past year is the increase in female athletic participation and the decrease in male athletic participation stating that this is the highest participation rate for female athletes since 2013. Many believe that this exponen-

tial growth in interest is thanks to Title IX.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that provides students equal access to any program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance, including sports in schools. According to Sportanddev, from post-implementation of Title IX, it’s reported that 41% of girls in high school participated in a sport while before it was only 7%, displaying a prominent growth of participation stemming from women. Junior Leeron Nakash, who plays on the BCCHS JV girl’s swim team, recently developed a new interest in sports, despite not having them before.

“I really wanted to do something that kept me active because, with a lot of classes in junior year, it was hard to find time to go to the gym and be active,” Nakash says. “I was interested in swimming for a long time and this year I

decided to take up on that.”

This increase in female interest toward sports has reached students at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. As of this school year, the ratio of female to male athletes is 13:7, which means that participation by female athletes is twice as much as male athletes. Freshman Farrah Marquez, who plays on the BCCHS backup varsity girl’s wrestling team, was surprised to know this statistic.

“I didn’t know that but that’s really good,” Marquez said. “I’m proud that girls want to participate more in sports and I think that it’s pretty cool.” Although work remains to be done, the growth in interest expressed in women for sports and the increased amount of opportunities show how women’s sports have become more inclusive.

“I want to be able to inspire other women to be like what I thought I couldn’t be,” Marquez said.

“Not only other women but also for me, so I can be like, wow, I did

RIGHT: Senior Cheyanne Losino is an athlete on the BCCHS girls beach volleyball team. Photo by Maggie Simonyan.

Junior Leeron Nakash (left) and sophomore Marianna Alvarez-Patino (right) are athletes on the BCCHS girls JV swim and soccer team. Photos by Maggie Simonyan.

Junior Zion Waddell walks back to the start line during resistance training workouts at Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS). Waddell is currently on the BCCHS varsity boys baseball team where he plays centerfield.

Athletes of the Month

Freshman Kateryna Loboda is a freshman on the Birmingham Community Charter High School girls frosh/soph track and field team. It is Loboda’s first year on the BCCHS track and field team and she is eager about particiapting in races.

Round the bases, race the clock

Every month, we recognize two student athletes for their performance on the field. This month we recognize junior Zion Waddell and freshman Kateryna Loboda. Waddell is on the varsity boys baseball team and Loboda is on the JV girls track and field team.

Q: How many years have you been playing baseball?

A: Since I was 4.

Q: What’s your favorite part about being on the baseball team?

A: Being outside and getting some exercise.

Q: Do you plan to continue playing baseball throughout high school and after?

A: Yeah I’m probably going to go straight to the league. That’s what I’m looking to do. If not, I’ll probably go D1 like to a college.

Q: What made you want to join track and field?

A: My mom used to do track and field in her high school years and I didn’t get into the basketball team but I just wanted to try something new.

Q: What aspect of track and field are you best at? (speed, breathing,)

A: I think I am best at 100 meter sprints.

Q: What challenges have you had to overcome?

A: The breathing aspect is hard because I have lung problems. I had pneumonia when I was three and am missing half of my lungs so it’s hard for me to breathe sometimes.

By Maggie Simonyan , @maggieesimonyann

By Donovan Ochoa, @donovan_8a

ALYSA BASMADZHYAN | THE PEARL POST

MAGGIE SIMONYAN | THE PEARL POST

Spring athletes in full bloom

Spring season for athletes is in full swing. From track to baseball, and swim to golf, our athletes are tackling this season of sports with perseverance. Freshman Daniel Salazar , an athlete on the Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) boys track and field team placed first at the 2 mile race at the Crescent valley distance invitational on Feb. 17. The BCCHS boys varsity baseball team, which includes Junior Zion Waddel and Freshman Bronson Jackson, scored the most runs they’ve had all season on Apr. 11.

MAGGIE SIMONYAN | THE PEARL POST

LEFT: Freshman Mateo Zazueta perfects his swing in the grove at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School on March 13. It is Zazueta’s first year on the Birmingham Community Charter High School varsity golf team. He was inspired by his dad to get into the sport and is interested in trying something different. Some might be daunted by learning golf from scratch, but with prior experience, Zazueta is ready to persevere through the challenges he might face. “It’s nice to be out there. It’s kind of calming,” Zazueta said. “And I like the idea that it’s all self-improvement.”

MAGGIE SIMONYAN | THE PEARL POST

BELOW: Freshman Ava Weinstein is on the BCCHS JV girls track and field team and joined to increase her speed for her original sport: basketball. Her favorite part about being on the team is being with her friends. “You just become very close with everybody and it’s really cool,” Weinstein said. She won first place in the 100-meter during a meet on April 5 at Chatsworth High School.

LINUS BOSSARDT | THE PEARL POST

Junior Leeron Nakash, an athlete on the Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) girls JV swim team, attempts a stroke during swim practice on

JAZMINE VALERIO | THE PEARL POST

With over a decade of baseball experience under his belt, freshman Bronson Jackson is swinging into high school sports with big plans. In his first year playing for Birmingham, Jackson has already earned a spot on the varsity team as both a pitcher and on infield. Aside from playing on the BCCHS, Jackson also plays for the Perfect Game Ball Association. He aims to strengthen his baseball skills on the BCCHS team during his time in high school, while being equally committed to academics.

SERENA ELKINS | THE PEARL POST

Sophomore Kaleigh Tapaoan glides through the water during a swim competition at Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) on March 18. It is Tapaoan’s first year on the varsity girls swim team and she is excited for what is to come. Tapaoan has been swimming competitively for seven years on club swimming teams and this is her first year on the BCCHS varsity girls swim team.

ALEX SALCEDO | THE PEARL POST

Sophomore Tobias Bechdholt stretches during varsity track and field practice at Birmingham Community Charter High School on March 20. Bechdholt is on the varsity track and field team where he competes in the pole vault and hurdles events. This is his second year on the pole vault team and he began hurdles this year as a way to challenge himself. In the fall, he’s on the varsity boys football team.

The

Artist of the Month

Mckenna Grace grows out of her adolescent years

By Alia Galvan, @canvas_alia27

At only 17 years old, actress and singer Mckenna Grace flourishes as a voice for teenagers of the world.

Starting as a child star, Mckenna Grace paved her way as a singer. Her most recent collaboration with artist Carver Jones on the song “Middle Name” delves into the feelings after a breakup. Grace’s music combines elements of folk, pop and soul to detail the themes of heartbreak, selfrealization and love. Grace’s discography also dips into the indie and pop-punk genre of music.

Grace started singing at age 4, performing in talent shows and festivals. Releasing her first single “Gravity” at age 11 in 2018, Grace’s singing

career was only beginning to blossom. In 2018, Grace released her second single “Lost in You” and a year later in 2019, her single “What If I” was released. Grace continues to release music while starring in various movie roles. The “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” released March 22 stars Grace as one of the modern day ghostbusters. In 2021, Grace starred in the “Ghostbuster: Afterlife” movie along with her single “Haunted House” for the movie soundtrack.

Grace has released singles each year, racking millions of listeners with Grace’s 2021 single “Haunted House,” which has reached 9,772,397 listeners on Spotify. In 2023, Grace released her first album, “Bittersweet 16” about teenage angst and

mckennagrace.com

heartbreak. Grace has also collaborated with BlackBear in 2023 to create the song “Bark to the Beat” exclusively for “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” as the voice of Skye in the movie.

Performing as an actor and singer, Grace has

mastered the arts of music and acting. Starting as a child actress, she plans to become a successful adult actress. In an interview with Glamour Magazine in March, Grace expressed her desire of being treated like an adult after growing up in the limelight.

Trust the rhythm of Metro Boomin

By Aaron Herrera

The

westilldonttrustyou.com

TRUST

With the highly anticipated release of the “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” album by Metro Boomin and Future, many hardcore rap fans, including myself, are looking into all the lyrics and listening to the album for hours on end.

The album is a joint collaboration between Metro Boomin and Future, who have worked on collab albums in the past, including “DS2”. The

rap album was released on March 20 on all streaming platforms and reached No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The sequel to the album “We Still Don’t Trust You,” released on April 12. With the upcoming release of the sequel, many fans are speculating on who will be featured and what kind of new hits will be released.

The album is a beautifully produced rap album considering Metro Boomin is

one of the biggest and best producers to ever live. This album has clearly been worked on heavily by the two artists, shown through the many details put into it. I would consider it to be a contender for receiving a nomination for rap album of the year. I think that the album is definitely worth listening to if you’re a fan of rap.

album, “WE DONT’T

YOU” is a collaboration between Metro Boomin and Future, featuring multiple disses about other rappers.

Mckenna Grace continues her career journey by further nurturing both her acting and singing careers, seeing incredible success in both.

Top 3 classic movies for laughs

Looking for a good laugh? Here is a list of three iconic comedy movies.

By Emma Rosenburg, @emmar.18

Universal Studios

“Pitch Perfect”

“Pitch Perfect” is a fan favorite comedy movie that was released in 2012 starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Anna Camp. Beca, played by Kendrick, is a freshman in college at Barden University. She is convinced to join the campus’s all-girl a capella group, The Bellas. Beca helps the Bella’s stand out so that they can take on their rival male singing group from the same college in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella competition. Together, the girls go out of their comfort zone and become a formidable team. The movie is filled with good music, dancing and laughs that anyone is sure to enjoy. The movie is rated PG-13 for language, violence and sexual references. It is rated 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sony Pictures

The movie “Grown Ups” follows a group of five friends reuniting after 30 years.

“Grown Ups”

The comedy movie “Grown Ups” starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Scheiner, was released in 2010. It follows five friends who were former teammates on the same middle school basketball team who had gone their separate ways after. The group, who hadn’t seen each other in 30 years, is reunited at their coach’s funeral after he dies. Every person has their own dilemmas that wash away after getting together. Their families celebrate the Fourth of July holiday weekend and rekindle old bonds as they catch up with each other. The movie is rated 10% on Rotten Tomatoes and is rated PG-13 for sexual references and mild nudity.

Searchlight Pictures

“Napolean Dynamite” is a movie about a troubled, awkward teen in Idaho.

“Napolean Dynamite”

“Napoleon Dynamite” is a comedy movie that follows 16-year-old Napoleon Dynamite, played by Jon Heder, through the trials and tribulations of high school. Napoleon lives in a small town in Idaho and is an awkward, unpopular and disliked teen. He lives with his quirky family and is regularly bullied at school. Napoleon ends up befriending Pedro, played by Efren Ramirez, who is a new student to his school and doesn’t speak much English. After finding out Pedro plans to run for class president, Napoleon is determined to help him win, offering to help with his campaign. “Napoleon Dynamite’’ is an enjoyable movie that can be watched with the whole family. It is rated PG and has a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film “Pitch Perfect” follows an a capella singing group at Barden University.

Photo Essay: Fun In The Sun

JASMINE MCNAIR | THE PEARL POST

Students in period 3 precalculus and Algebra 1 step outside to view the solar eclipse with protective sunglasses on April 18. Several teachers paused class to view the historic celestial event.

KRISTIN INTAL | THE PEARL POST

Freshman Zarina Martirosyan views the solar eclipse with protective glasses on April 18. During the event, the Sun’s light was blocked by the orbital movements of the moon at 50% totality, blocking out half of it.

KRISTIN INTAL | THE PEARL POST

Spanish teacher Glenda Hurtado dons protectice glasses to view the solar eclipse on April 18. The next time a solar eclipse’s path of totality crosses the United States will be in 2044. It will be visible in the state of Montana.

Behind the photos

Students and teachers paused class on April 8 to experience the rare sighting of a solar eclipse. The reason this eclipse is so special is that the sun is completely covered by the moon if you are viewing from the route of the eclipse. In California, there was only about 50% coverage of the sun so eye protection had to be worn at all times when looking at the sun. “It may be the only time that I see this happen,” junior Behishta Safi said.

About the photographers

Jasmine McNair is in her first year as a staff writer for The Pearl Post and is in the 11th grade. She enjoys listening to music, being with friends and baking during her free time. McNair aims to improve her writing skills, boost her confidence and form better communication skills.

Kristin Intal is a junior and in her first year on staff. As the Visual Editor, she plans to contribute by expanding her knowledge of both journalism and the students of the school.