Upload
alex-karibyan
View
228
Download
3
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
This is the January issue of the Tornado Times, published January 31, 2012.
Citation preview
SHRINERS: (from left to right) Seniors Laura Carasimu, Mary Arakelyan, and Edward Nadurata play witha patient at Shriners Children’s Hospital. ASB and ACSY delivered donated presents to the patients on Jan. 12.
DAPHNE ONG | TORNADO TIMES
AGNESSA KASUMYAN
ASB and ACSY givepresents to ShrinersChildren’s Hospital
Azatian wins$20,000 scholarship
Among 54,000 student ap-plicants from across thenation, senior Yervand
Azatian was one of 104 who won a$20,000 scholarship from the Hor-atio Alger Association of Distin-guished Americans.
The Horatio Alger Scholarshipprogram is open to all low-incomehigh school seniors with a strongcommitment to education, and who“demonstrate integrity and perse-verance in overcoming adversity.”He received a letter on Jan. 5 in-forming him that he was one of thewinners.
Azatian discovered the pro-gram while searching for scholar-ship opportunities online. In orderto be eligible, Azatian had to sub-mit three essays: one describinghardships he endured during hislife, another explaining career andcollege goals, and the third relatingto any member of the Horatio
Alger Association whom he ad-mires.
Yervand chose to write aboutastronaut Buzz Aldrin becauseAzatian and Aldrin were both shyand reserved and shared “constantcuriosity” of nature and explo-ration.
With his three essays, whichcontained less than a thousandwords altogether, he was able toconvey both his difficult past andhis optimistic outlook on his future.
In his first essay, he explainedin detail the pain he endured afterlosing his father when Azatian waseight years old.
“Everything I believed in,thought of, and indulged in withthe effervescent imagination of achild simply vanished away,” Aza-tian stated in his essay.
CHRISTINE BABAYAN
Read the full article ontornado-times.com
In the spirit of community
work—and not just the holi-
days—Associated Student
Body (ASB) and American Can-
cer Society Youth (ACSY) mem-
bers delivered dozens of toys to
Shriners Hospital in Los Angeles
on Jan. 12.
Though ASB and ACSY had
collaborated for the Toys for Tots
event two years ago and collected
donations in previous years, it was
the first time ACSY members ac-
tually hand-delivered the toys.
ACSY President Edward
Nadurata felt that being personally
involved would be a more “touch-
ing” and “humbling” experience.
Nadurata began contacting
hospitals in early December. He
first sought out Children’s Hospi-
tal in Hollywood; however, he and
ASB President Mary Arakelyan
decided to work with Shriners be-
cause it was the only facility that
would allow them to interact with
patients rather just dropping off
the gifts and leaving. ASB Direc-
tor of Athletics Laura Carasimu
(’12) was actually hesitant about
directly delivering the toys since
she wasn’t sure what the chil-
dren’s reactions would be.
“I was a little nervous, but
when the kids saw us come in with
a cart full of toys, their faces lit
up,” Carasimu said. “Knowing
that we made them happy was the
best feeling in the world—nothing
can match it.”
Shriners is a nonprofit organ-
ization that provides free orthope-
dic, cleft-lip and severe burn
treatment and prosthetic surgery
for families who wouldn’t other-
wise be able to afford them.
Sandra, the adoptive parent of
a nine-year-old patient, felt that
ASB’s and ACSY’s involvement
was very “good” for the commu-
nity. Her son, who suffers
from Arthrogryposis, a rare con-
genital disorder that doesn’t allow
him to bend his hands or knees,
had been in and out of the hospital
throughout December.
After picking a collection of
Power Rangers because the “green
one” is his “favorite,” he bonded
with senior ACSY officers
Daphne Ong, Arjina Boodaghian,
and Evelyna Vartanians.
Sandra and her husband
James did not know much about
their son’s condition. They sought
treatment at Children’s Hospital in
Orange County, but the doctors
there were not familiar with the
condition. It was not until they
were at a local restaurant when a
Shriners’ employee noticed them
and informed them of their serv-
ices.
According to Jamira Lindo, a
recreational therapist at the hospi-
tal who runs the toy drive event
every year, most of the children
come from low-income families
or from foreign countries so “it
brightens up their day” and they
are “very appreciative” of the
gifts.
“As students, we feel obli-
gated to put time into organizing
these kinds of events,” Arakelyan
said. “It’s just the right thing to
do.”
District prepares for Brown’s possible$4.8 billion cut from public schools
Governor Jerry Brownmay cut $4.8 billionfrom public schools if
citizens do not vote for his taxproposal in November, equatingto cutting three weeks from theschool year.
Additionally, Brown is pro-posing to increase the minimumgrade point averages (GPA) toapply for Cal Grants. For CalGrant A, a merit-based grant, therequired GPA would increasefrom 3.0 to 3.25. Cal Grant B,which is financial aid for low in-
come students, would increasethe minimum GPA from 2.4 to2.75.
Brown’s proposed tempo-rary tax hikes throughout 2012-2017 is an effort to decreaseCalifornia’s budget deficit. Salestaxes would increase by half acent, and residents earning an in-come of $250,000 or more wouldbe required to pay higher taxes.
SAMANTHA MARIANO
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
Read the full article ontornado-times.com
WORK: Senior Yervand Azatian pours SLM photo-developing liquid inAP Photography, one of the AP classes he juggles with multiple extracur-riculars. Such extracurriculars were part of Azatian’s winning resume inapplying for the Horatio Alger Scholarship.
Volume 81 No. 7 February 25, 2011Volume 82 No. 6 January 31, 2012 tornado-times.com
651 Glenwood Road, Glendale, CA 91202 | (818) 242-6801 ext. 11202
hoover high school est. 1929Abraar wrestles with new team 10
insi
de
6 Desiree coaches Keppel students 8
the timesReef works aims for Hollywood 6
torna do
F resh-manyear:
get to know what high school is
all about, get the feel of it.
Sophomore year: start taking
honors and Advanced Placement
(AP) classes, look into the PSAT
and so forth. Junior year: start freaking out
about colleges and taking all the
SAT classes available, along with
stacking up AP classes and doing
community service hours on
weekends.Senior year: apply to dream
colleges and “patiently” wait for
the acceptance (and/or rejection)
letters. When you start off high
school, everything is easy and you
think that getting accepted to your
dream college is just going to be a
walk in the park.By the time you reach junior
year, you start to realize things
have definitely changed. My first
few years of high school, I didn’t
even think of applying to a com-
munity college (CC) because I
figured I would never need to.
Unfortunately, people have this
mistaken impression that a CC is
for people who failed their classes
in high school.I admit, during my earlier
years in high school, I was one of
these ignorant individuals. It ap-
pears that working hard in high
school does not always lead to
getting into the best universities.
Now that I’m more realistic
aboutmy op-
tions, I realize
that community col-
lege is actually a better op-
tion in some cases.
For example, if you are a
weak test taker, your grades may
not reflect your intelligence, thus
leading you to a lower GPA than
others in your graduating class.
Unfortunately, since the
economy is so bad, many more
students are applying to colleges
in hopes of getting jobs after-
wards, meaning the competition
to actually get into that certain
school has escalated. Thankfully,
if you mess up in high school and
don’t get those perfect A’s your
mother always wanted, you al-
ways have a second chance at a
community college where you can
take the classes you’d like and ace
them the second time around.
Think of it as a safety net for all
the mistakes you made in high
school. How often do you get sec-
ond chances in life?
One of the biggest factors is
money. For example, according to
admissions.ucla.edu, if you were
to go to UCLA and dorm your
first year, you would pay $31,544
for the year. According to the Col-
lege Board, if you were to go to a
private university, say, Cornell
University in New York, you’d be
paying $41,541 per year.
Do the simple math: after
four years, you will owe the bank
more than $120,000. However, if
you were to go to the local com-
munity college, you’d be paying
roughly $1,135, living at home.
And who wants to start their life
out of college $120,000 in debt
anyway?If money is tight at home,
then clearly community college is
a better choice. If you spend
your first two to three years at a
community college and then
transfer to a highly impressive
school, you’ll be saving yourself
and your parents a lot of money
and be doing yourself a huge
favor.UCs and private universities
are not easy—especially not the
first two years when you’re set-
tling into college. Community
colleges are good for getting a
solid GPA and then going to a col-
lege of your choice, to take
classes on what you’re interested
in majoring in. Where is the good
in going to a school that’s well-
known for its science department,
if for the first two years you’re
struggling to pass your general
education classes?
Even if you go to Glendale
Community College, as long as
you work hard, you’re not going
to be stuck there forever. I’m
aware of how bad our economy
is, and because of that, you may
be there longer than the two years
planned. It’s true that the classes
fill up more quickly and you may
have to wait a bit, but if you do
well in your classes, you always
have the option to transfer to a
university afterwards.
If the “college experience” is
what you’re worried about miss-
ing out on, just remember that
college is what you make of it. In
fact, this is applicable to any situ-
ation, not just college. College
isn’t always what it looks like in
the movies, and if you really want
to have fun in college, you should
find a way to do so, even at a CC.
Take my advice and try not
to fret over colleges. Even if you
don’t get into your dream school,
don’t lose hope. A CC will always
be there to catch you if you fall,
and it’ll save you thousands of
dollars.
Tornado Times2
The decision to go to col-
lege is a big one. Yet the
real question is where?
Most students have an idea of
where they would like to get a
higher education. Some say
UCLA, others say Cal State
Long Beach. Wherever they
might choose to go, they must
first decide whether or not to go
directly to a four-year university
or to a community college first.
As a sophomore, I already
know exactly what I want to do
with my life, and none of my
plans include going to a commu-
nity college. It’s not that I have a
certain pedigree that prevents me
from doing so; it’s just that I
have dreamed of decorating my
dorm room and pulling all-
nighters in the library as long as
I can remember. Nothing would
make me happier than carrying
an armload of books and learn-
ing from distinguished profes-
sors. You could also do that in a
community college; of course, it
just wouldn’t be the same.
Besides running around
campus with a stack of books in
my arms, I just want to attend a
university at a different location
other than the Southern Califor-
nia area. What could be more
amazing than having the liberty
of moving to a new city, if not a
new state, and start over fresh?
Instead of being the same shy
girl that you once were in high
school, you could be outgoing
and opinionated.
Going to a community col-
lege is a big mistake. Yes, it is
understandable that during these
tough economic times, you and
your parents want to save some
money.
But can
your happiness
really be bought?
Don’t you wish to go to
Stanford and have huge pep ral-
lies and meet new people from
other parts of the world? I really
doubt that you are going to go to
another state for community col-
lege. At least no one in her right
mind would travel to New York
to attend LaGuardia Community
College since it would probably
cost more than going to UC
Berkeley.
There is also the problem of
time. Community college stu-
dents take longer to finish their
general education because “there
are more unqualified people
there,” according to Selin Kha-
chomian (’08), who is currently
a student at Glendale Commu-
nity College. “Because of this,
it’s harder to get classes, which
takes longer to finish.”
Another fact that’s rarely
mentioned is that some credits
are not transferable. In fact, the
classes will be filled with people
from broad age groups, with var-
ious ideas of qualified education.
What is the point of your hard
work if you cannot reward your-
self by going to a university and
enjoying the fact that you finally
achieved your dream?
According to nationalre-
view.com, federal, state, and
local governments spent nearly
“$4 billion on full-time commu-
nity college students who
dropped out after their first year”
from 2004-2009. This figure is
not surprising, considering that
most
students
attending these
community colleges
often feel discouraged to
continue with their studies at
an environment filled with peo-
ple from all sorts of educational
backgrounds. Some use the “not
being able to find a parking” line
as a reason to discontinue their
education.
We Americans are con-
stantly complaining about money
and how expensive everything is,
which leads to complaining
about the government and its so-
called “lack of skills” at manag-
ing money. Think again. Aren’t
we the ones wasting the nation’s
money? Applying for financial
aid yet dropping out just because
the times got tough? What kind
of hypocritical person does that?
No self-respecting person would
drop out, at least for no good
reason other than the classes are
too big. As hard as it is, you
must continue your education at
the community college of your
choice. After all, you’re the one
who chose to save money re-
member?
So please, next time you
have to make a decision regard-
ing your educational future, be
careful. You never know, you
might not end up getting that
Bachelor’s degree you always
dreamed you would.
university
comm
unity college
comm
unity college or university:choosing a path to the future
OPINION January 31, 2012
JEANNIE MAIANI HAKOBIAN
There’s nothing more en-
dearing than seeing our
fellow peers, who were
once indifferent towards poli-
tics, suddenly jump at the oppor-
tunity to swat down the two
pesky flies otherwise known as
the Stop Online Piracy Act
(SOPA) and the Protect IP Act
(PIPA). These two proposed
laws would have directly af-
fected the youth of our genera-
tion by making navigating the
Internet a wearying experience.
Essentially, anything could be
deemed as copyright infringe-
ment, resulting in a floor filled
with sharp shards of egg shells.
Even if that is the only rea-
son behind why Internet users
reacted violently, the force cre-
ated by massive waves of people
prevailed, and rightfully so. On
Jan. 18, when Wikipedia shut
down its English domain and
Google blacked out its logo, the
commotion was prevalent
throughout the Internet commu-
nity.
Over the span of three cli-
mactic days, it became blatantly
obvious how unpleased the on-
line community was. Each site
that staged a protest asked indi-
viduals to sign a petition against
the unsettling laws. Keep in
mind, this was only what came
from those who could not do
anything more direct to prevent
the passing of the bills.
Naturally, 7 million signa-
tures did not stop the federal
government from giving its last,
mocking jab. Following the on-
line protests, the FBI readily
shut down the file-sharing and
video-streaming websites
Megaupload and Megavideo, re-
spectively.
At this point, the more po-
tent attacks against the bills
were launched. Anonymous, an
activist group that was created,
as some would say, “by the peo-
ple, for the people,” allegedly
broke into, and shut off, several
of the government’s, as well as
the media’s, prized websites.
By Jan. 20, the day after
Anonymous performed its string
of hacks, SOPA and PIPA were
immediately dropped by Con-
gress, for the time being.
One cannot stand at the face
of what the recent protests have
accomplished and say that there
is no hope for humankind, even
if sometimes that becomes in-
creasingly debatable. As the
remnants of SOPA and PIPA are
being salvaged by its momentar-
ily discouraged supporters, there
is now more need than ever for
common residents to maintain a
healthy level of awareness. With
the activist attitudes that promi-
nent websites have, it must be
emphasized that, no matter how
influential they are, they would
be nothing without the support
and endorsement of their users.
Walking the tightrope that
separates illegal activity and
free speech is tricky, but SOPA
and PIPA would have taken the
entire ordeal much too far by
stripping the simple acts of shar-
ing art and culture of their very
purposes. No one can deny that
pirating a film is illegal, but
everyone can agree that per-
forming a cover of a song does
harm to no one, especially not to
the record producers who wade
knee-deep through piles of
money on a daily basis.
In the light of all that has
been done to capture the govern-
ment’s attention, and warn it of
the people’s capabilities, we are
not encouraging you to run out-
side head-first with flaming
torches, but please, do be aware
of, and participate in, this soci-
ety. No one can sleep peacefully
yet, since SOPA and PIPA are
simply lying dormant until they
return with more gusto.
The Tornado Times is a studentpublication that is distributed to allstudents and faculty, as well assubscribers. With a policy of print-ing anything that is of interest tothe student body, the TornadoTimes hopes to keep its readers in-formed of subjects pertaining tothe school, no matter what the sub-ject matter. Advertisements in theTornado Times do not necessarilyreflect an endorsement of suchproducts or services by the staff orstudents in the Glendale UnifiedSchool District. Printed by NewsPublisher Press, 215 Allen Ave.Glendale, CA 91201/ (818) 954-0775.
Herbert Hoover High School
To r n a d oT i m e s
651 Glenwood Road651 Glenwood Road
Glendale, CA 91202Glendale, CA 91202
P: (818) 242-6801 P: (818) 242-6801
Ext. 11202Ext. 11202
F: (818) 246-7238F: (818) 246-7238
tornado-times.comtornado-times.com
Adviser
Editor-in-Chief
Daphne Ong
Layout Editor
Alex Karibyan
Copy Editor
Agnessa Kasumyan
News Editor
Se Yeon Kim
Opinion Editor
Michael Yapujian
Feature Editor
Arpineh Oganesyan
Entertainment Editor
Lili Mikaelyan
Sports Editor
Edward Nadurata
Photo/Design Editor
An Uong
Ad/Business Manager
Arpineh Oganesyan
Website Editor
Alex Karibyan
Brian Crosby
Editors
Staff Writers
Photo/Graphics Staff
Opinion
Angine ShahbazyanGabby Carreiro
Christine BabayanKimberly Anne Bondoc
Gabby CarreiroVictor Garcia
Agnes GholoonianAni Hakobyan
Paul HongNatalie HovanesianDaniel Hovanessian
Cristine KenadyAni Kirakosyan
Soo LeeSteven Lee
Samantha MarianoJeannie Mai
Ashley McClureSophie MirzaianAlejandra RosasMaritza Ruelas
Angine ShahbazyanJennifer Vasquez
January 31, 2012Tornado Times
3
Staff Editorials
Imagine somebody you
loved was brutally killed
after being tortured for
hours, days, maybe even weeks
and months. You know this for
a fact, but police refused to do
anything about it because it req-
uired too much work to deal
with all the investigation that
would take place, or because the
killer was a very powerful, very
influential individual that no-
body wanted to risk crossing.
For years, the Armenian
community has been fighting
for the recognition of the Arme-
nian Genocide that resulted in
the deaths of an estimated 1.5
million people under the order
of the Ottoman Empire. Though
the United States and several
other countries have declined to
officially accept that the massa-
cre ever took place, it seems that
years of loud and dedicated pro-
test have finally resulted in a
major leap toward the universal
acceptance of the genocide.
Last Monday, France ap-
proved a bill that criminalizes
the denial of any recognized ge-
nocide, including the Armenian
Genocide. If France’s president,
Nicolas Sarkozy, officially
makes the bill part of French
law, those who deny recognized
genocides will have to pay a
fine close to $58,000 or even
face up to a year in prison.
These measures may seem
drastic, but do not even begin to
equate to the millions of lives
lost to genocides all over the
world. What we like in particu-
lar about this bill is that it not
only bans the denial of the Ar-
menian Genocide, but of any
genocide that has taken place.
According to Scott Sayare
and Sebnem Arsu of the New
York Times, Turkey has pulled
its diplomats out of France, re-
fused military cooperation, and
suspended mutual agreements
between the two countries in
response—more like retalia-
tion—to the bill.
Still, French politicians per-
sisted and for that we have to
applaud them. They not only
risked very poor relations with
a very important Middle Eastern
ally, but will have to deal with
400,000 angry citizens that are
of Turkish descent.
One country accepting the
genocide may not seem like
much of a big deal, but after
working so hard to make the un-
just affair known worldwide, it
gives us hope that such brutal
acts will not be tolerated in the
future. Persistence is victory.
The websites strike back
French acceptArmenianGenocide
The Master G
abster
GABBY CARREIRO | TORNADO TIMES
Tornado Times4 January 31, 2012ADS
EntertainmentJanuary 31, 2012
Tornado Times5
The title of “The Orchid Thief” is fairly
self-explanatory. The title of “Adapta-
tion?” Not so much. If you know Char-
lie Kaufman, the man behind the script and
also the man who wrote himself into his own
film, you know his movies are thought-pro-
voking and mind-bending. “Adaptation” does
nothing less than revolutionize the way you
view film in a not-so-subtle way.
The movie focuses on Charlie Kaufman
(Nicolas Cage, who, by the way, gives a fan-
tastic and practically perfect performance) and
the struggles he faces while attempting to
adapt a book about orchid collector John
Laroche (Chris Cooper), which has no plot and
no particular conflict called “The Orchid
Thief” by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). His
twin brother, Donald (also Nicolas Cage), fol-
lows Charlie’s example and begins scriptwrit-
ing.
While Charlie is adapting “The Orchid
Thief,” Donald, with the guidance of the film
guru, ends up writing a ridiculous and nonsen-
sical mystery screenplay called “The Three”
about a cop, a serial killer, and a girl who are
all supposed to be the same person with a mul-
tiple personality disorder, which itself is mak-
ing a mockery of Hollywood and its
absurdity.
“Adaptation” ends as a movie about love,
drugs, betrayal and violence put together in the
most hilarious and intelligent way possible.
Keep in mind, however, that this film is a
comedy and a satire on Hollywood, and you’ll
be able to recognize the genius in it. Research
it a bit after you’ve finished watching, and
you’ll appreciate it even more. Kaufman
writes the perfect film by doing everything
you’re not supposed to do: putting in voice-
over to express the thoughts of the main char-
acter, writing himself into his own script, and
using deus ex machinas.
“Adaptation” has a tagline which per-
fectly summarizes the premise of the movie:
“His twin brother Donald lives the way he
writes- with foolish abandon. Susan writes
about life, but can’t live it. One story, four
lives, million ways it can end.”
Adaptation disorients
Game Review Music Review
When one usually thinks
of a boy band, the word
“talent” does not usu-
ally follow your train of thought.
The Wanted is here to prove many
of us wrong.
My first encounter with the
British musical group took place on
my trip to England in the summer
of 2010. Their first single, “All
Time Low” was playing on televi-
sion and radio every day and was
very popular among young girls all
over the United Kingdom.
Recently, their second album
“Battleground” was released, stay-
ing true to their original style de-
spite the band’s growing fame,
while simultaneously adding ele-
ments that make it special.
The band consists of five
members—Max George, Nathan
Sykes, Tom Parker, Jay McGui-
ness, and Siva Kaneswaran. In the
majority of the songs, they each
have a solo but sing together during
the choruses, giving their music a
unique feel.
One of my favorite singles,
“Glad You Came,” has been slowly
gaining the attention of Americans
with KIIS-FM which repeatedly
plays the upbeat, dance type song.
It starts off slowly with a piano
medley and gradually builds up to
the main rhythm. The song utilizes
an accordion, giving it a European
vibe and further adding on to the
unique element of the album.
The band has come as far as
making a 2012 TV debut on the
Ellen DeGeneres Show which has
enabled their first tour in the United
States. This is unbelievable consid-
ering the fact that about two
months ago when I searched “The
Wanted” online, I’d get results like
“America’s Most Wanted.” Now,
the first result has the link to the
“Glad You Came” music video.
Other than “Glad You Came,”
the single “Lightening” also caught
my attention. It is a very happy and
fun song that will make listeners
want to sing along to the sweet and
loving lyrics such as “pressing
pause on my heartbeat.” Its happy
and fast beat combined with the op-
timistic lyrics makes the perfect
“feel-good” song.
“Gold Forever” focuses more
on the band’s vocal talents. It was
used for a charity called “Comic
Relief” which made the single
more meaningful. The heartfelt
lyrics, “we were meant to fly” cre-
ates an inspirational mood that is
sure to get listeners hooked to the
song.
While most of the singles have
an outgoing feel, “Warzone” has
more of a relaxing and calm tone.
The song starts out with the band’s
signature amazing piano solo
played by Sykes. He then starts to
sing with his powerful and velvety
voice. The song speaks out to those
who have had problems with love
and, as the lyrics state, are “running
from a warzone.”
Overall, the album contains
songs of pop and dance that are ac-
companied with great vocals from
all the boys.
DANNY HOVANESSIAN
NATALIE HOVANESIAN
SOPHIE MIRZAIAN
Glad they came into our lives
ALEX KARIBYAN | TORNADO TIMESSource: Columbia Pictures
ZELDA: The latest installment in the Legend of Zelda franchise “Skyward Sword” manages to add new el-
ements to the game while staying true to tradition. It was released in November.
After 25 years of throwing bombs, breaking
pots, slinging arrows, pulling out the Master
Sword, and saving Princess Zelda, “Sky-
ward Sword” arrives to change the formula in the
Zelda franchise while still using some traditional el-
ements to create a wonderful mix of the old and
new.
Yes, you are still trying to save Princess Zelda,
there is still a focus on solving creative puzzles, and
there are still bombs and arrows at your disposal.
“Skyward Sword,” however, does try quite a
few new things to keep the series from feeling stale.
As usual, Link is the “chosen one” destined to save
the world, and, of course, Zelda (who is his child-
hood friend in this installment) is by his side. I ap-
preciate this game’s more cinematic presentation
with its scenes, but the story is lacking and
basic. From the very start, the plot seems familiar.
This kind of story would be acceptable a decade
ago, but in today’s generation where games try in-
corporating a great story along with great gameplay,
“Skyward Sword” falls short.
Fortunately, “Skyward Sword” excels in almost
everything else. It requires the use of the Wii Mo-
tion+, a peripheral that is designed to make move-
ments more accurate and precise, and while I think
Nintendo should have gotten it right the first time
with their original controller, it now significantly
improves the experience in the game.
In previous Zelda titles, combat was relatively
mindless—a few clicks of a button did the trick and
there was not much else to worry about. In “Sky-
ward Sword,” combat is much more interesting be-
cause of the Wii Motion+. Now, enemies guard the
attacks of players and actually require them to think
and use tricks (as they try calculating their next
move) so they can deal some damage.
“Skyward Sword” also satisfies when it comes
to its soundtrack. Previous Zelda games’ sound-
tracks all consisted of “beep boop boop beep,” using
computerized instruments and tunes instead of real
ones. This was unacceptable considering that games
started to incorporate orchestrated tracks back in
the late 1990’s. There are quite a few memorable
tunes, and the game benefits from it greatly. The
soundtrack adds much to the game’s charm, person-
ality and the experience as a whole.
Strangely, Nintendo still hasn’t added voice act-
ing. It feels a bit bizarre watching a scene with lips
moving to nothing but the occasional gibberish or
grunt coming out of their mouths. I could easily
imagine every character but our mute hero Link hav-
ing a voice, and I hope Nintendo does this for future
installments.
I do have gripes with the game, though, and un-
fortunately, they aren’t small. The biggest problem
is the sheer amount of fillers that make the already
poorly paced plot even worse. I haven’t even
scratched the surface on the fillers in this game, but
it’s absurd.
Despite its shortcomings, “Skyward Sword” is
a wonderful experience, which is surprising, consid-
ering the fact that I didn’t enjoy the past few install-
ments. Dust your Wii off, buy the Wii Motion+, and
buy this game—give it some time and look past its
faults and you will find yourself having a great time.
Source: Nintendo
Source: Island Records
“Skyward Sword” soars above expectations
Tornado Times6 January 31, 2012ENTERTAINMENT
Adios Mexico, hello Hollywood
At first sight he looks like your average
run-of-the-mill American teenager. He
has the “surfer-dude” physique com-
plete with a side-swept hairdo and Electric back-
pack, but when taking a closer look, there is
definitely more than meets the eye to Reef Old-
berg (’13).
Oldberg was born in Glendale but moved to
Pescadero, a small Mexican suburb, with his par-
ents when he was only a few months old. He at-
tended several different schools while there,
including a private school that specialized in ac-
counting. Oldberg, however, always dreamed of
attending an American high school.
He found himself at Hoover as a junior last
September and described his first couple of days
as a lot of “frantic running through the halls,”
but he also says that the school
“has turned out to be the amaz-
ing school [he] had hoped it
would be.”
At first, he struggled with
speaking English full-time while
at school, but was able to adjust
very quickly.
“I think it’s really cool that
he came from Mexico, but
jumped right into the thick of
things and got really involved,”
friend Artin Aroutounians (’13)
said.
One of the things Oldberg
likes most about the school is its
strong arts programs. In Mexico
most of the public schools do not offer large arts
programs because the majority of students want
to learn skills that allow them to go straight into
stable job fields such as accounting and agricul-
ture. Oldberg agrees that learning accounting
would be good for someone going into a busi-
ness area, but he thinks the majority of students
“miss out on unique experiences that can change
lives.”
Because there was a lack of art in Oldberg’s
old home, he found himself picking up several
instruments and learning to create his own
music. He now knows how to play the bass, gui-
tar, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica. Although
he has not played too many big gigs, he loves
playing music for his own enjoyment and for the
enjoyment of whoever happens to be willing to
listen.
As if his impressive knowledge of music in-
struments was not enough, Oldberg also has an
incredible interest and background in film. His
great grandfather, Frank Albertson, played Sam
Wainwright, the main character’s best friend in
the 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Both of
his great grandparents were close friends with
Hollywood legends Bob Hope and Lucille
Ball. His family’s background in film helped
him develop a strong love for film production
from a very young age.
When Oldberg discovered that there was a
film production class on campus he was more
than overjoyed. He immediately jumped head
first into the arts program.
Drama teacher Dave Huber said that he
feels Oldberg has the drive and passion to
achieve a lot. He also said that he admires that
Oldberg “wants to improve at what he loves”
and “is always asking questions.”
Oldberg not only joined the class, but cre-
ated a separate club that focuses on film discus-
sions and how film has changed
over time. He hopes it will give
students a place to discuss how
the cinema affects them and col-
lectively admire the geniuses of
the art.
Oldberg is taking Cine-
matography, one of his favorite
classes at school. He has also
participated in other drama club
events and is a huge supporter of
the program as a whole.
“I like to be productive and
participate in as much as I can,”
he said.
Oldberg has also excelled in
his classes and said that his AP Spanish Litera-
ture class is one of his most challenging. He en-
joys studying the language in a more proper
manner and going back to the basics. Spanish
teacher Martha Cooper feels Oldberg is an ex-
cellent student and has adjusted well, fitting right
in with his classmates.
Although Oldberg has found so many things
to love about the school, there are some down-
sides to living in Glendale. Oldberg had to move
away from his parents and his house on the
beach in Pescadero in order to come live with
his grandparents closer to the school.
“I am very proud that he has developed such
a passion for film and we are very excited to
have him here,” grandmother Sandra Daniels
said.
Oldberg says he also misses the amazing
Mexican food from his home town.
“I love the school and my experiences so
far,” Oldberg said. “I hope to continue learning,
but I am still in search of a good taco.”
OLDBERG: Reef Oldberg performs stand-up comedy at drama’s first open micnight. He, along with Artin Aroutounians, directs cast members for his short film“The Big Cheat: Part 2.”
ASHLEY MCCLURE
I think it’s reallycool that he camefrom Mexico, butjumped right intothe thick of thingsand got really in-volved.Artin Aroutounians (’13)
“
”
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
January 31, 2012Tornado Times
7ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment picks favorite albums of 2011
Genre: Indie rock, Shoegaze, Fuzz-folk
For lovers of: Youth Lagoon, Bon Iver
With every drum beat and guitar strum, this album tugs at your
soul. It is unique, strong, and interesting. There are songs that would
be perfect to listen to while lying in a field and looking at the stars.
Others force thoughts of reconciliation and forgiveness into your
head as you listen to the lyrics and reflect on your own life. The
beautiful thing about this album compared to other ones by The
Antlers is the lyrics allow for more retrospection and deep thought.
Whatever you think of while listening to the album, you can’t deny
its uniqueness in its musicality and the way it makes you feel.
1 The Antlers - Burst ApartGenre: Alternative, Indie pop
For lovers of: Sufjan Stevens, Girls, Bjork
Annie Clark is perfection—a bit weird, but it adds to her overall charm.
On Strange Mercy, each song has its own personality, but fits together
so well—their unifying element is that they are all very much “Clark,”
a girl who most people would marry if they had the chance because of
her beauty and unique talent. The music is very rich; there are synth
parts, heavily distorted guitars, and solid drum beats everywhere.
Whether you like fun, Sufjan Stevens-style electronic music, or more
atmospheric female vocals, this album will grab your attention.
2 St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
3Genre: Folk, Baroque pop
For lovers of: Grizzly Bear, Neutral Milk Hotel,
The Tallest Man on Earth
The loveliness in Helplessness Blues lies in its
beauty and sweetness. You can tell Fleet Foxes
still loves making music; their now more com-
plex songs are rife with emotions, harmonies (al-
though less than in previous albums) for
embellishment, and intricate guitar riffs, and, of
course, fans are glad they love making music be-
cause we love listening to it.
Fleet Foxes - HelplessnessBlues
Each one of these five albums is remarkable in their own right. What they all have in common is their natural, unrestrainedfeel and the skillfulness in their music which makes them worthy both of this list and your iPod.
4Genre: Soul, Pop
For lovers of: Florence + the Machine
If there is one girl who knows how to bounce
back after being hurt, it’s Adele. Her sophomore
album, 21, tracks her emotions as she copes
with her break-up with a guy who, according to
Adele, said her life without him would be “bor-
ing and lonely and rubbish.” Obviously, he
didn’t see this album coming. Starting from the
first track “Rolling in the Deep,” listeners sense
resentment and underlying irateness, but that
later transitions to songs about regrets, being
forgotten, strength, and acceptance. Besides,
who could forget about her incredible voice?
Adele - 21 5Genre: Dream pop, Shoegaze, Indie pop
For lovers of: Yuck, Ringo Deathstarr,
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s whispery
lyrics and generally upbeat melodies are reminis-
cent of an adolescent In the Aeroplane Over theSea. Granted, this album isn’t quite as sophisti-
cated or mature as Neutral Milk Hotel’s, but it
carries the same kind of charm, and the potential
to connect to you in a powerful way. Just like
Neutral Milk Hotel, if the album resonates with
you, it hits incredibly hard, and it’s the most won-
derful thing. Belong makes you feel as though
you truly belong in this world.
The Pains of Being Pure atHeart - Belong
SOPHIE MIRZAIAN
Source: Slumberland, Columbia, Sub Pop, Beggars Group, Frenchkiss Records
Pizza PieEatery
Garzona across schools
ALEJANDRA ROSAS
Tornado Times8 January 31, 2012
KIM
BERL
YAN
NEBO
NDOC
| TOR
NADO
TIM
ES
Feature
Many students join a
sport they are pas-
sionate about. How-
ever, not all make good use of
that interest by taking it to an-
other level where one helps
others achieve and express
their love for that same sport.
Meet Desiree Garzona (’13).
Garzona decided to join
the dance team her freshman
year because of her passion for
dance. However, unlike others,
she took her interest in dance to
the next level by helping to
coach Mark Keppel’s Drill
Team.
In the summer of 2010,
Mark Keppel and Toll Middle
School drill team coach
Cristine Neel contacted Gar-
zona and asked if she would
like to accept the job of coach-
ing the Keppel Elite Prep, a
non-competitive team. Without
hesitation, Garzona agreed.
“My favorite word to de-
scribe Desiree is passionate,”
Neel said. “When Desiree per-
forms, she puts her soul into
what she does.”
When Garzona first
started in 2010, she was coach-
ing the Elite Prep team every
Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30;
however, in 2011 she was
asked to coach Keppel ELITE,
a competitive team that per-
forms at many different venues
on Mondays and Fridays from
3:30 to 4:30 as well.
Keppel ELITE Prep con-
sists of 12 novice girls who are
taught the basic techniques of
body placement, pointing of
toes, and head looks in order to
move up to the ELITE team.
“I want the girls to believe
in themselves, and achieve
everything they want from
dance with the most important
thing—practice,” Desiree said.
By the time Garzona gets
out of school and arrives at
Toll’s gym, the girls are already
stretched, warmed up, and
ready to go. She has them prac-
tice a routine they have been
working on, and based on her
observations, helps them with
the things they need work on
such as counts, ripples, etc.
Garzona’s interest in
dance and her skills in leader-
ship developed early on in her
life when she became part of
the Mark Keppel Drill Team in
3rd grade up until 6th grade.
After promoting from Keppel,
she continued dancing on
Toll’s Drill Team throughout
middle school.
A love for dance and the
mentality of a leader gave Gar-
zona the position of captain
when she was on Keppel and
Toll drill.
Neel is very aware of Gar-
zona’s strong talent and knowl-
edge of the art, finding her to
be perfectly suitable to coach
Keppel’s drill team.
According to Neel, she
saw Garzona as perfectly ade-
quate to take on the job be-
cause of her “creativity and
flexibility” in taking directions
and her saint-like patience.
“I am thrilled and honored
to have her working with me,”
Neel said. “She shares my vi-
sion of where the team should
be and how to get the look that
we want for each routine.”
Garzona spends every
Monday, Wednesday, and Fri-
day afternoon with the girls of
ELITE prep and ELITE teach-
ing them the proper skills and
techniques of dance, routines,
and preparing them for per-
formances.
According to Garzona, she
spends a lot of her own time
preparing routines and creating
formations and visuals for the
team. Neel makes a copy of the
music that Garzona can take
home so she can then work on
it there.
Her sister Valerie Garzona
observes her spending time lis-
tening to the music on the com-
puter and figuring out how
many counts she has left to
choreograph along with draw-
ing and organizing formations
for the girls on a sheet of paper.
According to Valerie, De-
siree sometimes asks her to
perform certain moves that she
choreographed in order to get
the visual image of it and de-
cide whether to add anything.
“Although it’s a lot of
work, [Desiree] likes being
able to share that love of danc-
ing with girls that want to
learn,” Valerie said.
Simultaneously, Desiree
finds time to manage school
work, volunteering at the Glen-
dale Memorial hospital, and at-
tending her own dance
practices.
Although it is sometimes a
struggle to handle so many dif-
ferent activities at a time, Gar-
zona claims she is more than
happy to coach Keppel because
she wants to help these girls
become “stronger and more
confident” dancers.
According to Desiree, her
relationship with the girls is not
only that of a coach and stu-
dent, but also that of a friend.
Her closeness with the girls in-
creases everyday and has made
them more of a family.
“I tend to make jokes with
the girls all the time that make
us develop a friendship,” De-
siree said.
Desiree is firm with the
girls yet amicable to the point
where they are very comfort-
able around her and are never
afraid to ask her for help.
The girls, who are crazy
in love with Justin Bieber, al-
ways feel astonished when she
jokingly says that she is mar-
ried to the Biebs.
When working with the
ELITE team, she sets “the bar
high” with her choreography
and the girls work extremely
hard. According to Neel, De-
siree encourages the girls to
come up with their own ideas
and counts for the routines.
Knowing that they have a
say in the routine makes it feel
like their “own” and “encour-
ages them to give 120% effort
to make it look great.”
Desiree enjoys spending a
lot of her time practicing with
her own dance team, but she
definitely is fulfilled knowing
that helping coach Keppel’s
drill team is impacting girls’
lives and their passion for the
art of dance.
“I want to share my pas-
sion for dance with the girls
and help them take their pas-
sion somewhere higher,” Gar-
zona said.
dances
DANCING: Desiree Garzona (left) teaches Keppel Elementary students dance steps at the Toll Middle School gym. She spends every Monday,Wednesday, and Friday afternoon with the girls.
January 31, 2012Tornado Times
9FEATURE
We’ve all noticed a six-foot
tall, tough, and well-built
security guard patrolling
the campus and monitoring student
behavior as a typical security guard
would. However, not everyone has
noticed that the former security
guard supervisor Delvon Jackson is
now a teacher for the Public Safety
Academy (PSA), a 3-year educa-
tional program where students learn
about law enforcement.
For the last two years, Jackson
was working as a security supervi-
sor, but over the summer, he was
promoted to Lead Police Instructor
for PSA.
After Jackson sat down with
Principal Jennifer Earl and Assistant
Principal Hagop Eulmessekian giv-
ing them an overview of his experi-
ence in law enforcement, he was
asked whether he was interested in
becoming a teacher for PSA.
Jackson claims he was rather
hesitant whether to pursue the posi-
tion due to possibly lacking the re-
quirements the district needed such
as a teaching credential.
The entire process, which in-
cluded a variety of paperwork, inter-
views and setting up a lesson plan
for the class, took an entire two
months. After coping with such a
lengthy process, Jackson was left
discouraged and fatigued at times,
but it all paid off when Jackson was
given his clearance three days be-
fore the school year started.
“I never really thought teaching
was something I’d do in my life, but
now that I am a teacher, I am very
excited,” Jackson said.
Jackson claims that nerves and
anxiety began to kick in once he at-
tended his first teachers’ conference
of the year.
“There I was in a classroom full
of experienced wise teachers and
[there I was] a rookie old teacher
that barely knows how to spell his
name,” Jackson said.
As I took a walk around campus
with Jackson, he introduced me to
his life and the experiences that led
up to his interest in
law enforcement.
In 1997, he had
a criminal case of as-
sault and battery
against him. Not long
after, the case was
dismissed and no
charges were pressed
against him. Accord-
ing to Jackson, after
being on “the other
side of the fence,” he
started to take life
more seriously.
Jackson’s reve-
lation led him to at-
tend Texas State University for a
short period of time, but he later
transferred back to Cal State
Dominguez where he had initially
began majoring in political science,
but this time, as a criminal justice
major.
Not long after, Jackson joined
the force at Inglewood Police De-
partment in 2004 where he taught
Ethics and Weapons of Mass De-
struction until 2006.
Eulmessekian who interviewed
Jackson says that Jackson fit the po-
sition as an educator for PSA be-
cause he had the field experience as
an officer.
Since the class is being funded
and run through the Regional Occu-
pational Program of Los Angeles
County, it does not necessarily re-
quire someone to have teaching ex-
perience.
“We also noticed that he was
good with the students, giving them
advice and helping them,” Eul-
messekian said.
Now, as the new teacher of
PSA, he is glad he has the opportu-
nity to teach something he is pas-
sionate about.
“I teach them
the ‘Do’s and
Dont’s’ of becoming
a successful offi-
cer,” Jackson said.
He claims that he
tries to not just teach
a lesson, but to get
the students to learn
from real cases and
crime scenes
through videos.
Senior Sasoon
Amerian, a student
in the PSA class,
says that Jackson is
a teacher who really understands
[the students] and takes the time to
answer their questions. Amerian
claims that Jackson gives them “real
world and hands on teaching” which
helps them learn on a more realistic
level.
Not only does Jackson want to
educate them on law enforcement,
he wants to be able to reach out to
them on a deeper level for them to
become mature and responsible
human beings.
“My goal is to make sure [stu-
dents] obtain confidence, wisdom,
and knowledge to be productive and
successful citizens and potentially
become law enforcement officers,”
Jackson said.
I never reallythought teachingwas something I’ddo in my life, butnow that I am ateacher, I am veryexcited.
“
”Delvon Jackson
ALEJANDRA ROSAS
EDUCATOR: (top) Jackson talks to Fernando Olivares about thePublic Safety Academy (PSA). (above) He teaches his PSA class.Jackson was offered his current position as Lead Police Instructorfor PSA last summer.
ALEJANDRA ROSAS | TORNADO TIMES
Jackson goes from security to securing students’ futures
Tornado Times10 January 31, 2012
Sports
Moralizing in thewrong places
In Edward’s
EDWARD NADURATA
Defense
Inever really understood why it
was a big deal that Tiger
Woods cheated on his wife.
Last time I checked, we were
watching him on ESPN and not
Bravo.
Considering that it’s the new
year, I wonder who the tabloids
will have a fanfare over because of
an alleged affair, illegitimate chil-
dren, and other “scandalous”
things.
Kobe finalized a divorce ear-
lier this month, and everyone went
crazy over the poor man’s personal
life. Whether or not he had a
prenup or why they actually di-
vorced does not involve his ath-
letic career, the reason why he is
known.
The point is, sports figures are
famous because they excel at the
sport they do. They do not grab
our attention because they act
trashy on TV ala Kardashians nor
are their lives an episode of “Jer-
sey Shore.” I seriously just don’t
get what’s interesting about them.
This invasion of privacy that
stemmed from the entertainment
industry’s pursuit of “reality” tel-
evision, with its fantastical scripts
of break-ups and make-ups and
how a rich family spends its
money, has invaded the world of
sports evidently, with the estab-
lishment of such a show like “Bas-
ketball Wives.”
Or does this come from the
fact that some of us are jealous of
the fact that they excel at some-
thing and we don’t, or the fact that
they just live lives of luxury by
being paid to “play?”
Many of you might say that
these things matter because kids
look up to them, but I beg to differ.
Kids look up to these sports fig-
ures for their skill, not for their
sense of morality. Morals are in-
stilled in a kid with their parents’
direction, and if this sense of
morality in the kid is strong per
parent influence, then the fact that
a baseball player cheated on his
wife shouldn’t matter because the
kid would know it is wrong.
I’m pretty sure that more than
half of the people that these sports
are catered to, which are com-
prised of mostly males, can care
less if Pau Gasol has three girl-
friends. Arguably, I think some of
them will say “good game!”
(which I do not consent).
But the point is as long as a
player can perform his abilities on
the court, he shouldn’t be bothered
by a single speck of his personal
life.
Imagine moving from a little
town of around 9,000 people in
Colorado to a comparatively
bustling metropolis of 200,000 and
then becoming the captain of a
team that has never before existed
on campus.
In 2010, Abraar Khan (’12)
moved to Glendale from Delta,
Colorado and became the captain
of the newest and fastest growing
team on campus – wrestling.
Khan started his affair with
sports in eighth grade when he
started playing on the boys’ basket-
ball team as post and point guard.
“My self-esteem boosted big
time [while playing sports] so I
thought ‘why not try wrestling?’”
Khan said.
He began wrestling for the
Delta team that year, but did not
continue into his freshman year be-
cause he wanted to focus on
school. However, he continued in
cross country so he could stay con-
ditioned for track season.
This came as a great surprise
to his former wrestling coach Luis
Meza who still teaches at Delta
High.
“He was [one] heck of a kid,”
Meza said. “He was always one of
my favorites to have in class.”
When he came to school last
year, Khan was surprised that there
wasn’t a wrestling team so he cre-
ated the short-lived weightlifting
club. When he discovered that
coach and social science teacher
Mark Bitetti was planning to start
a wrestling team, he was one of the
first to sign up.
Khan’s typical day starts with
him getting up at five in the morn-
ing and beginning a light workout
at home that consists of mostly
weightlifting that targets different
body parts. He then spends even
more time after school in sports
such as wrestling and track.
“I come home exhausted after
whatever practice I happened to
finish that day,” Khan said. “I try
to do my homework until 11 p.m.,
but I sometimes just end up pass-
ing out at 9 p.m.”
Aside from being the captain
of the wrestling team, he is also in-
volved in other sports. Khan ran
cross-country both his freshman
and sophomore years, and has also
been in track since his freshman
year in which he participates in
field events such as discus and shot
put.
All in all, the biggest time
consumer for Khan is being
wrestling captain.
“It was a little overwhelming
at first.” Khan admitted, “I thought
I wasn’t right for the position.”
Khan had to consider balanc-
ing the responsibility of being cap-
tain with his classes, but with a lot
of coaxing from Bitetti, he decided
to accept the position.
“He is very mature,” Bitetti
said. “Abraar is a great leader; I
think he’s a wonderful influence on
the [other] kids.”
Whenever he is in front of the
team he says he feels as if he has to
push himself to do his best because
if he doesn’t he “wouldn’t be able
to define what the limit would
mean for the rest of the team.”
Khan said that he feels person-
ally responsible for the future of
the team because he wants the
wrestling program to become more
than just a sports team, and wants
his teammates to not only be great
athletes and students, but to be
good citizens as well.
He also tries his hardest to be
a role model for the players by ex-
celling in class and by doing his
best on the mat so he pushes his
team to be the best they can.
“I have to always set the ex-
ample,” Khan said. “I have to con-
trol my composure in times of
stress so the team knows what sort
of behavior is expected.”
Khan's parents Mustafa
“Mark” Khan and Nadira Begum
have been very supportive of their
son’s interest in sports. Khan is the
only person in his family that was
ever allowed to play in a contact
sport because his parents trust his
judgment that he will not be hurt
during practices or spars.
“When I come home with a
mat burn on my face, busted lip or
even a bruise my mom always gets
very scared.” Khan said. “She
trusts that I will be able to take care
of myself.”
However, Khan has had his
share of injuries, one of them being
that he tore his rotator cuff, a group
of muscles that are located in the
shoulder. It still hurts him when he
uses it too much. Nevertheless, he
is glad to have been spared the in-
juries his seen others get such as
broken noses, dislocated shoulders,
blackouts and worse.
Mark says that he is proud that
his son turned out to be so athletic.
“It’s good that he does all
those sports,” he said. “I encourage
him because he is so self-conscious
and sports help him get his mind
off of it.”
The team is proud that they
can call someone like Khan as their
captain. They are even more grate-
ful to have someone like him on
the team guiding them.
“He encourages us and shows
us that some can be an athlete and
still get good grades,” Roman
Acosta (’14) said.
VICTOR GARCIA
ABRAAR WRESTLES WRANGLERS
CAPTAIN ABRAAR: (top) Khan wrestles asssistant coach DaveBeard. (above) He leads the team’s stretches before practice. Being theonly person with prior wrestling experience, the team considers him theirleader.
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
January 31, 2012Tornado Times
ADS 11
12 January 31, 2012Tornado Times
ADS