VOLUME 50.5 February 11, 201110535 Zelzah Ave, Granada Hills 91344Granada Hills Charter High

Entertainment Granada’s own alternative rock band rises to fame`

Feature The Plaid Press wishes readers a happy Valentine’s Day

Sports Boys’ basketball season comes to a close with a home game today

Academic Decathlon ties for first in RelayBy Jenny Lee

The Academic Decathlon team (Acadeca) competed against schools from all across the county in the Los Angeles Unified School District Regional Compe-tition at Roybal Learning Center on Janu-ary 29 and last Saturday, February 5.

The team tied for first place scoring 58 out of the 60 possible points with John Marshall High School on the Super Quiz, a series of multiple-choice questions an-swered back-to-back and scored on the spot.

The final scores at Hollywood High School are to be announced today, at the awards ceremony where individuals and teams receive medals for total scores on certain events.

On the first day, the Honor, Scholastic, and Varsity teams—three different teams structured by grade point averages—gave speeches, wrote essays, and participated in interviews for the first part of the com-petition.

The speech component of the compe-tition consists of a prepared speech and an improvised speech where students are given one-minute to prepare a one-and-a-half-minute to two-minute speech.

For the interview, the preparations involve more of the faculty members in working with the team, asking questions and giving feedback to see how students respond to questions.

The second part of the competition, last Saturday, consisted of a variety of

tests on seven subjects: economics, math, history, literature, art, music, and Super Quiz.

The subject of the Super Quiz changes every year with this year’s subject being a science of choice: Geology.

The literature, art, music, and history categories are all related to the specific year’s theme. This year’s theme is the Great Depression.

To be successful in each of these events, students require much studying and thorough training before going into the competition. They began preparing for the events during the summer and continued working throughout the school year.

“The team worked on and off dur-ing the summer and once the school year started, stayed later and later, working every day after school,” Acadeca Coach Mathew Arnold said. He is one of three coaches, including Spencer Wolf and Nicholas Weber.

Staying as late as 8:30 pm every school night as the competitions near, team members put forward their highest effort to stay focused and study as much mate-rial as they can.

A few scrimmages throughout the school year helped the students to prepare for the bigger competitions, helping them toward their annual goal of reaching the national level.

The first large Acadeca competition took place in November, where schools

came together for a citywide scrimmage at Chatsworth High School. The team placed second overall in the region, losing first place to John Marshall High School.

From then onward, the team has been preparing for the State Competition, which takes place on March 11. However, the team must place in the top group of

schools in City in order to progress to State and first in State to move onto Na-tionals.

“We should qualify for the State Com-petition. We usually finish in the top five schools, so we expect to go to the state competition,” Arnold said. “If we win at State, then we go to Nationals.”

New York director is recruited for this year’s musicalBy Danielle Sink and Madushi Wanniarachchige

School administration has invited New York theatrical director John Fanelli to put on a production of the 1980 musical Les Misérables here at Granada.

Fanelli runs a program called Metropolitan Education Theater Network (METN), which brings afterschool theater programs to public schools in New York.

“Directing young people is different than directing professionals,” Fanelli said. “I consider myself a teacher.”

He directs fourteen major productions a year with METN including popular titles such as Grease, Sweeney Todd, and Oklahoma.

And performing each play is a cast of students from ages five to eighteen, all of whom are being prepared for university-level theater.

The program concentrates on teaching the actual process of putting on a production with emphasis on musical theater fundamentals like diction and stage presence.

“Once you think like an actor, then you

perform like an actor,” Fanelli said.Because of how well these students learn

to sing, act, and dance under the director’s tutelage, Security and Events Coordinator Michael Panman recommended Fanelli to Granada’s administration.

Panman and Fanelli met each other when they were both working at METN – Panman working with lighting while Fanelli worked as a theatrical director.

And now Fanelli will be here periodically from February to March to bring an authentic Broadway style production to Granada complete with the lighting, sound effects, and smoke.

Currently the play is under the supervision of Fanelli’s understudy, assistant director Katie McGhie.

McGhie will oversee the acting portion of the students’ rehearsals whereas singing and dancing will be supoervised by choir director Craig Gruenberg.

“It’s going to be absolutely spectacular,” he said. “Everything will be high quality, professional, and visually pleasing.”

Already Granada students have auditioned and received roles for the

production of Les Mis. Math teacher Jake Chipps, Sophomore Leidelle Magat, and senior Kurt Winterhalter will be playing the parts of Jean Valjean, Eponine, and Javert, respectively.

“They will earn self-confidence through the accomplishment [of putting on a musical]” Fanelli said.

And this specific musical’s opening night also happens to be its closing night. The one and only performance will be on Friday, April 29th with tickets selling for $10.

“Everyone works really hard during rehearsals and it’s a really fun experience,” Magat said.

For this reason, the director is determined to guide the actors as much as possible with this production.

“I’ve seen the arts change peoples’ lives,” Fanelli said. “There’s something gratifying about successfully pulling off something as big as a musical.”

The cast is also excited for the show.“I really hope a lot of people come and

see the show since it’s definitely going to be something to remember,” Magat said.

DECATHLETES: From left to right: Front row: Sindhura Seeni,

Elysia Eastty, Hana Kong, Shagun Goyal, Coach Mathew Arnold;

Middle row: Eugene Lee, Hamidah Mahmud, Celine Ta, Riki

Higashida, Coach Spencer Wolf; Back row: Coach Nicholas Weber,

Joon Lee, Austin Kang, Diego Ramirez-Ardon, Harsimar Dhanoa

Photo courtesy of Tartan Yearbook

02news February 11, 2011

New parking arrangement accommodates studentsBy John Cho

Associated Student Body (ASB) has passed the student body’s request to solve the issue of scarce availability in the student parking lot by relocating teacher parking spots to open more for students.

Many students previously complained that the Student Store was selling more student parking permits than there were spots available.

Thus, in the morning the parking lot could only service those who arrived earlier than others, essentially operating on a first come first serve basis.

Students who arrived a little too late were forced to find alter-native, and more often than not

illegal, parking spots.This problem started to esca-

late when students started to find

their cars towed or find tickets

across their windshield.“We knew that this was a

problem that was only going to get larger. Granada has a huge student population and solving this issue was only a matter of time. Luckily, ASB really pooled in some great ideas to solve this problem,” ASB Vice President senior Sam Avishay said.

After ASB reexamined the layout of the student parking lot, they discovered that up to seven parking spots were taken up by teachers.

However, several spots were

found to be empty on the teacher parking lot upon examination.

ASB has delegated with the school to move the teacher parking spaces back into the teachers’ designated areas to increase avail-ability in the student parking lot.

“[The student parking lot] provides more parking spaces and we encounter significantly less

fights and accidents,” senior Asia

Morales said.“It was really great to be able to

see student proposals get passed and see the positive feedback and impact it had upon the student population,” Avishay said. “When students contribute in bettering their community and campus, the possibilities are endless.”

By Austin KangThe school’s Virtual Academy

program offers students an alter-native method of learning that differs from traditional classes.

The program involves online courses that are as comprehen-sive as regular high school classes, but are almost completely admin-istered through computers. The only times students have to come to school are to take tests at the end of a unit.

Virtual Academy’s testing location is what was previously the Kirk Douglas High School, a LAUSD continuation school until two years ago.

“I think [Virtual Academy] is a great program that finally meets

the needs of students through

technology,” Intervention Coordi-nator Indra Ciccarelli said.

Students are usually enrolled in two classes at a time, which takes around six weeks to finish.

Students are able to complete six classes within 18 weeks, which is about the length of a regular semester.

“We expect Virtual Academy students to spend the same amount of time studying and working as much as traditional students, about five-six hours a day, while giving

them the flexibility in managing

the times and places they will actu-ally study,” Ciccarelli said.

Virtual Academy fits the needs

of many varieties of students ranging from those with acting careers to students who enter

Granada mid-semester.“I saw it as a great opportu-

nity to get focused in school so I enrolled and registered,” freshman Olivia Picolla said. “[Virtual Academy] has benefited me by

letting me wake up later than usual as well as not having to listen to lectures for days on.”

With the innovation of online courses, the role teachers play for these students have transformed.

“Every day is filled with new

experiences connecting with students,” Virtual Academy Mentor Daniel Choe said. “When teachers talk about ‘teachable moments,’ I’m lucky to experience them on almost a daily basis. It’s awesome to find success in unique

ways.”

Restaurant grades protect CA citizensBy Laura Nunez

Los Angeles County enforces a grading system for all food estab-lishments in the immediate area to ensure that restaurants provide a certain degree of cleanliness and food safety for their consumers.

The most common systems of grading include the four-star system, a numerical scale, and the use of letter grading.

Food quality and more impor-tantly, sanitation provide the basic criteria for restaurant grades.

Public health agencies estab-lished a numerical ranking system with 100 being a perfect score, and points being deducted for each sanitation violation. Viola-tions may include keeping food at the wrong temperature, roach/vermin/rodent infestation, failure

to use National Safety Foundation approved equipment, or improper food storage.

After receiving grades, restau-rants are required to immediately post it on the window for the consumer’s benefit.

Laws also require that restau-rants provide a copy of their inspection to anyone who requests it.

In addition to health agency inspections, websites featuring consumer reviews and ratings are becoming increasingly popular among the general public.

Ratings also appear in guide-books as well as in the media, such as in newspapers, lifestyle maga-zines, and webzines.

One of the most influential

rating reports comes from the

New York Times four-star ranking system. In fact, in 2007 the Times reported awarding the title of four stars to only twelve of the coun-try’s thousands of restaurants.

According to a study conducted by Stanford University, the number of hospitalized cases relating to food-poisoning induced health complications dropped 20% after Los Angeles began enforcing the grading policies.

In 2007, the average restaurant grading in Los Angeles was 93.3, and the number of C restaurants dropped to below 1.8%.

Los Angeles County developed these requirements to protect the consumer, and as a result restau-rants have become more successful and careful with the quality and handling of their products.

California public schoolsare tired from budget cutsBy Shilpa Bhongir

Newly inaugurated governor Jerry Brown released his 2011 budget plan which proposes $500 million budget cuts to the Univer-sity of California (UC) and Cali-fornia State University (CSU) systems, and $400 million cuts to community colleges.

As a result, UC colleges will raise their tuition to $11,124, which excludes campus fees and living costs. Total tuition will near $30,000 per year.

CSU campuses are expecting a five percent tuition increase for

the spring 2011 semester and a ten percent increase for the fall 2011. Undergraduate tuition will now be close to $4,884, and campus fees will be roughly $1,000.

Even community colleges are raising costs. Credits for every class will now cost $36, a roughly 40 percent increase from previous year’s tuition.

Increases to college fees may deter prospective college students from attending public universities.

“I personally chose the private college system over the public college system, partly because of the financial situation,” senior

Danielle Wilson said. “With grants and loans, I will be gradu-ating from a private college much cheaper than I would be paying full tuition at a UC.”

Tuition is not the only factor which will change in response to the limited money supply. In community colleges, nearly 350,000 students may lose access to their classes as a result of the $400 million dollar budget cuts,

according to data supplied by the Community College Chancellor Office.

UC campuses will deal with losses by laying off staff, reducing financial aid, and encouraging

more out-of-state applicants. In addition, university programs that are deemed unessential to teaching will most likely be shut down.

Such changes have already proven troublesome for college students.

“I’m worried because I see how much the [budget cuts] affected my sister. She goes to California State University Northridge and she hasn’t been able to get the classes she needed, so instead of graduating in four years, she is graduating in five,” senior Sogol

Ashrafian said. “I want to go to a

private college so I won’t have to deal with the stress of worrying about not having the classes I need to take.”

In addition to cuts in classes and programs, CSU Chancellor Charles Reed and UC President Mark Yudof said campuses will restrict new enrollments for the 2011-2012 school year, in an inter-view with the Los Angeles Times.

UC, CSU, and community colleges are all devastated by the cutbacks to the education system.

A joint statement from the leaders of the three college systems read, “Given the vast demographic shifts underway in California, now is not the time to shrink public education, but to grow it. The road to recovery from this reces-sion and prosperity runs straight through our many campuses.”

Kirk Douglas is a virtual academy

Gabrielle Amar/ The Plaid Press

Gabrielle Amar / The Plaid Press

Gabrielle Amar / The Plaid Press

VIRTUAL ACADEMY: The previous Kirk Douglas High School

buildings are now used as the Virtual Academy testing location.

RESTAURANT GRADES: Los Angeles County enforces a rating system for food establishments.

03 spiritFebruary 11, 2011

“ I Am Granada”

Gabrielle Amar / The Plaid Press

Borgeson’s passion and love for teaching inspires studentsBy Jane Pyeon

Growing up in Africa and experiencing history firsthand, World History teacher Christopher Borgeson naturally developed an interest in history and politics. Because of his unique childhood, he is now one of many appreciated teachers at Granada.

Borgeson grew up in Ethiopia during a time when history was taking its course. He lived there for seventeen years and during that time he had some interesting encoun-ters.

“My mom met the Emperor of Ethio-pia, Haile Selassie, and taught him how to make pizza. She was teaching African wom-en how to cook Western food. He just hap-pened to come and was interested in what she was doing, and so she showed him,” Borgeson said.

Borgeson, himself, met Idi Amin, the leader of Uganda at the time, face to face.

“I was in a swimming pool and he want-ed to borrow my skin diving mask and my flippers,” Borgeson said.

After those seventeen years, Borgeson and his family left Ethiopia because it had become too dangerous to stay, due to the communist revolution that was happening all around him.

These events of his childhood deeply in-fluenced him becoming a history teacher.

Borgeson first began teaching in South Central at a school called Horace Mann in 1988 and then taught at Nobel Middle School before coming to Granada five years ago.

“I like teaching at Granada because stu-dents work really hard, so when you give them the work they actually do it. It’s really hard on a teacher when you assign work and students don’t do it, but everyone works re-ally hard at this school,” Borgeson said.

Borgeson plans to continue teaching at Granada for many years to come.

“I think I’m going to grow old here. I’m going to finish my career at Granada like many teachers do,” Borgeson said.

His favorite thing about teaching is his students, who make him motivated to con-tinue teaching here.

“I wasn’t sure that I would like the stu-dents when I first started teaching, but I

found out that I like them pretty well as long as they give me a decent effort,” Borgeson said.

He finds encouragement when his stu-dents put in hard work and show effort.

He likes to see them get into good col-leges and is always willing to help them out in any way he can. His care for his students is part of the reason why he is so appreci-ated by his students.

“Mr. Borgeson is a wonderful teacher. He jokes around a lot and is really easy go-ing, but he still keeps the class together. No one ever seems bored because he keeps everything so interesting. With all the fun, he’s still able to drill us so we are prepared for the AP test,” sophomore Dustin Wong said.

Another reason for Borgeson’s popu-larity amongst his students is his talent for making class fun as well as educating.

“We talk a lot, laugh a lot, and joke a lot. We have debates, review ball, jeopardy, skits, and art projects when we can,” Borgeson said.

It’s no wonder his students enjoy his class so much.

“He’s really cool, has funny stories, and makes class fun. We play games and stuff instead of boring lectures, and he’s chill about what we do in class,” sophomore Sean Cavanaugh said.

Borgeson is a great teacher loved by his students because he truly enjoys what he does.

His passion for teaching history is what gets him through the days.

“I like history so much that usually, when I’m teaching, it doesn’t even feel like work. It’s just fun,” Borgeson said.

Even his students notice his love for his-tory and teaching.

“You can tell Mr. Borgeson loves to teach because his enthusiasm for the sub-ject comes through to his students during his lectures,” junior Roger Carnow said.

“History matters. We live in interesting times. Ideas matter and the way people feel about things is not trivial. I try to teach stu-dents to become better citizens and to make better decisions. That stuff is always good to pay attention in school,” Borgeson said.

Body paint shows spiritBy Lucy Lee

Body painting is defined as temporary tattoos painted on the human skin and - during the sports seasons - some dedicated students use it to express their school spirit from the sidelines.

“I first heard of the idea from my fel-low basketball team mates from last year, so my friends and I thought it would be fun to do the same and support our friends on the [football] team,” senior Adam Sladek said.

This idea of supporting teammates and the Highlander athletes has been around amongst many students in the past as well.

“A few fans got together and we decided to show support for the varsity girls’ vol-leyball championship game,” senior Robert Nguyen said. “Face painting was a lot of fun just to come out and let people see we have spirit.”

This form of body painting is an active way to show school spirit and support as well as to have a good time with peers.

“It was cool to do something together with your friends that supports your school

football team,” senior Samantha Eddo said.In preparation for the makeover, some

students purchase green paint to cover all over their bodies and faces.

Although their spirits were high, there were some down sides in making them-selves known as the “green crowd.”

“The cold weather was horrible by the football field bleachers,” senior Zach Bacon said.

Not to mention, the crusty and flaky paint as it dries onto your skin was a painful experience for the supporters.

However, the Highlander supporters continue to keep the spirit and root for the team members in their own unique way.

“We weren’t the center of attention, the team was, and all of our focus was toward the football field,” senior Blake Tamayo said. “But the fans were attracted to us and I think we gave everyone in the stands more motivation to get loud and root for our Highlanders.”

The games would not be the same with-out supporters being active in their cheers.

Photo courtesy of James Kim

If you purchased a rose-gram from L.U.C.E. Club, it will be delivered

during 2nd period on February 14th.

Tune in to watch seniors Bridget Gosis and Minh

Nguyen on Wheel of Fortune: Teen Best

Friends Week, airing on February 17th at 7:30 p.m.,

on ABC.

04feature February 11. 2011

As February rolls around and couples quickly blossom around the school, it is clear that the season for romance has arrived.

Soon, the traditional custom of giving flowers and heart-shaped boxes full of little chocolates will come about, as it does every year in February.

While American couples are busy planning romantic get-togethers, some may be curious about romance and relationships in other countries.

In the Philippines, views of romance are generally more conservative than those of the United States; affection is kept private.

When a couple truly feels comfortable, they will choose to tell their families and friends of their mutual feelings.

Courting in the Philippines is usually cautious and subtle.

Girls are more reserved when it comes to meeting suitors. Female flirting, as well as dating several suitors at a time, is generally considered taboo in the Filipino culture.

“Girls are expected to be modest and conservative,” said junior Nicole Ocfemia. “They don’t typically make the first move and ask boys out themselves.”

To encourage a suitor, a girl will act kindly to someone she likes and not avoid his initial hints of interest towards her.

Filipino boys will occasionally use a mutual friend as a bridge to inquire about a girl’s feelings, just as some American boys do. By doing so, a boy can save himself from embarrassment, had the girl rejected him while he courted her directly.

Once a relationship becomes serious enough, the suitor will properly introduce himself to the woman’s family and give the family presents, which is a custom in the Philippines. A suitor who refuses to officially inform a woman’s parents would be considered disrespectful.

Family is a large part of the Filipino culture, so winning over a girl’s family is highly important for the sake of the couple’s relationship.

Due to the great significance of family

ties, divorce is normally unheard of in the Philippines.

Arabs have a distinct romance culture as well.

At times, couples start off by chance meetings and romantic encounters. However, the family plays a large role in match-making, in the hopes of finding a well-suited pair.

A boy may go to a girl’s house, without meeting her before, and find a potential wife. This encounter is similar to a blind date.

Unlike in America, Arab teenagers do not have intimate relationships with their boyfriends or girlfriends. They are not allowed to spend time alone together, as this is considered culturally unacceptable.

Arab suitors usually are attracted to women who fit a certain criteria and are unwilling to stay with someone they believe to have a questionable past. Dishonesty from the girl is a severe deal breaker.

To date with the intention of getting married is a common practice in the Arab culture, since finding a life partner is an important life decision.

Moreover, forced marriages are prohibited. Not only do couples have to be compatible, but both must be willing to marry.

This is the case for the Brazilian culture as well. In addition to the mutual affection between two lovers, a boy must respectfully ask the girl’s father for permission to date her.

Once a young couple feels ready to tie the knot, they will plan an extravagant wedding ceremony that includes a voluntary religious ceremony and a mandatory civil ceremony that legalizes their marriage.

There are many cultures in the world with different views on love and courtship.

So as Valentine’s Day approaches in America, we should keep in mind that there are other couples around the world displaying their love. Let us acknowledge these differences.

Arra Malek is Granada’s very own top modelWatch out Tyra Banks! Granada has its

very own top model.Senior Arra Malek has come a long

way since she first started modeling in her sophomore year. She has had high profile photo shoots with Marialia Pacitto and Hot Topic.

“When I was fifteen, I got my braces off and really decided to pursue modeling. I was always comfortable in front of the camera,” Malek said.

From that point, she hit the ground running. Malek posed for pictures that she posted on websites and waited for photographers to contact her.

Malek has shot with companies such as Hocus Focus LA Photography and FrankenDoll Accessories. Her portfolio has also grown exponentially and she hopes to use her modeling pictures to land opportunities in college.

“My parents and I agreed that I would be responsible about modeling and keep school as my number one priority because education is more important. However, modeling is my passion and I hope to branch out and do bigger and better things. In college, I will have a more flexible schedule and be more independent so I can definitely pursue more opportunities,” Malek said.

Malek keeps sight of the future, hoping to one day land a Covergirl or MAC cosmetics advertisement, but as for now, she is focusing on making the most of her modeling career while balancing school as well.

Malek was interviewed for Glam Rock Magazines June 2010 issue which included a photo spread of Malek and a question and answer session similar to those found in Seventeen magazines.

Achieving her goals has not been easy, however. Malek works hard to keep her body in top condition for modeling.

“The hardest part about being a model is all the pressure you feel to live up to the industry’s standards (examples: stay thin, perfect skin, nice hair, etc),” Malek said.

Though Malek strives to look the best she possibly can, she has a very open-minded opinion about pressing issues models face today. She realizes that people who have what the modeling industry considers “flaws,” such as being plus size or petite, can still be phenomenal models.

“Although models are expected to fit the tall and slim category, I think that big changes in the standards are emerging. Modeling shouldn’t be for only one category of body types,” Malek said.

In addition, Malek looks down upon

excessive altering of the images of many models.

“Over-photoshopping models is a disgrace to models and a bad example for girls. The resulting photos misrepresent the model, are offensive, and are unrealistic,” Malek said.

Her career has opened Malek’s eyes to the truth of modeling and she wants to combat these injustices as she succeeds as a petite model.

“The important thing is to maintain confidence and to not let in negative energy. Success comes gradually,” Malek said.

Malek has also seen a change within herself. “The biggest change has been my confidence level and how comfortable I’ve become connecting with people I meet for the first time,” Malek said.

With this newfound confidence, Malek looks forward to photo shoots because she gets to do what she loves.

“The best thing about modeling is getting to share your creative visions and abilities with photographers, artists, stylists, designers, and other models,” Malek said.

Most of Malek’s modeling pictures can be accessed through her flickr photo album site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arramalek

MODELING: Arra Malek shows her versatility as a model by striking many poses for photos to add to her portfolio.

What do you expect from your significant other?

By Eidah Hilo

By Kathy Zerbib

“What a girl should do is get down to the guy’s emotional side and break down his tough guy facade. A guy always has

a teddy bear side.”-Senior Albert Bui

“Even when everything is going wrong, a boyfriend always makes her smile.”

-Senior Kristin Ignacio

Photo Courtesy Arra Malek

“A girlfriend is someone that you can laugh with. It’s not a difficult role, but I think it’s pretty big. Sometimes, the

simplest is the best.”-Senior Matthew Lopez

“A guy should make sure the girl always feels beautiful and special.”

-Junior Kimberly Smith

“I look for a girl I can talk to all the time. I like someone who is spontaneous,

random, fun and caring, of course.”-Freshmen Vahan Terterian

“Someone that makes me laugh and respects me. I want to talk to him and have fun doing anything with him. ”-Freshmen Stephanie Shaw

“A girl should bring liveliness into the relationship and make things fun

whenever we hang out.”-Junior Jeremy Dennen

“I don’t want to label what the guy can and can’t do; there aren’t any rules.

Just make me smile.”-Sophomore Claire Simon

Scot’s Call

05 featureFebruary 11. 2011

Some guys just don’t understand why a girl has to always talk about her feelings. Some girls don’t understand why boys can’t just listen.

Psychological and behavioral differences between genders explain why seemingly trivial details make girls overreact, and boys seem indifferent.

Chemical processes in the brain instigate a chain of physiological reactions that people commonly call love. Soon, or hopefully soon, a friendship blossoms into an “official relationship” which generally involves a mutual appreciation between a man and a woman.

They may value each other, but if the man and the woman do not understand each other, their relationship may result in tears, sorrow, and even hatred.

To prevent such misfortunes, it is important to know that men and women are different. For example, women are usually more emotional than men; girls are more sensitive to their feelings and can express those feelings more effectively than men.

Additionally, women have larger brain capacities for language than men, who have a developed sense of spatial arrangement and direction.

This particular distribution of brain function in boys explains their active and violent—in other words, physical—nature when under stress. Sometimes, they play sports or engage in a fight in order to stimulate their fatigued brains.

Guys, as more logical beings, find solutions to problems by organizing thoughts in their minds.

The ladies, in contrast, find comfort in talking. Since girls are emotional and utilize language better than boys do, girls prefer to share their thoughts.

Communication of personal stories and experiences represents friendship and connection; girls are not looking for a solution.

Women just want someone to listen. As children, girls find happiness in talking to and sympathizing with their dolls. Men prefer practicality and defense; they like Legos and games. This is why men don’t understand women who “talk about feelings” without getting to a point.

Nonetheless, men still feel obligated to provide a safe and valuable environment for their women. When their women feel pleased, men believe that their duty has been successfully carried out. Therefore, men attain self-satisfaction through a women’s happiness.

If a man decides that his efforts are insufficient in providing happiness for his woman, he may look for other women.

Men like to be told they are strong, smart, and handsome because it enhances their ability and confidence for dealing with women. Thus, men typically are intimidated by women who they deem superior to themselves.

Women tend to be more attentive to small changes and details because they are more romantic. This is the reason a girl takes a long time to get ready. Consequently, she wants the guy to notice the effort she puts in to every aspect of her look.Girl: “Do you notice anything

different?”Boy: “You tied your hair.”Girl: “No! I changed my eye-shadow

and that’s why I tied my hair! To make my eyes stand out…”

Men may be perplexed by this behavior of women, but as a defensive species, boys tend to praise their girlfriends in front of other boys. Girls, because they find comfort in sympathy and communication, usually pinpoint the hardships in the relationship instead of the benefits.

Furthermore, guys like to publicly display their affection as a defense mechanism to warn off other guys who may be watching. This commonly comes in the form of physical contact.

Girls do not always appreciate the hurry.These differences between girls and boys

have to be recognized in order to maintain a healthy relationship. Yes, girls and boys are different, but why and how?

Maybe this Valentines’ Day, couples should take time to find out more about each other.

By Ahra Cho

Boys may ask: “So what’s the

problem?” or “What point are you making?”

Girls reply: “You’re not listening to

what I’m saying!”

Just as social networking quickly gained popularity, online diaries, known as blogs, have become a new trend amongst Granada students/

A user can customize a blog with posts about his or her daily life, as well as pictures, videos, and music.

Also, the blog users—known as “bloggers”—can visit each other’s blogs and comment on different posts. “Re-blogging,” or sharing posts, is a common practice for bloggers.

Among many blogging network sites, Tumblr has surfaced as the most popular blogging venue among teenagers. Most bloggers on campus favor Tumblr because it is easy to use and features a large network of friends.

“I like Tumblr because it allows users to show the sides they’re not usually able to show at school,” regular Tumblr user and senior Lynette Trinh said. “I can fill [the blog] with what my day was like and what makes me interesting, and I get to share this side of me with my friends.”

Others find comfort in blogging.“[A blog] is a good way to escape from

pressure,” senior Calvin Ly said. “There’s always stress from studying, college, and all the other worries that people deal with, and blogs are a good place to get a relief from them.”

Ly’s goal this year is to take one picture of his surroundings every day of the year. He is well into his project.

“So far it’s been going nicely,” Ly said. “Hopefully I get to keep it up until the end of the year.”

As with all trends, however, blogging networks have their downsides.

Many users complain that the expressional and creative aspects of blogs fade once the blogs are judged by others.

“After awhile, Tumblr just became a big popularity contest,” former blog user, senior Elizabeth Ching said. “[Users] just began to look for more followers and more comments.”

Some also point out the unwanted publicity Tumblr users face while managing their blogs.

“It’s fun to share your interests with your best friends,” Trinh said. “But once you gain too many followers, it’s harder to just express yourself purely, because you’re always conscious that so many people are watching your posts.”

Nevertheless, blogging is steadily making its way into the mainstream. Wherever the new trend may go, blogging networks still largely remain a free space for every student to express his or her self.

Blogs are the new forms of exp ress ion

BLOGGING: Many students have found a new interest in sharing their thoughts with others through blogging.

Girls & Boys: Appreciate the Differences

Men: Independence is a symbol of efficiency and power. Men seek trust, appreciation and approval from others.

Women:Love and communication are important aspects of a relationship. Women seek to be cherished by their partner.

What they Value How they ReactWhere Problems Arise

Men: Because they value independence, men do not like to talk about problems, unless with an expert.

Women:Talking comforts women. They want men to sincerely listen instead of immediately offering solutions.

Men: Frustration arises when a man feels that he cannot overcome a problem on his own. Men are reluctant to ask for help.

Women:Indifference kills a woman. Women feel unwanted when people do not listen to what they have to say.

By Jane Ha

For more information: http://www.scientificamerican.com

Gabrielle Amar / The Plaid Press

06entertainment February 11, 2011

A rock band that is "Breaking Even"

By Sindhura SeeniOk. I’ll admit it. I have “change-

the-song syndrome”. Whether it’s on the radio or on my

ipod, I just can’t seem to keep the same song playing.

The main problem, as many fellow students will agree with me, is that mainstream music is so overplayed these days, it’s annoying.

Perhaps that’s the reason why many students are turning to more obscure underground bands.

Indie music, as it is so often called, is music that is produced on an inde-pendent label, meaning it is not in association with any major commercial record labels such as Universal Music Group.

As a result, it is not widely played on the radio and remains very isolated from mainstream popular music such as that played on Kiis FM.

Indie music is not the same as underground music, however, because while both of them are produced with a do-it-yourself method, underground musicians are not necessarily backed by a label.

The fact remains that both are equally hard to come across in a main-stream setting.

So what prompted so many students to discover it?

“My brother’s friends would always make him CD’s with [underground music], so I would listen to them in his car. Whenever I heard something I really liked, I would go online to find more music by that artist,” senior Hana Kong said.

Apart from the internet, websites like Pandora.com and Last.fm, which suggest new music to listeners, help many up-and-coming bands gain exposure.

Other bands are getting noticed by playing on late night television shows, such as The Tonight Show.

Radiohead’s performance of their song “Creep” on the show in 1993 solidified its role as champions of indie music.

Consequently, some independent artists have achieved major fame due to their strong fan following.

Most notable is MIA, who was first signed on to the British record label, XL, in mid 2004.

Due to the popularity of her songs, specifically “Paper Planes”, MIA became a household name in the US, especially after performing at the 2008 Academy Awards.

Today she has been associated with Interscope Records, the same company that once signed hit rapper Tupac Shakur, and presently, Lady Gaga.

Most students tend to stay open-minded about both mainstream and underground artists as well.

“Even though I have indie music on my ipod, I still have mainstream music on it too. I listen to both equally.” junior Hovsep Atikian said.

Exposure to new audiences, coupled with a lack of new artists in genres, is causing many students to actively seek out new music, proving that independent doesn’t always have to mean unknown.

By Gabrielle AmarBreaking Even is a band of five guys on

campus who love to rock out!Granada juniors Adam Gendler, Garrett

Winn, and Stuart Wong joined with friends Ryan Krouse and Fabi Behnam to form a group of their own.

“We call ourselves Breaking Even because we know that everyone has gone through hard times in their life and can relate to the fact that even though things may be rough, they will always get better,” Gendler said.

The band sticks to playing alternative rock with a hardcore edge.

"Sometimes we throw in a little pop and incorporate dub step intros," Winn said.

Whether they are creating their own orig-inal songs or making covers of other songs, Breaking Even knows that they will grow in the process.

“We feel playing a lot of covers gives us good practice,” Wong said. “Red Jump Suit Apparatus’ ‘Face Down’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream’ are really fun songs to play.”

Gendler and Winn have taken guitar lessons for a few years, and Wong, who is the band’s drummer, originally started out in the school’s drumline.

Krouse, the bassist, and Behnam, the lead vocalist of the group, are both self-taught.

Breaking Even spent three months in constant preparation before their very first live performance.

They have been played at Hollywood venues such as the Roxy Theater, the Key Club, and the world-famous Whiskey a Go Go.

They started from backyard crowds of 20 people and their biggest show yet was almost 750 people at the Key Club.

“There are kids out there we don’t even know, but we do know they care," Wong said.

The fans are not the only ones that care

By Steve RuizWhat started out as an inside joke

between seniors Bobby Lebeda and Nolan Monsibay brought them a little Facebook fame and a couple of good laughs as it became a school-wide phenomenon.

The duo began the Facebook page, “This is Why I’m Single" (TIWIS), as a result of a joke between the two as to why Monsibay was single.

Monsibay would bump into poles or trip and Lebeda would jokingly say, “And you wonder why you’re single.”

Thus, before winter break, Lebeda decided to make a Facebook page where other singles could post funny scenarios that must be the reason why they are single, ending the wall post with the acronym TIWIS. The posts are in a similar format as they would appear on “My Life is Average" (MLIA).

TIWIS currently has over 300 fans, and is a humorous page with frequent status updates by page administrators and fans alike.

These amusing wall posts have caused the phrase TIWIS to spread onto Facebook posts and even in conversations around campus.

“I have heard [my friends] say it a lot, and it’s used a lot. Instead of ‘That’s what she said,’ it’s ‘This is why I’m single’, ” senior Kevin Matsuno said.

Lebeda has also heard students use his phrase

“I’ll hear other people make a joke and hear someone say TIWIS, and I’ll feel really cool for a second,” Lebeda said.

As TIWIS became more well known, more page administrators were invited to be able to add their own statuses. There are currently eight page administrator but only a few of them actually update the page.

Ironically enough, not all the administra-tors are single.

“One or two of the administrators have girlfriends, and I don’t think their girlfriends mind because it’s just a joke and for fun,” Lebeda said.

Although the page is meant for singles, one does not have to be single to enjoy its originality.

“Non-singles should join the page, because it’s fun and funny. Being a part of the page does not mean you’re a loser in any way. In a way, we mock ourselves and our weird characteristics, but when you look at it, everyone is [different] in their own way,” Monsibay said.

This coming Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be a lonely day for singles with this page around.

“There is nothing wrong with being single. It just means you haven’t found someone who will embrace your unique qualities yet. Until then, enjoy your weird-ness and your single-ness,” Lebeda said.

I just realized I spent an entire week interviewing students about a page for singles. Just before Valentine’s day. TIWIS.

Students create funny facebook page

- Instead of doing something manly,

like watching the Superbowl, I have

theater rehearsal today. TIWIS.

- I was on the “Who Will be Your

Valentine” Facebook app. Then the

page couldn’t load. Even Facebook

thinks I won’t get a Valentine.

TIWIS.

- Today is "Tell Her She’s Beautiful”

Day. I don’t feel comfortable telling

this to any girls I know. TIWIS.

- I randomly meow in conversations.

TIWIS.

- History: the only dates in high

school I’ll get. TIWIS.

ROCK STARS: (from left to right) Stuart Wong, Adam Gendler, Fabi Behnam, Garrett Winn, Ryan Krouse

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for the band because labels are also keeping an eye on what Breaking Even potentially has in store.

Epitaph Records, who has signed bands like Weezer, Social Distortion, and Bring Me The Horizon, has especially shown a particular interest in the group.

“It’s really exciting to know those higher up in the music world are listening to us,” Winn said.

Fame is not the only thing that excites the band for what lies ahead, because there are other achievements in mind.

“Our ultimate goal is to go on tour so we can share our music as much as possible,” Gendler said.

However, before packing themselves up for the road, the guys feel there is still defi-nitely room for improvement.

“We are always thinking of new ways to hype up our audience at shows,” Winn said. “It’s with time that we’ll individually grow as better musicians and a band entirely.”

This summer, Breaking Even will be heading to the same studio Blink 182 recorded in to produce a full length EP taking the next step forward into their music careers.

“We just love playing music together, so we encourage everyone to come out [to a show],” Gendler said. "We just want kids to have a good time."

07 opinionFebruary 11, 2011

Cyber-bullies are not solely responsible for online attacks Global animal deaths are disregarded as signs of the 2012 apocalypseBy Matthew Seeman

The band R.E.M sang about the end of the world as we know it, but could the Apocalypse actually be upon us right now?

There were no ancient predictions to warn us of the mass deaths of birds and marine animals across the globe after the clock struck 2011, however such events took place.

The deaths of our feathery and scaley friends have been occurring en mass world-wide. The “Aflockalypse,” as some have dubbed it, knows no borders.

Among the oddities discovered: two mil-lion fish found floating in the Chesapeake Bay outside of Maryland; 40,000 devil crabs (Gasp, devil! It’s a sign!) turned up dead across the U.K.; hundreds of turtle doves found dead in Italy; 2,000 dead birds in Bee-be, Arkansas; and hundreds of dead fish off of the shore of New Zealand, many miss-ing their eyes

Just coincidences? Or something more wicked?

The end of days, specifically the 2012 phenomenon in which many believe the Mayan calendar’s expiration signifies the de-struction of the earth, has gained consider-able attraction over the last couple of years. But let’s face it: the end is not truly near.

Most scientists are attributing these bi-zarre occurrences to more modern dis-turbances, such as cold water snaps, New Year’s fireworks, poison, disease and just na-ture herself. Some researchers even believe mass animal deaths are normal and have been happening for years.

So before you hunker down in your bunker awaiting Armageddon, just remem-ber there are more ominous signs that are much more surefire signals of the Apoca-lypse than just some fish outside Maryland. Wake me when four horsemen begin to tramp across the globe and fire rains down from the sky. Then something more sinister might be taking place.

But until then, it is not the end of the world. And I’m feeling fine.

Failure of DREAM Act hinders opportunities of immigrant studentsBy Nicole Martinez

Three billion students graduate each year from high school, however, sixty-five thousand of those students cannot go to college or enlist in the military because they are immigrants according to dreamact.info.

The one measure that can help solve this tragedy is the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act), a Bipartisan legislation pioneered by Democratic Senator Richard Durbin and Republican Senator Orrin Hatch.

The act would equalize the playing field by allowing immigrant students to receive a higher education or go to the military as long as they have a clean criminal record, have lived in the country for at least five years, entered the country before the age of sixteen, and are under thirty years old.

When first proposed, the act was rejected. However it was presented to the U.S House

of Representative again last December and passed successfully, making it the second time any pro-immigrant legislation bill has made it through the first step in Congress.

The bill was next introduced to the Senate, but failed as it was unable to achieve a majority vote.

Given that the U.S is the “land of opportunity,” it is not fair that the government is denying these students the chance to further their educational careers.

Their parents most likely came to this country for the specific reason of providing their children with a better life, and in order for these students to prosper, they must get an education.

But if they are told by the government they cannot go to college, their opportunities are stifled.

Yes, it was illegal for their parents to immigrate here, but this was not a decision

made by the children.Many of them came here as babies or

small children not knowing the politics of moving to America.

The government should trade shoes with these immigrants so they can see the student’s reality of waking up knowing that there isn’t going to be a better tomorrow.

I strongly believe that this act should be passed when it is proposed again in four years.

What if one of those sixty-five thousand or more students had the knowledge to make a new discovery that can benefit the United States?

What if one of them could use their in-telligence to help boost the economy, or make the state strong?

For now, we will never know because they have not yet been given the chance to demonstrate their talents.

New U.S. airport screening procedures are both invasive and harmfulBy Allison Ouchi

New security-screening mechanisms called full-body scanners have been operat-ing in some U.S. airports since the beginning of 2010 but have become more widespread in use in recent months.

The Transportation Security Adminis-tration (TSA) established these screening procedures to maximize airport security and ensure a high level of protection for travelers; however, the extent of this safety measure is a matter of concern.

Just like the x-ray vision of comic book heroes who have the power to see through walls and clothing, the full-body scanners can see through clothes to find any hidden objects someone might be carrying on their body.

The machines utilize the fact that at cer-tain wavelengths, electromagnetic waves can pass through clothes but not through skin, metal, or substances such as drugs and ex-plosives.

This enables the TSA to perform a vir-tual strip search on travelers without physi-cally removing clothes or making physical contact.

Although this procedure may seem like less of an inconvenience and quicker than being required to take off all shoes and belts when passing through airport security, it is certainly far more invasive.

According to a 2010 Gallup poll, 51% of surveyed air travelers said they would per-

sonally feel a significant level of discomfort about undergoing a full-body scan at an air-port security checkpoint.

The full-body scanners produce nude images of the thousands of bodies that pass through them everyday. On-duty TSA screeners then view these images to check for weapons or drugs.

While these screeners aren’t in the same room as those getting scanned so they can’t see whom the nude body belongs to, these images can be considered an infringe-ment on the privacy of individuals since everyone’s most personal features are put on display to complete strangers, leaving people feeling exposed and robbed of their dignity.

The scanners also have the capability to save, print, and transmit the images they create.

Though this ability is used only when the machines are tested and are supposedly switched off at all other times, there is no evidence of how the TSA prevents their employees from recording the images.

This uncertain protection of one’s pri-vacy after undergoing the scan can invoke a sense of vulnerability in travelers of becom-ing a victim to the personal enjoyment, ridi-cule, or gossip of a TSA scanner or Internet users if the photos were to be leaked.

In addition to the body scanners being an invasion of privacy, they also pose health risks to those who go through the scan.

Airports use two types of scanning tech-nology: millimeter wave scanners, which use radio waves and do not expose people to X-rays, and backscatter scanners, which use low levels of X-rays.

Both types of scanners are deemed “safe” because the total dose of radiation someone receives during a scan is minimal.

Nevertheless, the scans are dangerous to those that travel frequently, as these people are exposed to radiation from the scanners more often.

This extensive exposure can result in damage to DNA and long-term health ef-fects such as cancer.

The scanners also pose a great health risk if they jam or fail to turn off, which could result in blasting a person with enough ra-diation to cause serious burns.

The alternative to the full-body scan doesn’t offer much relief either.

Those who refuse to endure the scan are subject to a rigorous pat down by airport security, including an intense physical prod-ding of the breast and groin areas.

So, whichever security-screening proce-dure one chooses to go through, he or she will still feel violated.

With all of these negative aspects of the new airport safety measures, it is imperative that the TSA come up with less intrusive alternatives before they face a lawsuit re-garding sexual harassment, an invasion of privacy, or similar charges.

By Madushi Wanniarachchige

With technological advances come social advances, including the expansion of bul-lying.

Assault via the Internet, also known as cyber-bullying, has quickly become a wide-spread trend among teenagers as a result of the large amount of time they spend on-line.

Cyber-bullying is probably the easiest way to tear someone else’s self-esteem apart since there is no direct confrontation and the bullies are spewing their nasty com-ments while their computer screens protect them.

Naturally, the first thing people do upon receiving such comments is to reply to them. Who would stand by at such injustice without protecting themselves?

I get it—even if the insults are received online, they still hurt. It’s completely under-standable to want to defend yourself from such comments.

But what people haven’t considered is the fact that they might just be adding to the problem of cyber-bullying just by respond-ing to them, even if the response is thought to be self-defense.

Take Formspring for example, a site that allows people to ask anonymous questions on individual accounts.

There are some people that create Form-spring accounts purely for comic relief, not bothered by the various kinds of questions and/or comments they may receive.

On the other hand, there are people who do take Formspring and its anonymous comments seriously.

By responding to those comments, you

are publicizing them, and as a result, giving the cyber-bully exactly what they wanted in the first place—attention.

Firstly, it should be understood that by creating a Formspring and displaying it on your Facebook and blogs, you are inviting cyber-bullies to go onto your Formspring and post those anonymous insults.

Secondly, it should be understood that a delete button exists.

There’s no valid reason to be so dis-traught by these comments that you de-velop the need to type paragraph-long re-sponses and wait for your friends to post angry comments at this anonymous person in retaliation.

You know why? Because the bullies re-

ally don’t care. They’re anonymous. No one will ever know who really posted the remark unless they tell someone else.

You, on the other hand, have a public Formspring account, and by reacting vio-lently you are only drawing negative atten-tion to yourself as well as amusing the cy-ber-bully who posted the insults in the first place.

You are really not being the bigger per-son by responding, even if you are trying to defend yourself.

You might feel victorious, but remember that these cyber-bullies are safe under their veil of anonymity and your comments are probably doing nothing but making them laugh.

Staff reporters: John Cho, Jenny Lee, Nicole

Martinez, Bridget Moreno, Laura Nunez, Jane

Pyeon, Steve Ruiz, Kathy Zerbib

Adviser Melissa Mason

The Plaid PressThe Plaid Press is published by

the Advanced Journalism class at

Granada Hills Charter High School. 10535 Zelzah Ave.

Granada Hills, CA 91344 Phone: (818) 360-2361

The Plaid Press welcomes all letters and com-mentaries on all matters and reserves the right to edit as required. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Opinions expressed are those of the au-thor, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Plaid Press, its adviser, Granada Hills Charter High School faculty or student body.

Editors-in-Chief Eidah HiloDanielle Sink

Madushi WanniarachchigeNews Editors Jane Ha

Austin KangEntertainment Editor Sindhura Seeni

Opinion Editor Allison OuchiFeature Editors Shilpa Bhongir

Ahra ChoSports Editors Matthew Seeman

Matthew Kahn

Spirit Editor Lucy Lee

Photo Editor Gabrielle AmarBusiness Managers Austin Kang Jane Pyeon

The Plaid Press

is a proud

member of

National Scho-

lastic Press

Association.

CYBER BULLYING: Formspring, an online social networking site, serves as one of the many mediums cyber-bullies utilize to insult others.

08sports February 11, 2011

By Danielle Sink The boys’ varsity basketball team ends

its season today, both satisfied with their present achievements and hopeful for next year’s season.

The team was led by co-captains senior Brandon Petersen and junior Christopher Johnson with their coach, Don Loperena.

“As a captain, I try to lead the team through the adversity we have during our games, helping in any way that I can,” John-son said.

Petersen personally likes to lead by ex-ample. He shows his teammates how to hustle on defense to get steals and “[helps] direct when bringing the ball up the court.”

With Petersen and Johnson, as well as rigorous practices every morning during zero periods, the team has become better collectively.

“We have really improved our teamwork and our defense,” Petersen said. “The new members bring good ball-handling and three-point shooting.”

It is these new members who comprise most of the team.

Only three players were on varsity last year – Johnson being one of them – and the team plays with five juniors and one sopho-more.

“[The younger teammates] mean that we have six guys coming back for next year,” Loperena said. “The future is looking rela-tively bright.”

Of course, the team’s present is fairly bright as well. So far they have won a total of 11 games with 14 losses.

They have also competed together in three tournaments during the winter break and a summer tournament at San Diego State University. Separately, the members play on different club teams during the off-season.

Tonight they will end the season with a home game against Taft High School at five o’clock.

Even then, the game doesn’t stop. The team will continue to practice together and prepare for next year.

“We have a lot to work on, but I believe we are a team to be concerned with,” John-son said.

Boys’ basketball ends a successful year

By Bridget MorenoOne of Granada’s most elegant sports is

the equestrian team. It has been alive and thriving for six years thanks to coach and counselor Mea Aparicio.

While there are no stables on campus and the school does not supply the horses, the team’s dedication and heart for the sport pushes them to continue.

The team consists of fourteen girls, though boys are welcome to join.

Members of the team practice outside of school, usually training three to seven days a week. The practices are only with the rider, the trainer, and the horse; team members do not practice together.

Equestrian is a year-round league sport that consists of four main competitions held by the IEL (Interscholastic Equestrian League) in October, December, January and

April. At the competitions, riders are graded individually. They compete in two different types of English riding: dressage and jump-ing.

In dressage, one rider goes into a ring with their horse and must ride around the ring in a consistent and flawless manner. Dressage is usually considered more chal-lenging because it takes a lot of time to master and perfect.

“The most important thing about dres-sage is being one with your horse” Aparicio said.

In jumping, the rider and the horse enter an arena in which there are several fences the horse has to jump without knocking any over. There are two types of jumping: hunt-ers and jumpers.

When performing hunters, the horse and rider are more calm and collected. In jump-

ers, the rider and horse jump fences as fast as they can. The faster you are, the higher you score.

The school’s team consistently grows stronger in its scores. Sophomore Kel-lie Greiner has been on the team for two years and has brought home two third place awards in dressage this past competition.

Like other Granada sports, the equestri-an team helps build a person’s responsibility, tolerance, and patience since it involves tak-ing care of your own animal.

“When you are cleaning and brushing your horse, it can be very tranquil and calm-ing” Aparicio said.

If you are interested in joining, see Apari-cio in the Counseling Office for more infor-mation. You may also support the equestri-an team at the next competition on April 16 at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center.

JUMP BALL: Petersen (left) and Johnson led the Highlander team on the court.

SPIKE: Ryan Sikorsky hits the ball with his teammates in preparing for a game.

Gabrielle Amar/ The Plaid Press

Boys’ golf swings away with a hole-in-one team Girls’ Soccer is confident

and ready for city playoffs once again

By John ChoGirls soccer trains to repeat last sea-

son’s success by going to the CIF City Championship and bringing home the win and trophy.

Although the girl’s team has had a change in coaching management and a rocky beginning of a season, the team overcame its obstacles with three con-secutive home wins.

“Last season we came so close to win-ning the CIF city championship. At the last two minutes in the game we lost the game,” senior Jessica Scherr said.

In order to prevent this from reoccur-ring, the team enlisted help from the new coaching staff and are learning to play more co-operatively with one another.

“We adjusted quickly to the new coach-ing staff and we have managed to pick up the intensity after a slow start to the sea-son. I definitely think that our team bond really helped on and off the field,” Scherr said.

With new coaching styles and a re-inforced trust in each member’s playing abilities, the team hopes to win the city championship.

“Our team has an immense amount of potential, it is just a matter of heart, attitude and desire to excel in order to achieve success,” Scherr said.

By Jenny LeeThe boys’ varsity volleyball team looks

forward to an action-packed season with many returning players as well as the help of fresh faces.

Last season, the boys made it to the city semi-finals but lost 1-3 to Taft High School. Taft will be the biggest competition in the league while Palisades will be the biggest threat in the City Section.

However, Coach Tom Harp has high hopes that this year’s team will win the City Championship, matching the girls’ var-sity team’s undefeated season and bringing home another City title.

“This season, I expect other teams to watch out for us because we are coming back to win the City Championships,” se-nior Robert Nguyen said.

With a mixture of mostly junior and se-nior players, the team has a variety of differ-ent skill levels. Everyone plays an important role on the team.

“We have four returning starters, which gives us a good foundation,” Harp said.

The team prepares to take on competing schools in the league, building their skills and techniques through daily practices—stretching, running and jumping drills, and scrimmaging six-on-six against each other.

In addition, the team practices through pre-season games against high schools not in its division, such as Alemany and Van Nuys.

“It’s going to be a good season,” sopho-more Billy de La Espriella said. “We have a strong team with very skillful players.”

The returning seniors and the new “up-graded” junior varsity players help each other improve and create closer bonds with one another.

“Our team chemistry is amazing. We all get along, have a great time during practices, joke around a lot and are supportive of each other,” senior captain Jose Juarez said. “It should be a very fun season this year.“

Equestrian team struts its stuff like no other sport

Boys’ volleyball hopes to be victorious at the city championships

By Matthew Kahn Here at Granada, Coach Chris Ancheta

has taken on golf and created a successful program feared around the city. Making a run at the city championship last year, An-cheta looks to his team this year to surpass the past.

Golf has always been a gentlemen’s game: an unknown sport to most. Being one of oldest sports in the world, even to this day not too many really understand the game.

As the famous writer, Mark Twain once wrote, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”

Mr. Twain, I take it, was not quite the golf pro. He, like many other critics still to this day, ridicules the game. It is boring. Re-quires no athletic ability.

Well, for all the nay- sayers out there, golf

is considerably the hardest sport to play in the world. Not many people can handle the game much less than watching it. However, the boy’s golf team has continually taken on the difficult sport, creating great passion and dedication for golf.

Last year’s team finished third in the city. They also had last year, senior Brady Ma fin-ish third in the city individually. This year Ancheta believes that the team as a whole is even better.

“This year everyone is really close in skill level, so everyone is competing for that top spot,” Ancheta said.

Teammates keep each others’ spirits high, while competing with each other to form a great team.

Every year a coach’s goal is to take from the bad and improve. Golf is a sport with

many imperfections.“Golf takes hard work, you certainly can-

not cheat the game, and it’s a mental game. Being out there on a beautiful golf course at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, what can be better than that?” Ancheta said.

He loves the game and loves teaching it to anyone who wants to learn. He believes that dedication in golf is always rewarded in someway and that is simply the beauty of the game.

That certain mind set Ancheta has in-stalled in his team every year. He believes that giving it your all into every shot, being committed, and enjoying being out there on the course.

As the saying goes, “A bad day on the golf course is always better than a good day at work.”

Gabrielle Amar/ The Plaid Press