Vol. 82, No. 5

the wildcat

789 Wildcat Way, Brea, CA 92821

Brea Olinda High School March 2, 2012

Vol. 82 Issue 5

ROAD TO REDEMPTION With win over top-seeded Poly, Ladycats to face rival Mater Dei in tonight’s CIF play-off final MATT SCHADE

Co-Editor-in-chief Tuesday night at the Anaheim Convention Center the Ladycats adjusted to their underdog role. The team not only defeated top-seeded Long Beach Poly High School, 49-43, during the CIFSS Division 1AA Semifinals, but they controlled the tempo of the game holding the lead for almost the entire night.

The result set the Ladycats up for a rematch against Mater Dei High School in the CIF-SS Division 1AA Finals today at the Anaheim Convention Center at 8:45 p.m. Last season, the Ladycats headed into the Finals with a flawless 29-0 record, only to be up-ended by Mater Dei, 6354, and losing the CIF-SS championship.

It was an unfamiliar feeling for the Ladycats as they entered the CIFSS Division 1AA Semifinals. Rather than being the top seed, the Ladycats headed into the game against number one seed Long Beach Poly High School. The Ladycats were ranked fifth.

In an interview with ocvarsity.com, Kim Cram-Torres, head coach, said, “We knew this was going to be a hard game and it wasn’t going to be easy.

Poly is so good and they are so tough and that’s been my [number one] concern, handling their mental toughness.”

It has been execution on the defensive side of the ball that carried the Ladycats through to the CIF-SS Finals as they shut down the post-game of the Jackrabbits, led by Destiny King, senior.

“It was hard to shut her down,” said Taylor Spears, senior, who led the Ladycats with a double-double; putting up 14 points and securing 10 rebounds. “Our game plan was to help the post and compete inside. We took away their good looks at the basket.”

King, who is ranked as the 43rd best wing in the nation, was constantly doubleteamed in the paint by the Ladycats.

Although she put up a team high 20 points, King was limited to only six rebounds.

With the lead changing between the teams for most of the first half, the Ladycats came out in the third quarter securing the lead and established the tempo of the game.

‘I Believe’: (clockwise from left) Taylor Spears, senior, looks for an outlet pass against the Long Beach Poly High School defenders. Anna Kim, junior, searches for an outlet pass. Kim pushes the ball up the court in the CIF-SS 1AA semi-final game. The Ladycats were victorious, 49-43, and will face rival Mater Dei High School at the Anaheim Convention Center tonight.

Cram-Torres on Mater Dei: “We want to control the tempo of the game. You can’t let them go on huge runs. You have to keep them at striking distance all the time.”

Photos by AMORETTE VALERO / Wildcat

See SPORTS, page 16

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

NEWS

INSIDE

Gabriel Ramos, senior, creates art pieces based on cultural influences.

Delaina Hofacre, art teacher, and Angela Lee, junior, also draw off their backgrounds when producing their works of art.

Imagiscience Club hosted a four week long after school program called “Engineering Around the World,” that inspired young scientists.

News 2-4 Opinion 5-7 Feature 8-9, 12-13 Centerspread 10-11 Arts & Entertainment 14-15 Sports 16-19

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page 2 March 2, 2012

Imagiscience runs science program STEVEN LEE

Staff writer

Imagiscience, a club that focuses on creative learning, spent February hosting an after school program that allows fifth graders at Fanning Elementary to engage in experiments which help promote interest in science.

The program was titled “Engineering Around the World” and focused on the applicable aspects of science.

“Every Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., we went to Fanning Elementary and started by assigning the children to specific group leaders. Nathan Yoo, club president, first spoke about the theme of the day and then we moved on to the actual science experiments,”

said Elissa Kang, sophomore and vice-president of the club.

Experiments conducted included exploring the mechanisms of water filters. Some of the simulations utilized materials such as cotton, rocks, and sand.

Afterwards, each filter was evaluated to see how effectively it cleansed dirty water.

“Students seem to be very engaged by this process, and we have received positive feedback.

This program that Imagiscience has piloted will be instrumental in promoting interest, especially at such a young age, in areas of STEM (Science, Technology Engineering, and Math),” said Amy Welch, biology teacher and Imagiscience adviser.

The four week program sought not only to inform, but also to intrigue, as students emphasized

the imaginative possibilities of science.

“We wanted to give the students a chance to consider what they want to do for their profession.

By taking what they learn and finding what they are inspired by, the students at Fanning could consider what they want to do in their future,” said Christine Fang, junior and co-president of Imagiscience.

Along with experiments, the program included connecting the lessons on a global level. In the water exercise, the students learned about the necessity of clean water as demonstrated by the scarcity of clean, drinking water in Africa.

“Science can often be overwhelming for students, and hopefully this club will allow students to see that science is fun and that it extends way beyond the textbook and is applicable to real life,” said Welch.

N ews Briefly Sophomore speeches

At the annual sophomore controversial speech competition, Samantha Drury won first place with her speech on “faith healing.”

Sophomore literature teachers first assigned the speech to their classes, they then chose a few of the best presentations to compete against other classes.

After an elimination round, five students moved on to the final round. The winners each received gift cards, which were bought with money donated by various literature teachers, the choir department, and Jennifer Ryan, Skills for Success teacher.

In the final round, Drury, Yazin Dibavar, Amanda Garcia, Ching Chan Lee, and Monica Sharda were chosen as the top five speakers.

They were then judged on their skill and the content of their speech by Mike Baker, health teacher, Dana Lynch, assistant principal, and Dan Moon, police officer.

SHARON CHO

OCJEA Write Offs

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3 Photos by KRISTINE SEA / Wildcat

Creative

learning: 1. Taylor Parker, sophomore, teaches an elementary school student how to use a marshmallow catapult. 2. Amy Welch, biology teacher and Imagiscience adviser, guides students as they take a look at their own cells. 3. Kevin Kim, junior, exercises a water carton demonstration for the students. Imagiscience visited Fanning Elementary during the month of February to work with fifth graders, engaging them in science experiments.

Science fair celebrates ‘Salute to Education’ SHARON CHO

Staff writer

The Brea Chamber of Commerce will present the first Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Fair (STEM Fair) on March 6.

This event serves to commemorate “A Salute to Education,” a celebration of education. According to the Brea Chamber of Commerce, the STEM Fair’s goal is to encourage individuals to pursue experimentation in areas of science and technology. The STEM Fair will be open to the public in order to allow the city

to see students’ demonstrations and projects involving the STEM fields.

“Because this fair has never been done before, we [teachers] don’t know what the criterion is so it’ll be interesting,” said Liah Nishijima, chemistry teacher.

Contestants will be judged by a panel that will be chosen by the Brea Chamber of Commerce. Judges will be picked based on their involvement in “A Salute to Education” and within the city.

Categories included in the judging are originality, the content and quality of the project, the participant’s understanding of the contest rules,

mission, and guidelines. Winners will be awarded a $500 scholarship for first place, $250 for second, and $100 for third, and their projects will be displayed throughout the city.

“I signed up for the fair because I have a great interest in the field of science and it would give me a chance to experiment with water and its qualities,” said Karen Her, sophomore.

The contest will be held at BOHS from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Students, parents and friends are encouraged by the city of Brea to attend this event in order to support the contestants.

Brea Chamber Choir hosts ‘The Grammy’s’ competition LOIS AHN

News editor After completing auditions and having an official cast list posted in the choir room, Brea Chamber Choir is ready to host the annual Brea Idol competition on March 9.

“I am very thrilled to be putting on [Brea Idol] this year. There are just so many talented people on our campus,” said Brandon Jones, senior, and vice president of Chamber.

Emceed by Jones and Justine Garate, senior, and president of Chamber, the competition will be held in the PAC with tickets starting at $10. This year’s theme is inspired by and titled “The Grammy’s”.

“The idea came to me randomly when [Garate] and I were throwing ideas around about it. I just thought that it would be a lot of fun for everyone and it would be the perfect opportunity to take Brea Idol to the next level of excitement rather than just the normal competition,” said Izzy Perez, junior, and

Fast Facts Location: PAC Date: March 9 Theme: The Grammy’s Time: 7 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Price: $10 Chamber member.

To add to the anticipation of the event, it was decided that judges would not be revealed until the night of the competition.

Auditions were held Feb. 16 and 17 after school and a final cast list was posted the following Tuesday.

A majority of the competitors made it past the cut and will be performing the night of the competition. The auditions mainly served to judge not the talent, but the

appropriateness of the performance.

“I auditioned with Elliot Ramirez; he was playing guitar and I was singing. At first we were joking around about auditioning, but after practice on one Friday, we found out auditions were in an hour, so we decided to do it on a whim. We weren’t nervous because it didn’t matter if we sucked or not but I guess we really have to practice now that we actually made it in,” said Cody Nguyen, senior.

The competition is divided into categories. There is a singing solo, dance solo, hip hop solo, group category, band category, and the ultimate title of Grand Champion. Last year’s Grand Champions were the boy band The Flannel Boys.

“After winning last year, we were just really excited. After performing we felt that we got such a great reaction from the audience, which was all we really wanted. For those competing this year, I would say just to go out there, be confident, and have fun,” said Chad Rabago (’11), and member of The Flannel Boys.

As a contestant in the Orange County Journalism Write-Off competition at Fullerton Junior College, the Wildcat placed second out of 19 Orange County high schools in the Best of Show, or best overall newspaper, category.

Along with earning distinctions as a whole newspaper, certain staff members also won individual awards during the competition. In one case, sports editor Sherman Uyeno, senior, earned first place in the on-the-spot sports writing category.

Uyeno will represent the Wildcat and BOHS at the Southern California write-offs at LBSU in late March.

The competition took place on Feb. 25 and lasted from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Contestants worked until 12 p.m. and attended an awards ceremony at 4 p.m.

PAUL LEE

Destination CC

Four local community college representatives gathered in the PAC on Feb. 16 to guide seniors who are interested in attending a community college in the fall.

Representatives from Orange Coast, Golden West, Fullerton, and Santiago each took turn to speak to the seniors, addressing financial aid, scholarships, college admission application and requirements, instructions. guidance Stelmar, Rob counselor, organized the event to spread awareness of local provide colleges, community advisors to educate prospective students, and offer testing as well as refresher courses to prepare students for collegiate success.

“It has always been my goal to extend opportunities for all students.

I wanted to break the ‘Brea Bubble’ and offer all kinds of programs most students do not know of. I wish students had learned a lot from this and helped make their decision on which college they want to go to,” said Stelmar.

RACHEL PARK

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

NEWS

BITA students advance to State Brea mall ALEX KIM

Staff writer For the first time since its inception, BITA competed in the Skills USA Carpentry Competition.

Five of the top seven students who advanced to the state contest were from BOHS. “I was really surprised when the top five students turned out to be from [BOHS] because there were about 60 students who have been in the competition before and here we were, in our first year, just trying it out,” said Sunny Kim, senior, and silver medalist.

In addition to Kim, Aaron Dixon, sophomore, and Spencer Smith and Matthew Lochridge, juniors, placed first, third, and fourth respectively.

Explaining why he fared so well, Dixon said, “When I was growing up, my uncle was a carpenter and he always had me on the job site helping him out and that contributed to building up my interest.”

“We participate in the Design and Build competition every year and it’s a team competition,

“Now that we have done well in regionals, we have to work even harder to prepare for the statewide competition at the San Diego Conference Hall in April. I’m just going to keep learning the material, make sure I know them by heart, and work on being safe and efficient.”

Sunny Kim, senior but Skills USA is an individual competition and gives the students a chance to test themselves and see what they are capable of,” said Javier Belmares, BITA teacher.

The competition was held on Feb. 4 at Mt. San Antonio College and consisted of four main stations: wall layout, stair building, hand tool tests, and written tests.

“Everyone worked on the same projects. The first project that we had to do was to get the bottom plate of a 2x4 piece of wood and draw out the schematics of a wall on it, complete with doors and studs,” said Smith.

Then the students moved on to the next station where each was tasked with building a frame for a staircase.

Once they completed the structure, students started on the hand tool tests. At this station, students were given a set of instructions to follow to test their knowledge on the proper use of tools, equipment and materials, and their ability to read and interpret blueprints.

Afterwards, they took a written test, which included 30 fill-in questions ranging from simple definitions to complicated calculations.

Once all the stations were completed, judges tallied up the scores based on accuracy, workmanship, and safety, and announced the results.

“Now that we have done well in regionals, we have to work even harder to prepare for the statewide competition at the San Diego Conference Hall in April. I’m just going to keep learning the material, make sure I know them by heart, and work on being safe and efficient,” said Kim.

Sadies to be ‘happiest on Earth’ MELINDA CHHOUR

Staff writer

Although it is tradition for boys to ask girls to a dance, these roles will be reversed as Girl’s Athletic Association (GAA) presents the Disney-inspired “The Happiest Sadies on Earth” theme.

The dance will be held on March 16 and will take place in the food court from 8 to 11 p.m. Students can purchase tickets beginning March 5. Ticket prices per couple will be $30 with an ASB card, $40 without, and $50 at the door.

Kristen Park, junior and president of GAA, said, “Sadies 2012 is going to be exciting and better than it has been in previous years. We’ve booked a great DJ and I think everyone will really enjoy him.”

In addition to the Disney theme, GAA will be

Fast Facts Price: $30 w/ASB, $40 w/o, $50 @ the door Theme: “The Happiest Sadies on Earth” Location: BOHS cafeteria Time: 8 p.m.-11 p.m.

Date: March 16 giving out free Hawaiian shaved ice. Students will dance to music played by DJ. Kris P. “DJ Kris P at Sadies is going to be legen...wait for it... dary! He is an incredible DJ who has performed at events such as ASB camp and Orangetopia, one of the biggest dances in Orange County,” said John Janneck,

junior.

GAA will be in charge of paying for the DJ. The approximate cost is $1000 and will include laser lighting.

Jill Matyuch, girls’ athletic director, said, “As for decorations, you will have to come to see them.

I know GAA worked hard on them. Also, any profit made from Sadies goes to supplement the girls’ athletics budget. The money is used to meet the needs of our programs. The GAA also came up with the theme. They did a lot of leg work asking students what they were interested in. Overall, the girls have done a great job planning for this fun night.”

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hosts annual 8k classic LAUREN LEE

Staff writer

The runners at this year’s 21st annual Brea 8K Classic ran on Feb. 26 knowing that the money raised would assist Marching Band, the Brea Academic Booster Club, and the Global IT Academy.

The Brea 8K, presented by the Brea Mall, changed its course to incorporate more hills and the long stretch on Birch, but still started and ended at the Brea Mall, a tradition.

“The course had a different route and I felt it was more challenging than other years due to the shift of the run, but I was happy that they had change,” said John Janneck, junior, who ran the 8K in 26 minutes and 46 seconds.

Elliot Ramirez was the first person to finish from BOHS, who finished fifth overall.

Though multiple charitable events take place annually in the city, the Brea 8K is one of the biggest fundraisers in Brea.

“I have volunteered for the Brea 8K for the last five years, and it is quite fun and rewarding. The Brea 8K is regarded as one of the best 8K’s in Southern California,” said Jonathan Gunther, history teacher.

Awards for the Brea 8K were given to the top three overall winners in the men’s division and women’s division. All participants in the Kids’ 1K Fun Run recieved medals.

The top three male runners were Carlos Carballo, 29, from Fullerton, C-Cushing Murray, 44, from Santa Ana, and Humberto Rojas, 27, from Costa Mesa.

For the women’s division, the top three runners were Erika Aklufi, 35, from Los Angeles, Nathalie Higley, 42, from Redondo Beach, and Tania Fischer, 45, from Santa Monica.

The Brea 8K Classic continues as an annual tradition and has steadily grown in the number of people that sign up to run and raise funds.

Students visit Hanno, experience Japan DAVID KANG

Staff writer

Several BOHS students immersed themselves in traditional Japanese culture during their trip to Hanno, Japan from Feb. 10 to 20, Upon their arrival in the city of Hanno, the 13 members of the delegation were each introduced to their host families. Staying with typical Japanese families in a traditional city provided a genuine cultural experience.

Yoonshin Lee, senior, said, “Since Hanno was

a less Westernized city, I feel that we got a more complete cultural experience because we kept more to a traditional Japanese living style.”

Students participated in various cultural experiences each day. On one occasion, they partook in a cultural tea ceremony at Shinnoji Temple; on another occasion, they received lessons on the shamisen, a Japanese string instrument, while dressed in kimonos, a traditional Japanese garment worn by men, women, and children.

The group also visited various junior highs and Seibo High School. They were able to observe

different class sessions and environments, including a rotating teacher system and a mandatory after school clean-up period.

On their sightseeing tour of Tokyo, the group visited Asakusa Temple, Nakamise Shopping Row, and Tsukiji Fish Market. Students were also given a free day to spend with their families.

“I was able to go to Edo Wonderland, an amusement park themed after the historical Edo Period,” said Steven Rosso, senior. “It was a great experience.”

At the trip’s conclusion, the Brea delegation

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attended a farewell party. They performed a special group song and presented individual speeches on their experiences.

“Our participation in the exchange program encourages globalization, creating an opportunity where students can see that foreign kids are not much different than themselves,” said John-Michael Patino, vice president of the Brea Sister City Association.

“Our exchange goes beyond the personal benefits of each student and becomes a diplomatic trip in which each delegate acts as an ambassador to our sister city.”

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Photos by JULIA EBERHARDT / Wildcat

Exploring japan: 1. Shamisen Club members at Surugadai University help Taylor Williams, senior, put on a kimono. 2. Japanese tourists wash their hands before entering the temple at Asakusa. 3. A citizen rides a bike at the Tsukiji fish market. 4. A sculpture at the Shinoji temple. 5. Shamisen club members tune their shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument. 6. Traditional Japanese tea ceremony at Shinoji temple. 7. Homemade doughnuts made by the BOHS students’ host family. 8. Shamisen club teacher sings a traditional Japanese song. 9. A dragon sculpture pours water into a fountain at Shinoji temple.

10. The roofs of Shinoji temple. 11. Shamisen club teacher presenting another traditional Japanese song. 12. The Tokyo Sky Tree. 13. A traditional sun dial at the top of a hill in Hanno.

OPinion

page 5 March 2, 2012

TECHNOLOGY THREATENS EXISTENCE OF PRINT AKSHAY VERMA

OPINION EDITOR

Just within the past year, newspaper circulation has decreased 8.7 percent nationally, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, and, according to BBC News, television and the internet both triumph over traditional printed newspapers as the most popular forms of news resources. That print, the previously dominant form of news, has been dethroned by TV and the internet is disheartening, dangerous, and ultimately very detrimental to society.

Death of intellectual curiosity The print industry’s switch to a more technologybased environment merely acts as a microcosm which reflects society’s overall laziness and drift away from intellectual curiosity.

In essence, people lack intellectual motivation and fervor today, and the use of online sources of news and information goes to actually promote such lack of motivation.

Although we do often skirt around current events through the latest Yahoo.com updates or other similar technological means of information, this does not excuse our society’s laziness and apathy towards printed material.

The print industry’s decline in popularity will soon lead to the printed word being disregarded altogether.

We will be left with a multitude of internet websites that will serve as our sole source of news. Such a shift away from traditional print is largely a result of apathy among our society and is truly upsetting because newspapers and print have acted as the foundation of society’s intellect for centuries. Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick was the first American newspaper; published in Boston in 1690, it successfully informed enthusiastic Americans of the world around them and stimulated intellectual curiosity and awareness among the people. Today, such “intellectual curiosity” and enthusiasm towards the printed word is no longer to be found.

Not only is print now taking over as the primary source of news, it is also being displaced in ways many of us will soon be able to singlehandedly experience.

Many college courses, including those at Fullerton

Junior College, now use online textbooks, lectures, and notes as official forms of instruction.

Recently, upon asking my brother for his United States history textbook, I was shocked to find that his history course at California State University, Fullerton, utilized an online textbook. In fact, all of the coursework, including quizzes and examinations, is done through the internet.

This marks an unfortunate reliance on technology that proves our society’s steer away from intellect. It becomes so easy for one to look up the Proclamation of 1763 and thus cheat on a history exam; all it takes is a quick Google search to pass a history quiz or complete a homework assignment.

What does this shift away from print mean to us as a whole? Simply put, it actually marks the demise of intellect altogether. Not only that, technology gives us an easy way out of learning and truly thinking intellectually and highlights society’s tendency to be lazy and unmotivated.

Reign of technology The drastic drop in newspaper circulation reflects the very nature of today’s society: people are turning towards technology to be entertained and informed about the world around them.

Technology’s positive impact upon intellectual curiosity is undeniable. Via the internet, access to news is quicker and more accessible to a larger amount of people.

According to nytimes.com, online newspaper circulation of The New York Times more than tripled in just one year, whereas print circulation actually decreased 8.5 percent.

With online news, however, comes an unfortunate shift towards meaningless information.

Often, online newspapers websites are much more misleading than traditional print ones. With exclusive online features such as comment sections for readers, everyone has the ability to post their own claims. Reader comments on news stories can often times be filled with inaccurate information that is generally avoided in print newspapers, as displayed in the case of Jeffrey Lovitky’s false news post.

In June 2011, Lovitky, an attorney, wrongly claimed through an online press release that Delta Air

Lines would begin denying passage to people of the Jewish race. Immediately after, comments regarding the post began to flood in agreement to his claims.

As such false claims gained fire, newspaper websites such as WorldNet Daily and Fox News Online began to post inflammatory posts regarding Delta Air Lines’ supposed discriminatory act. Many people blindly believed Lovitky’s claims as fact and proceeded to post online updates on personal blogs and websites, blowing the matter out of proportion and spreading false rumors and claims.

Technology as a form of news can therefore be dangerous. It becomes easy for one to post misleading story updates on websites, whereas such mistakes can be avoided in printed form because printed newspapers do not have instant comment updates and ways for one to edit published information.

A recent incident with a CBSSport.com’s story highlights the very idea that online news can be often unreliable. Adam Jacobi, journalist, prematurely reported a coach’s death after reading an inaccurate Twitter update, an incident that led to his dismissal from the job and caused great controversy among many people. Reliance upon social networking websites goes to show how unreliable online news reporting can be.

The use of online technology as a source of news does more harm than good, as it is often prone to much more error than print. The internet can be full of mistakes, as with the case of Lovitky and Jacobi’s false claims, and the fact that we will often blindly go along with such inaccuracies without question reflects our nature as an intellectually unmotivated society.

When it comes to being intellectually stimulated and competent, there is one certain solution: save your cell phones and computers for phone calls, stop mindlessly disregarding newspapers and blindly following online news updates, and take the time to read regularly through the traditional method of print which has prevailed for centuries. After all, why should we overturn such an old institution of print for recent technology?

Unfortunately, we are digging our own graves by relying so heavily upon Google searches to help us pass our history quizzes or give us disingenuous news information.

Fast Facts Readers of online newspapers are up 30 million in the last five years.

Whereas print circulation of The New York Times has decreased 8.5 percent in the past year, online readership of the same paper has more than tripled.

National newspaper circulation decreased 8.7 percent in 2010.

Amazon.com sells 143 ebooks for every 100 hardcover books.

In 1988, over 400,000 people were employed in newspaper publishing. In 2009, only about 250,000 people were employed.

Sales of The Los Angeles Times decreased by 400,000 newspapers from 2000 to 2010.

Sources: nytimes.com, loveoftechnology.wordpress.com, mediaite.com, oberjuerge.com Compiled by AKSHAY VERMA

Students benefit from new technology PAUL LEE

COPY EDITOR

JESSICA YIM / Wildcat REIGN OF TECHNOLOGY:

Computers and television are taking over the traditional printed newspaper as the most popular source of news in America.

Percent Change in Audience of News Media 20 15 10

Online +17. 1%

5 0 -5 Network -10 TV - 3. 4% -15 -20

Newspapers -5%

Magazines -8. 9% source: stateofthemedia.org

Compiled by NATHAN YOO and AKSHAY VERMA

It has been about a decade since I first heard my teachers lecture about how lucky my generation is to have such easy access to information via desktop computers. Little did they know that in just a few years we would be capable of tapping into these same online databases – and more – at the touch of a finger on phones and tablets.

There is no denying the impact that recent revolutions in technological advancement have had on modern society, especially in the area of the printed word. Newspaper circulation in the U.S. is down by seven million in the last 25 years, but readers of online papers are up 30 million in the last five years, according to loveoftechnology.wordpress.com.

High schools have also been visibly affected by the steady influx of new technology. One look around our campus and classrooms is enough to reveal exactly how reliant our generation has become on our gadgets and instant accessibility to the internet.

Though this might sound like a negative evaluation of today’s average teen, it is in fact a testament to the unprecedented capabilities of evolving technology.

With the wide availability of smart phones, tablets, and e-readers, we have access to a seemingly limitless wealth of information.

Recognizing the efficiency of utilizing these electronic wonders makes days spent flipping through dusty library books seem obsolete, which is what the

traditional method of gathering knowledge is quickly becoming.

According to ipadinsider.com, Apple sold three million iPads in just the first 80 days of its distribution in the United States. Wired.com states that Amazon sells 143 ebooks for every 100 hardcover books sold, which includes hardcovers not available in ebook format. These numbers point to the changing trend of people leaning towards browsing digital sources like Kindles and iPads rather than printed material.

Students no longer need to find a book or even a computer to research anything; in many cases, they can simply take out their phones and find what they are looking for in seconds. This is the case in Jonathan Gunther’s government class, in which an iPad is utilized to browse up to date information that is nonexistent in the school’s outdated textbooks; Laurel Batchelor’s AP Literature class, in which students searched poems for a research essay; and for looking up definitions, which can be done instantly on dictionary.com.

This reveals another beneficial aspect of having these devices: they are almost certain to have the most updated facts and data available, a service that printed material like a decade-old dictionary could never realistically provide.

Capable of consolidating volumes of data into a single sleek device, the recent innovations in technology have, in an overwhelmingly positive manner, permanently transformed the way we read and gather information.

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March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

OPINION

The Wildcat asks: Can money buy happiness?

SELINA CHE

FEATURE EDITOR Wealthy people lead miserable lives. True love cannot be bought. Materialists are selfish and greedy. While these common assumptions may be true, misconceptions like these regarding money and happiness also lead many people to be sucked into believing that money simply cannot purchase happiness, even though it can.

Sure, with cash, people are able to buy the latest iPhone or the biggest house, but because most people narrowmindedly approach purchasing happiness on a materialistic level, many of them fail to realize how money can actually benefit one’s level of satisfaction. This, I consider, to be the prime reason why most deem that happiness is incapable of being purchased.

First, what is happiness? According to dictionary.com, the term “happiness” is “the quality or state of being happy, delighted, pleased, or glad over a particular thing.”

For me, that “particular thing” also involves being with friends, feeling accepted by those around me, traveling the world, and finding success.

In the world we live in today, money can buy virtually anything and everything.

Since people can purchase practically anything with money, from a gallon of milk at Wal-Mart, to buying stocks and gaining even more wealth, it is easy for many to think that money can only be limited to buying material items.

Yet money can be spent on much more

BRIANA PERLSON STAFF WRITER Money is not meaningful. It is simply a means of living, sustaining us so that we can survive physically, but not adding to our mental health, which ultimately is the propelling force helping us survive each day.

Wealth does not detract or add to the emotion and substance behind who we are and how fulfilling our life is.

We have become so entwined with purchasing; we receive sale alerts through email and text on our phones, and through ads and salespeople telling us what we need to buy and why we need to buy it.

We search for confidence and happiness, and learn from society that to obtain this mentality of wellbeing, we need to buy the latest gizmos, gadgets and material things.

We look to celebrities as fashion icons.

We watch them intently as they walk the red carpet sporting the latest trends, while magazines, blogs and talk show hosts critique the latest runway fashions and the latest, constantly changing must-haves.

These style “must-haves” can range from six-inch white stilettos to pointy, studded shoulder padded tops. We then think that to be as happy and as

Spending on the little things in life, like getting ice cream at Farrell’s, or going to the movies on Birch Street, also helps increase someone’s satisfaction. meaningful things that will thus increase a person’s level of contentment.

Using money to purchase life experiences is one way to raise levels of contentment without buying material items. By camping with family or taking a trip to Disneyland instead of wasting money on cheap, manufactured things, one can reflect on their memories throughout their entire life.

According to money.cnn.com, researchers argue that a person would receive the most amount of pleasure from the money they spend if their money is used towards life experiences.

Spending on the little things in life, like getting ice cream at Farrell’s, or going to the movies on Birch Street, also helps increase someone’s satisfaction. For many people, especially teenagers, socializing is a major part of their lives and daily routines.

By spending money on small pleasures instead of bigger ones, even on a limited budget, anyone is capable of enjoying themselves and this leads a happier and more fulfilling life.

In addition, money can also improve one’s well-being by serving as a stress reliever and providing a sense of stability.

With our tough economy, families all over the country are forced to worry about

confident as those smiling models in the picture, we must wear these outrageous outfits; which are typically not practical and rather silly looking, making us look more like Lady Gaga than who we really are, normal people.

“Money can buy a sense of security, but happiness comes from your surroundings and environment. Money, short term, buys happiness, but long term

that can coincide with spending is not the substantial happiness that lasts forever.

Finding peace within ourselves and remaining true to who we are is what brings the most happiness.

“Money definitely does not buy confidence. Confidence comes from you own self worth, not from what brand you are wearing. Some people think happiness comes easier when you are wealthy, but day to day life is the same if you are wealthy or not. Every day presents challenges and opportunities to make 172 students were polled your own happiness,” happiness is not from material things, but said Katherine from the people you are surrounded by,” Gwaltney, junior. said Caroline Choi, freshman.

We live in a fast-paced society with It is interactions with people, what the ability to access information instantly we do with our lives, and how we choose and to constantly stay connected, which is to live that are the biggest sources of why we all seem to be on a never ending happiness. quest for happiness, a mentality that we You do not always have to feel happy often forget to develop because of the to be happy, a life lesson I learned from constant go go go of our lifestyles.

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen By learning to appreciate what is not Rubin, meaning that you do not have to be bought, but instead the intangible gifts of a constantly bubbly and smiling person to life, we learn how to have true happiness. have happiness.

Not just the quick shopping high that at Happiness comes from within and is the end of the day always ends in the same often times found in the simple things. The way, with unhappiness and dissatisfaction fast paced entertainment and excitement with our lives and with who we are.

debt, and have been stripped of jobs and homes. However, with money, people can eliminate those sources of stress by having the ability to pay their bills and gain financial security, thus giving people peace of mind.

“There is so much stuff that you can buy with money and there is so much less to worry about; you do not need to worry about bills or certain payments, and you will not have that extra sense of stress where you are nervous that you cannot get a bill paid on time or else you will get fined or get something taken away,” said Angie Yim, junior.

Not only can one’s own happiness be achieved through money, but using money to help others, from comforting them with a gift or paying for life saving medical procedures grants happiness.

“If your family gets sick, [with money] you can pay for the best medication and the best treatment which keeps you happy,” said Louie Jota, sophomore.

Spending money to increase the wellbeing of others, donating to charities, and philanthropy are prime examples of how people do not have to spend on themselves in order to be happy.

Many do not realize it, but spending on others raises one’s own level of satisfaction just as much as spending on oneself.

The common belief that money and happiness cannot go together is just a misconception since the majority of people view spending to increase one’s own level of satisfaction on a materialistic level. If people choose to spend on sentimental items instead, happiness will be inevitable.

YES

Can money buy happiness?

“Ne ver hav ing to wor ry abo ut a mortgage, gas pric es, or the stoc k mar ket cra shing will dar n wel l mak e you happy.””

-Todd Cha nne l, Physics teacher-

“[No], mater ial ism ha s for ced peo ple to bel ieve that the on ly way the y wi ll be ha ppy is if the y buy the ne we st pro duc ts. ” -Kate Lon ner, sen ior-

POINT

Can money buy happiness?

34%

SMALL TALK

66%

“Mo ney can not buy happine ss, but it can buy ice cream, and that’s pret ty clos e.”

-Emm ily Jon es, freshma n-

NO

ri

“I think you can buy things with money that will help you get happine ss in whatever way.”

-Yoon Shin Lee, senior-

Fitzgerald criticizes society’s materialism in The Great Gatsby Amidst the rise of consumerism and technology during the 1920s, American society was marked with the idea that money could, indeed, buy happiness. As millions flocked to buy the latest technologies such as cars and radios, there came a prevalent belief that money was synonymous with happiness.

Similarly, many today eagerly await the latest iPads or cars. As a criticism of those who believed that money guaranteed happiness, Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby to criticize materialism and society’s obsession with wealth. Jay Gatsby, the story’s main character, was a man who had an enormous amount of money and a huge mansion, yet was never satisfied with his life.

- Akshay Verma

“No, because it is all abo ut your pers ona lity and relation ship s.”

-Tem itop e Seri ki, soph omore-

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

OPINION

Gendercide a sickening reality KELLIE GALENTINE

STAFF WRITER

Girls are being intentionally starved and becoming emaciated until an untimely demise serves as a symbol of the fact that they have no value. This is the reality for too many young females in countries such as China and India, where the only way to live a fulfilling life is to be male. Millions of females are robbed of the right to live simply because of the fact that they are girls.

According to “Gendercide” by Anne Manne, an article on themonthly.com, in some cities such as Beijing, China, the gender ratio is an astonishing 275 men to every 100 women.

The sickening trend of murdering females has become a problem in terms of gender ratios.

This statistic is linked to the trends coined “gendercide” and “female infanticide” which describe the way in which both unborn females as well as living female infants are killed simply because they are of the “lesser sex.”

An article on economist.com states that, “Baby girls are…victims of a combination of ancient prejudice and preferences for small families.”

These “small families” are the result of a lack of funds within the average home for several children. The “ancient prejudice,” however, is not as commonly known.

“In China, it is said that ‘raising daughters is watering another man’s garden,’ and that ‘a daughter is a thief,’” said Manne.

I am a female. I live in a society where equality between the sexes is not perfect, but is evident that my rights are legally fought for and defended.

The discrimination of females in countries such as China and India, no matter how ancient the practice may be, is highly offensive.

Certain cultures carry these gender values to different parts of the world as they immigrate to different countries, including the U.S. “Even in [my] Arabic culture sons are considered to be better, so the fact that they are aborting their daughters to have sons shows a way that they are trying to improve their social status,” said Brianna Kdeiss, senior.

Luckily, girls in the United States only can sympathize with the women of nations like China and India rather than feel forced to act in similar ways, because in our country females are valued. The people of cultures valuing only men are performing a great injustice

by discarding their girls without even giving them a chance to prove that they are worth keeping.

Despite the fact that ultra-sound procedures are illegal in both China and India, finding out the sex of the baby through underground means is not difficult.

This has lead to an increase of sex-selective abortions which are aimed to limit the births of females.

“According to a 1984 UNICEF report, in one Indian abortion clinic, of 8000 abortions performed, 7997 were female fetuses,” said Manne.

Not only is sex-selective abortion on the rise as technology is embraced to prevent the births of girls, baby girls are also murdered or deserted.

In the article “Female Infanticide” on gendercide. org, Lakshimi from Tamil Nadu, India, is featured.

She killed her second daughter by starving her for three days before poisoning her.

While these mother murderers are placed under an intense amount of pressure to produce sons, the ability of a mother to kill her child is disturbing.

Manne states that “[A woman] may be ostracized, deprived of food, overworked or even beaten if she does not bear sons.”

The reality of many women being that they face the unrealistic expectations to produce boys displays how they are hardened by fear and therefore are able to kill their own precious baby girls to save them from the fate that they have endured by staying alive.

The skewed perception of the women of countries experiencing gendercide is extremely disheartening as all people, no matter the gender, should be able to live without the fear that they are inferior to another sex. It is necessary for women to work towards saving their gender; however, they must also gain respect and value from men in order for any change to occur.

“I think [“gendercide”] can only be improved by the men realizing the women have value, rather than just one side clamoring for change,” said Natalie Law, senior.

Gen · der · cide

‘a gender selective mass killing’

* Over one million girls in China are deliberately killed or deserted each year * Due to gendercide, there are 111 million more boys than girls in China

For every boys

100

...there are girls in China

35

...

=

Source: gendercide.org Compiled by AKSHAY VERMA

The Pledge of Allegiance: Doing what you say BRIANA PERLSON

STAFF WRITER

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

To many, this pledge that we are encouraged to recite twice a week in our second period classes is viewed as the utmost expression of patriotism.

However, simply reciting these words with our hands covering our hearts while gazing at the flag does not truly show one’s loyalty to the United States.

The Pledge was created in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress in 1942 to show our loyalty to the flag and to the United States of America.

But some of us say the words without knowing the meaning or emotion behind them, often reciting the lines with blank faces.

“However, simply reciting these words with our hands covering our hearts while gazing at the flag does not truly show one’s loyalty to the United States.”

When called upon during the bulletin to say the Pledge in second period, some students urge their classmates to stand up and show the flag respect, but most students say the Pledge with slumped shoulders and mumbled words, seemingly both bored with the routine and annoyed at the audacity that they have to actually get up out of their seat twice a week and participate.

And that’s okay because true patriotism is demonstrating one’s loyality to the U.S.A. through volunteering and community involvement, not reciting a centuries-old pledge.

One of the best ways to express one’s patriotism is through voting. Yet only a little over half of all eligible voters actually vote, when voting is literally putting the Pledge’s words into action. Voting in elections, staying informed about current events, and becoming involved in one’s country are better ways to invest in our “one nation,” rather than just saying words that sound good. Because those words mean absolutley nothing until we actually start doing what we are saying.

We say that we support “liberty and justice for all” without truly thinking about the meaning behind the words. Now it is time to go out and participate in the causes that support what we assert each time we recite the pledge, which is what America and true patriotism is all about.

WILDCAT

staff

editorial

During International Week we take the time to celebrate other cultures and the diversity of our student body. However, the celebration should not end with a week’s worth of dress-up days, food fairs and international music. Instead, we should make daily notice of the diversity that surrounds us at BOHS. Our campus is teeming with students from diverse backgrounds who have fascinating stories to share. The Wildcat staff alone includes students who have lived part of their lives in Korea, India, Taiwan, and Great Britain, and others whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Tanzania, Cambodia, China, Uganda, and Japan.

Walk across the quad and many of the students whom you pass hail from Europe, Asia, Central America, and Africa.

Andrea Wang, senior, lived in Spain until she was five years old.

Kevin Jeong, featured on page nine in this issue, moved from his native Korea to Honduras, where he lived for 13 years.

Min Woo Lee, sophomore, was also born in Korea and lived there for six years. He then moved to New Zealand before venturing to the U.S. in 2005.

For Villius Vysniauskas, junior, the biggest change from his life in his home country of Lithuania, where he lived for six years, was the fast pace of life in the States.

“Everything here is a lot more hectic. People are always moving; they are always busy,” said Vysniauskas.

7

Freshman Shabnam Shabafroozan move to America meant much more than adjusting to a quickly moving community.

After living in the theocracy-dominated government of Iran, Shabafroozan appreciates the personal freedoms afforded her by living in the United States, such as not having to wear a head scarf as required by Islam.

Laura Cruz, sophomore, lived in Mexico for nine years before moving to the States.

But our diversity is not only reflected in our student body. Our teachers too have origins in far away places and have rich stories to share of living abroad.

Carlos Camey, Spanish teacher, hails from Guatemala.

Matthew Finnerty, math teacher, and Alex Koers, English teacher, are both originally from England.

Betty Rudd lived in West Africa for two years and Honduras for seven years.

Masako White, Japanese and English as a Second Language teacher, is a native of Shanghai and has lived in Vietnam and Japan.

Every day at BOHS, we walk amongst students and teachers who have rich and diverse pasts and stories to tell of places that span the globe. The appreciation of these cultures—our cultures— should not stop with the end of International Week, but should be celebrated daily.

The Wildcat is the official newspaper of Brea Olinda High School. The opinions expressed in this paper reflect the views of our staff writers and editors.

Unsigned editorials reflect the views 789 Wildcat Way, Brea, CA 92821 of the Wildcat staff. The Brea Olinda Unifed School District has not reviewed, (714) 990-7850 bohs.wildcat.newpaper@gmail.com nor does it endorse, the products or www.facebook.com/theBOHSwildcatnewspaper services advertised.

Matt Schade & Anar Bata...........Co-Editors-in-chief Joy Kim.............................................Managing Editor Paul Lee.....................................................Copy Editor Lois Ahn....................................................News Editor Selina Che.............................................Feature Editor Akshay Verma......................................Opinion Editor Hailey Lee....................................Centerspread Editor Anish Patel................................................A&E Editor Sherman Uyeno......................................Sports Editor Michelle Suh & Amorette Valero.........Photo Editors Grace Chung & Amy Kim............Business Managers Alex Koers........................................................Adviser Staff writers: Erik Benavides, Olivia Chapman, Melinda Chhour, Isaac Chi, Sharon Cho, Jean Chow, Kellie Galentine, David Kang, Alex Kim, Kevin Kim, Lauren Lee, Steven Lee, Vivian Lee, Tim Lim, Lauren Naval, Rachel Park, Briana Perlson, Sandya Sriram, Joseph Yim, Nathan Yoo Photographers: Alanna Arno, Rainee Castillo, Irisa Charles, Julia Eberhardt, Brandon Kim, Kristine Sea, Jessica Yim

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Feature

page 8 March 2, 2012

a small

Melinda Chhour Staff writer

world Emiko Kaneoka, Freshman Hawaii, U.S.A

Although her parents are both Japanese, Kaneoka embraces her grandparents’ Hawaiian culture by performing hula. Kaneoka practices every Sunday at the Haālau Hula Na Meakanu O Laka O Hawai‘i studio in Los Alamitos.

“Recently, I was chosen to do a solo to any song of my choice. I wanted to dedicate the solo to my grandparents because I am so grateful for them exposing me to and teaching me about the Hawaiian culture,” said Kaneoka.

During her performances she wears traditional Hawaiian clothing such as a skirt called a pa’u and accessories such as leis, flowers, and strings of kukui nuts around the head, neck, and wrist.

Whether celebrated as a tradition, passed down through a generation, or pursued through a passion, everyone has a different way of embracing their culture.

Six students, though stemming from different backgrounds, shared with the Wildcat how their unique heritages enable them to celebrate cultural traditions that promote unity and celebration between family and community members. From sacred religious rituals to classical dances, each student shares the commonality of being influenced by their respective historical ancestries.

The idea of celebrating a cultural background as these students have allows an individual to appreciate who they are and celebrate the places they come from.

Villius Vysniauskas, Junior Lithuania

Born in a country where Catholicism is emphasized, Vysniauskas incorporates his Catholic faith when celebrating holidays such as Christmas.

“During our Christmas Eve supper, we set up 12 dishes which represent the 12 apostles of the Catholic family. On Christmas day we put a lot of emphasis on the three kings.

We also inscribe the initials of the three kings and the current year above our doors, for good luck for the new year,” said Vysniauskas.

Many Lithuanian dishes involve meats and potatoes. Vysniauskas’ favorite dishes include cepaliniai, a potato and meat dumpling, and banlandeliai, a stuffed cabbage.

Charlene Chang, Senior Taiwan Discovering her Chinese roots through dance, Chang practices a classical dance called gu dian wu at the Jin Chen studio in Diamond Bar. “I never really knew much about my background until I started dancing.

Dance allowed me to gain an identity” said Chang.

A dance that Chang is currently working on tells a story about traveling through time from the Ming and Han Dynasties to the present day.

“For this dance, we wear diagonal cut tops, headdresses, and pants that go up to our ankles. The movement is very intricate because there are many different sequences and steps.

This dance is special to me because it narrates a lot of Chinese history and culture,” said Chang.

Photo courtesy of CHARLENE CHANG

Katherine Sea, Senior Cambodia Shabnam Shabafroozan, Freshman Iran When going out with her family, Shabafroozan wears colorful headscarves called hijabs as a part of her Muslim faith.

“Usually females are supposed to start wearing their scarves when they turn ten years old. I wear mine on the weekends and also during special holidays such as New Years. Wearing my hijab makes me feel unique and special,” said Shabafroozan.

Iranian cuisine mostly consists of rice and meats. However, Muslims are forbidden from eating dishes associated with pork, unless it is halal, which is when the meat is prepared in a prescribed way.

Shabafroozan’s favorite Iranian dish is joojeh kabab, which is a Persian-style chicken kabob.

Photo courtesy of EMIKO KANEOKA

Eric Candelario, Junior Mexico After being inspired by his uncle, who played soccer for the Mexican National team in the 1970’s, Candelario has been playing soccer since he was five years old.

“Our family watches soccer together almost everytime there is a game. We take a lot of pride in the sport. My favorite team is Chivas de Guadalajara,” said Candelario.

Photo courtesy of ERIC CANDELARIO

An attendee of traditional Cambodian dance classes at Khmer Arts Academy in the city of Long Beach three days a week since age seven, Sea is passionate for a Cambodian classical dance style called apsara.

The apsara dance style usually expresses stories about love, classical myths, or religious stories.

Dancers wear headpieces and costumes that reflect royalty, and hold items such as flower garlands, fans, and gold and silver flowers.

“This style of dance requires a lot of patience and practice. I think apsara is pretty difficult, but the movement is very swift yet empowering, and possesses so much beauty, grace, and elegance,” said Sea.

Photo courtesy of KATHERINE SEA

and An even smaller world...

While BOHS may be considered as diverse among residents, how diverse is it when compared to the rest of the state let alone the country? Demographics show the racial makeup of Brea, California, and the United States.

Racial Makeup of... Brea

racial makeup of... California Racial Makeup of...

8.2% Other 18.2% 25% 61.7%

Source: wikipedia.com

African American

White

Hispanic

White

63.7%

44%

Asian

1.4% African American

2.2%

14.5% Other

U.S.A.

17.9% Asian

16.3%

33.7%

12.2%

Hispanic

White

African American

4.7%

Hispanic Asian

3%

Other

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

Feature

9

Brandon kim / Wildcat Hitched: Marriage among teens is rare and often looked down upon by society. Although sometimes successful, the majority of teen unions end in divorce. Two BOHS students hope to reverse that trend.

Teen marriage rare, but a reality for four teens Joy kim Managing editor Rarely is marriage a concern for the typical teen. Instead, most high school students are focused on getting into college, finding a prom date, or simply hanging out with friends.

While many plan on eventually getting hitched, only 4.5 percent of marriages are among teenagers according to the Census Bureau. Most people marry around ages 25 to 27, partly due to a society that promotes a college education and the establishing of a career before young men and women marry.

For engaged couple Priscilla Gomez and Troy Barrett, freshmen, getting a college degree is one of the reasons they are postponing their marriage until after high school.

Though Gomez has nothing against teen marriage and is committed to Barrett, she has considered her circumstances and understands the importance of stability and education before tying the knot.

“We are not settled yet and I need a job and plan on going to college, so we decided to wait to get married. But if people decide to get married during high school, it is their choice and I do not have a problem with it,” said Gomez.

Providing consistency and stability for the children of teen parents is another impetus for marriage for many girls.

Elizabeth Camacho, sophomore, said her engagement to George Garcia, sophomore, is motivated by the desire to provide a family environment for her daughter, Dahlila.

The marriage will not occur until she is 18, but

she is willing to accept the challenges of marrying young. “[We decided to get engaged] because we love each other and want to be together with our baby girl,” said Camacho.

Teen pregnancy rates are rising, with 34 percent of teenagers becoming pregnant before turning 20.

Although only 21 percent of teen mothers marry, they still constitute a substantial portion of teen marriages because they want the father present and involved in the child’s life.

Yet despite the rise in teen moms, teen marriage is still a rarity.

“Out of the 20 years I have been a counselor, I have seen about a dozen students get married during high school. I only know of one marriage that occurred at Brea in the last seven years I have

been here,” said Becky Marchant, counselor.

People also tend to discourage teen marriage because of the personality changes that occur in males and females between high school and adulthood.

“I think there is a challenge because your maturity level at age 17 or 18 is not the same as it is when you are in your 20’s. Who you are right now and what you enjoy now might change as you get older. You spend a very short portion of your life as a teenager and a very long portion of your life as an adult,” said Marchant.

Though successful teen marriages do exist, society rarely has faith in them. Besides financial struggles, teen married couples must also face a society that discourages such commitments. These four students have accepted the challenges of being engaged or getting married during high school.

Jeong’s travels lead him from Korea, to Honduras, to Brea Lauren Lee Staff writer While many students at BOHS were born overseas and immigrated to the U.S., only Kevin Jeong, junior, can claim a lengthy stay in Honduras as part of his journey.

Jeong was born in Korea and lived there until the age of two. The only language he knew how to speak was Korean. So when his father’s textile business moved to Honduras, Jeong was forced to learn a second language, Spanish.

According to Jeong, his everyday life in Honduras was stressful due to school. Jeong was challenged by classes in which only Spanish was spoken.

“It was hard for me to learn so many new languages at once because when I was in school I would speak English and Spanish and then after school I would go to my tutor’s house and learn French and then finally go home and speak Korean with my parents. It was hard juggling around everything,” said Jeong.

But despite the hardships, Jeong was an eager learner and eventually, he became accustomed to switching languages..

“Language has always fascinated me and I want to go into business with my dad so it is important for me to learn because I will never know where this job will take me next in life,” said Jeong.

Two and a half months ago, and 13 years after moving from Korea to Honduras, Jeong was forced to move again, this time to Brea, Calif.

Having to adjust to a new culture and yet another language has also again proved challenging “Kevin was always very outgoing and loud and never limited himself to anything,” said Cristina Obregon, a friend of Jeong’s from Honduras.

“Hearing about his life in America, it feels like he is the complete opposite and now seems shy and not as open to trying new things and his schedule does not seem as busy as it used to be.”

“When I first arrived at Brea, I was

happy to see people [of the same race], but it was still hard to adjust because of my language barrier. English is my third language and I get frustrated having to explain myself again because the person couldn’t understand me because of my accent,” said Jeong.

Jeong’s best friend, Vidal Villela, also moved from Honduras to America.

He is currently living in Texas and experienced a phase similar Jeong’s.

“I remember when I first got here and everything looked and felt so

different. I felt so awkward not knowing anyone and having to start over but over time it got easier. Kevin is just adjusting right now and he is a strong- willed kid so he will eventually learn to adapt,” said Villela.

From Korea to Honduras to America, Jeong is still learning things everyday and adjusting to the cultural changes.

Jeong hopes to one day go back to Honduras and start his dad’s business there once again, but for now, he is embracing life in Brea, Calif.

Fast Facts

How many languages does Jeong speak?

Jeong speaks four languages: Korean, Spanish, English, and French.

Where has Jeong lived?

Jeong has lived in South Korea, Honduras, and Brea.

How many miles has Jeong traveled to get to Brea?

To get from Korea to Honduras to Brea, Jeong travled 10,526.5 miles.

Photos courtesy of Kevin Jeong Two different worlds: (Left to right) Kevin Jeong, junior, spends time with friends from Honduras while having lunch at Burger King. Jeong (right) supports his father’s company at a local park in Korea with his brother and mother two years ago.

10

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

CENTERSPREAD

Suh (‘11) indulges in love of Korean delicacies

Foods Around the World As a melting pot of cultures from across the globe, the United States is home to a wide variety of dishes, ranging from the classic American cheeseburger to exotic Asian cuisine. In an attempt to discover the best not-so-familiar delicacies, members of the Wildcat staff visited local ethnic restaurants.

NAAN (Indian bread), SAMOSA (potatoes, onions, peas, coriander, and lentils filled deep-fried snack), DAAL (lentil soup more commonly known as “curry”), KHEER (rice pudding)

Popular foods

GALBI (marinated short ribs), KIMCHI (fermented spicy cabbage), BIH BIHM BAHP (combination of rice, vegetables, egg, and pepper paste), DDUK BOH GIH (rice cakes and fish cakes in hot sauce) Cham Soot Gol 8552 Beach Blvd.

Buena Park

Torch 7850 Beach Blvd.

Buena Park

Recommended Restaurants Star BBQ 8295 Garden Grove Blvd.

Garden Grove

Myung Dong 1000 N Euclid St. Anaheim

European Popular foods

Popular foods

BAGUETTE (French bread), ESCARGOT (cooked land snails), SWEET CREPE (thin pancake with whipped cream and strawberries), POT AU FEU (beef stew with sausage, vegetables, beef, and spices)

UDON (rice noodles in flavored broth), SASHIMI (raw fish on rice wrapped in seaweed), RAMEN (noodles in flavored broth), SHABU-SHABU (meat fondue)

Recommended Restaurants

Crepes de Paris 275 W Birch St. Brea

Fuji Grill 101 W Imperial Hwy. Brea

Popular foods

PHO (rice noodles in beef broth), SPRING ROLLS (noodles and shrimp with fresh vegetables wrapped in rice paper), BANH MI (sandwich containing pork and vegetable)

BURRITO (meat, lettuce, cheese, and salsa wrapped in tortilla), TAMALE (meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, chilies wrapped in masa), QUESADILLA (cheese and chicken folded in tortilla), GUACAMOLE (avocado dip)

Recommended Restaurants

Recommended Restaurants

Kim Loan 1651 W Orangethorpe Ave. Fullerton

La Barca De Jalisco 151 W Whittier Blvd.

La Habra

Table Manners

American

Indian

3%

Other

14%

Although I was born and raised in the United States, my Korean ethnicity defines who I am, as well as the food I eat.

The first language I learned was Korean.

And the food I was also brought up on weren’t hamburgers, hot dogs, or other typical American fare, it was Korean food. Ranging from small, simple dishes to accompany a bowl of piping hot rice, to large savory stews of meat and vegetables that are placed in the middle of the table and shared with everyone present, Korean food reminds me of my childhood, of days long gone by, of innocence and freedom.

Korean food also serves as a sort of “soul food” for me now, as life at UC Riverside increasingly separates me from consuming it more often.

Korean food also tastes better in Korea, as the culture is what defines the food in the first place. During my visit to Korea last summer, I’m pretty sure I gained at least ten pounds because of all the dduhk bohk gih, soohn deh, and jjih geh I ate.

Korea is incredibly hot and humid during the summer, so staying hydrated is critical. Luckily, Korea has a variety of beverages to enjoy like shikeh, a rice-based drink; some ice-cold Citron tea; or my personal favorite, Banana Milk, which is just milk with artificial banana flavoring but is incredibly delicious and addicting.

Due to the heat of the summer months, most restaurants house large air conditioning units that blast cold air all day long, allowing patrons to enjoy their food without the intensity of the heat.

Food I enjoy during this time of year is be mul naengmyon, buckwheat noodles in cold beef broth garnished with cucumber, hardboiled egg, and thin beef slices; or bibimbap, rice mixed with a variety of vegetables, meat, sesame oil and red pepper paste. And what kind of Korean would forget to eat patbingsoo, a shaved ice dessert topped with sweetened red beans, fruit, condensed milk, rice cake, and ice cream or frozen yogurt, which can help you tolerate the summer heat?

Although I enjoyed eating in restaurants, my favorite meals were always the ones cooked by the matriarchs in my family, women who have seemingly mastered their own styles of Korean cuisine, while adjusting accordingly to our family’s specific tastes. Eating their meals made me feel at home even though I was just a visitor, reminding me that this is where the origins of my culture come from.

Though I am a United States citizen and call Brea my home, I am also a Korean who is proud of his heritage, and loves his culture’s food.

Strange foods of the world Turtle

Turtles are a popular soup ingredient in China. The shells are often removed and used as bowls when they are eaten.

13%

15%

Japanese

Durango Mexican Grill 730 E Imperial Hwy. Brea

Always keep hands in sight. Do not start eating until the hostess starts to eat and leave some food on the plate after the meal.

Korean

7%

Pepe’s 655 S Brea Blvd.

Brea

Table Manners

The bowl is held close to the face and the utensils are put down while talking or taking a break.

248 students polled

Cafe Casse Croute 656 S Brookhurst St. Anaheim

North American

Popular foods

Students’ favorite foods

La Vie En Rose 240 S State College Blvd.

Brea

Before eating bread, tear it into bite-sized pieces and wipe your plate with bread after each course. Also, keep your hands on the table at all times.

“Itadakimasu” is said before eating. It means “I gratefully receive.”

“Gochisosama” is said after eating, which means “thank you for the meal.”

Pho Olivia 2466 E Chapman Ave Fullerton

Recommended Restaurants

Table Manners

Table Manners

Pho Ha 1619 E Imperial Hwy Brea

Punjabi Tandoor Diamond Palace Cuisine of India 327 S Anaheim Blvd.

1241 Grand Ave. Anaheim Diamond Bar

Use right hand when receiving and eating food. Food is generally eaten with the fingers

“Jahl muhk geh sehm nih dah” is said before eating. It means “I will eat well.”

“Jahl muh guh sehm nih dah” is said after eating, which means “I have eaten well.”

Ojiya 15904 E Gale Ave. Hacienda Heights

Recommended Restaurants

Table Manners

Table Manners

Akasaka Restaurant 14926 Clark Ave. Hacienda Heights

CHRIS SUH (‘11) Guest contributor

Popular foods

Asian

11

Italian

Cockroach Giant cockroaches are a Thai delicacy.

21%

Balut egg

Deer Antler

Mexican

26%

Live octopus

French

1%

Live, baby octopi are a popular dish in Korea.

They are often dipped in soy sauce or pepper paste.

Deer antlers are ground into a fine powder and used in herbal medicines in Asia.

A half-formed chicken Monkey brain egg is eaten in the Monkey brains are eaten Philippines. cooked, raw, or spooned fresh out of live monkeys’ skull in China.

Photos by MICHELLE SUH and BRANDON KIM / Wildcat Complied by PAUL LEE and HAILEY LEE I Illustrations by HAILEY LEE

12

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

FEATURE

Contreras recovering from rare skin affliction Selina che Feature editor With the advances in modern medicine and easy access to countless brands of over-the-counter drugs at the local pharmacy, being able to treat illnesses ranging from a sinus infection to bronchitis is not a challenge for many.

Though it is commonly believed that medication will cure the ailment, sometimes it causes the illness instead, as Tyler Contreras, sophomore, discovered when he was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. “[Stevens-Johnson disease] is terrible. Even though I only have [the disease] on ten percent of my body and others have it worse, it is really hard.

I have to stay in a wheelchair and I cannot go outside. It is just so painful,” said Contreras.

According to mayoclinic.com, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, though not contagious, is an extremely rare and potentially deadly disorder which stimulates one’s skin and mucous membranes to react severely to medication or an infection.

Signs of the disorder begin with symptoms similar to those of the flu.

These indications are followed by painful rashes and blisters, which ultimately cause the skin cells and the top layer of one’s skin to die and shed off.

“At first, I did not know what Stevens-Johnson syndrome was. I had never heard of [the disease], but whatever you call it something was

Photo courtesy of Tyler contreras Friendly support: Tyler Contreras, sophomore, is flanked by friends Evan Rybovic (left) and Matthew Grover (right), sophomores. Contreras is afflicted with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare illness that kills skin cells.

causing him indescribable pain,” said Cathy Brito, Contreras’s mother. “It was not until I did a Google search of Stevens-Johnson syndrome that I realized that there was a name for his affliction. On top of that, [the research] said that Stevens-Johnson is a lifethreatening disease. At that point I was in complete disbelief. My son was afflicted with this rare disease? When I researched further and found articles that explained that this malady brings horrible effects and tremendous pain, I made the mistake of looking at images

in Google. [I was in] shock and utter horror.”

According to Brito, Contreras was diagnosed approximately one month ago after receiving antibiotics to treat a sinus infection.

He was being treated with a type of sulfonamide medication called Bactrim, and soon after finishing it, signs of the disease began to appear.

“I thought [the symptom] was a rash at first, so I went to Urgent Care.

Soon [the doctors] sent me to a hospital in Los Angeles and I found out that I

had Stevens-Johnson. Doctors told me that I just have to get through it,” said Contreras.

According to mayoclinic.com, recovery from the disease can take

Fast Facts

weeks or months depending on the severity of the condition.

Fortunately for Contreras, doctors recognized the symptoms of StevensJohnson at an early stage and took decisive measures to get him treated immediately.

After switching from his initial hospital to PICU, or Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Contreras’s process towards recovery began promptly, with multiple drugs, such as Protezone, distributed to him through IV. “[Tyler] has been getting well pretty fast. I remember when I first saw him in his L.A. hospital, he looked really bad.

Then I had visited him a week later and he looked fine and was able to walk again,” said Evan Rybovic, sophomore, and friend of Contreras. “My friends and I have been supporting Tyler throughout the disease; we even made him a huge ‘Get Well Soon!’ card.”

For now, with the support of his friends and family, Contreras is continuing his journey towards a complete recovery at home.

Since his time in the hospital, he has maintained a positive attitude and remains optimistic that he will be able to return to campus soon and participate in every day activities once again.

What is Stevens-Johnson syndrome?

source: mayoclinic.com

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a disorder where one’s skin and mucous membranes react severely to a medication or an infection.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include facial swelling, a red or purple rash, hives, and blisters.

How long does it take to recover?

Recovery can take weeks or months depending on the severity of the condition.

Khatri pursues fashion; earns early acceptance into FIDM Akshay verma Opinion editor As many seniors frantically search for prospective college and majors, Tejal Khatri, junior, already has a definite idea of which college she will attend and the career she will pursue.

Next fall, Khatri will attend Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) to pursue a career in fashion.

FIDM is a private college with several campuses across California, including ones in Irvine, San Diego, and Los Angeles. The university offers several fashion-affiliated majors,

including visual communications, merchandising, and fashion design.

Her journey to admission required two interviews with admission officers, numerous essays and outlines about the reasons she wished to major in visual communications, and a three-part project, all of which culminated her acceptance in January.

Tina Takahasi, admissions adviser at FIDM, said, “Tejal was accepted because of her hard work and of course her passion. She is a great student and not only strong academically but also because of her effort and self discipline.”

Photo courtesy of Tejal Khatri Passion for fashion: Tejal Khatri, junior, displays her “Outfit of the Day” for her fashion blog, Eye-Breathe-Fashion.

Khatri appreciates the career opportunities that FIDM has to offer and is “excited” to attend a college dedicated solely to her future career.

“The best thing about FIDM is that it goes right into its major-related classes. After two years, I can get an AA degree. My major will be visual communications, where everything is hands-on and I will create window displays and organize events. It is a very broad major with several career options. I plan to do all four years [at FIDM] and become a fashion stylist,” said Khatri.

Khatri’s primary inspiration for wanting to pursue fashion is her grandfather, who used to be a tailor when Khatri was a child. She became fond of the creativity that her grandfather put into designing clothes and today wishes to emulate his craft of fashion designing in her own career.

Part of developing this career is through helping others develop their own unique fashion styles.

“Tejal’s main objective for styling is to make people feel good about themselves and that is rewarding to her,” said Takahashi.

Khatri’s passion for fashion is evident through much of her endeavors.

As Fashion Club president and its founder, she works closely with FIDM to promote the university’s special events while also hosting her own fashion-related events.

“We raise money, do creative projects, and have guest speakers. We also attend special events such as the FIDM Debut Runway Show, which is an annual event that will take place this March,” said Khatri.

To the members of the fashion club and Khatri’s friends, her creativity and

desire to cultivate interest in fashion is evident.

“It is great that she is pursuing her dreams. [FIDM] fits her so well and her acceptance makes perfect sense. FIDM is truly lucky to have her,” said Bhavini Ahir, junior, and Khatri’s friend.

“I am proud to say that Tejal is a prime example of a student that will be successful in this industry because she

has the passion, the motivation, and she is willing to work hard for what she wants. She is now part of our FIDM family,” shared Takahashi.

Khatri’s deep interest in fashion and effort to share her knowledge and passion with peers stood out to FIDM admission officers. Khatri now has a head start in pursuing her career and has a firm ground in her future.

Advertisement

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

13

A &E

page 14 March 2, 2012 February 2, 2011

Cultural backgrounds influence diverse art KEVIN KIM Staff writer While artists are influenced by many different things, a handful of artists at BOHS are influenced by their very own cultural heritages.

Gabriel Ramos, senior, said he is influenced by traditional Filipino surreal art. By mixing surrealism with traditionalism, Ramos said he can easily produce creative drawings of his nation’s wildlife.

Traditional Filipino surreal art began in the postWorld War II era when a group of Filipino abstract painters challenged the strict traditional artists.

These visionaries sought to bring surrealism to the Philippines, according to asianartnow.com.

“I love traditional Filipino surreal art. This style really has no other restrictions other than me drawing about the Philippines,” Ramos said. “In my recent art, I drew what I call a ‘pencil shark’—essentially a Filipino shark with a pencil body. I can get creative in depicting my nation’s culture, and that’s what I love the most.”

Angela Lee, junior, said she draws influence from her Korean background for her portraits. Lee said Korean contemporary art, a style that relies on heavy painting with bright colors, allows her to execute the powerful, yet colorful, concepts.

“The Korean culture is all about solid yet contrasting colors. One may see the same color sequence and concept applied to the South Korean national flag,” Lee said. “Korean contemporary art practically follows the same format, except the artists have the freedom of drawing modern materials with our usage of heavy painting and brushing.”

Korean contemporary art culture began during the 1950’s when Korean modern artists broke away from traditional Korean painting. These artists desired to escape the traditional use of thick brushes and black ink by using brushes of different thickness and color in paintings, according to every culture.com.

Delaina Hofacre, art teacher, has dedicated her career to teaching her students art from different cultures. Hofacre said there is no other job she would

“I strive to continually develop new lessons that teach art in ways that encourage my students to take pride in their own cultural identity, while gaining respect and appreciation for the art of other cultures...”

2

1

Delaina Hofacre, art teacher rather have than exploring the different artistic mediums of the world.

“I strive to continually develop new lessons that teach art in ways that encourage my students to take pride in their own cultural identity, while gaining respect and appreciation for the art of other cultures,” Hofacre said. “I want them to become familiar with the ‘intentions’ of the artists who played a cultural role in helping to tell stories of the society in which they lived.”

Hofacre loves teaching a subject that she is passionate about and especially enjoys working with young people in high school.

“I am excited by my students’ reactions when they accomplish what they thought they could never do in art, and am amazed by their creativity when they are given a visual or conceptual problem to solve,” said Hofacre.

All the art cultures should be explored with detail, and no culture should be forgotten. She noted that she is always excited by her students’ different reactions towards various cultures’ art.

“Students have to familiarize themselves with the intentions of their chosen artist in regards to their roles in society,” explained Hofacre. “Our students have successfully created works that we can all relate to in the cultural styles of Korean contemporary painters and traditional Filipino surreal artists, to name a few.”

She added, “When 3D Design studied Inuit sculpture, the class came to identify the intention of the Inuit artists to carve symbols that told of their culture’s interdependence and respect for nature and animals as well as their deep respect for spiritual icons.”

3

5

4

Photos by MICHELLE SUH and BRANDON KIM / Wildcat

Eye of the artist: 1. Delaina Hofacre, teacher, in front of her students’ drawings. 2. Angela Lee, junior, designs a contemporary painting. 3. Gabriel Ramos, senior, focuses on shading detail and drawing technique. 4. Ramos’ Filipino influence is evident in his “Pencil Shark” drawing. 5. Lee’s “Life Underwater” portrait reflects her Korean roots.

YouTube opens doors for Asian American entertainers JOSEPH YIM Staff writer More than ever, Asian Americans are utilizing YouTube to broadcast their talents to vast audiences and to jump-start their careers. “(We) found that 87 percent of Asian Americans used the Internet in 2010, more than any other major demographic group. 51 percent of Asian Americans use YouTube at least weekly,” said Kent A. Ono, Professor of Asian Americans studies at the University of Illinois, according to the New York Times.

For Marvin Momongan, senior, Asian American artists on YouTube inspired him to begin his own channel and share his music.

“Dancing and music became more than a hobby for me because of famous Asian American YouTubers.

They showed me that although I’m Asian American, performing can still be my passion. This led me to B-boy club and sharing music on campus,” said Momongan.

Two examples of Asian Americans who have embraced YouTube include Michelle Phan and Kevin Wu. Before internet fame on YouTube, Phan was turned down from a job at Lancôme. She then turned to YouTube to express her love for fashion and makeup.

Phan has since become the most-subscribed woman in the history of the site with over 1.5 million followers in her fan base. This led to her career as a spokeswoman for Lancôme, according to nytimes.c om.

Wu also started his YouTube career by believing that Asian Americans can be an influential force in American media.

blogamole.tr3s.com

Quest for fame: Quest Crew members (left) Hok Konishi, (middle) Ryan “Ryanimay” Conferido, and (right) Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval have had great success as Asian American dancers on YouTube.

The group has elevated their fame as winners of Season 3 of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew.

“I’ll talk about things that Asians don’t like to talk about,” Wu said. “We’re a new breed of Asian American, and I’m a representative of that.”

With his humor and charisma, Wu has met athletes like Jeremy Lin, and taught the NBA sensation how to start off his own YouTube page called “TheJlin7”.

Wu has inspired Nathaniel Valdez, junior, to gain fame through YouTube. He pursues this through posting videos of his music covers and comedy shorts “Kevin is hilarious in his videos, and shows that,

although he is Asian American, he can stand out. This made me realize that I could have a chance in media, and start off as something fresh to watch. There are many videos on YouTube that express the same point as I am , but people like Kevin show me that although I am Asian American, I could be successful,” said Valdez.

Other influential YouTubers include Korean musician David Choi, who started his career on YouTube as a result of his fear of disgracing his family’s belief in success only in education.

“My mom said, ‘If you become a musician, you’re going to be poor.’ That sort of stuck with me, but this is something I wanted to do. I chose it and worked really hard trying to get to where I can support myself,” said Choi in an interview on voanews.com.

Since then, Choi has inspired many aspiring Asian American musicians, becoming the ninth most-subscribed musician on a YouTube channel and working with Kellogg’s, Starburst, Samsung, and JC Penney.

“David Choi’s rise from unknown to famous YouTuber inspired me to start my covers on YouTube.

This showed me that Asian Americans can perform and gain recognition. YouTube is great since it lets people see raw talent from different cultures, and it also gives an equal opportunity between ethnicities,” said Samuel Choi, sophomore.

YouTube additionally allows Asian Americans to become involved in cross-cultural shows like America’s Best Dance Crew, where dance group Quest Crew won the competition. Quest Crew was also featured in LMFAO’s music video “Party Rock Anthem” as the main choreographer of the popular shuffling dance. The video has gained more than 380 million views.

This paved the way for Asian American students to prove that although they are a minority, they are finding major success online.

“Quest Crew’s dancing moved me to post videos on YouTube of myself dancing and singing. The crew’s success is amazing, and makes me wish I can reach that standard of fame one day. Although a career in music and dance is really competitive, I can see those famous Asian American YouTubers as a role model for teenagers like me,” said Timothy Ahn, junior.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Oscars highlight cinematic success ANISH PATEL A&E editor

Director Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist swept the competition as it received five Oscars on Sunday’s 84th annual Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood. The winner topped films, including Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, and War Horse. The black-and-white film won all three top awards it was nominated for, including Best Motion Picture.

The Artist details the life of a silent movie star in the 1920s whose career is destroyed as he refuses to accept sound films, or “talkies.”

“A solid success overseas if a modest one in the United States, The Artist ruled a heavily nostalgic awards show Sunday,” said Michael Phillips in an article on chicagotribune.com.

Other awards recognized the accomplishments of Gore Verbinski (Best Animated Feature Film for Rango), Octavia Spenser (Best Supporting Actress for The Help), Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor for Beginners), and Bret McKenzie (Best Original Song for The Muppets).

Host Billy Crystal presented a pre-recorded video in which actors Morgan Freeman, Adam Sandler, and Steve Carell comically discussed their recollections on their first films and their best movie experiences.

In an article on latimes.com, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak said, “Bringing Billy back home [was] a good thing. He’s funny. He’s a comic by trade and he’s an iconic Oscar host.”

Additionally, the Academy presented a

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

15

#that awkward moment when Shawn_Johnson Senior

“You get kicked out from every basketball game for having too much spirit.”

#yolo

Kathleen_Santos

Freshman

“Ms. Matyuch sings ‘I Got the Power’ into the gym microphone.” #takeiteasy

Payal_Shah

csmonitor.com

Silence is golden: The Artist beat eight movies for the top award, Best Motion Picture, at the Oscars

Senior

“People call you ‘Pay-pal.’”

that took place on Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. memorium, celebrating the lives of motion picture greats who passed away this year. Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding performed “What a Wonderful World” during this remembrance.

“Her singing with the chorus in the background was moving, and set the perfect tone for the memorium,” said Roxanne Clark, senior.

Not surprisingly, the awards were presented in typical “Oscar manner”, including a grand string orchestra and elaborate stage presentation.

“The Oscars definitely still held an atmosphere of great talent in celebration of the amazing films of this year,” said Isabel Moskowitz, junior and aspiring actress.

“And the Oscar goes to...”

Motion Picture: The Artist Leading Actor: Jean Dujardin Leading Actress: Meryl Streep Director: Michel Hazanavicius Foreign Language Film:

A Separation

Costume Design: Mark Bridges

#notmyname

Akshay_Verma Junior

“Your AP Chem lab results show a 28,000 percent error.” #nerdproblems

Samantha_Maurris Sophomore

“When Rotblum plays Taylor Swift during class.” #countrysuperstar Compiled by ANISH PATEL

Bishops appear on Family Feud VIVIAN LEE

Staff writer Grant Bishop (‘ll) calls out an answer with the cheers of his family supporting his decision on Family Feud. The host, Steve Harvey, jokes with Bishop as the audience laughs to lighten the mood of the fierce competition.

Harvey points to the screen and says the words “Survey said.” The answer, with a number next to it, appears on the board with the ring of a bell and the Bishops yell in excitement during an episode that aired on Feb. 9.

Family Feud is a game show where two families compete against each other in answering survey questions. The point system is based on the number equivalent to the number of people that responded with the same answer in the survey. At the end of the show, one family member from the team faces each other in a sudden death match.

Bishop and his family applied online to participate on the show, and once they were screened by the producers, were invited to an audition that involved a stimulated game of Family Feud against another family.

A few weeks later, the Bishops received a

letter from the show saying that Family Feud was interested in having them compete. The next step for the Bishops was to prepare for the show and to ensure that they knew what to expect during the taping of the episode.

“Before we went, I quizzed [my family] and helped them practice by using online sources of used Family Feud questions,” said Cameron Bishop, sophomore, who did not appear, but went with the family to support them.

After preparation, the family flew to Atlanta where the filming took place.

“We still didn’t know that we were going to be on the show and had to go on another tryout.

After the fourth filming, we finally knew that were going to appear on the show,” said Marsha Bishop, Grant’s mother.

The Bishops did not win the game, but left Atlanta with plenty of memories. Despite the long process, the Bishops responded that the show was a great experience and loved the family-bonding time they had together.

“We honestly just had a lot of fun. We basically got a free vacation to Atlanta. Despite losing our Family Feud game, the whole experience was extremely fun,” said Grant.

Photo courtesy of Marsha Bishop

Family game night: (far right) Grant Bishop (‘11) and family, with host Steve Harvey, participate in the game show, Family Feud. Although they lost, the Bishops had an “extremely fun” experience.

jammer.squarespace.com Miyazaki’s most recent film, The Secret World of Arrietty, was released in North America on Feb. 17 and has currently earned $8,684,864 at the U.S. box office.

From

japan to america:

Arrietty another Miyazaki masterpiece

NATHAN YOO Staff writer When it comes to vibrant and touching animated films, Disney is not the only company that can produce a masterpiece. Through Studio Ghibli, Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has created countless animated classics. The most recent of these films, The Secret World of Arrietty, was released on Feb. 17.

Since the 1998 release of Kiki’s Delivery Service, a film about a young witch, Disney has distributed Miyazaki’s films in English for Americans to enjoy.

The Secret World of Arrietty, which came out in Japan in 2010, was ninth in the box office, adding $6,446,395 from its opening weekend to its worldwide earnings of $135,513,686.

The Secret World of Arrietty tells the tale of little people, called “Borrowers,” and their struggle to survive in a big world. The English voice-over features the talents of American celebrities such as Amy Poehler, who voices Arrietty’s mother, and David Henrie from Wizards of Waverly Place, who voices Shawn, an inhabitant of Arrietty’s house.

The film retains the trademark of a classic Studio Ghibli movie, where an ordinary human, Shawn, steps out of the mundane and stumbles upon the myth of the Arrietty and the Borrowers.

Studio Ghibli’s fluorescent imagery in its

hand-drawn 2D animation challenges the idea that CGI-animated and 3D movies will make cartoon films obsolete. Kenneth Turan from the LA Times praised the film for its “reverence for the natural world and the ability to reproduce it in ravishing, hand-drawn animation detail.”

For example, since the Borrowers are about two inches in size, the miniature world of the Borrowers is illustrated down to the minute motions of wavering blades of grass or the antennae of a wandering ladybug.

The Secret World of Arrietty and other Miyazaki films recently released in America such as Ponyo are directed towards a younger audience.

Although Arrietty lacks intense action scenes, the Borrowers’ mechanical contraptions provide more than enough imagery for all viewers to admire.

“I think [Miyazaki’s] films were such a hit that they have to be recognized even in America,” said Stacey Jung, junior. “They are impacting Americans in a positive way because his films [overflow] with imagination and great themes.”

Sometimes called the “Walt Disney of Japan,” Miyazaki opens up a new world of animation with the mechanical and cultural inventions of his movie-making repertoire.

Anyone with an appreciation for Miyazaki’s works will not be disappointed by his latest release.

Brilliantly executed and filled with vivid imagery, Arrietty fully embodies Miyazaki’s prowess.

Sports

page 16 March 2, 2012

Brea Olinda High Winter Sports B. Basketball

• Brea Olinda Woodbridge

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B. Basketball

Brea Olinda • Bonita

the Tape 2/17

44 59

G. Basketball

• Brea Olinda Long Beach Poly

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49 43

G. Basketball

2/25

• Brea Olinda Edison

72 49

B. Soccer

2/14

Brea Olinda • Sonora

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B. Soccer

CIF WINTER SPORTS

Photos by BRANDON KIM and AMORETTE VALERO / Wildcat

Playoff frenzy: (Left) Nick Ceja, senior, drives past the El Dorado defense, helping the Wildcats to a 59-47 victory. (Middle) Tanner Engelage, senior, cuts the ball against Villa Park High School. (Right) Nick Ozima, senior, regains dominance as he pins an El Dorado Golden Hawk.

Four winter sports teams qualify for postseason ERIK BENAVIDES & MELINDA CHHOUR Staff writers For winter sports teams, the Wildcats experienced a wide spectrum of playoff entries. The Ladycats finished as outright league champions claiming the number one seed, while boys’ soccer entered the playoffs during the eleventh hour as an At-Large.

Though finishing fifth in league, boys’ basketball earned a playoff spot by early preseason success.

Wrestling joined in the playoff frenzy by qualifying two Wildcats in the CIF-SS Master’s Meet. Despite four winter sports teams qualifying, only the Ladycats remain on the road to the CIF Championship.

Wrestling Seniors Jacob Castillo and Augie Oropeza failed to advance to the CIF state tournament during the CIF Southern Section (SS) Master’s Meet on Feb. 24-25 at Temecula Valley High School. Oropeza went 1-2 while Castillo went 3-3.

Only the top nine in each weight class advanced to Bakersfield for the state tournament, March 2-3.

CIF Individuals took place Feb.17-18 in the BOHS gym. Castillo and Oropeza placed third in their weight classes among 32 other wrestlers.

In addition to Castillo and Oropeza, seniors Ryan O’ Connor, Nick Ozima, Cole Willison, and juniors Devin Lamas, Tony Martinez, and Josh Vizcaya, qualified for CIF Individuals. Ozima and Willison placed sixth overall.

“It felt great to qualify for CIF, and it was even greater that I was able to place sixth among 32 other talented wrestlers. However, it was unfortunate that only the top five got to move on to the Master’s Meet,” said Willison.

Varsity came in sixth place out of seven teams during Century League finals Feb. 4 at El Modena High School. Only the top four teams advanced to CIF team finals.

Feargus McTeggart, head wrestling coach, said,

“I think we did really well considering the toughness of our league.”

For individual rankings, Oropeza was declared league champion. Castillo, O’Connor, and Willison each placed second, while Ozima, Lamas, and Vizcaya, placed fourth.

With no qualifiers for the state tournament, the varsity wrestlers faced the end of their season.

Boys’ Soccer After what seemed to be the end of the Wildcats’ season, the Wildcats were entered into the preliminary rounds of CIF-SS Division II as a wildcard.

The Wildcats competed against the other Century league teams and finished fifth with a record of 5-6-1.

However, the El Modena Vanguards had illegally participated in four league matches, allowing the Wildcats to boost their record to 6-5-1 and place third in league.

Because of the league’s decision to penalize El Modena, the Wildcats were entered into CIF and were pitted against the Sonora Raiders.

The Raiders prevailed over the Wildcats in the 3-1 game, knocking the Wildcats out of CIF. “We were disorganized in the beginning, but we gained possession of our game later,” said Kyle Eurich, junior.

In the first half, the Wildcats went down 1-0, giving up an early goal to the Raiders.

“On defense, our plan was to shut down their two main attacking threats and keep the ball out of the net,” said Daniel Fuller, junior. “When we gave up the early goal, it prevented us from really sticking to our game plan. We needed to do exactly what Sonora did and score early because we knew from past experience that they were a team that gives up after being scored on.”

The Wildcats scored once in the second half, only to have the Raiders’ score two more goals. ““The hardest part leading up to game was

2/9

Foothill Brea Olinda

decision of whether to start our senior lineup in the wildcard game against Sonora or our original lineup that got us into CIF,” said Matt Schade, senior. “We came out with our original lineup and got scored on within five minutes. We came out way too flat and simply did not play like it was CIF.” Despite the early loss in the Wildcats’ CIF run, the team showed great poise in achieving a playoff berth on the last game of the regular season.

“When we heard the opportunity to compete in one more game we were tremendously proud,” said Schade. “We wanted that CIF wildcard win more than anything because we put so much into our last game.”

0 0

G. Soccer

• Brea Olinda El Dorado

2/6

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LADYCATS from page 1

Spears’ doubledouble leads Ladycats to victory over Jackrabbits “We focused on coming out and playing good defense. Because they were a fast team we prevented them from going inside,” said Keitra Wallace, senior, who finished the night with 13 points and six rebounds.

However, Wallace’s most important play of the night was not highlighted on the stat sheet as she came away with a last minute steal.

Going into the fourth quarter the Ladycats held a comfortable nine point lead; however, the Jackrabbits finally broke down the Ladycats’ defense as they cut the lead to 43-41 with two minutes left.

The Ladycats lead remained at two, 45-43 with 14.1 seconds left. After Anna Kim, junior, grabbed the rebound, Jasmine Sauser, senior, was fouled and sent to the free-throw line.

“I was just focusing on staying relaxed,” said Sauser on her hitting her last second free throws to put the team up 47-43 with 12.2 seconds left.

As the Jackrabbits stared at an early exit from their playoff run, they went to King hoping for a last second miracle. However, Wallace made sure there were no last second heroics on this night as she stole the ball from King and beat the buzzer with a layup to give the Ladycats a 49-43 victory.

“When [Wallace] gets that steal I’m thinking, ‘OK, grab it with two hands, be fundamental and let’s be sure it’s our ball,’” said Cram-Torres in an interview on ocvarsity.com.

With the victory over the Jackrabbits, the Ladycats secured not only another opportunity at a CIF-SS Championship, but also a rematch with the nationally ranked Mater Dei Monarchs.

Although the Monarchs lost the former number one player in the nation to graduation, many feel that they hold a stronger squad than last year. Jordan Adams and Nirra Fields, seniors, lead the Monarchs and are ranked as the sixth and eleventh best players in the country, respectively, by ESPNU HoopGurlz.

“We want to control the tempo of the game. You cannot let them go on huge runs. You have to keep them at striking distance at all times,” said CramTorres.

Boys’ Basketball For the second consecutive season the Wildcats qualified for the CIF Division 3AAA playoffs and for the second time in two years, the Wildcats sailed easily past their first round matchup only to find themselves outplayed in the second round.

A 60-50 first round road win over Woodbridge gave the Wildcats confidence that they had lost when closing the regular season with only one win in five Century League games. The road would end just shortly thereafter, with the Wildcats taking the short bus ride to Sonora High School to meet the Hacienda League Champion Bonita Bearcats. Bonita dominated, dropping the Wildcats 59-44 and knocking them out of playoff contention.

Despite the loss, the Wildcats transitioned into a new team. Jeff Sink, head coach, inherited a team missing 7-footer KC Caudill (‘11) and reconfigured it to the same level of success.

Depth led the Wildcats this season and enabled Sink to utilize a platoon system to change game tempo and throw opposing teams off their game plan.

At the core, the Wildcats aim to feature sophomore guards Michael Turner and Chandler Ramos to lead the backcourt for the next two seasons.

AMORETTE VALERO / Wildcat

Dominating the paint: Taylor Spears, senior, drives through the Long Beach Poly defense on her way to the basket.

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

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Choe’s relationships drive golfing career MATT SCHADE Co-editor-in-chief For Michael Choe, senior, the game of golf does not end on the 18th hole. Despite the accolades Choe is earning as a varsity golfer, the sport has consumed many aspects in his life and has forced him to make difficult sacrifices.

“My typical day consists of waking up at 4 a.m. to work out until 6 a.m., and then school,” said Choe. “Then I practice from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Every day is put into golf, [but] it is worth it.”

However, the challenge golf presents Choe consists of not only his many hours spent on the course honing his game, but

it has also caused a rift in his relationship with his father.

“We treat each other like business partners. But I know what he means and where he comes from. I needed him to be cold and push me,” said Choe. “I trust that when I reach my goal, we will be back to normal.”

Although golf burdens Choe with challenges beyond those of the typical teen, it has also rewarded his dedication as next fall he will compete at the collegiate level at the University of Arizona.

The opportunity to compete at the next level was evident early in Choe’s career when he was placed on the varsity team as a freshman.

“Back then, all I wanted to do was make the varsity team and see where it would go from there. I had no idea that this game would be what I dedicated my life too.”

As a junior, Choe reached the State qualifier for CIF-SS and was selected second team All-County.

This season included a 24th place finish at the CIF-SS Southern Individual Regional, where Choe finished with a score of 76.

Arizona was not the only one impressed with these accolades. Choe’s teammates also recognize his talent. “[Choe] is one of the top players I have competed with. His passion and drive

BRANDON KIM / Wildcat

Tee-time: Michael Choe, senior, positions himself on the putting green at the Black Gold Golf Course where he practices daily. Next fall, Choe will continue to pursue his golfing career at the University of Arizona.

“The mental pressure is ridiculous. Golf is 90 percent mental and the other 10 percent is still mental. That’s how much it matters.”

Michael choe, senior to be successful is more than most high school golfers,” said Choe’s teammate Jeremy Verone, senior.

Fellow teammate, Trevor Polverini, senior, added, “[Choe] gives us a different perspective of how to train and why to train. He tells us what is necessary to improve on and what to avoid. When we need help with our swing, we know who to come to.”

Choe enters this season as returning captain, which he acknowledges is a welcome responsibility.

“I will always be there if anyone needs help and I will set the example if it is about score, etiquette, or behavior at any given time,” said Choe. “Golf is a never-ending learning experience, and I will always be there to help someone learn.” “[Choe] has changed the dynamic of what we do in the off-season. This year we did a fitness program in the off-season that we have never done before,” said Verone.

“Michael is our team captain this year so I expect the most out of him. He will help shape our team to the way it should be,” said Nancy Smith, head golf coach.

Along with his captain responsibilities, Choe also competes in outside tournaments in associations such as AJGA, SCPGA, and USGA.

Though Choe stated that the level of competition in these associations is extremely difficult compared to high school, he has been able to maintain his success. He finished second overall at the 2nd Annual SCPGA Jack Kramer Memorial and the Toyota Tour Cup SeriesMarbella Country Club where he shot a 212 (three rounds) and 143 (two rounds), respectively. Choe also took first place at the 53rd Annual Lee Hammil Memorial, where he shot a 141 over two rounds.

Though Choe has been successful in tournaments, he admits that golf is one of the hardest sports to compete in because of the mental aspect.

“The mental pressure is ridiculous,” said Choe. “Golf is 90 percent mental and the other 10 percent is still mental. That is how much it matters.”

The game of golf may look simple to spectators. However, golf is about much more than knocking a ball into the hole for Choe. His course does not measure 18 holes; his course expands to the constant activities of his daily life as everything has become focused around the game.

“I have a natural drive to push myself and to become better than everyone,” said Choe. “My parents support me even with the [little] amount of money we had. My family’s future depends on me. That is a huge drive for me.”

Despite the seemingly negative impact golf has had on Choe’s relationship with his father, there have been moments where the sport helped reveal that their bond still remains strong.

“My greatest memory was when I shot -6 and my dad was there to hug me at the US Junior American qualifier,” said Choe.

Nationally ranked Yim pursues kendo NATHAN YOO Staff writer Although commonly thought of as a frenzied mishmash of kicking and yelling, the martial arts of the Far East embody an elaborate system of both physical and mental traditions and disciplines. Joseph Yim, junior, practices one such art, kendo, and has developed an unwavering dedication to the practices and philosophies of his unique sport.

Kendo, the Japanese martial art of swordfighting, utilizes swords constructed out of bamboo called shinai, and is considered a way to discipline the human character through the art of swordsmanship. Kendo and its variants have been practiced in America for over a century, and there are four kendo dojos in Orange County.

As a kenshi, or someone who practices kendo, Yim ranked 11th nationally out of his age group in 2010, and attends a dojo in Anaheim.

“I wanted to start something new, I wanted to push myself to the limit, and I wanted to learn the way of the sword, so I began learning kendo when I was seven,” said Yim, who practices about five hours weekly in padded armor and a grilled mask.

Practices can range from intense conditioning and rote repetition of techniques to sparring matches between fellow kendoka.

However, there is more to kendo than just frantic slashing and thrusting. In order to become a skilled kendoka, one must develop a lucid mind through meditation, a finesse of wrist, and a mastery of kendo techniques, which comes from years of

training.

“There are some nuances to this martial art; when I practice, I have to be barefoot because kendo uses shouting and foot-stamping in order to enhance attacks,” explained Yim. “Although the practices may be grueling, I feel invigorated while performing the exercises, and the pain is definitely worth the gain.”

Yim will participate in the Southern California Championships this year and hopes to continue to practice kendo into his college years, mastering the art of the sword.

Martial arts such as kendo, although often learned for the sake of fighting, actually advocate a peaceful world through the bodies and minds of its disciples.

The influence of martial arts and kendo in America is expanding, and inspiring people to become involved in this aspect of Japanese culture.

The rising tide of martial arts offers selfcontrol to those willing to commit; to undertake the challenges of this distinctive sport will bring synchronization between the body and mind.

BRANDON KIM / Wildcat

Butterfly: Cody Wood, sophomore, works on his butterfly stroke during the cool down in practice. The Wildcats compete at El Dorado March 7.

Boys’ varsity swim seeks league title ERIK BENAVIDES Staff writer

BRANDON KIM / Wildcat

Two years removed from a Century League title, the Wildcats return to the pool looking to capture a championship after a disappointing third place finish last season.

With four of last season’s six CIF qualifying swimmers returning, the Wildcats have the foundation to contend with the best in Century League. Ryan Lank, Adrian Harary, and Nolan Rogers, seniors, highlight the roster and hope to cement their legacy through their accomplishments in the pool.

“There is a lot of competition for multiple events, we are looking for depth, number three and four guys to get points during championships,” said Harary.

The Wildcats boast an abundance of young talent to compliment their veteran swimmers. Calvin Rogers and Cody Wood, sophomores, are two upcoming athletes who are poised to have breakout seasons this spring.

Harary said, “[Calvin] is a really valuable long distance swimmer, especially in the 500 [yards], he swims a lot.”

Last year, the Wildcats placed third in despite of losing only one meet. However, the Wildcats vanquished Foothill for the first time in school history, signaling a shift in league power.

The Wildcats hosted Walnut and Sonora March 1 at the 1st Annual Wildcat Pentathlon but the results were not available at the press time.

The Wildcats will take on the El Dorado in an away game March 7.

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March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

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Sorenson brings experience to baseball program SHERMAN UYENO Sports editor Shortly after Mike Baker resigned as head coach of the Wildcat baseball team, former Cal State Fullerton All-American Matt Sorenson stepped up to the plate to lead the program.

Last year, Baker led the Wildcats to a 9-18 overall record and coached two of the top players in the Century League in past seasons in Tyler Kern (‘10) and Wade Broadstreet (’10), who earned First and Second Team All Century League honors, respectively.

“I am building off what Coach Baker and his staff have been doing the past seven years,” said Sorenson. “[The players] have worked hard and laid a strong foundation for the new coaching staff.”

Sorenson has plenty of experience in the game, playing for some of the top college teams in the nation. After transferring from Cerritos College his sophomore year, Sorenson played for the Cal State Fullerton Titans, pitching a perfect 17-0 record in 30 career appearances and striking out 112 over 177 innings in his two-year career.

Sorenson helped the Titans to two consecutive Big West Conference titles, and he attained All-Conference, All-State, and All-American honors in his college career.

“My playing and coaching career has given me a lot of experience that I

AMORETTE VALERO / Wildcat

Fielding

the hot corner: Ryan Gallegos, senior, fields a grounder at third during the Wildcats’ pregame routine. Under Matt Sorenson, first year head coach, the Wildcats are looking to improve their 9-18 record from last season. Sorenson brings experience of the game from his days pitching for Cerritos College and University of Cal State, Fullerton.

try to teach our players every day,” said Sorenson. “I was fortunate to have played for amazing coaches. I try to pass on the information they taught me to my players, in my own unique style. Paying it forward, I guess.”

The Wildcats practice year-round for the coming season, working on technique and building upon the fundamentals they

learned from Baker.

“This year we are working on our mechanics, building strength, and mostly speed training in our practices. It also helps that there are a lot more coaches out in our practices, who are focusing on us individually,” said Nick Kern, senior.

In the offseason, the Wildcats paired their training with scrimmages to put their

practice to work.

“I have my men playing yearround and it has lots of benefits,” said Sorenson. “It has given the coaching staff opportunities to evaluate the players to see where each of them fits into the lineup.

It also gets the kids a ton of repetitions and chances to see live pitching. It also creates situations that are challenging to

RACHEL PARK Staff writer

whole college experience. Midland was looking for second basemen with good communication as well as leadership qualities. Midland provided me with a great opportunity to play softball at the collegiate level as well as a great education,” said Koke.

Alycia Tellez, senior, Kristin Farrell, and Alexis Sullivan, sophomores, will also contribute greatly this season.

“We are looking to improve last year’s [7-15] record,” said Tellez.

The season kicked off Feb. 18 against Sonora High School at home. The Wildcats won 6-5.

In the following days, the team competed against Segerstrom High School on Feb. 25 and finished the first week of season 2-0.

On March 20, the Wildcats will have their first Century League game at Esperanza High School.

The team was not able to perform at its highest level of play against Esperanza

High School last year as it lost but hopes to bounce back with a victory against the Vanguards this year.

“Esperanza will be tough team to beat so our best strategy is to just focus on our game and stay confident in our abilities,” said Munro.

replicate in practice and provides a bunch of ‘coaching moments’ that players will remember and gain experience going into season. We get to work on signs, perfect our pick plays, defenses, and base running.”

Last season, the Wildcats’ team batting average was .261, bolstered by Kern’s and senior Garrett Volmer’s .303 and .327 averages, respectively.

Kern said, “You really want to get your batting average up to at least .350, and this year, we have gotten pointers from the new hitting coaches. It helps to have them at practices to help us work out the small things in our swing.”

So far, the varsity team, as well as the junior varsity and frosh/soph teams, competed in 15 scrimmages, five winter league games, 28 summer league games, and 45 fall league games.

“We have done a lot more scrimmaging than we did in the past and with a strong team of returning seniors, we have more experience on the field. The new coaches are pushing us a lot, which is a good thing, and have high expectations for our team this year,” said Jacob McFarland, senior.

When asked what the team would need to be successful this season, Sorenson said, “Luck. Fortunately for our players, we define ‘luck’ as the moment when preparation meets opportunity.”

The Wildcats will continue in the Newport Elks Tournament tomorrow before their first league contest against the El Dorado Golden Hawks, March 12.

Softball led by scholarship players Munro, Koke

AMORETTE VALERO / Wildcat

Turning

two: Cheyenne Rivera, freshman, takes fielding practice.

Varsity softball has high expectations with five returning players this season, including Aubree Munro and Savannah Koke, seniors, who are currently committed to some of the top colleges and universities in the country.

Munro has been a key player for the team since her first year of high school.

She will attend University of Florida on a full scholarship this fall. Florida’s softball is ranked number one in nation and currently holds a record of 9-0.

“I am really excited. I have worked really hard for it for a long time. It is going to be different but I could not be joining a better team or playing for a better coach,” said Munro.

Koke will be attending Midland College in Texas on a full ride.

“I always knew I wanted to go out of state and play softball to get the

The result of the game against Capistrano Valley High School from Feb. 29 was not available at press-time. The Wildcats play Troy today.

Alexis Sullivan PLAYERS’ TALK

Sullivan, freshman, plays shortstop for the Wildcats’ softball program. The varsity team plays against Troy High School today.

“We are looking

forward to making this our best season.”

ALANNA ARNO / Wildcat

Daedler (‘11) adjusts to competition at Biola University JEAN CHOW Staff writer

ANDREW DAEDLER (‘11)

For many athletes, graduating from high school as a record holder is no small feat.

A n d r e w Daedler (‘11), however, made record breaking look easy with records in the mile, 4 x 800 meter relay, 4 x 1600 meter relay, and the Distance Medley.

Daedler ’s success on the track

led him to two Century League Distance Runner of the Year awards, three First Team All-League honors for cross country, and inclusion on the BOHS All-Time Top Ten list for the 800-meter and 3200meter. He also earned the distinction of leading the cross country team to the State Championships twice during his years in the program, Currently, he is one of the top runners at Biola University, which is providing him with a full athletic scholarship.

Daedler attributes much of his success to his experience running with the team under the guidance of Jeremy Mattern, head coach.

“My four years at BOHS were the foundation of everything I am doing right and anything I am to accomplish in the

future. The wisdom that coach Mattern bestowed upon me, as well as the team I was a part of, will always stick with me,” said Daedler.

However, Mattern believes Daedler’s success may also have been bolstered by his work ethic. “[Daedler] was a runner the team could count on,” said Mattern. “The level of commitment, determination, and willpower [Daedler] possesses is rare. He does not take himself too seriously, yet he knows when to be serious.” “[Daedler] worked harder than anybody else on the team. He ran twice a day, 70 miles a week. And even though he was super accomplished, he was always humble,” said Cody Nguyen, senior and Daedler’s teammate for three years.

However, making the transition from competing at the high school level to competing at the collegiate level was initially challenging.

Mattern said, “The level of competition in college is much more intense than in high school. Everyone on the college team is just as fast or faster, and the daily grind of running becomes tougher.”

“The toughest change has been training under a new coach, who has many different philosophies [than Mattern] towards distance running,” said Daedler.

“In addition, races in college are eight kilometers compared to the five kilometers in high school races. This was also a rough transition as I wasn’t able to run nearly as fast as I had hoped.”

Despite the challenges that he will

face as a college athlete, Daedler remains undaunted.

He plans on becoming a more versatile athlete who is able to hold his own in the longer distances of cross country as well as continue to improve in the middle distances run in track over the next three and a half years.

As a freshman, Daedler continues to excel in his races. He recently qualified for the Indoor Track National Championships as the 1600-meter leg of Biola’s Distance Medley team and ran a personal record of 3:09 in the 1200 meter race.

Daedler feels that passion is key to reaching one’s goals: “Be smart in training, but be hungry. You need to have passion and a desire for greatness if you want to succeed.”

March 2, 2012 The Wildcat

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Athlete loyalties split between club, school sports MATT SCHADE Co-editor-in-chief No longer is it about playing for the school on the front of a jersey. With the competitiveness of earning a college scholarship at an all-time high, some athletes have begun to shift their focus from their high school teams, to their club teams which can garner them more exposure.

Kara Kasser, senior, is one athlete who competed for both high school volleyball and club volleyball programs.

“Club is where you truly learn the game and where coaches are going to see you at your best. Plus, when you are playing with a strong team full of other athletes who are also trying to get scholarships, you tend to rise with them.

When they get better, so do you,” said Kasser who competes for Golden West Volleyball club and has signed a letter of intent to play for University of Nevada next fall.

There are approximately three million high school athletes competing in the sports of basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and men’s’ soccer, according to collegesportsscholarships.com. And only six percent of these athletes will be competing next fall in NCAA sports.

Because of the limited window of opportunity to compete at the college level, athletes have had to make the decision of whether to spend more time with their club or high school program.

“Club soccer is more important to focus on,” said Katelyn Gates, senior, who competes for Fullerton Rangers soccer and recently signed a letter of intent for California State University, Chico. “Club coaches have those connections and help you through the whole recruiting process which can be so stressful.”

The idea of athletes representing their peers and playing for the pride in their hometown team is still there. However, it has been pushed aside by national tournaments, top-level competition, and

professional trainers; all aspects that come with playing on a club or travel team.

“I believe that travel basketball is more beneficial to getting exposure to colleges because with travel basketball the best play with the best and that is where the college coaches go first,” said Jonathan Wallace, sophomore, who competes for the varsity basketball team.

Many high school athletes feel that it is through club sports that they are given the greatest exposure to colleges as higherlevel training and showcase tournaments allow them to become identified by college coaches.

“Club basketball is greater for exposure because its really hard for a school from the East Coast to go to the West Coast to see a player in their high school game, while club allows you to travel the country and go to the East Coast so those colleges can see you,” said Taylor Spears, senior, who competes for West Coast Premier basketball and has signed a letter of intent to play for Cal Poly San Louis Obispo next fall.

Kasser agreed that through club an athlete is offered the greatest exposure as she added, “Most girls get recruited during club season because college coaches are not out looking for potential prospects during their college season. They have their own current team to coach and take care of, so when season is over for them, club is the perfect time for them to look for new players,” Although high school sports seem to be lacking in helping athletes become identified in the recruiting process, they provide valuable assets that club programs do not—mainly responsibility.

“High school basketball helps prepare you for college because it is set up almost like a college team with a thousand plays for every situation, and your grade point average has to be at a certain level,” said Wallace. “I believe that high school [basketball] is better to focus on because receiving a scholarship will be easier if you have good grades and can play the

game of basketball as well.”

In high school sports, athletes make a four-year commitment to the program, which means adapting to the coaching style and the players.

“High school sports reveal more about a kid’s character as they are no longer surrounded by the talent they are used to.

In the premier leagues of club, you do not get to see the whole side of a player,” said Mike Baker, former baseball head coach.

“If you are talking about skill you would look towards travel ball competition.

However, the true character of a player is shown in high school, which makes a big difference for colleges.”

For some club athletes, the main commitment they have is to ensure their individual exposure to colleges rather than focusing on playing a role in a program. A club athlete can switch teams every single year until they find a team that will offer them the greatest exposure.

However, the viewpoint of the amount of dedication to a sport among high school and club programs differs among athletes.

“Club soccer is a higher level of play with dedicated full time soccer players,” said Gates. “High school is more for playing with your friends and representing your school.”

Christian Rus, head coach for Fullerton Rangers soccer, coaches at both the club and high school level and values the aspects in which both programs develop an athlete.

“Club soccer is focusing more on developing the players at the young age as it focuses on the technical aspect of the game,” said Rus. “High school soccer is more physical as it focuses more on the tactical aspect of the game.”

Though many sports have balanced the two programs, allowing an athlete to compete both for their high school team and club team, there is growing pressure from club programs directing athletes to drop from their high school programs.

For instance, United States Soccer Development Academy draws some of the top high school soccer players in the county. However, by following

the pressure from club coaches to join the Academy League in order to gain more college exposure, these players are ineligible to compete during the high school season.

Alexis Diaz, freshman, competes for Fullerton Rangers soccer and is considering playing Academy next fall.

Although it seems there is a growing trend pushing athletes towards focusing solely on club competition, many athletes will always remain committed to their high school programs.

“You should focus on both [high school and club]. When it is club season give it your all, but when it is high school season then your devoted to your high school team not club,” said Spears.

The great intercity rivalries, Friday night games, and league championships are beginning to become less of a focus in the athlete’s eye as they have become caught up in the opportunity club provides for college exposure. It is no longer about what you can do for your program; it is about what your program can do for you.

TAYLOR SPEARS senior Team: West Coast Premier Location: Anaheim, Calif.

ALEXIS DIAZ freshman Team: Fullerton Rangers Location: Fullerton, Calif.

KARA KASSER senior Team: Golden West VBC Location: Anaheim, Calif.

Photos by AMORETTE VALERO / Wildcat

DiPietro skates to U.S. Synchronized Skating Nationals JOY KIM Managing editor For Gianina DiPietro, junior and member of the Ice’Kateers Synchronized Skating Team the sound of blades scraping the ice while she whirls through the crisp air of the rink is a daily experience.

Synchronized skating goes beyond individual and partner figure skating because it utilizes teams of eight to 20 skaters. The unity of the skaters and their experimentations with formation, timing, and sequences are GIANINA essential to this DIPIETRO sport. junior “Synchronized skating is growing in the world of ice sports. It is unique because it combines the team aspect of a sport to figure skating.

The only difference between ‘synchro’ and Olympic figure skating is that an entire team rather that just a pair or individual skater skates in unison,” said DiPietro.

Because of the importance of attention to detail and unity in synchronized skating, DiPietro and her teammates must not only practice their routines together, but also refine their skills individually to enhance the team. Hence, she practices at 4:30 a.m. three times a week with her team and

skates alone daily at the Anaheim Ice Rink to continually improve.

Through such discipline, DiPietro’s team competes locally several times annually, on top of regional and national competitions. Her team has qualified for the U.S. Synchronized Skating Nationals for the past three years and is currently working to do so again this year.

“As a competitive skater, I have to give up a lot of time for hanging out with friends and invest it at the rink, but that just makes me a stronger skater and individual and helps me set my priorities,” said DiPietro.

Often sacrificing time with friends, DiPietro, like any competitive athlete, learned how crucial time management and discipline is. Early morning practices prevent her from having the ideal social life, but this has not thwarted DiPietro from being a determined skater. With challenging classes and involvement in church activities, her schedule is more restricted than that of most teenagers, and this has earned her the respect of her peers.

“It is hard to find time to spend with [Gianina] because she is always at the rink.

But I enjoy supporting her and watching her out-of-state competitions online or going to her morning practices. She never misses a practice and it is cool to see her pursuing something she loves,” said Demi Drinnenberg, junior.

Before becoming a skater, DiPietro played soccer, softball, and danced.

However, after being introduced to synchronized skating through her older sister Annamaria, who was also a skater, she found her niche and has been skating for seven years.

“Gianina’s confidence shines on the ice when she and her team perform.

Skating has helped her come out of her shell. She sacrifices so much time for

synchro and I admire her for that. I support her by taking her to morning practices and by going to her local competitions,” said Annamaria DiPietro.

Since skating has been so integral to her daily life, DiPietro will continue to skate throughout college and hopes to transition to partner skating. A few of her college prospects include Amhearst, University of San Francisco, and Boston University.

DiPietro is seen as a different kind of athlete from most, but has never differed in the hard work she puts in to be successful. In return for accepting a highly disciplined and restricted schedule, she had developed her identity as a diligent and confident skater.

“Skating keeps me in shape by doing what I love and shows how a little sweat, blood, and tears can take you a long way,” said DiPietro.

Photo courtesy of GIANINA DIPIETRO

In sync: Gianina DiPietro, junior, practices with the Ice’Kateers Synchronized Skating Team to perfect their routine at the Anaheim Ice Rink. For the past three years, DiPietro’s team has qualified for the U.S. Synchronized Skating Nationals, which will be held this year March 2, in Worcester, Mass.

20 inFocus Celebrating diversity through dance Angelica Martinez, sophomore, performs Ballet Folklorico during International Week 2012. Martinez performed the routine to the song “Vuela Paloma� with other students from Spanish Club to celebrate their heritage. During International Week, clubs were assigned various countries to represent and classrooms were decorated in the likeness of the continents. On Feb. 24, clubs brought delicacies of their respective nations.

AMORETTE VALERO / Wildcat