Magnet magazine 4 1

December 2017

Vol. IV

Issue 1

The Magnet

Climbing high and falling soft

Fake walls and fake rocks provide a real physical test

Upcoming movies in 2017-2018 Friendly, extravagant, modern: A Gem in K-Town A taste of authentic Korean food in Los Angeles

Background via Audreystocks

Clark Calendar

Letter from the editors: Welcome to this year’s first issue of The Magnet! ’Tis the holiday season, that time of being with family and celebrating together. No matter whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s or anything in between, one thing is always certain: food.

We have food here, too. Read one of our reviews on Schoolfood (page 12) or Honeybird (page 11), for your next meal away from home. If your question is more what burger stand you should eat at next, Burger Battles (page 6) may help you decide the answer to that question. For dessert, Some Some (page 13) and 5.2 Patio (page 10) are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Of course, after a season of good times eating and spending time with family and friends, some of our new year’s resolutions become finding ways to, well, minimize the damage. Instead of digging out that old

gym membership, or resigning yourself to kale salads for the next couple of months, try indoor bouldering for a challenge, an intense full-body sport where you climb up sheer climbing walls of varying difficulty. If you’re looking for a more traditional gym experience, the local YMCA offers typical gym equipment, as well as other classes like yoga, dancing or swimming. The Glendale YMCA has been a popular spot for students of all ages and across the city, whether to work on their own fitness or to help others through volunteering.

There’s an interesting line up of movies set to be released during winter break as well, and if you’re a fan of going to the cinema, take a look at the upcoming movies (page 27). The movies range from a galaxy far far away to the creator of show business, or racing through the jungle in a video game to a maze you’ve been trapped in with

no answers as to why you are there. Marvel also continues to expand its cinematic universe with a proper introduction to the King and guardian of Wakanda, just before a war erupts between enemies from another dimension, requiring the army of Wakanda, the guardians of the three sanctums, the Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy to unite and quell the threat.

You can take a peek at these activities within the pages of this edition, as detailed by the dedicated writers here at The Magnet, or visit our website at clarkchronicle.com Happy Holidays,

Shaye Holladay McCarthy & Kasy Vasquez Editors, The Magnet

Features 4

Table Of Contents

PAC helps students adjust to high school Shaye Holladay McCarthy

Burger battles: the truest American showdown Sangam Sharma

Rise of counterfeit clothing makes online buying challenging Lois Ramilo

Duolingo helps students learn foreign language

12 Lifestyle

Paniz Jazirian

In The Life 20

5.2 Patio brings shaved ice to Montrose

Embracing the Polish Culture

Paniz Jazirian

Serving Southern comfort with a twist

Victoria Bochniak

Climbing high and falling soft

Sangam Sharma

Urielle Corcuera

Friendly, extravagant, modern: A Gem in K-Town

Lilit Krkasharian

A cultural twist on your traditional swirl

YMCA plays a major role in students’ lives

Bryan Han

Victoria Bochniak

Learning by doing Theodore Supangan

Opinion 28 War on encryption is dangerous Carlos Rodriguez

Feminism does not mean that the future is female Urielle Corcuera

A&E 30

FIFA 18 hits the crossbar in what seems to be an ‘average game’ Rafael Aroustamian

Upcoming movies in 2017-2018 Shaye Holladay McCarthy

The Magnet Magazine

Magazine Editors: Sangam Sharma Shaye Holladay McCarthy Theodore Supangan Kasy Vasquez Photographers: Staff Writers: Rafael Aroustamian Rafael Aroustamian Urielle Corcuera Victoria Bochniak Trisha Gomez Urielle Corcuera Reed Maruyama Bryan Han Lois Ramilo Shaye Holladay McCarthy Alen Zohrabyan Paniz Jazirian Lilit Krkasharian Website Editors: Lois Ramilo Alexandra Der Boghosian Carlos Rodriguez Kasy Vasquez

Business: Leslie Chung Reed Maryama Advisor: Chris Davis

Special thanks to: Ani Sarkisyan Michael Melkonian

The Magnet, an open forum, is published by the Clark Magnet High School Publications class (4747 New York Ave., La Crescenta, CA 91214, 818.248.8324), which is solely responsible for all copy, designs and ideas contained herein. The Magnet has the right to edit any letter for purposes of clarification, length and grammar. The expressed opinions are not that of Clark Magnet High School nor of the Administration. Layouts completed on-site. This magazine was printed by aPrintis Inc., 4695 Chabot Dr, Site 200 Pleasanton, CA.

Visit us online!

clarkchronicle.com

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Features

By Alen Zohrabyan

PAC helps students adjust to the new routine of high school

Senior Mariam Panikyan addresses the freshmen at the first PAC meeting of the year in October.

By Shaye Holladay McCarthy Coming to a new school without knowing anyone except for a few friends from your middle school can be daunting.

Not knowing what Clark Magnet has to offer also minimizes the capability of experiencing all the benefits of the unique programs here. The Principal’s Advisory Council (PAC) is a way freshmen can see what the school has to offer and help them choose a path to take later for a career.

PAC was initially created with a group of students who would advise the principal throughout the year. In 2009, Lyova Zalyan, then a sophomore at Clark Magnet was getting involved with ASB and started asking around if there was a program to assist incoming freshmen, and he was introduced to PAC. However, Zalyan wanted to create more of an inclusive program that aided incoming students created PAC TEAM.

“I wanted to create a program that assisted incoming students with their transition to high school,” said Zalyan, who now works as an administrative associate with the City of Glendale. “It’s like having a big brother or big sister who is there on the first day of school to make you feel welcome and show you around campus.” Zalyan wanted the students to feel comfortable at Clark and to know what resources are available to accomplish their goals.

This was also a way for the freshmen to make new friends and know a few upperclassmen who could assist them.

“The TEAM in PAC TEAM stands for Teamwork, Expression, Academics, Motivation, which our activities were based on,” Zalyan said. “PAC leaders and the teacher advisor facilitated those activities.” Before each meeting with the freshmen, he would meet

with the PAC TEAM Leaders and advisor to go over activities and get their feedback as a way to simplify the activity with the larger group.

“For his version of the PAC program, all the freshman met at the same time. This worked at first because we had a higher level of teacher involvement,” said PAC TEAM advisor Elaine Snodgress. “As the program evolved, many of the PAC directors were not as focused as Leo was.”

As a result, the program began to fall short of its original intent. In addition, many teachers had commitments to students at enrichment or some teachers simply did not want the additional assignment, so teacher support and supervision was also falling short.

“The lack of support and supervision made it difficult to keep almost 300 freshmen engaged

Features is English and history, Bricks is engineering, Canvas is the arts, Circuits is robotics and Panthers is science.

“I’m excited about being a PAC leader because of all the changes that have been made this year, such as groups that are based on the interests of both freshmen and leaders,” said one of Bricks junior leaders Beatris Avanesian. ¨Hopefully, it will help the students explore their interests and choose the best path for them at Clark.”

“My opinion is that this new and improved PAC program will be a better fit for the freshman. I believe it will increase their school spirit and to also help them navigate the high school environment,” Snodgress said. “The PAC student leaders have a lot to offer the freshmen and their experience and knowledge of classes is a valuable resource for freshmen.” An activity that the leaders will present to the freshmen will be to help them plan their pathway through class offerings, much like the counselors do, but this will be from a

By Alen Zohrabyan

throughout the meetings and with each change made to PAC there was an increased lack of engagement from the freshmen along with PAC student leaders not wishing to be involved despite making a commitment,” Snodgress said. As PAC continued to change they did not have a focused goal and/or were not supported by student PAC leaders.

“The last several directors of PAC tried very hard, but in the face of low participation, a new approach was made by prior PAC director John Bandek and current PAC director, Mariam Panikyan,” Snodgress said. “At the end of last year, they both worked on a plan to achieve more participation and accountability.

This was embraced wholeheartedly by the principal. Leo was invited to review the program and gave it his full approval.”

This year PAC has changed again, dividing the freshmen into five divisions: Anderson, Bricks, Canvas, Circuits and Panthers. The groups will be following similar agendas but have activities based on the group they’re in. Anderson

Junior Elizabeth Sexenian flags freshmen who are part of Anderson for PAC.

5 student’s perspective.

Some freshmen have responded positively to the five new groups added to the PAC TEAM program. “Being introduced to a new system like PAC is a little sudden. Aside from several boy vs girl competitions, I’ve never been exposed to such division. However, I can see that there’s a good intention for it. It’s set for us to grow in a place of comfort so most of us don’t have to waste our time in areas we aren’t interested in,” said Canvas freshmen Jannice Rigor.

“This variety was spread so students can select an area to develop their skills and mindsets effectively and even passionately. I will admit, once mentioned these groups are for competition, I felt a weakness and insecurity about PAC, believing that our intelligence was now a scoreboard of potential. But I’m hoping with PAC it works out as a way to grow together, not a battle to the death,” Rigor said.

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Features

Burger battles: an American

By punctuated on Flickr

showdown

In-N-Out chows down its competitiors, but for how long?

The three -by- three from In-N-Out, the first restaurant to employ a drive-thru.

By Sangam Sharma If you live in America, you probably have heard of – and feel passionately about – In-N-Out, McDonald’s, Shake Shack and many other fast-food burger chains. These restaurants, and many more, have one thing in common: major competition. And all of them are competing for you.

The burger craze all began in 1940 when the McDonald’s brothers opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q in San Bernardino. After changing their name to simply “McDonald’s” and specializing their menu to burgers, fries and drinks, their popularity skyrocketed. “I grew up to McDonald’s,” said teacher Nick Doom.

“We all grew up with ‘Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun,’ the Big Mac jingle.”

This drive-in would eventually become one of the biggest burger chains in the world, with franchises in more than 100 countries, according to McDonald’s corporate website. Although

previously, the business had favored quantity and cost over quality, teacher Fred Blattner, an occasional McDonald’s consumer, thinks that customers are getting the same product. “They’re pretty consistent,” he said. “Nobody’s surprised by what they get at McDonald’s, good or bad.” Unbeknownst to many, McDonald’s has upped their game in recent years, transitioning to 100 percent real beef and cage-free eggs, to help in the battle against their countless culinary competitors.

Towards the West Coast, the company at the head of the pack is In-N-Out, according to L.A. Weekly’s Best of L.A. 2017 poll. It’s a well-known fact that In-N-Out is one of the most popular burger joints in California, with a major cult following in L.A. and devotees around the country, with fans like junior Melissa Diaz-Mancio, a monthly In-N-Out patron, saying “It’s unpatriotic to hate In-N-Out.” The first In-N-Out opened its doors to the masses in 1948 and revolutionized the business from the get-go: they were the first to employ the use of a drive-thru.

Nowadays, drive-thrus are common, and

at In-N-Out, known to stretch around the block. As for those dining in, the wait can last from a few minutes to an hour.

Despite the lines, their food has proven to be worth it for those willing to brave the crowds. “It’s actually a family tradition to eat In-N-Out,” said sophomore Larisa Assadourian. “Once a month, my whole family would get together at my grandma’s house and one person would leave to get In-N-Out. Even though we’d have to wait about 45 minutes, it was worth it to see my cousins happy.”

Known for their (not-so) secret menu, fresh ingredients and affordable prices, In-N-Out is considered by many to have the superior burger, and the company is defensive of its position. The company trademarked their popular Double-Double and Triple-Triple sandwiches in 1975, and in August, filed a lawsuit against another fast-food company, Smashburger, which began selling a burger called the Triple-Double.

In-N-Out has successfully sued other copycats in the past, and Smashburger’s Triple-Double, advertised to be “the stuff burger dreams are made of,” may prove to be a nightmare for the aspiring Denver-based company.

Smashburger may not be the only chain In-N-Out has to fear. Another rising star is In-N-Out’s East-Coast counterpart: Shake Shack. Based in New York, with its original location in Madison Square Garden, it has grown rapidly since sprouting in 2001. After opening 13 locations in California, many natives have tested the waters, and for most, their food has either been a hit or a miss. “I went to their grand opening, because I wanted to see what the hype was about,” said junior Riane Galang, who considers herself to be a burger enthusiast. Her conclusion? “The food was over-hyped, and really expensive.

It’s impractical to get Shake Shack.”

Others have contrasting opinions.

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By Sangam Sharma

Features

Fatburger began as a burger stand in Los Angeles in 1947.

By Sangam Sharma

“Yeah, Shake Shack is pricey. But I still like to go sometimes; it’s a nice treat,” said junior Shaye Holladay McCarthy.

Although Shake Shack differs from many well-known names with their extensive menu, steep prices and frozen fries, they are undoubtedly rising in the ranks.

A more classic contender is Fatburger, which began as a burger stand in L.A. in 1947 and uses the slogan “The Last Great Hamburger Stand.” When their first location opened, they began accumulating celebrity clientele such as Redd Foxx and Ray Charles. Their second location on La Cienega Boulevard continues to be a hotspot for late-night clubbers and burger fanatics alike.

“I am an In-N-Out fan, but my favorite is Fatburger,” declared one customer, who declined to give her name. “Their food is always hot, fresh, and consistent, and I like how they’re

still old-school.” And as loyal as fans are to Fatburger, Fatburger is loyal to their fans, promising customers “Conquer the XXXL Fatburger and earn your spot on the #XXXchallenge Wall of Fame for eternity.” Eternity is a long time, and with the momentum they currently have, Fatburger’s legacy may go on for at least that amount of time.

Fighting a group match in the wrestling ring, good ol’ McDonald’s, In-N-Out, Fatburger and others are constantly vying for the crowd’s attention, and winners constantly change from one round to the next.

According to a recent Clark Chronicle poll, In-N-Out still comes out on top, with 76 percent of students preferring them over other burger places . . . but maybe not for long.

There are constantly new challengers to the throne, including new places, such as Five Guy’s, and older ones, including Fatburger.

Smashburger’s Triple Double, which brought on a lawsuit from In-N-Out.

The competition constantly supplies customers with new sources for satisfaction, and as long as demand for America’s favorite food exists, so will the cutthroat burger battles.

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Features

Photo via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license.

Rise of counterfeit clothing makes online buying challenging

An open exhibition of fake clothing confiscated by ICE Agents

By Lois Ramilo “Once I bought a pair of shoes once from eBay,” says sophomore Khalia Krusee-Leaver, when describing her experience with counterfeit online purchasing. “It showed a picture of wearable shoes, so I decided to buy it.” According to Leaver, when she finally received the package, it turned out very different from what she expected. “Instead of getting shoes, I got a paper cutout of shoes,” Leaver said. “They were just paper, and when my dad asked for a refund, the company that sold it to us got mad.They told us to read the description, but there was just the picture of shoes. Luckily we got our money back, but because of that, I

only trust Amazon when it comes to buying that type of stuff now.”

You see them almost everywhere on the Internet: random people selling pieces of clothing on online applications like Amazon, Ebay, Alibaba, among others. Worldwide retail ecommerce sales have reached $1.915 trillion, with millions of entrepreneurs and normal people wanting to take some of that profit.

Clothing brands such as Supreme and Nike have been experiencing an increasing demand for their exclusive products on the Internet. Nike saw a 13 percent rise in brand value last year and is now worth over $32 billion, making it the most valuable apparel company in the world in 2016. Many Supreme items are being resold online for thousands of dollars.

Luxury shoes like the Adidas Yeezys

by Kanye West go for at least a few hundred bucks with the Yeezy Boost 350 starting at a price of $3500.

Even non-luxury brands like H&M and Zara are experiencing the trend also, as their stock prices and revenue have skyrocketed, following Nike as the most valuable apparel brands this year, each being respectively worth over $15 billion.

Everyone — from rappers to YouTubers and teenagers — is continuing to get in on the new trends, investing millions of dollars in total on shoes, T-shirts and everything in between. Many of these buyers show off their new clothing on a slew of social media platforms, influencing more people to buy online. With this new boom for expensive clothes and

is to be aware of some important details before ordering.

“I think if you know you’re getting something at a very good price then be suspicious,” Snodgress advises.

So what can you do when you get ripped off on the internet?

“Some people won’t report it because they just lost some money, but you have to report it cause we need know about it,” said former FBI agent and Pasadena police Lieutenant, John Dewar.

“If there is any internet theft, then we go ahead and prosecute it. We’d interview the person and write a criminal report on it.”

Dewar says that these Internet theft crimes are common, but most cases never end in a prison sentence or punishment.

“Usually the on other end, they’re probably in another place in the whole world, so finding the suspect is pretty tough. It’s even harder to prosecute these cases because the Internet is worldwide, not just in Glendale,” says Dewar.

Some criminals attempt to replicate some Air Jordan Ones’s by calling them “Shaq 1’s”

Dewar recommends checking the website to be safe and also seeing if the item and seller seem believable or trustworthy. But in the end, there only seems to be one way to resolve the situation of counterfeit clothing. “Protect all your information and money from the wrong hands,” Dewar says. “If it seems suspicious, just don’t buy it.”

Photo via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license.

more gullible customers, there comes a new, nefarious trend: fake clothing.

Counterfeit clothes are a new, pesky problem many people face in the growing online marketplace.

Many of the fake clothing pieces are almost identical to the genuine ones, with only small differences that are almost impossible to see, especially online. There are even retail stores and websites devoted to selling counterfeit clothes. Many criminals smuggle cargo loads of fake items to sell to innocent customers, illegally making millions of dollars in the process.

Recently, a man named Su Ling Ming has been busted for a counterfeit clothing brand making fake Nike shoes, a scheme that made almost $250 million, according to the New York Daily News. Fake clothes can be found anywhere and everywhere. In fact, these crimes are so common online, many Clark students have become skeptical about whether to use their money to buy clothes off the Internet.

“I don’t always trust the Internet,” says sophomore Sofia Haiduk. Haiduk says that many of the clothes she buys online are the opposite of what the seller online told her. “Even from brand stores online, I got some items that weren’t very good quality.”

“It’s difficult enough with the internet because, [the product] will only be proven [whether it’s real or not] when you receive the goods,” says Elaine Snodgress, Clark’s business teacher. “It’s always with the consumer. It’s always ‘buyers beware’. The consumers are very educated, but there’s a lot of fraudulent items out there and a lot of counterfeit knock offs.”

Snodgress says that the only true way to prevent getting ripped off

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Photo via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license.

Features

Counterfeit shoes confiscated by police.

10

Features

Duolingo helps students learn foreign languages

By Lois Ramilo

Rosetta Stone isn’t the only online method for learinng a second language now

Sophomores Tina Bedrossian and Alexa De Carlo practice speaking in Spanish with each other.

By Paniz Jazirian If you’ve ever tried learning a foreign language, chances are you’ve came across Duolingo. It has over 200 million users. Duolingo has announced the release of the Korean language as of Sept. 7 and the anticipated Mandarin Chinese by the end of the 2017 year.

“I liked the app because of the way it divides up the information into small sections,” said Spanish teacher Julie Ann Melville. “It gives a very personalized practice. It wouldn’t be helpful for AP Spanish since we do more advanced literature. I really look forward to using the Korean language on the app. I love learning Korean, although my accent may be laughable.”

Duolingo was released in July 2016 for iOS users. It includes a gamified progression tree where one can set a goal and compete with family and friends. As of now, 26 languages are available, including the human made language Esperanto. Certain languages

such as Yiddish, Hindi and Indonesian are also in the making for English speakers. The app works as both a translational and learning system.

Duolingo is similar to Rosetta Stone, its older counterpart. Rosetta Stone can cost anywhere between $80 to $250. Based on a study done by Queens College, people learned Spanish faster on Duolingo rather than Rosetta stone.

Rosetta Stone on the other hand, has more options for languages that don’t use the Latin alphabet such as Arabic and Asian languages. Duolingo usually involves translating from English to another language, while Rosetta Stone has a more immersive approach and forces users to think in a new language.

Duolingo has recently added a story telling section which tells users a story and then asks the users questions that test how well they were able to understand the story.

“We’ve done the measurements: we know we’re as good as a classroom, a standard high-school classroom in the

US,” said Von Ahn, founder of Duolingo, in an interview with The Guardian. “In a standard US classroom, kids are getting a minute of conversational practice a day. But we would like to be as good as a human tutor, and that’s where we want to go.”

“I like getting a weekly report of the time students spent on duolingo,” said Spanish teacher at Clark, Victoria Marcucci. “It’s very clear to me the students that have and haven’t used it. I can’t say for sure if it’s helpful in terms of language proficiency because usually the conscious students are the ones also using duolingo. I think you end up doing more than what you end up planning to do. Time flies by when you are using it.”

“I think it is a very good app to familiarize yourself with the language, learn few words and gain more confidence,” said Glendale Community College French professor Sarah Mecheneau. “Especially to learn words.

They always repeat the same words so after a while you aren’t learning anything new.”

“Rosetta Stone and Duolingo aren’t comparable,” Mecheneau said. The goal of Rosetta Stone is to make you learn a language like you are a child and make you guess phrases. The worst aspect of these language apps is that they undermine the culture of a language.

They’ll teach the language but forget about the cultural aspect.”

“I have tried learning Japanese with Rosetta Stone and Mango. I may be interested in learning Korean with Duolingo,” Mecheneau said. “Chinese may be too difficult with the app though.

Duolingo’s user friendliness is great. It is way better than Mango.”

A downside for some users of the app may be that it is too basic in nature.

“Duolingo was basic. It had easy words

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Features

have written books in English. It has been one of the best pleasures in my life to read works in their original language.

That’s why I want to learn Japanese.”

“Studying in a classroom is way better than using an app, because the apps don’t focus on the communication aspect,” Mecheneau said. “I ask students to use Mango for an hour per chapter. I like Mango better than Duolingo mainly because it’s better on the cultural aspect even though it is not as user friendly as Duolingo.

“Right now we are trying to replace textbooks with online software, so Duolingo and tiny cards may be very helpful.”

“Foreign languages need to absolutely be a priority,” Mecheneau said.

“You will be able to make connections with different subjects like science.

Without foreign languages, you will have tunnel vision — see only see one aspect of the world.”

Junior Ioana Ciuperca accesses Duolingo through her phone to practice Spanish.

By Paniz Jazirian

seriously as it should be.”

“The way we teach languages needs to be changed. It’s very textbook oriented,” Mecheneau said. “It’s always fill in the blank or conjugate the verb.

It’s not like that in real life. We have to change the way we teach, and then maybe more people will be able to speak it. We also have to study abroad.”

“Learning languages helps us understand the world and open the door to a global world,” Mecheneau said.

“You open your ears to new sounds and open your mouth to say new sounds.

It makes you a more powerful person.

You have people who think Puerto Rico is not a part of America. Foreign languages are very undermined in schools. People don’t know France is a country. They think Paris is a country.

It’s very shameful. When I was teaching in Michigan, I had to specify on exams if a place such as Portugal was a country or a city. Some of my favorite authors

By Paniz JazirianBy

so it didn’t help me,” said native Spanish speaker Alyssa Aldaz. “It’s good for beginners because it keeps repeating easy words. It probably helps beginners remember the same words. For me it’s too easy. The sounds and interactive pictures made it fun. If you want to learn very basic spanish it’s helpful but other than that no. People talk with different words, longer and faster which Duolingo doesn’t teach.”

“There is a greater demand for speaking foreign languages and Duolingo is the most accessible as an app considering it is completely free,” Menecheau said. Despite the seeming surge in bilingualism, Spanish fluency is decreasing with each new Hispanic generation, a national survey indicates.

Furthermore, only one in four Americans can speak another language and only 1 percent can speak a language that they learned from a classroom. This is noteworthy considering that foreign language classes are a requirement for high school graduation in certain states and for admission to colleges.

“Part of it is because people don’t pay attention,” Aldaz said. “It’s probably the easiest language to learn since it uses the exact same letters and some of the same words. Even then I found it difficult to learn the subjunctive form despite being a native speaker. I don’t think we should be required to take more than one year of it. It doesn’t benefit people at all if they don’t want to learn the language.”

“It’s horrible that the new generation of Hispanics can’t speak Spanish. That’s something that defines you from other speakers,” Aldaz said. “It makes me feel bad if I can’t speak it. My sister and I cannot communicate Spanish properly.

My sister forgets words. It’s something to joke about in Spanish culture when someone doesn’t speak the language.

They call her gringo, “the white person.”

It is usually just taken as a joke, not as

Lifestyle

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5.2 Patio brings traditional shaved ice to Montrose

Small cafe brings cool twist to a traditional snack 5.2 Patio 3231 Foothill Blvd, Glendale, CA 91214

The front counter of 5.2 patio, where you can order patbingsu.

By Paniz Jazirian This hole-in-the-wall Korean cafe in Montrose is known for its boba. They have also started selling delicious shaved ice (Patbingsu), served in large glass bowls. Their shaved ice comes in two flavors: fruit and matcha green tea.

From the outside, the store doesn’t stand out much. However, when you walk in, the colorful menus and simple-to-understand posters make the store look visually appealing. There are cute, festive looking decorations sprinkled around the inside of the store as well. The employees are super kind and give helpful suggestions if you are new.

I ordered the matcha flavored shaved ice which had bits of crunchy, Fruity Pebbles on top and a scoop of ice cream. If you want a more traditional taste, then adding

red beans on top is the way to go.

It’s served in a large bowl with fruits such as kiwi, strawberries, grapes and bananas. You get to add fruit cocktail or condensed milk to the desert for a richer flavor.

The tiny bits of mochi add a chewy flavor to the desert. The toppings make it all seemed like a random messy mix, but they work together pretty well. The shaved ice itself tastes like an ordinary snow cone, but the toppings on top are what makes the experience worth it. By the time I got around to eating the actual shaved ice part, it had all melted into a green milky texture.

The sheer size of the bowl makes it inconvenient for a quick snack, but it is definitely something everyone should have once in awhile. It’s also a good idea to share it with two or three friends.

Other than the eye-catching shaved ice for dessert, there’s also

the option of getting powdered sugar funnel cake. As for the boba, you have the choices of adding jelly or custard pudding to it, along with tons of unique flavors such as lavender, taro, white chocolate mocha, cookies and cream and spiced chai.

There are few cafes with good quality boba in La Crescenta, so 5.2 Patio is definitely the way to go. 5.2 Patio is ideal for getting boba or food on the go.

By Paniz Jazirian

By Paniz Jazirian

Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m – 9 p.m Sunday: CLOSED

Matcha patbingsu with strawberries, kiwis, cornflakes and a scoop of ice cream.

Lifestyle

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Serving Southern comfort with a unique modern twist

By Sangam Sharma

By Ioana Ciuperca

If you’re not a fried-chicken fan, be prepared to make Honeybird, an unassuming fried-chicken restaurant on Foothill Boulevard, an exception. After trying it with two friends, I sure did.

At a glance, the restaurant has a minimalist-hipster type vibe, with succulent terrariums hanging off the back wall, music of an unidentifiable genre playing softly in the background, lots of light from the storefront windows and a chalkboard menu.

A look to the menu is enough to make any mouth water, boasting a wide range of foods including Southern comfort classics such as mac ‘n’ cheese and shrimp po’ boys, and multicultural foods, like the Chinese chicken salad. They have also introduced interesting components to their dishes, such as chipotle and lemon dill aioli, sun-dried tomato remoulade, and

The Honeybird, a sandwich with fried chicken and slaw inside it, served on a brioche bun.

bourbon syrup. I ordered four pieces of mixed chicken à la carte with garlic mashed potatoes, one of my friends decided on The Honeybird (their signature fried-chicken sandwich), and the other requested the threepiece chicken lunch meal. And all of us haggled over the waffle-cut fries.

Although the food is pricey for a fast-food place, with each of our orders totaling over ten bucks, it was worth it. Everything looked picturesque — the fried chicken was golden-brown with a pop of green from the garnish, and the Honeybird sandwich’s cider slaw practically glistened. The wafflecuts were perfect— smoking-hot and crunchy even after they cooled down — and the chicken was moist while managing to retain its crunch.

Their sauces were a bit peculiar, with straight-up honey sitting on the counter, as well as a spicy Honeybird signature sauce. Mixing the two and dipping the chicken results in a symphony of flavors. As for the garlic mashed potatoes, the consistency — only partly mashed with lumps of potato skin floating about — was a bit disappointing, but the side proved true to its name, with a distinct garlic flavor.

Towards the end of the meal, guests began gushing in, and soon the place was nearly full. As to why the place has been so successful, comanager Danielle Denig said, “It’s the way we brine our chicken — we do that for 28 hours— and our allnatural, local ingredients. It’s what we’re known for, and the people

By Ioana Ciuperca

Honeybird’s stylish, mouth-watering food gives guests more than enough to buzz about

Although relatively new, Honeybird has revamped tradition Southern cuisine.

keep coming back.”

True to its name, the way honey attracts flies, Honeybird attracts an array of patrons, coming in from beyond the borders of La Cañada Flintridge and consisting of a variety of age groups. Whether it’s the quality of ingredients that draws eaters in, or the way Honeybird innovates on traditional Southern flavors, one thing is for certain: hungry customers will be buzzing about Honeybird for a while.

Honeybird 714 Foothill Blvd.

La Canada, CA 91011 Monday closed Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

(Brunch), 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Sunday closed www.honeybirdla.com

Lifestyle

14

Friendly, extravagant, modern: a true gem in Koreatown School Food Blooming Roll intermixes American and Korean culture and cuisine

By Bryan Han

Consisting of immaculate tastes and breathtaking scenery while imitating modern American styles, Koreatown’s School Food Blooming Roll is no ordinary restaurant. What makes this restaurant extraordinary from the other conventional food establishments? The intricate complex values that connect both the delectable foods and impactful history give the food a more definite meaning to the food rather simply devouring it.

In Downtown LA, there are a plethora of restaurants all maintaining their own cultures and values behind their foods. School Foods, originating from South Korea, arrived to Downtown LA carrying traditional Korean aspects expanding LA’s diversity.

Upon arrival, it’s clear that the South Korean history envelopes the entire restaurant. The peculiarly adorable tables and chairs, similar in style to furniture one would find in dollhouses, represent the South Korean traditions where many people eat at cute little tables with small chairs. The energetic K-pop music brings a cheery

Flaming hot don katsu topokki

By Bryan Han

By Bryan Han

A delicious Korean feast of kimbap, bibim naengmyeon, kimchi fried rice and topokki

atmosphere that enlightens anyone’s mood. The vibrant colors captivate anyone’s eyes. School Food Blooming Roll’s authenticity accompanied with an elegant modern environment has all kinds of people coming in. The vibe feels trendy and cafe-esque opposed to the formalities American restaurants possess.

The South Korean cuisine is just an exquisite masterpiece. Kimchi ramen, kimbap (Korean-style sushi), topokki (savory bite-sized rice cakes), don katsu (crispy pork cutlet), and tok-su-nee (Korean-style sausage) are some casual Korean dishes with each dish carry their own original flavor so addictive you can’t get enough of.

The garlic and bacon kimbap with its acidic pickled ginger combined with the greasy bacon creates an explosive umami effect in your mouth. The different types of topokki — spicy carbonara, a creamy original, and much more — lead to School Food Blooming Rolls catering to tastes ranging from high profile people to regular old joes.

If you are craving something crunchy, get the don katsu, enclosed in a crispy bite, while enjoying the moist pork within its outer layer. If you are a sausage fanatic craving a new experience, there is always the tok-su-nee possessing a light texture compared to European gamey sausages. Or enjoy the most popular topokki, a unique fusion of American and Korean elements containing a sauce not too creamy or rich (also being lactose intolerance friendly).

School Foods with its collection of appetizing foods incorporating both American and South Korean traditions offers an entirely new adventure for your pallet.

School Food Blooming Roll

621 S Western Ave #301 Los Angeles, CA 90005 Monday–Sunday 11 a.m–10 p.m.

Lifestyle

15

A cultural twist on your traditional swirl

By Bryan Han

Somi Somi has captured boundless appetites upon its arrival to Los Angeles, exploding the Internet with posts featuring the creamy, swirled ice cream atop a fish-shaped cone, named Bungeoppang.

This unique fish cone originates from Japan, originally named taiyaki, traditionally filled with sweetened azuki red bean paste; however,

Strawberry-banana swirl with Oreo crumbs and a macaron atop a taiyaki cone.

along its travels endured multiple tweaks from different cultures, creating the Korean Bungeoppang.

Its popularity rose on the streets of Korea as street vendors expanded the variety of flavor fillings with Nutella, cheese or custard.

Being settled in such a culturally-infused city, the mini ice cream bar instantly drew clients to its taiyaki fish shaped cake ice cream, which altogether is named ah- boong. Ice cream flavors vary from conventional strawberry or milk to more prominent Korean

aspects like matcha, ube and black sesame flavors.

Aside from the ice cream, your fluffy waffle cone can be filled with Nutella, custard or the original candied red bean paste. The final touch to your ah-boong is your choice of toppings consisting of crushed oreos, fruity pebbles and sprinkles as well as, a macaron or strawberry on top.

Though the service is speedy, the small parlor only holds a couple workers and customers, prolonging the line past the building despite the hour. Also, aside from the lengthy wait there are few seating areas which can cause quite a hassle since the milky texture quickly melts creating a drippy mess if not consumed quickly.

Nevertheless, the experience is one like no other and offers insight into flavors uncommon in typical stores. With its compelling, smooth texture and distinctive, cream-based ice cream, Somi Somi’s ah-boong is a pleasant confection adapted by Korean culture.

A matcha milk swirl in a cup and a strawberrybanana swirl with fruity pebbles and a macaron

Somi Somi ​ 21 S Western Ave Ste 208-A 6 Los Angeles, CA 90005 somisomiicecream@gmail.com

(213) 568-3284

By Victoria Bochniak

By Victoria Bochniak

By Victoria Bochniak

Somi Somi revamps Korean sweets with creamy treats

Somi somi’s menu and topping counter, home of the popular ah-boong

Mon – Sat: noon – 11 p.m.

Sun: noon – 10 p.m.

16

Seeing a world of bright colors Students in Ms. Paronikyan’s design classes share their best artwork

Dylan Weikel-Feekes, junior

Meline Sukiasyan, junior

Yerine Kwon, senior

Angela Barakezyan, sophomore

Edgar Kilamyan, senior

Jake Nalbanian, junior

David Shahi, sophomore

Painting pictures with words

17

Students express themselves and create fantasies through poetry and creative writing The Woman and The Ocean

Photo via Pixabay

By Mary Vardanyan

Thanks

By Rosalinda Parra The one person I’d never, Say thanks was my uncle.

Jesus.

Had a rough childhood, As a teen, became part of a, Drug cartel, With money, Weapons, And luxury.

Though it came to, End. Phoenix, Arizona.

Cops took him away Back again, To Mexico.

Learned from his mistakes, I’d never said thanks, But, I’m willing to forgive.

Brown locks of hair flowing in the wind, chapped lips, she stood at her balcony. Right outside of her house, the waves of the ocean calmly lifted a beautiful white ship and carried it into the horizon.

She watched it until it disappeared from her eye and left the taste of salty water in her mouth. She couldn’t move, as if her feet were glued to the wooden floor. Eventually, when the sun set behind the glaring water, the woman dragged herself back inside. On the old, oak kitchen table she noticed a pipe.

She picked it up, then held it tightly between the palms of her hands and looked at the photograph on the wall. It was a picture of her and her husband; they were both so young. She was in his arms, wearing a light, blue dress and a big, pretty hat while he had his clean, white captain uniform on, as always.

The woman pressed the pipe against her chest and stared longer at the photograph.

Suddenly, she sobbed, as her eyes turned into crashing storm waves. Her heart was the lonely boulder on the shore, getting washed away, more and more with each hit of the water. Each wave was bigger and stronger, and each thunder clap darker and louder.

They would never stop, not until the rock on the beach would collapse of exhaustion, hit by the lightning, broken into a billion little pieces scattered in the wet sand. The shards would then be washed away by the waves, becoming part of the ocean.

Maybe that way she could see the beautiful, white ship again. Maybe she could even calm the waters and guide its captain through the giant, blue emptiness.

But until then, she will wait for him, at the small house near the shore, and when he comes back home, the water will beam with sunshine once again.

All stories and poems were submitted to us and edited for format.

See Mr. Davis in room 1329 if you would like to see your work featured in the magazine.

Student Work

18

Photo via Pxhere

The Grandfather clock and the Luxurious Oasis

By Marcello Vazquez A truck came along through the sandy deserts where there was only sand roads, soft and not very firm. When the wind blew it was especially difficult to make out the path. The truck was a garbage truck that came from a town right next to the desert. It was headed to the dump which was across the sandy plains. Drivers had to be careful when going through this part of the desert. The soft sand made it hard to cross even on a pressed small road.

After an unexpected bump on a sand dune, the truck shook and an item fell out. It rolled down the hill and landed upright in the shadow of one of the dunes. As the dust settled, a figure of a grandfather clock appeared, its hands frozen on eight and four position. It had a few scratches and bumps and was very dirty.

To the right of the grandfather clock we could see a small muddy puddle. It was shaded from the sun and looked too dirty to drink from.

The grandfather clock and the small muddy puddle stood there quietly, not one willing to speak to one another.

However, it was the grandfather clock that decided that it had something to say.

“You know, I wasn’t always like this, not like this, not broken,” the Grandfather Clock said.

“Really?” said the Small Muddy Puddle.

“Oh yes, I was once a great family heirloom. Passed down from generation to generation. I was what every descendent hoped to call their own,” said the Grandfather Clock.

“You must be a very proud clock then, having been so well liked,” replied the Small Muddy Puddle.

“Yes I was. Why, there were times when the descendent that owned me at the time would look to me rather than the watch on his wrist. Oh how happy it made me feel when they looked to me, for I knew every second of every day and was never late or early,” said the Grandfather Clock.

“You sound very important, but what are you doing here?

In the middle of the desert under a sand dune? This is not a fitting place for such a fine clock as yourself,” said the Small Muddy Puddle, interested and curious.

The clock then sighed heavily and said with a sad voice, “Oh that, that is a long story. But to keep things simple and easy I can no longer tell time, not like I used to.”

“Oh, but why?” asked the Small Muddy Puddle.

“It was a single event that changed it all. It happened the day of that massive sand storm. As you know they occur from time to time around here. However, this one was unlike any you have ever seen. On that fateful day a window was open in my owner’s home and the strong wind blew in. Sand and air blew right on to me, hitting me on my side. I then tipped over and broke” said the Grandfather Clock.

“Weren’t you fixed by your family?” asked the Small Muddy Puddle “Yes, of course I was. They were my family. I tried to work again, but I could never tell time like I used to,” said the Grandfather Clock.

They stood in silence for a second, then the Grandfather Clock added, “So they sent me away… What use do they have for an old broken clock? So now my hands tell this time forever and I never forget the moment when everything changed for me.”

The Small Dirty Puddle didn’t say anything for a while.

There was just a moment of silence between the two of them.

Then the Small Muddy Puddle decided to say something, to get it off her mind. “I wasn’t always a little muddy puddle.

I was something bigger than I am now,” said the Small Muddy Puddle.

The Grandfather Clock was surprised to hear that, “Really, you as well? What were you?”

“I know it’s hard to believe, especially now. But at one point I was a great and luxurious oasis” said the Small Muddy Puddle.

“Now that’s a story for the ages. So tell me, how did you become a puddle?” asked the Grandfather Clock.

“When I was a young spring full of life. I was clean, pure and beautiful. Everyone who saw me couldn’t believe their eyes,” said the Small Muddy Puddle.

“I can imagine in such great heat they would see you as a sight for sore eyes,” said the Grandfather Clock.

Student Work

“No, how dare you. For me, a simple fly, who need not know the time or the water from your body, need nothing from you two. I, however, have heard you tell your tales of woe, and I understand that you take life for granted,” said The Fly. The grandfather clock and the small muddy puddle were both confused. “What do you mean?” said the grandfather clock. “How would you, a fly, know anything about life?” asked the Small Muddy Puddle.

“I know more about life than anyone. I don’t have much time. Three hours to be exact. And I know I would not spend a moment thinking of things I should have done or can’t do anymore. Moreover, I know that I won’t be able to move soon and I know there are things I still want to do,” said The Fly, who was quite furious.

The Grandfather Clock and the Small Muddy Puddle said nothing for what could they say.

“You are right to say that you are not like me. You are not like me because you have had much time and still have more time to make a difference with your life. So I say this to you.

Do better for yourselves. Do better as though tomorrow is your last day. Because where you stand it just might be your last,” said The Fly. And so it was as the fly foretold. In three hours, at around 10:1, the fly passed away. The clock counted every second just for him. He was left to float in the clear and pure pool of water of the puddle who had decided to clean herself up and begin to grow.

Photo via Pexels

“Yes, people would often come bathe in me and feel relief from their worries. Why, I was so big that I gave life to many plants that stayed close so they wouldn’t dry up,” said the Small Muddy Puddle.

“Life must have been good for you. But I fail to see what went wrong for you. Why are you just a small puddle?” asked the grandfather clock.

“Oh, that. Time has a funny way of showing you it cares.

People are the same way. Years passed by and I began to shrink. The sun beat me, the plants used me, and the people abused me,” said the Small Muddy Puddle.

They then stood in silence once again not saying a word to each other.

“All I could do was stay here in the shade to keep from drying out. When people find me they get upset that they did not find anything bigger or cleaner,” said the Small Muddy Puddle.

The grandfather clock was going to say something to ease the pain of the small muddy puddle. However, a sand fly, very common in these parts of the desert, started to fly around them and landed on the Grandfather Clock.

This made him very upset and caused him to raise his voice. “How dare you intrude on our conversation? Have you no manners?”

The fly, who had been there longer than the grandfather clock or the small muddy puddle had known, had heard the whole conversation and had a few things to say to these two relics.

19

20

In the Life

Embracing Polish culture

By Victoria Bochniak

By Victoria Bochniak

“I think it is very important that we celebrate our culture and uphold multiple traditions because if we don’t preserve it then no one will. It’s up to us to continue them,” said La Cañada High School junior Aleksandra Dudek, an annual participant of the Polish Harvest Festival in Yorba Linda.

Astounded by the sweeping crowds wandering the bustling parking lot, Dudek explains, “This has always been a tradition in my family and we participate every year because we love to embrace our Polish culture.”

The second I strode past the waving banner into the jam-packed parking lot, I was enveloped with the exact Polish pride Dudek had mentioned, instantly struck with the overwhelming yet delectable scent of Polish cuisine.

Among the myriad of folk decorations was an array of carnival booths encompassing every aspect of a cultural festivity including an assemblage of Polish merchandise, history displays, and an assortment of varied entertainment luring the enraptured crowds closer to the stage as lively music played in the background. As I ambled towards the illuminated dais, a bustling troupe of young performers dressed in

“Krakusy” dancer lifts her flower crown in the “Wianki” performance.

distinctive, festive costumes prepared to perform as the host annunciated the opening of this year’s 39th Polish Harvest Festival in Yorba Linda.

These harvest festivals originated in Central and Eastern Europe, and were held by peasants and farmers to celebrate a successful season in the fields around the sixteenth century.

The celebratory processions included an intertwined wreath compiled from sheaths of grain, native field flowers and streaming ribbons symbolic of traditional thanksgiving after an ample harvest. Dates of the festivities varied, either beginning the day of the Autumn Equinox or on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary where the decorated wreaths were blessed by a priest in Catholic villages.

Throughout the years, the tradition persisted, and upon the commencement of this year’s festival, decorated, round and rectangular wreaths were carried from the church to the stage honoring the harvest procession. Amid the procession were folk dancers clutching straw baskets containing traditional baked bread, ripe autumn fruits and bright, blossoming flowers ranging from the bold, yellow of sunflowers to the eye-catching crimson color of wild poppies.

Among the dancers were highlander musicians, fiddling traditional melodies which echoed throughout the mass of guests. Each dancer positioned their overflowing basket atop the stage, facing the captivated onlookers. With the procession at its close, the longawaited festivities commenced.

Apart from anything else, I was ready to indulge myself in the diverse, selection of authentic Polish food, capturing countless of appetites upon arrival seeing the already, prolonged line of hungry guests encircling the packed booths.

“My favorite part about these festivals is the Polish food, which is very different, especially because most of it is handmade and hard to come by on a

By Victoria Bochniak

Local Polish-Americans participate in the 39th Polish Harvest Festival in Yorba Linda

Placki ziemniaczane, Polish potato pancakes served at the festival.

daily basis,” Dudek said while standing in line for a classic dish of pierogi — Polish, boiled dumplings.

“Although pierogi can have many various fillings such as sauerkraut, meat, sweet cheese or fruits, my favorite have always been the potato and cheese filled ones,” Dudek said as she was handed a steaming plate of pierogi topped with crispy bacon and fried onion drizzled with melted butter.

Apart from the pierogi, considered one of Poland’s national dishes, volunteers prepared savory dishes of gołąbki, boiled cabbage rolls filled with minced meat and rice poured over with creamy, tomato sauce; kiełbasa, grilled, polish sausage; placki ziemniaczane, tasty potato pancakes served with applesauce; and my personal favorite, naleśniki, a Polish blintz filled with sweet, farmer’s cheese doused with powdered sugar.

“One of my favorite parts about being Polish is being able to cook the traditional dishes,” said North Torrance High School junior Caroline Martin, a dancer at this year’s festival. “I learned all the different recipes from my grandma and they taste amazing.”

Nevertheless, traditional dishes also encompass classic pastries and cakes

By Victoria Bochniak

21

Polish folk dance ensemble “Krakusy” performs the highlander dance.

including the widely-popularized pączki — fluffy, Polish doughnuts filled with delicious, plum jam and coated with glaze with occasional dried chunks of orange zests — the perfect finish to your Polish meal.

Now satiated, I advanced towards the enlightened stage impatient to see the dancers sprightly performances.

The dances flowed from one region of Poland to the other as did the performing groups.. “Tatry,” a folk dancing group based in Phoenix, astounded the audience with their unique performance of the Polish highlander dance, complete with their own talented musicians who played the music live next to the dancers.

Other groups included “Piast” from Las Vegas, who performed an impressive krakowiak — Kraków’s regional dance — and Yorba Linda’s personal dance group named “Polanie.”

“When I was small, I always went to all these festivals and I got to know these great people who really motivated me to dance and perform,” Martin said before going up on stage to perform one of Chopin’s renowned waltzes. “These groups teach things you can’t learn through a textbook and they really bring you closer together.”

After their enchanting Waltz, Martin and her friends — members

of a Polish folk dance ensemble named “Krakusy” situated in Los Angeles — prepared to perform an extraordinary highlander dance and Wianki, an ancient ritual of young women throwing wild flower crowns into ponds awaiting a young suitor to swim and claim their crown on a festivity named “sobótki.”

For obvious reasons, the young dancers did not toss their elegantly-decorated crowns into water but still produced a sensational effect, receiving thundering applause.

“Performing these dances for others is important because it helps to give them a taste of the culture that they may have never experienced before or heard of especially, if they are visiting with friends or family and may not be Polish,” Dudek said.

“When I see people absorbing our culture and enjoying what we do, it just puts a smile on my face,” said Crescenta Valley High School freshman Victoria Borkowski after performing her last dance of the day.

After the performances, humorous adaptation of Rzepka — a traditional children’s rhyming story written by Julian Tuwim — and poetical recitations by the students of the Polish Saturday School in Yorba Linda, I explored the children’s game zone which was suffused with cultureinduced games such as this adaptation of ring toss transformed into throwing a “góralski kapelusz” or highlander hat at three “peaks” each higher than the other, your goal being to hook the hat on one of the peaks.

“I love coming to Polish festivals because of the ability to spend time with friends in a really festive atmosphere celebrating our Polish roots that we all love and embracing the Polish culture despite the fact that I live in a different country,” Dudek said. “I hope to one day take my kids to these festivals and enroll them into Polish School and Polish scouting and incorporate these long-lasting traditions into their lifestyle.”

“I would want my kids to pass down our culture and understand the country’s language, geography and history because it’s what brings us together and it’s what people carry out from this experience, too,” Martin said.

As the last stream of sunlight drifted away from the ever-growing darkness of the evening, light bulbs glistened along the booths and the engulfed guests, eager to buy leftovers of the appetizing dishes. Resounding disco music and booming laughs resonated from the dining tents as the 39th Polish Harvest Festival in Yorba Linda came to a conclusion.

“Being Polish-American means a lot to me, and it gives me pride because people know my culture and language and when they get excited about it it just makes me so happy to know I’m doing my part in keeping our heritage alive,” Martin said.

22

In the Life

YMCA plays a major role in students’ lives

Hello. Bonjour. Hola. Здравствуйте. Welcome.

By Lilit Krkasharian Enter the Glendale YMCA and immediately be greeted in over ten different languages written in yellow and white letters on the blue wall behind the front desk. Become part of a welcoming, diverse community that has turned into a second home for many high school students over the years.

Leap into the blue waters of the swimming pools, journey into the enormous weight room, swing by the dance classes, or throw yourself onto the blue mats of the gymnastics center.

“Everyone at the YMCA, including both workers and members, are always so nice and cheerful,” said senior Joselyn Bille. “I love going to work out there because the staff is very welcoming, and I get to be a part of the YMCA community.”

YMCA has been a place for many students to explore their interests, find what they are passionate about, establish new friendships, participate in community service, and even begin their first work experiences.

Junior Razmik Alemsharyan has seen firsthand how much the YMCA has changed him. “I used to go to the YMCA just because they had a basketball court, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized how much that place has shaped my personality and how many good friends I have made just by going there,” Alemsharyan said. “I’ve been going for three or four years already, and I have found that it is a good way to relax after school and just have fun with friends.”

One of the reasons why the YMCA is so popular among high school students is that it is not only a gym, basketball court or a swimming pool; it is a multifunctioning building that takes on different roles in different people’s lives.

With a wide array of youth programs, summer camps and sports available to children and teenagers, members of the YMCA can experiment in various kinds of activities, find what

they enjoy, and discover where they fit in best.

Sophomore Alaina Joby and her family have taken advantage of the numerous opportunities offered by the YMCA and love going to swim there, with Joby also volunteering in the gymnastics classes. “I like volunteering there because I get to meet a lot of new people, get experience dealing with little kids who aren’t related to me, and get to interact with other volunteers,” Joby said.

Chelsea Lawrence, a coordinator for Youth Development at the YMCA of the Foothills, believes that teenagers are attracted to the YMCA because the Y offers something that other gyms or health clubs don’t offer. “You can be whoever you want to be here and you don’t have to worry about people talking about you,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence believes that the YMCA community allows you to be yourself and not fear what other people will think of you. She oversees all of the teen programs, such as Youth & Government, which has about 200 high schoolers involved, and P.I.L.O.T.S, which is a smaller group of teenagers.

Youth & Government is a program for students in high school across the United States that allows them to better understand how the government works and how policies are made. The California state program has around 30,800 teens participants, all of whom, after attending two conferences and learning about the law and politics, are able to take over the capitol and run the state government in Sacramento for five days.

The P.I.L.O.T.S program is a community-service based program which Lawrence says is good for meeting new people and getting community service hours both at the YMCA and outside in the community.

“Being a leader-in-training and going through these the programs just helps you develop as a leader, figure out who you are, and gain confidence for the

future,” Lawrence said.

Students at Clark are not the only ones getting involved at the YMCA. Many teachers, including United States Government teacher Nicholas Doom, have also been influenced greatly by the YMCA. “My personal experience at the YMCA when I was in high school was very similar to what students experience today,” Doom said. “It’s a local, safe, modern facility that is very memberfriendly and I believe kid-friendly. They have opportunities for exercise, weight rooms, a computer lab, all kinds of different computer machines to work out with, as well as homework rooms and mentors available.” Doom’s whole family enjoys going to the YMCA and staying active there. “My wife swims, my son swims, my daughter does workout classes, and I’m on the board of the Youth Development Committee,” Doom said.

YMCA programs and sports are not only appealing to students and teachers at Clark, but from all high schools in the area. Liana Egiazaryan, a senior at Hoover High School, benefits from using YMCA facilities.

Although she joined in May of this year, she has already begun to see changes in her fitness level and body strength. “I can’t believe I didn’t start coming to the YMCA when I was younger,” Egiazaryan said. “It’s such a great place to be and do exercise at. I come now mainly to work out at the gym and use their equipment, but their sports programs and other activities seem really cool, too.”

Dr. Brian Landisi, Assistant Principal at Clark, is also on the Board of Directors at the YMCA of the Foothills. He is proud to see Clark students becoming connected with their community and spending their time at the YMCA. “It makes me so happy to see students just being involved,” Landisi said. “It’s one of those organizations that’s really committed to making a difference. Every group I’ve been involved with there has been a really good one, and I’m glad teenagers are getting involved with those same programs.”

By Paula Ignacia Boada

Michelle Shvedov practices her hoop routine during gymnastics practice at the YMCA.

By Lilit Krkasharian

By Lilit Krkasharian

Senior Lilit Krkasharian coaches gymnastics at the Glendale YMCA.

Anahit Hayrapetyan stretches before her gymnastics practice at the YMCA, a very important step for gymnasts.

24

In the Life

Climbing high and falling soft

Indoor bouldering proves to be a fun, challenging workout

By Urielle Corcuera

Urielle Corcuera

Going to the gym and working out is never an easy task, especially to those who are not into exercise at all.

To many people, including senior Anna Karapetyan, who is a YMCA member, working out can be boring sometimes.

“It’s the same routine a lot of days which begins as something fun,” Karapetyan said. “But then you get used to the same thing and it’s not fun anymore.”

However, going to the gym to lift weights to achieve a better fitness level is not the only way for people to be healthy and to get fit. Activities such as aerial yoga, parkour, boxing and barring are ways to also get in the fitness zone.

As someone who has always wanted to scale a tall building because of action films, it was only fitting for me to try an activity that involves climbing.

Having thought of that, I came across on my Yelp app several indoor bouldering gyms including Hollywood Boulders.

Swiping through the pictures provided by Hollywood Boulders on their website, I knew right away that I just had to experience it. I then encouraged my cousin to try it with me and in no time we put ourselves into an introductory class for 45 minutes that only cost $30 per person including a whole day pass and climbing gears.

As a matter of fact, more people participated in climbing activities in 2015 than in 2014, according to a report by the Physical Activity Council and PHIT America. Although the participation level only grew by 18,732 people from 2007-2014, the 2014-2015 participation level showed a dramatic increase by 148,287 participants. In addition, bouldering, as well as indoor climbing, placed 70th on the list of 111 activities to do in the U.S. — beating out gymnastics, track and field, and many other traditional sports, which is why it’s no wonder that sports climbing got approved for the 2020 Summer Olympic games.

Not necessarily preparing for the Olympics ourselves, my cousin and I walked into the facility carrying our junk foods. My excitement died down as I scanned the whole place. Almost everyone had bulking muscles and stood at least 5’ 7” and up. I was intimidated and terrified to say the least because of the inkling feeling that I would not be able to do any of the obstacles.

Fortunately, one of the gym staff members, Kevin, told us that he was to be our instructor for the next 45 minutes and we were free to do whatever we please. We were then joined by two other beginners, which was relieving.

Kevin started us off by comparing bouldering and wall-climbing since it

The inside of Hollywood Boulders bouldering gym

is very similar and people tend to think that it is the same thing. Unlike wallclimbing, bouldering does not have any ropes to support the climber from falling.

“Wall climbing is safer because you don’t take ground falls,” Kevin said.

In addition, walls for wall climbing are typically high and horizontal while bouldering walls are low and geometrically shaped. “It is essentially comprised of short intense movements over a small course ranging from 12 feet to 17 feet,” Kevin said. However, according to Kevin, although bouldering walls are low, it is still more intense than wall-climbing. “People have issues with their joints, specifically their hands, wrists and shoulders because it’s so intense and they don’t know how to control themselves.” To Kevin, wallclimbing is like endurance running while bouldering is sprint running.

Kevin then informed us about falling and/or jumping technique, which is a very important knowledge to have when climbing since falling from a high wall the wrong way can result in injuries despite the very soft floor mats.

Kevin described two types of falling and/or jumping techniques. The first one was falling on our backs and making sure that our whole body was loose and not tensed up. The second one was more complicated and scary. When jumping or falling from a high wall, Kevin mentioned that most members are worried about hurting their faces, and because of this, they try to break their fall which can result in broken wrists or dislocated shoulders — both of which had happened to some members. “Some members who wear glasses have shattered their glasses by falling,” Kevin said. “But it’s better than breaking or dislocating a body part.”

After teaching us about falling techniques, Kevin finally led us to the climbing walls where he briefly taught us the meaning behind the color coded grips and the different labels. The color coded grips are what climbers call the routes.

If climbers start on a certain color, then they can continue climbing by just using the specific color that they started on to make the climb challenging.

Urielle Corcuera

Climbing the green V0 bouldering route up the wall requires strength and agility.

The labels on the hand grips, officially called the “bouldering grade,” are letternumber grades that determine the difficulty of the climb. The grades starts with V0 and currently goes up until V17.

The higher the number is, the harder it is to climb.

Finally, Kevin climbed the wall by starting at a green V0 hand grip and following the green route. When he finished, the four of us beginners took turns with me going last. Kevin made the climbing look so easy and effortless, but when it was finally me who was stepping on the grips, it hit me how difficult bouldering would be.

First, the walls were not constructed to be straight but constructed to imitate a tall mountain, so every wall had steep slopes and sharp corners. Second, the spaces in between grips were far and I only stand at 5’ 2,” which made it harder for me to climb up since it would require more energy and strength. And third, I had long nails which is not advisable at all since climbing can result in broken nails and bleeding fingers.

Experienced members make

climbing look like eating a piece of cake, as if they are Spiderman’s relative. But it’s really not. Climbing requires not just whole body strength and endurance, but also good balance since the climber is only stepping on small grips. It’s also typical for the climber’s hand to sweat which is why a powdered chalk is provided to avoid sweating and then slipping. In addition, since the walls are not straight, climbers must keep their body as close as possible to the wall because the farther the body is from the wall, the harder it is to climb since there’s more weight being pulled down from the ground.

Luckily, I was able to do at least V0 and V1, but towards the end of the class at V4, my forearms had given up on me and every time I would try to pull myself up, it felt as if my veins were being pulled apart. “You get stronger and faster, but your body is taxed heavily because of the amount of straint that you’re putting,” Kevin said.

At the end of the class, Kevin mentioned that what he noticed with most beginners is the problem of not trusting themselves when climbing because of the fear of falling or not being able to reach a certain grip.

Before leaving us, Kevin advised us to just have fun, follow the rules and remember the safety measures to avoid injuries.

Senior Maria Hovakimyan, an experienced climber herself, agrees with Kevin. Hovakimyan, who has been bouldering for almost a year, said that her experience as a beginner climber had also been intimidating, like mine, because of her height and the complex courses. However, with Hovakimyan’s active life playing for GHS’ tennis varsity team, as well as being a part of the Police Explorers Program, it comes as no surprise that she would find indoor bouldering another challenge to achieve despite the intimidation of it.

“I’m very athletic, but I still struggled a little on my first time climbing since I had to familiarize myself with different types of hand grips, while at the same time trying to improve my flexibility,” Hovakimyan said. “It’s still worth it, though, because it really helps with your body, mind, and discipline.”

26

In the Life

Learning by doing

California Science Center provides Southern Californian youth a chance educate others

By Theodore Supangan

Before volunteering, I attended a training session led by the curator of ecology, Dr. Chuck Kopczak. Going through each ecosystem exhibit one by one, Kopczak explained the purpose and design of specific aspects of each exhibit.

For example, Kopczak explained the structure of the Center’s kelp forest tunnel. “Most aquariums just have a giant window,” Kopczak said. “Here at the California Science Center, we wanted to create an immersive environment for our guests. When you walk into the tunnel, what you see there is what you would see if you were actually in the tank with the fish.”

After the guided tour, Kopczak took us to an upper-level conference room to discuss frequently asked questions and how to prepare for common situations. One of the most commonly

Photo by Theodore Supangan

Amidst giant music festivals and overcrowded football fields, the California Science Center is an underlooked gem deep rooted in Los Angeles. It also provides students from ages 16 an opportunity to serve its guests, as well as be immersed in an interactive learning experience — an opportunity I couldn’t pass up when I initially started volunteering there in August.

“Interactive education holds the kids’ attention. Instead of just sitting, listening to someone talk, they get a hands-on experience,” said science teacher Dominique Evans-Bye, regarding the benefits of interactive learning. “They learn by doing.”

Originally opened in 1951 as the California Museum of Science and Industry, the renamed California Science Center has been open since 1998 and only recently had a massive overhaul in 2010, including a major expansion that introduced its world-renowned Ecosystems exhibits. Another, more recent addition to the Science Center is the Space Shuttle Endeavour hanger.

The shuttle was launched in missions from 1992 until 2011, and was stationed at the Science Center in 2012.0.

Since signing up to volunteer at the Center as an Ecosystems Host, I’ve been able to work in most of its exhibits, including the Desert Zone, River Zone, Island Zone and Kelp Forest. There were also some outliers that I worked at, like the World of Life and the Endeavour Space Shuttle.

One of the Science Center’s kelp forest shows guests fish in the Center’s kelp forest. Volunteers answer guests’ questions.

The kelp forest tunnel provides a submursive experience to everyone who passes through.

asked questions is “Is that fish dead?”

Our trainers told us to explain to the guest that the fish is usually resting, and they are visited twice a day by divers. If they were dead, they’d be taken care of immediately.

The ecosystems training session was also used as a group bonding session. We had to enact frequently asked questions and put ourselves in complicated situations that might arise during our service hours.

When I first started, I thought a sixth of my Saturdays — I have to work for at least four hours a week — would be spent greeting guests and telling them where the bathroom is. Instead, I get to learn something new — however cliche that may be — every week, and engage with guests regarding specific exhibits, such as the ever-so interesting male Sheephead in the world-renowned kelp forest: a fish born a female which transforms into a male without one present.

The kelp forest is my favorite exhibit. Its live animals and giant aquarium windows make it a tranquil environment for guests to cool down and enjoy nature. The upstairs rocky shore exhibit showcases the intricate systems behind the giant kelp tank. Not only does it exhibit the Center’s pump system that controls the tank’s flow and tide simulation, visitors can also see divers enter and exit the tank to take care of the fish.

The rocky shore exhibit also has a touch tank which educators use to demonstrate the tendencies of various tidepool-dwelling creatures, such as sea stars, abalone, sea urchins, and

giant green anemone. The touch tank fully summarizes the Center’s ability to teach through interactive experiences.

By actually seeing the creatures up close, guests can witness the animals’ characteristics.

The kelp forest also has educators who present guests with questions to ask regarding the kelp forest’s animals with the center’s trained divers. Guests usually ask questions such as “How many sharks are in the tank?” or “What are those bright, orange fish?”

Some of the more rare questions are those regarding the diver’s suit. The divers have specialized air cylinders in their suits that can adjust how high or low the diver floats.

“Volunteering in the kelp forest is always my favorite,” said volunteer Mathias Macatangay, a student at Downtown Magnet High School. “It’s great seeing young kids so eager to learn about various fish and the environment around the fish. It reminds me a lot of myself when I used to visit the Science Center as a kid.”

Another one of my favorite exhibits is the River Zone. Guests come in and the first thing their eyes see is the long, slightly-sloped platform filled with sand.

Though it reeks of chlorine, guests are always intrigued to play in the sand.

The purpose of this is to structure a river, and discover how waters flows through sand. Usually children are the guests that play here, but one specific couple bonded together developing a nicely contoured river, with multiple paths and entryways.

Other attractions are the short documentaries scattered around the

exhibit. Some display the lack of control in rivers which lead to a massive decline in a salmon population, and others are timelapses that display flow; one of lava flow and another of a melting glacier.

Another great exhibit is the Center’s Desert Zone. It is grouped together with its Arctic Zone. Though these exhibits are four degrees warmer and four degrees cooler than the rest of the Center, respectively, they both have their perks and unique contributions to the California Science Center.

The Desert Zone has a unique attraction that isn’t present in any other exhibit: its Splash Zone, an “every 15-minute” simulation of a flash flood.

Lights turn dark, riveting thunder rings through and boom! The water comes racing in from the Center’s water control system and rushes through, drenching any victims in the Splash Zone. Don’t worry about the desert tortoises, though; they’re trained to stay within their rocklined boundary, and never fall into the pit of despair that is the drain.

Volunteers have many reasons for working at the California Science Center.

“I started volunteering because I’ve been going here since I was a kid, and I needed service hours,” said volunteer Carlene Sanchez, a student at Immaculate Heart High School in Hollywood. “I thought ‘might as well do it somewhere that I’m happy and that I’ll enjoy doing the work at.’ I just wanted to, especially in guest services, communicate with more people, work on my public speaking, and learn more about science because it is my weakest subject. Volunteering at the Science Center will help me develop those skills.”

Photo by Theodore Supangan

Photo by Theodore Supangan

27

The Science Center’s rocky shore exhibit, where guests can observe the water surface, use the anemone simulators to grab ping pong ball “food”, and touch some tidepool animals at the touch tank.

Opinion The government war on encryption is very dangerous

Photo via Flickr

28

By Carlos Rodriguez The debate over encryption has been going on since the dawn of the Internet and seemingly exploded in 2016 when Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik perpetrated a mass shooting in San Bernardino in Dec. 2015. The FBI demanded that Apple produce and digitally sign iOS software which would allow the agency to unlock an iPhone 5C belonging to one of the shooters.

Full disk encryption has been enabled by default on iPhones since the 3GS model and was made even more secure on iOS 8. It makes all of the contents on a device unreadable when powered off and requires a correct password to be entered in order to decrypt the device.

As technology has grown we have placed more and more of our private data onto our smartphones in the hopes that it remains private. Many individuals believe that people should not worry about the government having access to their data, as having “nothing to hide” means having “nothing to fear.”

The problem arises when governments demand that encryption on devices be impossible to crack to everyone but them. The truth is that there is no such thing as “responsible encryption” — if there is a way to crack it then it will be found and exploited.

Leaks are not 100 percent preventable. If there is a backdoor to a system then it will be found and leaked eventually. It is not a matter of if, but when. The government likes to point out that criminals will not be caught and prosecuted if everyone has encryption.

However, if we take encryption away from everyone, then only criminals will have encryption. Not only that, but criminals will be the ones who leak the keys to these devices and gain access to everyone’s information if a backdoor is put in place. Thus, it truly is in our best interest for everyone to have encryption.

Take the recent demands from U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd for WhatsApp to provide the U.K. government a way to access messages which are encrypted by default.

Criminals would simply move to another

encrypted messaging app or make their own! In this scenario, law-abiding individuals would no longer be able to chat in secret but criminals still would.

What if, hypothetically, there were no encrypted messaging apps and the criminals were unable to make their own? That would not be a problem at all for them since anyone can simply take a pad of paper and make what is called a one-time-pad. If used correctly, this form of encryption is unbreakable. The same cannot be said about encryption which uses computers.

Politicians who propose encryption backdoors are either uninformed or, quite frankly, do not care about the consequences. It is up to us to advocate for unbreakable encryption so that all of us can have the security which criminals already enjoy.

Questions? Responses?

Send us a letter at clarkchronicle. com/submit-a-letter

By Urielle Corcuera

Courtesy of Flickr by Kenneth Konica

Sitting in my English class discussing feminism, one of my classmates said that he is not a feminist because of “2017 Twitter feminism,” which apparently argues that females are better than males. And really, I can understand why he does not consider himself to be one.

With social medias today such as Twitter and Instagram fueling the feminist movement, it’s no wonder that feminism is becoming one of the hottest issues resulting in many young girls and women to become “woke,” which of course is never a bad thing.

However, exposure of the feminist movement in media has also become a way for big clothing companies to profit off of women by selling T-shirts with slogans such as “Girl Power” or “Girls Support Girls,” and the one and only problematic one — “The Future Is Female” slogan. The trend started from a company called Otherwild after Hilary Clinton stated that the future is female, and from there, it spread like wildfire to stores such as Forever 21, Topshop, etc, etc with different wordings but the same meaning.

Celebrities including Cara Delevigne, Chloe Bennet Ariana Grande expressed their support by publicly posting photographs of them with the said T-shirt on. And with their platforms in media today, it’s no hard work to influence many of their fans, if not all, to

believe the same thing.

As empowering as it may to say and hear that the future is female, the slogan is still wrong. The problem with the slogan is that it is a toxic phrase that poisons the feminist movement and distorts its true meaning. By a dictionary definition, feminism means “the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”

Feminism does not mean females are more important than men. But that is exactly the belief that the “The Future Is Female” slogan is achieving. It doesn’t solve any of the issue in the inequality of the sexes. If anything, it just puts a bigger wedge between females and males.

For years and until now, the belief that males are the superior sex with women as their inferiors has been instilled in people’s minds, which caused the inequality between the sexes. And to proclaim that the future is female is just reversing the whole situation.

“The Future Is Female” divorces from the actual definition and goal of feminism. “The Future Is Female” implies the downfall of men and that females will be dominant over males.

“The Future Is Female” alienates men and especially little boys. “The Future Is Female” is destructive, not progressive.

Just imagine a little boy hearing that the future is female, or worse, being taught that the opposite sex is the future.

Sounds familiar? Yes, I bet it does. That is how little girls and little boys were taught in their childhood — that men are smarter or more powerful.

And they grow up believing just that, according to a research done by the journal Science. And that is the exact situation with the slogan, but reversed.

So, how is it helping the issue? It doesn’t.

Yes, women have been treated unfairly for who knows exactly how long while at the same time expected to act a certain way, which is not to say that men didn’t have their share of gender expectations, no matter how little of a share it may be compared to women’s.

Photo via Creative Commons License

29 Opinion Feminism does not mean that the future is female

But that is why feminism exists. Just because the word feminism has the prefix “fem” does not mean it only benefits women because it benefits men as well.

Feminism not only fights against the gender norms for women, it also fights for men who have been called weak or told to “man up” just because they showed a bit of human emotion. It fights for men who have been called gay or not masculine enough just because they wore the color pink. It fights for men who have been expected to shoulder the whole family.

Feminism does not mean women are more important than men or that women should get special privileges.

It merely means equal treatment for both. Feminism is for women and men.

“The Future Is Female,” however, is exclusively only for women. It signals that females will become the “more superior” sex when there shouldn’t even really be a “superior” sex in the first place. It perpetuates the misconception of feminists as femi-nazis or misandrists.

It doesn’t demolish the ever-present patriarchy, but rather, upends it.

So take note, clothing companies.

While slogans on clothings such as “Girl Power” or “Girls Support Girls” are positive ways to support women, the “Future Is Female” is not. It does nothing good but spread a problematic ideology.

30

Arts & Entertainment

A carbon copy of the last generation

By Rafael Aroustamian Sports games are games that are not that popular, with the shocking increase in interest in shooters, but they still have an impact on the gamer world. Some famous YouTubers get their main following due to FIFA and other sports games, including W2S, KSI, Chris Smoove and ChrisMD. All of these YouTubers played mainly sports games such as NBA2K and FIFA and gained an extremely large following. .

Sports games are mainly played to stimulate fantasies, or to stimulate that one question: What if? What if Arsenal FC bought three new players to clinch their title win?

What if Lebron James played for the Brooklyn Nets? What if Tom Brady retired 10 years earlier? What if I can make my own team and have the best players?

Although the companies that

make the sports games claim that they add new ways to play the games along with new teams, the basic concept stays the same. Whenever you start up these games, you basically have six ways of playing: play now, start a career, practice, make an ultimate team, start a player career, and play online.

Most of these modes have not been changed since the earliest FIFAs come out.Despite additions such as cutscenes and more realistic transfer negotiations, FIFA 18 doesn’t impress those who have been playing the FIFA franchise since day one.

One of the more impressive modes in FIFA 18 was co-developed

by EA-Dice, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. EA-Dice uses Frostbite 3, a game engine that enhances the way players look, sound and play. This has led to the seemingly successful making of the Journey campaign.

This gamemode takes place through

the eyes of an English soccer prodigy Alex Hunter.

As soon as you load up this feature, you get to tailor how Alex looks, sounds and plays (with some restrictions, of course). This new take on a footballer’s life in and out of the locker room was first established in FIFA 17 (the prequel to FIFA 18), and the sequel is on FIFA 18.

Although FIFA 18 has introduced new graphics and a sequel to the Journey, it still is a “different apple from the same tree.” As if new colors and background music are the only other difference in the game. As it is, FIFA 18 is a lackluster game that doesn’t bring enough to the table to satisfy the gamers need for new modes. As FIFA 19 is being currently developed, we can only hope that Electronic Arts makes up this “bland sequel.”

Published on Flickr by inforumatik

Published on Flickr by inforumatik

FIFA 18 hits the crossbar in what is an ‘average game’

The game features better graphics than game play.

Arts & Entertainment

31

Courtesy of IMDb.com

Dec. 20 When four teenagers stumble across an an old game console, what could go wrong? For these teens… everything. They are drawn into the game and literally become the characters that they chose and embark on a perilous journey through the jungle.

Courtesy of Fox

Dec. 15 The most recent trilogy of the franchise focuses on a new character that the audience knows nothing about. Nothing is revealed about Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens; however, The Last Jedi could provide the answers the audience is looking for. The Last Jedi stars Mark Hamill reprising his role as Luke Skywalker and stars Carrie Fisher in her final movie as General Leia Organa.

Dec. 20 Witness the impossible as a businessman who loses his job needs to find a way to rise up from the bottom. The movie celebrates the start of show business which has come to be a worldwide spectacle. Hugh Jackman stars as the visionary P.T. Barnum after wrapping up his role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise.

Courtesy of Marvel

Courtesy of Disney

Courtesy of Fox

By Shaye Holladay McCarthy

Courtesy of Sony

Upcoming movies 2017-2018

Jan. 26, 2018 Every maze at one point or another comes to an end. With a chance to escape the maze they have been trapped in, Thomas will lead the Gladers through one last maze. This will be one of their deadliest mazes they have run, and whoever survives will get the answers they were looking for.

Feb. 16, 2018 Black Panther is one of the newest additions to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and is the prince of Wakanda. He was first introduced in Captain America: Civil War when his father, T’Chaka, was killed. T’Challa now returns to Wakanda to take the title as King and take up the mantle of the guardian of Wakanda, the Black Panther to protect his country.

May 4, 2018 Five years ago, Marvel fans first saw all of the Avengers on the big screen. Since then, new members have joined and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded dramatically. The Avengers team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy and many other characters belonging to this vast universe in one last war to protect Earth from Thanos, however, he isn’t coming alone.

Graduate Class of

Clark Magnet High School

2 0 1 8

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