Magnet magazine 5 1 by clarkchronicle

December 2018

Vol. V

Issue 1

The Magnet

Ichigo Ichie

Looking into Japanese culture

Upcoming movies 2018-2019 The best fries in Los Angeles Fry joints throughout LA with their own twists

Courtesy of Aaron Burden from Unsplash

Clark Calendar

December

Sun 25

Mon 26

Finals Period 1

Tues 27

Wed 28

Thurs 29

Fri 30

Sat 1

GCC Rep Visit

Finals Period 2 & 4

Finals Period 3 & 5

Free Dress Day

Finals Period 6 & 7

Winter Recess

Letter from the editors: Welcome back to school and this year’s first edition of The Magnet! The holidays are just around the corner, and finals week is upon is. With the upcoming break, perhaps it would be the ideal time for a staycation and trying some new restaurants that serve fries. Take a look at page 10 for Bryan Han’s review of some of the best fry places in Los Angeles and head out there for a new fry dish with your meal. It’s roughly a quarter of the way through the 2018-19 NBA season and it seems the tables have turned on the usual triumphant teams like the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. Sleeper teams are currently ruling the NBA, but there’s still time for the power rankings to shift before the playoffs start. Take a look at an in-depth analysis of the potential top five NBA teams when the playoffs come around

on page 8, reviewed by Theodore Supangan. Maybe you’re more of an artist or writer than a jock and haven’t had too much inspiration to work on projects or stories. Students from Maral Guariano’s Creative Writing class and students in Eric Kursinski’s and Yeranui Paronikyan’s design classes all show off their work on page 12. Twenty-four students from our school were selected to attend the Japanese International Cooperation Center’s trip to Japan a few years after the country was hit with a terrible tsunami. The trip gave students the chance to learn about Japanese culture with their friends and create new bonds. Take a closer look at how special the trip was for the students that attended on page 22 written by Lois Ramilo. To all movie fans, the lineup of movies being released through the rest of 2018 and the first half of 2019 can also be viewed on

page 28, with brief summaries of the movies plot by Shaye Holladay McCarthy. Whether a fan of animated films or heroes, the movies set to release have a wide range. Magic is back with a sequel to Marry Poppins, new heroes arrive in the DC Universe with the King of Atlantis, Arthur Curry and foster kid, Billy Batson, and the first female stand alone film is added to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe with Carol Danvers. All of these activities and more are showcased in the first edition of The Magnet by the dedicated writers in the Publications class. Happy Holidays,

Leslie Chung & Shaye Holladay McCarthy Editors, The Magnet

Features 4

Table Of Contents

Who gets in and who stays out? Rafael Aroustamian

Going behind the scene with AP test graders Leslie Chung

In The Life 16 Competeing for the top

8 Lifestyle

Shaye Holladay McCarthy

The lucky few Extraordinaries Victoria Bochniak

NBA power rankings

Carlos Rodriguez

The best fries in L.A.

Teens learn how to become leaders Ichigo Ichie

Theodore Supangan

Bryan Han

Humans of Clark

Lois Ramilo

Anna Artunian, Pamela Faller, Isabela Lacsina, Lois Ramilo

Opinion 24

28 A&E

A Century-old Question Rafael Aroustamian

Upcoming movies in the 2018-19 year

ICE splits families apart Reed Maruyama

School districts should monitor students’ public social media Carlos Rodriguez

Benefits of coffee spill into a necessity Alexandra Der Boghosian

Shaye Holladay McCarthy

‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ returns with western thrills Rafael Aroustamian

Imagine Dragons reflects on their journey with ‘Origins’ Shaye Holladay McCarthy

The Magnet Magazine

Magazine Editors: Reed Maruyama Leslie Chung Lois Ramilo Shaye Holladay McCarthy Carlos Rodriguez Theodore Supangan Staff Writers: Rafael Aroustamian Photographers: Anna Arutunian Anna Arutunian Victoria Bochniak Victoria Bochniak Leslie Chung Emili Cruz Sosa Alexandra Der Boghosian Bryan Han Pamela Faller Shaye Holladay McCarthy Bryan Han Isabela Lacsina Shaye Holladay McCarthy Lois Ramilo Isabela Lacsina Aleks Zadorian

Website Editors: Victoria Bochniak Carlos Rodriguez

Business: Rafael Aroustamian Advisor: Chris Davis

Special thanks to: Kasy Vasquez

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

Features

Who gets in and who stays out? Immigration in America presents challenges

Courtesy of Flickr

By Rafael Aroustamian

Declaration of Immigration on the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.

History.com

4 • The Magnet

Hofsaib Sultanian is an immigrant from Syria and a Clark student as well. “Before coming to the United States, I moved around from Syria and Iraq to get away from the war,” Sultanian said. “We had to constantly look behind our back to see if the coast was clear. Coming to the United States was a real struggle for both me and my family. I missed my friends that I left behind.” However, Sultanian’s life has changed for the better, as he is attending school and is happy about his current

situation. “I have been living happier, and there is no war here. No bombs. I feel very hopeful about my future,” Sultanian said. A myth that has been debunked several times is that immigrants make the American economy worse and stagnate it. Actually, immigration is both beneficial to the person who is immigrating and to the economy they join. According to the President Obama White House Archives, immigrants tend to start their own

Features businesses and become engineers, scientists and innovators. Immigrants have started 25 percent of public U.S. companies that were backed by venture capital investors. This list includes Google, eBay, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, and Intel. Armine Vardanyan, a history teacher at Clark Magnet High School and a first generation immigrant as well, said that immigration has been and continues to be the story of how the United States formed and prospers today. “When the first people came to America in 1620, they were mostly from Great Britain,” Vardanyan said. “As time went by, however, different people joined from their home countries that were full of turmoil. Some examples include the Armenian Genocide of 1916 and the Holocaust during World War II.” Vardanyan also said that the current government is managing the immigration problem inefficiently. “There is this big divide in the current American government,” Vardanyan

have no end in sight. Foreign conflicts and injustices can always be expected to give rise to immigration, and in a more particular sense, into the United States. Clark student Emma Tsaturian also comes from an immigrant background. “My family moved from Georgia to the United States,” Tsaturian said. “Armenians in Georgia are discriminated against, and the unemployment rate was very high at the time I was there. The decision to leave hit very close to home, and I didn’t want to leave one of my very best friends that I had at the time.” Tsaturian said that her life has changed, also for the better. “When I first came here, I was expecting people to persecute me like in Georgia,” she said. “I couldn’t have been more wrong. Here in Clark, I have so many friends from so many different ethnicities and backgrounds. This country was built by immigrants, for immigrants.” During the most recent Central American migrant caravan, Pres. Trump boasted about the troops on the border and the unraveling of barbed wire. While

accounts only knew what happened. There may have been excessive brutality to migrants trying to seek political asylum, or there may have been certain people who decided to cross the border illegally. Pres. Trump’s travel ban on certain countries with large numbers of Muslims has also hit close to home, as both Sultanian and Tsaturian spoke out against it. “I believe that people should have the right to immigrate wherever they want to,” Sultanian said. “The U.S. is afraid of terrorists, I understand that. But I think that what the government misunderstands is that people that are trying to immigrate from the countries that are banned are trying to get away from terrorism and war in their own country. Tsaturian said that stopping people that come from certain countries is morally wrong. “If you look at certain countries that don’t have an immigration ban, they suffer just as much terrorism as the U.S., sometimes even more,” Tsaturian said. “I agree with having extra

said. “I feel that they are on the right path, but in order for America to be successful and to prosper, there needs to be unification and an agreement between both parties.” More than 43.7 million people who reside the United States are immigrants, which is almost 21 percent of the total population now residing in the U.S. As immigrants continue to come into this country, new measures may seem necessary. Immigrants fleeing from conflicts in Africa and the Middle East can be expected to increase since the conflicts that seem to plague the countries in those regions seem to

some news outlets stated that the groups of migrants were discriminated and separated from their families, the reality of what was happening at the border was hazy. The people who had eyewitness

security checks for people coming from countries that are questionable, but don’t limit their rights of being able to get into the country as well as a person from Europe.”

“

When the first people came to America in 1620, they were mostly from Great Britain,” Vardanyan said. “As time went by, however, different people joined from their home countries that were full of turmoil. Some examples include the Armenian Genocide of 1916 and the Holocaust during World War II.

”

Winter 2018 • 5

Features

Going behind the scenes with College Board AP Test graders

Anna Arutunian

By Leslie Chung

Sophomore Iain Mendez plays an ancient Greek civilian during an AP World History activity.

Last June, AP English Lit. Composition teacher Stephanie Sajjadieh went to Kansas City, Missouri to attend the AP Reading, an annual event where thousands of educators score students’ freeresponse questions from the AP Exams that were administered earlier in the year. The entire week the AP test graders start from 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. with occasional snack breaks and lunch breaks. Sajjadieh said that grading essays was no easy task. “You’re just grading papers from eight in the morning till five in the afternoon, for seven days in a row,” Sajjadieh said. “You have a one hour break for lunch and two 15 minute breaks.” Many high school students may feel obligated to take a bunch of AP courses and take tests for college. Of course, with an AP course or class comes the annual tests, usually taken around the first two weeks of May.

6 • The Magnet

Teachers spend the entire year teaching and testing students on the material so when the time comes, in May, they are ready and prepared for the test. After these tests are done, most students just wait, for what feels like an excruciating amount of time, for these tests to be graded and sent back to the students over the summer break. Behind the scenes, there are AP test graders, like Sajjadieh, for each subject available working for College Board. However, the process of becoming an AP test grader and their job is not simple. Sajjadieh has scored AP tests for eight years. Sajjadieh said that even though the subjects don’t relate with one another, most of the AP test grading system is the same. In Sajjadieh’s case, AP graders were given 25 essays of one topic in a folder to grade, and after finishing that one bundle, graders would grade another packet of 25 essays. In total, Sajjadieh said that she graded over 2,000 papers

in that week. Sajjadieh said that roughly 400 people grade essays every year for AP English Lit. Composition exam. Afterwards, the graders usually spend the day in groups looking over other essays and seeing what type of papers got certain grades. Within each group there are table leaders who make sure that everyone in their group is scoring accurately and they go through each of the grades carefully to make sure that the scores are fair, consistent and not biased. With these heavy responsibilities of a grader, they have requirements to meet in order for them to become an AP test grader. Sajjadieh said that the teachers must have taught the course for three years and submit a resume. In addition, if the teacher is not promoted, after eight years of serving the AP test grading system, they will find someone new to the process and replace them. According to College Board’s Director Media Relations of College Board Maria Eugenia Alcón-Heraux. Alcón-Heraux said in an email interview that, over 170,000 high school teachers and college faculty score over 25 million responses every year. As soon as one AP Reading event is done, the College Board immediately plans for the next AP Reading Event. Even though grading these tests can be a great experience for teachers and a great honor to be grading these tests, teachers understand that grading these tests is no easy task and very time consuming. First time AP World History teacher Christopher Davis has said that if he ever got the chance to grade the AP World exam, he would not take up the opportunity. “I love teaching the course and I like working with my students. And while I know it would be beneficial to me to get the bigger picture of how students

Alex Zadorian

Features

Several of the AP and SAT prep books that students use to study for nation-wide tests.

do [on the test], I know I could also look at the AP College Board test, and grade these tests online,” Davis said. However, many teachers still think that grading these essays at the annual conference is worth the experience. AP Spanish teacher Victoria Marcucci had the opportunity to grade the AP Spanish tests for the first time last summer. Marcucci said that she was nervous when she first started. “I wanted to make sure that I did a good job,” Marcucci said. “I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect or how fast and the working conditions were. I liked how they trained us and showed us difficult papers to grade, even the ones that the trainers debated over with.” Marcucci said that later she came to enjoy the process, and that one of things she really liked during that time was how accurate she was, considering that it was her first time. “When I started grading, at first I thought I was too harsh and I kept doubting myself about the scores,” Marcucci said. “Then I found myself that when I was grading, these papers that I had were going to be checked twice to be fair. It turned out that I was

a hundred percent accurate grading and my table leader said that I was spot on considering that it was my first time.” All three AP teachers and that College Board have the same advice for students who take too many AP classes: Students shouldn’t be taking the class just to simply obtain the 4.0+ GPA. Students should be taking these courses because

they find the class interesting and possibly want to pursue in a career path in the future, related to the AP course. “The AP Program encourages students to challenge themselves without taking on more than they can handle,” said Alcón-Heraux.

The Finest Mediterranean Cuisine in Montrose Delivery Available Call to Order (818) 249-4949 2332 Honolulu Ave, Montrose, CA 91020 Winter 2018 • 7

By RMTip21 from Flickr

Lifestyle

NBA Power Rankings

By Theodore Supangan

Power rankings to kick off the 2018-19 NBA season

e’re a quarter-way through the season, and the balance in the NBA’s universe has been snapped away. Boston and Houston are both underachieving, while sleeper teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets sit at the top with the real titans of the NBA. Granted, there are still a little less than 50 games left in the season, and the NBA’s standings look vastly different compared to this time last year. Here are my top-5 teams in the NBA thus far.

I initially ranked the Raptors below the Celtics in my pre-season power rankings. However, while the Celtics continue to tweak their rotations and lose games in the process, the Raptors have fallen short of nothing. The Kawhi Leonard-Kyle Lowry duo has been one of the best one-two punches in the NBA. After losing Demar Derozan, who relied heavily on ISO plays, Lowry has stepped up, averaging a career-high 10.3 assists per game (in his last three seasons he averaged 6.4, 7.0, and 6.9 assists). This is largely due to Leonard’s ability to step back into a more selfless 3-and-D role, and allow Lowry to facilitate. Ibaka and Siakam’s strength in the frontcourt doesn’t hurt either, with Siakam’s size creating mismatches for any opposing team’s power forwards. Expect to see this team nowhere short of the Eastern Conference Finals,

Russell Westbrook and Paul George are proving that they can be a cohesive all-star duo. Andre Roberson’s absence hasn’t hurt the Thunder as much as expected; the Oklahoma squad leads the league in defensive rating with a 101.4, a league best. Dennis Schröder has also proved that he’s still capable of putting up starter stats in this league, averaging 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. This team is very capable of going deep in the playoffs, and many of their players have enough experience not to crumble mentally. Since their rough 0-4 start, the Thunder has run a reinvigorated offense and removed all doubts about their

Who? In all seriousness, Giannis Antetokounmpo (I spelled that right the first time, ha!) has been a great leader for his Wisconsin team, and is ranked number one on KIA’s “Race to the MVP Ladder.” Still, the Bucks don’t have the most complete team to compete against the best of the best. Aside from blooming star and forward Khris

In the absence of a formidable supporting cast, Kevin Durant has reminded the league of his MVP-caliber offense, and his ability to put even a rotting corpse of a team on his back. Regardless of their recent shortcomings, the NBA’s golden boy is still lacking Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins, which would give them the scariest starting lineup of all time. The Warriors, even lacking those three players, still have two all-stars who can carry the offense on any given night (see: Toronto vs. GSW). A healthy Warriors team is still the team to beat in this league, but they have a long way to go before asserting themselves as the top team in the West, record-wise. The Sixers propelled themselves from borderline-Eastern Conference Semifinals contenders to a top team in the East and there are two words that explain why: Jimmy Butler. Philadelphia has finally recruited a player who can lead talented but inexperienced players in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. In other words, they’ve recruited someone to bail them out of choking away leads and also someone to shoot the last shot for them. Since joining the Sixers, Butler has already knocked down two go-ahead buckets in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Though the loss of Covington — the Sixers’ ex-best wing defender — hurt Philly’s defensive rating, Butler is more than enough of a capable defender to defend the opposing teams’ best players, from point guards to small forwards.

“Kha$h” Middleton, they’re touting a bench composed of Donte DiVincenzo, John Henson, and Pat Connaughton. This supporting cast won’t do much against bench guys like Andre Igoudala, Pascal Siakam or Jayson Tatum. The Bucks’ front office needs to find a better supporting cast for the Greek Freak, and until then, Giannis’ team won’t be going too far in the playoffs.

Winter 2018 • 9

Lifestyle

Finding the best fries in L.A. WTF — Where’s the fries?

Bryan Han

To the untrained eye, French fries are merely potato and oil. But dig a little deeper and you’ll see that those potatoes, coated with a sprinkle of salt, have magic in them. The combination of the enchanting golden-brown color and savory aroma has become the ubiquitous distinction of the French fry. Whether you choose a thin, crisp style; thick, steak-style; or anything in-between, its a beloved item on any menu. And yet, this underrated side dish is constantly overshadowed by the “star of the dish” — burgers, steak, you name it. Maybe it’s the amount of salt or the type of fat they’re cooked in that makes fries feel like a disappointment

The Hat pastrami Fries know all about that.

on the plate. Or . . . maybe you’ve been looking in the wrong places. Throughout L.A., I’ve encountered three locations where fries are the talk of the town. But they aren’t just any old fry. They are the infamous “super fry,” characterized with its biggerthan-life flavor and hearty toppings; these fries will have you begging for more. These establishments are forces to be reckoned with. But with a large variety on their menu, don’t be tempted by the other items. Stick with the fries. Unknown to most of the public, Victoria’s Tacos hides its best gems

10 • The Magnet

Bryan Han

By Bryan Han

The Oinkster’s piggy fries will have you pigging out.

underneath its name. Unexpectedly, the restaurant, blooming with Spanish heritage, has developed a unique type of fries that incorporate its Hispanic layers. Top with jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, carne asada, cheese and beans, the concoction calls forth an explosion of flavor. With the subtle taste of beans and the combination of onions, tomatoes and carne asada bursting with flavor, the taste of fries is still well-preserved, dominating the palate with its crispy texture. Atop the traditional flavors introduced in these fries, topping it with jalapenos or other sauces completely changes the flavor, adding a heat to them. These fries will make you say, “Holy guacamole!” Taking a different route down south, The Hat takes an American approach on fries — the bigger, the better. With the bountiful amount given, do they know a thing or two about bigger! Plated with a cardboard cup holder and topped with their signature pastrami, the utter weight of the fries will cause a mouth-watering

The Oinkster

sensation after waiting in line for so long. The anticipation simply makes them taste better. But when slathered with chili and cheese, the flavor is elevated to another level, simply indescribable. And bringing home the bacon are the piggy fries from The Oinkster. Unlike the other fries mentioned, The Oinkster puts a little spin in addition to the additive toppings — a Belgian style to add another layer of crunch to the crisp fries. Packing thousand island dressing, a heap load of caramelized onions, and a covering it with cheddar cheese, piggy fries are no joke. They are messy, but they are worth it. The double crunch from the Belgian style and the toppings for additive flavor enhances the flavor to a whole other level, having you pigging out over these fries. With each fry’s mouth-watering flavors, any of these restaurants will have you wishing every day was frie-day, just to experience their taste over and over again.

Victoria’s Tacos & Grill

2005 Colorado Blvd

4206 San Fernando Rd.

Eagle Rock, CA 90041

Glendale, CA 91204

(323) 255-6465

(818) 246-1148

Lifestyle

Humans of Clark Holiday edition

“When I lived in the Philippines, one of our Christmas traditions was putting Christmas lights all over our house. I know this is a part of American culture, but we specifically had faroles which were Christmas lanterns. There were many colorful and unique designs that reminded me of shining stars. When 12 a.m. hit, someone would shower coins and 20-peso bills on us. Everyone would try to get all the money from the floor. Even though it wasn’t New Year’s yet, we would have fireworks and firecrackers at night time. During Christmas days, we’d always have classic Filipino foods like lumpiang shanghai and fried chicken. Now that I live in America, my family and I eat at midnight and open gifts in the morning. On Christmas day, we go to our godfather’s and godmother’s for gifts. Christmas in the Philippines is much different to Christmas here because they share food and celebrate as neighborhoods. I prefer how Filipinos celebrate Christmas because of how lively and full of spirit they are.” — Lanz Cordovilla, freshman “Every Christmas Eve, my family and I go to my aunt’s house, where we meet up with all the other relatives. There we have a huge family night playing games, having good food, and opening presents. In the end, we always have a lot of fun, with a lot of memories made. Christmas is all about coming together, so it’s something I look forward to every year. I don’t really get a chance to see my whole family throughout the year, so when we get together it’s really nice to be around the people you haven’t seen in awhile. “ — Allyson McCullagh, junior

“One time around Christmas, we were in the car and I remember there was this one song that came [on the radio] that had the lyrics of ‘Last Christmas, I gave you my heart and the very next day you gave it away,’ and I don’t know why, but I immediately thought to make a choreographed dance for my mom. And so, I get my little brother on this, and we spent a couple of hours doing this. All I remember is that he sucked… he couldn’t dance, but our mom was videotaping us in front of the Christmas tree. I was obviously the star. After we finished, she was so happy. But honestly, I was terrified she would put it on Facebook. She gave us a bunch of kisses and hugs, and I didn’t really understand why she was so happy. But later on, I reminded her about it, and she said that she was having a really hard time then, and then we came with our bad dancing, and it made her happy.” — Eliza Petrosian, sophomore “So we have two traditions that we do everytime Christmas time. For three years my family, and my extended family, buy about five to six different sodas and then we would taste each and every single one of them. However, the only one who knows what all the flavors are, is my dad. At the end, we decide which soda was the best. We also go to my great aunt’s house. We have strret tacos and have a white elephant gift exchange. After, the kids go inside and get a big gift from a cousin that was designated to the child a month before.” — Wayne Baker, senior

Winter 2018 • 11

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

Jackson Rogers, senior

Aigul Nugumanova, senior

Dylan Weikel-Feekes, senior

SELACHOPHOBIA

Karolina Mangasarian, senior

Fear of Sharks

jskdsHOBIkjA

LoroheMELANOPHOBIA FEAR OF THE COLOR BLACK

ARACHNOPHOBIA FEAR OF SPIDERS

Manique Kemdjian, sophomore 12 • The Magnet

Victoria Avakian, senior

Emin Avedian, junior

Rewriting memories in class

Courtesy of Flickr

Creative writing students relive moments as they write down their memories

And the Sun Sets By Naomi Beach Waves roll into the pier, eating away at the old, white paint. Across the bay, light’s twinkle. Distant music, faded by the crashing waves, dissipates into the night air. “American Pie,” I think. I used to hate that song. It was too sad for me. Now it reminds me of car trips and my brother. He used to sing along to that song all the time, incredibly off-key, but he loved it. The wind is cool, but the sand under my feet radiates the days heat. I keep walking, toes sinking deep. The reds and oranges of the sunset have disappeared from the horizon, leaving a dark purple. Stars begin to glitter above. I’ve always wanted to touch the stars. This planet is my home, but I could have given anything to leave it. My feet touch pavement, or is it brick? I follow the path. The ocean is replaced by storefronts, but I can still hear the waves. The air smells fresh, cool. I buy ice cream. Pumpkin spice. I don’t know why I chose it. It’s not my favourite flavor, even of the non-dairy option. I sit on the bench, feet tucked under me. The night’s wind strokes my face, the humidity holds me like a hug. The sounds of a tired town float through the air. A bus pulls up. The letters detailing its destination are too bright to read. I get on.

The bus radio is turned to an unknown station. It plays ads. I should tell someone where I am. Not yet. I stare out the window. The bus stops. There is pavement beneath my feet. There is no light. The moon directly above is too thin to help. I walk. The pavement becomes concrete. The concrete becomes dirt. My mom used to run these trails with friends. She still does, but less now. They conquered these mountains. I remember I’m not wearing a hat. My mom’s friend knitted these hats with large eyes on the back to ward off mountain lions. It doesn’t work on bears though. I hope I don’t meet a mountain lion, or a bear. It’s getting colder. I pull my thin jacket closer. My feet are bleeding now, but they don’t hurt. I reach the top. Below me, LA shines like millions of stars. There’s this “Thirty Seconds to Mars” song that calls Los Angeles “the land of a billion lights.” My dad and I did the math: they’re wrong. There are only five to seven hundred million lights in LA, including suburbs. It’s still a lot of light pollution. I sit and watch. The sun rises. I walk down the mountain. A bus pulls up. I get on, and then off. I curl up in bed, feet stinging, Rosie in my arms, and sleep. I never wake up.

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.

Winter 2018 • 13

Working with opposites

Mr. Kursinskiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beginning design class learns to work with positive and negative space

Shaye Holladay McCarthy, senior

Katiana Kasbarian, junior

David Nazarian, junior Tania Jangolian, junior

Tadeh Majnounian, junior 14 â&#x20AC;˘ The Magnet

Jacqueline Yi, sophomore

Painting pictures with words Students express themselves and create fantasies through poetry and creative writing Yellow

Fried Rice By Gillian Lowe The sizzling of oil over fire. The even heat cooking the scrambled eggs, the rice, green onions, peas, carrots, and baby corn. Each ingredient representing a factor of my life. Each one being tossed around, moving so fast as its pushed and tossed, the flavors of one blending into the others. The heat caressing the fried rice, causing more frantic movements to prevent the food from burning. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my life right now. So many small ingredients that I need to do, that can be done so easily, but the heat, the passage of time, causes each factor to push and collide with the others. Making each one slowly till they seem like one problem that needs to be taken care of at once. I am sitting on a flame, jumping and juggling everything that is going on, moving quicker and quicker to stop them from crashing and burning. All I want is for the heat to stop, for it to slow down. My brain feels as scrambled and torn apart as the eggs in the fried rice. But I still have the heat on me. All I want is for it to stop. No more heat, no more scramble. I want it to stop and breath. To stop being fried just to make something worthwhile.

Sometimes I look around me and feel as if everything is yellow. Yellow is the color to me, which emulates both pure happiness and the sad emotions that live inside me. Yellow is sour like a lemon. It reminds me of the lemonade stands that my sister and I would set up once a summer, to make our horrible lemon concoction. We would then attempt to sell them to our neighbors and grandparents. I know one hundred percent that Gordon Ramsey would not approve of our recipe. Yellow is silly like a banana, such as in cartoons when the character happens to be running and slips. Yellow is exciting, like my jersey which I wear at Staples Center and scream in support of the Los Angeles Lakers. I know all the players and my favorite at the moment is Kyle Kuzma. Yellow is melodic, like the tune of my favorite Coldplay song. Takes me back to the Rose Bowl, where I was singing at the top of my lungs to every song on the setlist. Sometimes just hearing the word yellow can transport me to anyone of my favorite places. It takes me back to my experiences in all the different places Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve traveled and even familiar environments in California that I love. Yellow is the color of all the bright and beautiful flowers next to Garni temple in Armenia. It is the color of all the city lights in Cologne, Germany. When I feel under the weather, or sad, I still feel yellow. There is a part of me searching for some positivity and light in my life.

Courtesy of wikimedia commons

Photo via Pixabay

By Lusin Grigorian

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. Winter 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ 15

In the Life

Competing for the top

Eco Challenge encourages students to help the environment

A student at Cal State University Long Beach

By Shaye McCarthy Holladay

The Environmental GIS team at Cal State University Long Beach, after running heavy metal analysis.

Sometimes things don’t always go as planned, and maybe backup plans don’t work either, but it teaches students to persevere. This was the case for Dominique Evans-Bye’s Environmental GIS class which is competing in the The Land & Water Challenge. When one trip to the Los Angeles Harbor went awry, the team regrouped and planned their next venture out to gather sediment samples to test the the level of heavy metals like mercury or lead. The Lexus Eco Challenge was started in 2006 for student-made teams to tackle environmental issues relating to land, water, air and climate. The challenge is divided into three main parts: The Land & Water Challenge, The Air & Climate Challenge, and The Final Challenge (which our team must be invited to by winning one of the earlier challenges). The competition gets students involved with project-based learning, teamwork and skill building to identify an environmental issue that affects our community and come up with a solution to the problem. Teams are made of five to ten students with

16 • The Magnet

a teacher/adviser to look at solutions to help our community. Students also have the chance to compete for scholarships and grants. We report our results in the form of an action plan which displays our topic, the actions we take to address the issue, the team members and their jobs, and how we brought attention to the issue. This year, students on Clark’s Lexus Eco Challenge team include seniors Maddie Carr, Shreeja Guntireddy, Shaye Holladay McCarthy, Serli Khanbabaei, Paul Kim, Shelia Mgrtichian, Emily Woods and junior Anna Feddersen. We decided to tackle a water-based issue in the environment when we learned that the Clark Magnet class from the 2006-07 school year had done the same project. On Sept. 13 we arrived at Clark by 6 a.m. to head out to the Los Angeles Harbor in Long Beach, but a key component to the success of our project was missing. Kurt Lieber of the Ocean Defenders Alliance took us out on the LegaSea to gather sediment samples. However, we were missing the van veen grab which had been

ordered prior to the trip, so we tried to improvise by using a rope, bucket and a set of weights. Just about anything that could’ve gone wrong, went wrong. The makeshift van veen grab hadn’t worked and the bucket had been torn from the rope. We left the loose end of the rope trailing in the water and it ended up getting caught in the left propeller of the boat. Evans-Bye had to change into her dive suit and free the rope from the propeller, so our early morning voyage turned into a day for R.O.V. training for some students. “I felt like they were problems that weren’t the end of the world because we scheduled our second field trip soon after, and if they slowed us down, it was very minimal,” Mgrtichian said. “I would say say that we handled the problems extremely well because out of the 20 samples we wanted, we got 17 which is a good majority and we also took them to get tested on the same day.” Our day definitely didn’t go as we would’ve liked, but it was a wakeup call, and we ended up learning that

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Shelia Mgrtichian records coordinates after the van veen grab was deployed.

Dominique Evans-Bye

someone could have as many plans as possible, and still, something could go wrong. We were given an unexpected but important lesson in perseverance. “This is what real research looks like. Thing don’t go as planned. Even though we had contingency plans for contingency plans, sometimes it’s not enough,” Evans-Bye said. “The kids are handling it really well and they’re just not giving up. They’re coming up with new dates to come back.” On Sept. 19, the students returned to the Los Angeles Harbor, but were more shorthanded than they had been on the prior trip. This time only five students of the eight-person team was available to collect samples. While three students missing may not seem like a huge issue, it created a few problems for the team, and some of the team ended up having to take on two jobs. The successful trip out to the harbor ended up with Emily Woods and I being drenched from head to toe in dirty sea water and mud. It was a great new hands-on work experience for us after we were taught how to use the van veen grab. Together, we secured 17 sediment samples and returned to the harbor. After we returned to the harbor, we went to Cal State University Long Beach to run tests at the Institute for Integrated Research in Materials, Environments and Society (IIRMES) Lab. Unfortunately, we were unable to test all the samples we took, but the staff who worked at the lab, finished up running the samples for us. The class of 2006-07 had also tested for heavy metals in the same area and found that nearly every metal exceeded safety limits for marine sediments with mercury and lead

Emily Woods puts a sediment sample onto the mini foil pan.

being the highest. When the results from the lab came back, we noticed that certain metals were below the Permissible Exposure Limit and lower than they had been in 2007, but copper and zinc were a lot higher in some areas than others. This year we also discovered arsenic in the area which had previously been untraceable. “I thought it was a great experience to collect our own data and do our own fieldwork. It was definitely a new experience and hopefully our project was good enough that we can win,” Woods said. “I’m also very excited about the opportunity for us to present our work and ideas, as well as to represent our school and the Environmental GIS program.”

The team was invited to speak at a conference about the project in Redlands at the Esri Ocean GIS Forum on Nov. 7. Our presentation was broadcast live to the California Department of Education as we spoke about the project. “It was pretty cool and nerve wracking at the same time to professionally present our project,” Kim said. “But it was a great experience to professionally present the work we did as a team.”

Winter 2018 • 17

In the Life

The lucky few Extraordinaires Club 21 raises awareness of Down Syndrome through eleventh annual Walk-a-Thon

Victoria Bochniack

At 9:30 a.m., the sun’s blistering heat already warmed the multitude of enthusiastic volunteers preparing crafts booths, game tents, and facepainting stations in the midst of Pasadena’s Central Park. Clusters of colorful balloons lined the park’s sidewalks which were overflowing with eager participants fervently awaiting to kick off the eleventh annual Together is Better Walk-aThon on Oct. 20, myself being one of them. My friend and I hustled past the massive banner titled “Start Here” and proceeded to search for the signin table which was conveniently surrounded by an adolescent powerhouse of doughnuts and coffee. I flung on this year’s mint-green volunteer shirt, which distinguished me from the plethora of visitors filing into the park, and I smacked on the adhesive badge proclaiming my name and assigned activity. The Together is Better Walka-Thon is brought forth by an organization named Club 21— a learning and resource center for individuals with Down Syndrome which supports and advocates a

Victoria Bochniack

By Victoria Bochniak

Volunteer Luna Molina organizes the spin art booth for the festivities.

society where these individuals are fully incorporated. Down Syndrome, also referred to as Trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition that occurs when a person has an extra partial or full copy of the 21st chromosome. Because it is a random occurrence in nature and can happen to people of all races or economic levels, Club 21 focuses on empowering affected individuals and families by providing the necessary educational tools and resources, such as learning programs like Every Child a Reader project and workshops for siblings named Sibshops.

Team members exit the park to participate in the Walk-a-Thon.

18 • The Magnet

The organization hosts its annual Together is Better Walk-a-Thon for friends and families to celebrate individuals with Down Syndrome and their accomplishments, as well as to fundraise for the sustainment of their educational programs. There was no doubt that I, too, came here to support a young, sevenyear-old individual named Julia, who has been a member of Club 21 for six years. Through a collaborative effort in the shade of one of the park’s lofty oaks, our group created a poster dubbed “Team Julia” which we gifted to her to utilize during the walk. As 10 a.m. approached, the volunteer coordinators summoned all the volunteers to an overall group meeting. Volunteers gathered from every corner of the park, from Girl Scouts to high school community clubs, with each teenager dividing respectively into their assigned booth for an orientation. “We have over 100 high school student volunteers, to which we are very grateful because this Walk-a-Thon would not be possible without them,” said Volunteer Manager Ali Everett. “This opportunity amplifies Club 21 and all the work volunteers put into it.” Each year, she and a panel of other managers

Victoria Bochniack Putting together our team poster for Julia.

coordinate volunteer duties weeks prior to the Walk to allow for every volunteer to take an active role during the event. My name tag placed me in the Frisbee Spin-Art booth, where together with four other volunteers,

we set up the antiquated spin-art machine, doused in dried, cracking paint from past years and displayed the myriad of colorful frisbees available to paint from the tattered cardboard boxes waiting all year to be opened once again. Meanwhile, in the front of the park, gleeful families and energetic supporters stood amongst the array of visitors waiting for the host to commence the Walk-a-Thon. With a single slice of the red ribbon, Nancy Litteken, Club 21’s executive director, led the Walk with the lengthy parade of teams behind her. Although the Walk is just a short path around Central Park, it has a monumental significance to all those who have Down Syndrome and their achievements thus far. “Club 21 connects families together and has given my family a community of supportive people who understand and accept individuals with Down Syndrome,” said Natalia Piotrowski, Julia’s older sister. “More importantly, Club 21 has given my sister a safe place to be herself with zero outside judgement.” Within minutes, teams big and small spilled out into the streets with guests bearing decorated posters and bright-colored banners with team names such as Amazing Grace, Down with Josh, Walk with Faith and my personal favorite, Team Julia. As the teams strolled back to the park under the “Finish Here” banner, visitors dispersed throughout the park to

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picnic in the shade and participate in the countless crafts and games. “This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and all the money goes to support our 18 programs that provide educational tools and resources to enable kids with Down Syndrome to be fully included in homes, schools and communities,” said Club 21 Development Coordinator Joan McLaughlin. “Around 2,500 people come to celebrate children with Down Syndrome, their parents, teachers and many others.” Additionally, with over 124 teams attending this year’s Walk-a-Thon, the organization was able to raise an impressive $244,875 through generous donations from sponsors, surpassing their goal of $200,000. The rest of the day’s festivities consisted of various activities for children and their families that were available after purchasing either an unlimited activity wristband or an activity punch card. Children could indulge in everything from tie-dye shirt making to pumpkin decorating or fulfill their fantasies by posing and speaking with their favorite superhero. A highlight amongst the others was the general Club 21 raffle which offered prizes such as a trip to Disneyland and a hammock. “I enjoy volunteering because I have a cousin with Down Syndrome and it seemed like a nice way to help the community, especially that every year I learn something I didn’t know before,” said Immaculate Heart Middle School eighth-grader Luna Molina, a volunteer at the event. Managing a booth was no simple feat however, with volunteers having the cumbersome responsibility of overseeing chaotic lines. Unfortunately, we grasped that concept only after the spin machine overheated causing a slight disruption among the spin artists working at the station. However, in no due time, children resumed spraying the colorful paint in spiral patterns on the plastic discs. As the festivities concluded and the music died down at around 1 p.m., I began packing up the booth’s decorations and paint before stacking the carton among the tens of other craft boxes that served their purpose for the year. “Altogether, I think this is a good way to give back to the community in an engaging manner for all because it’s important to increase disability awareness and invite those individuals into our society,” Everett said. Winter 2018 • 19

In the Life

Teens learn how to become leaders The Pacific Community Center, located on Pacific Avenue in Glendale, is most known for its surroundings which consist of a public pool and the neighboring Thomas Edison Elementary School. Inside the center itself, however, teens gather every other week in what is called a Teen Night Out. The Teen Night Out on Sept. 14 was one to remember, for there was a guest speaker in attendance whose mission it was to instill leadership skills in the teens living in the city, and more specifically, those who will grow up to be the leaders of tomorrow. I went to the Pacific Community Center at 6 p.m. expecting to meet some new people and have a great time while learning something beneficial. Once inside the center, I went upstairs and into a room where there were quite a few students sitting in chairs which had been lined up in a specific way. After looking around for a few seconds, I recognized a couple of students from Clark and knew then that the event would be rather exciting. From then on, I talked to a few of them and noticed a woman who seemed to be preparing some activities for the event, which I rightly believed to be the guest speaker at the event. Tosin Balogun, the guest speaker, outlined her reasoning for coming to the Teen Night Out for the second time. “I work for the County Office of Education and I work with young people to grow their leadership skills,” she said once the event had concluded. “I help people learn about developing themselves because, as one teen said at the workshop, you

20 • The Magnet

Isabela Lascina

By Carlos Rodriguez

Members of the LAPD Cadet Program meet Mayor Eric Garcetti.

don’t learn about these things in school and it is very important to develop who you are in a fun way.” Jackie Baliton, the recreation program specialist for the City of Glendale, explained what Tosin Balogun has done to help the Teen Night Out program. “While working in collaboration [with Balogun] for over three years, we have supported each other by sending our #MyGlendaleTeens to Friday Night Live’s teen summits focusing on safety, and leadership development. In a joint effort, Youth & Family Services and Friday Night Live continues to have a positive influence on our teens,” Baliton said. This particular workshop began with an ice breaker where Balogun announced that we would be playing a game called Entourage, the word itself referring to “the people who surround someone.” The basis of the game, she explained, was to play rock-paperscissors with the person next to you and join the team of whoever won. One would then play the same game with someone from another team and the teams would grow in size until only one team was left. As soon as Balogun told us to begin, I played rock-paper-scissors with the person next to me and, unfortunately, lost the game meaning that I joined his team consisting of only the two of us. He proceeded to play with another individual and, soon enough, one large

team had been formed. It all happened so fast that we were all left feeling rather confused at what had happened. Balogun told us to sit back down in our seats and explained what we learned from the game. Junior David Saryan, who was my team member in the game of Entourage, said that the game gave him insight into leadership. “The activity taught us leadership, such as when we had to pick which team member would play rockpaper-scissors with the chosen person of another team. It was a bit chaotic at times because of the fact that everyone was trying to win, but that made the game even better,” Saryan said. Balogun wrote the word “leadership” on the whiteboard and asked for two volunteers to come up and write down two qualities of a leader. After they wrote “courage” and “integrity,” we raised our hands and gave our own definition of what it means to be a leader. For the next activity, Balogun said that there were quotes about the qualities of a leader written down around the room and that we should look at each one and go to the one that spoke to us the most. The quote that I picked echoed the belief that a true leader doesn’t stand idle when his followers suffer; a true leader suffers with his followers; the quote did not feature any attribution. When Balogun asked one person from each group to explain why they chose

In the Life their quote, I said that it spoke to me because “if a leader does not suffer and stand with their followers when they are suffering, can he really call himself a leader?” When we sat back down at our seats, Balogun gave us a doublesided paper; one side said “myself as a person” and the other “myself as a leader.” She told us to fill in the traits described on each side and then raise our hands and explain the differences between the two. For my traits as a person, I put things that describe who I am as I live my life such as wanting a drum kit and being curious about life as a whole. When it came time to write my leadership traits, I wrote down fearing regret and picking others up when they are down. Some traits, however, were the same on both sides, such as needing moments of selfreflection. The final activity at the workshop was similar to musical chairs, according to Balogun. She told us to move our chairs so that they were in a circular formation and then told us that the game was called I Love My Neighbor. The basis of it was for her to begin the game by saying “I love my neighbor who” and then something that applied to at least one person in the room, such as “is wearing a black shirt.” Those people would then stand up and find a chair before they all ran out. Whoever was stuck in the middle would say the “I love my neighbor” line and the game would thus continue until time ran out. Junior Raj Kapoor said he enjoyed playing the game, as there was a chance for people to know what they have in common. “I liked it because lots of us were wearing similar shoes and clothing and we were able to notice that while having a few laughs along the way,” Kapoor said. After the game had ended, Balogun thanked us for having done such a great job in participating in all of the activities, and we thanked her in return. Some people went to play basketball on the courts next to

the community center and others went home for the day having learned quite a bit about the traits that make up a leader. In addition to this leadership workshop, local organizations offer opportunities for teens to expand their knowledge of leadership. The Los Angeles Police Department, for example, formed what is called the Cadet Program in 2007 in order to demonstrate to teens the qualities of those who enforce the law on a daily basis and the initiative undergone to do so. Cadets gain the ability to attend training meetings once a week in which physical training occurs and learning is done via the classroom. Best of all, cadets can volunteer at times to assist law enforcement officers in special activities, whether it be planning or actually doing them. Closer to the City of Glendale, the yearly Youth, Leadership and the Future Conference, organized by the Character and Ethics Project, takes place each year at Glendale Community College. The most recent event in 2017 drew many high-performing students of Glendale schools to attend. In perhaps the most memorable moment of the conference, a partially paralyzed individual named Paul talked about the things that are possible with determination. With the help of his mother, Paul was able to live a life in which his disability did not slow him down but instead pushed him to keep going. Moreover, the Glendale Youth Alliance, founded in 1993, helps to provide low-income individuals between 14-24 years of age with the skills necessary to work in a job via preparedness training. The alliance helps to empower and educate those seeking a job by providing youth with the ability to realize their full potential in programs such as the Glendale Youth Employment Partnership and the Employment Incentive Program, among others. Additionally, the Verdugo Hills Council Boy Scouts of America offers programs to over 3,000 youth in the County of Los Angeles and instills in

Brandon Hall’s State of Leadership Development 2015: Time To Act Is Now

them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. The overall mission of the local council, and the national organization as a whole, is to teach young people to make ethical and moral choices so that they can become responsible citizens that participate in the community as much as possible. Amy Taylor, a field service executive for the council, said that Scouting is an excellent opportunity for individuals to learn leadership. “Boy Scout troops are between the ages of 10½ to 18 years. The structure of the program allows the youth to be in leadership positions within the troop and also at the Cub Scout level. Ranks advancement helps the youth learn about leadership by the merit badges they earn and the community service they do,” Taylor said.

Winter 2018 • 21

In the Life

Ichigo Ichie

Kakehashi Project gives GUSD students a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience Japan By Lois Ramilo

22 • The Magnet

31. From there, we met our main tour guide, Mrs. Fujimoto, and for the first three days we — along with the other groups from across the nation — stayed at the Hotel Fukuracia in downtown Tokyo. Surprisingly, we were encouraged to explore Tokyo by ourselves, with a curfew at around 10 p.m. Although it was unbelievably hot with the wall of humidity, the shining neon lights, crowded ramen bars and blinding taxis beckoned us to stay out and explore the urban jungle This building stored wheat during the winter that is Tokyo. “When I saw people rushbullet train, and then take a two-hour ing in the station or eating very quickly bus ride that navigated through endat the ramen shops, it really showcased less forest and Swiss-like mountains. the fast paced life that people in Tokyo “At first, I thought Minamisanriku have,” said senior Mavi Verde. was not as advanced as Tokyo,” said Although we did have special cards Hoover junior Tatiana Leranian. “But to utilize in case we were lost, we were that changed however when I saw its very impressed by Japan’s safety and beauty as we drove along the edges very little crime. In this year alone, Jaof forests and near the sea.” But the pan’s crime rate is its lowest in more calm ocean wasn’t always calm and its than 70 years. By this time, we were monstrous tendencies are something soaking up as much of Japan as posmany residents will never forget. sible, but the best was yet to come. Minamisanriku is most wellOn the third day of our trip, we fiknown for being the ground-zero of nally left Tokyo and embarked on our the 2011 Japanese tsunami following long journey to the quaint town of the Tōhoku earthquake on March 11, Minamisanriku in the Miyagi Prefec2011. The tsunami was a major focal ture. Part of JICE’s mission is to connect point during our stay in Minamisanforeigners to Japan’s lesser known reriku as many villagers were killed or gions like Minamisanriku. Though hard remain missing to this day. to pronounce, getting to MinamisanWe met with the local governriku was just as hard to get to. Isolated ment concerning the tsunami and in northeast coastline, we had to take also met a Filipino English teacher the Shinkansen, Japan’s world famous

Lois Ramilo

Eerie serenity. It was a moment of silence that still send chills down my bones. In the blazing heat and unbearable humidity, I stood amongst a scene of destruction with my fellow GUSD students as we stared out into the endless ocean. This was no California dream; this is the story of Minamisanriku, Japan and the tsunami whose path of wreckage still lingers today. The unbelievable opportunity which led our group of GUSD students to Japan in the first place came from the Japanese International Cooperation Center (JICE), an organization created in 1977 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. JICE connects with various countries to improve diplomatic and economic relations by providing special trips to Japan to its citizens. For the U.S., JICE offers a student exchange program called the Kakehashi Project. Kakehashi, or “bridge” in Japanese, aims to continue the strong connections between the U.S. and Japan by sharing true Japanese culture with American high school students. Students from high schools across the nation were selected to attend the program, with GUSD chosen by JICE to represent California. Although competitive, 24 Clark and Hoover students were selected to participate in the Kakehashi Project for eight days at no cost. “Ever since I was six, I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, and the fact that it was free made me so excited,” said sophomore Allen Macam. “Plus, being able to go with other people from school made it even more exciting.” Accompanied by teacher Eric Kursinski, we landed in Japan on July

Mavi Verde

who was a survivor of the tsunami. “Her story was really sad,” said sophomore Jirasorn Wongpheruks. “Being in her shoes, you feel terrible to see your neighbor being washed away and can’t do anything about it.” To see the damage for ourselves, we were taken to what was left of the town’s disaster prevention center. On the day of the tsunami, government workers warned the locals via a speaker system across town with 40 people giving their lives to protect others. However, the solemn moment turned hopeful. The people of Minamisanriku are slowly rebuilding. The local fish market reopened recently and new walls were erected to protect against another tsunami. Coincidentally, both the Buddhist and Shintoist temples were some of few structures left untouched and inspired many villagers to stay and rebuild. We were able to visit one of those shrines and pay our respects. We also made kiriko, a type of Shinto prayer made from paper cutouts. Different designs of kiriko ask the Shinto gods different favors such as good health, prosperity and protection. But that wasn’t the best or most anticipated part of the trip. Day four also marked the time we would each meet our homestay parents. These

Jiraporn Wongpheruks and Jirasorn Wongpheruks

Lois Ramilo

In the Life

This is the famous Asakusa Temple which the students visited in Japan.

would be the people whose homes we’d live in, food we’d eat and families we’d meet for the next few days. For me, my family was the Saijos, a small family with experience hosting students from all over the globe. Mr. Saijo, who prefers to be called Tom Cruise, sells tractors while Mrs. Saijo stays at home. Their son works in Tokyo, so for the next three days, juniors Nanette Kegulian, Morgan Andrews and I were their new children. And were we ever spoiled! We were on top of a hill that overlooked all of Minamisanriku and oftentimes wildlife like deer would come around from the nearby forest. The Saijo house was enormous, with various cars, rooms, personalized wifi and even an elevator. But inside that huge house was a place filled with caring love. “[The homestay] definitely was a fresh experience,” Kegulian said. “I thought it was really interesting to see how the Japanese live by getting hands-on with their culture and daily

life.” JICE provided Clark students, including myself, the opportunity to meet new people in Japan as well as the Hoover students in our group. “Having the Hoover and Clark go on this trip together was a great way for students with similar interests to meet each other,” Leranian said. “We were able to learn many new things about Japanese culture while having fun and hanging out with friends.” Sophomore Jirasorn Wongpheruks said that she will always remember this experience. “My dad always said that the opportunity would come one day,” Wongpheruks said. “And now I can tell people I went to Japan thanks to JICE.”

Winter 2018 • 23

Opinion

School districts should monitor students’ public social media

26 • The Magnet

not continue monitoring students’ public social media. In the interest of privacy, attention should be paid as to how these algorithms monitor students online and how data is stored. If the methods used to surveil students create profiles or make assumptions about a student, then the information should remain private only in the hands of the company, as well as deleted as soon as possible. The entire debate over social media surveillance of students essentially boils down to the idea that it is worth doing in case it saves even just one life. While this logic is not reasonable when it comes to invasions of privacy, there is no such issue when surveilling public posts and there is thus no major issue with it as long as the proper privacy measures are put in place.

Flickr

As social media has become nearly ubiquitous on smartphones all over the world, their creators and other private companies have profited by selling users’ data, both for good and bad. As reported by the New York Times, however, some of these companies are used by school districts to surveil students on various social media websites and get a closer look at what they do in their personal lives. There is a benefit to the monitoring of student profiles in that there is potential for suicides to be prevented, bullying and harassment to be dealt with, and troublesome situations to be handled. School districts ask these companies to search for posts containing certain keywords that may be evidence of threats and report them to law enforcement if necessary, which can certainly lead to a safer society. The private companies hired by school districts only track posts available to the general public and are not concerned with negligible comments about teachers and staff. Thus, since the posts that are looked at are public, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy to be had by a student. The concept of surveilling students on social media has not gone without criticism, however. For one, the New York Times notes that a student at Crescenta Valley High School used an expletive in a social media post about her biology class. When the assistant principal showed her a printed copy of the post, she was asked to change her account settings to private, ironically meaning that she would no longer be easily monitored.

Furthermore, the New York Times mentions that “nineteen out of twenty people” whose posts get sent as alerts to Patrick Larkin, an assistant superintendent in the city of Burlington, Massachusetts, are not even Larkin’s students. There is thus reason to believe that it is not worth spending money on surveillance contracts with third party companies if they are not reliable at performing the task at hand. The Glendale Unified School District paid Geo Listening $40,500 in the year 2013 in order to monitor students after there was a suicide due to online bullying, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, they dropped their contract with the company last year once the District noticed that Instagram and Snapchat were not being surveilled — a financially responsible choice since students tend to be more personal on these two networks. In terms of what the District should do next, they should look for other private companies who will offer student monitoring at a reasonable price. If they cannot find a company that monitors students and does so with attention to their privacy, then the District should

Some social media platforms used today

Pexels

By Carlos Rodriguez

Instagram is one of many social networks subject to the surveillance of public posts.

Opinion

Benefits of coffee spill into a necessity

Coffee. It’s on desks, in someone’s hand and pretty much everywhere in the mornings. No matter how tempting the scent is, coffee has the ability to attract people, serving as the essential morning “booster” for practically everyone. And while some high school students may also feel that coffee is a necessity, schools aren’t providing students with caffeinated beverages. That’s why many students, myself included, believe coffee should be sold in schools in vending machines. The byproduct would be amazing: students paying attention in class, improved testing scores, and for teachers, the benefit of teaching an attentive class. Coffee is an essential to many students; it lightens up one’s mood

and delivers a cozy, warm feeling like Grandma’s hot chocolate on a snowy day. There’s just a special connection made with coffee. To me, coffee makes all the stress and stomach aches of school go away, bringing joy when you can finally sit down and get your work done. Besides being flavorful, coffee has inspired students to getting assignments done. Many students note the fact that college campuses often have a coffee shop of some sort, so why don’t high schools provide the same privileges? Nearly 73 percent of students in the U.S. drink a form of caffeinated beverage a day. Coffee is second on the charts, with soda topping it off. So if 73 percent of students drink coffee in their everyday lives, why isn’t it sold in schools? While the state of California bans the sale of caffeinated beverages in high schools, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition policies allow caffeinated beverages on high school campus.

Other states follow the USDA guidelines and allow caffeinated drinks in high schools. In Middletown High School, Maryland, coffee was sold in their school for about two weeks in the cafeteria. However, sales were stopped when the school administration realized they were selling caffeinated drinks to students, which they believed negatively impact the student learning environment and caused a loss of students’ ability to focus in class. East High School in Iowa, however, opened a coffee shop in school that was run by the students to fundraise for school activities, additionally benefitting the students’ classroom enrichment. According to the Washington Times, the East Daily Grind opened a month ago, and results showed increased productivity through homework assignments and projects. Furthermore, with students gaining these benefits, they are feeling more appreciated that the school addressed their concerns to build a coffee shop. Coffee is like Netflix. You say will only watch one episode but end up finishing the show. Coffee is known to help decrease the risk of depression and can “lift your mood,” according to Very Well Mind. So while high schools outside California are enjoying warm caffeinated drinks sold in their schools, high school students in California dream of the day coffee is sold in schools.

Students drink coffee to help them focus

Pexels

Coffee helps students focus and get more school work done

LibreShot

By Alexandra Der Boghosian

Winter 2018 • 27

Opinion

Justice: a centuries-old question

Alexandra Der Boghosian

By Rafael Aroustamian

Dancers perform a traditional Armenian dance

The term “The Armenian National Question” was coined in 1878. Yet, to non-Armenians, the Armenian National Question is only known by few, and solutions to the question are almost nonexistent among the nonArmenian population. So it is up to Armenians to popularize the belief of a “solution” to the question that had been popularized among people in the Armenian population. The Armenian National Question is a broad term but is used commonly to refer to question the lack of acknowledgement surrounding the event of the Armenian Genocide. Yet up to the present day, the Armenian National Question has not been fully answered. But the actual solutions to the multiple step question are much easier than you think. The Armenian state was subjugated under the Ottoman Empire during the late 1800s. The Armenian people were discriminated against, often killed for their nonacceptance of Muslim traditions. During the time period before the genocide, Armenian Nationalist militias formed up, combated the oppressive Ottoman state using guerilla tactics. Some of these militias were combating for the formation of

24 • The Magnet

an independent Armenian state (Dashnaks, Hunchaks) and for more Armenian autonomy (Armenakans). Many of these heroes were Andranik Ozanian, Drastamat Kanayan, Nikol Duman,and KevorkLevon “Menag” Aroustamian. Unfortunately, these Armenian military heroes would see the Armenian Genocide occur, and some would even lose their own lifes fighting the Ottoman army. The Armenian National question has still not been answered, and many wonder what would be the best way for Armenians to move forward and to finally forget. The most important thing for the Armenians and Armenian diaspora to start doing in mending their country is to get Turkey to finally recognize and pay for the genocide. The Armenian diaspora and the Armenian government have taken great strides in this, having recognition from countries such as France, Canada, Brazil and 48 out of the 50 states in the United States. But the biggest success would have to have for the United States government recognize it, for the USA will most likely push for reparations. The reason the United States will not recognize the genocide to the present day is that Turkey is one of the only access points for NATO to deploy to places such as Syria and Afghanistan.

The current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has continually shown to the world that he is a tyrant who continues to push Turkey into a democratic backslide. He silences the press in his own country, continuously rigs elections and purges officials, drawing close distinction to Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. Erdogan has publicly shown that he supports Ottomanism (the revival of the Ottoman tradition). This heinous revival of one of the worst empires in history that has been proven to have committed mass atrocities in the past should not be allowed to continue. He continuously opposes relations between Armenia and Turkey, going so far to destroy a statue in Kars that called for rapprochement between the two countries, stating that “[Turkey] has not committed a crime, and therefore should not apologize.” Armenian-Turkish relations might become better in the future if Erdogan doesn’t serve a longer term than necessary. The importance of remembering the genocide and finding justice isn’t just for the oppressed. Bringing light to this event will suppress other groups from committing mass atrocities. The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is important for the oppressed and the bystanders alike. The oppressed will finally be able to find closure, and the bystanders will be informed and in effect, will be taught not to commit similar atrocities. The importance of remembering the genocide and finding justice isn’t just for the oppressed. Bringing light to this event will suppress other groups from committing mass atrocities. The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is important for the oppressed and the bystanders alike. The oppressed will finally be able to find closure, and the bystanders will be informed and in effect, will be taught not to commit similar atrocities.

Opinion

ICE splits families apart

Children separated from their parents at the border.

The fact that children have to spend some of the most critical years of their life away from their parents and sometimes imprisoned is baffling. No matter their immigration status, children and teenagers should never have to go through what my friend did.

Wikimedia Commons

with his family and now has no way of living in his childhood home until he gets his citizenship back. “I was lucky,” my friend said. “We had enough money for a plane ticket back home and we have family that gave us a place to stay. It could have been way worse. I’m just glad that my family stayed together, I don’t know what I would have done without them in that situation, I was so scared.” Many children are not as lucky. My friend is a junior in high school student, capable of speaking for his rights and needs if necessary. Children are taken from their parents at all ages. 100 out of every 700 children taken are under the age of four. These kids are placed in detention centers, unable to process what is happening and unknowing of when they are going to see their parents again. This kind of trauma has long term effects on children. Houston Public Media released a clip of a child who could not recognize his mother after three months of separation; CNN released another video of a 13 year old’s account of life in a detention center. “I was in a shelter for two months,” the boy said in an interview with CNN. “I thought I was going to be in that place for my entire life. I felt oppressed, imprisoned, I became numb.” These children now have to live with separation anxiety and a fear for their family’s safety.

ICE officer suits up.

The Hill

Ever since President Donald Trump introduced a “zero-tolerance” policy calling for the prosecution of all individuals who illegally enter the United States, children have been separated from their families daily while trying to enter or stay in the country. Stories of deportations, estrangement of families, and immigrant detention centers have crossed the screens of the public daily; but after a while, these families become just another name, another hashtag to scroll past. People enjoy life in their own bubble of safety; all of the unpleasantries happen far away where it cannot hurt them. I too enjoyed the comfort of my own bubble until a text in the early morning brought America’s issues of immigration too close to home. “Hey Reed,” the text read. “I wanted to let you know that I am safe but I won’t be coming home for a long time.” The boy who texted me was my friend of a couple years. He was active in his community and spent his time participating in track and field and playing bass in his high school orchestra. My friend had been having issues with his parents’ citizenship, causing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to show up at his house. His parents knew their rights and refused to let ICE in without a warrant, but they waited for him at his bus stop and detained him, having his parents come to the rescue. His Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals was about to expire; he could stay but he had nowhere to go. When his parents arrived to take my friend out of the holding center they had brought him to, ICE threatened to separate them. He willingly left the United States to be

Courtesy of Pride Hill

By Reed Maruyama

A child being held in a detention center.

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Arts & Entertainment

Upcoming movies 2018-2019

Dec. 19 A sequel to the 1964 Mary Poppins, this film is set 25 years after the events of the original film in London. Emily Blunt is cast as Mary Poppins as she returns into the life of the Banks’ family after a tragedy occurs. This film also recasts Dick Van Dyke from the original film portraying the son of one of his original characters. Fifty-four years separate the release of the live-action sequel to the original, giving the film one of the longest gaps between live-action film sequels in history.

28 • The Magnet

Dec. 21 Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis, is the son of Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and a lighthouse keeper. Due to his half-blood heritage, he does not view himself worthy to be king. His half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), however, plans to wage war against the surface world, forcing Arthur to return to Atlantis and challenge him for the throne and unite the two worlds with which he shares blood.

Courtesy of IMDb

By Shaye Holladay McCarthy

Jan. 18 This isn’t like an ordinary superhero film. M. Night Shyamalan has created his own miniseries of films using characters from his previous films, Unbreakable and Split. Bruce Willis as David Dunn, The Overseer and Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, Mr. Glass are reprising roles from Unbreakable, while James McAvoy returns as Kevin Wendell Crumb, The Horde from Split. After the ending of Split, David Dunn looks to pursue Crumb’s 24th superhuman persona of “The Beast,” while Mr. Glass. holds secrets critical to both men.

April 26 Coming off the loss against Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Endgame, the original six Avengers are the only heroes to survive the snap that eliminated half of humanity. For the second bout against Thanos, the Avengers are to be joined by Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Paul Rudd as AntMan, and Evangeline Lily as the Wasp. While not much has been revealed about the film, heroes that were killed by Thanos will some return as they have upcoming movies set in the future. Avengers 4 could quite possibly mark the longest movie Marvel has made, and the last movie in the cinematic universe ever using “Avengers” as part of its title.

Arts & Entertainment

Courtesy of IMDb

May 27 The legendary hitman, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), with a $14 million price to his name, must escape and kill his way out of New York safely to avoid all the top assassins. Not only that, but John Wick broke the key rule, murdering someone on Continental Hotel Grounds. He has one hour before these assassins go after his life.

March. 8 When Air Force pilot Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is caught in an accident that fuses her DNA with that of a Kree, it gives her superhuman strength, energy projection and flight. The collision of both species of DNAs causes her personality to be halved. The Kree side is emotionless and a fighter with a competitive side, while her human side is flawed, but it’s her main drive. The Kree are a race of elite alien heroes that fight the Skrulls, a race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters, and the two sides Appearances are also made by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, and Jude Law as Mar-vell, Danvers’ mentor.

Courtesy of IMDb

Feb. 22 A long journey to build a dragon and human utopia pays off through countless discoveries and friendships, but there is a threat that looms which will test Hiccup’s (Jay Baruchel) reign as chief of Berk. More discoveries are made when a new, elusive dragon is found and lures Toothless away. The battle for the utopia the riders of Berk worked to build will bring them together to protect what they love.

May 31 The cryptozoological agency Monarch is doing everything in their power to prevent humanity’s extinction against god-sized monsters such as Godzilla and the three-headed King Ghidorah. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the sequel to the 2014 movie Godzilla. Appearances are also made by Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Charles Dance, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins and Zhang Ziyi.

Check out stories, photos, and more on Clarkchronicle.com

Courtesy of IMDb

where he is gifted many powers. He has the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. By shouting, “Shazam!” Batson turns into a hero, played by Zachary Levi. His newfound powers get put to the test when he faces against Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).

April 5 When Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel is taken in by a new family, his new younger brother is bullied at school causing him to step in. On the run from the bullies, the fourteen year-old boy catches a train that takes him to a cave

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Arts & Entertainment

‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ returns with western thrills

Courtesy of instacodez via Flickr

By Rafael Aroustamian

Red Dead Redemption 2 follows the story of Arthur Morgan, an experienced member of the Van Der Linde Gang.

30 • The Magnet

iteration of the game also used this type of mechanic, as it didn’t just shove the player into the open world. As soon as the player completes their first chapter and gets out of the mountains, they are finally put into the open world. Yet unlike most games, the computer gives the player the choice of which parts of the chapter to do first. If the player fights in a bar fight and then goes hunting with one of the other NPC’s, the NPC will mention in their line of dialogue about a “fight happening a few days ago around the bar. This gives players choices; they don’t have to follow a specific mission list. They can start which missions they want to do first and the game will adjust to their choices. As the prequel to Red Dead Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

When Red Dead Redemption came out back in 2010, the gaming community rejoiced. Many were waiting for a third generation Western game, as there was a deficit of them on the market. Not many gaming companies were up for the challenge of creating a successful game about the Wild West. Finally, Rockstar San Diego developed the very successful Red Dead Redemption. It won several game-of-the-year awards, as well as getting a 95-100 on Metacritic. The developers pushed for a sequel for Red Dead Redemption as soon as the awards started racking up. And finally, on Oct. 26, they released Red Dead Redemption 2. The game has a slow and leisurely start, as it starts out when the gang is trapped in some mountains, escaping from a unsuccessful robbery in Blackwater. Snowed in and isolated from the outside role, this may seem as a bad way to start a open-world game. But in fact, it gives the player a chance to catch their bearings. It is an innovative way of displaying the controls and teaching the players the basics without just showing the control scheme. The previous

The newest installment in the Red Dead Redemption franchise.

Redemption, the game takes place in 1899, a few years before the events of Red Dead Redemption, which takes place in 1913.The supporting character of RDR2 is the main character in RDR, who also kills many members of his original gang. This shows how Rockstar believes in correlation between sequels, and as a result, are very successful game developers. This is shown in their other game series, Grand Theft Auto. The open world of RDR2 comes in as very open and free. Players can do almost anything in the wild, wild West. You can visit bars, gun stores, ranges, stables, camps, ranges and much more. The enormous amount of random encounters also makes the game interesting. After a combined six hours of playing Red Dead Redemption 2, I have never come across the same random encounter twice. There is always something new and interesting happening across the world, and the likelihood of finding things twice in a single gaming session is borderline impossible. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a “sight for sore eyes,” as it combines the best of open-world with great storylines and amazing character development. The correlation between games also raises the game value. The fact that it racked up $725 million in sales on its opening weekend just proves its worth. Whether or not you are an avid fan of cowboys, the game of Red Dead Redemption 2 is a keeper.

Arts & Entertainment

Imagine Dragons reflects on their journey with ‘Origins’

Courtesy of pitchfork.com

By Shaye Holladay McCarthy

The new album cover for Imagine Dragons, Origins.

Following the release of Evolve in 2017, Origins marks the fourth studio album, released by Imagine Dragons. This album was released more than a year after Evolve, but holds a smaller time frame between albums compared to the two-year drought between Smoke and Mirrors and Evolve. Prior to the release of their new album, Imagine Dragons released four singles: “Natural,” “Zero,” “Machine” and “Bad Liar.” Lead vocalist and frontman Dan Reynolds said that the meaning of Origins is to seek new ground, but to also appreciate your roots. It’s about creating, but not being restricted by boundaries and rules, he said. “Zero” was released in September, and it was also the song used to help promote Ralph Breaks the Internet. The song itself addresses issues relating to identity and loneliness that is unique to this internet generation, but it also reflects the emotional

aspects of the film. Reynolds spoke of the aspects the song reflects. The song speaks to a struggle for self-acceptance that can resonate with the listeners. The album has songs about love, relationships and being who you are. “Bad Liar” is a song that warns about relationships. “I’m a man of three fears: integrity, faith, and crocodile tears...” This refers to distrust and doubt that could be formed if a relationship isn’t made with the right person and when one partner is taken advantage of. There is a small reference back to “Demons” in this song where he talks about a “Perfect paradise” which is a facade, while the metaphor in “Demons” comes forth as getting too close and the “demons” will be found. A song like “Natural” has a melancholic vibe and holds a warning about making your way through life. It’s about being able to find yourself and standing to face whatever adversity comes into life. The lines, “A beating heart of stone, you gotta be so cold, to make it in this world,” could allude to the fact that being cold-hearted is also a defense mechanism to keep control over your life and protect yourself from adversities.

Reynolds has referred to Origins a sister album to Evolve, which is why the album was released the year following the release of Evolve and not a couple years later. He also explained it as the band would be in a different place than they were coming off of Evolve. The two albums work as a link to complete each other. “Evolve is like: where am I going? I know there’s colour and Origins is: this is where you’re going, and it’s a great future. And to be 10 years into our band, that feels right.” Origins is a beautiful, but meaningful album where Reynolds uses his life experiences to form lyrics for certain tracks. When songs are written and influenced by the life of a band member they reflect an experience, but also provide advice. The songs are melancholic and this album is about staying to stay true to yourself. It’s a gift that with the release of Evolve and Origins, the fans are able to hear what Reynolds has suffering through and how he chooses to express the issues through music with his band. While some of what is subtly mentioned in his songs the audience knows, he provides the listeners with more from his life with the band.

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