The World Is Our Campus Volume 57, Issue 2
Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA
October 2008
Queen of the Court
In this issue:
Photo Courtesy of FLS
FEATURES pg.11 Halloween Spirit: Find out why this haunted holiday is dying amongst students.
Photo Courtesy of DAVID GORDON
ROSE COURT Courtney Lee and Lauren Valenzuela proudly represent Arcadia High School on the 2009 Rose Court. Queen Courtney, center, and Princess Lauren, far right, pose with the other Princesses in front of the Tournament House. By CORA ORMSETH Student Life Editor
Photo Courtesy of BRENTROSS.COM
CENTER SPREAD pgs.14-15 McCain vs. Obama: Familiarize yourself with the policies of this fall’s presidential candidates.
Photo Courtesy of CAROL ELLSWORTH
SPORTS pg.22 Jimbo: A tribute to Jim Ellsworth and his battle against cancer.
On the steps of the palatial Tournament House in Pasadena, AHS seniors Courtney Lee and Lauren Valenzuela became Queen Courtney and Princess Lauren of the Rose Court. The seven royal members of the Rose Court assembled at the Tournament House, the mansion that houses the Rose Queen’s crown, Rose Princess’s tiaras, and Rose Bowl trophies, on Oct. 21. Holding hands, they anxiously waited for the announcement of the 91st Rose Queen who would reign over the 2009 Pasadena Tournament of Roses. When Tournament of Roses President Corky Conzonire opened the envelope and proclaimed, “The Tournament of Roses is delighted to name Courtney Lee as the 2009 Rose Queen,” the sheer shock on Courtney’s face told all. “No, they did not just call my name,” she thought, as a frenzy of cameras snapped away and Dusty Gibbs, the 2008 Rose Queen, handed her a bouquet of red roses. But when, according to Courtney, the six Rose princesses “tackled” her, the reality finally sunk in. The road to royalty began in September with tryouts that made Courtney feel like she was “having a heart attack.” More than 1,100 young residents of Pasadena and surrounding communities attended the initial interview that offered only 15 seconds for each contestant to make an impression on the judges. After the first round, 250 girls received letters in the mail indicating that they had advanced to the second round. Courtney waited for her parents to check the mail each day, afraid that she would “jinx it.” The interview sessions became progressively longer as the pool of contestants grew smaller. 250 contestants were reduced to 75, and from there, 34 finalists were chosen. Courtney said the final interview that lasted four minutes was the last chance to “shine and show the judges what makes you unique.”
Eventually, seven finalists were chosen as members of the Rose Court: Courtney and Lauren; Jasmine Jenkins and Molly Novell of La Salle High School; Mary Gaule of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy; Bridget McDonald of Pasadena City College; and Quinn Young of La Cañada High School. On New Year’s Day, the Rose Court will ride the Royal Float in the 120th Rose Parade, themed “Hats Off to Entertainment.” Once the five-and-ahalf mile parade is over, the Rose Court will preside over the 95th annual Rose Bowl Game. Courtney looks forward to attending this “granddaddy of all football games,” especially if her favorite team, USC, plays. The Rose Court will accompany the two rival teams on a trip to Disneyland and will dine with them at the traditional beef-eating contest at Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. The Rose Court attends a myriad of community service events and media appearances and are chauffeured from place to place in white 2009 Honda Odysseys emblazoned with the iconic Tournament of Roses emblem. To prepare for the media spotlight, they must complete an extensive training regimen involving etiquette and public speaking sessions. At one dining hall lesson reminiscent of a scene from The Princess Diaries, Courtney learned the various functions of each utensil as well as the proper way to eat bread: “tear and butter, tear and butter.” Balancing the duties of Rose Queen with the demands of school poses a daunting challenge. Courtney tries to squeeze in homework between Rose Court events while juggling her responsibilities as captain of the varsity volleyball team, president of Senior Men and Women, vice-chairman of the Arcadia Assisteens Auxiliary, committee member of the Methodist Hospital Foundation, and founder of Teens Promoting Stroke Awareness, not to mention her jazz, hip hop, ballet, and traditional Chinese dancing. As captain of her volleyball team, Courtney plans to spend as much time as possible with her teammates because “volleyball is what
has gotten me through high school,” she said. Along with royalty comes certain perks: each member of the Royal Court received a custom tailored wardrobe from Macy’s, MAC makeup, a digital camera, and a Mikimoto pearl necklace worth $8500. “The gifts are never ending,” Courtney said, and thanked her parents “for not spoiling me as a child, because now I can truly appreciate all this.” As Rose Queen, Courtney has become a role model for younger girls. She hopes to be a personable figure for little girls across the nation who will eagerly watch the Rose Queen and Rose Princesses wave from the Royal Float on New Year’s Day. She also wants to represent the Asian American community because “Asian Americans are usually not given [this kind of] recognition.” Courtney’s family has played an integral role in her becoming Rose Queen. “Family is the platform for everything,” she said, attributing her success during the tryouts to the values her family instilled in her. Modest and down-to-earth, she is not yet accustomed to introducing herself as Queen Courtney. “I’m not all that girly,” she said, noting that prior to her Rose Court wardrobe, she only owned one pink shirt. Not one to fuss over appearances or diet, Courtney believes in “enjoying what you eat.” After she was announced as Rose Queen, Courtney ate “a big pastrami burger and chili fries” at The Hat, where the Rose Court receives free meals anytime. Courtney will continue to prepare for the pinnacle of her reign on Jan. 1, when she will ride down Colorado Boulevard to welcome the New Year. Until then, she has two more months to perfect that signature Rose Queen wave. “Raise your arm up straight – it’s more regal that way – cup your hand, and then wave,” she said, demonstrating a graceful, royal wave fit for a queen. cormseth@theapachepowwow.com For more on Princess Lauren Valenzuela, see Page 21.