23 minute read
“Mamma Mia!” [pg
from February 2022
MAMMA MIA!
TOP THREE SONG TOP THREE SONG TOP THREE SONG RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS
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By ASHLEY CHAN
Staff Writer
The Arcadia Stage Theatre Company here at Arcadia High School (AHS) is excited to present their upcoming, in-person, spring musical Mamma Mia!.
This musical will be entirely performed by members of the Arcadia Stage Theatre Company, and will take place in AHS’ Performing Arts Center (PAC). There are four productions: Mar. 17 and Mar. 18 at 7:00 p.m., and Mar. 19 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at arcadiastage.com. Seniors and AHS students can enter at a cost of $10, general admission costs $15, and VIP seating is $30.
Mamma Mia! is an uplifting and inspiring musical that will have the audience singing and dancing to the musical tunes of ABBA. ABBA, a famous Swedish pop group, is made up of Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. In 1999, ABBA’s music was adapted into Mamma Mia!, and into the sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, in 2018. The music composed for Mamma Mia! and its sequel influenced AHS’ Mamma Mia! production!
The Arcadia Stage Theatre Company’s Beginning and Advanced Stage Craft students have created an amazing set design for Mamma Mia!. It is a three-story set with plenty of surprise pieces!
Additionally, the L.A. Health Department has lifted COVID-19 restrictions on Mega events, and thus, it is no longer required to check audience member’s vaccination status. However, masks will still be required for all cast, crew, and audience members.
In terms of the lead roles in Mamma Mia!, Emily Fang is cast as Sophie Sheridan; Ashley Wearp is cast as Ali; Ariel Alcazar is cast as Lisa; Nat Freese is cast as Donna Sheidan; Meron Girma is cast as Tonya; Katie Siriani is cast as Rosie; Jared Dianels is cast as Sky; Christopher Munoz is cast as Pepper; Kyle Alpine is cast as Eddie; Brian Oh is cast as Harry Bright; Mako Amano is cast as Bill Austin; Kevin Wu is cast as Sam Carmichael; and Ben Porter is cast as Father Alexandrios. The choreographer is Jean Michelle Sayeg, the director is Steven Volpe, and the musical director is Allen Everman.
Juniors Emilie Conner and Amber Comanescu describe their roles in the production, and explain how they prepared in advance for the show.
“I am cast as a Featured Dancer in Mamma Mia! and it’s a lot of fun!” stated junior Emilie Conner. “With musicals there is a lot of choreography which means hav -ing a lot of rehearsals for the various numbers in the show. As far as role prep goes, in Advanced Theatre we always take a class day to focus on creating and truly tapping into our character and their environment, regardless if they are main characters or not. Relating the character to yourself is one of the more helpful tactics, for example I dance in ‘Voulez-Vous’ which is one big dance party before Sophie’s wedding, and who doesn’t love dancing at a party with your friends? Breaking down the goals and different achievements of your character is truly what brings them to life in each scene.”
“My role in our production, Mamma Mia!, is Lead Dancer,” said junior Amber Comenescu. “I prepared by learning the dance numbers through constant practice and repetition.
It is evident that a tremendous amount of effort and dedication was put into this musical, and a large number of memories were made as well.
“My favorite memory from Mamma Mia! so far is getting to know the Intermediate Theatre students who were cast in it alongside myself and the other Advanced members,” Conner remarked. “For those who don’t know, Arcadia Stage’s fall productions are performed by just the Advanced cast, while the spring musical is opened up for the intermediate class to audition. It’s definitely a change having the two classes work together on a show, but it’s very fun, and we learn a lot from each other.”
“My favorite memory from preparing for the show was learning all the choreography for the dance numbers, and seeing our costumes for the first time,” Comanescu claimed.
When considering the efforts put into Mamma Mia!, there are plenty of reasons why you should look forward to the production.
“The main thing I’m excited for people to experience when they come and see Mamma Mia! is our set and lighting,” Conner said, “I can’t reveal too much, but I will say that the PAC is going to be one fun disco club! The audience for Mamma Mia! is even invited to get up and dance along with us on stage to all this amazing ABBA music that truly represents the heart of the 1970s. Sophie and Donna’s story of self-discovery will make you laugh, cry, and dance your way out of the theater. We have been working so hard and are all thrilled to share our show when we open in mid March!” “I think what people are going to be looking forward to the most is the music,” Comanescu stated. “Most people know ABBA and will find themselves singing along with the cast and will have a fun time watching the performance.”
Keep up the good work to the Arcadia Stage Theatre Company! We hope to see you at Mamma Mia!.
achan@arcadiaquill.com Graphic courtesy of ARCADIA STAGE THEATRE COMPANY
By HENRINA ZHANG
Staff Writer
In this season of love and Valentine’s Day, emotions become a little more intense, from the affection between couples to the feelings of single individuals. Dealing with all these different emotions may be overwhelming, but there is a myriad of things that will help someone express their feelings, one of which is music. Music is an amazing way to feel the indescribable, whether it be love or heartbreak. So to celebrate the season of love, and the season of emotions, here are three songs that might be perfect for you.
As the debut single of One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful”, is a pop song that won’t fail to get you humming. This song was written by Savan Kotecha and producer Rami Yacoub on Sept. 11, 2011. With the upbeat guitar and catchy chorus, this song tells the story of love.
“I like vibing and singing to ‘What Makes You Beautiful, especially in the car,” stated sophomore Edward Lai. “It’s really cute and catchy.”
“What Makes You Beautiful” is an amazing song to dance to and have fun with. It tells the story of a girl who is very insecure and always puts herself down. But her lover sees nothing but beauty. From her personality to her behavior, down to the very last detail, her lover sees past surface-level flaws, appreciating the person deep down. If you ever feel down, remember, beauty is about what’s within!
“I Would Have Given You the Moon,” released on Jan. 28, 2022, is a lovely piano-pop ballad written by American singersongthrough rough times; the beautifully written lyrics evoke the feelings that may be hidden.
“I first found it on TikTok,” sophomore Jolene Shen said. “This song makes me feel sad, but that’s good because I really resonate with it. The meaning… hits a little different and it’s one of my favorite songs.”
I recommend “I Would Have Given You the Moon” because it’s a fairly new song from an up-and-coming artist, and it deserves attention. If you ever feel taken for granted, or not appreciated enough, I recommend this emotional, heartfelt song. “Paris,” by The Chainsmokers, released on Jan. 13, 2017, is a slow electro-pop song with many underlying themes, from love to addiction. Paris, is a sentimental yearning for a reality that isn’t genuine; an irrecoverable condition for fantasy that evokes nostalgia or daydreams. This song features American singersongwriter Emily Warren, a frequent collaborator with The Chainsmokers, and one of the leading writers of “Paris” is Andrew Taggart. In fact, this song is inspired by a friend of his who struggled with serious drug addiction. But there are also many lyrics that hit close to home in the love department. “Paris” talks about a fantasy world of two lovers who think life is going amazing, but in reality, their lives and the people around them are falling apart.
“I like to play this song when I feel nostalgic, like if I’m missing my friends,” said junior Leo Liang. “The song is slow and makes me feel relaxed. I just like to chill to it.” It prompts a nostalgic and longing feeling, similar to how you might feel lying in your bed and staring at the ceiling, dreaming up an imaginary situation. If you’re looking for a song that can carry you into a world of fantasy, “Paris” is the perfect one for you. With the countless supply of songs out there, finding one that matches your mood isn’t that hard. Whether it be something to get you dancing, or something to get you crying, music is one of the best ways to release your emotions.
REMEMBERING MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER GAMES
By KATE DE PRIMA
Staff Writer
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) are online games with hundreds or thousands of players on a single server—but they’re better defined by popular titles like “Minecraft” or “World of Warcraft”. They typically involve exploring an open world and include role-playing aspects no matter the genre of the game.
MMOs are over 30-years-old, their initial inspiration coming from multiplayer games like “Dungeons and Dragons” and similar tabletop games. The first MMO, “Mazewar,” went live in 1974 and allowed players to explore a maze while fending off other players. Throughout the 1970s, dozens of MMOs were published and played through the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, better known as the ARPANET, a predecessor of the internet. As time went on, games’ worlds improved, often incorporating complex economic systems and allowing players free control to explore or create their own adventure.
The worlds of MMOs are vast, with genres spanning from dystopian to fantasy and thousands of variations and combinations in between. Role-playing features play an immensely important role in the culture of MMOs—which is why most MMOs are also often classified as MMORPGs (the extra “RPG” standing for ‘role-playing game’). Nearly all games require players to interact with others to fully immerse or progress through the game. Most notably, role-playing features encourage players to befriend others, expanding the social development of certain worlds and setting the values and norms of a game.
Our generation is probably most familiar with games like Animal Jam, Club Penguin, Poptropica, or Wizard101—all of which my friends or I were obsessed with during our elementary and middle school days. MMOs were an equally relaxing and exciting escape from the woes of school and homework, and I made countless friends playing them, both in the real world and in online ones.
These games all featured unique traits of their own, especially in terms of customization. Arcadia High School junior Sophia Nuñez recalled her favorite part of “Animal Jam” was “collecting plushies and decorating [her] house” Collecting clothing or furniture was an integral part of playing these games—not only to enhance characters’ appearances but rare or limited edition items often created a sort of social structure among players. Memberships also divided player populations further into social hierarchies. Memberships are usually subscription-based payments that allow players more access to in-game features—ranging from better clothes, homes, or special events. Aside from playing with her friends in Animal Jam, junior Kenzie Rios enjoyed her membership that “unlocked extra animals that regular players couldn’t get.”
Memberships not only unlocked exclusive items and features but placed players at the top of games’ social hierarchies. They were highly sought after, but many players were hacked as a result of becoming a member—especially in games dominated by younger players who have to ask a parent’s permission. Nuñez shared that after she “got her membership as a birthday gift” her account was sadly banned after she was hacked.
The unique culture, economies, and social features of MMOs keeps games entertaining for hours, and to this day I’ll occasionally log back to my favorites just to take a peek at my old home or see how worlds have changed.
SPOTIFY ARTISTS VS. JOE ROGAN
By KIRA CAMACHO
Staff Writer
In today’s culture, artists and content creators are serious and vocal with their political views and opinions. Influencers and people alike are learning to take a stand against policies, people, and corporations they don’t like. Most recently, artists on Spotify have been fighting against Joe Rogan and his podcast. It started with Neil Young, a Canadian artist most famously from Buffalo Springfield, as well as a band called Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. According to Ashley King, Young came across an open letter to Spotify from 12,270 medical professionals, asking Spotify to institute a misinformation policy. In the letter, they specifically mentioned episode #1757 of Rogan’s podcast.
On Jan. 24, Young called attention to this letter, writing his own to Spotify on his website the Neil Young Archives.
“It detailed an open letter to Spotify Technology SA, SPOT 9.18% published earlier in January, from teachers, scientists and medical professionals urging the streaming giant to address what they deemed false information about COVID-19 vaccines on Joe Rogan’s podcast.”
Young decided to write his own letter to Spotify, asking his record label and management to remove his music from the platform immediately. Two days later, Spotify obliged and took down his music.
“For most of the week after Mr. Young’s ultimatum, it didn’t feel like a crisis at Spotify, said people inside the company.” reported Steele and Jurgensen. But when Young’s peers joined in on the boycott, things changed.
Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren, Inda Arie, Graham Nash, Failure, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and CSN (Crosby, Stills, and Nash), all removed their music from Spotify in solidarity. After that, Spotify was quick to respond.
“We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators.” Spotify said in a written statement.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek sent a letter to Spotify’s employees apologizing for the Rogan controversy, yet, stating that he did “not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.” Ek informed his employees that Spotify has been talking to Rogan about the content of his show, and his use of racial slurs. After Rogan’s apology, Ek and Rogan decided to move the episodes in hopes of protecting their most popular podcaster. Since then, Spotify has removed over 20,000 COVID-19 related podcast episodes, and 70 episodes of the Joe Rogan podcast. They have also created a Covid information hub, in which Spotify will begin tagging COVID-19 related content with an advisory, pointing users to health and science information.
In response, Young is urging Spotify employees to quit their jobs. He posted a statement on his website, urging people to “ditch the misinformers.”
“To the workers at SPOTIFY, I say Daniel Ek is your big problem—not Joe Rogan,” he stated. “Ek pulls the strings. Get out of that place before it eats up your soul. The only goals stated by Ek are about numbers—not art, not creativity.”
Young’s call to action emphasizes the dramatically increasing stand that artists, and many young people, are taking against huge corporations. People are no longer standing by corporations when they make mistakes. Activists like Young are discovering they have more power to change things for the better. Controversies like this show that artists and content creators alike are taking a more active role in combating misinformation.
THE VARSITY SONG TEAM
By MADISON YEE
Staff Writer
Arcadia’s Varsity Song team is always ready to bring school spirit and fun performances to sports games and assemblies all year round. Although we know them for their high energy and exceptional dancing skills, what goes on behind the scenes, and what have been their takeaways so far?
Each year, the Varsity Song team participates in cheering on Arcadia High School at football and basketball games, while also doing many rallies, assemblies, and half-time performances. Recently on Jan. 22, they went to the Sharp Competition at Upland High School and placed 1st for the High School Pom division.
Current senior and Team Captain Rianne Fujinaga has been on the team for all four years of high school and expressed the importance of a good team dynamic.
“I love my team members so much! We’re always working together to meet choreo deadlines. All of them are so hardworking and are great at compromising with each other,” said Fujinaga.
Not only do they grow closer during their daily practices and weekly events, the team also has fun being together outside of school hours. Fujinaga recalls a memory from their Halloween bonding event where she was able to “hang out with the girls outside of a dance setting. It was really great getting closer.”
Sophomore Lindsey Popoff agreed and the same as Fujinaga, she said that she “loves [her] team and how [they] grow together. Performing with them is [her] favorite part.”
When reflecting on the year, two-year member junior Agnes Eng also looks back on her time with the team so far. For Agnes, her favorite performance was the Homecoming Assembly.
“My favorite memory is the Homecoming Assembly because the adrenaline and energy of performing alongside my teammates has become such a core memory for me. Months of hard work compressed in two minutes was worth it!” Eng mentioned.
On the other hand, freshman Lexi Ledesma, she enjoys the opportunity to “cheer for the football games and rallies because it’s always so much fun learning and performing dances for the crowd.”
During the first semester with football season, Pep Squad cheers on the sidelines with different jingles, cheers, chants, and stomps. For home games, they would also decorate the Salter Stadium with posters and host pep rally performances on the Rally Court at lunch.
However, this semester they have switched to basketball season so that the team can give the same spirit to the Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams.
Speaking of this, Song’s performances don’t go without hours of practice and perfecting their routines. From the extensive tryout process to summer practices that extend throughout the whole school year, the team has been able to learn a lot.
“So far, I have learned many new techniques and have been able to improve on my turns and kicks. I also found a passion for dancing that I didn’t know I had,” said sophomore Kailani Yamashiro.
As of right now, be on the lookout for Song’s amazing performances at sports games and at the upcoming Spring Assembly alongside the Varsity Cheer and Pep Flags team.
THE JUNIOR VARSITY SWIM TEAM
By AINSLEY NAJAFZADEH Staff Wrtier
With the scent of chlorine in the air, Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Co-Ed Junior Varsity Swim team dives into 2022 with a new and exciting team, welcoming both returning swimmers and newcomers. Without wasting any time, the swimmers are all up and in the pool, hard at work in preparation for their upcoming meets.
Due to swim season overlapping with Girls Water Polo, the swim team had limited practice time in January, but that didn’t stop them from working hard to improve and become stronger before the competitions begin.
Freshman Emelia Asadoorian said, “I started taking swimming classes when I was about 3-years-old, and when I was 10, I joined a competitive swim team. I competed with that team for almost two years, but COVID-19 messed with my normal swim schedule. I am passionate about swim and work hard to improve my time. My teammates’ and my love for swimming constantly inspire me to keep going.”
The swimmers are already preparing for their upcoming meets with the Red/Gold practice meet, a practice meet which allows the swimmers to have a feel for the swim meet style and get a sense of what to expect. The swimmers will gain experience at the practice meet as well as mentally prepare themselves. All of this is in anticipation for their first official meet on Feb. 22, which will be held at Walnut High School.
Freshman Cana Ufodike said, “Before I did competitive swimming I did synchronized swimming. I stopped doing it for about 4 years but now that I attend AHS I knew I wanted to swim competitively.”
Apart from working hard to improve, the swimmers have formed numerous friendships with their teammates as they bond through their shared love of swimming and are exposed to the competitive swimming world together.
These talented swimmers will continue to work hard in preparation for their upcoming meets, working as a team to encourage one another, and we AHS students will be there to cheer them on.
2022 Beijing Olympics
By SABINA LO
Staff Writer
It’s been the hottest topic on the news – the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing, China. With COVID and diplomatic boycotts, there are far fewer spectators this time around, but the energy is just as high.
The opening ceremony was held Feb. 4 at the Beijing National Stadium. Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the opening of the 24th Olympic Winter Games. Although this year’s opening ceremony was 43% less viewed on NBC than in 2018, it consisted of breathtaking laser shows. The U.S. Flag Bearers were speedskater Brittany Bowe and curler John Shuster.
COVID-19 has had a heartbreaking effect on some athletes, who have had to withdraw from their competitions due to testing positive. One example is U.S. men’s figure skater Vincent Zhou. Zhou competed in the figure skating team event on Feb. 6, and the U.S. got silver. That night, while teammates were celebrating the success, he found out that he had tested positive for COVID. Still, he could compete in the men’s singles event on Feb. 8 if he managed to get two negative tests. His hopes were dashed when a second positive result confirmed that he would, unfortunately, have to withdraw.
Despite the Olympics looking different this time around, history has been made and records have already been broken and pushed to higher levels; something that happens in every one of the Games.
Men’s figure skater Nathan Chen achieved tremendous success in the short program held slo@arcadiaquill.com Photo courtesy of WIKIMEDIA.COMMONS.ORG
VALORANT INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
By MARYAM SADEGHIFARD Staff Writer
Our very own Esports team at Arcadia High School (AHS) is hosting its biggest high school Southern California tournament in history. With the Esports committee at our school teaming up with OSCA Esports, this tournament is one you do not want to miss, the dates of these tournaments being on Feb. 19-20 and Feb. 26-27 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Esports includes a wide range of games that we have all heard about. Some of the most popular games include Fortnite, League of Legends, Starcraft II, and much more. The tournament in which AHS is participating is the Valorant video game. Valorant is a five-player v. five-player firstplayer shooting game that is free to play. The objective of the game is to detonate an explosive, win 13 rounds, and eliminate the whole opposing team by then. Basically, one team attacks and the other defends. With its easy objective, this makes it the perfect game to partake in for the tournament. Reversah’s Southern California Valorant invitational is featuring schools across Southern California, with over 15 high schools attending. With free participation in this tournament, this is sure to be a perfect opportunity for those who are passionate about electronic sports and excel in games like this one. All high school students are able to participate for free. Even if you do not compete, you can still spectate the gameplay. As the tournament comes closer and closer, the anticipation from those participating is rising. Feb. 7. Setting a world record of 113.97, he made headlines with “redemption” from his disastrous 2018 Olympic experience. On Feb. 9, he skated in the long program, ending with a total score of 332.60, earning Team USA a gold medal. The podium was complete with Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno taking silver and bronze.
Zoi-Sadowski-Synnott won New Zealand its first-ever Winter Olympics gold medal, winning in snowboard slopestyle. Women’s figure skater Kamila Valieva became the first woman to ever land a quadruple jump in the team event on Feb. 6 at 15 years old. American freeskier Eileen Gu who represented China won gold, becoming the youngest freestyle-skiing champion. 21-year-old Chloe Kim also got another gold medal, consecutive to her gold medal from
lot of logistical things going on that we have to manage as the date comes closer, but with such a big tournament, one that’s open to such a vast majority, this stress and anticipation that everything will run smoothly is almost tripled. But fortunately, we have some amazing partners and sponsors that have been helping us with this tournament, making this process a little easier.” said junior Pailin Tan, a member of the Arcadia Esports team. The prize pool for this tournament is very impressive and makes this tournament very competitive to compete in with a prize pool of over $4000, having tech sponsors like Reversah, AVGL, Seasonic, ZOWIE from BenQ, HyperX, and many more. The prize money will go to the winners of the game. For those that aren’t able to make the tournament but still want to be able to spectate, there will be a live streamthe 2018 Games. She won in the women’s snowboard halfpipe and made history by becoming the first woman ever to win consecutive Olympic halfpipe gold medals. The U.S. is currently ranked 3rd place in terms of the overall medal count, with Norway placing first. Team USA’s first medal came from 24 year old snowboarder Julia Marino, who won a silver medal in the women’s snowboard slopestyle event. So far, the U.S. has received 7 gold medals, with other gold medal favorites.
The Olympic Games will go on for another week, and the closing ceremony will be held Feb. 20.
ing cast streaming the whole tournament as it goes. With a VCT Crew and guests from Twitch, this is able to be made possible. The Arcadia Esports team and the OSCA Esports Instagram are hosting a giveaway along with this tournament. There will be five winners on their Instagram, and the winners would receive a choice between a lanyard from Reversah on Instagram, or a $10 Valorant gift card. Multiple entries are allowed and the steps to enter are super easy. Make sure to support our Esports team in this tournament, and if you are interested in partaking in this, fill out the form, or spectate and watch through the live stream.
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what is your opinion on valentine’s day?
“Celebrating Valentine’s Day or not is definitely a personal choice, but I believe that Valentine’s Day is more than just about the relationship between a couple, rather love and appreciation in general. It could be self-love, or love for your friends and family. (You could buy yourself some flowers or chocolate to celebrate!) However, love and appreciation definitely shouldn’t be restricted to just one day, you should show that you love and care for the people around you whenever possible.” - Doris Ma, 12.
if you did, how did you celebrate valentine’s day this year?
“I gave out Valentine’s snack bouquets to a few of my friends and watched sappy videos and romcoms with my sister.” - Arianna Aquino, 11.
“I didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but in the future, I would want to spend it with my loved ones, such as my friends and family. Valentine’s Day could be a day to show my appreciation and spend time with them.” - Ashley Choi, 12.
