2012 January Issue

SHRINERS: (from left to right) Seniors Laura Carasimu, Mary Arakelyan, and Edward Nadurata play witha patient at Shriners Children’s Hospital. ASB and ACSY delivered donated presents to the patients on Jan. 12.

DAPHNE ONG | TORNADO TIMES

AGNESSA KASUMYAN

ASB and ACSY givepresents to ShrinersChildren’s Hospital

Azatian wins$20,000 scholarship

Among 54,000 student ap-plicants from across thenation, senior Yervand

Azatian was one of 104 who won a$20,000 scholarship from the Hor-atio Alger Association of Distin-guished Americans.

The Horatio Alger Scholarshipprogram is open to all low-incomehigh school seniors with a strongcommitment to education, and who“demonstrate integrity and perse-verance in overcoming adversity.”He received a letter on Jan. 5 in-forming him that he was one of thewinners.

Azatian discovered the pro-gram while searching for scholar-ship opportunities online. In orderto be eligible, Azatian had to sub-mit three essays: one describinghardships he endured during hislife, another explaining career andcollege goals, and the third relatingto any member of the Horatio

Alger Association whom he ad-mires.

Yervand chose to write aboutastronaut Buzz Aldrin becauseAzatian and Aldrin were both shyand reserved and shared “constantcuriosity” of nature and explo-ration.

With his three essays, whichcontained less than a thousandwords altogether, he was able toconvey both his difficult past andhis optimistic outlook on his future.

In his first essay, he explainedin detail the pain he endured afterlosing his father when Azatian waseight years old.

“Everything I believed in,thought of, and indulged in withthe effervescent imagination of achild simply vanished away,” Aza-tian stated in his essay.

CHRISTINE BABAYAN

Read the full article ontornado-times.com

In the spirit of community

work—and not just the holi-

days—Associated Student

Body (ASB) and American Can-

cer Society Youth (ACSY) mem-

bers delivered dozens of toys to

Shriners Hospital in Los Angeles

on Jan. 12.

Though ASB and ACSY had

collaborated for the Toys for Tots

event two years ago and collected

donations in previous years, it was

the first time ACSY members ac-

tually hand-delivered the toys.

ACSY President Edward

Nadurata felt that being personally

involved would be a more “touch-

ing” and “humbling” experience.

Nadurata began contacting

hospitals in early December. He

first sought out Children’s Hospi-

tal in Hollywood; however, he and

ASB President Mary Arakelyan

decided to work with Shriners be-

cause it was the only facility that

would allow them to interact with

patients rather just dropping off

the gifts and leaving. ASB Direc-

tor of Athletics Laura Carasimu

(’12) was actually hesitant about

directly delivering the toys since

she wasn’t sure what the chil-

dren’s reactions would be.

“I was a little nervous, but

when the kids saw us come in with

a cart full of toys, their faces lit

up,” Carasimu said. “Knowing

that we made them happy was the

best feeling in the world—nothing

can match it.”

Shriners is a nonprofit organ-

ization that provides free orthope-

dic, cleft-lip and severe burn

treatment and prosthetic surgery

for families who wouldn’t other-

wise be able to afford them.

Sandra, the adoptive parent of

a nine-year-old patient, felt that

ASB’s and ACSY’s involvement

was very “good” for the commu-

nity. Her son, who suffers

from Arthrogryposis, a rare con-

genital disorder that doesn’t allow

him to bend his hands or knees,

had been in and out of the hospital

throughout December.

After picking a collection of

Power Rangers because the “green

one” is his “favorite,” he bonded

with senior ACSY officers

Daphne Ong, Arjina Boodaghian,

and Evelyna Vartanians.

Sandra and her husband

James did not know much about

their son’s condition. They sought

treatment at Children’s Hospital in

Orange County, but the doctors

there were not familiar with the

condition. It was not until they

were at a local restaurant when a

Shriners’ employee noticed them

and informed them of their serv-

ices.

According to Jamira Lindo, a

recreational therapist at the hospi-

tal who runs the toy drive event

every year, most of the children

come from low-income families

or from foreign countries so “it

brightens up their day” and they

are “very appreciative” of the

gifts.

“As students, we feel obli-

gated to put time into organizing

these kinds of events,” Arakelyan

said. “It’s just the right thing to

do.”

District prepares for Brown’s possible$4.8 billion cut from public schools

Governor Jerry Brownmay cut $4.8 billionfrom public schools if

citizens do not vote for his taxproposal in November, equatingto cutting three weeks from theschool year.

Additionally, Brown is pro-posing to increase the minimumgrade point averages (GPA) toapply for Cal Grants. For CalGrant A, a merit-based grant, therequired GPA would increasefrom 3.0 to 3.25. Cal Grant B,which is financial aid for low in-

come students, would increasethe minimum GPA from 2.4 to2.75.

Brown’s proposed tempo-rary tax hikes throughout 2012-2017 is an effort to decreaseCalifornia’s budget deficit. Salestaxes would increase by half acent, and residents earning an in-come of $250,000 or more wouldbe required to pay higher taxes.

SAMANTHA MARIANO

AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES

Read the full article ontornado-times.com

WORK: Senior Yervand Azatian pours SLM photo-developing liquid inAP Photography, one of the AP classes he juggles with multiple extracur-riculars. Such extracurriculars were part of Azatian’s winning resume inapplying for the Horatio Alger Scholarship.

Volume 81 No. 7 February 25, 2011Volume 82 No. 6 January 31, 2012 tornado-times.com

651 Glenwood Road, Glendale, CA 91202 | (818) 242-6801 ext. 11202

hoover high school est. 1929Abraar wrestles with new team 10

insi

de

6 Desiree coaches Keppel students 8

the timesReef works aims for Hollywood 6

torna do

F resh-manyear:

get to know what high school is

all about, get the feel of it.

Sophomore year: start taking

honors and Advanced Placement

(AP) classes, look into the PSAT

and so forth. Junior year: start freaking out

about colleges and taking all the

SAT classes available, along with

stacking up AP classes and doing

community service hours on

weekends.Senior year: apply to dream

colleges and “patiently” wait for

the acceptance (and/or rejection)

letters. When you start off high

school, everything is easy and you

think that getting accepted to your

dream college is just going to be a

walk in the park.By the time you reach junior

year, you start to realize things

have definitely changed. My first

few years of high school, I didn’t

even think of applying to a com-

munity college (CC) because I

figured I would never need to.

Unfortunately, people have this

mistaken impression that a CC is

for people who failed their classes

in high school.I admit, during my earlier

years in high school, I was one of

these ignorant individuals. It ap-

pears that working hard in high

school does not always lead to

getting into the best universities.

Now that I’m more realistic

aboutmy op-

tions, I realize

that community col-

lege is actually a better op-

tion in some cases.

For example, if you are a

weak test taker, your grades may

not reflect your intelligence, thus

leading you to a lower GPA than

others in your graduating class.

Unfortunately, since the

economy is so bad, many more

students are applying to colleges

in hopes of getting jobs after-

wards, meaning the competition

to actually get into that certain

school has escalated. Thankfully,

if you mess up in high school and

don’t get those perfect A’s your

mother always wanted, you al-

ways have a second chance at a

community college where you can

take the classes you’d like and ace

them the second time around.

Think of it as a safety net for all

the mistakes you made in high

school. How often do you get sec-

ond chances in life?

One of the biggest factors is

money. For example, according to

admissions.ucla.edu, if you were

to go to UCLA and dorm your

first year, you would pay $31,544

for the year. According to the Col-

lege Board, if you were to go to a

private university, say, Cornell

University in New York, you’d be

paying $41,541 per year.

Do the simple math: after

four years, you will owe the bank

more than $120,000. However, if

you were to go to the local com-

munity college, you’d be paying

roughly $1,135, living at home.

And who wants to start their life

out of college $120,000 in debt

anyway?If money is tight at home,

then clearly community college is

a better choice. If you spend

your first two to three years at a

community college and then

transfer to a highly impressive

school, you’ll be saving yourself

and your parents a lot of money

and be doing yourself a huge

favor.UCs and private universities

are not easy—especially not the

first two years when you’re set-

tling into college. Community

colleges are good for getting a

solid GPA and then going to a col-

lege of your choice, to take

classes on what you’re interested

in majoring in. Where is the good

in going to a school that’s well-

known for its science department,

if for the first two years you’re

struggling to pass your general

education classes?

Even if you go to Glendale

Community College, as long as

you work hard, you’re not going

to be stuck there forever. I’m

aware of how bad our economy

is, and because of that, you may

be there longer than the two years

planned. It’s true that the classes

fill up more quickly and you may

have to wait a bit, but if you do

well in your classes, you always

have the option to transfer to a

university afterwards.

If the “college experience” is

what you’re worried about miss-

ing out on, just remember that

college is what you make of it. In

fact, this is applicable to any situ-

ation, not just college. College

isn’t always what it looks like in

the movies, and if you really want

to have fun in college, you should

find a way to do so, even at a CC.

Take my advice and try not

to fret over colleges. Even if you

don’t get into your dream school,

don’t lose hope. A CC will always

be there to catch you if you fall,

and it’ll save you thousands of

dollars.

Tornado Times2

The decision to go to col-

lege is a big one. Yet the

real question is where?

Most students have an idea of

where they would like to get a

higher education. Some say

UCLA, others say Cal State

Long Beach. Wherever they

might choose to go, they must

first decide whether or not to go

directly to a four-year university

or to a community college first.

As a sophomore, I already

know exactly what I want to do

with my life, and none of my

plans include going to a commu-

nity college. It’s not that I have a

certain pedigree that prevents me

from doing so; it’s just that I

have dreamed of decorating my

dorm room and pulling all-

nighters in the library as long as

I can remember. Nothing would

make me happier than carrying

an armload of books and learn-

ing from distinguished profes-

sors. You could also do that in a

community college; of course, it

just wouldn’t be the same.

Besides running around

campus with a stack of books in

my arms, I just want to attend a

university at a different location

other than the Southern Califor-

nia area. What could be more

amazing than having the liberty

of moving to a new city, if not a

new state, and start over fresh?

Instead of being the same shy

girl that you once were in high

school, you could be outgoing

and opinionated.

Going to a community col-

lege is a big mistake. Yes, it is

understandable that during these

tough economic times, you and

your parents want to save some

money.

But can

your happiness

really be bought?

Don’t you wish to go to

Stanford and have huge pep ral-

lies and meet new people from

other parts of the world? I really

doubt that you are going to go to

another state for community col-

lege. At least no one in her right

mind would travel to New York

to attend LaGuardia Community

College since it would probably

cost more than going to UC

Berkeley.

There is also the problem of

time. Community college stu-

dents take longer to finish their

general education because “there

are more unqualified people

there,” according to Selin Kha-

chomian (’08), who is currently

a student at Glendale Commu-

nity College. “Because of this,

it’s harder to get classes, which

takes longer to finish.”

Another fact that’s rarely

mentioned is that some credits

are not transferable. In fact, the

classes will be filled with people

from broad age groups, with var-

ious ideas of qualified education.

What is the point of your hard

work if you cannot reward your-

self by going to a university and

enjoying the fact that you finally

achieved your dream?

According to nationalre-

view.com, federal, state, and

local governments spent nearly

“$4 billion on full-time commu-

nity college students who

dropped out after their first year”

from 2004-2009. This figure is

not surprising, considering that

most

students

attending these

community colleges

often feel discouraged to

continue with their studies at

an environment filled with peo-

ple from all sorts of educational

backgrounds. Some use the “not

being able to find a parking” line

as a reason to discontinue their

education.

We Americans are con-

stantly complaining about money

and how expensive everything is,

which leads to complaining

about the government and its so-

called “lack of skills” at manag-

ing money. Think again. Aren’t

we the ones wasting the nation’s

money? Applying for financial

aid yet dropping out just because

the times got tough? What kind

of hypocritical person does that?

No self-respecting person would

drop out, at least for no good

reason other than the classes are

too big. As hard as it is, you

must continue your education at

the community college of your

choice. After all, you’re the one

who chose to save money re-

member?

So please, next time you

have to make a decision regard-

ing your educational future, be

careful. You never know, you

might not end up getting that

Bachelor’s degree you always

dreamed you would.

university

comm

unity college

comm

unity college or university:choosing a path to the future

OPINION January 31, 2012

JEANNIE MAIANI HAKOBIAN

There’s nothing more en-

dearing than seeing our

fellow peers, who were

once indifferent towards poli-

tics, suddenly jump at the oppor-

tunity to swat down the two

pesky flies otherwise known as

the Stop Online Piracy Act

(SOPA) and the Protect IP Act

(PIPA). These two proposed

laws would have directly af-

fected the youth of our genera-

tion by making navigating the

Internet a wearying experience.

Essentially, anything could be

deemed as copyright infringe-

ment, resulting in a floor filled

with sharp shards of egg shells.

Even if that is the only rea-

son behind why Internet users

reacted violently, the force cre-

ated by massive waves of people

prevailed, and rightfully so. On

Jan. 18, when Wikipedia shut

down its English domain and

Google blacked out its logo, the

commotion was prevalent

throughout the Internet commu-

nity.

Over the span of three cli-

mactic days, it became blatantly

obvious how unpleased the on-

line community was. Each site

that staged a protest asked indi-

viduals to sign a petition against

the unsettling laws. Keep in

mind, this was only what came

from those who could not do

anything more direct to prevent

the passing of the bills.

Naturally, 7 million signa-

tures did not stop the federal

government from giving its last,

mocking jab. Following the on-

line protests, the FBI readily

shut down the file-sharing and

video-streaming websites

Megaupload and Megavideo, re-

spectively.

At this point, the more po-

tent attacks against the bills

were launched. Anonymous, an

activist group that was created,

as some would say, “by the peo-

ple, for the people,” allegedly

broke into, and shut off, several

of the government’s, as well as

the media’s, prized websites.

By Jan. 20, the day after

Anonymous performed its string

of hacks, SOPA and PIPA were

immediately dropped by Con-

gress, for the time being.

One cannot stand at the face

of what the recent protests have

accomplished and say that there

is no hope for humankind, even

if sometimes that becomes in-

creasingly debatable. As the

remnants of SOPA and PIPA are

being salvaged by its momentar-

ily discouraged supporters, there

is now more need than ever for

common residents to maintain a

healthy level of awareness. With

the activist attitudes that promi-

nent websites have, it must be

emphasized that, no matter how

influential they are, they would

be nothing without the support

and endorsement of their users.

Walking the tightrope that

separates illegal activity and

free speech is tricky, but SOPA

and PIPA would have taken the

entire ordeal much too far by

stripping the simple acts of shar-

ing art and culture of their very

purposes. No one can deny that

pirating a film is illegal, but

everyone can agree that per-

forming a cover of a song does

harm to no one, especially not to

the record producers who wade

knee-deep through piles of

money on a daily basis.

In the light of all that has

been done to capture the govern-

ment’s attention, and warn it of

the people’s capabilities, we are

not encouraging you to run out-

side head-first with flaming

torches, but please, do be aware

of, and participate in, this soci-

ety. No one can sleep peacefully

yet, since SOPA and PIPA are

simply lying dormant until they

return with more gusto.

The Tornado Times is a studentpublication that is distributed to allstudents and faculty, as well assubscribers. With a policy of print-ing anything that is of interest tothe student body, the TornadoTimes hopes to keep its readers in-formed of subjects pertaining tothe school, no matter what the sub-ject matter. Advertisements in theTornado Times do not necessarilyreflect an endorsement of suchproducts or services by the staff orstudents in the Glendale UnifiedSchool District. Printed by NewsPublisher Press, 215 Allen Ave.Glendale, CA 91201/ (818) 954-0775.

Herbert Hoover High School

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Editor-in-Chief

Daphne Ong

Layout Editor

Alex Karibyan

Copy Editor

Agnessa Kasumyan

News Editor

Se Yeon Kim

Opinion Editor

Michael Yapujian

Feature Editor

Arpineh Oganesyan

Entertainment Editor

Lili Mikaelyan

Sports Editor

Edward Nadurata

Photo/Design Editor

An Uong

Ad/Business Manager

Arpineh Oganesyan

Website Editor

Alex Karibyan

Brian Crosby

Editors

Staff Writers

Photo/Graphics Staff

Opinion

Angine ShahbazyanGabby Carreiro

Christine BabayanKimberly Anne Bondoc

Gabby CarreiroVictor Garcia

Agnes GholoonianAni Hakobyan

Paul HongNatalie HovanesianDaniel Hovanessian

Cristine KenadyAni Kirakosyan

Soo LeeSteven Lee

Samantha MarianoJeannie Mai

Ashley McClureSophie MirzaianAlejandra RosasMaritza Ruelas

Angine ShahbazyanJennifer Vasquez

January 31, 2012Tornado Times

3

Staff Editorials

Imagine somebody you

loved was brutally killed

after being tortured for

hours, days, maybe even weeks

and months. You know this for

a fact, but police refused to do

anything about it because it req-

uired too much work to deal

with all the investigation that

would take place, or because the

killer was a very powerful, very

influential individual that no-

body wanted to risk crossing.

For years, the Armenian

community has been fighting

for the recognition of the Arme-

nian Genocide that resulted in

the deaths of an estimated 1.5

million people under the order

of the Ottoman Empire. Though

the United States and several

other countries have declined to

officially accept that the massa-

cre ever took place, it seems that

years of loud and dedicated pro-

test have finally resulted in a

major leap toward the universal

acceptance of the genocide.

Last Monday, France ap-

proved a bill that criminalizes

the denial of any recognized ge-

nocide, including the Armenian

Genocide. If France’s president,

Nicolas Sarkozy, officially

makes the bill part of French

law, those who deny recognized

genocides will have to pay a

fine close to $58,000 or even

face up to a year in prison.

These measures may seem

drastic, but do not even begin to

equate to the millions of lives

lost to genocides all over the

world. What we like in particu-

lar about this bill is that it not

only bans the denial of the Ar-

menian Genocide, but of any

genocide that has taken place.

According to Scott Sayare

and Sebnem Arsu of the New

York Times, Turkey has pulled

its diplomats out of France, re-

fused military cooperation, and

suspended mutual agreements

between the two countries in

response—more like retalia-

tion—to the bill.

Still, French politicians per-

sisted and for that we have to

applaud them. They not only

risked very poor relations with

a very important Middle Eastern

ally, but will have to deal with

400,000 angry citizens that are

of Turkish descent.

One country accepting the

genocide may not seem like

much of a big deal, but after

working so hard to make the un-

just affair known worldwide, it

gives us hope that such brutal

acts will not be tolerated in the

future. Persistence is victory.

The websites strike back

French acceptArmenianGenocide

The Master G

abster

GABBY CARREIRO | TORNADO TIMES

Tornado Times4 January 31, 2012ADS

EntertainmentJanuary 31, 2012

Tornado Times5

The title of “The Orchid Thief” is fairly

self-explanatory. The title of “Adapta-

tion?” Not so much. If you know Char-

lie Kaufman, the man behind the script and

also the man who wrote himself into his own

film, you know his movies are thought-pro-

voking and mind-bending. “Adaptation” does

nothing less than revolutionize the way you

view film in a not-so-subtle way.

The movie focuses on Charlie Kaufman

(Nicolas Cage, who, by the way, gives a fan-

tastic and practically perfect performance) and

the struggles he faces while attempting to

adapt a book about orchid collector John

Laroche (Chris Cooper), which has no plot and

no particular conflict called “The Orchid

Thief” by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). His

twin brother, Donald (also Nicolas Cage), fol-

lows Charlie’s example and begins scriptwrit-

ing.

While Charlie is adapting “The Orchid

Thief,” Donald, with the guidance of the film

guru, ends up writing a ridiculous and nonsen-

sical mystery screenplay called “The Three”

about a cop, a serial killer, and a girl who are

all supposed to be the same person with a mul-

tiple personality disorder, which itself is mak-

ing a mockery of Hollywood and its

absurdity.

“Adaptation” ends as a movie about love,

drugs, betrayal and violence put together in the

most hilarious and intelligent way possible.

Keep in mind, however, that this film is a

comedy and a satire on Hollywood, and you’ll

be able to recognize the genius in it. Research

it a bit after you’ve finished watching, and

you’ll appreciate it even more. Kaufman

writes the perfect film by doing everything

you’re not supposed to do: putting in voice-

over to express the thoughts of the main char-

acter, writing himself into his own script, and

using deus ex machinas.

“Adaptation” has a tagline which per-

fectly summarizes the premise of the movie:

“His twin brother Donald lives the way he

writes- with foolish abandon. Susan writes

about life, but can’t live it. One story, four

lives, million ways it can end.”

Adaptation disorients

Game Review Music Review

When one usually thinks

of a boy band, the word

“talent” does not usu-

ally follow your train of thought.

The Wanted is here to prove many

of us wrong.

My first encounter with the

British musical group took place on

my trip to England in the summer

of 2010. Their first single, “All

Time Low” was playing on televi-

sion and radio every day and was

very popular among young girls all

over the United Kingdom.

Recently, their second album

“Battleground” was released, stay-

ing true to their original style de-

spite the band’s growing fame,

while simultaneously adding ele-

ments that make it special.

The band consists of five

members—Max George, Nathan

Sykes, Tom Parker, Jay McGui-

ness, and Siva Kaneswaran. In the

majority of the songs, they each

have a solo but sing together during

the choruses, giving their music a

unique feel.

One of my favorite singles,

“Glad You Came,” has been slowly

gaining the attention of Americans

with KIIS-FM which repeatedly

plays the upbeat, dance type song.

It starts off slowly with a piano

medley and gradually builds up to

the main rhythm. The song utilizes

an accordion, giving it a European

vibe and further adding on to the

unique element of the album.

The band has come as far as

making a 2012 TV debut on the

Ellen DeGeneres Show which has

enabled their first tour in the United

States. This is unbelievable consid-

ering the fact that about two

months ago when I searched “The

Wanted” online, I’d get results like

“America’s Most Wanted.” Now,

the first result has the link to the

“Glad You Came” music video.

Other than “Glad You Came,”

the single “Lightening” also caught

my attention. It is a very happy and

fun song that will make listeners

want to sing along to the sweet and

loving lyrics such as “pressing

pause on my heartbeat.” Its happy

and fast beat combined with the op-

timistic lyrics makes the perfect

“feel-good” song.

“Gold Forever” focuses more

on the band’s vocal talents. It was

used for a charity called “Comic

Relief” which made the single

more meaningful. The heartfelt

lyrics, “we were meant to fly” cre-

ates an inspirational mood that is

sure to get listeners hooked to the

song.

While most of the singles have

an outgoing feel, “Warzone” has

more of a relaxing and calm tone.

The song starts out with the band’s

signature amazing piano solo

played by Sykes. He then starts to

sing with his powerful and velvety

voice. The song speaks out to those

who have had problems with love

and, as the lyrics state, are “running

from a warzone.”

Overall, the album contains

songs of pop and dance that are ac-

companied with great vocals from

all the boys.

DANNY HOVANESSIAN

NATALIE HOVANESIAN

SOPHIE MIRZAIAN

Glad they came into our lives

ALEX KARIBYAN | TORNADO TIMESSource: Columbia Pictures

ZELDA: The latest installment in the Legend of Zelda franchise “Skyward Sword” manages to add new el-

ements to the game while staying true to tradition. It was released in November.

After 25 years of throwing bombs, breaking

pots, slinging arrows, pulling out the Master

Sword, and saving Princess Zelda, “Sky-

ward Sword” arrives to change the formula in the

Zelda franchise while still using some traditional el-

ements to create a wonderful mix of the old and

new.

Yes, you are still trying to save Princess Zelda,

there is still a focus on solving creative puzzles, and

there are still bombs and arrows at your disposal.

“Skyward Sword,” however, does try quite a

few new things to keep the series from feeling stale.

As usual, Link is the “chosen one” destined to save

the world, and, of course, Zelda (who is his child-

hood friend in this installment) is by his side. I ap-

preciate this game’s more cinematic presentation

with its scenes, but the story is lacking and

basic. From the very start, the plot seems familiar.

This kind of story would be acceptable a decade

ago, but in today’s generation where games try in-

corporating a great story along with great gameplay,

“Skyward Sword” falls short.

Fortunately, “Skyward Sword” excels in almost

everything else. It requires the use of the Wii Mo-

tion+, a peripheral that is designed to make move-

ments more accurate and precise, and while I think

Nintendo should have gotten it right the first time

with their original controller, it now significantly

improves the experience in the game.

In previous Zelda titles, combat was relatively

mindless—a few clicks of a button did the trick and

there was not much else to worry about. In “Sky-

ward Sword,” combat is much more interesting be-

cause of the Wii Motion+. Now, enemies guard the

attacks of players and actually require them to think

and use tricks (as they try calculating their next

move) so they can deal some damage.

“Skyward Sword” also satisfies when it comes

to its soundtrack. Previous Zelda games’ sound-

tracks all consisted of “beep boop boop beep,” using

computerized instruments and tunes instead of real

ones. This was unacceptable considering that games

started to incorporate orchestrated tracks back in

the late 1990’s. There are quite a few memorable

tunes, and the game benefits from it greatly. The

soundtrack adds much to the game’s charm, person-

ality and the experience as a whole.

Strangely, Nintendo still hasn’t added voice act-

ing. It feels a bit bizarre watching a scene with lips

moving to nothing but the occasional gibberish or

grunt coming out of their mouths. I could easily

imagine every character but our mute hero Link hav-

ing a voice, and I hope Nintendo does this for future

installments.

I do have gripes with the game, though, and un-

fortunately, they aren’t small. The biggest problem

is the sheer amount of fillers that make the already

poorly paced plot even worse. I haven’t even

scratched the surface on the fillers in this game, but

it’s absurd.

Despite its shortcomings, “Skyward Sword” is

a wonderful experience, which is surprising, consid-

ering the fact that I didn’t enjoy the past few install-

ments. Dust your Wii off, buy the Wii Motion+, and

buy this game—give it some time and look past its

faults and you will find yourself having a great time.

Source: Nintendo

Source: Island Records

“Skyward Sword” soars above expectations

Tornado Times6 January 31, 2012ENTERTAINMENT

Adios Mexico, hello Hollywood

At first sight he looks like your average

run-of-the-mill American teenager. He

has the “surfer-dude” physique com-

plete with a side-swept hairdo and Electric back-

pack, but when taking a closer look, there is

definitely more than meets the eye to Reef Old-

berg (’13).

Oldberg was born in Glendale but moved to

Pescadero, a small Mexican suburb, with his par-

ents when he was only a few months old. He at-

tended several different schools while there,

including a private school that specialized in ac-

counting. Oldberg, however, always dreamed of

attending an American high school.

He found himself at Hoover as a junior last

September and described his first couple of days

as a lot of “frantic running through the halls,”

but he also says that the school

“has turned out to be the amaz-

ing school [he] had hoped it

would be.”

At first, he struggled with

speaking English full-time while

at school, but was able to adjust

very quickly.

“I think it’s really cool that

he came from Mexico, but

jumped right into the thick of

things and got really involved,”

friend Artin Aroutounians (’13)

said.

One of the things Oldberg

likes most about the school is its

strong arts programs. In Mexico

most of the public schools do not offer large arts

programs because the majority of students want

to learn skills that allow them to go straight into

stable job fields such as accounting and agricul-

ture. Oldberg agrees that learning accounting

would be good for someone going into a busi-

ness area, but he thinks the majority of students

“miss out on unique experiences that can change

lives.”

Because there was a lack of art in Oldberg’s

old home, he found himself picking up several

instruments and learning to create his own

music. He now knows how to play the bass, gui-

tar, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica. Although

he has not played too many big gigs, he loves

playing music for his own enjoyment and for the

enjoyment of whoever happens to be willing to

listen.

As if his impressive knowledge of music in-

struments was not enough, Oldberg also has an

incredible interest and background in film. His

great grandfather, Frank Albertson, played Sam

Wainwright, the main character’s best friend in

the 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Both of

his great grandparents were close friends with

Hollywood legends Bob Hope and Lucille

Ball. His family’s background in film helped

him develop a strong love for film production

from a very young age.

When Oldberg discovered that there was a

film production class on campus he was more

than overjoyed. He immediately jumped head

first into the arts program.

Drama teacher Dave Huber said that he

feels Oldberg has the drive and passion to

achieve a lot. He also said that he admires that

Oldberg “wants to improve at what he loves”

and “is always asking questions.”

Oldberg not only joined the class, but cre-

ated a separate club that focuses on film discus-

sions and how film has changed

over time. He hopes it will give

students a place to discuss how

the cinema affects them and col-

lectively admire the geniuses of

the art.

Oldberg is taking Cine-

matography, one of his favorite

classes at school. He has also

participated in other drama club

events and is a huge supporter of

the program as a whole.

“I like to be productive and

participate in as much as I can,”

he said.

Oldberg has also excelled in

his classes and said that his AP Spanish Litera-

ture class is one of his most challenging. He en-

joys studying the language in a more proper

manner and going back to the basics. Spanish

teacher Martha Cooper feels Oldberg is an ex-

cellent student and has adjusted well, fitting right

in with his classmates.

Although Oldberg has found so many things

to love about the school, there are some down-

sides to living in Glendale. Oldberg had to move

away from his parents and his house on the

beach in Pescadero in order to come live with

his grandparents closer to the school.

“I am very proud that he has developed such

a passion for film and we are very excited to

have him here,” grandmother Sandra Daniels

said.

Oldberg says he also misses the amazing

Mexican food from his home town.

“I love the school and my experiences so

far,” Oldberg said. “I hope to continue learning,

but I am still in search of a good taco.”

OLDBERG: Reef Oldberg performs stand-up comedy at drama’s first open micnight. He, along with Artin Aroutounians, directs cast members for his short film“The Big Cheat: Part 2.”

ASHLEY MCCLURE

I think it’s reallycool that he camefrom Mexico, butjumped right intothe thick of thingsand got really in-volved.Artin Aroutounians (’13)

“

”

AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES

January 31, 2012Tornado Times

7ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment picks favorite albums of 2011

Genre: Indie rock, Shoegaze, Fuzz-folk

For lovers of: Youth Lagoon, Bon Iver

With every drum beat and guitar strum, this album tugs at your

soul. It is unique, strong, and interesting. There are songs that would

be perfect to listen to while lying in a field and looking at the stars.

Others force thoughts of reconciliation and forgiveness into your

head as you listen to the lyrics and reflect on your own life. The

beautiful thing about this album compared to other ones by The

Antlers is the lyrics allow for more retrospection and deep thought.

Whatever you think of while listening to the album, you can’t deny

its uniqueness in its musicality and the way it makes you feel.

1 The Antlers - Burst ApartGenre: Alternative, Indie pop

For lovers of: Sufjan Stevens, Girls, Bjork

Annie Clark is perfection—a bit weird, but it adds to her overall charm.

On Strange Mercy, each song has its own personality, but fits together

so well—their unifying element is that they are all very much “Clark,”

a girl who most people would marry if they had the chance because of

her beauty and unique talent. The music is very rich; there are synth

parts, heavily distorted guitars, and solid drum beats everywhere.

Whether you like fun, Sufjan Stevens-style electronic music, or more

atmospheric female vocals, this album will grab your attention.

2 St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

3Genre: Folk, Baroque pop

For lovers of: Grizzly Bear, Neutral Milk Hotel,

The Tallest Man on Earth

The loveliness in Helplessness Blues lies in its

beauty and sweetness. You can tell Fleet Foxes

still loves making music; their now more com-

plex songs are rife with emotions, harmonies (al-

though less than in previous albums) for

embellishment, and intricate guitar riffs, and, of

course, fans are glad they love making music be-

cause we love listening to it.

Fleet Foxes - HelplessnessBlues

Each one of these five albums is remarkable in their own right. What they all have in common is their natural, unrestrainedfeel and the skillfulness in their music which makes them worthy both of this list and your iPod.

4Genre: Soul, Pop

For lovers of: Florence + the Machine

If there is one girl who knows how to bounce

back after being hurt, it’s Adele. Her sophomore

album, 21, tracks her emotions as she copes

with her break-up with a guy who, according to

Adele, said her life without him would be “bor-

ing and lonely and rubbish.” Obviously, he

didn’t see this album coming. Starting from the

first track “Rolling in the Deep,” listeners sense

resentment and underlying irateness, but that

later transitions to songs about regrets, being

forgotten, strength, and acceptance. Besides,

who could forget about her incredible voice?

Adele - 21 5Genre: Dream pop, Shoegaze, Indie pop

For lovers of: Yuck, Ringo Deathstarr,

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s whispery

lyrics and generally upbeat melodies are reminis-

cent of an adolescent In the Aeroplane Over theSea. Granted, this album isn’t quite as sophisti-

cated or mature as Neutral Milk Hotel’s, but it

carries the same kind of charm, and the potential

to connect to you in a powerful way. Just like

Neutral Milk Hotel, if the album resonates with

you, it hits incredibly hard, and it’s the most won-

derful thing. Belong makes you feel as though

you truly belong in this world.

The Pains of Being Pure atHeart - Belong

SOPHIE MIRZAIAN

Source: Slumberland, Columbia, Sub Pop, Beggars Group, Frenchkiss Records

Pizza PieEatery

Garzona across schools

ALEJANDRA ROSAS

Tornado Times8 January 31, 2012

KIM

BERL

YAN

NEBO

NDOC

| TOR

NADO

TIM

ES

Feature

Many students join a

sport they are pas-

sionate about. How-

ever, not all make good use of

that interest by taking it to an-

other level where one helps

others achieve and express

their love for that same sport.

Meet Desiree Garzona (’13).

Garzona decided to join

the dance team her freshman

year because of her passion for

dance. However, unlike others,

she took her interest in dance to

the next level by helping to

coach Mark Keppel’s Drill

Team.

In the summer of 2010,

Mark Keppel and Toll Middle

School drill team coach

Cristine Neel contacted Gar-

zona and asked if she would

like to accept the job of coach-

ing the Keppel Elite Prep, a

non-competitive team. Without

hesitation, Garzona agreed.

“My favorite word to de-

scribe Desiree is passionate,”

Neel said. “When Desiree per-

forms, she puts her soul into

what she does.”

When Garzona first

started in 2010, she was coach-

ing the Elite Prep team every

Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30;

however, in 2011 she was

asked to coach Keppel ELITE,

a competitive team that per-

forms at many different venues

on Mondays and Fridays from

3:30 to 4:30 as well.

Keppel ELITE Prep con-

sists of 12 novice girls who are

taught the basic techniques of

body placement, pointing of

toes, and head looks in order to

move up to the ELITE team.

“I want the girls to believe

in themselves, and achieve

everything they want from

dance with the most important

thing—practice,” Desiree said.

By the time Garzona gets

out of school and arrives at

Toll’s gym, the girls are already

stretched, warmed up, and

ready to go. She has them prac-

tice a routine they have been

working on, and based on her

observations, helps them with

the things they need work on

such as counts, ripples, etc.

Garzona’s interest in

dance and her skills in leader-

ship developed early on in her

life when she became part of

the Mark Keppel Drill Team in

3rd grade up until 6th grade.

After promoting from Keppel,

she continued dancing on

Toll’s Drill Team throughout

middle school.

A love for dance and the

mentality of a leader gave Gar-

zona the position of captain

when she was on Keppel and

Toll drill.

Neel is very aware of Gar-

zona’s strong talent and knowl-

edge of the art, finding her to

be perfectly suitable to coach

Keppel’s drill team.

According to Neel, she

saw Garzona as perfectly ade-

quate to take on the job be-

cause of her “creativity and

flexibility” in taking directions

and her saint-like patience.

“I am thrilled and honored

to have her working with me,”

Neel said. “She shares my vi-

sion of where the team should

be and how to get the look that

we want for each routine.”

Garzona spends every

Monday, Wednesday, and Fri-

day afternoon with the girls of

ELITE prep and ELITE teach-

ing them the proper skills and

techniques of dance, routines,

and preparing them for per-

formances.

According to Garzona, she

spends a lot of her own time

preparing routines and creating

formations and visuals for the

team. Neel makes a copy of the

music that Garzona can take

home so she can then work on

it there.

Her sister Valerie Garzona

observes her spending time lis-

tening to the music on the com-

puter and figuring out how

many counts she has left to

choreograph along with draw-

ing and organizing formations

for the girls on a sheet of paper.

According to Valerie, De-

siree sometimes asks her to

perform certain moves that she

choreographed in order to get

the visual image of it and de-

cide whether to add anything.

“Although it’s a lot of

work, [Desiree] likes being

able to share that love of danc-

ing with girls that want to

learn,” Valerie said.

Simultaneously, Desiree

finds time to manage school

work, volunteering at the Glen-

dale Memorial hospital, and at-

tending her own dance

practices.

Although it is sometimes a

struggle to handle so many dif-

ferent activities at a time, Gar-

zona claims she is more than

happy to coach Keppel because

she wants to help these girls

become “stronger and more

confident” dancers.

According to Desiree, her

relationship with the girls is not

only that of a coach and stu-

dent, but also that of a friend.

Her closeness with the girls in-

creases everyday and has made

them more of a family.

“I tend to make jokes with

the girls all the time that make

us develop a friendship,” De-

siree said.

Desiree is firm with the

girls yet amicable to the point

where they are very comfort-

able around her and are never

afraid to ask her for help.

The girls, who are crazy

in love with Justin Bieber, al-

ways feel astonished when she

jokingly says that she is mar-

ried to the Biebs.

When working with the

ELITE team, she sets “the bar

high” with her choreography

and the girls work extremely

hard. According to Neel, De-

siree encourages the girls to

come up with their own ideas

and counts for the routines.

Knowing that they have a

say in the routine makes it feel

like their “own” and “encour-

ages them to give 120% effort

to make it look great.”

Desiree enjoys spending a

lot of her time practicing with

her own dance team, but she

definitely is fulfilled knowing

that helping coach Keppel’s

drill team is impacting girls’

lives and their passion for the

art of dance.

“I want to share my pas-

sion for dance with the girls

and help them take their pas-

sion somewhere higher,” Gar-

zona said.

dances

DANCING: Desiree Garzona (left) teaches Keppel Elementary students dance steps at the Toll Middle School gym. She spends every Monday,Wednesday, and Friday afternoon with the girls.

January 31, 2012Tornado Times

9FEATURE

We’ve all noticed a six-foot

tall, tough, and well-built

security guard patrolling

the campus and monitoring student

behavior as a typical security guard

would. However, not everyone has

noticed that the former security

guard supervisor Delvon Jackson is

now a teacher for the Public Safety

Academy (PSA), a 3-year educa-

tional program where students learn

about law enforcement.

For the last two years, Jackson

was working as a security supervi-

sor, but over the summer, he was

promoted to Lead Police Instructor

for PSA.

After Jackson sat down with

Principal Jennifer Earl and Assistant

Principal Hagop Eulmessekian giv-

ing them an overview of his experi-

ence in law enforcement, he was

asked whether he was interested in

becoming a teacher for PSA.

Jackson claims he was rather

hesitant whether to pursue the posi-

tion due to possibly lacking the re-

quirements the district needed such

as a teaching credential.

The entire process, which in-

cluded a variety of paperwork, inter-

views and setting up a lesson plan

for the class, took an entire two

months. After coping with such a

lengthy process, Jackson was left

discouraged and fatigued at times,

but it all paid off when Jackson was

given his clearance three days be-

fore the school year started.

“I never really thought teaching

was something I’d do in my life, but

now that I am a teacher, I am very

excited,” Jackson said.

Jackson claims that nerves and

anxiety began to kick in once he at-

tended his first teachers’ conference

of the year.

“There I was in a classroom full

of experienced wise teachers and

[there I was] a rookie old teacher

that barely knows how to spell his

name,” Jackson said.

As I took a walk around campus

with Jackson, he introduced me to

his life and the experiences that led

up to his interest in

law enforcement.

In 1997, he had

a criminal case of as-

sault and battery

against him. Not long

after, the case was

dismissed and no

charges were pressed

against him. Accord-

ing to Jackson, after

being on “the other

side of the fence,” he

started to take life

more seriously.

Jackson’s reve-

lation led him to at-

tend Texas State University for a

short period of time, but he later

transferred back to Cal State

Dominguez where he had initially

began majoring in political science,

but this time, as a criminal justice

major.

Not long after, Jackson joined

the force at Inglewood Police De-

partment in 2004 where he taught

Ethics and Weapons of Mass De-

struction until 2006.

Eulmessekian who interviewed

Jackson says that Jackson fit the po-

sition as an educator for PSA be-

cause he had the field experience as

an officer.

Since the class is being funded

and run through the Regional Occu-

pational Program of Los Angeles

County, it does not necessarily re-

quire someone to have teaching ex-

perience.

“We also noticed that he was

good with the students, giving them

advice and helping them,” Eul-

messekian said.

Now, as the new teacher of

PSA, he is glad he has the opportu-

nity to teach something he is pas-

sionate about.

“I teach them

the ‘Do’s and

Dont’s’ of becoming

a successful offi-

cer,” Jackson said.

He claims that he

tries to not just teach

a lesson, but to get

the students to learn

from real cases and

crime scenes

through videos.

Senior Sasoon

Amerian, a student

in the PSA class,

says that Jackson is

a teacher who really understands

[the students] and takes the time to

answer their questions. Amerian

claims that Jackson gives them “real

world and hands on teaching” which

helps them learn on a more realistic

level.

Not only does Jackson want to

educate them on law enforcement,

he wants to be able to reach out to

them on a deeper level for them to

become mature and responsible

human beings.

“My goal is to make sure [stu-

dents] obtain confidence, wisdom,

and knowledge to be productive and

successful citizens and potentially

become law enforcement officers,”

Jackson said.

I never reallythought teachingwas something I’ddo in my life, butnow that I am ateacher, I am veryexcited.

“

”Delvon Jackson

ALEJANDRA ROSAS

EDUCATOR: (top) Jackson talks to Fernando Olivares about thePublic Safety Academy (PSA). (above) He teaches his PSA class.Jackson was offered his current position as Lead Police Instructorfor PSA last summer.

ALEJANDRA ROSAS | TORNADO TIMES

Jackson goes from security to securing students’ futures

Tornado Times10 January 31, 2012

Sports

Moralizing in thewrong places

In Edward’s

EDWARD NADURATA

Defense

Inever really understood why it

was a big deal that Tiger

Woods cheated on his wife.

Last time I checked, we were

watching him on ESPN and not

Bravo.

Considering that it’s the new

year, I wonder who the tabloids

will have a fanfare over because of

an alleged affair, illegitimate chil-

dren, and other “scandalous”

things.

Kobe finalized a divorce ear-

lier this month, and everyone went

crazy over the poor man’s personal

life. Whether or not he had a

prenup or why they actually di-

vorced does not involve his ath-

letic career, the reason why he is

known.

The point is, sports figures are

famous because they excel at the

sport they do. They do not grab

our attention because they act

trashy on TV ala Kardashians nor

are their lives an episode of “Jer-

sey Shore.” I seriously just don’t

get what’s interesting about them.

This invasion of privacy that

stemmed from the entertainment

industry’s pursuit of “reality” tel-

evision, with its fantastical scripts

of break-ups and make-ups and

how a rich family spends its

money, has invaded the world of

sports evidently, with the estab-

lishment of such a show like “Bas-

ketball Wives.”

Or does this come from the

fact that some of us are jealous of

the fact that they excel at some-

thing and we don’t, or the fact that

they just live lives of luxury by

being paid to “play?”

Many of you might say that

these things matter because kids

look up to them, but I beg to differ.

Kids look up to these sports fig-

ures for their skill, not for their

sense of morality. Morals are in-

stilled in a kid with their parents’

direction, and if this sense of

morality in the kid is strong per

parent influence, then the fact that

a baseball player cheated on his

wife shouldn’t matter because the

kid would know it is wrong.

I’m pretty sure that more than

half of the people that these sports

are catered to, which are com-

prised of mostly males, can care

less if Pau Gasol has three girl-

friends. Arguably, I think some of

them will say “good game!”

(which I do not consent).

But the point is as long as a

player can perform his abilities on

the court, he shouldn’t be bothered

by a single speck of his personal

life.

Imagine moving from a little

town of around 9,000 people in

Colorado to a comparatively

bustling metropolis of 200,000 and

then becoming the captain of a

team that has never before existed

on campus.

In 2010, Abraar Khan (’12)

moved to Glendale from Delta,

Colorado and became the captain

of the newest and fastest growing

team on campus – wrestling.

Khan started his affair with

sports in eighth grade when he

started playing on the boys’ basket-

ball team as post and point guard.

“My self-esteem boosted big

time [while playing sports] so I

thought ‘why not try wrestling?’”

Khan said.

He began wrestling for the

Delta team that year, but did not

continue into his freshman year be-

cause he wanted to focus on

school. However, he continued in

cross country so he could stay con-

ditioned for track season.

This came as a great surprise

to his former wrestling coach Luis

Meza who still teaches at Delta

High.

“He was [one] heck of a kid,”

Meza said. “He was always one of

my favorites to have in class.”

When he came to school last

year, Khan was surprised that there

wasn’t a wrestling team so he cre-

ated the short-lived weightlifting

club. When he discovered that

coach and social science teacher

Mark Bitetti was planning to start

a wrestling team, he was one of the

first to sign up.

Khan’s typical day starts with

him getting up at five in the morn-

ing and beginning a light workout

at home that consists of mostly

weightlifting that targets different

body parts. He then spends even

more time after school in sports

such as wrestling and track.

“I come home exhausted after

whatever practice I happened to

finish that day,” Khan said. “I try

to do my homework until 11 p.m.,

but I sometimes just end up pass-

ing out at 9 p.m.”

Aside from being the captain

of the wrestling team, he is also in-

volved in other sports. Khan ran

cross-country both his freshman

and sophomore years, and has also

been in track since his freshman

year in which he participates in

field events such as discus and shot

put.

All in all, the biggest time

consumer for Khan is being

wrestling captain.

“It was a little overwhelming

at first.” Khan admitted, “I thought

I wasn’t right for the position.”

Khan had to consider balanc-

ing the responsibility of being cap-

tain with his classes, but with a lot

of coaxing from Bitetti, he decided

to accept the position.

“He is very mature,” Bitetti

said. “Abraar is a great leader; I

think he’s a wonderful influence on

the [other] kids.”

Whenever he is in front of the

team he says he feels as if he has to

push himself to do his best because

if he doesn’t he “wouldn’t be able

to define what the limit would

mean for the rest of the team.”

Khan said that he feels person-

ally responsible for the future of

the team because he wants the

wrestling program to become more

than just a sports team, and wants

his teammates to not only be great

athletes and students, but to be

good citizens as well.

He also tries his hardest to be

a role model for the players by ex-

celling in class and by doing his

best on the mat so he pushes his

team to be the best they can.

“I have to always set the ex-

ample,” Khan said. “I have to con-

trol my composure in times of

stress so the team knows what sort

of behavior is expected.”

Khan's parents Mustafa

“Mark” Khan and Nadira Begum

have been very supportive of their

son’s interest in sports. Khan is the

only person in his family that was

ever allowed to play in a contact

sport because his parents trust his

judgment that he will not be hurt

during practices or spars.

“When I come home with a

mat burn on my face, busted lip or

even a bruise my mom always gets

very scared.” Khan said. “She

trusts that I will be able to take care

of myself.”

However, Khan has had his

share of injuries, one of them being

that he tore his rotator cuff, a group

of muscles that are located in the

shoulder. It still hurts him when he

uses it too much. Nevertheless, he

is glad to have been spared the in-

juries his seen others get such as

broken noses, dislocated shoulders,

blackouts and worse.

Mark says that he is proud that

his son turned out to be so athletic.

“It’s good that he does all

those sports,” he said. “I encourage

him because he is so self-conscious

and sports help him get his mind

off of it.”

The team is proud that they

can call someone like Khan as their

captain. They are even more grate-

ful to have someone like him on

the team guiding them.

“He encourages us and shows

us that some can be an athlete and

still get good grades,” Roman

Acosta (’14) said.

VICTOR GARCIA

ABRAAR WRESTLES WRANGLERS

CAPTAIN ABRAAR: (top) Khan wrestles asssistant coach DaveBeard. (above) He leads the team’s stretches before practice. Being theonly person with prior wrestling experience, the team considers him theirleader.

AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES

January 31, 2012Tornado Times

ADS 11

12 January 31, 2012Tornado Times

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