2012 march issue
DESCRIPTION
This is the March issue of the Tornado Times for the 2011-2012 school year. Published March 28, 2012.TRANSCRIPT
The moment Eileen Smulsonset sight on the five-month-old terrier-poodle mix with
beige fur and timid eyes, she felt ab-solutely nothing.
Smulson had never been an an-imal lover, so when her husbandBrad proposed adopting the rescuedpuppy Ginger from the PorterRanch Pet Co., she was apprehen-sive at first.
Neither knew that she wouldfall in love with the canine, and thatthe 11-pound ball of fluff would be-come the inspiration for a state-wide project.
The non-profit organizationcalled Operation Blankets of Love(OBL) now distributes blankets,towels and other comfort items toover 2,000 homeless pets eachmonth.
This month the school’s Ran-dom Acts of Kindness (RAK)started a semester-long collabora-tion with OBL to collect donated
items from Toll and Hoover forhomeless animals.
RAK was informed of the or-ganization by 12th Grade counselorRena Sharch, who heard about theproject from a friend of hers whowas collecting items.
The club will be collectingitems such as blankets or com-forters, bath sized towels, pet beds,toys, crates, and dog igloos and pettreats.
After being inactive for fouryears, RAK was restarted in 2008by senior co-presidents An Uongand Lucine Oganesian and seniorvice president Fiona Babakhanians.
“There are a lot of homelessanimals that don’t even have thesimplest of comforts,” Oganesiansaid. “Our primary goal is to collectas much as possible throughout thesemester to change that in any waythat we can.”
Random Acts of Kind-ness collect comfortitems for shelter pets
CHRISTINE BABAYAN
COLLECTION: Spencer Scott donates toys into the collection bin forRandom Acts of Kindness’s drive for comfort items for homeless pets. Thedrive, which started this month, is a collaboration with Operation Blanketsof Love, an organization that distributes the items to local shelters.
District considers removing librariansfrom libraries
The California State Uni-versities (CSU) system an-nounced plans to decrease
enrollment to brace $750 millionworth of state funding cuts duringthe 2011-2012 fiscal year if statevoters do not approve Gov. JerryBrown’s proposed tax incentiveon the November ballot. An addi-tional $200 million might be cutfrom the system.
Depending on the funding,the CSU will freeze spring enroll-ment while some campuses maywait-list all students in the fol-lowing fall semester.
This fall, CSU campuses
will not make early admissionsand will notify applicants thattheir acceptance relies on the taxincentive. If the proposal does notpass, the fall 2013 semester willresult in turning away about20,000-25,000 applicants.
Cal States Channel Islands,Chico, East Bay, Fullerton, LosAngeles, San Bernardino, SanFrancisc and Sonoma will stillenroll several hundreds of com-munity college transfers duringthe spring 2013 semester.
CSU Los Angeles juniorGabby Monzon believes this de-cision violates constitutional
rights and the 14th Amendment’sequal protection clause, “takingaway the equal opportunity ofthose who cannot afford expen-sive private colleges.”
However, MicheleSiqueiros, the executive directorof the nonprofit Campaign forCollege Opportunity, states“while many of us would arguethat there should be a fundamen-tal right to higher education,” thestate has always taken into con-sideration the amount of “access”all students have to education.
Siqueiros encourages parentsand students to demand the gov-
ernor and Legislature to “stopchanging the rules in the middleof the game for students and keepthe promise of access to all eligi-ble students.”
According to Board of Edu-cation Vice President ChristineWalters, “this is just another ex-ample of how our schools in Cal-ifornia are grosslyunder-funded.”
Walters urges high schoolseniors and college students toget involved with state and localpolitics since they are old enoughto vote and therefore “influencethe public policy.”
Read the full article on tornado-times.com
CSU plans to freeze enrollment to brace for budget cutsSAMANTHA MARIANO
CHRISTINE BABAYAN
Tomorrow’s MinimumDay Schedule
8:03-8:39
8:45-9:23
7:09-7:57
9:29-10:05
10:05-10:2010:26-11:02
11:08-11:4411:50-12:2612:32-1:08
Per. 0Per. 1
Per. 2
Per. 4
Per. 3Snack
Per. 5Per. 6Per. 7
District officials are consid-ering a plan to remove allhigh school librarians
from libraries and replacing themwith lower-paid, lower-skilledclerks as a way to save money.The librarians would be placedinto classrooms since they haveteaching credentials. The move isexpected to save the district$50,000.
The proposal would also ex-tend the library hours to 7 a.m. to4 p.m. and possibly incorporatemore technology for student use.
Because the plan will not befinalized until May, details havenot been ironed out.
If the proposal is enacted, thelibraries would then in turn be su-pervised by a support staff mem-ber instead of a credentialedlibrarian.
On March 12, a letter of no-tification was delivered to theschools’ librarians informing themof a possible “reassignment.”
“We’re in changing times,”Assistant Superintendent Samuel-son said. “A majority of the booksin the library are not beingchecked out, so we’d rather createa quiet place where students canuse technology to their advan-tage.”
The letters notified the librar-
ians that the “great uncertainty” inthe state’s general funding isthreatening their positions as li-brarians and, as a result, the dis-trict may position them todifferent district campuses start-ing July 1.
Glendale Teachers Associa-tion President Tammy Carlsonand librarian Lisa Parrish spokeout against the proposal at aBoard of Education meeting lastweek.
“Working in the library helpskids gain research, critical think-ing, and citing skills,” Parrishsaid. “Isn’t that what they must at-tain to be lifelong learners?”
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
COLLECTION: Librarian Lisa Parrish assists Rachel Samoya find a book. In a proposal that would save thedistrict $50,000, school libarians would be replaced with support staff and relocated to local campuses.
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
Volume 81 No. 7 February 25, 2011Volume 82 No. 8 March 28, 2012 tornado-times.com
651 Glenwood Road, Glendale, CA 91202 | (818) 242-6801 ext. 11202
hoover high school est. 1929Tennis season stirs up a racket 10
insi
de
6 Shaelan acts up 8Passion for fashion on campus 7
timesthetornado
Tornado Times2 March 28, 2012NEWS
The third annual Block pARTy will be held on
Glenwood Rd. on Saturday. Organizations like
the Visual and Performing Arts, La Voz Latina,
Random Acts of Kindness, marching band, and choir
will be setting up food and activity booths during the
event. Unlike last year, the Keppel Elementary School
will no longer be holding the silent auction. Instead,
the Toll Middle School parking lot will be filled with
carnival games such as a cake walk, a dunk tank, bal-
loon darts, and a video arcade.
The annual talent show will be open for students
to attend on April 5 in the school auditorium.
ASB members will be selling tickets for $3 pre-
sale and $5 at the door. Hosting the event will be sen-
iors Wenona Carlos, Tatum Santos, Michael Yapujian,
and Mary Arakelyan. There will be around 30 perform-
ances consisting of dancing, singing, instrumentals,
and a fashion show run by RJ Salazar (’12).
According to a Grad Nation report, despite the
nation’s increased overall high school gradua-
tion rate, one in four students still drop out.
Along with nine other states, California has had a de-
cline in graduation rates from 2002-2009.
CHRISTINE BABAYAN | TORNADO TIMES
CARNIVAL: Sarah Shin paints Joshua Lee’s face during theschool’s first Carnival on March 9. See more photos online attornado-times.com.
Reportingbriefly
Ec
Latin and AP European His-
tory teacher Donald Ashman
will be taking 12 students
and three chaperones on a nine day
trip to London, Paris, and Rome dur-
ing spring break. Unlike previous
French and Spanish Club trips, this
trip will focus on how Latin influ-
enced these three cultures.
This trip is offered mainly to AP
European History and Latin Club
students, but is open to anyone who
can come up with the $3,000 ex-
penses; two students are actually
from private schools.
Ashman believes seeing the
“treasure of the three great capitals
of Europe” will induct students as
“citizens of the world.”
Assisting Ashman in supervi-
sion of the students are Assistant
Principal Caroline Sweeney and par-
ents Kathryn Johnson and Ingrid
Castro.
Participants will take a plane
from Los Angeles International Air-
port and travel to John F. Kennedy
International Airport in New York.
From there, they will fly to London
Heathrow Airport, where the group
will begin their “grand tour” and get
the chance to visit Buckingham
Palace, House of Parliament, and the
London Eye.
They then will commute from
London to Paris via the Eurostar
train which goes under the English
Channel.
In Paris, they will visit the Eif-
fel Tower, the Palace of Versailles,
and Notre Dame Cathedral.
The journey continues as they
plan to take an overnight sleeper
train from Paris to Rome where Ash-
man is prepared to “walk their feet
off” as they tour Vatican City, the
Sistine Chapel, and the world-fa-
mous Coliseum.
However, the one thing in par-
ticular that Ashman is most looking
forward to in Rome: the gelato.
Melani Facundo (’12), who has
been preparing for this trip since De-
cember, hopes it will be “life-chang-
ing to experience cultures that are
half-way across the world.” She has
been saving up to pay for the ex-
penses and is especially looking for-
ward to visiting Paris “because it
seems like such a romantic city.”
“They’ll no longer be kids from
Glendale,” Ashman said. “They’ll
be world travelers.”
Latin Club and AP European classes prepare forspring break trip to EuropeCHRISTINE BABAYAN
2. Paris
DESTINATION360.COM
3. Rome
THEODORA.COM
1. London
MONUMENTS.WS
GLOBETROOPER.COM
Rick SantorumDelegate count: 261
Ron PaulDelegate count: 71
Mitt RomneyDelegate count: 568
Newt GingrichDelegate count: 137
Election Coverage 2012
DELEGATE COUNT AS OF PRESS TIME, REPORTED BY CNN
SAMANTHA MARIANO
KIMBERLY ANNE BONDOC | TORNADO TIMES
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 Tornado
Times�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 Ameri-can/Foothill Publishing Co., Inc.,10009 Commerce Ave., Tujunga,California 91042/ (818) 352-7878
Herbert Hoover High School
To r n a d oT i m e s
651 Glenwood Road651 Glenwood Road
Glendale, CA 91202Glendale, CA 91202
P: (818) 242-6801 P: (818) 242-6801
Ext. 11202Ext. 11202
F: (818) 246-7238F: (818) 246-7238
tornado-times.comtornado-times.com
Adviser
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
Soo LeeKimberly Anne Bondoc
Christine BabayanKimberly Anne Bondoc
Josh BriggsVictor Garcia
Agnes GholoonianAni Hakobyan
Paul HongNatalie HovanesianDaniel Hovanessian
Cristine KenadyAni Kirakosyan
Soo LeeSteven Lee
Samantha MarianoJeannie Mai
Ashley McClureSophie MirzaianAlejandra RosasJennifer Vasquez
March 28, 2012Tornado Times
3
Staff EditorialsTake it easyon Mr. S
Libraries are as old and ancient as
many civilizations, the world's
first dating back to 2600 BC.
Similarly, librarians can be traced all the
way back to ancient Sumer, where they
were specifically trained to keep records
and were referred to as “Masters of the
Books” or “Keepers of the Tablets.”
Every library has a librarian, the
two just come hand in hand. Nowadays,
librarians, like the ones in ancient
Sumer, are trained for their jobs. Not
only do they have teaching credentials,
but a credential
called the Teacher
Librarian Service
Credential, which
prepares individuals
in coordinating li-
braries in compli-
ance with district
guidelines and su-
pervising library
programs.
So why, after
having required li-
brarians to get cre-
dentials in order to
be fully prepared, is
the district contem-
plating replacing
them with regular
desk clerks?
The answer is
simple: lack of green paper.
The Glendale News Press states that
though the decision is not final, the dis-
trict is trying to organize a new design
for school libraries, in which "low-level
support staff" administers the facilities
while being managed by an assistant
principal. In turn, the current librarians
at Hoover, Crescenta Valley, Glendale
and Clark Magnet High Schools will be
transferred to classrooms.
Although the proposed change will
ease the strain on the district's evanes-
cent budget and allow school libraries
to be open for longer hours after school,
is replacing librarians with desk clerks
really the best solution to keeping li-
braries open?
It may seem like all librarians do is
check in and check out books while col-
lecting fines, but it goes beyond pink
collar, or bookkeeping, work. Lisa Par-
rish reads over many books to decide
which are worth keeping and which she
needs to toss out to
make room for more
reading material. De-
spite meager funding,
she does her best to run
the library, constantly
applying for grants
from various sources
and writing up reports
about the library's
functioning and finan-
cial concerns.
Wouldn’t you
rather have somebody
at the library who
knows how to work
the computers, has ex-
perience dealing with
the government and
private sectors for
funding, and can guide
you in the right direction when it comes
to conducting research?
Libraries shouldn't be put on the
back burner when it comes to funding.
If librarians need special credentials in
order to do their job, there must be a
reason. The more a person knows about
the job and is trained in it, the more he
can help.
We get rid of librarians now, what's
next? Libraries?
Checking out the librarians
There are always those special people
who can brighten your day up with
a smile or their courteous hellos and
goodbyes, leaving you to wonder why there
couldn’t be more people like them in the
world.
At our school, that one person can al-
ways be seen in a suit jacket with elbow
pads intact, rushing about the halls for no
apparent reason, always stopping to say
hello and wishing you a great day or a great
weekend before rushing off again.
George Stasuc, popularly known as
Mr. S, is probably one of the most loved
substitutes ever. All students light up at the
mention of the quirky man with the Eastern
European accent and friendly disposition.
His courteous and loved reputation
along with his mysterious name is almost a
living legend at the school, so when one be-
haviorally problematic and attention-seek-
ing student claimed that Mr. S pushed him,
was it really fair for him to be put on pro-
bation while the administration pursued the
case? The administration managed to in-
vestigate within three days; however, the
district sat on the case for about two weeks
before Mr. S was reinstated.
Students and teachers alike were out-
raged at the possibility of his dismissal,
both bodies starting petitions in order to
fight for this beloved man. We’ve already
seen a few long-term teachers who’ve been
fired over the past few years, and none
caused so much controversy and anger as
the mere possibility that Mr. S might be
taken from the school and his proud stu-
dents.
According to two eyewitnesses, about
ten students from a freshman English class
were stirring trouble and refusing to coop-
erate as Mr. S told them to settle down.
The two eyewitnesses say that though
Mr. S pushed a table over, the students
were not in their seats and nobody had been
physically touched. The student then
pushed the table over again and Mr. S.
called security to escort seven to 10 of the
hooligans downstairs.
In all of our years at high school, we’ve
had Mr. S as a sub too many times to keep
track. In order for him to resort to calling
security, a student must have been way out
of line. Most of the time, even those stu-
dents who talk too much, goof around and
are usually troublesome still like and re-
spect Mr. S enough not give him a hard
time.
Student and teacher petitioners all
banded together to vouch for Mr. S’s char-
acter on the very first day that they heard
of the ordeal, determined to let school and
district officials know that they would not
let Mr. S lose his job without a fight.
It took one student, senior Dahn Kim,
to unite all students and gather support for
Mr. S in large numbers, with a letter.
If you want to make a difference in just
one person’s life, make sure your voice is
heard. Even though one source claims the
petitions really didn't make much of a dif-
ference, it's nice to know that students are
still willing to put in an effort for some-
thing they feel strongly about.
“First Class”-National ScholasticPress Association
If a woman kills a man as she is about
to be raped, one can say it’s justifi-
able murder. If someone kills a bur-
glar that has a gun pointed to a child’s
head, one can say that it’s also justified.
But what about a 17-year-old who is
shot to death by the neighborhood watch
captain, who’s walking from the drug-
store to visit his father’s fiancé in a gated
community?
There has been a lot of controversy
surrounding the murder of Trayvon Mar-
tin, the Florida teenager killed by George
Zimmerman.
The issue over his unexpected and
seemingly unjust death has been esca-
lated because Martin was black and
wearing a hoodie, which many people
say led Zimmerman to racially profile
Martin as a hoodlum.
Zimmerman has not been charged
with Martin’s death, due to Florida’s
“Stand Your Ground” law which stipu-
lates that if a person feels threatened, he
can take action against someone before
any harm is done.
But this isn’t the Wild West. States
should not have a law that easily gives
criminals an excuse to kill.
Florida’s Department of Law En-
forcement says that since the law was
first passed in 2005, the state has seen an
increase in the number of “justifiable
homicides,” many of which were unnec-
essary killings.
Clearly, something is wrong with the
law.
The details over Martin’s death are
hazy, with some witnesses claiming that
Zimmerman did nothing to help after he
fired the shot while others claim he made
the 911 call.
Also, Zimmerman claimed Martin
knocked him down and tried taking his
gun, and that he shot Martin in self-de-
fense.
Whatever the truth is, Zimmerman
was too quick to act and a boy lost his
life before he could defend himself from
any accusations.
Standing ground for Trayvon
It may seem likeall librarians dois check in andcheck out bookswhile collectingfines, but it goesbeyond pink col-lar, or book-keeping, work.
Tornado Times4 March 28, 2012OPINION
Whether you have received
a letter of admission, re-
jection, wait-listed sta-
tus, or have read tweets, blogs, or
Facebook statuses about someone
else’s endeavors, you have in some
way been remotely affected by the
wackiness of the recent college de-
cisions over the past few weeks.
I will start off by saying that we
have all attended school for at least
12 years. From the moment we step
into kindergarten, we are taught that
elementary school comes next, then
middle school, then high school,
then college. And this is where it
starts, this mentality that in order to
be successful people, college is a re-
quirement.
I’m not disapproving of this
claim in any way, just pointing out
that maybe we should think about
why we feel this way. In today’s so-
ciety, it is true that going to college
is the most effective way to prepare
for a bright future.
And, having this thought in
mind, we begin to imagine the per-
fect campus, the perfect dorm, the
perfect classmates, the perfect
building structure, the perfect crack
on the perfect bench under the per-
fect tree. And when senior year
comes around, we ardently fill out
the applications for every college
we can, from Cal State Fullerton to
UCLA to Harvard. And for the next
few months, we sit down, waiting to
hear their decisions.
It’s interesting. The reason why
we get so excited about being ad-
mitted and so heartbroken over
being rejected isn’t because we re-
ally wanted to take Psychology 101
at Berkeley, but because these col-
leges are accepting or rejecting us
as people. They review every detail
of our lives, our grades, our aspira-
tions, our activities, our personali-
ties, thinking that they have the
audacity to say that we are or we are
not good enough for them. They are
much like that one friend who
makes you feel incredible by com-
plimenting you, and like complete
and utter waste when saying some-
thing rude to you.
Now, having said this…who
cares? Are we not taught from birth
that it doesn’t matter what anyone
thinks of us? Why should college be
any different? Are we any less
smart, dedicated, passionate, gre-
garious, or wonderful just because a
college rejected us? Are we any less
of who we were before simply be-
cause we got rejected by a group of
people sitting in an office, review-
ing our grades and reading our per-
sonal statements?
The way you answer these
questions shapes the way you view
yourself. And if I were you, I would
take a good look in the mirror and
tell yourself how wonderful you
are, irrelevant of whether or not you
got into the “perfect” college.
MICHAEL YAPUJIAN
Playing the collegegame
Sticks & Stones
educatesCOMEDYP
OLITICAL
AN UONG
ALEX KARIBYAN | TORNADO TIMES
When walking through
the exhibition hall
that is mass media, on
the right, there are scandalous
photos of various celebrities on
the downhill ride to the loss of
their dignity.
To the left, there appears to
be piles of adorable, fuzzy ani-
mals ready to be gawked at for
hours. A bit further down is the
nonsensical chatter of faceless
online strangers.
A cobwebbed corner is
specifically reserved for legiti-
mate news, something many of
America’s youth miss when wan-
dering through a space saturated
with popular culture.
One cannot miss, however, a
growing stage dedicated to polit-
ical comedy shows, namely Jon
Stewart’s “The Daily Show” and
Stephen Colbert’s “The Colbert
Report,” which are both hosted
on Comedy Central.
Stewart and Colbert ingen-
iously satirize political happen-
ings, usually with a searing
hilarity that offends the more
conservative population of view-
ers. After all, for as many people
as there are who sincerely enjoy
their political witticisms, there
are just as many who wince at
the borderline-crudeness with
which they highlight the faults of
society.
Government teacher Cather-
ine Duggan supports “The Daily
Show” and “The Colbert Re-
port,” noting that the hosts are
comics first, political pundits
second. Duggan is known to
share with her Government class
notable clips from the shows to
help the students understand cer-
tain political concepts. Unfortu-
nately, there is strong opposition
against using clips from these
shows in classrooms.
Several months ago in Eu-
reka, Illinois, high school teacher
Rhett Felix was suspended for
showing segments of “The Daily
Show” and “The Colbert Report”
to his Government class. He was
fired based on claims that he was
exposing students to material in-
volving obscene and sexual ref-
erences to Herman Cain’s affairs.
In that case, perhaps Government
teachers, whose roles involve
helping students stay updated,
should not assist students with
that endeavor at all. The parents’
reactions are no surprise, given
that the allegations came from a
highly conservative town.
There is nothing objection-
able with using these sources as
a minor supplement to the cur-
riculum. All of the scandal-affil-
iated information that Colbert
and Stewart pick at are often al-
ready plastered across broadcast
channels, newspapers, and web-
sites. Besides, one could easily
read about Bill Clinton’s sexual
harassment charges and extra-
marital relations in our own
American Anthem textbook. If
others are worried about the bias
in the shows, they must remem-
ber that comedy is only as seri-
ous as one makes it out to be.
“It doesn’t matter whether
they are liberal or not,” Duggan
said, “[They] stay on top of is-
sues and talk about [topics] kids
would be interested in, with a
cool sense of irony.”
The convenient part about
this characteristic is that the po-
litical information they present
piques the interest of viewers,
leading the audience to develop
a desire for awareness. Even
though most of the jokes are
purely funny due to their clever
delivery, to understand the depth
of the commentary requires
knowledge of current events.
The greatest benefit of polit-
ical comedy shows would be that
“they make politics fun” Richard
Campbell (’13) said. Teenagers,
who are fixated on school-affili-
ated duties, need for the material
to be delivered cleverly, in an un-
derstandable manner.
When criticizing Political
Action Committees (PACs),
groups that raise money for the
campaign that they support, Col-
bert and Stewart collaborated to
emphasize the plentiful amount
of loopholes that leave a big gap-
ing hole for politicians to cheat
through.
The hilarious skit involved a
fantastical ritual in which the duo
held hands to transfer leadership
of Colbert’s “PAC” over to Stew-
art. Throughout the process, they
kept mentioning that it would not
be affiliated with Colbert, and
that the unlimited amount of
money donated would be used
without bias. Of course, anyone
who can register satire would un-
derstand that they were making it
very clear how affiliated and bi-
ased PACs really are.
As insulting as some might
find these late-night shows to be,
they have drawn attention to po-
litical events that would other-
wise be looked over by apathetic
Americans.
With so much humor in-
jected into these shows, many
fear the trivialization of politics.
Every faulty step, even if minute,
is highlighted mercilessly, such
as Herman Cain’s infamous
“third-person” diction used when
he defended himself against sex-
ual assault claims. It was mocked
by Colbert, and in all honesty, I
laughed quite heartily at it.
These shows are outspoken
about the flaws in our govern-
ment, which makes many indi-
viduals fear negative
repercussions. If one were being
fed jokes about conservatives
and the failures of our system,
the logical assumption would be
that the person would then de-
velop a very biased perspective.
With extremely leftist com-
mentary, given the rather inter-
esting set of Republican
candidates, and the immense
power that these two men alone
wield, it makes sense as to why
some would feel threatened by
their influence. Perhaps there
would be a better balance if there
were sincerely humorous right-
wing comics, but as Duggan
points out, “there aren’t any.”
Even though people have a
tendency to be swayed one way
or the other, it still remains an in-
dividual’s responsibility to de-
velop his or her own views,
without letting these shows dic-
tate their political beliefs.
They are the shameless
comedic voices of our cynical
society, and that is why so many
of us continually go to them for
both updates and entertainment.
March 28, 2012 5Tornado Times
March 28, 20126
FeatureTornado Times
SPRING BREAK ’12
The school bell rings on April 6 and you rush out of school only to find you have no plans for awhole week. For some, this may be a relief, but for those of you looking for a good time, evenon a tight budget, here are a few suggestions.
Putting a spring in your break
Take advantage of the wonderful beaches locatedas close as 30 minutes away. Grab some friendsand plan a beach party. Bring a volleyball and
some snacks and you can enjoy the whole day at thebeach. When the sun goes down, you can cook hotdogs and make smores while you tell ghost stories.
Check out other beach ideas online at tornado-times.com.
Beach Party/Bonfire
Spring cleaning takes on a whole newmeaning when you get to swap withyour friends. Plan a day when you can
get together and exchange your old moviesand clothes with your friends. If there is excessstuff that no one wants, donate it to a localcharity—it’s a wonderful way to give back.
Yard SwapS
pend your week checking things offyour bucket list. This list can have any-thing you want on it, so be creative.
For example:Go for a hike to the top of a nearby moun-tain.Take a funny picture with 5 random peopleat the mall.Be in two places at once.
To see more ideas, visit the bucket list at tor-nado-times.com.
The Bucket list
Pool Parties
Plan a themed pool party and makeit a potluck. This is a cool way tospend some quality time with
friends. You can also play pool games likeMarco Polo.For themes, more games, and instruc-tions, visit online at tornado-times.com.
If you or one of your friends can drive,grab your car and hit the road. Plan yourstops ahead of time and try to stay with
family and friends along the way. For amaz-ing memories, challenge yourself to takepictures every time you stop at certainlandmarks.
Road Trip
Similar to the pool party, have everyonecome over and bring something to eat.Think of things you would eat at the
movie theatre like popcorn or candy or evenmake Icees. Pick a movie or two (for a doublefeature) and you can even go old-time andstart the night with an old cartoon.Check out our movie suggestions online attornado-times.com.
Movie Nights
Theme parks can be a little more expen-sive than the other activities, but if youcan get a bunch of friends to go with
you, it will be worth it. Disneyland, UniversalStudios, and Six Flags are all less than 40 min-utes away and can provide a day full of funand memories.
Theme Parks
ASHLEY MCCLURE
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
Page 6_Layout 1 3/27/2012 1:42 PM Page 1
March 28, 2012Tornado Times
7Fashion
Blowing things
MARYAM SOORMAinto proportion
It’s Christmas Eve, you’re
hyped up on sugar, anxiously
waiting to rip open your pres-
ents and wondering if Santa got
you what you wanted. You’re ex-
cited, but just a tad bit anxious,
hoping you’ll like the surprise.
For girls, shopping brings
about the same type of anticipa-
tion. We’re always eager and ex-
cited at the idea of buying pretty
clothes, stylish accessories, and
fashionable shoes. However, when
it comes time to try on clothes, the
excitement is replaced with dread.
It’s time to acknowledge the fact
that you may not fit into some of
the clothes you want to buy, and
no matter how perfect, stores
won’t hold a suitable size.
Fishing through the racks,
you finally find the right pair of
jeans and grab two of the same,
one that’s your actual size and an-
other that is a size smaller, secretly
hoping that you will fit the smaller
size.
Fitting into clothes has al-
ways been a source of anxiety for
the female gender.
Society places unjust scrutiny
on celebrities who don’t live up to
the impossible standards of
weight, hammering people like
Demi Lovato and Christina Aguil-
era who have packed on a few—
healthy—pounds to their skinny
frames, now harboring a far more
voluptuous beauty. Even when
they defend themselves and de-
clare their satisfaction with thier
weight, magazines and gossip
columnists continue to harass
them, all the while making other
women with curves feel ugly.
Oftentimes, girls will buy
clothes that they barely manage to
fit in, which makes them look big-
ger than they really are in the des-
perate attempt to satisfy the need
to live up to society’s standards of
beauty. We are programmed into
fixating on size.
Stores know how to take ad-
vantage of these insecurities. You
know those size two jeans you’re
desperate to fit in? News flash!
They aren’t really size two. Ac-
cording to Cosmopolitan, clothing
stores manipulate customers into
buying their products by making
them believe they are a size
smaller than they actually are.
They add more fabric to the
clothes, which allows them to ma-
nipulate the sizes and the people
who desperately hope they will fit
into them.
Before you freak out and start
googling detox diets, take a good
look at yourself in the mirror. Do
you look less appealing even
though there is a possibility you
may not be a size 2, even a size 4
or 6?
Didn’t think so.
Instead of making the cloth-
ing size your number one priority,
you should make looking good
your priority. You can wear a size
2 or a size 4, but at the end of the
day your body is going to look the
same. In fact, you will look better
in the size that you are because it
accentuates your curves and hides
your problem areas.
ASHLEY MCCLURE
She's classy, involved and,
above all, fashionable.
Annie Lee ('12) inspires us
with her edgy yet comfortable
style.
Lee, who says she loves vin-
tage clothing and dark tones, finds
inspiration for her clothing style
from Elle magazine and celebrities
like the Olsen twins and Rachel
Bilson.
Lee’s passion for fashion
transfers over into her involvement
at school as well. She is extremely
active, serving as Vice President of
the Key Club, a third-year choir
student, and a Varsity tennis player.
As this is her senior year, she is
hoping it will be the best yet, full
of fun activities and memories.
“All my experiences at school
have been great,” Lee said. “I es-
pecially love choir because it al-
lows me to work with people who
share my passion.”
Although Lee loves fashion,
she doesn't think she will pursue it
as a full-time career. She does,
however, hope to someday create
an online clothing store.
What’s Hot on campus?
It is an updated version of skinny jeans.Wear them with sneakers for a casuallook or dress them up with a pair of peeptoe heels.
This delicate yet elegant
skirt is flattering for every
body and creates the illu-
sion of long legs.
This is a cute way to dress upyour ear without the hastle ofgetting another piercing.
Not only are these shoescute but they are comfyas well. Try them withjeans or a cute skirt.
Here are some rising trends we’ve noticed around school.
Mocassins Cuff Earring
CROP PANTS
Knit Top
Maxi Skirt
Annie Lee
TornadoFashion Guru
This shirt is the halfway point betweensweater and t-shirt. Wear it when youwant to look cute but laid back.
AN UONG, KIMBERLY ANNE BONDOC | TORNADO TIMES
Compiled by Ashley McClure and Maryam Soorma
Tornado Times8 March 28, 2012
EntertainmentShaelan O’Connor shines on stage
At the age of 16, most of us
have just gotten our driv-
ing permits and taken our
first honors classes. Sophomore
Shaelan O’Connor, however, is al-
ready a professional actress.
Born and raised in Los Ange-
les, O’Connor has been working
in theatre since she was 10 years
old.
According to mother Suzanne
O’ Connor, Shaelan grew up
“[watching] a lot of Disney shows
and old films” and caught “the bug
to act.”
When she was 10, O’Connor
participated in a Christmas musi-
cal at Montrose Church. The fol-
lowing summer, Suzanne put her
in a summer camp at Glendale
Centre Theatre and later enrolled
her in dance classes at the
Pasadena Junior Theatre. At the
theatre, O’Connor auditioned for
an adaptation of “The Wizard of
Oz” known as “The Wiz,” and
earned the lead role of Dorothy.
According to Suzanne, it was
“tough being so green and getting
a lead in a show, but [Shaelan]
loved it.” Suzanne feels that her
daughter has an “uncanny ability
to get to the heart of the scene”
and her character’s motives very
quickly.
“Sometimes she takes criti-
cism and rejection hard, but
bounces back pretty quickly,”
Suzanne said. “Acting is not a pro-
fession for the thin-skinned.”
After “The Wiz,” O’Connor
wanted to get an agent, but did not
actually get one until the end of
her eighth grade year because her
parents “strongly felt that she
should just be a kid for a while
longer.”
Currently, O’Connor works
for Amsel-Eisenstadt Frazier Tal-
ent Agency and Pillar Entertain-
ment and says that they are “the
people who take care of and send
[her] out to auditions.” Between
television and musical theatre,
O’Connor recalls going to about
seventy auditions for various com-
panies such as Paramount and
Warner Brothers.
Her manager, Delora
O’Brien, has been working with
O’Connor for the past two years
and feels she “has it all.”
When she auditioned in
O’Brien’s office, “immediately
impressed with her grasp of the
script during the cold read and
also by her maturity.” According
to O’Brien, O’Connor has “an old
soul [that] you see in her work,”
and her biggest strength is her
ability to adapt to a character.
To help her prepare for audi-
tions, O’Brien “goes over the sides
(the part of the script she is audi-
tioning) with her” and O’Connor
“never fails to impress.”
O’Connor has a passion for
comedic and dramatic acting, and
loves the feeling of “being on
stage and playing different charac-
ters” along with “interacting with
the audience.”
Friend Gabby Carreiro (’14)
finds O’Connor to be a “funny,”
and “very talented actress” who
has given her advice on acting
over the years.
O’Connor has been taking
vocal lessons every week for
seven years, training in opera, mu-
sical theatre, and R&B. She has
also been taking seven years of
acting classes and has taken dance
classes on and off for eight years.
She has been in short films, a
few commercials for online travel
agencies, and a television pilot.
Unfortunately, the show was never
picked up but she was not too dis-
appointed because it was a “good
experience.”
Outside of acting, she is in-
volved in drama club and chamber
choir, describing herself as a “so-
prano with a belt.” She has also
taken piano lessons for six years
and recently had a friend teach her
how to play the guitar.
Her most recent work was
playing Babette, the feather duster,
in the school’s musical “Beauty
and the Beast.” She enjoyed her
role because it was different from
the usual parts she plays.
“Being an actress is probably
one of the hardest jobs out there
because you could be the most tal-
ented person on the planet, but just
because you don’t look the part,
you may not get the job,” O’Con-
nor said.
Her dream has always been to
become an actress and she “can’t
see herself doing anything else.” If
she decides to go to college, she’d
choose to stay close to home and
attend Emerson College or Chap-
man University. Her dream is to
one day be in “Cabaret” or
“Chicago.”
“Shaelan has what it takes,”
O’Brien said. “If she makes
this her career choice, she will not
only succeed but excel.”
“Being an actressis one of the hardest jobs.
You could be the most talented person but not get the job.
”JEANNIE MAI
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
ACTRESS: Shaelan O’Connor performs at the latest production of the musical Beauty and the Beast. She
has been acting since she was exposed to Disney films as a child and aspires to have a future in entertainment.
March 28, 2012Tornado Times
9ENTERTAINMENT
Over the last two years, it seems that
musicals and show choir have
taken over the country with full
force due to the overwhelming popularity
of Fox’s hit show “Glee.” NBC jumped on
this new opportunity for a musical TV
show and created “Smash.” The show cen-
ters around the making of a musical about
Marilyn Monroe, specifically the fight for
the lead role between Broadway veteran
Ivy Lynn (Broadway veteran Megan Hilty)
and underdog country girl Karen
Cartwright (Katharine McPhee).
“Smash” focuses on the real relation-
ships between each of the main characters
and more on the interactions than boring
the audiences with excessive singing.
Half of the musical numbers in the
show are also original songs written specif-
ically for the show, giving it an edge and
making it far more entertaining.
No one breaks out singing randomly
either. All characters sing within the re-
hearsals or on stage so there will be no
High School Musical-esque songs about
feelings. The show provides a glimpse into
the real world of musical theatre and not
the frilly mimic that the rest of the media
gives the profession.
Beyond the solid story line, the show
offers an all-star cast. Debra Messing plays
Julia Houston, the lovable and witty
scriptwriter of the show who is desperately
trying to balance her work and personal
life. Other major characters include the
“evil” director Derek Wills (Jack Daven-
port), the artistic and money-desperate pro-
ducer (Anjelica Huston), and Julia’s
partner-in-crime, songwriter Tom Levitt
(Christian Borle).
Hilty’s portrayal as Ivy Lynn and im-
pressions of Marilyn are particularly strik-
ing and accurate. It is quite obvious that
she is fully dedicated to the show and her
prior experience on Broadway is evident
both in her supreme singing voice and in
her mastery over her desperate character.
With the combination of fantastic
songs, an amazing cast, and intense rela-
tionships, “Smash” finds itself as one of
the best shows of this new spring season.
A smashing review for “Smash”
Movie Review Viewpoint
It’s Saturday. After a week of
hard work at school, it’s time
to visit the expensive albeit
local theater. There, we scan for
the posters that pique our interest,
or the titles that have received pos-
itive reactions.
I can assure you that at least
one of them is the fifteenth or so
installment of an established fran-
chise. Iron Man 12 maybe, or Spi-
derman 36. It seems as though the
film industry is stuck somewhere
along the creative process.
Psychologically, franchises
that have already been acquainted
with audiences are the ones that
have returning viewers. The pub-
lic naturally wants to know what
happens to its favorite hero or
heroine after the last film.
Audiences would rather fall
back on something they are more
comfortable with rather than take
a chance on something unknown;
film producers know this is what
brings in the big bucks.
A franchise is like that fa-
vorite sweater you were gifted
with five years ago. It might be
comfy, but it’s starting to fall apart
at its seams. New ideas must be
tried, no matter how risky or else
they’ll only have audiences walk-
ing away with disappointed faces.
This July, “The Amazing Spi-
derman” is opening in theaters, yet
another recycled idea that will
most likely hit gold, but fall short
on originality. Box Office Mojo
reports that the original Spider-
man franchise grossed $423 mil-
lion with its debut film, but as
more movies were added, the
gross income gradually declined
to $336 million with the third in-
stallment. After all, there are only
so many times one can sit through
a two-hour film of Spiderman
swinging from one tall building to
another with the same pitiful is-
sues.
As an artist, it is one’s respon-
sibility to create, not recycle.
Granted, it’s quite difficult to pro-
duce an original piece of work due
to how easily one artwork influ-
ences the creation of another, but,
trying never hurts anyone.
I understand the pressures of
struggling to catch some bait in a
competitive shark tank, but to re-
turn to the same old safety net is
to set aside one’s creative abilities
for lesser but more profitable proj-
ects.
Franchises, however enter-
taining, cannot maintain success
for long. Take “Pirates of the
Caribbean,” a franchise that has
been around since 2003. The suc-
cess of this series of films has de-
pended mostly on the excitable
minds of the eager youth. Its first
release garnered a gross of $423
million and sharply declined to
$241 million by the fourth film.
Jack Sparrow, no matter how
amusing, is the same drunkard
staggering about with his rum.
With the entertainment indus-
try reusing big ideas that people
naturally gravitate towards, cre-
ativity has been somewhat stag-
nated, leaving viewers yawning in
their seats, or worse, snoring.
SOPHIE MIRZAIAN
AN UONG
JOSH BRIGGS
Film franchises fail to please
ALEX KARIBYAN | TORNADO TIMESSource: NBC
Whether you’ve read the books or seen the
advertisements for the new film, you know
“The Hunger Games.” The movie, which
was released last Friday, made over $150 million in
its opening weekend, ranking as the third most prof-
itable opening of all time, and the first for a non-se-
quel, according to the Huffington Post.
For those who have recently shut themselves out
of the world, “The Hunger Games” involves a country
called Panem that is divided into 12 districts. Every
year, one male and one female from each district be-
tween the ages 12 to 18 are chosen to participate in the
Hunger Games, a “pageant” where the participants
fight to the death.
When Katniss Everdeen's (Jennifer Lawrence)
sister, Primrose, of District 12 is chosen at random,
Katniss refuses to allow her to compete, knowing that
she will be killed and volunteers to participate instead.
The male chosen is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson),
who has a crush on Katniss.
But despite the hype, I did not expect much from
the movie. Nothing in the research I had done seemed
impressive, except that the author of the series,
Suzanne Collins, had assisted in writing the actual
screenplay.
That reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's version
of “Lolita” where Nabokov assisted in writing the
screenplay, although the “Hunger Games”’ director, a
man I'd never heard of before this film named Gary
Ross, is nowhere near as skilled a director as Kubrick.
In fact, I believe Ross is what nearly destroyed a po-
tentially exciting and enthralling film.
The movie begins with twenty minutes of
wretched camera movements, the annoyance of which
absolutely cannot be overlooked. I thought I was
imagining things when the camera seemed to be mov-
ing too rapidly until people sitting next to me began
complaining about it.
Why the director chose to do that is unexplainable
as it has no purpose other than perhaps serving as a
symbol for the chaos in District 12, but even that does-
n't compensate for how aggravating it was attempting
to focus on something in the shots and having the im-
ages only fly by. The only place where this makes
sense stylistically is during the action scenes, but it
being present in both scenes with normal dialogue and
those with action makes it entirely confusing.
The sometimes obvious attempts at symbolism
were unclear about what they tried to portray. The em-
phasized minuscule mannerisms of Katniss make you
think rather than feel. When she hesitates to shoot the
deer in the beginning of the film, viewers are supposed
to think of her as a considerate person and appreciative
of nature, and although I recognized that, I cannot say
I earnestly felt that trait in her. Everything Katniss did
seemed to pile together to form her artificial character.
The acting is not terrible, but neither is particu-
larly impressive. Each actor has lapses of quality:
Hutcherson borders on creepy, whereas Lawrence and
good friend Liam Hemsworth's (Gale) robotic ex-
changes with one another leave you feeling awkward.
There seems to be no chemistry between any of them
besides some (on my part) misinterpreted romantic
tension. It is never clear whether Katniss and Gale are
interested in each other or whether the attraction felt
by Katniss towards Peeta is real or a show.
Besides perhaps the intensity of the emotions, the
basic events of the film follow the novel closely.
Surely the people who have read the novel will appre-
ciate the beloved series having been adapted into film.
The movie is only worth seeing to either famil-
iarize yourself with the extremely popular series if you
haven't read the books, or to see the book you spent
so much time reading in movie form if you have. Source: Marvel Entertainment
“Hunger Games” is starving in direction
Set your
DVR
GAMES: The center of the latest movie hype, “The Hunger Games” captures the audience with its thrilling
plot but disappoints with its crude direction. It was released last Friday.
Source: Liongate
March 28, 2012Tornado Times
10Sports
Rising throughadversity
In Edward’s
EDWARD NADURATA
Defense
Unbeknownst to many, the
volleyball team ceased
to exist last year due to
the lack of players and the rather
flailing season they had for the
past few years.
With the persistence of a few
players last year, the former team
became a club as they were deter-
mined to keep boys’ volleyball
alive as an organization in the
school. They got girls’ volleyball
coach Charles Min to help them
around and the spring season of
2011 ended.
Now, the team is back in full
speed under the direction of so-
cial science teacher and former
coach Christian Hong.
It is admirable to say that a
bunch of kids made a difference
by successfully reinstalling a
team that was haphazardly re-
moved last season despite the
fact that there were kids inter-
ested in actually playing.
Numbers should not ever de-
termine the fate of a team. Just
because they are not successful,
it doesn’t mean that a sport
should not be offered. A player
builds a skill; it doesn’t stem out
of nowhere.
The players were almost de-
prived of improving themselves
with the sport but it was clear that
they did not let anyone stop them
from doing what they wanted to
do.
How can we, as idle as we
are, sit down and not do anything
while the things that we take for
granted are being slowly taken
away? Each small thing is of
value, one way or another.
This doesn’t only apply to
sports, clearly evident with the
students rallying behind the
beloved substitute, Mr. S, when
he was wrongly accused of push-
ing a student which then led to
his temporary removal.
Facebook groups were
made, petitions were signed, and
we made a difference.
Students did not just stop
from the administration saying
that they were holding investiga-
tions with the matter. They all
wanted to be a part of a cause that
meant something to them.
So what’s the lesson
learned? Stand up for what you
believe in. Appreciate what you
have and don’t take things for
granted because once they are
taken away from you, they might
not come back.
Tennis may not seem as
such a rigorous sport in re-
lation to football or base-
ball, but in truth, it is the same
amount of work and dedication
that a player must exert.
With one of the best group of
players ever to have been formed
within a six-year period, the boys’
tennis team is segueing their way
into the spotlight, prepping up to
insure victory in their upcoming
games.
“Tennis is a great sport that
takes determination and strength
as well as agility and speed,” JV
member Michael Akopyan (’13)
said.
The varsity team is currently
4-3 in league. They won the First
Surf Tennis Tournament in Tor-
rance.
“Both varsity and JV have
proven to me that they have been
one of the most
successful teams
I’ve had for the
past six years,”
Coach Julie
Hoppe said. “The
season is off to a
good start.”
With the
strength of the
singles players as
well as the sup-
portive doubles,
the varsity team
beat Glendale
12-6 last Thurs-
day. As a result, boys’ tennis now
positioned themselves as third in
league.
“I expect only the absolute
best from my team,” Hoppe said.
Edward No (’13), who has
been a part of the
tennis team for
three years and is
currently a varsity
member, says that
“the singles are
stronger this year.”
"Overall, our
doubles are good,
but they need more
work," No said.
"Even though they
struggle in the be-
ginning, they al-
ways finish
strong."
Practices are
held everyday after school from
sixth period to 5 p.m.
Practices consist of basic
conditioning which is running,
stretches, warm-up games, drills,
and actual practice matches de-
pending on if they have games the
following week.
“Tennis is my getaway from
stress,” No said. “I always look
forward to a nice fair game after
school from a day of academic
work.”
After beating Glendale here
last week, there is one more BGD
game on April 26 at Glendale.
“I’m very impressed with
their improvement over the past
several years,” Athletics Director
John Van Patten said. “I could see
us winning the CIF title in the
near future.”
The next game is tomorrow
against Pasadena at the tennis
courts.
...they havebeen one of themost successfulteams I’ve hadfor the past sixyears.
Julie Hoppe
“
”
T
UpcomingTennisgames
T
ennis thunders
hrough seasonPAUL HONG
Tennis: (from top): Oleg Simonyan gets ready to return the ball against Glen-
dale March 22. Emile Ohanian runs to hit the ball March 15 in his single’s match
against Burroughs. The next Beat Glendale Day match will be on April 26 at the
Glendale tennis courts.
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
Tomorrow VS Pasadena
April 17 @ ArcadiaApril 19 @ San Gab.April 24 @ BurbankApril 26 @ GHS
RECORD AS OF PRESS TIME
4-3
March 28, 2012
Tornado TimesSPORTS 11
“Let the bodies hit the floor! Let
the bodies hit the floor! Let the
bodies hit the floor!” This is the
repetitive chorus of the song “Bodies” by
metal band Drowning Pool that softball
player Briana Manzanero
(’12) uses to mentally
prepare herself before
every game.
“I listen to the song
and it gives me a sense
of ‘play hard or go
home,’” Manzanero
said.
Manzanero has
stuck with this mentality
for 13 years. Her first
experience began in
kindergarten when she
joined a newly formed t-
ball team and immedi-
ately fell in love with
the game.
“Softball is 95 per-
cent failure and five per-
cent success,”
Manzanero said. “You have to teach yourself
to persevere throughout the whole game.”
According to Manzanero, good hand-
and-eye coordination, quick feet, team spirit,
and knowledge of the game build a good
softball player.
She was recently offered full academic
and athletic scholarships to Odessa and
Frank Phillips College in Texas but decided
to accept from La Sierra University in River-
side so she could stay close to home.
“She’s extremely fast,” softball coach
Rich Henning said. “It’s her speed and hit-
ting skills that turn her into an outstanding
player.”
Not only does she
pitch for the school
team, but Manzanero
also plays for the Eas-
ton Elite 18u Gold
team, which she joined
at the age of 11.
Throughout her
years on the team, Man-
zanero has received
many different awards.
From the school team
she has been nominated
team captain, won the
Silver Slugger Award
two years in a row by
having the best batting
average in 2010-2011,
earned 2nd in league for
the most amount of
stolen bases and on base
percentage, and 4th in league for batting av-
erage.
Manzanero also coaches an 8u softball
team called Ruthless along with her father
Angel.
“When Briana first wanted to play soft-
ball I thought she was too girly for the tough
sport,” Angel said. “But as soon as she
stepped onto the field she turned into my lit-
tle all-star.”
One of Briana’s favorite memories is a
bet she made with her father during a game
in 6th grade: if she hit a home run he would
finally buy her the contact lenses she asked
for. By the next day, she wasn’t wearing
glasses anymore.
The two have grown closer while spend-
ing a lot of time together traveling across the
country for various softball tournaments. A
tradition while on the road for the two is hav-
ing an early breakfast at McDonald’s.
Being a pitcher, Manzanero has to de-
pend a lot on her teammates to set up plays
for her.
“Good communication is the key to
teamwork,” Manzanero said. “Even if we’re
in the middle of a personal fight or just dis-
like each other, being able to communicate
on the field goes a long way.”
Manzanero makes an effort everyday to
encourage her teammates to trust their in-
stincts on the field and “never give up.”
She’s constantly cheering for them during
games whether they’re winning or losing.
“I’ve learned a lot from watching Briana
play,” teammate Lilian Rivera (’12) said.
“She’s a supportive teammate both on and
off the field and knows the game extremely
well.”
As much as she enjoys softball, Man-
zanero plans on taking a break during her
college season to start her nursing career.
For now she focuses on perfecting her
game, Manzanero even taking private hitting
lessons with softball Hall of Famer Sandra
Durazo.
“Throughout the five years I’ve worked
with her, Briana has always strived for ex-
cellence,” Durazo said. “I know she will
have a bright future at La Sierra University
because of her strong work ethic and dedi-
cation to the game.”
Athlete of the Month: Briana ManzaneroCHRISTINE BABAYAN
Softball: Briana Manzanero pitches
against Muir Mar. 22 with Hoover winning
17-0. She has been offered scholarships to
numerous schools and has chosen to attend
La Sierra University in Riverside.
AN UONG | TORNADO TIMES
CHRISTINE BABAYAN | TORNADO TIMES
Page 11_Layout 1 3/27/2012 1:52 PM Page 1
12 March 28, 2012Tornado Times
ADS