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

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