Volume 54 NO. 4 February 2013 Student Newspaper of La Mirada High School 13520 Adelfa Drive, La Mirada, CA 90638

ToroEl

By Ana Sanchez

The world of today is dominat-ed by technology and the need for progress. It is only natural that as the world evolves so do the peo-ple who live in it. Ironically, such growth has led to a downfall in educational assessment, with the United States ranking number 14 in the world behind chief po-litical powers. To ensure that the students of tomorrow are well equipped with the skills needed to survive in the real world new standards known as the Com-mon Core State Standards are be-ing implemented into California schools.

All throughout the nation states have been adopting the

Walk of Fame Sadies

WALK OF FAME (clockwise) Desiree Sanchez, ’15 and Esther Choi, ’13, compete in couples miniture golf. Climbing his way to the top, Jake King, ’14, looks down at his competition. Making an entrance are Trevor Lancaster, ’13, Cody Kruip, ’13, and Alexis Meraz, ‘14.

Common Core as their new standards for success in the class-room. The Common Core State Standards are designed to prepare students for college and career and are more concise and specific as opposed to the previous Califor-nian standards. Although one of the key points of Common Core is having every student from all states receive the same level of ed-ucation, the standards themselves promote individuality. The Com-mon Core standards are to take effect in California during the 2014-2015 school year.

Possibly the most prominent feature of Common Core is its method of assessing students us-ing computer adaptive testing technology. LMHS’s Ms. Uesugi,

Dean of Students, points out that “Instead of just having students bubble in answers they will have to perform tasks that use many more of their talents and skills as well as what they have learned.”

The method of assessment will provide schools with a three month testing window. The test itself embodies the idea of indi-viduality by allowing the students to provide their point of view through writing, a crucial char-acteristic of the test. When asked about the new format Mrs. An-drea Wood, ELA 11, notes, “Stu-dents have an opportunity to state and support their opinion, there is some room for individuality allowing them to retain some of their integrity and ideas especial-

Common Core State Standards set for 2014

Self-directed learners compete nationallyBy Chelsey Shrubb

Skills USA gives a chance for students in welding to showcase the talents that they practice ev-ery day. The instructor of R.O.P. Welding at La Mirada High School, Brent Tuttle. Mr. Tut-tle’s Skills USA Welding Fabri-cation team were recognized at the Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District board meeting on Monday, October 8, 2012. The welding fabrication team which includes Jordan Asti, Ryan Cooper and Dakota Sun, placed in the Top 10 at the 48th Annual Skills USA National Conference in Kansas City in June. The team fielded from Mr.

[see FAME, pg 2]

Varsity basket-

ballfueled

by senior effort SPORTS

page 8

Walk of Fame Sadie’s dancePage Onepage 1

GuiltyPleasures FEATURESpage 5

CAREER SKILLS Chris Sigur, ’15, develops basic welding skills in his shielded welding course. Chris is performing an oxyacetylene weld using a mixture of oxygen and acetylene.

Tuttle’s class finished 7th with-in 35 other high school welding fabrication teams from across the country.

Mr. Tuttle says, “Skills USA is where students compete not only for welding, but also for leader-ship. There are job interviews and teaching classes, which in-volves a prepared speech. Also, only 31 students can be qual-ified for the next competition. During class, we do all the preparation for upcoming com-petitions.” In class, Mr. Tuttle doesn’t just sit back and watch them weld; he constantly moti-vates his students whenever they start to become uninterested, es-pecially those who have welding

for three periods. “The students are always practicing and doing projects to be prepared. Welding is mostly self-directed learning and I consider myself more as their boss than their teacher. The younger, less experienced welders usually look up to the older, more experienced welders. I find keeping them motivated the most difficult aspect because most of the kids that compete have me for three consecutive periods every day.”

Most of the students who compete are experienced and know what they’re doing. Mr. Tuttle states, “A lot of kids are returning this year as we try to

ly through the writing portion of the test.” In fact, student opinion assessed during the assessment will be derived from student re-search conducted as part of a per-formance task. Students will be focusing on world events and be taught to tackle real life issues.

To reach the depth of under-standing required in the Com-mon Core, the standards em-body concepts used to enhance student’s critical thinking levels and further their knowledge of world events and life issues. Math teacher Mrs. Hernandez sees that, “Common Core Standards asks you to solve problems which en-courage students to see the bigger picture and think; it’s an opportu-nity to be more creative.”

In order to execute the stan-dards teachers must work together, no longer making it just language arts teacher’s responsibility to edu-cate students in both writing and researching craft. “It [Common Core Standards] will take the bur-den away from the language arts department from teaching writing and research skills” language arts teacher Mr. Tom Drury mentions. Math and science content courses will have to prepare themselves to instruct students in crafting essays that relate to the both the subject matter and real life. Science teach-er Mrs. Kishore sees fit that, “Most of the test that I give will be open ended,” thus guaranteeing student preparation even in exams given.

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SOUTH COAST PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SOUTH COAST PHOTOGRAPHIC

[see CORE, pg 3]

[see SKILLS, pg 6]

By Danielle Chavez

La Mirada High School con-tinued the tradition of original Sadie Hawkin’s dance themes. This year the Associated Stu-dent Body choose Walk of Fame. The theme was one in which students were to attend the dance as a famous couple.

Sadie Hawkins was held on February 24, 2013. The loca-tion of the dance was Boomer’s in Fountain Vally.

As in year’s past, the Sadie’s was more about original dress, and fun activities than actual dancing. This year, the student body held their own on orig-inal dress. Couples attending

the dance were a mix of true Hollywood couples, movie couples, Disney couples, and just couples who matched in an original ensemble. The dance was a veritable feast of Hollywood elite walking the carpet, or at least the entrance to Boomers. Seen were Twi-light’s Edward and Bella, Brad and Angelina, and a Disney classic, Mickey and Minnie. Many couples were challenged to be creative in seeking out a couple that matched their own looks and personality. Also seen the evening of the Sadie’s Adam and Eve, Fred and Wil-ma Flintstones, and Kourtney

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SOUTH COAST PHOTOGRAPHIC

El ToroNEWS February 26, 201302

IN BRIEFStudents of APPLE academy expand their interests in teaching

APPLE, the academy for prepar-ing prospective leaders in education, provides an opportunity for students in grades ten to 12 to develop and expand their interests in the teaching profession. The academy offers vari-ous chances through which students can gain hands-on training and ex-perience. Through special electives and internships, APPLE students are prepped for a career in teaching and education. In addition to the count-less varieties of opportunities given, seniors are provided with guidance as they register at Cerritos College. If you are interested in joining the AP-PLE academy to achieve your goals in the field of education speak with Ms. Andrea Wood in room 575.

-Alice Kang

Advanced Placement exam registra-tion extended through March 25th

The Advanced Placement courses allow students to gain college-level academic experiences within a high school environment. La Mirada High School offers 19 AP courses on campus. The Advanced Placement exams take place on May 6th and continue through May 17th. The cost per exam is $89 and registration ends on March 25th.

-Alice Kang

E2TA inspires students to pursue career in engineering

Energy Engineering Technology Pathway, which is also known as E2TA, is a program offered on cam-pus to prospective engineers. Stu-dents within the program are able to advance their engineering areas of interest as they apply their knowl-edge into various projects involving development, design and produc-tion. Thus, through E2TA, they are given the essential hands-on experi-ences that may be of much benefit to their future engineering careers. Career exploration and study trips are a key feature in E2TA. Recently, Mr. Opper, Mr. Gallardo, and Mr. Jahann joined students on a study trip to the California Science Center to tour the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Applications for the year of 2013 and 2014 are available on the school website for students to wish to join the program.

-Alice Kang VAPA academy gains acclamation for Sound of Music

The highly acclaimed musical, The Sound of Music, originally produced in 1959, was staged by the talented students of Visual and Performing Arts Academy. The performances of the live orchestra and actors were given on the 14th, 15th, 16th, 21st, and 22nd of February. The students who took part in the musical re-ceived much acclamation and recog-nition due to the immense work that they have put into its production.

-Alice Kang

FBLA places within top ten at SectionalsBy Alice Kang

La Mirada’s future business leaders of America have been ac-complishing feats and achieving numerous goals within the past year. FBLA, a national awards program that rewards and rec-ognizes students who excel in business and career-related competitions, participated in the Southern Section Leader-ship Conference on the 23rd of February. High schools from all over Southern California gath-ered at University High School in Irvine in order to compete for a chance to attend State, a higher-level conference of qual-ified competitors. Sectionals is not only a chance for students in FBLA to demonstrate their skills and interest in their re-spective competitive events, but is also an opportunity for them to place and receive commend-able awards.

Competitive events ranging from Accounting to Network De-sign were available to students with varying interests. In order to win awards and gain a chance to attend State and Nationals, students were encouraged to study and prepare for their com-petitive exams. Kurush Dubash, ’13, who placed 2nd in Comput-er Problem Solving and 4th in

Technology Concepts, shares how he prepared for his events. “Since my competitions deal with com-puter problems, I trained best by breaking and then repairing my computer.” He continues by commenting on how he feels about his accomplishments of placing at Sectionals by saying, “It was a great e x p e r i e n c e . Repre sent ing your school and being called on stage in front of the entire crowd was a wonderful feeling.” Along with Kurush, there were a handful of other students from La Mirada who also swept up awards for their events. Joanna Lee, ’13, and Giovanna Cano, ’13, teamed up as a group and placed 2nd in Global Business while Lorenzo Leibig, ’13, Siun Oh, ’13, and Ryan Leano, ’13, as a team, received 3rd place in En-trepreneurship. Joanna expresses, “I was super excited because it was my first time placing so high and being qualified for State.”

Behind this group of com-petent and ambitious students is the advisor for La Mirada’s

chapter of FBLA, Mr. Leibig. He expresses similar feelings on the successful outcome at Sec-tionals. “I’m really proud of our group. All of those who compet-ed in events greatly improved from last year. Also, it’s the first time in the history of La Mi-rada’s FBLA that we’ve placed

9th overall for sweepstakes.” Mr. Leibig, who has been the advisor for the past eight years, continues by saying, “We’ve had a really solid group of students for the past two years and they’ve been more successful than those from

previous years. I’ve had a really good group to work with.”

Despite the positive reputation that they have obtained for La Mirada High School, members share many ways through which FBLA has helped them. “FBLA has given me a great glimpse into the business world and has further developed my profes-sionalism in various aspects and continues to do so”, says Kurush. “I feel as if FBLA has been over-shadowed as a club in the past

despite its continuous return of awards and accomplishments.” As a nationally recognized or-ganization, FBLA is supported and sponsored by numerous worthy and well-known compa-nies from all over the country. Thus, the conferences and activ-ities organized by FBLA inspire students from all over the nation to aspire themselves to become influential leaders in the corpo-rate world.

Members of FBLA, includ-ing those who have been a part of the program all four years of high school at La Mirada, plan on continuing their success-ful streaks of accomplishments throughout the rest of the year. With State just around the cor-ner, they are working hard to place higher in their competi-tions, in hopes of being quali-fied for Nationals, which will take place during the summer. Although much triumph was achieved at Sectionals this year, members claim that it is merely the beginning of possible great-er achievements to be gained in the near future. FBLA contin-ues to serve as a valuable outlet of learning and growth, which prepares students for their pro-spective careers as future busi-ness leaders of America.

”FBLA gave me a great glimpse into the corporate world. It has further devel-oped my professionalism in various aspects and contin-ues to do so.”

-Kurush Dubash ‘13

Kardashian and Scott Disick.The dance ticket included

the usage of Thunder Road Raceway Go Karts, Splash Island Bumper Boats, minia-ture golf, batting cages, rock climbing, video arcade games, followed by unlimited desserts and soft drinks. Photographers were also available from South Coast Photographic to take pic-tures as well.

Another tradition related to the Sadie’s dance is the rever-sal of the boy asking the girl to the dance. On the our campus, this formality almost becomes a competition among girls to out-due the uniqueness of the

actual question popping. Some methods of asking a

boy to Sadie’s s included cakes, banners and varieties of food. They claimed that the best way to a guy’s heart is through his stomach.

Tatiana Gaulden, ’13, asked David Olivas, ’13, by using three baseballs, a shirt and a cake. On each baseball was a message written respectively, “will you; go with; me to.” The shirt had the word written “Sa-die’s” while the cake was deco-rated with a question mark.

Alexandria Valverde, ’13, asked Steven Rodriguez, ’13, with decorative cupcakes whereas Miranda, ’16, asked

Shea Chavez by surprising him after his soccer game around his truck. Shea commented, however, that he had a vague idea that something was up when he noticed the swarm of people gathered around.

Some girls went even as far as to choreograph a special dance to ask out their dates. Just days prior to the Sadie’s a group of 15 girls broke out in dance in the center quad and aided their friend in her attempts to woe her date.

The Walk of Fame Sadie’s dance had an exciting and fun atmosphere and it appeared that most of the students en-joyed the vast amount of activ-

ities. From competing at min-iature golf to racing on the Go Karts, couples found them-selves enjoying the wide vari-ety of activities while being in the company of one another. For those students who wanted a break from the action or just to reenact a scene from The Notebook, enjoyed a nice ride on the Ferris wheel.

After all the festive activi-ties outside, at the end of the night, everyone gathered on the dance floor to let loose and dance.

With Sadie’s, A.S.B. host-ed another successful event bringing our students together in the spirit of originality.

SADIE HAWKINS: A REVERSAL OF ROLES

40%

The perennial Sadie Hawkins dance calls for

the girl to ask the boy in an original manner,

while challenging couples to dress alike.

Percent of tickets purchased by girl

Which Boomers’activity was best?

“The go karts were a lot of fun. It was a long wait, but it was pretty worth it. I just overall had a great time.”

– Christina Nunez, ‘13

“I loved mini golfing with my date. It was fun competing against each other and we were just having such a blast.”

– Alexandria Delgadillo, ‘13

What activity did you like best at

Boomers?

If you could do Sadie’s again what

would you do different? 84%

Couple outfit chosen by girl

[cont. from pg. 1 FAME]

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

MINITURE GOLFING 84%

CHOOSE A BETTER OUTFIT 62%

EDUCATION February 26, 2013 03El Toro

AVID CERTIFICATION TEAM The AVID team is charged with the responsibilty of guiding LMHS through the AVID national certifica-tion process. Olie Lynch, Mark Williams, Bill Seals, Rebecca Upson, Kathy White, and Lori Marshall. Not Pictured Rachel Heenan EdD.

Campus wide instructionalstrategies enhance learning

Discussion, are impacting stu-dents in helpful ways. There are no documented increases in our school records from us-ing these tools, for it has be-come mandatory this year that teachers implement them, but it is expected student scores will increase. Research indi-cates AVID and other instruc-tional strategies in support of learning and studying can help improve test scores and grades overall.

Dr. Rachel Heenan, Assis-tant Principal of Curriculum, adds, “AVID helps the school by better preparing students to think deeper, more critically, and ask higher level questions. It challenges students to prob-lem-solve together, to work with each other and challenge one’s thinking. It also engages students and teaches them to write college-level materials, structured notes and com-plex comprehension strategies, while developing student’s self-efficacy as a college bound student.”

As LMHS seeks AVID cer-tification, administrators and our AVID team will collect evidence to support program success. Most importantly, our students will benefit from im-plementation.

By Emily Whitley

AVID, also known as Ad-vancement via Individual Determination, is a class that was created to assist students to become more successful, improve grade point averages and raise test scores among students in middle school and high school.

AVID was started in 1980 by Mary Catherine Swanson, the then director of the En-glish department in San Di-ego, California. Having been started within one high school and with 32 students, AVID now impacts more than 4,900 schools today.

AVID claims that its mis-sion is to close the achieve-ment gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. On the campus of La Mira-da High School, we have five AVID teachers, Mrs. White, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. Upson, Mrs. Marshall, and Mr. Williams, who support students through the same mission.

Currently AVID on our campus employs the use of three main strategies to ensure success: Cornell Notes, Socrat-ic Discussions and GIST.

Cornell Notes is an orga-

nized way for students to take notes. Mrs. White explains, “There is a section on the left hand column to jot down any questions students may have about the lesson and when fin-ished, students write a five sen-tence summary of their notes at the bottom.”

Socratic Discussion is used to help connect reflections on specific topics and lead dis-cussions while the teacher ob-serves whereas GIST is used to connect thoughts by summa-rizing in 5, 10, 15, or 20 words.

Implementing these strate-gies has been deemed as simple by the teachers who were in-terviewed. Most of the schools in the district have begun to employ these tools and learn-ing methods within the class-room. Also, students are learn-ing to employ the strategies and to discover what works best in raising their scores on tests, homework, and quizzes. Mr. Lynch states, “All three of these tools are great meth-ods and they can really help a student gain further knowl-edge in the subject area they are covering in a class. They make a deeper understanding of what is being taught.”

Cornell Notes, along with the use of GIST and Socratic

Although the CCSS affect student learning, teachers are will participate in professional development to prepare them to implement the standards. The transition has already been initiated by teachers like Mrs. Lori Marshall, ELA, integrat-ing Common Core ideas into her curriculum, “I’m starting a little bit now…basically incor-porating new topics, and new materials into the lessons that we already have.” Teachers will be challenged to develop new units of study and lessons tar-geting depth of knowledge with

texts of increasing complexity. To this end, teacher preparation will mainly focus on merging both expectations. Ms. Rene Cook, English Department Chair com-ments, “I have to look at what I do now and align it with the new Common Core Standards.” Be-ginning this summer LMHS will create a CCSS Implementation Team to guide professional devel-opment in English language arts, math, science, and social science. In addition, technology will be a key element in training.

Common Core is designed to provide students with an educa-tion that will lead them towards

better college and career oppor-tunities. The Common Core standards are aimed to educate students to comprehend and ul-timately interpret their surround-ings. Mr. Rodriguez, Science Department Chair comments, “Common Core is positive be-cause it’s inquiry based, so the students are really analyzing the concepts based on application and not just regurgitation.”

Common Core requires teach-ers and students to utilize tech-nology, complex texts, and depth of knowledge all in an effort to prepare the students of today to take on the world of tomorrow.

NLMUSD COMMON CORE BY IMPLEMENTATION TIME LINE

THE NLMUSD IS CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTING THE CCSS. LA MIRADA HIGH SCHOOL WILL FOLLOW THE DISTRICT TIME LINE FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION BY 2013-2014

TRANSITION PHASE

Core Content Lesson Study

Teams meet to craft lessons and observe teaching

of CCSS

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“AVIDis a great class to take, you feel welcome. It helps you prepare for college and helps you out with your organization also.”

Susana, ‘13

“AVID is a really good elective class to take during your high school years; it helps give me the tools to succeed and helps you keep your things in order by using Cornell Notes.”

Danny Sedha, 13

“AVID helps the school by better preparing students to think deeper, more critically, and ask higher level questions. It challenges students to problem-solve together, to work with each other and challenge one’s thinking.”

Dr. Rachel Heenan, Assistant Principal

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

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VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

“AVID helps you prepare for college and helps you secure a better future by taking you on trips to college campus-es, and gives you a better idea now on what college you’d like to go to.”

Michael Katkov, ‘12VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

ROLE MODEL Lori Marshall, ELA, uses her GIST chart as an important visual reminder.

AVID students participate in an AVID tutorial class. The AVID tutorial provides students with strategies and develops skills to foster independence for the college bound student.

“The way I see it, AVID gives students help on a college level, and organiza-tional strategies also on a college level, and I believe the biggest thing AVID gives is organization and support of their futures.”

Bill Seals, PrincipalVICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

[cont. from pg. 1 CORE]

201320142015IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

’12

CCSS profes-sional develop-ment through

crosswalks and deconstruction

’13 ’14’13Vertical

alignment of standards and instructional

materialsSummer Academy

with content teachers, site

administrators, technical liaisons, and instructional coaches create PD plan for LMHS

faculty.

Alignment completed and full implementa-

tion begins

Pilot Common Core units of study

El ToroFEATURE February 26, 201304

By Jackie Leeder

Do you have that one item or activity in your life that creates happiness? Does it make you feel less stressed about life? Those items and activities that one does to calm and create a relaxing sense are called creature comforts. The denotation of this term is “as the material items that help to provide for one’s comforts.” These creature comforts range from the nonchalant feeling we get from wearing “Fat Pants” to the adrenaline rush that we feel from playing video games.

TWO SIZES TOO BIG Around the house girls usually dress down in either sweat pants or yoga pants. Each offer a level of comfort and ease. When asked about her choice, Danielle Mickas, ’16 admits, “I have these sweats that are two sizes too big for me and I wear them all the time around the house because they are the coziest item that I own.” When questioned why the baggiest item in her closet is her creature comfort she reveals, “Honestly, I believe that my sweats are my own creature comfort because it creates a safe feeling and when wearing them I don’t have to worry about my appearance and I can just feel content in my surroundings.”

DO ANYTHING Today’s basketball shorts are a far cry from the shorts of the 1980’s. Even Magic Johnson would be dress coded on our campus for his offi-cial NBA uniform. Thankfully, Senior Ted Perez, ’13 provides insight on why guys feel so at ease while wearing the basketball shorts of today as he explains, “Basketball shorts are just so free and they make it easy to do everyday activities without needing to worry about if my pants are too tight or baggy. You can pretty much do anything in basketball shorts and that’s why they are a type of creature comfort.”

EL TORO

Creature comforts:making life livableWE ALL NEED A SPACE TO RETREAT TO. A LOCATION ONLY OUR MIND REGISTERS AS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE. ALBEIT, NOT A SPACE, CREATURE COMFORTS OFFER RESPITE FROM OUR HECTIC LIVES AND PROVIDE US WITH MUCH NEEDED RELAXATION.

HACK N’ SLASH There exists a bit of irony when placing the killing of zombies, engaging in mortal combat, or answering the call of duty all the while chowing down on junk food like pizza or chips with the “bros” as relaxation, however for many boys and girls, it is. Senior Garrett Pierret, ’13 shares his point of view on why he plays video games, “After having a hard day at school or getting out from a long practice I just feel a sense of relief knowing I can go home and play video games and just get away from reality for a couple hours.”

BRING YOUR RUBBER DUCKY How many of us spend forever in the shower or even the bathtub? As odd as it may sound, the shower or tub offer privacy, and time for us to get way from it all, and just think, or sing, or maybe even nap. Chelsea Hepponstall, ’13 confesses about why she gets relief from bubble baths, “Bubble baths are extremely comforting because when the hot water touches your skin it feels like the stress from earlier that day disappears.” Another item that helps create the creature comfort feel to the bubble bath is using incense or candles to create an aroma that will make you at ease and bring pleasure to the senses. Chelsea adds, “My favorite scent is lavender, but sometimes it just depends on my mood.”

FOR THOSE LAZY DAYS Linus from the Peanuts cast would concur with using a blanket as a creature comfort. Matt Vinas, 13’ states, “when I have absolutely nothing to do after I finish up with any work I had to do, I like to sit on the couch and just swaddle myself with my blanket. It’s something that makes me feel safe, like nothing can touch me.”

MANS BEST FRIEND Almost everyone is guilty of loving our pets way too much. Dogs and cats alike offer their owners a sense of unconditional love. When we feel stressed or overworked, we can always count on our pets to be there without judgment offering us comforts only they can.

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO CHELSEA HEPPONSTALL/ELTOROCHELSEA HEPPONSTALL/ELTORO

CHELSEA HEPPONSTALL/ELTORO

65%65% of American house-

holds play video/ computer games.

80 liters of water are used for the average

bath.

39% of American households own a dog.33% of American households own a cat.

42 fires reported daily originate from candles.

7 is the aver-age pant size of American

girls.

80 39%

33%

42

#7

FEATURE February 26, 2013 05El Toro

“I LOVE THE SMELL OF BRAND NEW TENNIS BALLS.”

Johnny Hills ‘13

“I LOVE CARPET! I JUST LOVE THE TEXTURE OF IT AND HOW MOST OF THEM ARE SO COMFORTABLE TO LAY ON WHEN IT’S COLD.”

Grace Badial ‘13

Guilty pleasures sure make even the best of us give in to our cravings or interests that we aren’t usually adamant to admit. Then again, what’s wrong with indulging ever now and then, right?

SNACK ATTACK It’s 2:00 a.m. and those leftover cookies from Valentine’s Day with its rich insides and almost too sweet frosting are making you sal-ivate to even think about having one little bite. So what’s left to do? Sneak downstairs, grab the milk, drink straight from the carton and gobble down those cookies, right? H-E-A-V-E-N…until the guilt starts to hit as you’ve realized that you should probably be prepping for that spring body that you’ve planned for all of winter. Alecia Ra-decky, ’14, admits to be a sweet toothed fiend as she confesses, “I can eat a whole box of cookies.” Andy Williams, ’13, is similar in his ways but with a slight more salty taste disclosing, “I can eat a whole family sized bag of chips.”

ON THE TUBE Sam Herrera, ’13, admits to, “watch-ing Finding Big foot. It’s honestly so dumb, but I just can’t help but watch it.” Others such as Emily Whitley, ’16, reveal, “I like to watch Shake It Up on Disney Channel because I like how they dress and dance. The characters wear like five different skirts and bracelets.” Who wouldn’t like to watch Disney Channel every now and then, especially those 90’s babies who grew up with shows such as Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire, and That’s So Ra-ven. There’s also definitely pleasure in tuning in on those late nights while home alone because the channel’s virtually absent of scary commercials.

CHICK FLICKS TO HIP HOP Matthew Vinas and Ted Perez, ’13, take guilty pleasures to the next lev-el. Matt enthusiastically admits, “We both watch Pretty Little Liars regularly and listen to Taylor Swift…and Justin Bieber. Their songs are catchy and we love rocking out.” Along with naming their favorite pop stars, Ted admits, “I pretty much know every line of Mean Girls and Legally Blond. It’s kind of my thing.” Matthew goes on to name artists such as, “Phil Collins, Lil-B The Based God, and Soulja Boy” although by the tone of his voice it seems as if he takes much pride in the last two. Furthermore, they add on, “We do alot of on-line shopping, probably even more than most girls. Guys aren’t supposed to on-line shop.”

GUILTY AS CHARGEDLife’s Guilty Pleasures

DEFENDING THE TURTLE NECK Giselle Sah, ’13, dishes out on her opinion of turtle necks saying, “They’re definitely cute, especially when styled right. An es-pecially cute way to wear a turtle neck is as a crop top.” Most people might say that turtlenecks are out of style or just plain ugly, but going against such words can turn out to be extremely profitable! Christina Nunez, ’13, rebelliously declares, “I like flare jeans and hair scarfs like from the 70’s.” With hair scarfs almost nonexistent and skinny jeans taking over the market, Christina isn’t afraid to wear what has the potential to look good even if not in trend.

CHELSEA HEPPONSTALL/ELTORO

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO

1. Letting your dog kiss you on the lips.

2. Allowing your furry friend to sleep in your bed.

3. Feeding your dog under the table.

A DOG LOVER’S GUILTY PLEASURES

1. Gift wrapping your own on-line orders.

2. Doing your taxes early to shop your return away.

3. Hiding a purchase on purpose to surprise yourself later.

A SHOPAHOLIC’S GUILTY PLEASURES123

COMMUNITY February 26, 201306 El Toro

capitalize on our winning 7th in the nation. If they win, we will go to nationals in the summer. If students who are competing just keep that in mind, I think they will have a lot of motivation to practice hard, so that when the competition comes, they will win and go to nationals.”

Robert Jackson, ’13, explains what welding means to him, “It’s when you join two pieces of metals together using fire.” Rob-ert continues, “I joined welding

because I was interested in the art of being able to join two metals together. I have partici-pated in welding for three years and have qualified for state this year. Welding has some harmful risks that includes, fumes, loud noises, intense heat, and glaring light, all of which can greatly impact your health. However, welding takes precautions and have tools to keep students safe.”

Skills USA allows students in welding to display their talents and also offers preparation for

career tech classes which is cur-rently a focus within the state of California through the CTE standards.

There are many freshman who joined welding this year and have potential to compete in Skills USA. Christian Sigur, ’16, says, “This is my first year in welding and I really enjoy it because I get the chance to play with fire. I am interested in eventually competing in Skills USA but I need some more ex-periences before I compete in

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ast P

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[cont. from pg. 1 SKILLS] such competitions.”Brad Bish, ’14, participated

in Skills USA last year and has some background knowledge about the competitions. “I com-peted in the business side as well as in welding. For business com-petitions, I had to do an inter-view and had to practice hard every day to be prepared for state. There was much pressure, but I was confident going in to the competition because I knew what I was doing.”

Mr. Tuttle introduced La

Mirada to Skills USA and gave students the amazing opportu-nity to demonstrate and develop their skills for any career tech class. The welding class not only prepares students to compete in competitions, but also provides them with essential experience and skills that will benefit them in their future careers.

Mr. Tuttle will continue to recruit students to qualify for Skills USA competition and rep-resent La Mirada High School in national competition.

“I loved this experience so much that I am thinking of going to Pasadena City College after high school and joining their band program .” William oat, ‘13

“Marching down the parade route and seeing all those people cheering for us, it’s something I will never forget.”

Nubia Rojas, ‘13

“I was so nervous I didn’t eat any-thing that morning so I thought I was going to pass out.” Brandon Santos, ‘13

“I’ll never forget marching down Colorado Blvd and leading the P.C.C. band it was an amazing experience.”

Devyn Matheny, ‘14

ELTORO

By Nubia Rojas and Devyn Matheny

La Mirada has a tradition of sending students from the band and color guard program to au-dition for a spot in the Rose Pa-rade. La Mirada is known to have multiple students march in this parade. This year, for the 2013 Rose Parade, we were privileged to send 6 students from the pro-gram to march on New Year’s Day.

On October 14, 2012, Pasade-na City College held its annual auditions for the 83rd Rose Pa-rade. The audition process for color guard would take a mere five hours for the adjudicators to choose 20 finalists from over 150 candidates to march with the P.C.C. honor band. The audition consisted of across-the-floors, warm-ups, and learning and per-forming a routine. Contestants only had a single opportunity to show their skills to the judg-

Rose Parade honor bestowed upon LMHS students

es, and after a short break, the judges announced who would be in the flag line for the Rose Pa-rade. From the 20 girls, two were chosen to hold the front banner and lead the entire P.C.C. honor band in the parade, and those two girls, Nubia Rojas, ’13 and Devyn Matheny, ’14, were from La Mirada.

Four other students from the La Mirada High School band program were also chosen to par-ticipate in the Rose Parade. They each had a solo audition in which they were judged individually and chosen. These four students were Andrew Diaz, ’13, Dollie Krawzak, ’13, Brandon Santos, ’13 and William Moat, ’13.

Once selected the LMHS representatives became part of a select few chosen to participate with the P.C.C. honor band, and along with prestige came the work of practice. While most stu-dents slept in on Sundays, these

ROSE PARADE HONOR (Top Left) Nubia Rojas walks six miles down Colorado Boule-vard along with (Top Right) Devyn Matheny. And the six participants from LMHS.

six students were at Pasadena City College practicing for more than five hours. The practices started during November, and were held every Sunday through winter recess. During winter re-cess, they had to attend practices every day, but had the privilege to practice with the band at San Anita race track and Dodger Sta-dium to prepare them for New Year’s Day.

They had the honor of per-forming three times at ‘Band-fest’, a combination of bands from all over the world that have been chosen to participate in the Rose Parade. They also had the privilege of performing in the Disneyland Christmas Parade.

The day finally came, after months of preparing, to perform in the 2013 Rose Parade. The per-formers had to be at the college at 3:00 a.m. to prepare. The parade route is six miles, and took about three hours to complete.

During the Parade, Nubia said, “I was so excited and I couldn’t believe that I was there. I’ve watched the parade every year on television but never thought I would be in it.” Devyn com-mented, “All of the hard work paid off in the end because I’ve accomplished something that is a once in a life time opportuni-ty.” Brandon added, “I was very

excited. It was my best memory from high school and I’ll nev-er forget it.” Adding onto their comments, Andrew stated, “I was super excited and a bit ner-vous; I didn’t want to mess up in front of all those people.” Wil-liam, one of the four students that were chosen to march, said “ It was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to do it again.”

“I’m so proud and honored to have these students represent the NLMUSD, LMHS, Me and ulti-mately themselves.”

Gina Biondi, Band Director

NUBIA ROJAS/ELTORO

07El Toro

ToroEl

EDITOR IN CHIEFChelsea Hepponstall

MANAGING EDITORJackie Leeder

COPY EDITORAlice Kang

Academics EditorAna Sanchez

FRONT PAGE & FEATURES EDITORChelsea Hepponstall

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORVictoria Quezada

El Toro Staff

Danielle Chavez, Kasandra Fortin, Chelsea Hepponstall, Janice Jang, Alice Kang, Jackie

Leeder, Victoria Quezada, Sara Ramirez, Luis Rodriguez, Ana Sanchez, Chelsey

Shrubb, Emily Whitley

AdvisorMr. John Alvarez

El Toro dedicates itself to producing a high-quality publication that both informs and entertains the entire student body. This is a wholly student managed, designed, and written newspaper that focuses on school and community events. El Toro is a student newspaper published monthly. La Mirada High School, 13520 Adelfa Drive, La Mirada, California, 90638 Telephone (562) 868-0431 ext. 3170.

Editorial Policy The editorial content of El Toro expresses the views of the newspaper and not necessar-ily of the administration, faculty, staff, or the NLMUSD. Bylined editorial content is the writ-er’s opinion and not necessarily of the adminis-tration, faculty, staff, or the NLMUSD. If you believe an error has been made or wish to have your opinion expressed in El Toro, please contact us via mail or email. Letters sent become the sole property of El Toro and can be edited for length, clarity, or accuracy. El Toro editorial board reserves the right to accept or reject any ad in accordance with its advertising policy.

Contact El ToroEl Toro Newspaper13520 Adelfa DriveLa Mirada, CA 90638eltoro.lmhs@gmail.com

EDITORIAL/OPINION February 26, 2013

American dream is possible with safty in mindBy Sierra Corpuz

Passing the driving test is a significant event in anyone’s life. Feeling empowered be-hind the wheel, you can drive to your friend’s house with the windows down, wind blow-ing in your face, music blast-ing, and you didn’t have to beg your parents to drop you off. This sense of freedom you gained is a major milestone in your life. But is your driving considered safe? Sure, every teen under the age of 17 has to undergo the long six hours of behind-the-wheel instruc-tional training, but, according to All State Insurance, there are still over 3,000 car-related teen deaths per year.

Starting to drive and actu-ally passing the driving test is an important occasion in any teen’s life. It is almost as important as taking your first steps or muttering your first word. And who was with you for all other meaningful mo-ments of your life? Your par-ents. To ensure that you are a safe driver, you should ask your

parents to get involved with your learning process. They have about 20 to 30 years of driving experience that may be helpful to you. Instead of de-pending solely on the instruc-tion of your driving trainer, ask your mom or dad to teach you the basics of driving and driving laws. You may learn at a faster rate than you would with only a paid instructor not only because you will be re-ceiving double the lessons, but also because you have a closer relationship with your parents which is an exceptional envi-ronment for learning. Also, most parents will more than happy to share their knowl-edge with you. This experience will not only help with your driving, but it will also help you grow a stronger bond with your parents.

There is nothing more American than owning a car and receiving a license in mail with your name and picture on it. With your car, you can travel across the United States. All you need is money for gas and your car keys. This sense

of independence is something every teen looks forward to. But if you are under the age of eighteen, then you still faced with some restrictions. These restrictions include not being able to drive other people un-der the age of twenty and not being able to drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. It is important to follow these driving laws because you will not only be faced with a high-priced tick-et, but you will also face se-rious consequences, such as your license possibly be taken away. The law that you are not able to drive anyone under the age of twenty is designed so you maintain a close relation-ship with your parents while you still have your license. Until you are eighteen, you are required to still have that learning experience with your parents if you want to drive with any of your friends. But when you are eighteen (or have had your license for a year) you will gain your full inde-pendence: it can just be you and your friends and the emp-ty road.

It is important to follow these Graduated Drivers Li-cense (GDL) laws and to re-main a safe and alert driver. Driving is not a multi-func-tional task and requires your full attention. Your parents have done without technol-ogy for most of their lives so your text or call can wait until you have reached your destination. Imagine your parents receiving a knock on their door to find out their son or daughter had died in a tragic car accident due to you simply reading an un-important text. Imagine how devastated they would be. Your texts aren’t worth it: just wait.

By being taught how to drive from your parents, you will learn the tactics of being safe while building a stronger relationship with them. You will more comfortable with your parents than you would be if you depended only on a driving instructor. For the GDL Laws and more driving safety tips visit www.Keep-TheDrive.com.

ARE YOU A SAFE DRIVER?

Take the following quiz to see i f you are a s afe dr iver. Jus t remember

this quiz is not sc ienti f ic , so have f un and ans wer hones tly. Check

your ans wer s below to see where we rate you on s afet y.

1. While driving you get a text message, do youa. check it when you arrive homeb. respond quickly even while you’re drivingc. wait until you’re stopped at a red light

2. When driving with friends and your favorite song comes on do youa. chuckle at your friends reaction and focus on drivingb. blast the music, sing at the top of your lungs and dance togetherc. sing along

a. look but continue drivingb. stare and yell out your windows to catch his attentionc. stare, smile but not make a big scene out of it

a. gradually slow down and come to a complete stopb. speed up really fast so you can make itc. come to a sudden stop

3. While driving the speed limit you come to a yellow light do you

4. While driving you see David Beckham running shirtless do you

IF YOU PICKED MOSTLYA’s Excellent Driver. You are considered an excellent safe driver. Knowing the rules of the road and what not to do while driving makes you a safe driver. B’s Daring Driver. Watch where you go. Being a dangerous driver and focusing on whats going on in and around your cars can cause you to forget to focus on the road. Being a danger not only to you but others surrounding youC’s Careful Driver. You know the rules of the road and you are considered a safe driver however you can improve on focusing on the road then whats going on inside your car.

El ToroSPORTS February 26, 201308

WINTER SPORTS

Suburban League title run worth the effort

On the final game of the sea-son on February 13 between La Mirada and Mayfair the tension was high as the tight game came ended with a one point edge to Mayfair in a 60-59 victory. By half time Mayfair was already in the lead with 10 points. For-tunately, with strong support from La Mirada faithful, LM redeemed itself with 23 points in the third quarter. Playing for a share of the Suburban League Title was on the line. The Mata-dores fell twice to rival Mayfair. In playoff action, La Mirada fought a tough last game against Compton sadly losing 74-50.

-Ana Sanchez

Lady Matadores fourth quarter scoring drive falls short

The Lady Mats ended their season against the rival Mayfair Monsoons. The game began strong for La Mirada with 17 points in the first quarter against Mayfair’s 22 points. As the game progressed both teams kept steady scores, while La Mirada held 6 points in each of the quarters, Mayfair continued with 17 points in the second quarter and 16 the third giving Mayfair the advantage. La Mi-rada did not allow themselves to be down and came back strong taking the lead in the last quarter with 18 points. In the end Mayfair triumphed over La Mirada with a score of 70-47.

-Ana Sanchez

Season proves challenging for senior boys

The La Mirada Boys Varsity Soccer team battled a tough season which in which varsity player and senior Nathaniel Gutierrez can attest to, “It was a challenging season which had its ups and downs.” With an overall record of 7-9-2 the boys’ soccer team played with heart and gave it their all. For Gutierrez his most memorable game was against Norwalk High School, on February 1st. La Mirada was able to score a goal and came up short by 3 points suffering defeat to the Norwalk Lancers with the final score of 4-1.

-Ana Sanchez

C.I.F. playoff run ends with Downey victory

The La Mirada High School Girls Varsity Soccer team controlled their fate with wins in the first two rounds of CIF against Winward and Estancia High Schools. In both matches the girls con-quered 1-0 giving them the chance to continue in the CIF playoffs. During the second game against Estancia Fresh-man Madison Bennett scored the winning goal pitting them against Downey High School in round three. Despite great defensive effort La Mirada’s offense lacked scoring and lost to Downey High School 3-0.

-Ana Sanchez

Boys Basketball Girls Basketball Boys Soccer Girls Soccer

Varsity wrestlers earn champi-onship recognition

The La Mirada Wrestling team made its mark on the League Finals Match held in John Glenn High School on February 2nd. Coach Lipeles congratulates his team members Alex Powers, Steven Hart, and Daniel Gumtang for becom-ing Varsity Champions. Along with second and third place winners the boys will all be headed to the CIF Tourna-ment. For the overall season Coach Lipeles applauds his team noting, “Congratulations go out to Daniel Gumtang and Mauricio Perla who both made the Whittier Daily News All Area First Team for Wres-tling. Awesome season guys.”

-Ana Sanchez

Wrestling10-14 7-9-2 14-4-4 14-417-12

SENIOR CONTRIBUTION Charlie Reid, ‘13, drives to the basket scoring two of his 13 points against Mayfair.

Boys basketball challenges for league title By Louie Ramirez

This basketball season for the Matadores was the one of the most successful seasons in recent history. The team prevailed against every team except for rival and league champion Mayfair. Nonetheless, over-all, the team performed exceptionally well from beginning to end. Of course this couldn’t have happened without the combined effort and diligence of the team members. Even with the injury of Taelin Webb, the team was effectively able to pull together to continue through its remarkable season. Several of the team members commented that this season was one of their most memorable ones.

Throughout the overall season, the coaches and the players came to the realization that every little thing within a game counts. After be-ing at the top of the league, they came up a point behind the Mayfair Monsoons for the league title. However, despite the struggle, the Mat-adores still managed to carry on and learned from their mistakes, in hopes of being the best next year. “Teamwork is key”, says from Jarrett Davis, ’13. Elements like these drove the team forward throughout the season. As for the seniors, this season meant the world to them. Many aspects, such as the countless memories from the games to the practic-es, will be missed by the members of the La Mirada basketball team.

Bennett proves to be impactBy Sara Ramirez

This years La Mirada Girls Var-sity Soccer has been a huge suc-cess. Freshman Madison Bennett is one of the only two freshmen on the varsity team. Expressing her thoughts on being a freshman on the varsity girls team Maddie stated, “I feel very accomplished because it is very hard to make the team, especially if its your first year of high school you have a lesser chance of being on the varsity I’m very grateful I made it this far.”

Many people assume you find out you made the team by a big list in front of the girl’s locker room or

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS (top left) Madison Bennett stands strong on home turf. (top right) Bennett taking the ball from Windward’s defender. (bottom right) Madeline Ponazzo, Madison Bennett, and Rebecca Castenada walk off after a victorious match against Windward.

even through email but for new comers on the girl’s varsity team it was very different.

“I found out I made the team when the returners went to my house late at night and toilet pa-pered my house, they even used shaving cream and put a poster up saying I made the team, my mom said she was very happy that I had worked so hard and made it that far.”

Many sports teams are close knit; they go out together to bond and become a better team as one. “Our team is very close.We always have team dinners at each other’s houses we bond so

much, we laugh and create mem-ories,”

BEAT MAYFAIR is a motto for most LMHS teams. What exactly did it mean to Maddie? “It means alot to me considering that May-fair is our rival school, we have beat Mayfair already, now we are in the playoffs I hope we win and give our school’s varsity girl’s soccer a good name. Maddison plays right forward and before every practice trains with Melissa Hickman. “She gets me ready with her competi-tiveness. A drill we work on is the diamond drill, we practice on mak-ing runs and crossing the ball while finishing it.”

After the first loss to Mayfair, the basketball team managed to bounce back. However, unfortunately, the team came short during the second game by merely one point. Coach Bryce Jones states, “We were within inches of a league championship. We need to focus more on details.” The La Mirada basketball team, a rival competitor of Mayfair, is among one of the best teams in the Suburban League. Additionally, La Mirada’s incredible fan support made the games more exhilarating and showed the opposing team our immense school spirit. With the pursuit for victory and motivation from both the community and the students, the team members were inspired and encouraged to play re-markably as they did.

This season was not simply about the wins and the losses of the games, but actually more about the memories, highlights, and the lessons learned. Dezmon Murphy’s dunk that won the game against Hamilton and Taelin Webb’s score of thirty points against La Serna in the opening of the season opening were some of the defining and un-forgettable moments. The capability of the team to learn its strengths and weaknesses highlighted its sense of proficiency and skill. The strug-gles of the individual players and collective team as a whole all made them stronger, while at the same time, paving a pathway for greater ambitions and success for next year.

Caro

l Em

mer

ling

VICTORIA QUEZADA/ELTORO