THE SPARTAN

La Cañada High SchoolVolume XX, Issue 5

Questions, comments or contributions? Contact us at lchsspartan@gmail.com.

What’s Inside

UmbrellaEtiquette

page 3

VarsitySoccer

page 5 page 7

LoveMessages

Roadtrip Nation in LC Students take a trip in self discovery.

If you’re in the ROP Photog-raphy class at La Cañada High School, chances are you have already heard about the new project that Mrs. Nicholls-Ali, also known as Mrs. G, has assigned her students for second semester. Roadtrip Nation is the name, and La Cañada High School has the honor of saying that they are the first high school in Southern Cali-fornia to welcome it into their curriculum. Started by three men who took a road trip together in a 1985 RV, Roadtrip Nation is a program devoted to helping students find out about who they are and where they are going in life based on their dreams, interviews with others concerning their “road” and dreams, and a final self evaluation and their determination to find a path in life.

Roadtrip Nation is a hands-on program that enables students to fill out lessons both in a workbook provided by Mrs. G and online on roadtripnation.org. It requires students to do many interac-tive lessons in three different categories: Exposure, Self Construction, and Hit the Road. While working on lessons, students can take a break and construct their very own Roadtrip Profile for others around the world to view and comment on.Throughout lessons Roadtrip Nation works to boost self-confidence in teens, as well as learning the benefits of success and failure, learning hard work, and being independent. Roadtrip also helps students to explore various interests and encour-ages them to seek other experiences and draw from them in order to help construct their own view of the road they will take. Continued on Page 2

Youth & Government Convenes in Sacramento

On February 10th through February 15th, ap-proximately 100 students from La Cañada High School traveled down to our state’s capital for

their annual Youth and Government trip. This huge Youth and Government program is a gathering of some of the

brightest individuals in all of California. With about 2,500 delegates in the Youth and Government program, students participated in a political forum where they

formed and worked on their own Model Legislature and Court. Last week, Y&G delegates took over the capitol and worked on activities that ranged from debating and authoring bills to working on Supreme Court cases to even creating their own political parties. Many students at La Cañada High School are involved in this extensive program and have had their lives changed because of it.

CCY’s delegation vice president and LCHS senior Mackenzie Hunt has participated in the program for the last three years. When asked how the Youth and Government program has changed her, Mackenzie re-sponded, “Youth and Government has changed my life in so many ways. As an officer, I’ve become a better public speaker and have learned the many aspects of being a leader. I have made so many friends in this program and can honestly say that I love it so much.”

Another delegate, Sam Wolff, is also an avid member of the program and even had his N.I.C. proposal passed in the program. When asked why the Youth and Government program is so amazing, Sam eloquently an-swered, “Youth and Government permits for a meeting of students with similar passions from all over California to congregate for three weekends a year and create change. The program shows you that you can do anything and that change is in reach. I personally have realized that I can do something productive and important for the world,” he stated. Lastly, junior Nic Tourani, who was elected as the National Issues Commission Chief Clerk had a few

words to say about the program. “I’ve been changed so much by this program. I have learned so much and love Y&G. The program is amazing and I recommend it to everyone.” At the end of Sacramento, the CCY delegation won the title of Premier Delegation, a prestigious posi-

tion given to only elite delegations, and elected junior Clay Finch as president for next year and Derick Abedian as Vice President. Ultimately, Youth and Government is a life changing experience that many La Cañada High School students have been lucky enough to be involved it.

By Katherine PropperOpinion Editor

By Hailey WilliamsSpartan Staff

The whole CCY Delegation. Photo by Katherine Propper.

The Y&G delegation at T&E II.Photo by Willem Swart.

Bridge’s Party Hearty Raises Money for an Admirable CauseBy Katherine PropperOpinion Editor

How often do you get to see guys dress up as pregnant teenag-ers? Not too often, but maybe

that one time at that Bridge dance…On February 16th, Bridge threw

their yearly Party Hearty “Reality of Love” Dance. The dance was a celebra-tion of Valentine’s Day and gave students an opportunity to dress up as their favorite reality TV stars. Some memorable cos-tumes included pregnant teenagers ala “16 and Pregnant,” the castaways from “Survivor,” and the famous cast of “Jersey Shore.” The dance had an original theme and, ultimately, a great student response. Junior Jessica Mkrtchyan, who dressed up with friends like the cast of “Rock of Love,” stated, “The dance was really fun. It was hilarious to see everyone dress up as something unique; everyone really got into it.” Senior Ben Clairday, who imitated the teenagers on “16 and Preg-nant” responded, “The dance was great.

I had a lot of fun dressing up with my friends Brent, Gregg, Jeff, James, and Geoff as pregnant teenagers.” Junior Estrella Sainburg, who is also a member of the Bridge team, explained, “Yeah we wanted to have a theme that hadn’t been done before. Nowadays, reality TV has become so popular with shows like “Jersey Shore” and “The Hills” that we thought it would be a creative and fun theme.” The dance was a huge success, taking in about $1900. Bridge has decided to use the money for a great cause. Mr. Williams, the Bridge advisor, announced, “The money is going to the family of Ken Chambers. He recently passed away and we wanted to help a smaller cause rather than something like Haiti or Red Cross. Ken Chambers worked in this school district for a long time and devoted his life to helping children with special needs. We agreed that we wanted to help a de-serving cause and make a big difference in someone’s life within our community. I thank everyone who came the dance.”

C L A S S N E W S

February 18, 2010

2 February 18, 2010 La Cañada High School

news

Vegetarian or health-conscious teens can learn to cook delicious meals

Learn How To Cook a Vegetarian Meal

C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

In January 2010, there will be a new two-day cooking class that will be held at the La Canada United Methodist Church on the 15 and 22. The class has room for 30 people (teens and adults), and will be taught by Kathy McFarland.

As many vegetarian teens know, a non-meat or restricted meat diet is a difficult lifestyle, especially when the rest of your family does not eat the same food. Parents are often at a loss when it comes to keeping their teen healthy on a vegetarian diet, and most teens think that being vegetarian means eating strictly salad. However, these two classes will teach both teenagers and their parents how to cook delicious vegetar-ian breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals, as well as what it means to be a vegetarian.

Each class will last for two and a half hours, where Kathy McFarland will pre-pare the food and tthe participants may sample each meal. Unfortunately, due to the size of the church kitchen participants will not be actively cooking alongside Ms. McFarland.

The class fee is $25 per person for both nights. Anyone who would like to join the two part class must register at least five days before the first class, on January 15.

Former Valley Sun Editor Speaks at Republican Meeting

On January 25, the LCF Repub-lican Club held its most recent meeting at Beckham Grill in

Pasadena, where guest speaker and popular lo-cal journalist Don Ma-zen shared his discon-tent with Mr. Obama to the entire club. Don Mazen, a registered Democrat, is a fifty year veteran news edi-tor and writer. Mazen took Mr. Obama’s life story and put it into prospective. He began with his political ori-gins in Hawaii, where Obama met his two mentors; Frank Mar-shall Davis, a known Communist and Saul Alinsky, a known So-cialist. Both men had great influences on young Obama.

Next, Mazen told the story of Obama in Chicago, where Mazen said, “He became a part of the Liberal machine.” Obama moved on to become a community organizer and then a U.S. Senator. In the four years he spent in the senate, he never introduced any significant legislation.

Now he is the President of

the United States and Mazen said, “He has no executive experience and it’s showing.” Mazen is also critical of Mr. Obama’s cabinet selections. For example, Attorney General Eric Holder, secured three pardons for terrorists

under the Clinton Administration and seems to want to continue doing so.

Mr. Mazen credited the book “The Obama Nation” by Jerome R. Corsi, as a primary source for the knowledge he shared with the club. Mr. Mazen ended his address to the club by saying, “I’m not a negative person, but when you talk about Obama, you have to be.”

Pasadena Public Library Holds Workshops

If you haven’t visited the Pasadena Public Library, now may be a great time to do so. Better yet for those teenagers who are bored during the summer

the Pasadena Public Library is a great place to hang out. The Pasadena Public Library system has various events going on for teenagers to keep them busy and curious. The events going on are generally workshops covering a wide variety of topics. These workshops can include robot building, soap making, a money smart program where you learn about how to manage a bank account, healthy cooking workshop and cartoon strip designing. I have gone for all the workshops that I mentioned and enjoyed each and every one of them thoroughly. The workshops are run by professionals who specialize in the subject area that they are teach-ing. For example the people who taught the cooking

workshop are chefs from a local cooking school. The great thing about all these workshops is that they are completely free because they are run by the library, yet the library does not compromise on the quality of the workshops. The libraries have a coordinator who schedules the workshops according to teenage interests. You can sign up for the workshop by calling the library at which it is going to be held. Generally you should call and reserve a space at least two to three weeks prior to the start of the workshop b e c a u s e s p a c e s d o f i l l v e r y r a p i d -l y s i n c e t h e w o r k s h o p s a r e v e r y e x c i ting. The participant need not bring anything to the workshop except a willingness to learn the tool of the trade. The workshops are week long and are gener-ally in the afternoon hours. Other things currently going on include tutoring for teenagers on a regular basis and a Go Club which is held every Saturday which is based on the famous game which originated

in Asia and has been around for nearly 4,000 years. In the Go Club, teens can compete against oth-ers teens and if they bring a friend they will get a free game board. The Go Club is not only something unique but also stimulates social interaction. The La Pintoresca Branch library recently introduced a program called SMART Lab which allows students to receive help finding information on the Internet as well as receive guidance with online research. SMART Lab is also a free service for children who need homework assistance. If you want to find out about any of the events going on you can visit the Pasadena Public Library website, click on the library teens link, and then click on “@ the library” which will take you to everything that is going on at the library. Finally, the Central Library has a special time when kinds can use the computers and has its own area for teens to read or hang out and play games. So go out and visit any branch of the Pasadena Public Library and you are sure to have a great time.

By Krishna RajagopalanSpartan Staff

By Kevork KurdoghlianSports Editor

By Grace AmicoSpartan Staff

“I’m very excited for this project,” said Mrs. G. “Everyone I’ve talked to that has completed the program says that it is an amazing experience and I re-ally feel that this project will benefit the students at La Cañada High School.” If anyone who isn’t in ROP Photography would like to participate in the program, Mrs. G is happy to provide students with the tools they need to begin the program and encourages many to do so, as it is an incredible oppor-tunity for self-discovery. However, as this is a Pilot Program through the ROP Program, Mrs. G insists that students must be in an ROP class to participate.

Roadtrip Nation Cont’d from Page

Don Mazen speaks at the Republican Club meeting. Photo by Kevork Kurdoghlian

1

3 February 18, 2010 La Cañada High School

Opinion

The Spartan StaffEditor-in-Chief

Alicia Kim

Managing EditorDenny Choi

News EditorsEmily Kim

David Mkrtchian

Opinion EditorsTerese Rutkowski

Katherine Propper

Features EditorsBack Page Editors

Rebecca HanMichelle Phillips

Alice Grubb JonesTamar Bezjian Christi Choi

Sports EditorDavid Choe

Photography EditorsMargaret Beesley

Joao Teixeira

Business ManagerAlexandra Van Wie

Ben Chon

Layout Editors Joseph Kim

Kevork KurdoghlianJohn Gregg

ReportersGrace Amico

Ian BalisyDavid Belcher

Michael BelcherMargo HartleyAmeer Khan

Christophe LaBelleErica Moore

Krishna RajagopalanDavid RheeNaima Vogt

Hailey WilliamsGina Yoon

AdvisorMr. Ben Powers

Representation and free speech has always been accented a funda-mental right. Political lobbying,

one of America’s oldest practices, exists to secure these rights. The term lobbying originates from political activists who once waited in the lobbies of congress in order to attempt to sway the opinions of politicians. Today, lobbying is an integral function of the U.S. law making system. Lobbying has changed today to become an official part of influencing lawmakers into making the best decisions for the United States. However, whether this change is for better or for worse is controversial.

Big companies, the corrupt, and the selfish have skewed lobbying and its reason for existence. Lobbying exists so the American public can have a voice. Big companies, including big pharmaceuticals, general electric, and many other businesses have spoiled this through stifling the American voice.

Many people are accustomed to the fact that cash rules everything around them. Big companies are able to dish out more money than the average American,

allowing them to have a bigger influ-ence in politics and the process of law making. But how does this impact us?

Let’s take, for example, the actions of the big pharmaceuticals com-panies, who spent millions in lobbying to negate health care reform. Through their actions, millions of Americans were denied access to cheap medicine in order to sustain their dependence on more ex-pensive medicine that determined their income. Not only does this show that big companies are against the best interest of the American public, it also shows that the lobbying process is fundamen-tally flawed. This obviously drew fire and controversy, yet big pharmaceuticals were untouchable due to their large “do-nations” to lawmakers and their interests.

Lobbying exists to represent the American public and give them a voice. It is true that the general public is able to approach lawmakers through this process in order to present a case. However, their influence is laughable compared to the big companies that often lobby against them. When politics can be swayed by ridicu-lous amounts of “campaign donations”, it is obvious that there is a fault somewhere among the cash trails and corruption.

As La Cañada was bombarded with rain last week, rain boots, coats, and umbrellas completely covered the school. Since La Cañada will see more rain in the next month, there is an issue that I feel compelled to address: umbrellas. I walked up and down the out-side stairwells, al-ready annoyed that it was wet and rainy and cold as opposed to sunny, I rounded the corner and all of a sudden—WHAM! Umbrella right in the face. But this sniv-eling little freshman wasn’t the only one with an umbrella open on the outside staircase. There were at least three others that were blindly following her lead. This concerned me. I mean, what on earth makes anyone think that its okay to have an umbrella open on crowded stairs? Everyone walking there was at different heights, and opening an umbrella is just a way of saying, “I don’t care whether or not I poke your eye out. I can’t get wet!” And let me apologize. I’m sorry I was in your way. But let me also say this. I don’t care if the straightened hair on your pretty little head gets frizzy. I care quite a bit more about my eyesight, thank you. So, La Cañada, let’s take a little lesson in umbrella etiquette. If you go on the outside stairwell, use a hood or a hat. And if you’re really that concerned about getting wet, take an extra minute to go use the inside stairways. Because, let’s face it. The probability of you pok-ing out the eye of a lawyer’s kid is pretty high at this school.

The American educational system is designed to prepare youth for future roles in society. The nature of these roles is something left

to individual schools to decide. Some emphasize service while others champion the development of leaders. In light of these goals, there are educational philosophers who believe TAs are an integral element of the school community. However, I am of the belief that the current TA position needs to be eliminated, as it is a decisive factor in scholastic underachievement.

The current high school TA fills the role of facilitator. Grading a volume of work over the course of a year is a superhuman task in itself for a teacher. This is where the TA comes in, to complete the teacher’s most time-consuming work while permitting the teacher to focus on teaching.

The position is also an asset in the academ-ic rehabilitation of students. It develops a surplus of discipline and confidence in a previously unruly student. The long-range benefits of such an expe-rience include preparation for a similar role in the workforce. This growth fits within the true meaning of education, “to lead or draw out” something. If this principle is consistently applied, then a conviv-ial relationship of master and apprentice emerges. It is the trend that previous students return to their teachers who have had the largest impact on them.

Yet the current establishment cannot be trusted to follow through with this. As Jamaica Kincaid once said, “The space between the idea of something and its reality is always wide and deep and dark.” I can recall from my own experience that one of my teachers directed his TA to “go away” to the IRC more often than do some work for him.

Thus, the question arises as to whether the current TA paradigm is more a “pain in the neck” than a luxury. With recent instances of grade chang-ing, I am inclined to advocate academic integrity before a No Child Left Behind policy. If anyone should have a break, it should be those students who have overachieved. As paragons of educa-tional achievement, they should be allowed to lead. The proposal for reform then is this: a realignment of high school TAs with those of uni-versities. The increased number of AP courses in the high school curriculum has already created a learning environment conducive to this revolution. Just as graduate students are used to lead discussions in college, AP students can assist teachers with stu-dents of less expertise. The ethos of a young face can make students that much more receptive to learning. Two successful applications of this method already exist. Every year AP Calculus students at La Canada High School take a day to teach younger students a new section of mathematics. OxyBridges members likewise lead students in science labs throughout the year. I recall the excite-ment generated with the arrival of other teachers into the classroom. If we implement this more frequently, students will not succumb to apathy. The highest achievement in the current teachers’ assistant system is a robot capable of correcting tests at maximum efficiency. Thus, the ultimate result of remediation is reprogramming, not revitalization. With a more distinguished TA pro-gram, however, students will become leaders to their peers and active disseminators of knowledge. While suffering students return to the classroom to vindi-cate themselves, star students will be challenged to share what they know and thus shift the focus of achievement from themselves to that of others.

By Christophe LaBelleSpartan Staff

Teacher’s Assistants: Is This Time Well Spent?

A Quick Lesson on Umbrella Etiquette

Lobbying is CorruptionBy David RheeSpartan Staff

By Hailey WilliamsSpartan Staff

Photo from Google Images

4 February 18, 2010 La Cañada High School

OpinionLingerie for Kids is Not OK

Sometimes there are moments that cause me to question the world’s sanity, and this is one of them. “Ooh! La La, Couture,” a children’s cloth-

ing fashion company, has recently combined efforts with Miley Cyrus’ ten-year old sister, Noah Cyrus, and her eight-year old friend, Emily Grace Reeves, in mak-ing a series of what is basically lingerie for children.

Obviously, many parents became outraged at the idea of children’s lingerie and apparently “Ooh! La La, Couture is losing business due to rumors. One of the company’s creators, Annie Dugourd, reported that, “The story is completely false...it’s a total lie...we don’t make lingerie.” She went on to describe herself as a “stay at home mom who makes tutu dresses.”

However, in a video featuring Miley Cyrus and the two young girls, the clothes the pre-teens try on are far from innocent. At one point in the video, Emily Grace Reeves shows off in fishnet stockings and a leopard print tutu dress by slapping her leg and growling at an obviously freaked Miley. It was shocking and a little grotesque to see this from a girl who isn’t even old enough to be in the fourth grade.

Dugourd went on to explain that the “Ooh! La, La Couture” company cannot be held responsible for the way Noah Cyrus and Emily Grace Reeves wear their clothes, but I strongly disagree. Noah Cyrus has been known for acting and dressing like a twenty-year old who parties too much. The company should have had the foresight to know that the Cyrus girls create trouble wherever they go, and a company name like “Ooh! La, La Couture” really doesn’t bring to mind children’s fashion.

One serious problem caused by growing up too fast is an alarming drop in elementary-age girls’ self-esteem and a rise in levels of anxiety and depres-sion. We’re talking depression in second graders! The only time I truly felt sadness in elementary school was when my dog died in the second grade, not because I wasn’t allowed to put on make-up or wear stiletto heels.

Of course, it is the parents who will ultimately be buying their children’s clothes, and thank good-ness most of them are steering clear of this particular clothing line. But Billy Ray Cyrus doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by his youngest daughter’s sense of fashion, and that’s what bothers me. Sometimes par-ents can be utterly clueless when it comes to picking out clothes that are cute or completely inappropriate.

We live in a world where little girls are taught that being over-sexed kindergarteners is the norm, and the more make-up the better. I was blown away by the news that a ten-year old would want to wear knee-high

leather boots and a strapless Minnie mouse dress for Hal-loween. On my tenth Hallow-een I glued cot-ton balls over a blue outfit and carried around a squirt gun while inform-ing people that I was part ly c loudy wi th a chance of rain. But now, society can’t let kids just be kids. Oh, how the times have changed.

By Grace AmicoSpartan Staff

So we are in the second semester of our school year and many of us are already waiting for the 2:35 bell to ring on June 16, 2010, signal-

ing either the last day of school or for the seniors, GRADUATION! But what many of us aren’t enjoying is all the construction that is going on in various parts of the campus. Students have to listen to the sounds of banging and drilling all day long, especially during class. I personally hear the drilling during my chem-istry class on the third floor. Now, the construction is irritating for many reasons. One is that it makes it hard to teach and hear one another with constant drilling going on. Keep in mind the human voice is only so loud, and beyond that there is not much that we can do to overcome the noise in terms of speaking.

Another reason the construction is a nuisance is because we have to move into completely new rooms in the middle of the year. This builds hassles of packing and unpacking as well as losing student work in the process. Recently Mr. Padilla, Mr. Harvey and Ms. Sos had to move to different rooms amidst the grade evaluations for the end of the first semester. It was hectic indeed, but fortunately there was a work day at the end of the semester to get the work done. Right after the teachers moved into their new rooms the construction started on their rooms and there went all the drilling and banging yet another time.

Now for the construction that has already been completed in various rooms on the second floor, I believe there are some serious drawbacks. One of the flaws is that they have turned perfectly good rooms into cramped spaces that are hard to move around in. For example, in Mr. William’s former room, room 217, there used to be space for all the desks and even space for Mr. Williams to keep his desk, and most importantly walking space. I discovered on Monday morning that all of this has changed and am very shocked about the results of the construction. Mr. Pa-dilla is currently using the room and there isn’t even

space for the desks in the room. For example in his 4th period English 4 class there are five students who either have to sit on standalone chairs or they have to sit on the couch in the back of the room. This is totally unacceptable because these students deserve to have desks like all of the other students. I am shocked that the administration and the school district didn’t think about all the logistics of the construction before taking it on. Mr. Williams’s room was perfectly fine the way it was and now it’s pretty tight. I find this unfair to teachers who spend their entire day teach-ing in classrooms and in return they are left with a room that is not conducive to teaching 35 + students. In the chemistry class, calls have to be made throughout the day downstairs to tell the workmen to stop their drilling. This is very disruptive when the teacher is in the middle of a lecture or the students are absorbed in a lab, worksheet or even test. If drilling is going on, this takes the students’ attention off of their work and gives the students and teacher a headache. Especially in an academic class, the information taught builds upon itself, so if there is noise and students can’t hear the teacher, they are at a major disadvantage. So why not either leave rooms that are perfectly fine the way they are, or if construction has to be done, do it when students are not in school and have it done before stu-dents return to school such as during summer vacation?

Yet another disadvantage is that the workmen close off many of the walkways to class, again on both the second and third floor. This makes students tardy to class and has the teacher upset at them at them for something that is not their fault. Once the students are late they end up missing valuable instructional time. As it is, the STEP program has cut class time by three minutes so the extra time lost by being tardy doesn’t help. I hope the administration puts some thought into this issue and plans future construction projects around the best interests of both students and teachers. This way, students are able to learn as well as get around in a more conducive environment.

Construction at LC Impacts Students and Staff By Krishna RajagopalanSpartan Staff

Most people find the advancement of tech-nology vital to society’s growth. In fact, it is usually the main area most people

judge when they acknowledge the development of society. Modern technology continues to progress at a quick and steady pace with no signs of slowing. Every year there is a mass production of new phones, televisions, iPods, and computers with exciting and abstract features. Consumption is at its peak due to these innovative gadgets and their convincing adver-tising. Almost everyone owns some form of the iPod, iTouch, or iPhone and relies on it for whatever it provides. We are a technology driven society always looking for the latest invention or improvement. So what happens when we become attached to our devices? We use them to communicate, listen to music, play games and eventually avoid people. It’s amusingly ironic how phones have changed from being able to help people communicate to being able to help people avoid each other. Companies have started making phones with more and more applications to distract us from the world around us. If you’re in the waiting room of a doctor’s

office and there’s another person sitting across from you, you’re more likely to reach for your phone instead of starting up a conversation. If you’re in an awkward situation with another per-son, what’s the easiest way to avoid basic com-munication? The answer is texting, pretending to text, playing a game on your phone or listening to your iPod. The social aspect of society has de-creased because of this obsession with technology. I’m not saying that everyone would quickly jump to their iPhone instead of having a friendly conversation. There are a lot of people that love to engage them-selves with the world, meet new people, etc. The point is that these new gadgets don’t help that cause at all. They keep us buried in our own little world of people that we already know and things that are close to us. We’re all victims of it at one point or another. I’ve used my phone countless times to distract myself from a hopeless encounter or awkward situation. It’s the easiest way to get out of an intensely uncomfort-able staring contest or end an unwanted conversation. Times are changing and technology is growing. We are a quick paced society and some-times we need to stop and start a conversation.

Is Technology Helping or Hurting Us?

By Erica MooreSpartan Staff

Photo From Google Images Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus dominate the minds of young girls with their music, and now their “clothing” line.

5 La Cañada High School

Love Messages

From: Austin Ken-

wood To: Jonathan Sullivan

I told you I would make one didn’t I?

From: Ben Brandley To: Emmet Hayes/KirkRoses are Red, Violets

are blue, you da man.

From: Pam BeesleyTo: Jim HalpertAll I want for Valen-tine’s is to prank Dwight

From: Molly DavisTo: Thalia GochezThalia Gochezzle,

you’re small and cute like a mini cup-

cake. I want to just eat

you up.

To: Jack Shumway

From: Sammy I love you! I love every moment we’re

together. I couldn’t ask for anything

more special than you.

From: M

To: J“Never opened myself this

way life is ours, we live it our

way all these words I don’t

just say and nothing else

matters”

Spartans, Happy

Valentine’s Day

To:

Michael Chung

From:

Ryan

To: Dr. Nicoli Jackson

You helped me realize

the Lakers are

Fakers

From: TylerTo: Joshua KimI loves you Josh kuss mich, that’s kiss me in German

From: Amarah and Thalia

To: Molly DavisI love you! You

smell good!

To: Margaret From: Anonymous If diamonds were green… your eyes would be

diamonds.

From: Andy PhamTo: Jessie KimIt started on 9/27Ever since then I’ve been in heaven

By Margaret Beesley and Margo Hartley

From: Kinley

Danger Winna-

man

If you were a bum in Silverlake, I

would give you a half box of

chocolate chip cookies. I

love you.

February 18, 2010

6 february 18, 2010 La Cañada High School

Features

Are You Ready for the Big One?

it.

According to scientists, California has over a 99% chance of expe-

riencing an earthquake with at least a magnitude of 6.7 within the next 30 years. A likelihood of quake of mag-nitude 7.5 or greater within the same time period is 46%. Although Californians are accustomed to earthquakes of lesser scales and occasional aftershocks, just how many people are prepared for such an impending quake? About every 6 in 10 Californians believe they are readily pre-pared or some-what prepared for a big earthquake. This means 40% of Californians are not properly prepared for an earthquake of such a size.

The world recently witnessed the drastic extent of damages that can occur because of an earthquake. Haiti recently experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that caused up to 50% of buildings to be destroyed and an estimated 100,000 people dead. Heavy items falling on top of people caused most deaths, but people are also dying from starvation and dehydration because of the low supply of food and water.

It is mandatory for Californians to prepare for “the Big One” and practice

safety precautions often. Some necessary steps to of preparation are: practice earthquake drills with your family, check if your insurance covers earthquake damage, take classes in First Aid and CPR, have two designated places your family can meet after the earthquake, and make an earthquake kit with basic food, shelter and water.

Mr. Traeger, the geology teacher at LCHS, g ives h i s s tuden t s an earthquake safety assignment in which they must work with their parents to check for potential hazards in their homes. They must find out about the structure of their home and figure out solutions to the hazards. “Most people in California don’t have ear thquake insurance,” says Traeger. So the best way to prevent losses is to bolt furniture and other belongings to your home.

Everyone must be ready if we do not want to ex-perience what the Haitians did last month. To prevent deaths and millions of dollars worth of destruction, Californians must learn the steps of earth-quake safety, which is more than just the “duck and cov-er” method taught in schools.

To: Rishi MenonFrom: Alex Rosen

All I wanna do. Rishi

Menon

To: Bub From: Mom I love you very much! You are awesome

To: Alexander Alequin

From: Claudia Alequin

Happy Valentine’s Day! I

love you so much!

To: Margo Hartley and Margaret Beesley From: Patrick MooreHappy Valentine’s Day beautiful girls!

Ryan Leeka Steps it Up

To: Samantha Alequin From: Claudia Alequin Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you so much!

To: Billy Platisa From: Bethy Grosch Billy you are the ketchup to my eggs.

To: AnonymousFrom: Anonymous You are as beautiful as the sea. I love you.

To: All of my students in Photo + Graphic Design From: Gayle Nicholls Ali Happy Valentine’s Day!

Photo by Ben Chon. Ryan Leeka posing at LACMA.

By Ben ChonBusiness Manager

When most people first meet Ryan Leeka, little fully realize what is truly behind his somewhat misleading exterior. Most don’t know that he is part Filipino, Ger-man, Scottish, and English. Most don’t know he has an incredible passion for music. Most don’t know that he is an excellent C-Walker, Crip or clown walking.. Most do know him as the “White guy that’s trying to be Asian.”

Born in Burbank, California in the year of 1993 on June 6th, the “nice and humorous,” as described by others, La Cañada High School junior goes beyond initial expectations, first and foremost with his inter-esting background. With a mother who is Filipino and a multicultural European father, Leeka surprises his first time acquaintances with the genes he has inherited. A phrase commonly heard when Leeka reveals this fact is “What? You’re Asian?” Though possibly offensive

to others, Ryan doesn’t seem to mind at all, particularly due to his laid-back and humorous personality.

In addition to his heritage, the junior also surprises others with his extracurricular activities. With a deep passion for music and beats, Ryan is an excellent member of the La Cañada High School drum line squad, hoping next year to be Captain. Practices may be long and demanding, but Ryan’s zeal for making beats keeps him going day in and day out. Leeka is also a dedicated member to the community, volunteering very often on the weekends and on breaks at a local hospital.

Leeka also is an excellent dancer, mainly practicing C-walking, a street dance in which one uses foot motions to create stylistic patterns. When he is not doing homework or watching Netflix delivered movies, Ryan creates videos of him C-Walking to edit and upload onto Youtube, gaining much praise from his peers, causing himself to jokingly ac-claim himself as “the most legit C-Walker to ever live.”

Personifying his chill attitude, Ryan fantasizes of becoming a “guy who makes serious bank while working in a cubicle.” In reality, however, Leeka desires to continue his video-editing skills and become a professional editor of videos, perhaps of television commercials.

So if you ever are walking down the hallways, noticing a multicultural junior practicing his drum beats, cracking some jokes to his buddies, or working on some C-Walking moves, say a few words. He could be the editor of the future commercials you will be watching.

California Has More Than a 99% Chance of a Big Earthquake Within 30 Years. Here are some tips on how you should prepare for

By Emily KimNews Editor

You would t h i n k t h e L a

C a ñ a d a B o y s ’ Vars i ty Soccer team was bound to lose at some point in league play, victimized by the monotony of a 10-game win streak. But the Spartans once again defied t h e f a t e s a n d cruised to victory.

La Cañada drew first blood in the 10th minute off a free kick, with senior defender Ryan Upton heading the ball in for his

first goal of the season. Several chances from both sides kept the g a m e i n t e r e s t i n g in the first half, but the Spartans kept their lead intact and dominated possession.

Continuing the trend of senior scoring was Malone Sheppard, who saw his cross into the box deflect off a Tiger defender and enter the goal for a 2-0 lead. When South Pasadena responded with a set

piece goal in the 67th minute, a trend of perfection was ended, and a trend of repetition was initiated. With the score at 2-1 for the second time in as many games between the two teams, remnants of past tensions arose to turn the game into a grudge match. “Before our last game against South Pas, they were talking trash on Facebook, saying they were going to take Cameron [Meeker] out,” said Upton. A sudden succession of cheap fouls sent yellow cards flying, with Meeker and a South Pas defender brought aside to cool tensions. What had started as a calm, cool and collected affair became ugly, with both coaches pleading the referee to call the game consistently. The final whistle came as a welcome relief to a game that had the potential to be much worse and more violent.

With three games remaining in league play, the Spartans have their eyes set on a championship that had been kept from them last season by their next opponent Monrovia. Although nobody is within two games of La Cañada(7-0 in league), one fan noted “it would be worth it to have a loss now so that the boys don’t go into the CIF playoffs too cocky.” Of course it’s hard for them not to be confident now, having conceded only two goals in league play and two games against winless Blair and a Temple City team that has allowed more goals than it’s scored.

7 February 18, 2010 La Cañada High School

Sports

I chose to interview Kate Hansen because she has done something which I believe is marvelous and unbeatable. Kate Hansen, currently a senior

at La Cañada High School is a junior Olympic gold medalist in the sport of Luging. Luging is a sport in which you race against a timer alongside other members of your team. In terms of the rules of the sport, the course you are on is timed, and the slider must leave from the start handles within a certain time frame once the track is declared to be clear. The slider is required to arrive at the finish line with the sled and in sliding position. As you can see this is certainly not an easy task to accomplish, and requires concentration along with good hand-e y e c o o r d i n a t i o n .Kate got interested in luging when she was 10 years old and decided to pursue her interest when she found out that there was a luge clinic in Long Beach CA. She went and tried out the clinic and found that they use essentially the same sleds that are used today, which was in her favor. Another reason she got into the sport of luging is because she would go down Alta Canyada Way lying on her skateboard which shares a striking resemblance to the sport of luging. Since that day she has come very far and her achievements speak for themselves about what a determined person Kate is. Kate is especially determined because as recently as last year Kate suffered a traumatic injury when she broke her back in three places while training with her fellow Olympians. Her trainer took a good look at the X-Rays and said that she was going to have to sit out until further notice. Kate was devastated when she found out because of her passion for the sport and the fact that she would have to sit at home while she watched her teammates race on TV. Fortunately Kate had a coping mechanism which was her surfboard and ukulele.Kate believes that her teammates contribute to her success in luging because once she became comfortable around them they became her second family. Friends can play a big role in one’s life especially when they are your motivation for you to be the best that you can be. Kate also gives

her mom credit because she is the one person who allowed Kate to travel to Europe with a group of people that she may not have met had she not been allowed to go. Moms are definitely important because they are the ones that hold your back whenever something goes wrong. As for Kate’s best luging experience she would

say that was when she was 15 and she won the Junior World Championships. At the time she was still young so she wasn’t sure what awaited her. Kate reports that luging has taken her to a myriad of places including Germany, Austria, Italy, and Norway. Her favorite place is Japan because she feels like it is her home since she is already around people that eat Japanese food. Kate’s toughest luging competition came when she barely missed the Olympic team. She reports that it was the toughest 3 months of her life because of the emotional pressure that she was under. Missing the Olympic team caused her both physical as well as emotional tension. It was even harder this time around because she couldn’t turn to her teammates for support since she was competing against them. Kate has definitely

learned to have a very high tolerance level because she has to eat, live and train with her teammates. If there was any room for disagreement or frustration, Kate had to exercise self-control. This is a very valuable life lesson for all of us because we may meet people who don’t do things the way we expect but nevertheless we have to learn to accept other people’s differences. Indeed this life experience has shaped her both physically as well as emotionally. Training for luging can indeed be a very daunting task from the most novice to the most experienced slider out there. In Kate’s case she is doing it so that she will be ready for a day of excitement, exhilaration, and achievement. Kate commented regarding luging compared to other winter sports and said, “It is the fastest sport on ice and can reach up to 90 mph.” I believe that Kate will go very far in life based on her recent and past achievements and most importantly her determination to strive to be the best that she can be in what she does. I wish the best of luck to Kate in her future pursuits and am sure that she will bring everyone at La Cañada High School a million dollar smile.

Hansen is Right on TrackBy Krishna RajagopalanSpartan Satff

A 2-1 win over South Pasadena sets the Spartans up for a decisive game against Monrovia.

Boys’ Soccer Remains Perfect in League

By Christophe LaBelleSpartan Staff

Alex DuVoisin lines himself for the free kick.Photo by Christophe LaBelle

Lady Spartans Lose 10-4By Christophe LaBelleSpartan Staff

Kate Hansen is excited about the success she has had in luging. Photo by Krishna Rajagopalan

Junior Cameron Meeker fights for position. Photo by Christophe LaBelle

Photo by Christophe LaBelleMalone Sheppard goes up for a header.

Many would consider getting off to a fast start an integral part of the process of winning a game. After two clutch goals

in the first minute and a half of the game from junior Rita Neat and senior Riley Kessler, the La Cañada Girls’ Varsity Water Polo team put Tigresses back on their heels, their undefeated Rio Hondo League record in the balance. But they struck back and never yielded, scoring four unanswered goals during the remainder of the first period.

With the momentum switching so quickly and Tiger Nation coming out in force, this nominal “road” game became another home game for South Pasadena. Shell-shocked by this sudden transformation, La Cañada conceded another three goals and lacked any offensive response. The players appeared frozen in time, unable to break away from their defenders. The winding shot clock, previously adding a dramatic touch to the first two goals, became a constant nuisance,

with time expiring during the majority of the Spartans’ possessions. The entire spectacle was so underwhelming that the clock malfunctioned, seeing no real purpose in the day’s game.

Hopes of a scoreless third period and a minor victory were dispelled by clock mismanagement. With La Cañada unable to identify the time remaining, an errant and early shot left enough time for the Tigresses to convert and increase the lead to 8-2.

Despite two goals in the fourth period from Neat and Harvard-bound Kessler, South Pasadena responded with another two goals, as if to say, “Anything you can do, I can do better.” As boys’ water polo player Kai Tang noted, “South Pas just outswam us.” In retrospect, it appears the Tigresses came into the game hungrier because the chance to clinch a league championship was in reach. Taking only forty minutes to defeat the Lady Spartans, South Pasadena methodically picked apart the defense and capitalized on every mistake.

Back PageSpartan

February 18, 2010

FOUR PLAY

To: Christian Dundee From: AnonymousYou’re hot xoxo.

To: JudyFrom: Harv I love you Sweetheart! You’ll always be my Valentine

To: Tyler Horswell From: Austin Kenwood Ten words maximum? But I have so much to say!

By Erica MooreSpartan Staff What did you do for

Valentine’s Day?Do you watch the Winter Olympics?

Are you planning on going to go to Backwards?

Sahar Moheize

Clara Johnson

Aram Bagramyan

Ryan Kaul

I went to San Diego with my family so I spent it with my mom and my brother.

Sunday, I ate a whole box of chocolates and got sick.

I took flowers to a very beautiful girl in the mountains.

I was in Sacramento for Youth and Government.

Yes, I like to watch the speed skating.

Yes, the figure skat-ing was beautiful. Though it was kind of depressing that the Americans tripped up.

No, I don’t really care.

No.

Yes, I have someone I’m going to ask.

I might wander in.

Yes.

If I get asked.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

To: Katie Rayburn From: Joe Torres

Hope that you get embarrassed because of this.

Skiing or Snowboarding?

LOVE MESSAGES

To: Estrella Sainberg From: Derick AbedianWill you be my Valentine?

To: Austin From: Tyler I love you. If you hurt me I won’t sue. I love you.

To: Sarah Price From: Señora Price Papá y yo estamos or gullosísimos de tí.