Cleveland High School February 12, 2010 Volume 73 , Issue 5 Graffiti mural repainted By Noor Tell Editor-in-chief Cleveland administrators made a decision to repaint the walls of Cleveland Teacher Kim Kosach’s room to cover artwork by three Cleveland students when Kosach requested students to decorate her room. According to Assistant Principal Robert Rakauskus, school policy mandates that any major alteration to a classrom must be approved in advance. He explained that while the students had submitted their design in advance, the final product did not match the original sketch. Juniors Diego Nunez and Eric Ramirez as well as Sophomore Eddie Moralez offered to paint Kosach’s room using a design with a graffiti theme based on the words, “consequence is no coincidence,” a phrase Kosach had used. “When she [Kosach] said the a distraction in the classroom,” Rakauskus said. “Other classes [like] adult school and after school college classes [would use the room].” Ramirez said it felt bad to see the time and effort he put into the mural wasted, but also understood that “whatever they [the administrators] want, goes.” “I can tell you that my room swiftly became very unpopular,” Kosach said. “Not everyone appreciates the type of art that had been demonstrated in my room.” “It is not that graffiti in itself is unacceptable, but it is gang related,” Rakauskus said. “Some people thought it had looked like the graffiti on campus.” While there were negative reactions to the artwork in Kosach’s room, Kosach said that there were also a lot of positive responses. The school has agreed to allow the students to submit a sketch again and repaint their INSIDE artwork on canvas. According to Kosach, they are still waiting for the guidelines. “It was a great project, but not in a permanent way,” Rakauskus said. “It may be on a poster, bulletin, or banner to pursue the same goals but in a way that is not a permanent alteration to the classroom.” Ramirez said the new mural will be something even better than the first one with more colors and a simpler design that everyone can read. Valentine’s Day Or Bust Opinions Page 2 Cavs Have Hope for Haiti: Youth In Action, Key Club, Earthbound, and Jooi Club host an event on the quad to raise money and collect donations for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Campus clubs fundraise for Haiti BY CALVIN RATANA Staff Writer photos courtesy of Kim Kosach words, it [the design] was already in my head,” Ramirez said. All three artists and Kosach were disappointed to learn of the adminstration’s decision. “It was like someone had shot their [the artists’] dog,” Kosach said. Rakauskus explained that the final product received a lot of negative feedback from various teachers and administrators. He said many believed the project was “not conducive to the academic environment.” “The final result would create photo by Noor Tell After news of the 7.0 January 12 Haiti earthquake hit Cleveland, several clubs on campus began lending a hand to raise money and collect donations for the relief effort. According to cnn.com, the quake has left at least 170,000 dead, with thousands more still buried under rubble. More than 200,000 remain wounded, and millions have been left homeless. Cleveland clubs, including Youth In Action, Key Club, Earthbound, and Jooi Club, have initated their own efforts to help the people of Haiti. They have been actively heading drives to gather medical supplies, food, shoes, and clothing to send to the devastated nation. The four clubs have joined together in an effort collect more supplies for Haiti in addition to their individual club fundraisers. “We don’t get a chance to change the world in big ways, but in small ones,” Youth In Action Co-President and Sophomore April Kim said. “We’re [club members] passionate about human rights, and I feel, as a human being, we’re all affected by their [the Haitians’] situation.” Coachella Guide Features Page 2 Thus far, Key Club, Earthbound and Jooi Club have teamed up to collect funds for Haiti at nutrition and lunch. According to Earthbound President and Junior Paula Kahn, the clubs have collected $300, which will be donated to Unicef. “The donation efforts have been going a lot better than expected,” Kahn said. “My living room is full of boxes with clothes, medical equipment, and other basic items that will be sent to Haiti.” Key Club and Jooi Club have also joined together to participate in an event for Soles 4 Souls, an organization that collects gently used or new shoes from students to donate to Haiti. At the end of the event, Key Club President and Junior Precious Nicanor counted 380 pairs of shoes collected from Key Club and Jooi Club. Nicanor says that she is pleased with the amount of donations of shoes and money. “Especially with the economy, some people may not be doing as well, but students are still donating on a daily basis,” Nicanor said. “To me the most important thing is that they [Cleveland students] care.” “Our club members are very sympathetic to the current natural disaster in Haiti,” Kahn said. “They are determined to help out.” Recently, Key Club held an ice skating fundraiser, which raised $110 according to Nicanor. Youth In Action is also selling peace bracelets for Haiti for two dollars each. “Even the smallest of donations help,” Youth In Action CoPresident and Junior Alisa Baik said. Youth in Action has created donation boxes, which they will place throughout Cleveland classrooms. Youth in Action and Key Club will also be holding fundraisers for Haiti from February 22 through February 25 through Menchies and Jamba Juice in Winnetka. In addition, Key Club plans on holding a Haiti benefit concert during early March, featuring YouTube artists such as the Aguilar Brothers, Joseph Vincent, Cathy Nguyen, and Jr. Aquino. “I feel like I am obligated to help out others in need,” Nicanor said. “I like the feeling that even though my effort doesn’t make a big difference, it still makes a positive difference in someone’s life.” Arsenic And Old Lace Review Entertainment Page 4 2 Le Sabre Features & Opinions February 12, 2010 Sweets for your sweetie: Fudge BY JOLENA COLLAS Staff Writer Instructions for making the perfect treat for your valentine. Dark Chocolate Section: 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup sweetened condensed milk Dash of salt White Chocolate Section: 2 1/2 cups white chocolate chips 1 cup sweetened condensed milk Dash of salt Other Materials: Aluminum foil conversation hearts mini cupcake cups Red cellophane wrap Red, pink, or white ribbon Dark Chocolate Section: Prepare 8 inch square pan lined with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with any non-stick spray. In a microwave safe bowl, combine ingredients and microwave on high in 20 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. At these intervals check the chocolate and stir it well. Quickly spread the mixture into the pan and even it out with a spatula White Chocolate Section: Heat the white chocolate the same way as the dark chocolate on high in 20 second intervals. Once finished, arrange on the dark chocolate layer in horizontal stripes. After, take a toothpick and drag the stripes in a vertical fashion. This technique will create a marbled look. While the fudge is still warm, score the chocolate into one inch squares. You can decorate them however you wish. Conversation hearts on each square can be made. Chill the fudge for two hours or until cool. Then cut the fudge with a large knife. Put around five or six pieces on a small sheet of cellophane. Gather the excess cellophane and tie it with a ribbon. You can add a cute note to this lovely gift for an adorable valentine. photo illustration by Eric Tran Rocking with Coachella BY DAVID KIM AND JONATHAN SO Staff Writers The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is the ultimate gathering of indie musicians. The festival is a three day concert that begins April 16 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA. The desert event has a reputation for showcasing artists on the comeback trail. No love, no more BY DANIEL KOO Buisiness Manager Valentine’s Day: a day filled with happiness, hearts, arrowshooting cupids, and pink just about everywhere. Men go insane trying to pick out that perfect diamond (or pearls for the financially inadequate) and many women who have ‘valentines’ expect much from their lovers. Hallmark has a field day, but so does Haagen Dazs. Amidst this bubbly aura, many are blind to fact that Valentine’s Day has more cons than pros. First of all, the meaning of Valentine’s Day has taken a huge turn especially in this century. February 14 should be a day where people should show their love and affection for their significant others. But nowadays, it has become a time for measuring one’s love by the amount of money spent on gifts. This reporter has a good friend who was dumped by his girlfriend because she was angry that he hadn’t gotten her the earrings she wanted. Since when did love and mutual trust become affiliated with one’s willingness to spend huge amounts of cash? Immense amounts of pressure are placed upon people during the days that lead up to Valentine’s Day. Individuals don’t want to spend little and appear cheap in the eyes of their lovers, but they also know the limits of their piggy banks. Relationships are often placed on thin ice on this day. The ugly truth is that there are people there be one day that is singled out during the year to show affection and devotion to a significant other? If a person really does have passionate feelings towards another, he will demonstrate this love every day. Valentine’s Day almost serves as a safety net for many individuals, especially men. By giving their loved one chocolate and flowers, many believe that, for awhile, they can slack off in regards to demonstrating their love for their partner. For example, a man that forgot about his wife’s anniversary believes that he can correct his mistake by getting her a photo illustration by Holland Mervis huge and expensive gift on Valentine’s Day. who feel that their partner doesn’t With all this said, there’s love them because of the apparent nothing wrong with showing a lack of “thought” placed into the nice gesture every once in awhile. gift. And who can forget about But unfortunately, Valentine’s the jealousy that arises when you Day has placed a monetary valstart to compare your Valentine’s ue on love. A simple solution: a Day gift with what your friend re- small, thoughtful act that is done ceived from his/her lover? every day can have so much more Building on this, why should meaning. The lineup this year is packed with tons of artists, including bigtime artist Jay-Z. He is headlining the opening night on Friday, April 16th. Saturday night, April 17th, will be headlined by Muse, Faith No More, DJs Tiesto, David Guetta, MGMT, Hot Chip and Jack White’s The Dead Weather. Sundays, April 18th’s, concert will close with Gorillaz, Yorke, Spoon, Parisian electronic rockers Phoenix and dance veterans Orbital. The show begins at 11:00 AM and ends at midnight throughout the weekend. The box-office opens at 8:00 AM from Friday to Sunday and requires matching I.D. to pick up tickets. The lineup and set times are subject to change, and the show continues despite rain or shine. Parking during the day is free, but only onsite campers are allowed overnight parking. Everyone is subject to search upon entry. There will be food/beverage and other items sold at the venue, accepting cash only. One can either camp out on the grounds after getting a pass and verification for their respective areas, or one can reserve a room at a hotel near the grounds. All in all, Coachella is the place to be for indie music enthusiasts. All fans should definitely make time to make it there for at least one day, if not all three. Letter to the Editor Re: ‘Dust piles up as custodians dwindle’ November Issue Hung Dang’s ‘Dust piles up as custodians dwindle’ article should be regarded as the wakeup call we all need at Cleveland. Custodians are not paid to pick up the garbage of the entire student body. Many a time I’ve walked past the quad to find the cement slathered with food and wrappers. We’re all (generally) mature students who are certainly intelligent enough to figure out that trash goes in the can. It’s not too difficult to get up and walk your leftovers to the nearest bin before you go to class. There are so many cans around campus, it’s almost impossible to not be compelled to throw away what’s yours so someone else doesn’t have to. This is a problem that should not need to be addressed, especially since the district is so low on extra help. The custodians have ample work to do around school to keep it running and definitely don’t have the time nor will to play pick-up after children who aren’t responsible enough to keep it clean. Our campus reflects our pride for the Land. How proud are you? - Anonymous Corrections Corrections for ‘Youth stand up against truancy tickets’ in the December issue - It’s is a 250 dollar fine and community service for truancy tickets. - The students receive a fine, but they are not arrested. - Community Rights Campaign is working for a moratorium on tickets as they explore alternatives to ticketing. - Tamar Galatzan withdrew her support for LaBonge’s motion to expand the Municipal code to include ticketing students inside school premises. - The Community Rights Campaign is fighting zero tolerance policies and the increasing reliance on school police to handle discipline issues that target students of color or students with disabilities. Editor in Chief: Noor Tell Managing Editor: Judy Kim Copy Editor: Mery Hounanian News Editor: Jillian Goodman Opinions Editor: Haemin Jee Features Editor: Wendy Mao Entertainment Editor: Ingrid Kwon Sports Editor: Kristie Shu Production Manager: Amanda Silver Business Manager: Daniel Koo Advertising Manager: Amna Waheed Photo Editor: Katherine Zhang Photoshop Editors: Holland Mervis and Eric Tran Online Editor: Sara Grossman Le Sabre is published by the Advanced Journalism class at: Grover Cleveland High, Room D-2, 8140 Vanalden Avenue, Reseda, CA 91335. Telephone: (818) 885-2300 ext. 3648; Fax: (818) 727-0964. The newspaper is desktop published by the students and printed by American Foothill Publishing. Subscriptions are $20/year. Cleveland is a LEARN school accredited through 2012 and a California Distinguished School. Letters and guest articles are encouraged. As the staff of Le Sabre, we strive to objectively cover the entire Cleveland High School community, including all small learning communities and the diverse interests of the student body, faculty, and surrounding neighborhoods. We aim to engage and involve the student body by providing accurate information while upholding the highest standards of journalistic ethics. Staff: Tara Atrian, Haylee-rae Averill, Isabelle Bolla, Young Cha, Jolena Collas, Alex Hernandez, Chandler Hudson, Lucia Hwang, David Kim, Alex Lee, Allison Li, Jenny Luong, Sandy Mayen, Calvin Ratana, Jeila Saidi, Armand Saroghlanian, Jonathan So Staff Photographer: Haig Nalbandian Adviser: Coleen Bondy Le Sabre February 12, 2010 Valentine’s Day To my dear Muffin Rocket: Thank you for making the past year of my life the best yet. Are you sure I can buy you a rooster? - Pound Cake Skillet and Bebot, ‘Ello loves! Just wanted to say happy Valentine’s Day! Both of you are amazing leaders and are both such an inspiration in my life. I love you girls! -Bea Hey Briana, Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope I make your day very special and one you’ll never forget. CALLING ALL Dear Prudence: I want to hold your hand. With a little help from my friend, we can work it out. Girl, when I’m sixty-four tell me why, with words of love, you really got a hold on me. Tomorrow never knows so let it be. I was a nowhere man, ‘till there was you in my life. I’m happy just to dance with you here, there, and everywhere any time at all. Don’t ever change. Hallelujah, I love you so eight days a week. Always and forever, Aardvark P.S. I love you. VOICE BOX Q: What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? “Buy something special for a girl.” - Senior Brandon McLinn “I’m going to see Fences at the South Coast performance arts center with the BF.” - Teacher Rebecca Williams “Spend some quality time with my hubby.” - Junior Sharon Kwak “Why bother? It’s a made-up holiday.” - Freshman Sarah Rodriguez 3 ! VOTE FOR THE NEXT YEAR’S SCHOOL CALENDAR ON FEBRUARY 16 & 17 DURING NUTRITION AND LUNCH NEAR THE STUDENT STORE. The is to determine if we should change the calendar to begin on August 17 and end the school year during the first week of June. *You must have a current CHS ID to vote. WANT THE LOW-DOWN ON THE LAND? Check out the latest news, sports, entertainment. videos, blogs, and photos on www.lesabreonline.com Le Sabre February 12, 2010 Be ‘Generes’ with your music BY DANIEL KOO Business Manager When that DJ turns on those tunes at “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” you can expect the host to be movin’ and groovin’ to the beat. Now she is giving the public a chance to introduce her to new genres of music. Known to have a passion for music, DeGeneres announced that she will be accepting requests from all over the world. From Chile to Turkey to Australia, fans of DeGeneres offered their own international music suggestions. After looking at the website and the thousands of responses posted, it was easy to see that the majority of the requests had suggestions related to Korean Pop, Kpop, music. The one group whose fans swamped the website with requests was Dong Bang Shin Ki, DBSK, also known as TVXQ. Truly a group for all kinds of people, this experienced quintet that debuted in South Korea in 2003 has truly taken Asia by storm this last decade. Their music ranges from hip hop, electronica, to acapella. Other excellent KPop groups that also frequently turned up on DeGeneres’ site were Big brought up on the website. Tokio Hotel, a German rock band, have been gaining popularity in Western Europe and they too touch base on various music genres like punk, alternative, and pop rock. Another band that came up was Sigur Ros, a group that is admired because of their relaxing and touching flow of their music. Lastly, Ahmir, an AfricanAmerican quartet whose music would fall under both pop and gospel, was suggested. Ahmir began recording songs on Youtube, one of today’s best free advertisers through which many groups find their roots through the internet community, and peaked the interest of DeGeneres’ viewers. Music comes from all corners of the world, and there is always something new that can apphoto illustration by Eric Tran peal to one’s musical taste buds. Don’t forget to share your Bang, 2NE1, and SS501. Although the suggestions own tunes with DeGeneres since were mainly composed of Kpop, she might be dancing to someother equally fantastic artists were thing on your playlist. Smooth tunes for Valentine’s Day “Elevator Love Letter” by Stars “Somersault (Danger Mouse remix)” by Zeroes feat. MF Doom “Waters of March” by Anya Marina “She’s Got You High” by Mumm-Ra “Romantic Comedy” by Stars “Heart Skipped A Beat” by The XX “Real Love” by Regina Spektor “This Modern Love” by Bloc Party “VCR” by The XX Quirky humor slays audience at ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ BY HAEMIN JEE Opinions Editor Cleveland High School’s own Drama Department put on a performance of “Arsenic and Old Lace” on January 30, but nothing was poisonous about it. Directed by Drama Teacher Bennett Berkowitz, the play was a success, in part due to a splendid pair of actresses, Seniors Skylar Evans and Jessica Patterson. They were able to portray a pair of eccentric but kind spinster sisters, Martha and Abby Brewster so easily and nonchalantly that the characters seemed to fairly spring with life. The only uncouth thing about the aunts is well, a habit that kills. Literally. But you cannot help but love the pair, despite their murderous hobby of poisoning lonely old men that they believe will be better off in the afterlife. The topic should be gruesome, but murder has never been so hilarious. Maybe it appeals to us because we all have the one black sheep in our family. This is a family of black sheep. Although this production could have potentially been a disaster without the right comic timing, the cast succeeds in making this a believable performance. There were few awkward pauses and missed lines, but not enough to be noticed by most of the audience. Senior Iain Lampert, as Mortimer, the nephew of the two quirky aunts, provides just the right amount of comic indignity as he tries without much success to try and take care of his aunt’s problems (murders). Unfortunately, the rest of the cast does not quite live up to the talent of Evans, Patterson, and Lampert, but they still have their moments. Especially surprising was Sophomore Evan Lowell’s performance of Dr. Einstein. Although the German accent was a bit too heavy at times, it still provided good laughs for the audience. This performance was just another piece of evidence to support the importance of arts education at public high schools. Hopefully, with this great effort by Cleveland students, drama and theatre will continue to be an important part of the culture on campus. “Arsenic and Old Lace” was just the right dose of drama for one night. Entertainment & Sports 4 Player Bio BASKETBALL Name: Jason Johnson Jr. Birthday: April 16, 1992 Height: 6’2” Position: Small guard Favorite TV show: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Favorite color: Red Favorite subject: English Favorite high school moment: Game-winning shot against Reseda last year Dream car: Corvette Plans after high school: Play college basketball Favorite song: ‘Remember the time’ by Michael Jackson Favorite movie: Friday “I can’t live without... my phone.” Favorite pick up line: “Hey girl, you know karate? Cause your body’s kicking.”