Students turn out for WHS back-to-school dance

October 3, 2008
Woodbridge High School
Issue 1
Students turn out for WHS back-to-school dance
photo by Doug Isa
Some people prefer jelly but these students prefer to jam. Warrior girls and boys before heading to the school gym for back-to-school dance.
Warrior Dome is transformed into dance hall,
houses four DJs, bounce houses, and mechanical
bull.
by Christy Leung
J
Copy Editor
ersey Jam, a Woodbridge High back-to-school tradition, took place
on Saturday, Sept. 27 and welcomed a large turnout of new and
returning Warriors.
“I looked forward to the dance since school started,” said senior
Audrey Ha. “I wasn’t able to go last year, and it was a bummer because
I heard that it was a lot of fun.”
This year’s dance was structured similarly to last year’s. For those
who didn’t wish to dance, there was a mechanical bull and moon bounce
obstacle courses situated in the small gym.
For those who did want to get their groove on, they were able to do it
in the Warrior Dome where a group of four DJs arranged along a square
platform played a mix of familiar billboard hits that students wasted no
opportunity to sing along to.
“I enjoyed the music, especially the hip hop and the rap songs,” Katie
Yax. “It was a lot of fun and easy to dance to, but I heard there were a lot
of complaints that there was too much techno music.”
Clusters of dancers seemed to have grouped themselves together by
graduating class, with the spirited senior class clad in traditional work-out
wear dancing together in the back area of the gym.
Some shared the DJ stage and transformed it into an elevated dance
floor close to the speakers and in clear view of fellow dancers below.
Security official Nadine West patrolled the gym with a flashlight between dancers to make sure students kept their moves appropriate.
Following the warnings received for misbehavior at the recent fall sports
Pep Rally, students were careful to keep it clean and adhere to administrations’ rules for the evening.
"I think that people were on their best behavior, especially when we were
getting checked before going into the gym," said senior Kari Secard.
Many Warriors custom designed their jersey specifically for the dance,
bearing the year of their graduation and a nickname on the back or the
word “Senior” or “Junior” on the front.
“Making our jerseys was part of the fun of the whole dance,” senior
Banu Naraghi said. “It’s just one of those things you do with your friends
and as a senior it’s one of the dances you definitely can’t miss out on. I'm
glad I went, it was banging.”
2
October 3, 2008
Golden Arrow
News
Community members protest against Propostition 8
Woodbridge students
and Irvine residents particite in nationwide visibility event
by Maryam Shamlou
O
Editor-in-Chief
n Saturday, Sept. 20 the Irvine
United Congregational Church
hosted a march in concurrence with
the nationwide “7 Straight Nights for
Equal Rights” campaign, highlighting
the efforts of straight Americans in
support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender rights.
“We think that equal rights are human rights,” march organizer Felicity
Figueroa said on the church’s stance
against Proposition 8. “It’s a question
of fairness.”
The march began at the United
Congregational Church (UCC) and
ended at the corner of Culver and
Alton, where marchers held vigil-lighting candles and waving signs that
donned slogans which asked passing
drivers to “Honk for equal rights”.
While similar events took place
throughout the country beginning
on Sept. 14, the 7 Straight Nights
Campaign holds a special significance in California, where the issue
of gay rights will be on the ballot as
Proposition 8 attempts to change the
wording of the state Constitution to
define marriage as strictly between a
man and a woman.
Andrew Figueroa, Felicity’s son
and a junior at Woodbridge High,
attended and helped rally additional
support by inviting fellow students
to the event.
One such student was sophomore
Matt Budgell who, despite being
far from voting age, decided to act
on his opposition to Proposition 8.
“The decisions people who are able
to vote make will affect us,” Budgell
said.
Coincidentally, the march took
place at the same time as the WHS
Cross Country Invitational that hosted
207 schools and provided a larger
audience to view the march, which
was promoted online as a visibility
Youth Action Team to hold annual
Band Aide
Local musicians perform,
raise awareness against
drunk driving.
by Emily Hartstein
C
Back Page Editor
oming up on Oct. 10, Heritage
Park Community Center will be
hosting its annual Band Aide benefit
concert. This year they will showcase
numerous bands, some of which have
recently been featured on MTV’S
the Hills and radio station favorite,
KROQ.
Spending your Friday night enjoying the sounds of bands like “The
Bolts” and “Narwhal” is worth the
effort and money, as the $6 entrance
fee goes directly to benefit Music
vs. Drunk Driving, an organization
focused on minimizing the amount of
drunk drivers on the road. If $6 is too
much of a strain on your wallet during
these times of deep economic hardship,
do not fret. Bring in two aluminum
beverage cans and be rewarded with
the slashed entrance price of only
$5.
Band Aide 08 is sure to deliver
with the eclectic line up of local musicians. Members of the band formerly
known as “Rufio & Over It” have
come together in their newest project,
“RunnerRunner”. Other groups to
be anticipated are “After the Arson”,
“Kathystar”, and “Gabriel and Gabe”.
Students from all corners of Irvine will
band together over the melodic tunes.
Plenty of entertainment and room for
socializing will be available, like an
outdoor patio for a mellower scene.
Don’t forget to keep the tenth open
and prepare for a toe tapping, head
banging, charitable experience that
will absolutely be the highlight of this
memorable October weekend.
photo by Maryam Shamlou
Seven straight nights Junior Andrew Figuero recruits school mate James
Anderson to join church mailing list.
event on sevenstraightnights.org.
“We are really happy about the
turnout,” Figueroa said, commenting
on the number of church members
and Irvine residents that attended.
“There are many churches that
have become more progressive,”
Andrew Figueroa said. “As a church
we emphasize more than anything the
message of ‘Love thy neighbor’.”
Woodbridge Class of 2012 elect classmates to Class Council Positions
carly Bales
kathy Cheng
nadav Hollander
Nicoloe Lee
Derek Isa
Rachel Lee
Yume Nishi
“
katrina Sly
Chris Taniguchi
Laura Werdermen
The election
was kind of
chaotic, but it
was fun.
”
– Morgan Rupard
WHS Freshman
4
Features
October 3, 2008
Golden Arrow
Issue 1
photo by Katie Yax
funny faces New Woodbridge Live co-anchors Meenakshi Mukherjee and Matt Hisamoto bring a charismatic energy to WHS's television screens every Thursday during tutorial.
What lies behind the talking heads of WB Live
by Kari Secard
Features Editor
 New anchors Hisamoto and Mukherjee, in
addition to a revamped
production crew, give
Woodbridge Live a fresh
vibe.
IT!” is Woodbridge
“M uROLL
Live co-anchor Meenakshi
k h e r j e e ’s f a v o r i t e n e w
catchphrase and it is a fitting
one indeed as the Woodbridge
Live team is “rolling” out a
new season.
W h i l e Wo o d b r i d g e L i v e
may appear to be a simple production process due in large
part to the anchors’ relaxed
on-air personas, a lot more
goes into it than Mukherjee
and co-anchor Matt Hisamoto let on. Though the episodes
air weekly during Thursday
tutorials, the process of putting the show together starts
much earlier. In fact, it started
last June.
At the end of the last school
year, the Film-Ed crew interviewed several incoming
seniors for the co-anchor
positions.
“I didn’t think I was going
to do it because the tryouts
were the same day as my
Econ final,” Mukherjee proclaimed, “but I went anyway.
I ended up getting a "C" in
Econ, but it was worth it.”
Indeed it was worth it. “
Yeah, it's a lot
of work, and
we have to stay
after school
a lot, but it is
really fun.
”
– Kate Shea
Though Mukherjee's Econ
grade suffered, that C paled in
comparison to her postition of
Woodbridge Live co-anchor.
Film-Ed selected Mukherjee
and Hisamoto after a series
of auditions and screen tests
in which potential candidates
were paired up and asked to
display their talents under
pressure. One of the most
challenging tasks for those
up for the anchor positions
was the ablity to act cool and
unfazed while reading the
teleprompter.
Though the two charismatic seniors look to have a
promising and comedic year
ahead, they do have some
tough shoes to fill, as last
year's anchors left quite an
impression.
“I can’t live up to Marissa
Witter, but I sure can try,”
Mukherjee stated.
She continues by clarifying that Sam Michaels and
Witter set the bar pretty high
for all anchors to come after
them, but she hopes that she
and Hisamoto will be able
to leave their own legacy as
Witter and Michaels have.
Wo o d b r i d g e L i v e i s n o t
simply just about the anchors
that you see on your television screens, however. There
is an entire team that works
together behind-the-scenes
to put on the best show possible.
Juniors Lina Khan and Peter Klemek and senior Kat
Shea are the main producers
of the show, though they receive substantial assistance
from the Film-Ed class – a
support system which they
have often not utilized in the
past.
“Having some of the really skilled students from
Film-Ed participate, such as
Josh Murray and Andrew
DeBoer, has been really helpful,” Shea explained.
Murray, DeBoer, and others help out with various
activities, particularly filming various school events.
The Woodbridge Live crew
cannot possibly make it to
every event at Woodbridge
and off-campus, so they are
really appreciative of the help
they receive.
The assistance of some of
the Film-Ed students is not
the only relatively new aspect to Woodbridge Live this
year. Khan, who has been interested in film since before
she came to Woodbridge from
Chicago her sophomore year,
described the teamwork of the
new production staff.
“This year is different in
that Kat, Peter and I decided
to share the writing, produc-
ing, and editing responsibilities equally, rather than
having one person in charge
of everything.”
The teamwork and dedication of this staff is evident
as Klemek depicts the typical
week of getting the episode
together.
“The process pretty much
begins on Monday, getting
ideas for the episode together,
before we film on Tuesdays.
We also have to film the video
segments and spend a lot of
time editing. Film-Ed gets
a lot of the taping of sports
done, so that’s really convenient for us and really cool
of them to do for us.”
“Yeah, it’s a lot of work,”
Shea adds, “and we have to
stay after school a lot, but it
is really fun.”
Shea appears completely
believable when she says that
the production crew actually
enjoys what they are doing,
as each of their faces light
up as they talk about their
work. Their experiences
with Woodbridge Live and
the Film-Ed program here at
Woodbridge have given them
inspiration to perhaps pursue
film-related careers.
Although each episode of
Woodbridge Live lasts only
about 15 minutes, hours of
work goes into the process.
So show them that their efforts are worth it and that they
are doing an awesome job by
instructing your teachers to
tune into Woodbridge Live
on channel 24 every Thursday
in tutorial.
Golden Arrow
October 3, 2008
Features
5
Junior Classical League attends convention in Ohio
by Maryam Shamlou
Editor-in-Chief
 JCL shows up strong
at National Latin Convention, as Senior Quinn
Stewart earns national
position.
D
uring the week of July, 16
students from the Woodbridge
High School Junior Classical
League (JCL) competed at Miami
University in Oxford, Ohio for the
annual National Latin Convention.
“A highlight of the trip was having
the opportunity to represent Woodbridge,” senior and JCL president
Quinn Stewart said. “I feel I’m in
an amazing group of other Woodbridge students who feel the same
way as I do, that I’m in a group of
people with just as much passion
for the organization.”
16 of the almost 200 members
of Woodbridge’s JCL club joined
students of other California schools
to form the united 62-student delegation representing California at
the national convention. Before
reaching Ohio, students took part in
a pre-convention trip, taking a train
from Orange County to Chicago,
followed by a drive to Indiana.
The trip was part of a California
tradition to allow the students an
opportunity to bond and overcome
the challenge the state encounters
for being so large.
The week consisted of several
academic and creative art competitions, putting each of the 34
participating states’ JCL members
against each other in contests that
included tests in grammar, history,
derivatives, literature, dramatic
interpretation, Latin oratory, and
essay writing. The theme, selected
at the end of last year’s convention,
was “non nobis solum nati sumus”
which translates to “we are not born
for ourselves alone”.
A popular element of the Conven-
tion was the certamen competition,
a Jeopardy-style buzzer game that
is the cultural sport of the JCL.
Despite being competitive, the
atmosphere at the National Convention was first and foremost friendly,
as the 1500 students attending were
all there for the same reason: a common zeal for all things Latin.
“It’s almost silly not to take
advantage of that atmosphere,”
Stewart said. “They don’t need to
give you an incentive to mingle. I
like to try and meet as many new
people as I can.”
After an extensive process based
on the Roman parliamentary procedure that consists of a nominations
committee and a required speech
given in front of the entire convention, Stewart was elected NJCL
Secretary, making her the second
Woodbridge student to hold a position as a national advisor.
“It was something I worked very
hard on over the summer, to come
up with a speech with general appeal
for an audience of 1500 people.”
photo by Kara Hericks
State pride The California delegation
dressed up as pilgrims and Native Americans
for the Spirit event.
Last year Noah Young became the
first WHS student to hold a national
position as Technology Coordinator.
“The entire week is a constant
reminder of why [JCL] has been so
great a part of my high school life,”
Stewart said.
JCL will remain active throughout
the school year participating in both
local and state events. Stewart will
spend three days at the University
of California, Davis to help plan
Sophomore student wins large cash prize in graphic novel contest
by Maryam Shamlou
Editor-in-Chief
"The Guardians" wins
first place in an online
competition.
A
lyssa Hansen could have spent
her summer before sophomore
year lounging and reading graphic
novels, but instead she decided to
make her own. Doing so made her
worthy of a Golden Arrow feature
and $10 thousand richer.
“The money is mine to spend on
anything really, but most of it will be
part of my savings for college,” she
said. “But it would be fun to splurge;
maybe get a new computer.”
“It just came up,” Hansen said
about coming across the contest.
Her motivation to create an original
graphic novel came in the form of
an Internet advertisement on bkfk.
com, a website dedicated to providing young people with an avenue to
explore their creativity.
Upon submission, Hansen’s
graphic novel was reviewed along
with thousands of other submissions from across the country. From
there, the competition was narrowed
down to 20 submissions until five
were selected, posted online, and
left open to public voting by the
website’s visitors.
“I had to try and work everyday,”
Hansen said. “It was challenging, but definitely worth it in the
end.”
Hansen’s graphic novel, The
Guardians, was inspired by the
Woodbridge High School color
guard team, of which she is a member. Though the contest required the
story be fictional, the characters
in the novel are reminiscent of her
teammates as well as her coaches
including familiar WHS staff members Christine Haley and Brad
Harris.
Unlike most superheroes, the
strength of the heroines of The
Guardians comes from their confidence, teamwork and intellect.
Hansen’s story is a testament to
admirable qualities found in young
people and to her love for the Woodbridge color guard team.
Despite the allure of the $10
thousand prize, Hansen, who has
always enjoyed writing, was driven
by more than the money.
“$10 thousand is always a good
incentive, but I just wanted to do
it for fun and try something new.”
Hansen had explored creative
writing in the past, but the bkfk.com
contest gave her the opportunity to
try her hand at the artistic and technological aspects of graphic novels.
The original artwork accompanying her story was “digitalized” to
photo by Katie Yax
$10,000 Richer Alyssa
Hansen won the money for her
grpahvic novel submission.
achieve the a typical graphic artsy
look with the use of Photoshop.
Working with the program got
Hansen into graphic design and
the digital arts.
In November, as a part of her
prize package, Hansen will take a
trip to New York where
she will visit Pearson publishing
and claim her cash prize.
6 October 3, 2008
Features
Golden Arrow
The Woodbridge High School class of 2012 has arrived
by Emily Hartstein
Back Page Editor
 Freshmen reflect upon
their first month here at
Woodbridge High - from
going off-campus at lunch
to walking the hallways
with oh-so-sophisticated
seniores.
A
diva by the name of Whitney
Houstononce proclaimed,
“the children are our future; teach
them well and let them lead the
way.” Woodbridge High School’s
freshmen class has delved into
the first month of the high school
experience bringing with them
new perspectives and fresh faces
to this humble abode.
The beginning of high school
can be very nerve-racking, as
freshmen do not know what to
expect from an entirely new at-
mosphere in which 18-year-old
veteran students coexist with
those just reaching their prime
teenage years.
What is the overall impression of Woodbridge High School
so far according to the youngest
students? It certainly is different for everyone, but freshman
Daniel Ten Bosch is already feeling that “there’s so much more
freedom.” Compared to middle
school, Ten Bosch is absolutely
correct. With the option of going
off campus for lunch and being
able to choose one’s own activities and sports, one can’t help but
to feel more independent. By
senior year, for many students
going off campus has lost the
excitement it had when students
were first allowed to leave the
enclaves of Woodbridge High as
freshmen and would walk in mass
to Starbucks or Las Fajitas like
they owned Culver and Alton. Going off campus is one of Michael
Hisamoto’s favorite aspects of
WHS, frequently hitting up the
nearby Tapioca Express. After
a long day filled with classes
including theater and freshmen
science with teacher William
Bell, Hisamoto is drawn to the
chicken and boba.
Many students would argue
that the best way to make the
most of one’s time in high school
is to get involved. It’s really a
simple concept: the more activities a student chooses to partake
in, the more people that student
will meet with similar interests,
thus the more opportunities for
making friends and having a good
time. Daniel Toberty and Ten
Bosch are members of the WHS
cross country team for their first
year. The two both used to play
soccer, so branching out into
cross country is not too much of
a stretch for them.
The traditional ridiculing and
public mockery of freshmen is
one thing the class of `12 would
rather do without. While some
people may have gotten a few
kicks out of the water ballooning
shenanigans, it’s dirt off of the
freshmen’s shoulders and they
are not shaken. To throw it back
to Ms. Houston, “Show them all
photo by Katie Yax
New kids on the block Michael
Hisamoto, Daniel Ten Bosch, and Daniel
Toberty survived their first month at WHS.
the beauty they possess inside,
and let the children’s laughter
remind us how we used to be.”
Secretly all students have a small
part of them that wants to be
back in their first year when the
biggest fish they had to fry was
in no way connected to getting
into college, but instead, whether
they made it back from lunch in
time for fifth period. It is 2012’s
time to find themselves, and these
freshies seem to be doing just
fine in becoming a presence in
the hallways.
Veggie Grill delights both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike
by Banu Naraghi
Ad Manager
 The restaurant of-
fers a healthy meatfree sandwiches and
burgers.
L
iving in a country that is
consumed with buying cheap,
unhealthy fast food, it is comforting to know that there is an
alternative- Veggie Grill- a casual
eatery near UCI (4213 Campus
Dr.) which caters to those looking
for that healthy option.
The name may be a turn off to
meat lovers, but they should not
worry: while Veggie Grill’s are
meals strictly vegan (containing
no animal products of any kind),
they are definitely hearty and filling. I was at first skeptical because
I am in no way a vegetarian, nor
do I plan on becoming one. I was
surprised to see how the menu was
very diverse and offered me many
choices ranging from a Chipotle
BBQ sandwich with veggie steak
to their famous V Burger. My
personal favorite is the Santa Fe
Crispy Chicken sandwich with
its southwestern spiced vegan
mayo spread. The sandwiches
come with a side of coleslaw or
their famous Sweetheart Fries.
These fries are different than the
greasy fries people are used to
at their typical fast food place.
They are fries-baked, not fried,
made of sweet potatoes that are
served with a special to-die-for
chipotle ranch sauce. The chicken
and veggie steak served here is
specially seasoned and marinated
in veggie protein blends, which
tastes phenomenal.
None of the sandwiches at Veggie Grill contains animal products,
trans-fats, or any other harmful
ingredients that are present in
many of the normal fast food
options. You can tell the difference between Veggie Grill and
your normal burger joint from the
moment you walk in. The atmosphere is a breath of fresh air-the
brown and green color-scheme
emphasizes the theme of health
and nature, and from the outside,
the restaurant definitely looks
appealing.
Choosing to eat at Veggie Grill
made me feel healthier, like I was
making a better choice for my
body. The temptation to eat the
fatty fast foods is high in this day
in age, but knowing that there is
a place like this near by makes
things a lot easier. Veggie Grill
is scheduled to open a new store
next to Chipotle at the Irvine
Spectrum. With its new location,
Veggie Grill expects to draw more
photo by Katie Yax
Healthy Alternative The restaurant
has become one of the most popular
vegetarian-styled hangouts in Irvine.
crowds, especially since the Irvine
Spectrum gets about 15 million
annual visitors. The store’s owners
hope that this move makes eating
healthy a bigger trend in Southern
California. Construction on Veggie Grill has already begun and the
restaurant will be open sometime
in November. Don’t doubt the taste
of the food until you try it, as the
menu says: “taste and believe.”
8
October 3, 2008
Arts & Entertainment
Golden Arrow
Entertainment Corps decides theme of "Wild West"
 Entertainment Corps
kicks off marching season,
with a wild west theme.
by Nadia Alcaron
T
In-Depth Editor
he start of a new school year
marks the commencement of the
traditional back-to-school sports seasons such as football, girls’ volleyball,
and the Entertainment Corps. This
year’s Entertainment Corps is excited
and revved up for the season. The
Woodbridge High School Entertainment Corps is composed of the whole
instrumental music department, color
guard, and the dance team. Each team is
doing their part to make sure this season
starts with a bang, as this year’s theme
is Woodbridge Wild West.
Directors Brad Harris and Joslynne
Blasdel conceived of the show’s theme
for the season. This is a renovated or
“recycled” show from several years
ago, but with new added features to the
show including new flags, costumes and
music. “The music is inspired by classic
western movies such as The Good, the
Bad, & The Ugly and Silverado, as well
as more abstract features written just
for Woodbridge by our own musical
staff.” Colin Kealey, this year’s drum
major, said.
All of the captains, head honchos
within the Entertainment Corp, are
especially elated that the season has
begun. The drum major this year is
Kealey, aided by two assistant drum
majors, Matthew Ho and Bridget
Kaba. The drum majors’ job is to make
sure everyone in the band is giving it
their all to make this season epic. The
color guard captains are Jessica Shill
and Andrea Hudes. These girls assist
their coach in instructing the rest of
the guard team and keeping the girls
informed. Color guard co-captain this
year is Lorren Yniguez, who keeps an
eye out for the team while on the field.
Dance team captain is Arianna Brunnel, and co-captains are Madeleine
Westerhout and Jodi Sagorin.
Not many changes occurred within
the department this year other than the
typical incoming freshmen and outgoing seniors from last year. There is, however, and overall sense of improvement
amongst the returning corps. “We have
added a lot more people to the rifle and
saber lines, and what that means is that
we have more girls on our team that are
able to spin that piece of equipment in
Entertainment corps drums during the football game.
photo by Kayla Allen
the show. So I feel like, skill wise, we
have improved.” Yniguez informed.
As a whole, it is safe to say that
all Entertainment Corp members are
looking forward to participating in
upcoming competitions. “The main
reason why I do what I do is because of
my love for music and the excitement
that a performance brings.” Kealey
expressed. Shill also shared, “Competitions in field season are the best because
it really unites us all when we’re out
there on the field.”
This bunch is a group of highly
enthused and motivated performers who no doubt have a passion for
what they do. Ending on a sweet note,
Kealey added, “I think that the WHS
EC is unique because we don’t fit the
stereotype of a group full of ’band
geeks‘-we are a hardcore family of
classy performers, and we are unlike
anything that is usually portrayed by
the media. I believe the WHS student
body has realized this, since, throughout
my years in the EC, the energy that the
school has conveyed toward us has been
nothing but positive and I would like
to thank Woodbridge for their respect
and support.”
Drum Majors Kealey, Kaba, and Ho direct marching band this season
 Colin Kealey, Bridget
Kaba, and Matt Ho are the
artists of the months.
by Meenakshi Mukherjee
Sports Editor
S
tanding tall among the crowd, it’s
hard to miss our three artists of
the month, senior drum majors, Matt
Ho, Bridget Kaba, and Colin Kealey.
If not their great posture, their wide
smiles and silly jokes set them apart
from the crowd. These three WHS
students are pushing the limit and taking on one of the biggest challenges
there is: the marching band.
Our marching band is one of our
greatest assets here at Woodbridge.
If you’re on campus even 15 minutes
early you can hear the melodious
sounds the band procure at such early
hours, all while treading through damp
grass at below average Californian
temperatures. Entertainment Corps
is a large group made up of the band,
percussion, dance team, and color
guard. Together, this large group of
students puts on shows at football game
halftime as well as severalcompetitions where they strive to be number
one.
Upon first impression, Kealey is
your average student. AP Chem, AP
English, AP Econ, AP Latin. There’s
no math class because he finished off
AP Calc junior year, and AP Latin.
Average student, right? Playing the
trumpet since he was in 5th grade,
he’s become a master of the art. “I
love band,” he says, “ when you’re
Drum Majors Colin Kealey, Bridget Kaba, and Matt Ho in their band uniforms.
photo by Katie Yax
out on the field it’s ten minutes of anywhere in the stands, as he walks
freedom, it’s just you and the music.” out you hear ‘Colin Kealey!” chants
As drum major, Kealey is responsible break out. He’s practically a legend.
for conducting the band. Staged on his
Continued on Page 9
high platform, he’s quite visible from
Golden Arrow
Arts & Entertainment
October 3, 2008
9
Vocal Music season starts off with a Disney package
 Entertainers, Encore,
and A Capella begin
rehearsing for tour.
do even better than last year with our
awesome Disney package. Everyone
loves to hear Disney and we love to
dance it,” Gardner elaborated. With
only 15 returning Entertainers, the
choir is hard at work to incorporate
the talents of each new member with
the experience of the returning singers
to bring to life the Disney classics.
The Encore choir, led by president
Jennifer Hixon and vice-president
Sanam Javid, is made up of 23 girls.
With a total of six returning singers,
the choir also faces the struggles of a
fresh group. The girls, however, are
already well on their way to completing their show-choir package, a newly
arranged Disneyland Medley.
Following last year’s example, the
Entertainers and Encore choirs, have
directly correlated their show-choir
packages. Arranged by professional
Disney arranger Brett Simmons
and choreographed by the equally
well-known Disney top-choreographer Linda Simmons, this year’s
show-choir package is a Disney
extravaganza. Described by Linda
Simmons as “Disneyland on crack,”
both packages interpret the Disney
classics in a completely new light. The
Encore package features selections
from Hercules, The Little Mermaid,
and the Disney Princess Collections,
while the Entertainers package has
an opening number from Newsies, a
hip-hop version of “Hakuna Matata”
and a closing rendition of “A Dream
is a Wish.” Last year, for the first time ever, both
choirs toured together in San Francisco
and competed in show-choir and classical competitions. Following that
unifying lead, Entertainers and Encore
will once again be touring together in
the spring, this time in New York City.
In an effort to start the year strong and
raise funds for the New York tour, both
choirs have begun fundraising and
recycling. As many students and their
families have suffered repercussions
of the current national economic situation as well as the California education
budget crisis, fundraising efforts are
extremely important in determining
whether the choirs will be able to
tour this spring. Already the vocal
music department has raised over four
hundred dollars in two weeks and is
working to ensure that every singer
has the opportunity to tour.
The WHS Vocal Music Department urges each student to come and
support his or her friends and peers
at the Entertainer’s Open Mic Night
on October 24, and at the upcoming
choir concerts beginning this December. “Each year the Open Mic Night
has been a great success as everyone
comes out to see their friends sing,
dance, and make fools of themselves.
You don’t want to miss out on all the
fun to come!” Soderwall concluded.
Marching band is my passion,” he says,
“ I love the way the clarinet glistens
in the light.” Up in the stands, Ho is
the man who conducts at the football
games. When our football team scores
he’s the man with the white gloves
leading conducting the warrior spirit.
With marching band in mind as he went
into high school, Ho says he couldn’t
be happier to be apart of the history
making Woodbridge High Entertainment Corps. An aspiring architect, Ho
is a renaissance man, taking part in
many school activities never missing
a chance to don his warrior spirit!
If it's true that behind every strong
man is an even stronger woman,
Bridget Kaba has two of these men
to hold up. Involved with Band since
8th grade, Kaba is an avid baritone as
well as trombone player in Jazz Band.
She conducts the second movement,
“there’s a part in the piece when the
whole band is faced towards me. “
she says, “ I follow Colin’s lead.” A
baritone section leader, she takes pride
in her leadership position, “you have
to be self aware and realize that you
can’t treat [freshmen] as kids.” How
she juggles her time is hard for one to
imagine, with the musical, swimming,
water polo and marching band, Kaba
is far from a fish out of water.
Together, Kaba, Ho, and Kealey help
lead our marching band to creating
beautiful music. Bringing together
hard work, leadership, and passion,
there’s no doubt in our minds that these
three will go on to do great things.
by Nicole Jazayeri
A & E Editor
F
or the past 13 years, the vocal
music department at Woodbridge
High School has expanded under the
direction of conductor Ronald Soderwall. This year, these voices of WHS
face an extremely pivotal season. The
Entertainers, Encore, and A Capella
choirs must start fresh from the loss of
last year’s exceptionally strong singers
and must work with Soderwall, in his
final year before retirement, to create both a show-choir and a classical
package to compete with in New York
City, this spring.
Entertainers, the top choir at WHS,
forms the backbone of vocal music.
The audition-only group consists of
19 girls and 12 boys, divided into an
eight-part choir. This year, the choir
will be lead by co-presidents Rebecca
Lutz and Doug Gardner. Lutz and
Gardner both readily acknowledge the
change that has occurred as a result
of the loss of last year’s seniors, but
look to the future of the choir with
enthusiasm. When reflecting on last
year’s loss of 19 seniors, Gardner said
“it’s sad having to watch the seniors
from last year leave but it’s great to get
to know the new members who take
their place.” “I think this year we will
Continued from Page 8
A born leader, Kealey looks to pass
his passion on to the incoming freshman and is working hard to, “give
the freshman the same feeling and
instill greatness”. With his eyes set on
Stanford, we wish him the best of luck
and are sure he’ll succeed wherever he
goes.
Vice President Matt Ho has more
than just ASB camp under his belt;
he’s got band camp. Clarinet section
leader, he loves his clarinet to death. “
Ronald soderwall conducts the WHS Entertainers
photo by Jasmine Kianfard
Arts & Entertainment
October 3, 2008
Golden Arrow
CD Review: Britney Spears Blackout
All Gossip Girled Out
 The ever-controversial
Ms. Spears is back with a
scandalous new album.
by Desiree Bibayan
fter years of scandalous new
relationships and even more
scandalous break-ups, the infamous
Britney Spears released her fifth album, Blackout. The pop electric CD
has definitely created a commotion,
feeding fans of the new techno craze
Blackout shows a new side to
Spears-- she isn’t just a sexy teenager
anymore, but a mad divorcee. “Why
Should I Be Sad,” is a goodbye to her
previous husband, Kevin Federline,
also known as Kfed. Spears makes
it a point to say that Kfed is not only
stupid, but a mistake and a waste of
money. These accusations make this
basically the ultimate break-up song.
Spears’ ranting does not stop there. The
hit “Piece of Me” is an obvious middle
finger to the non-stop paparazzi (with
a good beat in the background). Spears
sings as if she is offering herself up
on a plate, but then calls herself “bad
media karma,” as if whoever does
want a piece of her is going to suffer
big. It’s feisty and bold.
HOT TOPICS
A
Opinion Editor
BLAckout Britney Spears's new album has won three VMA's.
photo by JIVE Records
With the help of the Neptunes and Nate “Danja” Hills
getting hyphy and going dumb, Spears doesn’t loose her sex
appeal. “Get Naked” is as far away from Holden Caulfield
as it can get. It’s seductive, dancey, and most importantly,
the beat is addicting. The lyrics aren’t very moving and are
pretty X-rated, but it’s pop, and [too colloquial] she isn’t
the song writer. Blackout isn’t necessarily something you
want to listen to when you’re writing an essay, but more
something you get low to at the Jersey Jam. Spears may
be bald and may sometimes hit people with umbrellas, but
the girl can make a catchy song like no one else.
Movie Review: Ghost Town dissapoints
 Ricky Gervais shines in
this poorly written and
unimaginative comedy.
by Collin Kushner
Copy Editor
I
f you are into films made for the
elderly, [this intro didn’t really make
sense] then Ghost Town is the movie
is for you and all those octogenarians
out there. Grab your cane and some
popcorn and you’ll be ready to sit
through this forgettable film. Most
importantly though, don’t forget to
turn your hearing aids off and enjoy.
Bertram Pincus played by (Ricky
Gervais) is a man who lacks people
skills and cares only about himself.
After Pincus suddenly dies in the middle of a surgical
procedure, he is revived and walks out with the ability to
see and talk to ghosts. The worst part is that the ghosts
all want something from him-- specifically Frank Herlihy
(Greg Kinnear), who begs him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni). While
stepping out of his box to try to break up her impending
marriage, Pincus discovers that he loves Gwen, but when
he tells hers about his ability to talk to her dead husband
Frank, she doesn’t understand how that is possible. As
Pincus desperately vies for her affections, she gives him
another chance. In the end Pincus is forgiven and his life
goes on.
When I decided to see the movie I had no clue what it
entailed. Sadly, the title ended up being more interesting
than the movie. I was pretty bored from the beginning but I
stuck it out knowing that I had paid ten dollars. It is a movie
that I would not want to see again, but on the upside, the
acting from Ricky Gervais was great; he had great delivery
in his jokes. All in all, however, it wasn’t a good movie.
Whenever I think about New York City, I get
lost in the image of certain glamorous socialites
sipping mimosas and bickering with senators at
the Met. After all, New York is the capitol of the
arts & entertainment world, the home of Broadway's biggest stars, and most importantly the
shared home of Carrie Bradshaw and her evenmore famous modern day counterpart, GOSSIP
GIRL.
New York City is the center of the universe,
right? The ultra-chic, hustle-bustle, cultural
center of the universe. So why is it then that the
New York City we see on our TV screens every
Monday at eight has only rich pampered psychotic teenagers playing monopoly with their
parents checking accounts. What happened to
the bohemian center of the universe, the grungy
apartments in Brooklyn and Harlem that John
and Yoko flocked to? Where are the Frank Sinatras and the Janis Joplins?
The New York City I visited this summer was
something somewhere in the middle. Don't get
me wrong, I'm every bit as gossip-girl obsessed
as the next girl, but there was something more
beautiful in the tall sky-scraping apartments of
the meatpacking district that even the glorious
doors of Henri Bendel could not outdo.
In one week, I couldn't find the heart of New
York City, but in a small theatre in the crowded
touristy center of Times Square I found something even more. There's a pretty large majority
of people who find musicals tacky and unbearable (all the Rent-haters of the world) but being
the musical theatre dork that I am, New York
was like heaven on earth, better than ice cream
or a James Franko movie. Any way, in that little
theatre in Times Square, I watched the Broadway
production of "In the Heights." Last year's Tony
Award winner for best musical, the musical gave
a look into the world of the Washington Heights,
a look at the real New York City; the New York
City that I'd been looking for.
Nicole Jazayeri
Arts & Entertainment Editor
12
October 3, 2008
In-Depth
Breaking Up
Golden Arrow
Woodbridge High School
There are many other things I’d rather do than go through a break-up. I would rather take a Nakaue science final, do three Johnson
outlines, or even a quote ID on a book I’ve never read in Brit Lit. However, at some point or another we will all get our hearts broken.
I got dumped this summer. Was it tough? Yes, very. Am I still alive? Girl, I am alive and well! Getting your heart broken
doesn’t mean you are broken. I know at times it seems like you’ll never get back on your feet, but you will. There is a light at the end of
this dark tunnel, don’t ever give up hope.
Turn to your friends, keep yourself busy, do things you enjoy and love. At times being happy is hard, but that person wasn’t
everything. There is so much more to you. Realize that there was a reason you and your ex broke up, there was an underlying difference that didn’t make the two of you click. And, for those of you who had no choice but to let go, I understand that at the end of the day
the only thing you feel is rejection, but take that rejection and realize how much you are worth. If he can’t see that, then find someone
else who can.
Love yourself, because loving yourself is probably the best thing anyone can do for himself or herself. As Carrie Bradshaw says,
if after learning to love yourself, “you find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”
- Meenakshi Mukherjee
Sports Editor
Confronting an Ex in Class
The Short on Long Distance Relationships
It is no mystery that human beings, by nature, are very social creatures and all
share the need to feel loved. This is especially true in high school, where in an
ambiance filled with all types of stress be it academic or social, one often longs
to have another’s hand to hold. Unfortunately, there are times when once love is
found, it is divided.
A long distance relationship is generally defined as one that takes place
when two partners are separated by a considerable distance. Whether or not
long distance relationships “work” has been disputed for centuries, but with
new technology constantly emerging and reinventing itself such as the internet, online dating, and text messaging, LDRs have been taken to a whole new
level.
As with any type of relationship, trust, communication and honesty are
crucial but even more so in a LDR. The distance heightens the need for security and trust in the couple. Before deciding to enter a long distance relationship, there are a few things to consider. Also, defining the relationship (e.g. just
dating, boyfriend/girlfriend) and setting up parameters is important, such as
setting up end goals so there leaves no room for misunderstanding and prevents
heartache down the line.
As perviously mentioned, communication is vital and keeping in touch
frequently is necessary and the more creative the form of this takes, the better.
The benefits of a LDR are being able to spend time with friends and family, having time for yourself, and being able to maintain your individuality whereas in
a proximal relationship, couples tend to be wrapped up in themselves.
It is no secret that LDRs are not for the faint of heart. But also consider
that it is so rewarding and such a sweet experience to see one another after being away for awhile in spite of the arguments and complications a LDR brings.
Keeping the flame alive, especially from miles away is such hard work,
but looking to the future and knowing both partners are determined to keep it
so, is a beautiful thing.
- Nadia Alarcon
In Depth Editor
So your mouth is on the floor, you’re suddenly feeling
a little nauseous, and you could not hate high school
any more than right now. Welcome to Woodbridge
High where your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend is destined
to be in one of your classes (awesome).
The first thing you want to remember is to keep
your eyes from popping out of your head. Next is to
breathe. Looking on the bright side, you can see this as
an opportunity to show your ex you’re over him/her,
or make that once very special person crazy jealous.
Doctor Phil may not approve, but Gossip Girl would,
and which one goes to high school? Exactly.
On behalf of everyone else in your classroom,
don’t do obnoxious laughs at everything. It’s not cute
and your ex will probably just be happy you’re not
together anymore. Acting like you couldn’t care less,
now that is sexy. Don’t sit in the back and never raise
your hand. Pretend you know your stuff and meet new
people in your class, preferably a cute boy or girl. Toss
in a little laugh every now and then. WARNING: do
not look over at your ex every five seconds. Don’t take
a sip of your water bottle and look over your shoulder to sneak a peak. You think he/she doesn’t notice?
Maybe they don’t, but everyone else does. Just remember to relax and don’t change yourself (that much.) Let
the games begin.
- Desiree Bibayan Opinion Editor
Opinion
woobidgehigh.org
Golden Arrow
October 03, 2008
13
H2H: Vice Presidents of Election 2008
Joe Biden is qualified
and ready for change.
PRO con-
by Kari Secard
O
Sarah Palin is an
honest American Lover
shaking thinks up
by Banu Naraghi
Features Editor
ne of the most important issues in the
2008 election is foreign policy, and
one of the most important parts of American
foreign policy is the Bush Doctrine. The
Bush Doctrine, for those who do not know,
is the policy of preemptive defense, meaning
the United States has the right to attack any
nation that presents a potential threat to our
country. The average American is oblivious
to the meaning of the Bush Doctrine, and
that is understandable. The fact that Sarah
Palin is one of those Americans is not – in
any way, shape, or form - understandable,
as she is attempting to become the second
most powerful person in the United States as
the Republican vice-presidential nominee.
How is an individual who is uninformed of
the policy currently being used to justify our
fighting in the Middle East qualified to be
the vice-president of the United States? The
answer is simple: she is not.
Unlike Sarah Palin, Joe Biden knows what
the Bush Doctrine is. When he was asked in
December 2007 what he would change about
the Bush Doctrine, he stated that he would focus on prevention rather than preemption. One
would expect a man who, prior to becoming
the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, had
more than 30 years of experience in politics as
a Delaware senator, to answer so competently
and accurately. He is perhaps more qualified
than any candidate in this election in terms
of foreign policy, and he is also knowledgeable regarding domestic problems. As a past
member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he
has a considerable amount of domestic policy
experience, including involvement with issues
regarding civil liberties and drug and crime
prevention. His résumé regarding foreign
policy is extremely impressive considering
he is the current chairman of the Foreign
Relations Committee. Biden was one of the
most important figures in forcing the United
States to stand up to human rights violations
during the Clinton administration, and more
recently he has worked on resolutions to end
the Iraq War.
Sarah Palin has very little political – much
less foreign policy – experience. She has
been the governor of Alaska for barely two
years, and before that she was the mayor of a
town with just under 6500 people. Therefore,
the fact that she can even be considered to
be put within a heartbeat of the presidency
seems quite preposterous. The woman said
that she would consider going to war with
Russia if Putin went into Georgia under the
NATO treaty. RUSSIA! That huge country
with giant missiles capable of destroying the
entire United States. Joe Biden is working to
resolve one unnecessary war as a part of several
resolutions to the Iraq war, further proving
his qualifications. Conversely, Sarah Palin is
suggesting a possible war with Russia while
maintaining full support of the current war,
further proving her lack of qualifications.
But to be fair, this election is not simply
about foreign policy. How about a topic that
applies to us highschoolers? Perhaps comprehensive sex education? While Joe Biden
is a strong supporter of comprehensive sex
education that teaches safe sex methods, Sarah
Palin has consistently stated “the explicit
sex-education programs will not find [her]
support.” Instead, Palin believes in teaching
abstinence until marriage, despite the fact that
the statistics from the Guttmacher Institute
prove that the number of unplanned teenage
pregnancies are much higher in areas that only
teach abstinence.
The list of Biden’s qualifications compared to
Palin’s shortfalls could be quite lengthy, and
we simply just do not have enough room in
the Golden Arrow. The progressive candidate
with more than 30 years of domestic and international experience is simply more qualified
than the candidate with barely two years of
experience as governor of the state with the
fourth smallest population in the country.
You have probably heard Sarah Palin’s brilliant joke, “What’s the difference between a
hockey mom and pit-bull? Lipstick.” I’m sure
that she is a great hockey mom and a great
pit-bull, but this does not make her qualified
for the presidency in any way. While Joe
Biden is neither a hockey mom nor a pitbull,
he is a qualified and sensible candidate for
vice-president of the United States.
F
Managing Editor
our years ago if someone had told me that in
2008 the United States would either have
an African American president or a woman
vice president, I would not have believed them.
The election process started with a woman
and African American man as the democratic
nominees. After Hillary Clinton dropped out of
the race, many women felt that they had lost
their chance for a woman to represent them
in the White House. John McCain saw this
issue as an opportunity to gain the support
from female voters and therefore, chose Sarah
Palin as his vice presidential candidate.
Palin was a name that was very much under
the radar. Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska for 10
years before Alaskans voted her their governor
in 2006. She became the first woman and the
youngest governor of Alaska. While many
say she is not experienced enough to be a vice
president, they do not take into account that
all of the other men running have never been
in charge of their own state and are instead
members of the legislature. A mayor deals
with many more executive decisions than a
senator, a fact which gives her an edge when
it comes to the campaign for presidency.
McCain took a definite risk in choosing
Palin because of her lack of experience. She
appeals to the Republican base that always
turns out to vote on Election Day. Her prolife and conservative policies draw crowds to
her. All that McCain lacks in public speaking skills she brings to the table full swing.
Her speeches are very captivating and at the
Republican National Convention she had
no problems taking swings at her opponent.
From the moment she was selected her face
has been all over the television.
Her family issues have unfortunately
been all over the media as well, and many
people seem to think that what goes on with
her pregnant daughter is a reason why she
is unfit for the vice presidency. A common
argument is that it is unacceptable for Palin
to be against comprehensive sex education in
schools when she can not teach abstinence to
her own daughter. She may have a pregnant
daughter, but kids make their own decisions
and a person’s private life should never be
a determining factor or even matter when it
comes to politics. What should matter are the
issues and the candidate’s policies on education, economy and the Iraq War.
Palin is also criticized for being weak in
foreign affairs which are crucial in this day
in age. She has realized her weaknesses,
however, and has taken steps to become more
internationally savvy.
When it comes to domestic and energy
issues, Palin, reigns supreme. Before she was
governor, Palin was on the Alaska Oil and Gas
Conservation Commission, which managed
the state’s oil and gas leases. Palin played
the main role in dealing with oil extractions
and maximizing the oil supply. This is an area
where her opponent is weak and she clearly
has the upper hand.
A big reason McCain chose Palin is also because of her unconditional love for the United
States. Everyone notes Palin’s patriotism,
where as some doubted Obama’s when it was
rumored that he chose not to say the pledge
of allegiance. Her oldest son, Track Palin,
joined the army last year and was just sent to
fight in the war. In most of her speeches she
acknowledges John McCain’s military experience and reminds the nation that McCain was
someone who actually put his life in danger
for their country while Obama just watched.
Sarah Palin lit a fire in the Republican Party
and livened up the McCain Campaign. Her
policies are more conservative and balance
out McCain’s more moderate views, which
is how she brought the whole party together.
After her selection, the polls started to shift
in favor of McCain. This is a special election
where the vice presidential pick is especially
important. On the Democratic side stands the
first African American president which can
put him at a high risk because he may receive
threats because of his race. On the Republican
side, stands a 72 year old candidate on the
Republican side who has survived cancer on
more than one occasion. Under these conditions, the vice presidential candidates could
possibly become the next commander in chief.
Although Sarah “the Barracuda” Palin was
an unexpected choice, she has undoubtedly
shaken up this race.
14
woodbridgehigh.org
October 04, 2008
OPINION
Desiree's Column
Drawing by Emily Heartstein
“
College Applications
by Meenakshi Mukherjee
I
Sports Editor
open my USC application. I
stare at it for a bit, click around
the computer, twirl my pencil,
open my fridge, get a drink, and
then close the browser. College
is just around the corner, and for
most seniors it’s just hit us that
before going to college, comes
applying to college.
It’s been a long three years.
I’ve seen 4 a.m. far more times
than I should have and coffee has
become an addiction I hope to
kick. Our lives revolve around
our “apps”. What we do is greatly
dictated by “how it will look” on
our college applications. What
is everything we do for if not
for our college applications? As
soon as I find out a new grade,
I calculate my GPA weighted,
un-weighted, academic, overall,
UC, and privates. You name it, I’ll
calculate it. College is no longer
something in life. It is life.
It’s a common saying, “you’ll
end up where you belong”. I
happen to disagree. I feel that if
you end up at UC Merced, some
superior force really just doesn’t
think you deserve happiness.
Maybe we morph to fit the college
It’s a common
saying, “you’ll end
up where you
belong”. I happen to
disagree.
It begins this sort of journey, a journey
that in the end will lead us to getting
careers and making money, and money
is something that makes everyone work
a bit harder.
Those who have started know that the
application process can be a bit frustrating. There are some people who have
got it down, and there are other people,
like myself, who are still puzzled by
what seems like the never-ending pages
of personal information. You have reach
schools, safety schools, and the schools
you’re pretty sure you’re going to get
into. It all seems a bit silly when you
think about it for a long period of time.
If you know you’re going to get into a
school, why bother applying to a school
you have a pretty good feeling you’re
not going to get into? It’s almost as if
the application is taunting you, “if you
spend your time filling this out you might
just get in, probably not, but maybe!” It
messes with your head; they should use
it as a weapon in warfare or something
for prisoners on death row to kill time
doing.
Every time I feel overwhelmed I think
of how many people have gone through
this process, and how many of them are
still alive. It makes me feel marginally
better, but for the most part college apps
are just a strenuous period of filling out
forms and waiting. I will survive, and
so will you.
”
– Meenakshi Mukherjee
we get into, I guess only time will
tell. Is there a method to the madness? Is there really an organized
and scientifically accurate system
based on more than someone’s
numbers that admission officers
use to judge who is right and who
isn’t? I can’t say I don’t think it’s
a marble bag, because I believe
that after a certain point, after all
the 4.2 GPAs and 2400 SATs are
admitted, there’s a sort of random
go at the applications, leading to
a diverse student body.
Why is it that students put
so much effort into getting into
college? What makes some of
us break our backs and lose so
much sleep over something that,
for others, seems so trivial? College isn’t just a way for us to get
away from home. It’s a way for us
to start learning, not because we
have to, but because we want to.
Editorial
“SENIORS, SENIORS, SENIORS!”
Yeah, I’ve waited three very long and
dramatic high school years to be able to call
myself a senior. Mmmm... that word just
rolls off the tongue. I can honestly say as a
freshman, sophomore, and especially as a
junior, it gave me something to look forward
to. Junior year could not have been any more
dramatic-- the Hills was boring compared
to my junior year. Senior year was pretty
much the light at the end of the tunnel to me,
although that's all over now.
For some reason, last year's seniors managed to forget the depression that comes along
with college applications. No seriously. Besides those panning to attend OCC, it seems
like everyone else is freaking out. It’s the first
time we’ve really had to ask ourselves, “Are
we good enough? Good enough to really make
a difference inside and out of the classroom?
Can we even survive outside the bubble?”
Sounds lame on paper, but it's intense when
it's 4 in the morning and it's all your brain
will let you think about.
Well I am here to say dahhh. We can do
this. I’m sure college, and life for that matter, outside of Irvine is going to be a little
scary, but we can see that as a good thing.
A little shock into the real world might do
us all some good. I have to admit two weeks
ago I was freaking, and I mean freaking out
about college. Where to go? What to write?
It was crazy and I think I scared my parents
a little too. But now things are different. I’ve
realized if worse comes to worst, I go to a
Cal state, which is not bad, or even settling.
I should be happy that a Cal state is even an
option for me, which I am. Most of them are
great schools. I am just here to say to the dear
college admission officers, I win. We all do.
College is supposed to make us greater, the
process shouldn't break us down.
So remember the next time you are freaking
out, relax. If you like yourself, then the college admission officer has nothing on you.
Good luck fellow seniors.
October 03, 2008
woobidgehigh.org
OPINION
Proposition 8 Puts Gay Marriage in
the Closet
by Danielle DaCosta
Copy Editor
It has taken what feels like a lifetime
of discouragement and set backs to
achieve some much needed equality in
the United States. However, after just a
few short months in action, the widely
known Proposition 22, which allows
same-sex marriages in the state of California, is facing a new ban, Proposition
8, causing much chaos in the lives and
hearts of many Californians and samesex couples.
Ifpassed,theratifiedconstitutioncould
possibly read: “only marriage between a
man and a woman is valid or recognized
in California.” I believe marriage between
any two people, no matter the color of their
skin, their social standing, religion, and
defiantly their sexual preference should
be recognized in California, as well as the
entire United States. Even though we live
in a fairly liberal state, one thing is sure
in California, a majority of people don’t
like the thought of same-sex anything. No
questions asked.
We as Americans are entitled to freedom of speech, freedom on assembly,
freedom of press, but why not freedom
to marry whom ever we please? While
same-sex marriage is said to be “morally wrong” to some, same-sex couples
consider marriage a sign of liberation
and happiness. Their reason for marriage
is just the same as one between a man
and a woman; love. Buddha once said,
“You, yourself, as much as anybody in
the entire universe, deserve your love
and affection.” The Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary simply states love as: a strong
affection for another arising out of kinship
or personal ties. No where does it mention
what sexual preference you must have
in order to feel and deserve love. Love is
complicated enough and the government
should not be making it any more difficult.
Bottom line, homosexuals simply love a
little differently, which is okay.
“
We, as Americans, are
entitled to freedom
of speech, freedom
of assembly, freedom
of press, but why not
freedom to marry
whomever we please?
So California, why should we deny someone
marriage because they are both the same sex? Prop
8 is purely a ruthless ban that will sadly affect the
lives of thousands of individuals. The whole matter is rude and hurtful; it labels all homosexuals
as diseased and below par, which ultimately says
heterosexuals are above homosexuals. Where’s the
written proof of that? This is not the 16th century
where Jews, Jehovah witnesses, and homosexuals were persecuted, this is the 21st century. How
is it that we can have the simple pleasures in life
like a cell phone, portable music players, and cars
that can navigate our way around the world, but
homosexuals are denied the pleasure of marrying
their loved one?
Of course the melting pot of California does not
have the same beliefs, religion, or sexual preference,
but I feel the practice of same-sex is a compromise
and a much needed simple pleasure to society. It
doesn’t affect straight couples negatively as a whole
and only affects the married couple positively. So
really, who does same-sex marriage hurt?
We all know Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De
Rossi,twoofTV’swellknownhomosexualcouples,
wed earlier this year. Many supported the couple on
their big wedding day, but many also opposed their
marriage. Even though their marriage will not be
nullified if the proposition is passed, they are obviously against it. What is even more interesting is
straightcouplesarejoiningthefightagainstProp8as
well.BradPittandAngelinaJolie,whoareironically
unmarried, donated $100,000 in order to hopefully
defeat the ban against same-sex marriage. Movie
director, Steven Spielberg and his wife also donated
$100,000 against the ban. This not a gender issue
anymore, but more an equal opportunity issue.
I can’t imagine how many teenagers or young
adults have been teased, looked down upon, and
have been socially rejected because they are homosexual. It is not a disease; it’s a way of life. No one
should ever feel below another person or treated
badly for such a reason. As if being a homosexual
isn’t shunned enough in society today, the state is
trying to rip away marriage, one of the things that
emotionally connect all people. Banning same-sex
marriagesiscausingmorehatredtowardthegovernment and more sadness in hearts. The United States
is supposed to stand for freedom, how dare anyone
say this is freedom? Proposition 8 will take away
what little freedom and pride same-sex couples
have, once again showing how they are considered
unequal in society. So when Nov. 4 comes around
be sure to put yourself in their shoes and Vote no
on Proposition 8.
”
– Danielle Da Costa
Editor-In-Chief
Column
Editorial
Marriage is a
celebration of love, no
matter who you are.
I can understand how people feel homosexuality
goes against the “moral code” religiously but who
are we to limit the rights of people we have never
met? I’ve seen many commercials on TV in the
past few months and one really stood out to me. On
a women’s wedding day, it shows various obstacles
on her way to the alter. Her heel breaks, a car is in
her way, her veil gets stuck to a tree’s branches, etc.
Towards the end of the commercial she is tripped
by someone. She devastatingly looks up at her
fiancé because she is obviously being stopped from
marrying him. Even though the commercial wasn’t
verbally against Prop 8, it evoked the thought of
“what if you couldn’t marry the person you loved?”
If a straight couple was denied marriage, everyone
would be against that ban. No questions asked.
They would ultimately say it is unfair. In reality,
the tables are turned. Homosexuals are facing a
ban on marriage and what do we do? We shrug it
off and say the ban is good because same-sex marriage is not the “right thing”. But what is the “right
thing” and what is the “wrong thing?” I believe
no one actually knows what right or wrong is, but
only what society has made us think it is. We are
listening to outside influences, whether it is the
bible, our parent’s teachings, or the media and we
aren’t compassionately taking consideration for
same-sex couples.
Californians need to wake up and realize homosexuals are being treated unequal and nothing is
being done to help. They are just as equal as any
other person on this planet. They eat, drink, sleep,
walk, talk, and think like everyone else. They are
not sub-humans, freaks, animals, or wrong. They
are not marrying animals, having incestuous relationships or marrying multiple people. It’s just one
human being marrying another human they truly
love. They just happen to have the same genitals,
big deal.
Golden Arrow
Editor in Chief:
Maryam Shamlou
Managing Editor:
Banu Naraghi
Copy Editors:
Danielle Da Costa, Collin Kushner, Christy Leung
Photo Editor:
Katie Yax
15
Section Editors:
Maryam Shamlou, Kari Seacard, Nicole Jazayeri,
Desiree Bibayan, Meenakshi Mukherjee, Nadia
Alarcon
Adviser:
Meredith LaPlante
I have spent my most recent days (and
daze) in a muddle of confusion known as
the college admissions process, and I am
sure that about a fourth of our Golden Arrow
readers can relate. In general, I like filling out
forms. In order to maintain my sanity, I can
put myself in the position of thinking of the
process like taking a test where I know all
the answers because they are all about me,
but even then these forms are far from any
known notion of the concept of fun.
Granted, these forms are all about me.
They ask for my test scores, grade point average, and goals, but while questions about
the latter frightens me for lack of an answer,
questions about the former causes me to
question my adequacy as a future college
student.
When I get that feeling, that I could have
done better over the last three years of high
school and that maybe it would have helped if
I had opted not to watch the newest episode
of Entourage in favor of studying trig values
and the anatomy of a fetal pig, I can deflect
my feelings of inadequacy by tuning to any
of the wide variety of cable news channels
and see the inadequacies of others discussed
and debated for hours on end.
Everyone has his or her own qualifications.
At this point of the school year, Senior Warriors are hoping that the college admission
officers in charge of their applications see
in them the qualifications they see in themselves. With all the rigor that we have to go
through as teenagers to advance from high
school to the next step into higher education,
you’d expect more from the people who have
moved their way up into positions of power
and holding office. You’d expect more from
our Congressmen for one, and you’d expect
more from a potential Vice President for
another.
It’s popular advice to learn from your
mistakes, but it also possible to learn from
the mistakes of others. Economics are difficult to understand, but it’s simple to see
that things have gone awry. Whatever you
think the problem may have been it is clear
when mistakes have been made and in this
case we can find proof in the 778-point drop
in the stock market.
How the American people decide to
gauge the performance of their congressmen and women can determine the difference between difficulty and depression. The
inadequacies we see in the future will be
the product of our own complacency and
misjudgment.
Perhaps we need some sort of application
process like the one we go through ourselves
to make sure only the best fit for the job
end up with the power to make decisions
that affect us all. Perhaps one already exists.
It’s called the ballot and it is the most basic
measure anyone can take to ensure that competency is restored, and what competency
currently exists is maintained.
16
October 3, 2008
Woodbridge 03
Sports
Golden Arrow
01 Capo Valley
Issue 1
Girls Volleyball crushes Capo Valley, 3-1
by Kari Secard
Features Editor
 The girls have
a strong season
ahead with
domination in prehe girl’s volleyball season is in full
season
games.
swing here at Woodbridge High, and
T
the team has been serving up some great
performances –pun intended.
The line-up this season features six seniors
including Leah Sully, Chelsea Joanou,
Grace Konstanzer, Mackenzie Loefke,
Jenny Feicht, and Sara Bresse. There
are also two returning-varsity Juniors,
Lauren Cimino and Sara McCutchan.
These experienced players give the team
a lot of potential, and they hope that they
can use this potential to continue their
dominance in the Sea View League,
after having coming in first the last two
seasons.
“It’s my last year so I want to be able to
photo by Riley Lettington
Lady warriors The girls get pumped up with a team huddle before the game.
win league for a third time,” Sully stated.
“I really think we are capable. No matter
what, I want this last season to be memorable for us seniors.”
This season started off with a bang against
cross-town rival University High, with
the Warriors defeating the Trojans three
games to one. Outside-hitter Leah Sully
and right-side Chelsea Joanou had 18 and
10 kills respectively.
The next game was tougher, as Woodbridge lost to Santa Margarita in four
sets; but the girls bounced back to defeat Mission Viejo and West Ranch on
Sept. 19 in tournament play. The girls
won both matches two games to none.
Lady Warrior Football, You Go Girl!
by Meenakshi Mukherjee
Sports Editor
Amanda Jaramillo
tackles the feild with
the boys.
I
t’s a grisly sport: players show
no mercy in the dog-eat-dog
world that is football. Don’t let
her small stature and cute smile
fool you, Amanda Jaramillo,
football’s very own diamond in
the rough, is the dog eating the
dog. Jaramillo, a WHS freshman,
is the only girl on the large,
Warrior football team. It’s more
than just an accomplishment,
she’s “the only girl on the team
since I’ve been coaching,” says
frosh/soph coach Kirk Harris.
Jaramillo is a newcomer,
never having played the
sport before as are many of
photo by Katie Yax
she's the man Amanda Jaramillo
finds new passion in Warrior Football.
the boys on the team, “I had
to learn a lot,” she says, “It’s
been really fun though.” As for
her teammates, “ you know,
they love her,” says
Harris, “ she’s just so great,
she’s always the first one up
for drills, whenever we need
someone, and she’s always
there.” With the whole team
made up of freshman, there is
much to learn about the game,
and Jaramillo is excelling.
Her sport of choice
is softball, and she plans on
trying out come spring, but for
now she’s all about fulfilling
her duty as receiver. Pushing
the limit, she’s taking charge
out on the field. Although
they hold a record of 0-2,
team members are hoping for
a comeback. Hopefully this
young lady will be just the
change Woodbridge needs to
inspire the football team.
Unfortunately, the next day the Warriors
lost to Santa Barbara 0-2 and to Newport
Harbor 1-2.
Warriors did not let these defeats get them
down, however, and they bounced back
on Sept. 23 with a 3-0 win over Tesoro, in
which Coach Donnie Rafter gave many
of the younger players the opportunity
to play.
“It was really cool that everyone got some
playing time. It was a really great victory,”
junior Taylor Hensling said.
The Warriors continued the wave of victory, as just four days later on Sept. 27
Woodbridge defeated Mission Viejo in
three games. They later beat Capistrano
Valley in four games on Sept. 30 to wrap
up their pre-season. Feicht came out strong
in the latter game, registering 39 assists.
League play begins next week for the
Warriors, with Woodbridge squaring off
against Northwood on Oct. 6, so be sure
to come out and show support for our
volleyball girls.
VOLLEYBALL SCORECARD
Opponent
University
Santa Margarita
Mission Viejo
West Ranch
Santa Barbara
Newport Harbor
Tesoro
Mission Viejo
Capistrano Valley
FOOTBALL SCORECARD
Opponent
Irvine
Garden Grove
University
WATERPOLO SCORECARD
Opponent
Fountain Valley
Buena Park
Edison
Villanova Prep
Charter Oak
Kennedy
Torrance
Marina
Estancia
Tesoro
Trabuco Hills
St. John Bosco
Tustin
Golden Arrow
October 3, 2008
Sports
17
WARRIOR'S
MOST
VALUBLE
PLAYERS
These warriors are shining early in the fall sports season
photo by Katie Yax
F
photo by Katie Yax
or the WHS boys Cross Country, Shane Berglas is
the MVP for this month. Even after earning the title of
IrvineWorld News athlete of the week, he continues to work
hard. With an astonishing time of 15:04 at the Woodbridge
Invitational, Berglas only looks to improve upon what he has
already achieved. Berglas gave us some insight as to what
his goals were for the rest of the season, saying, “I would
like to break the 15 minute mark and do whatever I can to
improve my times.” - Colin Kushner, Copy Editor
S
photo by Katie Yax
teven Itrich has been named Varsity Boy’s Water
Polo MVP of the month. Unlike many, senior
Itrich got a head start playing water polo in eighthgrade in one of WHS water polo coach Campbell’s
programs. The tall and charismatic Itrich humbly
thanked “a good work ethic and continuous
success,” for contributing to his nomination of
MVP this month. With roughly 10 hours of weekly
practices and a strong will, there’s no doubt Itrich
will have a good season. He wants to attend a UC
next fall with the hopes of excelling in water-polo.
- Dani DaCosta, Copy Editor
T
photo by Katie Yax
here is one girl who stands out above the rest.
BrookeTen Bosch, sophomore cross country runner,
has had astonishing times this year already.While
being the number one girl runner at theWoodbridge
invitational with a time of 18:32, students can be sure
to see a lot more ofTen Bosch’s successes. She gave us
some insight as to what she enjoys the most about
running cross country, saying,“ I like the whole team
aspect as well as being with a great group of girls.”- Colin
C
S
enior James Wylly, and Varsity football player, offers
some insight on what it takes to be on the defensive side
of the ball. Wylly has been playing since freshman year,,
nominated for representing the team’s primary emotionsdriveandethic-Wyllystated, “Itwouldfeelsogoodtomakea
sweetcomebackthisyear-andwe’reoutforredemption-trust
me.” Although many common stereotypes feature the jock
as not-so-bright, the Woodbridge football team highly defies
that stereotype, with Wylly as a prime example. Wylly takes
manyAPclassesandhopestoattendUniversityofWashington
in Seattle next fall. - Christy Leung, Copy Editor
photo by Katie Yax
helsea Joanou is a varsity volleyball powerhouse. Before
every home game, she can be seen running to the giant
“W” that graces the field with her teammates raising spirits and
energy. A former soccer player, Chelsea is a natural athlete that
thrives off of competition. Joanou is consistently there for her
teammates,whomshecalls“averytight-knitgroupofgirls,lucky
enough to be good friends outside of the sport”. Their success
as a team is apparent in their title as 2008 league champions,
which Joanou believes she and her teammates are capable of
repeating this year. Joanou has the ability to be a strong leader
on the court and at the same time learn from those around her
who have been along for the ride of her stellar high school volleyball career. - Emily Hartstein, Backpage Editor
S
photo by Katie Yax
enior, Natalya Rodriguez is a star
on and off the green. Playing golf
runs in the family, “I started playing in
fifth grade,” she says, “My grandpa and
dad got me into it”. The senior, who is
an active participant in entertainers as
well as the Varsity Lacrosse team, has
a bright future ahead of her. “It’s a release from all the stress,” says Rodriguez
who’s a stellar student. With her hard
work ethic and warm smile we’re sure
she’ll go far. - Meenakshi Mukherjee,
Sports Editor
18 October , 2008
Cheerleaders take spirit to a whole new level
by Christy Leung
Copy Editor
 Cheer girls work hard year
round despite some bitter-sweet
changes.
E
quit- for example, if a cheerleader does not wear the proper
attire to cheer practice (e.g.. wearing pink sweatpants instead
of WHS cheer attire), they receive one demerit. As these
demerits add up, a certain amount of demerits equals a letter
grade on the student’s transcript. “I feel that they paid too
much attention to the little things such as uniform consistency
instead of paying attention to the fact that we need to work
on performance and skill level,” senior Jenelle Humphrey,
former Varsity cheerleader says.
Due to so many quits, nine freshmen girls jumped up to
Varsity, which also resulted in a fresh JV team. “Although
it was a difficult transition, we’ve all adapted well and we’re
now an extremely close-knit team,” Audrey Leung, a junior
on Varsity, says. Change is sometimes frowned upon, but in
this squad’s case, it seems to have made them a stronger, more
united team.
veryone at Woodbridge High School is familiar with
the cheer team. They’re everywhere: football games,
basketball games and pep rallies. So what are the juicy details
that go on behind the scenes of the notorious team? Well, a
lot more goes on than one would think.
Unlike most sports, cheer isn’t just seasonal- it’s all year
round and the girls never stop working, whether it’s preparing for the upcoming game, making cookies for football and
basketball players, hanging up posters around the school
and stadium, doing community service, or working endless months on a pep rally routine that lasts just 2 and a half
minutes. Although it has been said that cheer isn’t a sport, the
fact that these girls lift each other instead of weights, tumble
until they’re dizzy, and perform dangerous stunts that could
break bones or result in death seems to prove otherwise. This summer, the girls spent months at WHS summer camp,
as well as U.S. Spirit Leaders Camp, which was held at Soka
University in Aliso Viejo with [around] five other local high
schools. One may think that cheer camp is a piece of cake,
but that theory couldn’t be any more wrong. The girls woke
up at 7 a.m., ate breakfast, then learned cheers, intense stunts,
tumbling and arduous routines all day long with hardly any
break in the scorching hot sun for four days and three nights.
It is indeed their version of “hell-week.”
Through close observation of the cheer squad this fall, fans
may have noticed that the former Varsity cheerleaders were
absent and that new cheerleaders comprised half the team.
photo by Dani DaCosta
Many of the ex-cheerleaders
pep sqaud The girls get into a picture perfect formation.
may argue that the “demerit”
system was what made them
Boy's waterpolo gets ready for an epic season
captain Steven Itrich said.
Itrich and Halderman, both veteran water polo play Boys start of strong with a ers and Warrior team members, will lead a team
consisting of seniors Brett Beuck, Parker Bohls,
9-4 preseason record.
Jamie Hewitt, and Carl Hudson.
hile summer vacation allowed many the op- Once the season begins on Oct. 8, the team
portunity to sleep in, the boys of the Warrior will work towards making it to CIF.
Water Polo program spent the cold, early mornings “My personal goal for our team is to make it to
in the waters of the Irvine High School swimming CIF,” Halderman said. “Last year we did everything
pool.
we could, but we missed it by one game.”
“We had practice from six to nine in the morning Sharing a division with top ranking teams, inthroughout summer,” described co-captain of the cluding the “insanely good” CIF winning team El
varsity team Ian Halderman.
Torro High School, makes reaching CIF especially
This year’s Warrior water polo team has already challenging.
proven their potential for this season, as they cur- The boys’ first league match will take place on
rently hold a record of nine wins to four losses.
Oct. 8 against Northwood High School at the Wil“We’re already doing better than last year,” co- liam Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center.
by Maryam Shamlou
Editor-In- Chief
W
Golden Arrow
Sports
An Indian Woman on
American Football
A
s sports editor, I’m given the simple task of editing and laying out stories that revolve around
our beloved athletic teams here Woodbridge. At
the end of each issue, however, comes the daunting
task of deciding the subject of my column. With a
couple years of basketball under my belt, writing
about the NBA is really the only input or opinion
I have regarding professional sports.
But, it’s football season, so here goes. My
knowledge regarding the sport goes as far as super
bowl commercials. I admit that I am not an avid
viewer, nor can I comprehend the reason for what
seems to me like an intense game of catch. I do,
however, love to cheer. Sometimes I feel like I
should have been a cheerleader, then I remember I
can’t do a cartwheel. So, regardless of my incompetence in the understanding of football, I cheer.
I cheer loud, and I cheer proud.
Sundays are full of football. If not for religious
reasons, Sunday is holy simply for the football.
Monday nights are just the same, filled with
Monday Night Football (MNF). I’ve had my fair
share of pointless conversations with the boy who’s
watching MNF. I’ve learned that there’s no point
in a conversation at all. The apocalypse could be
taking place, but if there’s a game going on, tough
luck; the men of America are not moving from
their posts. Perhaps it’s something in the genetic
coding of theYchromosome that makes men enjoy
watching beefy men tackle other beefy men. As
a woman, I get the less than enjoyable and more
frustrating part of the deal, dealing with completely
deaf, mute, and blind men two days a week. Men
are simple beings. How they understand such a
complicated sport I do not understand. When Colin
Kealey, is an avid participant in a Fantasy Football
league, you know that the sport is something no
male can pass up.
So, I decided to sit down with one of my girlfriends and watch football. It was strange, but I
have to say quite enjoyable. With the help of a
couple guys I’ve slowly started to enjoy the sport.
Although I’ve only started to understand football,
I have to say, it’s a pretty exciting sport, not to
mention some pretty nice uniforms.
photo by Katie Yax
LE GOLDEN ARROW
BACKPAGE hath gone ELLIPTICAL
like a rolling stone...
take a moment to appreciate any:
Circular device capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation
whilst supporting a load [xox wikipedia]
NE
TU ION
R
T
O
F F EDI
O
C
L
IFI
EE
WH IENT
SC
CYCLING CULTURE
Getting to school in the morning can be a major pain in the back
end, but there are a select few students who have a mode of transportation that has not only gone green, but makes them parking
lot icons.
n’t belie
e i do
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an
r superma
ein o
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ke
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an
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n
fr
na
CHOCOLATE
MOOSEBURGERS:
James Anderson on his fixed gear
bicycle weeee
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ro
ay
iCycle bicy
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!
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!!
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!
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ll
QUESTION:
How does
manganese dioxide make you feel?
ANSWER:
“MAN ganese diOXide. Think
about it.” -- Matt Ho
“I’m not at liberty to discuss this”
-- Anais Gharbjanians
“It makes me feel moderately thin”
-- Meenakshi Mukherjee
“I feel like SUPER-BUB whenever
I hear about it” -- Dani DaCosta
l
Featuring the
Chemically
Inclined Katrina
Watkins
Senior Morgan Brennan cruising
on his Vespa
The wheel can be considered the biggest innovation known to civilization, thanks to the Mesopotamians. But there a few things that seriously
shouldn’t have wheels.
BO
CO
PA
LI
THE MOOSE!
Shoes
Y
Directions:
Grab your hunting
N?
acoutraments and hop
on your snow mobile
Hunt yourself some
fresh moose
Preheat an outdoor grill for high
heat and lightly oil
grate
In a rather large
bowl, combine
your moose meat
with your seasonings
and onion, mix well.
Form your patties,
and POOF! you have youra mooseburger!
VE
SA
Backpacks
E
EV
O
RD
MOOSEBURGE
R
S!
TO SARAH
TT
self
W
D THIS ‘LIL
T DI
G
UY
HA
Stressed? Solution! Unwind by turning it around and what does that
spell? Desserts! Transform your mooseburger into dessert by melting
hershey’s chocolate on top mmm it will have your friends saying gourmay-i try your chocolate moose burger?
To
yo
ta
Ingredients:
3 Hershey’s chocolate bars
1 lb. ground moose meat
1 pinch seasoning
1/2 garden onion
Priveas!
SHOUT OUTs:
MEENAKSHI MUKHERJEE
SUP BEN CRELLIN! you didn’t want to
be featured in my freshmen feature article, thus you get special attention on le
back page
TINA FEY: I cannot see Russia from my house, and I fear for my life.
and lastly,
HALEY DUNN: meeeeeOw tall blonde girl!