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SPHS Celebrates Victory

The Victory Arch at San Pedro High School celebrated its 75th Anniversary on Monday, April 23rd. An approximately fifty people were present, including San Pedro’s marching band, cheerleaders, and JROTC. The ceremony started off with the National Anthem, followed by San Pedro High School’s Principle Mrs. Stevens. welcoming Stephanie Artisan. Ms. Aritisan informed San Pedro High School that the Victory Arch represents a divine piece of art, serves numerous rituals and a historical cultural status. She was so pleased with how San Pedro still holds it’s title on the difference between winner and a loser. A winner is someone who never gives up and a loser is someone who does not get back up and try again. The Victory Arch represents just that, which she likes to call  “WIN, WIN”. Overall the Victory Arch holds its value of sportsmanship and San Pedro High School is greatly appreciated by the Artisan family.(Tabitha Sanchez/Jessica Garcia)

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The Injustice of Prom Night

 Prom is, as we all know, is supposed be one of the most memorable nights of our lives, but as we approach the day, the rules for the evening are made clear.

We must be there on time or prior to eight p.m. or we will not be admitted in to the dance floor. Bringing any sort of beverage for yourself or others is strictly prohibited and will be confiscated; dancing any way deemed inappropriate will lead to being escorted off the premises and the recording of such dance will be shown to your parents.

Upon arrival, you shall be searched for illegal or inappropriate items, such as paraphernalia, tobacco products, and even gum. All the rules are necessary to maintain a safe and fun prom, but they are strict to the point where they restrict us from bringing gum, or perfume/colognes inside so we may refresh ourselves.

Prom is supposed to be a time in which us as seniors reflect upon our accomplishments and to let loose. Supervision is understandable for those students who are known to have behavioral issues, but for the rest of us don’t need babysitter’s.  Aside from being watched like were in a prison yard, we are getting over charged for parking. Yes our way of transportation is being charged $15 for just staying in the parking lot for a few hours, I mean since were not drinking we shouldn’t get charged cause we’ll be sober to drive. (Jesse Robles)

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SoCal Summer Setlist

        As the days grow warmer and summer quickly approaches, concerts and music festivals become a heavy interest for people of all ages. The following are popular events that are a great way to unwind after testing/ finals:

Hollywood Park Summer Concerts

April 27th PEPPER

May 25th SOJA

June 1st REBELUTION

June 8th THE WAILERS

June 29th MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

July 6th IRATION

Ten-dollar admission before 8:30 pm and twenty-dollar admission after 8:30 pm.

Vans Warped Tour

June 21st @ Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Ca

June 22nd @ Pomona Fairly in Pomona, Ca

June 24th @ Ventura County Fair in Ventura, Ca

JazzReggae Festival @ UCLA

May 27th Jam Day @ UCLA Intramural field in Los Angeles, Ca

May 28th Reggae Day @ UCLA Intramural field in Los Angeles, Ca

Red Hot Chili Peppers

August 11th & 12th @ STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Ca

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Sweet Success.

            Frozen yogurt has rapidly become a popular American treat, one that many choose as a healthy alternative to ice cream. With the growing number of soft-serve yogurt places, the competition for business is high, and some places are being forced to shut down. This includes Dolci Mango and TCBY, but one competitor has stayed high on the popularity list.

            Yogurtland has continued to draw in customers with their wide selection of flavors, toppings, enjoyable atmosphere, and great prices. Yogurtland's flavors range from Chocolate Coconut Truffle to Pistachio to Mango and many more. After choosing the flavor(s) you're in the mood for, you have a wider selection of toppings. Yogurtland's toppings include boba, crumbled Oreos, fresh fruit, gummy bears, vanilla wafers, and they've recently added Ghirardelli chocolate, vanilla, and caramel syrups.

            On top of such a large selection of flavors and toppings, Yogurtland also keeps it's customers happy with a great ambience, and extremely low prices. Yogurtland keeps a bright atmosphere with its minimalistic interior design that draws the customers’ eyes to their product. Then they let the yogurt speak for itself. But customers don't come for just the atmosphere. Yogurtland satisfies everyone with their low price of 33₵ per ounce, making yogurt affordable for just about everyone. (Melanie Howard)

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Funds For Your Future

Did you know you can apply for both Financial Aid and Scholarships? Students aren’t generally aware of what is available to them. There are venous opportunities for money, some are even given at the stores you shop at all the time!

The Nordstrom Company will be giving out about 80 college scholarships of an amount of $10,000 each. Ronald McDonald house charities annually gives out about $37million towards soon to be college students around the country. Other scholarships, private or not, can be grants, loans, and work-study, student loans can be paid off through monthly payments or anytime of your life.

Doing both things can guarantee a way to pay for school. Not many students are aware that there is little or no competition for many scholarships, usually that is why they don’t apply.

When applying for scholarships it isn’t necessarily hard, every scholarship has its own set of instructions given out. Some scholarships may ask you for all your academic achievement, ethnicity, grades, proficiency in language, a few personal questions, and most commonly an essay. The essay, that is most important for attaining a scholarship should be written in a specific format if it is given to you. If you are not given a format you should list all of your qualifications, reasons of why you would like to study, your expectations for the course and your plans when and after you have studied. 

Applying ahead of time is best for financial aid and scholarships since most of their applications do allow you to. When you do so, you would be astonished to see who is willing to give you one. (zayra Nolasco)

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Apples and Oranges: Comparing Movies to Books

            Everyone has heard of Harry Potter, Twilight, and most recently The Hunger Games. But how true do these films stay to the books?

            Many who have read the Harry Potter series would agree that each book increases with depth and information making it harder and harder to fit into the movies. Many Potter fans have claimed that "the books have twice as much information as the movies." Others claim that they are dissatisfied with the movies because information was misconstrued in the movies.

            Some “twi-hards” claim that the Twilight Saga films illustrate the books perfectly while others feel as though it could have been better executed. Twilight, the first movie, was criticized for missing an important scene from the movie yet added a scene that was not in the book at all. Book critic Austin E. claims that " the movies only go into 1/20th of the emotional depth that the books had" making the books better than the movies. Other movie critics say that the films were able to stay very similar to the books because the novels weren't very dense.

            Now, critics and fans who have read the books are curious on how The Hunger Games will turn out as a movie. One reader claims that "there is so much detail in the book, there is no way they can add all that into the movie". But others think the movie will turn out just fine and are anxious to see it. Many critics who have seen a special screening of the movie say that, so far, the first movie has lived up to their expectations and will not be a disappointment.Twenty-six critics have given it a 100% approval rating and guarantee that it stays relatively close to the first book in the series.

            In effect, as film adaptations of books continue to be a Hollywood trend, their popularity remains at the mercy of those individuals who have read the books. (Melanie Howard)

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Aca-Deca Travels To Sacramento For State Competition.

Academic Decathlon is an annual national competition where schools have a team of 6 to 9 members participating in ten academic subjects; Super Quiz, Science, Math, Art, Music, Economics, Language, and a Literature, speech, essay, and interview. It is highly competitive and requires enormous amounts of effort.

It was announced on Thursday, February 9th, at the Aca-Deca award ceremony, that SPHS will be participating at the state Academic Decathlon competition, March 15th through the 18th in Sacramento. San Pedro was ranked 1st in conference 2, and 12th in the LAUSD district, the most competitive district nationwide. Los Angeles boasts national champion teams from; Granada Hills, El Camino, and Marshall High School. The top 12 teams in the district were chosen to participate in the state competition.

Decathletes often stay late into the night, after school, to prepare for the competition. They also sacrifice their summer and winter breaks in order to maintain their edge over other schools. Their coach, Mrs. Figuracion (a math teacher at SPHS), and Mr. Unchita, also put enormous effort and energy to help guide their team to success. 

~CONGRATULATIONS TO SPHS ACA-DECA TEAM TO MAKING STATE!~

(Qiwei Fu)

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New Campus: SPHS Makes Major Changes.

Construction of John M. and Muriel Olguin Campus of San Pedro High School.

As education becomes a more precious resource, innovative changes are being implemented at San Pedro High School. With the number of magnet peers in addition to the student population, SPHS is in the process of expanding to new frontiers, with the construction of an additional campus.

The new campus, titled the John M. and Muriel Olguin Campus of San Pedro High School, will be located near Angel's Gate High School. Features include; an all-turf soccer field, a softball field, pool, gym, and full-sized cafeteria.With this new venue, sports such as swim and water polo will finally have the resources to function more efficiently.

Although it was rumored that the new campus would be exclusive to magnet students, a statement from Magnet Coordinator Sandy Alvarenga clarified that eligible non-magnet students will have the opportunity to attend.

By the first term, an expected 450 magnet students, and 50 general students will be in attendance. The population is expected to rise to 300 more non-magnet students, though these details are still under discussion.

The Magnet Department is expecting the campus to be opened by the 2012-2013 school year, but some variables in methods of transportation, may hinder the expected opening date. One of the pressing issues is the method of transit for students who are involved in sports, electives, and language classes exclusively located on the main SPHS campus.

Although the details are still under development, an expected open house date is set for August 9th of this year. As San Pedro High School progresses towards a better learning environment, the new campus will stand as a symbol for a brighter future. (Gabbi Herrera/Eric King)

*all information was available by comment of Ms. Alvarenga*

Courtyard area of additional SPHS campus (photos courtesy of sanpedronewspilot.com)

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SPHS Boys Basketball Hopeful After Maui Invitational.

  Boys basketball play to win at the Maui Invitational tournament.

  Basketball has gone more than the distance on the court as they took a 3,000 mile trip to Maui, Hawaii over the winter break. The team had an experience of a lifetime as they were able to enjoy the beaches, waterfalls, and natural scenes of our 50th state. They also participated in the Maui Invitational tournament. 

  "Playing in Hawaii was fun," stated forward Elijah Ali (senior), "There were about 20 other schools, and we played in the highest division. I would love to go back any day." He also added that the cost of living was much higher in Maui, "A gallon of milk and a Big Mac both cost $10 in Maui. It was crazy how expensive things were".

  The boys had some tough losses but rebounded with a big win in the 7th place game. they returned to the mainland and captured three straight games, defeating Gardena (50-48), Carson(65-60), and King Drew (63-39).

  Senior guards DaShawn Brown, Kenny Potter, and Adrian Herrera have helped provide the offense, as junior point guard Elijah Gaines proved himself an outstanding player in his first year on the varsity team.

  The lone sophomore Quincy Thomas surprised many as he stepped into the starting lineup. "The team made a great deal of improvement since our fall league back in October," said Coach John Bobich. "I'm proud of their effort but we still have a lot of work to do."

  The team currently ranks 8th in the CIF Division II polls. The team is lined up to make the playoffs and a run for another title.

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Wait For Your Life.

   Hospital overcrowding is not only a huge problem, but sometimes a life or death situation.Lives are at risk when you don’t get the full medical attention you seek. The intolerable lines and wait times are ridiculous, why can’t you immediately get help and not be asked questions about your health insurance?

  These are some of the issues that bother patients. Media often covers stories of sick people standing because there are no available seats. That’s exactly the scene at the emergency room at Harbor UCLA Medical Center. 

  An extreme case occurred when a man was registered in the ER,then waited for assistance in the lobby for three days. The young man was pale and would lay on the floor in unbearable pain,yet security asked him to get up and sit or to leave. The man never received medical attention, and eventually left the hospital.

  A few hospitals such as MLK, Harbor UCLA, and Torrance Memorial have recently begun expansion projects that are scheduled to be completed by summer 2013. These projects range from $13-300 million and are funded by donations and the state.

  The new construction will provide more surgical and emergency rooms, lobby entrances, a new cardiovascular institute, and even a heliport.

  Lack of staffing, which has also become an issue, has been addressed by the new expansion programs. When completed it is estimated that more than 8,200 jobs will be created. Hopefully, that will improve the long lines and medical attention in emergency rooms. (Zayra Nolasco)

Multi-million dollar renovations/expansions made at Torrance  Memorial Medical Center. (photo courtesy of McCarthy)

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Calm Before The Storm: The Rose Parade

    LAUSD All City Marching Band (photo courtesy of Inside Social)

 It happens once every New Year and is so prestigious that it brings together cultures from around the world. It is the world famous Pasadena Rose Parade. The men and women that have the honor of joining this parade hail from homelands such as Europe, Asia, and Latin America; joining these elite few is the LAUSD All City Marching Band, a high school honor band, that brings together all ethnicities and religious backgrounds together so they can work hard and play hard.      

    The Fore N Aft has had the privilege of interviewing Grahm Wells, a San Pedro High School tuba player that participated in the Rose bowl parade through the All City honor band program. The Fore N Aft asked of how he came to learn about the honor band he replied that he learned about it while in his freshman year in high school through his friends. When asked where the practices took place Grahm said,” The majority of the practices took place at El Sereno Middle School but as practices progressed we moved them to Dodger Stadium and even Contreras High School in Los Angeles.” Dodger Stadium is a phrase I hope to never hear again as memories of hot weather, dehydration, bleeding feet, and burning flesh become fresh in my mind as I recall the harsh training.

    Later during the end of his interview Grahm was asked if he had any regrets using his vacation to practice for the parade. He simply chuckled at the question and said “the time for regret was months ago not that I have any to complain about. I did sometimes want a vacation but by entering All City, this parade allowed me to join something bigger than myself.” Grahm’s last question was what advice he would give someone that wanted to join something that was out of their comfort zone. He replied, “Just do it. Do not ever question whether you can or not, just simply believe in yourself and the possibilities within you are truly endless. As corny as it sounds I hope I at least helped one person in self doubt to go out of their way to shape their futures". (Bobbie Grable)

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San Pedro Showcases Local Talent.

  On the first Thursday of every month, San Pedro draws locals to one spot with a variety of art, entertainment, and savory food.

  Artists open up their studios to sell prints and showcase their work on the first Thursday of every month, earning the title First Thursday. What started as an artists' showcase has now become an event that the local residents, and even tourists, can enjoy.

  A wide and diverse selection of  catering trucks line the streets of Pacific Avenue, 6th and 7th street and Harbor Boulevard to satisfy the cravings of every palate. Catering trucks specializing in grilled cheese sandwhiches, tacos, and frozen treats are just a few of the options available. If art and food don't draw you in, don't worry, they have entertainment too.

  To keep the community entertained, the event planners of First Thursday also have local musicians performing. Many of the stores lining 6th and 7th Street also have entertainers play outside their store. Sometimes, Badfish Clothing Company holds a punk show in their store and local punk bands come to showcase their talent

  Throughout the entire evening until 9:30, a trolley gives free rides from Pacific Avenue down to Harbor Boulevard. The Water Show on Harbor Boulevard is also a beautiful stop for participants. The show is an array of bright lights, water shooting several feet in the air, and Kodak moments as couples, friends, and family watch water move like magic.

  If you miss First Thursday this month, don't worry, First Thursday will be coming around the corner again very soon. Starting at 6:00pm on the first Thursday of every month, the variety of art, entertainment and savory food will once again fill the streets of San Pedro. (Melanie Howard)

First Thursday held an art contest for local high school students. SPHS photographer Luke Schaefer went home with the first place prize for his photo (above).

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San Pedro Pliés Into The Holiday Season

San Pedro Ballet School was founded by Cindy and Patrick Bradley in 1994. Both were avid dancers, and performed with various ballet companies, until they made the decision to open their own school. Today, the school has roughly 150 dancers aged four to adult, and boasts talented graduates such as Misty Copeland, soloist for the world famous American Ballet Theatre. 

Since the school first opened, the students and members of the San Pedro City Ballet company have performed The Nutcracker during the holiday season. The show first debuted in the San Pedro High School auditorium with the assistance of Mr. Hughes and his stage crew class. Since then, the dancers have performed at El Camino College, but have found a better suited home at the Warner Grand Theater.

This year, the show is expected to have a much larger turnout than performances in the past. A third show has been added on Sunday, December 11th, in order to accommodate the overwhelming community interest.

In anticipation, SPHS student, Demi Diviak , a dancer at the school for 12 years, said “With two of our dancers graduating, everyone is forced to move up this year, but we work really hard and expect to be perfect by the end [final performances]”.  This excitement is also evident in the younger group of dancers. Instructor Brianna Walker teaches four to 10 year olds, and says, with a smile, “They think the performance is tomorrow [December 4th]. They’re really excited.”

While the dancers work hard in preparation for the show, Mr. Hughes and stage crew, along with alumni, coordinate the backstage preparations. Mr. Bradley first designed the set pieces made for the SPHS auditorium as small painted flats. As the show progressively moved to larger stages, the sets have developed into large scale illusion pieces.

The stage crew workers have also received assistance from the dancers, such as San Pedro High alumni Sebastien Accardo, a dancer of 14 years, who assists in moving set pieces when he is not needed on stage.  Dancers Andrew Macatrao, and Wolf Bradley also eagerly assist backstage whenever possible, and  offer anecdotes of past battle wounds, “I [Wolf] tried to jump onto a moving van. I cut my shin open and got this infection. It was terrible”. Though a less heartened dancer and performer would fear putting their physical abilities in jeopardy, the three friends simply laugh while reflecting upon the event.  It is this type of dedication that creates a more impressive Nutcracker in San Pedro, every year. 

The show is sure to be a huge hit in the harbor area community, and both dancers and instructors alike are buzzing with excitement. Cindy Bradley added, “ The Nutcracker is synonymous with the holidays, and it is a beautiful way to showcase our dancers. This year we are bringing in professionals from Chicago, and expect to have a real high caliber show”. 

  As both dancers and stage crew make last minute preparations, Demi Diviak offers a cheery, “ Good luck to everyone, and really enjoy yourself out there!”. Wolf Bradley also offers his witty encouragement, “Good luck is bad luck, so break a leg!”. 

The San Pedro Ballet School, coupled with SPHS stage crew, celebrates the season with a holiday classic, and offers a warm and welcoming Christmas celebration to everyone in the neighborhood . These types of organizations help foster the minds and talents of young people in our community, and exemplify the spirit of giving during this holiday season. With sweaters and scarves in tow, have a seat, and let San Pedro City Ballet take you away with their magical performance of The Nutcracker.

-Gabbi Herrera