FEATURES Polynesian dancer brings the aloha spirit to campus

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Features
May 22, 2014
Polynesian dancer brings the aloha spirit to campus
 Take a look at Bon San
Diego’s unique, cultural hobby
by Christian Blandin
I
A&E Editor
f a person were to say the word “dance,”
the majority of people would likely think
of ballet, ballroom and breakdancing or if
you are lucky one might find themselves
in the midst of a flash mob. For junior
Bon San Diego, if someone were to say
the word “dance” he would think of grass
skirts, shouting chants and spinning fire.
Not your typical Irvine-esque word association, huh? Well, that is because San Diego
is a rare breed of dancer in this neck of the
woods - a Polynesian dancer.
“‘Poly dancing is a way to express your
background and show what you are interested in,” San Diego stated. “I wanted to
try something new and I wanted to learn
more about my islander background.”
The Filipino, Guamanian and Japanese
ethnically-mixed student started practicing
this form of dance at around age 15. He
was drawn into Polynesian dancing when
his younger sister began attending Le Polynesia Cultural Performing Arts Center in
Lake Forest. He watched as his sister practiced at the studio and soon decided that he
too wanted to partake in the experience.
“At first I thought it was weird because I thought they were going to make
us dance together as brother and sister, but
they didn’t, and I was relieved because
that would have been embarrassing,” sister Keola San Diego said. “But in the end
it’s actually pretty cool to be dancing with
[him].”
Arguably the most entertaining style of
Polynesian dancing is fire knife dancing.
This kind of dance is a Samoan ceremonial dance; it is originally composed of a
machete wrapped in enflamed cloth and is
typically seen in movies set in Hawaii.
“I like the adrenaline and the fact that
I am able to manipulate fire,” San Diego
said. “It’s something different since not
very many people do it.”
Of course, anything involving fire opens
the door for accidents that would get any
mother worried.
“I get excited because it’s fun to watch
and see what (he is) going to do with the
fire and being able to see (his) joy while
(he) is doing it,” mother Marchelle San
Diego said. “I’m also nervous because I
don’t want (him) to drop it and burn (himself).”
Ultimately, the entire family enjoys his
involvement with dancing as he gets to
stay active, and they all learn about their
culture in a friendly environment.
How to lose the freshman 15
 The notorious freshman
15 is an issue many current
high school seniors will face
when they go off to college,
but it can easily be avoided
with a few simple rules
by Simi Kakwani
T
Staff Writer
he idea of college can be quite exciting as it is the first time many students
are able to live on their own and be completely independent. However, many do
not realize how healthy eating and an active lifestyle can suffer due to other priorities like studying or even laundry. This is
where the freshman 15 come in. Student’s
neglect to maintain their eating habits and
overeating, eating the wrong foods and not
exercising can cause them to gain about 15
pounds.
Most colleges offer different types of
dining plans that allow students to simply
swipe into the dining halls and have access to a buffet of food. Getting access to
an unlimited supply of food, as exciting
as it is, can cause students to overeat, ultimately causing them to gain the “freshman
15.” Another cause of the freshman 15 is
the late night snacks that many college
students depend on to get them through
nights of cramming for exams or writing
last minute papers. By following some
simple rules, the freshman 15 can easily be
avoided. Here are some tips from eatright.
org for all of the seniors going off to college next year:
1. Do not skip breakfast. Breakfast is
one of the most important meals and it is
essentially what kick starts your metabolism for the rest of the day and is the biggest source of energy.
2. Do not snack on junk food. At 2
a.m., when there is still a whole pile of
work to do, a bag of potato chips or some
Oreos may be extremely tempting. Avoiding temptations like these and substituting
unhealthy snacks with some fruit or vegetables can play a huge role in reducing
weight gain.
3. Do not treat the dining hall like a
buffet. While it is true that you get access
to unlimited food every time you swipe,
the biggest mistake freshmen make is
treating the cafeteria like a buffet. Only eat
as much as you need to be full, and do not
overeat just because you can.
4. Exercise - join a sport, go for a
walk or make use of the recreation center. One of the perks of living on campus
is that you have complete access to the recreation center and you also have a number
of sports teams all around you. Not only
are these great ways to meet new people,
but you also get to avoid the dreaded freshman 15!
Photo courtesy of Bon San Diego
JUNIOR BON SAN DIEGO poses with sister Keola San Diego in their traditional Polynesian dance
costumes.
“Dancing with Le Poly has influenced
me to try new things,” San Diego said. “I
plan on continuing to stick with my family
at Le Poly to create more memories with
a talented group of people and hone my
skills in Polynesian dancing. We all like
to hang out; we go on midnight boba runs,
watch movies at each other’s houses and,
my favorite, and go to the beach to have
bonfires.”
Dear 16-year-old me: Melissa Dorman
 Math teacher Melissa
Dorman offers advice to her
teenage self
by Melissa Dorman
D
Math Teacher and Guest Writer
ear Melissa,
Right now you’re probably hanging out with Michelle or Andria, maybe
driving around in your orange Bug (you
still have it by the way!). I’m sure you
have a lot going on with school, friends
and your family. I’m not going to trivialize your problems and tell you they aren’t
a big deal. However, I can confidently say
that whatever issues you’re facing now will
get better, mostly because you will learn to
better deal with problems and drama that
come up in life.
Make an effort to be friends with more
people and invest your time in the ones that
challenge you and make you a better person. Try to meet new people and find ones
that you have a lot in common with. Spend
quality time with them before you all go
off to college, move away or get jobs. Also,
spend more time working on all those hobbies like music, art and surfing. Challenge
yourself more; you could always be doing
better!
Many people around you are probably
telling you that you should be enjoying
your time in high school. After all, these
are supposed to be in the best years of your
life, right? You have fewer responsibilities, more friends and more energy. But in
many ways the best years are still coming.
Sure, you’ll have more responsibilities in
the future (harder classes in college, a job,
a family), but as you get older you learn
how to better cope with and handle those
responsibilities. In fact, college will be
better than high school, your twenties will
be better than college and so far your thirties are looking great!
Don’t always keep looking to the future;
enjoy what you have now. You are so often
thinking about next week, next month or
next year. Embrace the present and what
you can do right now to make a difference
today.
Love,
You
Photo courtesy of Melissa Dorman
MELISSA DORMAN’S teenage-self smiles for
the camera.
Features
May 22, 2014
5
These teacher best friends will make you and your BFF jealous
 These teachers are friends
across classrooms
by Clare Aguilar
W
Managing Editor
hat more could you want when your
colleague happens to be your best
friend? These teachers can bond over the
fact that they experience the continuous
journey through high school together.
Christine Haley and Wendy Kou
English teachers Christine Haley and
Wendy Kou met during the 2005-2006
school year. Both were new English teachers on campus.
“When we started to develop our friendship, I invited Wendy to a Spa Party I hosted as a favor to my aunt,” Haley said. “Embarrassing as I thought the party was, Mrs.
Kou was generous and kind and when she
continued to hang out with me after that
event, I knew we were going to be great
friends.”
As teachers and moms, Haley and Kou
are not able to spend as much time together
outside of school as they would like.
“In years past, we had girls’ night and
even took short trips together but nowadays we have play dates,” Kou said.
Kou and Haley are able to create life
time memories on and off campus. Their
similarities as moms, dog-owners and
teachers help them bond over many unique
aspects of life.
“I think a lot of my favorite memories
with Mrs. Kou have been impromptu moments full of laughs like roasting marshmallows in her backyard on a warm summer night,” Haley said.
David Baker, Joe Banner, Chris LePage
and Jeremy Matamales
History teachers Chris LePage and
Photo by Clare Aguilar
Jeremy Matamales and art teachers DaCHRIS LEPAGE, JEREMY MATAMALES, JOE BANNER AND DAVID BAKER pose with ceramic sculpvid Baker and Joe Banner share a unique
tures of themselves.
relationship.
“LePage and I ended up being raised in
“We don’t really hang out after school, also attended his colleague’s wedding.
Huntington Beach together, so when I first but we do have a ritual,” Matamales said.
“We go on hikes, and do some night
started here almost ten years ago, he came “I invite them over for a poker party on a sky stargazing,” Antrim said. “Just this last
the year after,” Banner said.
weekly basis. And they never show up. It’s spring break, we were both in Arizona and
The childhood friends welcomed two kind of ‘our thing.’”
were able to watch the lunar eclipse togethother members into their clique.
er and hike the Grand Canyon.”
“We are lunch time amigos,” Matama- Mike Antrim and Bruno Dworzak
Both like the same characteristics about
les said. “I met Mr. LePage at a day-long
Science teachers Mike Antrim and each other that deepened their relationship.
meeting many years ago and started hang- Bruno Dworzak have been great friends
“Mr. Antrim is very straightforward,
ing out with him and Banner at lunch. Mr. for 12 years, since meeting on campus.
very nice, very helpful,” Dworzak said.
Baker joined us shortly after.”
They take their passion of science to “When you meet him, you know who he
Their humorous personalities make experience wonderful things together like is, there is no this or that. Mr. Antrim is Mr.
their clique fun and not a day goes by with- spontaneous vacations, planetarium trips Antrim all the time and that’s how he is in
out laughter.
and hiking with Dworzak’s sons. Antrim school and out of school. “
Photo courtesy of Bruno Dworzak
BRUNO DWORZAK AND MIKE ANTRIM went hiking at the Grand Canyon together.
WENDY KOU AND CHRISTY HALEY smile for a photo at a restaurant.
Photo courtesy of Christy Haley
Griffin Starr: the social media guru
 Senior Griffin Starr
possesses incredible talents in
the technological world
by Andrew Beall
S
Staff Writer
enior Griffin Starr is something most
high school students are not: the CEO
of his own private corporation.
Starr is a highly- talented computer programmer, and has used his talents to start
LTS, or Limited Technology Studios, as
a limited liability corporation, which is a
flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures.
Starr first took the social media world
by storm when he created “The Social
High.”
“During my freshman year I decided
to start developing Social High, which
was a representation of my programing
skills, and a way to build a social network
around the basis of Facebook and my space
combined,.” Starr said. “It took about five
months of completion, and in the first day
we had 1,200 people sign up.”
Starr discontinued the website a month
after its launch so that he could focus on
bigger and better things. He is currently
developing a new social media site called
White Box.
“Ethan Lynch and I were sitting in a cupcake shop called SusieCakes, and I don’t
remember how it came around, but he said
something about having a white box in the
middle of a screen just like 4chan, which
is an anonymous posting board,” Starr said
Starr’s team is composed of brilliant
young programmers from all over the
country. Starr has also established senior
Ethan Lynch as the co-founder of White
Box for his role in coming up with the idea
and Starr also had senior Austin Murphy
design the website’s logo. Starr said he and
his team hope that White Box will revolutionize the way social media is run. “It’s
like a giant Facebook board, but anyone
can post on it without having an account.
I thought about the idea for about a month,
and I got in touch with my director of programing, and we talked about it for a while.
We decided it was a great idea and started
programing it in November of 2013.”
Starr and his team are excited for the
sites launch this week. “It will be the
first social network to do live updating,”
Starr said. “Facebook does live updating
in what’s called a sending order, which
means post after post, so it goes by the oldest post. With a couple of core algorithms
we perfected a way to have live updating
in what’s called bumping ascension, so
the content is refreshed as old posts are
bumped off.”
Essentially, Starr has made White Box
more stylish and user-friendly as the page
never needs to be refreshed.
LTS has big things in store for the public, and Starr has lofty goals for the company.
“Besides profit, our long-term goal is
to create a better web design; we will be
launching up to seven social media websites by the end of 2015, and White Box is
the start of it all,” Starr said. “All websites
will link together, so just by visiting one
site, you can connect to all the other ones.”
White Box is something LTS plans to
hold on to for quite some time, and Starr
said he hopes it will only grow over time.
White Box is definitely something
worth joining and launched last night. The
URL is 255box.com. Starr chose this URL
because the total RGB value of the color
white, which is the combination of the
color codes for all colors of the spectrum,
is 255.
One thing is for sure, nobody will ever
say that Starr does not think outside of the
box.
6
Features
May 22, 2014
“La La Lie”Jack’s Mannequin
M
uch to my dismay, KROQ decided to host Weenie Roast 2014
on the same day as prom, which means
I’m going to miss out on watching the
Bleachers, Fall Out Boy and Fitz and
the Tantrums perform among a variety
of other bands.
For a while, I thought about skipping
prom because I wanted to meet the lead
singer of the Bleachers, Jack Antonoff.
I also thought Weenie Roast would be
more fun and considering it was cheaper
than prom, it made sense to skip on my
last school dance and watch the amazing 14 bands that would be there. The
major problem with this plan was that I
was letting my inner fan girl take charge
and disregarding all the plans I had
made with various friends for prom.
Being a fan girl can be kind of awful sometimes. It makes you forget what
is important because you often let your
passion for a band take control over reason. For example, only a fan girl can be
sad about getting into her dream school
because it means she is going to miss
out on a concert (I’m serious. When I
committed to NYU, one of the first
thoughts that went through my head
was, What did I just do? Now, I’m going to miss Panic! at the Disco, Magic
Man and Walk the Moon on The Gospel
Tour).
However, I have no problem with being a fan girl. I have posters of bands
up in my room, attend a plethora of
concerts, wait by the backdoor after
concerts in an attempt to meet the band,
etc. I even made my parents fly me back
from New York just so that I could meet
the Drowners. What it comes down to
is, you should do whatever makes you
happy whether it be going to see Andrew McMahon for the billionth time
like me or going to H&M just to see
David Beckham’s underwear campaign
like a certain friend of mine did. Just
don’t let your inner fan girl get out of
hand, OK?
Sincerely,
Audrey Fong
Sharon Solel fighting her way to Israel
 One student chooses to
head home and join the
Israel Defense Force
by Sierra Christopher
S
Photo Editor
enior Sharon Solel has made the decision to go straight into the Israel
Defense Force after graduation, moving
thousands of miles away to help defend her
home country.
Solel moved to America at the age of
eight and had an easy time adjusting to
life here. Although she has grown up as
an American girl, she said part of her has
always missed her hometown of Tel Aviv,
Israel.
“Before I made the move it seemed like
the most ideal situation,” Solel said, “but
once I actually got here it hit me that I
didn’t really know anyone, and I was away
from my grandparents and cousins, so it
was really hard.”
As most seniors are deciding which college to go to, Solel decided to explore the
route of joining the army in Israel, which
is a requirement of people her age who are
citizens of Israel. For two years, young Israeli adults spend the beginning of adulthood in the Israeli Defense Force. Sharon
was not obligated to join, but made the decision to go against the comfortableness of
college and take on the adventure of moving back to Israel en route to the army.
“For me, the decision was really hard,”
Solel said. “I’m not really sure what I want
to do with my life, so I feel that two years
SHARON SOLEL proudly shows off her Israel Defense Force t-shirt.
doing something productive will help me
figure it out.”
Solel will not be the only one from
America making the move back; she will
be joined by students from all over Southern California, with whom she has spent
a lot of time. She attends army seminars
to meet the group she will be going with.
There, they learn a lot of skills including
Krav Maga, which is a popular form of
self-defense. They also receive information about what they will be doing in Israel.
“At the seminars we do a lot of bonding
activities with the people in our groups,”
Solel said, “because we are going to be
spending a lot of time with them when we
enlist.”
Photo by Sierra Christopher
Her family and friends will miss her for
she will be miles away, but the decision to
defend her country should be commended.
In the Israeli Defense Force she will not be
in combat, but helping out in other ways.
The specific duties she will be doing are
not certain yet but could include talking to
soldiers’ families and helping them deal
with their children being away, or even
helping out wounded soldiers. Although
the future is not certain, her decision to go
to the Israeli Defense Force is a definite
decision.
“I completely support her decision,”
friend and senior Lynsie Rouk said. “I am
going to miss her a lot but I’m very proud
of the choice she has made.”
New restaurant owned by track coach will make you “Flip Out”
 Track coach Aaron
Craver takes us behind the
scenes of his new eatery
and the inspiration behind
it
the torch and continue the tradition.
“My family has always been in the restaurant industry; it’s like a past time in our
family,” Aaron Craver said.
The regular season for track is over,
but Aaron Craver is still coaching many
“It will give some job experience and
I will be able to spend more time with my
dad,” Maia Craver said.
Aaron Craver was in the NFL for nine
years and played for the Miami Dolphins,
Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers and
by Darius Chriss
B
Staff Writer
eing a track & field coach for one of
the best teams in all of Orange County
takes a full commitment, but retired NFL
player and coach Aaron Craver figured
he could add more to his plate when he
opened up a restaurant in Garden Grove
called Flipped Out. The restaurant mostly
serves wacky food that you would never
imagine cooking or eating, such as chili
cheese pastrami burritos or ice cream burgers.
“[Flipped Out] came from a kid making
crazy food items,” Aaron Craver said.
Craver and his family have been involved in the restaurant business for many
years. The Craver family has cook-offs and
are always in the kitchen cooking up something. Aaron Craver said his family just
knows and loves food in general. He said
he believes that now it is his turn to pick up
Photos courtesy of Aaron Craver
COFFEE AND BURGERS are just a few of the dishes reinvented at coach Aaron Craver’s Flip Out.
athletes who made it to CIF. Still, he finds
time to operate at Flipped Out.
Senior Maia Craver, his daughter, is
one of those athletes who is still competing and will compete this Saturday in CIF
Finals. She hopes to work at Flipped Out
in the summer.
New Orleans Saints. He said he understands some people may come in just for
his autograph, but he does not mind it at
all.
“Anything you can do to add publicity
to your restaurant is a good thing,” Aaron
Craver said with a big smile on his face.