Each class at CdM has a special bond between the students and school that forms during freshman year. From developing cheers to going crazy at rallies, every class has its own personality. In order to help the class of 2013 strengthen that coveted connection, Peer Assistance Leadership, better known as PAL, put on a freshmen bonding activity last week.

Along with the various events that PAL puts on each year, they also take pride in effectively utilizing the grant money they received to connect freshmen with their school.

“The grant we received is from Youth Connect and with that money we put on events for the freshmen and give them fun ways to connect with the school,” said junior PAL Sarah Light. PAL also visits freshmen English classes once a month in order to inform the students about different school activities and give them some inside tips about high school.

“We wanted to create an event that would be fun for the students but also be effective,” said junior PAL Kati Burke. The event was held on Friday during lunch on the soccer fields. Freshmen ate Carl’s Junior food and talked with other classmates. They also took part in a raffle and hung out on various jump houses.

“I had a lot of fun at the freshmen lunch. I got to meet new people and hang out,” said freshman Melis Gunay. With such a large class, many students don’t get the chance to get to know other people outside of their main group of friends. But upon checking in, freshmen wrote their names and favorite hobby on a nametag that would help spark conversations with other people.

After a lunch filled with delicious food, raffles, bounce houses, and bonding, the freshmen went on to fifth period with a stronger connection with each other and the school. And, with another activity being planned for later on in the year, the class of 2013 may emerge to be the most connected class on campus.

Last Thursday, students went to City Hall to have a taste of local government.  There students had a brief internship with government officials, stood in a mock council meeting, and had a lunch catered by El Ranchito.

Youth Council President Rupen Dajee said, concerning the success of this years program, “We had a lot more people this year. We spent the last couple months planning, but it was made possible by our dedicated city employees who worked tirelessly to ensure the youths continued involvment with the city government.”

Students got to see the officials in their work environment from balancing conflicting interests to helping the public. For example those in the building department got to work with the Chief Inspector and the Deputy Building Official. There they were able to see how a remodeled house is analyzed, and got the chance to tour the new construction sites at Fashion Island. They had the chance to visit the yet to be released Nordstrom Building, the new site replacing the fountain, and the new Forever 21, which replaces the former Circuit City.

The program  featured internships with city council members, the city manager, administrative services department, building department, city attorney office, the city clerk, the recreation and senior services, library services, fire/marine department, general services, planning department, police department, public works, and utilities.

“It was a valuable experiance. It enlightened me about many of the cities programs that I would have otherwise not known,” said Senior Paul Zubatov, who interned with the Fire Department.

If you missed it this year, look for it next year, or maybe join Youth Council.

Some people prefer putting things in black and white—this is this, and that is that. For the “gray area” in between, motivated students to CdM’s philosophy club meet to debate interesting, controversial subjects, many of which are particularly influential in the lives of young people. Another Philosophy Club meeting was held Wednesday, March 3^rd.

One topic of discussion debated at the club meeting this week was if “sexting” (texting sexually explicit pictures to piers) should be made illegal. This question has arisen constantly in the past few years, as texting has become more and more popular especially among kids.

One member of Philosophy Club claimed, “It’s underage porn, so it needs to be illegal.”

However, others considered the drastic consequences of receiving one nude picture. In fact, the sender and/or receiver of the photo (depending on the situation) can even be labeled as a sex offender—a label that sticks to him or her for life.

One student said, “I don’t get why participants in a sexting situation could be labeled a sex offender if it was conscentual.”

Another topic that especially concerns the young people of today was the idea that people are gaining potentially dangerous confidence with the crutch of modern technology. With Facebook, AIM, iChat, and other instant messaging programs, individuals can find it much easier to talk to certain people without actually talking in person. Now with texting, one doesn’t even need to call someone as a way of having a conversation without meeting face-to-face; with texting, voices aren’t included and parties have more time to come up with responses. Naturally, problems may arise.

Shea O Hill said, “The internet gives people courage. Shier people can feel more comfortable being outgoing. Also, people become more courageous in confrontation, or sometimes in revenge.”

This “revenge” through modern technologies has developed the issue of cyber-bullying, a serious problem that has even resulted in death.

Getting more in touch with the outside world is much closer than flying to Washington D.C. All it takes is a trip to Room 209 for Philosophy Club meetings on Wednesdays. Share opinions, listen to others’ opinions, and learn something new.

The mood was set; a dimly lit room with just enough light hitting the stage as the jazz band opened the show. The performers were ready; many of them practicing in the isles and outside the little theatre, like Sophomores Karle’h Wilson, Tanner Grandstaff, and Alec Reiss. The time was now; with a single emphatic note from the band the show had begun.

The first song was an upbeat jazz routine with saxophone solos by freshman Meridith Flemming and Sophomore John Alser. It was a nice way to begin the evening with an quick song.

The next performance came from freshman Sienna Petree who sang the song “White Horse” by Taylor Swift while strumming along on her guitar. Her vocal performance was phenomenal and extremely mature sounding for her age. She was smooth, classy, and unlike other performances throughout the night, she wasn’t pitchy.

Another spectacular performance came from the trio of Wilson, Grandstaff, and Reiss. They performed the song “Use Somebody”; Wilson doing the vocals, Grandstaff on the guitar, and Reiss on the drum box. It was fun to watch, and a pleasure to listen to.

“[Our performance] turned out really well. Both Tanner and Karleh are so talented that it just meshed together and worked out really great,” said Reiss.

Another fun performance came from senior Heather Shields, junior Christian Lesko, and sophomore Shane Somerville. This trio really entertained the crowd with Shield’s vocals and Lesko and Somerville’s hysterical dancing.

“Heather sang the song really well and shane and christian really complimented her with their dancing. it was really funny,” said Reiss.

The Jazz Cafe also had some interesting poetry readings, most of which came from the friendly poet Shel Silverstein. An example comes from Yugina Yun, a sophomore who read “Sick”.

“I chose it because it was my favorite poem as a kid, and I tend to miss school alot. It was a perfect fit,” said Yun.

Overall it was a fun night at the Jazz Cafe with some stellar talent showings. The next Jazz Cafe is sure to be another hit.

Every two seconds, someone  in the United States is need of blood. Unfortunately, only three out of every hundred Americans donates blood. The two most common reasons people choose not to give blood are because they are afraid of needles, and because they just haven’t thought about it. With two blood drive events held each year, CdM students are definitely thinking about it.

“I think every student who is able, should donate blood. It’s such a simple way for high school students to help others,” said blood drive organizer, senior Kasey Palermo.

Palermo brings up a strong point. High school students may not have the money to donate to those in need, but they certainly can participate in blood drives, where they can help save the lives of up to three people.

Junior, Candice Wang reflected on her previous blood drive experience, “It hurt really bad, and I was nervous, but I knew it was worth it because I was saving three lives.” Wang will be participating in next week’s blood drive.

The blood drive will be held this Wednesday, March 10 from 7:30 to 12:30, in the big gym. To participate, students must be at least 16 years old. Sign up forms are available outside the ASB office. Green forms are for 16 year old students, and they require a parent signature.  Yellow forms are for students aged 17 and up. All forms may be returned to the ASB office.

In addition to saving three lives, participants will receive free food, a free t-shirt, and they will be excused from any classes they happen to miss while donating.

In-N-Out Double Double

Enjoy going to In-N-Out after a grueling practice and getting that mouth-watering Double Double burger with fries and a soda? Or going off campus to Jamba Juice during lunch and getting an original size smoothie on a hot day? Do you also enjoy clogging up your arteries and increasing your risk of heart disease? Fooling yourself by thinking that just because you exercise every day, you don’t put yourself at risk because of your poor diet?

In order to disabuse you of this notion, let’s set the record straight:

Approximately 365,000 individuals in the United States die from poor eating habits every year. That’s roughly 1,000 people a day. This excludes those with diabetes, obesity problems, or other issues of the sort. Just because you cannot be scientifically classified as obese or suffering form heart disease does not mean that you cannot be suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiency or low calcium intake, which can cause monumental healthy problems.

Well, the truth is that even though you may exercise every day and keep your weight in check, you may still be putting yourself at risk. Vitamins, minerals, and fibers that you need to be consuming on a daily basis may not be present in foods that high schoolers commonly indulge in.

Being within the average weight range of others your own age and height does not necessarily make you any healthier. You may lack the proper intake of daily necessities that someone else may be getting.

As students in high school, it is crucial to make good choices regarding the foods you eat in order to stay healthy. Instead of grabbing a cookie for a snack grab an apple or a handful of nuts. Bring a healthy homemade lunch to school instead of eating fast food off campus. A cookie may be more appetizing and fast food such as Chipotle may taste better than a turkey sandwich, but the alternative will help you get the vitamins and nutrients you need in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Foods such as whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products are several of nutritious options to developing healthier eating habits. Nuts are high in natural fiber, which slows your digestive process, slowing down your bouts of hunger throughout the day. Dairy products such as yogurt contain healthy probiotics and are rich in vitamin D, which helps prevent osteoporosis.

Friends come in many packages. True. Funny. Close. Nice. Secret. Tell Everything to. Helpful. Loving. Old. New. Smart. Stupid. Best. Whichever one they are, they are all important and should be celebrated, thanked, and should know how much they mean to us.

This week is the annual Friendship Week put on by PAL where CdM students acknowledge their privileges and benefits of having friends. Some people just take their friends for granted and do not realize the importance and value their share with us. “Lean on me, when your not strong. “Lean on me, when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on, for it won’t be long, ’til I’m going to need somebody to lean on.” As this verse from Bill Wither’s “Lean On Me” states, we all need a friend and we all need to be a friend. Without friends, do you really think you would be able to survive?

“The purpose of friendship week to bring CdM closer together as a school by encouraging kids to make new friends,” said junior Austin Pollard.

Every day of this week has a different theme. On Monday, “Make a New Friend Day,” go up to someone who is looking a bit lonely and start talking to them. Tuesday is “Compliment Day,” so be a nice person and go around handing out compliments, because like friendship, they are free. On Wednesday, it is “Hug Day,” where you give hugs to all of your friends. Thursday is “Twin Day,” so dress up with your friends in matching outfit to show your friendly spirit. Lastly, Friday is “High ‘5′ Day” which is pretty self-explanatory.

“The main goal of this week is to make CdM more close-knit. Maybe help some kids out who really need a friend. And I’m not saying the whole school is going to be closer after this week, but as long was we help at least a couple of kids make new friends, then we’ve achieved our goal,” said sophomore Maddy Markley.

The great philosopher Aristotle said, “In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. They keep the young out of mischief; they comfort and aid the old in their weakness, and they incite those in the prime of life to noble deeds.” This is very true and is how we have all grown to develop in our youth through our old ages for generations.

As you can see, friends are of great importance and should be celebrated. That is what this week is all about — the celebration of our love for our wonderful friends.

Corona del Mar’s esteemed Academic Decathlon team returned victorious from their annual competition on Febuary 6, 2010 at Westminster Highschool . Their 5 teams of A, B and C students of 29 members won 27 individual awards. Academic Decathlon awards are based on individual effort excluding super quiz. Jack Mulcaire received the 4th place award in the overall individual category, placing highly among all Orange County scholars. Juniors who scored include Tara Armand in interview, Lyssa Aruda in science, interview, and literature, Bryce Bastien in science, essay, and economics, Kelsey Johnston in economics and math, Morgan McVey in essay, Cameron Moattari in science , Dylan Salisbury in math and literature, Akie Tomiyama in science, Raku Watari in math, science, and art.

Seniors who placed in the competition include Corey Cano in economics, Gillian Lau in music, Morgan Low in science and math, and Jack Mulcaire in literature, economics, history, art and essay.

In just a few weeks, CDM’s Annual Musical will debut! This comedic performance is full of some of CdM’s most talented actors and actresses. “It’s rather hilarious and quite rad, plus I have a husband,” said junior Daniel Flaxman, who plays the role of Dan Schwartz.

The musical is about six overachieving adolescents competing in a Spelling Bee at Putnam Valley Middle School. Family fun is guaranteed, as the performance includes hilarity and a good moral. The students competing in the Spelling Bee, as well as the adults who run it, come to the conclusion that winning isn’t everything. “I’ve had a great time working with the cast and crew, it’s going to be a great show. Everyone should come out and see it, it’s hilarious,” said junior Ashton Meginnis who plays the role of Jesus.

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee consists of:  Carlie Rinehart, Heather Shields, Sarah Schulte, Rich Posert, Chanel Lucia, Ben Carlson, Brian Smith, Matt Funsten, Max Priestly, Daniel Flaxman, Ashton Meginnis, Braden Cooley and Sienna Petree. “The show is such a blast to be apart of and we had a lot of fun rehearsing,” said senior Rinehart, who plays the role of Olivia Ostrovsky.

The dedicated crew members are: Kaylyn Nese, Alyssa Evans, Carla Vigueras, Alysha Kundanmal, Sarah Yoo, Winston Hollingshead, Jason Dillion, and Preston Snow.

Stage manager Nese said, “It’s a really funny show, and I think people will really enjoy it a lot. Also, each actor fits their character perfectly.”

“It’s been such a great experience as usual. Having such a small cast has been really nice because we’ve all bonded a lot over the past few months and a lot of really talented people are getting a chance to shine!” said senior Shields, who plays the role of Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere.

The highly anticipated musical is of course directed by, none other than the beloved Mr. Martin.

Tickets are $10.00 with a CdM student ID, and $15.00 without. Tickets are available for purchase online at  https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?e=4939ffaa4b079a82dfda3c8db557ba6b&t=tix and at the door on performance night. The musical runs Wednesday, March 10 until Saturday March 13. Curtain call is at 7:30 pm. Some are sad to hear that the musical will only be available for a short amount of time, but rumor has it that if sales go well, a Saturday matinee is possible. Don’t count on that though, get your tickets while you can!

As many CdM students already know, junior Darren Lu has near-magical knowledge about how the world really works. A full account of the truth he has given us can be found here. We decided that, although prolonged exposure to Darren’s forbidden knowledge usually results in severe psychological trauma, we should get more detailed information based on Darren’s unique perspective and share it with CdM’s student body, in order to help them see the lies that society is based on. Arranging a meeting with Darren is not easy. To make contact with him we first had to talk to several representatives of the Russian Mafia. They provided us with the information necessary to get in touch with a certain “Mr. Bigg”. Bigg told us that in order to meet Darren we would first have to be subjected to an extensive interview by Darren’s head bodyguard and assistant. We went to the address he told us to go to, a warehouse in Santa Ana. When we entered we were immediately knocked unconscious and bags were put over our face. We awoke several minutes later and the bags were removed from our faces. We were in a dark room, with a wet concrete floor. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, leaving the corners of the room in shifting shadows. Out of these shadows stepped a an effeminate, elf like man. “Stay awake, I need to ask you some questions” he said. “What…is that Clay Aiken?” said Cahill. And indeed it was. “Look, guys, uhm, I’m going to ask you guys like a few questions.” He removed his baby blue button down and complimenting cashmere cardigan, and put on what appeared to be a large tarp. And then the torture began.

After hours of incredible pain, and equally terrible tickling, we heard a silky and familiar voice, rich and noble. “That’s enough Aiken. Now go back to Pechanga Casino and Resort, your work is done here.  Sorry for the secrecy, but the Coast Guard is constantly watching my every move.” “Really?  the Coast Guard?” “Yes, you have no idea how powerful they really are.” Right off the bat the wise master give huge sums of new information regarding the world’s real history:

• Finney didn’t actually die in Separate Peace.  In reality he was “whisked away” by the United States government because only, the government could truly comprehend his potential as a genetically modified super soldier.  They injected Finny with the experimental “Super Soldier Serum” .  Additionally, Finny’s actual name was Steve Finnaeus Rogers.  At first glance this does not appear tyo be significant; however, Steve Rogers is the real name of  Captain America and the scientist, Dr. Steven von Roschenburg, who created the Super Serum appears multiple times through out the comic book series.

Makes this story seem a lot less...you know.

• The TV show Yu-Gi-Oh! is actually based on Abraham Lincoln’s childhood.
• Ferris Wheels are communist propaganda. Often used to spy on the lives of Americans.

• The “fluoride” that  is put in the drinking supply to supposedly  ”strengthen tooth enamel” is actually used to by the government to monitor our daily lives.
• All breakfast cereal contains amino acids that make Americans comply to the government.  This is the only way a republic can actually function.
• “Aglets, the small plastic caps on the end of shoe laces, purpose: sinister”

Purpose: sinister

All of these revelations were, well, pretty shocking to say the least in their own right. But what we really wanted to know was the backstory on one of his more famous claims. As we’re sure you all remember, the last time we interviewed him, Darren declared that the entire nation of the United Kingdom does not and never has existed. We wanted him to clarify this story. “Well, I have to admit, children, that I wasn’t entirely honest with you last time. But only because you weren’t ready for the whole truth. You see, England doesn’t exist now, but it did once. I think you’re ready now. Let me explain…” The story Darren told us went on for hours and completely explained everything about all of human history. It was comparable to the Bible in it’s ability to provide meaning to and transcend the human experience. Basically everything about history is true up until the 13th century. But, said Darren, “In the Middle Ages, there was the the bloody struggle between England and France known in your history textbooks as the Hundred Years War, and amongst Truthgivers like myself as the Great Magical Space Dinosaur Inter-Dimensional Cataclysm (GMSDIDC) of 1453. French wizards, more specifically Joan of Arc, used their powers to conjure a portal on top of the Washington Monument, which was actually built millions of years ago by the Forerunners. Through this portal, two rival races of super-intelligent dinosaurs arrived. England and France each took one of the races as allies, and soon a massive battle of lasers, magic and swords was joined. All of the British dinosaurs were voiped into another dimension when one of their own laser eyebeams misfired and blasted Britain through the portal that the dinosaurs came from.

Pictured: A British Dinosaur

“Wait,” we said. “So you’re telling us that Britain no longer exists because it was sent to another dimension in a battle between magic space dinosaurs 600 years ago?”

“Yeah, it’s the GMSDIDC,” said Darren.

“Oh, well alright then. That…actually makes a lot of sense. Ties up a lot of loose ends.”

“I know. Because its true. Anyway, the British dinosaurs are waiting for the day when someone will reopen the portal and allow them to rain vengeance on humanity.”

The Revered One