It is almost here! Students can smell the salty ocean, taste the sweet watermelon, hear the crashing waves, and see the bright and shining sun. As students study and prepare for finals, all they can think about is summer. With only one week left, summer is on the tips of their fingertips. The countdown has begun as students enter their last week of school.

This week, the distribution of yearbooks excited students as they went around signing each other’s and glancing back at the 2009-2010 school year.  Next week with finals, all students want to do is complete the end of the year exams and leave! But not until all exams are completed and the bell has rung, school will have officially ended and summer will officially begin.

For students summer means relaxation, freedom, and no worries about tests or loads of homework. The beginning of summer leaves students looking forward to two months of pure relaxation and the chance to soak up some rays.

For some students, they have the opportunity to travel to amazing places during their summer vacation. Places such as Paris, Rome, Japan, Australia, and tropical islands are popular destinations during July and August.

For freshman Melis Gunay, she plans on having a busy summer, “This summer I’m going to Turkey for 2 weeks with my family. I am also playing lots of tennis, doing community service, and of course hanging out at the beach.”

Besides hitting the beach and tanning, students can catch up on sleep. After waking up Monday through Friday in the early morning hours, students want to do nothing but recharge their bodies with sleep.

“I can’t wait to sleep in everyday in the summer, waking up at 6 in the morning for zero period became really tiring after a while,” said junior Jessica Beyer.

So that’s it, summer is almost here and it sure will be great. Just stay focused until the last bell of the school year rings. Have a great summer!

Graduation. This simple word fills the minds of the anxious seniors as they prepare to say goodbye to their high school memories. From the time of when they were little freshmen; lost, confused, and in the middle of puberty, to the time of confident seniors, it is clear that growth has been witnessed.

“I remember when I used to have blonde hair and be called “cute.” Now I’m just known for being “Most likely so say something inappropriate.” senior Lesely Smith said.

The biggest concern now for seniors would have to be completing their finals, coming up next week. With the aroma of senioritis filling the classrooms, its difficult to focus.

“I already know that I’m going to college, so its hard to actually take the rest of my classes seriously,” senior Nicole Ives said.

Apart from the last minute stress to the excitement of college approaching, CdM seniors seem to feel a sense of loss as well. As a new chapter is beginning, an old one is closing. Their high school years are finished in a week.

“It’s sad we’re graduating because I won’t ever see some of these people again,” senior Zoe Salaam said.

Of coarse students will have their memories to cling on to during this busy time. After all how could anyone forget the kind-hearted Mrs. Henderson, or their freshman Biology teacher Mr. Lash. Students may come and go from Corona Del Mar High School, but the memories last, staying in the walls of the campus forever. Farewell class of 2010, you will be remembered.

Junior Will Morrow is the definition of a well-rounded student. Excelling in the classrooms and on the field, it seems like there’s nothing he can’t do.

One of Morrow’s main passions is baseball. A valued member of CdM’s varsity baseball team, Morrow has contributed greatly to his team’s success this season. He had a batting average of .387 (36 for 93), 20 runs batted in, a slugging percentage of .525, an on-base percentage of .491. He also ended his season with two home runs.

“It was great to see everyone contributing,” said Morrow while reflecting about his season.

Next year Morrow is looking forward to next year’s season due to all the returning players. Having lots of friends as teammates are one of his favorite parts about being on the team. Morrow hopes for the team to win league next season and make his senior year on the team as memorable as possible.

It is prom season again at Corona del Mar and students will being spending the majority of their Saturday preparing for the festive occasion.  A lot goes into this preparation , especially for young women.

This year prom is to be held at V20 in Long Beach.  Many students are excited at the prospect of having prom at a nigh club.  Senior Julien Crockett said, “I think it’s a pretty cool place to have prom. I’ve seen some pictures and it looks awesome.”  Others are slightly more skeptical.  Junior Darren Lu said, “It should be at the aquarium,” referring to the Long Beach aquarium which is the immediate vicinity of V20.  Lu, who ran for ASB Vice President, added, “I am personally disappointed with the decision ASB has made. I believe that this epitomizes the poor decision making that has come to characterize that institution.  The aquarium would be a far more appropriate and educational venue.”  Nonetheless, the majority of students are still greatly looking forward to prom.

For most the hours and for some the weeks leading up to prom are very busy.  Organizing prom takes weeks of organization.  Students must book limos, make dinner reservations for large groups, plan after parties and much more.  One senior, Jacob Ashendorf, remarked, “Getting a limo became increasingly difficult.  I had to call probably 8 different places before i could finally book one.  One man wished me luck of the phone saying, ‘that all the limo’s in Orange County were booked.’”  Making dinner reservations tends to be slightly easier, given the large amount of restaurants in Newport Beach.  Students have made dinner plans all over Newport at venues such as El Torito Grill, California Pizza Kitchen, Five Crowns and even Flemings.

A great deal of time is also spent in the hours just before prom as well.  For boys the process is rather simple.  Most take pick up their dates corsage (or have their mother do it), take a shower, and then throw on the suit they got from Friar Tux or something they already own.

Girls on the other hand have an entire day full of preparations.  Typically the average girls, must spend go through a day of getting their hair, nails, make up done, in addition to showering, picking up boutineers and getting dressed.   Some girls wake up as early as 6:00 AM in order to ensure that all this gets done.  While all this work can seems excessive.  Their dates surely appreciate all of their work and a true gentlemen will always let them know.

This week CdM juniors and seniors participated in the activity called “Every Fifteen Minutes” to become better educated about the dangers of drinking and driving. Over the course of two days, the students were able to witness a reenactment of a real drunk-driving accident, as well as the aftermath, including students from their own school.
On late Wednesday morning, all of the juniors and seniors assembled to the back parking lot in order to view a staged drunk driving accident on the corner of Mar Vista and Vista Bonita. On the scene, students such as seniors Austin Allen and Kasey Palermo and juniors Andrew Machoskie and Meghan Beachamp were strewn across the wreckage covered with make-up-illustrated injuries.
A few minutes later, a recording of a 911 call sounded over the speakers with the voice of a desperate female witness giving the information to the police officers which gave the audience background information about the scene. The paramedics, fire department, and police arrived on the scene and began to take action. They immediately began pulling students out of the cars, testing for heartbeats, and loading them on stretchers to go into the ambulance. Senior Austin Allen, the drunk driver, participated in a series of tests to test his level of intoxication. The audience watched as he was placed under arrest. Afterwards the “deceased” body of junior Meghan Beachamp was placed into the coroner’s car and began to drive away. The student ghosts, including history teacher Laura Mayberry, followed the car in a single file line down the street, giving the scene a truly morbid feeling.
Students hear about these drunk-driving accidents every day, however not too many of them have actually witnessed one. Many students agreed that watching this scene in front of their eyes really changed their views of these accidents and made the experience more real for them. This is what gave many students a “wake-up call” about driving under the influence.
This event made senior Ashley Varner realize, “teens are very irresponsible at this age.”
Statistics show that 60 percent of all teen deaths are the result of drunk-driving accidents according to firsteagle.com. That means that at least eight teens die everyday according to learnaboutalcoholism.com. There are also numerous drunk driving convictions in our community. In Orange County alone, there are 13,000 D.U.I. arrests, 90 percent result in conviction according to topgundui.com. These rates are always on the rise and are becoming more and more frequent every year.
“Every Fifteen Minutes” is a unique experience for high school students because it allows them to experience the reality and affects of drunk driving firsthand. Not only do they get to see how it affects the victims, but it also makes them aware of how it affects their friends and families as well. With the use of various CdM students in this activity, it also makes the experience more personal for the other students.
“Being able to see an accident was definitely more powerful than just hearing about one,” said junior Silvie Reynolds.
For these reasons, “Every Fifteen Minutes” has become a CdM tradition occurring every two years educating juniors and seniors how drunk driving can personally affect their lives and that it is important to make safe decisions because these situations have a profound affect on many people.

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Photos by Lauren Stein

Trident can be a tough place, but Paul Zubatov is a rock, a leader, and a motivator who makes life in fourth period a little more tolerable. Yes, he’s spent countless hours playing video games, lounging on the infamous futon, and generally just doing nothing, but by golly, he deserves an A!

There are a number of reasons Mr. Zubatov deserves a good grade. First of all, his looks rank high. One of the younger staffers, who wishes to remain anonymous, said “Paul is just so attractive, I like to stare into his deep magical eyes… he’s hot.”

According to senior Austin Allen, “He brings a positive example to the class, he also won CIF soccer… which should obviously correlate to getting a good grade in Trident.”

Without a doubt, Paul’s favorite thing to do in Trident is sit on the futon. It’s become his little “home-away-from-home.” In many ways, he owns it. He sets the trend for in-class futon culture.

Paul was relative quiet during our interview, this is all he had to say, “I’m a baller. It’s what I do.”

Need someone to talk to? Paul is your go-to guy, unless he’s busy sleeping or playing a video game. Those are set aside “Paul” times; they are unquestionably sacrosanct–don’t bother him.

This is Paul's typical position on the futon. Other staffers work while Paul lounges, yet somehow he remains an inspiration to do work--or just a good person to talk to (if he isn't busy with a video game or taking a nap). At left: Hailey Senske actually does work.

For those of you who have been paying attention to the Trident Awards produced by Petersen Donald Walrod, Paul was a finalist in the award category “Most Creative Staff Member of the Year.” Unfortunately, he did not go on to win the award, but his extraordinary level of creativity shall not be questioned.

Senior Jarrett Logan says Paul deserves an A because “His hair flows smoothly, and he’s a CIF soccer champion.”

Other seniors have more simple reasons as to why Paul deserves an A. Julien Crockett said, “He is determined to succeed.”

Whatever the case the aforementioned evidence points to the fact that Mr. Zubatov is a man of honor, a respected individual in the community, and a crucial member of the Trident Staff. Yeah, he doesn’t always do work (like, none of it), but so what? An article was inspired because of his presence, can you really say he doesn’t deserve an A? I think not.

Left: Patrick Anderson Right: Brandon Anderson

This past weekend the Special Olympics of Southern California were held at Irvine High School. The Special Olympics are sports events that allow people with mental and developmental diseases to participate in sports events and have a chance to win medals and be awarded for their athletic and cooperative achievements.

This year’s Special Olympics proved successful with an outstanding turnout of athletes along with their friends, family, and mentors, as well as supporters of this cause, which is to promote the efficiency of all the disabled people in this community. Taking place at Irvine High School, the participants proved their athletic talents in events such as 25 meter Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly aquatic races as well as 4×25 Freestyle and Medley relays. At the track, events such as the 50-meter, 100- meter, and 200-meter walks and runs took place as well as the Standing Long Jump, Shot-put, and Tennis Ball Throw. Athletes had the opportunity to play baseball and basketball as well.

CdM students, also brothers, eighth grader Patrick Anderson and freshman Brandon Anderson were among the participating athletes of the Huntington Beach Athletic Team last weekend. Both boys proved their athletic skills in various track and field events.

“My favorite race was the 1500 meter race because I like to run long distances,” said Brandon Anderson.

Brandon Anderson received a silver medal in the 1500-meter race as well as the 4×100 relay. He also won a bronze medal in shot put and the 200-meter race. Patrick Anderson also did extremely well winning a gold medal in the 400-meter race, a silver medal in the long jump and the 4×100 relay, and a bronze medal in the 200-meter race.

When asked about his goals for competing in these sports events, Patrick Anderson said, “I just always try to do my best.”

This is a great motto for the Special Olympics Games because it emphasizes the value of effort over winning.

“Learning and having fun are two things the athletes get out of these events,” said Maryalaine Herbert, special education employee of the Newport Mesa Unified School District.

Another NMUSD special education employee, Annette Schumann, said, “The Special Olympics is really great for the kids because it boosts their self-esteem and teaches them sportsmanship and also helps them to make friends.”

Due to their achievements the boys qualify for the Southern California Regional Special Olympics at Cal State Long Beach on June 12-13. Both boys look forward to further competing and having fun.

As the school year begins to come to a close, students are receiving their summer reading lists. Instead of students rushing to Barnes and Noble to purchase their summer books, CdM is trying something new. In past years, students have sent in order forms to purchase their books from Barnes and Noble. However, this year Barnes and Noble will be bringing the summer reading books to the students.

“Barnes and Noble set up tables in the quad and have all of the summer reading books that we need,” said junior Kati Burke. The Barnes and Noble book fair began May 24 and will end May 25. They will be selling books from 8:00-3:00 in the quad. You can bring cash, credit cards, or checks to purchase your books in an easy and timely fashion.

“The book fair is easier for students but it also benefits the English department,” said junior Sarah Light. A small portion of each purchase goes to the English department so that they can purchase additional supplies, supplemental materials, and guest speakers for the following year.

If you forget your money or don’t get to the book fair in time, do not worry. You can still take part in helping the English department. You can visit the Barnes and Noble at Fashion Island and make your purchases. You can also go online at bn.com/bookfairs and enter the Bookfair ID# 10208965 at checkout until May 29.

So, come and get your summer reading books and help out the English department!

Mr. Green’s first year at CdM has been an interesting and fun experience for many of his fortunate students. Despite teaching a topic that is rarely considered creative, the new math teacher on campus has decided to take a different route on final review. For the first time, the students will be teaching the class.

“It’s going to be fun,” said sophomore Alex Beyrooty, “It’s a cool way to review math.”

For the next two weeks, the students will be in groups of two and will prepare presentations for each chapter of the year. These presentations must be up to 45 minutes long, and must keep the class entertained while covering all of the material. Needless to say, this will require a certain amount of preparation as the students will have to deal with the everyday problems of teachers.

As part of the project, students are encouraged to think up ways to keep the class focused, and will not get credit for wasting time. Things like one student’s idea to “take the class out to the track” are discouraged, and while some exercise might be nice, the discussion does have to be related to their material.

Some students, like sophomore Bryan Tallichetn, chose their subjects at random, or at what might be the most interesting. After winning a three-way  number selection, Tallichetn said, “I got the chapter on Probability, and I have no idea what I’m going to do [with it].”

This seems to be an incredible hit with most of the class. Tallichetn, among other students, expresses the idea that this is a good way to review “because each of us teaching each other will be the easiest way to remember it.”  After two weeks of fast review, the second time around will hopefully be a more permanent stick.

“I [got the idea] from my wife’s school. She has uses this method for finals review. I thought it was a good idea, and I simply incorporated it into my class,” said Mr. Green.

Now you might be saying, doesn’t this make it easier for the people with more time? In a way, you are right. However, the standards for the presentation become more difficult as it goes on, and the first group generally receives the “benefit of the doubt,” while the last chapter needs a slightly more spectacular performance.

A stroke of genius, the “G-man” has done it again. The infamous whiffleball star can now just sit back and relax, and let the kids run the show.