AGNESSA KASUMYAN

Parents and family members

of a group of Latino stu-

dents are currently investi-

gating whether or not to take legal

action against the Glendale Police

Department (GPD), the Los Ange-

les Police Department (LAPD),

and possibly the school district for

what they believe to be racial dis-

crimination against Latino stu-

dents.

On Sept. 24, as many as 40

Latino students were taken into

two separate rooms during lunch

for what the GPD and Principal

Jennifer Earl call a "demonstra-

tion," where a false situation is

created in order to show the stu-

dents the potential harms and con-

sequences of gang-affiliated

activities.

Family members are still

looking for an apology by the

school, the district, and the police

for the “psychological damage”

that they feel has occurred to the

students since the incident, ac-

cording to an anonymous source.

Earl and Probation Officer

Gilda Davis, who was assigned to

the school, decided to hold a

demonstration after Earl was pro-

vided with "evidence" that a few

of the students involved were in

the process of being recruited into

a gang. She felt that steps needed

to be taken to stop the process and

show the students that there is a

different path they can take in life.

According to Earl, there had

been more marijuana arrests at the

school in the duration of a month

than all of last year. At a meeting

that took place on Nov. 23 in the

district conference room to ad-

dress the issue, Superintendent

Richard Sheehan noted gangs do

Parents claim discrimination in possible action against police

Virtual enterprise places in trade fairDistrict approves newbond on April ballot

GAIN ‘N’ TRAIN: The virtual enterprise class won in various cate-

gories at the Bakersfield Trade Fair, Dec. 2-3. Narek Minasi(’12) sets

up their company’s booth Gain N’ Train, a fitness and health club.

COURTESY OF MILDRED OUTLAW

As a way to raise $270 mil-

lion, GUSD will put a new bond

measure on the April 5 ballot.

Currently unnamed and re-

ferred to as the general application

bond, the measure, if approved by

voters, will distribute the money

among the 33 schools in the district

based on each of the schools’

needs, including replacing old bun-

galows and adding new renova-

tions.

A facility analysis is being

held with all of the schools’ PTAs

and staffs to review the requests of

the schools. The district is also

doing a technology analysis by site

and will be working with staff on

types of technology that they need

to enhance instruction.

Chief Financial Officer Eva

Lueck said that the bond will also

finance projects such as school

safety improvements and technol-

ogy upgrades.

The bond would build on

Measure K, a $186 million bond

approved in 1997 that financed

several major construction projects

within the district.

The local property tax rates,

which homeowners pay, will re-

main the same, about $46 per

$100,000. Property tax rates de-

pend on the home’s property value.

The bond would be phased in when

the measure is paid off in 2017.

Government teacher Nareg

Keshishian is in favor of the new

bond because good schools raise

property values for homes, but

fears that it will benefit the school

administrators more than the stu-

dents.

“Technology makes adminis-

trators more excited then teachers,”

Keshishian said.

Sherry St. Pierre, a homeown-

ing parent in the district, approves

of the new bond “as long as the

money helps out the students.”

DION AGHAJANI

The virtual enterprise class,

competing for the first

time in the 12th annual

Bakersfield Trade Fair earlier

this month, placed 1st for com-

pany catalog, 4th in professional

booth category, 5th place in ad-

vanced website division, and 5th

in salesmanship.

In total, 108 high school vir-

tual enterprise classes from Cal-

ifornia and New York

participated in the two-day

event.

Although each class could

choose which out of the 16 cate-

gories to compete in, all of them

were required to set up a booth in

the Robobank Convention Cen-

ter. The virtual enterprise class

exhibited a Gain ‘N’ Train booth,

a fitness and health club that sold

membership packages.

During the Bakersfield

Trade Fair, judges and visitors

walked around in the convention

center, purchasing the booth’s

merchandise by transferring

money from virtual bank ac-

counts given to every participant.

Gain ‘N’ Train sold over $25,000

in membership packages.

The class had prepared for

the trade fair by practicing mar-

keting strategies as well as mak-

ing brochures, banners, and

business cards.

Simon Chinivizyan (’12)

who designed the catalog, said

that he focused on putting pro-

fessional, high-quality photos on

each page of the catalog, an ef-

fort he believes won the class

first place in the category.

Business teacher Mildred

Outlaw feels especially proud

because despite the fact that the

class had no returning students,

it had learned new programs

such as Microsoft Publisher and

Adobe Illustrator in little time.

According to Chief Execu-

tive Officer (CEO) Benig An-

deryasian (’11), the class plans to

secure donations and create

business partnerships with other

companies to prepare for the San

Diego Trade Fair in March.

ALLEN AU | TORNADO TIMES

see DISCRIMINATION/ page 2

DISCRIMINATION: This area of tables near the front entrance is

where students were taken from and put into rooms by school and police

officials during lunch on Sept. 24. Family members are determining

whether or not to take legal action against the Glendale and Los Angeles

police departments for what they call racial discrimination.

SE YEON KIM

TOTAL

BOND: The Board of Education voted to put on the April ballot a $270 million bond, which will be distributed

among all 33 GUSD schools. If approved, $54 million of the bond may be available for district use as early as

next Sept.

BOND$270MILLION

ALEX KARIBYAN | TORNADO TIMES

Volume 81 No. 5 December 22, 2010 tornado-times.com

hoover high school est. 1929

Students brighten Rose Parade 4 Tron Legacy fails to impress 5 New coaches prepare for season 7

651 Glenwood Road, Glendale, CA 91202 | (818) 242-6801 ext. 11202

the

insi

de

tornadotimes

Richard Sheehan noted gangs do

Tornado Times2 December 22, 2010NEWS

DISCRIMINATION

not beat up prospects to recruit them

into a gang anymore, but have them

sell marijuana, which is what

prompted the demonstration with

the students.

During the meeting, Sheehan,

Earl, and Board of Education mem-

ber Gregory Krikorian all stressed

that the intent of the district was to

prevent students from being in-

volved with gangs.

The Glendale Education/Social

Justice Advocates Steering Com-

mittee (GESJA), a group of com-

munity members who are against

aggressive military recruiting at

public schools, are also against the

demonstration that was performed

by the LAPD and GPD.

"During the district meeting, I

asked what could have been done

differently during this so-called

demonstration at the school,”

GESJA member Sharon Weisman

said. “[Sheehan] responded that

next time there would be better

communication, students would not

be turned over to the police, and

pictures would not be taken.”

According to Earl, students

were supposed to be warned by the

police officers that the demonstra-

tion was not real. The students who

were taken in by the police usually

spend their lunch break on the first

and second floors, where former

gang members of Westside Locos

and their rival gang, Toonerville,

used to hang out.

Knowing that these two areas

have a history of gang violence,

Earl felt it was her “responsibility”

as an educator to warn the students

of the dangers that come along with

being gang-affiliated.

“Even if someone is not in

gangs but knows others who are and

spends time in a place that has a his-

tory of gang-related tendencies,

then that person is still at risk,” Earl

said.

The students involved, how-

ever, claim they felt like they were

being treated like criminals because

the policemen had asked to see tat-

toos, took their photos in the fashion

of a mug-shot, and confiscated

some cell phones, despite the stu-

dents denying knowing anyone re-

cruited into gangs.

Neither the students nor their

parents were warned that the meet-

ing was only a demonstration. Some

parents actually thought that their

sons and daughters had done some-

thing wrong for them to be taken in.

They believe that the district and

police departments are only calling

it a demonstration as a cover-up for

their “wrong actions.”

The main concern for the stu-

dents and their parents is that the

pictures still exist and may be put

into the police system, harming the

students’ reputations and futures.

One reason for the potential lawsuit

is to make sure that the photos have

been destroyed.

Although many of the students

told police officers that they were

not gang members, they were told

that their pictures could be put in the

system if they did not change their

affiliations and where they spend

their time at lunch. Earl, however,

had Captain Rock of the GPD

promise that the pictures would not

be put in the system, and that they

were just trying to give the students

a wake-up call.

She believes that the demon-

stration actually helped better rela-

tions between her and some of the

students who can now turn to her

during times of need. Although a

few of the students agree that they

do not have a problem, they felt dis-

tressed over the incident.

"We were very surprised that

this happened," Giovanni Pablo

(’12) said. "We are really doing well

in school this year, keeping our

grades up and always going to our

classes, so it really felt like a slap

across the face when we were taken

in and accused of being part of

something that we have nothing to

do with."

Sophomore Karen Lopez espe-

cially felt shaken by the incident be-

cause she tries to stay away from

gangs and does well in school to

create a different lifestyle for her-

self.

Before parents and family

members decide to go forward with

a lawsuit, Sheehan is reportedly

meeting with the Chief of Police at

LAPD and GPD to make sure that

the photos taken of the students

have been erased and will not be put

into the police system.

"We have our hang-out spot

just like everybody else in the

school,” Jessica Castaneda (’12)

said. “If people saw us together,

they would realize that we are nor-

mal teens, not gang-affiliated trou-

blemakers."

continued from page 1Second BGD game added to season

Football coaches Chris Long

and Alan Eberhart from

Glendale High School

(GHS) have agreed to a preseason

football game between the

schools starting next year on Sept.

9. The traditional homecoming

game (BGD) on Nov. 11 will re-

main unchanged, said GHS Assis-

tant Principal Rene Valdes.

According to Long, both

schools were one preseason game

short because their 2-year con-

tracts with non-league schools

Sierra Vista (against Hoover) and

Cathedral (against GHS) had

ended.

Associate Principal Chris

Coulter said that because both

schools’ programs are in their

“building phase,” he anticipates

seeing their growth between the

first and last games against each

other.

SE YEON KIM

PRESEASON: The football team plays against GHS on Nov. 12 dur-

ing the annual “Beat Glendale Day.”Starting next season, there will

be a preseason game against GHS in addition to BGD.

EDWARD NADURATA | TORNADO TIMES

FeatureDecember 22, 2010

Celeb

ra

te G

OO

Dt

imes

ar

ou

nd

th

e w

or

ld

3

Mex

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ro

ma

nia

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men

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Philippines

SouthKorea

Ind

ia

“

”

My f

amil

y a

nd I

go to C

hri

stm

as E

ve

and

Ch

rist

mas

day

mas

s. T

he

enti

re

fam

ily

jo

ins

tog

eth

er a

nd

co

ok

s tr

a-

dit

ional

foods,

such

as

puto

(co

lorf

ul

rice

flo

ur

cupca

kes

), l

echon (

roas

ted

pig

), a

nd b

a rbe c

ue .

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an

i F

acu

nd

o (

’12)

“

”

We

cele

bra

te b

y c

oo

kin

g t

rad

itio

nal

dis

hes

lik

e sa

rmal

e (c

abbag

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lls

wit

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pork

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amal

iga

(corn

mea

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ush

,

serv

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ith s

our

crea

m, an

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hee

se o

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side)

. W

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so l

ike

to s

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Rom

an-

ian C

hri

stm

as c

arols

.

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Bri

nd

use

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(’1

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fam

ily

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d I

eat

fo

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lik

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bee

f, m

ash

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toes

, g

laze

d h

am,

and

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role

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cing

, an

d

spe n

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g t

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wit

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rist

ian

Hen

n (

’11)

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dit

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, C

hri

stm

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leb

rate

d

on

Jan

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wh

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(sp

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morn

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(’1

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up

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oup).

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ne

Ch

un

g (

’12)

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Ch

rist

mas

is

a m

ino

r h

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day

. T

her

e

are

var

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types

of

food t

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we

eat:

som

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swee

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all

hav

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oft

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fi

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wit

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s o

f m

eat,

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rist

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mas

, w

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das

(sm

all

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ties

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elat

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and f

ood).

Josh

ua T

ap

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’11)

COM

PILE

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: CIN

DYQU

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| TOR

NADO

TIM

ES

Glasses touch together. Clink. The roar of

laughter is heard everywhere—the count-

down begins: three, two, one—Bang! An-

ticipation hits the room and the New Year ball hits

the floor as excitement spills everywhere on New

Year’s day. The next two hours of the night are

spent celebrating gaily until eyelids begin to

droop, contagious yawning engulfs the room, and

beds begin to call out to their owners. Everyone

will be off to sleep—except for seniors Allen Au

(’11) and Greg Kalfayan (’11) who will be prepar-

ing to perform in Pasadena’s122nd annual Rose

Parade at 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

Au and Kalfayan will march down

Colorado Blvd. in a sea of red and

white uniforms, after having been

chosen for the Pasadena City Col-

lege Lancer Band. Out of more than

520 students who auditioned to per-

form, Au and Kalfayan were se-

lected for positions.

Au has been playing the

bass drum since he joined the

school’s marching band

freshman year. Over the

years, his determination to

improve his skills has led

him to become the bass captain

and a member of the drum

corps. His efforts finally paid off

on the day of the audition.

Au was “relaxed” and “noncha-

lant” about his competition—he knew

that with his training with Impulse, a

summer drumming program, he was bound

to get the position.

The percussion auditions lasted for an entire

day. Students who passed the preliminary round

were called back for follow-up auditions. Au made

it through the first round, and he was not surprised

to hear the judge call out his the audition number.

Just as he predicted, the Southern California

students gathered around the Pasadena Commu-

nity College stadium were “no match” for him. He

was already used to “eating, breathing, and sleep-

ing [music],” and he earned one of the 25 drum

line spots.

“I’m excited to turn right on Colorado and

watch all the fans cheer us on,” Au said.

The experience has been a “great opportu-

nity” and he is grateful that he will be able to learn

from the more experienced drummers in the band.

Pasadena College marching band director,

Kyle Luck, said that when Au walked into the se-

ries of auditions, he was one of the few who

“stood out among his peers.”

He also commended Kalfayan for his earned

position in the trumpet section of the band. Luck

explains that the trumpet player auditions were

one of the most complicated of the day because of

the three parts they were broken down into: a

recital of a musical selection chosen by the candi-

date while marching, a prepared piece, and an on-

the-spot sight reading. At his audition, Kalfayan

performed “Largo and Allegro,” a three-minute

piece highlighting the first trumpet high notes.

“At first I was nervous, but once I started

playing, everything went smoothly,” Kalfayan

said.

Ultimately his rigorous audition landed him

one of the 32 available spots in the trumpet sec-

tion.

Band director Martin Rhees was not surprised

to find out that both students were chosen to march

in the band.

“Greg and Allen are the type of people who

show up and are prepared,” Rhees said.

He explains that it is an “honor” to have both

Au and Kalfayan represent the school at the pa-

rade.

After having been chosen, both band students

have had a difficult schedule for the past month.

They have been rehearsing since November, once

a week on Sundays for four to six hours.

Due to the upcoming parade, their schedule

has dramatically increased, with practice sched-

uled every single day starting Dec. 20 until Jan. 1.

On average the band marches four miles, per-

fecting routines to be flawless; both Au and

Kalfayan will march 30 miles by New Year’s.

“At first I was hesitant about giving up my

winter break, but after I realized that this might be

my only chance to appear on national television, I

knew that I couldn’t pass it up,” Kalfayan said.

Eunice Choi (’11), who marched in the parade

last year, knows that it takes a lot of hard work and

determination to complete the parade. She admits

that the “invigorating” feeling she received after

the parade was worth the constant practicing.

She and other band members agreed that both

students were one of few who were passionate

about marching.

“They’re always focused at practice and they

are the people I learn from,” band member and

friend Liz Avila (’13) said.

As of now, both Au and Kalfayan are anxious

for the day to come. Marching alongside other

more experienced drummers and trumpet players

has been an “enjoyable” experience for both of

them. Considering that they are some of the

youngest members of the band, Kalfayan feels it

is an “honor” to perform with the other members.

EntertainmentTornado Times

4 December 22, 2010

Everything is coming up rosesEDWIN FLORES

CAIN BUCKLER AND TROY JONIC | TORNADO TIMES

PARADE: Kalfayan and Au rehearse with the PCC Tournament of Roses Honor

Band in preparation for the Rose Parade on Jan. 1st, 2011. They will have marched

30 miles by New Year’s day.

5Tornado Times

December 22, 2010

Seeing as how I was

born well after the

1982 release of the

original “Tron” film, I was

not aware of its initial for-

getability, and subsequent

“cult status.”

I used to hear that term

a lot surrounding films like

“Donnie Darko” and

“Napoleon Dynamite,” and I

realize the term is basically

a name given to a movie that

most people thought was

pretty lame, except for a

small and usually crazy fan

base who worship the film

completely. So, back by not-

so-popular demand, is the

sequel to the cult hit that

captivated nerds every-

where, “Tron: Legacy.”

The plot revolves

around Sam Flynn, played

by newcomer Garrett Hed-

lund, a headstrong computer

whiz who gets sucked into

the digital world his father,

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges),

created and subsequently

disappeared into. This

world, called the “Grid,” is

run by a digital version of

Kevin that never ages, called

Clu. This avatar gained too

much power and trapped the

“real” version of Kevin in

the Grid. Sound confusing?

Unclear? Well, that’s be-

cause it is, as the film’s plot

is muddled and filled with

inconsistencies.

Many of the plot devices

which are used to move the

story along are basic, with

no sense of real exploration

and a rather disappointing

sense of predictability. Most

of the film’s performances

are rather forgettable, with

Hedlund playing his role

with all the charm of a

clichéd “reluctant hero.” As

for Olivia Wilde, who plays

Quorra, she’s just “there” to

play the role of the enig-

matic, yet ultimately themat-

ically shallow love interest.

The digitally altered Clu

is effective enough as an an-

tagonist, and the technology

used to make Jess Bridges

appear young again is amaz-

ing, but slightly creepy.

Bridges also has fun with his

role as the real Kevin Flynn,

as he channels his famous

role of “the Dude” as a

zenned-out tech guru who

attaches “man” to the ends

of his sentences.

Ultimately, these weak-

nesses in plot and perform-

ances aren’t terribly

important, as the special ef-

fects are the true star of

“Tron: Legacy.” In 1982, the

original “Tron’s” combina-

tion of live action and com-

puter animation was

considered highly advanced

for its time, and its sequel

follows in its footsteps with

a technically stunning set-

ting and style.

Although the inky black

and neon settings can be

slightly confusing at times,

action and chase sequences

involving the iconic light cy-

cles are standouts, and it is

easy to let yourself be com-

pletely immersed in the

stunning world director

Joseph Kosinski creates.

Also noteworthy is the

pulsing soundtrack by

renowned French electro-

house duo Daft Punk, which

fits the entrancing visuals so

well that certain scenes re-

tain a very cool music video-

like feel. Daft Punk fans

should also keep an eye out

for a rather amusing cameo

involving a digital nightclub.

In the end, “Tron:

Legacy” certainly isn’t

going to win any awards for

its lackluster plot structure

and performances, but its

hypnotizing visual effects

and soundtrack are enough

to keep the average movie-

goer entertained for its two-

hour duration.

“Legacy” reminded me

that a movie doesn’t neces-

sarily need to be coherent to

entertain, which is sad, but

this is a fact easily forgotten

as you drool over a light

cycle battle in the world of

the Grid.

DANIEL MASSEY

ENTERTAINMENT

2010

1982

SEQUEL: “Tron: Legacy,” the sequel to the original 1982 film “Tron,” was released on Friday. While incoherent, the movie is visually appealing.Source: Walt Disney Pictures

Tron is pretty but shallow

FILM REVIEW

Pg. 5_Layout 1 12/22/2010 12:23 PM Page 1

6 December 22, 2010Tornado Times

Afew weeks ago, students

organized a “wear purple

to support gay teenagers

who committed suicide” day on

Facebook. Recently, a Facebook

group urged users to change their

profile pictures to classic child-

hood cartoon characters to show

support for abused children.

Before putting much thought

into it, many of us scavenged our

closets for purple shirts and

changed our profile pictures to

everything from the “Rugrats” to

“The Fairly Oddparents” in order

to make a difference. Or so we

thought. Most students who par-

ticipated in these Facebook

protests made no impact whatso-

ever.

How did wearing our school

color express our condolences to

families who lost loved ones due

to bullying based on sexual orien-

tation? And, how, exactly, did

changing our profile pictures, help

children in an abusive situation?

These acts of solidarity were

intended to be signs of protest. In-

stead, they were merely acts of

slacktivism— the ideal way for

our lazy generation to protest

without employing any real effort

to fix an issue, as if to say “we

will change the world one Face-

book profile at a time.”

If teens want to make a dif-

ference, they should volunteer at

local charities or donate to foun-

dations such as Children of Abuse

Foundation.

Even more pathetic is how

quickly we changed our profile

pictures back when unconfirmed

reports claimed the cartoon pro-

file picture movement was led by

a group of pedophiles in an at-

tempt to lure younger members to

add them as friends, Suddenly,

everyone had epiphanies and real-

ized they had just hopped on a

Facebook bandwagon. One would

think that these people would

bother to do some research as to

how they fell prey to the cartoon

movement.

But again, that, too, would be

wrong, As established, we are not

a generation of true protesters; we

are a generation of mouse clickers

looking for the next cause to ad-

vocate.

The allegation that this all

started with a group of pedophiles

is also wrong, Allfacebook.com

reports that, in mid-November,

the cartoon meme began as a

game aimed at removing all pho-

tos of humans from Facebook for

a few days. By December, AOL

News reported the meme being

circulated read: “ATTN: The

group asking everyone to change

their profile pictures to their fa-

vorite cartoon character is really a

group of pedophiles.”

So, for the most part, the ma-

jority of people who had followed

this trend are still misinformed.

What we should learn from

this, for lack of a better word, or-

deal, is that before we start sup-

porting causes because they seem

to make a difference, a bit of re-

search will not hurt. More, impor-

tantly, a few clicks and

synchronized t-shirt days are not

actual signs of protest. They are

merely acts of kindness with large

heapings of laziness.

Tis’ the season to be materi-

alistic. Fa la la la la…

Yes folks, it’s that time of

year again when Americans take

the saying “shop ’till you drop” to

a whole new level.

Despite the recent economic

crisis, Americans have not resisted

their urges to splurge on expensive

items like new technology or

brand name

clothes.

In fact, ac-

cording to the

National Retail

Federation, in all,

around $45 bil-

lion was spent

during the three-

day weekend of

Black Friday. An

estimated 212

million shoppers

visited stores, an

increase from last

year, and the av-

erage costumer

spent more

money this year

as well.

It seems that

now, more than ever, the holiday

season has been overshadowed by

constant trips to the mall and the

over-commercialization of Christ-

mas. If you ask a child what the

holidays are for, you’ll most likely

get an answer like this: “It’s a time

when I get a lot of presents.” Most

children’s minds are consumed

with making lists of all the goodies

they want for the holidays.

Unfortunately, this does not

end with children. Teenagers see

the holidays as the perfect time to

ask parents for presents such as

iPods, Converse shoes, brand

name clothes, DVDs, and other

pricey items. As for adults? Many

see it as the perfect time to treat

themselves while saving some

cash thanks to the countless holi-

day sales.

Instead of focusing on the

deep religious meaning behind the

holidays or the

importance of

family and

friends, people

have become pre-

occupied with ma-

terialism and

narcissism.

It is incredi-

bly ironic that one

of the biggest cel-

ebrations in the

Christian religion,

a religion that re-

bukes material-

ism, has become a

time of great ex-

cess and commer-

cialism. This goes

c o m p l e t e l y

against the origi -

nal message of Dec. 25.

The holidays should be a time

when people are thankful for what

they have and enjoying time with

loved ones. It should not be a pa-

rade of meaningless gifts that only

gives people a false sense of

worth. An expensive present

should not be used as a replace-

ment for a parent’s or friend’s

love. Unfortunately, we see this

happening more and more often

with each holiday season.

The Tornado�Times�is a student publica-

tion that is distributed to all students and

faculty, as well as subscribers. With a pol-

icy of printing anything that is of interest

to the student body, the Tornado�Times

hopes to keep its readers informed of sub-

jects pertaining to the school, no matter

what the subject matter. Advertisements in

the Tornado�Times do not necessarily re-

flect an endorsement of such products or

services by the staff or students in the

Glendale Unified School District. Printed

by News Publisher Press, 215 Allen Ave.

Glendale, CA 91201/ (818) 954-0775.)

Herbert Hoover High School

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Staff Writers

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Slacktivism ‘friends’ facebookHave yourself a merry giftmas

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Opinion

It is incredibly ironicthat one of thebiggest celebrationsin the Christian reli-gion, a religion thatrebukes material-ism, has become atime of great excessand commercialism.

As gadgets get better,

dissatisfactiongets worse.

Pg. 6_Layout 1 12/22/2010 12:23 PM Page 1

Sports

BGD times

two equals fun

On Edward’s

EDWARD NADURATA

Defense

We all wait for Beat

Glendale Day (BGD),

the one game where

Moyse field is pumped with en-

ergy and filled with people. All

eyes are centered on the cross-

town rivals as they play in the

last game during the 10th week

of the season.

But what if two BGDs were

held?

Well, this is exactly what’s

going to happen next fall as the

schools will be facing each other

for the first and last week of the

football season. Coaches of both

teams decided to inaugurate an-

other match when Glendale’s

contract with its traditional first

week opponent, Cathedral,

ended.

Many will argue that it will

demean BGD, but I argue other-

wise because it will raise school

spirit as the freshmen are intro-

duced to the biggest game earlier

in the year.

I mean, who wants to start

the season with a loss from a

team you haven’t even heard of?

Considering Hoover and Glen-

dale are at the bottom of the

league, the teams will be com-

peting in the same tier.

Losing from a team with

the same capabilities as yours is

better than your team losing to a

better team during the first game

(I’m not saying that they are

going to lose, it’s just that they

have lost the first game for the

past few years.).

The main BGD game is still

during week 10, so there will be

more preparations for the second

BGD rather than the first one the

second game still determines

who keeps the bell.

Starting with a BGD can

hopefully raise turnouts in games

as sometimes the band and pep

team outnumbers the audience

who consists of ASB kids forced

to go during the games, and

PTSA representatives who are

supposed to sell food and drinks.

Having two BGDs just

makes it more fun for the com-

munity as we gather to support

our school teams.

Just look at it this way. If

Hoover loses (which hopefully

doesn’t happen), it can redeem

itself in the second game.

Coaches prepare for upcoming season

7Tornado Times

December 22, 2010

CAIN BUCKLER, TROY JONIC | TORNADO TIMES

New Coaches: (top) Coach Stanley Watson reviews warm-up proce-

dures with the team as a part of the ongoing 9-week ACL research the

girls’ basketball team is participating in. (middle) Boys’ basketball

coach Jack Van Patten examines the team as they do their drills. (bot-

tom) Soccer coach Donal Kennedy speaks with players during their

daily after school practice.

EDWARD NADURATA

Stanley Watson took over

the girls’ basketball team

this summer after the res-

ignation of Martik Ghookasian

last year.

Watson was the assistant

coach for Glendale Community

College’s girls’ basketball team

for five years until deciding to

switch jobs.

He was exposed to basket-

ball early in his youth, avidly

watching the NBA and playing

the sport. His passion for bas-

ketball followed him to college

where he played on Pomona

College’s team.

“Basketball is basketball,”

Watson said. “We go over the

same fundamentals and do the

same exercises.”

He starts with conditioning

every day, practicing defensive

drills, and gradually progresses

with the team’s physical train-

ing.

“He lets us play our game,”

captain Amatia Gholdabadagi

(’11) said. “He’s very knowl-

edgeable about the team and

guides us to improve.”

Watson believes that the

team’s success is “not defined

by wins or losses, but achiev-

ing” its goals together.

“Hoover is on par with the

way GCC played,” Watson said.

“We need to be more competi-

tive this year, but most of all

have fun.”

Athletic director and alum-

nus Jack Van Patten took

over as the boys’ basket-

ball coach this summer because it

was the “right time and right

place.”

Van Patten started playing as

a kid and joined Hoover’s team as

“it was something to do.” During

his time at the school he was

named “All League Most Valuable

Player,” and thinks that playing on

the team “kept him interested in

the sport.”

He first started here as the as-

sistant coach of the boys’ basket-

ball team in the early 90’s and then

became the varsity head coach for

the girls’ team for nine years until

he was promoted to the athletic di-

rector position in 1995.

Van Patten focuses on defense

during practices, and works on im-

proving offensive plays specifi-

cally tailored to each player.

“He is more old-fashioned,”

George Shakaryan (’11). “He

knows what he’s doing and wants

us to succeed this season.”

According to Van Patten, the

season is full of ups and downs.

His main goal is to improve the

team over the course of the sea-

son.

“The team works hard,” Van

Patten said. “They have certainly

improved and they are just getting

better and better.”

Coach Stanley Watson

Coach Donal Kennedy

Coach Jack Van Patten

Donal Kennedy, the new

girls’ soccer coach, grew

up in Ireland and played

soccer on a semi-professional team

called Bohemia in Dublin.

“I have been passionate about

soccer since I was a kid,” Kennedy

said. “From then on it has been an

integral part of my life and I want

to share what I know about the

sport.”

When he moved to America,

he coached in schools throughout

Southern California. He also

worked for the Olympic Develop-

ment program for the regional

youth level in Southern California.

Kennedy’s training is focused

on building on the fundamentals be-

cause the majority of the team is

“vastly inexperienced with most

players having no soccer back-

ground.”

His workouts for the team are

composed of cardiovascular and en-

durance exercises that enhance the

condition of the girls.

“The team is doing fantastic

work, has good ethics and has

worked hard,” Kennedy said. “All

we have to do now is apply what we

learn onto the field.”

His goals for the season are for

the team to be more competitive to

make up for the inexperience of the

group and to get into the playoffs.

Coaching is a profession that requires passion and dedication for a sport. The job may look easy but the stress as-

sociated with the job can be daunting.

Three coaches are up to the challenge this season for the girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball, and girls’ soccer teams.

8 December 22, 2010Tornado Times

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