Bravo Choir sings for television
By: Robyn-Sjohnai Warthen
Just recently our very own Bravo choir was asked to be featured in channel 10 news’ inside edition. Every so often someone or some group is chosen out of the whole valley to be filmed and aired on the news. And this time it was our lucky Bravo students who were chosen.
But this is not the first time Bravo has been asked to sing on channel 10 news. They have had the pleasure of performing for them two times before and did so well they were wanted this third time. They have earned them selves a great reputation by proving to be dependable, fun, and great to work with.
Bravo is considered a 9th period and is basically independently run. In order to be a part of this choir family, students must audition and must maintain high grades, have flexible hours, and be willing to give their all and work their hardest. They reherse two to three times a week, Tuesday and Wednesday, for an hour and any additional time as they see need.
Since the students only meet twice a week they have to always give a 110% in class. They must constantly practice an work hard to memorize their songs. Bravo students must always work together in order to be the best they can possibly be. Students must also be disciplined and dedicated to singing.
For their inside edition the group had prepared three selections to perform: It Must have been the Mistletoe, Home, and Patapan. After they had sang the news crew was ready for more and asked if they had a fourth selection to sing. Unfortunately the group was not expecting to sing another song an did not have any thing prepared, but they still did a great job. “ It was a lot of fun; they did very well.” said Mr. West when asked how he felt about their performance.
We are proud of our Bravo choir and hope you can tune in to watch their performance. You can check out just how well they performed on December 20th, 27th and January 3rd at 7:30 p.m.
Clark’s tournament starts off the season
By: Kayla Hoag
As the wrestling season begins Clark High School prepares for its first tournament of the season. The Charger Thanksgiving Duals take place over Thanksgiving weekend and several schools gather at Clark for their first wrestling experience.
During the beginning of the year ROTC helps out with the tournament – keeping time, scoring, keeping track of which weight classes are wrestling, and which order they go.
“The wrestling tournament started at 9, but we’ve been [at Clark] since 7:30,” says Seans Fa’asa, “The tournament ends at 5, so we have two shifts. The first shift is from 7 – noon and the second shift are from noon – 5.”
Other ROTC students would be showing up throughout the day to help with the tournament, and switch shifts and/or jobs.
According to Seana Fa’asa she thinks the matches are both fun and interesting to watch, and she would like to encourage others to come out and support the Clark wrestling team.
The Clark wrestling team has been practicing for 3 ½ hours each day, with so far a total of 14 practices.
According to Andrew Balshazy, junior on the Clark wrestling team, he enjoys the tournaments at the beginning of the year because it allows everyone the opportunity to see where everyone is at, at the beginning of the year, and ultimately shows “the best of the best.”
According to a parent at the wrestling tournament he was really impressed with how well the tournament had been set up and organized. He compliments Clark on steeping up to make a facility available to wrestle at, and making everything really smooth.
He goes on to say that because of his prior experience as a wrestler, he really enjoy watching the tournaments and other athletes compete.
Barada Moncravie, an old wrestler at Clark, says “This tournament is a good eye opener for new wrestlers, and it allows everyone to get back into the swing of things. It’s really helpful and a good warm-up for the beginning of the season.”
The tournament starts off the season with how things are ran and the wrestlers are given the opportunity to see how everything works through tournaments, so later on they’ll be able to get through things quicker, and realize what an actual tournament is like. The Charger Duals was a success, and a lot of the wrestlers were provided with a good learning experience.
10K: Voice out your opinion
By: Dorinda Wu
Clark High School had won $10,000 from the Nevada State Bank in a Facebook voting process a couple weeks back, and now it’s time to think of beneficial uses where the money could be used for. $10,000 may not seem much, but if it is implied properly it can benefit a great deal for all of us.
Recently in the past week, there was a survey on Clark’s main webpage where students, parents, and staff could vote on how the 10K could be used. It was a time where we got to voice out our opinions and be fair in what we all think is best for the school.
Ms. Pendleton, who wanted the whole school to be involved in determining how the money would be spent said, “It should go to where there would be the greatest impact.”
The survey consisted of the choices: performing arts travel, senior prom, Aloha activities, academic trips, or write out your own choice. The survey was conducted to gather everyone’s opinions and thoughts to create an equal spending of the money.
Many students already have a definite choice on what they want like sophomore Scarlett Lueck who had said that funding on the trips for the performing arts such as choir and the band is the most important.
The performing arts are going to need funding for their traveling. Funding can also be provided to the senior prom or aloha activities were added advantages. For academic trips like robotics, DECA, HOSA, and Science Olympiad, any possible funding would be helpful.
“Academic trips benefit our school, so most of the money should be used on them,” said Denise Mababangloob, junior.
We all have our viewpoints on what is best for the school and for the students. Whether it is for more fun events like the senior prom and aloha activites, or for the more serious events like competitions and traveling that will benefit our school as a whole, it’s our decision to choose what is the greater good.
“The money should be used for something that is beneficial to the students,” said Mrs. Ward, AP Biology and anatomy teacher, “Students worked together to win the money, so the money should be spent on the students.”
Just remember that the 10K is a chance for Clark to get what we want and what we think is the most beneficial and impacting for the entire school.
College: Not that far away after all
By: Alice Kuo
It’s an annual event, one where the aged seniors of the school depart and go their own separate ways. For parents, sending their kids off to college is both a joyous and sad occasion, for students, a chance to begin their lives and start anew.
While being at college will no doubt be exciting and eventful, getting there is no easy task. Many believe the life of a Clark senior is quite possibly the most relaxing time in high school, this statement couldn’t be further from the truth, at least, for first semester.
1. SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is required by nearly all colleges and universities in order to even apply for their school. Contrary to popular belief, the acronym “SAT” has no particular meaning. At one time, it stood for Scholastic Aptitude/Assessment Test, but the two names have been discarded in recent years. SAT’s are administered several times a year, once per month, and cost $49. Considering that much of your education relies on this test, $49 is an excellent investment. Numerous Clark seniors have purported the test as “super boring, long, and redundant,” but nevertheless try their hardest to hit the perfect 2400 score.
2. Applications
Paying for college once you get in can be tough, but the expensive applications don’t make the job any easier. Local schools such as UNLV (University of Las Vegas Nevada) or CSN (College of Southern Nevada, previously a community college) have cheaper rates for in-state students, but applying for out-of-state universities such as USC (University of Southern California) or Harvard University can run up to more than $100 per application. Regardless of the large sums of money, simply completing the application is a tiresome process. Some schools prefer their own specialized applications, but many accept the “common app,” both of which require long essays and many hand cramps.
3. Grades
Both teachers and parents say that grades are something that should always be well-maintained and carefully watched, but let’s face it, after twelve years of classes, some students get a little tired. Colleges are generally not likely to withdraw admission after a student has been accepted, as they take into account slight grade fluctuations, but having an A grade plummet to an F might seems a little suspicious.
4. Freshman 15
Assuming at this point that you’ve already made it into the dream school of your choice, now comes one of the toughest challenges as a college freshman; keeping off that freshman 15. A combined lifestyle of grabbing a Big Mac from the nearest McDonald’s, sleeping late, cramming in the early morning, and being too lazy to exercise usually results in massive weight gain. Granted, it doesn’t happen to every single person who steps onto a college campus, but it’s a danger worth looking out for.
A band in need is a band indeed
By: Allen Zhang
Our lovely charger family recently got a new furry addition. There is a new line in the cafeteria and it’s for everyone’s favorite Panda Express. This new lunch option is brought to us by our school’s own band and became a big hit after the first day. Along with the Cup of Noodle stand, Golden Spoon yogurt, and the Cane’s chicken table it looks like that “In the future, school lunches will be the equivalent of food courts.”(Walter Kwong, Junior)
After an interview with the band assistant, Mrs. Moore, she expressed how vital the band fundraiser was. A percentage of each sale does go to the band which they use for things like “making copies of the music sheets” or “take the band uniforms to the washers”. Also when the band uniforms are washed there is only enough money to wash them, and they need to be hung outside to dry. The money earned from these sales is used for the bands necessities so it won’t be used for frivolous things like an extravagant filed trip.
No matter which lunch, the new lunch item gets a lot of positive feedback. The new line is filled with students eager to spend their money on this new variety food. This new lunch menu gives the buyer the option between orange chicken or mandarin chicken with fried noodles and rice in each lunch box. A few interviews reveal that the majority of the student body enjoys the new food with comments like “Great way to fundraise, and delicious to” (Dawn Yoo, Junior), “I love it!” (Sonia Muniz, Junior) and “It’s easy to get, taste great and the same price as the school lunch.” (Joseph Meugniot, Junior)
This new option is at a reasonable price since it is the same as the school lunch, $3.00, meaning that many people will be able to afford it. Mrs. Moore revealed from the interview, “We were originally going to stop selling near the end of December, but we got permission to sell for a bit longer despite the toll it takes on the school lunch sales. We don’t actually know when we’ll end though.” With an unknown end date we’ll never know how much longer Clark will have this amazing gift, so it’s best to enjoy it while it lasts. However this doesn’t stop the clever minds of the band.
With the help of a local grocery store the band will be starting a fundraiser entitled “$hop for Schools”. When shopping at the Fresh & Easy on Desert Inn and Ft. Apache, there is a chance that the band can get money. If the shopper spends over $20 and gives their receipt to the band, they will receive a dollar for each receipt. The event is on December 15th (Thursday) from 4 pm to 8 pm so don’t forget to support our band. The band appreciates all the support and is “always in need of money to keep up with the expenses of the musical world.” (Amelia Knuth, Senior).
Early Christmas spirit
By: Tracey Barton
It’s the time of year again where parents are saying their final goodbyes to their paycheck and children are out for the latest and greatest new devices to put on their wish list for Santa Claus. With that being said, make sure you get your favorite shows and movies DVR’d, because every single channel will be filled with “50% off all toys” for the next entire month.
The Christmas spirit has been making their way into the souls of people from all ages ever since early November. The classics that most of us have heard of; such as “A Christmas Story” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” are already being premiered on numerous channels such as TBS and Encore. The Christmas spirit has also already slithered its way into some of our favorite popular radio stations including Sunny 106.5 and Mix 94.1.
Some of our very own Clark Chargers go by the usual family Christmas tradition.
“Ever since I was a little kid I always just stuck to the usual waking up in the morning and opening presents” says Gerid Shenett, senior, “Then of course we would have the family dinner around 7 or 8.”
According to newslite.tv; 1 in 4 people are looking forward to Christmas. The part of Christmas people seem to be dreading the most is how much money is being spent. The flight costs of those whose family members come into town and how important it is to buy presents for the good children. (How do you expect Santa to fly over billions of houses in one night?)
“My mom usually goes Christmas shopping on Black Friday,” says Winnie Xin, sophomore. “It saves at least some money to spend on herself!”
Winnie Xin’s parents aren’t the only ones shopping ahead of time. According towww.neagle.com, parents have been waiting as long as it takes to make sure their children are satisfied on Christmas morning. Some people go to lengths as far as traveling out of town for one deal.
Christmas fact:
Christmas is celebrated differently in many different countries (Religions vary). In France, Christmas trees aren’t as popular as they are to us. The most common Christmas tradition in France is just making a cake called the buche de Nol. This means “Christmas Log” in English. Christmas in France is about giving to the poor and giving presents to the children. It’s more common for adults to wait until New Years Eve to exchange gifts to each other.
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or not, keep in mind that Christmas isn’t just about how much money you can spend and how many presents you have received. It’s about spending time with the ones you love and coming together to celebrate not only Jesus’ birthday, but all the good times we have all experienced together and to be thankful to have family and loved ones.
Skip sleep, not sales
By: Ryan Lim
November: the month of four day weekends, honoring veterans, pigging out on Thanksgiving, and most importantly, scoring great deals on Black Friday.
Year after year, retailers reserve Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) as the day of big sales and big business. For many Clark Chargers, that means waking up (or skipping sleep) to nab the best deals on clothes, electronics, and even things they never thought about purchasing.
“I don’t really know why it’s called Black Friday, but maybe it’s because it’s really dark out when you’re busy shopping?” said Johana Iglesias, freshmen class president.
Of course, by it being “really dark out”, Johana is referring to just how early people line up in front of stores to be one of the first to take advantage of the “early bird” or “door buster” deals.
Last year, it was typical for the “bigger” stores like Macy’s and Fry’s to open at 12:00AM, and the smaller stores to open by 4:00AM. This year, however, stores are cashing in on the want for thrifty prices by opening even earlier—some stores having deals beginning at 9:00PM Thanksgiving Day.
One of the biggest names in Black Friday shopping is Best Buy. They are known to have some of the best deals on new TVs, game systems, and DVD/blurays. With such high anticipation, one couple brought their camping gear and began waiting outside of Best Buy on Tuesday.
Seeing as we had school, it would be rather impossible to be that dedicated to huge savings.
“I went to Best Buy at 10:00PM thinking I’d be one of the first ones there… I was wrong,” said sophomore Nick Orr. According to Nick, the big ticket items like a 42” TV for $200 and an Xbox bundle pack for $200 were gone within the first few minutes of the sale.
Once the midnight sales have been wiped through, it is time to start hitting the smaller clothing stores. For sophomore Anna Zhang, this meant hitting Forever 21, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Tilly’s.
“I was super excited about the sale at Forever 21. They always have cheap clothes, so I was expecting a huge sale.” Anna said. “Most of the store was buy one get one free, so I ended up getting 3 tops, a couple jeans, and a cardigan for about $50.”
While some Chargers shopped for themselves, others had the thought of the holiday season and took advantage of Black Friday to buy gifts for the people on their lists. Maricruz Soto-Valdez, vice president of assemblies and activities, took the day to shop for the 30 people on her list.
“Let’s just say I came home with a lot of ‘as seen on TV’ products, fuzzy slippers, and warm sweaters. If I paid retail for all of it, I wouldn’t be able to attend college. With all the sales, I paid just a little over $100,” Maricruz said.
With the Black Friday deals ending and pockets being emptied, Chargers are loading up their Paypal accounts and getting ready for the madness that Cyber Monday has in store.
The Charger Chant 