Interestingly, Typo is headed by the clothing company Cotton On and is an Australian-based franchise, as all its products are imported straight from the country. First opened on January 16th in Del Amo Mall, the growing franchise became the first ever store located in the United States with other branches residing in both Australia and Hong Kong. A second Typo store, located in San Francisco, opened a few weeks after the Del Amo Typo store.

The store is vintage-themed with a slight modern twist and the store’s stationery is intricately designed to match. A variety of the store’s products are strategically displayed. Furthermore, the store is ideal for everyone: students, teachers, business owners, writers, and artists alike.

Store Manager Nilza Rocque stated, “I absolutely love this store. There is just so much to look at. Every item, article, product is designed in such a way whereby you simply want to stop, pick it up, and look at it. Contrary to popular belief, Typo is not simply a stationery store. There’s something for everyone – for people who uphold interests, hobbies, or careers in scrapbooking, artistry, reading, writing, and interior design – we have it all.” Despite being here in the United States for only a little over 3 months, Typo is rapidly accumulating fame. Its cool atmosphere and antique-themed design enchants customers. Along with having been a commercial success, Typo has also presented opportunities to win prizes, all while doing what interest the customer. The store is heavily focused on the individual, as there are products for anyone and anything. Typo recently announced its 28-day ‘Typo Capture’ challenge, in which the applicants submit photograph entries that define or capture their day in a nutshell. Each day presents a different theme, some of which include “Where You Write”, “The Contents of your Satchel”, “Best Way to Start your Day”, and “What Inspires You.” Each day, there are different prize winners based on the individual who best captured the day’s theme through his or her photography.

Overall, Typo is an amazing store and is quickly making its way to the top. If you are interested in checking the store, Typo is in close proximity to the food court and is directly across Lids. Additionally, do not hesitate to enter                                                           the ‘Typo-Capture’ challenge, which last up until May. Have fun shopping!

   There are quite a few students who will be traveling during spring break this year. However, it depends on the different classes that each student has. For example, some juniors will be looking at colleges, others studying for AP tests, and even others doing practice SAT tests. Sophomores will be in preparation for the coming years while freshman and seniors will be relaxing, because they have just started or are almost done with high school; either way, it doesn’t matter.

   On the other hand, there are some students, regardless of which grade they are in, who would just like to, “to hang out with friends and relax.” This includes Jenny Chase (11) who commented, “I’m going to just relax from school and homework. I’m also going to just hang out with friends and when we meet up we just try to find something fun to do.” Clara Chin (9), on the other hand, shared that, “[She] will be practicing for her State Competition and preparing for another tournament for Debate.”

   Many people cannot decide what they want to do over their break until the time actually comes, like Alex Valladares (11) who stated, “Each day is going to be different, but mostly I’m going to do homework and relax.” Or one can be like Priyanka Das (11) who complained, “My break is going to be hectic! [I will be] studying for SAT, AP tests, and finishing my yearbook editor tryouts. Nope. There will be absolutely no fun for me!”

   Whether students are relaxing, studying, or hanging out with friends, they plan to enjoy their break.

   Walking into the gym, one undeniably walked into a beach wonderland. Clear strands of Christmas lights and lanterns were finely draped and hung across the ceilings; colorful cut-out surfboards lay flat against the walls, the tables were covered in blue cloth and adorned with seashells,  and the ‘couple cards’ were embellished with shells and sand and evenly spread out amongst each other, all for the awe and amusement of the guests. Good music, from DJ Baroud, great food, and a great time served as a superb way to wind down and relax with friends on a Friday night. Many students loved the dance and viewed it as a memorable and unforgettable night. Chandi Pamplona (12) stated, “It was definitely a lot of fun – everyone was always on their feet dancing and it seems like all the guests were having a great time, so that gave off a great vibe.”      Likewise, Ludy Assis (12) commented, “I feel that most people had a pretty good time – the music was alright, but I wished the DJ would have played more mixes. Overall, it was a fun dance.” This time around, more students seemed to have enjoyed the dance. There were visible improvements to this year’s dance and that allowed students to really enjoy themselves.

   Gaby Cruz (10) added, “I liked the fact that the administration was less strict. The music was good, but too much techno was incorporated. I felt that the beach theme was a little limited in that everyone virtually ended up looking the same. I wish more people would have attended, but generally it was a good dance.”

   Sadies’ was a great and enjoyable night, with clear improvements from last year. Life is definitely a beach!

At the last rally, Mr. Evans presented himself with two champagne glasses and some cheese, to please the crowd of West High. For the highest bidder, he promised to have casual talks, and even talk about writing a good essay. As humorous as he was, students cheered mostly for being able to win a special lunch date. Principal Mr. Egan and Vice Principal Ms. Yoo were introducing the first ever teacher auction. Students would be able to bid on teachers such as Mr. Evans and Mr. Phelps in order to win a group lunch date. All classes were intrigued by this and were excited to compete to win a teacher. The auction would take place online as silent and anonymous, where students could place several prices. The highest price by the end of March is the winner. Understandably, the auction is tempting for the students to win a magical lunch date with their favorite teacher. All proceeds will go to West High. The auction plans to motivate students to donate money in return for our most handsome teachers.

   Mani Wullscheleger (11) commented, “I was honestly so excited to hear this. Now I have to save all my money to eat lunch with Mr. Phelps!” But what most students don’t know is that this auction offers more than a casual lunch with teachers. Students can bid on getting locker priority, free football passes, or even Lamar Odom basketball shoes. Bids start at various prices, such as 40 dollars or even 400 dollars for the more exquisite prizes like a surf and turf dinner.

The West High administration hopes to raise a lot of money to support all facilities such as sports and ASB. Good luck to all the students and may the highest bidder win!

Note: The Online Auction runs until Midnight on March 30th and can be accessed at http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/2995/auctions/3487

   Mitt Romney, long time front runner of the GOP primaries, made significant gains. He won Massachusetts, Virginia, and Vermont as the race continued and split Ohio between himself and Rick Santorum. However these gains, though, they weren’t enough to secure his nomination for the presidency. By losing Ohio, the ‘jewel’ of the day, boosted Rick Santorum, who also won the southern states of Tennessee and Oklahoma. In addition, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich won Georgia, a state he represented for many years. And all three fought over the Rust Belt states, states hit hardest by the economy. Citing current economic woes and past personal successes in their own political careers, the main talking point in their speeches were about the economy Romney created a new catch phrase, and Santorum toured several Pennsylvanian to promise economic recovery to workers in factories. And, finally, Ron Paul, the GOP’s most radical and independent runners, fought for the northern states ofIdaho, Alaska, or North Dakota to secure some delegates. Though he has consistently failed to secure any major wins in the race so far, it is also true that he has many supporter. Unfortunately, it could be said that the young voters who could potentially turn the tide for the libertarian candidate could only support him in words, not in votes.

  The GOP candidacy, whether it be cast in votes or fought for in the Super PACs of the tele-political debates, will be decided by the creation of this Super PACs. With each candidate showing no signs of quitting, it seems that getting the Republican nomination will come down to the last days of campaigning on the trail, and when the Republicans meet at the Republican National Convention to stand by the man who will run for president.

The seats filled up quickly, as everyone was excited for the performances to come. The show opened up with Dhanu Prathup (12) and Gaby Ferradj (12) as the MCs of the night. Introducing each act, the show began with the first act being performed by Julia Barrett (12) and Kaleb Davies (9). With melodious singing and intricate guitar accompaniment, the show started off to a good note. As the show continued, there were heartfelt performances given by Oliver Kim (12), Jason Wang (12), Phil Kang (12), and Habin Lee (11) singing Breakeven by The Script and Julia Springer (12) dancing to Make You Feel My Love by Adele. As audience members enjoyed these performances, the crowd became especially excited by the introduction of Sagar Mittal (11). Mittal’s presence in his sparkling green outfit had people on their feet as he danced to an original Indian Fusion song. With moves that had people cheering throughout the song, it was no surprise that the performance marked a successful first half of the show.

As the lights dimmed down for the end of intermission, audience members excitedly scrambled back to their seats for more entertainment. The curtains opened, and the seven West High Warriors appeared on stage. This year, the Drill Team decided to create a Co-Ed Hip-Hop group to dance for several events. The boys danced their hearts out on stage to various pop songs, with the audience cheering and calling out their names throughout the performance. After the dancing came the instrumental music from Senior Class President Peter Zhang (12), Secretary of Honors Rachel Yoo (12), and Russian Bleu Drummer Connor Edwards (11). The three did a rendition of Coldplay’s Paradise, a song that everyone could recognize and hum along to.

Towards the end of the show, the excitement did not stop there. Our own West High math teacher Mrs. Jasmine Kim played the piano to the mash-up of songs Someone Like You by Adele and It Will Rain by Bruno Mars. But ending the entire show, were four teachers singing a barbershop quartet called Coney Island Baby. Teachers Mr. Hettinger, Mr. Welch, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Roulette gathered around to perform a classic piece.

As each performer came up on stage for the finale, awards were presented to honor those who were the best of the night. What most students don’t realize is that performances don’t necessarily have to be related to music. Art, fashion, and ceramic pieces were displayed at the sides of the pavilion, honoring students who went above and beyond with their creative pieces. Art winners such as Rachel Shin (12) presented a delicate piece featuring an eye and Nitika Tripathi (12) drew a self-portrait of her friend Josh Meadows (12). Fashion pieces acted as a sneak peek to the upcoming annual show “Runway My Way” with original pieces designed from Advanced Fashion students such as Alexa Tokich (12) and Morgan Marsiglia (11). Creative pieces like vases and cartoon characters were designed by Jessica Andrews (12) and Rumshaw Masood (12), the first place winner of Ceramics.

As for the performances, winners such as Xia Rashid (11) in Vocals and Rachel Yoo, Peter Zhang, and Connor Edwards in Instrumentals were grateful for the outcome. But the sweepstakes winner of the night belonged to Ariana Evans (12), Alissa Clark (12), and Arizton Pamplona (11), winning best of the best with their group performance. The three performed an original song called Walking Into The Sun, playing six different instruments along with three vocals. The night ended with cheers and smiles as the 21^st Talent Show came to a finish. Come back next year for returners, new talent, and more fun!

Recently, there has been talk of local government passing laws that banned the throwing of Frisbees and Footballs on Los Angeles County beaches. The laws stated that beach-goers caught throwing anything other than beach balls – such as Frisbees and Footballs – were subject to a $1,000 fine. This absurd law stirred confusion and infuriation from the masses. An estimated 50 to 70 million people visit our beaches every year and the motive for imposing the bizarre law on locals was unclear.

Fortunately, officials confirmed that inaccurate reports and revised documents had resulted in a fabricated Frisbee law. The supposed law makers quickly became a point of ridicule on radio stations and talk shows. L.A. supervisors, who were notified and received a plethora of calls and e-mails, maintained that the laws were fake. Supervisor Don Knabe stated that, “[Officials] must do a better job of creating clear communications to minimize confusion like we had on this one when incorrect information went viral.” Law mix-ups like this create unnecessary anger and confusion only for the masses to find out that a mere twist of words and edited documents have changed the true intent of the law.

The “Frisbee Law” really stated that Frisbee throwing and ball-playing were allowed at all times unless a lifeguard directs otherwise due to a public safety hazard. Knabe’s spokeswoman, Cheryl Burnett added that “[We] simply have to articulate [the law] in a clear way people can understand.” Beach-goers, Frisbee throwers, and ball-players, do not be worried, you can still have fun at your respective L.A. beach!

The group, soon after arriving, the group was broken up into three separate groups. Then, as the groups rotated stations, they were further broken up into smaller groups. “I was with Group One,” Justin Lee (11) said. “There were three groups in total.” The First station involved matching seeds with the plant of origin. This was tedious as there were many plants to examine but eventually every group was able to find a match. “It was tedious but, with the help of a chaperone, we were able to find [the plant],” said Dae Hee Kim (12), a member of the AP Biology class. Then, the second station involved propagating plants by breaking apart the root systems to multiply the number of plants, searching through dead plant matter to extract seeds, or to create soil by blending different soil components. Then, the classes were led through the ‘aquarium’ section of the Sea Lab and given a small lecture course on plants and the basic parts of the plant.

At about noon, the buses arrive to pick students up to go to the Madrona Marsh. There, the two classes were able to eat our packed lunches in the visitor’s center. Then, while filling out a worksheet, each student studied various exhibits regarding the creation of the Marsh as a preserve. From the inception of the marsh 100,000 years ago to its preservation by John Muir, the tour gave the students a comprehensive history of the marshes. Then, in small groups, each class was given a small experience tour of the California Native Plant Garden. Many native plants thrived in the sectionalized habitats and everything from California desert plants to coastal shrubs were displayed to visitors.

The Sea Lab trip was a lesson to the classes that the teachers hope will be a valuable model to use in creating West’s own Native Plant Garden.