Written By: Natalie Williams
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Written By: Kyoko Downey
“There are 2400 students at NHHS, Meet Them”
For weeks the colorful posters have decorated every hallway advertising the *Bridges’ first ever Mix-it-Up at lunch, members handing out lollipops, sign-up sheets in hand collecting names and numbers for the highly anticipated event.
Come April 27th a wave of curiosity came awash campus as rows of tables extended past the science stairs and zen garden, every blue chair quickly inhabited by a smiling face, most of which reached for one of the many plentiful treats to be found. President of the organization, Jose a la Torre beckoned and welcomed all to join in the activity, speed friendships, which as the name lends itself is a more platonic, less pressured version of speed dating, assisted by a single question each round to deter chances of awkward encounters.
And so, it began with a mixture of smiles, nods, and handshakes as names and ideas were exchanged the entirety of that very special extended lunch. Students of every ethnicity, grade, and background conglomerated into a medley of friendliness in a judgement free environment to step outside atypical friend zones and cliques.
Despite the enticing ideals of friendship, incentives were put in place, raffle tickets drawn a multitude of times with awards of gift cards to In-n-Out and Yogurtland which for those lucky students such as sophomore Natalie Gess made the event “worth it and then some.”
Among the most prominent clubs on campus, Bridges had been working tirelessly for the gratification of hosting the single day with planning, poster making, and advertising, the genuine smiles plastered onto each member’s face, most especially coordinator and staff adviser, Mrs. Pogue, demonstrating the obvious pride and feelings of success from one of their biggest projects to date.
While perhaps it did not cause immediate relationships, the event displayed for many students, those watching and participating, the uplifting individuality of every student at Newport Harbor and ease of finding a kind face willing to both listen and talk. Truly following their mantra, the walls of the sailor community are slowly being torn down, and bridges in their replacement.
*Bridges is a primarily student-run organization on the Newport Harbor Campus that is focused on the unity of the sailor community and features an open leadership system. For those interested in participating and planning such events they meet every Thursday in Mrs. Pogue’s room Sims 286
Written By: Amanda Wertheimer, Ava Glassen, and Carly Yasko
For those of you who don’t know, ArreiS is a production from the NHHS Dance Department that consists of 21 dances from Varsity, JV, Dance 3, Dance 2, Dance 1A, and Dance 1B. The dancers have rehearsed, choreographed, and rehearsed for these dances since late August in order to deliver their best performance on all four nights. On March 22 to 25, these performers danced their heart outs in the Newport
Harbor Robert Wentz Theater. Some dances were created by the dancers themselves, and others were made by NHHS Dance Alumni. This special night is named for the past director of the show’s daughter Sierra, who was brought to rehearsals and of course all of the performances. She was a talented dancer herself but was unfortunately killed in May 1999. Because of this, ArreiS (Sierra spelled backwards) is named in remembrance. The senior captains, Karson Speth and Carly Sharp, greatly contributed to this show by choreographing many of these impressive dances and leading their team. These dances were very creative and original. Each dance had a different theme such as Grease, Gospel, or 80’s. The solo dances that Tiffany Salerno and Carly Sharp performed exhibited their own creative and personal styles. There were a lot of hilarious and entertaining dances, such as the Boy’s Dance which featured Andy Meyers dancing to Beyonce. Some performances were more emotional and serious such as Kristina Small’s dance which shed light on depression. Not only were these dances very intriguing to watch, but they also exhibited deep emotion. Each Dance Team was introduced by a video which showed the members of each group. This allowed the audience to ge
t to know the dancers better and recognize them on stage. The costumes, props, and music all added to the wonderful performance. Rachel Naegle, a freshman on Dance 3, said that her “favorite part was getting to perform and showing people all the hard work we put into the dances”. After months of constant rehearsals and preparation, all the dedication finally paid off because the show was fantastic! In our opinions, we thought the show was very organized and entertaining to watch. The dancers worked hard to put on a great show, and it was evident. Overall, ArrieS 2017 was very successful. Not only because it sold out almost every night, but because the dancer’s performed amazing dances that left the audience speechless.
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It’s no surprise that the heavily divided election of 2016 would accordingly have backlash on the rest of America, and hitting family first, daughter to the current president, Ivanka Trump has in the span o
f two weeks had her clothing line dropped partially or completely by six major retailers; Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Belk, T.J. Maxx & Marshalls, Sears & Kmart, and Burlington. Most notable was Nordstrom who, even prior to Donald Trump’s presidency, decided to stop stocking the Ivanka Trump line, which had since her father’s election, most especially in weeks prior to November 8th, experienced a 70% drop in sales. The line suffered economically from $20.9 million in sales to $14.3 the following electoral year and according to Nordstrom, they “believe that the strength of a brand is measured not only by the profits it generates, but the integrity it maintains” in response to the conflict regarding their decisions. While this may be construed as surprising and perhaps unethical, geographically, the evidence justifies the means. The highest congregation of Nordstroms are in California, New York, Illinois, and primarily liberal states against the 1/3 of stores being in republican areas. Even the more republican states were dominated in areas that were swayed towards or voted for Clinton, which despite 46% of Americans voting Trump, clarifies Nordstrom and their economic decision which may very well be in the favor of the company and their sales in the market. These clothing retailers are not among the only companies distancing themselves from the namesake, Uber’s CEO has decisively removed himself from Trump’s business advisory council for the many alleged remarks made by the people in response to his relations with the president. Despite these companies attempts at discreetness their sudden market behavior is questionable, many of which are instead making broad general statements of their silent boycotts, Donald Trump has defended his daughter via Twitter, directly admonishing Nordstrom for Ivanka being “treated so unfairly.”
Are these companies justified in their decisions against the Trump name? Or are their political parties merely harming their own companies and integrity on the market?
This is not a matter of wrong and right but determining the line of political freedom and ethics in the market.
Written By: Kyoko Downey
Last Wednesday, the Newport Harbor music department put on their first ever Cabaret Night where students had the opportunity to perform and showcase their talent for friends and family. The new choir instructor, Mr. Ledón thought the evening of entertainment was a perfect way to allow members of ladies ensemble and chorus to sing solos, straying away from their usual group harmonization. The Open Mic Night included students from NH and Ensign Junior High and was hosted by sophomore Samantha Nowak. It gave a diverse array of performances ranging from beautiful ballads to classic rock and even country. Junior Brooke Sorrell who sang a rendition of Florence and the Machine’s piece, “I Wish You Were Here,” felt that the event was a very special moment for everyone to share their voices. "A lot of people can sing but they don’t get to do it and having a place where you are actually able to do it is really nice. We haven’t been able to have solos at the concerts this year and it was really nice to have a night that was specifically for that,” she says. When Mr. Ledon first organized the event, he decided to have it in the Blackbox theater, thinking that the smaller venue would be more than enough space for audience members. However, on the evening of the show, the crowd was much larger than anticipated and the ushers had to arrange new rows of seats. After Open Mic Night, the NHHS Choir Instagram account posted a picture of Mr. Ledón at the piano with ]many of the people that were a part of evening in the background. The caption of the photo read, “When you run out of chairs in the Blackbox because you were expecting 10 people but you get a full house… it calls for a selfie with Mr. Ledón.” The amount of people who attended enhanced the energy of the showcase and made the theater a room of endless support and fun. The tiny and quaint Blackbox was bustling with excitement as the audience awaited the performers to take the stage. Keishaun Takahashi sang a few of his favorite numbers from Hamilton, the Broadway production that’s taken the musical world by storm, adding a theatrical essence to the show. "When I perform, I usually feel nervous before, but once I start singing I feel like I'm a totally different person and I just get a lot of courage,” he explains. Though many of the soloists featured in Cabaret Night felt rather nervous before they went on, they knew it was a moment for their individuality to shine. Junior Jade Mendoza who chose to sing a Sam Smith cover felt that the evening allowed each of the artists freedom in how they wanted to interpret the music. "Performing a solo piece is special because it's literally just you. No back up, no nothing. Just you and the piano. And even if you mess up the entire first half of the song, you just have to keep going,” she says. Being able to take the mic in front of a room of people can make a person very anxious, but it can also make them feel exuberant as they are overcome with an adrenaline rush of pure happiness. Hopefully, the music department will hold another Cabaret Night sometime in the near future so that even more people will be able to share their musical talent and even more people will come to support them at the show. By: Jillian Birt - Russell
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Written By: Sophie Stameson
Welcome to FCA! FCA stands for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Each month at lunch we have an athlete or pastor come and speak about their life experiences in the big gym. We offer free pizza to everyone after the meeting, so don't miss out! Remember, you don't have to be a Christian or an athlete to attend, we’re just glad you’re there. Our last speaker was Haley Hudson, a Sophomore volleyball player at Stanford. Her message was one of how to persevere in the face of adversity. Referencing James 1:2-3, which says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance,” we are reminded that our struggles will result in a stronger faith in God. Life is hard and stressful, but if we remain in God, we can remain joyful, with the hope of knowing that there is light at the end of our trials. Our joy can be evident in how God loves us. He wants to offer us eternal joy. James 1:12says that, “ Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” Have no need to fear in the trials that lie ahead, knowing that you can remain safe in Jesus Christ, his love enduring forever. Know that the struggles you face can lead to a better future if you remain in God. From everyone at FCA, have a blessed new year!
FCA would also like to shout out to our friends over at Young Life Ministry, who meet every Monday night at 7:15 at 1501 Galaxy Dr, Newport Beach. Want to grab a cup of coffee with friends? Then come see us at Coffee and Devos every other Monday morning at the Coffee Bean in Westcliff for some morning joe and a devotional. Finally, if you want to become an official member of FCA and receive updates, sign up for our remind by texting @NEWPORTHAR to 81010 and follow us on Instagram at NHHSFCA.
Written By: Kyoko Downey
Celebrating its 50th debut, the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, recently had its annual showing in Las Vegas on Thursday, January 5th and closed January 8th, revealing some of the most impressive and show stopping concepts and pieces of the future set to be released within this year or coming ones. The following are among the top 5 most entertaining, convenient, and futuristic gadgets that made their way into the spotlight this year.
- “Smart” tattoos
“Wallpaper” TV
Television has evolved greatly from its original tubes and boxes and only continues to be innovated upon, LG boasting a 2.54 mm (that’s 1/10 of an inch!) thick TV that rightfully earns the title of “wallpaper,” the concept being that a whole room could utilize the screens, but at the modest price of $8,000 (available for pre-order on Best Buy soon) the idea may remain a conference room dream for now.
- Virtual Reality Theater, Meet IMAX VR
another applicable entertainment would eventually come around. Business director of IMAX, Rob Lister, is doing just that. Four of these locations equipped with 10ft by 10ft viewing pods will be the main attraction to truly get the most out of your movie.
- Razer Project Valerie; Three Screens in One
The gaming and electronics company, Razer has prompted a new concept that would contain two foldable screens to maximize one’s multi-tasking capabilities from watching Netflix, writing a paper, and Skyping a friend all at once with the viewing range close and personal.
- Concept-i
driving your car? That’s Toyota’s basis of their newest concept car that will feature assistant “Yui” an artificial intelligence that will supposedly adapt and learn about the driver’s needs or preferences to best suit the owner.
The CES continues to be ahead in the technology and electronics department with its ostentatious displays and proposals for the future, truly demonstrating that creative and intellectual extent of the human mind is truly unlimited.
Photo Credit: Google images and CES.com
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