Based on outcry from an article that I posted on December 15, 2014, I have decided to retract a portion of an article from the Raptor Report official website. Included in an article titled “Exhibition Madness!”, was a song that I later deemed inappropriate for students, parents, teachers, and the community to see. I am sorry to anyone that was upset by my decision to post this, and hope will accept my apology as I take it down. In the future, the Raptor Report plans to follow a more rigorous editorial process before anything is posted to the public. Written by Erina Chavez
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Super Hero Day: Monday December 8thMonday was a blast. Students rocked superhero gear from t-shirts to sweatpants to complete outfits with capes. It was a super start to spirit week! Crazy Socks/Hair Day: Tuesday December 9thCrazy Socks/Hair Day was a great way for students to show off their wacky socks and creative hair styles. Who wouldn't have crazy socks on their wish list after this day?! Nerd Day: Wednesday December 10thWhat does it mean to be a nerd? There was a bit of controversy on Wednesday as students discussed the difference between nerdy, dorky, and preppy. Regardless, tons of students got in the spirit and dressed up as their own interpretation of "nerd"! What a stupendous day! Disney Day: Thursday December 11thNothing like a Disney Day to keep the spirit going throughout the week! Students dawned mickey ears, t-shirts, and some even cosplayed Disney characters! Any Holi-Day: Friday December 12thEveryone was filled with holiday spirit on our final spirit day of the year. Dressed in ugly sweaters, onesies, and christmas hats. But did you see some of the other holidays represented? We even spotted a Dia De Los Muertos costume! Written by Malia Mendiola
Photos by Cori Strell Look out world, HTHNC's 2014 exhibition is well under way! There are so many exciting projects happening in every corner of the school. This is the time for our school to really shine. Unfortunately, this is also known as the time of year for stress. There should be a school wide warning: "Beware. Stress and moodiness have been known to occur." If you've caught "exhibition madness," take a deep breath! Be glad that most of us don't have finals and remember this is fun! The creativity and freedom allow us to create exhibitions to be truly proud of. On exhibition night, you could enter a mathemagical wonderland through a teleporter or experience original plays, written and performed by ninth graders. You could stop by the nutrition fair, where I've heard there will be a teacher dunking tank. Get carried away by the 10th grade watershed project or learn how to filter drinkable water in the senior wing. There's a fractal exhibit and one involving the Brookedale retirement home and its residents. High Tech High is even recording and producing hit singles on the Chavez/Gallagher team.This is just a taste of the many exhibitions in progress. During breaks, take the time to go exploring and see what amazing products everyone is creating. You'll be surprised at what you find! Mood Music for Exhibition For when you're stressed... Not getting along with your group members? Your ideas fell apart (literally)? or just having a rough day? Take a breather with this playlist! ... For when you're unmotivated... The day just never seems to end? Ready to curl up and take a nap? Try listening to this playlist to boost your spirits! ... Written by Malia Mendiola, Erina Chavez, & Xochitl Aguinaga
Photos by Elena Cohen, & Cori Strell Did you make it to the seminar about North Korea by LiNK (Liberty in North Korea)? LiNK Nomads (representatives) came to the school to inform us about the North Korean people’s struggle in getting out of the country’s oppressive government. To date, they have helped over 300 North Korean refugees reach freedom and thrive in their resettlement. If you see anyone from Model United Nations (MUN), give a big “thank you” for setting the talk up! If you're interested and couldn’t make it to the seminar, visit libertyinnorthkorea.com! Written by Kirsten Zornado
(Left to Right) Halee Robinson, Leezly Aguilar, Andrew Schwartz, Marita Bos, Nathan Tomczak, Elise Olive, Sarah Hardin, Daniela Garcia, Faris Livingston, Serina Chavez, Jared Davis, Sol Manuel Garza, Morgan Post, Talia Towe, Peter Fisher, Tailani Williams This past weekend, The House on Mango Street opened it’s doors to the public. Now before you ask me where Mango Street is, The House on Mango Street isn’t a house at all. Confused? That’s because it’s a play! Still confused? Let me back up. Over the past 2 months, Ms. Carol Cabrera (9th grade Humanities) has been orchestrating a group of talented HTHNC students to put on a play titled The House on Mango Street. This play is based off of a popular story written by Sandra Cisneros. “It’s a harsh coming-of-age story” shares lead character Daniela Garcia. Daniela plays a young Esperanza, as an older Esperanza (portrayed by Sarah Hardin) narrates her story. The older Esperanza looks back on her childhood with nostalgia, regret, and pain, as she journals her memories. Some of which include, making friends, losing friends, watching relatives die, and being raped. “It’s about breaking out, and facing the situations you had no control over” states Sarah. The interesting theme of this play, had an interesting set-up to match. What I first noticed when arriving at the “theatre” was that it wasn’t a theatre at all. The play was hosted inside of a warehouse and completely constructed by those involved in this production. The ingenuity that went into the design of this play was very impressive. The stage had raised platforms, a separate balcony, and sectioned off, dual purpose, curtains. “My student stage manager and I were not having much luck booking a standard theatre, so we were invited to check out this warehouse” says Ms. Cabrera. “After touring it, I basically said, Challenge Accepted.” The House on Mango Street was unique, inspiring, and powerful. The team of actors and stagehands all performed beautifully under the guidance of Ms. Cabrera. I can’t wait till the spring musical! Written by Erina Chavez
Photos by Erina Chavez Friday, November 14th was HTHNC’s first dance of the year. In honor of other schools’ homecomings, our school decided to have our own fun with a fall festival and a neon themed dance titled Glow-coming. At the end of the school day, advisories flooded outside to vote on advisory teacher’s pumpkin look-a-likes- the strange creations of their advisory students. After a chaotic parade of pumpkin admiring, students voted on their favorites. Then they headed off into the field to have fun for the remainder of the day. Festivities included tug-of-war games, sports games against teachers, bean-bag tosses, and food trucks. The HTHNC community relaxed for the afternoon and enjoyed snow cones and specialty pizzas, with the opportunity to bond with friends from other grades and advisories. Festivals like this are great ways for HTHNC students to get to know each other and hang out with their teachers in a more casual setting. We’re hoping that our dean and director thought the activities were organized and fun enough to continue allowing opportunities to hang out with our friends. While some spirited students participated in the activities, many took the advantage to sit down and catch up with friends. At around 8:30 pm, after the dance had started and students finished arriving, the real fun began. The commons had been completely transformed, though this didn’t last - by the end of the night, a wild crowd had swept through and torn down everything. The only thing left glowing after this dance were the freshmen. But fortunately, ASB outdid themselves with the decorations for this year’s first dance. The room had just the right ambiance for a rave…or neon dance - dark, glowing, and pulsing with music. Cupcakes, candy, and cookies were presented on a table, much to the satisfaction of the dancers. Though told to wear white and neon, the students arrived dressed in a wide variety of outfits. Jeans and white tees were heavily favored, but some chose to come in suits and formal dresses. Though it’s clear these well-dressed students looked fantastic, ASB’s message about casual attire didn’t actually happen. It’s true - most students were concerned about what to wear, afraid of dressing up or down too much. Certainly for the next school dance, we’re all expecting a clear, straightforward answer on our question of what to wear. Many freshmen reported this as a fantastic first high school dance, not having much to compare it to. The upperclassmen certainly enjoyed having a capable DJ for the first time in many dances. The music had a good beat, and the dance floor was filled by enthusiastic underclassmen. The upperclassmen, specifically some of the few seniors attending, seemed to find untangling glow stick necklaces more entertaining than the event itself. Though this certainly wasn’t a dance many seniors spent their Friday night at, the ones who did attend were impressed by the freshmen and sophomore excitement. After all, we upperclassmen have prom to look forward to, right? And a brand new location! Well…maybe…depending on what ASB decides to do this year. I guess we’ll wait on that one. Written by Sarah Olson
Photos by Sarah Olson High Tech High North County's Model United Nations team did not leave Tustin High School's 22nd Annual MUN Conference empty-handed. They left with not only awards and knowledge on persisting problems, but also lasting memories and the inspiration to change the world around them. 1,300 delegates from thirty-two high schools and four middle schools from all around the globe gathered on the 22nd and 23rd of November to resolve persisting issues. Your fellow Raptors represented various countries and discussed topics ranging from pandemic outbreaks - such as Ebola - to global youth suicide to human trafficking and nuclear weapons. Upon arrival, students recognized familiar faces and exchanged friendly smiles. Delegates filled the gymnasium as music filled their ears. The gymnasium was decorated with flags from Afghanistan, all the way to Zimbabwe. The principle, President of Tustin High School's MUN team, and student founders of the Breaking Barriers Project were introduced. The Breaking Barriers Project is a non-profit organization founded by members of the MUN team, who raise funds for underprivileged children around the world. To learn more, visit www.breakingbarriersproject.com or www.facebook.com/breakingbarriersproject. Members of our team showed their dedication by arriving to school as early as 5:15 AM during their Thanksgiving break. A special thank you to not only all the students who put time and effort into preparing essays and spent a part of their break at an all-day conference, but also to the parents and Mrs. Howard as well. Thank you, parents, for taking time out of your busy schedules to drive students and for giving up your children for two days. Thank you to Mrs. Howard for providing transportation, the delectable doughnuts, and the endless laughter. If you wish to be a change-maker, join the Model United Nations elective and the Diplomacy Club with Mrs. Howard or attend the presentation by Korean refugees at our school on December 4th. Mahatma Gandhi once said: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." Written by Leily Rezvani
After hosting a meeting within the Raptor Report team, we have decided to that we are going green! Why? How will Raptor Report change? And what does this mean to you? 1. Why? Raptor Report has decided to go green for a number of reasons. Most prominently however is that we concluded that a very small percentage of the HTHNC student body actually picks up and reads a paper copy of the Raptor Report. More often times that not, we'll see a forgotten stack of the issues sitting on Mrs. Sheila's desk or scattered around the school. This is a largely ineffective way of reaching out audience and hurts our environment. To better connect with the digital age, our on-the-go readers, and to minimize our carbon footprint, the Raptor Report will now exclusively be published online at raptorreport.weebly.com. 2. How will Raptor Report change? It really won't! The only significant change you will see is that all of our articles, photos, and other media will be online. In fact this allows for more creative freedom with the Raptor Report! Be sure to look out for slideshows, videos, and music incorporated in our paper, that you would otherwise never get to see in print! 3. What does this mean to you? Our readers will no longer be able to pick up a paper copy of our newspaper. We will exclusively be publishing online- so if you would like to read the Raptor Report (why wouldn't you?!), you'll have to visit raptorreport.weebly.com. Our current newspaper is displayed on our homepage, and even designed to look like a paper newspaper. Don't forget to check out other awesome features on our website like an articles archive, events calendar, and live weather report. If you have any comments or questions on our decision, please comment below, or email them to [email protected]!
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