Click here to watch the video for “Primadonna” by Marina and The Diamonds

A1: Well, literally my whole family is in to music: my mom, dad, cousins, everyone, so it was hard not to become interested in it.

Q2: Where has your music career taken you?

A2: Definitely it’s taking me places. I have come out in music videos, and a movie, as well as my own music videos. My music has also led me to meet several famous people like Nick Cannon, YG, Tyga, and New Boys.

Q3: When the going gets tough, who do you look to for support?

A3: I definitely go to my family for support, especially my older sister. They put a lot of time and money into me and always keep my head up no matter what goes on.

Q4: Why did you choose to compose a song about Jabari Ruffin?

A4: Our age group does some impressive things, like Jabari Ruffin for example. After Mr. Harris asked me to write a song for him, I accepted and began composing. Growing up with him, I realized he was not a friend—he was family, so the song became even that much more important for me to compose.

Q5: What are some of the obstacles you have had to overcome?

A5: The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome with my music was breaking up my group and having to start over by myself. Another obstacle would be threats. I’ve had anywhere from very serious threats to minor ones simply saying they want to beat me up. I feel like these won’t keep me from composing my music. I want to be famous and have my music heard.

“This show is really amazing! I hope I can be in art next year,” freshman Joe Diaz said.

During and after the orientation, the rally stage was home to multiple performers to entertain both parents and students as they went from classroom to classroom. Hula dancers from Polynesian Dance Studio in Whittier commenced the acts as they danced and sang popular music such as those by Jason Mraz. The school, in attempt in acquiring more music interest, had Percussion Assemble play intense beats that impressed many parents and students.

“The drum line is my favorite part of the band,” Jeannette Rodriguez said. “I hope a lot of the kids here realize how much work they put in and can get excited about it too.”

Viewers were enthralled by the performances and followed them by walking to the Quad, where Frantone’s pizza and Randy’s tacos were being sold. The Art Club also took a chance to fundraise by selling funnel cakes.

Besides the food and entertainment, however, Open House allowed parents to see what curriculum their sons and daughters would be taught. Many teachers ran Powerpoints to show parents what they offer their students; some went above and beyond that made their subjects stand out above others. Mr. Jamca and other members of the science department allowed parents to watch and partake in experiments.

“Science should be something to be excited about,” said Jamca. “We need more kids as engineers, chemists, and all that other science stuff!”

All in all, Open House proved to be a successful event.  With the many interested attendees, Downey High will surely see an abundance of new, fresh faces for the next school year.

Various students from all across campus and different classes were nominated. Students are chosen by teachers, and they represent the best of the best that DHS has to offer. Categories included, but were not limited to: English, World Language, Automotive, ROP, Biological Science, Physical Science, and Art.

“I like how it’s a mini academy award show,” teacher Wierzchucki said. “It’s a big deal; the theater gets sold out. It’s cool and impressive.”

The award show is in fact a highly formal event, and although it lacks the red carpet, it is still one of the most prestigious performances that Downey offers. The highlights, like in most shows, are the recipients of the big prize–in this case, the Viking Award. In total, there were twenty-two students who acquired the high status statue. People in second place won a very nice metal, and those that were nominated received a pin.

“I was nominated for English Literature and Government,” senior Cynthia Moreno said. “I didn’t think that would win the medallion for both categories. I think that if you want to get nominated and possibly even win, you have to get involved and participate. Teachers really like it when students contribute.”

Junior Philip Shimada, a medallion winner in three categories, feels that students should work hard to acquire that prize–and in fact, any goal that they have in life.

“I’m not entirely sure wju I was nominated, but I try my hardest,” Shimada said.

In total, the event is a definite highlight for those students who give their all throughout the year. It is a great reassurance that the work you put into class is recognized and awarded.

Taking home gold medals were senior Mayra Cardenas in Photography, junior Felipe Salvatierra in Costumer Service, and senior Metzly Milian in Job Demonstration.

“I was honestly shocked because I was thinking ‘Maybe I might receive a bronze medal’ and when my name wasn’t called for that, I stopped paying attention. Then my teacher informed me that I had been called up for the gold medal,” senior Mayra Cardenas said. “It’s definitely made me more confident because the people involved are professionals and they had nothing but good things to say about my work.”

These students will move on to the National Leadership and Skills Conference held in Kansas City to compete against other winners from all over the country.

“I’m nervous because I’m competing against the top students, but I’m confident.” Cardenas said. “I think that as long as I’m happy with my work that’s all that matters.”

Other Downey High School students who won silver and bronze medals will also have the privilege of competing in Kansas City due to the fact that some contestants dropped out. Winners of the silver medal include seniors Jasmine Castillo, Stephanie Montes, Breana Moreno, and Eda Nino in Health Knowledge Bowl, and sophomore Jimmy Ziegenbein in Technical Math. Another winner in Technical Math was junior Anne Choi, the only person to receive a bronze medal from Downey.

“I felt euphoric and experienced the peak moment when I received my medal,” sophomore Jimmy Ziegenbein said. “I feel I’ve gotten better at applying math in my life and figuring things out thanks to SkillsUSA.”

SkillsUSA is a program known nationwide for building the skills of students in order to prepare them for their jobs and thus achieve a successful workforce in the future. The membership of SkillsUSA has now grown to more than 5,100 members. Downey High School was given the Super Chapter award at the conference for having the highest membership in the state of California. The school offers numerous SkillsUSA programs including Carpentry, Costumer Service, Health Knowledge Bowl, Drafting A and B, Technical Drafting, Job Interview, Crime Scene Investigation, Job Demonstration, Photography, Related Technical Math, and Preschool Lesson Planning.

Club Entourage members were thrilled at the ten thousand dollar grant given by Lowe’s hardware store for classroom renovations at Downey High School. SkillsUSA, ROP, and CTE all supported the grant that will be used to build a sound stage sure to benefit students pursuing a career in Film, TV, and the Entertainment Industry. Downey High School continues to offer programs like SkillsUSA that ensure the success of the student body and of the school.

The national competition will be held from June 24 to June 27 in Kansas City, Missouri and the Vikings hope not to disappoint, especially after having their chances doubled. Membership is at its second highest this year, proving that the advantages it provides are attracting students nationwide.

Every year, the STAR Program evaluates progress in math, reading, writing, science, and history. The performance levels are measured by categories, including Advanced, Proficient, Basic, Below Basic, and Far Below Basic. In order to accomplish a successful testing period, preparation for the annual tests begins a couple of weeks in advance.

Some teachers review through worksheets, and others refer to previous notes. No matter the approach, they are all aware of the importance of illustrating the learning accumulated throughout the year.

Freshmen are familiar with the STAR Program, but it will be the first time they take the exams in high school.

“I’m trying not to get so worked up about it, especially since I just found out there is no essay for the english category, but for math, I am studying, reviewing, and going to tutoring,” freshman Brittany Lorenzana said. “I feel, as always, nervous about them and being a freshman makes it more serious and important, but I know it’s not the end of world.”

It may seem challenging at first to remember so much information, but students know that they have the support from their instructors.

“I am taking the time to study on my own, but it really helps that different teachers are helping us review what we learned earlier in the year,” freshman Chanel Villanueva said.

In addition to the standards tests, some students are also studying for Advanced Placement exams. Luckily, most AP and honors courses are reviewing material that the state will assess.

“It’s [state testing] totally easier than AP testing. Since we are focusing on AP tests, we are preparing for the harder version of the tests,” junior Christina Lee Gibbs said. “We have prepared a lot in APUSH and we are taking practice exams before the actual tests.”

The tests will be administered throughout the first three weeks of May. Students will be sharpening their number two pencils and hitting the books, so that they may hopefully earn a score at one of the top levels of performance.

“Everyone is different,” Photo Editor Cristina Martinez said. “They make their own choices and they do what they want to do.”

With only three returning staff members from the previous year, the Editor-in-Chief Gabriela Martinez, Photo Editor Cristina Martinez, and Design Editor Karissa Prudhomme had their work cut out for them. During the summer camp held at California State University, Long Beach, and a few summer meetings, these three took advantage of the time to train their new members and to also learn more about the new faces they would be spending a great amount of time with.

“It was difficult because there were only three of us and we didn’t know how they would respond to us teaching them,” the Photo Editor said.

In addition to only having three returners, every section also dealt with their own pool of problems. Because these Vikings were unfamiliar with each other, it took a while for them to become comfortable with their new acquaintances. But despite a few setbacks, the group quickly got accustomed to their new surroundings.

At first it was a bit confusing getting used to the entire lingo and understanding what they where talking about,” the Co-Photo Editor Adam Sosa said. “Despite the few returning staff, everyone got along and got the hang of what to do; they have been able to teach us everything we need to know.”

The group demonstrated their ability to work together and get their jobs done as they successfully overcame six plant deadlines with their publisher. Without the knowledge of how easy or stressful being a part of this group would be, a few were struck by the great load of work that awaited them at every deadline. But in the end, the finished product proved to be worth all the stress.

“The best part is getting the book and seeing everything come together,” the Editor-in-Chief said.

In a staff with only 22 students, six of those being photographers, the whole group completed every page of the yearbook. So much hard work and dedication has been put into every section that the Editor-in-Chief has so much pride in having a team of high school students who put so much effort and passion into their craft. As the school year comes to a close, pages of memories will be entering the gates of Downey High. After almost a school year worth of perfecting the yearbook, the Vikings will now have a book to look back on as they reminisce on their high school year.

The group made its way to downtown Los Angeles to visit the U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard promptly after school at 3:00 p.m. The attendees were nervous about meeting someone of such high rank, and especially since they would have to attempt to convince the U.S. Representative to help aid the Ugandan people.

The purpose of the meeting was to try to persuade the congresswoman to push for advisors to be sent to Uganda in order to help aid them in finding Kony, rebuild devastated areas, and help those who have been affected by his presence. The KONY 2012 campaign came about as a response to the violence that has occurred in Uganda by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA uses children soldiers, and the KONY 2012 aim to find Joseph Kony (the leader of the LRA) and stop him.

“I started the club because it seemed like an imperative,” teacher Ms. Nastase said. “I believe in the message of the club and hold no qualms about being the adviser. I think it does great work and is based on good thought.”

The event took about an hour, but the hour was certainly worth it as the club ended up feeling hopeful about its effort. One of the more vocal speakers was Viridiana Silva.

“I basically just talked about how sending aid would be the best and humanitarian thing to do,” Junior Alejandro Lomeli said. “If we were being destroyed by some oppressive guy or stuck in war, I would want others helping me.”

After the students gave a twenty minute presentation, and a thirty minute talk was given by the representative, Roybal-Allard pledged her support of the bill to send aid. As a matter of fact, the representative actually supported a similar bill in the past. The club meets every Thursday after school at 3:00 and plans out ways to help spread the word about their activities and how to support the Ugandan people. Recently, on April 20, club members participated in a local movement titled Cover The Night, where they spread posters encouraging others to learn more about Kony.

“I helped post posters for the Cover the Night event on April 20,” Junior Andrew Rezk said. “It helps spread the message of the club—to help others.”

The message of the club is to help everyone—not just those who have been affected by the situation in Uganda. The club will focus on helping other people everywhere.

Inside contained a bar with refreshments and tables with a wide variety of desserts such as pastries and fruit salads. There were also photographers from Sanford Studios and caricature artist who drew cartoon versions of whom ever wanted a unique keepsake of the special night. When asked what could have made Prom even better, senior Imran Chowdry responded by saying:

“I was pretty bummed that there was no actual food served. That would have made Prom a lot better.”

For Prom, the main focus of the venue was the dance floor, which was located outside. It was surrounded by elegantly decorated trees with lights giving off a summer night feel to the event. The venue came to life as soon as the seniors and their dates began to arrive; soon enough Prom was well on its way.

As the Class of 2012 was dancing the night away, it came time to announce the Prom King and Queen. After the ballots were counted, Caleb Mukathe and Sol Ochoa were crowned King and Queen respectively.

“When I won, I thought ‘Wow, I have more friends than I could imagine,’” senior Caleb Mukathe said. “I felt totally humbled that people took the time to vote for me and I was super nervous because I had to slow dance for the first time in my life in front of everyone!”

The dancing continued with the DJ playing a wide variety of music throughout the evening. As it was getting closer for the clock to strike twelve the DJ played a couple of slow songs such as “Differences”  for the couples to enjoy their last slow dance together in high school.

“Prom was really fun and I didn’t want it to be over but all great things must come to an end sooner or later,” Hilda Ulloa ,12, said.

Prom came and went for the Senior Class of 2012 and when that clock struck twelve, it was a realization that high school was almost coming to a close.

Quigg and Belle both created, planned, and executed their plans with the help of the curriculum and guidance that Hernandez provided in class. Both entrepreneurs felt that the opportunity in many ways “pushed play” on their dreams.

“[The competition] put me on the right track,” Belle said. “It really pushed me to get my planning done.”

Quigg, who ranked in the top three also felt that the competition gave him the right motivation to complete his business tasks.

“We had to be prepared for any questions from the judges,” Quigg said. “It helped turn my dream into a reality.”

The two competitors gained plenty of insight and connections at the competition. Belle’s product, Pretty Face Cosmetics, earned plenty of attention. Her organic facial cleansers were even sought after by a store owner who was ready to place orders and start supporting her at her sight.

Quigg, on the other hand, took it home with the presentation of his company Tech World, a repair group for electronics of all types. Both students also share short and long term goals, including local business and eventually opening up different store fronts.

The competitors have their business coaches and mentors to thank along with Hernandez for taking the initiative in pushing each student to put their best effort in the competition.

“It prepares students in general, with presentation, research, and financing skills,” Hernandez said. “To see the kids put it all together and present their products and ideas is very rewarding as a teacher.”

Hernandez hopes for the students to gain more than just experience from their endeavors as young entrepreneurs. Moreover, she is aware that the dreams they have can be really close to becoming realities, if they work their hardest and chase after their aspirations.