February 2010Volume 4.4

LOS ANGELES BAPTIST MIDDLEAND HIGH SCHOOL9825 WOODLEY AVENORTH HILLS, CA 91343(818) 894-5742

Kelly Wilkinson ‘10 andNatalie Smith ‘10

Welcome to Hollywood: A Black &White Affair

Black and white at-tire filled the Odys-sey restaurant for

the sold out “Welcome to Hollywood” LAB Winter Formal. The night consist-ed of performances by ASB members and comedian Jus-tin Washington and was fu-eled with a buffet of food fit for a Knight. Differing from prior years, the 2010 formal had none of the traditional games yet still kept the familiar charm and atmo-sphere of previous formals.

The attendees gave Justin Washington a warm welcome as he opened the night with a comedy act. As the host, Justin introduced the first act, the “Dream Girls.” Mariah Dyson, Summer Martin, and Saida Dyson strutted across the stage as they sang the song “Dream Girls.” Following the Dream Girls were Mi-chael Chitgian and Lauren Thurston performing a duet of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The song, which served as a dedication to all the couples in attendance, created a special atmosphere that truly fit the black and white nature of the event.

The hushed room waited with rapt an-ticipation for the next act. Senior Armine Babayan followed the duet with a dazzling performance of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from the 1964 musical “Funny Girl” that included crowd participation as she

frolicked about the tables. The next act was a blast from the 90’s past with the ASB girls performing a cover of the Spice Girls’ song, “Spice up Your Life.” All the ASB girls wore wigs and sequins to complete the throwback Spice Girls look. Once the girls exited the stage, it was the ASB boys’ time to shine with a perfor-mance of “Bye, Bye, Bye” by N’Sync. Eric Davis, Tim Lui, and Michael Chitgian impressed the crowd as they threw all of their emo-tions into the performance.

Life-size card-board cut-outs of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley gave the room the nostal-gic feel of a bygone Holly-wood era. Lights and taffeta strung from the chandeliers were used both to light up the room and add to the ambiance. The black and white theme pervaded all aspects of the event, includ-ing the décor, with black tablecloths, white napkins, and Hollywood-styled gold star table numbers.

The 2009-2010 ASB used their boldness and creativity to branch out and plan a banquet that deviated from years past, where students participat-ed in the traditional rou-tine of dinner and games.

The night ended on a high note as Justin closed with a comedic routine that ran the full observational gamut, in-cluding everything from Ross and dating to prepar-ing for formal. “Welcome to Hollywood” was a black and white affair that was truly a night to remember.

LAB’s Winter Formal adds a new twist for 2010.

Table of Contents2 4 6-7 1 0 12

Student Life Sports Valentine’s Day Opinion

8 - 9

World NewsEntertainment

Student Spotlight

Page 2 Student Life The Knight Writer February 2010

If you say the name Littlefield, everyone will recognize it. He

loves LAB and teaching students. He enjoys com-ing to work every day because, as he says, with a “great school, great students, great teachers, great chapels… what’s not to love?” He says that 11th grade is “the perfect grade for me. The students are old enough for me to relate to easily and not so old that they don’t want to work, like

so many of those seniors!” He sympathizes with the challenges that juniors face and tries to make his class-room a fun place to learn. When he is not teaching, he spends most of his af-ternoons in the “infamous 8th period,” where stu-dents can come and chill with him. “Once I even left school later than Dr. Teague!” he says. When he is at home, he works on his classes and is also very in-volved with his church, The Bridge Bible Fellowship. Mr. Littlefield was re-cently married in the sum-mer, and he and his wife, Amy, like to play crib-bage and watch movies. Mr. Littlefield likes to teach Bible the most because “it’s amaz-ing. It’s the greatest thing you can teach.” He also likes to teach the juniors

A One-of-a-Kind English Teacher: Mr. Littlefieldtricks that he has learned to help them improve their essay writing. He says

that “these are things that will make college much, much easier for them.” When asked about

the most memorable experi-ence he has had at LAB, he could not think of just one;

there are so many things that have happened in the course of his career that were fun. He will always

remember the 2008 gradu-ation message; the Nick Kline salute; Daniel Zapa-

ta; the worship team for the first ever Littlestock ‘09; the Little Field Trips; and the notes that students have

written in his yearbook, “especially Marci’s.” He

l o v e d listening to all the funny persuasive speeches: zombie insur-ance, George Clooney, clowns, domesticating the bear (or not), border fence! The senior class will never forget sing-ing “Must be Santa.” No matter what class one has with him, the mem-ories will last forever.

Littlefield displays his usual humor with his fifth period class.

Mary Tamura ‘10

Mr. Littlefield reveals what he enjoys about LAB and his favor-ite memories.

1. When you first started attending LAB, did you find it hard to ad-just? What were the dif-ferences?

-Yes. I find the lan-guage the b i g g e s t difference which I’m trying to adjust to.

2. What do you find most in-t e r e s t -ing about L A B ?

-There are many things that are interesting about LAB, but I like the chapels very much.

3. Have you learned anything from students or teachers that is re-ally important to you?

-I learned that the people here are very friendly. The teachers and friends teach me that I fit in with the rest of the school.

4. What do you miss most about Vietnam?

-I miss Vietnamese foods, my friends, my parents and my teachers. Also,

Racquel Daza ‘10 I miss my cute little cat and my sister too!

5. What was the most difficult thing to ac-complish attending LAB?

-I find my U.S. History class difficult. My answer is often different with my teacher when I do the test. It frustrates me.

6. What is your favorite class and why?

-One of my favorite classes

is Calculus because I feel ex-cited when I study it. I also like to study art classes like 3-D design and Wood De-sign. I like economics too. They are interesting classes.

7. What do you like about going to a Christian school? Have you gone to one before?

- I have never attended a Christian school. My fa-vorite part about attending a Christian school is get-ting to go to chapels and having religion class. The people are also very nice.

Tam Nguyen pictured above.

Tam Nguyen, 12th grade exchange stu-dent, takes on new challenges in a different environment.

Bowling for the Baseball TeamNolan Scott ‘10

LAB Baseball hosts a bowl-ing fundraiser night for their upcoming sea-son.

Did you know? Mr. Weitzel, twelfth grade English teacher, is not wearing his first wedding ring. The wedding ring on his finger is a replacement for his former inscribed one that was eaten by his cat. Once the cat dies, he hopes to do an autopsy to get his precious ring back!

“No matter what class one has with him, the memories will last for-ever.”

The Los Angeles Baptist baseball program held its 3rd annual Strike-A-Thon on January 30th. The event was wildly successful and brought in over $9000 to the program. In the past this fundraiser has enabled the team to purchase equipment that would not have been available to them in earlier years. The LAB baseball team uses a field that is off campus and

therefore does not generate large enough crowds to charge admission or sell food. The Strike-A-Thon has pretty much become the program’s main source of funding making it

vital to the health of the program. So far this year a large portion of the money is going towards a new pitching machine for batting practice and will also offset the cost of the player’s spirit packs.

The event itself consisted of bowling, fel-lowship and food. Raffles were also held throughout the night with prizes such as a 16GB ipod touch. The actual Strike-A-Thon contest was held later on during the night and was won by Kyle Leonard. The competition involved all the juniors and seniors attending and required a strike to move on to the next round. Out of all the contestants Kyle was the only person to bowl a

strike, so he won the competition. He currently has no movement in his right arm due to a recent surgery on his elbow. Kyle is right handed and won the competition using only his left hand, much to the

with his name that will be placed in the gymnasium trophy case.

amazement of everyone there. It was a comical way to end the night and will be remembered by a trophy

Kyle Leonard. Strike-A-Thon Winner

February 2010 The Knight Writer Spiritual Life Page 3Classical vs. Modern

The statement that “hymns are boring and contemporary

songs are shallow” seems to be the main criticism of these two manifestations of worship. There are cons to both hymns and contemporary worship

songs, but remember that both were written by men, and men cannot and do not fully describe God or what our love for God should ul-timately look like in verse, melody, and time. While both are far from perfect love offerings to the Lord, they both do have their pros. Both can be very beautiful ways to worship God, and one is not completely better than the other. Rather, they both have their appropriate times. This article is not de-signed to be a guide to when to sing hymns or contem-porary worship songs but simply to present the pros and cons of both in order to equip you to make the best decision for whatever situ-ation you find yourself in.

Hymns Hymns are abso-lutely beautiful and deep. One of the great things about most hymns is that they have stood the test of time. Because they have been around for so long,

more and more people have verified their appropriate-ness to sing to the Lord. This is reassuring. It is also a unifying feeling that goes beyond the boundaries of time that we can sing the same songs today to God that our brothers sang to the Lord hundreds of years ago. Hymns can be much more theological than contempo-rary worship songs. This is good because hymns then will not only challenge our love for God, but also our knowledge of His nature. Hymns tend to have beau-tiful and poetic diction. This can better give us the words to say to God when we are overflowing with love for Him. For some people, hymns remind them of going to church as children with their parents, so tradition adds to their preference for hymns. This is not a bad thing, but it also should not be the only reason to prefer hymns.

There are many pros and cons to hymns and contempo-rary worship songs. One is not better than the other, but in any situa-tion, one will always be best.

Eric Davis ‘10

Forthe New Year“We are totally chang-ing Focus. We aren’t

even calling it Focus any-more!” explained Christina. Over the past few years, the lunch time Bible study put

on by the ASB has not received the attention and participation it deserved. This year’s council has enthusiasti-cally taken on the challenge of transform-ing this edify-ing activity.Instead of meet-ing in the gym, students meet in the library once a month dur-ing lunch. After they arrive, they are separated by their individual grades and meet with their Student Council Chap-

With the new year, ASB Spiritual Life Chair-man Chris-tina Marzban brings a new approach to Focus.

A New Year With a New Focus: Small GroupsNatalie Smith ‘10

Children of the World Visit the LAB CampusInnocent faces from around the world enter-tained LAB with worship songs and heartwrench-ing stories.

Natalie Smith ‘10

The Abortion DebateNolan Scott ‘10

The statement above-leads back to the timeless question:

why does a good and lov-ing God allow bad things to happen to innocent peo-ple if he has the power to stop them from happening? Because of man’s sin and imperfection, we live in an imperfect world. Things like cancer and miscarriag-es happen not necessarily as punishment, but out of natu-ral result or the will of God.

While God can and does intervene at times, he does not always choose to. Because he is all knowing and sovereign, He knows things we do not and makes decisions we will never understand. Just because something affects us nega-tively in our own micro-cosm does not mean that it will not affect someone positively in their life past or present, whether they will ever know it or not. No one ever said that belief in God did not take faith. We have faith that God is ultimately good and can make decisions that we cannot because of his foreknowledge and his ability to see a bigger picture than us. Terrible things like miscarriages do happen and will continue to happen, but we cannot push titles like abortionist, murderer, rapist, etc. on the only good and true being in existence just to blame someone for our own sinful nature or purely because

we fail to understand Him. So is God the most prolific abortionist of all time? No, he is not. He is the giver of life, hope, love and much more. To try to understand someone who only has the best in mind for the future of the world despite its horrors is impos-sible purely because of our own instinctive inclination towards evil. For example, returning evil with good is not in our nature, but it is God’s daily routine. He alone is worthy of our faith and hope. Look at the statement again: “20% of all recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage…if this statement is true, God is the most prolific abortionist of all time.” At first look such a rash claim might seem true on the surface, but little diligence is required to unmask the true nature of the statement, which is a cleverly devised, shal-low attack on the charac-ter of God, lacking depth in thought and argument.

“20% of all recognized pregnancies end in miscar-riage…if this statement is true, God is the most pro-lific abortionist of all time.”

See MUSIC page 11

Fifteen children from all over the world and different back-

grounds have been travel-ing across America since August 2009. They all have sponsors in the States who pay for their education and daily needs. All of the children live in orphanages or attend schools sponsored

by World Help and are in-dividually chosen to par-ticipate in the choir based on their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Even though the children have the option to refuse the opportunity to partici-pate in the tour, World Help views it as a chance for them to learn about another culture, improve their Eng-lish speaking skills, and share Christ’s love through their musical ministry.

The goal of this year’s campaign, Cause Life, is to raise money to supply clean and safe drinking water to impov-erished countries. Water is such a scarcity that families literally have to find water. Once found, they place the water into their forty-pound jugs and walk the two-hour distance from which they came. Due to the amount of

time it takes just to gather water, children cannot go to school. Because the water is full of germs, six thousand children die every day from a water-related ill-ness, and twenty-nine thousand children die every day from prevent-able diseases. By simply providing safe drinking wa-ter, this could all be prevented.

As the children travel across the coun-try, performing at many differ-ent venues and recording with people such as Avalon and Steven Curtis Chapman to raise money for their Cause Life campaign, they stay with “host families” along the way. After the children

performed in chapel, my family was given the op-portunity to host three girls from the choir on Tuesday night. Chielo, Mariam, and

Regin are a rambunctious group of girls whose love for the Lord shines in ev-erything they do. From the moment we were paired up with them in the school

library, they were eager to share their stories with us. These affectionate girls enjoyed watching mov-ies, riding bikes, color-

ing pictures, and playing UNO. Each of the girls wants to become a nurse in the future so that they can “help people in [their] country feel better.” The girls were very polite and

thoughtful during their stay.

The Children of the World Choir was a bless-ing to the campus of LAB.

Senior Alison Griner said, “I like fell in love with these little guys!”

As the chapel closed, students rushed toward the back of the gym to take pic-tures with the chil-dren and say hello.

The children will all go back to their home countries in June 2010 after a ten-month-long stay in the

States. Not only will they bring back many memories and experiences to share, but they will leave behind a legacy of service for Christ and many blessings in the lives that they have touched.

Students gather around in the library for a Bible study during lunch.

Children of the World raise their hands in worship.

lains. Once in the group, they are free to talk about the many is-sues in their lives and how God is work-ing through them. It is an environment much like that of a group circle in Mr. Erath’s Psy-chology class. Students are told to re-spect their peers and not share the things that are

discussed while

in the group. Freshman Chaplain Han-nah Scott was encouraged because she thought “the new setup allowed people to trust each other and talk about some serious issues that were going on. I really think that they benefited from the small group.” Change is in the wind, and it seems that the wind is blow-ing in the right direction.

“Students are told to respect their peers and not share the things that are discussed”

Page 4 Sports The Knight Writer February 2010

Stephanie was born on December 3, 1991, and has en-

joyed playing soccer since she was five years old. She stated that the reason she enjoys soccer is because “it keeps [her] in shape, and being suc-cessful on the field makes [her] feel good.” She has played on AYSO regular

season and travel teams in the thirteen years she has played soccer. Stephanie came to LAB in her fresh-man year of high school and was placed on the JV soc-cer team. She scored eight goals and played left mid-field in 9th grade. In Stepha-nie’s sophomore year she was placed on the varsity team and scored six goals

playing left midfield. Ju-nior year Stephanie played center midfield and scored

Senior Soccer SpotlightHannah Devaney ‘11

A known name and face around the Los Angeles Baptist campus is senior soccer player Stepha-nie Glassick.

eight goals in her season.

This year has been different and more diffi-cult than all the others for Stephanie. At the beginning of the season, on December 5, Stephanie was playing in a soccer game, simply took one wrong step, and injured her knee. She has been out and unable to play for a month and states that “be-ing injured was awful. You feel like you are unable to help your team.” Her team has had seven games and three wins. Senior Karen Herr, who is also on the varsity team here at LAB, explained that “Steph was a great cheerleader for her team, and even though it was difficult for her to just sit on the bench she always had a smile on her face and encouraged the team to try harder.”

The incident oc-curred at 2:25 AM, when the

legendary Tiger Woods drove his Cadillac SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree. He was sent to a local hospital because of

some lacerations on his face. M a n y questions were raised about the accident, but what most people wanted to know was why he was out at 2:30 in the morn-

ing. As people began to investigate, an even more twisted story came to the surface, tainting his reputa-tion and that of his family. The former direc-tor of VIP operations for NYC’s Griffin Club, Ra-chel Uchitel, was the first woman to admit to hav-ing an affair with Tiger Woods. This came as a shock to the many fans and sponsors who supported the seemingly perfect ath-lete, husband, and father. Junior Sean Pa-nomchai commented, “I’m really disappointed in his actions, because I never thought he would do such a thing to his family and fans.” Not long after Uchi-tel spoke up, thirteen other

women came forward to confess inappropriate re-lationships with Tiger. In defense, he posted a short article on his website where he stated, “I have let my family down and I re-

One famous golfer’s life is turned upside down and ex-posed to the media after a simple car crash.

gret those transgressions with all of my heart.” On December 11, 2009, Tiger Woods admitted to infidelity and announced his indefinite break from golf. Fans around the world were crushed to learn this news, believing that profession-al golf would never be quite the same. As a role model to many, Woods has set a negative exam-ple of faith and loyalty. His wife, Elin Nordegren, is no longer liv-ing with him, and it seems unlikely the relationship will ever be restored. The latest rumor circuiting the media is that Woods has checked into a rehabilitation cen-ter. According to news reports, he is either in Arizona, South Africa, or Mississippi. NBCSports.com confirmed these reports, saying, “Tiger Woods is undergoing sex rehab in Mississippi.” He is reportedly staying at the Pine Grove Behavior-

al Health and Addiction Services center, as stated by WLBTSports.com. It may only be a rumor, but many are convinced that Woods has made a serious commitment to chang-ing his ways and his life.

Miranda Jarrett ‘11Tiger Is a Cheetah

“I have let my family down and I regret those transgres-sions with all of my heart.”

Tiger Woods and his wife. Photo courtesy of Google

“... she al-ways had a smile on her face and en-couraged the team to try harder.”

Henderson Heads Out After Three Months Stacey Krzych ‘11

Josh Hen-derson, the varsity head football coach, resigned on January 8th.

Coach Henderson concentrating on the game.

Senior Stephanie Glassick

The news came as a big shock to every-one. The coaches

and the players were sur-prised and at a loss for words. Many thought that Coach Henderson would be at LAB for a long time because of the love that he showed for the school. Henderson showed the boys on the football team that winning was not ev-erything but that brother-hood was most important.

The boys heard about the news from Coach Fauria on January 11th in the gym. When they came out of the meeting, their re-

sponses were similar. Emo-tions ranged from anger to sadness to frustration over his leaving. The boys con-nected with Henderson, and his leaving left many of them feeling hurt. For some, the fact that he did not say goodbye added in-sult to injury. Ricky Parada, a varsity captain, stated, “I was blown away, but he had to do what he had to do.”

Coach Fauria, for-mer JV head coach, is now the head varsity coach. He said, “I wish Henderson and his family the best.” While thinking ahead to next year, Fauria confidently report-ed, “I’m not going to start where he left off; I’m going to take it to the next level.” His way of making things better includes no more four hour practices; fun, crazy hat days after every win; and possibly a Disney-land or beach trip. He also made it known that the next pep rally is going to blow everyone away.

Unlike last year, when the parents, girlfriends, and-friends were not allowed to wear the boys’ jerseys, Fauria said that that will be

allowed for the 2010 sea-son. With Henderson gone, the players will have a lot more freedom, but disci-pline will still be with them.

Our editor-in-chief, Cory Minderhout, and the rest of the staff agreed that it was essential to get both sides of the story, so Cory called Coach Hender-son and had a conversation with him about why he left. Henderson said that it had a lot to do with his family, and that by going to Grace Brethren, his wife would also get a steady job. His kids would also go there, which would be better for their family financially. In addition, Henderson said that he “understands if the football team is angry or upset.” Cory asked him if he had any words that he would like to say to the boys, and Henderson said, “Thank you for your com-mitment, hard work and buy into the program. Press on, press on, keep moving on with the football pro-gram in every way, shape, and form. I truly love you kids.” Henderson also said the exact same thing as Coach

Fauria did, saying that Fau-ria would take it to the next level and make this up-coming season a great one.

Henderson showed the boys a different outlook and really brought them closer together and made them more like a family. Even with him gone, he knows the boys will keep that tight bond and remember that one season they had with him.

“. . . press on, keep moving on with the football pro-gram in every way, shape, and form.”

February 2010 The Knight Writer Middle School Page 5

Middle School’s Star MVPEighth grader Hunter De La Garza awarded the title of MVP.

Ashley Miner ‘11

Hunter De La Garza, pictured above, on the field.

Road to the ACSI Regional Spelling BeeMatt Ranieri ‘11

Kimberly Brown is the girls’ softball team captain.

She went to Village Christian Elementary School, and she has been involved in soft-ball for six years. At school, her favorite class is English. For her entire life, she has lived in California. She does not

only play softball, though; she also likes volleyball.

When asked

what she does in her free time, she responded, “Read-

“I love to read, prac-tice for softball and hang with my friends.”

The Bustling Life of an LAB Softball CaptainAaron Hartz ‘10

Middle school student spellers pictured here.

Softball captain Kimberly Brown reveals hobbies and other details of her life.

Middle School students represent LAB at the ACSI Regional Spelling Bee.

I love to read, practice for softball, and hang with my friends.” Kimberly also enjoys acting in plays. She played Rita Herdman in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” She has gone to Glendale Center

Theatre camp for three years, and she really likes being involved in theatre. At her old school she was in “Taming of the

Shrew,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Seussical.”

Kimberly Brown, softball captain.

On January 9th, the Associa-tion of Christian

Schools International (ACSI) Regional Spell-ing Bee was hosted at the Master’s College. The Bee was open to students from various Christian schools in the Southern California area that are in grades two through eight. The Regional Bee is the second level in the four-level spelling bee system. Two sixth grad-ers, four eighth graders, and four seventh graders made up the ten student LAB team that trekked up Interstate 5 to compete. The day began with an eight o’clock orientation for all participants, which laid out the logistics and guidelines for the day. Once the orientation was over, the spellers broke up into grade levels and were

sent to their respec-tive rooms to compete. Young guns Rachel Lim and Alexan-der Jelloian represented the six graders; Jacque-line Johnson, Katherine Mound, Nina Goode, and Kenny Williams made up the seventh grade quartet; and Kate-lyn Hong, Sina Khaksar, Enot Rubio, and Kelly Pedroza rounded out

the eighth grade team. These ten spellers were the winners of the pre-liminary spelling bee at LAB and felt honored to represent their school in the ACSI spelling bee. Unfortunately, none of the LAB students placed high enough to advance to the next spelling bee round, but they all gave a full effort and enjoyed the great opportunity.

Did you know? On average, the Snack Shack sells approximately 75 sodas during the middle school lunch every day. That’s approximately 375 sodas a week, 1,500 sodas a month, and 15,000 sodas every school year. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington D.C. teenage boys who drink soda average 32 ounces per day, which equates to 379 calories and about 26 teaspoons of sugar. Girls in the same age group average about 23 ounces a day.

Following in his older brother’s footsteps, Hunter started

playing basketball six years ago. Over the years he has developed drive, determination, and love for the game. Although De La Garza has been titled MVP twice before, in sixth

and seventh grade, at his former school, Faith Baptist, he was “sur-prised to be the MVP of the tournament” and, in his opinion, “the whole team deserved it.” The A-team’s time spent practicing running plays and scrimmaging

against each other prior to the tournament paid

off, and LAB swept the games, going 4-0. Aside from the team practices, Hunter also enjoys practicing with his brother at home. Before and during games, Hunter focuses on giving one hundred percent effort, avoiding frustration, and having fun in everything he does. When asked what keeps Hunter motivated to always do his best, his answered, “I like to win.” Not only does the young Lakers fan look

up to Kobe Bryant, Hunter also looks up to his older brother, who has played a big role in Hunter’s love for the game.

LAB is honored to have Hunter De La Garza contributing to its bas-ketball team and wishes all the best for him in his hopes to take his talent all the way to college basket-ball.

“The whole team deserved it.”

Page 6 Valentine’s Day February 2010 The Knight Writer

Valentine’s Day is the one time of the year espe-

cially dedicated to show-ing one’s sweetheart how much they love them. For those who are single, it is the perfect time to reveal their hid-den feelings for that special someone. Most couples have the traditional date by having dinner, going to the movies, and ending the night with a kiss. But how about mak-ing the day a little more ro-mantic for the lovely cou-ple to remember forever? Valentine’s Day is that little reminder to show some appreciation to the

Natasha Rabadi’10What a Girl Truly WantsEvery February across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones.

one you care about. Girls truly appreciate the thought and effort that goes into Val-entine’s Day preparations.

Guys, no need to go all out with lavish gifts and fancy dinners; she will be more impressed with sentimental acts and gifts from the heart. Some say that chivalry is dead nowadays, but this is not true. Every

girl deserves to be cher-ished and shown exactly how much she means to that special someone. Guys, think outside of the box for once and do something she may not be expecting. Write her a song, recite poetry to her, or send her on a little scav-enger hunt with items that relate to your relationship.

She wants to know her loved one pays at-tention to the details. Recreate the first night you met or give her a sea shell that will re-mind the both of you of the first time you walked hand in hand down the beach. It is-these little thoughtful things that will show

exactly how much you adore her, that you’re will-ing to go above and be-yond to show how grate-ful you are to be in this relationship, and exactly how much you love her.

“Valentine’s Day is that little reminder to show some apprecia-tion to the one you care about.”

Sweets For Your Sweetie Kelly Wilkinson’10

With cupcakes, tarts, and tiramisu, Vanilla Bake Shop offers tradi-tional sweets with a gour-met touch. Along with dai-ly flavors of vanilla bean and red velvet, Vanilla’s menu changes throughout the week, offering unique tastes such as chocolate raspberry and mocha chocolate cupcakes. Prices

Valentine’s Day is the holiday for love, laughter, and, of course, sweets! Finding the perfect way to end the evening might be easier than it seems.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated by many people

throughout the world. It is the day in which people express their love for each other by sending cards, heart-shaped candy, or flowers to people who make them feel special. This holiday is associ-ated with the winged god Cupid who supposedly makes people fall in love. This is also the day in which people give pres-ents, have romantic din-ners, and sometimes even propose to each other.

It all started in the time of the Roman Empire. Spe-cial celebrations would be held where the men would pick a woman’s name ran-domly from a container. They would then be to-gether until the next Val-entine’s Day. There would also be big feasts to cel-ebrate the holiday. Even today, some people in Western countries actually do pick names from a con-tainer and have big feasts. Valentine’s Day is celebrat-ed all around the world. In Denmark, the holiday is celebrated with enthu-siasm. The people give

Valentine’s Day HistoryMatt Ranieri’11

What Guys Really WantAdam Dauer ‘10

Valentine’s Day is fast approach-ing, and that

means it is time to look for that per-fect gift for your s p e c i a l someone. Guys, of c o u r s e , will ap-p r e c i -ate that material, one-time -use item like din-ner reser-v a t i o n s , c o n c e r t tickets, candy and stuff like that, but there are others who prefer some-thing of senti-mental value. T h e gift request that appeared most frequently was something senti-mental, “some-thing from the heart.” One of the best reasons that was given for wanting a senti-

mental valued gift was that “ he could hold part of her with him.” To put it plain-

ly, guys love this. Guys get that warm, fuzzy feel-ing too when they receive

gifts of sentimental value. Other great gift ideas that

range from $3.25 for a full sized cupcake to $5 for 3 mini cupcakes. As a Valen-tine’s special, Vanilla will dust their cakes with red sprinkles and offer heart shaped cookies. This ornate

yet simply styled bakery is sure to satisfy both you and your special someone on Valentine’s Day. Vanilla is located at 512 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica

Vanilla Bake Shop

Susie Cakes

This casual, vin-tage café offers both a relaxed atmosphere and creative treats. Try a hum-mingbird cake filled with pecans, banana, pineapple, and cream cheese frosting, or a Boston cream pie cup-cake, which is filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with rich chocolate ganache. These unique

Looking for sweets just like Grandma used to make? Susie Cakes bakes their desserts in an all-American, old fash-ioned style. With a moist cake and surprise frosting filling, Susie Cakes gives a traditional sweet a new twist. Classic brownies, lemon squares, and mo-lasses cookies complete

the menu. Cupcakes are $3 and made from scratch daily. For Valentine’s Day, the shop will be selling chocolate-covered straw-berries and other treats

made just for the special day. Susie Cakes is lo-cated in Brentwood, New-port Beach, Calabasas, and Manhattan Beach .

Big Sugar Bake Shop

sweets cost around $2.50 a cupcake. With Valentine’s Day specials promised, Big Sugar Bake Shop also offers small gifts such as

t-shirts and vintage pins to give on the romantic day. Big Sugar Bake Shop is located at 12182 Ven-tura Blvd., Studio City.

What do guys really want forValentine’s Day?

A celebration of love in all parts of the world.

pressed white flowers known as snowdrops that they think of as candy. In England, children often sing songs and receive candy. In Scotland, it is usually celebrated with a festival where people who are not married gather to-gether to pick wives and husbands.

Valentine’s Day is a perfect holiday to give gifts and make people feel special. It is a great day to celebrate love and have fun.

“Guys get that warm, fuzzy feeling too when they receive gifts of

sentimental value.”

guys are sure to like are concert tickets, clothing, and dinner reservations, for as the saying goes, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Dinner reservations are perfect. If you choose to buy a guy candy or just

a card, those are just as m e a n -i n g f u l . “A date w i t h the nic-est girl ever,” no m a t t e r w h e r e the date t a k e s p l a c e , is, of course , a perfect t h i n g to do.

However, when it all boils down, “all I need is love” is the shout of all

the guys out there. Whatever gift you choose for that guy who means some-thing to you, he will definitely appreciate your gift worlds more than can be imagined if it is “something from the heart” and

is something sentimental.

An idea for a great evening to spend with your valentine is going to a concert. Above are concert tickets for the band U2. Photo Courtesy of Google Images.

“celebrate love and have fun”

February 2010 The Knight Writer Valentine’s Day Page 7

Use these handy pick up lines to snag a date for this upcom-ing Valentine’s Day!

Jonathan Chae’10

10 Pick-Up Lines for Valentine’s Day:

1. Fat polar bear. Now that the ice is broken, would you like to go on a date with me?2. You must be tired, because you’ve been running through my mind all day long.3. Are you a broom? Because you just swept me off my feet.4. Fishing is my life and passion, and you’re the perfect catch.5. I was blinded by your beauty so I’m going to need your name and number for insurance purposes.6. Life without you would be like a broken pencil: pointless.7. Are you religious? Because you’re the answer to my prayers.8. Do you have a band-aid? I scraped my knee when I fell in love with you.9. I hope somebody here knows CPR, because you just took my breath away.10. Can I borrow your phone? I need to tell my mom that I just met the girl I’m going to marry.

“Just be nice to her and honest.” – Eric Davis

Pick-Up Lines

Throughout the years, chocolate and Valentine’s

Day cards have become cliché gifts used less and less. While those gifts are still given, more is ex-pected of you from your special someone, mostly in the area of creativity. They expect more than your money. They want to know you took the time to give them a unique, thoughtful gift. Valentine’s Day has been celebrated since the nineteenth cen-tury and has progressed to today’s generation. The Faculty and Staff:

Mr. Fauria- “I got up at seven in the morning as cu-pid in a loin cloth and shot her with a rubber arrow.”Mr. Henderson- “I had a special restaurant called café Ellego with the candle light dinner atmosphere, and when me and my wife dated I took her there and till this day we still go.”Mr. Jones- “I gave my girlfriend(now wife) a box that had the gift in one side and when you slid the box open there was a mechani-

cal heart that started beat-ing on the other side.”Kamani- “One boy de-cided I would date him be-cause he knew I love fast food, so after my work out for track he brought me Whoppers and he knew that it was the key to my heart” – “Senior or junior year this boy who was my really good friend gave me three ros-es: one yellow for friend-ship, one white for purity because-well, you know-and a red rose for love”Struyk- “my girlfriend actually surprised me with a candle light, dessert chocolate after school and everything was set up.”

The Students’ Response:

Jon Hunt- “I’m going to take my lovely [soon-to -be] wife, Brittany Dilk, to Disneyland and give her a necklace that says “I love you” under the fire-works with a dozen roses.”Cody Rosenburger- “We’re planning to maybe go ice skating together and then go out to dinner.” Tim Schuler-“I got her roses and a heart shaped box from See’s Candy and filled it up with pink and red strabursts be-cause I know that she doesn’t like chocolates.”

Jackie Urenda’11What Couples Like

Mr. Struyk

Mr. Fauria

Cody Rosenburger and Vic-toria Velasco

Mrs. Kamani

A Valentine’s Day comparison of teachers and students and-what they do on that day.

Where should you and your date go on Valentine’s?

Pretty much taking a girl somewhere is thoughtful, but to make it even more special, take your date somewhere unforgettable. There are plenty of things to do on Valentine’s Day for the average teenager. This year Valentine’s is on Sun-day, February 14. The best place though a bit pricy, is Disneyland. It truly is the happiest place on earth, but if you want to save a few bucks, a walk in a park with a planned picnic can always work. As Jon Chae says, “It gets me every time.” Gifts are usually nice to give. It’s the thought that counts.

DatesIf you have a Valentine, most likely you want it to be perfect.

Sean Panomchai’11

In this day and age, it is not thought of as odd when a woman

proposes to a man. How-ever, when the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to propose on one day every four years. That day was February 29. It is argued that this was initiated by St. Patrick and St. Bridget in the 5th century. The tradition dates back hundreds of years, to the days when the leap year was not recognized by the English law. The day was simply “leapt over” and ignored. Since this day had no legal sta-tus, no formal traditions applied. During a discussion between St. Patrick and St. Bridget, St. Bridget brought up the issue of woman hav-ing to wait so long for a man to make his move

and propose marriage. St. Patrick responded by saying that the “yearning females could propose on this one day in Febru-ary during the leap year.” Ever since this conver-sation, the tradition has held its place in Ireland. The Irish have certain other traditions, including one as small and detailed as a specific ring. The wedding ring for a bride is called a Claddagh ring. The meaning of the ring

“Will you marry me?” In the United States this question is most often posed by the man, but in Ireland, it is tradition that women may propose marriage only during leap years.

Hannah Devaney’11Leap Year Proposals

is “Let love and friendship reign.” It is a heart and a crown held by two hands. The hands symbolize faith, the heart represents love, and the crown signifies

honor. The Claddagh is typically worn on the right hand with the heart facing out toward the end of the finger when the woman is single. When engaged, the woman wears the ring on the right hand but with the heart facing the knuckle. Lastly, when the woman is married, the ring is worn on the left hand, signify-ing she is finally married.In America, it is often con-sidered bad luck to see the

bride before the wedding ceremony, but not in Irish tradition. One Irish tradi-

tion calls for the couple to walk to the church together before their ceremony. As they walk together down the street, those whom they pass

by throw rice and larger items, such as pots and pans, at them. A n -other differ-ence between an American and Irish wedding is that in Ire-land the brides usu-ally wear a blue dress rather than a white dress. This is be-cause whiletoday white symbolizes purity and

virginity, it did not gain that mean-ing until 1499. Be-

fore then, the blue dress was the typical sign of purity. The wedding flowers often consisted

of lavender, which was an ancient symbol of love, loyalty, and devo-tion. The luck of the Irish was also often mixed in with the bride’s wedding flowers to help ensure a happy and long mar-riage. The bride would braid her hair for her wedding day because in ancient times, this was a symbol of feminine power and luck. Natu-rally, it is a well-known fact that the luckiest day to be married in Ireland is on St. Patrick’s Day.Whether Filipino, American, Russian, Mexican, or Irish, the end result of all wed-dings is union with spouse and a happy end-ing. May the luck of the Irish be with each bride and groom to ensure a happy and long union.

The picture is taken after the lovely lady proposed to her man. Courtesy to Google Images.

“Yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.”

“Let love and friendship reign.”

“Claddagh is typically worn on the right hand with the heart facing out toward the end of the finger when the woman is single.”

Jon Hunt and Brittney Dilk

Page 8 Opinion The Knight Writer February 2010

Megan Nieman ‘11

Should airports sacri-fice people’s privacy for the sake of safety?

Since Septem-ber 11, U.S. airports have been search-ing for a way to make peo-ple feel safer as they board their planes. Many U.S. airports have decided to use "backscatter x-ray technol-ogy” to screen passengers . The tech-nology can see through clothing ma-terial, raising many concerns and questions. These scan-ners are used to reveal ob-jects that metal detectors miss, such as plastic fire-arms, ceramics knives, and even explosives hidden in a person’s undergarments.

The officials have decided to use this system

Privacy Versus Securityto make travelers feel pro-tected as they travel, but many people have noted that they feel offended by

the idea of other people seeing them on a screen. The debate over privacy versus security has caused a huge disturbance because as people board their planes and go through the scan-ners, the virtually naked images have been consid-ered by some to be an inva-sion of privacy. The travel-

ers will have the option of being photographed from the front or the back, and it will take fifteen to twenty

seconds for the scan to be complete. The images will be black and white and shown as a cartoon im-age. The con-cern of many people has prompted offi-cials to modify the scanners.

The first virtual strip search will be at Phoenix Sky Harbor International

Airport. To begin with, the system will only be used on volunteers and on travelers whom officials have decided need a little extra screening, but within a couple months these body scanners will be placed in U.S. air-ports as part of a nation-wide pilot program to ensure people’s safety.

Scanner Rendering courtesy of Google Images.

We all do it. Whether we have the self

control to wait until it is a white head or we go to purge the blemish at the first sign of redness, we all have, at one point in our lives, spent a good amount of time in the bathroom popping our pimples. And who can blame us? We are in high school, appearance matters, and no one wants to walk around the halls of LAB all day with pimples on their face. But can the short lived boost of self confidence we earn from popping pimples actually be bad for our skin in the long run? First, lets talk about what pimples actually are.

Pimples (aka. Zits) are small blemishes on the skin. The reoccurrence of a pimple or pimples in a large number is known as acne. They are caused by the blockage of a pore, and blockages occur for many reasons. The overproduc-tion of the sebaceous glands or dirt are just two common examples. When a pore becomes blocked for what-ever reason, the top layer of dead skin cannot shed off, causing a red infec-tious bump to form. Since the bump is infectious, the body sends its white blood cells to fight the infection.

The mixture of white blood cells, dead skin cells, and bacteria in the skin create the mixture we call pus, the white oozy stuff that is popped out of the pimple. If left alone, your body will eventually win the fight and heal the pimple. An unhealthy diet, psychologi-cal or physical stress, oily skin, and hormones can

all contribute to pimples. Popping pimples, if done incorrectly, can be the worst possible thing for the skin. Incorrect popping will lead to scabs, scarring, and more severe acne, and most high school students do not have the knowledge or patience to pop pimples correctly. The first thing to know is never pop an imma-ture pimple. If the pimple is just red and is not white, DO NOT POP IT. Popping, or the attempt to pop an im-mature pimple can force the pus deeper into the skin, rupturing the follicle wall and spill pus into the dermis (the innermost sec-tion of the skin). This will lead to more severe acne. Even if one is successful in ridding the pore of pus, a non-sterile procedure of cleaning the pus off of the skin will spread the bacte-ria saturated pus over other pores and will result in more severe acne. Squeezing a pimple can lead to a nodule (aka cyst), the most serious form of blemish. Nodules must be treated by a doctor.

If there is an in-correct way to pop pimples, then there must also be a correct way, but even pop-ping pimples “correctly” is not any healthier for the skin. It will rid the pore of unwanted pus, but the skin will not heal all that much faster because of correct popping. That being said, the first thing to do is thor-oughly wash your hands and the skin where your pimple is located. Get dis-infectant alcohol, STER-ILIZED pin, and a piece of clean cloth. Dampen the cloth with the alcohol.

Use the pin to gently poke at the pimple ONLY IF IT IS WHITE. If pus bursts out of the pimple, clean the pus off of the skin with the alcohol saturated cloth, and you may continue to push the rest of pus out with your fingers. Be sure to get under the pimple as not to push pus deeper into the skin. It is not recommended to use your bare hands because no matter how well you wash them, there will always be bacteria on them or under the finger nails. Put clean tissue over your fingers as to not infect the open pim-ple. If pus does not burst out after poking the pimple with the needle, then the pimple is still immature. Use self control and stop what you are doing. Be sure to clean your hands and the skin area of the pimple after popping to be sure not to spread any bacteria.

Correct popping of pimples takes a lot of patience and self control. If that does not sound like you, then it is best to leave your skin alone entirely and wait for your body to do its job.

Besides popping your pimples correctly, be sure to eat healthy, avoid stress, and wash your face (or any other area of skin prone to acne) twice a day with store bought acne prevention soaps. Wash-ing your face more than two times a day can dry out your skin causing your body to produce more oil than it needs to, and caus-ing more pimples. Be sure not to mask pimples with makeup, for this can lead to excessive blockage and worse acne. If you do all these things and still your acne worsens, see a doctor.

The Truth About ZitsEric Davis ‘10

Just weeks before Christ-mas 2009, 17-year-old Indiana resident An-

drew Conley choked his 10-year-old brother Conner to death. In police reports, authorities stated that Con-ley “had fantasies of killing someone since 8th grade,” and that he likened his hun-ger to kill to “when people have something like they are hungry and there is a hamburger sitting there and they knew they had to have it.” Conley claimed that he

felt that he resembled the fictional character in Dexter, a Showtime drama about an undercover serial killer who kills the people he feels de-serve it: criminals, murders, etc. Andrew Conley has pleaded “not guilty” and will be tried as an adult. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The media today is a big influence on audi-ences of all ages. Everyone watches movies, listens to music, or uses the computer,

but on very rare occasions people take the messages portrayed in the media to the extreme and go out on a killing spree, then use the media and its influence as a scapegoat for their crimes. Can the media and its influ-ence on people really cause normal people to become cold-blooded killers, or are the killers just using the media as a scapegoat? The fact that Con-ley not only killed his help-less 10-year-old brother by choking him to death

but has had urges to kill before and relates to the fictional character should raise some red flags. Did Dexter influence him to finally kill in such a grue-some way, or was the kill-ing inevitable? The ques-tion that has to be asked is whether or not Conley had some major psychologi-cal issues that caused him to commit such a horren-dous crime, or if the media caused him to commit this crime. No level-headed

person decides one day to kill his younger brother because he wants to know what it feels like. Based on his testimony, it is doubt-ful that Conley ever even watched “Dexter.” The fic-tional character, Dexter, is an undercover serial killer who does not kill innocent people but rather kills other killers. In Dexter’s mind, he is only killing those who deserve it, so how can An-drew Conley compare him-self to Dexter when Dexter only kills other murderers

and crime committers who have evaded the law? Un-less his 10-year-old brother was secretly a killer, there is no resemblance. What-ever his intentions were, his crime of killing an innocent child brings a haunting re-minder that evil is still alive and well in the world. Either way, Andrew has ruined not only his own life but the lives of his brother and his entire family and friends.

Scapegoat for Killers?Kristen Saikali ‘10

Top Left: A diagram of a blackhead pimple. Top Right: A diagram of normal func-tioning skin. Bottom Left: A diagram of skin that is prone to acne. Bottom Right: A diagram of a typical pimple. Photos Courtesy of Google Images

“This will lead to more severe acne.”

“Nodules must be treated by a doctor.”

“Use self con-trol and stop what you are doing.”

Conley. Photo Courtesy of Google Images.

February 2010 The Knight Writer Opinion Page 9

Lindsay Payne ‘10

Thanks to popular gossip columns such as TMZ and

Entertainment Weekly, people around the world are constantly up-to-date on the latest gossip news and stories. Because of these magazines, celebri-ties live under an unavoid-able microscope that greatly affects their lives. It may seem enter-taining to read about some-one cheating on his wife or who is marrying who, but what if it was your life be-ing talked about? What if you were the latest gossip? If you are a mem-ber of Facebook, a popu-lar social-networking site, you may or may not have recently received a “friend request” from a user by the name of “True Talk LAB.” True Talk LAB is a profile made by an anonymous student that acts as an LAB gossip col-umn. For those of you who thought your name would never be attached to a gos-sip column…think again. This gossip col-umn has caused students from all different grades to be upset about the profile.

Sometimes “True Talk” Is Stranger Than Fiction“LAB is a great school with great students. The fact that someone dislikes LAB enough to write about it is really upsetting,” stated senior Chase Rivera. In journalism and gossip columns, the source from which valued in-formation comes is a main compo-nent of the stories themselves. On November 22, 2009, TTLAB posted, “If you want to tell me something, post it on my wall or send it to me as a message.” This statement verifies that the informa-tion that TTLAB is providing is as unreliable as the rumors them-selves. With such a weak set of guidelines and sources, it is evident that TTLAB is noth-ing but an opinion-ated, false gossip column. TTLAB has re-

peatedly stated that they “love LAB,” yet they vio-late the school’s policies. At the beginning of each

school year, students are asked to sign a form in

which one of the standards is “no gossip.” In Section 3:25 of the LAB Handbook

it also states that “students may not post websites …

about LA Baptist or any member of the student body without permission.” In Section 3:26, it states

that “harassment—ver-bal, visual, physical or written that intimidates, injures, or creates a hos-tile environment” is also prohibited. The hand-book goes on to say that the minimum punishment for violation of these terms is suspension. On all accounts, TTLAB has violated these terms. If TTLAB loves LAB as much as they say, why are they involv-ing themselves in the very thing that LAB is against? Along with the rules that are enforced at LAB, biblical principles are expected to be applied to the daily lives of the students on and off cam-pus. In Proverbs 6:16-19, Scripture states that there are several “things that the Lord hates...a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among his brothers.” Along with the gossip, TTLAB has

also used the Lord’s name in vain in combative argu-ments with hurt students.

Not only does this user violate a very specific LAB guideline and a bibli-cal principle, but also the Facebook Terms of Service which states in Section 5:1 that “users [cannot] post content or take any action that infringes or violates someone else’s rights.” TTLAB uses the defense that they are not gossiping; rather they are simply stating the obvious. When using that defense, one has to wonder what the purpose of highlighting such negativity would be. After talk about the site circulated the school, and two weeks before pub-lication of The Knight Writ-er, TTLAB shut down their site for fear of repercus-sions. Their reason behind shutting down their site was because they feared that the LAB administra-tion would get involved.

True Talk LAB Profile Photo. Photo Courtesy of Facebook.com.

I’d like to start out by apologizing. I feel this explanation is long

overdue, and because of a lack of explanation, I wor-ry that some of our actions have been misconstrued. I’ve been getting the feel-ing that some of the peo-ple on my staff have been viewed as dissidents and maligners because of the nature of the stories they have wished to pursue.

These views and opinions are based out of a funda-mental misunderstanding of the purpose and goals of student journalism. The last thing we are out to do is cause trouble and create problems. Our goal is not to tear down and destroy, but rather refine and perfect.

At its core, journalism’s purpose is to serve as a free and independent gov-ernment watchdog. To be a true journalist is to report factually and present an objective, balanced ac-count of an issue or event.

As journalists, we believe that we are an essential component in our demo-cratic machine. We want to improve the machine, not destroy it. In fulfill-ing our watchdog duties, we seek to eradicate injus-tice, corruption, failures of morality, inefficiencies, and lies. A free and inde-pendent press is the sole bastion of accountability in the democratic world.

The moment the press is deprived of that free-dom, the government has been given a blank check to do whatever it fancies.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alex S. Jones, in his book, Losing the News, put it best by saying, “Tra-ditional journalists have long believed that this form

of fact-based accountabil-ity news is the essential food supply of democracy and that without enough of this healthy nourishment democracy will weak-en, sicken, or even fail.”

Undoubtedly these are

strong words, but think for a moment of the ramifica-tions of losing an indepen-dent press. Think about Watergate, the Blagojevich scandal, or the Spitzer scan-dal. These are just a few examples of the pernicious corruption that is creep-ing around in our govern-ment. It’s scary to think of the abominations that these

leaders and role-models have committed, but I find it scarier to think that all these men would still be wielding governmental au-thority if it weren’t for the relentless work of the press to uncover their abhorrent crimes and grievances.

So, what does this mean for LAB? Like our role models and heroes in the profes-sional world of journalism, who love their government and only seek to refine it by the purging of its cor-ruption, student journalists love LAB and seek only to raise legitimate ques-tions and present truth

and fact. Our hope is that this will make LAB a bet-ter place by professionally and respectfully allowing debate and presenting fact.

Sometimes truth is painful or difficult to hear, some-times our own pride doesn’t want us to hear the truth. I

know I’ve been guilty of that, but sometimes it’s exactly what we need to hear. Our Savior practiced this concept when he came down to earth and took on the religious legalism of His day. In Matthew 23:27 Jesus told the Pharisees that they were “like white-washed tombs.” That state-ment is probably the last

thing the Pharisees wanted to hear, but it is also what they needed to hear most. That statement spoken by Christ is true. It was spoken by a perfect and blameless man; however, it is a state-ment that invoked contro-versy and anger. It put a

wall of hatred between the Pharisees and Christ, one that lasted throughout the remainder of His min-istry. Sometimes contro-versy is good, sometimes it is necessary, some-times it is life-saving.

As student journalists we seek only to present de-bate and controversy in a way that is constructive and healthy. It is our goal to be fair and to present both sides of every issue. It is our goal to report facts and then allow you to make your own deci-sions based on the infor-mation presented. We never seek to persuade falsely or wrongly influ-ence. We seek to use our power and position to help and improve, not harm.

We feel what we are doing is essential to the health of democracy and the expos-ing of truth. Journalism provides a service that is vital to the survival of our country and the account-ability of our government. The utter necessity of free and independent journal-ism can be summed up

in the words of found-ing father Thomas Jef-ferson: “Were it left

to me to decide whether we should have a gov-ernment without news-papers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a mo-ment to prefer the latter.”

A Note From the Editor: A Journalist’s Manifesto

A comedic representation of the essentiality of journalism. Photo Courtesy Google Images.

Cory Minderhout ‘10

“TTLAB is nothing but an opinionated, false gossip column.”

Page 10 Review/Entertainment The Knight Writer February 2010Ellen DeJudge on IdolMary Tamura ‘10Ellen DeGe-neres is taking on a new job in addition to her daytime TV show.

After Paula Abdul left the American Idol judging ta-

ble, executives be-gan searching to fill the vacant seat. They had several guest judges for the auditions such as Joe Jonas, Katy Perry, Victoria Beckham, and the first Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. American Idol has chosen who they believe to be the perfect judge, El-len DeGeneres, who is a huge fan of the show and sympathetic to the contestants.She will join Simon Cow-ell, Randy Jackson, and the new judge from last season, Kara DioGuardi,

in judging the singers. DeGeneres says that she will not be the mean judge that Simon usually is. She was afraid at first people would think that she stole the judging position from Paula Abdul, but Abdul responded on her social-networking site, Twitter, that she knows that DeGe-neres will be a good judge and fill her shoes nicely. The show has taken on

many changes throughout the years, and adding Ellen marks a new chapter in Idol

history. Fans hope she will

bring her hilarious and energetic per-sonality to the table and judge fairly. Rumors are circulat-ing that judge Simon Cowell will leave the show as well to produce anoth-er talent show like his UK show, X Factor. Despite the ru-mors and spec-ulations, fans wait in antici-pation for what D e G e n e r e s will add to the

show’s dynamic. Catch American Idol, Tuesdays and Wednesdays on Fox.

“She knows that DeGe-neres will be a good judge and fill her shoes nicely.”

Meet Me in Little Italy

Home Cooked Meal, With a Restaurant FeelAJ Beregszaszi ‘10

Families of LAB students own restau-rants of all shapes and sizes.

Here’s an interest-ing fact: Many of the students may

have not known this, but there are several students at LAB that have a fam-ily owned restaurant. All over the valley, there are restaurants owned by the families of LAB’s very own s t u d e n t s . This is a wise choice of business as it brings in extra money for the fam-ily. There is a variety amongst these family-owned restaurants, ranging from a pizza shop to amazing authentic tamales. With these restau-rants, the owners have often helped out with catering at school events such as the football games and Teacher Appreciation. Doing these

types of activities advertis-es their business and brings in more business. Owning a restaurant is both fun and difficult. It is fun and filled with excitement because they serve the community by making delicious food and satisfying the hunger of their customers. The owners feel a sense of ac-complishment when a cus-tomer enjoys their food and returns once more. Be-hind all the fun and games, “owning a restaurant is hard

work, and it takes a lot to keep the restaurant open,” as described by Kristin Be-gakis. There are a ton of duties that need to be done in order for the restaurant to stay open. Along with making food, restaurant

owners must make sure that their restaurant is clean and sterile for the safety and protection of their custom-ers. They must also keep up with their finances because it costs money to rent the land the restaurant lays on, and they have to pay for supplies to keep the restau-rant going, such as the in-gedients to make the food. It is always an ex-perience to go visit one of these restaurants; one can see fellow friends and fam-

ilies do what they love. It is also a great way to support one’s friends by buying their food and spreading the word of the deliciousness of the restau-rant. They always ap-preciate when one helps to spread the word so that the restaurant will flour-ish. So stop on by, eat some food, and support your friends.

When looking for a vari-ety of different restaurants, stop by the restaurants owned by the families of Nick Pappas, Kristin Bega-kis, Christian Ochoa, Josh Yang, and Cynthia Villalta.

Natasha Rabadi ‘10Maggiano’s Restaurant is the perfect place to not only enjoy a great meal, but get a little taste of Italy for a great value.

Around the world, people of all ages love taking their

special someone out for a romantic dinner. In honor of Valentine’s Day, it is a great way to spend time alone with a sweetheart at a fancy but inexpensive res-taurant. The dilemma that most couples encounter is that they cannot decide where to go because the restaurant is too expensive. Maggiano’s Little Italy Res-taurant is the ideal bistro to

enjoy a wonderful meal. Maggiano’s is an excellent restaurant with a romantic atmosphere and some of the most de-licious, authentic Italian food. The service is great,

with friendly waiters and a special Valentine’s Day menu to satisfy any hearty appetite. Their menu in-cludes all types of favor-

ite Italian foods including salads, pizzas, and their mouth-watering pastas. Maggiano’s is one of the most romantic places to have dinner because the

environment is cozy, with a dimmed- light feel that people enjoy while being on a romantic date. This is the perfect place to enjoy good food with even better company, all while show-ing a loved one a wonderful romantic Italian getaway.

Megan Nieman ‘11

Great food along with a good time

On a warm Sunday afternoon, my boyfriend and I

decided to try Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese BBQ restau-rant in the Topanga Mall. We had walked by the res-taurant many times, and the aroma from within the restaurant always caught

my attention, but we just never had the time to go. As we walked into the res-taurant there was a host at the front desk who was dressed in a Japanese- style outfit. I looked around the restaurant and noticed that the whole restaurant had a Japanese atmosphere. The host walked us to our table and took our drink order.

He then began explaining to us how the restaurant worked. He told us that the stove in the middle of the table was used to cook the food we decided to or-der. The creativity of this restaurant amazed me. As the host walked away, I excitedly began looking at the menu to see what I wanted to try. The menu had a range of foods to grill from vegetables to BBQ beef to chicken. It also of-fered foods like soup, sal-ad, fried rice, and noodles

for people who do not want to cook their own food. When the waiter came back we ordered spicy tuna rolls, harami skirt steak, Yakishabu beef, ba-con-wrapped scallops, and tender chicken breast, along with two sides of white rice. The waiter came back in about fifteen minutes with our food, and we be-

gan cooking it on the grill. When we were done cooking our food, we ate our food slowly because we wanted to sa-vor every piece of it. The meats they offer are the absolute best because they are so flavorful and have different tastes. When we finished our lunch the waiter brought us a des-sert menu that listed dif-ferent desserts. I ended up ordering a scoop of green tea ice cream and Mochi. This restaurant

offers marvelous food along with a fantastic time. Its great deals and prices make it easy to go there and not spend too much money. This restau-rant is a great place to takesomeone who enjoys try-ing new things, and it is a wonderful restaurant to go to for a unique date.

Maggiano’s sign

“Maggiano’s is an excellent restaurant with a romantic at-mosphere and some of the most delicious, authentic Ital-ian food.”

Ellen DeGeneres is the new American Idol judge.

Gyu-Kaku offers many types of food that can be grilled. Courtesy Google Images.

A Unique Asian Cuisine

Gourmet tamales. Photo Courtesy of Google Images.

Contemporary

February 2010 The Knight Writer Hard News/Continuations Page 11

An eating disorder is characterized by abnormal eat-

ing habits that may in-volve either insufficient or excess food intake to the detriment of an indi-vidual’s physical & emo-tional health. According to statistics, eating disorders affect 5-10 million women and one million men in the United States every year. Issues such as depres-sion, abuse, low self-es-teem, bullying, and illness can be causes of an eating disorder, tricking a person into thinking that they are not good enough. The main triggers are child maltreat-ment, social isolation, pa-rental influence, peer pres-sure, and cultural pressure. Among the many dis-orders, the two most com-mon disorders are bulimia, a disorder in which one eats a meal and then forces themself to regurgitate, get-ting the food out of their system, and anorexia, a dis-

order in which one refrains from eating anything at all. People know more about anorexia because it is highly publicized and discussed in society. Karen Carpenter, a singer from the 80’s, died of anorexia at the young age of only 32 years old. Many times, celebrities or models suffer from anorexia. This is seen through different types of media, which projects im-ages and ideas to all the viewers, especially the younger generations. Miss Zuckerman, a 12th grade teacher, described her ex-perience with anorexia. She said, “I thought that I was thin, but didn’t real-ize I was all ‘bones.’ My clothes were falling off me. The more I thought about food, the harder it was to eat. I can now say, I was anorexic.” She gave explicit details of her ex-periences and made a great point, saying, “Malnutri-tion is a real problem.”

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. The symptoms and com-

plications vary according to the nature and sever-ity of the disorder. Accord-ing to an in-depth study

conducted by psychiatrist Richard Hall, the fol-lowing statistics are true: • Medical ill-

ness often presents with psychiatric symptoms. • It is difficult to dis-tinguish physical disorders from functional psychiatric disorders on the basis of psy-chiatric symptoms alone. • Detailed physical examination and labora-tory screening are indicat-ed as a routine procedure in the initial evaluation of psychiatric patients. • “Most patients are unaware of the medical ill-ness that is causative of their psychiatric symptoms.” • The conditions of patients with medically induced symptoms are of-ten initially misdiagnosed as a functional psychosis.

There are many different treatments and therapy. Some of these treatments can involve the participa-tion of family members and friends. It is wise to go see a doctor if one sees signs of an eating disorder such as rapid loss of weight, loss of appetite, purging behav-ior, or excessive gaining of weight. Eating disorders are deadly therefore it is important that all nutri-tion factors be kept in line.

Photo courtesy of Google Images.

The Symptoms and Dangers of Eating DisordersAJ Beregszaszi ‘10

Eating disorders are a pervasive and real problem that plague many in today’s culture.

While hymns are incredibly poetic, much of the older English phrasing and vocabulary can be hard to understand, especially for high school students. The worship leader should always explain a hymn’s phrasing and vocabulary before singing it with the congregation. Some wor-ship leaders change the phrasing or vocabulary of the hymns to make them easier to understand. This is not a bad thing, but it does take away some of the good things about hymns. Hymns are also dynamical-ly bland. In an age where most kids are listening to synth-driven pop music, lightening fast metal guitar solos, and jazz pieces writ-ten in meters that no one has heard of, hymns are not all that attractive. It is not bad to think that hymns are boring; everyone is en-titled to their musical opin-ion. To be frank, they are rather bland, but do not let the lack of dynamic in the hymn be the only reason you do not like them. Some worship leaders try to re-write hymns musically in a contemporary way, and this is not a bad thing, but again it takes away some of the good things about hymns.

Contemporary Worship

First, let me start by explaining what I mean by contemporary worship songs. Contemporary wor-ship songs as I know them are contemporary in time.

They tend to be written in the 1900’s and 2000’s. They range from gospel to jazz to rock and even to metal (for all you Sleep-ing Giant and Impending Doom fans). I do not be-lieve that contemporary worship songs are restrict-ed by genre. Contemporary worship songs must be a song written to God, out of love for God. Old people tend not to like them, but I do not think that is nec-essarily a qualification.

C o n t e m p o r a r y worship songs are great because they allow the church today to sing to God in their native tongue. God wants us to be real and au-thentic before Him. While contemporary worship songs are not as poetic as hymns, God would much rather have His church sing to Him with songs that they like and understand rather than hymns that they do not understand. Music has a spiritual and emotional influence. The musical dy-namic of contemporary worship songs can really help a person experience God, but this is also an ex-tremely scary road to walk down. While some musical influence is appropriate, the worship of the congregation should never under any cir-cumstances be completely out of a response to the dy-namic of the music. It is the responsibility of the wor-ship leader to make sure that worship never becomes about the music, and that is

a hard line to find. If you can do it well, then there is nothing wrong with letting the dynamic of music affect your worship to God in a positive way. God created music to be a spiritual and emotional thing.

The biggest dan-ger of contemporary wor-ship songs is the temp-tation to overdo them, letting the worship time become all about the mu-sic. Another con of con-

MUSIC continued from page 3

“God wants us to be real and authentic be-fore Him.”

temporary worship is that it can be lyrically bland.

I hope that you are challenged not to dislike hymns or contemporary worship for the wrong rea-sons, but to view both for what they really are, and no matter what your prefer-ence, to know that they both really do have merit. When it comes down to it, let us not get caught up in worship style. Most importantly, let us remember to always be growing in our love for God and understand-ing of worship, and let it never become about the music but always about the God that we worship.

Right: A mix of Modern Worship songs and Hymns

Page 12 World News The Knight Writer February 2010

In California the people are used to the earth-quakes that come ev-

ery once in a while, so the houses and buildings are secure and ready for the damages to come. Haiti, however, was not ready for the earthquake that hit January 12, 2010. The 7.0 earthquake struck shortly before 5 PM and was cen-tered about ten miles south-west of Port-au-Prince. Not only is this devastating for those who have lost homes; 80% of Haiti’s population lives under the poverty line, according to the CIA World Factbook. These people do not have the money to re-store their lives or homes. In California, many local charities have given a helping hand to restore the lives of the Hai-tian community. The dev-astation is too great to be handled alone; everyone is joining together as one.

Former President Clinton has made it his job to donate to the cause and relieve the people of this tragedy. In addition to the large chari-ties, many smaller charities are doing their part. In-cluded in this is the LAB student body and faculty. As every student knows, Fridays are an opportunity to donate three dollars for the privilege of wearing jeans. All of the money is put in a benevolence fund to help during disas-ters such as this. English teacher Mrs. Ranieri told the Knight Writer, “Some students didn’t wear jeans but generously donated money to the Haiti fund.” Watching the news, one can see the desperate need for help in Haiti. The devastation is far greater than can be imagined. With this in mind, remember to pray for Haiti. Any donation that can be made will greatly improve the situation.

Help HaitiPaige Niemi ‘11Miranda Jarrett ‘11

Above: The collapsed presidential palace in Haiti. Below: Earthquake Victim. Photos Courtesy of latimes.com

A Crossroad Community church member, shown here, visited Haiti just 48 hours before the earthquake struck.