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TALONJ u n e • V o l u m e 3 • I s s u e 7

Nelson, p.3 Senior Spotlights, p. 4 College Bound Athletes, p. 8

Leaving Home

Different Paths: Seniors Explore College AlternativesBy ZAINAB PIXLERStaff Writer

As the 2012-2013 school year comes to a close, seniors are getting ready to graduate Oak Park High School and start on their paths toward their futures. For some, their futures don’t necessar-ily include pursuing an immediate college degree. Thousands of students across the nation decide that en-rolling straight into a college or university is not something they want to do just yet. Fierce com-petition and unbelievably high costs may be the reasons for some while others are compelled by the whole world of opportunity that lies beyond school walls. Instead of diving straight into a pool of mo-notony, some students take time to pursue their dreams in a way that they feel is more suitable. By tak-ing one or more years away from the classroom setting, a student can explore his or her interests, fill professional holes and strengthen personal or academic weaknesses.

By ALEX APPELROUTHStaff Writer

Not every senior chooses to attend college right after high school. There are many opportunities for students seeking a gap year.

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

At some point in every-one’s life, the event of moving out and leaving home will occur. When this time comes, many find them-selves ready for the fun experi-ences and difficult challenges wait-ing for them in the outside world. However, there are still some that are hesitant about leaving as they consider the level of independence that comes with living on campus or in an apartment. This step in life is a nec-essary one as it sets the stage for entering adulthood. As Oak Park seniors recognize this, most still share the sentiment of being ready for the experiences that are yet to

be had in college. Troy Welin pro-claims that he “can’t wait to live on [his] own and branch away from Oak Park.” He also recalls, “I didn’t think I would be ready, but now I can’t wait.” Moving out seems over-whelming at first, but as time draws closer to the end of senior year, most find that they are ready to tackle what is out there. Aha-ronit Elior also relates this initial uneasiness as she states, “I am very nervous to leave, but I am also eager and ready to start the next chapter.” Homesickness is a feeling that many have endured. Espe-cially when moving out, it is some-thing many people will encounter. Fortunately, Oak Park seniors have fond memories they can reflect back on when they find themselves away in college. Tony Foté says the thing he will miss most from Oak

Park High School is “friends.” Ev-ery senior will soon recognize that many friendships may turn into long-distance ones as the senior population branches out to a mul-titude of colleges and universities across the country. Troy Welin shares the worry of missing friends, but also “the small size of Oak Park High School.” This is an aspect that many seniors may come to miss as they will learn first-hand what it is like to be a part of a big campus. Present in most colleges as well is the openness and free space that the seniors will already be attuned to. This will provide for an easier transition from high school to col-lege life. Seniors also look forward to the great times that are ahead of them. The increased indepen-dence and freedom is something that most are enthusiastic about. Aharonit Elior shares what she looks forward to most as part of her college experience: “I’m ac-tually really looking forward to the

classes that they offer and learning about my career. I’ll also enjoy the freedom.” Students will be able to fo-

Senior Tony Foté is eager to begin the next chapter of his life.

http://www.usagapyearfairs.org

Drawn by: Ashley Sauer

www.ioffer.com

Feature, p. 6

Prom, p. 10

Ms. Pawloski, the comput-er graphics teacher, is retiring to start a new life. Ms. Pawloski is moving to the East Coast and getting mar-ried to her college sweetheart. She states that her retirement will not affect the class itself at Oak park High School. “There will still be someone here teaching the class,” she says. “We’re deciding on who to pick right now.” She says that her favorite part about teaching at Oak Park is the students, who, in her view, make her classes fun and interest-ing, remarking that they “wouldn’t be the same without the kids.” These same students, how-ever, are saddened by the loss of one of their favorite teachers. Sophomore Devika Chandramo-han says, “I am happy for her, but I’m sad that I won’t be able to visit her net year.” Another sophomore, Alex Pai, jokingly adds, “I’m sad to see a teacher go who sees me as her favorite student.” Faculty are also going to miss Ms. Pawloski. Ms. Blum, the Ceramics teacher, says she has been a “good friend” and “will be missed.”

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Ms. Pawloski to Retire

From page 1

A gap year is usually the course that students take to get a break from hitting the books. Dur-ing “Gap” or “Deferral” year, a stu-dent may decide to take a year off from formal education to travel, to practice sports, to explore talents or to gain some vocational exper-tise in an internship. There are hundreds of Gap Year programs that seniors can choose from. One of the biggest pro-grams in the United States is Rus-tic Pathways. The Rustic Pathways programs offer students oppor-tunities for firsthand experience. According to the Rustic Path-ways pamphlet, courtesy of Ms. Hawkins in the College and Career Center, “Firsthand experience is a vital piece to education that is not measured by test scores and cred-

its earned, but by real-life success, wisdom gained and challenges overcome.” Gap Year programs, such as Rustic Pathways, expose students to a world outside of the classroom while giving them a whole new kind education that resonates with them for the rest of their lives. Another choice that is in-creasing in popularity is serving the military either here in the states or in another country. Senior Vered Pinhas made the decision years be-fore she entered high school to join the Israeli Defense Forces. “Until I was 14, I lived in the areas that were constantly under missile at-tacks from Gaza, and knew how much the army did to defend us. I was always thinking about what it was going to be like being in the army,” explained Pinhas. “Mov-ing here didn’t change my state of

cus on subjects of interest as they can enroll in classes they find most interesting to themselves and their plans for the future, unlike, for the most part, in high school. High expectations of a re-warding college experience all have the capability of being ful-filled, even the expectations of Tony Foté, who looks forward to “becoming famous.” The col-lege enterprises that await each and every Oak Park senior will be tackled with the enthusiasm and confidence gained from their high school. Good luck, seniors.

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Aharonit Elior is nervous yet happy.

Troy Welin cannot wait to leave for college.

mind, because I believe now it’s my turn to pay back the country that kept me safe most of my life.” While Pinhas’s main reason for go-ing back to Israel is to serve her home country, she also believes it is a great and valuable opportuni-ty for self-analysis. “I also want to [join the IDF] because it is a unique experience to have and a great way to prove myself and others what I am capable of.” Students around the na-tion are hearing the same mes-sage that the only path in life in-volves school, then college, then work, then retirement, but that path is not for everyone. There are some who choose to break from the norm and embark on a sepa-rate path in order to accomplish the things they feel need to be ac-complished. Regardless of what path students go down, there is no doubt that all of Oak Park’s Eagles will thrive.

“Rumored” SuccessBy MADDIE COHEN,Staff Writer

On the weekend of May 23, Oak Park High School put on the play Rumors by Neil Simon. Senior Aaron Teebor directed this show and junior Jordan Schneider produced it. The play was a small production consisting of only 10 characters. Although the cast may have been small, the talent of the selected actors was not. In April, many eager Oak Park drama students signed up to audition to be in this production. According to participants, the sus-pense of waiting to find out if they made callbacks was almost un-bearable. Once the callbacks were made, competition became rough due to the limited amount of parts. Oak Park sophomore Lyn-don Karp says, “When I found out that I had received a callback, I was in complete shock. The day of the callback, I was nervous and scared the entire day since it was my first one ever. When I arrived at the call-back they let us in, and I waited the

longest half-hour of my life. It felt like it was never-ending.” Although Karp did not get the part, he states, “I was still happy that I was chosen to try out again, and I would not re-gret it for the world.” After a long few days of auditions, a decision was made. The cast consisted of the following students: Samantha Labrecque, Austin Sauer, Kyra Stevens, Monica Hennessy, Peter Carman, Kathleen McKeegan, Ricky Zandian, Maddie Adams, Kevin Pondt, Jacob Klein and Lili Rubenstein. Teebor and Schneider feel that the decisions they made on their cast were the right choices. When Teebor was asked about his thoughts on the cast, he responded, “I have never worked with a more talented, more dedicated or more confident group of people than this cast. I am so grateful for the hours and hours of time the cast and crew spent, not only making my job easier, but also for always performing above and beyond all expectations. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to direct this show, and I will remember this for the rest of my life.” This group had about one solid month to prepare for a show that followed the spectacular per-formance of Les Misérables. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this group pulled it off and put on an amazing performance.

By TUSHAR JOIS,Staff Writer

College Alternatives

Mr. McGugan finds a new home at Oakview High School.

NEWSTALONOPH

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Nelson Spends a “Half-Life” at OPHSBy ZAINAB PIXLER,Staff Writer

Oak Park High School is home to a wide array of brilliant and inspiring teachers. Mr. David Nelson, OPHS’s current AP/Hon-ors chemistry and phys-ics teacher, is a prime example. He has been a science teacher at Oak Park since the school first opened in 1979. The school has under-gone countless chang-es; chalkboards have become SmartBoards, classes of barely 20 have turned into classes of nearly 40, teachers have come and gone and Mr. Nelson has been here for it all. Over almost three and a half decades, Mr. Nelson has taught almost every science class from ecology (back when it was offered as a class) to global science to chemistry to physics. With every new year, he patiently guides and intellectually stimulates hundreds of Oak Park’s brightest students. Now, after 34 years of admi-rable loyalty, astonishing intellect, impeccable style and light-hearted humor, Mr. Nelson has announced his retirement. When asked what

he’d miss about teaching at Oak Park the most, Mr. Nelson, without a second thought, said, “I will miss the students. They’re what keep me coming back.” Students and teachers alike cannot fathom what their high school experiences would

have been like without him there. Senior Calvin Earp has had Mr. Nelson for both his junior year in chemistry and his senior year in physics. “Mr. Nelson is one of those teachers who you only get once in a lifetime,” claims Earp. “He has been a role mod-el and a mentor, not just a teacher.” Earp is one of the many students who have had the pleasure of getting to know Mr. Nel-son beyond the simple student-teacher relation-ship. “On a personal level,

he has always been there for me. He was always happily and will-ingly going far beyond the duty of any science teacher.” Senior Michael Miller, like Earp, has also been Mr. Nelson’s student for two consecutive years in high school. “He has been doing this for so long that he just knows how to teach his subject and his students benefit greatly from that,”

says Miller. “His teaching style is so refined, yet he hasn’t lost inter-est in his subject, and his enthusi-asm and knowledge shows. Even more than that, he relates to his students. I know many students who just go and talk to him like a friend.” Winnie Litten, Oak Park’s AP biology teacher as well as Mr. Nelson’s campus neighbor and close coworker for 23 years, also attests to his legacy: “Mr. Nelson is a ‘load-bearing wall’ for not only Oak Park High School but historically for the district as well. He has helped develop this district into a top-performing, student-centered, academically focused institution. He has been the WASC [Western

Association of Schools and Col-leagues] leader several times, the girls’ tennis coach as well as the Science Department Chair since its conception. His counsel is regu-larly sought, and his dedication to the education of Oak Park students cannot be measured. He is such a humble man and never seeks ac-colades; so much of his efforts go unrecognized. Dave Nelson is irre-placeable.” So, to you Mr. Nelson: Oak Park’s students, teachers, adminis-trators, those who have long since departed, thank you for your un-forgettable years of teaching, for your bright smiles, for your many words of wisdom and wish you the best of luck in your future endeav-ors.

Oak Park’s Science Department

OPHS Bids Farewell to Mr. McGugan and Mr. McManusBy HANNAH EXLERand SARAH HEENEY,Staff Writers

With the last week of the 2012-2013 school year looming close ahead, many students at Oak Park High School are gearing up for college, summer jobs or their next year of high school. However, there are changes to our staff that some students may be unaware of. Stewart McGugan, our vice prin-cipal, and John McManus, our CP Chemistry and AP Environmen-tal Science teacher, are moving to Oakview High School next year. When asked about his re-action to McGugan’s departure, junior Derrick Matsunaga replies, “I was unaware that Mr. McGugan was going to become the principal at another school next year. It will definitely be a change with a new vice principal here at Oak Park High, as Mr. McGugan has worked here ever since I’ve been a fresh-man”. One of McManus’ APES students Meesha Merat says, “I feel as though OPHS is losing a valued teacher, but I am happy to know

that this will be a great opportu-nity for him.” We sat down with McGu-gan and McManus to get the details of their hopes and expectations for next year:

McGugan:Q: What do you think is going to change next year? A: I do not think much will change next year with my position. Our sports programs and school facili-ties are in great shape. We have a solid classified and certificated staff. The new assistant princi-pal will be so happy to be work-ing with great kids who truly care about their education and want to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others.Q: What are you most looking for-ward to in being the new principal of Oakview and OPIS? A: I think the expectations between being Assistant Principal and Prin-cipal are quite different. I am look-ing forward to the new challenges. I have already met with both staffs. I can see the excitement in all staff members when I first met them.Q: What will you miss about Oak Park High?

A: I don’t even know where to start. I feel I have grown as an educator and as a man because of the great people who have surrounded and supported me. I have made some life-long friends with parents, staff members and students.

McManus: Q: Why are you leaving OPHS next year?A: The opportunity arrived of a teaching job at Oakview. I have al-ways been interested in the contin-uation school. It’s funny because I find that I have a theme of chang-ing schools every seven years. I’ve been at OPHS for seven years after

I came back from New Zealand, and now I’m switching schools. Q: Why were you interested in Oakview High School?A: I was interested in the different challenges for teaching. There are going to be changes from the nor-mal high school. I will also have the added benefit of working with Mc-Gugan, of course.Q: What will you be teaching?A: This new job will allow me to teach a variety of subjects. I know that I will be teaching geometry, physical science and maybe other subjects in the future.

June 2013 4•SCHOOL LIFETALONOPH

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By CLAIRE BERNER, Co-Editor-in-Chief

By MEESHA MERAT, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Daniel Isaacson follows the beat of his own drum. Throughout his years at Oak Park High School, he has been the president and founder of the popular Beekeeping Club and involved in the school’s Chinese program, ran cross-coun-try and track and participated in Brad Sherman’s congressional campaign as a Field Officer/Walk Team Leader. Daniel has left his unique mark on the class of 2013 that he hopes will be remembered even after he has left OPHS. Over the last four years, cross-country and track have been a major part of Daniel’s high school experience. “Cross-coun-try has provided me with the two

most important components of my happiness and well-being - a reliable, supportive and fun group of friends and a rocking body,” he says. In all, Daniel has surround-ed himself with memorable expe-riences. These are the experiences that he finds have defined the per-son he is today. He says, “One should al-ways accept opportunities and challenges when they present themselves. I have never regretted taking on a heavier workload or engaging in a new activity that may make present challenges, because each is a lesson of its own.”

Erin Matsumoto is one of Oak Park High’s most involved se-niors. Between her multiple AP classes, her place in the sports community and her role as an Ad-vanced Peer Counselor, she proves herself to be a hardworking and dedicated member of the Class of 2013. As this year’s co-captain of both the girls’ Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Basketball teams, Mat-sumoto invests much of her time in OPHS sports. “My favorite thing about playing sports is having coaches and teammates that competitively push and support me in anything and everything that I do,” she says. “They have really become my sec-ond family, and it’s an experience that I would never trade for any-

thing else in the world.” She has also been an Ad-vanced Peer Counselor since her junior year. The best thing about Peer Counseling? “I love being able to relate with the students on campus and to help them become aware of things that are held as so-cial stigmas around our school.” Overall, her time at OPHS has been filled with formative ex-periences. She says, “In my four years of high school, I have had the opportunity to meet new people and teachers, get involved within the school through academics, clubs and sports and even find out who I really am and what I’m ca-pable of accomplishing. All of my experiences here have changed my life and made high school that much more worthwhile.”

SCHOOL LIFE June 2013 5•TALONOPH

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DriversEdDirect.com

FEATURE June 2013 6•TALONOPH

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Should I Stay or Should I Go? The I

“Basically, out-of-state and in-state tuition is about equal for the colleges I was considering, and so my determining factor was how far I wanted to be from my family.”

Madhav Hans, UC Irvine

“I chose to go to an in -state college instead of an out-of-state college due to the cheaper costs and because I wanted to stay near home for the first couple of years.”

Lauren Frey, Chapman University

“I really like the school, and it will be easier to be able to drive my stuff there. Also, I like warm weather. I have always wanted to go to school in California.”

Tracy McAlpin, UCSB

Alex GamBrittany Friedman

David SextonDelaney GoveKevin Gordon

Roy AviramRyan SnyderSam Bidgoli

Chris Saucedo Harrison Pagliarulo

Jacqui Gaball Nicole Hewitt

Tyler Bui

Anthony ValentineDaniel Park

Illana AffruntiJasmine HerreraJesbid Barocio Jesse Brownell

Josh Chung Kevin Ponddt Lauren Zamfir Luke Winser

Nicholas Lindenau Tanner Campbell

Taryn ParrTolly Antseliovich

Zoya Ahmed

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO)

Cal State Northridge (CSUN)

Moorpark College

UC Davis

Caty MovichCeline DeckerEdward Yeow

Eric JonesVinni Kaushik

UC San Diego

Albert ChangHarsha Malavalli

Lilian GuRachel Hsiong

FEATURE June 2013 7•TALONOPH

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“I wanted to see something new because we only have four years. I wanted to experience a new state and new weather and be on my own a bit.”

“I have lived back east, and I love it there. California weather is great and all, but I like having all four sea-sons where I live.”

“My college has much more to offer me than any in-state school could, even if it is out-of-state.”

Sam Park, Parsons The New School for

Design

Kathleen McKeeganWhitman College

Josh Adler, University of Colorado Boulder

Charlie Volk Michelle Lewin

Patrick ThedingaSamantha Labrecque

Carson CaccamiseChristopher Claxton

Luca BrunoJacob OjalvoJason Stark

Madison Davis

University of Arizona

San Francisco State University

UC Berkeley

UC Santa BarbaraUC Los Angeles

Allen LuBlake Davila

Hayden JohnsonJacob Nisnevich

Kai Convey

Alyssa ScottArwa SutarwalaAshwin Shinde

Brandon GrunbergDakota Laughton

Erinn SloanEve KopeckyJacob Klein

Jason HassaniehKyle Kellenberger

Madison RosenNick PrincipeNorbert Shao

Stephanie TangTracy McAlpin

Alex KimAvyay Panchapakesan

Hayden IrwinHermaxi Desai

Jake StantonJerren Chiu

Libby CoufaiZachary Reilly

n-State, Out-of-State College Debate

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By HANNAH LEDERMAN and NICOLE SCHWARTZ,Staff Writers

June 2013

Practice Made Perfect: Senior Athletes Offered Sports Scholarships

By LEAH KATZ,Staff Writer

Powderpuff: Juniors vs. Seniors

The Athletic Department joins Luca Bruno, Niki Herdegen and Jack Gerstenberger.

This year’s seniors are a talented group. Oak Park has three seniors receiving college scholar-ships based on their excellent athletic ability. J a c k Gerstenberger will be attend-ing Claremont McKenna Uni-versity playing football. Jack is a two year Varsity player for Oak Park and a captain. He plays both Q u a r t e r b a c k and Defensive back, passing a total of 1183 yards this past season, with an average of 107.5 yards per game. Jack

will surely succeed in his future with football. Luca Bruno was recruit-ed by the University of Arizona to play football. He is a four year Varsity player, playing a variety of positions throughout his years at Oak Park, including defensive line-man, offensive lineman, defensive

end, defensive tackle and of-fensive tackle. Luca is also a captain. He had a total of 98 tackles this past sea-son, averag-ing 9.8 tackles per game. He is sure to suc-ceed in his col-legiate football career. Niki Her-degen will be attending George Mason University to play soccer. She is a four year Varsity player and two Niki Herdegen was awarded Player of the Year.

year captain. Niki plays midfield, forward and defense and is also Player of the Year. She had 12 goals and 6 assists this season, scoring a goal in almost every game. She also says that she’s “so excited to be playing in college because [she] gets four more years playing what [she] loves in a competitive Divi-sion 1 atmosphere.” Her final com-ment is “It’s such an honor that I was recruited to continue doing what I love.” Niki will be successful in her future soccer career. According to the New York Times, out of the over a million boys that are playing high school football, only about 20,000 receive any form of scholarship. Each year, $367.3 million is given in football

scholarships, the highest of any sport. Out of the 270,000 girls who play soccer in high school, about 4,000 receive some mon-etary scholarship. About $7.8 mil-lion is given to female soccer play-ers, which is relatively small in comparison to football. This only emphasizes the incredible effort and dedication that these athletes brought to their respective sports in the past years and the level of skill that they possess. All of these athletes exhib-ited tremendous skill in their vari-ous sports, and their hard work is paying off. Oak Park wishes them all the best of luck with their fu-tures.

On May 31, the junior and senior girls battled it out on the football field during the annual Oak Park High School Powderpuff football game. The girls have prac-ticed for weeks prior to Powder-puff, preparing themselves for the game. There are a variety of dif-ferent reasons why girls wanted to play in the Powderpuff game.

Junior Jennifer Mayemura says, “I wanted to participate in Pow-derpuff because I thought that it would be really fun to play some football with friends.” The rivalry between the ju-niors and seniors was heating up as the Powerpuff game was com-ing closer. Senior Jacqueline Ga-ball says, “I [had] confidence the seniors [would] win this year be-cause we are one of the most spir-ited classes who take pride in the class of 2013.” However, the winners of the 2013 Powderpuff games were the junior girls. The final score of the game was 42 to 7 in the ju-nior girls’ favor. All of the players seemed to be having a lot of fun with their friends despite what the scoreboard said. Senior Caity Fisher says, “Even though we lost, it was no biggie because we had a great team, and I had a bunch of fun just playing the game.” Powderpuff is considered to be one of the most fun and ex-citing events of the year designed to bring the junior and senior classes together. Junior Katy Hoer-man says, “I think that the most fun

part of Powderpuff is just running around and having fun playing

football with my junior class and friends.”

June 2013 9•TALONOPH

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ENTERTAINMENT

www.RuthSwissa.com

Chicks with Tats: Class of 2013 Shows Off

“[These are] two butterflies to represent the two most important people in my life who passed away: my grandparents.”

Jordan McCulloch

Shy Glickstein

“I got the tattoo for my grandpa who was pretty much a best friend to me. His last words to me were, ‘We’ll be best friends and together forever and always,’ so I got that last part tattooed for that mo-ment and my relationship with my grandpa.”

Ashlee Rollin

“This tattoo is a memorial to my father who passed away five years ago. It shows his birthday and his death date. The quote is from “When The Stars go Blue” by Tim McGraw. The blue star is a symbol of his death, and I knew that that would be the thing tattooed on my body for the rest of my life.”

By KYRA STEVENS, Staff Writer

These freshly printed ladies expose artistic pride by displaying their permanent marks of tribute. The four girls share a love for the honor of their most precious loved ones.

Callie Shenson

“This tattoo is a favorite Beatles lyric from “Across the Universe.” The Bea-tles have been my favorite band since I was little. This tattoo is also for my grandpa because he produced The Beatles’ films, and they were good friends on my dad’s side. It’s not every day you have a family connection to your favorite band.”

Senior Couples Plan to SurviveBy BRITTANY JONESand ADELLA KATZ,Layout Editor and News Editor

As the high school years continue, couples can very well dissipate into the vast abyss of high school drama, or they can overcome the problematic circum-stances that are thrown at them. In an intense and perhaps intru-sive interview, the Talon delved into two senior couples’ relation-ships. They were asked a number of questions that explored the ba-sis of their relationships as well as their vision of the future.

Shy Glickstein and Jonathan Coppel

A+B: How long have you two been together?S+J: About two years. A+B: How did you two meet?S: We met in school. Jonathan Face-book messaged me.A+B: How do you guys balance school and a relationship?S+J: We do homework together and try not to procrastinate. A+B: Do you plan to try to make the relationship work during col-lege? If so, how?S: Yes, we do. Since I will be going to Moorpark and Jonathan will be going to SBCC, we plan to visit each other every weekend. A+B: What is your advice for other high school couples?S+J: Don’t give up. Work through your problems and talk them out.

Ilana Affrunti and Alistair Yeoman

A+B: How long have you two been together?I: Two years and two months. A+B: Is it easier to date someone who attends the same school?I+A: Yes, you can work things out more easily. A+B: What is your favorite thing about your relationship?I: He is my best friend. A+B: Do you plan to make your

relationship work throughout col-lege? And if so, how?I+A: Yes. We are attending Mary-mount and Moorpark, which are about an hour and half away. We plan to keep in touch and visit each other on the weekends. A+B: What is your advice to other couples?A: You have to remember that problems are mostly short term.

modified sweetheart necklines. Senior Orr Am-ran bought her dress at Wasteland. Her dress is long and black with spaghetti straps. Orr’s dress re-flects her artistic per-sonality. She says, “I was trying to chan-nel my inner Vam-pira, but I couldn’t locate a good enough cape so I just had to deal. Black is the new black anyway.” What’s great about her dress is that it worked for prom and will also work for

other formal occasions. Overall, this year’s prom dress styles were very trendy and chic. Every type of dress was represented, from soft pink sparkly dresses to sleek black dresses. Prom dress styles are constantly evolving and changing. Don’t forget to watch for next year’s trends.

ferent one picked out, but I picked this one because it fit my personal-ity.” Emily said that she origi-nally did not want a pink or jeweled dress. However, she ended up get-ting a pink strapless dress with jew-els, and, ironically enough, she was

very happy with her fi-nal choice. Senior Madison Clark purchased her dress online from BCBG Max Azria. She says, “When I saw it, I said, ‘oh my gosh, this is my dress.’ It is cool, classy and sexy, and I felt fierce in it.” The dress is long and royal blue dress with a high neckline and lace insets. For the past few years, lace has been an upcoming trend, so it’s no surprise it’s showing up on many prom dresses this year. As for neck-lines, there has been much variance this year, from high necklines like on

Madison’s dress to sweetheart and

10•ENTERTAINMENTTALONOPH

SJune 2013

The Unspoken Rule: Junior Exclusion from Prom

Prom Dresses Make a Statement

By NEDA DAVARPANAH,Staff Writer

By SARAH GOLDBERG and NATASHA ROWLAND,Staff Writers

The seniors at Oak Park High School had a fabulous prom on May 17. The girls were es-pecially excited about their dresses. For a while, everywhere on campus, girls could be heard gossiping about what dresses they were going to wear on the big night. There was even a Facebook event created specifically for OPHS 2013 prom dresses to ensure that no two girls would purchase the same gown. Senior Emily Lo-gan purchased her dress at Miss Congeniality in Newbury Park. When asked why she chose this specific dress, she said, “I originally had a dif- Madison Clark

Orr Amran

As the 2013 school year approaches its end, the perks of culmination, from grad night to Prom, have been on every Oak Park High School senior’s mind. Many twelfth-graders experienced Prom for the first time, while some of their fellow classmates may have attended their second, third or even fourth Prom. Despite the fact that underclassmen are per-mitted to attend, a considerable number abstain in order to avoid the resulting social stigma. Due to a prevalent “un-written rule” at OPHS, many stu-dents, including senior Jacob Klein and junior Sarah Heeney, feel that Prom ought to be reserved solely for the graduating class. “It just seems weird for two juniors to go,” Klein says. “To me, it’s a special senior privilege, not just a high school dance.” Heeney adds, “Underclass-men have Homecoming, Vice and Winter Formal, so I don’t see a pur-pose in allowing them to attend Prom.” Juniors Hannah Exler and Jonah Rudich agree with the un-written rule for different reasons. Exler says, “Now that I’m getting closer to senior year, I sort of get

it. Being a senior comes with all of these little perks, and going to Prom is definitely one of them.” Rudich adds, “Prom is pri-marily seniors, and the juniors would feel out of place.” Junior Alexis Cheney and senior Peter Carman have a differ-ent view of unwritten rule and the class hierarchy at Prom. “I think this mindset plagues most of the student body,” Cheney says. “Prom is a great ex-perience and should be enjoyed by all.” Carman says, “I had a lot of fun at Prom when I was a sopho-more. Prom . . . won’t be any less fun if underclassmen are there.” Outside Oak Park, vary-ing views of prom exist. Carly Wi-nant, a junior at The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles, attended Prom with her friends. “I don’t agree with the un-written rule,” Winant says. “The majority of my junior class went, most of them without dates or se-niors. We don’t need men or up-perclassmen to have a good time.” Winant believes that class tensions do not have to lessen the fun of Prom. She offers her fel-low students some advice: “It’s all about having a positive attitude, having fun with friends, and mak-ing the best of your night.” The OPHS Prom was held on May 17 from 7-11PM at Vibiana in Los Angeles.

Emily Logan

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STATISTICS June 2013 11•TALONOPH

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Women’s Volleyball

“Go Eagles”

Math    6%  

English  15%  

Science  14%  

History  34%  

PE  6%  

Life  Skills  7%  

Technology  3%  

Visual  and  Performing  Arts  13%  

Language  2%  

Favorite  Subject  

Oak Park Seniors Share Their Opinions

By BENJAMIN PORAT and NICHOLAS BRANIGAN,

Staff Writers

Classes/Teachers  8%  

Friends  70%  

Clubs  1%  

Sports    13%  

Other  8%  

Favorite  Part  of  High  School  Favorite Part of High School

The construction of this survey involved 129 seniors. Two additional questions were asked:

“How was your overall experience in high school?” Sixty-four percent said it was positive, thirty percent said it

was neutral and six percent said it was negative.

“What was your favorite grade?” Six percent said freshman year, seventeen percent said sopho-

more year, thirteen percent said junior year and sixty-four percent said senior year.

Alex is a junior at Oak Park High School who likes music and AMC’s The Walking Dead. He

runs cross country and plays baseball as well.

ABOUT TALON June 2013 12•TALONOPH

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the

Letters from the Editors

Meet the TALON Staff2012-2013

Staff Editors2013-2014

Staff EditorsClaire BernerCo-Editor-in-Chief

Meesha MeratCo-Editor-in-Chief

Katy CarmichaelEntertainment Editor

Adella KatzCo-Editor-in-Chief

Orr AmranArt Director

Brittany JonesCo-Editor-in-Chief

Meesha, a senior, is ex-cited and honored to be working on the Talon for a third year. One could say that she is obsessed with

Anderson Cooper. She loves to travel and go to concerts.

Claire, a senior at OPHS, loves writing for and ed-iting the Talon. Her hob-bies include cloud-gazing, reading the dictionary

and painting.

Katy is a senior who likes music and writing. She likes to spend her time at the Sprinkles Cupcakes ATM. Her greatest aspi-

ration in life is to meet and marry Andy Samberg.

Adella is a junior at OPHS. She enjoys reading, writ-ing and playing the piano. Though her career choice in life is Physical Therapy,

her passion is journalism.

Orr is currently a senior at OPHS. She enjoys writing about the latest and great-est news occurring at Oak

Park High. Orr also has much apprecia-tion for the arts.

Brittany is a junior at Oak Park High School. She is part of the girls’ basket-ball program as well as a member of the leadership

group for FCA.

Alex Appelrouth News Editor

Interested in joining the Talon staff?

Whether you are interested in journal-ism, photography or layout, we have a place for you.

Contact Claire Berner or Meesha Merat or stop by a meeting. Meetings take place ev-ery Monday at lunch in H-9.

We welcome you to continue the discussion. Please e-mail us your comments, ideas, and questions to ophstalon@gmail.com.

Zainab PixlerManaging EditorZainab is currently a ju-nior at Oak Park High, and this is her first year in Journalism Club. In her

spare time, she enjoys reading anything from National Geographic to Game of Thrones. Zainab hopes to someday work in the advertising industry.

Ashley SiavoshiEntertainment Editor

Ashley is a 15-year-old sophomore. She loves music and the arts and al-ways writes in her spare time. She is looking for-

ward to writing a lot of articles for the Talon this year.

Leah Katz is a junior at Oak Park and is a passion-ate writer.

Tushar JoisLayout EditorTJ is a sophomore at OakPark High School. He loves to write and is ex-cited to be a member of the Talon staff.

Leah Katz Art Director

Min KwonHead Photographer

Min is a junior at OPHS.He enjoys writing for theTalon and listening to K-Pop in his free time.

Dear Readers, The Talon usually aims to focus on a wide array of topics that relate to all people. Though, for our last issue, we decide to focus on those who have been through and conquered all that high school holds: my very own Class of 2013. I would be lying if I said that I was not biased towards this specific graduating class, and how could you blame me? I have shared memories- of all kinds- with the same people since middle school. I have had an overall wonderful and noteworthy high school experience, and I owe this all to the people of Oak Park who have shared their kind souls with me. As I reflect on my last four years here at OPHS, the Talon seems to come up most boldly in my reflec-tion. I was lucky enough to have this newspaper experience in sophomore year all the way through this current moment. Without the Talon, high school would have seemed meaningless to me. The Talon has had its stressful times close to deadlines, but with this I have learned the importance of responsibility, cooperation and passion. Through this, I have strengthened aspects of myself that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I also must note how grateful I am to Mrs. Fowler. I am lucky enough to say that over the last three years, I was able to build a bond with this magnificent woman, and it’s safe to say that she is one of my role models. The Talon would not exist without her dedication, guidance, time and truly genuine care for the students. Now, I take my comfortable high school experiences with me to college and can only hope that I am ready to thrive in an unfamiliar setting. I will be continuing my passion of journalism and hope to write at my school’s paper for the next four years. I am confident that the Talon will continue to thrive and improve next year under the management of the new editors. I cannot wait to see what comes about. Thank you for everything OP, and congrats to the Class of 2013. We’ve made it, finally! -Meesha Merat, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Dear Readers, These past four years could not have gone by faster for me. It’s not even because I was having all that much fun; it’s because I never really bothered to check my watch. High school kept me too busy for that. So when we started this senior issue – the last issue of the Talon that I will ever get to work on – it finally hit me that my time at Oak Park High School is wrapping up. The Talon’s senior issue isn’t just a celebration of 2013’s graduates, it’s a reminder to the OPHS community that we lose a quarter of our students every year, students who have each made a mark in some way. But their de-parture makes room for new students who will enter high school with great opportunities ahead of them. Also, this year’s juniors will become seniors, sophomores will become juniors and freshmen will become sophomores. Ah yes, and the cycle of high school completes itself. Speaking of next year’s seniors, choosing 2013-2014’s editorial staff was incredibly difficult. Nearly all our club members are capable, but the staff we chose is passionate and dedicated. Next year’s Co-Editors-in-Chief, Brit-tany Jones and Adella Katz, took initiative with this senior issue, staying after school to finish layout and gathering extra pictures and quotes. I couldn’t be more relieved. Oak Park High, I’m proud to say you’re in good hands. Writing for and editing the Talon was by far my most rewarding high school experience. I can’t wait to see how it improves in years to come. Thank you to all our readers for making this possible, and a big thank you to Mrs. Fowler, the best adviser we could ask for. - Claire Berner, Co-Editor-in-Chief