Hybrid or Virtual? Your Choice

By KATELYN CHU     As days pass with unwavering worry and pure fear of getting infected with COVID-19, the school year comes closer and closer as the clock ticks. New classes, new students, and just a whole new level of thinking we must accept. With all these new changes of social distancing and wearing a …

2020 Senior Wills

I, Cindy Byun, leave my jokes to Madhuri Suresh, my laughs to Leilani Sison, and my badminton skills to Su Lee and Pranav Surampudi. I also leave the mole rat to my badminton team, you guys will do great next season! I leave my speaking abilities to my amazing period 1 freshmen, can’t wait for …

Schools and community adjust to uncertain times

By Joshua So     The most recent update from the Los Angeles County Office of Education has announced that they will close all school districts.  After Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the nation, announced today it will be suspending school, all other school districts in the county are now …

Frozen 2: story grows with us

By Grant Lee In 2019, we were gifted with another installment of the all-time favorite Frozen franchise. The film tackles issues relevant to its target audiences, such as sisterhood, acceptance of change, and love. Despite its lack of catchy tunes and life-changing soundtracks, Frozen 2 is a phenomenal movie that deserves to be etched into …

Winter Formal: Worth it?

by Katelyn Chu The sun is hiding behind the clouds and the flowers are starting to bloom. Winter is basically over as one might say, but for Cerritos High School, Winter Formal is the closure of this cold, windy season. For some people, Winter Formal is such an exciting event for all grades where they …

Teacher personalities could appear on your report card

by Anoushka Adusumalli Your grade in a class almost entirely depends on who your teacher is. The difference between teachers can be the difference between passing and failing a class. For the same class, multiple different teachers have a variety of different expectations and standards for their students. Nowadays, getting top grades is becoming more …

Opinion: Newspapers should not endorse candidates.

by JOSHUA SO In a time where American confidence in the mainstream media and the integrity of journalism has been shaken, the New York Times endorsements of presidential candidates is exactly what American citizens need to be sure that their national news outlets are delivering equal and unbiased coverage of news.  The New York Times …

The better chicken sandwich: a most heated debate

by TESS U-VONGCHAROEN For the longest time, Chick-Fil-A has been the go-to restaurant for chicken sandwiches. However, on August 12, 2019, Popeyes became a fierce competitor. People were willing to wait hours for a chicken sandwich and fights even emerged from the new craze. As Popeyes chicken sandwiches increased in popularity, a heated debate emerged …

Science Olympiad continues this month

By ANGELINA LEE Back-to-back tournaments marked the beginning of the Science Olympiad competition season, one of which was Cerritos High School’s very own invitational. In only its second year, the CHS Science tournament, which was held on December 7th, welcomed around 30 teams from all over Southern California. The CHS Invitational allowed participants in Team …

California’s New Law on School Time Change

By REBEKAH KANG During the past several years, there has been lots of conversation of changing the starting times of public middle and high schools. Now, California has passed a new law in which most middle schools and high schools across California will start no earlier than 8:30 AM. This law was signed on October …

Understanding the Hong Kong Protests

by Joshua So Endless images of streets on fire, destroyed buildings, and massive mobs are spread throughout the internet under flashy headlines centered around the current Hong Kong protests. It is only natural that some people unfamiliar with the situation see these images of violence and question their necessity. However, it is crucial that everyone …

Knott’s Scary Farm: A First-time Review

By KATELYN CHU Hear the screams ring the ears of walking bystanders and the thundering sound of the squeaky, old Ghost Rider roller coaster. It is Knott’s Berry Farm, but in this case, it’s October, the season of pumpkins and the howling sounds of wolves in the distance. This means that the fun-loving Knott’s Berry …

Girls’ Volleyball Advances

By JOSHUA SO On Thursday, October 24th, Cerritos High school students, parents, and supporters packed the stands to cheer the Cerritos High Dons Girls' Varsity Volleyball team in its first-round CIF victory over the Santa Barbara Dons.  The Cerritos Dons, who had just finished their league 10-0, are ranked 155th in California compared to Santa …

Senior wills: Class of 2019

I, William Park, leave all my love and support to my younger brother, Minsoo Park. I, Mauro Alaman, leave my high quality love to my old soccer team. I, Uriel Vera, leave my personality and pencil to my favorite junior, Arline. I, Alyzza Cipriaso, leave my confusion and air-head qualities to Alyssa Sarigumba. I, Sami …

Track and Field athletes recognized

By Olivia Jaime The year is coming to end which means that sports seasons are ending as well, including track and field. Last Thursday night (May 30), at Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel, Cerritos Track and Field team held their banquet where friends and family gathered to receive awards and recognition. The night started off with …

Boba Review: Update #4

The fourth stop on our boba journey is 7-Leaves in Artesia, California. Although 7-Leaves is relatively new with its first opening in 2011, the franchise has been able to make a name for itself across Orange County and eastwards to Nevada and Texas. Unlike local boba shops, the 7-Leaves in Artesia consists of a drive-thru and …

Sports recap: 2018-2019

Badminton Boys' and Girls' Badminton had a near-perfect season, going 14-0 in league and a 19-1 overall. Cerritos was able to “bagel” (win 21-0 in a game) against Whitney, Gahr, and Loara but unfortunately lost to undefeated Diamond Bar in CIF. Track Track also made a big presence in league, winning every meet. All levels …

DMV experience: obtaining a learner’s permit

By Chris Amaro Biking, walking, taking a bus: these are all forms of transportation; however, none of them compare to driving. Being able to go where you want whenever you want is something most people can obtain. The process to obtain a driver license is a  long one and for good reason. Driving is dangerous …

Boys’ Volleyball advances

Cerritos Boys’ Varsity volleyball defeated Burbank in the first round of CIF Tuesday night, 3-1.  After Burbank won the first set 25-22, Cerritos rallied to win the next three sets (25-21, 25-23, 28-25) to win the match.  Junior Jagger Uy led in kills (points), Junior Ethan Reyes in assists; Senior Dillard Wong helped the rally …

League Prelim results

by CHRIS AMARO (Top 8 runners in each event qualify for league finals) 1600 meter qualifiers: GFS: Tara wang: 6:16,  Nary Park: 6:21 BSF: Anrei Giordano: 5:08, Bryce Hojo: 5:11, Jayson Malhi: 5:14, Kevin Hamakawa: 5:19, Gary Zong: 5:20, Eric Perez: 5:22 GV: Jaide Lin: 5:41, Sofia Vasquez: 5:56, Samantha Chang: 5:57, Emma Yang: 6:01, …

Boba Update #3

By TESS U-VONGCHAROEN Our third boba shop is Ding Tea in Artesia, California. Founded in 2004 by Mr. Zu Wui-zinag, he prides his consistent quality throughout his franchises throughout China and the United States. Located in a small plaza, Ding Tea is one of the less busy boba shops in Artesia. Boba lover and Senior …

Scenes from the Prom Premier

Photos by Riddhi Patel

Seniors celebrate final regular season win

BY Peter Shin Jan. 31, 2019 marked Senior Game for our Cerritos Dons Boys’ basketball team as they matched Oxford Academy..  The Dons started down 0-5. After being subbed out, the original starting five came back in and expanded the lead to finish the first quarter up 21-13 lead. They ended the quarter with a …

Opinion: Finals should be before Winter Break

BY Devina Muni 2:45. The last bell before the start of winter break rings. Everyone is ecstatic, including teachers, to enjoy the next two weeks off. A time to spend with loved ones while taking a mental break from all the pressure and work at school. If this is what break is supposed to feel like, then …

Why Dr. King matters in 2019

BY Chinemerem Nwanze On the third Monday of January every year, schools and workplaces are closed to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., arguably one of the most influential activists during the civil rights era of the 1960s. While we may know of him based on his famed “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King’s messages are …

Boba: A Series

BY Tess U-Vongcharoen If you live on either the East Coast or West Coast, you should be familiarized with the popular drink: boba. But maybe you're wondering, “What is boba?” Boba are balls of tapioca that are found in drinks, ranging from smoothies to teas. The drink was originally created in the 1980s in Taiwan, …

Five Under Five

BY Liz Luan We all love the holiday season… until it comes to emptying our wallets on something that probably won’t even go to good use. It’s safe to say that a majority of the high school students on campus don’t have a steady income, let alone any. With tight budgets, it’s quite difficult to …

Play equal ‘piece’s entertaining and ‘heart’breaking

BY DEVINA MUNI From Nixon’s speech to the firing of shots to honor those who served, Cerritos High School’s production of A Piece of my Heart will leave you speechless. With two female dominated casts (Black and Gold), the play highlighted the gender inequality that persisted in some fifty years ago. This difficult journey of …

Thursday is the Friday

BY Tess U-Vongcharoen Thanksgiving is a time of giving and thanks; but right after the turkeys are cut and bellies are full, thousands of people rush to department stores and outlets to get the best deals. Although Black Friday marks the start off of discounts, more stores have been opening their stores on Thursday night. …

Cal-Nev-Ha District of Kiwanis International- Pediatric Trauma Program

BY Riddhi Patel The charitable entity of the Cal-Nev-Ha District of Kiwanis International, created in 1994, is supported solely by voluntary contributions placed behind their Pediatric Trauma Program. These granted funds go towards developing local projects which reduce the amount of children in the Kiwani’s three-state District whom are killed or affected by trauma. The …

Seniors Kuo and Gomez: Leading Together

BY Tess U Vongcharoen Seniors Patricia Marie Gomez and Yvonne Kuo are not your ordinary high school students. Not only are they honor students, but they also hold the title of Secretary Generals for Model United Nations and Presidents for the National Honor Society Club. Their journeys to these positions were taken on different pathways. …

Chicken Vs. 치킨

BY ISABELLA GARCIA It’s that time of year when we eat with our families and engage in the many questions about our lives that no one wants to answer. Such things can lead to the casual family arguments or something that can turn ugly. But, Thanksgiving foods, make it all worthwhile! Turkey, Mashed potatoes, and …

Feature: Mia Hathaway

BY OLIVIA JAIME Senior Mia Hathaway is currently involved in MUN, Educators Rising Program, and is Captain of Varsity Yell. Hathaway has participated in Varsity Song since her freshman year. With a background in competitive All Star cheerleading and gymnastics, Hathaway joined Varsity Yell for her junior year.  She had been doing gymnastics for eight …

Opinion: Is an elite college really your ticket to success?

BY DEVINA MUNI If you go to a good college, then and only then, will you be successful. This is a common phrase every kid has heard at some point in their life. Within recent years, getting into college has become more competitive and difficult to get into as their average “requirements” keep increasing. But …

Club Spotlight: Black Student Union

Pictured: Officers Michael Anaya, Kennedy Howell, Myra Anigbo, Audrey Anigbo, Gyasi Harper, Brooklyn Kemp Advisors: Mrs. TreAna Marbrey, Mr. Joshua Calhoun By Chinemerem Nwanze Cerritos High School has always promoted diversity, so it is no surprise that a Black Student Union finally exists to educate students on African-American culture and to encourage discussion. Mrs. Marbrey and Mr. Calhoun, who …

Shadows or Scandals?

  photo courtesy of Google Images By: Olivia Jaime Lights. Camera. Action. Youtube is among the world's largest platforms in which one can share all ones creations and ideas. Although it has benefits such as fame, fun, and money, it also comes with the price of drama and vulnerability. Recently drama started to stir up …

Goodbye, Plastic Straws

By Tess U-Vongcharoen The removal of plastic straws could possibly mean the removal of boba shops. As of July 2019, restaurants and shops in San Francisco will no longer be distributing plastic straws to their customers. Although this is an environmentally effective action, boba shops, such as Boba Guys, are in jeopardy of losing their …

Best friends lead Octagon

by Isabella Garcia Imagine running a club with your best friend; wouldn’t that be an ideal situation? Well, it’s a reality for Gizelle Verduzco and Aline Pham. After personally getting to know both of these bright young ladies, one can see that their friendship is one that’s going to make it in the long run. …

Amazon to pass Apple

by Riddhi Patel In the race to be worth one trillion dollars, publicly-listed Amazon runs-up right behind Apple inc. Amazon’s shares traded have been as high as $2,050.50; the online retailer’s expected to obtain a revenue growth of 32 percent for 2018, in comparison with Apple’s revenue to jump 14.9 percent. With Amazon being an …

iPhone updates reveal minor changes

by Chris Amaro iPhone XS/XS max This year apple decided to change up the standard naming system for the iPhone. Instead of going with the iPhone X plus they went with the iPhone XS max yet, it is still unclear why the name switch was warranted. There are two iPhone XS models: the 5.8-inch XS …

August SAT Angers CHS Students

by Andrew Song Hundreds of thousands of students are enraged over a potential cheating scandal on the SAT that occurred on August 24 across the nation. Collegeboard has been confirmed of being guilty of reusing the international 2017 Asia test, allegedly giving some students an advantage and even a handicap large enough to give somebody …

The Miseducation of US History Students (Opinion)

by Chinemerem Nwanze In 2017, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released a report titled “Teaching Hard History: American Slavery” as part of the Teaching Tolerance Project. The study yielded stunning results about how slavery is discussed - or better yet, not discussed adequately enough - in American schools. Among the shocking results were: Only …

Anticipation for Fallout 76

  by Oscar Guerrero      In Bethesda's latest addition to the Fallout franchise players will be able to explore an apocalyptic Virginia as a dweller from vault 76 which has purposefully been opened for the reason of human civilization being rebuilt after the nuclear destruction of an atomic war. The newest and greatest change to the …

Dons Football joins new 605 League

by Juelle Ford Cerritos High School’s varsity football team has stepped into a new league this year, now competing with an entirely new set of teams. The team is led by its new captains Jayden Alderete (11), Tye Anderson (12), Alex Flores (12), and Matt Ryan (12). Joining a new  league gives the team newfound …

Class of 2018 College Map

See where our Dons are going to college!

Senior Wills

I, Elizabeth Abalon, leave my amazing Japanese skills to Adriene I, my inability to get a date to Kwantip Tachasooksaree, my common sense to Eva De La Rosa, and my lack of fear in asking for help from others to Vanessa Velasco. I, Darshana Pandey, leave my well articulated Spanish skills (kind of) to one …

CAASPP measures you and your school

  BY DEVINA MUNI The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, better known as CAASPP, is a standardized test that all juniors are required to take. But what’s the point of it? Many students feel like the test is unnecessary and won’t count for anything so they don’t try as hard as they should. …

Khan Academy saves grades

  by Andrew Song As students, we all know the one website that saved our grade right before finals in a class that we really didn’t understand. Khan Academy has been saving students’ grades since 2006 by providing students with full access to online courses in unbelievable numbers. Ranging from chemistry to language to calculus …

Boys’ Tennis defeats La Mirada again

CHS tennis defeated La Mirada at home 15-12 in a closely played match on April 17.  The match was played on a particularly cold day. "I honestly did not know what to expect from this game," Senior Jonathan Tah said.  "La Mirada has one of the better teams in the district.  We thought they were …

‘Love, Simon’: a film for this generation

BY NISA SYED *Warning: Spoilers Coming out to family and friends provides the utmost of relief for teenagers and adults; however, the decision to follow through with it is difficult.   Love, Simon, a film directed by Greg Berlanti, is based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda written by Becky Albertalli. The …

Dark sides of Addams Family delights

BY DEVINA MUNI As a nominee of the MACY awards which recognizes and awards high school musical theatre students and productions, the Cerritos High School drama production of The Addams Family did not fail to impress. The Musical production, under the direction of John Zamora, did a spectacular portrayal of the Addams Family with a …

Women’s rights are more than a day

BY NISA SYED International Women's Day praises women for their hard work and reminisces the achievements of important female figures throughout history. Since the 19th century, women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cody Stanton have fought for women's suffrage through the organization of the National Woman's Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage …

Lessons from an opening night

by AARON SEO Last Thursday opened The Last Jedi, and I was there to see the second installment of the newest trilogy first-hand. It was an exciting night, but due to my many mistakes, it was also a stressful one. But with every mistake comes a life lesson, and as Yoda says it: "Pass on what …

20 Gift Ideas for the Holidays

by BRIANNA KATSUDA The holiday season is all about happiness and giving. However, it can also come with the stress of what to get for your friends and loved ones. If you are someone who doesn’t know what to buy, we are here for you! This article compiles three gift lists for your mom, dad, …

Cerritos’ NMSQT semi-finalists

by DEVINA MUNI The National Merit Scholar test, better known as the NMSQT, is a standardized test taken by tenth and eleventh graders that is administered by the College Board. Approximately 3.5 million students take it annually. It is an academic competition used to earn scholarships and recognition by attaining certain high scores. The PSAT …

To the Moon and Back — Homecoming in Review

by LEANNE PICHAY and ANNIE LIN On Saturday, October 21st, 2017, the senior class took the school on a journey to the moon and back at our annual Homecoming Dance. With decorations that transformed the school gym into a mystical getaway and music to keep the mood going all night long, it was yet another …