Where’s Wally?
In this issue of The Shield, look out for our favorite Westmont Warrior, Wally! Find him throughout the different sections and record how many times you find him! Click here to see if you found all the places he showed up!
April Fun Facts
By Nupur Kudapkar
- The birthstone for April is a diamond.
- The Titanic sank on April 14, 1912.
- Some historians believe that April 1 or April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582.
- President George Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789.
- NASA introduced America’s first astronauts on April 9, 1959.
- The United States Library of Congress was established on April 24, 1800.
- The zodiac signs of April are Aries and Taurus.
- April’s birth month flowers are the sweet pea and the daisy.
- In April, small creatures that hibernate often emerge from their burrows, while birds move north to establish their families.
- In the early Roman calendar, April was the second month; however, when January became the first month, it was changed to the fourth position.
Westmont is Getting a Competent Cafeteria
Westmont is getting a new kitchen!
Starting after spring break, renovations will start on the Westmont kitchen. Currently, the other Campbell Union High School District schools all have a new, renovated kitchen with more food available. The kitchen will be renovated, as it has stayed the same since Westmont’s opening in 1965. The snack bar will be wiped out, and there will be a food distribution station where the trainer’s room is.
A new kitchen will provide enough resources and space for food to be freshly made at the cafeteria, including freshly made pizza instead of Domino’s, and more fruits and vegetables. There will also be more vegetarian options.
I was lucky enough to visit and try foods at Branham’s new kitchen. All of their food was freshly made, and everything was delicious (I’m not even kidding). We should all look forward to getting a new kitchen with better food for everyone.
Faced with both a power outage and a Covid-19 outbreak, Westmont Theatre defied all odds in their production of Into the Woods. The show opened on March 17 and ran for two weeks, with a total of seven performances. Although the audience never would have guessed, the cast and crew rehearsed their final three nights of tech week in candlelight, completely without power.
Technical Director James Harper leads the advanced designers and oversees the 50 technicians who work behind the scenes. As Captain in Running Crew, he also works with the stage manager to supervise everything backstage.
Harper explains how the power outage impacted the lighting design process: “We have 400 light cues in the show. We blindly wrote 300 of them.”
Prom 2023 Lookbook
By Lauren Marino and Melania Metanovic
With prom season approaching, here are a few prom dress styles we think are going to be a hit for this year’s prom dress selections!
- Bold and Bright Colors
Bright and fluorescent colors like orange, blue, pink, and green have taken the prom trend by storm this year. The color hot pink has also been a special favorite on major red carpets throughout the year.
- Feathers, Ruffles, and Sparkles
Feathers and ruffles are a great way to immerse your prom dress with a heavy dose of your personality. This year especially, feathers and ruffles are especially trendy with this upcoming prom season. You can incorporate this trend in your prom attire by enhancing your dress with these add-ons or even adding balanced accents through your shoes or jewelry.
- Corsets
Prom dresses with corsets or other corset-like detailing sit at top of the list of 2023 prom dress trends. This is not surprising, considering how corsets can be flattering for a variety of body types. A corset dress would be a fantastic choice if you’re looking to add a delicate, feminine vibe to your attire.
- Slits and Backless
Adding a slit can provide some personality if you feel like your dress could use some pizazz, and it can provide more mobility making your prom night much more comfortable. The backless dresses offer a sleek look from the front, but then a little surprise in the back to create a mature look.
This Day In History: April 25
- 1859- The Suez Canal’s construction officially started, and when it was finished ten years later, it connected the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
- 1901- Governor Benjamin Odell Jr. of New York signed a law ordering automobiles and motorcycles to display license plates. It was the first U.S. state to mandate license plates.
- 1953- Francis Crick and James Watson’s discovery of the double helix structure of DNA was published in Nature magazine.
- 1959- The St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes, was opened. It is one of the biggest engineering achievements ever.
- 1990- The crew of the space shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Space Telescope, an advanced optical observatory constructed in the United States under NASA’s direction.
- 1990- After taking the oath of office in Nicaragua, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro became the first female president of Central America.
- 2011- The United States is struck by the largest tornado outbreak ever seen. In six states, 348 people were killed which meant there were a total of 358 confirmed tornadoes.
- 2015- Kathmandu, Nepal suffered from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that caused extensive damage and left thousands dead.
- 2019- John Havlicek, an American basketball player who was recognized as the greatest “sixth man” in NBA history, passed away at the age of 79.
The Shield is an independent publication of the Journalism class at Westmont High School. Editorials reflect the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Westmont High School, its Board of Trustees, faculty, administration, or students. The Shield welcomes all opinions, editorials, poems, artwork, complaints, pictures, advertisements, and letters to the editor. Submit all material to Room 58 and/or aevans@cuhsd.org. We appreciate articles from students, faculty, parents and subscribers. The Shield, Westmont High School, and CUHSD do not endorse any advertisements that run in the newspaper.