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Ground breaks on the ‘Diablo Dome’ in June

MVHS Staff
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Ground breaks on the ‘Diablo Dome’ in June

     At a recent County board meeting the mayors of each OC city had a vote to build Under Armour’s ‘Diablo Dome,’ a football/soccer dome shaped stadium that was proposed in 2021. The vote came out to 32 to 2 in favor of the construction, and with that J & J Architecture and several other architecture firms were delegated to constructing various parts of the stadium.

     The construction for the project plans to begin in early June this year and should be finished in 2025, when finished it will have a 105,000 person capacity and three levels of parking underneath. It is planned to be an additional practice facility for the teams playing in the 2026 World Cup at SoFi Stadium. And, not only that, there’s also talks of relocating the LA Football Club to Orange County, renaming them the OCFC and holding their games at The Diablo Dome.

     This stadium is going to be game-changing for Mission Viejo and all of southern Orange County, providing as a new hub for all things sports; UCI also plans on having their major football games at the stadium, and venue operator LiveNation has already had their eyes on having the Diablo Dome be the new destination for all major concerts in southern Orange County.

     However, like many good things, the Diablo Dome does come with some downsides, academically that is. To make space for the dome and its parking, the tennis courts, baseball fields, swimming pool, performance art theater, portables, and small/big gym will all be demolished. Due to this demolition we will no longer have a music, theater, swim, volleyball, baseball, choir, basketball, or water polo program for the foreseeable future. Instead all of these listed athletic programs will be temporarily merged with and held at Laguna Hills High School. And, as for the VAPA programs, they will now be clubs until further notice, and the theater students will perform, like the athletes, at Laguna Hills High School.

     To make room for these programs we will be building multiple more stories on top of all of the buildings, with a proposed 3-story 200 and 300 buildings, and the quad will be replaced by a new PAT/gym. If accepted, a decision that will be determined next week, the construction will be completed by 2027. 

     I bet this is sad for many students interested or involved with these activities, but it is a small price to pay for the Diablo Dome, which will drive hundreds of thousands of people to Mission Viejo. And, in the end, it will be a positive for the diablos, who get brand new bleeding-edge facilities and classrooms, and get discounted tickets to all events that are held at the Diablo Dome.

Mission unveils new cafeteria in collaboration with Starbucks

Violet Clark
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Mission unveils new cafeteria in collaboration with Starbucks

          Our very own Mission Viejo High School is finally opening up an indoor cafeteria! And, even better, the cafeteria will be sponsored by Starbucks. 

     The administrative board noticed that students were sitting on grass and concrete, and found that “very unsanitary and inconvenient for all of you.” Therefore it was only obvious to create this place to sit off the ground, out of the heat and rain. We have the MPR for rainy days, but it fills up quickly and usually you are only able to sit on the carpet.

     After much negotiation with Starbucks, the board and the coffee mega-conglomerate came to an agreement: they would happily provide the funds to construct a new cafeteria as long as the only food sold there was Starbucks. We happily took this offer, but to the dismay of the many students who depend on free lunch, our collaboration with Starbucks will no longer be eligible for the free lunch program. Instead students will have to pay the normal price of the food offered at the cafeteria. However, Starbucks has graciously given the students of Mission Viejo High School a rewards card, where you get a free drink after 10 purchases at the Starbucks Cafeteria.

     Starbucks district manager of Orange County, Stella Buks, expressed her excitement about this project, “we hope this can not only be a cafeteria, but a place for students to thrive, study, and, overall, create a healthy learning environment. We are extremely excited to see the positive impact this can have on the students.”

     Some parents have expressed concern about the potential conflicts of interest that may arise with this, prioritizing the interest of Starbucks over the necessities of the students, but despite this criticism both Starbucks and the District are committed to bringing this project to fruition. “We think of this as more of a philanthropic venture, if we sell a few coffees and sandwiches that’s great, but it’s more about creating that healthy learning environment and nourishing the youth with our healthy and nutritious food.”

     Construction will begin during spring break and hopes to be finished when the new school year kicks off.

     No more sitting on the wet grass and in the heat! In addition to this renovation, here are a few things you can look forward to: A drive through for all of our driving students, statues inside the cafeteria to appreciate all of our staff, and Starbucks merchandise. We hope you all enjoy this new cafeteria and treat it with respect. Let’s keep it clean and make sure we take care of this wonderful opportunity!

Tradition Never Graduates: Mission Signs Seventeen Athletes to Division 1 Schools

Judd Karn
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Tradition Never Graduates: Mission Signs Seventeen Athletes to Division 1 Schools

     On February 1st twelve of our athletes had the honor of joining an exclusive group: the less than two percent who were given an offer to further their athletic career at a division 1 school due to their athletic achievement.

      This date, February 1st, marks this year’s National Letter of Intent Signing Day. At Mission a ceremony is held for family, friends, and faculty to celebrate their athletic accomplishments, usually symbolized by them signing their Letter of Intent (although many have already signed it, so they instead sign a paper that has their name and the college they are going to be playing at on it.

      Mission first began holding this ceremony in February of their 2010-11 school year, since then over 200 student-athletes have received athletic scholarships and celebrated through this ceremony.

      This year’s ceremony began with Principal Osborne talking about the history of Signing Day and recognizing the difficulties the athletes went through to get where they are today, and then transitioned to Assistant Principal for Athletics, Mr. Lindsay saying a few words of his own and then introducing the athletes, accompanied by their respective college’s fight song, and conducting the majority of the rest of the ceremony.

      This year the athletes recognized were Mission Viejo football’s defensive end Jonathan Becerra to Northern Arizona University, offensive lineman Cody Going, who is committed to University of San Diego, Cornerback Joseph Libutti to University of Central Florida, offensive lineman Brady Norton to California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo, linebacker Tommy Reese to Drake University, wide receiver Edward Shultz to California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo, volleyball’s middle blocker Chloe Karn to Abilene Christian University, libero Brookelyn Madland to Southern Virginia University, track & field’s Jada Gatlin to University of Southern California, Emily Psarras to University of Arizona, swim’s Joey Change to US Military Academy at West Point, and boys volleyball’s Josh Aruya to UC Santa Barbara.

     Each student-athlete was called up to the stand and given time to give thanks to their friends, coaches, and families, and after this Mr. Lindsay finished up by thanking ASB President Lauren Hendrawen and thanked Monique Davidson, who he said was the only reason that the ceremony was possible. He left the audience, and the athletes, with some advice: to cherish their next four years in college; they will go by like that, but at the same time he stated to remember what is most important: focusing on your family and, especially, your parents, who have been an insurmountable contribution to their success.

Jada Gatlin: Jumping into USC Track and Field

MVHS Staff
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Jada Gatlin: Jumping into USC Track and Field

   Jada Gatlin, a senior at Mission Viejo High School, is a varsity athlete on the track and field team and a recent addition to USC’s class of 2027.

      Jada’s journey in track and field began at the ripe age of 8. At the time, she was really nervous at track meets, not knowing that she would grow up to break one of the school’s records. However, as time went on, she ultimately grew to love the sport as she learned how to reach her full potential in track. She now participates in the 4×1, the 4×4, the 400m, the 200m, the long jump, and the triple jump. 

     Eventually, Jada worked her way up to being placed in the Junior Olympics not once, but four times. She placed second place twice and first place once in the long jump. Her hard work ultimately paid off in her junior year of high school when she broke the school record of 39 ft (set by Lisa Fager in 1990) in the triple jump with 40 ft 9 inches, earning her an athletic scholarship to be a part of USC’s track program. 

     Although track may seem like a very straightforward and easy sport, it can be physically and mentally challenging. Jada states that the hardest part of track is the practices that take place almost every day, as well as two track meets per week, especially murder Mondays. She says that “the workouts can be really hard sometimes and can be really draining, so it’s important to take both mental and physical breaks so you can continue doing your best and feeling good.”

   What gets Jada through the practices on the track are her teammates and the people she meets along the way. Her teammates find a way to bring out her competitiveness and help encourage her to perform at her best every day. She loves meeting and talking to new people, which makes the environment at track much more enjoyable. 

    After graduating from Mission Viejo, Jada will be joining USC’s track and field team with an athletic scholarship. When asked about this achievement, she stated, “ I am very excited to go to USC [because] it is a great track program and I’m so proud I was able to get a scholarship there. It is a very good school, so it is a little intimidating, but I am mostly excited to continue doing track at the next level.” 

    Jada hopes that one day she’ll be able to work up to taking part in the long or triple jump in the Olympics. Her biggest dream is to be able to compete in the 2028 Olympics, which is taking place in Los Angeles so that her family and everyone she knows will be able to see her compete. 

    Her words of encouragement for anyone who wants to join track is that “there is an event for everyone to fall in love with. The people are so nice and encouraging and it is definitely a great team to be around.” 

Crud Flood Brings Mud

Sarah Green
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Crud Flood Brings Mud

From December 2022 to January 2023, California experienced 400-600% more rain than average, causing one of the worst storms in the last decade. In just two weeks, California received a year’s worth of rain all at once. Due to California’s dry climate, tons of rain is no less than overwhelming. President Joe Biden approved California’s disaster declaration request, and recovery efforts are being made to support areas harshly affected by the intense storms.
An abundance of rain and flooding is devastating to every environment; crops have been destroyed, wildlife dispersed, and homes washed away, with lakes in their place. The extensive rain caused flooding and triggered mudslides and rockfalls, affecting over half of the communities in Northern California and the bay area. Thousands of Californians have had to undergo evacuations due to the immense flooding, and there have been at least 19 fatalities from the storm, and more than 8 million are under flood alerts and mudslide risk.
This heavy rainfall has nowhere to drain efficiently, and the vast runoff on roads and off cliffs and hills causes landslides and creates waterways where the road should be. This is because most of California is paved over. California is home to some of the biggest and most populated cities in the United States, and its infrastructure is a massive contributor to flooding.
California’s pavement is hardly considered porous, so when a massive downpour is added to the equation, we get an overflow of water in inconvenient places. However, several major cities like Los Angeles are making efforts to collect rainwater more efficiently to prevent floods and preserve more water for later use such as during droughts. Los Angeles is forming stormwater capture programs, with goals to create more green spaces and dirt basins and to increase the use of permeable pavement in their infrastructure.

Punxsutawney Phil is Chill: Happy Groundhog Day!

Jim Marsoobian
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Punxsutawney Phil is Chill: Happy Groundhog Day!

     It’s February 2nd, a chilly morning in Pennsylvania. The crowd gathers. Cameras, microphones, and a wave of civilian cell phones turn on. The cheers begin, a slow rumble, getting louder and louder as he appears: Punxsutawney Phil, the celebrity, the icon, the legend.

     The well-acclaimed meteorologist looked dashing as he exited his home, wearing a luscious brown coat of genuine fur. This is his big moment: the moment he determines whether or not winter will continue for another six weeks.

     The crowd is wild with anticipation. He steps out into the morning sunshine, and with it is his shadow, announcing six more weeks of winter. The crowd goes wild and cheers him on before he scurries back into his home to prepare for next year’s events. “Punxsutawney Phil, you’ve still got it,” he says to himself.

 

     Groundhog Day is a tradition observed in the United States and Canada, and it just so happens to be my favorite holiday in the whole wide world. The lore is derived from the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition that if a groundhog leaves his burrow and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. However, if there is no shadow to be seen, spring will arrive early that year.

     This whole shebang started with Candlemas —a Christian feast holiday that takes place on, you guessed it— February 2nd. It is celebrated in many places, including Germany. A lot of lore and superstitions surround this holiday, which led to the whole groundhog deal. Except the meteorologist animal traditionally used during Candlemas was not a groundhog, but a badger.

     As the Pennsylvania Dutch continued this tradition, they introduced the groundhog into the equation. The very first Groundhog Day was said to have started as early as 1840, though the exact dates remain unknown. In 1886, the first official announcement of Groundhog Day was written in the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper. A year later, a group of people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob, probably the start of the Groundhog Day traditions that we are familiar with today.

     The crowd at Gobbler’s Knob can be as large as 40,000 people each year. The numbers rose greatly with the release of Groundhog Day, a 1993 dramedy starring Bill Murray. Bill Murray’s character, who happens to be cleverly named after everyone’s favorite groundhog Phil, finds himself in a time loop, having to relive the same day (Groundhog Day) over and over and over and over again. Not to mention it takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

     However, supposedly supercentenarian Punxsutawney Phil is not the only forecasting groundhog out there. There are many others, including Dunkirk Dave, Buckeye Chuck, General Beauregard Lee, Staten Island Chuck, Chuckles IX, Chattanooga Chuck, Thistle the Whistle-Pig, Sir Walter Wally, Pierre C. Shadeux, and Grover the Groundhog.

 

     Even though Groundhog Day 2023 is sadly over, we can continue to enjoy our prolonged winter and cooler weather for these next few weeks while thinking about all of the great weather-forecasting groundhogs out there in the world.

Microsoft Invests in ChatGPT/Dall-E Creator OpenAI

Judd Karn
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Microsoft Invests in ChatGPT/Dall-E Creator OpenAI

     On January 23rd tech megagiant Microsoft announced they would have a multiyear investment plan with one of the foremost artificial intelligence companies, OpenAI, a company founded with a billion dollar pledge by Y Combinator’s Sam Altman and Jessica Livinston, Elon Musk, Linkedin’s Reid Hoffman, and many others. 

     The collaboration between the two companies is not just an investment, though, with Microsoft providing their supercomputer, Azure, to handle all OpenAI services.

     This is not the first time Microsoft has invested in OpenAI, though, with this being considered their third round of investment, the first one was a billion dollars in 2019 and the second 2 billion in 2021. 

     Microsoft has chosen not to disclose the price of their most recent investment, although many believe it was in the $10 billion range.

     OpenAI ranks in as one of the top 3 AI labs currently, and have grown a massive amount of media attention from Github Copilot, Dall-E, and, most notably, ChatGPT. Copilot was a tool developed by OpenAI in partnership with Github that gave users suggestions on their code from requesting something normally. Dall-E does this as well, but for art. Just input “A panda holding a basket of pickles in the style of Van Gogh” and out comes an image never before made. And then there’s ChatGPT, the newest of the three and by far the most popular, you just request something literary related and out comes a fairly accurate answer. All of these programs have shown people the possibility of, in the near future, utilizing artificial intelligence to help/replace with doing tasks. 

     However, OpenAI’s programs use past resources on the internet for reference, and the question arises: is it okay to use these? Some argue that it is plagiarism since even though it is a different picture the artificial intelligence still is utilizing that image to shape this one, copying the mannerisms of the strokes and the entire structure of the image. The same goes with ChatGPT, the information had to come from somewhere, and so is it ethical that they are taking certain things out of a bunch of different articles and just mashing it together into one? This is a tough question and depends heavily on your morals. But the fact that we are even having this debate shows just how close we are to AI becoming a mainstream utility heavily used, and OpenAI is at the forefront of that. And a large reason that they are able to be at the forefront of that is due to the major amount of capital that Microsoft is siphoning into them.

     But this investment from Microsoft brings into question at what cost? Is it only going to be accessible to the rich because once OpenAI has refined their equipment microsoft can strongarm them into raising the prices? Is Microsoft going to utilize the data from the utilities to improve the popularity of its products? Only time will tell, but I am very fearful for what could possibly become of OpenAI with Microsoft already having such a big grasp on it.

Table For One

MVHS Staff
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Table For One

Valentine’s day is rapidly approaching. Flowers and chocolates are cluttering the aisles of stores and everything seems to be painted red and pink. Love is in the air and whether you embrace it or denounce it; it is definitely upon us.

     Valentine’s day is all about love which doesn’t mean this holiday is only for people in a relationship. It is for all kinds of love whether it is romantic, platonic, or self-love. Even though it is accused of being only commercial, I think any day that is dedicated to loving and doing nice things toward others is something to celebrate.

     It is time for “lonely” people to stop discluding themselves from doing anything on the 14th. Make the most of it and enjoy the loving relationships that are already in your life. Here are some ways you can still celebrate even if you are single.

    Take yourself out on a dinner date. Go get dressed up and go out to a nice restaurant either with some friends or by yourself.

     Have a self-care day. Hit up a salon, put on a face mask, buy some chocolates, do whatever makes you feel pretty and pampered. Treat yourself!

     Go out to a movie. Even though this option might be crowded with couples doing couples things, it is still a fun activity to do solo. 

    Stay at home and have a lazy day. There is nothing wrong with staying back, putting on your favorite rom-com, and ordering in. Don’t feel pressured to go out if you don’t want to.

     Try something new. Use the day to try new activities that you wouldn’t normally do. Go to a rock climbing place, go on a hike, go to a museum, paint something. Partaking in new experiences can be exciting and refreshing. 

     Whatever you decide to do on the 14th, try to utilize the day to spread love, in any form it may be in. Don’t dwell on people or relationships you don’t have. Take some time to appreciate the love that is in your life and celebrate it. 

      At the end of the day, relationships can come and go, but you are the one who has to live with yourself for the rest of your life. And the quality of that relationship will determine the quality of all your other relationships. You can’t rely on others to make you happy. Learn how to love yourself and then happiness will come.

A Slam Dunk of a Season for Girls Basketball

MVHS Staff
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A Slam Dunk of a Season for Girls Basketball

      The winter sports season is upon us. This means the, very underrated, girls basketball team is now in full swing. Diablo girls basketball has entered league with head coach Jessica Barber leading them through it. 

     Mission Viejo Girls Basketball has three teams; varsity, jv and frosh soph. The varsity team is composed of 13 players; 7 seniors, 4 juniors,1 sophomore, and 1 freshman. With leading scorers Brooklyn Madland, senior forward, number 25; Sara Asad, senior point guard and guard, number 15; and Sofia Gozzo, freshman point guard and guard, number 3. They have also had the most wins since 2016.

     Mission Girls Basketball finished 3rd in their league, behind Dana Hills (1st) and El Toro (2nd). Despite Dana and El Toro being very beatable teams for them, they just missed being able to qualify for CIF. The season sadly ended with an unforgettable and emotional senior night versus El Toro. 

    Previously mentioned, the varsity girls team is coached by Jessica Barber. Coach Barber started playing the game from 3rd grade up to high school and after playing only a little college ball, she transitioned to coaching. “I love basketball and when I didn’t quite make it in college, I just wanted to stay in the game and stay around it.” She had done coaching throughout high school and once she stopped playing she decided to teach. “I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with teaching and trying to continue to be a part of it.” 

     Coach Barber is very focused on growth and hard work in her team and is known on the team for her saying “one play at a time”. She prioritizes fundamentals and growth during practices and pre-season so during the season her players are able to be confident and skilled players. 

     “My core values are instilling a sense of confidence in young women on the court and instilling a sense that they are here for their team. It is not all about winning and losing, even though winning is always nice, it’s about success and taking that success and applying it off the court.” 

     This is what Mission Viejo basketball is all about. It is an accepting community that is centered around helping one another grow to be better and more confident players. Every practice ends with the team putting their hands in and instead of chanting diablos, they chant family. And that is the perfect word to describe this program, a family.

 

Love is in the Air

MVHS Staff
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Love is in the Air

     Valentine’s Day is the time to celebrate your loved ones and express the love you have for them. Being able to show how much you care for someone is especially important, and there are many ways to do that.
     Although chocolate and roses can make pretty good gifts, the best thing you can do for your loved one is to spend time with them and show them you care. You could never go wrong with a heartfelt card, but most of the time, actions speak louder than words.
     You could make a home-cooked meal for you two to share with just each other. It can be a great way to experience something romantic and show how much you care for each other. After you finish eating, you could experiment with different dessert recipes. Baking with someone important to you could be extremely fun and exciting. If it doesn’t work out well, you guys can share a laugh, and if it does, you get to share a delicious dessert.
     Now, if you are a music fan, you could make playlists for each other or even make one together. Add all the songs that remind you of each other or of the special memories you have made together. Connecting with each other through music can create a connection between you and your special someone.
     Something as simple as a walk could be a great experience you could share with your significant other. A walk, whether it be on a beach, a hiking trail, or even a stroll around your neighborhood, would allow you to spend quality time with each other.
     Another thing you can do is get each other meaningful gifts. Gifts that show how much you love and appreciate the other person. Some people’s love language is giving or receiving gifts and that can be a great way to show you care.
     Along with the gifts, writing a heartfelt letter can make a significant impact on their day. Expressing how much you care for someone with words is one of the best things you can do. A letter is something you can treasure forever and never forget.
     There are many ways to express your love and appreciation for someone special. So, if you are lucky enough to have found love, do not be afraid to show it. Knowing that someone cares for you enough to do one of these things is one of the best gifts you can receive on Valentine’s Day.

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