The School Newspaper of West High School

West Signals

The School Newspaper of West High School

West Signals

The School Newspaper of West High School

West Signals

A picture of the Homecoming Court Top 15 (from left to right, top): Aeonn Rubi, Kostadinos Loukatos, Cameron O’Neil, Darren Chang, Haruto Asami, Isaac Sanles, Jackson Mancilla,  Jonathan Valot, Kainalu Barricklow, Lawrence Pong, Micah Taw, Noa Wada, Philip Lam, Sean Toomey, and Saul Hernandez. Bottom: Aastha Kashyap, Amaya Sanles, Avery White, Chloe Kang, Danielle Wissler, Maddy Heineman, Gracie Ito, Karsen-Reese Takenaka, Cyrilla Zhang, Masami Fumimoto, Sadie Hopkins, Richa Thakre, Simran Bhattacharya, Tiffani Yoshimura, and Yumiko Kasai. Nominee Chang said, “I do not think I will become Homecoming King but I’m also fine with that because I feel like there are other people who are more deserving of that title.”

The 2023 Homecoming Court

Katelyn Baba, Staff Writer October 21, 2023

Eyes On Them: The Homecoming Top 15    On Friday, October 6, the entire student body of West High gathered in the gym for the annual Homecoming Rally. The seats in the gym transformed into seas of purple, blue, green, and red while the main event...

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After a bitterly fought one hundred and forty-eight day long strike, the strike is officially over. The new labor agreement is going to be set to an official vote October 2 through October 9 for WGA members to ratify. With writers officially cleared to return to work, the future of studio writers is looking considerably up.

WGA Strike Officially Ends

Alexandra Arnold, Staff Writer October 15, 2023

   Whether you’re an avid follower of recent news or not, you’ve likely heard of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike that began May 2, precipitated after negotiations between writers and major Hollywood studios for a new labor contract failed....

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Members of the SAG-AFTRA march to support the WGA on strike. Many workers can be seen walking together in peaceful protest. Some of the subjects of conflict are portrayed on the signs waved by the marching protesters.
Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times

2023 Hollywood Strike Delaying Popular Films, What’s Behind It All?

Joshua Lee, Staff Writer September 18, 2023

  On May 2, the WGA went on strike over an advancing labor protest against the AMPTP, the entertainment industry’s trade association of executives and lawyers that manage contracts. Barely two months later on July 14, the actors’ Union SAG-AFTRA...

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Ready at a moment’s notice, West High’s Advanced Dance team holds their stance in preparation to dance to SZA, Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem’s “Family Ties,” a performance dedicated to their family and friends who had supported their dance journey throughout their years.

West’s Dance Department Dazzles at May Showcase

Natalie Ou, Sports Editor July 7, 2023

Awash with indigo light against a heavy blue-draped curtain, the Performing Arts Center roared to life as the curtains lifted to present West High’s Dance Department from May 4 to 6. With performances from all levels of dance — as well as a segment...

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) is one of the hottest topics of conversation. Mario’s status as such an integral pop culture character has led to intense scrutiny about the movie’s quality, but has since received generally positive reviews.

Critics Smash The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Anthony Parker, Entertainment & News Editor May 23, 2023

   On April 5, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” hit theaters with an overall mixed response. Critics slammed the movie for multiple issues, whilst audiences praised it for its unique take on the Mario series. It recently became the highest grossing...

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The West High Marching Band, Color Guard, and Drill teams all performed at Torrance’s annual Armed Forces Day Parade on May 20.

Torrance’s Armed Forces Day Parade Returns with West High Performances

Lauren Ng, Co-Editor-in-Chief May 20, 2023

   Lawn chairs and American flags line the sidewalks of Torrance Boulevard. One household offers a blue bouncy house for the kids, and red Solo cups for the adults. Picnic blankets and prime parking spots are in high demand. Excitement is in the air,...

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Perfectly in sync, Claire Perry (12) and Amanda Bruers (10) toss their flags in a performance  titled “Medusa.” Photo courtesy of Marina Soen (12).

Flags, Rifles, and Sabres, Oh My!

Triton Prichard and Cyrilla Zhang May 17, 2023

   Although Color Guard isn’t familiar to many, it is a sport that requires just as much hard work and practice as any other.    At practices, members typically warm up, get equipment, and clean up choreography. Then, the team does a few runs...

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Japanese dancers line up to perform for West’s accepting and enthusiastic crowd. Gracie Ito (11) thought the event was great, as it gave West’s drill and all male team time “to bond with them since [they were] going to nationals together.”

West Meets Japanese Dance Teams!

Anthony Parker, Entertainment & News Editor May 10, 2023

   On March 30, six Japanese schools performed alongside West’s Drill and All Male team for an unforgettable experience. Held inside the gym during Warrior Workshop, students cheered as each team gave it their all.    After the performance,...

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Within the final moments of the show, Elle Woods and Emmett Forrest (portrayed by Mia Gibson (12) and Brandon Howard (12)) are joined by the cast of West High’s 2023 spring musical, “Legally Blonde.” As Woods emerged victorious from her court case,  Gibson commented that “Legally Blonde” celebrated the importance of “self-expression, self-discovery, and growth.”

“Legally Blonde”: A Spring Musical Like No Other

Sarah Han, News Editor May 5, 2023

   When people attend a West High theater production, they can always expect greatness. 2023’s spring musical, “Legally Blonde,” was no exception. This year’s musical is sure to go down in West High history; with its star-studded cast, live...

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The famous bow scene, depicted above, has become iconic in pop culture. To capture the film’s sunset, it took 8 days to shoot— while any other director would’ve called in CGI artists.

Please, Please, Go Watch Titanic

Sean Toomey, Staff Writer March 28, 2023

   There are no Titanic spoilers. You know how the movie ends. The ship sinks.     But it's difficult to say why you know that— is it because of the tragedy, or the film itself?     The 1912 disaster was not the deadliest shipwreck...

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West’s All-Male team performs their “killer” monster dance at the end of the Spirit Day event. Julia Araujo (12) felt happy noticing that “all of the teams competing seemed to be enjoying themselves.”

The Shining Event of WDAAM’s Spirit Day

Anthony Parker, Entertainment & News Editor March 14, 2023

   On March 4, multiple Southern California Drill and All-Male teams arrived at West High on large yellow buses to compete in the highly anticipated Spirit Day. The teams prepared to show off their talents in the gymnasium in front of well-known judges...

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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatumania’s massive blockbuster scale has created an influx of advertisements promoting the movie. When asked if the movie is considered a true “film” Michael Oliveros (11) stated that “to even consider Marvel movies ‘films’ is laughable, as they overuse the same formula in almost every movie and don’t produce anything that really defines cinema as an art form.”

Quantumania At West!

Anthony Parker, Entertainment & News Editor March 8, 2023

   On Feb. 17, the third installment in the Ant-Man trilogy was released: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Over recent years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been under massive stress to put out something astonishing, similar to their...

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