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

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The highly coveted Oscar trophies illuminate on the display ahead of the 96th Academy Awards. This year, late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel reprised his role as host.
The 2024 Oscars: A Bold Year for Film
Anthony Parker, Entertainment & News Editor • March 28, 2024
In a surprising move to many, West Capitaneus, the school yearbook publication, will be discontinuing the popular, longstanding tradition of senior quotes. Citing logistical concerns, the West High administration has maintained this restriction, prompting petition by nearly a quarter of the student body.
Say Goodbye to Senior Quotes
Cyrilla Zhang, Editor-in-Chief • March 21, 2024
Thursday, Oct. 5’s theme was Mathletes or Athletes, where students choose to dress up as one of the two subjects. Students in Mr. Collin’s AP Biology class sported their unique choices of attire. From left to right: Leah Ho (11), Gabriel White (11), and Mackenzie Ashford (11).
Get Ready for Some School Spirit!
Joshua Lee, Staff Writer • March 21, 2024
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Daniel Wang: An Academic Decathalon Genius

   50 schools. And of at least 500 participants, narrow it down to one school and a team of 9 students. Out of these 9 students, one amazing legend has emerged: Daniel Wang (10), the leading light of West High’s Academic Decathlon. Winning first place with an overall total score of 8,911 points in the Academic Decathlon Competition on February 1st, 2014, Wang took home the gold.

  This prodigious sophomore’s dedication is proven through his diligence in Academic Decathlon. Although it is an extracurricular, Wang views this class as equally important as other academic classes, especially because he spends the same amount of time on it. Evidently, he does not classify Academic Decathlon as a burden, but rather as an enjoyable subject. Because of this commitment, Daniel Wang was able to place first in the following categories: music, social science, science, art, language-literature, and math. Along with major time obligations, Wang holds the position of Vice President in the Math Competition Club and is an active coordinator for the Bay Math League competitions. Considering how time-consuming his activities may be, Wang took it in a positive light and stated, “Academic Decathlon truly did help me manage my time better. I learned not to procrastinate, but rather to prioritize and schedule my events. I do not enjoy wasting time and enjoy this program.”

  Daniel Wang’s victories have been long-lived. He excitedly recounted, “Winning AcaDec was pretty amazing. I feel that I am blessed by Jesus Christ and I appreciate the school for providing ample resources for this program.” Amidst the busy schedules and hard work, humble Wang remembers to appreciate his surroundings, particularly his main role models: Jesus Christ, God, and Albert Einstein. When he finds leisure time, Wang prefers to read, play chess, or write poetry by his bedside while burning the midnight oil. By being able to balance his spare time and work time, Wang clearly knows that control is a crucial aspect to being successful: “I try not to feel pressured. However, I work well under pressure because it provides a sense of excitement for me. But most of the time, I try to remain calm and happy because being pressured doesn’t help a situation much.”

  Amid this organized chaos, Daniel Wang is mostly proud to work with his teammates and represent West High School, not only in AcaDec, but everywhere. This year, his favorite quote is found in the book, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway: “What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.” As Wang is inspired by this quote, he encourages all students, especially aspiring freshmen, to also be motivated and maybe even join AcaDec.

Photo Credit: Joya Groban
Photo Credit: Joya Groban
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