Alexssa Takeda, Staff Writer
As a newcomer to West High, Alexssa Takeda was hesitant to apply for Signals, intimidated by the captivating articles and insightful words written by the previous members of the team. But she decided to take a leap of faith, leading her down a path of many surprising opportunities. Now as a sophomore, Alexssa has decided to become a freelance writer to make room to pursue her other passion of dance. When she’s not napping, you can find her reading sci-fi novels, playing the ukulele, or trying out new hobbies. Entering her 2nd year with the Signals team, Alexssa continues to work towards improving her writing abilities to inspire those around her, just like the writers that had originally inspired her.
![On April 12th-14th, tryouts for West High’s Speech and Debate team were held. Team captain Jana Abulaban (11) expresses what she got out of being a part of the team: “Once I joined, I understood the broader concept of Speech and Debate and really understood what I wanted to gain [from] it: that feeling of being part of a really supportive team...I have learned to publicly speak more and be more confident with it.”](https://whssignals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/4_13–4_20-Article-Apr-19-2021-at-10_59-PM-900x900.jpg)
![West High’s ASB threw themed events for each class using the GooseChase scavenger hunt app. Anika Agarwal (10) participated in the St. Patrick’s Day themed event, noting how one event included collecting as many green items as she could find to photograph: “it was pretty fun, especially [when] asking my family to [help].”](https://whssignals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Scavenger-Hunt-900x900.png)
