IVC's Production of "Grease" Electrifies

Photo taken by: Rachel Schmid

Irvine Valley College’s production of the famous musical “Grease” previewed to a full house Thursday night at the IVC Performing Arts Center Main Stage. As expected, the stage shined with greased hair, sparkly outfits and bright talent. 

“Tonight was probably the best preview night we could’ve had,” said Lance Smith, who played the lead role of Danny. “We were all on our game, and I think the audience just really raised the energy.”

Rachel Schmid

The entire cast performed exceptionally well through all the major areas of a musical: in their acting, choreography, and singing. But it was through the familiar musical numbers that the emotions of the actors were really shown.

After each musical performance, the crowd kept the energy high with hearty sets of applause. 

Mother and daughter Stephanie and Erica Bell were among those enthusiastically clapping in the audience. 

“I thought it was adorable and a great production. They did a really great job,” Stephanie Bell said.

Both agreed that Andrew Guzman who played the role of Doody, had a particularly superb performance in his song: “Those Magic Changes.”

The show didn’t hold anything back, including the sexual innuendoes and dirty dancing. There were plenty of make-out sessions, skirts flirtatiously being lifted, breast grabbing, and girls suggestively shaking their chests in the faces of desirous men.

Rachel Schmid

This kept the play lighthearted and made for some humorous moments. 

The romantic scenes between Danny and the leading lady Sandy, played by Elizabeth Rodriguez, were appropriately awkward until the electrifying ending when the characters join for the famous song, “You’re the One That I Want.”

Jeremy Bell understood that he might see some mishaps from the actors since it was the preview night, but he was impressed that he didn’t.

“I thought it was a very solid performance for a preview night,” Bell stated. “They did really well. If they made any screw-ups, it wasn’t apparent to me.”

The border of the stage included a 1950's jukebox theme, which served as a clever prop to keep the audience in tune with the songs being played by illuminating the song titles. 

The creativity of the props continued to surprise the audience especially when Michael Renney who played Kenickie, drove onto center stage in a car.

This was Tyler Bictory’s second time seeing the musical “Grease” on the big stage, and he was thoroughly impressed with IVC’s production. 

“It was one of the best performances I’ve seen,” Bictory said. “They really went all out with all the scenery. It was pretty amazing how the lighting and the whole set pieced together so well.” 

Rachel Schmid

“Grease” plays Nov. 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are selling out quickly, so buy yours at https://www.vendini.com/zend/service/index/selectperformance/faa7d1d3a4a79ed1a7754e87228f642e/5d25d92d850dd159427e5773953ba73a

Top Three Most Peaceful Areas in Laguna Beach

     You are carrying heavy loads of beach towels, trying to squeeze your way between half-naked people tanning on the sand, and you finally plop down your belongings next to a family who is having an argument for everyone to hear. Just when you get nearly comfortable, you need to go put more change in the meter and redo the hassle of navigating through the crowd of beach goers. Why be frustrated with the lack of privacy when you are trying desperately to relax? You could be standing on the top of a hill, with nothing around you but a welcoming bench, and the only things you hear are the birds singing contently.

        “There is as much of a chance of finding a quiet place in Laguna Beach during the busy season as seeing a pig fly,” says Brian Green of Orange. “I try to stay away from hanging out in Laguna during the summer because I can’t find parking spaces at the beach, and I don’t know where else to go.” Green, like other Orange locals who live inland, have a difficult time relaxing when they visit Laguna.

        “I used to go to the beaches in Laguna at the end of a long work day to unwind and relax, but I’d become so distracted by the noises of the cars and people that I’d leave in frustration,” Green says further.

        What Green and others do not realize about Laguna Beach is just how abundant in beauty it actually is. Not only does it offer the large view of the ocean, but over the hill of houses lies a beautiful cascade of mountains.

        The first location is very well hidden due to its non-obvious entrance in a quiet neighborhood. The entrance is off Paseo Del Sur and is called Valido Trail. After hiking the 1.5 mile incline, you’ll take a refreshing breath of salty air when you reach the top and witness the amazing view. On a clear day, you’ll see the glorious island of Catalina before you. To the east rests a solitary bench, which beckons you to sit down and enjoy the peaceful silence that Laguna Beach can offer. This place is perfect to enjoy a good book or write without the distraction of others.

Moulton Meadows Park: A dirt trail leads to the
"lone tree" and the breathtaking view of the
mountains and populated valley.

        The second place is Moulton Meadows Park on Balboa Ave and Capistrano Ave. While the grassy park is very nice with its playground, soccer field, and tennis court, it can get a little crowded. The most beautiful and peaceful area is concealed behind the shrubs to the left of the park. If you head towards the mountains and take a left, you’ll walk down a dirt path where a lonely tree welcomes you. Here, you can sit and enjoy the ridged mountains staring down at you across the populated valley. The best part is what you do not hear- you don’t hear the hum of cars or the high-pitched chatting of teenage girls. If you walk to the other side, you’ll see a never ending horizon of blue waves.

      Lastly, Victoria Beach off Victoria Street offers the beauty of a beach without the hoards of people.  Even though it’s smaller in size, you’re still able to enjoy a peaceful walk along the translucent waves. This charming beach has multiple beauties to offer. A wonderful plethora of sea creatures are often seen here. Seals and dolphins often jump through the waves while the glow of the setting sun reflects off their smooth skin. You’ll also witness the dramatic plummet of pelicans into the water as they hunt for dinner. Two hidden treasures lie to the northern area of the beach. Undisturbed tide pools behold a myriad of colorful starfish, sea anemones, and sea urchins. The jewel of the beach is the Castle Turret. This romantic area serves as the perfect combination of beauty, privacy, and tranquility. The crash of the waves on the rocks creates a rhythmic and calming feeling. The soft sand also allows you to make any spot a restful area to lay out and forget about your woes.

Victoria Beach: The Castle Turret was once used as a
staircase for the family who lived above to get down
to the beach. It is now an abandoned stairwell, but it's
rustic beauty reminds one of the fairy tale "Rapunzel."

        So the next time you’d like to not deal with the crowds and noise of Laguna Beach, take a drive over to these three peaceful locations to relax and enjoy the beauty. 

        -Valido Trail: 22105 Paseo Del Sur Laguna Beach, CA 92651
     - Moulton Meadows Park: Balboa Ave & Capistrano Ave, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
     -Victoria Beach: Victoria St. Laguna Beach, CA 92652

Rivals IVC and Saddleback share a tie

The IVC women’s soccer team played a tough game against Saddleback on Friday securing a tie within the last ten minutes of the game. 

IVC picked up speed within the last half of the game in that they became more competitive and had possession of the ball the majority of the time. Nonetheless, it was with some accidental help from a Saddleback defender that the Lasers earned a goal. 

The first half displayed excellent defending from both teams. The Saddleback Gauchos took four unsuccessful shots onIVC Laser’s goalie Amanda Rashtian. The Lasers were only able to make one shot on goal which was deflected by the Gaucho’s keeper. 

The second half began with no successful goals from either team. 

With almost 19 minutes left in the second half, Saddleback sophomore student Kacey Curran swiftly maneuvered around Lasers defense. Curran made a forceful shot on goal -- the ball grazed the goalie’s fingertips and landed in the net for the first point of the game. 

The Lasers didn’t lose courage from Saddleback’s lead though, as IVC Freshmen Julian Hyodo stated: “In the last ten minutes we wanted [to win] extra badly, because we were losing, so like it kinda put a fire in us.”

In the final minutes of the game, with Saddleback in the lead, Hyodo saw an opening for a shot, so she went for it. The ball hit the head of a Gaucho defender trying to deflect it and unintentionally flew past the Gaucho goalie and into the net, which ultimately lead the teams to tie. 

Rashtian wanted the Lasers to win overall but was glad with the skills her team displayed.

“I think we connected as a team very well,” Rashtian stated. “We communicated with each other, and we stayed strong throughout the whole game.”

Head Coach of the Laser women’s soccer team Joe Supe, was also impressed with the performance of his team. 

“I thought we dominated the game for the most part, and I saw a lot of good possible movements from the team,” Supestated. 

The ferocity of the Lasers in the latter part of the second half didn’t go unnoticed by Supe either: “They wanted to win, and they showed it within the last ten minutes. They were there and they were pressing.”

The Laser’s overall record is 2-5-2, while the Gaucho’s is 2-3-2. 

Next Tuesday, the Lasers defend their turf at 3:00 pm against a team ranked third in the state: Santiago Canyon.

IVC holds successful club day

Students gather on the IVC quad to participate in Club Day.

Many students gathered at the Irvine Valley College quad on Wednesday for the first club day of the academic year.

Over 16 clubs being represented eagerly spoke with students, while club members stood on a stage in front of the SSC and energetically described the objectives of their groups. 

Students gather on the IVC campus for Club Day.

A member of the American Criminal Justice Association, Madison Morris, was impressed by the large number of students who showed interest in her club. 

“We’re thrilled with the turnout,” Morris stated, “and we’re excited to see who emails us back.” 

Anderson Perroti, 21, signed up for the IVC Green Team Alliance after speaking with the three-time president, Crystal Love. Perrotirespected the mission of the club to bring recycling and free trade coffee to IVC.

A member of the Christian Students at IVC group, Isaac Acosta, stated that the group had gathered over 100 signatures on their sign-up forms. Acosta, like other club groups at the expo, knew that the amount of people who actually commit to the clubs unfortunately declines. 

“We usually have a big turnout the first week,” Acosta stated, “and then it starts diminishing from there.”

Acosta feels that being a part of a club is an important part of college life and that more students should get involved in something they are passionate about. 

The IVC Math Club recruits more members. 

“It’s a great way to make friends and be a part of a community,” Acosta stated. 

All clubs encourage both IVC and Saddleback students to join.


To learn more about joining a group, go tohttp://www.ivc.edu/student/clubs/Pages/default.aspx

2012 Video Music Awards: Why the Lack of Viewers?

The 29th annual MTV Video Music Awards, held last Thursday night, only had 6.1 million people watching compared to their record 12.45 million viewers from the previous year.

The amount of Saddleback students who watched the VMAs has a shockingly low number as well. After an informal survey of 24 students, only four, or 17 percent, watched the VMAs this year.

One reason for the drop in viewership is due to the unusual day of the week and time the show aired: a Thursday at 8pm. Last year, the show played on a Sunday at 9pm. 

The VMAs changed the day and time so it wouldn’t interfere with the coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

Kyle McDaniel, a 17 year old Saddleback student, watched the VMAs in previous years, but not this time. He was one of the millions watching President Obama accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for his candidacy for the 2012 presidential election. 

Other students like Marissa Miramontes had no idea the VMAs were playing because of a lack of advertisement.

“I didn’t know it was on,” Miramontes stated, “and I would have watched if I had known it was on.”

David Knicker, a 20 year old Saddleback student, watched five minutes of the VMAs and then turned it off. His reasons for not watching the VMAs had nothing to do with the Democratic National Convention or lack of advertisement.

Knicker said he didn’t watch the whole thing “because of One Direction, Justin Bieber and other boy bands. Today’s music is all about sex, lies, and infidelity.”

Whether you missed the VMAs due to the Democratic National Convention, lack of advertisement, or the music just wasn’t your favorite, you can still check out the highlights of the show by going to www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012.com

Students Agree: Carly Rae Jepsen is a one hit wonder

The popular song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen has been engraved in all our minds since beginning its climb on the Billboard charts in February, but will Jepsen's new single "This Kiss" do as well as her last?

"Call Me Maybe" became so popular because of its energetic beat and unbearably catchy lyrics. "This Kiss," which released September 10th, sounds very similar to Jepsen's first hit. Even though Jepsen's last hit was named "Song of the Summer" by Billboard Magazine, many Saddleback students groaned at the news of Jepsen's newest album.

"[It] sounds exactly like pop songs in general," Ben Phan, 18, said. "It's very generic with four beats or so."

David Knicker, 20-year-old Saddleback student, is a musician himself. Knicker dislikes Jepsen's music so much he said, "I would pay money to have her kicked out of the music industry."

19-year-old Avilene Otero liked the beat of "This Kiss," and thought the lyrics were catchy. Even though Otero had some praise for the song, she admitted that she wouldn't buy it.

Even though 26-year-old Jepsen teamed up with fellow Canadian pop artist Justin Bieber, and American band Owl City for her newest album, students said that none of Jepsen's music would be found on their iPods. The students even agreed that Jepsen is a fad and that her newest single will not do as well as her last.

It appears that Saddleback students have already heard all they want to of Jepsen.

Jepsen's album Kiss releases September 19th, and is being sold on ITunes and Amazon for $11.99.

www.amazon.com

www.carlyraemusic.com

www.itunes.com

Blood donators make a difference

Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo has a healthy storage of donated blood thanks in part to the Saddleback students and faculty who donated, confirmed Ed Ferrer - a clinical lab scientist at Mission Hospital.

Five weeks ago, hospitals across the country were facing one of the worst blood shortages in 15 years, according to American Red Cross Nurse Edward Orlobski.

Blood shortages in the summer are common due to people vacationing and lack of students donating blood.

On August 28, Orlobski stated that Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo was 2,000 bags short for the month. Since then, two successful blood drives have been held on the Saddleback campus.

Thanks to those who donated, Mission Hospital now has a healthy surplus of blood that will save the lives of countless patients.

Ferrer is thankful for the efforts of the American Red Cross and all those who donated, but stresses that Mission Hospital can always use more blood donations. 
“If [the blood] is in short demand, the American Red Cross usually gets to us straight away to help out,” Ferrer stated, “but we can always use more blood.”

With the flu season approaching, the American Red Cross website reminds donors not to donate if they have flu-like symptoms.

The next blood drive on the Saddleback campus is November 7, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students Fill Need for Blood

Countless students donated blood to the American Red Cross on Tuesday, but did the donors realize just how needed their blood was?

Lura Hills, a second year student at Saddleback, understands why it is so important to donate her blood. Her father was in a serious car accident while he was in college, and he received a lifesaving blood transfusion.

“Any opportunity I have to give blood I do, because I know how it saved my dad and it saves the lives of others,” Hills said.

Like other students who gave blood Tuesday, Hills had no idea that there is a massive blood shortage- the worst shortage in 15 years according to American Red Cross Nurse Edward Orlobski.

“We have to refresh the blood supply, because it’s coming from somewhere so patients that are in need of blood can receive it," Orlobski said. "It’s coming from you guys; from the donors and the volunteers that are willing to take a little time out to come and donate. If not, then the blood isn’t going to come from anywhere else and it’s going to put people in bad shape."

Another Saddleback student, J.C. Narciso, was aware of the shortage before he gave blood, but that’s not why he donated Tuesday.

“I donate just ‘cause it saves lives and makes me feel good,” Narciso said.

The blood collected from the students will save the lives of some Mission Hospital patients, but it still won’t be enough. According to Orlobski, they are still 2,000 bags short for the month.

The next blood drive being held on the Saddleback Campus is September 25 and 26.