(February 28, 2001)

“From This Moment,” this tear’s junior prom, is set for March 3^rd. The event will take place from 7-11 p.m. in the auditeria. According to class secretary Praise Lee, the class will save money for next year’s senior prom by holding junior prom on campus. Food and pictures are also available for the night. To promote the dance, a basketball half-court shootout may be held for students who want to win free prom tickets. Nominations for junior prom court include 12 girls. However, only people who attend the dance can vote for their queens.

New staff members and teachers at Clark include Kaylene Brown, ASB clerk; Karine Varuzhanyan, typist clerk III, Melina Aghacopoyan, health clerk; Gloria Cartozian, Spanish teacher; and Jane Chetron, economics teacher.

Aghacopoyan, a fromer sub for Alan Daily High, says, “Clark is a great school. The facilities are good here.”

Brown began her work at Clark starting Jan. 2. She is responsible for ASB money and looking after accounts for school clubs.

Varuzhanyanstates, “It’s a pleasure working here. I am very comfortable and I like being around students.”

Cartozian, a former Glendale High teacher, is the long-term sub for second and third year Spanish. Chetron, who previously taught at Crescenta Valley High, teaches economics for seniors.

The Clark robotics team recently shipped their completed robot on Feb. 20. Twenty students, along with their JPL mentors and advisors, spent at least 15 hours each week for the past seven weeks building, testing, and debugging the robot. The members continue to prepare for the March 16-18 regionals competition heal at the L.A. Sports Arena. An operating team consisting of five people plans and stimulates game strategies that will be used in the actual competition. Other team members will produce an animation video and create a website to compete for different awards. The team recently entered a scrimmage game on Feb. 17 and placed sixth out of the 24 schools present.

The State Senate Education Committee recently voted to push back the requirement to pass the High School Exit Exams for the class of 2004 to the class of 2005. Questions about test standards, a fair passing score and whether test materials are implemented enough in classrooms raise legality concerns with the exam. According to the California Department of Education, testing and legal experts say that due to the high stakes the exam brings, it is necessary that the passing score be set according to the whole target population. Likewise, students need to be given enough time to learn the material. At this time, it is not yet certain whether students have been given adequate preparation for the exams. The test date for March 7 is still on schedule, though new legislation is yet to be passed.