As a child, one of my favorite heroes was Iron Man. The fact that he didn’t have any real super powers other than his brain always amazed me.

So when I learned “Iron Man 3” was coming out, I knew I had to see it.

“Iron Man 3” officially starts Phase 2 of the Marvel Movieverse. For those not in the know, The Marvel Universe is split into five Phases. Phase 1 ended with “The Avengers” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Phase 2 begins with “Iron Man 3” and eventually gives us movies about Antman and The Guardians of the Galaxy.

As I sat down in my seat, I felt a shiver of anticipation trickle down my spine as I waited for the movie to start.

There was, quite literally, not an empty seat in the theatre as the crowd trickled in.

The movie begins completely black, and we hear Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) voice giving an introduction.

The screen then shows the Stark of 1999. He is at a party, and is flirting with scientist Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall). She shows him her experimental drug, Extremis, which can stimulate the brain to rapidly regrow body parts. The drug is not complete, however, and before he sneaks out in the morning, he leaves her the rest of the formula.

Hansen isn’t the only one he stood up. Nerdy scientist Aldritch Killian (Guy Pearce), attempted to recruit Stark, only to be left on the rooftop alone.

As Stark states, this part of the past will come back to haunt him.

The movie then skips to the present, where we see Stark working on a new suit.

We then see the shocking scene of Stark having a panic attack. The end of “The Avengers,” where Stark fell through a wormhole nearly dying, had a greater psychological effect on him than the audience originally assumed.

But soon enough, Stark comes out of it and becomes the Iron Man once again.

Many events happen between the beginning and the end, including the Stark getting to meet Jimmy Neutron- not literally- and his girlfriend Pepper playing an odd part in the plot.

The main villain is called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). The Mandarin is the leader of a terrorist group who has been bombing the United States. Strangely, there is no evidence at the bombing sites that a bomb was even used, but it doesn’t take long before the audience is informed why.

There are two extraordinary new characters that step into the spotlight. One is Killian, who, after being ditched by Stark, has now become a powerful scientific genius rivalling Stark himself.

The other is Harley (Ty Simpkins), a boy genius who helps Stark repair his broken suit and take down the Mandarin.

If you watched the previous Iron Man movies, you may remember Colonel Rhodey (Don Cheadle), A.K.A. The War Machine. In this movie, he’s back as the Iron Patriot, an Iron Man- like figure, except for the fact that he is painted in a way reminiscent of the American Flag.

The Iron Patriot has been introduced to protect America from outside threats, namely the Mandarin.

The end holds a huge shocker, and I was a little disappointed in how it wrapped up, but then there was a small scene that made me feel a little better about how things turned out.

All in all, I suggest everyone sees this movie. It has great special effects, an amazing plot and hilarious one-liners, per the Tony Stark usual.

As usual, the graphics were enthralling. I especially enjoyed the lava skin effect that appeared throughout the movie. The plot was also satisfying. I found the action scenes amazing, and I couldn’t stop laughing at the jokes the writers came up with.

All of the actors played their parts flawlessly, whether they were playing a crazy loon or a sadistically evil assassin.

Make sure to wait through the credits to see a small scene after.

I give this movie 4 out of 4 paws, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of Phase 2 has in store for comic book fanatics.

CinéArts, also known as “The Dome Theater,” has long been a landmark in Pleasant Hill just off Interstate 680. The theater was built in 1966, and it had it’s last showing on April 22, when filmgoers were able to watch Stanley Kubrick’s classic “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Silicon Valley commercial real estate firm SyWest Development intends to “modernize” the Crossroads Shopping Center, where the Dome is located. A 73,176-square-foot Dick’s Sporting Goods is set to replace the half-century old theater.

The Dome is famous for showing art-house films. Although blockbuster hits such as “Argo” and “Lincoln” have enjoyed a feature run, so have thousands of indie films from across the globe.

The development plan of the new closing was pushed through the Contra Costa County Architectural Review Commission and the Pleasant Hill City Council.

At the time of the planning, an online petition grew. The petition was posted on change.org, and had already garnered more than 1,900 supporters.

According to a poll featured in the Pleasant Hill Patch, more than eighty percent of readers felt that the Dome should stay. But the majority of these people also felt that it was time for the theater to be remodeled.

Two Facebook groups had risen, both expressing love for the Dome. The “Save Independent Film and the CinéArts Dome in Pleasant Hill” page advocated for the preservation of the dome. “I Saw It At The Dome” featured posts by veteran moviegoers, who shared memories of movies that they saw at the theater.

The Contra Costa County Cinephiles Meetup, a local movie meetup group, strongly stood behind a banner of support for the Dome theater.

Cinephile Wendy Oschmann believed that the Dome should’ve been restored.

“The Dome is a familiar and comforting sight for 680 freeway drivers and folks stuck in the morning and afternoon traffic crawls,” said Oschmann. “It’s also a standout structure for area visitors, residents and shoppers. It gets noticed and remembered. Can you say that about any of the other buildings on that corridor? No.”

In the early 1970s, the historic Paramount Theater in Oakland faced a crisis similar to the Dome. Citizens of Oakland quickly took action, and approached city officials with the prospect of operating the theater for the city in the form of a non-profit organization. The theater has remained a non-profit to this day.

When the Pleasant Hill dome opened in 1966, it represented the new frontier of moviegoing. The stadium style theater had an enormous curved screen, and it was designed to accommodate the standard projection process used at the time. Although this process would later be updated, the “dome” stayed.

Junior Tyler Randall noted the distinct look of the Dome the first time he went there.

“It’s not like a movie theater you’ve ever been to,” Randall said.  “It feels like a completely different style.”

The Dome represented the passion of moviegoers across the Bay Area. Although it held many old memories for some, it also created more recent memories for others. Senior Danielle Warren perceived the Dome as a place where she could indulge in the world of cinema.

“It’s very tragic that it’s closing down, because they had the best indie movies and the theater always felt like the right place to be at,” said Warren.

The Dome was home to both passionate moviegoers and Bay Area cosmopolitans.  But the most passionate supporters remained to be those who grew up with the theater.

Jacob Hirsohn, a 2012 Cal High graduate and former movie critic for The Californian, had recently been directed to the Save the Dome petition by a friend. Hirsohn was very passionate about the Dome and did all he could to spread word about the petition.

“I am a filmmaker and the dome is one of the biggest reasons I chose that path,” said Hirsohn. “The movies I saw there shaped me as a person and an artist as much or more than anything in my life.”

Hirsohn also shared the technical aspect of why it is vital that the Dome remain standing.

“The dome is one of the interesting and unique things in the East Bay,” he said.  “The East Bay has become a region of California that people drive straight through to get to Berkeley, San Francisco or Napa. People have no reason to stop there. The dome grabs people’s attention. It’s impossible to drive by without being interested. It is truly a landmark of that area, and it’s extremely important.”

Senior Matt Hern also had a special place in his heart for the Dome. He went to watch “Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith,” when it first released in 2005.

“I think that I’ll miss driving down 680, and looking out at the Dome and thinking back to the great time I had watching ‘Star Wars’ at the theater,” Hern said.  “Places such as the Dome hold a special place in people’s hearts, and tearing it down would be neglecting the history of the building and the memories of all who have sat in it.”

Cal High English teacher Arlene Addison was a frequent visitor to the Dome. The first time she went there was 12 years ago, when she first moved out to the area.

“I remember the first time I was there, it reminded me of a fashion theater,” Addison said.  “Going to such a place was an otherworldly experience, because of the big dome that was perched on top of the theater.”

It seems that plans to push Dick’s Sporting Goods into the Dome’s place are on schedule. Nevertheless, indie and foreign films will still be within an arms reach.

In a letter from Cinemark regional manager Robert Harrison, patrons were notified that Cinemark had no power over the plans of the owner of the property where the Dome is located.  He also said the owner of the property was moving toward the direction of closing the theater down. In light of his bad news, Harrison also left a hopeful message for passionate moviegoers.

“If the Cine Arts theater does close, most, if not all, the ‘art’ films that we currently play at the Cine Arts will also be offered at one or both of these theaters,” wrote Harrison. “Cinemark has come to realize that there a lot of ‘art film’ lovers in the Diablo Valley and we will not let them down.”

It seems that patrons won’t have to venture off to far regions of the Bay Area to view movies they love after all.

There has been one last public hearings appeal called for the Dome Theater by the Save The Dome group next monday on May 6, at 7:30 pm, according to Pleasant Hill Patch. All persons interested will be heard.

Although it seems that the death of CineArts at Pleasant Hill could be close, there are thousands of citizens who are willing to unite and stand up for it. It is unclear what direction the city will take at this point, but one thing is clear: the Dome will never be forgotten.

The Neighbourhood formed in 2011 and released their first full length album, “I Love You.,” on April 23.

The southern California-based band consists of lead vocalist Jesse Rutherford, bassist Mikey Margott, drummer Bryan Sammis and guitarists Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman.

The band formed when Rutherford, Abels and Freedman watched alternative band Arcade Fire play at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Rutherford, Abels and Freedman knew immediately that they wanted to perform at the festival, and soon after added Sammis and Margott to the band. This year, the band’s dream came true as they performed at the world-renowned Coachella Festival in April. The Neighbourhood will also be performing at BFD (Big F***ing Day), an alternative music festival, on May 19 alongside Thirty Seconds to Mars, Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men and many others.

In 2012 The Neighbourhood released their first two EPs titled “Thank You,” and “I’m Sorry…,” respectively.

“Thank You,” features two tracks, “Let It Go” and “A Little Death.” “Let It Go” features Rutherford’s rap style along with a catchy chorus. “A Little Death” has a more indie-alternative vibe, and while it’s still an amazing track, it’s not as energetic as “Let It Go.”

The band’s second EP, “I’m Sorry…” is by far one of the best EPs I have ever heard.

The first and best track on the EP is “Female Robbery,” which displays a unique sound that grabs your attention within the first few seconds. The lyrics are interesting and catchy, and the overall sound is something that I have never heard before. “Sweater Weather” is another attention-grabbing track on “I’m Sorry…” that has hints of rap and pop but also gives off an indie-alternative feel.

Luckily for fans, the band’s debut album, “I Love You.,” stays true to The Neighbourhood’s original sound.

The first track on the album, “How,” opens up with a mix of guitar and radio static while slowly incorporating Rutherford’s soft vocals. The song is slow, yet powerful with lyrics like, “How could you tell me that I’m great / when they chew me out / spit me out / piss on me.” Overall, I really like that the band chose “How” as opening track because it represents the band’s sound and gives listeners a taste of what’s to come next on the album.

The next track, titled “Afraid,” is one of strongest songs on the album. The lyrics are even more powerful than those on “How,” as Rutherford sings: “When I wake up, I’m afraid somebody else might take my place” and “Being me and only me / Feeling scared to breathe / If you leave me then I’ll be afraid of everything.” The lyrics are incredibly intense, but the beat sounds very similar to “Sweater Weather” from the band’s previous EP. I wish that the band had come up with a unique sound for this song, but the fact that Rutherford had the courage to sing those lyrics filled with depression and anxiety makes up for it.

“Everybody’s Watching Me (Uh Oh)” is another strong track on the album. The beat is soft but the chorus is catchy and energetic.

The beginning of “Everybody’s Watching Me (Uh Oh)” could be easily mistaken for a Coldplay song, but as soon as you hear the first few lyrics uttered from Rutherford, you know that it has to be The Neighbourhood. This is part of the reason why I love the album so much. Rutherford’s voice is so unique and interesting and it quickly captures listeners’ attention. “Everybody’s Watching Me (Uh Oh)” could very well be the band’s next big hit because of the catchy chorus and smooth beat.

The next two songs on the album are “Sweater Weather” and “Let It Go.” Both songs sound exactly the same as they did on the band’s previous EPs. Although the tracks may seem repetitive to old fans, they fit in with “I Love You.” perfectly.

The next song on “I Love You.” is titled “Alleyways.” This song has more of a rap feel to it, but it keeps with the band’s alternative roots. “Alleyways” is one of the more energetic songs on the album in that the beat incorporates elements of pop into the track.

“W.D.Y.W.F.M.,” which stands for What Do You Want From Me, is the next track on the album. I have to admit, after “Alleyways,” I was beginning to think that the album was getting a bit repetitive. Although I love each and every song individually on the album, when I listened to them in succession they were all beginning to sound the same.

But “W.D.Y.W.F.M.” was refreshingly different, and Rutherford’s voice really takes center stage. His vocals become louder and stronger, and the beat in this song is faster and more upbeat. “W.D.Y.W.F.M.” is my personal favorite on the album, and I think that without it, “I Love You.” would’ve fallen flat.

“Flawless” is another breath of fresh air. The beginning of the song is catchy, and the beat during the chorus was unexpected from The Neighbourhood in that it had more of a pop feel to it. There is also a nice refrain in the song that adds a bit of spice. The refrain is my favorite part of “Flawless” because Rutherford’s voice sounds so serene and soft.

The next song is “Female Robbery,” which previously appeared on the band’s second EP, “I’m Sorry….” The song sounds the same as it did on the EP, but it fit in with the other tracks on “I Love You.,” so I don’t mind the addition.

The beat in the next song, “Staying Up,” sounds similar to the other tracks on the album. While I really loved the lyrics in the other songs from “I Love You.,” the lyrics in this song aren’t very profound, as Rutherford sings: “How can I sleep / if I don’t have dreams / I just have nightmares.” These same few lines are basically repeated for the duration of the four minute song, so the tune gets boring very quickly.

The last track on the album, “Float,” also sounds similar to other tracks, but the chorus saves it from being repetitive and boring. The lyrics in this song are a bit cheesy like in “Staying Up.” Rutherford sings, “I didn’t have a dream ‘cause I don’t believe in them / life can only mean hardly anything,” which sounds depressing to say the least. While the lyrics in the previous songs were also dark in nature, they were more insightful and meaningful.

Overall, The Neighbourhood is a young, unique band that has a different sound than any alternative or indie band I have ever heard. Although their album was a bit repetitive and some of the lyrics could have been stronger, I absolutely loved it. This band has so much talent and potential that I think they will become the next Black Keys or Thirty Seconds to Mars. “I Love You.” is the band’s first full length album, and I can’t wait to hear what their sophomore album will sound like. Anyone who enjoys alternative or indie music should definitely give The Neighbourhood a chance because they are a force to be reckoned with. I rate “I Love You.” 3.5 out of 4 guitars.

Coburn was about 100 yards away from the location of the first bomb when it exploded on April 15.

He found himself caught in the confusion of a throng of people attempting to get away from the explosion.

“The main thing that I was worried about was getting trampled,” said Coburn.  “It was remarkable to see how many people were running toward the blasts instead of away. All the police officers, and people concerned about others.”

Coburn was at the marathon supporting his wife, Leeann, as she ran to raise money for charity. She crossed the finish line 15 minutes before the bombs went off, yet the pair were unable to get in cell phone contact for several hours.

They weren’t alone.

Sophomore Lara Haller and senior Leonard Haller were also at the marathon to support their mother, who ran in the race, when the bombs went off.

“We heard a huge boom, and then thousands of people were completely silent,” said Lara.

Lara and her family had decided to wait in a family area, rather than join the crowd at the finish line, a decision that changed their lives and kept them out of harm’s way.

Their mother, Ming Kwan, was mere feet from the finish line when the first bomb went off.

“She said she saw bodies flying, and then there was just panic in the streets,” said Lara.

Minutes after Kwan witnessed the first bomb, she called her family to make sure they were safe.

“We tried to go to the finish line, but law enforcement kept pushing us back,” said Leonard. “I wanted to help so badly, but I couldn’t do anything.”

Although the Hallers were aware of the situation immediately after the bombing, many around them were not, creating a strange atmosphere among the crowd, as Lara described it.

“Half were smiling because they didn’t know what had happened, and half were crying, trying to find out what had happened to their family,” she said.

The Coburn and Haller families both returned to San Ramon safely within days of the bombings, before the shooting of an MIT resource officer and the lockdown of the city of Boston on April 19.

“Seeing my mom safe and sound, I was so relieved,” said Leonard.

The surviving suspect, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, has been caught and charged with using a weapon of mass destruction that caused three deaths and more than 170 injuries, according to The New York Times.

His 26-year-old brother Tamerlan, was killed in an early morning firefight with law enforcement on April 19.

The brothers are allegedly responsible for the largest act of terrorism on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001.

“It’s not my place to say whether the older brother deserved to die, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Leonard said, “but I hope his death and his brother’s arrest bring peace and security back to the people of Boston.”

Public response to the bombing has been mostly condemning the two brothers’ actions.

“You could never justify killing people,” Coburn said.  “Whatever reason they had won’t be a good one.”

Coburn is thankful both he and his wife are not hurt.

“A lot of people had it a lot worse than me,” Coburn said.  “There were people running for charity and good causes. People were representing the good things in society, and its hard to believe that someone would want to hurt them.”

The Hallers are also grateful to have returned safely, despite their mother’s proximity to the blasts.

“If she had been just a little faster, she could have been hit,” said Lara. “I was scared to death.”

Although Coburn and his wife are fine, Coburn said his ears didn’t stop ringing until several hours after the explosions. He said he will never forget what happened.

“It’s hard to say how it has affected me right now, but it has been a traumatic experience for sure,” Coburn said.  “You don’t want to let the sicko who did this dictate your life. I’d go and sit in those same stands next year, if she (Leeann) ran.”

Both families were examples of the many nationwide that were affected by the unexpected bombings in Boston, an event that some on the Internet are trying to exploit for popularity.

“It just makes me mad that people are making up stories when all those people are dead,” said Lara. “That could have been us.”

Cal (11-5 overall, 4-3 EBAL) won their first EBAL game of the season on March 20 by beating San Ramon Valley 3-2.  Senior Nick Truex and junior AJ Velasquez both had a pair of hits.

Senior Nate D’Emilio was solid over six innings as the starting pitcher and only yielded two runs while striking out three.  But senior Sean Jenkins recorded the win for the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies lost their second league game to Monte Vista, 4-0, on March 27.  Senior Adam Kimmel started and pitched well over 5.2 innings, but took the loss because of dominating pitching by Monte Vista.

The Grizzlies only managed four hits against the Mustangs, including two hits by junior Cameron Santos.

The big story of the game was the poor fielding by Grizzlies, which committed an astonishing five errors.

The Grizzlies were able to defeat Livermore on April 10 by a score of 9-8. Senior Sean Jenkins pitched well and allowed two runs over four innings while striking out six.

Junior Nick Allman had a big game at the plate by going 4- for-5 with two RBIs.

The Grizzlies lost their second EBAL game to Granada on April 12.

Granada, which is ranked among the top teams in the state, hammered Cal 7-0.  D’Emilio pitched well, but errors were once again a problem for the team, which could muster only three hits.

The Grizzlies had another big comeback victory on April 17 against Amador Valley.  The team won 6-5 after scoring two runs in the bottom the seventh to win.

Senior Travis Roberts had a solid day at the plate by getting two hits including the game-winning hit and RBI.

The Grizzlies most recently destroyed Foothill 10-4 on April 20, but they were shut out by De La Salle 4-0 on April 24.

If the Grizzlies can play solid baseball, especially on defense, they will have a great shot of having NCS success.

– Alec Bandler

Softball

The softball team is off to a perfect 7-0 start in league play and have already made headlines in NCS by upsetting  nationally ranked Amador Valley.

Currently in first place, the ladies have been in a battle with Amador Valley all year for league supremacy. The  two teams met in a close game on April 16, where the Grizzlies won 1-0.

The Grizzlies (14-3) struck in the bottom of the first inning when senior Kwyn Cooper scored on an RBI by senior Jessica Catson. The player of the game for the Grizzlies was junior Lindsey Chalmers who pitched a complete game shut-out and struck out seven batters.

The Grizzlies were held to just three hits, but that was enough for the win.

This is a major accomplishment for the Grizzlies who were pitted against the Dons, one of the top five softball teams in the nation.

The two teams also met on March 16 in a preseason game, where Cal lost a close 1-0 game.

Prior to the first league game of the year, the Grizzlies posted a 4-1 record and outscored their opponents 17-1.

The ladies squeaked out a 7-6 win in their first league game on March 26 at Monte Vista. Since the win, the team has held their opponents to under three runs in every game.

The cornerstone to the team has been its pitching, led by Chalmers. On April 9 at Livermore, she pitched a complete game  while striking out 15 batters.

According to maxpreps.com, the team ranked 17 in the state and 25 in the nation. The team continues to look for ways to improve and knows that NCS is in clear sight.

– Eric Yee

Track and Field

The ladies side of the track team continues to dominate the competition as they have in years past.

At 4-1, these ladies aren’t messing around. Cal shattered Monte Vista with a score of 81-55 on April 4, and on April 11 they delivered a healthy whooping on Livermore, 79-57.

“So far, the team is doing great,” said Coach Karbo. “We have several athletes who are performing very well right now.”

The team’s only loss came to Granada on March 14.

“We have a really great team this year,” said senior runner Kat Hupke.

The Grizzlies also sent  junior Madison Ricks to run the 800m at the Arcadia invitational on April 5-6. Ricks has had great showings in state meets since she was a freshman, and is hoping to qualify once again.

Joining Ricks in the very prestigious Arcadia Invitational was the girls 4x100m team, and 4x400m team. Ricks was able to place ninth in the 800 meter. While team 4x400m team of Ricks, sophomore Tyler Carr, sophomore Kaelin Delaney, and senior Stephanie Karbo placed seventh.

The only guy that attended the Arcadia Invitational in Los Angeles County was senior sprinter Karris Johnson. He ran in the 100m where he placed fifth.

Johnson is one of the most notable runners on a lackluster men’s team. The men’s side is 1-4.

The lone win in Cal’s season came convincingly over Foothill, 93-43, on March 21.

The Grizzlies are showing promise, and expect to rack up some more wins before the seaosn is over.

“I love our team,” said Johnson. “We mesh well and work hard to achive our goals.”

– Luke Finkel

Men’s Tennis

The tennis team closed the season on a  high note after a shaky start.

League play this season was all about streaks. After begining 0-2, the team reeled off three straight wins to improve to 3-2. A string of losses spanning from March 19 to April 8 pushed the team back in league standings.

On April 9, the team began to bounce back after winning 9-0 against Livermore and then at Granada two days later.

“I think we had a great season,” said sophomore Nick Spence. “I’m proud of my teammates for the work they put in.”

The team is looking forward to NCS, where hopes of success remain high.

–Eric Yee

Men’s Golf

The men’s golf team entered today’s EBAL tournament tied for sixth after finishing league play 2-12.

After dropping their first nine matches, the Grizzlies strung together a pair of wins by defeating Livermore and Granada on the road.

Cal beat Livermore 213-224 at Wente, and topped Granada 218-227 at Poppy Ridge.

The team also posted a three top 10 finishes in tournaments late in the season, including a seventh-place finish at the Transbay Invitational at Rossmoor Country Club on April 15.

The team fired its tournament low with a score of 407.  Junior Ian Rodgers led with way with a round of 4-over 76. Senior Reid Souza shot a 79.

Cal also took sixth at the Aiello Invitational at Discovery Bay Country.  Rodgers shot a 77, Souza and junior Kyle Hornsby both shot an 80.

The Grizzlies placed seventh at the Ukiah Invitational with senior Michael Kelly shooting an 81.

– Californian staff

Men’s Lacrosse

The men’s lacrosse team is hovering right around .500 this season with an overall record of 8-7.

The team lost their last game against Granada by a score of 16-10. They also suffered another equally tough loss to  Monte Vista by the final score of 10-3.   Cal faced Amador Valley (7-7) on Friday after The Californian went to press.

“It’s just been a rough season, and we don’t have enough teamwork,” said freshman Brandon Heinzen.

Although things have been rough for the team this season they are hoping to rebound and redeem themselves with what is left this year.

–Austin Hille

Men’s Volleyball

The men’s volleyball team concluded the season in the middle of the league standings.

This year’s 6-12 overall record, was a regression from last year’s performance.

The team’s biggest win this season came against De La Salle on April 9.  Senior Ryan Jensen highlighted the game with 17 kills and three blocks as the team put away the Spartans in the fourth set.

The Grizzlies are looking to improve for the upcoming season, which can include a more developed team.

–Eric Yee

Women’s Lacrosse

The women’s lacrosse team is having a great season with an overall record of 14-3 and a league record of 4-0.

The Grizzlies most recently  beat Granada 15-3 on April 19.  Junior Nicole Price and senior Arianna Barry both had three goals to lead the team.

If the Grizzlies can continue their success, they have a great chance of making another run at an NCS championship next month.  Cal lost to Carondelet in the NCS semifinals last year.

–Alec Bandler

Instead, these students will have the option of joining other students in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District for a more comprehensive program at Dougherty Valley High,  said Toni Taylor, the district’s director of educational services.

The ELD program, formerly known as English as a Second Language (ESL), is designed to help students whose English is not yet proficient, as well as  foreign exchange students staying for shorter periods of time.

Next school year, all ELD classes will be moved to Dougherty in order to provide more opportunities for English learners, said Taylor, noting Dougherty has the most ELD students in the district.

The decision is completely voluntary, and students will be given a choice to either stay at their current schools or to move. For those who stay, help from teachers will still be provided.

“Each high school has a relatively small population of ELD students, so the idea is, by concentrating, they have a better support system and larger classes,” said Cal High ELD teacher Jessica Heagle.

The idea was inspired by a program at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek.

“We visited, did some research, and realized we could offer a really strong program for language learners if we took resources and concentrated them into one location,” said Taylor.

This way, different levels of instruction can be offered to students who need either more or less support for learning English. The new Common Core standards will also be more easily met by teachers trained to help students do so.

“We could offer not just English classes, but also more structured support [to ELD students] in all classes throughout the day,” said Taylor.

The district will provide buses for students to get to Dougherty, a few miles east of Cal.  Coincidentally, many of the district’s ELD students already live near Dougherty.

At Cal, the current ELD program has 35 students, and it is designed to help all students who are still in the process of learning English. There are only two ELD courses offered.  Students take them depending on their proficiency.

The decision to move the ELD classes to Dougherty, not the students in the program itself, could possibly affect about 20 of the 35 ELD students at Cal, Heagle said.

District-wide, around 60 high school students are eligible to move, Taylor said. Only beginning and early intermediate students would have the option of moving, and the rest will remain at their current schools, taking regular English classes.

The students in Cal’s ELD classes have begun to discuss whether or not to move.

“I think the general consensus is to stay,” said Heagle.

A few students really resent the change.

“It’s really sad because some students really need this class,” said junior Daniela Medina, a foreign exchange student from Chile.  “I’ve grown really close to the people in my class, and it’s a lot of fun.  There’s a lot of diversity, people from everywhere, and I learn things every day about different countries.”

Sophomore Alton Yue, who enjoys the current ELD classes as well, expressed his reservations about the change, too.

“I just came here two months ago,” said Yue. “My English is not that good, but I don’t want to go to DVHS.”

On the other hand, freshman Parsa Rezaei and junior Kevin Yan, were unsure of their stance regarding the decision.

“It kind of depends on how much time it takes to get [to Dougherty],” said Rezaei.

But he had specific reasons for staying at Cal next year.

“I like the school and I have many friends at Cal High,” said Rezaeim who plans to take English 10.

For those who do choose to move to Dougherty next year, they  have the option of moving back to Cal if they have trouble adjusting or once there is no longer a language barrier.

Ari Anugroh, a Cal parent, wants her son, Muhammad, to remain at Cal for a stable environment.

“He has found some new friends and developed a good relationship with teachers and school staff at Cal High,” said Anugroh, who fears sending her son  to a new school would make him uncomfortable.

Because information about the change has just been sent to parents, Heagle says there have been no complaints yet, but she expects some.

Cal’s two ELD courses Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) and ELD, have been well-received. SDAIE is similar to ninth and tenth grade English, and the ELD class focuses more on grammar and vocabulary.

Senior Charlie Perschau, who lives with Chilean foreign exchange student junior Diego Moyano believes the ELD classes have been very helpful for Moyano since enrolling.

“He spoke barely any English,” said Perschau. “Now, he’s 100 percent fluent.”

English teacher Donna Montague thinks Cal’s ELD classes are part of a very strong program. and wants it to stay.

“My main reason is that we have such a successful program,” said Montague. “I feel like this is home base.”

Both of the classes are taught by Heagle, who will stay at Cal because of the other Spanish classes she teaches.  Heagle is torn about the decision to relocate ELD classes to Dougherty.

“They have a larger-targeted support,” Heagle said, “but students have already established a community, have friends, and are close to home.”

The theater was packed for nearly all four performances April 17-20, and rightly so.  This play was not one to be missed.

“James and the Giant Peach,” is the classic Roald Dahl story about an orphaned boy, James (Ashton May), who lives with his two evil aunts (Kimya Shokri and Abbey Radermacher).

A creepy old guy (Tristan Tuohy) notices this boy’s misery and gives him magic items to turn his life around.

But when James drops the magic items to the ground around his peach tree, he begins the journey of a lifetime in the resulting giant peach and its earthly inhabitants.

The play was wonderfully acted. The excitable ladybug (Sarah Glugatch) was extraordinarily peppy, the centipede “pest” (Bryce Woodward) was enthusiastically self-absorbed and the blind earthworm (Alex Bru) was charmingly depressing.  All of the actors reacted flawlessly off each other, and the  banter was hilarious to watch.

The play also incorporated a good use of audience involvement. While the peach was bouncing down the giant hill, the narrators (Alex Bringer and Emily Curley) portrayed the action by throwing an orange beach ball into the audience to bounce around.

At another point, “cloudmen,” played by extras, threw ping-pong balls at the audience to simulate a hailstorm. It was all in good fun and thoroughly enjoyable.

The set design was amazing, with a giant peach actually constructed for sole purposes of the play. A scaffolding was also built to allow the actors to poke their heads above the peach. They used a projector as well, with graphics to change the background.

The graphics were admittedly quite low quality, and messed with the mood a bit, but they did help the audience picture the scene better.

Costumes and makeup also played a great role in this play. Because “James and the Giant Peach” signifies magic and fantasy, all of the characters had to look out of this world, and that they did.

The  spider  (Courtney Haynes) was dressed in all black lace and a fishnet top, while the old green grasshopper’s (Jon Akkawi) face was entirely painted green with wrinkles for age.

In addition, the glowworm (Avery Massa) was totally pink, complete with a tutu.

All in all, the play was very well done and worth watching. The acting was great, the set was magnificent, the costumes were surreal, and every character had a distinct personality.

The only criticism I have about the production is the projected background was a bit out of place and some of the lines weren’t delivered properly.

But these minor mishaps hardly distracted from the  entire performance . I give “James and the Giant Peach” 3.5 out of 4 Grizzly paws.

I would begin plans for what would finally be a peach that is over eight feet tall, and sixteen feet wide. This size makes the peach one of the largest single set pieces in Cal High drama history.

But a peach this large is not a job for just one man. I had massive amounts of help from my practically-professional crew. This crew consisted of  junior Ross Bothelo, seniors Eric Bender and Matt Hern and last but certainly not least, parent volunteer, Ron Graham.

We would begin a three month journey to complete the largest set piece that any of us have ever built.

The construction started with Graham and I sitting at a table drawing out plans, and then promptly crumpling them up and throwing them away. Page after page of my poor notebook was sent into the trash can in a fit of rage.

Once we had a brilliant idea that would work perfectly, Woods came up to us and said she wanted it to rotate on stage. Rotate on stage? This was surely an impossible feat.

After many minutes of brainstorming, we came up with a game-changing idea. The frame of the peach could be made using PVC pipe that would then be covered in mesh wire to prepare it for many layers of paper-maché.

I was quite excited that I would get to reconnect with my artistic elementary school roots.

My crew and I went on winter break feeling satisfied with our plans to construct this behemoth, but we had no idea what sort of challenge we would face upon our return.

After a wonderful Hannukah and a happy New Year, I came back to our lovely scene shop, only to see Graham with a truck full of PVC pipe and a heat gun. We were going to use heat, but hopefully not flames, to bend this pipe into some resemblance of a peach.

Many weeks of burnt fingers and melted plastic pipe went by before we were happy with the skeleton that was supposed to support the papery flesh of the peach.

But before the paper-maché fun was to commence, we had to wrap the PVC pipe in very sharp mesh wire. The wire was to act as a surface to which the maché would stick

I only bled about 20 times before the skeleton was completely covered in our wire. This meant that our maché journey was to begin.

Gallons upon gallons of starch, and more bags of flour than I can count were mixed together to create a thick goop that would hopefully hold this paper to our peach.

It was working as planned, as layer after layer began to create a peach-looking object.

We decided to use orange paper so there would be minimal painting needed to make it look like a peach.

This idea did not go as planned. I cannot tell you how many times people came in and asked me why we were making an orange. I was once even asked why we were making a giant marble. Lots of painting was certainly going to be necessary.

My crew and I essentially possess no artistic ability whatsoever, so we made a visit to one of the art classes to get some help painting our “giant marble.”

Our prayer was answered. The art students in Michelle Stephanos’ class did an absolutely miraculous job of making our janky glob of paper look like a peach.

But the next challenge was getting this monster onto the stage without ripping it. I recruited a team of about 10 people to help me push it on stage before we could add the finishing touches.

Unfortunately for me, they had no interest in pushing, or touching the peach. So I was left to shove it on stage with a 10-person audience.  Thanks to my wit, and incredible muscles, I was able to get it on stage without much trouble.

But the real trouble came when I realized that my crew and I would have to rotate this colossal fruit in front of a huge audience during a quick blackout. This gave us about one minute to rotate this big peach.

I was pretty confident that we could do it, so I timed us rotating it. About five or six minutes in we gave up, and decided to go home from rehearsals. I’m glad we did, because I do my best thinking at home, asleep. That’s when, I kid you not, I dreamt that the peach had wheels, and spun around with great ease.

When I got back to the shop the next day Graham and I made this dream a reality. We were able to fix the wheels to the bottom making the turn an incredible amount easier. This way we would be able to whip it around stage in no time.

And that is exactly what we did. Fortunately, during all four shows this month there were no mishaps. The peach didn’t break, tip, or rip. It was truly a miracle.

This was a bittersweet feeling for me.  I’m glad everything went smoothly, but so many months of hard work, blood and sweat were over, just like that.

But it did make it a little easier that I got to tear the peach down with a huge saw. That was amazing.

In the end I learned that you can take the boy out of the peach, but you can never take the peach out of the boy.

Many science fiction movies, such as “Oblivion,” can easily go south with just one wrong line.  But director Joseph Kosonski knew exactly how to portray this futuristic of life on Earth.

I’m not going to lie, but I walked into the theater telling myself , “This movie is going to be too cheesy for me to handle.” I was wrong.

It presents quite an interesting take on the future of the human race.  It’s not typical at all. It’s quite creative and different, with plenty of twists to come by and a beautiful love story to capture not only action-desperate teens, but hopeless romantic ones as well. The best part was that there was never one cheesy part as I had assumed.

In a post apocalyptic world, Earth went to complete chaos with the moon’s destruction because of a mysterious alien race in dire need of a new healthy planet. Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and Victoria Olsen (Andrea Riseborough) must make sure the futuristic technology the humans made to survive in space stays in tact on Earth.

Throughout the film, Harper goes through visions of a young women as if they were memories, but he knows for a fact they’re figments of imagination. It’s driving Harper insane and starting to make him question who he really is and what is really happening in this so called “space colony.”

Soon, Harper realizes an old man named Malcolm Bleech (Morgan Freeman) has been watching him for a long time, and knows who Harper really is. But in order for Harper to cooperate, he needs to remember who Julia Rusakova  (Olga Kurylenko) is and make Bleech believe Rusakova can help Harper, even though he doesn’t want help.

A lot emotion was shown,   between action-packed dog fights and strong, passionate love scenes. I give huge props to Kurylenko for her portrayal of Rusakova.

Viewers feel as if they were the ones who suffered the loss of their team, as Kurylenko drew the viewers in with her fantastic facial expressions and passion for making Harper realize who he really is and what he really stands for.

One feels that “she’s the only one who can truly do this,” and can see how much she needed Harper to know the truth by simply gazing into Rusakova’s eyes.

Kosonski earns “Oblivion” 4 out of 4 Grizzly bear paws for its atypical and non-cheesy science fiction plot line, amazing emotion and passion put into the scenes, and creating a wonderful masterpiece of action, romance, and the future.

But the deep lore and expansive universe of “Star Trek” can seem intimidating to many would-be Trekkies.

While it’s true “Trek” is complicated (there are more than 700 episodes in all of the TV series combined) that shouldn’t stop anyone from getting into the awesome and entertaining universe of “Star Trek.”

Because the Abrams “Trek” movies are the earliest (excluding “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” which, through the magic of time travel, takes place in the 1980s) on the timeline of the Star Trek universe, they are an excellent place to jump into “Trek.”

After them, “Star Trek: The Original Series” is the next step.

Chronicling the continued adventures of James T. Kirk and his crew, the original series is a classic and an absolute prerequisite for anyone who calls himself  or herself a Trekkie.

All of the “Star Trek” TV series are worth watching (maybe with the exception of “The Animated Series”), but after “The Original Series” the next one to watch is “The Next Generation.”

The Starship Enterprise-D (Enterprises A-C having exploded, fallen into wormholes or been sucked into temporal rifts) continues its adventures with a different crew roughly 80 years after “The Original Series.”

“The Next Generation” has new characters (Riker), new enemies (The Borg) and much less cheesy effects than “The Original Series” has.

The crew, commanded by Jean-Luc Picard, travels to the edges of the universe and back in search of new life forms to document and study.

“The Next Generation” is a really entertaining TV program, and has always been my favorite “Star Trek” series.

As far as movies go, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” is probably the best movie involving the cast of the original series.

Kirk’s longtime enemy, Khan, returns and the  Enterprise and her crew have to travel across the galaxy to prevent him from activating the Genesis Device, a terraforming tool that, as it turns out, also makes a great doomsday device.

“The Wrath of Khan” provides action and drama, as well as one of the saddest scenes in any “Star Trek movie,” and is truly an excellent film.

If “The Next Generation” is more your thing, then “Star Trek: First Contact” will be right up your alley.

In “Star Trek: First Contact,” the crew of the Enterprise-D travels back in time to combat The Borg and ensure that Earth has interstellar contact for the first time, hence the name “First Contact.”

This movie in particular shows how awesome Picard really is, featuring a scene where the enraged captain sprays down a few Borg drones with a Tommy gun.

One of the few time travel movies which doesn’t produce any universe-collapsing paradoxes, “First Contact,” is a great action flick that features the already well developed characters from “The Next Generation.”

All in all, “Star Trek” is an incredible universe and, thanks to the release of the Abrams’ movies, isn’t just for nerds anymore.