NEWS AND SPORTS June 13, 20186

NOT EVEN WATERBY NABEALA SALEM Every year, thousands of Mus-lims all around the globe observe the holy month of Ramadan, which is considered to be the most sacred month in the Islamic year. During this month, Muslims fast and abstain from bad behaviors. It is also a time for fam-ilies to join together to celebrate and spend time with one another. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is based off the cy-cles of the moon as opposed to the more com-monly used Gregorian calendar. The begin-ning of the month is marked by the sighting of the new crescent moon, and the next day is when fasting begins. While many people focus on the fasting aspect of Ramadan, it is really a time for self-reflection and spiritual growth.

Muslims are meant to cleanse themselves of sin with both a physical and spiritual fast. According to the Gregorian calendar, Ramadan moves up 10 days every year. This year, Ramadan is presumed to start on May 15 and end on June 14. The fasting period is from sunrise to sunset, and during this time, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink anything. Depending on the country, fasting can last between 11 and 22 hours. This year, Ramadan will take place during the school year. For some, this means fasting during the school day. Physics teacher Ms. Rashid remarked on how difficult fasting is for her because she “needs her coffee.” While it is difficult to go the entire day without eating or drinking, the deeper meaning behind Ramadan makes the sacrifice worth it.

BY ARTHUR WEISSE Avengers: Infinity War was re-leased in theatres on April 27th, marking the 19th film that Marvel Studios has released in its 10 year history. Pre-sale tickets out sold almost every previous Marvel movie released. Having already accrued $640.9 million as of April 29th, Avengers: Infinity War is the most popular movie in theatres right now. The story of the movie involves Thanos, an alien warlord, out on the hunt for the Infinity Stones. The Infinity Stones contain unimaginable power, which Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet is able to wield to his bidding. Tha-nos’ ultimate goal is to depopulate the uni-verse. It’s up to the Avengers, composed of the largest roster of characters, featuring Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Vision, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and many others to stop Thanos’ conquest for destruction. Having so many characters in one movie might seem overkill, but it works be-

cause of the fact that the group is split across the world and the universe, so it doesn’t feel like a single story line with 30 major characters in one area. The movie also has a very serious tone, with themes of death and danger flowing throughout the film. By the end, you will have cried at least once. The CGI in this movie is outstand-ing. The main villain, Thanos, manages to look very real when he has close up shots of his face. The larger than life battle scenes are also well thought out, and show the amount of effort the heroes put into stopping the villains. The only problem this movie faced with me was that it felt like half of a movie. Avengers: Infinity War is part one in a two part story, and the ending shows it. The untitled Avengers part 2 movie is slated for a May 3, 2019 release, so in the meantime, enjoy Mar-vel’s upcoming Antman and the Wasp, coming in July 6, 2018 and Captain Marvel, coming in March 6, 2019.

READY PLAYER ONEAvengers: Infinity WarBY LOGAN NIETOSteven Spielberg’s latest film Ready Player One was released into theaters on March 29. Based on a book of the same name published in 2011 by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One follows the journey of 18-year old Wade Watts, played by Tye Sheridan. In the year 2045, Wade, along with the rest of the world, spends most of his days experiencing the massive virtual reality world known as The Oasis. However, after the game’s owner passes away and leaves three hidden easter-eggs in the Oasis for a lucky player to find and inherit his massive fortune, Wade’s life changes forever. The film received a fairly mixed response upon its release, earning 73% from critics and 79% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, 64% on Metacritic, and 7.8/10 on IMDb. First of all, the film is visually and conceptually spectacular. From the met-

al skin of a robotic Godzilla to the carpet of the Overlook Hotel, everything looks so appealing and creates what can only be de-scribed as a nerd’s dream come true. However, the film does suffer from a variety of plot inconsistencies and simply not thought-out plot points. These include the existence of an obtainable item that kills every single player in the Oasis in-stantly; the implication that after five years, not a single person has driven backwards in a racing game; a forced, but heartwarm-ing feel-good Spielberg ending; and many more. Despite all of its flaws, Ready Player One is still an enjoyable and fast-paced thrill ride that has something for ev-eryone. A decent story for critics, a visual marvel for average audiences, and a barrage of references to satisfy more pop-culture savvy audience members. Those planning to see it better have their popcorn ready and their nostalgia goggles strapped on tight.

REMEMBERING MISS GALYARDT

Deborah Galyardt’s life was marked with a ceaseless devotion of sharing her fervent interest in history and psychology, her unending love and kindness to the people around her, and her remarkable talents as a homemaker and friend. Miss Galyardt was a mother to four but an educator to thousands. Miss Galyardt graduated from Torrance High School in 1970, making her a Tartar for decades. As a member of the drill and cheer teams, Miss Galyardt fostered a lifelong attachment to the school where she would spent her career and watch her children gradu-ate. Her daughter, Heather, remarked, “THS was her life and her students were her passion.” As a teacher, Miss Galyardt made her students her number one priority. In 2009, she brought 25 fortunate students to Wash-ington, D.C., to see the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Even at home, friends and family noted that she was always full of information, going so far as to teach her 3-year-old grandaughter the history of the Revolutionary War using My Little Pony toys. Fellow teacher Carol Porter shared many hobbies and interests with her close friend. The two frequented the Ahmanson The-ater and the tennis court, a sport that “Deb” (as Ms. Porter knew her) coached at THS. She also owned a restaurant at one point, played piano, and was semi-fluent in French, Spanish, and Welsh, according to her children who often heard “Asseyez-vous, por favor” at home. In addition to teaching, Miss Galyardt was a laudable homemaker. She was a talented cook and clothes maker. She was known for producing memorable meals and sewing beautiful fashion pieces. Ms. Inverso compared Miss Galyardt’s warmth with the attributes associated with southern hospitality. One student, Mina Kim, was profoundly inspired by Miss Galyardt. During her senior year, Miss Galyardt hired Kim to pick up her son, John, from elementary school and Kim gradually became one with the family. Kim, now a therapist, credits Miss Galyardt for nurturing her love for psychology and described her as a surrogate mother. Sadly, Miss Galyardt’s life was cut short at the age of 65 on March 17, 2018. She will be dearly missed by the students and faculty at THS. Her memory lives on in the halls of Torrance High School.

October 6, 1952-March 17th, 2018

Photo Courtesy of Timesofindia.com

BY JACK ARROUES Torrance High School possesses a ded-icated and passionate faculty, a hardworking and ambitious student body, a beautiful campus, a mul-titude of extracurricular activities, athletics, and clubs—yet, it’s strongest asset is its food. No, not the cafeteria (though their ef-forts are commendable), I’m talking about a food culture. What other school has the variety of foods to intermingle? Where else do students bond over shared appreciation of varied cuisines and cultures to the degree that Tartars do? Who does food better than Tartars? According to a report in U.S. News and World Report, Torrance High School is far more ethnically diverse than many other high schools in the United States. This equates to a culinary di-versity that unifies our student body more than any athletic, academic, or artistic activity.

Nine different culture clubs (ten if you include the campus experts on hand-held gastron-omy, Club Sandwich) show the myriad of food representatives at THS. The culmination of these “connoisseurs of all things comestible” results in a glorious, biannual event: Harvest/Spring Fest. Some of these clubs go above and be-yond. Korean Culture Club, for example, holds a Korean Culture Night rife with foods like fried dumplings, bulgogi, and stir-fried glass noodles. Beyond fundraisers, Torrance High re-ally doesn’t do much along the lines of food prepa-ration. Unlike other TUSD high schools, Torrance does not have a strictly culinary club nor does it offer a class in the art of cooking, but this will soon change. There is rumor that a “Foods and Nutri-tion” class is soon to appear on student’s sched-ules next year and finally highlight Torrance High School’s greatest asset: food.

WHAT’S GOOD?