By Annie Qu, Abby Pan
Staff Writer
College Dates Update
UC and Cal State schools announced in February that they would push their college commitment day from May 1 to May 15 due to complications with the FAFSA. Private school commitment days vary due to their individual application processes and systems.
The FAFSA opened to students in December. During previous years, students accessed the FAFSA as early as October.
Complications caused a delay in students knowing what their financial status would be at colleges, which made it difficult for seniors to decide which school to commit to.
The change in the college commitment date does not affect the timing of any senior events. If FAFSA issues are fixed, the date is expected to return to May 1 next year.
“I think the date being pushed back is a good thing because students can get their financial information and have time to think about it,” counselor Kristen Castro said.”It’s giving them that time to have that knowledge, then talk with their families and figure out what’s going to be in their best interest in terms of attending college, especially since it’s such a huge investment.
Mr. Temple City
Friends and family filed into 601 on April 12 to watch Mr. TC, titled “Escape from Alcatraz,” with laughter and applause echoing throughout the room as the lights dimmed and the annual boys pageant kicked off with a group dance routine.
The pageant featured senior participants Lucas de Paula, Steve Garcia, Timothy Hinckley, Zachary Leonard, Zane Pinedo and first-ever duo Erik Selders and Brandon Naylor.
The night concluded with announcements of Timothy Hinckley as Mr. TC and Mr. Congeniality, decided by the judges and voted on by the participants, respectively. The Mr. TC audience voted on duo Brandon Naylor and Erik Selders as Mr. Fan Favorite.
In addition to the group dance choreographed by Song captains Hallie Lo, Koko Kusayanagi and Malia Teets, the senior boys attempted to win the votes of the audience and judges through a talent showcase, a cat walk and interactions with the judges, such as answering questions and using pick-up lines. ASB members Livia de Paula and Sarah Li emceed the event as each contestant showcased their personality.
Activities and Athletics Office Manager Dianne Blank, English 4 teacher Michael Liu and AP Microeconomics teacher Ryan Lauterbach judged the pageant. ASB, Pep and Dragonflicks decorated 601 with caution tape, cut out footprints and makeshift jail cells, alongside the individual posters and description of each contestant plastered on the walls.
“I was pretty confident because of previous experience in public speaking and being good at improv,” Hinckley said. “Winning both Mr. TC and Mr. Congeniality was unexpected but it felt cool to continue the tradition of winning two titles as my brother had.”