Volume LVI, Issue II
15325 Los Robles Avenue, Hacienda Heights
Conquerors Make Assistant Principal Send-Off Memorable By Christian Ledezma Here at Los Altos we have been fortunate enough to welcome a myriad of administrators. Unfortunately, we have had to part with one of our fellow administrator Vice Principal Lori Stevens, as she gears up to settle down back to her old position of librarian, this time at Riverside Poly High School. Stevens’s expresses, “I’ve enjoyed my years at Los Altos, it’s a great school… it does a great job at balancing academics and athletics, the people are wonderful… and I really have enjoyed it.” Stevens has been an influential persoWn on the Los Altos campus, welcoming students and aiding the performing arts. One of her proudest achievements was starting the Jazz and Poetry Night. Senior Julianna Gaeta tells, “I think the Jazz and Poetry slam helps students express themselves not only in music but also in writing, without feeling confined to the classroom.” The Jazz and Poetry night is a unique event that incorporates music and writing allowing students to share their artistic ideas amongst their peers in an open and welcoming environment.
October 2016
Conquerors Wear Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness By Nicolas Hernandez
Lori Stevens accepts Renaissance’s parting gift despite giving the students the best gift of all; Courtesy of Christian Ledezma. Steven’s is returning to her old job as a librarian, a job that she had before administrator. “I’m going back to be a school librarian… I’ve decided that at this point in my life it’s a better fit for my family.”, explains Stevens. She will be taking a job at Riverside
Poly High School. As we say goodbye to Ms. Stevens, Los Altos welcomes a new conqueror, Nicole Duquette. Duquette has degrees in political science and journalism, and is ready to pick up where Stevens has left off.
Band Starts Off the Season With A Clean Slate By Christian Ledezma The band program, known as the Entertainment Unit holds a decorated and historic legacy here at Los Altos. For such a tradition oriented program, positive change is welcome. With their new uniforms, access to the new stadium, and with the return of the decorated Los Altos Annual Field Tournament to our school rather than at the district field, the Los Altos Entertainment unit is ready to dominate at this season. As the first tournament draws near, many members of the E.U. are excited and motivated to compete. Bass drummer, junior, Iaian Garoz exclaims, “I’m really excited because the show is actually really cool this year and our teacher is working very hard for us to perform it to its best, and further improve over last year.” The band show this year will feature four movements instead of the typical three that the E.U. has done in the past. Flute player, junior, Raquel Gonzalez tells, “I can’t wait for the first tournament because this year we have new uniforms and a bunch of new people. I’m really excited to perform.” The E.U.’s new uniforms this year feature a sleek modern design, greatly contrasting the more traditional uniforms in blue and white previously worn by the band. They are a much appreciated gift to the members of the E.U. as the previous uniforms hadn’t changed in ten years and were
starting to show their age. “In being my second year of drumline, our instructor James Catherall has really turned a new leaf for the percussion section and I’m ready to do even better than last year at this first tournament and carry the momentum on for the rest of the season.” explains quad player, Alex Aceves. The percussion section has made leaps and bounds in the past several years, however last year was particularly evolutionary. Despite receiving an average score at their first tournament, they challenged themselves and finished in the top three groups for almost every tournament. The Entertainment Unit is proud to host their annual field tournament back at Los Altos for the first time in six years. Due to the move to astroturf in high school stadiums, since 2010, the E.U. has been forced to move their tournament to the district field at La Puente High School in order to average the same attendance of over 30 bands. Now that Los Altos has a new field, the tournament can return to its home where it has been for over 40 years. With bands traveling from all over Southern California, the Entertainment Unit prepares itself for a season of change, ready to divide and conqueror.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is an annual campaign dedicated to increasing awareness for breast cancer as well as raising funds to assist in research for the disease. Los Altos is doing its part in participating this month by organizing Conquer Cancer Month. This is a month long event where Los Altos will recognize and raise money in order to aid the fight against the different cancers that affect so many people around the world. According to Breastcancer.org, approximately 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer in their life time. This shocking statistic translates to over 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in 2016. These statistics are the reason that it’s so important for everyone to do their part because to the people who are affected by this disease it’s not just a statistic. This is why our school is making a difference and organizing Conquer Cancer Month. This is explained by junior Renaissance member, Marissa S, who is heading the campaign this year. “Conquer Cancer Month is an opportunity to make students here at Los Altos aware of breast cancer and to raise money that goes into funding research.” When asked why it’s important for students to participate this month, Marissa answered, “It’s important because we hear about cancer on TV and magazines but Conquer Cancer Month gives us a chance to be involved and work together to make a change.” Additionally, some of the activities that will be a part of the October campaign are an introduction rally, pink fashion show, Pizza Co. fundraiser, tissue box competition for the fourth period class that can raise the most money, class quarter wars with ISI incentive, and girls’ varsity volleyball Dig Pink game. All these activities contribute to the bigger picture of Los Altos participating and making a difference in the fight against breast cancer. support women
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“Breast Cancer awareness month is a great opportunity for Los Altos to give back to the community and to recognize those in need of support. ” - Alondra Luna
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The Entertainment Unit marches to the school’s drum cadence as they take the field to warm up the crowd for the annual Los Altos versus Wilson game; Courtesy of Valeria Alcantara.
live
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Sabrina Sanchez
WELCOME
2 Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s News
Staff Box 3
New Teachers Renaissance Represents Jostens
News
4
Homecoming Media Center
Valeria Alcantara
Laila Jibrin
Jasmine Alexander
Christian Ledezma
Jasmine Alonzo
Juan Morales
Damien Alvarado
Cesar Moreno
Caley Asbee
Briana Munoz
Sumitra Ariel Bernardo
Analise Pacheco
Jeremy Chen
Danielle Porras
Emma Eriksen
Joshua Sanchez
Bianca Flores
Sabrina Sanchez
Adalilian Franco
Mateo Sandoval
Damian Hernandez
Brandon Vicuña
Nicolas Hernandez
Joshua Vivas
Kagan Strategies
Entertainment
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Improv Night Choir Concert and Regional Competition
Features Hell’s Gate AP Chinese Success
AP Spanish Success
College Path to Success
Opinion Ask Connie Jo Conqueror
6 7 8 9 10 11
Election Opinions
Sports Score Update Volleyball Game Football Recap Water Polo
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Mission Statement T he 2016-2017 Jour nalism Staff s tr ives to b r in g f o r th th e b es t n ews paper L os Altos has ever seen, r eg a r d les s o f m is s p elled n a m es o r o th er small er r or s. It is our duty to ens u r e th a t ever y s tu d en t will h ave a n en joyable paper to r ead and lear n a b o u t th e wo r ld a r o u n d th em . In ever y issue, we wish to not o n ly a mu s e a n d in f o r m , b u t to p er s u a d e you into becoming inter ested in o u r ca m p u s. W ith ju s t o n e p a p er we h o p e to unite our school closer tog eth er, a n d h ave ever y r ea d er g la d th ey r ea d this newspaper and “ tuned in” to o u r ca m p u s.
Contact Us Email Website Connie -
2017la h s jo u r n a lis m @g m a il.co m T h e-co n q u er o r.o r g Co n n iejo co n q u er o r @g m a il.co m
L AHS Journal i sm proud l y p ar t ne r s w i t h L A C onq ue r or @LAConqAthletics / Losaltosathletics.org
NEWS
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LAHS Welcomes New Teachers For 2016-2017 School Year By Valeria Alcantara & Caley Asbee Every school year comes with new beginnings and changes in the Los Altos community. This school year of 2016-2017 has new teachers on the Los Altos High School Campus. There are a total of seven new teachers on the Los Altos High School campus. Two of these hired teachers are science teachers. Orlando Perez is an anatomy and physiology teacher. This School year is his second year teaching. Perez expresses his opinions on how it is to teach at Los Altos prior to his other school. “How my situation here at Los Altos compares to my situation at Pomona is that there’s just a different mentality of students. Students want to learn and engage and have been taught this at a very young age as opposed to the previous district,” Perez explains. Perez also states what he is looking forward in his class, “What I’m looking forward in my class is that I want to develop leaders. I want people to be okay with taking risks. Be okay with failing and taking it as an opportunity to learn and not accept failure as an option.” Paul Fang is a physics and AP physics teacher, and he’s been teaching for over 15 years. Fang explains the reason why he decided to work at Los Altos, “I grew up in Hacienda Heights. I attended Wilson High School. We recently had a baby, and so my parents still live here, so it gives the opportunity for my baby to spend time with her grandparents.” Fang also sates his opinion on the difference between Los Altos and his previous school. “Well, my previous school was an all-girls school and it was also a private school. There are so many opportunities here because it is a bigger school. There are so many opportunities here that students have one of them that I noticed is the engineering program. I want students to be able to build confidence in learning physics. I love it when students have the lightbulb moment when they figure things out,” Fang explains when asked what he was looking forward to this school year. A first year teacher and coach at Los Altos, Joel Hurtt states, “I look forward to everyday being a little different and seeing kids learning.” Hurtt teaches AP U.S. History and World History, coaches JV Football, and advises the clubs Conquer Runs and Helpful Hands. Joel Hurtt did not always know that teaching would be his calling. Originally his plan was to become an accountant, however he soon came to realize that his first career choice was not for him. He decided, instead, to teach. Hurtt believes teaching gives him an outlet to help kids learn and to coach football. He went on to say that, “I played football and after not being able to play in college, I still wanted to have some involvement in the sport. I have always had a mind for the game.” Ikman Singh, one of Hurtt’s AP students, remarks, “The thing about Mr. Hurtt that I like the most is that his understanding and caring towards his students. He is always available whether we need help or have to make up work.” Joel Hurtt does not only treat his students well but his teaching skills seem to impact his students immensely. Singh also states, “I like how he writes all of his notes and then continues to explain them. It helps to learn better. He does a really good job at teaching AP U.S. History.” Although new to LAHS, Hurtt is not new to teaching. His thoughts on Los Altos are “I really like the school and the culture here. The kids really want to succeed and learn. The campus has a positive atmosphere.” Los Altos welcomes new staff members (top to bottom) Paul Fang, Orlando Perez, Joel Hurtt. Photos courtesy of Christian Ledezma
Renaissance Represents Los Altos At Jostens CARE Conference By Sabrina Sanchez
“We transform that reminder into motivation, and we incorporate that into new ways to make sure that the Conquerors know that they matter.” Renaissance poses for its commemoritive photo at this year’s 2016 annual Josten’s Care Conference at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Photos courtesy of Sabrina Sanchez. Los Altos’ Renaissance stole the show at the annual Jostens CARE Conference on September 26 at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. With their high spirits and positive energy, Renaissance showcased the commendable school spirit Los Altos possesses. The Jostens CARE (California Association of Renaissance Educators) Conference is a regional gathering for students and teachers to exchange ideas, and learn new strategies. This conference was established in 1996 by a group of motivated educators, as well as Jostens representatives who all wanted to guide students on their paths towards a successful future. Renaissance President Alondra Luna stated, “CARE Conference makes Renaissance grow more because we are reminded that we have the purpose and power to improve our school environment. We transform that reminder into motivation, and we incorporate that into new ways to make sure that the Conquerors know that they matter.” Luna continued by saying, “Renaissance takes away new ideas on how to recognize more students and teachers on campus. There are many amazing schools that present their recognitions at the CARE Conference and we attempt to apply those clever ideas to Los Altos.” Renaissance stands tall and proud as one of the leadership groups at Los Altos. Attending the Jostens CARE Conference has enhanced their abilities as strong and successful leaders
and instructors on campus. Renaissance member Camryn Verduzco stated, “I went to one seminar on how to make recognition rallies more enjoyable and another seminar on how Renaissance is more than just rallies. Both were very beneficial.” Verduzco went on to explain, “The seminars were really good because they gave us a lot of new ideas on how to recognize everyone on campus. They also were a great way to connect with other schools and see what things work on their campus versus our campus.” Renaissance also had the opportunity to present their own workshop for other student leaders. One of the presenters, Miguel Balderrama stated, “Our seminar is about our Conqueror Crazy section and how to achieve that level of school spirit at any school.” Balderama continued, “It’s a interesting experience being the teacher rather than the student. Presenting to the students is amazing, it allows them to grow as leaders, and I know it allows me to grow as a leader because contributing as a group is what leadership is all about.”
NEWS
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The Los Altos Media Center Updates
Homecoming Court -
By Bianca Flores and Joshua Sanchez
The Vote For King and Queen By Juan Morales Upon the fast approaching Homecoming Dance, the highly anticipated revelation of the Court was announced on the morning of September 23. Nominated by the student body, five girls and five boys were placed on the Homecoming Court. Ranging from academic to athletic backgrounds, the nominees strive for the same vote. The very vote to be crowned King or Queen of Homecoming. The Queen nominees are as follow: Amber Boyd, Julia Gonzales, Jackie Mondragon, Toni Salazar and Marisa Sanchez. The King nominees are: Isaiah Chacon, Andrew Manuele, Eric Martinez and Tyler Nevens. Although the goal of all nominees is to be crowned, there is motivation and inspiration that drives some to accomplish being crowned. Senior, Rene Ramirez, finds that being part of the Court and perhaps eventually becoming crowned, not only allows for the opportunity to be honored, but also as a way to spread positivity by the reputation you give. "Being nominated really makes me happy, I like to spread positive vibes everyone and I think that’s really what a nominee should have" expressed Ramirez on the concept of the qualities a
Sabrina Sanchez nominee should have. The feeling of being nominated tends to be more appreciated by the female candidates. Being nominated not only means that they are some of the most well recognized people on campus, but they also tend to have an influence upon others. Senior, Jackie Mondragon, finds it extremely crucial that female nominees have the qualities of a positive role model instead of just the model face. "The fact other nominated me really makes me proud because it proves that I'm passionate about what I do and always remain positive," stated Mondragon. Jackie expressed that being a positive person and constantly there for others is important to show she is an exceptional nominee. Senior Amber Boyd mentions that the crowing of the King and Queen is awarded to those who represents the school and show great characteristics such as leadership, friendship, and sincerity. "I believe that they are also capable of motivating others to reveal their best characteristics at all times", remarks Boyd. Homecoming is held on October 15 this year holds the crown for King and Queen. Candidatesof all backgrounds hope to eventually be able to represent the title, and leave Los Altos with a memorable senior year.
Strays And Their Short Time Before Their Euthanization By Danielle Porras They are the puppies and kittens you see on the ASPCA commercials that break one’s heart. Although there are ones in the shelters that do not get to be picked out by an owner and after that, it is all down hill. In s study by AmericanHumane.org 15.8% of dogs and 2% of cats are reunited with their owner. The rest of them are not as lucky, and have only a certain amount of time to impress an unsuspecting adoptie to save themselves from the unknown. Javier Rodarte, an Animal Control Officer, at the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control in Baldwin Park, explained the journey of an animal when they enter the shelter, “By law we hold them for five days to see if a owner claims them. If no one claims them, then they become available for public adoption. The Department tries not to house [the] dogs more than a month because then they become susceptible to illness.” According to the ASPCA.org 2.7 million animals are euthanized each year. Of that 2.7 million 1.2 million of them are dogs and 1.4 million of them are cats.
Rodarte explained, “We saw a spike of animals being turned in and found as strays when the housing markets went bust… People were loosing their homes.” These results, were more ownerless four-legged friends in the shelter kennels. ASPCA.org states, “35% of dogs are adopted, 31% are euthanized and 26% who came in as strays are returned to their owner.” Strays pets are not just appearing out of thin air, in Javier Rodarte’s opinion “We tend to get more strays in lower income areas,” they are being found and to keep them from their horrendous fate we can try to reach out to these communities. “Educating is key.” Rodarte tires to explain, “And building a relationship in those communities is so important, so you can educate…If they don’t respect you and trust you, how can you expect them to listen.” If we do have help for these communities then we may be able to lower the percentage of euthanization. That could mean the pets behind cages get a chance to find an owner who will not abandon them.
Kagan - “Now high five your partner” By Adalilian Franco and Joshua Sanchez Kagan is the newest cooperative strategies of the school year. This new system creates groups of four students in classrooms that provide an easier way for work by introducing cooperative learning groups. The classroom is randomly assigned table groups of four students. From these groups of four, students are encouraged to share with everyone, but more specifically their “shoulder” and “face” partners. These pairings can be beneficial to teachers as well, as instead of having to check for small errors individually, students can fix the issues before the teacher needs to handle them, saving on valuable time for educators everywhere. These table groupings aren’t only for teachers though. These strategies are designed to encourage class participation. For example the ideas a pair comes up with can be shared to the rest of the table, and then eventually this idea can be shared among the whole class. This leads to improved classroom discussion. Instead of generically having one student answer all the questions and having other students scared to raise their hands, this strategy has every student a chance to be chosen. This is especially seen in “Timed Sharing”, where one student cannot truly complete the task if the other students did not do their part. This encourages all students to share their ideas, and if other students have different ideas, each group member will write them all down and they may see a concept or idea in a completely different way. If students are randomly grouped with friends, they can enjoy their classes as sharing may become more meaningful and result in memories. Most of school life used to have students in long boring rows, and that may lead into disinterested students. In Kagan Cooperative Learning, students are grouped with people they probably would never group with,
and that leads to new connections. Furthermore, this engage everyone in the group, including students who are more on the shy side as this is a great way to get students to interact with each other. These strategies can easily fit with the traditional lesson plan. Teachers can choose to have students sitting down or get up and move around. Regardless of the strategy, these principles are to encourage cooperation and communication among one another, inserting personal engagement in the lesson and hopefully the classroom as well. The Kagan strategy is just one of many that the district has adopted into its schools. Here at Los Altos the Kagan method has had a positive effect in creating bonds among students, and helping them further their independent thinking skills.
This 2016-2017 school year is undergoing a few changes concerning the Media Center. The Los Altos Media Center has a temporary librarian and a new schedule for CSF tutoring is in effect. Los Altos’ previous librarian, Kathleen Campbell, has moved on to another employer, and the Los Altos Administration is currently in the process of hiring a permenant librarian to replace her. In the time being, a temporary substitute aid for the office, Christy Estrada, is currently running the Media Center. Although she prefers the flow of the office, she would describe her experience as fun despite certain groups of students trying to test her patience. However, students shouldn’t worry about being able to print out that last minute homework assignment. Christy Estrada is temporarily in charge of running the Media Center during hours before, during, and after school. Los Altos head counselor, Mary Mallen, explains, “A lot of students rely on our computers in order to print things and do homework.” Since Estrada took over as librarian, several students’ homework grades have been saved, alongside poor office workers who were swarmed with print requests. She includes free printing without the traditional print cards due to the fact that the card machine is broken. Not much is known about the state of the card machine other than it will remain obsolete for now. Print requests are made quite differently from before. All a students need to do to print is ask nicely after sending a request to the computer. Students do not even need to sign in to print, in fact they don’t even need to even sign in unless they enter the Media Center during class time. Without that minor inconvenience, the Media Center is even more catered to helping students quickly print. The Media Center isn’t only just for printing, though, as another change surrounding the Media Center is the schedule for CSF tutoring. CSF, or the California Scholarship Federation, is a state run organization that honors students who thrive academically by allowimng them to tutor for a subject they have extense knowledge on. Junior and CSF member, Brittney Delgado explained, “I come in every Monday and I tutor whoever needs help.” When asked if she enjoys it she quickly replied, “I do like to tutor people! The other day when I was tutoring this girl named Alexis, the next day she told me she aced her quiz, and I just got super excited.” CSF members are giving up their free time to help other students conquer all subjects. Mallen explains, “Students have to apply and then they pay a dollar in dues and depending on how many semesters they qualify for over their four years of high school, they earn those different regalia at graduation, either the stole or the yellow cord.” Additionally, members are eligible for $1,000 and $500 scholarships. In order to earn these accolades, CSF members have to complete 20 hours of community service, and the Los Altos CSF advisors have decided that the community service will be tutoring after school. In past years, CSF tutoring was available Monday through Friday, but due to a lack of students attending tutoring, this year it is only available on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The Media Center retains its place as the center for all students by retaining printing during lunch and tutoring after school. Just remember Estrada’s only warning, if a student is to enter the Media Center, they must “come in to work. Don’t come in to hang out, and make noise.” With that in mind, all conquerors can make the Media Center work again.
CSF Tutoring Sabrina Sanchez
Mon-Tues 3:00 PM-4:00 PM
ENTERTAINMENT Whose “Improv Night” Is It Anyways? By Emma Eriksen On September 28, 2016, parents, students, and faculty gathered in Room A1 for a night of enjoyment and entertainment provided by Los Altos’ talented 2016 Improv Troupe. The performers showcased their talents by acting out hilarious skits and games. Improv Night was set to begin at 7 pm, and by the time the doors closed, the audience was already awash with anticipation. The pamphlet passed out at the door promised 13 performances, all meant to showcase the various talents of the LAHS Improv Troupe. Junior Azul Gomez, one of the actors, stated that, “I hope the audience enjoyed all of the performances, because we worked hard and put effort into all of the scenes.” If the reactions of the audience were any indication, they certainly enjoyed the performance. The event began with “Props,” a game in which the Troupe was split up into two groups, called the East and West sides, and chose props from a box. Using these props, individuals or pairs would think of a skit to perform. Once the skit was understandable, a bell would ring and the next person would come up. The audience wildly approved of Props, laughing and cheering on the actors. Props was a captivating game because it showed how quick-thinking and unflappable the actors had to be in order to pull the skit off successfully. The skits ranged from including pop culture references to parallel jokes about the limits parents put on children’s behavior. The next game was round one of Sentences, in which the three participating actors were each given two random sentences that needed to be inserted into their scene. Showcasing Mia Cortez and Rosana Lopez as roommates, and Lizeth Chimal as a Sham Pow solicitor, the scene was already set to be wildly funny. The three managed to successfully say their
Members of the drama department engage each other in an emotional pose for the applauding audience at the annual Improv Night. Photo Courtesy of Adalilian Franco.
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sentences without breaking character or influencing the overall direction of the scene. Later in the night there was another round of Sentences, involving Porscha Romero, Azul Gomez, and Ruben Campos. They acted out a scene in which the situational irony was strong: Romero played a driving instructor, Gomez a student, and Campos an unnoticed tag along. Gomez freely admitted her bias when asked about her favorite part of the night. “I really enjoyed the last round of Sentences. I think it was the funniest.” Some of the audience may have agreed, based on the round of applause provided after the end of the scene. Prior to the last round of Sentences, however, came the other games. Post Gibberish Interpreters, in which two actors performed a scene solely through gibberish and two other actors “interpreted” their statements, and then came a more physical game called Sit/Lean/ Stand. In Sit/Lean/Stand, a normal improv scene is performed, with one twist: one actor needed to sit, one needed to stand, and one needed to lean at all times. The audience was encouraged to “gently remind” the actors which position was missing. The first group of actors consisted of Alejandro Ramirez-Duran, Ruben Campos, and Brandon Burke. Their scene involved one frantic fireman, Burke, trying to convince the other two that they needed to help put out the fire that was located inside the firehouse. The second group consisted of Karla Galaviz, Aaliyah Brathwaite, and Tiffany Liao, with Galaviz acting as a harried photographer and Brathwaite and Liao as her haughty models. The scene they put on was incredibly dynamic, with the audience participating as much as the actors did by yelling out what positions were not included. When asked about what advice she would give to other hopeful actors, or even those going into any center of attention, Galaviz exclaimed, “Just do it! No one is perfect, so no one will laugh at you. Just go for it!” Another highlight of Improv Night was the Dating Game, with bachelor Ruben Campos trying to guess the identities of contestants Laila Jibrin, Lizeth Chimal, and Sariah Mitchell. The only catch was the identities of the contestants, who were imitating fictional characters. Chimal did a spot-on impression of the beloved Boy Wizard, Harry Potter, Mitchell gave her all as Santa Claus, and Jibrin rounded off the trio with an uncanny imitation of Lady Gaga. By the end of the scene, Campos had a hard time of keeping in-character as the audience roared with laughter. A spectator of the show, junior Nacala Mitchell, stated, “My favorite part of the whole night was the Dating Game with Ruben. I had fun watching him react to the contestants.” After the end of Improv Night, in which the LAHS Improv Troupe sent off the audience with a number from the Sound of Music, it is obvious why Improv Night has been at Los Altos for the better part of a decade. Galaviz tried to sum up the appeal of improv in general, mentioning teamwork, collaboration, and humor.
Los Altos Choir’s First Concert Of The Year Alongside Regionals By Sabrina Sanchez and Sumitra Ariel Bernardo On Wednesday October 5, Los Altos’ choir department will hold their annual fall concert at the Hacienda Heights Community Center, showcasing the talent of the students that make up the four choirs of Los Altos. The Los Altos Choir Program will be performing two shows on Wednesday, one at 6:00 PM and one at 8:00 PM. Tickets are on sale for five dollars at the door, and there will be no presale tickets. At the concert, LA Harmony, the co-ed non-auditioned choir, Men’s Choir, the all male non-auditioned choir, Women’s Ensemble, the all female show choir, and Production Choir, the co-ed show choir, will be showcasing what they have been working on for the past eight weeks. Men’s Choir member Carl Zarate shared, “This year’s Men’s Choir has many new voices that have added onto our sound. Rehearsals have been outstanding, our voices sound magnificent together.” Zarate furthered his thoughts by describing how he thought Men’s Choir’s first performance of the year would go, “Men's choir performance at the concert will sound marvelous. We will reveal the potential that we have on stage, and we will prove that our hard work in each rehearsal is worth it.” When asked how her choir was doing in rehearsals, Vice President of Women’s Ensemble, Adell Robles stated, “So far, I can tell everyone is putting their heart into every note they sing, their effort is always there.” When asked about how she thought Women’s Ensemble will perform at the concert, Robles continued, “I think the first concert will go very well, and will be a good learning experience to the new comers and returners.” With all of their hard work, Women’s Ensemble is ready to put on a fantastic performance. Production Choir has also been putting in their best effort to make sure that their performance at the first concert of the year is successful. President of Production Choir, Joshua Avila said, “This year has been the most cohesive group ever. I’m impressed by the amount of concentration and hard work they have put in.” When asked about how he felt about the upcoming concert, Avila replied, “I’m very excited to show that P.C. [Production Choir] has been working so hard, and especially to showcase our music.” Each choir at Los Altos is well prepared to put on two successful performances at the annual fall concert. Students apart of the choir program are also given opportunities to audition for a regional choir that works with college level choral pieces: the SCVA Honor Choir. On September 24, several students from Los Altos’ advanced choirs auditioned for for a spot in the Southern California Vocal Association’s Honor Choir. The most talented students are selected from numerous amounts of schools throughout Southern California. Last year, a total of five out of the ten students who auditioned last year were chosen to be in the Southern California Honor Choir. This year, more than ten students from Los Altos’ Women’s Ensemble and Production Choir are auditioning. There are multiple sections of the whole audition process. The choir student auditioning must sight read music, sing major scales, and sing a foreign language choral piece. When asked about what she did to prepare for her audition, first time auditionee, Marissa Sareñana said, “During Production Choir, our class would go over the requirements of the audition process and would practice them. That was a really beneficial way to prepare. I also practiced by singing in the shower a lot.”
While Sareñena was familiar with SCVA Honor Choir due to her previous years in choir and knew how to prepare for her audition, freshman Amara Overmeyer did not believe she was as prepared. “I had only decided to sign up about a week before the audition, whereas most others had planned over a month in advance. I was still in the process of memorizing my song the night before, and I regret that”, comments Overmeyer. Multiple students stated that for the technical part of the audition, they felt prepared due to rehearsing and going over the audition process in class. Overmeyer also felt truly prepared on that end. Audition day had arrived and the stress and nerves had kicked in. Sareñena talked about her doubts, “During my audition, I was so nervous and scared that I started doubting myself. I realized that it was brave of me to even take a chance on auditioning and I quickly reassured myself.” Overmeyer discussed her stresses as well, “Despite the fact that I felt I was prepared for at least a portion of the material, the stress level of singing in front of talented and experienced people was high. So I was very nervous, as I personally have trouble performing in front of others. But the judges themselves were understanding and patient.” Overall, both students agreed that it was a beneficial experience and that they would audition again. Currently, they are anticipating their audition results. More students also auditioned on Saturday, October 1.
Choir’s featured competing students include Irene Chia, Joshua Avila, and Isaiah Chacon (left to right) as the seasoned singers take on another Regional competition as seniors. Photo courtesy of Salena Ojeda
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Whispers have passed between teenagers throughout the Hacienda Heights community about the mysteries surrounding an abandoned gate in Turnbull Canyon known as “Hell’s Gate”. Fluctuating between rumors of devil- worshipping cults to a horrifying murder nearby, all over Youtube, and the school. However, none of the rumors could be substantiated, until now. Alone, abandoned and vandalized, towers the eerie “Hell’s Gate”, heavily fenced with coils of razor wire and cameras. Similar to plummeting into the depths of hell, the drive to the entrance has sharp turns and overgrown trees; appropriately the name of the street is Descending Drive. There are numerous stories about the origin of the gate, but the most infamous is the story that sometime in the 1940s a cult lived in the house once standing behind Hell’s Gate, and later while preforming a séance, a candle fell over and sent the house into a blazing mass of flames, trapping and killing the entire cult. The house’s foundation is rumored to stand to this day, daring teens to go out and see if they spend a night surviving or channeling the ghost cult. “[There] were people standing in a circle,” says a nearby resident (who asked to be anonymous) who claims to have known a witness of a strange event, which took place in front of Hell’s Gate, “there was blood everywhere… there was a cat that was sacrificed and there was a guy that was preaching to the people.” Many of these mysterious reports around Hell’s Gates have been spread, but none of the witnesses have ever reported any complaints or concerns seen to authorities. “I have never come across anything, I have never seen anything or have had any complaints since all the time I’ve been working up [in Turnbull Canyon]” explains Deputy Sheriff Brian Stanford, Deputy of the Hacienda Heights community, including Turnbull
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SMOLDERING RUMORS SURROUNDING HELL’S GATE CONTINUE TO STIR TURNBULL CANYON
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Canyon. Letters sent to the residents of the property, regarding an inspection violation of an empty and overgrown swimming pool without any safety fencing states the following: “…the primary structure has been burned down and the property cease to have a primary use.” There were no other records regarding the cause of the fire, evoking the curiosity as to what sent the house tumbling down. Since the house that once stood behind the Gates of Hell was burnt down, the owners oddly never tried to renovate the remaining structure again, leaving the property abandoned to rot. Also, the rumors of the satanic cult taking place in the 1940s, are false according to the blueprints of the house, obtained by the LA County Building and Safety office, explaining that the house was built in 1958. However, this does not mean that the incident of the supposed cult hasn’t happened in more recent years. Many teens throughout the community believe that a murder happened due to the evil that occurred behind the decaying bars of Hell’s Gate. Acccording to Deputy Sheriff Brian Stanford, there was a girl who was shot and killed close to Hell’s Gates 9 years ago. “they ended up tying her with some rope and tape, attaching her to the bumber and tying her to the back of the bumper and dragging her down from Skyline to Hacienda Blvd. where her body deemed arrest,” explains Deputy Stanford. The three murderers were caught and persecuted. They pled guilty and admitted that the woman killed was involved in narcotics and was going to testify against the three men, so to terrorize and stop their fate behind bars, they chased the woman and killed her. There was no supernatural or questionable mysteries behind her death. Even with new evidence brought to light, there is no evidence proving, but oddly, disproving the strange mysterious tales of Hells Gate, on Turnbull Canyon.
AP Chinese testakers Continue to SCORE 祝賀AP中文考試傑出 中文四H學生翻譯 Translated by Chinese 4 Honors Edited by Rae-Shae Chen Los Altos 高中正在慶祝過去十年來最好的一項學科成就, AP中文考 試成績。AP班的老師和學生們都很驕傲的宣布和恭喜AP中文考試 成績的穩定成長，很多人有幾個想法為什麼學生有很好的表現。 每年的中文班都有很多不同族裔的學生，比如韓國人,日本人,菲律 賓人,泰國人,越南人, 白人,墨西哥人,美國生的華人,廣東人,還有剛從 臺灣,香港,和中國來的新移民。有的學生中文語言程度是零或是初 級班。 陳老師說她需要把他們從基礎班教到AP中文程度,包括中文 聽、説、讀、寫、和中文打字。相反的,對海外新移民學生,陳老師 用不同的方法幫助他們。這些學生剛來時都被分配到ELD （英語第 二語言）初級組，除了幫他們保持中文能力，陳老師得幫他們學習 AP中文考試主題、内容、和問題的英文，因爲AP中文是用英文考 試的，如果他們的英文達到ELD進階級，他們的AP中文考試才能有 更滿意的結果。 以前學習過中文的學生 十一年級的 Sebastian Saucedo 說，“我真 的很高興我參加了中文班。有了陳老師的幫助我學了很多中文。“ AP 中文班的陳老師說“我每個中文班都有很多很棒的學生。“除了 AP中文班以外，我試著鼓勵我其他班十二年級的學生考AP中文考 試，目前來說，都沒有什麼問題。陳老師的班看起來都很有效率， 她自己也說：過去這十年超過250學生參加AP中文考試，只有兩個 不是中文AP班的學生沒考過AP中文考試。 根據學生，陳老師的教學方法貫穿整個學年，提高學科的學習。 張鵬，一個十一年級的學生說“ 陳老師使用各種方法在課堂上教寫 作，口語，閲讀，幫我們把AP考試考好。她的堅持和執著讓我們的 考試表現出類拔萃。“ 學生也說陳老師用了有趣的教學方法,使他們 更積極地参與課堂, 創造一個温馨的環境，可以照著每個學生的步伐 學中文。 ” 有人認爲讀書是學生的責任, 學生得願意付出時間來學習中文。十二 年級的學生Irene Chia 說「陳老師是很好的老師，可是學生要自己 問問題和自己澄清他們不知道的東西。 事實上，陳老師自己謙虛地說，這是AP考試的成績傑出的重要原 因。 說實話，我有一群非常棒且樂於學習的學生，這真的是成功最 重要的一個因素。陳老師說。 然而，也有少數學生說，他們AP考試考得好，和老師的教學和課程 都沒有關係，少數學生說，他們已經知道考試的内容，十一年級的 學生Rick Li 說，“他大部分時間住在中國，AP中文考試對他來説很 簡單。并不是說，這個課不好，可是，他看過比AP更難的中文。” 無論如何，AP中文考試成績繼續達到或超出大學外語課程的要求標 準，大部分學生得到4或是5，所以值得慶祝。
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Give it Up for Our AP Chinese Language Tests By Jeremy Chen
Los Altos High School is currently celebrating one of its most successful endeavors throughout the school year: higher scores on the AP Language tests, specifically foreign languages such as Chinese. In fact, the teachers and students of these AP classes are proud to announce and congratulate the students for their outstanding scores on the AP Chinese test and have many ideas as to why the students performed so well. Each year, the Chinese program receives students of various ethnicities, ranging from Korean, Japanese, Pilipino, Thai, Vietnamese, Caucasian, Mexican, American born Chinese, and Cantonese, most of which know little to nothing about the Chinese language. Rae Chen, the AP Chinese teacher, tends to teach her students from the very beginning to AP Chinese level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and typing. Non-Native speakers such as junior, Sebastian Saucedo stated, “I am really glad I joined this class, it broadened my mind and I was able to catch on with all the help given from Mrs. Chen.” New arrivals from overseas, specifically from China and Taiwan, often receive help from Chen differently. Since they are usually placed at the beginning level of the ELD program when they register at Los Altos High School, Chen must sometimes assist them when it comes to understanding the English portion of the AP Chinese Exam (since the questions on the exam are in English as the test was designed for American-born students). By doing this, the number of these native speakers who pass the AP Chinese test has gone up significantly. According to the AP Chinese teacher Rae Chen, “I have great students from all my classes. Besides the Chinese AP class, I also try to motivate Senior and other, well-prepared, students from my non-AP Chinese classes to take the AP Chinese Exam, even if it were to mean a lower passing average for the AP Chinese test.” Chen’s ideology appears to be very effective as she also claims “From more than two hundred fifty students who had taken the exam, only two of these students over the course of ten years, have not passed the AP Chinese Exam. These two students were not in AP Chinese class”. According to the students, Rae Chen’s techniques, which were incorporated throughout the school year, boosted their learning of the subject. One such student, junior Zhang Peng, states, “Mrs. Chen’s implementations of writing, speaking, and reading is what really allowed us as a class to do so well on the AP test. Her dedication drove us to excel in our performances.” Students also profess that Chen has recently taken a more exciting approach when it comes to teaching her students, which has led to them to become more engaged in the class, creating a warm environment where Chinese can be taught at each student’s pace. Others believe that it was the student’s responsibility and dedication to their language class that led to the higher AP Chinese test scores. senior Irene Chia claims, “Mrs. Chen is a great teacher and all, but a student has to use that to their advantage by asking questions and clarifying anything they do not understand.” As a matter of fact, Rae Chen herself humbly claims it is the students who caused this success in AP test scores. “To be honest, I have wonderful students who are willing to learn and that is really the most important aspect of success.” exclaims Chen. However, a select few have claimed that their success in the AP Chinese program has nothing to do with the teacher or studying. These few have maintained that they have already been exposed to the material and the AP Chinese test was basic to them. junior Rick Li claims, “The fact I lived in China for most of my life, the AP test was almost trivial and I had no problems taking it, not that the class is not good, but I have seen harder material in China.” Regardless of the reason, the AP language test scores have gone up and that, in its own right, is worth celebrating.
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AP SPANISH Spotlight
Los Exámenes de AP y Los Resultados de Los Exámenes
Spanish Department Astounds HLPUSD: Highest AP Test Scores In Two Course Levels
By Valeria Alcantara
By Valeria Alcantara
Los resultados de los exámenes de AP que tomaron los estudiantes en el departamento de español fueron muy buenos. Todos los jóvenes que tomaron el examen de AP Español o AP Literatura pasaron sus exámenes. Fueron cuarenta y un estudiantes los que tamaron el examen de español AP con solamente dos estudiantes ateniendo una calificacion de 3 y el resto con calificaciones de cuatro y cinco. La profesora de la clase de AP, Erendira Andrade, orgullosamente comenta: “Los estudiantes trabajaron duro y merecen los cuatro o cinco que sacaron.” Andrade no se considera responsable por las calificaciones mientras comentando: “Los estudiantes se prepararon todo el año con las varias practicas. El mérito es para ellos porque todo el esfuerzo al final es recompensado con sus calificaciones.” Los estudiantes de AP Literatura también pasaron los examenes con un tres o mejor. Fueron quince estudiantes los que tomaron el examen y todos alcanzaron la meta de sacar una calificacion arriba de un tres. Solamente un estudiante sacó un tres y los otros catorce sacaron cuatro o cinco de calificación. La profesora de AP Literatura, Guadalupe Muñoz opiná lo siquiente acerca de las calificaciones del examen: “Estaban bien preparados con todo el esfuerzo que los estudiantes mismos atuvieron y mantuvieron. Fueron preparados desde el comienzo del año y continuaron a mejorarse con los meses.” Munoz comenta:“Creo que mis estudiantes pueden dar más. Los que sacaron un cuatro pueden trabajar para sacar un cinco. También con los que sacaron un tres. Todos los estudiantes pueden trabajar y sacar un cinco si se esfuerzan.” Una estudiante que paso el examen fue Vanessa Santacruz. Santacruz paso el examen de literatura con un cuatro. Ella describe su experiencia de la siguiente manera: “El examen fue un poco difícil. Teníamos que memorizarnos las historias y analizarlas.” Santacruz también explica su preparamiento cuando tomo el examen. “Si me sentí muy preparada. Yo empecé a estudiar dos semanas antes del examen y la señora Muñoz también se aseguró de que nosotros comprendiéramos la materia.” Santacruz también tomo la clase de AP Lenguaje Español en su segundo año de preparatoria. En ese examen ella saco un cinco como resultado. Vanessa Santacruz describe la diferencia entre los dos exámenes y clases, “El examen de lenguaje de español fue más fácil. Siento que la clase de lenguaje me preparo bastante para la clase de literatura porque teníamos tarea que requería escribir ensayos. Ya cuando llegue a la clase de literatura estaba más preparada porque habia tomado la clase de lenguaje.”
This year the Spanish department has outdone themselves with above average scores on both the AP Spanish Language and Culture and AP Spanish Literature and Culture exams. All forty one students who took the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam passed the test, with only two students scoring a three, and the rest scoring a four or five. AP Spanish teacher, Erendira Andrade, proudly comments, “The students worked and studied really hard for this exam and they deserve the four or five they got.” Andrade does not take credit for her students’ success as she explains that, “The students were preparing themselves throughout the whole school year. They did a lot of mock exams. In the end the merit is for them because all of their hard work is rewarded with their scores.” Additionally, the AP Spanish Literature and Culture students also passed with a three or higher. Out of the fifteen students who took the test, all but one scored a four or five on the exam. AP Spanish Literature and Culture teacher, Guadalupe Muñoz reflects, “The students were well prepared. They studied and worked throughout the school year. They were preparing themselves since day one in the school year. Their summer assignment also prepared them for the exam.” Muñoz expresses, “I believe my students can give more. The ones who scored a four could work to get a five. Likewise with the students who scored a three. Every student can work hard enough to score a five.” Vanessa Santacruz was one of many students who passed the AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam with a four, describing her experience, “The exam was a bit difficult. We had to memorize and analyze 60 historical events. We also had to memorize literary elements in order to analyze poetry.” Santacruz emphasized that Munoz’s teaching style gave her the confidence needed to take the test. “Munoz made sure that everyone understood the material,” said Santacruz. Santacruz also took the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam her sophomore year, earning a five. She describes the differences between the two classes and exams, “The AP Spanish Language and Culture test was easy. I felt that the AP Spanish Language and Culture class prepared me for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture class because of the workload.” Shelsea Garcia also scored a five on the AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam and described her experience, “I felt a bit anxious before taking the exam, the whole time I was hoping that my answers would be sufficient enough to earn a good score.” Garcia comments, “The exam was not totally easy but it was not completely difficult either.”
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What Can help me get to college?
DACA:
COLLEGE
CCGI: emma eriksen
California College Guidance Initiative
Valeria alcantra
DACA, short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is an immigration policy that was established on June 15, 2012. This deferred action lasts for two years and can be renewed. Applying for the deferred action makes it eligible for work permission Although there is this deferred action, it has requirements on who can apply. The citizens eligible to apply to this deferred action are citizens who were under 31 years old before June 15, 2012 and those who arrived before age 16. The citizens also have to be living in America since June 15, 2012 up to the present time. When applying for DACA it is required to show proof of the eligibility of this deferred action. Collect all the necessary documents of evidence to show proof. Seeing an immigration attorney is recommended to follow the legal process but doing it online also works. Visiting the USCIS website gives more information on the online process.
Starting the 2016-2017 school year, Los Altos will be following the HLPUSD’s decision to instate more use of the program CCGI, which stands for California College Guidance Initiative. The hope for this program is to make applying for California colleges an easier process for all students. According to the Foundation of California Community Colleges, the point of CCGI is to “work to ensure that all 6th-12th grade students in California have access to a systematic baseline of guidance and support as they plan, prepare, and pay for college.” CCGI does involve partnerships between the Foundation at the district, community, school, faculty, and student levels. Los Altos students are familiar with CCGI, even if the name is not immediately recognizable. Students are pulled out of their English classes and taken to the computer labs, where they are walked through logging on and directed toward specific pages which involve activities they need to complete. According to Mrs. Mallen, a guidance counselor here at Los Altos, those “activities” are known as milestones in CCGI. “Each grade level has milestones as a part of their lesson plans involving CCGI,” she explained. “For example, seniors are expected to fill out college applications.” The whole purpose of CCGI is to break down the process of applying for college and all of the paperwork that comes with it into small, doable pieces. In a move that seems counterintuitive to that goal, CCGI encourages students to pick a life path before choosing a major or selecting a specific college or university to attend.
COLLEGE BOUND Attending a university is the next step in life for many graduating high school students. California four-year universities are often considered the first choice for state residents, but may not be the best choice for all who pursue higher education.
Emma Eriksen
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, college and university enrollment has increased by over 20% the past decade with the estimated enrollment total at over 20.4 million people nationwide. Los Angeles County high school graduates support this statistic, with more than 40% of all recent graduates attending some form of public college or university, as reported by the Public Policy Institute of California. However, much of that enrollment is not at a California State University (CSU) or a University of California (UC). The Public Policy Institute of California recorded one of the state’s “steepest declines” in enrollment at a CSU or UC to originate from the County of Los Angeles, with a drop of over 4%.
Los Altos students are not strangers to the concepts of higher education, and many students avidly pursue their goal of being accepted to their university or college of choice. Among them is senior Emily Valladares. “I definitely plan on going to a four-year university once I graduate from Los Altos,” she affirms. However, Valladares freely admits that it might not be at a UC or CSU. “I was actually considering the University of New Mexico,” Valladares reveals. “They offer great education programs, but I think that the experience that I would gain by going out of state is equally important. College can provide important life experiences for many people.”
The power of Optimism Despite these statistics, many students remain optimistic about their chances in life with a college degree. Melissa Chadwick, junior and track athlete, was emphatic in insisting that she would attend a California university. “I want to be successful in life, and the way I plan on achieving that is through college. I like the education opportunities at California colleges, because the majors are diverse and numerous. I would only ever consider going out of state if it was to a NCAA Division 1 school.” Even freshmen, new to high school, are willing to plan their course in education. Freshman Josh Tineo states that he hopes to attend a college in California, saying that, “My plan is to get a degree, because I believe that people who receive college degrees tend to have better fortunes and futures than those who don’t.”
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OPINION Ask Connie Jo Conqueror Connie Jo,
The First Presidential Debate 2016: Trump vs. Clinton By Bianca Flores
I have the worst test anxiety, and I am taking the SATs for the third time after having gotten unacceptable scores on the last two. I’ll study for weeks, and the second I sit in front of that test I’ll get such bad anxiety that I can’t remember anything anymore. I am so nervous, and I have no idea how to calm down enough to focus on the test. I really need to get this one right!
-Worried in Whittier
Dear Worrisome in Whittier, Tests unfortunately give me the jitters too, nothing can beat those random free response questions! Are your parents helping you along? Parental support is very important in fixing those unacceptable scores. With several students nowadays a little support can go a long way. It seems you are quite stressed because of a lack of support by your parents. Luckily they don’t matter. It’s just you in the testing room, not them or anyone else to pressure you. Everyone else in there is stressed too. Laugh at them. You aren’t nervous or stressed, you are a Conqueror. You will conqueror this test. That is the mindset you need to succeed. Once you become confident you will do well on any test you have prepared for, and even some you haven’t. I’m not going to tell you the traditional third times the charm, because you can do it regardless of some luck charm. As long as you breathe on test day, skip the hard questions until the end, and think about how you’re going to enjoy your favorite activity after the test, you’ll be fine. Worry less, because you’ll conquer more.
-Connie Jo Conquer-
Do you have a question you want answered? Email Connie
- Conniejoconqueror@gmail.
Connie Jo, Last year I took regular English and my counselor made me take AP Lang this year. I really like my teacher, and what we’re learning about is interesting, but its so much work. Its been really hard going from regular to AP and I am having a hard time adjusting. I keep procrastinating and that hasn’t gotten me the best grade. What should I do to help myself do well in this class?
Dear Procrastinator,
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-Procrastinating in La Puente
Everything in life takes a little bit of adjusting. It seems you’re tackling challenge head on and since you signed up for an advanced class, you may need to adjust your work habits. If you really are finding the class interesting and it isn’t too hard you won’t need to drop, but for procrastination there are always handy tips. 1. Conquer one section at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the whole assignment, but rather break it up into sections and budget your time to when is tthe soonest can it be done, when do you want it to be done, and when does it have to be done. 2. Budget your time to maximize enjoyment and productivity. You may still procrastinate, but rather than punish yourself for free time, convince yourself that it is your reward after each section and work towards the goal. Perhaps a 20 minute work to 5 minute relax schedule may be suitable. 3. Last, but not least - Plan. Always plan before you go to write an essay, and always have a plan for your day. Plan to conquer, and conquer your plan.
-Connie Jo
On September 26, the presidential candidates, Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, were given the opportunity to make their case on why they are the most qualified to be elected President of the United States at the first 2016 Presidential Debate. The debate began at 6:00 pm at HOFSTRA University in Hempstead, New York. Journalist and Dateline NBC anchor, Lester Holt, moderated the debate, or at least attempted to control the conversation throughout the hour and a half discussion by bringing up serious topics such as unemployment, taxes, race relations, cyber attacks, and terrorism. In the opening segment called “Achieving Prosperity,” Republican candidate, Donald Trump, expressed his plans of reducing taxes for small and large companies to promote entrepreneurship and employment. Then Democratic candidate, Hilary Clinton, proposed the installation of half a billion solar panels to create “a new modern electric grid” to prevent climate change, while still generating jobs. Another important and controversial topic discussed was the issue of race relations, especially with the overwhelming amount of police shootings targeting innocent African-Americans. Clinton advocated two ways of healing this wound that has affected so many American families; first by working with the police to reform the criminal justice system, and second by preventing dangerous individuals from obtaining guns. Trump responded to the issue by simply stating, “We have to bring back law and order.” He suggested the “stop and frisk” method, which is when police will stop and inspect any individual that they feel is suspicious or dangerous. Trump claimed this technique lowered crime rates in New York significantly, despite the common belief that “stop and frisk” is a form of racial profiling. “We have to take the guns away from these people that have them and that are bad people that shouldn’t have them. These are felons…” Trump argued. Although these topics were brought up, Junior, Breeze Hernandez thinks the candidates did not discuss certain issues thoroughly enough. “They discussed a bit about how they’re going to change the economy, but it was always shifted and there was a lot of accusations,” Hernandez explains. She further describes how she wished for more dialogue on the economy and, “how they’re going to help education and lower student debt.” Throughout his campaign, Republican candidate, Donald Trump raised many suspicions about whether he is qualified for the job as President. Los Altos English teacher, Todd Hedell, believes Trump poorly advertised himself as a future leader of America. “He gets upset at every single comment that negates his ideas or calls into question his judgment… He doesn’t actually know how to handle conversation or a debate or how to work with anyone,” Hedell asserts. As the debate progressed, Trump faced numerous tough questions and accusations. For example, he actually admitted to paying no federal taxes after Holt asked him about releasing his tax returns, claiming, “That makes me smart.” Then, Trump stubbornly refuted that he supported the war in Iraq, even though Holt possessed records indicating that Trump in fact did support it. Trump also denied that he claimed global warming was a scam created by the Chinese, forgetting he had tweeted that exact statement four years ago. Clinton also faced her own fair share of allegations. Holt gave Clinton the opportunity to comment on her recent email scandal and she took the time to admit to her faults. “If I had to do it over again, I would obviously do it differently, but I’m not going to make any excuses. It was a mistake and I take responsibility for that,” she confessed. Hedell insists that Clinton did an efficient job of addressing the issues “because it never came back up.” Both Clinton and Trump put up quite a fight, but it is up to the American population to decide which will be the 45th president of the Unites States. With a record breaking 84 million people tuning in, according to The Wall Street Journal, there is no doubt that the country is committed to electing the best candidate to lead the way to success.
A Taxing Biased Baited Bid Of A Debate By Joshua Sanchez Forget Crooked Hillary and “Tremendous” Trump. They merely egged on the debate like petulant children, the focus of the first debate should be the man pulling the strings - Lester Holt. It is quite interesting that Holt is a registered Republican, but he is probably as much of a Republican as Trump is to the GOP. At least that’s what Holt’s actions must have portrayed to millions of Americans as he decided to favor Clinton’s side for almost every issue. Several Twitter users denoted his absence of speech from the opening feigning worry over his well being, but that was part of his act. His inaction for the first section of the debate was a magnificent ploy to gain ethical credibility for his later tactics. He barely mentioned any scandal of Clinton’s but hammered in a section of the debate solidly focusing on Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns. Keeping in mind that this was right after he personally disagreed with Trump’s mentioned “Stop and Frisk” policy, this is his second personal attack on Trump. Clinton didn’t even have to argue as long as Lester did her bidding by asking Trump loaded questions. Clinton’s email scandal was breezed over, and when Trump slandered Clinton’s “presidential character” Holt made sure it backfired on him with Clinton leading the audience to laugh. Speaking of the email scandal, Trump supporters cheered as he brought it up, but Lester Holt showed the world his sway on the issue when he stops the debate to reprimand the audience for cheering Trump on. “Let me admonish the audience one more time. There was an agreement. We asked you to be silent.” Lester Holt’s exact words while Trump held audience favor, but there was no special distinct stop for when the audience laughed at Trump. Overall the election was a heated show of two children going at each other, with the teacher on one child’s side. "I was in tears, both from laughter and disappointment. Then again, I should have known better than to have expected an actual debate rather than the soap opera the presidential elections have been." Senior Adrian Montano wittily retorted regarding the “temperament” of the debates. Depending on how the next moderator decides to moderate one might be more inclined to do something instead of listening to two politicians spitball. Instead of wasting their time with corrupt politicians, senior Anthony Teran suggests “If people want to see change then they need to congregate and have their voice resonate.” Nobody is going to see change with politicians, no matter which side the moderator favors.
SPORTS
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Los Altos Football's Five Weeks of Total Domination By Damien Alvarado The Los Altos Conquerors looked sluggish against the Corona Panthers on September 9, 2016. The score was tied 17-17 at halftime but the Conquerors came out of the third quarter moving the ball downfield with ease. Allowing Olmos to connect with Senior Wide Receiver Anthony Chavez in the end zone for a 22 yard touchdown giving Los Altos a 24-17 lead. Los Altos had trouble running the ball against the Panthers D-line, finishing the game with 36 carries for 149 yards and three rushing touchdowns. A passing attack bailed out the run game as Kody Olmos threw for 143 yard, two touchdowns and 10 completions. Los Altos defense only allowed 17 points in a 45-24 victory over the Panthers. The Los Altos Conquerors battled in a tough match between the Glendora Tartans Friday, September 16, 2016. The Conquerors went into week four 3-0 and allowed only 30 points in three games. In last year's matchup, Los Altos lost at Citrus College with a final score of 42-28. But this year the Conquerors got their revenge. Los Altos first score came at the hands of Junior Gill Vazquez do to a failed Glendora onside kick. The Conquerors lead 42-20 in the fourth quarter but allowed Glendora to score 14 unanswered points. Senior Wide receiver Andrew Manuele finished the game with two receptions, a touchdown and 66 receiving yards. Los Altos won this close game 42-34 improving to 4-0 on the season. Newport Harbors' defense was no match for runningback Tyler Nevens in a Non-Conference game on September 23, 2016. The goal for the week was to go into league being 5-0 and the Conquerors did just that. Newport started the game with a 9-0 lead but Nevens scored his first rushing touchdown at the beginning of the second quarter. Tyler Nevens turned on the gears in the second half rushing for a 75 yard and a 60 yard touchdown. Nevens finished the game with 242 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Kody Olmos reflected on this game saying "It was an intense game our defense really stepped it up and our offense took advan-
tage of it". Olmos finished the game going 11-18 with 136 yards and an interception. "In that game I did make some good throws but I had a lot of mistakes so I still need to improve in our passing game." Olmos said. The Los Altos Conquerors secured a victory over Newport Harbor Sailors with a final score of 35-23 improving to 5-0. Los Altos went into their bye week 5-0, tied with Charter Oak for first place in the Hacienda League. This Conqueror unit rushes for 246 yards a game, 116 passing yards a game, and gets 98 tackles per game. Los Altos is number one when it comes to tackles with a total of 494 tackles. Gill Vazquez leads the Hacienda league with 59 total tackles and averages 11.8 per game. Kody Olmos has completed 36 of his 64 pass attempts with four touchdown passes. Olmos is second in the Hacienda league with 583 total passing yards. Head Coach Dale Ziola said the main focus of this bye week was to work on fundamentals," We missed way to many tackles these last five games and even though were 5-0 some can say we are lucky to be 5-0". Andrew Manuele is fourth in the Hacienda league with 262 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Tyler Nevens leads the league in rushing yards with 1079 and has a total of 19 touchdowns in five games. Nevens has two games where he has rushed for more than five touchdowns. Ziola has his team sitting at 5-0 but still feels his team can improve by saying, "We need to simplify, and we need to get better at the small things, which most happens to be the most important things like blocking, and tackling if we are going to continue to be successful." The Conquerors play at home against Diamond Ranch next Friday at 7pm.
Lady Conquerors Open League With Panthers Win By Brandon Vicuña A roaring crowd, blasting music and volleyballs slamming the ground accomanied September 21, when the Lady Conquerors took on league rival Diamond Ranch Panthers in the league openers. Coming off a league championship last year the Lady Conquerors look to repeat the same success they had last year. This year the Lady Conquerors face more challenges than just opponents, they are without their top two players last year Mireya Rojo and Chelyn Williams on the court, who graduated and are now playing in college. Our girls came up short last yet in the second round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Diamond Ranch was the only team our girls lost to last year and our girls quickly avenged that lost winning 3-1. The Lady Conquerors won the first set 25-11, second set 25-15, lost the third set 23-25 and won the fourth set needing to go into extra time and they won by a score of 2725. When asked how this first game went senior Danyelle Marin said “it was an intense game and intense start to league because they almost took our league title last year.” To add to this senior Briana Guerrero- Sanchez said “we should be pretty good for league from here on out but, we know when we see Diamond Ranch again we'll have another tough game” Marin replied to being asked about their teams chemistry by saying “Off of the court were always supportive of each other so when we're on the court we have trust and confidence together to play well and have fun.” They led 18-10 but before closing it out the Panthers made it interesting going on a 14-6 run before our girls would close it out. Sanchez stated “ As a senior, I am setting the tone and the examples as to how to work hard, have a positive attitude and be a good team player” when asked about her role. Both Marin and Sanchez expect to win League. Marin said “The rest of league should go well, starting off with a team we all really wanted to beat helps with motivation to keep winning and try our best to take league champs again and hopefully go undefeated” and Sanchez adding to that saying “My expectations are to win league for the fifth year in a row”
SUPPORT VOLLEYBALL @Diamond Ranch
10/10/16 4:15 PM
Varsity Volleyball
W
13-7-0
Vs
Varsity Water Polo
W
10-5-0
Vs
10/3
Charter Oak
3-0
9/30 El Rancho 18-8
9/30
Walnut
3-0
9/27
San Marino
4-11
9/28
Chino
3-0
9/24
Rowland
7-5
9/21
Diamond Ranch
3-1
9/24 Wilson
9/17
Palm Desert
0-2
9/24 Glendora
Frosh Volleyball
W
Junior Varsity Tennis
L
4-2-0
1-2-0
Varsity Tennis
Varsity Football
W
5-0-0
Vs
7-6 9-8
L
0-5-0
Vs 4-14
9/23 Newport
35-23
9/29
9/16 Glendora
42-34
9/27 Chino
9/9
Corona
45-24
9/20
9/3
Wilson
59-0 38-6
9/12 La Serna
0-18
9/2
3-15
8/26 San Marino
Junior Varsity Volleyball
L
1 -5-0
Charter Oak
Diamond Ranch
4-14
Boys Water Polo’s Kicks Off The Season Against Burbank By Caley Asbee Our LAHS Boys Water Polo team started their season on Tuesday, September 6 at Burbank High School. The Varsity boys won 14-11, while the Junior Varsity boys lost 178. The win for for the Varsity team helped them to start off their season right. The team having a brand new coach did not affect their playing. They were able to play against a tough team and still pull through. Varsity player Jonathan Huang did not score in the game, but he played hard and was capable of making plenty of steals. Huang states, “We play really well together and that allowed us to beat our strong opponents. I feel like this season will be great.” Huang is not the only one who feels that way about this season. Junior Steven Mendez adds, “I think we will do everything we can and try our hardest to show that we are proud to be Conquerors.” Though Junior Varsity boys lost this game, they still fought in this game. Practice makes perfect and as the season goes along they will be able to adjust in order to reach their full capabilities as a team and as individuals. Junior Varsity player Eric Heng remarks, “We need to improve our endurance, our awareness in the pool, and general teamwork.” Despite the negative outcome of this game Heng goes on to state, “This one loss hasn’t affected the team’s attitude towards this season.” The boys Water Polo Team will have to work to the best of their abilities this season in order to accomplish the ultimate goal of making it to CIF. As it looks now its seems they will not have much trouble doing this. As the season plays out our school will see how far the boys will go this year in an effort to win CIF.
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SUPPORT WATER POLO VS Walnut @Home
10/06/16 3:15 PM