Volume LVII, Issue 2
15325 East Los Robles Avenue, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
November 2018
LAEU Says Goodbye To Marching Band Season By Briana Trujillo Despite all the hardships made from members and staff, they lied in 18th place. In order to qualify to the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, bands must be placed 12th or higher under their division. This year’s field show was West Side Story, being entitled “Maria.” The Los Altos Entertainment Unit had a setback due to lack of fundraising which resulted in losing two tournaments. LAEU was under the 4A division and were able compete in four tournaments: Baldwin Park High School Tournament, Glen. A Wilson Tournament, Los Altos Tournament, and Ramona High School Tournament. Both drum major, Daniel Rios and band director Jay Laging conducted the band throughout the Oct.20 performance. In their first tournament, LAEU played their entire show unlike many other years. Freshman Ismael Santacruz
Melanie De La Torre passionately performs her routine in band tournament. said, “I was so nervous. I felt all these feelings, like nausea but I also felt really excited. When we first lined up, like I said, I was nervous, but with all the band members and
Laging comforting each one another, I felt like a family so I felt a little less nervous.” Waiting for their first tournament to come, incoming freshman were gaining the
experience of playing on an unfamiliar football field in front of judges, causing emotions to fluster. Santacruz said, “During the performance, I knew I had
By Laila Jibrin to do the best I can. My emotions were proud and happy because our band had gone such a long way and it
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School Rivalry Set Aside In Support Of Alumni Julian Lopez
Class of 2018 Alumni Julian Lopez pictured in last year’s staff versus students basketball game.
By Damien Alerado The Hacienda Heights community came together on October 30, as a Conqueror Alumni united the Los Altos and Wilson Family as one. The love and affectionate feelings from both sides were
felt as both schools competed in the “Havoc in the Heights” staff and alumni basketball game. Julian Lopez a 2018 graduate and four year Varsity Basketball player, had an open heart surgery four weeks ago in San Francisco.
The surgery went well and he is currently in his recovery stage. Lopez will continue focusing on his education at Cal State East Bay after a few weeks at home with his family. The recovery process will be four to six months, but his ultimate goal is to
Photo by Nicolas Hernandez play for the East Bay Panthers next fall. Julian’s mother Julia commented about her son’s surgery, by considering it a blessing in disguise, “It was a surprise for all of us but at the same time we were very thankful because all these
years he has played without anything happening, so we were not upset, we were just very thankful and he was very thankful. Faith in our family plays a big role because I believe in God and he has given us love and strength.” In a rare case where one out of a million peopled are diagnosed, Julian found out he had an anomalous coronary artery (ACA). It is a coronary artery that has an abnormality or malformation. Lopez first found out about the news during a routine physical in August. The chest pain he was feeling had nothing to do with his heart but rather a muscle. After further tests doctors informed the family that Lopez would need to have open heart surgery. During the surgery, Julian’s sternum had to be broken in order to perform a successful operation. The recovery time frame for Lopez will take about four to six months before he can return to activity.
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