March 2017 by The Arcadia Quill

The World Is Our Campus Volume 64, Issue 7

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA OPINION pg. 4 Spidey-Envy Superheroes teach us that we will never be satisﬁed by comparing ourselves to others.

Photo courtesy of DREAMCENTER.ORG

NEWS pg. 2 DCF: Dream Center Foundation plans to provide higher education opportunities by purchasing a large for-proﬁt college chain.

“Becoming Spider-Man was my burning childhood desire. I tried to climb walls, shoot spider webs, and block my brother’s punches, but to no avail. I knew I could never be my idol, my hero.”

March 2017 Also in this issue:

Photo by BRANDON CHEN

SPORTS pg. 19 Ring Chasing: Boys Varsity Tennis hopes to repeat as State Champions, this time in the competitive Division I pool.

FEATURES pg. 7 Girl Power: March honors women who were pioneers of their ﬁeld. CENTER SPREAD pg. 12-13 Spring Break Plans: Break is a time to seek adventure and explore the sights and activities in SoCal. STUDENT LIFE pg. 21 Finishing Strong: With AP tests and organization interviews just around the corner, Academics offers some useful tips.

AUSD MEASURES UP

ALL TOGETHER NOW Students and staff worked together to pass Measure A, which saves many faculty and staff positions and ensures that AUSD will continue to be able to fund its programs in the future. By BRANDON CHEN & PEARL YANG Staff Writer News Editor

In the week before the Mar. 7 election, the Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) pushed hard to pass Measure A. This measure, first created in 2012, is a locally-controlled education fund that would have expired this year. The proposed measure would increase the 2012 parcel tax from $228 to $288 and will last for 18 years, thus funding the district while preventing the layoffs of 28 teachers and 3 counselors. Ryan Foran, a public information officer for AUSD, said that Arcadia

Unified is one of the least state-assisted districts in the Los Angeles County. While Arcadia does receive some state funding, California is also one of the least federally-supported states in the nation. Furthermore, Governor Jerry Brown recently addressed California’s budget deficit by cutting school funding by $1.7 billion, bringing educational funding down to the minimum allowed by California’s state constitution. These actions caused the Arcadia community to push for a parcel tax which will allow AUSD to “maintain what we’re already doing,” Foran said. Superintendent David Vannasdall added, “We just got recognized by the College Board for being an eight on the AP Honor roll for the district. The

staff that we’re going to use with this money… is vital to maintaining that reputation of excellence that we have.” Members of the “Yes on A” campaign have worked extremely hard, and senior Travis Chen in particular has done his part to pass the measure. As the campaign’s Student Involvement, Outreach, and Lawn Sign Lead, Travis was in charge of getting students aware of and actively involved in promoting Measure A. His work included “installing all the lawn signs across our city, organizing Boy Scout Troops and other volunteers, and visiting senior homes and community events.” Travis also shared, “I tell people that in 18 years, our own classmates may even have kids in the system, and voting for Measure

A is knowing that the future generation of our city is able to have the same experience we’ve had.” He continued, “Although I will be gone in less than four months, and may not reside here in 18 years, I truly believe that every Arcadian has the right and responsibility to ensure that the future of our community is brighter than ever.” The measure had widespread support from the school board and City Council, with Arcadia Mayor Tom Beck saying that “it’s an excellent investment in the value of our homes in Arcadia.” Board member Lori Phillip added, “Arcadia is known for its excellent schools and its excellent students. This parcel tax would just maintain what we have. It’s not going to give us anything extra.” This measure needed a supermajority of 66.6% to pass. In the days leading up to the election, community members were hesitant. “It’s hard to get to twothirds,” Foran said. “It’s very difficult.” However, on Mar. 22, supported by the efforts of the “Yes on A” campaign, Foran was able to publicly announce the successful passing of Measure A. A total of 7,207 votes were cast, with 4,874 Yes votes, clearing the supermajority by a slim margin of only 67 votes. Now, Measure A will remain in effect for the next 18 years, raising a sum total of $4.3 million per year for Arcadia schools and a total of $77.4 million for AUSD. With the success of Measure A , the district looks forward to maintaining a standard of excellence throughout Arcadia for years to come. bchen@apachepowwow.com pyang@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of @ProtectAUSDSchool via TWITTER.COM

NEWS

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LA Dream Center Foundation By PAUL LEE Staff Writer

Numerous career colleges owned by Education Management Corp (EDMC), including 31 Art Institute campuses, are being bought by the Dream Center Foundation (DCF), a charitable organization based in Los Angeles, in a deal that was announced on Mar. 3. EDMC was once the largest for-profit college chain which had more than 150,000 students enrolled in fields of culinary arts, design, education, fashion, information technology, media arts, psychology, behavioral science, and health sciences at 102 locations around the world and 31 of which in the U.S. However, after years of switching between being privately held and publicly held, the chain struggled to maintain 65,000 students. The decrease in the student body is only one sign of a collapsing for-profit organization. Recently, EDMC closed its ITT Technical Institutes, Corinthian Colleges, Brown Mackie University and many other institutes, in addition to the sale of the University of Phoenix. DCF, a nonprofit foundation, has funded programs that primarily provide job training, emergency food, medical services, housing and other services as well as support for victims of human trafficking for the homeless, veterans and poor children. By acquiring organizations

for higher education, the program desires to provide more opportunities for proper education by purchasing, for an undisclosed amount, Argosy University (AU), South University (SU)and its art institutes and converting them into nonproﬁts. While AU centers on psychology and mental health treatment, SU focuses on

medical and health programs. “We actually have been looking for a higher education organization to afﬁliate with or acquire for three years now,” said Managing Director of DCF Randy Barton, “we feel the Art Institutes have a good history, despite the last few years, and we’ll be able to turn that back around.” When asked about the cause of EDMC’s decline in student enrollment, Mark EcEachen, president and chief executive of EDMC, an-

nounced that the company had undermined the classroom experience by cutting expenses. Regardless of its struggles, EDMC entertained none other than DCF’s offer, even some that offered a higher bid. According to EcEachen, the company is more than willing to complete the transaction due to “the passion and commitment that these folks [DCF] have.” EcEachen applauded DCF’s mission of “reinvestment in the classroom, which... means a more motivated faculty and staff” and will ultimately lead to a “good student experience.” McEachen predicted that DCF will raise money for scholarships and improve operations with student satisfaction as the priority. The university operations will be managed by Brent Richardson, the former chairman of Grand Canyon Education who led the transition of Grand Canyon University into a forprofit school with an appalling internet presence. Richard is now planning to lead the transformation of three EDMC universities into nonprofit universities under censuring criticism from the Education Department that is skeptical about the possibility that DCF, similar to the Center for Excellence, will furtively operate with the goal of financial benefit. DCF anticipates closing the sale this summer. McEachen stated that faculty members will retain their jobs after the transaction is made. plee@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of YOUTUBE.COM

The M(isunderstood) By NATHAN GUO & REIKO INOUE Staff Writers

As busy high schoolers, we seldom worry about strangers. When we pass a homeless person, we avert our eyes. But a group of AHS students have created a non-proﬁt organization that is working to change this. Juniors Alex Hong, Alex Huang, Derek Jing, Nixon Tran and Vanadium Wang are the founders of THE M, short for The Humanity Effect of the Misunderstood. THE M aims to “assist the unfortunate not only by providing them with basic necessities, but also by shedding the negative connotation associated with them,” according to junior

Alex Hong. These ﬁve Apaches approach homeless individuals, speak with them and post parts of their intriguing conversations on THE M’s various social media outlets. Alex shared that he and his friends do so “in hopes of portraying these people in their true light” and to challenge inaccurate social stereotypes. The organization currently reaches out to indivudals located in Old Town Pasadena and Downtown Los Angeles, but Alex stated that THE M plans to broaden its

range to those in “homeless shelters... and as far as Santa Monica.” What started as an idea between a group of students has turned into a full ﬂedged organization nobly dedicated to not only help but also to bring to light the real struggles of the less fortunate. Stories and photographs captured by THE M can be found on Instagram via @ themlosangeles as well as THE M Los Angeles Facebook page. Best of luck to this truly committed team of AHS students. nguo@apachepowwow.com rinoue@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of VANADIUM WANG

March 2017

LA Crime Reduction By ROSELIND ZENG Staff Writer

As police shootings occur more and more frequently and local residents separate themselves further and further from the very people that serve and protect them, the city of Los Angeles steps in with a new program hoping to change this urgent situation. Named the Community Safety Partnership (CSP), this operation hopes to sever the relationship of distrust between the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the people of Los Angeles by encouraging police interaction throughout the community. This project was first engaged in housing developments, namely Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Gardens and Ramona Gardens. A recent site of controversy happened in Harvard Park, where Brandon Tatum was fatally shot while returning from a trip to the market on Jan. 11. Harvard Park had been a very big focal point for city officials, ever since gang violence spiked in the summer of 2015. City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson recounted the three homicides and the half dozen shootings that happened in the presence of children and their families. This violent part of South Los Angeles is now the main target of the program and is where 11 police officers are to serve for five years to improve police-resident relationships through youth programs, community projects and job training, among many other public services. Out of all the places employing this program, Harvard Park is the first to be privately funded. The Ballmer Group, founded by Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, will provide $750,000 to the area over the course of three years. Mayor Eric Garcetti held a news conference at the city park on Mar. 3, remarking on how he envisions the program will “make sure that police officers aren’t just visitors—they are part of the community, they build deep relationships, they become mentors to our young people.” At the Jordan Downs Housing Project in Watts, Los Angeles, this community-policing initiative has led to a significant decrease in murder crime—specifically, an entire threeyear period without a single homicide committed in the community. Other locations serviced by the implementation of this program have enjoyed a noteworthy clearance rate in local homicides of 81%. Police Chief Charlie Beck noticed what a difference the police department’s efforts have made; back when he was working in the area around Jordan Downs, fewer than 50% of homicides were solved primarily due to tensions between residents, the gangs and the police. Chief Beck stated that the revolutionary CSP program has definitively proved that it “can restore public spaces” to a more peaceful and inviting environment that all can enjoy. The LAPD will continue to station its active officers to these positions instead of hiring brand new people for the Harvard Park Program. The funds contributed by the Ballmer Group will be used in perfecting the neighborhood and in paying the working officers. The Weingart Foundation will also provide money to launch the CSP with three months of input from nearby residents. rzeng@apachepowwow.com

March 2017

NEWS

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Plans For Climate Change However, he has neglected to say

By KAITLIN LEE

Staff Writer speciﬁcally what would be cut out if not

Already, the Trump Administration has shown lax regulations regarding the environment. President Donald Trump has given the green light for the North Dakota Pipeline to continue despite the health risks that will come with it and claimed that climate change was “created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive”, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing for a 25% reduction in its budget. The new head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, has declined to comment whether he will forbid EPA scientists from researching the human inﬂuence on climate change. He has stated that it will not be prioritized over other work, saying that scientists’ missions will be focused on rule-making, and that there needs to be more debate on how human contact has impacted the climate. “We have many priorities at the agency. We must focus on those,” Pruitt told CNN. Pruitt has expressed that he is comfortable with the budget cuts for the EPA. He has also stated that infrastructure grants for states, which account for half of the agency’s spending, would still be protected. “The focus will be on making sure that the states are adequately funded with water infrastructure and these grant proposals,” he explained. “We’ll work through the budgeting process to protect those dollars.”

states’ grants, only saying that the debates over funding with Congress were beginning. He would also only mention that pulling back EPA regulations would be “our focus in the near-term”. In the past, as Oklahoma’s former attorney general, Pruitt exchanged emails with fossil fuel ﬁrms and electrical utilities on how to combat the government ‘s environmental regulations. Although Pruitt has defended himself, saying that it “was about the state’s interest, not on behalf of any particular industry or any particular business”, it is concerning that the new head of the EPA has expressed a sense of closeness to these areas, as the fossil fuel and electricity industries have proven to be harmful to the environment. Countless environmental groups have been quick to criticize Pruitt, saying that his closeness to these businesses will put them over the health and safety of the people. “This is Scott Pruitt’s mission statement: attack environmental safeguards, protect industrial polluters and let the public pay the price,” stated Rhea Suh, resident of the Natural Resources Defense Council. As the year goes on, only time will tell what Pruitt will allow the EPA to do, and what the lessened funding for the agency will mean for the future of the U.S. klee@apachepowwow.com

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By MARUKO MYINT Staff Writer

According to a paper recently published in the journal Nature, a record number of seven possibly-habitable exoplanets orbiting around a single star have been discovered. This is an exciting discovery, as it is a huge step forward in our chase of a “second Earth”. With the discovery of these many Earth-sized planets, the possibility of answering the age-old question of exterrestrial life becomes more hopeful. “The discovery gives us a hint that ﬁnding a second Earth is not a matter of if, but when,” said Thomas Kutcher, an associate administrator of the science mission directorate at NASA’s Washington headquarters. The planets were found by an international group of astronomers and are located about 40 light years away from Earth in the constellation Aquarius. This exoplanet system is called TRAPPIST-1, after the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope that was used to ﬁnd them. Their star is an ultra-cool dwarf, allowing liquid water to exist on planets that are closer to the star than the distance between our star and Mercury. The short distance also results in the planets being very clustered together and possibly tidally locked to their star, causing perpetual day and nights. Using NASA’s Spitzer Space Tele-

scope, a team of astronomers were able to accurately measure the size and precisely estimate the density of these planets. Based on the information attained, all of the TRAPPIST-1 planets are likely to be rocky, leading to the possibility of them being water-rich or having liquid water on their surface. “The seven wonders of TRAPPIST-1 are the ﬁrst Earth-size planets that have been found orbiting this kind of star. It is also the best target yet for studying the atmospheres of potentially habitable, Earthsize worlds,” said Michael Gillon, lead author of the paper and principal investigator of the TRAPPIST exoplanet survey at the University of Liege, Belgium. Three of the seven planets are in the habitable zone of their system. The habitable zone is the region around a star where a rocky planet is likely to have liquid water. This groundbreaking discovery brings hope to scientists currently searching for signs of life beyond our solar system. This suggests that Earth-sized worlds are much more common in the Milky Way galaxy than previously thought. “With this amazing system, we know there must be many more potentially lifebearing worlds out there waiting to be found,” said Sara Seager, a professor of planetary science and physics at MIT. mmyint@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of SPACE.COM

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Publication Information: The Apache Pow Wow is a student publication distributed monthly throughout the school year. The paper has been continuously published since Arcadia High School opened in 1952. Unsigned articles appearing on the opinion page reﬂect the opinion of The Apache Pow Wow editorial board. A student’s work does not represent the views of Arcadia High School or the Arcadia Uniﬁed School District. Address letters to the editor to: The Apache Pow Wow, 180 W. Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. To place an advertisement in the newspaper, email ads.powwow@gmail.com.

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OPINION D E S T I N Y

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By REIKO INOUE Staff Writer

We are significant. We lead meaningful lives. Everything that happens to us happens for a reason. Right? I used to believe that good things occurred to me because I deserved it, like finding a penny on the ground as a result of being nice to my little sister. To comfort myself after a negative event, like the loss a treasured toy, I’d say to myself that it happened so that I could learn a lesson. (But I’m still mad about the disappearance of Pink Bunny, my BFF from first grade.) The world was a perfectly logical and fair place in my eyes. I think a lot of people shared this viewpoint when they were younger and sheltered. But lately, I’ve come to realize that these assumptions are wrong and even narcissistic. According to this mindset, bad things only happen to bad individuals. So natural disasters, illnesses, and accidents must occur to people because they were all guilty of some crime. Victims of poverty must be living an unfair life because it is all part of a greater scheme. Were you hit by lightning? Then you surely did something to deserve it.

IDOL’S ENVY By PAUL LEE Staff Writer

As I watched Spider-Man launch spider webs out of his wrist, I folded my middle and ring finger back to my palm, hoping that something of a sticky consistency would miraculously fly out of mine. My mind began to swirl as the world of Peter Parker metaphorically engulfed me. I imagined myself fighting crime and dodging hits and bullets with my “spidersense”, while still cracking ridiculous jokes here and there. Becoming Spider-Man was my burning childhood desire. I tried to climb walls, shoot spider webs, and block my brother’s punches, but to no avail. I knew I could never be my idol, my hero. Accepting the truth, especially for a child, was difficult to cope with. I was not happy with my life; I wanted to mimic someone who mattered. I always had the subconscious desire to grow away from my repetitive, mundane life. I was never at peace with myself. I would always question my fate, which prohibited me from becoming Spider-Man. The lack of fulfillment in my life hollowed out my heart, numbed my feelings, and crushed my dreams. I was spiraling into my downfall. I furiously ripped the poster of Spider-Man that I hung on my wall, and threw away all my comic books, fan art, and other objects that showed reverence for his abilities until my room was devoid of all furnishings except my mirrored closet. As I looked at my reflection, I saw some-

thing glorious: myself. At that point of epiphany, I acknowledged that I took my life for granted. I was glad that my voice, laughter, looks, and personality set me apart from others. What do I take for granted in my life? What freedoms do I enjoy? What advantages have I been given in life? I was shortsighted; I did not notice that I am talented, gifted, and have a life just as valuable as SpiderMan’s. But now I’m grateful. Envy has held me ignorant for far too long; I was at a constant war with its wasted emotions when it offered no positive contribution to my life. I was constantly comparing my life to that of Spider-Man’s and realized I come short in all aspects. It is not until I noticed that true happiness does not necessarily originate from power, wealth, or reputation, that I was able to overcome the cycle of envy that distracted me from the ultimate possession: happiness. Comparing ourselves unfavorably to the features of others will only lead us to feel inadequate, inferior, and jealous. As a result, we may feel bad about ourselves and dampen our conﬁdence. Because of this, we habitually fall into stress, anxiety, depression, and lack of selfesteem. I made a simple choice to pay attention to the little things that make me appreciate my lot in life, in addition to the halt of comparison between myself and others. Be gratiﬁed by your own life and feel happy! plee@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of DEVIANTART.COM

People could also interpret insigniﬁcant things as otherwise. Did you have a crazy dream? It’s a sign from the universe telling you to stop drinking coffee! Do you randomly keep seeing someone? It sure can’t be a coincidence since it’s a message that you’re destined to marry that person and name your baby that name you keep hearing for some reason! Yeah! The assumption that things happen as part of a grand, meaningful plan overlooks the fact that so many things that have happened and continue to happen to mankind are nonsensical. Who are we to think that everything that we go through is important and meaningful? I thought about this mind-blowing, somewhat disheartening concept and saw that practically everything that I had experienced was by chance. I was born into my particular family thanks to a random process. I met my friends because we went to the same school. On a more serious note, I was not affected by the tsunami that took the lives of thousands of innocent people in 2011 in Japan because the area that I lived in just so happened to be spared that day. Even more surreal was the thought that my grandmother lived in one of the cities that were on the list of potential drop-sites for American atomic bombs during World War II. My family could have been destroyed in an

March 2017

instant. The only thing that prevented that was the cloudy weather over the city that made the planes fly towards another site. There was no reason why my family survived and so many other families did not. There was no big moral to this event. I understood that nothing occurs to someone because he or she simply deserves it. If you think about it, we are all just a small part of the countless organisms on Earth. We have as much of a glorious fate laid out for us as common house flies or those fat squirrels you see around campus. Anything could happen at any time to anyone for absolutely no reason. But this doesn’t mean we should accept this and give up on trying to find the purpose of our lives. What makes us unique as a species is our ability to create meaning. Even if we are not given a purpose or plan when given our lives, we can go out and make that meaning for ourselves. Take control of your own life instead of waiting for some mysterious destiny to fall into place. Nothing happens for a reason until we actually make something happen. We can make a grand plan for ourselves and work to create a change for the better in this crazy, random world. rinoue@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of ARTBOX.COM

FEAR WITHIN US

By BRADEN WONG The infamous cookie jar. r. P Pandora’s Box. The very things we are often told to not open, not to investigate, hold an ominous presence as they stand deep within our gaze. We are told that satisfaction awaits, and that secrets and understanding may “come with age”—but our curiosity does not. However, there is one emotion that often keeps us in check, to both our beneﬁt and loss. Fear. Fear is the bane to curiosity. Whereas we often may feel curious about what may lie inside that jar, it is fear for what is inside, and the repercussions, that restrain us from doing so. Indeed, it seems that fear is a necessity to prevent ourselves from self-destruction. But it isn’t always what it seems. So often we may neglect or fail to embrace new ideas in the everyday world around us from a simple fear. We overestimate the negative effects and underestimate ourselves, but both only hinder our curiosity and ability to learn new things. However, often, seeing into the formidable darkness improves vision overall. Often, success and even power arise from a relentless pursuit of understanding not only your side, but the other, or “dark”, side. As famed Jedi Master Mace Windu of Star Wars quite literally

demonstr demonstrated, demo de mo tr trat ated ed, lear ed le learning ar the dark side of the force whil wh whilst ilst il st maintaining mai m aint ai ntai nt aini ai ning ni ng a devotion to the light allows for self mastery. astery tery His knowledge of dark-side te oriented skills, something no other Jedi dared attempt to learn, would make him one of the most skilled bladesman in the galaxy. Wielding a purple lightsaber that combined the colors of the blue of the Jedi and the red of the Sith into one, his weapon was not merely the signature object defining his Jedi heritage, but also one representing his balance and mastery in all ways of the Force. Many times, we have potential to become a Windu, and to find knowledge through exploration of the “dark side”. However, we often refuse to do so because of the lack of establishing limits. We may reject the other side outright without caring to understand its nature because we must be “focused” in light of what is at hand. Sometimes, you need to get a little lost to find yourself. It is essential to understand the enemy at hand, and eventually conquer the true enemy of life—yourself. Evil is not without the presence of good. Even though Pandora’s Box unleashed the evils onto mankind, it also unleashed one of the most powerful emotions of all—hope. With this, let us all remain curious and hopeful for whatever that jar may contain. bwong@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of SECONDNEXUS.COM

March 2017

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OPINION

BREAKING. NEWS. Two reporters from The Apache Pow Wow weigh in on the current state of news and its media. Stay tuned for more! By ANABELL XU Staff Writer

Bright, ﬂashing headlines blare across the computer screen: “The online furniture store that has IKEA worried!” one proclaims. “You won’t believe what happens next!” another states. “Ellen reveals her big secret!” exclaims a third. The viewer chuckles and scrolls past the tabloids. Obviously fake. You can even see the company name underneath that sponsored this tacky headline. Quickly bored by the lack of information, the reader kicks back and takes out his or her phone and decides to scroll through Twitter. Suddenly, the person gasps. There, written in giant letters, is a tweet from a news source that nobody has ever heard from! It states: “Protesters beat and set two innocent civilians on ﬁre!” followed by a link to a news report. Outraged, the viewer slams the retweet button, adding his or her caption: “Unaccept-

By KAITLIN LEE Staff Writer

Ignoring all of the messy political talks, the previous year just seemed to be a really dark year. So many beloved celebrities died, climate change worsened, and there always seemed an unending aura of dread and gloominess around the news. And now, it appears that 2017 intends to copy its older sibling. Still overlooking the political issues we face this year, climate change is happening, beloved celebrities are still dying (R.I.P. Bill Paxton), and the news hosts a feeling of doom that seems to be everywhere this year. It’s ironic that a reporter for a school newspaper would admit that she is exhausted of the news, but it’s true. I’m so tired. Every day

able!” the viewer proclaims. “We must take action!” The tweet is shared with all 11,000 of he or she’s followers. The viewer doesn’t even bother to read the article. The tweet is eventually retweeted over 300,000 times. More news outlets start picking up on it. Soon, it’s the most talked-about trend on Facebook. And suddenly comes the inevitable cry: “Fake news!” one valiant Facebook user proclaims. He or she points to all the “facts” in the article and debunk all the claims that it presented. The photo the news presented as “evidence” is from ﬁve years ago. There were no witnesses at the scene. Quick checks of hospital records reveal no victims. Suddenly, waves of people emerge, countering the claims the article made. But the damage has been done. All across the country, people have started to grow suspicious of the protestors. At one event, a group of people wearing ski masks shout slurs and throw objects. General distrust and disapproval are on the rise. Never mind that fact doesn’t support these beliefs.

Suddenly, a new wave of news appears. This time, from a credible news source. “Small malfunctions with voting machines across Utah County,” the headline says. The article details some minor technological problems but assures the public that the issues were fixed promptly. It cautions people on the dangers of malfunctioning machines but establishes that these problems are rare and easily fixed. Then, a tweet from a well-known politician! “News Source reveals extreme problems with voting machines all across the country!” the politician claims angrily, linking back to the article. Chaos erupts. Tweets storm across the board, once again becoming the most talkedabout news on Facebook. News reports blare on television as other news sources pick up the headline. Suddenly, the entire country is sure that all the voting machines were rigged in some way. Political tension grows. Eventually, the News Source corrects the first politician. But nobody listens. The fake

news continues to spread throughout the internet. People who attempt to counter these claims are immediately crushed by the inﬂux of anger and outrage. Mistrust rises. Confusion grows. People are angry. The cycle repeats over and over again. Misinformation, or as we know it, fake news, continues to perpetuate society. The problem grows as the general public becomes more divided, and the ability to differentiate between fake news and real news grows ever smaller as emotions counter logic. With clickbait news and blatant lies comes an onslaught of misinformation, whether intentional or not. In a time of hatred and controversy, it is crucial for us to learn to recognize and counter fake news, especially when the need for unity and compromise is imperative for us to solve the major issues plaguing our society today. After all, the future is ours, and if we want to preserve it, we must understand the present.

I wake up, it seems that the ﬁrst news article reads; “BREAKING NEWS: There was another hate crime in the United States. Again.” If I try to escape all of the hateful behavior that plagues our world today, I’ll ﬁnd something like “Climate change is getting worse and our planet is dead” or “Oh, that actor you really liked? Yeah, he’s dead!” It’s a never-ending wave of horrible bitterness and cynicism, and the more and more I read, the more the world appears to be stuck in the prolog a young adult dystopian novel. Why am I tired of the news? Well, I’m a really anxious person. My brain collects information and exaggerates it so much you might have thought that it was a writer for Buzzfeed. Imagine what happens if I read the news every day and see the same brutally honest articles over and over. Like an annoying chorus on a pop song, the brutality of the world bores into

my mind. And like said annoying chorus, it’s driving me to the brink of insanity. Every night I lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling of my room. My brain is rapidly processing and spinning. My eyes are dried out from tears, and my ears are alert. I’m listening for a whistle of a bomb, the growl of a destructive earthquake or something that tells me that the world I know is about to end. It’s a constant paranoid state of watching my back for the earth’s slow, but painful elimination of human beings.But on every day that passes by, on every day that I think the world will cease to be, I ﬁnd, surprisingly, it doesn’t. No, the globe does not freeze over like The Day After Tomorrow. Aliens don’t come harvest us. Ragnarok doesn’t destroy all of us, nor the threat of a zombie virus. The planet keeps spinning, and days pass by. Perhaps instead of just focusing on the

news, we should pay some attention to other things in life. The news is important of course, and it should remain a necessary source of information about the world. But when the world seems so dark, maybe we should look for a glimmer of light. For me, it’s a movie that’s going to be released in the summer. Speciﬁcally, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. For others, it might be the last day of school and the ﬁrst day of summer break. The constant reminder of “I will live to see tomorrow” is one of the best ways to defeat the grimness of today. Just like Marcus Aurelius said, “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.”

axu@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of TUMBLR.COM

klee@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of PINTEREST.COM

FEATURES

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March 2017

The Global Disappearing Act By SHAZIA PATHAN Staff Writer

We always hear that we should see something before we die or should make a bucket list of places to go before we die, never considering that some of these natural gems and man-made triumphs may disappear first. Due to climate change, abundance of people, and age, many natural wonders are bound to disappear within the next few decades. A top concern for environmentalists is the deterioration ioration of the Great Barrier Reef. Located off the coast of Queensland in Australia, the Reef is the largest living thing in the world. It’s size is so great that it can even be seen from outer space. It is home to countless marine organisms such as dolphins, turtles, s, sharks, mollusks and starfish. Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is no exception — spanning 2,300 kilometers. meters. Over the years, it has protected the Australian coastlines from the damaging effects of storms and wave motion. Rapid climate change and contamination is responsible for the bleaching of the coral reefs. Actually just now, scientists have confirmed another ther mass bleaching; the second great bleaching within two years. ears. Overall, 93% of the Reef has been impacted by the bleaching ing effect, caused by the leave of organisms who maintain its health. As climate change seems to be neither reversing nor stopping, pping, who knows how long the remaining 7% of the Reef has to survive. The Dead Sea, located between Jordan and Palestine, estine, is as close to the fountain of youth as we can get; and it is cited as being at risk for disappearing as well. The properties of the Dead Sea are well known for their skin benefits. The Dead Sea salt and even the mud near the body of water have over 21 minerals and nutrients known to nourish and rejuvenate the skin and body. y. This natural gift may not be around for much longerr as it loses two billion gallons of water a year. This is due ue to

take a break!

multiple reasons — the mining operations happening nearby and the usage of water from the attraction’s main water source, the Jordan River. It seems that soon, a hopeful tourist attempting to float in the Sea may just sink to the ground. The Maldives, the tropical paradise known for its glow in the night shores and its palm tree forests, is in risk of sinking completel completely. The country has the lowest altitude out of any other country and, actually, the government in Maldives is so certain of island that it has insured lands in other nations for the disappearance of the islan when the island country will fully submerge due some of its residents for wh to climate change. Picchu, the man made kingdom made by the anMachu Picchu cient Incas, has been a tourist hot-spot since the Lost City’s rediscovery in 1911. Located high among the clouds in the Andes, it has been affected by erosion and dePeruvian A due to the overabundance of visitors it receives. struction du historic phenomenon could soon be no more unless The histor officials take ta over and control the influx of visitors and destruction caused by people. Most of the foreshadowed disappearance of the most amazing sites seems apparently linked to world’s mo change and the abuses of people. It is ironic and climate chan absurd that we ourselves are destroying the things we love and admire. use those bucket lists and dreams of traveling as Let’s us motivation for environmental awareness and consideration— lest we lose it all. spathan@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of NATIONOFCHANGE.COM Gra

THE ROBOT REVOLUTION

By CINDY TSE Staff Writer

As we all rush to end the year on a high note, the stress of studying and homework begins to catch up to us. While there’s certainly no time to take a week off and unwind on a tropical island, small breaks during work sessions are definitely a good idea and can help you accomplish goals without burning out. Of course, being able to relax while there’s still assignments to be completed is a task easier said than done. Here are a few ways to help stop that looming feeling of doom and let yourself take a breath every now and then. 1. Go outside. While that in itself doesn’t seem like much, the fresh air will certainly be a change in environment. Enjoying the sunshine for a bit without staring at a screen or a paper can ease your mind and give you an opportunity to think about something else. Don’t be afraid to do some stretches as well! Moving around between those long periods stuck in a chair will help revitalize you mentally and physically. 2. Get something to snack on. Snacks are both tasty and a fun way to reward yourself for a job well done. Try to pick foods that are nutritious and light, such as fruit or cookies. Foods that are too rich will cause you to feel sleepy and bloated. Further, avoid energy drinks and coffee. While caffeine might seem like a great way to stay awake, once its effects wear off, you’ll crash harder, which will definitely derail whatever study plans you had. 3. Doodle or write a short poem. If you really don’t feel like getting up, you can always just turn your attention to something not necessarily academic. It doesn’t have to be an artistic masterpiece or a ground-breaking novel, but quickly exercising your creative side can clear your head and lift your mood at the same time. It might also be fun to compare your work over time and see the improvements in little increments. 4. Clean your desk. A cluttered desk will lead to a cluttered brain. Tidying up will not only make doing your work easier, it can offer a bit of a temporary distraction. It’ll make finding things easier later on. You can also organize materials or clothes you’ll be needing for the next day, which might give you an extra five minutes of sleep in the morning. 5. Listen to some music. Music can be played in between study periods or be used as white noise while you’re working. It has been shown that music can reduce stress while also bringing up energy and mood. Rather than constantly surfing the Internet, make a playlist beforehand so that you don’t get sidetracked trying to find any specific song. Pick genres that aren’t too loud or fast-paced to match the vibe of your study pace. ctse@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of WORDART.COM

With our ever-advancing technology and rapidly revolutionizing industry, more and more jobs are being allocated to robots, leaving less and less for humans. Many scientists predict that the complete robot takeover will be within the next 100 years, with popular movies I, Robot, and The Terminator insinuating this debatable prognosis. However, this brings up the daunting question: will robots replace humans sometime in the near future? The simple answer: yes and no. Yes, due to the fact that businesses are manufacturing hightech robots that can efficiently and flawlessly complete their jobs, which emphasizes how humans are prone to mistakes while working, and perform their jobs in a much slower manner. And, no, since robots ultimately don’t have minds of their own and can behave unpredictably. English theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking believed that the introduction of robots “could be the greatest event in the history of our civilization,” but also “the last.” Hawking brought up the countless risks of the dangers of superintelligence, “in which machines exceed the cognitive abilities of humans.” On the other hand, on a more positive note, Hawking declared that the incorporation of artificial intelligence to our revolutionizing industry brings up the possibility of undoing “some of the damage to the natural world done by the last one, industrialization.” The disputable decision possesses many benefits and risks, with each balancing each other out on the scale. Robots can perform their jobs in hazardous workspaces, which include tight d prevent human in spacing, toxic chemicals, and labor-intensive work, and insion, less pain and cidents. Additionally, robotic surgery offers more precision, blood loss, and efficiency. Their ecological footprints are much smaller, ive than humans. which makes robots more cost-effective and productive idespread variety Nevertheless, the robot takeover has obliterated a widespread obs since 2000. of middle-class jobs, with a total loss of 5 million jobs eir inability to They lack empathy and emotion, and this reflects on their successfully interact with humans, which highlights how hazardtelous they can be due to their limited, straightforward intelligence. ate Artificial intelligence has sparked a huge debate in the scientific community, with uprising issues such as its awking to pros and cons involving MIT, Google, and Stephen Hawking speak out on its behalf. Though it may not seem like it, artificial intelligence is involved in our everyday lives, from Siri to selfdriving cars, robots are increasing in number (and size ize and intelligence) rapidly. As of now, only time will tell whether ether or not robots are secretly planrlee@apachepowwow.com ning their complete takeGraphic courtesy of ICONIZER.COM over of the world.

March 2017

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FEATURES

By JUSTIN CHEN Staff Writer

American folklore has created ted many legendary creatures, and there are plenty of rumo rumors and websites to help elp you find them, but how did they come to be in the first place? The first legendary creature re is Bigfoot, or the Sasquatch. Stories of this half-man, half-ape creature have ave traced back centuries. He is described cribed to be six to eight feet tall, with a large forehead aand huge eyebrows, like a caveman’s. He is also described as being covered in brown or red hair, with enormous ffeet that boast to be about ut two feet long and eight inches wide. The first big hit Bigfoot had in the U.S. was in 1958, when a construction ion ed worker by the name of Gerald Crew found a set of large footprints on the construction site. This event quickly led Crew to international fame, only to be exposed as a hoax. In 1967, two men captured Bigfoot on film. In the film, it ed shows a tall and hairy Bigfoot that sort of looks like Chewbacca from Star Wars. All in all, Bigfoot is usually used to play pranks on your friends, but if you go camping one weekend, don’t be too surprised if you see one. Next, there is the Chupacabra. The Chupacabra originates from Puerto Rico, when approximately 150 farm rm n. animals died in one night. Locals claimed that the all the goats had their blood drained, but none had been eaten. ed The Chupacabra has two forms. One comes from Puerto Rico and is described as a leathery, greenish gray-skinned m kangaroo-like creature, with spikes running down its back and fanged teeth. Its second and more common form is a dog or coyote-like creature with no hair but also has the spines down its back, like the first. It also has sharp rp een fangs, claws, and stands on all fours. Unlike most other mythical creatures, the Chupacabra has supposedly been ack found and captured already. Tests often have identified these captures as mammals with parasites, but they still lack evidence of ever sucking blood from any animal. Finally, there is the Loch Ness Monster. The Loch Ness Monster, also referred to as “Nessie”, had its first as sighting in 565 A.D. when Saint Columba, the man who supposedly introduced Christianity to Scotland, was mba walking along Loch Ness, when he stumbled across the Loch Ness Monster attacking a man in the lake. Columba commanded Nessie to free and spare the man, and the creature obeyed. Nessie is described as having the body of otthe Elasmosaurus, a prehistoric aquatic dinosaur. The modern legend of Nessie began in 1933 when a couple spoton ted Nessie, which sparked international interest almost instantly. Marmaduke Wetherell was hired by The London Daily Mail to track down the beast, and after four days, he found footprints of what seemed to be later revealed to ess be a hoax. This incident tarnished Nessie’s reputation, and nowadays, scientists disregard reports of the Loch Ness Monster due to the high chance of it being just another hoax. tAll in all, these mythical creatures with their mysterious backgrounds keep generations after generations visiting Loch Ness in the hopes of seeing good ol’ Nessie. jchen@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of BIGFOOT-LIVES.COM, RASHAUNAMEAD.COM, and THEMINIATUREPAGE.COM

By ALYSSA RAVE Staff Writer

Throughout history, women have constantly contributed to the growth, ﬂourishing, and discoveries of the human race. Yet, females tend to be underrepresented and discredited in history books and society. Despite International Women’s Day making waves in some parts of social media, many peo people still that March have no idea tha is Women’s History Month. In honor of this fantastic take month, the time to learn about lear spectacular women of the past and their little known achievements. achiev In I the science ﬁeelds, Margaret Hami Hamilton was an American 19 1960 MIT intern who develop developed much of the SAGE weather scanning proje project, which led her to become the lead software developer

for the Apollo 11 mission at NASA. Hamilton had over 20 areas of expertise in the computer engineering field and programmed the software that detected the computer overload for Apollo 11 that ensured the success of the moon landing. Hamilton earned four awards for her work as a software engineer, including the largest amount of money ever awarded to an individual by NASA and a 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet Cosmonaut, became the first woman in space and spent 71 hours in orbit, exceeding the time spent in space spent by all U.S. astronauts combined at the time. Tereshkova was one of just three women selected to be trained to become a Cosmonaut. She successfully parachuted down to Earth at a staggering 20,000 feet after reentering the atmosphere and was awarded the Order of Lenin and Hero of the Soviet Union Award afterward. In sports, Halet Çambel became the first Muslim woman to ever participate in the Olympics, competing in a foil fencing event in the 1938 games. Çambel was formally invited to meet Adolf Hitler after her match but refused to do so, continuing on with her life as a successful archeologist until later in life. Suzanne

Lenglen was a French tennis player who is still credited as the best female tennis player of all time. Lenglen won 241 tennis titles and had a 98% win percentage match record rd of 3417 with an 181 match winning streak, as well as two Olymympic gold medals als and one bronze in n the 1920 games. These laadies are a few off the unknown warrriors of the female ale past, but there are many more! Ida da B. Wells, Audrey Hepburn, Gloria Steinem, Dorothy Pitman-Hughes, tman-Hughes, and countless other her women have allowed the girlss of today to live and embrace their life freely because of their dedication. arave@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of DREAMSTIME.COM and PIXABAY.COM

STUDENT LIFE

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THEM.

March 2017

The Humanity Effect of the Misunderstood.

(see News for an introduction to THEM)

By BRADFORD YAU and FRANCES CHEUNG Staff Writers

The experiences of most THEM members have been ones that are positive and empowering. However, these may not seem to be the case for people that just look at the organization from a ﬁrst dimensional point of view. Junior Alex Chen offered his input on this particular situation. When asked about some of the things that he has heard and seen, Alex replied, “On the trips that I’ve been on so far, I have not seen much except a lot of sad faces. However, it feels really great to see the positive impact a short conversation can hold. While talking to these people, I’ve heard many stories ranging from how their childhood life was like, to the many dangers of living on the streets. In addition, these encounters have allowed me to realize that many of the homeless are no different from us, just misunderstood. Overall it has just been an amazing experience being able to listen to the many stories. That warm, bubbly feeling that comes with helping someone in need out is simply incredible. As a member of THEM, we hope to push away the negative stereotypes that surround the homeless.” While being a part of the organization has been an inspirational and moving experience for the members, they also hope to spread awareness and advocate their message. Their goal is to help others realize that these homeless people who we see on the streets are no less than any other person that we meet on a daily basis. According to THEM member Vanadium Wang, “The purpose of our organization is to shed a light on the homeless and the misfortunate. When you hear of these people, there might be a negative connotation, and people might think lowly of these people, but they might not deserve it. Some of these people have really bad luck and unfortunate situations that placed them where they are right now. These people are still human; just because they're homeless doesn't mean anything. They still have feelings. They still have dreams. They still have hope. And what we want to do is change the whole outlook on the less fortunate and have people see them in a better light.” byau@apachepowwow.com cheung@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of INSTAGRAM.COM/THEMLOSANGELES

Students Choose:

BOBA or COFFEE By NICOLE SOONG Staff Writer

Some students need caffeine throughout the day to keep themselves conscious while handling their tumultuous schedule. Boba and coffee both contain caffeine, and here, I will be revealing whether AHS students enjoy boba more or coffee more. Bubble tea, or boba, originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, and it evolved over the decades. In this Asian community, most students like boba because of the “chewiness of the drink,” like junior Harris Chan. Students also like it because it has so many varieties and ﬂavors from milk tea to passion fruits, and it can be “both a snack and a drink at the same time because [one] can enjoy the tapioca pearls and drink the tea at the same time,” according to junior Doris Li. In addition, senior Koby Truong thinks “the magical elixir of life” made boba better than coffee. Most importantly, boba shops are a dime a dozen in this community, unlike coffee shops, which are mainly based from large corporations rather than individual businesses. Coffee, on the other hand, originated in Ethiopia and has been popular, especially in Europe, for a long time. The main reason students like coffee is because “it keeps [them] up later than boba,” according to junior Courtney Chan. Some just enjoy the taste of coffee, like junior Armine Kasabyan, who likes dark roasted coffee and black coffee with some sugar because of the “bitter, yet natural coffee taste.” Similarly, junior Brandon Mejia likes coffee, because “the taste and smell help [him] relax and calm [him] down.” Freshman Clarisse Gao, on the other hand, prefers coffee over boba simply because she thinks that “boba is easier to get sick of,” and enjoys the long-lasting pleasure of having a cup of sweet coffee. Overall, 91% of students in a 32-student poll voted for bubble tea over coffee, making the sweet and versatile drink the favored caffeinated beverage among Arcadians!

nsoong@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of PHILLIPJONES.WORDPRESS.COM

91%

March 2017

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STUDENT LIFE

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY By JOSIE CHEN Staff Writer

As third quarter comes to an end and fourth quarter arrives, spring break is ﬁnally approaching AHS students. During the week off from school, students have the opportunity to relax and de-stress from their hard work, whether it’s by binge-watching television shows, taking a stroll on the beach, or going shopping with friends. One of the best ways to take your mind off of school is having a television marathon. Not only do you get to immerse yourself in another reality, but also you can do it while wearing comfy pajamas and eating your favorite foods. Freshman Joceline Nguyen said, “I’m going to be re-watching Scarlet Heart Ryeo during spring break. I can’t wait to just sit in my room and be cozy.” Along with spring comes warmer temperatures. As the weather heats up, take a visit to the beach and enjoy the hot sand and cool water. Whether it’s building a sand castle, jumping up and down in the waves or taking a nice stroll, being in a soothing environ-

ment can be really helpful with letting go of stress. If you’re up for it, you can even ﬁnd a hotel nearby to stay in for the night. You’ll be able to use the hotel’s jacuzzi and swimming pool, and let room service do all the work for you! Plan a shopping trip with some of your friends or family members to an outdoor outlet or shopping plaza! With the arrival of spring, many companies are already releasing products for their summer line. While shopping for new items, you can talk and laugh with your friends and forget all about the tiring stress. Freshman Kirti Madireddy said, “I want to buy some new clothes for summer, like when I’m going to the beach or spending time by the pool.” So what will you be doing this spring break? Take some time off from the stress of AHS classes and use the opportunity to treat yourself. With a little time off, you’ll return back to school with more energy than ever, ready to crush the rest of the school year!

By CHRISTY QIU Staff Writer

Every year on Mar. 8, which is International Women’s Day, people commemorate the movement for women’s rights. However, this year’s International Women’s Day drew in more attention than the past few years. There were marches and rallies all over Downtown Los Angeles featuring wonderful posters, some of which were had hilarious memes, but all of which were awe-inspiring. AHS is also home to some very outspoken, creative minds. When asked about how their hypothetical posters for a Women’s Day march would look like, here’s what AHS students had to say. “I would take a quote from The Type by Sara Kay.” — Emily Lu, 11

jchen@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CLIPARTKID.COM

“I would draw a manicured hand with each ﬁngernail as a different color.” — Ailin Atasoy, 10

bad luck or COINCIDENCE? By CAMILLE MARQUEZ Staff Writer

Not everyone has the luck of the Irish. Many people often have an unexplainable superstition. Whether it be avoiding to walk underneath ladders or knocking on wood, we all do these arbitrary actions to cover ourselves in a, possibly mythical, blanket of protection. Superstitions originate when a certain ritual or belief is given a magical significance. These rather odd beliefs can add to one’s confidence and if not repeated, it tricks the individual into thinking years of bad luck will haunt them. We pick up these irrational behaviors in hopes it results in a specific outcome, and if we fail to perform them, we are destined to failure or pain. What superstitions do our Apaches have? Sophomore Elizabeth Lui tells us an odd “It can’t be a coincidence that superstition her younger something always bad happens self had believed in. “I to me on Friday the 13th." broke a mirror when I — Samantha De Guzman, 10 was 7. I believed that until I turned 14, all those bad events that happened in my life were all due to that one incident.” People claim breaking a mirror will bring seven years of bad luck. The most common explanation for this superstition is that the reflection not only shows someone’s physical appearance, but it also represents their soul. Shattering a mirror could mean damage to the soul of the one who broke it, and thus, they would more prone to misfortune. Sophomore Sahana Saikumar had a superstition she created herself, “A week before we would play a team in basketball, I would always take a marker that matched our opponent’s colors and slam it to the ground.

So if the team we were against had their color as “A week before we would orange, I would take out play a team in basketball, I an orange Crayola marker would always take a marker out of my backpack and that matched our opponent’s leave it on the ground for colors and slam it to the a week. We went undefeated.” ground." Sophomore Saman— Sahana Saikumar, 10 tha De Guzman still believes in the spookiness of Friday the 13th. “It can’t be a coincidence that something always bad happens to me on Friday the 13th. I either fail a test, have plans canceled, forget my lunch, or anything else happens along those lines. I started believing it ever since I was 10.” There is no deﬁnite justiﬁcation for how this superstition came about. However, the number 13 has a long history of being unlucky. Many people also, particularly those with a religious background, commonly report that Friday is an unlucky day. Superstitions, for the most part, are harmless. We tend to forget how silly and undetermined their authenticity is. The best thing to keep in mind is that actual efforts are the most reliable key to success! And you don’t need a rabbit’s foot to win you that! cmarquez@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CLIPARTBEST.COM

“I would draw a combined symbol for women and men.” — Yanhui Li, 11 “I would write ‘Women are worth it.’ ” — Hermay Matthiews, 11 “I’d write ‘In the future, there will be no more female leaders. There will just be leaders.’” — Natalie Chen, 11 “I would write ‘We can do it!’ and draw the iconic female ﬁgure alongside it.” — Mariam Golwalla, 10 “I would write ‘Doing things like a woman is never an insult.’ ” — Avleen Walia, 11 cqiu@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CLIPARTFEST.COM and ACT4ENTERTAINMENT.COM

PERFORMING ARTS

theapachepowwow.com

March 2017

By SARAH WANG Staff Writer

Think back to a time when you saw something inexplicably bizarre and out of place: a kangaroo in a shopping mall, canned tuna on pizza, or maybe Matt Damon playing the savior of all of China in The Great Wall. Perhaps even Scarlett Johansson being cast as a distinctly Japanese special-ops agent in The Ghost In The Shell, Benedict Cumberbatch taking on Star Trek Into Darkness’ iconic Indian superhuman Khan Noonien Singh, Emma Stone playing Chinese-Hawaiian Captain Allison Ng in Aloha, and the roles of Inuits Aang, Katara, and Sokka being handed off to Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, and Jackson Rathbone in Avatar: The Last Airbender might ring a bell. This phenomenon is known as whitewashing - a casting practice in which white actors are chosen to portray historically non-white characters. Unsurprisingly, whitewashing is not an uncommon sight to see in Hollywood films and television shows. After all, the industry is notoriously dominated by white actors and actresses. In fact, between the years of 1927 and 2012, 99% of women who have won the Oscar for “Best Actress” and 94% of men who have won the Oscar for “Best Actor” have been white. The lack of racial diversity in the media most famously peaked at the 2015 Academy Awards after outrage sparked when not a single person of color was nominated for an award. USC’s Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism conducted a study in February 2016 that found that out of 414 films and series, only 28.3% were from minority groups, which is 10% less than the percentage of minority groups in the U.S. population. Behind the camera, 87% of directors overall and 90.4% of TV directors were white, and out of 109 films directed by women, only two out of the 109 were black women (Ava DuVernay (Selma) and Amma Asante (Belle)). Stacy L. Smith, a USC professor and one of the study’s lead researchers explained, “When we start to step back to see this larger ecology, I think we see a picture of exclusion, and it doesn’t match the norms of the population of the United States. ” Referencing the all-white Oscar nominations of the 2015 Academy Awards she continued, “The prequel to #OscarsSoWhite is #HollywoodSoWhite. We don’t have a diversity problem. We have an inclusion crisis.” All in all in terms of racial bias in today’s entertainment and media, and “the portrait is one of pervasive underrepresentation, no matter the media platform, from CEOs to minor characters. Overall, the landscape of media content is still largely whitewashed,” the study concluded. If and when minority actors are awarded roles at all, they tend to be racially, culturally, and ethnically insensitive or just outright degrading. For instance, Lilly Okanakamura is one of the Barden Bellas in Pitch Perfect, but you most likely remember her as the Quiet Asian Girl that did the fish thing with her lips. The increasing cultural appropriation and lack of accurate minority portrayals in the media only serve to further propagate the stereotypes that Asians are nerds and tech support, Hispanics are drug dealers or the help, and African-Americans are violent youth that grow up to be criminals. After sparking controversy and outrage over whitewashed casting, the directors of Exodus: Gods and Kings, Aloha, and Pan explained that although an entirely white cast was not preferred, white actors and actresses such as Christian Bale, Sigourney Weaver, Emma Stone, and Rooney Mara would attract greater audiences, while racially correct casting would have led to box office failure. The impact whitewashing has on all people far outweighs a production studio’s misconception that white characters have the highest appeal. The “Black Doll” experiment conducted by psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark in the 1940s found that when given two dolls that were identical in every way except for skin color, children chose the white doll over the black doll when asked questions such as “Which doll is prettier?”, “Which doll is good?”, and “Which doll do you want to play with?” Because of whitewashing in the media, the stigma and discrimination associated with being a person of color (POC) leads to “unhealthy conceptions of racial equality”. Diverse media representation is and will continue to be crucial in all forms of media and entertainment. In some cases, not only do white actors and actresses get cast in POC roles, but they go the extra mile to portray someone they’re not, often in culturally insensitive ways. A technique used by the media to darken or change skin color is called “black face”, as well as “red face” and “yellow face”. In the 1965 version of Othello, British actor Laurence Olivier had to use black face makeup to darken his skin to appear black. Jim Sturgess, another British actor, used yellow face techniques to fulfill the role of Commander Hae-Joo Chang by lifting the ends of his eyes, filling the eyebrows, and narrowing the nose in Cloud Atlas. Johnny Depp and Rooney Mara were both accused of cultural appropriation and insensitivity after they portrayed Native Americans using excessive face paint and inaccurate cultural attire in Lone Ranger and Pan, respectively. As we continue to progress in our ever-evolving society, we must all act as advocates for equal media opportunities to truly achieve equality. We can combat the continuation of whitewashing in the entertainment industry by simply being more aware of whitewashing and not let ourselves become indifferent and accepting. Truly diverse media representation is attainable and it’s up to us to start the change. swang@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of HOLLYWOODFL.ORG

MOVIES TO WATCH OVER SPRING BREAK By JOCELYN HU Performing Arts Editor

Ever bored over break with nothing to do? Here are some movie recommendations for you to watch over spring break! Power Rangers, released on Mar. 24, features an openly gay superhero in the character of Yellow ranger Trini. The popular actress and singer Becky G will take the role of Trini in this new movie. Other well known actors featured include Darce Montgomery as Jason, the Red Ranger, Naomi Scott as Kimberley, the Pink Ranger, RJ Cycler as Billy, the Blue Ranger, and Ludi Lin as Zack, the Black Ranger. The movie starts out with the characters feeling lonely and unaccepted by others in their community. One day, they happen to be at the same place at the same time, and are given gifts, to be the Earth’s Power Rangers, also known as ancient orders of time. The rest of the storyline revolves around their training to adapt to their new roles, meeting allies and villains along the way. This movie will be perfect for you if you’re interested in heroes, watched the old Power Rangers, or enjoy science ﬁction. Lately, many people have also been watching Beauty and the Beast, the new Disney movie starring Emma Watson as the Beauty, and Dan Stevens as the Beast. A.O. Scott from New York Times gave it a review, saying, “It looks good, moves gracefully and leaves a clean and invigorating aftertaste. I almost didn’t recognize the ﬂavor: I think the name for it is joy.” This movie was re-

leased on Mar. 17, and it is just right for families or children to watch along, since it is based on the classical Beauty and the Beast while the whole story is brought to reality through real life actors. Another fantasy and science fiction based film that may interest you is Kong: Skull Island. Commercials for it have been all over social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat. This film was released on Mar. 10 and is about scientists, soldiers, and adventurers who unite on the island of Kong to discover the area. However, their arrival starts the battle between man and nature, leading them to fight for survival and escape. This brilliant movie stars actors Tom Hiddleson as Captain James Conrad, Samuel L. Jackson as Preston Packard, Brie Larson as Mason Weaver, and many more. These three movies have been “in” for this month, and are definitely worth making time for. re a variety of movies out there w wai aiti ai ting ti ng Whether you enjoy genres from fantasy to thriller, there are waiting for you, so treat yourself to a movie over spring break!

jhu@ jhu@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of 1001FONTS.COM Photos courtesy of PSDGRAPHICS.C PSDGRAPHICS.COM and 2GB.COM

March 2017

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PERFORMING ARTS

By ASHLEY LEE Staff Writer

Our very own talented Advanced Drama Department has once again amazed the community with its incredible performance. The stage came alive from Mar. 15 to 18 in the PAC, as the drama department put on a wonderful production of Sister Act, the musical. Like always, the show tickets were sold out in a short matter of time, and the PAC was packed to full capacity. A big production takes a whole village. This past month, the cast of Sister Act has worked long hours to prepare for this musical production. During their tech week, the cast stayed after school until 10 p.m. rehearsing the show multiple times, until it was at perfection. Working behind the scenes was also Stagecraft. The musical incorporated the use of many incredible props and sets, a whole scheme of different lightings, and countless voice control and sound cues. Stagecraft worked diligently behind the scenes in preparing the best for this show. Despite the long and tiring hours spent in the PAC everyday, their effort has definitely paid off immensely. Just like always, they never fail to put on an encore-worthy performance. The musical Sister Act is based on the original American comedy film, which was produced in 1992. The plot features a girl named Deloris Van Cartier who is a lounge singer at The Moonlite Lounge of Reno, Nevada, run by her mobster boyfriend, Vince LaRocca. After witnessing her boyfriend murder an employee, she is hidden in a convent under a witness protection program. In her time there, Deloris makes herself at home. Her identity becomes Sister Mary Clarence, and she happily befriends all the nuns. After being caught on her way to a bar, she was recruited to the convent’s choir and was eventually chosen to be the coach. She helps bring the choir to new heights and begins helping with community service projects. However, as the choir is given more publicity, her new identity and location is revealed to Vince, and she soon finds herself in a chase. If you had a chance to watch this amazing show and would like to see more of what Arcadia’s drama department has to offer, check out their upcoming shows! Metamorphosis, by Intermediate Theater will be taking place at 7:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theater on May 18 and 19. One Act Festival, by Beginning Theater, will be in action on May 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the PAC. alee@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of WMC.ORG Photos courtesy of STEPHANIE CHAN

Annual San Diego Tour By FRANCES CHEUNG Staff Writer

After years and years of successful wins, performances, and concerts under the direction of Mr. Forbes and Ms. Chen, AHS’ Orchestra program has built quite a reputation for themselves. Not many high school music programs out there can pride themselves in saying they get the opportunity to travel to Florida every four years, host three annual concerts in a venue as big as the PAC, or win numerous trophies and high honors at several competitions each year. Under this large program of successful musicians, there are three orchestras that often do their own separate activities or combine together to host large events. Orchestra I consists purely of freshman students who, although are the underclassmen, show that they can still achieve success through winning high marks in festivals such as the SCSBOA String Festival in Long Beach and others. The Strings Orchestra, better known as Orchestra II, often tours with the advanced orchestra and competes in prestigious festivals and tournaments as well. Finally, the advanced orchestra, Orchestra III or Symphony Strings, which consists of members who have passed through a tryout process, performs a wide variety of music. Like the others, it has won many awards of excellence and have had high praise from critics. All three inspire their audience and move people with the beautiful tunes of their song and well prepared melodies. More recently, from March 24 to March 26, Orchestra II and Orchestra III traveled together on their annual San Diego tour to perform at the annual Heritage Festival that consists of talented orchestras and music groups from all over Southern California. However, for the audience, it might seem like a positive festival consisting of great music and displayed skill, but for the performers, this festival is a competitive competition consisting of professional judges that will not only grade each competitor but also give constructive criticism for further improvement and skill wise growing for the future. With all the hard work and effort each and every musician has put into this program, there has deﬁnitely been times when their perseverance and dedication is rewarded. For the ﬁrst day of the tour, orchestra attendees got to relax from the stress of competition and school at the San Diego Zoo, since they did not perform until the day afterwards. Furthermore, the next day, they performed the music they had prepared during their scheduled time, and the rest of the day was free for members to have fun at Sea World. Overall, this tour was a great experience and bonding event for all participants of this music program. Orchestra II and III members who attended this tour and competed as representatives of AHS in San Diego did a great job.

fcheung@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of EAGLERIDER.COM

SPRING

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March 2017

By MARUKO MYINT Staff Writer

Spring break is quickly approaching us once again, giving us the much-needed break from school we deserve. It is a time of relaxation, recovery, and of course, adventures. Going on adventures is a great way to spend time with friends while enjoying new and different environments. This year, aim to travel to new and exhilarating places that’ll be sure to broaden your horizons and make unforgettable memories. mmyint@apachepowwow.com

Every Friday night, Myrtle Avenue in Old Monrovia is transformed into a bustling and lively street fair for people of all ages. This fair truly has something for everyone, with fresh produce, carnival rides, and local artisans all adding their own ﬂair to the market. Food is also sold, with different vendors selling both fresh and pre-made meals, desserts, or specialty food.

MONROVIA STREET FAIR

Located in the middle of urban Los Angeles, this park has 53 miles of hiking trails and other places such as pa the Grifﬁth Observatory and the LA Zoo. The hiking trails offer a spectacular view of nature scenery, hill climbing, and offe a great gr vantage point of LA. Once you’re inside, you’ll easily forget the city life beyond the luscious greenery of the park. forg Parking is free so there are no costs to enjoying the scenery Pa of both nature and the LA background.

GRIFFITH PARK

MOONLIG

BREAK

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March 2017

El Matador State Beach is a beach like no other and it’s conveniently located near us in Malibu. Although it doesn’t allow for a lot of swimming and other water-related activities, the stunning shore makes up for it. The rock formations and caves make this particular beach stand out among the rest, and it deﬁnitely shows by the number of photographers on the beach daily. Grab friends to spend the day with at this picturesque location.

EL MATADOR STATE BEACH

Come taste comfort food with a touch of Croatia at this family-style cafe! They offer a variety of dishes from savory crepes to beef stroganoff, all within the warm and inviting atmosphere of the cafe. With their delicious food and comforting ambiance, you’ll deﬁnitely have a good time enjoying this place!

CAFE LUMAR

Skate back into the 1970’s at this old-school skating rink! The building is specifically maintained to keep a nostalgic and fun atmosphere that’ll add to the disco skating experience. This family-friendly center charges $14 for an open skating session on the weekends, allowing for people of all ages to come down and have fun!

GHT ROLLER WAY

GRAND CENTRAL MARKET

Located in Downtown LA, Grand Central Market is an open-air market consisting of food vendors and ﬂorists. Many cuisines are offered here with each vendor spinning their own twist on their food, deﬁnitely making your experience one of a kind. From tacos and vegan ramen to local produce, the variety of delicious food will certainly make you coming back for more.

Graphics courtesy of VECTEEZY.COM

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March 2017

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CALENDAR

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By N NATALIE SAMADI Staff Writer

As spring rolls around the corner and the weather starts to get warmer, I enjoy wearing weathe shorts and tank tops to cool down. Not only do I feel like my legs are liberated from a prison called skinny jeans, but I am also able to move more freely in a ﬂowy tank top. My legs and arms, however, are always feeling dry and arms rough, even though they may be free. The roug three thre months of the cold and rainy weather ha have really taken a toll on my skin, making me feel dry and in desperate need of replenishing. To ﬁx this, I always use a bath scrub. My favorite ones include some from Bath and Body Works, though

they can get pricey at times. Fortunately, after deeply browsing through Pinterest and surﬁng through random do-it-yourself (DIY) blogs on the Internet, I have put together the ultimate, customizable, fast, and hassle-free DIY body scrub that works amazingly for all skin types. This will make you say GOODBYE to dry skin! Items needed: 1 cup of brown sugar ¾ cup of coconut oil Mixing bowl Spatula or a spoon Container to store scrub Optional ingredients: 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil 5 to 10 drops of your preferred essential oil

Directions: 1. Throw all ingredients into a bowl and mix them into a well-spread and thick consistency. 2. During your shower, apply some of the scrub to your body and rub gently in circular motions to get rid of any dead skin. Remember to not be too harsh on your skin and to completely rinse off any scrub leftover. 3. Afterward, rinse your body with warm water and apply lotion to keep your body moisturized. Just like that, you have created your very own body scrub. Now step outside and show off those smooth arms and legs.

nsamadi@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of DELIGHTHOME.COM

: By MARUKO MYINT Staff Writer

Korean culture has definitely been making quite an appearance in recent trends with its emotionfilled dramas, contagious music, and, of course, the good-looking celebrities, intriguing audiences of different ages all over the world. The Korean beauty scene is not one to be excluded from the recent attention as well, with its various products turning heads on the unconventional ingredients and unique packaging. K-beauty is considered to be a pioneer within the cosmetics world, coming up with strange yet innovative makeup and skincare products. Not only does K-beauty work to deliver the best results for various skin types, it also turns makeup and skincare into a fun and enjoyable experience! Here are five strange, yet successful K-beauty products you should certainly try out! Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubbly Clay Mask At first glance, it might seem like a typical clay mask. However, this stands out from the rest in one way: it bubbles up. This quirky carbonated mask bubbles up as it sloughs off dead skin cells and lifts pore-clogging dirt and sebum. This mask not only gives way to a softer, clearer face, but also some nice photo opportunities with your bubbly appearance. My Lip Tint Pack A huge hit among Youtubers and bloggers, this lip product became extremely popular for the unconventional method to a long-lasting lip tint. The product is a sticky substance that you have to smear across your lips, which dries over time. After five to ten minutes, it’s peeled off, leaving you with colorful lips that’ll last you the whole day! Etude House Tint My Brows This is also another unique product to test among Youtubers, with its simple process that delivers flawless brows that lasts for days. Apply the substance in the desired shape of your brows and wait for at least two hours and peel. This product is an easy hack for anyone who regularly fills in their brows because all they have to do is sleep overnight with this and peel it off the morning after. My Little Pet Eye Patch These hydrogel patches aim to brighten and refresh your dark under-eye bags with ingredients like green tea and sunflower seed extract. To use this product, you leave the patches underneath your eyes for 30 minutes so the extract can be properly absorbed into the skin. Fresh Gore Sleeping Pack This product is your typical overnight moisturizer with a twist; it comes out looking like blood. Inspired by the pale beauty of vampires, this pack works to brighten and deeply moisturize your face overnight. Apply it one hour before you sleep and you’ll wake up with beautiful moisturized skin. No matter how strange some products might seem at first, K-beauty is definitely a lifestyle that you should explore! You just might be surprised at how amazingly successful it is.

mmyint@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of BIGSPOT.COM and TUMBLR.COM

March 2017

CALENDAR

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March 2017

How Easily Annoyed Are You? (Does this font annoy you?)

By TIFFANY LIANG Staff Writer

Are you someone who snaps the instant someone presses your buttons? Or are you able to remain calm and composed even in the most irritating situations? Take this quiz to discover how easily annoyed you really are. 1. How do you feel about loud chewers? a. They don’t bother me. b. It would be nice if they were a little quieter. c. I CAN’T TAKE IT. 2. How do you deal with someone being loud while you’re trying to sleep? a. I’m a deep sleeper anyways. b. It’s a little hard, but I try to bear it. c. I don’t. 3. What is your reaction when you wake up a few minutes before your alarm? a. I start the day off a little earlier. b. Go back to sleep. It’s a little annoying, but a few more minutes always helps. c. I’m not waking up today. 4. What do you do when someone talks over your favorite television show? a. I wouldn’t want to cause any unnecessary tension; I’ll rewatch the episodes later. b. Kindly ask them to stop. c. Kick them out of my house. If it’s their house, still kick them out.

5. How do you react when someone is condescending towards you? a. Respond kindly and respectfully. b. Ignore them. I don’t appreciate being looked down upon. c. Tell them just how I feel about their attitude. 6. How do you feel when your doiong work in a loud place? a. It isn’t the best, but I can ignore it. b. I would eventually move to a quieter place. c. I can’t deal with it. 7. A baby is crying in the movie theater during one of the most suspenseful scenes. What do you do? a. Nothing. Babies will be babies. b. Give your friend and annoyed grimace. c. Glare angrily at the parents until you’ve burned holes in the back of their head. 8. Someone simply won’t stop being negative. What do you do? a. Force a smile and try to remain optimistic. b. Ignore them. They’re not worth causing a disturbance over. c. Confront them about why they are like this.

If you picked mostly A, you are not easily annoyed. Although now and then a few things may bother you, you are generally able to remain calm and collected under irritating situations. You keep a level head, and you tend to conceal your annoyance pretty well. Keep it up!

By COLLIN GAJA Staff Writer

Nintendo’s newest addition to the critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda series “Breath of the Wild” is a breathtaking world adventure with an amazing story and graphics. Adding new mechanics, such as the sheikah slate and a new story, gives a breath of fresh air for long time fans. Breath of the Wild introduces many new aspects and elements to the game that takes the series to new heights. Many people looked forward to the new mechanics introduced into this addition of the Zelda franchise. New mechanics such as the new runes like magnesis (which is one of six runes) allow the player to lift metallic objects regardless of weight. Using this tool can be crucial to solving puzzles or surprising the enemy with a metal box to the head. Other tools, such as the stasis rune or cryonis rune, allow the user to solve a large variety of puzzles within the game. Though the runes add a new element to the game, using the tools usually cause the game to drop in frames and lag quite a bit. Another aspect in the game is the combat system, which changed from swinging a Wii remote to pressing Y on the controller to attack. Many fans believe this to be way better than swinging a Wii remote which brought many problems such as connection issues. Other fans believe that this takes away from the interactive experience and makes the combat feel less intense and too simple. The many ﬂaws may hinder the game, but the well written story and beautiful scenery makes the game all the better.

One aspect ct many fans ns look forward to is the new story that adds on to the old story reused in many of the previous titles. The story goes that an ancient nt evil calamity ganon has been revived ived after 10,000 years and destroyed the Kingdom of Hyrule. After being fatally injured, the revived main character, Link, has been tasked with saving Hyrule and defeat ganon with the divine beast which were introduced in this game. The story has been changed from the typical save the princess and kill the evil overlord, to a new story of saving a kingdom from an ancient evil. Though many were upset about the change, others felt that it gave the story a great add on that will give players a lasting memory of their adventure. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is fantastic game that gives new and old players a new adventure with stunning visuals and an amazing story. Though ﬂaws such as the simpliﬁed combat system hinders the experience, but the excellent use of tools and new mechanics gives the game a new experience. In conclusion, the game is one of the best installations to the Zelda franchise, with new visuals and gameplay the game will surely take your breath away.

If you picked mostly B, while the typical irritating habits do annoy you, you are able to respond in a pretty rational manner. Even if someone or something is getting on your last nerve, you avoid causing unnecessary tension or making your annoyance blatantly obvious. While you manage to slip the occasional annoyed glance towards your friends (who can blame you), you never cause a scene. If you picked mostly C, you are quite easily annoyed. When something bothers you, rather than staying silent and keeping to yourself, you tend to speak up. You can be misunderstood as dramatic, but people tend to know not to mess with you. While you’ve built up a slightly intimidating reputation, at least people know you don’t put up with their annoying habits.

tliang@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of IEMOJI.COM cgaja@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of NINTENDO.COM

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TRACK & FIELD

MARCH RESULTS CO-ED VARSITY BADMINTON 3/17: 19-2 W vs. Alhambra HS 3/20: 20-1 W vs. Loyola HS 3/24: 13-8 W vs. Mark Keppel HS

BOYS VARSITY BASEBALL 3/15: 7-0 W vs. La Salle HS 3/18: 10-2 W vs. Rancho Cotate HS 3/28: 4-0 W vs. Pasadena HS

March 2017

By HOLLY LUNG Staff Writer

Spring has arrived, winter sports have been traded in, and track is back. Since the start of the semester, sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, and distance runners have been training vigorously in preparation for the season. They’ve even participated in several all-comer races to prime for the hectic racing schedule that will make up their season. While both the girls and boys teams were able to dominate in nearly every event at these pre-season races, their competition is sure to stiffen as the season progresses, even leaving potential wins to hang in the balance. While there were great performances from all areas at these smaller meets, there was no question that there was still much to improve on for every event in terms of technique and ﬁtness. In fact, technique and ﬁtness were put to the test on Mar. 9, at dual League Meet against John Burroughs High School (JBHS).The Apaches had anticipated winning certain crucial events, but were curbed by a failed handoff during the 4x100m relay, costing the Boys Varsity Track

team a few too many points. After nail-biting performances in the rest of the events, the winner of the meet was decided by the final event, a 4x400m relay. JBHS quickly took the lead and held it for the first, second, and third legs of the relay. However, the runners dropped their baton on the team’s final handoff, giving junior Darius Jing nearly a 50m lead as he finished off the relay and took the victory for Arcadia. Following the excitement of the race, senior Justin Hayata, who ran the second leg of the 4x400m relay, boasted that “they could have won the race regardless of JBHS’ dropped baton.” He attributes this confidence to the “depth and focus of our team”, even adding that “everyone on our 4x400m team is under 53 seconds.” He and the relay team hope not only to place 1st at Pacific League Finals, where they are sure to face JBHS once again, but to make it to CIF Finals, where they will be pinned against the best teams in Southern California. As for the boys and girls teams as a whole, Assistant Coach Mitchell Banh hoped that “both teams will win Pacific League Finals” and that “many individuals will be able to qualify for CIF

Prelims and Finals.” Before those races are to come, however, both teams will need some ﬁne tuning through some larger invitationals such as the Mt. Carmel Invitational, and the famed Arcadia Invitational, where the most qualiﬁed Track and Field stars in the nation compete. While a number of events on both the girls and boys teams remain assets at competitive races, Assistant Coach Diana Banh believes “lack of commitment and focus” may be a hinderance for improvement. She even added that “problems like ditching keep happening, and [athletes] can’t improve if they don’t show up.” With issues of commitment that hurt a portion of the team, one can only hope that the talent and focus of devoted athletes will bring success to the Track and Field team as its season continues through March and April. The team is currently undefeated, and is hoping to hold on to that impeccable record as it approaches tougher league meets ahead.

hlung@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of CLIPARTFEST.COM and EARLEY.COM

GIRLS VARSITY SOFTBALL STRIKES By ASHLEY LEE Staff Writer

Three strikes, and you’re out! The Girls Varsity Softball season is well under way, and the girls have been actively playing hard on the softball ﬁeld. The Lady Apaches had a great opening to their season, beating Canyon High School 5-4 on Mar. 1. They later went on to play in the Simi Valley Tournament,

where they unfortunately fell to other teams, with one win, one tie, and two losses. However, they soon came back with a win against Monrovia High School, 2-0. The girls are currently 6-2-1, placing them 2nd in the Pacific League. With a decently young team this year, there is definitely much for the girls to learn this season, on and off the field. It is important that not only are the team members familiar with each other’s playing styles, but that they also have a close-knit bond within the team. During preseason, the players have familiarized themselves with each other and have trained hard to prepare for this current season. It seems that forming a strong bond within the team was not a problem for these girls, as pitcher sophomore Megan Lau believed that one of the strengths of this year’s team is the strong team chemistry. One of the goals the

team hopes to achieve this year is to make CIF playoffs. Megan shared that the team has “improved a lot since last year” and she is “excited to see how much [they] have developed.” As for herself being the youngest pitcher on the team, one of her goals is to be able to pitch to the best of her ability. Junior May Mathiew’s goal is to “become stronger and faster this season while building a stronger connection with the girls.” The team hopes to continue improving to achieve these goals. The girls have a busy game schedule ahead of them. They will be playing away at Hoover High School next Tuesday on April. 4, and will also be playing Pasadena High School and Glendale High School at home on Thursday and the following week on Tuesday, respectively. Great job to the softball team for its efforts so far! We wish the girls the best of luck in their path to CIF this season! With its hard work and dedication, the team is guaranteed to succeed.

alee@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CLIPARTKID.COM

Graphic courtesy of CLIPARTKID.COM and GIFPICS.COM

March 2017

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BOYS

BOYS VARSITY GOLF

VARSITY By COLLIN GAJA Staff Writer

With a record of 10-2, the Boys Varsity Volleyball team has had a fantastic start to its season. Winning against schools such as Temple City High School (TCHS) and Upland High School, the boys seem to be unstoppable. With a 83% win rate, the boys are on their way to making it to CIF in no time. This season, the boys haven’t had any bumps to hinder their way to CIF. Sophomore Alex Yen said “Our main goals is to make it to CIF and also have a winning season.” Though they lost to San Marino High School 2-3 earlier in their season, the boys didn’t lose their courage and instead pushed through and learned from their mistakes. Alex feels that their team’s weakness is “experience, because we have a lot of people who haven’t played before.” Although they have many new players, it appears that the boys are learning fast and are not going to have a problem in this season. The boys have many strengths that have lead them to winning ten games in a row. Some strengths the boys have are being able to set up the balls for their teammates and allowing them

TEAM PLAY The boys worked diligently together in their best efforts to defeat San Marino High School on Feb. 28. to spike with ease. With this, their offense is unmatchable, and with an unbeatable defense the team is surely going to win every game in the near future. Also, being able to block is key to winning each game, since it denies the opponent to get off a spike. Though this is one of the team’s weakest areas, the players are working hard to improve. Alex said “My goal is to work on my vertical, so I can become a better blocker.” Though the team has great strengths, the team has made some mistakes in their games as well. Mistakes such

as not having a good mentality during the game have allowed the team’s opponents to earn many unnecessary points, which can cost a team the game. The game against John Burroughs High School was one such example where the team allowed points to be scored on it, ultimately costing itself the game. With upcoming games against Burbank High School and Crescenta Valley High School the boys have to improve their mental game in order to go above and beyond. The team hopes to use the next few weeks to practice its mental and technical skills. Boys Varsity Volleyball team has had an a fantastic start to its season with a 10-2 record and two of its games being sweeps. Winning against TCHS and Palmdale High School the team have been great achievements so far in its season. With a few improvements, such as mentality during the game, the boys could improve and try to get around this obstacle. With just two losses so far, the boys are on track to a great season and potentially a deep CIF run.

Staff Writer

Springtime. A time of blossoming trees. A time when people can relax. It is also the start of the tennis season! Fresh off a CIF Division II championship, the Boys Varsity Tennis team is striving to repeat a similar feat. Additionaly, the boys have moved up to Division I, which shows they are one of the best teams in America. They have gone an impressive 7-0 start to the season, including 3-0 in league. This is something that is

very impressive, as the boys have been undefeated in the Paciﬁc league for three years now. However, this is not enough, as there are different roles and ambitions within the team. Starting off with ambitions, there are a few goals that differ among players. Freshman Jeffrey Lee stated that “his personal goal is to further develop his overall tennis game by playing matches to help his skills develop.” As Jeffrey is only a freshman, he relishes the early game time that he receives and hopes that it will bolster his skills for the future. Senior Brian Kim has a different mentality with what he wants to achieve. He said he hopes that the team

3/09: W by 56 strokes vs. Pacific League Match No. 2

BOYS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

cgaja@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of SLATERHOOPS.COM Photo Courtesy of NADINE KONG

BOYS VARSITY TENNIS By BRADFORD YAU

3/06: W vs. Burbank HS and Walnut HS

“achieves a better outcome than what was done last year.” As the team won CIF last year, Jeffrey is hoping that the team will advance further in State this year. Last season, the team was knocked out by Torrey Pines in the Round of 16. This year’s team is hungry to win more and more, and not just to settle for a CIF victory. As this is a new season, there are many new players on the team that are experiencing high school tennis for the ﬁrst time. One of those guys is freshman Matthew Feng. Matthew, an experienced player who is nationally ranked because of his outstanding tournament record, believes that “high school tennis is very different compared to tournaments, as the cheering of teammates help[s] motivate me to play the best that I can, which makes the overall game much more fun to play and easier.” Overall, the tennis season is off to a great start, and everyone should be excited. Many players are hyped up for this season, as they should be. Not only do these players hit winners, they are winners! The team is undoubtedly going to go far in both League and CIF. Great job Apaches! Keep up the good work.

byau@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of TENNISWEEK.COM Photo by TRINITY CHHAY

3/18: 2-0 W vs. Eastside HS 3/20: 3-0 W vs. Anaheim HS

BOYS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL 3/16: 18-0 W vs. Glendale HS 3/22: 10-8 W vs. Mira Costa HS

ACADEMICS

By WILLIAM WANG Staff Writer Imagine this: you’re a senior just about to graduate. High school is ﬁnally in the background, and you’re looking for a new goal for the foreground of what will likely be four more formative years in higher level education. That goal may be unclear, but it certainly isn’t unknown. Some call it an obligation, others a passion, and still others the capitalistic commitment to a life of material desire. No matter what label you assign it, you’re going to have to ﬁnd one: a career. It isn’t unnatural to be somewhat dazed and confused when it comes to discovering what it is you want to do for your lifetime after adolescence. Statistically, it is more likely for a college student to enter into the wrong major initially and change than it is for one to stay steadfast. Of course, everyone should strive for the latter, but it’s more realistic to be prepared for the former. Fortunately, as an Apache, you’re in luck. AHS offers a cornerstone project for seniors in their English courses known creatively as the senior project and colloquially as the senior project. While the name gives no hints as to what one actually does, the senior project is quite simple: a research paper and a presentation. The reason it’s a blessing in disguise rather than another obligation on top of what is sure to be a host of other AP courses and extracurriculars is that it is one of the few opportunities that you will have to dedicate time to discovering yourself outside of a European backpacking trip or a mud spa.

By ELAINE VUONG Staff Writer There are many courses offered at AHS, but a particular AP class that pushes its students to get involved with society and the planet is none other than AP Environmental Science (APES). The course centers on the many problems the planet is facing due to its polluters— humans. APES enables students to learn the fundamentals to better our planet and to prevent further global warming. Not only is the class very informative, but it is also a hands-on class where you can actually save the world. APES does not only consist of lectures and worksheets but also watching educational videos such as The Lorax, reading, memorizing, taking selfies, labs, and service learning. One of the essential parts of the class is service learning. Service learning accounts for 10% of the grades for APES students and in order to fulfill the requirement, a total of eight hours must be dedicated and a write-up must be turned in with documented signatures and pictures. Although the task may sound difficult, service learning helps the community out in ways that seem unimaginable for one person and is actually very enjoyable to do. One of the

academics.powwow@gmail.com

March 2017

Perhaps the most valuable portion of the project is the opportunity to discuss your career goals with a person currently in the industry. Every senior participating in the project is required to find an interviewee (a person that reflects of where they hope to be in the future). Being able to discuss the nuances of employment with an experienced individual will prove invaluable in determining whether their passion is blind or truthful. The reality is that no field is without its grit. T.V. and social media like to paint things as black and white, good and bad, but life is a mix of both. While it’s natural to maintain a buoyed sense of purpose and dedication to lofty ideals, the senior project encourages you to establish boundaries and realistic expectations. For instance, lawyers working for large firms often burn out under the stress of billable hours and 12 hour days workdays. Hopeful medical doctors often don’t realize the true burden of four years in medical school followed by up to seven in a residency. Approach the project realistically and with a definite rationalization that this is an opportunity and not an obligation. Do it well so you can set yourself up for your future. Ultimately, a senior project won’t be enough to truly determine what you’ll be doing a year from now let alone a decade from now. There is no better test than actual work experience, and that won’t be possible unless you take a leap of fervent faith. However, every little incremental step forward on your winding career path is a possibility, so seize this one. wwang@apachepowwow.com Graphic by ANDREA LIU

projects that students from AHS have helped complete was at Mulhall Elementary School, now known as the Jeff Seymour Family Center. AHS students had helped with weeding, planting shrubbery and trees, and painting the school’s walls with bright eco colors which not only emits a positive learning environment but reduces the surface temperature around the center. APES offers service learning to organizations such as Amigos de Los Rios and Heal the Bay. Junior Karen Thai explained how “APES gave [her] a chance to give back to the community while getting to spend time with friends.” The task may be strenuous, but the amount of experience gained from service learning, such as the smiles visitors make when seeing the renovation of the family center, make it all worth it. As for inside the class, APES is made up of lectures, labs, and time with friends. There are usually weekly quizzes and lectures before the quizzes. For labs, students are put into groups and are given the assignment and instructions on the class website. Communication is key in APES, and even if you are not a strong socializer, your classmates will voluntarily help you if possible because in APES, the whole class is basically a family. Junior Samantha Chen described her experience in APES as “a great way to meet new people and learn about how to impede global warming because that’s becoming a serious issue even if it is not recognized as one by our government.” All in all, APES is a fun and active class that gives students new perspectives on how we affect our planet. For those who are unsure whether or not to take the class, it is an amazing class that goes beyond lectures and tests and as someone who is in APES, I would highly recommend it! evuong@apachepowwow.com Graphic by ANDREA LIU

March 2017

ACADEMICS

academics.powwow@gmail.com

By FRANCES CHEUNG

Staff Writer Time passes quickly, whether we like it or not. Often times, we get caught up in the deadlines and test dates as school and extracurriculars become more and more demanding. While you may or may not have realized it, AP testing is quickly approaching and is now less than two months away. For many of us, having to be tested on one subject for a full three hours (knowing that the results of this score can potentially devastate your college or educational future) can be a terrifying experience. Additionally, many students encounter the problem of not knowing how to study for a test that covers a range of topics so broad and, in a way, almost vague. With so many ideas and concepts covered, it gets difficult trying to pinpoint where to start or deciding whether you know enough or should study in more detail. Especially for students who need to take more than one AP test, it gets overwhelming to think that after studying for hours on one subject, you need to do it again to study for another. However, always keep in mind that during times when there is high pressure and not as much time as one anticipates, one should always strive to study smarter, not harder. 1. Familiarize yourself with the test Try to get familiar with the test you are taking before you take the test. This way, you can manage your time wisely and pace yourself at a reasonable pace. For instance, if you know the written proportion and short answers always take twice as long for you to answer than the multiple choice questions, then make sure you don’t spend a majority of your time overthinking multiple choice questions. Additionally, knowing the setup of the test gives you an idea of how you should be practicing when you study. For example, let’s say you’ve always had trouble doing sciences with math integrated into them, and seeing that on the AP Biology test, there’s a section specifically made for those types of questions, you now know which questions you should invest the most time in. 2. Be selective in what you study Get to know which subjects are going to be on the test and which subjects not because chances are, the AP test won’t be testing every little concept that is crammed into your textbooks. It would be devastating to have spent hours trying to understand one idea and then later realize it won’t even be touched on at all by the AP test. Furthermore, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and oftentimes one chapter might be extremely easy, while the one right after might require more time commitment to grasp at first. If you know you’re stronger in one concept than another, spend less time on one and more on the other. Don’t be afraid to continue and move on. 3. Use practice materials With test days quickly approaching, it’s important to use practice materials that quickly summarize chapters and key ideas quickly. While reading an entire chapter on the cell cycle might be best for your understanding of the process, the most practical would be taking 20 minutes to read a summarized version of it. To add on, make sure you’ve taken at least one practice test version of the AP test you are about to take before you take it. Practice tests are great ways to experience first hand how these types of tests are structured and how you might need to eventually pace yourself. Knowing that you’ve taken some sort of variation of the test before the actual test will boost your confidence and lessen the chances of any surprises that might throw you off. Overall, don’t stress too much on studying for AP tests. While it may seem overwhelming and scary to think that your knowledge on an entire subject is based on whether you get a five or a four, in the long run, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get the score you were aiming for. fcheung@apachepowwow.com Graphic by ANDREA LIU

By ANABELL XU Staff Writer You’re sitting outside of a room on a little chair, nervously fidgeting and squishing your fingers together. Next to you, another person is deep in thought, his head in between his hands. Sweat is slowly dripping down your face, and your stomach is twisting like a slinky in a five-year-old’s hands. Suddenly, a person walks out of the room, stares at you with beady, suspicious eyes, opens their mouth, says your name, and tells you that they’re ready for you. You brave the unknown as you step into that room and are instantly greeted by three, or one, skeptical pair(s) of eyes. You nervously plop into your chair and feel the sweat immediately drench your shirt. The world ends as soon the questions begin. You find yourself unable to talk, realize that being “funny” on your application might not have been the best decision, and find that you can’t even hear yourself speak. So how do we avoid a terrible, world ending, humiliation-inducing interview experience like this? There are many quick and easy tips that you can use not just for interviews, but just for human interaction in general. Here are five of the most important and easily-applied interview tricks. 1. Arrive on time or early When it comes down to it, being late makes it seem like you don’t care about the interview in the first place. We want to avoid that at all costs, so arrive early or on time. Arrive at least ten minutes early, either to freshen up or to shut off your cellphone. 2. Compose yourself Being flustered and in the middle of mental breakdown during an interview is a sure way to ensure that it doesn’t go well. That’s where calming down before an interview comes in— keeping your composure will allow you to answer questions clearly and concisely. 3. Make a good first impression First impressions are crucial to making sure that the interview goes smoothly. Greet the interviewer(s) with a smile and a firm handshake! Be polite and courteous, maintain a positive attitude, and don’t be afraid to express enthusiasm when talking. 4. Be clear and authentic When an interview starts, make sure that your respotnses are truthful and focused. Consistency is key— but don’t ramble when answering a question, since it can confuse and bore an interviewer. Lying is a huge no-no, so avoid it at all costs. 5. Good body language Slouching, fidgeting, looking bored, andt seeming disengaged can distract an interviewer or give them a reason not to consider you. Instead, be an active listener. Smile, maintain good eye contact, and nod. Convey to the interviewer that you want to be accepted. Interviews don’t have to be a terrifying experience. With these five simple tricks, you’ll be getting into that club or job in no time! axu@apachepowwow.com Graphic by ANDREA LIU

CAMPUS FOCUS

cf.powwow@gmail.com

March 2017

By WILLIAM WANG Staff Writer

Blue skies and bright days; California has always been a special haven for beautiful weather. Yet step outside these days and you’re likely to see grey clouds promising rain. Much of the recent inclement weather is due to the so-called “Pineapple Express”. Nicknamed for its Hawaiian origins, it is an “atmospheric river” composed of storms that drift south and pick up moist, warm air before heading to the coast. Though the storms have been a haphazardly quick solution to California’s longstanding drought, the continuous heavy rainfall poses catastrophic threats to flood-prone areas. Every time you see a double rainbow, remember that it also means a double-edged sword. “My favorite type of weather is when there are a lot of ﬂuffy clouds and it’s only a little windy so that the sun sometimes goes behind the clouds. It becomes the perfect cloudy day.”

“Rainy days are my favorite if I’m with a girl, but if I’m alone I prefer cloudy days. I guess I just like cool days in general.”

—Stephanie Yen, 11

—Ethan Vuong, 9

“ I love it when one of those freak rainstorms during April happens. The sun is out but it’s still pouring rain making a

—Amanda Ung, ng, 10 0

Graphics Gr cs courtesy of IMAGES.TEMPLATE.NET Photos by ELLIE LEE