April 2012

Volume 60, Issue 8

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA

April p 2012

No Apaches Down: Coach Dimalante’s Legacy

In this issue:

Photo courtesy of LLOYD FUJIWARA

PERFORMING ARTS pg. 13 Orchesis Obsession: A recap of Orchesis Dance Company’s exciting spring dance production.

Photo by ELLIOTT LEE

GOODBYE COACH! After altering the lives of countless athletes and motivating the Apaches to always do their best, Coach Jon Dimalante is hanging up his jersey and saying goodbye.

By STEPHEN CHU Staff Writer Graphic courtesy of POZADIA.ORG

CENTER SPREAD pg. 16-17 Gives Me Hope: Students share inspirational quotes and phrases.

Photo courtesy of APCLEPTEST.COM

ACADEMICS pg. 29 AP Testing Season: Tips and tricks for students on how to survive their upcoming AP tests!

Have a question, comment, or concern about the Pow Wow? E-mail the Editors-in-Chief at editorsinchief@apachepowwow.com or find us online at apachepowwow.com.

“48 minutes or the rest of your life to think about it.” The lights have dimmed, the season is over, and once again our Apache Football team is in the midst of its offseason training regime. Just like any other season, our Apaches are preparing for victory next fall, with one major difference: a new head coach. For 17 years, Arcadia has been blessed by the virtues, determination, and soul that Coach Jon Dimalante has presented to this very school. Now, we are faced with the retirement of a legend, a true empowering figure in the history of Arcadia High School. Senior Taylor Lagace said, “Coach Dimalante is a legend of Arcadia football, [and] he has made me the man I am today on and off the field.”

With a winning record of 113-76-1 throughout his entire coaching career, Coach Dimalante has provided Arcadia with an anchor, seemingly always present to provide positive insight not only in the faction of football, but also in guiding his players on the right path through life. “Coach Dimalante has been like a second father to me. He’s impacted my life tremendously and he has taught and inspired me to work my hardest on and off the field,” said senior Brian Ponce. A characteristic Coach Dimalante has brought to this school is winning, taking Arcadia to new heights, and elevating the Arcadia Apaches to Pacific League title contenders. Truly a spe-

cial father figure to many of his former and current players, Coach Dimalante has instilled in his players the commitment to excellence and dedication.

“The community, the players, [and] the coaches that worked with [him]” were what helped make Coach Dimalante’s experience as a coach both valuable and memorable. “It’s just been a wonderful 17 years, and I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. This is my home. I have nothing but great feelings here,” he said.

After his unsettling and heartwrenching loss to La Mirada in California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) last winter, Coach Dimalante met a fork in the road. Did he want to continue to battle alongside his community, his people, and his family on the football field, or pursue his goals in the educational field?

After much deliberation, he decided that “it was the right time” to retire as a coach. For now, he is leaving the football team in the capable hands of his assistant coaches Coach Elias and Coach Long. Even though he is retiring, Coach Dimalante promises he will not be a stranger to the athletics program at AHS. He plans to continue to teach physical education at AHS for the foreseeable future and to continue to do something he loves: teaching kids. Even though he will be a familiar face on campus, he said that he will “miss seeing [his] players work hard and grow”.

You do not have to stray far to meet at least one person who has been touched by the actions of Coach Dimalante. No matter how different or how talented every member of Apache football team is, each and every one of them can honestly say that Coach Dimalante has made a difference in his life. Senior

Lawrence Chan explained, “I’ll miss being around him. There are so many life lessons I’ve learned from him. I [can] only aspire to be half the man he is.”

With long-standing effects on the personality and attitudes of many individual characters on a volatile and physical football team, Coach Dimalante found a way to control all these different egos and beliefs to build a strong team concentrated toward victory. “He has changed the tradition of Apache football tremendously by all of the time and effort he has put in the program and just by being a great coach. His tradition will last forever,” said senior Myles Carr.

Senior Kevin Giammalva said, “Throughout my four years in the football program, he not only taught my teammates and me how to play the game of football, but also how to live an honorable and respectful life. Without Coach Dimalante I don’t know what type of person I’d be, and I’m thankful for everything I have learned from him.” Coach Dimalante will always be remembered as a high-class character and motivator, who was able to draw the best out of each and every student-athlete.

No words can truly describe the impact Coach Dimalante has had on Apache football; if you had gone to a Friday night game, you would have had the opportunity to witness Coach Dimalante in all of his glory. Although he may be retiring, Coach Dimalante’s legacy, his inspirational motto of always giving your best, and his resounding “No Apaches Down” will forever ring in our hearts. schu@apachepowwow.comw

NEWS

2 The Legacy of The Lady: Democracy Comes to Burma

By ALISON FU

Staff Writer

As Myanmar’s most revered modern proponent of democracy, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has attempted for years to peacefully end the military’s oppressive control on the people of Myanmar, the country more commonly known as Burma. After over two decades of resistance and urges for reform, Suu Kyi was elected early this April into the Burmese parliament— the first step toward achieving a brighter future for Burma.

After witnessing the military’s massacre of thousands of people on Aug. 8, 1988, Suu Kyi began to take political action in Burma, urging for peace and the creation of a democratic government. With her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), she campaigned for the rights of the Burmese people through public protests against the government. Later that year, however,

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when the military staged a coup, establishing even tighter restrictions on the citizens of Burma, Suu Kyi was placed on house arrest and prohibited from any political involvement, including running in the election of 1990. The government attempted to persuade Suu Kyi to leave the country, but Suu Kyi refused and chose house arrest instead, knowing that if she left Burma, she would be forbidden to return and continue fighting for her people. For the next 21 years, Suu Kyi was detained and released several times by the government, spending more than 15 years total as a prisoner. After her release from detention in late 2010, Suu Kyi reentered politics, leading to her recent election into the Burmese parliament—a race

she won by an overwhelming majority.

Since the 2010 election, newly-elected Myanmar President Thein Sein has slowly ushered in reforms; however, the military continues to dominate Myanmar’s parliament, and Myanmar remains largely disconnected from the outside world. The country is still heavily burdened by economic sanctions from the United States, though the recent election has caused the European Union to remove its sanctions, and the United States is considering following suit. Many are hoping that Suu Kyi’s presence in parliament will be able to bring about peace and cooperation from the military. “She can change the atmosphere of the parliament, make it more transparent, and engage in actual open debate,” expressed Burmese political analyst Maung Wuntha. “This is why just one person can change the parliament.”

Still, Suu Kyi’s election into office is only the beginning, as it is unknown how, or if, she will be able to defeat decades-old, governmentinstilled policies. There has already been tension between the government and Suu Kyi, with Suu Kyi refusing to take her seat in parliament until the oath to enter office, which requires members to swear to “safeguard” the military-created con-

SUU KYI REVOLUTIONIZES BURMA Burmese

political activist Suu Kyi, has devoted her life to achieving peace and reform in her country.

U.S. Tightens Control of Borders Moreover, the border is constantly guarded

By STANLEY SHAW

by Border Patrol which has, under its control, Staff Writer UAV drones, Blackhawk helicopters, and veOver the past few years, United States hicles built to traverse the rough terrain.

Border Patrol has stepped up its defense at the Surprisingly enough, the new strategy U.S.-Mexico border with regular patrols, UAV appears to be working as it was intended drones, and the expansion of a defense barrier to. There were reportedly 340,000 arrests separating the U.S. and Mexico. Despite these made at the border last year, a significantly highly advanced defensive measures, these miniscule number when compared to the safeguards haven’t put 1.6 million apprehena dent in the continuous sions Border Patrol wave of immigrants ilmade in 2000. On the legally crossing into other hand, it’s also the United States. Now, quite possible that the instead of confronting drastic decrease over the issue head-on, Borthe past decade can be der Patrol has decided attributed to other facto square off with the tors, such as the fact problem by means of that there are less open spreading awareness vocations than there about the dangers of were in previous years. crossing the border.

Nevertheless, Discreet Borthese public relations NEW METHODS FOR NEW der Patrol agents have efforts

by Border PaTIMES As pressure to secure the contacted Mexican and border increases, the U.S. Border trol are part of a U.S. Central American media Patrol has started using military grade government program agencies, such as news- drones for defense. called “No Mas Crupapers and radio staces”, or “No More tions, requesting them to take the opportunity Crosses” in Spanish. The program has, since to educate and discourage their listeners from its inception in 2004, been allocated $1.1 illegal immigration into the U.S. In an El Salva- million annually; the money is utilized in dorian newspaper, one particular story’s lead on producing and distributing songs and minithe subject read, “Immigrants are mistreated, documentaries, among other things. assaulted, lied to, made fun of, and women are Although the “No Mas Cruces” program often raped.” Border Patrol spokesman Andy seems extremely secretive in nature, its intenAdame elaborated further, “We’re seeing a big tions are for the best interest of all parties inincrease in smuggler abuse; robberies with AK- volved. Advocating about the life-and-death 47s and pistols, knives; rapes of women, more conditions of the trek to America has potenphysical abuses—not only in the desert, but in tially saved the lives of many people and has safe houses where people are tied up.” also encouraged immigrants to be legally Crime isn’t the only obstacle that migrants documented by the government, which alhave to hurdle over should they decide to move lows the US government to keep an accurate into America. The extreme temperature of the headcount of the nation’s population. zone between America and Mexico is a danger to ill-equipped travelers, in part because immisshaw@apachepowwow.com grants do not bring a large enough water supPhoto courtesy of ply to last them throughout the whole journey.

CONSTALLATIONRG.ORG

April 2012

stitution, is amended. It is uncertain how long Suu Kyi will continue to boycott parliament, though retired Burmese diplomat Thaung Tun expressed, “She knew full well from the beginning what the oath was, so I think they will find a way to find a compromise. It would be bad for the country if it went for very long.” Nevertheless, Suu Kyi has conveyed her faith in the reformed government; for the first time in 24 years, she is going to leave the country for a trip to Britain, trusting that she will be able to re-enter Myanmar when she returns.

Suu Kyi’s perseverance has not only inspired the people of Burma, but also the world.

In 2011, Britain released a film based on Suu Kyi, titled The Lady, a name derived from Suu Kyi’s local nickname in Burma.

Having devoted her life to fighting for her homeland, Suu Kyi is greatly supported by many Burmese citizens, and her entrance into parliament is expected to bring massive improvements to the troubled country. Her supporters are even looking into the future—according to NLD official Myo Win, “There is [now] more of a possibility that Suu Kyi can become president in 2015.” afu@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of SHUTTERSHOCK.COM

Mexico Improves Relations with Cuba

By SHREYA MAHARANA

conversation was made public, which provoked a firestorm of criticism in Mexico, where CasStaff Writer tro is widely respected for having stood up to After three years, Mexican President Fe- the United States for half a century. The two lipe Calderon visited Cuba on Apr. 11 to patch Hispanic countries briefly closed their embasup bruised relations with the communist island sies in 2004, but maintained official diplomatic and to discuss possible business ventures, in- relations.

For Mexico, sustaining Cuban ties is a cluding oil deals, human rights, and migration.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry notified the U.S. measure of independence from the United Senate that President Calderon planned to trav- States, which has been at odds with Cuba since el to Cuba, Haiti, and then Columbia. In Carta- the 1959 revolution that brought the Castro gena, Columbia, the Summit of the Americas brothers to power. “Cuba is a symbolic issue.

The Cuban revolution was attended by Presias a historic event, and dent Obama and all the opposition to Americountries of the region. can hegemony in Latin With only seven America possesses immonths remaining in portant political capihis six-year term, it tal in Mexico,” Arturo was President CaldeLevy-Lopez, a Cuba ron’s first trip back. expert at the University In 2009, President of Denver said.

Calderon angrily canPresident Caldeceled a planned visit ron wanted to fix relawhen the Cuban govtions with Cuba before ernment suspended Mexico’s presidential flights between the election in July. Presitwo countries due to a swine flu scare. He CALDERON VISITS CUBA Mexican dent Calderon’s office had scheduled to meet President Felipe Calderon commits himself said in a statement Cuban President Raul to helping his country’s alliance with Cuba. that the visit served to strengthen “fraternity” Castro and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Jaime between the two countries and create a “new agenda” to take advantage of the business opOrtega.

Cuba and Mexico enjoyed friendly rela- portunities opened up by economic changes tions until the administration of Vicente Fox, made by Cuba’s government. Mexican officials who, in 2000, broke the center-left Institutional downplayed the possibility of any dramatic oil Revolutionary Party’s 71-year grip on power agreements coming from the visit, but said there in Mexico by winning the presidency. In 2002, might be an accord on “technical cooperation.”

President Calderon, whose country has his government angered former Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, by supporting a United Nations been wracked by drug violence during his adresolution condemning Cuba’s human rights ministration, has not shown any indications of holding meetings with government opponents record.

That same year, Mexico had a falling out in Cuba. with Fidel Castro. The Cuban leader sent a resmaharana@apachepowwow.com cording that he had to leave before then U.S. Photo courtesy of President George W. Bush arrived. The taped WASHINGTONPOST.COM

April 2012

news@apachepowwow.com

North Korean Missile Program: Failure to Launch Kim Jong Un, takes power. “The launch of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite is the pride of our nation and of our people,” Kim Il Sung University student Rim Kwang Myong stated.

Indeed, the centennial was a major milestone for the nation Sung founded in 1948. According to reports, Pyongyang’s indoor stadium and war museum

On the outskirts of Pyongyang, the rocket was seen on a launch pad covered Staff Writer with a tarp to shield it from the wind.

Chief of the rocket’s command center, North Korea caused an international Paek Chang Ho, said that the rocket is stir when it announced that the assembly being “injected with fuel as we speak” of and preparations for a planned sateland would be ready for liftoff as soon as lite rocket launch had been completed on engineers were given the green light.

Apr. 10 at a press conference in the city Unfortunately, the much anticiof Pyongyang. pated launch disapThe launch, pointed, as it fell into which was set to take the Yellow Sea 100 place from Apr. 12 to miles west of Seoul 16, was highly dison Apr. 13. Accordapproved of byother ing to South Korean members of the inDefense Ministry Ofternational commuficial, Shin Won-shik nity, such as the U.S. “the missile traveled and Japan, because it one to two minutes was seen as a direct and broke apart in the violation of a recent air. It broke into 20 North Korean agreeseparate pieces”. ment to halt its nuclear The failed weapons and missile launch is good news program. U.S. Secrefor the United Nations tary of State Hillary (UN), but devastating Clinton said that the for the North Korelaunch would be a dians who thought this rect threat to regional to be an opportunity security, and that the THE HOPES OF A NATION The rocket was meant to show the for them to showcase U.S. would pursue world North Korea’s power, influence, and technological prowess, but what they could do. “appropriate action” at quickly became another embarrassment for the new regime.

While North Korea the Security Council if were surrounded by women in tradistill has not decided North Korea goes ahead with it.

Despite these warnings, the country tional Korean dresses who were practic- whether or not it will attempt another still attempted the launch and denied it ing for the big week’s events, while the launch, the UN has made up its mind to being a cover for a missile test, simply city’s streets were covered with posters, impose sanctions against North Korea if stating that the event’s purpose was to banners, and national flags. North Korea this event ever happens again. ltrajano@apachepowwow.com commemorate the 100th anniversary of has also opened its doors to the world’s Photo courtesy of its late president, Kim Il Sung, as well journalists to report on the upcoming ECONOMIST.COM as to demonstrate unity as his grandson, launch.

By LAUREN TRAJANO

Zimmerman Makes Bail, Prepares for Upcoming Trial

until he testifies during trial. O’Mara stated that he will waive Zimmerman’s Executive Copy Editor right to appear at his arraignment due to concerns for his safety as Zimmerman When an unarmed African Amerihas received “serious threats that law can teenager in Sanford, Florida was enforcement is looking into.” shot to death by a man claiming to have In an interview, State acted in self defense, the Attorney Angela B. Corey attention of the nation was spoke about the charges captured. As the facts beagainst Zimmerman in a case gan to present themselves, that has sparked national the controversy surrounddemonstrations calling for ing the mysterious death his arrest. “I can tell you we of 17-year-old Trayvon did not come to this decision Martin, who was returnlightly,” Corey told reporting home after purchasers. “We do not prosecute by ing a bag of Skittles and public pressure.” And public some iced tea on Feb. 26, pressure certainly was a faconly grew stronger. George tor in the case, as an online Zimmerman, a 28-yearpetition calling for Zimmerold neighborhood watch man’s arrest was signed by volunteer who shot Martin an upwards of 2.2 million due to what he believed people. was suspicious behavior Marches, protests, and or drug use, will now be ZIMMERMAN’S FATE UNCERTAIN The nation waits with bated breaths as Zimmerman’s future is decided by U.S. rallies were held across the facing a charge of secthe legal system. country and amidst all the ond-degree murder after his arrest on Apr. 11, according to the cumstances of the situation are unclear, media attention, Zimmerman has moved which will undoubtedly translate to a out of the spotlight for his own security special prosecutor in the case.

The case did not garner major media large number of circumstantial evidence and protection. O’Mara requested that attention until the 911 call between the once the trial begins sometime next year. his client’s whereabouts remain undisAlthough Zimmerman was released closed by the court, state attorney’s ofpolice dispatcher and Zimmerman was made public. In the call, the dispatcher from a Florida jail after posting 10% of fice, and the police. The case is sure to asked if Zimmerman was following Mar- his $150,000 bail on Apr. 22, he is still attract further media attention and contin. When Zimmerman responded that he awaiting his second-degree murder trial. troversy once it goes to trial next year. was, the dispatcher solemnly told him, His arraignment is set for May 8 but aarzani@apachepowwow.com “We don’t need you to do that.” Sec- Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara Photo courtesy of CSMONITOR.COM onds later, armed with a 9-millimeter says his client probably won’t be seen

By ARIANA ARZANI

weapon, Zimmerman got out of the car and into a fight with Martin. Zimmerman claimed that he had to shoot Martin out of self-defense after the teen struck him in the face, knocked him down, and began pounding his head. The exact cir-

NEWS

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s t a f f Editors Editors-in-Chief Kaitlyn Jeong and Rhiannon Yee Managing Editor Nancy Xiao News Editors Evan Delgado and Utthara Rameshbabu Opinion Editors Victoria Tran and Valerie Yu Performing Arts Editors Yejean Kim and Christine Sun Student Life Editors Edward Chao and Ashley Chi Features Editors Eileen Chow and Grace Song Sports Editors Stacey Ng and Andy Qin Academics Editors Regina Liu and Melissa Song Center Spread Editor Alwyna Lau Calendar Editor Michelle Zhang Campus Focus Editor Katherine Bay Advertisement Editors Becca Lu, Laureen Ma, and Brandon Pang Photography Editor Elliott Lee Executive Copy Editors Ariana Arzani and Christopher Cho Webmaster Emily Zheng Fundraising Chairs Belle Chuang, Lena Kalemkiarian, and Anna Naran

Writers News Staff

Opinion Staff

Performing Arts Staff

Student Life Staff

Features Staff

Sports Staff Academics Staff

Center Spread Staff Calendar Staff Campus Focus Staff Advertisement Staff

Photo Staff Copy Editing Staff

Adviser

Ariana Arzani, Josh Bay, Christopher Cho, Alison Fu, Daniel Jenn, Shreya Maharana, Jonathan Matsumoto, Stanley Shaw, Lauren Trajano, Jing Wang Rena Chen, Helen Chou, Allan Gao, Mya Ho, Jeanne Kuang, Helen Lee, Shreya Maharana, Sophia Tang, Vanessa Yu Kelly Ching, Albert Hu, Amanda Huynh, Phoebe Shen, Emilie Wang, Vanessa Yu Niki Chi, Kelly Ching, Allan Gao, Courtney Hang, Daniel Jenn, Helen Lee, Jonathan Matsumoto, Stanley Shaw, Kristie Sun, Emilie Wang Josh Bay, Courtney Hang, Daniel Jenn, Jeanne Kuang, Jonathan Matsumoto, Victoria Nakaganeku, Sarah Quon, Sophia Tang, Emily Wang, Rita Wang, Belle Zheng Ariana Arzani, Josh Bay, Karina Laigo, Alice Lin, Brendan Tran Ariana Arzani, Vivian Chan, Ashley Cheou, Amanda Huynh, Leo Jiang, Belle Zheng Phoebe Shen Josh Bay, Katrina Chao , Rena Chen, Niki Chi, Alison Fu, Jing Wang Courtney Hang Stephen Chu, Hazel Chuang, Albert Hu, Victoria Nakaganeku, Anna Naran, Kenneth Vuong, Rita Wang, Gordon Yao Vivian Chan, Leo Jiang, Tommy Liao Courtney Hang, Helen Chou, Katrina Chao, Kelly Ching, Lauren Trajano Rena Chen, Stanley Shaw, Victoria Nakaganeku Mr. Johnny Lee

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. Advertisement rates vary from $30 for a business card advertisement to $250 for a full-page black and white advertisement, with quarter-page, half-page, and advertisement insert options available.

Graphic courtesy of PHOTOBUCKET.COM

4

NEWS

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April 2012

Progress with Iran: Danger Remains False Hope in Syria, War Continues

By JONATHAN MATSUMOTO Staff Writer

Iran’s nuclear chief, Fereidoun Abbassi, has hinted that the nation plans to stop production of enriched uranium, but not to abandon uranium research altogether. He hopes to slow down the program and use remaining uranium for medical research and treatment.

While this may not satisfy Western demands to remove the program altogether, it is a big move toward a potential nuclear compromise.

“We are going to produce and store [20% enriched uranium] to some extent in order to provide fuel for Tehran’s [research] reactor,” Abbassi told state TV. While uranium must be enriched to at least 90% for use in nuclear weaponry, Western nations fear that Iran will be able create this from 20% enriched uranium in a matter of months.

Iran believes that it has the right to use nuclear technology for power reactors and research under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty, an agreement signed in 1968 that represents every country in the world, except North Korea, and has repeatedly stressed that they do not intend to create nuclear weaponry. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected such a notion, complaining that “many of these

very countries that are seeking to stop the progress of the Islamic Republic have atomic weapons themselves.”

Officials from Iran will meet with the P5+1, the five members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, in Istanbul, Turkey to talk on the matter. Iran officials hope that these meetings will be successful. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi wrote that “We will honestly try to have the two sides conclude with a win-win situation in which Iran achieves its rights while removing concerns of fiveplus-one group.” However, he stressed that the nation would not accept any preconditions.

The U.S. is expected to initially lay down rigid demands, including that Iran cease production of enriched uranium and ship its existing uranium supply out of the country. The U.S. may consider another country providing fuel for Iran to use for research. This is reminiscent of a similar offer that failed in 2009, and now with their own fuel supply, Iran is less inclined to accept such an offer. However, if talks do succeed, the U.S. may lift an oil embargo and economic sanctions that were placed last year after P5+1 negotiations failed. jmatsumoto@apachepowow.com Graphic courtesy of CHEZWOLSKION.COM

mands—such as one for a written guarantee that opposition fighters will drop their weapStaff Writer ons. On the contrary, the country’s main rebel group is rejecting that demand. The head of the A peace deal to end the bloodshed in rebel group says his people are ready to call Syria was put in jeopardy on Apr. 8, after truce. But since it doesn’t recognize the Assad President Bashar al-Assad’s government sudregime, it “will not give guarantees.” denly created new, last-minute demands that The foreign ministry’s request came when the country’s main rebel group immediately at least 45 lives rejected. Damascus across Syria were stated that it would reportedly taken. like iron-clad, “writThe country’s ten guarantees” that main opposition insurgents would group stated that stop fighting before nearly 130 people, it withdraws troops mostly civilians, from cities. were killed SaturJihad Makdessi, day. Kofi Atta Ana Foreign Ministry nan, a Ghanaian spokesman, said, diplomat, called a “Syria would not growth in violence want a repeat of what and atrocities in happened during the several towns and Arab League’s obFALSE TRUCE Homes destroyed in Syria villages “unacserver mission in after bombing. Although the Syrian government January, when the claimed that they wanted peace, they still claimed ceptable.”

A spokesman government pulled the right to fight “terrorists”. for UN envoy, its forces back, only Kofi Annan hasn’t commented on the setback to see rebels rearm and take control of entire nor has he said what will happen if the deadneighborhoods.” lines are ignored. However, UN Secretary-GenHowever, Riad al-Asaad, the commander eral Ban Ki Moon criticized the Assad governfor the rebel Free Syrian Army, said on Sunment for its continuous assault on civilians and day, although his group is willing to abide by believes that the cease-fire deadline “is not an the truce set for Apr. 10, it cannot guarantee excuse for continued killing.” that the Syrian government will agree to it.

The doubts that Syria’s government would follow through on a pledge to abide by jbay@apachepowow.com a cease-fire have proven to be well-founded, Photo courtesy of VOICEOFAMERICA.COM now that the government is raising new de-

By JOSH BAY

Hope for Pakistan-India Relations Despite Tumultuous Past

By JING WANG Staff Writer

On Apr. 8, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari met with India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It was the first visit to India by a Pakistani head of state in seven years, and in return, Prime Minister Singh said that he would visit Pakistan at some point.

Upon meeting, both parties expressed a mutual desire to resolve tensions between their respective countries. The meeting was not a formal one, and President Zardari had originally planned a private visit to the Ajmer Sharif shrine, a Muslim religious site, but Prime Minister Singh invited him for a meeting in New Delhi. The two discussed a variety of issues during their meeting, voicing support for the expansion of trade and a loosening of visa restrictions among citizens. Most importantly, however, the two discussed disputes among the Kashmir region in northwestern India.

With Kashmir as a catalyst for conflicts, India and Pakistan have been involved in multiple skirmishes. In 1947, since the partition of British India, which created the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India, the two south Asian countries have been involved in four wars. While intended to create independent, peaceful nations, the partition of British India did not divide cleanly among religious borders, causing violence and conflict among the Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims.

This visit may change all that. Prime Minister Singh claimed that he is “very satisfied with the outcome of the visit” and that he hopes to meet [President Zardari] on Pakistani soil very soon.

As India and Pakistan search for peace in south Asia, both countries have been involved in efforts to resolve conflicts.

The Mumbai attacks of 2008 tested the waters between the two coun-

tries. On Nov. 26, 2008, Islamist terrorists from Pakistan were involved in the shooting and bombing attacks in Mumbai, India, killing around 160 people. Political reactions in Mumbai and India were expressed in a range of resignations. The business establishment also reacted strongly, with changes especially centered in transportation, and requests for an increase in

HOPE AFTER YEARS OF CONFLICT Sectional and religious differences have caused a history of violence and unrest between Pakistan and India. (Clockwise from Top) Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh further peace efforts between their nations; Indian and Pakistani border security guards face off at the border near Wagah; Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar prepare for peace talks in New Delhi.

self-defense capabilities. India immediately broke off communications with Pakistan and remained unsatisfied with the way India dealt with the case.

India, in particular, wished to see action taken against Hafiz Saeed, a Pakistani terrorist thought to be the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group who coordinated the Mumbai attacks.

After the attacks, a huge amount of resentment was generated toward Pakistan and Indian officials. Indian newspapers criticized their country’s officials; the Times of India commented that their “politicians fiddle as innocents die.”

Needless to say, the Mumbai attacks carry a great weight in the conflicts between the two countries, and Gopalapuram Parthasarathy, India’s former high commissioner to Pakistan, said, “There is a huge amount of anger on the Hafiz Saeed issue.”

While no important issues were resolved by the diplomatic visit, the issue of trade between the two countries has received some resolution. A new border checkpoint is expected to open between the two countries, increasing trade and commerce. India and Pakistan will continue to strive for peace, and as talks continue, the resolution seems closer than ever. jwang@apachepowow.com Photos courtesy of NEWYORKTIMES.COM, KAFILA.ORG, GLOBALTIMES.CN

5

OPINION

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April 2012

Readers or Consumers?

By RENA CHEN Staff Writer

Without taking any courses in business or economics, I have realized something stunning: products need to please consumers! Yes, it’s quite elementary, but the thought still needs to be publicized to honor its full glory. Going deeper into the matter, one finds the idea pleasing and refreshing: quality cars are all the rage; brand name clothing dominates their nameless counterparts any day; a good book…

I certainly have nothing against a good book, but here, the idea of pleasing consumers and the idea of storytelling have a slight quarrel. Should authors, artists, scriptwriters, and other professionals in entertainment follow their own ideas or conform to the audience’s wants? In other words, if the majority of J.K. Rowling’s audience wanted Professor McGonagall and Mr. Dursley to pair up, should she comply?

Ridiculous as that may sound, this would actually be a likely choice in the business world. Publishers usually control what writers produce, and their main concern is profit. The audience can majorly impact the outcome of a product, threatening to report Customer Dissatisfaction if the story didn’t turn out the way they wished. However, putting the money aspect aside, we can see the creators are very restrained. At times, it does help to have audience feedback, but overall, I think the author should stick with the original idea.

Take Great Expectations, for instance.

Charles Dickens was forced to change the ending because the original was too tragic.

Personally, I think the original would have suited the overall direction of the story better; Estella suddenly realizing the goodness in Pip seemed a bit random. It would have made more sense if she had stayed miserable with her insufferable arrogance.

Sacrificing the author’s original intentions for money, as is the basic situation here, is one point I take against the campaign for profit.

“Profit”, as far as I know, means “please the majority”. But with every majority comes a minority, so people who prefer the original work do exist, just as I appreciate the original ending of Great Expectations more than its alternate. By giving in to popular trends, the producers of the product would neglect that minority.

Well, my ideals would probably never topple the rules of business, but the conflict remains. Should we express our own ideas or should we do what would appeal most to the audience? And that applies to many other things, like any sort of application or interview question—write what we really believe or configure our argument to safely fit the mainstream? Risky as it sounds, I would go for the former. Maybe it’s just a rebellious phase. But really, we have our own minds, and it’d be a shame if we set them aside to suit those of a million others. rchen@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of BLOG.PUBSLUSH.COM

By VANESSA YU Staff Writer

Advanced Placement Biology. At the beginning of the year, these three words frightened me more than anything. I chastised myself for the fear; after all, I thought, it’s only one AP class compared with the normal six that juniors take. Now, I’m less than one month away from the AP test and the SAT II Biology. Which also means—I’m almost finished with the thousand-page book and almost at the end of my marathon run.

Thus, over spring break, one of the chapters I had to read for AP Bio was the last one, the one I had been looking forward to reading all semester. I thought I would feel happiness, joy, freedom, but what I felt was more powerful than that.

Catharsis. And quite a good amount of sadness dashed on top that made my heartbeat audible in my head and caused my shoulders to slump in my chair as if my energy was all drained. It wasn’t relief; rather, it was more like I had just accomplished something that I hadn’t really meant to finish. These emotions flooded me and surprised me after reading the last sentence; I couldn’t believe I was actually finishing AP Bio. From the beginning, I had only viewed it as another class to get an A in, but not truly

as something that would teach me so many unexpected things. Now, I know what and how processes occur in plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, the body…information I would have never sought out myself without this class. I knew I was memorizing information that could be applied directly to my environment, but I didn’t really take in the fact that I could do something with it—until the end.

Unexpectedly, the last sentence of the book really pushed it into my head: “We hope this book will help you in your lifelong journey.”

I was genuinely puzzled. Lifelong journey?

Then it finally sunk in. I, Vanessa Yu, have the power, the power to use my knowledge to do something in the world, to actually make my life worth living.

Isn’t it strange? Most of us never think this way that through our classes, we are given the power to do something. Just because we are teenagers doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference. And that’s what made me feel extremely enlightened after reading that last paragraph. As a student who has taken AP Bio, I have the obligation to apply what I know to my lifelong journey and use my knowledge for the better of all the organisms in the biosphere (okay, maybe not all the organisms).

But I know now that if I put my heart into making a difference, I can do it. We all can, with the potential we have. It may seem that

we are just one of the seven billion in this world, but because of our education, we all view and learn something different. But, realizing this power only comes at the end of our journeys, because it is essentially on the path we take that the learning takes place. We never discover the full power we have until the end, and that only makes each journey more meaningful. As a mortal, I already know what my ending fate in life is and that it’s inevitable, so why not make use of the time I have? It may seem pessimistic, but the point I’m trying to make is that we need to make a difference and leave our mark on the world using our education because we can. Up to the moment I finished reading the textbook, I only viewed AP Biology as a class. Now, it represents a time in my life when I was able to learn about the world around me and with the knowledge I gained, do something with it.

Whether it’s making my friends’ jaws open with wonder about photosynthesis or using it to help me get my degree in college or even making a change in the world with what I learned—it’s something. The list goes on and on and really, there is nothing I can’t do with my knowledge. vanyu@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of CAMPBELLBIOLOGY.COM

The Games: Kindness Saves Katniss

By HELEN LEE Staff Writer

CAUTION: This article contains spoilers.

Boom! Another cannon blasts off, announcing the death of another tribute. The face of a little girl from District 5 appears above the tributes’ heads, but the survivors from the other 11 districts don’t waste any time for sympathy because they know all too well that soon, maybe even in a couple of seconds, they too may be on their death beds.

There is something about The Hunger Games that sets it apart from other books.

There are the oh-so-common hot guys, the fantasy world, and the action, but it also captures the hearts of many through its teachings of loyalty and companionship.

That moment of sorrow when Katniss gathers flowers and sings for Rue and that moment of awe when Thresh (the tribute from Rue’s district) saves Katniss from another tribute attacking her: those were the times when reading the book or watching the movie, we go, “Awwww…”, because in our competitive lives, we often forget the importance of friendship, but when we read about those acts of kindness, we can feel the compassion.

Throughout our lifetime, we play a game of life, and to win, we have to get to the last box and along the way, pick up skills, knowledge,

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and resources. But there is one catch: there are many obstacles to cross, but sometimes, the solution isn’t a weapon or knowledge. In our lives, there is this thing often concealed by our want to succeed; it’s called friendship.

As we grow older, the opportunities to

Graphics courtesy of FANPOP.COM

FRIENDS The heart of compassion beats far louder than any victory. make many friendships slowly but surely dwindles away, and our lives alone are too much to handle, let alone, to think of others.

But in The Hunger Games, it’s a different story. In the beginning of the Games, the tributes run for the resources stacked in the middle because the backpacks and weapons were their means of survival, but as the story progresses, it shows that it is more than just the materialistic things in life that are important— it is the

people that truly matter.

Rue, the sweet little girl from District 11, was all it took. She knew that Katniss was a rival, yet she still lent a hand when Katniss was severely injured, making sure that no one would be able to attack her and even treating her wounds. In reply, Katniss prepares a little funeral for Rue when Rue is speared by another tribute. Both of them knew that someone might suddenly attack them or that the game makers might release an attack to kill them both, but they did not leave each other’s sides, and that is one of the ultimate reasons Katniss survived the Hunger Games. Without Rue’s medical treatment and Thresh’s help when he stabbed the other girl choking Katniss, she would not have made it out alive even if she had all the supplies she needed.

We are always in this rush to be the last one standing, but there are times when the only way to survive is through the help of others. There are so many things out there in the world that are too burdensome for one person to handle, but no matter how competitive the world may be out there, friendship might be the solution to it all. The primary reason for Katniss’ win was due to her acts of kindness, and just as she couldn’t have made it out alive alone, we also need someone to rely on. hlee@apachepowwow.com

April 2012

OPINION

opinion@apachepowwow.com

Today’s Talk Shows: Talking Air On-Air

By SOPHIA TANG Staff Writer

Every week without fail, I find myself watching a funny clip from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, too entertained to tear my eyes away. What is it about this hostess and her show that keeps me so amused? Every time I watch The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen always manages to exchange the most hilarious conversations with her guests. Sometimes, I’ll just skip through the entire interview to find that funny and quotable stand-out moment.

The same goes with many shows that I consider more lighthearted and comedic, dic ic,, like ke Chelsea Lately, The George Lopezz Show, Sho h w, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. I’ll simply plly skip the boring introductions and facts (yawn), awn w ),, to aalways w ys wa the moment when someone laughs. I al ews—to thought that was the point of interviews—to uess make the guest or the host crack up. I gguess r aiinrt growing up in an age when the entertainment industry is booming and strong has l lcome at a loss of the concept of welln. delivered and substantial information. s, Even previously serious news shows,

like Today, require gleeful hosts and gravitate toward lighthearted chats to keep their viewers amused.

We rarely watch the news because it’s “boring”. Our idea of scholastic media comes in the form of production-heavy documentaries, like Super Size Me or Waiting for Superman, that require some wild idea to make our dull minds conscious. Even evening news shows have morphed to our basic appeal—the hosts of

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING Laughter may be life’s best mediedi dcine, but knowing a few more facts faccts t never hurts.

College Life Lessons

By JEANNE KUANG Staff Writer

It is nearing the end of April. College decisions have been out since the beginning of the month. Congratulations have been exchanged and tears have been shed. Campuses have been visited and plans have been made. By May 1, known to college admissions offices and high school seniors as National Decision Day, we will all have chosen a home for the next four years and submitted our SIRs, and the year’s college admissions process will, at long last, be over.

So begin the reflection, the musings, and the insightful conclusions about life.

Perhaps it’s the influx of questions from advice-seeking underclassmen, or perhaps it is our own need to draw something deep and meaningful from the collection of accepted/waitlisted/rejected letters for which we worked all first semester. Whatever the reason, post-notification seniors and soonto-be college students are often spouting seemingly wise words and newfound life lessons. They usually fall under one of the following categories: The college-does-not-define-your-life mantra.

The rejection-is-horrible-but-does-notdetermine-your-worth-as-a-person idea.

The this-is-a-good-experience attitude.

The college-applications-taught-meso-much-about-myself assessment.

I certainly don’t disagree with these ideas and I’m sure anyone who espouses them is genuine. But it’s strange that we’re all of a sudden graced with so much wisdom and understanding. Frankly, the most significant new thing I learned about myself

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from the application process was my ability to sit with a laptop and stress out in Starbucks for seven hours straight.

I’m fine with that. I know we’re supposed to learn from our experiences, but I doubt that’s true every step of the way. We don’t need to know the meaning of life just because we’ve jumped through some hoops and we’re going to college now—which isn’t to say that “college isn’t everything” or that it isn’t an important part of our lives. Of course it means something different for all of us. But the one thing that college isn’t? It isn’t the end. It isn’t a place to stop or conclude. It may feel like the long-sought-after destination now, but it’s only four years—and then off we go searching for internships and adventures and “real life”, in which we’re sure to learn and discover more about ourselves than any essay or admissions letter could ever tell us.

We all want to be wise. We all want to have learned something from this collegeadmissions-dominated year. But wisdom and insight about life usually come toward the end—hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. Our lives have barely begun. We haven’t yet left anything behind.

Fellow seniors, if your year of applying and waiting and being happy or disappointed has led you to some greater understanding of life, I congratulate you. But it’s perfectly natural and understandable to be just as uncertain as ever. College and all its arduous processes are just another step on what is sure to be a long and winding road, a road whose final destination is completely open to change. There’s no need to rush to a reflective conclusion now—we’re still young and foolish, and we all have quite a ways to go. jkuang@apachepowwow.com

CNN small-talk over live TV, Good Morning America jokes with the weatherman, and even Larry King is forced to crack a smile so he won’t lose viewers. It’s not simple harmlessness to “get with the times” when our time is going backwards into primitivity.

It’s like the hosts’ cue cards include a [insert joke here] line because there’s hardly a serious moment when a meaningful idea is exchanged. I remember watching Oprah with my mom, when the hostess, though friendly with the guests, would never run the commercial breaks without prying for that meaty and thoughtful answer. The studio would grow quiet and the audience would be forced to process it. Perhaps Jim Carrey speaking about his tough Holly-

6

wood days didn’t crack as many smiles, but whatever insight he imparted made people realize that every guest has something meaningful to say. It takes determined and skilled hosts to bring out these words. It forces us to reflect upon ourselves, but also reveals the true meaning of talk shows—to bring out words of depth.

A talk show is meant to strip down the heavily-fabricated pop stars and very misjudged politicians. It’s meant to discover if Beyoncé is still a grounded person, or if Rick Santorum might be a sensitive Average Joe. It’s the one place where these successful people’s life mottos and obstacles can touch American viewers (including easily-amused teenagers like me). And it’s up to TV news stations and talk shows to step up and show us what we should see and hear.

I have a short attention span—I blame myself. But it’s not a coincidence that the rest of America can barely catch the daily news without switching to morning cartoons.

We need some solid journalistic news in our heads! We’d love to stay and hear you guys chat, but really—the facts are what we need to hear. stang@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of THEPROFESSORISIN.COM

Stuck in the Crossroads

By HELEN CHOU Staff Writer

Apps have passed, decisions have been received, and now we seniors are at a major turning point on the road of life. For some, the path ahead is clearly paved—those who know exactly where they’re going for the next four years, and perhaps, even in the next twenty. They’ve sent in their Statements of Intent to Register, and now, much to everyone else’s envy, they can truly relax and enjoy what’s left of senior year. But if you’re anything like me, the road ahead is now forking into two, or three, or even four different pathways. Picking which college to attend is no easy matter, a process which involves careful analysis and a high potential of arguing. But when it comes down to it, this decision is ultimately up to you and you alone, which may be the scariest part of all.

All these years, we have depended on those around us to make decisions for us: parents, teachers, coaches—even friends.

Now is the first time we have to make a major decision independently, a choice whose consequences will be entirely of our own making. Yes, that’s right: our own choice.

Regardless of how badly our parents may want us to attend a certain school, it is, after all, our education and our futures on the line. It’s a tough decision, but isn’t that what part of growing up is: learning not to shy away from it, but rather stepping up to the plate and accepting the challenge? This decision is only the first of many that we will eventually have to face.

Needless to say, it’s a frightening prospect. I have often found myself envying

those who have already decided which college they will attend, assured of the choice they have made. How lucky they are that they no longer have to fret over this.

Yet at the same time, I feel the constant need to remind myself that while many have already made public their decisions, I need not rush into one of my own too quickly. With as major a decision as this, it’s important to take my time and think things through carefully. The most crucial thing is to not regret the choice I make three years down the line. And the only surefire way of avoiding that is to take it slow and ensure that I make the best decision for myself, both in the immediate future and in the long run. Indeed, it’s a lot easier said than done. There are just so many factors to consider: money, location, safety, difficulty, and of course, the quality of the program. In the end, what it comes down to is making the best of whatever comes our way; that’s truly the best decision.

College is an exciting prospect, filled with opportunities that are simply waiting to be discovered and taken advantage of.

But I won’t pretend that I haven’t had my fair share of doubt. I am beyond excited, but I’m also scared. The comforting part is knowing that I’m not alone. In this very school, there are 900 of my classmates who are just like me, standing on the brink of adulthood and the real world. Soon enough, we will be swarmed with the abundance of decisions we shall have to make. For now, let us weather the storm together, one step at a time. hchou@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of 123RF.COM

7

OPINION

apachepowwow.com

April 2012

Opinion Dominion: Voicing Our Views

By MYA HO Staff Writer

Smooth, room-temperature peanut butter rather than crunchy, refrigerated peanut butter is always the way to go. The reasons are quite obvious: it has enhanced nuttiness when kept out of the cold, it is more convenient for apple-slice dipping, and the smooth consistency makes for perfectly spread peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches. Feel free to disagree with me—in fact, I welcome you to. Our opposing views on peanut butter preferences may just make for an engaging conversation.

Whether or not I am successful in converting you to the smooth side immediately after our little debate is not of great importance; what matters is the fact that you listened. What matters is the fact that, whether you are conscious about it or not, you considered. As underestimated as they are, our opinions are the gateway to the influence of other people’s thoughts and actions. The only difference between making a significant impact on something you believe must be heard or changed, versus letting the world run its exhausting pace while you do nothing, is up to the sound of your own voice...

I had just finished saving a Word document under the file name of “Huck_Finn_ Opinion_tryout”. The application for admittance to The Apache Pow Wow as a staff writer for Opinion required me to write a sample article, 500 to 700 words, on just about anything I had an opinion on. I must admit that I felt incredibly strange to be submitting a piece of work that I poured my personal beliefs into; nobody had ever asked me to write like this

before. The only one who knew of my opinions and perspective on the world was my journal that I kept buried beneath socks, deep in the bottom drawer. It never questioned me—never told me I had figured the world all wrong, or that I was a naïve 15-year-old teenage girl who had no right to say, “I understand things, or at least try to.” It just accepted my stories as they were and soaked the ink into its pages. Now, a school newspaper was asking to hear these stories too?

They were giving me a chance to say something that they themselves may not even agree with, but would read with a thoughtful eye? I had no idea what to say. Should I take the more daring, controversial route and write about my stance on abortion and gay rights, or the safer route that I knew would not offend people nearly as much? I could write about how smooth peanut butter trumps crunchy any day. I wanted to say something meaningful, however, and ended up writing about how I disagreed with the removal of the “n” word from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Knowing that there would be some who would read my article and completely disagree with what I had to say was exactly why I did it. That person cannot help what he or she has already read, and certainly cannot help remembering my points and reasoning. If I expressed myself well enough, they may even change their own opinion to match mine. By the time I had finally finished writing my article, gave it a name, and saved it, I realized that I had the potential to use my words to make a real impact on the people around me. And you know what? It did. That night at dinner, I told my mother and brother about what I wrote and why I wrote it, which led to an entire dinner conversation. My younger brother learned,

over eating g his steak and bout the hisbroccoli, about nd Mark tory behind Twain’s novel, ovel, why he “n” n” word the use of the was not uncomnd mon, and how, back then, the he coarse lananwas guage meant to portray itude and enthe true attitude vironment of that time period.

WRITING POWER The pen is mightier than the sword.

I watched as he soaked nformation, just in all this information, rnal had, and knew as my journal that I had been een heard.

We alll have the power to influencee other people by voicing ourr ideas, just as I had in my application and throughout the two years n on the staff.

I have been ep back and looking at Taking a step it now, I am proud of the fact that when I had something to say, I said it. I am proud of the fact that, though not everyone might have agreed with it, at least they heard it. That is all I can really ask of anyone. I love

a and always will l love to write, and I have and always will have my opinions.

I invite you to give me something you wrote, te tell me something yyou disagree w with, something you agree with, and let’s spark ourselves a conversation. Sadly, this is the end of the road for my articles uunder Opinion. I will never be able tto open the page and say, “Hey! I was published this month an and 4,000 high stud school students may have read my w words and heard my voice.” But Opinion has taught me something else valuab if not more: just as valuable, a newspaper is not the only hea and to influway to be heard ence others. I ccannot be a high school student writing for The Apache Pow W Wow for the rest of my life in hhopes of changing the world. I fell in love with another idea. I fell in love with t e idea that I hhave the freedom th the t say what I th to think needs to be said. mho@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of ANDROIDWORKSHOP.DEVIANTART.COM

Oh, the Irony! Popularity by Notoriety

By ALLAN GAO Staff Writer

Not everybody makes it big in media.

Some actors stay in small movies, whereas others move on to become the best of the best. However, only some of the best actually achieve fame because they are so well-liked; artists like Rebecca Black and Jenna Rose found their niche in the media because people are constantly degrading them, bringing more and more attention to their YouTube channels.

While it may be hard for artists to accept harsh comments initially, the pain should ease with time. Once artists get used to all the hatred, it just becomes more boring than hurtful.

Besides, all the extra money and fame helps make doesn’t hurt; every time you click the dislike button, you’re actually contributing to the amount of money the artist makes from views, and every sharply worded comment you post draws the attention of people everywhere to the video.

Ironic, isn’t it? All these people trying to humiliate Rebecca Black, pressing the dislike button on her channel, defacing her wall with comments like “Go die in a hole,” they are actually making her famous. Their insults promote her channel and attract more viewers, resulting in more views and money. Rebecca Black already made over one million dollars from her video, as much as Justin Bieber did from “Baby”, and it is because of all the degrading comments that get her more viewers and followers. You may think that “watching to mock” is fun, but to people like Black

or Bieber, it doesn’t matter why you watch, so long as you are watching.

Which brings me to my next point. Maybe some people who actually support Rebecca Black or Jenna Rose pose as haters, attracting more people. I thought about this concept one day as I read two contradicting statements from the same user: one said for Jenna Rose to die, while the other said that she wasn’t that bad, and it was just her age and maturity of her voice. At first, I thought it was two people sharing one account, but then I realized that this person might have wanted to promote Rose by being negative, seeing as being positive was going nowhere. This idea grew more and more appealing to me because I have often used the same strategy.

For example, I tell my friends that the small YouTube artist Jim Vaylin sucks in order to promote him, knowing that if I say he’s good, his name will soon slip out of their memories. It is part of human nature to remember bad things more easily than good things, and I use this to

my advantage when I try to get my friends to see or do things that I want them to do.

One of my closest friends admitted to me on several occasions that he also did the same.

Wanting me to watch “Pink Fluffy Unicorns g m

ay n m d at o t t bu cee his . Pro t ng rity cki pula i l C o N! sed p O I a UT ncre CA d to i k. lea n ris ow

Dancing on Rainbows” or “Pants-Shirts,” he called the show stupid over and over. Hearing that, I decided to go home and watch the videos for myself, which I found amusing despite his harsh review. When I asked him about them the

next day, he admitted that he just wanted me to watch them and had no negative feelings for the video whatsoever.

Maybe this concept is used throughout YouTube by viewers everywhere. The select few people who want to promote “My Jeans” probably tell their friends that the video sucks, or that it is the worst in the world. To take it even further, they add themselves to the group of haters on YouTube, making the dislike bar greater and greater as more and more people click dislike, knowing that the more infamous a video becomes, the more people will watch it, thus, making the video go viral. This in no way insinuates that “Friday” or “My Jeans” are well-liked songs; it simply implies that part of the reason why the songs are so famous is because people try to promote it by writing negative comments, catching the attention of people everywhere and leading the curious to the video.

The idea of using negativity to promote artists is an interesting concept, but is definitely an effective one. Perhaps many of the hateful people who rant are actually trying to promote.

Whatever the case, artists who are as disliked as Rebecca Black always manage to make it big in the media. Black, Rose, and Bieber all made millions, for YouTube can’t distinguish between watching to mock or watching to enjoy; a view is a view, and every view just makes them more famous. agao@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of TECHTHEBEST.COM Photo courtesy of SIMONBALDWIN.COM

STUDENT LIFE

8

Student Profile: Ben Li

By KRISTIE SUN Staff Writer

Thee Inte T Th Intel teel Sc S Science ience Ta ie Talent Search (Intel STS) is is the th he nna nation’s ati tion’s ’s m most os impressive precollege colleg eg ge scie science ieence nce co nc comp competition. mp pet etit i io The Intel STS it choo osees 300 students studentts aand n their schools as nd chooses semi-fi se emi-fi mi-fi -finnnalists alis al ists is ts every yea year ar to to compete. Only 40 student stude dent ntt fi finnnalists a issts aare al re tthen h n invited to Washhe ington in ngt gton D.C. in March March. h. Se Sen Senior n Ben Li was selected sele se lect le ctted tto cted o be one of th those hosee 40 students for the th he se sem semi-fi mi-fi finnnals fi aalls l in n tthe he IIntel n el nt el STS. He was even President Barack ev ven aable ble to meet ourr ow oown nP r Ob Obama. bam ama. a a.

P Pr President esid iden iden nt Ob O Obama a a in am invited nvite the semiHouse.

These finalists finalists nali list li stts to to the White Whi hite t H ouse. T were sselected ellec ecte teed am aamong onng 1,839 en entries from 44 different states!

About middle school, differen nt st tat ates es! Ab es Abou o t 100 mi high schoo oool, aand nd col nd llege stude school, college students received an inv invitation vittat atio ionn to sspend io pend pe n the morn nd morning with the President and his Presiden entt an en nd hi is sc sscientists. ientists.

Ben iss now ggoing Ben ooiing to partic participate for a fina nall ju judging udging and wi w will ill hhave ave a cha av chance to display y hhis iss w work o k fo or fforr th thee pu publ public bllic to co compete for thee to top op award of $10 $100,000.

00,00 000.

00 0. Sen Senior Jason friends with Park Pa rkk ssaid, a d, “I’ve beenn fr ai rie i nd ndss wi wit t Ben for a lo llong ng ttime imee an im andd he’s ’ss kknown nown wnn aass a ph physics geHee pproposed nius.”” H roposed a new way ay tto o ddetect and correct errors orrectt da ddata taa ttransmission rans ra n misssio ionn er rrors rs tto o the Intel STS. TS. The There heeree iss a co conc concept cep eptt called ed ““lightweight ligh fault ult toleranc tolerance” nce” nc nce” e tthat hatt pr ha pprevents even e ts eerrors en rror rr o s during gital signal pprocessing, roce ro cess ce ssin ss ing, in g,, w h ch is imporhi digital which tant spacecraft systems that nt for spacecraf ft sy syst stem st em ms th tha at Ben studied at during ring a NASA intern internship nsh ship ip p iin n th the sum summer.

Ben is a veryy seriou serious us an andd hardw hardworking student. dent. He believes ess tthat hat hi ha hiss so ssolution lution lu u o shows tter way for hhandling andl an dlin in ng erro ors r iin n ddigital a better errors processors, that important essors, and th hat iitt offers aan n impo im m ction in har rdw dwar dwar are re ov over erhe er head aand head nd ppower reduction hardware overhead umptio on. n B en n’s workk can bee hhelpful e pf in el consumption.

Ben’s many ways. IItt m may robust fault ay enable robus ustt fa us faul aul ult tolerancee in sp spacecraft instrument paccec e raaft rradar a ar ad a aand nd ins nstr ns truum tr signal proce processing, many essin sssin ingg, or it could d hhave avee m av erciial aapplications. pplications. Seniorr Sh pp S Shann h commercial Shannon id, “W Whe henn I he hheard ear a d he m a e it in tthe ad Xue said, “When made semi-finals fo STS, was utterly ffor or the th h Intel STS S, I w as utter ess. I’ II’ve v aactually ve ctuaall l y do ddone nee a lot of rrespeechless. search on myself, unn this ccompetition o pe om peti titti ti tionn m tion ysel ys e f, so I un el ffi ficu ccult cu ltt iitt iss tto o ge ge recognize get derstand how dif diffi recognized scie ienntifi ie ifi fic geniuses.” out of a huge pool ooff sc scientifi nor or tto o kn now o someone It’s a great hon honor know he ssemi-fi he em mii fina nals l in the ls who has made it to tthe Intel STS,, especiallyy from AHS. Senior fr m A HS.. S HS enior dedd, de d, ““I’m I m ve I’ vvery ry pproud r ud ro ud of Shannon Xue adde added, m suree he hhe’ll ’lll be ’l bbecome eccome an am maz a in ing, g,, him, and I’m amazing, ed sci ienti entiist in the fu futu ture tu ree!” re!” ! L et’s et ’s accomplished scientist future!”

Let’s ring ngss ho ng home mee tthe hee pprize! rize ri ze! ze hope Ben brings kksun@apachepowwow.com ks sun un@apachepow wwo wow. w co w. c m Photo courtesy ourte esy off WHITEHOUSE.GOV W TEH WHI T OUSE.GOV V courrtes tesyy of of WIKIMEDIA.COM W OM Graphicc courtesy

apachepowwow.com

April 2012

Running With the Horses: Derby Day 2012

By NIKI CHI Staff Writer

On Apr. 7, our very own Santa Anita hosted its 18th annual Derby Day 5K Walk and Run. It was able to attract a high record of 5,683 participants, which helped lead to a huge day at The Great Race Place.

People of all ages came to participate early in the morning as the competition began at 8 a.m. The track took runners and walkers to the Arboretum, where they were able to see a glimpse of the Santa Anita stable area. Later, everyone was able to finish with a quarter mile tour of Santa Anita’s inner training track. With people as old as 70 and children as young as 4, the race was a great success and

benefited multiple charities and causes. Many sports teams, clubs, and students from AHS came to volunteer around various areas at Derby Day. Chris Quinn, Santa Anita Vice President of Sales and Marketing said, “This is the best turnout we’ve ever had for this event and we had people of all ages—from 3 and 4-year-old kids, to people in their 70’s. Everybody had a great time and we’re looking to have a great race-day as well.”

nchi@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of KEENANEVENTS.COM Graphic courtesy of SANTAANITA.ORG

GOOD RUNS Runners line up at the starting line before the Derby

Day 5K begins.

Measure A: A Student Perspective

By STANLEY SHAW Staff Writer

One of the first signs of the impending bombardment began two months before March in late January. Initially, it was just a trickle of discreet publicizing. On Facebook, ASB members swapped their regular profile pictures for an orange, blue, and white picture that read: “VOTE YES ON MEASURE A.” From there, Apaches were peppered by an endless stream of endorsement for Measure A. There were posters, digital posters, hand-outs, bumper stickers, and even picket signs planted firmly into the ground with the same multi-colored picture of a girl standing in front of ds. those block words.

Aside from the baore tax so sic “we pay more re fundAUSD gets more ure A ing” idea, Measure han is much more than that!

In an at-tempt to unveill the shroud of mystery around Measure A, freshman Vice President Casey Huang described “Measure A [as] basically [being a] proposition that keeps the California government from cutting Arcadia’s budget spent for education. By [passing it], our teachers [do] not have to be laid off from the budget cuts.”

As many people know, AHS derives its funding from the state treasury. However, due to our state’s declining financial situation and budget crisis, the school district cannot be overly dependent on the state for financing.

And that is where Measure A comes into play. The staff at AHS has always been the crux to the school’s prestige, be it from faculty

Freshman Rachel Huang, who participated in the race, said, “It was really fun to get to run with everyone, and surprisingly, they’re all really fast. I was kind of upset when this lady beat me, but I passed her when we were going uphill. Also, the free food at the end was pretty cool!” Just like it was described here, the Derby was filled with many people and had tons of food ready in store for whoever was in need of a drink or just some snacks to keep a stomach full.

As more people attend every year, the Derby is becoming a very popular event that not only helps the community but helps people get exercise. Since this event is held annually, maybe you should go next year as well and run!

members to security and, of course, the teachers. With the school district unable to cope with the decrease of its budget, the risks of laying off some staff members has turned from a thought to a possibility that looms over their heads. Measure A is a stop-gap measure that is intended to help bring in $3.4 million annually for the next five years. The money that is collected from parcel taxes, basically an additional property tax, charged to property owners allows the school district to have more wiggle-room and also makes it less dependent on the state.

Each property owner is expected to pay $288 annually.

Although some parents will groan over the expense, Measure A does benefit them in a subtle way. Arcadia has a great reputation for being one of the best school districts in Southern California. By being able to retain AHS’ teaching staff, Arcadia will be able to maintain that reputation, which keeps the value oof homes from falling. Moreover, Stud Student Representative to the Board junior Jonathan Kwok noted that “elderly people who are on Social Security” will be at a disadvantage because their taxes “have increased already and [they] really can’t take the hit from this tax. There is, however, a tax exemption if an individual is over 65 years of age. Besides the inability for some to pay it, the benefit is so much more important because children only pass through our schools once--they deserve the best education that they can get.” shaw@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of AUSD.NET and CLIPARTGUIDE.COM

Preparing for Summer

By KELLY CHING Staff Writer

Some students use the summer time as just another opportunity to make up or excel in academics, which summer is supposed to be an escape from. Let’s explore the many activities students have planned for the upcoming hot, sunny season.

For the students who take summer school, they usually take it during their entire 3-month break, which basically means they are studying hard in class the entire 12 months of the year. All Arcadia schools hold the AEF Summer School Program, which has been experienced by most students. For AHS students, the summer program is usually for those who want to pay extra fees to excel in their academics or make up failed courses.

Another variation of summer school is SAT classes, especially for those incoming juniors and seniors. Although there are a ton of places locally to get assistance for the oh-so-dreaded SAT, the Elite Educational Institute is a well-known tutoring center located in Arcadia that is popular among AHS students.

Besides the crazy plans for even more school during the summer, many students have already planned different methods of spending the three-month break. With so many other ways to spend the summer break, like interning and traveling, there’s no reason school should be a constant for students all year long. Additionally, for some, the time has come for college visits.

It seems far away, but really, summer break is less than two months away. And it’s never too late to get summer plans ready! kching@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of MOMSDAY.COM

April 2012

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STUDENT LIFE

Giving Back to Your Biggest Fan

By JONATHAN MATSUMOTO Staff Writer

May 13 is still a few weeks away, but it’s an important date for many: a day for people to celebrate all that their mothers have done for them. Need an idea or inspiration for a surprise?

As a token of their appreciation, A some students have planned their s gifts months in advance, and eagerly await the opportunity to impress the people they call “mom”.

Here are just a few gift ideas that yyou can learn from: Not sure what to make for your mother? Freshman Rose Li has the perfect idea.

“I’m thinking about making a little book and adding pictures from when I was born to right now. On the last page, I’ll write a

letter thanking her for what she’s done,” she stated. Ideas involving photos are quite common; some similar ideas include paper-mache bouquets with a photo on top and a commemorative quilt.

Freshman Derek Tung does not consider himself much of a chef. However, he’s willing to at least attempt to bake his mom a cake for Mother’s Day. “My mom cook cooks for me every day, and I feel like this is my opportunity to give back,” he sa said. He also admits that this wasn’t com completely his

idea or the first time he tried it. “My friend also used to [do] this for his mom, and I decided I’d try it last year,” he conceded. “It was a complete failure, but I think I’ll try it again.”

If you’re interested in cooking something like Derek is, it doesn’t hurt to search online. Cakes aren’t the only thing you can try to make; cookies are another popular way to show your love for Mom. Many sites have sample recipes and tips for you to learn from.

And while it’s easy to go to the store and pick up

9

a generic Hallmark card, sophomore Benjamin Ni stressed the importance of a personal touch. “When your mother takes care of you, she doesn’t give partial effort,, so there’s no excuse for you to do the same to her.” Benjamin n isn’t sure what he will do, “maybe [he’ll] draw her a card” but he knows that what-ever it is, he will take the timee and effort to show how much h he cares.

There are plenty of ways w to show your mother how much you love her! You don’tt f; need to be a great artist or chef; you just need to show your effort. And with a few weeks left before Mother’s Day, it’s time to get started–if you haven’t already. jmatsumoto@ apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of ALLCLIPART.COM and ECARDS.COM

AP Preparation: Advice by Students, For Students

By COURTNEY HANG Staff Writer

As May accelerates toward us, sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike stress about one common subject: AP Exams. Designed d to challenge challenge--and and for college credit—AP cred dit AP cours courses are quite popular here in Arcadia, whether we students are forced to take them or we choose to. From AP Art History to the ever popular AP Biology,, all exams e force a certain sense of anxiety a onto many students students. Let Let’ss find out which AP’s are the most popular and how to prepare for the exams. ams. ams

“I am currently ta king AP English an d AP Chemistry. I have been preparing for AP C hemistry by reading through th e test prep book w e received from the school. T here is not much m ore you can do outside of class for English, so you really rely on the teacher to tell y ou which direction you’re heading in. The best adv ice would be just to make sure you actually learn the material when it is taught and not cram!”.

—Jason Tsugawa, 11

r seme othe “Like so g all in not tak the niors, I’m ll a sts for g, in the AP te k ta s I’m e s s la c AP g the be takin ngbut I’ll E t, en Governm e AP v ti s a c r ti tis Compa , and Sta rs have e r tu a r e lish Lit y teache just el like m ely well tests. I fe m e tr x e t, I me ide of tha ts prepared u o t u b , take lass oks and o through c b p e r p dent ome go over s ts until I feel confi re tes e to futu practice My advic . y it enil b a : pay att in my le p im s rial, rs is the mate test take d a e r , s sts! las tion in c ractice te p f o ts lo ces and take actice doesn’t ne r p ely it h n g fi u de Altho erfect, it p e k a m sarily t!” helps a lo ang, 12 —Amy W

“I’m takin g AP Com parative G ment, Eng overnlish Litera ture, Fren Calculus A ch, and B. So far, I haven’t sta really prep rted to are on my own, but I doing a lo plan on t of audio and readin cises for F g exerrench, ma ybe a little on my ow review n of Calcu lus (but M does a rea s. Wang lly good jo b of prepa so I’m not ring us, expecting to need m sides her uch homework ), and rere bethe Ethel ading Wood boo k for Com Governme parative nt. As fo r En re eally no way tto stu glish—there’s dy for En Make sure glish. to get lots t of sleep before! It’s the night definitely more ben th han trying eficial to cram m a anythin th theorem ng like th s or at, becaus cus more e you’ll fo on the tes t!”

—Katie T suchiyam a, 12

With these exams just around the corner, the race is on to prepare oneself for the test of knowledge. To you freshmen: savor your time without the stress of AP’s; to everyone else: you’ve got this!

There’s just a week left to study, so make the most of that time and bring home those 5’s, Apaches! Good luck, and may the knowledge be with you. chang@apachepowwow.com cchang@apache Graphicss courtesy of ALLCLIPART.COM AL and OFFICESUPPLYCO.COM OFFIC

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PERFORMING ARTS

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Dayton, Ohio Feels the Heat from Arcadia Percussion

By ALBERT HU Staff Writer

“Arcadia High School, you may now take the floor in finals competition.” Though every member of AHS’ Percussion program had heard those words countless times before, there was no denying the adrenaline coursing through their veins as they stood on the mat in Dayton, Ohio, ready to leave it all on the floor.

Percussion at AHS is serious business. From countless hours of individual practice and sectionals to 12-hour rehearsals, not a minute was wasted as members prepared for the biggest competition of the year. As senior Kaitlyn Forell put it, they’ve “literally shed blood, sweat, and tears” for Percussion, and loved every second of it. And all those hours culminated in Percussion’s annual trip to the Winter Guard International (WGI) championships, where they competed against best high school drum lines from around the country. The trip was quite an ordeal, with more than 40 Percussion members, as well as chaperones and coaches, making the trek halfway across the country to compete in the arena at the University of Dayton. Competition was tough, and in the end, only .75 points separated 1st and 3rd place. Though it didn’t come home with the first place trophy, AHS still placed 4th in finals competition out of 15 schools, an accomplishment they can truly be proud of.

But at the end of the day, it wasn’t about the scores and medals, but the bonds formed and lessons learned. From the start it looked like it would be a tough year, with only six members returning from the 2010-2011 group. But they rose to the occasion and played their hearts out, something senior Kevin Schroyer said “made this year’s trip the most rewarding” of his high school career. As Kaitlyn put it, “regardless of the scores, I’m so proud of how we’ve grown as a group,” and senior Simon Luong agreed, adding that to him, “Percussion is like a family,” a sentiment felt throughout the group. Since the summer, they’ve eaten together, sweated together,and picked each other up and pushed each other on, forming bonds impossible to break. Though the members didn’t come home from Dayton with gold around their necks, they’ve returned with memories and experiences to last them a lifetime.

ahu@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of ADAM ADORNO and RONALD LEE

Orchestra Left Its Heart in San Francisco

By AMANDA HUYNH Staff Writer

After a weekend up north, our very own Orchestra 2 and 3 members returned victorious from the Heritage Festival with various shiny trophies in their arms.

Both Orchestras received the Adjudicator’s Award, Festival Sweepstakes, and an invitation to the National Gold Festival. Orchestra 3 achieved the Instrumental Award along with a gold rating, otherwise known as 1st place.

Orchestra 2 also did exceptionally well, bringing home a shiny silver rating, also known as second place.

The Heritage Festival was held at Foothill College in Los Altos, not too far from San Francisco.

They competed against jazz bands, choruses, and orchestras from across the country and received their awards at the Great America theme park the day after the competition.

In their spare time, members got to wander around Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco for a little sightseeing.

Orchestra Concertmistress senior

Shannon Xue describes the heartwarming experience she had competing with Orchestra 3 for the last time. “I admit, I’m going to miss everyone so much despite the exciting future

ent. “I’m so honored to have been granted this award by the judges!”

Similarly, Orchestra Cello Section Leader senior Caleb Man expresses how much he’ll miss

ORCHESTRA SWEEPS FESTIVAL Orchestra took a well-earned rest in San Francisco after sweeping the Heritage Festival. that lies in front of me,” she said.

Shannon was one of the two students to receive the Maestro Award, which recognizes individual young musicians for outstanding tal-

going on trips with his fellow Orchestra members. He recalls the very first time he went on a trip like this, which was “very special to [him] because [he] didn’t go on a lot of trips with the

high school.” Caleb also won the Maestro Award, which was admittedly his favorite part of the trip. “I couldn’t have been able to do well without my stand partner and the rest of the cello section because they are the ones that allowed me to lead them,” he said.

Both Caleb, Shannon, and Orchestra member sophomore Tina Zheng agree that this was quite possibly the best performance Orchestra 2 and 3 have had so far.

“I felt like Orchestra performed their best run on stage,” said Tina about the competition.

“A high school orchestra as musically gifted as ours is very rare,” said Shannon. “It’s such a privilege to work with such talented peers.”

We should definitely be proud of Orchestra for representing us in such a positive light. Hopefully its performance in the National Gold Festival will go just as well. ahuynh@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of JUSTINSOMNIA.ORG Photos courtesy of JANE LU

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April 2012

PERFORMING ARTS

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Orchesis Shows off their Obsession

By VANESSA YU Staff Writer

To have the best dancers at AHS situated in one room is a hard task. To have them showcase their stellar talents and dancing abilities simultaneously seems unattainable. Yet, both feats were accomplished when Orchesis Dance Company (ODC) put on its annual spring show from Apr. 25 to 28 with this year’s special theme, Obsession!

As one of its biggest shows, Obsession had to be planned and prepared for in advance from the beginning of the school year. President senior Bella Muljana described how ODC had been “preparing for this show since September, when [members] first auditioned. We come to school at 7:00 a.m. for the entire first semester to practice techniques, learn dances, and perfect them.” However, as show time grew closer, more rehearsals were added to perfect every little detail and to make the routines flawless. Starting from Apr. 9, members attended five days of rehearsals that each lasted from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. the weeks right before the show. There were also rehearsals on the weekends in addition to 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. ones on the weekdays. That’s over 100 hours of dancing in April alone! Yet, throughout all the intense practices, senior Ivy Liu explained that the dedicated members “all are putting a lot of hard work into each rehearsal to make the shows [they] perform, perfect.”

With all the time invested into this show, some may say that ODC members are...obsessed with dancing, which leads to the question behind the name of the show. Ivy explained that ODC’s “director, Jia Huang, created two dances that revolved around obsession. One dance is about how society can be obsessed with themselves and the other on how we (as the dancers) want the audience members to be obsessed with us.” And thus with the common theme within those two dances, Obsession was born. Dances were created from a diverse range of genres so every audience member had something to enjoy— jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary, Bollywood, cultural, ballet, or hip-hop! The never-before-seen costumes also displayed just how unique each performance was with bold colors and just the right amount of details, and helped set the right tone for the dancers. One example would be for the dance “Cause of Death: Broken Heart”, where dancers dressed up as a myriad of characters, from cops, witnesses, and detectives, that helped relay the story to the audience through the power of dance. With all these elements combined in one show, junior Lauren Kime summed it up as a “night full of drama, stories, emotions, beauty, and fantastic dancing!”

It was also a night full of emotions, for both veteran dancers and new members. Ivy said she’s “always enjoyed watching the annual Orchesis spring show, and this year [she] can’t believe [she] gets the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful and amazing show! As a company, we’ve all set a personal goal for this year’s show, and my personal goal [would be to] have no regrets when I look back at my experience in Orchesis.” Vice President senior Veronica Yu also weighed in with personal thoughts, that “it’s a wonderful feeling to have all the dancers have a connection with each other throughout each piece. It’s also my last show performing with them and as a part of this company, so I definitely want to make the most out of it and not have any regrets at the end of the year.” For new member Lauren, it’s been an inspirational experience, and she described how it’s “honestly been a dream come true since I’ve wanted to be on Orchesis since I was about six years old! My goal is to go out there and do my absolute best and make all of the hard work worth it!” And surely, all the hard work and long rehearsals paid off in the four nights of Obsession, when ODC members passionately danced their hearts out at a dance level incomparable to other high schools.

And whether as Apaches or dancers, ODC certainly created a lasting impression with a show unlike any other.

vanyu@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/JUICYJO/ Photos courtesy of LLOYD FUJIWARA

Performers, Competitors, and Winners Arise from Dayton

By KELLY CHING Staff Writer

m perWorld Guard was seconds away from forming its show in front of thousands of spectators in the finals round. The crowd stopped talking and gave its undivided athem tention to World Guard, which showed them tense what six months of vigorous practice, intense m prodedication, and a passion for the program n imduces in competition. The show was an mense success, as the team was awarded with rd In8th place at the 35th annual Winter Guard ternational (WGI) World Championships in the Scholastic World division. k, the During the week after spring break, team flew all the way to Dayton, Ohio to compete in the WGI World Championships. Over ted in the course of three days, the team competed ound. the preliminary, semi-finals, and finals round. h The group’s scores were relatively within the same range each day, with the scores as follows: 85.20 for preliminary, 86.95 for semifinals, and 87.65 for its final performance.

A full staff of instructors, chaperones, and World Guard left on Monday, Apr. 9 and returned Sunday, Apr. 15. All the way across the

country, it was difficult for the team to hone in on what it came to Dayton to achieve. Distrac-

those ly.

distractions

and practice efficient-

A CO COMPETITION TO REMEMBER Members of Colorguard Colorg pose at Dayton, award in hand. tions like “exploring areas inside and around the hotel and staying up late to talk to friends” were definitely hard to resist for sophomore Nicole Wei and everyone else. Yet, the members managed to remember that the only way to ensure that its goal was achieved was to resist

“We took pictures, shared laughs, bought souvenirs, and stuffed ourselves with food together—it’s hard not to have fun and enjoy our time together,” said junior Fiona Chau.

Over 50 different teams from all over the world competed on the same stage at the Uni-

versi versity of Dayton Arena, and the number of peop people in attendance was an astounding feat in itself itself. For Co-Captain senior Samantha Tang, the pperformance “was really exciting to do in front of 10,000 live audience members, as well as wa watching other world-class colorguards.”

Samantha was especially “interested” in “an IIndependent World Guard called Amachi, who were from Japan.” Also, the bittersweet endin ending to the spectacular Championships is Assistan sistant Captain senior Vaishnavi Balendiran’s perso personal favorite part of the trip, which was “the retreat celebration at the end of the final perfo performances, when all of the participants have the opportunity to meet and take pictures with on one another and share their enjoyment of C Colorguard.”

Whether World Guard took last place or its impressive 8th, the emotions and pleasant memories that accompanied this amazing experience will forever be a reminder that all the dedication and hard work was worth it this season. kching@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of CHARLES FREY and NATALIE NUNEZ

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GIVES ME HOPE

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Never underestimate the power of a smile :)

April 2012

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PROJECT 201217

I like coming outside to a sunny day and letting it blow my troubles away.

By PHOEBE SHEN Staff Writer

Sometimes the wrong choices take us to the right places.

What gives you hope? Is it the refreshing feeling you get each day when you wake up to see that rain has fallen, washed the whole world and made it new? Is it the embrace of a loved one, or that quote your friend cheered you up with when you were feeling down? Or is it the simple joys of life like being able to eat the best sandwich ever? No matter what it may be that specifically gives you hope, they are all part of the human experience and viewing life in a cheerful light.

Inspired by Frank Warren, the maker of PostSecret, the Gives Me Hope project is a positive twist on the idea of spilling one’s secrets. Instead of being about some crazy, unpredictable secret, Gives Me Hope is about what encourages people, what heartens them, and what motivates them to continue pursuing their dreams. This April, several students at AHS submitted what personally gives them hope, and while they share their own stories, we hope it will encourage you to reflect on what helps you go on each day and appreciate the simple things of life. pshen@apachepowwow.com

Dreaming is free.

So never stop.

Don’t let your

Insecurity

It’s the simple happy moments that get me through in life.

Ruin the beauty

Perseverance - a lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success.

-Ambrose Bierce

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

-Albert Einstein

You were born with

Sometimes the sweetest moments in life are the ones that weren’t in your “Plan A”

“You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.”

-Abraham Lincoln

‘ Graphics courtesy of MS.MU’S GRAPHIC DESIGN CLASS and ANONYMOUS

Hugs are like boomerangs, they’ll always come back to you.

HOPE IS A WAKING DREAM. //ARISTOTLE

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SPORTS

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April 2012

“When the Lights Go On...the Stars Come Out”

By ARIANA ARZANI Executive Copy Editor

Few attractions in Arcadia garner nationwide attention but several which do include the historic racetrack, the luscious Arboretum, and the prestigious Arcadia Invitational. After its debut in 1968 when AHS Track Coach Doug Smith wanted to create a track meet for schools in the area, the Arcadia Invitational has since become one of the premier high school

track meets in the world. As a result, it attracts top athletes from all over the country and the world, with some students traveling as far as New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Canada, and Ireland. The track meet has been nicknamed the “Home of National Records” due to the sheer number of records which have been set there, as it has seen 24 national records shattered. 124 U.S. Olympians have also treaded the course and participated in the Invitational for the past 44 years. For many AHS students, simply being present at the Arcadia Invitational was enough

INVITE MONTAGE Competitors from across the nation met in Arcadia, CA.

to inspire them to work harder as they saw the raw talent of those who performed. Around 15 students from AHS’ Track and Field team performed, and the team placed 1st place in the Seeded Boys 4x400.

AHS’ Track and Field team does not transform into the largest outdoor high school meet in the U.S. without some assistance. Over 200 students sacrificed their Spring Break in order to set up for the meet. For volunteer and Track member sophomore Celeste Utley, who helped set up and monitor shot put, “the Invitational was a great opportunity to see the best and most talented athletes in the nation. Although I didn’t get a lot of time to spend with my friends and family over the break, I got some great experience and a nice tan out of it!” Many other students shared the same sentiments as they saw their home turf being used by the fastest runners or the highest jumpers in the nation. For junior Preston Wu, who also volunteered as a member of Track, helping monitor the pole vault proved to be an interesting task as he “was able to spend some time observing the athletes in the exciting atmosphere of the meet.” While not everyone had such prime locations to volunteer, others contributed to the meet by helping sell food, distribute Gatorade, or other tasks. With between 8,000 to 10,000 people in attendance, the program required immense hard work from students and parent volunteers alike who kept the program running smoothly.

The competition itself swelled with talent, energy, and determination. The winning spirit was felt throughout AHS as images of feet moving as fast as a wind-up toy and students each with the strength of dozens put all the rest of us to shame. One of the star athletes was Devon Allen, a ju-

nior from Brophy Preparatory School (Brophy Prep) in Phoenix, Arizona. Allen was named the outstanding boys performer at the meet after competing in, and winning five events over two days (regardless of the fact that each performer is only limited to four). Allen ran in the second leg of Brophy Prep’s winning 4x100 relay team, finishing with a time of 41.15 sec., dominated the hurdles races, receiving 13.52 sec. in the 110s and 36.38 sec. in the 300s. Allen beat Arizona records with both of his hurdles races.

He also left his competition in the dust by gaining an impressive 21.10 sec. in the 200m dash.

On Friday, Apr. 6, Allen also competed in the hurdles relay, taking home the gold medal with his team even after crashing into the final barrier. Due to the four-event limit, Allen’s fifth event—the 200m—may have to be vacated from the records.

Many other stars of the track meet are much closer than Arizona, as close to 15 students from AHS’ Track and Field participated in the event, which was headed by Coach Chris Schultz, who has been running the program as the Vice President of the Invitational Committee for 11 years now. He is very proud of the group, especially those who ran in the Boys Seeded, which “became the 4th fastest time in AHS school history.” For sophomore Roni Yamane, who ran in the 4x800, the Distance Medley Relay, and the 3200m, the event was “a great experience filled with adrenaline and athletes from all over the world” and she “is excited about participating next year!” For many students, competing in the Invitational was an amazing learning experience which attracted worldwide competitors while giving the city of Arcadia some local pride.

aarzani@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of RUNNERSPACE.COM

The Dream Team: Arcadia’s Winning 4x400 Relay

By ALICE LIN Staff Writer

TOTAL TIME: 3:20.51 #4 IN AHS HISTORY Junior Nikko Ajao will not be heading toward a college just yet, but he is definitely looking into his prospective colleges, such as UCLA and Cal Poly, after he earns another year’s worth of medals and achievements in Track and Field. His current best is 50.83 seconds on his 400m, and with another year left next to Coach Chris Schultz, “who’s the one that makes people fast,” it will definitely be an even better time than before. In addition to Coach Schultz’s help, Nikko also says he has “become faster” trying to be on the same level as the seniors. Next year, however, he’ll set the pace for the newcomers.

This coming fall, senior Alec Jen will be heading further west toward, “the Home of the Bruins, or UCLA” for his college experience. Alec is ending his senior year with an outstanding time of 51.88 seconds on his 400m, which makes sense, since he has been doing track since he was ten years old! Alec will be keeping in touch with his relay team friends via the Internet.

After years of high school track, senior Tony Moseley has built up a reputation for himself as a powerful distance runner with an impressive time of 1:54.70 for his 800m run, and he’ll be continuing this legacy beyond high school, “running track and cross country at Division 1 level” at either the “University of California, Riverside or at the University of California, Irvine, both with well-known powerhouse middle distance programs.”

Senior Alex McElwee kicked off his senior year with a brilliant hand-timed victory of 22.7 seconds on a 200m event and is finishing it off with an even faster record of 22.19 seconds.

This coming fall, he’s leaving California for the South Dakota’s School of the Mines and Technology. There, he can showcase his talents in both his literary smarts and track, which he has definitely shown throughout his high school career.

ARCADIA INVITATIONAL 4X400 SEEDED RELAY CHAMPIONS alin@apachepowwow.com Photo by VIVIAN CHAN

April 2012

SPORTS

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ARCADIA’S STUD(ENT) ATHLETES

19

By BRENDAN TRAN Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND

UCLA “I am going to UCLA next year and I am excited and anxious to play at the next level of competition. Dreams [do] come true.”

-Taylor Lagace, 12, Boys Varsity Football

“I am excited to go to the University of Portland because the incoming freshman class has the possibility to become the next NCAA champions. I love the city and I am excited in becoming an engineer. Go Pilots!”

-Sergio Gonzalez, 12, Boys Cross Country

CALIFORNIA STATE NORTHRIDGE

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME “I’m gonna be going to University of Notre Dame. I’m just really excited to get the whole college experience, and to finally move out of California!”

“I am so excited to play soccer at Northridge next year. Being able to play at a Division 1 college has always been a lifelong dream of mine and I feel so lucky and grateful that I get the opportunity to do so.”

-Katherine Guo, 12, Girls Varsity Golf

btran@apachepowwow.com

-Hayley Greep, 12, Girls Varsity Soccer

Photos by ELLIOTT LEE and VIVIAN CHAN

Softball Plays Hardball

By JOSH BAY Staff Writer

By KARINA LAIGO Staff Writer

The ritual—it’s an integral part of any athlete’s means by which he or she can enter his or her “zone”. Once in “the zone”, the athlete’s mind is impenetrable to any distractions, or any forms of intimidation. The star athletes at AHS are no different, as they disclose exactly the various behaviors and rituals they undertake before attacking the playing field.

“To get in the zone or to get pumped up, I listen to music on my iPod before a game. Concentrate and stuff like that. I just put on my earphones and press play.”

—Sergio Gonzalez, 12, Boys Varsity Track and Field “I usually like to just relax before I’m about to throw, stretch out my muscles and stuff and just try to relax as much as possible. As throwers we don’t really have a prep thing, but we do like to be there for each other as each one of us throwers and we help out each other and cheer.”

—Natalia Martinez, 12, Girls Varsity Track and Field “Before every game, we have this thing here we all write our numbers in the batters warmup circle numerically and it’s just for good luck, other than that its just the normal warm-ups. On home games we’ll give our secret sisters gifts, so that’s fun!”

—Yeram Park, 10, Girls Varsity Softball “I always eat Fritos chips and Knudsen’s cottage cheese before a game. Then, I watch portions of Michael Jordan’s “To the Max” to pump me up. On the bus [the other guys and I] play “Hanging With Friends.”

— Stephen Smith, 11, Boys Varsity Basketball

klaigo@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of COMMONS.WIKIPEDIA.COM and IMAGEENVISION.COM

This season’s Girls Varsity Softball team unleashed an unstoppable force of Apaches. Junior Kaitlin Martinez, who has high hopes this year, stated, “So far this season, we are doing really [well]. Our team is very close with one another. We have a strong team bond and I feel like that helps us communicate during games and practices.” After going through ten innings against La Salle, the team pulled together yet another win with a score of 7-6. The intensity of this particular game was nerve-wracking for Kaitlin, however, senior Lisa Rosas had a base hit which scored the winning run. According to Kaitlin, she knows without a doubt that the team will make it to CIF because of how talented the team is. “We are a strong hitting team [and] we play great defense as well,” she said.

For junior Kenzie Grimes, the team is stronger than ever because of how great its hitters are. Along with Kaitlin, Kenzie also believes the team will make it to CIF this season because of the teamwork displayed during practices and games. “We always pull through when we need to,” stated Kenzie.

Even though there is only one senior on the Girls Varsity Softball team, Kenzie has no reason why that should affect the team in the long

run. “With Lisa Rosas as our only senior teammate, she does a great job leading our team and giving us great advice,” she said.

As the season paves its way to success, sophomore Yeram Park sees how strong the team has bonded and grown every day. Along with her teammates, Yeram is crossing her fingers and hoping to make it to CIF. “I definitely expect us to go to CIF this year and I have a feeling we’ll get [past] the first round as long as everyone keeps it up!” Although the team is primarily made up of underclassmen, the team has really set high marks and overcome numerous challenges over the past few years. They’re a “close-bonded team and everyone really stepped it up this season,” stated Yeram.

Currently, the team’s overall record is 8-4 and 3-1 in league. But these numbers are not set; there is a whole season before the girls. With such high marks set this year, the Girls Varsity Softball team is sure to continue and finish its exemplary season. jbay@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of HOMETEAMSONLINE.COM

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Introducing Some App-solutely Addicting Games

By VICTORIA NAKAGANEKU Staff Writer

Whether it be on the latest Apple product, smart phone, or even on the internet—apps today have become more popular than ever. Between beating your high score and beating a friend in a match, these brief electronic games have turned into addicting, time-consuming forms of entertainment. The most popular out there include…

Draw Something: Downloaded over 50 million times within the release of its first 50 days, this overwhelmingly popular game is a revolutionized form of Pictionary. Swapping turns with a friend to either draw or guess an object, Draw Something has quickly developed into a way to connect with others in an artsy way. The longer you the play, the more benefits you receive as the coins earned can unlock new colors. And believe me, those other colors certainly come in handy when you need to draw a pumpkin, but only have black, yellow, and red at your fingertips!

Angry Birds: Garnering so much hype that it actually turned into a consumer product,

Angry Birds by far has lasted the longest on Apple’s number one top spot for paid apps. The objective of the game?

Destroy all pigs with, well birds, in an antagonizing set up that often frus-

trates its players. The triumph that comes with conquering a difficult level is, however, akin to the feeling as if you actually did destroy those pesky little green mounds. So commonly known, Angry Birds has even been used in phone commercials and can be found in most shopping centers in the form of plushes and decorative objects.

Spring Fashion: Colorblock

By SARAH QUON Staff Writer

When anyone thinks of spring fashion, he or she starts to imagine the light pastel colors or Easter formal outfits. However, this year, spring fashion has taken a huge turn and is making a new bright, bold statement—neon.

Now, for a while teenager fashion has been dealing with those bold colors, rather than more neutral colors, so what makes this spring season’s fashion so unique? This year, a new type of fashion trend called “colorblocking” has popped up. It is a unique way that fashion experts used to represent this spring’s fashion as it is able to find the correct balance between these vibrant colors with the spring sophistication of a delicately proportioned outfit.

Though colorblocking only involves at most four to five (but usually three) different

colors, it is much more complicated than what it seems. There are many different ways that people can colorblock. For instance, one method is to wear a more toned down color for your bottoms, and a vibrant colored top and jacket.

The trick is that when it comes to picking your different colors, pick the ones that contrast a lot, and idealistically colors that are on the opposite side of each other on a color wheel.

For those people who want to go all out color blocking, with a wide variety of colors, here is how to find the perfect melody of these bold saturated colors. It may seem that if you are going to do colorblocking, you need to use all bold and vibrant colors, but actually, you should always limit yourself to only one bold color. The other two colors need to be bright, but not as neon and out there as the first color.

You should always experiment with the colors to see which style fits you best!

If yyou are not all that into creating a whole ccolo color blocking outfit for yourself, start with a piece that combines two then sta art w different differe ent shades of one color. Then add complimentary color for the other a co oomp piece pie ce of your outfit. This way, if youu do not want to go all out color blocking, it is another more subtle blo ocki wayy oof stepping into this fresh new spr spring ing fashion. Also if you need help on wh where to start the top ten colors for thi this spring are: Tangerine Tango, Sol Solar ar P Power, Sodalite Blue, Cabaret, S Star St tarrfish Starfi sh, Margarita, Sweet Lilac, Driftwood wood, d, Bellfl B ower and Cockatoo.

Any A Anyway you choose to color block this sspri spring season, you will look undoubt ted trendy. Good luck to all you doubtedly fashio oni fashionistas out there! squon@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of FASHION.EE P

Fruit Ninja: As a very simple app, this game still makes the cut on the list for its widespread appeal. Though the game’s only goal is to slice fruit and avoid bombs, somehow, it is still addicting to play. Even now, arcades are be-

ginning to implement Fruit Ninja on large touch screens, drawing in those users who have already favorited the app. Slicing multiple fruits at one time gives a higher score, while slicing bombs ends the game. Variations, like the Puss ‘n Boots edition, add a more interesting twist for players already bored with the original.

Temple Run: Left! Right! Duck! Jump!

What started out as a do-or-die escape while avoiding obstacles and collecting coins has es-

calated into one of the most addicting games of all time. Players can spend countless hours trying to beat their high scores and getting their digits into the hundred thousands.

Words with Friends: Although the excitement for this game has died somewhat now, Words with Friends is one of those games that challenges the intellectual…and the really good word maker-upper.

Like a portable version of Scrabble, this app switches between opponents who place words on a board lettered with different points for different placements. Objective?

Simply win by earning the most points for each word.

As procrastinators and game players probably know best, these apps have become the ultimate time wasters out there. Hours and hours can be lost by just clicking “play again” as the cycle of app-solute addiction starts all over again...and again...and again... vnakaganeku@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of BUSINESSINSIDER.COM, FASHIFY.COM, and TALKANDROID.COM

Pixar’s New Brave Movie how she sees herself,” said director Mark Andrews in an interview with EW. Merida discovStaff Writer ers this conflict on her adventure, and Andrews hinted that the titular Every time Pixar trait of bravery would releases a film, audiencultimately be found in es and critics keep count.

Merida’s struggle to Ever since the nostalgic break new ground. classic Toy Story was In many ways, released in 1995, people Brave breaks new have been wondering ground for Pixar. It is if the Disney-collabothe studio’s first fairy rating animation studio tale, and features Pixcan make a bad film. ar’s first ever female 2009 marked its tenth protagonist. It was writfilm with the Academy ten by Irene Mecchi Award-winning Up, and and Brenda Chapman; critics are still countthe latter shares with ing. This year, Pixar will Andrews the directing release its 13th feature credit as Pixar’s first film, a fantasy adventure BRAVE NEW START female director. In borrowentitled Brave. ing the undertones of the The story takes place in Pixar’s newest movie is about Brothers Grimm and Hans tenth-century Scotland and to hit theaters.

Christian Andersen, the centers on Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), a fiery princess who knows film is also meant to be somewhat darker and her way around a bow and arrow; Entertain- spookier than the studio’s previous, traditionment Weekly (EW) dubbed her “a red-haired ally child-friendly stories.

But despite being a movie of many firsts, Mulan”. An adventurous free spirit, Merida defies an ancient tradition and the wishes of her the studio’s lucky 13th does not forget tradition. mother Queen Elinor; she refuses to choose a Pixar executive John Lasseter promised that suitor, leading to mysterious chaos breaking out the film will feature a cameo appearance by the in the kingdom. As she stumbles further into a Pizza Planet truck, a recurring homage to Toy struggle to change her fate, she consults a witch Story, as well as a character voiced by John Ratwhose spell goes horribly wrong, and embarks zenberger, who has voiced in every Pixar film to date. Pixar films are usually released alongside on a grand quest to set things right.

Like any proper heroine, Merida is no la- an animated short film, and this year Brave will dylike princess. Aside from scenes of her skill- be preceded in theaters by an Academy Awardful archery, the film includes plenty of riding, nominated picture entitled La Luna.

Brave opens June 22. climbing, sword fighting, and dealings with the supernatural.

“She’s trying to reconcile this difference jkuang@apachepowwow.com between how the world wants her to be, and Graphic courtesy of CHUCKNUM.COM

By JEANNE KUANG

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The Avatar Returns in The Legend of Korra

By COURTNEY HANG

Secret Menu

By RITA WANG Staff Writer

Roaming our little city of Arcadia, looking for that perfect zest of sweet and fresh, you stumble upon the most glorious place of all—Jamba Juice. And just when you thought Jamba Juice couldn’t get any better, it just did. Quenching your thirst and your sweet tooth, its secret menu has just blown your mind, because there are secrets within this secret menu (Inception much?), consisting of several flavors based on famous brand-name candies. Here are just some of the crowd favorites: White Gummy Bear: Topping off at number one on the list, this drink sure is the crowd pleaser! Not only does this drink taste exactly like gummy bears, it tastes especially like white gummy bears; you know, the oh-so-rare ones in that bag of 20-count. Made of peach juice, soymilk, pineapple sherbet, raspberry sherbet, orange sherbet, and fresh mangoes, this drink is definitely worth its name.

Pink Starburst (Pink Star): For those Starburst fanatics, this is the drink for you! Consisting of lemonade, soymilk, raspberry sherbet, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and fresh strawberries, this delectable drink will leave you craving for more. No longer will you have to chew one piece after another for the delicious taste; instead, you can order this drink if you’re searching for something bursting with flavor.

Skittles: Looking for a more efficient way to taste the rainbow instead of putting all 5 flavors of candy into your mouth at once? Here you have it! With its peach lemonade, lime sherbet, frozen yogurt, and frozen strawberries, this drink will sure help you in your challenge to taste the rainbow, so make sure not to miss out!

Sour Patch Kid: Sour is now the flavor of the day with this mouthwatering drink. Lemonade, blueberries, lime sherbet, pineapple sherbet, raspberry sherbet, and orange sherbet mix together to concoct the most magnificent sour taste of all.

True to its candy counterpart, the drink will leave you feeling the tanginess from the top of your head to the tip of your toes!

Butterfingers: Ahh yes, there is something for even you chocolate lovers.

This beautiful blend of chocolate base, carrot juice, peanut butter, and frozen yogurt will make you crawling for more chocolate, gooey goodness. Let the guilty pleasure override your senses with this fantastic sensation. Who said that chocolate candy couldn’t be made into a drink?

Watch as your next trip to Jamba Juice becomes flipped 360 by ordering one of these candy-tasting smoothies. No more are you limited to what’s on the menu, because as there are levels within a dream, there are definitely secrets within Jamba Juice’s secret menu now uncovered. Happy drinking everyone! rwang@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of UAB.EDU

Staff Writer

On Apr. 14, the highly anticipated spin-off of Nickelodean’s Avatar: The Last Airbender finally debuted as The Legend of Korra. All over the globe, fans of the old series ranted and raved in excitement for the new series, new and improved over time. How does The Legend of Korra follow the story of Aang and his friends from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and how has the show’s look changed? Let’s take a closer look!

This new series takes place 70 years after the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Mako: Firebender At the conclusion of the last series, Aang and his friend Zuko had just united the four nations—water, earth, air, and fire—and founded the United Republic of Nations and its capital, Republic City.

The Legend of Korra follows the life of Korra, the new Av a t a r , a young, Bolin: Earthbender hot-headed, and rebellious 17-year-old waterbender, as she embarks on her journey toward mastering airbending, the final element she must conquer. At the beginning of this series, Korra travels to Republic City and begins her airbending training with Tenzin, son

to previous Avatar and main character of the old series, Aang. Much of this series is set to take place in Republic City, as Korra learns the tips and tricks to airbending. Though the series officially debuted on Apr. 14, the first two episodes of the series were released online on Mar. 24 and 25, available for free download on iTunes.

The Legend of Korra episodes will be written by the writers of Tenzin: Airbender the previous series, Michael Dante

A NEW START Korra and the new ‘Krew’ prepare to take on some new challenges.

DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and are expected to run for two seasons and 26 episodes, though extensions are possible.

Although the creators had planned to end the show after the first series, its success and extensive fanbase prompted Nickelodean to ask for more episodes. The creators then came up with the idea of the next Avatar, this time a girl named Korra; they decided on a female Avatar after the large female audience and the adoration of headstrong female characters, feeling it was time to have an action series with a female lead instead of the traditional male lead. Development began in April 2010 and the new series was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2010. It is a bit darker and more mature than the original show, but still targets the same audience.

The Legend of Korra has already received great praise from its fans as well as new viewers everywhere. Episodes can be accessed on Nick.com and iTunes, so if you missed them and want to up, you can!

Korra: the Avatar catch With great action scenes and interesting story lines, The Legend of Korra is one show that you don’t want to miss! chang@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of THEANIMATIONMAGAZINE.NET

Take a Spin on These New Music Genres

By JONATHAN MATSUMOTO Staff Writer

My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way once complained emo “has never been [an] accurate [way] to describe us ”—and he’s not alone.

Nowadays, record companies attach names to their music (at the expense of the artists), mostly for marketing purposes. Regardless, some interesting names have appeared over the years, and some artists associated with them may be more familiar to you than you think.

Britpop Britpop doesn’t sound anything like One Direction; interestingly enough, Britpop isn’t even that popular in Britain anymore. Britpop is a form of alternative rock and is characterized by its guitar riffs—many of which were influenced by the 1960s British Invasion (think The Beatles). The genre reached its peak in the 90s with notable groups like Blur and Oasis. Some of the more modern “Post-Britpop” artists include Coldplay and Muse.

Crunkcore The Guardian considers it “the worst thing to happen to music”. The Boston Phoenix has deemed it “the most detested trends in pop music combined”. But what is crunkcore?

This unusual genre is the combination of two very distinct styles: crunk, or southern hip-hop, and screamo—that’s right, screamo. Sound weird? It’s more familiar than you think. Colorado rappers 3OH!3 have achieved moderate success from songs like “Don’t Trust Me” and “My First Kiss”, and pop singer Ke$ha rose to fame with her debut single “Tik Tok”.

Electro Swing What happens when you mix swing, the

dance music of the 30s, with modern house music? You get electro swing, or something like it.

In reality, it’s a bit more sophisticated than that: artists like Parov Stellar take samples of swing music and edit them with audio-editors like GarageBand, adding basslines and modern pop rhythms. Chances are, you may actually have electro swing in your iTunes right now: Mr. Scruff’s “Kalimba” can be found in the “Sample Music” folder of most Windows 7 computers.

Moombahton Moombahton, or moombah for short, is a very new style that is beginning to become popular. The term, which dates back to 2010, is a very bass heavy style of music that combines Latin rhythms with house music, similar to electro swing. Unlike electro swing, moombah involves bass drops, which is why it’s often mistaken for dubstep. The difference is in the rhythm: dubstep has a faster tempo of 140 beats per minute (bpm) while moombahton is around a slower 110 bpm. Popular “dubstep” artists like Nero and Skrillex are often criticized for recording at moombah tempo. jmatsumoto@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of BLOGXPERT. COM, CRUNKCORE.NET, MUSICFEEDS.COM, WORDPRESS.COM, and WHITERAVERRAFTING.COM

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iPad 3 vs. iPad 2: Is it Worth the Upgrade?

By DANIEL JENN Staff Writer

When Apple came out with its latest tablet, many of us tech-savvy folks started calling it the “iPad 3” instead of what it really was–just a slightightly updated model of the current iPad 2.

For many potential buyers, this device had just a few subtle, but noticeable changes. Considering that Apple sold 15.4 million tablets last year, many consumers with expendable budgets and six-month-old iPads are now asking themselves one thing: should I get the newest model? Advertising its “Resolutionary” device with an improved Retina display, faster 4G LTE capability, and a better o camera, it’s almost reasonable to think that people are just going to flock to the nearest Apple stores and throw money.

The iPad 2 and the iPad 3 cost the same, $499 for their cheapest 16 GB Wi-Fi only mod-

iPad 2

el. But now with the current bloom of electronics trade-in businesses, a used iPad 2 will fetch around $250 to $300 online, acting more like a third-party rebate than anything.

There isn isn’t really an argument going on o whether the iPad 2 is better than the iPad 3 because it is. Rather, it is more about exactly how many Italian sports cars and golden

the new iPad upgrade is worth it?

statues you own and how much you want the new Retina display. The resolution has been doubled, the numbers of pixels have been quadrupled, and text seems to look printed onto the screen. Some may find that resolution is good enough reason to upgrade; but frankly, it’s the only reason. Spec-wise, the two

Staff Writer

1. You: “How old are you?”

Siri: “I don’t see why that should matter, ____.”

2. You: “Talk dirty to me.”

Siri: “Humus. Compost. Pumice. Silt.

Gravel.”

3. You: “Beam me up!”

Siri: “Okay. Stand still.”

I have to say, I’ve been having loads of fun with Siri over Spring Break.

What is Siri? Siri is the built-in digital assistant in the iPhone 4S. As well as asking it in plain English, it will also answer in other languages too. And it even uses its built-in intelligence to answer the question or will offer up a web search. I’m quite delighted with how well it works…most of the time. However, the developers behind Siri also have a sense of humor. Here are some not-so-useful, but funny things you can ask or say to Siri: jbay@apachepowwow.com

4. You: “Will you marry me?”

Siri: “That’s sweet, ____. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

5. You: “Where can I hide a body?”

Siri: “What kind of place are you looking for? Mines, metal foundries, reservoirs, dumps, swamps…?”

6. You: “What is the meaning of life?”

Siri: “To ask questions like this.”

7. You: “Who do you look like?”

Siri: “Shiny.”

8. You: “Knock, knock.”

Siri: “Knock, knock. Who’s there? ____? ____ who? ____, I don’t do knockknock jokes.”

9. You: “Tell me a joke.”

Siri: “Two iPhones walk into a bar…I forget the rest.”

10. You: “Call me an ambulance!”

Siri: “From now on, I’ll call you ‘An Ambulance’. OK?”

Graphic courtesy of EATER.COM

the same results. Even worse, when the device says it is fully charged, it is really only at 90%.

In addition to its horrible battery life, the iPad 3 is roughly 10 degrees hotter than the iPad 2.

Though that may not make much a difference, customers who recently bought the tablet said it was “uncomfortable to hold’.

Finally, if you often travel to foreign places or the countryside where Wi-Fi connectivity isn’t always available, you might need the 4G LTE. AT&T and Verizon’s 4G networks are notably faster than their 3G siblings, and both carriers are spending billions trying to improve those speeds. The new iPad isn’t the revolutionary device everyone was hoping it would be, but the crisp display will certainly do.

iPad 3

PROS AND CONS Do you think

Talk to Me, Siri

By JOSH BAY

tablets are pretty much identical in every other way. For occasionally checking your email or surfing the web, spending $200 for those few extra pixels to stare at may not be worth it. But for people who regularly play graphic-intensive games, read eBooks, and watch movies ablet, the next generation iPad is on the tablet, ely the best bang for your buck. a definitely wever, there are a few However, things with the iPad 3 that led

orary disappointment. To get a full batto temporary tery, the iPad 3 needs to charge up to 7 hours with the display off and 20 hours on full brightness compared to the iPad 2 which only need 3 hours for a full charge. Some complained that charging the device via computer USB was the source of the problem due to lack of voltage, yet plugging it in with a wall charger showed

djenn@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of BLOGSPOT.COM, and Graphics courtesy of WINDOWS8.COM

Dangerous Fads

By SOPHIA TANG Staff Writer

Mindless teenage fads born from boring afternoons have been trending since the last century. And yet, our demographic hasn’t wizened up in the least as kids still do dangerous acts. The magnitude of life-threatening fads are greater for our generation because social media exposure on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. Below are some examples of dangerous fads.

1) Planking This popularized internet ternet obsession has prompted teens ens and adults alike to upload d pictures of them lying facedown in weird places. The goal of this fad is to photo-op in the most creative place possible. Unfortunately in this case, ‘creative’ became ‘hazardous’ as onee 20-year-old has died from balalancing on a balcony and another other man was allegedly charged for planking on a police car.

2) Car Surfing For those living in the inner city, surfing on water is not an option. So instead, teenagers have been hanging ten on car roof tops, usually under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A friend will drive from 20 to 40 mph, probably not thinking in advance that the sight could easily catch the eyes of police.

This is, of course, another potentially-fatal activity, as the Centers for Disease Control have reported 99 car-surfing deaths from 1990 to 2008.

3) Vampiring

We could all blame the Twilight series for this next fad, but this decade’s current vampire obsession idolizes the ‘bite mark’.

It’s become the new cool thing and has even been a clique sign. This little nip at the throat may cause blood-transferred diseases and make kids oblivious to the sensitivity of the neck area. ‘Blood-brothers’ rituals like in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, are already AIDS risky, but purposefully harming others’ necks is like a double-whammy.

4) Google Earth Pool Party-Planning A step much higher than the Google Maps ‘Airport Game’, Goo teenagers are using the serte vice to plan their next pool parties—in someone else’s backyard. They search up houses with nice pools and invite their friends.

This act also includes Facebook, which is used to invite several hundred strangers to a riot party. str 5) Cinnamon Challenge This fad has been very recent with videos uploaded by teens who are willing to do the impossible task of swallowing dry cinnamon. No matter how many videos disprove the likelihood of accomplishment, kids still try it to gain views and laughs. Poison Center authorities have related cinnamon to chili-pepper, which provokes pain receptors in the mouth and lungs. Asthmatic people or people with lung problems may stimulate a very bad asthmatic episode or a coughing fit—if they’re lucky. stang@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of TUSCONCITIZEN.COM

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By: Niki Chi

Bananas for Banana Leaf

By GLUTTON GIRL Staff Writer

Banana Leaf is an authentic Indonesian restaurant located at 5835 Temple City Boulevard in Temple City. The name says it all. It serves various foods wrapped in—you guessed it—banana leaves. Banana Leaf also has an extensive menu with many other delicacies. There are a lot of rice dishes and a lot of curry dishes; mostly everything came heavily spiced or dripping in chili -based sauces.

This restaurant occupies a narrow little sliver of a place. It has possibly the smallest seating capacity in the entire San Gabriel Valley area, with half a dozen or so tables to seat an astounding 20 people.

When I entered, the atmosphere was friendly and buzzing with excitement.

With nice, modern decor, Banana Leaf felt more like a café than a restaurant.

The restaurant was mostly full (always a good sign!).

Tiny and warm, it seemed like a great place to hole up on a rainy day.

I was seated immediately and ordered a catfish wrapped in banana leaf. A lot of the items are not posted on the menu, so make sure to ask the waitstaff!

While service was slow, it sure was friendly. The waiters and waitresses there are more than eager to attend to your every request.

As Indonesian food is famous for incorporating various forms of chili into dishes, I was not surprised to see my order come with a side of chili. It also came with sweet and sour soup and a side of rice.

The portions here are not huge, but they

are reasonable and will definitely fill you up.

My order came on a plate with the fish wrapped in sheaths of banana leaves. When I unwrapped my food, I saw a deliciously cooked fish fried to a crispy golden brown. I eagerly dipped it in the chili sauce, and it was very tasty.

Although the fish would have been delicious without it, the chili sauce gave it quite a kick. It was a unique blend of flavors that was completely new to me, and hard to describe. It had a distinct aroma that was unlike anything I have ever tried before.

The soup, however, was a huge letdown. It was a weird mix of sour and sweet, but it was also extremely bland.

I did not enjoy it at all, and even the smell was unappetizing. You would ff be better off he sticking to the ur sweet and sour ur soup at your da local Panda Express.

Everything else at af Banana Leaf nt, was excellent, he and I loved the zy friendly, cozy atmosphere.

Although it is e, a small store, al it has a special personality of he its own. Banana Leaf is a nice addition to the variety of food in the area. rBanana Leaf, however, is a bit underot staffed, so I give it a 7/10. Even so, it is not a restaurant to miss, and you should stop by if me you have time! If you’re ever looking for some na cheap and delicious Indonesian food, Banana ’s Leaf is your place to go. And who am I? That’s a secret I’ll never tell.

XOXO, Glutton Girl m gluttongirl@apachepowwow.com Photos by GLUTTON GIRL RL

By: Niki Chi

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The Reel Deel: Laugh Out Loud Need advice??

Send your questions to o trinasadvicecolumn@apachepow trinasadvicecolumn@apachepowwow.com wwow.com

By JOSH BAY Staff Writer

There is an endless number of comedy movies out there; most are good, and a couple are exceptionally great. However, for every exemplary comedy movie out there come a few not-so-good ones. This month unravelled several new movies that made me laugh so hard I was gasping for air, as well as ones that made me roll my eyes.

The Five-Year Engagement: 4.5/5 Release Date: Apr. 27 Rating: R Genre: Romance, Comedy From the director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five-Year Engagement follows the life of Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) who proposes to his girlfriend Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt). However, things don’t go as planned when Violet has to relocate after receiving the opportunity to work at the University of Michigan. This five-year period gives Violet and Tom enough time to question whether they were meant to be married at all. The Five-Year Engagement was a funny movie that I really enjoyed watching. I usually don’t like romantic comedies, but this movie was an exception.

Think Like a Man:2.5/5 Release Date: Apr. 20 Rating: PG-13 Genre: Romance, Comedy

Based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book, Think Like a Man tells the story of four men whose love lives are shaken up after their wives buy copies of a books and start taking the advice in it to heart. When the men realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own. Think Like a Man did not live up to the book. This romantic comedy included a clash between a very likeable cast and a pitiful plot line. Do yourself a favor by not watching this movie.

The Three Stooges: 3.5/5 Release Date: Apr. 13 Rating: PG Genre: Comedy The Three Stooges tells the story of Larry (Sean Hayes), Curly (Will Sasso), and Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), who are left on a nun’s doorstep as infants. As they grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuking, and woo-woo-wooing, they pave their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. However, as they try to save their childhood home, they become embroiled in an oddball murder plot and wind up starring in a reality TV show. The Three Stooges was a perfectly adequate slap-stick.

However, that being said, the beginning was slow, and a few of the jokes just left me bored. jbay@apachepowwow.com Graphic Courtesy of SCREENRANT.COM

0 1 2 3Sudoku 456789

Q: A few days ago I said something extremely rude to someone by accident, but I quickly apologized and he accepted it. I was really embarrassed afterward, so I said bye to him and left as quickly as I could. We didn’t talk after that, so I was able to settle down a little. But he’s in my history class, and now we have to work on a project together! I’m still not over the embarrassment, so I know I’ll act really weird around him.

What should I do?

A: Suck it up and work with him! There’s really nothing you can do about his being your partner, and I doubt your teacher will be willing to swap him for someone else. Don’t keep reminding yourself of what you said to him; it’s definitely not going to help you get over it, and it’s making your situation worse than it should be. You need to turn your attention to something else. Yes, you were rude and said something you didn’t mean. Get over it and move on with your life. Chances are that your partner’s probably fine with you now, and you’re fussing over something that’s not a big deal. Everyone messes up once in a while, and you’re no exception. Just focus on the project and working with him, and you’ll do fine.

Q: I have a friend I haven’t talked to in a while, and I’ve been thinking about meeting with her again. I’m worried that things will be really awkward between us, since she lives in a different city and it’s been about a year since we last saw each other. Should I just ask to meet with her right out of the blue or leave her alone?

A: Go ahead and meet with her. There’s nothing weird about wanting to see an old friend—for all you know, she could be thinking the very same thing! Don’t be worried about awkward conversation or anything like that. If the two of you used to be close, you’ll just start talking naturally; it’ll seem like no time at all has passed since your last meeting. And even if both of you weren’t besties, conversations will start up and flow anyway. Since it’s been such a long time since you two have seen each other, you and your friend are bound to have plenty of stories to tell.

Q: I share a room with my sister, but she’s a complete slob and too lazy to help n. I’m always finding her junk evme clean. re; even if I put her stuff back where erywhere; gs, she always finds a way to it belongs, mess ourr room up again. I don’t really mind the mess and clutter, but I prefer not having to worry about tripping every time I step into our room. n I get my sis to How can pick up the slack and acdy up for once? tually tidy

Puzzle courtesy of THETEACHERSCORNER.NET

A: Let her n her own drown in nce you mess. Since don’t mind the

clutter, hold out for a little bit longer. Only clean your side of the room, and if you find some of your sister’s items just put it anywhere on her side. Don’t try to tidy up everything.

This way your side will be immaculate and well-organized, and your sis will pretty much be living in a dump. She’ll soon get frustrated with having to dig through piles of clothes and dirty laundry, and if she asks you to help her, just flat-out refuse. Eventually, your sister will get tired of living in such a mess, and since you won’t clean the room for her, she’ll have to do it herself!

Q: Lots of people I know are in relationships, and I’m feeling sort of left out. They always talk about how great it is, so I’m wondering if I should hook up with someone just to see what it’s like. If I decide to go out with someone, will it be worth it? Will the relationship even last?

A: No, no, no! Don’t even think about going out with someone to “see what it’s like.” It’s a horrible idea, and I can guarantee you probably won’t be happy. Please, try not to fall to peer pressure. So what if lots of people are in relationships? The fact that they are shouldn’t affect you in any way. And you’re feeling left out? Then what about the millions of other single people out there? Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that you don’t need to feel like you’re out of the loop. You’re single, so enjoy it. As for your second question, no, the relationship will probably not last. Many couples at AHS have very short-term relationships, and there are very few that actually go steady.

Q: My friend wasn’t accepted into the college he wanted. Ever since he got his rejection letter, he’s been really depressed and has been moping around every day. I want to help him, but I feel like if I do he’ll only feel worse. What should I do?

A: Hang out with him to take his attention away from the rejection. Talk to him and keep him busy with the conversation, but don’t mention anything about colleges. Your friend just needs a little bit of time to accept the fact that he got rejected. You can also try to cheer him up by telling him that he can always transfer to the college he wants, and maybe even to one that’s better. Personally, I think the best way to help him is to take him to a place where he can’t possibly concentrate on moping. Bring him to watch Titanic or an equally sad movie (being sad because of a movie is better than being depressed, after all), or take him to a loud event. He’ll be better before you know it, and will be able to push that rejection letter right out of his mind.

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ACADEMICS

apachepowwow.com

April 2012

Studying Quirks and Habits

By AMANDA HUYNH Staff Writer

As a student of AHS, you are probably familiar with the mindset and constant dedication it takes to maintain an acceptable grade in your classes. We’ve all had to study hard for something at least a couple of times in our academic careers, and over time we’ve developed our own, personal study habits that help us in keeping all that information in our heads.

Whatever your study habit is, remember that it doesn’t matter how strange or peculiar it is as long as it’s helping you reach your highest nt! potential as a student!

“I concentrate better after I exercise otherwise I can’t sit still.”

–Christie Kuo, 10

“Depending on the chapter I pi which I find co ck a room mfortable. I find inspiration from each different room of the ho use. Afterward, dance to help m I e remember th e information, cabulary, etc.” vo–Melita D’Mel lo, 10 “Every time I do work I ha ve to listen to m usic or else I’ll get sleepy an d start to pr of ocrastinate.” rtesy s cou .COM, ic h p Gra PRESS ER–Derek Lee, D RT 9 , WOR , HE

“I can’t study with music; the brat always distracts me.”

–Andy Chen, 11

“I talk to myself. For some reason when I repeat the things I’ve learned it’s a lot easier for me to remember them.”

–Jennifer Lee, 10

“I need to tie my hair up when I study.”

–Angela Lu, 11

“I like to study alone. I don’t like listening to music while I study; it has to be perfectly quiet.”

–Julia Cavallo, 9

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S A P D S.COM CY , and IC ORG

“Everytime I finish a chapter I paint my nails as a reward because I understand that I can’t go out every time I finish reading.”

–Tina Tzeng, 12 h h@ h ahuynh@apachepowwow.com

The Path to Becoming a Doctor

By LEO JIANG Staff Writer

Becoming a doctor is the pinnacle of decades of education for millions of people. Doctors work with patients for all types of issues ranging from the common cold to terminal cancer. It is also one of the few careers with a high stability rate and hefty pay check. However, with those benefits comes competition. Every year, thousands of college students apply for medical school and only a select few get in. So just how does one become a doctor? These general requirements for becoming a doctor give a basic overview of the education, personality and other factors that go into making someone a doctor.

For most practices in the medical field, the process can be boiled down to three steps. We ly are all currently in the firstt step, which is high school.

At most high h schools, coursses like AP P Biology, AP P Chemistry, and d AP Physics are recommended to give studentss

an early exposure to the science field and d the rigors of both college and medicall school. Here at AHS, we offer a wide array of AP science courses from Biology to Human Physiology. ysiology. Clubs such as Pre-Med Club and Chemistry hemistry Club allow students to get in touch with th peers with similar interests, opening paths ths to volunteer opportunities at hospitals and d aid from people in the medical edical field. AHS’ academic ademic teams, ams, such as Science Olympiad, Physics Team, Ocean Science Bowl, and Academic Decathlon, help students extend their knowledge of science courses and supports them when they are trying to meet medical school requirements in college. AHS students can also take advantage of the nearby Methodist Hospital and the American Red Cross for volunteer

experience and an even hands on training in CPR and First Aid. After high sschool, students move on to college to pursue entrance to undergraduate col Most medical schools require a medical school. Mo year in General Biology, Physminimum of one ye ics, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry (all with Calculus, English, Psychology, lab experience), Ca and Sociology. In addition to basic courses, schools require students to parsome medical scho ticipate in a certain number of medical research internships, or volunteer experience. programs, internsh Students will also hhave to take the Medical ColTest (MCAT), maintain a high lege Admissions Te GPA of at least 3.4 to be competitive for mediobtain their bachelor’s degree. cal school, and ob recommended for students beIt is also highly rec with their college professors come acquainted w medical schools require recomas nearly all medi mendations. Note tthat it is not required that you major in a science as an undergraduate, as long

a the course and testing qualifications as are a satisfied and you obtain a bachelor’s degree, d you are eligible for medical school. s After admission in to medical school, s students will spend the first two years studying the sciences and the next two years in a clinic. After obtaining their Doctorate in Medicine degree (M.D.), students will have to apply fo for a minimum of three years residency aat a hospital. Here, students will treat patients with supervision from a fully certified doctor and declare a dissertation or a specific field of study in the medical field. With a M.D., completed residency, and experience, students can test to be officially licensed to practice medicine and then proceed to working full time at a hospital or private clinic. For the state of California, students will have to apply with the California Medical Licensing Service and the Medical Board of California to obtain licensing and be allowed to practice psychiatry in the state of California.

As you can see, being a doctor requires a lot of hard work and dedication, but after all of that you become someone who has the ability to save a life. With such an important skill and a stable and well-paying job, it’s no wonder becoming a doctor is desired by so many. ljiang@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of MOUNTAINSIDE-MEDICAL.COM, SOUTHWESTERNER.EDU, DOLLARDAYS.COM, WPCLIPART.COM and WHITEHALLTOASTMASTERS.ORG

April 2012

academics@apachepowwow.com

ACADEMICS

Gov. Team Prepares for Nationals

By ARIANA ARZANI Executive Copy Editor

With months of preparation under its belt, Constitution Team (Gov. Team) was finally ready to head off to Washington D.C. for the national competition on Apr. 26. All their latenight Panera runs and study sessions have led up to this and they are not intending to disappoint. According to adviser Mr. Kevin Fox,

they have been “frantically reading, studying, and practicing all things related to government” in an attempt to bring home the gold, but also to “do the best they have ever done before.” In preparation, Gov. Team has increased “the degree of sophistication and complexity and the level of intellectual action as the expectations at Nationals are much greater.”

Armed with their determined mindsets and cumulative knowledge, the team is confident they will perform their best and is ready

CONSTITUTION TEAM After countless weeks of preparation, Gov. Team headed off to Nationals with high hopes of preserving its legacy.

to battle 49 other teams nationwide. For senior Greg Chang, the process of preparation often involves “gathering notes, laptops, and books together and bouncing ideas off one another, usually sparking arguments and finding potential solutions.” Similarly, senior Jenny Wei is preparing with her unit by “rereading the constitutional book [she] was given at the beginning of the year and creating and sharing documents with her team.” For senior Evelyn Gemberling of Unit 6, preparation means “having meetings with each other and with [their] coach.” Also in Unit 6, senior Gabo Aristizabal is “personally preparing by watching Democracy Now, The Daily Show, and by reading articles and talking to his socialist father,” which helps give him an alternate viewpoint from that of the media.

Although not longer than before, their meetings “have increased in rigor and productivity,” Evelyn said.

The competition itself is a stimulated congressional hearing in which the students act as constitutional experts. They are given three questions in advance and heavily prepare for them. The panel of judges, which is comprised of lawyers, professors, and judges, ask them to give a four minute statement about one of the three questions. Following that, there is eight to ten minute questioning from the panel that intends for spontaneous and quick responses to display the students’ immense knowledge on the subject matter. The team is facing 49 other schools, and they hope to represent California as best as they can. The expectations are high

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for Gov. Team, which hopes it can match the 1st place National title its predecessor from the 2009-2010 school year achieved.

While the 2011-2012 Gov. Team is hoping to sweep the competition at Nationals, the tryout process for the 2012-2013 Gov. Team is already underway. The process includes an informational meeting followed by a group interview, and finally an individual interview with a panel of judges composing of the previous team’s members and Mr. Fox. The criteria for Gov. Team is “all substance and no style” and “it doesn’t matter if you’re a Speech kid or anything similar because theatrics” and stylistics are not the issue, said Mr. Fox. Your “GPA or the classes that you’ve taken don’t matter” either. Instead, they are looking for individuals who are “good thinkers, people who can articulate their ideas, make a contribution to the team, and who show potential.”

The strong bonds that have developed have kept the team together through late nights and struggles. For many seniors, including Greg, the end of the school year signifies nothing if not change. As he goes off to college, he hopes that the one constant in his life which remains is the “2011-2012 Gov. Team’s memories which will be cherished” because although the class and competitions will not remain, the relationships “will live on forever.” aarzani@apachepowwow.com Photo by of ELLIOTT LEE Photo courtesy of CITY-DATA.COM

How to Survive AP Testing Season

By VIVIAN CHAN Staff Writer

ating a study guide. By making viewing by creating one, you’re exercising your mind as you refresh yourself on the long lost material, buried deep within your brain.

Furthermore, make sure to keep all

AP Chemistry test. At the end of eac each chapter, try to test yourself so you can find out what your strengths and weaknesses in th the subject are. Usually, there sh should be chapter as well as cumulative review ques questions at

With the month of May just ust right around the corner, I can just the suspense se that fills students as the dreaded month of AP testing approaches closer and closer. All off the material that you’ve learned this yearr will all surmount to taking one four hour our test (or two, if you’re taking the AP Physics C exam), half free response, half multiple choice.

For all you nervous Nancys out there, here are a couple of tips on surviving the AP season, whether you’re a first-time AP test taker or a seasoned veteran.

For some people, creating a schedule the month before AP tests can really assist in keeping track of their time and making sure that they get ample study hours in per subject. A sufficient plan that the end of your works for a majority of students intextbook, so you cludes reviewing small portions of better utilize those material every day, for a month, until to o yyour our advantage. Moreover, the test. Space out your studying, you’ll consider consid der purchasing an AP prep book; compalearn more by studying a little every day your study material. Sud- nies such as Barron’s, Princeton Review, Kainstead of waiting to cram at the last minute. e. denly, that worksheet that didn’t seem plan, and Cliffs offer excellent overviews on all By doing so, the material will stay in your longongbooks may range term memory, but if you try to study at the last relevant a couple months ago has all the infor- the various AP topics. These book from $10 to $25, but they do provide moment, the material will only reside in your mation on chemical equilibrium—which is one anywhere fro insightful tips and tricks on how to prepare for h short-term memory and you’ll easily forgett it. out of the four free-response questions on the Group studying is sometimes efficient, GETTING ETTING PREPARED For some people, creating a schedule the month before AP only if you chose the right people to tests s ccan really assist in keeping track of their time and making sure that they get sufficient study with. While you’re at it, try re- study hours in per subject.

the AP test. These AP books will come with at least two AP practice tests for you to hone your skills on. If you practice these AP problems under timed pressure, you’ll find it quite useful in practicing your test taking pace. Just don’t fret!

Try to find the study rhythm that works for you.

On the day of the AP test make sure to wake up early, have a balanced and healthy breakfast, and head down to your AP testing center with all your necessary test taking materials (but don’t bring any study materials, they will be confiscated).

Make sure to arrive 30 minutes before so that you can properly sign in and fix any problems that may occur. Take some deep breaths, relax, and mentally prepare yourself for the four hour test that lies ahead of you. If you’ve prepared yourself well for your test then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Good luck Apaches, and study hard! vchan@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of JUSTCALENDER.ORG, CLIPARTS101,COM, LORDOFDESIGN.COM, RHL.ORG, BOOKS4U.IN, SIMONANDSCHUSTER.CA, and OPENCLIPART.ORG

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April 2012

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April 2012

APRIL FOOLS 31

Who Says Freshmen Can’t Be Pranksters?

By DANIEL JENN

Staff Writer

Since the dawn of tomfooleries and shenanigans, pranking has been a staple in the mindset of the average freshman. Answering the call of unsuspecting families, friends, and strangers who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, these pranksters have inflicted their passion for mischief on those who leave themselves vulnerable. The AHS freshman, one of the many fine examples of the joker, has a great sense of humor along with innovative ideas to jest. Though pranks and jokes don’t really coincide with an AHS student’s schedule, there are just a few who go out of their way to pull just a few more pranks.

The classy prankster, freshman Alex Yeh, loves to prey on the insecurities of people, manipulating their temptations and unfulfilled desires. Leaving his house early one morning, he made sure to pack something special, a gift for a friend. He said, “Well it was late Sunday afternoon and I was just about to go to my friend’s house to hang out. I felt like there wasn’t much to do, and I wanted to do something special instead of the usual. Before I arrived at his house, I bought some crèmefilled chocolate eggs, and then I handed them to my friend—my lactose intolerant friend.”

Likewise, freshman Nicholas Nguyen shares the similar desire to pull the wool over someone’s eye. They both have had their fair share of pranks. The difference is that Nicholas has more of a sophisticated kind of humor. Back in his day he used to “put nothing in Easter eggs and give them to friends.” It served as a symbolization of an empty, commercialized holiday where corporations have ruined the spirit. He was quite the profound prankster at age seven.

Freshman Flora Wong is your everyday kind of prankster. One day, walking from her first period classroom, someone asked her what the time was. Instead of the average response where truth and honesty are upheld, she replied in a dignified manner, “Time for you to get a watch!”

Freshman Demi Cao just recently pulled a prank on her own mother. Coming home from school one day, feeling a bit antsy and on the wild side, she uttered just a few words to set her mother off on an explosive, nuclear reaction. “Oh yeah, I told my mom that I failed my test that day and that it was worth like a million points and [that] now I have, like, an F.” She said, “I was nearly murdered, but it was all okay after I told my mom I was kidding.”

In the end, every prank is worth the repercussions faced afterwards. The laughs, the cold stares, and the rush of getting the best of a complete stranger are all parts of what make a prank so great. Though upperclassmen may find these acts of misbehavior a bit immature, one thing is for sure: whether they deserved the hoax or were completely innocent, nothing is left out in the grand scheme of pranks and the pranked.

Graphics courtesy of EBAY.COM , BLOGSPOT.COM, BANKSSCHOOLSUPPLYCATAQLOG.COM, and SPENCERSONLINE.COM

djenn@apachepowwow.com

Hilarious Tales from Prankster Performers

By PHOEBE SHEN Staff Writer

April Fools. A day notorious for bad pranks, jokes, and overall trickery. Buckets of ice cold water and fake spiders may come to mind when the prospect of tricking someone comes up. On this day, some pranks will go down in history, while others will for all the wrong reasons. But the joking doesn’t end on April Fools’ Day. The performers here at AHS have their own share of funny stories and pranks that they have pulled on each other or have experienced themselves. Ranging from amusing anecdotes to practical jokes, Performing Arts (PA) members have probably gone through it all. This April, members of various PA groups spill their best jokes and stories in the spirit of April Fools’ Day so that we can recognize that, while they are typically serious about their art, they have their own fun un as well!

“We were spending a Saturday rehearsal mending our mat by gluing down strips of mat and stepping on them to make sure that they were firmly glued. But soon, we started to see who could jump the farthest down a fold on the mat.

So if someone was watching us, we would look like we were in a bounce house without the house. It was really fun, though! We all got leg workouts along the way and sticky feet because the glue wasn’t dried yet.”

— Theodora Chan, 11, Percussion

“One that I remember pretty clearly is when a couple of guys bought $18 worth of cilantro and put it into someone’s locker just because that person hated cilantro. We were at one of the three-hour-long rehearsals for show season, and some guys were looking really suspicious while going into the choir room. The guy’s reaction was priceless.”

— Emily Lim, 11, Chanteurs

“Well, last year at Dayton one of our memmbers had tried to make a bowl of Easy Mac. She he put it in the microwave, but it somehow caught ht on fire and set off the smoke detector. The entire floor of the hotel was smoky and foggy and she and her roommates were forced to beg other people for a place to stay. It was just funny because the macaroni ended up looking like a pile of manure, and how does a bowl of microwavable food even catch ch on fire? We all just found it so amusing.”

— Jessica Hsu, 11, Colorguard

pshen@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of THEODORA CHAN, JESSICA HSU, EMILY LIM Graphics courtesy of SOGOODBLOG.COM, BOUNCEHOUSE.BIZ

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GIVES ME HOPE

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April 2012