March 2016

The World Is Our Campus Volume 63, Issue 8

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA

March 2016

George Hou: Intel Finalist

In this issue:

Graphic courtesy of INSIDETHEGAMES.BIZ

NEWS pg. 2 L.A. Olympic Bid: The Olympic Bid Committee has already begun scouting locations for the 2020 Games.

Photo courtesy of EPOCHTIMES.COM

AN OUTSTANDING RESEARCHER Senior George Hou placed as a finalist for the highly prestigious Intel Science

Talent Search competition.

By CINDY TSE & MAGGIE WONG Staff Writers

Graphic by ELYSE YAO

OPINION pg. 5 Age Redefined: We often measure age by days, weeks, and years, but how do we measure mental maturity?

Photo by DYLAN SHEN

PERFORMING ARTS pg. 9 Thoroughly Modern Millie: ADD’s spring production premiered Mar. 17 to 19 at the PAC. Here’s a recap of the musical.

Have a question, comment, or concern about The Apache Pow Wow? Email the Editors-in-Chief at eic.powwow@gmail.com.

Find us online at theapachepowwow.com.

2016 marks the 75th anniversary of the Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), a competition involving the nation’s most promising budding scientists. Contestants are to create and submit an original research project, which is to be judged by prestigious scientists from varying divisions. A public exhibition of the projects was held on Mar. 13, and the winners were announced Mar. 16. Among the 40 finalists was a student at AHS, senior George Hou. His project, titled “Separating Mixed Signals in Noise-Polluted Environments Using Global Optimization”, involved the mathematics of signal processing and how to use them to filter specific sounds out of the background.

The idea for this project began close to home. George’s grandfather had lost his hearing and had to wear a hearing aid full time. However, the device wasn’t very effective, as turning it up would also amplify the background noise. At one point, his grandfather stopped wearing it completely and George suddenly wasn’t able to communicate with him anymore. To fix this problem, George decided to do his own investigating in the hopes of finding a higher quality hearing aid. His search proved unsuccessful. He did, however, come across a book titled, The Mathematical Modelling and Signal Processing in Speech and Hearing Sciences,

by UC Irvine professor Dr. Jack Xin. George emailed the professor, and after a series of exchanges, the professor became his mentor. Together, they were able to come up with a math algorithm that could separate different sounds.

George dedicated the next few years of his life to this project, working on it for hours every day, and even frequently driving to UC Irvine to work with Dr. Xin in person. He says, “Dr. Xin has been a monumental form of support throughout my research not only through his constant encouragement, but also through his passion for the subject, which constantly pushes me to strive and explore the unknown.” As his efforts created a significant breakthrough, he received much support from friends and family, saying, “They’ve definitely been beyond proud and supportive every step of the way, and just having them by my side every step of the way has made every bit the difference.”

On Jan. 6, he was chosen as 1 of 300 semifinalists in the competition, and on Jan. 20, was chosen as 1 of 40 finalists. The semifinalists and their schools each received $1,000. In addition, the 40 finalists were awarded an extra $7,500 each and an opportunity to compete for a spot in three different categories: Basic Distinction, Global Good, and Innovation. The journey has not been easy, and George notes, “There were definitely many moments where I was on the brink of giving up, because research is basically an open-ended problem. And it’s very much possible that you spend a whole summer

researching a problem and still have little progress at the very end. For me, it was very difficult when I first began, because the research required a lot of higher-level math which I had yet to learn. So I spent the first few months trying to learn all the necessary concepts. And it was very hard to absorb the fact that so much time during the summer had been spent on this preliminary stage rather than actual research.

So, there were definitely points where I heavily doubted myself and the possibility of producing any quality results.”

While it wasn’t a prizewinner, George’s innovation has great potential in the long run, and he has big plans from here on out. “I plan on continuing my research in both undergraduate and graduate school. Currently most of my research centralizes on the mathematical analysis of sound separation methods.” With some more hard work and studying, he hopes to use his discovery to design a better type of hearing aid. As for other students who aspire for opportunities such as this, he has some advice to give, “My biggest advice to those who are interested in pursuing research is to not be afraid; be bold and proud, and don’t fear rejection or failure.

Especially in the earlier stages, when you’re looking for potential mentors or institutions to work under, don’t fear rejection; just remember that persistence is one of the most—if not the most—important factors within research..” ctse@apachepowwow.com mwong@apachepowwow.com

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NEWS

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March 2016

Meet the 2016 Arcadia City Council Candidates

By CHRISTINA READ Staff Writer

With the Arcadia City Council election fast approaching, it’s time to take a look at the candidates: six Arcadians are currently running for the two open seats. Neither incumbent (neither Mayor Gary Kovacic nor Councilman Mickey Segal) is vying for re-election, meaning that the two elected officials will both be new to the council this cycle, although three of the six candidates have served on the council previously. Once the two new councilmembers are elected, they will serve a four-year term with the city of Arcadia.

Bob Harbicht has served on the council for 20 years, and decided to run once again after seeing what he considers a turn for the worse in the council’s efficiency. He explained, “Arcadia City Council meetings were always businesslike, efficiently run and now they’ve become contentious. There’s a lot of things going on that aren’t being handled the right way.” On mansionization, one of Arcadia’s current hot-button issues, Harbicht believes we need to study the matter carefully and consider the impact on citizens’ home values before making a decision.

Sheng Chang hopes to make Arcadia more open to citizens who, like himself, have come to Arcadia from non-English speaking countries. Chang became the first Chinese-American elected to the council in 1994, and while he was not originally planning to run this year, he felt the city needed leadership. Chang hopes to resolve the issue of mansionization, which he believes is hurting “intercultural relationships” of the city. He is also concerned with Arcadia’s rise in crime and has plans to “enhance patrolling,” as well as to build up our “bilingual services for police.”

April Verlato is a passionate anti-mansionization campaigner. While she believes in “reasonable” residential development, she also recently drafted a ballot initiative to set limits on the allowed square footage of homes, as in neighboring cities San Marino and Pasadena.Verlato is highly active in the community and decided to run for the first time this year because she has “had the opportunity to meet many residents who feel their views are not being represented.” She hopes to become an advocate for these people.

Burton Brink has served as a sergeant in the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department for over 35 years.

He decided to run again this year (after achieving an unexpectedly strong showing in the 2014 election) in part because of his concern with the recent rise of crime in Arcadia—Brink remembers his childhood here, and would like to “give back” to the city he grew up in. Brink has also affirmed his commitment to “transparency” and the abolition of “hidden agendas,” as well as his plan to develop Arcadia commercially.

Peter Amundson is also concerned about the development of Arcadia, but as a small business owner, his primary focus is revitalizing Arcadia’s downtown area. He has pledged not to take any money from developers in order to avoid conflicts of interest, something that has been a point of contention within the council in the past. Amundson previously served two consecutive terms from 2006-2014.

Paul Van Fleet considers himself not to be a “one-issue” candidate, but rather someone with the experience needed to “make Arcadia a better place to live.” Van Fleet lived in several states, including New York, Texas, and New Jersey before moving to Arcadia 19 years ago. This will be his second time running for a position in the council. Van Fleet has stated that he is “here to serve” and “willing to hear residents out.” cread@apachepowwow.com

Photos courtesy of ARCADIASBEST.COM and PETER AMUNDSON

SANCTION: NORTH KOREA

By ANDREW MULIADI Advertisements Editor

Violating previous agreements, North Korea’s recent nuclear testing has caused China and the U.S. to draft a resolution aiming to punish the communist country’s action. As explained by a Security Council, this forthcoming declaration is a newly revised United Nations Security Council document construed to be the toughest yet on North Korea. Preliminary sanctions were submitted last month by Samantha Power, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, U.N. abridged. In concord with the resolution, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying asserted on behalf of China that they “believe this resolution will curb further development of nuclear missiles in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

China is willing to work with relevant parties to promote denuclearization of the peninsula.”

The official text pertaining to the document has yet to be released, as the Security Council is allowing other U.N. countries, including France, the United Kingdom, and Russia, to give feedback on the issue at hand: North Korea’s alleged claim that it has tested its fourth hydrogen bomb two months ago. U.S. officials

had dubious thoughts on the claim, but further investigation led to evidence that suggests that there was a failed testing of a hydrogen bomb.

In alignment with these remiss actions, North Korea launched a satellite into orbit on Feb. 7.

Because testing a hydrogen bomb and launching a satellite into orbit are both in contumacy of international sanctions, National Security Adviser Susan Rice met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the White House to discuss the matter in further detail. In a statement read

by National Security Council Spokesman Ned Price, both individuals agreed on the “importance of a strong and united international response to North Korea’s provocations, including through a U.N. Security Council Resolution that goes beyond previous resolutions. They agreed that they will not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state.”

The sanctions will target specific administrations, but it is rumoured that the laws will be ineffectual because the organizations are not outsourced. Nevertheless, the sanctions received laudatory remarks, as many applaud the effort to punish North Korea’s actions. amuliadi@apachepowwow.com

L.A. 2024 Olympic Bid

By VIVIAN KWANG Staff Writer

Every four years, a lucky city is chosen to establish the famous Olympic games. Led

by Chairman Casey Wasserman, the L.A. 2024 Bid Committee was created to show that L.A. is worthy of hosting the 2024 Olympic events. There are a total of four candidates, including L.A. The youngest city among the potential hosts, L.A. marks itself as the “What’s next?” candidate.

According to a recent survey conducted

by Loyola Marymount University, more than 88% of the people of L.A. voted to have the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games hosted in their home city. Less than six months have gone by since the 2024 bidding officially started. From the beginning, L.A. was confident that it would be granted the opportunity to host the Games in 2024 because it holds a plethora of world-class stadiums and arenas that could possibly result in a reliable and inexpensive Olympics. The L.A. 2024 group sent a detailed and promising document to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be accepted as the city to host the 2024 Olympic Games.

Among the various arenas and stadiums in L.A., many have potential to be remarkable Olympic sites. Most of the Olympics would be held in the Colesium, while basketball games would be held in the famous Staple Center and volleyball games at the Santa Monica Beach. By pitching in existing venues to the IOC, the group suggested a budget that wouldn’t break. L.A.’s bid also emphasized the city’s sunny weather which would be perfect for outdoor sporting events. It also mentioned the prospect of a Hollywood film that documents the moments in the 2024 Olympic Games if it were to be held in L.A. According to the group, these films could create the “New Games for a New Era” image, a slogan the L.A. 2024 bid group stands by.

“Angelenos welcomed the world with open arms in 1984 and we have experienced the benefits ever since, so we’re excited by the prospect of doing it again at a reimagined Games in 2024,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The IOC has confirmed that it will announce the winning city to host the 2024 Olympic Games on September 2017. vkwang@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of NEWS.YAHOO.COM

March 2016

powwownews@gmail.com

Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee

By CASSANDRA GONZALES Staff Writer

Following Justice Scalia’s death, the position of Supreme Court Justice has yet to be filled. On Mar. 16, President Obama nominated Merrick B. Garland to be the nation’s 113th Supreme Court justice. Judge Garland, 63, is a wellknown figure who has received praise from members o f both t h e R e -

publican and Democratic parties. Known to be a centrist appellate judge, Garland is the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and has served in private practice and at the Justice Department.

The White House stressed that Garland has more federal judicial experience than any other Supreme Court nominee in history, calling him an experienced judge who bridges the divide between the opposing parties.

In the Rose Garden ceremony held on Mar. 16 to announce his candidate, Obama stated, “I’ve selected a nominee who is widely recognized not only as one of America’s sharpest legal minds, but also someone who brings to his work a spirit of decency, modesty, integrity, evenhandedness, and excellence.” He also mentioned, “Judge Garland has earned a track record of building consensus as a thoughtful, fair-minded judge who follows the law.”

Republicans quickly rejected President Obama’s candidate. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, appeared on the Senate floor directly after the president’s announcements to declare an end to Judge Garland’s nomination.

According to the New York Times,

Mr. McConnell also called Judge Garland personally to say he would not be receiving him in his Capitol office, nor taking any action on his nomination.

In response to this, the president said, “To suggest that someone as qualified and respected as Merrick Garland doesn’t even deserve a hearing, let alone an up-or-down vote, to join an institution as important as our Supreme Court, when two-thirds of Americans believe otherwise—that would be unprecedented.”

“I simply ask Republicans in the Senate to give him a fair hearing,” Obama said. “If you don’t, then it will not only be an abdication of the Senate’s constitutional duty, but it will also indicate a process for nominating and confirming judges that is beyond repair.”

Nevertheless, Judge Garland has a chance of becoming the 113th Supreme Court justice. In describing his career, Judge Garland said that “fidelity to the Constitution and the law have been the cornerstone of [his] professional life.”

He also stated that if the Senate confirmed him, he promises to “continue on that course.”

NEWS

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s t a f f Editors

Editors-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editors Opinion Editors Performing Arts Editors Student Life Editors Features Editors Sports Editors Academics Editors Center Spread Editor Calendar Editor Campus Focus Editor Advertisements Editors Photography Editors Executive Copy Editors Fundraising Chairs Webmaster

Victoria Yu and Erika Zheng Yoko Chan Justin Tang and Emily Wu Amber Chong and Tiffany Liu Jacqueline Chang and Katie Huang Briana Shen and Terri Shi Michelle Fang and Jessie Hui Charles Xu and Pearl Yang Simone Chu and Veronica Yu Elaine Chung Kristen Tran Kaitlyn Liao Tiffany Chen, Andrew Lim, and Andrew Muliadi Ryan Fann and Debbie Moon Michelle Gu and Hafsah Umerani Julia Lin and Flora Ung Elyse Yao

Writers

News Staff

Aaron Chan, Trinity Chhay, Cassandra Gonzales, Jocelyn Hu, Vivian Kwang, Eileen Lee, Eric Chen, Yanhui Li, Kimberly Lo, Joshua Ma, Andrew Muliadi, Cristian Nalbandian, Noelle Natividad, Chloe O’Connor, Ha Eun Park, Christina Read, Kayli Temple, Victoria Tovmasyan,

cgonzales@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of NYPOST.COM

Michael Tseng, Andrew Wang Opinion Staff

Eric Chen, Simone Chu, Justin Cun, Christy Kang, Yanhui Li, Julia Lin, Ha Eun Park, Pourobee Saha, Kayli Temple,

METHANE LEAK

By NOELLE NATIVIDAD Staff Writer

The largest known methane leak in U.S. history happened just 35 miles from Arcadia in Aliso Canyon, a region bordering Los Angeles. Releasing approximately 97,100 tons of methane, this leak was first detected in October 2015, but was only resolved recently on Feb. 11.

The gas leak was caused by a blown underground pipe from Southern California Gas Companies’s facility. BBC News reported that the leak “came from one of the 115 wells connected to a massive underground natural gas storage facility.” Drill crews finally managed to seal the breach last month.

Per hour, 60 tons of methane were being released into the atmosphere. BBC notes, “The impact on the climate is said to be the equivalent of the annual emissions of half a million cars.” With millions of people neighboring Aliso Canyon in Los Angeles, Governor Gerry Brown called for a state of emergency and evacuated 6,600 Porter Ranch homes. Many of the residents have now moved back, yet unfortunately, illness reports continue to pour in. The Department of Public Health is currently assessing and monitoring the area to pinpoint the cause of the health issues. nnatividad@apachepowwow.com

Dear Animal Abusers, The FBI is Now Tracking You

By TRINITY CHHAY Staff Writer

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now tracking animal cruelty crimes as Group A felonies, which are on the same level as homicides, arson, and assaults. Nationally, the FBI will track animal abuse crimes for the first time in its National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).

The policy was initiated across the country, but the new reporting system would require many departments across the state to update their computer software. The Division of Criminal Justice Services stated that it has developed a plan that will change the software over the next three years to enable the reporting of animal cruelty crimes. New York will not participate in the new reporting system, however, as it is currently using the older model of the crime data collection, Uniform Crime Reporting, since 83% of crimes that occur in police jurisdictions use the older model.

Law enforcement agencies across the country will now be able to discover trends in animal cruelty due to the new initiative and will be able to choose from four subgroups when reporting the crimes: simple/gross neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse, and animal sexual abuse. “The FBI doesn’t mandate that local law enforcement agencies provide their crime statistics to the FBI, but I think we see a majority of them do participate in the program,” said FBI

spokesperson Maureen Dempsey, “The FBI does not investigate animal cruelty cases, all we are doing is capturing information based on offenses and arrests that are being made across the country, so we’re not really taking resources and putting them into a different area.”

Although it officially started back in January, the making of the policy has been in the works for years. Originating from Mary Lou Randour, an animal welfare advocate, it has been in process since 2014 when Randour convinced the FBI that tracking animal abuse was a worthy investment. “These are creatures that suffer and we know their capacity to suffer.

In most societies it’s recognized that creatures that are dependent on others, whether the elderly or children or animals, need to be protected.”

It’s important to note that the policy is aimed towards tracking animal abuse rather than prosecuting animal abusers.

Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S., stated that the data would offer “a real incentive for law enforcement agencies to pay closer attention” to animal abuse and will allow those agencies to better “allocate officers and financial resources to handle these cases, track trends, and deploy accordingly.”

The pushing for the policy has finally come to an end, as all animal cruelty data will soon be available online. As of now, the FBI is collecting data for it. klo@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of FBI.GOV

Cindy Tse, Faisal Umerani, Maggie Wong, Elyse Yao Features Staff

Trinity Chhay, Christy Kang, Christine Law, Yanhui Li, Andrew Muliadi, Noelle Natividad, Kayli Temple, Victoria Tovmasyan, Cindy Tse, Michael Tseng, Faisal Umerani, Andrew Wang, Katie Wen, Maggie Wong

Performing Arts Staff

Eric Chen, Trinity Chhay, Cassandra Gonzales, Jocelyn Hu, Thomas Hui, Christine Law, Eileen Lee, Pourobee Saha, Nadine Templeton, Victoria Tovmasyan

Student Life Staff

Eric Chen, Trinity Chhay, Thomas Hui, Eileen Lee, Ellie Lee, Andrea Liu, Cristian Nalbandian, Noelle Natvidad, Chloe O’Connor, Ha Eun Park, Nadine Templeton, Kyle Wang, Maggie Wong, Titus Wu

Sports Staff

Trinity Chhay, Justin Cun, Ellie Lee, Kimberly Lo, Joshua Ma, Christina Read, Danielle Santoyo

Academics Staff

Chelsea Cheng, Jocelyn Hu, Andrew Lim, Kimberly Lo, Noelle Natividad, Pourobee Saha, Nadine Templeton, Michael Tseng, Faisal Umerani, Katie Wen, Titus Wu

Calendar Staff

Chelsea Cheng, Vivian Kwang, Christine Law, Andrea Liu, Danielle Santoyo, Kayli Temple, Victoria Tovmasyan, Cindy Tse, Andrew Wang, Elyse Yao

Campus Focus Staff

Maggie Wong

Center Spread Staff

Christy Kang

Advertisements Staff

Eric Chen, Justin Cun, Cassandra Gonzales, Thomas Hui, Christy Kang, Eileen Lee, Joshua Ma, Faisal Umerani, Kyle Wang, Titus Wu, Timothy Yen

Photo Staff

Aaron Chan, Vivian Kwang, Andrea Liu, Joshua Ma, Danielle Santoyo, Nadine Templeton, Titus Wu

Copy Editig Staff

Aaron Chan, Chloe O’Connor, Justin Cun, Vivian Kwang, Christine Law, Ellie Lee, Christina Read, Pourobee Saha, Cindy Tse, Kyle Wang, Katie Wen, Maggie Wong, Elyse Yao

Web Staff

Aaron Chan, Christine Law, Chloe O’Connor, Katie Wen, Maggie Wong

Adviser

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 WALLPAPERSWA.COM

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OPINION

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Mental Illnesses Are Not a Joke

By MAGGIE WONG Staff Writer

“I got such a bad grade on that test, I’m so depressed.” “Ugh, what’s up with this weather? It’s so bipolar.” “This is so neat! You’re so OCD.” These are all things I’m sure we’ve heard people say, and have maybe even said ourselves. As a person who is pretty good at understanding when touchy subjects are used as jokes, mental illnesses used as a punch line is something I cannot stand.

No one uses cancer, heart disease, or any other illness as an adjective because it’s simply not appropriate to joke about serious things like that. So why has using mental illnesses as jokes become such a normal thing?’

I get it. You’re upset about your bad test grade, the weather has been changing dramatically lately, and my project looks like I used a ruler while I did it. But there are so many other

words you can use to describe those things.

Depression, bipolar disorder, and OCD aren’t descriptive words; they’re illnesses experienced by many people everyday.

When a mental illness is used as a way to describe something, they’re no longer treated as illnesses. They’re just another word in the dictionary, which takes away from the struggles of the people who are actually dealing with the illness. The emotional, physical, and social effects of the mental illness on people who actually have it are being normalized when the illness is used to describe mundane things like a bad test grade.

Mental illnesses are already not treated as seriously as they should be, and using them as adjectives just adds to the stigma. Mental health already isn’t a hugely talked about topic, even though every 8 out of 100 teens suffer from serious depression.

There’s no need to add to the negative light surrounding them by using them as jokes. mwong@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of THEFEMINISTWIRE.COM

By YANHUI LI

March 2016

Finding Your Substance Staff Writer

I can barely remember the last time I had a good night’s sleep. What is a day without a burning headache like? I think I knew the answer to that question once upon a time. All I know now is sitting in front of my computer with my eyelids drooping at 1:00 a.m., struggling, yet determined to finish the tasks laid out in front of me.

We go to AHS, and I’m sure we’re all aware of what that entails. As students at one of the most competitive schools in the state, we know stress well. Maybe a little too well. I look around me and I see superhumans juggling multiple AP classes with their extracurricular activities and responsibilities as club officers.

I think we can all agree that there just never seems to be enough time to do it all.

So what do we do? We sacrifice the only things that can be sacrificed in this race to the top: sleep and our social lives. We become emotionless machines focused on that A, running on nothing but three hours of sleep a night.

We fail to realize that life isn’t just about grades or getting into a top college. Those things don’t give us any substance.

What is substance? It’s the stuff that’s made of

laughter and tears, friendships and passions. It’s the stuff that lets us say “I’ve lived a good life” at the dying of the day. Take away wealth and belongings, and only substance remains.

I find substance in that friend who sticks with me through the toughest times. I find substance in the music that sings with both joy and sadness. I find substance in sunny skies and Disneyland. Even in deadline-induced panics, there’s always a silver lining somewhere.

It’s good to be motivated and driven. It’s good that we want to create a better future for ourselves, but looking into the future doesn’t mean we have to forget the present. After all, when will we ever be sixteen again?

Once we’ve left adolescence, when will we ever have the chance to completely screw up and still start anew?

yli@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of NEPALIAUSTRALIAN.COM

How My Talk with Laura Young Changed Me

By SUNNY WU Staff Writer

It’s Friday and it’s that time of the year again. Our 2015-2016 red-covered Curriculum Guide burns in my lap as I stare down at it. What classes am I choosing for next year? If I select another science class, does it mean my future career will be more towards the science field? And do I want that? Just thinking that my future can be affected from every class I take sends a shaking chill through my spine.

It’s Saturday and I’m at art class at Cal State Fullerton. We’re listening to an alumnus, Laura Young, who graduated from the class a while back, talk about her experiences and how she’s doing today.

I was expecting her to have a job relating to the arts but was totally surprised to hear that she is doing statistics as the Director of Enrollment Management at UCLA. And she said she is just as surprised as we are as she had never thought that she could do anything that involves math!

She emphasized the fact that if you are an

artist, you’ll always be one within you, regardless if your job is relating to the arts or not. Laura said, “Every time you’re confronted with a problem and as you solve it, you’re always thinking,

ing from a model, you keep asking yourself what that her graphs are the prettiest and the easiest else can I do to improve, and how other students to read. are seeing this model as they sit around in differI can tell that she’s in her early thirties but ent angles.” the last thing she told us with full confidence and satisfaction was, “don’t ever listen to the people who are pestering you about what you’re going to do in your future, because I still don’t know what I’m going to be when I grow up.”

It’s Monday and I have a basic outline of what my schedule will look like but I’m not going to stress myself over it.

It doesn’t really matter if you’re taking regular Chemistry or Chemistry Honors. You are who you are forever and always.

Your talents, characteristics, and intelligence will never fade away no matter what you do later on.

Choosing your classes does not mean you’re choosing your future; as high schoolers, we still have a long way ahead of us. what else is there, what else can I see, what else Laura mentioned that her art skills will nevcan others see that are different from me. Just er decline like the American economy and that swu@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of MAGIC4WALLS.COM like in art class, when you’re drawing, or paint- her coworkers at UCLA would always tell her

March 2016

theopinionsection@gmail.com

OPINION

Hold Old Am I Really?

5

I’ve never tried to take my watch off before.

It’s bulky and black and blocks a good two inches of my wrist from ever seeing the sun. Screen’s pretty big, and it never gets scratched up. It’s waterproof, scratchproof, and—supposedly, although I’ve never tested it—fireproof. I don’t know what it’s made of, but it does its job—because if the watch ever were to get scratched up or waterlogged, that would make it pretty useless.

On the display is a bunch of numbers. Sure, there’s the time, displayed in the upper right corner, but the other numbers are more important. The other numbers tell you things like your heart rate, your blood sugar levels, your caloric intake for the day versus the amount of calories you need to intake, and a

hanging in the air—a reminder of yesterday’s rainstorm. Either way, the tiredness has sunken deep into my bones, and I can’t wait to get everything done for the afternoon and go to bed.

There’s the sound of loud music blaring from car speakers. I take a step to the right to get farther from the street, but it’s useless. The red Corolla drives right into one of the puddles left behind from the rain, and it sprays all over me.

“Speed limit’s 25 here,” I mutter to myself. The watch doesn’t come with a radar gun function, but I’m pretty sure that the car had been going well above 25 miles per hour.

I glance at my left wrist and find a big number 75 on the display. Wonderful—my grumpy mood has apparently aged me by 60 years.

The rest of the walk home is uneventful, although the watch beeps to let me know that I’m hungry. Super helpful. It’s not like the rumbling of my stomach hadn’t clued me in. But as my thoughts shift to food rather than my disgust at being splat-

need to get done.

I don’t want to do it.

Petulance brings the age quotient back down to a four again, but I don’t care. I want to watch cartoons. ...and that’s what I spend the next two hours doing, pretending that if I stay hidden in the living room under my mountain of blankets, my responsibilities will disappear.

Mom comes home first. She marches into the living room, eyebrows furrowed in exasperation. “I told you to stop leaving your backpack right in front of the door.”

“Sorry.” I crane my neck, trying to see around her. I’m missing some crucial developments of Spongebob Squarepants!

“Did you finish your homework already?”

“No.” Gently, Mom grabs the TV remote from its resting place beside me on the couch. “You know, we all have to do things we don’t want to do.”

bunch of other helpful things like that. That’s the reason why the doctors implant it on every baby within a few hours of his or her birth. It makes parenting a lot easier, I’m told. I can understand that.

But what I can’t understand is the age quotient, and how in the world the doctors found a way to measure that. The age quotient is, for lack of a better term, a person’s mental age. Again, they added that function to help with parenting and school— supposedly it helps with the decision of what age a kid should start kindergarten, and it gives the teachers a heads-up on how a kid’s going to behave—but mine doesn’t ever stay the same, and it’s rarely ever my actual age.

Staggering home under the weight of my backpack, it feels as though I’m stooped over with age. The straps are biting into my shoulders.

It’s been a long Thursday. Time always seems to slow to a crawl on Thursdays, but today feels far more sluggish than usual. Maybe it’s the cloudy weather. Maybe it’s the dampness

tered with gutter water, the age quotient flips down to 18. I wonder if that’s a joke about how college kids are always starving.

Maybe the watch programmers had a sense of humor.

By the time I get to my front door, the age quotient has ticked down to six, which is probably accurate considering my inability to focus on anything besides the idea that a PB&J sandwich sounds appealing. Mom and Dad aren’t home from work yet, so I dump my stuff by the front door, which gives me a sense of petty satisfaction. Take that, binders: it’s what you get for being so heavy. I make a beeline to the kitchen.

According to the watch, I am now four years old, but a four-year-old wouldn’t be able to make a peanut butter sandwich as quickly and as neatly as I do. Nor would a four-year-old be able to eat said sandwich without getting the majority of it on his or her face—toddlers are perpetually sticky—but I manage just fine. The food has brought my calorie intake and age quotient up again.

I glance at my backpack and think about the homework I

I hold up my wrist to show her. “According to this, I’m six.

I can’t do precalc homework.”

She wrinkles her nose. “That’s bogus. You’re not actually six.”

“No, sometimes I’m 60, or 46, but never 16,” I say.

“But do you feel 16?”

The question strikes me off guard. I don’t know how 16 is supposed to feel. The watch tells me how old I’m feeling, and the watch says I’m six. “I don’t know.”

“It’s just a number, kiddo,” Mom says. “It doesn’t mean anything because there is no real way of quantifying mental age.

You are what you are, and the number doesn’t make a difference. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Now go do your homework.”

By SIMONE CHU Academics Editor

schu@apachepowwow.com Graphic by SUNNY WU

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Ip Man 3

March 2016

By TRINITY CHHAY

By CHRISTY KANG Staff Writer

Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA has long provided the general public with its famous ready-to-assemble furniture. However, to me, IKEA is more than a multinational and environmentally-friendly furniture store—it reminds me of my childhood which allows me to relax a little bit. I remember sitting in one of IKEA’s big shopping cart, licking $1 ice cream and holding a hotdog in my other hand. I still love the excitement of finally walking out of IKEA’s labyrinth and arriving at the cafe, where I can hear the clinking sounds of trays, cups, and utensils, and breathe in the familiar smell of meatballs. Here is a guide to IKEA to you from me, which I hope will help you have an excellent experience at any IKEA store.

Entrance: After parking your car, you’ve done the hardest part. Now you are finally crossing the threshold and entering the magical world of IKEA. You will first see wonderfully-furnished showrooms that you would want to move into immediately.

However, before you enter the building, pick out a giant yellow reusable shopping bag that will allow you to carry everything you’ll pick up along the way. If you plan to buy furniture, grab some free pencils, rulers, and a form to write down necessary information to find your furniture later.

Showrooms: IKEA has several small showrooms throughout its store. Some are just suggestions of how you can decorate your living room, bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens, while others people’s actual houses furnished with IKEA furniture. Feel free to lie down on a big, cozy bed, sit in a rocking-chair that your parents would never let you buy, or beg your parents to throw away all your current furniture and replace them with IKEA products. In other words, make yourself at home. However, showrooms can be very confusing. The maze-like layout is part of IKEA’s marketing strategy, but there are shortcuts you can take by looking at the map you grabbed earlier. It doesn’t hurt to just relax and enjoy splendidly furnished rooms though. If a piece of furniture catches your eye, flip over the attached tag, and write down its item number and aisle so you can find it later.

Restaurant: Has your shopping bag become too heavy to carry? Take some time to rest and relax in the IKEA Restaurant. Pop in for a quick snack or stay for a leisurely breakfast, lunch or dinner—it’s family friendly, too. Among the Swedish-style dishes and local specials on the menu, you’ll find healthy, organic and vegetarian options.

The most popular item is ten Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, cream sauce, and lingonberries. They have chicken meatballs (not that great) and vegetable balls (surprisingly delightful). If meatballs aren’t for you, that won’t be a problem because there are many other options you can choose from: chicken tenders, smoked salmon, chocolate cake, Swedish waffles, pasta, Bohus shrimp sandwiches, and even ribs. Regain some of your energy with delicious food, and rest your feet for the next part.

Self-Serve Furniture Area and Check-out: The Self-Serve Furniture area is where the items from the showrooms are held. Before you enter the area, pick up one of the trolleys. To locate your desired items, head over to the aisle numbers and locations you wrote down earlier, find the item you want to buy, and put it onto your trolley. After you have found all your items, line up to purchase them.

Swedish Food Market: After you finishing shopping, you can stop by at IKEA’s Swedish Food Market where you can pick up something quick and tasty for dinner before you leave the store. If you really liked the meatballs and lingonberries jam you had earlier, you can purchase them there. They also have sweets, drinks, jams, sauces, and Swedish cookbooks or free pamphlets with recipes on them.

Parking Lot: You are ready to go home. Locate your car and carefully stack all your items in the car, while reflecting on how enjoyable your visit was and plan a date to come back again. If you got excited and purchased too much, they have a delivery system. Also, if you have trouble assembling your newly-purchased furniture (although the instructions are relatively easy to follow), you can call IKEA for assistance.

With this guide, you will be able to survive your visit at IKEA, and will definitely enjoy it as well.

ckang@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of GOODLOGO.COM Photos courtesy of DIANA.BG and FLAGS.NET

Staff Writer

Ip Man 3 is the third movie in the semi-biographical Hong Kong series, Ip Man. The film is based off of events in Ip’s life that supposedly took place during the Sino-Japanese War in the city of Foshan.

The Ip Man series tells the story of Yip Kai Man, or Yip Man. The martial arts master, best known for teaching the Wing Chun form, is known for as the master of icon Bruce Lee. Released in January of this year, Ip Man 3 continues the story of grandmaster Yip Man. However in this movie, Yip must take on a crooked developer (played by Mike Tyson) and his gang of brutal thugs.

Set in Hong Kong in 1959, the film series is known for including themes into the plot. While the first film was about “Survival” and Ip Man 2 was centered around “Making a Living and Adaptation”, Ip Man 3 focuses on “Life”. In the first scene of Ip Man 3, a butterfly lands on Yip’s wooden dummy, symbolizing a loved one returning to the world in a spirit form. Later on, Yip Man throws water at Bruce Lee, hinting at Bruce Lee’s famous quote (“Be Like Water”) that preaches adaptability.

Directed by Wilson Yip, the film knocked off The Force Awakens out of its No. 1 at the box office during its opening weekend. The third installment about the martial artist expert, starring Donnie Yen, made $2.65 million just four days after its release. It now holds the the record for the highest-grossing Chinese movie in a single day in Singapore, grossing more than $765,000. The Ip Man series begins with the 2008 film Ip Man and continued in 2010 with Ip Man 2. The first movie is set during Japan’s invasion of China during the second Sino-Japanese war. The famous 1 vs. 10 scene appears in Ip Man, where Yip Man is challenged to fight ten Japanese men for ten bags of rice. Ip Man 2 continues the story of him and his family restarting their lives in Hong Kong, with Yip Man trying to start up a martial arts school. Once his martial arts school is up and running, he is then challenged by a Western boxer to a match.

Ip Man 3 seems to have gained the right reviews from the public, as most see the film having the perfect moves to end a martial arts trilogy. “The concluding installment in the hit martial arts trilogy, Ip Man 3, set in Hong Kong circa 1959, combines the customary, inventively choreographed action with an unexpected emotional depth,” the Los Angeles Times stated, “proving as hard to resist as its entertaining predecessors.” tchhay@apachepowwow.com

goodbye, SOUNDCLOUD

Graphic courtesy of FANART.TV

By KAYLI TEMPLE

Staff Writer

SoundCloud is a popular website that distributes non-copyrighted music to audiences of all walks of life. Whether you’re looking for remixes, covers, or even original songs from aspiring artists, SoundCloud is sure to have a wide array of genres and sounds that will make you party till you drop or cry alone in your bedroom at 2:00 in the morning.

However, with recent news, every song, playlist, and mixtape could be lost for good. SoundCloud is, sadly, in “treble”.

Why is the platform in jeopardy? Two words: massive debt. In 2013, SoundCloud posted a loss of $29 million, which the following year led the company to monetize by copyrighting popular songs, increasing ads, and adding replay restrictions. Instead of climbing out of the hole, SoundCloud only made it deeper. Any more furious outcries from the public will lead the company to its prolonged termination. Material will be lost, careers ruined, and there will be beats that will never, ever drop.

Let’s start from the beginning. SoundCloud was first founded in 2008 in Berlin, and from there, the company started gaining popularity. Many former aspiring singer-songwriters had the company to thank for their careers, the most well known being Lorde and Chance the Rapper. As the company gained even more popularity throughout its early years, the already famous artists decided on circulating the site to

release remixed versions of their popular songs, such as Beyoncé with “Best Thing I Never Had.” in March 2013. It’s fair to say that SoundCloud is the origin of music culture on the internet nowadays.

Unfortunately, the golden years must come to an end sooner or later. In 2014, a year after its announced money loss, SoundCloud released ads to appeal to major labels, resulting in the wrong accusations of many involved in remix culture, because of the samples in their content. With each and every release restrictions, SoundCloud’s ultimately losing touch with its designed purpose, and is paying the price. Literally.

If Sound Cloud wants to stay true to its roots instead of giving in to the man, in this case, major labels should be its number one priority to get out of trouble. After all, free, accessible music, favoring the aspiring famous, and urban culture is what led the platform to fame in the first place.

In the end, heavily monetized or not, SoundCloud is doing what it has to to get out of debt, although most of us are wishing for things to go back to the way they used to be, with no ads, unlimited replays, and all. For now, let’s just hope that the future of SoundCloud does not end on a sour note. ktemple@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of TECHCRUNCH.COM

March 2016

arcadiaperformingarts@gmail.com

PERFORMING ARTS

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE

By THOMAS HUI and EILEEN LEE

Staff Writers

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FINDING NEVERLAND HITS PANTAGES THEATER

By TIFFANY TSUI Staff Writer

AHS Drama performed the renowned musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, on Mar. 17 to 19 at the PAC. Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical based on the 1967 film of the same name, originating from the British musical Chrysanthemum which was first shown in London. This playful musical is about the life story of Millie Dillmount, a small town girl who moves to New York City during the Roaring 20s to marry a rich man for wealth rather than love.

Despite women’s growing independence during that time period, Millie’s goal was still a rather common one. The musical is very comical and easy to watch, and is known for its interesting selection in music.

The play was launched in the U.S. in La Jolla, San Diego first through numerous previews, and then opened on Broadway, winning many awards including “Best Musical”.

Senior Dorcas Tao is a member of stagecraft and has worked hard on the behind the scenes production. When asked about the preparation, she mentioned that the crew started working on the set in the beginning of February.

Dorcas mentioned that “since this production is a musical, every cast member has multiple costumes for different numbers and scenes. We had to make multiple trips to the costume warehouse to rent costumes for the dance couples and leads while also pulling outfits from our own costume supply for many of the ensemble.” This production may have been especially harder for the members of stagecraft to work on as “it was a really hectic process since we have to also do fittings, second fittings, and many adjustments and alterations.” When asked what makes costuming so special in this show, Dorcas answered that they got to “play around with the cool fashions of the 1920s.” From the glitziness of the flappers to the dapper suits the guys would wear, there’s a “certain allure in the 20s that is captured in the fashion; therefore, it was fascinating that our team had the chance to use such glamorous costumes.” Dorcas is now a senior and graduating in a few months. She elaborated that as a senior, “it hasn’t really hit me yet that this is my last show ever. From the grueling hell week days to the endless lists of alterations, it seemed like stagecrafts would always be a huge part of my life so it’s kind of weird to think that I won’t be doing this come next year. Looking back, I never would’ve thought I would be involved with the theater program but it was definitely a great choice!”

Senior Annika Lile is in theater, and worked hard on the production to perfect its performance. She said they had been “practicing until 6:00 p.m. every day after school since all of January and February. For the past week we have been here until 10:00 p.m. running the show. Putting on a production is always magical! The characters come to life with the lighting, costumes, set, and makeup! It’s always a joy performing and I can’t wait to share my last performance with AHS.” When asked about being a senior on the team, she answered that, “I am sad that the time has come for my last performance, yet I cannot help but rejoice in all of the productions that I have had the opportunity to be in throughout my participation with the department.”

Senior Bailey Mcafee is also in theater, and explained how everything feels “surreal, because I have been looking up to all of the previous seniors as role models and it just occurred to me that we are the students that the underclassmen look up to. It’s sad that it is the last show we will be doing but we have worked very hard.” When asked about the preparations of the play, she answered that she has been working on her role since August, because “I really wanted this part. I am so excited to share my last performance with the school and I’m so excited for the seniors because we have been together for four years and have seen each other grow. We are kind of like one big married family, through ups and downs, sickness and in health, we are there for each other no matter what. I love my family and I loved the show!”

thui@apachepowwow.com elee@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of WORLDARTS.ME

If you grew up watching Disney Channel like many of us did, chances are you’re pretty familiar with Peter Pan, the mischievous boy who can fly and never grows up. But next year from Feb. 21 to Mar. 12, people from the L.A. area will have the chance to relive their childhoods as the beloved character flies into our very own Pantages Theater in the new play Finding Neverland.

This new take on the classic story was written by James Graham, an esteemed British playwright known for a multitude of plays including The Man, This House, and A History of Falling Things. The playbook, based off the 2004 Oscar-winning movie starring Johnny Depp, was completed in 2014 and premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts the same year. The play quickly became a hit at the Lunt Fontanne Theater, earning $1 million a week, and was revered for its excellent technical work. Dubbed “far and away the best musical of the year”, Finding Neverland is now on a national tour after becoming an instant success on Broadway.

The cast for the premiere of the play was full of stars, led by Matthew Morrisson, who many may know as Will Schuester on the famous T.V. show Glee, and Frasier Kelsey Grammer, a five-time Emmy winner and voice of the Simpsons. Although the cast for the national tour has not been confirmed yet, the music will be from Gary Barlow of the boy band Take That, and Elliot Kennedy, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, who has written songs for stars as big as The Spice Girls.

However, if you’re looking for a Peter Pan remake that exactly imitates the original tale, look elsewhere, because Finding Neverland is a new take on the classic tale, and will center around a different character. Without spoiling too much, the play will center around the real-life story of the infamous playwright and creator of the original Peter Pan, Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie. The main premise of the play is to tell the tale of how the failing amateur playwright was inspired by his children to write the whimsical play Peter Pan and how literally “finding Neverland” helped save his family and etched his name into history books.

So if you’d like to see your childhood hero played out in a fresh new way on the Pantages stage, remember the name and date, because Finding Neverland is coming to L.A. soon!

ttsui@apache.powwow.com

Photo courtesy of LOS-ANGELES-THEATRE.COM Graphic courtesy of CLKER.COM

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THIS IS HOW WE

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March 2016

Ryan Tan, Senior “sleeping in”

------------------------

I plan on going to San Diego to go to a leadership camp and going to Sacramento to attend Key Club’s Distrct Convention! I also plan on sleeping in and getting the well deserved break that I desperately need.

a K n y g t ir s W

Ch

e’ve worked relentlessly until this moment— spring break is finally here. It’s time for us to get out of this town, go to sunny golden beaches, hike in picturesque national parks, do movie/Netflix marathon, and enjoy delicious food with family and friends. For some students, this is the time for them to catch up on sleep and get some well deserved rest. For others, this is time to go out and have fun. Here are how our fellow students are going to make every moment of their spring break worth it.

Natalie Samadi, Sophomore “catch up on anything I’m behind on”

-----------------------

Over spring break I would like to visit my sister in Berkeley because I have not seen her in a while and I would also like to be able to practice badminton over break. I also plan to study and catch up on anything I’m behind on.

March 2016

centerspread.powwow@gmail.com

SPEND SPRING BREAK

11 on

Conner Ching, Sophomore “catch up with friends”

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I’m in drumline, and our local championship is on the Saturday of spring break. We have national championships the week after, so I’ll be in rehearsal preparing for those competitions during spring break! I also hope to catch up on sleep, read, and take some time to catch up with friends.

Brian Law, Junior “visit UC Berkeley”

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I plan on going to San Francisco to go visit UC Berkeley and I hope to get into the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards where I learn about leadership and how to communicate with others.

ckang@apachepowwow.com Photos by AARON CHAN, JOSHUA MA, and TITUS WU

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National Honor Society

By MICHAEL TSENG Staff Writer

National Honor Society is one of the most prestigious organizations to get into, as it boasts students with high GPA, leadership skills, and community service.

Originally established in the 1900s, this small regional group soon grew to become one of the largest and most influential groups in the nation. The purpose of this organization is to to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary schools.

In order to enter National Honor Society, students must have high GPAs and a lot of community service hours. They must also fulfill a leadership position such as a team captain, in order to apply for the organization. In addition, they must have two teacher recommendations showing good character and personality.

The grueling application process and high requirements just goes to show how competitive and prestigious this organization is.

Once accepted into the National Honor Society, club members are required to participate in community service activities each week. In addition to community service, members have the privilege to attend conferences that will help increase their leadership qualities.

These special meetings are not available to the public, and often include important political leaders.

The benefits of the club allow its members to increase their community service hours, meet important people that will teach and discuss leadership skills, and the ability to apply for the National Honor Society Scholarship. The application is only available to National Honor Society members, and gives members a chance to win $3,000 if they win State, and a total of $13,000 if they win Nationals. Also, since the National Honor Society is a prestigious and recognized organization in the nation, it will be sure to have an effect on one’s college application.

Although the application process is very strict, the benefits of the organization are numerous if one is accepted into the organization. Applications can be found on the ASB website and must be turned in by Mar. 31.

mtseng@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of NHS.ECCRSD.US

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Reasons to Become an Outreach Tutor

By JOCELYN HU Staff Writer

If you need help with homework, or you’re interested in teaching others, then peer tutoring is the perfect activity for you. For high school students who need help, AHS Peer Tutoring is available after school until 4:00 p.m.

Monday to Wednesday, and until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. For those interested in tutoring younger students, however, Outreach Division can be a good option. Outreach tutors walk to First Avenue or Dana Middle School to tutor.

To try out, applicants must fill out a form about grades and other questions. After turning the form in, selected students will receive an email saying that they are officially part of the Outreach family.

Before tutoring, members must fill out a walking waiver, turn it in to the directors, and sign up for which days they would like to tutor.

They can choose from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to tutor, so they are able to tutor up to three times a week.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, Outreach tutors meet at the corner of Campus and Santa

Anita. They then walk to First Avenue together. On Tuesdays, they walk to Dana Middle School and meet on the corner of Duarte and Santa Anita at 3:00 p.m. Tutoring begins at 3:30 and ends at 4:30 p.m, but tutors get credit for one and a half hours of volunteering if they walk there with the group from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.

The best part of Outreach is bonding with everyone in the program and helping out others. Being able to use your knowledge to help out others and teach them something new is empowering. Through this program, tutors are

able to communicate and socialize with tutees they are assigned to, meeting a variety of different kids from different grade levels. This experience is amazing and it teaches both the tutor and the tutee many new things.

Bonding events are occasionally held on weekends so tutors can meet and interact with each other. These events are planned by the directors and can vary from a meal to activities like a scavenger hunt at the mall.

Director senior Sydney Huynh said, “It’s really enlightening to know that you helped make someone else’s day, whether it’s the student’s parents when they see good grades or the students when they get to go home without worrying about homework.”

Tutoring is a wonderful experience that can teach you many things and also earn you volunteer hours. If you’re interested, be sure to pay attention to the student bulletin to see when applications for next year’s tutors are out. jhu@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of ICLIPARTS.COM

How Stress works in Your Brain

By ANDREW LIM Advertisements Editor

AP exams are slowly but surely arriving. Students are scrambling to either stall their study for the AP exams or to hit the ground running to reach that notorious but coveted full score. Stress, unsurprisingly, looms over the masses and grows as the exams’ dates comes closer. Fortunately, stress is rather simple to combat with relaxation and other straightforward methods, but what exactly is stress? Why does it occur during certain situations? What exactly happens in your body when stress, particularly bad stress or distress, is present.

Stress, in its most basic definition, is a biological and psychological response to any stimuli in the surrounding area, particularly harmful stimuli. A common response to distress is the fight-or-flight response.

A sudden pump of epinephrine (informally known as adrenaline) is launched into the bloodstream; this revivification of energy is used differently by each individual. Unfortunately, during tests, one of the most common situations where stress is ever-present, the epinephrine is unable to discharge, leading to stomach pain and other symptoms as your body tries to forcefully remove the excess epinephrine. The term “butterflies in your stomach” originates from the excess epinephrine being forced into the stomach

for removal.

In a more in-depth explanation of stress, the process starts from stimuli alerting the hypothalamus; the stimulation leads to the pituitary gland being provoked and it secretes adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The ACTH alerts adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, which allows the body to maintain a consistent level of blood sugar.

The increase amount of sugar causes a sudden rise of energy which will now be either used to “fight or flee.”

The brain immediately becomes more alert and attentive, preventing the individual from resting until the stimuli are fully resolved. Thus insomnia is a common occurrence to students during nights before a big test. Unable to calm down and revert to normal levels as the stimulus is technically not present, the individual will obviously face some degree of insomnia. However, the effects of being unable to remove the distress from the body will have the body

unnecessarily waste resources to keep the body alert and ready-take-action. Persistent insomnia from this stress will wear the body out and eventually weaken to the body; the body will now be vulnerable to illnesses and harmful bacteria. The human is not a machine, it’s a living symbiosis of multiple organ systems working together. It will need rest and appropriate relaxation to keep it at peak condition.

The most direct way to get rid of excess stress is to run consistently until the body is tired. The excess epinephrine will be converted to energy thus ridding the majority of side effects. Physical exercise is the easiest way to convert the adrenaline to energy and out of the body. When a sufficient amount of adrenaline is gone, the body will return to homeostasis, the optimal condition. Of course, if there is a persistence to this condition, medical attention should be considered.

Stress is a natural part of life, in fact a moderation of stress is known to be beneficial to health. However, obviously, too much of one thing is bad. Keeping a healthy balance of both relaxation and stress will provide the best path for living a healthy life style. alim@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of HEALTHAIM.COM

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STUDENT LIFE

March 2016

8 Ways to Have Fun When You’re Not 18

By ERIC CHEN Staff Writer

F-U-N. Fun is something even Spongebob doesn’t truly understand (and Plankton definitely doesn’t either). Whether it’s catching jellyfish, flipping patties, or plotting an evil scheme, fun comes in countless different natures. Below are eight different ways to still have fun when you’re not 18.

1. Go somewhere fun It’s going to be fun if you’re at a fun place… right? Self-explanatory.

Senior Cass Tao believes, “It’s fun to go out and hang out with friends at crazy places. For example, I really enjoy going to Speedzone with friends. Although it’s quite far and requires driving by the freeway, it’s well worth it and definitely always results in a great time.”

2. Just be around your friends If they’re your friends and you aren’t having fun around them, there’s a problem. Also, pretty self-explanatory. Freshman Chassity Cheng asserts, “I have fun when I’m hanging out with my friends. I mean… it’s just fun to be around a hilarious group of people who share the same sense of humor as you.”

3. Sleep Parents and teachers alike are always telling students that they’re too sleep-deprived. Very true indeed…and this is coming from a student too. It’s healthy, immensely beneficial, and honestly pretty fun to lie in a motionless position for three hours.

Junior Silvia Zheng also advocates for sleep,

By ANDREA LIU Staff Writer

It seems that we’ve tried every study tip in the book, flipping through various self-improvement articles to get a better understanding of what we’re doing wrong, and practically drooling over the ones that might prove to be even the slightest amount of help. But how many times do we have to crash and burn with all the mainstream “try harder!” tips before we find the right ones?

Lay your AP-haunted soul to rest, for we might have just the right (yet all the more eccentric) tips to help you on your quest to achieve that perfect 4.0.

1.

Index cards will save your life.

And no, it doesn’t mean that you have to start making flashcard after flashcard until you’re buried up to your neck.

Instead, try this method: while studying for the big exam, take an index card and write down all the information you deem important on it, as if you can take it with you to the test. It’s an easy, straightforward writing warm up that you can rely on (and before you start sulking about all that extra writing you’re going to do, admit it—it’s much better than screaming internally as you flip

saying, “sleep is so essential to a teenager’s growing mind yet so overlooked and overshadowed as trivial. We need sleep and honestly it’s pretty fun too.”

4. Pretend you’re on Man vs. Food Exactly what the title says: pretend you’re on Man vs. Food. Try all the crazy, bizarre food of your area and when there’s nothing left, go to another city and do the same. Sure you might end up broke but at least you’d have accomplished something in your life.

Senior Susie Cho explains, “Food is my passion. Food is my everything. And honestly, why wouldn’t you like eating food? Go satisfy your needs! Go eat food!”

5. Play video games

Yeah this one’s kinda lame… but if I’m supposed to be frank then this should definitely be on this list. Video games can be fun for a lot of people and often they can get quite addicting. Don’t waste your lives away playing these though… there’s better things to do in life then sit at home all day playing Maplestory.

6. Watch a cool new show TV shows have become the new big thing in the magical world of fun. No seriously. Shows like Game of Thrones and Parks and Recreation are becoming more and more popular among teenagers, and for good reason. It’s honestly fun to just

sit lazily watching a pixelated screen for hours at a time, then coming back to school and conversing for more hours with your one weird TV show buddy about what you just watched. Plus, the next season of Game of Thrones comes out again in late April, so if you haven’t started yet… better get going.

Senior Vicky Jin agrees that “watching new shows can be incredibly fun.” She remarked, “I’ve made a good bunch of friends by bonding with them through shows such as Scandal, Suits, and Game of Thrones. Watch Scandal! And Game of Thrones is coming back on Apr. 24th!”

7. Get a girlfriend/boyfriend Yeah, get a gir-. Just kidding. You still have time. Nothing else to really say here. Love’s fun and all but most likely going to be ephemeral.

8. Live your life You don’t need an article from the school newspaper to tell you how to have fun. Go do what you like and live your life. You aren’t going to get a second high school and I promise you (pinky promise) that you’ll miss your childhood when you get older. So stop wasting your life away and go do something fun. Go say hi to that shy girl you see in class. Go spend a memorable Common Core afternoon with your besties instead of staying at home. Your computer is always going to be around. Your high school friends… might not. echen@apachepowwow.com

Study Hacks for the Soul through all the pages of your AP Biology textbook that you haven’t read just quite yet). It’ll also serve as a nice review tool to glue your feet down to the cold, harsh earth in those few precious minutes right before the test starts.

2. Cram big or go home.

Have a big test coming up with at least nine formulas you need to memorize by heart?

Well, that means that it’s the perfect time for every single one of those flashcard-inscribed functions to melt out of your brain and out of your ears in a pool of tears, right?

If you have little to no expertise in memorizing the required content (like most of us— except for that one kid in the back who probably has the entire textbook xeroxed into his brain), try speed-memorizing all of the formulas seconds before the teacher tells you to put everything away, and writing them all down at the top of your test the minute you

get it. This isn’t a way to get out of studying the nights before, though- studying and understanding the concept of the subject is what makes this step work, after all.

3. Fonts matter.

No one can read all of Othello in one sitting and expect to get a good score on the test the very next day. Most of us, however, are valiantly brave enough to ignore the rules of logic in favor of panic, and decide to do this anyway. If you are following this path, take a deep breath, and just remember: Times New Roman is the easiest font to read, and copying and pasting into Google Docs will be your survival tip of the day.

4. Take notes like a selfless person.

Have you ever compared the notes you’ve taken for yourself and the notes you’ve taken for other people? Aside from the obvious difference in pen pressure due to blatant anger and a cornucopia of other negative emotions that may involve the words “hypocrite” and “traitor”, isn’t the one directed towards the outside

Graphic courtesy of ENERGYEVENTS.COM Photo courtesy of CYDC.COM

party a lot more... well thought-out? Neater?

And generally, just a whole lot nicer-looking?

If you want to take good notes, write them as if you’re giving them to someone else. Make them neat, pretty to look at, and chock-full of information. It can be extremely time consuming, but they’ll be sure to help you in the long run.

5. Can you write with all the colors of your pens?

If you’re starting to find yourself slipping into a borderline-comatose state when flipping through your notebook, try taking a fresh spin from your usual basic black pen and penciled chicken marks. Borrow your younger sister’s gel pens, grab copious amounts of highlighters, or make a pit stop to Daiso—just grab whatever tools that can give you a pop of color, and start taking notes with them. This technique can wake up your visual memory by bringing something new to the plate—not to mention that it’s quite aesthetic as well. aliu@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of CANSTOCKPHOTO.COM, CLIPARTBEST.COM, CONARCHIVE.COM, RAPPORTINC.COM, and WORDPRESS.COM

studentlife.powwow@gmail.com

March 2016

STUDENT LIFE

A Message to High School Students

By THOMAS HUI Staff Writer

Imagine this: It’s 4:00 a.m., and you are still on your laptop. It’s the conclusion paragraph of your five paragraph, MLA formatted essay. But you have been working on it not hours, not days, but weeks. Painstakingly reading the final pages of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Mockingbird, you formulate a strange, alien idea of the concept of bigotry, the theme of racism, and the importance of identity. You write and write, but it is not over yet. You have no idea what is going on paper, yet you continue.

Because you have a math test tomorrow too—Calculus AB, 7:00 a.m. Your worst subject.

Too often, we high schoolers face this exact problem. As teenagers, our brains literally create chemicals telling us this exact message: “it’ll be okay.” We constantly reassure ourselves—alas, school is simply just an objective way to measure our intellect.

Deadlines seem like an endless chasm. As we continue to embark on our pathway to success —and in our case, to college, we face these pitfalls. We watch as our projects fail, we watch as the test we studied for hours on end becomes the test that weakens our grade the most. We watch as our expected college acceptance letters become rejections. And with each failure, we become smaller and smaller. We shrink to half the size we used to be.

We do not have to let this happen to us. Take a $20 bill, step on it, crinkle it up, rip the ends, throw it in water, and pick it up again. It is still a twenty dollar bill.

You are the same.

When you get destroyed, your worth does not go away. The power of who you are stays. The character you have built up in yourself stays. You are not any less than you have been before.

So go on, take on that test. Write that essay. Conquer that project. You may fail, but the character you have built up has not. You may be weakened, but that is all in your head. Nothing about you is worse than the image you have of yourself. Don’t worry; continue on. And prosper.

15

Student Feature: Kelsea Jeon

By TITUS WU

Staff Writer

Known by many for her charisma and intelligence, senior Kelsea Jeon has racked up numerous accomplishments since the freshman year, recently landing her a spot at Yale University. Yet, she never planned it all, merely following her interest and passion—social justice.

Her biggest high school experience, Speech and Debate Team, helped her uncover this interest. “The funny thing was, I never really planned to take it seriously,” she said, describing her initial attitude upon joining in. However, after being “butt-kicked in [her] very first tournament,” Kelsea developed a relentless attitude towards self-improvement.

She made it her goal to make it to State during her freshman year, and after attending workshops religiously, she not only made it her freshman year but her sophomore and junior years as well. Today, Kelsea is an officer of Speech and Debate and is known as one of the best speakers on the team.

The speech event she specialized in was Original Advocacy (OA), in which one points out a problem in society and proposes a legislative solution to solve the issue. Such an event, she said, helped set the stage for her interest in public policy, as she aspires to one day become an attorney.

Sincerely, A high school senior thui@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of DEVIANTART.COM

By BRIANA SHEN Student Life Editor

Under Ms. Nicole Zaidi’s instruction, the Creative Writing class has moved on to study poetry. Ms. Zaidi has encouraged these students to create their own personalized website to upload their works online. These works include various poems ranging from slam poetry to sonnets as well as introductions about

By Leila Shaye Hunziker The crispy crunch of a thin crust bread On top, a layer of tangy sweet marinara Melting over that, the coating of a variety of cheese Maybe even some toppings to change the taste Deep red pepperonis are always a general but good option Then there’s also the sweet and juiciness of pineapple to give it a new spice Just thinking about this delight makes my stomach growl Even just a wiff of it coming out of the oven will make me hungry There’s not a time I remember that I turned down an offer of a delight like that Who would hate pizza?

The delicious taste could be too hard to turn down for me Its flavor is way too amazing to turn down

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Graphics courtesy of CLIPARTION.COM, CLIPARTPANADA.COM, and FONTSPACE.COM

In addition to Speech and Debate, she participated in Mock Trial and Constitution Team, among others, all of which strengthened her knowledge in the area of public policy and social justice.

Yet, it has not been the knowledge but rather the motivation which has inspired Kelsea to pursue this field. For two summers, Kelsea interned at the Loyola Law School Immigration Justice Clinic, in which she helped undocumented persons attain legal status. While she filled out naturalization forms, filed papers, and engaged herself in the traditional paperwork associated with law, she found the most value in her interactions with the clients.

“You hear about all these hardships—gang violence, drug abuse, deportation—on TV and in the news” she said, “but you never really empathize with these individuals or realize how much you have to be grateful for until you actually meet them in person and hear their stories, firsthand.”

“Just 15 miles away, while I’m just worried about schoolwork and first-world problems, other people of the same age are worried about whether they’ll have enough food on the table,” she said.

It was through her experiences at the clinic that she “learned the value of community service,” seeing people dedicate countless hours to help undocumented individuals, even though no profit was garnered.

She realized the true profit came from “that gratification you get from connecting with others, seeing the fear dissolve from their eyes, and watching them pursue their own American Dreams…that’s something you can’t get anywhere else.”

Indeed, Kelsea has spent numerous hours helping out the community, whether it be through the Arcadia Civic Youth Council or organizations like ThriveLA which strives to alleviate veteran homelessness.

With all she has done, however, she wanted to emphasize how it all never was a conscious effort. “Things just fell into place for me,” she said. “I really just pursued my interests—If an opportunity came up, I wouldn’t turn it away. You may plan for things to go a certain way, but true beauty lies in the unexpected.” twu@apachepowwow.com

Photo courtesy of KELSEA JEON

16

theapachepowwow.com

DASH TO SUCCESS

By CHRISTINA READ Staff Writer

Looks like track is running in the right direction: with two league wins and several invitationals already under its belt, the team is headed towards yet another fantastic season.

The team kicked off (or, more accurately, ran, jumped and threw off) its season this February with an at-home mini invitational.

More than 800 athletes from seven schools competed in the meet. And the results? Arcadia achieved an impressive victory on all four levels, from Girls Varsity to Boys Frosh Soph.

More recently, for the Don Green invitational in Moorpark, the team arrived at school bright and early to catch its bus—this year, the team left at 6:00 a.m. and was happy to arrive home before sundown, as with many meets. But Senior Sabrina Yip is always glad to take the trip: “at the invitational”, she said “you get to spend the whole day with your friends, cheering them on.” And the meet was a success for the team. Although Girls Varsity did not enter any relays, its young members stayed in grade level competition and the usually-Varsity level 4x100m and 4x400m relays easily

achieved first place at the freshmansophomore level.

Back at home, Arcadia demolished Burroughs with a victory on three levels—Girls Frosh-Soph, Boys Frosh-Soph, and Girls Varsity each took out their competition with little resistance. Boys Varsity lost by

SET, GO! Senior Bradley Mills primes himself for a sprint. just four points (the equivalent of a single position in just one race.)

Despite this close loss to Burroughs, Boys Varsity Track is proving itself ready to regain its foothold in league this season—while its path may have been rockier than the girls’ in the past, the team is ready to come back strong. Senior Justin Tran is hoping to “win league, or go to CIF.” Several members of the Boys Varsity Relay team have been

injured in the past, but Justin hopes they “heal up” so the team can come back strong. The boys are ready for a fantastic season and great CIF showing.

Meanwhile, the girls’ sights aren’t set solely within the Pacific League. With its strong track record of placing first in league, Girls Varsity Track is aiming higher than ever and hoping to send as many athletes as it can to CIF in May. In addition, last year’s state-competitive 4x400m relay team will retain three of four members, meaning plans for a strong CIF and State meet bid are already well underway. Sophomore Courtney Chan’s goal for the season is to “to be able to place in State.”

And Coach Chris Schultz is hoping for something “he never would have thought possible” before—a national ranking for all three Girls Varsity level relays. This accomplishment would push Arcadia into national notoriety.

For now, though, it’s enough for the team to focus simply on victory in the present. And while only time will tell the year’s ultimate results, one thing is clear: Track is on its way to yet another incredible season.

March 2016

Two Bright Futures

By TRINITY CHHAY

Staff Writer

On Mar. 15, senior Annie Kong and senior Bryce Watson participated in an athlete signing ceremony. Every year, this ceremony is held to recognize certain athletes and their achievements.

Held at AHS, the ceremony consisted of the athletes, their loved ones, and the coaches. Coaches and the director of AHS expressed their thoughts of the athletes to the loved ones of the athletes. Ryan Press, the Athletic Director at AHS, expressed how proud AHS was of Bryce and his accomplishments. “Bryce is an unbelievable soccer player. He played for FC Golden State for three years, which is a high level of soccer. He didn’t have to, but he chose to come and play soccer this year with AHS,” stated Press, “He provided us with some much needed skill on the field and it was evident right away that this was the man on the field. He really contributed to the team this year, and we really appreciate everything he has brought to Arcadia High School.” Mr. George Gund, the coach for the golf teams at AHS, expressed his admiration and for Annie and her achievements, stating, “This was Annie’s first and only year playing. She was only a couple strokes before making it to the final. She has and will be playing at a high level here and at an Ivy League school, which is really impressive. And that is a testament to her work ethic, her love of the game, and her understanding of it. I was really lucky to be a part of it this year, and I’m really grateful for that. We are really proud of her, and I know that Arcadia High and the community is as well.” At the end of the event each of the athletes’ families took pictures alongside the coaches, while Annie and Bryce signed their contracts with Princeton and Fullerton, respectively.

As one of the athletes honored during the ceremony, Annie stated that she felt great about being recognized by knowing that her many years of hard work were not wasted, which gives her the motivation to strive for more. As a player for the Girls Varsity Golf team, Annie stated that many of her achievements have included “being recognized by college coaches since they wanted to recruit me, AHS and the city council for recognizing

cread@apachepowwow.com

Photo courtesy of LUMINARY FILMS

Softball Comes Out Swinging

By DANIELLE SANTOYO Staff Writer

Girls Varsity Softball has been playing great this season. Even though the girls sport a 1-3 record, the team has started the season off solidly.

As for the rest of the season, Varsity team members are willing to share some of their strengths, weaknesses, and what they think they can do to get better as a team. Coach Ernist led the girls off to a great start for the season. Evidently, the team spirit has a lot to do with the outcome of a game, affecting the players motivation to win, so sophomore Christie Huang shared that, “ I feel proud not only of my personal accomplishments, but also of how I contributed to the team. Softball is a team sport so I cheer on and encourage my teammates to motivate them.” Not only does the team try to cooperate with each other, but also as expressed by most of the girls on the team, the players are all like family to one another, in helping each other with their

techniques, skills, and confidence.

Furthermore, senior Alaya Ahmad stated that the pressures of softball were very stressful, but sometimes all it took was to depend on yourself and your fundamentals. “It was

vital that I stayed calm and relaxed, because if I didn’t catch the ball, it could have given the opposing team an extra base or run,” said Alaya.

Sophomore Susan Harrison stated

that as being catcher, it’s easy to observe that the team has to work together in order to win the game.

Then, not only is teamwork necessary, but to build up to that point, good communication with each other is a dire necessity, Susan elaborated, “Like quarterbacks, we are involved in every pitch and have to communicate with the rest of the team of what is going on.

Working in union, the pitcher and catcher make each other look good.” Our fellow Apaches had lost both games against Agoura High School and Ventura High School, but they had won their game against Schurr High School with a score of 5-4.

Sadly, losing the game against Temple City High School, just recently, the girls are preparing themselves for their upcoming game against Monrovia High School. Keeping the skills just discussed by the players themselves, our Lady Apaches worked hard in their games, which led to their victories. Keep up the excellent work, Lady Apaches! dsantoyo@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of CLKER.COM

APACHE PRIDE Senior Annie Kong (Left) and Senior Bryce Watson (Right) are excited to attend Princeton and Fullerton, respectively. the scores that I have achieved, and also meeting my own, and my parents’ standards, while also building up my own identity and résumé.” However, Annie had to overcome many obstacles to get to where she is now. “Most of my obstacles are related to me being in a slump or not being able to play my best during a tournament. Sometimes it involves fixing my swing, and that results to me playing poorly during that process. Also academics interfered with golf, and I wasn’t able to play as much golf as I wanted to.”

“The feeling of being recognized for something I have worked so hard for and put all of my time into is truly incredible,” stated Bryce. As a player for the Boys Varsity Soccer team, Bryce stated, “These are the many reasons that led to my success today.” Some of his achievements have included being recognized at a young age from the Olympic Development Program and by the U.S. youth national team scouts for his talent, while also being called into play for both teams. He has also accomplished making a top 50 ranked academy team in the nation. Bryce has had the opportunities to play against, while also being coached, by different teams and coaches from different countries and professional teams and learning from their play style.

He was also the first one picked for his recruiting class in October of this year from Cal State Fullerton. As an athlete, though, Bryce had to sacrifice a lot for his career as a soccer player. “I have a limited social life and it’s an obstacle to have time for school as well because of my training schedules.

Monday to Thursday is when I train, which means that I do not get home until 10:30 p.m. every night.”

Both athletes deserve their many accomplishments and AHS wishes them good luck in their futures. tchhay@apachepowwow.com

Photo courtesy of KEITH BIRMINGHAM and BRYCE WATSON

March 2016

By ELLIE LEE

17

sports.powwow@gmail.com

Badminton Makes Its Debut at AHS Staff Writer

After many years of request, there is finally a badminton team on this campus. This year will mark AHS’ first badminton team’s season this month. Here is some information of how the team came to our campus and how it is doing this month.

Head Coach Mike Stiles stated that “it took several years and significant student involvement to get Badminton approved as an offi-

cial sport.” The process began fall 2013 when the conversations about badminton first started in the Athletic Department. The Athletic Department continued to explore this topic until the fall of 2015, when several students put together a petition and submitted it to the Athletic Department. According to Coach Stiles, a final decision was made in Oct. 2015. Coach Stiles decided to make a badminton informational meeting and was shocked when “more than 80 students and their parents attended the meeting.” The

LASER FOCUS Junior Tommy Zhang concentrates on the play, ready to intercept or save the birdie in practices and competitions.

Behind the Numbers

By TRINITY CHHAY

large turnout made it clear that there was sufficient interest among potential players, plus a significant number of parents willing to economically support the new program. This allowed things to move quickly with the administration to start forming the team. In the end, the “Head of the Athletic Department Ryan Press and Principal Dr. Brent Foresee were instrumental in getting the final approvals” to form this team.

Arcadia currently has both a Varsity and JV team. There are 16 players on each team, 8 boys and 8 girls, for a total of 32 players.

Badminton is the only true co-ed sport at AHS. The boys and girls compete together in 21 individual matches: four boys singles, four girls singles, four boys doubles, four girls doubles and five mixed doubles. The school with the most individual match victories wins, taking the overall match. Each individual match is best of 3 games, with each game playing up to 21 points.

In this season, the Co-Ed Varsity Badminton team will play

Serving a Volley of Wins

By JOSHUA MA

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Spring sports have arrived, which means that many of the sports teams have begun practicing and playing for the new season. With grueling practice comes the arrival of brand-new team uniforms. These much-awaited uniforms also involve each player’s number, meaning that each player is able to choose what number they would like to have represented. While many choose their numbers randomly, others have deeper and more meaningful stories behind why they chose their numbers.

Hitting as #7 from the Girls Varsity Softball team is freshman Karly Gills. Karly explained the history of her #7 and shared that it was her dad’s number all throughout his life in sports. Karly shared, “My dad was born on the 7th of April, so I just took it from him and it’s just been stuck with me for all these years. For some reason, wearing the number makes me feel safe, as if I’m making my dad proud!” She continued on to say that numbers are less about luck, but more about comfort. Although some players base their number on luck, others base it off of memories or emotions. Karly stated, “In my case, wearing #7 is an honor because of my dad and grandfather. My grandfather passed away in 2000, but both wore the same number during their younger days when they would play baseball. My dad was the one who taught me everything about the softball game, and he has pushed me to become a better athlete. I feel proud to wear #7 because than I can feel the love of my grandpa and dad, and know that I am making them proud.”

Another player on the Boys Varsity Volleyball team is #0, sophomore William Wang. William explains that his number is based off of his desire for a fresh new start for the volleyball season. William stated, “Every new season for volleyball is a new start. No matter how well someone did the year before, they need to know that the year after is a new start. You should not be cocky or disappointed if you didn’t do well last year because it’s a new season and a new year. That’s why I chose #0, since it’s a new beginning! It’s a number that represents how everybody should try to be positive about the new season!”

With their desired, representative numbers on their backs, each spring Apache athlete now has the necessary self-confidence to give it their all during their games. Good luck with the new season, Apaches!

Boys Varsity Volleyball has gotten off to a superior start this season. It’s led by many veterans who have seen both the peaks and valleys from previous seasons. They hope to show the younger athletes the struggles they had to face in the past in order create a great season.

With a 6-6 record in league last year, and a heartbreaking loss in the first round of CIF, junior Nicholas Medrano said that the team’s “goals are to pass the first round of CIF this year.”

With a 3-0 victory over San Marino High School on Mar. 3, the Apaches proved that they will be dangerous to the other teams and competition during League. “Our goal is to win league this season, because I believe we are one of the best teams. We have been practicing really hard for the season as we have 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. practice after school everyday and everyone has been working hard,” said William.

To prepare for the season, the players have been putting in numerous hours to be the best that they can be. Workouts that the team have been doing include “tricep workouts and crunches so we can be buff like our coaches,” said Nicholas. With much to improve on, William says the weaknesses many members

tchhay@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of FLICKR.COM

a total of 12 matches and 2 tournaments. Unfortunately, the team started its first game in the season with a loss against San Gabriel High School with the score of 2-19. However, the players quickly recovered when they defeated Loyola High School with the score of 15-6. They then lost against San Marino High School with the school of 4-17 and The Webbs School with the score of 10-11.

Sophomore Geena Kim believes that her team’s strength is its ability to “get back on [its] feet after [its] first loss and being able to come back in the next game with a win.” On the contrary, Geena said that the Apaches’ weakness is not “being able to know how the other teams play.” As a new team, it is a disadvantage that there aren’t any returning members that would know what to expect from the competition.

Since this is a new team, Ar- SMASHING SUCCESSSenior cadia won’t be part of League this Spencer Zhang jumps up for a year. However, this program can devastating shuttlecock smash. become a major force one day. elee@apachepowwow.com Best wishes to the Badminton Photos by RYAN FANN team’s first season!

seem to notice is that the team members “tend to put [their] head down after making a bad play.”

While our Apaches are considered undersized to other teams, the team relies on individual skill and chemistry to help it prevail in its games. One key component the team has is having “many seniors that have a lot of experience playing

with each other, [so that] the team has good teamwork” said William.

“Strengths would have to be our hitting but our weakness is playing defense,” said Nicholas.

By continuing their hard work, the boys have a good shot at achieving all of their aspirations. Best of luck to our Boys Varsity Volleyball team!

ACROBATIC SPIKE Senior Ryan Sue contorts his body while rising up from the ground to help Boys Varsity Volleyball score a point.

jma@apachepowwow.com

Photo by JOSHUA MA

18

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March 2016

CALENDAR 19 WAYS TO HAVE A SAFE APRIL FOOLS Lemonade Review

March 2016

calendareditor.powwow@gmail.com

By ANDREW WANG

Staff Writer

April is starting to settle in and that means two things: Spring Break but more importantly, April Fools’! Are you tired of letting this opportunistic day pass by every year? Do you want to prank your friends and not seem like a jerk? Well here are some tips about pranks you can use this April Fools’.

1. Make Sure It’s Safe Avoid certain pranks that involve sharp objects, fast moving objects, or anything that can potentially harm others. Also make sure your prank space, or the place you are executing your prank, is free of tripping hazards. If you are using liquids make sure it is not too hot or cold.

2. Be Wary of Health Conditions Everyone is different. From height to weight people are naturally different. However this applies to health too. Make sure your “victim” does not have a heart problem or any recent injuries they are recovering from, such as a cast on an arm.

3. Plan It Out Run it through with a friend or someone who knows about the prank. Reenact what will happen every step of the way.

Also plan the time of the day this prank will unfold.

4. Don’t Play with Someone’s Emotions Don’t make up fake breakups, deaths, or anything that could cause emotional distress. It could affect the “victim” too drastically with long term consequences. That won’t be enjoyable for anyone.

5. Make Sure Everyone Has A Good Time Make sure everyone that is involved or knows about the prank has fun. Make sure you and your friends can look back one day and have a great time laughing about it.

Following these fun and easy steps everyone and anyone can have a fun and harmless April Fools’ Day. Happy pranking!

Graphic courtesy of BLOGSPOT.COM

By CINDY TSE

Staff Writer

Disney is back with a new original movie, Zootopia! Released Mar. 4, it has dominated the box office and has become a huge hit, comparable to Disney’s other recent major motion pictures, such as Big Hero 6 and Inside Out. Ginnifer Goodwin provides the voice for the main character, a bunny named Judy Hopps, and is joined by Jason Bateman, who voices the sly con-fox, Nick Wilde. There’s even a cameo by “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, Shakira. So, let’s see what is going on in the animal kingdom! Be warned, spoilers are ahead.

Zootopia is a gigantic city of creatures of all shapes and sizes. It’s a place where the predator and prey live together in harmony.

Among them is Judy Hopps, who is chasing her dream to become an officer in the Zootopia Police Department. She is hired as their first bunny cop but is immediately sent to a lower tier job, as many don’t believe that someone so small and seemingly weak could be of much use for investigation. Desperate to prove herself, she takes up a missing animal case, and gains the help of a swindler, Nick. Along the way, the film explores themes of prejudice and stereotyping that are clearly a parallel of the real world.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable flick and I can understand the hype behind it. However, there are some problems here and there that mar the otherwise entertaining film. The biggest of these is in the delivery of the film’s message. Throughout the movie, one of the most central ideas is that of discrimination, whether intentional or otherwise. However, it’s hard to deliver such a heavy message while trying to keep the mood light enough for a younger audience, and the film attempts to juggle these two aspects while also creating a suspenseful film noir. The tone is inconsistent and there are too many aspects that clash together. Also, the mystery is pretty weak; at most, it was on par with the likes of Scooby-Doo. Unfortunately, while the characters managed to steer clear of most tired tropes, the plot fell victim to some clichés. And the villain isn’t particularly interesting, following the normal “take-over-the-city” shtick that makes us all go “Of course!”.

Visually speaking, it was amazing. The graphics were clear and the animation was smooth, not to mention the impressive backgrounds and detailed character designs. While this was marketed to children, there are a good number of references to older works such as The Godfather and Chinatown that the adults will definitely get. My favorite part, however, is the reactions of the characters to each situation. For the most part, they don’t waste time being dramatic or moping; they actually get up and try to solve the problem. They behave like someone would in real life if they were confronted with a situation. And each character is given a chance to develop, even ones who are generally considered part of the minor cast. You feel like you’re getting to know each one of them and that you really are part of the journey.

This is a very promising film, and I look forward to the inevitable sequels that will spawn.

Not only is Zootopia a feast for the eyes, it is also interesting enough to fully hold your attention.

A fresh breath of air in the industry, I give this film eight paws out of ten.

ctse@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of DISNEY.WIKIA.COM and FONTSPACE.COM

By GLUTTON GIRL Staff Writer

The restaurant named, Lemonade, is a modern styled restaurant that serves fresh food in a bright cafeteria-themed setting. All its food is made in house and prepared fresh daily, and is a great place to eat for those who are wishing to look for a healthy, wholesome place to dine. The restaurant serves seasonal foods so its menu is constantly changing, proving that they really are making their food fresh every day. The winter menu highlights include vegan and vegetarian options that taste just as good as they are healthy. But for all those meat lovers, don’t fret! There’s a variety of foods including meat in them as well, such as their lemongrass chicken slaw with savory cabbage and cashews or their Hawaiian ahi tuna poke.

Lemonade has a variety of options you can choose from, so no matter what mood you’re in or how picky you are, it’s sure to have something for you. From the wide variety of options are sandwiches, braises, desserts, hot portions, seafood, and as said before, their options of going vegan or vegetarian. The vegetarian options include dairy products and no meat but their vegan choices do not include meat of any kind (seafood, beef, chicken, etc) or any dairy products, meaning that there is no milk, cheese or byproducts of any animal or any kind. All vegan options are made by tofu and soy products that taste just as good if you were to eat the real thing.

Not only are the main courses delicious, the desserts are just as great! There are cookies of all kinds (chocolate chip, peanut butter, cranberry oatmeal, dark chocolate, and more). Lemonade also serves macaroons, cupcakes, tarts and cakes as well, all including a variety of different flavors.

Sure, the food might be amazing but what about the beverages? Well, if you didn’t figure it out already, Lemonade also serves, well, lemonade. The best, actually, and they serve it in different flavors as well. All tasting wonderfully delicious, the flavors include; old fashioned, cucumber mint, blood orange, blueberry mint, guava limeade, and coconut apple. Organic green tea (hot or iced) and coffee, all made in store, can be enjoyed then and there.

In case you were wondering when would be a good time to go, Lemonade is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:05 p.m., a great place to eat out for both lunch and dinner. Hope to see you there! xoxo, Glutton Girl ggirl@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of MAMALIKESTOCOOK.COM and TUMBLR.COM

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CAMPUS FOCUS

By MAGGIE WONG

cf.powwow@gmail.com

March 2016

Staff Writer

With only three months of the school year left, it’s time for us Apaches to start thinking of the new school year. More specifically, thinking of new classes. There are many things to consider when deciding what classes one should take for the next year. While it may sound pleasing, taking many AP/Honors courses will turn out to be a nightmare. Challenge yourself, but know your limits. And most importantly, choose classes that sound interesting. After all, the one who’s going to end up going to all these classes is you!

"If I were to give advice to people for scheduling next year, I would tell them to challenge themselves, but know their limits. And of course, pick classes that interest you and you are curious about!"

—Sydney Cheung, 12

"Pick the classes that you like, but no more than three AP classes at the same time. Listen to the counselor's advice, and if there's any questions, just ask."

—Tian Zhong, 10

mwong@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of WORDPRESS.COM Photos by RYAN FANN