NEWS

News B R I E F S

September

29 - Freshman Parent Meeting

30 - UC Application Workshop

October

1 - PTSA Meeting

7 - Pigskin Rally

10 - SAT Reasoning & Subject Test Date

17 - PSAT/NMSQT Test Date - Homecoming Dance

19-23 - Spirit Week - Red Ribbon Week

23 - Homecoming Day & Game - Pep Squad Haunted House

24 - ACT Test Date

27-29 - 1st Quarter Finals

30 - End of 1st Quarter

Station Fire Sets Los Angeles County Ablaze

By ANDREW LIN

Staff Writer

Should investigators confi rm that the deadly Station Fire was indeed manmade, the arsonist could face the death penalty. Though not much has been released concerning the details of what offi cials have discovered, it has been established that pool-like burn patterns and a foreign substance, both indications of the presence of an accelerant such as gasoline, were found at the suspected origin of the Station Fire.

Whether the arsonist gets two years in prison or the death penalty all depends on one thing: intent. Because two fi refi ghters died in their effort to halt the inferno, the case is being treated as a homicide. Should the blaze have been an accident, the result of, say, a smoldering cigarette, then the arsonist could be charged with involuntary manslaughter, for which the minimum sentence is two years. However, as authorities admit, the possibility that the fi re was an accident is highly unlikely. One anonymous source said, “There was material that didn’t belong there. It was clear evidence that the fi re was intentionally set.” Thus, it could be a contest between whether the person should be charged with fi rst or second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter, which carries with it a 20-year sentence. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger initially set the reward for fi nding the arsonist at $100,000. The number is now at $150,000.

Intentional or not, however, the damage has been wrought. First spotted Aug. 26 at Mile

Marker 29 along the Angeles Crest Highway up in the mountains north of La Canada Flintridge, which is twenty minutes north and west of Arcadia, the Station Fire advanced into the densely-populated neighborhoods to the south. On Aug. 27 and 28, the fi rst evacuations in Palos Verdes Peninsula and La Canada Flintridge were called, and evacuation centers were erected at various places in the area, including at Crescenta Valley High School. As orders for evacuation exceeded 6,000—by Aug. 31, to be exact—reports poured in of frantic families carrying nothing but a few belongings and their pets underarm into emergency shelters.

However, not all were compliant with evacuation orders. Half the residents of Acton, a community near the fi re, dug in and decided to stay, while residents of La Crescenta formed neighborhood watch groups called “ember shifts,” designed to spot and respond to embers that may wander into town. Of course, offi cials expressed dismay, particularly Governor Schwarzenegger, who cited that three people were injured in Big Tujunga Canyon because they refused to evacuate as reasons to follow regulations. By Aug. 31, the fi re had roughly reached the height of its devastation, with fi refi ghters having only been able to contain 5% of the fi re. Seventy-four structures were destroyed and the eastern fl ank was advancing towards the historic Mount Wilson Observatory and all its neighboring radio communications facilities. Once they were over this hump, however, the fi refi ghters managed to stomp back the wall that threatened Mount Wilson in an epic three-day battle, which ended Sept. 3. By Sept. 25, the fi re was 98% contained.

The strongest of the arid winds that have been responsible for the fi re’s delayed containment have since passed, and the blaze is expected to reach full containment by Sept. 26.

Photo courtesy of JOHN PAUL KARAS

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES The Southern California wildfi res have burned through nearly 336,000 acres of land since August.

alin@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of VECTORART.COM

Candlelight Vigil Lights Up AHS

By MICHELLE CHIEN

News Editor

“What would you feel about someone if they died? What would others feel about you if you died?” For most, these thoughts never cross their minds; however, these were the words of Clement Tsai, written while on a recent trip to Taiwan. Clement, who graduated from AHS two short years ago with the class of 2008, was met with an unexpected fate when he was hit by a car on Sept. 10 while crossing the street in Long Beach. He was rushed to the ER and passed away the next morning.

Crammed with people from all walks of life—from relatives to high school friends to former teachers to college friends to the random acquaintances—the AHS football stadium was home to a lot more than the typical football game Saturday night, Sept. 12. As hundreds of people gathered on the fi eld for a candlelight vigil to celebrate the life of Clement Tsai, it was evident what sort of an impact he had on such a diverse group of people. Family, friends from high school and friends from his college fraternity all came out to speak on his behalf, sharing funny and enlightening stories of Clement’s life. Senior Kevin Liu said, “It was amazing to see that he was still bringing people together even after his passing. The whole night was just so inspirational and positive.”

Clement’s sister, senior Rowena Tsai said, “My family and I just wanted to thank everyone who showed up. It really means a lot.”

The vigil ended with a reading of one of Clement’s random musings from a recent trip to Taiwan found in his room, hoping to spread his hopes and dreams and to inspire many others as well.

“What is my life purpose?” he wrote, “To give love to the world. To accept everyone for who they are and love them unconditionally. To die for those I care about. To have the courage to die for my mission. To bring music to the world. To inspire others to heights mentally, morally or socially. To liberate society from its illusions and claims imposed by society itself. To write a book. To document the story of my life, and have others learn from it. To be able to move thousands of people to tears. To remind people that life is good, and to keep living. To help others fi nd themselves. To fi nd myself. To educate people less fortunate than I am. To show love to the people that care the most about me. To love my family unconditionally, for I mean the world to them and they to me. To show unconditional love, fi rst starting with my family, then to my friends, then to society. To create a world where people would judge others not by their appearance, but the content of their character. To make others smile.”

Rest in Peace, Clement. Thank you for everything you have shared with the world.

Photo courtesy of JANICE MA

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL Attendees sign a memorial poster for Clement.

mchien@apachepowwow.com

Arcadia’s Rising STARs Raise API

By ANDREW CHANG

Staff Writer

California’s standardized test results have never been stunningly impressive—but they’re getting better. In the context of improvement, whether schoolwide or statewide, we’ve always reached our goals. And our AHS is simply no exception to this standard of achievement; if anything, we’re above and beyond it.

The 2009 STAR testing results, released as a whole on Aug. 20, indicated a continuation of the upward trend that California test scores have seen in the last seven years. “I am pleased and encouraged to see that for the seventh year in a row, California public school students continue to improve,” remarked State Superintendent Jack O’Connell. In 2003, state profi ciency scores in the language arts and mathematics peaked at a lowly 35%. Given this clear problem, the state decided to change its standardized testing apparatus, aligning it to meet specifi c state academic standards. Since then, the number has been on a steady incline—and we can only hope for the continuation of this trend.

On the contextual level of AHS, we aren’t doing too badly either. Since 2007, our school’s API, or Academic Performance Index, has risen from 859 to 876—a 17-point improvement propelling the high school to a rank of 43rd out of 987 schools in the state. And the STAR testing results in 2009 have established AHS to be one of the highest-scoring schools in the San Gabriel Valley. In other words, the statewide API performance target is a number which we’ve already reached.

But as junior Justine Lee put it best: “Our API may be good now, but it’s not rising. A score of 400 is profi cient, but we have to remember that it’s out of 600 total points.” The relatively slow speed with which our scores are rising, indeed, draws a slew of legitimate questioning. “It seems like many people just don’t care about the STAR test,” explained senior Andrew Taylor, delineating a possible reason to the slow growth. And the lack of incentive for students to do well on STAR testing may very well be the reason for our school’s slow progress as a whole; as the only test not affecting one’s individual success as a college applicant, the STAR test ends up commonly taking a backseat to higher priorities in students’ lives.

But District Superintendent Dr. Joel Shawn thinks differently. “California schools have a belief that everyone is entitled to a public education,” he said, “and to apply the same academic standard to such a wide group of people is an incredibly challenging job.” And Dr. Shawn, too, has his point—that growth in and of itself is a remarkable thing because of the wide variety of factors that AHS must take into account. In our school alone, we take care of ten different subgroups of students, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and each requiring a vast amount of attention. Given this fact, it is imperative to realize that growth, perhaps, cannot possibly occur rapidly because of the very academic nature of California schools in general.

In the end, the answer to another step in vast improvement cannot be said for certain. But even at its current rate, our school’s test score improvements leave little room for complaint. “It’s truly hard to believe how good our school is,” remarked Dr. Shawn—and it’s true. We can only hope that Arcadia’s STARs will continue to shine.

Healthcare Reform Sparks Debate Across Nation

By ANDREW LIN & RAPHAEL LU

Staff Writers

It is hard to make sense of health care reform. We hear of angry folk shouting down congressmen in town hall meetings, comparing Obama’s presidency to a dictatorship and comparing the health care bill to an act of extreme socialism—and for a while, it can all be pretty confusing for anyone to understand what exactly is being argued.

Nonetheless, it is important to understand some basics: for one, the rationale behind the health care overhaul. In reformers’ minds, three issues must be addressed: uneven quality of care, inadequate coverage and fi nally, cost.

Some argue that for a nation that spends on health care almost twice the average of rich, developed nations, survival rates for heart attacks, infant mortality, and life-expectancy in America are all worse than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average. Simply put, Americans are not getting their money’s worth. Proponents of reform also point to statistics concerning Americans’ budget: health care costs consume 16% of the economic output, and on top of that, Medicare, the government-run insurance plan for the elderly, could be exhausted by 2017.

Critics of the health care system bring up several key wasteful practices. To begin, most American doctors work on a fee-for-service basis: the more pills and tests they order, the more resources they consume, the more they get paid. All this encourages exorbitant spending and waste. The insurance system also promotes over-consumption: employers buy expensive insurance plans for their employees, who in turn may abuse the coverage by ordering nonessential care. Thus, insurance companies make money and so have all the more reason to feed the aforementioned reckless spending.

Meanwhile, the population of the uninsured grows, and is currently at 46 million—up 13% from 2 years ago. Then there is the less publicized population of the underinsured, numbering at 25 million, whose insurance plans cover little: in 2007, an American family fi led for medical bankruptcy every 90 seconds—three quarters were “insured.”

On the other hand, defenders of the existing system argue that a free-spending attitude promotes medical advancement and they cite the number of innovations America’s health care system has made over its European counterparts.

However, the majority of politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, agree that reform ought to occur—the question now is to what degree. Liberal Democrats urge for a “public option,” or government-offered insurance plan. Supporters of the public option argue that insurance ought to be available to everyone and that the most effective way of accomplishing this is by creating a government-backed insurance plan. This plan would be affordable for the uninsured because the government needs not to make a profi t, and so the price of this government-back insurance plan would be comparably lower than that of privately run insurance companies, who do need to make a profi t. The cheaper public option would also, in turn, force insurance companies to compete by lowering their prices.

Opponents believe that because the government does not need to make a profi t, prices will be so low that it would undercut private insurance companies. Another fear is that a public option might create a messy, complicated bureaucracy to administer insurance. Given that a public option would create a complex, compartmentalized government agency, such a fear is not unfounded.

In his Sept. 9 speech to Congress, President Barack Obama set forth that though he was in favor of a public option, he would also be willing to compromise in favor of a workable and passable bill. Borrowing from both sides, the President gave what he believed to be a plan that was both.

alin@theapachepwowwow.com rlu@theapachepowwow.com Arcadia Malls: Rumble in the Concrete Jungle

By ANDREW CHANG & ASHLEY CHI

Staff Writers

Rick Caruso, developer of The Grove in Anaheim, has had his eye on the Santa Anita racetrack for quite some time—since 2005 to be exact. But with Westfi eld’s new plans to expand into 13,500 feet of restaurant space at its outdoor Promenade, Caruso Affi liated, the company responsible for the upscale The Grove and The Americana at Brand, may now see a bit of a roadblock in its newest entrepreneurial venture. On Aug. 20, Caruso sued both the city and Westfi eld, demanding an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the conversion of such a large area into restaurant space.

Caruso Affi liated is not totally unfamiliar with Westfi eld. The battle began when Caruso proposed an upscale mall to be named “The Shops at Santa Anita” at the Santa Anita racetrack. Caruso hosted festivals and meet-and-greets, gaining approval from most, but rejection from one: Westfi eld Santa Anita, the company that built a 1.3 million square foot shopping mall a mere hundred yards away from Caruso’s proposed retail space.

Back in 2008, Caruso’s project fi led its mandatory EIR—which was judged to be problematic in 11 areas. Westfi eld appealed on an additional 18 points, creating a total of 29 necessary revisions before Caruso’s project could move forward. The purpose of an EIR is to allow city offi cials to make an informed decision regarding the impact of construction on the biophysical makeup of a city—and so given these issues, Caruso’s project may be either stymied temporarily or halted completely. The city, however, maintained that the expansion of restaurant space by Westfi eld would not require another EIR. Caruso Affi liated stepped in here, citing “signifi cant air quality, sewage, waste, water, population, land use and parking impact” and forcing Westfi eld to play on what Caruso offi cials called a “level playing ground.”

With regards to corporate growth and general profi tability, the impacts of this controversy could be detrimental to both Caruso and Westfi eld; construction

cannot continue without a passable Environmental Impact Report. So much is certain. But on the contextual level of the local residents, it’s an entirely different story. While some advocate the expansion of Westfi eld and others the virtue in Caruso’s qualms, the prevailing disposition of AHS students seems to be one of disinterest regarding corporate expansion as a whole. “Arcadia was supposed to be a community of homes,” remarked junior Ray Chao, “not a tourist attraction.” “Our mall already brings in enough revenue,” agreed sophomore Farihah Chowdhury, “and I’ve so far been disappointed with the level of congestion which has occurred in these past few years.” Although residents may share different viewpoints on this fi ght, there Photos courtesy of SHOPSATSANTAANITA.COM & GILLESMIONE.COM is no question that the outcome will affect Arcadia SHOPPING CENTER LAWSUIT The two major retail corporations vie for commercial dominance in Arcadia. as a whole. The confl ict remains a poignant topic, subject to contention by both sides; the Caruso lawsuits have seemingly become Arcadia’s newest hot-button issue. With all the confusion, however, the verisimilitude in this lawsuit is entirely unclear. But one thing is apparent: that one of Arcadia’s main sources of revenue could very well become a primary source of controversy in the coming months. achang@apachepwowwow.com achi@apachepowwow.com

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 Advertisement Editors Executive Copy Editors Photography Editor Webmaster Fundraising Chairs

Jennifer Hang and Kayla Pang Joanna Chuang Michelle Chien and Christine Xu Eleana Chiang and Cora Ormseth Melissa Ma and Sammi Wong Velinda Liao and Kate Trinh Elaine Tsui and Emily Yang Kristie Tom and Victoria Tran Jenny Lin and Joe Tian Lauren Wong Melanie Yuen Alwyna Lau Michelle Mak and Bonnie Tam Debbie Jong and Joanna Shen Elliott Lee Carl Trigilio Emily Litvack and Laureen Ma

Writers

News Staff

Opinion Staff

Performing Arts Staff

Student Life Staff

Features Staff

Sports Staff

Academics Staff

Center Spread Staff Calendar Staff

Campus Focus Staff Advertisement Staff

Photo Staff Copy Editing Staff

Fundraising Staff

Web Staff

Adviser

Andrew Chang, Ashley Chi, Evan Delgado, Andrew Lin, Raphael Lu, Justin Park, Jasmine Wu Andrew Chang, Tiffany Gu, Derek Ha, Kaitlyn Jeong, Nuria Mathog Katherine Bay, Eileen Chow, Pamela Huynh, Hana Rudolph, Christina Zhou Debbie Jong, Lena Kalemkiarian, Esther Lin, Anna Naran, Jade Shao, Rhiannon Yee Theresa Lee, Amy Leong, Jenny Li, Ryan Liu, Joanna Shen Katherine Bay, Alex Ethridge, Andrew Lin, Regina Liu, Rhiannon Yee Christopher Chen, Sally Chung, Derek Ha, Joanna Liao, Oishee Shemontee, Nancy Xiao Emily Litvack Beverly Chen, Eileen Chow, Theresa Lee, Cherry Mo Emily Litvack Theresa Lee, Kevin Liu, Shannon Ng, Kevin Yuan Maurice Ip Ashley Chi, Lena Kalemkiarian, Regina Liu, Hana Rudolph, Oishee Shemontee, Nancy Xiao Katherine Bay, Beverly Chen, Sally Chung, Maurice Ip, Kaitlyn Jeong, Theresa Lee, Jenny Li, Regina Liu, Ryan Liu, Raphael Lu, Michelle Mak, Anna Naran, Shannon Ng, Oishee Shemontee, Nancy Xiao Sally Chung, Alex Ethridge, Elliott Lee, Andrew Lin, Ryan Liu, Emily Litvack, Nuria Mathog, Sammi Wong 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 refl ect the opinion of the Apache Pow Wow editorial board. Student’s work does not represent the views of Arcadia High School or the Arcadia Unifi ed School District. Address letters to the editor to: AHS Apache Pow Wow, 180 W. Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. To place an advertisement in the newspaper, call (626) 821-8370. Advertisement rates vary from $30 for a business card advertisement to $300 for a full-page black and white advertisement, with quarter-page, half-page, and advertisement insert options available.

4 OPINION

apachepowwow.com September 2009

Every Day is Judgment Day

By DEREK HA

Staff Writer

In August, students once again partook in a timeless annual tradition: comparing class schedules. Student registration had barely gotten underway when the Internet buzzed with whispers of, “So who do you have for [insert subject here]? Oh, him/her? I heard he/she is horrible/fantastic. You’re defi nitely going to learn nothing/a lot.”

By the time school started, we knew exactly what to expect from our teachers, even though we’ve never set foot in any of their classrooms. After all, we heard about them from friends who heard from other friends. How could we possibly be mistaken?

We have grown so accustomed to having information spoon-fed directly to us that we no longer try to seek out the truth independently. It’s not that we’re stupid; we just cannot seem to fi nd the motivation to pursue intellectual growth on our own anymore. Rather than trying to expand our knowledge, we wait for teachers or the media to feed us knowledge. Rather than challenging what we hear, we accept it without asking any questions. Rather than formulating opinions based on concrete facts, we rely on vague prejudices and unsubstantiated rumors.

This wave of intellectual apathy in young adults didn’t come about by accident. It is the result of a teenage culture which tells us that our age is an excuse for laziness, and that education is a burden rather than a blessing. It leads us to believe that we are wise and well-informed when in fact, the sum of our knowledge comes from less than 20 years of life experience. By not recognizing our own ignorance, we become content with how limited the scope of our knowledge is. We make little effort to challenge ourselves, and we almost never consider the notion that our views may be wrong.

When it comes to students blindly believing what they have been told about their teachers, there are negligible consequences. When applied to more important matters, however, this attitude can be disastrous.

Take what happened during the 2008 election. Students developed their own arbitrary criteria to judge candidates when they clearly hadn’t done any research. Many hoped Barack Obama would win the election simply because he is “so cool.” These were usually the same people who thought Hilary Clinton was not fi t for the job because she’s “kind of scary.” Then there were those who adamantly refused to support the Republican ticket because Sarah Palin “just pisses [them] off.”

Keep in mind that this was an election to determine who would hold the two most powerful political positions on this planet. If that doesn’t scare you, it should.

If we are to be trusted with our own fates, then it is imperative that we make decisions of sound knowledge and proper judgment. Neglecting to do so makes us prone to foolish and dangerous choices which, inevitably, puts society itself in peril. The signs of apathy are everywhere, and the stench of ignorance and complacence is getting harder to ignore.

Clique Here to Meet Friends

By TIFFANY GU

Staff Writer

Let me tell you about this one day. It was just an ordinary morning in March, really. Clear skies, crisp breeze, fresh air, nothing out of the ordinary. Unless you count half of a girl’s body leaning out of a school bus window, waving frantically, teetering in danger of falling out, it so seemed. And yes, it just so happened that it was my name she was screaming. And I happened to be the reason why she was asking all the random passers-by, “Are you Tiffany?! Are YOU Tiffany!??” Ah, yes. This was my new friend, Talia. I had just met her over the Internet.

In this new post-modern age, it’s easy to be swept up in the hype that is Twitter and Facebook, quick, breezy, and impersonal social networking sites that just about everybody in the entire world is privy to. You know, the kind that promotes the quick, the impersonal, and widespread. This sort of technology, this use of the Internet has taken the blame as what has devalued the intricate workings of interpersonal contact, of the sort of stuff that real relationships are founded upon. Although the world now knows about your doings in half- minute intervals, it’s a bit intriguing to wonder, to ask, “Where has the substance gone?”

Enter the overlooked, thoughtful sites. The ones less focused on the quantity of friends, the quantity of posts, ones not focused on the numbers. Sites like Xanga and Tumblr combine both the ease and accessibility of the mass social networking sites with the insightful and more real legitimate blogging circles. Combining both heart and audience, these sites are on the rise for popularity. It’s blogging for the hoi polloi, a chance for the everyman, the average Joe to be heard by the masses.

It’s that ever-moving spotlight that just might land on you for 15 seconds. It’s that funnel that connects our hearts to our fi ngertips to the rest of the population of this sad, green planet of ours. But it’s different, so very different from anything else. No longer just blithely and arbitrarily labeling oneself by favorite celebrity or color or anything so shallow. Utilizing Tumblr and Xanga in the correct way can lead to fi nding someone who is just as avid about platypi as you are. Or that fellow member of humankind who just happened to have an unquenchable lust and fi xation on the semi-colon. The thing is, there’s so much more to technology than the vapid side that seems to be so commonly harped on. There’s the deeper side, the side in which we connect through our quirks and feel just a little less alone in this huge world. And when you meet someone who is genuinely opening up their hearts to the Internet, someone who pours themselves out through writing, you just know that something’s different. The basis of friendship through these kinds of sites are not the superfi cial ones that plague Myspace and Facebook. Here, intelligence and coherence reign supreme over appearances, a feat rare even in face to face interaction.

No matter how you look at it, technology and the Internet have permanently changed our lives and the way we interact with one another for good. And the ones who insist that the internet has downgraded society to a bunch of tweeting chumps are the ones who’ve never made a friend over the Internet. The ones who have never felt the immense welling of joy upon fi nding someone who lives across the ocean, but is exactly like you on the inside. These are the kinds of people who have never, ever had a girl lean halfway outside a school bus window just to meet you.

Graphic by BEVERLY CHEN FACE TO FACEBOOK Friends online, strangers in life.

tgu@apachepowwow.com

Byte Me: The Changing Face of Hate

By NURIA MATHOG

Staff Writer

It must have been aggravating to send a hate letter in the eighteenth century. It was bad enough if you lived in a separate colony, for the postal carriage was subject to any number of delays: foul weather, exhausted horses, even attacks by highway robbers. If you lived overseas, you had to wait weeks, even months, for the ship to pull into the appropriate port, and then an additional few days for the letter to reach its intended destination. You were stuck impatiently twiddling your thumbs and hoping that the scoundrel received your latest correspondence, which would inform him, in the most courteous manner possible, “With all due respect, sir, you are most abhorrent,” or some equally polite insult. But while you couldn’t guarantee that your letters would arrive in a timely manner, you could be certain that your private feud would remain just that—private.

Two hundred years later, it’s an entirely different story. In this modern era of technology, it takes a mere fraction of a second to click “send” and share your innermost thoughts with the rest of the world. The Internet is at your disposal, enabling you to instantly connect and communicate with anyone you choose—granting you an astounding amount of infl uence. Upload a well-timed YouTube video, gain a few million hits, and you’re well on your way to starting a new political movement. Post a few outrageous, strategically-worded Tweets, and you’re the catalyst of a national uproar. It may seem a harmless enough practice…until you’re on the receiving end.

One day, you innocently log onto your Gmail account and discover an urgent message from your buddy, informing you that someone wrote a very detailed note about you on Facebook and you should probably go check it out. Intrigued, you sign on to the website, already envisioning a heartfelt essay about what an inspirational and life-changing individual you are (after all, what else could it be about?). You’re fl attered—at least, until you read the title: “God, I hate this person!”

Well, that seems a bit harsh.

Your name isn’t mentioned anywhere in the note, which would indicate that you weren’t actually supposed to read it, but how this anonymity could possibly be maintained is anyone’s guess. The poster might have gotten away with it if she’d neglected to tag everyone within a 50 mile radius, but thanks to the thousand million ensuing comments of “LOL so true,” the entire network now knows that you are a worthless loser, you have the most irritating laugh ever, and you are destined to die friendless and alone. Oh, and you apparently smell bad. At least, that’s what you’re able to decipher by reading between the profanity-laden, grammatically incorrect lines—typical for a rant, the note has an unnaturally high percentage of words beginning with “f.” If you read it out loud over the radio, ninety percent of the content would have to be bleeped out.

In many ways, the Internet has made our lives a little more convenient, a little more effi cient. But in exchange for the opportunity to reinvest large quantities of our time, we forfeit many aspects of our privacy. Contrary to popular belief, there is no digital safeguard to your online posts, a semipermeable membrane able to magically fi lter out worthy readers from the billions of people browsing the Web. If it’s online, someone can download it, cut and paste it into a word processor, or send the link to the FBI. If you have access to it, so will anyone else with a keyboard and a brain. If you don’t want certain people reading it, don’t post it.

nmathog@apachepowwow.com YOU’VE GOT (HATE) MAIL! In this world of modern technology, revenge is just a “send” button away.

Graphic by BEVERLY CHEN

September 2009

apachepowwow.com

OPINION

Loss

By CORA ORMSETH

Opinion Editor

When someone you love dies, everything in life seems to lose value. Your world jolts suddenly into perspective—everything that mattered before now looks utterly frivolous and inconsequential. The past becomes a movie reel of memories with a character who is eerily misplaced, and the future, which had previously beckoned with plans of family vacations, birthdays, graduations, and weddings, now looms emptily and purposeless. You realize that all you looked forward to will now be faced alone.

Trivial matters that you overlooked before become painful reminders of the person who once was. When you go to a restaurant, the hostess asks how many in your party and you automatically reply seven and then have to recalculate—six. When you call their house, their voice asks you to please leave a message on the answering machine. When you see the sweater they always wore, eat their favorite foods, and remember their little idiosyncrasies, you are plunged back into your misery.

Cruelly, the world goes on despite this gaping void as all around you people go along happily with their lives. Some will wake up and lie, cheat, deceive, steal, and infl ict pain on others. Why are they still alive? you question. Why are they here occupying space when someone so beloved, so kind, so innocent, so worthy is not? Suddenly you see the world through a critical, acerbic lens that magnifi es all of life’s injustices.

Being alone with your thoughts sinks you into depression, so you keep yourself surrounded with people and occupied with errands, books, homework—anything to not think of the death that lurks nonetheless in the back of your mind. And then there comes a lull in your day, and you can run from it no longer—the pain inevitably catches up to you. The terrible truth that they are gone and will never come back sets in.

If you had loved them less, it would not hurt so much now. But you know you would not, if given the chance to change the past, sacrifi ce one iota of that love to ease your suffering in the present. The reason you cry is not because they are dead, but because they made your life so beautiful, because you are so thankful that they were born and you were born and somehow your lives intersected. You realize that you are bloated with tears because you are swelling with love, which is why the

sympathy cards, fl owers, and care packages that arrive in the mail, so full of compassion for you and the one you lost, trigger the waterworks yet again. The messages inside those Hallmark sympathy cards you receive may at fi rst sound cliché. They may make you angry as you demand how those self-proclaimed prophets can tell you that “your loved one is alive in spirit” when they obviously have never experienced the sheer devastation you feel. But with time, you will come to see that they are true. Death can cruelly cheat you of time but it cannot take away what has already happened. “When you are sorrowful, look You will never forget the memories you shared. This is small solace, but it again in your heart, and you shall means that the person you loved will never really leave you. They have, in see that in truth you are weeping for some way, infl uenced who you are, and that which has been your delight.” so as long as you live, so will they. There is no cure for the sadness -Kahlil Gibran that comes with death. Time will lessen it, but it will never completely go away. You will always miss them, and in the future, as you take that family vacation, receive your diploma, or go off to college, you will wish that they could be there to see you. But know this: your sadness comes from a love that is profound and everlasting. In the words of Kahlil Gibran, “When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” cormseth@apachepowwow.com Education Is Our Pot of Gold

By NURIA MATHOG

Staff Writer

Once upon a time, we couldn’t have cared less about the news. The media merely existed to bombard us with an endless stream of depressing information, none of which we found particularly engaging. Occasionally, we might have glanced at the headlines about international confl ict, political corruption, and global destruction—meaningless events happening in locations miles and miles away. The goings-on in the rest of the world just weren’t applicable to us. Here in our cozy Arcadia bubble, we felt safe and secure, protected from all of the hardships of Elsewhere, and we were content. Nothing could possibly go wrong, we assured ourselves.

Then the economy abruptly took a nosedive, and all hell broke loose. We had always known that the country had its share of fi nancial problems, but to witness them compounding in such a sudden and in-yourface way was genuinely shocking. Housing prices plummeted, unemployment soared, and national panic ensued. And our beloved California, holder of the worst credit rating in the nation, received the brunt of the fi scal blow.

Last year, our eyes were truly opened to the severity of our economic troubles. In the spring, we faced the frightening possibility of mandated teacher layoffs, a highly stressful situation for students and faculty alike. Fortunately, that crisis was later averted with an across-the-board salary cut, but we could no longer dismiss the state budget defi cit as an extraneous issue. Tension mounted, and a tangible anxiety permeated the halls of AHS. Our TCID:

teachers expressed concern over larger class sizes and poor classroom equipment, factors that seemed inevitable in the years to come.

Education is typically one of the last areas to receive cuts, which only underscores the seriousness of our fi nancial woes. Billions of dollars that should have gone toward school funding have been redirected to address the budget shortfall. The Cal Grant program, which so many students rely upon, is in

FINDING THE SILVER

LINING Don’t let the budget cuts cramp your style.

Graphic by CHERRY MO danger of elimination. Public universities can no longer afford to admit as many applicants as they have in prior years. And with the recently issued IOUs in place, we will have a diffi cult time paying off student grants when it’s our turn to apply to college.

With so many discouraging reports in the papers, throwing in the towel may seem like a pretty tempting option. Why bother trying anymore? The next few years certainly look rather bleak. But there’s more than one way to assess the situation. On one side, we can argue that the outlook seems grim for many of us in high school—certainly a greater percentage of Americans than fi ve or ten years ago. On the other side, we can reason that such an obstacle should only encourage us to try harder, to step up to the plate and aggressively push ourselves for the future we want.

If there were ever a time to foster legitimate academic motivation, it is now. Perhaps we once believed that school was something to blow off, little more than 12 mandatory years of incarceration, but the economic crisis should serve as a wake-up call for all of us.

Now, more than ever, our effort in school matters. At AHS, we are by default no strangers to competition. We’re already engaged in our own battles for the top grade, the top leadership position, and ultimately the top college. This new competition is merely an extension of our existing rivalries—now that major auto and insurance companies have no choice but to lay off employees, the competition for jobs will increase as well. And statistically speaking, the best way to ensure that is to perform well in school, acquire a decent education in college, and then pursue a career.

Will we ever achieve the happy ending that we seek? The fi nal outcome may be impossible to predict, but ultimately we have the choice to make it happen. We can shrug, cross our fi ngers, and hope that everything somehow works out for us—or we can fi ght for a future no less than we deserve. We can begin our journey forward with our head lowered in helpless defeat or with the torch of human dignity held proudly in our hand. The decision is ours. The moment is now.

Drop and Give Me 2400!

By ANDREW CHANG

Staff Writer

Graphic by BEVERLY CHEN SAT BOOT CAMP I want YOU to enlist in a prep class today!

No, I am not going to Elite. Nor am I going to SMA, Success, ACI, Princeton Review, or Kaplan. I’m not spending over $2,000 to receive a pack of vocabulary cards and photocopies taken straight from College Board’s $20 SAT book, and I’m not going to sit through a six-hour day and fall asleep for half of it. I’m not going to pay an arm and a leg to dull my senses. I can do that to myself for free.

The Arcadian disposition towards SATs is a phenomenon in and of itself. It’s the test which students (parents) most desperately want (their kids) to do well on—and the pressure is enormous. As a factory for good grades and test scores and thus a slaughterhouse for imagination and creativity, the latent conformist within the quintessential Arcadian simply will not let exist a bad score on the one test that matters most. And because of that, the Arcadian tends to look towards a panacea, a cureall for testing anxiety. Welcome to the world of SAT preparation.

Important ethical qualms and disgusting moral degeneration aside, the business of SAT prep centers is admittedly pretty sweet. They perpetuate a vicious cycle of bad scores from demoralized students and thus more returning members. But if you’re into the brutal capitalism of the SAT prep industry, you’ll know that this vicious cycle is a necessary complement to your gratuitous paycheck. Your students all want to be X.X. on the fl ier with the 2400, and even though there isn’t a Xavier Xandhu from San Marino High School, it’s okay that you made up those initials. Your “diagnostic” tests are designed to corrupt confi dence. That way, your students need you. Your advertisements boast acceptance to schools in the top10 range—names whose very mention cause parents to salivate. That way, mothers and fathers need you, too. “If you don’t go to school X, you’re going to get score Y and attend college Z,” you exclaim, “and you do not want to go to school Z.” But in what way could this blatant duplicity possibly be okay? Because that’s how you get customers. And you like customers.

As they say, all’s well that ends well, right? It’s capitalist America, and this is just business. Sometimes it’s the most disgusting exploitation that brings home the dough.

A Glimpse Into the World of Arcadia Arts

By EILEEN CHOW

Staff Writer

Of the 3,600 or so students who attend AHS, many are divided into groups that share the same passion—performing arts. From Orchestra to Drama to Colorguard, our school is home to numerous different performing arts groups.

A.D.D.

Advanced Drama Department (ADD) is a class composed of students highly knowledgeable in the fi eld of theater arts. ADD students perform in a total of two to four full productions a year and dedicate much of their time to after school rehearsals.

Noteworthy Past Performance: Little Shop of Horrors

This group of singing and dancing performers is made up of both males and females. Chanteurs showcases several performances throughout the year as well as competes against other schools during their competition season.

Noteworthy Past Performances: Aztec Sing Competition, May Show

The members of Colorguard are seen spinning colored fl ags and throwing rifl es and sabers with precision. Colorguard members compose and perform different performances throughout the year, as well as compete in many competitions.

Noteworthy Past Performances: Winter Guard International (WGI) at Ohio (Nationals)

Orchestra members learn and improve their technique with their individual instruments and perform in several assemblies throughout the year.

Noteworthy Past Performance: Orchestra Benefi t DinnerBand

The students of Band are taught different movements while playing props (instruments). Students learn and perfect routines for public exhibitions as well as competitions.

Noteworthy Past Performance: Arcadia Festival of Bands (AFOB)

Chanteurs

New Spirit

New Spirit is an all-girls choral group that performs and choreographs popular music in performances and competitions. This group also participates in a concert tour.

Noteworthy Past Performance: Choral Carousel

Orchesis

This class features advanced dancers who devote much of their time to strenuous practices and choreography. Orchesis members showcase a number of performances throughout the year.

Noteworthy Past Performance: Orchesis Charity Show

Pep Squad

Pep Squad consists of three different groups: pep fl ags, song, and cheer. Performing proudly, the members of pep squad embody the very defi nition of school spirit. They perform in many school assemblies.

Noteworthy Past Performance: Winter Assembly

Percussion

Marching to the beat of their drums, Percussion members strive to perfect their routines for performances and competitions. They act as a part of the Band for fall season before breaking off onto their own during spring.

Noteworthy Past Performance: WGI at Ohio (Nationals)

Orchestra

There are various distinct performing arts groups on our campus grounds. Next time you take a stroll around the school and see students practicing their instruments, perfecting routines, or singing their hearts out, remember that these students are driven by their love and passion for performing.

echow@apachepowwow.com

Photos courtesy of PETER HUANG, ELLIOTT LEE, SAMMI WONG, GREGORY ZAJAC

Leandro Alcantara: A Drum Major Hit

Colorguard

By HANA RUDOLPH

Staff Writer

The upcoming school year has only just begun, but many of the performing arts groups had already chosen their leaders for the ‘09-’10 year in June. Marching Band is one of them, and their new drum major, Leandro Alcantara, is ready for duty.

For those unfamiliar with marching band terminology, the “drum major” is like the Marching Band captain. He is the conductor and representative fi gure, as well as the leader. His responsibilities include taking care of everyone, being a head fi gure, and, most of all, being a “motivational, inspirational force” within the group. When it comes down to parades and fi eld competitions, a lot of the stress and responsibility goes to Leandro; the beginning of any parade lies entirely on the drum major’s shoulders because “he’s the guy that the judges initially look at, because he has to signal the start of the routine.” And these signals tend to be elaborate.

Leandro is no stranger to the pressure of marching band activities though. Ever since his initial interest back in elementary school, Leandro has been an active fi gure in band. His transition into marching band in middle school as well as his constant dedication since has only been a “natural progression.” When questioned about his high school marching band experience, Leandro said, “It’s taught me a lot of life skills. Like discipline, responsibility…in freshman year, it’s kind of crazy because you have all this stuff to learn and it’s really stressful…” But, Leandro went on to say that despite the harsh rigor of the activity, the fun comradery and exhilarating competitions are worth it.

Leandro has previously served as drum major for his middle school marching band in eighth grade. Perhaps that was why becoming drum major this year seemed so natural to him . His experience and talent though, did not come without diligence and perseverance; Leandro trained at a specialized camp where he learned the spinning techniques and leadership skills necessary for the position of drum major.

Even still, competition for the position was fi erce—there were two other competitors besides Leandro that engaged in a solo competition to determine this year’s drum major. And no one can say that Leandro does not justly deserve his new position. He has also competed within the Military Masters Division of the California State Championships, which is “the highest division in the competition circuit [for drum majors],” and not surprisingly, he was victorious. Leandro is not only the drum major of Marching Band, but he has also earned the title of 2009 California State Drum Major Champion in the Military Masters Division, a high honor for himself, Marching Band, and AHS. When asked about his inspiration, Leandro replied that he was originally interested in becoming drum major because of his wish to “lead others to success” and help uplift others. As for his goals, Leandro stated that his ambition is to retain the high score that this past year’s marching band received: a 199/200. While a smaller band size may make this diffi cult, AT-TENT-TION Drum Major Photo courtesy of LEANDRO ALCANTARA Leandro is confi dent, determined, and overall excited for the upcoming year. Leandro acts as an inspiration representative of Marching Band. hrudolph@apachepowwow.com

Orchesis: It’s a Top Idol World

By HANA RUDOLPH

Staff Writer

After their debut into the world of TV broadcasting last year, Arcadia’s own Orchesis Dance Company once again showcased their skills on ETTV. On Saturday, Sept. 5, Orchesis performed to both a live and TV audience on a show called “Top Idol,” an Asian talent competition for singing and dancing. The routine they performed was the opening number for the show and Orchesis was very proud to be the only group invited to perform at the event.

Out of the 25 members of Orchesis, only a select 9 of the company performed as decided through auditions. These nine had to devote two weeks of their summer to practice for the September event: four grueling two-hour rehearsals for their single routine. Undeterred by the hard work, the dancers were all extremely “motivated and excited,” described Ms. Liza Tedford, so that by the time the performance date rolled around, the routine had been perfected. Despite the diffi culties involved with performing on a TV stage, with the camera crews rolling around and countless markings, the nine Orchesis members performed brilliantly.

For this performance, Orchesis pulled out all the stops, boasting purple overalls, matching hats, and choreography by Orchesis director Ms. Tedford. The choreography involved pop elements with a quirky twist, inspired by the program’s nature as well as the dancers themselves. The whole thing was a “really slam, kinda fun deal,” according to

Ms. Tedford, who described the experience as having been “a really chaotic event, but I think because we were focused on being a team…it went really well.” The crowd response was accordingly ecstatic.

Upon interview, Orchesis pesident Kristin Kimura described the entire experience as “really fun and enjoyable,” in unison with the similar responses of her fellow offi cers. But the opportunity to perform on stage was not the only plus of the event: Katreina Layfi eld, the Orchesis dance captain, added that it was “nice getting to know the newer members,” some of whom joined in that fi rst performance of the year. Other Orchesis members participating in the ETTV performance were seniors Sophia Chung, Meghan Lim, Tiffany Liu, Ashley Kim and juniors Heidy Lam, Erin O’Mara, and Wendy Wu.

This event is only the start of what seems to be a promising year for Orchesis. Mrs. Tedford described their enthusiasm to be “bubbling up,” their thirst for dancing to be “inspiring”—so watch out for Orchesis and start getting excited for the upcoming year!

Have a passion for dancing? Wish you could be a part of Orchesis? The ‘09-’10 Orchesis has already been determined, but auditions for the next year will occur in late May/early June for rising juniors and seniors. When the year starts rolling to an end, make sure to keep an eye out for those posters advertising auditions!

Photos courtesy of LIZA TEDFORD ODC ON ETTV Orchesis poses its way through the world of publicity and television. hrudolph@apachepowwow.com Egypt, Eyes, and Embellishments

By KATHERINE BAY

Staff Writer

When thinking of a football fi eld, what fi rst comes to mind is a football team who plays on the fi eld. Similarly, when thinking of a marching band, a common supposition would be that the band would be marching on a street to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” One would assume that the respective team or group would perform in their respective area.

However, the football fi eld isn’t used solely for winning touchdowns or kickoffs, but also for presenting choreographed performances by the marching band, varsity percussion, and colorguard. This competitive fi eld show consists of four songs complete with intense foot work, variation in tempo, and different types of equipment color- guard integrates into their rou- tine. Halftime during any varsity football home game con- sists of the band, percussion, and colorguard unleashing their intriguing fi eld show. The theme of this spectacular show varies with every year. For instance, this season’s theme revolves around Egypt and is titled “Spices, Perfumes, and Toxins.” The music is composed by Sam Cardon and was transcribed, adapted, and arranged by Bill Hoehne to resemble Persian and Egyptian music. Sophomore Bryan Mak describes the music as “very fl owy in some parts, and really loud and coolsounding in others.” While embellishing such intricate music, the band, percussion, and colorguard manage to present all of this while marching. So far, the colorguard, band, and percussion’s drill has led them to create many Egyptian-themed shapes, such as eyes and pyramids. For another slow-paced song, the music turns into a ballad fi lled with body movements from the band and percussion. Such coordination blends in perfectly with the pace of their songs.

Colorguard is responsible for most of the visual entertainment shown throughout the entire performance. The beginning of the show starts off mystically with very detailed dance movements such as walk overs and back bends, as well as partner work. Soon after, instead of

spinning the usual fl ag with a colorful silk attached, colorguard members perform with only a single 7-foot pole. Impressive saber work is also displayed and the team performs diffi cult routines, making it look simply incredulous. After that, rifl e work will be introduced to build up the impact for a awe-inspiring ending. For the freshmen on the team still trying to get used to such heart-pumping work, some, like freshman Anna Miyajima, fi nd it “hard learning new work, but really cool to be part of such an amazing show.” Of course, no one can visualize such a performance just by reading an article, no matter how descriptive it may be. With that said, to observe such fantasia in the making isn’t just any ordinary Photos courtesy of ELLIOTT LEE show, it is a journey FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION hardworking start to a glittering season. A that takes the audience through Egypt with twists and turns all around. Although the band, colorguard, and percussion aren’t quite fi nished choreographing the entire show, this would give one an even bigger reason to come and watch them at each and every home football game. Such dedication from them is so unique and pure that their devotion alone is already an immense accomplishment. kbay@apachepowwow.com

Orchestra SCSBOA Conference

By PAMELA HUYNH & CHRISTINA ZHOU

Staff Writers

On Saturday, Sept. 12, Arcadia’s Orchestra 3 performed at Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association’s (SCSBOA) fall conference. Our advanced Orchestra 3 was proudly chosen out of thousands of Southern California high school orchestras to make an appearance and perform at the fall conference.

At the conference, Orchestra reenacted what a basic music period is like at AHS. One of the main purposes of the fall conference was to let other conductors learn different teaching methods through our advanced orchestra’s performance. According to senior Julia Namkoong, the orchestra president, students “[demonstrated] and taught future music conductors different teaching methods” used by AHS musicians. As an advanced orchestra class, musicans were able to master a majority of basic techniques, such as tuning methods. Future conductors and music teachers can learn the most effective ways to teach their future orchestral classes from Orchestra 3’s performance. Orchestra 3 wanted “to help improve [future instructors of music with] their orchestral

Photos courtesy of ALAN ZHU

VIOLINS AND VIOLAS

Students unload their instruments, awaiting the chance to perform.

techniques.” Not only did Orchestra 3 have a chance to teach, they were also given a chance to “develop a greater appreciation for music.”

Orchestra 3 not only demonstrated tuning techniques, but also performed four songs including “Trauer”, “Union Train from Sweet First Dreams”, “Song Without Words”, and “Chorale”. Senior Julie Chung said that the performance went “really really well…especially since we found out about [SCSBOA] at orchestra camp. We sounded really professional.”

Refl ecting upon the learning event, senior Danny Lin thought the experience “was very helpful for us, as an orchestra.” The SCSBOA fall conference was the fi rst time this year Orchestra 3 performed as a whole, and they played together in harmony with only two weeks of practice. “The feeling of helping other people is one of a kind,” said Danny, “And [I’m glad that] we were able to experience it while helping future conductors.”

10 FEATURES

apachepowwow.com September 2009

Appeal of the Surreal

By JOANNA SHEN

Executive Copy Editor

They’re plastered on the sides of public buses. Their fashion style has pervaded the boundaries of accepted clothing. Borders has even gone as far as to create miniature action fi gures of them so teenage girls can whip them out at the drop of a hat and pledge their love to plastic. Society has run amuck with fanged creatures of the night, otherwise known as vampires. Girls wreak vengeance on those who dare deny the possible existence of these immortal beings, insistent on maintaining the quixotic dream that someday, they will meet a blood-sucking hormonal male to call their own. Could it be a characteristic of human nature that attracts us to vampires? Because, of course, a person with deathly pale skin and slightly yellow teeth who could potentially suck you lifeless is very attractive to the average teenager.

Though we may not all readily admit the fact, the immortality of vampires appeals to us. In our current stage of anxiety with what the future holds, it is not unnatural to want time to fulfi ll all the worldly needs we could possibly have. It is the inability of vampires to die that makes them more than human, elevating themselves on the glorious pedestal of eternal youth. In addition, the media continues to exalt these creatures by making sure that vampires are only the better-looking half of the public, complete with shampoo-commercial hair and model-like physiques. Vampires are the modern day equivalent to our defi nition of

perfection, possessing the precious qualities of eternal life and beauty. We adore their ability to defy the natural boundaries of life that we as dull humans are subject to. It is an inherent characteristic of human nature to enjoy seeing refl ections of ourselves. As much as we admire all powerful gods and the destruction they are capable of, they are not characters we can relate to. In other words, we can nitpick the fl aws of vampires. Their appeal lies not in their perfection, but their ability to smother their faults and fi ght temptation. Even their blemishes are easily mistaken for attributes. Just like fashion morphs, the vampire has suffered years of ridicule and disgust to become the adored creature it is today. In the era of Dracula, the vampire was feared and scoffed at, forced to hide within the confi nes of dungeons and foreboding castles. The vampire of today is portrayed as a lover with a tormented soul, seeking to break the stereotype of blood-sucking killer set upon them, which gives them an even greater appeal to the public eye. The propaganda and Photo courtesy of TVFANATIC.COM media has done much to BLOODLUST Shows like Vampire Diaries are sweeping the country. fuel the vampire craze. CW’s newest investment, Vampire Diaries, details the life of a mortal and demure teenage girl torn between two vampires. An already hit series, True Blood on HBO follows a similar plot line. Aside from television series, the world of vampires has also pervaded the world of video games, like Vampire Rain. From the looks of it, vampires are going to be hanging around for a while. Let’s just hope we don’t start having Eclipse-themed proms and creating blood inspired jewelry. Oh wait, too late. jshen@apachepowwow.com

World’s Weirdest Work

By AMY LEONG

Staff Writer

Now that we’re in high school, the next step for many of us is to choose our major, or in other words, what we would like to do for the rest of our lives. I’m sure everyone knows about the usual occupations like doctors, teachers, and lawyers, but have you ever wondered who writes those messages in fortune cookies or the advertisements on cereal boxes? Believe it or not, there are actually hundreds of bizarre and unusual occupations that you can make a living with.

One of the most distinctive jobs that deals with pets involves their food, but the following occupation is not about the making of their food but rather something stranger. Most of us know that some animals are tested to develop cures for diseases, but did you know that there are people who taste pet food? Surprisingly, some people actually enjoy it, and they even determine the best brands. It’s hard to believe, but there really are pet food taste testers.

If you thought that job was weird, wait until you read about the next one. This one involves the box of breakfast cereal, which most of us may only take a quick glance at for the nutrition facts. Nevertheless, there is so much more to a cereal box than you realize, since there is actually an author of the advertisements that advocates the cereal with eye-catching phrases. So, the next time you eat cereal for breakfast, think of all those creative minds that infl uenced you to buy their product.

Another out-of-this world job has to do with the Chinese takeout menu, specifi cally

those cookies that contain witty pieces of wisdom within them. Interestingly enough, you can actually major in Linguistics, which includes writing messages for these fortune cookies. About three years ago, Chinatown featured a contest for the best messages for fortune cookies. Winning phrases included, “Give me liberty or give me death…. Wouldn’t it be better to just give me food?” and “The person next to you was secretly Photo courtesy of FOODMAG.COM.AU eyeing your food.” Do TASTY JOB Delicious isn’t it? One unusual you think you job involves test tasting pet food. have what it takes to be the next best fortune cookie message writer? Furthermore, to all gum chewers, there are people who earn money by scraping your sticky gum residues off the park bench as well as the rotten blotches off the ground. Luckily for them, they have a special machine to help remove these germ capsules instantly. In addition, there is also an occupation called a ring tone recorder. This person comes up with those irritating chimes and ring styles for your phone, recording the latest sounds from a computer. The process takes an astonishingly long time, so give credit to those hard working recording artists. Maybe you could bring the “Hello Moto” ring tone to a whole new level. Now that you’ve learned about some of the most unusual and bizarre occupations, share these out-of-the-ordinary ways of earning a living with your family and friends. Maybe they’ll be interested, too, and want to learn more about our world and the people in it. After all, it’s not everyday that you come across someone who writes the lucky messages for a fortune cookie or the advertisements on the cereal box. aleong@apachepowwow.com

YouTube’s Funniest Spoofs, Collisions, Moves, and Giggles

By AMY LEONG

Staff Writer

While we tend to our usual pile of homework and skim the pages of our textbooks, our instincts compel us to a highly engaging device, the computer. Since communicating with friends is only a click away, addictions such as YouTube, Facebook, and AIM seem to drag us away so easily from our homework, diverting about 99.99% of us students today. Because there are times when a break is required, I have compiled a list of the funniest YouTube videos. So while you take a breather from your assignments, just log on to one of these sites and begin the excitement.

For most, Twilight and The Dark Knight were the popular movie picks of the year. But after parodies of these movies appeared on YouTube, Edward Cullen and Batman got a whole new comedic twist. From their intense atmospheres to their on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, spoofs created by “EvilIguanaProduction” and “MonkeyandApple” cater to a wide range of audiences.

Just type in “Twilight Trailer Spoof” to watch a hilarious video consisting of a brief storyline to the movie with countless gags of Edward’s vampire characteristics. It also brings the phrase “You’ve brought a snack” to a whole new level. Moreover, “The Dark Knight—Joker Interrogation Scene Spoof” will have you laughing all the way through. The creator, Raul, plays both Batman and Joker in this hilarious investigation clip.

Another amusing collection of videos is known as FAILBlog, a channel in which a group of people features tons of collisions and crack-ups. Just type in FAILBlog on YouTube, and you’ll discover some of the most hilarious clips, including “Wedding Ring Exchange Fail,” “Soccer Fail,” and “News Reporter Fail.” “Wedding Ring Exchange Fail” displays the best man’s clumsiness when he trips into the bride, causing her to fall into the pool. Another one of the videos depicts a reporter walking into a pole. In a matter of seconds, these clips will have you bursting with laughter, so make sure you don’t miss FAILBlog.

Next is another exhilarating comedy

Photo courtesy of IMAGESHACK.COM.US

SAY SMILE This giggles in “Laughing Baby” will surely put a grin on your face.

called “Auto-tunes the News.” It highlights signifi cant debates and speeches made by famous politicians and presidents. The only difference is that instead of talking in their regular voices, the speakers are rejoicing and talking to the enhanced music of T-pain. This genre of music has a techno sound to it, so the music video will defi nitely leave you amused.

If you’re more into different styles of dancing than singing, you should watch “Evolution of Dance.” This six minute video documents the progression of dance through a continuous string of various dances including the chicken dance, the robot, disco, and many other struts, steps, and trots. One dancer’s wild movements and intense energy create a humorous atmosphere. So, if you’re ready to laugh, this off-the-top performance will not disappoint you in the slightest.

Still not impressed by these funny videos? The peculiar sounds of “Laughing Baby” are sure to deliver. A father’s constant noises make the baby laugh. The baby’s cute smile and constant giggles are adorable additions to the humor in the video. Pretty soon, you’ll be laughing along as you watch this strange yet humorous episode take place.

So, while you procrastinate on your homework or take a leisure break from your studies, you can watch some of these hilarious videos on YouTube to relieve your stress. Share these humorous clips with all of your friends, and let the laughter begin!

September 2009

apachepowwow.com

FEATURES

Cosmic Addiction to Science Fiction

By JOANNA SHEN

Executive Copy Editor

A curious race, we always wonder what life amongst aliens or scientifi c phenomena would be like. If the world suddenly collapsed and chaos consumed our lives, how would each day pass by? With constant rumors of the apocalypse amidst conversation about topics such as the highly anticipated movie 2012, television networks have taken a turn in show selection as well, straying from medical dramas to science fi ction thrillers.

If you were given a taste of what’s to come, a mere glimpse of the future ahead of you, would you embrace fate and let life pass by as you know it or attempt to change it? ABC’s FlashForward, which premiered on Sept. 24, documents the lives of an entire population of people who black out at the same time. Within those few moments, they are given the chance to fl ash forward six months into the future and observe what is to become of them. What they do with their memories is up to them to decide for themselves. Junior Michelle Huang said, “I would defi nitely want to change [the future] because if something bad happens, I would ask why. Why did that have to happen? I would continuously question everything and live in regret.”

Would you believe a horde of aliens if they arrived on planet Earth promoting an agenda of peace and hope? They call themselves the Vs in the science fi ction thriller V, which premieres Nov. 3 on ABC, and by their outward appearance and actions, seem bent on helping mankind in their most desperate time of need. With their healing powers and unexplainable forces, the Vs position themselves as saviors in the eyes of the people. However, when gratitude morphs into worship, it becomes unclear whether the Vs’ advocacy of peace is genuine or just a mask hiding their real motives of human extermination.

What would happen to your soul if you failed to seek justice on Earth before leaving it? Fox’s thriller-drama Past Life, set to air sometime in 2010, explores the possibility of reincarnation to solve the unexplainable question of people suffering present-day traumas from past life horrors. When a teenage boy begins seeing images of his own murder, psychologist Dr. Kate McGinn works to unravel the mystery of memories that have never occurred, that is, in this life. Senior Jacqueline Huang said excitedly, “It really makes you question your beliefs and life in general. The possibility of a spirit inhabiting a new body is bizarre but interesting as well.” Is déjà vu really déjà vu, or do your memories, in actuality, belong to someone else?

As Arcadians, we may be stripped of our ability to spend quality time with our televisions due to the pressures of school and homework. But, for those of us who are fascinated with thrillers and suspense, we should sit down to at least one episode this fall and watch the mysteries of life and the future unravel themselves before us. That is, if we even live to see it....

jshen@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of BRUCEMHOOD.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM and photo courtesy of HP.COM

Six Cool Tips and Tricks for Your iPod

By JENNY LI

Staff Writer

For many, the iPod is an essential and personal gadget in their lives. It relieves stress and boredom and helps drown out the hectic melody of daily life. Because the iPod is an item of such personal expression, devout users have developed tips and tricks to customize their iPods to their own needs. I have collected a few particularly interesting ones to share so that you may try to customize your iPod as well. These tidbits of information range from trivial instructions such as how to extend battery life to useful hacks; hopefully, you can utilize at least one of them to make your life easier.

Hacks: To gain access to these nifty modifi cations, go to iPodwizard.net. After signing up, go to the forums and download iPod Wizard’s small-sized application. With this application, you can edit the text and the graphics themes on your iPod! These themes are all user-made and thus, if you do not like the available themes, you can always fi nd someone on the forum and request a custom design.

Radio: This is a slightly more complicated process, and you will fi nd all the directions here: http://shuffl ehacks.blogspot. com/2005/12/build-your-own-imouse-fmtransmitter.html. This hack will turn your iPod into a portable radio station!

YouTube Videos: Admit it; tons of people are addicted to YouTube, and no one can blame them because there are many “entertaining” clips on it. Now, if you’ve found one you’re particularly fond of, type in vixy.net and have the clip transferred into your iPod! All you have to do is copy and paste the YouTube URL, specify the format you desire, and download it and place it on iTunes!

iPod as a Storage

Device: If you have an old or maybe just an extra iPod lying around, why not make use of it?

Waste not, want not. Simply open iTunes and under the properties of your iPod, select “Enable Disk Usage.” Once you plug in your iPod, go to “My Computer” (for PC) or “Find” 5 (for Mac) and click on your iPod. Like a USB drive, you can now store videos, documents, and images! Wikipedia: This is a site that everyone loves; it contains all the world’s knowledge in one place, just like your own Einstein! Now you can get it on your iPod and carry Wikipedia with you wherever you go. Just log on to this website, http://encyclopodia.sourceforge. net/en/index.html, and follow the instructions; it will guide you step by step. Battery Life: The brightness of the screen and the volume at which you play your 1 o make o mak Ha H hese nif songs are two factors that affect how long your iPod battery lasts. The louder you pump your volume, the more battery life you consume, not to mention the hearing problems it could cause in the long run. The brightness of your iPod’s screen can also be easily adjusted in your iPod’s settings. With that, I give you some pretty spiffy tools for you to start customizing your iPod. Just remember not to use them in class or 2 , themes, y themes, the forum he forum Rad you’ll fi nd yourself in the dean’s offi ce!

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Time to Play, Scribble Away!

By THERESA LEE

Staff Writer

Imagine yourself stranded on an island surrounded by sharks. What do you do? Call a helicopter for rescue? Harpoon the sharks to swim safely to land? Fly away on the back of a pterodactyl? Or create your own escape in Scribblenauts! Critics are suggesting that this new game developed by 5th Cell could be one of the greatest games ever released on Nintendo’s handheld, the DS. Claiming the titles of Best of Show, Best Handheld Game, and many others during the annual game conference, E3, Scribblenauts has caught the attention of many gamers. However, unlike the majority of highly praised games, Scribblenauts is a puzzle action game that requires gamers to challenge their imagination by solving puzzles in their own way, calling out almost any existing item to use!

The goal of this game is to help Maxwell, the protagonist, collect Starites, starlike objects that trigger the completion of a level when touched. The game contains two game modes: puzzle and action. In puzzle mode, certain events, such as reuniting a family of penguins, activate the appearance of a Starite. In action mode, Starites need to be obtained after overcoming several obstacles. Players can use the in-game keyboard to type in whatever item they wish to create. Each level has multiple ways to reach the objective so the replay value is immense! A level could require the return of a stranded cat to its rightful owner. One may type in a magic carpet to physically retrieve the poor animal, but another possible way is to lure the cat down by summoning a rat. At the end of each level, players will receive “ollars” as a reward for fi nishing; calculated factors include time spent, items used, and style. Featuring over 200 levels of mind-boggling fun, Scribblenauts challenges its audience to conjure up creative approaches, especially since some levels offer more points for innovative thinking and extra credit for unusual items.

You might be thinking, is it even humanly possible for the game to have every possible word? Well, ponder no more! During the past six months, members of 5th Cell have been gathering information from dictionaries and other databases, including Wikipedia, and compiling them into the game engine. With the help of artifi cial intelligence, every item in Scribblenauts is programmed to react a certain way when in contact with other objects. The database contains tens of thousands of possible words, excluding copyrighted terms and vulgar language, so the possibilities are endless! The variety of terms ranges from animals to weapons to famous people to regular household items. Even God (depicted as an old man with a white mustache) wielding a potato gun can be summoned to defeat the evil Cthulhu and hordes of zombies in outer space!

So whether you decide to transport a frozen Bigfoot with a UFO or clear a house full of ants with a bulldozer, boredom will never strike again. Scribblenauts hit the shelves of your local game shop on Sept. 15, so be sure to check out this multiaward winning game!