March 2009

Volume 57, Issue 7

March 2009

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA

Coming Together to Think Pink

In this issue:

Photo Courtesy of FLICKR.COM

OPINION pg. 5 Racism: The little racist comments that we make cut deeper than we realize.

Photos by REGINA FANG & GREGORY ZAJAC Graphic by REGINA FANG

PINK FRIDAY Students and teachers rallied to support the teaches issued pink slips on Friday, Mar. 13 by wearing pink clothing, carrying pink signs, and even baking pink cupcakes.

By CORA ORMSETH & CHRISTINE XU Student Life & Exec. Copy Editor

Photo by YENTL IP

PERFORMING ARTS pg. 9 Little Shop of Horrors: AHS’ first musical in over 20 years runs Mar. 24-28 in the Little Theatre.

Photo Courtesy of THEBOXOFFICEJUNKIE.COM

FEATURES pg. 10 Spring Break for Under $10: Check out the fun things you can do over this spring break.

On Friday, Mar. 13, students and faculty donned pink clothes in support of the more than 60 employees in the district who were issued pink slips.

Pink slips were sent out by Mar. 15, as per California law, as preliminary notification that certificated employees might be laid off in the coming school year. These potential layoff notices, which are based on seniority and criteria such as credentials and degrees, do not necessarily mean that teachers will not be returning come September.

In a worst-case scenario that Superintendent Joel Shawn deems “highly unlikely,” a maximum of 41 classroom teachers out of the 56 in the district who were given pink slips will be laid off.

News of this statewide Pink Friday, a Stand Up for Schools event orchestrated by the California Teacher’s Association (CTA), spread to AHS students via a Facebook group started by freshman Ryan McAfee. “I wanted to support the teachers,” said Ryan, who was surprised at the massive amount of people

who showed up to school in pink.

In a school district where 88% of expenditures go toward salaries and benefits, Dr. Shawn’s primary goal to do “everything in our power to minimize layoffs” is a formidable challenge when faced with a $3 million loss in revenue to start off the incoming school year.

The district is “tightening our belt every place we can,” said Dr. Shawn, but the enormous deficit remains, leaving little choice but to layoff employees.

Arcadia’s school district is “tightly knit together, [so] if you eliminate anybody it affects the classroom,” said Dr. Shawn. Schools will feel the impact of the budget crisis as class sizes increase and faculty—from teachers to bus drivers to custodians—decreases.

Spanish teacher Mr. Patrick Tierney said that in the economy’s “sad state of affairs,” issuing pink slips is “cutting off the lifeblood of our system.” Likewise, P.E. teacher and baseball coach Mr. Nick Lemas feels it is “unfortunate...and it’s a shame, but it’s just a part of life,” and wishes everybody the best.

The thought of losing their teachers has evoked passionate responses among the students of AHS. Math department member and veteran Calculus BC teacher, Ms. Kerry King,

comments, “I think we had a very good response, and I hope the teachers feel a little bit better that there were so many people who were sympathetic to their situation.” Ubiquitous pink patches adorning backpacks and shirts show students’ support for the teachers who received pink slips. When English teacher Mr. Michael Feraco-Eberle received a pink slip, his students mass-produced pink “Team Feraco” and “Feraco Can’t Go” signs and distributed them in D-Hall.

Mr. Feraco feels “overwhelmed, touched, and impressed” by his students’ response. “I can’t even begin to explain how I felt when my students walked through the door that morning…my students’ support makes this easier to endure—a lot easier—and I hope they realize it,” he said.

It is important to keep in mind that none of the decisions regarding layoffs have been finalized, as the district is still in the process of adjusting the budget to keep as many teachers as possible. As Ms. King said, we are all hopeful that we will “find a way to resolve this situation with [a] minimum job loss.” cormseth@theapachepowwow.com cxu@theapachepowwow.com

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NEWS

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Job Forecast: Gloomy with a Chance of Pain

By MICHELLE CHIEN Staff Writer

You just graduated from Yale University.

You turn in your application for a sales associate at Foot Locker. One job. Five hundred applicants. What are you going to do? Scramble.

As the economy continues to dip, the endless job-hunt becomes a popular activity among graduating seniors, and employment seems to be a dream come true. According to the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE), businesses are going to hire 22% fewer students this year than in 2008. Even a job offer does not guarantee employment, as 8% of employers will be forced to take their word back. Some 44% of the companies said they would hire fewer new grads, while 22% will be hiring none at all. So where does that put the recent college graduate—the one who spent years upon years, slaving away at a higher institution for a degree in hopes of a better future packed with opportunities?

The downturn in job openings hasn’t always been this way. Up until 2004, job prospects in essentially almost every field of work had been on the rise. But as the economy suffered, so did the job market. “This is a little discouraging to hear,” said junior Stephanie Fu, “with so many of us headed off to college in the next few years, it’ll definitely make us think a lot more carefully with career choices.” Declines were

glaringly dramatic; at the lowest, accounting and engineering experienced a staggering 37% drop, but that’s a paltry sum compared to the financing industry’s 71% decline. In fact, the only industry that seems to hire more grads this year is the government, as they attempt to battle unemployment and replace the slowly depleting baby-boomer work force.

As there are fewer opportunities for jobs

Photo courtesy of TORONTOIST.COM

UNEMPLOYMENT Lines form behind Now Hiring signs. that require higher degrees, more college grads are seeking employment in areas that require little education and provide a meager minimum wage salary—a painful prospect for any graduate wracked with thousands of dollars of debt.

Director of strategic and foundation research at

NACE, Edwin Koc, said, “Even if you’re surviving by being a coffee barista, it’s still better than just staying home. With the job market as difficult as it is, I don’t think that students have much of a choice.” Agreeing, junior Jonathan Chen said, “As much as none of us want to work at minimum wage jobs after college, I can see why it happens. With the way everything is now, I hope it gets a lot better soon.”

Meanwhile, schools are doing anything possible to help ease their graduates’ entrance into the real world. Every counselor at virtually every school is stressing the importance of alumni networks for help. The University of Maryland has conducted workshops directed specifically at teaching students the ins and outs of networking, while Haverford and Bryn Mawr recently began giving each senior 50 business cards with their name and major.

In the meantime, that Yale graduate is still looking for a job. No luck at Foot Locker? Try Starbucks. Starbucks not accepting job applications either? Try Wendy’s, the movie theater, McDonald’s, and the list goes on. In the dire circumstances of the floundering economy, it comes as no surprise that the job market has also stumbled. What’s to come from here still remains uncertain, but the universal job hunt continues on with no signs of stopping. mchien@theapachepowwow.com

News

March 2009

Briefs

March 31

- Quarter Finals

April 1

- Spring Concert (7:00 p.m.)

2 3

- AHS PTSA Meeting (7:00 p.m.)

- End of third quarter

4

- ACT Test Date

6-10

- Spring Vacation

10-11

- Arcadia Invitational Track Meet

13

- Grad Night meeting (7:00 p.m.)

13-24

- The Apache Pow Wow tryouts

15

- Swim Test at lunch

21-23

- California State Testing (CST)

29

- Orchesis Show (7:00 p.m.)

Photo Courtesy of MARINKIDZ.COM

No Food, Drinks, or Coffeepots Allowed Hazing: An Initiation to More Trouble

By TRACY YAO

The time during lunch is crucial to students, for that is when they come and go for help. If teachers are required to leave to eat It’s lunch time and a crowd of students has lunch, students will not get the assistance they entered the classroom. The hungry teacher rav- need. Mr. Kevin Fox understands “the need to ages through the mini-fridge next to the book- find financial savings” everywhere possible, but case, and whips out a Lean Cuisine. The frozen the policy “might [be] penny-wise, and limit the entrée enters the microwave for three minutes, time available to students at lunch.” while a hot pot of coffee brews in the coffeeNot all teachers are standing by passivemaker. In a matter of minutes, the teacher has ly, watching their appliances go out the door utilized multiple kitchen appliances to whip though. There are many who oppose it, and up a quick and easy lunch, while are fighting for a voluntary aiding students. However, policy. Some districts are using this as quick fix for allowing teachers to pay a lunch won’t be going on fee to keep the appliances much longer since teachers in the classroom: $40 for are being forced to remove refrigerators, $10 for mipersonal appliances from their crowaves, and $10 for coffee classrooms. makers.

Multiple bans on personal Yet, there are teachers who do appliances in the classroom not see this policy as a hindrance to have been instituted in nearby their daily lives. Instead, they perschool districts as a part of a ceive it as necessary during the recesnew energy policy to save monsion, an opportunity to save money. ey. Overall, the policy has saved Photo Courtesy of In fact, Ms. Wright-Hathaway said, $2 million. Though the bans FOLKARTLIFE.COM “If in doing this, districts can really are cost-efficient, the way that B A N N E D recover enough money to preserve teachers go about their days is teachers’ positions, and ensure that Coffeepots are only sure to be compromised. the recovered funds would certainly With their appliances gone, one of the prohibited be used as such, then, the bans would teachers no longer have the con- applicances. be helpful.” With about 9,800 public venience of eating during class, schools in California, the savings and with so many ungraded papers and con- could be tremendous if every district put the apfused students, skipping a meal is the only op- pliance policy into effect. tion. Passing on lunch may not seem that damAs the economy plunges into a critical aging to the brain, but studies show otherwise. state, and budgets are cut, every penny really According to Human Kinetics, an online edu- does make a difference. Schools are scrambling cation center, skipping meals can lead to “poor to hold on to every last dollar possible. But is performance” and “brain drain” caused by the removing appliances from classrooms really the lack of glucose that is usually obtained from best course of action? In this case, the consefood consumption. Conversely, some teachers quences may greatly outweigh the benefits, for would rather put work on hold, and go for food it is the education of the students at stake. instead, a decision potentially detrimental to the education of the students. tyao@theapachepowwow.com Staff Writer

By ELAINE TSUI Staff Writer

Standing in freezing water, desperately hoping the bitter burn of the ice would wear off, the students waited. All they wanted was to be accepted, but first, they had to prove themselves.

Then, there were the students who were forced to run around the street in the silent night, doing whatever task they were given, while praying that the humiliation would end. Though these are merely scenes from popular movies aimed at ridiculing college life, they do not seem to be too far from the icy truth.

In late February, a hazing incident that allegedly occurred in the boys locker room at Taft High School caused a commotion on the Woodland Hills campus and reverberated throughout Los Angeles. Members of the boys volleyball team were reprimanded for participating in the hazing ritual, and six school employees have also been reassigned to administrative positions off campus pending an investigation. According to many students who attend Taft, the alleged hazing involved suggestive acts with a sex toy, while some freshmen players were held down in the locker room and sodomized with an object.

Although the suspended employees, including Principal Sharon Thomas and volleyball coach Arman Mercado, did not “actively [participate] in the alleged hazing activities,” they were punished because they “failed to live up to their obligation under state law to have taken action earlier and more appropriately” when they became aware of the hazing incident, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“As long as hazing doesn’t involve any [criminal activity] and doesn’t hurt the people participating in it, hazing should be somewhat okay,” said sophomore Donna Lin. “But if there are safety concerns, [staff members] should report the incident.” By law, school employees are required to report any incident in which suspected or actual hazing is concerned, especially

because hazing is a misdemeanor crime.

The immediate reassignment of the six Taft staff members indicates the seriousness of any suspected or actual hazing incident. “Hazing is scary. People can get killed if they’re not careful,” said junior Megan Louie. “Hazing is just a way for mean people to hurt others.” Although hazing is often subtle, resulting in embarrassment and humiliation, it can also escalate to harassment and violence. People who are forced into hazing rituals can suffer emotional and physical damage. Los Angeles District Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines wants the Taft hazing incident to serve as a reminder to all students and administrators that it is their responsibility to report any hazing activity, a message spreading throughout California, as the Taft incident continues to unfold.

Unfortunately, Taft is not the only high school enshrouded in a hazing scandal. Eight members of the Calabasas High School varsity baseball team were suspected of hazing new members of the team when they met at a home and ordered eight rookie players to perform unusual, silly tasks on Feb. 14. Even though no physical harm was inflicted and no alcohol was involved, the school has already suspended the eight senior members from school and future games.

Though hazing seems to belong in the world of college movies, it is a very real part of high school life, as demonstrated by the recent Taft and Calabasas incidents. Whether the hazing activities involve being drenched in cold water or being forced to commit sexually suggestive acts, the recent overflow of hazing incidents in high school, a time when students are still young, may indicate something far worse.

It seems that people are becoming increasingly insensitive towards the feelings of others, and no one seems to be preventing this insensitivity from exploding. etsui@theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

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Racing Towards Bankruptcy the racetrack—compete for ownership of the historic landmark.

Staff Writer As California’s oldest racetrack, the Santa Anita Racetrack is the pride and joy of Arcadia as well as the city’s sourcNo one could tell what happened. es of income. According to Arcadia City Thundering hoof beats could still be Manager Don Penman, the new owners heard as the horses rushed out of the of the racetrack would have to maintain gates. Gamblers continued to smoke by it as a racetrack, because the city the rail, and bettors continued to gets 0.33% of the total amount of line up at the windows. Based money customers bet on races. Still, on its appearance, the Santa concerns about the bankruptcy’s efAnita Racetrack continued fect on AHS remain in the air. AHS to be Arcadia’s most famous uses the racetrack for AP testing in attraction and the home to May and the graduation ceremony AHS’s graduations, but on at the end of the school year. But Mar. 5, no one on the inside with news of its bankruptcy, queswas sure of the racetrack’s futions are raised about whether the ture as the historic landmark class of 2009 would have to receive began to crumble. their diplomas somewhere else.

As a sign of the ever“Although it may affect us, I don’t worsening economy, the parthink it’s going to affect our graduent company and owner of the Photo courtesy of SGVTRIBUNE.COM ation,” said senior Jonathan Chan.

Santa Anita Racetrack, Magna Entertainment Corp., filed for HISTORY IN JEOPARDY The renowned racetrack “The racetrack will probably still stay open. Bankruptcies today Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier faces bankruptcy as the economy worsens. don’t always require boarded up this month. Due to dwindling attendance, Magna had no choice but to Despite the bankruptcy, Magna as- windows.”

The racetrack’s fate is uncertain, sell the Santa Anita Racetrack after los- sured the racing community and Arcadia ing hundreds of millions. Although that it is not the end of the racetrack. It but business must continue as usual. the bankruptcy announcement will remain open, and day-to-day opera- Despite its financial problems, gamblers came as a shock to many, tions will continue for the rest of the rac- will continue smoking nervously, betters the announce- ing season. With its fate uncertain, the will continue betting, and hoof beats will ment has racetrack awaits its next owner as poten- continue to be heard at Santa Anita. tial buyers—including Rick Caruso, who etsui@theapachepowwow.com heads a joint deal with Magna to build a shopping mall Photos Courtesy of DBPOWERZONE.COM next to been expected for several years, considering Magna’s long-running financial problems. “[The bankruptcy] is sad, but I expected it,” said junior Victoria Chia.

“The economy’s already in such a bad state, and the racetrack deals with gambling,” which does not provide the racetrack with a stable income.

By ELAINE TSUI

WIKIPEDIA.ORG

The Price of a Foul Misunderstanding

By JENNY LIN Staff Writer

With the current state of our economy, it’s not a surprise when the prices of almost everything inflate drastically.

From milk to rice, it seems as if the market is purposefully increasing the prices.

In a world where everything is up for grabs and competition is high, several people will do anything just for some money. For 67-year-old Tom Smock, being accused of assaulting a female police officer and paying an overwhelming amount of $30,000 to bail out of jail—all because of feces—crossed the line.

It was 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2009, when Smock saw the pile of feces lying outside his Four Seasons Tea Room in Sierra Madre. Even though the city’s laws prohibit watering the sidewalk, Smock believed that cleaning the waste was more important than obeying the city’s rules. So Smock proceeded by watering and scrubbing the sidewalk. Unfortunately, a Sierra Madre code enforcement officer, Lisa Volpe, was notified of Smock’s violation and was sent to Four Seasons. Volpe arrived and began to take photographs and record Smock’s actions with a digital camera.

Uncomfortable with someone watching him, Smock offered Volpe to smell the feces with a shovel. The shovel, which frightened Volpe, led her

to accuse Smock of attempting to assault her. Smock tried to explain the misunderstanding to Volpe. However, Volpe ended up calling for “backup,” and the officers “demanded that [Smock] accompany them and forcibly handcuffed [him].”

Smock was later informed that he was charged with felony assault and held on a $30,000 bail.

Smock spent two nights in the Pasadena City Jail. Freed by a friend afterward, he immediately hired an attorney to fight against his convictions. After several meetings with the authorities, Smock’s charges were reduced to misdemeanor. Frustrated, Smock believes that “he was unjustly arrested and that there was abuse of power on behalf of the Sierra Madre Police Dept.” Smock and his attorney are aware that this case may be a long journey; nevertheless, they remain adamant in their beliefs that Smock’s justice will be earned.

With a case like Smock’s, could it be that the economy is encouraging the police departments to charge anybody, anywhere, at anytime? Is the once-dependable legal system on the edge of corruption? Junior Kevin Yuan believes that because of “our current economic recession, the government and the law enforcement task forces are resorting to unjust acts of questionable intentions to attain money, rather than focusing on the rapists, murderers, wife-beaters, and the real threats that are posed.” On the other

hand, junior Raymond Tsai thinks that Smock’s unfortunate incident with the police involving a pile of feces is “just an example of how we should be more careful with the law.” All it took was one tiny mistake to land Smock in jail on a $30,000 bail.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter which side one is on when desperate times call for desperate actions. Earning $40,000 to $60,000, which comfortably puts them in the middle class, police officers are affected by the country’s failing economy. With inflation in almost everything, earning enough to take care of the family becomes an onerous job for a working man or woman. Junior Stephanie Fu said, “It is frustrating knowing that police officers will take advantage of their power just so they can get some money; but at the same time, they do need to support their families.”

Because of someone’s irresponsible mistake, Smock had to deal with authorities. Because of a simple misunderstanding between Smock and Volpe, Smock was accused of assaulting Volpe.

Because of inflation, Smock was held on a $30,000 bail. Until Smock’s case is resolved, we find ourselves pondering, “Who is at fault here?” jlin@theapachepowwow.com Photos Courtesy of JC153.COM NICKSTORR.COM

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 Editor Academics Editor Center Spread Editor Calendar Editors Campus Focus Editor Advertisement Editor Executive Copy Editor Photography/Graphics Editors Webmasters Fundraising Chairs Publicity Chair

Lisa Chang and Laura Kelly Veronica Lim Iris Chen and Erica Win Andrés Delgado and Kayla Pang Kristen Shields and Daphne Tan Melissa Chen and Cora Ormseth Eleana Chiang and Emily Rueter Kristie Tom Tracy Lee Jennifer Hang Velinda Liao and Emily Litvack Joanna Chuang Michael Chen Christine Xu Regina Fang, Yentl Ip, and Gregory Zajac Billy Cao and Yentl Ip Christine Howard and David Yao Aisha Elmasri

Writers News Staff Michelle Chien, Jenny Lin, Elaine Tsui, Tracy Yao Opinion Staff Tiffany Gu, Nuria Mathog, Kate Trinh, Christine Xu, Emily Yang, Bill Zhou Performing Arts Staff Katherine Bay, Eileen Chow, Tiffany Gu, Laureen Ma, Sammi Wong Student Life Staff Celeste Cheung, Debbie Jong, Lena Kalemkiarian, Esther Lin, Melissa Ma, Linda Wang, Christine Xu, Melanie Yuen Features Staff Celeste Cheung, Amber Kakish, Alwyna Lau, Amy Leong, Gloria Liou, Joanna Shen, Kate Trinh, Marissa Xing, Melanie Yuen Sports Staff Aisha Elmasri, Shawna Lim, Andrew Lin, Victoria Tran, Tracy Yao, Gregory Zajac Academics Staff Richard Fu, Peter Huang, Ivy Jenn, Jenny Lin, Sean Maroongroge, Oishee Shemontee, Joe Tian Center Spread Staff Lauren Wong Calendar Staff Katherine Bay, David Hernandez, Lisa Hung Campus Focus Staff Angela Shen Advertisement Staff James Chung, Gavin Fu, David Hernandez, Lisa Hung, June Ko, Stephanie Lee, Gloria Liou, Erik Stratton, David Yao, Ashley Young Photo Staff Vikki Hambley, Ashley Johnson, Debbie Jong, Linda Wang Web Staff Jennifer Hang, Ashley Johnson, Stephanie Lee, Amy Leong, Velinda Liao, Emily Litvack, Laureen Ma, Nuria Mathog, Angela Shen, Joe Tian, Victoria Tran, Melanie Yuen 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. Student’s work does not represent the views of Arcadia High School or the Arcadia Unified 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 $380 for a full-page black and white advertisement, with quarter-page, half-page, and advertisement insert options available.

Photos Courtesy of S58.COM, CLKER.COM, & FREE-GRAPHICS.COM

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OPINION

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March 2009

For the Good of the Class, Please Shut Up

By KAYLA PANG & VINCENT YOUNG Opinion Editor and Guest Writer

That guy. You know him, the one in your English class, in your history class, in every class that requires frequent class discussions.

We identify him as the peer who incessantly feels the need to raise his hand and draw out already lengthy discussions to a mind-numbing level by unnecessarily rewording the opinions of others. Admittedly, his consistency in irrelevancy is impressive, even incorporating every aspect of his obviously uninteresting personal life to every topic of discussion. He refuses to stop spewing out pseudo-intellectual gibberish until every single rhetorical question is answered by pontificating upon some mundane nonsense, which on the insightful meter ranks somewhere between Sarah Palin’s interviews and the latest Lady GaGa jam. But at least Sarah Palin helped sink John McCain’s campaign, and “Poker Face” gives us some-

thing to dance to when nobody is around.

But seriously, he needs to save it; grant us the privilege to take notes before we have to roll our eyes at his futile interjections. His quest to attain self-aggrandizing glory is obnoxious and pretentious…well, it would be pretentious, if his insight reached heights beyond the general comprehension of the class.

But since it doesn’t (but hopefully will, for the sake of our IQs), the next time he opens his mouth, he better stick a foot in it. Better yet, stick an entire freshman in there; that way we won’t have to hear either of them talk (only kidding, freshmen).

Still, we have to consider that, perhaps, his eager-beaver trait stems not from an intention to hog the intellectual spotlight, but from a genuine desire to further his learning experience for both himself and his peers. In fact, class participation is great. Sometimes, it’s the only way we discover the opinions that underlie the otherwise jaded expressions of our peers, and even reveal to our teachers our characters.

Graphic by LEON CHEN

FIND A CLASS THAT CARES Please, take ten seconds to think about what you’re going to say before you open your mouth.

Sometimes, it’s completely time-appropriate, stalling a quiz by manipulating the teacher into digressing on various tangents before she realizes that the period is over. And sometimes, there are other students who introduce views that we would never have considered, widening our usually parochial perspectives through rational discourse on a range of topics we normally wouldn’t bring up in the social context of our campus. Or perhaps we refine our own views by disregarding his. True, that guy could keep a majority of his comments to himself, but at the same time, as his peers, we should be willing to listen to his views, in hopes that through all the junk, he will, one day, introduce ideas into a discussion via his eccentric views.

Until then, he won’t change, unless someone has the courage to address his uh, issue, and tell him to consider whether the content of his words will truly be relevant to the discussion at the time. kpang@theapachepowwow.com

A Walk in His Shoes Disney Movies Rated R?

By TIFFANY GU

Okay, okay, I concede. I’m just deathly afraid of being turned down.

In a flurry of the standard cake-baking, sign-making and heart-aching, I found it rather As the weather finally began to warm hard to think of a way of asking that would up, as the ice within our wintry veins finally actually stand out or make a difference. As I began to thaw, things started to buzz to life. wracked my brain for something even remoteThere was a rejuvenated sort of vitality that ly interesting and original, absolutely nothing certainly wasn’t there a month ago. Perhaps it came up, and an abyss of hackneyed ploys was because of the onset of spring, of warmth, and chocolate frosting nearly swallowed me of the prospect of spring break. whole. Asking a guy to Sadie’s was hard.

Or maybe it was because the time for To my surprise, the world didn’t end, Sadie’s was quickly approaching. nothing too catastrophic happened, and I’m As much of a shock as it may be, the pretty sure I’m still whole idea of having a alive. The night turned Sadie Hawkins dance, out to be pretty enjoyand the yearly switchable, but I won’t be eroo that comes with giving my two cents it, originated with a on the actual event. comic strip. Tired of What really matters sitting around, waitis that I found out that ing for a man to come taking the initiative along, homely Sadie wasn’t quite so bad, Hawkins took matters that taking risks just into her own hands. might be worth it once The rest, as they say, in a while. is history.

So this is where Despite the prothe table turns, where gressive feminist gender equality hapmovement, I can’t say pens, where equilibrithat I’m a huge fan of um is reached. Sadie’s this whole girl-askis just moral retribuing-guy thing. Call tion for all those other me traditional, call Graphic by CHERRY MO dances and life in me boring, but there’s general, payback for something just a bit WILL YOU GO TO SADIES all the guys and all off about asking a boy All the planning and WITH ME? the times they fretted to a dance. Well, conscheming just to hear one single clammy-palmed over sidering the fact that at a girl. After this whole times, I can’t even ask word: “yes.”

Sadie’s ordeal, I’m filled with this newfound a guy to borrow a pencil, you could probably appreciation of guys and their ability to have just call me shy. Whatever happened to being the guts to actually ask a girl out all those quiet and demure and waiting for the perfect other times. Next time, when homecoming guy to come and sweep me off my feet? Well, and prom roll around, let’s cut the guys a bit maybe that’s a bit on the ridiculous side, as of slack and be a bit more appreciative, havthose notions have been buried along with ing seen the tables turned and experienced the petticoats and dowries. Regardless, the whole temporary trauma that is associated with the reversed gender roles thing has gotten me a asking process. bit suspicious of society in general, wondering what good could possibly come out of a tgu@theapachepowwow.com practice like this.

Staff Writer

TCID:

By EMILY YANG Staff Writer

Ladies and gentlemen, I am revealing today the most carefully concealed horror of our time: Disney movies. Yes, that’s right, Disney movies. They are just about the most terrible thing to give to children next to feeding them pie every day; they bring joy for a while, but, in the long run, are detrimental to society by contaminating the vessels of the future: innocent little kids.

Let us take a look at Exhibit A: Snow White’s poison apple. Clearly, something as horrible and frightening as this red ball of death inspires something that all parents would wish for their children to avoid: a fear of fruit. Thus, I have concluded that our beloved treasure of Walt Disney’s first full-length animated feature is the sole cause of obesity in American children.

Down with Snow White and down with diabetes!

Now for Exhibit B: a wooden puppet commonly recognized as “Pinocchio.”

This little doll ditches school and winds up being turned into a real boy as―what?― a reward for his disobedience! What in the world are kids watching these days? Disney condones skipping school; what’s next, marijuana and drunk driving?

Let’s examine Exhibit C. This little half-fish girl―oops, I mean, Ariel the mermaid―is the epitome of the impetuous, hormonal teenager. She catches sight of a hot guy for the first time and is immediately head over heels in love, running and/ or swimming after someone not even of her own species, like a weirder version of Romeo and Juliet. But unlike Juliet, Ariel suffers no consequences for leaving her friends and family in the dust and is instead rewarded with a free species transformation

and a wedding with the aforementioned hot guy. A beautiful message of love and consideration to show to little kids, isn’t it?

Not. Ah, but the horrors don’t end there; let’s head on over to exhibit D. Take a look at this little fox here, who I like to refer to as Robbin’ Hoodlum. That’s right, this furry thief is just that―a thief. Hoarding the gold of the rich, who rightfully earned their heaping loads of cash, Robin Hood passes out money to the destitute, the depressed―and the downright lazy. Hey, if the rich could get rich by taking advantage of poor people, then the poor could at least put in the effort to do the same. Robin Hood bails them out of their own messes; where’s the justice in that?

And finally, let’s turn our heads over to exhibit E, a lovely rendition of the scariest lady ever animated, Cruella de Vil. And look at that white hair. Clearly, she inspires a deep and inerasable fear of the elderly within all little children. My little cousin won’t go near my grandma anymore after watching this freaky lady on screen. (Let’s just pretend that I didn’t egg him on at all.) Is this really something we want to arouse in our citizens of tomorrow?

Let’s face it; Disney movies are instilling phony realities into the minds of children. So what if Disney brings happiness and hopes and dreams to the nation’s youth? This gives them false impressions.

We should instead start showing rated R movies to children to dash their hopes early so that they won’t waste time waiting for Prince Charmings and Fairy Godmothers.

Give ‘em a nice dose of reality, and no spoons full of sugar allowed! eyang@theapachepowwow.com Photo Courtesy of www.flickr.com

March 2009

OPINION

theapachepowwow.com

I am Not a Racist, but I am a Liar

By NURIA MATHOG Staff Writer

Race should never have been an issue. It is such a trivial matter, inconsequential to the point of absurdity, a preconception wrought solely from generalizations and misguided assumptions. There are no genes clearly defining race, no alleles distinguishing one ethnicity from another, but merely the social constraints that we ourselves have created.

And yet, for whatever reason, we chose to make it our issue. Some strange compulsion drove us to single out other cultures, and because we lacked the capacity to adequately understand them, we formed our own interpretations— prejudices that unfortunately continue to this very day. Even in a society that prides itself on open-mindedness and equality, we still require antidiscrimination laws to protect minorities from racist gestures. For all our illusions of modern impartiality, racism is still as prevalent a problem as ever.

To a certain extent, racism may be an inherent trait, but for the most part it’s acquired through our exposure to it. As children, we noted obvious differences between ourselves and our playmates, but they were the same sort of indifferent observations as “the sky is blue” or “it’s raining today.” We noticed, but couldn’t care less. As we grew older, though, we became more observant of the behavior of

those around us, and the once-dormant beast of racism awoke at long last. Gone was the “play nice” attitude, gone was the “everyone’s equal inside” philosophy; our eyes were abruptly opened to the judgment of the world. The media tiptoed around the subject of race, handling the matter with cautious and delicate language, and we sensed that it was something forbidden, an unbreakable taboo.

Today, we are uncertain of our relation-

heart—for all our pretensions of insensitivity, we’re not quite as callous as we may appear.

In truth, though, our comments do have a lasting effect much greater than that of temporary indignation, and to a certain extent, we do believe them. It isn’t so much the ridiculousness of racist comments that we find amusing, but the extent to which they appear to mirror reality. We may not mean them in a deliberately cruel way, but ultimately, they only serve to perpetuate racial stereotypes. There are all kinds of racially-based beliefs, ranging from the silly to the serious.

But the more we spread around racial misconceptions, the more we unfairly single out others, and effectively set back our nation’s progress in achieving racial equality. Though overt hate crimes are relatively uncommon here in Arcadia, they do occur in neighboring cities like Temple City and Monrovia. Though we may not take what we say seriously, our commentary only reinforces the beliefs behind these actions.

We would do well to handle race with care, for our words have more power than we might be inclined to believe. After all, for all of our petty squabbles and name-calling, we have an extraordinary amount in common. Though we may not always get along, essentially we all belong to a single classification—the human race.

We would do well to handle race with care, for our words have more power than we might be inclined to believe. ship to racial matters, hesitantly straddling the border between outrage and tolerance. We know that racism is wrong, certainly, but at the same time the subtle whispers of our peers intrigue us. Our guilty misgivings don’t stop us from jumping into the discussions, laughing at the offensive remarks, or nodding knowingly at the stereotypes. That word—racist—doesn’t really apply to us, we reason, not if we don’t genuinely mean anything we say. Or do we?

For the most part, we don’t truly intend to offend anyone. We view our actions as harmless fun, an innocent pastime with no serious consequences. We are aware that our words may anger others, and we’re ready with an apology when someone takes them to

nmathog@theapachepowwow.com

The Invasion of the Teenyboppers

By CHRISTINE XU Staff Writer

Do you see this dinosaur of a green-andpurple bruise that is blossoming beautifully on my arm? My friend did that. Yeah, she slapped my arm as hard as she could because I forgot what today was. You don’t know? Then why should I? I shouldn’t have to be mauled because I forgot that Nick Jonas’ half-birthday was two weeks ago!

You might have a friend like the one who assaulted me, and I’m pretty sure we’re not talking about the same person. Your friend’s life is probably consumed with thoughts of the ridiculously mainstream Jonas Brothers, the deified Miley Cyrus, and the debatably-attractive Robert Pattinson. She (or in some rare cases, he) has pictures of these stars plastered on her walls, and her binder is adorned with pouty photos of these teen idols. Once a new movie or single from one of these celebrities is released, all mayhem ensues and your friend will join her other JoBro or Demi Lovato fans in some sort of ritualistic chant (also known as a never-ending shriek) to honor their idols’ success.

Throughout the last year, the fan bases of these G-rated darlings have expanded like yeast, and collectively, could overpopulate Asia. In most cases, the romantic appeal of male celebrities has sparked the mobilization of a legion of female soldiers dedicated to hovering over their future husbands, except the only reason that the fans would ever want to protect their beloved Jonas Brothers or Robert Pattinson is that they want the boys for themselves. As for Miley Cyrus, she somehow captivated her fans with her “down-to-earth” personality and instantly became our favorite

TCID:

hillbilly-cum-pop star. But, despite all of this, an outsider can easily admit that this type of fanaticism is unhealthy, cultlike, and just a bit alarming. Responding to a statement such as “I could never live without Joe Jonas in my life” isn’t easy, and it makes you question just how strong a fan’s attachment to a celebrity can be.

First, there is the initial interest in a Graphic by DAVID HERNANDEZ highly-publicized figure, such as HI, I’M MRS. JONAS I wonder if Kevin, Joe, and Nick Selena Gomez or Jonas are aware of their polygamy. the aforementioned command a group of people as persuasively as Jonas Brothers. Then this harmless interest Adolf Hitler did. When anyone is turned into moves up a tier to ‘favorite actor or singer.’ silly putty in such a short amount of time—esAnd somewhere along the way, “like” perpecially for someone they haven’t personally versely becomes “love,” and now a fan feels met (and no, meeting them in your dreams like he or she is on a personal level with Selena definitely does not count)—it is only normal Gomez. It’s a swift and unsuspecting epidemic that someone of my sanity should worry. And in the form of sighs and oohs and ahhs, and when the day comes when the Jonas Brothers despite the natural quality of it, one can’t help require bodyguards for their undergarments, but think something is clearly wrong when I believe these followers need to take a step Sept. 11 is only observed as five days before back and extricate themselves from the loving Nick Jonas’ birthday. arms of our Disney stars and reevaluate just Sure, I have my interests, too, but none of how hysterical they are. And, what do you them are as excessive as this growing twisted know, that day has come. love for teen celebrities. Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers hold four times as much power cxu@theapachepowwow.com as Alexander the Great did, and can easily

5

The World is Our Campus

By NURIA MATHOG Staff Writer

We live in a terribly small world. It’s so small, in fact, that it has four definable boundaries: Campus, Santa Anita, Duarte, and El Monte. And regardless of its size, we find it remarkably easy to lose ourselves in it; somewhere in the tangle of hallways and portables, we are swept into the underlying currents of tension and unspoken rivalry.

That is the great enigma of AHS. The hostility is not evident at first glance, though it occasionally surfaces in the form of spiteful remarks and envious expressions. There are the uncomfortable moments of silence that follow a comparison of test grades, the despair in not fulfilling our own ridiculous expectations, the arrogance and ambition that frequently go hand in hand. In the company of good friends—but more often in the privacy of our own minds—we profess our “hatred” for those who have outperformed us, channeling our frustration into a powerful desire to leave our contenders in the dust. We scheme to do better next time, not for our own personal benefit, but out of a selfish need to strip away the satisfaction of achievement from our peers. We simply cannot settle for second best; the concept of the “academic underdog” is repugnant to us, an injurious blow to our pride. In order to maintain our dignity, we throw ourselves into intense competition, scratching and clawing our way to the top, regardless of the cost.

In our world, we care only for certain statistics, seeking validation in the cold, hard numerical data of averages and grade cut-offs. We redeem ourselves through our GPAs and SAT scores, convinced that a direct correlation exists between our selfworth and an untarnished 4.0. While we vocally dismiss such accusations as frivolous, there is no question that we dedicate our lives to acquiring the mysterious, evasive asset known as success. When fortune is kind to us, we thrill internally, and suppress it though we might, the warm glow of accomplishment does not go unnoticed— some react favorably and are sincerely happy for us, but others contribute only silent glares and scathing, corrosive animosity. And when the tables are turned, the subtle twinge of jealousy is inevitable. We force ourselves to feign smiles at the lucky individual, offer the mandatory congratulations, and later softly say to ourselves, “That could have been me.”

This may be the only world we know, but we overestimate it. AHS represents only one small portion of a much greater universe. Our competitive natures severely warp our perceptions of reality, and we fail to recognize that society is not limited to our campus. We would do well to foster friendship instead of illiciting resentment.

In a few years, we’ll be entering the real world, and that’s an experience that unnecessary enmity certainly will not prepare us for. We don’t need more putdowns and convictions of inferiority. What we need is one another’s support for the trials yet to come. nmathog@theapachepowwow.com

6

OPINION

theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

It’s Not Me; It’s You. Let’s Just Not Be Friends ary, Jack is surely listed there. You’ve learned to not become too attached to any articles of clothing or office supplies that he has a preference for, because obviously, they’re labeled as “Jack Territory,” all available for him to snag.

And back to that movie: he is eager to spend time with you, but is often late, forgets the event, and it’s not uncommon to hear something like this: “OH, MAN! Lily and I went to the beach today because the weather was so perfect and we haven’t talked in a really long time and I AM SO SORRY! I’ll make it up to you; I promise!” Somewhere in between, he even has the audacity to admonish you for not reminding him to show up “because you know how he is.” So if any of your friends are acquainted with Jack, they had better get used to rescheduling constantly—and it’s better that they don’t know why.

By CHRISTINE XU Staff Writer

Friends: sometimes you love them, and sometimes you hate them. And most of the time, we love them enough to overlook their flaws, right? But lately, what if some friends just give you a burning, prickling sensation in the back of your neck every time you to talk to them? So what if you’ve both been handing out Star Wars Valentine’s Day cards since first grade? Or if you’ve grown up playing hideand-seek with each other? There’s no doubt that some qualities make you wish you had never been their friend in the first place. Here, I’ve identified a few to look out for.

The I-Hate-Everything Friend This is the friend (let’s say her name is Jill) that makes you instinctively feel the need to project yourself as someone more immaculate and more confident than you really are, because she is liable to wear you down more than any of your other friends. Your friend has contracted the UGH (Unfailingly Grossly Haughty) virus—so it’s best to always say less about yourself so Jill can say less about you and divert her attention to degrading the appearance of some poor stranger who just happened to be walking by. Hey, that could have been you. It’s too bad you can’t mention any of Jill’s faults to her; she might end up berating you about the pronunciation of your S’s before she can process it at all.

The Needy Friend Oh, yeah, that one. This friend constantly

Graphic by DEBBIE JONG

BFFL’S (BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE)? Yeah, right. From left to right: The I-Hate-Everything Friend, the Needy Friend, the Promise-Breaking Friend, and the Copycat Friend. asks to borrow your personal items, and exploits whatever resources you have on hand.

Bob wants to use your car since his mother won’t let him drive his own (because he’s “too reckless with it”), wants you to return something he bought ages ago (because you live closer to the mall), and heck, you’ll probably end up doing his taxes if you keep talking to him now. If you say no to any of these things, Bob will pout and play the cold shoulder tactic until you apologize for wronging him so. And when Bob is up for some therapy, who is left to stay on the line while he vents or sobs his heart

out? Definitely not your other friends, who were smart enough to abandon your beggar of a pal here before he realized they could be his easy ways out. So do yourself a favor, and say you’re too busy to do anything before Bob here calls you a heartless, uncaring friend.

The Promise-Breaking Friend It’s 4:00 p.m. already, and you’re waiting for Jack to show up for the movie that started half an hour ago. Does this seem a little unusual? Unfortunately, no. If you look up the words “flaky” and “unreliable” in the diction-

The Copycat Friend They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but there really is too much of a good thing. Sure, a few ideas can be adopted here and there, but it is no doubt a bit irritating to find yourself face-to-face with a twin who enjoys hovering over you. Every day I see Amy is a wave of déjà vu—didn’t I see that shirt two hours ago in the mirror? Oh, and when did Amy buy those shoes with the same exact pattern as mine? And that hat…? Dude, stop using MY lingo! And no, we are not twins because we have nearly identical screen names. What is this blasphemy? Face it, you really don’t need more than one shadow. cxu@theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

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PERFORMING ARTS

Foolishness for Funds: Speech Follies

By OISHEE SHEMONTEE Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy of JIHOO SEO

STUNNED Juniors Carl Trigilio and Virginia Ma perform.

We often have the chance to watch our sports teams in action, with football matches and basketball games, but the opportunity to see what Speech and Debate students can do arises only once every year. This year, Speech and Debate’s annual show, Speech Follies, gave us a glimpse of exactly what these talented individuals are capable of doing.

Stretching from Wednesday, Mar. 11 to Saturday, Mar. 14, Speech Follies was an extremely successful fundraiser which showcased the talented orators of AHS. Each evening differed from the previous, with varying schedules and pieces, but every night offered audiences a wide range of speeches, from serious Original Advocacy speeches to hysterical Humorous Interpretations, all within the space of two hours.

Some favorites, such as Kritika Jinagouda and Beverly Chiang’s Duo Interpretation, and Joann Park’s Original Prose and Poetry piece, were shown on more than one night.

Most of the show ran without hitch, playing to packed houses, and raising about $3200. Each speech was executed beautifully and received thunderous applause from the cheering audience. This comes as no surprise to those who know that approximately twenty of the performers are ranked amongst the best in the district, and will be going to State Champs in April. Although some technical difficulties did arise, they were overcome swiftly and effectively, and the show went on without any disturbance in the audience.

The end experience was extremely satisfying for both the enthusiastic audience and the even more enthusiastic speakers.

“Speech Follies went really well this year. A lot of people came and supported, and it was a lot of fun,” said Virginia Ma, currently a Junior Officers of Speech and Debate. All their hard work paid off with an excellent four-day run in the Little Theatre, enjoyed by many. Freshman Jeanne Kuong commented about the Wednesday performance of the show animatedly: “I liked the mix of comedy and drama and advocacy, and it was just really entertaining.” All those who missed this year’s performance can make sure to catch this fantastic show next year, same time, same place. oshemontee@theapachepowwow.com

theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

Sandra Wong Dances to Her Own Song

By KATHERINE BAY Staff Writer

A typical Pep Squad member would start off small the first couple years on the team and then gradually become a leader or even captain.

As of now, senior Sandra Wong holds the position of Song captain, but how does she differ from all the other captains, you ask? She’s been Song captain for a grand total of four years. And no, that wasn’t a typo.

Considering the countless number of hours that she must commit to Pep Squad, it’s amazing that Sandra has extra time to put into other activities, such as being a member of Orchestra 3, A.L.L.I.E.S. , Senior Men and Women, volunteering at Toy Loan of L.A. County, and an accountant at her church.

Her active involvement paid off when she was recently honored Volunteer of the Year at Toy Loan of L.A. County. “ We l l , [school, friends, and practices] go hand in hand. Many of my friends are actually on Song, and when I’m stressed about school, they always help me relieve stress,” Sandra said.

With demanding Photos by DEBBIE JONG

UP, UP, AND AWAY Sandra Wong leaps and shows off some of her perfected dance moves.

academic classes such as AP Physics, Economics, AP English, and Calculus CD, it is amazing that Sandra finds time to participate in any extracurriculars at all. Because both Pep Squad and Orchestra demand extra practices, it’s quite incredible to assume that Sandra even has time to sleep. According to her, Pep Squad taught her how to manage time. Since it occupies a great amount of her day, she has learned to be more efficient in a shorter amount of time.

Most would commend Sandra for her physical and mental strength, which she demonstrates a t

each and every game, assembly, and rally, because she not only never gives up, but also encourages others to never quit as well. Song member freshman Kelly Mock described Sandra as an inspiration: “She taught me to be independent and stand up for what I believe in and to not let other people get in the way. She also helped me with all my problems, school- and not school-related, like what classes to take and not take and what clubs to join and not join. She makes me happy on my worst days.”

Sandra isn’t your usual captain because she goes above and beyond by acting as a great role model for the girls and showing them that it’s not impossible to do it all. Sophomore Wendy Wu said, “The biggest way she has in-

fluenced me is by showing me that when you look at life in a more positive manner, the more fun you will have living it.”

Not only does she find music for each performance and choreograph Song’s moves, but she also “keeps the team in a universal mindset, spirited, and enthusiastic amidst all [they] do,” Sandra explained.

Ultimately, her job as captain is to keep the team together and push everyone to the best of their abilities, all of which she has done throughout her four years of being Song captain.

This year, her Song team bonded well from the very beginning. “I’d have to say that these girls have grown to be my best friends, even though we’re all in different grades,” she admitted.

After her high school career, Sandra wishes to attend UCLA and become a math teacher, believing that helping others is one of the greatest accomplishments one can have. Since math is one of the most hated subjects, she would like to share her love for math with others. All in all, Sandra believes that all of her success came from God―she believes that everything that has happened to her fell into place because of Him. She said, “God is my hero. He glues my world together and keeps me going. He makes me incredibly happy and I love Him so much.” kbay@theapachepowwow.com

Band’s Musical Notes Soar Straight Into the Sky

By LAUREEN MA Staff Writer

Band’s Vertical Concert will take place on April 1 at the Pasadena High School Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. This concert will include performances from all of the middle schools in the Arcadia Unified School District, including First Avenue, Dana, and Foothills, as well as AHS’ Concert Band 3. Concert Band 3 consists of around seventy to eighty musically gifted sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The conductors are Mr. Mike Danielson from First Avenue Middle School, Mr. Jeff Grable from Dana Middle School, Mr. Carl Morton from Foothills Middle School, and Mr. Tom Landes from AHS. The purpose of this concert is to provide a demonstration of the various bands’ progress throughout these past couple of months, bring great music for the audience to enjoy, and raise

money for the Arcadia Music Club. The schedule for the concert is as follows: all of the middle schools will perform first, and the AHS Concert Band will go last to top off the evening.

Concert Band 3 will perform two famous musical pieces during the concert: “Procession of the Nobles,” composed by Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, and “Russian Christmas Music,” composed by Alfred Reed.

“Procession of the Nobles” is a symphonic masterpiece that is filled with rhythm and joy.

Leading to the ending, there are multiple notes that follow up into the strong and powerful ending of the song. The famous 1944 musical piece, “Russian Christmas Music,” is popular in concert band literature. It only has one actual movement, but this song can be separated into four different sections: “The Carol of the Little Russian Children,” “Antiphonal Chant,” “The Village Song,” and “The Cathedral Chorus.”

The entire piece is around fourteen to sixteen

minutes long when performed. Composer Alfred Reed was only given around sixteen days to create the song; in the end, he succeeded, and it was debuted on NBC’s nationally broadcasted radio.

Concert Band 3 practices every day during second period under the instruction of Mr. Landes as well as every Thursday from 7:00 p.m.8:30 p.m. There is also individual preparation because it is very important that every member is dedicated to practicing in order to achieve the best. Flute section leader senior Stephanie Tai said, “I think that we [will do] pretty well.

We’ve had the pieces for a couple months, and we really fine tuned it. We [are] concentrated [on] making sure that people [have] their parts down. Aside from a few problem spots, I think that all the songs [sound] pretty good.” lma@theapachepowwow.com

Photos by PETER HUANG and GREGORY ZAJAC

INSTRUMENTALS Members of Concert Band rehearse, honing their performance until all songs are flawless and in unison.

PERFORMING ARTS

9 “Little Shop of Horrors,” Terror with a [Musical] Twist

March 2009

theapachepowwow.com

By EILEEN CHOW Staff Writer

Just what are those “Please do not feed the plants” or “Wanted” notices posted all around our campus? Are they advertisements for a new club or merely entertaining notices to remind us to always throw away our trash?

In fact, these advertisements are for ADD’s latest production, “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Senior Torie Jee said that all the notices have been “confusing people, but it’s creating a buzz and building up the hype around our play.” This show will premiere in the Little Theater from Mar. 24-28 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased for $10 at lunch or for $12 at the door. This production will “really get the school talking,” said senior Iris Guo. This production is “AHS’ first musical in over 20 years,” said ADD director, Mr. Steven Volpe. “Little Shop of Horrors” tells the story of three characters—the clumsy, nerdy Seymore, the beautiful, ditzy Audrey, and the grouchy Mr. Mushnik—through a whole array of dancing and singing. Set in the povertystricken city of Skid Row, a struggling florist shop transforms into an overnight sensation when Seymore discovers a new plant species.

Seymore continues to feed the plant, Audrey II, while wishing to win the real Audrey’s love. However, not much is known about this mysterious plant. Soon, Audrey II turns into a grumpy, rude, R&B-singing carnivore—a phenomenal creature who can shower Sey-

more with fame and fortune in exchange for satisfying its ever-growing appetite.

Rehearsals were held every weekday from 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. since early February, and weekend rehearsals that usually spanned from four to six hours. Practices were “split up into acting rehearsals, singing rehearsals, and dance rehearsals,” said Iris. For personal character preparations, junior Andrew McDaniels said that he would “[basically] sing and dance everywhere.” Iris, who plays one of the doo-wop girls, agrees, saying, “I [sometimes] find myself singing the songs when I am walking through the halls, doing homework or just sitting in class. I cannot get the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ songs out of my head.”

Commenting on her own part as Audrey, senior Shae Palic said that she was “honored to get [the] part. Audrey is a ditzy girl with an extremely high voice and a big blond wig, so [her] part is [extremely] fun.” Senior Elias Koutantos, who plays Mr. Mushnik, said that “this is the best production ever. This production [has] a $1000 rented plant, a huge rotating stage, wonderful dance numbers, entertaining music, teachers being eaten by a plant, and comedy.” Andrew McDaniels added to this, saying that the Audrey II is “10 feet tall” and that it “eats people, including teachers. Every night we are feeding a different teacher to the plant.” “We all put so much work into this, and we hope [that] everyone appreciates it,” said Shae. echow@theapachepowwow.com

Photos by YENTL IP

OH, THE HORROR! The actors of the Advanced Drama Department perfect their musical performance during dress rehearsal.

Colorguard & Percussion Both Seek World Championship Title Thanksgiving, and even sometimes on Saturdays. According to junior Katherine Chin, also Staff Writer a leader, Colorguard “practices [their] dance After school, Colorguard members are of- technique, get tones, learn drills for [their] show ten spotted spinning flags, throwing rifles, and and choreography that goes with the drill” as perfecting routines and choreography. With well as “cleaning [their] show, and anything their world championship competitions just else to make the show better.” Cleaning the around the corner, Colorguard members are show consists of reviewing different parts of putting all their concentration toward their the show and ensuring that every member practices. is performing in unison. Freshman World Guard will be attendJohanna Gunawan said, “Pracing their world championships tices are quite rigorous but well in Dayton, Ohio, around the worth it.” beginning of April. World As for the Colorguard Guard members will leave competitions before WGI, school on the Wednesday World Guard recently atbefore Spring Break to tended regionals in San compete in Winter Guard Diego from Mar. 7-8. ColInternational (WGI), the orguard also participated world championship orin another regional which ganization which AHS’ occurred on Mar. 21-22 in Colorguard is part of. WGI Union City near San Franis an extremely large contest cisco. Colorguard did quite in which hundreds of teams all well during the recent San Diover the country compete and perego regionals; they won first place form their own routines. Teams Photo by SAMMI WONG with an overall score of 83.3. As from other countries, such as Japan, England, said by Kritika, regionals are important because and Canada, are also arriving to take part in this “WGI (Winter Guard International), uses our event. During the competition, “we will be per- scores and placings to rank us, and [it] pretty forming our winter indoor show. It’s [titled] the much determines how the world championships Geometry of Art & Life to the music of ‘An- will turn out in April.” During regionals, the predare’ by Ludovico Enandi,” said Colorguard liminary competition took place on the first day, captain, senior Kritika Jinagouda. while World Guard stayed overnight to comColorguard members have a usual set prac- pete in the finals on the second day. The team’s tice routine. Normally, Colorguard members score was determined by Colorguard’s perforhave practice in the mornings from 7:30 a.m. mance during the finals. During the preliminary until the end of first period. On Mondays and rounds, the AHS World Guard scored an 81.3 Wednesdays after school, Colorguard gathers and received an 83.3 for the final round. and practices from 6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Practice sessions were also held during winter break, echow@theapachepowwow.com

By EILEEN CHOW

Graphic by KRISTEN SHIELDS

that would help strengthen their general effect area. Senior Jonathan Price, captain of Staff Writer the Bass line, comments that at one point durEntitled “Missing You,” this year’s Varsity ing the show, “we fling our drums around to Percussion show embodies the universal feel- mimic the hauling of luggage at an airport in ing of missing another human being. Inspired order to symbolize distance and stepping out by the anticipated emotions that the underclass- into the world for the first time.”

With only a couple of competitions bemen are bound to feel for the graduating seniors hind them, the Percussion is already off to an when they leave, this show demonstrates the amazing start, scoring close to 80 out depth and complexity of life and our of 100 at their first regional. Lookjourney through it. Junior Morgan ing to top last year’s placement Carpenter, a first-year member at the world championship on the Varsity Percussion pit located in Dayton, Ohio, in line, describes the other asmid-April, this year’s team pect of the show to be about is working harder than “the outside world and how ever. Because the team is it can be scary and fun sicomposed of a majority of multaneously.” seniors, the tremendous To put it in simpler amount of past experiterms, senior Beatrice Li ences will definitely give states that “it’s a really them an advantage. Despite sweeping and emotional show the setback in their schedule that describes the journey of a due to the Florida trip that octeenager, including growing up, curred in late December to the desire to leave, and wanting freedom, but at the same Photo Courtesy of TIFFANY GU early January, Morgan comtime missing family and friends in the process.” ments that “everything still looks positive for She even admitted to tearing up during rehears- championship.”

With the season close to being over, the als just thinking about the future and how this show truly reflects how she feels. Hitting this graduating seniors will have to put the knowlclose to home, one can imagine how difficult it edge that they gained from this show to the is for the seniors to not put their hearts and souls test in the real world and experience all the into perfecting every step and every beat of this feelings that they were trying to portray all show in order to convey their emotions. The season long. It’s not going to be an easy task strong link between each member and this show given the close bond that the line has formed has helped the entire Percussion as a whole be- in the past four years, but with this show, they may finally achieve the closure that they all come motivated to work hard this season.

Given the intricate process of this year’s deserve. show, the line has been extremely creative and swong@theapachepowwow.com original with their props, moves, and anything

By SAMMI WONG

10

FEATURES

theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

Spring Break Fun for Under Ten Dollars

By ALWYNA LAU

By AMBER KAKISH

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

We’ve all seen the changes in music and artists through time, but there are just some musicians who never seem to put their musical careers and fame behind them.

We haven’t seen or heard much of rapper Eminem since 2004, when he released his hit album Encore. However, in 2007, he started recording a new album, Relapse, which will be released on May 19, 2009.

Anticipation has been building since the end of 2008 when Eminem played one of the songs from his CD, “I’m Having a Relapse,” on a popular radio station. Eminem also pleased his fans by releasing “Crack a Bottle,” which skyrocketed on the Billboard Top 100 songs instantly. In the debut week alone, there have been a total of 418,000 downloads.

On the pop side, the solo artist Gwen Stefani will be coming out with a new album with her popular band, No Doubt, which was famous during the ‘90s. Although their album will probably not be released until 2010, the band plans to go on tour sometime this year to perform some of their most popular songs from the past. “I think if we go out on tour it will inspire us to write,” Stefani said to Rock and Roll Daily.,“I need to see the fans out there.” Tony Kanal, No Doubt bassist, has also leaked to a source that their album’s songs will be based on the members’ real life experiences.

It seems that the popular group that gave us the hit songs “Over My Head” and “How to Save a Life” has disappeared lately, but fortunately for their fans, The Fray is back. Their new self-titled album, has been available for purchase since Feb. 3. Their hit single, “You Found Me,” has already been played on the hit television show Grey’s Anatomy and has received about 250,000 downloads in the first three weeks that it was available. akakish@theapachepowwow.com

By ALWYNA LAU Staff Writer

-Tell your friends you’re moving.

-Bake cookies and switch the proportion of sugar and salt.

-During lunch, tell your friends there is a pop quiz in fifth period.

-Put rocks in candy wrappers and pass them out.

-Put an elastic band around the push button of the sprayer in the sink and make it face toward where the person stands.

Watch your friends get soaked!

-Squeeze a banana softly until it becomes very soft. Use a needle to make some holes in its black spots so that they cannot be seen easily. Ask someone to hand you the banana and watch them as the smashed pulp comes pouring out! alau@theapachepowwow.com

Were you dreaming of lying on a hammock tied between two coconut trees, sipping a piña colada on the sandy beaches of an exotic paradise island while you were in class for the past few weeks? Well, a luxurious tropical vacation isn’t something most people can afford for the much anticipated spring break right around the corner. But having fun during spring break shouldn’t have to burn a hole in your wallet. So here are some fun suggested ways to spend spring break for only $10 or less each day with your friends, right here in Arcadia. alau@theapachepowwow.com

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Five Films Worth Springing For

By KATE TRINH Staff Writer

Thankfully, the arrival of spring break is looming over us, which can only mean one thing: a week of freedom away from school.

During this much-needed vacation, our minds should be as far away from textbooks and calculators as possible. Fortunately for us, the movie theaters provide us the perfect escape from our lives as diligent students and allow us to drift away from the stressful reality. The following movies premiere just around spring break, giving you a great chance to spend time with friends.

Knowing (Mar. 20) In this science fiction thriller, Nicholas Cage stars as John Koestler, a professor who discovers an encoded message written 50 years ago that eerily and accurately predicts upcoming world catastrophes.

The cryptic document consists of seemingly arbitrary

numbers, yet it correctly determines the dates and locations of disasters, as well as the death tolls of each. As Koestler slowly decodes the message, he learns that the world is to be destroyed and takes it upon himself to prevent global destruction.

12 Rounds (Mar. 27) Well-known wrestler John Cena takes on the role of a detective in this intense and violent action film. An anonymous terrorist mysteriously kidnaps Detective Danny Fisher’s girlfriend and blackmails Fisher. Set in the streets of New Orleans, the movie follows Fisher’s risky attempts to complete 12 rounds of tricks and games to rescue his girlfriend, all while under enormous pressure and limited time.

Monsters vs. Aliens (Mar. 27) DreamWorks has produced yet another animated film, this time involving extraterrestrials. When a meteor strikes Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) she unnaturally grows into a fiftyfoot giant. Susan finds herself confined to a top secret area regulated by the government, along with a myriad of other monsters she befriends. However, a colossal robot lands on earth and terrorizes the people, forcing the president to call upon Susan and the monsters to defend the world against the robot. The all-star cast also includes Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland, and Stephen Colbert.

The Haunting in Connecticut (Mar. 27) Spring break may be carefree and

blissful, but this movie is quite the opposite.

This horror film is based on a true story of a couple that moves to a new home, close to a clinic where their son can receive cancer treatments. Much to their fear, however, the family soon learns the truth: their new house was previously a mortuary with a hidden past.

They are terrorized day and night, and witness strange, supernatural events, and they have no choice but to enlist the help of ghost hunters and the Catholic Church.

Fast & Furious (Apr. 3) Yet another film will soon be added to The Fast and the Furious series. The original actors from the first movie, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, reprise their roles as agent Brian O’Conner and fugitive Dominic Toretto. They unwillingly encounter each other once again when a crime erupts in Los Angeles, and the two must reunite to face a common enemy.

Sure to include an abundance of thrilling scenes behind the wheel, the movie forces the two men to cooperate and to learn to trust each other.

Bart Got a Room (Apr. 3) Premiering at the perfect time, this comedy centers around one of the most celebrated high school traditions of all: prom. Danny Stein is your average high school nerd struggling with peer pressure, teenage angst, stress, and his parents’ recent divorce. Ready to conclude his high school career with a bang, Danny is prepared for the ideal prom with a crisp tux, roomy limo, and hotel room. The downside?

He hasn’t exactly found his date; even Bart, the nerdiest of them all, has asked a girl. With help (or lack thereof) from his friends, Danny embarks on a mission to snatch himself a date in time for prom. ktrinh@theapachepowwow.com

FEATURES

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March 2009

St. Patty’s Day Debunkers

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Lucky Charms for Your Zodiac Sign

By CELESTE CHEUNG Staff Writer

Aries

Tau r

us

By JOANNA SHEN Staff Writer

The bell rings as you enter campus, gladly anticipating that math test you studied all last night for. Flashes of green surround you and you rack your brain for that forgotten holiday: St. Patrick’s Day. You frantically look down at your outfit for the day for any hidden shade of green or any color that can be argued for as green. Maybe that minuscule leaf hiding at the way corner of your T-shirt will work. To avoid the wrath of teenagers eager to use St. Patrick’s Day as an acceptable excuse to justifiably pinch people, you hastily grab a green pen and draw a four-leaf clover on your hand, a guaranteed pass to keep you safe from harm through the entire day, even if your friends do accuse you of cheating. But, where do the color green and shamrocks tie in on St. Patrick’s Day, the mysterious day we all gladly accept as part of our list of celebrated holidays but really don’t know much about?

Why do we wear green?

In Irish folklore, the color green was considered unlucky because it was the favorite shade of the—you guessed it—leprechauns. A common superstition was that if children wore too much green, they would be kidnapped. The gradual acceptance of green was later established in representation of the fertility and life of the land and the shamrock.

Why do we pinch people who are not wearing green?

The tradition of pinching lies in the belief that leprechauns were out to pinch everyone in their sight. However, green attire would serve as an invisibility cloak to hide you from the pinching leprechauns. Those who did not wear green would face the wrath of pinches to remind them to wear green the next time around.

Why are four leaf clovers considered lucky?

The traditional shamrock has three leaves, representing the holy trinity. However, when a four-leaf clover, or shamrock, is found, the additional leaf represents God’s grace, a symbol of luck and fortune. From another perspective, it was believed that when Eve left the Garden of Eden, she took a four-leaf clover with her as a memory and those who find it will share a piece of the paradise Eve once had.

St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally celebrated to honor St. Patrick the, ironically, British priest who drove paganism out of Ireland and died on Mar. 17 around 461 A.D. So, the next time St. Patrick’s Day comes around, wear a splash of green, pinch your friends who fail to do so to “remind” them, and be on the lookout for those miniature, sly men at the end of the rainbow. jshen@theapachepowwow.com

Viruses: Invisible Detrimental Buggers

By JOANNA SHEN Staff Writer

Our staple diet of Facebook, MySpace, and iTunes has kept us entertained for hours (if not days) on end, serving as stress relievers to our rigorous daily routines. It is difficult to go a day without checking if someone posted on your wall or left you a message, listening to your favorite song, or racking up plays on iTunes. But you can watch your worst nightmares become reality in a matter of minutes if you let one of the Internet’s most deadly diseases infect your hard drive. Lucky for you, here are some tips and tricks to keep your computer bug-free and clean of detrimental viruses.

A video sent by a close friend can be seemingly harmless, but the consequences may prove otherwise. The wall post from a friend urging you watch a hilarious video is, in

actuality, a Trojan Horse that contains a W32 Koobface worm, which embeds itself into your system and takes over your Facebook account, ultimately spamming most of your friends.

Avoid websites where they allow you to watch videos only when you “upgrade” or “install updates” because these are the most common ways to catch bugs.

We are so accustomed to sending files with ease through our friendly messaging device, AIM. The AIM virus is a fairly new virus that lies hidden in the attachments of chat boxes. What may seem like an English essay or interesting song is actually a virus that replicates itself and is capable of shutting down entire computer networks. Best tip for late night chats: Make sure your buddy really intended to send you that attachment.

Contrary to its title, the ILOVEYOU virus is far from heartwarming. Beginning in 2001, it was heralded by many as the worst

worm to ever enter a computer. The duplicitous email filled with sweet words will eat your hard drive to pieces. The ILOVEYOU worm is capable of overwriting important files like that five-page essay you pulled an all-nighter to write and multimedia files as well. Goodbye to $300 worth of iTunes downloads. The virus was powerful enough to attack even the Pentagon, causing 5.5 billion dollars worth of damage. So, the next time you see a suspicious email that flatters your beautiful face, think twice about opening the attachment.

Beware computer lovers, for a simple click of the mouse can lead to a whole mess of troubles and potential tears. Next time you’re IM-ing your friend, perusing Facebook, or checking your email, take precautions in what you click and open because a seemingly harmless attachment can be your worst nightmare. jshen@theapachepowwow.com

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ME...

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March 2009

By LAUREN WONG Staff Writer

From the moment the school year lets out to the ending of the next school year in June, a certain staff works diligently, combining the efforts of a whole team of graphic designers, advertisers, copy editors, photographers, and specialists in academics, sports, performing arts, student life, and the graduating class to create and perfect their one and only project of the year: the yearbook. Over this past summer, the yearbook staff collaborated as one huge unit, brainstorming and voting on the yearbook’s theme and attending a short “boot camp,” as junior Lorsine Lai puts it, to learn about Adobe Indesign and Photoshop so that they were ready to roll on Sep. 1.

ME M A typical yearbook period varies from member to member, depending on what section they are involved with. But either way yearbook members are always busy, because every two weeks, the staff is required to submit several completed pages to the publishing company; sometimes the requirement is as few as 20 pages, but other times, it can be as many as 100. Senior Clarissa Wei, advertisements editor, says of her staff, “our job in ads is dramatically different than anyone else’s in yearbook. We promote our fundraisers, advertisements, go off campus to sell ads, call interested customers, and design ads,” while senior Taylor Black, photography editor, says “people are usually working on and designing spreads, sending out call slips and doing interviews, or uploading and taking photos.” Every Thursday and F r i d a y, a n d many times other days of the week as well, s t a f f m e m b e r s dedicate their lunches or time after school to accomplish work not finished during the period and make sure they meet their deadlines.

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Photos by GREG ZAJAC

ME WE Junior Jodie Murakami helps sophomore Pearlyn Lii with her Photoshop design techniques (top left). Senior Melissa Lee joins the advertisment staff in painting posters to get the word out about upcoming fundraisers (top right). Mrs. Trish Naughtin, yearbook advisor, and Senior Sarah Cheng, executive editor, join together to reveal the theme of the 2009 Arcadian Yearbook -- Me We. CAMERA HAPPY Senior Daniel Hsu jokingly points his camera at a photographer while sophomore Monica Ma aims for the perfect angle.

Photos by GREG ZAJAC

DEDICATED YEARBOOK STAFF Senior Chadni Patel paints a poster outside H6 to publicize Yearbook’s recent keychain sale, taking measures to assure that the fundraiser is successful (top left). Senior Emerlyn Tseng answers emails in the computer lab concerning advertisment sales from private businesses (top right). Combining their creative talents, seniors Derek Tran and Hanna Lee laugh as they work together to design an advertisment (above).

March 2009

...WE 13

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Photos by GREG ZAJAC

A DAY IN THE LIFE The entire Arcadian staff takes a break to take a group picture (above). Junior Kathie Wong, Senior Ashley Chan, and Junior Eileen Yoon examine the senior panorama picture that will appear in the yearbook (far top left). Junior Tiffany Yeh laughs at a joke as she works on her page (left). Senior Andrew Picasso flips through his photos to make sure they are useable (far left bottom).

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KEEPING BUSY Senior Sarah Cheng looks through yearbook files (below).

Junior Daphne Fan browses through old yearbooks, seeking inspiration (below right). Junior Emma Chan, Junior Pauline Lyou, and Senior Fei Xu organize keychains for the most recent fundraiser.

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But yearbook is not only about meeting deadlines, working devotedly after school, or capturing the past memories of the school year; it is also about creating new memories and friendships. Executive editor senior Sarah Cheng says that the best part about yearbook is “the people you meet on staff, the friendships that you make, the bonds that you share…All the drama is left at the door and we become one family, working together.” Making a similar comment, senior Russell Igarashi said, “There are just so many different kinds of people that always seem to have something new to share that it’s hard to leave class without a smile.” lwong@theapachepowwow.com

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ACADEMICS

Moving On Up in Bay Math League

By RICHARD FU Staff Writer

Senior Jack Ching paused and flashed a sheepish grin. “We beat them,” he said, “we beat ’em all right.”

The contagious winning attitude pervaded throughout the AHS Math Team, who on Wednesday, Mar. 11 competed in the Bay Math League at West High School in Torrance, placing second with 244 points. It defeated archrival San Marino (240 points) while finishing behind Palos Verdes Peninsula (253 points).

The team competed in five different events: freshmen members worked on the Pythagorean Theorem, sophomores on polynomial and factoring, juniors on polar complex numbers, and seniors on optimization. There was also a “research” category where the questions were based not on materials taught in school, but a more complex and abstract application of what one has learned. In this meet, the research topic focused on probability.

Even though only team A’s scores count towards Arcadia’s final performance, all three groups participated in the meet, with each member taking three of five possible tests. The format was as follows: one would answer questions in a set amount of time, turn them in, take the next one test, and wait for the scores to be determined and posted at the end of the meet.

“I know we could have done better,” captain senior Bryan Cheng commented regarding the team’s performance, “but we still did really well and beat our main rival, San Marino.”

Team advisor Ms. Kerry King said she was “proud of the team’s performance.” With three meets down and one to go, Arcadia currently sits in third place with 797 total points, behind San Marino’s 814 and Palos Verdes Peninsula’s 830. With only 33 points separating third place from first, Arcadia could well overtake Palos Verdes Peninsula to finish first for the season. rfu@theapachepowwow.com

Quiz Bowl BAITs a Cool Finish

By SEAN MAROONGROGE Staff Writer

Quiz Bowl (QB) attended its third ever mACF style tournament on Sat. March 7, and placed third and fourth place in a field of tough competitors.

The competition, held at UCLA, was named BAIT (Bruin Academic Invitational Tournament), a clever homonym of the east coast tournament which it mirrored (BATE).

The questions were notably more difficult than the usual questions encountered by the team. In addition, each game packet consisted of questions with a very rigid distribution.

Adapting to this format was not a problem however, especially since the AHS Quiz Bowl team had strong results from several individuals. Senior George Dewey led the charge as the second place scorer over the course of the entire tournament, followed closely behind by co-captain senior Tracy Lee in third. Junior Alex Hu and co-captain senior Jacqueline Yue finished in fifth and seventh individually as well, making this tournament the best for individual scorers in QB history.

Although North Hollywood and Edison had stronger A teams, placing first and second respectively, AHS reaped the benefits of their practice by still having the deepest talent pool overall, managing third and fourth without even having two of their regular A team members there. Junior Alex Wang, member of the A team with junior Tim Zheng, noted that “Jacqueline and Alex Hu brought [their] makeshift A team onto the brink of a championship; however, tough losses to North Hollywood and a very close loss to Edison cost us the top two spots.”

Yet this tournament still indicates a bright future for AHS. About their results, Jacqueline said, “Excepting me, our Team A at this tournament consisted of those members who will most likely compete on A after our seniors graduate. Considering the results that day, I believe we are well off for next year.”

As the only school to qualify two teams to the finals bracket, AHS seems poised to take on the next year and do well at nationals. Look out for more information in coming months! smaroongroge@theapachepowwow.com

Robotics: Competing for FIRST Opposing teams try to get “moon rocks” (balls), from a human player, who threw the balls into Staff Writer play. Robots could shoot balls at other robots, Remember your middle school Robotics as well as recycle game pieces into corner class? Well, here at AHS, a group of commit- shooting stations. There are two opposing allited individuals have taken their love to the next ances of three teams each for each autonomous level. The Robotics Team competed for 3 days match of 20 seconds autonomous and 2 minstraight from March 12utes user control.

14 at the Long Beach First, they were Arena. Unfortunately, winning, obtaining a the team was caught score of 54-50. Howunawares by the overever, “due to a user error whelming efficiency of from our human player, other teams, scoring a our score fell from 54 58th out of 60 schools. to 50” describes sophoAbsolute Value, more Derek Chou. the chosen name of The complications these robo-builders, this contest presented and their ingeniously to the team were of undesigned robot, Trinity imaginable heights. AcPhoto Courtesy of DEREK CHOU VIII, competed in “For THE HOLY TRINITY The creation of the cording to captain senior Inspiration and RecogKanon Shiu, “Our team Robotics team in the midst of judging. nition of Science and had to put about 8 years Technology”, or better known as FIRST 2009 of work into 6 weeks.” Nonetheless, our team Lunacy. As for the interesting name, it is tradi- did relatively well and might have had a shot at tion for the robots to be named Trinity. placing if not for the penalties. We wish them Based on the 40th anniversary of the Lu- well for the future, and hope to see them do nar Landing in 1969, the objective of the mis- even better.. sion was to build a robot that would use plastic wheels on a plastic surface and pull a trailer. phuang@theapachepowwow.com

By PETER HUANG

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March 2009

SO Makes State, Yet Again

competition by an enormous margin, demonstrating their all-around strengths that are simStaff Writer ply unmatched in the area. Although AHS bareAHS’s Science Olympiad (SO) team ly fell to the magnet school colloquially known placed second against 32 other schools in the as “NoHo,” the AHS team qualified as one of Los Angeles County and beyond. This impres- the eight schools selected to represent the Los sive result is a continuation of years of success Angeles County at the State Science Olympiad at the SO competition, again solidifying AHS’s Competition on Apr. 18.

Sophomore Jackie Chen expressed her role as an academic powerhouse. pride in the team’s success, saying, “There is nothing more rewarding than the sound of clanging medals around your neck and the smiles and cheers of a coach and team members holding onto a hard-earned trophy.”

Freshman Vaishnavi Balendiran cheerfully added, “As a new member of the team, I was a bit nervous about going to competition, but it turned out to be an awesome experience; earning second place among 33 high school teams in the region didn’t hurt either.”

Senior member and co-captain Russell Igarashi gave his impression of the day-long competition by saying, “I Photo Courtesy of RUSSELL IGARASHI couldn’t be happier and prouder of the TO THE VICTORS With a shiny second place tro- team’s performance at regionals. By our phy and medals galore, SO is made of winners. state competition we should have corrected the few things that didn’t quite On Saturday, Feb. 28, the team demonstrated how hard they worked the past five months, go our way. We’re aiming to do even better than testing against hundreds of other students from last year, and if we keep up our performance it the region in specialized events ranging from shouldn’t be a problem.”

As always, SO proudly represents some of Health Science and Physics Lab to more obscure topics such as herpetology and epidemiol- the brightest minds on campus for the rest of ogy. In addition to the traditional written exams, the world to see, and they are clearly doing a there were also unorthodox competitions in sci- great job! Surely, more good news will be on the way. ence pictionary and experimental design.

AHS and first place North Hollywood smaroongroge@theapachepowwow.com High School pulled away from the rest of the

By SEAN MAROONGROGE

Looking to Future S&D Champs

By IVY JENN & OISHEE SHEMONTEE Staff Writers

From Feb. 27 to Mar. 1, CSU Long Beach was heavily occupied by Arcadians donned in the distinguishing red Speech & Debate (S&D) jackets. Seven months of unremitting preparation—rigorous run-throughs, trial and errors, and heart-palpitating anxiety—have served as the prelude to the most influential tournament of the year, otherwise known as State Quals.

State Quals is the sole competition that provides the opportunity for a select few to continue competing at a statewide level in State Champs. Arcadians have consistently been top qualifiers in the past years, and this year is no exception. Twenty-one hardworking individuals from Arcadia will be going to State Champs, on Apr. 25 in events ranging from Oratorical Interpretation to Parliamentary Debate. Those who place well in the finals have two months to perfect their speeches before they contend against the highest-ranked speakers of California.

This year, senior Christine Shen is among those who will partake in State Champs, delivering her Original Advocacy about pharmacy errors. “It gave me such a rush to know I had qualified, especially since I had missed it last year by a single place. I’m so thankful to my friends who helped me with my speech and supported me during my final round.”

Freshman Jason Ouyang and sophomore Jon Ma achieved fourth place all-around at State Quals, and will compete together at State Champs in the category of Duo Interpretation.

This is especially significant for them, as their recent success promotes both of them from first-year novices to varsity members in just one year, skipping Junior Varsity altogether. Jason tells us how rewarding this experience has been.

“Working with Jon as a partner in Duo has been a very unique and fun experience whether it be

working with him on choreography, acting, or just being plain silly. After making it into Varsity and State Quals with the help of many others on this awesome team, I feel so accomplished knowing that all the hard work and practice we’ve gone through was worth it.”

Congratulations to all 21 qualifiers in the following categories: Original Advocacy Ray Chao 1st Christine Shen 2nd Winston Chang 5th Derek Ha 7th Jamie Griswold 9th Janna Singer-Baefsky 10th Vivy Tran 11th Original Prose and Poetry Joann Park 4th Oratorical Interpretation Michelle Zhu 2nd Reissa Decena 6th Thematic Interpretation Evelyn Park 5th Dramatic Interpretation Enid Lee 3rd Duo Interpretation Jon Ma and Jason Ouyang 4th Virginia Ma and Carl Trigilio 7th Foreign Extemporaneous David Yao 4th Congress Justin Lu 1st Andrew Chang 2nd Lincoln-Douglas Debate Vivy Tran 3rd Winston Chang 7th Parliamentary Debate Andres Delgado and Cathy Wang 3rd ijenn@theapachepowwow.com oshemontee@theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

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ACADEMICS

Nerd, Geek, Dork: What’s the Difference?

By JENNY LIN Staff Writer

You’ve seen them wandering aimlessly around campus. Carrying five gargantuan textbooks on topics you’ve never even heard of.

Taking apart iPhones and putting them back together. Telling jokes that can only garner awkward silences and stares. What are they called? Nerds? Geeks? Dorks? These days, no one seems to know who belongs to what. So let me be your dictionary for now and clear up the confusion amongst those who apparently don’t know how to use those terms properly.

Main entry: Nerd Part of speech: noun, adjective Example: Albert Einstein, the reticent guy sitting next to you in AP Chemistry Definition: On Facebook, they’re probably voted as the “most useful,” which means they’re the go-to for homework help and answers. From memorizing lines of Shakespeare’s Hamlet to reading the entire Calculus book in one day, nerds are unbelievably intelligent. As such, I must warn you that they may be a tad (or more) awkward. Their fascination in taking apart water molecules and building an octopus chandelier may not interest you at all. However, that doesn’t mean that they deserve to be ridiculed. They are the future CEOs of this world and have the power to remember everything— even the number of times they’ve been bullied, and by whom. Better be nice to them because chances are many of you will end up working for them someday.

Main entry: Geek Part of speech: noun, adjective Example: Bill Gates, anybody who lives

at Fry’s Electronics friends Definition: Look in your basement, there’s Definition: Probably the most hilariprobably one of these down there working on ous of them all, dorks are not afraid of being three computers while loud, obnoxious, and building a spaceship. just downright awkIf they’re not in your ward. While conversing basement, then try with them, you’ll problooking in your closets. ably find yourself sayThey’re probably hiding “No…” to the many den in there, battling jokes that just weren’t on World of Warcraft funny. It’s because of (WoW) while readthese individuals that the ing Watchmen comics.

Awkward Turtle and nuThese guys, and some merous other awkward girls, speak electronanimals and objects were ics and games. Unforinvented. Even though tunately, their intelthey’re not as smart as ligence only extends nerds or as tech-savvy to electronics so don’t as geeks, dorks, for the go to them for English most part, are the most homework. Like nerds, fun to hang out with. geeks lack apparent They don’t worry about social skills. A simple others’ opinions and “hello” is about as far tend to do whatever they as a non WoW-related feel comfortable doing. conversation can go.

According to blogger Photo Courtesy of TRACY LEE Derek Wong, “Nobody Surround them with TRIFECTA Sometimes, you’ll witness jocks, and they will refeels like the fool when the geek/nerd/dork hybrid. Like this. main eerily silent. Put they’re next to someone them in a room with Star Trek fans, and you who is more foolish.” So don’t fret if you’re will have to shut them up. They’re usually timid feeling humiliatingly idiotic, dorks are there to creatures; nevertheless, they do have the abil- elevate your temporary low self-esteem. ity to break out of their comfort zones. Black Friday, for example, is one of the few days on There you have it. Three terms. Three defiwhich you can witness the Geeks vs. Geeks in nitions. One of them might even be you! Don’t action at Fry’s. worry if you find yourself under more than one of these categories. Hybrids do exist, but they’re Main entry: Dork on another list for another day.

Part of speech: noun, adjective Example: Steve Martin, some of your jlin@theapachepowwow.com

More Tips for Our Lovely SAT-Takers a freshman, paying close attention in class and doing all the necessary work will help set you on the path to a successful and relatively stressStaff Writers free SAT journey.

While sophomore year is the most approIn the Holy Trinity of Arcadian life, the SAT stands as an essential pillar to our success, priate and popular time to start taking preparahappiness, and sanity. Without it, we would tory classes, one should think long and hard behave one less major subject to rant about. And fore deciding whether to do so during the school year, summer, both, or neither. While the SAT is that, of course, would be quite tragic.

If you’re a freshman, don’t hit the panic certainly important to your college admissions, so are extracurricubutton. Yet. This article lar activities, GPA, is aimed largely at your and social life (the upperclassmen, for the last one comes SAT will not only be back to haunt you difficult for freshmen, when you’re 50 but will also be regardand undergoing a ed with less weight by midlife crisis). The college admission ofPSAT, which every ficers. Since the math one of you should tests up to Algebra 2 take, not only helps while the critical readgauge where you ing contains passages stand (it’s a relawith a level of depth tively accurate presurpassed only by AP cursor to how you Language Composiwould do on the tion material, it is SAT) but also alhighly recommended low you to estimate that freshmen do not officially take the test.

Photo by YENTL IP the amount of time What they can do is FRUSTRATION STRIKES Even freshmen feel you would want to begin building up a the burn of test prep. All anyone can do is dedicate to such preparatory classstrong foundation of cram and take this tried and true advice. es. They do a very vocabulary. There will be several questions on the critical reading good job in making you aware of what’s coming section directly challenging your vocabulary and getting you ready for it through sheer represervoir, with many more implicit questions etition. So sophomores would probably want to that cannot be answered without knowledge of look into one of those options before coming up particular terms. And while science and history on the crucial junior year.

Get a good night of sleep. Bring a bottle are not tested on the SAT, they also come up on every test in the form of reading passages. As of ice water or coke (coffee makes you sleepy

By RICHARD FU & JOE TIAN

and jumpy, paradoxical we know), sharpen your pencils (don’t use a lead pencil, you’ll want to snap it in half after four hours of bubbling with its tiny, sharp lead), and good luck. Juniors, this is it. There will be less than five chances that you can actually take the SAT, so plan, and plan well. The swirling rumors about a certain “curve” are not only unproven, but also unpreventable. Don’t let them hinder you in planning your schedule. Take the test when you’re ready, and allow only yourself to be your worst enemy.

Not that this is any less bad. We won’t go into details about the format of the test, test-taking strategies, scoring, etc. since you better know them by now. But do eat a good breakfast and relax—it is what it is and pray the night before, not as you sit there staring blankly at the test while the clock continues ticking.

Aside from the “Last Stand” in October and possibly November, the SAT will probably be one of your lesser concerns with college applications, recommendation packets, transcripts requests coming around the bend. Again, we cannot stress how important it is to not lose sight of your academic goals and personal agendas just for that one test. Not only will you lose precious high school experience that can never be regained, you will also realized come April 1st that the SAT really is overrated as far as college admission goes. A 2200 and 2300 is not all that different, and letting your grade drop or giving up an internship opportunity at City of Hope just to raise your score by 100 points, sitting in a grimy basement over the summer, is just not worth it.

Good night, and good luck to you all. rfu@theapachepowwow.com jtian@theapachepowwow.com

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College Profile: Pepperdine

By JOE TIAN Staff Writer

Founded as a Christian liberal arts college in February 1937, Pepperdine University is a private university located in Malibu, California. The university’s main campus is nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains that overlook the Pacific Ocean; it was named by Princeton Review as the most beautiful university campus and ranks #56 among all national universities in the U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges 2009.”

George Pepperdine established Pepperdine University, and for 30 years, Pepperdine College was a small undergraduate school.

It gained university status in 1971 when a school of law was added and the business and education departments became separate schools. In 1972, Pepperdine opened a new 830-acre campus in Malibu. In the 1980s, Pepperdine rose to prominence as one of the United States’ leading centers of conservative politics, attracting many conservative-leaning professors from UCLA and USC. Business/Marketing and Communication/Journalism are the two most popular majors at Pepperdine University. Other areas of study include: Arts, Cultural Studies, Sciences, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Literature, Mathematics, and Social Science.

Pepperdine ranks among the more selective universities. With a 35% acceptance rate, the university considers personal qualities, application essays, extracurricular activities, high school records, and standardized test scores as important admission factors.

Loans, scholarships, grants, or jobs are given to students at Pepperdine University.

Merit-based aid is determined by academics, athletics, or religious affiliations, whereas need-based aid is determined by leadership, job skills, and alumni affiliations. To families with an annual income of $60,000 or less, the university provides extensive financial aid.

Pepperdine participates in the West Coast Conference, a conference made up exclusively of religiously-affiliated schools.

Appropriate for their location next to the Pacific Ocean, Pepperdine’s athletic teams are known as the Waves. The university sponsors 14 NCAA Division I teams. There are also a number of sports clubs including soccer, lacrosse, Ultimate Frisbee, and ice hockey.

Admission Statistics [from College Board] SAT Scores Critical Reading: 550 - 670 Math: 560 - 680 Writing: 560 - 670 ACT Composite: 24 - 29 In-State Tuition: $36,770 Out-of-State Tuition: $36,770 Percentage of Applicants Accepted for the Class of 2011: 35% jtian@theapachepowwow.com

Photo Courtesy of PEPPERDINE

ALUMNI PARK The chapel and Tyler Campus Center overlook the park.

16

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March 2009

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18

STUDENT LIFE

Trivial Pursuit Superhero Edition

By MELANIE YUEN

myuen@theapachepowwow.com Mr. Monden, Biology teacher C 1. Peter Parker C 2. The color of the sun, yellow... where he’s from, it’s red.

C 3. Er...there are four. All of them are named after classical artists/ painters. Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael.

Score: 3/3 Dorothy Qian, freshman X 1. I don’t know X 2. Through birth?

X 3. Freddy, Kevin, Jonathan, and Jerry Score: 0/3

Michelle Fry, sophomore C 1. Peter Parker C 2. The sun X Michelangelo, Leonardo…uhh, I have no idea!

Score: 2/3

March 2009

Black Tie Social: Dress for Success

By CELESTE CHEUNG Staff Writer

Staff Writer

How superb are your superpowers in answering superhero trivia? Find out so next time you can save the day!

1. What is Spider-Man’s secret identity?

Peter Parker 2. Where does Superman get his energy?

The sun 3. Name the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello

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On Friday, Mar. 20, the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) hosted its third annual Black Tie Social from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Santa Anita Inn. Black Tie Social has been a FBLA tradition since the club was first started about six years ago and has usually been a fundraiser event held exclusively for FBLA members from AHS. Because the social is typically held at the beginning of the year, it allows both returning and newly recruited members to interact and mingle with one another.

This year, however, FBLA’s officer team decided to do something new and different by expanding the event and inviting FBLA members from other schools, such as Temple City High School, Charter Oak Middle School, Charter Oak High School, Rosemead High School, and Mark Keppel High School. The large number of high schools that were invited allowed FBLA members to meet other fellow potential business leaders and reunite with students they may have met during Section Conference, the business competition that was held at the end of February.

Treasurer sophomore Justine Lee said, “I think the best part of the social was that I actually knew some of the people from Section Conference, and we could catch up and just talk.”

The FBLA officer team arrived at the location early to decorate and prepare the Inn. An hour later, the hard work paid off when attendees began to arrive. The event cost $20 and included a dinner of salad, pasta, and ice cream buffet, as well as a dance. There were also ice-breaker activities such as musical chairs, FBLA-style Bingo, and FBLA’s Got Talent. FBLA-style Bingo was very effective in getting attendees to loosen up and learn more about each other, and the talent show allowed members to learn little-

known facts about one another.

To add to the excitement, Mr. FBLA AllStar winner, junior Johnny Wu, also performed a magic act with a fire trick, and continued to showcase various magic acts. President senior Wilfred Chang said, “We had…Johnny Wu do a few magic tricks; the crowd loved it and they were screaming for more after [each one, but] honestly, it wasn’t about the games itself. It was more about getting to know each other re-

ally well.” Community Service Project Director sophomore Leslie Chang agreed, saying, “Not only was Black Tie Social a very fun event, it was also a great opportunity for FBLA members to network with students from other schools.”

In the end, the event was a success, with over 50 people attending and creating a friendly, business-oriented environment. ccheung@theapachepowwow.com

Photos by CELESTE CHEUNG & MELISSA MA

NETWORKING Students mingle at the annual FBLA Black Tie Social, a night of funfilled excitement, hosted at the local Santa Anita Inn.

Junior Johnny Wu Works His Magic

take away study time and homework time.”

Luckily, one of the many advantages of taking Staff Writer up card magic is that he is able to practice wherWith the ever-increasing amount of stress ever and whenever he wants. Hence, he can be in our lives, we all wish we could disappear at seen holding a deck of cards in the halls, avidly one point or another. Junior Johnny Wu seems performing his tricks to random students and promoting Magic the most likely to master Club. Johnny bethis skill as he dabbles in lieves that “magmagic on a daily basis. ic is an art and Three years ago people should… in Canada, the perforenjoy the mysmance of a few wellterious magic executed magic tricks atmosphere, not captivated Johnny, and think about how his curiosity led him to the trick is done.” pursue the art. NowaIn other words, days, he practices card magic should be magic, ring magic, and enjoyed and not coin magic. He claims questioned. On to know fire magic as the other hand, well. He loves the idea he still confesses of being an entertainer that a magician and having the power to will always applease the crowd.

Admitting the timePhoto by YENTL IP preciate audience applause and consuming nature of VOILÁ AHS’ resident magician Johnny Wu constructive magic, Johnny also performs a card trick to amazed onlookers criticism. says that it “shouldn’t during lunch.

By ESTHER LIN

William Chau, junior C 1. Peter Parker X 2. It comes internally X 3. Raphael, Michelangelo, Benvolio, uhh, Donolio, and Pepperoni Score: 1/3 Joseph Lee, senior C 1. Peter Parker C 2. the sun C 3. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael Score: 3/3 Photos by MELANIE YUEN

Though he demonstrates passion in magic, Johnny actually aspires to become a business major. His participation in AHS’ FBLA actually benefited the club when he won the title of “Mr. FBLA” in a recent FBLA All-Star competition.

His magic also helps him “train [his] leadership, …socialize with people…and conquer stage fright,” all of which will be of use in his future in business. He has also used his talent to benefit other organizations as he performed in the FBLA and percussion’s benefit concerts.

With the support of his father, Johnny plans to try out for Magic Castle in Hollywood, a place where famous magicians mingle and share their antics. Regardless of whether he passes the audition or not, he will not regret his decision because life as a performer has made him realize the inevitability of mistakes and the lessons that come with each and every one. In the end, magic teaches him lifelong lessons every day. He credits it to be the source of his inspiration, stating that “after you practice magic for a period of time and have a lot of knowledge for it, inspirations will come…from everywhere. Just like how you write a song, [inspiration] just comes to you.” elin@theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

STUDENT LIFE 19

theapachepowwow.com

AHS: It’s A Jungle Out Here

By DEBBIE JONG

Staff Writer

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Chemistry teacher Ms. Alisha Dagis loves animals, and she owns a variety of pets both at home and at school. Her Sonic Hedgehog, Princess Amy, has rather poor eyesight, and when placed on a table, “she will just walk right off.” Though frightened when first touched, Princess eventually unrolls and peeks her “cute little face out” when she feels safe from harm. Ms. Dagis also has a millipede, Milli Vanilli. Once, the mischievous little millipede escaped from its enclosure. When Ms. Dagis finally found Milli Vanilli, it was walking across the floor in the middle of a chemistry lecture! A passionate gorilla lover, Ms. Dagis hopes to be a gorilla keeper someday, and she has “been friends with the gorillas at the L.A. Zoo for about 13 years.”

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Junior Eddie Schmitt owns five young female chicks, ranging from three to four weeks old. Initially, his mom wanted to purchase a few hens for fresh eggs, but his dad went ahead and bought five, harboring the belief that the chicks “need more friends.” Eddie’s parents bought the chicks from a feed store in esy of EDDEl Monte as young two-day old ou r t IE chicks. Each chick has a C SC Senior Sean L i y a n a g e oto unique personality, and h owns a school of cichlids, a species Eddie often watches of brightly-colored tropical fish in amusement as his originating from Africa. When chicks “eat worms he feeds his fish, they sometimes like spaghetti and chomp on his unsuspecting finger, chase each other mistaking it for edible food! Sean around their brooder doesn’t do much with his pets extrying to steal the cept watch their aquatic antics, but other’s food.” he asserts that though “they don’t look menacing, they are [actually] very” much so. djong@theapachepowwow.com SEAN LIYA

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Whenever senior Kanon Shiu’s ball python finishes devouring a rat, “it slurps the tail like noodles,” thus earning itself the name of “Noodles.” Kanon purchases rats from local pet stores and then drops them into the feeding box when it is Noodles’ mealtime. As Kanon looks on, Noodles strikes the unsuspecting rodent and wraps its lithe, sinuous body around the rat while biting its neck. After unraveling, Noodles then proceeds to consume its prey. Once, however, Noodles “got beat up by [the] rat” and Kanon had to swiftly kill that rat rtesy of KA to protect Noodles from furNO ou N ther harm. Other times, oC S ot though, Noodles is so famished that it viciously attacks the rats before closing in for the kill. Kanon mostly enjoys feeding his snake, because “for some reason, [he likes] to see the rats die.”

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About a year ago, senior Tiffany Lin acquired her Sandfire bearded dragon (“Sandfire”), a lizard species that only displays its true skin colors—red, orange, or a tinged yellow—when it matures. Once, enticed by an adjacent cage brimming with live crickets, Sandfire opened its jaws eagerly and made a mad dash towards the tasty bugs. However, it only succeeded in bonking its head in the clear glass of its own cage! Occasionally, Sandfire is permitted to venture outside, where it simply sprawls on the grass and basks in the sun’s warming rays.

f TIFFANY LI N sy o rte

Leo Club Paints the Pathways

By LENA KALEMKIARIAN & MELISSA MA

Staff Writers

Wonder why Nordstrom is remodeling its floors? On Mar. 7 Arcadia Leo Club traveled to Kidspace Children’s Museum to answer that question. Together, Leo Club and other volunteers helped decorate floor tiles that will be installed on the Kid’s Wear floor. The volunteers helped guests and children paint bug-themed tiles that will be placed there permanently for all to admire. The event provided lunch for all, adding more to the cheerful atmosphere. Leo Club webmaster sophomore Bryant Irawan said, “Kidspace Museum was one of my favorite events this year! Leo Club has so many events, but not very often do we get one where we can actually interact with children and even help them paint. The atmosphere was fun and relaxing and you can tell the kids had lots of fun.”

The Kidspace Children’s Museum is a place for children to discover themselves and explore things in a fun way and “where learning and play are one.” At this Nordstrom-sponsored event, there were different art stations to decorate tiles. Children were able to draw or paint on tiles or make posters to put in the peace gar-

den. Freshman Claudia Chao said that “the experience was interesting and tiring, but you learned a lot from it.” She also said that since they were little kids, they made a mess everywhere that was not easily cleaned up.

Because this was such a popular event for volunteers Photo by YENTL IP and children KIDSPACE Leo Club members, freshmen, Vaishnavi Balediran and alike, there Amy Leong, help kids paint tiles that will decorate Nordstrom. were crowds of people. Leo Club truly represented Arcadia fun facilities. Being around their playground well as they put in more hours to do whatever and park really made me feel like a kid again.” they could to help. Bryant continued saying, lkalemkiarian@theapachepowwow.com “Lots of our members stayed longer than they mma@theapachepowwow.com signed up for because the museum had so many

ALUMNA UC SAN DIEGO

By KATHLEEN KAO

Guest Writer

Photo Courtesy of KATHLEEN KAO

ALUMNA Kathleen Kao (left) parties at UCSD’s Marshall Palooza.

Next to San Diego State University, where the partying seems to never cease, UCSD seems like a dead campus, where students become numbers drowning in a sea of other faceless entities. Granted, it’s not a party school, but that doesn’t mean students hole themselves in their rooms from morning to night with their foreheads plastered to the chapter on oxidation levels. With a location so close to the beach and friendly people around every turn, I’ve found that San Diego not only encourages healthy lifestyles but also healthy study habits.

Sure, we have our study sprees, but we’re far from being a dead campus. With nonstop events in six different colleges, it’s hard to find yourself with spare time. If it’s not a dance over at Muir College, then it’s an all-you-caneat ramen night at Sixth. Activities abound, so variety is abundant, and entertainment is endless. The beach is 15 minutes away, so close, in fact, that the ocean view from my room is a constant temptation to leave campus and throw myself into the waves. But if you don’t feel like building sand castles along the shore or wading in the tides, there are plenty of recreational activities ranging from archery to fencing, from ballroom dancing to yoga.

But besides what the school offers, I can’t emphasize enough what the community has to offer. Within three months of meeting my classmates, we’ve studied together, laughed together, and cried together. My friends and I have hammered on the door of a guys’ suite at three in the morning, beseeching them to kill the scary, two-inch grasshopper clinging onto the window blinds in my friend’s room.

The army of half-conscious, boxer-clad guys happily mobilized themselves one building down to catch it just so we could have peace of mind.

Lounges above every dorm building give people places to study, meet, and bond. People are friendly and willing to help, but aren’t intrusive when you want to keep problems to yourself. If you’re daunted by the enormous class sizes, don’t be—the professors and TAs are just as eager to help, providing multiple office hours within the week. The beauty of UCSD is that it has the characteristics of both a party and study school. But in spite of these two extremes, the balance of the two within UCSD is almost magical.

With UCSD being one of the top research institutions in the nation, it attracts people of all backgrounds who have high ambitions and career goals. With the opportunities, diversity, and disciplines UCSD offers, it draws us all together so we can learn from each other and emerge, after four years, compassionate, welleducated, and driven to succeed.

20

SPORTS

Boys Golf Hits First Five League Matches Under Par

By KATHERINE BAY

Staff Writer

Boys Varsity Golf has started laying down the groundwork for a promising season. The team’s preparation for the upcoming season certainly paid off when the Apaches won their first tournament at Empire Lakes, where freshman Richard Jueng shot 75, junior Eric Yin shot 73, and sophomore Clayton Ojeda shot 77. At the end of the tournament, Team A — consisting of senior Erik Stratton, junior Eric Yin and freshman Richard Jeong—the team’s top three players, shot a total of 228. Coach Robert Greep said, “Erik Stratton, the team captain, had an off day and shot 80, but he’s a very strong competitor and bounced back with a 3 under par 33.” Richard shot 75, whereas Eric shot 73 for team A. Team B, the anchors of the team, which includes sophomore Clayton Ojeda, freshman Anthony Pidlaoan, and junior Max Reiske, shot 238 at the tournament.

Furthermore, they won their first league match against Muir by 88 strokes 190-278 on Mar. 3 where Richard had a solid round of 35 and Eric shot 36. Both A and B teams set the bar high when they defeated St. Francis at a non-league tournament by 10 strokes, ending with a total score of 190-200. When the team traveled to the Glendora County Club for their second tournament of the season, they tied for fifth place with scores of 80, 84, 88, 81, 86, and 95. Accoring to Eric, Cresecent Valley, their “only competitor in the league,” beat them at that time. When they played Los Altos and San Marino at the Hacienda Country Club, they lost to Los Altos by 1, 203-204, and beat San Marino by a mile. They competed against Pasadena and won with a score of 200-249.

On Mar. 12, the team didn’t have to travel anywhere because their first big league match was at the Santa Anita Golf Course. With opponents such as CV, Burbank, and Burroughs, Arcadia won a major victory with a score of 367 while CV ended with 380. The freshmen seemed to have a good lead; Anthony had an amazing round of -2 and 69 while Richard had a good round as well with 71.

Moreover, the team played against Glendora with a final score of 179-201, their absolute best. They also scored 179-211 against San Marino and placed 13th at their Estancia Tournament in the Mesa Verde Country Club.

Training for such games and tournaments takes a lot of endurance and patience, both of which the team demonstrates during each practice. They start off with their short game by putting and chipping and then move onto midrange game. With pitching 70 yards and shorter, they try to perfect their mid-shots for the upcoming games and tournaments. Lastly, the team works on long irons and drivers. As a team, they practice from 4-8 hours a week, not including matches. All in all, the season started off very well with an overall record 9-1 and league 5-0. kbay@theapachepowwow.com

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March 2009

Baseball Turns the Double Play

By ANDREW LIN Guest Writer

With a current league record of 3-0 and overall record of 8-0, the Apaches couldn’t be off to a better start.

Take for instance the schools they played in the Monrovia Tournament.

Gaining an outright victory, the team crushed Gabrielino 21-0, Western Christian 8-0, Monrovia 2-0, and San Gabriel 11-1. And though some of these schools are located in cities adjacent to Arcadia, when a team loses 21-0 in baseball, in a game usually finished in the single digits, any amount of distance to travel is just too far.

Three days later, on Mar. 17, Boys Varsity Baseball went on to beat Burroughs, one of two league rivals—the other being Crescenta Valley—in a close game of 2-1. Although they “could have done better” in terms of batting, according to junior Jonathan Tom, their “pitching and defense [were] great.”

On Mar. 20, the team smashed Muir 17-0. Oh, and they beat Cabrillo 8-2 three days later, too.

Where has all this success come from? A variety of places.

For one, this season’s team has nine starters from last year returning, and as their games have shown, this added experience has played out as a huge advantage. “It’s a big difference because last year there were only three returners,” said Coach Nick Lemas.

“We’re a solid group. We’re pretty deep on the mound--we’re pretty deep everywhere.” This means that the team’s success is built not on a small handful of select players, but stably, on the col-

Coach Lemas. At one point, “they had to put their tents together, and, because it was night and they couldn’t see a thing, they had to help each other.” From all this, the team emerged closer and more tightly knit, stronger and better suited for the season ahead.

However, that is not to say the team does not have flaws. Sure, according to senior Bryce Rutherford, the team has “depth for sure on the pitching mound” (after all, Bryce himself can pitch an astounding 89 miles per hour), but when it comes to batting, the team has work to do. “We just need to find our hitting,” said Bryce, because “when we’re hitting we’re pretty much unbeatable, especially in league.”

Though this season’s Boys Varsity Baseball team has a lot going for it, so does some of its competition. Crescenta Valley, who the team has yet to play, and Burbank both have competitive teams this year, and both of them have been doing too well for too long for either of them to just give away the Pacific League Champions title to Arcadia. As Coach Lemas put it, “it’s not going to be a cake walk.”

With April and May fast approaching, the team will be Photo by GREGORY ZAJAC tested. Both league BASEBALL Senior A.J. Smouse, one of the games against Cresteam’s leading pitchers, winds up, preparing to centa Valley will take throw a change-up to strike out Gabrielino’s batter. place next month, and arranged by a friendly connection in and with a slew of games coming up, the the Air Force, the retreat was a first for the team’s endurance and consistency will be Arcadia baseball team, as well as a first tried. If their current record is any indicafor Camp Pendleton. During their stay, the tion of the future, then the ‘09 Boys Varsity boys participated in “relays, games, hikes, Baseball team may very well be the first free time at the beach,” and other various Apache baseball team in five years to win “team-building exercises,” according to back the Pacific League title. lective group.

Secondly, the training has definitely been stepped up, and the results have been visible. According to Coach Lemas, “They’ve had night practices, Tuesday night, Thursday night practices since the beginning of the year, and ever since January we’ve been going four days a week, and now they’re going six days a week.”

On top of all that, the team spent a weekend at Camp Pendleton, with the Marines, as a team-building retreat. Put together

by Assistant Coach Val Lopez

Track and Field Sets Stride for Upcoming Season

By VICTORIA TRAN Staff Writer

For the past few seasons, Arcadia’s track team has been one of the top teams in the Pacific League. This upcoming season, they expect to be no less. Practices in the spring heat are grueling, but being able to endure them is a victory within itself. As marks are cleared during practice, even more goals are set for the team so they can end first once again.

The strength of the team does not come from one individual event, but instead each event plays a crucial role in Arcadia’s numerous victories. Arcadia has been one of the few teams in the area to be able to excel in all events—sprints, distance, jumps, throws, and vaults—and in the end, leave the track as the winner. “Our team’s [real] strength over the past few years has been that we don’t have any real weaknesses,” said Coach Christopher Schultz.

Sophomore Kendra Walker and her 4x100 meter relay team are striving to qualify for the state meet and the Texas Relays in Houston. “I have confidence in our team, so I believe we’ll

go far if we continue to put as much hard work and effort into improving our times,” said Kendra. Sophomore teammate Catrina McAlister ran 10:38 in the 3200 meter, which beat the previous high school record of 11:11, and she also beat the school record in the 1600 meters with her time of 5:01. The girls on Varsity Distance team, which included senior Caitlin Kelly, junior Kirsten Frank, junior Kaylee Yang, and sophomore Catrina McAlister, ran 12:39.31 for the distance medley, which is currently one of the top times in state.

“I think what keeps me motivated to be is just the feeling of working hard ev-

Catrina. “I enjoy running with my teammates and watching them do the unimaginable.”

Arcadia kicked off the season with two crushing league wins against Bishop Amat and San Gabriel on Mar. 5. Both Girls and Boys Varsity demolished Bishop Amat and San Gabriel by over a hundred points. Boys Varsity added another two wins to their record on Mar. 12, after defeating Temple City and La Salle 89-25, 89-45, respectively. The girls also won 83-50 against Temple City and 83-23 against La Salle.

A week later, on Mar. 22, the girls beat Burbank 105-22 ½, and the boys also beat them 119-8.

On Mar. 7, they headed to Citrus Col-

Photos by GREGORY ZAJAC

TRACK AND FIELD Senior Joseph

Ma and Junior Mariana Luna race past competitors, hurdling at lightning speed to the finish line. ery day, even when you want to give up, and then having the accomplishment of getting faster times in the races,” said

lege for the Foothill Invitational where they competed against Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Loyola, Alta Loma, and Riverside

Poly. Senior Chloe Yuan vaulted her way to second place with the height of 10’6”, while junior teammate Iris Abrego came in third with 9’6”. Junior David Lim, who vaulted 14’, came in first on the boy’s side. Senior Jay Ma cleared 6’ for high jump and ended up tied for second place. While at the Irvine Invitational on Mar. 14, sophomore Ammar Moussa ran 9:32.80 for the 3200 meter run. Also finishing well in the distance was Renaud Poizat with the time of 4:30.07 in the 1600 meter run.

“From here on out its all about training for CIF, and the ultimate goal is to go as high as you possibly can, doing the best that you can,” said Chloe.

Arcadia is off to a great start, and hopefully will end up with equal results, or even better, at the conclusion of the season. Coach Schultz has high hopes for both the girls and boys to win the Pacific League title and CIF Finals. Post-spring break brings the real competition against John Muir, Crescenta Valley, and Burroughs. Judging from previous seasons, it seems that Arcadia never won’t down to their opponents’ challenges. vtran@theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

SPORTS PROFILE

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Swim Resurfaces for Their New Season

By TRACY YAO

Boys Volleyball Jump Starts with Success

By ANDREW LIN

Guest Writer

On your mark, get set, splash! The boys and girls of Varsity Swim are ready to dive into an exciting season filled with high expectations.

In their first meet against Los Altos, the ladies dominated their opponents with an astonishing score of 125-45. The team reveled in their first victory, hoping that it would mark the first among many more. Another success came shortly afterwards; the team beat Pasadena Poly 119-41. Sophomore Samantha Winthein, one of this year’s best 100m backstroke and sprint freestyle swimmers, thinks “staying league champions is the biggest goal for our team this year. Through teamwork and support, I’m confident that our team is capable of achieving everything we’ve set for ourselves.”

Competing as fervently as the girls, the boys also triumphed over Los Altos, winning 133-37 and Pasadena Poly with a score of 107-60. The victories paved their first few steps on the road toward remaining league champions. In addition to defending their title, sophomore Ray Chao, a top contender in the 100m breast stroke, believes another important goal is “to field a strong, diverse team to CIF. Our goal will definitely be hard to achieve, but we are capable of attaining our goal. With the hard work and determination that characterizes our swim team, we can overcome all the obstacles that stand in our way.”

The team will not face these obstacles without help, for a barrage of freshmen has joined the team. Senior Karol Mar-

Photo by VERONICA LIM

“So far in the season, both girls and boys are undefeated, and we hope to defend the undefeated Pacific League Champion title we have held for several years. Multiple swimmers have already auto-qualified to CIF, and we expect to field a much larger team this year, and place much higher.”

- Ray Chao, sophomore kowski, the top swimmer in all freestyle events, said, “There are a few fast and talented freshmen…it’s a team effort in a situation like that of being league champions, so they will definitely be a part in achieving the goal. I hope that we go undefeated and take a large team to CIF finals.” Top female swimmers on this year’s varsity squad include junior Robin Lam in 200m freestyle, Emily Chow in 200m IM, 100m butterfly, and 100m breaststroke, and junior Susan Thant in 500m freestyle. As for the guys, Yujiro Goto excels in 200m IM and sophomore Clark Fisher in 100m butterfly.

Though both teams are off to a good start, Coach Janice Clark still believes the journey ahead for the champion title will be tough because “CV will be the main league threat this year.

Each of the other league schools has some premier swimmers, but it looks like Arcadia and CV will have both the premier swimmers and the team depth factor.”

The bar is set high this year and expectations are ready to be met. The goals are difficult, but with so many talented athletes, and promising, young freshmen on the team this season, the possibilities are limitless for the Apaches.

21

SAM MILLER

By AISHA ELMASRI

Staff Writer Guest Writer

Now it’s often said, but, in all truth, this team has potential.

Understand me when I say this. The Boys Varsity Volleyball team is made up primarily of underclassmen, and, according to senior captain Jeff Matyas, there are only three seniors in the starting line up: Nicholas Cvjetkovich, Jeff Matyas, and Edwin Liu. This all means that the bulk of the game will be in the hands of the younger guys, who are not as close to their full potentials as, say, a senior might be, and who—as a result—will have nowhere to go but up. This is not the opinion of one writer—rather, it is recognized by all those on the team and is the prevailing theme of this year’s Boys Varsity Volleyball season.

Starting off with a comfy 3-0 win against Chatsworth, Arcadia moved on and hit a rough patch with San Marcos, who is, according to Jeff Matyas, arguably “the best team that we will play all season.” Though they lost to San Marcos Friday, Mar. 6, “so far, we have been doing pretty well considering that we have such a young team,” said senior captain Nick Cvjetkovich. “We still have a lot of work to do, but since it’s still early, we have plenty of time to do it.”

And though this optimism is expected from a captain, it is nonetheless well-founded, because of the team’s promising younger members and the fact that two of the team’s key players, Nick Cvjetkovich and Jeff Matyas, have fully recovered from a dislocated thumb and back injury, respectively.

That following Thursday, Mar. 12, the team beat South Pasadena 3-2, despite the fact that, according to Coach Freberg, they “played very erratically.” However, whatever bad mojo hung in the air with South Pasadena was quickly dispelled on Saturday, Mar. 14, during the Arcadia Invitational Tournament, in which they first crushed Saugus 25-20, then Claremont, a league rival, 25-11, and finally El Segundo in the finals 25-14.

Their success in the Arcadia Invitational Tournament should, however, be taken only as a preview. True, according to Coach Freberg, the “team is coming together,” but they still “need to develop their middle blockers, defense, and serve receive.”

The team Photo Courtesy of ULANDA LEE then dominated BOYS VOLLEYBALL Senior Joseph Servite 3-0, and Woolsey and senior Nick Cvjetkovic both on Mar. 20 and dive towards the ball, hoping to save it 21, they com- before it hits the ground. peted in Newport Harbor High School’s Orange County Championships. Though they did well in pool play, going 2-1, winning the playoffs fell just out of reach. “Sadly, one of our starters, Jeff Matyas, went home due to an injury before playoffs started,” according to senior Nicholas Cvjetkovich.

With all things considered, Boys Varsity Volleyball will have a great season—provided that they stay healthy. Although the younger members still have plenty of catching up to do, the team’s more polished players will finish strong, as expected—again, provided that they stay healthy. As past experience has shown, and to keep the OC Championships in mind, when the team’s hard hitters succumb to injury, tough times can follow. With a current record of 3-1 in league, the Apaches will return in April to finish the remainder of their season.

Photo by GREGORY ZAJAC

Junior Samantha Miller’s coach constantly reminds her, “Luck is where hard work and determination meet.” This has proven true for Sam, who has put in so much time and effort into her favorite sport, softball. She is now waiting to get lucky, and be noticed by college scouts.

Sam started playing tee ball when she was three years old and has been obsessed with softball ever since. Sam became serious about softball in sixth grade when she began playing travel ball; she currently plays with the USA Athletics 18 Gold Team. She also does high school ball, and her schedule is constantly consumed with softball games and practice. Sam made the Varsity team her freshman year and was selected for the First Team All-League, all the while having one of the highest batting averages on her entire team.

Often times, the things in life that are most difficult generate the most happiness. Sam has kept this in mind when things have gotten tough: “I’ve wanted to quit so many times that I have lost count! It gets hard, especially finding a balance between school, softball and sleep. In order to go to college on a scholarship, grades play a huge part.” There were times when Sam has experienced slumps which she said “are all a natural part of the game. [It’s hard] and there are times you just want to take the easy way out and quit.” When Sam was younger, she would feel tired of practice and hesitant to continue; however, her dedication has separated her from the other softball players and helped her build strong character. Sam said, “Softball has kept me busy and out of trouble [by forcing me to focus].”

Sam still feels completely connected and passionate about the sport. She said, “[Softball] doesn’t get enough credit, the game is 90 percent mental and is based on failure. It is the only sport where you are successful 3 out of 10 at bats, which shows how tough it is.” The challenge makes it all the more appealing for Sam who goes on to describe the feeling she gets when she steps up to bat, “Hitting is definitely my stress reliever. [It is] unexplainable how great it feels when you hit the ball just right. [It’s just] so fun [for] me.”

With the support of her parents, Sam hopes to play Division I softball in college and stay in southern California. Sam said, “My parents have dedicated a lot of time and money into [my softball career]. My daddy has been with me with me through the good times and the bad times. [He’s] pushed me when I wanted to give up and always makes time to practice with me. He taught me everything that he knew because he played baseball growing up.”

Sam keeps in mind that all she can do is put her heart and work into the game and hope that it will be reciprocated. As in life, Sam said, “Sometimes your good hits won’t fall in, but then you get those lucky little blooper hits [that do the trick].” aelmasri@theapachepowwow.com

22 CALENDAR Go For It, Girl! Opposites Attract!

By BEVERLY CHEN

theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Photo Contest Winner Lorsine Lai’s Lucky Charm

Good Things Come in Small Envelopes

By DAVID HERNANDEZ

Though this picture seems very plain, it was actually a very hard photo to take.

However, it is a very important picture to me. This piece of gum is a charm for success; I miraculously managed to improve on a test even when I was really tired and almost fell asleep. It amazes me that I have been able to do well, and I believe the secret to my success lies in this stick of gum.

Sudoku

Check your answers at theapachepowwow.com

Courtesy of WEBSUDOKU.COM

March 2009

CALENDAR

theapachepowwow.com

March Horoscopes

By NURIA MATHOG

Staff Writer

23

And Boys, Preparation in Moderation

By ANDREW CHEN

Aries (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19) Outspoken and confident, you are truly a force to be reckoned with.

This month, the planets are aligned in your favor, so take the initiative and try out for that officer position you’ve always wanted.

Taurus (Apr. 20 – May 20) Your focus and singular determination set you apart from the rest.

Use good judgment in planning out the following year’s schedule or selecting a college. If necessary, reevaluate your academic goals and be sure to know your limits.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun. 21) Your charismatic personality may have won you many friends, but beware, for toxic people often cling to you like magnets. Tension in the Zodiac suggests an imminent conflict with a jealous classmate.

Stay on the lookout and keep the lines of communication open at all times.

Cancer (Jun. 22 – Jul. 22) You secretly fear rejection and past experiences have left you bitter and withdrawn. Fortunately, your luck is about to change, for signs point to a positive romantic encounter in the near future. Go ahead and take a chance on that certain someone in your English class.

Leo (Jul. 23 – Aug. 22) You enjoy being in control of challenging situations and often assume command whenever the occasion arises. You will need to exercise this authority often in upcoming weeks, as it will be necessary to deal with difficult and irresponsible group members.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) You are always looking for ways to settle disputes among your peers. Expect some rocky times in the days ahead; a disagreement between two of your friends will force you to play your typical role of peacemaker.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) You are an intellectual and have an uncanny ability to succeed academically with little effort. Beware, though—while you often rely upon your intelligence to bail you out of sticky situations, it won’t help you on that upcoming test unless you set aside plenty of time to study.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) In a word, you can be described as “intense.” You are extremely passionate in everything you do, and you habitually take severe risks to ensure success. While this trait has sometimes cost you dearly, it will reward you splendidly this month: you will be given a unique opportunity to pursue a longtime dream.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) Compassionate and considerate, you make it your goal in life to help others. The stars indicate an approaching dramatic event in the life of your closest friend, so your services may be on high demand this month.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) From an early age on, you have been a highly ambitious individual; your strong drive for success enables you to perform well in any area to which you apply yourself. As a perfectionist, you are often overly self-critical, worrying constantly about fulfilling expectations. This month, take the opportunity to celebrate your achievements whenever you can.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) You are a dreamer and a highly ingenious person, often losing yourself in the imaginary world that you create. You excel in the arts and have a natural talent for expressing yourself through writing, music, and other creative mediums. Take the chance to showcase your abilities to the world—enter a contest or sign up for a talent show.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – Mar. 20) You tend to classify yourself as a “people person,” someone with a remarkable knack for understanding and analyzing the motivation of others. Introduce yourself to the quiet person in your second period class; you just might make a lifelong friend. nmathog@theapachepowwow.com

Glutton Girl Dines at the Grill

By GLUTTON GIRL

it was equally as delicious (with an addition of luxurious steaks and lamb chops), and through the dim lights and lit Staff Writer candles, an extra hint of romance is added. The fusion beWithin the Huntington strip mall, compressed in the tween their Asian and European taste is seamless; it should corner of Starbucks...spotted! L sneaks into Sesame Grill be its own genre of food – Eurasian. I ordered the Linguini for a dinner for two. Sporting the “hole-in-the-wall” look, Clam and it was exceptionally delectable. The shrimp, the interior is, surprisingly, spacey and elegantly decorated clams, and seafood were cooked to the tee, and there was a by season. perfected hint T h o u g h of wine in the there was an white sauce anticipated (they also oftwenty-minfer the red ute wait, we sauce, which were actuis just as ally seated scrumptious). within five; For the appehowever, this tizer, I ordered was on a Satthe creamy urday aftervegetable noon, if you soup.

Now, were thinkdon’t let the ing romantic generic name dinner date fool you, as — I’d sugthis is quite gest callpossibly the ing in for a best item on reservation, the menu. The because it’s vegetable soup better safe has a velvety than sorry. bisque texture Photo by GLUTTON GIRL The atmotopped off sphere during ELEGANCE Warm penne pasta tossed with fresh, in season with chopped brunchtime is vegetables and flavorful clams delights the taste buds of all who vegetables considerably walk into Arcadia’s own Sesame Grill. that are spiced upscale for an to perfection. economical price range. The variety of choices on the menu There are no words to explain the savory experience. Their varies depending on the time of day; there are also specials presentation of the food is definitely a plus; they present that are eloquently recited as bread and water is brought to the food with swirly twirlies and droplets of sauce that you. During lunch, there are prefix menus, in which you complement the taste of the simple appetizers. The service can choose from three groups of entrees (separated by price is impeccable, they are exceedingly friendly and approachrange from a minimum of $8 to a maximum of $20) that able — the type that will greet you by your name when you go in accordance with 6-7 appetizers (which would cost come back. My experience at Sesame Grill was delightful $1 to $2). There is also a wide range of choices à la carte. and besides, the location is considerably convenient. AfLunch at Sesame Grill offers a similar choice of food for a ter all, SoCal thrives in catering strip-mall convenience. fraction of the dinner cost—I’d definitely recommend the lunch at Sesame Grill. However, I’ve had dinner there and gluttongirl@theapachepowwow.com

24

CAMPUS FOCUS

theapachepowwow.com

March 2009

We Go Together Like...

A Cheerleader & a Nerd

By ANGELA SHEN

A Bee & a Flower

A Penguin & a Polar Bear

The Sun & a Cloud

Chicken & Waffles

X’s & O’s

Staff Writer

Once again, the time came for girls to muster up the courage to complete a task typically bestowed on boys—asking someone to a dance. This year, the Sadie Hawkins Dance took place on Mar. 21 in the North Gym, with the theme “Opposites Attract.” With Junior Council in charge of the event, Sadies was a huge success.

“This year’s Sadies was different because we purchased huge amounts of cloth and decided to tarp off two sides of the gym to make it seem less empty,” said Junior Council president, Leah Wong. The innovative idea created the essence of a tent-like atmosphere for students to dance in. Aside from decorations, coordinators spent an extra $700 more from last year’s budget to upgrade the DJ and lights. With the help of Prom Committee, Junior Council was able to transform our ordinary high school gym into the perfect venue for a casual dance. “We just thought about the most novel ideas when planning—how to make the dance more in tune with the kids, what their favorite aspects were, and how to achieve them,” said Leah.

The dance floor was filled with a countless number of creative costumes, from contrasting weather to even Pokémon counterparts. Junior Andrew Chang, a member of Prom Committee, said, “We’ve brought in a record number of people, 545, and we were really happy because we needed to get over 500 people in order to ‘save Sadies’ and have it next year again.” Prior to the dance, Junior Council and Prom Committee put in much work and preparation to make their vision into reality, meeting for 8-10 hours at a time in the weeks directly preceding the dance. On the day of the event, the team worked from 10 a.m.-2 a.m, setting up, supervising the duration of the dance, and cleaning up afterwards. “It took a lot of time, but I think we’re all proud of what became of it,” said Andrew.

For attendees such as senior Arvia Sutandi, this year was different in that the proceedings, such as pictures, were more efficient and the line moved much more quickly. “It was exciting…thank you everyone who helped out on the Sadies Committee—you guys were half the reason for my lovely Saturday,” she said. Fortunately, with the enthusiasm of the student population, the Sadie Hawkins Dance will still remain a tradition at AHS for next year. ashen@theapachepowwow.com

Prom Committee, Ms. Diaz, and Junior Council

Insomnia & Narcolepsy

Superhero & Villain

Lakers & Celtics

Ms. Diaz and Junior Council