March 2014

World Is Our Campus The The World Is Our Campus Volume 61, Issue 7

March 2014

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY

In this issue:

Graphic courtesy of AMAZON.COM

CENTER SPREAD pg. 12-13 Humans of Arcadia: Students share their stories in a personalized take on the popular photoblog, HONY.

Photo courtesy of VIMEO.COM

AN EMINENT LEGACY Dr. Sutro’s distinguished career spans decades, but his lasting impact on his students, his fellow staff, and the AHS campus as a whole is one that cannot be measured.

By ARIANA ARZANI & NEVEN WANG-TOMIC Graphic courtesy of NPR.ORG

STUDENT LIFE pg. 16 This I Believe: Students voice some of their beliefs that have shaped them into who they are today.

Photo by Maddie Bruce

SPORTS pg. 19 Boys Varsity Volleyball: Boys are doing superb, spiking out the competition with great teamwork and ability.

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

Managing Editor & Staff Writer When we began this article on Dr. Edmund Sutro, we didn’t entirely anticipate the immense amount of heartfelt responses we would receive from people. But as we began interviewing teachers and students, we realized how expansive his influence has been. Anecdote after anecdote, it seemed as if every staff member and student had some memory or inspirational experience they just had to share. Virtually every person we interviewed had the same reaction after our first question: 15 seconds of contemplative silence followed by a barrage of amazing things to say about him.

For the teachers at AHS, Dr. Sutro is more than just a colleague; he is a lifelong mentor, a memorable friend, and an inspiration. To Mr. Tal Jones, “he is a fountain of knowledge and a source of great wisdom,” as well as an individual who gives great advice. Few individuals have had such a substantial, long-lasting, and monumental influence on the AHS community as Dr. Sutro has. Following his 42 years of teaching, including 20 years at AHS, he will be retiring, to the dismay of students and faculty alike.

During his many years at AHS, Dr. Sutro has been instrumental in shaping clubs, students, faculty, ASB, and the social studies department.

Ms. Angela Dillman admires the way “he puts the students at the center” of all of the decision he makes, both as the ASB leadership director and a social studies teacher. As the leadership director, Dr. Sutro leads ASB meetings, teaching students about parliamentary law and helping them develop leadership skills. Ms. Dillman “cannot overstress how valuable he is” because he knows the history of nearly every club ever chartered and ensures that all school rules are upheld. Mr. Kevin Fox finds that “Dr. Sutro is an amazing educator because he believes that all students have the capacity to learn and he never lowers his standards” of excellence. Because much of his work is done behind the scenes, Mrs. Heather Moore believes that “we’ll only realize exactly how much he did on campus when we don’t have him anymore.” It seems that, through the interviews we conducted, each faculty member has something to share about Dr. Sutro.

Having taught Psychology, U.S. History, and U.S. Government, it’s not hard to see why Dr. Sutro is such a recognizable name across the school. In addition to his diverse teaching curriculum, his unique teaching methods go above and beyond lectures and slideshows. According to Ms. Kerry King, when he taught U.S. History he was known to “change the scheme and decorations of his room based on the era he was teaching at the time.” Every time Mrs. Moore “sat in on his class to watch him teach, [she] learned something [she] had never known before,” which she would then pass on to her own students.

For the students who have had him, his dedication to the school and the community is most clear.

For ASB President senior Carrie Zhang, Dr. Sutro is a remarkable teacher because he “truly understands his students and works to be a great mentor,” tirelessly devoting his time and effort to others. Former ASB President Jon Kwok, who had worked with Dr. Sutro for three years, believes that Dr. Sutro is “one of the wisest people [he has] ever had the pleasure of knowing.” Senior Alyssa Mazer recalls that last year, Band would walk past Dr. Sutro’s room every day on the way to practice. One day in particular he “put a dancing skull with notes around it outside” for Band to see. It is moments like these that, for Alyssa and many others, make Dr. Sutro an incredibly memorable person.

While Dr. Sutro’s vast knowledge and exceptional teaching will not be around forever, his relationships and the unbreakable connections he has developed with the individuals of the school will be timeless. As Ms. Dillman stated, Dr. Sutro is one to “treat people with respect and dignity always in every interaction,” and that is one of the reasons why his colleagues and students will miss him so much.

All of those who have worked with him are grateful for all that he has done for the school and the students, recognizing that his legacy will live on within the countless individuals he has positively influenced. aarzani@apachepowwow.com nwangtomic@apachepowwow.com

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NEWS

By MILLIE WONG Staff Writer

apachepowwow.com

Makes Changes to the SAT

change from today’s score of 2400 points, one that was introduced in 2005 with the mandatory essay.

The essay portion will now be optional and—though many colleges may deem it a requirement—will be graded separately and will focus on the students’ ability to analyze a passage and explain how the author’s argument is supported through evidence.

Also changing is the notorious SAT vocabulary section—gone are complicated words; they will instead be replaced with

CollegeBoard announced on Mar. 5 that it is changing the college-entrance exam we all know and will begin to offer free SAT help online through a partnership with Khan Academy, throwing a curve ball at the $1 billion test-preparation industry that has grown around it.

Starting in Spring 2016, students will no longer be required to write an essay or be penalized for selecting wrong answers or be allowed to freely use calculators during the math section. Officials say that these shifts are intended to better align the topics of the 80-plus-yearold exam with what students learn in their high school curriculum instead of topics taught by private tutors and by SAT prep classes.

The SAT will be condensed into two sections: evidencebased reading and writing and real-world math. This is a departure from the current three sections of reading comprehension, grammar and writing, and math. THE NEW SATCollegeBoard announced anticipated The highest score possible changes that are to occur in 2016, changing the way the will be 1600 which is a major SAT will work in the future.

Twitch Plays Pokémon

By MICHELLE HUANG Staff Writer

On Feb. 12, an anonymous Australian programmer launched what seemed like a simple social experiment called “Twitch Plays Pokémon” (TPP). However, this elaborate scheme was far from simple. This interactive livestream was a modified version of Pokémon Red, the first generation of the Pokémon series, that allowed watchers to input commands to control the character via chat. As a result, the game was controlled by numerous people at once. For example, viewers who typed “up” in the stream’s chat room could make the character walk upward, and those who typed “start” could open the “start menu” in-game.

TPP was created as a social experiment in order to observe how strangers on the Internet could gather together and accomplish mindless tasks—in this case, completing a game of Pokémon Red. For those who have not played Pokémon, the goal of the game is to train Pokémon and defeat other trainers. However, with tens of thousands of people playing simultaneously, even this basic task can be frustratingly dragged out for hours.

Astoundingly, 16 days after its launch, TPP participants finished Pokémon Red. Fans cheered and celebrated around the world, dis-

March 2014

playing their hard-earned victory after 400 hours of turmoil.

Being the first widespread phenomenon on Twitch, the “viewer-driven stream”, TPP has certainly changed the way the system works.

Authorities at Twitch commented that TPP shows how viable an interactive platform the livestream is, and they hope to see future programs similar to TPP; TPP has also, according to the gaming magazine Kotaku, “restored faith in humanity” because many viewers were first doubtful that they would finish the game, but, after about two weeks, they miraculously did.

Twitch’s vice president of marketing, Matthew DiPietro, praised the innovative idea and said that it is “one more example of how video games have become a platform for entertainment and creativity that extends way beyond the original intent of the game creator. By merging a video game, live video, and a participatory experience, the broadcaster has created an entertainment hybrid custom made for the Twitch community. This is a wonderful proof on concept that we hope to see more of in the future.”

Indeed, TPP does demonstrate how the merging of games and social media can demonstrate potential. And, ever since TPP went viral, many other similar streams on Twitch have popped up. QWOP, Street Fighter, and Tetris are just some of the games launched in response to TPP, and many more are sure to come. mhuang@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of IMAGESHACK.US

what College Board calls “Relevant Words in Context”, or vocabulary that will be used throughout students’ lives, such as “synthesis” or “empirical”.

Math, CollegeBoard stated, will focus on three key areas: “Problem Solving and Data Analysis”, “the Heart of Algebra”, and “Passport to Advanced Math”, meaning the math portion of the SAT will focus on students’ ability to solve questions in science or career-related contexts, their mastery of linear equations and systems,

and their familiarity with more complex equations.

CollegeBoard will also implement questions pertaining to real-world contexts, sciences, and social studies into the reading portion of the test, hoping to instill skills that will be used by students in college and their careers.

In addition to the new types of questions, the reading portion of the test will also include passages from the “Founding Documents” or “the Great Global Conversation”, texts that are inspired by our nation’s founding documents and discussions of freedom, justice, and human dignity, which will again instill familiarity to real-world questions.

Finally, the redesigned SAT will not penalize students for guessing—only the points from correct answers will be counted, and no points will be removed for blank or wrong answers. And so, with changes across all sections of the test, all future test-takers will have brand new territory to explore. mwong@apachepowwow.com

Photos and graphic courtesy of USNEWS.COM and REALCLEARWORLD.COM

The Return of El Niño

By HAFSAH UMERANI

when weak winds in the Pacific allow warmer water to gather on the South American west coast, forming storms farther east than usual and changCalifornia received a large amount of rain on ing wind and precipitation patterns all over the Feb. 28. However, it wasn’t enough to make even world. If El Niño does return, experts feel it could the smallest impact on our current drought status. tame the Atlantic hurricane season and raise the Bill Patzert, a climatologist for the Jet Propulsion global temperature in 2015, which could bring Laboratory, called the storm “a nice, fat down pay- more rain to California. ment” for the water banks, meaning that it wasn’t The government’s El Niño alert system is enough to impact our drought but did help put an currently inactive, but long-term forecasts are end to smaller problems. The storm, which was in favor of El Niño. The National Weather Serthe largest one since December 2010, helped end vice’s Climate Predicthe long wildfire seation Center gave a 49% son and ease the ongoprobability of El Niño ing drought, and damreturning in the fall age from it had been but such predictions minimal in urban areas. have led to controversy.

However, the storm Maury Roos, the chief only brought 10% of hydrologist for the the normal rainfall.

California Department Fortunately, sciof Water Resources, entists have predicted pointed out that many the appearance of a winters have passed new El Niño using where El Niño didn’t computer models. El STORM ISSUES The highly anticipated end dry conditions, Niño is a regular series storm failed to make a big impact on the ongoing as was with the weak of climatic changes that drought, but perhaps El Niño will.

El Niño cycles during affects the equatorial a drought that lasted region of the Pacific and beyond every few years, from 1976 to 1977. but it has been dormant for the past two years beHowever, the harsh El Niño winter of 1997 cause ocean temperatures have not risen enough to 1998 was true to forecasts and doubled rainfall to form one. in Southern California. Ever since then, the eastGerald Meehl, a senior scientist at the Na- ern Pacific has stayed in a cool phase called the tional Center for Atmospheric Research, said sci- Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which can last for entists are “getting multiple indications, and [the decades, making it difficult for the cycle to begin world is] kind of due for one.” Although it’s too again. In the end, no matter if El Niño comes or early to be sure of El Niño’s return, observations not, for now all we can do is save our water and and computer models have led scientists to believe humerani@apachepowwow.com the weather phenomenon will return.

The cycle starts every two to seven years, Graphics courtesy of FLICKR.COM Staff Writer

powwownews@gmail.com

March 2014

Controversy About SCA 5 “broadest access to our three higher education institutions: community Staff Writer colleges, CSU’s and UC’s.” However, It is well known that most colleges many Asian Americans, people who look at grades, SAT scores, and other make up the only racial group that has academic or extracurmore representation on ricular achievements UC campuses than they when accepting or dedo statewide, disagree clining admissions. with artificially diversifyHowever, because of ing the UC system. Kenny Senate Constitutional Hsu of the Southern CaliAmendment 5 (SCA fornia Council of Chinese 5), otherwise known Schools argued that “colas Affirmative Action, lege-admission standards University of California should reflect our efforts, (UC) schools may start not by race.” considering race, genOn Mar. 17, to the reder, and national origin lief of protesters of the bill, when it comes to admisAssembly Speaker John sions.

Pérez announced that SCA SCA 5 lifts a por5 did not receive the twotion of the ban instilled thirds vote in the Assembly

by Proposition 209 that RACIAL CONTROVERSY Affirmative Actions prove to be and will not be placed on was passed in 1996, the ballot this November. controversial, and debates continue to occur over the amendment. which prohibits state However, the amendment government institutions from consid- ties for each individual. A supporter of could still affect our future. ering race, sex, and ethnicity in areas Affirmative Action, State Senator Ed Whether or not this controversial like public education and employment. Hernandez, stated that “SCA 5 gives amendment will be put into action in And, although this amendment has al- students of all backgrounds a chance the future, students should still work ready been postponed until the 2016 to attend California’s best universi- hard to achieve their full potential and ballot, controversies are still stirring ties,” and it “would be discriminatory their goals despite their nationality, among political leaders and individu- if we did not try to create communities gender, or race. als alike. of interest.” He also mentioned that Supporters of SCA 5 argue that in- the majority of the Legislature in both mhong@apachepowwow.com creasing diversity in schools may come houses believes that there should be the Photo courtesy of LATIMES.COM

By MEGAN HONG

By EMILY QUACH

with benefits, like more opportunities for the underprivileged, while opponents of the amendment believe that considering biological traits defeats the purpose of having equal opportuni-

Crisis in Ukraine Staff Writer

Tensions increased between the Obama Administration and Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, as they discussed their viewpoints on what is happening in Ukraine. President Putin said on Mar. 4 that masked gunmen are fueling anarchy in Ukraine, decrying what he called an “illegitimate government” that illegally seized power with U.S. backing. He argued that his country has a right to use military force. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama said Ukraine’s new government is democratically responding to the people’s will. However, President Putin blamed Western powers, particularly the U.S., for causing what he called “anarchy and armed coup” in Ukraine. “I have a feeling people in America sit in some lab doing experiments, like on rats,” he said, “without knowing [the] consequences.”

The tensions began when the Western Ukraine wanted to accept a deal with European Union while Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych wanted closer relations with Russia. When Yanukovych accepted the Russian deal, people began to riot and dozens were killed. The Russian government sent troops into Ukraine to sort out tensions, but the U.S. has threatened sanctions on Russia for illegally entering Ukraine. The Obama Administration and President Putin have different opinions on the crisis in Ukraine. The U.S. believes Yanukovych abandoned his post in February he refused to sign a transition deal, fled the

country and was then voted out of office

by Ukraine’s democratically elected parliament. “He broke his obligation to sign that agreement and he fled into the night with his possessions, destroying papers behind him,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in Kiev, Ukraine on Mar. 4. “He abandoned

his people and eventually his country.”

Russia claims that Viktor Yanukovych remains Ukraine’s elected leader, and Ukraine’s new government is illegitimate.

“The legitimate president is only Yanukovych,” Putin said. “There are just three ways to dismiss the president from power: death, his personal request and the third one, impeachment...This procedure was not followed.”

A final opinion between the countries is the reason why tense standoffs have unfolded. The U.S. stated that Putin is threatened by challenges to his influence, especially popular uprisings against gov-

NEWS t s a f f Editors

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

equach@apachepowwow.com

Photos and graphic courtesy of CNN.COM

Christopher Cho and Vanessa Yu Ariana Arzani Katrina Chao and Terri Shi Kelly Ching and Erika Zheng Elaine Chung and Amelia Jin Lily Ling and Stanley Shaw Daniel Jenn and Victoria Yu Allan Gao and Zachary Yee Amanda Huynh and Helen Lee Mya Ho Kristie Sun Josh Bay Deedee Chuang, Dana Jee, and Shawn Xing Maddie Bruce and Ben Geisberg Rena Chen and Khanh Tran Jonathan Matsumoto Yoko Chan and Belle Zheng

Writers

News Staff

Opinion Staff

Performing Arts Staff

Student Life Staff

ernments that are supportive of the Russian leader. “They are externally taking over and trying to annex Crimea,” Secretary of State Kerry said.

There are signs show that the standoff between pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces could ignite into a bloody conflict.

On Mar. 19, Moscow claimed Crimea as its own when 300 armed pro-Russian supporters took over the naval base in Sevastopol. A chief officer was killed and the captain wounded. Marina Kanalyuk, assistant to the commander of Ukraine’s navy fleet said, Russian forces “are everywhere here, they surround us, they threaten us,” adding that she was sure that Russian security forces were involved.

U.S. and European Union (EU) officials have proposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian and Crimean officials. They have urged Russia to avoid the escalating crisis, but the country has ignored these calls. Putin claims that Russian troops were already in Crimea in accordance with previous international negotiations. He may be under pressure over Russia’s actions in Crimea recently, but public opinion is firmly siding with him in his homeland. As Crimea became part of Russia, cheering crowds celebrated the announcement. Tensions are still rising as the U.S. and EU figure out the next step to end this crisis.

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Features Staff

Sports Staff

Academics Staff

Calendar Staff

Campus Focus Staff Center Spread Staff Advertisement Staff Photo Staff Copy Editing Staff

Adviser

Michelle Gu, Angela He, Megan Hong, Michelle Huang, Elisha Lee, Melody Lin, Emily Quach, Donna Sayphraraj, Justin Tang, Hafsah Umerani, Millie Wong, Charles Xu, Tiger Yin, Roy Zhang Lillian Chen, Lauren Frank, Ben Geisberg, Michelle Liu, Tiffany Liu, Neven Wang-Tomic, Flora Ung, Roy Zhang Eric Chen, Celine Lee, Eileen Lee, Elisha Lee, Andrew Lim, Melody Lin, Neven Wang-Tomic Eric Chen, Chelsea Cheng, Simone Chu, Lauren Frank, Carolyn Hsu, Michelle Huang, Christine Li, Kimberly Lo, Briana Shen, Jessica Wang, Millie Wong, Charles Xu, Tiger Yin Lillian Chen, Simone Chu, Lauren Frank, Carolyn Hsu, Christine Li, Jonathan Matsumoto, Cristian Nalbandian, Briana Shen, Justin Tang, Hafsah Umerani Billy Bonney, Maddie Bruce, Rose Li, Melody Lin, Allison Stevenson, Justin Tang, Brendan Tran Tiffany Liu, Kimberly Lo, Emily Quach, Christina Read, Donna Sayphraraj, Justin Tang, Flora Ung, Jessica Wang Chelsea Cheng, Michelle Gu, Angela He, Elisha Lee, Andrew Lim, Christina Read, Belinda Shoung, Emily Tong Briana Shen Kelly Ching and Shirley Lu Billy Bonney, Jonathan Chu, Johnson Hui, Shirley Lu, Katrina Villacisneros, Ethan Zhu Deedee Chuang, Celine Lee, Stanley Shaw, Katrina Villacisneros, Roy Zhang Katrina Chao, Simone Chu, Elaine Chung, Hubert Co, Kylie Cole, Michelle Gu, Rose Li, Michelle Liu, Tiffany Liu, Kimberly Lo, Shirley Lu, Christina Read, Briana Shen, Jessica Wang Mr. Johnny Lee

Publication Information: The Apache Pow Wow is a student publication distributed monthly throughout the school year. The paper has been continuously published since Arcadia High School opened in 1952. Unsigned articles appearing on the opinion page reflect the opinion of The Apache Pow Wow editorial board. A student’s work does not represent the views of Arcadia High School or the Arcadia Unified School District. Address letters to the editor to: The Apache Pow Wow, 180 W. Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. To place an advertisement in the newspaper, email ads.powwow@gmail.com. Advertisement rates vary from $30 for a business card advertisement to $250 for a full-page black and white advertisement, with quarter-page, half-page, and advertisement insert options available.

Graphic courtesy of MYCUTEGRAPHICS.COM

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6

OPINION

Don’t Ask, Do Tell

By LILLIAN CHEN

apachepowwow.com

Don’t

Mind

By LAUREN FRANK Staff Writer

Staff Writer

‘Tis the season of college acceptances! For us seniors that are waiting for regular decisions to be delivered, there’s a mix of anxiety and excitement that takes over our minds. And with everyone so eager to learn about his or her individual college acceptances, there are bound to be conversations started up in the hallways and classrooms because of our anxiety. And that’s totally okay.

What’s not okay, however, is pressing every single senior you know about college acceptances. There’s nothing worse than when you pester another person by asking, “Did you get in? Did you get in? What schools accepted you so far?” when that person clearly does not want to engage in this type of conversation with you. We have to remember that college acceptances are private matters. Not the school’s, not the teacher’s, but the individual’s own business. Think of college acceptances like family matters. We all have our own issues at home, whether it be sibling fights or family emergencies. However, I’d like to think that most people don’t walk up to their classmates and ask them how their family situations are. We do, after all, have the social awareness to not pass the boundary of “family”. Like familial issues, college acceptances are matters that should be confined to the family circle. After all, it is an individual or family decision to apply to certain schools and pay for those application fees and test score reports. But the key word is “should”. It really isn’t like that in Arcadia, or even in the U.S. In a modern society that is so concerned with brand name schools and pursuing higher education, it seems okay to obsess over college acceptances.

“But it is okay to obsess over college acceptances! I mean, people post their own acceptances on Facebook all the time!”

Of course people can do what they want with their college acceptances. However, that’s different from prying. When others post their acceptance letters or packages online, they’re readily volunteering information about their personal matters. When it’s you or anyone else that’s pestering people about their college acceptance statuses, now that is not okay.

You can be proud of your own achievements and accomplishments. But when it comes to conversing about college, try to be at least moderately aware of how you come across. If you do happen to bring up the topic of college admissions and a friend or classmate doesn’t want to talk about it, just subtly change the subject and move on. It is not your immediate concern to find out what every single UC or private school applicant at AHS got in the mail. Rather, it is his or her own concerns, and being pushy will just make you come off as rude and inconsiderate.

So, during this season of college acceptances, we students, especially seniors, will have to renew respect and privacy for our peers. I may be curious when it comes to other people’s acceptances, but I do the best I can to remind myself that college affairs are not necessarily my business. With us being aware of the possibility of being overbearing or pushy about this subject, we can be aware of hints to back off from the subject and such. And after all the chaos, regardless of where we end up, we have a great future ahead.

For most young adults nowadays, the future is a straight path— survive high school, tackle college, acquire a job, make money, buy a house. That’s not to say it’s an easy thing to do. In fact, college has consumed the thoughts of nearly everyone since at least middle school. Everything has been for it, for the sake of their futures. After all, the idea has been ingrained in the minds of students from a young age that college determines the success and happiness that they will have. But quite frankly, it’s a very, very straight path being shown to us. It’s true that going to college provides the education that is needed for many jobs, but it doesn’t have to come right after high school. There’s another option that has been offered again and again, but no one seems to truly think about it: gap years, however.

Of the many reasons why gap years are great, allowing a break is one of the most important. No, a gap year isn’t a time to get lazy—just the opposite, in fact. This time in between high school and college allows the wiggle room to step outside the lines a little and take on a whole new point of view. Those who take a gap year have the option to dive straight into internships, volunteer jobs, and travel routes that expand their horizons and push them to grow. These gap year students allow the “adult world” to be their classroom, and there’s no time for hesitation. While many high school students who go straight into college adjust into their adult selves, they don’t do it at the same rate. A gap year provides

lchen@apachepowwow.com

the

March 2014

Gap

a different speed of change. It’s a chance to develop maturity and develop hands-on skills. It gives students a chance to understand what working hard really means and reap the benefits of it. In high school, there are always those projects that everyone spends hours on trying to complete and get an “A”, but in the end, it’s just for a grade. On the other hand, freed from the heavy idea of college, gap year students can search for what they want, where they want, with the satisfaction of knowing that it was all their choice.

Aside from taking a breather and expanding oneself, colleges encourage gap years because during this time, students get to know themselves better and as a result, they jump into college, wanting and ready to learn, with certainty in what they what do. Gap year students tend to be more motivated as they have explored their own needs and wants. Having tried different things in different environments, these students know what they want out of their education, so colleges would not need to spend any unnecessary time or money testing out students’ potentials. Also, gap year students tend to have a greater desire to learn because their curiosity and passion for learning has been sparked during their time off.

It seems like a scary process—stepping outside of the societal ideals that have provided comfort in the uncertainty of the future—but in the long run, gap years offer amazing opportunities waiting to be explored. The first steps into this life-changing process are well worth it, and the experience gathered from them is even better. lfrank@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of JOLYON.CO.UK

Our Impending Inconvenient Truth

By MICHELLE LIU Staff Writer

I learned in my AP Environmental Science class that if everyone lived like us—Americans—we would need over four Earths to sustain our lifestyle. That’s a little bit frightening. Our ecological footprint is considerably larger than those of developing nations; human activities have led to the extinction of thousands of species and are endangering many more; sea levels are rising due to global warming.

But when I get up in the morning, I brush my teeth with the water running and leave the room with the lights still on. I travel nearly everywhere in a car and purchase things I end up never touching. Unfortunately, thoughts about water conservation and human overconsumption are the farthest things from my mind in comparison to what I plan on eating for breakfast. School is no different— trash is left on the ground, unrecycled, without much attention to the future.

We’re privileged to live in a wealthy suburb with running water and electricity in our homes. We’re lucky to be able to have cars, air conditioning, and grocery stores in our very own city. Yet we’re throwing away plastic bottles and wasting food and dumping electronics into our landfills, as if these actions would never affect our lives. All of these things have accumulated into a host of problems that seems a world away from the sheltered bubble we live in.

But it’s not that we don’t care about the environment. Al Gore’s 2006

documentary An Inconvenient Truth forced the world to accept that fossil fuels are negatively impacting the environment. A poll in the New York Times in 2007 showed that a majority of people believe that we humans are the primary contributor to global warming, proving that the general public agrees our climate is changing for the worse. Even in our own community, there is no doubt that we’re worried about not being able to see the stars from under the LA smog, fueled by the exorbitant amount of hours we waste in traffic annually. Likewise, emotional duress caused by the threat of giant pandas going extinct on the planet certainly leads us to question our actions.

Nevertheless, our bad habits stem primarily from convenience, leaving us to take shortcuts and make wasteful choices that hurt our environment. We’re simply not aware of it—have you ever seen a bird that swallowed a bottle cap? We’re led into a false sense of security that the things we do won’t hurt us, that we’re shielded from the effects of pesticides and strip mining and clearcutting forests.

But as the years pass, we’re starting to see that they really do. What we used to believe was fog hanging over our city is actually smog, a much deadlier counterpart. We no longer dread rain but desire a storm to end the drought; rising food prices and stronger wildfires have opened our eyes to what is happening around us. While we can’t do much individually, we can take a step in the right direction by picking up trash, recycling efficiently, turning off the lights, and carpooling. I hate to break it to you, but we only have one Earth. mliu@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of RECYCLE.COM

March 2014

theopinionsection@gmail.com

OPINION

Grand-Parental Guidance Suggested

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dom will pass with then. So I urge everyone reading: talk to people outside your generation: grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, etc. They have decades of experience and wisdom whereas we barely have The oldest living person in the world, one and a half.

Misao Okawa, celebrated her 116th birthLife has no “take-backs”. Whether it’s day on Mar. 5. Out of the seven billion a pet, a friend, a peer, a teacher, or a fampeople on this planet today, she is one of ily member, there’s the last five people something to be born in the 19th learned from each century. To reliving being. Call phrase, virtually your grandmother every single person more, hang out with born in the 19th your dog, chat with century is dead toyour parents, and day. It’s a morbid learn from your idea, I know, but it friends. One day it illustrates the simwill come to us to plest tenet of life: pass on our generaall living things tional knowledge must eventually to begrudged and die. annoyed teenagers.

One of the But, we shouldn’t most common GENERATIONS OF HAPPINESS Wisdom and experience can be instilled on you from anyone, particularly from those who have wait until then to regrets of the elexciting stories to share. Don’t simply brush aside the older generation, and even more, don’t take them for granted. realize how much derly is the regret worth grandparents’ guidance carries. Who because they don’t understand how Skype have. The only difference is now we have of not spending more time with friends knows, maybe 60 years in the future, some works. The thing is, they probably said newer technology that makes us feel as if and family before it was too late. That’s kid will write an article urging teenagers to the same thing about the oldest generation we know more, and in 50 years the cycle the thing about death; it creeps up slowly, talk to us. before them, and that generation probably will repeat with us as the oldest generation. but pounces quickly. Unfortunately, once it said the same thing as well, and so on and So what’s my point? Well, technology will hits, that’s that. As much as we’d like to nwangtomic@apachepowwow.com so forth. It’s really nothing new, as techbe around forever, or at least a lot longer have an undo button, life isn’t a word docuGraphics courtesy of BLOG.PROnology advances, it becomes harder and than you or I. We can pick up our phones ment. The sad thing is that a person who is JECTPATH.ORG, LIVESCIENCE.COM, and harder to keep up with the ever-expanding and play Candy Crush any day of the week, here today may not be tomorrow, that’s the STATES.AARP.ORG pool of information and knowledge assobut people will one day pass, and their wiscaveat of life.

By NEVEN WANG-TOMIC

Staff Writer

Older generations probably understand this far better than we do, as they are much closer to passing away than we are.

Oddly enough, the historical trend has always been that the youngest generation ridicules the oldest living generation. I have no doubt that we have all heard of it, the idea that the elderly are foolish or ignorant

What Can I Ask On Staff Writer

everyday life. Examples range from “What are the funniest tech support stories you’ve ever

Co-founded by two Facebook employees, Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever, Quora was made public in 2010. This question and answer website, similar to Yahoo!

Answers, has become my favorite site not because I can get certain resources for homework, but because it’s a collection of individual and personal stories from people around the world. It’s easy to find a story about anyone and anything.

Questions like “What is it like to earn a living through poker?” or “What’s it like to be close friends with a genius?” spark my curiosity instantly. The answers often span a couple of long paragraphs that read as if people are telling you the story themselves.

Answers can be very personal and long, but interesting. In the case of the poker story, I learned how people can often experience extreme highs and lows in small time spans.

In addition, one man felt as if his life was unfair at times compared to others. He made his first six-figure year at 19 and first six-figure day at 21. And while doing this, he could sleep in, be with his family, pursue his hobbies, and be with friends, all because he played his cards right. After reading more than ten long paragraphs, I felt as if I had gained a different perspective into his life and others who play poker.

Compared to Yahoo! Answers, which is filled with homework questions and often “troll” answers, Quora contains questions about

heard?”, “What are the most dangerous trends or practices in parenting?”, and “What do surgeons do if they get exhausted in middle of a surgery?” The website is different from others mainly because people are asking more thought provoking questions aside from the typical “What’s the answer to…”. Being on Quora also helps me become a more well-rounded and informed person about random and interesting things in life.

The best thing that something educational can do is to simply spark your curiosity. Classes at school aren’t interesting until the point where students actually do extra research on their own. For me, it was a summer class taught by a very passionate teacher.

By TIFFANY LIU

ciated with these advancements. Simply because a person does not know how to operate an iPhone does not make them any more or less knowledgeable than the rest of us, a fact I hope everyone recognizes. And as much as we tend to ride off the generation behind us, the fact of the matter is that they represent a wisdom that very few of us

.com?

We listened to him talk about black holes and the universe. There was never a boring day, and I remember that summer I went home and spent a couple of hours watching videos about black holes and stars.

It was the first time I was truly excited to write a paper or treasure the notes on something I had learned. In addition, I felt like I wanted

to teach others about something that I found so amazing. That summer I wanted to know everything and anything about our universe. In a similar way, I feel that Quora sparks the same curiosity but in a simpler way that makes me want to learn not only about black holes, but also about different cultures, people, and experiences.

However, the problem with this is that most of the time Quora feeds my

procrastination. But at the same time, I’m getting different perspectives on things from personal stories and credible sources. Compared to Buzzfeed, which is awesome but is ultimately procrastination at its worst, Quora gives me a better, more clearly educational, alternative to spending my free time, because before I know it, I’m watching documentaries and researching about various topics. One question can lead to hundreds following it and the more I am clicking and typing, the fuller my brain gets.

Even though Quora isn’t the most popular question and answer site, it remains my favorite since in the end, sometimes all it takes to learn is to ask the right questions and have the right people answer them. tliu@apachepowwow.com

Graphics

by BELINDA SHOUNG and courtesy of QUORA.COM

8

FEATURES

apachepowwow.com

March 2014

Bizarre Restaurants Make a Splash

By BRIANA SHEN

By LAUREN FRANK

Staff Writer

Crazy things have been happening lately. A whole new world has been created. Soon enough, flying skateboards, automatically tying shoes, and robots that act as humans and take over human jobs will be a reality! But for now, a new food has been made that would terrify any meat lover: meatless chicken. It tastes like chicken, has the the same texture as chicken, but it’s not? Well, welcome to the future.

“Beyond Meat is the first plant protein that looks, feels, tastes, and acts like meat,” yet it is more unique than any other competitors in its market because of how well its products copy the protein fibers that people love sinking their teeth into.

Beyond Meat began in Maryland and under CEO Ethan Brown, the drive for chickenless chicken to become mainstream was constant. Now, wait just a second. It’s true, there are other posers of soy chicken and supposed vegetable “chicken nuggets” made by companies like Tofurkey and Boca.

If you haven’t had products by either of these names, then let’s just say that, unless you haven’t been eating meat for a long time (and consequently can’t tell the difference), they don’t always taste like the real thing. Supposedly, Beyond Meat has developed synthesized chicken that is so like the real thing that Brown believes his company will become the meatless version of Tyson or Perdue.

Here’s the thing about “real” chicken: the way it’s produced can’t be sustained for years to come.

Americans alone eat 96 pounds of chicken per person a year. You don’t need to be a mathematician to realize that that’s a whole lot of chicken. Imagine eating 19 to 32 whole chickens. Yeah, that’s a lot of chicken. On top of that, the awareness of how much hormones pumped into these creatures and constant doses of antibiotics is rising. What Beyond Meat aims to do is reface the meat industry.

With conditions for live chickens too hard to maintain in future years and rising awareness in health and of what people eat, this company has created an alternative that isn’t so bad. Many reviews show that synthesized chicken is so alike in texture and form that people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if it were served to them in a restaurant.

Okay, let’s take a step back really quickly.

What is this odd, futuristic synthesized meat? The Beyond Meat website states that its products are made out of soy and pea protein, flour, and fibers.

That’s the short story. The full list of ingredients includes soy and pea protein protein isolates (stuff used for baby formula), amaranth (it’s a grain, even if it sounds like something out of a fantasy novel), vegan chicken flavor, soy and carrot fiber, canola oil, dipotassium phosophate, and titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral used to lightly dye the chicken). That’s not too bad!

It’s a whole new world we’re dealing with here, so baby steps are advised. Maybe try Beyond Meat a little bit first. Don’t let the titles of “vegan” or “vegetarian”, “gluten-free”, or “healthy” scare you. Baby steps. Who knows, maybe next you’ll brag about saving the world, one chicken at a time! lfrank@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of FASTCOEXIST.COM and MATTOVERMATTER.COM

Staff Writer

Starting a business and opening a restaurant may seem like such an ordinary task; after all, there are many restaurants on every block.

However, keeping business flowing is a whole different story. Somehow, successful restaurants find a way to keep the customers coming back for more. While most restaurants entice customers to come again by the quality of the food, others focus on the service. Others go for the more unusual approach. Lately, restaurants have been incorporating an overall theme to enhance the customers’ experience to turn a regular meal into something out of the ordinary. These restaurants have earned their fame and their customers based solely on the unique and creative themes they have.

Taiwan: Hello Kitties and Toilet Bowls?

Taipei, home of the themed eateries, seems to foster the growing culture of restaurant themes, as some of the most famous themed shops popped up in Taiwan. Of them all, the most famous restaurant hands down is Modern Toilet. In the heart of the bustling city, Modern Toilet is a strange find, as it’ll have you questioning your appetite. Diners have the luxury of sitting on individual toilets while they feast on curry and hot pot out of mini plastic toilet bowls. Their drinks are served in toilet bowl shaped mugs or urinal shaped cups. Even dessert—chocolate soft served ice cream—is served from squat toilets in, you guessed it, poop-shaped chocolaty goodness. But wait! Don’t want to miss out on this great toilet fun?

Modern Toilet offers souvenirs that you can pick up before you go. Bon appetit!

Mirroring the success of Modern Toilet restaurant, Hello Kitty Sweets is a branch of the Hello Kitty Franchise that offers a sweet dining experience. At the entrance, the store is plastered with cute images of Hello Kitty, but the interior of the store is on a whole different level. The pink and white furniture, plushy Hello Kitty shaped seats, and cute uniforms that waiters and waitresses wear create a cute and cozy atmosphere. At the front desk, Hello Kitty cakes, cookies, puddings, and other delightful desserts beckon to customers to order… and gain a few pounds. Though the restaurant is a little pricey, the effort put into the desserts and the design of restaurant is astounding. Just be aware that you’ll end up spending at least 300 TWD—or $12.50.

New York: Ninja New York Japanese restaurants are no strangers to New York, home to some of the finest restaurants in America. But Ninja New York has tricks up its sleeves which distinguishes itself from the others. Ninja New York is designed to look like an ancient Japanese feudal castle, with décor to match the dark and mysterious atmosphere. At the entrance, waiters donned in ninja costumes and gear greet customers, who are ushered to the table of their choice. The menu is comprised with traditional Japanese food alongside modern dishes like BBQ baby back ribs. But what’s truly unique to the restaurant are the “Ninja Art Dishes” that are aesthetically appealing. Dishes that look like they are floating on mist are appealing to both the stomach and the eyes. While customers are feasting, the ninja waiters showcase their talents by scaring diners or enchanting them with their talents. They perform mystical magic tricks, most of which involve fire or mist. Take a restaurant, add a ninja, and you’ve got a successful business.

Tokyo, Japan: Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant Take a turn down a rabbit hole and you’ll find Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant. Instead of just offering the usual dining experience, Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant plunges diners straight into the pages of the classic children’s storybook, Alice in Wonderland.

The restaurant delights customers with its Alice references, such as having playing card tables, tea cup booths, magic forest dining areas, and heart shaped tables. The backdrops of each of the “realms” are beautiful and give off a Disneyland vibe. Waitresses are dressed in blue Alice costumes while they serve Alice-themed foods. They offer complimentary heart-shaped crackers as appetizers, with the sauces served in heart, clover, spades, or diamond-shaped sauce bowls. Some items on the menu include Mad Hatter’s Homemade Chocolate, Cheshire Cat’s Mixed Berry Parfait, and Avocado and Fried Shrimp Rice Roll Smoking Caterpillar Style—all of which are artistically arranged. This charming restaurant allures customers with a storybook fantasy.

From ninjas to toilets, restaurants are willing to try anything these days to gain the public’s attention. Restaurants are using their themes instead as selling points, and naturally, these eateries also have great food reviews. If you ever travel to these different cities, be sure to stop by these shops. Just make sure you can stomach eating poop-shaped food or chowing down on an overabundance of cuteness! bshen@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of ABETTERTRIP.COM and RETENDERS.COM Photos courtesy of BLOGSPOTS.COM, BUZZNETS.COM, KAWAIIFOODS.COM, and MYMODERNMET.COM

features.pw@gmail.com

March 2014

FEATURES

Recycling Compost into Islands

By JONATHAN MATSUMOTO

Webmaster

New York City, NY. As one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, it has a rapidly growing population that, according to current estimates, is in excess of eight million. Just imagine this: each and every one of those eight million people contributes about three pounds of trash every single day. In other words, the weight in trash produced by our beloved New Yorkers in a month is greater than that of the 280,000 BMW cars sold across the entire world last year.

As bad as that initially sounds, New York is actually not alone in contributing to a global wasteland. Major cities in Europe and Asia like Hong Kong, London, Singapore, and Tokyo face similar growing pains.

As the number of immigrants in these major cities continues to increase, the amount of space remaining for landfills decreases every day.

With a solution becoming more necessary than ever before, it is fitting that the designers at New York firm PRESENT Architecture have produced the first viable model of their proposed “Green Loop”, a solution that in-

volves building artificial islands from existing compost.

The premise behind the Green Loop is simple: kill two birds with one stone by emptying New York landfills while opening up more free space for people to live. As it stands right now, a majority of the 12,000 tons of waste produced daily is in the form of biodegradable food and organic products. PRESENT developers estimate that they will be able to cut down that number by at least 30% through the Green Loop project. And with the housing cost in New York City 66% above the national average, PRESENT designers believe that the land freed up from removed landfill can be used to create further housing developments.

The islands themselves will help support former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s VISION project to reclaim the city’s once beautiful waterfront neighborhoods, as the upper portion of the Green Loop will consist of a 12-acre park.

After dumping the waste into the local Hudson River at designated dump points, scientists

will be able to start immediately working in the lower level development rooms to find ways to reduce the biodegradable waste by giving environmentalists a real-world laboratory to work with.

The idea of creating artificial land around New York City is far from new, however. The idea was first suggested in the 1924 issue of Popular Science magazine, which argued that filling New York’s East River would solve the city’s land issues. The idea, however, was far from practical, given the limited resources and technology of the era.

In the 1970s, government workers in Seoul, South Korea helped lead the development of Nanjido, an island made of over 100 million tons of waste. The idea differs, however, from PRESENT’s Green Loop in that Nanjido was a landfill that was larger than The Great Pyramid of Giza, while PRESENT is a futuristic concept designed to use landfill to create both public space and cutting-edge research laboratories.

Although still in its early, developmental stages, workers at PRESENT Architecture hope that the advancement in the fields of conservation biology, engineering, and environmental science over the last 40 years will help bridge compost islands from Nanjido to the Green Loop. In a world where, 40 years later, the amount of waste in New York City is ever-increasing, the Green Loop, while still a concept, may not be the solution New York wants, but it is the one it needs. jmatsumoto@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of BLOGSPOT.COM

Not Guesstures, Just Gestures

By SIMONE CHU

Staff Writer

I can read your mind. Well, not exactly, but I can get pretty darn close. The way you’re sitting right now? I can tell whether you’re feeling confident or not. Do you have a sudden itch in your nose? I know that you’re lying. Although some gestures are more subtle and others more flamboyant, they all speak volumes about what a person is feeling. Here are some subtle cues that you may be subconsciously expressing.

1. Head tilting. When you’re talking to someone, if he or she tilts his or her head (even just slightly!) to either side, that expresses trust in you. How so? A tilted head leaves a person vulnerable, because it exposes his or her jugular vein more. In the animal kingdom, this could be a dangerous move. However, humans do not usually attack one another’s throats during conversations...usually.

2. Fidgeting hands. Do you twiddle your thumbs during a lesson in school? Do you tap

your fingers on the table during a less-thanthrilling dinner with relatives? Be careful: if your hands are fidgeting while Mom and Dad are unloading a lecture, they might get offended.

Very offended. Fidgeting hands are a clear indicator of anxiety and/or boredom and may give the impression that you aren’t very interested in what the other person is saying.

3. Inconsistent eye contact; scratching nose. Both of these are clear indicators of a liar liar, pants on fire (sitting on a telephone wire?).

When you tell a lie, you tend to look away from the other person you’re speaking to while you formulate the lie. Then you overdo it with the eye contact while you’re saying the lie in an attempt to appear truthful. As for the scratching nose part, if you feel anxious while lying, your nose will itch. The anxiety from lying raises your blood pressure, which may irritate the soft tissue of the nose...thereby causing an itch that just might give you away. (Fun fact: this is

called the Pinocchio Effect.)

4. Tapping toes. The simplest translation: “Hey, I’m in a bit of a hurry. Do you think you could talk a bit faster? Or maybe we could go over this later...yeah, that would be nice.” While it’s a small gesture, tapping toes can be perceived as very rude. Keep those feet in check; if you’re in a rush, politely inform the other person so during a pause in conversation.

No matter how rude you think it may be to voice your time concerns, it’s both more productive and polite than toe-tapping (the other person may just ignore the gesture, or feel offended that you’re in a rush to leave).

These are just a few of the host of gestures commonly used by humans. It is an interesting topic to research, and once you learn more body language cues, you will be able to both read others better and also control how others will read you. schu@apachepowwow.com

Graphic by BELINDA SHOUNG

9

t

Apple Takes on Cars

By JUSTIN TANG

Staff Writer

Apple is all about innovating the world with new technology; it never seems to fail to showcase something new on a yearly basis. With rumors of the Apple iWatch and future iPhone designs floating around on the Internet, some wonder what Apple could release this year. Maybe an iPad Air with Retina Display? Or maybe an iPhone that’s fabulously ten inches long? While a ten-inch iPhone likely won’t hit the market anytime soon, it’s still interesting to see what Apple will release to compete with rivals like Samsung.

The latest mobile operating system, iOS7, was first announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10, 2013. At the time, Apple had hinted at a future relationship between iOS and cars; however most thought it would take another year or two to integrate Siri into a car. Yet at the 2014 Geneva International Motor Show, Apple officially introduced its new technology, Apple Carplay, which will expand the use of iPhones and Siri in cars. This aggressive push includes making phone calls, accessing messages, listening to music, and using Apple Maps as a GPS. Apple made it clear that Carplay would be the equivalent of Airplay technology in the living room, also stating that Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo would be the first partners to incorporate the technology into their vehicles.

Future support can be expected from dealers like Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, BMW, Ford, Nissan, Kia, and more.

Apple Carplay will work in a way that puts the iPhone at the heart of the car’s infotainment system. Instead of the usual touchscreen dashboard, it will display an iPhone’s screen in real time. Siri is designed to be the glue for the whole project, using voice commands to dictate voice messages and listen to music. Some car models will feature Siri Eyes Free, which allows drivers to focus on the road while connecting with Siri over Bluetooth.

On top of efficiency, Apple has also made it so that entertainment is a key feature of Carplay. Third party programs like Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Beats Radio will be supported to provide the best listening experience. Users will be able to access their personalized playlists, paving way for a momentous step in music and radio in cars.

While Apple has made the first few steps into bringing technology to the family vehicle, other tech companies will be sure to follow. It may seem like small steps now, but Apple is aggressively pushing toward what may be the next big technological era. jtang@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of THE-DIGITAL-READER.COM and VAMERS.COM

10

PERFORMING ARTS

Working With Others

By NEVEN WANG-TOMIC Staff Writer

Without a doubt, Performing Arts (PA) groups are a team effort. There is simply no way that any of AHS’ teams can function without cooperation and synergy.

Although this seems like a simple fact of performance, it is often one of the most overlooked aspects of PA groups, as the level of teamwork necessary to pull off amazing performances hides behind the scenes. However, when teams work together, each person fits together to form one cohesive and clean puzzle.

As Theater 2 member junior Robert Xu explained, “Working together means everything to our performances. Everyone in Theater 2 and higher has talent in performing, but just as anyone can sing ‘Happy Birthday’, everyone has to sing it in the same key for it to sound good.” In essence, individual talent simply isn’t enough for groups like Theater. While it is a vital part of a great performance, the ability to synergize one’s talent with others is also key.

Similarly, Advanced Drama Department (ADD) member senior Chloe Yin stated, “When you’re on stage, the whole group can look wonderful, but if one person makes a mistake, all eyes turn to look at him or her. We’re supposed to look good as a cast. Leads are important, but they can’t shine without a powerful ensemble, who fill the stage and make the show a show.”

However, achieving this sort of cooperation takes time and commitment.

It is often building a strong team synergy that takes the greatest work, but when the ball starts rolling, it simply takes off and accelerates. In other words, if a team can concert its efforts to form a fully functioning group of people, the results become amazing. Yet, it is getting there that’s the hard part. Chloe elaborated, “In ADD we have buddy groups. Basically, there are about five to seven people in each group with an officer as the leader. We share our problems; we do activities to bond. It gets really stressful in Theater and it helps a lot when there are people to offer you help and support. As a result our team grows stronger and stronger as a whole.”

Robert added, “We improve team synergy by giving each other ideas, staying focused on our tasks, and in the worst case, forcing ourselves to do it when all else fails. Sometimes, the success of one of our groups can motivate the other groups into seeking the same level of success.”

It’s abundantly clear how vital teamwork and cooperation are to PA groups and all groups in general. Often the deciding factor between a good group and a great group is not individual talent, but rather combined talent. While it’s difficult to build a team to its peak level of unity, the rewards are nearly infinite. nwang-tomic@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of FSSP-ARPOP.BLOGSPOT.COM

apachepowwow.com

March 2014

Breath of Life Article

By NEVEN-WANG TOMIC Staff Writer

As the end of the school year draws closer and closer, one of AHS’ performing arts (PA) groups prepares to perform, Orchesis. Members of the dance company have been hard at work over the past few months working towards their annual show, “Breath of Life.” So what exactly entails their preparation and work?

Considering the amount of coordination and effort that is necessary to effectively create and perform a dance show, members of Orchesis have been devoting their time to their show. Senior member Cherry Chin explains “before we left for spring break, we had rehearsals cleaning the dances from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M every day and Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:30 P.M.” During Spring Break, Orchesis has no set practice times, but members are required to practice on their own and stay in shape. However, after Spring Break, rehearsals kick in, and Orchesis members will be “in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M during one week, from 10:00 A.M to 10:00 P.M on

By CELINE LEE

Saturdays, and from 3:00 to 10:00 P.M during the week before the show” according to Cherry.

Junior officer Larissa Sun comments “we have a lot of rehearsals, but it’s necessary for us to perfect our show!”

This commitment and effort that Orchesis puts into its show goes beyond simple hard work. The members seem to truly enjoy the time they put into working with one another.

Larissa explains “My favorite part of Orchesis is definitely working with my fellow members.

Its amazing how most of us were strangers before and now we’ve practically become sisters.

Dancing is a form of bonding, and being able to dance on a huge stage with Orchesis and express myself is honestly a blessing.” (adding quotes here later, still waiting on two responses).

As we come nearer to the performance, it seems that each Orchesis member has a goal/dream they want to accomplish.

Cherry feels that it would be an “extremely rewarding goal to ultimately communicate the essence of each piece to the audience.”

Along the same lines, Larissa hopes to “achieve a breathtaking show that the audience is truly inspired by.” (adding more here once I have more) While the members each seem to hold separate (yet similar) goals and roles, they ultimately come together through one desire, to create an amazing show.

Come watch Orchesis’ “Breath of Life” on Apr. 30 through May 3 at the Performing Arts Auditorium.

nwang-tomic@apachepowwow. com

Photo courtesy of RONALD LEE

Work-estra One Staff Writer

Back in fall, when Marching Band season was in session, Orchestra had a slow schedule.

However, now that spring has arrived, Orchestra events are gradually starting to “spring” up.

March is a month filled with adventure for Orchestra 1, which consists of only freshmen.

For the past few months, the members have had several morning rehearsals and individual practices in preparation for future concerts and competitions. On Mar. 7, Orchestra performed at the Forum Festival at Cerritos High School and returned home proudly with gold, the highest rating that a performing group could receive.

Violinist freshman Claire Lee said that many members of Orchestra 1 were “proud and elated to be in the Orchestra.”

After they found out about the

placement of their performance, violinist freshman Clarice Kwan exclaimed, “the struggles of waking up early to go to zero period practices paid off!”

As a reward for taking home the gold ranking, Orchestra 1 went to Knott’s Berry Farm after the festival. When asked how the members felt about going to Knott’s together as a whole orchestra, violinist freshman Jocelyn Chi said that they “had the opportunity to bond with Orchestra friends.” She remarked upon the Knott’s trip and stated that “although all of the rides at Knott’s are great, the most popular rides among the players were definitely Big Foot Rapids and Silver Bullet.”

A majority of the members were grateful to finally get a little break from school and practice and appreciated starting off the weekend by going to an amusement park.

However, soon afterward on Mar. 12, members

traveled down to Long Beach and returned with the highest ranking once again. Most of the members were extremely excited to be able to go to this festival because it was relatively far away from AHS, giving them a chance to check out other schools not within Arcadia’s region. The members were also glad to have a break in the middle of the week, but they dreaded coming back to school the next day to finish off the week.

Even though March is coming to an end, all of Orchestra 1 members are excited for upcoming events, especially the Florida trip next year with Orchestra 2 and Orchestra 3.

Some, like violist freshman Brian Law, are excited for the upcoming events because “it’s fun to compete with other people.”

The members are looking forward to rehearsals because they are willing to do whatever it takes for them to improve and take home another gold for AHS at future competitions. Congratulations Orchestra 1 on a another great month and hopefully April is just as eventful!

clee@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of SACRAMENTOSIDETRACKS.COM Photos by CELINE LEE and KATRINA VILLACISNEROS

arcadiaperformingarts@gmail.com

March 2014

PERFORMING ARTS 11

It’s Showtime! ADD Presents Curtains

By ELISHA LEE Staff Writer

performance wasn’t achieved by pure luck.

Members had to put in tremendous amounts

approached closer, ADD had “tech week”, so the cast and crew had to rehearse at school un-

On Mar. 20 to 22, Advanced Drama Department (ADD) put on its highly anticipated spring musical Curtains in the Performing Arts Center. This musical not only consisted of addicting melodies and well-rehearsed dance numbers, but was also extremely entertaining to watch, keepi=ng the audience’s curiosity level on the maximum.

Curtains is a musical comedy about the mysterious murder case of leading lady and huge star, Jessica Cranshaw, on the opening night of Robbin’ Hood of the Old West.

That’s when Lieutenant Frank Cioffi shows up to solve this dilemma. He decides to confine all the members of the cast, considering that they’re all suspects, within the theatre so the culprit won’t escape. Despite being one of the best lieutenants in town, Frank is a huge musical theater fan and works hard to improve the show so the cast can obtain good reviews after the death of Jessica.

With a mixture of powerful singing, great dancing, and a complicated love triangle, Curtains was not your cliché whodunit.

ADD did a splendid job producing it. The costume designs looked professional, the set looked realistic, and the lines were delivered without a hitch. However, ADD’s excellent

of effort into the production since they had to practice not only their acting, but also their singing and dancing as well.

According to junior Lena Atchan, ADD had “been having rehearsals every night from the end of school to usually around 6:00 p.m. since late December.” And as the play

til 9:00 p.m. or later. Although the rehearsals were demanding, Lena believed that “it was absolutely worth it because [she] was able to perform for such great audiences.”

The rehearsals were important, but how did each character portrayed by the members fit so well with the play? Senior Paean Wang,

By EILEEN LEE

who played one of the lead roles, gave a short explanation of the audition process. “We have a week dedicated to auditions and callbacks.

We write down (in order of importance) five roles we’d like to play, one being the most important. We then have singing and acting auditions,” said Paean. “After that Mr. Volpe sends out callbacks for roles he wants to see you do, and in the following week, he sends out the cast list based on your performance in the audition and how he thinks you fit the role.”

With so many members, it’s impossible that everyone will get his or her most preferred role, but Lena believes, “No matter how small of a part or how minor of a character, there are still many things you could do rather than sit around because the musical was ensemblebased.”

From incredible acting to singing to dancing, this musical was full of extravagant elements. The play had many unpredictable twists and was not what most would expect from a high school performance, since it was so professional. Great job ADD on a fantastic production of Curtains! We will be looking forward to your future productions.

elee@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of 123PICS.COM Photo courtesy of DYLAN SHEN

Presenting “Canvas” Staff Writer

AHS seniors today are simply counting off their days up to graduation. However, not all students are trying to escape from the high school walls; some seniors are still willing to come for a visit even after they become adults. Is this hard to believe? More specifically, at AHS, there is a group of alumni who comes back each year to inspire the younger graduates toward a whole new world of art and culture.

Evoke Dance Company is a charity-based contemporary hip-hop dance company that contains alumni from many different high schools around Arcadia. It was first established in April 2011 in the San Gabriel Valley by Jeniffer Hsu, Justine Hsu, and Josephine Lau, later recruiting members from a variety of different high schools including AHS. Although engaged in a variety of fields, each member was gathered because of his or her passion for dancing. The company’s motto is “Dance, Evoke, and Give”. Because they know dancing has already become an essential part of their lives, members “dance” purely for their own love and enjoyment. They “evoke” emotions and tell stories through dance, expressing their feelings with suppressed movements that touch the audience’s hearts. Lastly, the company hopes to “give” back to the community with its love for music and creative performing arts skills.

Many current Evoke dancers are AHS alumni, previously part of groups such as Orchesis, Colorguard, Chanteurs, Orchestra, and Band. The company focuses on giving back to the community through artistic movement, helping the community, and “being more than just another dance group.”

On Apr. 5, Evoke Dance Company is coming to the Performing Arts Center to present its 5th semi-annual showcase known as “Canvas”. It is named after the meaning of the stage being a blank canvas and the dancers expressing their inner emotions through strokes of movements. In the end, the bodies become brushes painting a beautiful picture through dance.

Sophomore Gina Groesbeck, a current member in Orchestra 2, mentioned that she is definitely going to attend the show. “I heard that the dancers in the company were previous members of various Performing Arts groups, including Orchestra,” said Gina and added that she is “curious to see how the former students who took part in the same organization grew up to be dancers, pursuing their dreams in such a tough field.” Gina also expressed that she is especially interested in watching the show because she might see her own future in the dancers; like any other student, she will also graduate and might struggle about what to decide what to do with her life.

Students are highly encouraged to watch Evoke Dance Company’s “Canvas”, taking place on Apr. 5, since it is a great opportunity to meet former AHS students and become inspired by their passion. Many students are anticipating the upcoming event, which will undoubtedly end in success. elee@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of RGBSTOCK.COM

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HUMANS OF

“I believe I’ve been given a great gift—to run—and I do not intend on wasting it. To try anything less than my best is to sacrifice that gift, and the only way I can improve is to step out of my comfort zone.”

She says, “I love how musical he is!”

And he says, “I love how she dances while eating food.”

Photos by MYA HO and STANLEY SHAW

apachepowwow.com

March 2014

“What I like most optimism about the fu have the opportunity to s Iran, I did not have an op because of being a re “I stabbed the girl sitting next to me in first grade with a pencil. We’ve been best friends ever since.”

“My hidden passion is cooking and baking.”

In the summer of 2010, Brandon Stanto Yorkers in hopes of creating an “exhaustive The project, which he calls Humans of Ne its own. Stanton started collecting interest photographed, realizing that there is much it beautiful that while there exists a divers possess similar, underlying desires.

This page, Humans of Arcadia, was in value to acknowledging “daily glimpses i sheer connection we all share. The students moments, worst fears, goals in life, and h contributing to the human experience. Our are powerful.

“Welcome to Super Weenie

March 2014

centerspread.powwow@gmail.com

t about America is uture. I know that I succeed here. Back in pportunity to succeed eligious minority.”

e Hut Junior’s” – Spongebob

13

“My history teacher said he had a birthday present for me and handed me this. I thought it was a surprise exam until I realized it was a voting registration form!”

“I’m part of the swim team, but my greatest fear is drowning. It just freaks me out. But that doesn’t stop me from jumping in.”

on set out to photograph thousands of New e catalogue of New York City’s inhabitants.” ew York (HONY), quickly took on a life of ting stories and quotes from the people he h more than what meets the eye. He found sity of perspective amongst people, we all

nspired by Stanton’s message that there is into the lives of strangers,” because of the s and staff of AHS reveal their embarrassing happiest memories for the sake of simply r stories are meaningful, and together, they

ARCADIA

“When I was in basketball practice, I tried to wipe off sweat on my face with my practice jersey, but it was made out of hole-y material, so my braces got caught in my jersey and I had to scream for help.”

“I offered to help with making food for a banquet by bringing salt and sugar. I ended up only bringing the salt so when they needed sugar, they accidentally used the salt instead.”

14

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16

STUDENT LIFE

i

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Story of a WWII Survivor

this believe Staff Writer

What makes up a person? Many things, you could say. A face. A name. A personality. The little details: a ringing laugh, a tendency to sneeze thrice in a row, aspirations, phobias, pet peeves, a favorite color. But beneath a person’s more apparent traits, there are also core beliefs. Some may be small—like reasons behind a routine—and others may be more life-shaping. Let’s see how beliefs have shaped some Apaches today.

ar Sh

By CRISTIAN NALBANDIAN Staff Writer

on Lin

“I believe that you should always give all your effort in everything. I’m the type of person who can’t succeed without having to study, without having to try and push through a blockade of obstacles. I hear people mention how well they did on a test they didn’t even study for, and I would wonder, does that satisfy them?

I can’t ever feel proud of myself knowing that I could have tried harder, done something differently, been more productive.” —Sharon Lin, 9

teer at the Historical Museum? The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage has applications for people interested in becoming volunteers. It has a Young Adult Volunteer program that accepts students from AHS to work with the Education Coordinator from the Hands on History for Families program. Young Adult Volunteers work through the school year, from September to June.

If you’re one of those people who think volunteering is for the slow-paced, think again.

Students between the ages of 14 and 18 are eligible to volunteer at the Arcadia Police Department. Those who apply must pass an oral interview and background investigation, go through a medical examination, and be free of any physical disabilities that may interfere. Applications are available anytime and can be obtained from the City of Arcadia Resource Department.

As students, utilizing the limited amount of time we have to ourselves and giving back to a good cause can benefit us, as well as the rest of the community. Also, having community service hours on a college application is highly recommended. Volunteering is good for the mind too, so good luck and have fun! jwang@apachepowwow.com

cnalbandian@apachepowwow.com

a

a

“I believe that the harder you work, the more you deserve. I arrived at this belief after [working hard and seeing the results] in both swimming and school.”

—Mackenzie Wong, 11

Daryl Ng “There are people out there who feel that just because life isn’t going right for them, there’s no reason to live. But in my opinion, there is always a reason to live. There is always hope in despair. There’s always someone to rely on. Never look on the down side, because there’s always a good side to look at.”

—Daryl Ng, 12

“I live by a very high moral system.

Working hard equals good rewards...For example, in cross country some people like to ditch mileage. I never do because I want to get better.”

—Brandon Yamada, 10

Ma

ckenzie Won

g

schu@apachepowwow.com

Photos by BEN GEISBERG and ROY ZHANG

~The Art of VolunteerBy JESSICA WANG Staff Writer

Volunteering is a common point of hesitation when it comes to students. When people discuss places to volunteer, only two places usually come to mind: the library or Methodist Hospital. However, there are many other places where students can volunteer and serve the community.

Los Angeles Country Arboretum and Botanic Garden is always open to volunteers. Students can volunteer at regular hours or only at important events. Students must be at a minimum age of 14 in order to qualify for community service requirements. Group volunteers are also possible. Organizations are welcome to arrange for group volunteer projects. More information can be found on their website.

If transportation is a problem, why not volunteer at AHS itself? Becoming a Peer Tutor counts toward volunteer hours. However, it requires a solid understanding of school subjects.

If someone doesn’t feel comfortable tutoring other high school students, tutoring at the three middle schools is available as well.

Teens can also volunteer for the Recreation and Community Services Department.

Teen volunteer opportunities are available on a limited seasonal basis. The Recreation and Community Services Department is available

to teens from ages 13 to 18 in high school. An application and interview must be completed.

Upon being selected, an orientation and training session are required prior to beginning the actual volunteer work.

I f you’re into hist o r y, why n o t volun-

Maria Boll as a young girl

My grandmother Maria Boll has been a part of my life ever since I was born, and she has raised me to always ask for her help.

So I asked her to come talk to Ms. Jennifer Landis’s English 9 Honors classes. Her story is amazing and touching; I was surprised to hear some of the comments of my fellow peers in class. One person said, “She paved a wonderful true memoir, and I appreciated all the time and effort she put in remembering the past, which can always be painful.”

My grandmother was a six-year-old girl who witnessed the Great War that encompassed the world. Her town in Radheim, Germany, was turned into an outpost for the Allied French, and then for the American troops. She went to school every day and, besides following the subjects, learned to admire Adolf Hitler. She was forced to Heil Hitler as she greeted other townspeople.

Eventually, government officials took down all the signs of Christianity in the town, replacing them with an image of Hitler’s face. Children in Hitler’s Youth were forced to march on Sundays during church hours, forcing them to skip prayer. She had seen fighter planes crash and burn, falling out of the sky and burning up, making horrible sounds as they did. They also had Bomb Air Raids, so the town installed sirens and built a shelter under the school to protect the students.

After her father left for Stalingrad to join the war, he returned and he never spoke much about it. My grandmother later found about the atrocities of the Holocaust when she was 12. Later in life, after falling in love with an Armenian man, together they had a child and left Europe to join Americans in the pursuit of the American dream. Living with an Armenian man meant that my grandmother learned a language not many outside people would learn. Now she understands some Armenian and surprisingly also cooks the best Persian-Armenian food in the family.

My “Medzmama” (the Armenian translation of grandma means Big Mama) always remembers the Holocaust as an act of hatred and of unforgivable destruction.

She not only wishes everyone peace and happiness, but hopes the new generation of young adults will have tolerance in a world that can be cruel in so many ways. Hopefully, I will be able to bring my grandmother back next year to enlighten the fresh minds of the new ninth graders.

n Yama o d nd

Br

By SIMONE CHU

March 2014

Graphics courtesy of CHCP.EDU and WORDPRESS.COM

Photos courtesy of MARIA BOLL

studentlife.powwow@gmail.com

March 2014

Student Emily Corner Zheng

By BRIANA SHEN

STUDENT LIFE

Girl Scout Delights

17

Celebrating Pi Day

By CAROLYN HSU

Staff Writer

By CHELSEA CHENG

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Junior Emily Zheng’s passion for music surpasses the normal teen. Having played the flute since fourth grade, Emily is inseparable from her flute. Although Emily’s love for playing the flute is evident, it wasn’t so in the beginning. Originally, Emily was in a dilemma of picking either the flute or clarinet. “I liked the sound of both of them, so I consulted my mother, who advised me to first try playing the flute,” Emily retold.

Since then, Emily has spent hours on end mastering the various rhythms and scales. Her daily routine consists of playing long notes to improve tone quality and endurance, then the difficult techniques in the music she’s currently playing. Though practicing the flute is tiring, she advised beginning players to “try your best every time you play! It is best if you practice every day, even if it is for only a few minutes, because that is the only way you can be able to play long passages for long periods of time.”

For the past three years, Emily has been hard at work combining her two passions—teaching and playing the flute. In doing so, Emily founded the Fun Flute Club. Emily explained, “Fun Flute Club is a free, weekly flute lesson for elementary flute students,” primarily fourth and fifth graders. The Fun Flute Club meets “every Sunday afternoon for one and a half hours. Students come and learn flute technique, music theory, and basic music history.” By organizing and running the club, Emily can spread her passion for both music and teaching, as well as give back to the community.

As for now, Emily’s visions for the club are to “help elementary school music students master flute technique and tonality, develop a passion for music, and build confidence in their playing.” Emily believes that the “Fun Flute Club provides high quality lessons that focus on each student individually for free, which no other program can offer.” In the future, Emily hopes to continue playing the flute in college and eventually major or minor in Flute Performance.

The annual rave of Girl Scout cookies has already arrived! If you don’t know already, Girl Scout cookie sales is the time of year when Americans nationwide splurge on wafers of varying flavors. During these several weeks, many people go crazy with the variety of flavors that they sell. The Cookie Monster must be having the time of his life.

The flavors of all the best-selling cookies are Chocolate Chip Shortbread, Cranberry Citrus Crisps, Do-Si-Dos™ (Peanut Butter Sandwiches), Dulce de Leche, Lemonades™, Savannah Smiles™, Tagalongs® - Peanut Butter Patties®, Thanks-A-Lot™, Thank U Berry Munch, Thin Mints, and Trefoils (Shortbread).

The popular cookie battle is on. Which flavor will win: Samoas® or Thin Mints?

Freshman Lydia Jensen snacks on her favorite cookie, thin mints. Freshman Brian Ouyang elaborates, stating that the minty and chocolately goodness of Thin Mints is the reason why he enjoys them so much over the other cookies. Freshman Evan

Mar. 14 was National Pi Day, dedicated to appreciating the existence of the number pi, as represented by 3.14. Pi Day was supposedly first celebrated in the San Francisco Exploratorium by a physicist named Larry Shaw—at least, that’s what the Internet says. This was the first large scale celebration in the 1980s. Larry Shaw and his attendees ate pie and explained the significance of the number pi; however, high school students will probably only use Pi Day as a celebration for the former.

Link Crew hosted a “pie” throwing event on Mar. 14 at the Rally Court involving teachers. High school students probably didn’t congregate in the rally

PI DAY FIASCO

The AHS teachers and Principal faced an onslaught of whipped cream pies thrown by students who purchased them for $0.50 each.

McGuffin also prefers the minty cookies. He “loves Thin Mints because they’re delicious. Thin Mints can be eaten frozen, warm, with ice cream, or any way you can imagine, unless it is in a hamburger.” Evan also added that if you purchase a box of Thin Mints, you get more cookies than any other cookie flavor. Freshman Janine Chan also agrees with the fact that Thin Mints are completely worth the money paid.

There are many AHS students involved in the Girl Scouts, the sellers of these cookies. Sophomore Megan Hu is part of the community of girls who gain skills and experience from selling cookies, such as business tips and skills for interacting with customers. Another Girl Scout is sophomore Kaitlyn Li, who has been a Girl Scout for eight years. She explained that the experience is very rewarding.

“When [she] was younger, [they] were awarded badges, but now as [they] grow older, [they] focus more on major benevolent community projects.”

Boasting of a wide assortment of flavors, Girl Scout cookies are always a favorite. In every bite of the sugary goodness, these cookies make people smile.

bshen@apachepowwow.com

Photos courtesy of JUPITER.EDU and SGVTRIBUNE.COM

court to gush over the absolute importance of pi Like Larry Shaw and his affiliates, but that doesn’t mean the irrational number went completely unnoticed. Most of us confused it with actual pie in middle school, and you could see the excitement in our eyes subsiding when we found out our teacher was actually talking about the number...nowadays, we’re a little more educated and realize that pi is a crucial element to many different aspects of math. Take a moment and appreciate the creation of pi, whether it be by trying to memorize some of the endless digits, or by drawing a symbol on your arm and “becoming one” with pi.

ccheng@apachepowwow.com

chsu@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of DALLASSECRETSSCIENCE.COM Photo courtesy of LANZYCELEBRITY.COM

Photos courtesy of SILVY PANG

Making the Planet Greener One Step at a Time

By CHARLES XU Staff Writer

In the past 50 years, the world has consumed more resources than ever before in history. As the new generation, students at Arcadia must fulfill their duty of protecting the environment by adjusting a few habits and following the tips below.

Conserve electricity. In a world dominated by light bulbs, kitchen appliances, and computers, electricity powers everything.

Students can help conserve energy by turning off inactive devices and choosing the energy-saving option on laptops. Freshman Alvin Vong advised, “Don’t forget to turn off the lights when they’re

not in use, and always try to unplug chargers.”

Recycle and reduce waste. Use the black recycle bins around the campus and in classrooms to dispose of paper, cardboard, and plastic bottles. In addition to recycling, switch to reusable bags and bottles to eliminate pollution. Used electronics should also be recycled at frequently held local E-waste drives.

Join an activity, class, or club. AHS has a plethora of eco-friendly clubs to choose from including the Student Sierra Club (SSC) and Campus Environmentalist Club (CEC). Both organizations participate in local beach cleanups, mountain hikes, and other green events. Moreover, upperclassmen have the choice to enroll in Advanced Placement Environmental Science during the school year to learn in-depth about how humans affect Earth.

Students can also involve themselves by turning off non-essential lights for one hour during this year’s Earth Hour on Mar. 29. This worldwide event that lasts one hour encourages individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off non-essential lights to symbolize their commitment to the planet.

Be sure to join this massive movement to conserve the environment.

Embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle may not seem like such a big deal, but there are numerous long-term benefits such as saving money, improving health, and ensuring that the planet will be suitable for future generations to inhabit. cxu@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of BLOG.CA and KEEPBEAUTIFULCARROLL.ORG

18

SPORTS

Swimming On

Staff Writer

The Varsity Swim team hopes to achieve a lot this upcoming season. After coming in 2nd place last year for the League title, the girls are determined to not only win League this year, but also compete in the final rounds of CIF. Looking to make a comeback, the Swim team has set many new goals for the team this year; the main one is making sure Cresenta Valley High School (CV) gets 2nd place in League.

For junior Nicole Sargent, this goal is within reach. With a good number of new freshman team members, she said, “The team is looking strong and we have a very good chance at getting first place.” Yet winning isn’t everything.

For senior Irene Tran, winning is a good aspect, but improving mentally as well as physically from past seasons is just as important. She said that one motivating factor for the team’s success this season is the “support [they] get from one another,” which will push everyone to “swim his or her best at every meet.” With the strong bond they have this year, Irene believes that the team will improve and reach its goals of being the physically and mentally strongest team Arcadia has seen.

In addition to making a comeback, many of the girls have even set their own goals for this upcoming season. For Irene, this is the season to really compete and give it her all. This season she has her sights set on competing in the CIF finals again and helping her team score points at League Finals. For Nicole, the main objective this season is setting some new personal records. She hopes that she can work and train hard to set new records in the 500 freestyle and the 50 freestyle.

Swim team has done exceptionally well in League. It had four way wins (wins where Boys and Girls JV and Varsity all win) against Monrovia High School (MHS) on Mar. 4, Pasadena High School (PHS) on Mar. 12, and Burbank High School (BHS) on Mar. 19. The team placed 2nd in League relays against CV, BHS, PHS, MHS, Glendale High School, Herbert Hoover High School, and Burroughs High School, an exceptional record. No doubt our swimmers will continue to shine this season!

SUPERB SWIMMING SeniorIreneTran battles opposing swimmers to win points for Arcadia Swim. astevenson@apachepowwow.com

Photo by KATRINA VILLACISNEROS

March 2014

Starting Off Swinging continued to pound the opposition by scoring ten runs off of Claremont High School. Seniors Digo Lynch and Joey Harmon each registered a multi-hit night, while the defense held Claremont to only one run.

However, AHS faced a tough period afterwards when it lost three out of four games

cadia was defeated by El Camino Real High School by a score of 6-7, despite an explosive Staff Writer offense propelled by senior Willie Okamoto’s homerun and two RBI’s. Even after playing five Arcadia’s baseball program has been a games in six days, the players grinded out a 3-2 model of consistency over the past couple victory against Village Christian High School. of years, and has established itself as a major When asked about the team’s philosophy contender in the competiduring the season, Coach Nick tive Pacific League. After its Lemas stated, “I expect them to elimination in the first round compete daily, in practice and of last year’s CIF-SS Chamgames. I look forward to watchpionships, AHS has reloaded ing them develop as the season with a group of young playgoes on. We need to get better at ers oozing with potential to playing catch and taking care of win it all. Rain or shine, a the baseball. The team is fairly group of diligent, detailed young, so it’s fun getting back players are always out on the to some of the basics and refield perfecting their skills. ally teaching the strategy of the With a combination of discigame.” pline and hard work, our ArWhile Varsity Baseball’s cadia Apaches have a great record stands at 4-5 this year, it chance at success this year. has steadily progressed and transIn the season opener formed into a cohesive unit. Juagainst the Yucaipa High nior Nate Tse mentioned that “this School Thunderbirds on season’s goal is to gain as much Mar. 4, AHS lost 3-5 in a experience as [possible]. Experitightly-contested game. Arence is key this year, since [the cadia struck early with a 3-1 team has] barely any senior and lead heading into the fifth ALL AROUND SUCCESS Senior Michael Lynch hits a double, a lot of juniors and sophomores.” inning, but was not able to A relentless work ethic and helping the team get off to a great start, then goes out to catch a fly ball. execute down the stretch. At aggressive approach to games its home turf two days later, Boys Varsity Base- while facing Charter Oaks High School, Bir- have aided Arcadia in becoming an up and ball’s offense began to click, as it scored runs in mingham High School, and Chatsworth Char- coming team in the Pacific League. Show your all but two innings on the way to a command- ter High School, narrowly losing each game by Apache pride by supporting the Boys Varsity ing 9-1 triumph against Arroyo High School. just one or two runs. The Apaches picked up a Baseball team at home games!

Junior Fernando Rosales homered over the much needed win along the way against Rancho left field fence and finished the game with four Cucamonga High School with Joey pitching a cxu@apachepowwow.com runs batted in (RBIs). The hot-hitting Apaches complete game. Unfortunately, on Mar. 18, ArPhotos by BEN GEISBERG

By CHARLES XU

By ALLISON STEVENSON

apachepowwow.com

Lady Apaches Take the Lead Miao expressed her confidence in the team and its abilities, stating that she believes it “has a good chance at getting 1st in League” and “will probably make CIF.” The universal goal for

Park believes that the team “has lots of talent,” but added that this by no means excuses anyone from rigorous training. “We’ve been working hard, so hopefully it will translate into our Girls Varsity Softball is games and we’ll be able to exin! Just like every other sports ecute plays when we need to,” team, its players are fired up she shared. and ready to kick some butt While the players defithis season. On Mar. 4, the girls nitely want to win, victory played a non-conference game is not the only thing on their against Monrovia High School minds. Many of the girls have and returned with a score of 2-3. been teammates for years, and However, just two days later, the friendship and camarathey stomped Temple City High derie amongst the group are School 6-1. Though the team did very tight. “I’ve grown up with lose the following game against most of the girls, so it’s going Royal High School, they turned to be sad to go our separate things around by beating Rio ways to college,” said Yeram.

Mesa High School 12-6. The “I just want to enjoy this seathree consecutive games against son,” Captain senior StephaDos Pueblos High School, Manie Noriega agreed, adding ranatha High School, and Burthat she’s excited to spend her roughs High School ended in last season with the team.“We narrow losses, but slowly and are embracing every moment surely, the girls are finding their knowing that it’s our last seapace and improving their teamson,” she commented. “We work so that they will be able to GOING ALL OUT (Left to right) Co-Captains seniors Stephanie Noriega have amazing relationships dominate when the formal sea- and Monica Baerg slug it out, earning more points for AHS. with each other, and it’s bitterson begins. sweet that the end is so close, The Girls Varsity Softball team’s aspira- the team is to “win league, make CIF, and pass but we are loving and cherishing the time we tions are high this year because the current team the second round,” and this definitely holds the have left.” has a solid group of skilled players, many of most meaning for the seniors. For them, this rli@apachepowwow.com whom are returning Varsity members who made is the last year to make memories and achieve Photos courtesy of DYLAN SHEN second round of CIF last year. Junior Miranda the goal of CIF that they all hold. Senior Yeram

By ROSE LI

Staff Writer

March 2014

sports.powwow@gmail.com

SPORTS

Track and Field: On the Run believe that Coach Shultz will lead [them] in the right direction.” Senior Jason Lu’s greatest aspiration, just like any other Track and Field team member, is to “beat [his or her] old personal records.” He said that personal records “give everyone a goal for every meet, to do the

19

School and San Gabriel High School. One of the highlights of the meet was junior Kelly Dopke’s personal record in the high jump, reaching over five feet despite not having had any pre-season Most people dread running and avoid it practice. Senior John Cho also performed exat all costs. However, for members of the Varceedingly well and was a stalwart competitor in sity Track and Field team, running is all his events. a friend that is welcomed with open GETTING OFF THE BLOCKS The Track and Field team works hard every day. (Left to right) Junior Recently, the team has had a bye arms. The enthusiasm that every mem- Cambria Braun, sophomore Sarah Troescher, and junior Rachel Wiggins all push themselves to their limits. week, but senior Leilani Pascasio said, ber of the track team has is clearly “We are training harder than ever and evident in the team’s outstanding using the time off to get as good as we record. For over five years, both the possibly can before we go up against Boys and Girls Varsity Track and Field some very solid and well rounded teams teams have gone undefeated in the Pasuch as Burbank and Crescenta Valley.” cific League. Junior Hannah Rock atIn addition to countless hours tributed this unprecedented success to spent at the track, a select number of Coach Christopher Shultz’s extensive members of the team were selected to experience as a Track and Field coach compete at Saturday track meets such and also to “everyone [giving] 100% as the Irvine Invitational. It is at these of what he or she has that day,” be it track meets where certain members can sprinting, mileage, jumping, or even compete with other athletes who come lifting. from all over the county and sometimes Having gone undefeated in League from outside the state. for numerous seasons is obviously an With a relentless work ethic and a impressive feat. For senior Vincent clear goal in mind to achieve, the VarsiBai, one of his goals for this season is ty Track and Field team is ready to take to “accomplish that same standard of on its rising competition. As younger excellence!” But his ambitions do not stars emerge and veterans reassert their end there. He wishes to “make it into dominance in their events, our Varsity CIF again this year and get as far as Track and Field team should definitely [he] can,” because he very well recognizes that best you can.” everyone will perform to the level they expect keep the tradition up of winning League. this will “possibly be [his] last year in Track Following the first meet of the season, themselves to. On Mar. 3, both the Boys and and Field.” Vincent said that in order to achieve senior Kyra White stated that “the first track Girls Track and Field teams did well and won bbonney@apachepowwow.com these very prestigious goals he must “trust and meet is arguably the most stressful because we by a considerable margin against La Salle High Photos by MADDIE BRUCE

By BILLY BONNEY

Staff Writer

are competing for the first time and not yet in a racing or competitive mind set.” She added that that the first meet is more of a mental challenge than anything, with everyone anxious on how well their practice over the pre-season will translate into actual competition and whether

Just Ace It The score shows otherwise, but the Boys Varsity Tennis team struggled to beat GHS beStaff Writer cause its number one doubles team was missing, and everyone else had to step it up. It The Boys Varsity Tennis team is acing its wasn’t easy. Senior Justin Nguyen and his partner, freshman Henry Zheng felt they start. It beat Burbank High School played well at every school ex(BHS) 13-5, Herbert Hoover cept GHS, and Justin said, High School (HHS) 11-7, “We were both off, so Glendale High School our game plan took (GHS) 11-7, and a big hit.” Despite Pasadena High these setbacks, the School (PHS) 17boys were able 1, for an overall to beat Glenwin of four out dale with some of four games. clever team One of readjustments. the members, Senior Calvin senior Andrew Tan played reChung, “felt markably well nervous about in singles conall of them exsidering that he cept PHS,” but was thrown into he had no reason singles that day for to worry because the first time. the Boys Varsity TenThis season, the boys nis team demolished not hope to become league chamjust Pasadena, but also BHS, pions and make CIF. Andrew disHHS, and GHS. On the other hand, cussed the chalsenior Darrell Cheung was more RALLEYING BACK AND FORTH Varsity lenge: “We have a confident and player senior Justin Nguyen ralleys the ball across lot of new players, the net, demonstrating his dexterity. so it’s hard, but stated, “I’m not really worried because I have faith that we will I think we can make a good run this season.” always win.” Andrew admitted that “the team Good luck to the Boys Varsity Tennis team! underestimated Hoover and Glendale,” but the boys came out on top anyway, losing only seven mlin@apachepowwow.com Photo by BEN GEISBERG matches to each school.

By MELODY LIN

Spike Studs the Varsity team respectively. They have seen the ups and downs of seasons before and aim to Staff Writer improve their 6-6 record from last year. Other aspirations include sweeping Crescenta Valley Boys Varsity Volleyball has burst through High School, winning the Pacific League, and the gates with an undefeated record in the San- making CIF playoffs.

To accomplish these goals, the tiago Tournament. The team beat the boys are always either in the undefeated host of the tournagym, weight room, or on ment, Santiago High School the track. Like other 2-1. The last time the sports teams, the Boys team won this presVarsity Volleyball tigious tournament team practices was four years every day after ago; it was no school. Prior to cake-walk. these everyday Many playpractices, the ers were much boys trained taller than our in the weight Apaches, but room and the our boys had track in the off the most chemseason to maxiistry and were mize their athletic quicker than evpotential. We all ery other team. To know winning doesn’t combat the height come easy, especially in difference, the team conthe tough Pacific League, stantly put pressure on opwhich consistently boasts teams posing teams, forcing them to that are top seeds in CIF. If our boys make mistakes. In addition to winning can keep up the the tournament, the Apaches also started GOING FOR THE HIT Varsity member hard work, they their league season sophomore Jason Kwon, number 23, jumps to will be in great spike the ball, vying for yet another point. shape to win a with a 3-0 victory Pacific League Championship title! over Glendale High School. Its record is 1-0.

The Apaches are led by experienced CoCaptains seniors Howard Huang and Ben Liu, btran@apachepowwow.com Photo by ROY ZHANG who are three-year and two-year members of

By BRENDAN TRAN

20

ACADEMICS

apachepowwow.com

March 2014

Science Olympiad is in Its Element

By TIFFANY LIU Staff Writer

We’ve all had that one teacher who has made a huge impact on our lives, or one that has influenced us to explore more about a certain subject. Some have even become our role models and influenced us to become teachers, too. For those who love teaching others and getting people to the “I get it!” moment, Vanderbilt Peabody College is the perfect place. Ranked 2nd

by U.S. News and World Report for best education schools and 1st for special education, the college specializes in offering early classroom experience and special internships. Highlights of this university include its consistently high marks for a low student to faculty ratio, student selectivity, and large volume of funded research as stated on their website.

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the college has around eight undergraduate programs and many more for those who want a Masters degree or Ph. D. One in particular is the Human and Organizational Development (HOD) major. This program focuses on several skills and core requirements needed to succeed in being able to find solutions to problems in businesses, organizations, and communities. Being able to give a well organized presentation, work with technology, show leadership and management, and analyze data are important skills to have in order to succeed. Sophomores can choose between five different tracks that match their general career focus. These include Community Leadership and Development, Health and Human Services, International Leadership and Development, Education Policy, and Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness.

The HOD program is special because of the internship that it offers. The HOD Capstone Internship is the ultimate test to judge whether students can apply what they have learned to their job and everyday life. This internship is offered during senior year and the coursework builds on prior lessons. There are established internship programs located in six different cities including Chicago, New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, London, and Nashville, each of which has its own special perks.

For those interested in studying in The Department of Special Education, the college has consistently ranked as one of the top training programs in the U.S. Students are expected to show an emphasis on one of the three specialty areas: moderate severe disabilities, multiple severe disabilities, or visual impairment. Other majors that can also be combined with this include child development and cognitive studies.

Vanderbilt Peabody College does not offer on-campus housing, but it does have a database of other housing options. The application is due Dec. 1 and the tuition is $1,747 per credit. If teaching is your passion, then this Vanderbilt Peabody College has all the resources you need to become a teacher. tliu@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of DEGREE.NET

but also sometimes helps in two of the building events, Boomilever and Bungee Drop.

Kuan competing in five building events, including Bungee Drop, describes the event as “designing a spring so that an unknown mass attached to the end of it can get as close to the ground as possible without touching it when

Saturday mornings, definitely has a strong team spirit. As Hanah said, “they’re like [a] big nerd family.”

Science Olympiad (SO) is an academic SO teams compete in both invitational team that covers many different areas in the tournaments, which don’t impact national field of science. It competes at “academic or state rankings, and regional tournaments, track meet” style competitions, where 15 which allow advancement into state competeam members, as well as a sepatitions. AHS usually does well at rate building team, compete in 23 regional and state tournaments, condifferent events, including writsistently ranking within the top five ten tests and hands-on exams. teams in California. The culminaThe events cover a wide range of tion of these regional and state comscientific disciplines, from earth petitions is the Science Olympiad science to anatomy to mechanical National Tournament, an event held engineering. According to sophoevery year at a different university more Hanah Lee, SO is different campus in the U.S. This year, the from other science teams in that Science Olympiad National Tournait “doesn’t really focus on broad ment will be held from May 16 to 17 areas, like an event on physics or at the University of Central Florida chemistry. Instead, it has a variety in Orlando, Florida. of events that focus on subjects On Feb. 22, SO competed in the that use science to apply to more Los Angeles County Regional Tourreal life situations.” Senior Kuan nament at Occidental College and Chang agrees that “the really fun won 1st place. Captain senior Bryan part of being on the team is seeing Tiu, who thinks the competitions the applications of those subjects are “fun, and exciting, especially in action.” when [they] win,” said the victory Because of its many differ- SUPER TEAM Members of Science Olympiad stand proudly after was definitely “an improvement on ent events, SO relies heavily on after their stunning win at the regional competition. last year.” The team did better than teamwork and collaboration. With usual at “everything except Boomi15 team members competing in 23 events, dropped from an unknown height.” lever, Dynamic Planet, and Mission Poseach member is able to focus on his or her The atmosphere in SO is great for build- sible,” according to junior Kevin Wang. This strengths while the others help with every- ing teamwork. Sophomore Annie Ro, another victory means the team will move on to the thing else. Hanah says she likes SO because SO team member, said that what she likes State Championships on Apr. 5, where Bryan it allows her to “learn about the certain areas about the team is that it’s a “really great en- is confident it will do well. Wish them luck! of science [she’s] interested in, in depth.” She vironment” and has “amazingly smart people usually competes in Anatomy and Physiol- that [she] really looks up to.” The team, which cread@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of MICHELLE LIN ogy, Designer Genes, and Disease Detective, holds meetings on Thursday afternoons and

By CHRISTINA READ

Staff Writer

Ocean Sciences Bowl Heads to Nationals

By EMILY QUACH

Staff Writer

Ocean Sciences Bowl (OSB) is an academic team that consists of 12 members. They cover topics ranging from technology to marine biology to social science. The team practices by reading questions, using buzzers “Jeopardy style”, and reading and discussing material from books related to ocean sciences. According to junior Dorothy Chang, “One of the more special things about OSB is that we don’t only study biology and chemistry.

We just study about everything you could possibly think of in connection to the ocean.”

OSB is not like any other team because it goes more in depth into the ocean sciences. Fresh-

man Derina Chou said, “I really enjoy learning about various topics relating to the ocean. I think it comes from a curiosity I’ve had since about first grade.” Because OSB is smaller than other academic teams, the team has a strong sense of community. According to sophomore Spencer George, because of the smaller size, “there is much motivation and trust; it really is a unified team that I am proud to be a part of.”

Competition is a buzzer-based system. There are four people on each team and a moderator reading questions. Whoever buzzes in first gets to answer. Then there’s a team challenge question round, which consists of all short answers. In the buzzer round, however, if a team member answers incorrectly, the right to answer goes to the other team. If a member gets the toss-up correct, he gets a bonus short answer question for your team. OSB is divided into two t eam s: A-team and

B-team, although the A-team is the one that competes at Regionals annually.

Last year, OSB won first in Regionals and first place in Nationals. It will be a challenge for it to uphold the national title. According to Captain junior Kathy Lee, “We’re pretty nervous since we were national champions last year, and that’s a very hard title to hold, but I also think that we are excited and ready because we have been prepping for this competition since the school year began.”

On Mar. 15, OSB competed in the “L.A. Surf Bowl”, the regional tournament held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where the team took home 1st place. “The competition went really well,” said sophomore Selena Wong. “This is my first year going to the competition, but I’ve got to say we are good. However, we lost once to Santa Monica in the preliminaries, but when Lowell and we were the finalists, it was pretty intense because we had to beat them two times to win Regionals.

And we did win so I am really proud of our team.”

There is a bright future for OSB. It won 1st place in Regionals and has a good head start toward Nationals. Spencer added, “As our team travels to Nationals, it will definitely be challenged, but I feel it will match last year’s national win. It will be difficult in coming years with several graduations and fewer people to fill in those spots, but we study hard, and we work well together, so I am excited to see what we can do in the next few years!” OSB will be competing at Nationals from May 1 to 4 in Seattle, Washington.

With its successful win at Regionals, hopefully the team will be two-time national champions. equach@apachepowwow.com

Photo courtesy of DOROTHY CHANG Graphics courtesy of SWEETCLIPART.COM

March 2014

academics.powwow@gmail.com

ACADEMICS

21

The Top Ten Most Common Grammar Mistakes

By KIMBERLY LO Staff Writer

National Grammar Day is observed on Mar. 4 every year, so in celebration of that holiday, here are tips for ten common grammar errors! Make sure to edit, edit, and edit your essays to catch these mistakes.

That and Which en these The key difference betwe is h” used in two words is that “whic ile “that” is wh nonrestrictive clauses Nonrestrics. use cla e used in restrictiv ation to orm inf ra ext add s tive clause clauses e tiv tric the sentence, while res other In ce. ten sen are necessary in the use cla the in on ati orm inf words, if the ce, ten sen the affects the meaning of h”. hic “w use “that”. If not, use

Who and Whom When trying to de cide whether to us “who” or “whom e ”, there’s a help ful tip.

Answer the questio n first. Who or wh om is singing? He is sin ging. If the questio n is answered with the wo rd he, use “who”.

Who or whom did you invite to the mee ting? I invited him. If th e question is an swered with the word him , use “whom”. Ba sically, “who” corresponds with “he” or “she ” and “whom” goes with “him” or “her”.

d Effect o Affect an ct” are tw and “effe s t” g in n a e “Affec m similar e v a h f o t a st . Mo words th differently d e il se h u w re but a as a verb t” is used m c a e x ff e a r “ o , e F tim a noun. s a d y se b u ” d “effect” is re “affecte er udents we th ple, the st On the o indstorm. w big a e g d u a h h the storm huge wind e th , d n a . h nts n the stude “effect” o

Their and The re These two w ords might sound the sam e to the ear, but they are used differently in writLay a ing. “Their” Fewer an is used as a nd d Less and I e M posW sessive. They T hen u Lie hey seem lost “their” ca e both perar t ” h sing t “I d e an s im e” p “M ti ndy ilar, and re mes stu apples. “There h de someey’re not ” is used whe “lie” sent tense, ese words n rel pronouns, but th “less” in nts use “fewe d na ferring to a pl so r o in e e memb s an n r” e terchang ’t ace. Let’s go while and e of on eably. H over they’re u “lay” have a dire er that “there”. to be used in plac t. ec owever, sed for d bj su e “ d c th lies” as t obje oes. A iffere “fewer” w d other. “I” is used hen referr nt things. Use using own on th tired stud ct ol. However, ho sc to ed lk ing to so that can ent e wa ” “I couch m be counte “lay” “lay”, a ject. My . Whe d, like 20 ething is used as the ob or 100 n p a e” e n “m n r son obj students ewspapers “lays . would ” dow ect down. . “Less” walked with “me” when re d en fri A ferring to n a te is used Who’s an xtboo student d Whose can’t be somethin k. counted. g “ W ’s th It h o d a se t an ” is used as Its apossive. “Wh a possesa or missing You’re and ose” newsp n Just an extr he Y ou w r ce aper is this en “ er W ff h di o Ju a ’s st ” es is ? like the w a contracti trophe mak ho’s When used and whose on for wh is. Who is two words. rule, “your” o talking? In ed ne t using these n’ is a es possessive a sentence if the word ve, “its” do and “you’r , ca d as a possessi e” is a contractio who is, use n’t be replaced wit dog wagge he T . he h n op tr “ fo w os r en h ap o th yo se , an u are. ”. If it can it is klo@apachepowwow.com “Your” next “who’s”. , use referring to class is Bio “its” tail. If lo Graphics courtesy of gy “Y y! . ou da rs ’r e” hu a genius. s” T ISTOCKPHOTO.COM use it’s. “It’

Fraternities & Sororities

By DONNA SAYPHRARAJ

Staff Writer

Fraternities and sororities, also known as Greek letter organizations, are gender-based initiatory organizations in college campuses all across the nation. Fraternities and sororities allow students to form close bonds with each other, as members do many activities together and usually live in a chapter house that also provides dining services. The naming for these organizations comes from the Latin words “frater” and “soror”, which mean brother and sister respectively. As the nomenclature indicates, fraternities are typically allmale groups, while sororities are generally only female. The names of individual fraternities and sororities are usually two or three Greek letters, often the initials of a motto, which is sometimes secret. For example, the Phi Beta Kappa Society, from phi (φ) + beta (β) + kappa (κ), is derived from the initials of the society’s Greek motto, “φιλοσοφια βιου κυβερνητης” (philosophia biou kybernētēs), meaning “philosophy is the guide of life”.

The first fraternity in America, the Phi Beta Kappa Society, was founded on Dec. 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The first society to expand nationally when it opened a second chapter at Hamilton College in 1831 was the Sigma Phi Society, originally from Union College. Now, local chapters are deemed “national” once there are two chapters anywhere in the U.S. Many of these organizations nowadays are created for students of a specific race or religion. In the beginning, there was fierce academic competition between mem-

bers of a fraternity. Although the competition still remains, there are now limits and more noble purposes such as fundraising for charity.

Many Greek letter organizations embody a certain air of secrecy, as most fraternities and sororities were secret organizations at first. To this day, there are many symbolic secret rituals that are unique to each organization. Initiation ceremonies for fraternities and sororities are often secret and obscure, and meetings of chapter members are often held in secret as well. Each organization occupies its own coat of arms, even though the coat of arms is not traditionally Greek. A Greek letter organization’s coat of arms or symbol may be printed onto apparel and accessories for its members to wear.

Fraternities and sororities sometimes recruit annually during a time called “rush week”. At the end of this time, organizations will give out bids, or invitations to join. Some of these organizations do not participate in rush week, and in order to join, a potential member must express his or her interest to one or more members of the chapter.

Although sometimes cast in a shadowy light due to practices such as hazing, fraternities and sororities remain a popular choice among college students because they help strengthen bonds between classmates and enrich campus life for undergraduates. Joining a Greek letter organization is no doubt a great way to make new friends and familiarize yourself with the school. dsayphraraj@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of GREEKBUILDINGS.NET

Kevin Chou Aces ACT

By TIFFANY LIU

Staff Writer

In addition to the many standardized tests that students from all over the country take, the ACT combines four main subjects and an optional writing section. Junior Kevin Chou, a talented and bright student at AHS, has achieved a perfect score on the exam. The test is out of a total score of 36, with 75 questions in English, 60 questions in mathematics, 40 questions in science, and 40 questions in reading. While studying for the test, Kevin noted that he “did the practice test in the book made by the ACT” and that test takers should “manage their time well; don’t spend too long on any single question or passage.” As with other similar tests, keeping track of the time constraints and being able to be both accurate and quick are essential in doing well.

Being one of the 1,162 people who achieved a perfect score, Kevin said after finding out, “I was definitely nervous when I checked my score online. But fortunately I was pleasantly surprised and relieved because now I’m done with my college entrance exams.” Although standardized tests are taken mainly because they are requirements for many four year colleges, they don’t always reflect what a student is truly interested in. In Kevin’s case, he is currently planning on pur-

suing a finance or economics related major, with an ultimate goal of finding a job that he can be genuinely enthusiastic about.

It is a common misconception that people who generally do well on tests and have good grades do nothing but study. In reality, they are just a lot better at managing their time. When humorously asked if he ever procrastinates, Kevin replied, “Of course, at times. Yes, schoolwork is important, but it definitely shouldn’t take up all of your life.” His 4.0 GPA since freshman year may say otherwise, but like many other high achieving students at AHS, Kevin is also a member of the Speech and Debate Team, volunteer tutor, treasurer of the Student Council Apache Commission, and Captain of the Boys JV Tennis team. Procrastination can happen to the best of us, but the ones who can overcome procrastination are the ones who succeed.

Besides studying for the usual core subjects, Kevin is also interested in current events and aviation.

Exercise can provide a healthy break from long hours of studying, and Kevin’s sport of choice would be tennis. ­­­­­­­­ As the school year begins to come to an end, Kevin hopes to end a successful junior year by saying, “Do the right things at the right time,” and most of all, “try to sleep.” tliu@apachepowwow.com

Photo courtesy of ARCADIASBEST.COM

22

CALENDAR

apachepowwow.com

Recipe of the Month: Shamrock Shakes

By CHELSEA CHENG

Staff Writer

It’s the luck of the Irish. Now, you can make your own Shamrock Shake. This popular McDonald’s drink is limited edition, available only in the month of March.

But with this recipe, you can make it all year long with just three simple steps.

Ingredients: 2 cups vanilla ice cream ¾ cup of milk ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract (or to your liking) About 8 drops of green food coloring **optional: whipped cream and a maraschino cherry Materials: A cup or a tumbler for your drink (decorative types are always the best choice for making the drink look cuter) A measuring cup A measuring spoon An ice cream scoop or large metal spoon A blender Steps: 1. Let the ice cream thaw for a little after you have taken it out of the fridge. (Tip: To make it easier to scoop the ice cream, run the scoop/spoon under hot water).

2. In a blender, add the ice cream, milk, peppermint, and food coloring and blend well to create your milkshake.

3. Pour out the shake into a cup. To spice up your drink, swirl some whipped cream on your shake and top it off with a maraschino cherry. ccheng@apachepowwow.com

Photos courtesy of EATBYDATE.COM, MCCORMICK.COM, and DRIMMIT.COM Graphic courtesy of EBAY.COM

March 2014

March 2014

The

By ANDREW LIM

CALENDAR

calendareditor.powwow@gmail.com

Reel

Staff Writer

Whenever I watch a movie that involves time-traveling, I tend to think the directors will absolutely either defy all laws of space and time or the directors will make up new laws to fit in their show. I believe that this movie is in the first category. The movie on the cutting table now is Mr. Peabody and Sherman. It is directed

by Rob Minkoff and stars Ty Burrell (Mr. Peabody), Max Charles (Sherman), Ariel Winter (Penny Peterson), Allison Janney (Mrs. Grunion), and Stanley Tucci (Leonardo Da Vinci). The movie shows some of the great moments in the world’s history.

On with the review!

The beginning of the movie takes place in France during the French Revolution.

Deal:

Honestly, I’m surprised that the director could make the French Revolution seem as if it would belong in a children’s movie. He managed to make one of the bloodiest revolutions known to man into something funny and lighthearted. So, props to the director for making the French Revolution outrageously hilarious, mostly through how the key figures were portrayed.

Moving on, after their trip to the French Revolution, Mr. Peabody, a talking dog who coincidentally is also the world’s smartest living thing, takes Sherman to his first day of school. There Sherman gets into a fight with Penny which ends with him biting her. Because of this, Mr. Peabody is forced to be investigated by Mrs. Grunion, the school counselor. With a few screwups here and there, Mr. Peabody, Sherman, and Penny must fix timelines and prevent

Sherman from getting taken away by Mrs. Grunion.

The story is well done, but I saw a huge flaw. I felt as if they could have made the story much more in depth since everything seemed to happen so fast in such a tiny time frame. I was entertained completely and was never bored because of the sheer ludicrousy of the movie. However, there was one huge plot hole that was the one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen in a movie. The mistake in the storyline was extremely obvious on my part. Regardless, the characters are wacky and interesting to begin with. The most interesting character is Sherman with a diverse personality. He can is fun and loving while at the same time mischevious and ranbunctious. Overall, the movie is good but had a huge mistake. The animation of the movie was incredibly impressive as the animation stays consistent throughout, while some scenes are far more superior than others. The soundtrack was okay enough, but I could barely hear it. I felt as if the soundtrack could have been much more, but in the end it was mediocre scores.

The movie has an enjoyable story, great animation, and a mediocre soundtrack. The story may be good; however, with such a huge flaw in it I couldn’t let it slide. The animation is the great and contains some visually pleasing scenes. The soundtrack is slightly below average.

I give this movie a 7.25 out of 10.

23

Leprechaun Laughs

By EMILY TONG

alim@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of AINTITCOOL.COM, ANDERSONIAN.COM and COMIC FRONTLINE.BLOGSPOT.COM

Staff Writer

Why is it hard to borrow money from leprechauns?

They’re always a little short!

Why don’t frogs get pinched on St. Patrick’s Day? Because they’re always wearing green!

Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?

Boat fare was simply too expensive! etong@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of CLIPARTPAL.COM

The Best and Worst Dressed of the 86th Academy Awards

By MEGAN HONG and EILEEN LEE

Staff Writers

Best Dressed Girl: Jennifer Lawrence The 23-year-old actress turned many heads at the Oscars not only by tripping on the red carpet for the second year in a row, but also with her breathtaking red Dior gown. Unfazed by her embarrassing fall, Jennifer still looked flawless in her simple peplum dress.

Even though she didn’t win the Best Supporting Actress award for American Hustle, she definitely impressed the audience and fans with her outfit.

Worst Dressed Guy: Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams stunned the crowd at the 2014 Oscars with this hideous outfit: a semi-casual suit with shorts hanging just above his knees. Pharrell had already been criticized once for his inappropriate attire at the Grammy Awards, but he continued the trend at the Oscars. He definitely stood out from other nominees in classy suits, that is, all the way down the ankles.

Worst Dressed Girl: Anna Kendrick Anna Kendrick definitely made a strong impression among the crowd with her terrible choice of outfit when she stepped onto the red carpet. She certainly turned many heads for the wrong reasons: awkward posture, tacky floral prints, and see-through patches at scandalous places. Anna made the attempt of an “Angelina Jolie Look” by sticking out her right leg through the slit of her dress, but it turned out to be plain awkward.

Best Dressed Guy: Chris Hemsworth Although a lot of attention was directed onto his extremely pregnant wife, Chris Hemsworth’s stylish yet classy outfit also turned many heads on the red carpet. Adding a twist to the classical tuxedo with a burgundy velvet vest and jacket, the stunning Australian actor definitely had the fashion trends on point. eilee@apachepowwow.com mhong@apachepowwow.com

Photos courtesy of GETTYIMAGES.COM

24

CAMPUS FOCUS

“I loved Ellen’s monologue, especially when she pointed out that Jennifer Lawrence fell last year. Then she told everyone that she tripped again [this year] on a cone while she got out of her car.”

cf.powwow@gmail.com

March 2014

“I thought that 12 Years a Slave’s winning Best Picture was very interesting because it shows how true stories can often be more powerful and impactful than fictional stories.”

“My favorite moment of the Oscars was when Ellen treated everyone to pizza.

She was funny and made the ceremony entertaining.”

—Isaac Klipstein, 12

—Aileen Catalan, 10

—Breanna Qin, 10

By BRIANA SHEN

Staff Writer

“And the Oscar goes to…” These famous words sum up the essence of the the Academy Awards, the most prestigious award ceremony for filmography. But this year, the Academy Awards boasted much more than beautiful gowns, flashing lights, and teary moments. 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, and newcomer Lupita Nyong’o won Best Supporting Actress. Aside from these highlights of the emotional night, students comment on their favorite moments during the 86th Annual Academy Awards.

Graphics courtesy of FANPOP.COM Photos by BEN GEISBERG

bshen@apachepowwow.com