November 2009

Volume 58, Issue 3

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA

November 2009

Hole in One for Girls Golf

In this issue:

Photo courtesy of INKARAT MITTONGTARE

PERFORMING ARTS pg. 8 Arcadia Festival of Bands: AHS band members showcase their talents at the annual festival.

Photo courtesy of LILY YIN CHAMPIONS ON THE GREEN The Girls Varsity Golf team has been named Pacific League Champions for the second

year in a row, in addition to CIF Central Division Champions.

By REGINA LIU Staff Writer Graphic by JENNIFER HANG

CENTER SPREAD pg. 12-13 Thank You Letters: AHS students give a well deserved tribute to the teachers of AHS.

Photo courtesy of TIMEOUTNY.COM

FEATURES pg. 19 Secret Menu Items: Get the inside scoop on your favorite restaurants’ secret treats.

It was hard for the girls of Varsity Golf to say goodbye to each other. Considering their outstanding performances and countless memories spent upon that idyllic patch of green range, it’s a shame the season ever had to end.

Of all six girls on the team, each one managed to make the top 12 in league finals, where they closed with a record of 24-1.

Three of these girls finished in the top five overall and qualified for the CIF individuals at Soule Park. Junior Mya Maw finished in second place, sophomore Katherine Guo in fourth, and junior Chi Chi Min in fifth.

When asked to reflect on the match, Katherine said, “It was a great experience, and I’m very happy about it.” And Mya agreed when she described the experience as “really shocking.” She added, “To not only place first of my team this year, but to also place second [overall] was astounding.”

Shortly afterwards on Nov. 3, Mya qualified for the CIF Individual Finals after competing against 96 of the top golfers in the Southern Section. When asked about her experience, Mya replied, “I was happy to have

cleared the first round and wasn’t expecting to really make the cut for the championships for regional so when I did I was really shocked and excited.”

But as impressive as these individuals are, their performance as a team is what makes them uniquely astonishing. For one, the team became the Pacific League Champions for the second year in a row. On top of that, they conquered the CIF Central Division Championship. According to Coach Robert Greep, it was their proudest victory, or to put it in his words, “an early birthday present.”

In their moment of triumph, the girls of Varsity Golf had defeated two of the best teams in the Southern Section, Cerritos and Great Oak. Their achievement did not come as a huge surprise considering their overall record was an incredible 29-1.

But the game was not just an early birthday gift. The Championship and season in general served as instructive and motivational purposes for the team as well. “This season I have learned that I can and we can,” said Mya. “It [will make] us more confident for next year.”

And so for that reason, because there will be a next year, another season, the golfers have no time to rest on their laurels. According to Coach Greep, “The girls will be required

to keep working during the off-season. [For] those girls who do not participate in tournaments and practice, it will be very difficult for them to remain on the team next year.”

For seniors Lily Yin and Jacqueline Huang, returning to golf will be difficult, to say the least, as they’ll be moving on to bigger and greater things come next fall. Coach Greep expressed his gratitude for the two girls when he said, “I’m very proud of both of them and all they accomplished while part of the girls golf program.”

Not only will the golf team lose two valuable players, but those two players will lose something valuable in their lives as well. Jacqueline said, “Everyone on the team made my years in golf really worthwhile, and I am going to miss that the most.”

But with results like these of this past season, Lily and Jacqueline have no reason to fear for the fate of the team they’ll be leaving behind. “Because everyone on the team has great potential and can play to each others’ strengths,” Jacqueline predicted that next year’s team will definitely “have a shot for state finals,” a shot to pick up where this year’s team left off and hopefully travel immeasurably further. rliu@apachepowwow.com

2

NEWS

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

Raising the Bar: National School Standards Go Up

Believe It...

Or Not

By ANDREW LIN Staff Writer

1. Late last month, prospective Washington Redskins cheerleader Desiree Jennings of Ashburn, Virginia experienced one of the more bizarre adverse reactions to the H1N1 flu vaccine. About two weeks after being inoculated, Jennings became unable to speak or walk normally, except, curiously, when walking backwards. She was diagnosed with what doctors call dystonia, a neurological condition brought on by various environmental cues or, in her case, medication.

2. On Nov. 5 in Oklahoma, a man drove his SUV into the side of an elephant. It apparently had been hiding in the bushes next to a major freeway and decided to come out at the wrong time. Fortunately, both parties emerged without serious injury from the accident. Road-killed peacocks no longer seem so bizarre.

3. In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, a man visited his own funeral, alive. Officials incorrectly identified the badly disfigured body that had been dressed in similar clothing.

4. On Nov. 5, police raided a home in Phoenix, Arizona and found approximately 1,000 stolen luggage bags, 25 guns, clothing, locked safes, medical equipment, and electronics. The couple to which the home belonged had ostensibly stolen and collected the bags from airport baggage claims over the course of about a year. What’s more surprising is that neighbors had apparently not given much thought to the fact that the couple had been hosting luggage garage sales over the past year. Then again, I don’t care where my cheap garage sale goods come from, either.

5. A 68-year-old South Korean woman recently passed her written driver’s exam on her 950th try. In related news, a 68-year-old Korean woman recently broke the record for most negative driving stereotypes fulfilled in a single day.

6. On Nov. 4, police arrested a woman from Albertville, Alabama, for allowing her teenage daughter to ride in a box atop her van. The 37-year-old mother admitted guilty to charges of being the coolest mom in the world.

7. On Nov. 3, a man from Edgewater, Colorado, admitted to fabricating and staging his own knife attack to miss work. The man was found with a number of shallow cuts on his legs and body and told authorities that he was attacked either by a gang of skinheads or Hispanics. How it could “maybe” be both is a mystery.

8. Though most Catholic congregations traditionally end their services by dipping their hands in open fountains of holy water blessed by priests, many churches have recently removed the process due to health concerns raised over the H1N1 virus. Enter Italian inventor Luciano Marabese, who recently invented a holy water dispenser to limit the spread of the virus. Working much like a public restroom soap dispenser, the device releases a small spurt of holy water when triggered by a motion sensor. alin@apachepowwow.com

By ALEX ETHRIDGE Staff Writer

As AHS students, we pride ourselves on our ability to juggle difficult courses as well as handle academic competition. We take AP classes, participate in the performing arts, lead and organize clubs on campus, compete with our teammates, and even write for this newspaper because we believe that is what it means to be a high school student. So if these constitute the average high schooler, why are some schools across the nation allowing their students to pass with sub-par standards?

Many states in America are setting their schools’ curriculum at low standards so they can say that their students are performing at their grade level requirements when they are in fact not. The Obama administration sees this pattern across the nation and is attempting to persuade all states to adopt the same tougher standards for their syllabi. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated, “We’re lying to our children when we tell them they’re proficient, but they’re not achieving at a level that will prepare them for success once they graduate.” Although the federal government cannot impose an education standard on the states, Duncan is offering millions in federal grants to encourage states to assume one.

Many argue that states should be raising their standards to help U.S. students compete with those of foreign nations, but according to the White House’s Education Department re-

port, more states have lowered standards rather than raised them. Speculation on this topic has suggested that many states have lowered their schools’ curriculum in order to abide by the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act more easily. One uniform concern, however, is the inconsistency among state curriculums, and how

cadia follow a similar curriculum of the basics, but differ in aspects such as pressure, competition, and available courses. At AHS, it’s common to see students competitively comparing scores with friends’, or secretly ranking themselves amongst classmates based on grades. We pressure each other to do well because we are pressured by our community to be the best in everything we do, and this results in our school’s admirable achievements.

Other high school students deal with the same stresses. Junior Phoebe Feldsher of La Salle High School stated, “some groups are competitive with grades, but we’re not pressured to take AP classes.” Sophomore Jasper Ryden of Flintridge Preparatory said, “My school’s curriculum is really rigorous.” The same can be said about AHS. “Going to a competitive school like AHS is good because it prepares us for college,” said sophomore Madeleine Barnes, but added that “it’s bad because kids are practically killing themselves trying to pass classes.”

The concept of a nation-wide academic standard has both its benefits and conseGraphic by CHERRY MO quences, which will differ with every school OVER AND BEYOND Should schools change under its curriculum. Regardless of what state standards to fit a uniform national one? happens in the future concerning educational one student’s performance cannot be accurately standards, AHS students will continue to work under the standards we set for ourselves, becompared to another’s from a different state.

While this question occurs across the na- cause that’s what we do best. After all, if they tion, there is a definite difference in what is ex- can do it, why can’t we? pected of AHS students than what is expected of students of other schools. Most schools near Araethridge@apachepowwow.com

Not Another Black (and Blue) Friday ignorance. But the consequence is human life.”

But what can be done to prevent a similar Staff Writer incident? Some asked why the accident hapWhile people normally associate Black pened in the first place, while others wondered Friday with the official start of Christmas shop- where security was during the madness. Several ping, most don’t think of it as “that-one-day-ev- witnesses said that the police came once in a erybody-went-so-crazy-over-sales-that-an-em- while to check on the growing crowd, but were ployee-was-trampled-and-killed.” nowhere to be seen afterwards.

In case you don’t reGranted, the member, on Nov. 28 last police in that area year, at 4:45 a.m., shopwon’t be making the pers went out of control same mistake again, outside a New York Waland security around Mart. The 2,000-person the nation will learn crowd pressed against from past mistakes, the sliding doors, which but perhaps Wal-Mart eventually gave into the will put some new weight and shattered. crowd control strateThe mob swarmed the gies into use, such as store, scrambling to pick reducing the “comup bargains. They didn’t petition” to get in Photo courtesy of SEATTLEPI.COM notice that employee the store. Sophomore Jdimytai Damour was SHOPPERS ON A RAMPAGE This Jenny Wei agreed and thrown to the ground, year’s Black Friday may be just like any said, “A single line other, but keep your hands (and legs) to trampled, and killed. would eliminate any yourself, please.

After a man had trampling, and would been killed and others seriously injured, officials be a first come, first serve basis.” Wal-Mart has ushered people out of the store. One proposed extending store hours to remain open crowd control expert said there all 24 hours, but two cities have already rejected was absolutely no the proposal. excuse for the shopSo if you can’t think of anything to do pers’ behavior: over the break, head over to any retailer, “ I t ’s as they are almost certain to have a Black Friday sale of some sort. Don’t worry too much about crazy crowds growing out of control though, because many retailers are determined to make sure you have your sales along with your safety.

By JASMINE WU

jwu@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of FLICKR.COM

Horses in Arcadia:

Fast and Furious

By RAPHAEL LU Staff Writer

On Nov. 6 and Nov. 7, Santa Anita Park hosted Breeders’ Cup. On the first day, a series of 14 races showcased the best horses from America, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, England, France, and Japan.

The prize money or purse, as equestrians call it, of these races was a whopping 25.5 million dollars.

It was an event that allowed horse enthusiasts to rest and indulge in a day of food, relaxation, and family time. This year the United Service Organization (USO) commemorated the brave firefighters who risked their lives to keep us safe during the Station Fire. And for the first time in history, a mare won a race against stallions.

What makes this event even more significant is the fact that this was the first time Breeders’ Cup held their event at the same location twice in a row, not to mention this is the fifth time the event has been held in Arcadia. Junior Winnie Hui, who attended the event, stated that this is because “the Santa Anita Race Track has upgraded its race track to a synthetic one which reduces the risk of injury to horses and makes for an exceptional racing venue.” Freshman Andrew Sun, however, believes this is “because Arcadia has a truly unique and diverse environment... our spirit as a community is one that overwhelms many people.” Whether it’s because of the racetrack or our excellent community, Arcadia, for sure, has made horse racing history. rlu@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of UBERLOCK.COM

November 2009

apachepowwow.com

News

BRIEFS

November 26-29

- Thanksgiving Holiday

30

- Staff Development Day

December 1

- English Honors applica tions due

5

- SAT Test Date

10

- WASC Late Start Day

10-11

- English Honors Testing

12

- ACT Test Date

21-31

- Winter Break

January 1-3

- Winter Break (cont.)

13

- WASC Late Start Day

18

- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

20-22

- First Semester Finals Minimum Days

23

- SAT Test Date

3

Ms. Arroyo’s Empire State Marathon Bridge onto Manhattan Island, up First Avenue, and halfway around Central Staff Writer Park to the finish.

Many people know Ms. Kellie ArDuring the race, Ms. Arroyo reroyo as a history teacher at AHS. She ceived encouragement from “a man has been at AHS for six years and named Eric with whom [she] had the has taught Psychology, Govsame pace. He began cheering, yellernment and Economics, and ing, and encouraging the other runis presently teaching Modern ners as he ran with them.” She World History. She’s also the recalled “how his encouragement club advisor of our school’s caused [the] whole group to pick Model United Nations to up the pace.” boot. However, what most Near the finish line, Ms. don’t know about her is that Arroyo felt that she was about she is a runner. to give up. She wanted “to cut On Nov. 1, New York her legs off” from pain, and Road Runners hosted the it “hurt more for me to walk ING New York City Marthan run,” so she had to keep athon, a world-wide 42.2trucking on. At the end, she km footrace. AHS’s very own swore, “I would never run Ms. Arroyo was one of the again,” but after seeing her participants. Her five months “time for the half mark was of training paid off when she 1:58,” she said, “I changed won a spot in the marathon after bemy mind and decided that I’d ing chosen through a lottery drawing. have to do it again to reach my Out of 38,000 runners, she finished the goal of four hours.” race in 26,795th place with a time of To anyone else who plans 04:33:08. on running a marathon, Ms. ArWhen asked why she participated royo suggests “to listen to your in the marathon, Ms. Arroyo replied, body. Injuries are not worth it.”

“I love NYC and I love running. I Ms. Arroyo plans to continue also thought it would be cool to see running in marathons and hopes parts of New York I have never seen to be able to participate in the before, such as the Bronx.”

Seattle marathon and Chicago The course loops marathon. around New York City.

CongratuStarting from Staten Is- Photo courtesy of DUSTY ARROYO lations on New land, the runners ran over RUNNING STRONG Ms. Kel- York, Ms. Arroyo, the Verrazano-Narrows lie Arroyo flashes a smile and and good luck in Bridge onto Brooklyn, her marathon medal. future marathons! along the edge of Brooklyn into the Queens, across Queensboro rlu@apachepowwow.com

By RAPHAEL LU

Counselor of the Year: Mrs. Sandoval, Friend-of-All anxiety because he cannot decide between two college prep electives, another is afraid that she may not have enough credit to graduate and still another is grieving over the loss of a loved one,” said Mrs. Sandoval. Many students collapse from the overwhelming workload, yet the counselors are always

certificate that commemorates the grantee for his or her exceptional performance Staff Writer and for being a strong support system to The spirit of aspiring to achieve the students. This attitude in counseling the best is strong in Arcadia as many embodies the spirit of Donald G. Hays, of our students are granted entry into who was a counselor for 40 years and world-renowned universities. created the foundation for the American But let us not forget our exSchool Counselor Association National cellent counselors who assist Standards. the students in reaching their On her reaction to receiving the fullest potential. This year, award, Mrs. Sandoval said, “The first AHS’ very own senior counthing I said to my colselor, Mrs. Sharon Sandoval, leagues was, ‘I’m just received the prominent Dondoing my job.’ I didn’t ald G. Hays Counselor of the go into counseling to Year award. win awards, but of Mrs. Sandoval fully course it’s nice to be commits to her job and symrecognized.” pathizes with the students she Mrs. Sandoval, counsels. “Helping students without a doubt earned Photo by MICHELLE CHIEN realize their goals is very satthe Donald G. Hays isfying but it is equally grati- IN THE OFFICE Mrs. Counselor of the Year Sandoval is “very fying to help disheartened award through amazoverwhelmed and humbled” students recognize their true to receive this award. ing patronage and asPhoto courtesy of sistance over a broad potential,” said Mrs. SandoSHARON SANDOVAL variety of areas. “I beval. Students sometimes need to relieve there to break the their academic insecurities and the seniors fall. Experienced ACCEPTING THE AWARD lieve in education and especially experience the most hammerand notable coun- Mrs. Sandoval pauses for a picture I believe in alleviating ing stress waves with a slew of worries selors like Mrs. with some of the counseling staff the pain of others,” she about applications, universities, extraSandoval push the after the award ceremony. stated. Thank you for curricular activities, SATs, ACTs, grades, students back on their feet and give all the support you have provided to all leadership positions, and independence. them pep talks to motivate the students the AHS students over the years. Con“Students present to the counseling ofto never, ever, give up. gratulations! fice with significantly varying degrees of The Donald G. Hays Counselor of pain. One student may be experiencing the Year award is a distinguished honor jpark@apachepwowwow.com

By JUSTIN PARK

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

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

Writers News Staff Andrew Chang, Ashley Chi, Evan Delgado, Alex Ethridge, Andrew Lin, Raphael Lu, Justin Park, Jasmine Wu Opinion Staff Andrew Chang, Tiffany Gu, Derek Ha, Kaitlyn Jeong, Nuria Mathog Performing Arts Staff Katherine Bay, Eileen Chow, Pamela Huynh, Hana Rudolph, Christina Zhou Student Life Staff Debbie Jong, Lena Kalemkiarian, Esther Lin, Anna Naran, Jade Shao, Rhiannon Yee Features Staff Theresa Lee, Amy Leong, Jenny Li, Ryan Liu, Joanna Shen Sports Staff Katherine Bay, Alex Ethridge, Andrew Lin, Regina Liu, Rhiannon Yee Academics Staff Christopher Chen, Sally Chung, Derek Ha, Joanna Liao, Oishee Shemontee, Nancy Xiao Center Spread Staff Emily Litvack Calendar Staff Beverly Chen, Eileen Chow, Theresa Lee, Cherry Mo Campus Focus Staff Emily Litvack Advertisement Staff Theresa Lee, Kevin Liu, Raphael Lu, Shannon Ng, Kevin Yuan Photo Staff Evan Delgado, Maurice Ip Copy Editing Staff Ashley Chi, Lena Kalemkiarian, Joanna Liao, Regina Liu, Hana Rudolph, Oishee Shemontee, Nancy Xiao Fundraising Staff Katherine Bay, Beverly Chen, Sally Chung, Maurice Ip, Kaitlyn Jeong, Theresa Lee, Jenny Li, Regina Liu, Ryan Liu, Raphael Lu, Michelle Mak, Anna Naran, Shannon Ng, Oishee Shemontee, Nancy Xiao Web Staff Sally Chung, Alex Ethridge, Elliott Lee, Andrew Lin, Ryan Liu, Emily Litvack, Nuria Mathog, Sammi Wong Adviser Mr. Johnny Lee

Publication Information: The Apache Pow Wow is a student publication distributed monthly throughout the school year. The paper has been continuously published since Arcadia High School opened in 1952. Unsigned articles appearing on the opinion page reflect the opinion of The Apache Pow Wow editorial board. A student’s work does not represent the views of Arcadia High School or the Arcadia Unified School District. Address letters to the editor to: AHS Apache Pow Wow, 180 W. Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. To place an advertisement in the newspaper, call (626) 821-8370 ext. 1148. Advertisement rates vary from $30 for a business card advertisement to $300 for a full-page black and white advertisement, with quarter-page, half-page, and advertisement insert options available.

Graphic by BEVERLY CHEN

4

OPINION Welcome to

Abercrombie & Rich

apachepowwow.com

Where Memory Ln. Meets Sesame St.

By TIFFANY GU

Staff Writer

Cashier: Kaitlyn Jeong 11/10/2009 10:57 A.M. Everything humanly possible had gone wrong in a matter of hours. I overslept, stepped in two huge wads of gum, ruined my newest (not to mention cutest and most expensive) pair of shoes, found out that my shirt was on inside out, went to the restroom to flip it and left with toilet paper on my shoe, bombed a test, dropped my essay into a large mud puddle, burped while giving my speech, left my math homework at my house, realized that my zipper was down after sixth period, and spent the ride home agonizing over how long it had been like that. How could I possibly fix this mess that I called my life? Two words: charge it.

As I walked around the mall searching for a replacement pair (or two) of shoes, I was faced with the question: Does money buy happiness? My answer: As sure as Nordstrom ate my money and spat out a pair of turquoise canvas flats with rainbow sparkles 50% off, yes.

Yes it does.

My parents have always given me wise pieces of advice, warning me that money and materialistic things cannot be substituted for happiness. They are correct in saying that money does not buy happiness; instead it buys cars, jewelry, and nice clothing. These in turn are portals to elation and higher self-esteem.

When the word “sale” pops up, the portals are opened even wider. I have yet to see the acquisition of a new wardrobe fail to put a smile on someone’s face.

For evidence, I myself have conducted several studies on this “retail therapy” phenomenon, all involving a bad day, my wallet, and whatever article of clothing or product caught my fancy at the time. My most infamous study occurred during a (shopping) holiday: Black Friday. Those “buy one get one FREE” and “50% off” signs really got me hooked. I bought items ranging from dog biscuit cookie-cutters to jeans two sizes too small (a motivational tool) to toothpick dispensers shaped like a bird. Let’s just say this: I don’t have a dog, I’m allergic to sit-ups, my dental hygiene is questionable, and all three items were 60% off. I concluded that the power to change your outlook on the universe lies in your wallet. A shopping spree releases endorphins, and as we all know, endorphins make us happy, and happy people do not bang their heads against walls or have low self-esteem.

They just don’t.

People argue that although buying material things may relieve some of the initial stress, after a while, reality will hit and gloominess will return. Even if that is indeed true and buying bags and bags of unneeded items actually fails to heal your wounds, just know that at the end of the day, you will have helped save the United States of America from a fiscal crisis by stimulating the economy. kjeong@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of OSSCOPRODUCTS.COM

November 2009

counting and being a good neighbor while instilling in them good morals. And as these generations of children grow up, as we reminisce back on our days of Bert and Ernie and sitting cross-legged in front of the television, we realize that childhood sure was easier than

As you’ve probably noticed lately on the Google front page, with the Big Bird and Elmo and the Cookie Monster integrations into those six wonderful letters, Sesame Street has turned 40 years old. For 40 years, for approximately four generations, the wonderfully eccentric characters and inhabitants of Sesame Street have inspired and educated children all over the world in the fine arts of

growing up is.

Sesame Street represents the pure and unadulterated innocence of life, a sort of blithe and free happiness, the kind of ignorance that would not be deemed uncouth and silly. It represents a time when things were just plain and simple. As we grow older, it seems that everything gets more complicated, our lives begin to tangle with others and complexities and problems plague us at every turn.

There just always seems to be something wrong, some sort of “issue” that has to be solved, something to complain about. Rewind about ten years and the biggest problem you’d face would be a healthy-sized boo-boo embedGraphic by CHERRY MO ded into your THE ANNIVERSARY OF OUR CHILDHOOD Com- kneecap, easimemorating cookies and trash cans and still sweeping those ly repaired and appeased with clouds away.

a band-aid. On Sesame Street, no matter what sort of problems arose, the solution was always clear, and everything

could be fixed with an apology or some simple addition. In real life, in the not-as-glamorous-once-you’re-there world of the moderately grown up, a simple but heartfelt “sorry” seems to have lost all its power, and band-aids, apparently, are actually festering grounds for germs and bacteria.

If life were as easy as it was back then, or anything like how Sesame Street portrays it to be, you wouldn’t have to worry about obesity or conforming to the aesthetic standards of society, or dental bills. You could eat as many cookies as you wanted without any remorse.

And, in reality, doesn’t Cookie Monster represent the simple act of enjoying life and not giving a second thought to paranoia-inducing repercussions? And in the world of Sesame Street, you could live with your best friend; you could hang out and do fun things together and play with a rubber ducky together without having to worry about society or anyone else labeling you as “homosexual.” We have a funny way of drawing conclusions and deducing things where deduction is not called for.

As we’ve grown, the innocence and purity of life have all but dissipated as well, replaced with cynicism and crude remarks. Time and growing up and society have managed to turn everything, even a heartwarming and enjoyable children’s show into a source of potential scandal and controversy. But you must know, this is, of course, standard in adult-world.

Lest we all turn green and become Oscar the Grouch. tgu@apachepowwow.com

Thanksgiving: A Hiatus from Cynicism

By DEREK HA Staff Writer

are disappointed—and they never fail to reciprocate.

Just for one day, it would not feel odd to confess how much I value the random and seemingly trivial items that make my life infinitely easier: eyeglasses, sweaters, air conditioners, cell phones, dictionaries, chairs, graphing calculators, toothpaste, my agenda,

I love Thanksgiving, but giving thanks is difficult when I am so used to being negative.

Cynicism—the current trend in thinking—has become a habit of mine, and after 364 days of incessant whining over every minute aspect of life, it is kind of tough to switch gears all of a sudden. Yes, yes—it would certainly be nice if I were grateful and optimistic “Just for one day, it is okay to be all the time, but where is the fun in that? thankful for being alive in genPerhaps that is the reason for Thanksgiving’s popularity—the secret eral. Just for one day, I can sense of enjoyment and liberation we appreciate the things that I get from shedding our roles as miserable, apathetic pessimists. The holiday have every other day of the gives us all an excuse to express those year.” embarrassingly positive feelings bottledup within.

Just for one day, it would not be awkward Facebook, three-ring binders, lunchboxes, to thank my friends for providing me with a Kleenex, and water bottles. I know that I have never-ending source of amusement and supomitted many things, but I am certain that I am port. Each day, I listen to their complaints, very grateful for them as well. laugh at their jokes, put up with their flaws, Just for one day, it would not be a cli“borrow” food from them, commend them on ché to admit that I am far more fortunate than their successes, and console them when they many, many people around the world. Things

TCID:

that I normally take for granted—food, water, shelter, family, medicine, education—suddenly become treasured and unique in my eyes.

For the duration of 24 hours, I force myself to view life from a broader perspective, remembering that despite my occasional petty bouts of sadness, I lead a much more comfortable life than most.

Just for one day, I can be grateful for my family, who has somehow found a way to live with me without descending into insanity or resorting to violence.

My parents sponsor all of my activities, drive me to school, cook the food I eat, keep clean the house in which I live, and are my single source of unconditional affection and support.

Just for one day, it is okay to be thankful for being alive in general. Just for one day, I can appreciate the things that I have every other day of the year.

Don’t you worry—come tomorrow, I’ll be right back to complaining. dha@apachepowwow.com

November 2009

OPINION

apachepowwow.com

5

My Personal Statement Dear College X,

with dreams and ambiI’m a real flesh and blood person that ial, spec ly uine gen I’m that you to see itions. Then again, when it trying to impress you. I wanted array of awards and leadership pos ive ress imp an with bie I think I’ve spent my entire life zom AP board ce and character; I’m not some card s very tions of my own. I have substan maybe I’d be better off undead. s— pon wea r n Review spelled out my chance kille e hav do bies zom ess, proc ns the latest version of the Princeto issio in adm bers just be, num may the r, comes to the that yea ght ry thou Eve I . and my sanity because r approval wouldn’t be easy . I sacrificed my time, my sleep, rams you prog I always knew that winning you to for elf ice mys e serv ity prov to mun ned com rmi of ntless hours to be deterred; I was dete wanted to take and completed cou ause that clearly: next to nil. But I refused ecting projects for classes I never perf , and I only drew the line there bec late sign up ” ed Me! stay at I ok ce.

“Lo eren t diff gian a with pus cam r you maybe, it might make a ss ding acro I’ve done everything short of para into five I never wanted to join. To date, subtle. Just slightly. e mor htly slig is streamline my entire personality e don I’ve r stuff elf,” as though I could somehow mys s crasy, syn pres “ex idio just reeks of desperation. The othe to wit, me of for tion nity bina to find the perfect com ement is the ideal opportu ng stat ggli l stru ona s, pers time my sand that m thou one clai dred the You reader will be essay at least a hun admit me. But for all I know, my imum). I must have revised my to max ined dred incl ly hun eral (six r gen ds you wor feel to or up dred le, hun h, or smi My identity is entirely make your admissions officers laug liant or just mentally disturbed?

Bril rdo? wei l tota a or e and profound insight that would niqu I—u writing deeply offensive. What am that way, person on the planet who finds my it. adm to care ously. Things didn’t quite work out I than e me mor right track if I stuck to it meticul the on rs with me hou y put interpretation, and that frightens ld man my wou d ite gure desp fi I looking for. And four years, a plan that falling apart” is the answer you’re k of stac was I used to have a plan for these past er “I k lust thin lack ’t the don I scan but I r, as y, este par grades that one sem ege application, but toda sub coll a the in lain send exp to to ssed like arra I’d emb gh. be thou thought I’d are far from spectacular. I never the big blue book, my test scores t. cien defi ing horribly I pective, I couldn’t give a damn. papers before me, I can’t help feel me speaking. From a rational pers of part le sess erab pos vuln you the tion only rma ’s But that only fragments of info ut me—absolutely nothing. The stickers realize that you know nothing abo of money my folks make, empty unt amo the est SAT subscore and ningmea ow, holl a than me of are stupid, trivial data like my low part They are no more a ath. erne und am I who g ngin cha you can peel off without ht favorite food is sushi, that I taug less shell. They do not define me. would die for my friends, that my I that lty w: kno loya ’t ed don valu you ays t alw wha e Here’s tles first. That I hav ar. That I always eat the red Skit greatest myself how to play the electric guit ter how long they are. That my mat no d, han by I still write letters out but I’m f, aloo and shy seem may and honesty above all else, that I much. That at first glance too ng cari is ss kne wea test strength and my grea get to know me. to me really quite passionate once you nk pages. There’s so much more be myself into a few fill-in-the-bla scri tran to me ect exp you yet And t. Maybe even a series. ns status page every than that. I’m worth a novel, at leas pulsively refreshing my admissio com r, pute com my by out p id to know the answer.

In the spring, I’ll cam d breath, both desperate and afra bate with on cati fi noti r you for t e, maybe even cry—I admit few minutes. I’ll wai …,” I might get choked up a littl you rm info to d et regr “We with And if it begins nal its form, it’s like having the win to the face. No matter how imperso slap a med than e dee mor on, s reas hurt r on teve ecti that. Rej n judged and, for wha , like being told that you’ve bee rve knocked out of you emotionally I don’t deserve you. You don’t dese that not It’s .

I know that’s not true inadequate. Deep down though, ity ABC, I’ll do something me. my diploma from you or Univers get I r ethe Wh X. lege Col on, it So bring you my supplement.

Graphic by BEVE RLY CHEN amazing with my life and make MORE TH

AN WORDS AND NUMBERS

This supplement exce

eded the word limit.

Sincerely, Nuria Mathog nmathog@apachepowwow.com

What the Ministry Doesn’t Want You to Know

By ANDREW CHANG Staff Writer

Okay, Quidditch. Let me get a few things straight.

First of all, everyone liked you when you were confined to the Harry Potter franchise.

It was curious, we thought, how Rowling was able to create a “wizard sport” incorporating various elements of the sports we play today with broomsticks and the “wizarding world.”

But don’t get ahead of yourself. Just because we praised you as a peculiar sport doesn’t mean you’re a legitimate one. You think you can match the intensity of a clutch buzzer beater with the Snitch? Think again before you get a big head, Quidditch.

Now look what’s happened. You’ve leaked into the intercollegiate sphere like you’re some sort of hot shot. Yeah right, Quidditch. You’re even dumber than before. It’s not even clear how you function in the real world because things can’t actually fly. Except birds, but if you used a bird as the Snitch it would

TCID:

probably fly away and nobody would have any fun whatsoever.

Could you think, for once in your life, about how you’re constructed? You have wizards on broomsticks trying to throw the Quaffle into the goal to score 10 measly points, all

the while working against the Beaters, Chasers, and Keepers of the opposing team. Do you have any inkling of how hard it is to score with you, Quidditch? No, you don’t. You’re just a sport. You have no sentience. And then, suddenly and out of the blue, the Seeker catches the Snitch and ends the game, rendering everyone’s efforts

for the previous hour entirely worthless. And furthermore, Harry always gets the Snitch. In every single game he plays that he doesn’t get knocked out in, he GETS THE SNITCH. The difficulty level of catching the Snitch and scoring 150 points is extremely and egregiously disproportionate. Do you know how hard it is to catch the Snitch and not win? I know it

happened to Bulgaria in the World Cup. Don’t get smart with me, Quidditch.

And you know what the worst part is? You are giving legitimacy only to the home stretch. Whatever happened to the rest of the race? You’ve got everyone thinking that they can catch the proverbial Snitch at the last second. But not everyone can be Harry Potter. Just because he can make a

game-winning catch for Gryffindor every time doesn’t mean all the other Seekers in the world can do that. What’s next, Quidditch, are you going to inspire students everywhere to think they can just study for a test the night before and expect a good grade without any prior studying? Newsflash, Quidditch teams of the world: you need to be more than your ability to catch a last-minute Snitch. And to all the people of the world: don’t let Quidditch convince you that everything can be saved by the perfect last minute. Because sometimes it doesn’t happen, and then everyone’s going to have a bad time. This unfair emphasis on catching the Snitch is creating a really bad mindset among people everywhere, Quidditch.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself. achang@apachepowwow.com Graphic by CHERRY MO

QUID(DITCH) PRO QUO J.K. Rowling has got us flying high with false realities. You can’t substitute hard work with a last-minute miracle.

6

ADVERTISEMENTS

apachepowwow.com Novemeber 2009

November 2009

apachepowwow.com

ADVERTISEMENTS

7

8

PERFORMING ARTS

apachepowwow.com

WATCH OUT: Musical Mob at AFOB!

By EILEEN CHOW

Staff Writer

performed] the ‘Opener’, ‘Floodplain/Spices, Perfumes, and Toxins’, and the ‘Finale.’ ‘The Nile’ and ‘Floodplain of the Nile’ were written

by Sam Cardon; ‘Spices, Perfumes, and Toxins’ was composed by Avner Dorman...the ‘Finale’ [was] an arrangement of excerpts from Symphony No. 7 Op. 60

by Dmitri Shostakovich,” said sophomore band member Cynthia Tong.

For the field show, Colorguard “[performed] dance routines, as well as...routines with flags, rifles and sabers...while moving according to the music and the drill,” said Vaishnavi.

Band and Colorguard has been practicing all season for AFOB through a regular rehearsal schedule consisting of morning practices on the football field and through the streets, from 7:40 a.m. to the end of first period. The band directors or section leaders also frequently call for extra practices. Sophomore Pep Band member Jenny Earnest said, “The schedule can get pretty rigorous, but band really [teaches] kids time management.” Every Tuesday from 5:00-9:00 p.m., Colorguard works on their dance routines and choreography for the field show.

Wednesdays are allotted for drill formations with Band and Colorguard from 6:00-9:00 p.m. “For AFOB, Colorguard was definitely cleaning our routines and working hard to perfect them in order to show everyone our progress this season and to present to everyone what Arcadia is all about,” said Colorguard Captain Katherine Chin. “[I really looked] forward to performing in front of the thousands of people at Citrus College...it’s always exciting to see more support in the stands,” senior Band member Mandy Chan stated. Many band members looked forward to performing in AFOB; junior Band member Kane Li agreed with Mandy andsaid that she was “looking forward to...the field

show competition. A lot of our rival bands came to AFOB, so it’s fun to watch their field shows.” Band Director Mr. Tom Landes was also excited “to see some memorable performances by some of the finest bands in Southern California.”

Katie was extremely pleased with the fact that “the alumni [came] to visit [them during AFOB]! This is one of the only competitions that the alumni come back to, because it’s right at home.” Freshman band member Davina Nguyen exclaimed how excited she was to perform in AFOB, because she “used to always admire the high school marching band, and now that [she is] a part of it, it just seems unreal.”

Fellow freshman band member Ryan Tsao felt the same way, and said how “it’s a great honor to be able to represent Arcadia Marching Band during AFOB...to show the people of Arcadia exactly what Band has been doing the past few months.”

“I expect[ed] this year to be much more rewarding since we put in so much effort for this year’s show...everyone [was] looking forward to doing their best,” said junior band member Angela Liu. “I’m really proud of this Band, not only for its large size, but also because we’re so dedicated to excellence,” said Cynthia.

With AHS Band and Colorguard performances and appearances from numerous other high schools, AFOB was, indeed, a parade of grand proportions. As Jenny so rightfully put it, “This year’s AFOB...[was] super epic!”

No, it’s not the Rose Parade. It’s not as big as Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade either. But Arcadia’s own Arcadia Festival of Bands (AFOB) is not your typical high school parade performance. Featuring approximately 40 bands from all over Southern California, and a field show that displays the skills of these high school bands, AFOB definitely classifies itself in the category of “extraordinary.” When asked about her expectations for AFOB, sophomore Colorguard member Vaishnavi Balendiran expected “our AHS Band and Colorguard to give a stellar performance, no different than in the past—impressing all those attending, including visitors from other schools.” AFOB marked the last official band performance of the year. Senior band member Katie Lee stated, “Since it’s the last competition the band will be having this year, and the last competition for me forever as an Arcadian.”

On the morning of Nov. 21, the Arcadia Marching Band and Colorguard marched down Baldwin Ave. at 9:00 a.m., marking the beginning of this year’s 56th annual AFOB performance.

AHS, First Ave, Foothills, and Dana Middle Schools were the hosts of the parade and AHS hosted the field tournament. “It’s a major Southern Californian event in which bands from all over the region came to compete,” said sophomore Colorguard member Johanna Gunawan. AFOB’s theme for this year was “Saluting Community Service,” to bestow thanks upon those who have helped make Arcadia a better place.

As the hosts of AFOB, Arcadia Marching Band and Colorguard initiated the start of the performance line-up with “The Rifle Regiment,” by John Arcadia Fe stival Philip Sousa. AHS’ perforof Bands mance was then followed When: Nov. 21, 2009 with performances by Where: Bald win Avenue Arcadia’s three middle schools: First Avenue, Dana, and Foothills Middle Schools, respectively. Numerous Band “Arcadia Festival of high school bands performed s a it’ e aus bec e ibl is incred afterward, including Rancho son sea ire ent culmination of our n.” tio Bernardo and Riverside King, ica ded and k of hard wor both who were two of AHS’ main competitors rching inthis season. Following the band review were - Matt Morreale (ma s) mnu Percussion’s performances and the band review structor and alu award ceremony at AHS’ Salter Stadium. Afterward was the field show tournament at Citrus Photos by ELLIOTT LEE, MAURICE IP, and SAMMI WONG College in Glendora. For their field show per- Photos courtesy of RONALD LEE and INKARAT MITTONGTARE formance, Band went Egyptian-themed. “[We Graphics courtesy of FLYUNION.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM and ORINO.ON.CA

echow@apachepowwow.com

November 2009

November 2009

PERFORMING ARTS

apachepowwow.com

9

Singing Sensations Connect with the Past The Pep Spirit

By HANA RUDOLPH Staff Writer

1:00 p.m., Nov. 14: AHS show choir alumni revisited their high school memories as they returned to the campus grounds for the annual Homecoming Luncheon. This traditional event commemorated the AHS students previously and currently involved in show choir, celebrating with food—and of course, songs and dance.

After all, that’s what show choirs do!

The attendees ranged from graduates of years back to this past 2009. All were united by their nostalgic love of show choir, which was as time-consuming then as it is now: think 12 to 15 hours a week outside of school, while not mentioning the shows and competitions. So it was no surprise that despite the age gaps, everyone got along: they had each other and, of course, Mr. Rollie Maxson, the choir director, to look forward to seeing again.

As the alumni gathered at the lunch pavilion, current New Spirit and Chanteurs members greeted them with a carefully prepared banquet.

Each student had been allotted a dish to bring and the luncheon provided a variety of food,

such as chips, cakes, sushi, and pasta. Amongst the eating it was soon clear that at least one thing hadn’t changed over the years: the former show choir-ers were as friendly and social as ever. Digital cameras were whipped out, and hundreds of photos taken to document the event. People laughingly posed with the knowledge that soon, these shots would be spread on Facebook. When the time came to move back to the choir room for the next segment of the day’s events, Mr. Maxson had a hard time persuading everyone to relocate. It was only until all the cookies were gone that he finally succeeded— his dynamic yells only generated loving and nostalgic applause from the alumni.

Once everyone was seated within the choir room, the real festivities began. One by one, the New Spirits and Chanteurses of previous years performed their routines. The members of the ’08-’09 groups led the way, and from there the years were called to as far back as the attendees ranged. Mr. Maxson mockingly frowned in disapproval at his former students’ poor memory, but everyone enjoyed it nonetheless. New Spirit then started the show with their upcoming holiday program, and while the all-girls group per-

formed messily in some areas, it was still clear that this year’s team could rival that of previous years. Despite Mr. Maxson’s doubt—when previously asked if Chanteurs and New Spirit were ready, he swiftly replied, “absolutely not!”— New Spirit was warmly congratulated by their first audience of the season. Chanteurs followed in a similar fashion, and the performance aspect of Homecoming Luncheon concluded with a rendition of “Peace, Peace,” a traditional holiday piece that Chanteurs has been annually performing for years. Current and former, Chanteurs and New Spirit members alike joined in to celebrate Arcadia’s show choirs, as well as the upcoming holiday season.

“It was so great seeing my old family and seeing the new [show choirs] perform their sets,” said alumnus Abraham Chen. “I think that the new Chanteurs shows a lot of potential this year, and New Spirit looks terrific. Both groups look ready to make a big run in this year’s competition season.” Here’s to the start of another awesome year in the world of Arcadia show choir! hrudolph@apachepowwow.com

New Spirit 2008-2009

Chanteurs 2007-2008

Homecoming Luncheon 2009-2010

Photos by DAVID FLOOD, ELLIOTT LEE, and GREGORY ZAJAC

The Perfector of Pirouettes, Passés, and Pliés

By CHRISTINA ZHOU Staff Writer

They’re the highest leapers on campus, literally. They jeté, chainé, and pirouette across the dance floor, leaving us speechless and wanting more.

The junior and senior class dance group would never dream of letting its audience down, performing at their very best under any circumstance. “[We’re a] dance company, not a dance class,” junior Amy Teng said.

“We don’t learn how to dance, but learn how to perform, how to take care of our bodies.” Because of irregular practice times, “Orchesis teaches you responsibility,” said senior Bonnie Hoang. “We get points marked off our grade for things like being late, or if we haven’t memorized or learned dance work.”

With many junior and senior dancers taking other AP classes, Orchesis stresses the need to finish one’s work and develo strong managing skills for those who previously lacked this talent.

O r chesis is now working on its Charity Dance Show, which will be premiering Tuesday, Dec. 17 in the North Gym. A significant amount of the money that the Charity Dance Show pools in will be donated to the Care Organization and The Girl Effect Organization. Both organizations supply daily

necessities to millions of families in developing countries, improving their lives and their village’s lives. One of the first dances of the Charity Dance Show will be accompanied by a video about The Girl Effect, so viewers of the show will understand who their money will be benefitting. Orchesis will be also be performing “Merry Happy,” a quirky, modern routine choreographed by senior Marissa Tom and junior Heidy Lam, “Wait it Out,” a strong, lyrical routine choreographed by returning seniors Meghan

Lim and Celine Yueh, as well as “Shake and Pop,” a fun, sassy jazz dance choreographed by returning seniors Katreina Layfield and Kristin Kimura. Orchesis will also be performing

Photos by ELLIOTT LEE

JUST DANCE Orchesis warms up for a productive practice day.

“Earth Intruders” from the Homecoming Assembly, and another holiday routine that is yet to be announced.

Because all dances in the Charity Dance Show are student-choreographed and each dancer auditions to be in songs, the selection process simulates true-to-life situations as a professional dancer.

And instead of focusing on techniques like any regular dance class, “[Orchesis] focuses more about t h e performing arts within dance,” junior Wendy Wu said. Orchesis i s full of students who plan to keep on dancing and have more than eight years of dancing experience.

Orchesis is a strong group of talented dancers, all expressing the same passion for dance daily. All their hard work culminates in an annual jaw-dropping event, starring the enthusiastic audience members and performers alike. “It’s a really fun, happy, energetic show,” Amy said. “I’m sure everyone will enjoy it.” The Charity Dance Show always leaves us in wonder, amazement, and awe at the talent of our AHS dancers. On Dec. 17, they’ll leave us in awe again with this year’s performance. czhou@apachepowwow.com

By KATHERINE BAY Staff Writer

“We dance, we jam, we play great music, we slap smiles on people’s faces, and we have a lot of fun doing it,” said sophomore Jenny Earnest. They have spirit, spunk, and on top of all that, they play extremely catchy songs. Who are they? They are the almighty Pep Band, here to bring joy to all of AHS. This enormously spirited musical group is an elite part of the AHS Marching Band. From pumping up the beat at school assemblies and playing dramatic and exhilarating music at football games, to participating at local community events, Pep Band is seen nearly everywhere in Arcadia to spread delight through music. According to junior Kimberlie Liang, “this group is comprised of the best musicians AHS has to offer [because] many of [them] have interacted with band and music since elementary school and really grew up with Arcadia’s music program,” which proves that their experience has led each musician to success.

The many songs that the Pep Band play include “Stacy’s Mom,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Pretty Fly For a White Guy,” “Alma Mater,” “The Impression That I Get,” “Go Big Red,” and “Fight Song.” Of course, these tunes are merely listened to as background music to the booming fanfare of the fans at the football games. When a football player scores a winning touchdown, the songs Pep Band play instantly emphasize the victory of the player. At assemblies, the average AHS student walks through the doors of the North Gym, and is welcomed

by Pep Band’s friendliness and their catchy music.

The Pep Band truly embodies the AHS spirit. Typically, they play a scale called a lip slur to warm up for such performances,

Photo courtesy of RONALD LEE

PRETTY IN PEP Pep Band plays a infectious beat for the crowd at a football game. but nothing too major to keep them from getting tired. In comparison to marching band, Pep Band performances are viewed as “a piece of cake,” according to the Pep Band members, despite the fact that they have to have the endurance level to last an entire two to three-hour game. How they have so much peppiness is “a secret,” according to Jenny, but one thing for sure is that they all have passion for adding school spirit with a musical flair. When asked how Pep Band holds such a high reputation, Kimberlie responded with “The people change every year when the seniors graduate, and different people step up. Although the people change, our spirit remains the same from every year.” kbay@apachepowwow.com

10

FEATURES

Secret Snacks Worth Sampling

apachepowwow.com

Fiddling with Facebook

By JOANNA SHEN

By AMY LEONG

Executive Copy Editor

Lunch: the time of day where, for one glorious hour, we can stuff ourselves with all the delicacies the world (or Arcadia) has to offer. We hear about the “secret” menu from In-N-Out with such arteryclogging delights as the Flying Dutchman, two pieces of sizzling meat with two pieces of melted cheese slathered in between.

At Jamba Juice, the White Gummi Bear option is not a surprise seeing as many of our peers regularly order the flavor. But, is there anything that lies below the surface of the menu and public knowledge? From miniature coffee cups to extra hearty sandwiches, secret menu items most of us are not aware of are sure to please the adventurous side in all of us.

Tucked within the Hastings Village plaza on Foothills Ave., Chipotle is the Mexican eatery nearly everyone craves and loves. Many of us stuff our bowls or burritos with the usual fillings, insisting that we order our usual mixture of vegetables and salsa. But, we often fail to recognize Chipotle’s policy that if our taste buds desire it and the food items are available, they will gladly make it for us. Tested items include nachos, quesadillas, taco salads, and a variety of other Mexican treats. If their resources permit it, we can order it.

Recognized as a healthful smoothie chain store, Jamba Juice offers a menu of the usual fruity concoctions such as Banana Berry and Caribbean Passion. Hidden flavors, however, come by the dozens.

Word has it that Jamba Juice caters to the candy sweet tooth, offering flavors like Strawberry Shortcake, Sourpatch Kid, and even the questionable PB&J. Such flavors are often regarded as too sugar-friendly and unhealthful, forcing Jamba Juice to keep them off the menu but alive through word of mouth.

Sometimes, one patty in a burger just doesn’t cut it when we’ve skipped out on lunch and endured practice after school.

Available at select Wendy’s restaurants, the monstrous hamburger known commonly as the Meat Cube packs in not three, but four patties in between buns. Also known as the Grand Slam, this hamburger is sure to satisfy even the heartiest of appetites. “The Grand Slam lasted me until the middle of the next day,” senior Tu-Tram Nguyen said. “It is truly a challenge to finish.”

With the workload intensifying and the teachers getting stricter, sometimes we just need a quick fix of caffeine. If Tall, Grande, and Venti at Starbucks are too large to finish or expensive to buy, we can always opt for the Short size. This simple and adorable cup of coffee is sometimes just the right amount of coffee at a walletfriendly cost. Even though Starbucks does not advertise the Short size on its menus, most stores do offer the option.

Now that we are more informed of the secrecy of chain restaurants and have gained some knowledge about how much they’re hiding from the consumer public, we are part of the elite few that can boast of the endless possibilities not on restaurant menus. Let the menu not limit our creativity as we search for bigger (or smaller) and better delicacies. jshen@apachepowwow.com

November 2009

Staff Writer

However many times we log onto Facebook, the site just keeps coming up with new addicting applications, challenging us to beat the newest high scores, encouraging us to send notifications to friends, and tempting us to get away from our homework. I’m sure we have all logged on a few times a day, to check out the latest quizzes or write on someone’s wall, just for the fun of it. While we do use the site to keep in touch with friends, playing games against them makes it all the better. At this time, action games are some of the most popular hits on the site as well as the frequently asked Social Interview questions.

One of the most popular applications is none other than FarmVille, in which you can take care of your own garden by fertilizing and planting crops in order to succeed in making the most amount of money. From there, you can go to the market to buy seeds, decorations, and animals, or even earn enough money to expand your garden.

Also, by adding neighbors, you can get your crops fertilized and even send your friends free gifts. FarmVille is so engaging that once you log on, it will be the most exciting part of your daily routine; so while you busily brush your teeth, take a shower, and do homework, don’t forget to update your garden with the latest features.

If you love playing FarmVille, you may also enjoy one of Facebook’s cutest applications: Pet Society. Just click, choose, and create, and you’ll be able to have your very own pet. After designing your cute and cuddly creature, you can bathe, brush, and take care of it, while you venture to exciting new places around your neighborhood and interact with friends. There are also plenty of games for your pet to participate and earn awards in by performing responsibilities such as buying items, visiting different areas, or advancing to new levels. So if you don’t have a real pet at home, enjoy taking care of these virtual pets and earn your way to being the best owner on the block.

If these applications don’t please you, welcome to Mafia Wars, another priority on Facebook, in which you can do a mobster’s work by intervening in crime jobs to earn cash and experience. The how to play options advise you to “stay alive, stay fighting, and stay on top.” As your mafia size increases when you complete numerous tasks like mugging, robbery, and theft, you will receive upgrades, helping you become the most powerful criminal.

If you’re not too interested in violent crimes, another exciting game is Picnik, where your goal is to serve customers in the park before the timer runs out. Just kidding, it is actually an application that lets you edit photos and turn them into masterpieces. You can either download photos from your computer or from Facebook, and add special features such as borders, text, and touch-ups. The application allows you to take an original photo and distort it, crop it, or even add stickers to spice it up. If you are really into scrapbooking, there are also some great ideas for you to reference as well as displays to make the most creative collage. However, if you are more into humor, you could add funny captions to your favorite photos and post them on Facebook for all your friends to see.

Another way to have fun with your best buds is Friends FAQ. Instead of a regular quiz on Facebook, the questions are answered anonymously by your friends. To find out who answered what about you, you’ll have to earn 50 coins by answering questions about others. These questions range from, “Do you think he/she ever had a crush on you?” to “Do you think he/she can dance?” As you continue to try to find out who said what about you, you may run into a good laugh, or even unlock more outrageous questions.

So if you’re interested in playing one of the top of the line action games, or taking care of a vegetation wonderland, be sure to log onto Facebook and you’ll never be bored on the site of wall chatting wonder (a.k.a. the most entertaining place on Earth). aleong@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of EXPRESSIONS.AIM.COM, FACEBOOK.COM, and GFXOUTPOST.COM

Go Take a Backseat, Backstreet Boys

By JENNY LI Staff Writer

The long awaited album This is Us marks the return of one of the boy band groups that started it all, the Backstreet Boys. After a decade of absence, the boys-now-turned-men have successfully triumphed against obstacles, such as the departure of Kevin Richardson, to reunite and release another CD. With the help of artists and producers such as T-Pain, RedOne, and Max Martin, the Backstreet Boys have put together an album many looked forward to.

Released on Oct. 6, the album reached #2 on iTunes on its release date in the United States and Canada and overall received positive reviews. However, despite the positive feedback and warm wel-

come the album has experienced, dedicated Backstreet Boy fans frowned upon the new elements that have been incorporated into their new music. Fans such as junior Andrew Chan said, “This album is basically a combination of their teenage pop years with a bucketful of modern promiscuity added in. It’s random and not their style, which disappoints me because it just goes to show how much popular demand influences artists.”

Fans mourn over the fact that it seemed as if the producers were the ones in charge and the singers were merely following directions. Compared to that of their older music, the style in this album has made a major shift from innocent love to illicit sexual themes. Some people even admit it is a tad disturbing to see men in their late thirties singing about “kissin’ and touchin’ with [their] hands all over [someone’s] booty.” (PDA.) This attempt at taking a more adult-like approach

has failed and even borders on lechery to some.

However, besides the inappropriate use of sexual themes, the Backstreet Boys still retain a strong vocal base that makes the album worth listening to. Junior Cherry Mo disagreed with Andrew and said, “Well, maybe they’re just trying out something new, and even though it’s not really working they tried their best. I think they still sound amazing.” Along with the release of the new album, the revived Backstreet Boys planned a worldwide tour that started in the fall of 2009 and will continue until the spring of 2010. Overall, This is Us is recommended only to long time Backstreet Boys fans. jli@apachepowwow.com

Photos courtesy of BACKSTREETBOYS.COM and EXCHANGE3D.COM, and graphics courtesy of PHOTOSHOPESSENTIALS.COM

FEATURES

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

11

Welcoming a Wide World of Thanks

By AMY LEONG Staff Writer

A large delicious turkey is set down before you, filled with stuffing, decorated with seasoning, and doused with gravy. While you yearn for the food that sits before your eyes, more mouth-watering dishes are placed on the dining table, which of course is decorated with festive candles, placemats, napkins, and last but not least, scrumptious food. However, Thanksgiving also symbolizes peace and unity. Though we may think that this harmonic tradition started in America, other countries have their own version of what our Thanksgiving celebration is. In some way, shape, or form, other cultures are celebrating a similar holiday around the world, whether it falls on a different date or follows the traditions of other countries.

Surprisingly, the Thanksgiving spirit is also present in Korea, where the citizens gather to celebrate Chu’sok, a harvest festival to commemorate their ancestors and honor their memories with their families.

Performed on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar calendar month, it is followed by many public celebrations, such as Ganggangsuwollae, a special circle dance performed by women. As for their eatery, Koreans make most of their food out of rice, serving items like Songphyun, rice cakes stuffed with beans, sesame seeds, and chestnuts.

The first country that comes to mind is America’s friendly neighbor, Canada, which celebrated its first Thanksgiving in 1578 thanks to explorer Martin Frobisher. Because of Frobisher’s discovery of the new land, this has been an annual event, celebrated on the second Monday in October and lasting for about three days. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in the same way as we do in America, with many appetizing meals like pumpkin pie, turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, and so much more.

In Germany, Thanksgiving is an all day celebration known as Erntedankfest. Beginning with a church service, the holiday continues with a feast that begins at 10:00 a.m., followed by a procession, which includes the presenting of a harvest crown. At 3:00 p.m., dancing takes place at the church along with plenty of music and food. Some of the most popular foods were borrowed from American culture, like turkey, which has replaced the traditional goose.

As nighttime nears, the evening ends with fireworks and a parade.

Graphics courtesy of MAPSHARING.ORG and WORLDATLAS.COM

What about China, a country located almost halfway around the world?

Similar to Canada, it also has a three day long festival. Otherwise known as Chung Ch’ui, it celebrates the day of the full moon on the eighth month of the Chinese calendar. Believed to be the birthday of the moon, the festival is celebrated with moon cakes. In addition, there is a feast that includes roasted pigs and fresh fruit, some of the most popular traditional foods for this holiday. Along with all the tasty food, there is also a legend that says that if you see flowers falling from the moon, you will be blessed with good fortune.

How to say thank you in...

Chinese: Xie xie French: Merci German: Danke Korean: Kamsa hamnida

aleong@apachepowwow.com

Fulfill Your Family’s Wishes with these Tasty Dishes

By THERESA LEE Staff Writer

As costumes are tossed aside and masks are peeled off, the holiday focus shifts from gobbling up pillowcases full of every cavity-inducing sweet to gobbling overweight turkeys. A favorite holiday of many (think of all the food!), Thanksgiving is just around the corner. As parents rush around the kitchen preparing for the big feast, what are you bringing to the table? Try these quick and easy recipes for simple and easy dining: Sugar Coated Pecans (12 Servings) Ingredients: 2 egg whites 1 tablespoon water 1 pound pecan halves 1 cup white sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Grease one baking sheet.

2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg whites and the water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Alternatively, you can use two gallonsized ziploc bags instead of bowls to coat the nuts in step 3.

3. Add the pecans to the egg whites, and stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread

the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake at 250°F (120°C) for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (8 Servings) Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine (butter and olive oil works as well), melted 1/2 teaspoon salt (amount can be doubled for saltier taste) 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder (amount can be doubled for saltier taste) 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 300°F (135°C).

Photo courtesy of CATCHINGFIREFLIES. TYPEPAD.COM

SWEET SNACKS Add a sweet touch to dinner with some sugar coated pecans.

2. Combine the margarine, salt, garlic salt or garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and pumpkin seeds. Mix thoroughly and place in a shallow baking dish.

3. Bake for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Note: Times may differ, so make sure to keep an eye on the pumpkin seeds and don’t let them burn!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (4 Servings) Ingredients: 2 pounds potatoes 1 head garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup sour cream 4 tablespoons butter Milk or cream, if needed Salt White pepper Directions: 1. Separate the head of garlic into individual cloves and place them into a bowl.

2. Toss the garlic in olive oil and wrap tightly in a small piece of aluminum foil.

3. Bake at 350°F (180°C) in the oven for 45 minutes.

4. When the garlic has cooled so that you can touch it, you should be able to squeeze it out of the “paper” shell of the individual cloves.

5. Mash the roasted garlic with a fork, or force it through a fine strainer.

6. If you use a ricer (recommended), simply rice the garlic along with the potatoes.

Photo courtesy of FIND.MYRECIPES.COM

HEAVENLY Enjoy the holidays with roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

7. Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.

8. Force the cooked potatoes through a ricer or mash by your usual method.

9. Put the riced potatoes, garlic, sour cream, butter, salt, and white pepper in a mixer bowl, and whip at medium speed until smooth.

10. Add cream or milk to adjust consistency.

So there you have it! Amaze your families with any of these three recipes. Every Thanksgiving, we say many thanks to our parents for making food for us; now, it is time for us to return the favor and play our role in the giving portion. Have a happy Thanksgiving! tlee@apachepowwow.com

12

thanksgiving tribute

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

Letters To Our Teachers a tribute to the people who always make a difference

CHARMAINE CORDERO

By MELISSA MA

Performing Arts Editor

The first day of sophomore year, I entered D-3 scared. Not entirely an oh-my-gosh-I’mdoomed kind of scared, but the kind of scared that anticipates what is to come. I had never met my new English teacher, Ms. Charmaine Cordero, and had never even seen her before, but the rumors that flew around her name were enough to instill dread in my heart. Though I had my older brother as proof that people flourished in her class, I had my doubts. As Ms. Cordero began to discuss the syllabus, I realized that she, in fact, did not seem anything like the stories seemed to imply. There was hope.

I didn’t know it at the time, but instead of having a feeling of anxiety come over me as I entered the classroom, I would soon look forward to English class. After a while, my doubts were completely eliminated.

With her guidance and dedication, Ms. Cordero motivates her students to become better writers. Senior Lauren Wong recalled, “I would

Photo by MELISSA MA

A GREAT MOTIVATOR Know-

ing exactly how to balance being both strict and kind, Ms. Cordero pushes students towards success.

get essays back with the word ‘RESUBMIT’ on the top, and even though they weren’t the most fun things to do in the world, I feel like I learned so much from correcting every mistake.

I went into junior AP English feeling prepared because of her.” Despite the challenges her students faced in her class, Ms. Cordero has faith in them and motivates them to continue striving for success. Junior Patrick Han said, “Ms. Cordero taught me the meaning, value, and priceless reward of hard work. It was in her class in which I finally discovered that the time one invests in learning will yield returns exponentially greater in value” and “the amount of effort one sows is directly proportional to the worth of what one reaps.”

Much more than just a teacher who lectures her students, Ms. Cordero creates a communal classroom environment. Her students “become large families, working together and uniting to take the most out of Ms. Cordero’s class,” stated junior Erin O’Mara.

Ms. Cordero is the type of teacher who balances both strictness and kindness, using

ROLLIE MAXSON

By HANA RUDOLPH

Staff Writer

He’s the grouchy guy who resides in MB3. He’s the teacher known to strike fear in the hearts of all students who have him. Meet Mr. Rollie Maxson, the AHS choir director, the grump who supposedly hates kids.

But talk to someone who really knows him, and you’ll find an entirely different response.

Yes, at first he’s like that, but in the words of alumnus Abraham Chen, he’s also “one of the softest, most caring people.” He’s comparable to a bear: scary on the outside, but warm and fuzzy on the inside, according to junior Susanna Whang. If anything, he is a grandfatherly figure to many of the members in show choir—just ask junior Stephanie Youssef. The number of students who love Mr. Maxson is countless.

Current New Spirit President, senior Macie De Castro, recalled an incident last year when Mr. Maxson exhibited his strong sense of justice and love for his students. As the girls of New Spirit left the choir room during a fire drill, the doors were closed and locked. However, upon

return, many of the girls opened their wallets to find that all of their money had been stolen.

Mr. Maxson told the girls to record the amounts stolen—and the next day, distributed the sums to each of the girls who had experienced theft.

The total cost must have been several hundred dollars, all out of his own pocket.

Even more touching is Abraham’s story: in the spring of his junior year, right before a competition, his grandfather passed away. The funeral was scheduled to coincide with the tour in San Jose, so Abraham reluctantly asked Mr. Maxson what to do. Mr. Maxson’s initial response was, as expected, harsh. However, Mr. Maxson soon called Abraham back into his office, advising him to go on tour and participate in the competition. He explained that Abraham could make the funeral if he caught a plane ride the following morning back to Arcadia. Later that week, Mr. Maxson paid for the plane ticket out of his own pocket and drove Abraham to the airport at 5:00 a.m.

Mr. Maxson’s terror is only his style of teaching—he pushes his students to reach their full potential. “He knows he’s rough on

Photo by HANA RUDOLPH

GROUCHY ON THE OUTSIDE, WARM ON THE INSIDE Mr. Maxson has a heart of gold when it comes to helping out his students.

both qualities to motivate her students to give everything their all. Junior Alex Ethridge remembered how “[Ms. Cordero] made everyone give their best effort and kept everyone in line with her high standards. She expected so much of us, and we didn’t want to disappoint her, so we gave every paper our all because we wanted to impress her so much. She really believed that we were capable of so much and I guess by her believing that of me, and expecting that of me, I believed it in myself.”

Summing up Ms. Cordero’s belief in her students, alumnus Yentl Ip recalled, “She never questioned my abilities. She never looked down on me.”

Ms. Cordero is more than just a teacher to many of her students, and she has greatly affected all of whom she has taught. Though students may not show their thanks for their teachers’ efforts, they value teachers like Ms. Cordero who continuously push and believe in students to help them reach success. mma@apachepowwow.com

us,” Abraham recalled, “but that’s how he shocks us into stepping into the shoes of what we can be, [instead of] relaxing into a position of mediocrity.” Mr. Maxson’s passion for his work is unparalleled, despite his 60+ years of age. Only last year he struggled with the pain of kidney stones, yet he refused to rest at home; instead, he beat all his students in the attendance records. “He puts in 100%,” junior Micah Kwok said; “He’s really dedicated to his work.” After thirty-some years of teaching at AHS, Mr. Maxson has so many rollover days that he could take a year off and still get paid.

I’ve only known Mr. Maxson for a year, but he’s been a huge inspiration. He has encouraged me beyond mere vocal improvement; rather, what he has taught me about generosity and dedication has changed the way I view all aspects of my life. So in the words of Abraham and Susanna and on behalf of all my fellow show choir members, “Mr. Maxson, thank you for everything...You’ve made a huge impact in our lives.” We love you. hrudolph@apachepowwow.com

November 2009

apachepowwow.com

thanksgiving tribute 13

PAT R I C K T I E R N E Y

By NURIA MATHOG

Staff Writer

Never, before I met Mr. Patrick Tierney, did I believe I’d ever be able to use the terms “verb conjugations” and “fun” in the same sentence. Nor was I convinced that el modo subjuntivo, that asset of grammar universally dreaded by Spanish students, might someday occupy a special place in my heart. Mr. Tierney, who prefers the moniker “Tierno” (Spanish for “tender”), has not only enabled me to see past my original wariness of the language, but also offers undeniable evidence that a passionate and devoted teacher can generate true student appreciation for any subject.

I was fortunate enough to have Tierno as my teacher for two years, a period of time during which I realized that I genuinely enjoyed learning Spanish. I was far from the only one.

Rather than forcing his students to practice the dull, rote memorization to which I’d long been accustomed, Tierno employs more studentfriendly teaching methods to great effect. Senior Travis Hyke fondly recalled the class projects and oral presentations that instilled in him a great love for the Spanish language and culture.

“Tierno is the kind of teacher that you want to go to class for,” said Travis, who was inspired to pursue his study of the language through AP Spanish and AP Spanish Literature. “It’s just that simple.”

True to his namesake, Tierno displays a level of caring matched only by his formidable knowledge; he genuinely wants his students to

Photo by NURIA MATHOG

UN PROFESOR MUY BUENO Enthusiastic and funny, Mr. Tierney makes the most boring lessons fun.

succeed. I remember how diligently he helped us prepare for the AP exam, running through countless audio tapes until we were finally able to decipher the rapid and often heavily accented narration. After school, his room was open well into the evening for anyone who wanted a little extra practice, and as students continually filed into F-7, he’d appear at the door with freshly copied packets for the new arrivals. By the time the day of the exam rolled around, I felt well-prepared and confident of my abilities, and there is no doubt within my mind that I owe my resulting score to Tierno’s guidance.

Carter Spruill

When asked what she missed the most about AP Spanish, alumnus Tiffany Lin said, “Looking back on my time with Tierno, I always enjoyed his personality. Tierno was extremely funny and sarcastic and by incorporating this personality with his passion for Spanish, Tierno made the class so much more interesting for the students.”

Alumnus Joyce Lo concurred, remarking,“By implementing the perfect mixture of strictness and leniency, and enlightening his students with his unique stories, Tierno made Spanish entertaining and fun.”

Tierno’s current students are equally impressed with his level of dedication to the subject. According to junior Aleena Ahmad, “He puts thought and emotion into trying to make us understand what’s going on, and overall he makes everyone in the class enjoy Spanish a lot more because we have fun while we’re learning.”

I am going to miss the memories made in F-7, but the knowledge I have gained within that room does not stop at the door. After all, Tierno has stressed time and time again that the most important values in life extend far beyond the classroom. Senior Wade Tokushige recalled, “Tierno would always say to me ‘Mr. Wade, I have told you many times not to learn the material just to earn an A but to learn it for your own education.’” That’s a lesson bound to remain with all of us long after our formal schooling is over. nmathog@apachepowwow.com

C H E R RY L M Y N S T E R

By TIFFANY GU

Staff Writer

I’m not a science person. I’m not a math person. Burets and beakers, numbers and avocadoes Avogadro are simply not my thing.

Well, at least, that’s what I thought until I spent a year in E-8 that shattered my view of that like hot glassware in cold water. As adviser of Science Bowl, Ocean Science Bowl, and Science Olympiad, in addition to fulfilling the role of AP Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Cherryl Mynster would seem to be superhuman, or perhaps multiple people. But in the time that I’ve known her, I’ve discovered that although she’s only one person, the love she has for her students and her ability to foster and inspire them in ways that never seemed possible transgresses the typical properties of the element Teacher.

Senior Tiffany Huang recounted her first impression of Mrs. Mynster, vividly remembering her as “really young-looking with a bright smile.” Senior Jason Jong recalled one particular incident in which the results of a Science Bowl competition were published in a Chinese newspaper. The paper had listed Mrs. Mynster as not the adviser of the team, but as a student on the team. In spite of her outwardly youthful appearance and diminutive size, Mrs. Mynster’s expertise and ability to multi-task with the very best of them sets her apart on another energy level entirely. As the adviser of three of the most rigorous academic teams on campus, she maintains a strong love for the students involved. As senior and Science Olympiad Co-captain Eddie Xue noted, “She

doesn’t say anything negative about results; she really just always supports us in what we do.”

One of the things I’ve noticed about Mrs. Mynster is her impeccable ability to always remain calm. In the hectic setting of a chemistry lab, the frequent encounters with shattered glass and toxic chemicals and airborne particles of steel wool never phased her and her composure was somehow miraculously maintained throughout the entire year. I remember that while she was instructing the class on how to use a Bunsen burner, she described how one year, her students managed to create a fire the size of a beach ball—all the while maintaining the kind of calm yoga masters would be envious of.

In somewhat of a contrast to her calm nature is Mrs. Mynster’s sense of humor. Well, I won’t spoil any of these gems of jokes for you guys, but “her jokes and analogies are the funniest things ever,” said sophomore Florence Chung. After asking a myriad of her students, both current and former, what their favorite moment in her class was, junior Peter Chen’s most memorable moment, along with the vast majority of students, was “the molasses joke.”

Though the subject matter of her jokes are wide and varied, with punch lines ranging from “Barium” to “a polar bear!” and references to Hobbits sprinkled in her repertoire for effect, Mrs. Mynster proves that not all science-types are stifled and boring, as her personality and humor prove to be some sort of unexpected wonderful in her class.

Every morning last year, without fail, once the clock struck 8:00 a.m. and the bell rang, Mrs. Mynster would greet us with a hearty “Good morning, guys!” and elicit a hearty response

“Mr. Spruill is one of the few members of the staff that I can go to for advice and walk away with a head full of knowledge.”

- Robel Abdella, senior “After we had written an article about Mr. Davis, Mr. Spruill gave us books signed by Mr. Davis himself...he clearly cares about everyone he comes across and always goes the extra mile when helping students out.”

- Emily Yang, senior

Tom Landes

“His respect for the opinions and work of every student makes him one of the most highly-regarded teachers I’ve ever met.”

- Rosalind Bump, freshman (After a band competition) “Everyone else had left, except Mr. Landes. He asked where my folks were...then waited with me for my parents to arrive. That wouldn’t have been so bad, except it was pouring rain.”

- Jeremiah Weil, former student

Julie Jong

“Ms. Jong really connects with her students on a personal level. Once I wrote about my goals in an in-class essay and she commented, ‘I know you can do it; good luck!’ She even put a little smiley face!”

- Nancy Xiao, sophomore “What makes Ms. Jong special is her ability to make every student feel comfortable in class. She never excluded anyone in class discussions and always, above all, made me smile everyday in class.”

- Mercy Huang, senior

Josipa Casey

“When on the first day [Ms. Casey] told us that she was available during lunch for anything ranging from debate to high school drama, I knew that she was going to be a coach that goes above and beyond her duties.”

- Kevin Tsai, junior

Photo by ELAINE TSUI

SWEETER THAN AN ESTER Mrs. Mynster is combination of kindness, witty jokes, and amazing teaching skills. right back. It’s the little things like this; the greetings, the jokes, intertwined with the heavy stuff like equilibrium and wavelengths and chemistry, mixed in like a murky suspension.

But the fact of the matter is as clear as a solution.

Mrs. Mynster isn’t just a chemistry teacher, nor is she just an amazing multi-tasking advisor.

She’s all that and more, more active than an electron, sweeter than the scent of a well-mixed ester. And I just know that I’m not alone when I say that I’m so glad that she was my chemistry teacher. tgu@apachepowwow.com

“Only two months after our initial meeting, there’s no longer a need for awkward smiles and small waves.

After all, formalities have no place in a family.”

- Andrew Chang, senior

Ray Mynster

“His athletes are not simply names in the yearly flow of students, but individuals who, once part of the team, are forever part of the team, and always welcome back.”

- Johanne Boulat, alumnus “He makes boring things funny and somehow drills knowledge into us when we’re too busy laughing to notice.”

- Vivian Chan, sophomore Graphic courtesy of LHS.LHSA.COM

14

ADVERTISEMENTS

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

November 2009

apachepowwow.com

ADVERTISEMENTS 15

16

ACADEMICS

A Well-Calculated Win

By OISHEE SHEMONTEE

Two years ago, Math Team won first place in League, and although their third Staff Writer place ranking from last year is still quite impressive, it seems like this year they have Add a few math whizzes, integrate the their eyes set on gold once again. spirit of teamwork, exponentially increase Although the Bay Math League is Math the fun, and you’ll be presented with the Team’s main competition, most members also members of AHS’s very own Math Team! choose to participate in the American MatheComposed of members from every grade, matics Compethis award-wintition (AMC). ning team focuses Unlike Bay on learning and Math League, applying skills in the AMC is the field of mathan individual ematics, ranging competition from geometry to and pits memcalculus and bebers against yond. each other as Ever since well as against the final member students from selections were across the namade in early Oction. The Bay tober, Math Team Math League, members have Photo by JOE TIAN on the other been diligently attending meetings LAST PREPARATION Mathletes study hand, requires teams of ten every Wednesday limits before the actual competition starts. members. The afternoon in P-2. entire tournament is divided up into four “We’ve got a great team this year, and we’re meets throughout the year, and the next one expecting great things from them,” comwill be held on Jan. 13 at San Marino High mented Ms. Kerry King, the adviser. Their School. Math Team also attends optional long hours of preparation paid off at their first tournaments like Math Day at Pepperdine tournament of the year, the Bay Math League (held at Pepperdine College) and Math Day at Long Beach Poly on Nov. 18. AHS’s mathat the Beach (held at Cal State Long Beach). ematicians completely dominated the compeAt this point, with their year off to a tition, placing first with 303 points, beating good start and hopefully many more triumphs runner-up San Marino by 15 points. “We are to look forward to, it looks like Math Team really happy with the team this year, and we just needs a pencil and some good preparahave high hopes for the members. Hopefully tion for League domination. this year we’ll regain our title of first in the League,” said captain Pallavi Bugga optimisoshemontee@apachepowwow.com tically.

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

Need $cholarships?

By CHRISTOPHER CHEN Staff Writer

We all know about different scholarships.

There are scholarships ranging from athletic scholarships to academic scholarships all college applicants hope to attain. But have you heard of a scholarship for tall people or sweet tooths? Well, here are some scholarships that may amuse you.

Tall Club International Scholarship Do people have to look up to speak to you? Do you have to bend over to fit through doorways? If so, you might qualify for the Tall Club International Scholarship. Tall Club International’s (TCI) purpose is to “promote tall awareness amongst tall men and women, and in the community.” The TCI will give a scholarship of $1,000 to men taller than 6’2” and women taller than 5’10” (candidates must be under 21 and plan to attend college).

Little People of America Scholarship In sharp contrast to the TCI, the Little People of America (LPA) provides for the short people of society. Requiring applicants to be shorter than 4’10”, the LPA offers $250 to $1000 to people diagnosed with a form of dwarfism or have direct connection to family members who are dwarfs.

Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Contest Duct tape is famous for its versatility, but can it help get you into college? The Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Contest gives out scholarships of up to $3,000 to couples (and $3,000 to the school) who attend their high school prom wearing out-

fits made entirely out of duct tape. The entry must provide a color picture of the attendees and will be judged on originality, creativity, and color of the design.

Vegetarian Resource Group For most avid vegetarians, it is hard to get gratifying results in persuading others to give up their meaty habits. For any “Lisa Simpsons” out there, there is a scholarship that demands your dedication to veggie greens. The non-profit organization Vegetarian Resource Group is giving out scholarships to graduating U.S. high school students who promote vegetarianism in their high school or community. With the benefit of an anonymous donation, two $5,000 scholarships are given out per year. Applicants must apply by Feb. 20, 2010.

American Association of Candy Technology Do you have a sweet tooth? The American Association of Candy Technology offers $5,000 to high school students who have demonstrated interest in confectionery technology (candy technology in laymen’s terms). The applicant must have a GPA above 3.0 and plan to enroll in a four-year college in North America and major in food science, chemical science, or biological science. Applicants must apply

by Apr. 17, 2010.

Among the toils of academics and college applications, some of the more distinct scholarships are easily overlooked. Scoring one of these scholarships would no doubt be highly beneficial to a student’s wallet. cchen@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of SEATTLEMET.COM

Pallavi: Bugga-Monster of the Academic World

By OISHEE SHEMONTEE Staff Writer

Even the best students in AHS are usually content with one, maybe two academic teams.

How can we hope to survive the added pressure anything else presents, on top of our alreadytoo-hectic lives? Well, senior Pallavi Bugga proves that it can be done. As Co-captain of both Science Olympiad (SO) and Math Team, with seniors Eddie Xue and Sam Wang respectively, as well as a member of Constitution Team and Orchestra 3, she juggles her schedule with a skill admirable to behold.

Pallavi’s duties involve twice as much clerical work as regular captains. This responsibility is often overlooked by regular members, but for a captain, it is an ever-present worry. “It’s a lot of administrative work, in that we have to write tryouts, grade papers, organize how each meeting is run, decide what to focus on each week, and get general team things in order,” she explained. “I think part of being captain is being a few steps ahead of the team—knowing what to cover the next meeting, making sure all our forms are ready and stuff like that.”

Although this goes for both teams, because of the logistic differences between Math Team and SO, her role as captain differs somewhat between the two. “For Math Team, the entire team usually works on the same topics and same events, so in that sense Math Team

requires perhaps a little less effort on part of leaders before asking the captains. “One of the the captain,” Pallavi said. On the other hand, biggest things we have to do is making sure Math Team does require their captains to under- every event group is staying on task and that they have all the stand the topics covered more thoroughly than materials they need for the rest of the team. “The captains have to be prepared for the team to ask them for competition,” Pallavi help. In my experiences stated about her duties as SO captain. last year, whenevCaptaining two er we needed help academic teams on a problem...we could always trust and being on anthe captains to show us how to do a problem.” In an effort to help her team as best as she can, Pallavi always tries to “study a little bit extra so that [she] knows [she’ll] be able to help others whenever they need help.”

The chain of command Photos by JOE TIAN for SO is quite different. Since AS A CAPTAIN Pallavi there are 18 dif- discusses plans for building ferent events to team and studies for testing. choose from in the testing team alone, the topics vary much other one at once presents more than those from Math Team, making one- no problem at all to Pallavi. As part of on-one coaching much more difficult. Because a team that focuses on learning about Amerof this, Pallavi and her co-captain Eddie Xue ican democracy, Pallavi concentrates specifencourage members to first consult their event ically on the purpose and significance of the

Bill of Rights with her fellow Unit 5 members.

“The team is super fun, and it gives us incredible knowledge base and awareness of how our political system works,” she enthused.

A girl of many talents, Pallavi polishes up her musical talents in Orchestra 3. As part of the Orchestra Council, she holds the post of Gig Coordinator, part of the group in charge of coordinating chamber groups and music shows outside of Orchestra while working together to plan events like the potluck dinner and benefit dinner later this year.

Outside of school, Pallavi enjoys music in all of its various forms—both dancing and singing. “I have a continuous playlist of songs that I hum to myself,” she shared cheerfully. She has also been learning the classical Indian dance of Kuchipudi since she was seven.

Pallavi attributes a large amount of her success to her family that has always encouraged her enthusiasm for academics. “Seeing my brother do well through his high school and college career made me want to be able to catch up to him. I guess whatever I do, I want to make my parents proud, and that’s definitely been a significant source of my motivation.” oshemontee@apachepowwow.com

November 2009

ACADEMICS

apachepowwow.com

A Lesson From Professor Turkey

By SALLY CHUNG Staff Writer

Gobble, Gobble, Professor Turkey here!

The holiday I’ve been dreading is back again, and what do I have to be thankful for? Nothing. Call me pessimistic, but seriously, you have many things to be thankful for compared to me.

You get to see your live relatives fly in for the holiday while I get to be reunited with them— dead. While you and your relatives indulge in a feast, I have to listen to your ignorant conversation. This dead turkey will liven up your holiday chatter by teaching you some vocabulary.

that aren’t shallow.

“It was hysterical to see the gobbler’s wattle become entangled in the hen’s feathers as they leaned in to nuzzle each other.”

5. Plymouth Rock - While you guys might flock to this historical site just

3. Gobblers - They are the magnificent male turkeys! Our wide range of colored feathers are the envy of other birds.

“The gobbler’s amber feathers had the hens swooning and chasing after him like moths to a flame.”

4. Wattle - A fleshy growth hanging from the head or neck. Long wattles, found on jerks, resemble a human’s double-chin whereas a short wattle, like mine, is admired by special hens

7. Cornucopia - This goat horn is the unfortunate underdog compared to turkeys filled with an endless supply of food.

“Invest in a cornucopia, and it will save you lots of money since it’s way cheaper than a turkey.”

8. Wampanoag - This friendly Native American tribe that inhabited the original Eastern lands of the New World could have easily ignored the Pilgrims, but they pitied them so much that they taught them how to grow and gather native food.

“The Patuxet Wampanoag politely ate dinner with the Pilgrims without realizing what a tradition they had started.”

1. Pilgrims - These New Englanders think they’re so cool. Oh, I’m sorry, should I be more appreciative? Fine. Thank you, Pilgrims, for invading our peaceful shores. Thanks to you, turkeys are only for stuffing and roasting.

“As a greedy Pilgrim, I needed all of my strength to refrain from devouring the entire turkey in the middle of the dinner table.”

2. Snood - For being such helpful creatures, God rewarded us with these flaps of skin that cover our beaks. They keep our beaks warm for the winter (if we survive, that is), and the color makes them excellent Christmas light decorations.

“On Christmas, I thought I saw Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but it was actually a turkey on the roof with its snood lit up.”

tive Americans, but thankfully, their three-day Thanksgiving feast side-tracked them.”

to snap a quick photo, we are repulsed by this slab of rock. It used to be a part of the habitat where we roamed freely until those pilgrims tainted it when they arrived in 1620.

“While Plymouth Rock might rock your world, it’s killing our world!”

6. Puritans - If you think Pilgrims are a pain, check out these newcomers. They came to New England seeking a stricter religious structure, yet in modern Thanksgivings, most families come together to feast no matter what their religion is.

“The Puritans came to the New World planning to spread their religious views to the Na-

9. Massasoit - I’d love to show respect to this leader of the Wampanoag tribe, but I can’t. He is part of the reason why the turkey population is decreasing.

“The Massasoit was an honorable man to all before he betrayed the turkeys to help the Pilgrims.”

10. Giblet - Has it become so common for turkeys to die on Thanksgiving that I’ve become used to talking about parts of my body? Well, I know where my giblets, heart, and gizzard are going to end up! In the gravy, of course!

“The giblets of the turkey accidentally fell into her soup, yet she slurped all of it up and exclaimed how delicious her soup tasted.” schung@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of HOMESTEAD.COM and CLIPARTHEAVEN.COM

Quiz Bowl Overcomes Technophobia of every work by Fyodor Dostoyevsky? Did you also know that these same people recently Staff Writers competed in Technophobia, their third competition of the year, on Nov. 14 at the California Did you know that there are people who Institute of Technology? can tell you in a snap how much saliva the averThese mysterious people are none other age human produces in a lifetime? Who know than the members of the Quiz Bowl team! This off the tops of their heads who the head of state knowledgeable group competes against other of Estonia is? Who have memorized the names schools, racing to answer toss-up and bonus questions which touch upon virtually every realm of human knowledge. Toss-ups from Technophobia ranged from which senator recently switched to the Democratic Party (Arlen Specter) to who plays the main character in The Game Plan (Dwayne Johnson).

The Quiz Bowlers were separated into A, B, and C teams, each consisting of four or five people.

“Overall, we try to put the strongest players on the A team,” explained Quiz Bowl Co-captain Stanley Yuan, “but we also try to have a Photo courtesy of JOSHUA MAN good balance of skill and seniority BRIEFING Adviser Chris Schultz gives Quiz across the board.”

The competition was set up in

By DEREK HA & NANCY XIAO

Bowl a pep talk moments before the competition.

a round-robin format, meaning that each team competed against all the others at least once. To qualify for nationals, a team had to place within the top three. Arcadia’s A team, consisting of seniors Stanley Yuan and Eddie Xue, junior Jessica Liang, and sophomore Carl Tjo, came in third place. Since A team already qualified at last month’s Tournament Without An Interesting Name (TWAIN X), the team’s victory will not impact its national standing.

“Even though we didn’t qualify another team,” said senior Alex Wang, “I still think we did well. It’s also a lot of fun to flaunt what you know.”

Indeed, Arcadia’s teams more than held their own against the competition. All three finished with more wins than losses.

“We say it every year, but I think our team is really strong,” said junior Patrick Han, “I definitely expect us to do really well in our upcoming tournaments.”

With the level of potential and dedication the team has shown so far this year, the team will surely fulfill this prophecy! dha@apachepowwow.com nxiao@apachepowwow.com

17

College Profile: Tufts University

By DEREK HA Staff Writer

Many people are shocked to discover that there is more than one top-tier university in the Boston area. Not only does Tufts University make its home near the site of the most famous tea party in history, but it also offers students an educational experience which rivals that of any more-prestigious-than-thou household names.

Founded in 1852, Tufts University is no longer considered the school for Ivy-League rejects. It is currently ranked 28th amongst national universities by the U.S. News and World Report, a number that can no doubt be attributed to its wide range of academic strengths. Tufts’ strongest majors include international relations, political science, biology, engineering, and a number of health-related fields.

What sets Tufts University apart is its reputation for personal attention from the faculty. As is the case for all schools with a relatively high number of students (there are about 10,000 at Tufts), introductory level courses are large. As students advance, however, the average class size drops down to an intimate 25.

Students also enjoy a remarkable degree of freedom in crafting their own curriculum.

Besides being able to design their own majors, Tufts undergraduates can participate in the Experimental College, which offers unconventional courses (some of which are taught by students themselves) for full credit.

Tufts also boasts the eighth most popular study abroad program in the country.

When students are not caught up in academics, they often find time to volunteer.

Community service is an integral part of Tufts’ culture, with many of its students taking part in literacy programs, blood drives, hunger projects, tutoring, and more. Tufts is also known for producing students who join the Peace Corps.

Like most private schools, the tuition at Tufts is expensive. Fortunately, 38% of Tufts students receive financial aid, but it is needbased only.

Admission Statistics: SAT Scores: Critical Reading: 670-750 Math: 670-750 Writing: 670-760 ACT Composite: 30-33 Tuition: $40,342 Acceptance rate: 25.5% dha@apachepowwow.com

Photo courtesy of TUFTS.EDU

UNIVERSITY UPON A HILL Tufts stands among the best in town.

18

STUDENT LIFE

Trivial Pursuit: Thanksgiving

By LENA KALEMKIARIAN Staff Writer

Are you ready to eat food until you are sick to your stomach? Well, Thanksgiving is almost here. Impress your tablemates with trivia not normally discussed.

1) What does “cornucopia” mean?

A horn of plenty.

2) How fast can wild turkeys run?

25 mph.

3) What are you thankful for?

Freebie! lkalemkiarian@apachepowwow.com Mrs. Ortiz, Spanish teacher C 1) The horn you put vegetables in for Thanksgiving.

X 2) 5 mph.

C 3) My husband, children, family, job, and above all, for my faith.

Score: 2/3 Dominique Ortiz, Freshman X 1) Corn on wheels.

X 2) 13 mph, because it’s an unlucky number.

C 3) I’m thankful for my mom; she’s always there for me.

Score: 1/3 Rachel Mayhew, Sophomore C 1) It’s a wooden basket shaped like a horn that you fill with fruits and other stuff.

X 2) Maybe 20 mph.

C 3) My friends and family.

Score: 2/3

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

Apaches Take a Political Stand

By ALEX ETHRIDGE Staff Writer

Most students at AHS live in a self-imposed bubble that shields them from the happenings of the real world. Why should they care about Obama’s healthcare reform when they already have Colorguard rehearsal, chemistry midterms, and baseball practice to deal with?

Some students, however, are popping their bubbles by showing an interest in political events that concern the entire nation and taking action in organizations on and off campus that make their voices heard.

Junior Monica Ma is President of Young Democrats. “As a club we attend various political lectures and volunteer for democratic organizations during election time,” said Monica about Young Democrats’ activities over the school year. “It’s a place where students interested in politics can discuss current issues that are happening outside of the school, share their opinion on government bills and laws, and overall serve as an outlet to voice personal thoughts that would seem out of place in normal lunch-time conversation.” While Young Democrats may appear to be like the Young Republicans in both appearance and function, what really makes them unique are their distinctive beliefs. As Democrats, they believe all people should be able to pursue their goals despite their religion, race, ethnic background or sexual orientation and advocate the rights of the individual. The club advocates student participation in politics, and regarding the lack of interest today’s youth shows for political events, Monica said, “The route Americans take on things like global warming, Middle East policies and healthcare are decisions that will have a momentous impact and shape the world we are to inherit. Now is no time to be apathetic!” If you find yourself wanting to discuss civil rights, head on over to J-28 Mondays at lunch, where all opinions are most definitely welcome.

Senior Andrew Hong is President of Young Republicans, the

other dominating political club on campus. “The Young Republicans club is a club where politically conservative students meet and talk about current issues,” explained Andrew. “We also volunteer at things such as the Letters for the Troops event, and this year, we’re hoping to bring in public speakers.” In response to how he became interested in politics, Andrew revealed, “I feel that it’s important to know and have a say in how our country is run so one day I [can] voice my opinions and exercise my rights to shape the government accordingly to my needs.” The Republican perspective believes that each person is responsible for his or her own place in society, and that the government should allow people to secure the benefits of society for themselves, their families and those unable to care for themselves. Some ideals generally supported by the Republican Party include individualism, limited government, and business entrepreneurship. In reference to teenage apathy towards politics, Andrew commented, “It’s normal for students to have a lack of interest on modern issues because modern issues aren’t always relevant to us, especially living in the privileged neighborhood of Arcadia. Which would you rather read about: Rihanna getting decked in the face by Chris Brown or the ongoing debate regarding healthcare reform?” If you have a conventional opinion you want to share, stop by J-3 at lunch on Mondays for some good discussion and debate.

While joining either club has various benefits, a major opportunity is to get educated on national politics, which helps prepare students when they get the chance to vote. By joining Young Democrats or Young Republicans, students can gain an interest in politics at a younger age, setting them on the path for political participation in the future. So whether you are conservative or liberal, or just want to know what SNL’s political skits are about, get out there and let your voice be heard! aethridge@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of POLITICSONLINE.COM

King of Ping Pong Paddles to Victory

By RHIANNON YEE Staff Writer

Ben Sagger, Junior X 1) A type of hairstyle.

X 2) As fast as the speed of light.

C 3) My big, sexy toe.

Score: 1/3

Anthony Nassih, Senior X 1) A hidden village made of corn.

X 2) As fast as Britt Chu and Taylor Swift.

C 3) My mother, my dog, mirrors, and cameras.

Score: 1/3 Photos by LENA KALEMKIARIAN

Bang! Swoosh! Slam! Well, since ping pong balls are rather light and small, the Ping Pong Tournament, AHS’s first intramural event of the year, started off with more of a ping! Students of all grade levels competed in the cafeteria during lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout October and November in the ASBhosted tournament.

Potential competitors entering the tournament submitted an interview form and attended an informational meeting in which they were briefed on the rules and regulations of the tournament. The tournament was a single elimination tournament, which means competitors were ousted

after only one loss. There was one match per day, and the players either brought their own paddle or used one of the paddles provided. A player had to win three out of the five total games to triumph over the entire match. Each game went up to 11 points with each player serving twice so both competitors received equal serving opportunities. The games were fairly short, keeping things interesting and lively.

Amid the deafening buzz of the cafeteria, freshmen Wesley Yang and Stephen Smith competed against one other during one of the preliminary games back in October, playing with quiet intensity while serving up many hard slams and spinning backhands. Stephen, who wanted to join the tournament because “[he] enjoy[s] playing ping-pong and [he] wanted to see how good [he] was against other people,” won the game and shook his competitor’s hand afterward in a display of sportsmanship.

Wesley was al- lowed back into the tournament and on Nov. 17, beat freshman

Chris Baek and advanced to the final round. The last day of the tournament took place on Nov. 19. Freshman Ming Ou faced off with Wesley Yang in a heated battle. Wesley emerged as the winner and confidently said, “I wasn’t nervous because I knew I was going to win.” On the other hand, Ming expressed, “I was so nervous in the game that I didn’t do as well as before.”

As to the success of this year’s tournament, Freshman President Tricia Xu stated that “the tournament was fairly successful due to the number of participants who were enthusiastic, especially since Council only took over intramurals last year.”

ryee@ apachepowwow.com

Photo by RHIANNON YEE

BALLS OF FURY Freshmen Ming Ou and Zhao Chen compete to advance to the next round.

November 2009

apachepowwow.com

STUDENT LIFE 19

AHS Club Spotlight: Explore Your Passion Future Chefs

By VALERIE LAI Guest Writer

Future Chefs of Arcadia was founded by junior Shani Yao so students can get hands-on experience with cooking and possibly pursue it as a career choice. “The purpose of the club is to expand students’ knowledge of the culinary arts field,” she said.

Members meet every Friday in G-3. “We basically inform our members on kitchen safety and do demos in preparation for food that they will be cooking the following week,” said junior Michelle Nguyen. On weekends, the club has cooking-related events that members can volunteer at.

Activities the chefs participate in include hunger and diabetes walks as well as food packaging for low-income families during the

Sign Club

By RACHEL THAI Guest Writer

It may seem like a regular club: members go once a week, eat their lunches, and chat with friends, but in reality it is so much more than that.

“Sign Club [is] a new experience,” said sophomore Tiffany Ho. “I get to learn many new things while having fun.” Sign Club presents students with an opportunity to make new friends and learn a new language without any prior knowledge.

At the first few meetings, members were taught the basics, such as the alphabet and common everyday phrases like “Hello” and “See you later.” Learning these essential signs can be useful for greeting friends in loud, crowded hallways. As time progresses, offi-

holidays. Aside from that, club officers are also looking into soup kitchens and events to cater at. Organizations they are currently communicating with include the Salvation Army and Meals-on-Wheels.

The club’s goal for this year is to provide a comfortable atmosphere in the kitchen so students are not intimidated if they do not know how to cook. “We want them to see this as a fun experience,” Michelle explained.

Officer positions are still open for those interested. After candidates fill out a required application, members will vote on candidates they feel are suitable for the position. “We’re looking for responsible, dedicated, and enthusiastic individuals to represent Future Chefs of Arcadia,” said Michelle.

Future Chefs of Arcadia should definitely be considered by those who like to cook and have fun because “it mixes volunteering with a hobby.” cers teach more diverse words and phrases, and members eventually learn how to sign a song.

At the beginning of each meeting, officers reveal the new words they will teach for the day. They teach the movements for each word and give tips on how to remember them.

If members can correctly sign the new vocabulary, they receive candy as a reward.

“I wanted to join Sign Club because I want to [learn] more languages,” explained sophomore Angel Chan.

In addition to teaching sign language, officers provide the complete learning experience. A documentary of the history of sign language will be shown and guest speakers will visit the club to discuss how the language has affected their lives.

“I feel proud [to lead] a great club like Sign Club,” said Vice President Victoria Orolfo.

Barkada Club

By ORENDA DUONG

Guest Writer

With Barkada meaning “group of friends,” Barkada Club represents its name to its fullest extent. “We stick together like rice,” said President Carlo Ramos, describing the club.

On Thursdays at lunch in J-10, members of Barkada Club get together to learn about the Filipino culture. They learn about traditions through activities like “Word of the Day,” which teaches members the Filipino language, and learning the customary Tinkling dance. “Filipinos are accustomed to singing, dancing, and eating—a lot,” Treasurer Joshua Cheng explained, while he and other officers passed out Filipino dishes to club members during a meeting.

Affinity for Animals

By CHRISTINE LOH Guest Writer

Animals are there for people when they need them. Dogs are not only pets, but also friends. Stories around the world tell of pets saving their owners from harm. Hence, there is one club on campus that is dedicated to giving back to animals.

Affinity for Animals tries to raise awareness for animal rights by attending events such as those at the Pasadena Humane Society.

Members also participate in Crafts Day, when they make items such as bird feeders and sell them to fund the club. Funds may be used for other causes, such as when the club helped an elephant named Billy find a home in a zoo.

The club also hosts plenty of events for bonding between members and their pets. Ac-

Barkada Club plans to raise money to donate to victims of typhoons battering the Philippines and to families in need of shelter and other necessities. Along with cultural festivities, Barkada Club has several other ideas to help students understand Filipino traditions.

The club is determined to make students feel welcome and discover new things about the Filipino culture. All that is required is dedication, because as Secretary Angelle Laigo said, “If you’re going to be in the club, you have to be committed.”

Daniel Cheng said, “Barkada Club is really fun. You get to learn a lot and everyone is really close.” Not only is Barkada Club a fun way to learn Filipino customs, it is also a great opportunity to make new friends.

“Anyone is welcome!” invited Carlo. For those are you looking to learn, have fun, or meet new people, Barkada Club has all that you are looking for. tivities like Pet Sharing Day allow members to walk their pets while getting to know each other. Even those without pets are invited to attend simply to have fun with their friends.

Meetings are held in H-16 during lunch on Tuesdays, and members discuss future events and play games like animal charades.

President Karen An suggested that anyone who “loves animals and wants to have fun” should join. Members have a wonderful time, laughing as games are played. Sophomore Priscilla Leung joked that she loves the club because it has an “animal essence.” Sophomore Trista Tam also said the club is “a fun place to be” and recommended it to everyone.

Animals may not mean much to some people, but for others, animals play a large role in their lives. For those who love animals or want to help them, joining Affinity for Animals may be one of the best things to do at AHS.

Apache Artists Paint the Walls of AHS Halls

By DEBBIE JONG & ESTHER LIN Executive Copy Editor & Staff Writer

First started about 20 years ago, the rich tradition of beautifying AHS hallways with student murals has been passed down to Ms. Georgette Tuttle. However, she lost seven murals when the recent construction demolished hallways, so now there are only 12 left. Because of this shortage, each mural will stand for about only one year before it will be painted over by the next generation of Art Honors students.

Every year, Art Honors students can express their ideas in a 6 x 28-feet mural. Since mural availability is limited—not enough for every student in the class—students are first given small panels on which they submit a design. The classes and Art Department staff then vote for the top six designs. Throughout the school year, the select artists work on their murals during class, perfecting every little detail.

This year’s murals are being painted by junior Cherry Mo, seniors Janet Chan, Tiffany Chu, Jocelin Trinh, Nancy Shen, Emily Khuu, Sara Walter, and Austin Ho. Janet titled her mural “Class of 2010” as a celebratory piece for this year’s seniors. She was inspired by the “grungy style” of graffiti artist Banksy. Janet understands that though

graffiti is usually frowned upon, “some graffiti artists are very talented and it’s a shame that what they do is illegal.”

Hoping to “bring life to the school halls,” Tiffany and Jocelin worked together to design their mural entitled “Live.” The mural depicts

a variety of colors, lines, and shapes, which all combine to “form the different colors of life,” Tiffany explained.

For Cherry, inspiration struck “randomly” as she was searching for images online and stumbled upon a picture of a bulldog with its tongue

hanging out. She wants to convey the same “fun and spontaneity” through her artwork, featuring animals packed in a car attempting to escape from the zoo.

Sara is painting “The Sea,” and Nancy and Austin are collaborating on their painting of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Hoping to create a piece that inspires different interpretations, Emily designed a mural featuring abstract images on the right and calm images of sunsets and bamboo on the left. “The left side is more of deep colors and the right side is more of vibrant colors,” Emily explained, “I think it offsets each other pretty well.”

For many of the student artists, “painting [our] ideas on a wall this big is not something that [we] can do all the time,” Cherry noted appreciatively. “This might even be a once in a lifetime experience.”

Photos by DEBBIE JONG

EXPRESSION Nancy Shen and Austin Ho paint the Golden Gate Bridge, Janet Chan honors the class of 2010, and Sara Walter recreates the sea.

djong@apachepowwow.com elin@apachepowwow.com

20

SPORTS

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

Girls Tennis Serves Up Their Competition

each other because she had the potential to lose was number one in CIF. again. However, Francis toughened up and pulled Of course, the team’s Staff Writer through, leading her team to success. She will be expectations decompeting in the CIF individual tournament as creased when it To conclude such a superb season, the Girls well. Sophomore Nadia Pacheco also received soon found out Varsity Tennis team has proven to everyone that it fourth place for singles. She was consistent that its comhas truly dominated the courts and has finished its throughout the season and at Pacific League petitors were regular season with a record of 21-1 overall and Championships, she played exceedingly well. extremely talFreshman Elizabeth Lieu and junior 12-0 for league. The team did extremely well at the ented; however, Pacific League Championships, which was just as Michelle Zhu received third place for doubles the team tried expected, and ranked eighth in the CIF Division II. while seniors Amy Qiu and Nicole Gandasutisna to put that fact Out of the 8 semi-final individual positions, Arca- got fourth place. When at Pacific League Chamaside. Although dia took 4 of the spots and earned All League Hon- pionships, both doubles teams had to compete they lost 17-1, the against each other, which was intense because ors. The Arcadia girls are also team was glad to Photos by MAURICE IP both wanted to win. In the end, Elizabeth the League Champions. even make it this and Michelle were victorious, but the GIRLS TENNIS Senior far into CIF. Freshman Francis thought that two out of the three Arca- Amy Qiu prepares to return Dean was titled PaThe memodia doubles teams placed is already a the ball to Burbank. cific League Chamries the Girls Varhuge accomplishment. According to pion for singles but sity Tennis team Coach Jerry Dohling, “it’s really exciting made throughout the season will surely stay with how she received to be undefeated because you know that the members for years and years to come. Michelle such a name was this means no one else can ever have a described bus rides home from away games as fun incredible. Eagerbetter record than us.” ly awaiting, she and entertaining because “half of us would sing As the team entered the first round of while the other half played ‘Who Wants to Be a was put up against CIF, they wallowed in nervousness. Their Millionare’ on someone’s iPhone.” It’s these little Burbank’s number opponent, San Marcos from Santa Barbara, things that helped create the special bond this team one singles player was extremely tough, but all of the girls played has. And as the season comes to an end, the team rewho happened to beat their hearts out and successfully beat them 11- alized how tennis took up a lot of time after school her two times before; once 7. The team then went onto the second because Francis days a week, and even though some of them GIRLS TENNIS Senior Nicole round of CIF against Newport Harbour many lost and another may be glad that the season is finally over, they are because she had Gandasutisna anxiously awaits and scored 12-6, making it eligible to going to miss all the time they spent together, as a move on to the third round which took team, and as a family. to forfeit due to a the opponent’s serve. wrist injury. Naturally, Francis was aware of this place three days later.

Their next opponent was Palm Desert, which and was worried about their next match against kbay@apachepowwow.com

By KATHERINE BAY

Boys Varsity Football Overall: 2-7-1 League: 2-5

Girls Varsity Volleyball Overall: 20-3 League: 14-0

Boys Varsity Water Polo Overall: 2-20 League: 1-6

Girls Varsity Cross Country Overall: 25-3 League: 6-1

Boys Varsity Cross Country Overall: 21-0 League: 7-0

Girls Varsity Tennis Overall: 21-1 League: 12-0

Girls Varsity Golf Overall: 29-1 League: 24-1

Football Ends Season with Goals For Next Year

By ANDREW LIN

Staff Writer

Now that the chapter has closed on the Arcadia Varsity Football team of ‘09-‘10, it is safe to step back and take a hard, objective look at the facts of the season: True, games were lost and what lessons could be garnered from the gridiron were taken to heart—but amidst their trials and misfortunes, the Apache Varsity Football team managed to claim for themselves a number of brilliant, honest victories.

On Oct. 30, the day before Halloween, our football team squared off against Burbank and battled till the very end but, unfortunately, fell short of a win with a final score of 27-33. The backdrop of Homecoming fireworks and ceremony stood in a stark, almost cruel contrast to the reality of the team’s valiant effort.

The Apaches then channeled their frustrations of losing their Homecoming Game and made it fuel for their effort against Hoover on Nov. 6, when they decisively stamped out the Hoover Tornadoes in a 42-28 win. When

asked how they achieved this impressive margin of victory, senior Garrett Tuck explained, “We played well against a not very talented Hoover. Overall it was a good game for us.”

Senior Philip He provided the specifics when he added, “We just ran the ball and passed against them fairly well. Taylor was able to catch three touchdowns, and David Maldonado came up with two rushing touchdowns and then a screen pass for a touchdown.”

The team, however, turned up short on Nov. 12 in their game against Crescenta Valley, in which they lost 42-13. However, the game was not without its redeeming moments. According to Philip, “it was close for the first half, and the best part was when David Schuil intercepted a pass and gave us great field position where we were able to score on a pass from Garrett Tuck to Robby Haines.” He then added, “Unfortunately,

we couldn’t stop Crescenta Valley’s run game because after David’s interception, he was out for the rest of the game with a shoulder injury. He’s the leader of our defense and our defense could not handle the run game.”

“For one reason or another it wasn’t happening this year,” said Coach Dimalante when he gave his honest assessment of the season gone. But, “Like Mike Ditka said, `You’re not a loser until you quit trying,’ and these kids never quit trying. I love my kids and I’m proud of them.” As for his seniors, “I think the world of them. I was proud to be their coach. They will always be a part of our football program’s success in the future.”

Garrett captured the season’s sentiment of frustration mixed with hope when he said, “It was a struggle for us because we weren’t

winning and were always a play or call away from winning. We never gave up and continued to work hard during practices and games throughout the whole season.”

And despite the disappointments and a final league score of 2-5 and overall score of 2-7-1, this year’s Varsity Football team remains optimistic about the fruits of its labor. The team may not have made it to CIF this year, but as Coach Dimalante reflected, “The outlook for next year’s team is very good. We played many underclassmen this year who gained valuable experience.” Philip concurred, “Even though we had high expectations, I’m not disappointed. I feel that this season was part of the building process for the football program.

In the next few years my teammates will come back successful and stronger with the experience.” alin@apachepowwow.com Photos by ELLIOTT LEE Photo courtesy of CALVIN HANG

November 2009

SPORTS

apachepowwow.com

21

Boys and Girls Cross Country: To the Finish Line In No Time That being said, the Apaches continue to load up on those miles in preparation for the state and Staff Writer national meets. When asked about our prospects, senior Gabriel Weil responded, “Our team has a We could go on about how the Arcadia Boys chance of placing in the top three at the state meet Cross Country team won league champs again, with this year.” Patrick concurred when he said, “We are a record of 21-0—but we won’t. The team has big- expected to win third or better.” He then quickly ger things to look forward to in the future, such as added, “Fortunately, the state meet and the formithe state and national meets, and to start celebrating dable competition that resides there is not a foreign concept to our team.” now would be premaShould the boys ture. place in the top three Nonetheless, at State, they will that the Apache cross then be invited to atcountry team claimed tend the reputable the league title this Nike Nationals. This season is still an imwould in fact be a first pressive achievement, at Arcadia, as in preand it should be given vious years the team its due amount of athas only participated tention and respect. in the open race.

On Oct. 15, the But in any event, invarsity team claimed vited race or no, the the gold in Pacific team stands a terrific League 2 and so made chance, especially in their dominance in the open race, since the Pacific League the Kenyans will not unmistakably clear. be racing this year.

Then came Pacific Coach O’Brien League Finals on once offered to his Oct. 23. Unleashing runners the ancient the full brunt of their African adage, enmight, the Apaches Photos courtesy of VIVIAN CHAN capsulating the spirit demolished their opponents. In a race in BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Senior Nick of the cross country which there are five Shar and junior Ammar Moussa advance runner: “Every mornother schools running, to the finish line at Pacific League Finals, ing in Africa, a gazelle this means that not resulting in an invitation to the State Meet. wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastone of the other five schools could muster a single challenger, a single est lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, runner worthy of competition, to race Arcadia’s a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than varsity team. And keep in mind, key players, such the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matas senior Nick Shar and junior Eric Garibay, were ter whether you’re a lion or gazelle—when the sun being rested. But not to be too hard on those other comes up, you’d better be running.” schools, for as senior Patrick Wrobel said, “We won League, as expected.” alin@apachepowwow.com

By ANDREW LIN

and disappointing losses, the girls were only just defeated by rival school Crescenta Valley 40-42 Staff Writer in a close race for League Champions. However, Catrina set a new record of 17:33 for the Griffith For many students at AHS, the first few Park course, and received League MVP and League months of school seem a lifetime, but to Arcadia’s Champion honors. Sophomores Alejandra Quintero Girl’s Cross Country team, it’s the same length as and Iris Wang also kicked it up a notch for League the moment between the starting shot and the first Finals with impressive times of 19:04 and 19:15, resteps of a race. Our girls have made their final kick spectively. Despite the narrow loss to CV, they definitely did not give up to the finish line of without a fight. their 2009 season, On Nov. 14, the with results that have varsity girls ran again given AHS something at CIF Prelims with to talk about. hopes of finally makThe ladies of ing it to CIF after 30 cross country raced years of missing the at the annual Apache mark. While they Invitational, held gave their best effort, locally at Arcadia they just were not County Park on Oct. good enough, placing 29. The course reseventh instead of in cord was broken by the top four teams, varsity runner junior which would allow Catrina McAlister them to move on to with a time of 16:35.

CIF Finals.

Senior Veronica Yee, And so ends the a consistent scorer on 2009 season of Girls the varsity level, was Cross Country. Filled the second runner to with ups and downs, cross the finish line but certainly not a lack with an amazing time of effort, the girls’ of 18:30, a personal Photos courtesy of VIVIAN CHAN season culminated in best for the graduating senior and a sto- GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Junior a loss despite their rybook ending to her Catrina McAlister and senior Casandra Llamas hard work and deterhigh school running dash past the other competitors at Pacific mination. While this is the end of the race career. Overall, varsiLeague Finals. for the seniors on the ty placed sixth among schools such as Trabuco Hills, Serrano, and Great team, the future looks bright, and hopefully the girls will succeed next year in reaching their goals. Until Oak with excellent efforts by all.

On Nov. 5, the girls traveled to Griffith Park then, look for them on the track where they’ll be for Cross Country League Finals, racing over rocky competing in long distance events in the spring track uphills and winding through tree laden trails for season, but don’t blink—you might miss them. what would be the final race of the season for many. aethridge@apachepowwow.com After a rollercoaster season of triumphant victories

By ALEX ETHRIDGE

Girls Volleyball Makes Their Way Through CIF to the Second Round

By KATHERINE BAY Staff Writer

excellent game, consisting of powerful digs and hits.

Two days later, the team traveled to their last game of the season against Crescenta Valley (CV). As a final goodbye to the ‘09-‘10 season, the team defeated CV, ending the game with 30. For the first game, the Apaches beat CV 25-13.

As for the second game, the team

all of CV’s hits and did well defensively. They had an all-around good serving game and their hitting techniques were viewed as both powerful and precise. Although CV had one player who was deemed as a main threat to them, the Apaches were able to put a block up against her.

Since Arcadia ended the season in first place in Pacific League, their next major step was to win CIF. On Nov. 10, the team went to the first round of CIF against Diamond Bar and success-

The Girls Volleyball team has done extremely well this season qualifying for CIF. The team entered two rounds of CIF, but their glory stopped there. While remaining undefeated for league, the team successfully ended their season 14-0. Finally, the team concluded all of their good times, bad times, fun memories, and hardships with 20-3 overall. Coach Charles Freberg said, “We accomplished a great deal. This is the first year in many years we have had an undefeated league season.”

On Nov. 3, the girls easily beat Pasadena 3-0. Everyone had a fairly well, all-around game and that proved to be one of their easier Photos by ELLIOTT LEE matches of the season. The game started off a little slow but that usually GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Juniors Ashely DeBarge and happens for them when they do not have Taylor DeGraaf smash the ball over the net, making kill after big competition. Pasadena had some kill, eventually leading to a victory against Crescenta Valley. good hitters but throughout the entire game, they were making quite a lot of errors, beat them 25-22. To continue on their winning fully won with which was more than they usually do. In the end, streak, the Apaches stuck it to them hard, and beat a score of 3-1. the game was all about how well everyone could them for a final time with a score of 25-17. Simi- Diamond Bar serve and how many points everyone could get larly, CV had some average hits during the game. had a really good tip, which slowed the Apaches just off of serving. Junior Taylor Degraaf had an For the most part, the Apaches were able to dig down a lot; however, they were easily able to re-

cover and get the points back, winning the first game. In the second game, the Apaches were able to pick up the tip a tad better. In effect, the girls had a very good defense and offense, leading the team to win the second game as well. Their third game ended in a loss because Diamond Bar began well, and the Apaches just couldn’t catch up, which led them to lose that set.

Out of the three games against Corona del Mar during the second round of CIF, the Apaches lost all, with a final score of 0-3. Even though Corona del Mar has not had an undefeated season, like the Apaches, they seemed to have the ability to beat them. To be more specific, the Apaches lost 10-25 for the first game, 23-25 for the second game, tied 21-21 for the third game, and 22-25 for the last game.

The team has been very consistent throughout the season, beating all of their opponents flawlessly. Junior Michelle Kha said, “It was a great season and I couldn’t be happier to be on this team. We played so well throughout the season.” The Girls Varsity Volleyball team ended their season reaching their main goal of winning league and staying undefeated. Their work habits have been nothing but outstanding and everyone worked extremely hard to be undefeated and stay undefeated. kbay@apachepowwow.com

22

CALENDAR

November Crossword

apachepowwow.com

November 2009

Pache’mon Adventures–Episode 3

By BEVERLY CHEN

Across 2. The _____ Kind 4. “Meet me half ___” 6. Pumpkin 3.14 7. On the front cover of Twilight 8. ____ Moon: The vampire saga continues 9. Daylight Savings: Turn your clock ____ 10. November’s birthstone 13. Thanksgiving bird for vegetarians 16. A female pig 18. The most popular activity on Thanksgiving 19. Forte 20. November 11: ________ Day Down 1. A big Thanksgiving meal 3. A country and a bird 5. “Bless you” 6. Pre-ACT test 11. “She’s cheer _______ and I’m on the bleachers” 12. _____ on the cob 14. A turkey’s sound 15. “Tonight’s gonna be a ____ night.”

16. “ACT vs ____” 17. Tic Tac ____

Graphic courtesy of EVENINGSAIL.CA

Courtesy of WEBSUDOKU.COM

123456789 Sudoku

Check your answers at apachepowwow.com

The Turkey’s Guide to Avoiding the Farmer

By EILEEN CHOW

November 2009

CALENDAR

apachepowwow.com

23

Thanksgiving is Alot Like School

By BEVERLY CHEN

Black Friday Fail

By CHERRY MO

Zankou Chicken: Your Turkey Substitute

By GLUTTON GIRL Staff Writer Get ready for some lessons on how to eat like an overstuffed turkey, kids, because at this time of year, you need to get down and dirty, with chicken and garlic sauce, of course! There’s nothing Glutton Girl likes more than a juicy meal. This month, instead of traditional roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, Glutton Girl makes way towards a more foreign taste. Spotted! T sneaks into Zankou Chicken, one of the many Pasadena restaurants, for a quick eat-and-run with a friend.

Located just a little past PCC, Zankou is beyond the borders of Arcadia, but the distance should be no excuse to check out this delicious diner. As Zankou is sandwiched between two other stores, parking is somewhat of a hassle. Customers are limited to a few spaces on the street in front of the store and an inconvenient lot out back. Sporting a nondescript, cafeteria-like interior, this Mediterranean restaurant offers nothing exceptional at first sight: a normal combination of spinning seats and benches, famous food reviews, and other showworthy awards plastered over the wooden planked wall. However, the interior wafted with a pungent aroma of delicious grilled meat.

Scanning the above menu, I notice that Zankou Chicken’s name does not disappoint; their menu offers not only a variety of chicken-themed dishes such as chicken plates (a whole to one-fourth),

chicken wraps, and chicken kebabs, but also other restaurants don’t usually live up to their name. But foreign delicacies like falafel (fried ball or patty let me tell you something: you have not eaten at made from chickpeas), shish and lule kebabs (skew- a real fast food restaurant until you have eaten at ered meat), and shawerma (meat wrap). Their food Zankou. About three minutes after I sit down, my is neither heavily overpriced nor inexpensive, but is number is called. Compared to Zankou, McDondefinitely worth its cost. Wraps are priced at $5 each alds’ service feels like waiting for rain in a California drought. and plates range Heck, they from $6-$10. I even make Inordered a Tri-Tip N-Out’s quick Shawerma Wrap, as I was yearning production seem tortoiseto taste the meat like.

Their from the spinspeedy service ning rotisseries also was not on display bebecause we hind the counter. were the only My friend, on customers in the other hand the restaurant ordered a half either.

The chicken plate. room was not With these orders, I was able overly crowded, yet a hefty to have a taste line waits to of the best of order. both worlds, so U p o n to say.

Photo by GLUTTON GIRL getting my orAfter ordering, I head LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING Zankou’s der, first things towards my seat presentation may be a little lacklusterous; however, first: I’d have to dock them since, you know, a few points some fast food the taste of its food makes up for it entirely.

for presentation. My wrap is encased in aluminum foil and a complimentary side of pickled turnips and jalapenos accompany it. After slowly unpeeling the shiny wrapper and hoping to see my wrap uniformly folded, it is to my dismay that the shawerma looked like a messy burrito. There is hummus spilling out the top and the pita bread does not look all too fresh.

But what can I say? I don’t judge a book by its cover so I shouldn’t rate a meal by its appearance. In this case, looks can be deceiving…but in a pleasant way such that my first bite was an invigorating taste bud sensation. The USDA Choice steak strips marinated in hummus and sesame sauce is a rich, smoky but sweet flavor that compliments the freshness of the tomato and onions. With a pita tortilla balancing out the intense flavor of the inside, the wrap is especially heavenly with the wonderfully concocted garlic sauce. On the other hand, the chicken is already very tender and juicy by itself. Combined with the hummus and garlic sauce? Out of this world. To die for, even.

Though the ambience of the restaurant is severely lacking in many areas, Zankou Chicken serves up many must try dishes from the Middle East. The restaurant is a very convenient place to order take out food so you know where to go if you are wishing to bring something new to the Thanksgiving day dinner table. Zankou deserves a big thank you! gluttongirl@apachepowwow.com

24

CAMPUS FOCUS

apachepowwow.com

P.S. I Just Wanted to Say...

Standing tall at 5’0”, junior Justine Lee is the epitome of the is more than what meets saying that “there the eye.” Behind carefree, smiling exter ior is a complex and inther gent student who accom elliplishe Justine is who I would s all that she sets out to do. call my very first frien ally. We met in kinde d, literup with each other. I’l rgarten at the age of five, and basically grew l alw ay s rem em ber her as the one who play “house” with me wo afraid of the deep side when we were young, and the one who use uld d to be of the pool.

She has always been a str on g lea de r, the what she wants and do es not give up. Justine type of person who chases after terests she has, including dedicates herself to the be many ining Band clarinet section lea of Service, a Math Team der, FBLA Vice Presid me mb er, a ent Sp eec h and Debate Team me more. “In all honesty, mber, and much activities as well as staI admire her a lot because she…juggles so ma said senior Tiffany Gu ys on top of her academics while maintaining ny different . She never lets the str into her work. ess of her load affect the a smiley face,” effort she puts Got a dilemma that’s be en bothering you? Go personal Dr. Phil. Junior to Justine, known her, Justine has Erik Krogen remarked that “Throughout and she’ll be your the time that I’ve alw ay s ha d tim e to help a friend with ever small they may be their problems, how.”

Her petite frame much with such ease widoes not hinder her, and the fact that she ha smart and talented yet ns over many. “I love Justine because she’s ndles so she’s small enough to so junior Alan Zhu. be my pillow in Calc BCcool and ,” said Justine’s positive infl person I am today. I amuence and advice has greatly influenced the for me, and her presengreatly indebted for all that she has done ce work harder. If she can is all that I need to motivate myself to ex plate, I certainly can toocel with all that she has on her . not trade all these yearsIt sounds cheesy, but I would wi closest friends for anythth Justine as one of my ing.

-Melissa Ma, 11

“Patrick’s friend s and peers w ant him to know that he matters to many pe ople and ha s made a diff erence in th e lives of ever one around him.”

-Nancy Xia o, 10

“If there’ s anyone who ‘deserves’ to be full of themselves, it’s Patrick Han. He is smart, amiable, witty, but above all, he’s still humble.”

-Winston Chang, 12

“Monique is one of the hardest working runners I know —her dedication doesn’t just show in cross country but in class as well.”

-Christos McClain, 12

“Amy is a great friend who I’ve known for many years and her helpful, thoughful person“Like a ality hasn’t changed at all ray of sunshine, over that time.”

Amy’s warm personal-Randall Muramoto, ity... classifies her not only 10 as an exemplary member of the AHS student body, but also as a friend to all those around her.”

-Oishee Shemontee, 10

“Am not streng it’s atti only i ths lie them tude; th n his po to le selve ey also sitive s a soph rn. Eve in his w manife st n th omo i a lea re, h ough llingnes e’s a he’s s der wor and an lready only a thy b e e x -An team m cellent come drew a e Cha mber.” nd ng, 12

“Eliza just alw beth’s ays the for you re She’s th no matter w h e r problem e to listen to at. s, help y worst s you ou our t in the itu always ations, and y ou ca coun smile o t on her to put n n your a -Aileen face.”

Ju, 9 “Eliza be wonde th has that rful po w makin g a frie er of nd out everyb of ody sh - Ashle e meets.” y Chi, 9

it’s and “Amfirst—I don’t t y a but d do crazill is—at we’ .” t h s he ow w out himge, 11 kn with thrid ex E -Al

November 2009

e niqu “Mo ne of o s ls I ai Spat individua ine: e rar genu those lassify as , genuted dc woul ely talen nd genuin ,a u d n e e g dicat t person.” e d y 2 inel y a grea og, 1 inel Math a i r -Nu

“Thomas is kind of one of those guys who you can count on to do the right thing.Whether you need help with something band related or something outside of school, he’s there for you to talk with. One of the things that I find to be most unique about Thomas is what a great and fun but strict leader he is.”

-Jasmine Wu, 10 “He stands out so much because of his personality.”

-Vincent Ann,10

David Liu. The first time I heard about this boy was from his very excited English teac exclaimed,“There’s a guy in my fres her. He hman honors class who’s in AP Calculus!” I’m AP Calculus. There’s a freshman takia senior and I’m in ng the same math as me? Of course, I leapt to the island of Con clusions and assumed what most people would think. This egotistical and socially inept nerd whofellow just has to be some locks himself up in a room all day and just studies. But when I actu ally met him, actually talked to I discovered that he’s nothing like I imagined him to be at all–and thathim, what makes him unique. ’s Although his math-genius label prec edes him in many situations, David is, in fact, still human. He once wore a T-shirt backwards for an enti day without realizing. David sings. re Taylor Swift and Pokemon. He’s liveHe raps. He writes his own raps. He likes d in so many different countries, gone to so many schools, met so many people, guy, in spite of the fact that his mat but still remains a humble and down-to-earth h skills outrank the vast majority of his humility in spite of the other qual us. ities that sets David apart from the It’s smart guy. Senior Jessica Ma was talk average recounted one time “a bunch of girls ing to me the other day about him and wer e like , HI, DAVID. And I was like, you’re pretty popular, aren’t you?

Just ing hi to you. And he was all shy and moved here and got so many girls saystuff and he was like, oh, not really.”

You could brush this kid off as a typi cal freshman who does adorably endearing things or a typical sma rt guy who’s cocky and pretentious. But to assume either of these is ignore all that this boy is. He is so to severely underestimate and much more than the sum of his stereotypes.

-Tiffany Gu, 12

Thank You.

Photos by ELLIOTT LEE, ASHLEY CHI, AMY LEONG and TIFFANY GU and courtesy of JIHOO SEO, AUSTIN LUU, LEAH WONG, and SAAYA MATSUI and Graphics courtesy of DREAMSTIME.COM and LITTLEGREENNOTEBOOK.COM