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STUDENT LIFE
theapachepowwow.com
October 2016
By FRANCES CHEUNG Staff Writer
Did you know that America’s second most popular holiday is Halloween? Every year on Oct. 31, children, teens, and sometimes even adults dress up in their favorite costumes, and go out in hopes of receiving candy from local neighbors and friends. On this night, you see some of the scariest, most unique, creative, and cutest costumes. Some homeowners even take it a step further and transform their entire house into a haunted house with spooky decorations opened for the public to walk through and be scared. However, most homes are simply stocked up with candy, ready to be given out when doorbells are rung by groups of trick-or-treaters that yell “TRICK OR TREAT!” For some, that’s not always the case. Although it is traditional that homes give out candies and treats to trick-or-treaters, occasionally you might encounter some homes that give out really odd and unexpected items. Whether it’s an odd-flavored candy or something even worse, it’s just not something most homes give to passerby trick-or-treaters. Here are some of the things that your fellow AHS classmates have received from past trick-or-treating experiences.
“This isn’t exactly a physical item, but my experience was I went knocking on the door, and this guy opened the door. He was all dressed up, had candy and everything. However, when he saw me, he took a deep breath in, pointed at me and said, ‘YOUUUUUU.’ Afterwards, he shut the door without giving me any candy, and I didn’t even know who he was.” —Jill Chen, 10. “Instead of receiving candy like what most trick-or-treaters typically get, this one home I encountered gave my friends and I entire pies!” —Mia Harder, 11 “This one year, I went to this home, and this very nice older woman who looked around 50 to 60 years old said that she wanted to give kids something healthy this year. She then proceeded to give us each milk cartons.” —Kristen Duran, 10 “The weirdest thing I’ve ever received was probably a toothbrush. Who gives a toothbrush on a holiday that’s all about candy?” —Kyla Dang, 11 “This one lady who lived on my street gave all passing trick-or-treaters candy canes, most likely from the Christmas of the previous year. I’m not even sure if they were expired or not.” —Christina To, 12 “I think the weirdest thing I’ve ever received was probably just one of those weird candies that looked like human eyeballs.” —Michelle Liang, 10 fcheung@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of BHWILDLIFEREHAB.COM
featured club
Students PROMOTING LITERACY By SIMONE CHU Editor-in-Chief
Ernest Hemingway watches the room from his projected spot on the whiteboard, his mouth quirked slightly upward at the corners in the barest hint of a smile. It’s his week—he’s the first author spotlighted by Students Promoting Literacy (SPL), a club dedicated to promoting literacy in the community and renewing a love for reading among the AHS student body. The club aims to complete its mission author by author and reader by reader. At the club’s weekly meetings, members “present about an author, and then do activities after,” said senior Cathleen Huang, SPL’s secretary. For example, after the officer team presented about Hemingway’s life and summarized a few of his works, members popcorn-read a passage written by Hemingway to get a feel for his style, noting how his signature economical and understated style made it easy for the story to be read out loud. SPL is not just a club dedicated to an interest, however. “This year, the club is revamping itself,” President senior Tiffany Wong said. “We hope to do more outreach events in collaboration with the public library and retirement homes in the community.” Her favorite aspect of SPL is the opportunity to give back to the community through something she loves: reading. Cathleen shares her enthusiasm: “I’m most excited to get to read to the elderly this year,” she said. SPL’s officer team is also researching other organizations outside of the community to collaborate with, with the guidance of its advisor, Mr. Woodin. “The entire officer team has a lot of respect for each other, and we’re all working super hard to ensure the club’s success this year,” Tiffany said. SPL is unique on a campus where so many clubs dedicated to a love of science exist, but clubs centered around reading and literature are scarce. SPL welcomes anyone who is passionate about reading, or who is looking to rekindle an old love for a favorite pastime. Because students’ schedules are so tightly packed, it can be difficult to squeeze reading time in each day. However, the weekly author highlights are a great way to hear about works that you might be interested in reading later on. It’s also refreshing to be around other students who share the same interests as you—you won’t find another club on campus with members as enthusiastic about sharing and talking about books that they’ve read. If you’re interested in making new friends and giving back to the community through reading, SPL meets every Friday in room C110. See you there!
Friday
Room
C110
schu@apachepowwow.com
