NEWS

By BRADEN WONG

2016 Presidential Debates Unveiling of the Staff Writer

The first 2016 Presidential Debate was iPhone 7 hosted on Sept. 26, and offered unforgettable moments: blatant lies, flagrant interruptions, and phenomenal roasts. Here By PAUL LEE are some of the most memorable aspects: Staff Writer

1. Lies, lies, and more lies

Secretary Clinton attacked Mr. Trump’s claims that he had never supported the Iraq War, stating, “Donald supported the invasion of Iraq. That is absolutely proved over and over again.” Mr. Trump denied it all, interrupting, “Wrong. Wrong.” He, however, lied—in fact, he endorsed the war, six months before it began, in a 2002 interview with Howard Stern.

2. Wild savagery

Secretary Clinton called several times for Mr. Trump to release his tax returns, to which he replied, “As soon as she releases her 33,000 emails, I will release my tax returns.”

Mr. Trump claimed that Secretary Clinton lacked a presidential look, purporting that “she doesn’t have the stamina.” Secretary Clinton then listed her accomplishments as Secretary of State and asserted, “He tried to change from [my] looks to stamina, but this is a man who has called women pigs, slobs, and dogs.”

3. The birth of memes

During the debate, Mr. Trump made repeated attempts to clear his sinuses, producing a loud sniffing noise. Soon after, the Twitter account “@trumpsniff” tweeted, “*sniff*”, unleashing a barrage of tweets about Mr. Trump’s case of the sniffles. He later claimed that a “bad microphone” caused the sounds. Meanwhile, the second Presidential Debate was held on Oct. 9 and featured 30 of the most popular user-submitted questions, as well as some taken from the audience. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Trump takes email to new heights

While he said he “probably shouldn’t say this,” Mr. Trump stated he would instruct his Attorney General to find a prosecutor to investigate Senator Clinton if he were elected.

2. More wild savagery

Secretary Clinton brought up Mr. Trump’ instances of irresponsible behavior, including attacking a former Miss Universe, mocking a disabled reporter, questioning the validity of a Muslim judge, and, most importantly, a controversial 2005 video featuring him making obscene remarks about his treatment of women. Mr. Trump responded to this rather interestingly (and incoherently): “This was locker-room talk. I’m not proud of it... But this is locker-room talk. Can you imagine the people doing so well against us with ISIS, they look at our country and see what’s going on. Yes, I’m very embarrassed by it. But it’s lockerroom talk. I will knock the hell out of ISIS.” On Sept. 9 in Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the company’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. While iPhone 7 is aesthetically identical to the iPhone 6 and 6s, it boasts a dual lens camera, faster processor, pressure-sensitive home button, 3D touch, water resistance, advanced LTE connection, iOS 10, and an improved battery life. Philip Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, said, “The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus reach a new level of innovation and precision to make this the best iPhone we have ever made.” iPhone 7 introduced two new shades of black, including matte black and glass jet black, in addition to its signature silver, gold, and rose gold backings. In the new jet black finish, John Ive, Apple’s Head Designer, remarked that the finish is accomplished by “rotational 3D polishing, and a specialized compound flows bwong@apachepowwow.com over the intricate geometries of the housing.” Photo courtesy of WORDPRESS.COM Besides the new colors, the new iPhone is built to sustain “spills, splashes, and even dust.” Furthermore, the home

Bumblebees on the Endangered List button on the new iPhone is no longer a physical button. Instead, Apple used its new “Taptic Engine” to create a responsive solid-state button built for durability. Most anticipated by iPhone customers By VIVIAN KWANG was its enhanced camera lenses. The new Staff Writer iPhone 7 Plus offers a dual lens system in which one 12-megapixel (MP) lens works as a wide-angle camera while the other 12MP lens

On Sept. 22, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife works as a telephoto camera. The lenses also Service (FWS) announced that Bombus affinis, adopt a Machine Learning system which sepaalso known as the rusty patched bumblebee, rates the foreground from the background to may soon be officially listed as an endangered achieve the same effect as DSLR cameras. It species. The rusty patched bumblebee is na- also has a brighter flash with four LED lights. tive to North America and will be considered Besides its new physical improvements, the first species of bee to be endangered in the the iPhone 7 now internally incorporates an U.S. The rusty patched bumblebee’s possible A10 Fusion Chip, which Apple claims to extinction will have overwhelmingly negative be “the most powerful chip ever in a smarteffects on food sources, global economies, and phone”. A10 Fusion is a 64-bit, four-core promost importantly, natural ecosystems. cessor with over 3.3 billion transistors. It has The FWS stated that “as pollinators, two cores that run two times faster than the A9 rusty patched bumblebees con- chip found in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and is tribute to our food security and 240 times faster than the original iPhone. Oththe healthy functioning of our er than its efficient processing speed, the A10 ecosystems.” Bumblebees are Chip “delivers great battery life, allows Wimuch better pollinators than Fi browsing for 14 to 15 hours, and LTE for honeybees because of their abil- 12 to 13 hours,” said Vice President Schiller. ity to perform buzz pollination. Controversially, Apple removed a major

Buzz pollination is extremely feature for music lovers: the 3.5mm headhelpful when trying to collect pol- phone jack. The new iPhone 7 package comes len from flowers who have devel- with an adapter that transforms the traditional oped an evolutionary defense 3.5mm headphone jack to a lightning port mechanism for their pollen. connector. However, one of the downsides to Plants that have this defense this design is that customers will not be able to mechanism store their pollen simultaneously charge their phones and listen tightly in their anthers. How- to music. Apple, fortunately, added new frontever, not all insects can access this facing stereo speakers, offering volume twice pollen. Bumblebees are capable of as loud as its iPhone 6. It also offers wireperforming buzz pollination on flow- less earbuds for purchasing, called AirPods. ers like these because of their ability to create iPhone 7’s price starts from $647, vibrations using their flight muscles. Pollen is and iPhone 7 Plus’ price starts from $769. needed by plants to reproduce. Pollinators such as the bumblebee retrieve the pollen and release plee@apachepowwow.com

Secretary Clinton said it was “awfully good” that someone with Mr. Trump’s temperament was not in charge of the law. Mr. Trump responded, “Because you’d be in jail.”

3. Ironic ends

To close the night, the final question was, “Regardless of the current rhetoric, would either of you name one positive thing that you respect in one another?” “I think that’s a very fair and important question,” responded Secretary Clinton. “I respect his children. His children are incredibly able and devoted, and I think that says a lot about Donald. I don’t agree with nearly anything else he says or does, but that is something that, as a mother and a grandmother, is very important to me.” Mr. Trump replied, “She doesn’t quit and doesn’t give up. I disagree with what she is fighting for, but she fights and doesn’t quit.” Ironically, Mr. Trump had ended the first debate with “she doesn’t have the stamina”, but ended this one with “she never gives up”. The presidential debates have been an eye-opening experience for voters and candidates alike. There were defining moments—profound, but not always graceful. And with the elections approaching fast, we can only hope for what is to come. it on other flowers to allow plants to repro- commonly harvested, consumed, and sold duce. It is difficult for a plant to produce pol- in a contemporary grocery store. These veglen, so much of bumblebees’ value stems from etables require buzz pollination in order to the fact that it is one of the few creatures that grow. Thus, without bumblebees, a large can ensure that it is being transported properly. portion of America’s food source will de-

According to federal agencies, bumble- crease. And without the pollinators, crops bees contribute about $3 billion to the U.S. will decrease in quantity and increase in cost. economy on a yearly basis. Without them, the The Fish and Wildlife Foundation has said economy will spiral downwards because there habitat loss, climate change, disease, farming, will simply be not enough crops and vegetables. and pesticides are all major contributions to the Potatoes and tomatoes are alarming decline in bumblebees that the world examples of foods has seen in past years. The bumblebee is a key that are most species in food webs and whole ecosystems. Like a domino effect, getting rid of bumblebees will destroy chains and halt all metabolic processes of other organisms that depend on the bumblebee. In 2013, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation created a formal petition to put the rusty patched bumblebee on the endangered list. According to the organization, the rusty patched bumblebees’ population has decreased by 87% in recent years. Under the rules of the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Federation must follow protocol before announcing whether the rusty patched bumblebee will make it to the endangered list. As of now, the general public is still making votes as to whether or not the bumblebee belongs on the endangered list. vkwang@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of DISCOVERLIFE.ORG

October 2016

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6 OPINION

theapachepowwow.com

October 2016

By CAMILLA LEONARD

Staff Writer

Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador. Cerro de Tigre. Sun burns through the clouds. Birds send songs through the canopies. Rocks pile near mounds of excrement. Hot sizzle of liquid concrete sprays my cheeks. I shovel heaps of stone into the cement maker. Little barefoot girls watch incredulously as 18 strangers build their community’s first bathroom.

I collapse onto the sidewalk, cradling my water bottle. A girl, hair matted with sweat, tugs on my pants. An oversized red shirt hangs off her shoulders. Her eyes glow with a luster of hope. She whispers, slowly, in Spanish, clutching my finger, “What’s America like?”

I lean down, cradling her finger, and tell her a story about America, a place for everyone, a home for all. We have food and clean, running water. Water that’s not brown, but clear and so, so clean. American people don’t have holes in their shoes, in fact, we have many shoes! Some people have entire rooms just for shoes! No one goes hungry. Everyone is taken care of.

She giggles and waves my finger. She smiles, runs away, twirling. Chasing butterflies.

How could I tell her the ‘Great America’ is the reason for the languid death of her whole being?

Here, people’s homes are invaded, their properties cut down, their resources depleted and monetized. Rainforests cut down in days for orchards of palm oil trees. Homogenous mono crops. Fueling an economy completely foreign to their own. Colossus oil companies are drilling into the Amazon with the help of the Ecuadorian government. While the people toil in the fields and scrap through the forests, oil companies drill in their backyards and construct long gas pipes under the guise of “public utility”.

These people have a 60% rate of cancer. That means six of the ten children, watching incredulously, chasing butterflies, playing tag with me, would be dead in just a couple years. They would have cancer without even knowing it.

And here we were, this ragtag group of 18, complaining about how hot our shower waters were or if our concealer ran dry. In America, we have a tremendous amount of opportunities that take advantage of other communities, possibly even Cerro de Tigre. We take these tremendously for granted.

Towers of oil burn off flame in the distance. Cheap oil. Here, you can smell the gas while you play in the stream. You can taste it in the air. You can see it, in thick rippling puddles, settling in people’s backyards. We walk upstream to a grove of palm trees. A multitude of grasses proliferate near the sidewalk. In the distance, twin flames scorch the atmosphere. As we near the smoldering flames, the heat blisters.

Huge beetle corpses litter the ground. The girls silently screech and shiver. Hector, our leader, seizes a handful of beetle corpses on the ground.

“Look at these precious bugs.”

“Pollinators,” he announces, pointing. “Without them, no forest. Now—dead.”

Suddenly, he grabs my hand, and says, pressingly:

“Here! A souvenir.”

The reflection of the fire glitters on their wings like golden flames.

A breeze buries them with a wave of ash.

Wild flowers are wilting under the leaves.

While our gas prices are going down, their cancer rates are skyrocketing.

Galapagos. Sitting in a bus watching greenery rush by. Wasteland. Reeds, grasses, shrubbery. Boys talk loudly about Ivy Leagues in the back seat. Princeton, Yale, Cornell. Dilapidated buildings litter the wasteland. Crumbling bricks, walls, people. I am reminded of the Amazon. The children bathing in mud. Their faces covered in dust, asking about America. Will they ever see it? Will they see their dreams before they disappear into this wasteland? This graveyard? Six children of each ten falling dead to fuel an economic powerhouse? To fuel Ryan’s 20 minute steaming showers? Chad’s five houses? And me. Thinking about colleges. Thinking about my recs, admission, makeup. Thinking of hot water. Buying furniture for my room. Bathing in bath bombs. And these children are defecating in their laundry rooms, out near their pondy swamp of a swimming pool. A village of children crammed into one room. Paunchy stomached dogs lounging amongst the flies. The stone-eyed face of poverty staring a privileged me in the face.

But isn’t this happening all over the world in countries similar to this? Building construction abandoned. Improvements forgotten. Innovation isolated. Brick upon mortar upon wood. Children making snow flakes in ashy beetle wings. Strewn across this battlefield.

So often I’ve been preoccupied with myself—my grades, successes, career, accomplishments, failures, friends. Success completely defined me. I pictured success as a large house with deluxe cars and bursting wallets.

But now, it’s so much more.

It’s courage. It’s heart. Success is defined in working until the skin peels slowly off your thumbs because you’ve labored, day after day, for your children to have a bucket of semi-clean water. And even at that, it’s riddled with oil debris. With the flecks of first-world country consumer waste.

The majority of these people live under the poverty line. However, they are some of the happiest people I have ever met. They meet each day with grit and determination as they struggle to carve their lives into the mountains. I marvel at their tenacity.

Walled in resorts corner the falling slums. Neon fluorescent lights blind tourists from the shade enshrouded streets of the poor. There are others, in my close proximity, that are extremely wealthy. They have everything they could have wanted—cars, boats, private jets, multiple mansions. Health. Food. Warm water. Fresh water. One thing they didn’t have? Happiness. It may sound cliche, but it was absolutely true. Those who have nothing to complain about often find something. The Ecuadorian people are not wealthy in money, but in values…culture… kindness. I met people who, while having nothing, had the wealth of the world in their hearts. And that is truly priceless.

cleonard@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of GOODFON.SU

By KAYLI MAK

Staff Writer

I’m not a mature person. I have never been very mature. However, as pathetic as it seems, in my last year of middle school, I was one of the most levelheaded people there. Despite my tendencies to invent wildly invalid conspiracy theories and vulgar nicknames, my maturity surpassed those in the grades below me. In other words, it was great to be on top, and not just in terms of height. On campus, my class was the wisest and the most experienced in the ways of middle school. We were the uncontested rulers of the school. Then, with an immensely awkward assembly and a party that seemed far too short, our reign was violently cut off, and the leadership we had waited so long for was over.

Not three, but two months later, my friends and I prepared for the first day of high school. Just 63 days before, we thought we would be perfectly fine in the years to come. It’s hysterical to think about how wrong we were.

We predicted that we could overcome our childish habits and petty issues. At this point, I think that we’re too overwhelmed by all the possibilities that come with growing up to pursue that endless cycle of yelling “Donald Trump” and giggling darkly over “dank memes”. We could not have imagined that a transition we believed we were so prepared for would transform us from screaming nutcases into the terrified freshman that bite the insides of their cheeks to keep themselves from saying stupid stuff. Yes, we had reverted right back to where we had started: the inevitable and puniest form of all humans, the bottom of the food chain.

In spite of the “growing up” that we thought we’d done in our middle school years, wanted (with the exception of racist jokes and curse words), and nobody would care, because apparently, when you’re in the eighth grade, everybody understands that your knowledge is not as vast as you claim it is.

In high school, everyone is constantly talking about how we’re old enough to say smart

all the older students were smarter, more mature, and so much taller. Now, I could have dealt with that. My personality allows for me to accept that I am not incredibly smart, that I am not emotionally developed, and that I am basically a tall midget. What I could not handle, however, was the great shame that my immaturity and lack of worldly knowledge brought me.

In middle school, I could say whatever I things, and how we’re young adults, and we should be responsible and mature enough to take care of everything that we need to take care of. I understand now. Growing up is hard. That realization was a little overdue. My childhood is more dead than the grass in my front yard.

Now that we’ve taken a head-first crash landing into the previews of adulthood, we’ve discovered that the titles we held in elementary and middle school meant next to nothing. Being considered “Most Popular” or “Most Likely to Go to Harvard” doesn’t mean anything in comparison to the Prom King or Queen, or the several kids who have actually gotten into Harvard. We are nothing until we make something out of ourselves. Because of that, we are the least accomplished, and therefore the lowest social class. Sometimes, I go back to my middle school for the sole purpose of feeling tall and mature. This seems to be the only adjusting method I can think of.

While my grade is considered to be at a higher social class than those who replaced us, when shown next to the people older than us, we’re still as immature as our eighth grade teachers claimed we were. (After all, I did make a “dank meme” reference.) As disheartening as this is, life goes on. In my current state of over-dramatized transition, I’m finding it hard to comprehend how students ever survived going from middle school to high school, but they did, so I suppose that there isn’t a viable excuse for me.

I know that eventually, I will get older, and the whole cycle will start over again. People get older and wiser, but they will always be regarded as having less worldly knowledge as the generation that came before.

By NOELLE NATIVIDAD

Staff Writer

By REIKO INOUE

Staff Writer

I swear, one of its long fingers just twitched. There it goes again! The dark makes it hard to see, but I knew that Hand was out to get me ever since Mom dug it out from some storage box and decided that it was the missing piece to our living room’s interior decoration.

Dad was the one who brought that evil Hand into our lives. He purchased it as a young man, before he got married. My dad had always appreciated good craftsmanship and saw something special in the wooden ebony carving of an elegant life-sized hand from the wrist-up displayed in a store window. Depicting a hand in an upright position, it could’ve belonged to a high-class woman struggling to high-five someone while trying to keep it cute. It was as if that woman then cut off her snooty hand to sacrifice to it the devil to creep on unsuspecting victims. The thing even had fingernails, for God’s sake. I have no idea what store it was in (but I imagine it also sold similarly useless and creepy things like real eyeballs pickled in jars and possessed mannequins without faces that you could tell were staring at you as you walked by).

It was hiding in a box of Dad’s things until Mom found it while cleaning their room. She lovingly placed it on a bookshelf in our living room, marveling at its life-like beauty. I didn’t buy any of it. That Hand was way too thin, long and freaky for me. Its smooth, idealized shape with no bumps or wrinkles watched me smugly from atop the shelf. If that isn’t evil, I don’t know what is.

Late at night, I’d be the only person downstairs in my house doing homework that I procrastinated on during normal hours. I’d feel something watching me and look up to see that devil Hand. If I looked at it long enough, it seemed to begin to jerk and move about ever so slightly. That sent me running upstairs to my bedroom and locking the door. Later, I’d be in bed curled up with my blanket tucked tightly around me. I imagined the Hand creeping upstairs and grabbing my feet if I left them exposed, so I made sure to cover them. Especially after reading the book Coraline in which a similarly devilish hand-creature followed around a girl and haunted her, I grew paranoid that it was that darn hand appearing in my window or causing the rustling in the bushes I was walking past.

Yet, after living with said Hand for several years, I’ve developed something of a friendship with it. I found that making thew Hand hold mundane little objects such as small squares of soap from hotels, candy bars or tiny stuffed animals softened its appearance. While I placed those things in the Hand, I’d hiss at it, “Mwahaha, your dark powers are gone! Bow down to me, you lanky freak!” The Hand became less threatening once I saw it as a dumb block of wood instead of a living thing like I was a crazy person. Which I’m definitely not. I think.

Facing it alone at night still compelled me to want to make a salt circle but we were buddies during the day. Holding it in my sleeve as if it was my own hand, I’d poke my sisters, play the piano and occasionally use it as a backscratcher. My fear of that wooden Hand became more of a sadistic comradery. Armed with my awe inspiring story of gaining the upper hand, I’m sure you too, can now make peace with the satanic knick knacks in your life.

rinoue@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of DAFONT.COM and PINTEREST.COM

In Cold Water

By KAYLA YANG

Staff Writer

The first time I took a trip abroad was to the island of Taiwan, where my parents had been born and raised. It was a blast; not only did I eat some of the best food in the world, I met my many relatives (and graciously accepted their welcome gifts!). During my trip, my two older cousins wanted to take a swim at a local beach, while I wanted to go to the carnival. Unfortunately, my nine-year-old self was easily swayed with the promise of a vanilla ice cream. We arrived at the beach a few hours later, complete with slick bathing suits and goggles that were a little too tight.

I never really liked the beach. The sweltering, sun and inescapable granules sand did not seem appealing whatsoever. However, I was excited that day. The last time I had been to the beach was years before, where I was only allowed to dip my toes in the water under the watchful eye of my parents. This time, I was independent. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted, as long as one of my cousins was there. I began to march towards the ice ocean, but as confident as I felt, there was still a small, flickering hesitation in me. I was good at swimming. My dad had previously coached swimming and passed the sport on to me, so I was more than adequate. Thinking about the vast ocean was frightening, but I swallowed my feelings and trudged on through the soggy sand.

I was about waist deep when I realized just how uncomfortable the sun on my dry hair had begun to feel. As I plunged straight in, the chilly water broke and nipped me directly in the nose. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but when I tried to come up for air, I realized I couldn’t. I looked down, and even though the floor was only a few feet under me, it felt like it stretched on for miles upon end. I propelled my arms upwards, and managed to break the surface for a mere second. But with the continuous waves slamming down on me, I couldn’t reach the surface for long enough, and I was instantly pushed down again.

I was drowning.

I held my breath for what felt like an eternity. Slowly, my eyelids grew heavier. I restrained myself from opening my mouth and shouting for help, because I knew that doing so would immediately ensure a mouthful of salt. I fought against the waves, thrashing about. I paddled until my arms grew weak, and suddenly, I was plucked out of the water and dragged to the shore. Promptly, we drove home, and thus began my fear of the ocean.

I swore to never return to the beach unless I was safely on shore. Since then, swimming has become somewhat of a distant memory.

I’ve come to realize that I’m not necessarily afraid of the beach. What I fear is the solitude, the vast ocean full of undiscovered beings, and the feeling of no one coming to the save you. Often times, I find myself imagining what would have happened if no one had come to my rescue. I am scared to death of being left alone to die and wither away. I am afraid that no one will come to save me when I’m drowning, and that there won’t be someone to come and pluck me out of the ocean.

In another life, I believe that the waves of the ocean and I could be friends. Just not in this one.

kyang@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of CINEMATICCLOUD.RU She blinked just as I did, That girl in the mirror. And I wondered to myself, What she was afraid of? Was it failure? Was it what others would think? Or was it that She could be worth something? That she could succeed? My best friend, She speaks and they listen, In this awe-inspiring exchange that I will never know. She smiles, And they smile back, Like the sun broke through the night and shone again, I am a star, Endlessly covered by the sun, Wordlessly shining when no one thinks to look. I stood that day, At the back of the crowd, Dying for him, For her, For anyone to notice, That I had been broken inside, Because of fear. Fear that has pinned my feet, Anchored my soul. And each day I see, That I am my own obstacle. That I am an echo of myself. I am stuck, you see. My great dilemma is one of my own creation, That while I tear myself in two, I cannot help but wish that it would stop. That while I shrink from the world, I dream of greatness for myself. That you might look at me, In the way that you see her. With something more. I turned back to the girl in the mirror, And I wasn’t ashamed, I knew that, But there was something in me that wondered what others could think. I was worried that I would never be good enough, That I would be a disappointment to those around me. I was afraid that they might laugh, Or think I was more awkward than I felt. I was afraid of their opinions, For the longest time, This caught at me. For the greater part of my life, I was so worried about their opinions, When suddenly, I realized that there was only really one that mattered: Mine. What they thought of me would neither hurt or help me. But my opinion. My opinion had the power to change everything. My dreams, the limits I placed on myself, And my confidence and security in who I was. That was what mattered.

theapachepowwow.com October 2016 Halloween At Disney

By DANIELLE SANTOYO

Staff Writer

Disneyland has transitioned to the Halloween season to become, as Disneyland calls it, A Halloween Spectacular. The decorations stay up from Sept. 9 to Oct. 31, and will also feature a “Frightfully Fun

Parade”, a new Disneyland original held during Mickey’s Halloween Parties. The “parties” sound fun and all but they cost extra. As in, regular day passes won’t work. Separate

“Halloween Party” tickets must be purchased and do not come with a day pass. The pass is expensive (as one can imagine) but it’s worth it. From the parade, to trick or treating around the park, the Halloween celebration is for everyone. The decorations put up at Disneyland include a giant Mickey-shaped pumpkin on Main Street, as well as garlands and other minor decorations throughout the park. But the pumpkin on Main Street is usually used for great photo opportunities. Frontierland will have decorations celebrating the traditional Dia De Los Muertos skeleton display. The display will be outside near the Mexican restaurant, Rancho Del Zocalo. There will also be a Tree Decoration near the Golden Horseshoe, which will have a memoir to author, Ray Bradbury. Face Paints around the park are offered. Small paintings are free but any full-face coverage costs extra. Mickey and Minnie will be in Main Street for further photo opportunities. But this year, Jack Skellington and Sally are situated in a new location near the Royal Street Veranda in the New Orleans section of Disneyland. Disney villains are mainly spotted in Adventureland or Fantasyland, but usually make more appearances as Halloween draws closer or during the Halloween Party. However, year after year Cruella De Ville is usually on Main Street for meet-and-greets.

The Haunted Mansion has been redecorated to match the theme of the Nightmare Before Christmas, but the wait times will be crazy long.

Space Mountain has also been altered for Halloween, transforming into the Ghost Galaxy. Fastpasses are highly recommended, as the lines are still long. By using fastpasses lines are a lot shorter than standing in the standby line.

If you buy a ticket for the Halloween Party, you may arrive at any time of the day that the day pass allows you, but you will receive a wristband that lets you stay for the after hours of the park in which they will be doing trick-or-treating activities.

If you plan to go to Disneyland, you may dress up for the Halloween event only. Usually during park openings, dressing up is prohibited for adults, but during Halloween time, adults may dress up. Those that are 14 years or older also have to follow a series of dress up guidelines that are further emphasized on the Disneyland website, while kids 13 years and younger have a more relaxed set of dress code.

All in all, the event is worth the price paid, hope to see you there!

dsantoyo@apachepowwow.com

Graphics courtesy of, TLIFE.GR, and WIKIPEDIA.ORG Photos courtesy of GREENFIELDPUPPIES.COM

DIFFERENT COFFEE BEANS THAT CAN WAKE YOU UP

By BRADFORD YAO

Coffee is arguably a must-have drink for all adults when they wake up in the morning. Most buy a big bag of common Arabica coffee beans from the store to brew by themselves, or head over to Starbucks for a frappuccino. However, this can get old after a while, and every avid coffee drinker should have the chance to try different types of coffee. However, what new types of bean would a coffee fanatic be interested in trying?

One interesting variety of coffee bean is not from the soil, but instead from the inside of a cat’s stomach. There is a type of coffee that is harvested from the poop of a cat! This very unique coffee bean is referred to as “Kopi Luwak”, which translates to civet coffee. Originally created from the Dutch East Indies, or modern-day Indonesia, Vietnam is now known for carrying and selling this coffee. It is quite common throughout Vietnam, so the five districts of Vietnam should have stores that carry this product. One intriguing fact is about the taste of this coffee. Usually, most coffees have a designated taste that comes with each bean. However, with the Kopi Luwak, there is no same taste that comes with every bean. Instead, each bean will vary depending on the diet of the cat that it originates from. Although many declare that this coffee does not produce an extraordinary taste, many coffee fanatics strive to taste it, as it is definitely a one of a kind coffee regarding its production. However, the price may drive people away from trying this bean, as prices range around $100. Moreover, it is almost impossible to pick this bean up in the store, as many buyers need to order this bean from online to even get to try it. Nevertheless, most people do not ever end up tasting this coffee bean, but it is something that would be very cool to try.

Staff Writer

Moving on from the Kopi Luwak, a more normal yet still fascinating coffee is the Blue Mountain Coffee. The name “Blue Mountain” comes from the origin of this coffee, which is from the “The Blue Mountains” of Jamaica. This specific bean has grown in popularity from the small country of Jamaica to becoming a known coffee worldwide. However, this bean is still not classified as one of the most popular in the U.S. today, which baffles some reviewers, as many rate this as the best coffee bean currently on the market. It has almost the perfect taste for an ideal bean, as it offers a great sense of balance: not too sweet or bitter, while also carrying a rich and distinct taste. Many coffee drinkers appreciate this mix, and really enjoy the taste that this relatively thick coffee brings. However, this coffee is on the rare side of available coffees in the U.S. market, with prices typically in the $50 range, plusa shipping fee to your house. However, this coffee brings a much more neutral taste compared to the sugary, sweet taste that an Arabica coffee provides. According to the great feedback from other coffee tasters, it is definitely worth a try. Coffee beans vary differently around the world. Whether it be farming techniques or taste, it is always good to try different types of coffees rather than stick with the same ritual. So next time you look online to shop for something, trying a new type of coffee should be something on the top of your list.

The All New Pottermore

By RACHEL LEE

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Sound familiar? This catchy quote is taken from the one and only, the astounding, magnificent masterpiece, Harry Potter. Even though the last movie was released in 2011, the wizarding world is still alive.

Ever since J.K. Rowling introduced Pottermore in 2012, the Harry Potter fandom has been able to discover their destined house and wand. Recently, the entire Pottermore website has been redesigned and improved with some old features out the window, and some entirely new ones introduced. The fresh additions include never-before-seen writing by J.K. Rowling, exclusive insight on Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, character backstories, and various sorting ceremonies.

Cursed Child, the eighth Harry Potter story, is the first to be presented on stage in London’s West End. The play picks up where we last left off, with Harry sending off James Sirius and Albus Severus to Hogwarts to begin their education. Cursed Child gives the reader a glance into Harry Potter’s life after Hogwarts, and the countless adventures that accompany him nonetheless. On the other hand, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes place during the 1920s in the same wizarding world, long before Harry Potter’s existence. The movie, set to come out this year, follows the path of Newt Scamander and his journey to retrieve the misplaced fantastic beasts while maintaining the balance between the

Staff Writer

wizarding and Muggle world.

Patronuses, advanced magic that produces a unique, protective force against Dementors, require highly powerful wizards and top-notch skill. Like a wizard’s wand, patronuses are unique to the wizard who conjures it. For example, Harry Potter’s patronus is a stag; Albus Dumbledore’s patronus is a Phoenix; and Severus Snape’s patronus is a doe. And now, we, fellow Muggles, can discover our Patronuses and welcome the inner magic within us. The possibilities are endless, with results varying from a butterfly, to even possibly a shark. Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the great North American school of magic founded in the seventeenth century, is part of the new J.K. Rowling series named Magic in North America. The new series will provide background information on the history of magic in North America, prior to the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The brand new sorting ceremony into Ilvermorny School includes four possible houses: Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, Thunderbird, and Wampus. Named after four magical, majestic creatures, the houses are similar to the Hogwarts houses we’re familiar with. The Pottermore website and Harry Potter fandom is constantly updating and buzzing with magic, and with so many new features, who can possibly ignore it? Mischief managed.

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Photo courtesy of HARRYPOTTERWALLART.COM

The Mystery of Ouija Boards

By ATUSSA KIAN

Staff Writer

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to connect with spirits of the dead? For a small price, an Ouija board can give you this experience of a lifetime, or after-life for that matter. Some people consider them to be the most effective way to connect with the dead, particularly those who might have a special connection to you and your soul. Other times, spirits that live in your home are the ones who you come in contact with. But do these really work? Such a question could lead to an onslaught of much debate that could potentially be filled with strong beliefs that are expressed with rude bigotry and unnecessary attacks. In this article, however, we are going to skip the debate part, and automatically assume that Ouija boards are a huge hoax. That would also leave several gaping questions. If these game boards were really meant for some fun, how do they work? How did the inventors come up with a such an idea? How does the board seem to answer correctly every time? And the scariest question of all: why do the Ouija board’s answers seem surprisingly human? After all, if there was really some magnet under the board that was controlling everyone’s hand movements, how could it knowingly spell out words and sentences that make sense? All of these questions can be explained using one simple concept: the ideomotor effect. This theory states that someone can move an object without subconsciously realizing it. In the Ouija player’s case, this object would be the planchette. You can test this theory by tying a heavy object to a string, and trying to keep it completely motionless. If you were to imagine the string going in a circle, you will notice that your ‘motionless’ hand is moving the string is subconsciously moving the string in a circle.

A study run by the University of British Columbia proves this theory to be in fact correct. One of the tests had two subjects be blindfolded to play a foiled game of Ouija board. The experiment was designed so that the partner purposefully took his or her hand off the planchette. From there, they continued to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions using the board. At the end of the study, it showed the subject answered more questions correctly when playing the game with a partner, when they believed that they didn’t have total control of the planchette, versus answering the questions alone. This experiment in itself explains why you need to have two or more players touching the planchette while ‘connecting with spirits’. A second possibility that explains the way that Ouija boards work can be crushing for some die-hard horror fans and that is this: one of the players is moving the planchette. In many cases, the players vow not to move it on purpose. However, some still do this. It is the only other possibility. We can see this occur on YouTube, especially with certain channels who claim to be ‘psychic’ and believe that humans can connect with the deceased. While trying to ‘prove’ that the Ouija board works and playing it like it’s just another innocent game, they are really moving the planchette themselves. Possession seems to be something that many believe proves the Ouija board as real. However, such possessions are mostly staged. Even with these provided explanations, real horror fans, and ghost believers alike manage to find gaping loopholes in the scientific possibilities. Many wonder how they can come up with a name and a story-line for the spirit they’re connecting to simply powered by the ideomotor effect. One thing is clear however: Ouija boards are a mind-boggling mystery. If you plan to play the game, don’t forget to respect the ghosts and move your planchette across the “GOODBYE” on the bottom of the board, just in case. The consequences of doing otherwise could be severe.

Wonderland On Earth

By NICOLE SOONG

Staff Writer

There are lots of hiking trails in Yellowstone National Park. They can be dangerous if tourists encounter bears or other wild animals, so it is necessary to have bear spray at all times. The water there is not always safe for tourists to drink, so visitors should bring enough water to prevent dehydration. People should also bring a sleeping bag that is warm enough for 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, because the night can get pretty chilly. Don’t forget the basic essentials like headlamps, raincoats, and matches!

The northern side of the national park has lots of remarkable landmarks, but the Old Faithful Geyser was definitely the most unforgettable part. The stunning view of the eruption, with hot water rushing out vertically to the sky was surely remarkable. The Old Faithful Geyser erupts every 35 to 120 minutes and eruptions usually last 1.5 minutes to 5 minutes. The average height of the eruption is between 130 to 140 feet and the highest in record is 180 feet! Walking along the trail of the Old Faithful Geyser, there were lots of hot springs with dazzling baby-blue water, and the steam rising up from the hot spring added the mysterious vibe to the elegant sunset. The trail was embraced by lots of different kinds of trees with few birds’ chirps. The scent of the area wasn’t pleasant because of the acid. Yet, the air was really fresh and cool, along with cool breezes. The area was really quiet and placid when my family and I were sightseeing; there were a few tourists taking pictures of the hot springs, while people talked quietly, and tried not to disturb the nature. It felt really nice to be close to nature, especially since we live in the city.

Hiking on a different trail the next morning, the scenery was completely different. The green trees were lush and spectacular, blocking the sunlight from reaching the ground, bringing out cool breezes. Hiking can be very pleasurable, so the time passed by quickly while sightseeing and talking with the family, especially when the birds were singing and the cicadas were calling. The verdant trees calmed me and the voices of the animals brightened my day. The sunset lightly illuminated the land with a warm beam. Some squirrels would climb up trees, and I saw a huge brown bison eating a few feet away. The remarkable thing was the trail wasn’t packed with people because it was still early in the morning, and it was extra sedate. The minerals stained the rocks, created the pink and yellow surface of the canyon, along with the Yellowstone River rushing downhill, was definitely memorable.

The marvelous scenery cannot be thoroughly described with words, and the Yellowstone National Park can definitely bring amusement. A trip to Yellowstone National Park will not disappoint tourists and will certainly fascinate people!

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theapachepowwow.com October 2016

October 2016

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