The Aztec - October 2015 Issue

THE AZTEC VOLUME LXXVIII NUMBER II

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS:

October 15, 2015

theaztecnews.com

Mark Keppel Theatre Company performs first fall play in six years

Leading Ladies • New Staff • Blood Drive• Haunted Auditorium• STD Presentation • College Nights • News Briefs

San Gabriel High School to host eighth annual college fair The eighth annual district college fair will be held at San Gabriel High School tonight at 6-8 pm, with representatives from over 70 two and four year college and universities, as well as vocational schools and the military.

VIEWPOINT:

Selling Coffee on Campus • Free Loaders • Later School Start Time • Staff Editorial

FOCUS:

Facing Your Fears (High School Edition)

A&E:

Derby Dolls • Star Wars Land • Scream Queens

SPORTS:

Boys' Water Polo • Football • Girls' Tennis •Girls' Volleyball • Cross Country • Athlete's Pro�ile

Mark

Your calendar 10/15 District College Fair 6-8 pm at SGHS 10/16 Minimum Day Schedule 10/21 MKHS PTSA Meeting 7-9 pm in Cafeteria 10/28 Collaboration Schedule 10/28 MKHS Alliance Meeting 7-9 pm in Cafeteria 11/4 Collaboration Schedule 11/6 Homecoming 11/11 Veteran's Day Holiday 11/12 Drama Boosters Meeting 7-8:30 pm 11/18 Collaboration Schedule 11/18 MKHS PTSA Meeting 7-9 pm 11/23-11/27 Thanksgiving Break

News in Brief

THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ From left to right: Seniors Bryan Ha, Joseph Caldera, Ariel Wong, Lauren Estrada, sophomore Celeste Nguyen, and seniors Sammy Chen and Kyle Shelton act out a scene from the fall play.

BRANDON CHUNG Historian, Co-Copy Editor The Mark Keppel Theatre Company held their fall play, Leading Ladies, on October 8, 9, and 10, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., with a 15-minute intermission.

The play revolves around two down-on-their-luck Shakespearean actors who pose as an ailing woman’s nieces in order be included in her multi-million dollar inheritance, but find themselves in an unexpected predicament when they learn that the woman is still alive- and that their presence is causing her to recover.

Presale ticket prices for students was $10, while the at-thedoor price was $12. A special screening of the play was held on Wednesday, October 7, with tickets being $5.

The cast of the show included senior Kyle Shelton as Leo Clark/Maxine, senior Sammy

Chen as Jack Gable/Stephanie, senior Lauren Estrada as Meg, senior Joseph Caldera as Butch, senior Bryan Ha as Doc, sophomore Albert Aguilar as Duncan, sophomore Celeste Nguyen as Aunt Florence, senior Ariel Wong as Audrey, and a small ensemble group.

Chen said that the hardest part of playing Jack and Stephanie were the changes between scenes, since he had to switch through four different costumes throughout the play.

“I had to run backstage and once I ran out...in pantyhose and my underwear, and I got caught by the maintenance crew and they were like ‘what are you doing?’” he said.

In addition, his favorite part was the seduction scene, in which he attempts to woo Duncan to make him lose his attention for Meg, but instead ends up attracting the unwanted attention

(and sexual advances) of Doc. Audience reception to the play was mostly positive. Junior Vienna Tan, who attended the Friday show, found the whole performance so amusing that she was left giggling in her seat for the majority of the play.

“I liked [the play],” said Tan. “It was really funny; I laughed just like a little kid.” When asked about her favorite scene, she said with a giggle, “The seduction part… [because] Doc didn’t know that [the note from Stephanie] was actually not for him.”

Drama teacher Ms. Phillips said that the play exceeded her expectations. "The rehearsals were so much fun because the play was so funny," said Phillips.

"It certainly was one of my funnest plays to ever direct at Keppel."

Phillips said that other fall plays are expected to be produced in the future.

consist of the largest amount of donors. Each student can donate a pint of blood, which can save up to three lives. All the blood collected from the Blood Drive goes directly to Garfield Medical Center.

Red Cross takes many steps in making sure that the blood donation process is safe and sanitary, such as wearing gloves during the blood drawing process, ensuring that the needles they use are sanitary, and surveying doners before they donate blood to check for health issues. They

also provide hydration and food for all blood donors.

ASB helps in the Blood Drive by distributing sign-up sheets to students who are interested.

Mrs. Carmona said, “I would like to encourage everyone to donate blood once in their life because it goes to a positive cause.”

Students who have not taken part in the blood drive but would like to in the future can donate blood in the next blood drive in second semester.

Students volunteer for annual Red Cross Blood Drive

JONATHAN LOU Staff Writer Keppel hosted the first Red Cross Blood Drive of the school year that took place on Wednesday, October 7th.

Each year, Red Cross hosts a blood drive twice at Keppel. Students who are at least 17 years old, or 16 with permission from a parent, may volunteer to donate blood. According to ASB advisor Ms. Carmona, who has taken part in the blood drive for three years, high school students

Keppel hosts first Poetry Out Loud competition SNAP club members and Ms. Burkhart's English students recited poetry for the Poetry Out Loud competition in the auditorium on October 13. The winners included: Melissa Zepeda, Rosen Huynh, Michelle Martinez, Dana Gil, Madison Candelaria, and Jessica Ly.

Keppel brings administrative changes DARWIN TSE & SARAH McCORMICK Asst. Editor-in-Chief/ Web Editor & News Editor Keppel has made recent changes in administration, with the addition of Mr. John Scanlan as Interim Principal and Dr. Terry Jaurequi as Interim Assistant Principal of Business and Activities. Changes have been made to student bank policies as well.

Scanlan and Jaurequi are currently filling in for principal Jacinth Cisneros and assistant principal Khevin Devaughn, both of whom are currently on administrative leave.

According to Scanlan, changes in Student Bank policies have been made to "standardize the banks across the district." There are three on-site bankers and one district banker who rotate between each of the schools in the Alhambra School District.

Each student bank staff member is trained for the same jobs to ensure consistency. Another policy that was implemented was to regulate student bank hours to be open only during lunch and after school, leaving time for the staff to write checks, deal with school funds, and work with other general finances.

If students have questions about administrative changes, they may reach out to Scanlan or other staff members for more information.

Haunted Auditorium brings “Grimm Asylum” to Keppel

Kaiser Permanente gives health presentation to freshmen WESLEY ZENG Asst. Business Manager

The workspace where Tech Theater students work on the Haunted Auditorium set.

BRANDON CHUNG Historian, Co-Copy Editor Mark Keppel’s Drama Department will be hosting its annual Haunted Auditorium on Thursday, October 29, from 6-9 p.m. and Friday, October 30, from 6-10 p.m.

This year’s theme, “Grimm Asylum,” focuses on fairy tales with an eerie twist to their storylines.

Senior drama student Joseph Caldera, who is in charge of organizing the event, said, “The idea came from fiction versus reality because in fairy tales magical things happen that would be considered insane [in real life]. So I decided to play around with that idea.” Although unwilling to divulge too much information, he

THE AZTEC/KRISTIN CHINGBURANAKIT

did cite Little Red Riding Hood turning into the wolf as an example of what sort of spectacles will be concealed within the maze.

Tickets will be sold at the door for $5, unlike last year when pre-sale tickets were sold. The funds generated goes toward the theatre program and productions.

The Theatre Honors class, Advanced Drama, and Beginning Drama will all be participating in the maze as actors, playing the roles of prominent fairy tale characters like Cinderella, the Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood.

Setup of the maze will be completed by Tech Theater and will begin following the end of the fall show.

The second annual freshmen sexually transmitted disease (STD) presentation took place on Monday, September 28 in the Aztec Arena.

The presentation consisted of a skit presented by the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Educational Theater, as part of the “What Goes Around” program, which aims to teach students about the potential dangers of unprotected sex. The presentation described the different types of STDs that people are able to contract, as well as methods on how to practice safe sex.

The skit revolved around five main characters. The characters were played by Sandra Smith, who performed as Alicia; Ruffy Landayan, who acted as the character P.K; Nina Weiss, who played Philamena; Juan De La Cruz, acting as Herman; and Ray Auxais who played Eli. The story revolved around Alicia’s boyfriend, Eli, who tested positive for both chlamydia as well as HPV(human papillomavirus).

The main idea of the presentation is described at this point, and it shows that any

type of sexual contact is linked to all previous partners, and that people must take responsibility in preventing the spread of STDs. In a statistic published by the Center sfor Disease Control and Prevention, about half of the 20 million new cases of STDs each year are in adolescents aged 15-24.

After the Kaiser Permanente actors performed, they handed out STD awareness wallets and answered questions from the audience. Inside the wallets were free information cards containing links and the names of clinics that give more information to teenagers in order to be tested for STDs as well as to seek psychological help.

Smith, the STD professional and actor, said,”We actually have a whole crew... so we have somebody doing the technical side, sound, the projections, so all of its handled by a technical crew, but all part of Kaiser Permanente.”

They tour as a group of five, although the whole show was done with choreographers, graphic designers, technical and sound workers, and several others.

Freshman Andy To said, “I’ve learned to protect myself if I [were] to choose to be sexually active.”

PTSA and NHS host Private College Information Night ANTHONY JIAN Staff Writer The Mark Keppel PTSA collaborated with the National Honor Society to host a Private Colleges Information Night, an event where there are college presentations from private colleges including USC, Claremont McKenna University, and Azusa Pacific University on October 6 at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria.

The goals for this event is to introduce admission requirements for attending private colleges, the budget such as the tuition, and how to apply for scholarships. Speakers at the event included Shayna Youngs, Rakin Hall, and Jennifer Sandoval-Dancs, representatives from Azusa Pacific University, USC, and Claremont McKenna, respectively. There were also six Keppel alumni, Jinnie Choi, Jasmine Kolano, and Jenelle Ding from Azusa Pacific, Steven Lopez, Jennifer Tang, and Kimberly Thai from USC who came to talk to students.

The student speakers spoke about their experiences at the colleges and how they have adapted from high school to college.

The representatives from the colleges gave an overview of the requirements for admissions to their schools.

According to Janet Yu, the Co-First Vice President of Programs for PTSA, “This event gives opportunity for students to know about what each college introduced in this event is about. This event even explains why students should go to private colleges and how attending private colleges is better than attending the UC’s colleges.”

On top of that, PTSA member Jon Hum, Co-First Vice President on carrying out SAT Practice tests, SAT Boot Camp, etc., said, “...all we [PTSA] do is invite private colleges, introduce them to students so students would know more colleges other than Cal State colleges. One of many different college events that Mark Keppel PTSA holds out desires to help students preparing for college.”

One of the private college presenters, Jenifer Sandoval-Dancs, the Director of Admission from Claremont McKenna University spoke about the “academic, social cultures, financial aid, scholarship, internship, and the resources that Claremont McKenna college offers.”

She also said that during college priority processing, student need to submit a high school transcript, a test score from either SAT or ACT, a recommendation letter from a counselor, and two recommenda-

THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ Claremont McKenna representative, Jennifer Sandoval-Dancs, presents about private colleges to students.

tion letters from teachers.

Sandoval-Dancs said, “The benefits being part of a [tightly-knit] community feels like you’re part of a family, great education, small class size, all faculty and staff members really care about each student, and about 97% of the students live in the campus.” The most common majors of this college include economics, government, internal relation, biology, and psy-

chology.

Junior Tatiana Garnett said, “I went to this event because I’m interested on what each colleges offer and the different option I had for college such as the pros and cons about certain private colleges. After this event, I noticed how expensive the tuition costs and how much financial aid I would need if I apply to private colleges.”

The Aztec 2015-2016

Bonnie Wong Editor-in-Chief/ Asst. A&E/Features Editor Vivian To Editor-in-Chief/ Focus Editor Darwin Tse Asst. Editor-in-Chief/ Web Editor

Brian Yeo Viewpoint Editor

Edlyn Wong Head Cartoonist

Celeste Arambula Staff Writer

Anthony Jian Staff Writer

Shanae To Staff Writer

Eric Lam Sports Editor

Aurora Zeng Cartoonist

Calvin Chan Staff Writer

Cole Kim Staff Writer

Babyruth Torres Staff Writer

Karli Cheng Business Manager

Wesley Zeng Asst. Business Manager

Kevin Kuang Staff Writer

Sophie Wong Staff Writer

Victoria Ramirez Chief Photographer

Kristin Chingburanakit Asst. Photographer

Dianne Do Staff Writer Noelle Frasher Staff Writer

Sarah McCormick News Editor

Brandon Chung Historian/ Co-Copy Editor

Alexander Beaumont A&E/Features Editor

Yang Lu Co-Copy Editor

Rodolfo Arias Asst. Photographer Angela Chen Asst. Focus Editor

Arodi Garcia Staff Writer Cristina Gonzalez Staff Writer Anita Huang Staff Writer

Kenneth Liu Staff Writer Jonathan Lou Staff Writer Eric Tam Staff Writer

The aztec is published monthly by the journalism class of mark keppel high school and is printed By News publishers’ press. opinions expressed are those of the writers, not of the faculty or administration. Articles without bylines are staff editorials, and reflect the opinion of the staff.

Letters to the editor are welcome and are subject to editing. Letters can be given to Ms. Bradley in room a225 or sent to THEaztecstaff@gmail. com. All letters must be signed, but on request, names will be withheld. we do not acknowledge unsigned letters.

All internet graphics on the aztec newspaper are the properties of their respective owners.

Alhambra, CA 91801

Editorial: New hallway rules implemented by administration The school administration has recently passed regulations that restrict student access to certain campus areas during lunch and after school.

Starting Monday, October 5, the A and C building hallways and the Aztec Court are off limits to students during lunch. The following Monday, October 12, the administration announced that the campus would be closed after 3:30 p.m.

During lunch, students are still allowed to enter the building for club meetings, tutoring, and teacher visitation. The career center and library are also open to students during this time. Additionally, students are given about five minutes after the beginning of lunch and before the

end of lunch for locker access.

“The reasoning behind [the rules] is that we [want to] be able to supervise everybody,” said Interim Principal John Scanlan.

“When I got here, pretty much everybody was everywhere during lunchtime and that’s not conducive to being able to supervise everybody.”

Scanlan added that these rules were in implementation during his previous time at Keppel, over two years ago.

“We are trying to maintain a secure and safe campus so that students at lunch time are in a central location in case of an emergency.” said Assistant Principal Alex Perez. “As long as the kids are not in the hallway and they are in a room supervised by

an adult, we’re good.”

When the rules were first implemented on October 5, there was a strong reaction from students.

Feedback was expressed primarily through social media platforms.

Numerous Facebook posts were written in protest against the new rules, and a petition on change.org to repeal the policies garnered over 200 signatures before the petitioner deactivated the form.

Common student complaints included the designation of several benches as off limits, the crowdedness of the lunch court, and the unavailability of restrooms.

While the administration presented sensible reasons for the

regulations, some student grievances are also valid. For example, the regulations were effective immediately, without advanced notice or input from students and parents. This may have made it difficult for students to adjust, alienating many.

Additionally, the measures were a bit extreme in nature, placing restrictions on the majority of students due to potential inappropriate behavior from only a minority. Supervision over everyone is always logistically impossible, even with the new rules.

Instead of restricting all students for the misbehaving few, perhaps the administration could focus its efforts on guiding misdirected students. Increased student involvement may also help

students monitor themselves and practice self-control.

Conversely, students should try to be informed and consider different perspectives before reacting. Then, students should present their feedback rationally and with conviction.

In truth, access to hallways during breaks is a privilege and not a right. Misinformed and premature backlash only incites mob mentality and does not solve the problem.

The administration is open to conversation and has responded promptly to students.

Scanlan said, “Just come talk to [the administration]. We’re flexible and understand sometimes we didn’t do it the right way and we need to change something.”

The price of freeloading Late school start times show marked results ALEX BEAUMONT A&E/Features Editor

EDLYN WONG Head Cartoonist We all know that one notorious individual who freeloads off others’ food. We have all, at one point, been a freeloader or a victim of a freeloader. There’s really nothing wrong with being either, to a certain extent.

Personally, I am a giver and a taker. I definitely don’t mind sharing with my peers, but I don’t appreciate them eating all my chips. On the other hand, taking food from my friends, with consent, is quite enjoyable.

Freshman Wilson Yeung said, “Freeloading is fun and I know that because I am a freeloader. I don’t get why people are annoyed of freeloaders. The person technically allows it right?”

In contrast, senior Stephanie Ureña said that she often feels

CARTOON BY EDLYN WONG

obligated to share with her peers.

When asked about her worst freeloader experience, Ureña shared, “One time during lunch... my friend asked if she could get some [of my grapes] so I let her.

I had to go to the restroom so before I left, I told her to make sure to save some for me. When I came back, only two grapes were left. I was pretty upset, assuming she’d be more considerate.”

Here is some advice concerning freeloading. If you’re a freeloader, be considerate and don’t take advantage of your friends just because you can. Unless they genuinely insist on sharing, be aware of how much you take from them.

And to the generous victims, don’t be afraid to say “no” if it’s not what you want. The key is to communicate and compromise so neither party gets upset.

An early school start time, combined with loads of homework, various club responsibilities, and sports can be a dangerous mix for the average high school student.

Many parents, students, psychologists, and even legislators have called for a later school start time. In the late 1990s, a major effort known as the Start School Later Movement promoted later school day starts in school districts across the U.S. In a study by famed sleep psychiatrist Dr. Mary Carskadon, starting school one hour later resulted in an estimated 300% increase in the number of students getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep.

Other results included increased alertness in school and improved attendance among students. Another study done by University of Minnesota psychologist Dr. Kyla Walshtrom showed that starting school simply a half hour later reduced the likelihood of depression, low grades, and notably, obesity.

Keppel students agree with the need for a later school start time.

Starting school at 9 a.m. may be beneficial for students.

THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ

Currently, first period at Keppel starts at 7:41 and zero period at 6:43.

Sophomore Andy Lau said, “Having a later school start time would really reduce drowsiness in kids during first period and would make us all feel better.”

However, while there are many benefits to later school start times, there are also consequences associated.

Some of the most prominent consequences of later start times include disruptions of parents’ work schedules and shortened time for after-school activities,

such as sports.

Having seen both sides of the story, the question is whether or not the psychological benefits outweigh the negative consequences of a later school start time.

A later school start time should be a priority of administrators everywhere. Granted, while there are some drawbacks to starting the school day later, the benefits are far more valuable to the health and well-being of students Shouldn’t the students’ well-being be the most important aspect of every school district?

school financially. One pound of coffee grounds at Starbucks costs around $11 and can make 45 cups of coffee.

If a cup of coffee is sold for $1.50, the profit will be more than 5 times the price of the coffee grounds. Then, the school can use the money earned from selling coffee for better equipment.

However, some may argue that having too much coffee can be a problem. Sophomore Nigel Ching believes that coffee should not be allowed on campus and said, “I think coffee is inappropriate for an academic setting. It can disturb one’s focus by causing a headache.”

Drinking an excessive amount of coffee can cause people to be

hyperactive and disturb sleeping habits.

Too much caffeine can cause a person to be awake for a long period of time. He or she would not be able to sleep until late at night, which can affect the next day at school. Despite the drawbacks, coffee can be more beneficial to the school and students than it is negative. Additionally, the negative effects of coffee can be easily resolved.

In order to prevent bad sleeping habits, one can set limits on how much coffee he or she drinks. If taste becomes an issue, it could be easily altered by adding sugar or sweetener. Regardless, it is time to begin selling coffee at school.

Selling coffee on campus can help students remain alert at school

Junior Dana Gil takes a sip of a Starbucks coffee.

KENNETH LIU Staff Writer In any classroom, there are students with their heads down on the desk, struggling to stay awake

THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

because they slept late the previous night. The most common remedy for fatigue would be drinking coffee, but many students cannot drive to coffee vendors. A simple solution to this issue is to sell cof-

fee on campus, so should Keppel start to sell coffee?

Coffee is a widely popular drink in America; about 2.l billion lbs of coffee are consumed every year.

One benefit of selling coffee on campus is that fewer kids would fall asleep during class. Math teacher Mr. Chan believes that coffee should be sold on campus and said, “Coffee should be allowed at school because it keeps the kids awake and is better than energy drinks.”

One cup of coffee can keep someone awake for up to 14 hours. This will be helpful to students with stressful classes who have few hours of sleep.

Selling coffee can also help the

FACING YOUR FE Just do you Be Yourself

AURORA ZENG Cartoonist

Whether we like it or not, constant judgment rules over our everyday thoughts and actions.

Maybe you choose not to wear a certain jacket one morning because someone once said it didn’t suit you, or maybe you decide not to join a certain club because you were embarrassed by the fact that you were interested in that subject. Either way, the fear of judgment is something most students may face, especially in high school.

Freshman Esther Vega shared her experience of naturally looking physically different.

When she was ten, people made fun of her short height and hair, and she thought she was being bullied. However, as she grew older, Vega realized that people were only joking.

Now, her automatic response to any form of insult is a “positive or comedic response”. In addition, Vega shared her thoughts on dealing with judgment. “I would rather be myself in a comfortable situation and not stress out about something [like my appearance] that I can’t even change than to spend the longer part of my day focused on my physical appearance,” she said. “No matter what, people are still going to be self-conscious about certain things, so do things that’ll make you happy.”

Meanwhile, junior Calvin Ho had the courage to try out for the Color Guard team despite knowing that his presence in a “girl’s” sport would not always be positively received. “I knew it was inevitable that people would say

things because I was different, but high school was slowly coming to an end and I wanted to do something for myself,” Ho said about his self motivation to join Color Guard, which he has had an interest in since his Freshmen Orientation. “I have heard some negative side comments that float around the halls about me, but [it] was never said to my face directly.” In fact, Ho said that, overall, people were super nice and supporting when he did make the team, which he now calls his family.

Biology and statistics teacher, Ms. Ng, also shared her thoughts about the appearance of students. She believes that students would be remembered more through their personality rather than how they look. She also said that students who are afraid to speak up in class should try to get comfortable talking to a teacher first so they can slowly transition to making a habit of raising their hand in class.

Judgment is inevitable. If you try to plan your day around it, you’ll go nowhere. No matter where you go, how you look, or what you say, someone out there will always have a different opinion. Although fearing judgment is a relatable topic, we shouldn’t live our entire lives being afraid of how others might think of us. Ho said, “Don’t let others stop you from being yourself. If [people] want to be mean about it, their opinion and comments don’t matter, yours does.”

Don’t let rejection change your direction Keep Trying Out ANGELA CHEN Asst. Focus Editor

From early on, students are taught and expected to excel above and beyond in their academic studies and extracurricular activities.

However, a majority of extracurriculars require students to prove their abilities prior to their admittance into the team or society.

For some, the fear of first-hand rejection makes students unwilling to try out for anything. For others, the expectancy and anticipation of rejection discourages them from even attempting in the first place. According to an article titled “The Thing We Fear More Than Death” on www.psychologytoday.com, the fear of rejection might be due to our instinct to fear being excluded from everybody. However, fear does not necessarily inhibit success, as certain individuals have proven.

Senior Lauren Estrada stated, “I think [what makes rejection so nerve-wracking is] because it’s very real. There’s so much competition out there that you’re bound to run up against someone who’s had more experience. You have to put your best points out there and see if you can make it, and it’s a lot of putting yourself out in the open and getting picked apart by the little things you can and cannot do – and that’s terrifying.”

Not all students who are in teams or societies have succeeded in getting into what they want the first time they tried. Sophomore Evan Sakuma said, “From a person who tries every-

thing, I have failed in countless instances. I have tried out for a sport in the past, and in the end, they did not call me back.”

According to our school psychologist Ms. Lin, the fear of rejection may evolve into extreme cases that may affect one’s day-to-day functions – such as isolating oneself from social situations. It is from that point that the fear of rejection may be considered clinical and may require professional aid.

As an instructor who supervises the selection of players who are accepted on the team, Girls’ Soccer coach, Mr. Shahin, stated that players who have the courage to persevere, even in the face of rejection, are the students he admires. “You don’t want early failures to rule your life. You want the type of mentality – and hopefully toughness – that says ‘I’ll keep trying no matter what’. I think that if anybody were to keep trying, those qualities will ultimately show up, and people around you will eventually take notice.”

Even though students may not succeed the first time, they should look at it in a positive way and learn from it. Estrada said, “There is a reason why your performance wasn’t good enough, and this is how you can improve. You just have to get into thinking that it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get something one time.”

Poll: Do you see yourself being ab Yes

42%

Someti 23%

EARS

high school edition fearing great expectations Maintaining Success COLE KIM Staff Writer Almost everyone is afraid of some type of failure.

Some do not want to receive no for an answer, an F for a grade, or mess up on what their work. However, maybe it is not failure that they fear; rather, it could be the opposite - they fear success. From a certain angle, it may be easy to see why. Often times, it is not the actual success people may fear but the expectations that follow. However, being successful does come with perks that may include a good reputation, social status, and possibly wealth. These perks are like a double-edged blade to many.

“I am among the people who fear success,” said freshman Brenner Sayavong. “Rather, it’s not the success itself that I fear. It’s almost the opposite...I’m afraid of giving up,” said Ms. Salama, a business teacher. “I consider myself a successful person, thus far in my life.

But I do have things that I haven’t accomplished, and sometimes I get anxious and afraid that I won’t accom-

plish them.”

Even though other people may be afraid of the work that comes with being successful, such as the difference in the amount of homework for an honors class versus a normal one. “A person may be afraid that the success will unground them, and they’ll be pushed outside of their comfort zone. Depending on the person’s definition of success, they might feel a change coming, and be afraid of that change,” said Ms. Salama.

Sometimes being afraid of success and being afraid of failure can go hand in hand. Ms. Salama also added, “Success can be different to everyone, but I’ve been brought to think that people are more willing to accept unhappiness over uncertainty and taking a risk.”

The root of the fear of success may lie in uncertainty.

Whether the reason for fear is change or uncertainty, students should take chances, even if they may make mistakes along the way.

Failing can’t hold you down SOPHIE WONG Staff Writer Do you have a fear of failing and highly value your grades? Does a one percent drop make you feel tense?

The fear of failure, also known as atychiphobia, may be caused by high goals and constant competition. In some cases, it may also be caused by a limited amount of rewards and not enough recognition. People know they have this fear when failing makes them concerned about their capability to pursue their dream job, or when they are anxious that people will lose affection for them.

If students realize that they are not reaching their goals or are not attaining perfection, this fear may be the result. Psychology teacher, Mr. Chin, advises students who need assistance overcoming their fear. Mr. Chin said, “Students are afraid of not performing well, and there’s pressure coming from the fact that people care. They constantly want to strive to be better.”

Some students believe that failure can be considered as a way to improve themselves. “The fear of failure is common, but I think it should be taken the other way around: motivation for success,” said sophomore

Let It Fuel Your Motivation

Kenny Chang. Chang believes that this fear should be looked at as an opportunity to improve oneself. Along with Chang, Senior Amber Pacheco also agrees that the fear is very common and said, “I think it’s enough as long as you try your best.” Mr. Chin said, “There is an appropriate amount. When it becomes over-whelming, it is harder for students to learn. Students will be afraid to ask for help, and it ‘paralyzes’ them. [However], this fear can definitely motivate students and lead them to success.”

Many students may develop fear of failure when they are pressured by their family and friends. Afraid of being humiliated, they aim for the best grades possible and try to finish all extra credit assignments offered.

Some parents may consider a B as a lousy grade, which puts a great deal of stress on their child. You should always seek an adult for help when needed. In the end, it is uncertain whether or not the fear of failure will ever vanish, but one thing’s for sure: Don’t let that failure define who you are as a person; use it as a chance to improve yourself.

No need to be crushed

By Your Crush ARODI GARCIA Staff Writer

Senior Khrystalie Le THE AZTEC/ KARLI CHENG

ble to stand up to your fear?

imes %

No

35% 220 students were polled.

Experiencing fear is a normal feeling to have, and fear of rejection by a crush may be one of our deepest human fears yet. A large part of fearing rejection is the thought of having to experience pain or embarrassment.

Senior Darren Tu experienced this fear in his sophomore year when he asked his long time crush to the Last Dance. He tried being clever by asking her indirectly because “I wasn’t sure [that] if I asked her directly, she would say yes”. When we have rejection spinning in our minds, some people may become agitated, anxious, or depressed. In this case, Tu experienced anxiety and said, “As soon as I asked her I just turned my phone off and logged off Facebook. I didn’t check it for the rest of the day because I was so scared [of her answer].”

Tu later confessed how he really felt but unfortunately she didn’t feel the same. Today, they remain friends.

Tu stated, “I was actually prepared to not be friends anymore but she just kept talking to me like nothing happened. I was upset for a while and it still bothers me a bit even today.” Although he had to face rejection, Tu says that this experience won’t stop him from ever confessing again.

Sophomore Cristian Diaz said, “I’m pretty sure ev-

eryone is supposed to be afraid of rejection.” He thinks that the worst part of rejection is the aftermath. “For me, my stomach starts to feel weird, and I don’t feel like myself throughout the whole day or week.”

Relationships may be frightening, especially rejection. Senior Jeffrey Nishimura feels that having or being in a relationship isn’t the scary part, but the asking is. He is afraid of the “timing not being right” because “there’s a time and place for everything.” He feels that if the timing isn’t right, then he will be rejected. He also said that he’s not so much afraid of losing the person but being disappointed. He said, “If you like someone of course you would want them to like you back, but if they don’t then it’s kind of disappointing.” Nishimura feels that being rejected isn’t the end of the world but “it certainly would be hard to move on.”

Senior Andrea Gallardo has a similar opinion about rejection. She says she’s not afraid to confess because “everybody gets rejected at least once in there life.”

Being rejected by someone you like isn’t the end of the world. There are many other fish in the sea, and even though some may get away, be consoled with the fact that there will be someone out there waiting for you.

Dolls Derbyin’ Around VICTORIA RAMIREZ & BONNIE WONG Chief Photographer & Editor-In-Chief/ Asst. A&E/ Features Editor Two roller derby teams under the L.A. Derby Dolls (LADD) league competed at the Doll Factory, their recently renovated banked track headquarters, on September 26. The LADD was founded in October 2003 as an all-female, volunteer-run league of over 150 individuals.

The LADD consists of the following teams: Fight Crew, Sirens, Tough Cookies, Varsity Brawlers, and The L.A. Ri-Ettes.

Walking into their Los Angeles-based headquarters, we were immediately greeted by colorful artwork, friendly staff, and skillful skaters whizzing around the revamped warehouse. We took a tour of the facility, courtesy of Vanna Fight, skater for the Tough Cookies, which houses their 100’x 60’ banked track, ground-level track, standing area for general admission, and bleachers for VIP spectators. The Dolleseum featured The Doll Mall, where 6 or 7 local vendors sold a variety of goods from popsicles to baked goods to socks, a merchandise corner, which sold official LADD gear, and a patio in the back for pre-game lounging.

The period of time in which the game is played is known as a “bout.” A number of fans were in attendace of the friendly competition, rooting for their favorite team. Player Vanna Fight said, “We offer a family friendly event that’s great for people in the surrounding areas.

Young kids can get out of the house. I know I would’ve spent all my weekends here and not have to worry about curfew because our games end before 10:30 [p.m.].”

The friendly staff encouraged spectators to ask questions during the games and cheer on skaters during the bouts.

Fight said, “It’s really rewarding to see [the first time fans] cheering.”

Roller Derby is a very complex and technical sport.

A team requires five skaters to be on the banked track; the skaters are divided into four Blockers (one is called the Pivot, who leads the Pack and wears a striped helmet).

The fifth skater is known as Jammer; a Jammer is the one

Fight Crew and Sirens after an intense bout.

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who scores the points (wears a star helmet). The Blockers are the skaters constantly playing defense; they make sure that the opposing Jammer does not score points.

There are four quarters in each bout, all of which are divided into halves called Jams. Each Jam lasts until a Lead Jammer (Lead Jammer has the power to call off Jams) taps both hands on her hips, an official calls one off or when a Jam surpasses its 60 second limit. Once a whistle is blown, all skaters must immediately exit the track.

“It’s not every man for himself. It’s everyone together, that’s the only way you’re going to make it,” player Belle Scorcho said, “Our goal at the end of the quarter was just finish strong and finish with class.”

In order to score points, Jammers can lap past any opposing skaters as long as it is legal. Penalties or any other decision that is made that stops the opposing team from getting to the jammer, can lead to the earning of “Ghost Points,” once the Jammer has scored her first point. There are many other ways for the Jammer to gain points. It’s important to know that if a Jammer were to commit a

STAR WARS LAND

major penalty during the last Jam, she will not be allowed to score any more points and will immediately become a Ghost Point.

Blockers are not allowed to use their elbows and feet, or even trip another skater. It is considered a foul if a Blocker tries to block an opposing skater above the shoulders.

A defensive skater cannot fall back or go ahead of the Pack past 20 feet. Penalties can be called if a Blocker’s skate is infield. Players can be ejected if they go over six penalties or a fight commences. “The things that go through [my head in the rink] are move your feet, keep breathing...don’t fall,” said Scorcho.

Overall, Roller Derby is best known for its intense but friendly competition. Scorcho said, “I’m a lot more comfortable in my own body. Roller derby is a sport that just accepts everyone and every body type and everyone has something to offer. It’s really made me comfortable in my own skin, knowing that I have something valuable.” The Derby Doll’s next bout will be held on Saturday, October 24. Tickets are $10 with a valid student ID.

Pretty evil screams with “Scream Queens” KRISTIN CHINGBURANAKIT Asst. Photographer

The sign for the current Star Wars ride at Disneyland.

ERIC TAM Staff Writer May the force be with Disneyland next year as construction for the new Star Wars Land starts in 2016. The new addition to Disneyland will be 14 acres of pure fan service. Visitors can expect a truly authentic take on the Star Wars universe and enjoy the many set-pieces that make the series so iconic.

Prospective Jedi can finally ride in the legendary Millennium Falcon and undertake what Disney CEO Bob Iger called a “customized secret mission.” Purists can be assured that the new Star Wars theme park will be absolutely true to original lore. Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek affirmed that “nothing in the land will be out of character or stray from mythology.” Nostalgic fans like junior Kevin Kuramoto cannot wait to experience their fandom come to life. Kuramoto said, “Ever since I first saw the majestic original Star Wars trilogy, it has been my

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ

childhood dream to fully immerse myself in a galaxy far, far away. With the creation of Star Wars Land, my dream might finally be realized.” Many fans like Kuramoto place high hopes in this venture, but senior Xiangru Leng only hopes that “they are creative and make something fun.”

The cultural impact of Star Wars is truly galactic. Construction on the new addition is still in its infancy; the rides and features planned have never been fully articulated by the Walt Disney Company. Attractions like the Millennium Falcon and the Mos Eisley Cantina seen in Episode IV remain only as concepts with little explanation of what visitors will actually be doing on these rides. However, visitors can expect to be able to drink the same mysterious blue milk Luke Skywalker did in Episode IV. Star Wars Land is the working title of the new addition, so the name may change as the park develops. Star Wars Land will be added to both Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Scream Queens is an American horror comedy TV show that premiered on FOX network on September 22, 2015, written and directed by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan. Murphy also directed Glee and American Horror Story.

The cast includes many well known celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Keke Palmer, Lea Michele, and Nick Jonas. Roberts portrays the main character of the show, Chanel Oberlin.

This first season will be centered around murders involved with the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority at Wallace University.

In 1995, a sorority member was killed.

Twenty years after the murder, someone seeks vengeance to murder members of the sorority as a memory of the past crime.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the two hour premiere garnered 4 million viewers and those who watched from the beginning stayed and until the end of the show, which is a good sign as the show still has the potential to rise in its ratings.

Senior Cassidy Lam says that the premiere got her “hooked because it was so funny, sassy, and mysterious. There aren’t many shows that have a mix of those genres that often.” Lam also added that “Emma Roberts is [her] favorite actress because she is so sassy and [she] loved her in American Horror Story: Coven.”

On the other hand, there are some who don’t really like the show. Junior Tatiana Garnett did not watch the show because she isn’t “into the horror things and

doesn’t understand why people find thrill in being scared.” There are many other students who have not even seen the show simply because they have never heard of the show, such as freshman Nathan Tran.

Garnett included “it also seems to be really cheesy and stupid.”

Scream Queens airs on FOX every Tuesday at 9 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOX NETWORK Title poster for FOX’s new show “Scream Queens.”

Keppel football faces off against Bell Gardens

The Keppel football team prepares for their upcoming game.

ERIC LAM Sports Editor On October 9, the Mark Keppel Aztecs went up against Bell Gardens. The game ended

THE AZTEC/RODOLPHO ARIAS

in a loss for the Aztecs. Although they are currently 0-1 in league, there is still much time for the Aztecs to improve.

The game started off with a strong offense from Keppel,

managing to push Bell Gardens to their 25 yard line. However, Keppel lost possession of the ball with a fumble and Bell Gardens took momentum of the game, scoring with a 40 yard run and another touchdown shortly after.

Keppel began to push Bell Gardens back, with a 40 yard pass from Senior Elijah Castillo #5 to Senior Jonathan Cobos #10 to end the quarter, putting the Aztecs on the 30 yard line, Bell Gardens side.

The second quarter started well for the Aztecs with a 20 yard pass from Castillo to Cobos, starting the second quarter

at 6-14. However, the Aztecs could not keep up with , ending the second quarter with three consecutive touchdowns from Bell Gardens, putting the score at 6-35.

The second half of the game did not bode well for the Aztecs - their offense was not strong enough to push through the Bell Garden defense, while the Bell Garden offense proved to be too strong for the Keppel defense.

As a result, Bell Gardens managed to score 13 more points in the later half of the game, putting the final score at 6-48.

Senior Jonathan Cobos, who

scored the touchdown for Keppel, says “I thought we had a good start, but we couldn’t keep it up. We’re just not consistent.”

Senior Jesus Rodriguez added, “We definitely could have been better, but we just had too many mistakes.”

Both Cobos and Rodriguez agree that the team will be fixing their mentality and mental strategies for the upcoming games.

“Physically, we’re there, but we really have to improve our mental game as well,” says Cobos.

Cross country competes in Almont League under new coach

Senior Josue Reynoso sprints toward the finish line.

DARWIN TSE Web Editor/Asst.

Editor-in-Chief The Mark Keppel cross country team participated in their first Almont League meet on Wednesday, September 30. The meet was held at Legg Lake in South El Monte.

Overall, frosh boys placed 2nd, frosh girls placed 3rd, junior varsity boys placed 5th, junior varsity girls placed 5th, boys varsity placed 6th, and girls varsity placed 5th.

“I think they came very prepared,” said coach Gerson Justiniano. “They

THE AZTEC/DARWIN TSE

can just get better, they’re not gonna get worse.”

The meet was dominated

by Schurr High School, who finished first in all races.

“You see how other people run from other schools and you’re like, ‘Ok, I know where I have to be at’,” said captain and junior Janelle Zamora.

“We usually start too fast or start too slow and we need to learn how to keep our pace throughout the race.”

While cross country may be simple in essence, it is actually a mental physically taxing sport.

Senior Jerry Wu collapsed within yards of the finish line, but still kept on going and managed to finish in 19th place.

“I told him to stop because he was feeling dizzy [and] for me, my priority is not to win CIF if someone’s going to be injured,” said coach Gerson. “So for me their health comes before anything.”

“They have the heart, they have the spirit,” he added. “But they need to listen, that’s the biggest problem.”

Cross country meets are scored by choosing the top five runners from each school. The top runners are all given points based on their placing.

The points for each school are totaled, with lower points awarded the higher the placing. For example, the first place runner would earn one point, and the 10th place runner would earn 10 points.

Cross country’s next league meet will be at Legg Lake on October 21 at 3 p.m.

SPORTS CALENDAR Girls Tennis 10/20 MK vs Alhambra 3:00 PM Home

Football 10/16 MK vs Montebello 7:00 PM Away

Girls Volleyball 10/20 MK vs Alhambra 3:30 PM Away

Boys Water Polo 10/16 MK vs Baldwin Park 3:15 PM Home

10/22 MK vs Montebello 3:00 PM Away

10/23 MK vs Alhambra 7:00 PM Away

10/22 MK vs Montebello 3:30 PM Away

10/20 MK vs Schurr 3:30 PM Away

10/27 MK vs San Garbeil 3:00 PM Home

10/30 MK vs San Gabriel 7:00 PM Home

10/27 MK vs San Gabriel 3:30 PM Home

10/28 MK vs Bell Gardens 3:30 PM Home

Cross Country 10/21 Almont League Finals Legg Lake 3:15 PM Away

Boys water polo loses close game in sudden death

Kyndall Tang (17) throws the ball as teammates Mark Wang (5) and Matthew Chan (3) look on.

BRIAN YEO Viewpoint Editor

The Mark Keppel boys varsity water polo team narrowly lost a non-league game against the Alhambra Moors in sudden death. The game, which took place on Monday, October 13, lasted two overtimes and ended on a goal by Alhambra about three minutes into the sudden death period.

Keppel entered the game against Alhambra coming off a loss to Artesia on October 10. The Aztecs built an early lead over the Moors, finishing the first quarter with a 5-3 advantage. The second quarter was more even, however, as both teams exchanged goals. The Aztecs were able to enter the second half with a 7-5 lead. In the third period, despite goals by senior Lance Oh and junior Chris Hunt, the Moors were able to decrease the gap.

In the final period of regulation time, Alhambra scored with 2 min utes left to tie the game, 10-10. Nei

ther team was able to score again as the quarter ended and the game moved into overtime.

In the first period of overtime, Alhambra scored two quick goals to take the lead. However, with under a minute left in the period, senior Kyndall Ting scored twice to tie the game.

When the game continued onto the second overtime, both teams exchanged a goal and the game entered sudden death, with the first team to score a goal winning the game. After a couple minutes had passed with neither team scoring, the Moors were able to score and win the game, 13-14.

Following the game, Coach Wendy Centeno expressed pride in her team despite the loss. Centeno said, “They did really well in communicating and their passes were a lot better.” She added, “We played well but the little mistakes that we made add up and that’s what we have to fix.” The team captain, senior Mark Wang, said, “We should have had

Schurr defeats girls volleyball

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better awareness when we had the ball, especially during counters.”

The Aztecs have a 0-1 league record and will play their next league game against Baldwin Park on October 16. In practices, they have been focusing on drills and conditioning.

Senior goalie Stanley Yu said, “We do a lot drills and try to set up our defense by running plays, espeically counters.”

The Aztecs pride themselves on their defense, with Centeno saying, “Defense is the number one priority and something we’ve continuously improved on.” Wang added, “We have a good half-court defense and we just need to improve our counter defense.”

As for the team’s goal for the season, Centeno said, “Our goals are to beat Bell Gardens, Alhambra, and make CIF.” The Aztecs last made CIF in 2013 and have their eyes set on returning this year. Yu said, “We just need to focus on getting better and CIF will come.”

Athlete’s Profile:

Matthew Chan

THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ

DIANNE DO Staff Writer Senior boys’ water polo player Matthew Chan would describe himself as a nice, motivated, and hardworking person. His hobbies include swimming, playing the bass and guitar, water polo, exercising, watching TV, sleeping, playing basketball, and hanging out with his friends. Outside of school Chan volunteers at his church and helps out with supervising the kids. If he had more time, Chan would like to do his other hobbies more often.

Chan’s day consists of water polo practice from 2-5 p.m., then homework from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m., sometimes to 11:00 p.m.. This has been his sched-

Girs Tennis falls short on a tie to Montebello

Vicky Chen (right) prepares to return the ball as Arianna Acuff (left) looks on.

Rquel Flores (19) and Amanda Chiu (4) focus on THE AZTEC/RODOLPHO ARIAS the ball as Anastasia Lothringen (15) prepares to hit.

ERIC LAM Sports Editor The Keppel girls volleyball team played a home game against Schurr on October 13, ending with a 3-1 loss. This placed the Aztecs at a 0-4 league record.

The Aztecs came out on top for the first set with a score of 25-23.

However, Schurr won the following three sets, with scores of 25-10, 25-17, and 25-18 respectively.

Junior Kathleen Lok said, “Personally I think we played pretty well;

our defense was pretty good. We just lost a lot of points early and I felt we could have handled it better.” Lok explained that when the team became demoralized, they stopped communicating on the court and defense played worse.

The next girls volleyball game will be against Bell Gardens today at 3:30 p.m. Lok added, “Bell Gardens is one of the better teams in league, them and San Gabriel, so it’s definitely going to be tough if we can’t bring all that we have.”

ule since his freshmen year, throughout his four years on the team.

Chan is incredibly passionate about swim and water polo.

Chan stated that his passion developed from his decision to join the team. “I was encouraged to join by my brother, when water polo [season] began,” Chan said. “I thought it looked interesting so I tried it out, and I really enjoyed it.”

Before a game, the very first thing that Chan does is mentally prepare. He gets into “game mode,” motivating himself by listening to songs like Hall of Fame. Then, he checks his fingernails because the referees do a nail check before every game. Once he’s mentally prepared, he warms up with the team as they practice swimming, treading, passing, and shooting.

This year, Chan hopes to go to CIF for both swim and water polo, win a medal at league finals, go to Cal Poly Pomona next year, and swim a 100 freestyle in 50 seconds or less.

YANG LU LU YANG Copy Editor Copy Editor Keppel Aztecs varsity girls tennis team lost 8-10 to Montebello Oilers in the October 6 home game. This brings the Aztecs to a 0-3 season, while the Oilers add their third win of the league season. The Aztecs won 4 out of 9 singles matches and 4 out of 9 doubles matches. Maliah Pierribia, the team’s number one player according to Coach Mike Ten, won all three of her matchups in singles.

Prior to the game, Coach Ten and the team expressed confidence in preparations. The team was able to practice despite rainy weather. However, Coach Ten noted that the Aztecs were facing “the strongest Montebello team in many, many years.” He said, “So it’s going to be a tough day for a young group that’s just getting used to playing at varsity level.”

Last year, Maliah Pierribia was the runner-up to the league singles as a freshman, placing her second in the league.As with Arianna Acuff, the Discipline Captain of the team, Pierribia echoed confidence in the team’s readiness. Both players described extensive practices of basic tennis hits to improve the consistency that Coach Ten sought.

Despite the game’s unfavorable outcome, the Aztecs were not discouraged. Between cheers, Social Network Captain Mika Miyagi said that “we didn’t do too badly, but I feel that we could’ve done much better… We could have invested more effort and we could have brought home the win.”

She pointed to a need for improvement in general tennis skills such as stamina, basic forms, and aggressive plays.

“The tennis team, as a whole, does need work, and yesterday’s game was a little disappointing, but I want everyone to know that we are capable of do

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ing better; we have potential,” Miyagi said.

Coach Ten agreed that the team “performed under our [the team’s] capabili ties.” He stated that the team was very close to a tie, which would then allow the team a chance at winning the game altogether.

He believed that the Aztecs “were a superior team, we didn’t perform.”

Coach Ten commented that the team needs to play the practiced strategies instead of “reacting to whatever happens.” He urged the singles players to play more aggressively to replace the current timid playstyle.

Coach Ten summarized, “we have a lot of work to do. This group of girls has to realize that there’s a big transition from being JV players last year to varsity this year. It’s a whole different level of commitment and understanding of the game.”