The Aztec - May 2016 Issue

The Ashtec `

VOLUME LXXVIII NUMBER IX

`

May 19, 2016

theaztecnews.com

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Keppel seniors perform at annual Play Days parade Students recognized for awards and

THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ

Seniors (from left to right) Shaye Wang, Johanna Yao, Jeffrey Lu, Leanne Duong, Poching Lao, Caitlin Chan, Jonathan Dip, Jason Yan, Kaitlyn Lee, Amanda Xaypraseuth, Leilani Chu, Keaton Quon, and Kyle Yip are honored at Senior Awards Night for their achievements as part of ASB.

AURORA ZENG Cartoonist

The Mark Keppel Aztec Band and Color Guard performed and won multiple awards at their last parade of the school year at Monterey Park’s annual Play Days festival on May 14. This year’s parade, celebrating Monterey Park’s 100th birthday, started on Garvey Avenue at 11 a.m.

Since the seniors’ first parade as freshmen, Keppel’s performance at the Play Days celebration has gone through many changes and improvements, including different song choices for Band and more movement in Color Guard’s routine.

“The festival has always been the same, but the band always improves,” Drumline section leader Alvin Pan shares.

“As a freshman, everything felt new and exciting...I still feel the same as a senior, but I know this [parade] will be the best,” Pan added prior to performing.

In addition, Keppel’s 2015 performance also featured Drill Team; however, they did not join again for the 2016 parade.

In the high school division, The Aztec Band finished first in Drum Major category and second in Marching Band AA category. This year’s performance featured the songs Semper Fidelis and On Wisconsin.

Band director Dr. Bartlett, who will be retiring after one more semester, also commented on her last Play Days performance. She explained that the parade is kept as consistent as possible, but over the years the audience has grown bigger.

“This parade is always special,” Bartlett said. “We’re not adding anything to our routine, but we’re practicing to make it really good.”

Meanwhile, Color Guard won first place in both Tall Flags and ID Banner categories in the high school division. Color Guard captain and senior Keila Osugi shared about performing as a freshman at Play Days, saying she felt nervous with the unfamiliarity. Now, as a senior with experience, Osugi feels more stable. She also shared that the team has made their routine more complex and entertaining throughout the years. “[We’re] working hard to upgrade our expressions so that we can give a livelier and brighter performance,” Osugi said.

Fellow Guard member Olivia Bosek, also a senior, added, “Routine-wise, the team is trying to incorporate more movement…but each [routine] is unique in their own way.” Both members shared about adding more turns, flag tosses, and variety into their routine.

The whole Play Days celebration started on Thursday, May 12, and lasted until Sunday, May 15. The celebration also featured a carnival, multiple food booths, and live entertainment. ​

scholarships at Senior Awards Night WESLEY ZENG Asst. Business Manager

Keppel’s annual Senior Awards Night took place at the auditorium last Tuesday, May 17. The Awards Night is an event to show family members of the seniors and the community the achievements, awards, and scholarships earned by the graduating class.

This year’s organizer, Spanish teacher Ms. Alexander, said, “Preparation started a long time ago… the PTSA prepared refreshments for the reception that’s going to start before the ceremony”.

Preparation began early before the event, with multiple meetings held by the PTSA. Before the awards were given

out, the PTSA provided refreshments for students and parents who attended Senior Awards Night in the cafeteria.The ceremony began with an introduction by Ms. Alexander, followed by a welcome from Principal John Scanlan. After, many seniors were called to receive their cords, plaques, or certificate.s Family members and friends were encouraged to come to the open ceremony.

Ms. Alexander said, “...it [was] a night where we’re presenting awards. Different teachers and community members [came] to present the awards.” She explained how she was nervous for the event because it was her first year being the Senior Class Advisor.

The categories for awards included

Teachers Ms. Castro, Ms. Baca, and Mr. Tarr will be retiring at the end of this school year.

Yearbook, World Languages Department, State Seal of Biliteracy, Science Department, Parent Teacher Student Association, National Merit Scholars, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Monterey Highlands PTA, Link Crew, Key Club, Journalism Newspaper, International Thespian Society, English Department, Eastside Optimist Club, California Scholarship Federation, Brightwood PTA, Association of Realtors, Inc, Associated Student Body, Asian American Association, Alhambra Latino Association, Alhambra Day Nursery Foundation, and Academic Decathlon.

A total of over 300 awards were given out. Next year’s senior awards night will be held on May 16.

THE AZTEC/BRANDON CHUNG, KARLI CHENG, VICTORIA RAMIREZ

Teachers to retire at end of school year BRANDON CHUNG Historian/Copy Editor

This year, Keppel bids farewell to three of its beloved, long-time teachers: Ms. Gissela Castro, Ms. Gladys Baca, and Mr. David Tarr.

Ms. Castro is retiring after 36 years at Mark Keppel, during which time she taught World History, Conflict Resolution, and AVID HORIZONS. Her biggest memory at Keppel was having Ashley Gomez in Conflict Resolution for three years. “[She’s a] perfect example of growth I’ve seen in my students…[having her in class] was ‘enlightening,’ to say the least,” she said.

Her parting words to the students and staff are to “ask questions to yourself.”

Ms. Baca has been teaching at Mark

Keppel since the mid 1980’s. During her tenure here, she has taught many different Business classes, but Accounting has been her most consistent class. She has also been the advisor of FBLA ever since she began working here.

Ms. Baca’s most memorable memories of Keppel are of her time working with FBLA and going to competitions. “[I’ve had] a lot of fun times [with them],” Baca said. She will most miss the student body.

“Keppel has good students [and] I’ve had [many] wonderful students throughout the years,” she stated.

Her parting words to the staff are that she will miss her friends and colleagues, and her parting words to the students are, “Never give up. Always do your personal best and never give up.”

Mr. Tarr began working as a teacher at San Gabriel High School in 1983 be-

fore moving to Alhambra High School in 1984. In 1993 he began working at Mark Keppel, where he has remained ever since.

He has held numerous posts in the English department, teaching regular English classes for 9th through 12th graders, and Honors English courses for 9th through 11th graders. He has also served as the department chair of the English department, a WASC self-study coordinator, and has worked with Academic Decathlon.

Although Mr. Tarr has too many memorable moments to count, he says that most are when he has seen the “proverbial lightbulb light up over a student’s head.”

He will most miss acting out the many characters from the novels, plays, and poems he’s gone over in class, as well as his colleagues. His parting words from his current reading of Joseph Campbell are: “Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”

Rank 1 / Math: Arlene Siswanto VIVIAN TO Editor-in-Chief/ Focus Editor College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Major: Computer Science GPA: 4.81 When Arlene Siswanto was first notified that she has been recognized as this year’s senior spotlight for the Math department, she felt honored.

“Math has always been my favorite subject, and I’ve enjoyed competing in math competitions throughout high school,” said Siswanto.

Siswanto has taken a total of 11 AP classes throughout high school. Specifically, she has taken all math classes up to AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics.

Siswanto is currently the Math Club President, CSF Vice President, Science Bowl Captain, and Senior Council Secretary. Outside of school, she has also interned at universities and volunteered at the LAC+USC Medical Center. In addition, Siswanto has won several regional science awards and has been named National AP Scholar, National Merit Finalist, and AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Exam) Qualifier.

BONNIE WONG Editor-in-Chief/ Asst. A&E/Features Editor

College: UC Berkeley Major: Molecular Biology GPA: 4.74

Besides academics and clubs, Siswanto enjoys drawing art, competing in math competitions, and going on adventures with friends. Recently, she has also gained an interest in technology and startups.

She considers going out of her comfort zone her greatest accomplishment.

Siswanto advises underclassmen to “figure out what you really want in life and do everything in your power to achieve it. Don’t sweat rejection, and know that people are more willing to help [more] than you would expect.”

In addition, she would like to give a shout out to “GUAC, my big sister, my mom, and everyone I’ve met throughout these years.”

Iron Aztec: Kara Chuang KARLI CHENG & BONNIE WONG Business Manager & Editor-inChief/Asst. A&E/Features Editor College: UC Berkeley Major: Integrative Biology Minor: Theater GPA: 4.2 Multi-talented, intellectual, and bursting with an enthusiastic personality, Kara Chuang is this year’s Iron Aztec.

The Iron Aztec Award is given to a senior who has succeeded academically, participated as leader on campus, and has served to better Keppel.

“I honestly had no idea that I’d even have a shot so it was an awesome surprise when I found out,” said Chuang.

Chuang is Social Chair of NHS, member of CSF, Crown & Sceptre, and National Honor Thespian of the International Thespian Society. She also has won numerous awards for Theatre, the Presidential Award, and the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Some of Mark Keppel’s Theatre Company productions Chuang participated in include

Rank 2 / Science:Joy Li Yingjoy “Joy” Li’s surprise toward being chosen for the Science Department’s Senior Spotlight was quickly replaced with a smile as her friends playfully joked about the many titles she’s attained throughout her four years in high school.

“Join a lot of clubs because that’s what really makes your high school career really memorable,” Li advises. “Don’t overload yourself with too many things.”

Within the science department, Li has taken Biology Honors, Chemistry Honors, AP Physics 1, AP Biology, AP Chemistry,

and AP Physics C. During her high school career, Li has been Drill Team Captain, National Honors Society President, Vice President of United Sciences, Board Member of CSF, and an active member of Sci-

ence Olympiad, Science Bowl, and Crown & Sceptre. She has won numerous science awards through Science Olympiad and was named a National Semifinalist for Biology Olympiad.

She considers winning first place with her Drill team this year at SHARP her biggest success.

“Even though we don’t have a professional choreographer, that gives us more independence in terms of choreographing everything. Once we do win something, it’s on us. We actually put in 100% to doing and achieving that,” stated Li. Li says her biggest influencers have been her friends, crediting them with helping her “find [her] true self ” and for supporting her.

She’d like to give a shout out to her friends, her parents, and her boyfriend Jeffery Jen.

Phoenix Award: Johnny Medina RODOLFO ARIAS Photographer College: Rio Hondo College Major: N/A GPA: 3.5 Senior Johnny Medina was awarded the Phoenix Award, which is an honor given to a student of the senior class who has shown the most improvement in academic records throughout his or her four years.

Medina felt great pride in receiving this award and stated, “ I had no idea I was even nominated and to get something like made me very happy.”

His final GPA showcased his improvement, almost doubling from years prior. Medina’s success did not come easy. Being a student-athlete made things very difficult; having to balance academics and leading a team on the football field did not come without adversities. With the help of his coaches, teachers and friends Medina was able to keep up his grades up and stay on track with his academics.

In Medina’s free time he enjoys playing sports, such as soccer, football, and running track, as well as hanging out with friends.

After college, Medina plans to hopefully become a firefighter.

Johnny believes that Mark Keppel has prepared him well enough to flourish in college. “[Keppel] has taught me to be much more responsible with my work and motivated him to improve myself whenever I have the chance,” said Medina.

Some advice Medina would like to give to underclassmen who are in the same situation as him is “don’t procrastinate and keep in mind that all four years of high school matter, no matter what people say.”

Johnny would like to give a shoutout to all his friends and thank Andrew Marin for nominating him for the award.

Soar Award: Joshua Rock DIANNE DO Staff Writer Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, and Hairspray. She also participated in the One Acts produced by students and has taken drama, including advanced and honors theatre, for four years.

Chuang is also a part of Keppel’s Varsity Soccer Team and enjoys running. She advises underclassmen to “do as much as you can during your time in high school; expose yourself to all different fields and activities.

Be fearless.”

She’d like to give a shout out to her OG group and beach house squad.

College: N/A Major: N/A GPA: N/A Senior Joshua Rock was selected to be the recipient of the Soar Award at this year’s academic pep rally. The Soar Award is an award given to the student that has made the biggest change in their GPA from freshman to senior year.

“I am flattered,” said Rock.

Rock has taken all the normal requirements and says he “knows it sounds cheesy” but what he

will miss most about Keppel is the staff and the teachers. The atmosphere and knowing that he is leaving with good memories makes him happy.

Rock believes his greatest accomplishment in high school would have to be the growth he experienced going through his four years.

Rock enjoys singing and making music. He would also like to add that he “creates videos on Youtube.com/JRMusicNLife.”

A piece of advice he would give to freshmen would be to not compare yourself to others.

Rock would like to shout out his boy Danny B, who is co-

starring in his upcoming video sketch. He also wants to shout out Mr. Chin for “shooting those three pointers and being a child trapped in a man’s body.” And last but not least he wants to give a shout out to Nick for being with him their junior year while everyone else went to Century.

“Thanks Nick.”

Inspirational: Patrick Chea

Presidential Award: Lauren Chin ERIC TAM Asst. Viewpoint Editor

ANITA HUANG Asst. Web Editor

College: Occidental College Major: Biochemistry GPA: 4.26

College: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Major: Business GPA: N/A Keppel senior, Patrick Chea, loves challenges. Recently, Keppel has granted him the Inspirational Award for his hard work and dedication towards the teachers, staff, and peers.

Throughout Chea’s high school career, he has mainly been taking honors and AP classes in order to challenge himself.

Chea said, “I think that having to struggle through content makes me learn it better and it helps me pick up a higher level of skill than regular classes.”

Chea utilizes his skills in his extracurricular activities. He has competed in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, where he was team captain for two years. In addition, Chea also does volunteer work for the National Honors Society and the California Scholarship Federation.

Chea added, “Most importantly, I cannot forget to mention Academic Decathlon. It was so much fun competing for the team for four years.”

During his spare time, Chea usually surfs the Internet about technology, like mobile devices. However, one of his greatest accomplishment was to be able to get through high school with a better outlook of his future.

In a few months, Chea will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he will be majoring in business. From there

on, he will continue to strive towards his goals and continue to challenge himself as he has been successfully doing in the past.

Chea said, “I would like to give a shoutout to my sister, Elizabeth, and my fantastic family. Also all the teachers I’ve had, the Academic Decathlon team, the Oceans Bowl team, and the Journalism staff.”

English: Stephanie Yin

An aspiring cardiosurgeon, senior Lauren Chin plans to attend Occidental College as a biochemistry major.

Having a weighted GPA of 4.26, Lauren ranks #8 in her graduating class with her outstanding academic performance. The AP classes she has taken include World History, Calculus AB, United States History, Biology, English Language, English Literature, Chemistry, Statistics, and Economics.

Lauren takes immense pride in extensive community service and a variety of extracurricular activities. She plays basketball and volunteers for the Tigers Youth Club, a well-known basketball team. In preparation for her medical career, Chin volunteers for Keiro HealthCare, an organization of dedicated caregivers for the elderly. She is also the Publicity Chair for CSF, the Competition Committee Head for Math Club, and the Vice President of the Chemistry Club.

Chin is also an extremely talented musician. She has been part of Keppel’s orchestra for three years. In Theater Company’s most recent production, Hairspray, Chin was an assistant conductor of the orchestra. She is also a gifted pianist. She has been a Keppel band member all four years, and she is currently Flute Section Leader and Vice President. She is also a member of Crown and Sceptre, NHS, and United Sciences. She also competed

Social Science: Violet Li

KENNETH LIU Staff Writer College: New York University Major: Media & Communications GPA: 4.35 Because of her amazing performance in English classes, Stephanie Yin has been chosen this year for the English senior spotlight. Yin has taken two years of English honors and one year of AP English Language and Composition. She is currently taking AP English Literature and Composition. She passed all her English courses with As and received a 5 on her AP English Language and Composition test.

Yin enjoys English as a subject and said, “I’m surprised and excited to be chosen for the senior spotlight. I’m thankful to be recognized for writing all those essays.”

She will major in Media and Communications with an advertising focus and a possible double major in Marketing.

School has a big impact on Yin. In addition to academics, Keppel has taught her to be fearless. She said, “Keppel has taught me how to take on challenges. Everyone here works hard and that kind of environment has definitely prepared me to continue being a proactive and hardworking person in college.”

Yin is also active in many clubs, such as National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Promoting Youth Advocacy, and Key Club.

As President of Key Club, Yin has organized numerous volunteer service projects and stated, “Community service is very important to me. I stuck with Key Club

because of the unforgettable relationships I’ve formed through it.” Her impressive performance led her to win the Outstanding President award from the CaliforniaNevada-Hawaii Key Club.

One of Yin’s hobbies is drawing and painting. She said, “I’ve loved drawing and painting my entire life. I doodle all the time and there are literally paintings lying around all over my house.” Yin has been taking drawing classes outside of school for over five years.

As her high school life nears an end, Yin explains that she feels sad and will miss all of the great teachers who have influenced her lifestyle. Yin’s advice for the underclassmen is to “not be afraid of failure or embarrassment. Just do whatever you want so you don’t regret anything. Step out of your comfort zone, that’s how you learn and grow.”

Finally, Yin would like to give a big shoutout to all the girls of GUAC, Kyle Tse, Jeffrey Wang, Darren Tu, and every teacher she has ever had.

YANG LU Copy Editor College: UC Santa Barbara Major: Chemical Engineering GPA: 4.13 Senior Violet Li is a remarkable social sciences student who first experienced this subject in Ms. Castro’s World History course as a sophomore.

“Ms. Castro’s class is hard, but I worked hard also,” said Li. She notes that Ms. Castro’s method of teaching is very engaging, which holds students responsible yet remains fun. “She’s close to her students like friends,” Li explained. Ms. Castro motivated Li to learn, even though the subjection was difficult to Li. Li aims for a high GPA and credits her accomplishments to hard work, which in-

in the Science and Oceans Bowls.

Lauren Chin leaves behind a memorable legacy at Keppel. “I really miss all the friends I’ve made these four years of high school. Although it was hectic, I’ll also miss rushing to and from my multiple club meetings and my friends’ different eating areas each day. They really helped me feel as part of the Keppel community,” said Chin.

“Lauren is just a remarkable student.

She is the first student to conduct for a play [“Hairspray”]. She’s very responsible.

I remember she couldn’t do orchestra one time because she was also acting in ‘Peter Pan.’ She does so many extracurriculars,” said Dr. Carla Bartlett, her orchestra and band teacher. In the midst of all her hard work, Lauren manages to find balance and ultimately succeed.

“It’s one of the hardest things to do,” said Chin.

volves a lot of reading at home. Because Li is not very fluent with English, she takes pictures of encyclopedias and translates them at home in order to obtain relevant information. Li writes notes regarding her discoveries and organizes them as Ms. Castro teaches.

The Classical Age of Sparta and Athens intrigues Li. She admires the lasting impact of a civilization so long ago. Li is interested in the start of civilization, laws, and democracy.

Li appreciates Ms. Castro for helping to improve her English abilities. She also thanks Mr. Lai for introducing her to chemistry and providing opportunities to pursue chemistry as an interest as well as a career.

VAPA: Joseph Caldera

Foreign Language: Elizabeth Chea VIVIAN TO Editor-in-Chief/Focus Editor

ANGELA CHEN Asst. Focus Editor

College: CSU Los Angekes Major: Undeclared GPA: 3.65

College: CSU Los Angeles Major: Theater & Dance GPA: N/A

When Elizabeth Chea was first notified that she has been recognized as this year’s senior spotlight for the Foreign Language department, she described it is a “great honor and a great pleasure.”

With a cumulative GPA of 3.65, Chea will be attending California State University, Los Angeles as an undeclared major.

Chea has taken Spanish 1-8 for the past four years, and through them, she has “been able to develop my reading, writi n g , and speaking skills in the Spanish language with help from teachers and students alike.” In addition, some rigorous classes Chea has taken include English Honors ½, Geometry Honors, Algebra II Honors, and Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus Honors.

Chea is an active member in National Honor Society and Math Club for two years. In addition, her greatest accom-

“What’s high school? I just come for the theatre.”

Active drama student and the president of the Theatre Company for two years running, senior Joseph Caldera has dedicated himself to the VAPA department. He has taken classes such as Beginning Drama, Advanced Drama, Drawing and Painting, Tech Theatre, and Honors Theatre throughout his high school career.

Caldera will be attending California State University, Los Angeles next year.

Caldera was briefly on the Mark Keppel baseball team in the beginning of his freshman year but left to focus on the arts.

He has taken part in the Drama Department’s annual Haunted Auditorium for all four years of high school, even directing it his senior year. He states that his defining moment was when he directed and starred in his own one-act during the annual Senior One-Act Festival.

Among his numerous accomplishments, Caldera was awarded the SETA award for his role at Butch in the fall play Leading Ladies. He won Best Actor in a One-Act in his junior year.

In his spare time Caldera enjoys singing and dancing, which he says contributes to his choice of major. Caldera said, “[Keppel] not only was what prepared me for college – it’s what sparked [my passion for the arts].”

plishment in high school is “being recognized for being in the top fifteen percent in my graduating class for academic excellence.” Besides academics and clubs, Chea enjoys reading and hanging out with her family and friends during her spare time.

Chea advises the “underclassmen to have fun by getting involved in the various school activities and to not procrastinate in order to have a stress free experience at Keppel.”

In addition, she would like to give a shoutout to “my fellow Aztec staff, teachers, and students who I’ve befriended throughout my journey in high school.”

Vocational: Yang Lu

ESL: Zhiyan Chen

ERIC LAM Sports Editor

ANTHONY JIAN Asst. Sports Editor

College: UC San Diego Major: Clinical Psychology GPA: 3.91

College: CSU Los Angekes Major: Undeclared GPA: 3.65

Senior Yang Lu and future student at the University of California, San Diego is an aspiring psychologist who has taken most of the CTE classes at Mark Keppel, and is better off for it. “I’m very surprised to be picked for this spotlight, but I’m glad to have taken the classes in both industrial arts and business. These classes have already benefited me with or without this spotlight recognition,” says Lu. CTE classes are classes that teach nonacademic skills that will help students become more desirable and effective workers in the future. Lu, in addition to many AP and honors courses at Mark Keppel, has taken finance, video game design, drafting, and international business. Lu says, “[CTE classes] teach you very im-

Senior Zhiyan Chen first started high school at Keppel 2 years ago. When she first started education in U.S. at Keppel, she was put into Structured English Immersion (SEI). Chen said, “When I first came to America, I had a little background of English...I could speak a little because I learned English when I was in China.”

After completing Structured English Immersion in her junior year, Chen enrolled in English ½ during her senior year.

Chen has enrolled in one AP class during her time at Keppel, and maintains a 3.8 GPA. She is planning to study at Rio Hondo College to pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. “The reason why I wanted to work as a physical therapist is [because] it seems like a simple job with good earnings,” said Chen. “Taking required courses on this career seems more simple than taking required courses on other fields.”

During the last two years, Chen has participated as a Link Crew Leader, helping the freshmen. During her free time, she practices tae kwondo. She also volunteers in Top Kids Preschool during her free time.

Chen encourages underclassmen English learners to choose classes wisely and to talk with the counselors first before choosing a class. Chen also encourages underclassmen English learners to prac-

portant career oriented skills like writing a formal business letter, cover letter, filling out job applications, putting together a resume. With the skills that I learned taking these classes, I was able to compete and even place in competitions like FBLA and Skills USA, which in turn helped boost my college application and reach the colleges I wanted to reach.”

Lu is also very involved in United Sciences and has competed in Science Olympiad. In addition, he is Business Manager and Copy Editor for the school newspaper, an active member of Speech and Debate, and is on the varsity badminton team. Out of all his accomplishments and achievements, Lu is most proud of the connections that he has established, especially with underclassmen. Lu says, “Hopefully I’ve made a difference in their futures.”

Lu would like to give a shout out to Mrs. Flores, who has always been a supporting figure for him, to Ms. Baca who is retiring this year, and to all his friends from middle school.

Caldera said, “I want to give a shoutout to all the seniors I’m graduating with and my Flower Drum Song, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Hairspray, and Leading Ladies cast. You guys have taught me so much.”

tice their English more. Chen said “When I first came to this school, Ms. Arzate encouraged me to learn more English.”

We will miss you Ms. Castro-enjoy ellen

Noelle fre$her than you.

I’m so happy for you Big Brother! Even though I’m going to miss you a lot, New York is waiting for you :) P.S. Don’t freeze lol -Yoyo

Seniors of Gavel Club, Congratulations!

Enjoy college!

-Ms. Bennett Subscribe to my youtube -> Totally Legal Stuff www.YouTube.com/ Ilovecodemonkeys

follow @soph_bophie @xzetao @tamy_phungry @justinh0

Alexxis Fra$her...

You are alright.

Have fun with college punk.

Antelope Valley College...........................................................................1 Arcadia University...................................................................................1 Azusa Pacific University...........................................................................3 Biola University........................................................................................1 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.................................28 California State University - Channel Islands..........................................1 California State University - Dominguez Hill........................................1 California State University - Fullerton..................................................17 California State University - Long Beach................................................7 California State University - Los Angeles..............................................53 Citrus College.........................................................................................2 Clarkson University ................................................................................1 Colifornia State Polytechnic University - San Luis Obispo...................11 Corban University....................................................................................2 East Los Angeles College.......................................................................92 Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising......................................4 Fullerton College.....................................................................................2 Glendale Community College.................................................................2 Harvey Mudd College.............................................................................1 ITT Technical Institute............................................................................1 Los Angeles City College........................................................................1 Los Angeles Film School........................................................................1 Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.....................................................2 Loyola Marymount University.................................................................1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology........................................................................................................1 Mount Saint Mary’s University................................................................................................................1 Mt. San Antonio College...........................................................................................................................6 New York University...................................................................................................................................1 Occidental College......................................................................................................................................1 Otis College of Art and Design..................................................................................................................1 Pasedena City College............................................................................................................................101 Pomona College.........................................................................................................................................1 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.................................................................................................................2 Rio Hondo College...................................................................................................................................16 Sacramento State University.......................................................................................................................2 San Diego State University..........................................................................................................................2 San Francisco State University....................................................................................................................2 San Jose State University............................................................................................................................2 Santa Monica College.................................................................................................................................7 Seattle Pacific University.............................................................................................................................1 University of California - Berkeley..............................................................................................................7 University of California - Davis..................................................................................................................6 University of California - Irvine................................................................................................................14 University of California - Los Angeles.......................................................................................................12 University of California - Riverside...........................................................................................................42 University of California - San Diego...........................................................................................................8 University of California - Santa Barbara......................................................................................................8 University of California - Santa Cruz..........................................................................................................2 University of Nevada - Las Vegas..............................................................................................................1 University of San Francisco.........................................................................................................................2 University of Southern California...............................................................................................................2 University of Texas - Austin........................................................................................................................1 University of the Pacific...............................................................................................................................1 Washington State University......................................................................................................................1 Washington University in St. Louis............................................................................................................1 West Virginia University.............................................................................................................................2 Whittier College.........................................................................................................................................4 Woodbury University..................................................................................................................................1 Yale University............................................................................................................................................1 Marine............................................................................................................................................2 Navy..............................................................................................................................................3 Other..............................................................................................................................................22

Congratulations Class of 2016!

I wish the best to all of you and have wonderful college years ahead.

-Hon. Councilman Stephen Lam City of Monterey Park

Exit Game: Who knew trying to exit would be so much fun ERIC LAM & KARLI CHENG Sports Editor and Business Manager

The Exit Game is located in Monterey Park, at 111 N Atlantic Blvd #148, Monterey Park, CA 91754 on the lowest floor of the Atlantic Shopping Plaza behind the escalator. It is certainly a one of a kind thing in the city of Monterey Park - a team and thinking oriented activity in which you are given a time limit to escape from a room. Although some may find $28 a game per person a bit pricey, it is definitely worth it.

The Exit Game was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. I was hesitant on what it would be like - I was mainly concerned that the game itself would be scary or frightening for me. I can guarantee that it is not scary at all. The staff was very friendly and helpful, extremely easy to talk to. We played with only two people, but they recommend going in larger groups, preferably a minimum of six people. Throughout the hour that we were given to figure out our way to escape the room, there were many fun and challenging moments to be had. Hints are available every ten minutes to guarantee that you won’t remain stuck completely, but in order to make it into the hall of fame only one hint can be used.

We made the escape with barely 3 minutes to spare, using a total of 3 hints. It is a great way to interact and spend time with friends - and in my case my boyfriend - working together to successfully escape the room. The Exit Game is a great way to dive into enter another world and genuinely feel like you are part of that world. Every room is designed to be completely unique and highly intricate - you won’t find any glaring design flaws at all. It is very well put together and professionally designed. I was surprised how real it felt to go through the game.

Don’t let the somewhat pricey entry fee deter you from this activity; it should definitely be something that everyone should try to experience at least once. With a Harry Potter exhibit opening in late May/early June complete with a whole multitude of puzzles that we can’t quite reveal, there is an ever growing incentive to try out this amazing and unique opportunity.

NEWS EDITOR: SARAH McCORMICK ASST. NEWS EDITOR: SOPHIE WONG

VIEWPOINT EDITOR: BRIAN YEO ASST. VIEWPOINT EDITOR: ERIC TAM

FOCUS EDITOR: VIVIAN TO ASST. FOCUS EDITOR: ANGELA CHEN

FEATURES/A&E EDITOR: ALEX BEAUMONT ASST. A&E EDITOR: CRISTINA GONZALEZ

SPORTS EDITOR: ERIC LAM ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ANTHONY JIAN

THE AZTEC EDITORIAL BOARD & STAFF ‘16

‘15 EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS: BONNIE WONG & VIVIAN TO ASST. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DARWIN TSE

CHIEF PHOTOGRPHER: VICTORIA RAMIREZ PHOTOGRAPHERS: RODOLFO ARIAS & KRISTIN CHINGBURANAKIT

STAFF WRITERS BACK ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Kenneth Liu, Kevin Kuang, Dianne Do, Shanae To, Arodi Garcia FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Jalien Casey, Cole Kim, Noelle Frasher, Babyruth Torres

HEAD CARTOONIST: EDLYN WONG CARTOONIST: AURORA ZENG

WEB EDITOR: DARWIN TSE ASST. WEB EDITOR: ANITA HUANG

ADVISOR: MS. BRADLEY

BUSINESS MANAGERS: YANG LU & KARLI CHENG ASST. BUSINESS MANAGER: WESLEY ZENG

COPY EDITORS: BRANDON CHUNG & YANG LU

OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE WRITERS, NOT OF THE FACULTY OR ADMINISTRATION. ARTICLES WITHOUT BYLINES ARE STAFF EDITORIALS AND REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE STAFF. ALL INTERNET GRAPHICS ON THE AZTEC NEWSPAPER ARE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTED OWNERS.

What will you miss most about Keppel?

My GPA. -Andrew Pham Mr. Aitken and grandma sub. -Bailey Louie

The educators. -Lauren Estrada

The friends I’ve known since we were little kids because we’re all going our separate ways.

-Terrance Sy

Being in Ms. Castro’s class. -Ashley Gomez

All the minimum days we Our spacious hallways. had. -Michelle being under the lights Nguyen -Anita Lin

on friday nights.

-nathaniel orozco

The community Keppel has built on kindness and acceptance. -Vivian Soai

The AP classes because all my teachers were awesome. -Tommy Hu

What is an embarassing moment you’ve experienced at Keppel?

I’ve called a few too many of my female teachers “mom”. -Alexander Beaumont When people put pictures of me sleeping on Snapchat. -Stephanie Yin When my

Walking out of the bathroom with toilet paper under my shoe. -Karla Sandoval

mom came and sat in my class with me. -Mercedes Serratos

Being wheel-chaired to the Fell down the stairs and nurses office because I almost caused a domino effect. passed out during P.E. -Jazmin Jimenez -Sarah McCormick When I chased after the school bus down Hellman. -Amanda Xaypraseuth

Getting my car plastic wrapped. -Leyland Hang

Getting into the wrong car after school. -Jimmy Chan

What advice would you give to underclassmen?

Don’t get involved with drama. You won’t see them in four years, so ignore it. -Sydne Kaku

Get all your A-G requirements.

Take 6 AP’s to get Top 10. -Anthony Pham -Danielle Madrid Fight the power of stress. -Justin Wong Be happy. -Tammy Lee Just do you. Opinions about you now won’t even matter in a few months. -Denise Cheng

Stop being so loud and annoying. -Aaron Lugo

Bring your own lunch. -Sandy Cun Do what you love and work hard. -Skyler Dokhan

Start your college applications early! Don’t submit to Get out of your Have a talk with your parents about senioritis! comfort zone.

-Joelle Dhing funds for college before you apply.

-Arodi Garcia -Abraham Wei Don’t lose yourself while chasing popularity. -Kaitlyn Lee

Be realistic about your capabilities when applying to college. -Ariel Wong

Don’t forget to enjoy high school. It’l all be over before you know it. -Patrick Chea Don’t wear minimal clothing when it’s cold. be warm, not fashionable. -Shae Laliberte

Never skip meals or sleep. There’s no point in acing classes if you mess up your body. -Jiana Uy

Take APES, join the swim team, get a six pack, be like me. -Thomas Ho

Cross Country: Kyle Tse

Boys Soccer: Joshua Chang

YANG LU Copy Editor

ARODI GARCIA Staff Writer

College: UC Berkeley Major: Computer Science GPA: 4.52

College: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Major: Kinesiology GPA: 3.82

Senior Kyle Tse is an outstanding student and an extraordinary cross country runner. Since freshman year, Tse has been a part of the team and befriended great teammates.

“I joined because I wanted to be involved in a sport and that seemed like the only sport that I would be good at,” said Tse. “I’m really happy that I joined cross country because I had the opportunity to meet many new people.”

Tse appreciates his coaches for introducing him to an engaging community of runners, which motivates him to remain dedicated to this sport. Cross country running is a stress reliever for Tse, and he enjoys the views around the city as he runs.

Kobe Bryant and Usain Bolt are two professional athletes who inspire Tse. “Actually my middle name is Kobe, so that’s cool,” said Tse. Beyond these public figures, Tse is most inspired by his father, who is an ultramarathon runner with races of over 100 miles at a time. In comparison, Tse feels that his three mile runs are easily feasible and continues to push himself.

“I just think, ‘oh, how would my dad approach this?’” Tse explained.

Even though running requires sincere dedication and practice every day, Tse still finds time to volunteer at the Hunting-

Senior Joshua Chang has been playing on Keppel’s Varsity soccer team since the start of his senior year. Although he was a late starter on the team, he dedicated himself to improving his game, buying a soccer ball and hitting it against his wall to practice his grip. He constantly asked his coach how he could improve and did independent conditioning.

Chang enjoys playing soccer because of the communication between teammates and the competitiveness of the sport. He states, “Having control over the ball can switch in an instant, but having to work together with my team as if we were one unit makes playing soccer so much more memorable.”

He enjoyed the little things while playing soccer at Keppel. He says, “Every practice break was full of jokes, sarcastic comments, and basically anything else that would temporarily get our minds off of the next drill that our coach was planning.”

Chang believes an immense amount of dedication and commitment makes a great soccer player. However, he says, “ Relying only on skill alone can only take a person so far – communication with teammates is also an extremely important requirement of being a great soccer player.”

Chang, with a 3.82 GPA, received an invitation for tryouts from Mary-

ton Library. He also enjoys listening and playing music; recently, he has begun to pursue playing the guitar.

Tse looks forward to pursuing computer science in college and perhaps double majoring in cognitive science as well. He aims to be a software engineer with the resilience he has acquired from running. Tse would like to shoutout to LOTG, his cross country and volleyball families, as well as Stephanie Yin and Steven Truong, who has been an inspiration in math and physics.

Football: Ruben Arauz

Girls Basketball: Serena Chen

CRISTINA GONZALEZ Asst. A&E/Features Editor

BRIAN YEO Viewpoint Editor

College: Army Major: N/A GPA: N/A Ruben Arauz has spent his four years in high school playing football and preparing himself for his career in the Army he intends to pursue afterwards.

Instead of attending college, he will be joining the Army and uses football as a source of preparation both mentally and physically.

Arauz has been playing the sport since 2009, and has noted that “in order to be a great player, you must be a leader and never be afraid to fail”. Since his beginnings, he has gotten closer to his family, and feels at home every time he gets the chance to play.

He has won the all league of-

fense and team MVP awards, and feels that he is most proud of his most valuable player award and adds that “...it shows my hard work and overall dedication my team and the sport.”

He is inspired by professional player Patrick Willis because he started at the

mount University, along with an offer of a $14,000 scholarship for soccer and $8,000 for academics. However, he ultimately decided to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall majoring in Kinesiology and enrolling in a pre-physical therapy course as an undergraduate. After that, he plans on going to med school to pursue a career in Physical Therapy.

Besides soccer, Chang has involved himself in Track and Field and several clubs such as NHS, CSF, and Crown and Sceptre. His hobbies include hiking, reading, and hanging out with friends.

He credits all his motivation to his teammates. He would like to give a shout out to “every single person that I met on the soccer team [both JV and Varsity]. All of you guys offered me something that I couldn’t have ever expected to experience if I had refused Gerson’s offer. I don’t even know if you guys read the papers, but I wish all of you well and I’ll be sure to visit every now and then.”

College: UC Santa Cruz Major: Computer Science GPA: 3.6

COURTESY OF RUBEN ARAUZ

bottom and worked to achieve his with his inmotivaseeing working remind-

hard everyday goals. Along spiration, his tion is him his team hard and ing himself to try his hardest in order to not let them down. In his free time, Arauz enjoys wrestling, lifting weights, and drawing.

He would like t o give a shoutout to his boys Luigi, Cobos, Johnny, Raul, Armando, and the rest of the Aztec Football family that have been with him from the start.

Senior Serena Chen is a four-year member of the Keppel girls’ basketball team and a lifelong player of the sport. A member of the varsity team since sophomore year and the senior captain, Chen has been a large factor in the team’s success the past couple years, winning Best Defensive Player.

During her junior year, the team became Division II Regional Champions and reached the finals of the CIF Division II State Championship. This year, the team reached the round of 16 in the CIF State tournament despite a rocky pre-season. “I am most proud of how far my team made it this year despite all the negative criticism,” Chen said.

Chen loves basketball because it relieves her stress and challenges her abilities. She finds that criticism and doubt of her team motivates her to improve as a player.

Chen has greatly enjoyed her time with her team, saying, “We all got along and were always able to bond and hang out all the time and we stuck together through some difficult times.”

In her free time, Chen is part of the Digital Media Club and is an avid photographer. She will be attending UC Santa Cruz in the fall as a Computer Science major. Her goals for the foreseeable future

COURTESY OF SERENA CHEN

are “to try and get through another four years and graduate *laughs*”.

Though she will be moving on to new things, Chen credits basketball with teaching her responsibility, patience, and discipline. She also expresses appreciation for everyone who’s there for her when she needs it.

COURTESY OF HECTOR RUIZ

BASEBALL:

WRESTLING:

Edmundo

Hector Ruiz

EDYLN Staff

SHANAE TO Staff Writer

College: Rio Hondo College Major: Kinesiology GPA: N/A

College: CSU Los Angeles Major: Business GPA: 3.5 Hector Ruiz is very proud of being a three time CIF qualifier. He is the only four-year wrestler at Mark Keppel High School. He has been interested in the sport since eigth grade. Ruiz wanted to pursue wrestling because he was already a mixed martial arts fighter and loved the art of self defense.

Ruiz watches mixed martial arts and wrestling matches with his family during his free time. He carefully examines their techniques and practices them. Ruiz also goes to the UFC gym every other day and trains with a coach to perfect his skills. He believes that wrestling requires a lot of hard work, time, and dedication;

Wrestling gives him a sense of control and serves as an effective stress reliever.

“A great wrestler is somebody who’s motivated and passionate about the sport,” Ruiz added.

Ruiz credits his mother as his biggest supporter. She motivate him to work hard and to push through the matches and practices. He loves when his friends come to his matches because it encourages him to win the matches.

Ruiz is excited to see what the future has to hold. He has supportive friends, Isela Rodriguez and Jason Gomez, and his family which encourages him to work hard and never give up on his goals.

Fernandez

WONG Writer

Baseball varsity captain Edmundo Fernandez started playing on the field since he was 6 years old. His dad introduced him to the sport and he soon developed a true passion for the game. Fernandez believes that a lot of hard work and strong focus is necessary to be a great player.

Over the years, Fernandez has accumulated several accolades such as tournament wins. He is most proud of his first-team Almont League selection as a freshman.

Fernandez said, “At first, I was sent down to JV but [through] hard work, I got back to varsity and had a great season.”

Between each achievement, his motivations include his friends and family.

“They’ve seen me play and know what I’m capable of so I get held to certain standards. I work hard to make sure I don’t get

cheated,” said Fernandez.

As a pitcher and a third baseman, Fernandez is constantly trying to improve his game. He practices to make sure that he has a good swing and high accuracy for pitches. He also practices to get stronger to decrease the chances of an injury and throw and hit harder.

Without a team, there’s no game. That is no exception to Fernandez’s team. “The main thing I enjoy about this year’s team is how close everyone is. This team is the closest that I’ve gotten to at Keppel and I feel like these guys are my brothers,” said Fernandez.

Aside from baseball, Fernandez also enjoys going out with his friends and listening to music.

TRACK: Brian

Yeo

ALEX BEAUMONT A&E/Features Editor

ORCHESTRA:

College: Yale University Major: Ethics, Politics &Economics GPA: 4.2

KRISTIN CHINGURANAKIT Photographer

Senior Brian Yeo, the only four year track member on the team, has been running ever since he was five years old. This year has been the hardest one for him because many of the team members that he started running with in freshman year were no longer part of the team. Despite challenges, Yeo said that he thoroughly enjoyed this year’s team because “this year’s team has been very motivated as a whole. Their commitment to the sport amazes even me.” In regards to the sport as a whole, Yeo stated that “track is a grueling, intense sport that really doesn’t have much forgiveness.”

However, Yeo’s four years of hard work and commitment to the track team proved rewarding. In his sophomore year.

He placed third at the Almont League

Joshua Kisanjian

Finals for the 4x100m relay. Yeo has placed in the top three during a meet in every event he’s participated in.

Yeo found a major source of motivation by observing members of the team.

“Seeing how my teammates pushed themselves drove me to want to improve myself as well. Especially during my freshman and sophomore years, watching the athletes beside me and wanting to be to or even surpass their levels fueled me,” said Yeo. This fall, Yeo will be attending Yale University, majoring in Ethics, Politics, and Economics with plans to rule the world. Yeo would like to shout out to his loving girlfriend, Tiffany Wong, LOTG, his AP English Literature group, Journalism, and his PYA and NHS Board crews.

College: CSU Long Beach Major: Biology GPA: 3.7 Joshua Kisanjian is attending California State Long Beach, with a 3.7 GPA, in the fall where he plans to major and study biology, while also playing music for their music group.

Joshua started playing the clarinet for Orchestra in the 9th grade. According to him, practice and dedication makes a great clarinet player. Tri-M Honor Society member Kisanjian enjoys the clarinet because he likes playing music and the way it sounds. Joshua says, “when I perform, I feel relaxed.”

A famous clarinet player, Benny Goodman inspires him while perfecting a piece

motivates him. In order to become better, he practices often. As a result, Joshua has received the awards of “Most Improved” and becoming section leader. He says, “I’m proud of the accomplishment of being the winds section leader as well as learning a new instrument, the alto sax.”

This year, he has enjoyed playing more music and helping others with theirs. As well as, meeting new people and learning new music. Joshua also adds, “When I’m not playing music, my other hobbies are swimming, skating, playing video games, and making short films.

BOYS TENNIS:

BOYS VOLLEYBALL:

Jeffery Jen

Timothy Tran

KEVIN Staff

SARAH McCORMICK News Editor

KUANG Writer

College: UC Riverside Major: Biology GPA: 3.6

College: Pomona College Major: Poli. Sciences GPA: 4.3 Senior Jeffery Jen has been on the Keppel boys’ tennis team for four years. Jen believes that great tennis players come from “pure sweat, dedication, and hard work.” For Jen, practice can be “carefree and cheerful” but during games he said, “We [the team] become dead serious and feels a mixture of thrill, excitement, and pressure.”

In sophomore year, Jen was the Almont League Doubles Champion with his partner, Evan Liang. “I think winning the Almont League Doubles Championship was really special to me because my partner and I worked so hard to be the best that we could be, and it was a very unlikely pair, considering that he was a senior and I was only a sophomore,” said Jen. He finds inspiration in not only tennis player Roger Federer, but also soccer player Eden Hazard, baseball player Clayton Kershaw, and football player Tom Brady. Jen uses his drive to win to motivate himself. He takes his games seriously. As a result, he is constantly finding ways to improve, whether it’s spending time drilling shots with his coach or conditioning his stamina.

Thinking back, Jen loves how his teammates are so comfortable with one another. He stated, “If outsiders observed our team, they’d see how weird and

dysfunctional we are, but we’ve created a really strong bond that can’t be broken.”

He understands the importance of team bonding. When asked about his achievements, Jen replied, “In 2014, I was given the MVP award along with my partner. In 2014 and 2015, I was named to Almont League’s Boy’s All League Tennis Team as well as the San Gabriel Valley All Region Tennis Team.”

Besides being in a sport, Jen also takes part in other academic clubs, such as CSF, NHS, Crown and Sceptre, and he also volunteers his time at a local history museum.

Jen would like to say the following to his teammates and friends: “Shout out to my wonderful partner Cody Wong, the rest of my team, and Joy Li, who has always been there for me every step of the way!”

COURTESY OF JAMIE HUANG

Senior Timothy Tran has been a member of the Keppel Volleyball team for four years and has been a member of the varsity team for the past three years. He plans on attending UC Riverside in the fall and will be majoring in biology. Tran’s plan for college includes “[Going] to the gym 6 days a week to become as buff as the Dwayne Johnson, be in the top 1% of my class each year, and meet new people.” His cumulative weighted GPA is 3.6. Tran began playing volleyball in his freshman year of high school.

“When I first started playing volleyball and jumped up to block or hit the ball, my fingers were not even close to going over the top of the net, but now I’m able to get almost half of my forearms over,” said Tran.

He believes that what makes a good volleyball player is dedication as well as focus during practices.

He enjoys playing volleyball because, “Feeling the rush of a making a perfect pass, perfect hit, or blocking a hit from the opponent makes you feel really great, especially if they are bigger and stronger

than me which is most of the time.”

Tran feels amazing when he plays volleyball and has fun “feeling the thrill of smashing a volleyball on the other side of the court or making a perfect pass from a very hard hit.”

Tran is motivated in volleyball by competition and his opponents. “When I see someone hit a powerful ball in the court, I want to block it, put up a block, I want to hit around it, or make a difficult pass, I want to hit to a spot where they are not able to touch the ball,” he said. “ Other than volleyball, Tran is also involved in PYA, NHS, and Cross Country at Keppel. Outside of school, Tran likes to play video games, go to the gym, draw socks, spend time with friends, and eat. Tran would like to give a shout out to LOTG, Homies?, Heeeey, and One Punch Man.

COURTESY OF ASHLEY NAVARRETTE

CHEER:

DRILL:

Ashley Navarrette

Jamie Huang

JALIEN CASEY Staff Writer

BABYRUTH TORRES Staff Writer

College: N/A Major: Emergency Medicine GPA: N/A

College: UC Riverside Major: Business GPA: N/A Senior Jamie Huang entered the drill team at the end of her freshman year and didn’t really know details about the team.

She was new to the district and California at that time.

Today, Huang believes that a drill member should know how to work as a team and do everything possible to benefit the team. Huang loves drill because it gives her a chance to be creative with new routines. She said, “ I feel a rush every time I perform for drill; it is the drill that keeps us going when we perform.”

Her biggest accomplishment is becoming co-captain and having the chance to help guide a group of talented girls to

reach their fullest potential. During the APR performance, Huang said that the last performance was the best one.

Knowing that the drill team looks up to her, she wants to set a good example for them. Huang thinks that the drill team needs to keep up the good work.

She wants to make a shout out to the drill team and her besties Kelly ng, Jess tan, Dianne Do, and Vivian Pham. She said “ drill team has taught me to manage time, how to multitask, in becoming more creative and most importantly how to be a leader. These traits will help me in college!”

Ashley Navarrete has been a cheerleader since her freshman year. She held various cheerleading positions, such as flyer and backspot. She loves to choreograph a lot of the performances. “It takes a lot of perseverance and commitment.

You have to be outgoing which requires a lot of your time to be a great cheerleader,” said Ashley. She enjoys being a cheerleader because she meets new people, gets involved with the underclassmen, and expressed herself.

When Navarrete is cheering, she felt nervous but she is used to it after performing a few times. Being on the team this year has allowed Navarrete to bond with the girls, travel, and meet teams from different schools. All of her free time and dedication goes to her cheer-

leading. One of her biggest accomplishments is passing on her legacy to the underclassmen.

She has won an award for being the most cheerful. USC cheerleaders inspire her because of their cute uniforms and their unique stunts.

Cheerleading prepared Ashley for college by teaching her to be open and to work for things that she wants.

Ashely would like to shout out to Coach Christina; she said, “Thanks for believing in me, and being there for me.” She would also appreciates fellow cheer seniors. “Thanks for being with me throughout all of high school. I don’t know what I would do without you guys,” she said.

HENRY

DANCE

YIK

COURTESY OF HENRY YIK

SOPHIE WONG Asst. News Editor College: Pasadena City College Major: Computer Engineering GPA: N/A

To All Male captain and senior Henry Yik, dancing is more than just a hobby. It is a way of expressing himself. As a kid, Yik experimented in front of the mirror, which sparked his interest in dancing. He started his dancing career on Junior Hit List during freshman year and later joined All Male. “Dancing is not as easy as you imagine,” Yik explained. “I think if you have hard work and dedication then you can do it.” Instead of feeling pressured or nervous, Yik feels self-assured when he dances, especially when he knows his teammates are there with him. “I know that they’re behind me with the same mindsets and feelings.”

Over the time he has been captain, All Male has achieved several awards, including first place in Large Male Hip Hop at national championships.

What motivates Yik to become a better dancer is the passion behind dancing. Over the time Yik has danced, he has won solo awards including first place for 11th grade hip hop and 2nd place for 12th grade hip hop.

At the age of five, Dance Team captain and senior Leanne Duong started doing what she does best: dance. After taking a break during middle school, Duong started dancing again at freshman tryouts.

“Dancing is just a really good way to express myself. I feel really free to do whatever I want and it’s fun with my high school team,” she said. According to Duong, a lot of perseverance is needed to be a great dancer. “You need to know that you’re not going to be amazing the first time you do it. It takes a lot of motivation. It’s good to have the right support,” she explained. Throughout her dancing career, Duong has learned communication skills, teamwork, and what it takes to be a leader.

She is most proud of being a part of the team for all 4 years, since it wasn’t an easy journey. “Over the time I have danced, my team has at least placed in competition. This year, we got national championship. I know we aren’t the best high school dance team but to me, seeing their work ethic improve makes me proud.”

COLORGUARD: Keila

Osugi

DARWIN TSE Asst. Editor in Chief

College: Loyola Mount University Major: Psychology GPA: N/A

LEANNE

Senior Keila Osugi decided to join Color Guard when she first saw them perform at her eighth grade orientation, four years ago. Since then, Osugi has been captain of Color Guard for the last two years, expanded the team to 25 members, and won multiple competitions with her team.

“This year we got first place at the Palos Verdes Peninsula Holiday Parade of Lights for tall flag and ID banner,” said Osugi. Color Guard also placed first place at the Korean Cultural Heritage festival parade and Play Days this year in tall flag and ID banner.

Osugi credits her dedication to Color Guard to the bond she has with her team members.

“The people and atmosphere at practice is nice,” said

DUONG

COURTESY OF LEANNE DUONG

College: UC Riverside Major: Sociology GPA: 3.3

Osugi. “You take your mind of anything else you’re worrying about and just focus on one thing.”

Despite her major involvement in Color Guard, Osugi faced opposition to her decision to join the team in eighth grade.

“I want [my members] to feel proud to be on the team,” said Osugi. “When I joined everyone was like ‘No Keila, you can’t join Color Guard! That’s so embarrassing, why would you do that?’ and I don’t want any of them to ever deal with that.”

Osugi states that it take a lot of patience with herself and her teammates to be a successful Color Guard member, adding that frustration only leads to more difficulty. “[Color Guard] has made me a lot more confident in myself,” said Osugi. “I’m less easily swayed by what others and it’s made me more responsible because I’ve had to manage and look after a team of 25.”

Osugi will be attending Loyola Marymount University in the fall, majoring in Psychology. She would like to give a shout out to Tiffany and Mindy for being with her for all four years and Poching for helping her the past year.

BAND: Lauren Fukashima BRANDON CHUNG Copy Editor/Historian Senior Lauren Fukushima is a four-year band member, but her music career began in fourth grade with the Monterey Highlands music program. She first began playing the violin, but switched to playing the flute in fifth grade, which has remained her principal instrument to this day.

The high camaraderie level in band made the experience enjoyable to Fukushima. “Everybody works together,” she said. “We all know each other [well].” When performing with the band, Fukushima feels “happy, because other people get to listen to the fruits of our hard labor.”

During her time in the band, Fukushima has made several personal accomplishments, such as learning leadership skills through her roles as drum major and flute section leader,

Abraham

Wei

COURTESY OF ABRAHAM WEI

VICTORIA RAMIREZ Photographer College: Rensselaer Polytechnic Major: Architecture GPA: 3.4

as well as “how to get along with [other] people.” She is particularly proud of becoming the band’s drum major, or conductor, succeeding the role in her junior year.

Fukushima is inspired by Shannon Canchola, the flutist who played the theme for the Angry Birds game. She actually had the chance to take private lessons with Canchola, significantly improving her music skills.

In her spare time, Fukushima enjoys sketching, drawing, and editing music. She plans to attend Pasadena City College and study basic illustration before transferring to art college and studying character design.

Fukushima would like to give a shout-out to the band, Dr. Bartlett, and her amazing family.

College: Pasadena City College Major: Art and Design GPA: N/A

SWIM

Abraham Wei’s love of swim first began when he was eight years old, following in his older sister’s foot steps. His passion stems from the sport: the adrenaline, the nervousness, and the sense of great accomplishment. Wei goes on to further describe the sport as a “rollercoaster ride,” and in the end, it’s a worthwhile experience.

Wei shared, “I believe [that] being a great athlete is learning how to be humble.”

His motivations come from the goals that he sets for himself. Generally for swimmers, the goal is to achieve the best time, and then try to beat that time too. Swimmers are always trying to improve their game, but sometimes the improvements happen outside of the pool.

“One thing I had to improve was my attitude.

Often times I would enter a race with a pessimistic outlook and my performance would often reflect that. Mind over matter is what my sister would always tell me,” Wei said.

Mia Ching’s interest in swim is connected to her enjoyment of the sun and water. The sport not only challenges the team, but also the individual.

Throughout her four years in high school, Ching accomplished many feats, earning the “Most Improved” award her sophomore year. She’s motivated by the support from her teams, both at school and in a club. Ching is determined to better her performance in the pool, whether through working out in the weight room or swimming mornings and nights.

“This year we had a really tough competition, but everyone stepped up to the plate. I enjoy watching competition drive to make the team work harder,” she said.

The stress that Ching feels before races hardly compares to the relief that comes afterwards. She always pushes herself to go faster and to never give up.

Mia

Ching

COURTESY OF MIA CHING

College: Cal Poly SLO Major: N/A GPA: N/A