THE AZTEC VOLUME LXXX NUMBER I
VIEWPOINT PG 3 School Spirit: necessary?
FOCUS PG 4-5 Exploring modern music
September 14, 2017
FEATURES PG. 6 Meet your PA announcer
theaztecnews.com
SPORTS PG 7-8
Teams prepare for upcoming seasons with preseason games
News New school year, new Mark Keppel in Brief HANNAH WON Staff Writer
Annual College Fair 2017 The Alhambra Unified School District will hold their 10th annual district College Fair at San Gabriel High School on October 19th from 6 to 8 PM. Parents and all students are invited. Representatives from colleges, vocational schools, and the military will be attending. SAT Bootcamp Keppel's PTSA is cosponsoring a two-day SAT bootcamp on September 23rd to 24th at Mark Keppel High School. Catalyst Prep's bootcamp is designed to help students take the SAT with confidence. Enrollement deadline is September 20th. Overview of UC & CSU Admissions Mark Keppel PTSA invites students and parents to attend an information session on UC and CSU Admissions. The session will take place on September 21st from 7 to 9 PM at the MKHS Cafeteria.
Your calendar 9/13-Collaboration Schedule 9/15- Fall Rally 9/20- Collaboration Schedule & PTSA Meeting at 7-9 PM at the cafeteria 9/28- Academic Intervention Night at 6-8 pm 10/11- Collaboration Schedule 10/18- Collaboration Schedule & PTSA Meeting
Mark Keppel High School has changed its run-down walls to freshly painted interiors that allow students to feel more comfortable in their learning environment. The funds that paid for the repairs came from leftover bond money that contributed to the overall reconstruction of the school buildings. "Mr. Scanlan had made the suggestion of using the leftover bond money from the previous years for the school walls since the walls seemed to be [worn out],” said Ms. Perez, Assistant Principal of Business and Activities. The reparations were made to give students a better working environment to learn in. The effort is acknowledged by staff Lockers were repainted, along with A building hallways. faculty and by the students. ”I believe that physical changes do affect dent’s peace of mind. It allows a student to your attitude and how you feel so it will help become more positive on school grounds. us. [The surroundings] makes us feel more The teachers feel that students are able to be positive,” said English teacher Ms. Koutsky. themselves on campus with the help of peaceThe staff of Mark Keppel High School feel ful surroundings. “I think it helps clean up that the renovations are important because the environment and I think the students feel a friendly environment contributes to a stubetter since it’s a cleaner, more helpful envi-
THE AZTEC/ JAMIE CHAU
ronment.” said Perez. Replenishing the school has brought many benefits in the eyes of the school’s teachers and students, and the overall response towards the changes were positive.
Band & Colorguard perform at LA County Parade VIVIAN LUK Asst. Viewpoint Editor shade in order to practice. LikeFor the first time since 2013, wise, Lee added, “[Band] hasn’t Mark Keppel High School’s really been able to practice on the Color Guard and the Aztec field as much or on the track as Marching Band competed at much we would like.” the Los Angeles County Fair Nevertheless, both teams foon Wednesday, September 6th. cused on ensuring a strong perHours of preparation led up to formance at the L.A. County this parade on September 6th. Fair. Ly said, “I’m really grateful, According to band direcbecause all of the old members tor Mr. Lee, the Aztec Band and the new members are workhas practiced since band camp, ing really hard to catch up and which started on July 31st. Mr. the old members are really stepLee said, “Band practiced 8 ping it up to help us with all the hours before school started, but work we have to do.” since then they have practiced It was freshman Katie Ly’s their music every day during first parade as a member of the fourth period and after school Color Guard team. Ly had exon Mondays and Thursdays.” pected great things from the exSimilarly, Color Guard capBand members march through LA County Fair. COURTESY OF MR. DOUGLAS CHIN perience and even said, “We actain Lyan Ly said, “Practices tually did much, much better than last about two to three hours a we thought we were going to do, day with just our team, although Lee both cited bad weather condition as especially in front of the judges, which I’m sometimes we practice with band and those their biggest challenge in preparing for the really proud of.” It is evident that both teams’ usually go longer.” parade. As a result of the intense heat, Ly hard work have paid off. However, the recent heat wave caused noted that, “it makes it harder to push [the some problems with practices. Ly and Mr. team]” and that they had to find shelter or
THE AZTEC/ ANGELA CHEN, ALEX HUA, HAOXIAN HU, KEVIN LIU
New Keppel Staff Ms. Castro, Assistant Principal of Instructional Services Ms. Issa, Assistant Principal intern Ms. Diaz-Ferguson, Assistant Principal of Student and Employee Welfare Mr. Gerado and Mr. Proffitt, Campus Supervisor Ms. Ryan, College Advisor Ms. Smith, English SEI Teacher Ms. Garcia, Food Service Cook Mr. Wang, Gateway to Success Counselor Ms. Chai, Mandarin teacher Mr. Chavez, Ms. Kuo, and Mr. Tran, Math teacher Ms. Hoang, Science teacher Ms. Nam, Speech and Language Pathologist Mr. Alvarado and Ms. Kenney, Spanish teacher Mr. Burns, Special Education teacher Ms. Cai, Student Banker Mr. Adauto Sanchez, Ms. Amloyan, Ms. Diaz, Ms. Dooley, Mr. Ramos, Ms. Villalpando, Mr. Carillo, and Mr. Mak, Instructional Aides
New Collaboration Schedules
Academic Intervention Night
WENDY YUAN Staff Writer
NICOLE HERNANDEZ Staff Writer The first fall Academic Intervention Night will be hosted by Mark Keppel High School on September 28th from 6 to 8 pm. This event is designed to help students who are struggling or falling behind in their classes. Teachers will be able to meet with the parents of struggling students to talk about their children’s grades and ways to improve their academic performance. Senior Elena Martinez feels that Academic Intervention Night is a great opportunity for students to get the help and guidance they need. “I know a lot of students need help but are afraid to get their parents involved, so the fact that the
As students started a new school year at Mark Keppel High School, they were surprised to find out that the end of the collaboration day schedule had changed from 1:31 P.M. to 1.37 P.M. This year, six more minutes have been added to the collaboration days – a minute to each period. This decision was made by assistant principal Ms. Perez with the consent of Principal Mr. Scanlan. The schedule was changed so that the school year would have a total of 64,867 minutes. According to the Rule of California, each school requires a minimum amount of minutes students much attend school. These extra minutes was added in case of emergencies and school cannot proceed without the added six minutes as it needs to fulfill the minute requirements. However in our past school schedules, the
school is getting involved is great!” Martinez says. “I think it shows that the admins actually care about how students are doing.” Junior Noelle Frasher also added, “I like the idea of having Academic Intervention Night in the fall because it gives students a chance to fix their grades early, before it’s too late.” Overall, Academic Intervention Night is a great chance for parents to get involved in their child’s academics and for students to understand where they need more work and how to improve.
total was off by approximately 13 minutes. The additional minutes could not be added to regular school days; instead, the minutes were added to collaboration days and the last day of school. Senior Hilary Luong said, “It is troubling having to memorize the new [collaboration] schedules because everytime I need to get out of fifth period, I actually have to look up the Mark Keppel bell schedule online.” The new collaboration schedules is not necessarily a bad implement. Entrepreneurship and Economics teacher Ms. Salama said, “It is a positive thing that six minutes is added to our [collaboration schedule] and is a good change. It has not been a tremendous difference to our [collaboration] schedule.”
P.E. lockers renovated after 50 years IZABELLA COFRESSI Staff Writer Mark Keppel started this school year with renovations to their Physical Education department by replacing the old P.E. lockers. There are 860 new lockers which are red, to signify Aztec spirit. These new lockers are now much larger and will be used primarily for PE classes, allowing more room for students to store their backpacks. According to Ms. Ellie Ruiz, the locker room attendant, students used to leave their valuables with her because of the
lack of space in the old lockers and concern over the issue of theft. Junior Jose Prado said, “They’ll be a great upgrade to the school and beneficial to all the students who have to use them for P.E.” There are also seven new dressing stalls which are large enough for wheelchair access. Other improvements include new benches, two new security mirrors, and air ventilation throughout the locker room. Physical Education teacher Ms.
Hill and Ms. Ellie both agree that the lockers are a very big improvement, considering that the locker rooms had not been upgraded in 50 years. However, not all students seem to be their biggest fan. Sophomore Braulio Nelson said “The other lockers still worked just fine... they could have used that money for other things like renovating the bathrooms, fixing railings and updating the computer rooms.”
P.E. locker rooms are renovated after 50 years.
THE AZTEC/ CALLISTA LIU
The Aztec 2017-2018 Timothy Chuman
Wesley Zeng
Vincent Bagabaldo
Maggie Luu
Sophie Wong
Tiffany Leung
Vivian Luk
Staff Writers
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief/ News Editor
Angela Chen
Asst. Editor-in-Chief
Anny Jiang
Viewpoint Editor/Photographer
Aurora Zeng Focus Editor
Evan Cheng
A&E/Features Editor
Sports Editor/ Business Manager Web Editor
Callista Liu
Chief Photographer/Multimedia Editor
Kevin Liu
Copy Editor/Asst. Bus. Manager
Jamie Chau
Copy Editor/ Historian
Kody Woo Cartoonist
Asst. News Editor
Asst. Viewpoint Editor
Evan Woo
Asst. Foucs Editor
Samantha Hernandez Asst. Sports Editor
Haoxian Hu Photographer
Alex Hua
Photographer
Photographer
Izabella Cofressi Jaslynn Diep
Nicole Hernandez Lindsay Kung Christine Le Jasmine Ma
Sarena Scott
Babyruth Torres Hannah Won Wendy Yuan
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 Mr. Yankowsky in room A236 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
October 19, 2017
The AZtec
Viewpoint 3
Do guns trigger shootings? VIVIAN LUK Asst. Viewpoint Editor Armed with 23 weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition, Stephen Paddock opened fire at a concert at Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 1st. The massacre left at least 59 people dead and 527 people injured, making it the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. When nationwide tragedies occurs, the country often divides to search for a target of blame; the aftermath of the Las Vegas massacre has proved no different. It has triggered an even fiercer debate across the nation about the already-raging argument over gun control law. It has become habitual for Americans’ support of stricter gun regu- Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. COURTESY OF FAMILYVACATIONHUB.COM lations to grow in the wake of mass shootings; among those is Junior Locontrol would be a direct violation of those rights. renzo Bacalso. He notes that a lack of strict gun regAs a consensus, policymakers should remember ulation has made him question his safety in public that there are only so many limits they can enforce places, saying, “It’s a scary feeling knowing that I can in a world of persistent malign. Restricting Ameribe anywhere and someone can start shooting people.” cans’ access to guns is not the most effective course However, those on the opposing side disagree. of action. Perhaps, the country should focus on the Ms. Mozell points out, “It’s not the gun that does people behind the shootings. In a 2013 Milwauthe killing; it’s the person behind the gun.” Often, kee Journal Sentinel interview, Paul Ryan (R-Wi) people are model citizens on paper, passing back- asked the burning question, “What’s wrong with ground checks, only to purchase a gun for malicious our system, where a person who is clearly menintent. Junior Nicholas Stratacos mentions the Sec- tally ill, missed all the checks to get him the help ond Amendment, saying, “[It] is an integral part he needed to prevent [a massacre] from happenof our Constitution … We were the first nation to ing.” After all, it takes a finger to pull the trigger. publicly protect [the] balance of liberty [between the people and the government].” The right to bear arms is an important right to American citizens and gun
Poll: Should there be gun control laws? Yes
No
83%
17% 189 STUDENTS WERE POLLED
Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte.
COURTESY OF MASHABLE.COM
Is pumpkin spice being taken too far? SARENA SCOTT Staff Writer As the leaves change from green to brown, and the seasons change from summer to autumn, a disagreement begins to brew as pumpkin spice flavors are back in season. The annual limited edition flavor causes mixed feelings throughout the public, bringing both feelings of joy and disgust. The tradition of pumpkin spice representing autumn has developed over the years, and although there are plenty in favor of the theme, some may argue that the amount of pumpkin spice products are becoming excessive. The controversy starts with the release of fall flavored drinks, such as the infamous pumpkin spice latte and seasonal treats such as pumpkin spice Oreos, cereal and more. Spanish teacher Mr. Alvarado commented, “The flavor of pumpkin spice varies from product to product, but it gives you that warm feeling of fall.” This debate is between two sides: those who shake their heads toward pumpkin spice products, and those who anticipate the fall in order to buy as many products as possible. People with varying opinions represent their mixed feelings towards the traditional pumpkin spice flavor. Ms.Bradford, the culinary teacher, says, “[Pumpkin spice] has its place but it does not belong in everything… I appreciate it for holiday baking, but all this foofoo stuff; I can’t get with that.” On the other hand, Mr. Alvarado maintained the idea that, “Pumpkin spice will never be taken too far. I’ve walked into stores where they have everything pumpkin spice, and it is still not enough. Pumpkin spice just fills the soul with happiness.” Ultimately, the dispute remains unsettled. Is pumpkin spice being taken too far?
Locker use during lunch HAOXIAN HU Photographer Think your backpack is heavy? According to the New York Times, students on average carry around 18.4 pounds worth of textbooks and homework throughout the school day. Carrying this much weight contributes to severe health issues such as chronic back pain. Keppel currently restricts students from accessing their lockers during lunch, which, to many students, makes no sense because they have access to it at any other time during the school day. Regarding lockers, senior Elina Tsao said, “Lockers are extremely convenient for any student to drop off whatever they don’t currently need.” Tsao uses her locker during passing periods, and she thinks that “it is very inconvenient for administrators to disallow students from accessing lockers at lunch” because students are practically forced to store heavy books in their backpacks or risk forgetting where they dropped it off. Junior Michael Yuen says that if he was able to access the lockers at lunch, he would “be able to take [his] time leaving
[his] fourth period class” instead of having to sprint all the way from one end of the school to another. In other cases, he has to visit his teachers during lunch to complete an assignment. After sprinting across buildings, he forgets his notebook, and has to “sprint back to the A building, only to find out [he is not] allowed to use lockers at lunch.” He has also encountered a situation where he “had to carry [his] books during lunch because they were so heavy, and someone walks by and accidentally spills water on it.” Principal Scanlan thinks otherwise. Scanlan said, “In order to properly supervise, [the school has] to develop a contained and manageable area to have students be in during lunch.” Being unable to supervise most students translate into an increased risk of issues inside the campus because medical emergencies and fights could occur in unsupervised areas. The only option remaining is the current situation on lockers: not allowing any student to have access to their lockers, or access to the
Students’ Lockers.
A building in general with the exception of club meetings, and tutoring sessions. Allowing students access to their lockers during lunch may have some positive impacts on the student body by allowing them to drop off their textbooks. However, doing so will be a huge hassle for the school administration because they will have to allocate more money on staff expenses in order to supervise every corner of the school. Doing so will limit funding for instructional equipment used in science
THE AZTEC/CALLISTA LIU
and art classes such as band and orchestra. As of now, the current locker situation will remain in place because risks involved in changing the situation present a larger issue at hand.
4 FOCUS
THE A
“AND EVERY MELODY The history of music
MAGGIE LUU Photographer
Worldwide musical traditions dates back to over two million years. In fact, the origin of music was 55,000 years ago in the Paleolithic era. Music can vary widely amongst different times, places, and in cultures. Modern music is often used as a form of art or entertainment. According to the University of Minnesota, radio sales increased throughout the 1920s as they were an affordable way for live music for families. Compared to the music of the 1900s, modern music has drastically changed instrumentally and lyrically. Spanish teacher Mr. Alvarado says, “The world of music is changing because we need to move forward and progress needs to happen… I like the changes personally.” Living in the era of technology, the sound of music has progressively become
more electronic through genres such as EDM or techno. This new type of sound differs from other eras of music. For example, in the 1920s, when jazz was most popular, artists and musicians often used brass or woodwind instruments. Although this new electronic sound is different, it does not mean it is terrible. “With this new age wave of technology, it’s been able to influence music a little bit and so that has given more opportunity for composers, arrangers, performers, and all types of people. It also opens up some new genres, like techno,” says band director, Mr. Lee. Lyrics, on the other hand, have a history as a method of storytelling for musicians. Lyrics can vary, just like the sound of music; some lyrics can be abstract or very concrete. Furthermore, the meaning of lyrics can be either explicit or implicit,
depending on how a lyricist composed it. “I feel like back in the day, it [the context of songs] was more about actual love, and now it’s kind of more about how many people you can lay,” says senior Itzel Quiroz. Despite that nothing is for sure, it can be safely assumed that music will continue evolve as the years move on. Art teacher Ms. Bostwick says, “I think music will always going to change because we’re always going to have new technology that changes it.” Whilst the next genre or theme of music can not be confirmed, it will be interesting to see how music will continue to further evolve and whether any components of music or songs will be affected during another transition to a new change.
Poll: What is your favorite song of Summer 2017?
Humble by Kendrick Lamar Location by Khalid Believer by Imagine Dragons Redbone by Childish Gambino Stay by Zedd and Alessia Cara Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes Attention by Charlie Puth I’m The One by DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber No Promises by Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato
32 votes 30 votes 21 votes 21 votes 20 votes 18 votes 18 votes 13 votes 10 votes 6 votes
189 STUDENTS WERE POLLED
Poll: What’s your fa genre of music
Hip Hop/R&B Pop Rock/Alternative Classical EDM Country
176 STUDENT
EDM is Becoming all the rave
EVAN CHENG Features/A&E Editor
After decades of relative dormancy, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has come back bigger than ever. Since the early 2010s, the movement has made waves internationally and at home, launching producers into stardom and niche genres into the mainstream. It’s the fastest growing music genre of our generation, growing 60% over the past three years to be valued at $7.1 million, according to the International Music Summit. “I listen to [EDM] whenever I have time,” says junior Elvis Ma, whose favorite tracks includes “Reverie” by Illenium. “[It’s] beat and melody makes me want to dance along.” It’s important to note that not all EDM is meant to be danced to. “I think a lot of electronic music genres are lumped into the umbrella term of EDM,” says Devin ‘Kolkian’ Chin, a 17-year old producer from New York. “EDM is accurate for genres like House, Trance, or Techno, which you typically hear at raves or from DJ’s at parties. However, I think you’ll find it hard to dance to some ‘EDM’ genres like Drum’n’Bass or Chillstep, which are often primarily meant to be listened to.” For this reason, Chin prefers to use the term “ ‘Electronic’, not
‘EDM’.” Semantics aside, the exhilarating pow er of the genre is undeniable. “The pur uncomplicated beat makes the feeling o get-up-and-move a lot more raw,” say the prodigious producer. Elvis Ma describes something simi lar, “It’s a really positive experience, an gives you adrenaline to push through an task,” he says. “I remember when I wa taking World History AP, I would pla [EDM] to keep my energy up and wor harder.” EDM’s popularity was propelled i part due to a thriving internet culture “The production community is extreme ly helpful and encouraging,” says Chin “100% of what I learned [was] from on line tutorials and fellow producers on line.” With countless of diverse tracks join ing the EDM scene per day, many art ists choose to release their work ad-fre or on accessible streaming services lik Pandora and Spotify. Freshman Delayla Akameme also listens on Youtube. “I jus look at my sub-box,” she says. The artists themselves are as diverse a the music. “Some producers are literall raving druggies and others are jazz theo ry nerds,” adds Chin.
September 14, 2017 5
AZTEC
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33% 29% 17.6% 9.1% 9.1% 2.2%
TS WERE POLLED
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Pirating Music: “ARRGG”uable AURORA ZENG & JAMIE CHAU Focus Editor & Historian/Copy Editor
Listening to music for free is something many people in this generation take for granted. Whether it is streaming on Youtube, using Spotify Free, or even pirating music, plenty of people do not pay a single cent for their music. Unfortunately, for those who choose the last method, “stream-ripping” music will soon become a thing of the past. “Stream-ripping” is the process of converting the audio of a YouTube video into an MP3 file, which is then downloaded onto devices for convenient playback. Last year, a group of major record labels took perhaps the most popular “stream-ripping” website, youtube-mp3.org, into court. As a result, it was recently announced that the website will be shutting down in the near future. To many, this means having to find a new “stream-ripping” website to download music. To others, this would be a step in the right direction. Senior Eileen Wang says, “[Pirating music robs] the artist of their money. Music is their job, [and] you’re not paying them for their service.” Wang herself pays for Spotify Premium.
Upcoming Album Release Dates Galantis, The Aviary
9/15
Macklemore, Gemini
9/22
Demi Lovato, Tell Me You Love Me
9/29
Echosmith, Inside a Dream
9/29
Miley Cyrus, Younger Now
9/29
Camila Cabello, The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving.
TBA
Pink, Beautiful Trauma
10/13
Kelly Clarkson, Meaning of Life
10/27
Taylor Swift, Reputation
11/10
Pirating music is indeed a major problem, especially for emerging artists. Kimberly James, the president of indie label CBM Records, tells Forbes that not only are these artists losing profits from pirated music, they also cannot afford to have stolen music taken down. James urges people to use a platform that at least pays artists instead of simply stealing their work. Web Design teacher Ms. Salama, who pays for Apple Music, agrees. She adds, “I don’t see why we need to download when we can stream music. The fee for [making music accessible through streaming] is reasonable.” While it is true that students might not have the money to pay for streaming at all, free platforms like YouTube, Pandora, and Spotify are still a source of revenue for artists. Music is something we can all enjoy, and musicians can continue to provide it for us as long they are funded. Therefore, in order to keep aspiring artists inspired, we should stray away from downloading stolen work.
Clean Bandit, Symphony
Poll: What is your preferred music listening platform?
Spotify 48.6% Youtube 33.5% Apple Music 6.5% Soundcloud 2.7% Pandora 2.2% Other 6.5% 185 STUDENTS WERE POLLED
K-popping off the charts LINDSAY KUNG Staff Writer
Last December, K-pop superstar group Bangtan Seoyeondan, or BTS announced a worldwide tour scheduled for mid-2017 to kick off their new album “Wings” in October, and “You Never Walk Alone” in April. The headline gathered millions of views and shares online while concert tickets sold out in seconds for all tour stops, booming the surge of Hallyu artists into modern music. The term Hallyu or “Korean Wave,” refers to the rise of South Korean pop culture of early 2000s, especially in neighboring East Asian countries. K-pop, or Korean pop music, is one of the many sub-genres of Hallyu, which spans dramas, movies, and TV game/reality shows. The K-pop movement began in 1922 of Seoul when a three-man band called Seo Taeji and Boys debuted with an unprecedented mesh of traditional Korean folk music, hip-hop and electronica, laying the foundations for future stars. Since then, many other “idol groups”—pop groups consisting of youth—have risen and spread overseas. K-pop is crafted with a distinct focus on widespread appeal through multiple genres and singing styles with groups boasting members specializing in singing, rapping, and dancing for the ultimate pop package. K-pop artists have found success in Asia for years, while its footprint continues to grow in the U.S. with album sales, music festivals, and tours. Solo artist and actor Rain won the Time 100 Poll three times and boy band BIGBANG was named the Best Worldwide Act at the 2011 MTV EMAs. In May 2017, BTS made history as the first international music group to win a Billboard award.
Senior Jasmine Wu was very surprised. “[I] can’t wait for the day a [BTS song] plays on the radio while [I’m] driving.” Coincidentally, Keppel offers a club that encourages students to share their interest in Korean culture. Both President Carina Li & Vice President Kylie Law were first exposed to the phenomenon through Youtube, and have continued to love Korean music and dramas. Law and Li both hope to spread their appreciation of the unique South Korean culture. The phenomenon isn’t limited to select people; senior Kaitlin Simpson attended the L.A. Korean Convention for two consecutive years. Like Li, she enjoys listening to K-pop because its different perspective on music and catchiness. Despite its growing popularity, there are many people who are less keen on the movement. Junior Brianna Proud commented on the stigma of K-pop group selections and gave her disapproval of the rigorous nature of the trainee program. Senior Esther Kim noted that the popularity of K-pop allowed her to have great conversations with her friends, but people assumed she knew every K-pop song because she is Korean. However, she is proud to see her culture evolving globally. Today, people around the world enjoy artistically rich and diverse aspects of Korean culture. Thanks to Hallyu, Seoul leads as the trend-setting capital of Asia, as events like Seoul Fashion Week and K-pop concerts attract more people every year.
6 fEATURES THE AZTEC ‘INKTOBER’ Inspires Artists
October 19, 2017
KODY WOO Cartoonist While October’s days are filled with simple shoppers stuffing their homes with sweet treats and costume materials, artists around the world are also raising their pens and brushes for the thirty-one days of Inktober. Started by comic artist Jake Parker in 2009, this month-long challenge has since grown include thousands of participants. With few required materials, such as an ordinary ink pen and a sheet of paper, along with the basic rule of drawing one inked drawing per day, it’s no surprise that such a simple event has reached significant levels of prominence in art communities today. “It helps me improve, and it’s interesting,” says junior Tiffany Lac, who has been participating for two years and counting. Tiffany also finds it motivating and doesn’t mind publishing her work online to other Inktober participants. “I like to watch
other people and see their work, and get [Facebook] likes out of mine,” she adds. Meanwhile, some students, while not active in Inktober, are more than interested in ink drawing, such as senior Tina Yan, an active member of the Art Club. “Ink drawing is different, but rewarding,” says Yan. “It gives me a positive self-image, and it’s pretty reinforcing.” Much like Tiffany, she is proud to release her work to the world. “I find ink drawing mostly okay, but I just feel that more people should try something like this in their life.” Similarly, Alec Guan, a junior, explains that his positive self-esteem, both as an artist and a person, sprouts from his peers rather than the Internet. “The motivation [comes] from my friends, and it helps me improve both in my artistic and social skills. It’s just really exciting.” “Swift” by junior Tiffany Lac, done for INKtober
COURTESY OF ABC
The Good Doctor: Review CHRISTINE LE Staff Writer Standing in the middle of the boardroom with disapproving eyes glued on him, he sees visions of the past: his father slapping him across the face for being kicked out of school for the third time, the hurtful words about his disorder slipping past the tip of his tongue. He feels as if life had dealt him the worst hand possible. But with the company of his younger brother, Steve, he finds solace and the will to go on-until his brother dies. All of this happens in the first episode of The Good Doctor, an ABC original which follows the journey of a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, Shaun Murphy. Surprisingly, the show received many differentiated opinions in the autism community. According to The Morning Call, 90% of the viewers admire the show for bringing awareness to autism. On the other hand, 37% of the viewers argues that it inaccu-
COURTESY OF SM64O
Fans Do What Nintendon’t IZABELLA COFRESSI Staff Writer
rately portrays autistic people as one type instead of a spectrum of people with different levels of disability and skills. The critics also seem to think that the show is too sentimental. However, that raw emotion is what seems to captivate the attention of the many viewers who adore it. As in the real world, the show presents the misconception most people seem to have on those who fall under the autistic spectrum, that these individuals lack emotions and other skills. Melanie Ware, a special education advisor at Keppel, says, “I think that some people on the autism spectrum are very high functioning. I think it’s realistic that people with autism could, if they wanted, become physicians.” Ware also stated that first and foremost, they are people but most people forget that. “For me, a disability is just a part of being human.”
For a brief moment in time, fans of the 1996 hit platformer Super Mario 64 were able to play the game cooperatively online, with the use of a free fan-made mod titled ‘Super Mario 64 Online’. This was no cheap, poorly-made attempt to recreate a game loved by millions, but a marvel of software engineering that made the game play as if it were originally developed as a multiplayer experience. All was well in the online mushroom kingdom until Nintendo took notice and shut it down with a cease and desist order. To be fair, the modders were also accepting donations through the online service, Patreon, from players who wanted to support continued
development of the mod. But Nintendo never contacted him directly and ruthlessly took down any related material on the internet in addition to the Patreon donation page. “I think it does suck for the modder,” says junior Rosa Muon, “because he did put in a lot of work on the website and tutorial videos but he did get what he deserved.” Ms. Fillpot, the game design teacher at Keppel, said, “If Nintendo had a problem with it, maybe they’re being a little uptight but it’s their right [to shut it down].”
Happy Death Day Deconstructed BABYRUTH TORRES Staff Writer The new horror film Happy Death Day stars Jessica Rothe as Tree Gelbman, a self-absorbed college student who is forced to relive the day of her murder (coincidentally also her birthday) until she can identify her murderer. Happy Death Day is another addition to the many horror films released this year. Will it stand out? Junior Celeste Toledo says, “ A good horror film should make the audience feel like they should close their eyes. It also should make the audience want to continue watching till the end.” The trailer for Happy Death Day has accumulated 4.3
million view on YouTube, clearly catching the attention of many. It’s one of the main reasons why Toledo wants to see the movie. “ The trailer gives you a lot of detail about the characters but doesn’t tell you who the killer is,” says Toledo. “[It also] shows a lot of action, and I really like [it.]” The movie can be described as the horror version of “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray. Both movies have the protagonist stuck in a time loop that repeatedly throws the main character through a day of their lives. A movie such as this is expected to have a deeper reason for why Tree Gelbman is able to relive the same day
over and over again. However, Happy Death Day doesn’t explain why she is reliving the same day, but plays towards a murder mystery instead. Regardless, the inevitable plot twist of the movie will shock audiences and leave them thinking: What will I do today that will affect tomorrow?
September 14, 2017
the aztec
Sports 7
Football falls after strong first half SARENA SCOTT Staff Writer “[It is a] beautiful night [here] at the Aztec football field,” proclaimed announcer Pete Costantino. The Mark Keppel Aztecs fought toe to toe with Jordan High School last Friday night but lost by a score of 44-20. Head Coach John Tuttle said that the overall goal for this game was to, “improve, be competitive and take a step forward in tonight’s game.” The Aztecs did not have any recording of the Bulldogs’s playstyle prior to the game, but this did not stop Coach Tuttle from preparing his team as much as possible. “[We were able to prepare by] showing the football players different formations and just trying to get them ready for the game.” The Aztecs held the Bulldogs scoreless on their first possession and struck first with a rushing touchdown by sophomore A.J Escobar. Junior Jose Gonzalez added a two point conversion to give the Aztecs an 8-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bulldogs responded with a touchdown, but were not able to score on their two point conversion attempt, preserving the Aztecs’ 8-6 lead. The Aztecs continued their strong play in the second quarter with tremendous tackles by senior Bryan Torres and a powerful rushing attack by Gonzalez. Escobar added another touchdown to give
the Aztecs a 14-6 lead, but the Bulldogs sophomore Rodrigo Lara to bolt for a 65 countered with a touchdown and a two yard touchdown run, tightening Jordan’s point conversion of their own to tie the lead to 10 points. game heading into halftime. The Bulldogs had a lead yet again, The Bulldogs as they scored another overpowered the Az- “We worked a lot and we might touchdown to end the tecs early in the third quarter with a 36-20 have struggled, but we kept quarter, tacking on lead. The fourth quartwo touchdowns and playing. [Our] next game will be ter saw the two teams better.” - Jose Gonzalez holding Mark Keppel working hard on both scoreless to jump out sides of the ball and to a 30-14 lead. it kept the fans on the edge of their seats However, Gonzalez used the blocking of hoping for a win. However, the Bulldogs linemen junior Matthew Guevara and held the Aztecs scoreless in the fourth
Junior Raymond Tang (5) readies his shot at La Salle’s goal.
THE AZTEC/ ALEX HUA
Boys Water Polo shoots to improve after loss KEVIN LIU Copy Editor/Asst. Business Manager Boys Water Polo lost against La Salle High School with a score of 0-12. Despite early playmaking in the first quarter, Keppel’s water polo failed to stem La Salle’s aggressive advance who quickened the pace in the second quarter and finished halftime with a score of 0-7. “We just lost hope when [the score] reached 0-7 and we had to keep playing,” said senior captain and goalkeeper Mitchell Luong. “So far, we’ve been on a losing streak and I think that has affected our morale so far.” After eleven seniors in which nine were varsity players graduated, Coach Wendy Centeno had to move up relatively new players who were new junior varsity players last year. “It’s very hard to expect a lot [out] of them, but I expect a lot either way because I’m not going to put them down to a level where they think they’re not good.”
COURTESY OF LESLIE SOTO
The Varisty Football team lines up to hike the ball on third down.
“We need more plays; we only have one play so far, which is the drive,” said Luong. “[We] can [also] work on our defense [and] conditioning.” Centeno cited her desire to focus on laying down the foundations first, before moving onto more complex maneuvers in game. “You have to do the basics first and then you can move on to the harder and trickier stuff. If you don’t have foundations, you’re not going to be a very good water polo player.” “We are working on [different] plays, but I don’t want to bombard them with things when they barely understand one,” continues Centeno. Despite losing the game, junior Stephen Torres decides to look toward future games and the season, where he and the team hopes to improve. “Coach has been telling me to work on my shots, which I’ve been trying to do. I’ve been pretty close; I shot [during the first quarter] and almost made it in,” said Torres.
quarter and outlasted the Aztecs to win, 44-20. “This game was an improvement. We worked a lot and we might have struggled, but we kept playing. [Our] next game will be better.” said Gonzalez. Escobar identified positives and negatives in his team’s performance, but was eager to turn the page and learn from their mistakes. “Obviously we wanted to win the game and we did that going into the half tied up. Going into the third quarter, things just went a little down hill and we need to work on that.” said Escobar.
Senior Sally Smith (10) spikes the ball back toward Wilson High.
THE AZTEC/ HAOXIAN HU
Girls Volleyball on upward trend after win TIMOTHY CHUMAN Editor-in-Chief The Mark Keppel Girls Varsity Volleyball team pulled out a 3-1 win against Glen A. Wilson high school this past Tuesday. With their success last season and their trip to CIF, the girls plan on doing the same this season. The Aztecs and the Wildcats went back and forth trading points throughout the game in a hard fought battle. The Lady Aztecs pulled out the first and second set, but fell in the third set to the Wildcats. However, the Lady Aztecs finished strong and won the fourth set to capture the win. The Aztecs made sure that they were not only prepared for the game, but for upcoming league play as well. “It helps that we have a larger block of time between games, but this allows us to do extra physical conditioning and analyze the
things that are helping us succeed and the things that we need to improve upon,” said head coach Francis Chu. The Lady Aztecs are 4-5 in preseason play and while Coach Chu acknowledges the effect of the extra practice time on his team, he attributed the most recent win to the great leadership from the seniors. “We have a good number of seniors and they’ve collectively taken a leadership role to aid the team,” said Coach Chu. “They each bring something different to the table which has helped guide our team so far.” Although the Aztecs beat the Wildcats in four sets, the team still saw room for improvement. “We can definitely take this game as a learning experience and incorporate the things we did well into our upcoming games,” said junior Iris Chung.
the aztec
8 Sports
September 14, 2017
THE AZTEC/ CALLISTA LIU
Athlete’s Profile: Maliah Pierribia CHRISTINE LE Staff Writer Sophomore Audrey Thomas prepares her backhand hit to return the ball back to her South Pasadena opponent.
THE AZTEC/ KEVIN LIU
Girls Tennis swings for League success after loss KEVIN LIU Copy Editor/ Asst. Business Manager Girl’s Tennis lost against South Pasadena 14-4 in a home game on Tuesday, September 13th. “I [thought we could beat South Pasadena],” said assistant coach and Keppel alumni Mary Ma. “We have a pretty strong singles lineup [but] our doubles need some work.” Senior Maliah Perribia, who was singles No.1 managed to win two of the four sets Keppel beat South Pasadena in with the score of 6-2 in both sets. However, she lost her last set against South Pasadena’s Singles No. 2 with a score of 6-1. “She’s improved a lot since her freshman year,” said Ma. “I remember
she played here at Keppel when she was a little kid… and [when she] came she beat all the varsity players… when she was ten.” Doubles pair no. 1 consisting of seniors Sarah Bang and Tiffany Guan contributed another set win against South Pasadena with a score of 6-3. Singles no. 3 Caitlyn Wang also contributed one winning set as the only freshman varsity player, with a score of 6-4 before being subbed out due to leg injury. “I was winning [my set] 5-2 and then I hurt my leg, and ended up [finishing my set] 6-4,” says Wang. “[I would’ve liked] to help the team [more].” “She has a lot of potential, a lot of game,” said Coach Ten. “She needs to be more aggressive; just like Audrey [who
was on varsity her freshman year] had to learn to be more aggressive… to make the play. Despite winning four games off of South Pasadena, Coach Ten expressed his disappointment in the results, noting that some players could have practiced more in the summer. “We should have [done] better than we did,” said Coach Ten. “[We need to work more on] their ability to hit the ball consistently - the ability to hit a serve be able volley. I’m not worried about stamina.” “...if we don’t start winning points on our doubles end… we’re going to have problems just coming in second [place],” said Coach Ten.
Cross Country: Ready, Set, Go! TIMOTHY CHUMAN Editor-in-Chief The Mark Keppel Cross Country team is feverishly preparing for their first meet of the season on Saturday, September 16th at the Woodbridge Invitational. New Assistant Coach, Isaac Alvarado emphasized that while the team is focused on winning, they are also focused on improving the unity of the team. “Our goal is to bring the team together by encouraging each other, cheering for each other, working together, and pushing each other to get better,” said Coach Alvarado. “Once we have that down, all of the practical aspects of the sport will come together.”
The team of around 64 endures a rigorous practice schedule that involves after school practices on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and weight training before school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The after school practices include training on the track and long distance training once a week to improve their endurance and speed. “The practices before and after school are tiring, but they are great preparation to help us get the feel of races and be able to endure the struggles of races,” said captain Yuuki Muanpho. The team is certain to face struggles throughout the season, and new Head Coach Victor Romero believes that the mental game will be one problem that
they will have to overcome. “Our team is a little afraid of competing because they are afraid they are not going to win, but that’s the point. They need to have the mindset that [the meets] are measuring improvement, and are not defined by winning or losing,” said Coach Romero. However, all of the team’s hard work is sure to pay off and the team is hopeful for a very successful season. “There are a lot of new people and there’s a lot of new talent, and honestly by now, over half of the team has usually quit,” said captain Emily Wu. “But the team has stuck with [the program] and there is a lot of room for excitement this upcoming season.”
Senior Maliah Pierribia, one of the captains of the Girls Tennis team, has been on the team since her freshman year. Because Pierribia has been playing tennis for the majority of her life, she has always been good player since she was a child, other sports never giving her much interest. Despite her experiences in playing tennis, Pierribia still gets nervous during her tennis matches and finds that there is room for improvements. “I get really nervous sometimes making me afraid to hit the ball which causes me to start performing poorly, so I would say working on my confidence was one of the improvements I needed to work on.” Outside the court she’s bonded with her team; Pierribia claims tennis has helped her improve her “people skills” since she interacts with the new players recruited each year. Pierribia believes to be in tennis, one must be persistent and determined since they face a lot of losses in their tennis career; getting over it and improving is the more important. A strong mindset is key but practicing will also be a huge part of the players career. Aside from all of the seriousness of training, Pierribia mentions that she enjoys her time spent with her team stating that they’re easy to get along with and always having a lot of fun. “My tennis team has always helped me and cheered me on when I’m down..” Outside of tennis Pierriba participates in French club, ALAS, IMPACT, Tennis Club, and manages her homework time throughout her day doing it whenever she finds the time to. Despite her busy schedule, Pierribia finds time to read and spend time with her family. “I would like to thank my tennis team for always helping me and cheering me on when I’m feeling down. Thank you to my friends and my family for always being so supportive.”
Sports Calendar Boys Water Polo On 9/18 versus Chino Hills at Mark Keppel On 9/21 versus Pasadena at Barnes Park On 9/27 versus Alhambra at Alhambra On 9/28 versus Sierra Vista at Mark Keppel On 10/4 versus Montebello at Mark Keppel On 10/6 versus Downey at Downey
Girls Tennis On 9/18 versus Glendale at Glendale On 9/19 versus Kennedy at Mark Keppel On 9/21 versus San Gabriel at San Gabriel On 9/26 versus Schurr at Mark Keppel On 9/29 versus Covina at Covina
Football Girls Volleyball On 9/21 versus Bell Gardens at Bell Gardens On 9/26 versus Alhamra at Alhambra On 9/28 versus Montebello at Montebello On 10/3 versus San Gabriel at Mark Keppel On 10/5 versus Schurr at Schurr On 10/10 versus Bell Gardens at Mark Keppel On 10/12 versus Alhambra at Mark Keppel On 10/17 versus Montebello at Mark Keppel
On 9/22 versus Granite Hill at Mark Keppel On 9/29 versus Capo Valley Christian On 10/6 versus Schurr at Mark Keppel On 10/13 versus Bell Gardens at Bell Gardens
Cross Country On 9/27 versus Leauge at Legg Lake Park On 9/30 versus Bellamine Jefferson HS Invitational at Griffth Park On 10/7 versus Lancer XC Classic On 10/18 versus League at Legg Lake Park