November 2019

THE AZTEC VOLUME LXXXII NUMBER III

nOVEMBER 21, 2019

theaztecnews.com

FEATURES PG. 6

VIEWPOINT PG. 3 Keppel debates over crosswalk safety

SPORTS PG. 7-8 Boys’ soccer wins first preseason game

Apple debuts new airpods pros

NEWS Dance Company hosts Lip Sync Battle IN BRIEF MADDY LEONG Staff Writer

College app cafe The career center will be hosting a college app workshop next week at Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 from 9AM-1PM.

Mark your calendar 11/25-11/29 Thanksgiving Break 12/2 - Pupil Free Day 12/4 - Collaboration Schedule 12/11 - Collaboration Schedule

On Friday, Nov. 15, Mark Keppel High School hosted their first Lip Sync Battle.

Performers included Associated Student Body (ASB) clubs, sports teams, and Mark Keppel teachers and staff.

The Lip Sync Battle served as Mark Keppel Dance Company’s fall dance showcase and was different from last year’s Dancing With The Keppel Stars. The battle was inspired by a similar competition, “Give A Little Love”, hosted at Keppel a few years ago. Activate Arroyo, arranger of the Lip Sync Battle and director of Keppel’s Dance Company, says, “I wanted to do a different kind of show this year because there’s a lot of people that would like to have fun and just be on stage and do something crazy.”

Friday night’s act first showcased multiple groups from Keppel’s Dance Company. Next came the ASB clubs and sports teams in the airband competition and lastly came the staff and teachers division featuring Alvarado who performed to “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars, Heredia performing to “Despacito”, and Alexander who performed to a remix of Meghan Trainor songs “Me Too” and “All About That Bass.”

Those who placed top three in the airband competition received cash awards amounting up to $200 and those who placed top three in the lip sync competition received ten ad-

Benney Heredia lipsyncing and dancing to “Despacito.”

ditional volunteer hours and special prizes, including school supplies and gift cards.

The airband competition winners were the Aztec Singers and Lip Sync Competition winner was Alexander. Brianna Avila, president of Aztec Singers says, “Our motivation for entering the contest was to...show more people what we are capable of...and I think our hard work paid off.” Alexander also encourages other teachers to participate because, “it’s so much more fun when there’s more competition and it would be great if ev-

THE AZTEC/IZABELLA COFRESSI

erybody came out and did it and we were able to do more for the Dance Company.”

With the positive responses of this year’s show, Arroyo hopes to use this momentum for next year’s fall show, Dancing With The Keppel Stars. “My plan is to alternate Lip Sync Battle with Dancing with the Keppel Stars moving forward… I’m hoping because we aren’t doing the same show every year, it’ll always be different to try as opposed to doing the same thing every fall.” says Arroyo.

Mark Keppel Aztec Band will perform at Tri-City Field Show AMY TO Staff Writer

COURTESY OF INSTRUMENTAL BOOSTER MRS. PHAN

Aztec Band rehersing for the annual Tri-City Field Show at San Gabriel High.

Mark Keppel’s Aztec Band and Color Guard will perform at the annual Tri-City Field Show at San Gabriel High School at Dec. 3.

The Tri-City Field Show is an opportunity for the high school band programs of the Alhambra Unified School District to join together and showcase their talents they have refined during the marching band season. Aztec Band director Justin Lee believes that the Tri-City Field Show is a rewarding experience for all bands in the district. “Being able to see the final product [after] months of hard work is cool, and it’s great to do it with a bunch of people who understand how difficult and time-consuming [working on field shows] can be,” says Lee. At the Tri-City Field Show, the Aztec Band will perform “DeComposers”. It consists of a mix of familiar classical tunes from composers such as Mozart and Beethoven. However, these melodies are modulated into a minor key, which gives the show a haunted, eerie mood.

During the school year, they practice their field

show on Mondays and Thursdays in preparation for field show competitions and Tri-City. According to the Aztec Band’s drum major senior Renee Chung, she believes that partaking in the field show allows her to bond with the band as they spend countless hours working together. Despite the difficulties, she enjoys the overall experience. “It may seem rigorous for some, but the end result is worth it. Spending time with friends who share interests in playing music makes it even better,” says Chung.

After Tri-City, Aztec Band anticipates their biggest event of the year: the 2020 Tournament Rose Parade. For about a year, they have been preparing for the five and a half mile parade by building stamina and marching around San Gabriel High School’s track. Chung looks forward to meeting other marching bands around the world and is honored to represent Mark Keppel and the community. “I would like to thank Mr. Lee, the San Gabriel High School and Alhambra High School’s band directors, the school, the AUSD board, and Dr. Farber for their hard work and support for giving us the opportunity to march in the 2020 Tournament Rose Parade,” states Chung.

THE AZTEC

2 NEWS

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Conflict Resolution class promotes courage and empathy in school-wide assembly

Keppel holds Poetry Out Loud Competition

FIONA CHAN Staff Writer

MEILY TRAN Staff Writer Mark Keppel held their 5th annual Poetry Out Loud Competition on Nov. 5 in the auditorium. Selected students from Ms. Burkhart’s English classes preformed in the competition. The school’s top five students were juniors Matthieu Gol, Michelle Li, Gordon Wu, Erik Lim, and Jasmine Lim. Burkhart believed the curriculum was beneficial for the students. “There aren’t too many outlets for students to explore their creativity…and to give voice to their emotions and their feelings,” says Burkhart.

Poetry Out Loud was both Lim and Gol’s first major exposure to reciting poetry.

“Poetry...I’ve only done this year. The only other experience...was where I only memorized four lines in a sixteen line poem, so this is relatively new to me,” says Gol. Lim has a positive reception to this form of speech, saying that she appreciates the rhythm and abstractness. Furthermore, she states, “it gave me a purpose that I didn’t think that I had or needed in my life.”

The top five Keppel performers competed at AUSD District Finals at Alhambra High School on Nov. 13. Li placed 3rd while the top two were San Gabriel students. The top performer will move on to the Los Angeles County competition in February.

The Let’s Bring Change to Mind club and Conflict Resolution class held an assembly at Mark Keppel High School on Nov. 20. Ms. Sutton, American Literature and Conflict Resolution teacher, is encouraging her students to read the book, Dare to Lead, by Brene Brown, and then teach the concepts of the book to other students. Sutton based the Dare to Lead assembly off the themes of the book. She says, “[the assembly] is a Dare to Lead assembly where we will be covering topics such as courage, vulnerability, values, trust, and empathy, to name a few.”

This assembly is not presented in every school but should be in order to raise more awareness on sensitive topics, such as courage, trust, vulnerability, and empathy. Sutton says, “it’s important for high schoolers because we address how healthy relationships enhance our mental health and well-being.” The assembly targeted issues that are common amongst not only high schoolers, but also children and adults. So, everyone should acknowledge what the message of the assembly is.

Sutton says, “When we opt out of learning experiences, we may miss out

Conflict Resolution students hold BRAVING sign.

on an opportunity for personal growth...

The assembly can serve as the impetus for really digging into this content and investing in ourselves and our relationships.” Usually, many school assemblies address common problems such as bullying, however this assembly addresses a different topic and serves an educational learning experience for those who attend.

In order to make the messages of this assembly stand out, Sutton says, “Using

THE AZTEC/LAURA CHEN

the BRAVING acronym is helpful for students [and adults as it] gives people a common language to address what it means to trust others.” Many students tend not to pay any attention during a school assembly, either from their lack of interest or belief that it is not important. But with something, like an acronym, that goes along with the assembly, it allows the students to subconsciously remember what it focused on and the points made.

Bridge Club members experience life in Alhambra, MPK SEI students on fitting in Hello everyone, we are the Bridge Club of Mark Keppel High School. As the name suggests, we are here to work as a bridge to connect international students with domestic students on campus. For the past few years, we have noticed that the Structured English Immersion (SEI) students have not had any chance to speak up for themselves and we believe that in order to create a stronger bond in the Mark Keppel community, international students should also have a voice in the school. By using the Aztec newspaper as a link, we encourage all Aztecs to notice the separation among the different language groups in our school, and we hope to increase the unity among different language groups of this campus through these publications written in simple English. We are also working hard on poster translations in the hallway, so be sure to check them out if you see one! Please support us as we continue to bridge these two communities. Thank you!

Article written by Bridge students Samuel Chan, Lawrence Shieh, Yungton Ou, & Hongze Yu

Origins of Thanksgiving

Bridge students learning new customs, traditions at MKHS

Poster celebrating Thanksgiving created by SEI students.

COURTESY OF SHERRY LIANG

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, which will be on November 28th this year. Thanksgiving started as a way of showing thanks to the Native Americans who helped the early English colonists. Native Americans taught the colonists many survival skills. Thankful for their help, colonists invited them to celebrate the fall harvest, and it eventually became a tradition, now known as Thanksgiving. This day is a national federal holiday, so most people have the day off as well as the following Friday. Families celebrate the holiday by getting together and having a large meal.

Some foods served during Thanksgiving are roasted turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated in Netherlands, Philippines, Canada, United States, and more.

Similar holidays around the world include Germany’s Erntedankfest, Japan’s Labor Thanksgiving Day, United Kingdom’s Harvest Festival, and India’s Thai Pongal.

Article written by Bridge students Allison Chiang, Jason Wang, Yu Cao, & Colette Han

THE AZTEC 2019-2020 Maple Duong

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Ms. Yaklich Advisor

Annie Lam

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The Aztec is published monthly by the journalism class of Mark Keppel High School and is printed

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Opinions expressed are those of the writers, not of the faculty or administration. Articles without bylines are staff editorials, and reflect the opinion of the staff.

Letters to the editor are welcome and are subject to editing. Letters can be given to Ms. Yaklich in room A134 or sent to theaztecstaff@gmail.com. All letters must be signed, but on request, names will be withheld. We do not acknowledge unsigned letters.

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Alhambra, CA 91801

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

THE AZTEC

VIEWPOINT 3

Safety precautions needed at Hellman crosswalk NATASHA MIYANO Staff Writer

THE AZTEC/ JASPER DUONG

Pictured above: crosswalk connecting MKHS and Hellman Ave and Rural Drive.

Keppel weighs in on CA public school bill RYAN WONG Staff Writer The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, recently passed a bill that pushes back the start times at most public high and middle schools in California. School districts in the state are given until the start of the 2022-23 school year to implement new schedules that conform with the bill. Under the new law, high schools cannot start instruction earlier than 8:30 a.m, and middle schools cannot start earlier than 8 a.m.

This bill makes California the first U.S state to enact a law mandating that public schools start instruction after a specific time. Although districts and schools will not have to adhere to a specific bell schedule nor change the amount of instructional minutes students receive, lost instructional time from starting the school day later will have to be compensated for at the end of the day.

When California tried to pass an almost identical law last year, former Californian governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill. However, in a statement published in the Washington Post, Newsom defends his position on the issue. He says, “The science shows that teenage students who start their day later increase their academic performance, attendance, and overall health. Importantly, the law allows three years for schools and school districts to plan and implement these changes.” However, the newly passed law does not take into consideration optional class periods such as zero periods, which start before the regular school session.

Freshman Kayla Luong believes that this law will benefit students, helping them be more focused throughout the school day. “Getting more sleep, I won’t feel as tired in the morning and I can learn better because I wouldn’t want to sleep in class,” says Luong.

However, music teacher Mr. Lee foresees problems families might face because of the law. He says, “A lot of our students don’t drive themselves and a lot of their parents and guardians are working families… If the school day does start a little later, I am concerned about how our students are going to safely get to school.”

According to Assistant Principal of Business & Activities Ms. Perez, there are no plans for Keppel to implement the law before the 2022-2023 school year. “If the law requires it to be done in 2022, then we will probably do it then. But there’s a lot of time between now and then, so you never know if people will sign a petition to put the law back onto the ballot.” She adds, “If kids actually did sleep at a normal time the night before and got more time to sleep and got more rest [as a result of the law], then that would be a health benefit to everybody.”

The crosswalk connecting the east side of Mark Keppel’s campus and Hellman Ave can pose as a threat to students safety due to reckless drivers and careless pedestrians. In fact, every year for the past few years at least one Keppel student has suffered injuries from been involved in an incident at that crosswalk One reason the crosswalk poses as such a threat is because drivers simply do not stop when they are supposed to, causing them to drive carelessly through school zones. “When students are trying to cross the street, [they] look both ways, like they’re supposed to, but the cars do not stop…” says campus security guard Michael Juarez. Drivers are in a hurry, so they can often not miss the crosswalk entirely.

Senior Connor Chuateco expresses a similar statement saying, “I don’t think the crosswalk is a danger to students, I just think its a lot of unsafe drivers,” thus, making it a possible danger to students and pedestrians alike.

Despite all the positives about having a crossing guard, there are cons to having one as well. “I think it would slow down things [on Hellman], which is a slight problem seeing as we’re already having a lot of students coming in late and having a crossing guard would just make it worse,” says Chuateco. With students coming to school late because of traffic, having a crossing guard might make the ongoing problem worse, potentially causing them to arrive later. If the school was to invest in a crossing guard, there will still always be distracted drivers. Assistant Principal Ms. Perez thinks that the danger is not the crosswalk itself. “The danger is the way people drive and how fast they’re [driving], especially in a school zone,” says Perez, who has been working to ensure safety on the crosswalk issue.

The crosswalk in front of campus is not the only crosswalk that is a danger to pedestrians. In 2016, 5,987 pedestrians were killed in the United States, averaging one crash-related pedestrian death every one and a half hours. There was also more than a 3% increase in the number of pedestrians killed in 2018, re-

sulting in 6,283 deaths, which was the most deaths since 1990. The potentially dangerous crosswalk has been an ongoing issue in the past with at least three recorded incidents in the last five years. “I think the school doesn’t have a crossing guard because they think we’re responsible enough to look both ways before crossing,” says freshman Nicole Le. The Hellman crosswalk can be difficult for drivers to see pedestrians and the crosswalk itself. “[The crosswalk] is put in, obviously for safety reasons, and there needs to be a crosswalk that’s accessible to students, but I think it needs to have, for example, flashing lights, so that its visible to drivers,” says Ms. Perez.

In agreement with Ms. Perez, senior Michelle Phu, who was recently involved in an incident at the crosswalk, says, “Just have a light at the crosswalk section so people are more aware of who is crossing the street at night.’’

Despite students and staff agreeing that the crosswalk poses an increasingly major threat to student safety, there does not appear to be a clear solution for reducing accidents.

Sacrificing electricity to stop California’s wildfires TIFFANY NGUYEN-TRAN Staff Writer Due to severe weather conditions across California, such as the Santa Ana winds, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric conducted widespread power shutoffs for up to 48 hours during October and November in hopes of reducing wildfire hazards caused from their electrical equipment.

In the past, the electrical equipment from this company, such as power lines and poles, have started wildfires. As a result, electric companies are taking precautionary measures by initiating power shutoffs.

Although warnings are released to residents in advance, there are still instances where people are not aware of these warnings and are therefore unprepared for these shutoffs. Junior Garrett Sakomizu says, “[Electric companies need to be] more on top of getting out warnings [notices] to improve this preventive measure of cutting off power.” Junior Hillary Ta has another suggestion to ensure people are prepared for losing

power. She says that “ the importance of fire prevention should be emphasized to all students and facility.” Educating residents can hopefully bring awareness

COURTESY OF NBC NEWS

Northern California electric company PG&E’s October power shutoff affected over 800,000 residents.

to the issue, making it less likely for people to be unprepared in the case of a power shutoff in their area.

Regardless, power shut offs pose an inconvenience for people. “Most of my homework relies on online components, like watching videos, or going on google

classroom’’ says Sakomizu. In addition to not being able to access homework and resources online, there is no wifi and no electricity for home appliances. “I don’t think [the power shutoffs are] good because we need electricity to maximize our learning in school [and this] leaves us at a disadvantage,” says Ta. As effective as power shut offs may be for reducing wildfire hazards, there are drawbacks to cutting off power. “It is a good fire prevention measure, but to the extent to which it’s been implemented I kind of disagree with because a lot of major critical infrastructure relies on electricity and especially individuals.” says Sakomizu. Sakomizu adds that there are people with certain needs that rely on electricity, such as dialysis patients.

If winds become dry and strong, electric companies will continue to have power shut offs in order to prevent fires from winds knocking down electrical equipment. Overall, since these power shut offs help reduce the risk of wildfires, it is worth being inconvenienced for 48 hours.

Should volunteering be required for high school graduation?

MALA HU Staff Writer Throughout high school, many students devote countless hours to volunteering at their school and in their communities.

While motivating factors differ from student to student, at some schools, service hours are mandatory for graduation. Although there are many great reasons to engage in community service, should high schools require that students volunteer?

Junior Jay Wang does not think so.

“Volunteering is something that a person should do out of the kindness of their own hearts, not because you are incentivized to,” says Wang. “Volunteering does not prove anything about you or your work ethic when it’s required.” He believes that it should be an act of kindness and

should be done if you want to contribute to your community or appeal to a particular university’s values; once it becomes a prerequisite, students are less likely to volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts.

Rather, it becomes a matter of getting the highest amount of hours possible to write on your college application. “Simply volunteering to meet [requirements] will make [it] seem trivial. If someone were to volunteer for over 100 hours on their own time without being required to, that [would] show that that person is taking initiative to volunteer,” says Wang.

Junior Emily Zhuo agrees. “[Volunteering requirements take] away the meaningfulness in volunteering, and it [doesn’t] show what a student is truly like. It only shows that they are students who are willing to [volunteer] only in order to get into

a good college,” says Zhuo. This tradition imposed by high schools fails to show much about a student’s ethics and working habits, and may even be detrimental to their efforts in keeping up good grades.

Although Zhuo and Wang participate in their respective club’s activities to rack up hours, they firmly disagree with the system. To keep up with schoolwork and extracurriculars, Wang designates “one day [on the weekend] specifically for volunteering and one day specifically for homework” while Zhuo recommends “[volunteering] during the weekend [and not procrastinat[ing] on schoolwork!” With dedication and determination, they make their stressful schedule work, but perhaps high schools should not make it as hard as it is.

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4 FOCUS

Keeping Up With Zuckerberg decides to keep political ads on Facebook IZABELLA COFRESSI A&E/Features Editor/ Chief Photographer Facebook has been notorious for its lax rules on what just released that they will be implementing a new pocan and can not be posted on its platform. Howev- litical advertisement policy, according to CNBC. The er, with the recent focus on politics in America, some policy essentially prohibits ads by political parties, canwonder if Facebook should be doing a better job at didates, or other elected and appointed government making sure that any content posted on the platform officials. This is largely due to the fact that many peofrom politicians is accurate and truthful. ple in this day and age rely heavily, if not completely, On Oct. 17, CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg on the internet to deliver them with their news. With gave a speech at Georgetown University detailing the this mindset, many online users tend to trust everyapp’s new political speech polthing they read on the internet icy. “We don’t fact-check powithout thought to its accuralitical ads. We don’t do this to cy. If it is on the internet, then help politicians, but because we it must be true. This mindset think people should be able to is even more prominent when see for themselves what politireading political ads posted by cians are saying. And if content politicians themselves; no one is newsworthy, we also won’t is going to think that someone take it down even if it would so well-known is going to lie to otherwise conflict with many them, or be allowed to post lies. of our standards,” says ZuckerHowever, others see this open berg, according to The Washingpolicy as a beneficial way to run ton Post. such a popular social media Not everyone agrees with platform and agree with ZuckFacebook’s policy. “I don’t beerberg’s reasoning. “I think he lieve that Facebook fact check[has] the right idea, it’s not his COURTESY OF PEW RESEARCH CENTER responsibility to make sure eving political ads is a violation against the freedom of speech Poll taken in June 2019. % of social media users eryone is properly educated. If because misleading ads may who say they __ about politics on social media. people want to know about polinfluence political views,” exitics, they’ll take the time to do plains freshman Joyce Yang. She believes it should be their own outside research,” says junior Kevin Lamh.

Facebook’s responsibility to make sure all information Living in this era of fake news is something that evposted by politicians on its platform should be truthful. eryone should be aware of, and know that everything Twitter, another prominent social media account, has should be taken with a grain of salt.

POLL: Do you think that political ad censorship will decrease political divide in our nation?

YES: 37%

no: 63% 128 STUDENTS WERE POLLED.

POLL: Do you think the ability for people to have free speech on social media is dangerous?

YES: 55.1%

no: 44.9% 128 STUDENTS WERE POLLED.

Twitter accounts of POTUS and US President Donald Trump.

Social media accounts Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat displayed a

Twitter debuts new restricting political p SELINA MARTINEZ Co-Editor-in-Chief On Oct. 30, 2019, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Twitter would no longer allow political advertisements on its platform beginning Nov. 22, 2019. In his statement regarding the change to his platform, he said, “Political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet.

Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.”

While Dorsey’s stance has received criticism from several media sites, political candidates, and the general public, some have agreed with Dorsey’s point of view. “[Ads] end up reaching people who do not want to see these messages and it can get to the point where it is somewhat overwhelming and annoying,” says senior Kevin Liu. English teacher Ms. Bradley also sees the validity of Dorsey’s statement. “[Dorsey] is still allowing politicians to use his platform for dialog with the masses. He’s just not allowing people with money to put ads in the faces of users when they might not follow that political candidate. I don’t think people should be forced to see messages from people that have power and financial backing just because they use Twitter. Maybe Twitter shouldn’t be used for that,” says Bradley.

ZTEC

NOVEMBER 21, 2019 5

h Media Politics Should we limit social media use for political figures?

QUENNIE ZENG News Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORTUNE.COM.

scandals,” says freshman Richard Serrato. For example, social media damaged Trump’s reputation.“Trump’s tweets skewed my opinions of him. When he was first elected, I did not like him, but because he got voted into office, it meant that he was worthy of being the president. But now looking at his tweets, I’m beginning to realize that there is something else. Other presidents’ tweets like Barack Obama are more formal, but Donald Trump’s tweets are unprofessional. He talks about topics that no one wants to talk about in an aggressive tone,” says Ramillano.

Topics that political figures talk about on social media tend to damage their reputation. “The remarks should not have any inflammatory remarks, like gender. They shouldn’t patronize or attack a certain group of people either,”explains Lin. Ramillano adds, “Topics that are too extreme to talk about should not be tweeted, topics such as hate speech and opinions that do not have factual evidence.” These topics are what causes the public to think negatively about political figures, so they are controversial topics that people debate whether or not should be discussed via social media.

The usage of social media has many advantages and disadvantages for political figures. Online networking can both popularize someone and ruin another. To acquire the most benefits from social media, political figures should limit their use of social media when mentioning certain topics. . “[People should] stop tweeting when it begins to damage the figures position or damage the institution they built,” emphasizes Ramillano.

THE AZTEC/ MAPLE DUONG

ad policy, posts on its platform Nevertheless, if political advertising is banned, then a political figure’s reach becomes limited to their current following.

As such, an emerging politician might find trouble garnering more followers and support without the help of advertising.

In addition, there is another concern regarding Twitter’s new policy: what is deemed as political content is ambiguous.

While it is clear that political candidates will not be allowed to pay for campaign promotion, it is unclear whether or not Twitter will count campaigns such as the Black Lives Matter movement or advertisements about vaccines as political.

Nevertheless, Ms. Bradley and Liu agree that if Dorsey truly believes that this decision is what is necessary for his company to be ethical and just, then Twitter’s new policy should be accepted and supported. Ms. Bradley says, “I think [Dorsey] is making an ethical decision. [If he wanted to] he could just allow the people that line up with his beliefs to purchase [ads] and then the whole Twitter platform could be one giant representation of his beliefs. It does not look like he’s trying to push his agenda, so I hope he is [initiating this rule] for the right reasons.”

on a scale of 1-10, how biased do you think social media is when it comes to the distribution of political information?

Number of students

above.

With the possibility of impeachment and next year’s 2020 elections, all eyes are on president Donald Trump, who is infamous for his bizarre ideas and controversial tweets. This brings up the question: Should political figures have guidelines to what they should and should not be able to post on social media?

From one point of view, social media is what helps unite the party. Social media gives supporters the chance to interact with political figures and have an idea of what plans the political figures have. “To a politician, connecting with people is a big deal and social media is a huge enable of that, so I believe that politicians should have any social media they see as necessary because communication is key,” explains senior Spencer Lin. Social media also makes it easier to connect with others outside of their community. “[Social media] is very beneficial to keep up with people’s opinions and actions and what it going on with the world.” says sophomore Bryan Ramillano. Ramillano claims that social media enables politicians to rally people up for events and popularize political figures. One of these political figures being, as Lin says, “Andrew Yang… Before the 2020 bid, he was unknown, but because of his use of social media, he has been able to gather people to support him.” The use of social media benefits many politicians in their running for a position, as they can simply post their political bids and foster engagement.

However, the usage of social media for political campaigns can have some drawbacks. “Social media has the ability to ruin one’s reputation through media bias and

Scale 128 STUDENTS WERE POLLED.

6 FEATURES

THE AZTEC

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

ACT exam to introduce new changes in 2020 ELLIS YANG Staff Writer The SAT and ACT exams are a high priority for many high schoolers hoping to attend their dream college or university.

Starting next fall, ACT exams will allow students to retake one sub-section of their choosing, to boost their superscores.

The ACT is a five sub-section exam graded on a scale of 1 to 36. It consists of English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing, which is optional. Submitting an SAT or ACT score is sometimes mandatory in the college admissions processes. Therefore, many students constantly pressure themselves to receive the highest possible score, believing their marks will be one of the pivotal deciding factors of their future.

Administrators of the ACT have recently

Bullying Prevention: MKHS focuses on combatting bullying on school campus HEMI BARRIENTOS Staff Writer Bullying has been one of the worst problems our society has struggled with for decades, however it seems to have increased recently. There has been a dramatic increase in suicides, shootings, and cyber bullying throughout the past five years. Now with 2019 coming to an end, should we worry about an even higher increase in bullying in the upcoming year of 2020? Social Science teacher Mr. Garcia says that in his past 30 years of teaching at Keppel, he has only witnessed two incidents of physical conflict where he personally had to intervene.

To continue, Special Education teacher Mr. Hardy says that four years ago there was an outbreak of cyber bullying here in Keppel. He also mentions a particularly extreme case of physical bullying that was continuous on a daily basis with a student (no names were mentioned for student confidentiality). Assistant Principal Mr. Nguyen also states that bullying has gone down 60 to 70% over the past few years in Keppel. Additionally, Assistant Principal Ms. Perez also states that Keppel has taken a climate survey that illustrates that 80% of students feel safe at school, but the other 20% of students feel otherwise.

To combat this, she says that there will be a security upgrade throughout the school campus with additional security camera installments.

To conclude, there is no doubt that bullying has been prevalent in our society for years and years, and it will most likely not go away anytime soon. However, no one has to go through it alone anymore. Even here in Keppel, counselors and teachers are always here and willing to listen to anyone who feels unsafe. It does not necessarily have to be someone in school, as long as it is a trusted adult who you know can help you. Also, always remember to speak up when you see bullying occurring, whether it be in person or online. You never know when or who you will really be helping out.

come to the conclusion that starting next September of 2020, students taking the ACT will be allowed to come back the following day to retake single sections of the exam to boost their overall ACT composite score. There is also no double jeopardy. This means if a student receives a lower score than they had previously, only the highest of the two scores would be counted.

The SAT and ACT exams are often quite pricey; however, students who qualify for fee waivers may take both exams for free.

This new change will be beneficial to those who wish to boost their superscores, but do not wish to sit through another three hours on a new exam, or spend more money than they already have. “I think it’s a good change towards the system as you have a lower risk of doing poorly, and [it is more cost efficient]…Also, I won’t [have to wor-

ry about] jeopardizing my previous scores,” says sophomore Alice Yu. Senior Elyse Chan also comments, “I believe this retake is a great opportunity because some [students] are just out of it on test day, and there is just too much pressure on them.”

Though these new modifications seem very appealing, there are also some unanswered skepticism that this might give an unfair advantage to students who have ACT exam prep tutors, versus students who self study. “I think it is a little unfair, because [students] with prep tutors have the advantage of discussing the questions and getting the answers to the questions they don’t know, while the [students] who self study don’t really have that advantage,” says Chan.

It has not been revealed whether or not

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the SAT will also adopt this new adjustment as well. However, this may encourage more students to consider taking the ACT over the popular SAT.

Team Trees: YouTubers help out in raising $20 million for tree planting charity DANIEL ESTRADA Staff Writer Trees are a vital part of human life. They provide oxygen to all living creatures, as well as homes to millions of species of animals worldwide. With all of the deforestation happening around the world, trees are being taken from us at a rapid pace, resulting in climate change, fewer crops growing, and soil erosion. Popular YouTubers Mr. Beast and Mark Rober have brought a new solution to the table. They have teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation to create “Team Trees.” They plan on raising at least $20 million to plant 20 million trees by January 1st, 2020. For every dollar donated, one tree is planted.

There are many people around the world donating to Team Trees, some in large numbers. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has donated $1 million. Pewdiepie, another popular YouTuber, has donated $69,420.

Also Tobi Lütke, the Shopify CEO, has donated $1 million. As of right now, Team Trees has raised and planted 15,100,801 trees.

The planting of millions of new trees will impact the earth in many ways. As previ-

ously mentioned, trees are homes to many different types of animals. A full-grown oak tree can house up to 500 different species of animals. Planting all of these new trees can help stop the mass extinction of animals by creating new homes for them.

Secondly, according to the Department of Environmental Conversion, trees can

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Number of trees to be planted as of Nov. 20.

help relieve stress, anger, and can even lower blood pressure. Simply being around trees can make a person happier. A study done in 2015 by the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology found that children exposed to greener areas develop better attention skills and memory devel-

opment, which can really help them in class and in the future. Trees not only make people happy, they make the earth feel happy too. Trees help the overall air quality because they capture toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.The topic of climate change can make many people worried, but by donating to Team Trees, they can be a part of a small step to help reduce the process.

Finally, the root system of trees hold the soil together and absorbs water. This means that during heavy rainstorms, their roots act like a shield and prevent more flooding, which will help keep people and buildings safe. Trees tie the soil layers together to prevent soil displacement. They prevent soil from being washed or blown away, making sure the soil stays in place and has an opportunity to help other trees grow.

This fundraiser is far more than just a YouTube video; it is a way to help save our planet. Team Trees gives people the opportunity to help give back to their community, as well as the entire world, with just a couple of dollars.

If anyone would like to donate, visit https://teamtrees.org/ to a tree planted today.

Apple introduces the new Airpod Pros HANA KIKUCHI Staff Writer The new Airpods Pro, the latest product release from Apple is making headlines in several news outlets and social platforms.

The official release of the Airpods Pro was October 30, to Apple stores worldwide, according to TechRadar.com. While the first release of Apple’s Airpods cost $159, the new product is gaining some attention for its increased price of $249. The rise in price is possibly due to the updates and upgraded features of the headphones. Some of the new features include: Active Noise Cancellation, silicone eartips in sizes small, medium, and large, Adaptive EQ, efficient high dynamic range amplifier with a longer battery time, and etc..

From the release of the first Airpods, they have been especially popular among teens and students. Due to the rather positive reactions of the first Airpods, it seems that Apple was inclined to introduce another product.

To senior Alyson Gee, the first version of the Airpods was “actually pretty useful.”

She also mentions, “For me personally, it’s easier to run at practice without having to

worry about the wires getting in the way.”

With the release of the Airpods Pro, Gee states, “As of right now, I am not considering buying the new Airpods Pro.” She also goes on to say that she does not see the need to get the newest ones because she says the pair she already has work well enough. For some, this new release will be a cool, musical experience.

While there seems to be some good feedback about this product, others see the cons of purchasing either the Airpods or Airpods Pro. Many were not happy with the release because, according to senior Julie Huynh, “many people mocked their design and disliked the fact that the charging case was a different size as well, so it wasn’t compatible with the original airpods and one would have to buy both the pods and the case, which [is] very expensive.”

It also has had some negative side effects in schools. Students on school campuses are said to have these palm-sized products because, Huynh says, “It’s harder for teachers to notice. They think that no one can tell if they are listening to music during class. It also gives them a chance to tune out and enjoy the sound of their favorite

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Airpod Pros pictured above.

music rather than listening to a lecture.”

Overall, there are some pros and cons of having the Airpods Pro. Whether or not it is a necessity is up for debate, however it is hard to deny that Apple was indeed able to come up with what some might say cool and futuristic features. Despite this, many still wonder, ‘is it really worth it?’ With consideration to some of the cons mentioned, whether one purchases it or not, it is to be their own decision. When the purchase is made, it is what also determines their satisfaction.

7 SPORTS Girls’ Soccer defeated at first preseason game

THE AZTEC

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

RYAN BAUTISTA Staff Writer On Monday, Nov. 18, the Girls’ Soccer team lost 0-7 to the Temple City Rams during their first game of the season.

With the Rams’ overwhelming offense, the Aztecs struggled to switch their position and reinforce their defensive plays accordingly.

Each game is broken into two forty-five minute halves, separated by a fifteen minute break. Ending the first half with a score of 0-5, the team refused to give up and came back with an even stronger outlook and defense during the second half. Senior Jessica Basallo expressed her amazement at her team’s motivation, “I’m not sure how they were all motivated but I think their determination and adrenaline definitely helped push them to keep going.”

Captain Audrey Jung, junior, who has led as captain since her sophomore year, expressed her emphasis on how the team can possibly improve. “Our team’s greatest weakness is possession and controlling the game... I think better communication and knowing where everyone is on the field will help us improve on this,” says Jung.

Freshman Samantha Shahin, races to take possession of the ball.

Only six varsity members this year had returned to the team. “The other team had upperclassmen that have played together for a long time. With only six returning varsity players, most of our players were not used to the intensity or aggressiveness of high school varsity level play,” says Jung.

Basallo added, “We have to work a lot on our chemistry and communication. It was our first game and just going to practice can help up improve. Not only is coach the

one to work us and help us get better, but the determination has to come from within.”

In order to prepare for the season, the team practices every week from Monday to Thursday, from four to six pm. Junior Polly Ren, a midfielder and striker, described their practices and how the inclusion of scrimmages worked to emulate the intensity and feeling of a “real” game. “We focus on handling the ball, passing, shooting,

COURTESY OF KYLE MATSUDA

Boys’ Water Polo ends CIF season with high hopes MAPLE DUONG Co-Editor-in-Chief/ Focus Editor Despite the Boys’ Water Polo team doing their best to move onto the next rounds of CIF, the Aztecs fell short as they lost 4-14 against the Crespi High School Celts on Tues, Nov. 5 in their first round of CIF. Once the whistle blew to signify the beginning of the game, the Celts quickly jumped into action, bypassing the Aztecs’ defensive players and scoring multiple goals. “Half of the other team had been playing club polo for four years or more.

They had bigger gameplay,” explains sophomore Justin Lee, who was able to score a goal during the first quarter. The Celt’s advantage gave them the ability to put up multiple points, ending the quarter with a score of 1-4.

Senior captain Nikko Inocencio worked to block the Celt’s shot, totaling up to 11 saves. The Celts, however, were able to put up three more points, starting halftime with a 1-7 score.

The Aztecs struggled with trying to keep up with the Celt’s aggressive advance, which quickened their pace and finished the third quarter with a score of 3-13.

“We’re physically smaller than the other

players, so that put some pressure on us,” says senior Kyle Tran.

The Aztecs hustled with trying to bypass the Celts’ goalie, with a game of fourteen goal attempts. Senior Jayden Young made several attempts to shorten the score gap in the fourth quarter, putting up a point as the game ended with a score of 4-14.

“We had only two returning varsity members. Everyone else had been moving up from JV, and we also had some brand new members, so we struggled,” says Young.

Despite the Celts being seeded first in Division VI, this did not deter the Aztecs from giving it their all. “It didn’t matter that we were the underdogs in this game,” explains Lee. “We have four seniors who aren’t going to be here next year, so we wanted to play our hardest.”

The Aztecs are proud of how far they have come during this particular season. “We’ve been learning to work and communicate better together. As we practiced more, our plays had become more cohesive,” says Tran.

Though the Aztec’s polo season has ended, Lee is glad to have been able to participate in this year’s varsity water polo team and has hopes for the future team. “Don’t forget to come support us at our games in the future,” says Lee.

conditioning, and most importantly scrimmages,” says Ren. Despite the loss, the girls remained headstrong and are determined to make the best out of the season. “These girls came out today not knowing what to expect or what was coming. Yet they went to practice and tried to ready themselves as best as possible. They didn’t give up today and I am so proud of them for that,” says Basallo.

Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball suffer loss in scrimmages KATHERINE DODGE Staff Writer

Senior Jayden Young passes the ball to a teammate.

THE AZTEC/ RYAN BAUTISTA

On Saturday Nov. 16, Keppel girls’ and boys’ basketball played in scrimmages against Mater Dei High School, China’s 16 and under team, and Glendale High School, ultimately being outscored in all games.

Keppel’s girls’ basketball team played against Mater Dei High School and China’s 16 and under team. Since it was a scrimmage, the score was not kept, but Keppel suffered losses in both games.

Mater Dei is the second ranked team in the state and the China National Team is comprised of the best players from China, so Keppel did not expected to win either game. “The games were a good measuring stick to see where [the team] is at before playing our annual Keppel tournament,” senior Sydney Jou explains.

Since their successful CIF run last season, 10 seniors graduated, including 4 starters.

The team has shrunk from 17 to 11 players, and is adjusting to change in team dynamics. “It’s really our first year playing together whereas last year we’ve been playing together for years,” says senior Grace Song. The team has been working hard in practice to prepare for the upcoming sea-

son. “We have conditioned a lot and are practicing drills that build our fundamentals to develop our roots,” says Jou. Overall, the team is hopeful that they will be able to add to the team’s numerous league championships this upcoming season.

Following the girls’ scrimmages, the boys’ basketball team played against the Glendale High School Nitros. Though it was a close game throughout and the team played a strong offense, the Aztecs struggled in the defensive aspect of the game.

The fourth quarter ended in a tie, and the game went into overtime. By a three point margin, Keppel lost to Glendale 66-69.

Like the girls, the boys are preparing for their upcoming season. This team hopes they can learn and improve from their mistakes during this scrimmage. “This game prepared us by showing us what we need to fix now, which is good since there are many things we need to fix early in the season like executing our defensive plan and communication,” says senior Diego Bustillo.

Despite only having four returning varsity members, the team has a positive outlook on the upcoming season. “If we are able to improve our communication, I think we will be able to execute our offense, and have a good run this season,” says Bustillo.

THE AZTEC

8 SPORTS

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

THE AZTEC/ IZABELLA COFRESSI

Athlete’s Profile: Beto Lara Sophomore Francisco Lopez passes ball to Keppel teammate.

THE AZTEC/ LAURA CHEN

Boys’ Soccer beats Cavaliers 9-0 in first preseason game FIONA ZEMAN Staff Wrtier On Nov. 18, the Boys’ Soccer team kicked off their first preseason game against the Junipero Serra Cavaliers and defeated them in a blowout victory, 9-0.

For the majority of the two halves of the game, the Aztecs maintained their offensive positions, pushing the Cavaliers into defense. As the Cavaliers were a small team and did not have substitutes, the Aztecs had a competitive advantage. Even so, the Aztecs were well-coordinated, finishing the first forty minutes of the game with four goals.

Starting the second half of the game, Keppel continued their aggressive offensive plays and switched out a few of their players, including freshman Joshua Juanico, who was able to accomplish an impres-

sive feat during his first game and scored three goals for the Aztecs. Keppel finished the game strong with the goalkeepers barely handling the ball.

The team has worked hard in preparation for this season and feels that they are far more ready for this year. “We have a lot more chemistry and we’ve been practicing a lot longer and are more conditioned,” says junior Kevin Young. In previous seasons, the team struggled with teamwork, making it hard for them to play together.

Sophomore Mario Maceda says, “We’re a really good team because we can talk to each other and we communicate really well.”

They have also focused much more intensely on conditioning and working better together. Young says, “We ran a lot, but the concept of practice really built up our chemistry, and I thank our coaches for that.”

However, there is always room for improvement and the team plans to continue working on certain areas of the sport where needed. “Definitely spreading the field and moving the ball around to set up for our plays is something we still need to work on. I think they have good tactics as of now, but we can always improve,” says assistant Varsity Coach Mr. Alvarado.

Many of the players have general team goals and motivations, as well as personal motivations. “I think we’re a much better team than last year and I hope we score more than 80 goals. I would also like to score a goal, because being a defender, it’s hard to score,” says Young. Some players see their own teammates as a form of motivation to play better during games. “I think of this team as a family and I want to go to CIF with them this year,” says sophomore Francisco Lopez.

Girls’ Water Polo lose by one point margin LAURA CHEN Sports Editor This past Tuesday, the Girls’ Water Polo team played its first preseason game against the Arcadia High School Apaches, losing 8-9.

Constantly tying, the Aztecs were head to head with the Apaches throughout the entire game. It was a close call, but unfortunately, the Aztecs lost by a one point margin. “Arcadia knows how to set up [their plays] a little more and how to run their offense. This was our first game of the season so we didn’t really know what to expect,” says senior Amanda Cheung.

Even so, Cheung expresses that the Aztecs mainly come from a swimming

background, giving them the competitive advantage of out swimming other teams.

The Apaches also lost many valuable players this year who were more experienced in the game.

Since the Boys’ Water Polo team made it to CIF this year, the girls had less practice time to prepare before the game, but even so, they have “been doing more conditioning to get in shape faster and practicing plays so that we can use them in games,” says senior co-captain Alyssa Lopez Ramirez. To make up for the lost time, the team has been focusing on conditioning and getting back into shape for the upcoming season. “We’ve been swimming with drag, or t-shirts, to improve endurance and speed,” says sophomore

Emily Dodge.

As a team, the Aztecs always try to push each other and put an emphasis on teamwork. Starting the new season, the returning members try their best to aid the new players during practice and share their knowledge. “Our team is very encouraging. Every time we notice each other doing well, we compliment them,” says Dodge.

“Our goals for this season consist of really pushing ourselves to be contenders for CIF championships but also putting the team in a good position for next year and making sure we play the best that we can so as not to have any regrets at the end of the season,” says Ramirez.

ANNIE LAM Staff Wrtier Beto Lara was first introduced to football when he was just four years old and he often played the sport for fun with his brothers. From a young age, he found football to be enjoyable and idolized the sport. Initially, enjoyment was Lara’s main motive for playing football, but he now plays to support Keppel. “I’m an athlete,” says Lara. “I have a lot of Aztec pride and I want to help this football team and this program.” Lara plays as running back, receiver, and safety.

He shows his dedication toward the sport by practicing at least three to four hours every single day after school. Additionally, Lara plans to play college football and aims to play professionally. “Hopefully it takes me that far,” says Lara.

Despite his love for the sport, Lara has had his fair share of ups and downst. At one point, he even thought about quitting football. However, Lara decided to push through and continue with the sport. “It’s my last year and it was always my dream to play [football] in high school,” says Lara.

He also mentions his teammates as a big source of motivation for him to keep playing. “The teammates I have are amazing friends, so that’s what kept me in [football],” he says. During his time in the sport, Lara has built up his teamwork skills and learned how to cooperate well with others.

Being a senior in the football team, Lara has made countless unforgettable memories with his teammates. The most memorable being, “winning our first game in 5 years,” he states, referencing the game held at Keppel against the Firebaugh Falcons on Sept. 13th of this year.

Starting a brand new sport can be daunting and some people may be discouraged if they are not improving right away. In response to this, Lara offers words of advice and encouragement by saying, “Just have fun and play like you mean it.” Besides football, Lara also plays on the school’s soccer team. Lara thanks all of his coaches and friends, and says, “I want to thank A.J, Rodrigo, and the whole team, and Tuttle.

Especially Tuttle.”

SPORTS CALENDAR BOYS’ bASKETBALL

bOYS’ SOCCER

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

On 11/21 against Temple City at Temple City On 11/23 SCIBCA Showcase at St. John Bosco High School On 11/25 Bonita Tournament at Bonita

On 11/22 against Don Bosco Tech at Mark Keppel On 12/2 against South El Monte at South El Monte On 12/5 against Duarte at Mark Keppel

On 11/23 MK GH Invitational at Mark Keppel On 11/25 MK GH Invitational at Mark Keppel On 11/27 MK GH Invitational at Mark Keppel

GIRLS’ SOCCER

GIRLS’ WATER POLO

WRESTLING

On 12/2 against South El Monte at Mark Keppel On 12/4 against Polytechnic at Mark Keppel On 12/5 against Mary Star of the Sea at Daniels Field

On 11/21 against Temple City at Temple City On 12/3 against La Mirada at Splash Aquatic Center On 12/5 against Downey at Downey

On 11/26 against Monrovia at Monrovia On 12/7 against Tom Bravo Tournament at Los Osos On 12/11 against Schurr at Mark Keppel