January 2019

THE AZTEC VOLUME LXXXI NUMBER V

January 24, 2019

theaztecnews.com

VIEWPOINT PG. 3

FOCUS PG. 4-5

sports pg. 8

Los Angeles Unified teachers strike against inadequate school conditions

The importance of journalism

Basketball stays undefeated in league

News in Brief Senior Caps and Gowns Senior cap and gown measurements will be taken on Friday, February 8, during lunch at the Auditorium foyer. Seniors must have their name card in order to get measured.

NEW ap courses for the upcoming school year Two new AP classes have been added to Keppel’s course catalog: AP Seminar and AP Research. They are a part of an AP Capstone two-year program. See your counselor for more information.

Alhambra Unified School District announces Project Development SOPHIE WONG Co-Editor-in-Chief/ News Editor The Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) has been issued $55 million to fund security and safety upgrades and repairs, a project called Project Development. AUSD Superintendent Denise Jaramillo announced the news November last year. The First Phase of Project Development will run from early 2019 to 2022. The $55 million will be divided between the AUSD elementary and high schools--$30 million and $25 million respectively. Rewiring, plumbing, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) issues will be addressed. The project was made possible by school bond voters, who advocated for the school renovations on the Community Needs Assessment.

Although Keppel does have security staff, freshman Justin Lee notes that increasing the number of members who can patrol the campus may benefit students. “I am thrilled that our district and government are so concerned with our safety. Overall, I think that students will feel more safe coming to school and be able to focus more on their subjects than their safety,” says Lee. Bond money allows for schools to improve

COURTESY OF THE ALHAMBRA SOURCE

student resources on campus and initiate much needed renovations throughout the school. In 2004, Measure C was passed to fund $85 million on Keppel’s projects, such as the Aztec Arena, C building, and lab facilities, as well as other renovations at three other AUSD high schools.

The AUSD will be launching a new website in early 2019 where viewers can track the First Phase benefits at each school. Parents and students will be able to see a timeline of all the ongoing projects.

Keppel welcomes Mr. Orozco MAPLE DUONG Viewpoint Editor/ Web Editor

Mr. Orozoco instructing his sixth period physical education class.

THE AZTEC/JOYCE LEE

Mark Keppel welcomed Mr. Ryan Orozco, a recent graduate from Azusa Pacific University, this semester. He became the new weight-training and physical education teacher after Mr. Branson’s retirement.

Some facts about Mr. Orozco are that he is a lover of fitness and athletics, and just happens to have five brothers and two sisters, with whom he is close. Orozco also graduated with a masters in physical education, and takes pride in his wrestling coach background. He is very much familiar with the Alhambra Unified School District and the way it runs. “I grew up in this area; in the San Gabriel Valley,” he explains.

Freshman Jamie Lei explains how energetic Orozco is everyday and how driven he is when it comes to workouts he initiates in class. “He really tries his best to get people moving and

interacting,” she says. Lei appreciates Orozco’s efforts to get students active.

In spite of the fact that Orozco has only been at Keppel since the beginning of second semester, he has hopes and aspirations for the upcoming years. “I want to be able to grow Keppel’s PE program,” Orozco explains wholeheartedly.

“I want to instill a love for health and fitness here at Mark Keppel,” says Orozco. In addition, Orozco immediately feels right at home, here with the Aztecs. “The students here are respectful, receptive, and just overall phenomenal. I couldn’t have landed a job in a better place,” he says.

THE AZTEC

2 NEWS Monterey Park holds annual Lunar New Year festival

JANUARY 24, 2019 Link Crew Olympics 2019 VINCENT BAGABALDO A&E/ Features Editor

KEVIN LIU Copy Editor The Lunar New Year Festival is inviting everyone to celebrate Year of the Pig with entertainers and merchants spanning five blocks from January 26th to the 27th. Organized by the City of Monterey Park Business Improvement District Advisory Committee and World Journal Los Angeles, the festival will be brimming with a wide variety of games, food, and art.

On the 26th, the festival will kick off with dragon and lion dancers along with firecrackers. There will be a carnival zone in parking lots nearby, featuring rides and games.

“It isn’t as authentic as some would hope, nor as diverse,” says junior Kevin Lin. In Lin’s opinion, the prices of food items like potato skewers are high.

Lining the streets will be various food vendors, selling drinks and street food like meat skewers. However, there are also more recreational booths, such the blessing tree in which patrons can hang a paper detailing a wish onto in hopes of it coming true. In addition, there will be a Folk Arts Lane where patrons can examine cultural art behind the celebration.

Each year, celebrities come to the festival, singing and addressing the crowds. There is no confirmed list of attendees, but World Journal Los Angeles’s prior organization of such event have not been disappointing.

“I feel like the festival can add different styles of

COURTESY OF LUNARNEWYEAR.COM

The Year of the Dog was celebrated with a festival in Monterey Park last year.

performances on stage and definitely more food,” says sophomore Vincent Leung. “[Plus,] every year is different and I want to celebrate my time with my family during the weekends.”

Parking will be available at Ynez Elementary School and at a lot behind Lincoln Hotel on Garfield Avenue. Shuttle bus services will stop at Mark Keppel High School, about two blocks away from the festival on Garvey Avenue. Monterey Park Spirit Bus and Metro buses will be detoured as surrounding streets such as Baltimore, Lincoln, and Russell will be closed. For more information, see the Lunar New Year Festival page on the city website.

Locker redistribution, new routine

With the second semester rolling in, Link Crew is going to hold their new event, Link Crew Olympics, on Friday, January 25, and will include games such as Capture the Flag, volleyball, dodgeball, three-legged races, and more. The brainchild behind this event, senior Alan Diep, came up with the idea from his past experiences. “I created this event based on my old school, because Garvey had an Olympic game which is similar to the game we are going to have at [Mark] Keppel,” Diep says.

Link Crew, a school-specific organization that has been around for about four years, aims to increase upperclassmen interaction with freshman, in hopes of creating role models. Link Crew Olympics provides this necessary opportunity for freshmen to strengthen their relationship with their Link Crew leaders and peers, and kick off their high school experience, all while having fun.

Ms. Carmona, one of the Link Crew advisors, hopes that attending freshmen will be able to blow off some steam after completing their first semester of high school.

“We’re all really proud of the freshmen for completing their first semester and as they start the second semester, in case they’re feeling stressed, this is a way to have fun before getting entrenched with the rest of the semester,” says Ms. Carmona.

Looking towards the future, Link Crew hopes to continue events such as this to get the students more involved with their peers and school in general. To satisfy this, Link Crew will be holding an art contest for freshmen, the theme being their feelings towards their freshmen year (2018-2019).

IZABELLA COFRESSI Photographer

partially, it has not made things more convenient for some students. “My locker… is in a different part of the building that I do not usually travel to but now I have to,” says Yearwood.

Although the locker reBefore winter break, studistribution was an incondents were instructed to venience to some students, empty out their lockers beothers saw the change as part cause they were going to be of the administration’s efrenovated. This announceforts to renovate the school. ment and the publication deJunior Toby Tanwongprasert tailing the planned renovasays, “I am not sure why they tion led many to believe that redistributed but it seems there were going to be new like [they] had good intenlockers placed in throughtions, even though it does out the building. However, not really affect me, I am the administration’s original glad they did it.” plan was to give the lockers All in all, every student new numbers and locks and now has a locker, whether it redistribute them to the stube convenient or not, which dents. is available for them to use Due to this miscommuniTHE AZTEC/TIMOTHY CHUMAN if and when they ever need cation, many students were Lockers were given new number tags. to. “I did not really use my a little confused when they came back to Keppel and saw that everything was locker before the switch. I just carried all my books the same. “I thought we were getting completely new or left some at home, so this did not really affect me,” lockers too. Some of my teachers even told us that, but says Tanwongprasert. when I came back and saw we did not, I was confused, but not surprised because it seemed like a big task,” says junior Genesis Yearwood.

Because each student is receiving a new locker im-

The Aztec 2018-2019 Timothy Chuman

Aurora Zeng

Sophie Wong

Vincent Bagabaldo

Editor-in-Chief/ Photographer Editor-in-Chief/ News Editor

Selina Martinez

Viewpoint Editor/ Asst.

Editor-in-Chief/ Asst.

News Editor

Focus Editor/ Chief Photographer A&E/Features Editor

Wesley Zeng

Sports Editor/ Business Manager

Laura Chen

Business Manager

Maple Duong Viewpoint Editor/ Web Editor/ Asst. Focus Editor Kevin Liu Copy Editor

Vivian Luk

Copy Editor/ Historian

Izabella Cofressi Photographer

Joyce Lee Photographer Maggie Luu

Photographer

Emily Chu Staff Writer

Sdeyni Martinez Staff Writer

Quennie Zeng Staff Writer

The Aztec is published monthly by the journalism class of Mark Keppel High School and is printed by News publishers’ press.

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

Letters to the editor are welcome and are subject to editing. Letters can be given to Ms. Bradley in room A227 or sent to theaztecsubmit@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

JANUARY 24, 2019

THE AZTEC

VIEWPOINT 3

Seniority: Missing in Action MAGGIE LUU Photographer In most high schools, seniors are given more respect and privileges. From getting the best parking spots to having priority for classes they choose, seniority is the reason for this privileged position. Many upperclassmen feel entitled to certain treatments because they are affiliated with being in high school longer. Nevertheless, as the years pass by, seniors are noticing that seniority is proving to be a misconception from their experiences. Are seniors looking at seniority as a way of thinking that they should get all the rights in school?

“Seniors feel entitled to ‘seniority rule’ because they have different expectations and experiences than students of other classes. The seniors have most of their classes over and done with, and they’re looking to enjoy their last year,” senior class advisor Mrs. Alexander says, “[But] I think respect is earned and not given because you’re an

upperclassman.”

While being older than one’s peers should not necessarily mandate authority, some upperclassmen feel that there are some unspoken policies that must be followed. Senior Andrew Hom stresses his own personal experience, stating, “I have felt disrespected before when I was a junior.

My friends and I got our ‘unofficial official’ table taken by freshmen. They didn’t understand the social norm of choosing a lunch table and that’s yours for the rest of the year.”

On the other hand, underclassmen such as sophomore Lilianna Huynh feel differently. Huynh says, “While I do believe, to a certain extent, underclassmen should have a bit of respect, I do believe it is up to the upperclassmen to do their part in behaving in a way that earns respect.”

THE AZTEC/ JOYCE LEE

Keppel’s limited parking spaces means junior and senior student drivers must come early to secure a spot.

The idea that “seniors are the kings” have been ingrained into many high school students’ minds, emphasizing the notion that elder members of the school are superior over younger students. This has created a rift between the grades, resulting in a miscommunication of sorts. Senior class president Cindy Koh suggests that the main cause is because “underclassmen are intim-

Head start into college with the GED

LAUSD Teacher Strike SELINA MARTINEZ Asst. Editor-in-Chief/Viewpoint Editor On Monday, January 14, over 32,000 during the strike. Junior Brittney Luong got to school around 7 a.m protesting in Los Angeles Unified School District says, “LAUSD is losing a lot of money be- front of the school for about an hour. Then (LAUSD) teachers walked off the job. Un- cause a large amount of their students are [the teachers] all took a bus to the district able to reach an agreement with the dis- not showing up to school due to an insuf- headquarters where they protested for a trict over several issues, LAUSD teachers ficient supply of substitutes.” The shortage few more hours. Last, they Uber back to took the streets of Los Angeles to strike, of supervision for the remaining students the school where they finished protesting making it the city’s first teacher’s strike has led to school days consisting of watch- for the day.” in 30 years. The LAUSD teachers union, ing movies or having free time. “EventuA week without pay, and having had United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), ally, LAUSD will have to negotiate with to deal with the rain, LAUSD teachers was on strike for classroom size protested for five days. Over reductions, increased funding for the weekend, an agreement counselors, librarians, and nurses, was finally reached: Class less standardized testing, and a sizes would reduce in all salary increase. grade levels, there would be ULTA’s decision to strike was 300 new school nurses, 80 not made overnight. In fact, talk additional librarians, and about a strike had been going on one counselor for every 500 since the beginning of the school students would be added to year. Isabella Garcia, a junior at the district, along with a 3 the Los Angeles Center for Enpercent raise for all teachers. riched Studies, one of LAUSD’s “For teachers to have striked 1,000 schools, says, “Most stuat this time is completedents seemed to know there was ly rational; at this point, it potential for a strike since the was necessary. I support the beginning of the school year, as teachers and their endeavCOURTESY OF LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS teachers wore their red UTLA People protest on the streets of Los Angeles. ors. It’s also been really emT-shirts.” In the fews days leading up to the teachers and find a compromise,” adds powering to see everyone come together to strike, “some teachers were comfortable Luong. support our educators,” says Garcia. speaking about it with students, while othAn agreement was reached Tuesday, In agreement with Garcia, Luong says, ers indirectly spoke it, but didn’t actually with teachers returning to their classrooms “The strike was a necessary short term sacrefer to it as ‘the strike.’ There also wasn’t yesterday. However, to reach that point, it rifice for long term improvements.” as much going on in my classes because took large rallies of teachers, parents, and teachers didn’t want to start new units.” students gathered outside of LAUSD Along with the 32,000 absent teachers, schools and in masses in downtown L.A. two-thirds of LAUSD’s 480,000 students, to protest. Luong, who has a family relative including Garcia, decided to stay home that is a LAUSD teacher says, “My cousin

LAUSD Strike: Attendance & Losses LAUSD has about 480,000 students and earns $68 per student that attends school each day. Lack of student attendance during the strike meant the district lost millions of dollars.

Total net loss for LAUSD: $151.4 million

Day 1 Student Attendance

Day 2

156,774 171,480

Day 3 134,724

idated by seniors and are too afraid to strike up a conversation with them” but also feels that “seniors don’t want to approach freshmen [either], so both grades remains separated.”

Nonetheless, whatever notion students have of seniority, it ultimately comes down to the social interaction between students that define seniority within our school.

Day 4 84,160

Day 5 87,559

Day 6 110,881

DATA COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES CBS LOCAL NEWS

MAPLE DUONG Web Editor/Viewpoint Editor The General Educational Development (GED) exam is a test where if taken and passed, students or adults can receive a high school equivalency diploma.

With a high school diploma, they have the ability to apply for post-secondary schools and continue their education.

The GED, in addition, is an alternative to graduation for high school students who meet certain eligibility requirements.

“Students are able to get ahead in their education or post high school options earlier than other students of the same age,” says junior Bonnie Gu. “It’s a huge time saver,” says senior Alice Khin. Khin, although not having taken the exam herself, explains that the exam gives students the opportunity to set their mind on what they choose to pursue in post-secondary school.

AP Government teacher Ms. Bennett agrees. “[The exam] saves students a semester or two of high school that might not challenge them enough.”

“It’s a good way for students to get ahead of their peers, go to college early, graduate early, and get jobs at a younger age,” says Gu. “Taking the exam is a great opportunity, but it’s also a decision that may not be for some students.”

There are a few downsides, however, to leaving high school early. “Aside from losing the social aspects of your senior year, sometimes, if you’re in more advanced courses, you miss out on in-depth instruction,” explains Ms. Bennett. Khin also shares her own take on the negatives of taking the exam. “Kids won’t get to experience full high school life and go through irreplaceable and memorable experiences like prom,” she says.

Despite this, Gu and Khin both believe the exam is still overall beneficial.

“I’m thankful the school allows us the option of taking it, just because students may be under circumstances that require them having to leave school, if not for the reason of getting a head start in college,” Khin explains.

When asked whether Keppel students should take the exam, Gu says, “It’s all up to the student to decide whether or not to take the exit exam based on their personal goals.”

4 FOCUS

THE AZ JANUARY 24, 2019

WHY JOURNALISM MATTERS poll: What do you look forward to in the school paper?

Community events

7.9%

opinion stories

10.2%

41.7%

Sports stories

11.8%

Human Interest

28.3%

School related news

127 STUDENTS WERE POLLED

An inside look at student publications AURORA ZENG Focus Editor When it comes to the news, many students today are invested in keeping up with current events and politics. Yet, high school journalism continues to get threatened with budget cuts or brushed off as an unnecessary elective.

A deeper appreciation for the values of journalism can allow for a more informed generation, because viewing stories from a reader’s perspective is not always enough to fully understand an article.

The first student newspaper in America was founded at Dartmouth College in 1799. This paper changed their name a few years later and did not publish regularly, leading to controversy over whether or not it counted as the first student paper. Over two centuries later, student publications are common in high schools and even middle schools.

While Keppel only has a newspaper and a yearbook program, other high schools offers students to explore journalism through other means, such as broadcasting. Independent from faculty or other school organizations, publications are supposed to inform the student body of any relevant events that may affect them. Upholding ethical standards are a huge priority for publications in general; most importantly, this means having an unbiased perspective.

Journalism is deeper than just writing an article. Phoenix Tso, the Editor-in-Chief of the online newspaper The Alhambra Source, encourages all students to learn about journalism. Learning how to tell someone’s story, how to be curious, and how to be interested in the truth are just a few things Tso believes students can take away from journalism. “Analyzing or reporting about what an institution did [and] finding out about wrongdoing is very powerful...everybody should have the ability to see through what might not be true,” Tso says. In other words, having the experience of writing newspaper articles allows students to be more mindful of what they are reading from other sites.

With a strong journalism program, students are able to develop the skills Tso mentioned.

Kenny Lam, a senior and Editor-in-Chief from San Gabriel High School’s newspaper

The Matador, joined journalism to “connect [himself ] to the people and events at [his] school.” Lam states that after his experience in the program, he has learned to fact check any information presented to him to ensure whatever he reads is accurate. “With so much information coming in, it is easy to accept everything as true,” Lam says. “[People] need to make sure they analyze information and distinguish truth from fake in order to have a proper lens to view the world.”

National organizations like the Journalism Education Association, or the JEA, exist to empower student publications. These organizations inform school publications of their rights, protect free speech for students, and connect student journalists across the nation through forums and conferences.

It’s important to note the differences between a student publication and a professional publication. Both hold the same ethical values and goals of telling the truth. Student journalists, however, enjoy the privilege of writing for a school community where resources and information are easier to locate. It’s easier to find common interests among students when it comes to brainstorming story ideas. Students are also still learning about journalism, and school papers definitely have room for improvement. On the other hand, professional journalism requires more intensive research and persistence to support a solid story. These publications are solely responsible for informing a larger audience of news that encompasses a much more than just a small community.

For example, Los Angeles Times has over 3 million weekly print readers, compared to 2,300 students at Keppel.

High school journalism is not simply a stack of newspapers that get dropped off monthly in classrooms. Values learned in journalism are powerful. Publications enable students to find their voice and express themselves through a neutral platform, giving them the power to incite change on campus. “Journalism [will] teach you about the wider world and how to digest it,” Tso says. “[You] learn skills that are just so useful in other professions or life in general.”

COURTESY OF MEGAN TIEU, THE MATADOR

The Matador Newspaper staff edits various newspaper drafts for their January Issue as they discuss possible layout ideas.

JANUARY 24, 2019 5

ZTEC

Oh, for good news’ sake

Poll: Where do you usually get your news from?

TIMOTHY CHUMAN Editor-in-Chief The controversy of fake news became increasingly relevant in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, when accusations pointed to the prevalence of fake news leading up to Donald Trump’s Electoral College victory. If these accusations were ever proven to be correct, the shadow that it would cast on the journalism industry would ruin the reputation of news outlets across the nation.

“The credibility of journalism is diminishing; we live in a world where people only want to pay attention to what they want to hear,” says senior Samantha Hernandez.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that fake news has such an appeal to readers who search for information to support their beliefs. The accessibility each individual has to the Internet gives them the opportunity to spread fake news through the form of blogging, social media, or other websites, tarnishing the credibility of all news sources.

To make matters worse, the influence of advertisers and media groups controls the output of information, further diminishing the credibility of journalists.

“Journalism’s credibility has declined with the increasing power of large media conglomerates who are able to control the marketing and even time slots on different programs often times heavily biased towards their own news outlets,” says junior Kevin Wong.

In the midst of both of these problems, the importance of credible news could not be greater. Despite the best efforts of reputable news sources across the nation, they hardly mean anything because of the control that fake news and advertisers have in today’s society.

“It’s incredibly disappointing to see people being misled by non-credible news, and it makes me kind of mad

because I really love the news and it’s unfair to see the entirety of journalism being knocked down by people who are looking only for their own personal gain,” says Hernandez.

The potential effect that fake news had on the 2016 election epitomizes the need for credible reporting in today’s day and age, and in order to prevent other incidents in the future, the integrity of news sources must remain consistent.

“Credible reporting means the journalist doing the reporting stays neutral. You’re not supposed to have an opinion on the piece you’re covering,” says English teacher Ms. Yaklich. “Media is either reporting on the liberal side or the conservative side when they should be reporting down the middle, because the purpose of news is to give facts and to assume that our readers are intelligent enough and informed enough to make their own decisions. The media has taken that away by giving only one point of view.”

For students, the need to pay attention to the news may not seem great, but as they begin to transition into adulthood, it becomes a more pressing need. Yet, it is difficult to do such with the prominence of fake news and agendas. The implications are clear when fake news is able to have an impact on a situation and while fake news and agendas will not go away anytime soon, neither will the work that credible news sources put out. In an era where credible news could not be more important, it is simply up to readers to discern objective reporting, and consequently, be as correctly informed as possible on the things going on in the world.

Facebook

38.6%

News sites

26.8%

Youtube

19.6%

twitter

13.4%

print papers

1.6%

127 STUDENTS WERE POLLED

Where do students read their news?

Most students read articles from Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. According to University of Michigan Library’s Research Guides, these publications are left leaning.

127 STUDENTS WERE POLLED

Poll: How often do you read the news? rarely

35.4%

couple times a week

29.9%

Daily once a week 127 STUDENTS WERE POLLED

19.7% 15%

Pressing issue of print journalism VIVIAN LUK Historian/Copy Editor The first American newspaper was published in 1690, and since then, the impact of print journalism on the nation has been undeniable. Although the world is entering an era of digital revolution, physical newspapers are here to stay for a little while longer.

While some people have openly welcomed digital journalism, there is no denying that there is a nostalgic factor that surrounds print newspapers. They have captured history as it unfolded and played a role in changing the world. The publication of reporter Bob Woodward’s article on the Watergate Scandal stands out as a time in which the newspaper industry ignited an onslaught of government investigations and President Nixon’s eventual resignation.

“One day, on the front cover of the New York Times, there was the Roe v. Wade decision from the Supreme Court and the very first story about the Watergate Scandal. I knew that it was history in the making,” says World History and American Government teacher Ms. Bennett. The story broke during her freshman year at Yale in the 70s, but the cover was so compelling that she saved the page for years to come.

Ms. Bennett’s personal attachment to tangible journalism has continued to this day. Her newspaper is delivered every morning, and she enjoys reading it far more than online news. “I don’t like reading on a tiny screen. It hurts my eyes,” she says.

In contrast, senior Alan Quach prefers reading digital publications because newspapers require a monetary subscription. However, he acknowledges that print journalism has its advantages. “There are less [advertisements] to distract us from the story. [When] we are reading online, they are constantly there,” says Quach.

Quach’s feelings are echoed by sophomore Emma Lin. She also prefers online news for its convenience, but like Quach, she notes that digital newspapers have an edge in some aspects. “I think that they write digital news more quickly. There are more grammatical mistakes. Printed news is edited and revised more,” says Lin. While digital journalism has been gaining steam, it is clear that people still have a lot of love left for the original format—good old-fashioned newspapers.

THE AZTEC

6 FEATURES

JANUARY 24, 2019

Mark Keppel’s take on cheer-casting QUENNIE ZENG Staff Writer To incite more spirit within sporting events, Xavier Yu, Timothy Chuman, Joshua Soto, and Andrew Fernandez created ESPN Mark Keppel to express their support in a creative way. At the varsity basketball games, these commentators promote school spirit and keep each quarter interesting by dressing up as commentators and cheering on their team in the most boisterous way possible.

ESPN Mark Keppel has grown from just a couple of high school students who wanted to cheer on their sports teams to now having their own Instagram page, espnmarkkeppel. The idea of ESPN Mark Keppel was first introduced when Yu brought the idea from his former school, Westlake high school. “It really pumped up the crowd and got it going, so we wanted to try it at our school,” says Josh Soto, one of the original commentators. And it worked.

Now at basketball games, the atmosphere is more lively and energetic. Even with a

small crowd, the spirited group of guys try to show as much support for the team as possible. “[The support] enhances the atmosphere of the game and it provides players with an energy boost,” says Timothy Chuman, another original commentator.

Many people also appreciate the support the group gives. “Our kids always gets a kick out of it,” says Varsity Boys Basketball coach Hung Duong.

ESPN Mark Keppel’s liveliness helps set the tone for the games. For example, the home game against Montebello High School on January 11th had the group of guys cheering in full force. “For the game, the atmosphere was actually really good.

The crowd size was really small but in terms of the atmosphere they were really loud… I was impressed,” said Duong.

Even with few attendees, the cheers and support were heard from all sides of the court. Not only is ESPN Mark Keppel enjoyable for the commentators, but it is also liked by the players. Senior Girls Basketball player, Mia Heidt mentions how

Is the government shutdown worth it?

Book some time at the Bruggemeyer

JOYCE LEE Photographer

VIVIAN LUK Copy Editor/ Historian

President Trump has issued another government shutdown, and it has lasted 33 days, the longest shutdown in U.S. history. His reasons for doing so are cited as a lack of funding for the wall between Mexico and the United States where he will not settle for less than $5 billion, $3.7 billion less than what the Democrats offered for border security, not border wall. Other government officials, such as Nancy Pelosi, have made statements to the press regarding the shutdown. So far, there has been no updates on when the shutdown will end and what the government will do to remedy the shutdown’s effects.

Citizens are in an uproar, especially federal workers who are unsure of their future due to rising bills and a lack of pay.

Senior Shannon Fong says, “I have family friends that do work for the government.

I feel really bad for them because they work without pay due to the shutdown. I have pity for the people furloughed.”

While the shutdown impacts the lives of an estimated 800,000 government employees according to Forbes, the effects it has on our economy are pressing as well. Mr. Chin, the AP Macroeconomics teacher, says, “The short-term economic effect is more significant than even the White House anticipated. Last year, in the first quarter, the economic growth was 2.2%. Due to the shutdown, 0.5% of economic growth has been lost already.”

On top of the shutdown, Trump’s renewed focus on the wall leaves many divided over where funding should go.

There has even been a GoFundMe set up, presumably to help fund the wall, and so far it has amassed one billion dollars in donations. Sophomore Allison Chiang says, “They could use it to give schools more funding, or help more people who are living in poverty.” Mr. Chin adds that, “Last year, Republicans controlled both the White House and Congress, so they could have funded a border wall if that's what they wanted. It's strange to ask for a border wall after a new party takes charge of the House.” 2019 is shaping up to be an eventful year with Trump in charge, and this shutdown appears to be the beginning of many controversial decisions to come.

Libraries provide keys to unlocking the world’s knowledge in more ways than just books. In fact, the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library also offers programs and events aimed to meet the needs of children, senior citizens, and every age group in between almost daily.

For those in high school, the Bruggemeyer Library is a great place to start volunteering and learning leadership skills that will prove to be useful later in life.

Junior Paulyn Sreekhwan, a volunteer in the Junior Friends program, says, “[I] have to make sure everything is in order and prevent chaotic things from happening during the events.”

The plethora of events at the library include a weekly program hosted on Tuesdays to encourage computer literacy among the elderly. Volunteers teach senior citizens how to navigate through the complexities brought on by the digital revolution. Programs like these are vital to keeping the connection between different generations alive. Freshman Chelsea Chen says, “It was harder for me to connect with my grandparents since they don’t use tech-

Commentators from left to right: Timothy Chuman (12), Nathan Cao (12), Ethan Wang (11), Josh Soto (12)

it encourages the audience to support the team. “It makes it feel like the people are participating to get us all hyped up so we can play better.”

Though still undecided, the commentators want to continue to host the games, but do not want to forget the true reason ESPN Mark Keppel was created: to show

Children playing with slime at Third Thursday event

nology. I didn’t know how to talk them, but now that I’ve shown them [how to view] the news, we have more to talk about.”

Last Thursday, the library hosted a special event for young children to make snow slime in the Friends Room. The room was filled with parents and kids as they mixed glue and borax together until it reached the right consistency. The children leaned over the tables to talk and help one another.

The slime-making event was the perfect example of the friendships Acting City Librarian Diana Garcia has seen during her time at the Bruggemeyer. “We have

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their support for sports teams at games.

Like Chuman says, “Any school should just rally behind their teams because the teams are putting on their best effort and I think we can do our best as well to support them.”

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a lot of families that come to the library, attend these events, and meet each other through that,” she says. Garcia’s favorite example of these blooming friendships occurs at Weekly Baby Storytime on Thursday mornings. It is a popular event at the Library, and over 200 people attend every week. “We have a lot of stay-at-home moms who come so they can connect with other moms. It’s nice that the library can support that,” says Garcia.

The Bruggemeyer Library is so much more than just a place to check out books.

It is a safe haven of learning, friendship, and joy available free for the community.

Singing show from Korea debuts on FOX JOYCE LEE Photographer Singing transcends through cultures, and with FOX’s latest show The Masked Singer, fans of Korean culture are noticing South Korea’s impact on mainstream American entertainment. The original program, King of Masked Singer, was recently adapted from MBC Entertainment, a Seoul-based production company. Helmed

by Ken Jeong, a notable Korean-American actor, the show’s debut was meant as a nod to his Korean background.

The show’s main appeal is the contestant’s gaudy costumes, which are meant to conceal the contestant’s identity during their segment. Oftentimes, celebrities and well-known singers are chosen to participate as a chance to show off their voice while keeping the audience and judges guessing the whole time. The contestants’ identities are not revealed until they have been eliminated off the show. The show’s premiere has garnered interest but there have been conflicting opinions over the

costumes and originality. Junior Emma Lin says, “I’m excited about seeing talented people but I feel like when they remake Korean shows into American shows, it’s worse because...we already have a standard

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for the masks and the performance. When you see these shows, that standard might

not be met, which is what I’m worried about.”

For Korean-Americans like junior Julie Kim, this adaptations are exciting, especially when it is a highly popular singing show. Kim says that “seeing this show in both Korean and English weirded me out but I’m fine with it.” With Korea’s growing influence over American media, as seen in BTS’s meteoric rise to global stardom and The Good Doctor’s (an adaptation of the Korean drama by the same name) popularity, Kim notes that “even though people won’t know at first...they will be more mindful and care more about [Korean culture] when they know these shows are originally from Korea.”

In regards to future programs that may be adapted, such as dramas and series, Lin says, “I prefer the original. It’s more special because you get attached to that character...it’s kind of shocking seeing the same character being played twice.” Kim, on the other hand, says “it would be fun to see the show My Ugly Duckling in English.”

JANUARY 24, 2019 THE AZTEC Lancers’ strong physique overpowers Lady Aztecs LAURA CHEN Business Manager The Girls Varsity Soccer team competed against the Bell Gardens Lancers this past Tuesday, but lost the match, with a score of 0-3.

Throughout the game, the Lancers’ strength and physicality caught the Lady Aztecs off guard due to their smaller statures compared to Bell Gardens. Senior Noelle Frasher expressed that the girls have the advantage in speed, but nonetheless, it was really easy for the Lancers to push and knock the Aztecs off the ball.

Frasher says, “Our disadvantage is our general lack of experience because Bell Gardens clearly outsmarted us in several of their plays.” Due to a lack of communication out on the field, the girls strayed out of position, no longer staying in place.

Before the start of the season, the team played against many private schools that were three to four divisions above them and because of this, they were stuck in constant routine of defensive style plays.

Wrestling team tackles the Almont League VINCENT BAGABALDO A&E/Features Editor This year’s Almont League finals for both Boys and Girls Wrestling was held at Alhambra High School on January 19.

Multiple schools competed to get a chance to showcase their wrestling skills and win the championship in their respective weight class.

The event started off with competitors wrestling it out to advance to their next fight. Winning each match brought the wrestler closer to a coveted victory.Winning his first and third matches and only losing his second, Freshman Daryl Lao was determined to steal third place but fell short. This, however, didn’t stop him from wanting to play even more, saying, “I just want to win all of my matches next time.”

Matches got more intense and the overall surroundings became animated later in the day when schools were finally competing for places. Senior Lexy Wu was one of the few wrestlers who won all their matches, guaranteeing her first place finish in her weight class and qualifying her to enter CIF. Some of Wu’s teammates also made great strides in their matches as well towards the end of the day. Junior Hugo Montes snatched first place in his weight class, winning all of his matches with no remorse. Sophomore Carson Fernandez also won first place in his weight class.

Looking past last year’s loss, Montes has put in the hours and dedication into improving his craft, practicing everyday. “The same person who beat me at the Almont meet hurt my shoulder and it felt good to get revenge on him. We practice everyday for two hours and thirty minutes.”

In the end, it all comes down to the individual to perform their best in every match they participate in. Compared to “team sports”, wrestling focuses on self-improvement but also uses the support of everyone to do their best.

“When it came time for us to play against teams we are capable of beating, we don’t know how to switch into an offensive position,” says Frasher. Numerous injuries also hindered the Lady Aztecs from performing their best. As a result of these difficulties, the team’s morale was highly impacted. Junior Jessica Basallo says, “We didn’t have any enthusiasm until a little into the season.”

Despite all these setbacks, the team continues to push through and give each game their best efforts. Frasher says, “Our team’s greatest strength is that every girl on the team truly wants to play. It’s obvious that they enjoy the sport but everyone works hard during practice, more than other years’ teams that I’ve played with.”

The Lady Aztecs’ biggest rival in league is the Alhambra Moors. In the past years, they have had very close matches. “A lot of the girls on our team have grown up playing alongside girls that play for Alhambra’s team so it really is like a reunion yet rivalry game every time we play them,” says Frash-

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Sophomore Audrey Jung attempts to score a goal past the Lancers.

er. She believes that they are capable of defeating them, but emphasizes the importance of internal motivation and keeping a level head throughout the game, despite challenges. Today, at 3:15 pm, they will face their long time rivals, the Moors, over at the Alhambra High School campus.

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With three games left in the league season, sophomore Audrey Jung says, “In the next games, I hope that we continue to improve and finish the season off strong.”

Boys Basketball remains undefeated in Almont League WESLEY ZENG Sports Editor/ Business Manager With only three more games to play in the Almont League, the Boys Basketball team looks forward to continue their winning streak after beating Bell Gardens Tuesday night. After many point trade-offs between the two teams, Keppel maintained their lead, finalizing the scores, 80-67.

Entering the first quarter, the boys suffered slight miscommunication and a lack of focus. Nonetheless, the team was able to earn the lead, ending the quarter 21-16. Similar to the first quarter, the Aztecs continued to score but with less cohesion in their plays, allowing the Lancers to pierce through Keppel’s defense. “We fell away from our game plan a lot,” says Senior Esteban Rodriguez.

When the Aztecs were able to push to a stronger lead, the team could not stay focused with distractions from the stands and other team. “There [were] a couple mental lapses; we just were not communicating well enough,” says Haluska.

Despite this, the team began sticking to their plays and game plans in the second half of the game, eventually

helping them widen the gap, and winning the game 80-67. Rodriguez gives credit to all his teammates, explaining how the bigs helped maintain defense while the other members scored their shots.

One of the challenges the team faced was playing in enemy territory. “Especially playing away, the home team especially gets an advantage,” says junior Laird Anderson. Bell Gardens was able to play in a court they were used to, while the boys adapted to the new environment and different referees.

Another obstacle was the momentum the Lancers gained from scoring their shots. Since the Aztecs play with a more steady pace than the Lancers, Keppel had to control the tempo of the game. “If they play run and gun and we get caught up, our shots may not fall and they could easily blow us out,” says Rodriguez.

Withstanding all these challenges, the boys continued their winning streak, and look forward to improve their gameplay. “None of the teams are easy to beat. We still gotta approach every team with the same mentality and it’s not going to be easy,” says Anderson.

THE AZTEC/ TIMOTHY CHUMAN

Junior Laird Anderson scores a lay-up off of a steal in the second quarter.

Boys Soccer optimistic despite struggles QUENNIE ZENG Staff Writer The Boys Soccer varsity team lost against Bell Gardens High School 18-0 on January 22.

Having some trouble in this game, the team hopes to use this as a lesson to learn from and plans to do better next time.

“We could have improved by not giving up in the play and using more communication all around the team.” says freshman Mario Maceda.

Due to personal reasons, the team lost four seniors during this season. The roster’s newly emptied spots pushed the members to adapt to the change in team dynamics

and work through the last few games of the season. “We moved four players from JV, three being freshman who have never played together. Since then, we’ve been building the chemistry for the team and it’s an ongoing process,” says Assistant Coach Mr. Alvarado.

The team is looking forward to forming a strong unity among the players to a point where they can play as one and learn how each other moves. “Our goal for this season is for them to get to know each other, get to know how they play with their team, how each other play, what they need to do to be cohesive, and play as one,” says Alvarado.

Looking ahead to next year, the play-

ers are keeping their heads up high. Even with seniors leaving, the team has a strong foundation to keep moving forward. “If we keep working hard, and work on our condition, our passes, our defense, I feel like we can have a better team than this year’s.

This year we did do [well], but sometimes our defense has little mistakes,” says junior Jesus Garcia.

With three League games left in the season, the players are still hopeful. They will continue to practice and improve their defense skills in order to be able to play well together and get one win for this season. “We are ready to go; we are pumped and excited to play against Alhambra High School and San Gabriel High School.”

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JANUARY 24, 2019

Girls Basketball continues historic run

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Junior Grace Song takes a corner three-pointer in the first half.

TIMOTHY CHUMAN Editor-in-Chief/ Photographer

Despite playing on short rest, the Girls Varsity basketball team remained undefeated in league play with a 57-24 win over Bell Gardens on Tuesday night.

After playing two games in Northern California for the Martin Luther King Jr. Showcase over the weekend, the team was fatigued coming into the game. However, after only leading by five points midway through the first quarter, the team came alive, going on a 17-2 scoring run to take a 20 point lead. The lead proved to be more than enough for the Lady Aztecs as they cruised to another Almont League victory.

“This was our fifth game in seven days, so I wasn’t expecting a thirty-point first quarter, but we still held it together to come up with the win,” says senior Esther Quon.

Yet, with Tuesday’s victory being the closest game in league play, the team acknowledges that they need to continue to improve as the regular season comes to an end.

“We had some good rotations, but there were a lot of bad ones where we gave up way too easy baskets,” says senior Mia Heidt, who led the team in scoring with 16 points. “We just need to talk more and try to close out the holes in our defense.”

While the team was not as pleased with their performance on Tuesday, they had plenty to be proud of after winning both games in the showcase by a combined 58 points. Considering their two opponents were ranked in their respective areas, Coach Jose Herrera was more than pleased with his team’s play.

“[The victories] were huge because our competition this year in the playoffs is going to be tough. We will be playing in Division 1 and every team in this division is very good,” he says. “These games simulated teams in Division 1 and this is what we needed. We are clicking at the right time.”

Meanwhile, the Lady Aztecs’ victory over the Lady Lancers marked their 87th straight win in Almont League play. Their previous win over Schurr High School moved them into sixth place in the CIF Southern Section record book for most consecutive league wins. While the team may now be accustomed to winning, they refuse to take their success for granted.

“With the Keppel culture, sometimes [winning] is seen as the normal thing to do, but a lot of teams would really want to be in our position, being undefeated in league for so many years, so we definitely appreciate being undefeated,” says Quon.

However, the team has its sights set on success beyond league play, and they hope that their success can continue once the regular season concludes.

“It’s a great streak to have, but we continue to look at the bigger picture, and that’s playoffs. That’s what we are aiming for,” says Coach Herrera.

Girls Water Polo defeated by Montebello KEVIN LIU Copy Editor The Girls Water Polo team lost against Montebello High School 7-5 on January 16. They are currently 2-1 in Almont League standings with one Almont League game to go.

After winning their first two games against Bell Gardens and Alhambra, senior Stephanie Luu was confident in winning against the Oilers, citing prior experience with their playstyle.

“Montebello has a really weird quirk where they would turn their body so their hips would be up,” notes Luu. “[When] their elbow would rest on our shoulders, I can’t turn them [and shoot].”

Throughout the game, the Montebello Oilers maintained a small lead over the Aztecs. The first quarter ended 2-1 in favor of the Oilers. Despite being behind, the Lady Aztecs continued to narrow their lead with shots from junior Mabel Chui and excellent goal-keeping from her younger sister, sophomore Amy Chui.

Sophomore Amy Chui blocks a shot by the Lady Oilers.

However, their set player junior Amanda Cheung was majored, excluding her from the rest of the game. Because of Cheung’s vital role in shooting and leading the offense, the team lost their momentum. “[In terms of ] our mentality in the game… the only reason that we lost was because we let our teamwork crumble,” says Luu. “We started depending on certain players for that win even though we should have been more cohesive in our playstyle.”

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Despite the loss, the team looks forward to performing well in their last upcoming Almont League game. With two varsity players from last year and the rest of the lineup filled with former junior varsity players, Coach Lam plans to deepen the relationship between the players and the new coaching staff, himself included.

“I just find this year as a [year] where we’re trying to [get familiar with] everyone and use this to advance further next year,” says Coach Lam.

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Athlete’s Profile: Lexy Wu EMILY CHU Staff Writer

Senior Lexy Wu has been on Mark Keppel’s wrestling team for two years as one of the most dedicated players on the team. She has high hopes that the team will do well after she is gone. When she graduates, Wu says, “I think they will do really well because they have been growing [and improving as a team] for the past few years.” With the coach and team’s high spirits cheering her on, she aims to finish her last season of wrestling strong.

Wu did not know that she wanted to join the wrestling team. “I didn’t really know [about wrestling] until they started advertising it more.” Once she heard about it, she joined because she enjoyed watching it on TV and wanted to learn something useful. “I learned how to fight and to keep going even when you want to give up, [like] during tough conditioning or a hard match,” she says.

Once she joined, Wu knew she made a good choice. She learned many new skills and met people who became her teammates and her friends. She says that last year “...was the best because [it] was a bit more stable.” Despite having a different coach from last year, Wu feels like the quality of practice has not deteriorated in any way.

Wu says her favorite experience throughout her time in wrestling was competing at the Bishop Amat Lady Rumble. “It was my first tournament and I won my first medal during my junior year.” Even as she graduates, she will relish her close connection to the team and the accessibility to practice her skills. Wu also expresses the importance of self defense and says, “I want to be able to defend myself if someone ever tries to rob, kidnap, or harm me.”

In the coming fall of 2019, Wu says she will not be involved in college level athletics, but she intends on joining a few clubs such as JuJitsu and equestrian clubs that will keep her busy. For the rest of her high school career, her teammates and coach will be rooting for her to win in every wrestling match she competes in.

Sports Calendar Girls basketball

boys soccer

Boys Basketball On 1/25 versus Montebello at Montebello On 1/29 versus San Gabriel at San Gabriel On 2/1 versus Alhambra at Mark Keppel

On 1/25 versus Webb at Mark Keppel On 1/29 versus Montebello at Mark Keppel On 1/31 versus San Gabriel at San Gabriel

Girls Soccer On 1/29 versus Montebello at Mark Keppel On 1/31 versus San Gabriel at Mark Keppel (senior night)

On 1/25 versus Montebello at Montebello On 1/29 versus San Gabriel at San Gabriel On 2/1 versus Alhambra at Aztec Arena

girls water polo On 1/30 versus Schurr at Barnes Park (senior night)