THE AZTEC VOLUME LXXX NUMBER VII
VIEWPOINT PG 3 The effectiveness of walkouts
News in Brief Asb presents senior luau ASB announced the first-ever Senior Luau after the Spring Sports Rally on March 9. The Hawaiian-themed event will take place on April 6 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Student Bank for $5 from now until April 5th. Tickets will not be sold at the door. ASB Election informational meeting The ASB informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 20 and the general member meeting will be on Wednesday, April 18. Both will be held during lunch at A132. The meetings will provide information on available ASB and class council positions for those who choose to run. Career Day 2018 The Club Teen Center, Brent's Club, and Taco Bell Foundation is partnering up to host Career Day 2018 on Friday, March 23. It will be held at the Boys and Girls Club in Monterey Park from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sign up for a chance to win the Dr. Ngo scholarship and a $250 raffle prize.
Your calendar 3/16- Pupil Free Day 3/21- Collaboration Schedule, PTSA Meeting 7-9 p.m. in cafeteria 3/26-3/30- Spring Break 4/4- Collaboration Schedule 4/13- Minimum Day
March 15, 2018
Focus Pg 4-5
Features pg 6
Celebrating LGBTQ+ pride
Tips from student employees
theaztecnews.com
SPORTS PG 7-8 Spring sports head into league play
Theatre Company wraps up final musical show WILLIAM DANG-NGUYEN Staff Writer This spring, Mark Keppel’s Theatre Company presented its annual musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, from Friday, March 1 to Saturday, March 10. Written by Rachel Sheinkin, the musical comedy revolves around six spellers who each have unique talents and backstories. The cast began rehearsing daily in November as the performances drew closer. Senior Audrey Kato, who played Rona Lisa Peretti, says, “We have to work on a lot of character development as well as memorizing lines.” Along with vocal and physical warm ups, “we hold hands in a circle and wish for everyone to have a great show. If the chain of hands breaks, the show [won't] be as good,” says freshman Katherine Harry, who played Marcy Park. As for the tech crew, rehearsals started two weeks before opening night. Senior and stage manager Brian Phan says, “I [make] sure everyone [does] their job correctly. I also call out cues that support the actors, [which include] lights, fly rail, sound, floor crew, and spotlights.” For this production, Theatre Company decided to create a different setup for the stage. It stretched out farther into the audience for a close up experience, which included asking audience members to come up and spell. Phan says it had “a more
THE AZTEC/ JAMIE CHAU Albert Aguilar (12), who plays William Barfee, shows off his magic foot technique, which allowed him to win the bee.
immersive feel, so that the audience [feels] like they are part of the show and that there is a real spelling bee.” Keppel’s orchestra accompanied the musical numbers with live instrumental music from behind the stage. Despite all this responsibility, Phan says, “Without my amazing crew that is always aware of what [is] going on, the show would [not have been so great].” Harry says, “Tech theater and orchestra are very underappreciat-
ed. Without them, we wouldn’t have a show.” The comedic musical made a hit with its viewers, such as junior Elizabeth Lee, who felt like she could relate to the characters. Lee says, “I thought [that] it [was] funny how they incorporated a lot of ‘adult’ [jokes]. I also really liked their singing; I didn’t anticipate that.”
UniSci prepares for upcoming Science Field Day JOYCE LEE Staff Writer Mark Keppel’s United Sciences club will be hosting its annual Science Field Day on March 17 for middle schoolers. As one of the club’s largest events, they have prepared a lineup of competitive team events, such as Egg Drop, Bottle Rockets, and a buzzer-beating event. Entertainment will include events like Metric Mastery and a Chemistry Magic Show. Some events are based on classes at Keppel and popular experiments. “Chemistry Lab Test and Biology Lab Test are modeled after our own lab finals, so it’s exciting to see how middle-schoolers solve them. Our building events, such as Bottle Rocket or Rocky Rollercoaster are also huge hits,” says junior Lauren Jian, one of the head coordinators for Science Field Day. According to Ms. Hake, who will manage the event, “My science teachers look forward to running all of our events with our student leaders. I always look forward to our Monterey Park firefighters coming to drop our egg drop builds from their hook and ladder.” The UniSci board members have been preparing since October, but encountered difficulties with time management and unresponsive schools. In addition, senior and Science Field
Maple Duong (10) works on the Metric Mastery poster for Science Field Day.
Day coordinator Johnny Nguyen says, “This year is the first that we’ve invited schools from all over the district [and] not just the middle schools that feed into MKHS.” Despite the setbacks, Chian says, “[I am] excited to see all our hard work pay off so that middle school students can get the opportunity to participate in a competitive environment.” Science Field Day also allows elementary
THE AZTEC/ CALLISTA LIU
schoolers to discover their interests early. Junior Pauline Liew, who is UniSci’s publicist and a volunteer for Science Field Day, states, “I attended it myself in 8th grade, so I can relate to the [middle schoolers] who attend. It helped give me an idea of what I wanted to make of myself in my high school career, which is why helping out means a lot to me.”
Drill Team takes home second at Golden Cup Championships JASLYNN DIEP Staff Writer Mark Keppel’s Drill team took home second place in the Golden Cup Championships competition held at Glen A Wilson High School on March 10. The team’s score was determined by their impeccable creativity, sharpness, and powerful expressions presented in the routine. Before their practice, the members on the team spent some time to pitch in ideas and form the dance moves incorporated in the routine. Once the routine was settled upon and polished by the captains, the members immediately started drill practice after school from Monday to Thursday for about three hours. Some drill members felt anxious in preparation for the competition. Sophomore Adriana Ho, who joined competitive drill this year, says, “Personally, it was very nerve-racking because I didn’t want to make any mistakes during the performance in front of the judges.” Although Ho struggled with her nervousness, she was able to overcome this obstacle with the encouragement of her teammates. “Since it was our last competition, [I believe] we performed the strongest [that] we could after tiring hours of practice,”says Ho. Junior Kaitlyn Thai also expressed similar concerns about the competition as Thai says, “I felt stressed [after our performance] because I wasn’t sure if our team was going to secure another first place win from our last competition. Though, when it was announced that we didn’t place first, I was quite disappointed.” Despite Thai’s disappointment, Drill team’s loss for first place in the competition is not enough for her to give up. It is compelling her to work even harder with her team for the next competition. Overall, Drill team presented an abundance amount of energy in their performance as they had spent many hours after school training for this important event. The competition influenced them to set high-achieving goals for themselves and work to always be at the top of their game.
COURTESY OF MR.TONG The Science Olympiad team places tenth overall at the Lost Angeles County Regional competition.
Science Olympiad team competes at Rio Hondo College HANNAH WON Staff Writer Mark Keppel’s Science Olympiad team competed in the 32nd annual Los Angeles County Regional competition on Saturday, March 3 at Rio Hondo College. The team placed tenth overall out of forty schools. In preparation for the competition, the team members studied various science subjects including astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics. Some of the events that had taken place in the competition were Disease Detectives, Experimental Design, and Anat-
omy and Physiology, all based in various fields of scientific study. Science Olympiad co-captain and junior Queenie Xu says, “My partner and I had to prepare a binder of information for the test based on a general list of topics as well as a laser-shoot portion of the event where we had to position mirrors to reflect off of.” Xu began studying for the competition at the beginning of the school year. Science Olympiad coach Ms. Eggerman states, “Our expectations as a team were to do the best [that] we could and we tried to encourage them to through on their goals by giving them places to
work [and] people to work with.” Senior and co-captain Lyan Ly says, “ The couple of weeks [preparing for the competition] and the day of the competition were especially memorable as the whole team [bonded over] tons of laughter. [It] was a good experience to explore a lot more science [that is not provided] at school.” Despite not qualifying for the state competition, the Science Olympiad team is happy to have been able to create new bonds as well as make lasting memories.
Cheer wins first place after five year hiatus SARENA SCOTT Staff Writer
COURTESY OF MS.HILL Cheer team wins first place at the annual SHARP competition.
The Mark Keppel Cheer team placed first in the intermediate level category at the annual SHARP competition on March 3rd at Torrance High School. Cheer, drill, hip-hop, dance, and flags teams compete annually at the SHARP competition for trophies. The competition allows students to scout for choreographers with award-winning routines. The team returned to the competition after a five year hiatus. Coach Alexia Martinez taught her original routine to the cheer team in November. “[We] began practices with
conditioning, we [made] sure the flyers were stretched out, we worked on stunt techniques, [and] then [we] worked on the routine,” says Coach Martinez. Flyers take the risk of falling and hurting themselves every time they are put up into any stunt. “[The key to confidence is] to be able to trust your bases and back spots to catch you every time I am put up in the air,” says junior and captain Anabelle Hernandez. As the day of competition approached, the fear of forgetting the routine and not keeping a flyer up in the air raced across their heads, despite the confidence they built during the many hours of practice. “[In order to win the competition], we
had to make sure that everything was sharp and clean. We did the routine so many times I am pretty sure we could all do it in our sleep,” states junior Lucy Tan. Conditioning and practice were not the only factors that played a part in their win; being mentally prepared and having the right mindset also played a role in their success. Coach Martinez says, “Motivation and positive reinforcement it helped them mentally get through the routine and perform at the competitions.” The competition demonstrated dedication and commitment, along with capabilities. The Cheer team looks forward to future competitions.
The Aztec 2017-2018 Timothy Chuman
Wesley Zeng
Vincent Bagabaldo
Maggie Luu
Sophie Wong
Tiffany Leung
Vivian Luk
Staff Writers
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief/ News Editor
Angela Chen
Asst. Editor-in-Chief
Anny Jiang
Viewpoint Editor/Photographer
Aurora Zeng Focus Editor
Evan Cheng
A&E/Features Editor
Sports Editor/ Business Manager Web Editor
Callista Liu
Chief Photographer/Multimedia Editor
Kevin Liu
Copy Editor/Asst. Bus. Manager
Jamie Chau
Copy Editor/ Historian
Kody Woo Cartoonist
Asst. News Editor
Asst. Viewpoint Editor
Evan Woo
Asst. Focus Editor
Samantha Hernandez Asst. Sports Editor
Haoxian Hu Photographer
Alex Hua
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Izabella Cofressi Jaslynn Diep
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The Aztec is published monthly by the journalism class of Mark Keppel High School and is printed by News publishers’ press. Opinions expressed are those of the writers, not of the faculty or administration. Articles without bylines are staff editorials, and reflect the opinion of the staff. Letters to the editor are welcome and are subject to editing. Letters can be given to Mr. Yankowsky in room A236 or sent to 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.
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MARCH 15, 2018
The AZtec
Viewpoint 3
Students push for change
Pay them now
BABYRUTH TORRES Staff Writer
HAOXIAN HU Photographer
Students gather at Palm Court for the walkout as Mr. Scanlan speaks.
Peaceful forms of protest, such as walkouts, play an important role in defending civil and human rights. Walkouts are an effective way for students to make a political statement and express their feelings about current events. When Donald Trump was elected president, thousands of students took matters into their own hands and collectively walked out of their classes on November 14, 2016. The protest ultimately had no significant influence on Trump’s presidency, but students took pride in expressing their discontent. “I understand that the walkout had no effect, but being able to protest proved that I have a voice and I let it be heard,” says Junior Celeste Toledo. While walkouts don’t involve direct contact with politicians, they still draw attention to the issues being protested. The national walkout on March 14 concerned high school ad-
ministrators across the nation. Believing the event would disrupt scheduled class time, administrators discouraged students throughout the nation from participating but also recognized their First Amendment right.
... I have a voice and I let it be heard. -Celeste Toledo (11) At Mark Keppel, the students who chose to participate in the national walkout left their classes at 10:00 a.m. and gathered at Palm Court. The protest lasted 17 minutes to honor the 17 people who were killed in the Florida school shooting, as well as to promote gun control laws. ASB leaders recapped the trage-
THEAZTEC/ TIMOTHY CHUMAN
dy and addresses that the goal of the protest was to advocate for change. They then proceeded by individually taking time to talk about the victims’ lives, quoting their families and friends. The walkout was powerful, signifying that together, students can unite for a greater cause. Roughly a thousand Keppel students who attended the event, and multiplying that with thousands of other students across the nation, it really sends the message that this issue is important and change needs to happen. Mr. Scanlan says, “I think change starts with little gather[ing]s like this.” Most people can talk about their desire for change but action speaks louder than words. Principal Scanlan says, “We can talk all we want about what we want to change but until we go out and actually do something, it’s just words. We need to make sure [we take] action.”
The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) was founded in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Originally meant to be a program for amateurs, the NCAA has since changed to be much more competitive. Since the program is no longer for amateurs and serves a huge role in the sports entertainment industry, colleges and their respective coaches now take sports extremely seriously, treating their players the same way professionals are treated. According to Mark Keppel Basketball player Jia Mei, “Most college athletes are on their way to [becoming professionals] . . . it would only make sense for them to get a taste of the real world and get paid.” Those who support paying college athletes agree with Mei because athletes still have to pay for tuition. Many students already have trouble paying off their tuition, having to work part time jobs; athletes are no different except with their obligation to their sports. Mei says, “If college athletes are able to get some support, many more students would be able to stay in college without dropping out.” How could schools compensate players fairly while satisfying everyone? A possible solution would be to pay all athletes the same amount of money. According to swimmer Raymond Lee, students are treated the same throughout all teams, so they should be rewarded the same. Most of the revenue generated by each department in a college is tossed around the school to be used, so distributing surplus in each sport to be shared with the athletes makes perfect sense. However, because some sports are more popular than others, the division of salaries for college athletes would be unfair to those who are headlined in the sports entertainment industry. Comparing a Division I Basketball Team to a Division II Table Tennis Team, it would not be fair to the basketball team that generated much more revenue than the latter. Basketball Coach Hung Duong says, “College athletes should be paid, but the NCAA must come up with a plan that can counter corruption and will be fair for all students.” According to a study done by Businessn Insider, the NCAA’s basketball tournament generates over 1 billion dollars through advertisement alone on an average year. This is a staggering amount of money, and it would be unfair for basketball players to not receive an elevated salary in comparison to an unknown table tennis team. Coach Duong says, “There are many problems associated with paying students now, but the NCAA is working hard to make it fair for everyone.” Regardless of how hard it is to pay athletes, the amount of work that they do for the sports entertainment industry renders them more than deserving of being paid. College athletes sacrifice their time, academics and so much more, so it would only be right for them to earn what they deserve.
Are you a Cord-Digger? JASMINE MA Staff Writer Cords are the top currency at Keppel, leading to the ongoing trend of students creating and joining clubs that award cords to active members. High school students value this colored piece of rope because it showcases their accomplishments and accessorizes their graduation gowns. In order to receive a cord, students must be active club members for at least three years, if not more -- a rule that disqualifies current juniors and seniors. Clubs have compromised by making an exception for upperclassmen, who now only need to remain active until they graduate. Senior Yvonne Ngo says, “I do think that clubs offer cords as an incentive, because other than joining a club for the purpose of placing that fact on college
applications, not many students willingly join a club unless there is a cord or some type of benefit in return.” Some students, on the other hand, completely disregard cords and participate in activities because they find them interesting. Many extracurricular organizations, such as sports teams, performance teams, band, and orchestra do not award a cord for their members’ achievements. Junior Esther Vega, a member of band, says, “I’ve stayed in band because of the friendships, experiences, and the sense of belonging. Band is kind of like a giant extended family.” Even if a student receives a cord, the cord is unofficial until the club advisor and board members convince the staff that the
club will academically benefit its members. Whether students are only participating in club activities to receive a cord, or because they genuinely enjoy them, all that matters is that students can explore new interests and continue to pursue their current hobbies.
Blue, red, and white striped cords COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
THE A
4 FOCUS
Celebrating #2 diversifying pop culture JAMIE CHAU Historian/Copy Editor In front of the movie theaters is the bright promotional poster for Love, Simon. Last year, The New Old Me by Meredith Maran poured from the shelves of every bookstore. What do this movie and this book, with two very different plotlines, have to do with one another? Both tell the stories of LGBTQ characters. Recently, LGBTQ movies, books, and other pieces of media like Love, Simon and The New Old Me have been exploding across the entertainment world. “Ultimately, we are all human. The rise of LGBTQ in media will also broaden people’s perspectives on their diverse community,” says senior Vivian Ji. In addition, since the majority of the books and movies are heavily advertised, many people are interested to see what said entertainment pieces have to offer. The books and movies present LGBTQ characters in a realistic way, allowing viewers to better understand LGBTQ culture. Keppel itself recently incorporated LGBTQ into its entertainment productions. The spring musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, featured two gay fathers, which served as a good example of the influence of LGBTQ making its mark in entertainment. “I felt proud that this is a good thing shown because
In books:
it didn’t place any bad twists to the thought of gay parents,” says senior Michelli Chai. Although Keppel’s musical was limited to the local community, it shined a positive light on LGBTQ culture. If it were a large production, however, it is almost certain that the role of the gay fathers would have made an impact. “Had this production been immensely well-known, I think my role would have hopefully opened up a few more opportunities in redefining the stereotypical image of the LGBTQ community,” says senior David Martinez, who played one of the fathers. “People around the world will hopefully be inspired to show all sides of any character no matter how different they are from themselves.” With the expansion of LGBTQ influences in entertainment, the amount of attention the community is receiving is also increasing, and many have become more accepting. “[The] feelings of uncertainty in media are being soothed as the years go by, since general representation of different individuals has increased gradually. I feel that we’re taking steps in the right direction,” says Martinez.
In movies: Love, Simon March 16 A closeted boy falls in love with an anonymous classmate online.
George by Alex Gino A transgender girl wants to play the lead female role in her class play, but her teacher refuses.
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz Two polar-opposite teenage boys have a chance encounter at a local swimming pool, where a friendship begins to bloom.
Saturday Church January 12 A shy teenage boy finds a secret escape from his conservative family through an LGBTQ youth group.
Voices: What p t
PICTURES AND QUOTES COLLECT
After the gay bar shooting [in Orlando], my church all came together and wrote letters and dropped off flowers at the nearest gay bar to show that even though we are a church, we still support them. Silvana Martinez, 9th
I m p b st
I hope to see that the LGBT community and straight people will live peacefully together and coexist without any discrimination. Keno Vilaysith, 10th
I thi co
I hope people become used to the idea and won’t be so negative about the situation. In the end, we are all human and we shouldn’t discriminate. Think of them as friends. Oona Iglesias, 10th
A c thi
Freak Show January 12 A genderbending teen is set on becoming homecoming queen at his conservative high school.
The New Old Me by Meredith Maran A 60-year-old woman is determined to restart her life in Los Angeles after losing everything in San Francisco.
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan In a gay-friendly town, two teens fall in love.
2018 has a new name and pop star tweeted out to her included the hashtag “20G
Boy Erased September 28 A true story following a young man whose religious family forces him to attend a gay conversion program.
March 15, 2018 5
AZTEC
20GAYteen
d it is all thanks to singer Hayley Kiyoko. In the beginning of the year, the r fans, “It’s our year, it’s our time. To thrive and let our souls feel alive,” and GAYTEEN.” Fans quickly embraced the message and began tweeting their support for the hashtag.
progress do you want to see in regards to the LGBT Q+ community?
Gay Straight Alliance MAGGIE LUU Photographer
TED BY VIVIAN LUK
I tell [others] what I’ve learned in my experience of coming out to my parents. When I grow up, it would be cool if my kids don’t see being traight as a default and don’t feel like they need to come out. Jacob Inocencio, 12th
We need to be more involved with the community educate ourselves so that we are able to understand them and see them as equals. Politicians should talk about these issues more and not ignore them. Adrianna Ho, 12th
I hope that homophobic comments will be addressed in a safe way. Whenever my classmates or family members make certain jokes, I try my best to point out that what they said is harmful. David Santoyo, 11th
I hope it becomes so that nobody inks anything different of the LGBT ommunity. Let people do what they want. It’s their own body. Kalea Chu, 11th
Feeling accepted at school is really important right now. I hope the LGBT community will realize that not everyone will be accepting, but that will only make them a stronger person. Dillon Garcia, 12th
I hope people feel more welcomed to come out because it’s not mentally healthy to stay closeted. Online, I voice out my support for the community. Felicia Lu, 12th
A lot of [LGBT kids] feel like they can’t really fit in. People need to ink more about what they say and how they say things. John Ovalle, 10th
Club features:
Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen LGBTQ+ pride, many members of the community remain alienated from the rest of society. To improve the hostile environment, Mark Keppel’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Club provides a safe and supportive environment for the LGBTQ+ community. Gay-straight alliances often aim to promote a supportive school climate for students of all sexual orientations and gender expressions. The earliest gay-straight alliances emerged in Massachusetts in the late 1980s when students and teachers held meetings between LGBTQ+ and straight students. Today, there are more than 3,000 GSA clubs in the United States. “People should join GSA to get a better understanding of the different kinds of people we have in Mark Keppel. A lot of us don’t fit the stereotypes of the LGBTQ+,” says senior Itzel Quiroz. To her, the club is a family where “everyone knows each other... and [has] fun.” A qualitative study conducted by Routledge found that GSA’s most beneficial aspect is being able to provide direct support to the LGBTQ+ community, while creating a support network by connecting students. Having a GSA club on campus lets students know that there is a safe place. “Members view [GSA] as a nice little club where they can interact and talk to each other about being gay and feel accepted for their sexuality,” says junior Cindy Tan. “For me, it is to validate that my sexuality exists.” Quiroz, president of Mark Keppel’s GSA club, agrees. She says she wants GSA to be “seen as a safe haven” and “a sanctuary.” Clubs like GSA are significant for youths who are still learning to express themselves. For those who are struggling with their sexuality or identity, Tan suggests doing some research and confiding in someone trustworthy. Mr. Luong, the GSA advisor, believes that students should “never have to struggle alone and there are [other] students who will give them a hand.”
Support Hotlines The Trevor Project 866-488-7386
I hope that everyone will look beyond sexual orientation and we will all receive equal treatment, such as gender neutral restrooms and same sex marriage across nations. Aaron Ho, 10th
We need to get the word out. Sharing stories is a great way for people to relate to and start seeing the cause in perspective. Protesting is [another] way of proving a devotion to the cause. Gordon Wu, 9th
National hotline for at-risk LGBTQ youth
LGBT National Youth Talkline 800-246-7743 Provides peer support and information for local resources
6 Features
THE AZTEC
march 15, 2018
Love is an open door CHRISTINE LE Staff Writer
THE AZTEC/ TIFFANY LEUNG Theo Urista (9) opens the A building door at the East Gate for his fellow students in the morning.
For this year, many people at Keppel have not had to open the A Building door to the East Gate, all because of one person: Theo Urista. Many students who watch Theo from afar describe him as a reserved, yet generous person. Sophomore Paola Lara shares her thoughts on Theo Urista: “Not everyone is willing to stand there and just hold doors for people, and for him to do that [is] ... setting an example; it really shows how caring he is towards others.” Although Urista enjoys opening doors for people early in the morning, it doesn’t come without pain.
“Sometimes I would hold both doors and because I’m not a lefty, I use both my feet and hand to try to keep both doors open; it causes me a lot of cramps.” However, the difficulties do not completely overshadow the positive benefits of his actions. To Urista, there are many reasons as to why he holds the door open for so many people. “The one thing that I enjoy the most is the smiles on their faces. I know I don’t smile often, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t feel that joy inside me,” says Urista. Junior Chloe Winn adds, “The fact that everyday he tries to make someone’s day... shows me that there are still good people out there despite all
the hate that’s going on in the world.” Even so, there are still challenges at home. Urista’s family is not keen on the idea of Urista holding the door open for other students every morning. “My family gets annoyed [at me for] opening the doors for people... when we’re out at restaurants or places like so.” Regardless of his family’s reservations, Urista goes out of his way to act altruistically. He states, “My mom thought I was going to school early to do math tutoring only to find out that I was actually opening doors for people, and let’s just say, she wasn’t too happy with that.”
Mom, where do dead clubs go? IZABELLA COFRESSI Staff Writer There are over 50 clubs at Keppel, ranging from Academic Decathlon to the Zero Robotics club. Many of them are active and con-tribute wonderful things to Keppel. The American Red Cross club, for example, organizes our school’s blood drives. However, there are clubs that are not as active, with members who rarely ever meet if at all. What happened to them? Ms. Carmona, English teacher and the ASB advisor, believes there could be any number of personal reasons as to why clubs
become inactive. “Maybe they started [the club] and didn’t fully realize how much time and effort they would need to invest, or they possibly could have created it [the club] with the thought that it will look good to have on their resumes, but never actually planned to maintain it. It could even be as simple as their interest in the club simply just fizzled out,” she says. In order for a club to become official, the students are required to fill out and turn in paperwork by the end of the year
High school students making bank LINDSAY KUNG Staff Writer High school is a busy time for most students. Many Keppel students are likely to be already juggling commitments at school, at home, and extracurriculars. Would it be crazy to add another responsibility to the mix? Some students choose to get a job in order to earn spending money or to gain experience in the real world, but for others the money earned is an essential contribution to their family’s income or college savings. Whatever the case may be, getting a job is a typical teenage rite of passage. Some people argue that knowing how to juggle various responsibilities helps students prepare for the academic rigor of college as well as the realities of the world around us. Senior Teresa Zhong, who has been a lifeguard at the local swimming pool for two years now, strongly agrees with this mindset.“The most rewarding [of my job] is learning how to be independent, converse with adults, and learning work ethic. It gives you a taste of the real world, because no one will baby you just because you’re a teenager.” Rather than viewing her job as a chore, Zhong thoroughly enjoys her work. “ I had the opportunity to teach 2 severely autistic children how to be more comfortable in the water. I was pleasantly surprised when I got them to open up and
accept me just after a couple days. Knowing that I made a difference in their lives really made it... memorable.” In addition to jobs teaching students real-world skills such as working with the public and as part of a staff, jobs give them exposure to fields they may hope to enter as adults. Senior Eleanor Peña, who tutors at a local office, agrees that “if a student happens to have an interest in a specific field of study, finding a job that explores that interest could also serve as valuable experience in discovering whether or not they ultimately want to pursue that particular field.” Peña discovered the job offering through the Career Center at school. Based on her personal experiences as an employed student, her advice to other high school students looking for a job is “to be open with your options, be prepared for potential rejection from employers, and never lose hope!” Senior Kenneth Tiet says, “Ideally you should go into a job without the job negatively affecting your academic success. As for me, it takes a lot of sacrifice to make time for my school work, my extracurriculars, and a job.” Tiet, like Zhong and Peña, ultimately believes that having a high school job can certainly benefit others in the long run.
so they can start club activities in the following school year. Once the paperwork is submitted, ASB files it away but they do not necessarily keep track of the clubs after this process. It is solely the club officers’ and advisor’s responsibility to arrange and hold meetings. As a result, even ASB does not fully know which clubs are active or inactive throughout the school year. But not all dead clubs stay dead - some are revived through the persistent efforts of passionate students. Senior Lauren Lu’s re-
newed PAWS club exemplifies how an ambitious student can jumpstart a dead club. “The old PAWS wasn’t allowed to host any fundraise[rs] for animals,” says Lu. Her PAWS club works around this roadblock by raising money through boba fundraisers to purchase felt fabrics, which are then used to as-semble and handcraft dog toys and pet blankets. After these crafting sessions, the club donates the products to local animal organizations, showing that an inactive club is not the end-all, be-all.
March 15, 2018
Sports 7
the aztec
Volleyball looks to rebound as league starts ALEX HUA Photographer
THE AZTEC/ ALEX HUA Senior Joseph Lam blocks an incoming ball as other team members prepare for a potential offensive play.
Mark Keppel’s Boys Volleyball team played against the San Marino Titans in an away game on Thursday, March 8, losing the game 2-1 after multiple close calls. In the first set of the game, the score went back and forth as both teams fought for the lead. However, Keppel took an early lead mainly due to senior Joseph Lam’s ability to score and control the ball, and the great defense of the whole team. Keppel eventually took a seven point lead, with the score at 24-17. Despite being one point away from winning the round, the Titans went on a nine point run and won the round. The first round ended with the score at 26-24. Lam said that “we
tried [to avoid] losing by playing safe, and it’s not the way we usually play,” which resulted in San Marino making a comeback and winning. In the second set, similar to the previous round, both teams went back and forth trying to take the lead. After being tied 8-8, San Marino went on a five point run. Despite this, Keppel responded with great defense and offense, going on their own five point run, which tied the game up at 13-13. However, Keppel’s defense and offense was not enough. San Marino outscored them and won the round 25-19. Coming into the third set, Keppel was well aware of the stakes. They fought and came out strong, leading with the score of 11-5 a few minutes into the round. This was thanks to sophomore Joshua
Galech’s strong defense and junior Garrett Chung’s aggressive shots. San Marino fired back, tying the game at 16-16. The teams went back and forth, though San Marino eventually outscored Keppel late into the round, thus ending the match. Senior Brian Ha says that though they lost the game, “We hustled a lot on defense; we got a lot of balls up, and our blocking got a lot better.” Although the team performed well overall, Ha says that “we need to improve on getting better at recognizing what to do in a tough situation.” Lam says, “We need to be more confident when we attack the ball and we need to stay calm; [we shouldn’t] play scared.”
Badminton hits their first win of the season EVAN WOO Asst. Viewpoint Editor Already off to a good start for the season, the Aztec Badminton team swung to victory with their first game against the Mayfield Cubs, winning 13 games out of 21 on March 12. The competitors rotated between games of Boys Singles, Girl Singles, Boys Doubles, Girl Doubles, and Mixed Pairs. Each
game consisted of the three rounds of 21 points. Senior and captain Yoon Noe believes that the team will have a chance at reaching CIF. “We lost a lot of our good players last year, but I’m pretty sure that we’ll hang tight for the rest of the season and hopefully we’ll make it to CIF,” says Noe. Despite many new players joining the team, there will be opportunities to strengthen the team.
“I think we’ll have to work really hard to win CIF second place again ‘cause we have a lot of new members and we can’t just rely on one or two of the best members,” says senior and captain Samantha Lee. “We have to rely on everybody because badminton is a team sport.” In the match against the Mayfield Cubs, the Aztecs had already won 11 games out of 21, and only had to win two more games to secure their victory.
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The Aztecs could have ended the match there, but as senior and captain Anthony Wu states, “this gives [us] more practice for the games to come.” Judging the overall performance of the team, first-time coach Pyae Hein says, “I would say [the team] is doing well, but not as [well as] I expected yet.”
Go Aztecs !
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8 sports
January 25, 2018
the aztec
THE AZTEC/ TIMOTHY CHUMAN
COURTESY OF JOCELYN YU
Sophomore Tiffany Lu jumps over the hurdles during her 100m hurdles, scoring 12th place out of 44 overall.
Track and Field hurdles past invitational VINCENT BAGABALDO Asst. News Editor The Mark Keppel Track and Field team attended the annual Rosemead Invitational on Saturday, March 10 to compete in a variety of events, such as short and long distance running, relays, and shotput, all of which were in the rainy weather. When questioned about the team’s performance, Track and Field coach Andy Shapiro says, “I think they did well. In comparing them to how we did last year at the same meet, I think we did a little better.” In spite of the unexpected weather, sophomore Gloria Lu won first place in Junior Varsity Long Jump and second place in Junior Varsity Triple Jump. She
says, “My strategy was just to make sure I was warmed up before each event and to stay focused.” Also, Junior Kirby Lam placed third in the Triple Jump with a distance of 40 feet and four inches. Both Bryan Chan and Kyan Wong, junior varsity and varsity respectively, placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18 seconds and 20.93 seconds, while Lucas Gonzales placed fifth with a time of 46.70 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles. During the 4x400 meter relay, the weather took a turn, pouring as competitors ran. In the mens relay, Lucas Gonzales, Gary Chen, Dillon Garcia, and Yuuki Muanpho were able to push through the harsh rain, securing third place with
a time of three minutes and 53 seconds. Similarly, Tamy Phung, Emily Wu, Noelle Frasher, and Kelsey Bustamante placed fourth in the womens relay with a time of five minutes and 11 seconds. Senior Andrew Ly was able to secure fourth place in the shot put, throwing a total distance of 39 ft and four inches, seven and a half feet behind Gabriel Contreras from Montebello, who won first place. Although Keppel didn’t place first in most of the events, coach Shapiro says, “The important thing was that they got out there and competed and had another chance to compete this early in the season.”
Softball shakes off preseason loss SAMANTHA HERNANDEZ Asst. Sports Editor As their season inches closer, the Varsity softball team has begun playing preseason games. Their most recent game was on March 8 against San Juan Hills High school, which Keppel lost. Senior Varsity captain Jacqueline Sandoval says, “You win some; you lose some. We just weren’t completely there and I feel like we could have prepared more for hitting and some plays as well.” Sandoval attributes their loss to the Lady Stallions’ competitiveness and aggression. “We played as best as we could
in our state that day; the other team was just amazing competition,” notes Sandoval. Another reason for their loss was the time spent inside the batter’s box. Sophomore Viviana DeSantiago says, “Both teams had really good defense, but we didn’t really get hits off their pitcher; I [have to] admit she was fast.” Despite their loss, the Lady Aztecs plan to redeem themselves. They are dedicated to improving their skills on the field, as well as their mentalities before their games. Sandoval says, “We need to communicate with each other more and we need to make sure we have a strong
game plan before heading in and tell ourselves we will win...Our focus should always be the game.” Along with their pregame plans, the girls have also set personal and team goals for themselves. “We hope to play our best at each and every game, and make it to CIF,” says Sandoval. Junior Faith Alenbaugh says, “I hope this season brings me opportunities. I have worked incredibly hard to reach where I’m at and I would love to have scout offers for my future. As a team, I would like us to play well together and work to make CIF because we haven’t been a part of that competition for years.”
Athlete’s Profile: Andrew Fernandez KODY WOO Cartoonist Nothing defines senior Andrew Fernandez better than baseball - it has been a major part of his life for as long as he can recall. Now, as the leader of the school’s baseball team, Fernandez shows his love for the sport, as well as his will and spirit to encourage and lead his teammates. “I’ve been playing baseball for fourteen years,” Fernandez says. “I think practicing with my dad all the time made me as successful as I am now.” Fernandez is currently a pitcher for the team, but he also plays centerfield and first base. The senior has thrived through the first five games of the season, and is looking to continue dominating as league play starts. Fernandez is motivated by the competitiveness of the sport and his family. “My motivation as a player is trying to be better than my older brother, and someday hopefully making it into the Major League Baseball scene,” Fernandez says. It isn’t a surprise then that those around Fernandez feel the effects of his massive commitment to both his role on the team and baseball itself. Coach Tuttle, the current coach of the baseball team, says, “Andrew puts the team first. [He] cares for his teammates.” Fernandez says about his athelticism,“If you want to get to a level like where I am now, then you have to sacrifice lots of time into practicing and always give it your 100%.”
Sports Calendar baseball On 3/16 versus Montebello at Montebello On 3/20 versus San Gabriel at San Gabriel On 3/23 versus Schurr at Mark Keppel On 4/3 versus Gabrielino at Gabrielino On 4/9 versus Bell Gardens at Mark Keppel
Softball On 3/20 versus Pacific Hills at Mark Keppel On 3/22 versus Malibu at Mark Keppel On 3/23 versus Rio Hondo at Rio Hondo On 3/24 versus Pacific Hills at Mark Keppel On 4/4 versus Flintridge at Flintridge Prep
Boys Tennis
Boys Volleyball
On 3/20 versus Pasadena Poly at Pasadena On 3/22 versus Schurr at Schurr On 4/10 versus Alhambra at Alhambra On 4/12 versus Montebello at Mark Keppel
On 3/20 versus Bell Gardens at Mark Keppel On 3/22 versus Schurr at Schurr On 4/4 versus Pasadena Poly at Mark Keppel On 4/10 versus Alhambra at Alhambra On 4/12 versus Montebello at Mark Keppel
Swimming
Track & Field
On 3/22 versus Gabrielino at Barnes Park On 4/5 versus Alhambra at Granada Park On 4/12 versus Montebello at Montebello On 4/13 versus Mt. San Antonio at Mt. Sac
On 3/22 versus Alhambra at Alhambra On 4/12 versus Montebello at Mark Keppel On 4/14 versus San Gabriel Valley at San Dimas