THE AZTEC VOLUME LXXVIV NUMBER IV
VIEWPOINT PG 3 Lab Finals: make it or break it
News in Brief Cocoa and Cram This Friday, from 3 to 5 p.m, Link Crew is hosting another Cocoa and Cram in the cafeteria. Enjoy free hot chocolate as you cram your studies for your first final. All Link Crew Leaders and 9th graders are welcomed.
Garden Ribbon Cutting Ceremony The Mark Keppel High School Garden Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 10th, at 10 am. Cal State LA professor Juily Phun and students is the proud sponsor of the new garden. They partnered with Mark Keppel High School PTSA, Orchard Supply & Hardware and Ganahl's Lumber in making this garden possible.
SAT Scores SAT online scores will be available to students on Monday, December 12th.
Your calendar Today- Drama Boosters Meeting (7 PM-8:30 PM in A114) 12/13- School Site Council #3 (1:45-2:45 PM in Aztec Conference Room) 12/14- PTSA Meeting (7-9 PM) 12/15- Minimum Day 12/16- Pupil Free Day/End of First Semester 12/19-1/2-Winter Break 1/3- School resumes 1/4- Collaboration Day
December 8, 2016
FOCUS PG 4-5 Exploring the darker side of Christmas
theaztecnews.com
FEATURES PG 6 The evolution of texting
SPORTS PG 7-8
Girls soccer vs South Pasadena today at 3:15 pm
Nothing else like A Christmas Carol ANNY JIANG Staff Writer It’s holly and wreaths. It’s laughter and cheer. It’s stories that live year after year. It’s humming a tune or dancing a jig. There’s nothing else like a Christmas musical at Mark Keppel to kick off the holidays. This year’s musical, A Christmas Carol, was performed from December 1st to December 4th. Without the help of Dr. Bartlett, Mr. Lee, Mr. Gillette, the orchestral students and Tech Theater class, Mrs. Phillips and the play's actors would not have as much success. Sophomore Eric Ching said, “Working with Dr. Bartlett and the orchestral students was such a pleasant experience because they were really accommodating and they would work around our mistakes. They helped us succeed.” Drama teacher Mrs. Phillips produces all of the plays and musicals at Mark Keppel. Senior Tatiana Garnett said, “I love Ms. Phillips. People don’t give her enough credit for all of the long hours she works and stays with us. It’s really easy for us as performers to complain about how long we’re here but she does twice as much. She deserves all the love and support in the world.” A Christmas Carol was Mrs. Phillip’s 16th musical and 10th with Dr. Bartlett.
Scrooge (played by Albert Aguilar) and Bob (played by Vincent Pham) discuss the work hours during Christmas . THE AZTEC/LESLIE SOTO
Mrs. Phillips said, “This musical is different than most we do because there are no ‘show stopping’ songs and the story is mostly told through the music.” Orchestra, Dr. Bartlett, and Mr. Lee attributed a lot to the musical. Mrs. Phillips said, “This was one of the best musicals we have done from the part of the orchestral. Orchestra is always outstanding but this music was hard and yet they played it so beautifully.” Mrs. Phillips and others were dismal that Dr.
Bartlett is leaving but they are also excited to work with Mr. Lee, who is taking over the music department. As much as the actors and orchestral deserved their credit, Tech Theater was a big part of the success of the musical. They were in charge of building the sets and controlling the lights and sound. Mr. Gillette said, “I'm very proud of my Tech students. They worked really hard.”
Starting the holidays with sounds of music JAMIE CHAU Historian
Mark Keppel High School’s music department will be holding its annual Winter Concert tomorrow, December 9, at 7 P.M. Tickets will be sold for five dollars presale, and seven dollars at the door. Band, world drumming, and guitar will be performing approximately 15 songs. “The show is going to be great,” said Dr. Bartlett. “This is not just my last show but Mr. Lee’s first show. This will be a chance for me to pass the baton to the next generation.” This particular show is special because it is Dr. Bartlett’s last show at Keppel. World Drumming students at the tech rehearsal preparing for Winter Concert. Senior Tommy Ho who has been in band for three years, said, “I am very sad that she’s re- how the student’s hard work has paid off. Performers are looking forward to sharing tiring, but at the same time I’m happy for her their music during the holiday season. since she’s been teaching for over 30 years.” Junior Brendan Cheng, who is in the world In regards of the Winter Concert, Dr. Bartlett drumming class, said, "Personally I have been and Mr. Lee have collaborated in putting the in a few concerts myself and it's an experishow together. “I think we’re a fantastic team ence unlike any other. I'm extremely looking teaching. I’m blessed to be working with someforward to my fellow classmates' first real conone who’s been doing the job for so long.” Mr. cert." Cheng is excited for the first concert on Lee said. He is excited to show the audience
THE AZTEC/TIMOTHY CHUMAN
campus. Senior Binh Dang, who is in the guitar class, said, “I’m happy I can teach people’s mind and heart with my music.” This will be a rewarding concert to bring out the musical spirit of the Keppel community.
First Victory Over Dakota Access Pipeline AMBER MAK Staff Writer
The Army Corps of Engineers denied the final permit on December 4th, needed by the Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) to continue their latest $3.78 million oil pipeline project. The problem with the construction was it was set to go through sacred Native American burial grounds and tunnel underneath the Missouri river, a major water source for indigenous tribes in Iowa, North, and South Dakota. President Obama made statements three weeks prior that he would do his best to get the Army Corps to reevaluate the key permit for the construction. “My view is that there is a way for us to accommodate sacred
lands of Native Americans; right now the Army Corps is examining whether there are ways to reroute this pipeline,” he said in an interview with NowThis News. The indigenous tribes have been protesting against the routing of the pipeline for nine months and have been gaining momentum, especially with the recent vocal support from U.S veterans. Veterans organization Veterans Standing for Stand-
way possible. There are those that voice that it is not appropriate for veterans to use their titles to make a political statement. However counselor Ms.Sesztak said, “the veterans have fought for the human rights and dignities of others… it is appropriate.” Courtesy of Google Images Junior Itzel Quiroz states, “Haven’t we ing Rock fundraised over one million dollars to help the native taken enough away [from the Natives]? Thank God veterans tribes in addition to recruiting are protesting; maybe it’ll give over 2,000 veterans that were America the wake up call it willing to travel to the camps needs so that they can see this to help aid the protesters in any
isn’t right.” Despite the halting of construction, local tribes and the veterans organization has stated they will continue to stay within campgrounds to make sure that the pressure is still upon Energy Transfer Partners. ETP has released an official statement stating that they were will get the final permit through and that they are not willing to reroute the pipeline. Despite the vocal support from the Obama administration for the indigenous people, President-elect Donald Trump has stated before he is expecting to see that the project will be proceed as planned.
Dr.Bartlett leaves on a high note CELESTE GIL Staff Writer
Musical genius Dr. Bartlett is retiring from her teaching career at Mark Keppel High School after this semester. Dr. Bartlett is a composer. She teaches world drumming, guitar, band, and orchestra at Mark Keppel. Dr. Bartlett received her Bachelor of Arts at Cal State Northridge. She received her credential and Masters at Cal State University of Los Angeles. She later on received her Ph.D at Claremont College. She taught at Mount Saint Mary’s College at the Doheny Campus. She started off her music career playing the piano. She has spent her summers traveling, visiting places such as India. The Aztec Band was honored to have surprised Dr. Bartlett at their annual Tri
City performance at San Gabriel High School this year, by playing a song she composed herself, Rose Parade Cha Cha. “I will miss the students and making musicals with Ms. Phillips the most,” said Dr. Bartlett. Aztec Band president Dana Gil said, “All good things must come to an end. I have had the privilege of being educated by such a profound wom-
THE AZTEC/CALLISTA LIU
an, without her guidance I would not be the musician I am today.” Orchestra and band student Mina Tran has had the pleasure in working with Dr. Bartlett in three musicals. Mina Tran, senior shared, “I have learned a lot from Dr. Bartlett’s musical insight, and she inspires the entire orchestra to help one another.” Orchestra president and senior Queenie Choi stated, ”Over the years, Dr. Bartlett has count-
lessly helped me improve my skills as a violinist, which eventually led my joining of the first violins. Dr. Bartlett has made me realize that I’m a musician who shouldn’t be afraid to show my talents.” A Christmas Carol, this year’s musical at Mark Keppel was her last one. She is retiring this month. Mr. Lee is succeeding her, as he has been under her wing since the start of the school year.
PHOTOS COLLECTED FROM BRENDAN CHENG, LUYIN DENG, AND TOMMY HO
The Aztec 2016-2017 Victoria Ramirez Editor-in-Chief/ Chief Photographer
Wesley Zeng
Sports Editor/ Business Manager
Angela Chen
Anita Huang
Sophie Wong
Kenneth Liu
Asst. Editor-in-Chief News Editor
Eric Tam
Viewpoint Editor
Aurora Zeng
Web Editor
Multimedia Editor/ Asst. Photographer
Timothy Chuman Copy Editor
Focus Editor/ Head Cartoonist
Daniel Lu
Cristina Gonzalez
Kevin Liu
A&E/Features Editor
Copy Editor
Asst. Copy Editor
Tiffany Leung Asst. News Editor
Miranda Kwok
Asst. Viewpoint Editor
Bailey Huynh
Asst. Business Manager
Jamie Chau
Callista Liu Photographer/ Videographer
Leslie Soto
Photographer
Trevor Kwan
Megan Yan
Maple Duong
Tommy Gao
Jessica Chan
Evan Cheng
Scotty Hong
Jasper Duong
Staff Writers
Katarina Fernandez
Videographer
Caitlyn Woo
Crisalis Flores-Rios
Tommy Chao
Anthony Gabrie
Anny Jiang
Chris Dao
Photographer
Historian
Photographer
Michelle Dang
Laura Chen Kellie Chin
Michelle Chu Iris Chung
Bianca Cruz
Maya Cuevas
Mayra Gamboa Brenda Giang Celeste Gil Anita Gou
Tiffany Guan
Marissa Heidt
Fatima Hemdan
Anthony Hernandez Nicole Hernandez Alissa Hilton
Gina Jiao
Rachel Yamamoto
Alexander Kwok
Kelly Yuan
Brandon Lam Zerlinda Lee
Sherry Liang
Christopher Liu Helen Luu
Amber Mak
Selina Martinez Justine Mejia
Gordon Meng
Maliah Pierribia Jason Sanchez Trixie Tairas
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 theaztecstaff@gmail. com. All letters must be signed, but on request, names will be withheld. We do not acknowledge unsigned letters. All internet graphics on The Aztec newspaper are the properties of their respective owners.
Alhambra, CA 91801
Your voice. Your school. Your
MAKING THE GRADE
Viewpoint. The opinion stories.
Who loves lab finals? Teachers! (and you should, too?) BAILEY HUYNH Asst. Business Manager DANIEL LU Copy Editor
Stressed lab students make their final study attempts for their impending, dreaded lab finals, scheduled to be from December 11 to 16. For over a decade, beginning with Ms. Hake, science teachers have given lab finals as a hands-on approach to test students’ knowledge. Despite much disgust for the lab finals, and to many students’ surprise, they actually serve an important purpose: to prepare students for college science. Let’s hear it from our science lab teachers who unceasingly stress the importance of lab finals to college bound students. Ms. Dhala, the Physiology teacher, warns that the “entire grade in college lab classes” is comprised of the lab final. “It’s a necessary experience for college,” agrees Ms. Eggerman, the AP Environmental Science teacher. “Better for it to be a small part of your grade than your whole grade.” Ms. Schmalz AP Chemistry teacher
Unappreciative students at Keppel, however, reluctantly confront lab finals worth only 10% or less of their grade. Sophomore Alice Huang and Esther Vega express their fear for the chemistry lab final. “I expect an F,” Huang brokenly admits, even though she stays up for many painfully long hours, creating tests on Quizlet to review. “I’m so confused about what’s happening [in my class],” Vega moans for her grade while banging her head on a water bottle. The lab teachers give helpful advice but honestly admit that their students’ test scores will average no more than a D or F. Schmalz repeats religiously to her students her famous line — “to review their [your] old labs and be familiar with lab equipment, names, and proper use” — in hopes that her students will somehow succeed. “Start [labs] early. It’s gonna be the same way in college,” Ms. Eggerman reminds students. “In many campuses, students will not see this [labs] till college. It is one of the ways Keppel prepares its students for college.” Eggerman hears back from her former students who say “Thank you [for the lab finals]!”
MARK THE CALENDAR
Finals schedule changed to help ESL students The Alhambra Unified School District attempts to reform schedules
NICOLE HERNANDEZ Staff Writer This school year the finals schedule has changed. The former schedule had testing for periods one and two on Monday, periods three and four on Tuesday and periods five and six on Wednesday. The new finals schedule is testing for periods one and four on Monday, then on Tuesday there’s testing for periods two and five, and finally Wednesday is testing for periods three and six. According to Principal Scanlan, the school instructional council and district department chairs decided to change the finals schedule. Scanlan explains that the change helps to break up some of the block classes for English intensive students and ESL students. Scanlan says the former finals schedule resulted in some students being in the same classroom for four hours. Students are discussing the new finals schedule. Junior Grace Gomez says,
“I think it’s a good idea. Because then people don’t have to stay in class for four hours. The change doesn’t really affect me but if it helps other people then I think it’s good.” Although the new schedule helps to prevent four hour class periods, some students do not agree with the change. Sophomore Noelle Frasher is against the new schedule, “It [the new schedule] makes finals harder for me. My testing days would be a lot easier if the schedule were in consecutive order”. Junior Brandon Pelayo also says, “I don’t like the change. It seems pointless. I mean nothing was wrong with the old schedule, and now it’s confusing.” There are mixed emotions about the new schedule but either way finals are finals, and even with a new schedule the tests are still difficult. So my advice is to study hard no matter what the schedule is.
THE AZTEC/ ERIC TAM Senior Jason Xian coaches Biology Honors students how to prepare for their lab final.
POLITICS
THE AZTEC/ KENNETH LIU
Sophomore Kyle La listens to Ms. Pham lecture in a Chemistry Honors class.
CONSUMER
Revisiting Starbucks holiday cup controversy Starbucks redesigns its cups for the holiday season KATARINA FERNANDEZ Photographer Starbucks brewed up controversy from last winter’s ombre red cup. Starbucks reason, according to money.cnn.com, was that the “blank canvas” is what encourages “customers to tell their christmas story in their own way.” On November 9, Starbucks had their patrons draw and share on Instagram their type of “winter holiday” on the ombre cup from last year, selecting 13 types of designs for this year’s winter cup of joe. The variety of these cups were selected from Indonesia, Illinois, New York, Seattle, Pennsylvania,Canada, South Korea, Russia, Idaho, California, and Dubai, all of which contain different jobs and ethnic background. This was “to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity” says money.cnn.com . Junior Shedan Martinez compliments this year’s winter cups-“I like this [win-
ter cups] better, its more decorative , the other ones last year I feel were not as festive,” she said. For her winter holiday cup design she said, “I think I would design snowflakes or a polar bear” to symbolize what comes to mind for her winter holiday. Mr. Arroyo, the dance choreographer, said, “I would try to put something from every religion that celebrates their holidays during this time of year and festive things like trees and snow and wintery designs that are more generic so that no one feels left out.” With the variety of candy canes, evergreen forest , wooden wreath, holiday lights, birds and flowers, poinsettias, this year’s winter Starbucks cups and winter beverages hardly go unnoticed, let alone complained about.
Trump’s Cabinet thus far
The President-elect maintains the controversy that defines this election GINA JIAO Staff Writer
President-elect Donald J. Trump has started to select his Cabinet members three weeks after his victory of the 2016 presidential campaign. Although Mr. Trump has not finished replacing all the members in the current Cabinet, some American are worried about his choices. Many people are concerned about the new cabinet. Junior Justin Fong says that, although he understands that Trump is trying to “drain the swamp,” he believes Trump’s decisions are not the best. “I think keeping several of Obama’s cabinet members would allow the American public to be more comfortable with the Trump presidency,” said Fong. Another concern is that Trump’s new Cabinet opposes LGBTQ rights and protections. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (and/or questioning) individuals/identities. This is a community of people that has a hard time fitting in in today’s society. Senior Cristian Del La Cruz strongly opposes the new Cabinet’s views on LGBTQ rights. He believes people should not be shamed for who they truly are. “I understand it is a conservative’s right to think whatever he or she wants to think, but no one should have
the right to shame a person for being who they are,” Del La Cruz said. Del La Cruz also believes that both Republican and Democratic parties should have a say in selecting Cabinet members. He said, “Our government is designed to be for the people. So I believe the only way the people can be involved is if both parties have a say in the cabinet members.” Some people are worried that this change will affect the American people. Currently, the Senate has a Republican majority which can cause Trump to get Senate approval to do what he wants. However, Fong believes there won’t be a drastic change in our lives. “The American people should not notice too big of a difference in their daily lives. Any policies Trump and his cabinet propose must be approved by the Senate before it affects the American people. This should eliminate any unreasonable policies that Trump may propose,” said Fong. Although Trump’s selections are troubling some Americans, we will have to wait and see how the new Cabinet impacts Trump’s presidency.
4 FOCUS
THE A
The Naughty My true love didn’t give to me...
Mistletoe, snowflake lights, ginger can all go on and on about the jo Christmas isn’t all that great. Here it com
MIRANDA KWOK Asst. Viewpoint Editor Gift cards, a new phone, hand-knitted sweaters, a pair of fuzzy socks, and a Nintendo 3DS all have something in common: they are Christmas gifts seen or received by every teenager. Giving a gift to someone is difficult, because one has to consider what to get and how much money should be spent. But the situation becomes tricky when someone gives a gift and doesn’t get one back, and vice versa. Both individuals are put in an unexpected situation and can feel awkward. So how does one deal with this sort of uncomfortable environment? Friends and family members hand their loved ones a neatly wrapped up present, carefully chosen with thought and time, but recieve nothing in return.
“[I]f you give someone a gift, you shouldn’t expect them to give you something back,” said Junior Ashley Tang. The receiver could be facing financial problems or maybe wasn’t intending to give a gift from the start. Sometimes, however, the empty-handed receiver may just feel obligated to give a gift back. Mandarin teacher Dr.Ye said, “Generally, next time you see the person, you give [a gift] to them. It’s better to give than to take.” Whether a person is the giver or the receiver of a gift this Christmas, they should either have little to no expectations or be well-prepared; there is no in-between. However, even if someone did not get a gift back, they should still be grateful for what they have.
A
M
It’s not the most wonderful time of the year?
Jin
Ot
KELLY YUAN & AURORA ZENG Staff Writer & Focus Editor/Head Cartoonist
Christmas is so popular that many people all around the world celebrate Christmas even if they have no affiliation with the religions associated with Christmas. Schools and businesses close in observation of the holiday. Despite the popularity, thousands of Americans don’t celebrate. This is seen as highly unusual. One of the major reasons some Americans choose not to celebrate the holiday is because it is highly driven by commercialism. Sophomore Keilynn Sato said, “All these holiday commercials are centered around the idea that you have to buy presents for everyone and leave cookies out for Santa. But I thought Christmas was for celebrating the birth of Jesus.” Despite being a Christian holiday, other people still celebrate. “I’m just trying to have fun,” said Alice Ip, junior. Freshman Gloria Lu comes from a family that does
not celebrate Christmas. “I still get presents [from my older sister], so I don’t feel left out,” she said. The only thing she feels to be lacking is a family gathering, but it does not “bother her that much” as there are other holidays her family gathers together for. Instead, she often goes to a friend’s house to spend Christmas at. “You don’t necessarily need a Christmas tree to celebrate Christmas,” she concluded. Only 10% of Americans celebrate Christmas, according to the Washington Times. In addition, about half of Americans believe that Christmas is a religious holiday, while about a third of Americans believe Christmas is a cultural holiday. Whether or not people partake in Christmas activities, the holiday season is still a great opportunity to express appreciation to loved ones.
145 STUD
Surprise without disguise SHERRY LIANG Cartoonist The surprising moment of receiving Christmas gift has slowly gone as years goes on, as people tend to know their gifts before receiving them. Although the surprise is an exciting aspect of Christmas, some people choose to ask their friends or families what they are buying for them. Some parents are afraid that they will buy the wrong gifts for their children, “[My parents] will give me a list of what I want,” said freshman Crystal Tsujii, “and I pick the one thing I like from the list.” It is hard for parents to decide what their kids like, so they often just ask them. “At least they’re giving something I like,” said Tsujii. Meanwhile some students receive the same gifts every year. “I always get sweaters from the gifts,” said sophomore Amy Feng. “I want some surprising [unique] gifts but it usually doesn’t happen.” General gifts make gift giving predictable, so there is less fun and excitement about Christmas.
Surprises that the receivers like are needed to get them excited about the holiday. “It all depends on what the gifts are,” said Feng. “If it [the gift] is something I don’t like, I wouldn’t feel surprised.” Although surprises make things more fun, sometimes it can be risky to give something the reciever may not like. However, giving the same gift to different people might let them feel as special, “My parents usually give same gifts to [me and] my siblings,” said freshman Helen Lei. “It makes me feel general.” Still, each gift demonstrates kindness from the giver, “No matter what is inside [the gift], it’s nice for me to receive something from my best friends. Even there are no surprises, I’m still thankful for that person,” Lei added. It would be best if gifts were unique and special for the receiver. While decorating a Christmas tree, do not forget to have well-prepared surprises for important people. THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ
AZTEC
y List
December 8, 2016 5
rbread men, stockings, Christmas trees, reindeer...we oys that the holiday season spirit brings us. But surely, e, we examine some of our first world problems when mes to the holiday season. CARTOONS BY AURORA ZENG
Poll: What is your favorite Christmas song?
All I Want For Christmas
36%
Mistletoe
10%
ngle Bells
28%
ther
26%
DENTS WERE POLLED. CONDUCTED BY CRISTINA GONZALEZ
The ugly Christmas sweater
KELLIE CHIN Staff Writer
We wish you a Merry Christmas & a Happy Birthday! MALIAH PIERRIBIA Staff Writer While having a birthday near Christmas may seem like a dream come true, the reality is that the stress of grades as well as the making plans with friends can become obstacles in making a birthday celebration successful. But some students at Mark Keppel have learned to adapt to their birthdays being so close to the holidays. Senior Bianca Trevizo’s birthday is on December 24th, Christmas Eve, but she expressed that she prefered having a birthday so close to Christmas, because Christmas is one of the biggest holidays of the year. Trevizo stated, “Instead of associating balloons and cake for my birthday, I associate Christmas lights and pozole instead.” One downfall of having a birthday near the holidays, however, according to Trevizo, is that she “never get[s] to see [her] friends at school because [they] are on winter break.” When asked if she gets presents for her birthday and Christmas, Trevizo stated, “I think my family has always gotten me two gifts, one for my birthday and one for Christmas so I don’t feel
cheated.” Junior Alina Shahin’s, whose birthday is on December 8, said that she enjoyed having a birthday near Christmas because of the break from school. Shahin said, “having a winter birthday is great, because you can do certain winter activities, such as ice-skating.” Skiing, witnessing snow, sledding, and snowball fights are just a few out of many winter activities you can’t do during the summer. She stated, “I feel that the celebration of my birthday is not at all affected by Christmas. I celebrate it how I like, and I do not let Christmas get in the way.” Shahin added, “I receive more gifts, because I get a set of presents for my birthday, and another set for Christmas.” Though having a winter birthday might seem restricting, there are ways to adapt. Enjoying the break from school and partaking in winter festivities are just the few ways to prove that having a birthday near Christmas is not as bad as most would think.
Christmas is approaching quickly and it’s a season of receiving ugly christmas sweaters or high-end technology. One of the main problems that gift receivers encounter is the disatifaction that often is tied to gifts that are below his or her expectations. “I would still appreciate [a gift I didn’t like] because the person was kind enough to think to get me something,” said sophomore Charlene Pok. Gift givers, even when they do try to please the reciever, do not always know what to give, resulting in a few disappointing gifts that a person might receive. To prevent giving unappreciated gifts, some research and hints may help when the time comes to purchase a thoughtful gift for someone special. Asking their friends or even the reciever can provide gift ideas. “[My parents] should have asked my sister for what I wanted for Christmas,” said senior Jonathan Chan. Chan creates and updates a wishlist to share what he wants for Christmas. With the help of some of the gift receiver’s closer friends, it will be easier to get them gifts. Because gift givers often do not know what to buy and would rather have the gift receiver buy something on their own, one of the most popular gifts that people receive is a gift card or money. “[My parents] gave me a gift card because they didn’t know what I wanted as a gift,” said Chan. However, gift cards do not really show how well a gift giver knows that person. “I explained to my parents that I appreciated it but I didn’t need it,” Chan adds. It is socially unacceptable to show disappointment in a gift in fear of being rude, so by shopping for their own gifts, gift receivers would not be disappointed. Even though people get unwanted gifts sometimes during the holidays, they still accept it no matter what. “I feel like presents should be given from the heart, and one should give what they think is the most ideal gift to a person”, said Pok. Doing a little research or adding a gift receipt to the bag can help if gift givers that are unsure of what to buy for the gift receivers. This way, everyone will be happy with their gift.
“CooL” Winter fashion trends MEGAN YAN Staff Writer Autumn in Southern California is almost a carbon copy of the summer weather. Here, summer clothes are worn throughout the fall weather. Yet, when it’s winter, packing away all the summer outfits to prepare for the chilly season is a waste. Why pack them away when they can be just as useful during winter? Fashion design teacher, Ms. Martinez, says, “Living in California, I usually always reuse my summer wardrobe for winter.” One easy and common way to do so is to combine a pair of shorts and tights together. Pairing denim shorts with some opaque cable knit tights and a sweater is a warm, yet stylish rendition to a go-to summer outfit. Tights not only work with shorts but also with dresses and skirts. Layering can also be a fun way to bundle the two season’s wardrobe together.
Take out those summer dresses again because winter is another chance to wear them. Try wearing a dress over a long sleeve, slim fit top to change things up. Recently, big name celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner are seen with this type of dress-over-top outfit. Short sleeve tops and such can also be reused when combined with jackets, scarves, or thigh high boots. “I like to bring my summer wardrobe with jackets and boots,” says Ms. Martinez, “I like to match it that way for winter.” For example, even tank tops can be matched with knit cardigans. Sometimes, layering too much can look too bulky. By wearing a sleeveless blouse under a sweater, it can give more of a sleek look without bundling up on too many layers. With just simple layering, even t-shirts can be worn during winter. It’s an easy
THE AZTEC/ KENNETH LIU
Students: Kira Hum, Alyssa Morishita, Kristyn Lee, Jad Khazaal, Jon Chu, James Lui in their winter-wear.
way to keep warm and change summer clothing into something more versatile.
With a little tweaking, summer clothing can add some flare to the winter wardrobe.
The dressing of A Christmas Carol
graham bell to cell
CHRISTOPHER DAO Staff Writer
JASPER DUONG Staff Writer
This year art director Ms. Phillips decided to get her costumes for the winter musical, A Christmas Carol, on Ebay from a New Jersey theatre. Ms. Bennett, U.S. History teacher, who has designed costumes for past productions such as Peter Pan and Hairspray, said when costumes are made that the amount of time to make the costumes depends on the number costumes requested. She altered many costumes for past productions as well. Bennett estimated that the alterations for “Peter Pan took maybe 60 hours total.” Actress Francine Sy (Belle) enjoyed wearing the bought costumes, saying “ I actually felt more like the character I was suppose to be. So, in a way, the dress helped me.” Francine commented on how long it took to get into costume, “In the beginning it took at least 10 minutes to get into my big dress, always having someone to help me, but after several rehearsals and shows I was able to change within 3 minutes.” Townsperson Michelli Chai also said “ a few seconds to about 2 minutes at most when rushed.” Both actresses overall enjoyed the performance of the play and are really looking forward to future productions. Actor Vincent Pham (Bob Cratchit) ex-
Texting has transformed from tapping the same button multiple times to get that right letter, to pressing on the screen and the letter popping up. Nokia came out with the Nokia 9000i Communicator that had a keyboard which is similar to the virtual keyboards we have today. The first evolution of texting started when Nokia started producing phones that allowed anyone to text but only to a maximum of 2 people within the same network at once. “It wasn’t that bad since it had the little keyboard,” Senior Giovanni Avila said when asked how difficult it was to text with an old school phone. “I got it when I was in sixth grade,” and at that time, he had a blackberry which had the physical keyboard. In 2007, Steve Jobs created and introduced the first iPhone with a virtual keyboard for THE AZTEC/ AURORA ZENG users to text on which made the phone popular. Freshmen Christine Huynh said she would be willing to text her friends from Pham mentioned that it took him on averan old school phone. She said, “I would age 10 minutes to change, due to inserting a try it out for like a week because I have microphone along with his other costumes. texted on those phones before and I realMs.Phillips enjoys the play to its full potential and with the collection of colorful costumes, the play went on to be a massive success. pressed his thoughts on his costumes saying,“being Bob Cratchit required a lot of layers of clothes, and we had to fix certain scenes to make my costume [achievable].”
ly like the Evolution
button feeling.” of texting has be-
THE AZTEC/ VICTORIA RAMIREZ
gan in 1993 and is still developing today. It took 14 years (starting from 1993 to 2007) to develop a virtual keyboard on the phone. Technology will start to develop so much that texting would be on a 4-Dimensional screen instead of a 2-Dimensional one.
Video Game escapade EVAN CHENG Staff Writer
Whether it’s failing grades, mind-numbing boredom, or the fear of inevitable demise, we are always under strain. Relief often comes in the form of the approaching weekend, or particularly for gamers, the release of a hyped-up video game. “It’s an unending cycle,” says senior Kevin Kuramoto. “The cause of my hype tends to assume one of two forms: new content in a game or series that I’m invested in, [or] a new IP [‘Intellectual Property’, a new series] or game that looks promising and appeals to my personal tastes.” Unfortunately, looking is not the same as being. The purpose of promotional content, such as trailers, pre-launch interviews, or even screenshots, is first and foremost, to sell the game and drive pre-orders. Accurately representing it is only secondary.
“The moment I actually get my hands on a game I find myself hyped for, that feeling of excitement tends to rapidly dissipate over the next few days, and I have been unable to determine why this occurs.” Trailers straddle the line between blatant lie and ‘dramatization’. The Pokemon Go trailer featured trading, legendary pokemon, and player vs. player battles. None of those features are present in the final product. “I expected the game to be awesome,” says sophomore Ellesia Truong, “I expected a real-life trainer simulator.” Regardless, the trailer was a massive success. Fans were cast into a frenzy of excited speculation, hype. “You hear your friends talking about how good a game will be when it comes out,” says junior Jason Luc “It drives social interaction.”
Hype can even be generated unintentionally, as a result of the community’s eagerness to speculate. Such was the case with this year’s No Man’s Sky, which had an exaggerative ad-campaign in addition to a passionate community. Soon, developer Hello Games had very high expectations to meet.
Junior Matthew Hong playing League of Legends.
After release, No Man’s Sky achieved a score of 61/100 on metacritic, with the general critic consensus being that it was an average game. But to players, it was garbage and deserving of hate. An overwhelming 70% of user reviews on Steam, the site where the PC version of the game can be purchased, are negative. And the game’s subreddit, an internet fo-
THE AZTEC/ KENNETH LIU
rum, which once featured nothing but praise or gleeful speculation, is now rife with angry rants and spiteful memes. “People felt betrayed,” said Jason, “By not meeting or lowering their expectations, the release was essentially a failure.”
Decemeber 8, 2016
The Aztec
Sports 7
Boys Basketball finish Sierra Vista Tournament as they enter preseason ALEX KWOK Staff Writer
Mark Keppel’s Boys Basketball team faced off against Northview in the Sierra Vista Tournament on Saturday and won, 54-38. This was Keppel’s final game of the tournament, as they finished with a 4-1 record. The basketball team played 3 consecutive games before their match versus Northview. Although the team had a winning record, they did not get first place because of a loss to Monrovia in the third game of the tournament. Senior Nick Fong won the All Tournament award for his excellent play in the tournament. Even though the win over Northview did not secure them the championship, the team is proud of their hard work. Sophomore Esteban Rodriguez says the team’s main goal was that, “We wanted to win and stop #4 (Northview Point Guard).” Junior Brusen Hy also said that, “The team wanted to slow down their offense and trap the opponent in hope that they turn the ball over. We had struggles getting rebounds since we didn’t have the size advantage, missing easy putbacks, and overall defensive breakdowns.” Both players said that Fong played well by passing it to open players for easy points and that the rest of the team played their part. They also believed that defense was more important than offense because if they did not execute their defense correctly, they would have lost the game. Mark Keppel competes all of next week in
Soccer player Karina Rodriguez (12) warms up her legs as she kicks the ball back and forth during soccer pratice.
The Lady Aztecs play their first home game LESLIE SOTO Photographer Today the Girls Varsity Soccer team will be playing a preseason home game against South Pasadena. These preseason games are meant to prepare and help the team improve before season. Senior Tatiana Garnett has been playing on the varsity team for four years and became captain in her sophomore year. She believes that if they all work together and keep up the communication, they stand a very good chance in winning. Junior Elena Martinez has been playing soccer since she was 10 years old, quali-
Boys Soccer continue aiming for goals towards upcoming season TIFFANY GUAN Staff Writer The Boys Varsity Soccer team prepares for the upcoming League games in January. As of now, Varsity’s overall score in the non-conference games is one win, three losses, and one tie. On November 16, the boys won their first non-conference home game 2-1 against Ribet Academy. Last Wednesday, they lost 2-1 to George Washington Prep and tied with Maranatha High School 1-1 last Saturday in the Temple City Tournament. In preparation for the League games, junior and midfielder Dominick Romero said, “We are practicing very hard and trying to maintain our shape.” Before each game, the team receives inspirational speeches from Coach Ger-
THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ
son and from each player to motivate one another. From soccer, Romero learned the importance of teamwork and cohesion. Sophomore Andy Torres, one of the star players that holds the forward position on the team, said he hopes to accomplish at least 3 wins with his team this season. Torres is excited to play against the star players of other teams. “I know all the varsity players from Alhambra High School because I grew up playing side by side with them. I get really hyped because it is a competition among friends, and there’s that competitive edge that you get.” Their next upcoming tournament game is away at Fullerton High School on December 26.
fying for varsity since her freshmen year. ence, gives them a great advantage. She has also played with Alina Shahin, “[The team] has been playing togethLondyn Lau, Madison Candelaria, Karina er before high school; they all trust each Rodriguez and Miranda Gomez in a club other and have great chemistry on and off team called IFC. She stated, “I think that the court,” said Tatiana. “The program was we are all very nervous and excited for the very disorganized before Steve came; he game. If we focus and just leave it all on really understands what we need to work the field we have a really good chance in on and knows how to get through to us.” winning.” This years varsity team has high hopes This year, Steve Shahin will coach his for the upcoming season.With extra practhird year for girls varsity soccer. He ex- tice on their footwork and the 6 preseason pects them to do better than they did last games left, let’s hope they make it to where year; by making playoffs and attempting to they wanna go, good luck against South win Almont League. Tatiana and the team Pasadena. like to call it “the comeback season.” Many returning players who have lots of experi-
8 SPorts
The Aztec
December 8, 2016
4-2 preseason standing for Girls Varsity Basketball TIMOTHY CHUMAN & IRIS CHUNG Copy Editor & Staff Writer
THE AZTEC/ SCOTTY HONG Erika Sato (12) defends against Saint Paul’s team member #25 during last Friday’s game.
The varsity girls’ basketball team lost to St. Paul last Friday, by a score of 39-42 in their fourth game of the preseason. The Lady Aztecs have a 4-2 record after a loss on Saturday to Eagle Rock and a win by forfeit against Paramount on Wednesday. The Lady Aztecs were already down two girls (due to injuries) leaving them with only 11 players. During the first quarter, sophomore Catherine Dea went up for a layup and landed awkwardly on her knee which left the team with only 10 players for the night. Dea said that she will be out for a few games, but this injury will not affect her future performance. In the second quarter, senior Fanny Tu hit a buzzer shot and quoted that “It felt really surreal. I just know I was proud that I made that [shot].” Despite putting up 30 points in the first half, the captain of the team, senior Alyssa Lee, felt that they lost the game during halftime. “We weren’t communicating well and we weren’t hitting our
shots.” Lee believed they need to work on crashing the boards since they are a small team, they get out rebounded by bigger and taller teams. Junior Jocelyn Song thought that even though things were not going their way, the loss was still beneficial for them.. “I think the team put in a great effort, but our shots weren’t going in,” Song said. “The preseason helps us prepare for season because it shows us the mistakes we need to fix and it allows us to gel together as a team.” The following Saturday, the team competed for runner up at South El Monte High School but lost to Eagle Rock, 5451. This past Wednesday, the Lady Aztecs won by forfeit against Paramount High School to improve their record to 4-2. The girls are eager to learn from their mistakes and make the most of this season. “I hope as a team we can play to our fullest potential and make this season a memorable one. My goal for this team is to make it to at least [the] third round in CIF,” Lee said.
Wrestling team builds up “House” as popularity grows JUSTINE MEJIA Staff Writer Wrestle fans, start shouting and cheering because it’s that time of year. It’s time, not only to hit the books hard, but for Mark Keppel wrestling students to hit the mat. Unique to most co-played sports, the wrestling team features a female athlete, Katarina Fernandez. In addition, not only is Fernandez in the wrestling team, she is also the captain of the team. Being a student athlete takes dedication to your school work, and your sport. Sometimes you may have to sacrifice one or the other. However, our students at Keppel make it look easy. Although our wrestling team is almost unknown here at Mark Keppel, the sport is growing with an appoximent 17 wrestlers on the team, with at least three other girls. The wrestling team has been practicing for about a month and a half now, tossing THE AZTEC/KATARINA FERNANDEZ and turning one another over as they pre- Wrestlers Henry Juan (12) and Joshua Arauz (10) practice wrestling holds after warming up. pare for a match during practice. -ng someone down takes an enormous this season and cheer them on their way In order for them to be in good shape for amount of strength. to victory as their first competition begins their matches, they perform a lot ofexercise Let’s get our wrestling blood flowing for tomorrow at 7:00pm at Gabrielino High and workouts during practice. As easy at it this year and support our wrestling team School. may look, flipping someone over, or pinni-
THE AZTEC/ KENNETH LIU
Athletes Profile: Alyssa Lee CAITLYN WOO Staff Writer
After 12 years of hard work and dedication, senior Alyssa Lee is ending her basketball career after the season. “It’s a privilege, challenging, and exhilarating,” expressed Alyssa, when she described what basketball means to her. She said that basketball has taught her so many things about herself and she wouldn’t be the person she is today without it. Alyssa was a part of the CIF team that made it to state finals and has won numerous awards, such as the Junior Varsity Most Improved award in her freshman year, Junior Varsity MVP in her sophomore year, and the Varsity Bomber award in her junior year. During the summer of junior year, Alyssa tore a ligament in the center of the knee and was out for six months but was luckily able to come back in the middle of the season. “It was a tough journey, but it felt so good to finally come back on the court and play the game that I love,” said Alyssa. Although she didn’t practice for half a year, she was able to jump right back into basketball and have a good season, ending with 25 wins and 9 losses. This year she would like to go to CIF with her team. Next fall, she will not be planning on continuing basketball in college and said, “next year I’ll be done with basketball so it’ll feel weird but it’ll be a nice break.” Lee looks forward to the break after season as she plans to spend more time with family and friends which she would not be able to during the basketball season. Alyssa would like to give a shout out to her best friend Katelynn Kwok, who has been by her side throughout her four years in basketball. She would also like to thank her family and coaches for pushing her to be the best she could be.
Sports Calendar Boys Basketball
Boys Soccer
Girls Basketball
12/12-17, Titan Pride Varsity Classic 12/27-30, #D1Bound Southern California Classic 1/4, versus Temple City at Mark Keppel 1/6, versus Monrovia at Mark Keppel 1/7, versus South Pasadena at Mark Keppel
1/10, versus Bell Gardens at Mark Keppel 1/13, versus Montebello at Mark Keppel 1/17, versus San Gabriel at Mark Keppel
12/26-30, Max Preps Holiday Classic 1/7, versus Mater Dei at Fairmont Prep Tournament 1/10, versus Bell Gardens at Mark Keppel 1/13, versus Montebello at Mark Keppel 1/14, versus Christian Brothers at St. Mary Stockton’s Showcase 1/17, versus San Gabriel at Mark Keppel
12/13, versus Rosemead at Mark Keppel 12/16, versus Rubidoux at Rubidoux 1/3, versus Cal Poly at Cal Poly 1/4, versus Ganesha at Mark Keppel 1/10, versus Bell Gardens at Bell Gardens 1/12, versus Alhambra at Mark Keppel 1/14, versus Cal Poly at Cal Poly
12/14, versus El Dorado at Mark Keppel 1/11, versus Alhambra at Mark Keppel 1/14, versus Poly Tech at Poly Tech 1/18, versus Montebello at Montebello
Girls Soccer
Girls Water Polo
Wrestling
12/30, versus St. Barnard at St. Barnard 1/10, versus Bell Gardens at Mark Keppel 1/11, versus Montebello at Mark Keppel 1/18, versus San Gabriel at Mark Keppel