THe AZTEC VOLUME LXXX NUMBER IV
December 14, 2017
theaztecnews.com
VIEWPOINT PG 3
FOCUS PG 4-5
A&E PG. 6
SPORTS PG 7-8
Closed week controversy
Exploring this year's Deck the Halls: Avatar
Disney explores Mexican heritage with Coco
Teams look towards upcoming games with optimism
News in Brief Cocoa and Cram Link Crew will be hosting their annual "Cocoa and Cram" for freshmen on December 14th, from 2:37 to 4:30 p.m. Entrance will only be granted to freshmen with their IDs. Free hot chocolateand cookies will be served. Teachers will be available for questions.
Spark of Love Toy Drive The Alhambra Fire Department, YMCA of West San Gabriel, and the Alhambra Police Department have teamed up to host the annual Spark of Love toy drive. Unwrapped presents can be dropped off at any donation bins located at all Alhambra Unified School sites.
Winter Break The last day of school before winter break is December 20th. The following day will mark the first day of winter break, which will last for over two weeks, from December 21st to January 8th.
Your calendar 12/15- Finals (P1, P4) 12/18- Finals (P2, P5) 12/19- Finals (P3, P6) 12/20- Minimum Day 12/21- Pupil Free Day 12/22-1/5- Winter Break 1/10- Collaboration Schedule 1/15- Pupil Free Day 1/17- Collaboration Schedule
Choir spurs Christmas spirit with "The Lost Toy" VINCENT BAGABALDO Staff Writer The Aztec Singers presented their program, “The Lost Toy,” on Saturday, December 2nd at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. The first act was comprised of songs such as “Silent Night” and “Carol of the Bells,” while the second act was a musical titled “Coming Home,” keeping true to their previous show choir performances. Other non-related Christmas songs like “City of Stars” and “New York State Of Mind” caught the crowd’s attention, garnering applause after each performance. Choir members had weeks of practice and preparation prior to the concert. Junior Amanda Hoang says, “Choir builds its own set so it takes a while to paint and decorate the flats. It took maybe around three or four days to build. Overall, it took us around two or three months to prepare for the concert.” Seniors Sasitah Limthaveemongkol and Miranda Tran produced and wrote “Coming Home” in the second act. The musical is about a lost toy that was sent to the wrong address, leaving a little girl in Lynchburg toyless on Christmas. Tran says, “Getting the newbies to come out of their comfort zones was a bit difficult, but I'm proud
Choir members lift their hands as part of original choreography.
to say that the group really worked hard to put on the best performance possible.” Choir members also took part in producing the choreography. “The show was split between choreography from us and from our choreographer, Ms. Darlene. Overall, I would say each song took a day or two to come up with, but the adaptations we had to make in order to accommodate the dancers' capabilities [took] about a couple days.” “There were some things that we still need
THE AZTEC/VINCENT BAGABALDO
to learn. If you look from where they started to where they came, [you would think it was] phenomenal!” choir director Mr. Azeltine says. As to why they’ve been doing musicals instead of just singing and dancing, Mr. Azeltine says, “We found out that if we put a little script in and make a mini-musical, which is actually the trend with all the schools now in show choir, it makes it a little more interesting.”
Instrumental music program holds annual concert HANNAH WON Staff Writer The annual Winter Concert was held on Friday, December 8 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. The concert showcased performances by the Aztec Band, Orchestra, World Drumming, and Guitar classes. This was Mr. Lee’s first year conducting the Winter Concert, and many students such as band senior Samantha Lee were excited for the performances. Lee says, “It is Mr. Lee’s first year doing [the winter concert]. I am very excited because he is doing it in his own [new] way.” A new projector was installed in the auditorium on December 6th and was available for use during the Winter Concert. “The Visual and Performing Arts department has been working on getting a projector in the auditorium, and thanks to Principal Scanlan, we were able to get it in this year,” says instrumental music director Mr. Lee. GIFs of falling snowflakes and fireplaces were projected to enhance the overall performance. Clips from Christmas movies were shown during orchestra’s performance of “Christmas at the Movies.” “The historians were able to put together a slideshow [of the movies] to match up with the music,” Mr. Lee says. Orchestra member Jayda Toscano and Monterey Highlands student Idaly Hill performed ballet
Instrumental music director Mr. Lee conducts the orchestra during Friday's concert. THE AZTEC/TIMOTHY CHUMAN
during the second movement of The Nutcracker Three Dances. The Aztec Band performed their field show music, Fantasmic!, for the last time. Orchestra sophomore Quennie Zeng says, “We… put our best effort into preparing for this concert… and I was excited [for the songs that band and world drumming played]. I feel like our efforts paid off.” Junior Alex Phan, who is in his first year of
World Drumming, says, “It was a very exciting experience for [a first time musician] like me. It was very stressful because we couldn’t get [some of ] the songs down until the very last minute.” With Mr. Lee now offering a fresh perspective on the Winter Concert, the annual program will continue to bring holiday spirit to Mark Keppel through music.