The Aztec - December 2014 Issue

THE AZTEC

VOLUME LXXVII NUMBER IV

Acadec places 2nd in scrimmage BRIAN CHEN Asst. Viewpoint, Web Editor The Mark Keppel Academic Decathlon team placed second in their scrimmage at West High School on November 15 against several other high schools from the Los Angeles County.

Among the top participants were Chaney Tse, Annette Cai, Justin Ho, and Jason Chang, who all scored over 5,000 points out of a possible 7,000 per individual. Participants were tested in their knowledge of seven different subjects including art, music, social science, science, economics, language and literature, and mathematics. These topics were all based around this year’s theme: New Alternatives in Energy: Ingenuity and Innovation.

The team fell short of meeting their goal of 30,000 points and winning the competition, scoring a little above 28,000.

Coach and social science teacher Mr. Tran stated, “We didn’t reach our goal but we are on task. We are looking to meet our point goal in our scrimmage in January, which is 32,000 points."

The top three schools in the Los Angeles County are Beverley Hills, South Pasadena, and Mark Keppel. The coaches from other schools noted that Keppel has improved a lot.

Coach Tran believes that the team could be doing better. The team had lost several “C” students that would have helped improve the team’s overall strength.

President Chaney Tse says, “Academic Decathlon is an expectedly challenging course, and as a result, our turnover rate each year is pretty high. However, I have utmost confidence that our team will improve each year.”

Currently the decathlon team’s goal is to be first place and improve their overall score in the upcoming scrimmage and ultimately repeat as champions at the county competition in the end of January.

ALHAMBRA, CA 91801

December 11, 2014

Deck the Halls brings holiday spirit to Keppel

SARAH McCORMICK News Editor This year's annual Deck the Halls event came together as the freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior class councils volunteered to decorate the A building hallways on December 5.

Deck the Halls is a yearly tradition in which each class council helps in decorating the halls in honor of the holidays and to help raise school spirit. Each grade decorated their assigned hallways according to a different house which was based off of the overall Harry Potter theme. Freshmen were assigned the upstairs English hall and decorated with the black and yellow house colors of Hufflepuff. Sophomores were assigned the upstairs math hallways and decorated their Ravenclaw theme with blue and bronze.

Juniors decorated the downstairs math hallway with the black and

Seniors Brian Gonzales, Michelle Yan, Tiffany Mar, and Destiny Jackson show off the work in the senior hallway.

green colors of Slytherin. Finally, seniors were assigned the main, downstairs English hallway where they decorated with the red and gold colors of Gryffindor.

The Harry Potter theme was chosen as a collective effort by members of ASB. According to junior class president Amanda Xaypreseuth, although Keppel

Pep Rally recognizes winter sports seniors

THE AZTEC/VICTORIA RAMIREZ Seniors (left to right) Monique Baca, Denisse Barajas, Hailey Candelaria, Leyna Cedeno, Claudette De La Vega, Jasmine Escamilla, Vivian Ho, Lindsey Kui, and Vanessa Rodrigues pose for a picture at the pep rally.

KRISTIN CHINGBURANAKIT Staff Writer The Winter Pep Rally was on Friday, December 5 at Palm Court during lunch.

During the rally, ASB recognized all the seniors in the winter sports. ASB recognized both the boys' and girls' basketball teams this past Tuesday.

The pep rally started off with cheer performing. After, girls’ water polo, girls’ soccer, and wrestling seniors were announced. Following that, Drill Team performed, and boys’ soc-

Mark

Your calendar 12/8-12/12 Closed Week 12/12 Orchestra Winter Concert in Auditorium 7-9 pm 12/15-12/17 Final exams, dismissal at 11:45 am 12/18 Minimum Day, dismissal at 12:17 pm 12/19 Pupil Free Day 12/22-1/2 Winter holiday, no school 1/7 Collaboration schedule 1/14 Collaboration schedule

cer seniors were announced.

Dance Company was not able to perform because they are in preparation for competition season. Also, Color Guard and band did not perform because they had a parade the next day.

Soccer senior Lindsay Kui said that the pep rally was, “[A] great way to recognize athletes who have dedicated much of their time and effort to playing that sport."

ASB had junior Joshua Rock finish off the pep rally by rapping to a song he wrote himself tune of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem.

has used the Harry Potter theme for Deck the Halls in the past, ASB decided to use this theme again because they thought that it turned out well when it was used four years ago.

For this event, presidents and members of each class counsil take part in the decorating of the halls. Students received volun-

THE AZTEC/CORY MAK

teering hours for some of their service clubs in return for participation.

Decorations for the hallways were made over a span of several weeks, but the actual decoration took place only on setup day.

Hallway decorations will be taken down after about a week.

Aztec Singers and Concert Choir perform in Winter Concert, "Christmastown" JONATHAN LOU Staff Writer The Aztec Singers performed in their winter concert, “Christmastown” on December 5 in Keppel’s auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

Before the performance, Mr. Azeltine said he was, “...looking foward to sharing music with the community.”

“Christmastown” included traditional music and pieces from christmas movies such as “Sparkle Jolly Twinkle Jingly” from Elf and “Hot Chocolate” from The Polar Express.

The singers practiced for the show for months but did not run through the full show until a few weeks prior to the event. Outside of school hours, the singers rehearsed their choreography and staging.

Aztec Singer junior Dana Chinn said, “[I] was more nervous for our show set because I didn’t want to forget choreography or a transition.”

On the day of the show, the singers preparations included warming up their vocals, applying their makeup, and dressing in

proper outfits.

The performance began with a combination of Concert Choir and Aztec Singers. Then, Aztec Singers performed classical songs along with a version of the modern song "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia. Intermission followed these performances and the second half consisted of skits and songs written and performed by Aztec Singers.

Aztec Singer junior Cristine Chou said, “There was a full crowd, but that doesn’t pressure the singers, it just encourages them more.”

The money made from the ticket sales for the concert went into to the Aztec Singers’ booster account, which is only a holding account for money that will pay for different expenses. Some examples of what the money will go towards include new gear and travels to other venues for their future performances.

The Aztec Singers will compete throughout the winter and have another concert at Keppel in the spring of next year.

IN THIS ISSUE...

News: Deck the Halls • Aztec Singers Concert • Acadec Scrimmage • Winter Pep Rally • Graduation Setting • Drought Talks • Club Showcases

Viewpoint: Harvard Lawsuit • Minimum Wage • Californians Spoiled by Good Weather

Focus: Christmas from the Heart A&E: Mocking Jay • Christmas Songs • Hoverboard Sports: Athlete's Profile: Lauren Saiki • Girls' Water Polo • Girls' Soccer • Girls' Basketball • Boys' Basketball • Boys' Soccer • Wrestling

Graduation moved to new venue KAREN IP Co-Copy Editor, Asst. Focus This year’s graduation ceremony for Keppel’s Class of 2015 will be held at East Los Angeles City College (ELAC) on Saturday May 30th at 9:00 a.m.

It was confirmed on the school’s webpage by our principal Mrs. Cisneros. Students, parents, and staff members can expect a bigger parking structure and venue.

Since the school was established, graduating seniors traditionally held their graduation ceremony at the Aztec Stadium.

Prior to the ceremony, there were performances by the band, choirs, and orchestra. Because of the limited 2,400 spaces available for all attendees to fit within for

our school’s graduation, parking and tickets were always problems that attendees faced each year.

According to Mrs. Cisneros, “Each school [in our district] has a budget for graduation.”

Because of this, the schools tend to hold their graduations at their home school. However, since Alhambra High School is also renting ELAC as their venue, less money would be spent for graduation and “most likely San Gabriel will also be graduating at ELAC next year,” said Mrs. Cisneros.

Benefits to the new venue include the larger parking structure and a larger venue that can hold around 10,000 people. Also, students will find it much more accessible to utilize the sound sys-

tem as well. Another difference in using ELAC is that the ceremony will be held in the morning instead of the evening.

Mrs. Cisneros also stated that another change is that students will be able to go to the podium and turn around to go back to their seat instead of walking through the center aisle.

When asked about her opinion about the new location, senior Victoria Penate said, “I don’t think it will make that much of a difference and it still has sentimental value. However, she also added, “It loses what was special about it because [if you graduate at the Aztec Stadium], you get to say goodbye to your school for one last time.”

Drought Seminar features NBC 4 News YANG LU Staff Writer More than 300 community members attended NBC 4’s California drought presentation and discussion panel at Keppel on November 19th.

Four representatives formed the panel: Council for Watershed Health’s Director of Programs Mark Antos, NBC 4 Reporter Patrick Healy, City of Alhambra Fire Chief Bill Walker, and Theodore Payne Foundation’s Director of Outreach Lisa Novick.

Several members from the San Gabriel Municipal Water District Board and the city councils of Alhambra and Monterey Park were in attendance. Recognition and certificates of appreciation were presented to NBC 4 for this community awareness event.

Crystal Egger, NBC 4 meteorologist, welcomed the audience with Running Dry: California’s Historic Drought, a video feature produced by NBC about the statistics and history of the drought in California. After the video segment, Fritz Coleman, NBC 4 weathercaster, introduced the discussion panel and facilitated conversation regarding frequently asked questions, as well as questions from the audience.

The panel provided information and advice ranging from the details of the recently passed

NBC 4 and city representatives lead seminar on California drought.

Proposition 1 to the safety radius around houses that should be clear of fire hazards. The community was urged to notice the small daily usage of water and reduce this consumption to conserve the dwindling reserves of groundwater.

Another major point of emphasis was the modification and replacement of turfs, lawns, and gardens. The Alhambra Unified School District is already experimenting with the replacement of traditional garden and turf with native species.

Lisa Novick, Director of Outreach of Theodore Payne Foundation, said, “We’ve been partnering with Alhambra Unified schools like Brightwood Elementary, where we put in a native garden and it was so successful that now they want to redo the

THE AZTEC/EMILY MU

entire front of Brightwood Avenue with all native plants… You don’t have to sacrifice beauty to be responsible [about water usage].”

At Keppel, the Garden Club is working to grow edible plants that serve both beautification and humanitarian purposes. Winnie He, Garden Club president, described this project, “Basically we are trying to plant more stuff in the garden to make a food bank, kinda, and so we could donate it to the food shelters.”

Coleman said, “It sounds like your school is doing everything it should be doing… Adults should be as proactive as students have been… I’m really heartened by how well children are doing, especially at Mark Keppel, it seems that people are really aware of they are doing, so good.”

New requirement implemented for club showcasings BRANDON CHUNG & ERIC LAM Historian & Staff Writer This year, for the first time ever, ASB is having a club showcase, where all clubs in school will be required to host an event in Palm Court during lunch.

Like Club Rush, the clubs set themselves up in Palm Court and display their achievements and purpose of the club. Unlike Club Rush, however, clubs participating in club showcase are required to create shows that give an overview of what each club is all about.

According to ASB advisor Mrs. Carmona, these club showcases are now “one of the requirements of being a club on campus in order to highlight all the... [aspects of the] clubs.”

The clubs have the freedom to choose when to hold their event, as well as to choose what they want to do. Examples of the activities clubs do for their showcase include Crown and Sceptre which did a water balloon toss, Project Green which held a booth about water conservation, Guitar Club which performed songs for the students, and NHS, which had a game of musical chairs.

Many clubs are also plan to have a spirit week.

The idea of club showcase was thought up last year by Mrs. Carmona, who noticed that most of the student body was not aware of many of the clubs active on campus. She got the idea of clubs

showing off to students from a leadership magazine given to her by NHS advisor Ms. Rossobill. She then suggested the idea to ASB, who voted to approve it. This requirement was implemented due to a lack of attention towards the clubs on campus.

Senior Akirah Limthaveemongkol, who coordinated some of the dates for the showcase, said, “The purpose of the club showcase is to help encourage more school spirit from both clubs and students.” She also stated, “the showcase helps to provide [the clubs] with more publicity as well as give them more opportunity to participate in school related events.”

The showcase was originally supposed to span the length of the first semester, opening on the first day of school, but due to weather problems, it had to be pushed into January. Clubs that operate during a particular season, have certain time slots in which to do their showcase.

Senior Nicole Ang of Math Club, who will be holding the club’s showcase on the day before Pi Day, said,” I expect [Club Showcase] to bring more attention to the clubs.” However, she is unsure of the impact that club showcase will have on their overall membership.

Mrs. Carmona hopes to see another Club Showcase next year, saying, “there are plans to continue this process [for future years].”

The Aztec 2014-2015

Amber Batchelor Editor-in-Chief

Brian Yeo Sports Editor

Vivian To Co-Asst. Editor-inChief, Focus Editor

Aren Lim Business Manager

Darwin Tse Co-Asst. Editor-inChief, Viewpoint Editor Sarah McCormick News Editor Bonnie Grace Wong A&E/Features Editor

Cory Mak Photographer Brandon Chung Historian Karen Ip Co-Copy Editor, Asst.

Focus Editor Lydia Xie Co-Copy Editor, Asst.

News Editor

Brian Chen Asst. Viewpoint Editor, Web Editor

Bradley Dea Staff Writer

Christie Hui Staff Writer

Yang Lu Staff Writer

Alexander Beaumont Asst. Features Editor

Victoria Ramirez Staff Writer Asst. Photographer

Cristian Jimenez Staff Writer

Carmen Ma Staff Writer

Carmen Ma Asst. A&E Editor

Rodolfo Arias Staff Writer

Joann Kong Staff Writer

Maliah Pierribia Staff Writer

Emily Mu Asst. Sports Editor

Karli Cheng Staff Writer

Eric Lam Staff Writer

Shanae To Staff Writer

Sally Chen Asst. Business Manager

Kristin Chingburanakit Staff Writer

Ida Lam Staff Writer

Stephanie Tran Staff Writer

Tammy Lee Staff Writer

Edlyn Wong Staff Writer

Alex Dea Staff Writer

Yun Huang Staff Writer

Jonathan Lou Staff Writer

The aztec is published monthly by the journalism class of mark keppel high school and is printed at american foothill publishing co., inc. all newsprint used is 100% recycled. 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 a225 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.

Harvard sued for asian discrimination BRIAN YEO Sports Editor A lawsuit is being filed against Harvard University claiming that the institution discriminates against Asian Americans in its admissions process. This case highlights the issue of affirmative action.

The lawsuit is being filed on the basis that Harvard is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against certain students due to their race. Beneath the surface, however, the lawsuit is not being led by Asian American students but

by Edward Blum, the leader of the group Project on Fair Representation.

Blum, who found plaintiffs through a post on his website, is a white, Republican lawyer known for his fights against affirmative action. This specific litigation may lead to many more lawsuits against elite colleges in the future due to signs of antiAsian bias at top-level universities.

Colleges like Harvard often cite their “holistic” admissions process, claiming to consider all factors of a student’s application. Critics point to this as a smudging of criteria in order to judge students of the same race against each other rather than against all other applicants.

Harvard’s most recently admitted class was 20% Asian American (compared to 13% Hispanic, 12% African American, and 63% white), a number that has remained about the same for two decades despite the fact that Asian Americans are the fastest growing immigrant population and over half of students applying to Harvard with top SAT scores were Asian.

Comparing Harvard’s admission to UC Berkeley, where race has been prohibited as a factor for admissions, Berkeley’s admission of students in 2013 comprised of 40 percent Asian American and 30 percent white, suggesting the presence of an antiAsian bias at Harvard.

At its core, however, this suit is one that challenges affirmative action. Affirmative action was first implemented at a time when hiring discrimination against minorities was prevalent in the U.S. Nowadays, certain institutions, including some colleges, actively admit underrepresented minorities even if they are not as qualified as other candidates. It is meant to balance socio-economic inequalities, but race and wealth are not synonymous However, the majority of black students admitted to Harvard are not impoverished kids but children of wealthy people. If colleges want to make up for certain economic situations, then they should adjust their admissions policies to make family income a larger factor instead of race.

Supporters of affirmative action claim that it promotes diversity. It is not fair for a deserving student to be passed up by his or her dream college for another less-qualified student just for the sake of diversity.

Should a student’s achievements in high school be mitigated when applying to college just because expectations are higher for people of his race?

As for seniors still applying to colleges, their race is not something they can control. What they can control is the effort they put into high school.

Does a minimum wage job maximise stress?

IDA LAM Staff Writer Many students who work entry-level part-time jobs have to balance their work schedules with their schoolwork and social life. Although they may have a little extra money on hand, students who work part-time have to sacrifice parts of their week to earn their wages. Therefore, it may ultimately not be beneficial to be simultaneously be employed as a minimum wage worker and enrolled as a full time student.

The value of minimum wage versus the time and energy spent working for actual paychecks may cause some students to hesitate before committing to a part-time job.

“Once you get older and start college, minimum wage won’t be enough to pay for all of your bills,” said senior Marcus Rodriguez, who works as a library page at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Memorial Library. “It won’t be worth the time and labor.” Rodriguez’s job responsibilities include organizing the daily influx of returned library materials and shelving sections of the library’s collections.

California’s statewide minimum wage is currently $9 per hour, and is scheduled to increase to $10 on January 1, 2016. In San Francisco and Seattle, the minimum wage is even higher than in LA. On November 4, voters in San Francisco chose to raise their minimum wage to $15. If Los Angeles voters follow suit in the following years, student workers can look forward

Californians are spoiled by good weather CARMEN MA Asst. A&E Editor While not all residents of California prefer a warm climate to a colder one, it is hard to argue against the claim California is spoiled by good weather.

California’s climate is often compared to that of the Mediterranean, due to warm, dry summers, and mild, wet winters. In the state, average yearly temperatures (in Fahrenheit) range between the low 40s and the high 70s and 80s. Californians are definitely blessed with pleasant weather in comparison to other states such as New York, which experienced alarming blizzards last winter, which caused repeated power outages and traffic jams.

Although California experiences favorable temperatures for most of the year, the weather does have its drawbacks.

Senior Andy Fung does not believe that Californians are spoiled by good weather because “we are one of the few states in the nation that has to deal with soaring 100-degree weather in the summer.” Contrary to the opinions of those Californians who enjoy the mainly warm weather in the state, Fung believes the “average national temperature in November is definitely a drawback” as someone who prefers cooler weather.

Because of the mild winter weather California experiences, residents are often ignorant of the effects of cold weather.

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel showed a compilation of various news weather reports discussing the “cold” weather across Southern California.

One reporter in Riverside found it newsworthy that the “cold weather” caused “oranges

to blow on the ground.”

Another reporter in Lancaster reported that if the 42 degree temperature had “dropped just a little bit more, ... it might have snowed.” Junior Samir Al-Alami finds these deriding products of the internet “hilarious” because “we really don’t know [what the weather is like].”

Playful mockery aside, Cali fornians are a blessed bunch.

While residents of colder states begin to bundle up come fall, California’s residents continue to bask in their summer apparel. The weather never seems to change according to each season, which, some say, ruins the mood of seasonal festivities. Winter holidays are warm, and students in the Golden State will never be able to build snowmen in their front yards or hope for school to be cancelled because of a snowstorm.

CARTOON BY VIVIAN TO

to making even more money working part-time.

Some students may only see their minimum wage jobs as a temporary income.

However, senior Tennyson Lee, who works 10-15 hours a week, believes that California’s minimum wage is completely worth it.

“I think minimum wage is quite a bit for what I do,” Lee stated. “I feel like my employers might actually be overpaying me, because I’m basically getting paid to chill during the winter.”

While minimum wage may provide extre income for some students, the extra time required for a job may outweigh the extra cash.

THE AZTEC/ CORY MAK Senior Jacqueline Reyes working at the McDonalds driv-thru.

Christmas Camera Clicks STEPHANIE TRAN Staff Writer

Pictures are worth a thousand words, but are they worth an entire winter break? Many students enjoy taking pictures to capture memorable moments and share them on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. During the winter break, many students will go out to spend time with friends and family which means, for many, new pictures to add to the album. Of course, it would be nice to capture all the good memories before it all ends, but do some go too overboard with the pictures?

Senior Maggie Chong said, “I know there are some people who overdo the pictures. I like to take a lot of pictures when I go out, but not so much that it wastes time during my experiences.” Actual memories may not be made if most of the vacation is spent taking pictures rather than enjoying the moment while it lasts, but junior Jay Wang thinks differently. “I think [taking pictures] adds to the moment since some are actually funny, and you end up laughing with friends and family sometimes.”

Another reason people like to take pictures is to share them online.

Wang explained, “I like to post pictures to share the good vibes with friends, especially with those who are in the photo.”

There is no doubt that pictures are a work of art, and it is a great way to preserve parts of an important occasion. Whether taking pictures is comprised into part of an event or not, it is most important to make sure that the two weeks of winter break is enjoyed to its fullest.

CHRISTMAS volunteering:cathy Liu VIVIAN TO Focus Editor/ Co-Asst. Editor-in-Chief

During the Christmas season, there are always people who want to do good things to help others in need, whether it is feeding the homeless or helping students at tutoring centers. At Keppel, there are many students who also help out with these programs. One of these students is senior Cathy Liu who accomplishes this by participating in various volunteering activities for the past four years in high school.

Senior Cathy Liu, President of Key Club

rt a he e� th t� ou ab l� al � is � ng vi gi tif G

As Christmas seems to come sooner make every year, many students begin to The tradition their Christmas wish list even earlier. the presents given of gift-giving is to remind people of ple give and receive to Jesus by the Wise Men. Most peo this practice. gifts without knowing the reason for ged. Many children chan has ition Over the years, this trad e consoles, and other now expect gifts such as iPads, gam junior Khrystalie Le, luxuries. “When I was younger,” said gifts like a Nintendo.” Not many “I wanted a lot of electronics and big anymore. Something as meaningful people appreciate the thought of a gift ld be demoted if compared to the as a handmade card or a small gift wou newest Playstation. items], but what’s the point? It’s “I can see why they want all [those bought a handmade card more than a store all meaningless. I would appreciate card,” said senior Raymond Lam. thbeen a time when we cared about whe Since our childhood, there must have e som d as the others’. As we get older, er or not our games were just as goo or seni of gift-giving. Book lovers, Le and begin to understand the true meaning present. “I like a book would suffice as a great Jacalyn Tien, think that a simple gift has been ] still fun and entertaining, my life find that although they’re [electronics Instead to indulge in those kinds of things. consumed with school. I have less time er e that I can get bored of quickly I’d rath of getting worked up about a single gam . sit down with a good book,” says Tien

KARLI CHENG Staff Writer

Buying things isn’t the only way you can give gif ts for Christmas. You can also help out in programs such as: * Toys for Tots* * Angel Tree* * It’s a Wrap* *Mkhs Service Clubs*

Q: A: and ing Q: do A: act end my poi eve I’m tha vol Q: A:

CARO CHRISTIE HUI Staff Writer

Christmas caroling is twice as f 4th, Ms. Verner’s French students quested by teachers. This Friday, st five will be singing traditional Span Ms. Verner’s French classes star about caroling is watching her stud of camaraderie [team spirit], and i sing songs such as “Vive le vent” a “Let it Snow”, respectively. There classrooms to sing one song during favorite song to sing is “Let it Snow giving. Caroling is mandatory for a participate in caroling as well. Brid “I think that caroling is a success ev how happy they were when Frenc French or not, bringing the Christm As for Spanish caroling, Ms. Do “Campana sobre Campana”, “Los p classrooms. This is the first time M Ms. Verner’s French classes, Spani he looks forward to having fun an asked what she thought students c stated that students can learn “som some rhythm”.

Could Spanish caroling become said, “I think [caroling] could be a this happens, Keppel students can lo carolers to spread some holiday joy

Voices: What do you want for Christmas?

S FROM THE HEART ^

What kind of volunteer work do you do?

I volunteer at walks and marathons, food banks, festivals, d other various events. Occasionally, I also help out at a tutorg program called Project NEO at their events.

Do these events interfere with your school work? If yes, how you deal with it?

Volunteering interferes with my school work a lot. My mom tually lectures me about it because I spend most of my weekds volunteering or planning for Key Club events. As a result, y grades aren’t what they could be, but I’m not too disapinted since I think the volunteering was worth it. I do, hower, know that I should have organized myself better. Since m president of Key Club this year, I planned my schedule so at it would be easy enough for me to handle both school and lunteering.

What made you want to put so much effort into volunteering?

It wasn’t any conscious decision; it just grew on me over

time. Honestly, it makes me feel good. I feel as if I’m actually doing something useful with my time. I hadn’t realized how selfish I was with my time before volunteering. I also love it because of the people I get to interact with. There’s something really genuine about these people who dedicate so much time and effort to helping others without gaining anything themselves.

Q: How long have you been volunteering?

A: I’ve been volunteering for 4 years.

Q: How do you feel when you finish volunteering?

A: I feel a sense of accomplishment, like I did something valuable with my time.

Q: Will you be going to any volunteering events during the Christmas season?

A: I’m most likely going to volunteer at some walks or marathons. I was hoping to help out at a food bank or with feeding the homeless, but it seems as if all the spots for those events are full.

‘Tis the season to be jolly RODOLFO ARIAS Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again. The house smells like baked goods (ranging from gingerbread cookies to fruit cake), the Christmas tree is decorated with glistening lights, and most of the world has a merry vibe. When December comes, all the troubles seem to disappear, and people have many different traditions to celebrate this joyous holiday.

One of the biggest traditions during Christmas is just spending some quality time with family and close ones. Junior Mikala Encisco said, “[I enjoy] spending time with my family and friends; this season makes me feel so blissful”. Another tradition is having hot chocolate wiht some baked goods. Sophomore Vicky Chan says that during this season, she comes home “smelling gingerbread cookies cooling off in the kitchen. My family and I always eat them with hot chocolate.”

A common tradition done among friends and family members is activities like Secret Santa and White Elephant. Senior Selina Ter said, “My cousins and I play Secret Santa. We’re never able to keep the secret of who has who, but it’s still fun to be with my family and obviously getting presents.”

Keppel students celebrate the holiday by keeping one thing in mind, being with their families; however some students also celebrate by cooking or enjoying cultural foods.

“One of the most important Christmas traditions for a Latino is having tamales. My grandma would tell me we ate tamales to have something to unwrap on Christmas,” said junior Edmundo Fernandez.

“Eating my grandma’s honey roast ham is something we always do on Christmas, it’s a must” said junior Kimberly Medina. Food is definitely one of the things that bring families together, but something that can also bring them together are the presents.

There is no price that can be put on a gift that is given from the heart. Just helping others is one way of giving to people. Sophomore Andy Garcia and his family go out to homeless shelters and help out. He said, “We feel that as fortunate as we are, we should be giving to others who don’t have as much as we do.” Although most people might not volunteer as much during Christmas, it is a nice tradition to start.

This holiday season, appreciate what you have, and make sure to keep celebrating your traditions. It’s also never too late to start a new one!

OLING

festive in Keppel this year. On Thursday, December sang Christmas songs in French in classrooms retudents from Ms. Dominguez’s periods one through nish carols from Spain. rted caroling 14 years ago. She said her favorite part dents get excited. “We give out candy, there’s a lot it’s a bonding experience.” Each year, her students and “C’est l’hiver”, which mean “Jingle Bells” and e are a total of 11 songs, but students only visit five g his or her period. Ms. Verner says that her students’ w”. French students started practicing before Thanksall French students, but some French Club students dget Ho, the co-vice president of French Club, said, very year because I always hear people talking about ch carolers came in. Whether they [students] know mas spirit to classrooms is always a good feeling.” ominguez’s students will be singing songs including: peces en el rio”, and “Ay, del Chiquirritín” in various Ms. Dominguez’s classes are doing caroling. Unlike ish caroling is extra credit. Junior Bryan Ha said that nd thinks caroling will be a good experience. When could learn from this experience, Ms. Dominguez me vocabulary, some sentence structure, and maybe

e a tradition like French caroling? Ms. Dominguez a tradition that we can continue to do every year.” If ook forward to visits from French as well as Spanish y.

Sophomore Jacob Hansen

Senior Leon Sy

Freshman Celeste Flores

Junior Amanda Xaypraseuth

“Mr. Chin’s love”

“All I want for Christmas is straight A’s.”

“I want my mom to come out of jail.”

THE AZTEC/AREN LIM

THE AZTEC/VIVIAN TO

“I want workout clothes, Dr. Martens, and a black windbreaker.”

THE AZTEC/AREN LIM

THE AZTEC/VIVIAN TO

Christmas songs: out with the old and in with the new

LYDIA XIE Asst. News & Co-Copy Editor

While some Keppel students may enjoy listening to timeless Christmas jingles, more Keppelites are gravitating towards modern, upbeat remakes.

There are many Christmas classics such as Last Christmas by Wham!. This has been a popular song to remake. Country and pop singer Taylor Swift and Jimmy Eat World, a rock band, have both sung the song Last Christmas in their own unique musical styles while keeping a majority of the lyrics the same.

A more modernized version of the song was most recently sung by Ariana Grande, a pop singer. Grande’s version of Last Christmas is noticeably more upbeat than the original version.

Both versions of the song cater to people with different musical tastes. Senior Chaney Tse says, “I love Last Christmas… or at least the Wham! version.”

Although there have been many remakes of Christmas classics, the holiday spirit still remains in the modern versions. Senior Samuel Tay says, “I feel that covers of Christmas music are great because it introduces new generations to the classical music that they otherwise wouldn’t

COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” is a Christmas favorite.

have been exposed to if their favorite singers didn’t sing it.”

Despite being an avid listener to traditional songs, Tay enjoys listening to modern covers like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber.

Whether the songs are originally sung or not, the holiday spirit remains in the lyrics that generally remain the same throughout every additional cover.

Listening to Christmas music may become repetitive over the weeks leading up to Christmas.

However, Keppelites may be brightened up with the new covers of favorite traditional classics.

Traditional songs will always be meaningful. New covers and original songs both promote the holiday spirit, which is what listening any holiday music is about.

Transportation of the future BRADLEY DEA Staff Writer The invention of the hoverboard has finally brought childhood imaginations and television shows to reality.

The creator of the mechanism is Greg Henderson who named his product the Hendo Hoverboard. The board is powered by four different hover engines that emit a series of magnetic fields underneath the board which allows it to hover above the surface. It is smoother than any ride on wheels and is directed with natural body movements.

The board is also equipped with many safeguards to protect the rider. It hovers one inch above the ground and can travel in any direction you want to go. Up hills, down hills, above water, you name it. Of course what comes with new technology is high prices.

The Hendo Hoverboard has the ability to levitate 1 inch off the ground. COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

People who would like to buy a hoverboard will have to be willing to spend $10,000.

With the invention of the hoverboard, the concern with the popularity of mechanisms like bikes and skateboards has occurred.

It allows riders to discover new moves that they weren’t able to do on other vehicles including 1080 spins and swift smooth turns. "This is real, folks," the skateboard icon Tony Hawk said in a Youtube video. "This is the real hoverboard right here, so forget everything you know."

Junior skatesboarder Tommy Hu states, “I think in the future the hoverboard may become more popular, but for now, skateboards are more popular because they are much cheaper.”

Junior Lynn Takahashi believes, “I think the hoverboard is overpriced because it only hovers an inch off the ground. If it could fly higher it would be more worth it.”

Though hoverboards are not popular right now, their popularity may continue to rise with the newest “cool” factor.

Join the Mockingjay rebellion SALLY CHEN Asst. Buisness Manager Mockingjay Part 1 was released on November 19, 2014 starring Jennifer Lawerence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.

Francis Lawrence, director, is back with a third installment of The Hunger Games series. The film begins when Katniss Everdeen returns from the 75th Hunger Games and in District 13.

Many people had high expec-

tations for the movie. Senior Victoria Phun said, "I enjoyed Mockingjay, but I prefer Catching Fire since it had more action and suspense.”

The film received mixed reviews with a rating of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64% on Metacritic. Junior Aihrone Segundo said, "I would give the movie a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The beginning of the film was devastatingly boring, so I was only intrigued by it towards the middle. I was hoping that the movie would have a strong start

and build up a lot of anticipation for the next installment."

COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES Mockingjay Part I features Katniss Everdeen.

Become a Hiro with Big Hero 6

ALEX DEA Staff Writer

14-year-old Hiro spends most of his time in back-alley robot fights. Tadashi, Hiro’s brother, is worried about Hiro’s robot fighting addiction and takes him to his robotics lab in his university.

There he meets his brother’s closest friends and sees the nventions they have made, one of which is his brother’s, Baymax, who is a

robot.

Hiro sees the potential he can have in the university and decides to enter a robotics contest to try to get accepted. All goes well until in a twist of events, tragedy strikes. It is up to Hero and Baymax to solve the mystery of what happened.

Since its release on November 7, Big Hero 6 has turned into one of the biggest hits this year for movies and earned $224.7 mil-

lion in the box office. Some say it was another Frozen. Junior Elaine Ha says “I was really blown away from the movie. I didn’t expect it to be good.”

Girls’ basketball plays in Redondo Beach Tournament

A pass is intercepted during a practice scrimmage

THE AZTEC/CORY MAK

MALIAH PIERRIBIA Staff Writer The girls’ varsity basketball team has been actively getting ready for the season. After training intensely for weeks, they headed out to the Battle of the Beach tournament in Redondo Beach. However, despite their status last season as undefeated Almont League champions, the team finished with a 1-3 tournament record.

Commenting on the team’s performance, senior Kristin Koga stated,”We were burnt out because we had just finished a tough tournament.”

Senior, and captain, Lauren Saiki also

stated, “We competed in back-to-back tournaments (8 games in 12 days) so we are still getting our legs into game shape, but all of our losses were close games, so we just need to work on the little things at practice, rest up, and get ready for the next tournament.”

Saiki also went on to say that they were still early in the season, so the losses were okay. She said that “it show [the team] what we need to work on for league and CIF.” Junior Sophia Song thought that they didn’t do as well in this tournament because their “focus wasn’t there”. She also said that their defense could have been better.

Saiki said, “Something that can be quickly improved is our defense because as we face bigger and better competition, we will need to work as a unit on the defensive end to stop these teams.”

Adding to her teammate, Koga said, “We should have hustled more because the teams we play are bigger than us.”

The Lady Aztecs now shift their focus forward into the schedule. “We still have a long way to go,” Saiki said. For the Almont League, the girls’ goal is to retain their league title, which they have held for over a decade.

Last season, the team advanced to CIF but was not able to make it past the first round. This year, the team hopes to improve on that result.

Coach Joe Kikuchi stated that his number one goal is to “get a CIF ranking and make it a memorable year for the seniors.”

Girls’ water polo sets high expectations BRANDON CHUNG Historian The Mark Keppel Girl’s Water Polo team has set high expectations for themselves this season, following a defeat in last year’s CIF qualifying round. As stated by co-captain, varsity Senior Fion Gu, and co-coach Joseph Chan, the primary goal of the team is to make it to CIF. Co-captain and varsity senior Mia Kato said, “The boys team had an amazing season, and I know that with the proper training and motivation the girls will be able to go as far also.” Gu also said, “What I really want is for us to finish off strong this year and develop a good base team for next year’s season.”

This year, the only returning Varsity members are seniors Fion Gu, Mia Kato, and Nathalie Martinez, and the returning seniors are Jayme Chan and Yujeong Kim. This year’s roster is very different from last year’s setup, which had 5 returning varsity players and seniors.

Despite the team’s lack of game experience, Coach Chan believes that the team’s strength is their strong relationship with one another: “Chemistrywise, we’re holding at a good pace.”

Gu echoes this thought, stating, “socially they’re very close-knit.” She also says that “this year we want the girls to be much more motivated than last year in the sense that we have team coordination.”

To prepare for this year’s season, the team has been practicing during sixth period and afterschool. Senior and fellow co-captain Mia Kato said, “to prepare for the upcoming season we went back to the basics in order to strengthen our foundation, which involves a lot of sprinting, treading, shooting, and passing sets.”

Before she bids farewell to the team, Gu would like to see the girls win at least one game, “because I know sometimes winning is what makes this sport fun. And I want them to be prepared for next year’s season.”

Athlete’s Profile: Lauren Saiki

THE AZTEC/CORY MAK

Girls’ soccer defeats Edgewood, 5-0 AREN LIM Business Manager

The Lady Aztecs played a pre-season game at Edgewood High School on Tuesday, December 9. The game started with an early goal by senior Lindsay Kui. The Lady Aztecs built on their lead and ended the first half 4-0.

The second half was back and forth.

Both teams struggled to set up good offensive plays. With five minutes left of the game, freshman Nicole Hernandez finally got through Edgewood’s defense and scored the last goal of the game. The Aztecs came out victorious with a 5-0 win.

The Lady Aztecs are currently undefeated with a 3-0 pre-season record. This year, the Lady Aztecs are accompanied by a new varsity coach, Steve Shahin. This is Coach Shahin’s first year coaching soccer at a high school level, but he has 7 years

EMILY MU Asst. Sports Editor Senior Lauren Saiki is a four year member of the Keppel girls’ varsity basketball team. She plays point guard and is captain of the Lady Aztecs, which includes 10 other seniors.

Saiki has been playing for 12 years through Tigers Youth Club, SGV, Cal Storm Team Taurasi, and now Keppel.

Saiki said, “I grew up playing basketball and I have a passion for the game.

I’m very competitive. It’s fun to play with and against people I grew up with. I love how fun basketball is but I love winning even more.”

Saiki said, “Being a student athlete is not easy but I am thankful that God gave me the talent to pursue basketball at a high level and get a good education.”

She is very excited for this upcoming season with hopes that the team will go far in CIF. Saiki believes the team has great chemistry both on and off the court, making it easier to play on the court. “A lot of us have grown up together so I’m glad I can spend my high school years playing with them,” she said. Saiki is involved as a general member of ASB. For college, Saiki has committed to West Virginia University and will be attending the college on a full scholarship. She will be playing as guard for the Mountaineers next fall.

In the future, Saiki wants to still be involved with basketball as an athletic trainer or physical therapist.

She would like to give a shout-out to her parents, the girls’ and boys’ basketball programs, and ASB. She is excited to finish her last season with the teammates she calls family.

of experience coaching for youth soccer clubs. Coach said he “somehow got suckered into coaching” by his kids, for he has a child in each of the teams he coaches.

Throughout the game, Coach Shahin stressed keeping possession on the ball, and playing a mental game with the opposing team. saying “When you’re playing a team that is not up to your caliber, if you give them too much hope, then they might actually feel like they can do well.

When you’re a better player than somebody else, they should not have any hope against how you play and what you’re trying to do.”

Following the win, senior and captain Claudette De La Vega said, “Although we won, we didn’t do the best we could.

We could have done so much better if we would’ve connected on our passes and communicated more.”

Coach Shahin was happy about the vic

Sophomore Tatiana Garnett heads the ball.

THE AZTEC/AREN LIM

tory, but he is more concentrated on trying to help the team grow to their full potential.

Coach said, “Sometimes people put too much emphasis on winning and losing, and they forget why they’re playing.

We’re here to develop, to learn, and to get better.”

Wrestling ready to tackle new season EMILY MU Asst. Sports Editor The Aztec wrestling team is getting ready for a new season with captain Hector Ruiz leading the team.

Last year Ruiz placed 3rd at a Gabrielino tournament and placed 3rd in league finals which qualified him to CIF. Last year the team’s strength was executing moves well and their weakness was conditioning.

To combat that, they plan on focusing on technique and endurance. The biggest setback this year is the amount of members wrestling and maintaining weight classes.

With only two seniors and one of them injured, they’re managing by stretching

properly and warming up and practicing technique.

Junior Keaton Quon says, “Having the lowest amount of wrestlers compared to all the other schools makes it a bigger challenge, but it makes us work harder. I plan on myself and the team to do the best we can and give 110%.”

Since the team has such a small number of wrestlers, each member must maintain their weight to wrestle. Quon said, “We always try to cut as much weight as we can and watch what we eat.”

Ruiz said that the weight is not too hard to maintain. Their way of losing weight is to condition with their sweaters and sweats on. He says, “we would tuck them

in and not have any skin exposed and we put our hoodie on and start conditioning.”

After practicing two and a half hours everyday, captain Ruiz gives a motivational speech and the team breaks off together.

Ruiz said, “My strategy for this season is to create a better wrestling program such as getting people into wrestling and sticking with it and not quitting.”

The team’s expectations are to place first at league finals and expand the wrestling program.

They also want to win more tournaments, season matches and place first at league finals as a team. Quon said, “Wrestling is a hard sport but it’s rewarding in the end.”

Boys’ basketball prepares to defend title BRIAN YEO Sports Editor The Aztec boys’ basketball team is entering this upcoming season as reigning Almont League champions.

Though the team lost several players from last season, the Aztec roster boasts eight seniors. However, senior Bertram Mak said, “The team is smaller than last year so we have to be faster and play harder than the other teams.”

The roster changes are not the only ones affecting the basketball team this season.

Earlier in the year, CIF implemented new rules concering on-ball defense.

Defenders are now more restricted in

how much contact they can initiate against offensive players. Junior and three-year Varsity player Kenneth Zhang said, “We have to play off-ball much more now.”

The Aztecs, who have been practicing all throughout the summer and the school year, are focusing primarily on their onball defense. Specifically, Mak said, “We need to make sure we keep our hands-off.”

Last season, the Aztecs finished league play with a 9-1 record, ending their undefeated streak. Though they reached the CIF tournament, their first round exit left the team hoping for more. This year, the players have stated that their goal is to reach CIF again and make it as far as they can. The Aztecs participated in the Sierra

Vista Tournament during the week of December 1 to December 5.

The tournament bracket contained numerous CIF-caliber teams. The Aztecs won their first two rounds before falling to Thousand Oaks High School, 43-47.

“They’re a very good team,” said Zhang.

“So that game proved we can compete with some of the best.”

The team finished the tournament with a record of 3-2, ranking 6th place. Though they finished with a winning record, Mak expressed disappointment.

He said, “[The tournament] showed us that we have some improvement to do. We have to work much harder to make a deep CIF run.”

Boys’ soccer narrowly falls to Blair High School

Senior Luis Garcia passes to teammate while pressuring the opposing defense.

AMBER BATCHELOR Editor-in-Chief The boys’ soccer team has been working since mid-June on improving their skills, practicing ball skills and communication

THE AZTEC/BRIAN YEO

for their upcoming season.

Coach Andrew Marin selected Keoni Young and Ryan Mejia as captains for a team with seven seniors. Young is fairly new to the Mark Keppel soccer team but has had previous experience playing for a

club team .

Mejia has played soccer for ten years with various teams such as the USA team, Chelsea and LA Tornadoes club teams. He is currently training with the LA Galaxy team.

Coming into their game against Blair High School on December 9 with a preseason record of 0-4, the Aztecs preparation included working on their defensive and offensive strategies.

As the game started the Aztecs attempted to keep their defense tight and prevent Blair from scoring. However, though Keppel’s defense was able to keep Blair at bay for a while, Blair broke through and scored an early goal.

Offensively, Keppel tried their hardest to break through Blair’s defense and scored

on a goal by senior Fernando Evangolista.

Blair scored two more goals and the first half ended with a score of 1-3.

Near the end of the second half, sophomore Gabriel Vera was able to score on a penalty kick. That was the final goal of the game, which ended in a 2-3 win for Blair.

Despite the loss, Mejia remained confident saying, “I still think it was a game to be proud of because all of the players competed throughout the entire game.”

Following this loss, Coach Marin said that the team needs to “play at the level they are capable of playing.” However, Marin has hope in the team saying, “They’re gaining confidence in themselves. Even though the team is mostly new, they are more skilled than past teams. Once they become solid and consistent the wins will come.”