The Matador: Issue 1 - Sept. 19, 2018 by The Matador

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SAN GABRIEL HIGH SCHOOL

VOLUME 64, ISSUE 1

801 S. RAMONA STREET, SAN GABRIEL, CA 91776

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

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Vote at 16 SGV advocates for change in voting age BY KATIE PHAN

Tonight, Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) students are hosting the AUSD Board of Education Round Table, held at the Grapevine Arbor from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. School board candidates Robert Gin and Joanna Russell-Chavez will be answering students’ questions regarding their stances and views. “[The] Round Table is an opportunity for students to get informed and get involved,” Alhambra High School (AHS) senior Anthony Hu said. “The school board members attending directly affect how each of our schools are run.” Vote at 16—San Gabriel Valley (SGV) is a student-led campaign that started five years ago at Mark Keppel High School (MKHS) by Scott Chan, the program director of the Asian Pacific Island Forward Movement. “Vote at 16 aims to better connect and bridge the divide between [the] students and school board administration and increase transparency,” MKHS senior Wilson Yeung said. Students of the movement want to lower the voting age for school board elections from 18 to 16 across the AUSD. Because students are the most affected by the school board’s decisions, Chan said that it seems only logical that students are able to play a part in making decisions for their education.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN KHONG

Students from Vote at 16—SGV speak to parents and students at Mark Keppel High School’s PTSA meeting on Aug. 22. They adressed issues on student representation, civic engagement and the public address system for high schools.

Nguyen promoted to Mark Keppel High School after 11 years of teaching

PHOTO BY MEGAN TIEU

Math teacher Nicolas Nguyen transferred to Mark Keppel High School where he now serves as an assistant principal. BY ERIC MAI

Math teacher Nicolas Nguyen was promoted to the position of Assistant Principal of Student and Employee Welfare at Mark Keppel High School (MKHS). He officially left on Sept. 7, after 11 years in the classroom.

“I was looking for a transition,” Nguyen said. “Being prepared? Of course [I am].” Nguyen has both the credentials for working as an assistant principal and teacher. Despite changing jobs, his objectives and values remain consistent; he wants to work with a bigger part of the student population. “At the end of the day, my goal and my philosophy in education is [to raise] successful students and being able to experience working directly with students,” Nguyen said. After moving to MKHS, Nguyen hopes to expand his reach to people not just in the classroom or math department, but schoolwide. He expects to work more with adults and be more of a leader. “I’m excited and I’m looking forward to [this assignment],” Nguyen said. “It gives me the opportunity to make a greater impact in [the] student body.” His background and focus in science, technology, engineering, math, and Englishlearning have also had their effect on his teaching during his time here. He developed these skills during his time as a NASA intern as well. “[Interning at NASA] builds technical skills that you can bring into the classroom with real-life experiences,” Nguyen said. “Not

LIFE & ART Perez finds creativity, passion for filmmaking pg. 8

just textbook concepts, but how they apply in real-life situations.” As leader of the math department, Nguyen worked diligently while considering his students. “He showed a great compassion with his duties,” math teacher Kevin Nong said. “He put people first and cared about his students.” Nguyen was the adviser of Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) club. “Nguyen ensured that MESA not only met expectations, but surpassed them as well,” Iris Zhou, alumna and former cabinet member of MESA, said. “He created an engaging community and... help[ed] students win exceptional numbers of awards.” He was also popular because of his kind disposition and comedic behavior. “[I’m going to miss] his kind heart and the way he treats his students,” sophomore Olivia Chung said. “He wasn’t always serious about math. He added jokes.” Before leaving, Nguyen gave the school a parting message. “It’s important to have a mindset that anyone can do something if they work hard at it,” Nguyen said. “And the gift of our students is that everyone can learn.”

Senior portrait prices create controversy among seniors BY ENRICO GONZALEZ

A rite of passage for seniors is taking their senior portrait. However, many seniors were hesitant to do so when they learned that a minimum of $20 was required to put one’s senior portrait into the yearbook. “I have the money for it, but it doesn’t seem reasonable to spend $20 on one picture,” senior Sam Houn said. Doug Chan-Wing, the manager of Furious Photography, explained why the portraits were priced at $20. “The minimum for seniors to have their photos professionally taken is $20 in order to cover the expenses of photographers, setup crew, editors, prints, etc.,” Chan-Wing said. “If they opt out to take their portraits, the yearbook department may use their ID photo in replacement.” Al t h o u g h $ 2 0 m a y s e e m l i k e a significant amount of money for one picture, according to Chan-Wing, the reason Furious Photography was chosen was due to their low price point compared to other companies.

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SPORTS Football fences down Ganesa Giants under 45 points pg. 9

FEATURES Enter the Bullring: Welcoming the new staff pg. 11 & 12

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

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NEWS

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V o t e a t 1 6 S G V s t r i v e s Senior portrait prices create for change in voting age controversy among seniors “Our society has this nasty notion of mocking young adults for being apathetic, and not civically engaged,” Chan said. “This is so, because we do not provide the right training and means for students to want to be civically engaged as they get older.” Chan said that Vote at 16SGV is generally received with strong support because of its ability to encourage students to participate in civic issues as they get older. “Being a part of the Vote [at] 16 campaign has taught me more about dealing with real-life issues around my co mmu n i t y, ” AH S s o p h o m o re Sabrina Tang said. “The opportunity to collaborate and work towards a common goal is not only a great experience, but

has allowed me to gain connections and relationships with people I would’ve never met.” In addition to tonight’s Round Table, there will be a upcoming mock election hosted at AHS, MKHS, and SGHS on Sept. 27-29, to not only increase student involvement, but to find out students’ thoughts on school board members. By working towards this progressive movement, the students of the Vote at 16-SGV campaign advocate for more student-involvement in political discourse and district affairs, and hope that communication is increased as a result. To achieve their goal, they must obtain enough votes in the Alhambra City Council Municipal election that will take place on Nov. 6. PHOTO BY KATHERINE HUANG

Photographer Doug Chan-Wing adjusts senior Shirley Fung’s gown before snapping her senior picture. “The district and our company focus a lot of our efforts when considering everyone’s financial standings,” ChanWing said. “This was one of the many reasons why we were contracted to this district since the companies before us started at around $65.” Chan-Wing said that after all his staff are paid, a portion of the money also gets donated. “The money from the senior portrait pays for many people from different departments— photographers, editors, programmers, printers, etc.,” ChanWing said. “After everyone is paid, we

also set up scholarships and donate to various charities.” The charity information was not mentioned on Furious’s website or by the school before the senior portraits were taken. “It really does change my opinion, but I wasn’t informed that the rest of the money was going to charity,” Houn said. “At the same time, before you can help others, you have to help yourself.” Students who chose to take their senior portraits will be getting their desired package option near the end of the school year.

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NEWS

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

briefs School clears up asbestos floor scare BY ELSIE WANG

GRAPHIC BY WINNEFER WU

New vending prices face criticism from students and staff BY WALLY LAN

The prices for all of the vending machines on the campus have changed this school year from $1 to $1.35 or higher, depending on the item purchased. Some students accused the school for increasing the prices in order to get funds. However, school administrators were not the ones responsible for the price change. Vicky Yum, Business and Activities office manager, explains that not all the profit goes to the school, but

rather it goes toward the district and may be split among the district schools. “The prices of the vending machines are determined by the actual company, Tri Star,” Yum said. “[The funding and profits] are contracts that the school district does for all three high schools. It’s a generated contract.” The price change is opposed by many students as they believe that it is unfair toward students with different financial situations. “It’s just unfair because some students can barely afford lunch, and they raised the price for whatever reason,” senior My Ho said. “It’s just extra cents that some students can’t afford.” Students and faculty believe that prices should not be changed with no benefits for the consumers. “I think it’s kind of pricey,” Gateway

Counselor Denise Fernandez said. “I feel like if they are going to change [the prices] more, they should make [the items] bigger.” Students also dislike the inconvenience of carrying extra coins change with them in order to buy a snack. “Now you have to bring more change,” senior Luis Del Cid said, “and it’s difficult to get change when you don’t like carrying it around.” The price change in the vending machines has even caused a loss of customers. “I think it’s unreasonable that they increased the price because they give so little for over $1,” sophomore Jimmy Liung said. “I even stopped buying snacks from the vending machines as well as all of my friends because of the prices.”

Whitman settles discrimination complaint BY KENNY LAM AND EILEEN ONG

Resolving a discrimination complaint filed after a school vandalism incident in May 2017, the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) awarded teacher David Whitman $15,000 compensation for emotional distress. In addition, the settlement agreement negotiated the installation of a new water filter on

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Reporters: Lauren Ballesteros, Wendy Chau, Aaron Lu, Vincent Maresca, Jocelyn Montelon, Tiffany Nguygen, Winnefer Wu, Zhou Ye Xin

The Matador is published monthly by the journalism class of San Gabriel High School. 1,600 copies per issue are published at CA WEB PRINT Inc. The Matador is a public forum for student expression and highly encourages responses in reaction to issues discussed in the paper. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, not the faculty or administration. Articles without bylines are the opinion of the staff. Submit comments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested), to H-2, or Ms. Kim’s mailbox.

campus, among other changes. The agreement was originally prompted by a sex-gender discrimination complaint that Whitman filed last December after claims of being discriminated during the school vandalism cleanup process. According to the agreement obtained by The Matador through a California Public Records Act request, these changes included a two-hour harassment and discrimination prevention training for administration management and supervisors; distribution of handbooks or equivalent regarding reporting of harassment or discrimination on campus; and repainting of the vandalized walls which contained “personal references” to Whitman, along with the previously stated monetary compensation and water filter. In addition, Principal Debbie Stone and Whitman agreed to a private meeting “as show of good faith interest in rebuilding confidence in the administration.” The agreement was negotiated during spring break in March and finalized early April. On AUSD’s behalf, school board

vice president Robert Gin signed the agreement. B o t h AU S D r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a n d Whitman were asked about the resolution of the complaint. However, both declined to comment due to a nondisclosure agreement. Th e w a te r f il te r, l o cated i n the cafeteria, was received positively by students. It has been used frequently, with its current bottles filled count of over 2,500 bottles since the beginning of this school year. Sophomore Mabel Nguyen said she enjoyed the filter’s convenience and made use of it everyday. “I drink a lot of water and [a] 32 ounce only lasts until lunch, which is perfect since now I can refill it and not have to bring extra plastic water bottles,” Nguyen said. Per the agreement, Whitman agrees to not bring the complaint before any local, state, or government court or entity again, and the district’s response “does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing.”

Concerns arose Sept. 13 when the facilities department of the Alhambra Unified School District was notified of loose floor tiles in Room S5, a room regularly used by the football team. In response, the district sent a hazmat specialist to inspect the situation and determined the floors were safe but required rewaxing. As an extra precaution, a licensed industrial hygienist was also dispatched on Sept. 14 and declared that the room was safe. District spokesperson Toby Gilbert said in the Alhambra Source that the loose tiles were most likely a result from the football players’ cleats. The football team has been moved and is currently using a different room.

Upcoming community forum for Alhambra City Council candidates BY ELSIE WANG

Kids and Candidates, an open community forum for the Alhambra City Council candidates, will be be held Thursday, Oct. 11 from 6:008:30 p.m. at Alhambra High School (AHS). At the school’s quad, the public will have the opportunity to meet the candidates, talk with community organizations, and enjoy a performance by the AHS Jazz Band. A moderated round table will occur at 7:00 p.m. in the school auditorium where the candidates will have the opportunity to address their stance on issues concerning the city of Alhambra. Mandarin and Spanish translators and parking will be available at the time of the forum. The Alhambra City Council election will be held on Nov. 6.

Tran creates new robotic science club BY TIFFANY NGUYGEN

Following his passion in robotic science and technology, sophomore Brandon Tran recently started a new robotics club this school year, the Bot Builders. The Bot Builders will be collaborating with various other clubs in order to teach new members about the basic programs and techniques that will benefit them for competition. Tran and the rest of the members of the Bot Builders are recommending students to come to one meeting to give the club a try, especially if they are interested in computer science, engineering or are just looking for a new hobby. Those interested can come to E-209 after school from Monday to Friday to ask for additional information. Although Bot Builders is still in its early stages of development, it is one of the only robotics clubs in the district. The members and the adviser, environmental science teacher David Whitman, are looking forward to future competitions and the impact the club may have on the school and the technological world.

To read the full articles, visit www.thematadorsghs.us.

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

“Kim”possible to perfect

Opinions

Editorial

District impedes progress with rotations Kimberly Quiocho Hands of emptiness

here was a time in my life when I felt largely empty. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I recall it, because there’s a part of me that knows I excelled the most when I was down in the dumps. This part of me loves to use my sadness, hatred, and anger as fuel to succeed. My emptiness was the reason why I invested my time into hobbies that weren’t regarded as highly useful. It’s also the reason why I committed to them to the point that my hands would numb and fidget against my will. The phrase “practice makes perfect” really took a toll on me growing up. I didn’t want to be perfect, but I did want to stand out. With my illogical thoughts, I decided on doing every possible impressive hobby I could think of. I needed something to fill the emptiness and distract me from it. First was the violin. I wasn’t as good with it as I wanted to be, but I was alright with simply being mediocre. “As long as I was a part of the orchestra,” I’d say to myself. My stubby little fingers always held the bow wrong and because of this, my pinky doesn’t bend like it should. Second was the Rubik’s cube. With a stopwatch, I found myself solving the cube quickly in under 20 seconds. I dropped the hobby as soon as I got down to 16.7 seconds. When my fidgety fingers sought for something new, I started training myself in a new musical instrument. Ivory keys soon fell under my fingers, and I learned Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” piano arrangement through months of agonizing self-taught lessons. Needless to say, the keyboard in my living room has remained dusty and unplugged ever since. After the keyboard came the paper cranes. Origami was the stress reliever that lasted long enough for me to create a thousand paper cranes. In Japanese legend, cranes mate for life, so I promised my sister that they’d all be put in a jar and be given to her as a wedding gift for good luck. It would be nearly two years until I came upon cardistry, a hobby requiring hand dexterity to create beautiful displays with just a deck of playing cards. In response to my newfound discovery, I bought a ton of cards to see where they would take me. Rather than giving up like I had in the past, I wanted to finally maximize my potential. I wanted to be perfect. And yet upon that decision, my worn out fingers had secrets to reveal—I developed carpal tunnel syndrome. Like an athlete going through a bad break, I found that the hands I treasured would not move like it had in the past. Carpal tunnel may not be the most debilitating of syndromes, but to someone like me who filled voids with my fingers, it was devastating news. In spite of the drawbacks, my diagnosis flipped a positive switch inside of me. I wasn’t going to let anything discourage me again. Instead of dropping hobbies, I now try my best to practice them all. If I was going to be a master of none, I might as well be a jack of all trades. From now on, I want to excel at my happiest because I no longer want emptiness. I refuse to taste bitterness again.

ith four new assistant principals out of five, the change in administrative staff creates issues in leadership as the school adjusts to new faces in the office. When the Alhambra Unified School District constantly shuffles its administrators around different schools, it disturbs the flow of the school climate. As such, the district should have administrators remain in a consistent place for the benefit of its students and the teachers. The administration helps set the tone of the school, implementing goals and policies to improve the school. A national study conducted by the Universities of Minnesota and Toronto concluded that school leaders were shown to be the second-highest influence, next to teachers, on student achievement. Administrators cannot carry out their visions of school-wide improvement since they are given little time to achieve their goals. It takes effort and time to identify

issues, to develop improvement plans, and to implement such policies. Furthermore, the sustainability of programs and curriculum can be difficult to maintain when leaders are often rotated around. This issue ultimately impedes student success and long-term school improvement. Furthermore, teachers have to adjust to their new superiors and the new expectations placed upon them. Confidence in the administration translates to smoother collaborations in new school initiatives, but it takes time to build relationships. Thus, a steady administration can ensure that progress can be made efficiently and effectively. Along with faculty, administrators work with students on matters like club fundraisers and other issues. It is important that students have a chance to build relationships with their administrators. The best way for administration to understand the problems that students face is for them to personally talk to the

students who are affected by the decisions they make. For that reason, a constantly changing administration fosters a disconnect between the student body and the administration. They become faceless authority figures to students; the school should be an environment where students feel comfortable communicating with the adults. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Anna Kuo said, “A couple of [administrators] actually got promoted to become principals at other sites.” Administrators may also be moved to other schools for poor performance in hopes that a new environment would improve their work. However, it does not justify rotating nearly all of the assistant principals in a single year. If the district intends to improve its schools, it should work toward a consistency in leadership to build a strong, stable support system for its students and teachers.

The Great Admin Shuffle BY ECHO DIEU

ASB needs transparency, accountability BY SHAWN HO

not been ratified at that time, the denial from ASB was a breach of its own power. According to ASB Committee Leader of democracy functions best when Clubs and Funds senior Nazlie Figueroa, the there are checks and balances. new amendment was prompted by clubs Should this not apply to school governments submitting fundraiser requests forms more as well? than three months in advance. However, ASB In ASB’s constitution, Article 8 states submitted a fundraiser request form for their that all proposals for amendments must go own club on May 23 for a fundraiser nearly through the Student Congress. The Student four months ahead on Sept. 20. It appears Congress is a council of representatives that only clubs other than ASB would from each fourth period class. Its main prompt the creation of amendments as purpose is to deliver the student body’s such. Double-standards like this make ASB’s opinions and recommendations to ASB actions questionable. and the administration. However, for many When somebody unknowingly breaks years, the Student Congress has been the law, they are still punished because it is non-existent, so ASB should not be able to their responsibility to know the said laws. amend their constitution. Yet, ASB has been It should be the students’ responsibility doing so without going through the proper to know the rules that apply to student channels and therefore violating their own organizations. However, that would not be constitution. With no student input, these feasible if the rules are not released publicly amendments do not represent the student to the student body. Because ASB makes the body as a whole and are not in their best rules and enforces them, they should also be interest. obligated to make them easily accessible to Being that they are the governing board the student body. of student organizations on campus, ASB ILLUSTRATION BY HENRY CHOW The solution is simple. ASB needs to ought to make their rules transparent. When 22, established that fundraisers cannot be be transparent and the Student Congress people do not know how a system works, planned more than three months in advance. needs to be revived. ASB should release it is difficult for them to challenge it. They The National Honor Society submitted their constitution and bylaws, open them simply accept the notions and move on. fundraiser request forms on Aug. 9 and to the public, publish them online, and All of our information on the workings of was denied the day after. The request was provide physical copies in the Business and the school government comes from word wrongly subjected to the new amendment as Activities office. It is the only way they can of mouth, which is unreliable compared to it was submitted long before its ratification be held accountable and prevent future published documents. Obscure rules also date. Because the new amendment had complications for the student body.

lead to wasted efforts. If the rules are not presented to students and word of mouth cannot be trusted, the only way to learn the rules is through trial and error. ASB’s new amendment, ratified Aug.

DISCLAIMER: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE ATTRIBUTED WRITER. ARTICLES WITHOUT BYLINES ARE THE OPINION OF THE STAFF.

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OPINIONS

College Board fails to deliver fair services BY ECHO DIEU

year is yet another instance of College Board’s negligence towards students. Although it was easier than previous tests, the penalties for scoring each question were harsher. Consequently,

he material in the August SAT were found to have been reused from the international SAT from Oct. 2017, causing outrage from students. This was a poor decision on the part of College Board, the company that administers the test. It claims to be “dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education,” but the playing ground they have set for students is unbalanced. College Board has been known to recycle their SAT tests for years. Sometimes, tests that have appeared in the country will make a reappearance in the international SAT, and vice versa. This flaw has given rise to a system of student-teachers in Asia that compile booklets known as jijing, which are copies of the test created by interviewing test-takers in the U.S. By allowing this systematic practice of mass cheating to continue, College Board is doing a great disservice to the patrons they have pledged equity to. Since the SAT is crucial for access to higher education for many students, it should be imperative that College Board upholds their own standards. The June SAT administered this

scores were lower than anticipated, pushing students to retake the SAT. College Board released a statement on Twitter without so much as an apology to justify its actions in the name of fairness. Instead of touting hypocritical rhetoric about impartiality for all students, College Board needs to remember that some of them cannot

afford to continually retake the SAT. The entirety of the test, including the penalties for each question, needs to be accounted for so that students can receive a level testing experience. Certainly, College Board would not be able to get away with its claims of fairness if there was not at least a grain of truth in them. It offers fee waivers to low-income students to guarantee opportunities across economic lines. Supporters of College Board, then, could argue that by granting every student an opportunity to take the test, it upholds the principle of fairness. However, the issue of equity does not only apply to the accessibility of the test. The jijing booklets illicitly inflate test scores, increase a student’s odds of admittance into a prestigious college, and make the admissions process less fair. This ultimately reflects an indifference towards establishing a fair baseline for students’ college applications. As it stands right now, the SAT gives certain students unfair advantages. If College Board genuinely wanted to create a balanced system for college admittance, they would need to consider students first. Promises of fairness do not mean anything unless they are backed up by substantial practice. ILLUSTRATION BY KATHERINE HUANG

Colorism in Hollywood results in recycling actors BY DONNA HERNANDEZ

n recent years, Hollywood has become more inclusive of race and has even used diversity as a form of promotion. The effort to cast people of color may satisfy certain audiences, yet recent films have taken advantage of the deficiency in representation and manipulated it to their favor. As a result, there has been a recycling of the same actors and actresses. This waters down the idea of actual diversity, and instead shows inclusivity towards “accepted” actors of color. A recurring example would be of Amandla Stenberg, who has been cast in movies like Everything, Everything, The Darkest Minds, and the upcoming The Hate U Give. Stenberg actually turned down a role in Black Panther, the leading movie for modern African pop-culture, despite the incredible opportunity it would have provided her. Her rationale was

the realization of the overt colorism, the prejudice against darker skin tones, that exists in her field, and effectively dropped the possible role of Shuri for an actress of a darker skin tone.

The minds of casting directors have already established the ideal black character, who usually has physical features that lean more towards that of Caucasians. These include, but are

not limited to, wavy over-kinky hair, no weaves, more demure noses, and lighter skin tones. Of course, a film lacks diversity if all the actresses of color look the same; yet, no one really seems to make it a topic of discussion. Half the time, people are more content with having squeezed a person of color into the casting rather than pushing for more diversity within that particular group. Like Stenberg, some actresses choose to use their status quo to challenge the industry in the hopes of expanding the limited shade range in casting. Renown actress Zendaya Coleman came to herald this perspective by asserting that she is not representative of all black people. That is not to say that the audience cannot do anything to change how casting agents perceive actors of color. After all, those in the industry target what appeals most to audiences. If viewers were to support films that represent darker-toned minorities, Hollywood would come to include more of them on the big screen. ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT MARESCA

The Matador Bullring

Do you feel represented in your school community?

“ “

It feels pretty even. Honestly, I don’t feel like there’s any bias to one side; everyone gets along.” -Marco Manzo, 9th grade

I feel like we should have more Hispanic academic groups, [although] people here [do] include [them] in different activities. They don’t really discriminate.” -Juliette Stojic, 10th gradew

“ “

I think San Gabriel High School represents everyone equally.”

-Devin Martinez, 11th grade

PHOTOS BY QILIN LI

I feel like people [in my social circle] are really off from other people. No one really knows about us, so I feel like nothing we say really gets heard.” -Victoria Ly, 12th grade

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

“Enric”hed with exposure

Enrico Gonzalez A new perspective

p until a year and a half ago, photography was of little priority in my eyes. I thought it was a very niche industry. I never pictured (no pun intended) myself ever buying a camera, photographing weddings, or getting a dime out of something I did for fun. However, things took a turn about eight months ago. It all started when I would go to car shows and wanted to better capture the moment. My uncle had an expensive camera that I would borrow from him. To be honest, my pictures weren’t good, and I had no one to show them to; maybe it was the feeling of walking around these car shows and giving the impression that I knew what I was doing with an expensive camera. I would ask my uncle more and more frequently to borrow the camera when I went to shows. Sooner or later, it wasn’t just cars I was capturing with the camera. I would also take my uncle’s camera out when my friends and I would go biking on long trips to different places. I was beginning to fall in love with capturing these moments in my life. The more I asked to take the camera, the more reluctant he became letting me run around with it. On my 16th birthday, he gifted me his camera setup: two kit lenses, a camera bag with cleaning supplies, and my first camera, a Canon Rebel T4i. That was when my photography really started to skyrocket. I began taking more pictures of cars, friends, and family gatherings; I was really starting to have fun with a camera that was at my disposal. I created an Instagram (@gonzalez.pictures) with the sole purpose of sharing the pictures I’ve taken. Since then, I have improved a great deal. By selling my original T4i, along with a few other personal belongings, I purchased two new cameras: an old Canon 35mm film camera and a newer digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. Photography has opened up opportunities that I never thought would be available to me. I have networked and made connections with others in the industry, including wedding photographers, school photographers, and the main journalist of the Specialty Equipment Market Association. I feel blessed to have worked with these influential and inspiring people. I believe that the turning point of my photography experience was my introduction to production. Around the time of my entry to video, the media adviser for The Matador had seen my work and notified my auto tech teacher, Mr. Bruce. I ended up meeting up with her and applying to newspaper in hopes of sparking an interest in journalism. As of late, I have really enjoyed meeting the people in newspaper and working with them on various tasks. As of now, photography is a hobby that I would like to turn into a side job in the near future. My dream is that one day my career as a photographer will take off and I will be able to do what I love full time. One thing is for sure: I will always be trying to capture the moment for what it is, whether good or bad.

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

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FOCUS

Crazy Rich Asians Being the first movie with an all-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club (1993), all eyes were on Crazy Rich Asians as the romantic comedy hit theaters this summer. The movie, which is based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel of the same title, currently holds a 93% rating from Rotten Tomatoes and has a box office total of over $130 million. Crazy Rich Asians follows the story of Rachel Chu and her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, as they travel to Singapore to attend Young’s best friend’s wedding. After Chu discovers that Young is from an extremely wealthy and prominent family, she is forced to face the

p Y

o cr a th re cu sh cu It re fu

Black Panther diversity to Hol

Black Panther is the newest live-action superhero movie that features a protagonist of African descent. Released on Feb. 16, the movie features a predominantly black cast and crew. The film focuses on T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) who returns to Wakanda to become king after the recent death of his father in Captain America: Civil War. T’Challa is challenged for the throne by Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), an American with roots in Wakanda that wants the countr to break their isolationist policies and fight oppressors around the world. Director Ryan Coogler traveled to Africa

Coco brin

Movie articles from top to bottom by Selina Han, Amanda Lerma, Katherine Huang, and Donna Hernandez Graphics by Angela Lu Photo courtesy of Warner Bros, Walt Disney Pictures, and Pixar Animation Studio

Featuring the vibrant colo sounds, and tastes of Mexico, brought a revolution to the b screens and celebrated Mexic culture of the dead. But above else, it helped shine a spotligh Mexican culture. One of the defining featur Coco was its portrayal of Mex culture. From showcasing the marigolds of Dia de Los Mue to the complex intricacies of family ties, the directors of C had the intent to incorporate of Mexican life. Coco’s directo Lee Unkrich, said that he and

FOCUS

brings crazy

pressure of being in the spotlight and facing Young’s critical mother. The continued success of Crazy Rich Asians over the past few months has frequently been credited to its overwhelmingly positive reviews and also to the impact of spreading movies hrough word of mouth. The movie has been eceiving praise for bringing elements of Asian culture that are often misrepresented or not hown at all onto the big screen, such as certain cultural foods and Asian family dynamics. ts success is crucial to ensuring even more epresentation in Hollywood movies in the uture.

brings cultural llywood

to research the film and understand what it means to be African. Through the trip, Marvel was able to incorporate the culture of the surrounding location in which Wakanda is based. The costume designers used trends and patterns that feature the culture of African tribes throughout the continent. Black Panther represents African culture and black communities in the United States, with references to lifestyle and slavery. The film won the MTV Movie+TV Award of Movie of the Year, the Saturn Award for Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture, the BET Award for Best Movie of the Year and the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Sci-Fi.

ngs dead to life

ors, Coco big co’s rich e all ht on

res of xican e iconic ertos, strong Coco details or, d his

production team went on extensive trips to Mexico to ensure that they captured the essence of the Mexican experience. Coco’s representation of Mexican tradition was well received by audiences of all sorts due to a feeling of inclusivity, earning it recognition and a multitude of awards. These would include an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture. In addition to this, it was nominated for Best Original Song-Motion Picture.

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Yellow: No Blue: Yes White: N/A

Diverse stories thrill campus BY LAUREN BALLESTEROS

Seeing people of color represented in the media is rare, and seeing people of color win famous awards is even more rare. However, the film industry has recently made some major breakthroughs, as seen in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Coco, Crazy Rich Asians, and Black Panther. Smashing box office records, these movies destroy the stereotypes shown in traditional media by allowing people of color to tell their own stories. For senior Jessica Razo and her family, Coco made them “happier for once that Mexicans were represented in a positive way instead of a negative view.” The animated film also helped Razo, who doesn’t speak Spanish, understand her culture better. A groundbreaking superhero movie, Black Panther was praised for its loving depiction of black family life and culture. It made junior Isaiah Pullian “emotional” due to its casting, and he felt the movie had

“a really good vibe to it because it was different from all the other Marvel movies.” Netflix’s hit To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before featured VietnameseAmerican Lana Condor as its 16-year-old protaganist. Executive Producer and author of the novel of the same name, Jenny Han made sure the teen movie had an Asian-American girl in the lead as she envisioned it. The teen romance film created quite the buzz on campus. “I think it’s so important that people of different, diverse backgrounds, in this case Asians, are finally getting the representation they deserve,” junior Stephanie Calletano said, “because it informs people about their cultures and real lives.” Accurate portrayals of minorities have meaning and impact far greater than what Hollywood might realize. But now with these recent hits, representation in the media is growing, and so is its positive influence.

27%

50%

23%

Do you feel represented in Hollywood media?

26%

61%

13%

Do you think cultural diversity is evident in recent shows/ movies?

10% 8%

82%

In your opinion, do movies still contain stereotypical roles?

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

The matador

LIfe and art

Perez finds creativity, passion for filmmaking BY LUCAS JORGENSEN

Between writing with a pen and documenting his thoughts through a camera, senior Matthew Perez prefers the latter. “What inspired me to become a filmmaker is I had trouble finding my creative [quirk],” Perez said. “So I used film as a way to express myself.” Perez has been working on films with other hopeful film students around campus for most of his high school experience. Collaborating with these students has been a huge help for him in learning about directing. By pairing up with his fellow peers, he even got himself on the path to acting as co-director on the student-made video, SGHS Safety Bells. This video was created in last year’s film class and was showcased during the rules assembly this year. “I’ve seen so many amazing fellow filmmakers at SG, and it’s phenomenal, the amount of skill they have,” Perez said. “Everyone is so unique in what they do. Trying to find my own uniqueness in film is what motivates me.” Perez’s interest in film stems from a number of different sources, and his passion for it extends outside the classroom. He spends his free time both researching films on his own and making videos on YouTube about comedy.

“What I often do is keep a notebook of all the strange life events for my films,” Perez said. “Other times, I use YouTube to joke and mess with my friends, family, and people I paid money to subscribe [to his channel],” he added jokingly. Perez’s experimentation with film and comedy stems from his own research about movie-making. He often analyzes films on his own, including foreign films and his current field of study—the mystery genre—to gather experience regarding directing and cinematography. His favorite director, the auteur Wes Anderson, also plays a large role in his personal studies. Anderson is renowned for being a vibrant and original director who creates his own stories, scripts, sets, and soundtracks, and for having deals with fantastic actors. Perez is aiming to be a unique director like him someday. “My favorite film is The Hunt. It’s a foreign-made [from] Denmark and [is] directed by Thomas Vinterberg,” Perez said. “I love it for both the story and the nostalgia I received from it when I [sit] at my wall along with my friends to talk about films.” Yet as Perez aims to be a filmmaker, he is not interested in attending film school, preferring to learn from practice instead of classes. “Only because film is not something you learn,” Perez said. “It’s experienced [through] ideas, talents, and risks.”

PHOTO BY ENRICO GONZALEZ

Senior Matthew Perez models his director’s hat, a black beret resembling a hat his late grandmother wore. “I loved her hat. So I got one just like it and wear it on my filming days.”

Recipe of the Month

Croissant French TOAST Ingredients: 8 croissants

PHOTO BY CHELSEA NGUYEN

Scala Stonegrill serves ginger chicken with black pepper and Ponzu sauce. A special request for wasabi mayo or spicy mayo can be made for any stone-grilled dish.

Review: Cooking up a storm at Scala Stonegrill BY CHELSEA NGUYEN

Scala Stonegrill, a new fusion restaurant that specializes in steak and seafood, has attracted many people who want to see what the craze is all about. When I first heard of Scala Stonegrill from my friends, I thought it would be like any other restaurant out there where you get to grill your own food. What intrigued me into going were the 400 degree miniature stone slabs that are heated by their own grills, allowing customers to have their food remain hot for about 40 minutes. Using this unique cooking method, this gives the customers a chance to eat meals containing no unnecessary oils or fats. Even so, my expectations were high since numerous reviews on social media applauded the restaurant’s great customer service and cozy interior. Upon entering with my friend, we were quickly seated after a short wait, and the employees’ warm attitudes soon made our visit memorable. We looked at the menu for quite some time since there were so many options to pick from. They provided diverse courses such as Thai curry beef, Danish-style baby pork ribs, soups, tapas (little savory Spanish dishes), stone-grilled dishes, and salads. Although the steak and seafood were highly recommended, we ended up ordering the ginger chicken ($16) and

Thai seafood pasta ($13). They offered us sides of fresh vegetables, like shredded corn topped with melted cheese that I found very delectable. Since my friend and I had absolutely no skills in grilling, we were terrified of accidentally setting the place on fire. Although we almost ingested raw chicken after many attempts at grilling, we were able to successfully cook the remaining pieces of meat without harming ourselves. The chicken looked delicious, and I was delighted to taste a bold, savory flavor from it. The Thai seafood pasta topped with calamari and shrimp easily became my favorite from the two dishes we ordered, as it had both the combination of sweetness and tanginess, which I enjoyed very much. Judging from the appearance, the simple yet noticeable features of the two dishes made my dining experience even more enjoyable. The total bill was a bit expensive— approximately $31—but reasonably priced as we were given great-tasting dishes, high quality USDA Choice meat, and amazing service. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys selfcooking and having a wide range of foods to choose from. Scala Stonegrill opened its doors recently this year on Aug. 18. It is located at 1411 S. Garfield Ave., Alhambra, CA 91801.

Batter: 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 6 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground star anise 1/4 cup confectioners sugar 1 pinch of salt

Toppings: Fresh berries Maple syrup Whipped cream (1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tbsp powdered sugar, 1/4 tbsp vanilla extract, pinch of salt)

Directions: 1. Whisk the batter ingredients together. 2. Cut croissants in half, horizontally. Dip them into the batter. 3. Heat the nonstick pan with one tablespoon of butter over medium heat. 4. Then place four croissant halves with the cut side down into the pan once the butter melts. Cook until browned and then cook the other side for a minute until the croissant is heated thoroughly. 5. Add maple syrup, fresh berries, and whipped cream as desired. Whipped Cream 1. Combine heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment. 2. Whip the mixture on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks that should be able to hold when the whisk is lifted upside down. WRITTEN BY WENDY CHAU

GRAPHICS BY VINCENT MARESCA

The matador

SPORTS

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Football fences down Ganesha Giants under 45 points

2018-19 Fall Sports Scoreboard BOYS FOOTBALL VARSITY 8/24 vs Rosemead

7-26

8/31 vs Marshall

61-9

9/7 vs Ganesha

28-41 L

JV 9/6 @ Ganesha

20-0

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL VARSITY 9/4 vs Temple City

3-0 L

9/6 @ Montebello

3-0 L

9/11 @ Alhambra

3-1 W

9/13 vs Schurr

0-3 L

JV 0-2 L

8/23 @ San Marino

GIRLS TENNIS VARSITY 9/4 @ Temple City

1-17

9/7 @ El Monte

75-71 W

9/10 @ Arroyo

2-16

9/13 @ La Salle

3-15

JV 8/30 vs Rosemead

6-12

9/10 vs Arroyo

12-6

CROSS COUNTRY VARSITY 9/8 @ Rosemead Invitational N/A

PHOTO BY ENRICO GONZALEZ

Senior Anthony Rodriguez (19) and Tony Fernandez (26) plunge through four Giants, gaining possession against Ganesha on Sept. 7’s home game. BY WENDY CHAU

The Matadors went head to head in an exciting slugfest against Ganesha Giants on Sept. 7 with an ultimate score of 28-41. Despite the Giants already in the lead eight minutes into the game, “Go Matadors” chants were still heard from the highspirited crowd. “We did play against one of the top running backs in the nation, so I think we did actually pretty good,” senior safety Humberto Rivera said. “He plays really [aggressively], he loves running the ball,

[and] he loves to make contact with people.” There was a positive outlook for the team when senior quarterback Allan Jimenez scored their first touchdown 10 seconds before the end of the quarter. The overall score was 7-13 with Ganesha in the lead. During the second quarter, the Matadors put their best efforts to prevent Ganesha from advancing. Senior defensive end Nathan Gazcon tackled an opposing player 45 seconds into second quarter. “I knew the run was coming my way because of the formation,” Gazcon said. “The first move the offense gave was my [queue to tackle].” Although their efforts succeeded, Ganesha was able to score another touchdown. The Matadors redeemed themselves in their second touchdown two minutes into the second quarter. Giants, once again, scored a touchdown in six minutes. The third quarter was the turning point for the Matadors as they were able to drastically improve their gameplay. With six minutes left, the Matadors fought back and scored the first touchdown in the third quarter. With the score of 21-26, senior wide

receiver Christopher Gonzalez caught the ball and made the touchdown, placing them in the lead by two points. The score was now 28-26. “Catching the ball in the third quarter and taking it for a touchdown was a good thing to [do] for our momentum,” Gonzalez said. With only 50 seconds left in the third quarter, Ganesha scored another touchdown. The final score in the third quarter was 28-34. The Matadors almost scored a touchdown six minutes but Ganesha intercepted the ball. “I feel like [at] some point of the game, we didn’t communicate as well [as we should have],” senior receiver and cornerback Enrique Mendoza said. “We [had] the lead in the third quarter, [but] we lost it in [the fourth quarter].” Ganesha’s coach Dante Washington felt that both teams really demonstrated their efforts on the field. “The guys got out there on both sides and they really fought [for their win]. Luckily, the ball rolled in our favor,” Washington said. “[The Matadors] have a great offensive scheme, and they really know how to execute it.”

Dondi Teran: New athletics director

PHOTO BY CHELSEA LI

Athletics Director Dondi Teran won a state title in wrestling. BY CHELSEA LI

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. A: “I grew up in Rosemead by Muscatel [Intermediate School]. When I was in Rio Hondo [for college], I won a state title in wrestling and got a scholarship to go to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.” Q: How do you like your job so far?

A: “I’ve been involved in sports all my life and the fact that I’m now [here], overseeing the sports program is a dream job.[I’m in] a very gratifying position to be in; I smile when I come to work.” Q: What is expected of you as an athletics director? A: “Since I’m not directly hands on with athletes, [but] coaches, I’m trying to help them do the right thing. [I] educate them so they can do their jobs at a higher level. I’m trying to make the best of it for all student athletes and trying to provide an environment where they can thrive.” Q: In what ways can you relate to student athletes? A: “I can just take it from experience, [such as] all the competition that I went through, doing things like that, it teaches resilience.So I feel like when I’m in charge of a program, instilling goals and values, it reaches out. It follows through them throughout their lives.”

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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

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sports

JV Volleyball falls to Temple City BY AMANDA LERMA

The first preseason home game against the Temple City Rams resulted in a loss for the junior varsity girls volleyball team. With a rough first set, the Matadors lost 4-25. However, they fought aggressively in the second match, causing the teams to play point-by-point. After losing the first set, the girls were at a disadvantage. Only two sets were left and the third was out of 15 points. The crowd roared as passer sophomore Kimberly Yip received a hit by Temple City. With a strong pass, setter sophomore Tiffany Thai proceeded to smoothly set the ball for a kill. Outside hitter sophomore Kaya Luong smacked the ball down between opposing players, effectively earning the point. Due to the back-and-forth nature of the game, the second match lasted longer than the normal 25-point game. From passes delivered by backrow players to Thai, middle and outside hitters angled the ball between Temple City’s team. Hits were blocked by the Rams, but they were saved and brought back into play. In the second set, the girls defeated the Rams 27-25. “I think it’s because we lost so badly

in the first game that we just brought it back up,” Luong said. “We picked each other up.” The final set of the game was the last chance for either the Matadors or the Rams to win. Despite their comeback during the second set, Temple City seemed to strive for victory. With perfectly placed tips and hits, the Rams pulled ahead of the Matadors, resulting in a 6-15 loss for the team. Claudia Choi, the new coach, was surprised by the outcome of the first set and how the team could not put their “game face” on. “They have had some really good games and that [first game] was not one of them,” Choi said. “I’m really proud of how far they’ve come and I’m really proud of how much they’ve learned, but there’s still a lot of chemistry that needs to be worked out.” Junior Abby Martinez said that the emotional support of the team is critical. “They’re really supportive,” Martinez said. “If you mess up, they’ll be like ‘oh don’t worry you got this.’” After the Matadors’ loss, the team is determined to win home games against Mark Keppel on Sept. 20 and Montebello on Sept. 25.

PHOTO BY MEGAN TIEU

Sophmore Shana Chan (21) leaps up to strike a winning point against Temple City on Sept. 5 as Zoey Gonzalez (2) and Tiffany Thai (10) prepare to cover her from the side.

Cross Country opens season at Rosemead Invitational BY SALLY PHAM

PHOTO BY SALLY PHAM

Sophomores Jason Phung (6869) and Michael Wong (6876) jog on the field as they warm up for their first meet at the Rosemead Invitational on Sept. 8.

JV Matadors take away shining armor from Arroyo Knights BY MEGAN TIEU

In their latest home match, the girls tennis junior varsity team beat the Arroyo Knights 12-6 on Sept. 10. This marks their second preseason game victory. “I was very nervous before the game, because the people on the other team were tall,” freshman Sabrina Penate said. “We saw them practicing and they looked pretty good.” Despite feeling anxious and intimidated, SG had a strong performance and won five out of the six games in the first round. The Matadors continued to dominate as they racked up a perfect score of 6-0 in their next round. With a total score of 11-1 from the first two rounds, SG was able to guarantee their victory for the entire match. With the last round left, Coach Kent Vo filled the courts with newer players to give them more experience during a real match. In one particular game, the Knights made great use of their height advantage. “One of the girls that we were going against was really tall, so she had a lot of strategy while playing,” Penate said. ”[My partner Sharon and

I] had no idea what to do when she went up to the net and just hit the ball right down. We couldn’t even run for it.” The end of the last round totaled the final score of the match to 12-6. “It felt accomplishing [to win], because we did it as a team and practiced very hard for it,” freshman Joey Lin said. Vo noted that the most notable aspect of the team is the bond they share. “One of the things I see with them that I didn’t see when I was in high school is that they all talk to each other, ” Vo said. “They branch out of their little cliques to get to know everyone.” Even though the team scored a major victory, the coach believes there is room for improvement. “A lot of the girls’ stroke mechanics are a little lacking but that’s partially because they’ve only been playing for four weeks or so,” Vo said. “So a bit of practice where they’re focused and determined towards fixing the small mistakes, and they’d be a great team.” With a successful match against Arroyo, SGHS is excited for their upcoming home game against Mark Keppel on Sept. 25.

After months of relentless training, San Gabriel High School’s Cross Country team ventured to their first race of the season on Sept. 8 at Rosemead High School’s annual cross country invitational. Runners prepared to race through a three mile course that starts and ends at Rosemead High School and runs through the nearby Rosemead Park. The rush of adrenaline overcame both new and old members as runners gathered behind the starting line. “There’s always the pressure of your personal goals and how well you’d like to do at the back of your mind,” sophomore Jasmine Flores said. “I did my best to ignore them because I constantly reminded myself that this activity is my passion.” With the surge of new members, many underclassmen were eager to participate in their very first race. “The race was intimidating considering it was my first time running with such a huge group of people,” freshman Aidan

Phan said. “I hope to hit under 21 minutes in the next race.” Among this group, freshman Sophia Quach achieved a time of 24:57. Quach placed 40th out of 91 runners and received a top 60 medal in the freshmen girls’ division. Quach said that she was in disbelief as the time she ran was better than she anticipated. “I was pleasantly surprised with my result; the team’s expectations really motivated me,” Quach said. “I hope to receive an even better time next race.” Despite the abundance amount of new members, the team has a positive outlook on their upcoming season. Girls’ co-captain Tiffany Chung said that she looks forward to watching her teammates improve throughout the season. “I feel like everyone who raced yesterday did really well,” Chung said. “Many personal records were broken and even though some [members] may not be content with the times they’ve got, there will always be more races in the upcoming season.” The first league race for cross country will be held at Legg Lake Park in South El Monte on Sept. 26.

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FEATURES

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Enter the Bullring Welcoming the new staff of San Gabriel

Paulina Diaz Serrano Career Technical Education (CTE) Adviser

Jesse Toribio Asst. Principal of Student and Employee Welfare

PHOTO BY MEGAN TIEU

PHOTO BY CHELSEA LI

Q: Where did you go before coming here? A: “I was at Repetto Elementary. I was also a guidance counselor at Mt. San Antonio College.” Q: What do you plan to accomplish here? A: “I plan to bring my personality and provide support for students in everything that I do. I’m very passionate about having a career, so I want to instill that in other students. No matter what you do, you have to love what you’re doing.” Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be? A: “It would be time travel, because it would be fun to go back in time to see history. We only just read about history—we haven’t lived it.” Q: What languages do you speak? What language would you want to be fluent in? A: “I’m currently taking a class to learn more Spanish, because I don’t speak it fluently. I want to be able to communicate with relatives. So many people speak it now; I feel it’s important to know. I [also] would love to speak French because it’s a beautiful language.” Q: If you were a day of the week, what day would it be? A: “I would be Friday because it’s a day I feel most productive. It’s like the weekend already.”

PHOTO BY MEGAN TIEU

Stephanie Hall Asst. Principal of Counseling

Q: What would you like to accomplish here? A: “I hope to [bring] a positive experience for all students and help facilitate that all students are included. In addition to academics, they have extra curricular activities that challenge and expose them to grow as life-learners. I want them to feel [like] a part of the high school, that they are able to make an impact and

develop talent. I want to support them with their interests while they are here with us.” Q: What inspired you to work in the educational setting? A: “I love education. I think that education is a discipline where you can really make an impact and change lives. It has a transformative power. The educational opportunity that I was afforded was very

Q: What kind of relationship do you have with this school? A: “I wanted to come to this school for high school a long time ago, but my parents wanted me to go La Salle High School. I never had the opportunity to come here as a student, but [I am] super excited to come here as an assistant principal. This was where I wanted to be back in middle school, so I’m here looking forward to meeting people and helping whenever I can.” Q: If you could swap lives with anyone, who would it be? A: “I’ve always admired my parents, but specifically I would choose my father. He is someone that I admire, because he’s a hard worker, honest, has integrity, and those are the standards and virtues that I try to live by.” Q: What was your favorite subject in high school? A: “Math, because it was always challenging, and I’m always up for [it]. I never back away from a challenge.” Q: Have you ever been scared of something? A: “I don’t like scary movies, so I don’t watch them. To me, it doesn’t make sense to go pay for me to get scared.”

Q: What you do hope to achieve in your new role as an Asisstant Principal of Counseling? A: “Counseling is a big department; we’ve got counseling, attendance, [the] nurse’s office, and career counseling. We’re really here for the kids [and their] wellbeing. We want kids to be successful [and to] grow into amazing adults. There’s a whole socio-emotional aspect to teenagers, especially

during their high school years, and it’s our job to help guide them through that process in a healthy way, to make them feel good about themselves, and to help them be successful. As humans, we’re so intertwined, our social and emotional well-being, our academic success, our sense of self, our futures that we create for ourselves, and so we play a really important rule in helping kids navigate these years.”

significant in my own life. I feel very passionate to provide the same access and community for the students. Most of my education has been in other fields. I’ve always loved education and I continued in it. I love working with students and supporting teachers.”

A: “I have two kids and they love superheroes. I would make sure that no one goes hungry, ever. Multiply food and make sure everyone is fed. The access to healthy food is a basic human need. I find it unfortunate that kids have difficulties accessing that, and adults too. This comes from my own kids and my personal love for food.”

Q: If you could have a superpower, what would you choose?

ARTICLES BY ECHO DIEU, CHELSEA LI, MELODY ZHANG, VIVIAN ZHENG GRAPHIC BY ECHO DIEU

Q: If you were a food, what would you be? A: “I guess a salad, because there’s a lot of different parts of me. You can do so many things: add [things in], take things out, [make] new flavors, and to have a variety. That—and it’s healthy.” Q: Invisibility or power of flight? A: “I guess practically speaking, I would [be] invisible, but the power

of flight—I’ve had dreams where I could fly, and they were the [most awesome] dreams I’ve ever had where you have all this freedom. [Being] invisible—you can be in rooms and hear what people are saying, but do you really want that? Versus flying, you can fly to Europe. You don’t have to take an airplane. [You can] fly to the beach and be there in five minutes versus an hour in traffic.”

PHOTO BY VIVIAN ZHENG

Diana Diaz-Ferguson Asst. Principal of Business and Activites

thematadorsghs.us

The matador

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

FEAtures

Enter the Bullring Welcoming the new staff of San Gabriel Q: What did you do before coming here? A: “Before teaching here, I taught at several schools including Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, an all-girls boarding and day school, and KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory, a middle school in Boyle Heights. I also produced some music for some TV shows and documentaries, but my main focus has been music education.” Q: What do you plan on accomplishing this school year? A: “This year, I want to maintain the strong band program that is in place. Maybe I can gradually introduce some new things like music technology, composition, jazz, and theory, which are my specialties. I also plan to digitize our sheet music library and continue to polish out instrument inventory.” PHOTO BY MEGAN TIEU

Benjamin Coria Band Director

Q: What is one thing you’ve always wanted to do? A: “I’ve always wanted to write music for a feature-length cartoon. I love cartoons and the music for cartoons is uniquely creative in its storytelling. That would be a fun project.”

PHOTO BY KATHERINE HUANG

Pedro Contreras Assistant Band Director

Math Teacher

Q: Aside from math, what are some of your hobbies? A: “I am a certified yoga instructor. I like to run, box, watch movies, and go to concerts.” Q: What is something you have always wanted to learn to do? A: “I used to be in band in high school, but I haven’t touched an instrument since. I used to play the baritone, a brass instrument, so I want to learn how to play the trumpet.”

Q: What’s your favorite type of food? A: “I love Thai food. Anything that’s spicy or has a lot of flavor.” Q: If you could have a superpower, what would it be? A: “[Teleportation] because traveling is expensive. If I could teleport, I would go all around the world.”

Q: What do you expect to accomplish during the rest of your years? A: “I have so many things I want to accomplish. I have really high expectations for myself. I have a new outlook on a lot of things that I want to put into place. There are probably too many things to list but I have to say, the number one goal for my students and my classroom is to develop [habits] to love reading and writing.”

PHOTO BY ENRICO GONZALEZ

Q: Why did you decide to take on teaching, especially math? A: “Growing up, I always enjoyed math. I never thought that I wanted to teach math. I actually wanted to be a pharmacist; that’s what I wanted when I was figuring out where to go for undergrad. But then I went into [biology] and [chemistry] classes, and that didn’t work out as well as I hoped. I took some freshman seminars about math and education, and then I realized that’s where my passion was. That’s where I kind of felt most comfortable, and I really enjoyed it.”

Q: How do you relieve stress? A: “By writing. I love writing [poetry]. I’m planning on publishing a book with 200 poems in it. I’m currently on the 75th one.”

Q: How do you like the students here? A: “I’m enjoying myself quite a bit. [I] definitely found my place that I can call home, and I love every minute being back in the classroom with the students. I’m impressed by the students’ willingness to trust what we are doing in class. They are very cultural outside of the classroom as well. Even before I came to San Gabriel, I always thought that [the] student population was just top notch [and] much different than other schools that I have been at.”

Abbey Batino

Q: What do you hope to bring to the school? A: “I hope to bring more passion for math and more fun activities when it comes to the math classroom.”

PHOTO BY LU JUNE LIN

Q: What do you like about teaching 9th to 11th graders? A: “I like that I’m teaching different grade levels because I get to experience different types of groups. Someone who’s a freshman is not going through [the] same thing as someone who’s a junior.”

Q: As an alumnus, how do you feel about coming back? A: “It honestly does not feel any different with the new identity than when [I came] back as just an alumnus. I still feel a mutual respect by the kids as I did in past years when I came to help out at the band camp every summer.”

Q: What would your super power be if you could have one? A: “I would have super speed just because The Flash is one of my favorite super heroes. If I could change the past by going fast, that would be awesome.”

English Teacher

Q: What’s one thing you want your students to know about you? A: “One thing students should know about me is that I really care about the efforts that are put into their work. I want them to care about what they turn in [more] than just the final grade.”

Q: What did you do before coming here? A: “Before coming to SG, I went to PCC (Pasadena City College) for about four years and played in the marching band there. In my part time, I would work at a sandwich shop called Jimmy John’s. Recently in the past year, I worked at Temple Intermediate for Citrus [College] to go finish up my GEs (general education classes).”

Q: If you could visit anywhere, where would you go and why? A: “If I could visit anywhere, I would like to go visit Italy. Only because I did take two semesters of Italian at PCC, and seeing some sceneries online and through media, it really does seem like an awesome place to visit.”

Hanna Jalawan

PHOTO BY MEGAN TIEU

Elizabeth Proud English Teacher

Q: If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose? A: “I wouldn’t rename myself because for so long, my last name, Proud, has been something that, when I was younger, people would [make] fun [of], but as I got older I was proud of it. Recently, I changed to my married name, Pondo, [which] was hard to give my maiden name up.”

Q: How are you liking it here? A: “I honestly love it. I think the students are really respectful, and I have so many talented students that I am really excited to work with this year. I love the faculty. Everybody seems to be really collaborative and supportive of each other, and I could already tell that it has a very nice family-oriented atmosphere.” Q: What do you plan to accomplish this year? A: “My hope is to really help my students become better writers. I want them to become very confident in the words that they write and also in the words that they speak. Something I actually mentioned in my [job] interview was that I want my students to become masters of their own voice. So that’s what I intend to do: give them plenty of opportunities to express themselves.” Q: If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would you switch with and why? A: “I wouldn’t say there is one particular person, but I would want to switch lives with somebody who is very, very musically oriented. I think it would be so much fun to just go walk up to a piano, go at it, and start playing a song.”

ARTICLES BY QILIN LI, LU JUNE LIN, AARON LU, CLARA QUACH, ELSIE WANG, VIVIAN ZHENG GRAPHICS BY ECHO DIEU

PHOTO BY KATHERINE HUANG

Theresa Chumacero English Teacher