2
thematadorsghs.us
The matador
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
NEWS
Back to school night postponed, clubs lose money BY WALLY LAN Back to School Night was rescheduled to Oct. 10 due to a two-hour lockdown on Sept. 19, the original date for the event. Although this decision was made with the safety on campus in mind that night, certain clubs lost money. Principal Debbie Stone said that she decided to postpone the event after speaking with teachers that afternoon with careful consideration of staff and students. “I had probably a dozen staff members and teachers come to my office because I initially had said we will continue Back to School Night in an email,” Stone said. “Then, I had a dozen teachers come to me and say they just did not feel good. The impact of the lockdown had shaken them a little bit, and they did not feel that they would be able to focus.” Junior Peiying He said that postponing the event was understandable because the situation of the lockdown was unclear, bringing down her spirit. “ Un d e r s t a n d a b l y , m a n y p a r e n t s wanted their children back home i mme di a t e l y [a ft e r th e lock dow n ] , and many students still felt anxious,” He said. “We didn’t know if it was safe to stay or return onto campus.” The rescheduling caused complications with student groups such as Health Occupations Students o f Am e r i c a ( H O S A ) . B e c au s e t h e y were late to pick up their fundraiser drinks due t o t he lock d ow n , th eir customers had to wait longer than usual. When it was announced that the event was postponed, the club decided
PHOTO BY TANVI MAI
Student organizations, including Drama Club, held their fundraisers at Back to School Night on Oct. 10. Although ASB had to approve their fundraisers, due to the event being postponed rather than cancelled, their fundraiser was automatically transferred over. to cancel their other batches of orders. “When we got the first batch of Tpumps drinks we decided that our main goal was to try to at least break even with the fund,” HOSA s e c r e t a r y a n d s o p h o m o r e Jo h a n n a Sycip said, “[but] that didn’t go so well so we decided to just give free Tpumps b o b a w h i c h s a v e d p e o p l e m o n e y. ” Sycip said that HOSA ended up losing
money from the cancelled fundraiser, but the members dusted it off their shoulders and told themselves that they needed to start planning ahead on how they could get their money back. “Seeing people’s faces brighten up and [how] they were shocked that we were actually giving out free boba really made me not think about the aftermath of this,” Sycip said, “I would do
Tri-M opens roads for musically-inclined students
PHOTO BY LILY CAM
Tri-M, a new music honor society, is established by members of the Matador Band but is open to any student musician interested in joining. BY KIMBERLY QUIOCHO With the goal of recognizing students for their musical abilities and academic success, President senior Julia Liang and Vice President senior Kathy Nguyen formed Tri-M, a national music honor society formally known as Modern Music Masters. Musicians of all kinds can apply, from traditional instrument players to choir singers. “Realizing that it had been mentioned several times by the previous band council members of our school that they wanted cords for band, we decided to establish a chapter [for Tri-M],” Liang said. Tri-M not only caters to band members
but also to other students on campus who participate in music classes in and out of school. Students who take classes in separate institutions, attend private lessons, or perform in an ensemble may apply. “It is important for any band, group, or ensemble to be diverse in musical instruments so that no one section o v e r p o w e r s a n o t h e r, ” L i a n g s a i d . To apply, a student must have an unweighted grade point average of 3.0 or higher and at least two semesters of experience in music courses. Prospective students will be required to fill out an application for the 2019-20 school year. In the future, the club plans to be more selective in their application
process and implement an audition portion. “I felt a little anxious filling out the application because I truly didn’t know what to write,” sophomore Rachel Tran said. “Some answers required a lot of thinking, but what [do] you expect? It’s an honor society. They asked many things regarding your leadership skills and volunteer experience. There’s also a couple questions about your experience with music.” Tri-M aims to strengthen the school’s music program and reward students who uphold the four pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Members must attend meetings regularly and complete seven hours of volunteer work, which includes music-related service projects like teaching music to children. Seniors will receive a cord for graduation after fulfilling the requirements. “I wanted to join because I am already a member of band and [Tri-M] seemed like something to add onto it,” senior Jason Kwok said. “There is a sort of incentive in the form of a cord, so that’s basically a reward for being in band all these years.” The club plans to hold performances in coffee shops, elementary schools, and senior citizen homes to give members an opportunity to perform in new places. Tri-M members will also help set up concerts and performances being held within campus or off-campus. “If someone loves music and wants to join an honors society, Tri-M is a perfect club for them,” Tran said. “They’ll be in an environment with other people that also love music and can also gain leadership skills and volunteer experience.” Meetings will be held Tuesdays during lunch in M-1 or PA-120.
it all over again to see someone smile.” Although student groups lost money, Stone said that she was not notified of major losses from this. “To me, typically, if I don’t hear directly from the [club] president, it’s not an issue,” Stone said. “If someone feels strongly about it, they’ll go to [Ms. Ferguson], and then she will bring it to me and work with the club.”
THE MATADOR Editors-in-Chief, Print
Lauren Ballesteros
Editor-in-Chief, Digital
Kimberly Quiocho
Managing Editor News Editors
Opinions Editors Focus Editors Life and Art Editors Sports Editor
Features Editors Copy Editors Photo/Video Editors Graphics Editor
Business Managers Media Managers Reporters
Elsie Wang Katie Phan
Wally Lan
Melody Zhang Aaron Lu
Sally Pham
Chelsea Nguyen Zhou Ye Xin
Ivy Ho
Ken Yu
Eric Mai
Andrew Lam Qilin Li
Amanda Lerma Brandon Tran Tanvi Mai
Megan Tieu
Winnefer Wu
Wendy Chau
Cissy Lu
Mytam Le
Tiffany Nguygen
Lily Cam
Leane Che
Tammy Vuong Irene Yue
Adviser
Hanna Jalawan
The Matador is published monthly by the
journalism class of San Gabriel High School. 1,000
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. Jalawan’s mailbox.
NEWS
thematadorsghs.us
The matador
THURSdaY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
Students join call for action against climate change BY IVY HO
As a result of the Global Climate Strike, a series of massive coordinated international strikes from Sept. 20-27 that raised awareness about government inaction on climate change, students across the globe, including some from our school, are now motivated to take matters into their own hands. Freshman environmentalist Cindy Tong took a bus alone from San Gabriel to Pershing Square to participate in the Global Climate Strike on Sept. 20. She wanted to promote the message of Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist who started the strike, advocating that climate change affects not only people, but all living things. “This message is connected to many young people because it’s our future,” Tong said. “We’re going to have to live with all the decisions that are being made today.”
Junior Nathan Wong, who plans to major in environmental science, said that this message had a significant impact on people since many of them chose to participate in this particular strike. “Never before has there been a climate strike such as this,” Wong said. “Millions of people have been united under a single cause, to raise awareness of the great damage, great change, and the overwhelming need to do something—anything, to fight back against climate change.” The popularity and success of this specific strike was mostly due to the fact it was promoted through the hashtag #ClimateStrike on various social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram. “Through this hashtag, people shared their diverse
stories about climate strikes in their communities, inspiring many others to do the same,” junior Jordan Sycip said. “I believe that it was this domino effect of impactful sharing that led to the involvement of many communities for this strike.” In addition to raised awareness about the climate crisis, people became conscious about how to live sustainably. Eco-friendly alternatives such as reusable straws are quickly becoming a popular item amongst those beginning to live more sustainable lifestyles. “To an individual, it might not seem like much, but you’d be saving 365 [plastic] straws by switching to a reusable one,” Tong said. “Multiply that by tons of other people and you’ve just saved millions of straws from entering oceans or landfills.” Although current government inaction is a concern for many, students believe that a difference can be made in the world if more individuals join the movement. “Do not underestimate the power of the individual,” Wong said. “Every person counts as does every single action to protect the environment. Research, volunteer, and contribute to this cause to make a difference.”
GRAPHIC BY WINNEFER WU
Administration sheds light on ongoing mosquito infestation BY TIFFANY NGUYGEN
In the wake of student complaints about an increased mosquito presence, the administration has taken preventative measures to reduce the mosquito population on campus. Assistant Principal of Business and Activities Diana Diaz-Ferguson has been in contact with the San Gabriel Valley Vector Control Department to exterminate mosquitoes on campus. “They are working with [the administration] to inspect the campus and assist us in taking the necessary steps to ensure attractive breeding grounds for these mosquitoes do not exist,” Diaz-Ferguson said in an e-mail addressed to staff members. In addition to outside help, DiazFerguson is working with the custodial team to target mosquito larvae in the water sources around the school. “[The] district facilities [team] is working with our site grounds to manage preventative measures such as standing water and open access areas,” DiazFerguson said. “As a part of this effort, [the custodial team] is surveying the campus and looking at areas that are hard to see like roofs and gutters.” Plant foreman Jonathan Gray, who is leading the removal of mosquitoes from the campus, recognized their recurring presence as a result
of the high temperatures typical of the County of Los Angeles. Though various students theorize that the mosquitoes come from the air conditioning vents within the classrooms, Gray said that the vents may not be a plausible origin. “I would say that [the origin] is an outside source [like] a window or an open door,” Gray said. “If it was the vents, we would find more evidence that there is stagnant water outside of a vent that would blow [the mosquitoes] into the [classroom], and that is highly unlikely.” For the past two years, social studies teacher Raymond Gin has noticed a sudden increase of mosquitoes in his A-building classroom. As a result, students are often distracted when a mosquito appears during a lesson. “I try to minimize [the mosquito distraction],” Gin said, “but every once in awhile, you’ll hear a student clap.” Junior Shirley Hau often gets bitten by mosquitoes at school and notes that the cafeteria, football field, and restrooms are the most mosquitoprone locations on
campus. Though Hau understands that fixing the issue is a difficult task, she believes the school should increase their prevention measures. “ Wi t h o u t j e o p a r d i z i n g t h e health of the students, the school could spray pesticide from above to kill the mosquitoes,” Hau said. Until there is an official update about mosquitoes not being an issue anymore by the administration, DiazFerguson advises students to wear longsleeved clothing and apply mosquito repellent to prevent themselves from getting bit. She encourages students to notify the office if a mosquito is seen. “If you notice areas on our school campus that you feel need attention, please continue to report it to me,” DiazFerguson said. “By working together, we can help reduce the [mosquito] impact on our campus.”
Mosquitoes tend to breed and lay eggs in areas where stagnant water is present, such as the football field, garden, gutters, and the wash. In order to combat the mosquito issue, Plant Foreman Jonathan Gray uses tablets that kill mosquito larvae in water sources that drain out to the wash. PHOTOS BY MEGAN TIEU
3
briefs Ferguson addresses bathroom complaints BY WALLY LAN
Assistant Principal of Business and Activities Diana Diaz-Ferguson responded to recent complaints regarding the restroom quality. She said that outside of school hours, a custodian cleans the restrooms, to keep them “up to code” and “provide students with a safe environment.” “In terms of maintenance and repairs that go beyond cleaning, work orders are submitted for these repairs,” Diaz-Ferguson said. “These are addressed by site custodial staff, district facilities staff, and contractors.” The soap dispensers in all of the bathrooms have been replaced, and one of the two urinals in the boys bathroom in P-building has been uninstalled.
Chaturvedi hosts clothing drive against dementia BY ELSIE WANG
In an effort to raise money for research in Alzheimer’s, junior Hritika Chaturvedi is collaborating with ASB to host a clothing drive from Oct. 7 to Nov. 22. What had initially began as a neighborhood grassroots movement quickly grew into an Alhambra community and schoolwide clothing drive. Chaturvedi encourages more students to participate, whether through a club or individually. “It would be wonderfully impactful if even a tenth of each grade level at our school could contribute,” Chaturvedi said. Students interested in donating clothes can go to M-1, the library, or contact Chaturvedi.
Culinary Club fuels love for cooking BY LILY CAM
Culinary Club offers a space for students to express their interest in cooking. It strives to create a welcoming environment in which members of all levels can join. Sophomore President Kayleigh Young opened the club with the hopes of hosting cooking competitions. The club already hosted a breakfast competition on Oct. 2, and plans to host more. Meetings will be held every Wednesday in H-5.
Students take the stage at Open Mic Night BY QILIN LI
Drama Club hosted Open Mic Night on Oct. 11 in the Little Theater from 4-6 p.m. for students to showcase their talents in a safe space. The lineup included dancing, singing, and film productions. “It was a way for people to get together and be a family—SG’s about having a family,” senior event coordinator Aiyhana Segundo said. S e n i o r Ti n a C h u o n g s a n g two songs during the event. “I wanted to get rid of my stage fright and prove to myself that I could perform in front of a crowd,” Chuong said. The event ended by encouraging audience members to perform on stage. The club foresees hosting the event again next semester.
To read the full articles, visit www.thematadorsghs.us.
4
thematadorsghs.us
The matador
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
“Wen” to be myself
opinions
Editorial
Unspirited students demand more spirit Wendy Chau Odd one out
S
pending the majority of my time and energy building up my parents’ ideal image of me, I spent my childhood questioning whether I should gratify my parents’ values or my own. This all started when I asked my parents why they decided to have three children. Their answer: “We wanted to have a son and daughter.” Pondering their response, I concluded that my older sister and younger brother fulfilled their wishes. My sister assumed the role the oldest sibling and my parents’ personal translator. She was responsible for taking care of me and my brother and will soon become my parents’ financial supporter. My brother is the youngest sibling and is the missing piece to my parents’ ideal family. I, on the other hand, was unnecessary, roleless, and a financial burden. I believed I was their failed attempt to have a son. This epiphany led me to feel the need to prove my worth. I would strive to be academically successful, and to my parents, who deeply valued it, that meant winning awards and earning outstanding grades. I participated in various academic competitions in subjects such as math and social studies, and confined myself to academic classes that were not fun, in my opinion. This practice became the norm for me, and my parents expected no less. The toxic idea I internalized of having to prove my self-worth through academics contradicted my passion for the visual arts. As I increased my academic workload over the years, I spent less time on hobbies I enjoyed which caused me to feel stuck and hopeless. I became ill-tempered and frustrated, and the knowledge and experiences I valued that school provided for me lost their importance. This led to my first burnout and depressive episode, which was further fueled by the guilt that other people did not have the same opportunities I have. My stress and sorrow accumulated to a point where my family and I could not tolerate the negativity that plagued me. I often lashed out on my parents when I was stressed and magnified every minor inconvenience. I woke up unwilling to go to school, and suicidal thoughts would incessantly play in my mind throughout the day. These thoughts made me feel even worse when I considered the privileges I was born with. My parents confronted this about me, telling me that I wasn’t like this in the past. They asked me for the reason why I changed, but being inexperienced in sharing my feelings and vulnerability, I refused to tell them about the baggage I carried. I thought doing so would make me look weak. Instead, I decided to get out of this dip in my life myself by coming to terms with both my parents and my own interests. Starting my junior year, I adopted extracurriculars and classes that I use as outlets for my creativity and decided to take visual arts classes alongside my usual academic courses. Although I still feel overwhelmed by the workload, I now feel less stress and enjoy my classes more compared to previous school years. My parents asked me again this year about my change in character and we spent two hours opening our hearts to each other for the first time.
P
articipation from students is clearly absent in the school community. It is impossible to attain a strong school community if students are not vocal about what they want to see in the school or if they do not make the effort to implement changes, such as encourage their peers to be more school-spirited. A strong school community consists of active participation from the students. Examples include attending games or plays to show support for their peers, engaging in spirit weeks, or even attempting to work with administration to make improvements. Without student participation, school does not foster a sense of belonging—students feel out of place and uncomfortable because they may feel voiceless or deprived of connections with students and staff. This influences overall performance in school because it creates a tense environment and students may not feel supported by their peers or teachers on an academic or emotional level. Many students are unaware that they are part of their own problem. There is minimal participation during
spirit weeks, in cheering during rallies, and attendance in after school events. Students often prioritize talking to their friends during rallies or hanging out with friends outside of school rather than attending fundraisers and after school events., like football games. Although it is easy to accuse student organizations in charge of preparing school events, students do not realize they are also responsible in shaping the school community and maintaining it. Furthermore, if students desire a school-bound community thriving in spirit and exciting events, there should be engagement with other students of the same mentality to bring changes. A tight-knit community simply cannot be achieved through popular alternatives, such as complaints among themselves or quiet distaste. Students need to abandon the negative perception that they do not have the capability to make changes. They must understand they are an essential component in molding the school culture into their ideal through means of showing school spirit or voicing their own suggestions for improved school events.
Students tend to become critical when school events like pep rallies are not as exciting as they would like them to be. As a result, ASB, which has the goal of driving school spirit, is held accountable for dull school events. However, ASB should only be held partly responsible if students do not make an effort to spark school spirit— let alone attend these events. Although it is true that student body organizations can do more for the students, such as utilizing student input to satisfy what the majority desires and trying new ideas, there is no possibility of change unless students take action and vocalize their beliefs or proposals in a productive way. All in all, school is a platform for students to contribute to and create what they want—a school with spirit and exciting events. Students must make the effort to accomplish what they desire, within reason, through personal involvement, collaboration with other students who have the same goal, and abandonment of the nonconstructive criticism. These actions will foster the community they want to be a part of.
Students’ call for more school spirit BY WINNEFER WU
Internet dominates everyday life BY CISSY LU
O
verusage of Internet causes many problems in society, behavior, and consumer lifestyles. Keeping up with friends and family through social media, Google searching, and streaming movies on sites like Netflix and Hulu, have become part of a student’s daily routine. Much of a student’s time is spent on the Internet as it is used for almost everything. Since students use it so much, it causes them to be addicted. In terms of social connections, students use the Internet to communicate online and build friendships. Though it allows them to broaden their field of communication, it reduces their social skills since many of them rather talk online than in person. Instead of socializing in real life, students go online and isolate themselves. This has caused them to become more antisocial and lack direct communication abilities,. The Internet is important for building culture since many trends are shared
online. Internet memes have played a role in the development of the culture of today’s generation. As a result of Internet culture, negative or unethical behavior is heavily influenced by online users. These ‘influencers’ have affected society through
the way students speak, act, and feel. Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is also significant in daily lives as students rely on Amazon and other e-commerce sites for affordable goods and services. The transition to the digital market makes sites easier to access and is often
less time-consuming. E-commerce has become so popular that many retailers, such as Sears and Macy’s, started to shut down. Physical change can be seen as malls and other retailers become less populated and empty. This shift in the digital market and ease of access can cause people to impulsively purchase unnecessary products and splurge on services, such as Postmates and Uber. The Internet is innovative and moving humanity towards the future. Although that may be true, if students continue to allow the Internet to take over their daily lives, they can suffer all the consequences that come with being too reliant on it. Intensive use of the Internet can cause addiction since it is a major part of their lives unless it is carefully controlled. This obsessive behavior makes it difficult to live without it but can be easily moderated by having a set time for Internet use. By doing so, benefits such as improved social skills, behavior, and being less distracted can make students’ busy lives much easier. ILUSTRATION BY KIMBERLY QUIOCHO
DISCLAIMER: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE ATTRIBUTED WRITER. ARTICLES WITHOUT BYLINES ARE THE OPINION OF THE STAFF.
The matador
OPINIONS
thematadorsghs.us THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
School bulletin needs more exposure BY ANDREW LAM
O
ne of the most important resources at school is the school bulletin. It informs students of school activities, ways to get involved in the school community, and scholarship opportunities. Homeroom teachers are responsible for reading the bulletin to their secondperiod class, or at least posting it in their classroom, but a majority do not carry out these basic expectations. The resulting lack of information from the teachers’ neglect of their duties causes some students to be unaware of school activities or scholarship opportunities. This serious issue has a simple solution: the school bulletin must be made more accessible by announcing it to the class and recontinuing the uploading of the bulletin onto the school’s website. The school bulletin is an extremely useful resource for students to take advantage of upcoming scholarships, but its lack of accessibility causes students to be needlessly unaware of these important opportunities. Although students are able to go to the College and Career Center to find these scholarships, some students may not have time or not know where to go. Reading or posting the school bulletin in the classroom guarantees that a greater number of students can take advantage of the available money for college.
Many fun activities such as student art galleries happen around campus but need student involvement to be successful. The school bulletin is a helpful tool for enticing students to partake in these activities. However, the information would reach interested students more effectively if the bulletin were more accessible. If teachers would only announce the bulletin to their
homeroom classes, there is a better chance of reaching these students and boosting school participation. A possible reason why teachers do not read the school bulletin is that it takes away from their lesson time. This is an unacceptable excuse because this lost time has been accounted for: homeroom classes are lengthened by two minutes. With this
extra time, teachers can quickly read the school bulletin to their students. Secondperiod teachers should read the school bulletin to fulfill their basic duties and inform their students, especially since it should not take away from their teaching time. According to Business and Activities Secretary Khrystyne Tran-Lien, the school bulletin has not been discontinued for the 2019-20 school year and the mass emails with the school bulletin are still being sent to teachers. This means that teachers are simply refusing to announce it to their homeroom class. If the bulletin is not being read, then it should at least be posted somewhere visible in the classroom. For example, if it were posted on the whiteboard, students would be able to see it as they walk in. Additionally, the regular uploading of the bulletin onto the school’s website should be resumed as another way to disseminate important information. Continuing to create the school bulletin and sending it out, but not having it made easily accessible to students, is absolutely pointless and ultimately defeats the bulletin’s purpose of informing. Leaving students unaware of school events and of certain scholarships are issues that could be easily resolved by the continuation of the bulletin’s announcement by homeroom teachers and the posting of the bulletin onto the school’s website. ILLUSTRATION BY ZHOU YE XIN
Grad Bash: the perfect post-exam treat BY WENDY CHAU
K
eeping senior activities helps commemorate their final year of high school in a unique way. Such events include senior breakfast, senior sunrise, and the most well-known event among seniors, Grad Bash at Universal Studios. Many students see Grad Bash, which is set to be on May 15, as a conflict for seniors who have AP Computer Science in the morning or AP Statistics in the afternoon exams on the same day. Seniors who are hesitant about attending the event due to the inconvenient scheduling for Grad Bash should go, if initially interested, nonetheless. After all, because Universal Studios gives first priority to out-of-state high schools when selecting a date, not much can be accomplished with the limited dates that are offered to in-state high schools: many options are blocked out for this year’s Grad Bash.
As a result of the unideal scheduling, a misconception formed among seniors: some believe that this schedule conflict
would prevent students taking the AP exams from getting their money’s worth at Grad Bash because they would have to arrive later than others after taking their exams.
This year, all seniors attending Grad Bash will arrive to Universal Studios by bus after 5 p.m., which means that transportation will not be an issue for the students. Furthermore, the event does not officially start until after 7 p.m., when the park is closed for high school students to have exclusive access. Since the park is open to a limited amount of people, students will be able to roam freely and experience most, if not all, of the rides without the hassle of waiting in long lines. In other words, arriving early does not necessarily allow students to gain maximum experience of Grad Bash. Overall, seniors interested in going to Grad Bash will arrive at the same time together with no one left behind, meaning the schedule, which may have been seen as a “conflict,” is not necessarily one. Regardless, Grad Bash marks a celebratory moment of senior year, and seniors no longer have to worry about time conflicts. ILLUSTRATION BY WINNEFER WU
The Matador Bullring Do students show enough school spirit?
“ “
Students show enough spirit because I see people wear school [shirts] and talk about our school in a good way.” -Kandy Mao, 9th grade
PHOTOS BY TANVI MAI
[Students] do not because when I walk in the hallways, I don’t see a lot of people showing school spirit. Students should participate in spirit week more.” -Michelle Garcia, 10th grade
“ “
Students don’t show enough school spirit, and they should [participate in] spirit week if they want.”
I don’t see many people [showing] school spirit. School spirit makes the campus more lively and makes people want to interact more.” -Amanda Huang, 12th grade
-Ernie Perez, 11th grade
INTERVIEWS BY LILY CAM
5
If “any” doubts
Tiffany Nguygen
Skinny but secure
Y
ellow used to be a color I never wore. It represented the desire to stand out—a desire that I never had. When I look back on photos of my middle school years, all the memories I have buried deep within myself come rushing back in bittersweet waves. Since the thunderous clouds that rolled in during seventh and eighth grade, my insecurities have washed away and a more confident version of myself shines in its wake. I think I just have a negatively distorted image of what those years were like because I remember an extremely awkward and antisocial middle schooler with little to no friends and a lack of confidence. In hindsight, I should have asked for more emotional support because I just really needed someone to talk to. I had so little confidence that I never wanted to show any part of my body. My arms were consistently hidden behind a zipped grey jacket so that my repulsively-skinny wrists would never see the light of day. No one else made me feel insecure about my skinny and rectangular body—it was just me. I hated my thigh gap, which was why it was always masked with blue skinny jeans that were ever-so-slightly loose enough to give the illusion that I didn’t have one to begin with. A single glance that remotely resembled discontent would send me into spirals of self-doubt. Essentially, middle school was a repeating cycle of endless self-loathing. That is not to say that I hated the experience of middle school itself. If anything, those years provided me with seminal lessons that taught me that I only have one body and there is no benefit to moping around. I also had supportive friends and an older brother throughout the first years of high school that helped cushion my ups and downs and grew alongside me without judgement. I now keep those memories of sadness and pain in the back of my head in order to inspire me to always progress as an individual—to never let myself return to the unhappy and unconfident person I was before. I didn’t wake up one day and finally feel happier. I just hated always having heavy rainfall clouding my thoughts and I eventually took action over the course of several years. Even now, I still find myself struggling on several occasions to abide by my expectations because of my hasty shift to a more bubbly and outgoing disposition in sophomore year. It wasn’t necessarily that I put on a new and false persona to escape the dreadful memories of middle school. The bubbliness and energy always resided within me. It just took some time to draw out from the shadows. As a junior, I think I am at a point in my life where I can say that I am relatively comfortable with myself. I may still wear loose clothing or put on shoes that make me look taller, but it is no longer because I want to hide my body. I do it because it makes me feel more confident. My skinniness is not a major insecurity that prevents me from enjoying life and keeps me up at night anymore. If seventh grade Tiffany saw who she would become in just a few years, she would be shocked to see that the rain clouds were eventually replaced with sun.
6
thematadorsghs.us
The matador
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
FOCUS
EMBRACING OUR OUR DIFFEREN DIFFERE EMBRACING DIVERSITY AT SCHOOL DEVELOPS OVER TIME BY IRENE YUE In the 1970s, the school demographic consisted of mostly Caucasians and Latinos. With the emergence of Latino immigrants from Mexico and El Savador in the ‘60s; Asian immigrants from the Philippines, Vietnam, and China in the late ‘70s; and black immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica, and other African countries like Nigeria in the ‘80s, the school embraced additional ethnic cultures. According to the New York Times, an influx of Asian and African American immigrants moved to the San Gabriel Valley due to job opportunities and
overpopulation in their mother country, resulting in a cultural diffusion. The socialization of diverse students influenced individuals to learn more about various Latino, Caucasian, African American, and Asian cultures. The school has taken steps to represent these different ethnicities by providing a lunch menu that rotates weekly. Meals such as nachos, ramen, and pho help introduce students to foods that represent the student demographic. Additionally, clubs like the Co-Exist Club, Chinese Drama C l u b, Mu l t i c u l t u r a l D a n c e Club, and Association of Latin American Students assist in the
promotion of different ethnicities present on campus. These clubs provide students with a space to feel united within their own cultures and help build a sense of belonging at school. Students in these organizations are also able to collaborate to create ways to showcase their culture and educate others. Through new lunch menu items and clubs, the school continues to provide a platform for diverse student backgrounds. In the last 30 years, ethnic influence has become increasingly embraced and celebrated as students on campus are offered more outlets to share who they are and where they came from.
SPRINGING INTO LUNAR NEW YEAR BY MYTAM LE As senior Wendy Gip and her parents lay brightly colored flowers and food on the Buddha altar, warmth begins to build up in her heart. She knows that Lunar New Year will be arriving and soon it will be time for her to celebrate the new year with her family once again. The Lunar New Year is celebrated among many Asian cultures, including C h i n e s e , Vi e t n a m e s e , K o r e a n , and Tibetan. The holiday gives an opportunity for people, to have fun and enjoy family time. Every year Gip goes to at least one temple and prays with her family. In addition, she receives red envelopes with money inside, which married couples give to symbolize sharing their wealth with unmarried children in the family. “My favorite moment with my family is eating at the dinner table because it is a time for us to talk to one another,” Gip said. “I feel happy that they are around me.” Many families begin preparing for Lunar New Year early to make
sure everything is perfect. Gip enjoys decorating and preparing for the Lunar New Year with her mom. “It’s really fun to go find the perfect flowers with my mom at the flower district [in] Downtown L.A. and buy all types of incense to pray with,” Gip said. Like most holidays, Lunar New Year has a lot of history and meaning behind it. Although people may celebrate the holiday differently, it is a time for all to understand their heritage more. Gip said that Lunar New Year has played an important role in shaping who she is. “Lunar New Year made me more aware of what my culture has to offer and how it became an outlet for my whole family to come together and spend time with one another,” Gip said. Throughout the year, Gip’s family is busy, and it is difficult for everyone to spend time together, so Lunar New Year is the perfect time for her whole family to be together. “This holiday is important to me because I love how it brings my family together,” Gip said. “It’s a way to celebrate our culture.”
BY MYTAM LE
Sophomore Joshua Prieto stands outside with his family, laughing and celebrating Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, at the cemetery. His face is painted to resem a skeleton, and as he looks around, he sees children laughing and running around as mariachi music plays in the background. He sees the pictures of his ancestors with bright marigolds dispersed throughout the cemetery. Día de los Muertos is a day that Lat Americans devote to celebrate the life deceased family members, rather than mourning their death. Latin American choose to celebrate the deaths of their ancestors with vibrant colors and remember all of the good they have done. The holiday is held from Oct. 31 Nov. 2, but many families prepare for big celebration weeks in advance.
FOCUS
ENCES NCES
ble e
e
tin e of n ns r
1 to the
thematadorsghs.us
The matador
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
STUDENTS REPRESENT THEIR CULTURE IN DIFFERENT WAYS
KEEPING MEMORIES ALIVE “We dedicate that day to them and appreciate [the] life they had on Earth since we believe they should never be forgotten,” Prieto said. Día de los Muertos allows Prieto to understand that commemorating his ancestor’s life is better than being unhappy that they have passed. He and his family go to church and pray to God and La Virgen de Guadalupe, also known as the Virgin Mary; to honor them, they light candles. “It [brings] me joy knowing that my ancestors will never be forgotten in my family and in my culture,” Prieto said. “I feel proud to be Mexican and I am grateful for my family and culture’s food, music, [and] traditions.” The various foods and decorations are one of the many components of the holiday. A few traditional foods include caramel flan, tamales, and pozole, a traditional Mexican soup with vegetables
and meat. Prieto’s favorite food is pan de muerto, a traditional Mexican sweet bread. Along with the different foods, many colorful and unique decorations are used and handmade. Some include decorated sugar skulls and marigolds, a traditional flower mainly used during the celebration. “As a child, I remember going to the cemetery, and there, they had face painting of skulls,” Prieto said. “[I was] also able to make paper orange flowers and decorate frames to put pictures in and sugar skulls for loved ones who passed.” Día de los Muertos allows Prieto to be not only a stronger person, but also a person who has a greater connection with his culture and identity. “It’s a very beautiful holiday. It’s important that I keep it alive so that it can live in my culture and to make sure it doesn’t die out,” Prieto said.
THOUGHTS ON CULTURE AT SCHOOL
“[Meeting people with different cultures] is pretty important because it gives you new aspects of how everything is. You can meet people [and] try [new] things. It’s nice to see how people are.”
SOFIA IVETH BELLOSO 9TH GRADE
“Diversity is important because you get to see people that are different than yourself. You get to see how they live and interact with other people. Honestly, I don’t think there are many ways to promote diversity, but I think multicultural get-togethers [would] work.”
BRANDON KIM 10TH GRADE
“[The school has] a lot of ethnic cultures. I would say it’s important to implicate many cultures and people into one area, so there’s no narrowmindedness [among] anybody. I wouldn’t know many ways to promote diversity, besides just making sure that everyone is participating with each other, making friends, and just being around good people.” ASHLEY DUONG 11TH GRADE
“If you don’t see the different kinds of people in your community, it’s really hard to develop [open-minded] perceptions. [You] can get really wrapped up in stereotypes that you’re expected to conform to. I think one way we can be more diverse is through our clubs because a lot of clubs are race oriented or [have a] particular race in certain clubs.” JASON LOU GONZALEZ 12TH GRADE
SURVEY QUESTIONS BY TAMMY VUONG PHOTOS BY TAMMY VUONG GRAPHICS BY ZHOU YE XIN
7
8
thematadorsghs.us THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
The Matador
LIfe and art
Chan matures through modeling BY AMANDA LERMA
PHOTO BY MEGAN TIEU
Balancing a life of modeling and attending school is an obstacle junior Shana Chan must face to continue participating in photoshoots.
The camera clicks as junior Shana Chan poses, staring at the photographer behind the camera. Maintaining an aura of confidence, she shifts, twisting her body to strike a new pose for another set of photos. Her body leans against the railing, hand tucked under her chin as hair spills over her shoulders. Despite the practiced angles, Chan is relatively new to professional modeling due to her start last April. “I first got into modeling when I started posting on Instagram,” Chan said. “A couple agencies reached out to me, and my current agency stood out to me the most.” Working with Hannah Noelle Models, Chan is contacted whenever a modeling opportunity arises, giving her the choice to partake in a photoshoot. Once she accepts an opportunity, she heads to a location provided by her agency and quickly gets ready. While the outfit is usually preset, makeup is either chosen by the company or herself. Depending on the shoot, there may be multiple outfit and makeup changes. “Modeling for me is fun,” Chan said. “I don’t really take it too seriously, but it makes me feel empowered as I’m the one in front of the camera. I’m able to relieve my stress, and I’m free to do what I want when taking pictures.” Although she poses confidently for the camera, Chan recognizes the emotional strain modeling imposes. While always assuming modeling is difficult, she never expected how nervous she would be during shoots. The feeling of eyes constantly
watching her causes insecurity, even with the final feeling of empowerment. “Modeling takes a hit on my self esteem,” Chan said. “I’m scared that I won’t meet the agency’s expectations.” Since she barely began modeling this year, Chan is still getting used to modeling. Even as poses come naturally to her, working around those who have been involved in modeling longer can be nerve-wracking. “They’re more experienced and know what they’re doing,” Chan said. “I worry that I’m not as good as them.” Despite these insecurities, she continues modeling to encourage herself not to focus on others’ opinions and instead look at the positive aspects of modeling. Chan uses her experiences to learn how to love herself more and gain confidence. Even when focusing on the bright side, modeling is hard to balance with academics as she finds herself struggling sometimes. “Time management is extremely important as I’m still in high school and have homework to finish,” Chan said. “But, I dedicate time to modeling because I like it.” For those interested in professional modeling, social media is a great start as agencies need to see past work. While it may be stressful, Chan advises others who are interested in modeling to enjoy the process and have fun. “Don’t worry too much about what others are thinking about you when you’re participating in a photoshoot,” Chan said. “Be yourself, always.”
MATADOR MUSE
PHOTO BY TANVI MAI
The iPhone 11 comes in six colors, including the special edition, Red, which funds Product Red, an organization dedicated to fighting against AIDS and HIV.
Students zoom in on new specs of iPhone 11 BY ERIC MAI
After launching a new array of iPhone 11 models, Apple fueled the frenzy for their latest phone. A key feature of the new device that attracts many students is its processing power. “My favorite feature is its performance because I was using a really slow phone and it’s really nice to have a big speed upgrade,” junior Jason Phung said. The iPhone 11 features two HD cameras that can capture wider pictures than any of its predecessors. “I really took the iPhone camera for granted,” Phung said. “After finding out how bad cameras are on my LG phone, I came to appreciate them. I expected just a decent camera, but it’s better than I thought.” Additionally, Apple’s models after the iPhone X have newer forms of text messaging like Animoji, which is a fun way for students to communicate with their friends. “My favorite Animoji is either the monkey or the dog,” sophomore Phong Phong said.
“My friends and I just send Animojis to each other because we’re lazy to text. I have a lot of fun with them, and I think these moments are memorable.” Although this new model features many improvements, some students still aren’t that impressed. “To be honest, Apple is just like Samsung,” sophomore Sharon Cao said. “The camera quality and the phone design are the same as Samsung.” The disappearance of the home button on the iPhone 11 also makes its usage slightly inefficient for some students. “I honestly thought the home button was easier to use because now, sometimes when I’m playing games, I swipe out of the app accidentally,” junior Jessica Luu said. Since its faults are relatively trivial for students, the iPhone 11 stands as a typical release from Apple. “The iPhone 11 didn’t exceed my expectations,” Luu said. “It met them, but I don’t think I have anything in mind right now that I would like to see in future phones.”
ILLUSTRATION BY KELLY TRIEU, 10
If you would like to submit a poem or artwork to The Matador, visit H2 or e-mail sghsthematador@gmail.com
and
THE MATADOR
SPORTS
Varsity Football squashes Aztecs in third seasonal win BY TANVI MAI
R e ga r d l e s s o f the countless runbacks and constant ball turnovers, t h e
Senior wide receiver Shawn Campbell (19) scored three touchdowns in the last two quarters of the game on Oct. 4.
Matadors stampeded over the Mark Keppel Aztecs on their home turf with a glorious victory of 38-21 on Oct. 4. The Matadors went head to head against the Aztecs during Keppel’s senior night game. Mark Keppel’s stadium was filled, readied with players and teams cheering with excitement. Not only was the audience ready for the action, but so was senior Wesly Szeto, offensive and defensive left tackle. “Right before the start of the game, I had blood pumping throughout my body,” Szeto said. “I felt confident that we would win.” During the first quarter, the ball was continually thrown back and forth with little to no points scored. The ball was turned over to opposing sides, failures occurring with teams trying to get past each other’s defense. “ W e r e a l l y d i d underestimate them,” Szeto said. “However, after the first half, we got our mindset right and scored many touchdowns to win the game.” The second quarter commenced with the crowd anxious about who will score the first touchdown. Two minutes in, senior running back Ives Morales scored the first touchdown of the night, causing the crowd to go wild. With a successful kick, the Matadors were up by seven points.
With four minutes left of the second quarter, the Aztecs scored their first touchdown, drawing the score 7-7. Two minutes later, the Aztecs surprisingly scored another touchdown, surpassing the Matadors. Just as the audience thought the score was set, senior wide receiver William Velasco scored another touchdown, locking the score 14-14 with just 47 seconds left on the clock. Third quarter began with senior wide receiver Shawn Campbell completing a pass and scoring a touchdown. “It felt good helping out my team during the touchdown,” Campbell said. “It was very exciting to run really fast with the ball.” As both teams made incomplete passes, tackles, and penalties, the crowd made various cheers. Five more m i n u t e s i n , C a m p b e l l o n c e a ga i n took advantage and snuck past the opponent, scoring another touchdown. “I just followed what my coach told me to do,” Campbell said. “I just ran and ran until I scored a touchdown and until I did, it felt good.” It was exhilarating for the Matadors as victory was in sight. Right as quarter four began, Campbell scored a touchdown, setting the score to 29-14 at two minutes left. However, the Aztecs were able to score one more touchdown, bumping their score to 21. “I feel like we improved a lot compared to last year,” Campbell said, “Hopefully we can go to CIF this year.” Following the countdown to the last minute, the Matadors managed to push through, scoring a touchdown once more and finishing the game off 38-21. “Keep grinding, going hard and finally do what you do best,” Campbell said. Wi n n i n g t h e p r e v i o u s g a m e s , the Matadors continue to train and work hard for their next game a g a i n s t A l h a m b r a t o m o r r o w.
thematadorsghs.us Thursday, October 17, 2019
9
Tutorial: Tennis Serve
Step One: Stance Position your feet so that the left foot is in front, pointing towards the net post, and the right foot stands parallel to the baseline. Step Two: Continental Grip Grip the racket like a hammer with your dominant hand and hold the racket with the edge perpendicular to the ground. Step Three: Toss Hold the ball at the fingertips of your non-dominant hand. Bend your knees and toss with a straight arm using only your shoulder joint and release the ball around eye level. Step Four: Swing As you bring your racket back, your shoulders should turn as you are reaching up towards the ball. Pronate your forearm so that the racket impacts the ball head-on. Step Five: Follow Through Your body will rotate forward, so the arm should continue to extend out as far as possible after contact and travel downwards. It will cross in front of your body and finish around the hip area. WRITTEN BY LEANE CHE GRAPHIC BY WINNEFER WU
PHOTO BY TANVI MAI
New District AD: Heather Semelmacher BY LEANE CHE
T h e Al h a m b r a Un i f i e d S c h o o l D i s t r i c t ( AU S D ) h a s d e c i d e d t o implement a new position in the athletic department—district athletic director. Heather Semelmacher from Mark Keppel High School (MKHS) was appointed as the district athletic director (AD). AUSD wanted to incorporate a district AD to enhance athletics. According to Kirsten Neilson, the new on-site AD and current cheer adviser, Semelmacher brings expertise to the program and is vigorously working on improving the athletic department at all three high schools in the district. “I think [Semelmacher] has been working to streamline the physical process,” Neilson said. “I know she’s really pushing us to become digitized on our sport physicals so our coaches don’t have to carry around a large amount of paperwork. She’s also working on making sure we are all CIF and Title Nine compliant.” Semelmacher is excited to be a part of the school and hopes to expand and support each school equally. To improve the athletic department, Semelmacher wants to bring in more student athletes participating in more than one sport. She also wants to bring more spirit and morale to the campus through team spirit and student support. “[Our number one concern is] making this as smooth of a transition as possible so none of the athletes or coaches feel like they lost a full-time AD,” Semelmacher said. “I’m trying to be active at all three sites on a weekly basis, daily basis, and then for games also.”
PHOTO BY LEANE CHE
Heather Semelmacher from Mark Keppel High School was appointed as the district athletic director over the summer. Semelmacher was a student athlete for her entire collegiate career, so she wants the students to feel like they have someone they could also come to at the district level. Students are welcomed and encouraged to reach out to the department about what they need or want. “I would like to make it universal where the coaches feel like they have two ADs,” Semelmacher said. “They can come to us for growth and expansion and the students feel like we haven’t skipped a beat.” AUSD hopes this arrangement will have all three schools streamlined and functioning on the same timeline, so one school does not feel like it is getting less than another.
10
thematadorsghs.us
THE MATADOR
Thursday, October 17, 2019
SPORTS
Cross Country crosses limits in season opener at Rosemead
PHOTO BY SALLY PHAM
Junior Vincent Chu (right) powers through the last straightaway against a Bell Garden competitor on Sept. 25. “I burned every muscle in my legs to pass him, but he had the stronger will and ultimately beat me,” Chu said. BY SALLY PHAM
After the cross country team’s strong performance in the annual Rosemead Invitational, the Matadors rushed into their first league meet of the season on Sept. 25. The Matadors placed first in frosh/soph boys, fourth in junior varsity (JV) boys, third in varsity boys, second in frosh/soph girls, and fifth in varsity girls. “I knew that our team had great potential from our individual times from Rosemead Invitational, but I was blown away by the team’s performance in our league race,” senior
2019-20 Fall Sports Scoreboard BOYS FOOTBALL
VARSITY VS WALNUT
(W) 35 - 27
@ MARK KEPPEL
(W) 38 - 21
@ BELL GARDENS
(L) 33 - 53
GIRLS TENNIS
VARSITY
VS MARK KEPPEL
(L) 2- 16
@ MONTEBELLO
(L) 9 - 9
@ SCHURR
(W) 11 -7
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
VARSITY @ SCHURR
(L) 0 -3
VS BELL GARDENS
(L) 0 -3
@ MARK KEPPEL @ MONTEBELLO @ ALHAMBRA
(L) 0 -3 (L) 0 -3 (L) 2 -3
ROGUE VALLEY ADVENTIST (W) 2 -0
CROSS COUNTRY
Highest Rankings at Almont League Cluster #1
VARSITY BOYS 3 MILE
2nd
VARSITY GIRLS 3 MILE
8th
JV GIRLS 3 MILE
6th
JV BOYS 3 MILE
8th
girls head captain Rashell Zamarripa said. “I am so proud of the results our team achieved.” Compared to last season, the team increased the mileage of its distance runs in hopes of achieving top three in Almont League finals. Junior boys head captain Tan Ma said that the growth of each runner has shown since the team incorporated the new trails for practice. “There’s a separation between the boys’ and girls’ workouts since we have an extra coach this year,” Ma said. “There’s an emphasis on grouping to ensure that each group gets the necessary attention
they need; some groups would run longer and others would run shorter.” The meet started off roughly with an unexpected schedule change for both the boys and girls JV and varsity races. Due to complications, the JV team was the last division to race instead of the varsity division. To guarantee fair placements among the teams, the varsity runners had to race before the JV to ensure that there were at least seven varsity runners before there were any JV runners. “It is important to have seven varsity runners because [seven] is the minimum
number of members to race since each team’s placement is determined by the first five runners of its school who cross the finish line,” Zamarripa said. Although the varsity race began ahead of time, the experienced runners were unaffected by the change in schedule. “I was surprised because varsity usually runs after JV,” sophomore Johan Oetomo said. “Even though the varsity race was sooner than I expected, I [managed to] collect myself and push through the nerves.” On the other hand, the delay in the JV races caused anxiety among the runners. “I felt nervous because we were the last race of the meet,” senior Tammy Dam said. “Since we ran last, I felt more pressure to do well because the other girls who went before us had fast times.” The team eventually developed a steady momentum and ended the meet strongly. “Despite how nervous the new and returning members were, all their efforts from practice really paid off,” Ma said. “Everyone did a great job on their first league meet.” Coach Steve Morales has high expectations for the team as the season continues to progress. He hopes to see each division place top three in Almont League finals and all runners improve their times. “Our future is bright because there are so many young athletes running varsity for us,” Morales said. “This season is one of the best overall team results I’ve seen from the cross country team.” The team’s next league race will be held on Nov. 5 at Legg Lake Park in South El Monte.
Bowling strikes Tran’s interests, reconnects him with family BY MELODY ZHANG
Three years ago, junior Brandon Tran bowled for the first time. At first, bowling was a way for him to connect with his family until he joined a bowling league with his brother a n d d a d a y e a r a n d a h a l f l a t e r. “We usually do it as a team or we try to compete amongst each other,” Tran said. “[Bowling] helped bring us closer because my parents and relatives don’t have a lot of time since they have work.” Tran would bowl for four hours every Sunday or two hours every day. During the summer when he has more free time, Tran competes in leagues in Rosemead and Arcadia. The local leagues happen in the early hours of the morning from 12-2 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. “There’s no age limit, but you have to be over 14,” Tran said. “You sign up with three other people as a team and you go against others, whether it’s competitive or just to get around and get to know each other.” Tran finds bowling appealing as it helps him kill time. He is able to meet new people during league competitions. “Most of them are relatively older than me so if I ever went bowling out they would ask me to go bowling with them,” Tran said. “[It’s] c h i l l . E v e r y b o d y ’ s m o r e m a t u r e. ” To Tran, the challenging part about bowling is trying to keep a consistent t e c h n i q u e t o h i t pi n s a t a ce r ta i n angle and score strikes, as over time cr am p s a n d so r e n e ss c a n d e ve l o p. “When I first didn’t stretch, I kind of pulled my muscle,” Tran said, “so I had to go to the doctor’s. Then it’s just this aching and sore feeling when you first
PHOTO BY TANVI MAI, GRAPHIC BY WINNEFER WU
To junior Brandon Tran, a recreational activity such as bowling is important in one’s life. “It helps distract you from whatever is going on in your life and it helps you live in the moment,” Tran said. bowl. It’s like muscle memory after that.” Wi t h o u t a c e r t a i n t e c h n i q u e o r rhythm, bowling can be difficult for newcomers. Endurance is another m a i n f a c t o r w h e n c o m p e t i n g. “Bowling’s actually pretty hard if you don’t have a certain technique and you don’t follow a certain rhythm,” Tran said, “because over time, as you bowl, it drains your energy and being able to bowl for four hours during l e a g u e i s v e r y , v e r y c o n s u m i n g. ” One of the bowler’s fondest memories was when he and his team scored 200
points each, almost winning the league. “ We g o t d e s t r o y e d b e c au s e t h i s other team had 200 to 300 [points], so we ended up losing,” Tran said. S i n c e s c h o o l h a s s t a r t e d , Tr a n has less time to go bowling with his family. Though he does not plan to continue bowling after high school, Tran said that he will probably play for recreation with his friends and family. “ I b o w l b e c au s e m y p a r e n t s n o longer have time to bowl anymore,” Tran said. “I just do it to live through the memories or for nostalgia.”
FEATURES
The matador
Plants thrive under Tran’s thumb
thematadorsghs.us
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
11
Wilkerson set back by ankle injury
PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA WILKERSON
English teacher Jessica Wilkerson broke her left ankle, as shown in the x-ray, after falling two weeks before her wedding. Her ankle is still swollen, but the bone has healed. “There’s [about] seven screws and a metal plate in it,” Wilkerson said.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID TRAN
(Left) Junior David Tran poses in the garden that he helps his family maintain. (Top right) Purchased during an outing with a friend, the marble queen pothos is one of Tran’s favorite plants that he owns. Over time, Tran has grown a preference towards perennial plants that thrive year-round. (Bottom right) Tran’s most recent additions to his home garden are the Dracaena reflexa, dumb cane, and nerve plants that are nestled into one pot. BY TIFFANY NGUYGEN
Gr o w i n g u p , j u n i o r D a v i d Tr a n watched his mother work in the garden and observed her propagation of plants, such as basil. She would gently submerge the old basil stems into small vases of water, and as the sunlight nourished the plant, Tran observed its growth and progress from a meager root to a flourishing swirl of leaves. After watching his mother work, Tran was inspired to watch Youtube videos about plant cultivation and attempted to grow them himself. However, most of the plants Tran tried to grow did not survive due to his lack of experience in plant maintenance. Although it was discouraging at first, he eventually learned the correct techniques to successfully grow a plant. He is now an avid plant enthusiast and continues to add to his garden regularly. “I think that the first plant that I tried to propagate was a lucky bamboo,” Tran
said. “My parents forgot to water it for a couple of weeks, so most of the plant was dead except for a few offshoots. I didn’t learn yet that having the plants in a bright, warm environment, while replacing the water every few days, would increase the success rate of the plants surviving.” Though his family members question the practicality behind the plants he grows, Tran finds happiness simply in seeing his plants thrive without any intent of receiving a product in return. “My family does not understand why I buy plants that are not edible [nor do they] produce food,” Tran said. “They think that it’s pointless.” The young plant enthusiast recently created an Instagram account (@hehe. plantgram) where he posts pictures of his plants around the house and in his family garden. Tran initially created the account “for fun,” but after exploring more plant posts and accounts, he wanted to display his own plants. After months of searching
for his aesthetic, the account has become an outlet for him to express his passion for plant cultivation to his followers. “I just want my Instagram account to reflect how amazing nature and plants are,” Tran said. For the time being, Tran’s family of plants has expanded to 10 indoor cultivars and 20 outdoor cultivars, but there will be more to come. Taking care of plants is a rewarding experience that has made Tran “more responsible and conscious of other living things” because different plants require various levels of care. Factors such as the amount of light and water demand constant attention from Tran. “I think that, as humans, we have evolved to love plants and admire them,” Tran said, “but the best part of taking care of plants is that you can see them change over time depending on the conditions of your home and how you take care of them. That is what separates real plants from fake plants.”
Cuevas spins her way through ballet BY TAMMY VUONG
As b u t t e r f l i e s f i l l h e r s t o m a c h , freshman Adreena Isabel Cuevas slowly moves towards the stage. With her outfit ready and choreography memorized, she proceeds to her place and takes the spotlight. Cuevas started practicing ballet when she was two years old after her mother saw her dancing in front of the TV. She had her first performance when she was 5, remembering how excited she was. Cuevas spent several hours practicing to perfection before the performance. “All I knew was that I was really excited to finally be able to show the audience my performance,” Cuevas said. “I review my dance a lot, especially the parts I struggle with. When I finish performing I make sure to ask my choreographer and all the other teachers what I did wrong and what I need to improve on. After I hear my corrections, I apply all the suggestions they gave me.” Her friends and family are supportive of her choice in doing ballet since she loves dancing. They encourage her to attend ballet lessons because they think
she has a bright future ahead of her in the dance world. “[My family is] the only reason why I started dancing,” Cuevas said. “Without them, I don’t think I would be dancing now.” Cuevas’ love for ballet encouraged her to join Choreo, but with Choreo, ballet, and academics, it has been strenuous for Cuevas to balance everything. She attempts to work on her homework during breaks and has now adjusted the amount of time she spends on each extracurricular. “Before, I had to leave [Choreo practice] early to go to [ballet] classes,” Cuevas said. “Now, I don’t take as many classes so I could focus more on Choreo.” Ballet has impacted her lifestyle and personality in a positive way because she loves how ballet lets her control her emotions and body when dancing. “I could express myself [by letting] my body sync with the music,” Cuevas said. Cuevas considers ballet to be one of her hobbies, and plans to pursue some form of dance in the future. “I do love ballet more than any other kind of dance style,” Cuevas said, “but I love all styles of dance.”
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TAMMY VUONG
Freshman Adreena Cuevas demonstrates the Passé ballet move. “Passé means to pass,” Cuevas said. “We use it to pass through our movements.”
BY TAMMY VUONG
Slowly and nervously, English teacher Jessica Wilkerson proceeds down the aisle in her flowing white wedding dress, afraid to trip or make a mistake. She has been preparing for this day for several months, trying to maintain a confident posture despite her limping. Just two weeks before her wedding in February, Wilkerson suddenly fell as she was leaving a restaurant, breaking her ankle. “I was scared that [my ankle] would affect the wedding,” Wilkerson said. “After I got the injury, the doctor said I couldn’t walk on it, but I figured that whatever damage I did to it during the wedding would just be fixed during surgery.” Her surgery was scheduled one week after her wedding, and Wilkerson also had to apply for disability leave, unable to come to school for nearly 10 weeks. “I was scared to miss work because I have never been out of work before, even though [I was] getting paid for it,” Wilkerson said. “I still hadn’t been out of the classroom for that long, [so] to leave my students, it was just really nerve-racking, scary, and frustrating.” During her absence, she digitally sent lesson plans to the substitute teacher. While working, Wilkerson also attended therapy to ensure a timely recovery to resume teaching as soon as possible. “I had to go to physical therapy for six weeks,” Wilkerson said. “The best part about it was that they [would] massage your leg, but other than that, I was [only] able to [put on] a shoe for the first time after therapy.” Despite the incident, Wilkerson said that she was content with the way the wedding turned out, and that she was unable to feel the pain from her ankle throughout the wedding. “I don’t know if it was adrenaline, Tylenol, or how tightly [my ankle] was wrapped, but I didn’t feel it at the wedding,” Wilkerson said. “I still had the best wedding because I married my best friend. [My ankle] didn’t take away from the day at all. Now, we have a funny story to tell our grandchildren.”
12
thematadorsghs.us
The matador
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
FEAtures
M U SI C A L MAT A D O R S S tu d en ts t u ne i n t o t he i r mu si cal si des
Lopez stars as main lead in own band BY IRENE YUE
As his fingers hold percussion mallets to strike his concert bass drum, freshman Omar Lopez practices for an upcoming performance by familiarizing himself with the beat of a song. Since he was eight years old, Lopez has been the head bass drum player for his band with his father, uncle, and friends. The band previously wrote original songs but stopped writing them in 2014. They now play covers of Latin songs and instrumental titles. “My love of music inspired me the most because I’m doing what I love,” Lopez said. “When my dad [invited] me to join the band and pay me for what I love doing, I joined.” Lopez practices every day using his bass drum and piano by performing in front of his bandmates, friends, and family. Working with his band, Lopez is determined to be prepared and fine-tune his skills in
order to perform well at future performances. “I spend an hour on average practicing my bass drums and other instruments with the other members of my band,” Lopez said. “There’s a chance of performing [in the near future], so we try our best to do well. I practice with my band every day so that allows us to get better.” Watching his father and uncle play with passion inspired Lopez and sparked his interest in performing in front of people, especially since his family traditions involve music. “My father started playing music when I was young,” Lopez said. “I began playing music because of him. I also really love listening to music in general since my family plays music during my birthdays.” Although the band is still performing, Lopez also demonstrates his love of music by participating in the school’s band as a bass guitarist. The band is brainstorming gig locations for performances next month.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY IRENE YUE
Freshman Omar Lopez practices with his concert bass drum for the marching band. Lopez devotes his time to practicing for the school band in addition to the hour every day he practices for his own band.
Wu wooed by beauty of strings BY CISSY LU
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN TIEU
Sophomore Silvia Wu draws a bow across her violin’s strings. “I don’t think that there’s an accurate definition for what music means to someone because music is different for everyone,” Wu said, “but for me, music will always be there.”
Taking out her spruce violin and its accompanying handcrafted bow, sophomore Silvia Wu lays the bow gently on the delicate strings and begins to play. Each note that echoes from the fragile instrument is like a picture that allows her to express her words and thoughts through music. Watching young, talented musicians online inspired her to pursue music as a hobby and learn how to play the violin and the piano. “When I was 10 years old, I started playing the violin,” Wu said. “One day I was on YouTube; I saw this 14-year-old cellist [Nana Ouyang], and her music really inspired me to start playing classical instruments.” Music has allowed her to speak and express her thoughts and feelings during her ups and downs in life. It has helped her through the rough times and encouraged her to persist and taught her to embrace the good. “Playing the violin has made many changes
[to] me as a person on the inside and the outside,” Wu said. “[Through] my instrument, I am able to talk and communicate better with others and strangers, becoming more comfortable in my environment.” She has devoted time and patience to writing her own music as well. Playing her classical instruments allows her to genuinely feel connected to the sounds and be creative with its composition. “When I’m playing the violin, I really like how the wood projects the sound of each note, making the notes sound so thin and pure,” Wu said. “When playing the piano, I really like how the piano gives a reflection on its surface because then I can see how I’m showing emotions.” Music keeps her anchored and motivates her to achieve her goals. It has enabled her to freely compose what she loves to hear and feel. “Every time I think about music, I always feel motivated because I can make a music piece of my own,” Wu said. “That’s always been my dream— creating my own music.”
Song keeps Capulong calm BY LEANE CHE
After returning home from a long day of school, senior Lauryn Capulong picks up her ukulele and sings her troubles away. She takes a deep breath and begins to sing as she plucks the chords to the tune of her favorite song, “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. Capulong has been singing since she was 4 and picked up the ukulele in middle school. After seeing her cousin use the ukulele as a way to deal with stress, Capulong was encouraged to learn how to play it herself. “I’ve always sung because of Whitney Houston,” Capulong said. “Playing the ukulele, however, I was inspired by my cousin. She was experienced, and I saw her as a role model.” In the past, Capulong had a self-destructive mentality: she continuously compared herself to others and held herself back from every opportunity due to her insecurities. This caused her to constantly dwell on her past mistakes, preventing her from challenging herself fully. “I constantly needed the validation from everyone,” Capulong said. “Singing and playing the ukulele became a therapeutic outlet that gave me the assistance
GRAPHIC BY ANDREW LAM
I needed to relax and avoid stress.” During her time in middle school, Capulong was enrolled in choir. She learned how to refine her vocals by improving on articulation, note and clef transitions, and performing diaphragm exercises. Singing and playing the ukulele gave Capulong the ability to express herself. “I transferred to the district in seventh grade,” Capulong said. “As a new student, I was shy, but my talents helped me get out of this invisible wall that separated myself from others.” Capulong desires to share her talents and passions for singing and the ukulele by performing at cafes. “My friend and I have found cafes that allow all ages to participate in open mics,” Capulong said. “I plan to go to all the cafes I can but hope to end up singing in those that can get me out there.” Through singing and playing the ukulele, Capulong has experienced immense self-growth. Although music plays an enormous part in her life, she does not see it as her only defining factor, but rather something that allows people to see a hidden side of her. “If you love doing something and it’s your passion, nothing should stop you,” Capulong said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURYN CAPULONG
Pictured here as a freshman, senior Lauryn Capulong nervously tunes her ukelele in preparation to perform in front of members of the cheer team. “That was the first time I ever played my ukulele in front of them,” Capulong said. “The football players on the field even heard me and were [amazed].”