The Matador: Issue 8 - April 29, 2022

SAN GABRIEL HIGH SCHOOL

THE VOLUME 67, ISSUE 8

MATADOR

801 S. RAMONA STREET, SAN GABRIEL, CA 91776

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FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW LAM

Inside the Pages

News, p.2-3

Focus, p.6-7

Features, p.11-12

Students protest to bring awareness to racism and sexual harassment on campus.

Freshman Abigail Escamilla emulates her favorite entertainers by embracing her funny side.

First creating games on Roblox, junior Adam Arrowad now codes his own games.

2 NEWS

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Students rally against campus injustices From April 7-8, over 100 students left their first two periods of the day in support of a protest against social discrimination on campus. Several students gave speeches about their experiences.

PHOTO BY OF KEN YU

Protestors spoke out against sexual assault, racism, and discrimination on campus in various ways. Signs and paint handprints were among the forms of demonstration present.

KYLIE CHUNG REPORTER

O

n April 7-8, students of different minority groups came together to protest sexual assault and the use of slurs on campus.

The protest took place at the Fishbowl during the first two periods of both days. Students were invited to share their experiences with sexual assault and racism.

Freshman Kerah Johnson organized the protest because of the ongoing, unaddressed matter of slurs being used on campus. The protest was first publicized on the Instagram profile @sghsbipocunion.

“There were multiple factors that motivated me to join the protest. Mainly though, it was an incident in class with a friend of mine,” senior Nallely Sosa said. “They got called a slur in class, and seeing how hurtful that was was my breaking point and [was] when I agreed to participate and speak at the protest.”

Johnson thinks that students believe only a small percentage of people on campus have been sexually assaulted.

“Listening to the stories people shared on our Instagram was a massive eye-opener,”

Johnson said. “We had around 20 people speak on Friday which made us realize just how many people were in these terrible situations. I was supposed to start a conversation; that’s what I wanted for the students more than anything.”

Johnson and Sosa were among the students who spoke at the protest. Each of them related their personal experiences with racial slurs on campus and emphasized the importance of students and faculty taking action.

“Racism, sexual harrasment, [and] homophobia [are] not funny [or] cool,” Sosa said. “It doesn’t make you superior to anyone. It’s not a joke, and it can really harm someone.”

Although the group had set precautions to ensure their speeches were appropriate to be shared in a school setting, they still worried about the potential backlash they could receive.

“During and after, there were people who thought [the protest] was a joke,” Sosa said. “It was kind of a disappointment, but there was more good than bad, so we didn’t let it get to us.”

While they did receive some criticism, the group was moved by the outpouring of support for their cause.

“We got a whole lot of

support from the protest, and I met a whole lot of amazing people,” Johnson said. “We even got feedback from the teachers trying to give us resources and advice on what our next move should be.”

While the administration was wary of the protest disrupting school, they still demonstrated support for the students’ cause by organizing a meeting with the group.

“The administration didn’t really want us to do the protest, which was understandable,” Johnson said. “They didn’t think we should have walked out of class, but overall, the administration is supportive of our cause. They want us to plan the next course of action with them, so we had a meeting on April 21 during lunch.“ Johnson explained the administration’s goal to gather more students input in order to address problems on campus and share the student body’s needs.

“I’m not sure how much I can share, but the administration does want to create two new student groups that would put students in administrative positions without the ability to give consequences,” Johnson said. “We’re having another meeting on Wednesday. Myself and a few others were invited

PHOTO BY OF KEN YU

Students utilized the microphone and tent provided to give their speeches. While some students shared their own stories, others shared the experiences of anonymous students.

to speak at an all staff meeting.”

The student protest comes at a time when racism and sexual harassment are prime topics on national headlines. The group hopes that their demonstration

will inspire students to be more tolerant and inclusive.

“Boundaries are there for a purpose,” Johnson said. “We can choose to be hateful or to be united.”

Anime Anonymous Blossoming Sakura Café returns after two-year hiatus

BY ANDREW LAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PRINT

A

nime Anonymous hosted their annual Blossoming Sakura Café on April 19 at the Pancake.

Admission was free; students and staff were encouraged to watch performances, play cards, and drink boba.

The event opened with the servers greeting everyone with the Japanese phrase “okaerinasaimase” which translates to “welcome back”. This was just one of the aspects of Anime Anonymous’s café that simulated cafés in Japan.

“Obviously, we can’t get it perfect, but it’s kind of like this except there would be more food and performances.” Anime

NEWS 3

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BRIEFS SoCal sinks promotes hygiene

BY LAURA CAI

PHOTO BY KEN YU

Senior and Vice President of Anime Anonymous Thanakrit Naisanguansri socializes with guests at his table. The café is an annual event hosted by the club, but the COVID precautions have relocated the café from its usual venue in the MPR to the Pancake.

Anonymous president and senior Ryan Giberti said. “Mainly everyone in the staff would perform, but I understand that not everyone in the staff feels comfortable with that.”

The servers were dressed in costumes, the most popular being maid outfits. Senior Mickley Ngo embraces the cosplaying opportunity being a server in the café allows. “[At the café] I get to hang out with friends more, and I get to dress up at school; when people ask, that’s advertising for the club,” Ngo said. “[Dressing up] is a special occasion. I do want to cosplay in the future, but right now, since I am dependent on my parents, I can’t do that by myself, so I have to have an excuse to do

it. So, this was the excuse.”

Anime Anonymous’ café not only attracted current students, but also alumni. Kelly Loc, a graduate from 2019, wanted to check up on the club she used to be president of.

“I wanted to see how the club was doing and how they are handling the annual cafe we do,” Loc said. “With the pandemic going around, it’s pretty different because we usually go into the MPR and have, but this year, we only had boba.”

The relocation and food restrictions due to the pandemic were only some of many issues the Anime Anonymous cabinet faced in preparing for the café. Despite this, Giberti is confident that they overcame these problems and

that the café was a success overall. “[The preparation] was pretty stressful,” Giberti said. “We were limited on a lot of things due to the pandemic, so we are lucky this even happened. Our biggest challenges were the paperwork, trying to get the right signatures for things, and trying to get the approval, [but] it was way better than I thought it was going to be, and I could not have asked for more.”

This year’s Blossoming Sakura Café was the club’s first inperson café in two years since the pandemic began. Despite the challenges in preparation, the café was able to entertain its audience through a variety of performances and table games and hope to plan another next year.

Peer Counseling hosts Sexual Assualt Awareness Month event KATELYN LAU DIGITAL EDITOR

After weeks of preparation, Peer Counseling hosted a threeday event for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. From April 19-21, peer counselors stayed out in the Quad to host games that brought attention to the issue.

Peer Counseling planned interactive games such as “Red Light, Green Light,” to help understand limits in relationships. Students were given phrases where if it was deemed consensual, participants moved forward.

However, phrases that violate boundaries and consent, participants could not move.

“In Peer Counseling, we talked everything out,” senior Chelsea Kha said. “During the discussion, one idea seemed to lead to another, and we all started brainstorming about what we can do to be more interactive.”

On April 20, a water balloon toss game was held. Students paired up to compete where one was blindfolded while tossing the balloon to their partner. The partner’s objective was to guide the other to safely throw the balloon to teach about healthy communication.

“We really wanted to raise

awareness,” Kha said. “We talk about sexual assault, but nothing actually gets done. We don’t talk about consent or boundaries at school.”

After every event, the winners received rewards such as candy and ribbons. The final day’s event was a game show where teams of four students competed against one another. Peer Counselors asked questions with plastic eggs that corresponded to each answer.

One player from both teams sat on a chair and raced to put the correct egg into the box placed in between them.

“The event was fun since I played with my friends,” junior Vanessa Lao said. “It was meaningful because people realized what the right thing to do was. I would’ve made different choices but participating in the game made me realize that there were other methods that were more appropriate and helpful.”

Peer Counselors provided a learning opportunity to staff and students. The different types of abuse others could inflict and how to handle the situations effectively were explained. This event will be the class’s last event of the year, with more planned out for the next school year.

In order to promote sanitation, the school placed portable sinks around campus for all students and staff. All the schools in the district had the opportunity to request them. The sinks were placed for students to access them during passing periods.

The district asked the school during the pandemic of this school year how many portable sinks the school would like to order. The portable sinks were backordered, so the school could not place them sooner but are now available to use all across campus.

2022-23 school schedule approved

BY XIAOYU FAN

On March 25, the new school year’s schedule was approved after receiving 69.7% of the staff’s votes; however, this schedule is still pending district approval.

The new schedule has collaboration on Monday, with students going to every class and sixth period ending at 2:37 p.m.

Students attend four rotating periods on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Nutrition and Matador Enrichment are only in these days. The Nutrition time, a 13-minute passing period between the first two classes, is given to students and teachers to eat. The Matador Enrichment is a 41-minute period where students can catch up on work, engage in academic discussions, and ask teachers questions.

Students have all classes again on Friday, but sixth period ends at 3:30 p.m.

California State Universities become test blind

BY KEN YU

The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees voted unanimously last month to remove the SAT and ACT tests from the admissions process.

For the 2021-22 and 2022-23 years, CSU campuses shifted to a test-optional policy in an effort to mitigate the impact of COVID on education and financial situations. The decision to drop SAT and ACT testing was later followed by a proposal of new admissions criteria.

Poetry team revisits Classic Slam

BY KEN YU PHOTO COURTESY OF PEER COUNSELING

On April 21, the school poetry team competed at the 11th Annual Classic Slam at the Dynasty Typewriter Theater, taking third place in their assigned room.

The Classic Slam involves performing an original poem listed within the Get Lit 2021-22 Anthology and a poem written in response. Poet responses were scored on a decimal system in three categories: content, performance, and connection to the original poem.

Each field was scored up to 10 points with an additional three for original poem accuracy.

4 OPINIONS 'Just' Calculus

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Letter to the editor

In response to "On-campus vaping witnesses record highs"

Illogically logical JUSTIN FANG COPY EDITOR

I

have heard many questions in my life, but I feel that the most common question that I get asked is “What are you best at?”

What a vague question. I mean, this is inquiring so many aspects of life, like academics or personal talent. But every time I come across this question, I always use an academic answer. I say that I do rather well in mathematics and the sciences. Sometimes, however, I wonder if that is all people think of me.

I find that math and science, especially math, are somewhat reflective of who I am. I have had a passion for the study of both subjects since my elementary school years. I remember back in first grade, I would spend a majority of my spare time mastering multiplication. If I was not busy learning math, I would be building Lego sets. When I moved on to third grade, my teacher immensely improved my mathematical skills, challenging me beyond the grade level and allowing me to spend more time on math than other subjects at times.

By the end of that year, I felt that there was a possibility of me only being able to think of everything in numbers, not words.

Fast track to the fifth grade, my passion for science began to take root.

I had the privilege to go on a weeklong trip to Camp Wrightwood with students in my class where we spent so much time learning about nature.

Middle school is when the true test of my abilities in math and science began, as my teachers pushed my knowledge of the two subjects quite far. Those three years were the first that I really felt myself think in a way that I never did before when it came to the two subjects.

I felt that high school allowed me to find a way to see myself beyond the person who was surrounded by the logic of math and science like a dark cloud, as the school offered opportunities that allowed me to expand my horizons beyond that of academics. Volunteering and competitions made me realize that understanding people was just as important as understanding any math or science concept. It also served as an eye-opener to how life is not always logical which is part of the wonders that it has to offer. Although I intend to pursue engineering in the future, I finally realized that a person is defined by more than two things. And for first time, I will be able to find my way into the other half of my personality.

San Gabriel High School administration strongly agrees with Justin Fang and his February 25th article about on campus vaping.

We realize this is an ever growing issue not just at San Gabriel High School but nationally as well. The health and safety of our students are our number one priority and when incidents of vaping are discovered on campus, we not only issue appropriate consequences (which yes, could be suspension), but will also use the incident as an educational opportunity for students. For example, in addition to consequences, students are referred to the district’s Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program to help students make “healthful tobacco-related decisions

through tobacco-specific, researchvalidated educational instruction and activities that build knowledge as well as social skills and youth development assets'' (California Department of Education). Some preventative measures we take to deter vaping is having campus supervisors actively sweep stairwells and clear out restrooms during passing periods and breaks. AUSD also has a contract with Impact Canine Solutions who visit our campus 2-3 times a month.

Random classroom visits with the K9 unit seeks to discourage students from bringing any controlled substances onto campus.

School administration does realize the essential role we play in striving toward a vape-free campus.

To support our efforts, it’s important for staff and students to report vaping incidents to the Student Support Services office so we can respond and enforce school, district and state regulations. We appreciate the suggestions of the editor to increase campus supervisors near the restrooms, and welcome any additional ideas to improve the health and safety of all our students. Our efforts to reduce vaping activity on campus are ongoing and are a priority.

Thank you to the editor and to The Matador for bringing awareness to this important issue that we are facing on campus. We look forward to any future collaborative opportunities with students and staff to create a healthier and safer campus.

Submitted by Carmen Mejia and Sean Thomas, Assistant Principals of Student Support Services

Racial protests demonstrates power students possess

ILLUSTRATION BY TRISTAN ING

BY NAN JIANG OPINIONS EDITOR

T

he protests that happened on campus on April 7 and 8 captured the attention of everyone on campus. The school community got a front-row seat to witness the extent of power students have in their hands when they decide to use it. The series of protests that occurred are glaringly bright examples of the unity and camaraderie within a group that decided they would not take another step back; it also serves as a solemn reminder that at the end of the day, the school, being a public one, still serves the interests of the people.

The beautiful thing about public education is that it is funded by the populace. That means if there is such a serious problem, like racism

and sexual assault on campus that continuously goes unresolved, and the administration refuses to listen, the people can make them listen. It is extremely inspiring that the student body understands this fact and has taken advantage of it to amplify their voices. Public officers, like school administrators, receive their paycheck on the basis that they sufficiently serve the people’s needs. If they cannot, they need to be made aware of that. This protest showed the administration that after years of doing nothing to fix serious issues on campus, they are now off of their safety throne and on the hot seat of debate.

This body of students has previously been restricted to their social media profiles when speaking out about serious issues. They have now proven that they are willing to take the next step, to be present physically in order

to really attack a problem at its roots.

This says a lot about the future of the school’s student body because it has proven that it is not afraid to make its voice heard. In the coming years, they will work and fight to tackle harder, more pressing problems in not only the school, but the world.

Some may say that withholding funds from the school is short-sighted because it ultimately hurts the quality of education provided to the student.

However, there are greater issues in the school than the quality of education they receive. A girl could care less about her math class if her real worry is getting sexually assaulted while walking there, and there is no justice served. The administration and the students need to work on issues on a case-by-case basis and not think too far ahead of what is on their plates at the moment.

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OPINIONS 5

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Dream Center greatest response to marginalization

'Ly'ving in the moment

BY ANDREW LAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PRINT

T

he school launched the Dream Center on April 11 in room S-5. The Dream Center has the important goal of being a place where marginalized student groups can gather. While there are multiple avenues to pursue when combatting marginalization, the Dream Center is undoubtedly the best option. The Dream Center will be a success because it heavily involves students in its decision-making and serves as an open forum for students.

Students are playing a crucial role in the formation of the Dream Center. The program has involved members from Queer Peers, Alliance of Latin American Students, Peer Assistants, and the Chinese Club. Its incorporation of student voices is where the Dream Center shines. Allowing students to take the helm ensures that the Dream Center will be sensitive and aware of pressing student issues. As a result, the it will be flexible and responsive to the student body.

At the Dream Center, students are encouraged to connect with others. The program places an emphasis on those who feel overlooked such as immigrant and LGBTQ+ students. Such students are likely to have similar experiences: feeling disadvantaged by their differences. By fostering a community among these students,

Photo disconnect LYNDA LAM FOCUS EDITOR

A

ILLUSTRATION BY TRISTAN ING

they can realize their adversities are not isolated, but shared by peers. This newfound company can boost their self-esteem since there is now a support group they can rely on.

Currently, the Dream Center's scope is limited, but it is important to remember that the program is still in its infancy. The Dream Center has plans to heighten its impact through inviting guest speakers and working with counselors, Peer Counselors, and Peer Assistants. The involvement of more people, especially guest speakers and counselors with their expertise, will make it an even

more effective tool in creating a tolerant environment.

The Dream Center could not have come at a more relevant time with its opening coming only days after the student protest against racism and sexual assault at campus. Students at the protest shared their encounters with discrimination and neglect—things that the Dream Center has made its mission to repel. The future of a more inclusive campus is even more probable and within reach now that the Dream Center is here.

Open-note tests improve student comprehension throughout the unit, the student’s notes would just act as another tool.

In the end, it depends if the teacher is willing to evaluate the student on their problem solving rather than memorization.

If schools want to prepare students for the future, they should not be testing the student on how well they can cram the night before. Instead, stimulating the student to prepare for their exam with open-note tests will empower the student to encourage a more complex way of thinking.

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ILLUSTRATION BY TRISTAN ING

MYTAM LE FEATURES EDITOR

In the academic community, closed tests have been the standard even though it compels the student to memorize to do well in the class. However, educators should give open-note tests a chance.

Allowing students to have their notes out during tests will let them gain skills such as preparation and note-taking; it also encourages them to learn the material rather than just memorizing it.

By permitting open-note tests, students have to prepare their own notes and come to class ready with their notes on the day of their test. Through these activities, students can truly dive deep into the material rather than having a mental snapshot of it without any academic context. Rather than staying up late to review for their exam, the student can focus on taking well-

Editors-in-Chief, Print

organized notes throughout the unit.

Furthermore, in many career fields, it is incredibly rare for a professional to have everything memorized by heart.

Memorization is not as beneficial for the student compared to testing them for their critical analysis skills. Additionally, for a student to actually digest the information, memorization just plays as another obstacle for them to understand the lesson, as they will most likely forget what they learned after the test.

With the option of an open-note test, some argue that students will not study as hard because they know that they will have all the information easily accessible. However, instead of blaming the student, one should look at the structure of the test. If the exam is testing the student on their memorization skills, then an opennote test would not be helpful. But if the test expands on different ideas

News Editors Opinions Editors Focus Editors Life and Art Editor Sports Editor Features Editors Copy Editor Business Managers Digital Editor Reporter Adviser

Andrew Lam Ken Yu Jeremy Gutierrez Richard Tran Tristan Ing Nan Jiang Chelsea Lam Lynda Lam Adwik Chaturvedi Joseph Cho Xiaoyu Fan Mytam Le Justin Fang Laura Cai Tammy Vuong Katelyn Lau Kylie Chung Hanna Jalawan

The Matador is published monthly on print by the journalism class of San Gabriel High School. 800 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 entire staff. Submit comments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested) to Ms. Jalawan’s email.

s I ever so slightly lift myself off a black leather chair to alleviate the pain from sitting for two straight hours with pink rollers in my hair, freshly done manicure and pedicure, and a full face of cakey makeup, I proceed to sort frilly and ornamented dresses into piles of “yes,” “no,” and “maybe” with the help of four strangers. At the end, 11 dresses are transported to a cramped fitting room for me to later take professional Asian pictures.

Something that always annoyed me about my family was how they could spend hours upon hours just taking pictures and documenting their memories. Whether it was pictures of themselves, animals, or beautiful scenery, I loathed how much time they would fixate on getting the perfect lighting or trying to make their forced smiles into something that looked more natural. “Just five more pictures” would turn into 30 and then to 50.

My disregard for capturing memories made it obvious that I wasn’t the sentimental type. At first, I didn’t really care about my apprehension towards photos and souvenirs.

However, as I prepare to walk on stage for a piece of paper commemorating my time in prison— I mean school, I wonder if my lack of desire to take photos is a reflection of how I lack motivation to do anything, especially something long term or outside the comfort of my room.

Notifications alarming me about my lack of iCloud storage would always prompt me to delete photos in my camera roll, but most of those photos are just pictures of whiteboards, notes, assignments, and pictures I drew for the school newspaper. I only have six photos of people in my life, and they are all dated five years ago.

When I look back at those six photos, I don’t really feel anything.

They are just pictures of people who are or used to be in my life. The only reason I haven’t deleted them is because I want to at least say I made some memories even if I don’t care for them as much as I should.

Although I have never known what it meant to be sentimental, I hope that in the future, I can look back on my camera roll and find those six pictures with a few companions. I want to be someone who is able to connect to their feelings easily and be able to say that their memories are important to them. Maybe one day, I would be able to say “just five more pictures.”

6 FOCUS

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How to get an audience to laugh with you (not at you) Audiences at a comedy show are not usually a tough crowd to please; most of them just want a relaxing break from their everyday routine. But in the search for keeping a crowd laughing, sometimes the line between getting them to laugh with you and at you begins to blur. Having people laugh at you is a much different experience than being laughed with.

1. KEEP LIGHTHEARTED Do not tell a depressing story unless you are positive you can reel the audience back into your show. You want tears of laughter, not tears of sadness. Avoid triggering topics because you want your show to distract, not remind, people of life’s stresses.

2. DO NOT TAKE YOURSELF SERIOUSLY You can be deadpan with your audience, but when they go laughing at your expense, do start defending yourself.

WRITTEN BY TRISTAN ING

Do not try to convince people that you are funny by giving examples and mocking naysayers. Your ability to make people laugh should not even be considered by the audience.

just remain calm, stoic, and confident with your story.

Simply state the facts, spare your emotions to the audience (unless they’re funny), and leave out any vagueness.

3. HAVE THE AUDIENCE RELATE TO YOUR MISFORTUNES Some examples can be you stubbing your toe or leaving a negative impression on someone. You can express the pain, but do not dwell on it or else the audience will start to laugh at you. It is not necessary to let your audience “feel your pain.”

5. DO NOT BE IRONIC Sarcasm and irony are hard to distinguish because of their similarity. In essence, both are something stated semiseriously but mean the opposite. But where the differences lie here is that being sarcastic will sound impatient to the audience, and being ironic will sound vulnerable to them.

The best use for sarcasm is when the audience is falling asleep, or did not even laugh at the joke.

4. MAINTAIN YOUR DIGNITY This is especially essential when your character is brought into question when talking about an embarrassing moment in your life. Simply put, when you are talking about an embarrassing moment, do not feel embarrassed;

Success in comedy comes best from the experiences you make, not the articles you read about. It is a formula you have to craft yourself, so don’t let some know-it-all journalist tell you how to be funny. You will know your audience best, and you will know what makes them laugh.

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FOCUS 7

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Escamilla eagerly embodies humor Escamilla's passion for comedy began at a young age. With the right amount of support and opportunities given, it is now a career that she wants to pursue in the future.

BY KYLIE CHUNG REPORTER

W

ith her palms slightly sweaty and a strange feeling in chest, freshman Abigail Escamilla takes deep breaths in order to calm herself down. Despite her nervousness, Escamilla is confident in her abilities and carefully made her way to the Open Mic stage.

Always a talkative child, Escamilla’s first encounters with comedy came from watching comedians on the television.

“I would laugh and crack up watching Mr. Fluffy and Kevin Hart,” Escamilla said.

“My mom didn’t really get it, but she supported what she knew. I had so much fun watching those shows.”

Escamilla’s enjoyment of watching comedy shows quickly evolved, and she soon

found herself recreating them for her friends and family to watch. At the age of 10, she began sharing her hobby of performing with her best friend Adrien. ”We had the best time making the funniest little skits ever,” Escamilla said.

skills improved, her friends and family encouraged her to perform her comedy.

“My dad introduced me to the idea of performing by showing some of his favorite shows and I usually performed in my bedroom with my little brothers.” Escamilla said. “My

experience,” Escamilla said, “I was so nervous and anxious.

Like I’m a pretty funny person, but you still get nervous. It was really cool to see people’s reactions to my jokes and how my friends supported me.”

Escamilla has not had the opportunity to perform her

"I realized that if I wanted to succeed and also enjoy this new environment I have found myself in, I would have to change the way I see myself and the world around me."

Abigail Escamilla Freshman “You would just see two kids running around.”

Escamilla's passion and comedy skills grew with her.

As she went about her day, she found herself forming new jokes subconsciously and quickly writing them down to adjust once she got home.

As Escamilla and her comedy

friends encouraged me to do the open mic.”

Escamilla was naturally nervous when Open Mic Night arrived. She was, however, confident in her comedy material, and when the time came, she delivered her jokes as she had practiced.

“It was a really fun

comedy publicly since Open Mic Night, but that does not mean her enthusiasm has waned. Escamilla, in fact, started setting goals for herself and her comedy in order to improve her future performances.

“I want to try to be more clear and concise with my

jokes because I’m really unorganized,” Escamilla said, “You can look through my books and you’ll see one joke here, at the end of the book, there’s another one, and the third page will have another one.”

Escamilla hopes to perform stand-up comedy at another event before the end of the school year. If everything goes well, she hopes to pursue it as a future career as well.

“Everyone has a certain method for their comedy,” Escamilla said. “Some people use it as a coping mechanism, and some people do it just for fun. For me, comedy has helped with some pretty tough stuff in my life. It’s better to make jokes and laugh through it because I know there’s going to be people who are going to understand and get it. That’s the better part of comedy.”

Comedy entertains through a diversity of style

Jim Carrey Jim Carrey is a famous actor known for his exaggerated facial expressions.

Jimmy Carr Jimmy Carr is a British comedian and show host who is notorious for dark humor.

Crazy Rich Asians Romantic comedies, such as Crazy Rich Asians find the humor in love and relationships.

Arrested Development Situational comedies make jokes out of recurring characters and usually has running jokes.

The various manners of comedy is portrayed in a multitude of entertainment mediums, with the most common performances being stand-up, sketch, and improvisational. The world of comedy continues to see rising stars, each one potentially being more humorous than the last, and in today’s world, comedy could play a role in the overall mental health of society.

WRITTEN BY JUSTIN FANG GRAPHICS BY LYNDA LAM PHOTOS COURTESY OF BBC, SHUTTERSTOCK, IMDb, FANDOM

8 LIFE AND ART

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Once Upon a Mattress ‘bed’azzles audiences with youthful vibrance

T

he Drama club brought the classic musical Once Upon a Mattress, its last major production of the year, to campus.

Though not without its flaws, the students’ rendition is an adequate, high-quality adaptation of the original. Once Upon a Mattress is a comedic, musical retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale The Princess and the Pea . The show has hit Broadway theaters multiple times and is a bonafide classic in the theater space.

I have never seen a professional production of Once Upon a Mattress, but I can tell you this: the youth of the performers really did it justice. I might even go so far as to say that student actors are a better fit to perform this musical than adult ones. Once Upon a

Mattress is a musical that tries to be silly at every step of the way and makes no effort being dramatic.

High school students, compared to adults, capture that atmosphere more appropriately. The energy and charisma can be easily seen in the show’s performers. As far as casting goes, Drama teacher Kelsey McNeilly did a great job.

Each actor in the show seemed as if they were comfortable with their characters and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Singing should be the most important part of the musical; thus, my biggest concern going in was whether the students could do the original music justice.

Long answer short, they did.

I actually would even say that for some pieces, the students’

rendition was better than the Broadway recordings. Any song with the Minstrel was a standout, especially the one with The King, and the Jester. The song had a youthful, fun tone that went great with the attitudes of the performers and how they carried themselves. The talented cast went above and beyond as far as the musical aspect of the show goes.

However, not everything was perfect with the students’ adaptation of Once Upon a Mattress. For some people, this show meant only a grade and not a passion. Some students are noticeably less passionate about the play than others. All of the main characters do a great job, but some members in the ensemble

make the disparity of quality in the acting very noticeable.

However, that was not a huge blow to the show’s quality, as the play is still bolstered by the main characters.

Watching Drama Club reenact Once Upon a Mattress was definitely worth the $8 admission.

I believe that students have a responsibility to support clubs and recognize the talents that exist among the population, and going to this show was a great way to check both these boxes. Drama club is quickly gaining traction among the student body, as they put out play after play of quality.

Students can look forward to more of the same high-quality student productions that we are blessed to have on campus.

WRITTEN BY NAN JIANG PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIN AUNG

THE MATADOR

thematadorsghs.us FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

LIFE AND ART 9

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land” worth remembering for mechanics, ingenuity

BY JEREMY GUTIERREZ NEWS EDITOR

F

or long-time Nintendo fans, the sight of the bright pink star warrior Kirby in a brand new game is an exciting one. “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is the first installment in the main series released since “Kirby Star Allies” in 2018 and brings several changes to the decades-old formula. The most prominent difference is the shift to a true 3-D environment as opposed to the side-scroller style utilized by every Kirby game before it. The side-scroller genre is tried and true, especially for the platformers Nintendo is known for. However, the series was long overdue for such a change, as several other Nintendo game franchises underwent similar changes years earlier. At its core, “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is a breath of fresh air for Kirby fans, one that immediately drew me in.

The introduction of the new feature was done right with the game throwing the player right into it while still providing instructions on how to use it. “Mouthful mode” is the latest gimmick introduced in

the series which allows Kirby to take on the traits of various large objects (vending machines, cars, etc.), allowing the player to solve puzzles or more easily defeat enemies. To be honest, it was a little disappointing.

Compared to the unique features of other games in the series—playing each level as a horde of up to 10 Kirbys in “Kirby Mass Attack” or the mech suit in “Kirby: Plant Robobot”—mouthful mode just seems like a rebranding of Kirby’s copy ability. Additionally, the fact that the amount of abilities available in the game decreased to only 12 is rather pathetic. While there are two new powers added to “The Forgotten Land,” the fact that other games have featured at least 20 abilities really makes the game’s combat aspect seem underwhelming.

Aside from the lack of variety in combat capabilities, other features of the game are really enjoyable. The controls feel simple, the parkour is easy, and even the way that the player flies between levels is fun.

The game itself has actually been just right in terms of difficulty. The most challenging part of each level is finding all the secrets, especially on a

PHOTO BY JEREMY GUTIERREZ

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land” includes many ways to customize one’s character. Hats such as these can give Kirby extra abilities or perks.

first try. Replaying levels is definitely encouraged, and to make it easier, each challenge completed reveals the next one while some completed challenges will provide additional star coins (the in-game currency) for completing them again.

One of the more fun features is the rebuilding of Waddle Dee Town.

The new weapons shop available in the home base Waddle Dee Town

Butter Beer An iconic drink from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, enjoy this recipe with friends and family.

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of butterscotch syrup - 2 cups of vanilla cream soda - 1/2 cup of heavy cream - 1/4 tablespoon of sea salt

Directions:

Step 1: In cup, mix the butterscotch syrup and cream soda until fully combined.

Step 2: Whip the heavy cream and sea salt together until you see soft peaks rise.

Step 3: Pour cream on top of the soda mixture to create the “beer foam”.

Step 4: You can enjoy the drink as is, but I find it tastes better after mixing the base drink and foam together.

Step 5: Enjoy!

WRITTEN BY KYLIE CHUNG PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY.COM

does somewhat make up for it in that it enables the player to upgrade their abilities, adding some depth into the combat system. By completing each level, a certain amount of waddle dees are rescued which results in new buildings to appear in town.

Being able to see a visual marker of success, while also providing benefits to the players, makes progress within the game feel more tangible than an

endless trudge through level after level.

Despite the game’s flaws, “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” was a great play and a great distraction. Plopping down on the couch to play as a cute pink blob cannibalizing living things for a couple of hours is very cathartic, having me quite occupied for some time to come.

10 SPORTS

thematadorsghs.us FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

THE MATADOR

More sports options will unlock hidden passions

BY ANDREW LAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PRINT

S

ports are a vital component of the high school experience for many students with dutiful practice and the meaningful bonds formed between teammates. Participation in sports has numerous benefits such as enhancing athleticism, learning teamwork, and being a relief from schoolwork. This experience, however, may not appeal to students for various reasons. Students may not want to pursue sports because they think that they need to possess exceptional athletic ability and that the sports that are available are not enticing to them. All this can be solved by diversifying the number and types of sports available so that more students can find a sport they feel passionate about.

Some students may be put off from participating in a sport because they are under the impression that they need athleticism to be successful in it. That is because many of the common high school sports like wrestling, football, and track do require a lot of effort.

However, there are other

sports that emphasize strategy and mental agility over physical ability. For instance, table tennis requires athletes to have quick reaction times in addition to strength. By providing a variety of sports that are not as physically demanding, more students would be enticed to join sports, improving themselves in more ways.

Introducing students to unfamiliar sports may unlock hidden passions students otherwise would not have pursued. A common demand of sports in students’ eyes is that none of the conventional sports nourish the skills that they are interested in. A lack of interest in a sport will ultimately bore a student and make them either quit it or become indifferent toward it.

Providing students with a wide variety of sports increases the chances that students will find a sport that interests them and encourages them to stay committed to their sport.

It may be argued that integrating new sports into the school’s current roster will be too costly because of the new equipment and coaches needed. However, some sports do not need much

2021-22 Spring Varsity Sports Scoreboard BASEBALL VS MARK KEPPEL

(L) 19-9

VS MONTEBELLO

(L) 17-0

VS ALHAMBRA

(L) 20-1

VS SCHURR

(L) 19-2

GIRLS SWIM VS GABRIELINO

(L) 103-15

VS MONTEBELLO

(L) 78-15

VS SCHURR

(L) 36-10

VS MARK KEPPEL

(L) 125-10

BOYS TENNIS

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW LAM

equipment, and certain sports share the same equipment.

For instance, free running is a sport that uses no equipment whatsoever. Free running is the intersection of athleticism, agility, and creativity, skills that are important in a good sport. Additionally, the need for more coaches will increase job opportunity.

To make sports an activity

more people want to participate in, a greater variety should be offered. These new sports do not necessarily have to be anything that requires a large amount of new equipment and facilities. As long as these new sports help motivate students to participate, the goal of nurturing the physical and mental skill sets of students will be achieved.

VS MARK KEPPEL

(L) 9-9

VS MONTEBELLO

(W) 15-3

VS SCHURR

(W) 11-7

VS ALHAMBRA

(W) 9-9

BOYS VOLLEYBALL VS SCHURR

(W) 3-1

VS ALHAMBRA

(W) 3-1

VS MARK KEPPEL

(W) 3-1

VS MONTEBELLO

(W) 3-0

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Course Dates: April 22 - 24 | May 20 - 22 Ages: 16 and up If hired by the City, training course fees will be waived.

thematadorsghs.us FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

FEATURES 11

THE MATADOR

Johnson ignites movement for justice

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MYTAM LE PHOTO BY KEN YU

(Left) Freshman Kerah Johnson prepares a sign for the protest on April 7-8. (Right) Johnson comforts senior Victoria Vela at the protest as she shares her story of being harrassed and bullied.

They want to encourage the administration to create a safe environment.

BY MYTAM LE FEATURES EDITOR

F

reshman Kerah Johnson grabs the microphone, ready to share their story with the whole school. Heart racing and fingers quivering, they could barely think straight, but Johnson knew that this had to be done.

As a Black and queer student, Johnson has felt uncomfortable in the school’s environment. Having to face racial and anti-LGBTQ+ slurs and sexual harassment from their peers, Johnson wanted to hold the school’s administration accountable for its inaction.

“I went through a racist incident on campus with another student,”

Johnson said. “I went to report the incident, but they didn’t do much about it at first. It took about nine reports to the administration before they removed him from my class.”

account, @sghsbipocunion, providing a safe space for students to share their experiences with discrimination and harassment.

“Slurs are a huge problem,” Johnson said. “It’s really frustrating

Instagram page, we realized a lot of people had many issues, like racism and sexual harassment, similar to me.”

With positive reactions from their peers, Johnson knew that

“It’s really frustrating to walk around and hear people saying the n-word and especially when they look at me, one of the only Black people on campus, for validation.”

Kerah Johnson Freshman

Because the administration was not being proactive, Johnson decided to take things into their own hands. Johnson and their friends created an Instagram

to walk around and hear people saying the n-word and especially when they look at me, one of the only Black people on campus, for validation. After we made the

starting a protest was necessary to get the school’s attention. Although many were supportive of the idea, there were some who believed that the protest would do more harm

than good.

“There were some people who messaged us and said terrible things,” Johnson said. “Someone said that we were canceling people and causing problems. They also said we were harassing people, which was obviously not true.”

Nonetheless, Johnson and their friends successfully completed the protest. During the protest, over a hundred students left class, sharing their stories of being discriminated against at the school and showing their solidarity with their peers.

“The protest was meant to be an eye-opener,” Johnson said. “What I wanted for the students, more than anything was to start a conversation about the issues at the school.”

Sugiyama carries baby, friendship carries Sugiyama Teacher Sugiyama grows to accept help during pregnancy.

KATELYN LAU DIGITAL EDITOR

Walking down the school’s brickcolored track, special education teacher Kristianne SugiyamaSaucedo chats away with her close co-workers besides her. Even with so many things on her plate, from grading homework assignments to the next doctor’s appointment, Sugiyama feels her stress fade away with every step she takes.

Sugiyama is expecting to welcome her daughter Penelope Natsumi Sugiyama on Aug. 1. Her future daughter’s middle name, Natsumi, translates to “summer beauty” in Japanese, following a tradition within her husband’s family where it is customary to have a Japanese middle name. Sugiyama’s family, friends, and co-workers have supported her through her

pregnancy, ensuring her safety and health.

“Everyone’s been super supportive,” Sugiyama said. “All the clerks in the office have been excited, asking me what I need and secretly bringing me sweets. There are many experienced mothers and new mothers within our staff, so I get a variety of feedback and opinions. I also didn’t expect my students to be excited, but they are always asking how I feel and how the baby is.”

With the staff and students continuing to show Sugiyama immense care and attention, her anxiety from the approaching due date is relieved. Along with the wide range of support, Sugiyama finds herself facing her most difficult challenge—accepting the help due to her past unhealthy relationship.

“I was in an abusive relationship,”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KATELYN LAU

(Left to right) Special education teachers Jamie Kohl, Lily Ulloa, and Kristianne Sugiyama-Saucedo go on occasional walks when they are free, to spend quality time with each other. Sugiyama cherishes this break in the workday with her colleagues.

Sugiyama said. “When you’re pregnant, you get a lot of ‘You can’t lift things that are heavy’ or ‘You shouldn’t do this.’ The hardest part for me is to think about why I shouldn’t be doing certain things.

They’re not telling me this to be controlling; it’s from a caring perspective.”

Despite obstacles, the staff’s support and advice has had a major impact on Sugiyama’s journey. This is exemplified by the walks around the track with the staff during lunch.

“I love my walks around the track,” Sugiyama said. “Kathleen Wright and Davina Dominguez are

my accountability partners. It’s nice to take a break and have girltime in the middle of the day. Sometimes I feel tired and don’t want to walk, but knowing that I get to spend quality time with friends overpowers that. When I am out there, I don’t feel tired or anything because I’m having a fun time.”

12 FEATURES

THE MATADOR

Arrowad cracks code for game design

A

pyroclastic explosion of flames. A sharp drive of the arm wielding a futuristic light sword. Or perhaps, once a step is taken, a flood of water rushes from thin air, pursuing the players into the depths.

These possibilities make up only a figment of junior Adam Arrowad’s imagination.

Arrowad began designing games from the game creator program on Roblox. He started small by modeling digital figures and eventually worked his way to coding. Arrowad was intrigued by how coding worked and how he could use it to fix bugs in his games.

“It felt like there were many solutions using code, and it was fun to go around and fix all the bugs that I may have caused,” Arrowad said. “There was, for example, having the projectiles moving too fast, not firing in the right direction, and fixing enemy behavior.”

The process of creating video games has opened up endless possibilities for Arrowad’s creativity to run wild.

Arrowad’s free reign over his tools allowed him to make games that his friends could enjoy playing.

“In video game design, the sky’s the limit,” Arrowad said. “The fact that I can mess around with a game as I’d like, make a game that would be strategic, and make my friends want to play is what I enjoy doing the most. It’s fun to give my friends a challenge to see if they can beat my game.”

Typing on the keyboard, Junior Adam Arrowad creates his upcoming masterpiece. After many years of work and hours spent, Arrowad has developed a strong set of skills within game design.

WRITTEN BY JOSEPH CHO GRAPHICS BY TRISTAN ING, ANDREW LAM PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLA HAU PHOTO BY KEN YU

After much practice and hard work, Arrowad has learned many things about video game design such as art, music, and sound effects. He learned the importance of organization as well as studying the different aspects of music and shading.

“I learned the skills needed to knit a game together,” Arrowad said. “I learned how to code, draft, design, make prototypes, make art, make music, and make sound effects for games. The more you practice, the better you will get at them.”

After eight years of gaining knowledge on the world of game design, Arrowad is continuously eager to share his creations with the world. Earlier this year, he was one of the top 10 students to be nominated for the regional STEM Fuse: Got Game Competition, a competition where students from fifth to 12th grade submit their original game. As he continues his journey as a game designer, Arrowad hopes to produce more of his artwork for others to experience.

“In the future, I want to prototype new ideas and to release a game for the public to have fun with,” Arrowad said. “I mainly want to make more enjoyable games for my friends. I like to make games for fun, not to make money. I love seeing people’s reactions when they play my games.”

thematadorsghs.us FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022