The Matador: Feburary 2016

FOCUS

“Treat Yourself: The Importance of Self Love” p. 6-7

LIFE&ART “Cervantes pursues rap career” p.8

FEATURES “You’re my ‘butter’ half” p.12

THE MATADOR

SAN GABRIEL HIGH/FEBRUARY 10, 2016/ VOLUME 61 / ISSUE 6

WWW.THEMATADORSGHS.US/801 S. RAMONA ST., SAN GABRIEL CA 91776

Toy Story-themed Talent Show entertains family, friends

L u Yu e Wa n g Decked in frills and sequin, Converse and jeans, and feeling as nervous and as confident as they could be, students competed at the 2016 Toy Story-themed talent show, held on Jan. 29 in the auditorium.

Lines to enter the show stretched twice the distance from the auditorium to the health office; many families and friends came to enjoy the show.

During the event each act received a lively round of applause from the audience, and the judges were impressed with all the talent the students had to offer.

Junior Kiana Saucedo-Moreno got the crowd chanting, “this is how we do it” with her song parody of “This is How We Do It.” Sophomore Kaijie Han’s emotional performance of Bruno Mars’ “Let it Rain” moved the audience to brighten the auditorium with their phones. Senior Derek Ma got the crowd on the edge of their seats with his rapid vocal percussion and unexpected beat drops.

“I loved them all,” Tamara Cognatta, band director and swim coach, said. “This was one of the best shows I’ve seen. I loved the variety, enthusiasm, and support. I’m kind of sorry it was over.”

The Associated Student Body (ASB) hosted and kicked off the show with a lively choreographed

dance number of Disney’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” with the performing cast dressed up as toys.

Yearbook and ASB each provided a commercial break with Yearbook acting out a playful lamentation of not getting a yearbook, and ASB presenting the do’s and don’ts of Prom.

“It was better than I expected. ASB and Yearbook were quite entertaining, they had a lot of energy and the skits were pretty funny,” junior Joy Portinga said.

The winners of this year’s talent show were junior ZhengZhao Yang, who danced the samba and placed first; sophomore Henry Gip , who performed a piece in percussive guitar and placed second; and senior Trista Rios, who demonstrated the traditional flamenco and placed third. All the winners received a sash along with a stuffed Toy Story character.

Students and teachers alike were astounded by the quality of the performances.

“The performers were all fantastic, there’s a lot of talent here,” Jordan Vogel, English and leadership teacher, said. “The top three were excellent choices; they represent our school and the performances very well.”

After announcing the winners, ASB closed the show with their opening dance number of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and the audience filed out of the auditorium as excited chattering filled the air and praises were exchanged among families and friends.

Top left: From left to right, senior Trista Rios, sophomore Henry Gip, and junior ZhengZhao Yang pose with their prizes after the show.

Top: Junior ZhengZhao Yang begins his performance of the samba.

Above: Junior Kiana Saucedo-Morengo sings “This Is How We Do It.” Photos By Sunny Chen

Academic Decathalon members study India for competition B ri t n e y Ti ng Having absorbed knowledge of the Indian culture for nearly a year, the Acadec team was prepared to pit what they had learned against other teams. The competition, known as Academic Decathlon, was split between Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 and comprised of speech, interview, essay, math, science, music, literature, art, economics, and social studies. This year’s theme was India. The competitors were tested on the first three categories on the first day and on the remaining subjects the second day. Competitors included seniors Stephen Kang, Jia Mao, and Ashley Hua in the Honors team, which consists of people with a GPA of 3.5 to 4.0; and junior Michael Lam and seniors Tiffany Tran and Alex Tse in the Scholastic team, which consists of people with a GPA of 3.0 to 3.8.

“While I was performing [my speech], I was trying to make eye contact,” Acadec President Ashley Hua said. “I felt the adrenaline, I felt my heart racing, and I was trying to smoothly deliver my speech, but I know I did stumble. And I was trying not to dwell on that, I was trying to live in the moment, and trying to get my

speech done.”

In order to prepare for the competition, the team has been practicing their prepared speeches and impromptus in front of each other and giving critiques and feedback. In the days leading up to the second day of competition, they stayed until late after school to read materials, take practice tests, and memorize all the main points of the subjects they were supposed to prepare for.

“As a person who is very afraid of being judged, I was extremely nervous [for the competition], but once you’re in that zone where you’re performing in front of people, [that nervousness] just gradually fades away,” Tran said.

The exhilaration of competing was felt by first-time competitors as well.

“I was really nervous about [the competition], since this was my first time competing in three years of being in Acadec, so I guess all jitteriness just came out of me,” Lam said.

Scores from the competition will be released in several weeks.

After that, the team will begin anew and study for next year’s competition.

Photo By Britney Ting

ACADEC senior competitors (from left to right) Alex Tse, Jia Mao, Stephen Kang, and Tiffany Tran.

NEWS

THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Students explore careers in District Fair B ri t n e y T i n g The Alhambra Unified School District will be hosting its first district-wide career fair to help high school students explore and better understand what career opportunities are available. Over 60 different guest speakers will be present to provide tips, such as what classes to take and what extracurricular activities to participate in during high school, for students interested in their jobs. Among the numerous invited guest speakers were lawyers, doctors, engineers, police officers, dancers, food truckers, wedding planners, pilots, publishers, florists, and special events coordinators.

Last school year, the Career Technical Education Department held small career fairs at Mark Keppel and Alhambra High School for incoming 8th graders. These fairs have been considered successful, so the district wants to expand the event by holding a large one for everyone in the district.

“This way, the students will get to know all the different career options that are available, since students hear about the usual occupations and might not think about the other [jobs] that

are offered,” Career Technical Education (CTE) Adviser and Career Fair Coordinator Elizabeth An said. “You just don’t really think about [certain jobs] when you’re a student.”

Mock job interviews, job and internship opportunities, and workshops on networking, resume writing, and interviewing skills will also be available. The event is meant to help students discover that even their everyday talents and interests can be translated to a potential career they never thought about.

“You might not think, ‘I want to be a special events coordinator,’” An said. “Even if you do like putting on events and planning things—maybe you plan outings with your friends or maybe you are the one who organizes fundraisers for your club—you might not think you can utilize those skills in the real world.”

The fair will be held on Feb. 23 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Alhambra High School. Buses will be available to shuttle students to the event and back to San Gabriel High School at the usual bus stop. Students can visit the Career Center for bus permission slips and priority bus boarding passes.

FBLA places first in Sweepstakes Award

Photo courtesy of Qi Nguy

The FBLA team poses proudly with their plaques. The year’s victory marks a 2 peat championship.

Red Cross accumulates sixty pints of blood Ed ward Ri vera For senior Robert Lopez donating blood is in the family.

“My sister came here…[and] donated all the time. She always motivated me to try and do this and the first time I did it, [freshman year] I liked it so I just kept doing it,” senior Robert Lopez said.

Lopez has donated about six times in the past four years of high school, yet the loss of blood and vital nutrients needed to sustain his own body only seems to empower him even more.

Sixty pints of blood were taken collectively from about 60 students in the Multi-purpose room (MPR) on Jan. 29. Designed to be a hospital replica, a makeshift waiting room was to one corner, rooms for health questioning in another, while hospital beds were set up in the middle of the room each with their respective tools and machine for drawing blood.

“After they take out blood...at first when you get up from laying down, you feel a little woozy and then after a couple seconds you feel ok. I don’t feel that special because everyone does it, but Ms. Tran makes you feel good about donating blood and saving lives. It’s a good cause...I think people should do this,” Lopez said.

While there are slight admission regulations, including a series of basic health questions and a weight requirement, the experience is quick(about one hour) and painless for the most part. Additionally, for Red Cross members only three donations along with a few volunteer hours guarantees a chord! Donating blood is an easy way to literally be a part of a bigger cause.

Photo by Edward Rivera

Sophomore Ernesto Salvador Cardenas-Gullien prepares to have his blood drawn.

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Get Empathy promotes positive student values Shir ley Dinh Interact will be hosting a Get Empathy event in order to encourage students to build relationships outside of their own personal bubbles. This program, sponsored by Rotary International, promotes peace, anti-bullying, and non-discrimination among youth.

The idea of Get Empathy is to change the social environment in schools and make it a supportive, empathic and tight community instead of having a segregated community.

“The main goal of Get Empathy is to bring our club members as well as other clubs, [and] create a bond between the clubs, because our school is sort of divided with the Asian and Latino community,” Vice President of Interact Kyle Qi said. “The whole point of this is to bring ethnic diversity to our community.”

To help bring students out of their normal group of friends, Get Empathy encourages students to participate in storytelling. Students’ empathy will be activated once listening to each other’s personal stories and struggles, creating an intimate relationship outside of school activities.

Interact, Peer Counseling, and Conflict Mediation members went to the first training of the Get Empathy program for a sneak peek of what would be going on during the actual event. During the training, they were separated into groups and each person shared their personal story of what made them who they are today.

Some shared their personal struggles and trouble with social media, while others talked about their family problems, such as having divorced parents.

“I felt like I could relate to people, and a lot of people cried listening to the stories,” sophomore Rebecca Ho said. “At the end, we gave each other compliments and resonated with each other.”

Students hope that a positive change will be apparent in the atmosphere and environment through this program.

“I think it will be something that gives students a chance to reflect on finding a voice in themselves to improve their own lives as well as the community,” Megan Ma, art chair of Interact, said. “Get Empathy makes students realize change within ourselves is essential to change within our community.”

More clubs will be participating in the upcoming Get Empathy, such as Conflict Mediation, the Association of Latin American students (ALAS), and the freshman leadership class.

“The students who went to the first one gave positive feedback, so this time we are going to gather more clubs, students, and teachers who are interested,” Pek Lee, adviser of Interact, said.

Multiple clubs will be participating in Get Empathy in the Multi-Purpose Room on Feb. 13. To learn more about the Empathy Program, students can talk to Lee or Interact president, Sunny Chen.

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THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Speech and Debate triumphs at Spring Varsity

NEWS

Cash for College workshops assist, inform students of aid B r itney Ting

Photo Courtesy of Jessica Sandercock

The Speech and Debate team gathers for a group picture in Arcadia High School after their competition.

S y d n e y Tri e u Clad in black attire accented by ties and dress shirts of all colors, the Matador Speech and Debate team kicked off the new year with the long-awaited tournament-Spring Varsity—on Jan. 30.

Hosted at Arcadia High School, varsity, junior varsity, and novice members alike performed speeches in their respective events, showcasing their efforts and ability as speakers. At the end of the night, San Gabriel had one finalist—senior Andy Le, competing in Dramatic Interpretation (DI), which is known as one of the most difficult events in the speech and debate community.

“When I saw my name on the final round [postings], I was in disbelief,” Le said. “I honestly felt like I didn’t deserve to be up there at first because of my previous rounds, but apparently, I [had] pulled through. I felt really honored soon after I processed the whole situation because this was a chance to represent the San Gabriel Speech and Debate team.”

Le ultimately walked home with a second place trophy in hand, validating the long hours he had spent toiling away at practice, working alongside his peers and improving not only himself, but others around him.

“When I managed to break into finals, I felt that this was a [chance] to bring hope and faith back into the team,” Le said. “I wanted to show despite the setbacks [we faced this year], we are still more than capable of succeeding anything if we really reach for it.”

In addition to Le’s achievement, eight other members

advanced to the semifinal round: junior Tom Cheah and senior Kenny Yeung in International Extemporaneous speaking, sophomore Ricky Le and junior Alex Zhang in Humorous Interpretation, sophomore Rebekah Carrillo in Original Prose and Poetry, freshman Angela Lu in DI, sophomore Matthew Luu in Oratorical Interpretation, and junior Sydney Trieu in Original Oratory.

For many, participating in semifinals was a new and exciting feat, and Carrillo’s experience was no exception. “[When I found out I broke into semifinals], I was so happy I cried!” Carrillo said. “I honestly didn’t expect to break at all; it was an amazing feeling. [But in my round], I was really nervous. There were spectators, and because I had never made it to semifinals before, it scared me. It was pretty intense, [but] it was just a really fun and great experience.”

Speech and Debate coach Jessica Sandercock shared her enthusiasm as well. “[The tournament] was great, and I was so proud of all [of our] entries,” Sandercock said. “I was working the tournament and watching all the ballots and scores coming in, and knowing that my team was doing well was very rewarding as a coach. This tournament was a good lead-in to the state-qualifying tournament, and hopefully we can bring the same momentum in the next couple of weeks as we did this past weekend.”

The team’s next tournament, Spring Novice, will take place on Feb. 20 at Garfield High School in Los Angeles.

The state-qualifying tournament will follow a week after on Feb 27-28 at California State University, Long Beach.

Finding a new dream; Sadies’ at San Gabriel E ri n Tru o n g A stranger climbs into her tower. He’s a thief, so she hits him with a frying pan and ties him up.

And then she asks him to accomany her to a dance. Admittedly, this isn’t quite the usual plot summary for Disney’s hit animation Tangled, but a relevant one.

Sadies’, otherwise known as the one dance in the year when society encourages girls to ask male partners to school events, has once again arrived at San Gabriel. This year’s theme is Tangled, and the dance will take place on Friday, Feb. 19.

“We thought it was a cute theme,” Associated Student Body (ASB) president Kenny Yeung said. “We could make something colorful that people would want to attend.”

To raise attention for Sadies’, ASB is

Photo courtesy of ASB

hosting a raffle on social media; students who send in their dance “proposals” to the ASB Facebook page can earn a chance to win a pair of tickets to Sadies.

ASB is selling banners of paper for proposals at four dollars for one yard. The banners can be purchased at the Student Bank.

“I hope everyone goes, [Sadies’] is usually a pretty fun dance,” Yeung said.

“It’s not like Homecoming, it’s a little more casual.”

As with all dances in the 2015-16 year, students who wish to attend must first fill out a dance contract and turn it in at the Student Welfare office. Dance contracts can be found at the Activities office and are due Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Tickets for Sadies’ are five dollars with ASB cards, eight dollars without, and 10 dollars at the door.

Students who hope to attend college but are in need of monetary assistance can receive it by attending a Cash for College workshop. These free workshops guide students and their families and help them complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application, Cal Grant GPA Verification Form, and Chafee Grant Application. Since 2002, this program has helped over 238,000 students prepare financially for college; in 2015 alone, it granted over $35 million.

“87.1 percent of students at San Gabriel High School are on free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of socioeconomic status in American schools,” Career Technical Education Adviser Elizabeth An said. “However, it is our hope that students will not be deterred from going to college due to costs.”

Los Angeles Cash for College seeks to help high school students in three ways beyond just providing financial aid writing workshops. First, it informs students through an annual College and Career Convention, in which they have the opportunity to learn more about college life, possible careers, financial aid and scholarship offers, and personal statement writing. The College and Career Convention is already over for the current school year, but students who are interested may look forward to the next one during the fall. Second, it assists them by holding over 150 workshops throughout California in order to teach them how to apply for FAFSA and other various financial aid programs. These workshops are still ongoing and will end on March 2. One was held at Alhambra High School on Jan. 30. Third, it rewards students who attended the activities previously mentioned with additional scholarships.

“There was a good turnout at the Cash for College event [located at Alhambra High School] with over 200 students and parents in attendance,” An, who attended the event, said. “In addition, there were workshops on FAFSA in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese.”

An encourages students to attend college regardless of their financial status or academic performance in high school.

“Whether it is at a four-year university or at a two-year community college, there is always an opportunity to further [one’s] education, whether through a traditional college education or vocational/technical training,” she said.

More information, such as where these workshops are located, is available on the website <lacashforcollege.org>.

One will be held at Mt. Sac on Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. The Career Center also provides resources regarding financial aid. The deadline to turn in FAFSA is March 2 for California State Universities and Universities of California, while deadlines vary for private colleges.

OPINIONS Usually Cheah-ful

Tom Cheah Something to say Many people have the fears of speaking in front of the class, performing on a stage, or delivering speeches spontaneously.

For me, doing those tasks has become routine due to frequent Speech and Debate competitions on the weekends. Practicing speeches every day took away my feeling of fear and replaced it with a feeling of enjoyment. However, as much as I can excel in performing, I often find myself stumbling over the complexities of talking.

Coming into high school, I was determined to join Speech and Debate. I had hoped to find my voice through learning techniques of speaking and debating. I managed to learn how to use evidence for arguments, refute contentions, and think on my feet, but I have yet to accomplish my initial goal. Even after the countless hours spent in practice, I still find myself not knowing what to say in a conversation.

After two years of being in the program, I am left wishing that I had more time to learn.

The cliché advice of talking about common interests or spending more time asking questions and listening than talking makes conversations seem so formulaic and easy. Growing up, I did not spend time watching sports since my family was not into them. It was hard to relate to people who talked about the Superbowl or basketball games all the time. I managed to find and use the professional League of Legends scene as a substitute for sports.

It felt nice to finally find common ground with peers and friends, but I soon realized that only so many conversations can be about a simple game.

Talking should definitely not be compared to taking calculus tests—a traumatic task—but over time, even the basics can fade into obscurity. A simple “Hi, how are you?” is not the hardest phrase to utter. The hardest aspect to process is the disinterested, one-worded replies that discourage future attempts of making conversation; it takes two to tango. It is the fear of rejection that holds people back.

Being introverted and reserved makes it hard to approach people and talk. A big misconception about introverts is that they hate all forms of social contact. For me, being introverted can be compared to having a “battery” for social interactions.

After a while, I use periods of seclusion to recharge and rejuvenate. Being in large groups can often be exhausting; the oneon-one, intimate conversations are the most satisfying. Though hard to come by, the late night conversations where the truth speaks out on its own accord become the most memorable and cherished experiences.

Indecisiveness can contribute to the difficulty of talking because it inhibits the process of choosing words or ideas to say. There are over a million words in the English language, but I always find myself wondering what words to use to articulate my thoughts. Sometimes, the words that come out do not accurately portray my ideas. Stephen King once wrote about how “the most important things are the hardest to say because words diminish them.” I have a million thoughts, ideas, and sentiments racing through my mind every day, but most of them remain unspoken.

It is the words left unspoken that speak the loudest and mean the most. Of all the words and sounds that could be made, they are the ones that cannot be diminished and limited by language. As basic of a task as talking can be, it remains a form of communication that eludes me.

THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

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Editorial

Policy changes for caps, gowns laudable Without a doubt senior year is the most expensive year in high school.

Prom, yearbook, and senior portraits really put a strain on everyone’s wallets.

Luckily, there is one less cost to worry about for the graduating class of 2016.

The California law enforced at the end of the last school year states that public schools are prohibited from requiring seniors to purchase caps and gowns in order to participate in the graduation ceremony. The law will guarantee public schools to loan caps and gowns to seniors. The law, however, does not prohibit students from buying their own caps and gowns.

Seniors have always had the opportunity to borrow their caps and gowns for the graduation ceremony; however, major changes have been added to this policy. Compared to last year, seniors will not necessarily have to return their caps and gowns immediately after they walk across the stage to receive their diploma.

Administration is working on a way to allow students to keep their gowns

throughout the night in order to take pictures with friends and family.

Being able to celebrate with one’s family by taking pictures postgraduation with one’s cap and gown is a sentimental moment that every senior should be able to experience. Therefore, the administration’s actions should be highly praised.

San Gabriel High School will not only eradicate the payment for gown rentals but also allow students to keep their cap and tassels. The majority of San Gabriel High School’s population has free or reduced lunch; with that in mind, the changes that are arriving with the law are extremely beneficial to the families of those graduating who cannot afford to either pay or rent their senior’s cap and gown.

Though administration is still working on the details regarding caps and gowns, and where and when graduates should

return them, it seems that the parties that are involved will be pleased with the end results. The Alhambra Unified School District is doing a great service applying the law to the graduating senior class.

More information will be provided at the upcoming senior meeting on Feb. 24.

Illustration by Lu Yue Wang

Illustration by Emmanuel Maresca

Favoritism for fair skin prevails in Latino community Il eana P erez Just like everyone else, Latinos come in all shapes, sizes, forms, and colors.

However, it seems that darker skin toned Latinos are often looked down upon, especially when it comes to media representation.

It is common for Latino cultures to prefer lighter skinned Latinos because they believe that those with lighter skin tones end up with more success than their counterparts. They associate lighter skinned Latinos with rich Spaniards’ ancestors, while darker skinned Latinos are seen as descendants from servants and slaves. Usually, lighter skinned Latinos do end up being more successful when it comes to media representation.

According to <mediamatters.org>, Latinos are “America’s second-largest demographic” and “the media’s nearly complete lack of Latino representation ranges from the dearth of Latino voices and perspectives included in Englishlanguage news to the absence of substantive coverage of issues that matter most to Latinos.” In other words, Latinos as a whole already lack media representation, but having a lighter skinned Latino play a stereotypical character to represent all Latino cultures in the media is not going to help change this issue. The media claims to be diverse, but casting a lighter toned Latino defeats the purpose of representing people of color in the media; one specific look does not represent an entire race.

In both English and Spanish media television, darker skinned Latinos are oftentimes not equally represented in the media. Rarely does one see a darker skinned Latino as a news anchor, reporter, T.V. host, or simply on screen.

When it comes to telenovelas, shows, or movies, the darker toned Latinos are usually cast as the poor and lower class. A good example of this is America Ferrera, a Latina actress that was often cast as the poor, struggling Latina. In the movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ferrera stars as Carmen Lowell, the Latina that has family issues and struggles with her weight and self confidence. This is not the only movie where Ferrera has been cast as a suffering character, others include, Real Women Have Curves and the sequel

to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It would be nice to see darker toned Latinos cast as other characters. It is the 21st century and it is time society stops seeing darker skin tones as the lower class, as the misfortunate, as the suffering, and as people that will be unsuccessful.

It is ridiculous that society still believes that one’s skin tone will determine his or her success. A `person’s skin tone and race should not be the factors that determine one’s success— rather, one’s skills should be taken into account, not one’s appearance.

Both the Spanish and English media should start showing all Latinos, so all Latinos would feel encouraged to participate and become successful.

Everyone should have a chance to be equally represented in the media no matter what their skin tone is. It is time for both the Spanish and English media to stop making light skinned, colored eyed Latinos as the dominant representation of Latinos and start to equally cast both dark and light skinned Latinos.

Illustration by Lu Yue Wang

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THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

OPINIONS

Romance overwhelmingly heterosexual A m y Ye e

I’m no romantic. I don’t excessively buy candies, chocolate, teddy bears, or flowers for the person I like. I would hate to admit it, but the most I’d do is take them out for dinner and give them a practical gift, like a shirt or a sweater.

Somewhere along the line of gift-picking on the web, I came across cute “couple apparel;” namely, matching clothing items that have matching designs or patterns or have half of a sentence on one shirt and the other half on another. T-shirts with “Soul” written in blue on one, and “Mate” stamped across the other in pink. These were all cute and creative things I’d probably buy, and I kept on scrolling through site after site for one that I liked. But after a while, I’d realized that all of those logos were aimed towards straight, or heterosexual couples.

A quick search with Google Images using the phrase “couple shirts” yielded dozens of images with “His” and “Hers” on matching shirts; very rarely did I see apparel with “His” and “His” or “Hers” and “Hers”. And it’s not just clothing items too; phone cases

and coffee mugs on other websites have the same mentality, displaying clear stereotypical divides between gender.

These gifts are apparently aimed towards the majority, heterosexuals, and it’s okay—but there should be more awareness on the fact that the apparel selections same-sex couples are harder to find. In addition, modernday advertising i s directed at traditional couples.

Commercials focusing on giftgiving often produce advertisements that are gender-specific. For example, “masculine” products, such as watches are marketed towards men during the gift-giving season, and typical “feminine” products such as perfume and jewelry are targeted at women. Who knows, maybe someone out in the world has a girlfriend who wants a watch, or someone’s

brother wants jewelry.

Is this what the marketing world has come to? Back in Aug. 2015, the decision to remove all gender-based colors by retail store Target caused massive controversy; people were taking complaints to social media as gender implications on toys, clothing, and bedding were removed as part of gender-neutral shift.

Though many people argued that those signs made shopping more tedious— as male and female clothing are sized differently— the bigger picture was that who are we, as a society, to tell other people what to wear and what to play with.

the protagonist’s part. Although some people might complain about the repetitive structure of chick flicks, they are considered a genre for a reason. Just like Westerns or superhero movies, chick flicks have a well-established storyline.

My real complaint is in the message that many of these movies seem to adhere to: women cannot lead fulfilling lives without being in a relationship. Their main characterisitc are clumsiness or naivete. For example. Jessica Alba’s Cam in Good Luck Chuck takes it to new heights, bumping into waiters who spill glasses of water on her, falling into a pond for penguins, , and getting her skirt caught in a car door. Being accidentprone is a way to humanize attractive actresses, but do their characters have to be so poorly conceived that their one defining trait is their ability to fall. These traits perpetuate stereotypes about women, making it seem as though their top priorities are to secure

a relationship and look beautiful. and promote the idea that women’s interests are frivolous and inferior to those of men.

Don’t get me wrong: I love a good love story. Take for example the film Titanic, which some might arguably consider to be the greatest love story in cinema of all time.

Although it was not marketed to be one, the film does contain elements of a chick flick; emphasis on emotions and romantic hardships. But the female protagonist, Rose, was not a klutzy, lifeless sap who needed someone to fill the hole in her heart.

Rose was smart, cultured, and dealt with conforming to society’s expectations of her; she did not just sit around and mope about Jack.

It is much more relatable and interesting to watch a chick flick where you can actually look up to the protagonist and root for her relationship to work, instead of wincing at every painfully embarrassing scene that might ensue. A solid, tear-jerking, heartwrenching, romance film can do without promoting such constricting representation of women.

Illustration by Katharine Hoong

“Chick flicks” promote subjective roles Ki m P h a m The term “chick flick” bares similarities to the entire genre of movies it refers to—catchy, light-hearted, and somewhat sexist.

But around this time of year, when it slowly starts to feel like everyone on planet Earth is in a relationship besides you, one must ask: so what? There is satisfaction in rooting for a movie couple. When you tell someone that a film is a chick flick they instantly know a lot about it: it features a female protagonist and the focus of the film is a romantic relationship. The film is going to be heavy on the emotion, rather than action, and women are the film’s target audience. You expect romance, a misunderstanding that needs clearing up, and certainly some humiliation on

Illustration by Cassandra Chen

MATADOR

Editors-in-Chief

Managing Editors News Editors Opinions Editors Focus Editors Life and Art Editors Sports Editors Features Editors Copy Editors Photo Editor Artists Business Managers Website Editors Multimedia Editors Blogs Manager Adviser

Cassandra Chen Erin Truong Carolina Garcia Amy Yee Nathan Ta Amy Yee Carolina Garcia Amanda Molina Christy Deng Emmanuel Maresca Ileana Perez Kim Pham Frank Lieu Carolina Loaisiga Kelly Ho Sydney Trieu Ying Chow Eva Fong Chelsea Huynh Sunny Chen Eva Fong Kim Ta Lu Yue Wang Katherine Hoong Jessica Tran Stacy Chau Thomas Wang Tom Cheah Anthony Yang Katherine Hoong Jennifer Kim

Reporters: Hellgert Almontes, Shirley Dinh, Manny Ibarra, Susan Lam, Mario Mandujano, Edward Rivera, Uyen Sy, Britney Ting, Vivian Wong The Matador is published monthly by the journalism class of San Gabriel High School. 1,600 copies per issue are published at J. E. J Print Inc. The Matador is a public forum for student expression and highly encourages responses in reaction to issues discussed in the paper. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, not the faculty or administration. Articles without bylines are the opinion of the staff. Submit comments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested), to H-2, or Ms. Kim’s mailbox.

The Matador Bullring How would you define love?

“ “

When two people really like each other and they really want to be with each other.”

-Jessica Villanueva, 9th grade

Love is when you feel comfortable with the person you like and you can share your feelings with them.”

-Bryan Chan, 10th grade When you spend time with your significant other, you would cherish every moment.”

-Cassandra Luu, 11th grade

“

Love is when you can’t stop thinking or talking about the other person.“ -Javier Martinez, 12th grade

Photos by Sunny Chen

“Chau” down Stacy Chau

Learning to love myself I hated everything about myself. I hated the fact that I had small, “chinky” eyes, a wide face, flat nose, and an awkward smile, but most of all, I hated the fact that I was considered “overweight” and “imperfect” by society’s standards. I stood at four feet, 11 inches and weighed 140 pounds at age 12. I had a belly so large that I couldn’t even see my toes when I looked down, limbs that jiggled with the slightest movement, and cheeks so chubby that they could be pinched with ease.

With the average weight being 95 to 115 pounds at my height, it’s true that I was considered unhealthy. Even so, there was a point when I was happy. Not with my body, but satisfied with life as it was.

But over time, being told almost everyday that I was “fat” and “ugly” took a toll on me, and I took action. Or more specifically, I stopped taking action. I stopped eating and started starving myself. I went from eating excessively to only eating one meal a day. After a while, I started cutting down even more, to the point of only eating a snack a day and sometimes nothing. I was in a constant battle between my mind, which told me that I needed to starve myself in order to achieve the body I wanted, and my body, which threatened to break down if I didn’t consume the proper amount of food I needed.

I let this unhealthy habit continue for three months until I finally lost 40 pounds.

I knew I couldn’t stop ignoring the growl of my stomach when I noticed that my complexion had become discolored and pale; I would always feel too fatigued and tired to do anything. I would collapse, constantly get sick and nauseous, and faint at random times. I would wake up feeling sick and tired from doing absolutely nothing.

When I finally stopped depriving myself of what I needed most to survive, I found it difficult to eat the way I used to. Whenever I tried to eat foods I used to enjoy, I would feel sick to my stomach.

After my diet transformation, I couldn’t stomach anything that had flavor. The few foods I was able to consume, such as tofu and steamed vegetables, had little to no flavor. The taste, and even the smell of the foods I used to enjoy would make me lose my appetite. In addition, my stomach and body had grown accustomed to only eating the minimal. I ate only one meal a day with very small portions, rather than the healthy three meals a day.

It took about two years for me to fully fix my palate again. I took baby steps and started eating foods that were easy on the tongue and digestive system, then worked my way towards eating more and more until I was consuming a healthy amount of food. Although I’m currently at a healthy weight for my height, I still face long-term health issues such as anemia and low white blood cell count. Today, if anyone were to ask me questions regarding how to lose weight, I would always tell them to never deprive themselves of eating. Don’t ever starve yourself because it’s not worth it to abuse yourself in order to gain the body you want. Don’t put yourself through the pain of constant dizziness and fatigue. Don’t put yourself through not being able to eat your favorite foods again. None of it is worth it because having a healthy body can only be achieved through healthy eating, exercise, and loving your body.

LIFE & ART

THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Teachers’ creative classrooms A massive hand strips paper from the canvas, revealing a galaxy of colors dripping and pooling into an empty void, with the Earth looming in the distance. The words “Create. Inspire. Design.” are stamped across what little canvas that has not been torn by the painted hand. This vibrant mural graces the door of art teacher Francesca Jung’s classroom, an appropriate reminder for students entering SA-6.

The front door isn’t the only eye-catching thing about Jung’s classroom; upon stepping into the classroom, one would notice the rainbow-themed drawers in every corner.

“I had a student [Alex Luu] who painted the door,” Jung said. “I was with him to explore different canvases; we came up with different ideas.”

Luu created the design while Jung came up with the three words along with the work.

“I wanted to concentrate about how the door can inspire other students artistically,” Jung said. “When they look at it, it’s not just [about] drawing when you get inspired but also designing.”

SA-6 is also adorned with students’ works and painted works of artistic media.

Currently, pictures of painted fruits and vegetables and students’ parodies of wellknown artworks decorate half the classroom. In addition, painted chairs with different designs are scattered across the class, which students are able to interact with.

Jung said that she loves how students want to become involved when they look at the artwork.

“I like the excitement [students] have when they look at colored work,” Jung said.

“They want to go up and look at other people’s work and see how they’re like.”

In the future, Jung hopes to renovate her room by having more objects painted.

“I want to make it as an art room for the students, not just for myself so students can be a part of art,” Jung said.

Step inside English teacher Scott Myers’ classroom and it’s like you are in a rock and roll museum. With albums and posters of musicians such as Johnny Cash and Bo Diddley you’ll sure be able to grasp the history of rock n’ roll in a matter of seconds. Along with albums and posters, the room offers informative literature displays.

Since music plays a big part in Myers’ life, he likes to display posters of his favorite bands, such as The Beatles, and the history of different musicians like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Johnny Cash and Fats Domino in which he calls the Hall of Fame.

“My favorite part of my room right now would be the Hall of Fame because the eight gentlemen were the founding fathers of rock n’ roll,” Myers said. “They invented a form of music that pretty much changed the world.”

Many students have the same music taste as Myers and some grew a fondness of his music overtime. While his students take quizzes, Myers will occasionally play music faintly in the background so they are able to put the music to the test.

“Half of the music that’s in there are actually the bands that I like. I like the poets and writers up there; some of them are my favorite,” sophomore Miriam Flores said.

Myers also tries to relay to his students there is more to the songs’ lyrics than they would suspect.

“When students are reading the lyrics to their favorite songs, I want them to notice that they are poems,” he said.

The inspiration with putting up music posters began as early as the days when Myers used to teach at an elementary school, years before he taught high school students.

“Elementary school teachers are known for their bulletin boards so I came from that environment,” Myers said.

He expresses that an appealing room can provide students with a better learning experience. Not only can it motivate students to perform better during class time, but also inform them about the materials they learn in class.

Walking into P210 is like walking into a different country. Spanish teacher Victor Garcia decorates his classroom in a way that makes students feel like they are in a Spanish speaking country.

Inspired by the Latino culture, he brings souvenirs and artwork made by artisans from the different countries that he has traveled to, such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, and Argentina.

“I want my students to feel like they’re living in the Latin culture,” Garcia said.

Students who walk into the room are greeted by the Mexican flag and feel encompassed by the colorful tapestries put around the walls.

“It’s like we’re walking into a new environment and new culture,” junior Michelle Tran said. “It’s not like the usual classes where teachers only put up student work.”

Multiple figurines, dolls and masks that have historical significance fill up the wall behind his desk.

Garcia covers all four walls of his classroom with artwork by different Latin American artists, such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

In addition, Garcia incorporates his students’ work, gifts from friends, and student gifts in his room.

“I have a painted carriage that some of my friends brought for me, and tapestries given to me by a former teacher,” Garcia said. “I also have a Madonna poster that my former students from years ago gave to me.”

To Garcia, creating a welcoming environment is the most important thing to keep in mind when decorating a classroom.

Briefs complied by Cassandra Chen, Shirley Dinh, Vivian Wong Photos by SunnyChen

Border by Lu Yue Wang

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 LIFE & ART 9 Get Lit team is formed, prepares for competition THE MATADOR

Yi n g C h o w Every Wednesday and Thursday, six students can be overheard in English teacher Cady Burkhart’s room as they compose and rehearse their own poems in preparation for the Classic Slam competition in Los Angeles on April 28.

The Get Lit team, advised by Burkhart and English teacher Jordan Vogel, consists of sophomores Erica Duran and Edward Rivera, junior Azucena Pacheco, and seniors Carolina Garcia, Cuiting Yu, and Justine Salazar.

As of now, the six members are composing their own poems to recite for the upcoming competition.

The team meets up to practice, edit, and revise each other’s poems, helping each other to improve. Besides solely training, team members also take this opportunity to bond.

“It’s not about winning the Classic Slam. That’s not what this is about,” Burkhart said. “I don’t necessarily want to focus on that but I’m confident that we have a very, very strong team.”

In order to be part of the Get Lit team, students presented their poems in front of their classrooms and the top poets were chosen to perform in the school Get Lit event, competing with students from other classes. The 10 winners advanced to the Callback Slam where the final six poets were determined to be part of this year’s Get Lit team and move on to the Classic Slam. There, only four out of the 50 teams participating will ascend to the Finals round on April 30.

“I think we have a good team this year,” Vogel said. “We’ve had great teams in the past, so Ms. Burkhart and I are really excited about the team we have this year.”

Each person chooses one classic poem and writes their own response poem accordingly. Response poems can be as creative and imaginative as desired, but must connect to their original classic poem. Then, they are allowed to present the poem individually or partner up with two or three others in the team.

There will be an Opne Mic event on Feb. 11.

Name: Edward Rivera Grade: Sophomore Favorite Poem: “Shiting of the Sun”

by Diana Der-Hovanessian Response: Insanity on my doorstep Inspiration: My classic poem talks about the death of a father in each culture, and I feel like I can relate to each of the perspectives in the poem because my father also passed away.

Name: Ericka Duran Grade: Sophomore Favorite Poem: “Honey by Andrea Gibson” Response: The Meaning of Love Inspiration: “Honey” has the right amount of humor and is extremely passionate, and the response poem is one I feel connected to.

Name: Azucena Pacheco Grade: Junior Favorite Poem: “Bei Hennef “by D.H. Lawrence Response: What I Couldn’t Control Inspiration: My classic talks about how perfect a girl’s love is, and how perfect the whole situation is because he is her everything. In my response poem I talk about falling in love with a person.

Name: Carolina Garcia Grade: Senior Favorite Poem: “Hairs” by Sandra Cisneros Response: Mixed Numbers Inspiration: My family is my inspiration. I am glad people were able to listen to my poem. I am so excited to work with everyone on the team. They are all so passionate and great poets.

Name: Justine Salazar Grade: Senior Favorite Poem: “The Replacement”

by Tony Hoagland Response: For my Brother Inspiration: [My inspiration is] my little brother Chris, who has been working extra hard these past years just to keep up in school, and I wanted to show I acknowledge all that he’s overcome.

Name: Cuiting Yu Grade: Senior Favorite Poem: “A Song in the Front Yard” Response: No More Inspiration: Sometimes, I just get sick and tired of people judging my name and making fun of it because my name is so Asian, [which is the inspiration for my poem.]

Cervantes pursues rap career going to get that rush,” Cervantes said.

The rush comes from the fast-paced nature of rap music, and performing for A long-burning drive for poetic and lyri- Cervantes has always been an instance of cal expression reached new heights as senior great pressure.

Alberto Cervantes, going by the stage name “What’s different from recording sesSlim Kronic, recently released his first single, sions to live poetry is that you have all produced by Outspoken, on iTunes and Spo- the time in the world to perfect your mestify titled “626 x 479.” sage, rather than in a poetry event... evCervantes has erything has to been planning a be performed song release for perfectly in some time, and front of a live although appreaudience, hensive at first, is which puts a surprised by his lot weight on own success. a poet,” Cer“At first I vantes said. wasn’t too sure Cervantes’ on releasing mufirst song to sic, but once I be released on did I got so much a major scale feedback which is just the beinspired me to ginning of an keep going at it,” ambitious caCervantes said. reer in music, Since then, and Cervantes Cervantes’ tenac- Photo courtesy of iTunes a l re a d y h a s ity and vision more on the have come to fru- Senior Alberto Cervantes poses for his single way. ition with his first cover, 626 x 479. The official album will be “At the release reaching released on April 10. moment, I’m 51 listeners on linked up with spotify and over a professional 2,400 views for the “626 x 479” music video audio engineer who has taken my music on YouTube. to the next level,” Cervantes said.

“It feels pretty amazing, and I feel really Taking his music career more seriously accomplished,” Cervantes said. than ever before, Cervantes shows great Cervantes, being a live poetry veteran perseverance and initiative. After years participating in numerous Poetry Out Loud of practice, Cervantes is finally able to do performances, finds that recording is a totally what he’s dreamt of. different experience altogether.

“With his help, I’m soon to release a “When you’re behind a mic, regardless free album with 13 songs,” Cervantes of the situation you’re put in, you’re always said.

E mm a n u e l M a re s c a

Photos by Sunny Chen

Rodriguez places first in local music competition, represents San Gabriel gotta play,’” Rodriguez said.

This was the first year the San Gabriel Valley New Generation Rotarty Club parSenior Noah Rodriguez walked into the ticipated in the Dan Stover music competiFirst Baptist Church with his flute ready to tion, which was started by the Alhambra compete against other talented instrument Rotary Club. The music contest has three levels: club, regional, and district. players, but Rodriguez he did not will be repreexpect to be senting the San the only inGabriel Valley strumentalin the second ist from the round, where t h re e h i g h instrumentalschools of the ists from the Alhambra other Rotary Unified sections will School Discompete. trict to show Many peoup. ple would ofHe heard ten ask why he about the chose to play San Gabriel the flute, and Valley New Photo by Sunny Chen he says it is beGeneracause he loves tion Rotary the way it Club’s mu- Senior Noah Rodriguez performs and places first in sounds. sic contest the Dan Stover music competition.

“It really from Marching Band teacher Tammy Cognetta and calms me. It takes me to a different world. scrambled to find the perfect music piece to I [can] find peace to myself and the funny practice and perform. He ultimately settled part is that I tell other people that it fits on “The Queen of the Night” from the Magic in my backpack, so I can just carry it Flute and on Jan. 21, he headed off to the First around.”

Rodriguez has played the flute Baptist Church, where his performance was judged by the Rotary members. He won first throughout his junior high and high place and received a monetary award as well. school years, and he is currently in March“Honestly, it was really thrilling being up ing Band. He enjoys listening to classical there in front of all those people. I was kind music, and he played baseball at a young of nervous even though it wasn’t really that age. He plans on majoring in music and big of a room, but just having the Rotary club in the future, he hopes to play for the Los members there—that was like, ‘Oh, I really Angeles Philharmonic.

C h elsea Huynh

SPORTS

THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

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2015-16 Winter Sports Scoreboard GIRLS SOCCER

BOYS BASKETBALL

GIRLS BASKETBALL

VARSITY 1/22 @ Bell Gardens 1/26 vs. Montebello 1/29 vs. Alhambra 2/2 @ Mark Keppel 2/5 vs. Schurr

62-60 49-41 64-51 55-40 71-62

VARSITY 1/22 @ Bell Gardens 1/26 vs. Montebello 1/29 vs. Alhambra 2/2 @ Mark Keppel 2/5 vs. Schurr

55-53 60-33 45-24 63-40 56-45

W W W L L

VARSITY 1/21 vs. Montebello 1/26 vs. Alhambra 1/28 vs. Schurr 2/2 @ Bell Gardens 2/4 vs. Mark Keppel

1-0 4-0 5-0 3-0 2-2

L L L L T

VARSITY 1/21 vs. Montebello 1/26 vs. Alhambra 1/28 vs. Schurr 2/2 @ Bell Gardens 2/4 vs. Mark Keppel

10-0 3-0 4-1 6-0 2-2

JV 1/22 @ Bell Gardens 1/26 vs. Montebello 1/29 vs. Alhambra 2/2 @ Mark Keppel 2/5 vs. Schurr

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

JV 1/22 @ Bell Gardens 1/26 vs. Montebello 1/29 vs. Alhambra 2/2 @ Mark Keppel 2/5 vs. Schurr

28-20 57-27 38-16 48-24 28-14

W W W L W

JV 1/21 vs. Montebello 1/26 vs. Alhambra 1/28 vs. Schurr 2/2 @ Bell Gardens 2/4 vs. Mark Keppel

N/A 4-0 L 3-0 L N/A 1-1 T

JV 1/21 vs. Montebello 1/26 vs. Alhambra 1/28 vs. Schurr 2/2 @ Bell Gardens 2/4 vs. Mark Keppel

N/A 3-0 8-0 N/A 1-1

W W L L W

BOYS SOCCER L L L L T

L L T

Cheer advances to nationals Kather ine Hoong

Photo courtesy of Cheer

The San Gabriel cheerleading team poses together before their performances at the regional competition. They will perform at upcoming nationals in March 18-20.

The San Gabriel cheer team received a 76 point average at the 2016 USA High School Spirit Regional competition and placed fourth, allowing them to advance to the national competition.

This year’s regional competition was held at Tustin High School on Jan. 23 as San Gabriel competed against schools such as Santiago High School, Pioneer High School, Crean Lutheran High School, and Yerba Buena High School.

USA High School Spirit competition is an elite cheer event with an entrance fee of $2,800 which the Co-ed team, consisting of boys and girls, raised money for with fundraisers.

The three judges, who were professional cheerleaders from college teams, graded the performances based on their sharpness, difficulty of stunts, choreography, facial expressions, and sportsmanship. The Matador cheer team received seven out of 10 points from the judges in each category. The team started off their performance with their cheering routine, which consisted of chanting, arm movements, and stunts. They then finished off the competition with a performance that consisted of difficult air stunts, dance movements, and tumbling such as cartwheels and back walkovers.

In their competition division, which had a combination of varsity and junior varsity cheer members, the San Gabriel cheer team was the only team who did not drop anyone during their stunts.

Senior captain Wendy Le was amazed by her teammates’ hard work in the regional competition.

“I am incredibly proud of all of the girls because we managed to get fourth place at regionals. Last year, a real choreographer was hired and made the routine, but this year, it was all us,” Le said.

Head Coach Kristen Marroquin praised the team’s effort. “Even if we do not win, it is still a good experience and is an opportunity to improve our skill,” Marroquin said.

The team also made it to nationals last year but did not place. Hoping for a chance to redeem themselves, the team will be improving and polishing their routine for the upcoming national competition in the Anaheim Convention Center during March 18-20.

Martinez, Lee place in solo routines Many factors are considered at competitions, such as the routine, execution, and overall performance. The first two categories Tears streaked down junior Sharon are out of forty points while the last category Lee’s face when she discovered she won is out of twenty points. The final score is first place for her lyrical solo at the Win- then calculated as an average between three ter Celebration dance competition at judges.

West Covina High “I was nervous School on Jan. 23. because I didn’t Senior Esmeralda want to disap“Esme” Martinez, point my team and who won second coach,” Lee said,”... place for her hip but I had to the hop solo at the mindset of ‘I had to competition, was do this.’” also overjoyed.

Lee’s solo rouAdditionally, a tine consisted of select team from turns, jumps, and Choreo competpowerful emotion ed in the hip hop while Martinez’s division, placing solo consisted of third. knee drops, sharp Lee and Marmovements, and tinez, who were her fierce attitude. both on the hip “I just told myhop team, had self to just rememthe opportunity ber that it’s just me Photo courtesy of Sharon Lee to enter as solo and the music,” performances.

Martinez said, “and “I’ve been prethe dance floor just paring since Octo- Senior Esmeralda Martinez and junior reminded me of how ber, but it was actu- Sharon Lee pose together after their award- unbelievably good it ally a couple weeks winning solo performances. feels to just have fun b efore I st a rt e d and do what I truly finalizing [my roulove to do.” tine],” Lee said.

Prior to joining Choreo in high school, Lee Martinez felt nervous before the judges. and Martinez didn’t have a dance history, “The competition environment is very tense, but now, dance plays an important role in there’s no room for slacking,” she said. their lives.

Track, Field more than running

Susan Lam

M anny Ibar r a Track and Field, one of the oldest and most diverse sports, is misunderstood by many students. San Gabriel has a 100 athletes in the Track and Field team, but a countless number of people think that track and field only includes running events. There are actually multiple field events where running is not the essential physical activity in the competition. Track and Field is primarily composed of three elements: running, throwing, and jumping.

Running is used in three events: sprints, distance, and hurdling. These are the ones most people recognize as being part of the team, while the jumping and throwing divisions are not as commonly known.

Jumping is composed of the long jump, triple jump, and high jump, which judge how high or far the person is capable of jumping.

Throwing involves only two events: the shotput and discus, which are competitions of how far an athlete can launch their equipment. There is more to field events than what people think there is.

Junior head captain Kylie Tran is a thrower herself, and recognizes the strong bond that the throwers in the track and field team have.

“Our team is a lot closer than everyone else because when we are waiting to throw during our meets,we have time to bond with each other,” Tran said.

Track and Field athletes work hard to do their best for every competition. The team members may participate in different events, but they ultimately unite together as a team.

Photo by Manny Ibarra

Incoming thrower freshman Rafe Grossmann practices shotput during an after school track and field practice.

He is preparing for the upcoming March invitational, a competition where opposing teams invite others to compete.

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THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10. 2016

SPORTS

Athlete of the Month: Milton Peraza Uyen Sy

Photo by Sunny Chen

Senior Milton Peraza (right) wards off his teammate during an after school practice to prepare for his upcoming CIF match on Feb. 20.

When a stronger opponent attempted to grab his head and force it down onto the mat, senior Milton Peraza reacted quickly with a strategy to outsmart him. With this technique and others, Peraza placed second at the Almont league wrestling finals on Jan. 31, allowing him to advance to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) competition on Feb. 20.

Peraza has desired victory ever since he first stepped into the gym as a freshman. He is not only on the wrestling team, but the football team as well. Peraza says football is what compelled him to join wrestling in the first place.

“My inspirations were my brother and friends on the [wrestling] team,” Peraza said.

“They encouraged me to join because it would help me out in football. The adrenaline I got from wrestling made me stay on the team for all four years.”

As a junior, Peraza came close to placing at the two-day-long league finals, which is what motivates him to perform his best this year.

“I did well last year. On the first day, I won third place in league and I made fourth to go on to CIF. I didn’t go back on the second day because I had [some] business to take care of,” Peraza said. “I probably could have won second or third [in league] overall.”

With that lost opportunity in mind, Peraza has endured countless hours of sweat and hard work, going through his training regime every day during practice to prepare for this year’s league finals and secure a spot at CIF. “The way we prepared was mostly by practicing technique,” Peraza said. “I used strength because I have it, but if the opponent [was stronger] than me, I had to use technique because they could out-muscle me.”

Having placed second before at the league finals, Peraza knows that competing against other opponents at CIF will not be an easy challenge. He has prepared himself for what the future holds.

“I’m nervous but excited. You get tired because you compete in eight matches within two days. It’s mental [strength],” Peraza said. “I don’t try to be better than others, I just try to be better than I was yesterday.”

Wrestling has created high school memories that Peraza will never forget. “The best part of being on the team is spending time with my teammates,” he said. “We are like a family, and they are my brothers and sisters.”

In the future, Peraza plans to continue his wrestling career in college.

Wo r k o u t o f t h e M o n t h : D i a m o n d L o w e r L i f t s

Photos by Sunny Chen

Step Two

Step One Lie down with your hands behind your head. Lift your legs into a diamond position with your feet together, knees apart, and toes pointed at the ceiling. Crunch your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor.

Pro-football returns to Los Angeles Mari o Mand uj ano After numerous failed attempts over the span of 21 years, the National Football League (NFL) will return to Los Angeles.

The Rams, who played in the Los Angeles area for 48 years (1946-94) before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, have been granted permission by an overwhelming 30 of 32 NFL owners to return to Los Angeles in the 2016-17 season.

“The Rcoming back to Los Angeles would be great because we haven’t had a team in the past two decades and it would allow for residents to experience what it is like to have an NFL team,” senior Andy Valdivia said.

A brand new stadium will be built at the old Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood and is estimated to cost more than $2.5 billion, all of which will be privately funded. The stadium will be considered the league’s largest stadium in terms of square feet. However, it will not be completed until 2019, which means that in the interim, the Rams will be hosted at the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum.

“Relocation is a painful process,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in the Los Angeles Times. “It’s painful for the fans, the communities, the teams, for the league in general.”

The NFL has not had a relocation since the Houston Oilers made the move to Nashville following the 1996 season. However, their loss means a win for Los Angeles, the second largest sports market city in the country.

Inhale while lowering your right leg, stopping before you reach the ground. Exhale while lifting it back up. Do 20 reps total, alternating legs.

FEATURES

THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

DIY: heart-shaped Rice Krispies

by Christy Deng

Instead of the typical card or bouquet, make sweet treats and spoil your loved one with sugary goods this Valentine’s Day. Try making chocolate Rice Krispie hearts!

These Rice Krispie treats are the perfect way to show your affection for the special person in your life. The recipe is not very difficult; with 4 easy steps, you will be able to make these with ease.

Ingredients: -Rice Krispie bars -Nutella -heart-shaped molds

Photo by Christy Deng

Steps: 1. With a large bowl, mash Rice Krispies bars with a couple dollops of Nutella. (4 bars makes 4 heartshaped treats.)

2. Once the chocolate and the Rice Krispies are mixed well together, get your heart-shaped molds and press them in to create the shape. (molds are $1.50 at Daiso) 3. Repeat for the remaining treats.

Carefully pull out the Rice Krispies from the mold.

4. Place them on a plate and let them cool inside the refrigerator for about an hour.

DIY: french macarons For a sweet, special homemade surprise for that certain someone, try making French macarons! Macarons are cookies with light and creamy filling, known for being extremely tasty but difficult to make.

But with enough practice and patience, macarons can be easily made for any occasion.

Macaron shell ingredients: -two cups of powdered sugar -one cup of almond flour -three egg whites at room temperature -¼ cup of granulated sugar -food coloring (optional) Photo by Vivian Wong

by vivian wong

Filling ingredients: -½ cup of milk -1 ½ tbsp of all-purpose flour -1 stick of unsalted, room temperature butter -½ cup of granulated sugar -½ tsp of vanilla extract Steps: 1. Place the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour in a medium sized bowl.

2. Mix three egg whites in a mixer until it creates soft peaks.

3. While mixing, gradually add in sugar and food coloring.

4. Combine the dry ingredients with the soft peaks.

5. Fold the batter together until everything is combined.

6. Place the batter into a piping bag and pipe it onto baking sheets.

7. Let the piped batter sit for at least 45 minutes or until the it is no longer wet and sticky.

8. Preheat oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 1520 minutes (may vary depending on oven).

9. Mix the ingredients for the filling and place a generous amount on each macaron.

For more articles, visit The Matador’s website at thematadorsghs.us

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