The Matador: November 2015

FOCUS

LIFE&ART

FEATURES “The Journey to America” p.12

“The Broad presents modern art...” p.8

“How are you paying for college?” p.6-7

THE MATADOR

SAN GABRIEL HIGH/NOVEMBER 5, 2015/ VOLUME 61 / ISSUE 3

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

Administrators acquire new positions following Scanlan’s transfer Jung takes over as Assistant Principal of School Counseling, Wu moved to Student Welfare office K a t h e ri n e H o o n g With John Scanlan transferring to Mark Keppel High School as their new Acting Principal, Robby Jung has taken over Scanlan’s old position and is now the Acting Assistant Principal of School Counseling.

P r e v i o u s l y, Jung was the Assistant Principal of Student Welfare, where he handled issues relating to student discipline and supported teachers and students in class.

His new position focuses on taking care of attendance issues, such as making sure students are in the right classes and emphasizing student counseling.

With Jung as the Assistant Principal of School Counseling, students who need help with problems such as coping with stress or dealing with difficult events in their lives can get the support they need.

“He’s doing an awesome job with his new position, is easy to work with, and is very supportive in every way possible,” Guidance Technician Barbie Gomez said.

However, settling in this new position was not easy. With a new position comes new challenges, and Jung is still in the process of learning the ropes and is trying to adapt to the different working conditions.

“I personally love new challenges, and despite the difficulties, I still love my new position because our staff is trying [their] best to steer our students towards a better future,” Jung said.

Jung believes that the most difficult aspect of his new position is time managePhoto by Sunny Chen ment, as there are many students on campus with varying needs. He says that in order to help a student, one must completely focus on the student, which can consume all of one’s energy.

Because Jung lives so far away from school, he must use a great deal of energy to juggle his family life and his job.

Physiology teacher Amy Wu will be stepping in temporarily for Jung’s previous position until an official replacement is found.

Senior graduation moved to ELAC S hi rl ey Di nh After years of holding San Gabriel High School’s graduation ceremony on campus, the class of 2016 will be the first class to graduate at East Los Angeles College (ELAC). Although the senior class council of 2015 voted to have graduation on campus, the choice to move the graduation to ELAC this year was decided by the administration.

Business and Activities Office manager Vicky Yum stated that the survey for the class of 2016 was disregarded this year because the school wanted to give the seniors the opportunity to not be limited to only five tickets.

“At ELAC, you have triple the space compared to our stadium at San Gabriel and students can receive more extra tickets,” Yum said. “You may have to drive a little further, but at least you can have more family members attend.”

According to Principal Debbie Stone, moving the graduation ceremony to ELAC saves money, helps with resources and security, and makes parking easier. “[Having graduation at ELAC] allows the students to not be stressed about who to select to go to graduation due to the five ticket limit,” Stone said. “This time around, there will be no limit to the number of tickets you can receive.”

Many seniors feel dissatisfied with the decision to have their ceremony held at another campus other than their own, such as senior Rosa Gamino.

“It’s better for us because we get to take more people, but at the same time it’s going to feel weird and out of place [since] we won’t be graduating on our own campus,” Gamino said.

However, some seniors were not as upset as others and accepted the decision to hold graduation at ELAC. “I honestly do not mind as long as graduation is still accessible and the stadium is bigger so it’s better for us,” senior Ben Chen said. “A lot of people don’t like it, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Sometime before Thanksgiving break, seniors will be able to meet with Stone during lunch to voice any questions or concerns that they have. Parents and family members will also be contacted by Stone sometime in the future.

Uyen Sy Physiology teacher Amy Wu was announced as the Assistant Principal of Student Welfare by the school board on Oct. 27, following the departure of John Scalan and and the transfer of Robby Jung to the office of counseling.

As Assistance Principal of Student Welfare, Wu ensures the safety of the campus and students.

“I counsel and also [handle] the discipline of the students, [who] usually [come] in on referrals,” Wu said. “There’s always a story behind everything and it’s interesting to see how those stories come and how to handle the incidents.”

Wu was previously the coordinator for Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and Medical Careers Academy (MCA). A substitute now teaches Wu’s physiology class until her return.

HOSA and MCA, the two clubs that Wu advised, continue to run their meetings under the supervision of Kathleen

Loggins, who is a new MCA teacher and also co-advisor of both clubs. However, Wu persists in holding cabinet meetings to discuss about future events.

Although Wu is not longer able to interact with her students in the classroom, she enjoys the new experience around the campus.

“I’ve never really left my classr o o m e v e r, s o I’ve always lived, breathed, eaten, [and] slept scie n c e , ” Wu s a i d .

“This is a really good opportunity for me to experie n c e t h e re s t o f campus and meet Photo by Sunny Chen students that I don’t normally get to see if they’re not in my classroom and also see what goes on in other clubs.”

Even though Wu’s position is only temporary, her encounters with different students and clubs have only broadened her insights of the school, allowing her to experience campus life beyond her own classroom. Wu plans to make the best out of her experience until the administrative office no longer needs her assistance.

Speech and Debate places in Spooktacular tournament Thomas Wang The San Gabriel High School Speech and Debate team competed at the first ever Spooktacular tournament and placed second for both Public Forum Debate and Dramatic Interpretation.

On Oct. 30, the team went to Alhambra High School to compete at the district-wide tournament. There, sophomore Lu Yue Wang received a trophy for Dramatic Interpretation. Meanwhile, the team of sophomores Maxwell Wong and Ernest Tse won the second place trophies for Public Forum Debate.

Despite placing, Wong seeks to improve to qualify for the annual State tournament.

“We could have done a lot better,” Wong said.

“I think I can work on my [presentation], and we can work on better teamwork [by having] something we can both focus on instead of having our own seperate ideas.”

The Spooktacular aims to prepare novice and junior varsity debaters within the Alhambra Unified School District for upcoming tournaments.

“There are upcoming league tournaments that we want to be prepared for, so the students that [attended] got a good experience,” Speech and Debate Coach Jessica Sandercock said. “It’s really great to get the District’s schools strengthened in order to represent the District in our league.”

The Spooktacular also hosted a costume compeitition in order to encourage interactions between debaters in the school district. Sophomore Cindy Chau, clad in a mime costume, won.

“I wanted to be mime because I like the irony of being silent in a speech tournament,” Chau said.

For novice and freshman Jasmine Portinga, the Spooktacular served as an educational tool.

“It was helpful because [the judges] said to use more emotions,” Portinga said. “This helps me with [Humorous Interpretation performance] because you need to convey a lot of exaggerated emotions.”

The team now is looking forward to Fall Novice hosted at Gabrielino High School on Nov. 14 and Fall Debates hosted at La Canada High School on Nov. 21.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Sandercock

Three members placed at Spooktacular with one member winning the costume contest.

NEWS

THE MATADOR

Loggins substitutes for Wu as MCA teacher

Photo by Sunny Chen

L u Yu e Wa n g Kathleen Loggins, alumnus of San Gabriel high school, has recently taken on the position of Medical Careers Academy (MCA) teacher.

Though Loggins will only teach Medical Careers Academy this year, she hopes to help her students further their interest in the medical field and offer them valuable experiences in her class.

“I hope to give them an exposure to a variety of careers and get them to start thinking about what they are interested in,” Loggins said.

Loggins hopes that her students will be able to take initiative and seize the opportunities given to them by MCA. She wants her students to talk to experts, gather information about their field of interest, pass the college exams, and prepare for the next step in their career.

Loggins has always loved teaching. When she realized that she wanted to pursue it as a career, she went back to school to get her credentials. When given the chance to combine her background in the medical field with teaching, she decided to apply for the position of MCA teacher.

“I love San Gabriel. It’s my Alma Mater; I

graduated from here,” Loggins said.

Over the years, Loggins’ emphasis on the importance of health has greatly impacted her students. In one particular incident, her lessons in physical health and nutrition helped turn one of her pupil’s life around.

This student was 100 pounds overweight, and Loggins’ lectures about the importance of nutrition and family diseases helped him understand what he was at risk of and motivated him to gain a healthy lifestyle. By senior year, this student had lost 100 pounds and ran in the LA marathon.

“When something like that happens as a teacher, I feel successful. I had somebody learn something and improve their health from it,” Loggins said.

To Loggins, teaching is a passion; being able to help her students learn and improve their lives through what they have gained from her classes drives her to keep moving forward and to stay on her career path.

Loggins hopes to be able to light a spark in her students’ lives by getting them to think about things they might never have considered before. She wants to help them take advantage of their time in high school and achieve their goals. Most of all, she wants them to be able to see the big picture and remember to stop once in a while to enjoy the little things in life.

“School is difficult, but you can make it fun as well. Get involved in school activities; that’s where all the fun is,” Loggins said. “Keep your end goal in mind because it’s not just about graduating high school. What are you going to do after? Take the chance to network with people out there in the field and get one foot in the door.”

This year, Loggins is planning to continue with previous MCA events in addition to offering college help to her students. She plans to give her all in aiding her students.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

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NASA predicts 5.1 magnitude earthquake Kim Pham According to a study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory and university researchers, there is a 99.9 percent chance of a magnitude 5 or greater earthquake striking within three years in the greater Los Angeles area, where a similar sized temblor caused more than $12 million in damage last year. However, not all scientists support the new research.

The study, published Oct. 20 in the journal Earth and Space Science, researched the possibility of an earthquake in the area based on the behavior of the 5.1-magnitude La Habra quake in March 2014, which centered between the Whittier and Puente Hills Faults in the Los Angeles Basin. The damage included broken water mains and cracked pavement.

NASA geophysicist Andrea Donnellan, the study’s lead author, compared the Earth’s crust to a rubber band. ”If you think of pulling on a rubber band, you stretch it and stretch it, and if you pull on it hard enough, it’s going to break,” Donnellan told The Huffington Post. “The earthquakes are the breaking rubber band. So what we did in this study is that we showed what stored potential was still in the northeast LA basin and northern Orange County.”

That potential, the study found, amounts to an earthquake between magnitude 6.1 and 6.3 happening some point in the near future, specifically withint the next couple of years. The study looked at a 62-mile radius around the La Habra epicenter. Researchers observed shallow movements of the ground. They took into account a deficit in the number of earthquakes expected there, and calculated how much strain

may remain in deeper faults that are still locked.

The study has since been disputed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the nation’s lead agency overseeing earthquake science. The USGS said it was unclear how NASA had reached its conclusion, and released a formal statement claiming that the 99.9 percent forecast “has not yet been examined by the long-established committees that evaluate earthquake forecasts and predictions.”

“This paper claims a 99.9 percent probability of an earthquake of magnitude 5 or greater occurring in the next three years within a large area of Southern California without providing a clear description of how these numbers were derived,” the USGS said in a statement. USGS models show the chance of an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or greater in the studied area in the next three years is 85 percent instead. Thomas Heaton, a professor of engineering seismology and director of the Earthquake Engineering Research Laboratory at Caltech, told the Los Angeles Daily News that he cautions against trying to predict any earthquakes using NASA’s study method.

“As far as I’m concerned, there has never been a successful earthquake prediction and a scientific breakthrough would be required for us to make a scientifically based prediction,” Heaton told the paper. “While the authors are credible scientists, this paper does not meet my definition of science.”

Responding to the criticism, Donnellan also said the study’s references to other scientific papers would allow other researchers to reconstruct the process.

Berkeley opens letters of recommendation for freshmen B ri t n e y T i n g As of April 2015, the University of California, Berkeley has provided the option for potential incoming freshmen to provide two letters of recommendation as part of their admissions process. However, not all freshmen have the option—Berkeley plans to invite only about 20 percent of its freshmen, especially those on the fine line between acceptance and denial, to provide letters of recommendation.

For those students who are invited, one letter is required to be from a teacher or instructor while the other can be from anyone the student knows well. Berkeley asks that the letters be submitted electronically before the deadline and to include references to the student’s academic performance, compassion, dedication, leadership abilities, and creativity.

These letters are supposed to provide a more holistic view of a student during the admissions process and perhaps boost the chances of a person whose test scores may not reflect who they truly are.

“If you have 15 students who all have good grades and they

all have [extracurricular] activities galore, what sets one person apart from his peers?” English teacher Georgia Daniels said.

Although this new system has only been recently implemented and announced, Berkeley has invited a few students to provide letters of recommendations before. It is not a completely revamped system, only one that is more widespread and inclusive. Still, Berkeley is merely testing its new feature and limiting the option to freshmen; transfer hopefuls do not need to worry about it yet. The university is hoping to receive feedback from various campuses and students, and if the results are positive, the system may be expanded to include other student groups as well.

UC Berkeley remains the only University of California campus that asks for letters of recommendation. Other UC schools may be following suit as well, even though they have previously stated that the reason they do not want to request for letters of recommendation is because they want all students to have an equal chance of being accepted based on grades, extracurricular activities, and personal statements. This has drawn some criticism, as schools that have close affiliations

with a particular university may provide their students with an unfair advantage, and private high schools that have a smaller teacher-to-student ratio means that teachers will know each student better and be able to write stronger recommendations.

“I think it’s pretty unfair. It’s not just that [advantages are given] to teachers who are more familiar with Berkeley. It’s that students don’t really interact with teachers, so teachers don’t really know the true characters of the students, and that [makes it] hard to get a good recommendation if you’re one of the quiet people,” junior Brandon Tring said.

To alleviate some of those fears, Berkeley has stated on its website that the letter is optional and that its policy will guarantee each application, with or without letters, a thorough read, although it does also encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity regardless. It is also going to provide consultations for teachers or counselors who are interested in learning more about the letters and helping their students more. All the while, Berkeley will be gathering feedback and information to decide whether this change should be permanent.

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Graphic by Cassandra Chen

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THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Business Technology Academy launches Design House program

Seniors win 1st, 2nd in Poetry Out Loud

L u Yu e Wa n g Created through the combined efforts of Business Technology Academy (BTA) teachers and students, Design House has been established this year as a program that fosters creativity and skill improvement.

As an extension program of BTA, Design House works to help students gain real world experiences in conducting and completing design and media projects. They are given an environment similar to what they might face in a real design company or college design house and are expected to work separately and collaboratively to achieve their end goal.

“It’s a lot of independent work, and if you drop your end of the bargain, you know there are other people relying on you. It’s a lot of that real world experience where there’s deadlines and where a lot of people are relying on you,” BTA coordinator and adviser Nicole Manalang said.

Design House is also a place where students get opportunities to improve their skills in photoshop and other various digital design programs.

As Manalang said, the main purpose for Design House initially was to provide a place where students who learned about Photoshop in their junior year at BTA could come and practice their skills. This program was to help carry on students’ basic skills and apply them onto real world projects.

As of now, Design House is getting ready to take on more projects. Even though the program is relatively new, many students have given positive feedback about the program.

“The class is really fun; it gives you a hands-on experience in designing something and creating something that is going to be useful on a regular basis,” senior Jorge Martinez said. “I think we are gaining a valuable experience because we get to learn real world knowledge on how to design in case we ever decide to go into the designing business.”

As of now, only BTA students are in the program. New plans to expand the Design House as a series of small workshops that teach Photoshop and other design applications are still in consideration.

The main purpose of these workshops will be to teach the basics of digital design to those not in BTA. “We’re hoping that the development of this program extends to the whole school and we can offer digital media not just to BTA kids but to everybody because this is the wave of the future.

This is the direction where everybody’s going and what companies are looking for,” Manalang said.

Manalang hopes that the program will continue and be successful so such an expansion is possible.

NEWS

think the judges would like my hand movements... to my surprise, I actually moved a judge so much she was in tears by the end of my performance.”

Students from Alhambra, Mark Keppel, and San English teacher and Young Aspiring Writers and Gabriel High School Poets (YAWP) adviser Cady gathered under the dim Burkhart said that she light of the San Gabriel “couldn’t be prouder” of the auditorium. One by one, students who performed. those students took the “I’m inspired by the level stage and recited their of ability for students to get poems in front of a panel up there and the courage of judges. that takes,” Burkhart said.

Poetry Out Loud, an “I think [two students from annual national poetry San Gabriel placing] proves recitation competition, that we have started a way is a well-known tradition of poets coming out from in the high schools of behind the typical interests the Alhambra Unified in high school students.”

School District. This year, Burkhart introduced the San Gabriel produced Poetry out Loud program Photo courtesy of Brandon Lau/El Camino Real two district winners, to San Gabriel about six seniors Carolina Garcia years ago.

Senior Yvonne Cui recites her poem, “Personal” by and Justine Salazar.

Students who are not Garcia placed first Tony Hoagland, at the Poetry Out Loud competition. in classes participating in in the district with her PoL can compete in the recitation of “It would be neat if with the New Year” by competition by joining YAWP and winning the club Jimmy Santiago Baca. Salazar performed “Somewhere preliminaries.

Thuban is fading” by Rosebud Ben-Oni and placed second.

The three district winners will be eligible to compete The student who placed third was Tina Le from Alhambra for the honor of being Los Angeles County’s PoL High School. representative to state competitions. The countywide “I feel really proud of myself,” Salazar said. “I didn’t competition will be held on Feb. 4, 2016.

E r i n Tr u o n g

Floods, rain, weather patterns indicate El Niño K i m P ham According to recent accounts of weather and rain patterns, a powerful El Niño is set to develop within the next five years in California. There has also been speculation about whether El Niño played any part in Hurricane Patricia.

Occurring every two to five years, El Niño’s most significant effects on North America occur during the wintertime. However, the resulting weather varies depending on where the warm water temperatures are centered. Expected to mimic a similar pattern as the winter of 1997-98, this year’s El Niño could mean big impacts to California and the eastern half of the United States.

“Now, the forecast reflects a 95 percent chance that we will remain in an El Nino this winter,” said meteorologist Eric Boldt of the National Weather Service. “There’s an outside possibility that it could weaken and go in the other direction, but there is no indication of that at this point.”

Copious amounts of rain from systems over the same area, a theme which occurs often during this type of weather pattern, can lead to problems for California. Locals may be faced with flooding and mudslides, which could prove devastating for home and property owners. The Federal

Students attend field trip to Occidental College Yi n g C h ow Students of San Gabriel, Alhambra, and Mark Keppel High School explored the campus of Occidental College, a small liberal arts school located in Eagle Rocks, Los Angeles, early in the morning on Oct. 29. The field trip is funded by the Alhambra Educational Foundation.

The group of students met up with an admissions counselor, who gave them a tour of the campus. Shrines of President Barack Obama could be seen around parts of the campus, as he had attended Occidental College for two years.

Students visited the political science, business, and biology science programs, where the tour guides further elaborated on the different majors the college provides.

“The trip to Occidental College was basically an information session to that college,” Career Technical Education Adviser Elizabeth An said.

The admissions counselor explained to the students the admissions process required by the college. Students will also be required to dorm on campus for at least three years unless some special circumstance prohibits them from doing so. The counselor made sure to inform students that the total cost to attend Occidental is $63,000. However, students do receive financial aid to cover some expenses, such as Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is speculated through FAFSA. For example, if a student’s EFC is $3,000, then the college will cover the $60,000 fee. Occidental College is a need-based

school, so it will accommodate students as best as possible. “[Occidental College] is a very close knit community,” An said. “About 80 percent of the students are from out of state, so you can meet a lot of people.”

Students who would like an opportunity to visit colleges can sign up at the Career Center. The next two field trips will be to California State University, Fullerton on Nov. 4 and to University of California, Irvine on Dec. 3.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth An

An Occidental campus tour guide speaks to students about the Foucault pendulum, which demonstrates the gravitational pull of the Earth.

Emergency Management Agency has recently urged high risk area California residents to purchase flood insurance.

“Although the downpour was unrelated to El Niño, it demonstrated how four years of drought and widespread wildfires had impaired the land’s ability to absorb large amounts of rainfall,” the L.A. Times report said. “Unable to percolate into the soil, the rain raced over the earth, picking up loose soil as it moved to lower elevations.”

Scientists speculate whether the powerful Hurricane Patricia that struck Mexico on Oct. 23 offers a preview of a turbulent weather season to come for Mexico, California, and the southern United States.

Phil Klotzbach, a Colorado State University atmospheric scientist says it is hard to tell whether El Niño was the direct cause of Hurricane Patricia, but is confident it has a hand in the unusual number of storms whipping across the central Pacific this year.

“It’s a little unusual for El Niño-fueled storms to emerge that far east, because the wind patterns are different there,” Klotzbach says. “If it made any contribution, it was probably with warmer water.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has since warned high risk area residents to purchase flood insurance since this winter is likely to bring wet weather to California that could cause serious flooding, even in low risk areas.

Dia de los Muertos festival to take place at San Gabriel HIgh School Ileana Perez The annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival will be held at San Gabriel High School on Nov. 7.

The festival will feature performances by Aztec dancers, students, and mariachi. There will also be a folklórico performance at the Auditorium from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The cost of admission will be $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 6 to 12; children under 5 get in for free.

The festival will also hold an art contest and a student art exhibition with submissions from students in the Alhambra Unified School District. Also, the festival will hold an arts and crafts session for children.

The festival will also have a section of traditional day of the dead altars on display.

“All the [altars] are going to be displayed in front of the library,” Guidance Technician Beda Ramirez said.

“Anyone can put a picture in the San Gabriel community altar that will be displayed.”

In addition to the performances and art contest, there will be different clubs and organizations selling food, drinks, art crafts, and even clothing.

The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and a $5 admission donation will be charged to anyone older than five years.

OPINIONS Life “manuel”

Emmanuel Maresca Survivor’s benefits I’ve written about my mother numerous times for the paper and for school assignments since I was little, and I am saddened to say this may be the very last time. At the start of September, after many months of illness and hospital stays, my mother passed away due to liver and kidney disease. I found myself both distraught and relieved. Most students have college apps to be stressed about or graduation, but for the summer I found myself boundlessly worried about my mother’s condition above all else. My mother, in her final stages of liver cirrhosis, was often asleep in her hospital room and woke only to murmur unintelligible sentences to me while I smiled behind a facial mask and squeezed her hand. The very last thing she was able to tell me was that I “shouldn’t have come.” She’d rather we not watch her suffer. Even in that final testament, I didn’t lose hope that somehow God or some force would reverse her illness, and she would return home. I told myself every day at school and every night in bed that she was going to live. I genuinely believed it for a time; my mom was too strong a woman to die in a hospital room. The doctor told us she’d live seven days. In the end, she lived eight. I hadn’t gone to see her for two days before she died. I didn’t want to; there was nothing I could do or say.

They call that “shock.” I didn’t want to see a dead body either; I’d heard from my grandmother she had turned yellow and lay smiling. She wasn’t always terminal.

Only months before, she had been allowed to come home from convalescent recovery at a nursing home. She was overjoyed to come home to the care of her family. My mom was far from well, but having her home put us both at ease. For a time, it seemed that she was recovering slowly.

My mind seemed to have grown solid armor, and I wasn’t afraid of anything. I remained strong for my younger brother as well, as moral support and changing bandages became my new responsibility.

My mom’s mom, my grandmother, came over each day and helped with everything that wasn’t changing bandages–a task I had been put to since, as my mother put it, I was “very gentle and precise” with bandaging. The house smelled of death, but unabashed, I dressed her wounds and held her. Eventually, she had to go to ICU. One month later, my mother’s suffering ended at 6 a.m. on a Thursday. It’s better this way. She got very sick, possibly so for years before it became severe, and it’s all over now. Often, death seems like the ultimate loss and the worse possible outcome when your loved one falls ill, but in reality, seeing someone suffer is so much worse. My mom always told me that no matter what happens to her that I need to “live my life.” She wanted to love and be loved, and I want to live the same.

I’d like to remember my mother in all her grace and strength rather than illness. I understand now what my mom meant by “You shouldn’t have come.” She meant that I have to continue to live and leave behind memories of death and illness.

Knowing my mom’s sparky attitude, she’d scold me for sitting idle and loafing around. My role now is to live with parts of my mom in my heart. She shaped me and my family to be strong, willful, and lovely, though everything on earth feels different now. In heaven, she could be watching me, and I don’t want to disappoint Mama.

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

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Editorial

Is it too expensive to be involved?

From the moment students enter high school, they are advised by their peers and adults to get involved. To join a club, a sport, or do community service. Students are bombarded by a constant stream of “join this, join that.”

But just how reasonable is it to expect students to be well-rounded and actively involved when joining a diverse array of clubs and extracurriculars costs a fortune?

San Gabriel is a low income school with almost 90 percent of its students receiving free or reduced lunch.

However, if students cannot pay then they will be missing out on essential activities that most would consider fundamental to the high school experience.

So when they need to pay fees for club membership, shell out cash to participate in competitions, or purchase gear, then they will just have to find a way to produce the money even if they do not have it. What choice do they have?

One example of club membership fees on campus is the California Scholarship Federation’s infamous $5 semester membership renewal. Likewise, Key Club has

a yearly $11 membership fee, while Future Business Leaders of America’s fee is $13.

Assuming that a student participates in all three organizations for their entire high school career, the cost would come out to be $131; club gear, competition, or miscellaneous activity costs notwithstanding.

Additionally, drill and Choreo members must purchase an ASB card, which costs $30, to perform at games. It is ridiculous how students must pay to perform or do their duty as required by their involvement in certain organizations.

Furthermore, why is it that only certain groups must purchase ASB cards to do their job? As mentioned, drill and Choreo must buy cards, but why are cheer and Marching Band not obligated to? They should not be paying in the first place; do we charge players for the right to play on the field? Why should we charge

our performers? But if we must, why is it not a uniform policy for all the performance groups?

And speaking of uniforms, performance groups pay for their outfits out of their own pocket. There are five rallies a year; that is five uniforms that students have to pay for. So hypothetically, a four-year member of Choreo would have to buy 20 outfits.

That seems like a lot to ask for from students who need financial aid.

Having students pay for their own expenses may be traditional and may be even the only way some clubs can function, but when students have to juggle the financial strain of a vast array of clubs and extracurriculars, it becomes an increasingly ludicrous burden for them to bear. There should be a new program implemented to ease financial strain on students.

Illustration by Cassandra Chen

Prevention of citizenship for newbons is unjust Il eana P erez Over 100 children born in Texas to immigrant parents from Mexico or Central America are being denied birth certificates.

The Texas Department of State Health services claims that these birth certificates are being denied because their parents fail to show identification. However, these parents have been showing identification from their home country and somehow, that has not been enough. The lack of identification from the U.S. is not a valid reason to deny a U.S citizen their right, because the parents are still providing some form of identification. As a result of the discrimination, 17 families have decided to take legal action and sue the state of Texas.

It is ridiculous that the Texas Department of State Health services is denying a constitutional right because these children are born to immigrant parents. This discrimination toward children born to undocumented parents has to stop. Just because someone is born to an immigrant does not give him or her less rights, and it certainly does not take away his or her right to U.S. citizenship.

Being born in the United States automatically makes someone a U.S citizen, and their family background should not be a reason to deny the right of citizenship.

The 14th amendment clearly states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they

reside.” In other words, the 14th amendment is saying that anyone born in the United States is a citizen and has the right to equal protection. Texas’s denial to birth certificates is not only ridiculous but unconstitutional because of the violation of the 14th amendment.

Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley has responded to this incident, tweeting that “citizenship is a human right.” Citizenship to people born in America is written in the Constitution and should not be taken away from anyone. That is why the 17 families suing the state of Texas have every reason to do so.

Being denied rights is a reason to sue and these families are doing the right thing because they are not only being denied privileges, but are also being discriminated against.

Texas’s discrimination toward U.S citizens whose parents were born in a different country has to cease. It is time for discrimination to come to an end. We live in a nation made up of immigrants and started by immigrants.

Illustration by Lu Yue Wang

Free exercise clause should not violate same-sex marriage Lu Yue Wang The freedom of religion, in short, is the right for anyone to believe in any religion he or she chooses to.

Yet time and time again, certain groups in society have been pushing others to accept their points of view, believing themselves to be right above all else. Some have gone so far as to disregard the law and the basic rights of belief that all individuals possess. Such demonstrations of obstinacy can most notably be seen in the ongoing discrimination for same sex marriage and same sex couples in Kentucky.

As reported by a multitude of news organizations such as The Huffington Post and CNN, Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples on the grounds of religion.

She claims that if she were to follow the ruling, it would go against her faith and her moral conscience. She says that for her, it is a “heaven or hell decision.”

Yet, as specifically mentioned in the Supreme Court ruling of Obergefell v. Hodges, anyone’s belief on what is considered to be “correct” marriage is still protected. Davis is only required to give out marriage licenses and to not enforce her beliefs onto others. Issuing licenses does not equal to supporting gay marriage; it equals to doing a job and abiding by the law. But if her goal is to prevent the existence of any same sex relationship, then such a motive is clearly wrong. As pointed out by Stuart Muszynski, CEO of Purple America and writer for the Huffington, if Davis’s religious beliefs interfere with other people’s freedom of happiness or right of equality, then that is where America’s values for freedom and equality hold more importance over religious rights. The right to practice one’s religion does not give someone the right to violate another’s.

Conservatives argue that abiding by gay rights is a clear violation

of their freedom of belief, while same sex couples argue the opposite.

Yes, conservatives can have their beliefs and gay couples more than deserve their rights, but it is not in the power of any party to discredit the other. If a clerk adamantly refuses to do her job, then it would be logical to assign the job to someone who is willing to perform it; yet it is not that simple.

Davis was elected to her position by conservatives in a state full of conservatives and the governor holds no power of removing her from her position, which is why it has been so difficult to fashion a compromise for this dilemma. If a new clerk is to be elected for her position, then the majority will choose a conservative who is most like Davis. What is evident here is a lack of understanding and compassion for opposite parties. Understanding—or at least mutual respect— must be achieved in order for an effective agreement to be formulated. But until then, the current law must be followed: Gay couples should be given legitimate marriage licenses.

5

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

OPINIONS

Schools should implement armed guards M ari o M a n d u j a n o The amount of authority a “Gun Free Zone” sign possesses is about to that of a sign. If school administrators were so confident in the miracles a sign can do, there would be no need for routine canine searches for drugs since a “Drug Free Zone” sign is often the first sign a person sees when entering the gates of any school.

Nevertheless, a sign must be enforced, hence the canine searches.

That is a logical and evidently effective form of enforcement, but how exactly are “Gun Free Zone” signs enforced?

We live in a day and age where mass shootings have become an epidemic. In fact, not a single week since the beginning of Obama’s presidency has passed without one occurring. With this in mind, actions clearly must be taken to prevent such atrocities from worsening. A not-sopopular solution is to place armed, licensed, and trained guards in schools.

H i st o r y h a s shown us that in school shootings, one of two things happen.

One of them is inevitable– somebody will die. Now, whether the death toll could stop with the gunmen alone is completely up to how the security and police react, and

how soon. Some of the most infamous school shootings such as Sandy Hook Elementary (2012), Umpqua Community College (UCC) (2015), and Columbine High School (1999) have resulted in a total of 49 deaths.

An interesting thing to note about the UCC shooting is that within the time it took for authorities to respond, a veteran and student named Chris Mintz acted and suffered five gunshots for the sake of stopping the gunman. I believe that though Mintz’s bravery is highly admirable, a student should never be put in the position where he feels he should be the one to prevent further fatalities. No police officers were on campus that morning; they had duties to attend to around the city, I get it–but what if staff and campus supervisors w e r e trained a n d armed?

Three bullets are all it would have taken to prevent the deaths of 49 innocent lives in three separate shootings. Having untrained, unarmed staff puts students in

a more vulnerable atmosphere as there is only so much lockdowns and turning classroom lights off can achieve.

“This is a clear demonstration of why we have to make sure that our first responders at the local and state levels prepare for these kind of events, that they have the training they need, that they have the resources, the equipment they need,” former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said in an interview with Newsmax.

Armed personnel are used to protect the streets, our country, celebrities, money, even our president. It would only be logical if we protected students, the future of the world, with the same defense tactic.

How passionate school administrators are about protecting students is exposed when it actually comes to spending money on them. To implement such security method could cost a school a minimum of a couple thousand dollars a year; however, it is not a big enough of an expense to be deemed unreasonable. Child safety in every school is made number one priority, so could a price really be put on that principle?

What is most unfortunate about such ideas as this one is that it has become necessary. No gun regulation will prevent a lunatic from obtaining a gun and certainly not from using it against innocent lives in schools. Of course though, if a plotting villain was aware that fatal retaliation is almost a promise as consequence of his actions, he would more than likely change his mind.

Illustration by Lu Yue Wang

Illustration by Emmanuel Maresca

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

The Matador Bullring

Cassandra Chen Erin Truong Carolina Garcia Amy Yee Nathan Ta Sydney Trieu Carolina Garcia Amanda Molina Christy Deng Emmanuel Maresca Ileana Perez Kim Pham Frank Lieu Carolina Loaisiga Kelly Ho Amy Yee 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.

Do you feel safe in school?

“

I do feel safe because there are security on the campus watching out.”

-Matthew Perez, 9th grade

“

Campus supervisors do help but the ratio of supervisors to students might be insufficient.”

-Johanna Ung, 10th grade

“

The school does feel safe. With all those campus supervisors, who wouldn’t?”

-Hugo Garcia, 11th grade

“

I do feel safe because I’ve seen the staff take action, and they really put the student’s safety first. “ -Michelle Hua, 12th grade

Photos by Sunny Chen

“Deng” girl

Christy Deng More than meets the eye Starting from when I was born until I was six years old, I rarely opened my mouth to speak. I only spoke to answer “yes” or “no,” and the rest of my words were just mumbles and whispers. The only times I produced loud noises were when I laughed, cried, or threw a tantrum. When I was four, my parents took me to a doctor to check if I had some form of autism.

The doctor gave me a test to see if I had the normal capabilities of the average kid of my age, and when I was finished, the doctor told my parents that I was extremely intelligent and that there was nothing to worry about.

Although I was considered “extremely intelligent,” I never felt like I was while growing up, especially when it came to math. One of the biggest problems was that I used to switch the order of numbers.

For example, instead of 21, I would write 12. Kids in my class already knew multiplication and division by the time they were seven, but I only knew addition and subtraction. I had to take Algebra II twice during school and another two times during the summer. I counted with my fingers, and to this day, I still do.

Perhaps I never thought of myself as “intelligent” because my math skills were absolutely terrible. The subject of math is very prominent, especially in my family.

My siblings and mother excel in math.

However, I was always placed in average classes and still struggled with it.

While the rest of my family enjoyed number games such as Sudoku, I found happiness in writing and drawing. Every day, I would write short stories and doodle in notebooks. In third grade, I had written a 200 page fantasy novel with small illustrations on some of the pages. My uncle found it one day and told my mother that my writing was at an advanced level, and then offered to help me publish it. I declined, not wanting the world to read my embarrassing story of personified animals with magical powers trying to save the world. In the fifth grade, I started a blog on Wordpress and posted announcements pertaining to a game I enjoyed playing at the time. However, even though I excelled in writing and art, my family and my peers still chose to believe that I was not as smart as my siblings because I was still struggling with math.

I had always believed I was dumb because of my low math scores. Due to that, my self-esteem lowered as well. Even when I stated a fact I found interesting, people would still doubt me because I was not the “smartest” person and they thought everything I said was not credible.

Often, I chose not to speak and let another person who was deemed “smarter” to talk instead of me.

The only one who continuously supported me was my father. He always told me, in Chinese, “It is easy for the ones who start at the bottom to climb up to the top.” My father knew that gradually, I would prove everyone wrong and showcase my intelligence.

Fortunately, through many experiences, I finally understood that excelling in math and receiving good grades did not define intelligence. While others understood how to work with numbers quickly, I knew how to write and create vivid illustrations. I stopped putting myself down and, instead, I climbed out of the pits of low self-esteem and learned that I am smart, just not in math.

LIFE & ART

Nucleus Gallery features animated artwork E m m a n u e l M a re s c a

8 The Matador Muse

THE MATADOR

geous Halloween fanart of Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Clarence that Nucleus hosted in their second floor gallery space, and some works are also being sold as art prints on the ground floor.

In addidtion to art prints, tons of exclusive, limited edition merchandise from the cartoons were on sale in the gallery’s gift shop, including concept art books from Adventure Time animators and lore books for Steven Universe. Several independent artists had the opprotunity to sell their artwork on trendy shirts and bags The gallery will remain open and free to the public until Nov. 8.

Hardcore fans and aspiring cartoonists flocked to art gallery Nucleus in Alhambra on Halloween for their Cartoon Network Halloween Party & Art Exhibition to meet big-time animators for some of the most popular cartoons on TV. Giddy fans from all around the LA area lined up around the block, some in full cosplay, to join in the festivities.

Animator Rebecca Sugar, creator of the hit show Steven Universe, along with co-developer Ian Jones-Quartey, appeared at the opening ceremony of the event to sign autographs and draw each fan’s favorite character for them.

An animator for the cartoon Clarence, Stephen Neary, was present alongside Clarence voice actor Spencer Rothwell to sign autographs as well.

Cosplayers took to the gallery in groups to show off their costumes inspired by their favorite shows. Dressing up for the event was heavily encouraged to fit with the Photo by Emmanuel Maresca Halloween vibes in the artwork.

Fans gather around art pieces showcased by Cartoon Network Fans from around the world also submit- animators at the art center Nucleus. Fans were encouraged ted a selection of gor- to mingle, cosplay, and interact with the animators.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Birth of Creativity by Kim Ta “It illustrates my idea of the birth of creativity in the brain. The cracked brain represents the birth and there is a light bulb in the middle with clouds surrounding it to show creativity.”

The Broad presents contemporary art installations, sculptures C h ri s t y Deng On Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, right beside the Walt Disney Concert Hall and across from the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Colburn School, lies the newest addition to Los Angeles’ art scene, The Broad.

Founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, the 120,000 square-feet museum showcases contemporary art from a range of diverse artists, such as Andy Warhol and Takashi Murakami. Ever since its opening on Sept. 20, the museum has been crowded with visitors from around the world, here to marvel at the displays.

The architecture of the Broad is unique and unlike any other structure in Los Angeles. Compared to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is adjacent to the museum and has a shiny, silver exterior, the Broad features a white, honeycomb-like “veil” wrapped around the building. The “veil” was designed to be porous and permeable and to create the concept of “veil-and-vault,” with the vault being the interior of the museum. When inside, the veil helps create a light, airy atmosphere.

The Broad has a total of three floors; the first floor contains the lobby, the shop, and art galleries one can walk through. On the second floor, one can view the storage room, where various art pieces are stored inside. Lastly,

on the third floor, a variety of artwork is displayed. From sculptures to paintings, abstract to pop art, the third level of The Broad has a diversity of art.

A popular attraction that many people are raving about is Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room, which is located on the first floor of the museum. In 45 seconds, vivid, brightcolored LED lights are unveiled and illuminate the room, creating the illusion of stars. The lights create a calm, serene atmosphere, and put one in a peaceful trance.

Another famous art installation is Jeff Koons’s line of stainless steel sculptures, all mirror-polished with a transparent color coating. At the Broad, a large, bright bluecolored balloon dog is the first thing one sees when they enter this exhibit. This familar balloon form, twisted into the shape of a dog, represents the happiness people feel during holidays, birthdays, and other party celebrations.

Many of the art pieces featured at the Broad have historical meaning behind it, such as Marlene Duma’s Wall Weeping. The painting depicts Israeli soldiers searching for Palestinian men, who are standing in front of a stone wall.

It represents the mutual suffering between both nations and the conflicts they have both endured.

I consider Takashi Murakami’s art exhibit my favorite.

Murakami’s work, showcased at the museum, symbolizes the 2011 Japan earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster. His paintings are brightly colored, which somewhat

masks the sadness and death interpreted in his art pieces.

The installation of the Broad diversifies the contemporary art scene of Los Angeles. At the Broad, most of the displays are historical and are all part of Eli and Edthye Broad’s 2,000 art piece collection.

Each week, one new piece is added, and this continuous growth of artwork will allow the museum to develop and prestige.

With detailed representations of various artists and growing embodiments of new artists, the Broad enhances appreciation of contemporary art.

The museum is open six days a week, from Tuesday through Sunday. Free admission to the Broad is available on their website, <www.thebroad.org> Unfortunately, tickets have been fully booked until Jan. 2016.

The art installations displayed below were featured at the Broad Museum in downtown LA. The first image, Under the Table, was made by Robert Therrien; the second image is titled Balloon Dog (Blue), by Jeff Koons. The Infinity Mirrored Room, created with LED lights to mimic the stars, was built

by Yayoi Kusama.

Photos by Christy Deng

9

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Where should you go for pizza?

C a ro l i n a G a rc i a Pizza is the center of many people’s lives, and who can blame them? While a boy can break your heart, pizza is always one phone call away.

Blaze Pizza and Pizza Studio has brought Alhambra’s residents a new way to customize their pizza. Both pizzerias fall in the same price range ($7.99) and are located just a block away from each other. This poses a question: if the price and location are mostly the same, which is the best place for pizza?

Pizza Studio is known more for its sit-in, friendly environment than Blaze Pizza. Artwork decorates its walls, with previous customers contributing decorated pizza boxes to the gallery displayed in the store. Blaze Pizza, on the other hand, has a very hip, modern design and is known for giving great deals on social media.

Additionally, Blaze Pizza’s one true spe-

cialty is the crust. It may not be seasoned, but it still beats out Pizza Studio’s by its thickness and its capacity to maintain its shape, despite large amounts of toppings on the pizza.

Pizza Studio offers more options than Blaze Pizza, with flavors such as rosemary, gluten-free, firecracker, traditional, and flax seed. They also have unusual toppings like truffle salt and eggplant.

However, flavor-wise, Blaze Pizza’s pizza seem to come out more compared to Pizza Studio’s. The employees at Blaze Pizza must have found the perfect cooking temperature for its pizzas because they almost always come out crisp at the bottom, yet chewy in the middle, allowing for the perfect bite every time.

Regardless of whether one eats at Pizza Studio or Blaze Pizza, pizza, by definition of being pizza, will always be wonderful.

Now, if only Pieology would open a branch in Alhambra, the three pizza kingdoms could live in harmony.

Below: Pizza Studio displays artwork submitted by previous customers, which gives the restaraunt a modern vibe.

LIFE & ART SAN GABRIEL

REACTS

Question: Which pizza place do you prefer: Pieology, Blaze Pizza, or Pizza Studio and why?

“Pieology, because the ingredients seem fresher.”

- Andrew Moc, 12th grade

“I like Blaze Pizza because the bread is not as thin. ” - Valeria Duran, 11th grade

“I like Blaze Pizza because they have more variety of toppings.”

- Jackson Pham, 10th grade

“Pizza Studio is the best because their pepperonis are bright red and soft with a little bit of crisp.”

Photot courtesy of restarauntnow.com

Above: Fresh ingredients are assembled on customers’ pizzas by Blaze employees.

- Cynthia Abuede, 9th grade Photo by Christy Deng

Giving thanks around the world B ri t n e y T i n g

arrived in Newfoundland and wanted to give thanks for his safe travel. The CaWhen the sweet tastes of Halloween nadian Parliament then announced it an candy finally disappear, Thanksgiving annual holiday in 1879, and the country arrives in all its turkey-filled glory, with has held the tradition every year since. people everywhere preparing dinners with The Greeks in particular tie religion stuffed turkeys and decorating their houses to their holiday by honoring Demeter, in brown and orange. the goddess of harvest. According to Thanksgiving is a holiday for feasts and their legends, Demeter wilts all the indulgement; many people know that these crops in the winter when her daughter festivities are held to celebrate the Pilgrims’ Persephone is taken away from her and first harvest in 1621. It is a uniquely Ameri- blesses the world with agriculture in can holiday, but people all around the world the fall when Persephone returns. As a also celebrate autumn’s harvests and thank result, the Greeks hold ceremonies every nature for giving them so much. year during the fall to please her even Canada celebrates further and ensure bountiful harvests Thanksgiving on for the new year. the second MonOne of the most well-known Chiday of October, nese holidays, the Mid-Autumn rather than the Moon Festival, also celebrates fourth Thursday fall harvest. Traditionof November, as ally, the Chinese is traditional in gather with their the United States. family members, Moreover, many Camake a sacrifice nadians take advantage to the moon, of the weekend preceding and eat moonthe holiday to enjoy their celcake. Dragon ebrations more fully rather than and lion dances Illustration by Lu Yue Wang may be performed as only feasting on the official day.

Churches are decorated with corwell, along with other nucopias, pumpkins, and various other unique regional customs. symbols of harvest, like in America. A few Thanksgiving has been a tradition in of the traditional foods include stuffed tur- American families for as long as anyone key, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet corn alive can remember. Many aspects of and potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

Thanksgiving are unique to American Football is also part of the tradition, culture, but there are also many other with the Canadian Football League holding countries that rejoice in the same things the Thanksgiving Day Classic every year, that make Thanksgiving, Thanksgivusually in Montreal. The United States’s ing. There may be varying customs, northern neighbors were actually the first to but whatever the case, Thanksgiving celebrate “modern” Thanksgiving–40 years shows how much the world has given before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth. It to people and reminds them how to give all began when explorer Martin Frobisher back their thanks.

Graphic by Christy Deng

Quotes compiled by Uyen Sy

SPORTS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

10

2015-16 Fall Sports Scoreboard BOYS FOOTBALL

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

VARSITY 10/16 vs. Schurr 10/23 vs. Montebello 10/30 @ Mark Keppel

FRESHMAN 10/15 @ Schurr 10/22 @ Montebello 10/9 @ Alhambra

48-0 L 37-8 L 33-22 W

VARSITY 10/27 @ Mark Keppel 10/29 vs. Montebello 11/3 vs. Alhambra

25-6 54-8 14-6

L L W

3-0 3-0 3-0

W W W

JV 10/27 @ Mark Keppel 10/29 vs. Montebello 11/3 vs. Alhambra

2-1 2-0 2-0

W W W

FRESHMAN 10/29 vs. Montebello 11/3 vs. Alhambra

3-0 2-1

W W

CO-ED CROSS COUNTRY

GIRLS TENNIS

VARSITY 10/21 @ Legg Lake

VARSITY 10/15 @ Alhambra 10/20 vs. Schurr 10/27 @ Mark Keppel

14-4 11-7 10-8

L W L

JV 10/15 vs. Alhambra 10/20 @ Schurr 10/27 vs. Mark Keppel

13-5 15-3 14-4

W W W

JV 9/30 @ Legg Lake FRESHMAN 9/30 @ Legg Lake

(G) (B)

6th 5th

(G) (B)

5th 6th

(G) (B)

5th 3rd

Matadors win Halloween game against Aztecs N a t h a n Ta As the Matadors entered the Mark Keppel’s football field they were greeted by cheers not for them but for the Aztecs; however they used this as motivation to make an upset for the home team as they prepare to play against their rivals.

First quarter was a struggle for both the Matadors and the Aztecs to make plays due to the strong defensive plays from both teams. The Matadors had control over the ball at the start of the quarter and were able to make it into Aztec territory. However they lost control of the ball at 7:57. Despite gaining control of the ball, the Aztecs were only able to gain five yards, forcing them to punt the ball due to the strong Matador defense at 6:40. Unfortunately, the Aztecs were able to regain possession of the ball at 5:05 and make a touchdown plus a two point conversion at 3:05, making the score 8-0 in favor of the Aztecs. The Aztec defense was strong enough to force the Matadors to punt the ball after recieving it, allowing the Aztecs to regain control and push all the way to the Matadors’ eight yard line by the end of the first quarter.

Since the Aztecs ended the first quarter at the Matadors’ eight yard line, they were able to score another touchdown at 11:20 of the second quarter, making the score 14-0. The Matadors used the fact that they were down two touchdowns to push on and apply even more pressure than they did before. Senior running back Alex Garcia rushed to the Aztecs

16 yard line for a massive 31 yard gain at 7:20. After a few short gains for the Matadors, Garcia scored the first touchdown for the Matadors at 4:09, making the score 14-7.

The Aztecs received possession of the ball at the start of the second half, but Matadors regained control at 11:11.

After gaining control of the ball, Garcia was able to rush to the Aztecs’ 36 yard line at 10:12 and at their 20 at 9:59.

With this set up, senior tight end Juan Sandoval was able to score the second touchdown for the Matadors, making the score 14-14 at 8:26. The Aztecs retaliated back with a touchdown of their own and another two point conversion at 5:11 after slipping through the Matador defense, making the score 22-14. Garcia then fought back, rushing towards the Aztecs 15 yard line in the last 30 seconds of the third quarter and ending at the Aztecs 10 yard line.

The Matadors were able to score an early touchdown at minute 11:54 of the last quarter making the score 22-20.

Later into the game, Garcia rushed to the 32 yard line to secure the Matadors a first down, allowing them to continue to pressure the Aztecs. Senior middle linebacker Milton Peraza scored another touchdown at 7:51, taking the lead for the first time of the night. They were able to extend the lead after Peraza scored the final touchdown of the night, ending the game with a score of 33-22 in favor of the Matadors.

Photo courtesy of Gustavo Enciso

The varsity Matador football team celebrates their triumph over the Mark Keppel Aztecs.

Injuries in student athletes Girls Wrestling paves way to equality M a ri o M a n d u j a n o

excruciating, and it has prevented me from participating in the two last football games of my high school career. Limping The worst thing that could happen to and using the crutches basically everyday an athlete is an injury. Whether they are is also irritating,” Solis said. in football, cheerleading, basketball, or Cheerleaders are no exception to any other sport, athletes are constantly sport injuries as well. Due to how the sport vulnerable to injuries. has evolved, stunts have According to the obtained the necessity U.S Consumer Product to be more complex in Safety Commission, an attempt to increase most of the 920,000 competitiveness, but that treated football-related consequence has also injuries among people increased the odds of under the age of 18 could injury for cheerleaders. have been prevented.

“In order to try our Probably the most best to prevent injuries, common of injuries we always make sure in sports, especially that we have extra girls football, are concussions. spotting and I wish Concussions are we had extra matting defined as a consequence whenever we’re trying of traumatic impact, a new stunt,” senior symptoms of cheerleader captain concussions include Wendy Le said. dizziness, nausea, Injuries in any blurred vision, sport can be fatal to an numbness, and difficulty athlete, stopping their with concentrating. To perfomance during decrease the chances season or pre-season of concussion, one Senior Cristian Solis suffered as well. Injuries can be m u s t w e a r t h e i r an ankle injury after an accident prevented by proper helmet properly and d u r i n g f o o t b a l l p r a c t i c e . stretching, icing, and utilize them safely. resting any area that Senior Cristian Solis has experienced may began to feel uncomfortable or an ankle injury while practicing football. abnormal.

“The pain every morning is Photo by Mario Mandujano

Hellger t Almontes

San Gabriel High School has introduced its first official girls wrestling team this year.

California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) now requires schools to provide separate teams for girls and boys, making it possible for the girls team to have separate league matches.

However, due to the new initiative and slow growth on the numbers of female competitors, it is difficult to build up whole teams at the moment.

“This is the first season we will have a girl’s team,” head wrestling Coach Alex Cabral said “and the largest issue is finding tournaments that are at an appropriate level and available for the girls.”

A major problem that San Gabriel High School’s female wrestlers encounter is having access to female partners to wrestle against. The lack of female wrestlers has forced them to have to wrestle against males, which in the long run will make for stronger female competitors. However, when they wrestle at CIF, girls will not be wrestling boys, but instead their female counterparts.

Thus a problem rises in the form of stylistic mismatch. Males tend to rely more on strength, which is not always advantageous for technique, while their female counterparts tend to rely and focus more upon technique. Ultimately, this young wrestling team have plenty of room to grow as they face challenges of the incoming season.

11

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Importance of Junior Varsity Teams

SPORTS

Sports scholarships for students

C arol i na Loai si ga The definition of a Junior Varsity (JV) team is a group of non-competitive players who form a team. It is said that the varsity teams are the ones that have the main players and the most competitive members of the team. However, this definition seems to be wrong.

JV teams are a stepping stone, providing a learning period in which players, many of whom are first time athletes, get used to the feel of the atmosphere of competition and develop a passion for a sport. Most JV teams also practice at the same time as varsity teams, and even surprise the so-called “elite” players at times, inciting them to be more alert during practices.

The players that constitute the JV teams are characterized by their hard work, their sweat, their tears and blood. Varsity team members are the epitome of hard work and determination as well, but they are often seen as “comfortable” in their positions. Varsity players compete with much skill, and they are undoubtedly the face of the school for certain sports, whether it is cross country, football, soccer, or baseball, but JV teams also represent those sports. There is a reason why JV teams are made and why scoreboards include JV scores. The reason is simple; JV players are athletes as well, and they give it everything they have on and off the field.

An article published by blogger Ben Nadeu on Coachup states that “JV teams are typically used as place to develop player’s skills. It is the perfect place for somebody to try out new techniques or learn how certain nuances of the game.”

JV teams do not get robbed of the work that needs to be put in, but they do get robbed of the recognition and praise that they deserve. JV teams are filled with aspiring young athletes who will soon fill on the shoes of varsity team members.

Photo by Stacy Chau

J u n i o r Va r s i t y tennis member Catherine Huang prepares to rally the incoming ball towards her teammates on the court. She is practicing at the same time as the varsity members.

Workout of the Month: Russian Abdominal Twists Step 1: Lean back in a sitting position, making sure you are in a balanced position. Slowly rotate your body to the other side to work your abdominals and touch the ground with your hands.

Step 2: Afterwards, raise your core and slowly rotate a ro u n d t o t h e right as far as you can or until your elbow touches the ground.

Then reverse the movement to the left again.

Photos by Sunny Chen

Eva Fong This month’s workout is the Russian twist. The twist is a core workout that works all the abdominal muscles, including the obliques (the muscles that rotate the torso), and the midsection, like most core exercises. The Russian twist has many benefits, including improving balance, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease like strokes and heart attacks, and strengthening the lower back, which helps maintain good posture by preventing slouching which, as a result, makes one’s silhouette appear slimmer. Most importantly, it fights off belly fat and love handles, giving you that beloved six-pack. The steps are simple: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Make sure to keep your spine straight and not curved.

Raise your core and slowly rotate around to the right as far as you can. Do several sets of the 10-20 throughout the week to maintain a trim figure.

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Wong

Basketball captain senior Melissa Quach hopes to become a Division 3 basketball player.

Fr ank Lieu As many athletes prepare to graduate from high school, sports scholarships are becoming increasingly competitive. Whether one may be a casual athlete playing the sport for fun or a serious athlete aiming to attract attention from colleges that will offer free tuition for athletic services, sports scholarships can assist all types of athletes in finding ways to pay for their college experience.

Being the best player and dominating the sport may create an opportunity for athletes to make it to the next level, but doing well is not enough; they also need to present themselves in front of colleges and hope that someone is interested in their skills. With the number of good athletes on the rise, it is impossible for colleges to spot the ones with the most talent.

Thus, networking with coaches and participating in sports club outside of school can help serious athletes gain recognition in the next league.

With 1,281 institutions, over 450,000 student-athletes playing, and 3 divisions categorizing schools, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) offers most of the scholarships to athletes, giving them a chance to play for their tuition.

Girls basketball captain senior Melissa Quach has been offered multiple scholarships for her stellar performance in the Almont League.

“I used to play ball just to pass time, but I would have never expected to be given these opportunities,” Quach said.

Due to the profusion of athletes coming out of high school, most high school players have the motivation to continue playing in college.

For athletes not pursuing their respective sports or making them part of their lifestyle in college, there are scholarships for participation, longevity, and work ethic. There is an abundance of scholarships similar to these for most colleges and universities and can definitely help as financial aid.

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Senior Eric Thai not only immigrated from his hometown to a distant, foreign country, but also left behind his family members thousands of miles away in Vietnam. He looks at his immigration story as a source of identity and motivation to work hard in America.

“My original name was Hung La, but over the course of three years, I changed my name to Eric Thai,” Thai said.

“I immigrated from a district near Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to America when I was 10 back in 2008.”

After visiting America, his mother decided that she want to provide Thai with a better education, even if it meant not being able to see her son for over eight years.

“I knew deep down inside [that] she wanted me to study in America after hearing all the amazing stories from my aunt and uncle when we visited,” Thai said. “I ended up staying and she went back to Vietnam because she had a business there.”

Even though Thai is separated from his family, he feels lucky to be living with loving and caring relatives.

“My uncle and aunt are very accepting and never gave me the typical Asian parent expectations,” Thai said.

“They encourage me to fulfill my passion as a politician.”

When Thai was first exposed to the new environment, it was not easy adapting to the people around him.

“It was really difficult for me to communicate,” Thai said. “I knew [very] little English, so it was really hard expressing my thoughts.”

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Over the course of Thai’s school years, he gradually learned how to adjust and fit in with his fellow classmates. Despite his accent and enunciation difficulties, Thai learned to overcome his insecurities and became more confident.

“I was in remedial English classes until eighth grade, and then I got to be in a regular classroom for once,” Thai said. “It was the happiest year for me then.”

Unfortunately, Thai’s immigration has hindered his connections with his biological family.

“After staying here in America for a year, I lost my Vietnamese,” Thai said. “Usually we talk over FaceTime, but with the language barrier, it became very difficult for me to communicate with them clearly.”

The people and surroundings of the two different countries allowed Thai to change into a whole new person.

“In Vietnam, it felt like I was trapped because there were rules and limitations to whatever I did,” Thai said.

“Here, people are a lot more accepting and understanding.”

Thai is thankful for everything and everyone that has shaped him into the person that he is today.

“I’m thankful for immigrating here. From exercising my rights to the countless career options, I feel more free here than back in Vietnam,” Thai said.

Thai hopes that he will be able to reunite with his biological family next summer.

Article written by Uyen Sy

Moving to a new country is no easy feat, but sophomore Jazmin Carrillo has adapted well. Carillo, who grew up in Zacatecas, Mexico, recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a better life and education.

Carrillo studied some English in Zacatecas, Mexico and recalls her mother always telling her to give it her all and to never back down from anything.

“When I first arrived [in] Los Angeles, I was very scared,” Carrillo said. “But eventually, I realized that soon I would be speaking fluent English so I knew I would be okay.”

Carrillo resides in Rosemead with her uncle, aunt, and cousins, an arrangement very different from her home back in Zacatecas.

“Back in Mexico, I lived with my grandmother, my grandfather, my aunt, my mother and my two older brothers,” Carillo said. “It is different now just living with two other people, but it does feel less crowded.”

One difference Carrillo noticed is the student life in San Gabriel and how the students react to the lessons and teachers.

“In Zacatecas, you see a lot of growth and potential in the students but they don’t try at all,” Carillo said. “But over here, students are engaged. They take charge. I am very happy that I get to study here.”

Carrillo recalled that in her hometown, she had been

Sophomore Myfang To left Guangxi, China at four years old with high hopes of pursuing a better life than what his small village in China offered.

“I moved here because my parents had this American Dream where we would have more opportunities, and I could have a better education,” To said.

He was surprised by the restrictive nature in America compared to the more laidback and friendly atmosphere in Guangxi.

“It’s really different here because people expect more from you,” To said. “In China, it’s more fun, because there is not a lot of pressure and you can hang out after school with no worries.”

The atmosphere in the small village of Guangxi suited To more because there was a close-knit bond between neighbors.

“I came from a really small village in China where every little kid played with each other,” To said. “Over here, neighbors don’t talk to each other.”

At times, To thinks about his cousin who still lives in China and states that he is the person that he misses the most. His favorite memories in China were with his cousin.

“I was really close to him because he’s only one month younger than me,” To said. “He was my best friend.”

Graphic by Kelly Ho Photos courtesy of Jazmin Carrillo, Sunny Chen, Eric Thai, and Myfang To

familiar with her neighbors all throughout her childhood due to Zacatecas’s small population and a tightly-knit community.

“I think [in Zacatecas] everybody was closer to everybody else,” Carrillo said. “I knew my neighbor’s story, [and] I grew up with the same people. Coming here, I saw a lot of unfamiliar faces, and that was scary.”

Carrillo expressed her gratitude towards her mother and the sacrifices she had to make in order for Carrillo to live a better life.

“My mom still lives over in Zacatecas, and I appreciate everything she’s done for me because of her I am now living in this country, “ Carrillo said.

Her favorite thing about living in Rosemead is the freedom she experiences in America and her new friends at San Gabriel, whom she can relate to and spend time with during lunch.

“When I first arrived here, nobody judged me and it felt refreshing coming to a place where nobody judged me. I feel safe, and I feel like I can express myself,” Carrillo said.

Carrillo stated that she does not miss anything from Mexico besides her mother and her two older brothers.

She is grateful for her aunt and uncle because they paved a way for her to get a better education here at San Gabriel High School.

Article written by Carolina Loaisiga

When To was in China, he owned a wolf-like dog that he adored deeply. All the little kids would take turns petting and riding on the massive dog. However, a year after To moved to California, the dog passed away in China, and as a token of its memory, his family members in China sent a tooth from the dog to California. To occasionally wears the tooth around his neck.

When he came to America, his most memorable moment was when he got to know his Marching Band mates here in San Gabriel High School.

“I mainly remember going out with my Marching Band members because it was cool getting to know them,” To said. “I’m thankful for them because I never would have able to break out of my shell by myself.”

He wants to relay the message that people should respect diverse cultures and that immigrants should receive the same freedom and liberty as U.S. citizens do.

“Sometimes being an immigrant is hard when some people are racist, but I think it’s cool being an immigrant because we have our own things that we like that’s part of our culture,” To said. “Other people have things in their culture that we may or may not like, so I just think that everyone should try to understand each other.”

To wishes to become either a farmer like his uncle in China or an animal scientist, as he loves animals.

Article written by Shirley Dinh

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