The Matador February Issue 2014

Opinions“Self-defense essential to public education system” p. 6

THE

WEDNESDaY, february 19, 2014

“Exclusive Matador Café serves faculty” p. 12

“...’90s remains prominent today” p.11

Matador

Volume 59, Number 6

Features-

Life & Art-

S a n G a b r i e l H i gh S c h o o l

801 Ramona St., San Gabriel, CA 91776

www.thematadorsghs.com

Staff members promoted, hired at San Gabriel Gutierrez, Scanlan shift positions Oscar Molina Following the promotion of former San Gabriel Assistant Principal Debbie Stone to an Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) position, the School Board announced on Jan. 28 that Jeannie Gutierrez would take over Stone’s vacant slot as Assistant Principal of Instruction, while John Scanlan would take over Gutierrez’s former role as Assistant Principal of Pupil Services.

Gutierrez primarily aims at getting the school prepared for the transition to Common Core, as well as training teachers and creating the school plan, the master document that drives the school’s direction.

All of Gutierrez’s goals revolve around assuring that students are the top priority and preparing them for college and a career.

“I’m very excited about the changes, but it’s going to be difficult to switch roles,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez explained that taking on her new administrative position required significant adjustment, especially because she had to finish up prior work under the Pupil Services department and pick up Stone’s remaining tasks.

Despite making the major transition from Business and Activities to Pupil Services, Scanlan carries with him four years of experience of working with Student Services at San Gabriel and Mark Keppel. Scanlan plans to focus on aiding students along their journey to graduation.

“I want to step back and learn first,” Scanlan said in reference to his approach to tackling his position.

As a result of the changes, Scanlan, along with a panel consisting of Principal Jim Schofield and Director of Fiscal Services Nicole Lash, conducted interviews for the open slot of Assistant Principal of Business Activities on Feb. 11. The new hire will be announced during the week of Feb. 17-21.

New Chinese Coordinator Binh Tran joins staff and Student Services, both written and orally.

She also calls parents and communicates with As of Feb. 3, Binh Tran started working at the school for people who have an English San Gabriel High School as the new Chinese language barrier.

School Community Co“[I enjoy my job] very ordinator and Chinese much,” Tran said. “It’s very Club Adviser. fun and it’s like a show Tran was previously time everyday.” employed at Ramona ElAside from her duties as ementary School, where a coordinator, Tran is also she was also the Chinese considering involvement School Community Coin new activities as the new ordinator for 24 years.

Chinese Club Adviser. She She assisted many parsays that she will discuss ents, held meetings, admethods of member revised students, and also cruitment with the cabinet helped students with members. special needs improve “I want to talk about Photo by Derek Deng in reading. things that concern [the Tran said she is excit- Adviser Binh Tran looks forward club members],” Tran said. ed about her job at San to working with the Chinese Club. [I’m] not just [the] support, Gabriel High School, but also the leader [for the despite the school being overwhelming and club]. But I don’t want me to run the show, I want big to her. them to run the show.”

“There are exciting events every day,” Tran said that she is still learning, as she Tran said. “I’m always very busy.” had just transferred recently. She is also hoping As the Chinese School Community Coor- to “perfect her job” by learning more about dinator, Tran translates for the dean’s office people.

Debate team triumphs at Spring Varsity also acquired three more semifinalist awards.

Varsity senior Helen Chhea received a semifinalist Thirty-four Matador speech and debate memaward for humorous interpretation, and novice bers competed at Spring Varsity to carry home freshmen Vicki Lei and Nick Yeh also advanced to seven awards, including four finalist trophies. the semifinals for oratorical interpretation.

Arcadia High School hosted the tournament on “When I saw my name on the roster for the semiFeb. 1 for 17 participating high schools. finalists, my jaw dropped because I never expected Continuing a streak from past tournaments, [it],” Nick Yeh said. varsity seniors Alex Luu and Justin Yeh won Spring Varsity is open to all members regardthree trophies. less of age or level.

Luu and Yeh All participants were won second and also allowed to specfourth place, retate the semifinal spectively, with and final rounds of their oratorical any event, in which interpretations. they were able to obThe two also serve possible techpaired up toniques they could gether for a duo use in their own interpretation, works later. with which they “While I’m glad won fifth place that we had breaks Photo courtesy of Mandy Leung in the event. from all levels of exJunior varsity perience at this tours o p h o m o r e The Matador speech and debate team competed nament, I’m even Kenny Yeung at Arcadia High School and earned seven awards. more proud that so won his first tromany of our younger phy in his speech career by placing sixth place in students went to learn from competing against the impromptu category. Despite not being able to experienced seniors,” Coach Andrew Nguyen break into the final round at prior tournaments, his said. “This attitude of not caring about immediate practice paid off at Spring Varsity. performance, but long-term-improvement, is a “Winning a trophy for the first time certainly healthy one.” felt good,” Yeung said. “Without my coach and State and national qualifiers, the apex tournapeers’ continual support to guide me toward better ments of the season, are the remaining league public speaking, I definitely would not have gotten competitions after Spring Varsity. The top finalists of to this point.” each event at the qualifiers will be able to compete in In addition to the four finalist awards, the team the state and national competitions later in the year.

C h ri s t o p h e r L a n

C assandr a Chen

AcaDec team moves up to division two Kr isty Duong San Gabriel’s Academic Decathlon (AcaDec) team vastly improved in the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon competition compared to last year, moving them up to division II. This year, they were recognized as one of the most improved teams with a 7,561 point improvement and took second place in division III for Super Quiz, a quiz show portion of the competition in which students from each grade division compete against people from other schools.

The team swept 25 medals with at least one in each subject. Senior Raymond Yang alone earned eight of those medals.

“I feel really happy. It was my one and only shot, so I had to give it as much as I [could],” Yang said.

The team competed on Jan. 25 at El Rancho High School, competing in the essay, interview, and speech categories.

The following week, students competed at the University of Southern California (USC) Galen Center in the art, economics, language and literature, math, music, science, and social science categories.

Competitors had 30 minutes for each test. These tests were followed up by Super Quiz. Unlike previous years, each test was taken on clickers from Turning Technologies rather than Scantrons.

The team consisted of senior Raymond Yang, juniors Paula Aguilar, Va (Alex) Chiu, Kristy Duong, Tony Kung, and Alexander Ta, and sophomores Stephen Kang, Ivy Leao, and Toby Lin. For many students, it was the first time they participated in this competition. It was a valuable experience for them.

“My first experience was stressful yet fun. I feel that I did well for my first time, but I need to try harder next time to win gold,” sophomore Stephen Kang said.

Photo courtesy of Raymond Yang

San Gabriel’s Academic Decathlon team moved up to division II after improving their score by 7,561 points and took second place in division III Super Quiz.

NEWS

THE MATADOR

Science Olympiad prepares for competition E ri n Tru o n g

Last minute check-ups, finishing touches, and final preparations are made as the day of the annual Science Olympiad competition draws near. The local Science Olympiad team will represent San Gabriel High School against participants of all ages at the Regional Scientific Olympiad, with students from over 40 schools.

The competition will be held on Feb. 22 and will feature competitors building engineering projects, as well as completing a variety of scientific tests in different fields.

“There’s anatomy, physiology, astronomy, entomology, chemistry, circuitry...” Science Olympiad adviser David Whitman said.

“Basically, [the competition] covers a whole bunch of sciences.”

The competition is divided into two general sections: engineering activities and test-taking.

In the engineering portion, competitors draft and build constructs according to the curriculum provided by Science Olympiad. Possible constructs include elastic-launched gliders, maglifts, elastic bungee drops, and rocket launching. Competitors also have the option to work individually or with a partner in both sections of the Olympiad. About 40 or 50 teams compete annually in California, and competitors include students from elementary, middle, and high schools alike.

“It’s really fun to watch all the kids at the competition,” Whitman said. “It’s really neat to watch twelve-year olds shoot a catapult into a cup in the middle of a sandbox.”

Senior Science Olympiad contender Fangyou Xie expresses confidence in this year’s Olympiad.

“I’m building an elastic-launched glider, a maglift, bungee-drops... and I’m taking one test, geological mapping,” Xie said. “This is my third year competing, and I’m confident of winning first. I feel like since I’m a returner, I have more knowledge than most other people there, so I should do better this year.”

Whitman hopes that the Scientific Olympiad will draw in a wider broadband of students interested in science at San Gabriel High School.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

FBLA readies for section conference School, located near the amusement park, and then took a bus to Six Flags, The Future Business Leaders of where they remained for the awards America (FBLA) will be competing at ceremony later on.

Vice President of Activities junior Six Flags Magic Mountain in its annual section conference on Feb. 22. There, Michelle Lok is “thrilled” about this they will compete in various business- year’s competition because “that has related events such as business law, never happened before.” Lok has cyber security, and word processing. competed in section conference for two FBLA will spend the entire day at the consecutive years.

“Usually, we go to a high school park, which will include testing sessions, and get to Six Flags in the afternoon,” park play, and an awards ceremony.

T h e c o m p e t i t o r s , d r e s s e d i n Lok said, “but because we’re doing everything appropriate at Six flags business t h i s y e a r, attire, will members will be expected have more to be on the time with bus leaving rides and for Six Flags networking.” by 6:00 Before a.m.. FBLA competing competitors at Six Flags, will then certain events proceed to required take their competitors re s p e c t i v e Photo by Derek Deng to complete written tests and attend Juniors Jessica Kou and Justin Pham complete a “one-hour school-site workshops a production test at San Gabriel High School. p r o d u c t i o n until all test,” which counts as 85 percent of the competitors are finished testing.

FBLA adviser Qui Nguy is “very final event score; they will then finish it excited” to see how his members off by completing a “one-hour objective test” at the section conference. perform.

Junior Justin Pham has completed “If they [have] enrolled in any of our business courses, then that would really the production test for word processing help them,” Nguy said. “Years before, and will complete his objective testing we had an accounting class and sent six at Six Flags.

“It’s fun; you get to compete and students [to compete]. Five out of the six placed in the top ten, and then we sent make new friends,” Pham said. “And also, it’s going to help you later on if four out of [the] six to state.”

After testing, FBLA competitors will you are planning to major in business.”

After getting through their respective be free to enjoy Six Flags. This contrasts with the previous section conference events, competitors will proceed to the held at Six Flags two years ago. In the state competition located in Ontario, previous conference, competitors first Calif.; the national competition after that completed testing at West Ranch High will take place in Anaheim.

H anf rey Deng

Luu continues poetry journey J u s t i n To y o m i t su As he stood on the Poetry Out Loud county competition stage, senior contestant Alex Luu waited with anticipation before he was announed the winner.

“I felt shocked [when I found out I won],” Luu said. “I couldn’t believe it. I was also really happy and relieved.”

The state competition will be at Sacramento on Mar. 24, where other county representatives from all across California will compete.

“I’m feeling pretty excited and nervous,” Luu said when he was asked how he felt. “I’m searching for a third poem to memorize at the moment.”

Luu’s journey started at the Poetry Out Loud school competition level, where he competed successfully and ended up as part of the top 11 contestants who advanced to the district level. He then advanced as the winner of district, currently preparing for the upcoming state competition.

“You are judged on delivery, accuracy, and presence,” Luu said.

Luu was chosen as the winner of the district level competition held on Feb. 5, where he competed with representatives from within the district, including ten from San Gabriel.

Contestants for the state competition must choose three old poems from the list provided by the organization, memorize it, and recite it in front of new judges for the state competition.

“I’ll be against poets representing their respective counties across California,” Luu said. “I didn’t expect myself to make it, [because] all [of] the competitors were so amazing at reciting their poems.”

Luu is looking forward to continuing his journey at the state competition.

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Photo by Lauren Kakazu

Joe Gongora and Thomas K o h o u t re c e i v e a n a w a rd for fighting a dangerous fire.

Staff members receive awards for firefighting Emmanuel Maresca Two unlikely heroes were awarded by the California School Employees Association (CSEA) when a major disaster was prevented at San Gabriel High School. A minor brush fire on Aug. 20 was identified and safely contained when custodian Joe Gongora and maintenance mechanic Thomas Kohout sprang into action.

According to Kohout, the fire was caused by the construction workers working on the railroad past the fence near the U building.

“I think maybe one of their units was probably blowing coal out the exhaust and created the fires,” Kohout said. Immediately, Kohout and Gongora rushed down to the scene with extinguishers in hand.

The two then restricted the small fire from spreading to the buildings.

“Fortunately, we arrived in time prepared to extinguish the brush fire before any major damage to building U1, U2, and U3,” Gongora said. *This article is abridged. To read the full article, please visit www.thematadorsghs.com.

Powderpuff football game set to return after one-year hiatus Derek Deng

Photo courtesy of Alex

Senior Alex Luu smiles triumphantly after advancing to the next level in the Poetry Out Loud competition.

For more articles from The Matador, please visit us online at: www.thematadorsghs.com

The conventional idea of football being played by males has been overcome by an event called Powderpuff in which female and male roles in the football game are reversed. Entrance to the game is free. Boys will be the cheerleaders and cheer the girls on during their 30 versus 30 football game .

In previous years, the Powderpuff game could not proceed due to insufficient funds, but according to the adviser of the Powderpuff event, Nicole Manalang, the Powderpuff game this year should be a success. A fundraiser was held at The Grids on Feb. 7 to help fund the Powderpuff team with their medical insurance and other necessities. Participants in this role reversing game are to be juniors and senior girls only. Unlike regular sports, which require medical insurance throughout the whole year, Powderpuff is a one time event and this makes insurance for the players even more expensive.

“We tried doing this before but we got derailed because of all the miscellaneous things that need[ed] to be paid for in order for someone who doesn’t play a sport to be on the field,” Manalang said. “There are double the insurance fees [for the girls].”

The female football players are going to be trained by senior and junior football players rather than the faculty or staff. This can help the female football players gain a deeper level of understanding for the sport since both the coaches and the players have the chance to interact with each other in school. “[I] go to school with them, and we would be spending more time with them than coaches so we can connect with each other better,” senior student coach Damian Chapa said. “Practice makes perfect, so you got to keep working and try to make it right so that you can make the plays.”

Student coaches also know how it felt when they first learned football, so they will incorporate techniques that they themselves found to be quite helpful.

“The student [coaches] know us better and had experience in the football team and have played under coaches that have led their team to the CIF,” senior Julie Vong said. “Hard work is the way to win.”

Female players and student coaches will get the chance to practice and apply what they have learned on the field when practice days are coming to a close. This year’s Powderpuff game should be successful according to Manalang due to the success of the fundraiser and experience from last year’s holdup. The date of the Powderpuff game is to be determined, but it will take place after spring break.

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THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

Natural disasters due to drought A n t h o n y Ya n g Due to the current drought situation in California, the winter season has become drier-than-average, leading to numerous wildfires, including the latest fire at the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains.

According to a study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), the rings of Californian trees indicate that the drought is much more serious than first believed.

“We are on track for having the worst drought in 500 years,” UCB professor B. Lynn Ingram said.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, the drought is actually continuing from 2013. The weather in 2013 had been the hottest and the driest year on record, receiving only 32.8 percent of the average precipitation. Currently, California has a strong dome of high-pressure air, which inhibits any form of precipitation, causing an extension of wildfire season.

California Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency on Jan. 17. Brown advised California residents to cut down water usage by 20 percent as an attempt to remedy the water shortage.

Director David Pettijohn from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will be patrolling

Los Angeles, issuing warnings and fines to residents who seem to be overusing the water supply.

“Essentially, if someone we see is… hosing down their driveway… if [residents] are our customers, they can only water their lawns three times a week,” Pettijohn said in an NBC interview.

According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the state’s agricultural industry accounts for 15 percent of the United States crop sales and 7.1 percent of the United States revenue for livestock. The strengthening of last year’s drought has had an impact on California’s crop exports. Senior Kristen Ham believes that although the prices will increase during the drought, it will not drastically affect the California residents.

“Since California can still import food and water from other regions, it’s not like we’ll starve,” Ham said.

Droughts in California have lasted at most for six years, such as during the drought from 1928 to 1934 and 1987 to 1992. Accuweather states that the only way California will get rain is if the air pressure decreases. Since the drought was declared in 2014, the future amounts of rain will determine whether or not the drought will continue.

Students serve peers at annual Maid Café L a u ren K ak az u

Photo by Derek Deng

Senior Devin Chang, a butler at Maid Café, serves drinks to customers. Customers were allowed to make requests to the maids and butlers.

Dressed as maids and butlers, members of Anime Anonymous walked in pairs with their arms linked for their introduction walk before officially opening their annual Maid Café for business on Feb. 14 in the Multipurpose Room.

Ever since the Maid Café made its debut around 2006, students have been able to experience being served by maids and butlers.

While being served, customers were allowed to make requests to the maids and butlers, in which they could ask them do anything that they wanted as long as it was school appropriate. Some of those requests included dancing and singing.

“Maids welcome their customers, and they treat them as if they were their masters,” senior member Devin Chang said. “However, there can’t be any misconduct, of course, or else they’re usually kicked out. That’s

YAWP switches focus from writing to poetry Va ne s s a De L a R o s a Invigorated by a perpetual passion for literature and spoken word poetry, English teacher Katherine Burkhart has re-erected and renovated the Young Aspiring Writers with Power (YAWP) club. The name itself acts as homage to poet Walt Whitman and his words: “I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world.”

YAWP started in 1999 when Burkhart desired to share her experiences of being in a writing club with students at San Gabriel, and had actually encouraged them to publish anthologies of writing for the first few years when it began.

“I wanted [students] to have the same opportunity to take themselves seriously as writers and to practice their craft,” Burkhart said.

Despite the club’s original role as a writing club, Burkhart completely modified it by focusing primarily on poetry. The fervor and enthusiasm expressed by the four current members makes up for its lack of size. The club is engrossed in sharing their poetry with each other and preparing for the classic poetry slam in April. Meetings are held every Friday during lunch in P110.

what our own maid café is built upon.”

The event was supposed to start after school at 3:00 p.m., but the doors did not open until a few minutes afterwards. According to sophomore and first year member Sharon Law, setting up the café took “probably 10-20 minutes.”

Once seated, students were given their choices of food, drink, and dessert. However, one of the popular food choices, curry rice, sold out quickly because an important part of the dish, rice, ran out.

Despite the setback, every customer was served. Some got second helpings of food and dessert if they wanted. Not only did the customers enjoy this experience, but the maids and butlers did as well.

“It’s really fun,” Law said. “You get to meet different people, you get to serve, and its sort of like you’re having a real job as a waiter.”

NEWS

Image courtesy of cdc.gov

According to the Center of Disease Control, influenza is especially deadly this year and becoming increasingly widespread.

Flu season becomes more severe Steven Ho Despite California’s increased attempts at vaccinations and disease awareness, the H1N1 virus, also known as influenza or the “flu,” has been spreading around counties, communities, and classrooms at an alarming rate. An increasing number of students around campus have been afflicted with or showed symptoms of this “swine flu” that causes painful aches in the head, in the stomach, and around the body, along with dizziness and nausea. Although students coming down with the flu are advised to stay home and rest, the virus is still a potential threat for all students.

School nurse Karen Carrillo has treated dozens of students who have shown signs of the flu over the past two months. She attests that although the number of flu cases has increased, the severity of most has decreased.

“This year’s flu shot matched the strands of flu perfectly,” Carrillo said.

“More people have been getting flu shots and this helps keep more of the students safe.”

Carrillo explained how the perfect choice of immunization and the large amount of immunizations have greatly helped students combat the virus.

Although the flu strength has generally decreased at San Gabriel, California public health officials stated that as of Feb. 10, 2012 residents under the age of 65 have died from the flu, a number 11 times greater than the number of deaths recorded last year.

Senior Helen Chhea described feeling lethargic and pain-stricken when she contracted the flu.

“I knew I had the flu after I threw up one day after school,” Chhea said.

“I had a recurring cough for a whole week and I had to miss a day of school because I was feeling so horrible.” Chhea was forced to push through her illness in order to compete at her speech and debate tournament.

“My duo partner and I tried so hard to get a good score and I couldn’t let him down,” Chhea said.

Carrillo comments that students should always wash their hands, dispose of their tissues, cough inside their clothes, and refrain from spitting on the ground to prevent the flu from spreading further. In addition, in order to prevent further infections, she advises students to stay at home and get enough rest to help a person’s ability to fight viruses increase.

Although the flu has shown to be contagious throughout the state, good hygiene and early vaccinations will prevent it from taking any lives.

Former vice principal charged with 16 felonies Il eana P erez In a YouTube video of 28 year old Jaime Carrillo calling her childhood molester, Andrea Cardosa, former assistant principal at Alhambra High School, Carrillo explained to Cardosa how she ruined her life and how much she had affected her. Cardosa did not deny Carillo’s accusations nor apologize for what she did; instead, she said she deeply regrets her actions. After Carrillo posted the video of the phone call on YouTube, Cardosa quickly resigned from her position.

Since the video was posted, a second victim has spoken out. Cardosa was arrested two weeks after Carrillo’s video was posted, and she admitted to sexually abusing her.

Cardosa was charged with 16 felony counts and faces a potential lifetime in prison.

“I do not necessarily think that [Cardosa] deserves lifetime in prison,” sophomore Sofia Rojas said. “But I do think she should [not have] the right to work with students.”

Students and parents were both shocked to hear of Cardosa’s actions. The majority were concerned about how she was still working with students.

“This should be a wake up call to the district, staff, and everyone,” junior Diana Alvarez said. “Something similar to this could be happening right now and they do not even know about it.”

According to Assistant Princpal of Student Services Janet Perales, students

who find themselves in an abusive situation can take a number of steps to report the crime.

“Students should seek their counselor, teachers, and parents for assistance,” Perales said. “Every situation is different. Students need to know that they can come to any school official and know that our priority is to keep them safe.”

Victims of sexual abuse like Carrillo will suffer from emotional damage. Most people who get abused suffer from emotional problems and sometimes physical ones as

well.

“They go through a lot of blame,” Perales said. “And of course the emotional ups and downs that come with it.”

Victims can recover from being sexually abused, although it all depends on what kind of help they receive afterwards.

“Here at San Gabriel High School, there are many resources to support students dealing with any situation impacting [them] academically, socially, or emotionally,” Perales said.

OPINIONS Kinda ‘lei’me

Rebecca Lei So close, yet so far My grandmother died exactly 159 days ago.

But it’s not her death that I regret.

After all, she lived a long, happy life, and besides, nobody lives forever. No, the fact that I never got to know her is what I regret most. As I look back on it now, it wasn’t because of animosity, adversity, or even lack of opportunity. It was because of my inability to express myself, my thoughts and emotions.

The last time I ever saw my grandmother alive, was the summer of 2013.

She had fallen down a few months before and sustained heavy injuries that she wouldn’t be able to recover from, and upon the insistence of my mother, my family and I returned to China to see her one last time. I still remember my last few bittersweet moments with her before we had to leave.

“Goodbye, we’ll be sure to visit again!” I said with a shaky smile. I gave her a hug, and I went to wait by the doorway for my mother, who had yet to say her goodbyes.

What I witnessed next probably changed my whole perception of myself forever.

My mother walked up to my grandmother, hugged her, and looked her in the eye while saying two simple words.

“Thank you.”

Her gaze seemed to convey all of her gratitude, her love, and warmth toward her mother. With a single shared look and the utterance of a commonplace thanks, my mother managed to convey all of her emotions.

Suffice it to say, it rocked my world.

Until that moment, I had thought that I was at least pretty good at expressing what I wanted to say. My position on the school dress code? Hold on, let me write up an outline for a five-paragraph essay complete with a thesis, two points -- complete with supporting detail, concrete evidence and commentary, of course, a counterargument, and a conclusion supplemented by the reiteration of the body paragraphs.

But when asked to pay my last respects and say my last goodbyes to my grandmother while she was still alive, I crashed and burned.

On the trip back to America, the fact that I couldn’t even properly tell my grandmother I loved her haunted me. It haunts me still, in fact.

While I tried to atone for my eloquence (or more accurately, my lack thereof) with phone and video calls, the feeling of really being with my grandmother, connecting and interacting as family or even human beings, never really came back. Somehow, two inches doesn’t really compare to the 6,882 miles approximated

by Google Maps.

After hearing of my grandmother’s death at the end of August, I decided that the best way to honor the memory of the deceased would be by making sure that my surviving grandmother from the paternal side of the family understood how loved she is, and how grateful we are to her.

And so, life goes on. Unfortunately, we can’t take back or change the words we say or the things we do, but we can take comfort in the fact that we have the power to shape what we say and do from now on.

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

Editorial

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Fame guarantees unfair immunity Countless “Beliebers” supported the release of their idol after Bieber was prosecuted and jailed for driving at high speeds under the influence and possession of heroin. Rapper and singer R. Kelly was accused of numerous accounts of statutory rape between 2002 and 2008. Professional photographer Terry Richardson admitted to partaking in unconsented lewd acts with his models throughout his career.

On Feb. 2, Film Director Woody Allen denied the rape accusations made by his adopted daughter, who has suffered from post-traumatic stress.

What did all of these perpetrators have in common? One, they were famous, and two, they dodged incrimination.

Famous public figures have not and are not adequately prosecuted by the current judicial system that places fame and fortune above justice and reasonable decisions. Justice must equally enforce laws among all citizens regardless of their status. In addition,

although celebrities have the wealth to bail themselves out, the judicial system should not permit them to escape punishment so easily. There has to be a balance between monetary consequences and serving time. Permitting celebrities to escape laws simply because they are celebrities should not be tolerated.

Similarly, fans seem to place celebrities on a different pedestal. Despite their horrendous acts, students still seem to fall head-over-heels for their idols or completely ignore the severity of their actions, distorting their views so that their figure can remain “perfect.” Moreover, fans should decide whether they are supporting the celebrity or the celebrity’s work. Just because the professional work of a celebrity deserves praise, fans should use their own judgments to determine if the morality of a celebrity’s actions and character match theirs.

Both the positive and negative sides of a celebrity should be assessed. If one limits themselves to only the positive traits, they narrow their view and blind

themselves to criticism. A true fan should know all about their “fave” celebrity, not just what they want to know.

In forming a final judgment, one must remember that celebrities are people too and that all humans have flaws--fans should just decide which ones are acceptable and which cannot be forgiven. The flaws that are extremely erroneous should be met with appropriate legal punishment, not blind praise and exemption.

Illustration by Emmanuel Maresca

Illustration by Oscar Molina

Excess attention on pop culture degrades society C hri st op her Lan “Congresswoman, let me interrupt you for a moment. We got some breaking news at Miami. Stand by if you will. Right now in Miami, Justin Bieber has been arrested for a number of charges.” MSNBC News Anchor Andrea Mitchell cut off a live television broadcast interview with Congresswoman Jane Harman on Jan. 23. This event infuriated viewers across the nation as the addressing of a hot political issue was replaced by news of a trivial happening of the entertainment industry. MSNBC’s decision to categorize Bieber’s arrest as breaking national news reflects a shift of our society’s focus from significant political topics toward the personal lives of celebrities.

The U.S. government privacy issue surrounding the National Security Agency (NSA) and its actions has been and still is one of the apex topics of U.S. political discussion. After months of the public’s requests for the government to take action, Harman spoke for Congress to inform the public of what their government is doing about it. This national issue was in a few seconds, shoved away by MSNBC for the report of a teenage artist’s charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest, and driving without a license. While Bieber is considered to be an idol by his fans and his arrest definitely matters to certain people, the news needs to be kept where it belongs: the entertainment industry.

Our society’s evaluation of what truly matters to them is tilted toward the wrong side of the balance. As monotonous as a discussion on the NSA sounds, the actions of the government

watchdog at least have some meaningful impact on our lives. Its actions involve our online messages, our texts, and everything else everyone does online. Virtually everything on the Internet is now permanent and accessible by the government, regardless of whether we think it is private, or even “permanently” deleted.

On the other hand, I cannot say the same for how much Bieber’s arrest can influence our lives here.

Whistleblower Edward Snowden sacrificed his lifestyle and risked his life to expose what the NSA had been doing to the world in the recent decade. He is now living in asylum within Russia as a wanted defector of the United States, who would instantly be arrested and tried if he were to step ground on American soil. All Bieber did was drive recklessly, breaking numerous laws, with negligible risk of losing his U.S. citizenship. Within the youth community, the latter news spread almost instantly within 24 hours while barely a minute percentage even knew about Snowden’s revelations a week after news sources popularized them. Looking at this, it is very blatant that our youth culture is losing interest in impactful news that actually relates to people’s lives, and are instead attracted to the drama of the entertainment industry that could rarely ever affect them.

Entertainment news is what keeps culture thriving, but there needs to be a fine line establishing when it eclipses news that actually matters to the lives of people. If I were the Congresswoman, I would not have “stood by” to let Bieber’s arrest overshadow what my audience wanted to hear me say. And as the audience, the youth culture needs to make the right decision in what it wants to hear.

OPINIONS 5 Self-defense is essential to public education system THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

‘Deng’nabbit

Va ne s s a De L a R o s a a n d O s c a r Mol i na

The first step to efficiently implement this policy would be to have students and parents sign a contract regarding the In a world riddled with perpetual danger at every corner, privilege to bring a weapon to school. Contracts would include seemingly harmless vans driving down the street can contain a statement claiming that the parent would be responsible for potential kidnappers. Any stranger can be a criminal. Protection any malfeasance without true cause or provocation committed and self-defense are key to one’s safety outside of school where by the student. The application process for this privilege would people do not have campus protection or the security of their include running a background check (evaluation by psychologist, friends. With the school’s policy forbidding any kind of weapon viewing of prior violent incidents) and offering a reason for the from being brought on campus, the possibility of fighting back request. Moreover, for the policy to be effective and conductive and defending oneself against impending attackers on their way to maintain safety, schools will need to provide storage lockers home is quickly eradicated. for students to leave their items at the start of the day and pick It is appalling to know that in the case of emergency one lacking up before going home, so weapons would not be at their disposal. in physical strength and company of friends would be at a major Weapons such as pepper spray and small pocket knives are disadvantage against a grown man or woman intending to harm suitable for protecting high school students because they do not or kidnap someone. School policies forbidding weapons intend pose an extremely lethal threat but are enough to ward off an to strengthen the safety and security on campus, approaching enemy. As such, weapons like these are but inadvertently condemn an isolated person from portable, as well as quick and easily accessible being able to fend off predators outside of school. from concealment to use. These “less lethal” According to the U.S. Department of weapons are simply meant to provide enough Justice, 58,000 children are abducted time to run away and seek assistance. Lastly, for in the United States each year, this policy to benefit students, it must be made and according to the National a state law, so students do not have to worry Center for Missing and Exploited about being interrogated by police, solely children, 38 percent of 4,200 attempted because they were carrying a weapon that abductions between February 2005 and their schools permitted them to have.

March 2010 occurred while the child On the other hand, school administrators was walking alone, riding a bicycle, may oppose this policy because of the potential or taking public transportation accidents, the use of the weapons in fights, and from school. the fear it could create in the community.

With recent cases such as the The whole concept of weapons being in a man who approached and tried to student’s possession is frightening because kidnap a Gabrielino High School female any slip knife could accidentally hurt them on her way home after school, schools need or someone else. In addition, a problem arises to heavily consider the protection of their when a person with a record of fighting, who Illustration by Annie Huang has lost the opportunity to carry a weapon, becomes students not only on campus, but on their way home as well. A solution to avoiding detrimental involved in fights with a student without a record of outcomes would be to permit “less lethal” weapons, such as pepper fighting, who may possess a weapon. Administrators may believe spray and pockets knives in schools. Schools are responsible for that the policy will instill fear in the community because knowing students’ safety until they get home, and allowing them to carry a that students feel like they need to be protecting themselves will weapon gives them a greater chance at maintaining their welfare. cause others to think they need to prepare against a nonexistent “Walking home alone, whether it be in the neighborhood you danger. grew up in or a strange city, can be scary,” freshman Elizabeth Students who are forced to walk home everyday deserve Botello said. “I think I would feel safe with a weapon because it to feel secure and safe in their own skin, they deserve to take will be helpful in an emergency.” comfort in the thought that they are ready and prepared to fend Weapons have always been banned from schools in order to off anyone intending to do them harm, and they are certainly create a safe environment, but the contrary may actually generate entitled to the right to their own safety. People walking home greater safety, as long as the policy is implemented securely. alone should be able to have the assets to protect themselves.

71% said they would feel safer if they had a weapon on them Survey compiled by Vanessa De La Rosa and Oscar Molina

The Matador Bullring

Editors-in-Chief

Steven Ho Oscar Molina Chelsey Tran Kristy Duong Rebecca Lei Opinions Editors Vanessa De La Rosa Lauren Kakazu Focus Editors Sonny Hy Amanda Molina Life and Art Editors Derrick Chi Annie Huang Sports Editors Marvin Luu John Truong Features Editors Maggie Cheng Crystal Wong Copy Editors Angela Fong Chelsea Huynh Mimi Lam Christopher Lan Photo Editor Derek Deng Artists Cassandra Chen Annie Huang Emmanuel Maresca Jennifer Thai Business Managers Carolina Garcia Ileana Perez Website Editor Tran Lam Blogs Manager Judy Tang Adviser Jennifer Kim Reporters: Kathering Montelon, Hanfrey Deng, Vanessa Huang, Frank Lieu, Carolina Loaisiga, Cynthia Navarro, Justin Toyomitsu, Erin Truong, Anthony Yang, Amy Yee, Richard Yue Managing Editor News Editors

The Matador is a public forum for student expression and highly encourages responses in reaction to issues discussed in the paper. Submit comments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested), to H-2, or Ms. Kim’s mailbox.

The Matador is published monthly by the journalism staff of San Gabriel High School. 1,600 copies per issue are published at American Foothill Publishing Co., Inc. The opinions and views expressed in The Matador do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the school or the Alhambra School District. The Matador and the Alhambra Unified School District do not endorse the vendors advertised in this paper.

Post Valentine’s Day, we asked who do you love the most and why?

“

[I love ]my boyfriend Jessie [because] he’s always been there for me.”

- Tania Almaraz, 9th grade

“

I love my girlfriend...I also love my two puppies, my mom, and my brothers because they all care about me and they all have my back.”

- Franklin Kai Cheung, 10th grade

“

[I love] my family and friends [because] they’ve been doing pretty much everything for me.”

- Ryan Lam, 11th grade

“

I love my mom...She’s been through problems with me my whole life so she’s the one I love the most.”

- Tricia Alcantar, 12th grade

Photos by Derek Deng

Derek Deng A language discovered Many people ask me, “Are you going to major in photography?” Each time, I answer with simply one word: no. The language of photography is a big one, but I don’t think that it will take me to the right path in life. I consider it as a hobby, and the journalism class allowed it to be just a little more than that. For now, I believe that I can take the baby steps in learning the essentials and perhaps even more as time moves on.

A camer a is like a device f or communicating words and just like any other language, which would have syntax, grammar, and tone, it contains three things: aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. Balancing these three factors that contribute to the quality of the image is just like how the three factors of speaking a language can determine if you are a native speaker or just a beginner.

However, photography wasn’t just a way to get quality images and show others how my work portrayed me as an individual; it was also a way for me to communicate with fellow photographers.

The solution to the puzzle would not always come to me at once. Whenever there was a struggle for me to figure out what the problem was in my image, I could talk to other photographers for advice or even figure out a better and more efficient way to get the job done.

It was like talking to your other friends to improve on a project that you were working on. The ideas that come in never seem to end.

The reason why this is possible is that using a camera is like solving a puzzle. Depending on where you are and what the environment can look like, every puzzle is different. It is up to the photographers to figure out the algorithm and find the optimal setting. Most of the time, the optimal setting is found by simply balancing the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.

It all started when I attended my first football game at the beginning of junior year. With my dad’s 2004 Olympus E-300 SLR camera, I took my first pictures of the football game. The image that was captured on the field was horrible; the whole image was blurred, the image was way too bright, and nothing seemed to go right.

“This device for capturing is definitely outdated,” I thought to myself.

L u c k i l y, o n e o f y e a r b o o k ’ s photographers saw the camera that I was holding and saw me trying to figure out how to take better pictures. He taught me the basics right then and there, and that was the moment when I realized that this little contraption that fit in my hands was only a translator that lay between what I was focusing on and myself. Without properly communicating what I desired to the camera, I wasn’t able to achieve what I wanted.

After that, I attended every football game. At every game, I would find out new things about the camera. I would find out the best places to be and where to be at the right place and at the right time.

The photos that I took and saw from others began to have meaning. Instead of just judging the photo by its overall appearance, descriptive words flew from the subject that was focused on. It became a language that I was slowly discovering and learning the secrets about.

FOCUS

THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

6

7

THE MATADOR

Momma’s boy EVERY STUDENT HAS A DIFFERENT E m m a n u e l M a re s c a

I grew up mostly with my mother alone, since my father was a total lunatic. He would take whatever we had and sell it for cash. I don’t even want to know what he would buy. Most of my life he’s been in and out of prison, and I haven’t seen him in years. It’s for the best.

My grandmother and great grandmother were always having us over at their house for big Mexican dinners and cozy chattering on their ancient sofas and armchairs. Living in El Sereno, we weren’t deep in the ghetto, but we were still there. Sometimes, we could hear shoot outs down the street from rivaling gang fights.

I was too young to realize how dangerous it was. The streets used to be put on lock down if someone dangerous was roaming around. It seemed that helicopters and searchlights were a constant aesthetic there. I would go to sleep to the sound of the helicopter’s propeller beating at the warm evening air, and I would wake up to the rolling cars and sunlight peeking through the hilly landscape. I always felt safe at home.

My mother is a virtuous woman who made sure we never got into that situation again. I spent most of my life in a small single-parent household with my younger brother. From a young age, my mother would introduce me to wonderful artworks that she would paint in our simple living room. Beautiful and artsy renditions of atholic themes were her favorite, like the Day of the Dead.

I’m thankful that I was brought up around such creativity and warmth. It made dark times seem like they were just for the night, and another day would come. I carry an inspiring idea that all forms of art make up our world. We weren’t brought up from much on the outside, but in our eyes, there was beauty to come from everywhere.

It’s Whatever R i c h a rd Yu e I let out a yell of frustration as I ended the call and slammed the phone against my bed. I know it’s wrong to argue, but I can’t help it; I’m used to it. I wish I could go back and apologize, but all I feel is relief at the distance gap growing between my parents and me.

I didn’t ask for it, but I ordered one life, and it came with the divorced parents package. I think of them as typical, loving parents; they just come with side effects that only a few others can relate to. For starters, I spend six days a week with my dad and only Sundays with my mom due to her work. I’m badgered to call constantly to let them know I’m okay, but that’s not the worst thing.

Most people put on masks when they go out, because to a lot of people, home is where you can really be yourself without being judged; I put on my mask at “home.” It’s not every day when you hear insults and complaints from your parents to one another. “Don’t listen to your dad, he’s not a human being,” or “Don’t listen to your mom, she’s so stupid,” are phrases repeated day in and day out. It goes to a point where I usually just sit there mumbling “uh-huh” until the ranting stops.

This leads to huge question marks that pop up in my head. Why did they marry if they hate each other so much? Why can’t I have a normal family?

These questions have defined me as who I am.

I hardly trust in love; I’m indifferent, and I have no emotions. I procrastinate, and I use gaming as an escape. I easily pin the blame on other people because I grew up learning that. I’m spoiled and I don’t care. They’re always going to be my parents, no matter who they are or what they do. Despite any misgivings I may have about them, I’ll love them nonetheless.

FAMILY AND UNIQUE STORY.

THE MATADOR WANTS TO HIGHLIGHT THIS THROUGH OUR STAFF’S STORIES.

“the daddy tree”

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

daddy’s little girl

no parents, no problem

L au ren K akaz u

“My dad’s going to kill me when he sees my grades,” is something I would commonly hear among the many complaints of my fellow classmates.

“I wish I still had a dad,” is something I would commonly hear in my head as I bitterly comforted my friends about their 98%’s in AP Chemistry.

Expectations: big, ugly monsters feared by most of those, whose feet grudgingly stomped the same halls every day. These students, many of whom are raised by parents with dreams of their children attending Stanford or Yale and eventually becoming doctors, often wish to lead a life free of high expectations and unspoken promises. Unlike many others, I find in the deepest depths of my heart a teeny- tiny bit of desire of some kind of expectation coming from my own mother.

In 5th grade, my drill team won 1st place in a tournament. I remember holding my trophy proudly in my arms, eyes wide and body still shaking from excitement, as I watched the parents proudly and tearfully snap pictures of their little girls. Sometimes when I think back to that moment, I tell myself that my mother’s presence at the tournament wouldn’t have made a difference in my life because I’ve learned from a young age to be proud of my own achievements despite the lack of acknowledgement from my own parents.

I don’t talk to my mother on a daily basis. On the other hand, I lost my father to cancer when I was 8. As time passed, it became normal for me to go on about my day without any kind of interaction with any of my family members. I never knew what it was like to be called down for dinner, to be yelled at for not making my bed, or to be praised for doing so well in school. I am also an amateur in apologizing my way out of a punishment, mainly because my mother does not know my everyday activities well enough to disapprove of them.

My mother’s apathy towards my life does not bother me, however. In fact, the lack of influence from my family helped me to become the person I am today. More importantly, it showed me that I am capable of pushing myself to do the very best I can in everything that I do, even without the support of my family.

It feels great knowing that I will be able to be far from their reach one day without any disappointments and broken promises. I love knowing that I’m not restricted to stay close to home and confined to be the person that they want me to be. It will be easier for all of us involved.

To live on without the influence of your own family does not make you a weak, heartless, and selfish person.

When people fail to care for you, to acknowledge your existence, or to try to become a part of your life, you begin to learn to care for yourself and for your own best interests.

I’m glad that I learned to walk on my own and to pick myself up from a very young age, because I know that my own expectations are leading me down a path that is far better than any other paths out there filled with expectations from those who no longer matter to me.

An n ie Hu an g

“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

This simple line, which I first heard 12 years ago, sums up the bond that my family and I have shared, especially in the past two years after my dad passed away.

Having my dad being diagnosed with cancer and later passing away really tested my relationship with my family. I fought with my mom and sister about the most insignificant and unimportant matters. Sometimes, I felt that my family would eventually be torn apart like an old crumpled up homework sheet, forgotten and incapable of being repaired.

However, I also realized that having experienced the death of a parent at the age of 15 made my bond with my family stronger than it had ever been.

After my dad’s death, my mom and I would take the time to reminisce about memories of my dad. We would talk about how he used to make fun of my “egg” head, his silent laughter, his addiction to ice cream; the list went on and on. My bond with my sister also strengthened. I can now talk to her about anything without the fear of being judged hanging over my head. Like most siblings, my sister and I go at each other’s throats. Even though at times she makes me want to bang my head on the wall about 157,000 times, I cannot dare to imagine my life without her.

After two years without my dad’s presence, I have come to understand the importance of family. They will always be the biggest support in the most important moments of one’s life, such as receiving that first college acceptance letter or going on a first date. I continue to live a happy life with my family; I will always remember the bond I had with my dad because in my family, “nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

C arol i na Garci a As Jessica Carraberon entered our kindergarten classroom on top of her father’s shoulder, jealousy filled inside of me. “Bye daddy,” she said as she got off and skipped to her desk with a smug smile.

I didn’t know what on earth a “daddy” was. I assumed it was a contraption designed to carry you up to incredible heights. That day during recess I set out on a quest to find a “daddy.” I finally settled on an arched tree that was easy for a kindergartner to climb on. I kept my “daddy tree” a secret in case any of the jealous kids wanted to steal it, but during one of Jessica’s usual vain, loud and annoying conversations she bragged about how her daddy was the best and tallest in the world. Unable to contain my mouth, I yelled across the room that my “daddy” was way taller than hers. Catching my teacher’s ears, she pulled me aside concerned and asked me to show him to her. I led her outside to the big arched oak tree with the word “daddy” scratched on it. My teacher leaned down and said “Carolina, you don’t have a father.” Then I clearly remember saying, “ I know he’s gone, but this is my daddy; I can go way up high on it.” After several explanations and three definitions of what a daddy is, I lay down on my little mattress during nap time. I thought if all those definitions of a father are true, then my mom was my “daddy.”

The three definitions were to sacrifice for your children, to lay down the law, and to love unconditionally.

Well, to start off my mother sometimes worked up to 13 hours a day; sacrifice was all she did for my brother and me. After work, she had to put up with two energy consuming kids.

According to my cousins, my mom is the strictest and scariest of our three mothers. I made sure to never come home with bad grades, break curfew on those rare moments I get to go out nor to disobey my brother when we go out. Okay, maybe the last one is why I get in trouble so much, but my point is that my mom always laid down the law.

The last definition was to give unconditional love. This last quality was shown through every action she did. When I got hit on my nose by a racket, she was able to make a 30 minute journey through traffic from work to my school in 10 minutes. When I was sick and wide awake, my mother stayed by my side, even though she had school and work the next day.

Thinking back to the kindergarten incident, I thought I was missing someone’s shoulder to hop on. Now I realize that my mother’s shoulder is as strong as any other father’s out there. She carried me through out my entire childhood.

Emman

e nni

A

n Laure

Kaka

ang

Hu

Ca roli na Ga rcia

FOCUS

uel Ma resca

Ric

har

d Y ue

zu

BLOOD RUNS THICKER THAN WATER

FOCUS

THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

6

7

THE MATADOR

Momma’s boy EVERY STUDENT HAS A DIFFERENT E m m a n u e l M a re s c a

I grew up mostly with my mother alone, since my father was a total lunatic. He would take whatever we had and sell it for cash. I don’t even want to know what he would buy. Most of my life he’s been in and out of prison, and I haven’t seen him in years. It’s for the best.

My grandmother and great grandmother were always having us over at their house for big Mexican dinners and cozy chattering on their ancient sofas and armchairs. Living in El Sereno, we weren’t deep in the ghetto, but we were still there. Sometimes, we could hear shoot outs down the street from rivaling gang fights.

I was too young to realize how dangerous it was. The streets used to be put on lock down if someone dangerous was roaming around. It seemed that helicopters and searchlights were a constant aesthetic there. I would go to sleep to the sound of the helicopter’s propeller beating at the warm evening air, and I would wake up to the rolling cars and sunlight peeking through the hilly landscape. I always felt safe at home.

My mother is a virtuous woman who made sure we never got into that situation again. I spent most of my life in a small single-parent household with my younger brother. From a young age, my mother would introduce me to wonderful artworks that she would paint in our simple living room. Beautiful and artsy renditions of atholic themes were her favorite, like the Day of the Dead.

I’m thankful that I was brought up around such creativity and warmth. It made dark times seem like they were just for the night, and another day would come. I carry an inspiring idea that all forms of art make up our world. We weren’t brought up from much on the outside, but in our eyes, there was beauty to come from everywhere.

It’s Whatever R i c h a rd Yu e I let out a yell of frustration as I ended the call and slammed the phone against my bed. I know it’s wrong to argue, but I can’t help it; I’m used to it. I wish I could go back and apologize, but all I feel is relief at the distance gap growing between my parents and me.

I didn’t ask for it, but I ordered one life, and it came with the divorced parents package. I think of them as typical, loving parents; they just come with side effects that only a few others can relate to. For starters, I spend six days a week with my dad and only Sundays with my mom due to her work. I’m badgered to call constantly to let them know I’m okay, but that’s not the worst thing.

Most people put on masks when they go out, because to a lot of people, home is where you can really be yourself without being judged; I put on my mask at “home.” It’s not every day when you hear insults and complaints from your parents to one another. “Don’t listen to your dad, he’s not a human being,” or “Don’t listen to your mom, she’s so stupid,” are phrases repeated day in and day out. It goes to a point where I usually just sit there mumbling “uh-huh” until the ranting stops.

This leads to huge question marks that pop up in my head. Why did they marry if they hate each other so much? Why can’t I have a normal family?

These questions have defined me as who I am.

I hardly trust in love; I’m indifferent, and I have no emotions. I procrastinate, and I use gaming as an escape. I easily pin the blame on other people because I grew up learning that. I’m spoiled and I don’t care. They’re always going to be my parents, no matter who they are or what they do. Despite any misgivings I may have about them, I’ll love them nonetheless.

FAMILY AND UNIQUE STORY.

THE MATADOR WANTS TO HIGHLIGHT THIS THROUGH OUR STAFF’S STORIES.

“the daddy tree”

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

daddy’s little girl

no parents, no problem

L au ren K akaz u

“My dad’s going to kill me when he sees my grades,” is something I would commonly hear among the many complaints of my fellow classmates.

“I wish I still had a dad,” is something I would commonly hear in my head as I bitterly comforted my friends about their 98%’s in AP Chemistry.

Expectations: big, ugly monsters feared by most of those, whose feet grudgingly stomped the same halls every day. These students, many of whom are raised by parents with dreams of their children attending Stanford or Yale and eventually becoming doctors, often wish to lead a life free of high expectations and unspoken promises. Unlike many others, I find in the deepest depths of my heart a teeny- tiny bit of desire of some kind of expectation coming from my own mother.

In 5th grade, my drill team won 1st place in a tournament. I remember holding my trophy proudly in my arms, eyes wide and body still shaking from excitement, as I watched the parents proudly and tearfully snap pictures of their little girls. Sometimes when I think back to that moment, I tell myself that my mother’s presence at the tournament wouldn’t have made a difference in my life because I’ve learned from a young age to be proud of my own achievements despite the lack of acknowledgement from my own parents.

I don’t talk to my mother on a daily basis. On the other hand, I lost my father to cancer when I was 8. As time passed, it became normal for me to go on about my day without any kind of interaction with any of my family members. I never knew what it was like to be called down for dinner, to be yelled at for not making my bed, or to be praised for doing so well in school. I am also an amateur in apologizing my way out of a punishment, mainly because my mother does not know my everyday activities well enough to disapprove of them.

My mother’s apathy towards my life does not bother me, however. In fact, the lack of influence from my family helped me to become the person I am today. More importantly, it showed me that I am capable of pushing myself to do the very best I can in everything that I do, even without the support of my family.

It feels great knowing that I will be able to be far from their reach one day without any disappointments and broken promises. I love knowing that I’m not restricted to stay close to home and confined to be the person that they want me to be. It will be easier for all of us involved.

To live on without the influence of your own family does not make you a weak, heartless, and selfish person.

When people fail to care for you, to acknowledge your existence, or to try to become a part of your life, you begin to learn to care for yourself and for your own best interests.

I’m glad that I learned to walk on my own and to pick myself up from a very young age, because I know that my own expectations are leading me down a path that is far better than any other paths out there filled with expectations from those who no longer matter to me.

An n ie Hu an g

“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

This simple line, which I first heard 12 years ago, sums up the bond that my family and I have shared, especially in the past two years after my dad passed away.

Having my dad being diagnosed with cancer and later passing away really tested my relationship with my family. I fought with my mom and sister about the most insignificant and unimportant matters. Sometimes, I felt that my family would eventually be torn apart like an old crumpled up homework sheet, forgotten and incapable of being repaired.

However, I also realized that having experienced the death of a parent at the age of 15 made my bond with my family stronger than it had ever been.

After my dad’s death, my mom and I would take the time to reminisce about memories of my dad. We would talk about how he used to make fun of my “egg” head, his silent laughter, his addiction to ice cream; the list went on and on. My bond with my sister also strengthened. I can now talk to her about anything without the fear of being judged hanging over my head. Like most siblings, my sister and I go at each other’s throats. Even though at times she makes me want to bang my head on the wall about 157,000 times, I cannot dare to imagine my life without her.

After two years without my dad’s presence, I have come to understand the importance of family. They will always be the biggest support in the most important moments of one’s life, such as receiving that first college acceptance letter or going on a first date. I continue to live a happy life with my family; I will always remember the bond I had with my dad because in my family, “nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

C arol i na Garci a As Jessica Carraberon entered our kindergarten classroom on top of her father’s shoulder, jealousy filled inside of me. “Bye daddy,” she said as she got off and skipped to her desk with a smug smile.

I didn’t know what on earth a “daddy” was. I assumed it was a contraption designed to carry you up to incredible heights. That day during recess I set out on a quest to find a “daddy.” I finally settled on an arched tree that was easy for a kindergartner to climb on. I kept my “daddy tree” a secret in case any of the jealous kids wanted to steal it, but during one of Jessica’s usual vain, loud and annoying conversations she bragged about how her daddy was the best and tallest in the world. Unable to contain my mouth, I yelled across the room that my “daddy” was way taller than hers. Catching my teacher’s ears, she pulled me aside concerned and asked me to show him to her. I led her outside to the big arched oak tree with the word “daddy” scratched on it. My teacher leaned down and said “Carolina, you don’t have a father.” Then I clearly remember saying, “ I know he’s gone, but this is my daddy; I can go way up high on it.” After several explanations and three definitions of what a daddy is, I lay down on my little mattress during nap time. I thought if all those definitions of a father are true, then my mom was my “daddy.”

The three definitions were to sacrifice for your children, to lay down the law, and to love unconditionally.

Well, to start off my mother sometimes worked up to 13 hours a day; sacrifice was all she did for my brother and me. After work, she had to put up with two energy consuming kids.

According to my cousins, my mom is the strictest and scariest of our three mothers. I made sure to never come home with bad grades, break curfew on those rare moments I get to go out nor to disobey my brother when we go out. Okay, maybe the last one is why I get in trouble so much, but my point is that my mom always laid down the law.

The last definition was to give unconditional love. This last quality was shown through every action she did. When I got hit on my nose by a racket, she was able to make a 30 minute journey through traffic from work to my school in 10 minutes. When I was sick and wide awake, my mother stayed by my side, even though she had school and work the next day.

Thinking back to the kindergarten incident, I thought I was missing someone’s shoulder to hop on. Now I realize that my mother’s shoulder is as strong as any other father’s out there. She carried me through out my entire childhood.

Emman

e nni

A

n Laure

Kaka

ang

Hu

Ca roli na Ga rcia

FOCUS

uel Ma resca

Ric

har

d Y ue

zu

BLOOD RUNS THICKER THAN WATER

LIFE &ART

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

Past technologies excite previous generation Unlike the present 21 century, the ‘90s was still a step away from today’s advanced The 1990s was known for its great technologi- technology. People would listen to music with cal devices and trends. It experienced an utmost Walkmans, or portable CD players, and many technological and economic boom, wrapping families would gather around their living room up the end of the 1900s and ushering in new ad- to watch movies on a VHS tape. Rewinding the VHS tapes was often a first world problem. Unvanced innovations for the 21st century.

During this decade, the Internet became rev- like the 21st century, if one were to step into a olutionary. After the introduction of the web and restaurant, there would not be a single person the first browser software Mosaic, many people on their phones for long periods of time.

“Back in the ‘90s, we had beepers or pagers. began using the Internet all over the world. Today, we text and tweet with impunity, but in the F e w people had phones. We did no research on our computers at home. We still ‘90s, AOL chat rooms were the most had to go to the library to do repopular amongst Insearch,” Assistant Principal of ternet users.

Student Services Tim Hop The Internet may per said. have not appealed to Many new cultural many kids, but PC forms also began to begames such as SimCcome immensely popuity, Half-Life, and Barlar. Bands like Nirvana, bie Fashion Designer Spice Girls, and Backwere their ultimate street Boys rose to entertainment. Video prominence, and the game consoles also Macarena became an made their debut and instant dance trend, were big trends of the even till this day. late 1990s. Children R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps would stay indoors with and Ann M. Martin’s The their friends playing Pokemon Baby-sitters Club were a few or Super Mario on their Gameboys, of many featured books of this Nintendo 64, or Playstation 1. time, and Beverly Hills, 90210, Toy sales went up greatly during Rugrats and The Fresh Prince of the 1990s because of the new and deBel-Air played frequently veloping technology. Toys such as Furby, on TV. Tickle Me Elmo, and Tamagotchi were the Illustration by Angela Fong The decade of the 1990s was a period of many must-haves on children’s Christmas lists. In fact, many kids would bring their addictive Tamagot- great technological developments and trends chi devices to school, frantically trying to keep that ultimately continued into the 21st century. their cyber pet alive. Many people scrambled The 1990s was full of toys and games that made to collect the priceless Beanie Babies. Students a kid’s childhood worthwhile. Disney movies would buy Lisa Frank stickers and put them all on VHS tapes, Pokemon on Nintendo Gameboy, over their school supplies, and trapper keepers and N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” made the 1990s an unforgettable moment in history. were popular school items.

Chelsea Huynh

Rebecca Lei “Run, Forrest, run!” This phrase would ordinarily sound strange and out of place, thanks to the influence of the 1994 box office hit, Forrest Gump, one of the most prominent films of the ‘90s theatre era, it is one that provokes knowing smiles, laughter, and fond memories.

While it only lasted a decade, the ‘90s, remembered fondly by many as the era of the media, marked a radical change in the areas of cinema and programmed entertainment. Cinematic masterpieces were churned out month after month, and audience numbers reached an all-time high. Adolescents and adults alike were all drawn in by the steamy forbidden romance of Rose and Jack in Titanic (1997), a film that would end up eventually becoming a top-grossing film and leaving a lasting impact on the style and execution of modern films. The hearts of children (as well as adults in secret) were captured by the many heartfelt misadventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995).

The rest of the non-moviegoing public turned to the television and had their attentions captivated by actress Jennifer Aniston’s big hair and the humor of her crew, which included Ross, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and Joey (Friends, 1994-2004). The ‘90s also saw the rise of animated sitcoms such as The Simpsons (1989) and Family Guy (1999), which would go on to set the stage for the domination of animation. The story of how Will Smith had his life “flip-turned upside down” (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1990-1996) also had the eyes of viewers glued to the television screen. Viewers, moreover, set aside a daily time slot to enjoy the psychedelic shenanigans of Eric and Donna in another wildly popular show That 70’s Show, leading to an unprecedented number of television watchers.

Films and shows from the ‘90s remain popular to this today, with shows like Friends and Family Guy, which are still widely shown and have attracted a dedicated cult following.

The modern movie and television industries of today were heavily influenced by the cinema and dramas/sitcoms of the ‘90s. Shows like Saved by the Bell and My So-Called Life drew in younger viewers and slowly turned television’s main audience from an older age group to a younger set of teenagers, and movies like Jurrasic Park (1993) popularized the cinema and brought about a new golden age of entertainment.

New era of music inspires today’s artists

st

Iconic entertainment attracts audiences

Photo by Umais Bin Sajjad/CC BY

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M ar vin Luu Boy bands, hip-hop, rap, and grunge; the ‘90s seemed to provide a little something for everyone and every genre. The ‘90s introduced a new era of music that would go on to set up the blueprint for many young artist making their way into the scene today. Before Ariana Grande, there was Mariah Carey; before One Direction, there were the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync. The trends may change and the vocals may not be identical, but no one can deny the impact that the ‘90s has brought to modern music.

The list starts off with a song by a five-time Grammy award recipient.

Known as one of the best songs of 1992, Carey’s “I’ll Be There” utilizes her sweet vocals are able to warm up anyone that is in a bad mood or having a tough day.

No one can forget the influences of boy bands, like the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, with their flashy accessories and catchy lyrics. ‘N Sync’s “Tearin’ Up My Heart” crawled its way up to the charts back in 1997. It is known for being one of the biggest heartthrob songs of the decade. Not to be left out in the dirt by their counterparts, the Backstreet Boys fired back with “I Want It That Way” two years later. The single was labeled an “instant hit” following its release; it reached the number one spot on the Billboards and was nominated for three Grammys.

There was also a huge female presence in the era with the dominance of TLC and Destiny’s Child during the mid-’90s. “Waterfalls” by TLC garnered much attention with its iconic hymns and thought-provoking chorus that encourages women to take charge of their relationships.

Rap and hip-hop would never be the same without the influences of the late Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. “Changes” is arguably one of the best singles by Shakur that was never actually released. The song was remixed during 1997-98 to the backbeat of “The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. In the song, Shakur highlights the struggles of racial inequality, stating that he is not sure if the world is ready to see a black president. If only Shakur could have lived to see today. “Hypnotize” by Smalls is not like the typical fast-paced rhymes commonly found in contemporary hip-hop and rap. Instead, Smalls sings his mesmerizing lyrics behind a simple and slow sequence.

The rise of grunge, rock, and alternative music entered with Nirvana and the anthem for young rebellious behavior, “It Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The song is credited for helping grunge “stop hip-hop” for a second.

It gave the world an alternative view of a genre wildly disfigured and unaccepted by much of society.

If you are a fan of electronic pop, then one must give credit to French artists Thomas Bengalter and Guy-Manuel-De-Homem-Christo, formally known as Daft Punk. The band had their fair share of criticism in the ‘90s when many did not believe their music was good at all. Even today, some critics remain skeptical of their success. Daft Punk’s “Around the World” deserves its recognition for bringing in a genre that gave birth to many new artist of our current era.

The ‘90s was a time where music really stretched away from the norm of what many were used to. Artists took the risks to present the people with new lyrics and tones that the world had never heard before.

Five-time Grammy Aw a rd - w i n n i n g a n d Platinum recording artist, TLC, formed a new culture through their distinctive music during much of the ‘90s. Their music is occasionally played on national radio stations such as AMP Radio.

Photo by LAFaceRecords/CC BY

Photo by Jonny2x4/CC BY

Photo by JohnnyMrNinja/CC BY

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and other familiar shows and movies from the ‘90s were popular both in the movie theaters and family’s television.

1. “I’ll Be There”- Mariah Carey 2. “Don’t Speak”- No Doubt 3. “Around the World”- Daft Punk 4. “Wonderwall”- Oasis 5. “Back in Black”- AC/DC 6. “This DJ”- Warren G 7. “Tearin’ Up My Heart”- N Sync 8. “Say My Name”- Destiny’s Child 9. “I Want It That Way”- Backstreet Boys 10. “Hit Me Baby One More Time”- Britney Spears 11. “Smells Like Teen Spirit”- Nirvana 12. “Waterfalls”- TLC 13. “Whoop (There It Is)”- Tag Team 14. “Changes”- Tupac 15. “Hypnotize”- Biggie Smalls 16. “Just a Friend”- Biz Markie 17. “Wannabe”- Spice Girls 18. “Under the Bridge”- Red Hot Chili Peppers 19. “Amber”- Bill 20. “The Message”- Grandmaster Flash

To listen to the February playlist, visit thematadorsghs.com

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THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

LIFE &ART

Fashion of the ‘90s remains prominent today Denim overalls, excessively baggy clothing, platform shoes—these were just a few of the fashion trends that were wildly popular during the ‘90s. Because these trends are manifesting themselves once more in today’s popular culture, let us take a look at what was all the rage in the ‘90s.

Known to many as the “grunge era,” the ‘90s featured a dark and messy look that incorporated articles of clothing like ripped jeans, flannels, and clothing that represented punk bands that were popular at the time, such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains. Also fashionable with the grunge look were Doc Martens, a type of heavy, lace-up boot, which are still prevalent in today’s culture.

Denim overalls were also a staple in any fashionable ‘90s teenager’s closet. Worn with either one strap hanging off the shoulder of choice, or both straps hanging off the shoulders with a belt to keep them from completely falling off, denim overalls were fashionably worn by both genders. Perhaps the most recognizable of the ‘90s fashion trends is the signature baggy style of clothing, whether it be pants or shirts.

Oversized slogan tees were all the rage, coupled with extremely baggy pants. Worn with designer underwear peeking out from behind and sagging from the weight of chains and keys, baggy pants were essential for the fashion-oriented individual.

Trends that seem strange or even ridiculous to us today were once surprisingly popular. “I think it was a development decade. You saw such a variety of clothing in that time, and the thing that pops out the most is the more solid colors and comfort-styled clothing,” junior Jacky Fu said.

A few ‘90s trends that are still popular today include striped sweaters and combat boots, which can be found almost anywhere today. Although they have deviated from what they once looked like, both striped sweaters and combat boots have been modified in order to fit the needs of the ever-changing world of fashion.

Perhaps one of the most successful comeback items from the ‘90s are crop tops. Ranging from long sleeves to tanks, turtlenecks to V-necks, and solid colors to patterns, crop tops have been staples of every girl’s closet since back then. Also popular during the ‘90s were jelly shoes, which came in a variety of brands and styles. Made from PVC plastic, jelly shoes were often glittery and semi-transparent. These were the plastic shoes to have, before Crocs were introduced to the market.

Jelly shoes were not the only ones involved in the shoe craze, however. Sneakers by brands, such as Vans or Nike, and platform sandals were all the rage. Brands such as Skechers and Airwalk

were popular on the street. The chunkier the shoe, the better. Mary Janes, Doc Martens, and platform sneakers are examples of some of the popular footwear at the time. Surprisingly, some of these shoes have survived the test of time and are still worn today.

“If anything, a lot of clothing from [the] ‘90s can still be worn today if [it is] altered a bit to be more modern,” Fu said.

Perhaps next time, before grimacing at the fashion trends of past generations, we should take a moment to consider how many of those trends have actually been recycled into styles that are popular today.

Babydoll dresses, floral skirts, old denim, and baggy flannels were popular fashion trends in the 90s.

Article written by Angela Fong, Photo by Joe Mabel and InAirwolfberlin/CC BY

Previous popular activities differ from the present J u d y Ta n g It is Thursday. Scrolling through Instagram, one sees tons of Instagrammers using the hashtag #tbt, short for Throwback Thursday, to tag their baby or child photos, memories of events of the near past, or excuses to repost that perfect selfie from two weeks ago. Throwbacks should really be from different eras of our lives, rather than just a few months ago. The ‘90s, for example.

Different decade. Different century. Even a different millennium.

The Sony Playstation gaming console led to the creation of other classic games, such as Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon: Blue and Red, Warcraft, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy, and many more. The Super Nintendo also grew in popularity, and boys rushed home from school to play with their chunky and huge, but very loved, gaming systems.

Older versions of our digital music players or iPods were Walkmans or portable CD players, and teens loved lugging around these heavy boxes of song and music. They also carried pagers as a form of cell phones, and

when not gaming, played with Tamagotchis, Gigapets, Pogs, or Nanos. Board games were essential parts to family night, like Monopoly and Where In The World is Carmen Sandiego.

Also popular were picnic horror movies, which people watched while eating picnic foods, like peanut butter sandwiches, potato salad, and juice.

Teenagers, who were not inside gaming, spent their time outside, hanging around popular locations like malls, movie theaters, and parties. The life of a high school student of the ‘90s compared to the lives of students now only really differs in that technology was more limited then, and teens spent more time talking on the phone or in person, rather than online.

Although the ‘90s seems like a time ages ago, a time that in a few years we can call “old times,” the things kids, teens, and adults did are not all that different from those of today.

There are still many children today who wake up early for Saturday morning cartoons; teenagers still spend their free time fan-girling over the most popular boy bands out there in the music world; and life revolves around the beeps of pagers and grunge.

The Matador Muse

Illustration and brief by Emmanuel Maresca

Illustration by Annie Huang

“In this illustration, I acknowledged the idea that this generation is very dependent on technology, whereas in reality, teens and children have always been glued to TV screens and music players. In the ‘90s, Walkman CD players were all-the-rage, and you were called ‘lame’ if you did not have one. It is the same thing today. Everyone has a favorite show they have to watch every week, and every teenager seems to have some kind of frivolous mobile device to spend all their time using. Things have not changed very much at all.”

SPORTS

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

BOYS BASKETBALL

GIRLS BASKETBALL

BOYS SOCCER

VARSITY 2/04 vs. Schurr 2/07 vs. Bell Gardens 2/11 @ Montebello 2/14 @ Alhambra JV 2/04 @ Schurr 2/07 @ Bell Gardens 2/11 vs. Montebello 2/14 vs. Alhambra FRESHMAN 2/04 @ Schurr 2/07 @ Bell Gardens 2/11 vs. Montebello 2/14 vs. Alhambra

VARSITY 2/04 vs. Schurr 2/07 vs. Bell Gardens 2/11 @ Montebello 2/14 @ Alhambra JV 2/04 vs. Schurr 2/07 vs. Bell Gardens 2/11 @ Montebello 2/14 @ Alhambra FRESHMAN 2/04 @ Schurr 2/07 @ Bell Gardens 2/11 vs. Montebello 2/14 vs. Alhambra

VARSITY 2/04 vs. Mark Keppel 2/06 @ Montebello 2/11 @ Alhambra 2/13 vs. Schurr JV 2/04 @ Mark Keppel 2/06 vs. Montebello 2/11 vs. Alhambra 2/13 @ Schurr

71-40 70-66 50-23 68-57

L W L L

49-36 61-55 60-50 49-46

L L L W

42-28 L 76-39 W 66-57 W 62-55 L

52-32 55-47 55-47 56-33

L W W W

41-21 39-29 42-28 45-27

L W L W

CO-ED WRESTLING

GIRLS SOCCER

2-1 3-1 2-1 3-0

W L W L

18-1 8-4 1-0 2-1

W L L L

VARSITY 2/04 vs. Mark Keppel 2/06 @ Montebello 2/11 @ Alhambra 2/13 @ Schurr JV 2/04 vs. Mark Keppel 2/06 @ Montebello 2/11 @ Alhambra 2/13 vs. Schurr

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

L L L L

4-2 2-1 5-0 8-0

L L L L

VARSITY 1/29 vs. Schurr 60-18 L 2/01 @ Almont League Finals L JV 1/29 vs. Schurr 66-12 L

42-40 L 45-14 W 50-33 W 55-18 W ß

Athletes recall their final games pressures Mi mi Lam The final seconds came ticking down on the clock. Sweat and an elevated heart rate takes over all the athletes. The referee blows the whistle and brings the game to a close.

By the standard procedure, the two opposing teams, in a single-file line, usually give each other high fives. But somehow, this game is different from all the other games. It is the final game. It can be filled with feelings of pure bliss or complete regret, as it is not a reflection of what just happened, but of the entire season. Several athletes have different ways to approach the final game, varying with each individual and sport. For senior Wendy Liu, girls volleyball was just beginning its first few rounds of California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) when they lost on the second round to Western Christian. Because the girls did not have a set “final”

Illustration by Oscar Molina

game, the fact that volleyball season was really over was devastating to the team.

“It was shocking at first, but I just had to sit down and think,” Liu said. “I would replay the moments when I messed up in my head, and I was just beating myself up over it.”

Some athletes have played their respective sports for the majority of their high school years. For senior athletes, it usually means giving it their all and living out their final moments with the team. Senior Christian Majano feels that he has learned many skills from the basketball program.

“I approached it being bittersweet because it was my last game, and it’s been four great years since I became more disciplined,” Majano said. “I approach it by trying to lead us all to victory through the rest of our players.”

The final game also means pressure, pressure to make it into CIF, pressure to minimize mistakes in order to not live with post-season regrets. Whatever the case, students’ heart rates beat a little

Coe: Young hopeful athlete Sophomore recruited by Golden State F.C. Oscar Molina His every pass on the soccer field is as precise as a surgeon’s hand. His speed in pursuit of the ball on an offensive attack is equivalent to that of a cheetah. His diligence is unmatched. He is James Coe, a winger with a dream of going professional.

Coming from a Taiwanese and Mexican background, Coe has received the majority of his athletic support from his mother, Maria Coe, because soccer is embedded in the Mexican culture. Currently a sophomore, Coe began playing soccer at the age of seven after his mother enrolled him on Spartans Futbol Club (F.C.) in Pico Rivera. Playing on Spartans FC until 12 years old, Coe grew fond of soccer as he developed a solid technical foundation in a relaxed environment.

“It was chill being with other kids,” Coe said in regards to his time on Spartans F.C. Eventually, with his skill and connections, Coe was able to advance to playing on the Chivas USA Academy, which is part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, a top tier American youth soccer league.

“The academy was different from anything I had done before because everyone was pro,” Coe said.

While on the Chivas USA Academy, Coe attended one-and-a-half hour practices three days per week at Veterans Park in Pomona, and then Ford Park in Bell Gardens. As part of the experience on the Chivas USA Academy, Coe received free tickets to every Chivas USA game, as well as opportunities to meet professional players, such as Francisco Palencia, who played on Chivas USA and Pumas. After there was a change of directors, the coaches and managers, Coe was removed from the team as the new directors brought in a fresh team.

“I took it rough when I got cut,” Coe said. “The directors just cut you like nothing after bringing

Photo by Derek Deng

Sophomore James Coe practices his dribbling skill set by continually playing soccer all year round. He is currently a starter on the varsity soccer team. your hopes up because they are only worried about winning.”

Along with a friend who was also cut, Coe, at the age of 14, transferred over to the Golden State F.C. Academy under the leadership of coach Chris Araya, a former professional player in Costa Rica. Coe competed with the Golden State F.C. during their season, Jun. through Dec. 2013.

“I actually feel that it’s more intense than Chivas right now,” Coe said in reference to his season.

After entering the offseason for Golden State F.C., Coe decided to participate on San Gabriel’s varsity boys soccer team to stay fit. If Coe does not get the opportunity to become a professional player, he plans to major in sports medicine in college.

faster as the countdown beats down on an athlete’s back. Winter sports push hard to make every last win count in their favor.

Motivation is what keeps one going, and that motivation differs in every individual. For senior Irene Loc, her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury caused a two year hiatus of her sophomore and junior year. In her senior year, she fights back not only to bring back her performance on the basketball court, but also to battle in honor of her father who passed away a few years before.

“I know my father wanted to see me play my last senior year of high school,” Loc said. “It was either do or die within those 40 minutes of the game. Each quarter, each minute, and every second counts.”

To a few outsiders, they see it as a mental game, one that is beatable. But until one feels that tension that comes with the final seconds of a game, no one can say that nothing is felt.

Escobar, Pollock advance in wrestling to compete at CIF Steven Ho It was five minutes into the final Almont League meet wrestling match, and senior Eddie Escobar was evenly matched. The Montebello wrestler he squared off against had defeated him once before, but Escobar was quicker this time. He was determined to win.

Escobar got the first shot and brought the Oiler down. Both of them took turns gaining points for their moves, reversing each other’s takedowns and exhausting the other to their limit. Escobar was leading in points and needed to make sure the opponent did not get the upper hand.

In the last thirty seconds, the excited crowd was waiting for a body to hit the floor and stay there.

Escobar kept his composure and the Montebello wrestler could not top his stamina or his point score at the end of the sixth minute. Escobar won that round and joined his fellow teammate senior Daniel Pollock in advancing to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) wrestling match. The tournament will be held in Westminster on Friday, Feb. 21.

Junior Albert Espitia and sophomore Steven Goh will be alternates in case Escobar or Pollock are injured.

Escobar describes having felt ecstatic after his league win.

“I felt like all my hard work paid off,” Escobar said. “I’m not expecting much, but I’m going to try my best. I’m going to go for gold.”

Because he also qualified to go to CIF as a junior, Escobar hopes that his previous experience will allow him to go farther in this year’s competition.

Both wrestlers have been practicing at Alhambra High School since their league final victory. Escobar and Pollock practice with CIFqualifying wrestlers from Alhambra, Mark Keppel, and Montebello to prepare for the high level of competition at Westminster. Pollock explains how the practices for the CIF tournament are more strict and strenuous now that he will be competing at the state level.

“Practices are more up-tempo since [the coaches] want us to get used to being tired,” Pollock said. “The game is both a physical and mental challenge.”

Pollock feels accomplished for advancing to CIF because he has only been on the team for two years.

Regardless of how well Escobar and Pollock do, the wrestling team as a whole will be able to gain experience and recognition. Hopefully, this will allow the team to grow and improve as two of their very own have reached the promised stage.

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THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

SPORTS

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FEATURES

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

Tell Me

what’s the

WORD. Famous Hallway quotes, Volume Sixty-three

“Isn’t it weird how we have urban kids pretending to be farmers?”

- Teacher talking about Farmville.

“You’re pulling too hard on her hair.

It’s killing her brain cells.”

- Teacher observing student braiding friend’s hair.

“The “c” in iPhone 5c stands for cheap.”

- Student being sassy.

“It’s like a big party every night.”

- Teacher talking about Winter Olympics.

All quotes overheard

by The Matador Staff.

Exclusive Matador Café serves faculty Mi mi Lam “It’s very convenient.”

“It’s excellent and it’s tasty!”

“It’s very delicious.”

A secret café is hidden within the premises of San Gabriel. Cheap prices are offered; homemade food is created, a food lover’s dream. And who is in on it? The faculty.

For 16 years, the Matador Café has been run by Culinary Arts Instructor Debra Cruz, who revolutionized the old cafeteria, located in the H building, into a commercial kitchen.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays, excluding minimum and special calendar days, the café is open to take orders from the staff, such as hot bagels, breakfast burritos, breakfast bowls, salads, and sandwiches.

“This is my passion; it’s something that I enjoy doing, so I do it basically on my own time,” Cruz said. “Since we’ve been open, we’ve been taking between 32, 37, and 46 [orders, respectively, each time we opened].”

The chefs cooking these meals are none other than current San Gabriel students who are taking the Culinary Arts class. In preparation for the café’s opening, the students received hands-on experience with the kitchen tools and ingredients within the commercial kitchen until they were ready to properly cook for the teachers and staff. Senior Sarah Rodriguez chops up vegetables to contribute to the meals that the faculty orders.

“It’s a big deal, because you have to be really clean, and it’s a big responsibility,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like we have to be really presentable. We’re trying to show off

our skills to [the faculty].”

In terms of financing the commercial kitchen and program, the Los Angeles County Regional Occupational Program (ROP) funds all vocational classes, and the money made from the café proceeds to the ROP account, which pays for the culinary art class banquets at the end of the year. Due to a low budget and receipts not being turned in, the Matador Café was slightly delayed in its opening and has only served food a few times this year. All proceeds went into one general fund, which caps a limit to spending on food ingredients.

“It’s ruining it for the culinary arts teachers at Mark Keppel and Alhambra,” Cruz said.

“We’ll go shopping and have tons of food in our shopping carts, and then we can’t purchase it because we had gone over budget.”

Teachers and staff have supported the Matador Café ever since its opening 16 years ago.

Since the cafeteria recently closed its kitchen to be replaced by lunch servers, the faculty was in search for food more than ever. Office Manager Vicky Yum, whose favorite café dish is the chorizo burrito, appreciates having the café conveniently located.

“We’re not near any restaurants that you can quickly walk to within half an hour,” Yum said.

“We’re lucky to have the Matador Café around because none of the other high schools do. To experience the culinary arts from our students is always a treat.”

Despite the café’s long existence, students without the culinary art class are not usually informed of the café’s existence, and students are not allowed to order food from the café due to the disproportionate number of students

Photo by Derek Deng

Elizabeth Roberts (left), Leslie De La Cruz (right), and Debra Cruz (middle) contribute to the Café. who are making the food and the students who could be ordering.

“We have almost 3000 students; this is just 36 students at a time,” Cruz said. “It’s like hands-on for career options and placement.”

Cruz runs the Matador Café as a solo business leader, doing so from past experiences of owning a restaurant and working in country clubs. She is accustomed to supervising 50 to 60 employees at a time, so overlooking a kitchen staff full of students is no problem for her.

“I just love my job and seeing the kids grow, just seeing their faces when they create the food and the presentation,” Cruz said. “The best time is when they sample; they realize all the work they put in and how delicious it is.”

In the end, because of the class, the student chefs expand their career options and skills for the college years to come. The culinary arts offer not only nutritious and affordable food for the staff, but also cooking experiences and knowledge for its learning students.

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Dominguez dishes out smiles to students Steven Ho Everyday, a familiar greeting puts a grin on the faces of hungry students. “Enjoy your breakfast, dear.” Or perhaps, “Have a great day.” Or maybe a simple “Thank you” with a cheerful smile attached. This positive energy radiates from “lunch lady” and cooking manager Mary Dominguez, who makes it a priority to be a force of positivity while serving students.

Dominguez has been the assistant cook manager for four years at San Gabriel and was promoted to the 6-hour cook manager in January. Dominguez enjoys every minute of her job; she describes how working with the students fuels her optimistic personality.

“I just really love the kids,” Dominguez said. “[And] of course, I like working with food too.”

Dominguez’s responsibilities include cooking, managing the kitchen, and making sure that the food is properly prepared for the students for breakfast and lunch.

Away from the school’s kitchen, Dominguez volunteers her time as a Bible teacher for the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Dominguez was born and raised in upstate New York until she married her husband, with whom she has three kids.

She settled in California to care for her husband’s mother, and Dominguez began her career as a food service worker at the Garvey School District as a standard “lunch lady.” Dominguez explains that when she was promoted to work at San Gabriel, she was not in completely new territory.

“I saw a lot of the kids at Garvey go to [San Gabriel], which was nice,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez will be relocated to work at Northrup Elementary in April, leaving San Gabriel and giving her current position to the current 8-hour manager Leina Chang.

Junior Henry Tran describes how Dominguez consistently greeted him whenever he got lunch.

“She always hands my lunch to me with a big, big smile,” Tran said. Tran recalls a time when he asked for orange juice and how Dominguez went out of her way to look through numerous boxes to find one. Tran has been acquainted with Dominguez since his sophomore year and is disheartened to see her leave.

“She was genuinely nice,” Tran said.

“She always brightened up my day.”

Photo by Derek Deng

6-hour cook manager Mary Dominguez is all smiles whenever she serves lunch to the students at San Gabriel.