The Matador - April Issue by The Matador

Opinions“Schools lack spirit, enthusiasm” pg. 4

THE

Sports-

Focus“The Soviet Reunion” pg. 6-7

“Track and field welcomes dynamic coaching duo” pg. 10

Matador

Volume 59, Number 7

thursday, april 3, 2014

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

Momentous SAT changes to take effect spring 2016 E ri n Tro u n g During the spring of 2016, the SAT test will receive a major overhaul, consisting of fixes and adjustments pertaining to various aspects of the current SAT including the timed essay, vocabulary, and guessing penalty of the SAT. In the new SAT, the essay will be optional and shift focus toward the concept of supporting ideas with evidence. The vocabulary section will move away from the unknown “SAT words,” like “depreciatory” and “membranous,” and move towards college based words, like “synthesis” and “empirical.” Additionally, the guessing penalty will be eliminated and the total score will change from 2400 to 1600, 800 for both the Math and Critical Reading sections. These changes address multiple problems with the current SAT. Firstly, the SAT does not accurately measure what students learn in high school. This has given a longstanding advantage to the ACT, which focuses more on high school curricula. This difference has slowly moved the ACT up the ranks to be the more popular college

entrance exam. Counselor Elaine Jong points out that many students “don’t know about the ACT.” “They always think they have to take the SAT,” Jong said. “They never think that [the] ACT is an option, and I wish more students [knew] that they can take either one.” Another issue is the way students prepare for the test. Students often purchase an SAT test preparation book or invest in costly SAT preparation classes. English teacher Melissa Bishop-Magallanes thinks that the SAT is a test that can be “learned to be taken well.” “[The] ACT measures what a student learns in high school,” Bishop-Magallanes said. “As opposed to [the] SAT, with their ‘big words’ that you had to know and the process of ‘gaming the system,’ which seemed like a logic test. To me, [the SAT] felt like a false or.. shallow measurement of students’ capacity of going to college.” For the updated SAT, the non-profit educational website Khan Academy will partner with College Board to offer free SAT test prep to aid future test-takers, as well as to eliminate the money factor in student preparedness for SAT.

Chris Takeshita returns to San Gabriel position, Takeshita oversaw suspensions, expulsions, and other similar student affairs. Following John Scanlan’s shift to Pupil Services, “It’s two different types of worlds; before I was Chris Takeshita was reinstated to San Gabriel High dealing with more troubled students, but [at San School on Mar. 3 to replace Gabriel] it’s about getting kids Scanlan as Assistant Principal involved in school,” Takeshita said. of Business and Activities. Takeshita expressed pleasure at Takeshita primarily aims the reception he received upon his to aid students and help them return to San Gabriel, after seven become involved in school. years away at Alhambra and Mark “Since I just started, I need Keppel High School. to see where there’s room for “The teachers have been great, improvement before I can do and welcomed me back with open anything,” Takeshita said. arms. The atmosphere seems very “Hopefully I can make those good here,” Takeshita said. changes.” Takeshita attended California Photo by Derek Deng Takeshita was previously State University, Los Angeles for employed at Alhambra and After seven years away from the his undergraduate degree and Mark Keppel High School, Matadors, Chris Takeshita returns to the University of La Verne for his where he worked as the As- San Gabriel as an assistant principal. master’s degree. sistant Principal of Student Services for three years. Takeshita plans to learn as much as he can about He now manages overall funding for clubs, sports and San Gabriel High School and improve the quality of other business affairs at San Gabriel. In his previous the education and experiences that students receive. E ri n Tro u n g

In a survey of 130 San Gabriel students, 43.8% did not support the changes made to the SAT, while 56.2% of students did. Infographic by Kristy Duong

“Tale as Old as Time” San Gabriel High School Prom 2014

Date: May 17, 2014 Time: 7 p.m. - Midnight Location: Disneyland Hotel Early Sale: April 7- April 11 Prices: $85 w/ ASB, $90 w/o ASB Regular Sale: April 14- May 11 Prices: $90 w/ ASB, $95 w/o ASB Procrastination Sale: May 12- May 14 Prices: $95 w/ ASB, $100 w/0 ASB Image courtesy of disneyland.disney.go.com

Woodshop students participate in SkillsUSA competition Frank Li eu

Photo by Derek Deng

Sophomore Milton Peraza stands proudly next to his wood creation, which won him the first place award.

In this year’s SkillsUSA challenge, three students from San Gabriel will advance to the 47th Annual SkillsUSA conference, including first place winner sophomore Milton Peraza and third place winner junior Jesse Esquivel in Cabinetmaking, and second place winner Justin Raimundo in Intro to Wood. “I am honored to have these fine students representing San Gabriel High School,” Woodworking teacher John Mason said, “I’m very proud [of my students].” With about 1600 students from around the Ventura County, L.A. County, Orange County, and Lancaster area gathered to compete at the Los Angeles TradeTechnical College, Peraza, Esquivel, and

Raimundo were singled out to be the best and are all going to advance to the next competition in San Diego. Sophomore Raimundo, who received the second prize in Intro to Wood, made the second-best magazine rack. Sophomore Peraza and junior Esquivel were very ecstatic to recieve awards. Peraza expressed his excitement for receiving the first prize. “It felt awesome [winning first place],” Peraza said, “I had a lot of confidence that I was going to get first place because I just did what I was good at and I got it.” During the competition, before making a cabinet, which one can put beside their bed as a nightstand,Peraza had to take a test on the safety of woodworking, turn in a writing portion that included a resume. In addition to getting number one,

Peraza says that his inspiration of woodcraft comes from his brother. “I started when my brother, Jimmy, showed me some of his projects,” he said, “Since then, I started making things at home. When I started high school, I joined Woodshop as my first period.” According to Mason, when the results came in, Peraza barely clinched first place by beating the second place winner by 0.75 percent of a point, making him 0.76 percent of a point close to getting second place. This narrow victory qualified Peraza and third place winner Esquivel to attend the San Diego conference this year. If San Gabriel continues to shine and defeat their contenders in that competition, they will advance to compete in the National SkillsUSA competition in Kansas City, Missouri.

NEWS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

AP Physics B undergoing fission C h ri s t o p h er Lan Starting the Fall 2014 school year, the College Board will replace the upper-level science course AP Physics B with two brand new courses, AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2. San Gabriel High School will offer AP Physics 1, and AP Physics 2 will be introduced the following year in 2015 for students who have completed AP Physics 1. Junior physics students will now have the option of continuing their study of physics in senior year. “Having a continuing pathway incentivizes students to dedicate themselves to two years of physics instead of having to jump around [science] studies,” freshman Thomas Wang said. The College Board split AP Physics B into two courses because based on a study from the National Research Council (NRC), students were merely being exposed to numerous topics of physics rather than being able to comprehend and apply the knowledge. Instead, with two years, students will have more time to analyze in-depth the variety of topics that AP Physics B encompasses, such as Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, waves and optics, and modern nuclear physics. “[The NRC study] concluded that AP Physics B is a very broad course that encourages cursory treatment of important topics in physics’ rather than cultivating a deeper understanding of key foundational principles,” the College Board wrote on its official website. “The amount of instructional time devoted to

laboratory investigations [to foster student engagement] has increased from 20 to 25 percent.” Because AP Physics 1 will not introduce many topics in the original AP Physics B, students who only take AP Physics 1 may have a background disadvantage when learning college physics. “Essentially if someone wants to go [into] health-science in college, that person has to be informed enough… to take 11th and 12th grade [physics],” AP Physics B teacher Larry Kanow said. “They need to be informed… [on what classes to take] to be successful in college. If they do want to take physics in college, they do need to take physics in the 11th grade.” Traditionally, the majority of juniors taking an AP science course enroll in AP Chemistry. However, for AP Physics 2 to sustain as a class, the number of students who enroll in AP Physics in their junior year must increase exponentially, which may lead to scheduling problems for the school. “It’s going to be a scheduling nightmare too,” Kanow said. “Let’s say you have two classes of Physics 1 [with] 72 kids, and typically not all 72 are going to take Physics 2. What if it’s 60? Our classes need almost maximum enrollment, so you’ll end up with around [25] kids who only get the first year and not the second year.” While the College Board’s AP Physics revision does not provide all high schools the perfect transition, San Gabriel High School will follow the College Board’s new physics curriculum in hopes of offering its students a stronger education.

District to pilot Common Core testing K ri s t y Du o n g With the shift to the new Common Core State Standards, the Alhambra Unified School District was selected to pilot the SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium). Juniors began testing on March 25 and will continue testing until April 10. The test consists of three sections: English-Language Arts (ELA), math, and a performance task. The test greatly differs from the annual STAR (Standard Testing and Reporting). The ELA test differs in that it includs various free response questions, asking students to draw conclusions from a passage and indicate central ideas. Some questions requires students to select multiple answers in a check box format as well. This test also includes listening passages and allows students to be creative as one question instructs the students to continue a story. The math test differed in that it prompted students to plot points and graph equations. It also had some focus on calculator notation. The performance task consists of a classroom activity followed by a work period. Students are presented with a realworld scenario and are asked to apply skills

that they have learned in school to develop a solution. The task is meant to better prepare students for real world situations. “I think [the new test] asks students to really apply what they know at a higher level, and I think that’s going to help [them] when [they] get to college and it’s going to help [them] when [they] get to the real world and [they have] to face and tackle situations. [It will] teach them to be better thinkers,” principal Jim Schofield said. The test is taken solely on computers and discourages cheating as each student receives different questions at different times. In the future, the test is also supposed to alter and change depending on a how a student responds to the questions. “This year’s test like last year is a static test. In other words, it’s fixed,” Schofield said. “It doesn’t change as students are taking it, but the eventual goal is to take a test that is able to react to how a student is responding and adjusts questions as the student moves forward so it’s like an intuitive test where it reacts to how the student is doing.” After taking the ELA pilot test, some students found the test to be progressive. “The SBAC is kind of promising; it

really does make us think a bit more,” junior Emily Quach said. Some teachers believe that though there will be some obstacles to overcome before a smooth transition can be made into the new test, it will ultimately be beneficial. “The SBAC testing process will be a challenge until we get used to it,” English teacher Georgia Daniels said. “The reliance on technology adds one more level of complexity. It seems to me that the new Common Core standards move the goal posts for regular English classes closer to the goal posts of the AP Lang curriculum that I have been working with the past few years. The standards require students to read carefully, to develop opinions based on the reading, and to support those opinions with textual evidence. These are skills that will serve students well when they get to college.” Currently, the school’s API (Academic Performance Index) score will remain “frozen in time” until further notice. Thus, there will be no official scores. Though the scores from these tests will not adversely affect the test takers this year, the real test will be fully implemented next year.

Students slam at Poetry Slam M imi Lam

A symphony of snaps echoed throughout the auditorium as 28 poets performed for the Classic Poetry Slam on Mar. 10 and 11. Seniors Eric Andrade, Jenny Bui, Vanessa De La Rosa, Alex Luu, Jesus Meza, Sarai Millan, and sophomores Maria Gamino and Georgina Rosalez will move on to the L.A. Teen Poetry Slam. The top eight performers will have to compete in slams to fight for the top six spots on the team for the county competition in May. English teacher Katy Burkhart has coached the team for two years. “I want everybody to do well,” Burkhart said. “I’m going to have to make some tough decisions because there are some really outstanding poets who aren’t going to be able to perform.” Before taking on the stage of the auditorium, Burkhart’s students recited their classic poems and responses to the class as an assignment. Millan took on “Mi Problema” by Michele Serros and was considered one of the top poets for the Classic Slam, according to her class score. “It was a great experience,” Millan said. “Having people you’ve only known for a short amount of time hug you and tell you they understand you [is] truly amazing.” Before the Classic Poetry Slam, another poetry recitation contest took place called Poetry Out Loud. However, the competitions differed in tone from serious to uplifting, and the students also got the chance to write responses to their classic poems not needed in Poetry Out Loud. “Having to write a piece made me nervous,” Millan said. “I connected to the feeling of my classic poem as if [Serros] was trying her best to be what everyone else wanted to be.” Founded by Diane Luby Lane, Get Lit surfaced in the Los Angeles area three years ago, allowing students to open up in spoken word poetry. “I think [Get Lit] makes them more aware of their place in the world,” Burkhart said. “The power of this program is becoming better at being more confident when you talk. You become more aware of the world around you and your place in it.”

Dinner theater comedy premieres at Little Theatre E mma nu e l M a re s c a San Gabriel High has already begun rehearsal for their new Little Theatre production, Le Dindon, or the Turkey. The new show will be a dinner theater play, with the theater being transformed into a restaurant by the tech theater students and actors. This latest production is a comedic French period piece by Georges Feydeu, taking place in 1901 Paris, France. The San Gabriel drama crew has been preparing for their annual dinner theater with intense ticket sales and set construction. The stage for this play is, being a small stage surrounded by tables and seating on three sides. This theater tactic is called “thrust,” and features a personal and upclose experience with the actors learning to face all three sides of the stage evenly. Just like previous farces, this play features a large cast of student actors, including Maggie Feng, Maria Gamino, Jonathan Hurtado, Dion Jiao, Angelica Morquecho, David Pham, Julie Pham, Ali Razvi, Jullianne Rios, John San,

Rigoberto Saldivar, Nathan Ta, Andy Tran. Linda Wang, and Micheal Yue. This production of Le Dindon is scheduled to run April 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12, with a four course Italian dinner catering, with the exception of April 11, which will have

Mexican catering. Each night will be $25 per seat ($21 for the April 11 show). Seating will feature round tables with seats for eight, and several rectangular tables seating six. Bar seats are also available for the same price, but do not require sitting with a group.

Photo by Kristy Duong

Senior Jesus Mesa recites his classic poem entitled “Freshman Class Schedule” and his response poem called “One.”

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

AUSD parents speak up about school policies volunteering. In a post dated Dec. 19, 2013, the author commented, “Why do we need a college degree In response to policies and decisions enforced by the to read ‘Pat sat on a mat’ to a first grader? This is ... Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) at Monterey discrimination. We are not paid employees, so please Highlands, anonymous students’ parents created an stop expecting us to act as such.” However, in reply to an email requesting online blog voicing their opinions and suggesting solutions. This blog, titled “AUSD parents speak up,” clarification on the parent volunteer educational has most recently featured controversies regarding the requirements, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Gary Gonzales said, “No …, that is not accurate.” He District’s parent volunteer policy. According to the blog, volunteering in elementary asserted that there is no such policy requiring parents school classrooms requires parents to undergo an to be college educated in order to volunteer in extensive process that is seemingly unnecessary elementary school classrooms. As seen in responses from both perspectives of and overcomplicated. This process, the blog says, parents and the District administrators, includes filling out and submitting an AUSD it is evident that there is some volunteer registration form, and paying miscommunication between both a LiveScan background check fee of parties. The cause for this discrepancy $56. Further investigation by the blog is unknown. claims that the fee for a background The blog’s range of issues extends check from LiveScan ranges anywhere into topics such as the interdistrict from $16 to $69, and that the actual permit revocation for three students price is decided by the District. The who attended Monterey Highlands blog contends that the $56 charge Elementary School. The blog voices that the District mandates is the great concern and sympathizes with employee rate, sparking outrage the family, which was allegedly forced among the parents, who question to leave the district due to issues with why volunteers have to pay to offer the mother. free labor. illustration by Annie Huang The blog continues to serve as an The blog also stated that parent volunteers are required to have an Associate degree outlet for parents seeking to express themselves and (A.A.), causing volunteers to question the meaning of reach out to the district and the community.

NEWS

R i c h a rd Yu e

Photo by Derek Deng

Freshman MESA member Thomas Wang tests out the prosthetic arm that he and his team built for the Object Relocation Task for the yearly MESA competition, as a judge watches on.

MESA ‘armed,’ ready for competition Derek Deng The Mathematical Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) team brought home 23 medals and 14 ribbons when they competed in the premliminary competition at California State University, Los Angeles on March 22. MESA members, either individually or in teams, competed in the math competition and in building events like prosthetic arm, mousetrap car, balsa wood glider, and egg drop. This year, the team earned numerous ribbons in the prosthetic arm event. “In [individual] math, we took first place in calculus and third place in Algebra II,” MESA adviser Nicholas Nguyen said. “We swept our places in Team Math Level B, winning first, second, and third [place].” In addition to this year’s competition, the MESA organization will be adding another engineering event into the national level. “We are trying to recruit more members this year and let them know more about this math-based club,” senior project manager Tuan Lam said. “I think we are going to do great next year.” The MESA team will be advancing to the next level, which will be held at University of California, Los Angeles, on April 5.

April Dates April 10 Alhambra PD Assembly

(for juniors and seniors)

April 18

Red Cross Blood Drive April 18

Testing Block Ends April 20

Easter Sunday April 23

Commencement Speaker Tryouts April 25

Academic Pep Rally April 26

25th Annual Chicano/Latino Youth Conference April 26 Ribbon Cutting of BTA Garden

OPINIONS ‘Luu’sing my mind

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

Editorial

School should encourage timely college awareness

Marvin Luu Writing towards my dreams In the beginning, there was always an incentive: “Greet me and I will give you a dollar,” my grandfather would say to me in order to receive a polite, “Hi Gong-Gong” reply. On most occasions I would take this offering without a second thought. It was money—who would not want it? For most of my youth, I never really got to spend much time with my grandfather and this was usually the furthest we would go in greetings. As a result, I never really understood the magnitude of my grandfather ’s work and the subsequent impact it would eventually have on me today. At the time, I was fascinated by his status as an editor-in-chief of a local Chinese newspaper, but I was young and more intent on obtaining my dollar than recognizing the service that he provided for his readers and the respect he received from the public for doing so. By the time I got into high school, I developed a liking for writing and began to see it as a way to express myself when my shyness and inability to communicate with others vocally plagued me. During the summer of my freshman year, I took the opportunity to join the school newspaper staff. At every single release of our monthly issue, the thought of having others read my writing was and still is a constant thrill. I finally understand why my grandfather loved his career so much. Eleven years ago, I would have never known how much of an impact he would have on me today. Now that I am old enough to appreciate journalism, it still bothers me how distant I was from my grandfather when we now share the same joy that no one else seems to get. My grandfather had big ambitions but earning a lot of money was never one of them. My grandfather was already a journalist in Vietnam but coming into America, he could have chosen to pursue a different profession. However, he did not because he felt passionate about writing. He had his newspaper distributed for free because he understood the importance of keeping people informed. My grandfather would have been proud of my decision to pursue my dreams, and this is what really matters to me. He has shown me through his experiences that it is important to be persistent in chasing one’s aspirations. When my peers and some of my relatives ask me what I want to be, they often expect me to say engineer, doctor, or any other high-paying practitioner. It has grown quite old to see their bewildered stares as I tell them my true aspirations. Although my grandfather has since passed away, I know that he would have been my greatest supporter. I know he would have spent the time to comfort and work with me if I needed counseling or advice. I share the same motivation and overall commitment that my grandfather had for his own illustrious career years ago, and I am confident that these qualities will help guide me through the years to come just, as they had for him. He left this world 11 years ago, but I feel closer to him now than I have ever felt before. He has taught me one of the greatest life lessons, and this is worth more than any dollar.

Two of the biggest fears for all students: the fear of failure and the uncertainty the future holds. The everchanging college requirements place an overwhelming amount of pressure on the future generation. For the most part, it seems that students are only given in-depth information about college during senior year, when it is too late to change anything. Administration should focus more resources into exposing students to the reality of college at the beginning of their high school careers. If students are more aware of important college information early on, students will be able to create solid plans for reaching their goals and lessen their stress when the time comes for standardized testing, class registration, signing up for clubs and sports, and eventually graduation. Many students at San Gabriel have only a general idea about college and what career they would like to pursue, but nothing more. Reaching any longterm goal requires knowing what specific steps need to be taken. As a

school, San Gabriel needs to nurture students’ understanding of their future. Students need self-motivation to explore and research potential career and college options, like admission requirements, but the school should host career fairs along with the annual college fair so students can gain insight on what college graduates in the work field do on a daily basis. Many students are left completely unaware of the most basic college information, such as the different type of colleges (public, private, community, vocational, etc), the reality of financial aid, greek life, and the idea of “majors” and “minors.” On the other hand, other students who are deeply interested in college cannot have all of their questions answered, causing them to excessively worry and possibly over-prepare themselves for a pretty acceptance letter. These unsure actions include participating in every club possible, taking on many cabinet positions, and getting straight A’s or perish. This “school system” should not perpetuate the belief that only smart students can be

successful and go to college or that being rejected to a dream school is the end of the world because none of t h i s i s t ru e . A brighter future is accessible for anyone. Being an involved 5.0 GPA student is great, but it is not everything. Illustration by Annie Huang Colleges look for more than a student with good grades; they look for students with character, drive, and potential. Being surrounded by positively influential peers can play a significant role in a student’s performance. Regardless of what college one goes to, he or she is already moving one step closer to success and is going to learn essential skills for any career.

Schools lack spirit, enthusiasm Mi mi Lam Mixed-matched clothing, throwback Thursday shirts, and outrageous hair should be expected during spirit week, but more often than not only a handful of students dressing weirdly that day. I used to find people participating for “Fashion Disaster Day” left and right. Did the same people graduate and take all the school spirit with them? Recently, Associated Student Body (ASB) made it voluntary for members to dress up for spirit week. If that is the case, the school should follow their example. ASB members serve as leaders of the school, and they represent the students. If their members do not follow their events, then the school should not either. The school environment affects how students will react to their peers and surroundings. If the school gives off negative energy, then the students cannot be expected to bounce back in uplifting spirits and shouts. ASB puts too high of an expectation on the student body. It is just unrealistic. According to the Developmental Studies Center, “supportive schools foster positive outcomes by promoting students’ sense of ‘connectedness, belongingness, or community’ during the school day.” The whole school is invited to pep rallies, but there is an unspoken message that if one is not in a sport, one does not fit in. There is an emphasis for students to join a club to get involved. That may seem like a positive influence, but there will be separation between those who are in a club with those who are not. I am not telling administrators or ASB how to run the school, but I am giving a suggestion. If the school wants to increase school spirit, it needs to establish school-wide unity. I remember when we were voting every five minutes for Ariana Grande to come to our school. Free concerts were a nice school bonding technique, but it was not something we were strongly passionate about. School spirit measures school pride, but our enthusiasm went down the drain.

Illustration Illustration by by Erin Erin Truong Truong

OPINIONS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

Cisgendered people should be more accepting of differing identities E m m a n u e l M a re s c a The typical person who identifies with his/her gender assigned at birth is called “cisgendered,” or simply “cis.” In this day and age, the growing recognition of non-binary identities, which are identities that are not strictly male or female, are something to be celebrated and expressed freely. People who do not fit into the gender binary seek freedom of expression. Some might not exclusively dress or function as a binary gender, and some are even genderfluid, meaning they dress and behave according to whichever gender identity they associate with that particular day. Non-binary people are discriminated and harassed on a daily basis. Often, people bash them by asking what their

“real name” is, or calling them horrid slurs such as “he-she” or “it.” Some cis people even have the gall to ask what their genitalia is. Even at our own school last year, a student who will not be named was constantly harassed for being agender, being called a “thing” by girls and boys in her P.E. class. These disgusting examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Queer identities that are affected by this bigoted influence are not fond of closedminded cisgender people who openly express hate towards them for who they identify as. Many cisgender people seem to take this deserved hate as an opportunity to cry wolf and claim to be “bullied” and “oppressed” by queer people of any identity. This form of discrimination is called “cisphobia.” The mere idea of cisphobia was created

and is exaggerated by cis people themselves. Constant claims are billeted out by cis people, saying that the term “cis” itself is a slur. This whole imaginary concept is a blatant dramatization of the minor problems that cis people hardly ever face. It seems as if whenever something seeks public awareness in the queer community, straight, cisgender people feel the need to pretend that oppression is a huge problem for them. It is uncertain whether they genuinely believe that queer identities are hurting them, or if they are just acting this way out of spite. In any case, cisgender people are immensely privileged and have no reason whatsoever to further criticize nonbinary people for being upset and hateful towards them.

Facebook expands users’ number of identity options C a ro l i n a G arci a Two months ago, while creating a Facebook account, users were given two options to select as their Facebook identity: male or female. Though for a portion of Facebook users it was easy to click and choose their gender, a small mass of users squirmed in their seats, unable to make a decision; they only had the option to leave their gender blank. Knowing the growing diversity of gender identity, Facebook has taken a step forward in gender equality and added 58 (and still counting) more gender options for their users, which include transfeminine, transgender man, and many more. In a society where hate crimes are committed every day against gays, lesbians, transgenders, and other queer people, it is refreshing to see the social media take a stand for gender tolerance. Facebook software engineer Brielle Harrison, who worked on the project and is undergoing a gender reassignment from male to female, plans to change her Facebook identity to transwoman. “There’s going to be a lot of people for whom this is going to mean nothing, but for the few it does impact, it means the world,” Harrison said. Facebook’s decision to introduce a variety of gender options is an extravagant pioneer step. Although in the past social media has been used to spread detrimental comments, videos, and pictures, Facebook is showing a tolerant step by allowing all users to describe themselves as they choose. Instead of leaving their identity blank, Facebook users are filling in the empty space with who they are, allowing the world to see. Users seem to be supportive of the changes, even if it does not affect them personally. “It seems as if these options are here to stay for good...and that’s good,” junior Alexis Gutierrez said. This is the real world; in reality, life is not just simply either male or female. According to the Intersex Society of North America, one in every 1000 babies are born both female and male. If someone feels comfortable with themselves in a certain way, they should be allowed to express themselves that way. To say that humanity

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.

is divided into two halves—male and female —is disrespectful to those who have embraced themselves as something different. The Human Rights Campaign last year found that 10 percent of the 10,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender youths it surveyed used the “other” option or wrote in their own gender terms. Showing unsatisfied users, the survey shows Facebook has been thinking about the comfortability and satisfaction of its users. The more we speak about transgenders, gays, lesbians, and nonconforming gender people, the more it becomes a norm and comfortable subject to speak about. With the earth evolving every day, change and development should be recognized and accepted. Facebook’s additional setting not only represents tolerance, but also represents an uprising population of people who either are or who support the mixture and development of genders. Facebook has truly taken a small, yet important and much appreciated, step into the future—one filled with equality, acceptance, and tolerance.

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

Illustration by Steven Ho

How do you know when it is spring?

“ “

[I know when it’s spring] when you see the flowers blooming and... the stores have floral clothes.” - Mia Rodriguez, 9th grade

[I know when it’s spring] when it’s March 20.” - William La, 10th grade

“

[I know when it’s spring] when I see girls wearing more skirts and floral stuff.” - Isabela Castillo, 11th grade

“

[I know when it’s spring] when the weather changes and when nature stands out more.” - Steven Tran, 12th grade

Photos by Derek Deng

Hot off the ‘Perez’

Ileana Perez Si, yo hablo español “ Yo u ’ r e s u c h a w h i t e g i r l ! ” Almost every day, someone tells me this. Although many people say it just to tease me because I mess up when it comes to speaking Spanish, they do not seem to realize how much it affects me. It is not that I get offended easily, but there was a point in my life where my Spanish was terrible, and I would not have been able to defend myself if someone called me a white girl. I was born into a Spanish speaking family, so speaking Spanish was nothing out of the ordinary. I grew up speaking my native language everyday, especially since it was the only way I could communicate to certain family members. At the same time I also spoke English with every chance I got, and eventually, English replaced my Spanish and I was unable to communicate with my loved ones. Up to this day, I still do not know how at some point I was able to lose my Spanish speaking abilities. I just did. The problem was not that I could not speak it at all; I just was not as fluent as I used to be. I went from being able to carry on a full conversation to starting one and never really finishing it. The saddest part was that I did not care. I felt that Spanish was not as important as English. I was okay with pushing it aside and focusing on other things. And when the time came to chose my classes for freshman year, taking Spanish had never crossed my mind. Instead I had set my mind on French. My loved ones thought otherwise. They believed Spanish would benefit me more, but I was not convinced. Eventually I was forced to take Spanish, and today I am very thankful I did. When the time came to actually sit in the class on the first day of school, I was angry, and very nervous. I remember not wanting to participate in class that day, but it was not because of my anger—it was because I was nervous. I was scared that my Spanish would sound terrible. I did not want to embarrass myself, especially because it was a nativespeaking class, so I assumed everyone was fluent except me. That day was the first day I ever regretted losing my Spanish abilities. Since that day, I have attempted to speak it, and little by little with the help of my Spanish class, I have been able to gain my Spanish again. I also discovered I was able to read and write in Spanish—I had skills I had never thought of. I fell in love with my Spanish class and most importantly with the language. I also learned so much about my culture and heritage and how amazing it all could be. I became so amazed with it that I decided I wanted to keep it in my life forever. I decided I was going to keep practicing it so I could improve and study more about the culture. Now, my Spanish has greatly improved and I practice it every day. I make it a part of my daily routine and I do not want to ever lose it again. I have fallen in love with how beautiful the language and culture is. I love it so much I have decided I want to major in Spanish along with Journalism. When I look back to the day I picked my classes, I am very thankful I kept Spanish as my foreign language choice, because I was able to gain back such a huge part of myself.

FOCUS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

LEt’S PLAY

n o i n u e r t e i v so

RUSSIAN INTO WAR WE ARE AMERICAN So n n y Hy

parliament who suspended agreements to have Ukraine join the European Union, which the country favored heavily. Protesters are violently dispersed by police days later. Riots begin to take hold of Kiev as the revolution grew volatile

February 22, 2014, February 27 2014, Russia invades the Crimean Peninsula, beginning to seize checkpoints. Countries condemn Russian aggression. Ukraine prepares for any further military action by

After months of Euromaiden occurring, Yanukovych flees and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk comes into power.

Russia. Russian forces begin congregating on the Russian Ukrainian border.

MARCH 18, 2014,

Russia passes a bill to annex the Peninsula while Ukraine remains divided in the midst of Russia’s increasing hostility and possible invasion of East and South Ukraine.

do you know about the current crisis in ukraine? 137 STUDENTS ANSWERED YES

263 STUDENTS ANSWERED NO 05

05 0

100

150

200

250

300

Of the 137 students who said yes,

Oteachers’ nly TAKE31on care . the ukraine fiasco

We’re playing a game of chicken; but this one is special–everyone loses. Ukraine is not a simple game of tick-tack-toe; it is a game of Battleship where if one ship goes down, the entire board becomes a nuclear blowout. The Russian population will feel the Second Cold War come as the United States takes action against Russia; every step the United States takes away from Russia expands Putin’s power, akin to Germany’s taking of Poland where appeasement didn’t work out. There is no perfect solution. If the United States defends post-Euromaiden Ukraine and re-takes the Crimean Peninsula, then Russia will take this as a call-to-arms as the frost of the Cold War will freeze the globe. If we concede the Crimean Peninsula completely to Russia, then they will continue their streak of conquest (we cannot forget about their invasion of Georgia in 2008). The United States must avoid any direct confrontation with the Russians. Fourty-six percent of Americans deemed it unnecessary for the United States to defend Ukraine, while only 18 percent said the United States should defend Ukraine, according to a poll by YouGov. Needless bloodshed will only encourage the Russians to fight against the United States who ‘attacked first’ in Ukraine. We cannot afford to give the Russian population reason to believe a cold war is to freeze the world; we also cannot afford to idly toss our hands into the air and put on our best charade of diplomatic “action.” I believe economic aggression against the Russians, avoiding military intervention at all costs. Morality and ethics should have no sway on how we decide our actions; we must weigh our actions gravely because what happens next will affect the course of history. No matter the action, this is a major stand-off in the post-Cold War era. Isolationism cannot be possibly considered in the modern age where the global economy triumphs and interaction between humans is at a historic peak. Refusing to take any action against the Russians would equate to wrapping all Post-Soviet states into a gift box and handing it to Putin. There is no perfect solution; numerous economic sanctions seems to be the only possible way we can avoid any confrontation. Russia’s Finance Ministry admitted that Western sanctions have been harming the Russian economy as the Ruble depresses in value and stocks drop. Fifty-six percent of Americans support sanctions already placed on Russia while 46 percent of Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of the situation, according to data from CBS News. The importance of the economy to any country is vital to stabalizing Ukraine and punishing Russia. Obama must not listen to the hard-liners who decry him for inaction. I applaud Obama’s level-headed response to the tyrannical actions of Russia. Ukraine’s delicate balance is collapsing because of Russia’s actions. Russia’s economy will reel from recession, along with Putin’s tyrannical behavior.

Am an d a M o lin a In the United States of America, people often take their everyday privileges for granted and lose sight of what people in other countries with no rights go through: what it is like to live in a war stricken country, what it takes to feed their families, what it is like to yearn for something restricted by rules. While Americans bask in the light of freedom, on the other side of the world humans’ rights are being violated and heated uprisings and cruel dictatorships are in place. In a country where people graze in peace, American citizens should take at least some interest in the well being of allies who require assistance. Russia’s ongoing invasion into Ukrainian territory has still not been brought to a halt. In determination to take Crimea, Russia has broken laws and interfered with Ukraine’s sovereignty, leaving the Ukrainian citizens at a loss. The United States has already completely ruled out military action, although it is needed in such a crisis of this proportion. Without it, this battle over territories can flare up into a more bitter international confrontation. According to CNN, a new U.S intelligence assessment suggests that a Russian incursion into eastern Ukraine is much more likely to happen than officials previously anticipated. With the border heavily protected by Russian troops anticipating potential military action, it is ideal that the United States should have more concern about the safety of the Ukrainian people and take a step forward to lay down the law. “We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine,” Obama said in an interview with The Telegraph. “The Ukrainian people deserve the opportunity to determine their own future.” The United States constantly restates that it will abide to one fundamental principle, that the Ukrainian people have the absolute right to decide their own future. Although the Ukrainians have earned the right to decide what is best for them, a lack of quick action, such as the United Sates introducing its military may result in a catastrophic dispute between more people. This fight is already being labeled as “the biggest East-West confrontation since the end of the Cold War,” according to the Telegraph. If an even larger dilemma breaks out, it will make it difficult for Ukraine to pull itself together and resolve the issue on its own. The United States is fleeing from the scene and its global responsibility, leaving the Ukrainians to fend for themselves in a time of need. America held Ukraine’s hand, guiding them in the direction of establishing an organized democracy. However, the United States should not have abandoned Ukraine after the pain-staking process of bringing them to democracy just to watch a developing nation in the midst of tragedy burn down in flames. Being allies means providing assistance in times of need. Leaving Ukraine with Russian militia all over their backs was anything but representative of an alliance, and it may possibly lead to fatal results.

is another example of another “ This powerful nation interfering with the affairs of a weaker nation. I don’t see military involvement by the U.S. or other countries; hopefully, Russian aggression will end with Crimea.

Mr. hendrickson

“

Ukraine is more than a country that is being invaded and captured by Russia; Ukraine has people like you and me and the country wants the freedom that we all have; Ukraine was betrayed by their own government. Ukraine overthrew their government to have the political equality that Russia took with no hesitation. Ukraine is you and me. We have to understand that anything that happens in Ukraine will have an effect on America. Keeping out of European business is simply impossible in a world where I can jam on a keyboard and send a message to a man in Saudi Arabia. This world is too interconnected to believe that this blatant disregard for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the people of Ukraine does not affect us as students. This affects everyone on the globe. If Ukraine is completely captured, the other neighboring ex-Soviet countries will become fearful for themselves. These ex-Soviet countries will become fearful for their own nation; if Russia can easily swoop in and take the Crimean Peninsula with only ‘economic sanctions,’ what will stop them from taking the other countries? In 2005, Vladmir Putin gave a speech where he said, “..the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitcal disaster of the century.” The fact that he spoke of the Soviet Union’s breaking as a disaster suggests that he plans on cleaning it up. Putin refuses to let go of the Crimean Peninsula as U.S. News reports that Russian troops are massing at the Ukrainian border. The world is at odds; anything could happen in Ukraine, even with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk offering peace to Putin. The country has been forced between a rock and a hard place where even President Barack Obama calling out Putin does not halt his aggression and annexation of Crimea. The Russian parliament passed a bill annexing the Peninsula after taking it from Ukraine. There has been no aid given to the Ukranians; the United States still has not delivered on their $1 billion loan to the country; the United Nations has only talked about the situation. Students at San Gabriel must not see this situation as observers. This will have an effect upon us no matter what. The United States has to take a stance and we must also follow in those steps. Ukraine is more than a country. Ukraine is millions of people fighting for freedom and equality. Ukraine has students just like us ready for war. Ukraine is you and me.

novemeber 21, 2013, Euromaiden, the official name for the Ukranian revolution, begins in its capital Kiev, where protesters fight against Former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and

will tell to be honest, I don’t think “ Time this will be another Cold War. Russian

business leaders will eventually put pressure on Putin and he will back off to some extent in order to save face.

Mr. Osborne

“

Sonny Hy

FOCUS

it’s complicated because the “ Honestly, whole issue has to deal with ethnic

“

do you not care?

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

UKRAINE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE DIVIDED

. S N I W E N O O N E R E H W E A GAM

VDLR

THE MATADOR

groups and who they feel closer to. Western Ukraine feels closer to Europe and Eastern Ukraine feels closer to Russia.

Mr. Gin Illustration by Cassandra Chen

FOCUS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

LEt’S PLAY

n o i n u e r t e i v so

RUSSIAN INTO WAR WE ARE AMERICAN So n n y Hy

February 22, 2014, February 27 2014, Russia invades the Crimean Peninsula, beginning to seize checkpoints. Countries condemn Russian aggression. Ukraine prepares for any further military action by

After months of Euromaiden occurring, Yanukovych flees and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk comes into power.

Russia. Russian forces begin congregating on the Russian Ukrainian border.

MARCH 18, 2014,

Russia passes a bill to annex the Peninsula while Ukraine remains divided in the midst of Russia’s increasing hostility and possible invasion of East and South Ukraine.

do you know about the current crisis in ukraine? 137 STUDENTS ANSWERED YES

263 STUDENTS ANSWERED NO 05

05 0

100

150

200

250

300

Of the 137 students who said yes,

Oteachers’ nly TAKE31on care . the ukraine fiasco

Mr. hendrickson

“

novemeber 21, 2013, Euromaiden, the official name for the Ukranian revolution, begins in its capital Kiev, where protesters fight against Former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and

will tell to be honest, I don’t think “ Time this will be another Cold War. Russian

business leaders will eventually put pressure on Putin and he will back off to some extent in order to save face.

Mr. Osborne

“

Sonny Hy

FOCUS

it’s complicated because the “ Honestly, whole issue has to deal with ethnic

“

do you not care?

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

UKRAINE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE DIVIDED

. S N I W E N O O N E R E H W E A GAM

VDLR

THE MATADOR

groups and who they feel closer to. Western Ukraine feels closer to Europe and Eastern Ukraine feels closer to Russia.

Mr. Gin Illustration by Cassandra Chen

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

LIFE &ART

Unique global cuisines appeals to wide array of palates cheese, and when they hatch, the numerous maggots burrow around the cheese and digest the fats. One Jellied moose nose, larvae of poisonous ants, has the option to eat the acrid cheese with or without still-beating frog hearts: these are all considered the maggots. traditional foods in certain parts of the world, even Known as a miracle health tonic in Korea and today. All around the world, there are regional cui- China, baby mice wine involves taking baby mice sines that may seem exotic, from their mothers while sometimes even revolting, their eyes are still closed to foreigners. and then drowning them In Japan, frog sashimi is in wine. The mice are considered a delicacy availthen left to ferment in able only in a select few the wine; the result is a high-end sushi restaurants, slew of dead baby mice such as one Japanese eatery, at the bottom of a wine Asadachi. There, the sushi bottle. Believed to have chef slices open the live frog restorative properties, in front of the customer and the wine is said to be picks out its warm, pumping able to heal asthma, liver heart with a pair of chopdisease, and other ailsticks, much to the delight of ments. the hungry, eager customer, Last, but certainly who chows down on the not the least, of the still-beating organ. strange cuisine found Another popular snack is throughout the world is balut from the Philippines. a Mexican dish known Despite its appetizing name, as escamole. Escamoles balut is an 11-day old fertilare the larvae of a poiPhoto by Nepenthes/ CC BY ized duck egg, containing sonous species of ants, the partially formed embryo The balut, which consists of a duck fetus and reportedly have a of a duck encased in an consistency similar to containing the bill, head bones, and innards, eggshell. Opening the egg, cottage cheese and a one will find a duck fetus, is a popular snack from the Philippines. It is taste resembling nuts. complete with a tiny head, typically eaten by creating a hole in the shell and Traditionally eaten as a bill, bones, innards, and slurping out the juices, then chowing down. filling in tacos and omthe occasional feather. The elettes, escamoles have correct way to eat balut is to tap a hole in the top of withstood the test of time and are still eaten today. the egg, slurp up the juices, and then eat the halfWhat seems strange and revolting to foreigners formed duckling. may be traditional, time-honored foods that are es“Casu Marzu,” which translates to “rotten sential parts of global cuisine. Try to overcome your cheese,” is a type of traditional Sardinian cheese churning stomach and take a bite; you may just come that has begun to rot, enhancing its rancid taste. The to love some of these exotic foods. Some of these awful larvae of cheese flies are then added to the rotting sounding dishes may become tasty once you try them. Angela Fong

San Gabriel Reacts What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten in your life? “I eat popcorn and ice cream together. It actually tastes pretty good when you dip it in ice cream.” -Georgette Mora, Freshman

“One time I went to China, my aunt ordered a bowl of dog meat and told me that it was pork. I ate it and it actually doesn’t taste that bad. It tastes like beef.” -Liya Zhu, Junior

“The weirdest food I’ve eaten is snake. My dad bought it from the market one day. It was still alive until we cooked it. It tastes like fish, but it smells like wine.” -Vy Hoang, Senior

Prices soar high at world-renowned eateries

Name: Ithaa Undersea Restaurant Location: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Republic of Maldives Price: Roughly $200-320 per person Image courtesy of matome.naver.jp

Name: Plaza Athenee Location: Paris, France Price: Roughly $500 per person Image courtesy of kiwicollection.com

Name: Schloss Schaunstain Location: Furstenau, Switzerland Price: Around $270 per person Image courtesy of lifestyle.ie.com

Opened in 2005 and secured safely under the Hilton Maldives Resort and Spa, Ithaa is the world’s very first underwater restaurant, only seating 14 occupants at a time. Dine 5 meters (or 16.2 feet) under the sea in the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, surrounded by 270 degree views of wildlife and coral reefs. Choose from a Maldivian and European cuisine menu complete with a variety of seafood in a six-course menu accompanied by cocktails and champagnes. The seasonal menu offers items like Malossol Imperial caviar with sourcream and potato blinis, and yellowtail king fish with saffron champagne risotto and beurre blanc foam. It should be noted that the menu is subject to frequent changes. Plaza Athenee is one of France’s notable high-end restaurants. It is one of the many restaurants owned by the Dorchester Collection group of luxury hotels and superstar chef Alain Ducasse, making the Plaza Athenee definitely one of Europe’s best dining experiences, regularly drawing international crowds. The restaurant is Parisian dining at its best, boasting a beautiful dining room with a centerpiece chandelier of thousands of crystals. Sit back and relax in the sophisticated atmosphere with a menu of choice caviars and European courses; the Plaza Athenee will certainly provide a classy dining experience. “[I think that] the full Parisan experience would be incomplete without a visit to this restaurant,” sophomore Lillian Liu said. Dining in a castle: Check. Schloss Schaunstain was named one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World by Restaurant Magazine in 2013. Diners can enjoy eating in an 18th century castle with European courses and several local cuisines. Located in the Swiss Alps of Switzerland, this 3-star Michelin restaurant serves dishes with regional produce to match the overall medieval decor of the castle and panoramic views of forest surroundings. The menu offers three to six course meals, with optional ‘surprise courses’.“Schloss Schaunstain reminds me of Medieval Times due to the fact that you dine in a castle. Granted, the castle is from a different era, but it seems interesting nonetheless with the historical atmosphere,” sophomore Ashley Hua said. Briefs written by Amy Yee

What is the most expensive restaurant you have ever been to? “Seafood Palace down in Long Beach. It has a bunch of dim sum [dishes] and I ate calamari there.” -Christopher Phay, Sophomore

“Sushi Gen in Los Angeles. I went with my family and that stuff was so mouth-gasmic. It’s expensive because it wasn’t an all-youcan-eat restaurant. It’s a five-star restaurant— Gucci all the way.”

-Adrian Jimenez, Junior

“Acapulco Mexican Grill. It was expensive because it was really fancy and it was like a buffet kind of thing. Also, my whole family went when we didn’t know the price.”

-Nancy Rivera, Senior

Quotes compiled by Annie Huang

SPORTS BOYS VOLLEYBALL VARSITY 3/15 vs. Bubank 3/27 vs. Alhambra 3/28 vs. Temple City 4/01 @ Bell Gardens

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

L W L L

JV 3/08 vs. Los Alamos

2-0

CO-ED TRACK VARSITY (league meet) 3/27 vs. Bell Gardens Boys 1-0 L

FROSH (league meet) 3/27 vs. Bell Gardens Girls 1-0 W Boys 1-0 L

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014 SOFTBALL

BASEBALL VARSITY 3/18 @ Alta Loma 3/18 @ Alta Loma 3/25 @ Mark Keppel 3/28 vs. Montebello 4/01 vs. Alhambra JV 3/08 vs. Bishop Amat 3/12 @ La Canada 3/25 vs. Mark Keppel 3/28 @ Montebello 4/01 @ Alhambra

18-6 8-7 6-1 3-2 1-0

L W W W L

19-0 L 8-1 L 4-3 W 8-0 L 15-2 W

VARSITY 3/15 vs. Duarte 8-3 3/15 vs Segerstrom 17-2 3/22 @ Calabasas 10-0 3/24 @ Gabrielino 9-4 4/01 @ Baldwin Park 10-9 JV 3/04 vs. Mountain View 3/06 vs. Azusa 3/10 vs. El monte 3/12 @ Gabrielino 3/13 vs. San Marino

SWIM VARSITY 3/10 vs. Duarte 3/24 vs. Montebello Boys

L L L W L

12-8 14-12 20-6 7-2 26-4

W W W L W

108-58 W 116-54 L

CO-ED BADMINTON 3/24 @ San Marino 4/01 @ May Field

14-7 L 19-2 W

Track and field welcomes dynamic coaching duo Coach Te’Von Mitchell What stood in his way was a bar, an obstacle. Getting over it not only got the hurdle out of the way, but paved the way for a whole new career. Ever since ninth grade, Hurdles Coach Te’Von Mitchell ran track and field, but did not try out hurdles until jumping over it on a whim. “It was just for fun,” Mitchell said. “I thought I was in trouble; [my coach] put me into hurdles ever since. I just found my talent into that.” Before track and field, Mitchell played basketball, abiding by his father’s wishes, and flag football. However, Mitchell followed his own mindset when he got to high school: he ran. Serving as a three-year varsity member, Mitchell excelled in the hurdles event as he won league and made it to city finals, an equivalent to California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), every year in high school. Mitchell did not think about coaching until he met his inspiration, Larry Wade, one of the fastest hurdlers in the world and an ex-coach at Pasadena City College (PCC). Mitchell wanted to attend PCC for an opportunity to be coached by Wade. “He inspired me to be just like him,” Mitchell said. “He was an awesome

coach, bonding with the kids, talking to them, helping them progress, watching them grow—same thing I want to do.” When Coach Steve Morales presented an opportunity at PCC, Mitchell took the initiative to call Morales for the opening hurdles coach position. He is currently coaching the hurdles event alongside his friend Coach Khaleel Muhammad at San Gabriel.

Welcoming Adriann Crespo, San Gabriel’s track and field team has added an assistant new coach to its array of event-specific coaches: a thrower. Crespo is responsible for supervising and training shot put and discus athletes. “Coaching high school students is actually amazing since you never know who will surpass themselves and beat their own expectations,” Crespo said. “Once they do reach that point, I am proud of that student because I wasn’t the one who did it; I was just a guide for them to realize how great they can truly become.” Crespo, who graduated from Schurr

A car accident and a pulled hamstring did not stop Hurdles Coach Khaleel Muhammad to get back on his feet and run track in both high school and college. Starting off as a cross country runner, Muhammad did not become a hurdler until he jumped over a tennis net. His correct form indicated that he was destined to be a hurdler. “After cross country, I stayed on the track team and ran long distance,” Muhammad said. “It was very tortuous and a bad experience. I ended up doing hurdles.” While riding his bike, a vehicle collided

with Muhammad and caused him to receive a cast for his right leg. “Everybody expected me to do better than what I did when I was injured,” Muhammad said. “It was mentally saddening, but it eventually comes out as to how bad you want it.” The following year also halted his track career temporarily. After a track meet, Nike wanted to film Muhammad for a commercial; he was not feeling well and ended up pulling a hamstring after running the hurdles. Muhammad first ran track with the Los Angeles Jets in elementary school. A four-year hiatus occurred before he joined cross country, and during that hiatus, he practiced the piano and performed at churches, mosques, and Washington Dance Theater. “I taught myself on a keyboard,” Muhammad said. “I had not had time [to practice] because of class. I still do it at home if I’m burnt down from homework.” In his free time, he enjoys doing parkour, which he learned from watching Youtube videos, along with Coach Te’Von Mitchell. “I figured he liked it too,” Muhammad said. “I try stuff on the couch; I would teach him stuff. We liked the same food, colors, and track.” Coaching has always been a dream for Muhammad, and when the opportunity was presented to him, he took it.

-Written by Mimi Lam

Crespo takes over as new shot put coach Oscar Molina

Coach Khaleel Muhammad

High School, learned how to throw and then taught others because she wanted them to gain expertise in an activity they enjoyed. While in high school, in addition to challenging herself with Advanced Placement (AP) courses, Crepso maintained a busy schedule by participating in band, orchestra, and sports, like soccer and cross country, which helped her persevere through high school despite her difficult past. Crespo is now attending East Los Angeles College, which she hopes to transfer out of to attend California State University, Humboldt or Long Beach. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, she seeks to enter the Navy to pay for graduate school.

AP SAT I I T A I S

考前衝刺 ( Take model tests, Do review)

●SAT I (Reading, Writing +Math) $899/9 wks ●Math II C (Pre-Calc) $599/9 wks $399/5 wks ●AP Calc (微積分) ●AP/SAT II Physics (物理) $499/4 wks $599/4 wks ●AP/SAT II Bio (生物) ●AP/SAT II Chem (化學) $599/4 wks Starts：4/5/14 開課 Complete Practice Test, detailed going over(完整試題，詳細解答)

626-285-2927

626-309-1588

LS63467-7

1151 E. Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel,CA 91776

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

Tell Me

what’s the

WORD. Famous Hallway quotes, Volume Sixty-three

“I don’t wear watches on my wrist because it’s overrated.” - Student who places watch on duffel bag.

FEATURES

Tran shows great enthusiasm for LoL A nt hony Yang Q. W. E. R. Pop a flash. Ignite. Right click. Win. Science teacher and active gamer Alan Tran expresses his fondness for all things gamerelated by creating San Gabriel’s Video Game Club and speaking about his interest in online games such as League of Legends (LoL). Throughout the school day, Tran is like any other teacher, but in his spare time away from work, he is an avid gamer, who is one of the 67 million players of LoL. Tran is open about his gaming hobbies with his students, and he converses with students who are members of the Video Game Club he advises.

“Mar kids get Mars Bars while Lapi kids get Lapi Taffies.”

“I let [my students] know that I play [LoL]... [The students] can always talk to me about LoL or any game they want,” Tran said. Tran started off playing Defense of the Ancients (DotA), but when LoL was released in 2009, Tran took an interest in this multiplayer battlearena online game. He feels that LoL is more welcoming towards newcomers to the game. Tran felt that it was an easier version of DotA. “I like playing [LoL] because it’s fun... Not only [are] there mechanics involved, [but] you need to learn how to think and there’s a lot of reading and math involved,” he said. In Tran’s perspective, the online community of LoL is better than most online gaming communities. He currently plays LoL with his friends; however, he does not allow his students to know his username because he wants to separate his professional work from his leisure time. Although Tran religiously plays LoL, he can

see himself stopping in his future if his friends move on to a different game. Tran believes that even though a game is good, he can move to a different game if he wishes to do so. “Even if the game is good... [you] move back and forth depending on your group of friends. If my friends move to a different game, I’d probably move too.” Along with being open about his gaming hobby, he socializes with students belonging to the Video Game Club. Sophomore Marcus Kisler recalls conversing with Tran about Pokemon during a Video Game Club meeting. “He gave me advice about leveling up in Pokemon. We also played Capcom vs Marvel against [each other],” Kisler said. Although Tran may stop playing LoL in his future, he cannot imagine himself ending his hobby of playing games. With his games, he can put his leisure time at use.

- Student comparing math teachers. “I just ate one piece of lettuce. Why am I not losing weight yet?” - Student being sarcastic. “I don’t want to spend lunch with you guys!” - Teacher during school lockdown. “What’s a hashtag? Isn’t it just a number sign?”

Photo by Derek Deng

Above: Science teacher Alan Tran takes interest in playing the popular multiplayer battle-arena video game, League of Legends along with advising the Video Game Club.

Chocolate covered eggs

Coconut Macaroon Nutella Nests

- Math teacher not understanding hashtag trend. “You can eat lunch in here, but no socializing.” - Teacher frustrated with noisy students. “During an earthquake, will things fall?” - Student wondering. “Why don’t Alhambra kids just walk to places?” - Student from Rosemead complaining about Alhambra students always having rides.

All quotes overheard by The Matador Staff.

Photo courtesy of <tasteofhome.com>

Ingredients: 12 oz white chocolate baking chips 1/4 cup of butter 2 tablespoons of shortening 7 oz of marshmallow crème Icing 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Small variety of decorative candies 3 cups of powdered sugar 3-4 drops of yellow food coloring

Photo by Crystal Wong

Ingredients: 2/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk 1 large egg white 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla 1/8 teaspoon of salt 3 1/2 cups of sweetened coconut shreds 1 cup of Nutella M&M Speck-tacular Eggs (or other Easter candies)

Directions: 1. Mix the butter, marshmallow crème, and vanilla extract into a smooth blend. 2. Slowly mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar. 3. Add 3-4 drops of yellow food coloring into the bowl for half the mixture. 4. Shape mixture into 24 small balls. 5. Cover and chill egg-shaped balls for approximately 30 minutes. 6. Wrap the plain mixture in a plastic wrap and cool for 30 minutes. 7. Divide the plain mixture into 24 pieces. 8. Wrap one piece of plain dough around each yellow ball into an egg shape. 9. Place egg-shaped balls onto waxed baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 15 minutes. 10. Melt white chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave and stir until smooth. 11. Dip the 24 eggs into the mixture and place the eggs on waxed paper. Refrigerate eggs for approximately 30 minutes. 12. Decorate eggs with icing and variety of small candies.

Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. 2. In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until combined. Add in the coconut shreds and mix well. 3. With a spoon, scoop up about 2 Tablespoons of the dough and place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Form the cookies into the shape of a bird nest. Press down the center with your thumb. 4. Bake cookies for 17 to 20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and press your thumb down in the center of the nests again. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes or until they are firm and set. Remove with a spatula onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. 5. Place about a tablespoon of Nutella in the center of each nest. Place 3 egg candies in the center of the nest. Finish decorating the nests and serve.

-Compiled by Maggie Cheng

-Compiled by Crystal Wong

*Note - you can make these 2-3 days in advance. Store in an air tight container on the counter.

FEATURES

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

2014 SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM For Incoming 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Grade Students

ALHAMBRA HIGH SCHOOL 101 S. 2nd Street Alhambra, CA 91801

Summer High School Dates: Monday, June 9 -Thursday, July 17 7:30am – 12:55pm & 1:45pm - 4:00pm 6 weeks, 4 days per week program, Monday – Thursday

COURSES OFFERED:* Math

Afternoon Enrichment (credits not offered)

Getting Ready for Math 1 (9th grade only) Algebra 1 (10th, 11th, 12th) Geometry (10th, 11th, 12th) Algebra II (10th, 11th, 12th) Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus (10th, 11th, 12th)

SAT Test Preparation (11th & 12th only) College Road Trip – Essay Writing, College Research (11th & 12th only) Getting Ready for the CAHSEE Test (10th- 12th) Strings Conservatory (9th-12th @ MKHS): $150

Science Chemistry (10th, 11th, 12th) Biology (9th- 12th) Environmental Sciences (9th-12th)

Social Sciences (all classes 10th, 11th, 12th only) World History U.S. History American Government (5 credits) Economics (5 credits)

English/Language Development English 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 Make-up Elective Courses: Expository Writing for College & Career (9th-12th) Speech & Debate (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) SEI/English Language Development

REGISTER TODAY FOR ALL COURSES After March 1, all students will register at: Alhambra Educational Foundation Office 1515 W. Mission Road, Alhambra, CA 9:00am - 4:00pm

REGULAR TUITION RATES (Through May 1): 10 unit course 5 unit course Enrichment

$450 $225 $450, $375, $150

* Additional courses may be added; all courses are subject to cancellation due to low enrollment. All classes 10 credits unless otherwise noted. Some courses require pre-requisites and prior teacher approval. See course catalog for details.

For further information, please call

626-943-3080

1515 West Mission Road Alhambra, CA 91803