January 2014

The World Is Our Campus Volume 61, Issue 5

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA

January y 2014

Goals vs. Reality: Bridging the Gap

In this issue:

Graphic courtesy of AUTOSTRADDLE.COM

NEWS pg. 2 2014 Winter Olympics: The much anticipated games at Sochi have become a subject of intense controversy.

Graphics by BELINDA SHOUNG

A FRESH START With a chance at a new start, millions of people all over the world make New Year’s resolutions in hopes of accomplishing both new and old goals—but what matters is actually carrying those goals out.

By RENA CHEN Executive Copy Editor Photo courtesy of LATINABLOGGER.COM

PERFORMING ARTS pg. 8 Singing with Heart: Chanteurs recounts its past successes and prepares for upcoming performances.

Graphic courtesy of JACKY LIANG

STUDENT LIFE pg. 12 Score Portal: A popular, innovative website designed by AHS students is helping many breathe easier about their grades.

Have a question, comment, or concern about the Pow Wow? Email the Editors-in-Chief at eic.powwow@gmail.com or find us online at apachepowwow.com.

With the start of a new year and a new semester, it’s easy to see the light of a productive future. There’s just so much time. Grade resets mean another chance to right study habits; simply seeing the number ‘2014’ is novel enough to compel self-improvement regimes. So we set goals, eager to take advantage of this newfound time.

A couple years ago, I conducted a simple poll, a few questions on a small slip of paper inquiring about people’s goals (jobs, majors, etc.). There was one peculiar detail that I recalled. Everyone answered with what he or she wanted in the future. Yet, only a couple answered if they had thought about “how” they would achieve it, with a simple yes or no.

It sounds basic enough. “Yes”, if they had done anything they believed that would further their career goals. “No”, if they hadn’t and had decided to spend the last decade devoutly enjoying the delights of youth. But on a majority of those poll slips, that one question returned to its creators with an empty space below, devoid of even a scribble, which meant something was incompatible between it and its audience.

The question might have been simply too boring to answer. The energy required certainly did not add up to the result. There were far more interesting polls to occupy oneself with, and the

thought—oh, those mental faculties!—required to truthfully answer would have been a complete waste of utilities.

The question might have been too offensive.

Even in anonymity, it’s not easy to admit “No, I didn’t look very far into how to get what I want” on a piece of paper. In fact, it was probably wise for the respondents to ignore it in case something traumatic happened to their nerves.

The question might have been, to its audience at least, irrelevant. Simply dealing with high school should be sufficient for the present. There were more chances later on to mull over technicalities.

College, for example, has many more options in terms of broadening skill sets.

And now you notice a slight discrepancy in reality, for how could one properly have a goal if one didn’t expend the energy to figure out and execute the process?

The year ahead seems bright because of the sheer untapped potential to accomplish something worthwhile, and yet, it’s scary to face because it forces people to realize how much work needs to be done. A goal is a pretty thing; the road is not, and that’s when the respondents of the aforementioned poll turned away. They didn’t want to think about reality, what they had done, what they needed to do.

They left the question blank. Somehow they’d get there. But then those goals might lose their weight.

Then they might disappear.

I’ve heard people promise to do better in classes; I’ve heard people swear to eat healthy for the entire year. But somewhere along the way the resolve

fails, and the students either get too overwhelmed by work or lose heart, and the newly-turned healthy eaters devour the pizza, thus tossing their resolution into the abyss.

It’s not enough to have a goal. People need method to drive them forward. There has to be value to what we do, so that we don’t aimlessly study until the next morning, or feel life thus far was a complete waste of time. Make every day, every class count. In that poll, the question of what people did to further their goal shouldn’t have been unanswered because high school in general was their tool; they needed nothing fancy, like a special engineering program.

They only needed to bring their goal closer to home, to find a way to gain something from their everyday experiences and use it to their advantage.

Some days will undoubtedly be dreary. Lack of sleep and heavy work loads will burden and discourage many, and at those moments, it’s tempting to stop and question whether the effort is worth the energy. Yet, in those instances, it’s important to remember that goals can be reached. Those subjects of fantasy can be very real if one takes the extra step to prioritize, to specify what one wants to gain from those two hours of study or four hours of instrument practice. The great thing is that it’s conscious; it all depends on how much initiative one wants to take.

We have another year ahead, but time isn’t indefinite. It can, however, be memorable in terms of what we accomplish. Let’s make the most of it. rchen@apachepowwow.com

2

NEWS

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January 2014

New Standardized Tests

By MEGAN HONG Staff Writer

By DONNA SAYPHRARAJ Staff Writer

The upcoming Sochi Winter Olympic Games are much more than just a series of competitions for the best winter sport athletes in the world, as Russia’s reputation and President Vladimir Putin’s personal honor are also at stake. Among the controversies encircling the event include human rights, gay rights, terrorist threats, and over-spending. Events leading up to the games have also struck doubt into the minds of many potential spectators.

On Dec. 29 and 30, 2013, two suicide bombings by an Islamic terrorist group in Volgograd, a city approximately 600 miles from Sochi, killed 34 people on a rail station and trolley bus. The bombings came a few months after an Islamic insurgency group called for bombings in the run-up to the Sochi Olympics. As more people fear for their safety, ticket sales for the events have declined.

As a result of the recent bombings, massive security measures will be present, some of them including metal detectors, X-rays, and other safety procedures for spectators and athletes. It is reported that Internet, phone, and email usage will also be monitored. In addition, Putin is rumored to attend many of the events himself, which will only increase the number of security procedures and personnel at the games. Such a heavy presence of Russian security however, may put a damper on the games, especially with the already tense relationships between Russia and the West.

As it is now, many leaders of the West are still unable to overlook Putin’s past relations with them. Already-present tensions between Putin and the U.S. only grew after he granted temporary asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden, and for the first time in 14 years, the U.S. delegation to the Olympics will not include the president, vice president, or first lady. French President Francois Hollande and

German President Joachim Gauck will not be attending either. And, despite Russia’s attitude toward LGBTQ rights, President Barack Obama is sending a few openly gay athletes to Sochi, including tennis great Billie Jean King and figure skater Brian Boitano.

The overall cost of the games is $51 billion. It is the most expensive out of all the past Olympic games, and is more than three times the budget of the 2012 London Olympic games. The cost includes the long-term investment in roads, tunnels, railways, and ski facilities, as everything has been built from scratch as a result of Russia’s goal to turn Sochi into a year-round tourist destination. The amount of money involved with the Sochi Winter Olympics also led to corruption and financial mismanagement accusations, with Dmitry Kozak, Russia’s deputy prime minister in charge of Olympic preparations, arguing that only about $6 billion has gone to directly Olympics-related expenses. The rest, he said, was spent on improvements in the infrastructure that the government would have spent anyway.

But, although there have been obstacles such as suicide terror bombings and gay rights controversies, there is no doubt that the brand new Olympic Park and arenas will be major attractions for spectators. As for the host nation, it’s looking to make a comeback in its favorite sport: hockey. After 2010 when Russia was beaten in the semifinals by Canada, Sochi will offer a chance for redemption to the Russian hockey superstars. And, once the competition begins, the athletes take center stage, and nations begin winning medals, the atmosphere will undoubtedly take off. dsayphraraj@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of WIKIPEDIA.ORG Photo courtesy of INDUSTRYTAP.COM

PREPARING FOR THE 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS In anticipation for the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia has built an entirely new facility to house the festivities.

As spring draws near, many students remember and dread the week-long California Standards Tests (CST’s) that they have been taking since second grade. However, state officials made a few considerable changes to the familiar CST’s that students and parents alike are used to. In order to transition into the new Common Core State Standards that the state is working to implement and utilize technology-based tests, the 15-year-old STAR tests have been terminated. Instead, Governor Jerry Brown signed a legislation that will replace the annual STAR tests with computerized exams that endorse the Common Core Standards.

These innovative standards will be focused more on conceptual thinking and creative writing rather than fact-based multiple-choice tests.

Already adopted by

45 out of 50 U.S. states, the Common Core Standards are supposed to “prepare California’s children for the future” instead of forcing them to “cling to outdated policies of the past,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. However, in order to implement these critical changes in hundreds of school districts, the State Board of Education

has to take time to plan, experiment, and create an ultimate plan that will benefit schools all throughout the state of California.

As Assembly Bill 484 states, the state school board has two years to create future state tests and an unspecified period after that to install the exams throughout California schools. So during these two or more years, the Academic Performance Index, the number that ranks schools’ and districts’ performances, be suspended, as well as many springtime standards tests as well, will be suspended.

Some of the CST’s that will not be administered this school year include English language arts and math in all grades and all history tests (8th grade history, U.S. History, and World History). Instead, all California schools are to give every student a “trial run” of the new, computer-based Common Core Standards test. As it is just for practice, the school and parents will not receive any scores back. However, the “practice” tests won’t last forever. The real and official Common Core

tests in English language arts and math will be administered starting from spring of 2015, and schools and parents will be able to receive the results of those tests. mhong@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of SCHOOLIMPROVEMENT.COM, STARTEST.ORG, and WIKIMEDIA.ORG

The Rise of the Bitcoin

By CHARLES XU Staff Writer

Imagine a currency that is controlled by the people and completely independent from the government. There are no international exchange rates, high transaction fees, or other inconveniences. Envision money that is stored inside computers and has no centralized bank, an uncheatable monetary system, and provides exceptional anonymity. The future of money has come in the form of Bitcoins.

Created in 2009 by a programmer or group with the pseudonym Satoshi Nakomoto, oto, Bitcoins started out with h almost no value at all.

The value of one Bitcoin (BTC) achieved the “dollar parity” in early 2011, as it began gaining attention from

the public. Popularity soared as news websites began publishing articles about the revolutionary currency and how it was used in the Silk Road online drug marketplace.

Bitcoins are generated through a process called “mining” in which users install a program on their computer that solves intricate mathematical algorithms to maintain and verify a transaction log known as the “block chain”. As more miners participate, the difficulty of the algorithms increase and the reward for each miner halves for every data. Right now, each miner is awarded block of data 25 BTC for generating a valid hash tag. To keep the currency from losing value, a predetermined limit of 21 million BTC pr will be reached by the year 2140. w Another way to obtain Bitcoins is to buy them with real money from someone else. The extreme volatility of Bitcoins is an issue, but in late November 2013 it reached a peak of $1,200 for one BTC. Yet in December 2013, China announced it would be not accept Bitcoins, resulting in Bitcoins plummeting to a value of $412. As of late plumm January, a Bitcoin is worth an estimate of $803.

Bitcoin has left its mark and shown that it is a legitimate replacement for paper money in the future. This ingenious system has made the public reconsider what a perfect currency looks like, and is sure to have an even larger impact in the future. cxu@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of FLICKR.COM

NEWS

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January 2014

China’s One Child Policy and Labor Camps

By ELISHA LEE Staff Writer

The controversial one-child policy in China was formally eased last year on Dec. 28 in Shanghai, China. China’s top legislature also decided to put an end to the labor camp system, which was used to “re-educate” back in November, and the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has just made the easing of the one-child policy official with its new resolutions.

The resolutions, according to Xinhua News Agency, state that couples will be allowed to have two children if one of the parents was an only child. But as of now, both parents must be only children in order to qualify for a second child.

The one-child policy started way back in the 1970s when China’s population gee was growing exponentially—an average Chinese woman gave birth to around 6 children in her lifetime, causing rapid depletion of food, water, and shelter. With the enforced policy, Chinese women have been giving birth to an average of 1.5 children since the 1990s. Although the policy has been praised by many for limiting China’s population growth, it has also been chastised for causing many women to decide to get abortions despite the process’ costly fines.

The labor camp system has been around since the 1950s, when the new Communist party wanted to defeat its enemies to become more powerful. This system allowed police officers to arrest any person they would have liked to send to prison for up to four years without the right to trial, making it hopeless to get out of the punishment. These camps were said to be abusive and unconstitutional, holding about 160,000 prisoners each.

In the one-child policy’s case, the labor camps have been used to re-educate those who want more children.

But around three months ago, the Shanghai government announced that it has liberated all of the people contained in the camps. With the ending of re-education through labor camps, what is China going to do about the left over camps? Although not all of them will be changed, a few selected camps will now be converted to drug rehabilitation centers for those who sell, buy, or use any illegal drugs.

Despite easing the one-child policy, officials say the slightly more lenient rules do not mean that China is ending its family planning, which is a form of limiting birth rates with birth control and other factors such as a lack of social security support, and still encourages couples to decrease the number of births. The easing of the one-child policy is hoped to go into effect in some regions at the beginning of 2014, but a set date has not yet been confirmed. elee@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of WIKIPEDIA.ORG

3

The New LG G Flex

By ROY ZHANG Staff Writer

There you are again, sitting in your darkened room, the curtains shut and the door closed. On your table sits a hideous mess: your phone, or rather, the phone you dropped on the sidewalk, which now has ripple of cracks to painted across the front screen. Another hundred dollars out of your parents’ pockets and of course a dreadful one to two week wait for the store to ship you a new phone. Phone developers recognize this issue, but it may not be an issue any longer in the future.

Introducing the LG G Flex—not yet released in America. This phone may be the stepping stone for all cell phone devices of the future. There are two unique features of the G Flex that make it so esteemed by the technology industry: the curved ng design and the self-healing coat. To make the curved design that has so many ies on their feet, LG techies used a plastic, organic light-emitting diode, or OLED.

The G Flex’s self-healing coat is its second upgrade from the rest of the cell phone industry. To demonstrate how “healing” the coat actually was, certain tests were conducted: a key scratching across it, and being put in the a pocket with keys. Both delivered astounding results; the scratch from the key left only a slight mark, and even then it was only visible at a certain angle and was only noticed once pointed out by the one who made the scratch. As for sharing a pocket with keys, it came out with no scratches whatsoever.

So is the LG G Flex worth all the reverence that it’s getting? Well, it can go both ways. Part of the tech community says that although it is neat to have this phone, it is not the best choice. Phones such as the iPhone could easily adopt this concept, and they would surp the G Flex in a flash. pass However, others believe Ho that the G Flex is going to be the phone of the century, an and, despite not being an iPhon iPhone or a Samsung, it is unique to itself and will prove to be better than those phones. In the end the choice is up to the user user, and opinions will go bo both ways. rzhang@apachepowwow.com

s t a f f Editors Editors-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editors Opinion Editors Performing Arts Editors Student Life Editors Features Editors Sports Editors Academics Editors Center Spread Editor Calendar Editor Campus Focus Editor Advertisement Editors Photography Editors Executive Copy Editors Webmaster Fundraising Chairs

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Obama’s Year of Action

By ERIC CHO Staff Writer

Hoping to make up for numerous “stumbles and unforced errors” made in his term as president, President Barack Obama vowed to deliver a “year of action” in 2014. Optimistically referring to and focusing g on his healthcare law, immigration igration overhaul effort, and his previously-tense viously-tense relations with Congress, ess, President Obama claimed that, at, although there remain “a few differences here and there…there are areas where we can work together.”

Backing up his assertion with statistical data indicating over 7 million people had signed up for Obamacare since its passing and going into effect in 2010, President Obama went on to optimistically vouch for his efforts to create allaround success in the upcoming year.

While reluctant to linger on 2013, a year many regard as being his worst as president, President Obama elaborated on the disappointments he, and the government, experienced. Ranging from the failure of his gun-control proposals to the faulty Obamacare website, President Obama asserted that, while “we have had ups and [downs]…I want to emphasize the

positive as we enter this holiday season.” Discussing his healthcare plan, President Obama affirmed that the government would “absolutely” enforce the law’s requirement for U.S. citizens to purchase insurance. Offering the opportunity to claim a hardship exemption that would allow the nearly 500,000 citizens affected by the cancellation of their purchased Obamacare in the past to obtain a new healthcare plan, or ab-

Performing Arts Staff

Student Life Staff

Features Staff

Sports Staff

Academics Staff

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stain from receiving insurance altogether, President Obama hoped to retain a positive outlook regarding Obamacare amongst citizens.

With thousands of supporters across the nation eager to see President Obama stay true to his promise of a “year of action” in 2014, he, in the words of numerous officials, has “much to bear on his shoulders.” echo@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of PHOTOBUCKET.COM and KVUE.ORG

Christopher Cho and Vanessa Yu Ariana Arzani Katrina Chao and Terri Shi Kelly Ching and Erika Zheng Elaine Chung and Amelia Jin Lily Ling and Stanley Shaw Daniel Jenn and Victoria Yu Allan Gao and Zachary Yee Amanda Huynh and Helen Lee Mya Ho Kristie Sun Josh Bay Deedee Chuang, Dana Jee, and Shawn Xing Maddie Bruce and Ben Geisberg Rena Chen and Khanh Tran Jonathan Matsumoto Yoko Chan and Belle Zheng

Adviser

Eric Cho, Michelle Gu, Megan Hong, Michelle Huang, Elisha Lee, Melody Lin, Donna Sayphraraj, Justin Tang, Hafsah Umerani, Charles Xu, Roy Zhang Lillian Chen, Lauren Frank, Ben Geisberg, Michelle Liu, Tiffany Liu, Madeline Lee, Neven Wang-Tomic Eric Chen, Celine Lee, Eileen Lee, Elisha Lee, Andrew Lim, Melody Lin, Neven Wang-Tomic Eric Chen, Chelsea Cheng, Eric Cho, Simone Chu, Lauren Frank, Angela He, Carolyn Hsu, Michelle Huang, Madeline Lee, Kimberly Lo, Briana Shen, Charles Xu Lillian Chen, Simone Chu, Lauren Frank, Carolyn Hsu, Jonathan Matsumoto, Cristian Nalbandian, Briana Shen, Justin Tang, Hafsah Umerani, Jessica Wang Billy Bonney, Maddie Bruce, Chelsea Cheng, Rose Li, Melody Lin, Allison Stevenson, Justin Tang, Brendan Tran Tiffany Liu, Kimberly Lo, Christina Read, Donna Sayphraraj, Justin Tang, Flora Ung, Jessica Wang Chelsea Cheng, Allan Gao, Michelle Gu, Angela He, Dana Jee, Elisha Lee, Andrew Lim,Christina Read, Belinda Shoung, Emily Tong Briana Shen Kelly Ching and Shirley Lu Billy Bonney, Jonathan Chu, Johnson Hui, Shirley Lu, Katrina Villacisneros, Ethan Zhu Deedee Chuang, Celine Lee, Stanley Shaw, Katrina Villacisneros, Roy Zhang Katrina Chao, Simone Chu, Elaine Chung, Hubert Co, Kylie Cole, Michelle Gu, Rose Li, Michelle Liu, Tiffany Liu, Kimberly Lo, Shirley Lu, Christina Read, Briana Shen Mr. Johnny Lee

Publication Information: The Apache Pow Wow is a student publication distributed monthly throughout the school year. The paper has been continuously published since Arcadia High School opened in 1952. Unsigned articles appearing on the opinion page reflect the opinion of The Apache Pow Wow editorial board. A student’s work does not represent the views of Arcadia High School or the Arcadia Unified School District. Address letters to the editor to: The Apache Pow Wow, 180 W. Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. To place an advertisement in the newspaper, email ads.powwow@gmail.com. Advertisement rates vary from $30 for a business card advertisement to $250 for a full-page black and white advertisement, with quarter-page, half-page, and advertisement insert options available.

Graphic courtesy of MYCUTEGRAPHICS.COM

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OPINION

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January 2014

Confessions of a Fast Food Foodie

By TIFFANY LIU Staff Writer

we’re eating—to an extent. It isn’t a huge surprise to know that much of our food is chemically enhanced to a point that these chemicals are labeled “safe”, only because they weren’t proven “unsafe” for consumption. Even after watching the infamous “pink slime” video that blew up all over the Internet, which showed what Chicken McNuggets looked like before you purchase them, McDonald’s sales haven’t gone down. They’re still around, and expanding to over 100 different countries.

For some, this information is irrelevant. Fast food is already a part of many people’s lives so it isn’t going away no matter what people say.

For some,

A Chicken McNugget. What’s it made of? Simple. Obviously chicken, right? It looks like chicken, it kind of tastes like chicken, so the assumption would be that I’m eating pure chicken. That’s my logic, and this is where I am horribly wrong. Chicken McNuggets contain over 30 different ingredients in addition to the most obvious one, chicken. These include, but are definitely not limited to, a mixture of pure fat, blood vessels, and cartilage. If a mishmash of body parts doesn’t scare you, then the artificial chemical additives might. This crazy sounding one called dimethylpolysiBEFORE loxane is found in antilike myself, I still freeze and is used as an anti-foaming agent buy food from in propylene glycol. Sure it may be in trace McDonald’s and othamounts, but I haven’t died from it...yet. er fast food joints, but I’m However, this isn’t new information that a little more food conscious. I has just come to public view. We’ve known remember when my mom would buy about the hidden ingredients in our delicious my little brother and I Chicken Mcmystery meat served at our favorite fast food Nuggets after school when we were restaurants for a long time now. We know what

incredibly hungry, and we would fight over the nuggets we got. I never thought about what I was eating, only that it tasted so darn good.

Years later, I bought chicken nuggets. I took a bite, but I stopped for awhile and just stared at the nugget. I tasted it a bit and then thought, “This doesn’t look like chicken. I guess those news articles were right.” But guess what? I dipped three more in barbeque sauce right after. I realized that I never thought about the food I ate if it was tasty, until I saw something that told me otherwise. It left me with mixed feelings when I realized how ignorant I am toward t h e

AFTER things I eat.

Fast food poses no immediate problem. News articles don’t frequently show up with headlines “Man Dies

by French Fries”. Eating fast food is a lifestyle that many people have

adopted, something that affects the body after many, many years. The harm isn’t immediate, which is why eating fast food is bad, though it isn’t bad now. It gets bad years down the line after you get married or have kids. What seems like yummy fries and burgers will look like diabetes and heart disease years after it becomes a habit. There are many ways to avoid this sad fate, like resisting it from time to time. In another way, exploring different kinds of cuisines can be another way out.

Various kinds of pastas, burgers, soups, and ethnic dishes from around the world to choose from all sound tastier to me than a hodgepodge garbage patty from Burger King. Because of this, I still have the occasional nugget without worry of what I’m actually eating, but I don’t make it a habit. I still eat a Twinkie, or drink a can of Pepsi every now and then with the hope that neither will kill me. I am fully aware of how both may contain one or ten inorganic chemicals, but it won’t ever stop me from eating my occasional share of fast food. tliu@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of MCDONALDS.COM and VEGSOURCE.COM

More Than Your Final Grade

By MADELINE LEE Staff Writer

Congratulations, the end of first semester is almost here and there are mere days before we can justify declaring that we have made it to the second half of the school year in one piece. With only finals barring the path to a clean slate—a chance to start over—emotions are running extremely high as students will risk everything to pull off their target test scores. Whether you are a senior worried about sending in your last set of grades to colleges, or a freshman nervous about your first series of major exams, the pressure is definitely on. Sure, more hours reviewing material you’ve forgotten or didn’t really learn in the first place can be helpful, but before you decide to sacrifice the state of your health and mental stability to cram and pull all-nighters “studying” the week before, think again.

I have personally always been extremely terrified of disappointing my parents and their expectations of me to be high-achieving in school. Theoretically, this behavior does seem to be justified since performing well in school opens up certain exclusive opportunities both academically and socially, and

your parents really only want the best for you.

Also, being an amazingly well-rounded student will look great on paper and make it harder for colleges to justify denying you—or so the theory goes. But sometimes what we all seem to forget is that we are only human, and we also all make mistakes.

With yyour ppeers and pparents keeping p g tabs on you, silently wondering which side of the borderline line grade you will end up on, it can easily become ome overwhelming.

If you study for hours urs on end for a subject ject that you just can’t seem to pick up, it can be terribly y frustrating. And sometimes, es, despite the amount ount of effort youu may expend d to do welll in school, ool, there may be extenuating tenuuati u ing circumstances that will always stop youu short shhort from reaching your desired GPA, the unvarying unvvary letter grades on your transcript, or the fulll ext extent of which you are capable.

Although these tests may seem like the A most vvital aspect of your life at this moment in time, iin a few weeks, months, and years, they will become irrelevant in the grand scheme of be life. Yo You are more than a score on paper, a letter grade oon a report card, and an average GPA on a transcript.

These variables are in no way cortrans related to your self-worth and are surely not an accurate accurat representation of you as an individual.

I used to struggle with comprehending

TCID:

the concept of grades and why they seemed to be a justification for one’s level of self-esteem.

Now that I have made so many mistakes I never thought I could recover from, and most importantly, learned from them, I believe that grades should be thought of as a byproduct of learning rather than an ends to reach for. Unfortunately,the y have become. Every y day, y, I am latter is what they witness to the actions of my peers—those w wh who take do things for the sake of doing them, or ttak have classes that they hhav themselves deluded themsel lv into believing w will get them iin into the college of choice. their cho ic When did w we all stop be ein being able to o th hink hin think creatively and creative ly aan nd originally, originally y, or decide th hat bbethat ing reward ded ffor rewarded better our actions wass be ettter than the self-satisfaction and knowledge gain ggained? ned? othWhen did we all start to do what society and a oot thers expected of us, instead of what we expected ex xpecct cted from ourselves?

Learning is designed to be worthwhile hile aand meaningful, not a process of memorization ion aand regurgitation, and definitely not a measure asure of ell he or someone’s intelligence based on how well mply to she take tests. The focus of school is simply learn and absorb as much as you possibly bly can, to shape yourself into the person you want to be, and pursue your academic passions and endeavors while you are still privileged enough to receive a free education. It is okay to have flaws and imperfections. It is okay to not ot have

the perfect GPA or be enrolled in five AP classes.

You don’t have to drive yourself to your breaking point because of this common mentality that anything less than perfection is not worthwhile.

The standards we set for ourselves or those that the environment we live within demands of us have become increasingly ridiculous and unattainable over time. Everyone has an affinity and passion for something they excel at; it just takes time to discover it and gather the courage to pursue it. No one expects you to be flawless at everything, and although we occasionally lose sight of that in the pursuit of greater things, all anyone should ever expect of you is that you gave it your best shot. Life will be filled with ups and downs, but cracking under the weight of something as trivial as a score on paper is not worth your tears and heartache. Grades do not define the kind of person you are or diminish your accomplishments in any way because you are capable of so much more, and that, in itself, will always be good enough. mlee@apachepowwow.com Graphics by BELINDA SHOUNG

January 2014

OPINION

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5

A New Classroom Frontier

By MICHELLE LIU Staff Writer

Nebraska: America’s Hidden Gem

By BEN GEISBERG Photography Editor

America, one of the greatest countries in the world, is also one of the most diverse countries in the world. Immigration from other countries has proved a boon to many aspects of American life, but what about diversity inside the country? What about the differences from state to state, county to county?

There are many differences inside the U.S., but not as many as you might think.

I take a trip to Nebraska every winter break to spend time with my family. We all go to the small town of Kearney, population about 30,000 people, in rural Nebraska. My mom grew up there and my grandma still lives there. Nebraska is, to many people from a big city like Los Angeles, as wild a land as Africa.

And, in some respects, they’re right: more people drive trucks, are farmers, and own guns. Hunting is a common activity there, as is going to the county fair every year. Winters are often bitterly cold, and bipolar, with weeks of temperatures in the negative digits and feet of snow being followed by four more days of 60-degree temperatures. Summers are filled with tornado sirens, humid days, and sudden thunderstorms that sometimes arrive with such precision that you can set your watch to it. Large trucks are also commonly seen barreling down the interstate, and Kearney is a major hub for the farming economy from miles around. The town has much less cultural diversity, and life is simpler. Because Kearney is so small, there are, naturally, fewer options for entertainment; although phones, computers, and the TV are popular, enjoying the outdoors is much more common. The town is also much quieter than Arcadia, with a significantly lower crime rate and lower police presence. Also, like in many a small town, it seems as if everybody knows everybody. It is, basically, the stereotypical town of the Great Plains: lots of farming, not too many people, crazy weather, and a tight-knight community.

But this is where the assumptions of Nebraska end.

Kearney, and all of Nebraska, is not, like many people imagine, a place where the corn to people ratio is 475,458,934 to 1. Although I will admit there are endless fields of corn, there are lots of towns and people. Nebraska is also a smart state, as it has a higher literacy rate than California. In California, 23% of people lack basic literacy skills while, in Nebraska, that percentage is only 7%. Nebraska also has more high school and college graduates than California, Colorado, Michigan, and Arizona. The newest technology is not foreign, and most people, including farmers, have Internet. In fact, many farmers use iPads and similar technology to monitor the condition of their crops, how much they’re making from their crops, and many other things, including the transportation of the crops. Many cattle ranchers also use helicopters or small planes to herd their flock. In addition, Nebraska isn’t, as popular stereotypes dictate, filled with rednecks and farmers, as Warren Buffet, founder of the multinational holding company Berkshire Hathaway, is one of the richest men in the world and lives in Omaha. Omaha is also where many large banks and investing firms, including where four Fortune 100 companies, have their headquarters. Omaha also has more per-capita billionaires and Fortune 500 companies than Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, or Houston. In short, Nebraska isn’t just a flyover state with endless farms and no people. Instead, it is a thriving state experiencing rapid growth and development.

Nebraska is just one of the many examples that challenges the common misconception of the Midwest being filled with farms with its slow economic and population growth.

Many other states, such as North and South Dakota, are experiencing huge rise in industry and technology, especially in the areas of oil drilling and engineering. This highlights how advanced these places are becoming and how they are breaking the stereotypes that have been continuously labeled over the years. So, the next time you look down at Nebraska from your plane’s window seat, reconsider that you will see so much more than just corn fields and people sitting on porches.

bgeisberg@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of BONCIA.CO and FLICKR.COM

TCID:

Chalkboards seem like items of the past— unimaginable and obsolete in today’s classrooms. Yet, these were everyday items only a generation ago, now replaced with whiteboards, dry-erase markers, and videos to help convey lessons and ideas. It seems inevitable that technology will change, and that these changes will be embraced.

After all, it almost feels like we’ve been using laptops and touchscreen tablets since birth.

Everyone, from our neighbors to their two-yearold daughter, seems to own a Mac. iPhones have crept up onto dinner tables, replaced books, and made long airplane and car rides more enjoyable. They’ve made our lives more accessible and communication more feasible. We’re able to check the weather, read a chapter of a book, and respond to an e-mail all through one device.

It only makes sense that the technology in our classroom improves at the same rate as it does in the world. We’ve seen the benefits of tablets and laptops and phones in our everyday life, and it seems only beneficial that we reap the same benefits in the classroom. Critics will cite the recent controversy of iPads in the Los Angeles Unified School District and claim that bringing technology will distract students, rather than help them. To them, students have taken advantage of the greater knowledge of technology they may have over their teachers and utilized it for entertainment, rather than education.

But the iPads were given to young children

who have not yet understood the consequences of technology and the responsibility they have using it. By the time we’re in high school or college, we’ve gained a greater perspective of how technology affects us. Since we’re already using the technology at home, we’ll understand how to use it in a classroom setting. For those that doubt the educational benefits, restrictions can be set on just how old students need to be to take the technology seriously to reap the benefits, rather than viewing new technology as a challenge or a game between authorities and students.

And just imagine the benefits. Classrooms are already filled with interactive whiteboards, which make it much more efficient for teachers to write without having to take time to erase.

Electronic surveys in class can give students the opportunity to ask for help or a more detailed explanation anonymously. Students will no longer need to bring three or four textbooks to school every day, but one Kindle Reader that contains all the necessary books they need that day.

Homework can be accessed online, so there is no excuse for students to not complete their work.

It will be more beneficial to embrace these technological advances, rather than push against them. While it’s a new frontier that hasn’t been entirely explored, we have to remember that we’ve already seen the benefits of things like Kindle Readers, iPads, and Macs in our everyday lives. Bringing them to the classroom will offer a way of learning that will keep up with a new generation of students that are already using the same technology outside the classroom. mliu@apachepowwow.com

App-apalooza!

By NEVEN WANG-TOMIC Staff Writer

If you had asked anyone what a smart phone was ten years ago, you’d probably get quizzical glances and confused faces. Yet here we are, on the cusp of 2014, a world in which smart phones are ubiquitous and virtually any other phone is extinct. Walk through any hallway of AHS and you’ll see dozens of students with iPhones, Androids, or an occasional Windows phone. So what has caused smart phones to explode in popularity in a mere six years since the first iPhone was released? There is a single word that can be used to answer this question: apps.

Games in particular have been instrumental to the success of smart phones, especially in the hands of our generation. First it was Angry Birds, then it was Doodle Jump, then it was Words with Friends, then it was Cut the Rope, then it was Temple Run, and now it’s Candy Crush, with Tiny Wings and Temple Run 2 interspersed somewhere in that timeline. It’s a marvel how these games, which are either free or cost only ninety nine cents, were and are able to turn such a profit in such a short period of time.

However, if we look a bit deeper into these games and their development, we can see the completely money-grabbing techniques companies have used to market them. Words with Friends is essentially Scrabble online, Candy Crush is basically just Bejeweled with new gimmicks, even Angry Birds is a complete ripoff of a very popular flash game called Crush

the Castle. Speaking of Angry Birds, once the original game’s popularity skyrocketed, a whole franchise of games and merchandise was massproduced. Since the first game debuted in 2009, there have been seven spin-offs, and a slew of candy, fast-food endorsements, plushies, toys, pencils, backpacks, lunchboxes, and even pillows. There is even an Angry Birds movie in production set for a 2016 release. To think that this all began with a simple game of flinging birds at pigs.

The popularity of these games have grown to the point where we are being suckered in by any cheap game that can burn time, and in the process we are doing two things: sending developers a message that we simply don’t care about quality and simultaneously lining their pockets, creating a vicious cycle. Think about it like this, if the cafeteria pizza price suddenly doubled and the quantity halved, would you still buy your daily two slices? No? I didn’t think so.

So, as we sit in the middle of Candy Crush’s booming popularity, I hope we can recognize how something that began as a powerful and interesting concept has become a quick cash-grab for unscrupulous developers. As a whole, we move from game to game, throwing away one as quickly as we pick up another, resulting in a socially obsessed cycle that will only become worse the more we follow it. So, at the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, the next time you’re flicking pieces of candy side to side on your phone, take a second to think about the terrible trend we’re all falling into. nwangtomic@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of DIGITALSPY.COM

6

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January 2014

Notable Teens 2013

By y BRIANA SHEN Staff Writer

The Los Angeles Times. ABC News. CNN. All the major media broadcasting outlets feature influential people who’ve made a mark in current news, whether positive or negative. These contributing members of society who we see on daily news are, however, mostly adults. Those people who’ve set the online news sites abuzz are usually above their twenties and have accomplished something in their lives worth talking about. However, during the past year, some teenagers have also accomplished remarkable deeds worth remembering.

Ionut Budisteanu: While some of us dream about owning the perfect car, 19-yearold Ionut Budisteanu took a step closer toward building his dream car. Winning 1st place at

Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair, Budisteanu built a self-driving car much cheaper than previous models already put in action. The Romanian highschooler used artificial intelligence technology with radars and cameras to identify traffic lanes, curbs, and people.

He built all these functions with a design that only costed $4,000. Accidents on the road occur daily, but with new technology, we can hope that the number of car accidents will decrease in the future.

Malala Yousafzai: Malala Yousafzai is a school girl whose dream is to become educated, but under Taliban rule, education for girls is inadequate. After voicing her ambition to improve the education for females, Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck by Taliban gunmen. Luckily, she survived the attack, and the 16-year-old is now speaking up for children’s education.

Electrifying New Cars

By JONATHAN MATSUMOTO Webmaster

For a while, it was uncommon to see the electric car charging pumps outside of the local Costco. Once seen as a machine of fantasy, electric cars are now starting to appear in the public scene and becoming a reality. But even while the ongoing economic troubles have stifled Costco from maintaining its pioneering charging pumps, some scientists and engineers still continue to relentlessly pursue their visions of a widespread and economic electric car.

With an eye for the future after 2013, an exciting and tumultuous year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published its Annual Energy Outlook with the prediction that at least one out of every hundred vehicles will be powered purely on electricity in the future.

While that number may initially appear insignificant, it does mean one thing: electric cars will be practical alternatives and not just show-room commodities. Entering the new year, hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius, which was first rolled out of factories in 1997, make up around 3% of the market. Diesel-powered cars, which have been around for decades prior, represent another 5% of the market. In a world where resources are becoming increasingly scarce, it is crucial to provide a more reasonable alternative.

Fueled by a low-ball estimate from the EIA, developers will continue to look for ways to make these all-electric cars more accessible and to break previous stereotypes. The failed Costco charging pumps, however, are an indicator of just how much work needs to be done.

Although cars like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt have been available for a few years now, consumers’ fear of the car slowly breaking down has halted their mainstream success.

After the initial jokes about these cars electrocuting people and blowing up during rainstorms subsided, people were still concerned about the lack of the backup gas tank. So in order for these cars to truly sell, marketers must convince people to place faith in the batteries.

And much like a cell phone, these batteries can only be recharged by a specific type of charger, which can be too slow at times for people with a busy lifestyle. Without accessible chargers all over the country, potential customers who are afraid of the consequences of this untested technology will stray away to other alternatives.

Despite the apparent unpopularity of these cars, over 100,000 electric cars have been sold already. And with gas prices soaring closer to (and potentially beyond) $4 a gallon, the demand for these cars will only increase. Since faster charging, accessible, and longer-lasting batteries will be essential to the success of the electric car, there is still a bounty of potential in a technology being perfected with every successive day, waiting for people to give it a chance to prove itself. And who knows? The EIA once said that in 2010, only one out of every hundred American households would have Internet access. Maybe they’re in for a shocker. jmatsumoto@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CLIPART-BOX.COM and JASSY2013.DEVIANTART.COM

Yousafzai is an activist from Pakistan and she has become a symbol for women’s rights to education; she received a Clinton Global Citizen Award and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Now Yousafzai aims “to become a Prime Minister of Pakistan...because through politics [she] can serve [her] whole county. [She] can be the doctor of the whole country.”

Nick D’Aloisio: Imagine earning $30 million at the ripe age of 18. Well, Nick D’Aloisio didn’t need to imagine it; he lived it. At only 15 years of age, programming genius Nick D’Alosio created Trimit, an app that condenses text and summarizes it for the reader. In 2011, his app captured the attention of Apple, and Trimit was featured in its App Store. Then he took the critique for his app, redesigned it, and relaunched it as Summly in December 2013.

The summarization app was then sold to Yahoo!

in March 2013, allowing him to become a selfmade millionaire. Since then, he’s received the British Inspiration Awards for Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013 as well as many other awards.

These teenagers are our age, but they have already accomplished many notable deeds in this past year. They have even been listed in Time magazine’s 16 Most Influential Teens of 2013. These notable teens have done plenty to gain their titles and recognition for their work is much deserved. bshen@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of FUNDATIADAN.COM, GUARDIANLV.COM, OZARKSFIRST.COM and STANDARD.CO.UK

Just So Sweet!

By LAUREN FRANK Staff Writer

They’re hard to resist—warm, cold, chewy, flaky, and all around delicious. Baked goods of all shapes and sizes are treats for any time of the year, and luckily, there are plenty of bakeries to satisfy that sugar crave that a packaged candy bar cannot. Baked goods are more than a quick fix; they leave you lingering on those last crumbs, reliving and relishing those first bites, and dying for more. It’s a good thing that bakeries are expanding and creating new desserts for taste buds to get addicted to, and the most unique and innovative bakeries in the U.S. are just a plane flight away.

Home to the famous Cronut, an incredible match-made-in-heaven between a doughnut and a croissant, Dominique Ansel Bakery is all the way on the East Coast in the Soho Distict of New York. It was named the Best Bakery of 2012 in New York by both The New York Times and Metromix New York. This popular bakery has more to offer than delicious new takes on French desserts, though. In the back, there’s even a garden and a greenhouse for viewing!

Away from the shopping capital of New York, Moustache Baked Goods is tucked away in Healdsburg, California where classic combinations of flavors are reimagined.

The shop specializes in cakes and cupcakes, with notable names such as “The Butcher”, a sweet-salty combination of maple and bacon from local farms, and “The Goldminer”

which features pear cake with spiced chai frosting. Only organic ingredients are used and the bakery swears to only making small batches of their goods from scratch without any preservatives or artificial flavors.

Craftsman and Wolves, however, is a bakery that focuses on the flare of both flavor and presentation. This San Francisco store reflects its artsy community, creating beautiful desserts that can only be called masterpieces.

Some of their treats include chocolate, passion fruit, and black sesame coupe; lychee, milk chocolate, and coffee layer cake; and cheesecake verrine, praline, and pomelo.

Though it’s technically not a bakery, Voodoo Doughnuts has all the qualifications of competing in the baked goods big league. This doughnut store serves up some crazy concoctions, as its name may suggest.

Open 24/7 in Portland, Oregon, its doughnuts are piled with delectable toppings, many of which are cereals such as Captain Crunch, Fruit Loops, Coco-Puffs, Rice Krispies, and other candy treats like M&Ms and Oreos. Of course, what fun doughnut shop wouldn’t have a giant doughnut six times the size of a regular one? With so many different kinds of creative and crazy doughnuts, it’s no wonder what all the hype is about.

Just thinking about any one of these stores is enough to make a mouth water, so a word of caution: don’t look at the pictures.

The cravings that follow will be insatiable! lfrank@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of NICSEARTH.COM

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January 2014

Anticipated Movies of 2014 own.

By y JUSTIN TANG Staff Writer

2013 was a great year for the movie industry, with blockbuster releases like American Hustle, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Frozen, and Man of Steel, just to name a few. Fast & Furious 6 was the last time we’d see actor Paul Walker in a film. The second installment of the three-part prequel, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, did not disappoint fans of the first movie. Iron Man 3 pushed Tony Stark to his limits as he questioned what it meant to wear the suit. Oz the Great and Powerful retold the epic adventure of Dorothy and her journey to Emerald City.

We can all expect great nominations at the 2014 Oscars in March. Now that the new year is upon us, a brand new stock of films is eagerly awaiting to hit thee movie theaters. Here are just some of the movies to anticipate this year: RoboCop - Although similarr to Iron Man, RoboCop is set in the year ar 2028, imary where drones serve as the primary military force. OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology, and when a good cop by the name of Alex Murphy is critically injured,, tOmniCorp sees its chance at creater.. er ing a part-man, part-robot officer. ned ed d However, they never envisioned he that the man they placed inside th the machine might have a mind of his

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Intended to be the sequel to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and playing off of 2012’s The Avengers, Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) lives quietly in his home in Washington, D.C. until a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague is attacked. Faced with professional assassins at every turn, Captain America enlists the help of the Black Widow and the Falcon to fight the enemy.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Eight years after what happened in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Caesar’s group of genetically-altered apes is threatened by a band of human survivors.

Peace is short-lived when both species are brought to a war that will determine who rules Earth as the dominant species. Even if this movie sounds completely bogus, who doesn’t want to see apes try and take over the planet?

Divergent - If you haven’t read the novel, you might want to wait before watching this movie. Much like the Hunger Games series, Divergent is centered in a dystopian world where people are divided into factions based on their different personalities. Tris Prior is warned that she’s a Divergent, someone who doesn’t fit into any of the groups. When an authoritarian leader seeks to eradicate all the Divergents, Tris must find out why her kind is so special. Action-packed with adventure and romance, this is sure to be a huge hit when it releases in March.

Bad Words - When was the last time a 40-year-old participated in a children’s spelling bee? Guy Trilby finds a loophole in National Quill Spelling Bee’s rules and destroys the dreams of outraged parents and 8th graders alike. He forges a bond with tenye year-old Chaitanya, who just might pick up onn some of the foul language Guy uses.

These are only a few of the numerou ous films that will come out this year, no o to mention films like Transcendence, not G Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past, an n The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which are and aalso expected to be major Hollywood hits.

S Start saving up because you’re going to be spending a fortune at the movie theaters th h year! this jtang@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of JUST-SPOTTED.COM

New Semester, New Beginning By y SIMONE CHU Staff Writer

Happy New Semester! It’s been 92 days since the 2013-2014 school year began. 92 days of homework, classes, and that ridiculous traffic around S-Building.

But here’s the bright side: only 87 more to go before school’s done.

87 days is quite a lot, but hey—the semester change means a fresh start!

Here are some ways to take advantage of (and celebrate) this new beginning, based off that Old English bridal rhyme.

(You’ve probably heard it before, even if you don’t know it.)

1. Getting rid of something old.

Parents might be on to something.

Clean your room. When you have some free time, take the opportunity to get rid of all the old junk and sort out your papers from last semester. While cleaning isn’t all that fun, it does have its benefits. First of all, when you’re done cleaning, your room won’t be as cluttered and messy. A

clean room is great for a happier mood and better ability to concentrate, which is the ideal environment for a student trying to study or do homework. (Another benefit: your parents will be thrilled. They’ll think you’re an angel and will brag about you to your relatives.)

2. Trying out something new. In the spirit of January-ness (hey, it’s both a new year and a new semester), try out something new. Maybe find a new hobby, so that your free time can also be used productively. (As fun as derping around on Tumblr or Instagram is, it’s not all that productive... or particularly good for your health.) Yoga is a great stress-reliever, and stress definitely builds up during school. Light a few candles in your room and meditate. Learn how to breathe right. These skills can be helpful when that workload gets a bit too overwhelming.

3. Reading something borrowed. If you have some free time, why not stroll down to the library and pick up a book?

For those juniors preparing for SAT’s, try a

(more) fun way of expanding your vocabulary. Grab a difficult book (say, J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit) and a dictionary. Read the book, and as you come across words you don’t know, look them up. Benefits: chances are, you’ll learn a new word (or several), and you will have bragging rights around your friends. (If you complete any Tolkien book, and your friends haven’t, you now have the right of way to claim superior intelligence. Just don’t be a jerk about it.)

4. Drinking something blue.

Okay, yeah. Water isn’t blue unless it’s in the ocean, but still. Did you know that if you’re not drinking at least eight eightounce glasses of water a day, you’re not getting enough? Dehydration is not a fun thing. It’ll impair your concentration and kill your brain cells. This is pretty much the epitome of detrimental things you can do to yourself that will make your life at school harder. Don’t murder your own brain. Drink water.

These little changes are an awesome way to get ahead, but they’re not for everyone. If you haven’t the time (or motivation) to try these fancier tips, just make sure you have enough pencils and paper (or pens, for your English class).

There is always a need for those—pencils and paper are the fundamental tools for academic success.

7

Resolution Reminders

By JESSICA WANG Staff Writer

With the new year comes new beginnings, new friends, new ideas, and new resolutions. They’re resolutions that we try to keep (note: the key word here is “try”), but we often end up failing. Of course, we often forget about past attempts and just make more resolutions the following year thinking “this year might be the year”. Looking back, this might not be the smartest of cycles. But have no fear! Here are some incredibly wonderful deas tthat at might make this year the year. ideas Write it down and stick it somewhere you visit often.

This could be literally anyw where, from your desk to the f fridge.

If you like shopping, stick it in your wallet. If you’re into video games, stick a note on your console. It’ll be a friendly reminder whenever you go do something. This is often preferred over a nagging voice bossing us around.

After all, being told to do something usually makes us not want to do it, right?

Have a resolution buddy!

Sometimes, the friendly nnote becomes not so friendly and maybe even mocking, so it’s recommended you have a resolution buddy. Maybe a friend of yours is also struggling with his or her resolution, so why not deal with it together? Sometimes another human can provide better moral support than a piece of paper taped to your phone. But it’s still a win-win situation! You and your buddy are both more likely to follow through with your resolutions, and you both can gripe and p complain to one another in the process.

Reward yourself!

Who doesn’t love pampering themselves? If you are being rewarded for k keeping up with your resolution, you’re more likely to keep doing it. For example, if your goal is to wake up earlier, maybe wake up early enough to reward yourself with half an hour of video games. It might not be the most beneficial iincentive, but it’s a start.

Track your progress!

If you can see how much y you’ve done or improved, y you’re more likely to be motiv vated to finish what you started. After all, once you’ve made it this far, you’ve only got a little bit more to go, right?

Now you have everything you need to make this year successful! With enough motivation, you could make a sports team, maintain straight A’s, or accomplish practically anything you put your mind to. So go and do what you need to do to make this year the year!

schu@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of BARUCHCONNECT.COM and COLOURBOX.COM

jwang@apachepowwow.com

8

PERFORMING ARTS Perfecting Their Pitch

By NEVEN WANG-TOMIC Staff Writer

Perhaps the most well-known singing group at AHS is Chanteurs, which has been hard at work practicing and performing throughout the first semester. It has just finished its Fall and Winter concert choir songs and is now moving on to new routines. As we begin a new semester, let’s catch up with some Chanteurs members to see what they are up to and how they are doing.

Chanteurs’ current transition, coupled with a season of competitions and performances, has resulted in a time-intensive practice routine. Chanteurs Vice President senior Carrie Zhang detailed, “We practice every Saturday and one to two other days of the week for three to six hours depending on the scheduling of our choreographer and our director.” Member senior Calvin Lee added on, “Every Saturday, we work on choral and choreography related to our show set!” There is no doubt that the time commitment that Chanteurs requires is demanding, but it certainly pays off.

As a result of the hard work and time that Chanteurs puts in, it’s no surprise that it is a historically high-performing group, and this year looks like it will be no different. “My fa-

vorite part of Chanteurs this year is our ballad for the competition. The ballad is jaw-dropping in my opinion and I know other members think so too. It gives me the chills every time we sing it!” stated Calvin. So what goals are members of Chanteurs looking to achieve this year? Well, Carrie explained, “We hope to create the best show we can and hopefully take home some trophies!” Calvin mentioned, “Well of course our main goal is to win all the competitions, but if we don’t, then that is totally fine because bonding with the group is a goal of mines personally.”

In terms of upcoming performances, “We have lots of competitions coming up, starting with a competition on Feb. 8 at Citrus College!” explained Carrie. Calvin followed, “I am really excited for this year and all the competitions we’re about to go to because the group is already very close. I can’t wait to compete because our theme this year is very entertaining, and I know everyone else is enthusiastic about it too!” It seems the future is shaping out to be a good one for Chanteurs, and taking into account the long hours and the dedication of each member, Chanteurs will yield amazing results. nwang-tomic@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of ITRAININGZONE.COM

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January 2014

Before Kicking the Bucket

By MELODY LIN Staff Writer

It’s the start of a new year, and there’s no doubt that many people are adding new things to their bucket lists this year. A bucket list is what it sounds like: a list of goals people hope to accomplish before they “kick the bucket”. For many people, going to the gym and eating healthy are top priorities, but for Performing Arts (PA) members, their art is the most important. So what do some PA members hope to accomplish on their lists?

“I hope that I will be proud of my improvements made from the beginning. And I want to play slurs well.”

—Jaclyn Huang, 9, Band “I want to inspire others with my art and connect with people through my art on a physical, mental, and emotional level.”

—Sophia Woods, 10, Orchesis “I hope Band gets 1st at championships in Dayton, Ohio. I [also] hope we have a good competition season overall and that our friendships and bonds will last a long time.”

—Tiffany Lau, 10, Band

“I plan on stepping up and being a role model for the underclassmen in Band in order to pass on the tradition of excellence that Band has followed. Since I’m a junior and I have to think about life beyond high school, I want to make sure that music is always a part of my life. I may not always play the oboe, but music will always be present since it has been an important factor in shaping who I am today.”

—Alex Repko, 11, Band “During my high school PA career, I would like to be able to move the viewers with my dancing and put them into awe when they are watching Orchesis shows. Just like dancing, I hope that whatever I decide to do in the future, I would be able to influence others in my life.”

—Cristine Fang, 11, Orchesis All of these PA members are excited to fulfill their artistic dreams and will all strive towards achieving every goal on their bucket lists. Good luck PA members! mlin@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of 123RF.COM and DREAMSTIME.COM

A Taste of Italy

By ELISHA LEE

By ERIC CHEN Staff Writer

Staff Writer

The 47th annual Spaghetti Dinner, held on January 18th at the North Gym, left audience members craving music and pasta!

Excitement filled the students’ hearts as the show proved to be more fantastic than last year’s. However, before the show, one dwelling question remained in the minds of many students: Was there going to be spaghetti?

Junior Eddie Chan said, “Although it was a great show last year, I was a little dismayed to find out that I would be leaving empty-stomached.” Of course, food comes first in the minds of some people. Eddie, disappointed at last year’s lack of spaghetti, still decided to go support the fellow students. With or without spaghetti, many students still attended the Spaghetti Dinner event and definitely rocked to the music of the performance.

However, how did the performers feel about the occasion? Practicing almost daily, they felt quite relaxed and confident about their instrumental skills. Band member sophomore Clarence Dureg stated, “I felt like I have improved since sectionals started in June 2012, and I was excited to end marching season with a great performance.”

For many Performing Arts members, this was their first show of the new year.

For others, since the Spaghetti Dinner was the last performance for many of them, they were dedicated to putting on a great show.

Be sure to attend the Spaghetti Dinner next year for a fun-filled experience!

Although we live in warm California, mornings are still chilly. Performing Arts (PA) members have it worse than most students though; from early rehearsals to parades with troublesome weather, PA members need to bundle up in winter apparel to stay nice and toasty. Here are some PA members’ thoughts on the pros and cons of winter and their approaches to staying warm.

echen@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of BAKERHOMEENERGYCONSULTANT.ORG and PICKLE-DESIGN.COM

“For morning rehearsals, it’s cold at first but it gets warmer as we work up a sweat when marching. During performances, our uniforms can usually handle the weather but they don’t keep us warm. I would consider the cold a pro because I’d rather be cold than completely burning hot. However, one con of winter weather is that ents so we the cold affects our instruments m warm.” constantly have to keep them —Ryan Pan, 10, Band

“We usually start cold rehearsals wearing shorts and tank tops under jackets and sweats. Once we’re finished warming up, we start removing layers. Winterguard is mostly indoors, so cold weather isn’t a huge issue for us.”

—Vanessa Tse, 12, Colorguard, Captain

“Since [Band members] have to get to school by 7:00 a.m. for rehearsals, it’s often really chilly, but because of daylight saving, the warmth of the sun helps a little. I just stack layers upon layers of jackets above my shirt to keep warm. To me, there are only cons to winter because it is inco inconvenient.””

—Ernest Lei, 11, Band

“I don’t really pay attention to the cold since I only think about the music I’m playing. I really just wear a jacket since the music warms me up on the inside.”

—Ryan Luu, 11, Orchestra 2

elee@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of WALLPIXY.COM Photos by STANLEY SHAW and KATRINA VILLACISNEROS

January 2014

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CHECK ONE OFF OF

apachepowwow.com

January 2014

List t e k c u B My 2014 for the day 1) Pretend to be a tourist in my own city 2) Be in two places at once 3) Stop being “just friends” 4) Write a note in a balloon and let it go 4) Donate my hair 5) Hold a monkey 6) Write something in wet cement 7) Build a magical treehouse 8) Cliff jump years 9) Write a letter to myself to open in 10 10) Adopt a hedgehog 11) Write a book 12) Order a cheeseburger without cheese 13) Be part of a flash mob 14) Learn archery 15) Pay for a stranger’s groceries 16) Have a mud fight 17) Solve a rubik’s cube pizza 18) Surprise someone with a heart shaped 19) Play hide and seek in Ikea 20) Make homemade ice-cream Walmart greeter 21) Go to Walmart and pretend to be the 22) Own a llama farm d in public 23) Dress up like Waldo and walk aroun avoid using the 24) When ordering pizza over the phone, taking the order says word “PIZZA” by any means. If the guy t word” it, hang up saying, “Please, don’t use tha

#10 Adop

t a hedgeh

Photos courtesy of CARTOONMAZAMELA.BLOGSPOT.COM, DREAMSTIME.COM, and THEGUARDIAN.COM

og!

#20

sist, thi annually in e w as , d ear an miraculo It’s a new y abits will h rk a o W . around languages, this time o foreign i v tw a h st r a le fo at able will learn commend e is b it — e ly b rs u si o sen Now, of c ese goals ing pproach th ude anyth it tt a is we must a th h it ic w st , ta n id g sa is a fa That bein bucket list m a o g fr in k at c a re C g us b achieved. ing holdin th o n is and there

January 2014

centerspread.powwow@gmail.com

#8 Cliff

THE BUCKET LIST

jump!

house!

a tree 7 Build

#

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0 Make hom ice cream!

ifferent� ing to be “d t, we ings are go igh rove overn must. ously imp y il a d a is ise ns, but and exerc io it b high am h c su g in nd patient. realistic a eing both to can be our minds e goals, g we set th mplish es ! way to acco of the list g one off in k c e h c m

#4 Write a note n in a balloo . and let it go..

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12

STUDENT LIFE

By y ERIC CHO

apachepowwow.com

January 2014

The Four New Year’s Revolutionists Staff Writer

With the start of a new year and a clean slate at hand for all, it’s natural clea for resolutions to be made, hopes to be sprung, and optimism to be out and about spru in th the air. What follows, however, remains an eentirely different story, a test often consisting of a sist cha challenge to the morals and sheer willpower of mankind.

Whether you Wh suc succeed or fail in adhering to your resolutions, res it may be interesting to identify you yourself with one of the follow lowing.

The Jolly-for-the-Holidays Idealist: Passion, dedication, and a genuine love toward all things regarding holidays best account for the people within this clas classification. As these people hope to mak make their generally good-natured spirits kknown, optimism frequently fills the air and passerbys cannot help but feel a litt of the New Year spirit upon meeting li little th them.

Regardless of whether it’s been a

mere week or a few months since New Years, these people will stick with and remain loyal to their idealistic resolutions through thick and thin.

The Party-Crasher: While generally good-natured, these party-hardy fellows often

that counts, right?

The Grumpy Incarnate: You’re the scrooge of the town, so to speak. There’s really nothing exciting about the holiday season to you, be it counting down at 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, or making those classic resolutions.

remain too rash for their own good. The logical choose one path, the party-crasher chooses the other—whichever appears to be more radical, actually. Placing the joy of others at stake and causing the same joy to be constantly in danger of being turned to frustration as a result, the party crasher’s impetuosity makes him or her often unappealing to be around. Resolutions tend to be broken out of mistakes and ignorance, rather than out of a lack of concern. It’s the thought

Who knew making a list of things to do came with so much hype? Why does the minute before midnight receive so much more attention than any other minute? You just can’t seem to understand. It’s alright; maybe bright lights and staying up late just aren’t your things.

The Average-Joe (Holiday Version): There’s really no need to overthink your resolutions or to stay up all night celebrating the coming of a new year, in your opinion. Sure,

Student Corner ScorePortal

final score isn’t going to set it in stone, it does somehow allow a student to breathe more Staff Writer easily.

It seems pretty trivial to ask yourself Powerschool is supposed to fix the gap how to bring up your grades—maintain a from teacher to parent knowledge, and Scoreprimarily consistent score throughout the se- Portal aids in providing a link between stumester and you’re bound to pass...right? dent and teacher knowledge. When the teachNot knowing exactly what score is er is irked at the thought of telling students needed for a cerwhat they should tain grade can be or shouldn’t worry frustrating.

For about, ScorePorthis, you can open tal is glad to help a new tab, close (happy teacher ulPowerSchool, timately leads to a and take a gander happier you). at ScorePortal.

Michael exFounder senior plained that the Mike Shi runs a idea of starting modest staff of up ScorePortal eight for Scoreemerged in sophoPortal, “a website THE MAKERS OF SCOREPORTAL more year. “Sethat lets students These insightful seniors came together to make a mester finals were view their grades website every student could use. coming up, and [he] online.” However, unlike the online report wanted to know what to do to get an A in that we know, ScorePortal “takes grades [be- [his] overall class.” He decided that it’d be yond] the limited read-only style,” according faster (or, at least, he convinced himself so) to its website. Students can manipulate old “to write a program to do it” instead. While grades, (say, you want to know a rough mini- Scoreportal is still in beta stages, students can mum to pass an overall class) and even “input already start signing up! hypothetical or future assignment grades into a virtual grade book to see” the effects, Mike chsu@apachepowwow.com stated.

Photo courtesy of Even though knowing about a possible PASADENASTARNEWS.COM

By CAROLYN HSU

the holidays are a time to celebrate, but ng going all out just doesn’t hit it. Valuing ch the next day and despising wasting such er. time isn’t what’s bugging you either. mRather, a lack of excitement when comur pared to anyone else aside from your fellow averermage-joe comust panions. Just ge the average he Joe of the mitown, semihyped for the holidays.

In spite of being best as classified forthe Jolly-forays the-Holidays Idealist, the Grumpy Inor carnate, a mix off a er it bunch, it’s fine to be unique! Whether h rebe by sticking to your resolutions with ules, solve or living free from your own rules, rs. whatever works best is all that matters.

Let’s hope for the best this year in 2014, Apaches! echo@apachepowwow.com Graphics by BELINDA SHOUNG and courtesy of TOONVECTORS.COM

Diary of an Injured Kid

By CHELSEA CHENG Staff Writer

At a school of about 4,000 students, you may have spotted a few students who are injured. Some of these students know what it is like to be in such situations. Being slightly or seriously injured is not fun and may prevent you from doing many y activities yyou enjoy. j y On the bright side, there here are a few ways ys to prevent such h accidents.

You may have seen me around school in a wheelchair for a few months after I fractured my ankle during soccer in P.E..

I wasn’t being g careful of my actions, which led me to have surgery on Halloween. During this experience, I stayed positive and kept encouraging ng myself everyday to do better in order to recuperate uperate faster. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one ne to have gone through this.

The most common injuries often occur in sports. Most contact sports are very aggressive and injuries may have resulted in sprains or fractures. Sophomore Kento Sie was “injured

racing in cross country.” He also explained that “being injured made [him] realize how much [people] take for granted, such as walking up the stairs, or getting up from a chair.” Freshman Sid Rao said that he “broke his arm because [someone] had pushed it in midair.” Overuse of parts of the body can also cause injuries, as Sid explained that he injuried “his Achilles tendon by y excessively y using g it and that it hurt a lot.”

Experience from th these injuries can help h prevent future accidents. t One tip might be to listen to what your doctors say.

Another might be to stay calm and look on the bright side because staying i positive could help you with h what you are gow ing in through at the moment. Also, you m should be doing strengthening exfor your body so it is used to the strain ercises fo put on while playing sports or exercising. you pu Of course, sports and other activities can be fun, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Your body has a certain physical limit, and it is important not to overwork yourself. ccheng@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of WEBFRONTER.COM

January 2014

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ACADEMICS

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January 2014

Academic Teams Prepare for Competitions

The

By DONNA SAYPHRARAJ & CHRISTINA READ Staff Writers

By TIFFANY LIU Staff Writer

Known for its intensive study of jazz and modern American music,, Berklee Col Coltuddent lege of Music also pr providess its st students de variety of classes ses thatt ra rang ng ng with a wide range ock, hip hop, and reggae eggae too sa als from rock, salsa egrass. The college has as a ccampus ampu am puss in pu and bluegrass. alencia iaa, Sp Spain Boston, Massachusetts and Valencia, Spain. nto four departmen s: pr prof ofessiona of Broken into departments: professional rofessional perfor writing, professional performance, music technology, and profession professional education.

The college provides guidance in many different aspectss of music includ including producposition. The sc tion and composition. school offers ll class sizes, with 88.8% of relatively small classes having fewer than 20 stud students, and vity that makes th it is this selectivity the college heir success is ma so prestigious. Their marked by ho have collective the 100 alumni wh who collectively won 1 Grammy yA warddds, as well aas others who 231 Awards, ve workedd onn m o have movies like The Hunger mes and The The Avengers, Ave Av Games and T.V. shows luding Glee, Glee Gl e , American Am including Idol, and How I otheer. ot Mett Your M Mother.

Stud St den nts ccan an spend summer break Students king ki ng and ndd produc roduccing music with peo making producing people speciaalize in the field and atten whoo specialize attend a large array of summer programs offered by the college,, including instrumental, vo vocal, duction, business, songwri music production, songwriting d a summer in Spain. courses, and mental programs include the Instrumental mmer Bass Workshop and B Berklee Summer Berklee Summerr String Program. Both progr programs dents to different music styles by expose students m with experts in their respec pairing them respective ees’ special Five-Week Sum field. Berklees’ Summer ce Program includes about 1, Performance 1,000 people from across the U.S. More than 70 y of various incountries gather in a medley mporary styles, an nd le llevels vels struments, contemporary and y. of musical ability. m is pr pprimarily im mar a il ilyy ai aimed att hhigh igh This program aaree at a lea e st 115 ea 5 ye yyears ars school students whoo ar least ave a cchance hance to exp xperrieence old so they can have experience lege ooff Mu Musi M ssicc hhas as to offer. what Berklee College Music pproduction oducctiioon side of muod On the business and pr ollege off ooffers ffers pr pprograms ogram ms that teach sic, the college dents nts t about thee rrecording e ording ind ec ndustry new students industry, market tin ingg strategies, and studios of music marketing producti ion ons an and engineering. In addition, productions the Songwr writ wr itin it ingg Wo in Workshop teaches sstudents Songwriting about harm mony, lyr ric writing, and T. harmony, lyric T.V. and film tools nee eeded to pplace ee l ce your own ssongs la needed in the industr ryy.. All the ese summer progr industry. these programs prepare studen nts t to go iinto nto their fields w students with enthusiasm andd ssuccess uccess sss in mind.

Because Be Ber rklee also has a campu Berklee campus in Spain, itt ooffers ffers a unique summer study abroad in V alenciaa. This six-w Valencia. six-week program allows und dergrad duates tto get et col undergraduates college credits while studying studyi yiingg M hnology and ProMusic Technology duction tainment Business duction, M Music and Entertainment Business, iterranean Cultur or Liberal Arts and Mediterranean Cultural Studies, for a maximum of 11 credits.

Berklee College of Music guarante guarantees d transformed, and to leave you inspired, equipped with all the resources that you need for success in the music industry. tliu@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

History Bowl (HB) HB’s last tournament was a huge success.

At the B-Set tournament on Jan. 11 in Irvine, its varsity team Arcadia A won 1st place in its division and JV team Arcadia E won 2nd. HB Captain junior Yuqiao Zhao said, “I thought the tournament was a great success, and Arcadia teams performed well on both varsity and JV levels.” This was the first tournament for HB novices, and Yuqiao said “younger players have done a tremendous job in improving and filling the shoes of departed seniors, which contributes to the team’s long-term success.”

HB continues to be undefeated in SoCal. Their upcoming tournament is in the A-Set tournament in Redondo Beach on Feb. 8.

Math Team (MT) Math Team is comprised of approximately 30 students who prepare for both individual and team competition. Every year, MT competes in the Bay Math League (BML). There are four BML meets every year that the team attends. On Feb. 12, it will have its third BML meet of the year. The competition will take place at San Marino High School.

Speech and Debate With approximately 100 members, Speech and Debate has a handful of categories for members to compete in such as Duo and Congress. The next Speech and Debate tourna-

ment will take place on Feb. 1 at AHS. Last time, AHS won 3rd in Sweepstakes, and many team members received individual awards.

Science Olympiad (SO) With about 23 events to choose from, SO competitions range from written tests to laboratory exams to building devices. These events cover a wide range of sciences, including astronomy, chemistry, and ecology. Over the last few years, this team has consistently been placing within the top five in California.

SO will be attending Regionals on Feb. 22.

Its state championships are on Apr. 9, and SO member junior Chelsea Lee noted that she is “pretty sure the team will advance to State.”

Quiz Bowl (QB) QB competes in groups of four to answer questions on many academic topics, including science, literature, and sports. As well as being the number one QB team in Southern California, it has qualified for Nationals six times in the past six years. On Tuesday Feb. 18 QB is having a tournament at Westview High School.

QB Captain senior Boyang Jiao said, “It’s our third tournament of the year, and we hope to be able to qualify a third team for nationals for the third straight year.”

Destination Imagination (DI) DI is an innovative organization that teaches creativity, teamwork, and problem solving to students. This unique team works together to create innovative solutions to challenges. It hopes to teach its members how to work as a team and think on their feet. Region-

als for DI are on Mar. 29 in Redlands. If the team advances to States, the competition will be on Mar. 29 in Northern California.

Constitution Team Also called Gov. Team, this team studies, analyzes, and evaluates the United States Government. It competes by participating in mock Congressional hearings, with each of its six units focusing on a different aspect of the Constitution. In addition, members study historic events, current events, and laws in order to learn more about how the government works.

Gov. team will be attending State Championships on Feb. 9. Gov Team member senior Jeremy Chang said, “If we win first in that, then we get to go to nationals, which is from Apr. 26 to 29.”

Academic Decathlon (AcaDeca) You think competing in one subject is hard? Try ten. In AcaDeca, students compete in seven different subjects, including everything from art to science and literature. They will also compete in the categories of Speech, Interview, and Essay. This year, the theme for all subjects and categories will be The Great Depression, and the team hopes to compete and win at Nationals. The AcaDeca team will have regional competitions on Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. The National Finals for 2014 will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii on Apr. 24 to 26. cread@apachepowwow.com dsayphraraj@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Physics Team is Gaining Momentum

By JUSTIN TANG Staff Writer

The United States National Physics Olympiad (USAPhO) is a an extremely challenging competition in which teams from all over the nation compete to represent USA at the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). The preliminary round, a F=ma competition,was hosted on Jan. 28 where participants took a 25-question multiple choice test in under 75 minutes. As the competition title suggests, it covers all of the Mechanics portion of Physics. Those who receive a sufficiently high score will be qualified to enter the Semi-Finalists Round. Co-captain senior Jacky Liang g said, “We have been ppreparing for the competition since the beginning of the school year. Each week we’d meet, introduce some new ew physics concepts, do a little competition problems oblems together, and assign or review w homework.” Aside from Jacky’s weekly eekly routine, members have been preparing themselves in different ways as well. Junior Sirej Dua said, “Well, I’m takking tests from m previous years rs for practice, and after I review the problems that I got wrong, I try y to read about it in my physics textbook ok to further my undernderstanding. The test is really difficult,, and last year you needed only a 12/25 5 to

make it to the next round, which itself describes how difficult it is and how few people can move in to the semifinal round. I hope that by practicing and learning I will be able to!”

Members of Physics Team have been doing everything they can to ready themselves for F=ma competition, even if it means giving lectures and encouraging their peers to study hard! Co-captain senior Frank Fan said, “I’ve been giving lectures, demonstrations, assigning homework, etc. It may seem like independent study by superficial inspection, but we act as a family of nerds who fill in the gaps of knowledge of our comrades. This year we hope to beat our own numbers last year—to send more than p to USAPhO and to, with fervent three ppeople errs dedication, have more than one of our member members win medals

at the National level.” Jacky has also been coming up with ways to encourage the team to study hard: “This year we started a system called merit points. Basically, team members get points by actively participating during meetings, doing homework, and helping out each other. Every month we give an award to the two people with the highest points; it’s like an incentive system for doing well.”

Rewards for anything always motivates people, and the reward for passing the F=ma competition and hopefully making it to the Semi-Finalists Round (or beyond) should be more than enough to get Physics Team accelerating at full force! jtang@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of JACKY LIANG

January 2014

academics.powwow@gmail.com

ACADEMICS

15

Peer Tutors or Academic Superheroes?

By CHRISTINA READ Staff Writer

is, rest assured that there will always be someone at Peer Tutoring who is willing to help.

Students don’t have to worry about whether their particular questions or areas of difficulties are included in the tutors’ knowledge because there is a tutor available for every subject

It happens to everyone. Whether it’s a complicated math problem, a blank essay page, or a Spanish assignment that’s all Greek to you, having trouble with homework is nothing to be ashamed of.

All that really matters is that you manage to work through the issue in the end. Luckily, Peer Tutoring is ready to help!

Peer Tutoring meets in the AHS library from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. every JACKS OF ALL TRADES Peer tutors junior Allison Kuo (top, on the week from right) and sophomore Briana Shen (right, on the right) spend some time M o n d a y with their tutees, helping them with various subjects before finals next week. through Thursday, and the tutors there are happy to provide taught at AHS. President senior Annie Yang exassistance to struggling students. Anyone who plained, “When we recruit tutors, we try to get needs help with his or her schoolwork can come tutors who are confident tutoring in a variety of in to receive exactly that. Can’t decide where to classes. There’s an interview process that goes start your big project? Peer Tutoring can help along with the application process; it allows us you get on top of it. Need a difficult concept ex- to ensure that the tutors we recruit are able to plained? Peer Tutoring has it. Just need a little tutor effectively.”

Alternatively, if one doesn’t need any exextra help? No worries, the tutors will be happy to provide it. No matter what the specific need tra help, but wants to provide that for others,

applications for second semester will soon be available. In order to become a tutor, a strong academic background is needed, as well as patience and a desire to help others. Sophomore Katie Huang added that you need to “be able to explain concepts to the students without giving them the answer right away.” Knowing a foreign language may also help, according to sophomore Vivian Chou, who believes she got selected thanks to her ability to

teach in Chinese.

Peer Tutoring also has an outreach program where tutors visit the nearby middle schools and help younger kids with their work.

Sophomore Melody Hsueh, who feels the programs are very different, explained that “at the high school, you tutor one person for a specific topic, but at the middle schools you can tutor one to three people at the same time.” She

also added that while high school students are typically reserved during the session, middle schoolers tend to be a lot more open.

Peer tutors are available for the majority of the school year, so don’t be afraid to go to them for help at any point. If anyone is ever struggling, whether it’s his or her first time or twentieth, they should stop by the library! The tutors there are waiting to assist their classmates with any and all homework needs. As Annie said, tutoring is all about “acknowledging that students can help each other.”

Peer tutoring is available throughout the school year tutors are available for the majority of the school year, excluding the first few months before applications have been submitted, so don’t be afraid to go to them for help at any point. If you’re ever struggling, whether it’s your first time or your twentieth, remember to stop by the library! The tutors there are waiting to assist you with any and all of your homework needs. cread@apachepowwow.com Photos by STANLEY SHAW

SPORTS

sports.powwow@gmail.com

January 2014

17

New Years Resolutions

By CHARLES XU

Staff Writer

New Year’s resolutions are a national tradition and give many people motivation to make the upcoming year even better than the last. Our Apache athletes are no exception, as each wants to improve his or her individual performance and help the team in obtaining a better record. Here are various players’ resolutions: “The volleyball team’s New Year’s resolution is to work on our communication and our ability to work as a team. Our weakness is our height disadvantage and the goal is to improve on all of our verticals to give us an athletic edge over the other team.”

“My [New Year’s] resolution is to enjoy the game. The goal for the team is to keep our friendships after the season ends. I can [reach this goal] by having fun.”

- Taylor Jensen, 12, Boys Varsity Basketball

- Jeff Liu, 10, Boys JV Volleyball

“My New Year’s resolution is to make first string on defense. I want my team to win CIF. And I think we can eliminate our team’s weakness by hitting the weight room more often.”

“My New Year’s resolution is play to the best of my ability so that my team can win league and go far in CIF. I also want to keep up my grades in addition to excelling in sports.”

- Ryan Pugh, 11, Varsity Football

- Kelly Dopke, 11, Girls Varsity Soccer

Starting off with the new year, Arcadia athletes have set their goals for the season. With the work ethic and determination of our AHS players, there’s no doubt that they will be able to achieve these resolutions. cxu@apachepowwow.com Photos by ZACHARY YEE and KATRINA VILLACISNEROS

Guilty Pleasures

Girls Varsity Soccer

By ROSE LI

still have a successful season” despite the losses.

As captain of the team, Rachel trusts that the Staff Writer team’s chemistry will help it win more games.

Currently, Girls Varsity Soccer is 2-5-1 with The team lost 0-2 against Cathedral Cathoa 1-0 League record. Although the team hasn’t lic, 1-4 to Mission Viejo, and 1-4 to Long Beach dominated the season Wilson. These losses were so far, it has learned mainly caused by a lack of from its losses. After chemistry, which is to be lacking experience last expected at the beginning season, the team has of the season. However, reloaded with experithe tough offseason has enced upperclassmen paid off as the girls kicked and talented sophooff the start of League mores and freshmen. with a 14-0 stomp on John The girls comMuir High School. Arcadia peted in the prestigious dominated from start to finMater Dei Premier Inish with crisp passing and vitational, which showaccurate shooting. Despite cased some of the best the big win, the girls are girls soccer teams in hungry for more success.

California. The teams Megan viewed the game as that played in this tour“more of a training session nament included previfor [their] game on Friday ous Division 1 champiagainst Burbank.” ons, so this tournament As the season wears was no cake-walk. on and the girls’ talents Arcadia lost 0-3 in this KICKING BACK start to gel together into a The Girls Varsity Soccer tournament, but it was team aims to end the season with a strong strong, united team, there a valuable learning ex- finish. will be no one capable of perience for the girls. stopping the Girls Varsity In response to these losses, junior Megan Acosta Soccer team from winning yet another Pacific stated that she believes “sometimes a team needs League Championship. There is no doubt that its to be able to learn how to lose and still have a struggle in preseason will prepare the team for positive attitude because the players know that it Pacific League competition. only makes them stronger and wiser players.“ Captain senior Rachel Schroeder isn’t disbtran@apachepowwow.com couraged either, proclaiming that the team “will Photo by MADDIE BRUCE

By BRENDAN TRAN Staff Writer

Winter Break is not only a time of celebration and joy, but also of feasting and slacking. It’s no secret that we’ve probably all gained a couple pounds over those two weeks, but don’t feel too guilty—our athletes did the exact same thing!

“I ate good food every day and then felt fat.”

–Larry Cheng, 11, Boys Varsity Basketball “I’ve been eating a lot more, and I haven’t been running at all.”

–William Li, 11, Boys Varsity Track “I lay down in bed and watched shows on my computer all day. That, and I ate candy all day long.”

–Mintra Janopas, 11, Girls Varsity Tennis “I ate a lot of candy that people gave me so that made me feel fat.”

–Ken Nakamine, 10, Boys Varsity Tennis “I went on a cruise, so I didn’t practice and ate buffets all the time.”

–Sharlene Song, 10, Girls Varsity Tennis Surprising as it may seem, even our star athletes fall prey to common human desires. However, with their rigorous training, they’ll definitely shake off the flab in no time. As for the rest of us, let’s just hope that sitting on the bleachers cheering as hard as possible can also burn a couple hundred calories. rli@apachepowwow.com Photo by BEN GEISBERG Graphics courtesy of FOODSPOT.COM

16

SPORTS

apachepowwow.com

Girls Basketball Continues to Win

By BILLY BONNEY Staff Writer

The Girls Varsity Basketball team is already halfway through a remarkable season, and it looks to have a promising future! The girls have whirled their way through the season thus far. According to senior Pauline Demerjian, they “only have 2 losses out of 14 games.” As a whole, the girls wish to come in 1st place this season and not share the position, as they did last year with Burbank High School. Pauline said she is “confident in her team this year and will try to go undefeated in league,” but that her biggest goal is to try and improve individually and contribute as much as she can to the team.

Pauline said that in order to achieve these goals, the girls “spent most of the preseason in the weight room and conditioning on the track.”

They also have spent countless hours practicing on the court and running plays and formations. Pauline also explained that the team “prospers from strong leadership and seniority, which help the team bond well and play in unison.” All of these aspects will help contribute to the team’s success in accomplishing its goals as well as helping the girls grow indi-

vidually as players.

The Girls Varsity Basketball team is definitely on track for a stellar season, as it is 12-2 so far and recently has “taken the championship at the Glendora tournament,” according to senior Jacklyn Tran. She also commented that “the season has gone well so far” and that she “thinks that the pattern of winning will continue.”

Fresh off the team’s first league win against John Muir High School by a score of 61-29, senior Sami Quon said that the girls’ goal for this season “is to win league.” Sami commented that this goal can easily be made possible because of the

girls’ ability to play as a team and work together. This season, the Girls Varsity Basketball team is different from other teams because of all the members of the team’s ability to put up points, resulting in a very even score distribution among the players.

Sami said that this style of play stems from the girls’ compatibility and willingness to play as a team. Sami feels that if the team stays on the path it is on right now, the girls “will definitely have a good chance of winning league this year!”

Photo by BEN GEISBERG

A TEAM EFFORT The Girls Basketball team poses together for a team photo. Their “willingness to play as a team” really stands out.

IRON ARMED Junior Nicole Sargent, number 13, raises her arm to block an incoming pass from the opposing team during a crucial game.

By JUSTIN TANG Staff Writer

quickly, and the team seemed relaxed by its lead. This relaxation, according to David, “caused [them] to give up two goals to Muir.” Senior Aidan Chavez believed “the defense made a few mistakes, which allowed the other team to catch up.”

Junior Dean Knowles, cen-

lead.”

After Muir, the boys played Burbank High School, winning 1-0.

Winning two amazing matches This was the first time that the Boys against Burbank High School and Varsity Soccer team has beaten BurHerbert Hoover High School, the bank in three years.

Boys Varsity Soccer team has been Playing Herbert Hoover High tremendous in the beginning of School on Jan. 13, the team exleague play, despite numerous incelled, winning by a score of 5-1. juries.

Angel Cortez was on fire, scoring On Jan. 7, the Boys Varsity two goals through the course of Soccer team started its league seathe game. Senior Jack Heer, junior son with a close game against John Chris Paul, and David scored one Muir High School, losing 2-3. It point each, bringing the final score managed to keep the score close, to 5-1. The boys controlled the ball despite many setbacks. Senior Dawell and the Hoover boys were vid Nugroho described the numerbarely able to touch the ball. Overous mishaps when he said, “Early rall, the team played exceptionally in the game, two of our players on offense and defense. suffered injuries. Senior Michael However, Boys Varsity Soccer Lewis broke his nose and junior has not faired so well recently. HarLucas Berger broke his foot.” Lurison stated, “The last four games cas, a key player for defense, is out have been extremely difficult. We for the entire season, which is devfaced Glendale, Pasadena, Burastating for the team.

STRONG LEGGED The Boys roughs, and Crescenta Valley, all The game started out slow, with of which are the best teams in the Varsity Soccer team remains resilient the halftime score tied at 0-0. Senior during a tough start. league. Sadly we lost the last four Harrison Ma attributed the score to a games. We’ve missed many opporlack of communication and strategy. ter defender, explained, “It was a tunities, but we are improving and are “We didn’t link our passes together very close game. With five minutes looking forward to having a better and we didn’t communicate with left, Muir got a goal.” Despite their second half of the season.” Whatever each other.” The boys had no choice setbacks and efforts, the team man- happens in the second half of the seabut to ditch the offensive attack and aged to end the game with a very son, we know that the Boys Varsity play a more defensive strategy. close score. This loss was a lesson to Soccer Team will make us proud.

However, the team stepped many of the boys, as David said, “We things up during the second half. The learned that we couldn’t settle down mlin@apachepowwow.com boys managed to score two goals and become relaxed when gaining a Photo by CELINE LEE Staff Writer

Girls Varsity Water Polo Dominates

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Boys Soccer Heads-Out Strong

By MELODY LIN

January 2014

Being constantly kicked underwater doesn’t sound like much fun, not to mention the difficulties of staying afloat while passing the ball around. Yet our Girls Varsity Water Polo team seems to always do well, whenever the challenge is presented at hand. Junior Nicole Sargent had a couple of thoughts about how the team has performed this season: “It does feel like we’ve improved from last year. Many of our games so far have either been wins or we’ve lost by only a few points.” On Dec. 4, our Lady Apaches played Bishop Alemany High School, which proved to be a tough cookie. However, the girls managed to pull through with a 9-8 victory after four overtimes.

Senior Laura Chun reflected on a game they had against La Cañada High School on Dec. 17, “We’ve been able to beat some really good teams. We played La Cañada a few weeks ago and won 9-5. It’s our first time beating them in three years!”

The win against La Cañada was very important to the girls because it marked a victory against a longtime rival. Nicole said, “For the past few years, we’ve always had overtimes with them and we would finally end up losing by one point. When we finally won this time, we were all very excited.”

After a full break without practice the girls weren’t able to come out on top against Temple City High School on Jan. 6 after losing 5-12.

Senior Michelle Kim thought, “We weren’t really on top of our game; we just came back from winter break, specifically two weeks without practice. This year, our team has a lot of potential, but we struggled to focus and get our heads in the game.” Logically speaking, it’s not a wonder that the girls struggled after not practicing for two weeks. It takes a lot of intense daily training to stay in shape for the entire season, especially for a sport

like water polo, which uses just about every muscle in your body! The Nogales Tournament was a two-day event that took place at Nogales High School from Jan. 10 to 11. Laura remarked, “It went well. We got 9th out of the 24 teams there.” The girls went 4-1 at the Nogales Tournament, mainly due to their improved defense and ability to read the opposing team’s offense.

Unfortunately for the Lady Apaches, this is their last year with seasoned senior members. Nicole stated, “This is our last experienced season for many to come because we will be losing most of our senior varsity players next year. So with that in mind, everyone has trained harder and we are more determined as a team.” Since the team will be losing many members this year, Coach Ara Oganesyan hopes that all the remaining players will continue to improve throughout the season. Nicole reflected, “I think as a team, we need to improve on not getting down on ourselves when we have a tough game.

Our teammates, coach, and just this sport in general can really put a lot of pressure on everyone.” Michelle looks toward the current JV players and sees great potential: “I was initially worried for next year’s Girls Water Polo team, but after training with JV for a while and seeing them play, I’m confident that we’ll do fine and keep improving. We have some really promising athletes on both Varsity and JV right now; the future is bright!”

With League Preliminaries on Feb. 11, Girls Varsity Water Polo will have to work harder than ever to meet the upcoming challenges. After Preliminaries, League Finals are to be held on Feb. 13 and since there won’t be many returning Varsity members, everyone on the team wants to end off the year on a good note. Good luck Girls Varsity Water Polo! jtang@apachepowwow.com Photo by MADDIE BRUCE

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CALENDAR

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January 2014

Hot Pot for the Cold

By GLUTTON GIRL Staff Writer

There’s a new hotpot place in town and it’s awesome! Located in the Promenade at the Westfield Santa Anita Mall, Hai Di Lao Hot Pot recently opened last year in October. This hot pot location in Arcadia is the first ever to open in the U.S. I went to Hai Di Lao on a weekend night, arriving early so I wouldn’t have to endure the twohour wait anybody who comes after 5:30 p.m. experiences. The interior of Hai Di Lao features booths and tables surrounding a central wooden structure known as the “Bird Cage”, which honors the 2008 Olympic Stadium in China. Our server brought us an iPad menu to order from and showed us all the options we had. He also provided us with aprons, hair ties, and hand wipes.

The only downside was that their menu was only in Chinese. Still, I was impressed with how many items they had on the menu; there were tons of vegetable, meat, and seafood options. There were also several sauces and cold dishes available at the food bar.

For my base soup I chose the mushroom hot pot, and for the hot pot ingredients I ordered A n g u s rib-eye,

lamb shoulder meat, fish balls, shrimp paste, Sichuan crispy beef, bamboo slices, frozen tofu, and the dancing noodle. I would recommend any of the meat ingredients; all were thin-sliced and tender after being cooked. The semi-solid shrimp paste came in a pastry bag, which was squeezed out into the soup where it would cook. The fish balls had a mild flavor, but the firm texture and fish roe inside won me over. The only dish I didn’t really like was the bamboo slices because they were thick and took a long time to cook. My favorite part was the “Noodle Dance”. Toward the end of our meal, a server with a roll of dough showed up and began stretching and twirling the dough until it resembled a long strip of noodle. I was very impressed and even saw a few people taking out their phones to record the performance.

I can honestly say this was one dining experience I won’t ever forget.

I give this place 5 out of 5 hotpots because of its great food and environment. Until next time!

And, who am I? That’s a secret I’ll never tell!

XOXO, Glutton Girl

gluttongirl@apachepowwow.com Hai Di Lao details: 400 South Baldwin Ave., Arcadia CA 91007

Graphic courtesy of DEVIANTART.COM Photo courtesy of GLOBALTIMES.CN

Connect the Castle

LAUGH OUT LOUD

By EMILY TONG

How well did the man remember last year’s events?

Like they just happened yesterday!

Staff Writer

Why was the girl’s New Year’s resolution to do less homework?

Because resolutions always seem to have the opposite effect!

Start

etong@apachepowwow.com Graphic by ROSE LI

Puzzle courtesy of MB2000.EGLOOS.COM

January 2014

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20

CAMPUS FOCUS

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By BRIANA SHEN

January 2014

Staff Writer

Many memorable, sometimes concerning, events have occurred in the past year. The government shutdown sent the U.S. into a period of much confusion, causing distress for many citizens. Nelson Mandela left a positive legacy and is remembered for his efforts to end the apartheid in Africa. While news went viral online, it also spread through AHS quickly. Students comment on what they believe are the most memorable events in 2013. bshen@apachepowwow.com

“When Jennifer Lawrence won her Oscar and fell on her gown, it was funny and cute. It was probably the largest event of 2013.”

—Samantha Guthro, 9

“I think Nelson Mandela’s death was the most memorable event. He faced great adversity throughout his life yet never wavered in his pursuit for equality for all the people of South Africa.”

— Nadia Ali, 10

Graphics courtesy of BLOGSPOT.COM, Photos by BEN GEISBERG and KATRINA VILLACISNEROS

“I believe the government shutdown was the largest global event of 2013 because it showed the world that despite America ‘s assertion as one of the most powerful nations in the world, it can still be shut down by domestic issues.”

—Ethan Chen, 10

“I think the most memorable event would be Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines because of the immense number of deaths and how it affected so many lives.”

—Cathleen Yang, 9