December 2013

The World Is Our Campus Volume 61, Issue 4

Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA

December 2013

In this issue:

Photo courtesy of SHILPABHATNAGAR.COM

OPINION pg. 4 Art on the Walls: Banksy spreads his messages through the art he puts on the walls of society.

Photo courtesy of MARIA DE LA ROSA

CROSS COUNTRY RACES TO VICTORY After another successful year, Boys Cross Country has made its way to CIF State Finals once again, reigning as championships for the second time in a row.

Photo courtesy of SPORTS.YAHOO.COM

STUDENT LIFE pg. 13 Christmas Wish Lists: Students talk about what they want to see this year under the Christmas tree!

Photo courtesy of SITE.AUSD.NET

ACADEMICS pg. 14 Boy Genius: Nathan Chou becomes 1 out of 11 students in the entire world who received a perfect score on the AP Calculus test.

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.

By CHARLES XU Staff Writer Finishing off another triumphant season, Boys Varsity Cross Country is once again champion in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Finals. With its victory, AHS qualified for the 10th annual Nike Cross Nationals (NXN), in which it finished as one of the top 10 teams in America.

In the Boys Varsity Cross Country’s debut of the season, AHS placed 3rd out of 12 Division I high schools in the 30th Annual Laguna Hills Invitational. In the following three weeks, Arcadia swept the competition at the 33rd Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, 40th Stanford Cross Country Invitational, Clovis Invitational, Mt. San Antonio College (SAC) Invitational, and the Apache Invitational.

Riding an astounding six race winning streak, the Apache runners competed in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section (CIF-SS) Divisional Preliminaries at Mt. SAC. Boys Varsity was able to finish 3rd overall in its heat even without seniors Bryan Ngo, Thomas Tran, and Estevan De La Rosa.

Led by senior Roni Yamane, Girls Varsity members combined their efforts to earn 2nd behind Capistrano Valley High School. After this race, Arcadia secured a place in the CIF-SS Division

Finals, in which it looked to win its 4th consecutive championship.

At Mt. SAC on Nov. 23, Boys Varsity Cross Country lost a tight battle against Warren High School with a score of 77-69. AHS’ Girls Varsity took 9th at the meet by running a hard, gutty race at Finals; running the fastest Mt. SAC time the girls’ program has ever managed, it was the fastest team to miss out on CIF Finals.

Bouncing back from its narrow loss, Arcadia responded by winning its second consecutive California State Championship and 3rd Division I title in four years. The seven Apache runners combined for a score of 59, beating out runner-up Madera South High School by a margin of 29 points.

Coach Michael Feraco-Eberle reflected on Boys Varsity team’s postseason. “I wasn’t concerned about 3rd at preliminaries—our top three remaining runners finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the race. [Second] at finals was unexpected—we went in trying to win the [race] and narrowly lost to a Warren High School squad that ran the second fastest team time ever at the Mt. SAC course (our time was third fastest—we still hold the course record from a previous year). [The team] got back on track at state; the boys had run too fast during the first portion of the CIF-SS Finals race, and held back at State before making a big, winning move up over the course of the second mile. It was an impressive performance.”

At the 2013 NXN, the top 22 American cross country teams competed at the Portland Meadows Race Track in Oregon. Arcadia ranked an impressive 9th place with a total of 255 points on a challenging course that was “bitterly cold and [had a] hard, uneven ground, [making] it difficult to run.”

Estevan claimed 5th place, finishing only 10 seconds behind the event’s champion, and sophomore Phillip Rocha placed 64th. “Phillip had a good start to his race before having his shoe taken off by another runner a fifth of the way in. He had to run the rest of the race with one spike on; picture running barefoot on a cobblestone road in 20 degree weather, and that’s what Phillip had to endure. That he finished as well as he did is a minor miracle,” stated Coach Feraco-Eberle. He also remarked, “We all expected better prior to [NXN], but given how the actual competition unfolded, I’m really proud of my boys. I think every one of them gave everything they had that day.”

As the only team to win multiple national titles (2010 and 2012) in Boys NXN history, the team has carried on the impressive legacy of victory.

Next season, Arcadia will aim for yet another State Championship and plans to reclaim its title as the nation’s fastest high school. Congratulations Boys and Girls Cross Country on a highly successful season! cxu@apachepowwow.com

December 2013

NEWS

powwownews@gmail.com

A New Treaty with Iran

By DONNA SAYPHRARAJ

Apple vs Samsung

By CHARLES XU

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

On Sunday, Nov. 24, a historical agreement was reached between the six world powers and Iran that will limit the development of Iran’s nuclear program in return for alleviating penalties while a more formal deal is worked out. The deal was announced formally by European Union’s foreign policy chief, in Geneva, where representatives from Iran, U.S., China, Russia, France, Germany, and Great Britain were meeting.

In a nationally televised address, President Barack Obama described the accord as an “initial six-month” deal that will limit Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon. The deal includes the power of Iran’s centrifuges and its access to enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium. It requires Iran to provide increased transparency and monitoring of its nuclear production system.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered no immediate reaction. However, Israeli Intelligence Minister Yubal Steinitz proclaimed that the last-second amendments put into the agreement are “far from satisfactory.” He said that “the agreement is still bad and will make it more difficult than before to achieve an appropriate solution in the future.” A senior official of the Obama Administration said, “This is not simply about trusting the Iranian government.

There are strict verification measures.”

President Obama noted that if Tehran violated the deal, the relief would be turned off and pressure would be added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the deal was an opportunity to “avert an unnecessary crisis.” As part of the deal, according to Zarif, Iran retains the right to nuclear technology, including the enrichment of uranium under the terms of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons—which requires it to not create nuclear weapons or enable other countries to obtain them.

Secretary of State John Kerry said that Iran had agreed to “unprecedented international monitoring” of its nuclear program. “The first step, let me be clear, does not say that Iran has a right to enrich uranium,” Kerry said, appearing to contradict claims earlier by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

Araghchi, on a Twitter feed commonly attributed to him by Iranian media, said that “Iran’s enrichment program was recognized.”

Hopefully, Iran will stick through with this agreement, leading to better relationships with the Western Powers.

Ever since 2011, the world’s two tech titans, Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., have been involved in several lawsuits regarding smartphone phone and tablet designs. During ng these two quarrelsome years, Samsung has accumulated a fine off $930 million from patent nt infringements, and over ver 50 trials have been held d in four continents.

This lawsuit war commenced in the spring of 2011, msung when Apple accused Samsung esign of of copying the iconic design ccording the iPhone and iPad. According d corpora to the Cupertino-based corporation, the South Korean company’s Galaxy series “slavishly copies a combination of several elements of the Apple Product Configuration Trade Dress.” Responding back to these allegations, Samsung countersued Apple for software patent violations. After a year had passed, Samsung was found guilty of infringing multiple patents including “Tap to Zoom” and “On-Screen Icons”, resulting in $1.05 billion worth of damages. However, U.S. District judge Lucy Koh mitigated the punishment by cutting the fine to $639 million and refusing to ban the eight Samsung products involved in the trial.

dsayphraraj@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of WIKIPEDIA.ORG

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A retrial was scheduled for mid November to more accurately determine the additional money Samsung had to pay to Apple, as Judge Koh estimated that the jury had miscalculated $400 million of the damage assessment. At San Jose Courtroom, the S Samsung admitted it has copied key features of Apple produucts and was willing tto pay a total of $52 million to Apple. m However, the CupertiH no company disagreed and demanded a sum an of pprecisely $379.8 million. Finally, on Nov. lion 21, a jury consisting of women and two men six w decided on a new figure decid of $290 million, thus ending an episode in the war between the tech giants.

In March of 2014, a much larger trial will take place again. Apple and Samsung will duke it out once again in court with different patent infringements and newer products. Apple will be asking Samsung to stop selling devices like the Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 in the U.S., while the Korean company hopes to ban the iPhone 5. cxu@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of IMAGESHACK.US

Typhoon Recovery sending four planes. Australia donated $30 million, and the U.S. followed Staff Writer with $20 million and two navy ships.

Philippine President Benigo On Nov. 8, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, destroying communities and Aquino also faced much pressure and displacing at least 4 million people. More criticism in his response to Typhoon than 23,501 people were injured, and the Haiyan. Veteran Manila commentator Amando Doronila death toll peaked said that on the day the at 5,924 in the typhoon, “the governPhilippines. The ment disappeared. It cost of the relief laid bare the disturbeffort is expected ing issue: Where is to be more than the government? More $288 million. specifically, who Located in is in charge duran area where ing emergency,’’ cyclones are he wrote in the common, the PhilipPhilippine Daily pines are no stranger to Inquirer. severe storms. However, With a lack this year’s Typhoon Haiof support and yan was undeniably the worst. It started wind COSTLY DAMAGES Typhoon supplies from its government, speeds of 195 mph, perHaiyan caused millions of dollars in the people of the haps the strongest tropidamages and thousands of deaths Philippines need cal cyclone to hit land in in the Philippines. as much outside recorded history. In addition to the storm, authorities also warned help as they can get. And, although people to prepare for flash floods and we are only students, we can still participate in the relief effort by donatlandslides.

More than two dozen countries have ing to organizations like UNICEF and rushed to aid the Philippines, including the American Red Cross or volunteerthe U.S. A United Nations appeal for ing at relief centers. $301 million in relief aid is underway. mgu@apachepowwow.com The United Kingdom announced that it Photos courtesy of NPR.COM and would give “long term support” to the TOTALLYCOOLPIX.COM Philippines, pledging $24 million and

By MICHELLE GU

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

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, Belinda Shoung, and Belle Zheng

Writers News Staff

Opinion Staff

Performing Arts Staff

Student Life Staff

Features Staff

Sports Staff

Academics Staff

Calendar Staff

Campus Focus Staff Center Spread Staff Advertisement Staff Photo Staff Copy Editing Staff

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, 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, Kimberly Lo, Briana Shen, Charles Xu Lillian Chen, 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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NEWS

apachepowwow.com

The Google Glass

By MEGAN HONG Staff Writer

Today, almost everyone has a computer, a smartphone, or even a tablet. However, not many people in the world have access to this new invention by Google: smart glasses. Released to developers back in February and expected to be in the hands of consumers in early 2014, this innovative gadget is anticipated to change lives forever. Besides being able to take pictures by winking, reply to text messages and emails without typing a single word, and translate phrases and words to any language, Glass users also envision Glass to benefit business and medical departments.

At the end of November, Google revealed the official Glass development kit that is available to select U.S. citizens who wish to pioneer the future of the new glasses.

As noted by developers who have had access to the gadget, like Alex Blaszczuk and professional tennis player Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who was paralyzed in a car accident, the Glass has improved their lives by making day-to-day tasks, like getting directions, making mental notes, and searching up information, much more convenient and less time consuming.

On the other hand, the glasses can be used for medical purposes, as seen at Eastern Maine ossman, a pproroMedical Center. Rafael Grossman,

fessional surgeon who received hiis own Glass, believes the invention to be “very ppowerful” because it allows people to see “exacctly what you are seeing, the same line of vision.”” After recording a surgery directly through G Google Glass, medical students were able to precissely view and analyze the procedures. Because of its hands-free features and convenient access to o information and data, these ingenious glasses arre anticipated to be very helpful in the medical deepartments.

However exciting this convenient invention may be, some argue that as an ubiquitous camera, Glass might be an invasion of privacy. As cameras like the one in Google Glass become smaller and more hidden, acts such as stalking, spying, and blackmailing may become more common.

Since this new invention mounts on a person’s head and records everything that person experiences, Google Glass is expected to change lives forever, from being able to reduce the time people use for social media to helping with memory-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s.

Even though the controversies of this ubiquitous camera may outweigh some benefits, nonetheless Glass is considered a great step into our future. mhong@apachepowwow.com Photos and graphics courtesy of PHOTOBUCKET.COM

Prop 30

By ERIC CHO

December 2013

XBox One and PS4

By ROY ZHANG Staff Writer

With Christmas coming up just around the corner, this is the perfect time to ask your parents to buy you that brand new, illustrious Xbox One—or PS4. Recently, Microsoft and Sony have es, released their new consoles out into stores, and the war has started. Both com companies mpaniees have created amazin amazing ng con connsoles that had attracte attracted edd an almost equa equal al num number mbeer of buyers.

Now w you want waant

one of these gaming powerhouses, but don’t know which to get! Chris Grant, the editor-in-chief of Polygon, a news website dedicated to gaming, has given in-depth reviews on both consoles.

The first thing most parents pay attention to would have to be the prices, and they vary; the PS4 is $400 with an additional $60 if you want another controller whereas the Xbox One is $500, also $60 more if you want another controller. With similar hardware to the PS4, Xbox soars in matters of social media—integrated with TV guides, Netflix, Hulu, Facebook, and its own programs like Skype and Internet Explorer, it can substitute for many inhome devices. Unfortunately, as is with many consoles after their release dates, there are also bugs.

Three things have been noted by users across the globe: a faulty Blu-ray reader, an eerie scratching noise coming from inside the console, and scuffs,

dings, and missing chunks of plastic.

The PS4 was made “strictly for gaming,” Grant said, going on to explain that with its faster processor and better graphics card, the PS4 is a gamer’s heaven. The Xbox One has a better processor than its predecessor, but its graphics card has beeen proveen to be inferior to the PS4’s.

And altthough g Xbox may have the upper han nd iin game options as of now, th his is only temporary— games th hat arre exclusive tto o PS4 such as “God

of War” and “Killzone”” are said to knock the Xbox One down a step. Annd just as the Xbox One had bugs, so did the PS4. Some people stated that the console became “brick ked” after one day of use, and the dual shock controlller did not come with a charger cable. The term “bbricked” was used by several websites to explain thhe console as broken; it was the equivalent to havinng a brick under your TV set.

At the end of it alll, you still have to choose one or the other. Grant putt it best when he asked, “What are you llooking ki ffor?” ? If you care about gaming more than anything else, the PS4 will provide you a more “aesthetically pleasing” experience, but if you want something that’s for more than just gaming, then go with the Xbox. rzhang@apachepowwow.com Photos and graphics courtesy of MARCOMS.COM

TED Talks at AHS

By MICHELLE HUANG

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Passed on Nov. 7 2012, Proposition 30— since its initiation—has raised both the state sales tax rate for all taxpayers, and the personal income tax rates for upper-income taxpayers in California. While regarded as controversial by many at first, Proposition 30 nevertheless has succeeded in effectively stabilizing school funding in California, subsequently saving hundreds of teachers from losing their jobs and helping public schools in California cover their yearly expenses.

Although a majority of the citizens of California had to pay no more than an extra $100 yearly, citizens with annual incomes over $250,000 were prompted to pay nearly 3% more, causing many to disapprove of the burden it placed on the state’s wealthiest residents.

Regardless of the complaints of some, however, many continue to believe in Proposition 30 and its core values, as nearly $6 billion has been raised and distributed to public schools in California because of its initiation, also allowing for the unemployment rate in California to shrink by eight-tenths of a percent.

With the morale of school officials, government officials, and U.S. citizens raised as a result, thousands across the nation now watch to see the effects Proposition 30 will continue to have on California’s well-being with close attention.

On Saturday, Nov. 23, the independently organized TED event, TEDx, came to AHS’ Performing Arts Center to host an event known as TEDxPCC. Accommodated by John Bates, who had co-hosted many other TEDx events, TEDxPCC’s tickets were quickly sold out.

Students paid $40, while adults paid $100. Attendees were given a free lunch and a gift bag for coming to the show. During this full day event, which lasted from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., presenters gave the “talk of their lifetime” and shared “ideas worth spreading.” The theme of this year’s TEDxPCC was “Expanding Horizons of Understanding”, or, in other words, ex-

echo@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of FLICKR.COM

ploring new perspectives.

Each lecture lasted from 10 to 15 minutes.

Speakers consisted of Adam Steltzner, Saru Jayaraman, William Pomerantz, Olympia Lepoint, Brent Bushnell, Eric Gradman, Gabriela Valle, Josh Kun, Wenli Jen, Eric DelaBarre, Jodi Sagorin, J. Period, Jason Troia, Mike Marinoff, Charles Yarborough, Oliver Sicat, and Keisch Wilson. As with all TED speakers, most, if not all, of these announcers are highly successful.

There were three segments of speeches, with two one-hour breaks in between. The topics that these segments covered were Education, Science, and Social Justice.

Presentations varied with their respective themes. Under the Education category, DelaBarre, an award-winning author, filmmaker, and speaker, spoke about changing the futures of children by inspiring them to dream big, while in the Science department, Steltzner, an engineer who was responsible for deploying and landing Mars Exploration Rover, gave an address on how “today’s

engineers must think critically to extend their skills and influence outside their specific area of expertise.” In Social Injustice, Troia, a graduate of UC Berkeley who had been at the heart of many protest movements, spoke about civil responsibility.

In addition to guest speakers, TEDxPCC also included technology from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Google, and Oculus Virtual Reality (OVR). From JPL, an explanation and demonstration of the space exploration robot “Curiosity” was showcased. From Google, a pair of the highly anticipated Google Glass was presented for guests to try out. From OVR, the newly developed Oculus Rift was available for testing.

Overall, TEDxPCC was an insightful and innovative event that inspired locals who attended. Not only did successful speakers provoke the thoughts of listeners, but high-tech developments were also showcased for attendees to try themselves. mhuang@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of TED.COM and TEDXPCC.COM Graphic courtesy of REDELEMENTSTUDIOS.COM

OPINION

theopinionsection@gmail.com

December 2013

You’re Depressed? Can I Help?

By TIFFANY LIU

stereotype doesn’t depict the true horrors of what being depressed even feels like. Yet society has a reason to turn depression into a stereotype full of misconceptions and ignorance.

When I hear the word depression, I don’t Words like “Oh you’ll get over it eventhink about it with the same magnitude as cantually” and “What? You’re depressed? Stop cer or any other serious physical disease. In thinking about it so much” are what many defact, I don’t think I’ve ever seriously thought pressed people may hear from others. We’ve about what depression is like for others. We’ve all been at our all-time lows when we feel beat all heard about it, but it always feels like an up and unaccomplished, but that rarely lasts issue that is often overlooked or shrugged off for more than a week if you’re not depressed. as unimportant. We’ve probably all thought A life of self-disgust and isolation constantly about depression along the lines of “Boo hoo, plaguing your mind for maybe months or even so what? You think no one else has problems?” years is unbearable. or “Consider yourself lucky, other people have Simply giving a hug or letting someone it much worse.” freely rant about their feelings without judgThese thoughts seem cruel, but it’s what ing them many people so “A lot of people don’t realize that depres- gives subconsciously think be- sion is an illness. I don’t wish it on anyone, but much more comfort cause depression itself is if they would know how it feels, I swear they than empty words of very difficult would think twice before they just shrug it.” help. Giving to define. Be—Jonathan Davis gifts doesn’t lieve me, even always have to be in the form of a physical the American Psychological Association is present. People, who give back to others in unclear in its definition. Depression is complithe form of love, care, and understanding can cated because it originates from our minds. It have an actual impact on another person’s is complex, which is why from an outsider’s life. This compassion and warmth that people viewpoint, may be misunderstood. radiate during the Christmas holidays can be It seems trivial that people would be sad something people do any day. Before shrugover what seems like nothing. How they could ging depression off as something trivial and be depressed when they are surrounded by below you, do something for them, give a hug, loving friends and family. It just doesn’t add or at least try to understand a fraction of what up. But for whatever reason, big or small, dethey may be going through. Depression may pressed people have a life more difficult than not seem like a big deal, but it is obviously what any of us can imagine, or take for grantsomething very complicated and difficult to ed. Society frowns upon depression because cope with, so whenever you have the chance, it’s something that is complex, scary, and not lend a hand and make someone’s day just a widely understood. In today’s culture, they are little brighter! stereotypically labeled “emo”. “Emo” people are characterized by their tight dark clothing, tliu@apachepowwow.com greasy hair, and melodramatic attitude. This Staff Writer

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A Saint Nicholas In Us All

By LILLIAN CHEN Staff Writer

Christmas is like a reflection day for me, thinking back about the people and events that have occurred throughout the past 12 months. Usually, I just smile when I think back to funny moments during the school year or memorable conversations. This Christmas, however, I’ve come to realize that Santa Claus is real.

Before you brush me off, this is a recent realization, not a resurfacing theory from my childhood.

I never believed that Santa was real when I was a kid since my parents never wrote “From Santa” on Christmas presents or explained why Santa never gave me gifts.

Throughout elementary school, I silently rolled my eyes at the very serious verbal sparring between second and third graders about the existence of Santa. I believed I knew the truth: Santa was fake.

So why did I decide Santa was real this year, then? Why is it now that I choose to believe in Santa, as opposed to the other way around?

Just look around you. Yes, I know you don’t see jolly older men with white beards and red suits jogging along the streets of Arcadia. But if you look closer, you’ll see a couple people that have the Santa-like quality of generosity. I’ve never seen Santa Claus, but there are multiple Santa-like individuals in Arcadia alone. Whether it be the policemen

and the firefighters that stop by AHS for any sort of emergency (lockdowns, particularly), the sociable bus drivers that manage to keep lively and joyous with long days of driving passengers to and fro, or the friendly little old lady that walks her dog every afternoon, there are so many people in the community that are generous and genuine to complete strangers.

But that’s not all. We have a jolly principal who cares for us all at school, counselors who encourage us in our endeavors, teachers whot are mindful about what we learn, cafeteria staff who handles our precious lunches, janitors who, like Santa’s helpers, take their time to make sure the school is spotless, and last but not least, 4,000 classmates who are willing to help others in need.

With these bits and pieces of goodwill, there is surely no doubt that Santa exists in our community. Now, all these words might sound false and generic, but I’m summing up my reflections of the interactions I’ve made not just in this past year, but in my past three and a half years in high school.

And as the end of my high school career slowly approaches, I can be assured that when it comes time for me to leave the city of Arcadia, there is no doubt that Santa Clauses will still be scattered throughout the streets.

Santa may not be wearing red and white, or climb down chimneys, but he’s out there. lchen@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of ETC.USF.EDU

From Motorola Razr Disappointment to iPhone Success

By BEN GEISBERG Photography Editorr

What’s the first thing that goes through h your head when you get a bad test grade? De-e, spair? Fear? Anger? Well, for me, it’s all three, followed by happiness. Happiness? Yes, happi-t, ness. No, I’m not happy about failing the test, but I am happy for the future. Why? Let me ex-plain: bad grades equal good grades. rIn one word, my happiness can be undero stood by this: encouragement. I don’t want to st fail another test; no one does. Getting the test d back is bad enough, especially if I think I did n well on the test. Thinking you did well and then doing badly is like finding an iPhone box underr o the tree on Christmas morning and opening it to find a Motorola Razr. It’s deceiving. And I don’tt want to face this deceit ever again. Yet, indubi-tably, I will. Even getting a test back on which I thought I did badly on, and I did do badly on, iss d bad. Instead of this disappointment, what should these feelings culminate to? Hope, encourage-ment, and dedication. y After I get a test back, I don't become lazy e, and angry, I am hopeful and happy. I figure, t“Okay, that was a low point, but I can do betk, ter.” I’m not completely giving myself a break, just enough so that I can rebound quickly and bee back on top of the content next chapter. Because of this, I study harder. I study smarter. I study

TCID:

better. And what does this lead to? Yep, you guessed: better grades. Now I know that if I want to be better, or the best, I have to work harder and better. I now have a desire and a goal that I wouldn’t otherwise have; e in fact, getting a good test grade back just makes us lazy. Unless we’re super motivated (you know who

y o u are), a good grade is an excuse to lay back and have a cushion for our next test. We don’t have to study as hard, as long, or as efficiently; now that we’re sitting pretty, everything should be easy, right? Wrong. Next grade is bad and we are

just left right back where we started; the good and bad average out. So, tthrough th rough all of this seemingly convoluted logic, it should make sense: bad grades lead to good grades.

The disappointment should result in encouragement; the despair should lead to focus; the anger should lead to a want for revenge on the next test.

Yet, as some of you may point out, my logic does have some flaws.

Why not just alw a y s study

harder?

Aren't you just being lazy? How will you always keep up good grades with this system?

Won’t you always have two grades that average

each other out? Well, to address the first question, you must admit: it’s hard to always study at an extremely high level. It’s physically and mentally draining. That said, if you have one bad grade because you didn’t study as hard as you normally do, don’t kick yourself because you can just resume that high level of study for the next test; having the break there is acceptable. And this system isn't just me being lazy.

It’s just a way for us to work back up from slumps, something every student is prone to.

And true it would be difficult to keep consistently higher grades with this system, but this system helps you work toward having consistently higher grades. By slowly reducing the slumps, because you consistently work harder, you will slowly advance to a point where slumps are almost nonexistent and you are used to studying at a high level; you will know what to do, how to do it, and how to do it quickly. Basically, you will have acclimated to a high level, like climbing a mountain.

So, do you have imperfect grades? Well, this system should (in theory) work for you.

Although it seems unnatural, you can make bad grades lead to good grades, in just a few easy steps. bgeisberg@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CGPATIMES.COM, IMORE.COM, and PARADE.COM

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OPINION

apachepowwow.com

December 2013

Interpreting streetside galleries

By BEN GEISBERG Photography Ph P Pho hotog tograp raphy rap a hy Editor E itor Edi orr

Everyone knows what happens to graffiti artists. They get fined, arrested, maybe sentenced to a few days in a jail cell. Their graffiti prompts the city, police, owner of the area, or even other jealous graffiti artists to paint over it. But what if this “vandalism” is art? This has been a debate for the past few years, as works of graffiti have been encouraged in some places to beautify a city and have gone for six figures at art auctions. Yet, the police and other city officials aren’t rethinking their stance toward this beautiful modern art. And, even though many vandals escape the clutches of police, there’s one person in particular they can’t seem to catch: Banksy.

For those of you who don’t know, Banksy is a British artist who has been spray-painting graffiti all over the world for years, many of which have attracted wide crowds and lots of praise. He often preys on controversial political or social topics, and his work is usually quite humorous. And yes, his works are the aforementioned ones that go for six figures at art auctions. Yet, through all of this, he has never been caught. Nobody knows who he is. He is an enigma who, as far as the world knows, could be President Barack Obama. More importantly, Banksy has triggered a rise in creative, ingenious street art all over the world. As can be predicted, the governments of these various cities are furious. To them, all of these acts of vandalism are just that: acts of vandalism. But in reality, they are much, much more. And this is why our attitude towards this new type of art needs to be changed.

Graffiti is much more than just vandalism: it’s what the people want. This fact has been proven true because of the public’s obsession over Banksy’s works that leads them on a quest to chase his work everywhere before it gets covered up. That’s why these street artists have gained a cult following and have become mega-stars in their own rights in the first place. His work has been featured in galleries, he has won awards for films he has “been” in (although his identity is always hidden), and he has art all over the world. Banksy has even created the cover art for a Blur album. Some of his most famous pieces are, of course, on the street. And you know what all of this publicity does? Well, yes, it attracts people.

But what else? Revenue for the city. It’s free publicity! Having him come to town should be considered an honor for any city. He’s bringing people into hotels, restaurants, and museums to see his work when it’s in a gallery and, even when it’s not, some people will travel around to document or see it. If people knew what he looked like, I guarantee you that Banksy would be on the billboard for any city he has graced with his work. To top it all off, Banksy isn’t actually hurting anyone or causing any “harm” to anything except some buildings. He doesn’t punch, kick, kill, or steal to get his way. He sneaks in, does his work, and sneaks out. I mean, if he was hurting people to do his art, then the police would have a point, but he isn’t.

So why cover up his work if people like it, it’s becoming popular, and he isn’t hurting anybody? After all, it’s not like Banksy and other street artists like him are spray painting on the White House or the Lincoln Memorial. They aren’t that absurd. If anything, they’re making cities more beautiful by adding their own creations to the ever-expanding urban sprawl that often results in large, boring, and drab buildings. They’re making an imprint on their generation.

If previous generations get huge buildings and public parks to mark their existence, why don’t we get our own markings, even if it’s small and made with spray paint?

Banksy, in particular, has had a massive influence with his creatio creations. His art is ern conflicts, such as war, fam usually humorous and draws upon modfamine, and even art appealing g. He knows how to do it and he international politics, to make his street appealing. knows how it’s done. Banksy has it down to a science. And this just makes his himself to be more than just a juvenile vandal case stronger. He has proven wherever he wants. Rather, hhe has turned his who tags random things of entertainment; he has turne street art into a form turned it into a game for the police.. I’m sure that I’ of cat-and-mouse I’m not the only absolutely hila arious that the pol one who finds it hilarious police from many llooking ooking at you,, New York) hav huge cities (I’m haven’t been able dal” who is, tto o say the least, prominent and to catch a “vanin his art. Plus, iitt just seems as if the police are capricious selves into a dead-end. I me chasing themmean, if he has been forr ye yea ars and hasn’t bee making this art years been caught, don’t you lice li c ) think it’s time to give up the guys (the police) B Ba nksy ha chase? Sure, Banksy has been threatened b num by with arrest numerous cities (London, h New York, his hometown of Bristol, England), but he has never actually been for ha caught. As having his art covered up, know if that is the police or we don’t tagge just other taggers. All we know is that are ddoing the wrong thing. they

bgeisberg@apachepowwow.com bg gei e sbber erg@ g@ap g@ appac ache hepo he poww po wwow ww ow.c ow .com .c om Photos Pho tos courtesy court co urtesy urt esyy of BEST10HDWALLPAPERS.BLOGSPOT.COM BEST1 BE ST10HD ST1 0HDWAL 0HD WALLPA WAL LPAPER LPA PERS.B PER S.BLOG S.B LOGSPO LOG SPOT.C SPO T.COM T.C OM and ST STREE STREETARTUTOPIA.COM REETAR REE TARTUT TAR TUTOPI TUT OPIA.C OPI A.COM A.C OM

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FEATURES

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Seasonal Frosty Treats

Forgotten Holidays

By HAFSAH UMERANI Staff Writer

Who loves receiving presents? It’s safe to say most, if not all, of us do. But who loves getting presents only twice a year? Most of us don’t realize that presents aren’t only given on Christmas and birthdays. In fact, there are four very unique occasions when we can give presents to others to make them happy.

Does June 8 mean anything to you? Unless it’s your birthday or the birthday of one of your close friends, you probably don’t even notice this date as you prepare for finals. As a matter of fact, June 8 is Best Friend Day. Give your best friend a hug, a present, or both to show just how much you care about him or her. After all, your best friend does make your day that much brighter.

In the weeks before Feb. 14, every emporium centers its ads around Valentine’s Day. Little do most people know that Valentine’s Day isn’t the only day filled with heart-shaped candies and sweet messages. Sweetest Day, the third Saturday of October, is the perfect holiday to show affection to those who don’t have romantic inclinations. It first originated in 1922 in Cleveland when a kind person kept the poor and orphaned children in mind by giving out little candies.

Share something sweet with lonely members of your community or show your love for your friends! Instead of focusing only on your crush and close friends, try to share your sweetness by giving a little something to everyone on Sweetest Day. Speaking of appreciating others, some oth-

er loved ones to keep in mind are grandparents. These wise, elderly figures have learned a lot in their lifetimes, and they often wish to pass on that knowledge to you. Don’t they deserve a present too? Grandparents Day is on the Sunday after Labor Day. Take this chance to show special love to your grandparents and make sure that they know how much you love them.

Grandparents aren’t the only special family members to keep in mind. Whether it’s the bossy older sister or the annoying younger brother, siblings are all special in their own ways. Unfortunately, most of us forget that at one point or another, and when we do, it’s often hard to make up for our mistakes. Apr. 10 is National Siblings Day, and there’s no better way to support your siblings by giving them gifts.

Some of these holidays have just passed, while some have yet to come. It’s important to remember that next year is yet another opportunity to give to your loved ones and that the holidays don’t end at 11:59 p.m. on those days. Whatever day you may celebrate, the attitude of the holiday should go on forever.

Take the time to be kind to whoever it is you may be celebrating. Appreciation for others doesn’t necessarily have to be shown by presenting material items. As Mother Teresa said, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” humerani@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CACHE4.NET and WPCLIPART.COM

December 2013

By y BRIANA SHEN Staff Writer

“‘Tis the season to be jolly!” Yes, indeed.

School’s out during winter vacation, which is enough for students to sing “fa la la la” out of joy.

And what’s a better way to celebrate this holiday season than by embarking on a food frenzy? When it’s raining outside, don’t you just want to spend your time relaxing with a sweet cup of hot chocolate? During the winter season, you can do just that as many stores and restaurants cater to the festive holiday season. It’s time to let loose and enjoy the winter atmosphere with some seasonal foods that only appear this season! n!

Baskin Robbins: I’ll ll scream for ice cream in any weather, ther, and during the holiday season, ason, Gingerbread Junction and d Peppermint Ice Cream will make their rare appearance on the Baskin Robbins’ menu. Having too many gingerbread cookiess can make your stomach feel el heavy, but the Gingerbread ad Junction is a savory cold ld snack. Because Peppermint int Ice Cream is quite minty,, it reminds people of Christmas. mas.

It’s a favorite holiday candy ndy and cookie combined in an n interesting ice cream form. Stop

by Baskin Robbins to orderr the Peppermint Ice Cream or the Gingerbread Junction! It’lll be a refreshing, icy, and delightful ghtful treat.

Yogurtland: If ice cream

isn’t your thing, then maybe froyo is what you’re craving. Yogurtland is known for its creative and wacky flavors, and it isn’t any different this winter.

Yogurtland is unleashing 12 different flavors this winter: Butterscotch, Chocolate Mocha, Chocolate Mousse Pie, Cinnamon Roll, Cranberry Orange Tart, Eggnog, Raspberry Pomegranate Tart, Salted Caramel Pecan, Spiced Apple Cider Sorbet, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Vanilla Custard, and White Chocolate Peppermint. To top it off, Yogurtland has also added six new toppings: chocolate espresso beans, chocolate nonpareils, chocolate Heath bars, Oreo disks, cheesecake chips, and peppermint bark.

The frozen yyogurt g chain store has started releasing two flavors each eac week since November, but you’ll have to check its website for the description descriptio of the flavors and their release ddates. Don’t miss out on these holiday flavors! h Starbucks: This coffee chain has released four holiday beverages: Gingerbread d Latte, Caramel Brulée Latte, L Eggnog Latte, and Peppermint E Mocha. Each of these drinks M will have you wide awake and wi ready for the holidays! rea These holiday goodies are only available during this holionl day season, so don’t pass them up! Try them out at their respective chain stores. You won’t regret it… and hopefully your waistline won’t either. won bshen@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of ILOVETOGOSSIP.COM and ZAZZLE.COM

A Year to Remember Remembe By y JESSICA WANG Staff Writer

As the 2013 year draws to an end, let’s look back on all the things that have happened this year: • On Jan. 21, Barack Obama was inaugurated and his second term began.

• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton submitted her resignation on Feb. 1.

• Jennifer Lawrence received the Oscar for Best Actress at the 2013 Oscars for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook, making her one of the youngest recipients of the award.

• The Host by Stephenie Meyer was made into a movie, which was released on Mar. 29.

• The Mishapocalypse hit Tumblr in April causing Misha Collins to tweet “The #mishapocalypse is worse than an ordinary apocalypse. I’ve signed up for facial identity surgery so I never have to see that face again.”

• J.K. J K Rowling R li wrote a bbookk called ll d The Th Cuckoo’s Calling, under the pseudonym

Rob bert Galbraith.

Robert • Iro on Man 3 was released on May 3.

Iron • Percy P Jackson: Sea of Monsters,

by Rick R Riordan, was made into a mov vie, which was released in movie, mov vie theaters on Aug. 7. movie • Miley Miiley Cyrus twerked at th he Music Telethe vision visi on Video Music Mus sic Awards, causing caus sing a huge uproar. upro oar.

• The Th House of Hades, alsoo by Riordan,, dan was released. rele eased. He mocked moc cked the readers read ders on the dedication ded ication page, which whi ich reads: “To my wonderful readers: Sorry about that last cliff-hanger. cliff f-hanger. Well, no, not really. real lly. HAHAHAHA. But, seriously, lly, I llove you guys.””

• Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were released in-

ternationally on the 3DS for the first time in Pokémon history on Oct. 12.

• The iPhone 5S was released, with changes such as a larger screen aand a touch ID. • The film adaptatio n of adaptation Ender’s Game wa wass released on Nov. 11..

• On Nov. 8, a massive typhoon n hit Philippines the Philipp pines Vietnam, and Viet tnam, and at least people 5,653 pe eople died. It was dubbed “TyHaiyan” phoon Hai iyan” “Typhoon or “Typ hoon Yolanda”.

PlayStation • The PlaySt tation 4 was released d on Nov. 14. was • The Xbox One wa as released on Nov. 22.

• The Hunger Games: Catching Fi Fire by Suzanne C S Collins lli was made d iinto t am movie, i which goes to show that a movie will be

great if screenwriters actually stick to the book’s plot (looking at you, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief).

• On Dec.13, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was released, starring Martin Freeman.

• Dec. 21 will be the 100th anniversary of the modern crossword puzzle.

• Martin O’ Malley, governor of Maryland, decided to tax the rain this year.

• “The Fox” by Ylvis became viral very similarly to how “Gangnam Style” did.

This year has not only been a blast, but also a historical year full of surprises and cheer. However, instead of looking to the past, we must prepare for the new year to come. Who knows? 2014 may be just as good! jwang@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of COURTNEYHOUSE.COMDEVIANTART.NET, HUFFPOST.COM, INFINITECONFERENCING.COM, OKOAREFUGE.ORG, THEBOAR.ORG, THEBOAR ORG VIRGINMOBILEUSA VIRGINMOBILEUSA. COM, and WEBASSETSB.SCEA.COM

December 2013

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PERFORMING ARTS

Practice Makes Perfect

By ERIC CHEN Staff Writer

The wonderful year of 2013 has almost come to an end, and students can finally have a blast relaxing and enjoying their long, two-week winter break. However, musical students will still have to worry over the vacation since they must continue practicing to maintain their skills. The same could also be said about other Performing Arts (PA) students as they must continue working and practicing. Even if they cannot enjoy the break as much as their friends, they can practice their talents to harness their abilities.

Undoubtedly, most music students will work diligently to maintain their eir musical prowess. Many students find different ffeerent ways to practice over the break. Orchesch chestra cello player sophomore Danna Xue Xu has decided to “practice by [herself] and d also with [her] private/chamber coach.” ach.”

She explained that a chamber coach is “a music teacher who teaches a smalll chamber group, or a group of different instruments.” Practicing with a personal or chamber coach is just one of the multiple ways to keep students from falling into a hole. Even though most PA members would rath-er be relaxing during the break, they reealize that without enough practice, they ey will have wasted the time invested into nto playing.

Band oboe player freshman Julia Kong has decided to practice on her own as well. She “starts by practicing music slowly, then slowly transitioning to a faster tempo.” She likes to practice in rooms ooms that “have good resonance” so that shee can “hear if [she] is in tune.” Julia definitely seems to have a different practice method ethod than some other PA students. She tries es to adapt herself to her surroundings so that she can improve even more during practicing.

PA leaders may also try to arrange nge a practice schedule over the winter break. reak.

However, this is not always the case. Band section leader senior Irene Liu stated, ated, “Since Marching Band season is over, we don’t have any more practices. But, I hope everyone will still practice by themhemselves.” Band has worked hard prior or to winter break and greatly deserves a long break. Even though PA groups such h as Band may not be having group practices tices over winter break, many other PA groups oups will be having group practices to strengthngthen their abilities.

While the majority of the school will be relaxing over the winter break, PA A students will have to make time to practice. ctice.

However, they will still find more than enough time to spend for their own n relaxation and personal activities. Although ough PA students will still have to practice hard over the break, they can still have fun knowing that they will be improving theirr talents for the future. echen@apachepowwow.com

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December 2013

Dancing for Charity

By MELODY LIN Staff Writer

excited to perform at the Charity Dance Show.

Senior Karissa Teran said, “I am really excited to be able to perform a n d share

to do it for a cause, there’s nothing better.”

Not only is this performance guaranteed to be amazing, but also 50% of ODC’s proceeds go to Heifer International, hence the name, “Charity Dance Show”. Heifer International is a unique organization that works to end hunger and poverty by providing livestock to communities. They are aiming to donate a ‘Noah’s Ark’ to a town. A ‘Noah’s Ark’ includes all the livestock necessary to sustain a town.

The Charity Dance Show will definitely be spectacular! The girls put in hours and hours of hard work to make this performance one to remember. Support them and Heifer International by attending their performance on Dec. 19!

The girls of Orchesis Dance Company (ODC) have been preparing for the Charity Dance Show since October, and on Dec. 19, they’ll finally be able to showcase their talent and hard work.

ODC Historian junior Ashley Yan described their performance process. “We have had zero period every day since October and we’ll have them until January af- “This ter the Charity Dance Show. We’re requires going to perform five dances, each afterschool one choreographed by either the practice, acofficers or other Orchesis members. After the dance is choreotive learning, graphed, it is taught and then and practice at cleaned, so that we are all in unihome.” son.” In order to put on a breathtakHARD AT PRACTICE ODC mem—Ashley Yan, 11, ing performance, Ashley added, “All ODC, Historian bers clean and perfect their dances in of this requires after school practice, acorder to put on a great show! tive learning, and practice at home.”

Senior Cherry Chin described the bonding what I love to do in front of an audience. And as and friendships that developed during the hard a bonus, [we’’ll] raise money for Heifer Internaworkouts. “I could ask for nothing more than to tional. It feels good to be helping out and doing share the stage with 29 other girls who share the something I enjoy at the same time.” Cherry same passion as me.” All the girls are extremely agreed, “I love to dance and perform, and

mlin@apachepowwow.com Photo by AMELIA JIN

A PA Holiday Wishlist

By ELISHA LEE Staff Writer

Christmas, a time of high spirits, unity, happiness, and of course, presents! Without a doubt, Christmas is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. To celebrate this day, members from Performing Arts groups were interviewed on what they want most for Christmas: “I have been in Band for two years now, and would love to get one of those ‘punny’ t-shirts with a witty band quote on them. It would show my Band pride, and a new t-shirt is always nice, too!”

—Alden Zhang, 10, Band

“There are so many things I want for Christmas that I don’t know where to start! I would really like some new rosin for my violin bow. It has been getting a little squeaky lately, and I would like to fix that as soon as possible.”

—Victoria Cua, 11, Orchestra 2

“I would like new dance shoes for Christmas since mine are getting worn out. I’ve been using my current pair past its limits considering how much I practice. I would also like some throat candies to improve my voice.”

—Edwinson Chan, 11, Chanteurs

“For Christmas, it would be nice to get a set of black clothing, like plain black t-shirts or jeans, since it is often needed when rehearsing for a theatre performance.”

—Angela King, 12, Advanced Drama Department

elee@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of DREAMSTIME.COM and CENTURYNOVELTY.COM Photos by BEN GEISBERG

December 2013

arcadiaperformingarts@gmail.com

PERFORMING ARTS

Winter Holiday Concert

By EILEEN LEE Staff Staf St afff Wr W Writ Writer rit iter e er

AHS had its own special finale by having the Winter Holiday Concert exclusively performed to bring some holiday spirit and cheer. The annual concert took place on December 12 and 13, with different Performing Arts (PA) groups participating to start the holiday festivities. Orchestra and Chanteurs performed in the Performing Arts Center on both days, playing various Christmas carols to set up the festive mood. Christmas is right around the corner, so it was the perfect time to have fun and celebrate by putting up a wonderful show.

Each PA group had practiced extremely hard to prepare for the concert, as it means a lot to show off what they have worked on for the entire year. Members have been looking forward to the Winter Holiday Concert because it celebrates the end of the year with many friends and families who attended the show.

Sophomore Gina Groesbeck, w h o

plays the cello, stated, “We [have] had practice almost every day after and during school. We had to concentrate more since we couldn’t work on it as a group during Thanksgiving Break.” She added, “This year’s Winter Holiday Concert especially means a lot to me, and I am all pumped up because we even have new concert attire! It is my second year in Orchestra. Since it is the end of the year, it makes me appreciate my peers and the program provided by AHS. I am grateful for what I have!”

Viola player sophomore Christy Kang said, “This concert is very special compared to all the other shows and concerts; it is a very big annual event, and we do put a lot of effort into it. We practiced every single day, and everyone worked extremely hard to perform with no mistakes. I am so excited for the upcoming rehearsals so we can create a beautiful harmony as a team.”

Christy also mentioned that unlike in the previous concerts, the winds are also participating along with the strings. Winds and strings are both sections in Symphony Orchestra containing different instruments; the strings include the violin, viola, cello, and bass, whereas the winds represent the brass and woodwind instruments.

The 2013 Winter Holiday Concert was highly successful, as it was in every other year. The hard work and effort put into the show by the PA members definitely paid off with great results. For those who missed this year’s Winter Holiday Concert, make sure to be there for the next! elee@apachepowwow.com elee@apa p chep powwow.com Graphics p courtesyy of DREAMSTIME.COM P CSTOPI PI P N.COM and PICSTOPIN.COM

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A PA Christmas Story

By ANDREW LIM Staff Writer

It’s that time of the year again! Christmas is now just around the corner, and people are on a gigantic shopping spree for presents and goods. With successful performances from all Performing Arts (PA) groups, the PA department ends the year with spectacular work. The PA members are finally getting a break from their work and are getting ready for the holiday season.

Some PA members will be spending their break perfecting their talent, some will spend it with family, and others will simply go shut themselves from society and play video games. “I am thinking about staying at home. Besides setting up the Christmas lights and the tree, that’s pretty much it,” stated Orchestra 1 member freshman Dylan Che. Some PA members have even planned out full trips for winter break. Orchestra 1 member freshman Samuel Cui said, “I’m spending my winter vacation this year with my mom’s cousins and grandparents.

We all plan on going for a skiing trip from the 22nd to 24th. As for traditions, I guess the only one is decorating the house. During the week, we all get together to put up the old Christmas tree and hang up lights and ornaments. It’s rather exciting, figuring out which branch goes where and how we want to organize the ornaments.”

Winter break starts soon, and whether PA members have plans or yearly traditions, they anticipate the long-awaited holiday break and season. By having traditions, perfecting their talents, or socializing with friends and family, PA members will have fun this winter break. alim@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy of SHUTTERSHOCK.COM

That’s a Wrap for 2013!

By CELINE LEE Staff Writer

With the end of the year approaching, let’s look back on the year of 2013. Our Performing Arts (PA) groups have competed and gone through many events this year.

Band began its season with a wonderful start, and it finished strong at its last competition, the Southern California

School Band and Orchestra Association Championships. All of the Band members’ hard work finally paid off as they performed well at every competition they’ve attended. At the Chino Invitational, Band swept the whole competition, taking home numerous trophies.

Chanteurs, Harmonix, Mixed Chorus, Treble Chorus, and the First Avenue School Choir performed at AHS’ Fall Choir Concert. Each group performed a series of songs, ranging from classics all the way to popular contemporaries.

Now Chanteurs, Harmonix, Mixed Chorus, and Treble Chorus are working on their competition numbers for their competitive season taking place next year. Choir member sophomore Ella Zerna said that “each choir works very diligently during practices,” which was shown in the Winter Holiday Concert earlier this month.

Orchestra performed with First Avenue’s, Dana’s, and Foothills’ Orchestras at the annual Fall String Concert. The Fall String Concert is always the perfect opportunity for our Orchestra to evaluate what the middle school kids are capable of and what they can expect from next year’s Orchestra. As for the middle schools, they get to see what the high school s Orchestra has in store for them next year if O they were to join. t The Advanced Drama Department

(ADD) put on a wonderful show, The Man Who Came to Dinner. Its performance had audience members sitting on the edge of their seats, wondering what sort of surprise was going to happen next. The star of the show, senior Liam Swan, believed that “the play went excellently!

I couldn’t have asked for it to go better.” He also said that every one of the audiences’ response they got “was more complimentary than the last!” ADD would not have been successful without Director Steven Volpe, the students of stage crafts, and the costumers. Assistant costumer sophomore Dorcas Tao had a great time making the costumes and said, “It was really fun pulling all the costumes, but Hell Week was really tiring. It was all worth it because we got good reviews on costume design.” ADD is currently holding its auditions for its spring musical, Curtains.

AHS’ dance program has showcased its dancers varying from Beginning Dance all the way to Orchesis Dance Company. Judging from the number of tickets sold, the turnout of the show is going to be great, and a great portion of the money will be donated to Heifer International, a charity that help ends world hunger and poverty. Most dancers are thrilled about their upcoming performance. Beginning dancer freshman Alyssa Chan-Evangelista said, “We have all been working really hard, and I

can’t wait to see it all come together and watch the other dancers perform.”

Who knew that 2013 would go by so quickly? Despite that, PA groups have continued to live up to their excellent reputations and are constantly making AHS proud. Don’t worry! There are definitely more events to expect from the PA groups in the future.

clee@apachepowwow.com Photos courtesy of RONALD LEE and by STANLEY SHAW

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APPRECIATEE THE

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December 2013

By SHIRLEY LU

As if the value of Thanksgiving isn’t already diminishing in our everthis commercialism. Winter holiday décor has been on display since the be in many for the winter season. But what exactly is it that excites people—th to wear vibrant accessories, or the winter sales events to come?

A lot of us are frantically trying to snag the perfect presents to distribu prices. But maybe in the process we forget our intentions for buying gifts Are we expecting a costly present in return?

Spending time with family is not only restricted to Christmas Eve an many people are not willing to spend more than two days with their famili the businesses making big bucks, but at the expense of devaluing Christma As it is a holiday to spend with loved ones, Christmas advocates a posit Christ’s birth, many believe Jesus to have been a sinless man, teaching kin became popular, also promoting meritorious behavior and encouraging ch their stockings. It’s this Christmas spirit of giving and caring we should de Throughout the holiday season, we should demonstrate genuine care a expensive gift, but to write a thoughtful card or craft a homemade gift. N and time was put into making. And gift-giving isn’t limited to those we k be homeless during the winter holidays, but organizations such as Fred J donations. By saving money through homemade gifts, you can spread mor By refusing to succumb to consumerism, we can defeat the over-comm celebration again, the way it was meant to be.

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December 2013

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Staff Writer

growing materialistic society, Christmas can be just as easily subjected to ginning of November in a case of “Christmas creep”, instilling excitement he festive decorations, the holiday desserts, the surplus of gifts, the excuse

ute to family, friends, and teachers as stores advertise their cheap holiday . Is it for the sake of social norms to spend money to show that you care?

nd Christmas day during the break, yet in this day and age, it seems as if ies if it means missing after-Christmas sales. This may prove beneficial to as just as they did to Thanksgiving. tive message of selflessness and magnanimity. Originally the celebration of ndness and charity. As the holiday evolved, the Christmas icon Santa Claus hildren to be “good” in order to evade the punishment of receiving coal in emonstrate, yet it’s one we often forget to have. and love for one another, and an easy way to do this is not to buy the most Nothing says “I care about you” more than a gift in which your own labor know; an estimated 58,000 people in Los Angeles County are expected to Jordan Missions service the homeless by accepting clothing or monetary re holiday cheer by donating to help others! mercialization of Christmas and make the holiday a wholesome charitable slu@apachepowwow.com slu@apachepowwow.ccom

LITTLEE THINGS

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STUDENT LIFE

By SIMONE CHU

apachepowwow.com

Hot Drinks for the Soul Quiz Staff Writer

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful... Of course, holding a steaming mug of your favorite drink in your hands helps matters a lot. But what does your favorite drink say about you? Or, rather, what kind of beverage would you be?

2. Your ideal winter weather? her? a. Snow, like in all the books and movies. Winter in SoCal just isn’t very wintery. b. I like it best when it’s not storming, so I can be outside without getting rained on. c. Rainy and wet weather makes a nice day for curling up with a nice book. d. Anything but the rain. I HATE RAIN.

3. Your favorite way to pass the time when it’s raining and cold outside? w a. Sipping a warm beverage while spending time with family. b. An active person stops for no weather! I’ll continue on with my plans! c. Reading a book or drawing. d. Surfing the Internet or playing games. Candy Crush, anyone?

4. Your favorite cold-weather comfort food? a. Toasted marshmallows or s’mores.

Who said they’re just for camping in summer? b. I just like food in general. c. Nothing like some hot chicken soup for those gloomy days! d. Freshly baked sweets.

5. In your family or group of friends, you are the... a. Cheery one with all the holiday (or just plain every day) spirit! b. Hyper one with tons of energy and ideas! c. Calm, mature one. It’s hard to rattle me. d. Edgy one with lots of fighting spirit.

6. You dislike it when...? a. No one else but me cares. b. I’m told to be quiet. I can’t help it if I feel like having fun when everyone else is being boring! c. People won’t be quiet when I’m trying to do something. d. People nitpick every little thing I do. It’s my life, after all.

Mostly A’s: You’re hot chocolate—sweet and comforting. People love to be around you. You’re always the first one to want to start decorating for the holidays, and you always put lots of thought and time into the gifts you give to people.

Mostly B’s: You’re just like a cup of hot coffee—you’re the one with tons of energy to spare! Your spirit tends to rub off on people; it seems that your smile might just be contagious.

Mostly C’s: You’re hot tea—the relaxed, easygoing one. You also may or may not be the mother hen of your group of friends. You’re easily contented, and you’ve got your head firmly attached to your shoulders.

Mostly D’s: You’re hot cider—spicy-tempered and spirited! You tend to lose your cool a bit more easily, and you’re very driven. You’re never one to back down from a challenge, and you’ve got the determination to reach your goals. schu@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CACHEFLY.NET, DEVIANTART.COM, FOODSTORIESBLOG.COM, and VANESSAPRENTICE.COM

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Winter Fashion Staff Writer

It’s that time of the year again! It’s time to toss those tan tank nk tops and th throw on fuzzy sweaters! During Durinng the winter m months, we all want to o look our best, but it’s just so hard to bbundle up and still look fabulous.

Over Over-accessorizing with h warm m coats, scarves, scar arv and d gloves adds ds to bulk ulk and may turn yo just ma you into a snowman snowman.

For some people, winter is all about out layLayering winter ering. La clothes—withoutt addclothes—w ing bulk— bulk—can be the biggest one of th gest styling cchallenges ges during the coldldseason. But weather seas temperature when the tem ure plummets, tthere is no other way to stay ay except to pile warm excep ile clothes. For on clothe or like junior people lik or

‘Twas the Night Before Finals

By BRIANA SHEN

Staff Writer

1. You look outside the window and it’s snowing outside. In the San Gabriel Valley. Your reaction? a. YES! It’s a winter miracle! b. I have to be outside in the snow NOW. Who cares if it’s cold? SNOW. SNOW IN THE VALLEY. c. ...How? I’m pretty sure this isn’t possible; it doesn’t get cold enough here. d. Pfft. Whatever. It’s just snow.

By MICHELLE HUANG

December 2013

Angela Chao, who doesn’t “own a lot of wintry things, layering is [a] way to cheat.”

She “layers the clothes that [she] wears lightly during summer, so that it would be warm enough for winter.” Adding cardigans creates a cozy and comfortable look. Pair it up with leggings and a set of boots, and you’ll have an outfit that’s trendy and warm.

A pullover sweater over plaid shirts creates a preppy, smart look.

Other people choose the simplistic and Sarah Yen stated comfy look. k Junior Ju “sweaters, that “sweate te long pants, and boots” are the things needonly thing ed to stay warm. For who prioritize people wh comfort oover anything else, sweatpants and a lloose top are not only cozy but also on ccute. After all, iif you are going tto sit in class for hhalf of the day, why not be comw ffortable? Vests aand coats are also a good way to keep warm. Adding a vest or coat

over a sweater or long sleeve looks professional and bold.

Students like junior Edwinson Chan recommend scarves as a must-have. Because scarves can be worn in many ways, they’re versatile and can be worn with any outfit. Bundle up the scarf around your neck and match it with a contrasting colored top for effortless chicness and style. A scarf can be worn as a shawl as well for maximum warmth. Or, knot the scarf into a tie-like shape to keep your front safe from the cold.

Winter is the toughest season to figure what to wear.

Staying warm while looking cool on the outside requires specific outfits.

‘Twas the night before Finals, when all through Arcadia, Not a student was sleeping, not even having the idea.

The students took last minute notes with care, In hopes that they would pass with much flair.

The students flipped through their books that night, While visions of failure gave them a fright.

And they drank gallons of coffee and tea, Had no time to worry, can’t you see?

When out on the lawn there arose such a clamor, I leapt out of my chair and lost all my glamour.

Away to the door I came down with a crash, I grabbed my wallet so I had some cash.

The pale, ghostly moon irradiated the sky, I admired its beauty with such a sigh.

When, such a sight that could ever appear, But a sack full of video games, enough to last a school year.

With eight reindeer, so real that I can’t fabricate, I knew that it must be St. Procrastinate.

More horrid than I ever believed him to be, And I asked him to leave, but he disregarded my plea!

“Now, studying Algebra, Chemistry? Oh please!

On with the partying! Life is a breeze!

To live in fear of terrible grades, Why that’s terrible, just visit arcades!”

As he shouted and bellowed his speech, When his voice carried firm, he continued to preach.

So that all his lies drifted in chilly air, With his sleigh of distraction, that lifted in some odd affair.

And then, all of a sudden, I heard on the roof, The crashes of someone acting like a goof.

As I drew in my mind, and was still spellbound, Down the chimney, St. Procrastinate snuck without a sound.

He was dressed like a robber, from head to toe, All his clothes were caked with the snow.

A bundle of annoyance to cause a commotion, And he looked like a housebreaker, even down to his emotion.

I couldn’t study anymore, clearly under distraction, Boy, it was definitely causing me frustration.

Oh, how much I wanted him banished, And, in that second, I wished that he vanished.

In the distance there was a slight tinkling of a bell, The air started to fog from a misty spell.

All I could do was stare in awe, Because St. Procrastinate was disappearing, Hazzah!

But right before his figure became completely hazy, He had the last word, “Just be lazy!”

Even if I wanted to take a break, I knew I couldn’t, mhuang@apachepowwow.com Because it was the night before Finals, I knew I shouldn’t.

Photos by BEN GEISBERG and STANLEY SHAW Graphic courtesy of WALLPAPERS.COM

bshen@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of WIKIMEDIA.COM

December 2013

STUDENT LIFE

studentlife@apachepowwow.com

Wintry Treats to Keep Cozy

The Three Humbug Peeps

13

By KIMBERLY LO

By CHARLES XU

gather together and hold feasts. On Thanksgiving, sophomore Namie Costa enjoyed eating “mashed potatoes that [her family made] beDuring the winter season, there is plenty cause [she likes] potatoes.”

Sweet foods are always tasty, and many of time on students’ hands. Many families enjoy eating these appetizing foods. Some plan entertaining activities students like to bake their own desserts and like skiing or travel to eat them fresh at home. Freshman Allen Bodifferent places all hanan’ss favorite homem homemade food are “black hanan around the world sesame buns.”

Some sweets bu like Europe. While difficult to make, or are dif these events are sometimes there are som lots of fun, eating no materials or time many tasty foods for it. That is when fo is also a must. stores come in const Moreover, the holivvenience. Freshman day season is the perDerina Chou likes D fect time to enjoy one’s to buy “peppermint favorite foods. What are some bark bar because it has the of students’ favorite foods durminty and chocolate mint ing the holiday season? avor.” Whether made flav Students have many foods at home or bought they like to from the nearby store, eat during TREATS OF THE SEASON sweets aare yummy snacks the winter After a day in the cold, the perfect to savor. s e a s o n , solution would be to chow down on When the weather is especially some of your favorite snacks to keep chilly, spicy food is perfect for a since there warm and cozy. is more free time to appreciate the wonderful- meal. Freshman Sally Zhu loves “everything ness of their beloved foods. Now they can take with a strong flavor, especially spicy food like time to bake and create goodies at home. Fresh- lamb.” Spicy foods can certainly warm one up man Christina Wang enjoys baking and eating when the cold is just too much to bear. Howcakes and sweets. However, delectable home- ever, sometimes the spiciness is just too dauntmade foods are not just limited to sweet good- ing. For freshman Elizabeth Wang, “every food ies. On the other hand, if making food is not a is [her] favorite food except spicy ones.”

There is a great variety of scrumptious great strength but a dire weakness, the family can go out to eat their favorite dishes at restau- foods to eat, and the winter season is just the right time to enjoy them. If you have not found rants.

In addition, there are many holidays to cel- your favorite food yet, explore the many stores ebrate. For the special occasions, junior Wesley and recipes to see which foods fit your taste. Do Chu and his family would “go out to eat like [at] not forget to discover, enjoy, and share your fagrandma’s house or a really good restaurant for vorite foods this wonderful holiday season. dinner.” With these holidays come a plethora of celebrations. For example, on special days such klo@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of BLOGSPOT.COM as Thanksgiving and Christmas, some families Staff Writer

Staff Writer

During this time of the year, Christmas lights and trees are ubiquitous decorations around town, and shoppers flock to the mall and frantically browse the Internet looking for the best holiday deals. Not everyone feels the same about the holidays, but here are some of the quintessential types of people that make the holidays especially enjoyable.

The Bundle of Sweaters: In Arcadia, the definition of cold weather is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the Bundle of Sweaters treats the winter in Southern California like the weather in Antarctica.

The Heedless Hoarder: Make sure to cook plenty of food when this person comes over for dinner. The Heedless Hoarder resembles a black hole, sucking up any food around him or her. Yet, most of the food taken frequently equently sits

untouched on the plate, as the Heedless Hoarder’s eyes are too big for his or her stomach. Junior Gina Ratto confesses, “My dad cooks every year for Christmas dinner, and he’s a really amazing cook, but I end up putting so much food on my plate that I can’t finish it all!”

The Social (media) Savant: A product of modern technology, the Social Savant incessantly checks his or her phone, especially at the dinner table. His or her idea of a Christmas decoration is changing his or her phone’s wallpaper to a holiday theme.

During the holidays, each type of person above is required to make celebrations memorable.

Poet William Cowper said it best: “Variety’s the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor.” cxu@apachepowwow.com Graphics by BELINDA SHOUNG

Dear Santa, All I Want for This Christmas Is...

By ERIC CHO Staff Writer

Michelle

Victor “I’d like a replica lightsaber, a couple pilot me G2 pens, and maybe some re free masterfiles, which are essentially digital files es with evidence and fronttlines for debate—it’d bee great if I didn’t have to putt in the work to make them myself for a change.”

—Victor Li, 10

my “I want ppy. ha be to s friend nice to It feels really phere os m at an be in ne’s yo er where ev ” happy.

Chen, 11 —Michelle

Daniel Darrell “I wan skinny s t some we for Chri atpants stmas be cause I li ke skinn y pants, b ut like swea I also t pants.

—Darrell Cheung, 12

“I want to beecome friends with th new people, receive ve meaningful giftss,, and get meaning g-ful cards ffrom my friends.”

—Daniel Hs Hsiao, 11 1

Linddsey “I want a Dodgers World Series ring and a Dodger World Series win in 2014, there’s nothing I really want badly aside from that.”

—Lindsey Wong, 10

echo@apachepowwow.com echo ec ho@ @apa @ apach chep epow ep ow Graphi Graphics Grap p ccs courtesy phic courte cou rtes esy sy of BLOGSPOT.COM BLOG BLO G GS Photos by KATRINA VILLACISNEROS and STANLEY NL L SHAW

14

ACADEMICS

University of California, Davis

By JUSTIN TANG

By TIFFANY LIU Ranked 2nd among 28 schools by U.S. News & World Report in veterinary medicine, University of California, Davis (UCD) is the only school in the UC system that is authorized to grant the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. From creating the latest vaccines to identifying dangerous new diseases, veterinarians do a lot for animals that stretch beyond performing small surgeries or prescribing medications for pets.

Specifically, UCD veterinarians were the first to identify Neospora caninum, a parasite responsible for the most common cause of abortions in cattle, costing cattle producers nearly $35 million per year in lost animals and reduced milk production. In addition, the veterinarian researchers at UCD were also the first to document the correlation of a lack of dietary taurine to a fatal heart condition. Now, pet food companies add this crucial ingredient to pet foods, thus saving thousands of lives.

The work of veterinarians is sometimes overlooked, but they are actually discovering important things about animals that affect not only the animals themselves, but also humans. Although there is no actual pre-vet major at UCD, there are many things that students can do to become a competitive applicant for their veterinary school.

Undergraduates at UCD can get career planning and information about the prerequisites and curricula for the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine by first visiting the Health Sciences Advising office and the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine Student Programs office. Students can also learn about special programs like the Veterinary Medical Opportunity Program and get information about other U.S. and foreign veterinary schools.

One specific pre-veterinary program offered at UCD is the five-week Summer Enrichment Program. Aimed at preparing students for their experience at a veterinary school, the program allows students to gain exposure and experience with both small and large animals, and go through mock interviews and daily clinical rotations in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

In addition, students can listen to speakers from various veterinary medical careers and spend around six hours a day for five days a week gaining valuable experience in many different fields of veterinary medicine.

Students also get information about the application process, admission requirements, and labs. Requirements for this crucial program include a minimum of one year of biology or chemistry, a minimum 2.8 GPA, some veterinary experience, a demonstration of commitment to the program, and the completion of application requirements. This unique program offered only at UCD aims to build its students up to their utmost potential.

Armed with this special program that allows students to gain insight on veterinary medicine and other helpful information, preveterinarian students at UCD are surrounded by a plethora of resources to ensure their success as future veterinarians. tliu@apachepowwow.com

December 2013

Christmas Gifts for Your Inner Nerd Staff Writer

Staff Writer

apachepowwow.com

Christmas is just around the corner and everyone’s looking for awesome gifts to surprise their friends and families with. Here are some hat are bound to crack a smile: nerdy gifts that do 2DS: Everyone loves to play Nintendo g , and Nintendo ggames aare r no ex re excepp games,

tion. The Nintendo brand is known for familyfriendly games, and its new 2DS system brings all the features of the Nintendo 3DS minus the 3D viewing. If that special someone absolutely loves Pokemon, why not get them the Nintendo 2DS and the game itself? The new system cheaap and gets the job done at is unbelievably cheap $129.99. Now that’s a bargain!

Zombie Survival who Surviival Crate: Anyone y wh

loves The Walking Dead will definitely enjoy a Zombie Survival Crate. This wooden box comes with a crow bar that makes opening the box so much more dramatic. Inside you can find a horde of zombie gear and a copy of the bestselling book Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. Help your friend gear up for a zombie apocalypse and learn all the necessary tips in Brooks’ fictional zombie attack!

Amazon Kindle: Of course, there are plenty of e-reader tablets out there but by far, the Kindle takes the storm. The new Kindle Paperwhite is designed to deliver the best reading experience, competing with other tablets like the Nexus 7. There’s no screen glare in bright sunlight and the battery lasts for weeks, not hours! For any hardcore reader out there, the Amazon Kindle is a definite must have.

UZI Tactical Pen: Crime shows always capture our imagination, and the high tech gear always makes us think, “What if technology like that were available to us?” The UZI Tactical Pen turns an ordinary pen into a life saving tool. It has a DNA Catcher on the crown that can deliver a nasty jab to an attacker, causing extreme pain while also capturing a sample of DNA. The crown also acts as a glass breaker if you ever get trapped in your car or you need to get out of a sticky situation. jtang@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of ISTOCKPHOTO.COM G

Education Around the World

By DONNA SAYPHRARAJ Staff Writer

All of us are familiar with the education system in the U.S. It is regarded as one of the best in the world. Other countries, however, have equally intriguing and effective education systems.

Russia Home of the highest attainment of college education in the world, Russia boasts a 99.4% literacy rate, according to a 2002 census. Education in Russia is controlled mainly by the Ministry of Education and Science. Before 1990, the course of school training in the Soviet Union was ten years, but at the end of 1990, an eleven year course was made official. Education in state-owned secondary schools is free, and first tertiary (university level) education is free with reservations. Since 2007, 11-year secondary school attendance has been compulsory. Unlike in the U.S., the 11-year school term is split into elementary (grades 1-4), middle (grades 5-9), and senior (grades 10-11) classes. Upon completion of the nine years of school, students will have the opportunity to stay for 10th and 11th grade, or go to a specialized school for fields such as nursing.

China Chinese citizens are required to have nine years of education. After the cultural revolutions in 1966-1967, Chinese education systems began to shift toward economic modernization. The Great Leap Forward (1958–1960) and the Socialist Education Movement (1962–1965) sought to end deeply rooted academic elitism, and narrow social and cultural gaps between workers and peasants and between urban and rural populations. It also eliminated the tendency of scholars and intellectuals to disdain manual labor. During the Cultural Revolution, universal fostering of social equality was an overriding priority. Education in China is regarded as one of the Four Modernization after the Mao Zedong reign.

Every year, Chinese students travel abroad to study in different countries. China boasts the highest rate of students studying abroad in the world. Additionally, a large number of Chinese schools require students to learn the English language.

France The French education system’s roots can be traced all the way back to the vibrant times of Napoleon Bonaparte, but the modern era of French education began at the end of the 19th century. Jules Ferry, a lawyer who held the office of Minister of Public Instruction in the 1880s, is widely credited for creating the modern school (l’école républicaine) by requiring all children between the ages of 6 and 12—both boys and girls—to attend school. The Jules Ferry Laws require public education to be mandatory and free of charge. Primary school is attended by children from ages 6 to 11. After l’école primaire (primary school), they move on to collège, a four-year period much like our middle schools. After collège they will go to lycée, a high school-like three year course. Upon completion of lycée, students may move on to higher education college degrees, which are funded by the state.

Japan Japanese formal education began with the adoption of Chinese culture in the 6th century. Buddhist and Confucian teachings, as well as sciences, calligraphy, divination, and literature, were taught at the courts of Asuka, Nara, and Heian. Scholar officials were chosen through an imperial examination system. But contrary to that of China, the system never fully took hold, and titles and posts at the court remained hereditary family possessions. The rise of the bushi, the military class, during the Kamakura period ended the influence of scholar officials, but Buddhist monasteries remained influential centers of learning. Occupational forces after WWII enacted the School Education Law, which defined the school system that is still in effect today: six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of high school, and two or four years of university. In modern times, education is required through the first and secondary levels. Many Japanese students choose to go to private schools at the upper secondary and university levels. dsayphraraj@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of COMMONS.WIKIPEDIA.ORG, FLAGSPOT.NET, MAPSOFWORLD.COM, and BESTFLAG.BLOGSPOT.COM

ACADEMICS

15 Nathan Chou Receives Absolutely Perfect (AP) Score

December 2013

academics.powwow@gmail.com

By CHRISTINA READ Staff Writer

Of the 104,600 students from 59 different countries who took the AP Calculus BC exam this year, only nly 11 achieved th tthe he score that every one of them m was aiming for: a perfect 5 out of 5. This means that 99.9% of alll test-takers missed at least onee question. Senior Nathan Chou, was ou, however, wa as not among them.

Nathan n missed none of the multiplee choice qquestions uestions and earned maximum d the max m imum m points possible ible l onn every freee response question, uestion, resulting in n a score that College at Co ollege Board, which administered the test, calls alls “ann extraordinary naryy academic achievement.” He is one of just ust three Calilifornians to receive the he honor, but all ll eleven perrfect scores e es came from m inside thee U.S. Great at job, studentss of America!!

Nathan, who considers calculus topics to be easy to understand but hard to apply, said that he “did not see [the result] coming at all.”

Despite his time spent with study guides and practice tests, he was “nervous that would [his] memory mem mory wo w uld suddenly y blank out” outt” duru ing the test. tes e t.

He thought his thou score would wou be relatively good, but bu he expected to miss at lleast a few questions. N Nathan also said that wh when he took the test as a junior last year, he he would h believed bel never n er get a perfect nev score. s re. A few months sco ago, ag , when College ago

Board informed him of his achievement, Nathan “didn’t expect this much attention.”

Another impressive feat is that Nathan, who has attended AHS since his freshman year, has never earned less than an A grade in any of his classes. With five AP courses this year alone, that is certainly a success.

He believes taking these classes at AHS pushed him to learn. Ms. Kerry King, his calculus teacher, said, “Nathan’s work in my class was invariably precise, detailed, and correct.

Nathan loves to learn and loves math in particular; he’s a great student and a wonderful young man.” He is also a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, and may even become a Finalist.

In addition to his classwork, Nathan is involved with many clubs and teams on campus. Along with playing violin and piano in the Symphony Orchestra, he is also a member of Math Team, Science Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Science Olympiad, and Physics Team. His father, Mr. Wen-Feng Chou, and his mother moved to Arcadia before Nathan was born in order for

THE MATH WHIZ Senior Nathan Chou was 1 out of 11 people in n the world to receive a perfect score on his AP Calculus BC exam lastt M May. la las

him to be able to attend Baldwin Stocker Elementary and First Avenue Middle School. Mr. Chou feels that attending AHS “has allowed [Nathan] to fully develop his potential.” Similarly, Nathan is happy about the many activities he joined because the “clubs and teams have helped [him to] meet people with the same interests” as him. These activities allowed him to make many new friends, giving him a strong social life to complement his academics.

Outside of school, Nathan enjoys competing in website coding competitions and talking with his friends online. While he “sometimes plays games,” he spends more of his online time “just chatting with friends.” Nathan also plays the piano at his church and spent last summer in Taiwan teaching children English. In order to celebrate the score, he will be going to eat at his favorite restaurant and is also considering taking a day off studying so that he can watch a movie instead.

For his successes, Nathan is thankful to all of his teachers, especially his Calculus teacher Ms. King. He also appreciates his parents and all of his friends, saying he “couldn’t have done it” without these people.

Congratulations, Nathan! You are truly an amazing student, and your hard work has paid off. In the words of our principal, Dr. Brent Forsee, “We are very proud of Nathan and his amazing accomplishment.” Good job with your impressive achievement, Nathan, and good luck with your future pursuits! cread@apachepowwow.com Photo by BEN GEISBERG

16

SPORTS

apachepowwow.com

Leading the Pack

Training Through the Holidays

tounding race at league finals. In her Girls Varsity Cross Country race, she came in 1st with a time of 17:20.28, blowing past the first Crescenta Valley runner by 30 seconds! She credits her amazing performances to her training ethic.

“My family has taught me to always give my all

in everything I do; in every race, practice, or run, I try my hardest. But it also helps to have Staff Writer amazing coaches and teammates that I can always count on. They push me to be better,” Seniors Estevan De La Rosa and Roni Roni stated. Throughout the entire season, Yamane were named Boys and Girls Pacific Roni has done exceptionally well in all her League Cross Country Runners of the Year. races. At the 30th Annual Laguna Hills After a very successful season, the runners along with the rest of the team STAR RUNNERS OF THE YEAR (LEFT TO Invitational on Sept. 14, Roni finished participated in the Pacific League Fi- RIGHT) Seniors Estevan De La Rosa and Roni Yamane 1st with a time of 17:47, posting the nals, which took place on Nov. 7 at the were named Girls and Boys Pacific League Runners of the best individual time of the meet. At the Stanford Invitational on Sept. 26, Roni Arcadia County Park. This race marked Year, a prestigious award. performed exceptionally again by finthe end of the season, and every runner ishing 3rd in the race with a time of knew that it counted the most.

17:49, falling to the lead runner from Estevan was 2nd in his Boys San Lorenzo Valley. Mt. SAC hosted Varsity race and completed the 3-mile the world’s largest cross country meet run in 14:02.47, second only to sophoon Oct. 26. This time, Roni was able more Phillip Rocha who had a time of to improve her time by 20 seconds but 14:02.12 in a neck-to-neck race till the finished 11th at the invitational. end. Phillip ended up getting 1st, but Estevan’s passion for running Estevan would go on to be named Pawas displayed in the 2013 Nike Cross cific League Cross Country Runner of Nationals Race. After tripping in the the Year. Looking back on his season, race, Estevan went from 50th to 100th Estevan set the bar high for himself in place in only a couple seconds. Howevery race he ran. At the Stanford Inviever, Estevan was still able to reclaim tational on Sept. 26, Estevan surprised his position as 5th in the entire race, everyone when he finished 4th with a finishing in 15:10. Roni is certain that time of 15:13. Almost 2800 of the West she will be running in college, stating, Coast’s best high school runners and “It’s nice to know that when you work over 500 college runners participated hard, you’ll be rewarded.” at the Stanford Golf Course, making Estevan’s feat even more unbelievable. jtang@apachepowwow.com Roni has had an incredible career at AHS and topped it all off with her asPhotos courtesy of MILESPLIT.COM

By JUSTIN TANG

Boys Soccer Scores Again

By ROSE LI Staff Writer

The Boys Varsity Soccer team has kicked its way into the season, and it’s already off to a bright start. For the first game, the boys played against San Marino High School and easily won with a score of 8-0, proving that hard work does pay off. With this impressive win, it’s no surprise that members have positive things to say about their playing. “Our strengths are that we’re fast,” said Captain senior Michael Lewis. “We’re very close together as a group and we connect well and know how each of us play,” added senior Angel Cortes with senior Brian Wada aggreing.

Despite their great success thus far, the boys know better than to be overly confident.

They cited some of their weaknesses, which Michael and Angel agreed are lack of experience due to a large number of sophomores, and haste, a result of playing too fast. However, both obstacles will surely be overcome as the season progresses.

As a sports team, everyone’s main goal is to make CIF. Michael spoke for the team when he shared, “We want to try to take 1st in League and get to CIF.” In addition, Angel added his own personal take on Boys Soccer’s

goal. “I think that we’re out to prove people wrong. Not many people view us as a very respectable or good team, but we go out everyday to do the best we can.”

Of course, these boys aren’t just all talks.

They each express plans to overcome their personal weaknesses and seize their goals. As for Michael, he expressed optimism about the performance of their first game and hopes that the team can keep the same excellence throughout the rest of the season. He also wants to keep up consistency through daily practice.

T h o u g h many strive to win in sports, in the end, what really matters is enjoyment.

After all, as long as our boys give it their best and have a good time, who can complain?

Angel’s words about the upcoming season are definitely admirable: “We just want to go out and have fun. Go out focused and ready to work and leave it all out on the field for our school. We just want to go as far as we can and compete against other schools.” rli@apachepowwow.com Photo by BEN GEISBERG Graphics courtesy of BEREAATHLETICS.COM

December 2013

By JUSTIN TANG Staff Writer

It’s the holiday season, but that doesn’t mean our top-notch athletes are slacking! Here are some of the things that AHS players do during break to stay in shape.

“I would run every day: sprints, suicides… the whole package. Push-ups and weight lifting prepare me for basketball and help me run and get in transition to get quick shots. People always get bullied around in basketball, so having a firm base with a low center of gravity allows me to stay in control, even with defenders slapping at the ball.”

— Peter Panah, 12, Boys Varsity Basketball “There’s a drill where the coach feeds you balls at really short intervals from the baseline with random speed and depth. The goal is to read the ball early and move fast so that you can recover and prepare for the next ball. Footwork is essential in tennis. Although strokes are also essential, without sufficient footwork, you aren’t even able to get to the ball.”

— Ken Nakamine, 10, Boys Varsity Tennis The time, energy, and dedication needed to be an athlete is often overlooked. Vacations can really hurt in the long run so staying in shape is hard, but with the right mindset, athletes can find the motivation to keep going. jtang@apachepowwow.com Graphics courtesy of CHIRSTMASART.COM

Girls Soccer Kicks It Off

By BILLY BONNEY Staff Writer

The Girls Varsity Soccer season is at our doorstep and we can hardly help but shake with excitement and anticipation of what is destined to be a memorable year. There is so much to look forward to with this year’s collection of superb athletes that we can do nothing less than expect to win. According to junior Isabelle Dou, or as she prefers, Izzy, “Girls Varsity Soccer has nearly an identical roster as last season’s, and all the key players from last year’s team are returning.” She expects that they will perform well and exceed everything they accomplished last year because ause the majority of their players aree returning, and they have grown n over the past year. Furthermore, the girls have grown closer, and nd they all see one another ass sisters. Izzy confirmed that “because they all see this team as something g more like a family, it helps lps on with [their] communication and teamwork on the field.” .”

With strong returning players who are used to playing with each other and are able to communicate well, Izzy believes es that the team will excel thiss year and have a good chance at winning League.

Another member of the Girls Varsity Soccer team, senior Bailey Mushisky

stated, “We have a very good chance at being successful” this season. She attributed the team’s strength to having a strong group of senior girls, many who have been on the Varsity team since their freshman year. However, Bailey views the team’s gravest weakness as its blinding confidence. She believes that the team’s hubris will cause it to underestimate its competition. Bailey said, “While [they] have a good chance of winning league and going far in CIF, [they] have to keep a level head.” Despite this, Bailey greatly looks forward to the upcoming season and all the memories as well as the trials that come with it.

The girls’ first preseason game may ma not have ended the way they wa wanted, but they were not discou couraged.

Izzy said that “it was a close game, but we got unlucky,” l while senior Adriana M Maldonado said she “did well a it was the first time that and [they] played with everyone.”

Adding on, Adriana said, “The oother team was tough, but we ke kept up with them,” and had so some missed opportunities that w will be worked out. In Adriana’s mind, once the team becomes accustomed to playing with the newer members, the girls will be a terror on the field and have a successful season. bbonney@apachepowwow.com Photo by BEN GEISBERG Graphics courtesy of BEREAATHLETICS.COM

December 2013

SPORTS

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17

Balling From Beginning Lady Apaches Return

By BRENDAN TRAN Staff Writer

With a new season comes a new offense and defense with high expectations. That said, the Boys Varsity Basketball team is looking to bounce back from a 2-12 Pacific League record. A lot has changed since last year, with a new defense called the “100” press, where players are matched up full court trapping or pressuring opponents.

There’s also a new offense by Assistant Coach Bill Ritter, who tweaked plays he ran before at Whittier College.

These vast changes have convinced the players that the team can now compete at a high level. Its goals this season are to have a winning record, to contend for League Champions, and to snag a spot in CIF playoffs. Junior Joseph Leonard said that they “are somewhat inexperienced because [they] lost a lot of talented seniors last year.” To combat the lack of varsity experience, the team is aiming to be the most conditioned team in the area. Accordingly, practices are intensified with several sets of runs before or after a water break. These sets usually consist

of three suicides (long g sp sprints), s),, tthree uup-andbacks, and three box runs. uns. Thes These se ru running unning drills are all timed, and if players layers ca cannot annot ccomplete o p om it fast enough, they will hhave ave tto o run anoth another he one.

Players have nott onl only ly te team eam goa goals, al but also individual goals to o help th the team su succeed. u For example, senior Daren S Sue ue has ind individual di goals of making aking tthe he Pa Pacific L League All-Defensive fensivee T Team eam aand nd averaging ng do doub double-digit ublee-d ub -diigit assists per er game. Da Daren be believes that the team’s strengths this year are the players’ speed, strength, athleticism. and Since the team lost many tall guys from last year, there are many guards on the team that can push the ball in transition and force the opposing team out of its comfort zone. However, Daren still believes that the team’s weaknesses are “coachability and team chemistry” meaning that everyone is not always open to input. The team also sometimes, separates into cliques. Overcoming these flaws means a better team, so Boys Basketball will focus on fixing them on its road to success in the new season! btran@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of INSTAGRAM.COM Graphic courtesy of CHIRSTMASCLIPART.COM

By MELODY LIN Staff Writer

If Girls Varsity Basketball continues to dominate the way it has so far, it will definitely be League Champions! Girls Varsity Basketball has been dunking on all of its competitors so far.

The girls started off strong with an incredible summer league record of 55-6. They started their pre-season games over Thanksgiving break and will continue to play pre-season games during Christmas break.

The girls have come very far from the beginning of their training six months ago. Senior Jacklyn Tran admitted, “At first it was hard because it was basically working with an entirely new team.” Many of the players on last year’s Varsity team were seniors. Senior Katie Mock added, “Our team this year is a rebuilding team, so we have a lot of girls new to the Varsity team.”

Despite the uncertainty of a new team, the girls remain positive. They have been constantly working out and practicing ever since the last season ended, trying to improve their skills and chemistry with one another. The hard work the girls have put in during the off-season will hopefully reflect in the games they will play.

Junior Melanie Chen stated, “There is no

dominant player now, but that’s for the better because everyone’s talent and skills will shine.”

Other teammates agree that wins will come when all the girls play selflessly and smartly.

Spreading around the basketball and playing as a cohesive unit will certainly be beneficial towards the team, especially since each and every player has the ability to score and play great defense as well.

Katie said, “It’s too early to tell you about our record so far, but hopefully we’ll win another league championship title this season.” The girls have their scores to back their optimism. They won their first three pre-season tournament games, which count toward their official record. They played La Mirada High School, winning 65-10, Walnut High School, winning 38-31, and Sonora High School, winning 55-40. On Nov. 30, the girls were on their A-game, beating Rosary High School 49-43. Junior Caira Nichole looks at these scores as an estimate of future games, confirming, “We started off the season with a tournament championship, so I feel like that’s a sign of great things in the future for our team.” mlin@apachepowwow.com Photo by BEN GEISBERG Graphic courtesy of CHRISTMASCLIPART.COM

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December 2013

CALENDAR

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December 2013

19

Zone Rosa Caffe

By GLUTTON GIRL Staff Writer

A quaint little coffee shop located at the heart of Old Town Pasadena, the Zona Rosa Caffe is a relaxing place for anybody to rewind after a long day or grab a quick drink. The cafe is Latin-themed, but many of the traditional Mexican drinks are renamed in English. It is conveniently just a few steps from the Pasadena Playhouse and many other shops.

Walking in, I was surprised that the shop only had a bar and a few tables and chairs, but later I discovered the spacious second floor.

It had couches, tables, and a T.V., the perfect place to study or chill. There was also a large window overlooking the streets that let in plenty of natural light. The menu, mounted on a large board next to the bar, had a wide variety of coffee choices and chocolate drinks. On the other side of the counter was a display case filled with all sorts of donuts. However, the thing that really caught my attention was the décor. The stunning paintings and the furniture really illustrated the Latin/Spanish theme.

I happened to be craving chocolate that day, so I ordered a medium-sized Mexican

hot chocolate. On the first sip, I was met with an explosion of flavor: rich, melted chocolate and spicy pepper. Although this may seem like a strange combination, I thought it was wonderful because the spiciness of the drink really accented the taste of chocolate. I am happy to say my craving was satisfied!

If you’re looking for a place that has good coffee or just a place to relax, then stop by the Zona Rosa Caffe. A warm, inviting environment and quality drinks are definitely the highlights of this place. I would give this place 3 out of 5 coffees, and I definitely recommend it.

Until next time! And who am I? That’s a secret I’ll never tell!

XOXO, Glutton Girl

Zona Rosa Caffe: 15 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena CA 91101 Price: Mexican Hot Chocolate (medium) $3.40

gluttongirl@apachepowwow.com Photo by GLUTTON GIRL Graphics courtesy of SHUTTERSHOCK.COM AND DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

Q: It’s a tradition for me and my friends to exchange gifts on Christmas, but I’m running out of ideas. Any suggestions?

A: When buying presents for your friends, it is necessary to keep in mind what your friends like. It doesn’t have to be expensive and extravagant to be good; it makes it all the more personal when it’s something from the heart.

You can always try a do-it-yourself present, like an ornament. All you need is a light bulb, paint, glue, and some glitter.

Q: What are some good places to buy cheap yet nice gifts?

I need to buy multiple p re s e n t s for a

wide range of people.

A: Although this seems pretty generic, Target and Wal-Mart are great places to buy gifts. They both have great Christmas sales and high quality items. If you wish to buy a present for someone younger, they also have a toy and puzzle section, and for someone older, you can buy some daily essentials like a coffee machine or a blender.

Q: We are having a Secret Santa event in the club I am in, and never I have n ever had d any interactions interaction with the person person I got.

Please give me some ideas on some general presents most people would like.

A: Try asking his or her friends about the person’s interests. If you are not acquainted with them, iTunes and Starbucks gift cards are always favorites. If gift cards aren’t your style, try getting a scarf or a beanie since the weather is getting colder. And to make it more personal, include a nicely made card with a cozy message like, “I hope your holiday season is fun and festive.”

askkay@apachepowwow.com Graphics by CHELSEA CHENG and courtesy of DAFONT.COM

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CAMPUS FOCUS

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“I guess winter is cool because in a way, it makes us waterpolo girls closer. Waterpolo is a winter sport, so the tougher things are for us, the closer we become.”

—Heidi Tan, 12

“Winter is great. It’s the best time of the year to grow out a beard.”

—Andrew Ortegaray, 10

“Since winter is arriving, it means winter break and presents... who wouldn’t love that? Also, my birthday is in the winter, so more winterly love.”

—Tara Agahi,10

“Winter brings a whole ton of celebrations; we ha have Christmas to look forward to and New Year’s.” wa —Akhil Silla, 11

By BRIANA S B SHEN Staff Writer

In SSouthern California, the weather turns colder…to some degree. Winter definitely h has many positive aspects, including two whole weeks off from school. It will allow d upperclassmen to catch up on much needed sleep and give students a chance to spend u time with their family and friends. Here are a few students’ reasons why winter is awesome. ti

bshen@apachepowwow.com b sh shen@apachepowwow hen en@ n@ap pache chepo pow ow com com Photos by BEN GEISBERG Graphics courtesy of BLOGSPOT.COM

December 2013