Volume LVIII, Issue 4
15325 East Los Robles Avenue, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
March 2019
Samsung STEM Competition Names AP Physics Students 2019 National Finalists By Brandon Soung Competing with over 250 state finalists, the AP Physics team landed a spot on the top 10 national finalist position. The students have won $50,000 worth of Samsung technology, an invitation to a Pitch event in New York City, and the chance to earn more money as national champions. At the annual contest, students are tasked with finding a solution to a problem in their community. With the rise of tiger mosquito activity in local communities, the AP Physics team designed an innovative mosquito trap, After meeting with a local vector control, the students decided to improve upon one of their traps which originally lured mosquitos with standing water and prevented them from reproducing with larvicide. However, the original model was prone to becoming a breeding ground as people forgot to maintain the larvicide and replace the water. The students improved the original model by making an environmentally friendly funnel and plug that would drop the water once the larvicide wore off as a means to better maintain the trap.
Senior Derek Urbina said, “I was tasked with designing the idea of the funnel and we spent our time in class trying to make drips of water last as long as possible and that took a lot of time and effort.” After making it to the national finalist section, the school was invited to attend an event in New York City where the students would present their prototype to a panel of judges, with the the top 3 finalists increasing their prize money to $100,000. Urbina said, “Well, I'm hoping the judges at New York take interest in our idea, because it will spread awareness of our product to help many people from getting incurable diseases from mosquitoes.” The students worked on the project for about three months where the students would spend their class time brainstorming and experimenting with their ideas. AP Physics teacher Paul Fang said, “I helped guide the students but the students did most of the work. For example, Ryan Lau was in charge of the 3D printing, Amy Tam was involved in the making the app, and the AP physics students conducted the experiments.”
Students can watch and vote for the LAHS video at www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/ by March 27. In the app the AP Physics team designed, users would earn points for maintaining their trap, checking for standing water, and reporting levels of mosquito activity as a way to improve their
community. Fellow classmates can also help the AP Physics team by voting for them on the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow website, where the school with the most votes earns an additional
$10,000. Fang said, “Overall, it’s a really good project as it gives students an opportunity to solve problems in the community while utilizing STEM.”
Taste of LA Offers Diverse Foods & Musical Performances By Giovanna Fernandez As soon as people walked in, an array of gift baskets,
raffle opportunities, and food stands greeted them in the gym on March 8 where Los Altos High School introduced
Los Altos band members perform at the 2019 Taste of LA fundraiser.
attendees to the “Taste of LA.” Different foods and desserts, derived from four dif-
Photo by Giovana Fernandez
ferent countries, allowed people in attendance to try Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and American dishes with decorated plates. The food was accompanied by performances from the LAHS band unit alongside performances from the LAHS and Newton Color Guard teams. These performances helped attendees enjoy the various sounds alongside the diverse flavors of the world. “All of the bands did really great tonight,” freshman and symphonic band member Ivonne Vargas said. “Everyone put their part into it. They all put either their money, food, and time. Events like these are really important to fund the band unit and most importantly bring people to-
gether.” To make the experience more immersive, attendees were given a makeshift passport to be stamped at each “country” visited. After traveling and enjoying the Taste of LA, “Tomorrow’s Effect” played upbeat songs until the event came to a close. “It was well-coordinated because we get to interact with people, eat, and perform,” freshman and band member Emily Orozco said. “It was a really good night for everyone. Even if you’re not in band or color guard, you can get together with people you know. I feel like band events are very welcoming, and that’s what separates them from other school events.”
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March 2019
LA FOCUS
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Mission Statement The 2018-2019 Journalism team strives to provide the school and the comunity with reliable and factual information that encourages thoughful coversations and discourse. On this diverse campus, we hope to report and respect the various viewpoints of all members of our community. We believe this to be an imperative role, as the students of Los Altos are to be future leaders and deserve to be informed. We hold this duty with the utmost respect and responsibility and view ourselves as representatives of our campus.
Staff Editors-in-Chief: Lucy Argaez Danielle Porras
Student Journalists: Damien Alvarado Adrian Banuelos Giovanna Fernandez Kimberly Gonzalez Laila Jibrin Douglas Lin Briana Muñoz Elias Robles Brandon Soung Briana Trujillo
Adviser:
Adriana Guzman
Media & Contact For even more content including up-to-date articles and videos visit our website:
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For any comments, questions, ideas, or concerns contact us through our email: 2019lahsjournalism@gmail.com Journalism proudly contributes to LA Conqueror Athletics:
@LAConqAthletics Losaltosathletics.org
Frankie Escamilla eager to play in the soccer match against West Covina.
Photo Courtesy of Eric Palmer
Breaking Barriers, Escamilla Scores A Spectacular Goal By Adrian Banuelos An entire crowd cheering, and stomping their feet for one of the greatest goals ever scored, for the boys varsity soccer team. The player who had scored this spectacular goal was Frankie Escamilla. Escamila scored the last goal of the season against West Covina, winning the game 4 to 1. It was an amazing way to finish off the season with an amazing win. “Being able to score that goal, was one of the greatest moments in my entire life. This is because West Covina let me score the goal; they were kind enough to allow me to have a chance to ever score my first goal on the high school soccer team. This shows that there is still human kindness in this world, because I was given the opportunity to score a goal,” senior Frankie Escamilla said. Scoring this goal meant the entire world to Escamil-
la, he will never ever forget that spectacular moment in his entire life. Frankie has even made it to CNN, making it one of the top headlines in their news outlet. It was all about a young mans dream coming true, in finally being able to score a real high school goal. “Now I am going to be playing for the varsity baseball team, and hopefully before the season ends, I am able to get a hit and score a run for the team to win it. My main goal is to show everyone out there that nothing should hold you back from accomplishing your goals in life because you only live once, so make the best out of it,” Escamilla said. Escamilla’s name will forever be remembered at Los Altos as one of the best teammates, who always had faith in the team. “Frankie is the person who brings the spirit to the team, he is the one who is always bring up people, when they
are feeling down. He is the missing piece to the puzzle that fixes everything in a positive way,” said junior George Gonzalez Life would not be the same if it wasn’t for kindness because there would only be negativity in this world, instead of their being positivity. “I am just inspired by Frankie, because he is motivated to accomplish many goals in life, and nothing will ever hold him back. He has just an overall strong personality that uplifts others.” Gonzalez said. Escamilla has also committed to pay baseball at Cal State San Bernardino. Escamilla has joined field level on March 1st, 2019, and he was assessed and certified by his coach to play college ball. He has successfully made it to college baseball and maybe even in the future to the MLB.
March 2019
NEWS
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Trinity Love Jones’ 9-Year-Old Body Found Near Local Hacienda Heights Hiking Trail By Elias Robles Shock struck many as the news spread of the chilling discovery made on March 5 on a hiking trail south of Hacienda Boulevard and Glenmark Drive. A suspicious rollaway duffel bag was found, but what it contained disturbed many: a young girl’s dead body. 9 year old Trinity Love Jones’ body was spotted, leading many to question what exactly happened to this child. Information of the situation was not determined and released until days later. Freshman Isabella Lopez said, “I think it’s concerning that it took a very long time to find out who was the child and who the child’s parents were.” At first, sheriff ’s believed the body had been pushed over the side of an embankment along Hacienda Boulevard within a couple of days of the discovery. However, the victim was believed to be left several days earlier. It was then determined that the body was left on the afternoon of March 1.
Lopez said, “When I first heard the news, I thought that the parents were abusive and killed her. They might have just been trying to hide the body. I was so upset, it was sickening.” Prior to the murder, Jones, her mother, and her mother’s boyfriend were believed to be homeless, living out of their car or a Santa Fe Springs Motel. Freshman Adrian Lopez said, “Hacienda Heights is a small town so it makes sense for someone to drop off a body where the police would least expect it.” Jones’ mother, Taquesta Graham’s boyfriend Emiel Lamar Hunt was the murderer of Trinity, scheduled to enter a plea April 16 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. This is not his first negative encounter with the authorities. Hunt had previously served a decade in prison for abusing his own son back in 2005. He is now put on a homicide case and charged with murder. Jones’ mother is now a suspect of murder as well. Jones’ mother, Taquesta
Graham was extradited from Texas to California on March 14. Graham has been held without bail. The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department is expected to file charges. Lopez said, “It’s so messed up to think that her mother and stepdad did such a thing.
I would hate to hear if they harmed her more before this happened.” Friends, family, and supporters are now left with a heartbreaking case. A memorial now stands on the sight which once held the duffel bag containing the corpse of
Trinity Jones’ body found near Hacienda Heights hiking trail.
young Trinity Love Jones. The funeral service, funded by individual donations, was publicly held March 25 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, followed by a gathering at the Hacienda Heights Community Center.
Illustration by Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Dept.
HLPUSD Blocks Online Momo Challenge, Notifies Parents By Giovanna Fernandez The creepy Japanese statue, Momo, has found its way back into headlines since the challenge went viral. Schools across the US were quick to ban YouTube from their facilities. In early July of 2018, Momo was an overnight urban legend where people allegedly found a phone number linked to a Facebook page. When contacted on WhatsApp, they would be able to interact with the haunting profile. Although there was usually no response, those who did get a text back got threatening messages and insults. This month, the infamous statue resurfaced with a new addition, called the “Momo Challenge.” Frightened, parents and schools began to monitor what children watched on YouTube. School districts have since warned teachers about the videos. The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District also sent out an email warning staff about the challenge. They advised parents and teachers to watch out for the
challenge and communicate with their students if the topic was brought up. Other precautions are also being taken by the various social media platforms. The challenge, which intentionally was targeted towards children, allegedly told them to participate in dangerous acts of suicide. To this date, there is no confirmed count of children who have actually been driven to suicide because of the
videos. The ominous, bugeyed woman is actually a sculpture made by Japanese special effects artist Keisuke Aisawa. The piece was displayed at Tokyo’s Horror Art Gallery in 2016. Freshman Ada Vo said, “I was confused as to why the picture of Momo was back. I wasn’t really scared because it was such a huge internet meme that it took all of the fright out of it. However, it’s scary how gullible some kids
are and the videos could actually cause problems.” “It does worry me when thinking about how some younger kids see the videos. Having a little brother, I feel more alarmed because of what they’re exposed to and how it can affect them later,” said Vo. It is still unknown who began promoting the Momo Challenge videos and why. It’s more likely that the challenge was just another over-
popularized Creepypasta story made to scare people. Freshman Madison Vargas said, “Momo was just one of those scary internet fads that usually would die down after a while, but can become out of hand really quickly. It sent a lot of countries into panic, which I found crazy.” The effects of Momo have been found in numerous countries, ranging from Europe to the Philippines. “It got so popular that there were a lot of fake accounts going around that really tried to get reactions out of people. On Instagram, I got a message from an account called “webemomo” that said, ‘Hello, I am Momo. Do what I say or you and your family shall die. Do you accept?’ and it had me a little scared at first. The account was deleted like an hour later,” said Vargas. With many actions taken by adults and social media companies, the Momo unrest was finally put under control. The unsettling statue has since then been destroyed by its creator, who claimed it was rotting naturally.
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March 2019
A&E
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District Festival Promotes Choir, Band Talent By Lucy Argaez Music blasting from the gym, hundreds of voices resonating and the sound of instruments coming together to spread the love of the arts and music; to parents, students, principles, and district board members. The District Music Festivals consisted of two events, The District Choral Festival and the District Honor Band Festival. The District Choral Festival was held at La Puente High School gymnasium. All choirs in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District attended, from Fairgrove Academy, Newton Middle school, Mesa Robles, Los Altos, Glen A. Wilson, William Workman, and La Puente. High school choirs attended a practice at La Puente high school from 8:00 am, to 2:30 pm. They worked on their musicality with guest clinician, and conductor Brian Hogan. Hogan led all the high school choirs in the district in a mass choir piece at the end of the event. He also ran though each high schools’ selected pieces, Los Altos La Rhythm, and Los Altos Pres-
tige performed the acapella from their show choir sets. The event was a showcase of voices, beginning with middle school and then moving on to the high school choirs. The event was focused on the impact of music and its effect on people. The mass choir piece was the epitome of that. The piece was “Make Them Hear You” composed by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty from the musical “Ragtime.” It is a moving piece about the impact of words and unity, the fact that hundreds of voices sang this at the end of the event it really sold the pieces message. The District Choral Festival was also about showing students in middle school choirs what they could become if they continued to do choir in the high school of their choice. The middle schoolers gain a lager scope of their options and where they would like to go to continue choir. The District Honor Band Festival was put on for similar reasons, except the goal was to get students to continue the program. It was held at the Los Altos High School Gym the follow-
Brian Hogan directs the band with enthusiasm for future musicians. ing day. Our band director attended the event, as well as two guest conductors. The event was aimed more toward parents and students as they wanted middle school students to continue band in high school. The program directors stressed the benefits of being in a high school band, how it would improve work ethic, and how it would help them get into college. Much like the District Choral festival the students
worked with the guest conductors before hand and received help with their music and cleaned up their pieces. There was an Honors Jazz Band which performed on its own, and the rest of the music were mass pieces will all the Honor Band members. Middle Schooler Roselyn Mendoza said, “Seeing the high school band directors and hearing what they had to say encouraged me to continue the band program here at Los Altos. I am excited
Photo by Lucy Argaez
to come here next year and keep doing what I love.” Both events were focused on the importance of music and how it impacts people. They were showcases of the talent within the district. The event was started eleven years ago as a way to bring the schools together and share the love of music. The event continues to do this, as well as urging students to continue in the music programs.
Dance Team Showcases Impressive Skills During Competition By Elias Robles The Los Altos High School Dance Team’s first two competitions of the year, were learning experiences to help for coming events. LAHS dance has been aweing students with their entertaining dances at rallies and other events. It was time for them to
move onto competition, where they were recognized for their work. The dance team competed at West Covina High School on February 9 and Arlington High School on February 23. All dancers were greatly determined to place at their competitions, which is exactly what they did. “I felt that we did good in our second competition.
Dance students enthusiastically show off their moves.
There were a lot of good competitors but we were still able to place. That was a big accomplishment for our team,” freshman Stacey Medina said. One of their two pieces was a jazz dance to the song “Be a Man” from the Disney movie “Mulan.” The choreography was filled with fresh choreography that danced their way to
first place at their West Covina tournament. “I really enjoyed the choreography. We did something new for our Mulan dance. We used props and had a fight scene in it which is something not a lot of people see in competition,” Medina said. Not only did they wow the crowds with their jazz skills, but they also performed a hip hop dance to a remix.
Photo by Briana Trujillo
The piece got them to second place for hip hop at West Covina and third at Arlington. “We made changes last minute to our hip hop dance, but it still came out well and we still placed. It was really good that we tried our best out there,” freshman Jueliza Mainit said. The team danced their hearts out at both competitions. They have several more competitions coming up, giving them the opportunity to further strengthen their skills and impress spectators everywhere. “We realized how competitive the other teams are and how we have to be able to have that much competitiveness in our dances so that we can place and do better in the future,” Mainit said. The dance team is now preparing for their upcoming showcase along with the advanced and intermediate dance crews. Their award winning performances can be seen on the Hacienda Heights Community Center stage March 28 and 29 at 6:30.
March 2019
NEWS
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Mary Rached Represents LAHS As Principal For Day
Mary Rached stands with her work for the day.
Photo By Briana Trujillo
By Briana Munoz The Principal of the Day 2019 Scholarship was awarded to Senior Mary Rached. The scholarship included the opportunity for Rached to serve as principal for a day at Los Altos High School. At the start of the school day, Principal Jeffrey Hess and Rached conducted a school tour for Dr. Kenny Chang. Their classroom visits and walkthroughs led to conversations about LAHS courses and extracurriculars. “I was honored to give Dr. Chang a tour of the school and be able to talk to him about LAHS,” Rached said. Throughout the day, she was able to explore new areas of LAHS and learn more
about the school while on the job. Later in the afternoon, Rached accepted The Principal of the Day Scholarship at a reception held at the Industry Hills Expo Center. “This experience definitely gave me more of an outlook as to how much responsibility comes with being a principal, but it also showed me the beauty of it,” said Rached. Rached reflected further on her day as principal and pointed out that perspective on students changed as she observed what motivates students. “I have learned to be confident, never fear failure, and always take chances. I think that failure is a big part of life but at the end, you always learn and grow from it,”
Rached said. Throughout the years students will make sure that they leave their mark behind as they continue their journey. “HOSA has definitely played a key role in my life. I have gained leadership skills, communication skills, and life skills that I will carry with me as I step into the next chapter of my life. Attending the state leadership conferences has re-enforced my networking and allowed me to surround myself with people of the same goals and interests. I would say that HOSA has allowed me to venture outside of my comfort zone and through HOSA, I have been able to make memories that I will always remember,” Rached added.
Mr. Conqueror Race Ends With Cavanias Crowned King By Lucy Argaez After a grueling competition, Christian Cavanais is crowned this year’s Mister Conqueror. Cavanias competed with eleven other contestants and took home the win. Contestants competed in three events, which were a formal ware segment, a swimsuit segment, and a lip sync segment. Cavanias was awarded two tickets to prom that he will be using next year, as he is a sophmore. Christian recived money to donate to a charity of his choice as one of the prizes for his win. The event was held March 15 by Renaissance, where a panel of teachers selected the winner.
Photos of the Mr. Conqueror event and several contestants.
Photo by Laila Jibrin
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March 2019
FEATURE
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HOSA Given $40,000 Grant By Sacramento Headquarters
Ignacio Hernandez talks to students on how to network for competition. By Briana Trujillo Recently, HOSA was given a $40,000 grant by the California HOSA headquarters in Sacramento. As the state leadership conference comes, the funds brought an ex-
treme help. This grant is to allow extra expenses needed that needs to spent and mental health awareness. The cost for their trip to Sacramento for all HOSA members was decreased due to this fund, which covered
Photo by Briana Trujillo their fee to the State Leadership Conference (SLC) and plane tickets. When HOSA members arrive to Sacramento, they go in a charter bus. However, with the grant given this year, they were allowed to attend a flight there.
Treasure and Senior Jackie Sandoval said, “This grant has help my family and I so much. Especially since it’s senior and everything that comes with that, such as Senior Night and graduation. It also has helped a lot to pay the amount that we were supposed to pay.” On March 3, advisors, Eva Munoz and Ignacio Hernandez went to the California HOSA headquarters, in Sacramento to present what they were currently using the money for. They presented a document four students, Alyssa Meza, Angelou Casante, Briana Tecero, and Briana Trujillo made from HOSA made about anxiety, the costs made by the plane ticket, and covering the SLC. “The HOSA Chapter doesn’t get a rather good budget from the district, a lot of the kids
in the program have to fundraise to find out how to get money for our State Leadership Conference. This grant allows more students to have the opportunity to go up and experience something amazing at a reasonable place,” Sandoval said. This grant was also extremely significant towards to raise awareness in mental health. The goal for the advisors were to be able to make mental health a significant place towards our school campus. Their funds will allow them to help get through National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI). Sandoval said, “I’m excited to see what the HOSA chapter can do for the campus. I feel like some people know what is but then some do not and it’s an amazing program that needs more recognition than it gets.”
LAHS Students Published In International World Journal Newspaper By Douglas Lin Every year, Chinese teacher Mrs. Chen encourages her students to write articles on various topics with hopes of it being published in the international newspaper World News Journal. The journal is an Chinese and English newspaper based in Los Angeles and Taiwan where student work can be submitted in different categories for publishing. Students in Chen’s Chinese class regularly write about different topics varying from student experiences to academic responses, learning and being rewarded for their hard work in learning the language. Ten Chinese students saw their articles published in the World News Journal this year and last year, topics ranging from geography to
culture. Senior Alvin Chen in AP Chinese wrote a touching piece about Taipei City and how he loves it. “It was not hard to write it, but to talk about more complex things like the vibes or the atmosphere required me to ask for some help,” Chen said. Translating the words from English to Chinese in his head and on paper challenged him. “You would think writing about a city is easy in English, which it is, but writing it in Chinese was interesting when I struggled writing and eventually succeeded in getting the article published,” Chen added. Talking about his experiences in Taipei City was just one of the many article topics that students could write about. For many other students, they choose to write about
Editorial
International World Newspaper publishes LAHS student articles. something dear to them or an interesting and different perspective not commonly heard. Just because the newspaper is Chinese, does not barr non-native speakers or nonAsians from being published. Sophomore Devin Lewis published had his articles
published just last month, his topic focusing on what Chinese New Year means to him and his family. “Well, since I am half-Asian and half-black, it is really interesting because of my upbringing and my experiences with the two cultures,” Lewis said.
Photo by Lucy Argaez His father is African-American and his mother is Vietnamese-Chinese, celebrating both cultures’ holidays. “I definitely have a different experience growing up. I just wrote my article from my heart and hoped it got published,” Lewis added.
Several Officials Charged in Recent College Admission Scandal By Douglas Lin An FBI investigation reported last week, it has been revealed that numerous entertainment figures, coaches, and college preparatory officials have been indicted in crimes spanning back to as early as 2011. Most notably is the 6.5 million spent on the entire operation, the investigative case referred to as “Operation Varsity Blues.” Reputable schools like Yale, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University have
been implicated in the case. Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are just two of the cases that are a part of the FBI’s ongoing investigation. Charges of fraud have been filed against many other notable people of wealth, including fashion designers, important chairmen, and CEO’s. The list of crimes include faking athletic status, bribing coaches, and hiring people to take their child’s tests. Senior Alvin Chen said, “It makes me mad that I have to study hours on end
to earn my SAT standardized testing scores when rich people pay for their scores.” Rigging, bribing, and faking documents like transcripts and athletic status is just a small portion of the scheme. Grades were changed, fake athletic profiles with fake awards were created, and bringing college coaches have resulted in major indictments and firing all across the board. Chen said, “I mean, the fact that money can buy your way into college is messed up.” Senior Brittney Ar-
nold said, “The entire college system is at fault here, not really valuing real talent and hard work.” Many are, however, worried that this is just an instance where the perpetrators got caught. Arnold said, “I am sure that many other people have gone through the college process the same way without being caught. It is just now our worst fears are confirmed, that our higher education system is broken and rigged for the rich.” In the aftermath of the entire scheme and ongoing investigation still in
place, many have come to question the role wealth plays in college admissions. Disproportionate wealth clearly plays a role in the competitive college admission process, leading to many cases of fraud and conspiracy just revealed. An applicant’s genuine talent and hard work is shadowed by wealth depicted in cases like these. The argument that a “backdoor” exists for those wealthy enough is something that the college education system needs to figure out along with its priorities in serving students.
March 2019
SPORTS
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Softball Reloading Talent Following Season Opener By Damien Alvarado Los Altos softball graduated most of their key starters last season but have reloaded with younger talent and are making strides towards league. The Conqueror softball team started the season off 1-2-1 but have slowly improved to 7-6-1 as of March 19th. Reloading with talent is hard to come by in public schools but the Los Altos girls softball team has no problem in returning three of last year’s starters. It is al-
ways tough when a team loses their two time MVP pitcher in Savanah Dietrich, but her success has led her to Ole Miss. The team is still led by coach of the year Lydell McCullough Senior Laila Arditto said, “Going I go League we need to get better on our mental part of the game. Our bats are good and our defense is good but there is always room for improvement.” The Conquerors have been crowned Hacienda League champs for two consecutive years and are planning on
making another run for the top spot this year. “Our main goal is to get better each and every day. We want to win league, we have been the league champs the last two years in a row so I believe that our main goal is to win league ,” said McCullough. Los Altos has improved hitting wise and mentally. In their matchup with Crosstown rival Wilson the Conqs fell behind early and trailed 5-0. After chipping away the lead run after run Junior Mikayla Ceballos hit the walk
off homer giving the Conquerors the 6-5 victory. Going into league coach McCullough has high hopes for his team. The teams’ ultimate goal is to capture another league title for the third consecutive season and take Playoffs one game at a time. Vidal said, “This year we are trying to win league and get to CIF. As a senior I would like to be a good leader here and show the girls how to work hard and have a positive energy out here.” Although the girls dropped
their first league game to the Walnut Mustangs they have their sights said for the season ahead. They will have a rematch vs Walnut Friday March 20th. “It has been up and down we have ha dour good moments and bad moments. We are trying to learn how to win close ball games. The other day we got one of those so I feel the team is learning as we go along,” McCullough said.
Conqueror Baseball Creates High Aspirations For Upcoming Season By Damien Alvarado The Los Altos baseball team is creating a culture and preparing for the season ahead. Head coach Gabe Lopez is confident in his teams ability to win as they currently sit with a 3-1 record and high hopes for a deep playoff run. Last year’s 15-15 squad finished third in the Hacienda League and found them selfs in the Division four wild card. The Conquerors defeated Knight 8-3 but lost in the first round to a tough Grand Terrace squad 1-0. The team will return four starters from last years team but will depend on its seniors and youth to come together. Lopez said, “ The make up of the team is some upper classmen that were on varsity last year and their getting an opportunity to play this year. Along with some of
the lower level guys that had success last year, so it is their time to shine.” This year’s lineup features, Abel Dera, Jared Ibarra, Daniel Santos, Adrian Martinez, Hector Bautista, Fabian Ortega, Matthew Lawson, and Diego Moreno. Family and leadership is what the team The seniors on the team are looking forward to playing a key role on this year’s team “The teams ultimate goal is to try to win and to improve together as one. However we do have to work on our mental mistakes because if we are not focused in on the game we’ll loose our momentum and mistakes will happen,” said Senior Abel Dera. The team is currently 5-5 and is focusing on limiting mental mistakes. They recently were defeated by a tough Charter Oak Charger
team 5-0 but prepare for South Hills on Wednesday. Dera said, “ Some mental mistakes we do make are not hitting all the way so we need to hold one another accountable.” Coach Lopez has high aspirations for his team and understands that this year’s team will face a tough schedule in the Hacienda League. The team as a whole has set a goal to win the Hacienda League and make playoffs, but most importantly build a family and create a brotherhood. “They were able to create a culture for themselves and the program. It translate into community and leads to sacrifice for one another and the relationships they build here through out the season and hopefully carry that with them throughout their life,” said Lopez.
APPLICATION DUE
April 19 @ 3 PM
ALL GRADE LEVELS WELCOME
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March 2019
SPORTS
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Track And Field Takes Off In The Spring By Douglas Lin Track and field has kicked in full gear this Spring season with many student athletes participating in the fun and exciting sport. The sport offers many different events for athletes to choose from, sprints to long distance or shot-put to jumps. The sport attracts the diverse athletes we have here on campus-from sports like basketball to sports like water polo. Sophomore Brandon Leung is one of these athletes that participates in multiple sports. He was interested in track and field as a freshman, roped in when his friends and upperclassmen encouraged him to join. He is currently running long distance having ran cross country last season. Leung said, “I’m a long distance runner who runs the half mile and the mile. Whenever I race it puts me in a competitive state that nothing else replicates.” For Leung and many other long distance runners, they have trained in these distances in cross country, the transition to track being relatively simple and even enjoyable. Leung said, “Cross country practices have definitely helped kept me in shape for
Track member Chris Esquibel eagerly hands off the baton to Zedekaih Rodriguez. Photo by Briana Trujillo the track season. You can tell those that have kept in shape and those that have not. But, as long as you are willing to practice, I believe that there is place for you in track.” The competitive environment is brought on with the rival meet against Wilson, at the Wilson field. However, besides athletes training and competing against one
another, the sport also is a social gathering where students can meet different people they may normally not associate with. Sophomore Christina Liao said, “Track was a great way for me to meet new people, like the Seniors, who I might have not normally talked to because of our grades. It is a good balance. I like that we take the competitions seri-
ously but also the fact that we are having fun at the end of the day.” Despite her friendly attitude, her ability to push herself every practice is inspiring and rewarding. In the local region, Liao is currently ranked number fifteen in the women’s hundred meter category, running the hundred meter dash in 13.95 seconds. She is also ranked seventh in
the two hundred meter dash with a personal record time of 28.80 seconds. Holding two records is not unheard of as many other Los Altos athletes have in the past. The impressive part about it is that, as a Sophomore, Liao still has two more years to advance up in the regional rankings, making her to be latent with potential. She has even been contacted by an Olympic coach over the summer, asking her to train seriously next [this] track season. Liao said, “There are times where my entire leg just hurts. It happens when I push myself too hard and I get home and wake up sore.” With a work ethic as awe-inspiring as Liao’s, it is no surprise that she holds these records and has other talents besides running the track. Liao said, “My main sport is basketball. I just like it more having grown up playing it [basketball] all my life. Track is a good sport for me to stay in shape though.” Track and field is can be a sport for off-season athletes to continue training their bodies. But, it can also be the sport that brings student athletes from different athletic background to come together to have fun.
Three Softball Seniors Sign On Commitment Day
Guitirrez & parents look forward to future.
By Briana Munoz Three Los Altos seniors signed with their respective colleges last month to continue their softball careers. Laila Arditto has committed to CSU Bakersfield, Hailey Gutierrez committed to Linfield College, and Hailey
Photo by Giovanna Fernandez
Jacobo to University of La Verne. “Laila has improved so much since she first came into the program. She has been on the program for three years and is a great ball player,” said coach Lydell McCullough. Senior Laila Arditto said,
Jacobo happily signs to play softball with the University of La Verne. “Committing has been very overwhelming, but it is a big accomplishment for me. The stress of committing to a college has lifted off my shoulders knowing that it has been a tough choice to make.” Hailey Gutierrez commented on her acceptance to Linfield College, “I have
played softball for a long time and committing is a big accomplishment for me. It is exciting to know I will be playing at the next level. My goal is to make sure I make a friendly approach to my teammates, and try my hardest to make sure we have a great team of nothing, but
Photo by Giovanna Fernandez positive vibes towards one another,” Senior Hailey Jacobo said, “I am really excited for what is next to come in my journey, and I cannot wait to work hours to earn a spot for next year.”