Volume LVIV, Issue 4
15325 East Los Robles Avenue, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
February 2020
CotC Put Students to the Test to See Who is the Best
Photo by Brayan Larios
By Natalie Contreras
Siblings, parents and students were painting a heart, while being led and assisted by the National Art Honors Society members in G1 on Feb.13.
V-Day Paint Night Allows For Self-Expression By Natalie Contreras
Photo by Brayan Larios
Students rush into G1 building filled with canvases spread throughout the classroom read to sit down paint, eat, and have fun with others. National Arts Honor Society hosted another paint night again with a theme being Valentine’s Day. Many people showed up with either their significant other, friends, or family for the two hour
A paint night participant following Ericka Cortez’s directions on how to blend the heart into the base paint, while layering paint.
long painting event. Many of the attendees ranged from elementary school students to adults with children. Senior instructor of the paint night Ericka Cortez said, “We make sure to do paint night not only to fundraise for our club, but to also let others express themselves and have fun through the art.” At the paint night individuals were given a canvas and paint. Junior NAHS member Alyssa Bourbon said, “I think it was cool being able to see so many people come out of their comfort zone and paint. It was nice seeing individuals such as small children to just students we see walk around campus who have a talent and are not in art.” As the instructor began to paint, many individuals began to enjoy themselves by munching on their snacks and painting the hearts, birds, and tree branches on their canvas. Cortez said, “My favorite part about paint night is seeing what people end up with because obviously we have a finished product, but seeing what they end up with was cool. I also made sure to have fun with paint night as an instructor because if I can’t have fun with it, then it’s difficult for the individuals who came to learn” At the end of the paint night individuals were able to get their paintings finalized, walking away smiling and ready to show their family and friends. Bourbon said, “Paint night was a fun thought out event with no negativity and overall fun for everyone. I loved being able to help others because it gave me such a nice feeling.”
HOSA Organizes Event to Inspire Young Cancer Patients By Rebecca Rangel HOSA put on three days of donation making workshops. The crafts made by the student volunteers were all donated to young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer. The event was separated into three days. Jan. 21, 23, and 27. Each day after school students could come in to make different types of crafts and write letters of hope and support to cancer patients. Sophomore volunteer Adrian Lopez said, “We made things like letters, cards, and origami...It felt really good making donations because I know that it would help a kid with cancer feel better.” It was a powerful thing to be involved in and be
able to take part in for both the volunteers and the organizers from HOSA. “We planned this event over winter break since HOSA decided to partner up with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation to spread awareness towards pediatric cancer...We decided that this was a perfect way to spread not only awareness, but also, give to the poor children dealing with cancer. We felt like donations were not the best idea...so letters and origami was the best and most affordable way to spread love to these children. We are giving all these letters and origami towards the hospital City of Hope,” said Trujillo.
Students rush into their sections and focused on checking in on 5-Star to get ahead in points. The fourth annual clash of classes returns with many competitive students ready to take the win throughout varieties of games. Throughout the week students were able to gain points from the spirit week with Seniors gaining a total of 10, Juniors and Freshman 5, with sophmores gaining none. These points were collected throughout the year to help each class get ahead of one another. Once 7pm hit students rushed into the gym ready to cheer for the two hour rally which put students to the test on which class is the best. Beginning after introductions to each class the games begin with a student from each class creating a cup pyramid and then organizing it back into one form. The points would go to which class completed the game fastest with seniors winning and getting ahead. Continued on page 2
Local Ice Cream Vendor Brightens Students’ Days By Elias Robles As the school day comes to an end, students rush off campus, many of them flocking across the street where they are greeted by the same smiling face each afternoon. Mark sells his array of treats from ice cream to chips, being a positive part of students’ days with his friendly disposition. Mark Takahmazyan, a local Hacienda Heights food vendor, has been selling out of his ice cream truck to Los Altos students for about 15 years. Not only has he gained more and more regulars over the years, but he has been able to see them grow throughout high school. Continued on page 3
Future Freshmen Visit Campus and Experience Student Culture By Elias Robles Future freshmen visited campus to find out more about Los Altos High School’s clubs and school environment on Jan. 13. The event was filled programs, teams, and clubs to welcome the upcoming class. The eighth-grade students from both feeder schools, Newton and Orange Grove, toured the campus and engaged in school spirit at a pep rally. The students also had an opportunity to sign up for clubs and sports they are interested in being involved with. Sophomore Renaissance member Emily Gonzalez said, “A spirited event like this is really important because it shows the eighth graders the type of spirit and energy our school has. It’s also important to encourage them to feel comfortable and welcomed at their future high school.” Continued on page 3
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February 2020
Mission Statement The 2019-2020 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
LA FOCUS
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Serving Up Spaghetti With A Side Of Literature By Lucy Argaez The room was dim, and a string of lights illuminated a table filled with baskets of books. The smell of garlic and spaghetti filled the room, as the music of Italy stirred in the background. With the introductions out of the way, the Book Tasting had commenced. A Book Tasting was held on Jan. 21 in the Media Center. This event was meant to bring together all avid read-
ers who checked out books regularly and show an appreciation for literature. Librarian Lisette Bravo said, “I have a lot of avid readers, so I thought let’s do something together. I chose the students who constantly check out books or had a high interest in reading. I hosted it for them.” Students were selected by grade levels 9-12. The event was meant to reward them for their interest in reading, and expose them to different texts, authors, and to meet
other avid readers. Junior Raven Vejar said, “Most people who are book lovers don’t really get recognized for it, you got to have a little community thing going on with the event.” Fifteen books were selected in total for the event ranging from classic books to new arrivals. The books were meant to give the attendees a new look at certain genres or titles. Bravo said, “We had ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ by Steinbeck, ‘Fointainhead’, we
Editor-In-Chief: Lucy Argaez
Editor At Large: Danielle Porras
Adrian Banuelos Clarissa Banuelos Natalie Contreras David Galaviz Brayan Larios Rebecca Rangel Lorena Rivas Elias Robles Ismael Torres
Adviser:
Adriana Guzman
Media & Contact For even more content including up-to-date articles and videos visit our website: The-conqueror.org For any comments, questions, ideas, or concerns contact us through our email: 2020journalismlahs@gmail.com Journalism proudly contributes to LA Conqueror Athletics: @LAConqAthletics Losaltosathletics.org
Photo by Lucy Argaez
Student Journalists:
Sounds of laughter and Italian music filled the Media Center. The Book Tasting attendees had begun introductions and Edwin Elias had just made everyone at the table erupt in laughter. had some nonfiction about a registered nurse and her twelve-hour shifts, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent’. So it was a good variety of books and authors.” Italy was the theme for this event, so the food provided was spaghetti and garlic bread courtesy of Village Meats. Librarian, Lisette Bravo had been able to get the whole event together in a
matter of weeks. Bravo said, “I had been preparing for a couple of weeks, and I contacted them [Village Meats] and asked if they would like to donate for this event and they were more than happy to donate. Since it was a small group, so we were able to have a feast over books.” There are plans to have another literary celebration like this one on March 16, it
will be a Sip, Taste, and read event. This event will not be limited to avid readers at the library, but any interested students may also attend. Bravo said, “My purpose for the next one is to have the attendees bring one of their favorite books and then we are going to rotate those books. I kind of want them to outside of the box of what they think their peers have or have not read.”
Annual COTC Puts Students to the Test to See Who’s the Best Continued from Page 1 Points also ranged from the variety of check in’s on 5-Star which also put seniors in the lead for winning. Another game included was a hula-hoop game where students were tested to see who could get the hula-hoop fastest down the line and then the last student would throw
the hula-hoop on the first student which seniors also ended up winning. “The hula-hoop game got a lot of juniors mad because we were the fastest so far and a lot of students timed the game and it didn’t line up to Reeder’s timer” Said Junior Sophia Miranda. At the end of the games each class performed a dance that had been planned and
prepared by students. This game was won by juniors with seniors in second, sophomores in third, and freshman last. The final results revealed that seniors won Clash of the Classes once again leaving the streak on for another year. Screams and cheers were heard from the senior section with their glow sticks flying in the air.
February 2020
FEATURE
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Continued from Page 1 Takahmazyan was born in Iran and spent time in both Armenia and Russia before moving to the United States in 1992 at age 36.He is fluent in a number of languages thanks to his time spent all over the world, including Armenian, Russian, and English. Mark’s vendor career began back in 2005. Mark Takahmazyan said, “When I first started selling here, about 15 years ago, some kids would bother me at times, but not anymore. Everyone is friendly and likes me. I
like all of them, so I don’t ever have any problems.” Over the years, his relationships with students have developed through the simple, yet sweet interactions. Students delight in the moment when they approach the truck and hear him exclaim, “Hello, my friend!” each day. Takahmazyan said, “It has always been good with everyone. Los Altos kids are good, very nice kids. They are all very friendly.” The interactions Mark has had with students has contributed to the strong sense of community emphasized and encouraged in Hacienda Heights and Los Altos.
Photo by Lucy Argaez
Local Ice Cream Vendor Brightens Students’ Days
Mark Takahmazyan enjoying the afternoon at his usual spot after handing ice cream to his loyal customers.
LAHS Students Donate Blood To American Red Cross
Photo by Rebecca Rangel
By David Galaviz
Sophomore Skye Toledo hosts the leadership booth. She answers their questions and convinces eighth graders to sign up.
Future Freshmen Visit Campus and Experience Student Culture Continued from Page 1 ASB and Renaissance members led tours around campus, exposing students to the different departments and programs Los Altos High School offers. Gonzalez said, “I was helping the eighth graders learn about the different things they may be interested in. This experience was really fun and interesting because I got to see a lot of kids who were excited about all that our school has to offer for them, allowing them to feel a part of something.” Leadership students held a rally filled with games and videos advertising the different spirit events held throughout the year. Various speakers including Leadership Adviser Chris Reeder, Principal Jeff Hess, and Department Chair of Guidance Sean Van Gundy spoke about specific topics from school culture to selecting
classes. Students also had the opportunity to visit a club fair, where students from different programs, teams, and clubs advertised their purposes and recruited potential members. In the evening, parents visited the school for an open house, giving them a glimpse into the classes and activities their students may be involved in. Co-President of NAMI or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, sophomore Briana Trujillo said, “Being able to see new faces and have them be engaged towards various clubs made me very happy.” The event gave future students a first impression of the school and an idea of what to expect for the four years ahead of them. Trujillo said, “Seeing all the clubs, organizations, and students opens their minds to the possibilities of where their place can be at Los Altos. It’s important for them to know that they will be welcomed and safe here at school.”
Students were encouraged to donate blood on Jan. 22 with the American Red Cross organization. People who were going to donate blood were pulled out of class to go to the Hacienda to get their blood approved and donate. With only 38% of the population being eligible to donate blood according to the American Red Cross. With about 36,000 blood cells needed every day in the U.S. Teens make only 10% of the blood supply with more than 1 million donations a year. “When the kids donate, they leave with a free t-shirt and also leave with the amazing feeling that their dona-
tions saved lives.” said Avila. The American Red Cross states that each donation made by one person is able to save up to 3 lives. With a statistic of a person in the U.S. needing blood every 2 seconds, it was clear the volunteer donors were saving lives. “It’s a great opportunity to donate blood because of the fact that something so little can help someone in the biggest way possible, giving the person who donated that a sense of pride.” said Avila. “We received about 130 sign-ups for this past blood drive. Based on the survey taken before donating and if certain requirements were met, we received 98 donations when our goal was 91” said Co-President Saedi Avila when asked about how many people went.
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February 2020
SPORTS
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Conqueror League Champs Advance To CIF 2AA Girl’s varsity basketball team had an outstanding season. Their season unfortunately ended at CIF game 2AA against Flintridge prep with a score of 42-61. Top scorers for LAHS during game two were Emma Magana 20 pts, and Madelyn Roel 8pts. CIF game one against Foothill was won by the Conquerors 71-53. The top scorers for the game were Madelyn Roel 20pts, Vhenus Gaoa 18pts, Emma Magana 15pts, Jenica Hernandez 10pts. The teams’ overall wins and losses were 26-3. The girls’ basketball team has won four consecutive league championships, the program has also had five consecutive 20 win seasons. The girls basketball team continued to make history this season. This year’s league win was a game played against Walnut with a score of 58-38. The top scorers were Christina Liao 17pts, Madelyn Roel 16pts, and Emma Magana 11pts.
Photo by Lucy Argaez
By Lucy Argaez
The Lady Conquerors battle Flintridge Prep on the court. Rebels were forced to hangtough while Vhenus Gaoa scored another point for the Conquerors.
Boy’s Basketball Season Reached D1 Playoffs By Lucy Argaez
against South Hills the score was 75-51, it was their thirtieth straight league win. The top scorers were Aibigho Ujadughele 20pts, Devin Lewis 12pts, and Jazz Gardner 10pts. After this game Jazz Gardner was named Athlete of the week by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Photo by Lucy Argaez
The Conqueror basketball team had a successful season, making it to Game One CIF. Their season was unfortunately cut short at the Division 1 Play offs against Sherman Oak Notre Dame. The team lost with a score of 86-
72. The team made it to #1 in the Hacienda League. Their state and national rank did not change, their state rank being 149 and their national rank is 1204. Boys’ Basketball took home another league champion ship, for the fifth consecutive year. The game was played
Photo by Brayan Larios
Jazz Gardner aims to make a shot, as players for the Knights make an aggresive play for the ball. Gardner’s talent earned him SGVT player of the week.
Junior Pamela Vazqes makes a hole set to score a goal for the Lady Conquerors.
By Lucy Argaez Girl’s water polo season ended at the division five quarter finals, after having made it so far in league games. The D5 quarter final game was against Costa
Mesa and the lady conqueror water polo team lost with an overtime score of 8-7. Only losing by a point. The team had several CIF wins against Xavier Prep with a score of 8-6 and against Arcadia with a score of 8-4. This water polo sea-
son was full of victory for the team, as they have won backto-back league championships. Lady Conqueror water polo is ranked tenth in CIF division five, their league record is now 4-1.
Graphic by Lucy Argaez
Girl’s Water Polo Making A Splash At CIF Games