The Matador: Issue 5 - February 3, 2023

Inside

ILLUSTRATION BY CARLA HAU

We honor the memory of the victims of the January Monterey Park shooting.

Focus, p.6-7

Features, p.11-12

Remembering the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, a brutal era of human history.

Junior Mei Yee explores selfexpression through the creation of beaded bracelets.

In Memoriam

Honoring the memory of the Monterey Park victims

MyMy Nhan, 65

Before emigrating from Vietnam to Rosemead in the 1980s with her family, Nhan grew up in Ho Chi Minh City. She loved ballroom dancing and fashion, and she shared her passion for ballroom dancing with her friends by introducing many to it. One of Nhan’s longtime instructors, Maksym Kapitanchuk, expressed his admiration of Nhan’s dedication to dancing, noting that she attended every evening dance session.

Muoi Dai Ung, 67 Ung was a refugee from Vietnam who immigrated to the United States to join other family memebers also from Vietnam. She loved to eat, dance, and gamble. Although Ung did not live in Monterey Park, she enjoyed spending her time there with the community, where she built strong bonds with the AAPI community.

Ming Wei Ma, 72

Before Ma emigrated from China to California with his wife, he was part of a well-known dance group in China. He was one of the managers of the Star Ballroom Dance Studio and he also loved to dance there. At Star, Ma was very encouraging to other dancers by paying them many compliments.

Xiujuan Yu, 57 Yu emigrated from China to the United States in the early 2010s with her husband and their three children. She and her husband worked hard to provide a good life for their children.

Hongying Jian, 62 Jian emigrated from the Sichuan province to the United States. She liked to play volleyball and the piano, and she also had a passion for singing and dancing.

Diana Man Ling Tom, 70 Tom was a mother, wife, and grandmother who had a passion for dance. She was the eleventh victim who later died at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center on Sunday, Jan. 22.

Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68 Alvero was a husband and a father of two children in their 30s. He loved ballroom dancing and danced at Star Ballroom Dance Studio for years.

Wen-Tau Yu, 64 Yu was an immigrant from Taiwan. Although Yu was not known to be a dancer by his family, he had plans to be a pharmacist, having just started school in order to achieve his goal.

Yu-Lun Kao, 72

Kao emigrated from Taiwan to the United States about 20 years ago with his brother. Kao was a contractor who dealt with selling items used to make windows and gates. In addition to being a contractor, he was also a dancer. He was not married and did not have any children.

Lilan Li, 63

“XIUJUAN YU,” GOFUNDME

“MY NHAM,” LA TIMES

“WEN-TAU YU,” PASADENA STAR NEWS

“MING WEI MA,” GOFUNDME

“VALENTINO ALVERO,” LA TIMES

“DIANA TOM,” LA TIMES

“YU-LUN KAO,” ABC7

“MUOI DAI UNG,” PASADENA STAR NEWS

“LILAN LI,” PASADENA STAR NEWS

“HONGYING JIAN,” PASADENA STAR NEWS Chia Ling Yau, 76

“CHIA LING YAU,” LA TIMES

California’s Covid state of emergency ends on Feb. 28

BY MEREL TAN

On Oct. 17, California governor Gavin Newsom announced that California’s Covid State of Emergency will end on Feb. 28. In general, a governor can declare a State of Emergency when they deem a situation to be dangerous enough that state aid is required to “supplement local resources in preventing or alleviating damages, loss, hardship, or suffering.”

Lone gunman attacks, kills several at Monterey Park dance studio

The Monterey Park Police Department first received reports of shots fired around 10 p.m. before officers arrived to the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue around 10:20 p.m. 72-year-old Huu Can Tran opened fire on multiple Monterey Park residents attending an event at Star Dance Studio in California’s largest mass shooting event since the 2021 San Jose shooting. 10 people were pronounced dead at the scene, and 10 others

were taken to surrounding hospitals in varying conditions. One additional victim passed away in a hospital on Jan. 23. It is unknown whether the event took place in relation to the Lunar New Year event also held in the area.

Approximately 20 minutes after the shooting at Star Dance Studio, Tran attempted another attack on Lai Lai Ballroom in Alhambra, only to have his gun taken from him by a bystander, Brandon Tsay. The patrons of the ballroom claimed to have witnessed Tran fleeing the area in a white van, which was pronounced to be of interest by investigators.

The morning of Jan. 22, a photo of the suspect was released on Twitter by Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. The suspect was described as an Asian male — about 5’10” and 150 pounds — wearing a black leather jacket, beanie, and glasses. In combination with the identified escape vehicle, Torrance police were able to locate Tran late Sunday morning. According to the officers, they called for backup after hearing a single gunshot from within the vehicle. After a several-hour long police standoff, SWAT entered the vehicle and found Tran dead via a self-inflicted gunshot

wound. According to police officials, a handgun was found within the van, in addition to other evidence linking Tran to the Monterey Park shooting. In a statement released by the City of Monterey Park, it was announced that a memorial was established at Monterey Park City Hall, 320 W. Newmark Avenue, to honor the victims and survivors.

“Our city has shown resilience in times of crises and we will continue to show the nation what an exceptional community we are,” Mayor Pro Tem Jose Sanchez said. “We will get through this together.”

Lunar New Year celebrated on campus

was very impressed with how fast the students were able to learn the steps and formations.”

On January 19, a Lunar New Year event was hosted on campus near the pancake. Running around the pancake, Ms. Kline’s students performed a beautiful dragon dance.

“I was really nervous at first,” freshman Joanne Ly said. “But after a while, I got used to the crowd and had a lot of fun. I got to interact with a lot of other students during the performance”

There was a planned 45 minutes for the performers to learn and practice. But, the dragon dance teacher and others from the cultural association took a while to check in since it was their first time visiting the campus. Being delayed, the performers were only given around 20 minutes to learn and rehearse the dragon dance, which was new to most of them.

“The students were able to learn it quickly and did an awesome job performing,” Kline said. “The dragon dance teacher

Kline and many students were excited to see an event like this on campus. Lunar New Year is the biggest celebration in most Asian countries and in the Asian American community.

“I was surprised when I first saw the dragon dance performance. I did not expect that schools in the US actually celebrate Lunar New Year,” sophomore Lily Tong said. “I, absolutely, fell in love with the Chinese calligraphy table at first sight. As someone who used to practice at a young age, I was magnetized because I missed the feeling of writing on red paper with a Chinese brush.”

Since October, Ms. Kline, Ms. Stone, Mr. Toribio, and Ms. Chu, have been working together to make this event come together. They got in contact with the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles to help arrange this event, who were happy to help them celebrate Lunar New Year.

They set up tables for students to try Chinese calligraphy and had presentation boards that explained Lunar New Year. There were also speakers that explained the significance of the dragon.

“[The pitch was] received by Ms. Stone and Mr. Toribio with great enthusiasm and support,” Kline said. “[They] have expressed great interest to have this event again next year.”

According to Cal Matters, California’s Covid State of Emergency was declared about three years ago and has been renewed five times throughout the pandemic. Now, Newsom believes that California has enough resources to survive the pandemic without the State of Emergency: “With the operational preparedness that we’ve built up and the measures that we’ll continue to employ moving forward, California is ready to phase out [the State of Emergency],” Newsom said, according to Cal Matters.

Californian floods

BY STELLA CHEN

From the end of December to mid-January, California had been flooding, a result of climate change and atmospheric rivers colliding. As greenhouse gases trap the Sun’s heat, the warmer air is capable of holding more moisture. Because of intense rains, parts of Northern California, Southern California, and California Central Coast have been flooding. President Biden declared a major disaster declaration as a result of the intense rain — the damages’ cost has risen up to the billions and at least 19 were killed. It is likely that California’s intense weather — dry droughts, heavy rains, and heat waves — will continuously worsen.

Nuclear fusion ignition achieved in laboratory

BY JACOB GUTIERREZ

On Dec. 13, the United States Department of Energy announced that fusion ignition had been achieved in the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California. Fusion ignition is a major breakthrough in the field of fusion power, as it produces more energy than is required to sustain the reaction itself. Fusion energy, unlike nuclear fission energy (used in nuclear power plants), cannot fail in dangerous meltdown events, and unlike fossil fuels, does not produce carbon dioxide. The development of fusion technology has been cited by many as a solution to problems posed by various types of modern energy sources such as the inconsistency of solar and wind power, atmospheric harm from fossil fuels, and danger of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.

PHOTO BY CARLA HAU

JEREMY GUTIERREZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PRINT

Andrew Din (left) and Brian Li (right) posing for a picture with the dragon head.

News crews and spectators gather near the scene of the incident at the intersection of Garvey Ave. and Garfield Ave. Much of the street has been blocked off by police.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZHENHUAN WU

Iwas never really the best at drawing. It wasn’t until seventh grade that I started doing graphic design for fun.

I wanted to get into live streaming games, but I wanted to make my stream layout look nicer first. I followed YouTube tutorials and recreated those designs. One layer at a time, I got familiar with Photoshop and developed an eye for design. I made posts where other streamers could ask me to make them free graphics for their streams. I didn’t care about the money at the time; I just wanted to have fun while helping others.

In March of 2020, quarantine began. With this sudden abundance of free time, I spent most of my days doing what I love. From spending more time with my family, to making more and more graphics, it felt like free time I never had much of. Although I had a lot of fun creating graphics for free, I also wanted to make money in order to buy a new guitar. I started by putting up commission information on Fiverr, but my progress felt too slow. I moved to Reddit, where I found most of my success. The forum was much more specific to my niche. Throughout quarantine, I spent nearly every day working on commissions.

My Junior year started and I knew that this would be the year where I would have to show colleges my passion. I was looking for internships related to my future career path. As I was walking to the career center to print something, I stumbled upon a flier about a Website Designer internship. Being a Full Stack Developer is my current goal and this seemed to be the perfect fit. It was looking for a designer, but was also going to teach them how to code through the internship. Knowing that this was a rare opportunity, I applied. I sent in my resume and asked the school’s career counselor for tips. A few days later, I was accepted, which made me ecstatic.

Although making graphics for others and working on my internship was fun, I also still have a passion for working on my own projects. My current project is a website that teaches English speakers how to speak Cantonese; many of my friends wanted to learn, but were frustrated with the lack of online resources. I felt the need to solve this problem. But, working on this project made me realize that I had very limited knowledge of programming and it would not be enough to make this big project happen. As a result, I started taking many courses, such as Harvard’s CS50W, which helped me gain more experience.

In the end, I did not decide on making graphic design a career, but I am glad that my current career choice utilizes it. I could both apply my creativity, and help my community at once.

Snacks locked away from students

ILLUSTRATION BY JEREMY GUTIERREZ

Students should be allowed to sell snacks

Many California schools limit their students' consumption of junk food and foods containing excessive fats, salt and sugars, leaving students to bring their own snacks from home.

School administrators blame the ban of students selling snacks on campus on health, diet, and safety. Administrators fail to realize the benefits of students selling snacks on campus and completely disregard the opinions of students. Students should be allowed to sell snacks on campus.

Selling snacks on campus allows students to experience and explore their business, social, and communication skills as they learn to handle money. Students being

MATADOR BULLRING

Students share their opinions on current topics.

Why or why not should students be allowed to sell snacks on campus?

introduced to an income can introduce healthy money management habits as they become entrepreneurs, marketing to their peers. Student sellers are also less likely to take money from students without giving a product, unlike vending machines that eat up students' product and money. Almost daily, students fear the broken vending machines that leave their snack stuck in the machine taunting them as they are forced to leave. Students who sell snacks provide a variety of yummy snacks with low prices and leave a smile on students' faces.

Many households lack snacks that students crave throughout the school day. Students have come up with the

Aviva Chu, 9

“It really depends. If students are allowed to sell snacks it gives them experience in business, but also takes away funding that the school could get.”

idea to sell snacks on campus to provide for other students who are missing lunch. Instead of fighting and waiting for school lunch, students can simply go up to a student selling snacks on campus and buy something that they are missing in their day, perhaps a drink, granola bar or even a sweet treat. Although students should be allowed to sell snacks on campus, students tend to lean towards selling unhealthy snacks during the school day, binging on hot cheetos, candy, chips and sodas. If students would provide both healthy and unhealthy options , student vendors would become more appealing to the eyes of school administrators.

Claire Chen, 10

“I think it's a good way for students to gain experience and interact with other students. It is also a great way to make connections and earn money.”

John Hu, 12

“Yeah, they can sell snacks on campus considering there are students on campus that are hungry and the sellers can make a profit.”

“They should be allowed to sell snacks since I buy snacks and they are pretty good. It would be a great way for students to make profits and combat the struggles of vending machines.”

Staff Stance

Kelly Liu, 11

Bye bye droughts, or not

severe drought, which is only one tier better than the previous. For California to leave the drought status, it will need far more water than what people have seen so far.

ILLUSTRATION BY ZUYUAN ZHOU

California entered the new year, with more water than the state could ever ask for. While some parts of California did not enjoy effects of the parading rain such as overwhelming flooding, others appreciated its potential to battle against California’s historic drought. Although California is getting plenty of water from the rain, this will not solve the California drought problem.

For one, it is highlighting a bigger problem in the world currently–global

ZUYUAN ZHOU LIFE AND ART EDITOR KELLY LY OPINIONS EDITOR

With the resurgence of AIs able to write coherent essays or generate vibrant art, many writers and artists have found themselves worrying over whether these AIs render their talents useless in the public eye. Despite the development of AIs tailored to write or blend the artistic styles of existing artists, their existence does not invalidate the talents of writers or artists. While some AI has proven competent enough to produce quality work, artists and writers can continue to work without fearing for their careers.

AI should not be seen as a replacement for artists and writers, instead being an accessible alternative for the public’s entertainment and personal use. Although many freelance writers and artists often take commissions from the public, providing quality services at a set price to fund their careers, several types of AI have been developed to assist people in their creative endeavors. AI has proven useful in the hands of the public for generating a piece of art or writing, often for free, though they do not entirely replace the niche of digital artists and writers online.

Though AI can construct an essay in minutes or “create” a piece of art, it does not take away from the fact that being able to write or design a simple layout is a crucial skill to possess. Writing is taught in American schools as a part of English or literature while design or art is often available as an elective. It is valuable and convenient to be able to write or design for yourself and not having to rely on a somewhat unpredictable AI which does not always meet expectations.

However, recent developments in

warming–the cause of this season's rain. As temperatures continue to rise, the Earth would continue to get hotter. As a result, future hurricanes would be more severe than the previous hurricanes due to global warming’s effects on the atmosphere and ocean. Higher temperatures on the ocean's surface results in harsher weather conditions, contributing to rapid winds and wetter hurricanes. To complicate matters, heat waves would also become more severe.

Secondly, all this water falling from the sky did not remove California’s drought. Originally, California’s status was a state of extreme drought; now its status for the majority of the land is

Some might say that the recent rain has helped fill up depleted reservoirs and restock the mountains with plenty of snow that could help with the water supply. Contrary to popular belief, the rain has not filled up the reservoirs to a great extent. It is an improvement worth marking, but not one that could help California’s fight against its drought status. Additionally, most of the improvements are residing in northern California because these parts of the state are able to capture more stormwater. Parts of Southern California on the other hand, such as Los Angeles, could only capture 20% of the storm water with the rest making their way to the ocean.

The recent rain that made California one of the wettest places on Earth for a while should not be considered a blessing. Instead, it is a warning for what is to come. If California hopes to overcome its drought, it will need more than just rain; it needs both its residents and the government to take action. Officials should start investing into ways to capture stormwater and residents should make smarter decisions when it comes to water usage.

Looking at the world through art

ZUYUAN ZHOU LIFE AND ART EDITOR

Ihave always enjoyed art for its ability to help me escape reality. When I draw, all my mind is set on is to place down those carefree pencil strokes. Despite not being very good at it in the beginning, I enjoyed the feel of it.

In the beginning of my art journey, I filled papers with silly anime drawings, the occasional sketch of an eyeball, and flowers. That is what I declare the beginning of my journey as, but really, it started with a little boy watching Minecraft videos. One day he decided to trace Minecraft mobs by placing a white piece of paper on his Ipad. Out of all the tracings I did, my favorite one was the one I did in second grade of the king dragon from Crazy Craft.

GRAPHIC BY KELLY LY

AI have shown that their writing and artwork can rival the quality of those produced by professionals. Some say that with AI being able to replicate work in mere minutes when it would take people hours or even days of constant work, human artists and writers might not be necessary in the future. While that is reasonable to assume, AI can not perfectly answer subjective prompts without a definitive answer (often intentionally programmed into the AI) or develop unique styles like people can. In short, AI is still limited by the fact that it is an Artificial Intelligence that is unable to produce something like a human would, limited by its programming and creative restrictions.

AI is handy for certain situations and its ability to generate quality work cannot be denied. Their existence doesn’t invalidate artists or writers; they are accessible for the general public for quick and easy usage. There are things AI can not do like humans can, and they do not render the skill of writing or designing obsolete.

THE MATADOR

Editors-in-Chief, Print

News Editor

Opinions Editor

Focus Editors

Life and Art Editor

Sports Editor Features Editors

Copy Editor

Business Managers

Reporters Adviser

Jeremy Gutierrez

Adwik Chaturvedi

Merel Tan

Kelly Ly

Vivian Nguyen

Ramona Rivas

Zuyuan Zhou

Giselle Cardenas

Carla Hau

Kylie Chung

Stella Chen

Joseph Cho

Kylie Chung

Jacob Gutierrez

Nancy Mendez

Sofia Ortega

Jordan Murietta

Richard Mccollum

Kathya Matias

Sarah Diaz

The Matador is published monthly online and bi-monthly on print by the journalism class of San Gabriel High School. 670 copies per issue are published at CA WEB PRINT Inc. The Matador is a public forum for student expression and highly encourages responses in reaction to issues discussed in the paper. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, not the faculty or administration. Articles without bylines are the opinion of the entire staff. Submit comments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested) to Ms. Diaz’s email.

In a way, drawing has taught me some life lessons. The first one being that, in order to get to the good, one must go through the bad. When doing a piece, the voice in my head would say it wasn’t good anymore because of some small or big change I made to the drawing. Sometimes I even felt discouraged to continue, but in the end I learned to trust the process and power through. Another thing I learned is to not be obsessed with perfection. Back then, I would try to fill a sketchbook with drawings that were like the ones people see on Instagram, but later on I learned from my art teacher to not do that because a sketchbook is really a drawing diary. There’s no need to make every drawing perfect to please others. The whole point of a sketchbook is to help oneself practice and develop a visual library for future use.

Looking back at my past drawings, I can’t help but be glad of how far I came with my skills. It went from sketches made from frail lines with no story, to bold strokes that set a foundation for the future.

I hope one day I am able to capture those still moments of life around me with only a pencil, eraser, and some paper.

AI does not render artists or writers obsolete

A LOOK INTO THE PAST... THE HOLOCAUST

About Holocaust Rememberance Day 2023

BY MEREL TAN NEWS EDITOR

The Holocaust was a genocide that happened during World War II, where millions of European Jews were killed by Nazi Germans. During this time period, other mass-killings of different groups, such as the Polish and Ukrainians, were also carried out by the Nazis. According to the Wiener Holocaust Library, antisemitism, eugenics (“racial improvement” from “planned breeding”) and nationalism were some of the factors of why the Holocaust happened.

In honor of the six million Jews who died, and other victims of Nazism, the United Nations General Assembly made the 27th of each January to be International Holocaust Remembrance Day. According to the UK Parliament, Jan. 27 also marks the day of the “liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland in 1945.” AuschwitzBirkenau, also known as the Auschwitz concentration camp, consisted of more

than 40 concentration and extermination camps, with some equipped with gas chambers.

According to the United Nations’ website, the 2023 Holocaust Memorial Ceremony’s (also Jan. 27) theme was “Home and Belonging,” which “highlights the humanity of the Holocaust victims and survivors.” The purpose of the theme was to raise awareness of the horrors of the Holocaust. In addition, the United Nations developed educational programs to help prevent genocide. The ceremony was hosted by Melissa Fleming, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, at 11 a.m. EST at the United Nations Headquarters. The ceremony also included speeches from several Holocaust survivors. This year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the 78th year since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Holocaust awareness levels at San Gabriel High School

GRAPHICS BY VIVIAN NGUYEN

CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

HOLOCAUST 1933-1945

What led to the Holocaust?

BY VIVIAN NGUYEN FOCUS EDITOR

The genocide of six million European Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II is known as The Holocaust. According to Oxford Languages, the term “Holocaust” is derived from the Greek words “holos,” meaning whole, and “kaustos,” which means “burnt.” Both of these words were originally from a Biblical word that meant "burnt offerings.”

The political ideology of facism attracted millions of followers throughout the 1920s and 1930s, especially within the middle class and rural populations. These groups experienced social unrest from economic and social crises (inflation and unemployment) and were fearful of communism. After Germany’s defeat in World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler became chairman of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, known as the Nazis. Hitler attracted the disillusioned people who felt isolated from society and frightened by socialist revolution, along with the Germans who needed someone to blame their country’s defeat on . He swore to put an end to these misfortunes, and to do so, he would create a

new social order and lead his country back to greatness.

While Hitler was imprisoned for treason for his involvement in the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, he wrote and published a political autobiography called Mein Kampf, meaning “my struggle.” In his book, he would predict a war that would result in the mass murder of Jews in Germany. In 1933, Hitler rose to power after being appointed chancellor of Germany following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg.

Ultimately, Germany’s loss in World War I and the Treaty of Versailles contributed to the pursuit of Nazi Germany’s racial ideologies that were fueled by nationalism and antisemitism. Under his dictatorship, Germany and its allies established over 44,000 Nazi camps and incarceration sites between 1933 and 1945. The purpose of these sites varied, but were mostly for the labor, detention, and murder of political enemies and racial and social minorities.

CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

CC BY Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center

Glass Onion — epitome of “eat the rich”

BY STELLA CHEN COPY EDITOR

Amidst the peak of the pandemic, a group of friends are invited by billionaire Miles Bron to a Greek island. Bron had prepared a murder mystery for his friends to solve at the getaway. But little did he know, a ghost from his past, an uninvited guest, and an actual murder would ruin Bron and his friends’ lives.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is as fun to watch as it is satisfactory. Coupled with

commentaries of the modern world and a unique non-linearity, the movie is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys the downfall of an antagonist.

Glass Onion’s commentary upon the elite class is perhaps the most defining attribute of the film. It begins with five puzzle boxes being sent to five friends. Four of them immediately try to work together to solve the puzzle, giving the audience the impression that they are intelligent. Throughout the film, Miles Bron constantly establishes the idea that he is artistic, backing it up with renting

the Mona Lisa — amongst other artworks — and basing his mansion on The Beatles’ song, “Glass Onion.” The puzzle boxes and the mansion’s namesake explanation were supposed to show just how sophisticated the elite are, how much better they are than normal people because of their wealth and prestige. However, the film quickly cracks down on that mirage. The puzzle would not have been solved without the help of other people. “Glass Onion'' is a song written to spite those who looked too far into the meaning of songs. It is a

LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR

ChatGPT is an AI writing bot that recently gained a spotlight in the media due to its ability to write whatever a user wants. Like many of its art-focused counterparts, the AI is able to generate work based on a given prompt. However, its very existence has sparked debate amongst writers around the world. One debate concerns students’ writing integrity in school.

Despite the AI being seen as a threat to the English essays that students have to write for school, ChatGPT’s work is not unrecognizable. A lot of the AI’s work follows a specific format and repeats patterns for certain tasks. In addition, there are also certain tasks the AI, unlike students, can not do. When Peter Greene, a senior contributor to Forbes, tested the AI, he noted, “My requests to compare […] , were very similar both in content and structure and especially in how superficial they were.”

“Both started with a version of

‘Work A and Work B have many similarities and many differences,’ an opening sentence that I would have rejected from a live student,” Greene said. “And the algorithm cannot manage supporting its points with quotes from the works, a pretty fundamental part of writing about literature.”

On the other hand, ChatGPT has left many people thinking about what students should really write in school or how they should write. For the most part, ChatGPT is able to generate essays because it uses those same formulas students’ are taught in school. An example would be the five paragraph essays, which contain an introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion. In other words, ChatGPT is telling the people in education to look at writing essays through a whole different perspective. If an AI is able to produce decent work with the formulas students are taught, then people would need to find ways to level up or differentiate their writing from AI.

ILLUSTRATION BY ZUYUAN ZHOU

concoction of allusions and red herrings in the disguise of art. Bron does not even realize the meaning of this song, and becomes the epitome of it — a fake artist with a mask made of money.

Aside from the theme, Glass Onion possesses a unique storytelling style. In a murder mystery, the recontextualization — where events are placed in a different context — happens at the end, normally when the detective is revealing how the crime happened. But in Glass Onion the recontextualization happens halfway through the film, revealing

the true plot of the movie. It is thrilling to watch as several suspicions become answered.

However, Glass Onion is not very plot heavy compared to its predecessor, Knives Out. It is more focused on getting its message across compared to making an intricate plot. The murderer is not hard to figure out. While it is intentional — with the movie’s message of a glass onion — it can be a turnoff for some.

Overall, Glass Onion is a fun watch. Though not as intricate as the first, the resolution is — in its own sense — just as cathartic.

Benoit Blanc is often an unassuming man, despite his reputation as a detective, and thus is underestimated. However, in an icon ic fashion at dinner, he’s the first to solve Bron’s mystery.

PHOTO COURTESY OF T-STREET PRODUCTIONS

can produce many essays. If one looks closely, they will notice there are plenty of errors.

Modern state of “Pokémon” is unacceptable

BY JACOB GUTIERREZ REPORTER

Recently, the latest entries in the Pokémon franchise, “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Pokémon Violet,” were released to widespread criticism. Fans generally enjoyed the story and gameplay, but cited poor performance and low quality of graphics as a sign of the franchise’s declining quality. Others argued that, because the game itself is fun, graphical and performance issues are less meaningful. However, those problems are a manifestation of a far larger problem; a problem lying in the business practices of the franchise’s owners, Game Freak and Nintendo. The severe issues in performance and graphical quality are simply inexcusable for Pokémon, a franchise worth tens of billions of dollars.

Issues in the newest games are said to stem from the harsh deadlines and difficult conditions imposed upon the development team. Low quality graphics and frequent crashes are used as an example of poor employee treatment. Difficult standards during a game’s development process often lead to flaws in the final product, and such flaws were obvious with the release of “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Pokémon Violet.”

The widespread acceptance of the low quality of the Pokémon games at launch shows corporations such as Nintendo that fans would accept lower quality products for the same price. Such a philosophy could lead to game development studios producing worse games given the attitude of fans, who would staunchly defend both the game’s producers and the game itself due to the lowered standards of the community.

Fans of both the franchise and Nintendo claim that graphical quality is generally a minor part of a game and insignificant to its final quality. To an extent, that is true, but the issues present in “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Pokémon Violet” run far deeper than simple poor graphical quality. Visual flaws are a sign of the game development’s decreasing quality and the lack of care expressed by the franchise’s owners.

Financially supporting Nintendo and the Pokémon Company is, as evidenced by the flaws present within their newest release, supporting a company that cares less and less about the quality of their games. Unacceptable quality drops should tell consumers that their money is more important than their voice to Nintendo, and will lead to further drops in the functionality and playability of the franchise they enjoy.

Alice in The Borderland Season 2

The first season of Alice in the Borderland came out on Dec. 10, 2020, the month before I started watching it. This show came out before another show called Squid Game. Both shows were similar, but this show’s concept was unique: there was a different boss in each game. I thought it was pretty cool, but it was back and forth with the events. However the show was getting more enjoyable as I watched it.

My favorite character was Kuina because she seemed vital, spirited, and very strong-minded Her confidence in general — as a woman — is what I loved the most

about her. The other characters were pretty cool, but I got annoyed at them because of the way they did certain things during the games or when their death happened. I just felt like some of it was weird or cringy.

On the other hand, there were parts where the characters surprised me because of the bonds and trust they have built. Additionally, it was a bit annoying because some characters were supposed to be dead, but they either came back and died again or just came back and disappeared. Some of those characters I disliked a lot because of how they betrayed the others. At the same time there was always

a reason behind it which made me understand why they did what they did.

Besides that, I would say it is an excellent show to watch. There were amusing games, and I thought some of the games implemented excellent strategies and the way some people challenged themselves or came up with their ideas to survive the games. It was also a bit gruesome when it came to how some of the people died. One thing is the ending was a bit upsetting and disappointing. I did not like the ending as much, but I understood how it could happen. I was a little happy, but it was not the same with the relationships between the characters.

60 Garlic Clove Soup Recipe

For years, rumors about garlic's immune-boosting properties have circulated in parents' kitchens. With the flu season in full swing, this soup is perfect for those seeking the benefits of garlic without the harsh taste.

Ingredients:

60 cloves of garlic

¼ - ½ cup of olive oil

1 medium onion

1 medium potato

4-5 cups of chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Seasonings of choice (optional)

Lemon juice to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Step 2: Place 40 cloves of garlic in a small, oven safe dish, and cover with olive oil.

Step 3: Cover dish, and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until soft and browned.

Step 4: Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil, and bring to medium heat.

Step 5: Mince the other 20 cloves of garlic, and chop the onion and potato.

Step 6: Add to the pot garlic, onions, potato, salt, pepper, and other seasonings you desire into the pot.

Step 7: Pour the chicken broth into the pot; if you prefer a rich soup, add less broth.

Step 8: Boil until the potato is soft enough to be easily pierced by a fork.

Step 9: Add soup into a blender along with the 40 roasted cloves of garlic and lemon juice, then blend until smooth.

Step 10: Pour soup back into the pot and bring back to a boil before serving.

While the main menu screen of “Pokémon Scarlet” is well-made, reports differ dramatically on the content of the game itself. Low frame rates and poor environmental design are common complaints.

PHOTO BY JACOB GUTIERREZ

WRITTEN BY KYLIE CHUNG

PHOTO COURTESY OF IGN

NANCY MENDEZ REPORTER

NFL player Damar Hamlin gets into a collision before entering cardiac arrest

2022-23 Winter Varsity Sports Scoreboard

BOYS BASKETBALL

VS SCHURR VS MONTEBELLO VS BELL GARDENS VS ALHAMBRA VS MARK KEPPEL

(L) 59-43

(W) 67-54

(W) 63-40

(L) 52-49

(L) 39-38

GIRLS BASKETBALL

VS SCHURR VS BELL GARDENS VS MONTEBELLO VS ALHAMBRA VS MARK KEPPEL

(L) 56-20

(L) 51-36

(L) 49-44

(L) 61-34

(L) 89-18

BOYS SOCCER

VS MARK KEPPEL VS BELL GARDENS VS ALHAMBRA VS MONTEBELLO VS SCHURR

(L) 4-1

(L) 9-0

(L) 3-0

(L) 7-0

(L) 4-0

GIRLS SOCCER

VS MONTEBELLO VS ALHAMBRA VS SCHURR VS BELL GARDENS VS MARK KEPPEL

(L) 1-0

(L) 4-0

(L) 6-0

(L) 3-1

(L) 4-0

BY CARLA HAU FEATURES EDITOR

Sports leagues and associations do not provide many compensations to injured athletes, representing a lack of regard for players’ safety. In extreme cases where players sustain career-ending injuries, they are still not given enough benefits.

NFL player Damar Hamlin, drew attention to the issue of rookie athletes facing injuries and not being able to get the help they need from their league.On the field, Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. Because he was a rookie with only two years of professional experience, the NFL did not provide him with a pension or any other benefits. While Hamlin was fortunately paid in full, many were surprised to learn that his contract included a split that agreed to pay

him a lower rate if he was placed on injured reserve. This incident has also shed light on numerous other player safety issues in the NFL. After NFL players sustain a career-ending injury, they have the option to apply for total disability. However, they must meet very specific requirements in order to qualify, and most players are left with no help. They must meet very specific requirements in order to qualify. In 2020, New York Jets offensive lineman, Cameron Clark sustained a spinal cord injury during a training camp practice. He faced a high risk of becoming paralyzed if he continued to play football. Having to retire from his football career, he applied for disability. Like many cases, Clark was declined. Many NFL athletes’ careers are cut short due to injuries sustained in NFL facilities, and many believe that athletes deserve the right to receive these benefits.

Even in college sports, players are frequently treated unfairly in terms of benefits following serious injury. The National Collegiate Athletic Association was established in 1906 with the objective of increasing player safety. They do not, however, accept responsibility for the injuries suffered by college athletes. They use the term “student-athlete,” implying that they only cover amateur players, not professional

athletes working as employees. Because of this wording, the association can get away with not having to provide workers’ compensation. For example, back in 1955, college football player Ray Dennison died after a head injury that was sustained during a game. His wife sought benefits but was denied by the court after they decided that his death was not due to the football business.

Freshman girls basketball learns from loss

On Jan. 24, the San Gabriel Matador freshman girls’ basketball team experienced another defeat yet again.

Throughout the entire game, the Matadors fouled left and right, creating frustration among the team.

“I was pretty upset when we played them [since] we won the first time, so we came into the game confident,” said point-guard freshman Ashley Wong. “They have improved a lot since the last time we played them.”

The Matadors struggled to keep up with the Spartans who were at a 15 point lead during the first

quarter. San Gabriel gave Schurr many free throws due to all the fouls, double dribbles, and travels, but the Matadors did not let those stop them from defending their court. Freshman pointguard Ashley Wong led a forceful offensive charge that would go on to hinder Schurr’s opportunity to score another basket.

During the start of the third quarter, the girls started making more plays and increased their offense on the opposing team. Both teams pushed back and forth on the court while the number of fouls increased along with free throws.

It was an intense game throughout all the quarters. There were multiple collisions from both

teams, but the girls brushed it off and got back up as if it were nothing. Although they were still down by more than 15 points, the Matadors showed resilience and managed to end the game 18:32.

“I knew my performance would have been better but with our practice and situation, we didn’t have much to work with,” said freshman guard freshman Jennifer Gin. “It comes with time and experience and I can only hope that next game will be better.”

Despite their loss, the players are using this as a lesson to move forward and aim for improvement. Their next home game will be against the Alhambra Moors on Feb. 3.

PHOTO BY CARLA HAU

Freshman Ashley Vong keeps her hold on the ball under pressure from her opponents. No matter what they try, Vong keeps her focus.

VIVIAN NGUYEN FOCUS EDITOR

Photo Courtesy of Joseph Maiorana Freshman Ashley Vong keeps her hold on the ball under pressure from her opponents. No matter what they try, Vong keeps her focus.

humans of san gabriel

person who walked right by you.

Rodriguez reaches for an adventure, finds family

The happiest moment in my life would be when I finished 8th grade with an honor roll. I wasn’t really a good student back then, having missing assignments and arguing with my parents and teachers about them. But the moment I picked up the honor roll, I knew I could do it. Plus to see the joy in my parents faces made me think, “I did it, I finally did it.” And since that moment, I’ve

I guess I could say the happiest moment of my life would be moving places.I moved from a small downtown in Pasadena when I was around 7 or 8. It was a rough area and [living] around here is just much nicer. When I moved people here were really welcoming and kind towards me. I moved about 6 years ago and while it took some adjusting, I’m definitely much more comfortable.

BY JEREMY GUTIERREZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PRINT

Rolling up her sleeves, Junior Yadanica Rodriguez rolls the ruby red dice in her hand. She needs a 20 to hit, or her character faces certain death.

“Dungeons and Dragons,” colloquially known to most as D&D, is a roleplaying game wherein a group of players led by a dungeon master (DM), engage in combat, exploration, and character development set solely in the minds of the players. The DM develops the story, setting, and characters for the players to explore.

“I quite prefer the roleplaying aspect of the game,” Rodriguez said. “It allows you to flesh out your character and show sides to them that would never be able to make it on paper. You can build

relationships between party members and get into all sorts of shenanigans.”

Rodriguez first learned about D&D through YouTube, watching videos of people drawing their characters, then playing the game. After doing some research, Rodriguez discovered the Adventurer’s Guild, the D&D club at the school.

“[My friend Charlotte] was the former president of SG’s D&D club, and [she] had reached out to me about joining,” Rodriguez said. “So I decided to give it a shot.”

This interest in the game grew quickly, developing into a passion that occupies much of Rodriguez’s time. By the end of her sophomore year, Rodriguez was president of the club. Despite her multitude of other responsibilities — including school and other extracurriculars — Rodriguez

was able to make the time to do something she could just escape from her other duties with.

“Playing is no longer just about myself, but rather the whole club,” Rodriguez said. “ While it does put a bit more pressure on me, I feel better knowing I was able to bring D&D to more people, and possibly help them find an escape in it as well.”

According to Rodriguez, D&D is a balanced way of having social interaction without it being too draining. It gives her a respite from academic expectations, but it does not isolate her from other people. All she has to do is mess around with her friends and let the hours pass her by.

“While reading and having alone time is nice, you’ve got to have some human interaction that’s not school related once in a while.”

PHOTO BY JEREMY GUTIERREZ

A window into the life of the

Patrick Tsoung, 11

Angela Rosales, 9

INTERVIEWS BY KYLIE CHUNG AND CARLA HAU

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK TSOUNG

PHOTO BY CARLA HAU

Rodriguez poses for a photo. In her hands are a variety of dice she uses while playing d&d.

Yee charms through Kandi

BY CARLA HAU AND KYLIE CHUNG FEATURES EDITORS

Threading elastic string through colorful beads, Junior Mei Yee begins the process of creating a new Kandi bracelet. Inspired by their favorite fandoms, interests, and identity, Yee has made dozens of bracelets since the start of quarantine.

“I think I started making bracelets during quarantine.” Yee said. “I saw a few people on TikTok and YouTube do it, and I was getting interested in rave culture and music, so that’s when I bought my supplies and got started.”

Yee started making kandi out of curiosity,

not knowing how much they would grow to enjoy it. What started out as a small project soon took off into one of their favorite hobbies, making dozens of Kandi a month for both themself and their friends.

“I think what makes me enjoy this hobby is that I get to create things that are unique and colorful,” says Yee. “I get to make cool gifts for friends and people who are close to me.”

When making gifts, Yee enjoys the thought it takes to pick beads that are meaningful to their theme, such as picking beads to make elaborate bracelets based off of a friend or their particular interests. Their bracelets are important to them,

and hope that it could be the same for their friends as well.

“I wear my bracelets to express myself,” Yee says. “I think it’s good to have many colorful things on hand in case I feel glum.”

Yee especially treasures the kandi gifted to them by their friends, happy that those around them support and find joy in their hobbies.

“My mom expresses her support by showing that she’s impressed by what I make,” Yee says. ”She sometimes suggests I start a business.”

Currently, Yee is hoping to sell personalized kandi to others so they can donate to their drama club.

PHOTO BY CARLA HAU

Junior Mei Yee started making these colorful bracelets since quarantine. “I wear my bracelets to express myself,” Yee said.

GRAPHIC BY CARLA HAU