The Matador March 15, 2018 Issue 7 by The Matador

@SGHS The Matador

@thematadorsghs

@thematadorSghs

@thematadorsghs

VOL. 63 ISSUE7

THE MATADOR 801 S. RAMONA STREET, SAN GABRIEL, CA 91776

SAN GABRIEL HIGH SCHOOL

WWW.THEMATADORSGHS.US

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

San Gabriel walks out in solidarity BY SELINA HAN AND BASTIAN MENDEZ

Students gathered by the Pancake yesterday as part of a national school walkout affiliated with the Women’s March organizers. The event’s goal was to protest inaction from lawmakers on gun control legislation and to honor the 17 victims of the recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) released an open letter informing students and community members of the upcoming protest. Since then, student activists

“We are the next generation and we should be responsible for taking care of what happens in the future.”

PHOTO BY AHYOUNG NGUYEN

Walkout organizers give brief statements about the 17 lives lost in the Parkland shooting on Feb. 14.

held meetings to plan the event. After gathering at the Pancake, the students who planned the walkout

gave brief speeches about the victims. An orange balloon was released for each victim after their description and a moment of silence. “I’m really glad that we actually got people to stay silent as we are high schoolers and tend to be kind of loud in situations,” organizer junior Esperanza Gomez said. “I’m really glad that everyone stood there in silence and actually thought about the lives that were lost and how

unnecessary this [shooting] was. The victims were stripped of so many opportunities and all of their goals for the future.” The student leaders encouraged attendees to wear the color orange to the walkout to show solidarity. Handmade signs and orange ribbons were distributed to the crowd before the speeches began. The signs contained messages that condemned gun violence and called for student action. “I want to say that more than 200 [students attended],” organizer senior Patricia Escamilla said. “The Pancake was full, as well as the quad. People were standing over the other students.” During lunch, the students partnered with the Associated Student Body (ASB) to host an open mic at the Pancake. Many of the speeches and poems revolved around voting, gun violence, and gun law reform. “A lot of us can’t vote right now, but those that can and will, I urge you to vote for gun control,” senior Sydney Tran said in her speech. “We all know that what happened in Florida was a tragedy, but the real tragedy is if we don’t take initiative.” continued on pg. 2

CSEA president calls for extended working hours for health assistants

PHOTO BY BASTIAN MENDEZ

School nurse Louise Tsoi assists students with various medical concerns and needs. BY EILEEN ONG

When senior Michelle Ho pulled her leg muscle, her teacher called for a wheelchair. However, because the nurse was preoccupied with other students, Ho decided to walk to the health office after waiting about 15-20 minutes. Prompted by similar incidents where overwhelmed nurses could not immediately attend to all students, Craig Proffitt, California School Education Association Alhambra chapter president, requested that the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) extend working hours for health assistants at an AUSD board meeting on Feb. 20. Each high school gets assigned one nurse and, depending on the needs of the specific school, there can be one or two nurses at the K-8 level. Each school site also has one health assistant to work with the nurse. Nurses are on campus fulltime, typically from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. while heath assistants work for five hours. With around 50 students coming into the health office every

OPINIONS pg. 4 5

day, San Gabriel High School’s health assistant Linda Gonzales said it would be helpful if they had another nurse or health assistant to help lighten their workload. “I see you don’t have [enough] nurses, but why isn’t there health aides covering that office from the time that bell rings to the time that bell rings at the end of the day?” Proffitt said. “It’s important. Is it going to take a lawsuit for this district to open some eyes?” According to Proffitt, there were several incidents in the district where the office staff had to provide medical care to a student. A health assistant was not present when the school nurse was out of the health office dealing with a student on the field or in a classroom. “I’m asking for the health assistants to have more hours so they can be there when students are at school and the students will not have to rely on office staff [who are] not CPR and First Aid certified,” Proffitt said. Director of Student and Employee Welfare Lindsey K. Ma said that when the nurse is not in the health office, there is a protocol procedure in the event that a student needs medical attention. “[In that case] the administration in the school is the one in charge,” Ma said. “But again, minor or major, if the situation is imminent, if they feel the resources at the school site are exhausted, anyone can call 911.” In search of district action to prioritize student safety, Proffitt has brought this matter up to the AUSD school board multiple times and hopes to see steps taken to address this issue.

FOCUS pg. 6-7

PHOTOS BY BRIANNA HUYNH-TONG AND AHYOUNG NGUYEN

Students surround the Pancake on March 14, protesting for gun regulation while also honoring the lives of the victims of the Parkland shooting. Students wore orange in a display of solidarity with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

LIFE & ART pg. 8

SPORTS pg. 9-10

FEATURE S pg. 11

news

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, March 15, 2018

UC admissions statistics reveal strong SGHS performance

Publications team places second at ELAJEA

76%

PHOTO COURTESY OF VALERIE LARSEN

The publications team poses with their awards after their regional competition. BY VIVIAN ZHENG

Source : University of California Information Center BY CARLOS CARRILLO

The University of California (UC) system released admissions statistics by high school for the 2017 graduating class in Feb., reporting the number of applications, acceptances, and enrollments from San Gabriel High School (SGHS). For the 2017-18 school year, 209 SGHS students applied to one or more schools in least one school, and 107 chose to enroll. UC Irvine was the most popular school among SGHS applicants, receiving 173 applications, while UC Merced attracted the fewest students, receiving 43 applicants. UC Riverside accepted the most Matadors, with 88, while UC Berkeley and UC Los Angeles accepted the fewest, with 17 each. SGHS performed favorably when compared to local high schools. In the Alhambra bra High School applicants were accepted, admission. SGHS’s overall acceptance rate was also higher than Montebello, Rosemead, Schurr, South Pasadena, and Temple City High Schools’. Active engagement from counselors and advisers has played a role in SGHS’ success in the college process, according to Career and Technical Education Adviser Elizabeth An. “We do a lot of workshops; college application workshops for UCs throughout fall up until the last day before the deadline school year,” An said. “I feel like that helps

that encourages them to apply. Hopefully students feel like they can come to us if they have any questions.” most other local high schools, SGHS saw a slight decline in applications and acceptances from the previous year, producing four fewer applicants and 13 fewer acceptances en route to An, however, that is to be expected as more students enter the college application process. “As the years go by, it is more competitive and more students are applying,” An said. “That might be why it’s a little bit harder and more competitive. But it’s not a big difMaybe students are exploring more private schools as well, or maybe more people are thinking about Cal States and community To maintain and improve upon SGHS’ admissions success, the school is continuing to implement programs to help students enroll in higher education including the Early College Program (ECP), established this year, which gives students the opportunity to take college classes in high school. ates degree by the time they graduate high school, and they will only need to pay for college for two year after,” An said. Admission decisions for the class of 2018 have begun and will continue to be released throughout March. More statistics on previous years’ decisions can be found at <https:// www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/ admissions-source-school>.

Placing second in News and Novice News Sweepstakes and fourth in Yearbook Sweepstakes, The Matador Newspaper and El Camino Real Yearbook won second place in Super Sweepstakes of the Eastern Los Angeles County Journalism Education (ELAJEA) Regional Write-offs hosted at Schurr High School on March 3. Both publications competed against high schools, including Schurr, Walnut, and Wilson, in a variety of categories. Competitors had an hour to complete the prompt, with an additional hour for those competing in Yearbook Copy and Layout. Students who competed in Editorial Writing, Editorial Cartooning, and News participated in a press conference, with the topic being safe haven districts. Scores from Editorial Writing, Features, News, and Sports were used to judge the News Sweepstakes category, in which San Gabriel (SGHS) and Walnut tied for first—both scoring 43 points. SGHS was awarded second place since they had fewer first and second place finishers in a category. “I was very proud of how [SGHS] placed: tied for first place,” Valerie Larsen, chaperone and a speaker of the press conference, said. “However, I think it should have been a tie and not a second place designation; it was too close.” Despite the close call, junior Eileen Ong said the competition was a “really fun bonding experience.” “I’m especially proud of our staff for placing second in Super Sweepstakes, even though we technically tied with Walnut,” Ong said. “The fact that some of our talented people got to show off their dancing, singing, and giant Jenga skills [before score announcements] was pretty awesome too.” From The Matador Newspaper, Eileen Ong placed third, junior Echo Dieu placed fifth,

continued from pg. 1

San Gabriel walks out in solidarity In addition to the open mic, there were banners that students could write on, one of which included “#SGHasAVoice,” a hashtag designated by the student organizers, and another where students could write messages to Rep. Judy Chu (D-Ca). “We are going to start taking action,” Gomez said. “Although it’s not that big, we are going to start asking people to make at least five friends so we could be helping each other first. We want to have a healthier community.” While many students felt empowered by the walkout, some felt that the event was ineffective. “I feel like we should have taken a more direct stance,” junior Wendy Zamora said. “The city hall’s right here, we could’ve [walked out] there. I feel like that would’ve been more effective—to just approach government directly.” Other students did not participate in the walkout. Some cited academic reasons. “I couldn’t go because I had a trigonometry test,” junior Bryan Lam said. “I did want to go but I didn’t want my grade to be affected by a 17 minute walkout. So, I went to the open mic during lunch to take pictures.” There were student-led meetings held in A203 during lunch and on Monday, a meeting at Almansor Park where students gathered and created the signs that were distributed during the walkout. “I feel like students should have a voice in what

democracy has to offer,” junior Jonathan Sycip said. “It’s not just the adults participating—it’s more about everything in general. Even though we are underage and might not represent older people’s prospects, we are the next generation and we should be responsible for taking care of what happens in the future.” Several student activists who participated urged the school and AUSD to take actions to ensure the safety of those on campus. “I think they should put in a PA [Public Announcement] system because that way, it would make it easier for us to know if there is a shooting going on or not,” organizer senior Claudia Hernandez said. “I know for fire drills, oftentimes we [ask] ‘Is it real?’ ‘Is it not real?’ and even teachers don’t know what’s going on. If we have a PA system, we can know for sure and just walk out without questioning it.” Many students also felt that it was important to have their voices heard in order to be able to successfully effect change. “People in Parkland were students and teachers,” organizer senior Miriam Flores said. “This school—the majority of it is us. We are the voice of this school, so if we don’t show everyone that we have a voice and that we care about this, then nothing is going to change and no one is going to notice. It is up to us to actually unite and showcase what we can do and what we want to change.”

and senior Carlos Carrillo placed eighth in Editorial Writing; junior Selina Han placed first and sophomore Elsie Wang placed seventh in Features; junior Kenny Lam placed fourth in News; senior Nian Capili placed sixth in sports; junior Donna Hernandez placed first and junior Lucas Jorgensen placed fifth in Critical Review; junior Kelly Lac placed second, junior Angela Lu placed third, and senior Jennifer Cheung placed fifth in Editorial Cartooning; senior Karina Matias placed third and junior Alice Li placed eighth in Newspaper Layout; junior Vivian Zheng placed third, junior Brianna HuynhTong placed fourth, junior Lu June Lin placed 13th, junior Clara Quach placed 15th, and junior Emily Tan placed 17th in Novice News; and senior Bastian Mendez placed fifth in Feature Photography. “As a second year member, I felt a lot of pressure to do well in feature writing since I placed last year,” Han, who placed in first in Features, said. “My stomach dropped when the announcer got up to top three. I wasn’t confident that I would beat out the other articles.” From the El Camino Yearbook, senior William Kwoon placed eighth in Feature Photography; senior Leo Yue placed third and junior Paula Lay placed fifth in News Photography; seniors Nicole Nguyen, Jacob Rodriguez and Sydney Tran and junior Shirley Ta, as a team, placed fourth in Yearbook Copy and third in Layout; seniors Patricia Lipana and Rou Wen and juniors Sydney Ly and Sharon Tu, as a team, placed seventh in Yearbook Copy and fourth in Layout. “I think bittersweet would be the best way to describe my experience, as it was my last regionals competition,” Yue said. “[It] didn’t really matter if I won or not, [I] just wanted to have a good time.” Selected competitors and those who placed in Editorial Writing, Features, News, Sports, and Yearbook are qualified to advance to State.

NEWS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, March 15, 2018

New installation of LED lights brighten SGHS

PHOTO BY WILLIAM KWOON, EL CAMINO REAL

Britney Ting studies for her standarized tests outside the SA-building.

PHOTO BY AHYOUNG NGUYEN

Employees from Clear Blue Energy Corp. work on replacing the old classroom lights. BY ALICE LI

New versions of classroom lights have been installed in many classrooms in an attempt to save electricity and provide a better learning environment for students. Beginning on Feb. 5, the Clear Blue Energy Corp. was able to begin installing LED lights in classrooms after having signed a contract with the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) on Dec. 15. One of the main reasons why AUSD provided SGHS with new lights in every classroom was to conserve electricity. Jafeth J. Gonzalez, a Senior Project Manager of Clear Blue Energy Corp., explained the positive effects of the newly installed lights. “What the district had to do is upgrade the lighting condition—right now, the existing lights consume a lot of electricity, so now these new LED [lights] only consume a fraction of that,” Gonzalez said. “Typical fluorescent lightings lasts up to two years [while] these LEDs that we’re building in [have a] life expectancy [is] 10 years.” In addition to the advantage of conserving electricity, Gonzalez believes students are more likely to focus on their learning in classrooms with the new LED lights. “The thing is with this type of lighting is that it helps keep the students awake because

it’s so bright,” Gonzalez said. According to Gonzalez, the team has not received any feedback from students, but has from teachers. Some teachers appreciated the fact that there was more light, but others said that the luminosity can be an issue too. “I don’t care for them because they’re too bright,” English teacher Scott Myers said. “When I have the lights on full blast, my students, they complain. They say it’s too bright, [and] it gives them a headache.” Gonzalez, however, believes that in addition to providing students with a better learning environment, SGHS will be safer with the upgraded LEDs. “Everyone is going to see the neighbors, the students at night; this place is going to be lit up and [people] are going to feel a lot safer,” Gonzalez said. Some of the students who experienced the new lighting system first-hand were surprised by the change. “It’s pretty nice,” senior Roxanne Fong said. “Everything looks clearer rather than having that yellow tint. I like it, but at first, it was kind of strange.” The team will continue to install classrooms’ lights during after school hours and the construction process will be finished around the end of April.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSALEE CABRAL

The Choreo dance team smiles proudly with their hard-earned two awards after their competition. BY ANNY LI WU

The Choreo dance team went to their second competition of the year at Glen A. Wilson Golden Cup 2018. Choreo took fifth place in the Pom division and was awarded the Sportsmanship Award. Choreo arrived at the competition site with a full face of makeup and their hair in a high ponytail. Upon arrival, the team made finishing touches to complete their look. After Choreo finished getting ready, they prepared for their performance. Choreo gave it their all when performing the routine. They gave cheerful facial expressions, and

BY KENNY LAM

Among 15,000 other students nationwide, senior Britney Ting has qualified as a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP). The NMSP is a scholarship program run by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, offering various $2500 scholarships, along with collegesponsored and corporate-sponsored scholarships, to a very small group of qualifiers. To become a finalist and have a chance at these scholarships, Ting had to outperform 1.6 million other students in the nation academically, and on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Ting was initially surprised when she found out she was a semifinalist, as she “didn’t even know [she] qualified.” However, she was more confident qualifying for the finalist position. “I heard that advancing from semifinalist to finalist is pretty easy because 15,000 [out of] 16,000 [semifinalists] make it,” Ting said. “But actually winning the scholarship is much harder, so I’m much more nervous about that.” Even though she is the only student from San Gabriel High School to become a finalist, Ting does not believe

their energy quickly filled the gym. “I think I performed the best I could, even though I had my share of mistakes,” sophomore Queenie Hua said. After the performance, Choreo had some spare time before the awards ceremony. They were able to watch other teams perform. “I was very amazed and really fascinated because we also used some of the songs that some other teams used, like the song in our winter rally, and it was really cool to see how other teams came up with the [choreography] differently,” sophomore Jocelyn Kha said. As awards were announced, Choreo was overwhelmed to have also been awarded the Sportsmanship award on top of placing fifth in the Pom division for giving support and watching the other teams perform. “I was actually very surprised because we went to this competition just to compete, but we ended up being recognized by all the competitors, judges, and hosts of the competition,” senior Cindy Lim said. “When [we] went to retrieve the trophy, we had chills because hundreds of people stood for us and applauded.” Choreo learned a variety of new skills from this experience, and learned from watching other teams. “I learned that hard work pays off,” senior Diana La said. “Even though we didn’t get first or second place, being able to give a great performance and improve from the last competition was a success.” Choreo hopes to improve their routine and continue to compete in their next competition.

there is anything special about her accomplishment. “To be honest, I don’t feel much of anything about being the only [San Gabriel finalist],” Ting said. “The qualifying California index score varies from year to year, so I could very likely not even have been a semifinalist.” Nevertheless, she does attribute some of her success to outside resources and working intelligently. “I used Khan Academy a lot,” Ting said. “I focused much of my time on sections I was weak at.” Ting hopes to earn a scholarship in order to alleviate her future college financial concerns. “It’d be nice if I won because that’ll be some money off my college expenses,” Ting said. But as of now, all that Ting can do is wait and hope for the best. “I’m currently awaiting college decisions and will see where I’ll go from there,” Ting said. To hopeful underclassmen wanting to become finalists as well, Ting advises them to begin studying early and to maintain a good work ethic throughout the school year. “The PSAT is a lot about practice, so study hard and don’t procrastinate on your standardized tests,” Ting said.

BY CARLOS CARRILLO

In the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the national debate on gun control has been renewed, with many calling for stricter gun laws that enforce stringent background checks, a s s au l t w e a p o n a n d b u m p stock bans, and higher age requirements for gun purchases. The National Rifle Association (NRA), however, continues to work to protect what it believes are fundamental rights to gun ownership. Being the largest pro-gun lobby in the nation, the NRA advocates for gun rights under all circumstances. When Florida passed a gun control measure last Friday that raised the age requirement to buy most guns from 18 to 21, the NRA filed a lawsuit, denouncing the legislation as unconstitutional. It alleges that a higher age requirement violates the constitutional freedoms of many young adults, especially young women, who the NRA argue are unlikely to commit violent

crimes and need methods to protect themselves. Furthermore, they believe that laws that put restrictions on age make prospective young gun owners out to be “second class citizens,” according to Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. Others disagree, however, arguing that these laws prioritize safety. Similar laws in other states have been upheld in court before. No matter its success, the NRA’s motion is also symbolic of their strong anti-regulation stance on guns, opposing stricter laws, background checks, and bans on certain weapons. At odds with those who propose preventing mass shootings by restricting gun access, the NRA’s executive vice president Wayne Lapierre argues that “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” The NRA seeks to maintain lax gun laws and work in the best interest of its constituents, while opponents hope to restrict gun access in hopes of creating safer environments.

OPINIONS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

“Her” story writes itself

Donna Hernandez

Write or wrong I’m not exactly exceptional. My life is just like everyone else’s: a story that’s coming along. I’ve had a rough childhood, that’s for sure, but I’m finally getting to a point where I can move on. I think a large part of it is just me finally being able to fill in the blanks. It’s about control and closure. There’s probably a billion and one things I could write about myself. Before being a poet, I am a storyteller. Somehow, it only works out if the story isn’t about me. When I was younger, I abhorred writing. I scored terribly as far as comprehension and even then I was more of the get-it-right-on-the-first-try type of person. From fifth grade to seventh, we were assigned to write narratives about ourselves. Everything that came to mind seemed either too personal or not interesting enough, so I made up stories about things I wish I had done. I remember there was this one time I wrote a narrative about my dad teaching me how to surf. I can barely swim, nevermind surf, so concept wise, it was ridiculous. My dad was born in Veracruz though, which is right by the sea, so I guess in a way my tall tale was my way of attempting to get close to him, even if it was in a fictional sense. In sixth grade, we were encouraged to write a book. Our teacher provided us with the binding and pages to give it an authentic feel. I never filled it in because I never thought my writing was good enough. Especially then, I didn’t have a computer and hand wrote everything prior to that year. My apprehension with a computer impeded me from proceeding. I wrote my first authentic poem as a freshman for a competition I wasn’t truly a part of till a year later. Being part of the Get Lit slam team allowed me to gain confidence as a writer and come to learn exactly what it means to share my truth. I’m in my junior year of high school, and I feel I am just now starting to get a handle on it. It started off with a lot of rants on my phone’s note app, although even then I hid behind metaphors. I started off afraid to let anyone know what was on my mind, which lead to a lot of antisocial behavior. Once I started to open up through text, I was able to dislodge whatever block was there before. Like I mentioned before, I like telling stories, sometimes through little drabbles I illustrate to my younger brother, Alex, for entertainment. I’m good at making up things on the spot. My mom calls it an active imagination, but honestly, I’ve gathered elements from the books I’ve read here and there. I don’t think anyone really has an original thought in their heads; it’s all inspired from someone else or something they’ve experienced. That’s why I never wrote down the stories I came up with, although the more ridiculous ones are still retained in my memories. Of course, Alex practically chronicles them all and reminds me of the more amusing ones when I’m creatively challenged. I’ve always thought that writing should convey a thought or idea important enough to inspire someone, even if that someone is yourself. With poetry, I was given that opportunity, and more than that, I was able to turn my personal experiences into art which empower others to speak up too. I’m still overly critical of myself and the work I do, but it helps to know that it’s part of a bigger picture.

Editorial

AUSD right to allow students’ protest Facing the reality of a national school walkout making its way to San Gabriel, the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) had a choice to make. It could have either restricted students in their attempts to exercise their right to protest or assisted them in mobilizing for a cause that deeply concerned them. In correctly choosing to do the latter, the district has shown its students that it will listen to their concerns and that it will allow for their voices to be heard. The most important message the district sent through its solidarity was that its students’ voices matter. When an issue captivates the student body strongly, it is in the best interest of administration to allow them to peacefully organize—had AUSD not facilitated the walkout, there would have been considerable tension between students and administration. In aligning itself with its pupils, however, the district avoided alienating itself from the community and rather became a viable option for support in the students’ eyes. For AUSD to encourage protest while other districts aim to suspend demonstra-

tors is bold yet beneficial; it lets the youth in Alhambra know that their opinions, actions, and initiatives matter. In this way, the district succeeded in serving its students by allowing them the opportunity to be heard. Beyond merely presenting itself as a legitimate ally to its students, the district was also quick to realize the importance of being on the right side of this situation. It is rare that a movement manifest itself throughout high schools nationwide, but when one does, it can actually promote change. In astutely identifying this walkout as one such event, helping students organize it efficiently and effectively, and proposing resolutions recommending gun regulations to Congress, AUSD has taken full advantage of the rare opportunity to effect change by means of protest, as it should. In addition to simply acknowledging the importance of the event, AUSD was also smart to see the benefits in collaborating with its students, rather than merely letting them sort out the details alone. It should be noted, however, that the district’s involvement, particularly in limiting

professional media from attending and prohibiting teachers from leaving their classrooms, detracts from the civil disobedience inherent in protests, and while the rally itself was a success overall, the students were limited by AUSD’s presence. So although it was an astute administrative decision, it harmed the students’ ability to exercise their rights. There are those who will argue that the district was ill-advised to support the student led protest, believing that class time is far too important for a demonstration that may very well achieve nothing. While it is true that class time is serious and that the actual impact of the protest is unknown, it is disingenuous to say that allowing the walkout to occur had no real benefits. Schools are meant to educate not just academically, but socially as well, and through this walkout, AUSD had and took an opportunity to show its students the value of civic engagement. There are some things that cannot be taught inside a classroom, and AUSD was right to recognize this walkout as an opportunity to educate on the value of political awareness.

Every time I use public restrooms

ILLUSTRATION BY ANGELA LU

Consumers must be conscious of bad reviews BY SELINA HAN

In this day and age, it is not uncommon for people to share every aspect of their day with their Facebook friends— what they are eating for lunch is no exception. With technology so prominent in our lives, it is hard to remember that the words we type on our screens can and do have effects on the things and people around us. That is why it is so important to be mindful of the reviews we make on popular review apps such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Google Reviews, especially when reviewing local businesses. One rude waiter does not justify a one-star review for a restaurant. Because potential customers rely on online reviews so heavily, it is crucial to understand how much bad reviews can potentially harm a business. There is a fine line between constructive criticism and outright rudeness; our presence behind a keyboard blurs that. When you are not particularly fond of a business’s service, price, or products, do not take it to the internet. Many consumers seem to forget that the people who

work behind the counter are people too. Employees and servers at restaurants or businesses are not below the people they cater to and like everyone else, can make mistakes. A good rule of thumb is if you would not be comfortable saying your complaints to the employee or manager, reassess if it is appropriate to put online

for the world to see. Of course, there is a time and place for honest reviews, but being online has made many consumers numb to the effects their words can have. Small businesses are especially susceptible to the impact of these reviews. Unlike restaurant chains, for example, these businesses are local and have a harder start to build up a good reputation for their name. The next time you want to post a one-star review on Yelp, take the time to reflect on the events that could follow because of your review. Ask yourself if you are exaggerating, or if you are being too rash with your words. Think about the impact your words can cause in regards to not only their effect on the popularity of a business, but also the emotional and financial wellbeing of its employees, especially if the review has to do with a family business. Always remember that even though it is just a seemingly meaningless review on the internet to you, it can have great influence on potential consumers of that business and have lasting effects on the business and its workers. ILLUSTRATION BY KELLY LAC

FOCUS

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

Opinion: Fire alarms pose security risks BY ECHO DIEU

Now that mass school shootings are a foreseeable reality across the United States, San Gabriel High School (SGHS) needs to focus on reforming a security vulnerability: fire alarms. They are located in many spots on campus, and because anyone is free to pull them down, they can be used for malicious purposes. Students and teachers alike would be susceptible to incoming attacks once they are herded into large groups onto open clearing. The shooting that happened on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was aided in part by the shooter pulling down the fire alarm in order to get students out of classrooms. Unfortunately, the usage of the fire alarm is a copycat of an age-old strategy. In 1998, two armed students rang the fire alarm in Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark. and subsequently fired rounds at the congregated masses of students and teachers. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, five people died and 10 more were wounded. The question now begs: What can SGHS do to increase its protection against school shootings? Ways to Solve the Fire Alarm Vulnerability

In the case of a spontaneous fire drill, the source that set it off should be

confirmed first, whether it be through e-mails, the school website, or from multiple sources through social media. If the source is an actual fire or an appliance susceptible to combustion, the school should then evacuate. The police should be notified of fire alarms that go off and stay updated on the status of evacuations. Planned drills should only be announced to staff members beforehand and kept confidential to prevent potential perpetrators from finding out. Increasing fire prevention safety in San Gabriel may not solve any shooting-related problems if perpetrators can simply ride along with a planned fire drill. Teachers should conduct a quick scan outside the window of their classrooms and check for any noises before evacuating the students. The frequency of spontaneous fire alarms should be kept at a minimum in order to avoid desensitizing students to the urgency of evacuations. Appliances such as heaters and microwaves need to be more carefully inspected and replaced regularly if they are susceptible to combustion. Likewise, teachers should regulate students more closely during science labs that can potentially set off the fire alarm. Students should be taught to be on the lookout for suspicious people or activities during evacuation.

San Gabriel’s shooting history, Parkland’s current state, and possible solutions for school safety

On April 26, 1988, a gun-related incident occurred at San Gabriel High School (SGHS). SGHS senior Jeffrey Lyne Cox held approximately 60 classmates hostage for half an hour and twice fired his AR-15 assault rifle—which he bought at a local gun shop on the day he turned 18, according to Alhambra Police Lt. Richard Duffy in the Los Angeles Times. Karen Johnston was in her fourth year of teaching English at SGHS when the shooting happened. “[The incident] was really scary. The SWAT team came on campus and many classrooms were evacuated,” Johnston said. “We started hearing about what was happening. I think we were kind of scared.” History teacher Laura Galiazzo, an SGHS student at the time, was in her math class when the shooting happened. She knew Cox, the teenager who seemed perfect from the outside, in person. “He was actually a very popular student and a funny person,” Galiazzo said. “He was in our choir and speech and debate team. He was very [into] school, but had a horrible home-life.” Cox had attempted suicide before and had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Graphic by Angela Lu

Would you want your teachers to carry guns in the classroom? Yes 8% No 92% Can you rely on the faculty/staff members for protection? Yes 56% No 44% Do you feel safe in school? Yes 62% No 38% Do you think our safety procedures (i.e fire drill, lockdown) prepare students for real events?

Sources: USA Today and Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture

After being absent from school for three weeks, Cox barged in his English class with an AR-15 and ammunition, according to the Los Angeles Times. He shot the rifle toward the ceiling and told the teacher to leave. He demanded $1 million and called the school office, threatening that someone will die if food and cigarettes were not delivered in 20 minutes. A student tackled Cox when he caught him off-guard and four others piled on him. No one was hurt during the event. Cox was sentenced to five years in state prison. Although the shooting occurred nearly 30 years ago, Cox’s rampage permanently stained the history of SGHS. English teacher Sabrina Morales was in her third year of teaching at the time; her room was located next to the room where the shooting occured. She prepares her classes at the start of every school year for a possible emergency situation. After going through that as a new teacher, safety was always on my forefront,” Morales said. “I always feel that without safety, [teachers] can’t educate because we can’t have people being afraid here. If [students] are afraid, how are they ever going to be willing to listen to my English lesson? Safety is first. It has to be first—and then we can educate.”

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

AFTER PARKLAND

Yes 34% No 66%

San Gabriel experiences school shooting in 1988 BY JENNIFER CHEUNG AND SUNHI NGUYEN

FOCUS

Parkland: how are they now? BY KIM TA

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS) that claimed 17 lives took place a month ago, but its effects will be felt forever. Three days later, there was a gun control rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. where MSDHS senior Emma Gonzalez said that “we are going to be the last mass shooting. We are going to change the law.” According to an article in The Eagle Eye, MSDHS’s student newspaper, the school had a Sunday orientation before returning to school again on Feb. 28 to assist everyone, from teachers to students, in healing. Their school district, Broward County Public School District, arranged grief counseling and therapy dogs and proposed to tear down the building in which the attack took place. That building—Building 12—was closed off with sealed and concealed windows. “I didn’t really think that I would be nervous, but walking up to the school, I could feel my heart beating faster and faster,” MSDHS junior Pinaki Upadhyay said in The Eagle Eye. “But when I saw my friends and started talking, everything started to feel normal and I calmed down.” Within the first two weeks back at school, March 3 was a “Day of Healing” in which students and first responders connected. “It was an important step in my healing process to meet the people that were so important in getting everyone to safety,” MSDHS junior Sarah Schmidt said in The Eagle Eye. On March 5, MSDHS received 30,000 cupcakes from the world-renowned company, Baked by Melissa. “Baked by Melissa entirely made my day with their amazing cupcakes,” MSDHS sophomore Anna Fishman said in The Eagle Eye. “It was nice to feel supported and cared about even up in New York.” And on March 8, the Museum of Ice Cream opened their doors to MSDHS staff and students.

“We are just having fun with friends, trying ice cream and taking pictures,” MSDHS senior Hayden Korr said in The Eagle Eye. “It just gives us more happiness in a time of stress.” Prior to the students returning to school, CNN hosted a town hall session on gun control where MSDHS senior Ryan Schacter, whose 14-year-old brother was killed in the shooting, asked Rep. Ted Deutch, (D-Fla): “What reassurances can you give me and what specifically are you going to do to make sure that we can’t have this fear?” Deutch responded first with condolences and then talked about starting change in Washington with a “legislation to make sure that assault weapons are illegal in every part of this country.” In response to concerns from the tragedy as a whole, Florida Governor Rick Scott proposed a “$500 Million Investment in School Safety and Mental Health”—a legislation to have gun safety changes—which was passed by Florida’s state legislature on March 5 and signed by Scott on March 9. The legislation was titled the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. It enacts a three-day waiting period of purchasing firearms in Florida, raises the age limit to 21 to purchase most guns, and bans bump stocks. Furthermore, it intends to keep firearms from mentally ill or dangerous individuals; however, it does not ban assault weapons. “I’m not into banning specific weapons,” Scott said on Fox News Sunday on Feb. 25. “I think what you need to do is ban specific people from having weapons. Focus on the problem. We’ve got to focus on solutions that work.” As students continue to be politically proactive, students across the nation stood together yesterday to walk out as a way of supporting the MSDHS students and the #NeverAgain movement. For survivors’ stories and more news on the school, go to MSDHS’ student newspaper’s website <<http://eagleeye.news>>.

Possible solutions to prevent future school shootings BY EILEEN ONG

As the number of deadly school shootings continues to rise, schools are reevaluating their security measures to ensure the safety of their students and faculty in the event of a shooter on campus. Because campus supervisors and security cameras are no longer deemed sufficient protection by some, schools are looking for new ways to improve the infrastructure of their campus. The first line of defense is the buildings and structures. After Adam Lanza broke his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012 by shooting a window near the front office, the school decided to include impact-resistant windows as part of their reconstruction. Impact-resistant and bulletproof windows, as well as solid-core door, can act as deterrents; if the shooter encounters difficulties in finding an entry into the classroom; they may get discouraged and turn elsewhere. At this day and age, technology can play a vital role in school safety. According to the non-profit campus safety organization Safe Havens International, panic buttons are a quick way for schools to alert local law enforcement when needed. This enables more effective communication between the school and 911 first responders. By reducing the time it takes to contact help, it cuts down the time the shooter

can potentially harm someone. The police will be able to arrive a few minutes earlier, which could be the difference between life or death. Automatic locking mechanisms are another piece of machinery that are an extra step in upgrading a school’s existing system, according to Security Magazine. These locks would automatically engage during a lockdown, thus eliminating the need for teachers to have to take valuable seconds to look for their keys and lock the door. Along with specific feature installments, design concepts are factors in school safety. The concept of “concentric rings of protection” calls for multiple barriers to entry, instead of relying on a single layer of defense, as stated by Silva Consultants, an independent security consultant. The first layer is located at the school’s outermost boundaries, with a series of layers between that and the shooter’s targets, the students in classrooms. The more levels of security measures, the more likely the shooter would fail to breach through to the classrooms. However, one of the biggest concerns for these security measures is the expense. Public schools have a limited budget and some of these options are typically very costly. It is up to the school to determine whether they have the financial means to implement and support such protection.

FOCUS

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

Opinion: Fire alarms pose security risks BY ECHO DIEU

In the case of a spontaneous fire drill, the source that set it off should be

San Gabriel’s shooting history, Parkland’s current state, and possible solutions for school safety

Sources: USA Today and Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture

THE MATADOR THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

AFTER PARKLAND

Yes 34% No 66%

San Gabriel experiences school shooting in 1988 BY JENNIFER CHEUNG AND SUNHI NGUYEN

FOCUS

Parkland: how are they now? BY KIM TA

Possible solutions to prevent future school shootings BY EILEEN ONG

life & art

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

Wenlong He strives daily for perfection in woodworking

What’s cooking at Culinary Art class with Chef Zichella?

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN MASON

Senior Wenlong He works on his toolbox project at Skills USA regionals competition on Feb. 3 where he placed 6th in his event, “Introduction to Woodworking.” BY KIM TA

What do woodworking, culinary arts, automotive service technology, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning have in common? All are taught by Skills USA, an organization that prepares students for leadership in the working world. Joining the club last fall, senior Wenlong He has been able to improve on his woodworking skills. “I want to learn more skills about woodworking,” He said. “I know the different types of wood joints [and I want to learn how] to make a cabinet.” He voluntarily assists his uncle in household tasks, having learned the skill of woodworking from him when he came to San Gabriel from Guangzhou, China. It has also helped him adapt to his new environment. “I help my uncle with windows that are old and I take all of it out and I redo it,” He said. “I don’t know a lot of people there [in the

club] because it is my first year [here], so it’s hard to communicate. [But, being in] Skills USA helps me improve my English and learn more skills.” He plans to major in the medical field and major in woodworking; he also intends to join Skills USA in college. “I hope for next year, the members in Skills USA will get better and improve,” He said. “Woodworking is a lot of fun and you can help your friends and make new friends. We communicate with others and learn a lot of different skills.” Skills USA adviser and woodtech teacher John Mason deemed He as one of his outstanding students. “He did the jewelry box really well in class and now he is working on a bandsaw box and both of them are top notch,” Mason said. “He doesn’t give up; most people give up. If he gets frustrated, he just keeps plugging away—he does it right. He wants to be perfect.”

PHOTO BY AHYOUNG NGUYEN

C h e f A n t h o n y Z i c h e l l a h e l p s a s t u d e n t p r e p t h e i r s u s h i a s t h ey s l i c e and dic e veggies while the other students watch the c o oking demonstration. BY KABRINA BENNETT

For anyone who has ever wanted to learn how to cook, or learn about different foods around the world, Culinary Arts is the perfect class to take. Added back to the school curriculum for the first time since its departure in the 2015-16 school year, the class teaches the fundamentals of cooking, hospitality, cleanliness, and more. Its students explore the kitchen and learn how to be a chef. Culinary arts provides a way to learn and explore new cooking opportunities. The class has made different varieties of foods such as french fries, omelets, and eggs benedict. The class has learned about American culture, French culture, and Chinese culture. “Culinary is honestly my favorite class,” junior Stephanie Morales said. “I am able to learn how to cook from scratch, learn about different cultures and their foods, and learn about many dishes from around the world. It’s a really great class.” The class is taught by Anthony Zichella in H-5. “My grandparents owned a restaurant, and I got my first job when I was 14,” Zichella said.

“I’ve worked in a restaurant since and I still do today.” The class is on a tight schedule, where each week they make a different type of food or adapt a certain skill. On Mondays, the students watch food channels to get an idea of what they will be making. Tuesdays are for the chef to tell the class what they will be preparing, whether it is French onion soup, sushi, or even baguettes. Wednesdays are the prep-days for washing and cutting vegetables, Thursdays are the cooking days. On Cooking days, each person in the group has a task to do whether it is cleaning, sanitizing, or grabbing the ingredients. On Fridays, the students do power paragraphs on what they learned and made during the week. After making their food dishes, the students present it to Chef Zichella for their grades. Zichella grades based on effort, presentation, and teamwork. “I really hope to instill cooking techniques and methods and also the ethics of farming,” Zichella said. “I hope to also instill the importance of exploring and learning about cultures other than our own.”

Chicanos in Contemporary Society dual enrollment class teaches Mexican culture BY BASTIAN MENDEZ

A new dual enrollment class, Chicanos in Contemporary Society, employs lectures, films, projects, and class discussions to analyze the social and cultural elements that make Mexican-Americans unique in American society. The class is divided into units on identity, immigration, education, and politics. Senior Rebekah Carrillo took an interest in the class after taking “Chicanos/as in Film” last semester. “I joined this class because Chicano history is something I’m passionate about,” Carrillo said. “I love learning about what the typical American history textbook excludes.” Carrillo was especially interested by the linguistic origins taught in the class. “[The instructor has] taught us the origin of a lot of slang like the word Chicano and the word cholo,” Carrillo said. “Chicano comes from the word Mexica which is what the Aztecs called themselves, [while] cholo is

the shortened form of xoloescuincle, which is a type of dog. So when you call someone that you’re essentially referring to them as a dog.” Freshman Emily Chen, meanwhile, took an interest in the historical relations between Mexico and the United States. “I learned about the US [and] Mexico war that occurred in 1846 [when] Mexico lost half of its land. In fact, Mexico had San Francisco and its bay before the war.” Chen said “I feel like this is one of the ways that Mexican culture grew in the US.” Chen is taking the class as part of the early college program, a new implementation for freshman which allows them to enroll in college classes during high school. “I get college credit for this class, so basically by the end of high school, I will have my associates degree,” Chen said. The class is facilitated by East Los Angeles College and is worth three units at a California State University or University of California school.

SPORTS

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

2017 18 SPRING Sports Scoreboard BOYS BASEBALL

GIRLS SOFTBALL

VARSITY 3/7 vs Norwalk 3/9 @ Gabrielino 3/12 vs Alhambra

VARSITY 3/6 vs Glendale 3/7 vs El Monte

JV 3/7 3/8

JV 3/7 vs Norwalk 3/9 @ Gabrielino 3/12 vs Alhambra

15-3 15-5 3-0

L L L

13-3 18-0 24-0

L L L

vs El Monte vs El Monte

BOYS TENNIS

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

N/A N/A

VARSITY 3/1 @ Arroyo 3/6 vs Temple City 3/8 @La Salle

17-1 L 17-1 L 73-71 W

VARSITY 2/28 vs St. Monica Catholic 3/1 vs Temple City 3/5 @ St. Paul 3/9 vs La Canada

N/A N/A

JV 3/1 3/6

12-6 18-0

vs Arroyo @ Temple City

CO-ED SWIM

TRACK AND FIELD

VARSITY 3/13 vs Duarte

VARSITY 3/8 @ Temple City

(B) 135-32 W (G) 106-62 W

3/8 JV 3/13

vs Duarte

(B) 127-5 W (G) 117-28 W

@ Temple City

(B) 64-62 W

JV 2/28 vs St. Monica Catholic 3/1 vs Temple City 3/5 @ St. Paul

W W W W

2-0 T 2-0 2-0 2-0 L

CO-ED BADMINTON VARSITY N/A

N/A

JV N/A

N/A

(G) 71-55 W

FROSH/SOPH 3/8 @ Temple City

(B) 77-47 W

3/8

(G) 63-47 W

@ Temple City

L L

3-1 3-0 3-0 3-0

2017-18 Spring Sports Preview Boys volleyball strives until the end of CIF BY KENNY LAM

Summary: With sweat dripping, shoes squeaking, and arms swinging, the boys volleyball team hope to wipe their competition in their upcoming season. With five games already on their belt, senior captain Ethan Chan looks forward to winning and living up to expectations. “We have a new coach and everything so I don’t really know what to expect,” Chan said. “Obviously [we hope to be] league champs and [have] a really good run in CIF, hopefully if we make it.” Strengths: Chan notes how the close relations and bonds with the team will prove to be a valuable asset during their season. “We have a lot of team chemistry right

now,” Chan said. “A lot of us guys have been in this program for four years already and we have eleven seniors on the team.“ Key Members: Stressing the importance of experience, Chan believes that the more experienced players will prove to be essential this season. “Key players this year would probably be me, seniors Henry [Vuong], Cedric [Casino], Randy [Yip], and Matthew Chow,” Chan said. “Us five right now will be the main key players because we’re the returners from last year, and we actually played and have experience on a varsity level.” Comments: Along with looking to succeed over the coming months, Chan also hopes he and his team will simply enjoy the season. “My overall thoughts for this upcoming season is to just have fun,” Chan said.

BY KENNY LAM

Summary: Over the past few months, the track and field team have been training rigorously in preparation for their season. Boys senior head captain Henry Nguyen and girls senior head captain Cindy Tan have faith that the team will have a strong showing. Strengths: As a team overall, Nguyen believes that this season will prove to be successful due to the high potential in many of the athletes. “We have very high performance athletes; they have a lot of potential,” Nguyen said. “I think we’ll be able to do pretty well compared to other years in the past.” Despite their lack of experience, Nguyen also believes that the new members will prove to be important factors in their success this upcoming season. “We have new up and coming people, like freshman who have really good all-around running,” Nguyen said. Tan looks to the team’s tenacity in training as one of their PHOTO COURTESY OF VANESSA HOANG strengths. “I think their training is going great; we’ve been pushing it Sprints captain senior Jenny Lam extends her stride on the back straight of the 800 meter race. because we’ve actually lost a lot of good people this year,” Tan

PHOTO BY CHELSEA LI

Junior outside hitter Patrick Ma (22) heads towards d e fe n s e p o s i t i o n a s t h e o ffe n s ive t e a m s t ri ke s .

said. “Coach is pushing us, and we’re also pushing it to to be able to catch up.” Key Players: Nguyen expects sophomore Sally Pham and junior Anson Ta will play vital roles by scoring in meets, and as role models for others to look up to. “[Anson] improved compared to last year very much,” Nguyen said. “He has very good potential as a leader next year. [Sally’s] got a very good future in this sport; she’s already hitting varsity times. She has very good potential to also become a leader, because she tries to help the underclassmen too.” Comments: Aside from performance, Nguyen credits seniors Jenny Lam and Ryan Lin for bringing the team together; keeping a positive and energized team environment. “[Ryan’s] very spirited because he’s trying his best,” Nguyen said. “I think he’s a pretty good captain. He tries to help everyone and be there all the time… I think [Jenny’s] very spirited because [she’s] always positive and happy and trying to help everyone to do their best.” The track and field team will have their first league meet against Alhambra High School today at 3 p.m. at San Gabriel High School.

Baseball anticipates swinging to CIF BY KABRINA BENNETT

Summary: As spring season is slowly approaching, San Gabriel High School boys baseball team prepares for an action packed season in hopes of making CIF this year. The baseball team is led by head coach Jared Hovespian. Strengths: “I think this year our strength as a team would be our defense,” junior first baseman Antonio Canizal said. “So far when we play our practice games on the weekend, our defense is very strong and we barely let any runs be scored.” Canizal believes that if he and his team play well together, they will be able to win games. “As long as we give it our best shot and play hard out there, we’ll have a good season,” Canizal said. Key Players: “I don’t think we have any key players,” senior center fielder Alec Lucero said. “We need to work together as a team and family in order to win, so there should be no reason to pinpoint just one specific person. One person can’t carry the team without help. So I would say we are all key players.” Comments: Overall, all the players have one main goal for season. “I just hope we are able to win and make it to playoffs. That’s my ultimate goal,” senior shortstop Jason Padilla said. “Come out and support your boys baseball team.”

PHOTO BY BRYAN LAM, EL CAMINO REAL

Senior Jason Padilla firmly attempts to swing the bat for a successful hit.

sports

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

Boys varsity tennis seeks to impress BY HENRY CHOW

Summary: Under supervision of coach Steve Akiyama’s experience with tennis, San Gabriel High School (SGHS) boys tennis team demonstrates hard work and Tennis captain senior Anson Lai hopes “to importances on the team is providing support for each other. Strengths: To junior Michael Chen, one of the strengths the tennis team has is that they “have really good team support.” “Every player would support each other when someone is down or someone is not doing very well,” Chen said. Another one of the team’s strengths is the amount of time they put into practicing. “Most of the team would stay after school for an extra hour just to get more practice and prepare for the

example, yesterday was pupil free day and our team met up together to practice. wasn’t mandatory.” Key Players: One of the key players on the team is sophomore Richard Phung due to his good attitude and willingness to help the team. “He’s pretty experienced, he’s been playing since he was seven or eight,” teammates out whenever we need to. If there’s something wrong he’ll always talk to us and help us improve.” Comments: is mostly just supporting each other, because even when we lose a point, we always give each other a handshake or something for moral support,” Lai said. “Especially when people start playing play and we don’t want their frustration

PHOTO BY WILLIAM KWOON, EL CAMINO REAL

S e n i o r c ap t a i n Ja m e s C h oy d e d i c at e s t i m e a n d e ffo r t d u r i n g p ra c t i c e .

Co-ed badminton strikes with teamwork BY CLARA QUACH

Summary: The co-ed badminton team, coached by alumni John Le and Holdson Liang, are striving to qualify for CIF. The team has plans to practice hard while staying humble in order to constantly move as a whole toward their goal. Senior badminton captain Randy Liu’s goal for this season is to do his best to bring the whole team to CIF. The team is now working hard in hopes to represent the school well. The team utilizes their time during their afterschool practices on Tuesdays and Fridays to work toward their goal. Strengths: Liu says that one of the team’s strengths is that they have a tight bond which allows them to work well. However, a weakness that the team has is that most players are not seasoned. Some of the players started two years ago or this

year. Despite this drawback, Liu believes the team could overcome this disadvantage since the players attend practices and even practice during their free time. The most important character for the team is commitment. Everyone who is on the team strives to do better and represent San Gabriel High School. Their commitment allows the team as a whole to continue practicing hard to reach their goal. The passion and dedication that the team holds shows their willingness to cooperate with one another in order improve their skills. Key players: Liu does not believe there are any key players from the team. Instead, Liu believes that everyone plays a role in the team which makes them a whole. “We win as one or we lose as one,” Liu said. The next game will be against the Wildcats on Mar. 16 at Glen A. Wilson High School.

PHOTO BY BASTIAN MENDEZ

Junior during

Z h e n Wo n g s h o w s h i s p e r s e v e r a n c e p ra c t i c e t o a c e h i s u p c o m i n g ga m e s .

S o f t b a l l b a t s o ff i n t o C I F BY KABRINA BENNETT

PHOTO BY DEMOURNEY WASHINGTON, EL CAMINO REAL

Summary: Softball season is approaching fast and the girls have been preparing themselves since Nov. when they started practicing. This year’s softball is led by head coach Michelle Gonzales, who hopes to “have a will to play and a will to be out there.” “The willingness to have a good strong program is what will lead us to win our games,” Gonzales said. Strengths: “I don’t think we have many strengths just for the fact that mistakes are made quite often, defensive and offensive,” Captain Jeanette Picasso said. “We work hard to minimize those mistakes so no runs can be scored on us.” The girls believe that they work hard during their practices to ensure that they will play well during their games. Key Players: “As of right now, we do not have any key players, since some of our best players graduated last year and many of our girls are young and still have a lot to improve on,” Gonzales said. “By the time season comes around, I will be able to know who my key players would be.” Comments: The girls are hoping that this is their year to make it to CIF. “I’ve been playing softball for awhile, so to be able to go to CIF for my senior year would be a highlight for me,” Picasso said. “Come out and support your girls softball team. It is a very fast paced game that I think [students] will enjoy watching.”

S o f t b a l l p r a c t i c e s o n d e fe n s e a n d o ffe n s e fo r u p c o m i n g ga m e s .

Co-ed splashes into season BY VIRGINIA SITU

Summary: Hours and hours of practice at the pool will finally pay off when the San Gabriel swim team goes into season. Swim will be led by new captains, all seeking nothing but improvement in themselves and the team. Strengths: The skill of being able to swim well under pressure is a great strength that the team has, especially when most of them are first year varsity swimmers. “I’m really glad I get to see them do their best out there,” senior captain Ricky Jiao said. “I sometimes worry about them feeling stressed if they don’t beat their personal record, but it seems as if I’m thinking too much.” Key Players: “Our key swimmers for this year are [sophomore] Sylvia Silver and [junior] David Gomez focusing on CIF cuts,” varsity coach Andre Flores said. “As well as the younger middle pack swimmers that we’re focusing on improving to build up for a strong showing for the following years to come.” Comments: One of the four captains this year, Jiao, is excited about this upcoming season because he believes that the new coach’s experience can bring the team back to their prime, once their younger swimmers develop. “I don’t expect my team to win [every meet] but I [do] expect them to perform to their best ability [all the time].”

PHOTO BY LU JUNE LIN

Junior Derick Pan strokes butterfly style

during an Individual Medley.

FEATURES

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

Alpas perseveres through hardships with education

PHOTO COURTESY OF PERLA ALPAS

Alpas (top row, second to left) celebrates Christmas with her immediate and extended family, an annual tradition for them to reunite by enjoying Filipino dishes and exchanging gifts. BY VIVIAN ZHENG

A phone rings. A copy machine chucks out copies of paper. For Perla Alpas, being the Guidance Office Manager is a position that she enjoys, especially when it comes to helping parents and students. Before obtaining her current permanent job at the Alhambra Unified School District, Alpas had substituted for many different office positions—including Career Technician at the Career Center and Student Account clerk—dubbing herself “the jack of all trades.” Working in an educational environment, she hopes to inspire students, just like how education first shined light to her life, beginning with her childhood.

“Education played a very important role in my life, otherwise I [would] not be where I am right now,” Alpas said. Born in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, Alpas was raised in a family of 10. After her father passed away with pneumonia when she was six years old, her mother became the sole provider of the household. “It was devastating for my family and myself,” she said. “[My mom] tried her best to support our family, but oftentimes it wouldn’t be enough, so I found myself stepping in to help my family from poverty.” At the age of seven, Alpas was waking up at five in the morning to prepare meals for her family while her mother headed to sell daily necessities at the markets. With little profit, “she barely made ends meet [and] we found ourselves struggling to survive.” “Then I understood, even at a very young age, that what my mother was going through will not be enough to support me and my siblings,” she said. “We had to find ways to lessen her burden and fend for ourselves.” Alpas took on chores to help relieve her mother’s pressure: planting crops, walking miles to a river to wash clothes, and selling fruits picked from the tree in her backyard in order to afford school supplies and food for her siblings. “Farming became another chore that we had to be constantly on top of in order to survive,” Alpas said. “It was a relief to know that my siblings and I could still go to school with so little.” With minimal income for a family of nine, food became scarce. There were times when they had two meals a day. “We tried our best and thought of a better way to make ends meet and have enough food on the table,” she said. “My brothers and I would go to our neighbor’s house everyday with our pails to pick up some leftover food to feed our pigs.” That did not prevent her from attending school, despite having to wear slippers that were mismatched in size and color. “I did not have a choice for that was all I [had, and it was better] than [facing] the summer in bare feet when days were unbearably hot and I had to walk to school two miles away,” Alpas said. In order to “prevail at such hardships and tribulations,” Alpas knew that obtaining a degree would improve her situation. “After graduation, I got a [well]-paying job, besides engaging in real estate business as a part time job, and [found] myself finally making an earning so I could help my family in monetary means—relieving my mother from years of hardship,” Alpas said. Through her experience, she hopes to inspire others to persist through their challenges and finish school. “I want all our children and future youth to realize the importance of education and the value it holds,” she said. “They have to try their best and don’t depend on where the future is going to take [them]. [Instead,] make actions.”

L i a n g ’s h i d d e n i d e n t i t y w i t h l a n g u a g e , s p o r t s BY LU JUNE LIN

Upon entering his Spanish 5/6 class, sophomore Damian Liang caught the attention of many students as an underclassman in a class consisting mostly of juniors; however, no one knew his backstory. Liang, having Taiwanese heritage, was born in León Guanajuato, Mexico, where he resided for six years. “I went to Taiwan (Pingtung City) when I was six because my parents wanted me to learn Mandarin,” Liang said. About a month after moving to Taiwan, Liang’s parents and siblings moved back to Mexico to help with their family business. When Liang’s grandfather first immigrated to Mexico, he started his own business which lead to many family members helping and expanding their own businesses as well. After his immediate family left, Liang stayed in Taiwan with his grandmother, his aunt, and his babysitter until he entered second grade: his mother and siblings returned to Taiwan. When Liang was in sixth grade, his father wanted him to move to Chile. However, Liang learned about an international school, Kaohsiung American School (KAS), in Taiwan. “My dad changed his mind and let me and my siblings go

to international school for a few years before coming to [the United States],” he said. While enrolled in KAS, Liang took Japanese language classes along with English. Liang immigrated to the United States (US) and transferred to San Gabriel High School (SGHS) during the second semester of his freshman year. It was easy for him to catch up in his English class as well as his Spanish class. In addition to speaking multiple languages, he has a passion for being an athlete. Ever since Liang was young, he was involved in various sports. He started out by taking tennis and golf lessons and also played baseball and basketball. “I like it better here [US] because of the education,” Liang said. “I can play more competitive golf.” Liang was in SGHS’s junior varsity basketball team until the first semester of his sophomore year; he decided to quit basketball and focus more on golf. Liang thinks that golf is a sport he can play as he gets older. Even though SGHS does not have a golf team. Liang is currently playing tournaments in the Southern California Professional Golfers Association and hopes that he can become a professional golfer in the future.

BY ELSIE WANG

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN BALLESTEROS

Ballesteros executes her routine in the event, floor exercise, at the 2015 Preliminaries. She dances to the song, “Zoosters Breakout” from Madagascar.

All the lights were focused on eight-year old Lauren Ballesteros. She practiced long and hard for her first gymnastics competition, but Ballesteros had this wretched feeling something bad was going to happen. Everyone was watching her: her peers, her parents, and the judges. The very idea made her stomach churn. She felt tiny in front of everyone. Seven years later, now a sophomore, Ballesteros has grown into a bigger person, practicing gymnastics nearly every day for four hours. Despite having a late start at the age of eight, Ballesteros did not stop following her dream. Her fascination and curiosity were what drew her into the sport. “I wasn’t too thrilled by the art classes I was taking at the time, and there was a gymnastics center near my house,” Ballesteros said. “I always found myself looking at it as I pass[ed] by it.” Gymnastics is a dangerous sport that requires full attention and lots of time, but it has guided Ballesteros throughout the years, helping her relieve stress and take her mind off of school. Although she has run into a few bumps through her training, she sees the bright side in all the work she has done. “[My proudest accomplishment is] generally how long I’ve kept up with [gymnastics] throughout all of the times it has messed with my head and limbs, more than I can put into words,” Ballesteros said. “But the challenge is what drives me.” One of Ballesteros’s toughest obstacles in practicing gymnastics is juggling both her school work and her sport, especially practicing for days on end. “Not only [do I] have to balance on the balance beam, but I also have to balance my studies, sport, social life, family time and sleep,” Ballesteros said. “When do I get to take a nap?”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAMIAN LIANG

Damian Liang plays tennis at the age of three in León Guanajuato, Mexico. During this time, Liang took tennis lessons for a year, practicing twice a week.

However, she found herself working harder than ever before, especially on the balance beam—an event in which gymnasts perform balancing routines consisting of jumps, tumbles, turns, running steps, among others. The complexity and challenging aspects of the event were what motivated her to become the athlete that she is now. “It’s a love-hate relationship,” Ballesteros said. “I started becoming more aware of how gravity works when I found myself [constantly] falling. I found myself doing better when I finally pushed myself to do a skill I was scared of. It gave me confidence.” Currently, her goal is to continue learning from her training. She hopes to continue gymnastics after high school and perform not for her parents or coaches but for herself. “[My advice is to] trust yourself,” Ballesteros said. “If eight-year old me never trusted my gut to try gymnastics, I wouldn’t have learned how to manage life’s challenges.”

THE MATADOR

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018