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VOL. 63 ISSUE 3
THE MATADOR 801 S. RAMONA STREET, SAN GABRIEL, CA 91776
SAN GABRIEL HIGH SCHOOL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
WWW.THEMATADORSGHS.US
Teachers demand answers regarding vandalism BY CARLOS CARRILLO AND JENNIFER CHEUNG
“Where was the outrage for how poorly teachers were treated?” Science teachers Robert Johnson and David Whitman spoke Tuesday at the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) school board meeting, demanding answers regarding the vandalism of San Gabriel High School (SGHS) on May 25. The teach-
“We were completely in the dark; as a matter of fact, we’re still completely in the dark.” ers expressed frustration at the district’s lack of transparency, communication, and concern for those affected. Whitman’s classroom was heavily graffitied with profanity and an obscene image.
PHOTO BY KATHERINE HUANG
Science teacher David Whitman addresses AUSD board members, demanding information regarding the campus vandalism on May 25 and how it was handled. “Being targeted like this, I expected some action from the district and from San Gabriel High School,” Whitman said to the school board. “Nothing was told to us until we got back to school [in August], at which
College and Career Center offers educational guidance, assists students
time the image of the penis was still on my door. We were completely in the dark; as a matter of fact, we’re still completely in the dark.” The patchy paint job did not cover up the graphic well and is still visible
on his door. Whitman was not the only teacher personally attacked during the vandalism. Other teachers also had their doors spraypainted with male appendages, curse words written outside their classrooms, and even a window broken. Even though the event happened around six months ago, Whitman and other teachers claim that the district has done little to maintain accountability. “No restitution to the district via the ed code, no charges were ever filed and [the vandals] were never brought to court, period,” Whitman said. “[There was a] complete and utter communication breakdown from my principal, my vice principals, and other people responsible for administration in this school district.” Johnson, who is also the Alhambra Teachers Association (ATA) SGHS Segment Director, made it clear that he thought the perpetrators should have faced more severe punishment, and that not taking sufficient action set a poor precedent for current students. Continued on pg. 2
Community Emergency Response Team program teaches essential skills
PHOTO BY KATHERINE HUANG
Edwin Valencia explains the financial aid proceess during a FAFSA workshop day. BY JENNIFER CHEUNG
The College and Career Center (CCC) began holding sessions called College App Wednesdays and Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) Fridays to assist seniors. The sessions started during the first week of November and will occur twice every week until the end of the school year. Students will also be able to use the computer lab to get answers to questions about college during lunch on Wednesdays. “[Seniors] can get help on their college applications and someone can look over their Personal Insight Questions,” Career and Technical Advisor Elizabeth An said. “If some students are applying to community colleges and they already started on their application, they can bring that in as well.” In addition to engagement during lunch, students can be assisted after school. “Counselors are alternating shifts where they’re working with students on college applications in E208,” An said. After-school sessions will most likely be held on Wednesdays; however, dates may change.
OPINIONS pg. 5
Like College App Wednesdays, FAFSA Fridays are workshop days, except the focus is to help students for signing up for financial aid. “FAFSA Fridays encourage more students to apply since FAFSA opened up early this year on October 1,” An said. During the first semester, the workshops are dedicated to assisting seniors applying to colleges with earlier deadlines. In the second semester, the workshops will aim to help students with applying for jobs and community colleges—which open their application periods later in the school year. Furthermore, students will be able to attend local community colleges to do activities that will prepare them for college. “We have a partnership with East Los Angeles College and Rio Hondo College, and they allow us to bring a bus of students,” An said. “Students take assessments—English and math placement tests—and they get to meet with counselors from that community college to map out their first semester or first year of college.” For students not interested in attending college, the CCC has recruiters from the United States Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force.
FOCUS pg. 6-7
PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNY LAM
By practicing CPR drills through CERT, students learn potentially life-saving skills. BY BRIANNA HUYNH-TONG
The seniors of the Medical Careers Academy and their teacher Kathleen Loggins have once again teamed up with the Alhambra Fire Department to continue the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. Certified professionals from the fire department took time from their day to help the students at San Gabriel High School as part of CERT. “The program was implemented to give us a hands-on experience with professionals,” senior Jenny Lam said. “We learn basic essential skills and how to [apply] them.” Disasters can occur at any given time; the skills that CERT teaches students can minimize the bystander effect and prevent unnecessary injuries. “Anything can happen; we’ve seen it in the past, from 9/11 to high school shootings nowadays,” senior Eric Avina said. “It prepares you for different accidents. It goes from simple injuries to natural disasters.” Students are taught several ways to treat
LIFE & ART pg. 9
SPORT S pg. 10
patients in times of need. They learn the basics, such as CPR, first aid, and how to identify and analyze multiple situations. “We learn about many things from how to use a tourniquet to how to treat a fractured bone,” senior Cindy Tan said. “It all has to do with different scenarios and how to react when a disaster occurs.” Senior Wilson Tran thinks CERT resonates well with students, as it allows them to be well prepared as they enter the real world. “Because my future major is going to be in the medical field, this is essential to me,” Tran said. However, the program expands beyond students of medical interest. The lessons and experiences the students gain from CERT are ones they can take beyond the field and apply in the real world. “Whether it involves family, friends, or strangers, it’s better to take initiative because there is a high chance you can save someone’s life,” Lam said. The program began in early September and ended with a visit to the fire department on Nov. 6, where they learned life-saving skills.
FEATURE S pg. 11
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news
THE MATADOR THursDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Poetry Out Loud: Students bring new life to classics
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEMOURNEY WASHINGTON, EL CAMINO REAL
English teacher Cady Burkhart announces those advancing to the next round. She also offers words of encouragement to the other aspiring poets. BY DONNA HERNANDEZ
San Gabriel High School (SGHS) had its eighth annual Poetry Out Loud Competition on Oct. 19 in the auditorium. A lot of its focus is on recitation—how they perform it and how accurately they do so. Although the contestants are scored, the results are not disclosed. This is done in an effort to stray from a point-based system. Of the original 15 participants in the San Gabriel school competition, eight made it into the next round, competing in the district-level tournament. Those students from SGHS that advanced include: seniors Samantha Clark, Amy Pabon, Tabatha Perez, Lilian Zhang, junior Gabriela Sanchez, sophomores Monica Chen, Heidi Chow, Kimberly Quiocho. The more difficult issue is typically to get people on the stage. Several of the participants can attest to feeling some form of nerves. “It was scary because the light is on you and everyone is watching, but I gave it my all, so [it’s] good,” Chen said. The students performing also received encouragement from their peers throughout the program; their
support was shown through hoots, hollers, and applause. “I think the people are really brave for performing in front of others; I liked the poems,” junior Matthew Cuen said. In addition to this, the audience felt they had benefited from watching, despite not performing themselves. “It was motivating to see people be able to connect to the poems and express their own emotions through them,” junior Delia Arias said. The top scoring poet of the event, Amy Pabon, gave insight into her own thoughts on the experience. “I feel like you have to be into what you’re reading, draw from your own experiences and put that into the poem itself, even though it’s not yours,” Pabon said. “And [at the same time], you still have to present it in a way so that you do the poem justice.” The following competition later took place on Oct. 24 in the Mark Keppel High School auditorium, where the Tri-City District Finals were held. The district winner was Amanda Yuan from Alhambra High School, who performed “To Have Without Holding” by Marge Piercy. She is due to move onto the Los Angeles County competition in February.
Students amazed by Bright Star musical
PHOTO BY SUNHI NGUYEN
The stage at the Ahmanson Theater, along with the performing band’s wooden cabin, is displayed. BY SUNHI NGUYEN
students to see the show.” Senior Jeyri Gonzalez also went on the field trip and San Gabriel High School Choir, Theater and thought the play displayed strong emotional feelings. Associated Student Body (ASB) students went to see “It was an amazing and a well-planned out play,” the new musical play, Bright Star, at the Los Angeles Gonzalez said. “[It was] a touching story.” Ahmanson Theater on Oct. 25 to see how they could Junior Jesse Fan also explained that on the play connect their personal lives with the it also expresses how the young characters’ lives in the play. teenagers should be patient in life, Bright Star’s story focuses on “since you never know what’s going North Carolina magazine editor Alice to happen next.” Murphy, played by Carmen Cusack, “I think the play shows that “I am really glad during the 1920s through the 1940s. eventually everything will turn out She falls in love with aspiring writer, that I was willing to okay, but it takes time,” Fan said. Billy Cane, played by A.J. Shively. take my students to “If you wait and be patient then Murphy is characterized throughout everything will turn out alright.” see the show.” the play through flashbacks between Jeyri Gonzalez thought the her adulthood and her adolescence. musical explains how young The play also shows romance, teenagers are being controlled by parental drama, and witty humor. their parents, and teenagers should Visual and performing arts make their own decision. teacher Cecilia Revilla tells that 41 of her students “The play presents a lot towards the young came to see Bright Star. Drama teacher Patrick Posada teenagers [on] how our parents [know that] we are so also brought some of his students. The two visual art young, how they govern our lives, and kind of making teachers had a decision between two of the musical our decision for us,” Gonzalez said. “[They] do not really plays that were running at the Ahmanson Theater– let us take charge of what we need to decide on and Red Shoes or Bright Star. In the end, Revilla decided how we can grow ourselves without them.” that Bright Star could relate to the students. If interested in the play, more info can be found “It was very original,” Revilla said. “I love that type on <http://www.brightstarmusical.com>. The play will of music and story and it really hit home towards the run from until Nov. 19 at the Los Angeles Ahmanson students. I am really glad that I was willing to take my Theater. continued from pg.1
Teachers demand answers regarding vandalism “Students need to know that justice was served because they need to see that adults won’t let these types of crimes go unpunished,” Johnson said to the school board. “I would like to know why the students didn’t help to clean up the damage they had done to our school. Why didn’t they apologize to the teachers that they had slandered and demeaned?” Additionally, Johnson said that some of the statements spray-painted on campus could be deemed as sexual harassment, specifically one that made vulgar remarks about a female teacher’s body. “I noticed that a former English teacher was mentioned in an unsavory comment that addressed some of her body parts,” Johnson said. “I was disturbed even further because this teacher had come to me to complain that one of her male students was making comments about her body during class. What amazed me was that the graffiti with her name on it contained the exact same words that had been used to degrade her in years past.” Johnson said teachers need to know how the district handled the situation “to feel secure at their job site and that the district is looking out for their well-being. Teachers need to know that they are being backed up by administration.” Like Whitman, Johnson stated that the district has released no official information regarding the incident, leaving the student newspaper as the “definitive source of information.” “I was quite surprised and dismayed to receive [The Matador’s] findings before I heard a statement from the administration,” Johnson said. “As result, teachers, students, and community members—there have been inquiries from the local community—have been left with only the information from the student newspaper to draw conclusions on how this issue was handled.” When Johnson and Whitman concluded their speeches to a solemn and silent school board, board
president Jane Anderson quietly said “this will be referenced back to the superintendent”-- the sole public board comment made about the situation. During the meeting, however, board members did comment at length about their participation in homecoming activities and the recent lockdowns at Mark Keppel High School. After the meeting, Anderson expressed disappointment at the news because she had been unaware of the vandalism beforehand. Other board members declined to comment. The teachers speeches resonated with those in the audience, including the ATA president Tammy Scorcia, who agreed that there was “a big gap in communication.” “Communication has to be number one if we are going to help people feel safe, secure, and happy with things that are going on in the district,” Scorcia said. “I think the information needs to be shared so that everyone can feel comfortable and safe.” Many teachers in attendance, including history teacher Henry Osborne, felt that AUSD’s inaction could lead to recurrences in the future. “The first thing teachers want to know is what happened,” Osborne said. “[There] is always a worry that there will be copycats, especially if people see that there weren’t consequences to past actions.” Both Johnson and Whitman spoke at length about repercussions for the vandals but felt that any action is unlikely to be taken now. In September, Whitman submitted a formal request for information about the vandalism due to be fulfilled by the district on Nov. 25. “At the end of the day, I want justice, but that’s not going to happen,” Whitman said. “It’s time to move on once we get the information.” For audio and video recordings of the board meeting, visit <thematadorsghs.us> or on Facebook @SGHSTheMatador.
NEWS
THE MATADOR
THURSDAY, november 9, 2017
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Debate team competes at San Gabriel senior night creates first invitational tournament long-lasting school memories
PHOTO BY CLARA QUACH
Varsity speech members assist novice members by helping them review their cases. This transferring of knowledge helps bond members together as a community. BY CLARA QUACH
The San Gabriel High School (SGHS) debate team started off the season with a bang at the Spartan Fall Classic on Oct. 29. The novices were able to go to their first ever public forum debate tournament and got experience from a different realm other than what SGHS provides for its students. The Spartan Fall Classic was the first invitational debate tournament that was held this year. At Schurr High School, competitors from different schools were able to compete against one another as well as socialize with others. From this event, every competitor was able to learn different ways people structure their debate cases and compete in the variety of debate events. “Being my first tournament, I did have a lot of fun,” freshman Ivy Luu said. “I was able to learn a lot of different things [about public forum debate] and experience how debates work.” The Spartan Fall Classic was a nice starter for the novices since it was more festive due to Halloween following close after. Each year, Schurr High School holds the Spartan Fall Classic with a different theme to make tournaments fun and exciting for the competitors. “[The theme] this year was centered around A Nightmare Before Christmas, so it’s always themed very cool and the kids always have a great time,” Jessica Sandercock, English teacher and speech and debate coach said. The theme was able to calm the novices’ nerves a bit even though this was their first debate tournament. The novices were able to channel their inner Halloween spirit. “The theme definitely boosted my mood because I was scared since this was my first tournament,” freshman Jordan Sycip said.
“The theme made the whole experience more relaxing and memorable.” Some varsity members were able to experience how it felt to help out their underclassmen work on their debate case as well as talk them through the day of how they could improve. “This was the first time I helped the novices and I found out it is a big responsibility to practice with these novices,” senior Joey Nguyen said. “I was actually able to play a part in helping the novices improve and I was able to improve myself from this experience.” The tournament was very intimidating, but the novices were able to get through their rounds efficiently. “At first, it was scary because I didn’t know what I was doing, but after the first round, I was able to go through my next rounds more calmly,” Luu said. “As each round passed, I was able to become more confident with my speaking which I felt help[ed] with persuading the judge.” At the end of each round, the novices were able to chat with beginners from other schools which allowed them to create relations with them. “I was able to meet different people and it was really cool,” Sycip said. “It was interesting to see how other[s] worked and presented themselves in the rounds which gave me insight of what I could improve on.” In the end, everyone who attended the tournament was able to have a good time and meet new people from different schools. The competitors were able to interact with one another and even take a few tips from each other. “Overall, it was fun and they were able to learn new things,” Sandercock said. “The kids really enjoyed [the tournament] and they had fun and that’s all that matters.”
LDF offers way to connect other students, make new friends BY LU JUNE LIN
Starting a long distance friendship can be quite difficult however, San Gabriel High School (SGHS) will be having its first ever Long Distance Friendship club (LDF) starting in November. Penpal is exchanging letters with someone whom you have never met before. T h e c r e a t o r o f t h e c l u b, s e n i o r Catherine Huang, collaborated with her friend at Long Beach Polytechnic High School (LBPHS) to help out introverts or people who simply want to write to a pen pal. “We hope that students won’t just interact with kids inside of school but people from different places and they are able to learn different environments,” Amanda Huang, the vice president of the club, said. Se n i o r K y l i e C h o w b e l i e v e s t h a t making new friends is a really important skill that everyone needs. She hopes that
joining LDF can help her improve these skills. “I really want to be able to make some friends probably outside like the LA area, [or] at least a little further from Alhambra district area,” Chow said. Even though it will be the last year for Chow, she hopes her penpal will still be in contact with her even when she is out of high school. Because the club is still new, LBPHS will be the only school that SGHS will interact with. However, Huang looks forward to working with other schools in the future. This club creates an intimate environment that allowed comfort and the expression of students’ feelings and emotions through their writing. “The letters will not be read by anyone except your penpal,” Huang said. “We are not involved in the conversation; we want to [respect] their privacy.” LDF will meet once every two weeks, and members are required to write three letters every two months.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEO YUE, EL CAMINO REAL
Senior and band member Roxanne Fong poses with her underclassmen while cherishing the memories she has made with them throughout high school. and smiles. “I expected [senior night] to be big,” Some members of San Gabriel High Marching Band member senior Angela School’s (SGHS) graduating class of Abutaha said. “I’m so happy my whole 2018 had their moment to shine at their family was here. All my friends were here. annual event: senior night. This event took And I had just everyone supporting me and place on Oct. 27 during SGHS’s football there was just a big crowd. Even though we game against Montebello. During this might be losing, we still kept our spirit up.” Senior night was also a night to celebrate special night, seniors of all performing the special bonds and groups including, All Male, memories formed choreo, Cheer, Colorguard, between fellow seniors drill, and Marching Band, “I’m so happy my and underclassmen as well as seniors of the in these performing SGHS football team, were whole family was over the years. acknowledged for their past here. All my friends groups This event created accomplishments at San were here. And I sentimental value for Gabriel. many of the seniors. “This night is special had just everyone “Choreo is special to to me because it really supporting me...” me because I’ve been recognizes that I’ve been here for four years and here for four years and I’ve really grown with all the things that I’ve done,” the seniors now,” Farris Choreo member senior said. “I’ll really miss all the underclassmen Selena Farris said. The event riled up spirit for everyone because I’ve grown with a couple of them in the crowd, especially for the seniors as well.” Senior night was a memorable moment of SGHS as well as their escorts, family members, and friends. It started off by for the graduating class of 2018 as the announcing and giving recognition to performing groups and football team the seniors, who were escorted by their had a chance to spend a night with their chosen family members and close friends. teams. Seniors had an overall great time They were honored by the underclassmen at the game, performing and playing to of their group with cheerful praises, gifts their very best. BY HENRY CHOW AND ELSIE WANG
Disappointment sweeps LA after Dodgers’ World Series defeat BY LUCAS JORGENSEN
The Los Angeles Dodgers successfully won three out of five games against the Chicago Cubs, and played in the World Series against the Houston Astros. The Astros fended off the New York Yankees to enter the World Series with four of seven wins. The Astros haven’t been to the Series since 2005, but unlike the Dodgers, the Astros had never World Series . Games one and two were held in Los Angeles at Dodger stadium, and resulted in wins for both teams. The Dodgers had All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw up in game one, and his performance was more than enough to hold back the Astro batters. Game two was not as successful, but was a close 7-6 game. Game three was another Astro victory, and by now fans began to see a problem. Some feared the Astros would win the next two games in Houston and win the series at home. Fortunately, the Dodgers won game four 6-1 and things looked a little better for the time being. Game five was a disaster for the Dodgers, with an early lead and poor mid-game performance. The Dodgers
originally led 4-0, but then it was 4-4, then 7-4, then 7-7. During the top of the seventh inning, it was 8-7 Dodgers, who wished it could stay that way—but before they could finish their prayers, the game ended 13-12 Astros, and a tenth inning. “Game five was a really close game,” junior Jonathan Sanchez said. “I thought we were going to win; I was disappointed.” Games six and seven were brought back to Los Angeles, and upon arriving, the Astros led 3-2 in the series. In game six, the Dodgers were back in their element and narrowly won 3-1.. In the end, however, the Astros triumphed in game seven 5-1. Following a disastrous first inning, the Astros were already leading by two runs, and by the third inning it was 5-0. The Dodgers squeezed one run in during the bottom of the sixth inning, but that was their only point that night. “I was happy that they won game six, it looked like we would have the home field advantage,” Sanchez said. “But then we didn’t win game seven anyway.” The nine-day event concluded with the Astros’ first World Series win in franchise history, but widespread disappointment for Dodger fans.
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OPINIONS
THE MATADOR
THURSDAY, november 9, 2017
A ”ho”le in my memory
Shawn Ho Missing parents To be honest, I don’t really know how my life would be if my parents were still around. Born in Hilo, Hawaii but raised in San Gabriel, California, I have absolutely zero memories of my father and nothing good of my mother. On a quest to make some money, my dad, along with my oldest brother, mom, and grandma, moved to Hawaii and rented a five-acre farm to grow and sell ginger and purple yams. In Hawaii, he had two more sons. After a couple years he decided to move back to California. The farm was sold, his first child started school, and boom, he died. Hearing so many different stories from my relatives, I am not exactly sure how he died. They told me it was either due to drunk driving, distracted driving, or hydroplaning. However, I don’t really care about how he died but instead I’m more interested in how he lived. All I know about him is that he was a golfer who crashed into a tree. Not much info, but no one really talks about him. Right before Valentine’s day, he went. Man, must have made my mother pretty sad. So sad that she no longer wanted her own three kids. Given up and put under my grandparents’ care, my brothers and I are forevermore grateful. After raising seven kids, three more were dumped on my grandparents. Thankfully, they were not alone. Aunts and uncles pitched in to help raise my brothers and me, taking us to school and back, providing us with essential items, making sure there was food in our stomachs and a roof over our heads. I have two brothers, both older, who are very different. Very different from one another and, most importantly, different from me. One puts all his focus in games and none in school. The other is only about his shrimp-sized business. Who do I talk to for homework help at home? Who do I talk to about my clubs? Who do I talk to about my love for animes, kdramas, mangas, and manhuas? Where is the “strong sibling bond”? We often go to Rose Hills, ready to be entrapped in an atmosphere of sadness, to pay our respects to my late father. Having no memories of my father, I just stare blankly at his grave, barely feeling a faint connection. Why must I feel nothing? Why don’t I have the slightest idea of the type of person he is? Will knowing things about him make me feel differently? I usually have a ride home from school, but when I don’t, I take the school bus. The bus stop is about half a mile away from where I live and two blocks away from where my mother lives. Every time I get on the bus, every time I step off, every time I hear “I can’t pick you up,” I just hope and wish I won’t see her near. When she gave us up, she cut off our ties. When she gave us up, she lost her chance of having a real mother-child bond. This past summer, my grandfather from my mother’s side also passed. In his final days, my brothers and I were taken to see him. He didn’t recognize us at all and had nothing to say. Sadly, it seems that my mother also unintentionally cut our ties with him. It made me start to think. How would life be with everyone still in the picture? Will things still somehow get complicated, or would we just be one big happy family?
Editorial
Sexual harassment on campus must end Weinstein, Spacey, Cosby. Could similar allegations be found here in a school community? Sexual assault has been widespread among famous people in Hollywood; however, students, faculty, and staff are not exempt from this behavior. Sexual harassment, according to California Education Code 212.5, means “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature, made by someone from or in the work or educational setting.” Accordingly, our community has to increase awareness of the issue of sexual harassment and be vigilant to prevent it. Within Alhambra Unified School District and nearby districts, sexual harassment from teachers toward students has occurred before. In 2015, Mark Keppel High School had an incident where a walk-on coach threatened and sexually abused a 15-year-old player. Additionally, cases of sexual harassment and abuse have recently been
uncovered at Gabrielino High School, Ramona Convent Secondary School, San Gabriel Mission High School, and Schurr High School, to name a few. It is entirely plausible that episodes like these could occur within the immediate area, and we should not turn a blind eye to that possibility. If we ignore the problem, the behaviors continue and become normalized. Furthermore, incidents of sexual harassment between students are not nonexistent. From vulgar comments made from one student to another, to inappropriate, overtly sexual hazing rituals, to even unwanted romantic advances, various forms of harassment can occur among students on a regular basis. Though this is not a characteristic unique to the local area, it is still unacceptable, and steps can and should be taken to make sure it is prevented. Students should be better educated via curriculum, not just a one-day assembly, about what constitutes sexual harassment and how to combat it.
In fact, students, though they may be unaware of it, are capable of sexually harassing their own teachers. From direct incidents, where students make sexually suggestive comments towards their teachers, to indirect ones, where they comment on their instructors and make them feel uncomfortable–such as complimenting teachers’ outfits and physiques, students can cross a fine line. Recently on May 25, a group of San Gabriel students vandalized our campus with graphic, sexual descriptions of teachers. This clearly was sexual harassment and traumatic for our teachers. It is for that reason that we, as a community, need to convey a clear message as to what sexual harassment is. It is our responsibility to try and change course, to try and eliminate a culture that allows inappropriate sexual conduct. To do so, we need to acknowledge that this problem extends beyond the national scene and into our daily lives. This is not just Hollywood’s problem.
College expectations cause artificial applicants BY ALICE LI
From the top valedictorian with the highest GPA to the student with the most community service hours, the standards for students to get into their dream college have increased over the past few years. The standards of what students are required to obtain have been steadily rising to where students find it difficult to achieve. Therefore, colleges should stop raising their expectations on students. For decades, colleges have wanted students who perform outstandingly in their extracurriculars and academic studies; however, students push themselves to their limits trying to get themselves into the top universities. Due to peer pressure, students join multiple sports and clubs just to compete with one another when applying to universities. According to a survey by the HuffPost, leadership positions are highly encouraged by some of the top universities. Overwhelmingly, students here at San Gabriel High School apply for multiple positions in service and interest clubs to the extent where they are practically striving for a leadership position.
Applying for a certain position in a club signifies accepting responsibilities and sacrifices one has to make to receive recognition. On the contrary, students compete for a position just for the sake of acquiring a leadership skill that colleges might notice. Students are certainly missing the point. It is understandable that college administrators may think that having straight A’s
does not define one’s intelligence. Therefore, they look more into the student’s activeness in their community services and school. Yet, the term “volunteering services” is manipulated through students involuntarily attending community events. The ideal student colleges want is someone who is actually involved with their community. However, colleges are not able to interrogate every student as to whether or not they want to provide a change to society. As an advantage, students who manage to do community services are seen as people who are engaged with their community even though they are solely doing it for themselves. Yes, going to events like 5K walks to fight breast cancer, heart diseases, and kidney disorders is beneficial to the community, but students are merely showing up to events not for the actual support of victims, but for the fulfillment of their club’s hour requirement. Do not join extracurricular activities that you are not truly passionate for just to achieve the intangible college standards. Nonetheless, colleges should lower their requirements on students so they can widen their possible capabilities to change society. ILLUSTRATION BY ANGELA LU
Non-binary bill creates legal issues, requires revisions BY KEVIN CONTRERAS
This year, spring came with a little more than just nice weather. It also included a new bill in California that allows citizens to choose a third gender option on their driver’s licenses and state identifications. In addition, it has also become easier to change your gender on your birth certificate and other legal documents. Senate Bill 179, popularly named the Gender Recognition Act, was signed by Governor Jerry Brown last month. This bill will come to effect in 2019, but California will have to get ready for the legal consequences that this bill may bring. The bill should be reconsidered, and should not have been signed due to the legal issues. The traditional options of a California Driver’s license are male and female but with this new bill, a third option stating “non-binary” will be available. In addition, the process of requesting a new birth certificate has become easier. Before this bill, a person who wanted to request a new birth certificate must have had a physician’s affidavit saying such person had undergone clinical treat-
ment for the gender transition or it required a psychological analysis. This bill fails to set an age requirement for such process, and therein lies one of the problems with this bill. The failure to set an age limit means that any person could request a gender c h a n g e. Since 2015, the amount of children seeking gender identity advice has increased. The failure, on behalf of this bill, to set an age requirement could lead to many
ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT MARESCA
kids changing their gender. It could even lead to parents being able to change the gender of the child at an age at which they cannot even fully grasp the subject. Senate Bill 179 also has a problem with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX, in short, states that discrimination based on sex in any federally funded education program or activity is prohibited. With this bill, California recognizes non-binary as an additional gender. Such recognition will force schools in California to create additional programs for non-binary students. This could have chaotic effects in school programs and will cost California a lot of money in order to implement and fund these programs. Anyone and everyone, regardless of who they are, deserve our utmost respect. These bills, on the other hand, should not be so highly praised. They have an intention of giving rights to a highly discriminated community, but they are vague and are not specific in certain areas which may lead to problems in the future. Senators should have revised the bill more carefully before signing away in an attempt to do the “right thing.”
OPINIONS
THE MATADOR
THURSDAY, november 9, 2017
Students to blame for declining school spirit BY KELLY LAC
It felt promising to come to San Gabriel High School. Not because of its academic status, or its campus, or its staff. It was because of the overwhelming amount of school spirit students displayed during the freshman showcase. But over the years, as every rally comes and goes, the cheers become quieter, the jokes become cornier, and the music plays louder. We have come to a point where we are no longer enthusiastic about our school, and instead only mocking the school for its disinterest in almost everything, and it is time we do something about this. Despite spirit weeks being fun to participate in, they become repetitive and inaccessible. When it comes to awareness or spirit weeks, the biggest thing to look out for is what kind of clothes to wear on specific days. But to constantly have twin day or pajama day makes it monotonous, losing its joy in doing something abnormal to doing something typical. However, if spirit weeks were to hold days like retro-style clothing, not a lot of people would participate because of the difficulty in trying to find clothes that fit the era. As much as we desire for something new to dress up for, it should be something easily obtainable or something people mostly have without having to buy it on purpose. And while clubs and organizations try
to give their everything to make school related events happen, the events are not being promoted effectively. Sure, school spirit week posters are plastered on the sides of school buildings, but students are too busy to get to class on time, which makes the posters neglected. Some teachers just post it on their classroom wall without notifying their classes about the upcom- ing event. Social media is not effective as well, which could be for multiple reasons: lack of shares, no phone, no internet. But perhaps the biggest reason why we lack school spirit is because we ourselves do not
participate in the festivities. In all cases, we are the reason why said things happen. We are too busy in our social and academic lives that it is apparent that we no longer have interest of making school fun anymore. We start to lose interest in things we once loved to be a part of, in favor of grades, friends, and maybe even
Every student’s favorite assignment
ourselves, which is quite ironic because we must have yearned for something like this to make school worth going to when we were young. Additionally, we are still separated into cliques based on ethnicity, academic status, school, and so forth. So when we come together for pep rallies, we are never united as a whole; we rush to find our friends, we sit away from people we do not know, cheers become disorganized. It becomes hard to feel any kind of pride, since our school is being considered a joke, calling it “San Ghetto” or a school full of apathetic students. What sucks even more is that nobody feels like screaming their lungs out on the second floor of the arena, which makes those that do feel embarrassed and end up not cheering for the rest of the rally. In a way, even the second floor creates a barrier between spectators and bystanders. Although some may argue that they are indeed motivating others, sharing news, or cheering at every rally, this is unfortunately the truth for the majority. Everyone is at fault, but we can help gradually prevent this to restore the pride we once had. Let us encourage others to cheer for our peers, talk about upcoming events, and learn to set aside our differences to become one. As for those in power, not only do your best to promote effectively, but to also do your best at lending an ear for feedback to help make school a more enjoyable place to attend. ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT MARESCA
ILLUSTRATION BY ECHO DIEU
MATADOR
The Matador Bullring
Editors-in-Chief
Carlos Carrillo Jennifer Cheung Kevin Contreras Selina Han Kenny Lam Opinions Editors Donna Hernandez Eileen Ong Focus Editors Alice Li Karina Matias Life and Art Editors Angela Lu Elsie Wang Sports Editors Nian Capili Chelsea Li Features Editors Henry Chow Vivian Zheng Copy Editors Lucas Jorgensen Kim Ta Andy Yung Photo Editors Katherine Huang Ahyoung Nguyen Artist Vincent Maresca Business Managers Shawn Ho Anny Li Wu Website Editors Echo Dieu Emily Tan Multimedia Editors Brianna Huynh-Tong Lu June Lin Blogs Manager Kayla Tang Community Editors Clara Quach Virginia Situ Special Projects Manager Bastian Mendez Humans of SG Editor Kim Ta Adviser Jennifer Kim Managing Editor News Editors
Reporters: Kabrina Bennett, Kelly Lac, Sunhi Nguyen, Ada Zhao The Matador is published monthly by the journalism class of San Gabriel High School. 1,600 copies per issue are published at J. E. J 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 staff. Submit comments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested), to H-2, or Ms. Kim’s mailbox.
How do you feel about group projects?
“ “ “
Group projects are fun because you get to talk and cooperate with everyone.” -Edward Liu, 9th grade
I like group projects because we can help each other out, and it’s better than working alone.” -Adelaida Peraza, 10th grade
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I like it better when teachers let you choose your groups because otherwise they give you a really bad group that’s hard to work with.” -Sonam Huang, 11th grade
I like group projects because it’s easier and everyone does the work together.” -Matthew Flores, 12th grade
PHOTOS BY KATHERINE HUANG AND AHYOUNG NGUYEN
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F”li” to the sky
Anny Li Wu Flying toward my dream Engines running and carts rolling, my mom, my sister and I were on a plane heading to Hong Kong. As the plane accelerated, I was excited to feel the pressure that was in my ears and my whole body. The landscapes of Los Angeles got smaller and smaller until they were nearly invisible. I waited half a year for this moment to finally happen. Being on a plane made me really happy, except the food did not quite meet my expectations. One time, I got a stomach flu from the omelette I had before getting off the plane. When turbulence struck, I didn’t really get scared; in fact, I was calm and was able to proceed to what I was doing. When I travel, I feel more excitement on the plane ride than at the destination. “Nuo dat dui di,” which means in a dialect of Chinese, “I ride on airplanes.” I had a cute little accent since I was not able to pronounce words correctly, which till this day I still cannot. As a child, I also loved to go on airplane rides. Since I was from overseas, I would fly from place to place quite often. From Venezuela to New York, New York to Venezuela, Venezuela to China, and so on. On one of my family trips—I forgot where we were heading—I remembered that my sister was sleeping on my dad’s lap. As she woke up she knocked my dad’s food on the ground and my dad started to eat my food. A couple months before the flight to Hong Kong, my mother came up to me and said with a smile, “Being a flight attendant isn’t a bad occupation.” I never really thought that my mom would bring this up to me since I would not be at home as much. Then I thought to myself why not, since I really like to be on planes and travel. The idea of being a flight attendant had stayed with me throughout the entire trip. I would work countless of hours on the plane, have a couple hours for my layover where I can explore the destination, and fly again. This trip gave me a great excitement for where I see my future self at. After hours of flying, I would always get sad to leave the plane, but I will feel content when I am visiting a place I have never been or just revisiting places I used to go to. Since I was from abroad, there were a couple of places and areas that I used to live and grow up in. Apart from being born in Venezuela, my parents decided to have my brother and I study abroad in China because they thought that I would have a greater opportunity and education there. It is nice to see those areas that I used to live in and grew up playing with my cousins in. I also enjoy to learn about new cultures and places as well. One of the only reasons why my mom probably suggested me to become a flight attendant is the fact that she would be able to get free or discounted flights from me. I mean, it is quite a big incentive. I would also get to fly for a couple of hours or travel the places I want to go to and get money for doing what I like. Although I still have to go to college on behalf of my mother’s request, I have to wait a couple more years to make my dream come true.
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focus
THE MATADOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Globetrotters
Matadors live and travel around the world
Susan Rose, French teacher From America, studied abroad in Montpellier, France Though born and raised in San Gabriel, California, French teacher Susan Rose studied abroad in France for one year through an exchange program at her school, Occidental College, for her junior year. “Before I went to college, I knew I wanted to study abroad,” Rose said. “So I only looked at schools that were going to offer that possibility.” When Rose arrived in France, she initially stayed in the town of Tour—at the center of the Loire Valley—and attended half-day class sessions at a language institute to improve her French. While there, Rose boarded with a host family and got to “visit various châteaus [castles].” “Living with the host families was nice because that gave you an option to experience French family life [and] French home-cooking in a different way than when we went on into the university and [were] living in dorms; that was a good experience,” Rose said. After her month in Tour, Rose continued her language studies in southern France at the University of Montpellier. After her education, Rose moved on to student teaching in Paris, France for four months. “There are so many stories about the different things that happened and our experiences, but I think the main thing that was really valuable out of that experience was meeting French people, getting to know people of all different backgrounds, and [just learning] from that kind of interaction,” Rose said. “That was more meaningful than most anything else.”
Brandon Solano, 12th grade From: San Jose, Costa Rica
Wendy Zamora, 11th grade From: Villa de Álvarez, Colima, Mexico Wendy Zamora came from the semi-urban city of Villa de Álvarez, Colima, Mexico, but she was originally born in the United States (US). Her family moved back to the San Gabriel Valley in 2010 pursue better economic prospects. “The decision that influenced us to go was that the economy over here [in the United States] got better and the economy over there was worse. My dad is basically an architect and [Villa de Álvarez] doesn’t really need that job, so we have to come here for that. Zamora fondly recalls of the interesting quirks of her city, such as the rivers and forests that were nearby her home back in Mexico. “[The culture] just kind of falls perfectly into the stereotype. If you think Mexican, that’s what the place would be. There’s a lot of typical foods like posole and tamales. You would see a lot of girls that would like Asian music, places that taught some sort of martial art, or you would see people trying to speak English.” Zamora faced social challenges when she relocated back to the US. She was an American citizen, but her peers made her feel otherwise. “I had forgotten quite a lot of English and I had a pretty heavy accent. A lot of kids did not want to deal with the fact that I didn’t speak English. It was mostly Hispanics that rejected me. That’s why since then most of my friends have been Asian.”
Graphics by Lu Yue Wang Design by Alice Li and Karina Matias Photos by Katherine Huang Photos courtesy of Hritika Chaturvedi, Victoria Huynh, Madam Rose and Brandon Solano Briefs by Kevin Contreras, Echo Dieu, Shawn Ho, Katherine Huang, Angela Lu , Kim Ta, and Vivian Zheng
The exquisite nature, the exotic animals, and the wonderful tourist attractions are some of the things that senior Brandon Solano reminisces in while he thinks about his home country, Costa Rica. “It’s a beautiful place, it is very diverse when it comes to the forests and the nature,” Solano said. “We are known for the types of beaches that we have. We are a very beautiful country.” Brandon was born in Costa Rica but came to the U.S. at age 5. All of his family members were also born in Costa Rica. “I don’t really have any [extended] family members here,” Solano said. It took Solano some time to adjust to his new life in America. “When I would try to build a conversation with other people, they would just ignore me because I didn’t know the language,” Solano said, “but at the end of the day, everything worked out.” Solano misses Costa Rica but visits every two years. He enjoys sightseeing and delighting in the things he can’t find here in the U.S. “When it comes to weird types of animals, we actually have a lot that America doesn’t have,” Solano said. “When it comes to the forests, we are the number one place when it comes to nature.” That is not to say that he has not found some unique things about the Unites States either. “Technology wise, we are a little faster here than they are,” Solano said. “Let’s say an iPhone comes out here one year; it’ll come out next year over there. Everything is much faster here than over there.”
focus
THE MATADOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Victoria Huynh, 12th grade From: Steinheim, Hanau, Hessen, Germany Escaping communism in Vietnam, senior Victoria Huynh’s parents moved to Germany. In the quaint little town of Steinheim, Hanau, Hessen, Germany, Huynh learned and became fluent in English, German, Chinese, and Teochew. “I lived in a small, very suburban area. I think what I really liked about it was that I lived on a non-through street. There was a perfect playground for children at the end of it and since I grew up there as a child, it was like bomb. But there was also a supermarket nearby, so there was easy access to delicious food, candy, chocolate. Oh my God, chocolate....The candy in general is delicious, sour candy—which is sour, not the painful kind that burns your tongue.” In addition to sweets, Huynh misses other aspects of Germany: “The food, the weather, the architecture. The architecture was old so I appreciated the history it carried with it. I also loved the floors because the floors in Germany were rarely concrete. It was tiles and I really liked it. But it did make it hard for me to roller skate. I appreciated the weather because it was different for all four seasons, and not just hot and dry.” At the age of 12, Huynh and her parents immigrated to America. Huynh, coming from a land comprised of Caucasians, was very shocked by the way things were here, in Los Angeles. “It was a big culture shock,” Huynh said. “I got to see so many Asian faces and so much Asian culture in one area. It was just very foreign to me to see people who look like me and I had never seen Hispanics before.” At San Gabriel High School, Huynh made many new friends, who she believed were very different from her. However, to her, it was the difference that made the bonds so interesting.
Scott Ho, 10th grade From: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Sophomore Scott Ho came from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to receive better opportunities for his education. Coming from a joyful environment, he came to America when he was 5 year old with his family and entered 1st grade. “At first it was really odd [because] in Vietnam, it was really lively and energetic,” Ho said. “I [still remember] seeing a lot of cars street vendors yelling to sell their stuff. Ho had a hard time transitioning from the different environments, especially at school. “Since I was nine at the time, my parents didn’t really let me go anywhere else,” Ho said. “In Vietnam, I can walk out on street by myself and my neighbors will just watch me, which made it more of a lonely transition at school.” Despite the difficult adaptation, Ho was able to create memorable moments since immigrating to America. “My most memorable moment has to be when I first actually yelled at someone in English,” Ho said. “At one point, I saw some kids throwing a ball around. I thought that wasn’t right and I yelled in my very broken english, ‘You can not play here. Please go over there to play.’ They listened to me and that made me more confident using English.”
Spanish teacher Victor Garcia Traveled to Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Europe such as Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Russia and Sweden For Spanish teacher Victor Garcia, coastal cities—like Barcelona, Spain—away from the cold weather are desirable destinations for vacations. As of right now, Garcia has traveled to various places like South American countries—Argentina, and Brazil—and European nations such as France, Italy, Germany, and Russia. While he used to be on the road with friends and family—even on his own as a child–he now mostly travels with his partner. “The thing that I enjoy the most about traveling is learning about different cultures and seeing places that I’ve read [and] heard about [and] just experiencing new things,” Garcia said. “It gives you a different perspective and it makes you appreciate what you have.” Although Garcia usually travels for vacations, he visits his family whenever he can in Mexico, where he is able to enjoy a different atmosphere and plans to “retire there, part-time.” “I like the people and food [there]. The people in Mexico are very welcoming. There are a lot of beautiful things to see.” In the future, Garcia would like to revisit the landmarks and rich culture of Spain and also have more opportunities to explore more of South America like Peru and Chile. “I don’t know if [traveling is] my passion, but it’s definitely one of the things that I enjoy doing,” Garcia said. “I love traveling. I just think that traveling is one of the best things that you can do with your money: experiencing the world and [seeing] what other people live like.”
Hritika Chaturvedi, 9th grade From: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India Chaturvedi of Gwalior arrived at San Gabriel after several stops: from Sweden to Billerica, MA back to India to Sherman Oaks, CA to Shrewsbury, MA. “I obviously do miss it, [my homeland],” Chaturvedi said. “All of my relatives, friends, and my best friend are over there. [I moved to the US] because of my dad’s job; he is a computer engineer, so we move every few years.” With moving around at and not going to a school for more than two years, Chaturvedi starts off high school with various extracurriculars. “[The most memorable memory is] being involved in general, being involved in different things; I’m in the Marching Band and I also play soccer— which is a common sport in India, (that and hockey),” Chaturvedi said. “So far it has been a good journey, especially for a freshman, I thought is was going to be more difficult.” From the many aspects of India, she admires the food, along with the unique culture of the variety of festivals India has annually. “I like the diversity of India and the culture, the religion that I follow,” Chaturvedi said. “[In] India, we follow many religions, so we are all polytheistic; we believe in worship of many gods. We have these festivals and it is very fun and it is definitely something to be a part of. We have Holi, the festival of color. We celebrate it every year. And then we have Diwali, which is the festival of light in India. That’s all that I can explain; it’s something that you have to travel to [experience].” Besides being able to already travel to different places at such a young age, she wants to explore her homeland more and more. “[I’d like to travel] everywhere, which is very unrealistic,” Chaturvedi said. “So number one would definitely be India. I have not traveled India a lot because we came back and forth.”
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life & art
THE MATADOR
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Kulture High Club introduces “Seoul” of Korea to San Gabriel High School
SG Eats explores 626 community, compares local ice cream shops
PHOTO BY KATHERINE HUANG
PHOTO BY BASTIAN MENDEZ
President of Kulture High, junior Jamie Fong, presents an informational video about Korea in an effort to educate club members of its history and culture. BY KATHERINE HUANG
such as “watching videos about Korea,” arts and crafts, and holding review games about With its rich history, catchy popular mu- Korean culture. “I just want members to become more insic, and emotional drama shows, some of the most vital aspects of South Korean culture volved in Korean culture,” Fong said. “They have been bundled up into a new interest don’t have to be immersed into it. I just want them to experience a different part of the club known as Kulture High. Noticing that a multitude of students at world, all at school.” As an interest club, Kulture High does San Gabriel High School showed interest in not have any requirements Korean culture and drama, for students to meet in orjuniors Jamie Fong, president, der to join. This allows those and Adeline Cheng, vicewith an interest to freely in“I just want president, banded together to dulge in the learning experiestablish the club this school members to ence and not fret over any year. become more prerequisites. “We wanted to take their “We really wanted to be interests a step further,” Fong involved in able to enjoy Korean Dramas said. “We wanted to teach Korean culture.” [and the food] during school people what drama was based time because we found it to upon, and especially what be extremely relaxing and was behind the scenes of fun,” Cheng said. “Especially their dramas. For that reason, as high school students, we saw the need for the purpose of Kulture High is to not only encourage students to learn about Korean downtime that is often very hard to come by.” While celebrating South Korea’s deep culture, but to become more involved in culture, Kulture High also strives to share what Korean culture is.” The interest club provides this discov- the beauty and complexity of Korea. Meetery and learning platform through engag- ings are held every other Thursday during ing its club members with various activities lunch at Kevin Nong’s room, L212.
S p o r t s e d i t o r N i a n C ap i l i a n d t h e N gu ye n s i s t e rs rev i ew cl a s s i c ice cream flavors: (left to right) vanilla, cho colate, and strawb erry. BY NIAN CAPILI, AHYOUNG NGUYEN, AND SUNHI NGUYEN
With countless food reviews from The Matador, San Gabriel High School’s newspaper staff is attempting a new project. Titled SG Eats, it will feature The Matador staff grading local restaurants and food businesses based off of three criteria—quality, quantity, and price. High school students usually go out to eat after school, which gave The Matador an idea to see what is affordable and delicious within the local area.
For the first episode of SG Eats, seniors Bastian Mendez (special projects manager) and Nian Capili (sports editor) along with sophomores Ahyoung Nguyen (photo editor) and Sunhi Nguyen (staff reporter) recorded their trip to see which of the establishments they visited has the best quality ice cream for its price. The staff observed these local places and judged whether it is worth becoming a regular or not. The video will be published on The Matador Online <http://thematadorsghs.us/>.
Little Swan Bakery: Coconut milk mousse cake
The Matador Muse PHOTO BY CHELSEA LI
Little Swan Bakery’s coconut mousse cake uses Asian coconut in a western pastry.
(M)y (E)verything I am not much. I am everything and absolutely nothing all at once. That is the universe. I am not the universe. I am a universe, where “Donna Hernandez” is nothing more than an exclamation made out of frustration, typically followed by a sigh. I am the type of universe where smiles and frowns can coexist, without signifying despair. I am the type of universe where a person can wear black when they’re happy and colors when they’re not. My universe has never been you. That is not to say I’m unaware of your universe. I continuously see, know and adapt to you to my own nucleus of introversion. I leave open my palms for you to place your hand in. I do so that you can breathe easier and my heart rate can pick up. I wish I could show you how nicely the stars line up along your birds nest of hair. Stray wisps of asteroids escaping constantly from the solar system of you. With the little black holes on your knees and left index finger. You are not my universe as much as I want you to collide with mine. For surely that will result in both of our destructions… So for now and onward, We’ll always revolve around different suns. - Donna Hernandez, 11
BY CHELSEA LI
Little Swan Bakery is a bakery shop that sells delicacies that are unlike traditional Asian bakeries. Their pastries and desserts are a mix of Asian and Westernstyle infrequently seen around the Alhambra area. It is located at 1024 East Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801. Their Coconut Milk Mousse cake decorations are simple, with a few blueberries, but the color contrast between the cake and topping says otherwise. It gives off a healthier vibe compared to heavy cakes like red velvet or devil’s chocolate. I noticed an unbalanced ratio when I closely observed the mousse to cake because it seemed like two to one. Personally, I feel that the cake should have a one to two ratio so for each bite, the coconut mousse would not hinder the cake’s taste. The structure was stable when I took a piece of the cake with my fork. Surprisingly, the mousse and cake did not separate but held on together just fine. With past experiences I have had, the mousse and
cake would fall off. The mousse had a bubbly-foam texture which I enjoyed, and the cake was moist. Overall, it was pleasant to eat an Asian coconut fruit in a western-styled cake. However, I still prefer my personal mousse to cake ratio than Little Swan’s, and the $3.60 slice of cake was pricey from my perspective. I believe that this Coconut Milk Mousse cake would be the best choice for people who like pungent flavors. The coconut left a big impression on me because it had an overwhelming taste of nuttiness. Once I took my first bite, the image of coconut milk immediately came to mind. For students who do not like cake that is too sweet, I would also recommend this because the sweetness is subtle.
life & art
THE MATADOR
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
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Play Review: Almost, Maine delivers imaginative performance BY VIVIAN ZHENG
PHOTO BY VIVIAN ZHENG
Gayle (right), played by senior Brizeth Lomeli, negotiates with Lendall (left), played by sophomore Alfredo Esquivel, to get back the bags of love that she gave him.
With soft and cold lighting cast on the circular platform in the Little Theater, the focus fell on the actors and the simplistic props as the audience in the surrounding faded. The minimalistic display gave the audience room to add in their imagination throughout the play, engaging their participation. Along with the on-point performance, good incorporation of sounds and appropriate costumes that fit the description of the characters and their environment brought the play to life. Written by John Cariani, contemporary romantic comedy Almost, Maine is a popular play among high school theaters. The play consists of nine scenes, each portraying a separate short story about the bittersweet romantic relationships of the people in a fantasized town, Almost, located in Maine. Its characters encounter a range of stages in their relationship: experiencing the adrenaline of love, being broken by it, and getting mended by it. Along with each scene is an abstract symbol that represents the situation of each relationship such that of the bag of broken heart, the protectiveness of oneself from the danger of love, and loss of hope. While every performance was well-craft-
ed, the most memorable part was delivered by seniors Brianna Cabrera and Samantha Clark. Cabrera’s way of conveying Glory’s subtle change from being cheery about seeing the northern lights to the state of misery during her heartbreak brings the viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions, from affection to misery. Similarly, Clark’s presentation of Hope, along with her fur-collared winter coat and light-toned markup, was exceptionally natural as she took the viewers with her in her excitement to see her ex-lover, Danny, and the stage of despair after she discovered that he was married. Despite the appearance of his slightly more youthful look, freshman Jakob Pabon still pulled off the apologetic and hopeless gaze that Danny had for Hope, and was appropriately cast for Man, being someone who shrunk in height after losing hope. Another notable pair of the cast was sophomore Marco Cardenas, playing Dave, and senior Erika Hope Duran, as Rhonda. Their ability to bring the play to a humorous end with the tagline “You gotta trick it” was an amusing way to end the night. Almost, Maine is a drama that brought a refreshing atmosphere to San Gabriel and is definitely an experience that is worth sharing.
Stranger Things 2 makes thrilling comeback for autumn BY ELSIE WANG
The second season of the ‘80s throwback thriller phenomenon Stranger Things was released in the celebration of Halloween on Netflix on Oct. 27. A must-watch, the Netflix original brought its hype to summer 2016 with its first season and has not failed to disappoint with its second. According to Nielsen Holdings PLC, the first episode of season two gained 15.8 million US viewers within three days of its release, as well as 326,000 viewers streaming all nine episodes within the first day. This puts the show in the ranks of huge television hits like “Game of Thrones,” “The Walking Dead,” and even the “World Series.” Set in the small town of Hawkins in 1984, the series starts off with a robbery by a group of unfamiliar faces. It makes the viewer question whether they are watching the right series or not, but instantly grabs their attention and spirals them into the action. Directors Matt and Ross Duffer brought back the adventurous ensemble viewers have come to love in season one, but also introduced some new faces: Billy Hargrove, the aggressive teen antagonist; Max Hargrove, the tough-talking redhead and newest member of the friend group; and Bob New-
by, the quirky and caring boyfriend of Joyce Byers, a divorced mother of two. Stranger Things 2 touches on ‘80s nostalgia with Ghostbusters, The Goonies, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and among other hits of its time. One notable change from season two was Steve Harrington’s character development from despised antagonist to the cherished “Dad Steve,” who is relatable on multiple levels and looks after the group of misfits when they are in trouble. Multiple memes have sparked in support for the changed character, as well as others such as the continued stress and anxiety of Byers seen in season one and the shared hatred for the new bully, Hargrove. Aside from the characters, the show itself is binge-worthy. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger that has viewers wanting more. The sequel focuses more on the post Upside Down incident while giving the ensemble new monsters to fight and new adventures to embark. Stranger Things 2 lets viewers get to individually know each character more. Watching the Netflix original takes viewers on a journey of emotions—crying and laughing all within nine episodes. Stranger Things and Stranger Things 2 are definitely worth the time. It is a delightful treat for ‘80s, thriller, and mystery lovers.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
The beloved ensemble of chracters from Netflix’s Emmy-nominated scifi series teams up to fight the Upside Down and a much larger threat.
Thor: Ragnarok creates mad thunder at box office
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS
Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok came out on Nov. 3, receiving a successful opening weekend. BY LUCAS JORGENSEN
When Chris Hemsworth’s Thor was last seen, he was flying off into the Cosmos
to search for the danger he saw in his dream in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Now, two years later, moviegoers will find him on a new planet, with a new suit, new weapons, and a newhaircut preparing to fight the Incredible Hulk. Thor: Ragnarok follows the prince of Asgard as he returns home to find a new threat to the his people named Hela (Cate Blanchett), the Goddess of Death. After throwing him out and stripping him of his power, she leaves him on a junk planet ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). The Grandmaster then places him into a gladiator match to win his freedom, but only if he can defeat his “friend from work,” The Incredible Hulk. This film’s strong suits include the strong performances from the cast and its unique humor. Waititi is known for his distinctive humor which many are pleased to see throughout the film, the majority of it coming from the God of Thunder himself. Hemsworth and Waititi both express their disinterest of the royal and serious portrayal of Thor in the previous films like Thor: The Dark World and The Avengers, so they worked together to create a more lighthearted and comedic Thor who laughs in the face of danger (and makes the audience laugh, too) while still being a professional and capable hero. Along with the recreation of Thor, the director and his writers also made some changes to the Hulk, who has been absent from the Marvel universe for two years. Now, his character is losing his animalistic demeanor and is more of a brutish gladiator. He speaks and cracks jokes, even if in limited English, but this is definitely a major addition to the green goliath. The Hulk’s previous humorous moments were when he beat someone up in a funny way. Most impressive of all these changes and additions is that, according to Waititi, 80 percent of the film was improvised. Hemsworth, Waititi, and the writers all worked together in the characterization developments, making funnier and stronger heroes. Thor: Ragnarok also has two post-credit scenes continuing the epic tale of the Strongest Avenger(s).
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sports
THE MATADOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
2017 18 Fall Sports Scoreboard BOYS FOOTBALL
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
CO-ED CROSS COUNTRY
GIRLS TENNIS
VARSITY 10/27 vs Montebello 11/3 @ Mark Keppel
VARSITY 10/17 @ Bell Gardens 10/19 vs Mark Keppel 10/24 @ Montebello
3-0 L 3-0 L 3-2 L
VARSITY 11/1 @ Legg Lake
VARSITY 10/17 @ Alhambra 10/19 vs Schurr
6-12 L 10-8 W
JV 10/17 @ Bell Gardens 10/19 vs Mark Keppel 10/24 @ Montebello
2-1 L 2-1 L 2-0 W
JV 10/17 @ Alhambra 10/19 vs Schurr
10-8 W 11-7 W
JV 10/26 vs Montebello 11/2 vs Mark Keppel
40-6 L 14-0 W 14-6 W 14-0 W
JV 11/1 @ Legg Lake Frosh 11/1 @ Legg Lake
(B)
2nd
(G)
5th
(B)
5th
(G)
4th
(B)
6th
(G)
5th
Matador football defeats Aztecs in unexpected finish BY KELLY LAC
PHOTO BY BASTIAN MENDEZ
The Matadors prepare to hike the ball against the Aztecs right before the announcement to evacuate.
Despite anticipation for football’s final game of the season, it was cancelled after a lockdown incident due to a residential burglary near Mark Keppel High School’s (MKHS) campus. The game stopped after the first quarter with a 14-0 win to San Gabriel High School (SGHS). Prior to the game, the Aztecs held a parade because it was their homecoming game that night. Representatives of their performance teams sat on the top of cars, followed by homecoming princes and princesses, giving friendly waves to the crowd. Matadors started the quarter with an easy touchdown, followed by another touchdown, leading 14-0. SGHS and MKHS were playing ferociously on both offensive and defensive ends. The crowd cheered in ex-
citement, the thunderous roars becoming louder as the teams came close to their opponent’s end zones. At around 7:30 pm, the teams rallied against each other continuously before the first quarter was interrupted with an alarm. Everyone was ordered to move away from the field as a precautionary measure. Clusters of people started to flee to the field for protection, and the rest of the attendees did the same. “I [was] really concerned for my friends,” senior Ezra Banlaoi said. “[They] expected to have fun at their last football game, then all of a sudden [the lockdown happened].” The lockdown lasted for approximately an hour, and prior to its ending, officials decided to ultimately cancel the game instead of rescheduling it. For more information on the lockdown, please go to <http://thematadorsghs.us/>.
Workout of the month: Get fit with suitcase crunches BY VIRGINIA SITU
PHOTOS BY VIRGINIA SITU
Step 1: Lie on the floor with both knees bent and hands behind head.
Step 2: Move your chest towards your knees and your knees bending toward your chest, contracting your abdominals.
Step 3: Return to starting position (step 1) and repeat 10 times.
Model: sophomore Stephanie Nguyen
Boys Cross Country advances to CIF for second consecutive y e a r, s e t t o c o m p e t e a t R i v e r s i d e BY ECHO DIEU
Cross Country boys varsity team, headed by Coach Steve Morales, will be racing CIF at Riverside on Nov. 11. They took fifth place at the first league meet in Legg Lake, but made great progress from there. “It is rewarding because all the effort it took to go from fifth to second place actually paid off,” senior Kevin Tang said.
Seniors Carlos Carrillo, David Phung, Randy Liu, Christian Lopez, and Kevin Tang, junior Jacwa Lei, and freshman Jason Phung will be going on to CIF. “It’s our second year through, so that’s cool,” Morales said. “We have to thank Matthew Dultz, Brad Jones, Sophia Suñe and Brad Walsh. We also want to thank the staff for being flexible with our athletes.”
FEATURES TELL ME What's the
word? Famous hallway quotes overheard by The Matador Staff
“Don’t be racist to fractions.” -Math teacher joking about the hatred of fractions “Beyonce’s spirit had not blessed this football stadium.” -Student regarding the football games
THE MATADOR
Hendrickson, Wong travel world with daughters BY CHELSEA LI AND ADA ZHAO
The dream of traveling with loved ones seems like a long journey to reach. However, U.S history teacher Eric Hendrickson and school counselor Solinet Wong, accomplished their goals seven times. Hendrickson and Wong have saved up since 2008 to go on family trips around the world to Europe, Asia, and around the United States. They went to Europe three times, Asia twice, and a road trip around the U.S. three times. “We took the kids to England, France, Scotland, Wales, Belgium, Holland, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Canada and 48 states,” Hendrickson said. While they are on their vacations, the Hendrickson-Wong family are able to find bargains, camp, or stay with friends, usually former students. “On our road trips, we camp about one third of the time, stay in motels one third and then stay with
BY CHELSEA LI
PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM KWOON, EL CAMINO REAL
“What goes up but never goes down? My grades!” -Student praising his own grades “I’ll name these flies after you.” -Teacher joking to his students
friends. We stayed for free for a week in Kauai, three days in NYC, and three days in Houston with ex-students,” Hendrickson said. Luckily for their wallet, Wong finds apartments at the heart of town that are cheaper than motels. To add on to their luck, their daughters do not have troubles traveling and have gotten the chance to see new places outside of their home state. “My daughters are excellent at dealing with all the hassles of travel. They enjoy long car trips like their parents. We usually visit historical sites and colleges. I’m proud that my kids got to visit over 20 colleges outside California,” Hendrickson said. Hendrickson and Wong both work hard and spend money wisely to be able to have their dream vacations. “My goal was for me to show as much of the world to my daughters as we can afford. We save up all year to have great long vacations. We are very grateful that we are able to do this,” Hendrickson said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC HENDRICKSON
Hendricks on and Wong bike through Bruges, Belgium with their two daughters.
Li volunteers in Oaxaca, Mexico, teaches English to children
“[Water] makes me smart. I can finally count above 6. I can feel the smartness running through me.” -Student joking about staying hydrated “One plus one equals two so there [are] two people in a relationship. Why is there only one in mine?” -Student discussing about his love life
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ThurSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Senior Natalie Li bought a bracelet from Mexico and a necklace for her sister (not shown in the picture).
Cars drove one after another on the cracked streets of Mexico. Traffic lights were not installed in the oldest city, Oaxaca, and the only way to cross was to go with instincts. Senior Natalie Li spent 20 minutes debating when was the right time and to walk up steep hills to reach a school filled with eager kids during her stay. Her first volunteer program outside of the Los Angeles area was in Latin America, mid-July for a total of three weeks. For one plane ticket, she stopped in Texas to connect a flight straight to Mexico as a solo traveler. With a few hundred dollars that were exchanged for pesos (Mexican currency), Li flew by herself then settled at a house that welcomed volunteers to stay. “I decided it was a good opportunity for me to help others that are not as [fortunate] as we are,” Li said. “My goal was to make sure that every child that I was teaching learn something new every day.”
In a city that spoke Spanish as their primary language, she used her three years in Spanish class to communicate with the locals. Li bought tacos, saw a doctor, and even held an hour-long conversation. Her Spanish skills helped translate for non-speaking Spanish volunteers and English skills were used in a classroom located on a hill. “Every single one of them is hardworking and willing to learn because every time I stepped inside the classroom, they were so excited to see me and not to mention that they also learn English on the weekends on top of their weekday school,” Li said. After three weeks, she learned to appreciate the transportation systems in LA because in Mexico, the buses were rundown and the windows were busted. Li was also grateful for how her school is in good condition compared to Oaxaca. “I learned that children from different places have different mentalities on how they want to pursue their education,” Li said.
Ngo, inspired by mother, maintains vegetarian diet for ethical reasons BY SELINA HAN
Growing up, junior Sophia Ngo had always been fond of animals. Ngo’s love for animals combined with her mother’s diet led her to convert to vegetarianism two years ago. “I’ve always attended classes about vegetarianism because my mom is [a] vegetarian,” Ngo said. “[The classes] kept teaching me about the same thing, like how animals are being killed for their meat. It’s what made me try to become vegetarian.” When she first tried to change her diet, she did not find the transition very difficult despite not knowing how to cook many vegetarian meals for herself. “I just tried to eat food that my mom would make that was vegetarian, so it was pretty easy to transition into vegetarianism [since] I like her cooking,” Ngo said. “I just didn’t eat meat from there on. I didn’t really have trouble; I didn’t really have any desire to eat meat at all.” Her favorite restaurant is Souplantation because it serves a large variety of vegetarian items. Ngo likes its
proximity to where she lives and also appreciates how her whole family likes it despite their differing diets. “[My family doesn’t] really have any conflicts over what to eat,” Ngo said. “We just accept who we are. Even though my mom and I try to persuade [my dad and my brother] to turn vegetarian, we don’t force them; we let them choose their own diet.” Ngo recommends the diet and addresses the common misconception that the diet is not healthy because of its lack of protein. Ngo says that she eats tofu and some certain vegetables for protein. However, she respects people who choose to not switch into vegetarianism. “Most of the time I would just accept the diet of other people,” Ngo said. “I’ve been taught that I should inspire other people to be vegetarian. I could do that; it’s just I don’t want them to be mad at me because it’s like I’m judging their diet, so I just accept it.” She intends to continue being a vegetarian “until the point where [she would] have to eat meat since [being] vegetarian is expensive.” When Ngo is an adult, she plans to try to stay vegetarian for the rest of her life.
PHOTO BY KATHERINE HUANG
Ngo presents her lunch: a meal from home consisting of pasta, carrots, peas, green beans, corn, and vegetarian meat.
Cognetta shows strong passion for swim, overcomes struggles BY ALICE LI
PHOTO BY KELLY LAC
Swim coach Tammy Cognetta at the Rosemead Pool watches over the swim team.
“Just keep swimming,” a well-known phrase said in the movie “Finding Dory” relates well with Tamara Cognetta, the swim coach at San Gabriel High School (SGHS). She has been coaching SGHS swim team for a total of 30 years straight. Throughout these years, her passion for swim was driven by many conceivable factors along the years of obstacles and treasured memories. Suffering from a fragile back at the age of four, Cognetta decided to start swimming to regain her prior physical state. “I was four years old when the doctors told my parents I had a weak back—my muscles were weak—the doctors said that either I’ll learn how to swim or I’ll be in a body cast for [a] year,” Cognetta said. “[It provided] wonderful toning, conditioning, cardiovascular [strength to my body].” There are numerous reasons to why Cognetta chose swim to coach and continues coaching it. One of the factors is how convenient swim can be and how enthusiastic the students at SGHS are to motivate her throughout the years she have been coaching. “[It’s] a great way to end the day and it’s the cleanest sport on campus,” Cognetta said. “We can see a lot of progress with our team because we get a lot of kids who can hardly swim at all and they progress from hardly knowing anything to begin from forward
strokes. Coming out of the water and knowing that they’ve done their best is when I am encouraged to [keep coaching].” Living on the west coast of US, Cognetta explains how convenient and fortunate Californians are when it comes to the sport of swimming. “I think personally, everybody should know how to swim, especially [when] you’re living in California—Southern California especially because there is always an opportunity to be in a pool or in the ocean. And it amazes me to see how many people who [don’t] know how to swim.” Cognetta said. For Cognetta, the moments when a dedicated swimmer goes all out to seek improvement makes her deeply satisfied. “The most exciting thing about swim is watching somebody improve. Coming out of the water and knowing that they’ve done their best. Watching a kid who didn’t know how to swim, like a stone [at first], they’re on the bottom. So for us that’s when I am encouraged.” Cognetta said. Cognetta inspires fellow Matadors to pursue their passion no matter what adversity one might run into. “I think now is the time to be able to enjoy [what you’re doing in SG] because after college—when you get a job—there you are for the next 40 years. You need to find what you love and at some point [so] you have to start making choices.”
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features
THE MATADOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017
All You Need is Food and Family Junior Angelica Morales (far left) joyously poses alongside family prior to their up and coming Thanksgiving.
Junior Oscar Marquez (far left) and his family take a group picture in front of an early-decorated Christmas tree and fireplace, moments before they eat their Thanksgiving feast.
Tex-giving! Yee-haw!
Mashed potatoes in the dining room, a place filled with chatter, and turkey flying in and out of people’s mouths: the American Thanksgiving. With the diversity in the US, there are different types of Thanksgiving celebrations. While some families may celebrate Thanksgiving with fried rice, pumpkin pie, or spaghetti, junior Oscar Marquez celebrates Thanksgiving with his mother’s side of the family in El Paso, Texas. During his sophomore year of high school, Marquez moved to California from Texas. leaving his mother’s side of the family. “[They eat] turkey, cornbread, mashed potatoes, corn, and sliced ham with some gravy.” Marquez said. Although, there was a time where his “uncle had burned the turkey to the point where it wasn’t even edible, forcing [us] to buy some Kentucky Fried Chicken” and they ate fried chicken instead of turkey for their last Thanksgiving. When they are not eating, Marquez and his family play games to pass time as they all wait to watch the football game— a family tradition of theirs. “The environment is really mellow as far as I can tell, but when it comes to football games everyone gets loud,” Marquez said. “On a scale of 1-10, the loudness of the football games get a solid 9.” To show their spirit for Dallas Cowboys, Marquez and his family wear jerseys to support their favorite team. In just a few weeks, Marquez will be in a plane on his way to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with his maternal family.
Senior Khang Ho, who became a vegan 10 months ago, finds new ways to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Graphic design by Angela Lu Articles written by Carlos Carrillo, Kim Ta, and Ada Zhao Photos by Michelle Ho, El Camino Real. Photos courtesy of Oscar Marquez and Angelica Morales
Tamales for Thanksgiving When thinking of Thanksgiving, most would imagine a grand feast of turkey and pumpkin pie celebrated alongside friends and relatives. Junior Angelica Morales celebrates with Lotería (a game of chance similar to bingo) and a nice warm Mexican meal. “We usually make tamales,” Morales said. “I think that is the only thing that I enjoy making and eating, because usually that is the one thing we always make every year. We usually make chicken, but that is not really good. For me, tamales are good, [because] during this time of year, it’s cold.” Although she does not see her extended family, she enjoys spending time with her parents, her brothers, and a couple of her uncles. “What’s different [about my Thanksgiving celebration] is that I really don’t have family here and my other friends have a lot of family,” Morales said. “I look forward to this year’s Thanksgiving because my baby brother is older now, [so] he gets to celebrate better with us this year.” In addition to the comfort of family and food, she occasionally participates in Black Friday with her family to buy gifts for her siblings. She admires those around her and acknowledges the meaning of Thanksgiving to others. “I’m thankful for my family and my friends, [for] always being there for me,” Morales said. “[I look forward to] spending time with my family, because we never spend time. It’s good to settle down at a table to celebrate and eat on Thanksgiving.”
No turkey for this bird As dinnertime approaches on that long-awaited third Thursday of November, friends and family begin to file into the dining room and take their seats, anxiously awaiting to dig into an extravagant meal. The table is piled to the brink with all sorts of food: fresh cranberry sauce, steaming rice, soft bread, and, of course, an impressive array of meats as the centerpiece. This once-a-year feast seems overwhelmingly enticing, but some, like senior Khang Ho, manage to resist. You will not see Ho chowing down on tender turkey legs or creamy mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving—or ever. A vegan for health and ethical reasons, Ho does not enjoy traditional celebratory food but instead finds his own ways to eat festively and within his dietary guidelines. “When I miss a certain food, I just look up a recipe online and find one pretty easily,” Ho said. “You have to get in the kitchen and experiment. Your mom is not going to cook for you forever.” However, being the only vegan in his family, he wants to make it clear that his food choices are more normal than they may appear. “I think it’s important that I can show [my family] that veganism is cool and doable even for a busy high school student,” Ho said. “I haven’t seen my distant relatives for awhile, so I plan to make a vegan dish [for Thanksgiving] and not tell them it’s vegan [to] get unbiased feedback from them.” Even as Thanksgiving approaches, Ho’s dedication to his decision does not waver with the thought of classic holiday foods. “I don’t miss the non-vegan foods during thanksgiving because I know it’s totally possible to make an equally satisfying alternative,” Ho said. “And I think that once you haven’t consumed any animal products for while, your body doesn’t crave the food anymore.” Though he leads an unconventional lifestyle, Ho is adamant that the benefits of veganism outweigh the cons and hopes that more people will begin to experiment with an animal-product-free diet.