October 2013 Issue

Focus-

“We need sex education at San Gabriel” pg. 8-9

THE

Life and Art-

Sports-

“‘Glee’ honors Monteith” pg. 11

“Teachers, more than just instructors, athletes” pg. 12

Matador

Volume 59, Number 2

Wednesday, OCTOBER 23, 2013

801 Ramona St., San Gabriel, CA 91776

San Gabriel celebrates Homecoming C h e l s e y Tra n

S a n G a b r i e l H i gh S c h o o l

“[The events] boost our school spirit and…connect us with each other. This gave us an excuse to Homecoming, a time honored event, has again do something fun with a group of friends,” junior come and passed. The theme this year, based on the Justin Pham said.

Roaring 20’s and The Great Gatsby, was “This Love Despite meticulous planning by ASB, things is Timeless.” did not go the way they planned.

The Homecoming princes were Wednesday’s lunchtime event was Ryan Duong, Steven Ho, Oscar supposed to be a band performance, Molina, Anthony Ponce, and Raybut the band failed to go through mond Sy. The princesses were Jenny the process to be approved in time.

Bui, Brenda Hau, Megan Molina, Instead, ASB hosted a karaoke event Michelle Sy, and Tiffany Truong. with volunteers from the student The week began with the Homebody who wanted to sing like coming pep rally in the Matador Madelyn Areyan, Calvin Seid, and Stadium. At the rally, the princes Ellice Tellez. and princesses walked with their Despite the loss at the homeescorts. Performances by Choreo, coming game against Montebello, Drill, Colorguard, and Band and spirits stayed high. spirit games helped raise school “I liked the preshow. I kind of spirit. expected [us] to win, but “I like that it’s outside it’s okay because they because the whole school played hard,” freshman is together united--- like a Angela Gomez said. whole,” senior Michelle O s c ar Mo lina and Zhou said.

Brenda Hau won HomeHowever, some stucoming King and Homedents would have rather coming Queen, respecattended the rally intively, with a resounding doors. cheer from their support“It was exciting and ers. hot. I think inside would “It was a thrilling exbe better [because]… you perience,” senior Oscar can’t hear much [outMolina said, “that made side],” freshman Kevin Photos by Chelsey Tran my high school life a little Huynh said.

Above: Seniors Oscar Molina and Brenda Hau more worthwhile. HowSpirit Week events were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. ever, I was sad that not also helped boost school all of the princes could Below: Members of Homecoming court spirit with participation be kings because that celebrated their achievement during the dance. would’ve been awefrom the student body.

“This year we actually tried to promote spirit some.” because of the Ariana Grande thing and Homecom“I didn’t expect it at all,” senior Brenda Hau said. ing ticket raffling. It was the best it [has] been since “Honestly, I only wanted to make it into court, and my sophomore year,” ASB President Ashley Yu said. that’s why I was so surprised to get Queen. My The week’s spirit week events consisted of crazy parents and grandparents were the ones that really hair day, twin day, formal day, throwback day, and wanted to me get Queen. It was more than I ever spirit day. They gave students something to have fun wished for.” with their friends. Juniors Xing Fu, Aydin Hau, GorHomecoming definitely did what it was supdon Huynh, Justin Pham, Henry Tran, and Frankie posed to and elicited spirit and participation from Zhuang matched for several days in a row while San Gabriel’s student body, leaving behind satisfied participating in the day’s clothing theme. students and a relieved and proud executive board.

www.thematadorsghs.com

Common Core standards revolutionize testing methods Kr isty Duong Due to California’s adoption of Common Core State Standards, STAR (Standard Testing and Reporting) testing has been concluded and is to be replaced by CalMAPP - California Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress.

CalMAPP is going to differ in many ways to the previous STAR tests. One of the ways that the test will differ is that it will focus more on explanations, analysis, and free response questions and less on multiple choice questions that may be answered arbitrarily. The test questions may ask a student to explain why the answer he or she selected is the best, or the test may present two or three resources and ask the student to form an opinion based on the information given.

“It’s not just a matter of learning and memorizing concepts,” principal Jim Schofield said. “It’s a matter of mastering things [and] being able to really critically think about things, analyze them, [and] draw opinions. In other words, it’s going to be more beneficial in preparing students to be successful in the future and the real world with the way that this is being approached.”

In addition, this test will only be given to juniors unlike the previous school-wide test. Students will be required to recall the knowledge they obtained during their freshman and sophomore years and apply it to the test as juniors. The test will be a “cumulative test of knowledge” according to Schofield. However, it currently only tests students on ELA (English-language arts) and math, though it is possible that science and social science tests may be added in the future.

“I think it’s fine if you have to remember things [from freshman and sophomore year],” sophomore Mason Tran said. “I mean if you learned them, you might as well remember them. It’s better than taking a test every year and then dumping all the information that you learn.”

Another way that it will differ is that the entire test will be taken on computers and will be scored by computer software. When the test is fully developed, it is also supposed to alter and change depending on how a student responds, so one student’s test problems may differ from another student’s test problems.

“I think the test is keeping up with the times,” English teacher Virginia Parra said. “For the most part, students have experience with it, and even the ones that don’t, based on piloting the exam last year with my 9th grade students, did just fine. It keeps them engaged. I think we were moving in this direction anyways with all this technology. It almost seemed natural that this would happen.”

Teachers from all departments were given an opportunity to try out the CalMAPP tests on Oct. 11. While some teachers questioned how effective a computer-based test would be and wondered what technological skills students might need in order to be successful with this new test, others felt that the test would be quite effective.

“I thought it was quite doable,” band director Tammy Cognetta.

“It was right down my alley. These are the kinds of tests that I did...

Continued on page 2

Opinions: Two different perspectives on teaching styles, favoritism C y n t h i a N a v a rro Everyone has been in a class at least once in their life where they cant help but notice certain students getting more of the teacher’s attention than others including themselves, whether it be very noticeable or subtle.

It’s understandable for teachers to have a hard time teaching, being understanding, and on friendly terms with all their students having classes with up to thirty-six students, but you would think if they took the time to get to know some of their students they would try with

the rest.

During class where participation is key to fully grasping and understanding something, teachers are keeping the number of students called on minimal. It is usually those students who are either really good at the subject or are very talkative to begin with that are being asked to participate.

“Teachers call on certain students only to answer questions or give their opinion on a subject,” says senior Karissa De La Trinidad. “Each time it’s the same group of students being called on while the rest are left to just listen.”

Emmanu el Maresca Here at San Gabriel, some students and teachers have been divided by a rift due to misunderstandings over favoritism. However, one influential staff member, English teacher Sabrina Morales, has made a positive impact on numerous young students.

Morales has been teaching in the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) for over 20 years, and has been recognized for inspiring her students through her teaching style.

“I like to see each student as an indi-

vidual,” Morales said.

It seems that most other teachers view the student body as a bunch of children, rather than seeing each student as a unique, mature member of society.

Morales’s teaching style is inclusive, effectively making students feel more interested; therefore, they learn and retain a lot of useful information.

“I do like to share stories and experiences [of mine] in class that are related to the lesson,” Morales said. “I’ve had teachers in the past who just give [the students] something to copy, and I dislike that.”

NEWS

THE MATADOR

Terrortorium cancelled due to technical difficulties

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

“The Woman in Black” makes an appearance

Peepo Productions presents its annual Halloween performance

J u d y Ta n g The normally biennial Terrortorium hosted by the San Gabriel theater tech team had been scheduled to open from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, but now it has been cancelled.

If the Terrortorium had been held this year, it would have broken its consecutive biennial occurrence pattern. However, drama teacher Patrick Posada decided to cancel the reopening of the maze due to technical difficulties. “[The cast has] tried for two weeks, but are encountering problem after problem. We were going to try and have it, but realistically, it’s not possible,” Posada said.

During the previous years, the Terrortorium had been composed of a scary maze made up of hallways, obstacles, and grotesque monsters that kept students on their toes. Last year, maze-goers were impressed by the creepy antics of the actors, such as crawling, which emphasized the ambient horrors that lurked throughout the entire maze.

The creepiness and horrors of the maze were a success to a number of students, such as junior Bicky Bui. They proclaimed to be horrified from the adventure that they endured in the dark, illusive tunnels throughout the maze. “[The maze] was really scary for me. [There were a] lot of different hallways, actors would pop out and scare us,” Bui said.

Even though the Terrortorium has been held during lunch in the past, due to its immense popularity, Posada had hoped to hold the maze during the evening to bring about a night ambiance to amplify the horror of the maze.

The maze will hopefully be reinstituted during the school year of 2014-15.

Ri chard Yue The Woman In Black, a play surrounded around a mysterious woman, will make its premiere this month.

The play will be directed by San Gabriel’s drama teacher Patrick Posada.

“It’s a ghost play...It’ll be scary as heck,” Posada said.

“I feel great about the play.”

Fitting into the October theme of Halloween, the play will incorporate both horror and tragedy. Originally a book written by Susan Hill, the story has since been adapted into a play, becoming the second longest running non-musical play in the London theatre’s history. In 2012, the story was produced into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe, that grossed $127 million.

The play focuses on a man attending the funeral of his client in a small English town. While he is there, he begins to see a woman in black with a wasted face, and the mystery surrounding her takes over the story.

Featuring a two-man cast, seniors David Pham and Justin Yeh will take on the roles of the upcoming show. According to Yeh, the actors will play multiple characters who are part of their story, each of them unique in their own way and with a purpose.

“It’s a lot of work! ...For me, the play is my story and I would like to share that with the world,” Yeh said.

The Woman In Black opens on Oct. 24 and will continue on Oct. 25, 26, 31, as well as Nov. 1 and 2.

Show times are at night, beginning at 7:30 p.m.. The performance on Oct. 31 will be a matinee, starting at 3:30 p.m..

Tickets will be sold through cast members and the Little Theatre, located in front of the band room, near the SA-building. Regular prices for the show are $10 if ordered in advanced, but tickets will be sold at the door for $13. Matinee tickets are $8.

CalMAPP replaces STAR testing Continued from page 1

Photo by Kristy Duong

Teachers had a chance to try out the CalMAPP tests on Oct. 11.

Photos by Derek Deng

Top: Seniors Justin Yeh and David Pham rehearse their lines for the upcoming play “The Woman in Black.”

Bottom: Senior David Pham looks towards the audience and advises Yeh on how to speak with more emotion.

...better on when I was in school. I think if you just bubble in an answer, that puts me in a very small box, [but] if I look for an answer and try to weigh my possibilities as opposed to knowing there’s only one little bubble to fill, I feel like I have more of a chance.”

With the new Common Core standards, all teachers will be required to incorporate literacy into their curriculum, even if the subject is math, science, or physical education. All departments will have to figure out ways to integrate argumentative writing and discussions into their lessons.

“It’s a little harder for those of us performance based classes, and that’s slightly a problem for me when you stop an entire marching band of over a hundred kids to write,” Cognetta said. “I think I need to figure out how I can incorporate [literacy] more into what we do without taking away from what we have to do. We might take opportunities to discuss a performance, a performer, or a composer. I think that any chance to discuss an aspect

of what we’re doing helps us bring our thoughts to the forefront.”

Last year, San Gabriel High School was chosen as a pilot school to try out the CalMAPP tests, and the test was given to certain freshmen and juniors.

“I felt that the math part went well, but it sucked that you had to type in the answers,” senior William Nguyen said. “It’s a lot more annoying and difficult than what we’re used to.”

However, it is uncertain if San Gabriel High School will be chosen as a pilot school again. If it is not chosen as a pilot school, then the only testing that will be conducted this year will be the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) and a life science test for sophomores, voluntary EAP (Early Assessment Program) for juniors, the CAPA (California Alternate Performance Assessment) test for qualifying students, and the AP (Advanced Placement) exams.

november 2013

Day of the Dead Festival to celebrate Hispanic culture

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K a t h e ri n g M o n t e l o n The Alhambra Latino Association Annual Cultural Festival Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, will be held on campus at San Gabriel High School on Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m..

The festivities include Aztec dances, Day of the Dead Altars, student art exhibits, performances, artists, crafts, and food vendors. There will be live music such as La Chama, who are Mexican singers.

The activities include papel picado, which is the process of cutting out patterns on colorful tissue paper. The Eye of the God, which is bright colored yarn decorated on a frame of sticks, is another one of the crafts that will be introduced to people at the event.

“This is an opportunity for all students to get involved,” Beda Ramirez, part of the Alhambra Association sponsoring the Day of the Dead event said, “This is a tradition where all [of] the community such as Alhambra High School and Mark Keppel High School will be helping.”

This is the fourth year the Day of the Dead event is taking place at San Gabriel. Everyone is encouraged to come enjoy, celebrate, and learn about the different traditions being celebrated on the Day of the Dead.

Families are welcome to come and have a fun and learning experience of the Latino culture.

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THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

NEWS

College fair introduces possibilities C hri st op her Lan

The sign on the bookroom door ensures that students are informed of the fact that the bookroom is closed.

Bookroom closed due to cuts Oscar Molina Due to school budgets, the bookroom will be closed from Oct. 17 until Oct. 31, as bookroom clerk Jill Hernandez is forced to temporarily leave her post. Although this event was included in the school calendar, most teachers and students were unaware of it, resulting in some classes scrambling to get books before the closure.

“I feel sad, because now I won’t have anything to do for an hour for the next two weeks,” junior bookroom assistant Elim Li said.

For the past four years, the bookroom used to be closed for two Fridays a month for the entire school year, but the district decided to implement the days off through two longer break periods, one in October and one later in March.

Both of the breaks will total up to 22 days off of work for Hernandez.

“It’s going to be difficult for students to get books,” Hernandez said in concern of students having the resources to learn.

While Hernandez is on leave, Business and Activities Office manager Vicky Yum will have to deal with helping students with books. Yum stated that she only recently discovered that she would have to take on this new workload; the short notice has left her unprepared for dealing with the bookroom, because she does not know the ins and outs, such as completing the paperwork.

“I am already full of work,” Yum said. “I don’t know how I’m going to get any work done trying to balance both the bookroom and the activities office.”

The absence of Hernandez for the next two weeks will prove to be a challenge, especially for students who lose their books and may not get them back during the period, but San Gabriel, as well as the other high schools in the district, will have to cope with the situation.

W h e t h e r t h e y w e re s e n i o r s looking for last-minute resources or underclassmen scouting for potential college interests, over a thousand students from the Alhambra Unified School District visited the college representatives at their respective booths at San Gabriel High School on Oct. 17. This year’s annual college fair invited more than 60 public and private colleges to share their school names and admission processes with interested students.

Destination after high school is a priority in the minds of virtually all high school students. The college fair, beyond four-year universities, also invited the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marines, and Navy, community colleges, and technical institutions to offer students a look at alternative future paths. “I want a college that’s fun but not… small,” sophomore Amber Huynh said. “Mainly I’m here to get different choices and majors because I know nothing as an only child.”

Having so many colleges

concentrated at a campus opened the students’ eyes to the abundance of colleges available to them. “I got to learn about many colleges that I’ve never heard of,” senior Billy Huynh said. “I like the variety of different schools, and how they’re not the usual colleges the majority of people want.”

College fair is a district event open to any student from the school district. William Sun, a senior at Mark Keppel High School, was one of the hundreds of students from nearby high schools who attended the fair. “[College fair] has been very beneficial to me because I had no clue [about] colleges… [I considered that] I might go out-of-state [to study] after visiting these booths,” Sun said.

Parents were welcome to visit the colleges alongside their children to help them gather and absorb the information.

This year was parent Josie Ortiz’s second visit to the college fair with her younger daughter from Alhambra High School. “I got a lot of information I was looking for. I came last year with my other daughter, and

I think [this event] is really efficient,” Ortiz said.

Lisa G.*, a mother of another Alhambra High School student, also thinks highly of the college fair. “It’s very beneficial; [there are] a lot of vendors here with all the [colleges] you want,” she said. “Now that I’ve seen all of them, it’s hard to pick the right one. It’s nice to [consider] other ones that aren’t the ones near here.”

English teacher Valerie Larsen recalled that despite having gone to a decent high school, she did not have the opportunity to interact at a college fair on her own campus. “[College fair] gets you excited about college and opens a lot of doors to students,” Larsen said. “There is always a variety of different colleges open to students.”

Many students have added or reconsidered colleges after attending the fair, picking up brochures, and consulting with the representatives.

Excluding the seniors who will already be taking the path of their choice, next year’s students will have another opportunity to explore the diverse selection of colleges.

*Last name excluded by request.

Student donors provide blood for transfusions going much faster than usual and we had a lot of students try the ALYX procedure; all in all this was a success for everyone.” The ALYX procedure is where the student has The American Red Cross hosted their quarterly blood their blood drained into a machine that sorts out their red drive at San Gabriel High School, eliciting students into blood cells, doubling the amount donated. donating blood to save lives. This blood drive held various Students eagerly awaited their fated operation as they unique attributes compared to previous blood drives either anxiously arrived into the Arena, or entered with as students were corralled into the Matador Arena and complete confidence as a veteran of the process. directed promptly by the cabinet of the San Gabriel Red “It’s a tiring process, but it’s Cross. Another unique worth it if you think about the aspect of this blood people you are helping,” senior drive was that it was the Megan Molina said. first one to ever be held The first process involves on a collaboration day. meeting rudimentary ”This is a momentous requirements: weight, height, occasion because we and age. To give blood a student have always wanted must be 16 years old or above,and this to happen, but obtain parental consent. Students everyone was against that are older than 16 may donate us and look at how of their own will. After this, successful this blood students are assigned a number drive was compared and given a booklet to read on to the previous ones!” the health risks associated with v i c e - p re s i d e n t a n d donating blood, and then sent senior Chhe Tum said.

Various members Donors went through the ALYX procedure, into the line to donate. When their of the cabinet greeted where their blood is drained into a machine number is called, students are students who arrived where the amount of red blood cells is doubled. given a survey to determine their eligibility to donate. From there, to donate blood during their various periods, as well as many students who arrived students are then laid onto a table where a Red Cross staff during collaboration to donate blood, which saved them member will begin the process of extracting the blood. precious class time but also gave them an opportunity to After about fifteen minutes, the student is then permitted to sit down and eat snacks that Red Cross provides while do something to help those in need of blood transfusions.

President of Red Cross, senior Michelle Zhou spoke of they recuperate from the donation. this blood drive as ”a joyous success because many students To donate blood, attend the next blood drive in February. were able to go through the process quickly, the lines were S onny Hy

API score decreases but motivates students Steven Ho Despite San Gabriel dropping 21 points in California’s Academic Performance Index (API), teachers and staff remain optimistic and determined to increase test scores and reflect the abilities of the students. San Gabriel received an API score of 790 for the 2013 school year based on the school’s performance in the Standardized Reporting and Testing (STAR) assessment and the California High School Exit Exams (CAHSEE). Although the school did not meet the quota of an 800 API score, San Gabriel’s performance was awarded an unofficial ranking of 8 out of 10.

San Gabriel’s stellar improvement of API scores over the last four years peaked at 811 with 2012’s score, and though 2013’s

results were disheartening, teachers and staff have only been driven to work harder with students to improve scores. Principal Jim Schofield encourages students to not be discouraged and to continue trying to raise their scores.

“Our students tried their best, had great attendance, and focused well during testing,” Schofield said.

Schofield acknowledges that due to the discontinuation of the STAR testing as a result of the transition to Common Core, the school’s latest API score will not be able to be changed. The transition into Common Core caused many teachers to be pulled out of teaching class to be trained in California’s new educational standards.

Therefore, the lack of instruction in those classes may have caused the decline of API

scores. Regardless, Schofield feels that the decrease in scores is an opportunity for students to reflect on whether they did their best on the test.

Concerning the improvement of San Gabriel’s test scores for the future, Schofield’s next course of action is providing extra support for students who have trouble in math and English.

“We have [established] afterschool classes to give assistance in those areas,” Schofield said. “We will also place more emphasis on school attendance.”

As long as the students try their best on the tests, Schofield will not be disappointed.

“Our kids are still number one in my book,” Schofield said.

Some students who have heard of the school’s drop in API score feel compelled

to improve their test-taking mindset. Senior Binghan Li expected his class to have done better, despite the hindrance from the Common Core training.

“People last year thought it was the CST’s last year, so they didn’t try,” Li said.

“Everyone’s score counts; do your best.”

Li feels that more students should know about the scores, so that it could motivate the school to do better as a whole. Li argues that the scores do not reflect individuals but the entire school, so everyone needs to make the collective effort to try their best.

Although last year ’s API scores decreased, the school is making as many efforts as possible to build the mentality that scores are an important part of accurately representing the academic potential of students.

NEWS

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Yousafzai advocates for women’s rights

her life. She was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen, but miraculously survived the faShot in the head for going to school, 16 tal bullet.

“I think that death didn’t want to kill year old Malala Yousafzai is now the iconic figure of courage and hope for women’s me,” Malala said in an exclusive ABC News interview. rights in wake of this horrific incident.

After multiple surgeries and a permaShe came from the Swat Valley of Pakistan, a relatively conservative region. The nent loss of hearing in her left ear, Malala stands up today 2007 threats of as a vision and Sharia-styled voice for human punishments for rights to educanon-Muslim tration. She expressditional actions es no resentment created conflict for the Taliban for standards of gunmen who education in Pakshot her; rather, istan. As a result, she urges peacethe Taliban leader ful relations with Mullah Fazlullah them and educaannounced that tion rights for all. female educa“The best way tion had to end; to solve problems otherwise, the Image courtesy of abc.net.au schools would Malala miraculously survived a bullet wound and fight against bear harsh pun- to the head and continued to advocate war is through diishment. peace and equality among men and women. alogue,” she said in an interview Malala refused to conform to the newly implemented laws with BBC News.

After her nomination for the Nobel and spoke out against them by telling her peers and female students everywhere Peace Prize, the world buzzed at the posthat their education should not be limited sibility of Malala being the youngest peace and women should not be discriminated laureate of Nobel history. Though she did against. She believed that men and women not win the award, she is still acknowlalike should have the right to learn and be- edged and supported by peace advocates come educated individuals for the good of and education rights activists everywhere.

“Congratulations @OPCW on winning society.

“They cannot stop me. I will get my edu- the #Nobelpeaceprize and your wonderful cation, if it is in home, school, or anyplace,” work for humanity,” she said, via the Malala Fund’s Twitter account. “Honoured to Malala said.

Later, she founded the nonprofit Malala have been nominated.”

Her autobiography “I am Malala” was Fund that supports girls’ education and raises money to fund schools in the Swat released on Oct. 8, telling a story about her Valley. Her active defiance of Taliban rules recovery and journey from Pakistan to the brought her death threats from the Taliban United States, and the spread of her philossupporters, and ultimately an attempt on ophy and hopes for the future.

J u d y Ta n g

Government shutdown over budget finally comes to a close Rebecca Lei Issues about the “debt ceiling” ascended to new heights after the government was partially shut down due to the failure of Congress to come to an agreement about the new spending bill for the government’s new fiscal year before Sept. 30.

The Republican congress members and Democratic senators were left at an impasse after the congress members tried to pass a bill of delay to the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) and repeal the medical excise tax, which would defund the ACA. The Democratic-majority Senate opposed the bill, and with two sides refusing to budge, the government went into partial shutdown for 16 days from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16. Federal offices and government-funded institutions closed down, and federal workers throughout the nation took a vacation until the parties could compromise on the bill.

The shutdown ended Oct. 14 when the Republican party gave up on their demands regarding Obamacare and instead pushed for income verification from consumers that apply for government aid in purchasing healthcare.

“Hopefully the Republican party won’t cause any more issues,” junior Brian Choy said. “It causes a huge strain on the government to shut down, and Obamacare can only benefit citizens anyways.”

Obamacare, first proposed on Mar. 23, 2012 as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), brings multiple changes to the healthcare system in America, including the way that insurance companies handle coverage, costs, and care.

“There are many Americans who do not get the preventive health care services they need to stay healthy. Many people put off preventive care because [it is] too expensive,” Obama said, justifying his reasoning for pro-

posing the ACA. “[The ACA] will make sure all Americans have access to quality preventive health care services. [It] also create[s] the Prevention and Public Health Fund, an investment in promoting wellness, preventing disease, and investing in public health infrastructure across the country. Ultimately, I believe the health care law is a significant step forward in ensuring that every American has access to the preventive care and immunizations that they need to stay healthy.”

Responses to the new healthcare law have been mixed, but generally optimistic, especially amongst those affected.

“I feel Obamacare will be great for the general public,” sophomore Kenny Yeung said.

“It makes health care more accessible and affordable, especially for those with preexisting conditions. I think the changes and costs that are needed to enact this change will help shape America’s public health for the better.”

However, others felt that while the Affordable Care Act was a step in the right direction, there was room for improvement. “[The ACA] is an improvement compared to what we had previously, but it lacks sufficient cost controls,” U.S. history teacher Eric Hendrickson said. “By giving (for profit) insurance companies 40 million new customers, the companies are expected to lower prices.

What if they don’t? They are required to open their accounting books to the public, but that will not stop companies from squeezing as much out of us as they can get away with.”

Obamacare was approved by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012, but it was not until the yearly government spending bill as due that the Republican party decided to act against it.

The new compromise between the parties will extend the U.S. borrowing authority until Feb. 7, and a House-Senate bipartisan panel will find ways to reduce the national deficit. *This article is abridged. To read the full article, visit www.thematadorsghs.com.

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Jerry Brown allows undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses A m anda M olina Undocumented immigrants in California rejoiced as Governor Jerry Brown granted them the right to have their own driver’s licenses on October 3, an act supported by Latino activists, police chiefs and even insurance companies.

All eyes were on Brown as he signed this well awaited bill in front of a crowd of roaring undocumented immigrants waiting in anticipation. These licenses are presumed to be available no later than January 2015 according to ABC news. They will have a notice saying that it is not official federal identification and is by no means able to be used to show eligibility for public benefits or employment.

It is not only California that has issued a bill to give licenses to illegal immigrants. 10 other states have also taken measures like this in order to give illegal immigrants driver’s licenses, most of them taking place this previous year as reported by the National Immigration Law Center.

“This is only the first step,” Brown said outside of Los Angeles City Hall.

“When a million people without their documents drive legally and with respect in the State of California, the rest of this country will have to stand up and take notice.”

Some immigrant supporters have raised concerns about the new license creating a racial separation barrier, but this new law bans any sort of discrimination solely based on the license. It also cannot be used to arrest a person only because the license has a notice saying that the person is here illegally.

State Senate Pro Tem Darrel Steinberg thinks that the racial aspect many people see through this bill is irrelevant and insignificant to what the license

will actually do for undocumented immigrants.

“Those distinctions mean little to hardworking people who simply want to drive to work or drive their kids to school or soccer practice without fear,” Steinberg said.

Freshman Angelica Morquecho has seen family and friends go through life living with the daily struggle of simply getting themselves to work, and has seen the desperation in their eyes, afraid of all of the possible outcomes that can take place while on the road.

“Illegal immigrants will definitely benefit from this new bill,” Morquecho said.

“They will not have to live paranoid by the idea of being pulled over and fearing deportation. They don’t want to drive illegally; they do it because it is a necessity,” State officials estimate that 1.4 million drivers will apply for licenses supported by the new law in the next three years.

Democratic Assemblyman Luis Alejo will approve licenses only to those who pass the written test and the road test regardless of their citizenship.

Local officials believe that there is great importance in getting immigrants well trained and properly tested in hopes that they become familiar with the roads in California, but it is mainly to learn the rules of the road that must be followed.

“That’s what the bill is about, making the streets of this state safer,” Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said. This bill has been long supported by the state’s Police Chiefs Association and insurance authorities looking for safer conditions on the streets.

For many years, illegal immigrants have searched for approval of driver’s licenses in California. They saw many times the way that immigrants were being caught off guard and pulled over, cars being towed and the drivers sent to be screened by federal immigration authorities to be deported.

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Oct. 25, 2013 Open New Classes Geometry

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Chemstry (化學)

SAT II Biology (生物) J.C. K.C. T.Y. C.T. D.L. A.C. E.Z.

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AP Psychology F.C. 5 R.H. 5 R.W. 5 C.T. 5 A.P. 5 K.C. 5 J.W. 5 C.Y. 5

C.X. H.L. L.W. T.L. K.L. V.L. A.C. C.C.

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

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Calc L.C. C.T. E.Z.

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5

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

OPINIONS

District salary bonus puts priorities into perspective Facing troubling budget cuts like many other districts across the nation, the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) has encountered obstacles regarding where to funnel their money.

With the recent one-time salary bonus for all AUSD employees, one can only question and wonder where the district holds its priorities, especially because it states that its mission is “to ensure the educational success of all students by having a comprehensive educational program where students can learn and become productive members of a diverse society.” Although students’ learning success is stated to be the main objective, school actions prove the contrary.

Everyday observations, such as a lack of book class sets or the periodical closing of the bookroom, make it evident that the district is not funding sufficient resources. Budget cuts reduce the money given to student programs, allowing numerous services to vanish. Such privileges include an assistant for the school nurse and health and safety classes, all of which have been eliminated within the past few years.

The welfare and enrichment of the students should preempt teacher bonuses. Learning in an environment where students must share books and take turns taking notes is truly disheartening. Though well-deserved, some of the money allotted to teachers and staff could have been graciously used to pay for school books, classes, or programs.

The bonus money collected as a back-up plan for the rejection of Proposition 30 was meant to be channeled into student funds—however, it is questionable if the school district should have reallocated the funds for staff members.

Although students have found ways around the budget cuts, such as engaging in fundraising, there are many services that are out of the students’ sphere of influence. The lack of basic school materials and programs increases the difficulty of the situation.

Students should not be concerned about distractions because their class sizes are so large, or denied a class they have been longing to take because there are not

enough periods of that class.

Perhaps giving more voice to the students will provide an essential perspective on where money is needed. Students should also take the responsibility of participating in Student Congress or School Site Council to influence school decisions. Showing interest in changing the budget system is the first step, and taking initiative to change it is the next.

If school scores increase or the nation’s financial depression lessens, maybe then will school funds be distributed with more regard toward student needs.

Illustration by John Truong

Students differ in classroom views Continued from page 1 column 1

Continued from page 1 column 2

Students may feel this is unfair to not only them but also others. It makes some students feel as though the teacher does not want to hear what they have to say. Maybe teachers should randomly draw names to ensure that each student is called on at least once, that way everyone can have a chance to say something.

“It feels weird and like they are ignoring others,” sophomore Peter Voung said. “It makes you feel like you do not belong.”

If it is not teaching then it is socializing. Class tends to get boring after awhile and the minds of students tend to drift and not pay attention. Some teachers like to give little breaks in between lessons and even talk to the class a bit about themselves. This is something many students enjoy, listening as the teacher talks to not one, but all of the students. It is no fun when an interesting conversation is going on at the corner by the teacher’s desk or the front of the room where it would feel awkward to just suddenly throw yourself into the few people discussion.

Some attention given may be unwanted though. Students who have broken a rule or are a bit disruptive are constantly moved to different seats in the hopes of just getting them to be quiet to just put them somewhere the teacher does not have to worry about and basically forget about them. Sometimes those students are put on the spot more than others, and it makes many students think that the teacher is trying to ridicule them in front of the class.

“They pick on people who they believe don’t pay attention or are trouble makers,” senior Emily Anton said.

It seems as though once people on a teacher’s naughty list for any reason whatsoever, one is stuck there and are tainted with mistrust. Teachers should treat all students equally. Treating each student the same and not above others and letting students know that the teacher recognizes their presence by talking to them every now and then can really make a difference. Maybe then there can be fewer misunderstandings between each other.

A typical week in Morales’s English curriculum consists of several discussions on the topic of the day, whether it be a story students read in class or a current event in the international world. The lesson planning is very inclusive and exciting, effectively keeping students interested in the topic, and producing outstanding work. There was not a lesson that was not retained in the students’ memory for the upcoming exams, and everyone was successful.

Morales creates a culture of respect in her classroom by referring to students by Mr. and Ms. and their first name. Whenever a student speaks, Morales makes the whole class listen quietly.

When a student reads, Morales asks them to stand up and has the class focus on them. These acts may seem small but they have a big impact on making the students feel respected and listened to. If someone is being disrespectful, she politely admonishes the student and gets them in line quickly.

Yet at the same time, Morales creates a positive teaching environment in which every student is relaxed by a comfortable teaching pace and flexibility to conform to their individual needs.

Thinking about her students’ well-being, Morales expresses her concerns for the disappearances of important programs.

“We used to have a Health and Safety class, Career Pathways, and they had auto body shop last year,” Morales said. “These two programs are crucial in transitioning into adulthood.”

Morales is an example of a teacher who takes the time and care to apply equally distributed attention to all of her students.

Not at all teachers neglect students they deem disruptive or “unwilling to learn,” and actually ensure that students recieve the attention they need.

Students should make an attempt to understand the struggles that teachers go through. By doing this, teachers and students would be able to close the rift and then build the bridge that would connect them.

Books provide comforting escapes from reality Amanda Molina In my opinion, a majority of students are not really book enthusiasts and do not necessarily read out of enjoyment, because teachers and tutors make it necessary to do so. That was my case for many years as I loathed books. I was glued to the television for six hours a day, and my parents were not satisfied with my unhealthy addiction. On many occasions, they would say in a clearly bothered manner, “Why don’t you read instead?”

There was nothing to lose, so I gave it a go. From that day on, I have had the

fervor for reading.

Although many do not have the passion for books that I have inherited, their reasons are understandable.

Some suffer from dyslexia, which affects 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Dyslexia Research Institute. That is a pretty tough situation, considering that words are constantly overlapping each other’s paths; but in today’s world, nothing is impossible, especially with the creation of audio books. These allow you to listen to the words and let your mind and imagination do the rest.

Other than being dyslexic there are also those that might not understand

the text, and there is nothing wrong with that. People may think it has no meaning what so ever, but it’s is the magic of it all, finding the perfect genre that fits who you are and digging deep to find its true meaning.

People should take the task of reading as an adventurer. They should do some soul searching along the way if one has have not yet figured out what person he or she will aspire to be.

When reading non-fiction books, one should let the information stick to the brain like a magnet and never let it go.

When reading, allow your imagination to soar to new heights, run wild, and experience picturesque worlds.

Photo by Vanessa De La Rosa

Not really an angel

Angela Fong My way of life “What are you doing?” “Why are you dressed like that?”

As I donned a silvery, blue costume, put on a blue wig, and clipped on a matching set of blue, knee-length pigtails, I imagined myself being inundated with these types of questions.

No, these were not my Halloween preparations. In fact, I was dressing up as an anime character, an activity known as “cosplay.” Many avid fans of anime choose to cosplay, often spending much money and effort into carefully crafting their costumes to resemble the original anime characters as closely as possible.

As a first-time cosplayer, I faced many fears and doubts that other rookie cosplayers must have felt. Worried about what my peers would think of me, I was reluctant to let anyone know of my unusual hobby. My greatest fear was that people would point their fingers at me and laugh.

I feared that my decision to enter the fascinating world of cosplay would result in a barrage of piercing and judgmental stares. Worst-case scenarios raced through my mind, dampening my initial excitement.

My first anime convention, however, dissipated all of my fears and doubts.

At the convention, I was able to meet others who shared my love of cosplay and anime. I instantly felt at home amongst the friendly people who were proudly sporting their costumes. I was amazed to see that these other cosplayers did not seem to care about the opinions of others. It was then that I realized it did not matter what kind of negative opinions others may have formed about me. What mattered most was that I was doing what I loved and was having a great time.

Cosplay has enabled me to meet new people and become more outgoing. Prior to cosplaying, I was easily intimidated and feared the judgments of others.

Making the choice to cosplay allowed me to become less afraid of what others thought of me. Seeing the courage of other cosplayers inspired me to become a new person, someone who would no longer fear the judgments of my peers.

Becoming an anime character, if even for a day, is a surreal experience. It allows me to cast aside any remnants of my former self and embrace an entirely new identity. Creating my own costume allows for a sense of pride. Although the process of creating a costume is long and arduous, it can truly be called a “labor of love.”

I can say with confidence that the people I am able to meet at conventions are far from “normal.” Those unfamiliar with the world of anime would be quick to point fingers and judge. However, what inspires me the most is the fact that, through it all, these fellow cosplayers are able to emerge unscathed from the flood of harsh judgments. As a first-time cosplayer, I was frightened and meek, but seeing other cosplayers disregard the opinions of others and still be able to enjoy themselves fascinated me. In that moment, I resolved that I too, would strive to be like them, and cast aside all my self-consciousness and fear.

I choose to cosplay because it my my passion. Cosplay is not simply “dressing up;” it is a way of life.

OPINIONS Wi-fi provides beneficial needs for the students A n n i e H u ang I panicked as I went around asking for an American Literature book. I had just been notified of a test on the reading of The Crisis that we all should have done last night. Being the genius that I am, I swiftly swiped out my phone, turned on the Wi-Fi, and Googled “The Crisis Summary.” I let out a sound of victory as I silently thanked the lifesaving invention known as Wi-Fi. We have often been told to be grateful for the people who care about us, the food that we get every day, and most importantly, our education. Little have we been told to be grateful for the one thing that supports our essential needs, cures our everyday boredom, and willingly hands over the answers to our chemistry problems: Wi-Fi. I will never understand why people feel the need to password their Wi-Fi connections, but the wonderful feeling of being able to connect to Wi-Fi openly and freely just brings joy to my life.

Recently, a great number of students have found out about a new Wi-Fi installment at San Gabriel. Other than that, the administration has not been notifying students with news relating to the new technological improvements on the campus.

Despite the lack of notices, some students reacted positively to the new improvement. “[I think] it’s good thing because it’s a resource that you can go to when you need help with homework,” freshman Georgette Mora said.

However, there are also several flaws to the new Wi-Fi installment.

“The Wi-Fi system pretty much encourages students to bring laptops and other electronic devices, which is cool, since the idea was to encourage electronic use to assist in schoolwork or homework,” senior Chris Lew said. “Yet the faculty hasn’t been pushing for a widespread use of the system, so now you have people on their phones and whatnot, exploiting the Internet.”

In addition, the new Wi-Fi system blocks access of certain social networking sites and sites that the school deems inappropriate for students. As a result, some students feel that the Wi-Fi system is pointless due to the regulations of the school campus.

“If they don’t open it to all the sites, they should just shut it down because we’re not even supposed to be using our phones in school anyway,” junior Bicky Bui said.

Not only will the ability to utilize the Wi-Fi installment become a problem, but the continuation of the limited access to the Internet will also be on the line.

“Even though websites such as Facebook or Instagram are blocked, there are still loopholes within the Internet blocking system that the district needs to keep up with if they want to continue to block access to websites unrelated to school work,” Lew said.

The problem that Lew suggested is not uncommon; The Los Angeles Unified School District recently put a $1 billion effort to provide iPads to every single student in the school district. It took exactly one week for students at Theodore Roosevelt High School, who were the first to receive the $700 devices, to hack through security in order to gain full access to unauthorized websites on their school-issued iPads. As a result, the plan to distribute an iPad in the hands of every student in the school district was delayed, and more advanced security measures regarding the access of the iPads will be taken by the school district.

It’s a good thing that students nowadays are able to benefit from the technological advancements provided by the school.

However, failure to maintain their responsibility as students can rid them of their privileges.

Illustration by Emmanuel Maresca

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

6

Court selection stirs controversy S onny H y

Homecoming court in its current incarnation can be interchanged with the term popularity contest.

The purpose of a court is to recognize the capability of students who have established a reputation of respect and admiration from underclassmen, staff, and administrators. However, the current system that we have supports throwing themselves shamelessly at others in a desperate attempt to gravel hard-earned votes wins.

Voting is an essential part of any court. Voting allows students to decide who most represents their interests and their beliefs. The reason why interviews are vital to this process is because it allows the people who are decided to be the best representative for various students show that they deserve the position.

There is no difficulty in filling out an application. There is difficulty in the screaming contest that has become of voting, where the candidates who can spread out their message of “Plz vote 4 me thx” and “Hey I am running for homecoming plz vote 4 me.” The majority of students do not vote; how does a homecoming court represent the respect of students if the students are not even voting? Only 500 students voted for the initial round of Homecoming Court, with number decreasing to 300 for the King and Queen round. Facebook posts, Instagram pictures, Tweets, Snapchats and any other social media outlet floods the consciousness of every student that is within grasp of these candidates. It is impossible for any of these candidates to have the fair chance that they deserve when they run for court.

If we were to just leave this system to its own being then the name might as well be renamed “Who can market themselves the best?”

The entire process must be revamped; every person deserves an equal chance to win the honor of being celebrated upon a stage as grand as Homecoming Court.

The honor of standing in front of our entire roaring audience, filled with cheer and merriment, and being n a m e d the year ’s homecoming queen and homecoming king. These honors must be held with the utmost standards.

Merely screaming and pleading for votes has accredited Homecoming Court with a general distaste among senior Kyle Che and Angie Lin ,”did not care about homecoming court,” but felt that ,”it only meant something to the people running.”

The voting process should capitalize upon each candidate’s achievements and involvement in San Gabriel High School; merely listing what they joined and were in gives a very narrow perspective of the character of each candidate. When all votes are processed, the top five who would best represent characters that have devoted themselves into San Gabriel enough to call it home are then interviewed by a council of teachers as well as students.

These combined perspectives would allow each candidate Illustration by Cassandra Chen to show their passion towards San Gabriel and their contributions, as well as disqualify candidates who do not display the characteristic ambition for their school that they supposedly call “home.”

If this does not change, then homecoming court will just be another popularity contest for self-gratification and pointless congratulations. This change is necessary for students to respect Homecoming Court and regard it as an honor, a distinction that the princes, princesses, king and queen are all inspirational role models for the student body.

Misconceptions of ObamaCare cause backlash by these insurance companies.

When President Obama signed this health care Some people outright criticize ObamaCare, also reform bill on Mar. 23, 2010, the enraged Republicans known as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, automatically composed a plan to spread propaganda without understanding its beneficial policies that will aid with the assistance of Fox News to disparage the new law. our healthcare’s most horrendous problems.

Fox News accepted the request and continuously Americans must acquire ObamaCare by Jan. 1st, 2014, chastised ObamaCare by spreading misleading but they will have the option to stay with their current information to manipulate the minds of the viewers. healthcare plan, pay a monthly fee (Individual Mandate) Since some men’s insurance premiums will rise under ObamaCare, some people assume that it discriminates if they are without insurance, or obtain an exemption.

Some avaricious insurance companies focus on against women, even though it is doing the opposite.

“ObamaCare is sticking it to the men,” Fox News host generating profit, not caring for a person’s well-being.

They discriminate anyone who would waste their Elisabeth Hasselbeck said. valuable money due to expensive coverage, especially Hasselbeck’s statement obscures the fact that women with pre-existing conditions.

ObamaCare wishes to reverse gender discrimination, Most insurance companies could deny coverage to and it also proves how ignorant some people can be. women and even charge them more due to pre-existing ObamaCare then becomes slandered as an aversive new conditions, such as being pregnant. Many women were policy that “discriminates against women.” With these denied coverage due to being a victim of rape, being a unproven comments, some people automatically paint breast cancer survivor, and a C-section participant. They ObamaCare in a negative light and seem to never seek could also be charged more than men simply due to their the truth afterwards. gender, and their maternity care fees would most likely “Obamacare represents the ‘largest tax increase in not be covered at all. The National Women’s Law Center the history of the world’,” Charlotte Bergmann, the found that 92 percent of the best-selling insurance plans Republican businesswoman said. charged women more than men and that only 3 percent The bill is being misrepresented as a vicious law of maternal plans are covered by private insurance to suppress the American people when it is trying to companies. In Arkansas, one plan charges 25-year-old do the opposite. Actually, ObamaCare reduces the women 81 percent more than men for coverage, costs of premiums to families and small businesses, while a similar plan in the same state charges providing billions of dollars in tax relief, which saves women 10 percent more for coverage than men. thousands of dollars in taxes for millions of middle ObamaCare tackles these problems by requiring class Americans. insurance companies to ensure health Information to sabotage ObamaCare has care plans for every American citizen convinced some ignorant Americans to regardless of their gender and health detest the bill. People need to stop believing status; it also requires companies such degrading comments. There is to cover maternal plans and to no reason to label ObamaCare as a eliminate the atrocious policy cancer when all it aims to do is of charging women more. It rids aid the people who have been the atrocious gender rating that exploited for years by insurance pervades the nation, which truly companies. It makes me seeks to help women from being shunned Illustration by Cassandra Chen wonder what the real “cancer” is here.

Tran Lam

7

OPINIONS

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Costumes have become provocative Halloween costumes for females have become way too provocative. They went from being considered cute or scary to sexy and provoking, and they seem to be getting worse. Costumes used to have names such as “Rainbow Ballerina” or “Purple Witch,” but now they have names such as “Twerking Teddy” and “Naughty Sheriff.” Not only do they have inappropriate names, but the accessories included are unsuitable. The majority of these accessories include corsets, fishnets, other types of sexy leggings, and high heels.

Halloween costumes have also become inappropriate for the age group they are designed for, especially teen costumes.

Teenage girl costumes are almost exactly the same as costumes for women, which means teen costumes are short, tight, and sexy.

When Halloween costumes are compared to costumes from the 1980’s, the change is clear. Male costumes are usually one piece suits with masks, which is the same thing it was 30 years ago. Females on the other hand went from having simple

dresses to short, tight fitted costumes.

Many people wearing these costumes feel that these costumes are appropriate to wear. Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs, two Halloween costume designers, feel that the more skin a female shows, the better.

“Sometimes you have to show a little skin,” Cushnie and Ochs said in a Harper’s Bazaar article.

Not everybody agrees with the belief that females have to show skin. Many women actually feel uncomfortable with showing their bodies. Designers should keep this in mind when creating such revealing costumes for women.

Although it is a female’s choice whether she chooses to wear a provocative costume, she should still consider how unfitting the costume is.

“I do not think any females should wear such provoking costumes,” junior Ambar Stern said. “We should have respect for ourselves.”

It seems unfair that a female’s options of Halloween costumes have become so limited in the past few year, while men have a wide variety of appropriate costumes. It seems unfair that women are subjugated to “sexy” outfits. Despite this, females

should still consider other options. It is not necessary to purchase provoking costumes.

A female can make her own or look for a costume she feels comfortable in.

Almost every online website for Halloween costumes contain a category titled “sexy costumes.” In this section, females find revealing costumes.

It has become extremely popular in the last few years.

Female costumes have changed vastly in the past few years.

Females now have limited choices because designers make the costumes too revealing.

Halloween costume designers need to stop making costumes so provocative and vary their designs and allow women to have more choices.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR “Childhood stars sever origins” My name is Kiana Sauredo and I’m a freshman here at San Gabriel High School. I just recently read “The Matador” newspaper and I might say, this is a really good newspaper.

Although, I think it could use some improvements. For example, on one of the articles.

One article I want to talk to you about is “Childhood stars severe origins.” I personally think that you should have had a few more pictures of the celebrities and what they did in the past. For example, what shows they were on, what kind of music they made, etc.

Also, I believe that you could’ve had more input from the students and/or staff because it is a “school” newspaper.

But other than that, overall, this was a really well-written newspaper. I really enjoyed it. Thank you very much.

Sincerely, Kiana Sauredo-Moreno, 9th grade

“Should cheerleading be considered a sport?”

After reading the article “Should cheerleading be considered a sport?” by Ileana Perez in the September 25th 2013 issue of the Matador states that cheerleading should be considered a sport, I couldn’t agree more with that statement.

Cheerleading requires a lot of hard work and dedication.

Being a cheerleader myself, I know what it takes to be one.

We don’t just “dance around” like most people think. It upsets me to know that’s how people see us cheerleaders.

We actually devote our time and effort to support the school, which most people don’t realize. Cheerleaders don’t just laugh, stretch, and dance around during practice. Practice is very serious for us. It’s a time to do what you have to do and make it better.

I am not just saying these things because I am a cheerleader. I’m saying them because it’s the truth. Most people don’t understand what we go through. We work hard and push ourselves to do the best that we can.

Sincerely,

Nicole Marie Gali, 9th grade

To read more Letters to the Editor, visit our website at www.thematadorsghs.com

Editors-in-Chief

Steven Ho Oscar Molina Chelsey Tran Kristy Duong Rebecca Lei Opinions Editors Vanessa De La Rosa Lauren Kakazu Focus Editor Sonny Hy Life and Art Editors Derrick Chi Annie Huang Sports Editors Marvin Luu John Truong Features Editors Maggie Cheng Crystal Wong Copy Editors Chelsea Huynh Mimi Lam Christopher Lan Richard Yue Photo Editor Derek Deng Artists Cassandra Chen Annie Huang Emmanuel Maresca John Truong Business Managers Carolina Garcia Ileana Perez Website Editor Tran Lam Blogs Manager Judy Tang Photographer Derek Deng Adviser Jennifer Kim Reporters: Kathering Montelon, Hanfrey Deng, Angela Fong, Vanessa Huang, Frank Lieu, Carolina Loaisiga, Amanda Molina, Cynthia Navarro, Jennifer Thai, Justin Toyomitsu, Erin Truong, Anthony Yang, and Amy Yee Managing Editor News Editors

The Matador is a public forum for student expression and highly encourages responses in reaction to issues discussed in the paper. Submit comments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested), to H-2, or Ms. Kim’s mailbox.

The Matador is published monthly by the journalism staff of San Gabriel High School. 1,600 copies per issue are published at American Foothill Publishing Co., Inc. The opinions and views expressed in The Matador do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the school or the Alhambra School District. The Matador and the Alhambra Unified School District do not endorse the vendors advertised in this paper.

Illustration by Cassandra Chen

I l e a n a P e re z

Mo’ than a number

Oscar Molina Work hard, play hard Balance is key. A balanced diet. A balanced chemical equation. Or even balanced sound in marching band. Balance is essential to having an enjoyable life; for if the balance tips, the whole ship can flip over.

Although my life hasn’t completely turned upside down like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I haven’t been able to maintain the balance I desire between sleep, grades, and “me time.” Of these three I have only been able to fully obtain one, grades. Most people see me as “that smart Latino guy who is involved in everything.” Although I am proud of the academic success I have achieved at San Gabriel, I am disappointed that I have had to sacrifice so many other valuable experiences along the way.

Most people would expect late nights, a 4.71 GPA, and busy weekends from me, but most wouldn’t expect me to have any feelings of loneliness. I try to go through every school day with a smile and an optimistic attitude. I try to avoid getting upset and frustrated with others. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but no matter how bad I feel inside, I still try to remain positive. My only hope is that others will also be happy. I see other’s joy as my energy source. I see other’s sadness and problems as a challenge.

When I was younger I used to just start tearing up in front of my bathroom mirror because I missed my family. I knew that they were there right around the corner alive and healthy, but at the slightest thought of life without them I immediately began to panic and breakdown.

These were the thoughts that made me begin trying to do everything I could with my time and with the people I cared for. That is when I began to question the reason and value behind everything I was doing.

We go through our lives always thinking of the future, but how can we be certain it will be there. We go through high school working hard, so we can go to college, and in turn have a successful career. This is how I have lived my life for the past three years, and in the process I have missed out on times I cannot bring back, unless of course I develop a time machine. You have to work diligently, but you also need to consider what will make you happy and allow you to enjoy life. You can’t kill yourself working if you aren’t going to have any fun with life. By the time you finally lift your head up, everything will have already passed by. One can feel rich and important simply by surrounding themselves with loved ones.

For example, I’ve missed the opportunity of going out and chilling with my friends multiple times because I decided that I was going to stay home and do homework. I know that I’m not big on socializing and hanging out, but now I regret not having gone. As Barbara Bush said, “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.” Those tiny moments of joy and bliss can amount to so much significance in your life.

I have worked hard, and I will continue to work hard, whether it be on a test or trying to make someone laugh, but I will do more than just that. I will live, thrive, and experience.

FOCUS

THE MATADOR

The lack of sex education at San Gabriel has brought to the spotlight many questions that remain unanswered about sex for many uninformed students Story by Sonny Hy and Vanessa De La Rosa. Graphics by Sonny Hy and Jennifer Thai

With 92 percent of San Gabriel High School students supporting the implementation of a sex education course, it is apparent that students want to be educated about their bodies.

Sex is prevalent in various parts of society, as it is prominent in our culture, our thinking, and ourselves. The advertisements of Victoria’s Secret, the lyrics of Lil Wayne songs, the imagery of Nicki Minaj, chivalry, and purity are all examples of sexuality in our lives.

Compared to other teenagers in the Netherlands, Germany, and France, who engage in sex at the average of the late 17’s, early 16’s, and late 16’s, respectively, teenagers in the United States engage in sexual activity in their late 15’s, according to the Advocates for Youth in Washington, DC. Despite all of this sexuality in our lives, students are being denied a sex education class.

When are you ready for sex?

Elizabeth Heubeck, of WebMD.com, knows, ”there is no formula,” to deciding when to have sex; however, she does know that, “engaging in sexual activity results in many emotional consequences for both parties usually.” There is no true way to decide when to begin sexual activity, but both partners engaging in the activity must ensure that they are ready and inclined to do so, understanding both the risk factors and consequences while remaining completely sure and confident in their decision. If your partner continually asks

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

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for sex from you and you feel you are not ready, it is perfectly okay to say no. If they cannot respect your wishes and are forcing you into sex, then you should consult with a parent or friend and tell them that you are being forced to make an decision that you do not feel comfortable about.

Sexually transmitted disease and students One consequence of sex is sexually transmitted diseases, or STDS. The most common types of STDs, are gonorrhea, genital herpes, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS) and the human papilloma virus (HPV). Gonorrhea causes unusual discharge and painful or difficult urination and has affected 820,000 people; genital herpes causes irritable watery blisters wherever contact is made; HIV/ AIDS destroys the body’s immune system, making one prone to uncommon illnesses and certain types of cancer; the human papilloma virus causes genital warts in the infected regions and, in some cases, cancer of the cervix and penis.

According to the American Sexual Health Association, the human papilloma virus has so far affected 14.1 million people, making it the number one most contracted sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Almost half of 19 million sexually transmitted diseases are among people aged 15 to 24 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found in 2004; the CDC also found that 8,300 people aged 13 to 24 had been infected with HIV in 2009. The Guttmatcher Institute correlated decreasing rates of gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia among young people to preventative programs, active screening for STDs, increasing access to diagnosis and treatment services. The HPV vaccine stops the two most common types of HPV that cause genital warts and cervical cancer.

Students ensure their own sexual health by taking this vaccine.

Although many of these diseases do not have effective cures, there are many ways to prevent them from forming in the first place. The first and most effective way to prevent STDs is being abstinent and refraining from participation in sexual activity, . The second most effective way is to use a condom; they significantly reduce the risk of infections and STDs. For people who have already contracted the HPV virus, using condoms “promotes

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THE MATADOR

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

the regression of HPV lesions in both women and men.” Another way of preventing the contraction of STDs is to review your partner’s medical history as well as your own,and to ensure that you are both clean before engaging in sexual activity. Senior Ruby Nguyen felt that, ”we need to know about STDs because it is a growing problem in the world and we cannot be left out of the loop.”

Understanding teenage pregnancy Teenage pregnancy is a major issue that teenagers are dealing with today as a result of unsafe sex. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 400,000 thousand teenage girls, aged from 15 to 19, gave birth in 2009. Students must understand the consequences of having sex without using contraceptives or taking precautions. The inability to get any of these resources are remedied by institutions such as Planned Parenthood that provide free condoms to anyone who needs them. Abortion is the process of terminating a pregnancy. According to a survey by Guttmatcher, 26 percent of teenage pregnancies are aborted and 59 percent are birthed in 2008. San Gabriel High School must educate students about the consequences of sex, providing a neutral, informational viewpoint of sex, allowing students to form their own ideas and values of sex while also respecting the decision of parents. Senior Cynthia Olvera thinks, ”Teenage pregnancy is an issue among teenagers and these people need to be educated about how to take precaution and understanding the risks they are taking when not using any protection.”

Sex culture Sex remains a cornerstone of our lives. Losing your virginity merely means that you had sex for the first time. Keeping your virginity is up to the value of the individual which varies independently between morals, religion, and independence; however, it is always the decision of the individual whether to keep their virginity.

Peer pressure and expectations confound the psyche of teenagers and youth alike. A

FOCUS

recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that one in three teenage males felt pressure to have sexual activity as soon as possible, while only 23 percent of females said they felt pressure to have sexual activity. The idea of being cool and becoming part of the crowd, instead of sticking out and being different, pressures people into doing activities that they would never have done without being pushed and forced into it.

The value of sex has become a controversial topic across the globe. Sarah Brown, director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, said, “Sex is extremely intimate and to some of these young people apparently it is not much.” David Walsh, author and psychologist, believes sex has become, ”a kind of recreational activity that is separate from a close, personal relationship.” Sex can be seen from multiple perspectives; some people view it as a process that should only occur between two willing partners who have consented; some see it as something only between a married couple; some believe that it is a precious activity only between two people who love each other; some perceive sex as just another activity to do. The value of sex is something that must be decided by an individual’s perception and beliefs.

Why do we need sex education?

San Gabriel High School must educate students about their bodies to prevent pressure and discrimination to occur. Sex education is nonexistent with two exceptions in freshman year and senior year. Some students do not know how sexually transmitted diseases are transferred. Freshman Shirley Dinh was surprised to find out the truth about how these diseases are transmitted: contact with any bodily fluids from an infected person. The two events that are supposed to teach students sex education is lackluster in its performance and meanings. Senior Emily Chang, however, thought the event was informative and helpful, while sophomore Justine Corona felt angry that she had not received sex education from the event. School nurse Karen Carrillo said that the school would, ”no doubt [about it],” benefit from a sex education class.

Ultimately, students must know that they have various options. However, students are not being educated about these choices currently.

LIFE &ART Pieology favors customers’ choices Derrick Chi

Unlike the usual local pizza parlors, Pieology Pizzeria stands out more by offering customers the freedom to choose exactly what goes on their pizza, similar to the style of other fast-food chain restaurants such as Chipotle or Subway.

When my two friends and I first walked in the restaurant, I could instantly smell the pizza aroma coming from the kitchen. Inside the restaurant, there were many clean tables and seats for customers to sit. Customers also had the option to sit outside. The restaurant was really clean, and its noise level was not loud at all.

The menu included various toppings that the customers had the option to add onto their pizzas. Besides toppings, customers also had the option to choose what kind of sauce they would like on their pizza. There were red sauce, herb butter, and olive oil. We decided to get the red sauce. Next stop, the cheese. Pieology offered four kind of cheeses: mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, and gorgonzola. Although we did not know half of the four cheeses that were mentioned, we all decided to stick with mozzarella. After the cheese were the toppings. The toppings looked fresh, especially the vegetables. When we were choosing our toppings, we were surprised at the amount we had on our pizza. We asked for extra toppings and were not charged additional fee, so we were pretty content.

After waiting about 10 minutes or so, the worker brought our two pizzas to our table. The pizza was thin-crusted and easy to bite into. The best thing about the pizza was that it was not as greasy as other pizzas in other restaurants. After a good half an hour or so, we finished devouring our pizzas and were completely satisfied. Although both of the pizzas were medium-sized, they filled the stomachs of three people.

Despite the distance of Pieology, the food and the customer service were excellent. The casual restaurant did not fail to provide succulent pizza to its customers. Next time, we will be sure to try other options such as their signature pizzas along with their gluten-free crusts. Creating your own pizza with unlimited toppings for a price of only $7.50 is so much more worth it than going anywhere else for pizza.

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THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

‘LoL’ comes to life at Staples Center R ichard Yue Thousands of fans lined up in front of the Staples Center and millions watched online as the season 3 League of Legends world champion was crowned on Oct. 4. In a trademark arena home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, and Kings, a sold-out crowd of 18,000 attended the championship series hosted by Riot Games and eSports.

The game features two teams of five players continuously battling against each other, grabbing objectives and kills throughout the game in order to reach the other’s base and destroy the nexus, which wins the game.

Following the championship tournament, consisting of 14 teams that went head to head with one another for nearly a month, the top two teams emerged to face each other in a best-of-five series at the finals. Doors to the arena opened at 6 p.m., giving fans approximately two hours to enjoy the festivities before the games started at 8 p.m..

The event was action-packed all evening, with League of Legend celebrities and Riot employees roaming around inside Staples Center, meeting and greeting fans.

As part of their appreciation, merchandise was distributed to every fan at the door, which included a skin code, T-shirt, and a mini-statue of a champion, Ezreal.

“I felt that the event gave off a good vibe because I was around a whole crowd of people sharing the same interest as me,” junior Robert Lam said.

Prior to the games, a pregame show took place, featuring the artists of League of Legends music performing songs.

All the hype led up to the showcase between the top two teams, and the crowd

erupted as Korea’s SKT Telecom T1 defeated China’s Royal Club to win the championship, and the prize pool of $1 million.

After the games finished, an awards ceremony took place, crowning the Korean team as the champions of season three.

The enormous prize money and Riot’s ability to host the event at a renowned facility displayed the true roots of the growing game, which boasts 12 million daily players.

“I feel that the game is exponentially getting more popular and will stay popular for a few more years,” Lam said.

With such annual spectacles, League of Legends competes to dominate the gaming world, and their enormous fanbase will look forward to progress in the game, as well as the next world championship.

Image courtesy of image1.redbull.com

The League of Legends Final Championship Series was hosted at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 4 with a roaring audience in attendance that cheered constantly.

‘GTA V’ steals active consumers such as new mission planning choices, which offer alternatives, or another “Plan Los Santos, a huge fictional sprawling B,” in order to pull off heists and robbermetropolis based on the city of Los Angeles, ies, three main protagonists that allows is the new destination of the fifth main edi- players to jump between them whenever tion of the 3-D, third person, open world, they choose to, a weapon wheel that aland action-adventure game series, Grand lows hardcore gamers to quickly and conveniently pick their weapon of choice and Theft Auto.

Video game developer Rockstar North an online version of the game that allows elaborates on the elements of modern-day gamers to interact and connect with others Los Angeles and a vast underwater sea for a multiplayer experience.

“It’s fun and very action-packed,” world beneath the depths of Grand Theft Auto V(GTA V). Rockstar North exerts sophomore Andrew Moc said. “Best GTA its hard work with precise details and ex- yet.”

Grand Theft Auto V not only causes traordinary graphics in the game, spending about 250,000 hours of video and all the hype and excitement for the anticipation of the photo footage, release, but also converting lives up to it, them into sevmaking many eral accurate highly anticidescriptions pated gamers and interprebelieve that the tations of Los game is actuAngeles neighally better than borhoods, what many have scenery, and been expecting environment for, pushing the incorporating Game DevelCompton, the opers ConferHollywood ence to name Sign, Beverly Image courtesy of shefoni.com this game the Hills, Santa Monica Beach ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ released on Sept. 17 2013 Game of the and its Pier as and was available at game stores including Year despite its well as gangs Gamestop and Best Buy. It is available on Play current availability to Play Staand drug deal- Station 3 and Xbox 360 game consoles. tion 3 and Xbox ers loitering on street corners, and police searchlights and 360 users.

With another GTA edition, maysirens cutting through the night. now players will not have to “We spoke to FBI agents that had been be undercover, experts in the Mafia, street crank out the old GTA IV and deal gangsters who know the slang,” Vice Presi- with the annoying nag to go “bowldent of Creativity of Rockstar Games, Dan ing with Roman”, an in-game feature Houser, said during an interview with The of the last segment of the series, where the Guardian. “We even went to see a proper protagonist’s best friend pesters him to go bowling all the time, which has made prison.”

In addition to GTA V’s vast map of Los many people very irritated during their Santos, it also introduces new features, playing experience.

Fr ank Lieu

Pieology Pizzeria opened new locations in Fullerton, Irvine, Northridge, and many more.

Location: 17525 Colima Rd., City of Industry, CA 91748 Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm, Sun 11am-9pm Price: $7.50 and above Rating: Photos by Derrick Chi

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THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

‘Glee’ honors Monteith was singing, it felt real. I felt how much she loved Finn and Cory.”

Many tears were shed when the hit Murphy and the other two Glee cotelevision series Glee released its tribute creators, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, episode on Oct. 10 for the late actor Cory wrote the episode without revealing how Monteith, titled “The Quarterback.” The Monteith’s character died. Some fans episode gave the cast and fans the closure would have wanted to know what could that was needed to say goodbye to Mon- have happened to cause the beloved quarteith, who was loved by many people. I terback’s downfall, but others believed believe that this episode was one of the that the writers made the right decision best out of all five seasons; the acting was to leave out the cause of his death. superb, the musical performances were “I actually thought that it was still a heartbreaking, and the writers did not great episode because it focused more on reveal how Monteith’s character, Finn those who were close to Finn, how he dealt Hudson, died but focused on remember- with it and how great of a person he really ing the person that he was. was,” freshman Ivy Ly said.

Many of the The viewers scenes in the epwere reminded isode were from that it did not the first take of matter how Finn, every perforincluding Monmance because teith, died. In it was emotionone scene of the ally hard for the episode, Glee accast and crew to tor Chris Colfer’s film it. character spoke “I’ve never of the character’s seen a crew that death. can’t continue “Everyone shooting bewants to talk cause they’ve about how he left the room died, too, but sobbing. It was who cares? One very hard,” moment in his Glee co-creator life,” Colfer said Image courtesy of blogcdn.com as Kurt HumRyan Murphy said, according Episode 3 of ‘Glee’ season 5, “The Quarterback,” mel. “I care about t o t h e H o l l y - features a tribute made by fellow ‘Glee’ members how he lived.” wood Reporter. to the death of Finn Hudson, played by Monteith.

Monteith “I struggled even passed away beworking on it because what you are see- cause of a drug overdose in July, but this ing is what they felt not just about Finn episode focused not on how he died but but Cory.” how he lived as “the quarterback” to the One of the highlight performances in cast and crew. the episode was when Monteith’s girl“Cory really was [the quarterback] friend and Glee co-star Lea Michele sang to that group of people – and to me parAdele’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You ticularly,” Murphy said, according to the Feel My Love.” Michele’s performance in- Hollywood Reporter. “Cory obviously evitably brought many of her fans to tears. struggled with it, but never on the sur“It was one of my favorite scenes,” se- face, and I think that’s why everybody nior Henry Tran said. “The whole time she loved him.”

LIFE &ART

New October television shows entertain viewers The season premiere of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland takes viewers on a spin-off of Once Upon a Time. The episode opens with young Alice reappearing in the real world, believed to have gone insane with her stories about Wonderland. Adult Alice goes back and forth between her times in Wonderland and the real world Both worlds collide when she is driven back by romance to Wonderland to face the Red Queen and find her lost love. The visual effects were astounding, capturing the essence of nature in a fantasy land. Although this spin-off is generally romance-driven, hopefully the plot will thicken and give the show more substance.

L a u re n K a k a z u

Image courtesy of 3.bp.blogspot.com

-Judy Tang A new superhero franchise on ABC centers around the Marvel universe and the special force organization “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” a league of young superheroes fighting against other worldly forces. Agent Phil Coulson must lead a new age of young superhumans with unique abilities to victory against villains plotting to destroy mankind. This action-packed new series has aired across the country with a total of three episodes since its debut on Sept. 24, and has caught the attention of Marvel comics’ fans both young and old. The emerging franchise has had a positive reception among an eager audience, and fans have great expectations.

Image courtesy of bubblews.com

-Emmanuel Maresca Most families do not stay alive for thousands of centuries. Embarking on a revengeful quest, Klaus Mikaelson the Original Hybrid seeks New Orleans for answers of his authority defiance.

The Originals plays as a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries that focuses mainly on the original vampires. This series takes on a more serious tone. I believe it definitely takes out the high school theatrics that were in The Vampire Diaries. However, some scenes are overly-dramatic. I thought The Originals would already have a more significant quest on their hands; therefore the scene would not be necessary. A mature audience seems to be its target.

Image courtesy of 3.bp.blogspot.com

-Mimi Lam

Top to Bottom: “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “The Originals”

The Last Bookstore cultivates literary culture in Downtown Los Angeles Va n e s s a De L a R o s a With its vast, seemingly infinite variety of new and used books, the Last Bookstore in Los Angeles offers a comforting venue for both book lovers and literature enthusiasts alike. The name itself is an indication of the decline of physical books in modern society, and the store acts as an emblem of the literary culture that still thrives in Downtown Los Angeles.

The first floor consists primarily of several shelves assorted into various genres, ranging from contemporary fiction to classics and art to history. Couches and comfortable chairs can be found all throughout the store, offering customers peace and tranquility with their favorite book. To the farthest right, there is a mini platform for various events and performances the Last Bookstore hosts on a daily basis such as various appearances of famous authors, poets, and actors and other events like their “Speak Easy: Open Mic Mondays” at 8 p.m. where artists, comedians, or writers can express themselves. An immeasurable assortment of vinyl records can also be found on the first floor, including a wide selection of music genres.

On top of the first floor resides “The Labyrinth” of books, a catacomb of books priced at $1. Located there are thousands of books on various subjects, and they also have the

famous colored bookshelves, where they organize the books by color and create a distinct contrast to regularly organized bookshelves.

Tiny stores can also be found on the second floor, usually pertaining to artwork by original artists that you can actually buy, a yarn store where they can actually teach one how to knit, and vintage stores that contain particulars of the past.

One of the main components in the beauty and distinctive appearance of the Last Bookstore is its aesthetic construction and design. All throughout the store are intricate models and decorations composed of old books. The very counter where you can purchase your books is made of stacked books; there is a unique structure hanging on the wall made entirely of old books, and on several windows there are old books acting as birds and pages that seem to fly away from the books they once came from.

The Last Bookstore is the epitome of literary and artistic culture. Upon entering, one can see the utmost effort they exerted into the making and expansion of the store and their love for books, the arts, and literature. According to their website, the Last Bookstore hopes to stay as long as they can in Downtown Los Angeles’s constantly changing community.

The Last Bookstore, located in Downtown Los Angeles features many books that have escaped the ravages of time. Prices are extremely affordable while providing a massive assortment of books that sate the taste of many readers and authors alike.

Location: 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles.

Photos by Vanessa De La Rosa

SPORTS FO O T B A LL VARSITY 9/20 @ Beverly Hills 13-6 W 9/27 vs. Rosemead 30-9 L 10/11 vs. Schurr 0-47 L 10/18 vs. Montebello 42-0 L FRESHMAN 9/19 vs. Beverley Hills 68-31 L 9/26 vs. Rosemead 68-0 L 10/10 @ Schurr 6-53 L 10/17 @ Montebello 0-58 L

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

CROSS COUNTRY

GIRLS TENNIS

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

10/ 2 @ Le gg L a k e VA R S ITY B oy s - 5th G ir ls - 6th FR OS H- S OP H B oy s - 3rd G ir ls - 2nd

VARSITY 9/19 vs. Alhambra 14-4 W 9/24 @ Schurr 10-8 W 10/1 vs. Mark Keppel 7-11 W 10/3 @ Montebello 16-2 W 10/8 @ Alhambra 10-8 W 10/10 vs. Schurr 10-8 W 10/17 @ Mark Keppel 4-12 L

VARSITY 10/3 @ Bell Gardens 10/8 vs. Mark Keppel 10/10 @ Montebello 10/15 @ Alhambra 10/17 @ Schurr 10/19 SG/Gab Tourn.

3-1 3-0 3-0 3-0 3-0 2nd

W W W W W

JV 10/3 @ Bell Gardens 10/8 vs. Mark Keppel 10/10 @ Montebello 10/15 @ Alhambra 10/17 @ Schurr

1-2 2-0 2-0 2-0 0-2

L W W W L

JV 9/19 @ Alhambra 9/24 vs. Schurr 10/1 @ Mark Keppel 10/3 vs. Montebello 10/8 vs. Alhambra 10/10 @ Schurr 10/17 vs. Mark Keppel

13-5 15-3 7-11 13-5 15-3 15-3 14-4

W W L W W W W

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FRESHMAN 10/3 @ Bell Gadens 10/8 vs. Mark Keppel 10/10 @ Montebello 10/15 @ Alhambra 10/17 @ Schurr

0-2 2-0 0-2 2-0 2-0

L W L W W

Schoolin’ on and off the court: teacher athletes Eric Hendrickson As a ninth grader at San Marino High School, San Gabriel history teacher Eric Hendrickson tried out and successfully made the cuts for the freshmen basketball team. From then on, he went to go play for the sophomore, junior varsity, and varsity teams.

“Basketball was the most important experience I ever had,” Hendrikson said. “During the darkest times of my life, my ability to thrive in adversity and to deal with tough situations [was all learned through basketball].”

Hendrickson recalls having to struggle to receive playing time in his first year as a high school basketball player.

“In my freshman year, I was the last person on the bench,” Hendrickson said. “I would only

play for a minute at the end of games.”

He later was able to prove himself when he received the All-Tournament award at a junior varsity basketball tournament that was hosted at San Gabriel High School.

Despite his height setback of being 5 foot 10, he was able to play an illustrious basketball season that included a team record 18 for 22 free throws and the team co-Most Valuable Player award.

After high school, Hendrickson received his college degree and then came to San Gabriel High School to teach history. During this time, he received his first coaching stint as the head coach of the junior varsity basketball team. In his first year, his team went 22-1, winning the Foothill League championship. Along with his junior varsity coaching job, he also went to coach the varsity team as well.

Georgia Daniels Most people are unaware of English teacher Georgia Daniels’ dancing life in high school and college years.

She explains that after Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational institutions, she was able to flower and discover her talent through participating in choreography during junior high school.

Daniels recalls how her mother preferred that she succeed in orchestra and was against the idea of joining the dance team. Acknowledging Daniels’ talent, her dance coach took her mother aside to convince her that Daniels should continue her participation in dance lessons.

Ryan Wong While some would quit any strenuous activity after one year, science teacher Ryan Wong played tennis from his sophomore to senior year as a student at San Gabriel High School. Within these three years, Wong also dedicated his time to the school newspaper and Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

Back then, it was unheard of for someone to quit a sport. If one were to do such an activity, they “didn’t come out very well in terms of how they finished high school.” Wong was influenced by his friends to join, enjoying their company, going on Boba runs, eating out for dinner, and being active outdoors.

“Being committed helps you as a person,” Wong said. “You can’t just keep changing your mind.”

While most people enjoy residing in the cool-

“I was the President of the Modern Dance Club,” Daniels said. “I also sang in Choir and Madrigal during my junior high school years.”

Daniels focused on choreography by creating marvelous dance moves for her team. Advancing her career, Daniels received a master’s degree from UCLA in dance.

“It was a two year masters program,” she said.

“There was a thesis involved.”

During her years at UCLA, she assisted people, who were mentally challenged or hurt in therapy, by emotionally relieving them through her dancing. She emphasized dance by explaining that it helps people freely express themselves through movements, rather than strict and limited words.

aired gym, Wong preferred the nature of being outdoors. He would say that would be the highlight of his experience as a tennis player.

“Most of the time in high school you’re studying, and everything was indoors,” Wong said.

“You want to do something on your own time even if it was just a sport on a high school team; at least, you’re out there having fun.

Wong encourages students to be part of the athletic community as he did from his own experiences.

“Being in a sport gives you the skills to work with others, being able to work on improving yourself all the time never being happy with who you are,” Wong said.

Although he did not continue playing tennis throughout his college years because of his busy schedule, he regrets not sticking with the sport.

Wong made a couple of sacrifices in his college career, and tennis ended up as being one of them.

Valerie Sumi An avid fan of the Lakers, biology and chemistry teacher Valerie Sumi’s passion for basketball began when she participated in the junior varsity girls basketball team at Dorsey High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, starting at the point guard position.

Sumi became involved with sports for multiple reasons, such as having the

opportunity to be active while being with friends.

“Playing basketball gave me a chance to relieve some of the stress from [the] heavy academic load I was carrying in high school,” Sumi said. “[It also allowed me to] interact socially with my many friends.”

Although she currently doesn’t participate in sports, Sumi lives an active lifestyle at home by walking and jogging

on the treadmill, or using gym equipment. She believes that students should be involved in sports because they help maintain good cardiovascular health.

All Briefs compiled by Mimi Lam, Oscar Molina, Justin Toyomitsu, and John Truong. All photos by Derek Deng.

To read sports rccaps, visit www.thematadorsghs.com

SPORTS

Football player Rigo Sanchez overcomes troubles J o h n Tru o n g Despite the difficult circumstances that have been placed upon senior varsity football player Rigo Sanchez, he has learned to overcome many of these hardships to become an able student-athlete.

Sanchez was raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to support a family of three, which included Sanchez, his mother, and Sanchez’s older brother Paul.

“My father was never there to support our family,” Sanchez said. “I’m extremely grateful that my mother was able to provide me with a roof to live under.”

With his mother too occupied with work and absent from home, Sanchez began participating in youth sports to relieve himself of the stress of not seeing her.

“My older cousin Tony first introduced me to football when I was eight years old,” Sanchez said. “Tony is like the father I never had.”

Sanchez recalls how his cousin would pick him up everyday afterschool to do football drills in order to expand his athletic capability.

One of the first football teams that Sanchez played for was the Alhambra Thunderbirds youth team.

Sanchez first attended San Gabriel High School as a freshman and played on the Freshmen football team, in which the team would place second in the Almont League. Sophomore year posed many challenges as he was forced to move out to the Inland Empire area and attend Jurupa Valley High School to be in

closer proximity to his mother’s workplace.

While playing varsity football for Jurupa Valley, Sanchez was acquaintanced with current San Gabriel High School Assistant Principal Tim Hopper, who was the freshman football coach at Jurupa Valley.

“It was a bittersweet experience at Jurupa because I made varsity as a sophomore; however, I had to force myself to quickly make new friends at this school,” Sanchez said.

After his experience at Jurupa Valley High School, Sanchez was able to transfer back to San Gabriel High School, however, he was met with many obstacles when he returned to the area. Because of his aunt’s inconvenient distance from her workplace to his high school, she would not be able to take Sanchez to school.

“My auntie works in San Dimas and because of this, I take buses to school to avoid making it a hassle for her,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez wakes up at 5 a.m. everyday and by 5:30 a.m., he leaves the house for the local bus station. After catching the first bus, he then takes another bus that takes him to San Gabriel High School.

“My bus TAP card is my life and savior,” Sanchez said. “Without this card, I wouldn’t even be able to get to school.”

He recalls this daily routine of a two and a half hour commute as something that taught him the value of discipline.

“It’s really stressful and tiring for me to wake up so early to take the bus to school,”

Handball tournament returns during lunch J o h n Tru ong At San Gabriel High School, handball has evolved from more than just an elementary school game; it has become a serious competition through the school’s annual tournament.

Sixteen individuals will battle it out in order to become this year’s tournament champions. Every player will play 15 games before beginning to be eliminated; the top 14 players will receive trophies. Though most of the competitors are juniors, four freshmen have enlisted in the tournament. Among them is freshman Danny Jay Luna, who says he is looking forward to competing in the tournament. “[It feels] good to be [one of] the only freshmen,” Luna said.

“If I beat one of the juniors, it will boost my confidence.”

Many returners from last year’s tournament will participate again, such as junior Alexis Mercado, who placed third in the previous year.

“It is all about the angles; there is a lot of math that you put into it,” Mercado said.

This is the tenth annual tournament hosted by physical education teacher Carla Fujimoto.

Though the competitors state that their hands hurt; they hardly notice when they are holding their trophies.

The handball tournament will be hosted during lunch.

Carolina Loaisiga

Early start in varsity sports presents opportunities for growth

Photo courtesy of Natalie Ma

Sanchez said. “However, this daily experience has taught me to persevere in other aspects of my life.”

Sanchez currently plays as the starting wide receiver on the San Gabriel varsity football team.

During his free time, he enjoys eating Pad Thai and is also an ardent fan of the USC Trojans football team.

Sports violence surpasses fair play, athletes’ health O scar Molina Let’s go. Punch him. Knock him out. Make him bleed.

In a world fascinated and obsessed with sports, most people glance over a simple idea, some sports may just be too violent.

Despite being the most intelligent species on the planet, we still admire brute force and aggression. In the opinion of TheTopTens, the most dangerous sports include: ice hockey, mixed martial arts, rugby, boxing, wheelchair rugby, American football, water polo, wrestling, soccer, and lacrosse.

“Sports aren’t too violent because it’s all part of the fun in watching,” freshman Nicholas Medina said. “[Although] I feel sympathy for the athletes, it’s part of their job.”

According to BEYONDtheCheers violence in sports is defined as “behavior that causes harm, occurs outside of the rules of the sport and is unrelated to the competitive objectives of the activity.” In essence, this “violence” described is what gravitates people toward sports. Although most people live peaceful lives and avert conflicts, one can’t help but stare at the TV when someone gets tackled, such as when thousands tuned in 1985 to see New York Giants defensive player Lawrence Taylor tackling Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theisman and causing his leg to snap in two. Even today this video gets its fair share of views, with mine included.

“We like violence in sports because violence has been commercialized in sport. We’ve been sold the idea that violent hits and big and hard hits is something we should be excited about and we see therefore we value it,” Nicole La Voi, the associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, said to CBS. Although it is apparent that sports fans are hooked onto the violence, people seem to carry two different views about sports.

When it comes to professional sports, we see it as entertainment; we want the most spectacular and engaging show. However, when we ourselves play sports, or see children and teenagers playing sports, we favor the less harmful nature of the sport.

Probable causes for this phenomenon are that we have been raised to see professional athletes as invincible figures; we have no personal connection with the athletes, and believe that doctors nowadays can fix almost anything. For example, the audience went wild when Mexican fighter Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao. Most people would panic if they saw a teenage boxer get knocked out, but because Pacquiao is a professional athlete, people do not consider the dangerous long term effects. Long term effects brought by contact sports range from arthritis, to Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurological disease associated with concussions .

Professional sports violence brings great business to the industry, but regardless of the profit and show it puts on, sports should be focused on providing athletes with safe and fair conditions to display their skills. There might be a decline in views as sports commissions make more rules, but athletes’ health should not be sacrificed at the expense of providing a rush of joy to others.

Starting my freshman year at San Gabriel was a terrifying experience that I thankfully do not have to go over again. New teachers, new classes, and kids twice my age coming to the same school as me. However sports allowed to me cope with all the stress.

My freshman year, I decided to go out of my way and try something new, San Gabriel girls soccer team. Going to summer practices, lifting weights, and practicing until I couldn’t see the sun anymore landed me a spot on the varsity roster for the school’s soccer team. I was thrilled that all of my hard work paid off.

Fast forward three months and I was out trying for softball. Through diligence and determination, I also got a varsity spot on the softball team. I was now a freshman with two varsity sports underneath my wing, a remarkable accomplishment compared to other achievements in my life.

Of course, there were some challenges associated with this glory. For example, I was unable to play with my fellow freshman peers. Seeing them have their inside jokes with each other was tough. Unlike them, I was surrounded by juniors and seniors that knew exactly what they were doing. Although I found myself in the varsity crowd, I managed to enjoy freshman year.

Now as a sophomore, I feel nostalgic speaking about such experiences. Freshman year was a breeze in such sense that I wasn’t expected to be a superstar, considering it was my first time on such a high level of play.

Now, I have so many huge shoes to fill in, and expectations that must be met. Being on varsity, regardless of the sport, you learn to mature on and off the field and accept all the obstacles that are thrown at you.

My experiences as a freshman on varsity were scary but worth the ride. With two varsity sports, I learned that there are huge goals for each and every player, and it’s not just about playing the sport, but about being competitive. Varsity has opened my eyes to maturing on the field and knowing what is expected of me.

IIlustration by Emmanuel Maresca

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THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

“Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence.” -George Orwell

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FEATURES

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Tell Me

what’s the

WORD. Famous Hallway quotes, Volume Sixty

“I don’t know what’s more blinding; your pants or the sun.”

- Student complaining about friend’s white pants.

“I would like to order an Ariana Grande.”

- Teacher comparing Ariana Grande’s name to a Starbucks drink.

“The father of the Kardashians was actually a smart lawyer.

What happened to the rest of the Kardashians?”

- Teacher complaining about the Kardashians’ intelligence.

“I participated in a triathlon this weekend... in Grand Theft Auto 5.”

- Student bragging about weekend.

“Where are my eyes?”

- Student looking for colored contacts.

“Oh look, the Party Mix Chex Mix. That’s as close to a party as we’ll ever get.”

- Student complaining about her social life.

All quotes overheard

by The Matador Staff.

Personal statements determine futures De re k Deng and Mi mi Lam

“Eloquent” words are jotted down as seniors busily work on their personal statements that will soon predict their future lives. The personal statement, an essay, gives colleges the chance to see an applicant’s personality apart from one’s transcript and test scores. For the UC’s, two essays are required, which total a thousand words.

At San Gabriel High School, several teachers still remember their personal statements and the process to craft them.

During high school, English teacher Virginia Parra was involved in journalism, which gave her the idea for her statement. “[When I was in] newspaper, our advisor tried to censor one of our articles,” Parra said. “I was really passionate about the newspaper, because I was editor-in-chief.” Parra wrote her essay about this difficult period and how she handled the conflict. Parra shares her personal statements, for undergraduate and graduate school online.

Parra followed her older sister’s footsteps because they had similar plans to go out of state for college.

“I was fortunate to have my older sisters guide me through all the process,” Parra said.

“I applied to all the colleges they applied to. My sisters gave me a lot of tough love.”

Although Parra did not fulfill her dreams of going out of state, she enrolled in Occidental

College in Los Angeles, and the college grew on her. There, she decided to become a teacher and dedicate herself to informing students that there was indeed a world outside of their own community.

“I kept seeing too many people going down the wrong path.” Parra, who is from Bell Gardens, said. “The world is bigger than that.”

Many students can relate their dream school to science teacher Ryan Wong because he aspired to attend UCLA since childhood. Wong wrote about his childhood love of science and “blowing up” science experiments, which led him to volunteer in hospital between his junior and senior year.

Wong, who graduated from San Gabriel, asked his teachers for help with this statement. “[Steve] Slagle helped me focus and be more in depth. [Larry] Kanow said as long as I can separate myself from everybody else, I was fine,” Wong, who was on newspaper staff, said.

“All of the admissions people at the UC’s now, they are more focused on how are you going to take your challenge to make you be a better person, to make you go for the golden goal….

It’s a personal statement, not a crying statement,” he advised.

A proactive approach to writing a personal statement may actually differ from what a person would normally believe. Guidance counselor Elaine Jong recommends that students take a

counter intuitive approach to the personal statement prompt. The student should read the personal statement prompt from the last sentence to the first. For example in UC prompt one, the prompt asks to describe the world one comes from and how it shaped one’s dreams and aspirations. Instead one should figure out what one’s dreams and aspirations are and then discuss how one’s world affected the latter.

“Start backwards,” Jong said. “Don’t be discouraged of the first draft.”

And in terms of topics, one should avoid the typical San Gabriel stories of parents immigrating, working hard, and one’s desire to repay parents. Though these are noble stories, they are not what colleges want to hear. Instead focus on one’s passions and what makes one unique.

In the midst of October, seniors are feeling the stress of their workload and the bombardment of college applications. The end of November slowly approaches to indicate the regular decisions deadline, and seniors are cramming.

For more examples of UC personal statements by San Gabriel alumni, visit

www.thematadorsghs.com

New clubs rollin’ onto campus J enni f er Thai As new additions to San Gabriel, the Interact Club and Students Making Big Differences Club, also known as SMBD, began their first club meeting this year.

With efforts to make a difference, two eager students founded the two clubs.

The Interact Club, sponsored by the Rotary, provides community and international service. The club meets every other Wednesday in English teacher Riley Mason’s room, E214, to discuss about volunteer work. Sophomore Kenny Yeung, the president of Interact Club, idealized the club to be unique.

“I want a type of service that defines us and sets us apart from the other clubs, one that will really make [an] impact,” Yeung said.

Yeung found that originating the club was the most problematical, but after he surpassed the problem, he was able to successfully gather interested students to join him.

“It was my own idea so I had to contact the Rotary Club and establish everything myself. Initially, gathering people was by word of mouth, so I just told people to go, but I believe that advertisements also helped,”Yeung said.

With meetings every Wednesday in E212, Biology teacher Jennifer Wright’s room, the Students Making Big Differences Club began solely with one inspired student. Motivated by his experience, senior Steven Tran founded the SMBD Club to help those in need through community service.

“This man inspired me. When I was at McDonald’s getting a sweet tea for a friend and a cold cup of water, I saw this man standing at the drive-thru and he looked dehydrated. As I drove past him, he waved ‘hi’ to me. I did a U-turn and parked, gave him my water and he said ‘thank you very much,’” Tran said.

Although Tran had difficulties forming his club, he managed to get through his predicament.

“It [the club] was my idea and I got a group of friends and asked if they were interested. Some of them were and they joined my cabinet and that progressed; however, some backed out so I had to find replacements,” Tran said.

Driven by unlike stimulations, founders of clubs persevere through different goals and difficulties.

Sophomore Kenny Yeung hopes that the Interact Club will become a club recognized for its positive impact and service in the community.

Senior Steven Tran hopes that his club will be successful and hopefully recruit more members as the club grows with students who enjoy helping out.

Photos by Derek Deng

San Gabriel alumnus becomes successful playwright J o h n Truong A man’s love for the dramatic arts became the basis for his successful ventures into a career as a playwright. Former San Gabriel High School student David Henry Hwang’s success as a playwright has resulted in numerous awards and honors. He has been called by many as one of the era’s “most successful Asian-American playwrights.”

Hwang attended San Gabriel High School in the late 1970’s, and contrary to his success as a playwright, he never participated in any visual arts programs at the school.

“David Henry Hwang always wanted to participate in the school plays and drama classes, but his

father would never allow it,” current San Gabriel High School drama teacher Patrick Posada said.

Hwang’s father and mother both initially resisted their son’s efforts to participate in the dramatic arts.

“My parents have been very supportive of my career, after initial opposition from my father, but they’ve never been particularly active in providing dramaturgical advice,” Hwang said in an interview

with USAsians magazine.

After high school, Huang went on to attend Stanford University and during this period, he wrote his very first play titled, “FOB,” which depicts the contrasts and conflicts between established Asian Americans and “fresh off the boat” newcomer immigrants.

Hwang was awarded an Obie Award for “FOB” in 1980 and subsequently attended Yale University’s Photo courtesy of The New York Times School of

Drama in 1980.

Hwang is well known for his recurring motifs in his written plays, one of which includes the bridge between Asian culture and American society.

At the peak of his career, Hwang wrote the play “M. Butterfly,” a complicated story of espionage and mistaken sexual identity. “M. Butterfly” was later awarded a Tony Award in 1988 and a Pulitzer Prize in 1989.

Having received much controversy and criticism for M. Butterfly, Hwang commented, “It’s important to hear your work and see your work.

Nobody knows if it’s going to be successful, so you might as well write what you believe in.”

Hwang currently lives in New York City with his wife, actress Kathryn Layng, and children Noah David and Eva.

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THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

FEATURES All Illustrations by Cassandra Chen

Halloweeny for your weenie C ryst al Wong

Maggie Cheng

Boo-lated Halloween hoopla ideas Do you have a thing for white chocolate? This recipe will use white chocolate for Halloween.

- Compiled by Anthony Yang

Materials: - 12 ounces of white chocolate chips - A few mini milk chocolate chips - Lollipop sticks Instructions: 1. Grease a baking tray lined with parchment paper with vegetable oil.

2. Melt a bowl of white chocolate chip in a skillet of simmering water. Remember to stir.

3. Take a tablespoonful of the melted white chocolate and drop it on the greased tray.

4. Spread the chocolate into a shape of a ghost. It could be any size you want.

5. Stick the milk chocolate chips to create the eyes and attach the lollipop stick at the bottom.

6. Refrigerate until the white chocolate is firm.

7. Peel the ghosts off the paper.

8. Enjoy!

Are you a last-minute Halloween celebrator? This DIY will help you get a ninja costume without shelling out enough money to burn out your wallet.

Materials: - Black long-sleeved shirt - Black pants (dark jeans will do) - Black T-shirt - Dark shoes

Image courtesy of dyingforchocolateblogspot.com

Pictured above: These easy-to-make white chocolate ghost pops are delicious treats perfect for all Halloween-themed festivities.

Instructions: 1. Wear the black long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black pants.

2. To create a ninja mask, turn the T-shirt inside-out and put the T-shirt over your head, but leave the neckhole to reveal your face.

3. Tie the sleeves into a double-knot to secure it in place.

4. Tuck the rest of the shirt into your black longsleeved shirt.

5. Put your dark shoes on and you are done! Now stay stealthy.

Spooky superstitions originate from legends The week before Halloween is usually spent preparing for this festive holiday. Candies are bought and houses are decorated with cotton cobwebs and tombstones in front yards. However, let’s not forget about Jack-O’-Lanterns.

These festive carved pumpkins actually originated from a tragic fable. According to Live Science, Celtic folklore tells the tale of a drunken farmer named Jack who tricked the devil, but his trickery resulted in him ending up in the darkness of purgatory, with only a lantern to guide his lost soul.

Halloween is already known as a fun, festive holiday, but when you add your birthday to the same day, it’s like killing two birds with one stone.

According to Welsh legends, children born on Halloween will have special powers to ward off evil spirits and the ‘gift of second sight.’ Even though many do not believe in this myth, there are a few people who do.

Senior Stanley Ho is one of the few who does believe in superstitions. “I actually think it’d be pretty cool to have the gift of second sight.”

- Compiled by Crystal Wong

Black cats are often seen as symbols of bad luck due to their dark fur and unnerving stares. But, these creatures aren’t seen as bad luck by countries such as Ireland, England, and Scotland.

Dating back to the Dark Ages, black cats have been seen as satanic animals given to witches by devils. According to Live Science, an ancient myth tells that these felines represent mischief because Satan was turned into a cat by interacting with witches. Don’t be alarmed if a black cat crosses your path though, because, after all, it is just a superstition.

Along with black cats, spiders are seen as evil aids of witches. Superstitions about these creepy, crawly arachnids often lead people to avoid staying in the same room as spiders.

Legend has it that if you see a spider on Halloween, it is actually the spirit of a dead loved one watching over you. A superstition says that if a spider is consumed by a flame from a lamp, a witch could actually be near.

“I don’t find spiders to be creepy. I don’t really believe in superstitions,” senior Kristen Ham said.

- Compiled by Maggie Cheng

FEATURES

16

THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

This love is timeless Homecoming 2013 3.

1.

San Gabriel’s defensive line prepares to confront Montebello’s offense with full force.

Senior Oscar Molina faces the cheering crowd as he is crowned Homecoming King.

2.

The Matadors break through Montebello’s strong offensive line for the very first time in the game and sack the Oilers’s quarterback.

4.

Senior Wayne Pollock looks on from the sidelines.

5.

Senior Brenda Hau crosses the football field with glee Photos by Derek Deng after being crowned Homecoming Queen.