The Matador Online - January Issue 2014

8/12/2019 The Matador Online - January Issue 2014

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S A N G A B R I E L H I G H S C H O O LMATADORT H E

801 RAMONA ST., SAN GABRIEL, CA 91776

Focus-What makes youhappy? pg. 6-7

Opinions-Doubleperspective:driving pg. 4-5

www.thematadorsghs.com

Features-Nail art ismore than ahobby pg. 12

VOLUME 59, NUMBER 5 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014

to develop my skills, Stone said.Although ofcially the new Coordinator, Stone still

has not transitioned to her new District ofce because

the Districts exibility has allowed her to nish upher last tasks at San Gabriel. Stone admits that she

will miss her workin instructional ser-vices and the stu-dents with whomshe developed re-lationships, but shealso acknowledgesthat she is contentwith now having du-ties that are morefocused and concen-trated. With her newposition, Stone plansto implement herphilosophy of beinghands-on and visible

at the school sites.In light of the tran-sition to the Com-mon Core Standards,Stone looks forwardto observing and im-proving the programoffered to studentslearning English, orwhose primary lan-

guage is not English.I want to take a look at the bigger scope, so I can

build something cohesive, Stone said.Having been with the District since 1994 as a chem-

istry teacher, Beginning Teacher Support Assessment(BTSA) provider, instructional specialist, and assistantprincipal, Stone will be leaving San Gabriel, but nother Alhambra Unied home. Moving every ve to six

years is part of the process through which she spreadsher skills.

Debbie Stone promoted to DistrictOscar Mol ina

Kristy Duong

Mimi Lam

Miranda honored withred flowers, blue jeans

Administrators conduct

schoolwide tardy sweep

Left: Miranda is remembered as a kind and caring person

who wore a smile wherever she went.

Right: Mirandas coworkers decorated her bus and wore

red flowers for her funeral services.

Silvia Miranda, a bus driver for the Alhambra Unied SchoolDistrict, died on Dec. 30 in Fontana.

Every morning and after school, students at the Klingermanand Muscatel stops were greeted with a smile as she drove up tothe bus stop and opened the doors, often with her red hair neatlytied back into bun with a bandana or a red ower adorning it.

She liked to make people laugh and smile, bus driverBecky Hernandez said. She was never mad or sad. If she wasa superhero, laughter would be her superpower. I personallythink of her as a hero. My hero.

Miranda was described as a kind-hearted person whoconstantly watched over others. She was not just a bystander.

Silvia was the nicest person. She was always there if youneeded someone to talk to and would go out of her way to helpother people. She was always taking care of everyone, herfriend and coworker Kathy Sanchez said.

Miranda was born on September 22, 1979 in Guanajuato,Mexico. She previously attended Wilson High School and laterworked at a clothing factory called St. Johns with a relative untilit closed. Soon after that, she found a job at Durham School Ser-vices. After working at Durham for about one and a half years,Miranda applied for a job with Alhambra Unied School DistrictTransportation Services and worked there until her death.

She was also described as an outgoing and friendly personwho always wanted to be in the mix according to her cousin

Juanna Chavez.She was my cousin and my best friend. In the mornings,

I would go to my bus and do the morning routine, and shewould come up to my bus and be like Whats the agenda fortoday? So now that shes gone, I feel like Im still waiting forher, Chavez said.

Her funeral services took place on Jan. 8 at the ResurrectionChurch in Los Angeles where all the attendees wore red owers,

just like the ones she would typically wear to school. Chavez set

a duct tape hair bow and school bus keychain next to Mirandaduring her viewing.

Before her funeral services began, senior Kristy Nguyen hadstudents sign a note for her as a sign of a symbol of our gratitudeand a way we could say thank you and goodbye once more.

I wasnt as close to her as others were, but I felt that shewas a big part of our lives since she was the rst person wesaw early in the mornings. She always had a great big smileand was always kind towards everyone. I felt the need to thankher because she always kept us safe and made all of us feel likeher own children too. She was just that positive and loving,Nguyen said.

On Jan. 10, students wore a red shirt, blue jeans, white ban-danas, and owered clips to show respect for Miranda. Duringthe winter pep rally, a moment of silence was taken to rememberher and a red balloon was released into the sky in her memory.

As the new Coordinator of Educational Services-

English Language Development (ELD), Debbie Stone,now the ex-Assistant Principal of Student Instructionat San Gabriel, will

be supervising thedevelopment andimplementationof the ELD Pro-gram throughoutthe Alhambra Uni-fied School Dis-trict at the K-12level. Stone wasappointed to hernew position atthe Jan. 7 school

board meeting.Its an honor

to have been se-

lected for this po-sition, Stone said,but Im also over-whelmed with thework it will take tooversee K-12.

Stone receivedher position afterhaving acceptedthe proposal bythe Board and having undergone an interview incompetition with an elementary school principal. Theinterview consisted of a panel of three: District Super-intendent of Educational Services Dr. Gary Gonzalez,Director of Elementary Education Janet Lees, and Direc-tor of Secondary Education Brad Walsh. In taking theoffer, Stone implicitly accepted to undertake the newposition if selected.

With this new job I feel like Im going towardssomething that is going to build me and challenge me

School administrators enforced a surprise tardysweep, gathering around the E building for anystragglers after the bell rang on Jan. 13 shortly afterlunchtime for fth period. No prior acknowledge-ments of the sweep were issued, so the late studentsgot away with only a warning.

I want to give students the chance to make the

correction before we start to have penalties, Prin-cipal Jim Schoeld said. We noticed that we [have]

been seeing more s tudents going to class after thetardy bell has rung, and it [is] a trend that we do[not] want to see grow.

Now, consequences in the form of lunchtimedetention will occur should an actual tardy sweep

be enacted. If the student were to not attend duringlunch, he or she will serve detention for an extendedtime after school.

There is going to be a phone message that goesout [to the families] that talks about the fact that weare doing these [tardy sweeps] for real, Schoeldsaid. It is like the real world where [there are] con-sequences that meet the crime so to speak, but if youdo not take care of business, then that consequencewill increase.

Photo by Derek Deng

Stone was promoted to Coordinator of Educational Services-

English Language Development after working since 1994.

Principal Jim Schofield lectures students about

being punctual. Due to the lack of prior notification,

the tardy students got off with a warning.

Only a relatively small number of students arrivedto class late, so the campus security and administratorsdid not make the student tardies much of a major pre-dicament. However, Schoeld does believe [punctual-ity] is something that students have a great control of.

Students will be warned of future tardy sweeps, sothat they will have adequate time and knowledge toprepare to hurry to class.

Photo by Mimi Lam

Photos courtesy of Kathy Sanchez


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NEWS 2 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Am y Yee

Steven Ho

Rebecca Lei and Judy Tang

Chelsea Huynh

Students apply for

Cash for College

Luu to compete in county Poetry Out Loud

Sophomores to take

CAHSEE in February

Llamas set to compete in annual ROP competition

Aspiring cooks, woodworkinghopefuls, and potters-in-training areamong some of the candidates thatwill compete at the annual RegionalO c c u p a t i o n a l P r o g r a m ( R O P )competition. The competition is heldevery year and candidates selected fromhigh schools all over California competeat district, county, and regional levelswith one single winner as a result.

Junior Jacqueline Llamas, a passionatechef at heart, is one of these candidates,entering the preliminaries with herspecialty carrot cake with caramelized

bacon bits. Cooking and baking since theage of six, Llamas has developed a lovefor being in the kitchen, though she has

To assist college bound seniors, the annual Cash forCollege workshop will be held on Feb. 1 at San GabrielHigh School from 8 a.m to 12 p.m.. Students and theirfamilies are invited to attend the free public event for helpon how to ll out the Free Application for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA) and the Cal Grant Verication forms requiredto apply for Cal Grants.

FAFSA is required for nancial aid, while Cal Grantsoffer nancial aid and grants for any qualifed studentattending a California college, university or technicalschool in California. Assistance on completing theCalifornia Dream Act Application for eligible AB540students will also be available at the workshop.

A quick checklist of documents to bring while applyingfor the FAFSA include 2013 income, tax, and bankinformation, and any records of untaxed income such aswelfare benets, Social Security benets, or child supportpayments.

Im hoping to learn how to assist my parents onmaking the nancial burden easier, senior Soa Ong said.

Besides offering help with applications, Cash for Collgeworkshops present opportunities to earn scholarshipsworth up to $1,000.

For more information, call (888)-CA-GRANT or visitwww.calgrants.org/cashforcollege.

Due to the early arrival of spring break in the monthof March, the CAHSEE (California High School ExitExamination) will be given out to sophomores a fewweeks earlier this year. There are certain times when theCAHSEE can be held, and for the 2013-14 school year,they will fall on Feb. 4 and 5, as well as during the spring

break. However, because spring break, as well as the restof the schools schedule, were set in advance before theCAHSEE dates were released, students will have to takethe test on Feb. 4 and 5.

In past years, the CAHSEE was held around lateFebruary or March, which gave teachers and students timeto prepare for the big test. With the early test dates, it is nosurprise that the sophomores will have to work extra hard.

I think it is a lot of pressure because my teachers aregiving me a lot of work to prepare for it, sophomore ChinChiao Liang said.

The CAHSEE is a very important test that all students

must pass in order to receive a high school diploma. It iscomprised of two parts: mathematics and Language Arts,which also includes a writing prompt, graded on a scale ofone to four. The passing score for each of the two sectionsis 350 out of a total score of 450. Students who do not passa certain section will be given more opportunities to retakethe CAHSEE during their junior or senior year.

Although the CAHSEE will be held a few weeks earlier,the San Gabriel faculty believes that the students will bewell prepared, no matter what the circumstances are.

Photo by Derek Deng

Junior Jacqueline Llamas quickly minces

an onion in second period Culinary Arts,

a skill she mastered during her childhood.

After winning rst place at the district level competitionof Poetry Out Loud, senior Alex Luu will represent the

Alhambra Unied School District at the county competitionon Feb. 5 at the Cerritos Centre for the Performing Arts.Luu performed a rendition of Walt Whitmans poem, AMarch in the Rains Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknownat Alhambra Highs Little Theatre and was announcedthe rst seed, allowing him to advance in the competition.

I really want to win because poetry is a big part of mylife, Luu said. It has helped me get through a lot of thingsand build a condence inside me.

Luu has been practicing his poems at least ve timesa day in order to prepare for the county competition,where he must win rst place again to move onto thestate competition until he can qualify for nationals.Although Luu will have to square off against about 15other individuals, the winners of their own districts, hefeels inspired to push himself harder.

Im a little scared but it gets me more motivated toimprove, Luu said. I expect a lot of heated competition

because Ive seen a lot of people who made it to countyitspretty rough. But I will keep on practicing until I hit it.Luus current English teacher Katy Burkhart, who

encouraged him and her other students to participate inPoetry Out Loud, believes that Luu has a good possibilityof winning at the county competition.

I believe that Alex will be amazing, Burkhart said.His poems are well selected and hes got the talent tohold his own.

Luu is required to memorize another poem in additionto the one he performed at the district competition. Aftermany suggestions from Burkhart and much deliberation,Luu chose the poem, Constantly Risking Absurdity byLawrence Furlinghetti.

Luu enjoys the surreal experience of becoming thespeaker of the poem as he recites it, and graduallyunderstanding the intentions of the poet. Luu plans to

bring his younger brother to the competition in hopes ofencouraging him to appreciate poetry and speaking.Luu writes spoken word poetry in his free time. Over

the winter break, he and his friends directed a video ofhis original piece, New, and posted it on YouTube andFacebook.

Luu will become the second San Gabriel student to moveonto the county competition, preceded by alumnus CalvinLam who went up to the state division. Luu has learnedmuch about self-condence and his own speaking abilitiesthrough this competition.

The support from my friends and teachers, especiallyMs. Burkhart, has truly been a blessing to me, and itshelped me realize so much about my voice that I overlooked

before, Luu said.Luu has condence that with dedication and perseverance,

he can continue to advance in the competition.

Photo by Mimi Lam

Senior Alex Luu

recites Walt

Whitmans A

March in the

Rains Hard-P r e s t , a n d

t h e R o a d

Unknown in

front of f ive

judges at the

distr ict level

of the Poetry

O u t L o u d

competi t ion.

Luu wi l l be

moving on to

t he c oun t y

leve l of the

competi t ion.

never competed before.I would really benefit from the

experience [of being in a cooking

competition], Llamas said. Hopefullymy passion and love for cooking willtake me far.

Llamas was chosen as the lonecompetitor from San Gabriel by CulinaryArts teacher Debra Cruz, who felt thatLlamas history and talent for the artof cooking would make her a worthycandidate.

Even though this is her rst timecompeting in an actual competition, Ihave faith in [Llamas], Cruz said. Ithink she has a fair chance at winning.

The ROP competition is held annuallyfor students who wish to display theirtalents in areas of trade, such as ceramics,woodworking, or the culinary arts.

Candidate hopefuls first go throughan interview at their respective highschools, and if selected, the candidate

advances to the district level, where theywill show off their skills.

Im a bit unsure, but I think that theodds are in my favor, Llamas said. Ihave my family supporting me, so thatgives me some encouragement to win.If I pass the preliminaries, Ill be usingmy grandmothers recipe for Germanchocolate cake to impress the judges.

Llamas believes that her naturalcooking talent and passion for workingin the kitchen will contribute to heraspirations for a possible career in theeld of culinary arts.

Itd be great if I won, Llamas said.It would be wonderful to bring prideto San Gabriel and to myself.

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Collaboration

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Cash for

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LincolnHoliday

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PresidentsDay

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California HighSchool Exit Exam

(CAHSEE)


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3 NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Citizens vote on marijuanaAn tho ny Yan g

Chelsey Tran

Hanfrey Deng

In the state of California, two groups haveproposed ballot initiatives, that will legalizeCannabis, a scientic name for marijuana, andmay be added onto the 2014 California ballot.

Since the first day of legal recreationalmarijuana sales in the state of Colorado on Jan.16, Cannabis advocates have been gatheringsignatures for the two ballot initiatives. One will

be titled The Marijuana Control Legislation andRevenue Act, while the other will be titled TheCalifornia Cannabis Hemp Initiative.

The initiatives will legalize and applya sales tax on Cannabis; proponents of theinitiative claim that the legalization of Cannabiswill reduce crime since the initiatives willprevent law enforcement from acting againstCannabis users. According to the MarijuanaPolicy Project (MPP), a person charged with

possession of marijuana is ned with $100.MPP also states that California has the fourthlargest rate of arrests for marijuana possesion.

Why not legalize [marijuana]? If its not asdangerous as alcohol and tobacco, then it should

be legalized, senior Johanna Quach said.The proposed ballot initiatives are

supported by Calif. politicians LieutenantGovernor Gavin Newsom and AttorneyGeneral Kamala Harris. Newsom believes thatthe initiatives are a step in the right direction.

This is about real people. Communitiesare devastated because of this abject thingcalled the drug war. Forget the politics. Thisis the right thing to do, Newsom said in aHufngton Post interview.

California has a history of ballot initiativesconcerning marijuana. In 1996, Californiavoters passed an initiative to legalizemedicinal use of marijuana and in 2010, former

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed abill to decriminalize marijuana possession.

According to the latest Field poll, 55 percentof registered California voters supportedmarijuana legalization. With the majoritysupporting the legalization of marijuana,proponents are scrambling to collect over150,000 signatures required to qualify to beon the 2014 ballot.

While supporters of marijuanalegalization have been increasing,there have also been those whooppose the initiatives to legalizemarijuana. Senior JennyBui believes that marijuanausers will still have issueswith the drug even if it islegalized. However, Buisupports the medicinaluse of marijuana.

If [voters] pass the initiative,then people will still abuse thedrug, Bui said.

Backers of the initiativesfeel that the legalization ofmarijuana should wait until 2016,due to the larger voter turnoutduring presidential elections. MPPCommunications Director Mason Tvert

believes that the 2016 presidential election willshow how many people support the initiatives.

[MPP] believes a 2016 initiative willbest demonstrate just how much supportthere is for ending marijuana prohibition inCalifornia, Tvert said.

Although a majority of voters support thelegalization of marijuana, the state will notknow until the 2014 election or 2016 election.In the end, the voters will decide whethermarijuana will be legalized or not.

Silence descended upon the Matador Arena during thewinter pep rally as senior Kristy Nguyen asked those inattendance to have a moment of silence for bus driver SilviaMiranda. According to Nguyen, the Associated Student Body(ASB) was originally supposed to lead the moment of silence

but in the end, their advisor Cecilia Revilla asked her to conductit. Students were encouraged to wear red tops as well as redroses and bandannas in honor of Silvia Miranda.

It was really heartwarming to not hear a sound for once.The silence that fell upon the Arena was proof itself of therespect and love people had for Ms. Silvia. I wanted everyoneto remember and acknowledge her even if they didnt knowher personally. It was one of the most memorable and movingevents that has occurred within my last four years at SanGabriel, Nguyen said.

The pep rally proceeded with the classic performances,spirit games, and introductions of the winter seasons sportsteam members.

New laws come with new year

Stricter gun control, easier access toabortions, and higher minimum wagesare among the slew of laws that are beingput into place in California throughoutthe new year. Some laws were set to

take effect immediatelyat the years start while

some were expected to beimplemented at certainpoints in the year.

S o m e b e n e f i c i a lchanges were enacted,

s u c h a s t h erestr ic t ion ofe m p l o y e r sf r o m t a k i n gadvantage oftheir employees

immigration statusas a means of leverage.However, there weremore controversial

reforms, such as thebanning of plastic bags atgrocery stores.

Additional restrictionsagainst guns were also put into effect.For example, gun owners must lockup their rearms where felons and thementally ill live, and kits that modifyammunition magazines to holster morethan ten rounds are against the law.

Ju ni or Si mon Yung expre ss edconcern for the adverse effects thatmight result from magazine capacityrestrictions.

Criminals still get to do whateverthey want because they dont follow the

Juniors Coco So and Star Bojorquez struggle to claim a chair in a spirit game of blindfolded musical

chairs during the winter pep rally, as an excited crowd cheers them on. ASB spirit committee

leader Ryan Duong guides the blindfolded students as they wander aimlessly toward the chairs.

Illustration by Cassandra Chen

Photo by Derrick Chi

laws, Yung said.On a different note, a slightly larger

pool of people are allowed to carry

out abortions. Nurse practitioners,certied nurse midwives, and physicianassistants in California are now allowedto carry out abortions during a mothersrst trimester of pregnancy.

English teacher Georgia Danielsthinks that the purpose of the newlaw was to make the services moreavailable to the women who needthem.

I am not in favor of restrictingaccess to health care when health careis needed, Daniels said.

A more relevant change, whichwould cater to many working classcitizens, is the raising of the minimumwage in California. The previous rateof minimum wage was eight dollars;

the changes, which will take full effectstarting July, will bring the wages up tonine dollars.

Head Campus Supervisor RaulRamirez thinks the minimum wageraise is a good thing. Ramirez alsothinks that the one percent at the topof the social ladder could afford to giveworkers a little bit more than that.

Its good for the economy, Ramirezsaid. People have more money tospend. Its to every citizens benet thatpeople are paid a decent wage: a wage[with which] people can survive, so theycan spend money and pump it right

back into the economy.Although a portion of these new

laws did not immediately take effect,Californians can expect a mix of changesto take hold throughout the year.

Winter pep rally recognizes sports, remembers bus driverBand played pop tunes such as Die Young by Ke$ha,

Cant Hold Us by Macklemore, and I Knew You WereTrouble by Taylor Swift as students led into the arena.

Show Choir sang the Star Spangled Banner, a change fromthe usual playing of the national anthem by band.

Junior varsity and varsity cheer performed a cheer and aroutine consisting of stunts and dancing to boost school spirit.

Winter sports teams, basketball, soccer, and wrestling,introduced their team members, acknowledged their juniorvarsity teams, and invited everybody to attend their nextgame.

Choreo also performed a dance routine. However, theappropriateness of their song choices came into question.

It was great but the lyrics were inappropriate, juniorJane Foster* said.

Regardless, their aesthetics did not disappoint as wasevident by the applause.

Choreo was the best part because they can dance [well],senior Josue Belmontes said.

The Drill team was unable to perform because some

members were unable to nish some medical forms in time.Despite this unexpected change, drill plans to save the routinethey planned for this rally for the Matador Showcase, accordingto co-captain Carol Lam, junior.

While waiting for ASB to change activities, a group ofstudents started the wave. It went around the gym at least twice.

The wave was a lot fun, the rst one, but it was kind ofdisappointing when people stopped standing up and moving,senior Naree Dachrucha said.

According to Dachrucha, all of the wave attempts afterthe rst one lost momentum and participation as it continuedaround.

After the pep rally, students talked amongst themselvesabout it.

Even though it was spirited, it had a sad atmosphere becauseof the death of Silvia Miranda, junior Aydin Hau said, theMatador Marching Bands drum major.

The winter pep rally concluded with the traditional ghtsong and alma mater, played by the Matador Marching Band.

*Name omitted by request.


4/12

OPINIONS 4 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Editorial

Internet liability jeopardizes, exposes personal safetyAre you sure you would like to

delete this post? This is a permanent

action that cannot be undone. Thiswarning commonly precedes usersattempts to delete their photos, posts,accounts, or any other online records.This sense of reassurance that anythingand everything can be effaced off theInternet for whatever reason allowsusers to lower their appropriatecaution for the online content they post.However, users are mistaken. Deletingcontent merely makes it inaccessibleto the public, but it is never out ofreach of service providers, determinedhackers, and the government. Internetusers should be more aware of thecontent they post because nothing trulydisappears.

Recently this month, a group of

security researchers successfully hackedinto the les of Snapchat, a picture-messaging service that is increasinglypopular with teenagers and children.Snapchat reassures its users that thepictures they send will self-destruct

immediately after being viewed, but thatis not the case. The hackers posted the

usernames and telephone numbers of4.6 million users simply to demonstratehow it is possible to uncover privateinformation and supposedly-deletedphotos. In December of 2013, hackerswere able to steal the usernames andpasswords of over two million Facebook,Google, Twitter, and other accounts.

Although users cannot stop thesebreaches in Internet security, they can beresponsible for the content they chooseto post to minimize the consequencesof having their posts resurface. Collegesand employers are increasingly browsingthrough an applicants social networksto judge their character. Pictures ofwild partying and posts containingfoul language could possibly jeopardize

the likelihood of being accepted orhired. Sending pictures of racy or illegalactivities in condence that it will bedeleted is also advised against in case itwere to resurface.

It is in the best interest of Internet

users to be informed about whichapplications are safe to use and which

methods companies administer to ensureprotection. In order to avoid judgmenton both a personal and professionallevel, one should consider long andshort term effects of posted content.However a person chooses to expressthemselves ultimately comes down towhat standards they set for themselvesand how much they are concerned abouttheir image.

Carolina

Garcia

My passion, my power

Garcia later

Dont be nervous, dont be nervous,I said as I walked on stage toward theawaiting spotlight. After I said my twolines in a two-hour play, I waited for areaction from the audience, but noneever came. Backstage I paced back andforth all night, wondering why I wasntgood enough.

During my freshman year, when Ireceived a part in the school play, TheOutsiders, it did not matter if it was thesmallest part. I planned to make my

performance memorable. Instead, on thelast night of the play, I was sitting on acurb quickly drying my tears before mymoms car parked in front of me.

I was discouraged and certain that Iwould never audition for another play;right there and then I vowed never toact again.

Since those performances, I began tobecome paranoid. Talking in front of theclass was like a death sentence. I had lostall condence.

I was angry at myself; how dare Iallow myself to shut down. How dareI be so used to success that when Ifailed for the rst time I quit. How dareI become a wall between me and mydream.

There are millions of people who willtell you that you arent good enough.However, we owe it to ourselves to bethat one person to say Yes, I am goodenough.

Starting my sophomore year I decidedto pursue my love for public speakingand took up Speech and Debate. Isigned up for an event called OricalInterpretation (OI). After workingextremely hard and with the help ofmy OI captain Justin Yeh, I began toreceive positive feedback, and in varsitycompetition I broke to semi-finals. Icouldnt believe that I, the girl who had

badly played a character with two lines,was good enough.

Slowly my condence rose enough

to check out a script for DramaticInterpretation (DI). I spent one weekmemorizing and perfecting it. Then, Iasked the assistant coach, Angel Pinedo,for his opinion on my performance. Heloved it!

Andrew Nguyen, the head coach,and Angel encouraged me to compete inthe upcoming competition with my DI.For a second I remembered the feelingof failure, but this opportunity was notworth missing.

As I was walking, I heard somepeople talking about auditioning forthe spring play. I did not expect to doanything with the information, but onaudition day I found myself sitting in theLittle Theatre waiting for my turn. Threeweeks and ve days later I did not nd

my name on the cast list. I miraculouslydid not cry, because that same day I wastold that I was good enough to competewith varsity members at the upcomingcompetition.

Walking away from the darkness ofthe school and towards the light of the

buses, I realized that I had been wrongto decide the level of my ability basedon another persons opinion. Condenceis now one of my biggest traits. I showit while performing and speaking inpublic. In the end, the overall lesson Ilearned from my experience was to notfear failure, because what does not killyou only makes you stronger.

Illustration by Carolina Garcia

Asking for rides should not be condoned as shameful or negative

Oscar Mol ina

Public service announcement: driving me home or driving me crazy?

Steven Ho

Illustrations by Steven Ho and Oscar Molina

Sweat dripping down my forehead uncontrollably, my ngerstrembling across my keyboard, I nervously open my Facebookmessage box and type the words, Can you please give me aride? It is painful. Every time I ask for a ride I feel embarrassed,like I cannot carry my own weight and support myself. I go from

being a friend to a burden that one has to drag around.Being involved in a plethora of activities during high school,

I have had to travel a lot to be here and there, whether it be avolunteer service at the Los Angeles Food Bank, or visiting theprom site. In addition to worrying about the actual event, I alsohave to be concerned with the challenge of getting there and backhome. With a newborn sister at home, and my parents always

busy with work or errands, it becomes difcult to ask them totake time out of their hectic schedules to drive me somewhere.

Typically, if an event is close enough to home, I hop on my bikeand pedal away. Despite arriving sweaty to wherever I am going,I would rather bike somewhere than make someone drive me.However, the problem arises when the location is farther away.

People, whether it be my friends or their parents, who drive

me places may question why I have not learned to drive if I alwaysso desperately need to go places, and I can only respond by sayingthat I have not taken the time to learn. Although not having alicense may be my fault, through experiencing my parents takingmy friends and I places, I have learned what it is like to be boththe driver and the asker, me usually being the latter.

I, as an asker, hope that drivers understand that I do not intend

to make it troublesome for them; I am only looking for someassistance. That is all a ride is, assistance. If taking me somewherehurts you, then know that it hurts me just as much to ask. Byaccepting a ride, I become indebted to the driver. This is why Ialways display basic etiquette when asking for a ride. This includes,

but is not limited to: saying thank you and please, pitching in somegas money if possible, offering the person a ride the next time youcan, or not destroying the car.

If drivers deny me rides, it is not a problem. It is their vehiclesfor crying out loud and they can do whatever they want. Driversshould not feel bad because I understand that it can be problematic.I am a big boy and will manage to nd some way to get to where Ineed to go. Drivers just need to know that I, along with other askers,are wholeheartedly thankful to those who can lend a helping hand.

My car is my castle. As soon as I passedmy driving test and got insurance for my

brothers Camry, I gained a new senseof power and independence behind thewheel. My mixed CDs are personal bards.My trunk is a private storage dungeon. Onmy drivers throne, I am king.

But if I learned anything from drivingmyself to cross country practice andschool for six months was that a goldenseat comes with burdens. So many timeswould friends ask me for rides home or toa common destination. I slowly started torealize that I was being seen as taxi and nota friend when the rst thing people eversay to me was, Hey, you drive right?

There is a stigma oating around thatdriving makes a person cool and those

who refuse are to be shunned. Regardless, Ifeel uncomfortable because I live under thepressure of simply having a license. Driversshould feel welcome to decide yes or no andnot be labeled rude or a bad friend ifthe answer comes out negative.

People who ask for rides need tounderstand that driving costs money. I payfor my own gas and black gold is precious.Ride-hitchers also need to be aware that mycar is my property, my vehicle, my castle,and respect is key. I hope I speak for parentsas well when I say that driving disrespectfulhigh-schoolers is a pain. When the situationis serious, we would denitely open ourcastle doors to all who need help, but allpersons in the back seat should at least bepolite and give a genuine, Thank youafterwards.

I know what it feels like to not have the

luxury of a car. I used to walk everywherebecause I never wanted to bother anyonefor rides. My philosophy was that if Inever asked for rides, I would neverhave to give any myself, so I rode the buseverywhere. However, I think it is myright to reject people of rides if it makesme uncomfortable. I should be able to sayno to giving a person a ride if I know theywill insult my Lorde CD.

The bottom line is that I did not geta license to drive people around. I got itto become more independent and get toplaces I need to be. In my honest opinion,the hardest part of learning how to driveis learning how to say no.

If your destination is along my way,then sure, I invite you into my castle. Butif you are not going to respect my throne,consider yourself banished.


5/12

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. Kims 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 reect the beliefs of the school or the Alhambra

School District. The Matador and the Alhambra Unied School

District do not endorse the vendors advertised in this paper.

Editors-in-Chief

Managing EditorNews Editors

Opinions Editors

Focus Editors

Life and Art Editors

Sports Editors

Features Editors

Copy Editors

Photo EditorArtists

Business Managers

Website EditorBlogs ManagerAdviser

Steven HoOscar MolinaChelsey Tran

Kristy DuongRebecca Lei

Vanessa De La RosaLauren Kakazu

Sonny HyAmanda Molina

Derrick ChiAnnie Huang

Marvin LuuJohn Truong

Maggie ChengCrystal WongAngela Fong

Chelsea HuynhMimi Lam

Christopher LanDerek Deng

Cassandra Chen

Annie HuangEmmanuel Maresca

John TruongCarolina Garcia

Ileana PerezTran Lam

Judy TangJennifer Kim

Reporters:Kathering Montelon, HanfreyDeng, Vanessa Huang, Frank Lieu, CarolinaLoaisiga, Amanda Molina, Cynthia Navarro,

Jennifer Thai, Justin Toyomitsu, Erin Truong,Anthony Yang, Amy Yee, Richard Yue

5 OPINIONS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

The Matador BullringHow have you been keeping up with your New Years

resolutions?

I want to get my grades up, so [I] study and dohomework.

- Dulce Argona, 10th grade

I bike with my dad at night, cook with my mom, and

Skype with my sister because shes in college. I wantto spend more time with my family.

- Emily Dong, 9th grade

Photos by Derek Deng

By pulling every thread of my determination

together to get out of bed and do work.- Aydin Hau, 11th grade

Derrick

Chi

17 Going On 18

chi-apet

Seventeen years and a few days ago,my mother carried me in her arms aftershe gave birth to me, her very rst childin her family.

Throughout my entire life, my parentshave made my decisions for my sisterand me. This started ever since I wasabout ve years old when my parentshad already signed us up for Chineseschool. From two in the afternoonto about six in the evening, I wouldsit through hours of lecture aboutsomething I had no enjoyment for. WhenI was about seven, we were alreadytaking swimming lessons. It was theirlifelong dream to see us both competingagainst other swimmers and bringinghome shiny medals. They were happyto tell people we were learning how toswim, but I was not.

I want to learn how to dance, I toldmy parents months after I started myswimming lessons. My parents looked atme disgustedly and played it off withoutrealizing how serious I was. Although Ienjoyed swimming and it was a sportmy father used to do, I did not learn tolove it as he did.

When I rst entered high school, Imanaged to have a little more power on

the things I wanted to do. I joined clubsat school without having my parentstelling me what to join. But that did notchange the fact that my parents were still

bugging me and controlling my life. Iremembered wanting to take Spanish asa foreign language rather than Mandarinsince I knew some from taking it at avery young age. Of course, I neededto inform my parents before actuallysigning up for the course. You musttake Mandarin. It is part of your cultureand it will help you in the long run, myparents told me stupidly. I was furious.I did not need my parents to tell mewhat to take and what not to take. Evenif I tried convincing them that takingSpanish would benet me more than

taking Mandarin, they never bothered tolisten to what I had to say or never caredabout the decisions I planned on makingmyself. They thought whatever decisionsI made were wrong.

As I grew older, I realized that myparents made decisions for me becausethey wanted me to succeed. They knewwhat was best for me. My parentswanted me to take Mandarin becausethey wanted me to learn more and knowmore than the basics. They made me takeswimming lessons because they knewthat swimming could prevent me from

becoming obese.In a few days, I can officially call

myself an adult. I can finally makedecisions for myself like an adult, and Ican nally take charge of the decisions Imake without having my parents decidethem for me. I can nally control the restof my life.

I learned to live with my parentsmaking every decision for me ever sinceI was little. Although they believed thatI would learn something from their

judgment and decisions, I did not. Myparents have failed to teach me how tomake my own decisions whether it wasas simple as choosing a sport I would liketo participate. Even though I am goingto become a legal adult and my parentsmay not be able to make decisions forme, I respect them for knowing what was

best for me from this day on.

Concept of beauty is subjective

Beauty has often been misconceived as how good something

looks on the outside; most of the time what is in the inside doesnot mean anything if the way you look on the outside is not up tostandard in the eyes of modern society. The way that humans areconstantly judging each other based on differences in appearance isno way to live and is completely unfair to the person being judged.As for the people doing the judging, they probably do not know theperson and have no right whatsoever to criticize at all.

A profound case of misjudgment based on appearance occurredduring the sophomore year of motivational speaker ElizabethVelasquez. Velasquez came across a video on YouTube that changedher life forever. The video was titled The Worlds Ugliest Womanand it had a picture of her. It was only a mere eight seconds long,

but somehow this video that ridiculed a teenager managed to getfour million views. The worst part was not the video, but all thenasty and offensive comments left by insensitive viewers who didnot understand how to sympathize.

The fact that so many people are willing to spend time watchingsuch a distasteful video and exert so much effort to ridicule another

human being is appalling. People are nding entertainment inanothers suffering by watching a video that degrades and shamesa teenager for something she cannot control or recover from.

In an interview with the Hufngton Post, Velasquez made herfeelings very clear and left a message for all the people who hadmade such horrid comments about her.

You can tell me to kill myself. You can tell me that I am awfuland ugly and Im this horrible monster, but thats your opinion andI respect it, Velasquez said.

What viewers probably did not know was that this womanstruggles with a rare syndrome that is still undiagnosed. It inhibitsher from gaining any weight and only two other people in the worldhave it. This goes to show how cruel and insensitive people can beto one another. The idea of people making judgments based on herlooks is disgusting and childish. They had no right to criticize herwhen they did not even know her or her story. This woman who

Am an da Mo li na has no power to reverse her syndrome or change the way the worldhas perceived her has to sit back and watch people make hatefulcomments even though they are clueless about the syndrome she

lives with.All the malevolence that certain humans manage to put on

another human being is unacceptable. The people who believeit is okay to just play around with someones feelings do notunderstand what it feels like to be on the other side. They are notputting themselves in the position where they would be the one

being humiliated. After so much hate was sent her way, Velasquezstill managed to forgive and forget, and empower those who havefaced the same cruel supercial nature in society.

In our beauty obsessed culture,anything other than beautiful is acrime and denied acceptance.People do not give each otherthe chance to actually getto know each other and

bas e eve rythin g off oflooks.When somebody

just happens to look out

of the ordinary, peopleare so quick to analyzethem completely andmake false judgments

based on the way theylook. Societys guidelineof beauty above all shouldnever be the case. It is timeto stop judging and begin tounderstand that the way weappear on the outside doesnot dene who we are aspeople. We dene who weare by the way we act andthe compassion we show, not

by the way we look.

Larger sized clothing has diminished in societyYou are eager to try on your brand new

clothes and show them off. Unfortunately,your worst nightmare is realized whenyour new shirt just will not button up. Youensured it was your size, but it does not t.The clothes you normally wear that youreceived last year still t ne. It is becomingapparent that popular clothing lines have

been gradually marketing to a thinner andsmaller sized group.

This standard is fairly new. As ofDecember last year, many teenagers in theL-XXL size range have been noticing thatgradually fewer and fewer stores carrytheir sizes. The remaining stores only have

Emmanuel Maresca weirdly tted and compressed varieties ofclothes that are not much bigger than themedium sizes.

What makes the predicament of fewoversized clothing options worse is theproblem that designers do not put enougheffort and variety into their designs. Peopleare subjugated to ugly clothing simply

because designers put more emphasis,thought, and detail on smaller sizedclothing.

Youve never seen such hideous clothesin your entire life [in the plus size section]...Its insulting what these designers doto these women, American fashionconsultant Tim Gunn said in an interviewwith fashion magazineFashionista.

More often than not, the larger sizesin stores are misleading. Anything abovea medium ts tight around the arms andthe stomach area is rather short and snug.I have taken many clothes back to severalstores in the mall and asked why they tso tightly for an XL. The answer is alwaysthe same: it is an athletic or slim t. Itgoes against the whole purpose of the XLsize, thinning them down to mediums andpassing them off as extra-large.

This sizing issue, apparent in manypopular stores such as Forever 21 and JCPenney, is a blatant allusion to the beautystandard that only skinny people can besocially acceptable and look beautiful infashionable clothes.

I want to become an airplane mechanic...so Imtrying to figure out motors [because] you know,

a motor is a motor.- Giovanny Ramirez, 12th grade

Illustration by Erin Truong


6/12

FOCUS 6 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR


7/12

7 FOCUS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Happiness is a Chipotle chicken bowl; happiness isletting out a fart after a long day; happiness is wear-ing sweats all day long; happiness can be anything.

Happiness is prosperity, joy, a freedom from suf-fering, and a good life, according to PBS.org. But oneof lifes most subjective questions is What does hap-piness really mean? Does it mean different thingsfor everyone? Biologists from the National Center ofBiotechnology Information found that happiness issimply a series of neurochemically based emotions.Because the word happy has been so overused,it is difcult to dene in terms of science. Instead,

biologists consider human emotions as positive andnegative, each associated with centers in the brain,known as the reward and punishment centers,respectively.

Enzymes such as hydroxylase and decarboxyl-ase create neurotransmitters called dopamine andserotonin, which regulate emotions based on bodilyactions. Dopamine is stimulated by rewarding experi-ences such as eating savory foods, taking recreationaldrugs, or conducting sexual activity. Serotonin con-trols many functions, including moods, behavior,

hormone regulation, and depression. Dopamine andserotonin are believed to cause happiness.

Competing [in sports] makes me happy, seniorSebastian Nandy, who plays football and runs track,said.

Often the successes and achievements we attainin the pursuit of certain goals evoke feelings of hap-piness and content. For some, the feeling of havingdone kind and benevolent actions for others bringssenses of satisfaction.

What makes me happy is making other peoplehappy, freshman Emily Dong said.

People exhibit emotions of happiness as a responseto a variety of stimulants, but there are simply toomany to name, because happiness really means dif-ferent things to different people.

I feel happy knowing I have my familys support,my volleyball girls support, and people who are

always there for me, sophomore Gabriela Gonzalezsaid.Martin Seligman, a psychologist and the author of

Authentic Happiness, describes happiness as pleasure,engagement, and meaning. Pleasure is the happy part,engagement is the good life part, and meaning is thecontribution to a bigger world. Seligman believesall three parts are important to leading a happy life.

I feel really happy whenever I get good gradesor meet my parents expectations, junior FrankieZhuang said.

Everybody has different experiences and lifestyles,so the meaning of happiness differs from person toperson. What satises and makes one person smileand laugh could probably anger and annoy someoneelse. The things in life that can bring happiness vary,and we live our lives by trying to nd what bringsus the most pleasure and contentment. Because ourhuman instinct is to nd what brings joy and fulll-ment, we reject things that bring us discontent andcontinuously endeavour to nd what makes us happy.

People need to try out different things and ndout how they feel about them, in order to nd theirhappiness, school psychologist Art Pangilinan, Dr.Art, said.

From the food that satises your cravings, to be -ing comfortable in your environment, or just relaxingwithout a care in the world, bliss is unique to everyperson. Happiness is love; happiness is joy; happinessis anything you want it to be.

HAPPINESS EXISTSIN MULTIPLE FORMSUNIQUE TO PEOPLE

Judy Tang

ILLUSTRATION BY CASSANDRA CHEN; RESPONSES COMPILED BY THE MATADOR STAFF.


8/12

LIFE & ART 8 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Major Internet trends of past year linger on

Favorite fashion trends fade away, reinvented as new year launches

Image courtesy of Personalweb.about.com

Image courtesy of ylvis_thefox_ezstatic.com

Image courtesy of ryot.org

Photos by Chelsey Tran

Junior Shannon Hang (left) and senior Nick Wong (right) start off the new year by wearing some of the mostpopular trends in fashion. Hang wears a long-sleeve crop top with her light-wash denim jeans. Wong wears a

simple graphic tee, which displays an art istic decoration in front of his shirt and khaki shorts to match with hiswhite graphic tee. With the new year just entering, many new and old fashion trends will appear around school.

With the new year upon us, we can now take a clear stepback and examine what the hype was in 2013 in regards toclothing. Crop tops and high-waisted bottoms made a re-appearance and ower crowns became mainstream. Someother trends arose and faded away just as quickly.

I think the top trends for last year were combat boots,

crop tops for girls, and grunge sort of clothing, like darkclothing, for fall. My personal style is very grunge and darkclothing, sort of like The 70s Showin a way, junior CalvinSied.

For a while in summer, crop tops could be found every-where one looked. Everything from tanks to long-sleevedshirts to graphic tees were cropped and will probably re-main cropped for a while longer.

Graphic tees made a comeback last year. Their diversestyle caters to a wide variety of personalities. Witty phrasesand breathtaking scenery decorated the shirts of many stu-dents. Superheroes, bands, and owers were also common.Graphic tees made a smooth transition into winter and willmost likely remain present for at least another year.

Lana Del Reys popularity in 2013 ushered in a year ofower crowns. These colorful headpieces were worn prac-tically everywhere, from formal dances to summer musicfestivals.

Peplum is a detail on clothing that airs out at the waist.This whimsical style came back with a passion in 2013. Thisdetail could be found on shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, evenon some jackets. However, one may rejoice or mourn, de-pending on personal opinion, because peplum is on its wayout again. Its more formal feel limited its opportunities to beworn, taking away from this pieces desirability.

2013 fashion favored the 90s it seems. High-waisted pantswere all the craze last year, possibly to make up for all of the

bare midriffs. Event though this blast from the past is oftenassociated with mothers, this style was quickly snatched upin stores and became a wardrobe staple not long after.

I think [high-waisted pants] look kind of weird, exceptsome girls can rock it. Crop tops are cute, but sometimes itstoo short, junior Michele Quach said.

Trends are generally recycled. Which decades fashionwill we get inspiration from next?

Chelsey Tran

A series of events in pop culture shocked the world, but the question thatmost people never asked themselves nally came out, What does the foxsay?

Most people were saying, Well, it hasnt really crossed my mind. Butfor two Norwegian comedians by the stage name of The Ylvis Brothers,the idea was also out of the blue.

While writing a theme song for the new season of their comedy show, thebrothers were sharing ideas and the topic changed into the sounds that ani-mals make. But there was one animal that was not said and that is when onecurious brother asked the other: What does the fox say?

They recorded their song and made a video to go with it which left viewerswith mixed emotions. The video had different animals dancing and the songwent through the noises they make. The sounds that the brothers decided thata fox says were Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding and Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow. Some people took it as a complete joke and got a laugh out of it;others thought the idea was clever. Whether the fox says those things or not,the video got 12 million views on YouTube in less than a week.

Six seconds for a video seems like an awful short amount of time to makeanything decent video, but the new app Vine made it happen. Vine was re-leased earlier in January 2013 and captivated the Apple and Android user au-diences. Months later, Vine was still going viral and so were the videos. Thesesix second videos started appearing on Facebook walls and even Facebookpages were also made. People would nd joy and laughter in these short vid-eos which were meant to be funny. Vine videos soon became the talk of theyear, when everybody was asking, Did you watch that one Vine where...?or That Vine was totally funny! You should watch it. Ill send you the link.Vine videos were and still continue to be concise six second videos that peopleenjoy in a quick glance. Vine videos grasp ones attention span in as little assix seconds, which makes it more enjoyable than seeing a one minute video.Vine videos were so popular in 2013 because they were short, funny, and tothe point.

A trend that became widely popular in 2013 was twerking, a dance inwhich a person squats and shakes his or her butt up and down.

In the month of April, singer Miley Cyrus posted a video of herself twerk-ing in a suit that covers her face. Twerking became an even bigger hit inAugust 2013 when Cyrus twerked on Robin Thicke at the Video MusicAwards. This event became infamous, and it also led to a lot of negative talkabout Cyrus.

Mileys twerking inuenced a lot of people, junior Stella Liang said. Itmade them believe that exposing themselves in such manner [is] acceptable.

Then twerking went viral. Videos of how to twerk or just girls twerkingbegan to appear all over the Internet.

Twerking was the hottest trend that everybody wanted to do.[Twerking] should not have become so popular, junior Octavio Duran

said. It makes all the girls posting these videos look wrong.Although twerking was not seen as something acceptable, it became the

new trend, and it still is.

All briefs written by Ileana Perez, Amanda Molina, and Carolina Loaisiga

Twerking

The Fox by Ylvis

Vines

Background image courtesy of Vine

List compiled by Carolina Loaisiga


9/12

9 LIFE & ART WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Upcoming year brings excitement to awaiting audiences The Matador MuseAs the new year begins, it is denite that this year will

be a whirlwind of things to look forward to. From localconcert tours of famous music artists to upcoming movie

releases, people of all ages will have many things to beexcited about in 2014.Like in previous years, movie theaters will be bustling

with people eagerly waiting to watch either the sequel oftheir favorite lm or the next superhero movie. Among thepeople who will denitely take a trip to the movies thisyear is senior Kevin Chuong, who is waiting to watch themovie The Amazing Spiderman 2 when it releases on May 2.

Ever since the rst Amazing Spidermanmovie, I kindof liked it better than the last three Spiderman movies,Chuong said. What gets me excited is how they mightintroduce two villains [that] I know: the Goblin and theRhino.

Well-known music artists, such as Demi Lovato, Jus-tin Bieber, and Lady Gaga, will release new albums andmake appearances at upcoming concerts or other events.Sophomore Ericka Yap is expecting to buy Taylor Swiftsfth studio album, which was announced at the AmericanMusic Awards to be released soon.

If [her next album] did come out this year, of course Iwould buy it, Yap said.

Sophomore Christy Deng is also excited to hear herfavorite music artist One Direction, when they begin theirWhere We Are Tour on April 25 promoting their thirdstudio album, Midnight Memories. Deng plans to seethem on their tour when they perform at the Rose Bowlon Sept. 12 and 13.

Im beyond excited, Deng said. Its [going to] be mysecond time seeing them in concert. I just get all happythinking about it.

Other events happening in 2014 include numerousaward shows such as the Grammy Awards, which will airon Jan. 26, and the Oscars, which will air on March 2. Withnew things occurring in the music and movie industries,people will have so much to look forward to this year.

Lauren Kakazu

In Hollywood, Im obese. Im considered a fat actress. While for actress Jennifer

Lawrence, this is miles away from being true, she inspires thousands of people fromgiving in to the media and Hollywoods high standards.

I do think she is an inspiring person. She is one of those actresses who does notget caught up in being famous, and she stays true to who she really is, junior MelissaBenavides said.

In 2013, she gained recognition for her acting talent when she won an Oscar, aGolden Globe, and several other awards for Best Actress in Silver Linings Playbook.Lawrence is also best known as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and CatchingFire. She proved that men are not the only ones who know how to pull a punch and

become a lead action hero.When Im watching a movie she has a role in, it really feels as though the character

shes playing is really her own self, Benavides said. That takes a lot of talent to beable to do.

Putting her acting skills aside, Lawrence also promotes awareness about body im-age. She uses her role in The Hunger Gamesto lead her adolescent audience to the rightpath of a healthy diet. Despite her adult roles in American Hustle, she still keeps a cleanimage and does not allow herself to give into pressure.

Lawrence explained how she works out at the gym in order to maintain a healthy

and t body. She vowed to never lose weight for roles.We have the ability to control this image that young girls are never going to beseeing. They see enough of this body that they will never be able to obtain and its anamazing opportunity to rid ourselves of that in this industry,Lawrence said in The Guardian.

Although Lawrence makes quite the sums of money fromher huge box-ofce movies, she lives modestly with herparents.

$10 million and Im still living in my parents condoIvealways lived in a tiny rat-infested apartment in New York,or a little condo in LA, or a normal house in Kentucky. I thinkit would be very bizarre to live in a big mansion by myself,Lawrence said in Elle Magazine.

On the surface, Lawrence attends red carpet eventsand Oscar parties, but her contributions in 2013 madeher an inuential person. She stands out among theHollywood glamour with not only her good looks, butalso her bravery to break the rules in the entertainmentindustry.

I think having the ability to overcome the fame andthe money in order to stay your true self denitely takesa lot of courage, Benavides said. To take notice in howan actor/actress decisions affect individuals and to takepart in positive actions makes a good role model.

Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most successful ac-tresses and will hopefully continue to make a positiveimpact to people in following years to come.

One boy distant and coldWalks to school all aloneNo one to be withNo one to laugh withWhich is another average day

He walks in school and it startsStudents taunt himStrangers join in with themNo one can feel his miseryNo one can see his tears

Just nobody but himself

He fnally got home and saw a cardIt actually played Happy BirthdayWith an unfamiliar moodIt was joy and happinessSomething he had missedSince the day he turned fve

The card granted him one wishAny wish he wantedHe clasped his hands together andWished to be able to feel thingsSo he will never be numb anymore

Just one wish will bring him backFrom his cold and sick mind.

-Anthony Yang, 10

A Lone Minds Wish

Influential actor, actress inspire todays teenagersActress: Jennifer Lawrence by Mimi Lam Actor: Johnny Depp by Carolina Garcia

Photo by MingleMediaTVCC BY

Johnny Depp brings a new meaning to the word generous. While Depp was

lming in London, his daughter was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital forChildren. Doctors diagnosed her with an E. coli infection and treated her immedi-ately. To show his appreciation, Depp visited young patients there dressed in his JackSparrow Pirates of the Caribbeancostume and donated one million dollars.

Depp has given his time and support to Childrens Hospice Coalition, GreatOrmond Street Hospital, The Dan Marino Foundation, and The Shelia WitkinFoundation.

Depp has taken into heart his fans and their dreams. Depp celebrated the life ofone fan in particular when he wore a bracelet with the engraved message Todayis a gift have fun. There was also an engraved Age 11 and the name Dustin.

The quote is from Dustin, who died at age 11 from cancer. Depp wore the braceletwhen he put his hands in the cement on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I cant tell you how much that meant to us that our sweet Dustin was there withhim, Lori Butterworth of the Childrens Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition said.

He has inspired all of his fans to be generous, especially the fans who startedJohnnys Angels: Depp Fans for CharityTM. The charity was founded to honor him,raise funds for Childrens Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition (CHPCC), helpfamilies in need to nd out more about childrens hospice options in their local area,

and raise awareness of the needs of sick children and their families.Depp dropped out of school at age 15 and was introduced to acting at the youngage of 21. He received his rst role a year later when he starred in the movie A Night-

mare on Elm Street. Depp, unlike most young actors, didnot become fame obsessed; he has remained humbleeven to this day. Depp was recently named numberone autograph giver by Sheknows Magazine.

My cousin chased Johnny out of the airport whenhe was about to get into his car; he noticed her and gave

her an autograph, freshman Marlene Chi said. He wasreally nice. Most celebrities would just leave.

The famous actor is also unique from otheractors and actresses.

Some actors make a career out of beingthemselves in a movie, Tim Burton, a famousdirector, said in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.I enjoy those real character actors that [become]different creatures, and he is that way.

Depp is an inspiration who has done so

much for those in need, he has worked hardevery day of his life to advance in his career,and his devotion to all his charities and pri-orities is respectable. Every time he acceptsan award, he always thanks his fans; he istruly being sincere. He never forgets that hisfans are what inspire him to succeed in hisacting career today.


Photo by Georges Biard/CC BY


10/12

SPORTS 10 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

CO-ED WRESTLING

Wrestling is a fundamental element of

human interaction; children do it with each

other just as much adults tumble with oneanother.

Step 1: By stretching your leg back, execute

a lunge until your frontal side is practically in

contact with your opponent.

Step 2: Drop to the oor, and with your

knee touching the bare oor, lean into

your opponent in front of you, closing the

miniscule distance between you and your

competitor in this technique.

Step 3: Using the full force and strength of

your arms, grab your opponents legs in

order to restrict their movement as much as

possible.

Step 4: By making a sudden movement to

immobilize your opponent, sweep them off

their feet and onto the ground.

WrestlingShots

SoccerStep Over

VARSITY

1/3 vs. Mayfair 6-42 L

1/6 @ Montain View 61-14 W

1/8 @ El Rancho 53-36 L1/10 @ Gabrielino 43-36 W

1/14 vs. Mark Keppel 62-38 L

1/17 @ Schurr Cancelled

JV

12/18 vs. Mayfair N/A

1/8 @ El Rancho N/A


1/17 @ Schurr Rescheduled

FRESHMAN

1/8 @ El Rancho N/A

1/14 @ Mark Keppel N/A

1/17 vs. Schurr N/A

G I R L S B A S K E T B A L L

B O Y S S O C C E R

VARSITY

1/7 vs. South Pas. 5-0 L

1/9 @ El Monte 10-0 L

1/14 @ Bell Gardens 5-0 L

1/16 vs. Mark Keppel N/A

JV

1/7 vs. South Pas. 2-2 T

1/9 @ El Monte 4-1 L

1/14 @ Bell Gardens 5-0 L


G I R L S S O C C E R

B O Y S B A S K E T B A L L

VARSITY

1/6 @Monrovia 75-53 L

1/8 @ El Monte 53-34 L

1/10 vs. Mountain View 59-15 W


1/17 @Schurr CancelledJV

1/6 @ Monrovia N/A

1/8 @ El Monte N/A

1/10 vs. Mountain View N/A


1/17 vs. Schurr Cancelled

FRESHMAN

1/6 @ Monrovia N/A

1/8 @ El Monte 50-48 W

1/10 vs. Mountain View N/A


1/17 @ Schurr Cancelled

Steven Ho

You want to dance?If asked this question, sophomore Pe-

nelope Hernandez would have to decidewhether she was about to get into a dance

battle or a tussle. As a two-year memberof Choreo and rst-year member of thewrestling team, Hernandez has learnedto release her emotions through bodyrolls and making bodies roll. Althoughshe is the only girl on the wrestling team,Hernandez feels that the wrestling matis no less her home than the dance oor.

I wrestle because I like to take myanger out in a safe way, Hernandez said.I have to let out my emotions.

Along with expressing her aggressiveside, Hernandez began wrestling becauseher older sister Helimar Hernandez andolder brother Matthew Tafoya were bothon the wrestling team and encouragedher to try out.

They were pretty violent and theyliked [wrestling] a lot so I thought Ishould try it, Hernandez said.

Hernandez shares passion for wrestling and choreoAlthough the rst few practices were

strenuous and tiring, Hernandez gradu-ally learned to enjoy the workouts and theteam. The wrestling teams exercises in-cluded stretching, running, and tumbling,forcing her to be continuously active.Hernandez said that her three coaches,Alex Cabral, Rudy Gastelum, and PaulEscobedo, push her to her limits regard-less of her being the only girl.

[The coaches] are really tough on meand treat me like all the other teammates,Hernandez said.

Hernandez wrestles against both boysand girls in her weight class. At her rstwrestling match of the season againstBell Gardens, Hernandez recalls feelingnervous.

I was wrestling a guy, and I knew hewasnt going to go easy on me just be-cause I was a girl, Hernandez said. Eventhough she lost the match, Hernandezwas proud that she went out there andtried her best.

Balancing both Choreo and wrestlingpractices is not a problem for Hernandez.

Although both are tiring in their ownways, she can prioritize her activitieswithout complaint.

Senior co-captain Eddie Escobar ad-mires Hernandez for her positive effecton the team.

[Penelope] gives our team a wholedifferent perspective, Escobar said.Shes a good wrestler too. She beatssome of the guys and does well againstthe lightweight group.

Hernandez describes her wrestlingteam as a family that is always behindher.

The guys really care about you,Hernandez said. If Im upset or feelingweird, they would give me advice andcomfort me.

Hernandez has hope that withenough dedication and determination,she will improve as a wrestler, dancer,and multi-tasker. Hernandez hopes thatshe will never have to decide between

both activities and hopes to continuebeing an active member of both untilsenior year. Photo by Derek Deng

Soccer is arguably the worlds most popular

sport due its basic requirements: a ball, a

net, and people with exuberant enthusiasm.

There is no other sport with a rich ancestry

as soccer, orginating from various countries

around the world; however, they all share a

common link: a ball and a net.

Step 1: To start, dribble the ball with your

left foot. Make sure to keep the ball close to

you.

Step 2: Plant your left foot rmly on the

ground next to the ball.

Step 3: Swing your right foot completely

around without touching the ball. Your left

foot should still be parallel to the ball.

Step 4: Then, tap the ball with the outside of

your right foot and start dribbling away from

your opponent.

Carol ina Loaisiga

Athletes return to fundamentals

Rebecca Lei

Step 1 Step 2

Step 3 Step 4

Step 4Step 3

Step 2Step 1

VARSITY

1/9 vs. El Monte 3-1 L

1/14 vs. Bell Gardens 2-0 L


JV

1/9 vs. El Monte 7-0 L

1/14 vs. Bell Gardens 6-1 L



1/15 @ Montebello N/A

1/22 @ Alhambra N/A

Photos compiled by Derek Deng

Penelope Hernandez

Photos compiled by Derek Deng


11/12

11 SPORTS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Certain sports lack school supportCarolina Garcia

John Truong

The San Gabriel soccer team quickly guides the balltowards their opponents goal and the forward kicksthe ball in attempt to score. After several rebounds,San Gabriel victoriously lands the ball in the net. Theteam excitedly celebrates their goal and turns to the

stands to observe their crowd. Only there is hardlyany crowd; there are only 15 spectators whose clapsare barely audible.

There is an unequal amount of support in schooltowards these winter sports. During a basketball game,there are cheerleaders and Choreo, Drill, and Bandmembers. Soccer players and wrestlers can only hopefor their family and close friends to show up to theirgames and matches, but even that is not denite.

While all three winter sport teams train equally hard,support seems to glide over to basketball. The sourceof this attention is not hate towards some sports, butcultural inuences and trends in the school and nation.

Soccer and wrestling, the commonly ignored wintersports, have naturally learned to appreciate their com-mitted and devoted fans. However, this does not meanthat basketball players do not value their fans.

I appreciate having my family come to everygame, senior soccer player Angel Garcia said. [Hav-ing] them there encourages me to do my best.

A few families and other devoted fans unfortunatelydo not and are unable to ll up the stands, and theabsence of spectators is obvious.

Its disappointing that classmates dont come togames because I know [that] with their support, theteam will have the spirit to push themselves, Garciasaid.

It is noticeable that support affects a team, and forthat reason all sports games should be advertised andrecommended for students to attend.

Every San Gabriel student should make a resolutionof trying to attend different sports games for the fall,winter, and spring seasons at least once to supportthe teams.

Dance groups and Band members, if possible,should make the time to attend a variety of sports

games other than the usual basketball and footballgames.

Since the positive atmosphere in basketball isgreat, it would be desirable for all sports to receivethe same recognition. It is apparent that soccer gameslack amenities, like a snack bar and score board, butthese inconveniences are hardly noticeable when oneis jumping up and down in the spirit of the game.

Fall season should not only be known as footballseason, winter season not only as basketball season,and spring not only as volleyball season. There arenot only three sports at San Gabriel high school; SanGabriel has numerous sports that are craving attention.

Marvin

Luu

In a society where social media has allowed individuals todiscriminate against others on a regular basis, the world needssports more than ever.

Sports are an activities known for their universal nature be-cause sports are blind to prejudice. Anyone can play basketball,

soccer, football, volleyball, baseball, or any other game withoutbeing judged for their appearances and emotions.

Although there will always be the ignorant remarks from thestands, all the talk does not change the outcome of a game ora performance of an athlete. The only thing that is analyzed isthe way in which a player demonstrates his or her performanceon the court or on the eld.

The problem in sports does not stand in who is discriminatedby sex or race, but rather by the voluntary racial divide thatpeople who watch sports create.

When Yao Ming rst surfaced in the National BasketballAssociation, he had already been playing basketball for over12 years. Ming was expected to play well only because of hisapparent height advantage; he eventually proved the criticswrong by developing some strong post moves to complementhis rebounding abilities. However, earning respect was stilldifcult for the 7-foot-6-inch center.

Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin s rise to fame took on

a completely different challenge.If Lin was an African American perhaps Linsanity wouldnever have reached the type of attention it had. The clearreaction to his sudden success only reafrms what many arethinking inside their heads: there is no way that a 6-foot-1-inchAsian point guard can succeed in an elite class of stars. Lin iscurrently starting for the Houston Rockets and continues toput up solid numbers for his team.

The universal joy for sports may never be questioned assports diplomacy has reined as a popular alternative to solvinginternational issues as well as domestic issues.

Sports managed to reunite a struggling nation as what thelate Nelson Mandela did with rugby union. During the 1995World Cup, the former South African President managed to

bring together both white and black athletes in a movementthat would forever change the course of South Africa as a nationand produced a new era in the sports world forever.

Overall sports do not judge people but the world still man-ages to generate the racial comments and prejudices that weread about everyday. However, these comments often comefrom the individuals from the outside looking in. The players,themselves, understand that it does not matter who is dribblingthe ball but, rather what they can do with it.

Alvarez battles leukemia, returns to basketball

Stepping into the Matador Are-na, ones attention is instantly

diverted to the brown, hardwoodcourt. Girls with distinct, red andblue jerseys are jogging in unisonaround one side of the court. Then,the sound of the blasting rap musickeeps the heartbeat of the momentat a fast pace. A typical girls varsity

basketball game is set to start.For senior forward Nadine Al-

varez, this basketball game is nottypical to her. It has been more thantwo years since she received thenews that she had been diagnosedwith leukemia, a rare blood cancer.Since then, she had to take a longleave of absence from both schooland basketball to receive many gru-eling chemotherapy treatments. InAlvarezs sophomore year, a lump

had developed in her thigh, and itwas when she visited the doctorthat she received the life-changingdiagnosis that she had cancer. Afterreceiving the news, Alvarez wasrequired to stop all school activitiesand immediately start her chemo-therapy.

The chemotherapy made mefeel very ill because it is like a poi-son in you, Alvarez said. A tubewas stuck into my chest as a way toget the [chemotherapeutic agents]into my blood.

Throughout her bout with can-cer, Alvarez recalls having receivedmuch attention from friends, fam-ily, and strangers. In 2012, for ex-

ample, her friends held a car washfundraiser at Spikes Bar in Rose-mead to raise money to fund herhospital treatments. It was a hugesuccess, as over $6,000 were raised.

After a year long hiatus from

school activities, Alvarez was givenpermission from doctors to makeher return.

It was difcult at rst to come-

back becaus e I was sta rting allover, Alvarez said. I was lost. Istruggled.

Basketball was not Alvarezsrst sport as she was a cheerleaderfor eight years prior to joining theorganized basketball team as aneighth grader at Garvey Intermedi-ate School.

Prior to being diagnosed withleukemia, Alvarez played on thefreshmen girls basketball team,where she received the Most Valu-able Player award, leading her teamin many statistical categories suchas scoring and rebounding. Afterhaving an outstanding basketballseason, she was promoted to thevarsity team.

After being given permissionby doctors to play basketball, cur-rent girls varsity Head Coach LyleHonda was at rst reluctant to al-low Alvarez to participate in fullcontact play.

Coach Honda made sure that Iwas able to play, Alvarez said, buthe was also always worried for me,so he told me to just take it easy inmy rst year back.

It is now Alvarezs senior yearand she is in full shape to play

basketball. It has been three yearssince she has played in an AlmontLeague basketball game; however,her cancer is currently in remissionand doctors have told her that she is

still not considered cured until shereaches the age of 20. Thus, as a pre-caution to prevent the cancer fromcoming out of remission, Alvarezcontinues to receive chemotherapyonce every month and takes chemo

pills every night.The chemotherapy actually

made my hair fall off twice, Alva-rez said. I think my hair naturallyturned curly because of it.

The entire experience haschanged Alvarez, as she said thatshe saw the good in people throughtheir prayers and help. As a testa-ment to this, the Make-a-WishFoundation gave her the chance totake a fully paid vacation to Hawaiiwith her family of seven.

My cancer actually made me

more religious because it taught meto stay strong and to have faith,Alvarez said. I also learned toappreciate things more and to nottake things for granted.

Luusing my mind

Sports blind to differences

Photo by Derek Deng

Graphic by infogr.am

*78 people weresurveyed


12/12

FEATURES 12WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014THE MATADOR

Nail art is more than a hobby

They gleam under the UV lightsof classroom P104 as English teacher

Joan Lee teaches her ve classes of 36students, expressing her artistic talentson a personal canvas: her nails.

As many of her students and co-workers have seen, Lee alwayschanges her nails every week. Herusual designs include Hello Kitty andother Sanrio characters and colorfuldesigns.

Im open to everything, Lee said.Lee began painting her nails as a

child and got into nail art when shewas in high school; she has done thisever since.

Eventually, I began learning stuffonline, going on Youtube and learn-ing different techniques, Lee said.It started getting more elaborate as

Ive gotten older. Now I do pictures ofthings with different colors.Not only does Lee do nail art for

herself, but also for the female studentsat San Gabriel. Students who knowLee go to her to get their nails done forspecial occasions, such as prom. Leeestimated to have done seven or eightgirls nails the previous year.

I like doing it for the kids [because]I know not everyone can go get theirnails done, Lee said. They usuallyask for plain, pinksimple designs.

Lauren KakazuPainting the nails of other students

helps Lee with her teaching. While do-ing their nails, Lee talks to the studentsand tries to help them.

A lot of the kids talk about their

lives, Lee said. We talk about schooland their future.

Lee also gets to know her studentson a personal level. She learns some oftheir interests and hobbies.

Its usually things that I wouldnever know about people, Lee said.

Among these students was seniorAshley Ung whom Lee found out afterdoing her nails that she had a black

belt in karate.I started looking at her nails when

she started teaching, Ung said. I juststarted asking her about it, and shetold me that she did them for herself.

Ung requested to have her nailsdone for her aunts wedding. She planson asking Lee to do her nails again

when prom arrives and recommendsother students to go to her as well.I think its really nice of her. She

takes her own time to do it, Ung said.She really enjoys it though.

Lee exercises her imagination,through many of her other creations.Besides creating nail art, Lee bedazzlesher shoes and she bakes.

With a bottle of nail polish in hand,Lee helps San Gabriel students notonly with their nails but also with theirpersonal lives.

Photo by Derek Deng

Tell Mewhats the

WORD.Famous Hallwayquotes,

Volume Sixty-two

- Student losingmotivation to dressup for school.

Want to hear a

joke? My life.

- Studentcomplaining abouther life.

At the beginning

of the year I used

to dress boho but

now Im hobo.

All quotesoverheard

by TheMatador

Staff.

If you cant

laugh at yourself,

Ill be happy to

do it for you.

- Student jokingaround with friend.

English teacher Joan Lee showcases her latest nail art designwhich features vintage roses and Swarovski crystals.

Senior Ashley Ung snaps a picture of her painted bow-themednails to post on a popular social media app to impress others.

Hipsters

everywhere are

suffering from

pumpkin spice

latte withdrawl.

- Student pokingfun at hipsters.


Story of my life

Photo courtesy of Ashley Ung

The Matador Online - January Issue 2014

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