VOLUME LXXVIII NUMBER IV December 10, 2015 theaztecnews.com

12/10 Drama Boosters Meet-ing in A114 7-8:30 pm12/14-12/16 Finals12/16 MKHS PTSA Meeting 7-9 pm12/17 Minimum Day12/18 End of Semester 112/18 Pupil Free Day12/21-1/1 Winter Break 1/6 Collaboration Schedule1/13 Collaboration Schedule1/14 Drama Boosters Meeting 7-8:30 pm in A1141/18 School Holiday

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THE AZTEC

BONNIE WONGEditor-in-Chief/Asst. A&E/Features Editor

IN THIS ISSUE News

in Brief

Mark Keppel girls soccer continues winning streak

Channel your inner St. Nick

� e Romantic Side of Christmas

Addressing the fear of terrorism in large crowds

VIEWPOINT PG 3

SPORTS PG 8

FOCUS PG 4-5

FEATURES PG 6

Deck the Halls is an event that occurs at Keppel annually dur-ing December. � is year's Deck the Halls started on December 4 beginning after school and end-ing at 10 p.m. � is year's theme is Cartoon Network. Each class was assigned a di� erent show that appeared on Cartoon Net-work to decorate their hallway. � e senior class is Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, the junior class is Pokemon, the sophomore class is Adventure Time, and the

freshmen class is Teen Titans. Each class has their own hall that they are in charge of deco-rating, and students from all grades are allowed to help out with the decorating process. Junior class president Janet Chung said, “Christmas time is always so cheerful and heart-warming, so by decorating the hallways, it puts everyone in that Christmas spirit. Not only that but it pushes everyone to � nish the semester strong.” � roughout the whole event, there were fundraisers for all class committees, each one sell-

ing di� erent food items. ASB advisor, Mrs. Carmona, talked about how previous class fund-raisers were used for this event and many others to come. All classes bought their own supplies from the money fundraised, such as posters, paint, paintbrushes, tape, and more. When asked for her opinion about the results, Carmona said, “I think it’s great. So many of the students have a nostalgic ele-ment [to this year’s theme], [and] I think the students got really ex-cited because it reminded them of their childhood.”

WESLEY ZENGSta� Writer

Deck the Halls brings Cartoon Network theme to hallways

Kidnapping suspect apprehendedBRANDON CHUNGHistorian/ Co-Copy Editor

� e suspect of the attempted abduction of a Keppel student has been apprehended, reported police on Tuesday. 22-year old Saul Villa Jr. was arrested on Saturday, Decem-ber 5 on suspicion of attempted kidnapping and possession of a stolen vehicle. � e attempted abduction oc-curred at approximately 7:05 a.m on December 3 near the in-tersection of Orange and Hell-man. On December 5, the Baldwin Park Police Department located the stolen truck the city of Bald-win Park. � e truck's occupants, Villa and a female passenger, were both detained, and further investigation by the Monterey Park Police Department iden-ti� ed Villa as the outstanding suspect in the case. Villa is being housed at the Monterey Park Jail, with his bail set at $130,000. He was due to appear yesterday in court at the Alhambra Superior Court.To read the full article visittheaztecnews.com.

Juniors Kelly Ong and Yun Ou pose in front of a Deck the Halls poster. THE AZTEC/DARWIN TSE

No charges against former Mark Keppel principal Jas Cisneros; reassignment to be determined Keppel parents, faculty, and students attended the Decem-ber 8 Alhambra Uni� ed School District (AUSD) board meeting to discuss matters including the reassignment of former Mark Keppel principal Jacinth “Jas” Cisneros to the district. In an email sent out by Sharon Woo, a Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Committee Chair Member, PTSA members were invited to attend the meet-ing to show support of Cisneros’ return. AUSD planned to reas-sign Cisneros to a di� erent posi-tion within the district, but many meeting attendees called for her return to Keppel as principal. Some speakers stated that Cis-neros wants to return to Keppel

to serve the students. Denise Tso, another PTSA Commit-tee Member, said, “She is a very transparent person…Our school removing her creates a cloud of suspicion.” � e Alhambra Police Depart-ment is not pressing criminal charges regarding Cisneros’ role in the recent Keppel incident. � is was emphasized by teachers, parents, and students who ad-dressed the board. Speakers voiced their sup-port, listing accomplishments that Cisneros has spearheaded as principal of Keppel. � ese in-cluded the school’s increased aca-demic achievement, new projects, events, and general comradeship. Woo said, “Principal Cisneros has done nothing wrong to be put on leave…I urge you to vote no [to move Principal Jacinth Cisneros to the district o� ce].

She is dedicated and devoted to her students.” AUSD considered Cisneros’ reassignment due to undisclosed, con� dential reasons concerning a recent incident at Keppel. AUSD Board of Education Member Adele Andrade-Stadler men-tioned the board’s consideration for the a� ected student and the parents involved in the issue that removed Cisneros as principal. A meeting regarding the reas-signment of Cisneros will be re-scheduled at a later date, open to faculty and parents. “� ings are very di� cult to ex-plain when you have court, dis-trict attorney, and police depart-ments involved. Our hands are bound by some of that con� den-tiality,” said Andrade-Stadler. “I plead with you all to bear with us and will ask for that meeting be-fore we go forward to move Jas.”

Two Keppel seniors make All State Honor Choir� e Aztec choir teacher Mr. Azeltine announced that Kep-pel seniors Kelsey Kwan and Emily Castelazo made the All State Honor Choir.

Mr. Trieu returns to KeppelMr. Trieu returned to Keppel as a Social Science teacher on Wednesday, December 9.

Ms. Lee featured in "Teacher Tech Stories" websiteMs. May Lee was featured in the district's "Teacher Tech Stories," a website where teachers can share lessons based around implementing technology into the curriculum. Prizes for winning include a gift card and a chance to win a basket of school supplies for the classroom.

The Winter Concert will take place tomorrow at 7-8:30 p.m. In this event, at least 250 students will participate in four music groups: world drumming, guitar, orchestra, and band. According to Dr. Bartlett, “This is an event where it shows the demonstra-tions of what the students have learned throughout the first semester.” As the final assessment for a visual and performing arts course, performers will receive credit for their work. Presale tickets cost $5 and tickets at the door cost $7. Students can buy pre-sale tickets from performers. Dr. Bartlett said, “This money goes towards the music programs where kids will participate in the future and the money goes towards buying new in-

struments, buying uniforms, and other equipments needed for all my music classes.” Last year, about 230 tickets were sold. Junior Tommy Ho, a band and orches-tra member, said, “In this event, the songs that we will play are Christmas songs. We have started practicing every Mon-day from 4 to 7 p.m. in the beginning of the year. And this event is considered as the final for both of my classes.” In order to better prepare for this event, Dr. Bartlett instructed her stu-dents to work on music about one month ahead of time. Junior Jacky Han, a world drum-ming student, said, “It took us about a month to prepare for the event. In this event, we will play four to five African Rhythm songs.” These African Rhythm songs are considered as the basic con-cepts of world drumming.

The Mark Keppel choirs hosted a con-cert on Saturday, December 5 from 7-9 p.m. Ticket prices were $5 presale and $8 at the door. The show was directed by the Aztec choir teacher, Mr. Azeltine. Each concert makes a profit of approximately $300, which funds upcoming concerts. The money first goes to the Aztec Singer Drama Booster Club, which is a group of choir alumni

who sponsors the choir. Money earned from previous shows covers expenses such as bus fees and prop costs. The Mark Keppel choirs performed a Christmas seasonal show. This year was based off an actual movie called The Mup-pets Christmas Carol, hence the name of the show, It Feels Like Christmas. Aztec Singer, senior Cristine Chou said, “We usually have choreography rehearsals for two hours every Tuesday, and one hour every Friday. But when it’s closer to our concert, we rehearse until we get it right.”

At La Belle Equipe stands a memorial for the patrons who died at the restaurant in the November Paris bombings. The me-morial is simple in construction: a collage of flowers, candles, and pictures of the un-forgotten deceased. Although it is humble in aesthetic, the memorial serves as a sign of solidarity for a nation still in mourning. At least 129 people were confirmed dead on the night of November 13, 2015. There were three explosions that night. The first took place at the Stade de France, a soccer stadium seated on the northern edge of Paris. French President Fran-

cois Hollande was present in the stadi-um. Thanks to vigilant security staff, the would-be mass murderer was turned away. He exploded his suicide vest outside the stadium, killing one passer-by. Later, near the Place de Republique, a gunmen opened fire on pedestrians at the restaurant Le Petit Combodge. Over 100 bullets were fired. 15 people died within minutes. Just a few miles south of Place de Republique, five people were shot dead in the streets of Rue de la Fontaine au Roi. These attacks were carried out by gunmen travelling in a black Seat car. Nearby, the restaurant La Belle Equipe was attacked by gunmen. 19 people died, with nine oth-er victims in critical condition.

A few minutes later, a suicide vest was detonated by Braham Abdeslam on the Boulevard Voltaire, critically injuring one person. The deadliest attack took place at the Bataclan Concert Hall. The 1,500-seat stadium was sold-out for Californian rock group Eagles of Death Metal. Three at-tackers wearing suicide belts arrived in a black Volkswagen Polo. They killed 89 people with Kalashnikov-type assault rifles. At least 99 people were in critical condition. The attackers shot indiscrimi-nately into the crowd, and people fled via emergency exit on the left side of the stage. Many victims died from their inju-ries within hours. A gunman was shot by

police and his suicide belt detonated. The other two also detonated their belts soon after. Two of the bombers have been iden-tified as Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, and Samy Animour, 28. Senior Karla Sandoval weighs the risks of terrorism occurring in the United States. She said, “I am very terrified because, first, the terrorist attack occurred in Paris and now in San Bernardino. It is getting closer to home which scares me the most.” In the aftermath, many French citi-zens mourned their losses. President Francois Hollande closed France’s bor-ders and promised a “merciless” res ponse.

The Aztec 2015-2016

Bonnie WongEditor-in-Chief/Asst. A&E/Features Editor

Vivian ToEditor-in-Chief/Focus Editor

Darwin Tse Asst. Editor-in-Chief/Web Editor

Sarah McCormick News Editor

Alexander BeaumontA&E/Features Editor

Brian Yeo Viewpoint Editor

Eric LamSports Editor

Karli ChengBusiness Manager

Victoria RamirezChief Photographer

Brandon Chung Historian/Co-Copy Editor

Yang Lu Co-Copy Editor/Business Manager

Edlyn Wong Head Cartoonist

Aurora ZengCartoonist

Wesley ZengAsst. Business Manager

Kristin Ching-buranakitAsst. Photographer

Rodolfo AriasAsst. Photographer

Angela ChenAsst. Focus Editor

Celeste ArambulaStaff Writer

Anna BadrosStaff Writer

Calvin ChanStaff Writer

Dianne DoStaff Writer

Noelle FrasherStaff Writer

Arodi GarciaStaff Writer

Cristina GonzalezStaff Writer

Anita HuangStaff Writer

Anthony JianStaff Writer

Cole KimStaff Writer

Kevin KuangStaff Writer

Kenneth LiuStaff Writer

Jonathan LouStaff Writer

Eric TamStaff Writer

Shanae ToStaff Writer

Babyruth TorresStaff Writer

Sophie WongStaff Writer

The Aztec is published monthly by the jour-nalism class of mark keppel high school and is printed By News publishers’ press. opinions expressed are those of the writers, not of the faculty or administration. Articles without bylines are staff editorials, and reflect the opinion of the staff. Letters to the editor are welcome and are sub-ject to editing. Letters can be given to Ms. Brad-ley in room A225 or sent to theaztecstaff@gmail.com. All letters must be signed, but on request, names will be withheld. we do not acknowledge unsigned letters. All internet graphics on The Aztec newspaper are the properties of their respective owners.

ANTHONY JIANStaff Writer

Alhambra, CA 91801

ANITA HUANGStaff Writer

ERIC TAMStaff Writer

Mark Keppel choirs perform in It Feels Like Christmas

Terrorist attack shocks Paris; losses deeply felt

Winter Concert to take place tomorrow

Color Guard performs at the Winter Pep Rally. THE AZTEC/KRISTIN CHINGBURANAKIT & RODOLFO ARIAS

The annual Winter Pep Rally was held on Friday, December 4, in Palm Court dur-ing lunch. During the rally, ASB recognized all se-nior students participating in winter sports. The pep rally started off with a perfor-mance by cheer. Afterwards, seniors from wrestling, boys basketball, and boys soc-

cer were announced. Following that was a performance by Color Guard, and girls soccer, girls basketball, and girls water polo seniors were announced. Basketball senior Serena Chen said, “[Being recognized] gives me a sense of accomplishment. Three years of putting in so much time and hard work is paying off, and it’s our final year to play in front of our friends and our family, and it’s just bittersweet.”

Winter Pep Rally recognizes seniorsBRANDON CHUNGHistorian/ Co-Copy Editor

Choir performing in their holiday performance. THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

Snapchat has been a hit with social media since 2012. The app makes communication easier by sending pictures or videos. Re-cently, Snapchat added selfie lenses, a feature that gives us-ers many editing options to alter their looks. When selfie lenses first came out on Snapchat, they were all free and many enjoyed the new update. Users posted videos of themselves using the selfie lenses on Instagram or Facebook. After a while, Instagram started charg-ing for the more popular lenses, leaving a few still free. Even though this change may

increase the profitability of the company, it may turn away dedi-cated users of the free features. Some students say that 99 cents for one filter is not a fair deal. Senior Sharon Ng agreed. “I love the face filters [selfie lenses] because it is funny and fun to send to your friends, but the new update charges people the ones that are liked the most. The free ones are the worst ones, which isn’t fair,” Ng said. Instagram adds new selfie lens-es almost every week, but now fewer students are excited about the new contents. It is unfair for Snapchat to pursue profits at the expense of user satisfaction. However, some students remain loyal to the app

and are willing to purchase the new paid contents. The rainbow selfie lens has seen the highest number of sales overall. Freshman Alize Navarro said, “I did buy the rainbow one be-cause it is interesting, and I liked it a lot. It was smart for snapchat to put a price on it because they can make more profit.” Snapchat developed these lenses to encourage more app downloads. According to Busi-ness Insider, Snapchat is on track to make $100 million from selfie lenses alone. Snapchat made many changes, such as Story Replies and Im-proved Lenses, but paid selfie lenses have provoked the most responses.

Paris, Syria, and now San Ber-nardino are three of many places where terrorists have suddenly attacked. The recent attacks have struck fear into millions of people in the United States and beyond. Some believe that terrorists usually target crowded places and that the best way to avoid attacks would be to stay home. However, is that really an informed choice? “Major events may be targeted by terrorists or extremists because of the large crowds of people in attendance,” stated the U.K. Na-tional Counter Terrorism Security

Office. “They also offer the group or individual the opportunity for publicity by events being televised or subject of media attention.” Moreover, some terrorist at-tacks may be for publicity and to spread fear, and instill paranoia into everyone, everywhere - a plan that, though deceitful and evil, works well. This blind fear may fulfill the exact objective of the terrorists: to cause terror. “[I] think that terrorists would try to use this fear,” said freshmen Kelly Tsan. “Even if it feels like terrorism [can] strike anytime, anywhere, we should trust the people that protect us, the people that protect our country.” In other

words, we shouldn’t let the terror-ists instill fear in us and control us. “Fear shouldn’t control our lives. It just wouldn’t seem right,” asserted freshman Ryan Tien. “[The] same goes for any other emotion.” No one should let terrorists control them with fear. Avoid-ing crowds for a fear of terrorism seems correct at first, but in real-ity, this is unreasonable and im-practical. People should exercise their free will and their right to choose, but one thing for certain is that every-one needs to be aware and make informed choices.

Many times during the holi-days, people will take a gift re-ceived from someone and give it to another person. Whether this practice, commonly referred to as regifting, is okay, is often con-tested. Specific people react to regift-ing differently. Junior Kavian Jalali feels that regifting takes the care out of the gift giving “system.” He said, “the whole point of giving a gift is to try to find something that you think the other person would like, on your own, not giving something that someone else has already cho-sen.” On the other hand, regifting is a way to get rid of unwanted things in a nice way.

Junior Tatiana Garnett said, “Sometimes I regift because a distant relative gives me some-thing they think that I would like, but they end up giving me something that I would never use... I give it to someone else as a gift if I think it would work better off with them.” However, senior Kara Chuang adds that “regifting something doesn’t lose any of the values that come with normal gift giv-ing, because in order to regift something you still have to pick a person that the said gift is right for and still decide whether or not it would work them, doing nothing but saving you money.” Whether regifting is okay or not may depend on the value you plaace on a gift. Ultimate-ly, regifting provides a way for many people to save money and possibly give unused gifts a new purpose.

Snapchat begins charging for use of lenses

COLE KIMStaff Writer

Regifting: Holiday taboo or practical thing to do?

Addressing the fear of attacks in large crowds

CRISTINA GONZALEZStaff Writer

BABYRUTH TORRESStaff Writer

TUTORING IN YOUR HOMEAlgebra 1 and 2, Geometry,Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus,

AP Chemistry, SATUC Berkeley Graduate

Roy Wu(626) 818-2657

Asst. Principal Alejandra Perez takes a selfie using Snapchat’s lenses. THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

THE AZTEC/EDLYN WONG

Pucker Up for Mistletoe

It’s holiday season! Time for family, love, friends… Okay, who am I kidding-

-gifts! Whether it’s Secret Santa or white elephant, gifts always � nd their way

into the holiday traditions. Although giving gifts shouldn’t be “make it or break it” for a rela-

tionship, the stakes do seem higher when giving to your signi� cant other.

When giving gifts to a signi� cant other, it seems obvious to show more sincerity and thought. Seniors Johnny Wright and Melissa

Zepeda have been in a relationship for three years and, consequently, three Christmases.

“A gift from my girlfriend is special because it’s from her,” said Wright. “She gets me pajama pants [so] it’s special,

whereas if someone else got me pajamas it would be like ‘whatev-er’.” Zepeda said she usually receives food from Wright, while she gives him items for video games or clothes. “You have to make it special to what they like,” said Zepeda. “If you give a gift for a friend, it’s more of you at least thought about them.” For signi� cant others, Zepeda stated that there is more e� ort and person-alization involved. For couples, more time is usually involved in the gift. “I try to pay attention to the little details that he wants,” said senior Mollie Pirkle. “For friends, I don’t put as much e� ort because I make one gift in a mass amount to distribute.” Pirkle stated that she starts to think about a gift for her boyfriend three weeks ahead of time. It makes sense for couples to spend more time on each other concerning gifts because that’s what makes them di� erent from your friends. However, that’s not to say you should spend less time on your friends’ gifts either. Ultimately, all gifts should have meaning speci� c to the receiver, whether it’s your girlfriend, sibling, or best friend.

ARODI GARCIASta� Wrier

The Romantic Side of Christmas

During the holiday season, the mistletoe makes its appear-ance in doorways across America.

Often, it represents romance that comes

with this time of year, but in reality, mistletoe is far from

romantic. It is a parasitic plant that latches onto trees and feeds o� of them.

Why, then, is a parasite associated with love?

According to History.com, the plant’s associa-tion with romance originates in Norse mythology,

where the god Baldur was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe. He was resurrected and his mother, Frigg,

goddess of love, declared mistletoe a symbol of love. She vowed to kiss those who passed beneath it. By the 18th century, stealing a kiss under the mistle-toe became a common tradition among British servants. � e custom then popularized to other parts of the world. Junior Mabel Kwan staid, “It’s a trend. It’s seen in a lot of Christmas movies. It’s usually the � rst kiss of the charac-ters. People think it’s cute and really romantic.” Today, any couple standing underneath the mistletoe is pressured to pucker up. Physiology teacher, Ms. Dhala, had hers at a Christmas party. Her advice is to “always be with your husband under the mistletoe.” � e occasion is less awkward if you are with your signi� cant other. She also says that the kiss can be a simple one on the cheek. Biology teacher, Ms. Ng, said, “I think it’s an old school

way of how people who liked each other [could] break the ice and be able to enjoy each other’s company and get a little free kiss.” She also said the tradition is romantic if it is under the right conditions. Many agree that this custom relates to the Christmas spir-it because it brings love and happiness. However, others do not need an excuse to show their love. Junior Kristen Lee said, “[My boyfriend] probably won’t even mention that we’re under the mistletoe and kiss me anyway, but if we were under [the mistletoe] we would kiss.” Traditionally, if the kiss is refused under the mis-tletoe, it is considered bad luck. Another tradition instructs to pluck a single berry from the mistletoe with each kiss. � en after all the berries are gone, the kissing ends. You might want to make sure your mistletoe has enough berries to last.

gifts of love

DARWIN TSEAsst. Editor-in-Chief/ Web Editor

MistletoeMistletoe

Photos courtesy of Google Images

Student Picks: Romance movies to watch during Christmas^

^ ^^

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Let’s go home for the holidays

It’s holiday season! Time for family, love, friends… Okay, who am I kidding-

-gifts! Whether it’s Secret Santa or white elephant, gifts always � nd their way

into the holiday traditions. Although giving gifts shouldn’t be “make it or break it” for a rela-

tionship, the stakes do seem higher when giving to your signi� cant other.

When giving gifts to a signi� cant other, it seems obvious to show more sincerity and thought. Seniors Johnny Wright and Melissa

Zepeda have been in a relationship for three years and, consequently, three Christmases.

“A gift from my girlfriend is special because it’s from her,” said Wright. “She gets me pajama pants [so] it’s special,

whereas if someone else got me pajamas it would be like ‘whatev-er’.” Zepeda said she usually receives food from Wright, while she gives him items for video games or clothes. “You have to make it special to what they like,” said Zepeda. “If you give a gift for a friend, it’s more of you at least thought about them.” For signi� cant others, Zepeda stated that there is more e� ort and person-alization involved. For couples, more time is usually involved in the gift. “I try to pay attention to the little details that he wants,” said senior Mollie Pirkle. “For friends, I don’t put as much e� ort because I make one gift in a mass amount to distribute.” Pirkle stated that she starts to think about a gift for her boyfriend three weeks ahead of time. It makes sense for couples to spend more time on each other concerning gifts because that’s what makes them di� erent from your friends. However, that’s not to say you should spend less time on your friends’ gifts either. Ultimately, all gifts should have meaning speci� c to the receiver, whether it’s your girlfriend, sibling, or best friend.

Magical Winter wonderland datesEDLYN WONGHead Cartoonist

NOELLE FRASHERSta� Writer

Relationships can be quite clichéd during the holidays, especially with cou-

ples going on cheesy dates and presenting each other with gifts. Although many cou-

ples enjoy going on these winter adventures with each other, people who are not in relation-

ships might not. However, that doesn’t necessarily make winter outings bad, as most people see family and friends as the most important part of the holiday season, not the romance. Sophomore Daniel Lieu believes that “Christmas is a time to just hang out with your family and friends and be thankful for each other. Your family will al-ways show you love and kindness and you should re-turn that, especially when it’s Christmas time.” Lieu

revealed that he has several holiday family traditions, such as driving around town

and viewing Christmas lights. He states that family will always come � rst to him during the holidays, as he says, “� ey’re my family. I’ve spent every Christmas with them and they’ve seen me grow [just as] I’ve seen my

younger siblings grow up with Christmas.” English teacher, Ms. Chase, agrees with the “family � rst” notion during the holidays, as she spends most of her time with her son. Ms. Chase feels that spending time with her family near Christmas feels more special since she grew up with many family traditions. She stated, “Every year during December, since I’m so conditioned to want to be with family and keep my family traditions, I feel [inclined] to do the things I’ve been so used to doing during Christmas.” While couples spend lots of time with each other, people not in relationships spend more time with friends. It seems that there is one general consensus; Christmas is a time to show kindness and gratefulness to your family. It is a time where you can create new memories and show appre-ciation to everyone who has stood by you. Ultimate-ly, it doesn’t really matter if you’re in a relationship or not. What really matters is that you spend good, quality time with those that matter most to you, whoever they may be.

The Romantic Side of Christmas

Disn

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nd

LA Kings Holiday Ice

G

ri� t

h Observatory

Candy Cane Lane

THE AZTEC/ EDLYN WONG

Student Picks: Romance movies to watch during ChristmasWinter dates at

Disneyland are the dreams of many couples, especially if they

wish to snap an obligatory photo in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle or

with Mickey Mouse dressed in his Christmas sweater and Santa hat. Senior Mario Cook, who will be visiting Disneyland this year, said, “I am looking forward to having a good time [with my girlfriend] and being able to make that time valuable.” For the holiday season, Disneyland will be having seasonally decorated enter-

tainment and attractions. “I just want to have fun and I hope Jess has fun

too,” Cook continued.

Although LA is not cold enough for ice

skating on frozen lakes, we do have LA Live’s outdoor ice skat-

ing rink at the Nokia Plaza, next to the Staples Center. � is ice skat-ing rink o� ers an LED light show projected on huge screens around

the plaza and a Christmas tree that stands at the center

of rink.

Gri� th

Observatory never fails to set the scene with its spectacular view of the city. � e best

part is that it’s free.

Located in the Woodland Hills, the

streets of Lubao and Ox-nard are � lled with amazing holiday displays that will leave you in awe. To end the night with dazzling holiday lights,

Candy Cane Lane is your place to go.

^^

MERRY CHRISTMAS

119 polls were conducted by Cristina Gonzalez.

Let’s go home for the holidays

^Frozen^Harry Potter Series^Titanic^The Fault in Our Stars^50 First Dates^It’s a Wonderful Life

^50 Shades of Grey^The Vow^The Notebook^Love Actual ly^The Grinch^Elf

The holidays are a time for giving, and one of the best ways to exchange gifts is through Secret Santa. A well-known Christmas tradition, Secret Santa involves a group of people or friends who are ran-domly assigned a person to whom they anonymously give a present. Secret Santa is commonly played in several countries, most notably in the United States and Great Britain. Many clubs, school organizations, and sports teams are currently arranging their own Secret Santa groups. One such organi-zation is the Mark Keppel Orchestra, who participates in Secret Santa every winter. Current planning for this year’s Secret Santa began in mid-November. Orchestra members were asked to write their names on a slip of paper along with a list of items that they wanted. Like many Secret Santa groups, Orchestra set a price limit for gifts at $15. The names were placed in a bag and then picked at random by other members.

On Monday, December 14, Orchestra will gather as Secret Santas will give their gifts one-by-one. As is done with many Secret Santas, each person will have to say a few words about the person to whom they are giving the gift. Dance Company is also organizing their own Secret Santa, though theirs is more unorthodox. Though they do the usual ex-change of presents, each Secret Santa will give their assigned person small gifts such as snacks every day for a week before the final exchange. Dance Team Co-Captain Sofia Campa said, “Since the week usually takes place right before finals, it’s fun to get small little snacks to make us feel better.” Most Secret Santa exchanges will take place in the following weeks and though every group’s Secret Santa may take differ-ent shapes, the overall effect is the same. Like most holiday events, though the pres-ents may bring instant joy, the real gift of Secret Santa comes from the strengthening of bonds and camaraderie. For Dance Co., Campa said, “[Secret Santa] makes us feel more like a family.”

Presents play a major role in the holiday season and are often given to show appre-ciation and gratitude one has for another. Some people try to buy gifts as early as possible while others wait until the last minute. There are many sales that hap-pen during the holidays that can help save people money. However, figuring out how much to spend on someone is difficult. Some claim to have spent $30, while others spent $50. Freshman Valerie Lam thinks that Black Friday is the best time to buy pres-ents since “you have a long time before Christmas to decide if you want to change your gift and the sales are pretty good.”

Holiday shopping is also a great time to buy items for lower prices. Senior Richard Thai believes that Black Friday or Cyber Monday are the the times to buy presents because “you can get at least 30-50% off on most items.” Shopping online is con-venient for those who don’t enjoy waiting in long lines since they can buy what they want with a click of their finger from the comfort of their home. Though the lines during Black Friday are hectic, Thai said that “the lines are worth the money being saved and sometimes the lines look long but they are quick.” The time people usually buy Christmas presents are around Black Friday either online or at the mall, yet there are people who procrastinate and buy presents last minute 1-2 weeks before Christmas.

when should you buy cHRISTMAS PRESENTS

With the Christmas season approaching, it’s normal for people to sing to the joy-ous tunes of the holiday season. Christmas songs are known for their heartwarming tunes and cheerful lyrics. Christmas is known to be a happy holi-day season and many people try to get into the spirit by listening to Christmas music. Christmas music, in the form of songs, also known as christmas carols, are common-place during this time and well-known by many. Christmas carols such as, “Jingle Bells,” “Deck the Halls,” and “Joy to the World” are heard throughout the winter and are very popular. These songs are based around the theme of Christmas and have a positive outlook about the season. The coming of full-spirited tunes is a reminder to us of the upcoming holiday and the good things to come. Many people begin to look forward to the presents or the

large family gatherings that bring people together in a happy mood. Senior Leanne Duong said, “[Christmas songs] are like a really happy indication that the holidays are near and it helps reminds us of family and loved ones.” Such a holiday also influences modern music, such as hip-hop and many other music genres. There is some rap music that is themed around Christmas such as Snoop Dogg’s “Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto” and the Ying Yang Twins “Deck Da Club.” Also, one of the most popu-lar and famous singers, Justin Bieber, has many songs that are Christmas themed. Some of his songs include “Drummer Boy” and “Mistletoe.” Bieber even has a Christ-mas album, titled “Under The Mistletoe.” While Christmas is a holiday that people celebrate every year, it’s a holiday that peo-ple never get tired of and are reminded of when they hear those Christmas tunes, and lets us all know that the wonderful occa-sion is almost here.

Gift giving can be tricky during the holidays, especially when exchanging with the same friends, acquaintances, or giving “white elephants,” which may lead people to settle with giving a gift card. However, many people believe that gift cards are not acceptable as Christmas gifts. Some argue that gift cards may seem impersonal and not meaningful. The gift recipient may interpret the gift cer-tificate with negativity. “Taking the time to look around and pick out a gift specifi-cally for each person is much more mean-ingful than simply giving them credit to spend.” Senior Nevin Chow states. There is a special meaning to recognizing what item will make a person happy and giv-ing the person what they enjoy. The gift also doesn’t just represent something they have, rather it’s a token of the relation-ship you have with the person. Gift giv-ing may involves emotion, feelings, and recognition. On the contrary, those who believe

that gift certificates are an acceptable form of Christmas gifts have reason to believe so. Getting a gift card is like giv-ing someone money for a specific store. It says that the “gifter” doesn’t know what the person wants or needs, so the gift receiver can pick out and choose what they look for. This way, the gifter avoids giving a gift that is disinterested by the recipient. Freshman Kacie Le states that, “I wouldn’t mind receiving just gift cards for Christmas. They’re the same as getting cash.” Although others may argue that gift cards are impersonal, a gift card is giving them the personal freedom to buy whatever they want, whenever they want. Additionally, giving someone a gift such as an iPad may seem like a good gift - even a great gift, but is it something they love? Is it just a popular and expen-sive gift? A gift card can ensure that the recipient gets something they love. Whether you decide to give a gift card or buy a gift, the main purpose should be the intentions behind giving the present, not the net worth or form of the gift.

Fans of the original Star Wars saga are rejoicing with the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film takes place about thirty years after Return of the Jedi, where the heroes Ray (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Finn ( John Boyega) pick up the theoreti-cal “baton” of the warriors who fought in George Lucas’s original trilogy. Disney has kept lots of the details of the film under wraps. Fortunately, we do know that this film is meant to bring the old and new generations together. Characters like Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Car-

rie Fisher), and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) will be playing a focal role in lead-ing the new heroes. The mission is still the same: bring peace to the galaxy. Director J.J. Abrams has made it his main focus to make this film as original as possible but still include the magic of Star War’s films. The lack of information in the trailers is absolutely intentional. He wants the newer generation to come in with hav-ing no idea about what Star Wars is about to give them that experience of wonder once they leave the theater and also give the older fans something to keep them on their toes. After asking a former Disney employee about his thoughts on the lack of details the trailers gave, he said, “I love

knowing I’m going to go in the film know-ing pretty much nothing. I know I’m in for a surprise.” It’s that feeling of awe that Abrams wants to give to the newer genera-tion, just like how fans felt after watching A New Hope the first Star Wars film ever released in 1977. Overall, the film is expected to break multiple records like it did on the internet and have the largest opening weekend in the history of global film sales. In fact the film already broke two major records: one for advance ticket sales and the second for the most bought advanced screening for the IMAX showing. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released on December 18. May the force be with you!

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENSVICTORIA RAMIREZChief Photographer

PRIME PRESENT BUYING TIMEKRISTIN CHINGBURANAKITPhotographer

JONATHAN LOUStaff Writer

KEVIN KUANGStaff Writer

Are gift cards impersonal?

Courtesy of Google ImagesMovie Poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas

BRIAN YEOViewpoint Editor

Senior Sofia Campa receives a Secret Santa present in class. THE AZTEC/ RODOLFO ARIAS

Channel your inner St. Nick

� e girls varsity water polo team beat Pioneer High School this past Friday with a � nishing score of 12-5. Although they already played the school earlier that same week, it seemed that the girls were going to have a tough time when in the 1st quarter the game was tied 2-2.� ey soon recovered and were able to win the match. “We did really well and I’m proud of my girls for all that they did in the game,” said Coach Wen-dy Centeno. “We still need to work on our aggression and con� dence, however.” Near the end of the game it seemed like the girls began to pick up their momentum, making score

after score. During the 3rd quarter, senior Jessenia Barbarena scored, followed by a goal from junior Elizabeth Melendrez. � e score at the end of the quarter was 10-5, and the girls were able to win the game with a � nal score of 12-5. “I’m so glad that I was able to make more goals this season then the last one.” said sophomore Zoe Atkins. “It’s a really nice feeling be-ing able to help your team win.” With another victory under their belts, or in this case their swim caps, the girls say that they have nothing more to do but improve any small mistakes. “We should work on our awareness and our communica-tion,” said captain, senior Caitlyn Gonzales. “I’m still really proud of my teammates, I know with them it’s going to be a great season.”

� e Mark Keppel girl’s varsity soccer team played a preseason game at home against La Puente High School on Friday, December 14. � e � rst goal of the game was made by freshman Emily Zepeda. Zepeda scored yet an-other point later on the game, setting the score at 3-0. By the end of the � rst half the score was 4-0, placing Keppel at an advantage against the opposing team. Varsity captain and senior Kara Chuang, scored the � rst goal of the second half, and after a back-and-forth rally and a few more goals with Keppel in possession of the ball for the majority of

the game, Zepeda scored the last goal of the second half, thus concluding the match with a � nal score of 8-0 with a win from the Aztecs. With Keppel’s victory against La Puente, the team has obtained their fourth win in their current 4-win streak. Previous victories include matches against Aspire Ollin University Prep, Workman High School and more recent-ly, Rosemead. Coach Shahin said, “Today’s opponents were fair. [Com-pared to last year] we have a lot better attitude. We have a lot more pride in what we do, so we’re taking the games a lot more seriously.”Chuang stated, “At the beginning of the game we started out pretty rough because we weren’t really talking. I think communication, no matter what

game we’re playing, is the number one thing we need to work on because when we don’t communicate, we don’t know who’s marking who, and this season we’ve been play-ing in di� erent spots. � e coach has been trying new for-mations, so getting used to that is hard. You have to trust whoever is behind you because they might be new. I think in the later part of the second half we started getting better. We started talking, and our passes became a lot cleaner.” When asked about how the team is preparing for their upcoming matches, Chuang said, “We usually have 2-hour practices every other day. We not only want to get better skill-wise, but alsowant to bond as a team. We’re planning on having Secret Santas, Christmas socials, and parties. � at’s how we’re getting ready for the season.”

� e Mark Keppel boys soc-cer team lost the Tuesday, Dec. 8 game against the Aspire Ol-lin University Prep Jaguars, 1-2. � e preseason’s record is 0-5. � e teams are led by Coach Gerson Justiniano and new

Coach Jose Cortes. Prior to the game, Coach Gerson Justiniano noted sev-eral signi� cant challenges that the team faces. � e team con-tinues to develop skill and ex-perience is needed for such a young team. Coach Gerson welcomes the challenges that his team will overcome this season.

Captain Kavian Jalali is re-sponsible for maintaining team discipline. He thinks that “ev-eryone’s going to step up as a team.” Jalali also mentioned the team’s few upperclassmen, but he does not believe that the lack of juniors and seniors will impair the team’s performance. “We’ll do as good as we can,” said Jalali.

Mark Keppel girls’ soccer continues winning streak

YANG LUCopy Editor / Bus. Manager

ANGELA CHENSta� Writer

Girls’ water polo defeats Pioneer HighRODOLFO ARIASPhotographer

Boys’ soccer faces challenges Roy Vargas #2, Jacob Hansen #7, and Dianiel Bello #14 contest their opponents for the ball. THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

Coach Shahin talks to the girls soccer team during practice. THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

Senior Jessenia Barbarena #10, junior Zoe Atkins #2, and junior Katherine Bustamante #12 attempt a play against Pioneer.

THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

Sports CalendarVarsity Boys’ Soccer 12/17 vs. Poly Pasadena@ home 3:30 PM

Varsity Girls’ Soccer12/18 vs. Temple City@ home 3:15 PM

Varsity Girls’ Water Polo 12/18 vs. Arcadia@ Barnes 3:15 PM

Varsity Boys’ Wrestling12/16 vs. Alhambra@ home 3:15 PM

Varsity Boys’ Soccer

Athlete’s Profile: Todd Kitagawa

Senior, varsity basketball player Todd Kitaga-wa has been playing basketball since he was five. He describes himself as hardworking, dedicated, helpful, passionate, and kind. He has certainly has shown these traits through his commitment to basketball. This is Kitagawa’s fourth year on the team and his jersey. At the start of high school, Kitagawa knew he wanted to try out for the basketball team. His reasons are that he’s been playing the game his whole life, and his father is a basketball coach and encouraged him to. Growing up surround-ed by basketball, he grew to love the sport and wanted it to be a part of his high school experi-ence. Kitagawa says that the thing he is most proud of is the Mark Keppel Basketball Team. “Through this team I have made many friends that I hope to keep for the rest of my life,” says Kitagawa. He would also like to recognize the coaches who have sacrificed so much of their time for the program. Kitagawa says that not only have they helped him become a better bas-ketball player but also a better person. Outside of basketball and school, Kitagawa’s hobbies include hanging out with friends, Net-flix, and sleeping. When he’s not at school, he’s usually at a friend’s house hanging out or at home relaxing. On the weekends, he helps to coach two Asian league teams with his dad and also plays on an Asian league and a club team himself. Kitagawa says that balancing his time between basketball, school, and having free time is not easy, especially during season. He is con-stantly doing homework, going to practice and games, or spending times with his friends. Kitagawa uses Stephen Curry, his favorite basketball player, as his role model. “Not only is he a great basketball player, he was always the underdog in high school and college, [and] he had a lot of doubters, but with hard work and dedication he came the successful basketball player he is today,” says Kitagawa. Basketball has taught him how to be a team player and to not take the little things in life for granted.

Wrestling prepares for competitive season

As wrestling season is slowly ap-proaching Mark Keppel wrestling Aztecs are preparing, both physically and mentally. The team will be having their first match on January 21, 2016 at 3:15 and will be held at Schurr High School. Wrestling isn’t just physical, according to sophomore Catherine Go. “You need to have a good mentality go-ing into a match. It really affects the way you wrestle,” Go said, “That’s one thing I struggle with is my confidence

and mentality. I need to work on that.” One of Go’s strengths is that she is very determined and always puts 100% by coming to practice everyday and being on time. Mark Keppel wrestling team currently has two girls on the team but puts as much effort as the boys. What the team is expecting out of this season is to make it to CIF, Masters and hope-fully State says sophomore Katarina Fernandez. “It is a really big deal to us and would be a big accomplishment.” Wrestling, led by Coach Elias Roacha, recently made a new rule that their matches has to be co-ed which

means the girls are only allowed to wrestle girls. This recently happened because the sport has been growing by adding more females to teams. Senior Andrew Cruz started his ju-nior year and feels like they have im-proved a lot since last season. “Last sea-son we did not do so well; we could’ve done better.” Cruz feels like they have been more committed and dedicated. “One thing we have improved on is of-fense but we still need to improve on being more aggressive and our defense.” These Aztecs are prepared to get the CIF title.

CELESTE ARAMBULAStaff Writer

DIANNE DOStaff Writer

With the recent addition of Head Coach Jose Herrera, the girls’ varsity basketball team played at a tournament on November 30 to start off their season. They played four games against Colony, Orange Lu-theran, Gardena Serra, and Norco High Schools, coming in 4th place with a final score of 2-2. In response to how the team did on the tournament, co-captain and senior Sophia Song said, “We’re still trying to figure things out. We played some top teams in state so it

was a good challenge.” In addition, co-captain and senior Serena Chen said, “We got a lot out of the losses in terms of what we need to work on.” This year, the only returning Varsity players are seniors Sophia Song and Serena Chen. New senior Varsity mem-bers include Brianne Woo, Vanessa Freeman, Julia Saisho, Chalisa Phiboolsook, Kaitlyn Lee, and Sydne Kaku. In hopes of winning CIF this year, Chen said, “We’re just try-ing to play together well and get as far as we can.” For Coach Herrera, transitioning to Keppel as a coach was very smooth because he “already knows what to ex-pect.” He has had more than 10 years of experience, coach-ing at schools such as Rio Hondo College, Chapman Uni-

versity, and South El Monte High School. When asked how he thinks the team is doing, Coach Herrera said, “There is still [more] room to improve; I always have to remind myself that this is a brand new team.” In preparation for the season, the team focuses on drills that make the them run “to get into shape and at the same time, these drills train our minds into making proper deci-sions when we are tired.” Chen also adds, “The two main factors we work on are defense and rebounding.” Coach Herrera said, “We have a very talented group of players who have potential to help this team win on any given night.”

Boys’ basketball prepares for LeagueERIC LAMSports Editor

Girls’ basketball plays under new coach

VIVIAN TOEditor-In-Chief / Focus Editor

The Mark Keppel boys basketball team starts their season this month, and currently are at a record of 3-3 in their preseason - winning against Monrovia, Covina, and La Puente while losing against Adelanto, Colony, and Temple City. Although they don’t seem poised to beat last year’s preseason record of 13-4, the team has plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming season. Se-nior Brandon Hamaguchi said, “We’re

preparing for the upcoming season by working out in the weight room and by ourselves at LA fitness and other gyms. At school we work with Mr. Luong. “ Hamaguchi also mentions that this year’s team is young - most of the varsity players are fresh off the junior varsity roster. The current roster consists of se-niors Chongxu Qiu #0, Bryant Chow #1, Ethan Lam #2, Matthew Tan #5, Brandon Hamaguchi #15, Nelson Muronaka #21, Todd Kitagawa #23, Kenneth Zhang #35 and juniors Nick Fong #10, Scotty Hong #13, and Jo-

siah Ojiri #25. Despite the inexperience of the team, Hamaguchi has high hopes this season. His personal goal is to work harder and just keeping his focus on the court and on winning. “I want to be that one positive guy on my team just motivating everyone else,” said Hamaguchi. He also hopes that the team is able to come out with a clean 10-0 record in League this season. The next game is on December 14 vs. Bell in a neutral tournament game, and their season officially starts in January 2016.

Senior Hector Ruiz wresetles his teammate Senior Ryan Valladoild during practice. THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

The Mark Keppel girls varsity team practice under their new coach. THE AZTEC/RODOLFO ARIAS

COURTESY OF TODD KITAGAWA