Volume 57, Number 1 San Gabriel, California Wednesday, September 28, 2011

MATADORednesday, September 28, 201ednesday, September 28, 201ednesday 1

RTHESAN GABRIEL HIGH SCHOOL

Visit us at www.thematadorsghs.com

The homecoming dance originally scheduled for Friday, November 4 has been moved to Saturday, November 5 for one reason: the SAT. The school administration had previously stated that having the dance directly after the homecoming game would encourage more students to attend the dance.

“The administration thought that if [the homecoming dance was changed to a Friday, it] could make a bit more money because the [viewers of the] game would fl ow into the gym,” ASB vice president Jasmine Lee said.

This created a controversy among the student body. Many students ex-pressed that they would like to have the homecoming dance on Saturday so they would not have to wear formal clothing to the game or leave early to get ready. However, the administration reasoned that by having the dance from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday after the game, more students would choose to go out of sheer convenience.

The administration was disappoint-ed with how much money the dance generated last year, which spurred the decision to make a change. Along with ASB, the administration brainstormed ways to improve the situation.

After much debate and controversy, the two groups decided to experiment with changing the day of the homecom-ing dance. They both came to the con-clusion that having the dance directly after the game would prove to be the most viable solution economically.

What they overlooked was that November 5 was an SAT date. When this was brought to their attention, the administration made the decision to change the dance back to Saturday.

“We didn’t want kids staying out until 12 because of a dance with the SATs the very next day,” Principal Jim Schofi eld said.

“ASB does an excellent job of under-standing what the student body wants and delivering that to them,” he added, acknowledging that ASB has always wanted the dance on Saturday.

The dance is now set to take place on Saturday, November 5 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

To address questions about college applications, the counselors have pre-pared a personal statement workshop for those who need help with the ap-plication process. On October 3 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dominique Lightsey from UCLA Undergraduate Admis-sions will be hosting an Application and Personal Statement Workshop, which is open to all students, but mostly to seniors, in the Multi-Purpose Room.

With some of the private university applications already out and some of California state university applications coming out this week, seniors will start to brainstorm ideas for their personal statements.

“They [students] should attend [the workshop] because the representative will tell them what [the admissions of-fi ces] are looking for,” counselor Elaine Jong said. The workshop is planned two weeks earlier than its usual time because the counselors want to empha-size that it takes many drafts to make the “perfect” personal statement for colleges to see.

Lightsey will also have a question -and-answer period after the workshop is over for any students who have any further questions. The counselors hope that the seniors will gain helpful tips so they can apply them to their applications.

“The presenter [for the workshop] is usually one of the people who read[s] your personal statements,” counselor Solinet Wong said. “She will provide guidance on how to write a personal statement since the question online is really vague,” Wong said.

Seniors will have their questions about college applications and personal statements answered there by Lightsey. “I think that it will help clarify what we need to know and break down the process for the seniors,” senior Sally Tran said. Any questions regarding the workshop can be answered by the guidance counselors.

At the fall sports pep rally on Friday, Sep-tember 16, Assistant Principal Lindsey Ma be-lieved that “We have a lot to celebrate.” Thus, the celebration started for improved API scores and the beginning of the season for fall sports, which includes co-ed cross country, girls’ ten-nis, girls’ volleyball, and football.

“We are proud of you,” Ma said. After the school gained a 38 point increase in API scores, Ma felt like it was an achievement worth recognition.

The success of the pep rally could not have been possible if ASB did not have previous preparation due to the Freshman Summit and the rules assembly. Part of the success, though, consisted of having “lots of cheer[ing]...not much booing...and more involvement in spirit games.” Although half of ASB this semester consisted of new members, the pep rally went off exactly as planned. .

Performances made up the bulk of the rally, with Choreo and Drill performing to songs from Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Pitbull, Afrojack, and Maroon Five, much to the crowd’s cheers.

Drill captain and four-year member Jamie Phan “felt [that the squad] was prepared” and was “pretty successful at the pep rally,” having an overall feeling that “everything was under control.”

Performing at their fi rst pep rally ever, the contemporary All-Male Dance Team consist-

ing of seniors Curtis Kuo, Hieu Vu, Esmond Li-Tran, Mitchell Lee, Phuoc Y Hoang, Minh Do, Ryan Ho, junior Henry Mak, sophomores Johnson Phung, Bruce Ho, Koung Kham, Dat Hong, Alvin Mach, Ricky Liang, and fresh-man Hector Duran, locked and popped a modern routine.

Apart from performances were various an-nouncements from groups such as Yearbook, Academic Decathlon, and MESA.

Yearbook used a skit that incorporated rapping to advertise sales and procrastina-tion cards. These one dollar cards give a $10 discount on yearbook purchases, and have seen made available from September 21 to October 5.

Academic Decathlon, on the other hand, came up with a boxing skit as an entertaining alternative to publicize their club. Last but not least, MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) announced its upcom-ing meetings.

The upcoming fall play “Wait Until Dark” was announced by the drama department. The play is set to be a thriller with its opening night set on October 26. (For full coverage of the upcoming fall play, look on page 2.)

Other minor announcements were well-received by the crowd. These announcements included the decision to hold the homecoming dance on a Saturday instead of a Friday, and the return of Winter Formal to be held on December 2 at an undisclosed location.

Prisci l la Liang

Faculty sponsors College Workshops

Kather ine Pham

Homecoming dance retains tradition and remains on Saturday

Bianca Tran

Photo by Hana Ngo

Personal statements are the focus of new workshops aimed at helping seniors with college applications.

>> Find out about the clubs on campus —where they meet, what they do, and how you can join. See page 5.

FEATURES>> Read about senior Vincent Lee’s summer adventure at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Internship. See page 12.

FOCUS SPORTS>> Discover why numerous sports rely on the essential benef i ts o f home f ie ld advantage. See page 11.

Rally informs and excites

Students closed the fall pep rally by singing to the Alma Mater, played by the Matador Band. The pep rally featured fall sports, performances by choreo, drill, and the all-male dance team, as well as announcements from the administration, ASB, and other clubs.

NEWSNEWS2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

‘Wait Until Dark’ to produce thrills at the theaterThe Little Theater undergoes a set makeover in suspenseful anticipation of the drama department’s new fall play.

Speech and Debate reigns under new leadership

Calvin Lam

The next time the doors are open to the Little Theater, expect to see a puzzling and peculiar two-floor apartment.

Serving as the backdrop for the next fall school play, “Wait Until Dark,” the 12-feet high set will be one of the largest to be built since 2009’s “Love, Sex, and the IRS.” The Tony-nominated play by Frederick Knott will be the fi rst suspenseful thriller to hit the Little Theater for the longest time, and drama teacher Patrick Posada claims it will leave

With a brand new year for San Gabriel High School Speech and Debate comes a brand new coach, Erik Miller.

“My fi rst impression of the team was that it was passionate, but in a way disorganized. I hope to be able to reunite the team and mend up the previous years’ fractures,” Miller said.

The 2011-2012 debate season has started with the loss of some graduated speakers, many of whom were successful in their debate careers, but is compensated by an infl ux of new, competitive novices.

“Joining debate helped me break out of my shell and realize who I am, setting me in the right direction,” senior Hugo Luna said.

Christopher Lan Package Deal, an exclusive tournament for novices, was hosted on September 24 at Arcadia High School. The team spent most of the previous week preparing the novices to feel confi dent and ready for the tournament.

Junior varsity and varsity members are stepping into a new league of competition. “I hope to do much better than last year, as I have now obtained the experience and knowledge to efficiently work for my events,” sophomore Christopher Lew said.

The team hopes to work together to take the competition to a new level this year, with a new coach and new members. The next varsity tournament is scheduled for October 1-2 at California State University, Long Beach.

Students, teachers, and staff analyze pros and cons of new AP ‘drop’ policyLauren Fukumoto

On August 15, a policy issued by the Alhambra School District was distributed stating that students will not be allowed to drop AP classes they are currently enrolled in.

Since the adoption of this new policy, complaints have been numerous. Most of these come from students who were not given the option to reject taking the AP U.S. History class. One student remarked, “[When I tried to decline,] my counselor just kept offering positive encouragement. I didn’t even fi nd out I was taking the class until the day of registration.” Another student in a similar situation said, “Even though [the class] is working out [for me], I still would have preferred not to take [AP U.S. History].”

According to one of the school counselors, Devin Vergo, the policy had been in effect for years, but was more strictly enforced this year. Regarding the AP U.S. History class in particular, the class was more vigorously pushed because there were spaces in the AP class, but none in the regular classes. Although the budget played an issue in this way, Vergo reassured, “It is not our practice to just drop people into classes. We picked the students we thought were good candidates who hadn’t signed up for the class for various reasons.”

According to Vergo, all the school counselors met to discuss placing students into the AP U.S. History class, and analyzed certain qualifi cations that would suggest the selected students would prosper in the class. In addition, if

a student expressed vital concerns about taking the class, other options for the student would be considered. Finally, the counselors also arranged with Eric Hendrickson, the AP U.S. History teacher, a way that students who had recently been put in the class could make up the summer assignment and not be penalized for it.

The administration stands behind the policy and continues to enforce it. They believe that the policy encourages students to become more serious about their class choices the fi rst time by eliminating options to drop any classes that seem “too hard.” Although many students were worried and even angered by this sudden change in their schedule, they unanimously agree that the workload is manageable now that things have settled down.

audiences “on the edge of their seats.”

“This one’s going to be pure entertainment. There isn’t really a moral, but hopefully,” Posada teased, “good will overcome evil.”

Auditions were held ear l ier th is month on September 13. The cast is a relatively newcomer e n s e m b l e , i n c l u d i n g freshman Chelsey Tran, juniors Britteny Chieng, Cristian Saldivar, Freddy Garcia, Joshua Oropeza, and seniors Lorena Ruiz and Nelson Lopez-Ayala.

Ruiz is a veteran actress who appeared in all three

of last year’s productions. Oropeza, who starred in the latter two, is looking forward to taking the stage again.

“I’ve always enjoyed theater and being on stage,” Oropeza said. “It allows me to explore different sides of my personality.”

Oropeza takes the role of the main antagonist, leading his group of con-men into the home of Susy Hendrix (played by Chieng) in search of an object holding an item of unusual interest.

What comes after is a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase that unravels under

the roof o f the smal l apartment, which audiences will have to come and see for themselves.

“We don’t usually do suspenseful plays,” stage

manager Kim Lam said. “Everybody should take this opportunity to watch one.”

Se t to premiere on Wednesday, October 26,

“Wait Until Dark” will continue its four-day run to October 29. Unlike recent productions, the play will be produced by the school, not Peepo Productions.

“We don’t usually do suspenseful plays,” stage

Se t to premiere on Wednesday, October 26,

productions, the play will be produced by the school, not Peepo Productions.

Photos by Hana NgoActors Cristian Saldivar, Joshua Oropeza, Lorena Ruiz, and Britteny Chieng rehearse scenes from the fall play “Wait Until Dark.” The play is set to premiere at the end of October and features a two-tiered set created especially for the new production.

NEWSNEWS 3THE MATADOR

San Gabriel secures new staff membersWith master ’s degrees in English,

Cultural Studies, and Education, Melissa Bishop is ready to bestow her knowledge upon the students of San Gabriel. A new addition to the English Department, Bishop has been learning the ways of the Matador while working on her Ph.D. in 18th century British Literature.

“The students here are fantastic. They’re such good students; I really like it here,” Bishop said.

Outside of her teacher persona, she is a proud mother and a proud wife of a husband who opon first visting San Gabriel thought “the gum on the stair wells [were] for decoration.”

- Debbie Dinh

The new inhabitant of room S-2 is American Literature teacher, Jason Carson. Carson co-teaches with Ted Brock for three periods and Georgia Daniels for one period.

“[San Gabriel is] so far so good. I enjoy the students that I work with and the teachers [too],” Carson said. “Motivated kids make the atmosphere welcoming and comforting.”

Prior to his arrival, Carson taught at San Dimas High School. Along with an interest in education, Carson enjoys sports, and participated in indoor track and collegiate football at his alma mater, Northern State University.

- Hana Ngo

A new addition to San Gabriel’s English department is Virginia Parra. She is currently occupying room P109 where she teaches ninth grade English honors.

“I love it [here], everyone’s warm and friendly and supportive,” Parra said. “[Students] are not afraid to wave ‘hi’ to me when I pass by; it feels like a family.”

Parra is a graduate from Bell Gardens High School and Occidental College. She is currently working on her master’s degree at UCLA. Besides being a teacher, Parra is a huge soccer fan, especially of the Chivas. Along with her interest in soccer, Parra used to do a Mexican folk dance called “folklorico.”

- Hana Ngo

Kyle Douglas, San Gabriel High School’s new assistant principal, is already starting the year impressed with the school and its students.

As a graduate with two master ’s degrees in Education from Brandeis University and Point Loma Nazarene University, Douglas has already worked in both Alhambra High School and Mark Keppel High School before transferring over to San Gabriel.

“I mainly want to embrace the many traditions and cultures [at San Gabriel], and make myself part of it,” Douglas said. Douglas enjoys and is fanatical about sports, especially basketball.

- Christopher Lan

Alexandra Parnass is a graduate of Boston College where she majored in psychology and political science.

As a new teacher in San Gabriel’s Spanish Department, Parnass knows a familiar face around campus because her mother, Cathy Parnass, is one of the five counselors.

“I really like this school. The kids are great. I love how the kids are involved in school activities and how the school offers the students a variety of activities to join,” Parnass said.

Outside of school, Parnass enjoys listening to Brazilian music, soccer, and going out to eat.

- Celine Dang

Returning to San Gabriel High School as an alumnae, counselor Cynthia Vasquez sees counseling students as a way of giving back. Vasquez joined San Gabriel with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State Polytechnic University Pomona, and a master ’s degree in Counseling from Azusa Pacific University.

“I want to know the students and build good relationships with them, especially the freshmen, who are adapting to a new environment,” Vasquez said.

“Vasquez is a great counselor, and I look forward to having her for the next few years,” student Ivan Chau stated.

- Christopher Lan

With experience as a chemistry tutor at the University of California, San Diego, Siu-Ling Sit decided to come here to be a chemistry teacher. “I was best at chemistry in college and while learning more about it, I enjoyed teaching chemistry.” Sit chose to come to our school because of the good API score as well as the demographics here, which he was acquainted to back in high school. These factors made Sit comfortable enough to teach chemistry at our school.

Biking, playing sports and video games are a few activities Sit enjoys during his free time. Sit also enjoys rock climbing and being outdoors.

- Maggie Cheng

Raul Ramirez, the new head campus supervisor, enforces district and education code laws pertaining to the students. Ramirez makes decisions based on his experience from being a head campus supervisor for 16 years.

Wi t h a b a c h e l o r ’ s d e g re e i n Management, Ramirez has a lot of experience managing campuses already. “I like interacting with [the] students and assuring that [they] are safe at all times,” said Ramirez.

Although Ramirez enjoys certain hobbies, like boxing, he is looking forward to work. “It is rewarding to work with [the] kids [at San Gabriel],” Ramirez said.

- Maggie Cheng

Victor Romero, a history teacher from Margarita Middle School, accepted a new job here at San Gabriel this school year. Romero will teach both Economics and United States History at San Gabriel.

Although this is his 30th year teaching, the jump from middle school to high school has been slightly unnerving.

“The size of this campus is so difficult to get used to, and the grading system is confusing. The expectation level at this school is much higher,” Romero said.

As they year progresses, Romero hopes to become more familiar with the campus as well as with the students at San Gabriel.

- Karin Chan

The math department gained a new recruit this year in Emily Wu. Wu, originally from Alhambra High School, taught there for two years before transferring to San Gabriel.

Starting her third year as a full-time teacher, she teaches regular Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry. Although Wu has only taught for two years, she has conviction in shaping the minds of her students.

“My goal is to have the students become responsible, respectful, honest, and do the best they can,” Wu said.

Wu plans to help her students achieve more as the year progresses.

- Karin Chan

Alexandra Parnass

Kyle Douglas

Raul Ramirez

Emily Wu

Siu-Ling Sit

Melissa Bishop

Cynthia Vasquez

Jason Carson

Victor Romero

Virginia Parra

Photo by Hana Ngo

Photo by Hana Ngo

Photo by Hana Ngo

Photo by Hana Ngo

Photo by Hana Ngo

Photo by Bianca Tran

Photo by Bianca Tran Photo by Bianca Tran

Photo by Bianca Tran

Photo by Bianca Tran

NEWSOPINIONS4 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

Karin Chan

EditorialCalm as a Clam

We watched them grow, saw them succeed, and witnessed them graduate. Now what?

It’s quite unusual to walk the hallways or go to class, and not feel that inferior feeling. You know, that underlying pres-ence of older upperclassmen. I’ve arrived at the doorstep of senior year, only to fi nd that a lack of older students has left me with a sense of bewilderment and aston-ishment. Where’s that girl who picked on me every day? Where’s that person I called “boss”? Do I actually miss being called Cal-Cal by that one guy?

These people, I’m bittersweet to say, have paved their way to college and be-yond. For me, however, it’s like I have no one to look up to for example; because, as I now realize, I am the example.

Famed writer Oscar Wilde once said, “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” We often listen to our el-ders because we trust that they possess experience that we don’t possess, and the seniors (no pun intended) are just that. The seniors have gone through all four fantastically wonderful years of high school, complete with endless studying, annoying tests, and irritating drama. They know what it takes to survive it, and you feel inclined to learn from them.

But what happens when they’re no longer there? When that source of guid-ance is gone? Now you have no other place to look to except yourself.

After so many years of “following their example,” it’s suddenly time to say “fol-low my own example.” For seniors, it’s the culmination of everything you have been teaching others, and internalizing it so that you practice what you preach. You have become the standard that younger students and peers will compare them-selves to. Your one goal should be to give back to your underclassmen what your upperclassmen have given you.

I admit, it’s all easier said than done. I’ve gotten so used to being able to ask for immediate advice whenever I need it. Nevertheless, it seems like I’ve asked my upperclassmen so much already, received so much advice by now, that I should already know it. So there’s the big “a-ha” moment: even though they may not be here physically in person, everything that I’ve learned is already with me, and it’s up to me to fetch it and use it.

For many of the underclassmen now, it’s important to recognize it as sort of a privilege to be able to have role models. It’s not every day that you get a chance to be surrounded by older peers who work, learn, and grow alongside you.

In high school, you do. You need to see it as an opportunity to grow by example. The whole point here is to learn what your upperclassmen have done incorrectly, so that you can do it better. Along the same lines, see what was done right, so you can emulate their success—because as you’ll fi nd out, you will end up right where they are in just a matter of time.

Believe me, it’s surreal to fi nd myself standing in a position that I once admired a while ago as a ninth, tenth, and eleventh grader. To a certain extent, it’s tough to believe that I can follow in the footsteps of the people who I held in such high esteem. But if that says anything, it just means that I need to do them justice.

What now? It’s time to set my tradi-tions, give my guidance, and make my mark.

Things are looking up

Knocking down the alienating barriers of our society

I hear footsteps followed by the sound of mainstream music blasting from a radio, increasing in decibels, outside my front door. I know who it is: the mailman has just paid my mailbox a visit for the day. Dressed in slippers and pajamas, I walk out armed with a cup of orange juice in hand, descend down three slightly steep steps to retrieve the mail, and ascend back quickly to avoid neighbors’ glances, but this time I do a double take. I notice that my next door neighbor has installed a new fence, white-picket suburban style.

As I stand in awe of such a human invention, it brings to mind the ques-t ion: what are fences for? Do

they keep things out or keep things in? In works of literature, a fence symbol-izes separation, confi nement, and severed bonds. So what does that say about the towering fences we build with our own hands onto our grounds?

I am familiar with the concept that sometimes humans must put an obstruc-tion to feel safe and secure, to feel like the rest of the world cannot penetrate their invisible bubble, to feel free from the burdens of others. However, I do not feel a need to keep my private life completely unnoticed by neighbors or friends. Hu-mans should interact with one another without physical barriers for it only hin-ders personal growth and involvement

within the community. Take com-munal living in the 60s and

70s as a well-tested attempt in adapting an alternative lifestyle.

As society became more complex and corrupted, groups of people went out of their way to connect

with fellow friends and family by moving into communes to promote peace, fi nd clarity, and do away with the self-

serving ideologies that came with capital-

ism. In the same

era, Europe-an architects

moved towards the concept of open liv-ing while still being confi ned in closed space to allow tenants to socialize with neighbors but also provide private space for the individual.

I, for one, would like to live in a mod-ern communal environment where urban meets sustainable living when I become a responsible adult. Not everyone is open to this kind of living arrangement, but I do fi rmly believe that all of humankind can go back to its roots, agriculture based and socially driven, where the current tech-nologies in the world can bridge the gap between resourcefulness and the rigors of supplying one’s own food.

I am by no means a socialist, but feeling connected with my peers is something I hold dear to my heart, and others should be open to this unconventional living con-cept. Hopefully, my peers can join in on my new movement, where everyone is not just coexisting but in fact living life.

Perhaps one day, we will lose sight of what matters most to us, and we will fi nd new ways to coexist with one another. To-day we call it communal living. Tomorrow we may call it our only way of living. For now, let’s join hands as fl ower children and sing “Kumbaya” a cappella, because we have the power to make the most of what we have, and that is to reach out to one another to experience a genuine, compassionate bond with each other.

As I make my ascent back up the porch, I feel a sense of relief. Sometimes it takes a fence with intentions to confi ne in order to release your mind.

t ion: what are fences for? Do within the community. Take com-munal living in the 60s and

70s as a well-tested attempt in adapting an alternative lifestyle.

As society became more complex and corrupted, groups of people went out of their way to connect

with fellow friends and family by moving into communes to promote peace, fi nd clarity, and do away with the self-

serving ideologies that came with capital-

ism. In the same

era, Europe-an architects

CalvinLam

Is this infringing on our AP rights?Some students returned to school this year with

an unexpected “AP” tagged onto their class names. Initial reactions indicated that these may have been mistakes. Here’s the real deal: they were not mistakes.

San Gabriel is one of three high schools in the Alhambra Unifi ed School District to offer open enrollment for Advanced Placement classes. At other schools, an entrance exam is required to “earn” a spot in an AP class. This now raises a few questions: should students take this open opportunity to challenge themselves, and to what extent should the school push students into these classes, even if it is against their will?

If we take a closer look at the AP drop policy, we can see that the rule was established in the students’ best interests. Counselors have already explained that only students who are deemed able and qualifi ed are placed in AP classes. Therefore, they know that these students have the potential to be successful, and it would be a shame if these opportunities were not taken. If these students did not possess the right work ethics, they would not have been considered at all. Hence, in an indirect way, being placed in an AP class should be a friendly compliment.

Most of the time, these choices are valid; for example, a class may be threatened because it does not meet the required class size, and that addition of a few students will resolve the problem for the many other students who want the program.

The general consensus seems to be that because a student is “forced” into an AP class, it is therefore “unfair” and against his or her freedom in class selection. Combined with a policy that disallows

drops, this sentiment is bolstered. Ironically, the purpose of open enrollment is to give students the liberty to choose whether they want to increase the rigor of their academics, but at the same time, giving the school the ability to select, encourage, and nudge promising students in the right direction.

Yes, Advanced Placement classes are not made for everyone. But, we need to be appreciative of the options we do have here at San Gabriel, and realize that an AP class is simply another way to establish yourself as a mature student who is not afraid to step up to the plate, and to prove to colleges that you have the confi dence to challenge yourself.

Illus

trat

ion

by J

elin

a Lu

u

Illustration by Jelina Luu

The Matador highly encourages responses in reaction to issues discussed in the paper. Submit com-ments as a letter to the editor, signed (anonymity is guaranteed if requested), to H-2, Mr. Slagle’s mailbox or the library.

The Matador is published monthly by the journal-ism staff of San Gabriel High School. 1,600 copies per issue are published at JEJ Print Inc. The opinions and views expressed in The Matador do not necessarily refl ect the beliefs of the entire staff or the Alhambra School District.

Editors-in-Chief

News Editors

Opinions Editors

Focus EditorEntertainment Editors

Sports Editors

Features EditorCopy Editors

Photo EditorArtistBusiness Managers

Correspondence Distribution

PhotographerAdviser

Calvin HwangCalvin Lam

Lauren FukumotoIrene HongSandy PengNikky Tran

Jenny BuiSteven Ho

Monica LamBrian Rios

Byron ToYadanar Oo

Matthew QuachChristina Vo

Hana NgoJelina Luu

Duyen DangNatalie Tran

Julianne TengKarin Chan

Lorraine PengBianca TranSteve Slagle

Reporters: Nana Akahoshi, Maggie Cheng, Celine Dang, Debbie Dinh, Kevin Hu, Christopher Lan, Priscilla Liang, Marvin Luu, Rachel Ma, Oscar Molina, Katherine Pham, Karen Rivera, Leslie Trinh, Michelle Tu, Jenny Wu

NEWSOPINIONS 5THE MATADOR

MATADORTHESAN GABRIEL HIGH SCHOOL

www.thematadorsghs.com

801 Ramona Street San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 308-2281

Out of the box of apathy

CalvinHwang

Hwanging out

The Matador Bullring

Do not wait for the world to changeKatherine Pham

Lauren Fukumoto

As I drearily walked to third period last week, my ears perked up when I overheard a conversation about driving. As I casually continued to eavesdrop, one of the girls in the conversation made the retort, “I’m only going to be using my license to drive to col-lege and home.”

I stopped dead in my tracks for a second, and marveled at the way this girl had already planned her life out. As an incoming junior or sophomore, I couldn’t tell, this girl had already decided that the farthest she would ever go from home is a nearby college

with a reasonable commute. Where is ambition nowadays? Has every-

one just decided that staying in a 40 mile radius forever is the way to go?

As dreams of college creep closer to a real-ity, I fi nd myself wondering why

the top choices are either UC Irvine, UC

Santa Barbara, or the forever infamous UCLA.

Never in the daily conversations regarding college choice do I hear schools like Columbia, University of Michigan, or even NYU come up. All of those colleges are at an equal or greater caliber to the UCs we have here, so why are they so frequently overlooked by the pupils of San Gabriel?

The only conclusion I can draw is a lack of ambition. I can’t wait to get out and see the world; visit the Capitol Building, examine art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or even visit Disney World. It seems that college is my one chance to get out and experience new things while I’m young. Perhaps I won’t like every experience, but the reality is, I can’t wait to have experiences in general. I realize that there is life outside the four walls of San Gabriel and the periphery of the city of Alhambra. It pains me sometimes to realize that others don’t view the world in that way. It shocks and even saddens me that there are people perfectly content with sitting at home and making their annual trips to Las Vegas, the farthest they ever stray from home.

Some people use the excuse that they don’t want to “leave their family or friends,” but when I think about my family, in-dependence and ambition are the fi rst things that come to mind. When my grandmother was my age, she made a pilgrimage from Japan to L.A. that makes any move I make miniscule in comparison. She, knowing no English and having no job, had the ambition to seek a better life. I feel like I would be doing a disservice to my grandmother and myself if I didn’t branch out and grasp opportunities both in and out of my comfort zone.

What would you like to see during spirit week?

junior or sophomore, I couldn’t tell, this girl had already decided that the farthest she would ever go from home is a nearby college

with a reasonable commute. Where is ambition nowadays? Has every-

one just decided that staying in a 40 mile radius forever is the way to go?

of college creep closer to a real-ity, I fi nd myself wondering why

the top choices are either UC Irvine, UC

Santa Barbara, or the forever infamous UCLA.

We should grow and branch out beyond the roots of our comfort zone

“ Something to support the

troops because my sibilings are

in the military.- Victor Quiñonez, sophomore

“ Nerd day, because a lot of

people will do it.

- Maria Soria, senior

“ Beard day. It will make

everyone look funky.

- Randy Ho, junior

“[I would like] twin day and PJ

day because it’s cute.

- Shirley Dang, freshman

Nothing else mattered. Goals, extra-curricular activities, and academics. Back when I was a freshman in high school, my life centered on these three aspects. Friends were there, but they were not a signifi cant part of my life.

What did matter was that I needed to do well in school or else I would end up at some god-forsaken college that I would not accept. Basically, I went through the same routine every day: anticipating nothing and doing what I needed to do to get by, acquainting myself with oth-ers but never letting them get to know me, and selecting clubs or activities that would boost my percentages to get into a prestigious college.

It was an aimless lifestyle. Was I able to commit to that way of life? Was I stupid for attempting to isolate myself in my own world? For forcing myself to do nothing but work and avoid enjoying life, I will admit that I was an idiot. To me, everything I did was a job. Constant work caused me to become a bitter, hostile person, reluctant to listen to anyone that would obstruct me from my course to the highest possible GPA.

With a resolution to strictly focus on academics, I walked into my junior year prepared to ace all my classes, aware of the dire consequences that awaited me if I meandered or strayed away from my tasks. It was not until the same year that I realized that by forcing myself to view everything I did as a job, nothing was fun. There was one key word that I was missing in my life: moderation.

Having spent nearly two of my high school years primarily aiming for perfec-tion, I chose not to make any close friends, nor did I have any moments I could refl ect back upon. It is true. Doing academically well promises a better future after high school, but the memories you make are priceless.

Without confi dence and plagued with self-doubt, I feared that I would sway off track and regret getting distracted from tending to my grades. Finally midway through junior year, I was able to collect my thoughts and moderate what I needed to do in order to sustain my grades, man-age my extracurricular activities, and most importantly, enjoy high school with people I can truly call friends.

Learn to do what you can to succeed, but also what you can to appreciate the small things in life. Whether it would be cooperating with other editors to fi nish up the newspaper, conditioning for badmin-ton practice, or adding the last few touches to an article, relish your own small accom-plishments and be proud of what you do. Though most importantly, make yourself happy, because what point is there if you work without any breaks?

Four years will pass by in a blink of an eye, so make sure it is not wasted. You may have that ideal GPA by the end of your four-year tenure, but they will never be on par with those memories you can treasure for a lifetime. Instead of the typical schedule of returning home and completing your assignments, venture off and have a couple of laughs with friends to make your day.

Reaching those long-term goals of see-ing straight A’s down your report card is awarding, but that satisfaction will not last add up to what you can do for yourself. So will you time pass you by, or will you take advantage of it?

Photos by Bianca Tran

What happens when you give it your all and it seems as if the whole world is telling you to try harder? You keep trying and trying, but it feels as if everything is telling you that it is insuffi cient. Many people probably get that feeling of not being good enough. This particular de-pressing feeling may come from a series of things, your sports team, your classes, and your life. There will always be those people telling you that you don’t reach that standard or you’re not trying enough when you’re actually giving your all.

Being the way that I am, I usually get these lashes. My family will tell me that I’m not taking the right classes or enough of the good classes and then ramble on something about my physical appearance. It didn’t really bother me because I was used to hearing those types of lectures. For those sorts of things, I knew that I was fi ne just the way I am. Not only that, I accepted who I am.

Until recently, I was disappointed by not getting what I wanted. I felt that I wasn’t good enough; I was angry and bitter just by the thought of it. I felt as if someone just slapped me across the face with a dictionary telling me, “Nice try, but no.” I didn’t know how to deal with the magnitude of my disappointment. Getting such disappointing news is like telling a child that Santa doesn’t exist. It was hard to cope with because I did not take a major failure as nicely as I should have.

I spent many days struggling with what happened. I went to many friends for help. I felt like I had an extremely long list of questions with no answers. It seemed like at any moment I would break out in a soli-quoy about my internal struggles. After many days of trying to accept my failure, I got off my pathetic bottom and told myself that I will still continue to work hard regardless of what happened to me. I know that I will show to the world one day that I am better than just being good enough. When people tell you that you

are not good enough, you t e l l t h e m t h a t y o u were not put on this earth to satisfy others.

The only per-s o n w h o c a n make you happy is yourself. So do not let anyone tell you that you just aren’t good enough to bring you down. You go tell them t h a t w h a t they think of you does not define who you are, but t h a t y o u define who you are.

on this earth to

The only per-s o n w h o c a n make you happy is yourself. So do not let anyone tell you that you just aren’t good enough to bring

Illus

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Illustration by Jelina Luu

NEWSFOCUS6 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

Red Cross

Red Cross promotes and encourages volunteer work for the community. They do service by holding blood drives three times a year, volunteering at the military museum and the Ronald McDonald Char-ity House, and decorating the rose fl oats at Pasadena and Sierra Madre.

Red CrossRed Cross promotes and encourages

volunteer work for the community. They do service by holding blood drives three times a year, volunteering at the military museum and the Ronald McDonald Char-ity House, and decorating the rose fl oats at Pasadena and Sierra Madre.

Adviser: Nicolas NguyenPresident: Angela PhunMeetings: Every other Tuesday during lunch in the Multi-Purpose RoomMembers: 120

FBLA FBLA (Future Business Leaders of

America) focuses on the various branches of business by offering students oppor-tunities to participate in business related activities. Students can earn scholarships, compete and gain community service hours.

Adviser: Qui NguyPresident: Kathleen Ho Meetings: Every other Wednesday in Career CenterMembers: 120

SAVESAVE (Student Avocates for Voter

Empowerment) provides students with an increased knowledge and interest in political issues. The club has many town hall forums that educate students with perspectives on political issues.

Adviser: Eric HendricksonPresident: Katherine PhamMeetings: Every other Wednesday in the Multi-Purpose Room or A209Members: 70

Monday 26

Tuesday 27

Wednesday 28

IC Med (Interactive Community of

Medicine) volunteers at an orphanage named Maryvale and writes penpal letters to mentors in college. The club also gives members the opportunities to volunteer at various medical facilities.

Adviser: Amy Wu President: Tina Chan Meetings: Every Monday during lunch in E108 Members: 20

Drama Club Members of the Drama Club help

work on plays, play drama games, per-form monologues, and participate in other fun activities. The club celebrates the theatrical arts along with hosting the Halloween Maze.

Adviser: Patrick PosadaPresident: Lorena RuizMeetings: Every Tuesday during lunch in the Little TheaterMembers: 30

Art ClubArt Club focuses on exposing members

to different genres of art and helps them improve their artistic skills. On a few oc-casions, the club would take the members to draw at the park. Its biggest event is the biannual art galleries on campus.

Adviser: Karen KellerPresident: Trang NguyenMeetings: Every Wednesday during lunch in SA-8Members: 20

Paws Cause As the only animal-focused club

on campus, Paws Cause is a club that discusses animal abuse and ways to help them. Besides volunteering at the animal hospitals, they also discuss ways to fundraise or donate collected items for animal shelters.

Adviser: Catherine BurkhartPresident: Jennifer MaMeetings: Every Wednesday during lunch in P110Members: 30

IC Med Courtesy CommitteeCourtesy Committee is an on-campus

service club. It focuses on helping out the community and offering chances to write to penpals or volunteer at convalescent homes.

Adviser: Sheree MarPresident: Dara DanMeetings: Every Monday during lunch in L211 Members: 100

Academic DecathlonAcademic Decathlon meets up for

lectures and mind-exercising games to prepare for competitions. Members can challenge themselves academically outside of school.

Adviser: Teodoro OlivosPresident: Teddy Tea Meetings: Monday – Wednesday afterschool in A2Members: 15

NEWS

rtesy Academic

SeptemberFALL into Clubs

NEWSFOCUS 7THE MATADOR

NHS honors students that

possess the club’s four pillars: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Students are also required to complete a designated amount of volunteer service hours each semester.

Adviser: Karen KellerPresident: Jason YangMeetings: Every other Friday in the Multi-Purpose Room Members: 100

S&D provides a competitive at-mosphere for students interested in forensics. With categories of interpretations and debates, the team competes in various tourna-ments throughout the year.

Adviser: Erik MillerPresident: Mandy LeungMeetings: Every day after-school in M4. Members: 60

PTSA (Parent Teacher Student

Association) supports students by purchasing equipment, send-ing them on fi eld trips, and help-ing their fundraisers.

President/Adivser: Ray- mond GinMeetings: 1st Wednesday of every month in the princi-pal’s offi ce at 5:30 p.m.Members: Varies

Key ClubKey is an international student-

led organization which provides high school members with oppor-tunites to provide service, build character, and develop leadership. Key’s vision is to develop leaders with core values.

Adviser: Raymond GinPresident:Alan AnMeetings: Every Thursday after school in the auditoriumMembers: 150

Thursday 29

Friday 30

NOTES

Cross MovementCross Movement provides a

place where students can come together and talk about their faith and God. The club volunteers at local churches around San Gabriel.

Adviser: Kathleen VictoryPresident: Erik MirandaMeetings: Every Thursday during lunch in U44Members: 10

GAPS (Gay and Proud Support-ers) is a safe haven for students to discuss LGBT issues freely. Every month, the club celebrates key LGBT holidays and raises aware-ness on campus. The club’s goal is to educate students about the gay community.

Adviser: Catherine BurkhartPresident: Kim NguyenMeetings: Every Tuesday during lunch in P110Members: 30

YAWPYAWP (Young Aspiring Writ-

ers with Power) is a place where young writers and poets can get together and share their work. Members also produce a literary magazine every year and host the annual Writer’s Lounge, an open mike contest.

Adviser: Catherine BurkhartPresident: Christian ReyesMeetings: Every Thursday during lunch in P110Members: 30

Cultura Latina educates students

about Latin America and Spanish culture by offering field trips to museums and historic sites to watch concerts or plays. The club also pro-vides free tutoring.

Adviser: Teresa TortomasiPresident: Diana TranMeetings: Every Friday during lunch in P207Members: 90

NOVANOVA, previously known as

Science Olympiad, inspires stu-dents to pursue a career in science, technology and engineering, or math. NOVA wants to increase scientifi c knowledge of members and attend competitions.

Adviser: David WhitmanPresidents: Vincent Lee and Jason Yang Meetings: Every Tuesday during lunch in E209Members: 30

EnvironmentalEnvironmental Club focuses on

educating its members on the envi-ronment by helping the state of the world through recycling, weeding, and many eco-friendly projects. The club also offers fi eld trips.

Adviser: Henry OsbornePresident: Calvin Cheung Meetings: Every Thursday during lunch in the Multi-Purpose RoomMembers: 170

Woodshop Woodshop welcomes anyone

who has an interest in working with wood. The club competes against other high school students with their woodshop pieces. The club is currently building tables for the Career Center.

Adviser: John MasonPresident: TBDMeetings: Every Friday during lunch in IA-3Members: 10

ALASALAS (Association of Latin

American Students) increases awareness of Latino Heritage while encouraging members to participate in school activities and academic success along with self-growth.

Adviser: Beatrice MagallonPresident: TBDMeetings: Every Friday during lunch in Matador Family CenterMembers: 36

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NEWSENTERTAINMENT8 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

to run for Miss Universe. The Miss Angola competition was for Angolan citizens living in the United King-

dom. According to the Argentinean newspaper, “Infobae,” Lopes has not lived anywhere else except in Angola, thus making her ineligible for this contest.

The report also stated that Lopes received assistance from a man named Charles Mukano

who helped her create fake documents stating that she was a business management major at an English

university. In addition to this, the report even stated that some bribing might have been involved between Lopes and the British judges.

Miss Universe Organization also addressed another rumor where Lopes was accused of having a Cuban background, but defended her in an email to AOL La-tino. Angola’s First Lady, Ana Paula dos Santos stated, “Leila is really our queen and all Angolan women feel

like Miss Universe as it is a very great honor for us to be there, with a competiton with more than 80

girls and countries, with different habits, customs and religions, and they chose Angola, winning the crown of Miss Universe.” Besides the First Lady, the whole Angola nation is proud of Lopes’s victory.

In the history of Miss Universe, all the winners have been able to complete the duties and tasks as Miss Universe. There has been some cases where Miss Universe had given up their crown due to per-sonal reasons. For instance, Miss Universe Finland

in 1952 gave up her crown in order to get married and Miss Universe Russia gave up the crown

in 2002 because she was forced to go onto the Howard Stern Show.

If these allegations against Leila Lopes prove to be true, she will

be disqualified and lose her title as Miss Universe 2011.

ugly prom attire, and Edward’s spar-kly lack of abs.

“Twilight” is not the only book-to-movie conversion that has suffered a depressing transition; “Avalon High” by Meg Cabot and “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan were among the unfortunate lot. With “Avalon High” and “Percy Jackson,” it was not so much the lousy acting; it was the completely absurd plot change. I do not understand why anyone would even begin to fathom changing the awesomely perfect storyline of these novels.

There are so many ways Holly-wood can ruin a good book, which brings me to the sole reason why I wrote this article. “The Mortal Instru-

ments” series by Cassandra Clare is going to become —you guessed it— a feature film. I have been a fan of that

series for so long that the thought of having a normal guy play Jace Wayland is just heartbreaking.

Hollywood has done some books justice, so I am going to have a little faith even though they completely butchered some of my other favorite novels.

With that said (and I wish I could say this to every single director in the world), if you San Gabriel students ever aspire to turn a book into a movie, do it right or do not do it at all.

According to chasingthefrog.com, an average of 30 novels ev-ery year are turned into movies. 30 movies a year allow quite a lot of opportunities to ruin perfectly great novels.

There is nothing more outra-geous than falling in love with a great book and having it trans-formed into a terrible movie. You wait and wait for the movie to come out and when you finally get to watch it, it is one big, giant disappointment no matter how you look at it.

Let me reflect back to the mo-ment I laid eyes on the very first “Twilight” movie. I read Twilight long before the mention of this franchise had anything to do with screaming fan girls, and rather frankly, I liked it so much better that way.

In any case, Hollywood felt the need to cast Robert Pat-tinson as Edward Cullen, which was equivalent to vomit-ing on a pair of my brand new shoes. It is sad to say, but my beloved version of Edward Cullen that I pictured was destroyed into a million pieces.

My disappointment in this movie is beyond its bad cast-ing. It is also because of the bad acting, Bella’s despicably

Leila Lopes may lose her crown Yadanar Oo

Commentary: Great books turned to bad movies

From everyday stars to brand new mothers

Cel ine Dang

As children of the 90’s, we have all seen Hilary Duff rise to fame in Disney Channel’s series “Lizzie McGuire,” and watched as Beyoncé became a household name af-ter her split from Destiny’s Child to start a solo career. These stars who we have watched grow up are doing just that: growing up. These celebrities moved on with their careers and are about to start a new chapter in their lives, one called motherhood.

The star of “Lizzie McGuire,” Hilary Duff, 23, is mar-ried to NHL hockey player, Mike Comrie, 30. On August 14, 2011, they announced that they are expecting their first child together on her official website. “We also want to share the exciting news that… baby makes three! We are extremely happy and ready to start this new chapter of our lives,” Duff wrote.

This news came as a shocker because she recently told Access Hollywood that she was too young to have kids. She wanted to go a little further into her career before she started having a family with Comrie. “We talk about it. Yes, we’re excited to do that, but I think I want to work a little more. I’m tossing around the idea of making another record… We want it, and we’re excited for it but think it can wait a while longer… He is supportive of me. We both are excited to do that, but he knows I’m still young,” Duff said.

Since her announcement, her fans have been giving her tons of support. “Wow! I am just overwhelmed by all of the wonderful messages everyone is sending! Thank you so much! Big hugs! Xxo,” Duff tweeted.

Beyoncé, 30, always wanted to be a mother by the time she was 30. It seems like her wish has come true. Beyoncé, whose husband is rapper Jay-Z, announced that she was pregnant and revealed her baby bump on the 2011 MTV’s VMAs with a stunning red gown by Lanvin. “OMG Beyonce just made a huge announce-ment on the vma carpet! baby!” MTV tweeted that Sunday night, with a photo of her with her hands on her stomach.

Earlier in June, Beyoncé told Piers Morgan on CNN that she wanted to have children. “I feel like a woman. I feel like I’m very aware of who I am. I feel great and I feel like 30 is the ideal age [to start a family], because you’re mature enough to know who you are and to have your boundaries and your standards, and not be afraid, too polite – but you’re young enough to be a young woman,” she said. “I’m so looking forward to it.”

After her performance of “Love on Top” that Sunday night, Beyoncé told the crowd and viewers, “I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside me.” She then unbuttoned her tuxedo jacket and rubbed her belly.

International Secret Agents rock the world with a concert in Los Angeles

Image courtesy of hovied.com

Lesl ie Tr inh

What began as a simple attempt to showcase the talents of Asian Americans everywhere has become so much more. Founded by Wong Fu Productions and Far East Movement in 2008, International Secret Agents (ISA) has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

The first ISA concert premiered at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, featuring performances by artists such as Quest Crew, Magnetic North, Jennifer Chung, Paul Dateh, and the founders themselves. With the success of the first concert, they decided to branch out to other perform-

ers as well as expand their concert to other locations. In 2009, they decided to have concerts in Los Angeles and San Francisco. With the ever-expanding fan base, ISA branched out to the East Coast in 2010 with a concert in New York.

This year, ISA has decided to have a full day, outdoor concert and festival in Los Angeles. It will be held in Long Beach on October 1 at the Harry Bridges Memorial Park. At the price of $50 for a general admission ticket, the festival includes a 14-act line-up, photo booths, vendor merchandise, food trucks, and artist meet-and-greets. The $100 VIP pass includes a separate VIP entry

line, VIP standing section, ISA T-shirt, concert poster, and concert program. The $200 backstage pass includes everything in the VIP pass as well as early entrance into the venue and a special backstage meet-and-greet op-portunity.

Hosted by Ryan Higa, Kevin Wu, and Cathy Nguyen, the 14-act line-up consists of performances by B.O.B., Far East Movement, Sean Kingston, Jay Park, Wong Fu Productions, I.AM.ME., David Choi, Timothy Delaghetto, Dumbfounded, AJ Rafael, Clarac, New Heights, Afterschool Special, and Blush.

This year’s Miss Universe competition was held at the Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011. A total of 89 contestants took part in this event, marking it as a record year for the most number of participants.

All the contestants had a chance to shop, eat, and experience the cultural lifestyle of Sao Paulo. In the end, former Miss Uni-verse, Ximena Navarret, crowned Leila Lopes from Angola as Miss Universe 2011. However, just one week after being crowned, issues have arisen that might result in the invalidation of Lope’s crown.

After passing a preliminary round and competing in a swim suit, an evening gown and a question round, Angola was one of the lucky five finalists along with China, Ukraine, Philippines and Brazil. Throughout the com-petition, the fans gave Lopes high ratings and commented on her grace, beauty, and how smoothly she handled the last question. Her question was: “If you could change one of your physical characteristics, which one would it be and why?” Her response was, “Thank God, I’m very well satisfied with the way God created me and I would not change a thing. I consider myself a woman with inner beauty. I have my principles from my famly and I plan to follow this through the rest of my life.”

However, Miss Universe Organization be-lieves that Angola used false documents when she competed for the title of Miss Angola in the United Kingdom just earlier this year. It was her victory at this English competition that allowed her Image courtesy of whatgirlneeds.com

Photo courtesy of wongfuproductions.com

Image courtesy of twilightbooklist.com

Nikky Tran

Expecting couple Jay-Z and Beyonce announce their good news to the public.

“Twilight,” written by Stephanie Meyers, was adapted into a movie in 2008 directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

a l b u m o f t h e m o n t h

NEWSENTERTAINMENT 9THE MATADOR

team was eliminated, leaving the green team as the winners. Durst and Stagliano were then left an inevitable responsibil-ity to choose their partners.

After much contemplatation, Durst and Stagliano de-cided at the fi nal rose ceremony that their longtime compan-ions, Money and Bunn, will join them in the fi nale.

Moving along the second half of the show, 14 cast mem-bers eliminated from previous weeks were reunited once again. Chris Harrison, the host, chatted with three members of the house who caused the most trouble. One by one the

men, Kahl, Jake Pavelka, and Blake Ju-lian sat in the hotseat, discussing their issues on the show with the rest of the cast. As the last one to face the crowd, Julian denied his intentions “playing” Melissa Schreiber, his previous partner, and explained whether his love for Durst was actually accountable. To prove the authenticity of his feelings, Julian professed his love towards Durst and surprised the audience with news of his engagement during a short video montage before the final four were brought on stage.

Finally, the two remaining couples faced the audience and Stagliano was left to be told the bitter truth of the engagement. Although still in love with Durst, Stagliano held it together and wished the newly engaged couple the best. At last, the cast voted for the couple who was most deserving of the money. Winning the favor of the house by a margin, Durst and Stagliano were led to separate rooms to select whether to “keep” or “share” the money.

In the end, the two split a quarter of a million dollars together, with Durst moving on with her new life, and Stagliano with the cash. Whether it was viewers waiting for more drama to occur or an extreme amount of female fan-base hoping Stagliano would reconcile with Durst, the fi nale episode fi nished as the number one entertainment program, beating out NBC’s Miss Universe Pageant by an overwhelming number of total viewers.

‘Lion King’ roars at the weekend box offi ce in 3-D

Hit singer and recording artist, Jason Derulo, released his second studio album “Future History” with much anticipation. The 21 year old R&B singer has dedicated about two years compos-ing, producing, and promoting his album worldwide. With his chart-topping singles “Don’t Wanna Go Home” and “It Girl” already on the radio, this second album will be “[the] greatest accomplishment of my life so far,” Derulo said on the UK newspaper, the “Daily Star.”

“Future History” was fi rst released on September 16 in Germany, and it will be released in the United Kingdom on September 26 and in the United States a day after. On his YouTube channel, Derulo has up-loaded weekly webisodes, which count down to the release of his album. These short clips feature Derulo going through his day or singing and giving viewers an inside look behind the album.

Derulo foreshadows the success of his album with his anthemic and groundbreaking track, “Don’t Wanna Go Home,” which beat out stars such as Pitbull and Ne-Yo, Lady Gaga, and Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris. Four tracks were also released off “Future History” as promotional singles on iTunes before its release date.

Derulo claims that the album is an improvement from his debut album “Jason Derulo.” He expresses in an interview that the content will be more diverse because he has gained more experience as a musician. “Future History” will prove to be a stand-out album of the year and a milestone for Derulo.

After seven grueling weeks of intense rivalry and com-petition within the infamous mansion, The Final Challenge episode brought the four remaining couples jetting off to Las Vegas for a chance to become the fi nal four contestants and one step closer to the prized cash. The fi nale of ABC’s “The Bachelor Pad 2” ended with two lucky winners walk-ing away with $250,000 and the announcement of a new bachelor, Ben Flajnik.

Part one of the fi nale began with the contestants arriving in the theater of Cirque du Soleil where the four couples were in-troduced to the fi nal challenge, performing a one-minute routine on a vertical moving wall. The duos were split into color uni-forms, scored by a panel of judges, and paired up accordingly.

First up, the red team, Michelle Money and Graham Bunn, performed their slow-paced and off-timed routine. Despite their lack of coordination with the music, the couple stayed together conservatively at the same pace and was relieved to fi nish their turn.

Up next were Ella Nolan and Kirk Dewindt to tackle the challenge. As nerves got the best of Nolan, she failed to do her part during the routine, constantly stopping to calm down. In the end, the yellow team tried its best, and man-aged to slowly maneuver its way through the one-minute challenge.

The blue team, Vienna Girardi and Kasey Kahl, who performed at “pro” level, left the judges in awe and the yellow team worried for their own sake. As the fi nal two competitors, ex-fi ancés Holly Durst and Michael Stagliano worked well with the music while Stagliano cartwheeled and showed off several gymnastic moves during the per-formance. At last, it was time for the fi nal decision and comments from the three judges.

Due to a lack of confi dence and coordination, the yellow

“Future History”

Jason Derulo

Photo courtesy of bestfan.com

-Steven Ho

Debbie Dinh

The fi nale of ‘The Bachelor Pad 2’ fi nishes strong and suspensefulJul ianne Teng

One of Disney’s most popular animated films, “The Lion King” was re-released in 3D on September 16. September movie releases this year were packed with R-rated movies such as “Drive” and “Fight Night,” so it was refreshing for children, parents and nostalgic teenagers alike to see their favorite childhood movie back up on the big screen.

Surprisingly, “The Lion King” was able to earn $29.3 million on its fi rst weekend, a huge leap from the $15.7 million IMax release in 2002. Even Disney offi cials were shocked, considering they only expected a $9 million dollar profi t from the movie. There was only a $10 million difference when compared to the $40 million it earned

during its original release in 1994. What was not surprising were the

positive reviews that the movie earned from both critics and viewers; there is nothing bad to say about Simba, the feisty lion, who “just can’t wait to be king” and his journey of learning about the strength of true friendship, love, and forgiveness. The whole expe-rience is enhanced by Simba-themed 3D glasses that come with a purchase of a child’s ticket.

The movie is in theaters for a lim-ited time of two weeks before translat-ing into Blu-ray and DVD on October 8. Over the years, the franchise was able to make $357.8 million at the box offi ce, making “The Lion King” the best selling animated fi lm of all time.

Photo courtesy of disneymovieslist.com

Season Three of “The Vampire Diaries” premiered on September 16. With about 3 million viewers, “The Vampire Diaries” did remarkably well for its premiere. Love triangles, werewolf-and-vampire action, and suspense were just a few elements of the fi rst episode of Season Three. A pack of emotional punch also oc-curred throughout the episode.

“The Vampire Diaries” is a su-pernatural drama show with a love triangle between a 17-year-old girl,

Season three of ‘Glee’ and ‘Vampires Diaries’ conquer network television With much anticipation for the

return of “Glee,” Season Three fi nally premiered on September 20. Starting the show off with the Purple Piano Project, Glee members had to sing and perform a song whenever they saw a purple piano around their school. The purpose of these purple pianos was to get people to join Glee Club and demonstrate their ability to win a competition at the national level. The show’s antagonist, Sue Sylvester, at-tempted to cut funds for art programs and get rid of the pur-ple pianos around school. Throughout the show, characters from season two dis-played new attitude changes with no de-sire to return to Glee Club, which could possibly create prob-lems later to come. One important new

character is Sugar Motte, a rich bully who aspires to join the glee club.

Songs such as “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s, “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead” from the film “The Wizard of Oz,” and a wowing performance of “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from the mu-sical “Hairspray” occurred during the fi rst episode of the third season. Along with lively musical acts and elements of drama, “Glee” is sure to have more excitement for viewers throughout the rest of this season.

Photo courtesy of onlinetv247.com

Photo courtesy of iheartvampires.com

Elina Gilbert, and two brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, vampires with dark pasts and unpredictable behaviors. With the show taking place in a fi ctional town called Mystic Falls, more mysteries are sure to come.

This series was based off a young-adult novel series of the same name, writ-ten by L. J. Smith, and was adopted onto the CW Television Network. Although frequently paralleled to the popular vampire book series “Twilight,“ this pro-duction has very original elements of its

own. Get ready for the next “Vampire Diaries” episode, be-cause more chilling anticipation will be coming soon to the television near you.

Photo courtesy of fansnap.com

-Maggie Cheng

NEWSSPORTS10 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

VARSITY8/31 @ Pasadena 15-03 W9/02 @ South Pasadena 11-07 W9/06 vs. Temple City 10-08 W9/08 vs. Rosemead 16-02 W

9/13 @ Arroyo 09-09 (71-76) L9/14 vs. Hoover 11-07 W9/16 vs. Duarte 11-07 W9/20 @ El Monte 11-07 W9/22 @ San Marino 01-17 L

JV08/31 vs. Pasadena 16-02 W9/02 vs. South Pasadena 09-09 (81-87) L9/06 @ Temple City 07-11 L9/08 @ Rosemead 12-06 W9/13 vs. Arroyo 12-06 W9/14 @ Hoover 14-04 W9/16 @ Duarte 14-04 W9/20 vs. El Monte 11-07 W9/22 vs. San Marino 08-10 L

G I R L S T E N N I S

VARSITY9/02 vs. John Muir 20-43 L9/09 @ South Pasadena 27-10 W9/16 vs. San Dimas 06-59 L9/23 @ Baldwin Park 22-26 L

JV9/01 vs. John Muir 14-47 L9/08 vs. South Pasadena 20-28 L9/15 @ San Dimas 06-41 L9/22 @ Baldwin Park 08-12 L

FRESHMAN9/08 @ South Pasadena 28-12 W9/15 vs. San Dimas 06-48 L9/22 vs.Baldwin Park 06-33 L

G I R L S V O L L E Y B A L L

F O O T B A L L

VARSITY9/10 @ Pasadena Poly Tournament 3rd Place 9/13 vs. Arcadia 3-1 W9/15 @ Temple City 3-0 W

9/17 @ Kennedy Tournament 1st Place 9/20 vs. South Pasadena 3-0 W JV9/10 @ Burbank 2nd Place 9/13 vs. Arcadia 0-2 L9/15 @ Temple City 2-1 W9/20 vs. South Pasadena 2-1 W FRESHMAN9/13 vs. Arcadia 1-2 L9/20 vs. South Pasadena 0-2 L9/24 @ Burbank Tournament 4th Place

C O - E D C R O S S C O U N T R Y

9/17 @ Rosemead Invitational 5th Place

Summer practice heats up freshmen football squad

What is better than seeing a fresh new football team that has worked nu-merous hours in the summer and kicks off their season with two straight wins? Nothing.

During the hot summer days, the freshmen football team held daily prac-tices that consisted of various condition-ing and coordination drills. Practices would usually be filled with exhausted players working hard, the determined, serious looks on their faces, and their coaches wearing their usual smiles of approval.

Conditioning and learning plays are important for this year’s freshman team, as they were for the previous year. Players have the opportunity to get physically fit enough to run and play consistently. Mental toughness is often another skill that players can obtain by coming to summer practices.

The team also has the luxury of learn-ing more complex plays that middle

schools have not been exposed to, giving the team a better chance of understanding the plays and learning them slowly rather than cramming them in the beginning of the year.

Other than running plays and condi-tioning, summer practices can also help a team mentally by shaping the players’ unity and self-discipline. Summer practice helps strengthen teamwork necessary for to improve cohesion and team chemistry. Often, the lack of practice with teammates can bring one’s self-esteem down, and when one person feels down, the whole team may be affected by it. “Discipline makes us all a team. We’re a big family and when someone goes down, we all go down with him,” wide receiver Christian Rodriguez said.

By having summer practices, players are able to get closer to one another and ultimately become one huge family. It is certain that all football players play the game for different reasons, but it is important to also have a common goal. A critical goal that the whole team has to

work together for, is to get more wins rather than losses.

“Team chemistry is important be-cause it makes us work together, allows us to communicate better and that leads us to win games,” defensive end Juan Galindo said.

As getting in shape and mentally tough enough are vital in playing the sport, it is also important for play-ers to know each other’s weaknesses and strengths. The same goes for the players-to-coach connection as well. Coaches are able to single out the play-ers’ weaknesses individually and also as a whole, something that is quite hard to do when the school year begins and the season starts off.

Practice is a key part of football, as it is in any other sport. Having summer practice is a huge benefit to our school, especially for those who need to get familiar with their school, teammates, and sport better than before.

The Matadors will play the Rose-mead Panthers on September 29.

Marvin Luu

Tanwongprasert running duo is a team of their own

You may not be able to distinguish these two twin brothers from one another when you see them around school, but it doesn’t make a difference in their running abilities.

These dedicated varsity runners will stop at nothing to be the best they can be. They train as much as five days a week, not including races, and they cover up to about 30 miles a week as well.

Andrew and Adrian Tanwong-prasert were born in Moreno Valley, California but were raised in Thailand until the age of 12. Adrian joined cross country in tenth grade; however, Andrew did not join until eleventh grade.

The brothers joined because of they loved the sport and wanted to meet new people and visit different places.

Adrian in particular joined because at a young age, he hurt his knees and could not run for a while, so he prom-ised himself that when he was older he would train to be a runner. “Finish what you start,” Andrew said. Not only does he do this but he keeps on setting more challenging goals for himself.

In last year’s season, Adrian won a medal at the Bell Gardens Invitational when he hit a time in the low 18-minute range. At 16:41, Andrew now holds the fastest time on the team. He made this accomplishment when he placed 52nd at the Don Bosco Invitational.

Andrew was proud of his time because it took down last year’s fast-est time, 16:56, held by ex-varsity runner Jamin Xu. Now the brothers strive to push each other more and more; for them it is just friendly fam-

Senior varsity runners Adrian and Andrew Tanwongprasert train on the track in preparation for a three mile cross country race for the first league meet at Legg Lake today. The twin brothers work on various distance workouts, such as 800m, 1200m, and 1600m in order to build up their endurance and speed.

ily competition. This season, Andrew finally caught up to his brother ’s speed. Before, he used to be slower, but he trained diligently in order to catch up.

No matter what you call them, brothers, companions, running part-ners, they are the powerful but silent members of the cross country team. Adrian stated, “[We] train through pain.” It just goes to show what they will do for the sport they love.

Not only do these brothers run on the cross country team, but they also run for the track and field team. Adrian competes in the 400m, 4x100m, and the 300m hurdles. Andrew participates in the 4x100m, 4x400m, 400m, and 800m races.

For them, running is a way of life, it is what they do and breathe. These dedicated brothers are encouraging the rest of the team to train and will hope-fully have a great last season.

Photo by Hana Ngo

Photo by Hana Ngo

The Matador freshman football team prepares to line up in a home game against Baldwin Park on September 22. “The way we practice is the way we play the game,” wide receiver David Gonzalez said. “Since practice was bad for this week, we lost, 6-33.”

Oscar Mol ina

NEWSSPORTS 11THE MATADOR

In the world of sports, home fi eld advan-tage plays a critical role. Having home fi eld advantage has many benefi ts to the hosting team and causes disadvantages for the visit-ing team. In most team sports, the home team is considered to have a signifi cant advantage over the visitors. A good example of home fi eld advantage exists in NBA basketball where the home team in deciding games has won 78 of 97 contests up until the second round of the 2007 Playoffs.

There are many causes to home advantage ranging from crowd involvement to travel considerations to environmental factors. Due to this, there are various factors that can have n o t i c e -able ef-fects on the out-c o m e o f the game. In football, for instance, the crowd often makes as much noise as it can when the visiting team is about to run a play. This can make it very diffi cult for the visiting team’s quarterback to call audible shots or for any player to hear the snap count. In basket-ball, when a visiting player is shooting a free throw, home

fans typically wave their hands around and become louder in an attempt to break the visit-ing player’s focus on making the shot.

“ I feel pressure all the time from our school and coaches because they have high expecta-tions for us,” varsity quarterback Eric Alvarez said. “ Against San Dimas I felt a lot of pressure from my coaches because it was a big game.”

The stadium will typically be fi lled with more home supporters than visiting support-ers, who are sometimes described as being as valuable as an extra player for the home team. The home fans can sometimes create a psycho-logical lift by cheering loudly for their team when good things happen in the game. Ad-ditionally, home fi eld advantage can increase a player’s performance. Overall, it could be the difference between victory or defeat.

There is no place like the home crowd

I recall playing dodgeball when I was in grade school—in fact, almost every student fl ocked to the courts to play—we had so many players, maybe too many. It was fun because we had a lot of people playing on a constant basis. Sports should embody the same condition: commitment.

Sports are fun. “Only to athletes,” non-athletes, who would call them-selves so, will say. The rigorous train-ing an athlete goes through on a daily basis can look daunting, and many students think sports are not a part of their menu. Good for them.

Two adjustments have to be made. First, high school coaches are not training athletes with the intent of making every single person an Olym-pian. Second, it’s not torture, and neither is it supposed to be boring.

Coaches call for commitment, students look for fun. Big mistake. It’s not some will of steel or intensive, rugged live-in-the-mountain training the sports team expects, which would be nice and all, but that is saved for dedicated athletes in want of a chal-lenge. In the words of a caring coach I know, “We train to make sure we come back the next day.”

It’s all about commitment, which is, simply put, attending every prac-

tice if possible, and not if one feels like it. A team’s strength is not measured by the number of athletes on the roster. What good is it for a team to boast a strong number of 100 mem-bers when 20 is the actual number? It hurts the team, and practices become downplayed with the sport feeling more of a routine than a fun yet still serious gathering.

The more athletes who join in practices, the greater the spirit is. The sport comes to life, and all of a sud-den, the team is having fun. That’s how a sports team should be, and that’s how non-athletes should see it as. The interactions athletes have with one another as they enjoy each other’s company and the homey feeling that comes with it are worth the fatigue.

Commitment by the athletes is the major factor in keeping a sport alive. So-called athletes who participate in a sport once or twice every week (like they would in a club) hurt the sport. The ones who shy away from sports because they believe exercise is too physically taxing are misled. Sports are fun, really. When the members run away, don’t give any effort, or refuse to take it seriously, the team isn’t de-termined, and the sport doesn’t seem fun at all. Having fun with the team isn’t diffi cult. Wait, what was the hard part? Coming back.

Matthew Quach

n o t i c e -able ef-fects on the out-c o m e o f the game. In football, for instance, the crowd often makes as much noise as it can when the visiting team is about to run a play. This can make it very diffi cult for the visiting team’s quarterback to call audible shots or for any player to hear the snap count. In basket-ball, when a visiting player is shooting a free throw, home

difference between victory or defeat.

Illustration by Jelina Luu

It is all fun and sports until someone refuses to commit Brian Rios

NEWSFEATURES12 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

When the tenth anniversary of September 11 passed this month, thousands of family mem-bers mourned for their loved ones who were lost during the tragic terrorist attacks. Now, a museum and memorial has been built in place of the original twin towers to commemorate those who were lost during the attacks.

Along with the memorial that will be built for the twin towers, another memorial will be built in place for Flight 93 that crashed in an open fi eld in Pennsylvania.

The memorial that is being built in place of the original twin towers were scheduled to open for families whose loved ones lost their lives September 11, 2001.

Two huge fountains are now in the original places of the twin towers. Around the fountains there will be trees in order to have the memorial become a santuary for New York.

The names of those who died are engraved onto the fountains. Along with the names of those who died in the North and South World Trade Center, including responders, the names of those who did not survive in the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, Flights 93, 77, 11, and 143 are also located around the two fountains.

Tell Mewhat’s theWORD.

Famous hallway quotes,Volume Twenty-three

“You need to seduce your reader.”

-Teacher explaining how to

write.

-Teacher advisingstudents to trust

each other.

“Don’t be afraid to touch each other.”

“I want to do Juliet so badly.”

“Put it in the hole.”

-Student talking to teacher about

fi nding camera charger.

“Do you want to touch my pickle?”

-Student going to lunch.

-Student picking a character role

in English class.

All quotes overheard by The Matador

staff.

“Oh my god. He’s leaking.”

-Student dissecting in

Physiology class.

While many of us spent most of our sum-mer watching the television and surfi ng the Internet, one student took initiative and made the most of his summer. Senior Vincent Lee was busy doing an internship at the Jet Propul-sion Laboratory (JPL), which is run by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) in Pasadena.

Lee has been interested in science for practically his entire life. Around third and fourth grade, Lee became enthusiastic about astronomy. During middle school, he enrolled in Physics 156, a college-level course in California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). These courses inspired Lee to further his scientifi c understanding because the labs at CSULA were fun and was something that clicked with him.

By high school, Lee decided to do inde-pendent study with physics teacher Larry Kanow on physics. When asked why he wanted to study physics, Lee said that he “didn’t like biology” due to all of the memorization required. He said that he

was more interested in physics because it deals with application.

Lee applied for an internship during his junior year, because in order to intern at JPL, one must at least be an upcoming

senior. According to Lee, they looked at grades, work ethic, and behavior. For his process, he needed two let-ters of recommendation and had to complete three essays.

This particular internship took a total of eight weeks and paid him minimum wage for the amount of

work he completed. According to Lee, one might be fortunate enough to get hired for part time or full time through-out the school year at JPL.

During his time at JPL, Lee was able to run a program, gather data about a comet’s coma (the gassiest layer around a comet), practice interviews, interview a mentor for a career fl yer, write essays and weekly blogs, and watch the Ken-nedy Space Center launch in an audi-torium. Lee says that “at JPL, they pair you up with a mentor, teach you what

you need to know about the project, and

how to apply it towards a project.”At San Gabriel High School, Lee is the

president of the NOVA Club, also known as Science Olympiad. NOVA meetings are every other Tuesday during lunch in E209. Lee hopes to create annual events, like astrophotography and stargazing, for future NOVA members, so they too, can enjoy science as much as he does. In December, Lee plans to bring up the topic of JPL internships in one of the NOVA meetings for any potential interns. He hopes to set up an interschool science competition that ranges from technology to engineering. This enables him to invite other schools to compete at San Gabriel. Not only is Lee the president of the NOVA Club, he is also a member of Environmental Club, Na-tional Honor Society, and Math Club.

Lee hopes to personally watch the Endeavor touch down in Los Angeles. His career options lean toward the engineering profession because of his large interest in physics. Lee’s ambition is to one day send people to Mars. Though still in high school, Lee “plan[s] to inspire other students to pursue a career in science, technology, and engineering.” Lee hopes to attend CalTech and major in physics or any other type of engineer-ing in the fall.

Vincent Lee blasts off his summer at JPL Jenny Wu

Celebrating the 89th year of the annual Los Angeles County Fair

Each of the names are specifi cally placed in honor of those who had passed away. The memo-rial that is being built at the crash site of Flight 93 is still under construction and has not yet set a completion date.

A museum was also built in order to honor those who were killed. The museum will contain all the events that led to the attack of the twin towers and the aftermath. It also includes the events and surrounding the Flight 93 incident.

Flight 93 was the plane that over took the cockpit in order to prevent a serious terrorist attack that may have been similar to the twin towers. After hearing about the twin towers, the people on Flight 93 formed a group of people to gain control of the cockpit. The memorial for Flight 93 will feature bells hanging from the structure for every person who died during the fl ight.

The museum also has pictures of nearly 3,000 victims that were killed. Personal information about some of the victims are also there as well to educate us about the innocent lives that were murdered on 9/11.

September 11 is seen as the most danger-ous and disastrous terrorist attack against the United States. 2,892 innocent lives were taken that day, leaving their families behind. Although

Two Towers that represents those who lost their lives on 9/11 Monica Lam

While many of us spent most of our sum-mer watching the television and surfi ng the Internet, one student took initiative and made the most of his summer. Senior Vincent Lee was busy doing an internship at the Jet Propul-sion Laboratory (JPL), which is run by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech)

third and fourth grade, Lee became enthusiastic about astronomy. During middle school, he enrolled in Physics 156, a college-level course in California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). These courses inspired Lee to further his scientifi c understanding because the labs at CSULA were fun and was something

By high school, Lee decided to do inde-pendent study with physics teacher Larry Kanow on physics. When asked why he wanted to study physics, Lee said that he “didn’t like biology” due to all of the memorization required. He said that he

with application.

his junior year, because in order to intern at JPL, one must at least be an upcoming

senior. According to Lee, they looked

work he completed. According to Lee, one might be fortunate enough to get hired for part time or full time through-out the school year at JPL.

to run a program, gather data about a comet’s coma (the gassiest layer around a comet), practice interviews, interview

you need to know about the project, and

tapestry to beer tasting, and shows ranging from circus acts to concert per-formances. Admission is usually $17.

Eating at the fair is a unique experience. Food can be deep fried, dipped in chocolate, on-a-stick, battered or cooked in any style

imaginable. The fair has different types of food trucks everyday that will satisfy your needs, such as crepes and turkey legs. For those who are health-conscious, the fair also provides healthy foods such as salads, fruits, and yogurt.

Many spectacular acts and shows at the L.A. County Fair may never be performed again. They range from worldwide known performers to the local community performers. Some of the perfor-

mances scheduled to perform are Fanny Pak from “America’s Best Dance Crew,” Gold

Rush Country, and Metalachi.The fair also has shopping centers with

over 600 vendors. Shoppers can buy spas, tubs, boats, home decorations, clothing, electronics, bath and beauty supplies, jew-lery, toys, and even motorcycles. Shopping centers will be easy to get to because the

fair provides shuttles. With over a million attendees last year

and 543 acres of land, the L.A. County fair contin-ues to be the largest county fair in the entire United

States.

The L.A. County Fair opened for its 89th year on September 3, 2011 and continues to give excitement and fun to hundreds of thousands of people for 23 days.

The L.A. County Fair fi rst opened on October 17, 1922 and lasted for fi ve days. As the years went on and its popularity grew, the length of the fair was extended.

During World War II, the fair was halted for six years and the fairgrounds were taken over by the U.S. army. The grounds were used as a desert training center and a camp for the Italian and German prisoners captured during the war.

In 1948, the fair reopened after the Fair Association and County of Los Ange-les signed a 49-year lease.

In September 11, 2001, the fair closed for the fi rst time since World War II because of the terrorist attacks. It reopened the next day and the fair attendees were asked to donate one dollar to the Red Cross Disaster Funds for the victims and families of the unfortunate event.

Since then, the fair continued to construct more buildings and expand its territory.

The L.A. County Fair is the place to go to for carnival rides, food, competitions varying from

Cel ine Dang

Eating at the fair is a unique experience. Food can be deep fried, dipped in chocolate, on-a-stick, battered or cooked in any style

imaginable. The fair has different types of food trucks everyday that will satisfy your needs, such as crepes and turkey legs. For those who are health-conscious, the fair also provides healthy foods such as salads, fruits, and yogurt.

Many spectacular acts and shows at the L.A. County Fair may never be performed again. They range from worldwide known performers to the local community performers. Some of the perfor-

mances scheduled to perform are Fanny Pak from “America’s Best Dance Crew,” Gold

Rush Country, and Metalachi.

over 600 vendors. Shoppers can buy spas, tubs, boats, home decorations, clothing, electronics, bath and beauty supplies, jew-lery, toys, and even motorcycles. Shopping centers will be easy to get to because the

fair provides shuttles. With over a million attendees last year

and 543 acres of land, the L.A. County fair contin-ues to be the largest county fair in the entire United

States.

The L.A. County Fair opened for its 89th year on September 3, 2011 and continues to give excitement and fun to hundreds of thousands of

The L.A. County Fair fi rst opened on October 17, 1922 and lasted for fi ve days. As the years went on and its popularity grew, the length of the fair was extended.

During World War II, the fair was halted for six years and the fairgrounds were taken over by the U.S. army. The grounds were used as a desert training center and a camp for the Italian and German prisoners captured during

In 1948, the fair reopened after the Fair Association and County of Los Ange-

In September 11, 2001, the fair closed for the fi rst time since World War II because of the terrorist attacks. It reopened the next day and the fair attendees were asked to donate one dollar to the Red Cross Disaster Funds for the victims and families of the unfortunate event.

Since then, the fair continued to construct more

The L.A. County Fair is the place to go to for carnival rides, food, competitions varying from

-Student referring to a saxophone

player.

it has already been ten years since the attack, the memorial and museum contain all the memories of those innocent lives that will live on for years to come.

Illustration by Jelina Luu

Photo by Bianca Tran

Illustration by Jelina Luu

“Don’t get run over by a freshman.”