The Apache Pow Wow

Welcome to the digital home of The Apache Pow Wow, the official student-run newspaper of Arcadia High School.

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Math Masters

If you’re fond of solving math problems, math team may be the team for you! The AHS Math Team, also known as Snack Team, is one of our ten prestigious academic teams on campus. Math Team is an award winning team that competes several times throughout the year.

To earn a spot on the team, Math Team members had to try out by taking a test with questions varied in difficulty. All test-takers were given one hour and thirty minutes to complete the test. Only the top scorers were selected. They practice regularly, meeting every Wednesday. Led by captains Taejin Huang and Victor Li, both seniors, practices always include a lot of snacks to fuel their brains. The team usually practices for upcoming competitions, except on special occasions, according to math team member freshman Ryan Wang. To practice, members are put into randomly assigned groups to create math problems for other team members to solve. On Oct. 21, Math Team participated in a competition for the Bay Math League (BML) at West High School. There were many other students from many other schools also participating. Each person on the team took three individual tests. The tests covered either 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th-grade material. Each test had a time limit of ten minutes. There was also a team round, where team members worked together on a test to solve more difficult problems. For the team round, the team was split into four teams. In the end, all the regular tests and team round tests were graded and the team came home with a 3rd place trophy. Other competitions throughout the year include the BML (a series of 4 after-school competitions) and Math Day at the Beach at Cal State Long Beach. Members also participate in several “write-in” competitions as individuals and as a team. They also have the opportunity to participate in several national contests including the AMC and ARML. Even though it’s a quite challenging to get onto math team, “being on the team is a lot of fun.” according to math team member freshman Ryan Wang. He said that “once [he] saw the math team [he] knew [he] wanted to join” and he “really enjoys the challenges math provides”. Junior Samuel Cui, who has been a Math Team member since his freshman year, said, “I’ve always loved math, ever since I was young! That’s not to say that I really enjoy sitting down at home with a ton of math homework though. The two don’t necessarily coincide.” Math Team may require a lot of time and commitment but in the end, it’s all worth it.

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Republican Debate

On Tuesday, Nov. 10 2015 at the Milwaukee Theater in Milwaukee, eight Republican candidates faced off against each other in a heated debate about controversial matters, including immigration issues and policies. The candidates included Governor John Kasich of Ohio, former Governor Jeb Bush of Florida, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, former Fortune 500 CEO Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. All with considerable experience in politics, the candidates shared their opinions and views while hoping to persuade the citizens of America to vote for him or her.

One of the biggest topics discussed at Tuesday night’s debate was current and future policies of immigration, mostly from Mexico. Many of the candidates went on the offensive by criticizing Trump’s harsh policies of deporting the 11 million immigrants, in order to add more support to his campaign. However despite these attacks, Trump stood firm by his beliefs and is still content of building his wall on the border with Mexico. What seems to be the most memorable highlight of the night was Governor Kasich’s comment about the truth of immigration. “Think about the families, think about the children. Come on folks, we know you can’t pick them up and ship them across the border. It’s a silly argument. It’s not an adult argument.” Governor Kasich pleaded.    Trump simply quoted President Dwight D. Eisenhower by saying that there was no choice but to deport the immigrants. Governor Kasich kept lashing out at Trump until former Governor Bush sarcastically commented that Trump was a generous man. Mr. Bush said that Trump’s harsh immigration policies, mainly towards the Hispanic immigrants, would make all the Hispanic voters support Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. “They’re doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign right now when they hear this,” Mr. Bush joked. The immigration topic was a significant portion of the debate as Mr. Rubio wasn’t able to avoid the controversy of the debate. He was repeatedly asked questions and he replied with versions of his speech.    “If I am the nominee, they will be the party of the past, and we will be the party of the 21st century,” said Mr. Rubio, 44. The debate then went forward and the candidates were given 90 seconds to answer proposals and questions given to them, especially tax proposal. They promoted their tax proposals and discussed about intrusive business regulations. The country’s monetary policy was also discussed by all the candidates and reaffirming what the monetary policies are. Mr. Kasich explained value-added tax, when he wasn’t called on as it signified the importance of tax proposals.    Due to the lack of clarification of the nominee for the Republican party, the candidates explained their plans to cut taxes and create more jobs. They didn’t explore on the recent controversies the Republican party, such as the accusations of the Carson’s life story being a fraud. When asked if he was worried about the accusations and the criticism he will receive due to his fabrication, Carson replied the news and social media as biased against him. “The fact of the matter is, we should vet all candidates,” Mr. Carson said. “I have no problem with being vetted. What I do have a problem with is being lied about.”    Carson made an accusation of Democratic candidate, Clinton, that she initially lied about the motives of terrorists who killed four State Department employees in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012.    Another topic discussed during the debate was the subject of raising the minimum wage. Fox Business Network host Neil Cavuto first questioned Mr. Trump on the issue, claiming that citizens outside are demanding “an immediate hike in in the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Mr Trump, as a the leading presidential candidate on this stage are you sympathetic to the protesters’ cause?” Trump subtly turned the proposal down. In response to Mr. Cavuto, Trump replied that “we are a country that is being beaten on every front economically [and] militarily. Our taxes are too high, wages too high, we’re not going to be able to compete against the world. People have to go out, they have to work really hard and have to get into that upper stratum.” Senator Rubio shared similar sentiment on matters concerning the minimum wage. Following Mr. Trump’s train of thought, Rubio announced that if “you raise the minimum wage, you’re going to make people more expensive than a machine. And that means all this automation that’s replacing jobs and people right now is only going to be accelerated.”    Additionally, Dr. Carson conveyed that raising the minimum wage could negatively impact current employment. Using African American adolescents as an example, Carson denounced that only “19.8% of black teenagers have a jobs … And that’s because of those high wages. I would not raise it, specifically because I’m interested in making sure that people are able to enter the job market and take advantage of opportunities.”    Conversely, Governor Kasich defend a raise in minimum wage. Using his state of Ohio as an example, Kasich lectured how he came “from a town where if the wind blew the wrong way, people found themselves out of work. An economic theory is fine, but you know what? People need help.” Kasich further supported his plea by illustrating those who are at the bottom of the “economic ladder”.

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Reaching Out

There was a girl in my fourth grade class. She sat in my table group, and while I knew of her, I didn’t know her. I’m not sure what her first impression of me was, but I was definitely scared to talk to her; I wasn’t big on making new friends or being the first to speak when I was younger. The teacher assigned the class a science project, and we were in the same group. It could’ve been so easy to just finish the project, and never talk to her again. She could’ve been just another kid in my class. Sure, I’d most likely get closer to her throughout the year, but the most she would’ve been would be a class friend, someone who I’d talk to once in a while about homework. If I really wanted to become her friend-friend, I’d have to reach out and talk to her, which is exactly what I did. We started out by bonding over our mutual love for Taylor Swift, and five years later, we’re best friends. 

Even now, I still reach out to strangers if I know that we have the same interests. I’ll see someone wearing a shirt with a band that I love on it, and I’ll go up to them, tell them that I love their shirt, and try to start a conversation about it. More often than not, they’ll just say thank you and our days would go on. It doesn’t bother me that my compliments don't always lead to a meaningful friendship. That’s never my goal when I compliment people I don’t know. 

Whenever someone compliments me on my outfit or test score, it’s on my mind the whole day. There’s just something about a complete stranger going out of their way to say something nice to me that makes me so happy. If I can bring a stranger just a little bit of extra happiness, that’s just as great as becoming friends with them. In this day and age, it seems like everyone is insecure about something, especially in a competitive community like Arcadia. Everyone seems to be getting straight A’s, running five minute miles, and getting perfect SAT scores. It’s hard to feel like your existence is significant when everyone seems to be overshadowing you. But when someone notices the little things you do, it makes you feel important, even if just for a little while. It reassures you that you do matter—that all of your actions, no matter how small, are contributions to something meaningful. 

It’s not always easy talking to people. It’s even harder talking to strangers. Believe me, I get it. I’m intimidated by pretty much everyone I don’t know. There are people who seem to be perfect, and, forget talking to them, I don’t feel like I’m worthy of even being in their presence. That fear of being judged is something that has to be forgotten. Everywhere you go, there’s always going to be someone judging your actions. There’s going to be good judgement and bad judgement. If you don’t mind turning in homework and having the teacher judge your work, then why should you be worried about what people think when you reach out to strangers? And if people do think you’re weird for talking to people you don’t know, then that’s all the more reason to do it more! I mean, teenagers are known for rebellion, right?

I’m not saying you should go out and become friends with everyone you see. I’m saying that sometimes, you should be the one to reach out to people. And who knows, maybe that really intimidating girl in your math class will turn out to be the best friend you’ve ever had.

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NaNoWriMo

Ah, yes. November. The leaves are falling (well, I mean, kind of), the weather is cooling (as much as it cools down in SoCal, that is), and pumpkin spice fever is still going strong. 

But for me, the month of November is more than just Thanksgiving and Uggs--it’s also about the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge.

The object of the NaNoWriMo challenge is to motivate aspiring writers to produce a 50,000-word novel within 30 days. Difficult? Yes. A good thing to try out during junior year? Um... maybe? Or maybe not. This should be interesting, to say the least.

Day 1

3,000 words in. 47,000 more to go, but I’m not going to think about that too much. Beginnings are hard, but it’s a bit like jumping into cold water: you just have to jump in, scream a little, and flounder around until you start to warm up.

Day 2

No time to write today. Oops.

Day 3

Squeezed in 1000 words! Small victories still matter. Like Andrew Jackson winning the Battle of New Orleans...after the War of 1812 was already over.

Day 4

I’m stuck.

Day 5

There’s this method of moving past stumbling blocks called the Elephant Method. It’s where you replace whatever words you’re blanking on with “Elephant,” just so you can keep your momentum going. Can’t decide your secondary character’s last name? Just type in “Elephant” in its place, and when you’re done, you go back through and use the Find and Replace tool to fill in all of the appropriate Elephants. So far I have two Elephants. Hopefully this elephanting works!

Day 6

6,000 words and counting.

Day 7

Everything is an elephant and I don’t want to go back and address all the elephants in the room.

Day 8

Couldn’t write on the computer, so I grabbed a few sheets of lined paper and went old school. Hopefully I remember to type these up later.

Day 9

So I took out my archetypes packet from sophomore English and I’ve started to work the Journey of the Hero into my story. It’s a lot more fun being on this side of things.

Day 10

I’m told that re-reading is the worst thing you can possibly do during NaNoWriMo, because re-reading leads to editing, and editing leads to self-doubt and lack of motivation and all sorts of fun things. Must... not... re-read...

Day 11

I had all day to write and I did nothing. I don’t understand what’s wrong with me. There was no school. I sat down at the computer and opened Google Drive. And then... I spun around in the swivel chair for half an hour with Smash Mouth’s “All Star” playing in the background. I don’t even know.

Day 12

Writing? Or homework? Homework it is, then.

Day 13

Has anyone smirked within the last few minutes? Or chuckled? Or how about gritted their teeth? Hmm. I’ll have to scroll back up to check. Did Els ever uncross her arms? Or has she just been sitting there with her arms crossed for the entire conversation?

Day 14

Detail is very important, kids. Employ all five types of imagery. Otherwise your characters could just be standing in a white box for all the reader knows. Like mine. I’m terrible at this.

A sneak preview:

The catacombs are dimly lit, but Eirik almost wishes that they were completely dark. That would be better, he thinks, than watching the light from their torches flicker across the walls as they pass. Whoever had stacked the aging yellow bones in the walls had done so with a loving hand; the placements were done artistically, almost. But he can’t shake the feeling of being watched, even though he knows that the grinning skulls in the walls haven’t had eyes for a long, long time.

Juho turns around to leer at him. Eirik still hasn’t figured out if that’s the man’s actual smile, or if he just really doesn’t like Eirik. Or maybe it’s a little bit of both.

He wishes that he had his friends with him. Following Juho alone through the catacombs is probably one of the worst decisions he’s ever made, and that’s saying something.

“Fascinating, aren’t they?” Juho bursts out, those beady eyes of his glinting in the torchlight.

Eirik starts at the boom of his voice. It bounces down the tunnel. There’s a vague fear in the back of mind that the skeletons will wake up if they make too much noise. “Beg your pardon?” he stammers.

Juho gestures grandly around them—like a king proudly showing off his gilded throne room. “The tunnels, of course!” That awful smile of his stretches wider, and Eirik is suddenly struck by the terrible mental image of the man’s face tearing apart at the seams...

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Coffee Stains & Messy Papers

My desk is nestled in the corner of my tiny little room.

Your cherry wood surface, once smooth and glistening like new, has been gradually worn down through the years. You’ve followed me through my childhood, poor thing. There are signs of abuse everywhere. A darkened circle marks the home of my coffee mug. The dents and scratches on your cheap surface are as familiar to me as the veins on my hand. There are impressions from the times I punched you in frustration (sorry!).

Then there’s the A stack of textbooks takes up half the space, teetering and threatening to topple over at the slightest nudge. A dusty old computer monitor and a set of speakers rest in the dead center, surrounded by a mess that would make any clean freak scream for mercy. Papers are strewn across the desk in no particular order. The pencil holder in the top left hand corner, only half-balanced on the edge of the desk, is empty save for a few unused pens. The rest of my writing utensils lay haphazardly around the desk. Markers, erasers, and other various supplies join their rank, forming a completely disorderly whole. The mess isn’t limited to the desk itself, either. Stacks of binders, boxes, and papers form a halo around the desk, as if they were a border between the mess of my desk and my otherwise organized room.

To a stranger, it’s no small wonder how I get anything done here. Don’t misunderstand—it’s not that I’m too lazy to organize anything. In fact, I normally would find organizing a relaxing task, not a bothersome one. However, while typically such a mess would bother me to no end, I love my messy desk.

Really, what’s the harm in a messy desk? I’m familiar with the disorder of my desk. It’s easy to find things, despite the clutter. The environment is also liberating. Unlike the world outside, with all its strict rules and conventions, my desk carries no order whatsoever. Papers go wherever there’s space. Pens are carefully squeezed into gaps. There’s no need to follow some set of guidelines, no need to apply superficial labels to everything. At times when I’m just about ready to tear my homework into a million tiny paper flakes, the presence of the desk calms me down. It smells soothing, of old wood and coffee, and sometimes I spend a few moments smiling at the worn, trusty old surface. It’s like an old friend—it’s grown up alongside me, watching as I struggled through all the ups and downs of life. 

The mess atop is my inspiration. The shapes and strange angles of the heaps of “junk” are interesting: there’s no end to the weirdness I can draw out of it. Sometimes, when I’m wringing my hands in frustration and trying to pry off the heavy weight otherwise known as art block, the messiness whispers to me. Just relax, it says, stop trying so hard. It’ll come to you. And it does. It comes to me in the form of shapes and thought-scapes, of dreams and strange fantasies. It comes in the form of the messiness of the desk, and all the experiences it’s followed me through. More than anything or anyone else, it’s my trusty old companion, like me in all its disorder and strangeness. There’s a certain charm to the beaten-up desk and the rather “terrible” mess that surrounds it. I grew up with my desk, perpetual messiness and all. The cold sterility of a clean desk, although perhaps visually attractive, depresses me. Meanwhile, the disorder of my messy desk is strangely comforting: it’s familiar, and makes me feel at home. Every rut, every worn down nook and cranny, every discoloration on its surface—I know them like the back of my hand. Echoing the disorder of my own life, my desk is chaotic, but comfortingly so. I have company in my confusion of the world, comfort in the form of the never-changing chaos of the desk. My desk is my old friend, my companion. It’s my inspiration, my trusty little helper. It’s stood with me, tall and upright, through the years. And maybe it’s hard for others to understand my love for this messy desk of mine, but to me?

It’s difficult to imagine a life without it. 

[apachepowwow-blog]

The Golden Turkey

There’s a certain path I take when I go to my volunteer meetings, past the park and the library. I know every nook and cranny‒the trash can in the corner and the worn park bench, the homeless man and the birds on the powerline, singing away the rain.

It’s Thanksgiving, so this afternoon, Cora is even more energetic than usual. “This is it, folks,” she says, clapping her hands together. “Our goal is to raise five thousand dollars, so that our less fortunate friends can have a happier holiday season. Let’s make this Thanksgiving count.” She finishes to a warm round of applause. I tiredly go through the motions of volunteer work. At the end of the hour, Cora calls us together to congregate before we all go our separate ways. “Good work today,” she says. “I expect to see each and every one of you back here same time next week. Have a good Thanksgiving!” As I start walking home, my mind darts to the roast turkey waiting for me. I think of the mashed potatoes and the pumpkin pie; and my mouth waters. I think of the crackling fire in the fireplace, and I can almost feel the warmth in this chilly autumn air. I’m so absent minded that I walk right into a giant sack propped against the wall. 

No, not a sack. A man. 

“I’m sorry, dear,” he says quickly, eyes cast down. That’s when I take a good look at him. And I realize, I know him. He may not remember me, but I remember him. I pass by him on my way to and from the volunteer meetings. He’s always covered in the same filth and the old blood of dying hope‒he’s always wordlessly begging with his eyes. But it won’t make a difference, because people walk by this place every day, and yet no one is able to hear his silent pleas for help. He won’t be going home to a warm meal this Thanksgiving night, surrounded by a loving family. He won’t be stuffing himself to his heart’s content or drifting off to the music of sweet dreams. I have a sudden impulse to give him something, anything, but some teenage boys rolling by on skateboards eye his dirty hair, and snicker horribly. The poor man looks up, looks right at me as if challenging me to laugh too, and I lose the nerve. All throughout the dinner, I can't seem to get him off my mind. Meanwhile, I have to endure constant fawning from various members of my extended family. Look how tall you’ve grown, they say. You’re going to go on to do great things, they say. How do you know? I want to ask. You know, I’ll bet people used to fawn over the poor homeless man when he was a kid. Then, Grandpa Bill presents me with the Golden Turkey, and I feel sick to the stomach. In our family, the best parts of the turkey, christened the Golden Turkey, are given to a child of an elder’s choice. It's supposed to be an honor to be a recipient, but I don’t touch my Golden Turkey that evening. Why do I get all this, privileges that I’ve never really earned, while someone is out there freezing on a Thanksgiving night? I know what I have to do now. It may not be much, but it’s the small acts of kindness that matter most. When all my relatives are fast asleep, I quietly open the front door, and head out into the night, the plate of Golden Turkey clutched tightly in my hands. When I find him, I give him the best gift I have ever given. His face lights up with gratitude, and my heart swells at the sight. I’ll never forget that feeling. All those times I’ve raised money for the volunteer organization, I’ve never really gotten what it was all about.

But I think I get it now. I really do.

[apachepowwow-blog]

Amazingly Average

Disclaimer: for the first few paragraphs, I may or may not sound like one of those snooty kids whose face you’ve always wanted to smash into a wall for crying about a low A. Please bear with me.

Speaking as objectively as possible, I’ve always been one of the brighter students in a classroom. Yes, there were times when I couldn’t completely wrap my head around a subject, but those times were scarce. I understood that I was smart, as I never had to study hard for a test or practice my skills. 

In second grade, I won an Accelerated Reading contest. In fifth grade, I won the Scholarship award. In sixth grade, I won the Spelling Bee. It was around seventh grade that I realized that I wasn’t as intelligent as I liked to think. I struggled in first semester with Algebra Honors, I hated it so much. The fact that I didn’t do well in a subject for once really dented my confidence. It sounds completely dramatic, but I felt I had an identity crisis. After five semesters of Straight A’s in middle school, I finally ended up with a B in Algebra Honors. Despite that, I won the Student of the Year in eighth grade. The point isn’t for me to brag about my achievements. I was overfilled with joy and guilt at the same time: I was happy to be recognized, but I knew I didn’t deserve the award. There were far more well-rounded students that deserved the title, students with flawless grades, kinder personalities, and better reputations. Honestly, I am average. I was above average in middle school, but in high school I’m pretty much middle ground in a Hunger Games-esque sea of 3,600 students. I’ll probably never score 2400 on the SATs or graduate as the valedictorian. The thought that I am easily replaceable and just a forgettable face haunts me sometimes. Even so, it is that very thought that motivates me to be my best average. Comparisons are the bane of my existence, likely the bane of many other students’ existences as well. Never smart enough, never pretty enough, never talented enough. Never enough. Never enough according to what, though? One’s own standards or someone else’s perceptions? I want to accomplish great things without having to question its value through a pair of lenses that aren’t mine. Maybe being average is the best I can do in Arcadia, and that’s perfectly okay. I’m going to be an average of which I can be proud. Winning, winning, winning. I was accustomed to that. Now, it’s the little victories that count.

[apachepowwow-blog]

10 Things We're Thankful

Sometimes we take simple things for granted: the pancakes Mom make on Saturday, the guy who opened the door for you when your arms were full, or maybe even your sister who turned off your alarm for you on Saturday morning after you had attempted an all-nighter and failed. Thanksgiving is a time to think back to all the things we are thankful for, whether they are big or small. Some may seem silly, while some others are big things that are life-changing. No matter what it is, make sure to thank those who make an impact on your life. The 11 people listed below are thankful for the things that have affected them in some way. Some are silly, while others are important to them in their daily lives.

1. Freshman Audrey Abbot is thankful for "sweater weather" because she loves to wear big jackets and dislikes sunny, warm weather. She also enjoys snuggling under a warm blanket in front of a warm fire while reading a good book. 2. Freshman Lawrence Chen thanks his Geometry teacher for "giving us so many proofs." Lawrence loves learning math with his favorite Geometry teacher, Mr. Lisbin every day. 3. Junior Rachel Fuller loves her dog, Trigger, who is a German Shepherd, and would like to thank him for "keeping me warm on these cold winter nights." Every night, Trigger lays his 90-pound body on top of her as if he was "a small puppy." 4. Ms. Galloway, a history teacher at AHS, says,"I am thankful that I get to work with such amazing students, who inspire me on a daily basis." She is a wonderful teacher who teaches Modern World History, Honors US History, and AP Human Geography in D113. 5. Junior Kelvin Guang is thankful for Fallout Four. He says "it's the most EPIC thing ever!" 6. Sophomore Haley Harvey is thankful for "plain tart ice cream from Yogurtland." Although it is a basic yogurt, she still enjoys it and wishes that others would follow her example and fall in love with it, since most people do not like it. 7. Freshman Inga Huang thanks all her favorite pizza places for all of the "different pizza toppings" that they provide, since they "make the world a better place." Pizza is probably her favorite food, and she loves to eat it as much as possible. 8. Senior Kevin Huang is thankful for AHS' new pool. "I really enjoy swimming in it," he explained, "it is so much better than the old one." 9. Junior Shreya Sighn thanks her jackets and sweatshirts for "keeping her warm 24/7" since she's "literally cold 24/7." They are her best friends, and she depends on them on a daily basis. 10. Senior Leo Yang loves to give hugs. He loves to "give hugs" since they "make any person's day better." 11. Junior Mikey Yang is thankful for his friends since they "always know how to cheer [him] up when he's down."  He depends on them all the time and "doesn't know what [he] would do without them."

[apachepowwow-blog]

Secret Menu Hacks

Everyone has been to a fast food restaurant. Every fast food restaurant has something special to offer. For example, the McDonald’s Big Mac is a classic, and is only offered at McDonalds. Every place has some unique item to order, however, not many are aware of the ability to enhance the fast food restaurants' food even further. Every fast food restaurant has some sort of “secret menu” that customers can order from. The secret menu is open to everyone, it’s just up to you to discover it. Let’s hack the menu with some items you can order that aren’t on the menu.

1. McDonalds 10:35 Sandwich: Do you like brunch? Well, consider the 10:35 sandwich as the ultimate brunch sandwich. Unfortunately, this sandwich can only be order in the small time gap between breakfast and lunch. This is basically the combination of a McDouble and an Egg McMuffin. Grilled Cheese (McDonald's): Not feeling like eating meat or are you a vegetarian? Order a cheeseburger without the patty. Simple as that. Extra points if you ask them to grill the sandwich with the buns facing out to add more crisp to your buns. McGangbang: The name may sound slightly odd, but the McGangbang burger is one of McDonald's most famous "secret menu" items. This is just a combination of a McDouble and a McChicken for just $2. This beautiful sandwich is a McChicken placed inside a McDouble for a tasty sandwich. One Sandwich isn’t enough to eat, so try this wonderful and cheap combination. 2. Starbucks Cheaper Iced Latte: Do you love to drink Starbuck’s iced latte but it’s just too expensive to buy? Say goodbye to those days, you can get an iced latte for just $2. Order an iced triple espresso in a venti cup and fill it with milk at the condiment area for a nice, cheap latte. Arnold Palmer: Have you ever heard the classic Arnold Palmer? Well, it is a beverage with both iced and lemonade. Enjoy this combination by ordering half iced black tea and half lemonade for a refreshing and classic drink. Starbucks Neapolitan Frappuccino: Don’t you just love the delicious combination of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream? Try Starbuck’s awesome spin of the Neapolitan through a frappuccino. Order a strawberries and creme frappuccino with 2 pumps mocha syrup, vanilla bean powder, and top it off with chocolate drizzle for a sweet drink. 3. In-N-Out Burgers:Is a the Double Double not filling you up? Why not try out In-N-Out’s 3x3 burger? This juicy burger consists of three patties, lettuce, tomato, spread, three slices of cheese, the choice of having onions or not, and all combined together with a bun. Is the 3x3 burger still not enough for you? Add one of everything with a 4x4 burger. Fries: Who doesn’t love fries? Well you can just order those mouth watering fries but you can take it to another level. There are three other options to try: Well Done Fries, Animal Style Fries, and Cheese fries. The Well Done fries can be described as potato chips, so order that if you’re currently craving a more healthy version of potato chips. Almost everyone knows about the Animal Style Fries. But, if you don’t know about the most popular item on In-N-Out’s secret menu, it is just fries with the secret spread, grilled onions, and cheese. However, if you don’t like grilled onions and the secret spread, just order cheese fries. Don’t you just feel hungry now? Check out of of these three places and try something that isn't on the menu. Add a new spin to what you order at these fast food places. Would you rather stick to the boring classic food, or look up more yummy menu secrets online! Chances are, you can create your own secret menu item, since most places already allow you to customize your order. The possibilities are endless.

[apachepowwow-blog]

Student Feature: Alexander Chan

Many people at some points in their lives feel certain degrees of high emotion or passion. However, as a scholar and a man of science, senior Alexander Chen is quite literally, objective.

He, in one aspect, is objective in terms of his academics. Leadership positions in many clubs. High GPA. Striving for science, an objective field. Aiming to be a molecular pathologist.

“Biology fascinates me,” said Alexander, “because it interests me how such small molecules like DNA can determine the type of people we are and can even shape our lives.” He’s taken an internship at USC researching Tylenol’s overdosing effects on the liver and how to prevent them. He tells how he found his passion for biology upon “reading a book called The Double Helix” which simply wowed him. Essentially, he told me his whole college essay. Yet, Alexander’s objectivity expands beyond that. Since he was young, he has moved between seven schools, five cities, multiple states, and countless homes. From all this “it’s made me less susceptible to the environment and made me more… objective.” Of course, it gets interesting. He admits that when he first came to AHS, he felt lonely and very literally, did not talk to anybody his first year. “I only talked when other people came up to talk to me,” he said. He was fine with it. All that changed upon his membership in Interact Club, where he was forced to communicate with other people. “I had to talk to other people many times and initiate all the conversations, and over time, I gradually became more comfortable with talking to other people.” It was only after achieving this ability he realized “that I did not want to become lonely again.” Now, when you see him in the hallway, yes, he will talk to you. Although seemingly mundane, for Alexander and for many other people who struggle to communicate, it was a big change. But he is still objective, claiming he has experienced no drastic feeling or change of emotions. “I tend to keep my emotions in control,” said Alexander, “because things get complicated if you don’t.” In fact, his saddest moment was a bad test score. “I just prefer emotional stability. That’s all.” He understands why people get emotional, viewing the world as “an overly complicated system with a lot of unnecessary” bureaucracy. Is he going to change it? His answer was quite objective-- “Just leave it the way it is.”

[apachepowwow-blog]

A New Era for Arcadia

Hope is blooming for the Arcadia City Council (ACC), as controversial council member John Wuo stepped down last month and is now replaced by former council member Mickey Segal.

Wuo, a 3-term, 12-year council member, served as mayor until late April of this year when he was succeeded by Gary Kovacic. However, much of the controversy from his time as mayor followed him into his new position as council member. Although his term on the ACC was not set to end until Apr. 2016, Wuo unexpectedly resigned in early October following a torrent of negative local press. Following Wuo's resignation, the ACC appointed Segal, a former 3-term council member, to fill the vacated council member seat. Despite the council’s rocky few months, many ACC members hope the addition of Segal will assist them in getting back on track with supporting the community. Council member Tom Beck admitted that, “Starting last year...this city council has done more to harm the image, the reputation of Arcadia than any other city council in the last 100 years.” He followed up, however, by explaining that he doesn’t believe “the majority of the city council is any longer going to embarrass the city.” Many Arcadians look forward to the upcoming months for evidence of the council’s reformation and have high hopes for its future. Segal, who has previously served three terms for the ACC, also hopes he will be able to make a positive impact on the community. The first item on his agenda, he has said, will be to oppose the attempted repealing of a tax on Arcadians’ use of natural gas, electricity, water and telecommunications. Segal is committed to maintaining this tax which creates 12.5% of Arcadia’s annual revenue. He believes its repealing “would challenge the services and the quality of life to all Arcadians.” Segal has also reaffirmed his commitment to updating zoning code regulations, a central issue for “Save the Highlands” activists. He and the other council members voted unanimously to recommence this process after Wuo’s mayoral administration put it on hold indefinitely, citing the need to resolve the council’s class-action lawsuit before rezoning could resume. The lawsuit was settled on Oct. 6 and work has now begun on rezoning Arcadia with regards to preserving historical locations. With these new improvements, it’s hard to doubt that the ACC is changing for the better. Mayor Kovacic has confirmed their goals are now “to continue to celebrate our rich diversity... and respect one another so that all Arcadians can come together for the common good of our community.” Certainly, Arcadia’s City Council is looking towards a brighter future.

[apachepowwow-blog]

Launch of YouTube Red

Launched on Oct. 28, YouTube Red is a monthly subscription service for YouTube offered to people who want to enhance their viewing experience. This idea was first developed as YouTube Music Key, which lets customers listen to YouTube music videos without ads. However, the name was later changed to YouTube Red and the no ad feature was made available for all YouTube videos as long as one has a subscription. Right now, this service is only available in the U.S.

Perhaps the biggest perk to YouTube Red is that endorsements have been blocked, but a subscription to this service does not really get rid of all the ads. Only ads on the YouTube website or ads in YouTube mobile applications will be gone. On the other hand, paid channels, purchases, or rentals may still have ads that come with the content. YouTube Red can be used on several devices including consoles like the Xbox One and Playstation 4, Android TV, Apple TV, Android, iOS, Chromecast, Roku, and some Smart TVs. Another huge benefit to this subscription is offline viewing. Viewers can download content that will stay available on the device for thirty days for one to watch at any time. Of course, not all features will be available with offline viewing. For instance, liking a video and making a comment on a video will not be available. Also convenient is the option to listen to videos with the screen off. When one is just listening to the audio, the screen can be turned off and battery can be conserved. Not only will there be more features of the app, but there will also be exclusive content start from the early months of 2016. Subscribers of YouTube Red will be able to see shows and movies from YouTubers in advance. Revealed works are “Scare PewDiePie” by PewDiePie, “A Trip to Unicorn Island” by IISuperwomanII, and “Sing It!” by the Fine Brothers. Not to worry, though. Eventually the exclusive content will be open to all YouTube users. Subscribing to YouTube Red comes with a free subscription to Google Play Music. Usually, the subscription fee for Google Play is ten dollars, but this gets two services for the price of one! Similarly, if one subscribes to Google Play Music, he or she will get access to YouTube Red also. The subscription fee for YouTube Red is also just ten dollars a month, and people can register for a free trial for a one month period. All in all, YouTube Red is an upgrade of the regular YouTube service that offers great benefits at an affordable cost.

[apachepowwow-blog]

UC Tuition Hike

A panel made up of a 12-member university committee suggests that the California State University system make several changes. One suggested change involves increasing the tuition for California residents, as well as students who live out-of-state. The panel also recommends beginning year-round academic schedules and providing funding to campuses based on graduation and other rates.

It has concluded that the campuses can no longer rely on state funding as it is not enough to expand enrollment, expedite graduation rates, and pay for technology and facility upgrades. The tuition proposal will most likely face opposition from not only students, but lawmakers as well. A number of lawmakers already believe that the annual rate of $5,472 for undergraduates are too high. The California State University system, made up of 23 campuses, has not raised its fees for four years. It is under a plan by Governor Jerry Brown that provides the higher education system state funding that is increased incrementally. Unfortunately, this is not adequate to make up for the budget cuts which the Cal State and University of California systems faced. Budget cuts during the recession exceeded $1 billion for the two systems. Officials contend that small and anticipated adjustments in tuition and fees will give students the opportunity to plan more easily for education costs. Dramatic annual spikes, such as the 22% hike at Cal State in 2011-12, would also be avoided. The report states, "Enrollment demand continues to exceed capacity, which presents a dilemma for the CSU." The report also mentioned, "Denying admission to eligible students or accepting them without the additional or sufficient funds to offer an efficient pathway toward graduation are not acceptable alternatives." The group’s other major recommendations include small, annual tuition increases tied to the rate of inflation, a year-round academic calendar for some campuses, allocation of some campus funding based on student performance, and giving authority to individual campuses to charge market-based tuition rates for out-of-state and international students. The panel also suggests that eligible Cal State applicants be steered to other Cal State campuses that have not reached their enrollment capacities, even if those campuses are not their preferred choice. Another proposal that could cause tension is a facilities fee that students may be required to pay. The fees are necessary in order to pay for new academic buildings and infrastructure. Elliot Hirshman, president of San Diego State University and co-chairman of the task force, says that such proposals are intended to improve the success of the 430,000 students in the system.

[apachepowwow-blog]

Flying to New Heights

Project Loon is Google's new project to send Internet-beaming balloons into space. By next year Google predicts that there will be enough to surround a decent part of the world’s stratosphere. Google's purpose is to provide connection to the hundreds of millions of people in certain areas, like Indonesia and New Zealand, so they can access information and have the ability to connect with the Internet. 

The balloons are called superpressure balloons that are filled with ‘lighter-than-air’ gases. Made from tightly sealed plastic, they're specifically made to carry such light gas and designed to maintain a stable and consistent volume even through weather changes. These balloons are first sent about 12 miles into the stratosphere. From there, software winds direct the balloons into position by guiding them up or down, finding the right winds. These balloons then beam down an Internet connection to the antennas down at Earth. Underneath every balloon there is a Global Positioning System location tracker, a flight computer, an altitude control system that is used to direct it into position, two radio transceivers to receive and send data streams, and solar panels to power all the devices. Although the project started back in July 2013, new improvements and great progress has been made during throughout the years. Mike Cassidy, the vice-president of Project Loon, reported, “In the early days, the balloons would last five or seven or ten days. Now we have had balloons that have lasted as long as 187 days." Another new development is the automated crane that can release the balloons every 15 minutes with the help of only a few people. This is a big step-up compared to previous times when it took one or two hours to launch a balloon with the help of 14 workers. In order to make a continuous string around the world, 300 balloons are needed. If a balloon ever gets out of range, a new balloon is soon launched. However, the initial ring will only be limited to certain parts of the Southern Hemisphere because the balloons can only provide Internet service to about 40 kilometers in diameter on Earth. Local networks, including Indostat, Telkomsel, and XL Axiata are currently partners with Project Loon. Telkomsel’s president, Ririek Adriansyah, says, “[We recognize] Project Loon as one of the latest technological innovations, which would be very advantageous in expanding Internet coverage in areas that are difficult to reach and also have a low population density.” Google remarks that Project Loon is a more clean and inexpensive way to signal Internet connection across the world.

[apachepowwow-blog]

Overcoming College Apps

For seniors at AHS, the first half of the school year is always dominated by one thing—college apps. Never has college been nearer for a high school student, and the past few months of college application season have been a hassle for many.

The college process for many starts in the summer; for some, already in junior year. “I started mine in my AP Language class for a College Search project,” said senior Andrew Ortegaray, noting how it gave him a significant early boost. However, the most important part of junior year in the process, said Andrew, “is making sure you ask the teachers you need for recs.” However, for people like senior Tina Yueh, many do not enjoy the advantage of a class and have to start the process themselves. “I decided I want to pursue a business major,” said Tina, “so I searched the top colleges in that major and see if it matched my stats.” Beyond that, the most important question for her was, “Could I imagine myself living there for the next four years?” Although seemingly simple, searching for the right college list can be hard. “The most difficult part was deciding if that college would be right for me like major and environment wise,” said Tina, adding on that it was always on her mind whether she was making the right choice. The greatest advice many gave was to start during the summer. “I knew that I would have no time to even write it once the school year started due to having to balance my time with tennis and homework, I just forced myself to finish it,” said Tina. Yet the common scenario is often many students struggle to balance college apps with school. Initially “the work load for the year was light,” said Andrew, “but as the weeks passed, I found myself with less and less time and making less and less development on the essay.” The result—procrastination. Indeed, the prompts for college essays are complained by many seniors as being vague and difficult. Essays often require multiple drafts and peer edits; some go even as far as hiring private essay editors. To deal with all the time management, “it’s best to set aside some days for just college essays and cut down on all the unnecessary activities,” advised senior Rohan Garg, noting, however, it is still hard to keep up to that plan. Despite college application season’s notorious stress, there are still perks. The essays have allowed Rohan to “connect with friends and to realize there is a lot more to me than I previously thought.” College apps are a defining moment of the high school experience as well. As for Rohan, who has submitted his applications already for Early Decision, “it’s the uncertainty,” he said, “because you don’t know if you did something wrong or right.” And of course, there is the wait.

[apachepowwow-blog]

Perks of Studying Abroad

Programs for studying abroad are offered to U.S. students in locations all over the world. Going to another country to experience a different system of education and life has many pros and cons. One will definitely have the chance to make many new friends. Moreover, a different education system can offer different study options, which might appeal to one’s interests more. Of course, having to adapt to a new environment may be challenging, but it comes with new cultural knowledge from experiencing daily life in another country. Having to live in a new place for a long-term period, one might feel a tug of longing for home, and money may be an issue due to all the living expenses. Nonetheless, studying abroad can be a rewarding experience!

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program was formed to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Germany. With over 24,000 participants in this program, it is essentially an opportunity for students to study abroad in Germany for a period of ten months, starting late summer and ending on early summer the following year. In this program, students learn to be more independent individuals and learn about German life in terms of economic, political, and social culture. Throughout the year, students will strengthen German language skills, attend a German high school, and live with a German host family. In addition, they will learn about German culture through trips to German cities and the German Bundestag, the national parliament, and meet with German government officials. Students actually don’t need any prior experience with Germany in order to apply, so it’s an opportunity open to everyone regardless of how much German knowledge one has. The basic requirements are that the student must be a U.S. citizen, be between 15 to 18½ years old, and have at least a 3.0 grade point average. Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad Started by the Congress in 2002, the YES Abroad program has sent students to a variety of countries. For the 2016-2017 year, the current list of countries is Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal, Thailand, and Turkey. Each country has a unique situation and can offer a special experience. For instance, Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, and the major religion is Buddhism. Their cuisine upholds four tastes, which are bitterness, saltiness, sourness, and sweetness. Students attend school where they must wear uniforms and can participate in activities like Thai art and boxing. For students interested in going to Morocco or Senegal, French skills are required. To apply, one must be a U.S. citizen, between 15 to 18½ years old, and be in high school or home school. If any of these programs are of interest, check out their websites for more information about application requirements and program details. Studying abroad is a very interesting opportunity to learn about another country, and it certainly adds to one’s own global experiences.

[apachepowwow-blog]

Space Movies

Every year, there’s a huge, highly-anticipated movie about astronauts traveling to space, and inevitably, something goes horribly wrong. They’re probably the most stressful movies to watch, but also the most entertaining. These are just a few movies that, after watching, might have you rethinking a career with NASA.

The Martian: This movie was released in October of this year, and is based off of Andy Weir’s novel of the same name. The main character, Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon), is part of the Ares III crew, a group of astronauts who are part of a manned mission to Mars. The crew is hit with an unexpected wind storm, and forced to evacuate the planet. Watney is hit with debris while heading back to the space vehicle, and is presumed dead. That, however, is not the case. He survives, and finds himself alone on an unknown planet, with a limited food supply and no way to contact anyone back on Earth. He must find a way to survive until another mission can bring him home.

Interstellar: Interstellar was released in 2014, and stars Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, and Anne Hathaway. Earth has begun to fail as a habitable planet. It’s nearly impossible for crops to grow, and frequent dust storms threaten the existence of humanity. Joe Cooper (McConaughey), a former NASA pilot, finds patterns in the dust on the floor of his daughter’s room. He realizes that they’re coordinates, and he and his daughter, Murphy, follow them to a secret NASA base. There, they learn that missions are being sent through a newly found wormhole in hopes of discovering a new habitable planet. Dr. Brand, one of Cooper’s college professors, assigns him to be the head of the spacecraft Endurance, which is in charge of checking out as many planets through the wormhole as possible. Cooper is faced with the choice between staying with his family on Earth, and saving the human race. Gravity: This movie, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, was released in 2013. Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (Clooney) are working together to fix the Hubble Space Telescope when they receive instructions to return to the space shuttle. Debris from a nearby missile strike is coming towards them, and the shuttle is hit, sending both astronauts, untethered, spinning wildly into space. Kowalski, wearing a thruster pack, attaches himself to Stone and flies them back to the shuttle, where they find the shuttle damaged and the rest of the crew dead. He then uses his thruster pack to fly them to the International Space Station, which Stone barely manages to grab ahold of. Kowalski, realizing that he’s pulling her back, unattaches his tether. While he floats through space, he radios her with directions on how to get to China’s Tiangong Space Station, where she will be able to use their shuttle to get back to Earth. With him gone, whether or not Stone survives is entirely up to her. Oblivion: In 2077, Earth has become a radioactive wasteland after aliens, called the Scavengers, destroyed Earth’s moon and created a plethora of natural disasters. Most of the human race has moved to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. Jack Harper and his partner, Victoria, are two of the remaining drone repairmen on Earth. One day, the spacecraft Odyssey crashes to Earth, and Harper rescues a woman who happens to be the woman in his memories of Earth. They are captured by the Scavengers, and come to a realization that makes him question everything he—and the rest of humanity—knows. Oblivion was released in 2013 and stars Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, and Olga Kurylenko. These movies should all be taken with a grain of salt, seeing that not all astronauts end up stranded on Mars or thrown into a fifth dimension. While they may not capture space travel all that accurately, they’re definitely entertaining movies that some argue are so good, they’re out of this world.