#william hsu

[apachepowwow-blog]

Making Their Own Luck

No matter how many countless hours our athletes at AHS spend practicing on the field, in the water, or on the court, there is one thing that they cannot control: luck. But here, our athletes reveal their intimate pre-game rituals, telling us their secret traditions when it comes to bringing home the gold.

“Ever since the start of sophomore year, I would eat a pre-game banana and chill out to some tunes before my track meets—I usually start out a meet by listening to classical music, and then I transition towards more modern music when I get closer to my event.” — Weston Chang, 12, Boys Varsity Track and Field

“I usually stretch by myself to some Beyonce before a meet and try to crack a few jokes on the starting line to break the ice.” — Lauren Buehner, 9, Girls Frosh-Soph Track and Field

“Before a big game, I always eat a big bag of Skittles to get myself ready. Also, the team has a ritual of getting in a circle on the field and touching each others’ toes before saying an elaborate prayer in Spanish, asking for some good luck and great health.” — Megan Acosta, 12, Girls Varsity Soccer

“Usually, before a game, the whole team gets together to take a team selfie. But personally, I like to chill out to some music and get focused on winning the game and playing like a team.” — Erika Olofson, 12, Girls Varsity Basketball

“I don’t have a pre-game ritual. I never did, and I never will. I just play the game as well as I can.” — Matthew Hatfield, 11, Boys Varsity Basketball

But even for all these rituals, ceremonies, and superstitions, these athletes can all agree that nothing brings success more than dedication, hard work, and tenacity. Only through their sweat and tears—and maybe a little bit of magic—will our athletes come out on top.

By William Hsu

[apachepowwow-blog]

Athlete Profile: Kelly Dopke

Kelly Dopke is many things: a scholar, an upstanding member of the community, and a pleasure to sit alongside in class. But above everything else, Kelly is an athlete.

Starting her career when she was only six years old with club soccer, Kelly has been building her talents ever since. After having played JV Volleyball, Varsity Soccer, and Badminton as a freshman at Mayfield Senior School, Kelly brought her talents to AHS, lettering simultaneously in Varsity Soccer, Volleyball, and Track and Field. But even in light of all her success, Kelly expressed a remarkable sense of humility, seeing herself only as a “developing athlete” who “always has more to learn from [her] coaches and teammates.”

When reflecting on the volleyball team’s performance this year, a tinge of pride finds its way into her voice: “I was really proud of our performance this year. Not only did we finish the season undefeated, but we also matched our best performance ever by reaching CIF semi-finals. To accomplish that in my senior year is simply amazing. It was definitely a tough loss, but to get that far is a tremendous accomplishment in itself.” For a second, she sounded downtrodden; but before I could say anything, her voice bounced back, “This has been the farthest Arcadia has gone in a long time, and I’m really glad to be a part of such a dynamic team.”

She paused for a moment when asked about her formula for success. Kelly—who has the reputation among her teammates of being both a leader and a team player —reinforced that she has a mindset of “constantly challenging [herself].” At every practice, scrimmage, and game, Kelly is 100% engaged in the moment. She said, “hard work and determination are essential. I never settle for ‘good’ because there is always something I can improve on. I think it’s the commitment to everything I do in sports that has brought me to where I am today.”

When asked to describe her most remarkable experience as an athlete at AHS, Kelly had trouble narrowing it down to a single event. “For volleyball,” she explained, “it was the reward of seeing my training pay off whenever I got an ace, a kill, or—above all—a block. For soccer, it was definitely beating Crescenta Valley 4-0 last year, and scoring off a corner kick when we played Hart this year.” She kept going, “For track, my favorite memory was the first meet I ever competed in, when I broke my personal records in every event.” Then, she paused, looking at me with honesty in her eyes: “But really, the memories I cherish the most are when we won and succeeded as a team; when we knew that we had left everything on the court, or the soccer field, or the track.”

Looking forward, Kelly addressed her hopes for the upcoming soccer season and her future in college. She commented on her anticipation regarding the coming season, noting that AHS can look forward to a few intense home games against Crescenta Valley. In addition, Kelly is currently committed to the University of Idaho on a soccer scholarship and is “very excited to see what [her] future holds.”

With an attitude of humility, camaraderie, and commitment, Kelly Dopke cements herself as one of Arcadia’s best and brightest student-athletes. In everything she does, both on and off the field, we wish her the best of luck.

By William Hsu

[apachepowwow-blog]

The Impact of Sports

To the athletes at AHS, the football field, the basketball court, and the swimming pool are as much their homes as the classrooms at school. On their teams, these young men and women make incredible sacrifices and learn heartwarming lessons; here are just a few ways that athletics have changed their lives.

“Water polo has shown me the value of time management and decision making. There are times that I’ve missed the big shots at the end of games and questioned for a long time whether I was the right person to take it. The sport has taught me how to learn from my mistakes and keep moving forward.”

— Laura Chun, 12, Girls Water Polo

“I’ve been playing soccer for almost eleven years now, and people always as me how I can stay with one sport for so long. I just love soccer. It’s forged me into the strong, confident person that I am today. The countless hours that I practice with my teammates have taught me the passion and work ethic I need to succeed in every other part of my life.”

— Isabella Dou, 12, Girls Soccer

“Basketball has been a really big part of my life throughout high school. It’s afforded me the opportunity to surround myself with girls that I can honestly call my second family. Although practice is really time consuming, spending time with my teammates and working together to win games is absolutely worth the sacrifice.”

— Erika Olofson, 12, Girls Basketball

Challenged with balancing their schoolwork, their extracurricular studies, and the stress of playing sports at the Varsity level, our Arcadia athletes perform extraordinarily well. They show us that no matter what sport they’re in–whether it’s basketball,soccer, or water polo–their lives have changed for the better.

By William Hsu

[apachepowwow-blog]

Girls Volleyball : Road to Victory

With Girls Varsity Volleyball nearing the end of a spectacular season, we take a glimpse into the team as it heads into the postseason. Closing out the regular season having gone 18-5, 13-0 in League, and having won the first three games of CIF, these girls have their sights set on the CIF title. 

Girls Varsity Volleyball is famous for being one of the most successful teams on campus, but what exactly is the team’s secret to success? Junior Roanne Paguyo named the team’s “cohesive spirit” as the driving force, establishing that “we work so well together both on and off the court. Because of that, we trust each other completely when we’re actually in the action of a game.” 

Senior Kelly Dopke agrees with her teammate, attributing the team’s success to “a great work ethic. Even though we’re a very young team with only three seniors, our team chemistry is really strong. Our team motto is ‘play for each other,’ and I think that our success can be attributed to the tremendous amount of talent and spirit we have on our team; no matter how tough our competition is, we play our very best.”

When asked about the team’s strengths, most of these athletes named the close bonds between them, extending both on and off the court. Junior Amanda Pickering thinks “our strengths lie in being such close knit team where everyone gets along so well together. We all work hard, and if someone makes a mistake we never get upset; we just encourage one another so we can move forward and improve.” Other team members like Kelly believe that their strengths lie in the team’s improvement in playing ability; Kelly notes that since the beginning of the season “our serving and passing—the two most important skills in volleyball—have improved greatly.” However, even in the light of all this progress, she still understands that “there’s always something to improve on.” Roanne energetically summarized the team’s progress in a single word: “Persistence! We play every point like it’s our last.”

In contemplating their upcoming games in CIF competition, the girls are excited to show off both their individual abilities and their cohesion as a team. Kelly looks forward to the first game and energetically explained, “The team is currently ranked number five, which is the highest it’s been since I’ve been at Arcadia. I know if we play our best we will have a great CIF run.” Roanne stressed the importance of maintaining a positive attitude no matter how difficult the competition. “There are a lot of tough teams playing in CIF and it’s important that we maintain the confidence that we’ve had this entire season. As long as we stay focused I have no doubt that we can be very successful.” With an ethic of teamwork, focus, and an unbreakable spirit, our girls have powered through the first three matches of CIF. The team handily trounced Apple Valley, Claremont, and Viewpoint in the first three rounds of competition, conquering each of them 3-1. They now move forward to the semifinals bracket, against Palm Springs High School. 

After last year’s heartbreaking second-round loss in CIF, our girls are proud of making CIF’s Final Four, and has their eyes locked on the championship. With the combination of hundred of hours of practice, a strong work ethic, and an unbreakable sense of camaraderie, Girls Varsity Volleyball is looking forward to a very promising post-season.

By William Hsu

[apachepowwow-blog]

The Story of Theatre

It’s hard to imagine a world without stories. Go ahead, close your eyes and try. Try to picture a world without plot twists and heroic endings. Try to imagine a world without charming princes and evil stepmothers. You can’t. Stories—perhaps the most basic of human concepts—define us, not only as individuals, but as an entire species. But a single question lingers: where do stories come from?

Stories first occurred in the form of theater in ancient Greece, functioning as an important part of society, religion, and politics. Plays fell into one of three categories: tragedies, comedies and satyr plays, a type of parody of Greek culture. These tales of great heroes and gods often incorporated dancing and music akin to modern Broadway musicals, and discussed the values of Greek culture and religion. The most famous of these plays includes Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, which discusses the inevitability of fate, and Euripides’ Medea, a social commentary on Greek gender roles. These aspects of storytelling eventually merged with the Roman style of theater, which focused primarily on celebrating the great military victories of Caesar, rather than the cultural values of the Roman people. These grandiose displays of triumph often required the flooding of an entire arena, setting the stage for dramatic reproductions of Roman naval battles, or the slaughter of gladiators to demonstrate the might of the Roman armies. Roman theater, which was more dramatic and hyperbolic than didactic and sacred, paved the path for centuries of modern storytelling, setting the stage for the ultimate playwright: William Shakespeare.

The golden age of theater began in the seventeenth century, with the advent of playwrights like Kit Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Actors began to assemble as traveling companies, roaming from city to city, performing series of plays. The content of these stories also differed from their Greco-Roman predecessors, placing less of a focus on religion and the glory of the state, concentrating instead more on the tragedies and triumphs of everyday people. This is found most prominently in the works of Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet explores the tragedies of love, and Hamlet examines the ambiguity of the human spirit. These timeless tales eventually evolved into their modern adaptations on the silver screen, captivating minds and hearts for generations hence.

Although theater has changed dramatically—pun intended—since its first inception, our thirst for stories remains unquenched. From the first act to the final curtain call, we live in a world of stories.

By William Hsu

[apachepowwow-blog]

Mr. Tierney: Teacher of the Year

Mr. Patrick Tierney has been named Arcadia Unified School District’s 2014-2015 Teacher of the Year. The recognition is well-deserved: interview after interview, it seemed as if every teacher and student had nothing but praise and congratulations for Mr. Tierney; the staff cited him as one of the great inspirational forces behind the school, while his students regarded him as a teacher who takes learning and adds just a bit of magic. 

When it comes to his accomplishments, Mr. Tierney is a dedicated educator, passionate about not only the things he teaches, but the students that he is teaching. He is–perhaps most importantly–a friend, always ready with a kind word, always waiting with an open door.

Mr. Tierney–who is fluent in Spanish, Latin, and Portuguese, and has a Master’s degree in Spanish and Portuguese literature from the University of Pennsylvania–decided to change from teaching college students to young men and women at the high school level after a single incident almost 37 years ago. 

After visiting a colleague at a local high school, Mr. Tierney was immediately absorbed by the “passion, agitation, and movement” condensed into a high school hallway at passing period. He was so absorbed and entranced by the energy of high school, that he “jettisoned [his] college career immediately” to take part in it. 

In his almost three decades at Arcadia High, Mr. Tierney has played a huge role in the school’s growth. AUSD Superintendent David Vannasdall identified Mr. Tierney as “everything that is right about public education [and one of] the consummate professionals who educate our children each day.” According to Ms. Ann Hsia, who works with Mr. Tierney in our World Language department, he has had “such a positive presence in our meetings, always finding creative solutions to our most difficult problems;” he sees every issue as a challenge to tackle, every problem as a puzzle to solve. Mr. Ben Smith cannot stress enough how “well-respected he is by the entire administration, by the staff, and his students; his wisdom and experience” is truly invaluable to this campus. 

Mr. Tierney, who founded AHS’ AP Spanish Literature program, has recently taken up the responsibility of being the campus-wide AP Coordinator as well. Mr. Kevin Fox admires this dedication and enthusiasm, finding that “Mr. Tierney is the kind of person who finds opportunities at all turns,” personally inspiring Mr. Fox to get “involved with some teacher leadership positions that [he] originally wasn’t too eager to get into.” This kind of praise is universal around our campus, with various staff members and administrators holding in high esteem the way Mr. Tierney “doesn’t just deliver information,” but rather supports students with their academic development, the sign of a great teacher. 

For the students who have had him, Mr. Tierney’s dedication to both teaching and his students is evident. For senior Sai Chintamaneni, Mr. Tierney has had an extraordinary influence on his academic career in the way that he “always ensures that his students are always excited about what he’s teaching; he goes out of his way to tell us little stories and anecdotes to spice up whatever we’re learning.” Mr. Tierney’s passion for his pupils is matched only by his passion for the curriculum itself; senior Christopher Chen appreciated his enthusiasm in regard to both Spanish literature and culture, something that helped him “understand not only the words, but the thousands of years of culture and history behind the language.” Senior Rachel Chiu applauded the effort her teacher makes to connect personally to each and every student, taking “the time to invest in the class and focus on the individuals who need extra attention.” It is this devotion and attention to detail, witnessed by so many of Arcadia’s students, that solidifies Mr. Tierney as a true exemplar of education.

The Teacher of the Year award is not a popularity contest. It is not an endorsement. It is a clear-eyed recognition of what makes our school great, and an indication of the influential men and women that work to make it so. That is why we honor Mr. Patrick Tierney. He is one of the individuals who have left a profound imprint upon our school, and our campus is better for him being on it—we are proud to call him an Apache.

-William Hsu

[gofwd]

When William Hsu first moved to San Francisco to work in startups, he got a one-bedroom apartment. “I thought that was the adult thing to do, the thing I was supposed to do,” Hsu says. “But it kind of sucked actually to go home and no one was there. It was kind of depressing.” He missed college. Like many other young techies, his career development was outpacing his social development.

Instead of just getting roommates, he applied to live with 15 other guys at a San Francisco “startup mansion,” which he later went on to run. As more and more young techies like Hsu move into the notoriously expensive city, these “hacker houses” are becoming a rising trend. Varying in size from about 5 to 20 people, they are sort of commune-meets-incubator-meets-dorm. Each has its own vibe, reflecting the different sub-scenes of the of the tech world from visionaries to brogrammers, grad students to hackers, as well as people working at big companies. Some houses are more established and formal; others, chiefly casual.

I first heard about Hsu’s house when I saw the Craigslist ad for the “Live/Work Startup Mansion with sweeping views of San Francisco!” looking to add “cool new people.”

“Come check it out, seriously,” the ad said.

The Rise And Fall Of A Startup Mansion