Red Ribbon Week
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 14:07
Andrew Lin
We are all familiar with thered ribbon—it adorns our halls andschool campuses every autumn aswell as the trunks of our trees andlampposts. We all understand the redribbon to represent the resolve to resistthe traps and falls of drug abuse.However, the origin of and storybehind Red Ribbon Week, observedthis year from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, isseldom told.Few realize that Red RibbonWeek is dedicated to the memory ofEnrique Camarena, a devoted DrugEnforcement Administration agentwho successfully infi ltrated and assistedin the disbandment of severaldrug traffi cking bands before beingkidnapped and tortured to death byMexican drug traffi ckers. It is in hishonor that we don these red ribbonsand in his cause’s spirit that we wearred on Oct. 28.However, we must keep in mindthat we are not only commemoratingCamarena but also his work and dedicationto halting the spread of illegaldrugs. His example is a reminder thatwe, as responsible human beings,ought to keep ourselves as well as our loved ones drug free.
Make Music Foundation Plays a Cheerful TUNE
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 14:06
Alex Ethridge
Living in Arcadia, most have hadthe opportunity to learn howto play an instrument, whetherthrough taking private pianolessons or marching in themiddle school band or eventooting on a recorder in fourthgrade. However, there are studentswho cannot experiencethe joy of learning an instrumentfor monetary reasons.Luckily, Make Music Foundation(MMF) is here to helpwith a cheerful TUNE.MMF is a club led by AHSstudents with backgrounds inmusic formed in late springby a group of fi ve friends. Byraising money through concertssuch as the recent TUNEevent, MMF endeavors to give underprivilegedkids the opportunity to havemusical educations.On Oct. 24, MMF hosted an eventcalled Talent Used to Nurture Expression(TUNE) for the Harmony Project, a charitythat “brings quality music instructionto children who otherwise would not haveaccess to it.” The event was a concertthat featured performances by many localmusicians and raised money throughticket sales and T-shirts. Senior Vincent Young, Vice President of MMF, said,“Over 300 people attended...The showfeatured plenty of local talent as well asYouTube stars such as A.J. Rafael, JenniferChung,and InternationalSecretAgentsB r e a k o u tArtist ClaraChung.” Senior EileenYoon, MMFTreasurer, said, “Itwas a big success...we made $4,037.”Many of Arcadia’sbuddingmusicians turned out for the event, somewatching the performances and someactually performing. On playing in theevent, junior Alan Zhu, who plays inthe band The Narwhals with a group of his friends, said, “We’re just a group offriends who aren’t really professional oranything, performing with well-knownartists and such...but it was a great experienceto perform for everybody.” Theevent was successful in more than justraising money for students without musicaleducations. “The best part is seeingthe kids discover their own potentials,”said Ms. Margaret Martin, founder ofthe Harmony Project,“because music speaksto everyone.”The TUNE fundraiserwas a huge triumphfor MMF in bothraising money andawareness for the HarmonyProject. JuniorStephanie Youssef, anaspiring singer whoperformed Beyoncé’s“Listen,” said, “Musicis such an importantaspect [in everybody’slife], and when it canbe used to fulfi ll theambitions of those lessfortunate, it takes on a whole new meaning.”
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Teen Truth Live
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 14:05
Evan Delgado & Andrew Chang
On Sept. 28, AHS students attendeda presentation in the North Gym regardingbullying in the teenage sphere. Teen TruthLive introduced a poignant look into theramifi cations of bullying: both in the realworld and online.As the swarm of students crowded intothe gym-turned-auditorium, people werestruck by the image that hung above theirheads: a fi gure holding a gun—illustratingclearly the serious face of bullying as opposedto the stereotypically (and expectedly)juvenile side of it. Delving into a variety ofissues, the video touched upon issues such asspeaking out, connections with other people,and violence and hate in schools every day.“I went into the auditorium withouthigh expectations, but by the end I was thoroughlymoved,” remarked sophomore FarihahChowdhury—and her disposition seemsto be representative of the viewpoint of theschool as a whole. Despite the seeminglyfrivolous topic of bullying, the end resultwas a very topical discussion of an issue poignantand relatable to each and every studentat the school.Teen Truth Live, as a whole, was anunexpectedly insightful look into the mindsand hearts of bullies and the bullied andthe impact on the students was undeniable.Sophomore Wendy Huang put it best whenshe explained, “It made a huge impact on mylife that I never expected to happen from a video.”
Every Drop Counts: Arcadia’s Drought
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 14:04
Justin Park
Have you noticed the choking restrictionson water usage so far this year? Well, Californiahas been experiencing a drought for the thirdyear in a row. Water conservation laws havebeen spurting up all over, limitingwater usage from wateringlawns to washing cars.This drought is undoubtedlya major factor in rising waterand food prices and even unemployment.Local residents have beenadvised to use less water andgenerally conserve more resources.The city of Arcadiahas advocated that its residentsadjust sprinkler timers, coverpools to avoid extensive evaporation,and sweep and mopdriveways instead of hosing themdown. The city council has recommendedregulating everydaywater usage such as brushingteeth, cooking, washing dishes,and using the toilet, bath, andshower. People living in LosAngeles County’s jurisdictionare required to restrictwatering their lawns to twotimes a week and one day aweek if the recent hot and dry weather intensifies.However, the general public’s view onthis matter of drought varies, as most see thismatter from different perspectives. Senior AlexWang said, “I do notice the drought and we donot go completely out of our way to conservewater, but we don’t waste any water either. I donot see any major effects of the drought on the way we live yet, although that may be becausewe live in such an affl uent community.” On theother hand, senior Ailsa Chiu mentioned, “Yes,I notice the drought, and in addition to the economiccrisis, I guess it’s increased the amountof people aware of the environmental problemstoday.”Multiple cities around the area haveset mandatory requirements on waterusage and urged residents to conserveevery drop of water that they havein response to the drought. Amazingly,many people aren’t affectedby this and some aren’t even awarethat California is experiencing adrought. Water runs perfectly, andmost can take a shower everyday.But little dopeople know that everyshower and everysession of dish washingfurther depletes the already decliningwater sources.The state of California isin a phase of severe droughtin which every drop reallydoes count. The only waythat the state can solidify anew foundation to graduallyincrease its water supplyagain is when the people asa whole decide to conservewater in masses. Just thinkabout it—every gallon of water counts, becausewith every gallon people can water more crops;with more crops, the government can help feedmore people. Without water, California will bein a critical state that will affect not only itsresidents but relatively everyone in the United States.
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