Speech and Debate Bake Up Success in Bakersfield
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 19:47
By Nancy Xiao
All year, Speech and Debate has been competing and doing well, but all in preparation of what? Speech and Debate State Championship Tournament!
From Apr. 16 to Apr. 19, 15 members of AHS Speech and Debate traveled to Bakersfield, California to compete with other teams from all across the state. The competition lasted three days, with preliminary rounds on the first two days, and elimination rounds on the third. This tournament had the same events as most of the tournaments covered previously, ranging from arguing the credibility of lobbyists in Public Forum Debate to telling stories about fat kids with matches in Original Prose and Poetry. Freshman Rachel Ann Gasparini commented, "I really enjoyed watching Expository speaking, where they have props with lights and music." But for some, the best part of State Champs wasn't the competition, rather the bonding and friendships among team members. Junior Janna Singer-Baefsky said, "Because there are so few people who go to State Champs, you get really close with everyone there, and you get an entirely different level of intimacy because it's a one-time experience. It's indescribable, the different relationships that build. You have special bonds with your roommates, and you have different, but still special bonds, with all of your other teammates."
As for the competition, AHS Speech and Debate had four members (senior Virginia Ma, junior Ray Chao, junior Michelle Zhu, and sophomore Nancy Xiao) break into semi-finals, and one member (junior Ray Chao) place in finals. Junior Michelle Zhu said, "It is such an honor to break into semi-finals at State Champs. I feel like everyone has worked hard, and everyone deserves this. Although the competition is tough, learning from other speechies is always a great experience. I feel truly blessed to even be at State Champs." Junior Brian Castelloe from La Costa Canyon High School won fourth place in Original Oratory and said, "Finaling at State was a great experience. I had always dreamed of making State Finals, and I am so grateful that I was able to do so. All of the speeches in State Finals were amazing, and I felt so honored just to be there."
This year, junior Ray Chao legged to State Champs, placing first in both varsity tournaments. At State Champs, Ray won the title of 2010 California State Champion in Original Advocacy, along with a $1000 scholarship for being the highest placing non-senior in his event. Ray said, "It's a shame that there is only one trophy for that state champion because my title doesn't recognize the dozens of people who have helped me get where I am today. My parents, coaches, friends, and teammates who have motivated me and pushed me to reach new levels didn't receive any recognition, but they certainly deserve to because they made me who I am today. Without this amazing speech team and their undue support, none of us would have success. I think it's a travesty to look at the title in such narrow terms...we should really recognize the team as a whole, especially our coaches who work endless hours just to make sure we have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Ray never stops talking, but it's a wonderful thing.
After the awards ceremony, a dance was held to celebrate and to allow speechies to socialize with members from other teams. "The dancing ranged from very mature styles to little more than rocking back and forth. It was very interesting to see people I met in such a professional setting, such as a speech competition, dancing in such a carefree setting," said sophomore Andy Qin.
All in all, the members of this year's team attributed their success to their coaches, Ms. Josipa Casey and Ms. Ashley Novak. Ms. Novak had been out on a maternity leave for almost the entirety of the year, so Ms. Casey did a wonderful job maintaining the good aspects of the team and improving it to an insuperable level. Junior Angeline Nassif commented, "Even though this is my first year on the team, Ms. Casey helped me feel welcome into the Speech and Debate family. All her dedication inspired me to do my best." Despite being the inspiration and driving force behind all of the team's success, Ms. Casey humbly focused on the team's accomplishments, rather than her own, and said, "The team had a fabulous weekend at State Champs. It was a lot of hard work but we had a great time competing and meeting new people. I'm so proud of the entire team and their accomplishments. It has been an amazing year." I think every member of AHS Speech and Debate can agree that the coaches, friendships, and competitions have made the 2009-2010 speech season the best one thus far.
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The AHS Physics Bowl is Ready to Strike
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 19:45
By Christopher Chen
Ready for the new “Bowl” academic team? Try the recently reestablished Physics Bowl Team!
The creation of this team itself was nearly as large a task as an existing team to go to competition. Creators Juniors Vincent Li and Daniel Liem have spent their time since September chasing a chain of command to find the right authority to grant them their team. “We discussed the situation with Mr. Zhang…. It turned out that it was not as easy as it seems…. We were directed to Dr. Sutro, whom directed us to the ASB, whom they directed us to the Science Department Chair Head Staff Ms. Rapacon, whom then directed us to the Vice Principal Ms. Lashier.” After getting the acquisition for the formation of a Physics team, Vincent and Daniel needed to pick their members. About the middle of March, all of AHS was given the opportunity to try out. Basic exams were given to test the level of performance and knowledge in Physics. Though the team was actually opened to any student who showed a high level of “understanding and interest in Physics topics related to Physics,” there is a priority for those who had taken AP test for Physics B or C. In the end, sixteen students were chosen, who seemed ready to “give their fullest dedication and commitment, putting [the team] on their top priority list.”
Since Physics Bowl doesn’t count as a class, there are one to three hour meetings every Tuesday in E-4, unless extra meetings are held in anticipation of upcoming competition. The goal for the team itself is to prepare for the Physics Bowl Qualifying Test Competition in April, held by the American Association of Physics Teachers. It will be a written test covering all material in the AP Physics tests. The top five students in each of two divisions will compete nationwide. The team is also trying to integrate itself into other district and regional competitions. Co-captains Vincent and Daniel are looking forward to matching the previous Physics Bowl’s championship at State and second at Nationals.
As a whole, the Physics Bowl has just gotten back on its feet; it is already expanding its influence and joining competitions. Vincent noted, “My motive to establish the Physics team was simple. I like Physics, so I want everyone to like it too.”
09-10 Quiz Bowl Ends Its Season
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 19:43
By Derek Ha
On Saturday, Apr. 3, the AHS Quiz Bowl (QB) team competed at the State Championships at University of California -- Los Angeles (UCLA). This event concludes what has been yet another successful season for QB. The A team will be advancing to the national competition, which is slated to take place over Memorial Day weekend in Chicago.
“We were hoping to qualify two teams to Nationals,” said senior Stanley Yuan, the co-captain. “Even though we fell short, it was a good experience because our level of performance across the board was pretty high.”
The tournament has a somewhat misleading name – ‘State Championships’ – because it merely concludes a series of competitions attended by teams from around the southern California area. Generally, the teams in the top 15% at any event earn a place at Nationals. The A team from AHS had already accomplished this feat by coming in second place at Tournament Without An Interesting Name (TWAIN) all the way back in October. Thus, the goal at UCLA was to place the A team and one additional AHS team within the top five, qualifying both to the national tournament.
QB had an early start today the day, meeting at 6:15 a.m. in the school parking lot before making their way to the tournament. There, the teams were randomly distributed into different brackets, with each team playing every other one in its bracket. There is a break for lunch, after which the teams are placed into new brackets according to how they performed earlier. The results from the second half the tournament determine who qualifies and who doesn’t. Unfortunately, while the A team successfully came in fourth place, the B team was only able to secure sixth place.
“Considering how tough the competition was, we have very little to be ashamed of,” said senior Alex Hu, the other co-captain of QB. “We can only look forward to the national competition now.”
Indeed, all four of the teams QB sent to UCLA finished with solid records. Only the A and B teams qualified for the championship bracket in the afternoon, but C team still finished with a positive win-loss ratio overall. The D team performed poorly in the morning, but it was undefeated in its bracket for the remainder of the day.
Despite ending on a somewhat disappointing note, the 2009-2010 QB season has been both enjoyable and fruitful for its members. We wish the A team the very best of luck in Chicago!
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SO They Stated, "We've Improved."
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 19:42
By Sally Chung
If you ever happened to walk by E-8 on a Thursday after school, you would have seen a class full of students working diligently on laptops or completely absorbed in a book. These same students were also at school on Saturday mornings studying. This same process occurred throughout the year. You are probably wondering why these students spent their valuable time studying when they could have been sleeping. It is not because they find memorizing a binder full of facts enjoyable. It's because they find winning enjoyable. Science Olympiad (SO) spent its entire year preparing for the State competition. All of the members' hard work paid off as SO placed fourth, an improvement over the fifth place from the previous two years. On Apr. 10, the top 26 SO teams from Southern California arrived at Valencia High School ready to compete, including AHS' biggest competition Troy and North Hollywood High. However, SO came with a strong mindset; they dedicated countless hours during Spring Break to preparing for the competition and fixing any problems they encountered during Regionals. Like Regionals, the competition consisted of written exams, labs, and building events; the big difference was the intensity of the competition. Every team competing was a top scorer in their own region.
SO received a cumulative score of 190, with Write It Do It winning first and Physics Lab winning second. Unfortunately, SO did not qualify for Nationals, but the members were more than pleased with winning fourth place. Senior Jason Jong stated, "We were completely caught off guard. It was truly all of our individual efforts in each event that ultimately made us a better team this year."
After seeing their success this year, SO members truly appreciate all of the hard work they had put into it throughout the year. Senior Sophia Chung reminisces, "SO is one of the best experiences I've had in high school. It taught me to appreciate challenges. It was through SO that I learned to appreciate what science has to offer."
Evidently, SO is gradually improving every year, which means SO will be back next year with a determination to place even higher. Senior Eddie Xue stated, "I'd like to see next year's team continue the will to win and turn Arcadia into a Southern California powerhouse for SO. In the end, I'm glad to see an improvement, but as you can see there's room for more."
Congratulations SO for all of its hard work throughout the year. The team will be back next year, ready to enjoy more binders full of science facts.
College Column: Northeastern U.
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 19:41
By Derek Ha
No, it is not a typo. There actually is a Northeastern University, and as far as anyone can tell, the founder was not trying to pass it off as the more well-known Northwestern University.
Established in 1854 and located in Boston, Northeastern University was recently ranked 80th amongst American universities by the U.S. News and World Report. The same publication, however, ranked Northeastern number one in terms of best career services and number two amongst “up-and-coming national universities.”
Northeastern boasts a strong premedical program, recently forging a partnership with the Tufts University School of Medicine. Other popular majors include business, engineering, and health services. Students who are especially ambitious can enroll in the honors program.
Northeastern University’s true claim to fame, though, is its co-op internship program, one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the entire world. Students can alternate between academic studies and a paid job which is related to their major, graduating in either four or five years. The school regularly places its students in jobs at Disney, Sony, Goldman Sachs, the White House, United Nations, and more. It also provides housing for co-op students in New York City and Washington D.C.
Moreover, Northeastern is located in the quintessential college town, with schools like Tufts University and Boston University in close proximity. From Fenway Park to shopping centers, there is simply no end to the recreational, cultural, and culinary activities that students can partake in.
Unsurprisingly, getting into Northeastern is no easy task. It has the third highest number of applicants – behind New York University and Boston University – amongst American private colleges, and only 35.2% of applicants to the class of 2013 were successful.
Like most private universities, Northeastern charges a high tuition - $34,950 a year to be exact. All students and applicants are encouraged to apply for financial aid, which is both need and merit-based.
SAT scores
Critical reading: 580 – 670
Math: 620 – 700
Writing: 580 – 670
ACT score: 27 – 31
Acceptance rate: 35.2%
In-state tuition: $34,950
Out-of-state tuition: $34,950
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