15325 E. Los Robles Ave. Hacienda Heights, CA 91745Volume XLVI, Issue I September 17, 2012 Circulation 2200

By Carolyn MejiaStaff Writer

Goodbye Mr. Garcia

ASB PresidentASB PresidentASB PresidentASB PresidentASB PresidentWelcomesWelcomesWelcomesWelcomesWelcomes

ConquerorsConquerorsConquerorsConquerorsConquerors

By William LiuInternet Editor

With the start of anew school year, students atLos Altos have been metwith a flurry of both familiarand unfamiliar faces. Onesuch face may include ournew vice-principal, JeffreyHess. Hess can be found al-most every day at luncharound the entrance of theschool meeting and greetingvarious students. His famil-iarity with students can beowed to the 16 years that Hess has de-voted to Los Altos.

In the past, Hess taught manyof the math subjects, coached a varietyof sports, was the advisor for Renais-sance and is now moving up to the vice-principal position to “improve all stu-dents’ experiences here at Los Altos inany way [he] can.” New changes arecoming to both students at Los Altosand Hess himself. Hess’ prior positionat Valinda, a K-8 school, required him towork with much younger students. Com-ing back to Los Altos, “the biggest dif-ference is the age of the students,” butthat doesn’t seem to affect him because“everyone, no matter the age, has the

Hello Mr. Hess

Welcome Back!

On August 17, Mr. Steven Garciaspent his last day at Los Altos HighSchool as athletic direc-tor as he was recentlyoffered the chance to beSierra Vista MiddleSchool’s assistant prin-cipal. The position ofathletic director will befilled by Mr. Jeff Lucas,PE.

“Although Iwas sad to leave Los Al-tos, my new job here isfantastic. The studentsare great and the rest ofthe staff is committed todoing a good job. I am enjoying the newexperience,” said Garcia.

In honor of his service to LosAltos, ASB and Renaissance held a fare-well party for Garcia in the Hacienda onAugust 14. In his honor, there was cake,music and many faculty members stoppedby to wish him luck on his new promo-tion. Garcia’s wife and daughter proudlyaccompanied him at his farewll party infull support of his decision to take thejob at Sierra Vista.

Garcia was of great importanceon campus. He made sure everyone was

in line and followedschool rules. Al-though the schoolmight have lost ahighly respectedleader, it doesn’tmean anything willchange oncampus.The dresscode will still be en-forced, ASB andRenaissance willkeep hosting thetailgates and ral-lies. All faculty and

staff members must step up to keep LosAltos High School the best it can be.

Garcia’s advice to Lucas on be-ing the new athletic director is simple.“Cross your T’s, dot your I’s, and havefun.” His final words to the students andstaff on campus were, “You’ve made mea better friend, a better husband, a betterfather,and I can never pay you back foraccepting me and my family into yourlives.” Garcia will always be a Conquerorat heart.

potential to be great fu-ture leaders.”

Hess’ return toLos Altos brings us notonly a new vice-principal,but an even greater posi-tive outlook here at LosAltos. The biggest con-tributor to Hess’ positivepersona is probably hisexperience with skydiv-ing. Skydiving is one ofhis hobbies and “[he] be-

lieves that everyone should skydive atleast once in their life for two reasons.The first is that it’s a fear of almost ev-eryone and you should try to conquerall of your fears. Second, you are able tosee the world from a different perspec-tive that everyone should experience.”

Perhaps it’s the skydiving talk-ing, but Hess has issued a bold procla-mation to the students of Los Altos. “Ilook forward to being part of the excitingculture that all of you create here at LosAltos. Los Altos is about all of you andwhat you make of your time here. I amhere to support you and help youthrough your time here. Let’s make thisschool even greater than it already is.”

Welcome Back Con-querors! Welcome Class of2016!

We are extremely ex-cited to have you with us forthe 2012-2013 school year. Wehad a positive start to theschool year because of ourstrong student body and ourexcellent staff.

A big thank youneeds to go out to the custo-dial staff for getting the entirecampus ready for you to comeback a little earlier than whatwe are accustomed. Please re-member that our custodians are not hereto pick up after you -- throw your trash inthe trash cans! They have the responsi-bility of keeping our facilities safe, clean,and functional; show them the respectthey deserve.

First, in October the WesternAssociation for Schools and Colleges(WASC) will be visiting to conduct a sitevisit for our accreditation process. Wehave been working with students, par-ents, and staff to conduct a self-studyreport that will guide the next six years ofprogress at LAHS. This process is ex-tremely important in providing a qualityeducation, safe-learning environment, andstudent support system. The Adminis-tration and counselors will be in everyclassroom introducing our new studentsto the process and reviewing with our10th-12th grade students the ExpectedSchool-wide Learning Results, Focus onLearning self-study findings and ActionPlan, and the goal of receiving a 6 year

accrediation. The visiting team will wantto talk to you so be prepared to share thegreat things going on at LAHS includ-ing the ESLRs.

Second, counselors have beenmaking student schedule changes overthe past several days. Steve Garcia, Ath-letic Director and social science teachermoved to his new AP position at SierraVista Middle School and we need to con-tinue to balance classes as we are overour projected enrollment; we are in pro-cess of hiring another math teacher aswell as balance and adjust English andscience classes. This is the usual pro-cess of flexibility at a high school as cir-cumstances are constantly shifting; wetry to disrupt your schedule as little aspossible.

Third, you may have noticedthat the drainage tunnel under the free-way has been secured and can no longerbe used as a pedestrian pathway or placeto hang out. This is a major change in

securing our campus and makingsure that we are providing a safeenvironment for you.

Fourth, as mentioned in theprevious communication, wehave purchased Jupiter Gradesfor this school year. The teach-ers are using it presently and arevery pleased with its capabilitiesto communicate to you and toyour parents. Not knowing whatyour grade is in your classesshould no longer be an issue.

Fifth, the campus is continu-ing to be painted. You should benoticing the new more vivid blue

and red that is spreading across cam-pus. We are very excited as it brightensup the campus and will take several moreweeks to complete. We are hoping tohave the old pool demo-ed sometime thisyear to expand the quad area completewith a lunch shelter. We will be addingmore tables for nutrition and lunch foryou to sit. Plus, based upon communi-cation and collaboration with LAHS ASBlast year, food services will be introduc-ing new products throughout the year.

Finally, the entire Los AltosHigh School staff is proud to be able tobe a part of your high school experience.We want your four years here to bememorable as well as preparing you fora succesful life. If you have any issues,concerns or suggestions then pleasecommunicate with your teacher, coun-selor or any one of the administratorson campus. We are here to support you.

Once a Conqueror, Always aConqueror!

A Message from the PrincipalHello Conquerors!

My name is Amber Torres and Iam your 2012-2013 ASB President!

First let me say the school yearhas startedoff great! Ihope ev-eryone en-joyed theirsummer !It’s goingto be agreat yearfull ofl a u g h s ,g o o dtimes, andmemories.My job asASB Presi-dent is tomake sureLos AltosASB is do-ing everything it can to ensure greatnessat Los Altos. If you have any ideas orwant to help ASB in any way, don’t beshy, but come into the ASB room! Makesure you attend our upcoming footballgames in Conqueror Crazy attire! Showyour spirit and show your pride! Gettinginvolved is what the high school experi-ence is all about. Whether its being partof one of our many clubs at Los Altos orbeing part of our athletic programs andperformances this year to support yourclassmates, good luck this year and makethe most of it! This will be a year to re-member!

Cheli McReynolds, principal

Amber Torres, ASBpresident 2012-2013

Jeff Hess, assistant principal

Steve Garcia, former athletic director

NewsThe Conqueror September 17, 20122

With the increase of studentsat Los Altos HighSchool, new teachershave been hired to ac-commodate overflow-ing classrooms. As ofpress time, four teach-ers have been hired,Timothy Clarke, sci-ence; Bailey Fluckey,science; Chris Leon,medical academy; andlastly Jenny Strycula,P.E.

Teaching re-quires a great deal of time and effort.When asked why he enjoyed teaching,Clarke answered, “It feels good know-ing that I can help and teach so many

students thatI come in con-tact with ev-ery day.”Strycula alsoreplied, say-ing, “I have alot of fun stay-ing active and

I enjoy teaching the students lifelongsports.”

All the way from ShadowRidge High School in North Las Vegas,Clarke said about Los Altos, “I felt like itis a close knit school where generations

A newschool year withnew students,new teachers,and…a new lookto the campus?Many studentsover the summerhave noticed adifference in theschool’s appear-ance: bright blueand red hues offresh paint areseen throughoutthe school. Sincethe middle ofsummer vaca-tion, the Los Al-tos High Schoolcampus has beensteadily re-painted by the school district’smaintenance and operations team.Since the maintenance and opera-tions team is funded by the district,school budget money is not usedfor the project. Not only does thecampus get a new, fresh look, but theschool does not have to pay a dime!

Although many students knowabout the repainting, they seem to beoblivious about the reason why the cam-pus is being repainted. Since the WASCvisit is coming soon, it would appear thatthe visit by the school educators wouldbe the likeliest reason for the sudden re-painting. Surprisingly, the WASC visitis not what prompted the new look.When asked about the reason for therepainting, Cheli McReynolds, principal,humorously said, “Because it was ugly”.

of students come to and stay around tobecome future staff. It wasa very warm feeling and Ifelt welcomed.” Stryculaalso had a great first im-pression of Los Altos. “Ifelt it was a great schooland everyone was veryfriendly.”

With five years ofcoaching experience, thiswill actually be Strycula’sfirst year as a teacher.When asked what shelooked forward to, she

said, “Getting to know everyone on cam-pus and having great classes.” Clarke an-swered, “Getting into the swing of thingsand learning more about the school, thearea, the staff and the students.” Leonalso commented,saying, “I havebeen a paramedicso long, it is a largepart of my makeup.I look forward tostudents becom-ing proficient infirst responder ac-tivities.”

Having new teachers will defi-nitely benefit our school in many ways.With their enthusiastic attitudes, we lookforward to having them with us this year.

McReynolds continued to explain,“The red and blue around the campusneeded to pop!” She also stated thateven though the repainting was notintended for the WASC visit, it doeshelp the school look much more pleas-ing. Mary Mallen, counselor, gave aninteresting account of the repainting

over the summer,“The teachers wereall lined up and thedoors were allpainted in differentshades of blue. Weall chose the shadethat we liked, but thefinal choice was upto Ms.McReynolds.” Tofurther explain the re-p a i n t i n g ,McReynolds, simplystated, “The bluewasn’t the rightshade of blue.”

So, how longwill the repaintingtake? Even though

the project began during summer vaca-tion, it has not quite been finished yet.McReynolds optimistically stated, “Therepainting started over the summer, buthopefully it will be done in 6 to 8 weeks.”The prolonged wait for the completionof the campus repainting is mostly dueto the maintenance and operations team’shectic schedule. Other factors also in-clude the humid, hot weather and the factthat students are on site on weekdays.No matter how long it takes, the schoolcampus will continue to shine with redand blue, the colors of Conquerors.

Last year was a frustrating yearfor Los Altos High School as break-insoccurred very frequently and many itemswere stolen. However, security camerashave been installed on the media center.

Through the installa-tion of such cameras,the school and thedistrict are aiming tocatch the culprit thatwas stealing itemsfrom classrooms.

“The secu-rity cameras add alevel of protection for

the students, for the school at nightwhere vandalizing and burglary mightoccur, and for the parents. It lets the par-ents know that their child is safe while atschool,” said Cheli McReynolds, prin-cipal. “The cameras are really aboutkeeping people from breaking into cam-pus.”

Because of the new cameras,the school sent a letter home to everyhousehold assuring Conqueror familiesthat the cameras were initially installedto help find the culprit. Now, they arehere to help secure the students’ pro-tection in case anything happens,whether it be a fight or other illegal ac-tivity.

More cameras have since beeninstalled. Three cameras were installednear the “A” buildings. Another set ofcameras were installed near the tenniscourts looking out toward Palm Avenue.The east teachers’ parking lot also got acamera to keep watch over what hap-pens in the back of the school. Eventu-ally, administration would like to installa camera in every hallway to ensure thatif there are break-ins, they would findthe culprit. Mr. Jeff Hess, vice-principal,as well as security, the district chief ofpolice, and the sheriff’s office all haveaccess to the security cameras.

Every year, the Conqueror fam-ily grows, welcoming new members intoits fold. This year is certainlyno exception. Several Los Altosteachers have the joy of welcom-ing new members into their fami-lies. The new babies are beingwelcomed with open arms andare expected with no smallamount of anticipation.

A few teachers havealready had the pleasure of hold-ing their new children and wel-coming them into their homes.Among them are ShawnHarrington, ASB director, andDale Ziola, physical education.Both of them were pleased towelcome baby girls into theirfamilies in the past weeks.

Along with them, JasonAckermann, science, was overjoyed towelcome his baby boy into the world thissummer. The infant was dubbed Jaylen

Bryce Ackermann. He joined his familyJuly 31, just eight days before the start

Teachers’ BabiesBy Caroline TorresStaff Writer

By Nicholas PungPage Editor

By Kaylee LoStaff Writer

By Valeria WangStaff Writer

By William LiuInternet Editor

Each month, Renaissance pro-vides each student of the month withpizza, soda, and a chance to win a prize.Each teacher is allowed to nominate onestudent for student of the month. Thesestudents have either shown academicachievement, good behavior, or any otherdeed that sets this student apart. Belowis a list of students who have claimedthe title of student of the month.Aldo IbarraAlexandra LopezAllysa PerezAmy LungAndre LopezAndrea CastilloAngel HerreraAutumn LewisBrandon HayashiBrenda HernandezCatherine BecerraChristopher LopezDavid HernandezDiana GarciaEmilia NevarezEthan RizoEzekiel GallegosJake FelanJake ZerbeJason ChaconJessie VerdugoJonathan CorralJoseph MartinJulia CabreraKate CruzKevin RivasManual MedinaMelissa MendozaRachel MartinezRebecca PorterRene PerezRobert T. LopezRodrigo NavarroRudy LeneroRyan MilnesSergio Piceno

Jason Ackermann, science.

of school.In addition, a few additional Los

Altos teachers are eagerly awaiting thearrival of their own newborns. AlisonWills, dance, is currently expecting ababy boy, due to arrive this school year.

Also expecting a child thisyear is Luz Torres, science.Joining them in their antici-pation will be Ed Richter, en-gineering.

These teachers are allexpanding their families andexperiencing both the joyand unavoidable trials ofparenthood. They may facetrials, but may also findthemselves experiencing therewards that often comewith the life and responsi-bility of a parent. Not onlydo they now have to man-age a class of unruly stu-dents, they also have to

manage a crying baby in the middle ofthe night.

Shawn Harrington, assistant principal

FeaturesThe Conqueror September 17, 2012 3

By Hailey LeeStaff Writer

By Caroline TorresStaff Writer

By Nancy GomezStaff Writer

a school-wide survey.During the visit, the visiting

committee does three major things. "Thecommittee arrives on Sunday, October21. They will have a meet and greet andwalk around the campus. On Mondaythe visit officially begins," said CheliMcReynolds, principal. The comittee willvisit classrooms and talk to students andfaculty. On the last day, the committeewill make a presentation to the staff andthey will review the action plan.

Depending on how the visitgoes, the accreditation committee willdecide when the next accreditation willtake place. "The last visit was about fouryears ago, but it was a halfway visit. Theschool had 6 years with a 3 year revisitbefore the next ac-creditation. Thisyear is the full ac-creditation visit,"c o n c l u d e dCazares.

It is im-portant for theschool to beaccredited."Themain question is ‘Is our school doingthe best it can do for its students?’" clari-fied McReynolds. For a school to be ac-credited means that it is preparing stu-dents for college. "Without accredita-tion, major things can happen...even be-coming a controlled school," statedCazares.

At the end of every school year,Los Al-tos HighS c h o o ls t u -d e n t se x p e c tto beginmakinge x t e n -s i v eplans forthe sum-mer. Un-f o r t u -

nately, this was not the case for studentsattending school in the Hacienda LaPuente Unified School District. Signswere put up around the community toremind students that school would be-gin on August 8 this year, almost a monthbefore the more traditional start date.

Instead of enjoying the summerby spending more time with friends andfamily or going on trips, students re-turned to school after only having nineweeks of summer vacation. The studentswho attended summer school had an

From October 22-24, Los Altoswill be visited by the Western Associa-tion of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

This visit is to make sure that the schoolis functioning well and meeting its self-study criteria. It is a necessary part ofthe accreditation process. "We need tobe accredited by the Western Associa-tion of Schools and Colleges because itis a way of knowing that we’re goingthe right way," said assistant principalSteve Cazares. "It is a good process togo through."

The visit is part of the accredi-tation process. The school was to writea report that describes how the schoolworks. After the report is published, theschool prepares for the WASC visit."We broke up the school staff, stu-dents, and parents into focus groupsand went into a self-study," continuedCazares. In the self-study there were fivecategories, including assessment andaccountability. Students took part in theself study last year when they answered

Visit

Utilization of JupiterGrades

EarlEarlEarlEarlEarlyyyyy Start fo Start fo Start fo Start fo Start forrrrr School School School School School

WASCBy Yvette Franco

With the coming of a newschool year, Los Altos High School stu-dents andparents cannow accessgrades attheir conve-nience withthe use of Ju-piter Grades,an onlinegrading sys-tem. All stu-dents arer e g i s t e r e dand they caneasily goonline tocheck updated grades.

The Jupiter grading system of-fers complete transparency so that par-ents and students can observe con-stantly updated grades, which helps al-leviate any communication problemsconcerning academics. Also, teacherscan now enter grades from anywhere aslong as they have access to a computer.They had previously needed to be atschool to do so.

“We hope parents and stu-dents have access to grades instanta-neously,” says Mary Mallen, counse-lor. Students can see how tests and as-signments affect their grades. Also, par-ents have received mail regarding a tem-

Newspaper Editor

With more than 50 differentclasses available at Los Altos, it is ex-tremely rare for a new class to be addedto the list of class selections. However,just last year a brand new class calledintroduction to design and media was in-troduced into the Los Altos’ curriculum

Taught by Chris Herrera, theclass works with digital programs includ-ing Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illus-trator. The content of the course is prettyself-explanatory as thestudents work to under-stand the basics ofgraphic design and media.“My goal for this class isto help students experi-ence graphic design andhow it is important,”Herrera explains. “Hope-fully, what they learn inthis class and the skills they gain can helpthem in any career they may pursue inthe future.”

Herrera initially began as a mixedmedia artist, working for both DC Shoesand Disney. “It was actually my wife whogot me into teaching,” Herrera admits.After teaching the class for a year, Herrerasaid that he loves the class and is excitedfor the possibilities. “The class may startoff hard at first since no one knows theprograms all that well. But it gets a loteasier later in the school year once ev-eryone gets rolling. I teach with energy.We work hard, but it’s fun work.”

Clearly, Herrera was able to passon that feeling of fun work to his stu-dents, even though school has just be-gun. Junior Alisa Smanpongse agrees byexpressing her feelings for the class injust a few words. “My favorite part ofclass so far is making logos. It’s fun andI’m already excited for next year!”

NewNewNewNewNewClassClassClassClassClass

By Kimberly WongStaff Writer

porary password for Jupiter Grades ac-cess.

The new sys-tem has manys u p p o r t e r s .Leon Liang,senior, claims,“I think it is apretty goodsystem tokeep yourselfon track.” Sha-lom Mont-gomery, En-glish, says, “Ithink Jupiter isa great tool forparents to

monitor their children’s classwork.” How-ever, it seems there is an adjustment pe-riod as the software functions differentlythan the formerly usedsoftware.

The gradingsystem tends to focuson less motivated stu-dents. “The only reser-vation I have is using itin my AP course because it takes time forstudents’ grades to reflect their abilities,”continues Montgomery. Some studentsare rather opposed to the idea. AlexLopez, junior, argues, “Parents have toomuch knowledge of their kids’ grades. Itadds unnecessary stress.”

This year marks yet anotherpresidential race, one which will be wit-nessed by a handful of Los Altos stu-dents. The groupthat will be takingpart in this experi-ence will travel toWashington D.C.and view the inau-guration, thuswatching historyin the making.

The tripwas organized byRichard Nares, so-cial studies, who will accompany thegroup on their travels. Aside from theinauguration itself, they will be able toexperience the city of Washington DCas the trip will include much sight see-ing. Students will visit an assortment ofhistorical sites and museums includingthe home of George Washington. In ad-dition to that, they will partake in a balland have the opportunity to join discus-sions regarding prevalent social mattersand government.

By the end of the trip, studentswill have gained much more than onemight expect from a simple sight seeingtrip. This trip gives them the opportu-nity to see history in action and the work-ings of the government in the process.In this way, they will learn about theirgovernment in a much more relevant waythan the limited opportunities presentedby a textbook.

Nares, for one, is very excited.“I’m looking forward to it,” he admits.He also admits to a wish to see more stu-dents involved in the trip. He’s adamantabout the fact that it will be a great expe-rience for all of those involved—a oncein a lifetime opportunity. “This is a reallife history lesson, not just somethingyou learn from a book. It’s actual appli-cation of government. You’ll be a part ofthe history of the presidential inaugura-tion.”

Inauguration Trip

even shorter summer vacation with onlya few weeks to rest from continuous work.Students who are currently taking an Ad-vanced Placement course were givensummer assignments, which also tooktime away from spending quality timewith friends and family. Some would saythat it is good for the school year to startearlier in order to help prepare studentsfor AP exams or important tests. Othersargue that starting school in August isnot the best idea for students. It has been

very important tohave patience asthe school yearschedule hasbeen changeddrastically. If thechange of theschool yearschedule was

gradually changed over the course of twoor three years, it would not be so difficultfor students to return to school earlier.

Fortunately, the change of theschool calendar is an issue Los AltosHigh School no longer has to experiencein the future.

FeaturesThe Conqueror September 17, 20126

By Timothy KwongStaff Writer

By Irene TsaoStaff Writer

As Advanced Placement (AP)classes are primarily held in the morning,with AP Psychology and AP Studio Artbeing the lone exceptions, some studentsnow face a scheduling nightmare.

Any student whose scheduleinvolves AP classes andclasses such as choir,band, ASB, and Renais-sance that meet in themorning is subject toscheduling conflicts. “Ithink that having APclasses only in the morn-ing blocks restricts peoplefrom taking the classesthey want. It is not fair thatthis schedule forces people to have todrop classes that they otherwise wouldhave taken,” says Duyen Cao, senior.

Some AP teachers and studentsare benefitting from this new schedulingbecause their AP classes are now on thesame block day. “I think that it’s greatbecause I now have AP Biology duringperiods one and three, making it possiblefor students to make up labs they mighthave missed and cutting supply costs

With every graduating seniorclass that leaves Los Altos High School,a new generation enters to fill the void.For returning students, a new freshmanclass means seeing fresh faces wander-ing down the hallways of school. Forsuch freshmen, however, the first fewweeks of high school signifies a majortransition into a completelynew environment. So whatare the first impressionsthat the Class of 2016 hasabout their peers, teachers,and the school itself?

Most freshmenfind high school to be anovel experience on differ-ent levels. “It’s insane.There’s a lot of new stuff.It’s a really big jump frommiddle school,” said AlanMacias, freshman. “It’spretty cool. It is way betterthan middle school,” saidJohnny Corral, freshman.

Some freshmen feel that highschool is a completely new place verymuch unlike middle school. “There’s morefreedom and it’s pretty cool,” said BrianMarsical, freshman. “It’s really crowdedeverywhere,” said Bryce Olivas, fresh-man.

Every freshmen has his or her

At the beginning of a newschool year, meeting new teachers andnew friends is inevitable. What are someeffective ways to make a good first im-pression? Many people would say justbe yourself, which is actually the mostessential part of meeting someone new.“Just be yourself, because ultimately,that’s all that matters,” said Cecilia Mora,senior.

To get off to a good start, awarm smile and positive attitude canmake people think you are an approach-able person. “I think that in order to makea positive first impression, you need tohave a positive attitude and a big smile.Then people will be more likely to thinkyou’re approachable and be friends withyou,” said Leon Liang, senior. Find con-nections during the conversation sosmall talks can lead to a long talk. Beinterested and interesting. The thingsyou say can represent who you are.Good body language can also make agreat first impression.

Try not to brag or show off, be-cause people usually think it’s a nega-tive personality. A good first impressioncan be simple as long as you don’t overthink the process. “First impressions areeasy! Think of what kind of person youwant the person you’re trying to impressto think you are. For example, if you wantto be nice and awesome, just smile andshake thep e r s o n ’shand andsay, ‘Howare you?’as best asyou can.There, youjust madean epic firsti m p r e s -sion,” saysDarren Liu, senior.

By Lilian HwangInternet Editor

for labs,” says Sean Kane, science.Another argument is that stu-

dents are more efficient in the morning.“I think it’s good because usually stu-dents are more awake and focused be-fore lunch, causing them to be able to

perform more efficiently intheir AP classes and avoidconflicting schedules withathletes,” says ChristinaGurdzhyan, junior.

The reason for LosAltos not offering APclasses in the afternoon isstill unknown, but theschedule is unlikely tochange as the school year

has already begun. Thus, it is also un-known if class schedules will remain thisway for years to come, though studentopinions may affect the decision.

Senior Stephanie Pyle remarks,“I think that restricting AP classes toperiods one through four, though an ad-mirable attempt to provide consistency,retrofits students to classes rather thanprovides schedules that reflect the needsof students.”

impression of high school prior to actu-ally seeing it themselves. Sometimes thatimpression is changed after finally start-ing school. “It’s big. The people here arenice. I thought it would be scary at first.There are a lot of pretty girls,” said Hec-tor Gonzalez, freshman. “It’s big. I likethe teachers. It’s not that hard,” said Luis

Alvarez, freshman. On theother hand, there are somethat think Los Altos meetstheir expectations. “It’s bor-ing and it needs more diver-sity,” said MichaelAttanasio, freshman. There are many differentviews that freshmen haveabout going to high schoolfor the first time. However,freshmen will soon see thathigh school is a whole newplace that they have neverexperienced before. “It’spretty cool,” said JacobKim. “It’s fun and exciting,”

said Maya Picado. “It’s so beast,” saidJosie Keener. “Really hectic, prettybusy,” said Daniel Aguayo.

Every student in Los AltosHigh School has had his or her impres-sion about high school, and it’s safe tosay that it’s these impressions that shapethe pride of Los Altos.

Darren Liu

Jacob Kim enoying lunch outon the quad with his friends.

FeaturesThe Conqueror September 17, 2012

With the assistance of ToddHedell, English, several alumni, and verydedicated students, a masterpiece of tran-quility and zen was finished on July 30.The center masterpiece is a magnificenttree in the shape of a peace sign. “Myclassroom is now one that represents meand makes mehappy eachtime I’m inhere,” saidHedell.

In to-tal, the muralon the southside of hisroom took 3weeks to com-plete, some-times working7 hours a day. Accompanying the tran-quil tree of peace are various flowers,rocks, roots, and several clouds. “Thepainting makes me want to go frolickingin green meadows,” said junior JoshHsueh. Upon further inspection, it canbe noted that each cloud is actually a dif-ferent yoga posture. Senior Duyen Caosaid, “The clouds are actually very fasci-

With the school year having al-ready started, seniors have been quick torealize how fast the past three years haveg o n eby anda r eg e t -t i n greadyto takeo nt h e i rl a s tyear ofh i g hschool.Look-i n gb a c ko ntheir high school experience, some are re-gretting bad choices, cherishing their

good ones, andp r e p a r i n gthemselves forwhat’s yet tocome. As theClass of 2013begins theirlast year, manyhave some ad-vice to give theunderclassmen

of Los Altos."First of all," begins Yvonne

Padilla, "do not take high school forgranted!" Kayla Wheeler added, "Take itseriously, and allyou're work."Her twin,A s h l e yWheeler, has thesame insight."Stay on top ofschool and becareful who youtrust becausehigh schoolchanges people. But always remember tohave fun."

Many seniors seem to believethat the last 3 years flashed before theireyes. Kathleen Arcadia says, "Enjoy it! itgoes by super fast!" Amber Medina ad-vises, "Stay true to yourself, no matterwhat peoplesay or do, andalways go bywhat you be-lieve andwant." Ath-letes have aslightly differ-ent perspec-tive as MarkHuizar said,"Pick a sportand get dedi-cated."

I tdoesn't matterif you feel asif you've al-ready failed. It's never too late. JohnnyRamirez says, "Enjoy high school and

make the bestout of it, be-cause beforeyou know,you're a se-nior. Makes m a r tchoices, butat the sametime, yourhigh school

experience should be the best." MandeeNunez advises, "Enjoy every minute ofhigh school; the good, the bad, the ugly.It goes by in the blink of an eye."

The intense heat thatswept Southern California this sum-mer easily foreshadowed certainstandards set by the Hacienda LaPuente School District in order toprotect students and athletes fromthe overwhelming weather condi-tions they would have to endurewith the early start of school. Theseheat guidelines, called Heat Advi-sory Precautions, were created bythe school district and enforced inschools for the safety of both stu-dents and athletes while on campus.

There are two differentsets of guidelines, one for schools andthe other specifically for sports. The heatadvisory precautions set certain stepsand actions that must be followed at cer-tain temperatures. Not only do they in-clude these steps, but they also provideteachers and coaches with common signsor symptoms students may demonstratethat areout ofthe ordi-nary andmay re-quire fur-ther medi-cal atten-tion.Once as t u d e n ts h o w ss i g n sthat areout ofthe ordinary, the precautions give in-structions on what actions must be takento ensure the student’s safety.

Despite the guidelines, the heathas taken a large toll on students, espe-

cially those in sports. Athletic direc-tor Jeff Lucas explains, “[The heat]…isaffecting the sports tremendously.With these heat waves, athletes aretaking more breaks and more waterbreaks.” Indeed, the heat has causedquite a bit of discomfort among stu-dents. Junior John Agurcia agrees with

the guidelines. “I thinkthat the practices areokay as long as we getenough water and shadebreaks.”

Without a doubt,helping students remaincool was a major drivewhen the Hacienda wasopened for students.Providing a refreshingrefuge with refresh-ments, a movie, and aplace to interact with fel-low Conquerors were the

main purposes expressed by assistantprincipal Shawn Harrington.Harrington shares, “We will be havingthese events more often when it is rain-ing as well. We will have it open here

[Hacienda] for students.” For somepeople, though, the heat is inevitable.Athletes with practice in the afternooncan cope with the heat by taking pre-cautions. The heat has increased theamount of baggage the athletes carryboth literally and physically. FreshmanRicky Gonzalez admits, “This hotweather forces you to carry more water

and it is exhausting at the end of the dayand practice.”Previous physical therapist aide for sixyears and now current ROP teacherIgnacio Hernandez expresses the impor-tance of staying hydrated. Hernandezadvises students, “Hydrate, hydrate, hy-drate. Drink tons of water and stay un-der shade if possible.” Not only has it required extra ef-fort from athletes, but coaches and ath-letic trainer, Antoinette Lopez, and herteam. Lucas says all coaches are awareand are following them [heat guidelines].They have affected the trainer, Lopez andher team, but they’ve all done a greatjob so far.”

Despite the climbing tempera-tures, Conquerors have been able to getby with this severe weather and keeptheir cool.

nating and creative. It reminds me ofBuddha.” Originally, the clouds weresimply clouds until the artist decidedto model them after Hedell and his fixa-tion with yoga.

However awe inspiring themural may be, students were not dis-

tracted during class. “I think it’s be-cause the mural is not competing withme,” said Hedell. “I’m even more out-going and excited than the picture it-self.” When asked, several seniorsgave a positive response. “To me, thedrawing represents being one with na-ture. One with the earth,” said DarrenLiu. “High in the sky you can see peace

take a breather,

By Nathalie GomezStaff Writer

Zen at LosZen at LosZen at LosZen at LosZen at LosAltosAltosAltosAltosAltos

By Ariel ChangEditor-in-Chief

Senior

By Alex VelasquezMagazine Editor

and seren-ity as itsurroundsyou. It’struly a glimpse of enlightenment.”

As if the mural was not a bigenough attraction by itself, Hedell and

his painters have alsopainted the two col-umns next to the mural.The one on the leftshows several depic-tions such as a straw-berry elephant and fly-ing fruit. Meanwhile, theone on the right is amessage. “You need tocelebrate, to elevate, tocreate,” Hedell said.“Most of the time, we go

the opposite direction. However, I be-lieve this is a greater message.”

While the column on the rightis a message, it is meant to be read frombottom to top. “While the mural helpsme connect to my inner-Asian as a tree-hugging and peace-loving yoga master,”said Abraham Wu, senior, “the messageit provides is really inspiring.”

drink some water

7

Ricky Gonzales

John Agurcia

Amber Medina

Kayla Wheeler

Advice

FeaturesThe Conqueror September 17,20128

FootballAugust 17 – vs. San GabrielAugust 24 – vs. ArroyoAugust 31 – vs. SalesianSeptember 7 – vs. WilsonSeptember 14 – vs. ChinoSeptember 21 – vs. Diamond BarSeptember 28 – vs. West CovinaOctober 5 – vs. RowlandOctober 12 – vs. Diamond RanchOctober 19 – vs. BonitaOctober 26 – vs. Walnut

Girls TennisAugust 29 – vs. El RanchoSeptember 4 – vs. South El MonteSeptember 6 – vs. West CovinaSeptember 11 – vs. La PuenteSeptember 13 – vs. Diamond BarSeptember 18 – vs. WalnutSeptember 20 – vs. RowlandSeptember 25 – vs. Diamond RanchSeptember 27 – vs. BonitaOctober 2 – vs. West CovinaOctober 9 – vs. Diamond Bar

October 11 – vs. WalnutOctober 18 – vs. Diamond RanchOctober 16 – vs. RowlandOctober 18 – vs. Diamond RanchOctober 22 – vs. Bonita

Girls’ VolleyballSeptember 11 – vs. St. LucySeptember 18 – vs. Diamond BarSeptember 20 – vs. WalnutSeptember 25 – vs. RowlandSeptember 27- vs. Diamond RanchOctober 16 – vs. WalnutOctober 18 – vs. RowlandOctober 23 – vs. Diamond RanchOctober 25 – vs. Bonita

Boy’s Water PoloAugust 30 – vs. AyalaSeptember 5 – vs. PasadenaSeptember 10 – vs. Baldwin ParkSeptember 14 – vs. DamianSeptember 20 – vs. South HillsSeptember 24 – vs. WebbOctober 1 – vs. Baldwin ParkOctober 2 – vs. West Covina

By Ariel ChangEditor-in-Chief

New AD

Fall

LucAs NAmeD

Preview

Summer School

Many have seen the ducks thatroamed the school and were so popularlast year. Some wondered why they cameand stayed for so long. The answer issimple… just look at the old swimmingpool. After we began using the new pooladjacent to the boys’ varsity room, weneglected to pay attention to the old one,causing it to collect moss and dirt at thebottom. This makes a perfect habitat forducks.

"If the swim/water polo teams arenot using it, then we should just let P.E.use it. They wouldn’t have to troubleMr. Coleman every time they want goswimming," said Judy Chen, sophomore.

Some may wonder why the oldswimming pool is still there even thoughwe don’t use it. “We were planning todemolish it, take down the walls, and fillthe pool up with cement to be made intoan extended quad,” stated Steve Cazares,assistant principal. Why is it taking so

By Connie PungStaff Writer

October 4 – vs. La SernaOctober 9 – vs. RowlandOctober 10 – vs. Baldwin ParkOctober 11 – vs. WalnutOctober 15 – vs. BonitaOctober 17 – vs. Baldwin ParkOctober 18 – vs. West CovinaOctober 23 - vs. BonitaOctober 25 – vs. RowlandOctober 30 – vs. Walnut

Cross CountrySeptember 1 – @ Bosco TechSeptember 12 – vs. Wilson @September 15 – @ RosemeadSeptember 19 - @ League MeetOctober 6 - @ Warren InviteOctober 10 - @ League Meet 2October 19 - @ Mt. Sac InviteOctober 26 - @ Cougar Two Mile

Girl’s GolfAugust 28 – vs. La Serna @Friendly HillsAugust 30 – vs. La Serna @ LA WhittierNarrows

By Ryan GuerreroStaff Writer

After having served as athleticdirector for the past four years, SteveGarcia, social studies, has chosen toleave Los Altos High School in favor ofa position as assistant principal at SierraVista Middle School. Chosen toreplace Garcia as athletic direc-tor is longtime varsity basketballcoach and physical educationteacher Jeff Lucas, who is also aLos Altos High School alumnus.

It is only fitting thatLucas takes the job as he hasbeen in the P.E. department andbasketball coach for several years. Dueto the nature of his new position, Lucasis limited in the amount of physical edu-cation classes he can teach. When askedhow he felt about being Los Altos’ newathletic director, he responded by say-ing, “I’m quite honored and excited about

The Conquerors once again con-tinue their winning ways in a blowoutvictory over longtime rivals, the WilsonWildcats, with a final score of 49-0. LosAltos had a great comeback season lastyear under head coach Dale Ziola, physi-cal education, and has continued thesuccess in his second year as headcoach as the Conquerors are off to asteady 3-0 record despite questions aris-ing as to whether or not the Conquerorswould struggle with the loss of manyseniors from the previous season.

The Conquerors scored touch-downs on five of their seven first halfpossessions, and on defense theyforced the Wildcats to four punts, afumble, and a safety as they entered half-time with a cozy 35-0.

"These kids have set an expecta-tion for themselves to be productive, andthey know that it's their turn and theyhave earned every second of it,” saidZiola.

Estuardo Marcos, junior, who fin-ished last week’s game against Salesianwith four touchdowns, scored three first-half touchdowns to give the Conquer-ors a comfortable lead. He finished thegame overall with 195 total yards andfour touchdowns once again.

The beginning of the game startedoff fantastic for the Conquerors as theyrecovered an onside kick to gain greatfield advantage on their way to their first

touchdown of the game.Matt Hayashi, sophomore, had a

1-yard run which triggered a four-play,57-yard drive that quickly gave Los Al-tos a 6-0 lead and pumped up the LosAltos home crowd with ease.

Christian Palacios, senior, caughta 26-yard touchdown pass from quarter-back Christian Hacegaba, junior, with 8:50remaining in the second quarter thatgave Los Altos a comfortable lead of 26-0 and quickly the crowd saw a blowoutin the making.

When asked about the traditionof the rivalry for the battle of the wheel,Louis Barrera, senior, said, “It’s one ofthe most important games of theseason, because here at Los Altos, wealways want to have the wheel in ourhands and show the community whoruns ‘The Heights’.”

Francisco “Chico” Ortiz, senior,also commented by saying, “Asseniors, it’s always great to defeatWilson because it’s the last time we’llever face them and experience such agreat local high school rivalry, anddefeating them in a blowout willdefinitely be one of my favorite highschool memories.”

The Conquerors will carry theirmomentum as they face off againstChino High School at Chino on Fridaynight at 7pm. Make the trip out toChino and support your team!

September 4 – vs. Diamond Ranch @Diamond Bar Golf CourseSeptember 5 – vs. Wilson @ Royal VistaSeptember 6 – vs. Diamond Ranch @Whittier NarrowsSeptember 12 – vs. Wilson @ LA WhittierNarrowsSeptember 18 – vs. Walnut @ LA WhittierNarrowsSeptember 20 – vs. Walnut @ Royal VistaSeptember 25 – vs. Diamond Bar @ Dia-mond Bar Golf CourseSeptember 27 – vs. Diamond Bar @ LAWhittier NarrowsOctober 2 – vs. West Covina @ SouthHillsOctober 4 – vs. West Covina @ LAWhittier NarrowsOctober 9 – vs. Rowland @ Royal VistaOctober 11 – vs. Rowland @ LA RoyalVistaOctober 16 – PreliminariesOctober 17 – Finals

By Ryan GuerreroStaff Writer long to do this? “It was set to happen

during the summer but has been post-poned due to the shortened summer va-cation and budget cuts,” said Cazares,”It is still uncertain as to when it willhappen.”

"I think they should hurry and dothat, because thequad isn’t bigenough to fit all ofus anymore withoutbumping into eachother!" exclaimedEva Tseng, sopho-more.

There are still questions and de-bate about what's going to happen tothe pool. "I don’t know what they’regoing to do with the pool, but they bet-ter do it fast, because I hate walking pastit and seeing how dirty it is now," saysAiri Fukushima, sophomore.

this new position and hope to continueto keep things in order, just as Mr. Garciadid.”

When asked about what his in-tentions and goals are as athletic direc-

tor, he responded by saying,“I’m here to keep things thesame as usual and keep Los Al-tos sports a winning traditionin our school history. I havehigh hopes for each sport forthe upcoming 2012-2013 schoolyear.”Lucas is thrilled to be named

the new athletic director here at Los Al-tos and the school is ready to usher ath-letics into full gear as the football sea-son looms upon us. He will continue hisreign as head basketball coach whileworking at his new position as athleticdirector.

With the new change in sched-ule for the summer, sports and activitiesthat usually practice must compromisewith the condensed summer break. Incompensation for the shortened summerthis year, the Los Altos EntertainmentUnit established a new summer schoolclass.

This new class is de-voted to students in-volved in the band andcolor guard. Usually thestudents meet the weeksfollowing summer schoolbut due to lack of time, JayLaging, director of bands,established a new classthis year.

“I’m very excited for this yearbecause it seems like we have a big in-coming freshman class. Not only that,but our returners are very strong mem-bers and I definitely anticipate great suc-

By Melissa ChenEditor-in-Chief Band

cess,” says Laging. The band has beendiligently learning the music to their fieldshow this year while the color guardworks on their choreography to go withthe music.

This year’s field show is entitled“The Journey” featuring music entitled“The Stone Hedge.”The band will be per-forming this show at all home footballgames for the halftime show. Their nextevent is on September 8 where they willbe hosting a pancake breakfast. Compe-titions start on October 13 at RowlandHigh School.

“I am ecstatic about this year’sshow. Not only is the band soundinggood, but the color guard is more thanprepared for another successful season.Hopefully we can achieve our high stan-dards,” says Katie Clark, senior. The En-tertainment Unit of Los Altos has beenknown not only for their great accom-plishments, but also their hard work.

Club Times:0:16................................................... ASA0:37....................... Conquerors for Christ1:09..............................Conscious Club1:55..................................Ecology Club2:30.............................Hunger Action3:09.........................................Key Club3:25....................................... Kiwin’s4:04............................................ Link4:35............................................ PAW5:11..................................... Red Cross