Ω

Angela AieStaff Writer

This year ECGA started Eco-talks, a forum in which students raise awareness and express their ideas about the environment.

“We want people to care and love the en-vironment because we are still a specie in this

large ecosystem of millions of species,” Eco-talks founder and ECGA secretary junior Jerry Qin said. “But the thing is we can only love and care for the things we understand, and that’s what we are here to do, to understand.”

Although the goals of this forum is to edu-cate members of ECGA, the ultimate goal is to encourage people to discuss environmental is-sues.

“Eco-talks encourages students to speak up in front of their peers. It will definitely help students come out of their shells and engage in deep discussions about topics that they are affected by and interested in,” ECGA cabinet member sophomore Katie Takahashi said.

Meetings involve student produced pre-

sentations on general topics of the environment such as global warming, and brainstorming for projects to spread awareness.

One of these projects was donating bottles for material to make life straws which act as fil-ters for dirty water. Nonmembers can also join Eco-talks.

“We have many people [participating] who are not in the club because they know the dif-ference between picking up trash and learning how to stop that trash from being there in the first place,” Qin said. “People who are involved are not simply curing the symptoms but getting to the roots and learning about the cause [of the problem].”

Eco-talks participants help out in the com-

munity by participating in events such as acting as research aids for college students and listen-ing to presentations at the Claremont colleges. Members also plan to speak at elementary schools to reach the next generation.

“[It] gets you more informed as to what is occuring in the everyday environment and how it affects our modern day lifestyle,” Eco-talks member sophomore Nikos Sarantopoulos said. “I think that Eco-talks is a fun activity in the club and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Qin hopes that in the future Eco-talks will become a place where people can come and give their input on issues such as pollution, conser-vation, and climate change. Meetings are held every Monday after school in room C-8. Ω

VOLUME 43, ISSUE 3 December 3, 2010400 N. PIERRE RD. WALNUT CA, 91789

A&ECheck out the fall Drama production “The Mouse that Roared” in photos.

PAGE 5

SCENEFind sculptures, paintings, and photographs at the Getty Art Center.

PAGE 10

FEATUREFreshmen Johnathan Chui and Chris Cuevas manage the inky business of selling T-shirts.

PAGE 9

ECGA introduces Eco-talks to promote environmental awarenessECGA secretary junior Jerry Qin, created Eco-talks, a forum for students to discuss issues relating to the environment.

photo By Justin kang

Eddie CoxNews Editor

Electric guitars blasted their zingy tunes out the open doors of the Senior Center at the annual Battle of the Bands competi-tion where five bands, two of which had members from Walnut, performed.

Urban Riot received first place, Ariya second place, and Scratchbook third place. Each band received a Sam Ash gift card valued at $200, $150, or $100.

Music genres ranged from band, What iF’s thoughtful, wavy blues rock tunes to the band In Oceans’ heavy metal pieces.

Last year’s finalist, Scratchbook, returned with bass player, senior Mark Lucas, singers and guitarists, Walnut alumni Chris Cusson and senior John Franco sing alternative pop rock, new drummer junior Gerard Bajumandi.

“We want to get really big,” Franco said. “None of us doubt ourselves, you can’t doubt yourself, ever.”

As Urban Riot, a hard rock/metal band took the stage, drum-

mer, senior Adam Valdez and bass player, senior Michael Hanlon cracked jokes at each other.

The band invited drama and choir member, sophomore Toni Gallardo to sing, “That’s What You Get” by Paramore.

The audience shouted for encores after the results of the competition were announced.

At the end of the performance, English teacher Mrs. Kirsten Thibeault’s son, seven year old Joseph Kazoyan, was invited onto the stage, and received splintered drumsticks from Valdez and a cracked cymbal from In Oceans which had the message in black marker: “Thanks for the support, little man.” Ω

Two Walnut bands place in Battle of the BandsUrban Riot placed first and Scratch-book placed third out of the five dif-ferent bands that performed.

rocking it: Senior Michael Hanlon, a guitarist in the band Urban Riot, strums his electric guitar at the Teen Center sponsored Battle of the Bands competition. Because five bands performed at the competition compared to last year’s 12, the Teen Center held only one competition in which three winners were chosen.

hoofprintthe

walnut high school

Vanessa ChouStaff Writer

Music Appreciation Club per-formed at a Thanksgiving concert on Wednesday, Nov. 24 at the Ma-sonic Homes in Covina. Although many senior residents sat in wheel-chairs and did not know which city Walnut was, the approximately 40 member audience sat attentively and applauded loudly after the per-formance.

The club’s repertoire included classical pieces (“Handel’s Water Suite”), show tunes (“Edelweiss” and “All I Ask of You”), and holi-day music (“Silent Night”). While some songs were sung as duets, like “All I Ask of You” and “I’ll Be There” or played as solos such as “Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite,” others, such as “Silent

Night”, were played with various instruments.

Members wanted to entertain the senior citizens with this com-munity service event.

“I like performing for the se-nior citizens because I like seeing their smiles after the performance [and how] we got our audience to

feel warm and cozy inside through music,” freshmen Alicia Wei said, who played “The Spring of Yang Ming” on bamboo flute.

The last song, “Silent Night”, was a six-member song, with se-niors Michelle Abiera and Sonia Chou singing background vocals, junior Willa Chen, on viola, soph-

omore Jessica Kwok on cello, and sophomores Sharon Wu and Molly Yee on violin.

“It touches my heart to see them travel back in time, simply triggered by the sound of music,” senior Michelle Abiera said, who sang “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5 and “Silent Night” as duets. Ω

Kevin YinStaff Writer

To mark the beginning of the annual So-lar Cup, the solar boat team attended the boat building session where they built a wooden hull that would be used as a base, the first step of a seven-month program that ends in May.

The Three Valleys Municipal Water district holds the Solar Cup every year at Lake Skin-ner where over 800 high school students from across southern California submit their solar powered boats to compete in the sprint, endur-ance, and visual display fields.

“I think that it went really well because everyone participated and learned a few things. By the end of the year, I hope our entire team will understand the intricacies of the boat and how to operate it, ” junior Aaron Kho said.

The team split members into “task groups” with specific jobs to increase organization.

“It will make our team more efficient and make more time for modifications,” president junior Nitin Agrawal said.

The team will make several changes to the boat’s overall design and structure by installing two motors, implementing a new design, and

reducing drag.“We want to get first place and really in-

crease our speed, which is the reason why we didn’t do as well last year,” Kho said.

To find the best configuration for a success-ful boat, the team will measure speed and elec-trical output based on various engine changes.

“I believe that figuring out what you did wrong is the hardest part because you have to be your [own] toughest judge and critic. I don’t

feel that this process is tedious, because fixing your mistakes, continual testing and effort is the only way to achieve success,” vice president se-nior Rajith Rohan said.

With a wooden base and new plans ready, the leaders look forward to the next step.

“After sanding and waterproofing it, we begin the more technical work by actually set-ting up dates to work and deadlines on what we should have completed,” Rohan said. Ω

working hands: Junior Aaron Kho, adviser Mike Yamashiro, junior Vincent Lee, sophomore Daniel Lee, senior Felix Chen, and sophomore Jackie Tu construct the base.

photo By Kevin yin

Timothy HuangStaff Writer

Civics teacher and humanitarian volunteer Paulette Feeney plans visits and helps Tanzanian children.

Since becoming a member of the Friends of Tanzanian Orphans (FOTO) two years ago, she has made two trips to Olasiti, a Tanzanian village near Mt. Kilimanjaro.

“In Tanzania, orphans are outcasts,” Feeney said. “We are the only organization serving in this area.”

FOTO, is a volunteer organization co-founded by a friend of Feeney, Virginia Hinkle, that makes annual visits to Tanzania to educate orphans.

“We help promote health, education, social adaptation, and AIDS awareness,” Feeney said. “To help them financially, we make money transfers twice a year.”

Some parents in Tanzania see children as burdens, so they dump their children on the streets. Feeney and the FOTO organization try to help re-build these kids’ lives and give them the tools to be self sufficient.

“We are not like other orphan organizations,” Feeney said. “These kids are not adoptable and we want to make these kids accepted members of the community.”

Interacting with these children has given. Feeney a passion for these children in Tanzania.

“I was intrigued when I saw the pictures,” Feeney. “When I went, I just fell in love with the kids and how hard they work to survive.”

Feeney is working with senior Royal Morris to host a fundraiser at Rubio’s for Tanzanian children on Dec. 15. Ω

Susie LawStaff Writer

On Nov. 30, Special Ed. adviser Cheryl Faren and her third period class went to the Puente Hills Mall to apply for Transit Access Payment (TAP) cards, that allows them to access rides using public transportation.

Students experienced the feeling of riding public transportation for the first time.

“They [the trips] are always fun. There’s al-ways a relaxed atmosphere around the kids. This is planned as a fun activity.”

These trips happen at least once a month, and the students’ next trip takes place later this month. Ω

12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3 the hoofprint2 news

&previews

CALENDARClothing DriveLate StartHearing ScreeningDance ProductionOrchestra ConcertMinimum DayWinter BreakSchool Resumes

12/1-1712/7-8

12/912/9-10

12/1612/17

12/20-311/3

Solar boat team begins construction of solar boat

pREviEw: fEENEy AND fRiEND of TANzANiAN oRphANs

Solar Boat members built a wooden hull for the base of the solar boat, beginning the seven month construction.

bRiEf: pUENTE hiLLs MALL TRip

Music club members played classic and contemporary pieces for the seniors to enjoy during Thanksgiving.

Music Appreciation Club performs for senior residents

photo By vAneSSA ChoU

flying fiddles: Sophomores Sharon Wu and Molly Yee, junior Willa Chen, and sopho-more Jessica Kwok perform as a quartet for the elderly at the Masonic Homes in Covina.

Angelina TangStaff Writer

The Health Careers class took a field trip on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to Shriners Hospital for Children to experi-ence the environment and settings of a medical hospital.

The students learned how to assist nurses with their tasks and helped monitor the patients. They learned how to take the vital signs of a person.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to get to see where we might actually work in the future by visiting the hospital,” senior Mi-chelle Lin said.

Last year, Health Careers students helped victims of fires, many of whom were children. The class donates money to the hospital.

“I think this will be a good experience because it gives me a sense of accomplishment in that I can help the kids with their struggles,” sophomore Bryan Lin said.

Besides experiencing the hospital life, the classes livened up the patients’ spirits by talking and playing with the children.

“We are there mostly to interact with the kids and to take a

tour of the hospital,” Michelle Lin said.The class brought with them gift bags for the 24 girls and

24 boys there. They each contain chocolates, lollipops, Play-Doh, rubber ducks that look like either Santa Claus, a penguin, or a reindeer, and some stamps. The third period class drew hand made cards for the children as well.

Afterwards, they played with the kids in the playroom where all the kids talked with the students and had a good time.

“Our visiting them is very meaningful to them, and I want them to feel better and happier about their current situations,

such as their health or their family,” Bryan Lin said.

Besides touring and helping children, the Health Careers class learns about First Aid, CPR, and the human body. The stu-dents study the history of health care, the infection cycle, proper hand-washing tech-niques, communication skills, and try to demonstrate the responsibilities of a health care worker.

In addition to learning how to take the blood pressure, pulse, and temperature of a patient, the third and fourth period students practice patience and confidentiality, hone their observation skills, and also learn how to properly use a wheelchair.

“This will help me in the future because I plan to go into the medical field and it helps me prepare me for it,” said sophomore Nahlee Lin. Ω

Students gained hands-on experience by assisting nurses, monitoring patients, and interacting with children.

health Careers class takes field trip to hospital

“I want them to feel bet-ter and happier about their current situations.”

Bryan Lin, 10

Daniela KimStaff Writer

This year’s Choir Winter Concert featured more boys than last year, introducing Men’s Ensemble and the Barbershop group. The per-formance took place last night and will take place tonight at 7 p.m in the Performing Arts Center.

The first act of the show featured more classical music while the second act focused on more modern, pop-style pieces with cho-reography. Aside from giving a successful performance, choir also aimed to better them-selves in this concert.

“Every year, our goal is to improve, and there has not been one year where there is no improvement. I am proud of each and every one of the choir students,” Choir Director Lisa Lo-pez said.

Chamber Singers, Women’s Ensemble,

Treble Choir, Men’s Ensemble, and the Bar-bershop group, whose members are made up of members from Men’s Ensemble, Mustang Sing-ers, and Chamber Singers, rehearsed in class and afterschool everyday for this past week. The concert also featured soloists junior Dansel de Luna and seniors Michelle Abiera and Lor-raine Sobretodo.

“There’s more dancing this year, and ev-eryone’s working harder so that the audience can have a good time. We added more choreog-

raphy to the song ‘Feliz Navidad’ that we have been performing for the past years,” Treble Choir member senior Samantha Sarwar said.

Concluding the year with the winter concert, choir provided entertainment not only for the audience but also for themselves.

“The holidays are the happiest time of the year, and our goal was to put on a great show with singing and dancing to get everyone in the holiday spirit,” Women’s Ensemble member sophomore Megan Hustana said. “I think this concert was one of the best because the choirs this year are very talented, and we are really stepping up to the plate, mak-ing it a fun show that everyone will enjoy.” Ω

“There’s more dancing this year, and everyone’s working harder so that the audience can have a good time.”

Samantha Sarwar, 12

Jessica YouStaff Writer

Blue Thunder Marching Band and Colorguard won Sweep-stakes in Chaffey High School on Nov. 6 and placed third in State Championships in Huntington Beach High School on Nov. 20.

“Although it was freezing, we all did our best to perform our show,” band member freshman Allen Lin said.

During practices, band and colorguard dedicated their time and effort in order to perform as a whole.

“Practicing was really long and tiring, but I knew that all the hard work will pay off in the end. I also really liked work-ing with band because we interacted more that way, and it adds a lot toward colorguard,” colorguard first assistant senior Alexa Redman said.

For other students, winning Sweepstakes was more than just a reward for all the hours spent practicing - it provided a whole new and thrilling experience for them.

“Standing on the open field with all my friends and prepar-ing our songs, I couldn’t help thinking ‘don’t mess up, don’t mess up.’ But as the second sweepstakes came, we were more than ready to perform,” Lin said.

Throughout the numerous practices, band and colorguard did not hold back and gave their best performance possible, plac-ing third overall in State Championships.

“Because the Mary Poppins themed show was very animat-ed and was a movie that people were familiar with, I felt that this year’s field show competition was the best field show in all of my four years in colorguard,” Redman said. Ω

Choir spreads the holiday spirit through a combination of music and choregraphy.

Chamber Singers in Candlelight Ceremony

Band and Colorguard dominate in competitions

TROMBONE SECTION: Sophomores Mason Yu, Andrew Chuen, Lan-Anh Ngo, and senior Wyatt Moscoso played their trombones in preparation for the competition in Chaffey High and State Championships in Huntington Beach High.

With much practice, Band and Colorguard’s efforts and dedication contributed to their success in their field show competitions.

photo by AngelinA tAng

More ensembles in Choir Winter Concert

Alexa WongStaff Writer

The Dance team will be performing its third annual winter show on Dec. 9-10 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

“I’m very excited, because older members in the dance team make it fun,” freshman Crys-tal Wong said.

Themed ‘Winter Wishes,’ the upcoming show is choreographed by groups formed with-in the team, and by the members themselves. Groups pick a wish they want to give to the au-dience and portray the wish by conveying their message through their dance.

“Our group’s wish is forgiveness. All of the wishes from our team is made to the world,” sophomore Kelsey Young said.

By having each group come up with their own ideas and choreograph the dance, the mem-bers of the dance team have gotten closer.

“This way of choreography allows us more time to practice the dance and more freedom to express ourselves,” Young said.

This year, however, instead of having only one showing, the Dance team will be perform-ing for two nights.

“I’m definitely excited for this addition because it’s my last Winter Show performance, and I know it will turn out really well because we’ve been and will continue practicing our dances,” senior Judy Chang said.

Besides preparing for the Winter Show, the team is focusing on four competition routines, including a medium jazz routine, a lyrical rou-tine, a prop routine, and a high kick routine, for the upcoming competition season in January.

“It’s definitely difficult to do all this be-cause we have to work on so many routines as well as working on the winter show. It’s hard to manage, but we get by. We take things one step at a time,” junior Tricia Fu said. Ω

Aside from preparing for the upcoming competition season, Dance team also practices for the holiday performance.

Dance team prepares for its third annual ‘Winter Wishes’

photo by AngelinA tAng

“GROOVY CHRISTMAS”: Juniors Tricia Fu and Kane Sun, sophomore Kelsey Young, and senior Joanna Shen practice their pirouettes in the closing number to ‘Winter Wishes.’

Ashley XuStaff Writer

Chamber Singers will be performing at the Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony tomorrow from 12 to 8 p.m. This processional will show off not only the voices of the school, but also the voices of more than 700 other singers who will be standing in the form of a Christmas tree for holiday spirit.

After Choir Director Lisa Lopez assigned numerous songs and chose based on the quality of each song, the singers recorded “Ding-Dong Merrily On High,” and “Sleigh Bells” in the audition tape. Since Chamber Singers did not make the cut last year for a performance at the ceremony, they ensured with much practice and dedication from every singer that they would make the cut this year, continuing the tradition from the previous 11 years.

“We were all pretty worried as to whether or not we were going to make it this year,” se-nior Cindy Lin said. “Making the tryouts felt well-deserved because we worked hard to per-fect our audition tape.”

As soon as the Chamber Singers received the notification that they had been accepted,

folders full of music that needed to be memo-rized within the first week were handed out, as well as CDs with different voice parts. After days of cite reading and independent work com-pleted at home, the singers attended a regional rehearsal last Tuesday, Nov. 21, where Disney conductors assisted them on finding the right tone, as well as on fully expressing themselves.

“I’m really excited for the Candlelight Cer-emony because it’s got a thousand other people performing with us,” senior Lauren Hsieh said. “Our conductor is really great, really funny, and really knows what she’s doing. I can’t wait to sing with a bigger group of people who are all extremely passionate about what they do.”

Preparing for two shows, one in the after-noon, and the other at night, the Chamber Sing-ers will be singing on Disneyland’s Main Street with songs such as “Il Est Né,” “Silent Night,” “We Three Kings,” and “Candlelight Terrell.” A celebrity guest singer will also perform in the ceremony, accompanied by trumpets, handbells, and orchestra in the background.

“It’ll be really exciting, especially for the Chamber Singers who have never participated in this event before, to actually go and be a part of this festive parade Disney hosts every year,” Lopez said. “This performance would really be a beautiful ceremony. 700 people form this big Christmas tree, and knowing that you’re sing-ing in this tradition Walt Disney started is all just great.” Ω

Having made the tryouts, Chamber Singers progress to performing at Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony.

a&e 3the hoofprint 12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3

Michael HyunStaff Writer

Band and Orchestra will start off the holiday season with their Holiday Concert on Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m in the Per-forming Arts Center. This year’s concert will consist of not only the classic Christmas carols, but also of some contemporary pieces.

“We try to blend a mixture of tra-ditional Christmas carols and popular songs and have a blend of some of the traditional and commercial popular music,” Band and Orchestra director Buddy Clements said.

Having a blend of traditional car-ols and pop songs increases the diffi-culty of the pieces, but the band and orchestra student solve such difficulties through practice.

“Our orchestra director spends a lot of time picking and choosing pieces the audience will enjoy and recognize,” junior Emerald Chiang said. “We spend a lot of time practicing the pieces to make them perfect at performance level.”

The Holiday Concert will serve as a gift from band and or-chestra to the school.

“We don’t have to do the concert,” Clements said. “But it’s kind of our little offering to the community and the campus. We all get more in the spirit.”

The concert will be performed not only by orchestra, but also by the instrumental band. A lot more musicians will be in-volved, along with more practice and effort. .

“I feel that it’s like any other concert except it’s bigger and longer because all the band and orchestra groups are playing,” freshman Nicole Phan said.

Each piece that band and orchestra will perform at the Holi-day Concert will have different tunes and melodies. These dif-

ferent harmonies will bring different moods and feeling to the audience.

“We’re going to play different songs, and they are sounding beautiful. Some of them sound sort of like melo-dies you hear in a church. Some of them are tranquil, and others are dramatic like the 3-minute nutcracker,” sopho-more Jesslyn Widjaja said. “Some of the songs are flowing and are slower. They sound like a waltz. The other ones are faster and mimic a march.”

Everyone is welcome to come and watch the performance. Band and or-

chestra students feel that it will be a great way to start off the holidays after hearing some holiday pieces in the concert.

“We do one every year. It’s how we get the students, par-ents, and our community to get in the spirit of the holiday,” Cle-ments said. Ω

‘The mouse ThaT roared’ in phoTosCloCkwise: Sophomore Paulina Tinana and ju-niors Elizabeth Horn and Ayisha Emerson gaze up-ward, concerned about Tully’s victory.// Sophomore Daniel Zarco interviews tourists freshmen Samantha Joun, Bryan Ko, and Cloey Pierce and sophomore Jessica Villanuera about Grand Fenwick.// Senior Mi-chael Brown asks Dutchess Gloriana for her scarf.// Scientist junior Spencer Nemeth reveals the Q Bomb to U.S. Secretary of State senior Megan Freeman and U.S. President sophomore EJ Cabasal.// Gen-eral junior Sean Trimmer is guided off-stage by fresh-man Debbie Tan to the ship.

photos By Randy smith

The annual Holiday Concert will feature all musical instrument ensembles and a mixture of traditional and pop pieces.

One-Act Drama Festival

Tiffany DiepStaff Writer

Advanced Drama students will attend the Rancho Cu-camonga One-Act Festival, which will feature one-part plays, on Saturday, Dec. 11.

All students will perform together in a play called ‘Check, please?’ This comedic play revolves around a boy and a girl who fall in love with each other while speed-dating others who prove to be bad dates. Practice started three weeks ago and only take place during class time.

“It’s always exciting to see different performances from other schools. It’s also nice to showcase some of the talents of our school,” junior Carmina Portea said.

Instead of having Drama adviser Joanne Karr direct the per-formances, juniors Sean Trimmer and Elizabeth Horn are direc-tors for this play. They are the ones who cast the performers and help students with character development.

“I like how it’s student directed because that makes the ex-perience more chill. Overall, it’s just a more relaxed environ-ment, but that also makes it hard to get things done as fast as it would have with a director because it’s hard for the student directors to have as much authority because they are working with their peers,” sophomore Andi Seeget said.

After watching all of the performances, judges will not only decide who will be awarded for outstanding performances but also provide commentary for improvement.

“Going to the festivals is a really good chance to get critique and see what other schools are doing, and to really work as a team,” sophomore Toni Gallardo said. Ω

Directing the play themselves, Advanced Drama students participate in the upcoming Rancho Cucamonga Festival.

Angela AieStaff Writer

This year’s fall play, ‘The Mouse that Roared,’ took place on Nov. 17-20. Instead of the usual performance on Saturday at 2 p.m., the Drama department held its first Wednesday night show.

The performance focused on a small, fic-

tional country of Grand Fenwick battling with the United States for control of a destructive bomb.

“The play was from a book that came out in the 50’s, and it basically made fun of our gov-ernment. I think this play was chosen because its idea of the government is pretty similar to what ours is today,” junior Sean Trimmer said.

The play’s political aspect enhanced the educational side of the play, but not all audience members caught the subtle humor.However, cast members tried to solve the play’s problems by adding their own touches to their lines.

“We had a few days that weren’t the best,

and we knew that but we didn’t let it get to us. On Thursday, the audience was dead. We tried making our interactions with each other more noticible, and we tried getting them to laugh at us personally, hoping to convey a little more so they could understand it better,” sophomore Paulina Tinana said. “We improvised, not in terms of words but in terms of actions.”

Despite the difficulty of the executing the performances, the cast members felt satisfied with their performance and team effort on and off-stage.

“We put in a lot of effort, and this produc-tion went well. This cast is really close and uni-

fied and really made the production a lot easier to go through the long rehearsals. Even though we had smaller audience sizes compared to the past years’, we still received good feedback,” junior Ayisha Emerson said.

As the Drama department’s members look forward to the upcoming spring musical, ‘An-nie,’ they hope to learn from their mistakes and new experiences.

“It’s kind of like a sports team. If you warm up that way then that’s how you’re going to play. We learned that there are times to be serious and times to goof off and to really give everything your all,” Tinana said. Ω

Drama showcased satirical fall play and improvised according to the audience’s reaction.

‘The Mouse That Roared’ cast work through difficulties

12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3 the hoofprint4 a&e

“We don’t have to do the concert. But it’s kind of our little offering to the community and the campus. We get more in the spirit.”

Buddy ClementsBand and Orchestra Director

Band and Orchestra collaborate in the upcoming annual Holiday Concert

Editors-in-ChiefCeline IsonJulia Win

Copy EditorSonia Chou

News EditorsEddie Cox

Brittany TsouOpinion Editors

Sharon LayJosephine Lien

Feature EditorsJessica Kwok

Karen OuReetika Singh

A&E EditorJacqueline Chow

Scene EditorElliot Park

Sports EditorsEsther Hwang

Felix Lee

Business ManagersCeline Ison

Carmel Yang

AdviserMs. Rebecca Chai

Mission StatementThe Hoofprint, the official student newspaper of Walnut High School, is a forum for student expression that strives for accuracy, journalistic integrity, and truthfulness. It seeks to reflect the diversity of the student body and surrounding

community in a fair and objective manner.

the hoofprint Ω

As the holidays come around, we are reminded that this is the time of year to bond with our family, and most of us do. We celebrate Thanksgiving around a table crammed with coma-inducing dishes and Christmas around a tree surrounded by presents. Though we readily spend time with our loved ones during the holidays, every other day during the year we are too consumed by our own lives to think about our families.

During a time when reading the next status update comes before having a conversation with parents, teens continually stray from their families and increasingly focus on their social lives. This is in part due to the many distractions (Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, anyone?) that have developed over the last decade. However, these new distractions are not an excuse for not spending time with our families. It is our parents who are the ones taking care of us when we’re trying to recover from a fever and the ones smiling proudly when we wave those graduation diplomas.

After a long period of neglect for our fellow house inhabitants, we teenagers come out of hibernation to enjoy the festivities and feasts of the holiday season. It may be the singing, movies, munching, or endless holiday movie themes about family and togetherness, but something about the holidays makes us come together. Only during November and December do we remember to spend time

with our families and cherish all that we have, and we have a lot to be grateful for. Whatever the reason may be, our short union with our loved ones must be prolonged.

Although we have the opportunity to spend time and love our family all year round, we only force ourselves to do so two out of the twelve months of the year. Of course, for some of us busy people, two months seems like a lot.

Giving our family members only two months out of the year strikes an unfair balance in our day to day relationships. While our parents have provided us with most of their time, energy, and finance, we often ignore them or push aside their affection. For most of our lives, we do not realize or appreciate the support and necessities given to us by our families and we tend to take them for granted. Perhaps that is because we have spent most of our lives with them and do not realize that our time with them is limited. As we prepare for college, we often forget that we’re not only saying goodbye to our usual surroundings, but also to our families.

Our social lives and networking sites take up most of our free time now, but let’s stretch the holiday spirit year-round (not just for the few months after our New Year’s Resolutions) and be closer to our parents and siblings. The good times spent with family are always worthwhile. After all, family is truly the greatest gift we have. Ω

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Sharon LayOpinion Editor

Since ninth grade, I have always considered January to be both a happy and horrible time. January represents the end of a

semester and the beginning of a new one. A new semester means grades start over, giving me the chance to forget the past failures and stick to my new year’s resolution of doing better. Though the start of the new semester marks a fresh beginning, the end of the old one brings a daunting three day event: finals.

Every year, finals cause me to go overboard with studying. I am consumed by my desire to succeed and the majority of the time, I do. But because of this almost obsessive drive, I tend to ignore the people who are most important to me: my family. Though I love and value the time I spend with them, if I have to choose between my family and my grades, I choose my grades. I’ve skipped so many family get-togethers with my cousins over the years that when I finally do make it to one, I’m left out of the loop, unaware of anything that’s happened in their lives because I was never there. I’ve missed out on so much, and the only good thing that has come out of it is my grade point average.

Finals not only cause me to miss out on time spent with my family, but it also forces me to work over winter break. Winter break was essentially a time to have fun enjoying the holiday season. However, with the amount of homework I have to finish, family time has

become study time. Even with all the studying I do, my mind eventually turns to mush as I allow myself to be tempted by the television and the internet. Near the end, my will to get good grades is forgotten and in its place is a spiteful and bitter hatred for all things educational.

Despite all the pain finals have caused me, it’s given me a lot of love as well. Finals give me a chance to turn B’s to A’s, an opportunity I don’t take for granted. Without them, my GPA would barely be surviving. Though the possibility of ruining my grade is also there, it rarely happens as I had paid attention throughout the semester and know the material. Finals exist to make sure we actually remember the stuff we learned

over the semester, instead of flushing it down the toilet after we take the chapter test.

In reality, our success in finals really depends on our time management. As I’ve learned from personal experience, procrastinating leads nowhere except despair. Good time management is the key to finishing that pile of homework

that’s been sitting on your desk for the past week.

All in all, finals benefit everyone, even for that girl sitting on the couch with a bag of chips in her hands, staring at the television. Though studying for finals consumes a lot of time, it’s worth it if we learn something. If we forgot everything we learned after a chapter, we’d never learn anything, and going to high school would be a huge waste of time. Because of finals, we can leave high school knowing when World War II started and even how to factor a quadratic equation. Ω

Frustration of finalsFinal exams take place at a time that is inconvenient for students, yet they are necessary in remembering important lessons.

“If we forgot everything we learned after a chapter, we’d never learn anything, and going to high school would be a huge waste of time.”

Staff writersAngela Aie, Janzen Alejo, Matthew Almeida, Austin Au-Yeung, Na-than Au-Yeung, Eva Chen, Carlene Chinn, Cloris Chou, Vanessa Chou, Bryant Chow, Gabriella Compolongo, Tiffany Diep, Avika Dua, Diane Fann, Daphne Ha, Raytene Han, To-Van Hoang, Timo-thy Huang, Robert Hwang, Michael Hyun, Iqra Iqbal, Kashif Iqbal, Justin Kang, Alex Kim, Daniela Kim, Michelle Kim, Andrew Koo, Mabel Kyinn, Joyce Lam, Susie Law, Amy Lee, Calvin Lee, Ann Lei, Jeffrey Leung, Frank Lin, Jasmine Lin, Susan Lin, Christine Liu, Eunice Pang, Tina Peng, Moanna Phan, Leonie Phoa, Rea Reyes, Caroline Shih, Shannon Sin, Lily Tanara, Angelina Tang, Parida Tantiwasadakran, Varisa Tantiwasadakran, Deanna Trang, Alvin Wan, Jessica Wang, Alexandra Wong, Phillomina Wong, Kevin Wu, Wesley Wu, Ashley Xu, Carmel Yang, Stephany Yong, Kevin Yin,

Jessica You, Candee Yuan

Family: the greatest gift of all

editorial cartoon by to-Van hoang

12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3 opinion 5the hoofprint

6 in-depthDecember 3, 2010 Volume 43, Issue 3

the hoofprint in-depth 7

Nothing brings to mind the spirit of the holidays more than giving gifts. Whether they are for friends or family, meaningful gifts touch the hearts of all, especially the givers. Here, students give their thoughts on what they think of gifts during the holiday season.

‘Tis the holiday season of gifts

By the Numbers: 87Percent of Americans believe the holidays are about family, not gifts3709 Number of gifts wrapped per

mall during the holidays 15 Average hours spent on holiday shopping

Made by hand and heart

Shred paper of multiple colors and fill a deco-rated container halfway with the paper.

The best gift of them all

“[The best gift I’ve ever received is] a necklace my friend gave me. The necklace said “QTPI” because it was an inside joke between the two of us.”

Katrina Nieh, 12

“I would say my mini laptop [is the best gift I’ve ever received] because it made my IB life a lot easier. I didn’t have to write notes anymore [in class].”

Spencer Liem, 11

“[The best gift I got was] a handmade poster my best friend gave me for my birthday be-cause it’s colorful and has a long meaningful letter on it.”

Kevin To, 10

“[I think the best gift I’ve ever received is] the gift of friendship because my friends help me through difficult times and they are always there to make me laugh.”

Allison Do, 9

During the holidays, people receive gifts from others at every turn. These students recall the best gift that they’ve ever received.

Deciding on a gift for a friend may be hard, but sophomore Nahlee Lin solves this problem by making simple handmade gifts for all.

Wanting the perfect gift

“I’ve wanted a Martin OM-42 guitar for two years now. [However], the price is around $4,900, so I don’t think I’m going to get it.”

Bryan Yang, 12

“I just mostly want money. You can use it for anything and a lot of the stuff people want nowadays is too expensive to be a gift.”

Timothy Diep, 11

“I’ve actually wanted a Pandora bracelet for a long time now. They’re really beautiful, but sometimes expensive.”

Candice Wu, 10

“I want clothes from Urban Outfitters and For-ever 21 because I think that clothes can really accent your personality and looks.”

Courtney Murakami, 9

It’s that special time of year again. You’re making your list and checking it twice. What do you want as your holiday present?

Wrapping it all together The most fundamental part of gifts is the process of wrapping them. With these easy steps, no gift will ever be hassle to wrap.

Place a bag of hot cocoa inside. Place another layer of paper on top.

Arrange the candy such as chocolate in the container on top of everything else.

Close the container with the lid and tie a ribbon around the entire box.

Fold a notecard in half and create your own personalized card. Slip the card under the bow of the ribbon.

Compiled by Angelina Tang, Staff WriterCompiled by Amy Lee, Staff Writer

Compiled by Jessica You, Staff Writer Compiled by Jessica Kwok, Feature Editor

Fold paper loosely around box to measure how much you need and cut the paper. Put the box upside down on the center of the paper.

Wrap one side of the paper two-thirds around the bottom (now the top) of the box. Then wrap the other side the same way. Tape the loose end down.

Turn the box, still upside down, to one of the open sides. Fold down the top flap, creating two more flaps on the left and right.

Fold in the two side flaps, which creates a final flap on the bottom. Then fold the bottom flap and tape it down.

Repeat steps 3-5 for the other side. The wrapped box can then be decorated with bows and ribbons.

photos By AngelinA tAng

photos By JessicA KwoK

photos By JessicA KwoK

photos By JessicA you

Jessica Wang Staff Writer

As the holiday season approaches, students find themselves facing the notorious annual dilem-ma: what presents to get for their friends.

“I usually start planning for what to buy my friends near the end of November. That way, if something doesn’t work out, I can go back and ex-change it. I can make sure I got everything I need in time,” senior Jacqueline Olivia-Sierra said.

While early preparation certainly helps with gift giving, the question of the present itself proves to be more complex. Students judge what to give to their friends by using one simple method.

“I guess I know what to get my friends just based on their per-sonality. If I know what their per-sonality is, then I know they’d like my present,” junior Samantha Piña said.

Being famil-iar with some-one’s taste makes the job of finding the perfect gift easier as well.

“If you know what they’re like and understand them, then you can use that knowledge to get them the best gift,” freshman Christy Wong said.

Many others believe that a handmade gift surpasses a store bought one in worth for various reasons.

“Handmade gifts have more meaning. I’d be happy if someone just made a card for me. I know they put their own time in to actually make some-thing,” senior Nael Hafeez said.

Often, students decide to give creative pres-ents, ones that carry an extra meaning.

“Usually my gifts have to do with inside jokes. I think it’s kind of a unique way to give a present,”

sophomore Cathleen Nguyen said.Others feel the same way about either receiv-

ing a bought or handmade gift, as both have their positive aspects.

“You’re still going out of your way to buy something, so either way it shows that you care for that person. They’ll feel special because they will know you made the effort,” freshman Ahmed Kanu said.

A few organizations, including a few sports and electives, participate in “Secret Santa” during the season, an activity that involves anonymously buying a random teammate or classmate a gift.

“What’s fun about it is that you might be giv-ing a present to someone you don’t really know.

Usually you won’t know what to get that person, so you kind of have to be creative,” junior Desiree Joyce Sarmiento said. “It’s an opportunity to get to know another person better by guessing what they want.”

A negative aspect of receiving gifts, how-ever, is receiving some-thing quite unwanted. Though it has always

been “the thought that counts,” being presented with something more desirable would undoubtedly be more appealing.

“To hint what I’d like, I would bring it up in a casual conversation, but not in a gift related conversation,” sophomore Mira Chiu said. “Talk-ing about it would give my friends a better idea of what to buy.”

In the end, all presents, whether meaningful or not, large or small, early or last minute, carry some meaning at least.

“[Gift giving] somehow makes you more aware of what other people do for you,” sophomore Cheyenne Tate said. “It’s an opportunity to return a favor or give back to them at the same time.” Ω

“If you know what your friends are like and understand them, then you can get them the best gift.”

Christy Wong, 9

photo By JessicA KwoK

Christine LiuStaff Writer

The winter months, the season of giving, winter vacation, the holidays, whatever the upcoming month is called there lies one central idea: spending time with

loved ones. What may sound like a cliche is ultimately the truth. Given the time off, people spend time with one another. However, showing others how much we appreciate them has become a difficult task. It’s hard not to get dragged into the convoluted idea that money is the best way to show others that we care.

Of course, it can be attributed to the multi-million dollar sales industry, but buying loved ones the latest tech gadget or a useless kitchen appliance from a Googled list of “Hottest Holiday Gifts of 2011” is the easy way out. That doesn’t really scream “I love you” or “you mean a lot.” So then there’s another dilemma, how do we - teenagers on a budget (if we’re lucky to even have one) - convey our love without dropping the big bucks?

Teen magazines and other forms of media like to advise DIY gifts as the best way to show how much we care. A handmade scarf or necklace is indeed more meaningful than store-bought items with price tag stickers sloppily removed. Yet for those that lack either the creativity or time to make such gifts, there’s a definite need for another way to enjoy the season of giving. I find that good ol’ gatherings with my friends and family is the best alternative. Making memories with loved ones offers us the opportunity to relax and give each other some quality time, taking a break from our busy lives

and simply enjoy each other’s company.Besides, gift giving presents non-drivers like me

with another conundrum, if I’m going to give someone a gift (store bought or handmade) I need some way to see them other than meeting up with them at school. I get more “bang for my buck” if I plan a gathering with all of my friends present. Even if there are no gifts being exchanged, I find the best vacation days are those when my friends and I lounge around, watching movies or playing games, without having to worry about an upcoming math test or oral presentation in a foreign language.

And there are also family gatherings that I both love and hate. They consist of not only awkward conversations with distant relatives I rarely see, but also of well-cherished time spent with people that I don’t get to see enough. There’s no way to describe them without cutting out little nuisances; each family gathering gets its share of funny stories and new memories.

All things considered, what sets the memories made during the holidays above material gifts is the relative ease by which they come. More time is available to spend with loved ones, and the truth is that everything would be a lot better if we weren’t bogged down with worries of money, gift cards, or gadgets.

I don’t need scientific studies to know that it’s healthier spending time enjoying others’ company during the holidays than trying to make money out of thin air. Even a game day or picnic in the park would suffice as healthy living because in our academic lives, we’re faced with the behemoth known as finals right after December. So let’s spend a little time giving each other some comfort before we look at our textbooks and say “bring on the stress.” Ω

The true meaning of “giving” is questionable due to the popular practice of buying pricey gifts for others.

Jessica KwokFeature Editor

A l m o s t e v e r y o n e d o w n l o a d s songs onto his or her iPod or other

musical devices. I used to do that too. These days, however, I know that downloading illegally isn’t the best way to obtain music.

When you download music for free, you are stealing music from the artist. Stealing (or downloading) music can be compared to stealing from the grocery store. If it’s not paid for, it’s stolen. It seems strange that although most people would not steal from the grocery store, they would not hesitate to download a song illegally. The effort artists puts into songs goes to waste when you download their songs for free. Way to support your favorite artists.

Not only that, downloading music usually results in songs of poor quality. In the days I used to download songs illegally, more often than not, the songs were barely audible. I had to crank up the volume trying to hear a song, and then turn it back down to listen to the next one. Now, my purchased songs always have great quality.

With hackers attempting to crash your computer through hidden viruses in music files, illegally downloading music offers little safety for a computer, unless you own a Mac. And even Macs don’t

offer complete immunity to viruses. I’d rather shell out some money than face a malfunctioning computer that would annoy me to no end.

Although many think stealing a song won’t do any harm, it often ends up that one song can and will be harmful to your wallet. Take, for example, a Minnesota woman found guilty of illegally downloading songs from the Internet. She was fined $1.9 million for 24 songs - that’s $80,000 per song. Now compare that to a song you might buy from iTunes. Whether you pay $1.29 or $80,000 for a song, you’ll eventually end up paying. I’d rather pay the cheaper price.

The recent shutdown of Limewire demonstrates the immorality of downloading music for free. Although Limewire’s intended usage of sharing files is perfectly legal, sharing music without the copyright consent of the producer is not. I am pleased to see that the illegal sharing of music files through Limewire has been stopped. It is a step toward preventing people from putting up music illegally for others to download. Programs similar to Limewire should also be banned due to people misusing the systems by sharing music illegally.

Illegally downloading music is unacceptable, seeing as it is morally wrong and usually results in songs of poorer quality. The cons of downloading music heavily outweigh the one positive reason of free songs. Ω

Black Friday: the country’s most overrated eventSonia ChouCopy Editor

After stuffing ourselves with turkey and waking up from self-induced food coma, we prepare for one of the craziest days in the year: Black Friday. Being the day when everything goes on sale,

Black Friday has become the epitome of the American love for bargains and cheap prices. Americans all over the nation flock to every store possible to participate in the annual megasale, but I wonder if this seemingly profitable family activity lives up to its reputation.

While I do love a great deal and single digit price tags, the hectic environment of every shopping center poses a huge problem for me and my fellow shoppers. Now, I do not know about everyone else, but I like shopping in quiet places where I can relax and take things slowly. Trust me, being shoved and pushed as you reach for those 50 percent off boots feels more

painful than rewarding. Honestly, how are you supposed to shop comfortably when everyone and their six brothers and sisters

have to swim through masses of people simply to reach the cash register?

For both males and females, despite stereotypes about

females being proshoppers, shopping in a loud and crowded area tends to cloud judgment. I do not know if anyone can decide which cashmere cardigan or Toms shoes seem to be the best deal, while the people nearby scurry past with their gigantic shopping bags. Makng decisions between good deals already causes me great pain, but having to do it with other, numerous side distractions? I’ll pass, thank you.

Most importantly, I highly doubt that anyone saves money on these occasions. Yes, I know it says “discount” in big red letters, but I think instead of helping you save more, big sales pressure you to buy more now under the guise of saving money. I’m sure all of you have thought, “I should just buy it now when it’s cheaper.” Though the stores have reduced the prices, buying a lot of it still adds up.

Despite all of my criticisms, I do agree that Black Friday packs some great prices, but next time I’m sitting, out and for those of you who see shopping as a hobby to do in your downtime rather than a sport, I suggest you do the same. After all, shopping should be R&R time not rush hour. Ω

Every year, millions of Americans rush to their favorite stores in hopes of saving a load of money on their purchases. This event, Black Friday, has become the biggest and most hectic shopping day of the year.

Many teenagers download music illegally, yet they fail to acknowledge its consequences.

What is the season of giving anyway?

The downfall of illegal music downloading

PHOTO By SHARON LAy

12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3 the hoofprint8 opinion

“What is your definition of ‘giving’?”

“It means I have to spend time with my family, but I enjoy the feeling of having everyone there.” -Khrista Pastrana, 12

“It means to be thankful to the people in your life and show that you appreciate them.” -Edison Cheng, 11

“It means to care about others, and make them happy when you can. It’s better to give rather than receive because it makes others happy and makes you feel better.” -Nicole Yap, 11

“For both males and females, despite stereotypes about females being proshoppers, shopping in a loud and crowded area tends to cloud judgment.”

12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3 feature 9the hoofprint

Reetika SinghFeature Editor

Marching through a street filled with millions of people pointing and staring at her, senior Anne Lu played her flute and marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Lu wanted to push her limits and see if she would make the cut.“After my band director mentioned it, I knew I wanted to try out. I never really thought

I was that good, but I just wanted to test myself. I practiced for nearly six hours every day for my audition tape,” Lu said.

Arriving in the bustling city of New York alone was somewhat intimidating for Lu.

“It was pretty daunting at first when you notice you are stuck in one of the biggest cities in the world, marching to represent them in a huge parade,” Lu said. “But it also felt sort of fitting, because after you start marching, you realize

you have practiced for weeks on end for this, you start to think, you can do this.”Although she practiced for over two hours every day for the actual parade, Lu

felt dumbfounded by the sheer size of the crowd.“The first time I laid eyes on the crowd my heart stopped, people were standing

shoulder to shoulder, jammed in next to each other and staring out of windows for stories up,” Lu said. “If the N.Y.P.D. wasn’t there the street would have been overrun.”

Even though Lu sailed smoothly through her performance, the road to New York included some obstacles.

“I told the band that I probably would not be able to participate in the parade because of the cost. My band-mates told me they would not let me miss out on an opportunity like this, and the entire WHS music program helped to finance the trip,” Lu said.

After marching for nearly two and a half hours, the magnitude of the entire experience struck Lu.

“Just before we played a short performance in Harold’s Square, it hit me, this was it; I had many people to thank for such an opportunity, and I was very proud of myself and all my efforts,” Lu said. Ω

After many long hours of preparation and practice senior Anne Lu was one of the select few Californian students to travel to New York and perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

‘Parading’ her talents

photo By Jessica KwoK

Compiled by ReeTiKA SiNGH

your heart outAn

ne Lu

, 12

While most kids have their hands filled with school work and extracurricular activities, these freshmen have been developing their T-shirt designs. Jonathan Chiu, Cris Cuevas, and Ed Lee all create T-shirts, and sell their designs to their classmates.

“The shirts are made entirely by hand, and he puts a lot of effort into all of them; I like that you can’t get anything like them anywhere else.”

Amberly Hsieh, 9

Kevin YinStaff Writer

Freshmen Jonathan Chiu, and co-owners Cris Cuevas, and Ed Lee have created their own, home-made T-shirt selling businesses to put their imagina-tion to work.

“It’s a passion that I’ve had for a while. It started out as just as an idea, and I never thought we would really put it into action,” Lee said.

Each of the students require various tools and programs to help bring their ideas to life. “Crewed-Love” owner Cris Cuevas creates his T-shirts with the help of his computer and screen printer.

“It gives me the freedom of wearing my shirts to show the world what I see and view about everything,” Cuevas said.

Although web-based de-signing is becoming increas-ingly popular, “Kings Fam-ily Clothing” owner Jonathan Chiu prefers taking a more hands on approach while making his clothing through the use of a variety of T-shirt inks and silk screens.

“Overall, its pretty difficult to make shirts, and it’s also time consuming. Its very messy because ink is everywhere, and my mom sometimes gets mad at

me because half of my shirts are messed up,” Chiu said.

Jonathan Chiu and co-owner Ed Lee are good friends, and while they own competing businesses on campus, the two don’t necessarily view it as a ri-valry.

“It is a fun experience competing with a friend even though it isn’t much of a competition, because we have different types of styles.,” Lee said.

The artists have also tried a variety of advertis-ing techniques to make sure their products are well known.

“Using fa-cebook, tumblr, and aim is unre-liable, but it gets the word around. It’s better to ask face to face about buying a shirt,” Chiu said.

These stu-dents see mak-ing T-shirts, and

clothing, not only as an opportunity to earn money, but also a unique way to express themselves.

“It makes me happy because its great making something people like. For us its not about money like other [people]. We do it to show our imagination and creativity run through our shirts,” Cuevas said. Ω

“It’s a passion that I’ve had for a while. It

started out as just as an idea, and I never

thought we would really put it into ac-

tion.”

Ed Lee, 9

Five Fast Facts: Flutes1. The flute is the only member of the woodwind family that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge, instead of using a reed.2. Traverse flutes have been found in paintings dating back to the fourteenth century.4. The flute uses more air than any other wind instrument and has a range of three octaves.5. Flutes are made up of 150 pieces.

DIVINE BY DESIGN (TOP): Freshmen Ed Lee and Cris Cuevas sketch out a possible design for a future shirt, for their co-owned business, Crewed Love. SCRAPING BY (RIGHT): Freshman Jonathan Chiu pulls a silk screen squeegee over a screen stencil transferring the T-shirt ink on to the cloth, creating a silk screened T-shirt for his company Kings Family Clothing.

“Jonathan’s shirts are cool because they are re-ally original and the facial expression of his character is really cute and cartoon-ish.”

Dylan Chng, 9

“I saw one of my friends wearing one, and it looked really nice so I bought one. It is really comfortable, and I love the design on it.”

Aaron Koay, 9

“They’re really inexpen-sive, and the design is really cool. They put a lot of thought into it. It’s some-times called a smart-shirt. ”

Christy Lay, 9

photos By ReetiKa siNGh aND JoNathaN chiU

12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3 the hoofprint10 scene

Elliot ParkScene Editor

For a lot of us art enthusiasts, a good paint-ing isn’t just a piece of canvas with streaks of color on it; a good painting tells a story and provides an experience. But only with the right setting and perfect environment can you truly experience all that art has to offer. And for those of you who are willing to witness and enjoy the beauty of art, the J. Paul Getty Museum is the place to go.

To start off, the J. Paul Getty Museum con-tains one of the largest selection of art, rang-ing from finely crafted portraits of the Italian Renaissance to the most abstract of modern sculptures. The sheer variety of classical and present-day pieces is simply amazing and no matter what kind of art you love, whether it be abstract, impressionism, cubism, or anything in between, you’re sure to find something that will float your boat.

The interior of the Getty Museum gives you everything you want in an art-viewing ex-pedition. Simply put, it’s always quiet and calm, thus leaving out any form of distraction. Some-thing about just being alone and still in a wide open room full of history’s greatest art offerings just appeals to the art nerd in me and personally, it’s my escape from the rush and clutter of high school.

Even the exterior of the complex serves as

another notable part of the Getty. This includes the gardens, which fills the courtyard with the lush green leaves of the plants. The exterior also contains a picnic area that provides a nice and quiet place to chill and relax. Still, I just can’t describe to you how magnificent the awe-in-spiring view of the Los Angeles skyline is from the Getty Center.

Of course, even art lovers get hungry, and at the J. Paul Getty Museum cuisine is almost as abundant as the art. At the Getty restaurant, the very formal dining creates a classy and “artsy” kind of atmosphere, which will surely make you feel like a sophisticated art spectator. The menu changes daily and everything from salmon to steak is present. However, considering the fact that you’re getting five star treatment at the Get-ty restaurant, you’ll have to pay top dollar. That means almost $15 for essentially any entrée. So if you’ve got money to burn, it’s a nice place to go. But for the rest of us, the café remains a viable option, with a wide range of soups and small lunches that comes at a reasonable price.

For all of you who refuse to give up a pret-ty penny, you will be glad to hear that your visit is free, aside from the $15 fee for parking.

All in all, the Getty Center can be described in no other way then as an art enthusiast’s para-dise. With a massive assortment of paintings that will sure to please anyone simply interested in art and a low, justifiable price, there’s nothing stopping you from getting to the Getty. Ω

Getty-ing a good glimpse of artIn general, television and media have lost contact with the classical cultural world. But at the Getty Center, you will find a wide selection of masterpieces, making it easier to reconnect with the world’s past and find a passion for art.

WORK OF ART (ClOCKWise): Even the modernist architecture of the Getty complex could be considered a part of the art. Dining at the Getty Center may be pricey, but it is sure to please. Portraits and sculptures fill the halls of the Getty Center and you’ll find a piece from practically every time period, imaginable.

Photos by elliot Park

Kevin YinStaff Writer

To this day, Call of Duty holds its place as one of the most acclaimed franchises in gam-ing history, so there’s no surprise behind the anticipation for the series’ latest entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops. As an extremely robust package, it overflows with content and while much of it remains essentially the same, that doesn’t mean it still can’t be a lot of fun.

The singleplayer mode has players as-suming the role of former special operative Alex Mason, who, for reasons unknown, is mysteriously interrogated about his past. The game plays out through a continuous string of flashbacks which take players everywhere from Cuba to the Ural Mountains and even Vietnam gradually pieces together parts of the plot. Frankly, the campaign paces itself too quickly and it can be difficult to understand the storyline, due to the many explosion-filled, over-extravagant missions which dis-tracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the singleplayer can still be an exciting, fast-paced package that has a strong cast of characters and voice actors.

This time around, multiplayer has re-turned with many pressing issues addressed. Many annoying player perks have been re-

moved and overpowered killstreaks rewards and weapons toned down, so the gaming envi-ronment feels more balanced while retaining its competitive and addictive formula. These corrections to the once broken multiplayer create an overall more entertaining and less frustrating experience. Though the multiplay-er experience remains as focused and fast as it has ever been, Treyarch has again presented us with the same formula that has remained unchanged for the past couple of years and there might be a need for innovation.

In addition to balance changes, multi-player received a large number of new fea-tures. Interchangeable camos, reticles, face-paint, and emblems come together to form an incredibly customizable experience, while theater mode, the new free-for-all wager matches, and returning favorite, Nazi zombie mode, offers another layer of even more last-ing appeal.

Black Ops certainly does not take a sig-nificant step forward, yet it provides the same rewarding gameplay that we have enjoyed for years. The campaign is better than ever, with varied action and plenty of memorable mo-ments, while the multiplayer once again basks gamers in the addictive formula that will de-light them for months to come. Ω

Call of Duty: Black OpsDoes Call of Duty get its time in the spotlight, or should these Black Operations be kept hidden away, in secret?

Photo UseD With PerMissioN oF treyarch

Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album

Ashley XuStaff Writer

Glee gets in the holiday spirit with Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, which in-cludes 12 festive songs that are sure to get you

in a joyous mood.Above and beyond any possible expec-

tations I had before I took my earphones out, “Deck the Rooftop”, a mash-up of “Deck the Halls” and “Up on the Rooftop” was a com-pletely unexpected surprise to this fast-paced CD. Mashing two popular holiday songs into one, Glee managed to recreate a catchy sing-a-long that seems to replicate the arrangement of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”.

The extremely flirtatious jazzy duet, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, sung by Chris Colfer [Kurt] and Darren Criss [Blaine], is sure to be a head-turner and will encourage you to cozy up next to someone or even invest in some mistletoe.

All of you Gleeks should know by now that Amber Riley, who plays the feisty Mercedes on Glee, has a voice to be reckoned with, and the song “Angels We Have Heard On High” cer-tainly does her gospel-inspired style justice.

These 12 holiday songs should put your doubts at rest, for with this Christmas album, Glee shines at its very best. Ω

Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas II You

Daniela KimStaff Writer

In her new Christmas album, Merry Christ-mas II You, Mariah Carey shows her wide vocal range and true talent. The album features 13

songs that will capture the holiday spirit and have your fingers tapping along to the beat.

As someone that enjoys more of her ener-getic, pop songs over those that are calm and quiet, “Oh Santa” appealed to me the most and definitely had me abusing the replay button.

One of the standout songs on the album is “O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus”, in which Carey sings a duet with her mother, Patricia, a former opera singer who appears with Mariah for the first time on an album. Al-though the song contains background music and vocals, Patricia Carey dominated with the first few notes as her opera voice caught my atten-tion and left me sitting in awe of her ability to produce such sounds.

Rather than trying to recapture the essence of her first Christmas album, Merry Christmas (1994), Carey offers a more festive song selec-tion that still complements her singing style. I would surely recommend Merry Christmas II You to both fans and newcomers alike as a per-fect gift for the holidays. Ω

mental tunes With the holidays closing in on us, here are some personal gift recommendations for the music lovers out there.

Photo UseD With PerMissioN oF islaND recorDs

Photo UseD With PerMissioN oF colUMbia

12.03.10Vol. 43, Issue 3 sports 11the hoofprint

Timothy HuangStaff Writer

In order to assemble a more competitive

track and field team, the coaches of track and field will alter the four-day tryout, which will start on Tuesday, Dec. 7.

Before, athletes tried out for the event of their choice, gave the coaches only a limited view on the talent and potential that were pres-ent.

“Last year’s tryouts were more general,” coach Keith Thompson said. “It [only allowed] us to see if athletes were fit. This year, [how-

ever], we wanted to bring a smaller, but more competitive team [than last year’s].”

Hopefully, through exposing athletes to different events, the coach can find talent in multiple events.

“On the first day, athletes will either be tested on sprinting or jumping,” coach Thomp-son said. “On the second day, the athletes will do the other test depending on the one they did on the first day. The third day will be for those

who made the cut, and the fourth day athletes will do pole vaulting and a 1-mile run.”

With athletes trying out for multiple events such as long distance running, short distance running and pole vaulting, the coaches are hop-ing to find athletes suitable for multiple events.

Tryouts will be held from Dec. 7-10 from 3:30-5:30. Athletes without a physical form filled out, will not be able to participate. Ω

Track and field makes changes to tryout procedureThe coaches have decided to test athletes in multiple events to determine the strong points of each player.

Basketball and cross country reunite with alumniVarsity boys’ basketball and cross coun-try played in their yearly alumni game, which allowed the players to meset past students and bond as a team once again.Kevin WuStaff Writer

The boys’ basketball and cross country’s alumni game occurred on Thursday, Nov. 18 and Thanksgiving morning respectively.

The basketball game was held in the gym with two

modified games of two quarters each. Cross country played soccer at Morningside Park with series of small games having a best of three, first of five match.

“It was better than I thought. I got to meet a lot of old alumni that I didn’t know before,” senior Michael Guerre-ro said. “They were really nice and even though we were competing, they were good sports.”

For the alumni, it was a chance to showcase their tal-ents with old teammates.

“I like playing with my old teammates so I can show them how much I improved since high school,” ‘09 alumni Arnold Chang said. “It’s just a fun feeling because you play with all types of players from different graduating

years.”Compared to a normal match, an alumni game is less

competitive and more about enjoying the moment.“There’s less pressure because you’re not really try-

ing to win, you’re just trying to have fun and get everyone involved,” Chang said.

The game gave an opportunity for the players to so-cialize with graduates.

“It was good letting me see they turn out and how I’m going to turn out,” sophomore Somil Patel said. “It was interesting seeing how people changed and what they’ve done with their lives.” Ω

Alumni return (left to right): Sophomore Somil Patel attempts to steal the ball from alumnus Bradley English. ‘10 alumnus Christian Chen handles the ball while looking for a pass. Alumni play in one of the practice games. ‘10 alumnus Leonard Rhodes gets the easy putback.

photos By Felix lee and justin kang

01.07.11Vol. 43, Issue 4 sports 12the hoofprint

Runners plan to race in half-marathon

Varsity girls’ basketball12/8 @ St. Lucy’s 52-49 W12/14 @ St. Lucy’s 39-46 L12/27 @ Summit 41-61 L12/29 @ Ayala 50-33 W12/30 @ Pasadena 42-49 L

Varsity boys’ basketball12/6 @ Monrovia 59-57 W12/11 @ Bishop Amat 43-49 L12/16 @ Ocean View 50-54 L12/29 @ Damien 32-57 L12/30 @ Diamond Ranch 43-38 W

Varsity boys’ soccer12/27-12/29 Don Lugo Tournament-1st vs Chino 4-0 W vs Glendora 4-2 W vs Gladstone 2-2 T vs Covina 1-0 W vs Rowland 1-0 W vs Pomono 3-2(PK shootout) W1/4 vs West Covina 5-4 W

Varsity girls’ soccer12/17-12/20 Nutcracker Classic vs Cajon 3-0 W vs Wilson 6-0 W vs Cypress 2-0 W

Varsity girls’ waterpolo12/7 @ Brea-Olinda 24-2 W12/9-12/11 Los Altos Tournament - 5th vs South Pasadena 7-14 L vs Bell Gardens 17-13 W vs Crescenta valley 4-8 L vs West Hills 11-3 W vs El Modena 12-6 W

DecembeR ScoReboaRD

Andrew Koo and Matthew AlmeidaOnline Editor-in-Chief and Staff Writer

Senior Scott Margiotta, junior Josh Gonzalez, and sophomore Isaac Moreno will compete in the 20th Annual Southern California Half Marathon this Saturday, Jan. 8 in Irvine. A half marathon is 13.1 miles.

“It’s a longer race so you have to mentally prepare yourself for enduring the hardships of running for a longer period of time,” Margiotta said.

For these athletes, running is more than just a sport - it is a passion.

“It’s about having a sense of achievement and being able to push yourself. It helps to reflect who you are as a person,” Moreno said.

Different runners have different experiences that shape the sport into something more personal.

“I got into running in fifth grade in order to lose weight and pass the physical,” Margiotta said. “I’m pretty good at emptying my mind and that blocks out the pain, making it possible to keep on going.”

Running is just as much a mental sport as it is a physi-cal one.

“I personally see a lot of who I am when I run. I see my character and will in it. I see when I slack and I see when I try. I have no one else to blame but myself. Run-ning, for me, shows a reflection of my effort,” Gonzalez said. “I can apply this to how I will try in other areas of my life, such as in school, or for my own personal growth to see how far will I go to achieve what I want.”

While the preseason athletes condition on the track or under the stadium, the half-marathon runners go on long runs off-campus.

“We’re training with a lot more mileage [to build stamina] because you still want to keep the same pace for

the entire race,” Moreno said. “For me, it’s a lot more of an enjoyable race. In cross country, you’re dead from the beginning because it’s so fast; in a half marathon, you ease into that pace.”

About 4,000 runners attended last year’s event, in-cluding “wheelchair participants” and “race walkers.”

“It’s much more of a relaxed mindset, especially with-out all of the pressure of league and school races,” Moreno said. “I’m personally planning to go out and see what feels comfortable race day without worrying about time for the first few miles. This helps me stay relaxed and I’ll know if I’m hitting the right pace when I check my watch after three miles.”

The runners’ goal is to finish under one hour and 30

minutes, a pace just less than seven minutes per mile.“A race is simple. It has to be relaxed but focused with

one thing in mind and that is to run with everything,” Gon-zalez said. “It is a ‘How hard am I willing to push myself with only myself to rely on?’ race.”

Moreno, Gonzalez, and Margiotta will line up 30 miles from school at 8:00 a.m. with thousands of other runners to finally run against only themselves.

“At the start line I will think I am really tired, I want this to get over with, this is going to hurt. And I’m looking forward to it,” Margiotta said. “I know I’m crazy. I think I am insane.”

“I know I am,” Moreno added with a smile. Ω

Three cross country athletes will take the sport to another stage by participat-ing in a half-marathon next Saturday, Jan. 1.

Timothy HuangStaff Writer

Varsity soccer opened up their season with a 5-4 victory over West Covina on Tuesday, Jan. 4.

In the first half, Walnut held most of the possession which created many chances to score. As early as the first minute into the game, a header went wide off the Covina net. In the sixth minute of the match, a breakaway shot from senior Matthew Almeida flew, again, just wide off the far post.

However, in the 7th minute, senior Christian Ruelas took a shot 20-yard out and buried it in the bottom right corner to give Walnut a 1-0 lead.

With Walnut controlling the game, West Covina showed their frustration with two yellow card cautions for hard fouls forcing those players to temporarily leave the game. West Covina ended with fourth yellow cards in total.

Then again in the 20th minute, senior Chris Dobson boosted the lead to 2-0 after dribbling past the West Covina keeper on a breakaway and scored into the open net.

West Covina scored in the 24th minute after the ball was punched out by keeper senior Farhan Jangda, the ball fell right in front of an attacker who easily placed the ball into the net.

Although Walnut held the ball for most of the half, they only went into halftime with a mere 2-1 lead.

At the beginning of the second half, Walnut showed their domination with more possessions.

In the 51th minute and in the 56th minute, a string of passes resulted in two goals by substitute junior Peter Ochoa pushing the lead to 4-1.

West Covina showed that they were not ready to hand the game over with a goal in the 58th minute when a point-blank shot of a deflection bounced just over keeper Jangha.

Ruelas revealed his superior shooting skills in the 73rd min-ute when he took a shot from 30 yards out that surprised the keeper and curled right into the back corner of the net.

West Covina gave Walnut a scare in the final 10 minutes of the match with two goals, one from a shot and one from a penalty kick awarded for a Walnut foul.

In the end, Walnut remained victorious in their first league game with a 5-4 victory. Ω

Soccer wins first season gameDespite two quick goals by West Covina in the last quarter, the team was able to hold them off.

SNAIL’S PACE: Senior Scott Margiotta, junior Josh Gonzalez, and sophomore Isaac Moreno finish their one-mile warm up on the track before starting their off-campus “long run” to train for the upcoming half-marathon this Saturday.

Photo by ANdrEw Koo