Volume IX Issue I
Garden Grove Unified School District
The Matador Monthly
September 2012
9401 Westminster Boulevard Garden Grove, California 92844
School News
Bolsa Spirit Day
Friday, September 14
Freshmen Elections
Monday- Friday, September 17- 21
Welcome Back Fall
Sports Assembly
Thursday, September 27
Homecoming GameVarsity Football, Calvary
Chapel @ Bolsa
Thursday, September 27,
7:00 PM- 9:00PM
Homecoming Dance
Friday, September 28, 7:00
PM- 10:00 PM
Super Saturday- Marching Band Rehearsal
Saturday, September 29
World Quickies
As of August 23, 2012,
researchers at the National Institute of Health have identified
a rare immune disease called an
adult-onset immunodeficiency
syndrome. Patients with the
disease make antibodies that attack their immune system, and
exhibit AIDS-like symptoms,
though the disease is not a contagious virus, such as HIV. Of
the 12 known cases that date
back to 2004, all are of Asian
descent and mostly occur in
Thailand and Taiwan.
On August 24, 2012,
the Norwegian court sentenced
Anders Behring Breivik, who
killed 77 people in a bombing
and shooting massacre in Oslo,
Norway and on Utoya Island
on July 22, 2011, to 21 years
in prison for voluntary homicide and attacks of terror. The
court’s principal concern during
the trial was Breivik’s state of
sanity, for if Breivik was to be
acquitted as insane, he would
have been secured in a mental
health unit. Breivik smiled as
the court ruled him sane.
Three French tourists
were convicted on August 22,
2012, in a Sri Lankan court for
taking pictures of themselves
pretending to kiss a Buddha
statue. The tourists were arrested after the photo lab at which
the tourists developed their
pictures contacted the police.
The three were sentenced to six
months of hard labor in prison
for violating a law that forbade
the insulting of “the religious
feeling of any class of persons”
as their actions were considered
to be offensive and uncivilized.
No Justice, Nirk to the rescue
M egan P han
Front Page Editor
As students dust their
thinking caps and sharpen
their pencils, faculty members
reorganize their classrooms
antd collect their nerves for
the purpose of preparing for
the start of the new school
year. This year, as Matadors
return from their summer holiday, one member will not be
joining this reunion as Bolsa
Grande bids farewell to assistant principal Mrs. Orsi
Justice, who, having served
two fine years at Bolsa, has
been transferred to Rancho
Alamitos High School. However, all is not lost. Among
the new faces that will greet
Bolsa students is Mr. Todd
Nirk, Bolsa Grande’s very
own Zac Efron “look-alike.”
Mr. Nirk will be taking over
Mrs. Justice’s position as the
assistant principal, and although he may not be one to
sing and to dance, he is sure
to be an outstanding addition
to the Bolsa family.
Mr. Nirk spent the
first eighteen years of his
life in the city of Los Gatos, California, where he
attended Los Gatos High
School. During his time in
high school, he held a great
passion for basketball and
played on the baskettball
team for all four years of
high school. However, this
changed when Mr. Nirk was
He enjoyed working with his
peers, and he grew to love
helping others learn as well
as aiding others in making
the best of themselves. With
his discovered passion, he
went on to the University of
California, Santa Barbara,
to earn his teaching credential. Following, Mr. Nirk
admitted into the University
of California, Los Angeles,
where he discovered his calling in education. Mr. Nirk
always believed that his father’s occupation as a teacher played a subctonscious
role in his decision to enter
the field as he admitted that
he had always liked school.
taught at Redondo Beach for
nine years and later held the
position of assistant principal
at Santiago High School for six
years.
As a newcomer to
the Matador family, Mr. Nirk
believes
that
introducing
himself to the Matador family, Mr. Nirk believes that
introducing himself to the
staff and student body is
one of the most important
things that should be done
as quickly as possible. He
hopes to meet students as
he supervises during breaks,
lunch, and school events,
especially Homecoming. He
believes that his main purpose as assistant principal is
to do whatever he can to assist teachers and students in
regards to making sure that
teachers have the support
they need and that students
have the guidance they need.
When asked about what he
wants to contribute to the
school, he was uncertain but
stated, “As in basketball,
you fit whatever role helps
your team. I’m not sure of
what that role is yet, but I
will be a positive influence.
Whatever role I can take
to help the school-no matter what it is, I’d be happy
to do it.” Mr. Nirk certainly has what it takes to be a
great Matador and will be
a wonderful contribution to
Bolsa Grande High School.
A Cool Turnout for a Hot Festival
A nh P ham
Staff Writer
Bolsa Grande High
School has certainly gained a
reputation in the Garden Grove
and Westminster community
for welcoming the public to the
variety of events and festivities
held on its grounds. This summer has been no exception as
the annual Summer Festival,
held from July 20th to July
22nd, once again gathered people from various parts of the
area to enjoy the great selection
of food, live entertainment, and
carnival rides available at Bolsa’s very own parking lot.
Bolsa Grande clubs
and organizations, such as
AVID, Cheer, Journalism, Yearbook, and Men’s League, participated in this year’s Summer
Festival. These groups lured in
hungry passer-bys with their
delectable assortment of foods
that included appetizing American fare, delightful southwestern cuisines, and savory Mexican dishes. In addition, Bolsa’s
Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) hosted game booths
that garnered the undivided attention of not only children but
also young adults. Other organizations, such as the YMCA of
North Orange County, the Vietnamese American Federation
of Southern California, and
the Hong Bang Culture Center,
were not affiliated with Bolsa
Grande High School but decided to partake in the festival in
order to not only raise awareness for their efforts to better
the community but also to simply enjoy the many festivities
and the crowd’s exuberance.
Despite the undeniable heat in the early mornings and the late afternoons,
several sensational acts took
the stage once the sun had set.
Festival attendees flocked to
the festival’s stage to catch
live performances from notable
bands, such as Blue, Vovinam,
and The FreeFall. The audience was awestruck by each
band’s demonstration of strong
vocals and clear talent. In addition to the musical performances, VSA and martial arts
group UFK performed stunning
routines and entertaining skits
that left the audience in sheer
amazement.
Members of each organization were asked whether
or not they felt that their booth
was successful and if, compared
to the other booths held at the
festival, their booth reigned supreme. All endearingly replied
that they felt confident with
their booth and believed that
due to the lively atmosphere,
their booth was met with success.
However, a certain
question remains unanswered:
How does 2012’s Summer Festival compare to 2011’s Summer Festival? Answers and
comments were collected from
booth holders, Bolsa students,
and festival attendees, and all
gave the unanimous response
that despite the fun, the heat was
what brought a downfall to
this year’s Summer Festival
and was the chief culprit to
preventing this year’s festival
from surpassing the previous
year’s. Furthermore, many declared that this year’s festival
lacked the necessary publicity to attract a larger crowd, as
this year’s number of festival
attendees greatly paled in comparison to last year’s number.
Although the heat and the lack
of publicity managed to reduce the number of attendees,
it certainly did not dampen the
spirits of those responsible for
the fun and the merriment as
all who were interviewed commented that despite the lackluster in this year’s feat, the Summer Festival was still, without a
doubt, an enjoyable experience.
Editorials
Page 2
Surrender to the Slender
Shannon Advincula
Editor-in-Chief
Over the summer the horror
survival computer game Slender enraptured the horror genre
of the video gaming industry, amassing a cult following
and viral fame. Incorporating
the virtual legend of the Slender Man, the low-quality indie
game is notorious for its authenticity despite its quick development as a humble project by creator Mark Hadley, evident in its
simplistic nature and poor audio
quality.
As the player, you wander through a dark forest collecting disturbing notes of warnings
and distress, all the while evading the elusive Slender Man
who ominously stalks you and
draws closer with each note
you collect. Viewed through the
viewfinder of a camcorder, your
peripheral vision thus obscured
in darkness, the sight of Slender
Man’s faceless malignity lurking behind a tree—or worse,
right behind you—startles one
into frantic panic with accompanying urgent background music
fit for a well-built jump scare.
The relative simplicity
of the first-person survival game
calls into question just how
Slender is able to incite such
feral emotions of fear and panic. Moreover, the extent of terror wrought from horror video
games has raised concerns over
the safety of the player, especially with the increasingly realistic graphics and convincing
atmosphere that modern horror
has reached.
With a minimalistic
approach to the horror genre—
an unknown pursuer and a sense
of urgency—Slender displays
all the tactics of the horror
survival game’s effects on the
human psyche. You are completely immersed in the game,
first-person, without any other
knowledge of the character you
play to suggest dissociation or
rational.
Horror survival video
games offer the player an opportunity to surrender himself
to an all-too convincing realm
of his very nightmares. Inducing
a primal fear so becoming as to
construct the very shadows that
haunt man in his wildest latenight paranoia, the reality of the
unreal blurs the thin boundary
of rational.
The complete immersion of the individual through
the harmonization of perception
and action forces the player to
relate to his avatar in ways of
self-identification. As such, the
superiority of contemporary
media and its effects on the
human mind are profound and
steadily progressing to a point
of plausible danger—there is
little room for dissociation with
an avatar in the era of motionsensor first-person consoles.
However these wellmerited concerns over the horror genre target the general
idea of the modern sensation
of video gaming as a whole.
One cannot hope to undo what
technological advancement has
made possible to the adoring
audience of the contemporary
world.
What is it about these
virtual realities that indulge a
man’s nightmares, and what’s
more—keeps
him
coming
back? It’s odd to conceive that
man would actually seek to terrify himself, but it is that diversion from the norm and impossibility of the monster-ridden
scenarios that encompass horror’s inherent appeal.
In that innate rush that
helps man master his fears and
attach an identity to the shadows that haunt him at night,
there is that subconscious reassurance that he will survive and
return to everyday life. Despite
what dangers the convincing
realm of horror scenarios may
impose in the near future, the
very genre is an integral part
of returning needed suspense to
the all-too comfortable life of
the developed world’s all-toowilling denizens.
2012 = It’s Rover
Lisa Dinh
September 2012
We’re Spacing Out
As-Is Editor
Space has always captivated people from all walks
of life. Many humans have
dreamed of space travel, but it
has only been fantasized about
and has not been attained. The
scientists of the United States
have always strived to achieve
this dream and have designed a
vehicle bigger and badder than
its predecessors, known to mankind as Curiosity.
Roughly the size of a
car, the latest pioneer to Mars
is of the utmost novelty; it is
implemented with groundbreaking technology with which
it uses to examine the terrain of
Mars and communicate with its
home planet over 127,000,000
miles away. NASA yet again
perseveringly launches another spellbinding hunk of metal
into space despite the tremendous distance. As students start
school, their fellow compatriot
the rover is making its mark in
history, but in this case it would
be better to say on Mars.
Curiosity began its
quest in Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station in Florida, where
it said adieu to Earth and was
launched from the Atlas V
rocket on November 26, 2011.
The objectives of Curiosity’s
mission, as have been the objectives of the preceding Mars
rovers Sojourner, Spirit, and
Opportunity, are to search for
evidence of Martian life forms,
investigate Martian climate and
geology, investigate the role of
water in the sustention of life,
and help prepare for a manned
mission to the Red Planet.
The day when another
Neil Armstrong sets foot on
Mars will be the day science fiction fantasies come to life, which
will be not too far from impossible. The descent and landing of
Curiosity by parachute is aptly
termed “seven minutes of terror”
for the suspense it caused. The
rover set wheels on Mars on August 6, 2012, about eight months
later, within the Gale Crater.
The technology that the
rover sports is amazing. Curiosity
is clad with seventeen high-resolution cameras: eight HazCams
to avoid hazards, four NavCams
to navigate, two MastCams to
provide true-color images, one
ChemCam to fire a laser and
vaporize rocks, and two other
cameras. Curiosity’s infrared laser vaporizes and blasts interesting portions of Mars and examines and analyzes their mineral
composition. We simply cannot
overlook the six-wheeled rover’s
nuclear power source. Solar panels were flung aside and replaced
with a plutonium core, meaning
that the little rover can work night
and day. Curiosity may be sent
far from home to study two billion years of Martian history, but
it has all it needs to survive.
The cost of two and a
half billion dollars is a worthwhile sum to spit up for furthering scientific knowledge. Hopefully the scientists do discover
something new that they did not
yet discover in the last three
missions that they launched; it
would be quite the disappointment otherwise. To comprehend
how far humans have come
along in terms of aerospace
is breathtaking. It seems not
too long ago when the Wright
brothers soared the skies in their
crude aircraft, or humans first
sent satellites to space, or travel
to the moon became possible.
Olym-Peeks Only on the USA
Dominic Nguyen
Editor-in-Chief
Every two years, all the
nations come together to celebrate sportsmanship, camaraderie, and culture at the Olympic
Games as athletes and countries
across the world showcase themselves in (mostly) good-natured
competition. Nations are able to
cheer on their athletes as they vie
for medals, records are surpassed,
traditions are carried on or remolded, patriotism is expressed,
and for the younger audience,
there’s also the added perk of
attractive people! A compelling
and infectious sporting event, the
Olympics gives opportunities for
the world to learn—about the diversity around the globe, about
individual sports, even about the
individuals themselves.
When the Olympics
are held in another country, one
broadcasting network is given the
task to relay information back to
the home country; for the United
States, NBC Universal drew in
219.4 million viewers overall to
the London 2012 Olympics. The
The show was essentially a grab
bag of the day’s events; segments
and fragments of sporting events
were condensed into roughly four
hours. Because of the need to
condense, NBC had to deem what
was “most important” to air and
surprise—what was most important was coverage on American
athletes. As a business move, this
choice is logical; an American
broadcasting network with American viewers want to watch American athletes succeed so that viewers are entertained and feel pride
for their nation. Yet the choice to
gear the Olympics for Americans
inevitably caused the “news” to be
editorialized. Instead of celebrating the unity and many cultures of
the Olympics, NBC ended up celebrating the prowess of the United
States of America.
For example, throughout
the gymnastics competition, NBC
commentary villanized the Russian team; in contrast, the girls of
the American team were lauded
for their story of trying to be the
first American team to win gold
since the Magnificent Seven of
the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Even
within the U.S. team, the Tragic
Tale of Jordyn Wieber became all
too prominent. Jordyn Wieber, the
favored gymnast going into the individual all-around, had failed to qualify for the finals, yet NBC decided
to make her the martyr for women’s
gymnastics. The camera would consistently pan back to Jordyn and the
commentary would focus back to her
through out the finals. The spotlight
rarely strayed far from how the rest
members would be asked “How did it
feel to help Michael Phelps into winning
his (x) medal?” Their own achievement in contributing to the TEAM
gold was placed on the backburner
to show how great Michael Phelps
was in becoming the most celebrated
Olympian in history. In women’s basketball, the women won their fifth
straight gold, and nary a segment, interview, or celebratory congrats to them
on TV. In wrestling, when NBC
commentators
were asked to
leave due to
their distracting
ringside commentary, they
reportedly said
they didn’t want
to stay anyway,
as there were
of the U.S. gymnastics team “won
one (the gold medal) for Jordyn” or
how Jordyn’s loss helped her other
teammates, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, compete in the finals.
In swimming, whenever
possible, Michael Phelps would
be the center of attention. Relay
This comment actually seemed to
apply to many of the sports without
USA athletes; on NBC, many of the
sporting events without Americans
were either not broadcasted or shoehorned to open spots near the end of
the Olympics or earlier on in the day.
If there were no Americans, NBC
probably was not all that interested.
The decision for NBC
to broadcast how the United
States is involved in the Olympics gives off a nasty whiff of
ethnocentricity (and in some
cases, biases against race or
gender). In the airing of the
opening ceremonies, NBC cut
a tribute to the victims of the
7/7 London bombings, ignored
countries following the USA as
the commentators continued to
talk about the US team, and even
mispronounced several countries’ names. It’s paradoxical:
The Olympics bring the world to
a common ground that is filled
with history and pride, while the
messages that NBC transferred
were “Is our nation ‘winning’?”
In just fifteen days, twenty six
sports, over three hundred sporting events, the London Olympics
stirred up excitement, unfiltered
euphoria, unbiased appreciation,
and a general feeling of being
mutually connected to the rest of
the world.
Unfortunately, American editorializing failed to convey this message.
September 2012
Feigning Writing for Followers!
Elizabeth Dao
Matadors Editor
As marked by its apparent presence in societal life today,
the ever-expanding establishments
of social media and social networking have generated the opportunity
for the millions of people inhabiting the world to connect with one
another as well as allow them to
contribute their significantly substantial sentiments on just about
anything and everything. Pervasive in this modern culture of networking, these mediums of communication have instilled a sense
of communal camaraderie, an essence which seems to be lacking
outside the comfort of our rooms
nowadays. Part of this structure of
online sociality encompasses the
revealing world of blogs, including the teen attraction Tumblr.
In order to create a blog
on the World Wide Web, one is
first expected to fulfill a set of
rigorous prerequisites, for not just
anybody can arbitrarily log onto
the computer and publish rubbish
on the Internet; if it is on the Internet, it has to be legitimate material. Despite this level of online
accreditation, not all bloggers are
exactly what we can distinguish as
true writers. Although it is without
doubt that there are some decidedly talented bloggers out there,
writers offer substance that mainstream bloggers cannot attempt to
imitate for the sake of their lives–
their blogging lives, that is.
Unlike books of literature that have endured the test of
time and the like authored by writers, blogging is predominantly
about self-promotion. The system
of acquiring followers or subscribers and consequently the procurement of online recognition plays a
major role in the development of
a blog. In such a case, bloggers
must appeal to the masses by solely marketing the vogues and trends
at the moment, never to advance
lackluster ideas that have circulated reiteratively; conformity is thus
the basis of a blogger’s page. The
venture of conceiving innovative
thought is an absolute deathtrap
for blogs as discord with the majority will only lead to visible condemnation on the comment page
and the eventual descent into online oblivion. Writers, on the hand,
are by no means barred from introducing novel thought to the world
as they do not write to please but
to satisfy the relentless need of
the mind to divulge the wonders
of human thought onto paper.
Whatever philosophy or value one
observes from a brief passage of
writing fails to reveal itself in any
blog posts on the entire Internet.
It’s accurate to then say that bloggers merely don’t hold a candle to
writers; while blogging exacerbates, writing enlightens.
Regardless of writing
and blogging’s disparities in substance, many bloggers maintain
that blogging is indeed writing.
When taking a look at the popular blogging platform Tumblr, it is
stupefying (and distressing) to see
that the majority of the top posts
consists of emotionally ambiguous song lyrics; repulsively redundantly advice that somebody
found on Google; or cliché quotes
about love, life, or friendship. The
sources of these profound posts
somehow manage to rack up on
thousands and thousands of followers, but one has to wonder how
such worldly insight is achieved
by those who sit at their computer for hours on end refining their
million-of-hits blogs. Another
integral part of the website’s postings incorporate the everyday life
of an average teenage. Because
blogs are web logs, it makes sense
that bloggers would blog about
the affairs of their lives; however,
it is simply ridiculous when they
try to make every single event that
happens to them sound like an occasion to be celebrated. It is bad
enough that such nonsense is clogging up storage space on the web
servers, but when the bloggers try
too hard to sound sophisticated and
interesting, it makes other of mankind, especially when the erudite
prose has grammatical mistakes in
it. OBNOXIOUSLY OBVIOUS
MISTAKES. Somewhere in their
delusional minds, these bloggers
hold the vainglorious belief that
Editorials
Patrick Jeon
Are We Late?
Page 3
exactly when testing is over,
while we and other schools
have another month or so of
just class time. This period
of time is filled with mostly
projects and such to make
the days pass by. Would it
not be better to have this
time off spent at our own
homes instead?
And how does this affect
anyone who does not take
AP classes or are opposed
to having a short summer
for one year? Well, anyone not taking AP classes
will definitely enjoy the
fact that they will finally be able to leave school
at the same time as their
Though it could hold
true for only a few classes,
summer homework might
even be drastically lowered.
For many of the classes, the
whole reason we have summer homework is because
we do not have time to cover
that material fully in class
during our shortened year
compared to other schools.
Imagine the joy it would
bring to all people who do
have
summer
homework
and dread doing it or would
rather do it with the help of
a teacher! As of right now, a
summer free of homework is
near unimaginable because
of the sheer impossibility of
classes not handing out summer assignments due to how
the school year is scheduled.
friends from other districts and may even have
a greater chance to hang
with them over the course
o f s u m m e r. O n e s h o r t s u m mer might sound outrageous, but it can only be
pictured as delayed gratification. Once summers
are lengthened again, the
v e r y f o l l o w i n g y e a r, i t w i l l
feel elongated and satisfaction will brim among
all students.
We m i g h t f e e l t h e
e ff e c t s o f a s h o r t e n e d s u m m e r f o r o n l y o n e y e a r. A f ter that, we would have
the same summer that we
a l w a y s h a d , o n l y s o o n e r,
a n d e v e n b e t t e r. I m a g i n e
the possibilities and drool
y o u r h e a d o ff !
their tumblrs and blogs deserve the
Pulitzer Prize from the numbers of
followers they have and reblogs
they get, but think again, blogging
fiends! These followers do not only
follow blogs for their nriching posts:
they follow to gain followers as
well. Rarely does a blogger follow
another blog due to its extraordinarily perceptive view of the
world as much as the “followee”
would like to think. ‘Tis the cruel
world of tumblr and blogging.
It goes to show that a
blog ost can be read in a minute yet forgotten in a blink
of an eye, whereas worthy writing
can be processed over a period of
days or possibly even weeks and
still be remembered for a lifetime.
What an honor it is then that we
students are assigned to study
good writing rather than dull
blogs throughout the school year!
might have with no outward
signs of symptoms.
Owning a gun does not
automatically mean protection.
There are always other ways of
protecting oneself, such as selfdefense classes and even the
cliché baseball bat. Research
proclaims that guns used in selfdefense equate to two times out
of 1,000 incidents (0.2%). Most
of the people that have guns supposedly for self-defense do not
even use them when the time
comes.
Guns have lead people
to commit suicide, assassinate
presidents, go on a mass murder
shooting, etc. But the government still upholds the useless
second amendment. Yes, everyone does have a right to protect
himself/herself, but it does not
mean that a gun is necessary for
one to do that. The law can be
changed to limit the excessive
sale of firearms.
Compared to America,
England tightly controls firearms
by law, and there is no strong
public opposition over its gun
control. It historically has one of
the lowest rates of gun homicides
in the world. In the U.S., the recorded intentional homicides
committed with a firearm are
about 40 times higher than that
of England. Furthermore, 60%
of all homicides in the United
States were perpetrated using a
firearm. Maybe we should learn
something from a country with
effective policies.
Many people support
the current gun law and also feel
sympathy for the victims who
suffered in the Colorado shooting. However, it is a bit ironic
that they champion the legality of gun purchases that allowed
James Holmes to buy the riffle
that killed a dozen people. What
happened in Aurora was the act of
a mentally unbalanced man with
access to destructive weaponry.
One of the issues was
the “easy access” Holmes had to
“assault weapons.” The rifle that
Holmes is accused of using to kill
12 people and wound 58 others
would have been illegal under
previous gun legislation that expired in 2004. If the policy had
not been changed, perhaps the
incident would never have taken
place.
People kill people? That
may be true, but guns make it
happen. The Unites States should
learn its lesson from past events
and exercise more control over
the distribution of firearms.
Staff Writer
As proof that the
wonderful school year has
started, you are reading this
article here in September. We
all have experienced other
friends wonderfully poking
fun at us for leaving school
extremely late and we have
always retorted back by stating that we start school later.
Without further inspection,
this seems to be a standard
trade-off. Only when we
delve deeper into this do we
find the real flaws of starting at a later time than other
schools.
Anyone who has already taken an AP class can
vouch for the fact that by
starting later, students are
forced to go over materials at
a much more vigorous pace
than other schools in order to
cram in the same amount of
material that another school
has gone through. By starting earlier, schools can generally grant their students an
effective two to four extra
weeks of AP preparation that
would previously have been
nonexistent. Four weeks
could mean the difference
between a student getting a
five versus a four or even a
two versus a three on his or
her AP test.
Truth be told, after AP testing, most students are dead tired and are
waiting for summer break.
School, however, does not
end after we finish our test.
Other schools efficiently end
Violence is GUNna Come
Bansari Patel
Matadors Editor
We have all heard the
famous argument: Guns don’t
kill people – people kill people.
But honestly, is that completely
true?
If the country supports
practically giving away guns,
brutal events such as mass shootings are going to inevitably take
place. There are no “if’s” about
it or even any way to prevent it,
unless something is done about
the ineffective gun control laws
in the United States. The mass
shooting in Colorado and the
act of domestic terrorism in
Wisconsin, which took place
this summer, provide tangible
evidence of the fallacy of the
government’s gun policies.
Over the decades, second amendment has made it possible for citizens to have easy access to firearms, for reasons such
as “protection and security.” And
of course they are the only reasons, aren’t they? Because they
are the “proper” reasons to give
when applying for a gun permit. There cannot possibly be
hidden agendas in the minds of
those who desire to own an AR15 semi-automatic rifle, such as
going on a crazy mass shooting
spree at a, suppose, movie theater.
The background checks
that the government requires on
those applying to purchase a gun
do not and cannot predict future
actions based on the past. They
also cannot detect possible psychological problems that one
Features
Page 4
September 2012
A Senior’s Classified School Survival Guide While you’re not hitting the books,
Anh Pham
Staff Writer
Based upon my own
personal insight as a BGHS
senior, I can certainly say that
high school has been a never
ending, emotional rollercoaster
ride. From the inclining highlights of pep rallies and dances
to the horrible plunges of allnighters and final exams, life as
a high school student has been
highly enjoyable and sometimes
not so enjoyable. Furthermore,
we all must face what we never
want to experience: embarrassment. Whether it may be a simple loose fly or a dramatic trip
down the hall, embarrassment
is embarrassment and it causes
us to feel like crawling under a
rock and dying.
Although I may be no
Superman, I’m here to save
you—yes you!—from facing
the inevitable possibilities of
suffering a lifetime of unforgettable high school humiliation.
Therefore, I present a few tips
that can save you from facing
some of the worst high school
experiences.
1. The best kinds of smiles are
clean smiles.
The last thing you want is to talk
to a person who is more preoccupied with the piece of fried chicken
stuck between your teeth than with
you. So, when in doubt, check your
teeth out!
2. The yellow door lines are there
for a reason!
Having a door rammed into your
face is not the best feeling in the
world. In all truth, it’s like getting
slapped in the face with a five-inchthick piece of metal—because it’s
basically just that. To prevent this,
do take note of the yellow lines
down the hall because the person
opening the door from the inside
isn’t always aware of who is on the
outside.
3. Look at what you eat before
you put it in your mouth.
The last thing you need is getting
the reputation of ‘Sir-Gags-A-Lot’.
Check what you’re eating before you mistakenly bite into who
knows what. Not only will this
save you, but it will save the custodians from cleaning your mess.
4. When you drop a pencil and
think you can’t pick it up, don’t
think twice in trying.
The worst thing that can happen is
hit the gym
Nicole Martinez
that you will lean too far and tumble over like a tower of blocks in
a game of Jenga. As a solution,
carry an extra pencil, or better yet,
ask a classmate to pick up your
pencil for you. You might make a
new friend out of it instead of being remembered as “the kid who
fell flat on his/her face.”
5. When there’s a tardy sweep,
make sure you look to your left
and right when entering the
classroom.
I cannot emphasize to you how ridiculous and utterly embarrassed
I felt when I had rushed into class
and unknowingly collided with
another student. We both fell flat
on the ground, with a grand audience to mock at our misfortune.
Do not try to encounter the same
fate as I did, and be extra cautious
of your surroundings, especially
during tardy sweeps.
Staff Writer
During the school year,
most of Bolsa Grande High
School’s students are often too
preoccupied to find time to work
out. Whether it would be homework, last minute cramming,
sports, clubs, or just plain laziness,
many students find it incredibly
hard to squeeze in a workout into
their hectic lives. For this reason,
tons of teens take advantage of the
summer to finally engage in exercising and toning up.
Although getting motivated to exercise can be hard for
some, finding a gym that addresses
their needs can play a harder role
for others. Fortunately, for all of
us underpaid or jobless Matadors,
various gyms throughout Orange
County pity the fool, or in our case
the poor, enough to have reduced
rates during the summertime.
Twenty-Four Hour Fitness, for instance, charges thirtytwo dollars per month without
anactivation fee during the during the early weeks of summer.
Since the gym is open twenty-four
hours, one can have his way and go
as early or late as he pleases for his
workout. Twenty-Four Hour Fitness also has a number of different
machines, therefore allowing its
guests to target any and every muscle that they wish to tone. From a
variety of machines to friendly and
helpful employees, Twenty-Four
Hour Fitness is definitely a place
that is hospitable to BG’s students.
Furthermore, we have
all seen Planet Fitness’s commercial with the guy that boldly
states “I lift things up and put them
down.” Surely, we have wondered if we, too, could lift things
up and put them down at this gym
ourselves. Well, with an initiation
fee of only forty dollars and a following monthly rate of ten bucks,
some of Bolsa’s students have already found their way to this gym.
Like Twenty-Four Hour Fitness,
Planet Fitness is opened twentyfour hours Monday through Thursday, and it also accommodates its
guests with a wide variety of machines.
Thus, Matadors don’t
fret, for there are gyms out there
waiting for you with open and affordable arms.
More Flavors, 100 Years Later! Advice Column
Anhthu Dang
As-Is Editor
Nearly a hundred
years after it was dunked in
its first glass of milk, Nabisco’s OREO cookies continue
to be an all time favorite
amongst many Americans today. On March 6th, 2012, the
chocolate-crème-filled sandwich cookies finally mark its
100th anniversary, igniting
a series of celebrations and
special promotions that include new unique flavors of
the OREO cookie.
It’s not a real birthday party without the cake.
Last February, Nabisco rereleased its Birthday Cake
flavored OREO and it is to
continue throughout the entire summer. This limited
edition sandwich cookie
is known for its confettilike filling, adding an extra
crunch to the classic vanilla
crème. The promotion will
not last long, so grab one
while it lasts!
Moreover, the Nabisco Company recently initiated its line of Ice Cream
flavored OREOs with the
release of the Berry Burst
OREO that consisted of
strawberry crème fillings
rather than the usual vanilla. With its successful
run on the market, Nabisco
progresses its new line with
a more colorful addition,
the “Limited Edition Rainbow Shure, Bert! OREO.”
with its overwhelming scent
of rainbow sherbet. Other than
its magnificent aroma, its lime
and raspberry filling is surrounded by two golden cookies. Indeed, the taste is quite
similar to rainbow sherbet,
only not so tangy but more toward the sweet.
Another new release
of similar category includes
the “Limited Edition Cookies n’ Cream OREO.” Though
it sounds bizarre to integrate
OREO cookie pieces inside the
OREO itself, it was actually a
pretty good idea. It gives the
OREO cookie more pizzazz to
its chocolate side, but one too
many can leave its consumer
dumbfounded with a lingering
OREO aftertaste.
Summer is quite the
heat, and likely, someone is
is bound to stop for an ice
cold coconut drink. But if you
cannot get one and also have
a craving for chocolate, then
stop by your local grocery
for the most recent addition
of OREO cookies, the “Fudge
Crème
Coconut
Delight
OREO!” Unlike other goodies with coconut flakes, the
“Fudge Crème Coconut Delight OREO” has the original
coconut flavor blended as its
own crème filling. The tropical flavor is quite fitting for
the summer, but in admittance,
fudge and coconut is certainly
a unique flavor combination.
Even after a hundred
years after its creation, OREO
still dominates in today’s market and in the lives of many
people across the globe. And
despite the new distinct flavors, OREO continues to reign
as “Milk’s Favorite Cookie.”
1) Dear Sassy Suzy & Responsive Ronald, I’m an incoming
freshman and I’m really scared.
Could you guys give me any tips
to survive high school?
-Freshmangrl01
Dear Freshmangrl01,
Honestly, no one survives high
school. No matter who you are,
you will come out of high school
with a set of unforgettable issues.
2) Hey Double S& R! It’s my
last year here and I have a friend
that I’m crushing on. But I don’t
know what to do. Should I confess or just stay as friends?
-Confusedboi
Dear Confusedboi,
It’s your last year. Obviously,
you should confess. Marry that
girl. Just kidding, don’t do that;
just confess.
3) Yo Suzy and Ronald, I’ve noticed some people around school
with awesome lip rings. Know
where I can get my lips done?
-Thanks, LipRingLuver
Dear LipRingLuver,
Why would you want a piece of
metal in your lip? You know how
easily that thing gets infected?
Would you really put your ability
to eat at risk for a scrap of metal?
If you decide to object the opinions of a wise, wise man then
I’m sure the jail cell at your local police department will have
a piercing booth that is pretty
cheap. Stay clean.
4) Dear Sassy Suzy & Responsive Ronald, Every year, I always
end up losing my big binder that
pretty much holds all my stuff.
What should I do? I’m tired of
always wasting a good buck on
something so pointless.
-CheapChester
Dear CheapChester,
CheapChester there is a really
clear solution to this: Super glue
the binder onto your body. That
way you will never lose your
binder again.
5) Hey there Ms. Sassy and Mr.
Responsive, I’m new to Bolsa
Grande and I’m really excited to
see what the school has in store.
Is there anything that I should
keep an eye out for?
-Missouri_Chick
Dear Missouri_chick,
Besides the BGHS journalism,
no.
6) Sassy Suzy and Responsive
Ronald, I’m an incoming freshman I heard that the school’s
locker rooms are haunted. I’m
extremely paranoid when it
comes to ghosts and the undead.
What should I do?
-Hates2beAlone
Dear Hates2beAlone,
Truth is you’re right. The girls’
locker room is infested with
poltergeist. As you know, there
is absolutely nothing you could
do about these ghosts. Therefore, I suggest you be scarier and
weirder than the ghosts. When
you enter the locker room, start
screaming something random
at the top of your lungs, like
“radish tastes like my hair” and
banging on lockers, while doing
pushups or something strange.
Everyone will think you’re a
freak, but don’t worry, no ghosts
will dare come near you because
you’re crazy.
Features
September 2012
Page 5
Peacock Boo! Where Are You?
Paul Nguyen
Staff Writer
Some have claimed
that they have seen this
mythical creature in the
streets, in the neighborhoods
adjacent to Bolsa Grande
High School, or in the school
itself. This dangerous creature must not be tampered
with. Those who question the
existence of this fragile city
species are all at risk.
Legend has it that the
peacock dwells within the
forgotten corners of Bolsa
Grande High School. Others say that the peacock is a
mere figment of a tired student’s imagination. The pea-
cock only reveals itself to
the few who are faithful to it.
A scared young boy
who requested to remain
anonymous, thoroughly explained his close encounter
with the deadly yet majestic creature. The boy recalled walking home after
a community service at
precisely 11:3 2 AM with
one of his close friends. As
they walked off the school
grounds and headed into
the neighborhood directly
across from Bolsa, he had
a strange feeling, as if he
was being watched, or as if
he was being hunted. The
boy and his friend entered
deeper and deeper into the
n e i g h b o rh o o d , and a br upt-
ly, a shrill squawk pierced
their ears. With a sudden turn, the boy met eye
to eye with the peacock.
in. The boy was stricken
with fear and awe. Moments later, the bird was
gone and nowhere to be
He described the bird’s
gaze to be the coldest
yet most marvelous thing
he has ever been caught
seen. The boy told his other
friends, but none of them believed what had happened.
If approached by
the peacock, one should not
move, immediately drop to
the floor, and pretend to be
dead. Recent studies show
that this creature, similar to a bear, is not one to
find dead meat tasteful. Under any circumstances do
not run; you will only provoke it more. After it has
lost interest and is out of
sight, do not move. It may
still be watching you from
afar. However, if you spot
this mysterious peacock,
please contact the BGHS
journalism
department.
Does
this
peacock actually exist or is
it just a delusion that students
under
too
much
stress tend to imagine? Is
this story fact or fiction?
Awkward. It’s the New Word
Nicole Martinez
Newspaper Staff
Staff Writers
Dom Nguyen (Editor-in-Chief)
Shannon Advincula (Editor-in-Chief) Agata Ho
Amy Gonzalez
Megan Phan (Front Page Editor)
Anh Pham
Anhthu Dang (As-Is Editor)
Chuong Vu
Lisa Dinh (As-Is Editor)
Chris Bui
Bansari Patel (Matadors Editor)
Daniella Phung
Elizabeth Dao (Matadors Editor)
Daniel Duong (Distribution Manager) Hubert Pham
Nicole Martinez (Business Manager) Janice Huynh
Julie Dang
Patrick Jeon (Features Editor)
Julie Nguyen
Sy Ha (Features Editor)
Katie Le
Tina Pham (Layout Editor)
Keven Le
Photographers
Ms. Hannah Jaspard (Adviser)
Amy Lim
Don Phung
Questions? Comments? Write to us
Hao Lu
at [email protected]
Tony Nguyen
Steven Vu
Kevin Le
Theresa Tran
Khanh Tran
Manly Pham Thao Phan
Philip Nguyen Tram Hong
Phuong Nguyen Tran Dinh
Sophia Nguyen
Disclaimer: The opinions
expressed in the editorials
do not reflect the opinions
of “Matador Monthly” as a
whole. Our staff members
are capable of the mysterious phenomenon commonly referred to as independent thought.
Staff Writer
Most
teenagers
tend to find themselves in
situations that have been
awkward,
misfortunate,
depressing, or even all of
the above. But unlike the
typical teenage dimwit that
tries to shy away from these
situations, Jenna Hamilton,
the protagonist from MTV’s
show “Awkward,” has been
a role model to any human
who has ever been a teenager, for she has learned to
embrace all of these misfortunes and turned her lemons
into lemonade.
In the first season,
which aired in 2011, the audience first meets Jenna, a
girl who was forced to wear
an awkward L-shaped arm
cast after an accident that
became a misunderstanding of epic proportions, for
many of her fellow classmates of Palos Hills High
believed her accident to
be an attempted suicide.
Throughout the season,
Jenna, although burdened
by an anonymous and cruel
“carefrontation” letter and
her crush and friend with
benefits Matty Mckibben,
tries to turn the very stigma
that was socially murdering
her into a way to show the
world, or at least her fellow
classmates, that she was not
simply “that girl,” but her
own person. In the process,
Jenna finds herself stuck in a
love triangle with Matty and
his best friend, Jake.
When this season
ended, many of Bolsa’s
viewers wondered “who is
she going to stay with?” Although she is still bombarded with awkward happenings
on a daily basis, the audience sees Jenna coming out
of her shell in season two.
leaving Jenna heartbroken
and free for Matty. Unfortunately, what Matty and Jenna
felt was “the right timing,”
AKA their hook-up after the
break up, was not right at
all, for Jake watched the passionate session and believed
them both to be cheaters.
Thus, Jenna’s love
triangle was no longer confined to her mind, and it
Now, she has gone
from the girl that everyone thought was slitting her
wrists to the girl that is dating Jake Rosati, the president of her class and current best friend of her first
love. As the season unfolds,
Jenna finds herself trying to
deal with her parents’ separation, a love triangle, and
a cruel arch-nemesis, Sadie
Saxton.
Matty and Jenna
never told Jake about their
former relationship. Thus,
when Sadie rudely informs
Jake that Matty had enjoyed some “Hamilton pie”
before he did, Jake abruptly ends the relationship,
would soon become public
when she allows the entire
world to read her virtual
haven, or blog, in which
she had depicted everything: Her family life,
friendships, and relationship with both beaus. By
claiming to be team Jake
o r M a t t y, h e r c l a s s m a t e s
were pressuring Jenna to
choose, and later on, after the boys literally fight
o v e r h e r, t h e y, t o o , w a n t
her to choose. As the season comes to a close, eve r y o n e i s s t i l l l e f t w o n d e ring whom she will pick:
Matty or Jake?
Matadors
Page 6
Retaining the Gold
Julie Mai
Guest Writer
“ We a r e f r o m B o l s a ,
w e c o u l d n ’t b e p r o u d e r …
a n d i f y o u c a n ’t h e a r u s ,
we’ll yell a little louder!”
Does this cheer sound familiar? At the 52nd annual
O r a n g e
C o u n t y
Leadership Conference
held
at
UC Santa
Barbara
from August 14th1 7 t h ,
B G A S B
’12-‘13
represented
their
s c h o o l
as
they
p l a c e d
first
for
the second
time in a
row with
their original, creative
twist of their skit based on
the popular board game,
M o n o p o l y. Wi t h n e a r l y t w o
months of having to endure
the excruciatingly humid
w e a t h e r, B G A S B m a n a g e d
to practice their dances,
paint their backdrops and
props, and have leisure
time to bond with one ano t h e r. T h e y w e r e “ s h o w
ready” at camp as they had
the chance to interact with
leaders from other schools,
learn many life morals in
workshops, and experience
once in a lifetime moments that they would
t r e a s u r e f o r e v e r. M a n y
a l u m n i , f a m i l y, a n d p e e r s
came to the performance
to show his or her support
as BGASB proudly ended
the talent show ceremony
with a standing ovation
from the crowd.
When
inquired about how it felt
retrieving the gold two
y e a r s i n a r o w, A S B p r e s i d e n t Tr a v i s N g u y e n ( 1 2 )
replied,
“ Wo w ! Wo r d s
can’t even explain the
feeling of winning first
place. I guess the feeling is a little bittersweet.
My cabinet and I have
been working on our skit
f o r a b o u t t w o m o n t h s . We
have put our tears and
sweat into something we
had no idea what the outcome would turn to be.
When we found out that
we won, I had a feeling
of relief because from
that moment, I knew that
my cabinet would all feel
that it was worth it to
spend all summer work-
ing on a 5 minute skit. All
in all, I am just so ecstatic
that we were able to pull
through as a group and obtain the gold!” It truly is
a remarkable breakthrough
for BGASB to acquire first
place for two consecutive years. As they would
agree, “Gold coins are
worth a lot, but leadership
is the jackpot!” Congratulations BGASB ’12-’13 for
your victory!
Keep Calm and Lead On
Janice Huynh
Staff Writer
On August 28th, 2012,
77 new students arrived at the
Boy’s gym at 7:00 A.M. At such
an early hour, the gym was already buzzing with energy and
movement as students were rushing up and down bleachers and
doorways in preparation for the
2016 Freshman Orientation. The
students, ranging from clubs such
ASB, Men’s League, and Women’s League, all had training in
preparation for this event months
beforehand during their summer.
At 8:00 A.M, tens of new freshmen had already filled the gym,
prompting the day to begin.
The orientation started
off with a few activities, such as
assembling each other in various
shapes in individual groups, figuring out to order each other by
height and age by only communicating silently, and learning a few
interesting facts about one another. Then there was a quick word
from Mr. Engel and Mrs. Milner,
prompting Link Crew leaders to
gather their groups and to start
individual group exercises. The crowd went
into different groups in
separate classrooms for
more activities and insight about themselves
and their fellow classmates.
The activities
ranged from basic introductions of names
and interesting facts
about themselves, to
informational and deep exercises,
which allowed the leaders to talk
about personal struggles that they
had faced in their attendance in
at Bolsa, or some examples of
what would be expected of the
incoming freshmen in the future
classes they would be taking.
Overall, both groups got to learn
about each other, know a couple
more names and faces, and learn
a couple wise words about high
school. Next, the freshman got
a tour of the campus and a basic introduction of important
and useful information about the
school, such as where the bookstore was, where they could purchase an I.D, the basic order of
the classrooms on campus, where
September 2012
Kickin’ Off
the New Season
Nicole Martinez
Bolsa Grande High
School’s football team has, over
the years, become infamous for
its continuous
losses.
But
ever since the
team changed
coaches, it has
seen a glimpse
of hope in the
seemingly
never-ending
tunnel
called
failure.
Last
season,
our
football team
ended the two year losing
streak by winning four out of
ten games, thus showing the
campus the team’s tenacious
spirit and desire to improve.
Now, with the start of the new
season, Bolsa’s students are
asking themselves one question: how successful will the
team be this year?
On, Friday, August
31st, BG’s Football team
played its first game of the season against Laguna Beach High
School. With a score of 14 to
62, the team seemed to kick
off the season on the wrong
foot. Most students at Bolsa
now thought to themselves,
here comes another season
of defeats… hoorah! But our
Football team had an amazing
comeback when they played
Saddleback High School on
Saturday, September 8th. With
this victory, the football team
not only gained a win, but also
can finish this season, not only
with more wins than last year,
but also with enough victories
to make it to the playoffs. We
have what it takes, but we just
need to take the season week by
week and look to become better
each game.” When asked what
he felt that the team lacked,
he replied, “game-time experience.
We just need to get
one or two more games in so
that some of our younger players can get the feel of playing
under the lights at the varsity
level, because a varsity game
is faster and a lot more intense
than a freshman or JV game,
which means that it takes a little getting used to.”
Now, as the season
continues, all we can do as
spectators is keep our fingers
crossed and be as supportive as
we can possibly be to this fresh
and hopeful team.
XCeeding the Limits
Amy Gonzalez
the gym and locker rooms were,
where they could purchase lunch,
or where they could buy their
tickets for various school events.
The freshman’s link
leaders all came with props
prepared, and led the tour with
the freshman in costumes ranging from Pac-man and assorted
ghosts, Fairy princesses, pirates,
and detectives. In the end, all
the students headed back into
the gymnasium for a talk about
the importance of leadership and
an inspirational speech to enjoy
upcoming high school years.
The orientation was finished at
12:00 P.M and by the response of
the freshman towards the whole
event, it was a successful and informational day.
Staff Writer
gave the school some much
needed pride.
Michael
Marquez,
our running back and one of
Bolsa’s most talented football
players and captains, says that
he has a “positive outlook” for
this season. “I believe that we
Staff Writer
The cross country season
has finally arrived and the Bolsa
Grande XC team, training long
and hard since the day track season
ended, is well prepared and ready
to defend its title for a third and
consecutive year as Garden Grove
League Champions. The runners
have been regularly attending practices either in the morning or in the
afternoon, both testing their dedication and hitting them with the
scorching heat and the beating sun.
Whether it’s running hills or doing
speed workouts at the park, they’ve
been fully committed to doing their
absolute best so when the time
comes to race, they represent Bolsa
honorably and make us all proud.
As the lead runner and one of the
youngest on the team, Jeannette
Zambrano said: “Don’t be anyone
but who you are,” in regards to
making decisions not only about
sports, but in life too. She, along
with the rest of her team, is thrilled
for the start of a new season accompanied by new opponents and new
goals.
With the races approaching at almost Jeannette’s speed,
there was one on Saturday, Sep. 8th
that took the spotlight away from
the infamous first day of school for
them. Their day, beginning bright
and early at 6:30 AM, ended with
great success; the girls team took
home third place overall and Jeanette coming fourth in the race.
While the rest of the student body
was worrying about what supplies
to get and what to wear, the cross
country team was worried about
where their racing shoes were and
whether or not to wear a watch.
Don’t be mistaken though, the team
is enthralled with the start of school
and new classes. Coach Van, who
doesn’t usually give his team a
motivational speech but lets the
confidence surge within them and
allows them to motivate each other
did have few but impactful words
this year: “Run ‘till you’re done!”
These words will be reflected every
time the runners put their uniforms
on and enter each race course, sustaining a strong will to move forward and striving to the finish. You
may think they team is out of their
right minds because in reality, their
sport is your sport’s punishment.
Matadors
September 2012
Back to School Survey!
Amy Lim
Staff Writer
Teachers: What did you do
over the summer?
Mr. Miller: I worked out! I did
Insanity over summer, hung out
with my kids, and went on vacation.
Mr. Aviles: I took my kids to
Knott’s Berry Farm because we
got a season pass. We went to
Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo,
Las Vegas, and Circus Circus. I
was playing poker nonstop and
won some money.
Mr. Frey: I taught summer
school and that was it. It was a
boring summer! Summer school
and drove my kids places.
Mr. Martin: I taxi’d my kids.
My kid is a junior lifeguard so I
had to drive him to and from for
eight weeks. While they were
doing that, I surfed for two hours
every day. We went to Utah for
seven days and I went camping at
San Onofre.
Seniors: What are you looking
forward to the most for your senior year?
Brittany Concepcion: One particular thing that I’m looking forward to is moving out when I’m
18 and going to college through
the military.
Douglas Galm: I’m looking forward to a good year! Good is always good. Let’s have a GOOD
year!
Peter Huynh: Lip Sync and Gender Feud! I’m really excited to
see what themes they’ll come up
Alumni Corner
Andrew Huynh
BGHS Class of 2009
University of California, Santa
Cruz
Major: Business Management
Economics
It has been three
years since I have graduated
from high school and quite
a bit has changed. I began
my undergraduate studies
at the University of Dayton
in Dayton, Ohio and after
my first year, I found myself transferring to the University of California, Santa
with. The dances look so fun! I
know there’s a lot of school spirit,
and I know I have a lot but not
enough.
Tinhuy Huynh: The thing that
I’m looking forward to for senior
year is prom! It’s my last year
and prom is something you get
once in a lifetime.
Paul Kim: Baseball season!
We’re going to take league! Yeah!
Elizabeth Lopez: I’m looking forward to having fun and spending
time with my friends because it’s
our last year. I hope everything
turns out good for everyone!
Vincent Nguyen: Three AP
classes. Just kidding! Graduation, definitely! I can’t wait to
leave!
Chelzea Tipones: I’ve been in
Lipsync for 3 years now. Despite
the fact that it’s time consuming
and a lot of work, I can’t wait for
Lip Sync! And, of course, Prom!
Prom is very stressful…
Diana Tran: The thing I will look
forward to the most my senior
year is just making good memories and when I look back, I’ll
know that I made the most of my
last year
Juniors & Sophomores: What
has been your funniest high
school experience?
Lily Cao(10): Opening a locker
that I thought was mine. I kept
thinking, “Why won’t my locker open?!” after so many tries.
Then, a guy approached me from
behind and said “that’s my locker.” I felt embarrassed and it was
in the middle of the school year,
too!
Victoria Le (10): During water
polo practice, I got punched in the
face while another girl was swimming the other way.
Cindy Lim (10): I saw my friend
holding cup noodles and asked
him where he got it. “I got it at
the student store,” he said. My
other friend and I started to walk
toward the bookstore until Mr.
Patterson stopped us. “Where
are you two going?” “The bookstore,” I replied. “What are you
getting at the bookstore?” “Cup
noodles.” “Well, I’m sorry but
they don’t sell cup noodles at the
bookstore.”
Alan Nguyen (10): During band
camp, I poured water onto the
grass while Mr. Miller was sitting
down, and all the water seeped
into his pants.
Brian Phan (11): When I walked
into the wrong classroom. I was
about to sit down but then I was
like “Wait, this isn’t my class!”
Henry Vu(11): My funniest high
school moment was when my
friends tried to pants me. The
button broke off and I walked
around the entire day holding up
my pants.
Freshmen: How was your first
day of school?
Jair Fabiah: My first day of
school was different. There were
more people and I was kind of
scared.
Kathy Lac: It was nice. All of
the classes were good, but it’s
been a slow day.
Tammy Nguyen: It was great! I’m
looking forward to the rest of the
school year.
Alexis Flores: My first day of
school was fun and exciting! I
liked it. I enjoyed meeting new
people and getting lockers!
Page 7
New but Familiar Faces
Steven Vu
Staff Writer
The year 2012 is starting off with big changes, but
nothing is bigger than the
changes of two major club advisors. Mr. Rob Engel, former
advisor of Cheer and Key Club,
has given up his both of his positions in order to become the
new advisor for ASB. As he
was the former president for
his ASB back in Pacifica High
School, Mr. Engel does know
about the expectations and duties that ASB embodies. However, he is still also fairly new
to managing this organization.
When asked what his biggest
challenge with becoming the
new advisor, he said that because his position is “new”, he
feels that there will be “new
surprises of the position coming fast and furious”. Although
it is his first year advising this
club, he is quickly picking up
speed and getting on top of his
game. He has already begun to
make the club more involved
with community service both
in and out of school. Aside
from ASB, he is still currently
the advisor for Men’s League
and is still teaching his typical
business course.
With Mr. Engel no
longer advisor for Key Club,
who would take his place?
Well, a beloved AP Stats
teacher and advisor of MESA
has stepped up to the plate and
accepted the challenge. Mr.
Ryan Tonthat has currently
taken the position of advisor
of Key Club. Being the former
Key Club President of his old
school, Anaheim High, Mr.
Tonthat is indeed familiar with
the pledge, cheers, spirit, and
energy that makes Key Club
what it really is. When asked
what goal he has in mind for
Key Club in 2012-2013, he
replied “to bring Key Club
home, closer to our students
and their community.” He
wants to spread the image of
Key Club to the rest of the student body and staff, while still
maintaining membership and
high service hours both on and
off campus.
Finally, the last but
certainly not least of our advisor club changes involves none
other than our beloved cheerleaders. In place of Mr. Engel,
Ms. Trang Tran has gracefully
accepted the role of advisor for
cheer. When asked what goals
she has for this upcoming year,
she answered “to have the
same goal as Mr. Engel had
and to carry on his legacy that
has been present for 11 years.”
She stated “Cheer will have a
new look and a fresh face, but
the spirit and heart of cheer
will be the same. We will continue to give 100% of our time,
efforts, and hearts to Bolsa.”
With all these upcoming changes to our big clubs
on campus, this class year of
2012-2013 will surely be one
to remember. Get ready Matadors for a new and improved
look for a few of the clubs at
Bolsa Grande High School!
Reality Check
Cruz (UCSC). Now things
are suddenly becoming real.
I am about to begin my last
year of my undergraduate
career and that is not exactly
what scares me. Instead, it
is the thought of graduating
and finishing everything this
December. Basically in three
short months I will be walking away from UCSC with
a bachelor ’s degree in business management economics.
Back in high school,
the thought of graduating
was exciting as I was ready
to explore my options and
take faith in going into the
world blind-folded and letting it take me wherever it
wanted. However, knowing
that I am graduating college
soon does not provide me
with the same excitement.
I am frightened, nervous,
and anxious about what exists for me in the future. I
have begun preparation for
graduate studies by taking
my GMAT and researching
potential colleges. However,
job employment has created
the fear that has potentially
masked all of my excitement
for finishing a chapter in my
life.
During my undergraduate years I have done
everything I can to set myself up for the future and yet
Three months from
now I will know if everything I have done is enough
and I will be able to see what
my future holds – hopefully
it is something along the line
of graduate school as well as
employment. I can sit and
the unknown quality of the
world diminishes the slightest spark I have. I have held
a job, interned, and volunteered countless hours and
still, I will never know if
that is ever enough.
worry now but I do have
faith, well some faith.
The situations I have
experienced, the opportunities I seized have allowed
me to develop a mindset that
is much different from the
one I had in high school. But
do not fret; I am still that
obnoxious talkative nerd
that once roamed the hallways of Bolsa Grande High
School. Yet, I have managed to grow and understand
things that would have left
me confused. Still, no matter how much I have grown
or even how much I understand things around me, I
have tons left to explore and
be bewildered by.
Everything in the future is unknown now but one
thing I do know is for sure;
I will enjoy my last few
months at a school that has
allowed me to mature and
grow as a person, a student,
and a scholar. I will enjoy
the company of those who
I have met and experienced
emotional turmoil with. I
will enjoy the time I have
spent arguing the economy
with students of history and
political science. But most
of all, I will enjoy the fact
that I will accomplish a feat
that will allow me to move
forward in the future.
Page 8
Across
3. First to perform human heart transplant (1967)
9. First successful around-the-world solo flight by a woman (1964)
12. First wrapped chocolate bar (1900)
17. First female President of the Philippines (1986)
18. First Vietnamese American member of Congress (2008)
24. First 3D film (1922)
26. First woman to have her baby’s birth broadcast live over the Internet (1998)
27. First person to wear and model the world’s first bikini (1946)
28. First Hispanic American to win Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
(1959)
30. First non-Japanese sumo wrestler (1993)
32. First person to cheat on Robert Pattinson (2012)
35. First horror film to win an Oscar (1931)
36. First female serial killer in the US (1992)
Down
1. World’s first chess champion (1886)
2. First Hispanic American supermodel (1983)
4. First woman placed on FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list (1968)
5. First Muslim member of the US Congress (2007)
6. First monarch to live in Buckingham Palace (1837)
7. First African American in US Presidential Cabinet (1966)
8. First cloned mammal (1996)
10. First African American woman to own her own television production company (1986)
11. First known person to survive the jump off Niagara Falls (1829)
13. First US astronaut to orbit earth (1962)
14. First woman to run for President of the US (1872)
15. First openly gay US Congressman (1981)
16. First rapper to interrupt Taylor Swift at the VMAs (2009)
19. First US Supreme Court Justice (1789)
20. First artist on the cover of “Rolling Stone” magazine (1967)
21. First ethnic minority to lead a US Army Battalion (1943)
22. First person to get a perfect score in Pac-Man (1999)
23. First male to appear on the cover of “Playboy” magazine (1964)
25. First and only US President to resign from office (1974)
29. First quarterback to say “I’m going to Disneyland” after winning the Super
Bowl (1987)
31. First African American woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress (2002)
33. First person to win an Oscar and a Tony in the same year (1975)
34. First US President to be inaugurated in Washington, DC (1801)
As Is
September 2012