15325 E. Los Robles Ave. Hacienda Heights, CA 91745Volume XLVII, Issue 2 November 21, 2011 Circulation 2200

Instead of going to the localfarmers market to get your groceries,head down to the organic garden bedsconveniently located at various loca-tions on the campus of Los Altos HighSchool. Thanks to the newly formedConscious Club, we now have newlyplanted organic gardens on campus.

The club’s organic gardensconsist of six raised beds of carrots, broc-coli, beets, onions, lettuce, radishes, andcauliflower. They are located betweenthe C and D wing and also in the B wingplanters. The Conscious Club, advisedby Todd Hedell, English, started and fin-ished this project on Saturday, October29. “I hope this benefits the students inthat it gives them a real understandingof where food comes from,” says Hedell.In planting these organic gardens, Hedellhopes thatit will helpthe stu-dents un-der st an dthe cycleof natureand theg r owi n gperiods of certain vegetables. Theseveggies do not grow all year long. Hope-fully these organic gardens will teachstudents about various growth cyclesof vegetables.

Since this is Los Altos’ first or-ganic garden, it is unknown how suc-cessful the garden will be. If all goes well,the produce will first go to the studentsthat participated. Next, the produce willbe donated to a local homeless shelterso that they have fresh produce to eat.Lastly, if there is an abundance of pro-duce, the Conscious Club hopes to cre-ate a farmers market. The funds will goto the Conscious Club.

“I hope this will teach the stu-dents to appreciate their health,” saysHedell.The dedication they put into thisproject will hopefully pay off.

Wednesday, October 26marked the day of choir’s Fall PremiereConcert. Amanda Benavides, choir di-rector, organized the set by combiningall the school’s choirs in order to createa delightful arrangement of musical per-formances.

The evening started off with allof the choirs singing the traditional “StarSpangled Banner,” which was soon fol-lowed by the Vocal Ensemble section of

choir. Thegroup per-formed a to-tal of fourl o v e l ysongs, in-c l u d i n g“Song ofthe River”and “It’s

Only a Paper Moon.” Performing withall they had, the soloists of the sectiongrabbed the attention of the audiencewith their charm.

Following Vocal Ensemble wasLA Harmony… +2, who earned the nameby being a mostly female group with theexception of two male students. Thegroup performed a set of enjoyablesongs including “When Love is Kind”and “Lullaby of Broadway.” The +2 ofthe group of performers evoked a fewchuck-l e sfromt h eaudi-en ceb ya d d-ing af e wo ftheiro w nh u -morous moves into “He’s Gone Away.”

After LA Harmony… +2wrapped up their performance, it wasonly a matter of moments beforeWomen’s Ensemble took the stage. Thistalented group began their set with “Etin Terra Pax” and closed with “Sincerely.”Their music had the audience in awe asthe performers sang from their hearts.

Soon after, Production Choirmade itsway to thestage andwowed thea u d i e n c ewith theirp e p p ytunes andc r e a t i v ed a n c em o v e s .

They performed magnificently to songssuch as “And So it Goes,” “Pasaje,” and“Java Jive.” PC gave an all-out perfor-mance and stunned the audience withtheir charm and creativity.

Soloists in the show includedNia Vergara and Yanitza Herrera, fresh-men; Nefertari Barraza and CarlySanchez, sophomores; Iban Cisneros,Manuel Escalante, and Danelia Lujan,juniors; Connor Lee and Carlos Lozano,seniors.

ChoirBy Stephanie BishopNewspaper Editor in ChiefLos Altos High School’s Span-

ish Club hosted their eighth annual Dayof the Dead celebration on the eveningof October 27. Day of the Dead is a LatinAmerican custom that mocks death, mak-ing it not a dark sym-bol but an alive cel-ebration. It is cel-ebrated on Novem-ber 1 in many Latincountries.

The Span-ish Club decoratedthe Hacienda for thecelebration. It wasdecorated with“calaveras” (skel-etons) drawn by thestudents enrolled inSpanish classes. There was also an altarthat students made. The altar had pic-tures of dead relatives or friends alongwith an object that represented the de-

Dia De Los

collect gifts for children 5-9 years old.“This is a unique opportunity that wedon’t get very often,” expressed DavidSchmus, Conquerors for Christ advisor.“It is great to be able to turn little gifts wetake for granted into a blessing for a poorchild,” he added.

Senior Elizabeth Campbellagreed by stating this was a great way of

expressingthe truemeaning ofChristmas.“Some chil-dren mayhave neverreceived aChristmasgift, or anygift for thatm a t t e r .S h ow i n gthat theyare lovedwill change

their lives forever,” explained Campbell.She concluded, “The joy that these boxesbring to kids is amazing!”

The event concluded on No-vember 18. The fourth period class or stu-dent group that collected the most boxeswill win free pizza. You can learn moreabout this organization and track yourshoebox’s destination by visiting thewebsite at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ/.

For the past three years, Con-querors for Christ has carried out Opera-tion Christmas Child sponsored by anorganization named Samaritan’s Purse.This Christian relief organization collectsshoeboxes filled with basic supplies anddistributes them to children all aroundthe world. It has collected over 61 millionshoeboxes in over 135 countries. Overthe years, Conquerors for Christ has col-l e c t e dover twohundredb o x e s .This yearthey havetaken onthe chal-lenge tocollect thetwo hun-d r e dboxes inone yearalone.

Students that chose to partici-pate in this event donated shoeboxespacked with gifts such as toys, schoolsupplies, hygiene items, personal notes,and candy. They also included a $7 do-nation to cover shipping and handling.Students who chose to pay the dona-tion online have the opportunity of track-ing the destination of the gift by follow-ing the bar code of the product. Thisyear, Conquerors for Christ decided to

Operation

By Daisy GomezPage Editor

ceased and a candle. Erendida Andrade,Spanish, is one of the club’s advisors.She said, “People in the Latin Americancountries usually make altars and placethe dead relative’s favorite dish on these

altars. It isa nice wayto remem-ber the de-c e a s e d ,but we fo-cus moreon the spe-cific objectand pic-ture for thealtars.” InL a t i nAmerica,

the tradition is to go to the cemetery tocelebrate, dance, and eat as a remembranceof the dead. “The students and parentsinvolved in the event are very dedicated,”

Christmas

said Andrade. The students sold foodand drink from the Latin culture that in-cluded tamales, tacos, and champurado(hot chocolate). Some students per-formed in the event. Two students per-formed dances. A group of students per-formed two Folkloric dances while otherstudents had a dance group that per-formed a salsa and a meringue. The eventalso had a DJ for those that wanted todance.

The event also had its firstqueen competition. Girls from the Span-ish Club signed up to participate. Thewinner of the first contest was AngelicaSanchez, junior.

“The goal of the event was tobring parents, students, teachers, andadministration together and have a goodtime while continuing to celebrate an oldtradition,” said Andrade. The SpanishClub was happy with the turnout andthey hope to do it again next year.

By Yvette FrancoPage Editor

Dia de los Muertos altar

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By Melissa ChenInternet Editor

Conquerors for Christ members

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FeaturesThe Conqueror November 21, 20112

As the thanking holiday ar-rives, many people arethankful for multiple rea-sons. Whether it’s fromhealth to happinessthere’s almost alwayssomething to be thank-ful for. For many home-less people, they’rethankful for Hunger Ac-tion Club.

On Thanksgiv-ing Day, Hunger Actionwill be serving food to the less fortunate.They will be getting together on Thanks-

giving morning in Whittier to help thosein need. They’llbe bringing joyand full tum-mies to many ofthose who can-not help them-selves on thisjoyous occa-sion.

“Volunteersare the greatest

people to walk onthis earth,” says Connie Moreno, jun-ior. She’s not mistaken. Thanks to Hun-

Club Spotlight:

Hunger ActionBy Alex VelasquezPage Editor

ger Action, many homeless people willbe able to say, “I had a Thanksgivingmeal.”

President of Hunger Action,Amber Torres, junior, says, “Hunger Ac-tion is making a difference not only inour community but the world as well. It’sa great feeling to see how fortunate weall are. This is going to be a great year!”

If you’re interested in making adifference, it’s not too late! Be sure toattend the meetings. The more peoplewe have to help serve the homeless, thebetter. Come out and support, make a dif-ference, be someone.

NoShaveNovember

Ever seem to notice a handfulof guys that all of a sudden have a lot offacial hair going on? Don’t worry, it’sokay. It’s a new form of action called “No-Shave November.”

No-Shave November is afundraising event used to help men’s tes-ticular and prostate cancer. It’s meant toincrase awareness of men’s issues. Ap-parently it has been working. As StevenCamberos, senior, was told about No-shave November, he said, “I think I’mnot going to shave as of today.”

Others prefer to remain clean

shaven. Carlos Oliva, junior, says, “I’mnot doing it because I really just don’troll like that. I have too much hair on myhead already. Why would I want it onmy face? And anyway, people say I looklike a hobo if I don’t shave.”

Excluding the fact that no shav-ing in November is another step towardhelping men’s health, not many peopleappreciate it. Murk Huizar, junior, says,“I hate No-Shave November because I’dlike to do it, but if I don’t shave, I’ll looklike the little kid from George Lopez.”

No-Shave November isn’t justa little game that teenage boys chooseto do. Our own teachers as well decidedto join the fight against prostate and tes-ticular cancer. Shawn Harrington, assis-

tant principal, in charge of extra-curricu-lar activities, says that he’s participat-ing in No-Shave November, “Specificallyto help men’s health. I’m also support-ing it because a family member of minewas diagnosed with cancer. He’s a boeufcar builder and a bunch of guys are get-ting together and not shaving to helpthe benefit.” Another supporter in fight-ing the cause is Craig Fox, former assis-tant principal, who says, “Not shavingin the month of November is a man’s ver-sion of the pink ribbon. It’s an easy wayto give awareness concerning men’shealth.”

No-Shave November is simplya new method of raising funds and a callto action in the fight against prostateand testicular cancer.

By Yvette FrancoPage Editor

Thanksgiving Day is a daywhen people give thanks for the thingsthey have been given, especially whenthey gather with family and friends

around the dinnertable. While manyAmerican familiesstill eat the tradi-tional turkey feast,others have startednew and originalfamily traditions.This prompted usto wonder aboutwhat families fromLos Altos HighSchool eat onThanksgiving Day.

The traditional Thanksgivingdinner usually includes turkey, mashedpotatoes, bread crumb stuffing, cran-berry sauce, squash, sweet potatoes, and

pumpkin pie. However, the traditionalmeal has been adapted to people’s cul-tural backgrounds and tastes. “I have icecream be-cause itgoes withpie,” saidM a r l e nJimenez,junior. Forsome, tur-key is nolonger thepreferred entree. “Turkey is too dry, so Ieat a little bit of chicken,” said AlmaMijares, senior. Joanna Conchas, junior,eats tamales on this special day with herfamily.

There are other Conquerors thatstick to the traditional fare. “I like the usualtraditional dinner,” said Briana Arcinega,junior. Marina Sanchez and Shauna

Thanksgiving means food!

By Monica TorresConqueror Staff Writer

Every year Americans eat about45 million turkeys duringthe Thanksgiving sea-son, thus making turkeythe single most eatenproduct during this timeof year. But people don’talways wonder what theprocess is as to gettingthe turkey on the table.What really happensduring this journey ofthe turkey from the farm to the table? Anintriguing question, several Conquerorstudents weighed in with their thoughtson the subject.

Nikki Villegas, junior, re-sponded, “It goes from the lab to the fac-tory to the table.” Others, like Stephanie

Bernal, junior, answered with a humor-ous flair, “Well, they fly to myhouse and walk into the oven.” Ashilarious as it mayseem, according toSavannah Guerrero,junior, the journey ofthe turkey shouldnot really matter.What should matteris the journey of thefork to the mouth.

However, the turkey’sjourney has an enormouseffect on our society.

This specificjourney of the turkey creates millions ofdollars in revenue for the economy.

When Bernal was showed this

fact, she quickly replied, Wow, that’s alot of money on turkey! I never thoughof that! Never!” Villegas reacted likewise

saying, “Oh, that’s a lotof money. I’m going tohave a turkey farm whenI grow up!”

Unfortunately, some-times the methods usedto harvest turkeys are in-human. Many chemicals,artificials and fats are in-jected into the Turkey, tomake the turkey look big-ger than what it actuallyis. Many organizations

are fighting to stop these gruesome prac-tices and change them for more moraland humane methods.

Turkey: From the Farm to Your Table

Shultz, both juniors, agree that a Thanks-giving dinner is not complete withoutturkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.J e n n i f e rM a r t i n e zand KaylaSolis, bothfresh men ,gladly agreethat they al-ways havethe tradi-tional dinner with several other foodsincluding vegetables, biscuits andmaybe rice and apple pie, which theyboth say they love.

In the end, Thanksgiving is aday to give thanks and enjoy the timewith friends and family. Being able to ap-preciate the small things in life and ev-eryone around you is the true Thanks-giving spirit.

Briana Arcinega

By Alex VelasquezPage Editor

Shawn Harrington

Mark Huizar

Alma Mijares

Connie Moreno and Amber Torres

Kayla Solis

FeatureThe Conqueror Novemeber 21, 2011 3

Have you ever wondered whyleaves change color in the fall? WithThanksgiving just around the corner,leaves turning colors are great decora-tions that require no human work beyondwatching and admiring the change.

“Leaves turn color because thechlorophyll within the plant cells in theleaves disappears from theleaves, which make theleaves turn into anothercolor,” says Connie Pung,freshman. “I think that theleaves turn red becausewinter is the season ofChristmas, so they all wantto be like a poinsettia, theflower of Christmas,”stated Leon Liang, junior.

There is a deeper part in the pro-cess. Everywhere around the UnitedStates trees are losing their chlorophyll,which gives leaves a green color. Leavesalways have chlorophyll and caro-tenoids, which produce yellow, orange,and brown colors, but do not really ef-fect the leaves until fall. During fall, lightshining on the leaves gradually de-

creases, which slows the photosynthe-sis process. Eventually the chlorophyllis destroyed and only the carotenoidsare left, which gives leaves yellow, or-ange, brown colored tints.

Although light is one factor inthe leaves changing color, water andmoisture are influences as well. A suc-

cession of warmdays and coolnights wind upchanging leavesduring their chemi-cal reactions. Sug-ars are producedwithin the leaves,which movethrough them as thedays go by. The

warm days help the leaves to producesugar, but cool nights deny the sugarsfrom exiting leave’s pores. This processcauses leaves to contain high levels ofanthocyanin pigments, which tints to thecolors of red, purple, and crimson.

The change of color in leavesis a process of nature that cannot be in-terrupted.

1. Turkeys have heart attacks. When theAir Force was conducting test runs andbreaking the sound barrier, fields of tur-keys would instantly drop dead.2. 91% of Americans eat turkey onThanksgiving Day, but only 50% of themput the stuffing inside the turkey.3. Thomas Jefferson thought the conceptof Thanksgiving was “the most ridiculousidea I’ve ever heard.” Benjamin Franklin,on the other hand, wanted the UnitedStates national bird to be a turkey.4. More than 40 million green bean casse-roles are served on Thanksgiving.5. 20% of all cranberries eaten are con-sumed on Thanksgiving. Oddly enough,Native Americans did not eat cranberries.6. Each year, the average American eatsabout 16-18 pounds of turkey.7. The population of Singapore weighsthe same as the amount of turkey con-sumed for Thanksgiving by the people.8. According to the National TurkeyFoundation, the first meal eaten on themoon by astronauts included roast tur-key.

Spending time with family dur-ing the holidays is a common tradition.However, there are certain pains and in-conveniences that go along with prepar-ing for such visits. One of the greatestobstacles for many travelers lies withinthe process of reaching hisor her destination.

While trains andcar rides are not obsolete,airplanes have become themore popular form of travel.In order to proceed throughan airport as quickly andpainlessly as possible, hereare some tips to help youand your family this holidayseason.

1. Be as organized as possible. If securityfinds the need to inspect your belong-ings, it’s best to be organized and haveauthorities look through your belongingswith ease.

2. Avoid wearing metallic accessoriesbefore walking through metal detectors.

It is suggested that you remove jewelryassociated with body piercings beforeyou walk through the line as well.

3. Do not take wrapped gifts to the air-port. Security may have to inspect your

packages to as-sure that every-thing is cleared.What a wasteof giftwrappingand ribbons!

4. Have allwires from elec-tronics, suchas ear/head-

phones, chargers, or other such devices,neatly tied and placed within your be-longings. You will not have to untangleyourself from a mess of electronics af-terwards.

5. Wear shoes that are comfortable andthat can easily be removed, such as san-dals. One of the things people enjoy grip-ing about most at the airport is un-tying

and re-tying shoelaces. The average per-son may wait in line for hours before tak-ing flight. Ladies, it’s best if you leaveyour lovely heels in your luggage insteadof insisting on showing them off at theairport.

6. Have your ticket and photo ID in yourpocket or hand while you wait in line.Rummaging through your personal be-longings in front of the inspector not onlytakes up your time but the time of othersbehind you as well.

7. Remain calm and anxiety free whilewaiting in line. Although this sounds silly,the TSA will most likely detain you for asmall interview if you seem even the leastbit agitated

8. Be polite and comply with airport se-curity without protest. The TSA has ahard enough time combing through ev-ery passenger’s belongings to take flighton a plane. Save some time and don’twaste their breath. It’s tough on every-one.

By Felicia KwonSplash Editor

By Nicholas PungConqueror Staff Writer

By Allie GomezConqueror Staff Writer

By Douglas WongGeneral Editor

TurkeyFun FactsThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving

TTTTTrrrrransporansporansporansporansportttttationationationationation

After a big Thanksgiving feast,all everyone wants to do is unwind and

take a longnap. There isoften talkabout whetheror not theThanksgivingturkey is theculprit of post-dinner leth-argy. This is alla myth. Al-though turkeycontains L-tryptophan, abasic amino

acid that possesses sleep inducing ef-fects, it is not the reason for your slug-gishness after stuffing yourself silly onThanksgiving. Truth be told, even if youwere to eliminate turkey from your din-ner, you would still feel the sleepy after-effects. In order for anyone to even feel

the effects of L-tryptophan, he or shewould need to ingest the amino acid on

an emptys t o m a c hw i t h o u teating anyp r o t e i nprior roeating themeal. Tur-key is ac-

tually packed with a lot of protein.Turkey cannot possibly be the

reason for sudden sleepiness. In fact,there are other common, day-to-dayfoods that people eat on a regular basisthat also contain as much, if not more, L-tryptophan. Such foods include chicken,pork, and even cheese. It’s everywhere!

At the end of the day, the sleepyturkey myth is just that … a myth. After acarbohydrate-filled dinner, anyone mightfeel lethargic. Wishful thinking helps usbelieve that the turkey is to blame.

Myth or Fact?TURKEY:

www.coolest-holiday-parties.comwww.readwriteweb.com

Fall Colors

FeaturesThe Conqueror November 21, 2011

Teachers are thankful for thingsjust like students. They are just a littlebit older than we are. Here is what someteachers are thankful for thisThanksgiving.

“I am thankful for having a joband being able to pass onknowledge to high school stu-dents.”Scott Snedeker, EMS

“I am thankful for CurtJohnston, choir accompanist;Doug Lao, Production Choirchoreographer; the choirboosters, and every student who is inthe choir program.”Amanda Benavides, music

“I am thankful for good classes, studentsthat work hard, and a great husband. Iam also thankful for sunny days and coolweather. I am thankful for friends.Dee Mann, math

“I was born on Thanksgiving. I am thank-ful for good students to work with andpumpkin pie.”

Jay Laging, band director

“I am thankful for Americanpublic education because inother countries, edu-cation is only possiblefor the rich, but inAmerica, everyonegets a shot at theirdreams.”Sheng Ho, math

“I am happy that I’mreasonably healthy, although I have topay a lot of money to insure that. I amalso thankful that my family is healthyas well.”Adam Panagos, history

“I am thankful that Christ died to saveme from my sins and that my sons arehandicapped. I am also thankful that

there are cures for some diseases in theUS.”Laurie Fuller, English

“I am thankful for my relationship withJesus Christ and family. I am also thank-ful for my wonderful students.”

David Schmus, his-tory

“I am thankful forfamily. I am veryclose to my motherand sister. I amthankful for my joband students, the op-

portunity I have to work with them. I haveawesome students this year. I am thank-ful for my home and friends.”Iris Preciado, Spanish

“I am thankful for all my softball girls. Iam thankful for my family that all arehealthy.”Ignacio Hernandez, electives

By Corissa BurdetteConqueror Staff Writer

Thanksgiving happens justonce a year, but what makes one Thanks-giving better thananother? Studentsweigh in on whatmade “that” year’sThanksgiving somemorable.

“My favor-ite Thanksgivingmemory was whenmy whole familycame over to myhouse and the wholescenario of a humbleThanksgiving was inplace until the food was served. My el-dest uncle and I fought for the turkeylegs and we had a competition to see whocould eat the fastest. I ended up win-ning.” Johana Galvez, senior.

“My favorite memory about

Thanksgiving is getting together withmy family at my grandparents’ house

and eating ham insteadof turkey, be-cause my grand-parents don’t liketurkey!” NatalieCorona, senior.

“My favoritememory aboutThanksgiving isalways “helping”my family withcooking, but inreality, I would besneaking food,

which I still do.” Lauren Jimenez,senior.

“My favorite memory ofThanksgiving is when my cousinsthought it was funny to trick me intothinking the turkey cutting machine was

By Lauren OosamranNewspaper Editor in Chief

Thanksgiving is the perfect season to overindulge in some of the greatest food, but how is it that athletes are able tostay so fit over the break? Thanksgiving is the number one day of over-eating in America. A typical Thanksgiving dinner caneasily consist of 2000 -5000 calories. Staying healthy over the break may be a difficult task, but it is one that must be sustainedfor almost all athletes.

The morning of Thanksgiving should consist of a normal breakfast. Starving oneself until dinner is a perfect way to eatmore than one ought to. That same morning, go for a walk. Kevin de la Torre, junior clarifies, “Do not overeat and stay on yourfeet.” Walking burns about 10% of a Thanksgiving meal on its own. Also, make sure to eat plenty of vegetables and drink plentyof water. This keeps one full and in turn allows one to eat less.

Exercise is also important. Eucevio “Chevy” Ramirez, junior, explains, “Enjoy the fun and have fun, but don’t be dumband go run.” Others have a more specific plan. Matthew Cruz, sophomore, says, “I run at least 5 miles every day, and when I gethome, I do my abdominal workouts for about half an hour. That’s how I stay looking like a beast.”

Others disagree and know they will end up burning the calories that they have consumed the day they return topractice. “Thanksgiving is supposed to get you fat! Embrace it!” said Angel Turcio, junior.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday for giving thanks and eating, but losing oneself is never a good idea.

By John AndraosConqueror Staff Writer

ThankfulTeachers

Thanksgiving Health 101

Favorite Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is indeed one themost celebrated holidays. Almost everyculture has its own form of “Thanksgiv-ing.” Around campus, teachers are cel-ebrating this holiday in their own specialand unique way. Statistics teacherVanda Popsaid, “Idon’t likethe way thew h o l eh o u s es t a r t ss m e l l i n gfrom theturkey, so Ienjoy go-ing to myclose Ro-m a n i a nf r i e n d s ’house tocelebratethe holiday with one another.” In fact,she’s pretty close with these people, sothey usually take turns on who goes toeach other’s house over the holidays.This year, Pop will be going to theirhouse. It’s usually a big gathering con-sidering her daughter and her husband

come aswell. Thereare somep e o p l eout therethat to-tally take aturn onthe wholetraditionof eatingturkey. In

fact, they don’t eat meat at all. Instead,they consume only fruit, vegetables, le-gumes, and basically anything thatdoesn’t contain meat in it. VegetarianSheng Ho, statistics , still enjoys Thanks-giving, but he adds his own taste to it.His family will make dumplings along witha hot pot, which is a Japanese dish con-sisting of spicy foods. “For the dump-lings, some of us try to be creative bymaking them into different shapes likestars,” he smiled.

Librarian Kathline Campbellhas a specialt r a d i t i o nwhere shesings with herfamily beforetheir meal.“We’re a sing-ing family sowe alwayssing beforesupper. It’s apart of our tra-dition.” In par-ticular, theysing the song,“Bless theLord O’ My Soul.” They also make spe-cial cookies in the shape of turkeys along

w i t hh o m em a d epump-kin andp e c a np i e s .Beforeevery-

one tries the food, they say what theyare thankful for. “It’s really a meaningfultime to stop and do that,” she smiled.Similar to Pop, she’ll alternate years withher husband’s side of the family, and thisyear, it’ll be her side of the family’s turn.

a chainsaw.” Jessie Liu, senior.“My favorite memory is how

my aunt would tell me to hurry up be-cause we wouldn’twant to miss the hamfrom Honey Baked.”Maria Zeka Del Barrio,senior. “My favoritememory of Thanks-giving was when myfamily came to ourhouse but we didn’tdress formally but inpajamas and ate all thefood until weexploded!”MideriPaniagua, senior.

“My favorite memory is spend-ing time with family, eating, and not wor-rying at all about getting fat.” PaulaLarios, senior.

ThanksgivingPlans

By Delyana SyarovaConqueror Staff Writer

Paula Larios

Natalie Corona and Mideri Paniagua

Kathline Campbell

Vanda Pop

Adam Panagos Iris Preciado

6

Memories

EntertainmentThe Conqueror November21, 2011 7

“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiv-ing”, originally aired November 20, 1973,is a classic Christmas story based uponthe comic strip entitled Peanuts byCharles M. Schulz. The Peanuts gang canbe found at no place other than Knotts’Berry Farm.

The 30 minute cartoon starts offwith Lucy tricking Charlie Brown by tell-ing him that when he goes to kick thefootball, she will not move it. It turns outthat she moves it anyway, even thoughCharlie Brown thinks she won’t, becauseit is a national holiday, and he landsstraight on hisback.

CharlieBrown, along withhis sister Sally, isgoing to hisgrandmother ’splace for Thanks-giving dinner.Peppermint Patty,Marcie, andFranklin all callCharlie Brownand invite themselves over for dinner. Itis not until Linusshows up thatCharlie Brown has asolution to his pre-dicament.

C h a r l i eBrown then de-cides, with the helpof Linus, that he isgoing to have two dinners. Woodstockand Snoopy then set up a ping-pong

table and chairs in the backyard andCharlie Brown serves Patty, Marcie, andFranklin dinner.

Patty then yells at CharlieBrownb e -c a u s et h em e a lc o n -sists oft w os l i ce sof buttered toast, some pretzel sticks, a

handful of popcorn, and afew jelly beans. Marciethen reminds Patty that sheinvited herself, along withher friends Marcie andFranklin, so they should begrateful and apologize,which they do.

In the midst of all this,Charlie Brown loses trackof time and calls hisgrandma to tell her that heand Sally are going to be

late and he has friends over. His grand-mother then tells him to bringthem over and they are allwelcomed graciously.

When the kids leave,Woodstock and Snoopyhave a Thanksgiving dinner,and the end credits showthem eating pumpkin pie fordessert and sitting back with

smiles of joy while Woodstock pats hisstomach.

When turkey day comes aroundeach year, there is an expected course:mashed potatoes, biscuits, pumpkin pie,bread stuffing, and, of course, turkey.Some people dream that Thanksgivingwould take place once a month, allowingthere to be twelve times each year whenthere is a giant, delicious turkey feast.However, certain households gatheraround their dinner table on that Thurs-day evening to find something otherthan turkey wait-ing for them. It isinteresting tohear of the manyways in whichsuch families de-viate from the ex-pected Thanks-giving dinner,some being a verylight meal while others being just down-right weird.

Most of the time when there isa change of plans for what is to be servedfor Thanksgiving it is due to laziness.The first example is Samuel Chia, senior,who at one point during his life had notturkey but raw fish as his main Thanks-giving course. “Our large family did not

sists of mushrooms, bean curd, pork, andspecial rice that is softer than the aver-age kind. The other things on the tableare dishes one would expect to eat on

Chinese New Year.”There has been a case where

the change in a Thanksgiving din-ner was backed by the phrase,“Let’s try something new.” JuanSanchez, senior, said, “We decidednot to haveturkey, butinstead havequail. Eachmember of

the family got oneon their plate infront of them.Some enjoyed it,but most of uspreferred turkey,especially me.” Itmay seem riskyand unfavorable to change up a Thanks-giving dinner. After all, a meal that has await of one year would be deemed assacred and therefore should not bemessed with. But it is always interestingto “try something new” and still be ableto keep the meaning of Thanksgiving.

What key has legs and cannot opendoors?A tur-keyWhy do turkeys always say “gobble,gobble?”Because they never learned good tablemannersWhy can’t you take a turkey to church?Because they use fowl languageWhat do hippies but on their mashedpotatoes?GroovyIf April showers bring May flowers, whatdo May flowers bring?Pilgrims

What happened whenthe turkey got into afight?He got the stuffingknocked out of himWho is not hungry atThanksgiving?A turkey, because he is

already stuffedWhy did the turkey cross the road?To get to the other sideWhich side of the turkey has the mostfeathers?The outsideCan a turkey jump higher than the em-pire state building?Yes...a building can’t jump at all

Laughs

By Corissa BurdetteConqueror Staff Writer

Thanksgiving

have enough time to prepare a turkey orany of that other good stuff. Instead, wedecided to go to a sushi restaurant andshare our thanks there.” A similar exampleis Kevin Lee, jun-ior, when he hadquite a cheap mealfor Thanksgiving.“My dad went toKentucky FriedChicken and got us

a bucketof fr iedd r u m -s t i c k sand thighs for Thanksgiving. Iparticularly enjoyed it, but mybrother didn’t.”

Sometimes thechanges made to Thanksgivingdinners in certain families are

permanent due to certain choices madein diet or tradition. “To cater to vegetar-ians in the family, we have a regular tur-key and a turkey made of tofu each year,”explained Veronica Espinosa, freshman.Lee also explained, “Most of the time ourfamily does have a turkey, but everythingelse is more Chinese cuisine. The turkeyis stuffed with sticky rice, which con-

On November 8, a much antici-pated new video game was releasedcalled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.This new version is probably going tosmash records that were set by lastyear’s game entitled Black Ops. Thisgame is not like the games before it, sincenow it includes some major changes.

One major change in the gameis that the battlefield is now a worldwidefield. Thegame plotpicks upfrom Call ofD u t y :M o d e r nWarfare 2,continuingthe storyline and creating a new one. Thestory continues with the Russian Fed-eration hell bent on wreaking havocacross the world. Youare able to fly aroundthe world from Lon-don to Dubai toMoscow and evenWall Street!

A n o t h e rchange is the new modes that are in-cluded in the game. One of the modes iscalled “Kill Confirmed,” which is basi-cally a team deathmatch. When Player 1kills Player 2 during the game, Player 1must snatch the dogtags of the downedenemy for the kill to count toward hisscore. When Player 2’s teammate snags

the dogtag before the other team, the killis denied and does not count. Anothermode is the co-op mode called “Spec-Ops: Survival”. This mode is a survivalgame where waves of enemies attack youand your friends. The more enemies youkill, the more funds you earn. You canthen spend those funds on a wide vari-ety of defenses.

Another change in the game isthat youc a nn o wchoosew h i c hp l a ys t y l ey o u

want to focus on. In previous games, allyou had to do was gain a massive num-ber of “Killstreaks” to be the best. Play-

ers willnow beable toc h o o s ebeing anA s s a u l tt r oop e r ,

Support, or a Specialist on the team. In-stead of “Killstreaks”, players will haveto focus on getting “Pointstreaks”.

All in all, this year’s Call ofDuty has been amazing, with new stylesof game play that gamers have experi-enced on other games, but not all inte-grated into one.

game onBy Nicholas PungConqueror Staff Writer

CharlieGetBrown

By Connor LeeConqueror Staff Writer

By Collette AndraosNewspaper Editor in Chief

your

Food

UnconventionalThanksgiving

SportsThe Conqueror November 21, 20118

For the first time in three years,the Los Altos girls’ tennis team was ableto win their first league match. Sopho-more Cheryl Ching said, “It was an amaz-ing feeling to break our three year dryspell.” In past years, the scores havebeen close, but never close enough.However, their hard work finally paid offagainst Diamond Ranch High School,winning by a score of 10-8. Playing athome, the girls were pumped to make acomeback. The first time the team facedDiamond Ranch they were defeated by ascore of 5-13. The second time around,the three singles players won all theirgames followed with a doubles pair win-ning one game. Junior Pui Cheng, singlesplayer, said, “It feels really good to win,especially when all 3 of our singles play-ers win and give it their all.”

Although the team was not as

Girls TennisBy Ariel ChangInternet Editor

successful with their other matches, theseniors felt that the win summed up theirs e a s o n .“ T h i ss e a s o n ,h a v i n gn oth in gbut ob-stacles …winningt h a tm a t c hwas agreat ac-complish-ment thatmy un-d e r d o gteam was in need of,” said senior JuneWu. “It felt like a curse was taken off thetennis team. Our three year losing streak

is over. It was just what I needed to fin-ish off my senior season.” Not only were

t h em a t c h e senjoyable,but thememorieswill last for-ever. “Theteam gotreally closetoward theend of thes e a s on , ”said seniorMichel l eChen. “Ourt e a m

bonded, and the experience was unfor-gettable.”

On November 1, the varsity

team headed out at 7:30am for WalnutHigh School to participate in the annualleague preliminaries. For preliminaries, allschools in the league compete for a singlewinner. Once a player loses, however, it’sthe end for her. Aside from Los Altos’own players, each rival they met this sea-son was gathered for the final competi-tion. “Seeing all these really talented play-ers was really motivating. It shows thathard work can really pay off,” said Chingat her first preliminaries. “It made me wantto practice more so that we can be thosegirls next year.”

Even though most of the indi-vidual players were not able to advanceto the second round, one singles playerworked hard and defeated a Bonita player.Junior Ariel Chang was able to beat aBonita player 6-3 and then 6-4. However,during the second round, Chang lost toa Diamond Bar player.

Running at full speed, the girlscross country team did well this season.Sprinting to their hearts content, eachparticipant ran her hardestwhich allowed them toqualify for California Inter-scholastic Federation(CIF) competition. “Therace was super early andit was super cold, but ourgirls picked it up and Ithink it was one of ourbest races all year,” re-called Emilie Ruiz, senior,who finished first for theConqueror team. “You cango in any direction, fast orslow as you wanted, fighting the wind ifyou feel like it. That’s why I love to run.”

By Collette AndraosNewspaper Editor in Chief

Girls Cross-

Emilie Ruiz

The football team has made itsway into the playoffs! Finishing an amaz-ing season with seven wins and threelosses, the team has slowly but surelyearned its place in the California Inter-scholastic Federation playoffs. Footballwon their first four games against ElRancho (49-36), Bellflower (27-0), Ayala

(21-17),and Wil-son (36-6), whichm a r ke dthe dayt h eConqueror’sbrough thome the

much coveted wheel.Since the Wilson game, the Con-

querors lost to Walnut (14-31) but quicklycame back in full force by beating bothDiamond Ranch (27-14) and Rowland (28-12). However, the team lost the next twogames to Bonita (28-35) and West Covina(24-42) but proved how determined theywere to enter the playoffs by giving ittheir all and defeating Diamond Ranch(52-35). At press time, the football teamis practicing long and hard in hopes ofwinning their first CIF game on Friday,November 18 against Burroughs ofBurbank in Glendale.

Another member of the team,Bianca Hernandez, senior, is captainalong with Ruiz and Krystal Martinez,

seniors. Having Steve Prefontaine,a record setting long distance run-ner, as Hernandez’ inspiration, shequotes him saying, “The best paceis suicide pace. Today is a goodday to die.” Being Hernandez’ fi-nal year here at Los Altos, she willmiss her team. “The cross coun-try season this year went great.The girls ran exceptionally, and wewere stronger this year than wehave been in a long time. I am go-ing to miss all of the girls and go-ing on runs like the Thomas Bur-

ton Loop together.” The girls completedtheir season placing second in league.

Spiking with all their might, thegirls volleyball team gave it their all thisseason. With fierce competitors such asSt. Lucy’s and Bonita, the girls playedtheir hardest and finished the season witha record of 17-15, winning seven leaguegames and losing 5. This team had 764balls that they killed. But what is an of-fensive team without a defense? Thedefense had 1032 digs, passing them upto the setters Nancy Ramos, senior, andAlyss Chacon, sophomore, who totaled752 sets.

“It was a long, grueling fouryears that made me learn so many things.But now that I am done, I can relax andcannot wait to graduate,” said Ramos.Jamie Ornelas, head girls volleyballcoach for three years now, is very proudof his girls and enjoyed coaching themthis season.

G i r l sVolleyball

By Collette AndraosNewspaper Editor in Chief

*Photo from maxpreps.com*

Foot-ball

By Stephanie BishopNewspaper Editor in Chief

Start strong and end strong.The boys cross-country team did justthat. Coached by Anthony Ossa, theseathletes placed in all of their league races.Right from the beginning, they took firstplace in their first league meet. At theirsecond race, they placed fourth.

Finally, they claimed first placeduring their league finals, finishing with21 points right before the fierce competi-

tion of Bonita who finished right afterthem with 20 points. “You never knowhow far effort can really get you untilyou actually try,” explained RobertVillagomez, senior.

The boys made it into Califor-nia International Federation (CIF) com-petition and Jair Juarez, senior qualifiedas an individual CIF finalist. “Anyonecan run, but I challenge you to be good.”

By Collette AndraosNewspaper Editor in Chief

B o y sC r o s s -

CountryCountry

GolfBy Collette AndraosNewspaper Editor in Chief

H20Polo

By William LiuConqueror Staff Writer

Even though the fall water poloseason is coming to an end, the Los Al-tos boys’ water polo team continues towork relentlessly hard as they make theirway to CIF playoffs for the second con-secutive year. They practice as much asthey can with frequent morning practicesat 5:30am and daily during sixth period,as well as after school practices.

The result of their hard workdefinitely shows with the Los Altosboys’ water polo team placing third inleague after conquering Rowland with awin of 17-9, smashing West Covina at21-3, and defeating Rowland once againwith a score of 11-5. Justin Contreras,freshman, could be the reason for theboys’ water polo team’s success with hisamazing 127 goals in 28 games.

With three freshmen and fourjuniors making up the starting team, thegap between these groups has to beclosed to improve their teamwork. Allthat’s needed is time. “With no seniorson the varsity team, I’m excited for nextyear’s season,” states Chris Coleman,head coach.

With improvement from lastyear’s season, the girls golf team wonone of their matches this year. Unable topractice at Los Altos High School, thegirls have to travel to Pacific Palms in

City of Indus-try for prac-tice. Theirhome courseis theWhittier Nar-rows coursewhere they

play all their home matches.Hal Evans, head coach, en-

joyed the 2011 season. “We had a lot offun and everyone improved as the sea-son went on.” Stephanie Pyle, junior,won MVP of the season. There werethree seniors that will be graduating thisyear leaving only six returners for nextyear. Six of the players got an all leagueacademic award this year.

Shirley Zhou