Temple City Voice

The Advanced Drama department performed their last play, “The Haunting of Will Shakespeare” when the clock struck seven on Friday, April 25, 2008. This play, written by Claudis Haas, gives a fictional twist to Shakespeare’s life and gives us the story behind his many writings.

It all began when three hooded figures emerged from behind drooping willow branches amidst a dark blue backdrop. Suddenly, a young man in glittering gold and crimson red Elizabethan robes burst into the clearing, with an exasperated expression on his face. He was pursued by a young maiden whose eyes implored for the subtlest signs of her love being returned. The man in the red was none other than a young William Shakespeare, who at this point in life aspired to become not the playwright we all know and love but a traveling actor instead.

The three figures, now identified as Hecate, Paddock, and Greymalkin, witches of the forest, decide to spice up their dreary days by “toying with the mortal” and steering him away from his desired course. The course that they have chosen for him is to lead the life of a writer, and hopefully publish the witches’ escapades for the world to read, and “free them from the woods”. To do so they needed to inspire Will, and so with a clap of their hands and a flash of lightning, several spirits were summoned to the grounds.

Pointing at each spirit, they assigned different roles for them to play. One by the name of Romeo was to fall in love with a fair maiden after dousing a love potion. Another was assigned the part of one called Bianca, a beautiful young woman who was not allowed to be courted until her dreadfully shrewish elder sister, Kate, was married. Sure enough, these spirits were, in a single moment, inventing the very stories that Shakespeare was destined to write down and be passed down and read for hundreds of years. The race to inspire Will had commenced.

On the other side of the forest, Will had successfully left his stalker behind. He then comes across a troupe of traveling actors, of which included his newfound love interest, an exiled noblewoman by the name of Rosalind, who was in search of her father. After their brief meeting, they have to go their separate ways and Rosalind, in hope of seeing him again, took off the golden chain from her neck and hung it around Will’s, and then disappeared into the darkness.

Many events unfurled from that point in time; the spirits who were supposed to be inspiring Will were getting the wrong end of the rope. Kate decided that force was the solution to the problem and tied up Will, forcing him to bear witness to the famous violent exchange between her and Petruchio. Hamlet emerges from out of nowhere at the most peculiar times and Will is forced to watch him have conversations with himself and the voices in his head. (“To be, or not to be?”) Will was, quite frankly, terrified, petrified, shocked, confused, and basically anything but inspired.

We returned to the witches, who were asleep when the last spirit arrived fashionably late. Greymalkin, the sleepy witch, wanted to get the job over with as quick as possible and so the spirit was assigned a most confusing role; that of Viola, a man playing a girl playing a man with a life’s mission to find a spirit called Olivia. And so, Viola began her search for Olivia.

The next few minutes were a flurry of spirits getting too into character as time passed by and developing character flaws and getting themselves into trouble as a result. Romeo drained the love potion upon the “fair maiden” he sees, which turned out to be not Juliet, but Bianca. A love spell was cast on Bottom, a windbag spirit, and the mortal with a terrible crush on Will ended up falling for him.

Various exchanges between Will and the troupe of actors were made after their reconciliation and Rosalind, posed as her male cousin, pried out the truth from Will; that he was desperately in love with Rosalind.

Dawn approached the stage and the spirits were getting tense, as their fate was to disappear by morning, yet they still had not accomplished anything. Will was more horrorstruck than motivated. And with one final attempt by all the spirits to get Will to write their stories, they dissipated into thin air, gone for eternity.

The group of actors found news of Rosalind’s father, and left Will to seek him. With one final embrace, Rosalind and Will parted ways.

Will, alone in the woods, finally has time to himself to mull over all that had happened. At last, he took up his frayed scroll and quill and decided put down the spirits’ tales in ink, for people to read in generations to come. He is the last to exit, leaving the stage in complete darkness.

This recap was written by Sophia Chang. It was published in the May 21, 2008 issue of the Temple City Voice.

Temple City Unified School District’s Technology Committee has been drafting a plan to implement new educational technology in all of the district’s schools. The plan, which is based on the Student Technology Standards, should be in effect by spring of 2009.

Six overarching standards govern what and how technology will be implemented: creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information literacy (the ability to evaluate the accuracy of information), critical thinking, digital citizenship, and technology operations and concepts.

Before the district can implement the new machinery, they must determine what would most enhance a student’s learning experience.

“We don’t want to put the cart before the horse,” notes Curriculum Coordinator Trang Lai, “We want to look at student needs and then assess what equipment we want to get.”

Chief Business Official David Jaynes adds that “it’s nice to have the equipment, but if you don’t know how to use it, it’s nothing more than a paperweight.” Rachel LaSota, one of three school board members, agreed by suggesting that our schools introduce classes like the Introduction to Microsoft elective at an even younger age.

The Technology Committee will continue their work throughout a cycle of assessment periods. More information about the plan can be found on their website, at http://tcusdtech.wikispaces.com

This article was written by Jason Wu. It was published in the Temple City Voice on May 14, 2008.

Fifteen-year old Miley Cyrus, Disney star of Hannah-Montana, is an idol to many young girls. But her “good” impression was virtually stained as she posed half-naked for the cover of June’s issue of Vanity Fair. I, along with many, fear that she may be on her way to becoming the next Britney Spears, negatively influencing innocent fans.

Cyrus has been on a successful route ever since her starring in Hannah Montana in 2006. She has had a brief appearance in High School Musical 2, released two multi-platinum records in her name, and has become a child star that can already make her own living. But now it is obvious Hollywood is getting to her, and there is no guarantee she will turn out better than any other child stars such as Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.

On the recent cover of Vanity Fair, Cyrus holds up a bed sheet against her half-naked-body. With her back and shoulders exposed, her hair wet and tangled, the photograph clearly sends out a sexual message to viewers, who cannot help but feel a little shocked at her young age. Being a fifteen-year-old girl, I feel a little disgusted at the fact that a girl my age is a sexual advertisement. When did it become okay for fifteen-year-olds to take half-naked pictures?

But what shocks me even more is that her parents were at the scene when she took the pictures. What type of parents would let their little girl take off her top and pose in front of a camera, let alone shoot for a cover of Vanity Fair? In fact, her dad was in another picture with her. In the photograph, Cyrus is spread across her dad’s lap in her black tank top and low-cut jeans. What could have been a father-daughter cute picture actually looked quite seductive to me, which sickened me even more.

Spears started exposing herself at the age of nineteen, and by the time she was twenty seven, she had gotten divorced twice and given birth to two children who she no longer has the right to raise. If Cyrus starts following in Spears’ path now, what will she be doing by the time she is actually grown up?

Even before the Vanity Fair photo shoot, there had been a stir with inappropriately exposed pictures of Cyrus on MySpace, a social networking website. In one of the pictures, she pulls down her white tank top to expose her bra, and in other pictures, she poses in her panties and shirts pulled up. Many of her fans were disgusted, but other comments said it was “normal” for teenagers to take such pictures.

Sadly though, this just proves that it is common for teenagers to take promiscuous pictures and post them online. Even though Cyrus is a star, there are no exceptions in her case; but one thing is for sure, she’s definitely not as innocent as Disney portrays. The truth is, teenagers are getting out of control because role models like Spears, Lohan, and now Cyrus make it seem “cool” to be living life as reputable bad girls.

Cyrus is the face of Disney, but her image is already becoming stained through the media. As a star that many girls look up to, Cyrus isn’t doing such a good job presenting herself appropriate or respectable, and instead, she makes it seem alright for young girls to be promiscuous and erratic.

As teenagers, we should know what is appropriate and what is not, and definitely, know not to follow paths of young stars influenced by Hollywood.

Sources:

Vanity Fair. June 2008. CondéNet. 7 May 2008 .

TMZ. April 28 2008. TMZ Productions. 7 May 2008. .

ABC News. April 28, 2008. ABCNews Internet Ventures. 7 May 2008.

This opinion was written by Charlene Choo. It was published in the Temple City Voice on May 14, 2008.

The residents who once opposed the controversial mixed-use development, “The Piazza at Temple City”, may get their wish. The Piazza at Temple City, formerly known as the “Piazza Las Tunas” and “Temple City Galleria” is facing yet another obstacle: a shortage of three million dollars in loans.

The Piazza at Temple City is a mixed-use project consisting of fifty-two one bedroom condominiums. In the last financial quarter of 2007, A & W Builders, the construction management firm, stated their goal was to begin construction on January 1, 2008.

In a surprising announcement to the City Council, also members of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), on January 3, 2008, David Wilson, President of A & W Builders informed the Council the Piazza at Temple City project was short three million dollars in funding for loans.

“The retail part will support the project” commented David Wilson. Wilson also noted that the Piazza management team was hoping to replace the residential condos with office condos. He also hinted at an extension of the current deadline of August 23, 2009 for the project.

When inquired by Councilman Dave Capra about possible tenants, Wilson responded stating the Nordstrom Rack and Fresh and Easy, a British grocery market, were interested in becoming tenants. “We do have tenants that want to come here” added Wilson.

Councilmember Capra pointed that if the Piazza at Temple City project becomes an entirely-commercial development, the contract the Piazza developer made with the City of Temple City would be violated.

“We’re going to support our client” responded David Wilson, when inquired about whether the Piazza management team was to desert the developer because of recent financial concerns.

Wilson, assuming the City approved of the entirely commercial project, stated the City of Temple City could loan the Piazza at Temple City three million dollars.

“You’d be foolhardy to ask the City for [money]” replied Councilman Ken Gillanders. Gillanders explained any City involvement would increase project costs by 20-25%. He stated the parking structure would then have to be a union project.

David Wilson relayed his support for Randy Wang, the developer and owner of the project, stating Wang has accrued non-refundable costs for the Piazza at Temple City.

“We don’t see a clear direction [for] the project” said Councilman Fernando Vizcarra. Vizcarra stressed the need for “a clear direction.”

Wilson continued to plead the case for the removal of the residential condo units and added the condos were a mistake. He reiterated the office condos could also be luxury condos for professionals.

Councilwoman Judy Wong suggested the Piazza team return with some concrete answers and results.

Councilman Gillanders then motioned to continue this item to the next City Council meeting. His motion was seconded by Councilwoman Cathé Wilson. It was unanimously approved.

This article was written by Matthew Wong. It was published in the May 14, 2008 issue of the Temple City Voice.

Temple City gathered community input during a superintendent forum on April 29th from 5-7 P.M. to brainstorm guidelines in recruiting a new superintendent. The meeting that took place was necessary to hear some opinions of certain characteristics and qualities the parents and staff may want to see in the future superintendent. Of course, there will be big challenges and issues that the new superintendent may have to face.

The “traditional guideline” in hiring a superintendent puts into consideration qualities like having long-term plans for the future, overseeing human resources, keeping in contact with principals, reporting back to the Board, cooperating with youth programs, and has usually been a teacher or principal.

A member from the Temple City Schools Foundation suggested that Temple City find “someone who will be willing to help with schools, has strong communication skills, and is experienced with their resources.”

Based on the majority present, most of the community has agreed on one quality that the future superintendent should possess, which is having the children and students of Temple City as a top priority. They also agreed that each school should be allotted the same amount of money for funding or school supplies.

Another topic discussed was the technology for staff and students, which the attendees thought should be improved and the assessment programs should be encouraged. If the community doesn’t shape education and technology well for children today, it will be harder for them in the future.

There is an absolute need for communication among teachers, parents, and administrators so children will be able to perform better at school. Ultimately, a supportive and inspirational role model is needed for teachers, students, and parents; it will definitely help build leadership capacity and help the community.

This article was written by Jackie Zhang. It was published in the Temple City Voice on May 7, 2008.

Earth Day, nationally celebrated on April 22, was founded upon the principles of concerns of the environmental crisis and to make the environment a national concern. The first Earth Day was observed on April 22, 1970. The environmental movement in 1970 gave way to modern day observance of Earth Day. Around the world, Earth Day consists of environmental protests, an urgency for issues such as sustainable energy, a healthier environment, clean energy, and global warming.

Earth Day was created when the nation was at the peak of production and many factories and producers released smoke and smog without fear. Many people did not think of the environment with concern and used much of the earth’s resources without fear of consequences.

The Earth Day that established in 1970 changed people’s minds and made people more aware of the actions on the environment. Across the United States, Earth Day brought people together for common values of changing human behavior to become changes in stride with the environment’s well being. Earth Day seeks to have environmental reform in terms of decision making for the earth and the environment.

In congruence with the Earth Day and its strive to be more responsive and aware to environmental consequences, ten students from Temple City High School have been planning to go to Belize in late May for a field study to learn more about the world and spread more awareness.

Mr. Scott Randles, advisor of the Belize field study trip and current AP Environmental Science teacher, said, “Every day should be Earth Day… [as for Belize] we are going to experience two of the most threatened ecosystems- the rainforest and the coral reefs, understand why they’re threatened, and the more we understand our earth, the more it can impact the decisions we make.”

Another objective of this trip is to continue making the city and community more aware of the consequences of one’s actions that may harm delicate ecosystems.

In an effort to fund for their trip, the students are selling nylon Chico Bags. These bags are more than just a fund-raising idea, but a way to eliminate single- use bag addiction.

In today’s society people are more aware than ever of average bag usage. In fact, the average American uses between 300 and 700 plastic bags per year. An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion bags are consumed worldwide.

Billions of these bags end up as litter every year, usually ending up in the ocean or in the sea. These bags end up suffocating wildlife in the ocean and it is dangerous to all sea creatures.

Some animals mistake the clear plastic as food and ultimately end up suffocating and choking on the plastic because the plastic does not digest and break down. As a result, these innocent sea animals starve to death. After realizing these startling statistics, people have become more environmentally conscious.

These Chico Bags can help contribute to make those large numbers of plastic bag consumption become vastly smaller: 1 bag is all it takes. The world is taking charge in response to these numbers well; at Whole Foods market, they have a BYOB policy (Bring Your Own Bag).

Many large supermarket retailers are also following Whole Food’s lead in trying to reduce plastic bag consumption as well. By selling Chico Bags and going to Belize, TCHS students can try to do more for the world and though it may seem small, it can make a big difference, especially to the sea creatures around the world.

Part of selling those Chico Bags is to do something and give back to the world, as well as celebrate Earth Day everyday. Buying a Chico Bag may seem minor in comparison to other everyday problems, and it may not seem like much of a solution at first glance compared to such large problems as global warming or deforestation, but one small contribution makes a large difference.

This opinion was written by Connie Lu. It was published in the Temple City Voice on May 7, 2008.

California Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, D-Temple City, addressed the City Council of Temple City in his first “State of the State” speech on December 18, 2007. Portantino, who represents Temple City in the California State Assembly, brought up several issues he has been working on at the state level.

One of his first bills was the creation of a bank of umbilical cord blood. Umbilical cords, which actually contain stem cells, are normally discarded after childbirth. By saving the cords, a new source of disease research has opened. Portantino’s bill, AB 34, has received bipartisan support and was signed into law by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“We’re 44th in the nation [in terms of spending on education],” said Portantino. He argued about the necessity of finding ways to “cover the 800,000 children [in California] without health insurance.”

The City Council and City Manager/City Attorney Charles Martin also posed several questions regarding the state’s financial crisis and its impact on Temple City. Portantino stated he would try to defend any State attempts to siphon money from the City of Temple City.

After Portantino’s address, the City Council informed the residents of Temple City that TCUSD Board Members Janet Rhee and Rachel LaSota had been selected to serve as liaisons from the District to the City.

This article was written by Jason Wu. It was published in the Temple City Voice on May 7, 2008.

Since March 2003, the property at 10659 Daines Drive has been a major concern for the City of Temple City.

On December 4, 2007, Public Safety Officer Brian Arrizumi noted the property included: foundation damage, a slumped roof, areas with broken glass and debris, and an accumulation of dead yard waste. Arrizumi informed the Council that the property had been “red tagged” as an unsafe structure.

In response to City Manager Charlie Martin’s question regarding what types of violations were recorded, Arrizumi stated fire, city municipal code regarding property maintenance, health, and safety codes.

The owner was not present at the City Council meeting. After discussing the issue, the City Council voted unanimously to declare the property as a nuisance. The owner was given thirty days from December 4, 2007, to abate the property.

The City Council, acting as members of two other City agencies, the Community Redevelopment Agency and Community Development and Housing Authority, also discussed two separate items: the Piazza at Temple City and the Alpha Beta property.

David Wilson, President of A & W Builders, informed the City Council that they were currently “bidding the project out.”

Councilmember Ken Gillanders then inquired whether or not the construction of the Piazza at Temple City would begin on January 1, 2008.

Wilson responded stating, “we’re shooting on it.”

The Piazza at Temple City is a mixed-use development approved by a previous City Council in May 2006. Fifty-two condominiums as well as a plethora of shops have been proposed of the project. It received a well-attended, second groundbreaking on November 9, 2007.

According to the Developer’s Agreement, the Piazza at Temple City must be constructed by August 23, 2009.

The City Council, acting as members of the Community Development and Housing Authority, then discussed the Alpha Beta property. The property is located on Primrose Avenue and Temple City Boulevard.

Agency members debated whether to share ownership of land, recently acquired by the City, with the current owners, sell or buy it.

Property owners Karena Chang Sujo and Mike Huang stated they were considering developing the property as a mixed-use development. A mixed-use project would allow for commercial and residential units on the property.

Councilman Fernando Vizcarra inquired whether the owners were encouraged to develop the property a mixed-use development; the owners responded stating they were encouraged; however they were also considering the idea.

Other options included building a senior, low income retirement home, a commercial shopping center (mini-mall), or a five to six story hotel.

Former City Council candidate and Temple City resident Peggy Miller commented, “We do not need a hotel in the middle of Temple City.”

The City Council ultimately decided to wait until the Planning Commission’s task force committees conclude their study before rendering a final verdict.

This article was written by Connie Lu. It was published in the Temple City Voice on April 30, 2008.

There are nine presidential nominating contests left in the Democratic race: Guam, Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Montana, and South Dakota.

Can the once presumptive nominee, first major woman candidate, former First Lady, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton still win the Democratic nomination? Yes!

Many political pundits are calling this race in Senator Barack Obama’s favor; and they can’t be wrong, or could they be? Senator Obama is the frontrunner with the most pledged delegates, most states won, and a growing number of superdelegate support. He has the insurmountable momentum and a huge financial advantage.

In actuality, even Hillary supporters admit she cannot capture a lead in pledged delegates.

Hillary Clinton was in trouble as soon when she placed a disappointing third in the Iowa caucuses, but then she surprised America, and the polls, by making a comeback in New Hampshire. Post-Super Tuesday, she lost eleven (twelve, if you count Vermont on March 4) straight contests to Senator Obama. The analysts called the race over! Once again, she came back and won Ohio and Texas, two states she needed to win in order to remain in the race.

Last week, Pennsylvania became the must-win state for Hillary Clinton; despite losing the double-digit advantage over to Senator Obama after six weeks of tough campaigning, she beat the Democratic frontrunner by ten points. Within twenty-four hours, she raised $10 million!

What Hillary must do in order to keep her candidacy viable is to continue pushing the electability argument: can Senator Obama beat John McCain? This is her underlining and most important task besides fundraising and winning the remaining state contests.

And the electability argument is one she can make! In Pennsylvania, Senator Barack Obama broke historic spending records, outspending Hillary 3-1 (Morrill and Mellnik). Despite the massive infusion of cash to fund his media advertisements, Obama lost in a tightening contest. The question many will ask is: why can’t he beat Hillary and end the race?

Throughout the campaign season, Hillary’s strongest supporters have been women, senior citizens, blue collar workers, Latinos, and Asian Americans. Meanwhile, Barack Obama supporters include African Americans, affluent, higher educated voters, and youth.

In late March, a Gallup poll released showed 19% of Obama supporters would defect to McCain should Clinton be the eventual nominee; whereas, 28% of Clinton supporters would defect (Mooney). After the Pennsylvania primary, MSNBC released exit polls showing 47% of Clinton supporters in Pennsylvania would either vote for McCain in November or sit out; while, 31% of Obama supporters would do the same (Sargent).

Historically speaking, the most reliable Democratic voting groups include African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and senior citizens. In an increasingly, bitterly divided race, should either candidate lose, a strong percentage of their supporters will be expected to back out, and not choose to support the eventual Democratic nominee.

Assuming Hillary does win the nomination, the youth will probably choose to sit out of the election rather than support John McCain. African Americans, no matter how disappointed they will be, will probably support Hillary’s candidacy. Of course, she and Bill will have to mend relations among the reliable Democratic voting demographic.

On the contrary, if Barack Obama wins the nomination, as many expect he will, Obama must work arduously to win back the support of heavily committed Hillary supporters. Obama will have to court Latinos and Asian Americans, groups of which some older individuals may be reluctant to support an African American running for President. Besides mending racial divisions, Obama will have to convince the older generational voters they can trust him and the change he will bring to the office of the Presidency.

Whether or not Obama will be successful in achieving this monumental goal will depend on whether he has enough time. If the contest continues to drag on, time may not be on his side.

The argument Hillary must make to the uncommitted and even to the committed superdelegates is who will be able to align the most support needed to counter the Arizona Senator and Republican presidential nominee, John McCain?

Sources:

Mooney, Alexander. “Poll: Democrats ready to defect to McCain” CNN Political Ticker 26 March 2008

Morrill, Jim and Ted Mellnik. “Obama out raises Clinton 3-1 in N.C.” Charlotte Observer 25 April 2008

Sargent, Greg. “Exit Polls: More Hillary Voters Would Desert Obama And Back McCain”
Talking Points Memo: Election Center 22 April 2008

This opinion piece was written by Matthew Wong. It was displayed in the Temple City Voice on April 30, 2008. The views of this author does not reflect the views of the Temple City Voice.

From March 24th to 28th, Temple City’s very own Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Dr. Christina Luna, presented a research article the annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference.

Educators and researchers from across the world attended the conference. Dr. Luna joined two others-Dr. Etta Hollins from the University of Southern California and Sonja Lopez from the University of La Verne-in presenting “The Preparation of Teacher Educators: Transformation from Teacher to Teacher Educators”.

Dr. Luna said that the article “describes the journey of mentor teachers and administrators that are working with beginning teachers”.

Dr. Luna and the committee on Educational Services and Categorical Programs are strong supporters of the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA), a state-funded program that pairs experienced teachers with their younger teachers in order to instill experience and maturity.

In the meantime, Dr. Luna appeared before the School Board on March 19 to note that new textbooks were currently being implemented. Law requires that textbooks must be updated every seven years with funds supplied by the state. The Williams Settlement Legislation requires that students must be provided with enough books for a class set and for home use.

Likewise, California has come out with updated standards for our curriculum. The new AP World History course being offered at Temple City High School has already been implemented, but is still awaiting approval from the University of California system.

With so many changes in education underway, the committee on Educational Services and Categorical Programs will continue to review the new curriculum in the coming months.

This article was written by Jason Wu. It was published in the Temple City Voice on April 23, 2008.