by David Winchell

As time wound down
the realization began to sink in to Mark Keppel Aztecs team, coaches and their faithful
fans that victory was theirs. The
Aztecs, who had not won a game since October 2009, were about to notch another
one against the Gabrielino Eagles, 13-0 as the roar from all the Aztecs continued
to grow louder. Ironically, the
last victory was also a shutout when they whitewashed Mountain View, 36-0. This
was the first victory for the Aztecs over the Eagles in their long running
rivalry.

The evening started
well for the Aztecs as they stopped the Eagles on a 4^th and inches
play early in the first quarter on the Eagles own 14 yard line. Six plays later Keppel got on the board
with a one yard plunge by running back Esequiel Jimenez. He rumbled in with 3:59 to go in the
first quarter. Mark Keppel’s
defense continued to dominate the Eagles with constant pressure on Eagle QB
Lorenzo Mena. Unable to have time
in the pocket, Mena was hurried often and unable to get the passing game
rolling. The running game suffered when running back Jonathan Perrini was lost
for the game midway through the second quarter to an injured lower leg after he
had been successful in his 8 carries.

The score remained
7-0 through halftime as neither offense could generate much yardage. The third quarter was markedly
frustrating as the Eagles ended all three of their quarter’s possessions to
fumbles. The second one, on the
Aztec 8 yard line was one play after stopping the Aztecs on 4^th and
two. The Aztec drive began on the
8 yards line and culminated with another rushing touchdown by Jiminez to make
the score 13-0. The PAT was
unsuccessful. Jiminez finished the
night with 73 yards and Eagles leading rusher, Nick Hernandez, had 62 in 9
carries. The Eagles committed 6
turnovers in the contest.

Coach Harold Sanin
was disappointed with the number of mistakes made by his Eagles team, but was
impressed with the Aztecs’ ability to take advantage of the miscues. “They are a solid team, and was the one
ready to make plays when the opportunities were there,” Sanin commented. Aztec coach Bobby Madrid was thrilled
as he commented, “This win is huge. It’s really huge for us. The kids
worked hard all week long,”

Both teams are now
1-2 and have away games this week.
Mark Keppel heads to face Sierra Vista (0-2) and Gabrielino goes to
Contreras (1-2).

All events are held in the One Colorado Courtyard and are free for children of all ages.

Drumtime Drum Circle (9/8) with John Lacques was a joyful bout of ebullient beats. View of some of our adorable drummers here.

Enjoy more kids’ (and parents’) fun in the Courtyard. With two shows a day, before and after school, you can double your delight and bring all the kids along!

Thursday, September 15 – two 35 minute performances at 10 a. m. and 3 p. m.

Jumbo Shrimp Circus presents “Epoxie Unglued,” a toddler friendly, joyful theatrical experience featuring plate-spinning, juggling, unicycle riding, and cow tossing.

Puppets and Players Little Theatrepresent
“Puff, the Magic Dragon” with classical marionettes, hand-puppets, live
performers, and music presented in a self-contained European-style
theatre.

by Charlene Liebau

It hardly seems possible. Wasn’t it just yesterday we were congratulating the high school class of 2011 at commencement exercises?

It is now September and the start to a new round of college planning activities. What will the high school classes of 2012 and 2013 discover? Will anything be different?

To answer that question I look to current trends in college admission. Perhaps on the mind of those of us interested in admission statistics is the trend toward out of state students. Clearly the University of California is encouraging out of state applications just as other state universities are encouraging non-resident applications. The Universities of Michigan and Virginia have long enrolled a number of non-resident students – California, along with other states, is now following their lead.

This is a trend we can expect will continue for as long as state budgets are constrained in their funding for higher education. And, as more and more state universities seek out of state students, California applicants may find admission to state universities in other parts of the country may become somewhat “easier.”

Each year, at least for the past three or four years, we hear “it’s the most competitive year ever.” While the actual number of high school graduates may be declining slightly on the national level, it is a fact a greater percent of them are applying to college and submitting more applications per student. This adds to the anticipation it will be another highly competitive year. Students should think carefully about their college list – beyond the “name” – what are the qualities, the academic programs that are important to success as an undergraduate? Think beyond the first two or three names on any list ranking colleges – remember these lists change every year!

A report from counselors outside California indicates a growing interest in colleges in the south. Perhaps for reason of warmer weather there is growing interest in colleges in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. The message is that growing interest leads to more competition, greater selectivity, for all applicants.

Adding to demographics and their role in competition for college admission is the dramatic increase in applications from students abroad. As the economies of other countries increase, along with the lure of an American education, international students are applying to American colleges in record numbers. The increase in recruitment activities by US colleges throughout Asia and Europe suggests this trend will definitely continue.

It was not long ago the admission process was completed by May first when students must inform colleges of their intent to enroll. That is beginning to change. In the past two years the process has been extended into June and sometimes July due to the increased use of the Wait List. The economy and financial aid play an important role in this trend. If the dramatic increase in application numbers continues, and unless the economy improves significantly in the next six months, we can expect use of the Wait List to play a more significant role in the decision process. This trend not only prolongs the uncertainty and confusion for students, it also impacts individual colleges as they make plans for the near future.

One of the recent trends among students is interest in “business” as an undergraduate major. Early indications suggest that while interest in the business world continues there is growing interest in creative writing and the arts.

It appears current high school seniors will find the trends of increasing out of state and international applications will continue to grow. The reinstitution of early admission programs may help reduce the overall number of applications but this will not measurably affect the low admit rate of highly selective institutions. And, in the final analysis, the economy will exert a growing influence on families as they make college decisions.

In short, forces that contributed to last year being described as the “most competitive ever” in college admission will continue to be with us for the next few years.

ALHAMBRA