Keepin' it Arcadia

S4 #5 Remaining Resilient As Arcadians

This past year especially--a year welcoming a global pandemic amongst many other unexpected events--finding a balance between a competitive school atmosphere, family life, and social wellbeing has become more difficult for many students across the world. In light of the strenuous times, the newest podcast is dedicated to discussing mental health, featuring Arcadia High School (AHS) students, past and present.

First off, Ms. Lew, an assistant principal at AHS, will discuss the recently established Wellness YouTube Channel followed by Refine Your Mind Club presidents Sarah Sutjipto and Annalise Xu who share their thoughts on mental health and why they founded their club. This episode also features the lessons DCI and AHS Alumna, Jasmine Oang, learned from her experience at AHS as well as her tips for improving mental health.

We hope you enjoy this episode! Like, comment, and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean for more content!

Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

S4 #4 An Inside Look at Studying Abroad

With DCI's Spring 2021 interns finalized after a one-month probation period, the podcast team is proud to announce our newest members: Wesley Chen, Kylie Ha, Nicole Nie, Angela Ren, and Chloe Wong! They give a brief introduction of themselves, and some of their reasons for joining the DCI Podcast Team! 

In addition Wesley Chen and our new podcast co-manager, Joyce Pang, talk to Lauren Banuelos (AHS Alumnus, Class of 2021, but graduated early in 2020) and Travis Chen (DCI & AHS Alumnus, Class of 2017), respectively, to delve into their study-abroad experiences.

We apologize for the VERY long delay, and we hope you enjoy the mountain of content that is coming to this podcast!

0:00 - Introduction by Joyce Pang

0:40 - Chloe Wong

1:22 - Wesley Chen

1:53 - Nicole Nie

2:29 - Kylie Ha

3:01 - Angela Ren

3:45 - Interview with Lauren Banuelos

10:24 - Interview with Travis Chen

22:03 - Conclusion by Joyce Pang

S4 #3 The AUSD News Writing Competition Winners!

In November, DCI's News Writing Team held a city-wide middle school competition to see who could write the best news article about "an instance of unity, strength, perseverance, and/or leadership taking place in your school, classroom, or AUSD community." After weeks of deliberating, the News Writing Team is proud to announce the winners on this special edition of Keepin' It Arcadia! Congratulations to the three middle schoolers that won, and we thank you all for bringing these heartwarming stories to light during these dark times.

0:00 Introduction: News Writing Team Leader Anvitha Marlapati and Competition Judge Claire Li

2:57 Winner Feature 1: Max Chang-Amayo

8:20 Winner Feature 2: Minhtam Nguyen

13:42 Winner Feature 3: Katelyn Liu

18:50 Concluding Commentary: Competition Judge Sofia Nagy

Like, comment, and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean for more content!

Find our previous episodes at https://www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

S4 #2 COVID's Impact On Arcadians

Welcome to Season 4 Episode 2 of the "Keepin' It Arcadia" podcast! In our newest story, the team interviews siblings Karen and Kevin Tsai, two doctors from the Los Angeles area who were given the opportunity to present at the 2020 Emmy Awards. At the start of the pandemic, the pair teamed up and started the donateppe.org foundation to combat the shortage in PPE supplies that affected front-line health workers. This episode also includes an interview with Mrs. Karen Kropp, owner of Arcadia's beloved bookstore, The Book Rack, to gain more perspective about the impacts of COVID-19 on the community and small businesses like hers. 

 

Interview with Karen and Kevin Tsai: 1:05

Interview with Mrs. Kropp: 20:23

 

New episodes will drop every two weeks! Like, comment, and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean for more content!

Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

 

S4 #1 We're Back with a New Format!

Welcome to our Season 4 (2020-2021) premiere! All of us at Keepin’ It Arcadia are so glad to be back with all of you during these unique times, and boy do we have some new things to share! This week, get to know the new podcast crew that puts so much time and effort into this, the changes coming to this student podcast, and a special look at the Sunrise Movement!

New Changes to KIA: 1:29

Meet the Team: 2:08

Sunrise Movement Special Feature: 6:11

The team at Keepin' It Arcadia hopes everyone is staying healthy and doing well at home! Remember to stay strong and please continue social distancing for your safety and of those around you! 

New episodes will drop every two weeks on Friday at 6 p.m. Like, comment, and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean for more content!

Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

 

Disclaimer: Opinions promoted in this podcast episode are not endorsed or opposed by the Arcadia Unified School District. 

S3 #17 Fight to the Finish

The famous Santa Anita Racetrack, a cornerstone of the city of Arcadia, California, was established in 1934. It has a long and varied legacy: from night markets, circuses, high school graduation ceremonies, major horse races, and band reviews, to, unfortunately, the United States' Japanese internment system and horse deaths. In this podcast, the team at Keepin' It Arcadia discusses the history and the significance of the Santa Anita Racetrack through several one-on-one interviews with experienced journalists, citizens of Arcadia, a former Japanese internee, employees at the racetrack, and the city mayor to establish connections to the racetrack's past and success today. Tune in to a story that immerses listeners in the rich and diverse heritage of a Californian landmark.

Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com

S3 #16 Remaining Hopeful

In light of the current COVID-19 crisis, the Keepin' It Arcadia podcast decided to host its very first poetry contest! Open to middle school and high school students, the contestants were challenged to write an acrostic poem revolving around the theme of "hope". Not only do the contest winners have their poems read aloud on the podcast, but their poems will also be published by the student-run online journal, The Sienna Solstice at www.siennasolstice.com! Special shout out to everyone who participated and a big congratulations to the winning writers!

Middle School Category:

"Hopeful" by Chloe Wong: 2:17

"Light in the Darkness" by Juliette Fang: 2:50

"Why Won't They Stay Home?" by Natalia Nagy: 3:48

High School Category:

"The Healing Process" by Maureen Zhang: 4:30

"Untitled" by Andrea Lou: 5:08

"Lotus Flower Foot Binding" by Maggie Sun: 6:00

The team at Keepin' It Arcadia hopes everyone is staying healthy and doing well at home! Remember to stay strong and please continue social distancing for your safety and of those around you! 

Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

S3 #15 Arcadia Online (and on TV)! (Pt. 2)

Despite the pandemic and the restrictions that quarantine brings onto Arcadia, our city is still making itself known, whether it be on national television or in the local community. (we bet that no one gets the AOL reference we put in). In this two-part special, we follow four individuals who have stepped up to the plate and broadcast Arcadia's talents out to the world.

For part two, we got to talk to Andrew Ritiau and Frank Suñez. Ritiau, the youth ministry pastor at Arcadia Community Church (ACC), aided the transition from in-person church services to online services, and along the way, he coordinated some of the most amazing displays of faith online that Keepin' It Arcadia has ever seen. In his interview, he describes how ACC made the jump to online platforms and how it has impacted Christianity in the community. Meanwhile, Suñez has been leading Arcadia High School's news crew--Apache News (APN)--as its advisor through the pandemic by coordinating the continued release of weekly newscasts, and even pulling off an online gaming tournament! He goes in-depth on how APN adjusted to the school closure in the wake of the current quarantine and APN's future plans.

And as always, SOCIALLY DISTANCE YOURSELF AND FOLLOW CDC GUIDELINES!!!

Find our previous episodes here!

S3 #14 Arcadia Online (and on TV)! (Pt. 1)

Note: We are sorry for the delay, but this episode turned out to be an hour long, so we had to split it and revise it to make it into episodes 14 and 15!

Despite the pandemic and the restrictions that quarantine brings onto Arcadia, our city is still making itself known, whether it be on national television or in the local community. (we bet that no one gets the AOL reference we put in). In this two-part special, we follow four individuals who have stepped up to the plate and broadcast Arcadia's talents out to the world.

For part one, we feature Xiaoke Ying and Amir Malik. Ying was the Arcadia alumna that placed third in the Jeopardy College Championship; she explains the journey she took to get onto Jeopardy and how it has impacted her. Meanwhile, Malik is a Michael Jackson tribute artist whose YouTube presence has grown rapidly; he delves into how the King of Pop inspired him and describes the intricacies of how he learns MJ's routine.

Stay tuned for part two, and PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING PLUS ALL CDC RECOMMENDATIONS!!!

Click here for all our previous episodes!

S3 #13 Clubs and Chillin': How Arcadians Relax

Yes--Keepin' It Arcadia is still running, and we intend on uploading every Friday and keepin' it normal! Our first quarantine episode is covering these two topics:

Anvitha Marlapati starts us off with some ways to keep yourself entertained and active during the COVID-19 quarantine, because we at Keepin' It Arcadia know that at least some of you are bored to death at home.

Claire Li introduces us and talks to three elementary schoolers at Highland Oaks Elementary School who have brought the idea of clubs to their school. Keep in mind, clubs have never existed at the elementary level, so this is a gamechanger for Arcadia Unified! 

Fun Things to Do While in Quarantine: 1:00

Clubs at Highland Oaks Elementary School: 7:38

Also, PLEASE PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING, MASK-WEARING, AND OTHER CDC RECOMMENDATIONS!!!

Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

 

S3 #12 A New Furry Friend, Sadies Theme Reveal, and Speech and Debate State Qualifiers!

We begin this episode with Nina Wang and two Arcadia High School ASB members, Kaitlyn Tran and Megan Ngo, as they go over Sadies 2020! Sadies is hosted every two years at Arcadia High School and it gives a chance for the ladies to ask the gents to the dance. 

Recently, Arcadia High School’s Speech and Debate team competed at the Speech and Debate State Qualifications at East Los Angeles College. Becky Chen interviews the Speech and Debate team members and coaches to discuss more about what happened!

And of course, we cannot forget the new furry friend who was recently added as a member of the Arcadia City Police Department. Sofia Nagy interviews Officer Nick Cvetkovich about Kaiser, the new K-9 member, and the story of how Kaiser became Kaiser.

Interview with ASB: 0:45

Interview with Speech and Debate: 2:33

Interview with Officer Nick: 7:35

S3 #11 New Members, Link Crew Recruitment, and the PLE Spoken English Organization!

In this episode, the AUSD DCI Podcast team welcomes three new members of the team- Anvitha Marlapati, Zaw Win or George, and Sofia Nagy! Listen to their introductions and learn a little bit more about who the podcast team consists of!

We also have an interview from podcast member Becky Chen with Link Crew Commissioner Derek Chang all about Link Crew and the upcoming recruitment season! Reminder that the mandatory meeting is Friday, Feb. 28!

Lastly, new podcast member Anvitha Marlapati interviews the President of the PLE Spoken English Organization, Alan Xiong. Together, the two go over what the volunteer organization is all about and how you could join! Link to the application below:

PLE Application

PLE Flyer

New members' introductions: 0:34

Interview with Derek Chang: 2:05

Interview with Alan Xiong: 5:22

Find our previous episodes here!

S3 #10 One Simple Trick to Get Politicians to Listen to You: A Recap of the California PTA Legislation Conference!

One month ago, 150 attendees marched up the steps of the California State Capitol and presented their legislators with an educational agenda that now means more than ever in our increasingly chaotic political climate. Those attendees were simply run-of-the-mill people from towns big and small e.g. parents, teachers, school district employees, PTA members, and even a few students. However, what this group of bold citizens did in the state capital is a truly inspiring story that our podcast team member and Arcadia PTA Student Representative Lawrence Sung got to witness firsthand. Join him as he pulls back the curtain on the California PTA Legislation Conference and why it is so important for you to fulfill YOUR civic responsibility as an American citizen!

Featuring: Arcadia Unified School District Board Member Cung Nguyen, Arcadia PTA Parent Representative Jennifer Ledesma, Riverside PTA Student Representative Spencer Young, California PTA Community Concerns Legislative Advocate Kathy Rabun, and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

Find our previous episodes here!