With the Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) transitioning to a hybrid school model, we took time to talk to a few members of the community--principals, teachers, and students--to understand the behind-the-scenes process of our reopening process.    First up, Arcadia High School’s principal, Ms. Dillman, discusses some of the factors behind the reopening process while also answering some questions about the school reopenings. Another AUSD principal, Mrs. Mattera, introduces the procedures that the elementary schools will follow, giving an inside scoop on the Highland Oaks hybrid model. Along with the school administration, current Arcadia High senior Conner Hua highlights the student viewpoint and how their opinions have impacted the school’s reopening process. Next, Mr. Vo, an AP Biology and Environmental Science teacher at Arcadia High, shares his perspective on the transition, shedding light on how the changes have impacted teachers. Finally, Apache News member Ethan Tran recaps APN’s return to in-person filming.   We hope you enjoy this podcast! Like, comment, and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean for more content! Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

Keepin' it Arcadia

S4 # 8 Behind the Scenes of the Return to School

In honor of March, we talked to an all-female group about feminism, representation and inclusion, and women's history month. This episode features a range of perspectives, including women in the workforce, founders of the Diversify your Narrative campaign, a women's literature teacher, and a member of a branch of the global Girl Up Campaign.    Like, comment, and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean for more content! Find our previous episodes at www.arcadiaunified.podbean.com.

Women's History Month

With the upcoming return to school and increase in extracurricular activities at school, we talked to Arcadia Stage President Sarah Callahan to discuss the production of the upcoming show “Bright Star”. In addition, Speech and Debate members Kevin Wu and Jack Wang recap their latest virtual Speech competition.

Behind the Scenes of "Bright Star" & Speech and Debate

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 #5 Remaining Resilient As Arcadians

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 #4 An Inside Look at Studying Abroad

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 #3 The AUSD News Writing Competition Winners!

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 #2 COVID's Impact On Arcadians

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. 

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

The famous Santa Anita Racetrack, a cornerstone of the cit 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 #17 Fight to the Finish

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 #16 Remaining Hopeful

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

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

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 #13 Clubs and Chillin': How Arcadians Relax

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

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!

New Members, Link Crew Recruitment, and the PLE Spoken English Organization

Arcadia Unified School District Student hosted and produced podcasts.