O PI N I O N S 2
E D I TO R I A L S 3
FE AT U R E S 5
S PR E A D 6 -7
E N T E R TA I N M E N T 8
LI F E S T Y LE 10
S P O R T S 11
T HE
DECEMBER 2015 Volume XXVII Issue III
UN I N
MHSTHEUNION.COM For the latest updates
STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL
Results for SBAC exceed state averages in language arts, math BY MISBAH SURANI
Amal Mulaomerovic | THE UNION
(From left to right) Students Erin Roldan (9), Desiree Damaso (12), Augustin Deluna (10), Nikita Rai (11), Mikaela Edusada (11), and Natalie Lata (9) count cans during 5th period ASB. ASB receives cans from first period classes and CLOGS.
MHS Jack Emery Drive collects cans for the holidays BY SHERRY LAM
Collection for the Jack Emery Food Drive began on Nov. 18 and will end on Dec. 11, according to Activities Director Joanna Butcher. All monetary and can donations will directly benefit the Milpitas Food Pantry, Butcher said. This year, MHS strives to surpass its goal of collecting $6,000, and 6000 cans that will go towards the Jack Emery Drive, according to Butcher. As of Dec. 4, all can and monetary donations have not been accounted for, so the current totals for the school have not yet been calculated, Butcher said. “The Milpitas Food and Clothes pantry relies on donations from the
N EWS IN BR IEF Winter Break Winter Break starts on Dec. 21 until Dec. 30. School resumes on Jan. 4. SAT Testing The next SAT test date is on Jan. 23. The deadline to register is on Dec. 28. ACT Testing The next ACT test date is on Feb. 6, 2016. The registration deadline is on Jan. 8. Boys basketball season continues The boys basketball team goes against Monterey HS on Dec. 12. Their season continues with home games vs. Cupertino on Dec. 14 and vs. Evergreen Valley HS on Dec. 16. On Dec. 18, they travel to Mt. Pleasant HS and on Dec. 23, they take on Piedmont Hill HS. Girls basketball season continues The girls basketball team is hosting Washington HS on Dec. 15. Their season continues with another home game vs. Irvington HS on Dec. 17, an away game at Watsonville HS on Dec. 19, a home game vs. Prospect HS on Dec. 21, an away game vs. Piedmont Hills HS on Dec. 23, and an away game vs. Everygreen Valley HS on Dec. 28. Talent Show try-outs Try-outs for the Talent Show are on Jan. 13 and on Jan 14. Days of observance School will not be in session during Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. There is also no school on Jan. 29 due to Teacher Inservice Day.
Second Harvest Food Bank,” Butcher said. “They rely on about 50% of their stock from the direct donations from the community. Usually, the Jack Emery district wide goal for can collection can fill about 6 months worth of reserves for them.” First period classes are competing against each other to bring in the most cans and money, according to Jack Emery Coordinator Alec Li. This is an incentive for the student body and staff to get competitive with each other in the spirit of giving, Li said. “The top small, medium, and large sized classes that bring in the most cans and money will receive a breakfast provided by the ASB class after the drive ends,” Li said. “Small classes are defined as 1-16 students, medium classes have 17-29 students, and large
classes have 30 or more students.” Clubs and Organizations (CLOGs) have been collaborating with ASB to raise donations and collect cans for the Jack Emery Drive, according to Li. CLOGs went around to different neighborhoods in Milpitas to ask for support from the community, Li said. “On Nov. 21 and 22, several CLOGs and their members went into Milpitas neighborhoods to go doorto-door and post flyers that asked for their support through donations,” Li said. “The following weekend, the CLOGs returned to those respective neighborhoods to go back and pick up donations. From the first few clubs who have turned in their cans, we can definitely see the great amount of support for the Jack Emery Food Drive from our city residents.”
New public policy prohibits student use of speakers BY ABIGAIL ECAL
The prohibition of bluetooth speakers, boomboxes, and other portable sound systems was added to the electronics policy on Dec. 3, according to Principal Cheryl Lawton. The policy states that individual listening and electronic devices may not be used in class without teacher or staff permission, Lawton said. The policy was needed because the electronic policy in the MHS Student Handbook was outdated and did not address the types of electronics that students use today, according to Lawton. Concerns from the teachers were also another reason why there needed to be another policy, Lawton said. “Some of the teachers have had concerns with students playing [speakers] during class time or after school when they’re trying to help students,” Lawton said. “There are kids in the E and F building getting help and there are teachers that are trying to have meetings. Since the speakers are directed in that direction, it’s drives the them crazy.” According to Social Studies Teacher Paul Harrison, he and Assistant Principal Ethan Stocks wrote up the policy. “I was under the assumption that there was a rule that [Ex-Principal Ken Schlaff ] would enforce,” Harrison said. “Until one day, probably two months ago, I confronted some
students who were playing their music really loudly after school and then it got to me thinking it was actually a written rule.” According to Harrison, students publicly listening to their music on speakers was creating an inappropriate school setting. Listening to music on headphones, however, is acceptable, Harrison said. “I feel that we have an obligation to create a really safe positive environment for our students,” Harrison said. “It’s just that we have to share this public space, and I don’t think everybody appreciates your type of music. It’s just not the right environment to regulate the issue.” According to English Teacher Sanjit Roy, he supports the policy because it advocates campus safety. Loud music on campus created the potential for chaos, Roy said. “One day while I was on lunch duty, I had trouble hearing my radio due to loud music emanating from multiple places in the area I monitor,” Roy said. “Due to the loud music, I could miss radio communication about an urgent situation such as an intruder or fight.” “It doesn’t make sense because it totally [cancels] out the idea of [expressing] yourself in school,” said Senior Kyle Dacallos. “[MHS] does it with clothes, and even now they’re doing it with music. Even now [the school] has more stuff to worry about instead of blasting music.”
MHS recently received scores from the 2015 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP) administered to the Class of 2016 in Spring 2015, according to the California Department of Education (CDE). MHS students performed well on the test, exceeding the state average for 11th graders in both sections of the test, the CDE said. The CASPP was a series of “new, computer-based tests for English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics, which replaced the former paper-based assessments,” according to the CDE. The CASPP was conducted online in order to produce more accurate and thorough results and information in a shorter time to assist parents and teachers in appropriately meeting the students’ needs. The CASPP had various improvements in the material tested to help the students show their writing, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, according to the CDE. Due to these changes, these new assessments cannot be compared with the old tests and are thus considered as “a basis from which to compare performance in future years,” the CDE said. The MHS Class of 2016 performed extremely well. “Seventy-six percent of students met or exceeded the standard in English-Language Arts. That is very good,” Assistant Principal Ethan Stocks said. “Fifty-two percent met or exceeded the standards in Math.” The scores for MHS are also good, as 76% and 52% met or exceeded the
standards in ELA and math respectively compared to 54% and 29%, the state averages for eleventh grade students. Stocks attributes the good performance on these tests to the MHS teachers, who did an excellent job preparing students for the exam. “The school adopted Common Core fairly early relative to a lot of other schools. The staff also came to important agreements about curriculum, instruction, and assessment,” Stocks said. “For example, every department requires students to write constructed responses and justification papers. Many teachers are introducing close reading strategies. There was a focused effort to prepare students for SBAC—and it paid off!” Senior Christine Bui is also proud that MHS performed well on the SBAC and is glad to be surrounded by talented students, though she believes it is difficult to determine a student’s qualifications and ability to apply knowledge in the “real world” from a math or English test. “I think that some teachers on campus are passionate about teaching, which causes students to do well on these standardized tests,” Bui said. “I also think that MHS students have a lot of dedication and a drive for success which leads to better test scores.” Originally, California used standardized test scores to give each school an Academic Performance Index (API) score, Stocks said. However, when California implemented the Common Core and SBAC, the API was discontinued, and it is not likely coming back, according to Stocks. “I’ve heard there is a plan to begin rating schools based on a variety of SEE SBAC ON BACK PAGE
Petition results in community service appeals, deadline extends BY NICHOLAS LUC MIHIR THUMMAR
Students presented a petiton to the school board on Nov. 17 with a request to validate students’ community service hours, according to School Board Representative Alan Pham. According to the letter given to the school board, the petitioners expressed their opinions that necessary hours were not being given fairly to each student. Senior Isaiah Walker was the one who initially came up with the idea and started the petition, Pham said. At the moment, over 300 people, mostly juniors and seniors, have already signed the petition, according to Pham. “I do not know if all who signed it had complaints or problems themselves regarding the community service policy,” Pham said. The topic of community service and the petition was brought up and discussed at the school board meeting, according to Pham. Several school board members voiced their concerns about the petition and the new guidelines, Pham said. “Board Member Daniel Bobay and Superintendent Cary Matsuoka expressed their concerns during the Nov. 24 board meeting,” Pham said.
“The superintendent has been discussing this issue with Ms. Lawton. Board Member Daniel Bobay presented a letter to the board at this meeting, with one of the topics as community service policy concerns.” Walker felt that the new guidelines were unclear and came up with the idea after his own volunteer hours were rejected. “The petitions goal is to help students receive community service hours that they have completed,” Walker explained. “I feel the way that the community service guidelines were presented to the students was unclear and confusing.” A few administrators hoped that the students would have reached out to the onsite supervisors, Principal Cheryl Lawton and Community Service Supervisor Renee Roche, before approaching the board, Pham noted. “I’m told that some of the community service guideline changes this year are not actually new rules, but just enforcement of the original policies,” Pham said. “The board members are talking about this issue. Ms. Roche told me she has been accepting most community service papers and appeals.” The deadline for both the miniSEE PETITION ON BACK PAGE
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THE UNION
PRO
Open campus reduces crowding; school ought to introduce policy Milpitas High School currently students only eat the nachos, pizza, has a closed campus policy that does burgers, or burrito bowls. They don’t not allow students to freely leave the even bother to take fruits or vegetacampus during break. This policy is bles with them. an irrational solution to a lot of the One could argue that having an problems that this school and its stu- open campus will make students ardents face during lunch. rive to class late and the lines will just First, the school does not do an ade- increase at nearby businesses. Howquate job of distributing food to all of ever, this is not taking into account its students. Lines at the cafeteria can that many students will end up eating take forever, and by the time people lunch at home or that a lot of people get their food, lunch can also have cars so they can be over. Many teachers on go to other stores and be campus also do not allow back before lunch ends. If kids to eat in class so they time is really an issue, then will end up wasting money lunch can always extend on food and being deprived into SSR. The benefits that of their lunches. The the schools and students amount of food available receive with this policy is also pretty scarce. Some and the amount of money people opt out of eating that we save outweighs the lunch entirely due to the minimal benefits that SSR lack of good food, especialoffers. AMANDEEP ly if you’re vegetarian and The school could always DOSANJH the only food left contains improve its lunches or add meat. There are also not more benches, but this enough places to sit at during lunch will cost a lot of money and time. The and a lot of students are forced to sit lunches at this school will also need on the floor. to be drastically improved. The cafeAlso, let’s be honest, the nutrition teria needs to expand so that the lines policy that our school has does more move faster, and more food needs to harm than good. You can’t force teen- be available to accommodate the agers into eating healthier food. In- growing population. The lunch itself stead, they are more likely to opt out also needs to be more appetizing and of lunch entirely or just buy a bag of nutritious. All of these changes will Munchies from the vending machine cost the school an immense amount because the food the school offers is of money. An open campus policy can pretty bad. If we allow an open cam- also alleviate the stress on the school pus, students can go home and eat to provide lunch. healthy food there, or they can go Until the school can figure out a to nearby restaurants and at least way to accommodate the needs of the obtain a full meal. The food that the growing population, an open campus school already offers isn’t particular- is clearly the easiest and most effily healthy anyways. The majority of cient solution for everyone involved.
CON
Open campus resolves no issues, creates more problems for school Now, before even considering the walk there, buy food, and come back. topic of an open or closed campus, Moreover, there is too much liability think about it logically. What is the for MHS to allow a mass exodus of underlying reason for even consid- students from campus. If a student ering an open campus? Is it so that does not check out of school or return kids can get better quality food? Is it to school, there will be many lawsuits so that students can get food faster? that we cannot afford. Are there more places to sit or hangThis raises the issue of the length out off campus? of lunch. Due to long lines, lunch All these questions make an open ends before some can even buy lunch, campus seem justified so they have to be either and proper; however, this late to class or not eat beis not the case. Consider cause most teachers do the quality of food and not allow food in the class. how fast it can be bought. As shown, people going off At our school, a plethora of campus will only increase people complain that the the number of tardies to food is disgusting and a 5th period, which creates drudge to digest. Furtheran entirely separate mess more, to even attain this with our flawed tardy sysunpleasant food, one must tem. wait in lines that literally Now, consider an open MIHIR wrap around buildings. campus for the sake of THUMMAR Having an open campus “hanging out.” There are does not fully solve these in fact fewer places to sit issues because students may go to off campus than on campus so there Little Caesars or Burrito Express, is nothing being solved. There are and the lines will be just as long and many areas to eat lunch on campus, they will not receive their “better” but the main issue for people is the quality food. Because of the sheer lack of tables. This once again is not number of students at our school, solved by having an open campus. long lines will be prevalent in or out The long term solution would be to of school, so having an open campus provide more tables to suffice for is clearly not the solution. more students. Inherent problems with our school Because an open campus does are that proper and healthy food is not solve the inherent problems in not being served and the means for our school of poor food quality, long students to get lunch from the cafe- lines, and seating space, it does not teria is simply inefficient. seem to be a reasonable option beAn open campus would simply cause we can do just as well without compound the problems with hav- it. Lastly, an open campus is not viaing a large student body. There is no ble because it raises more issues than way that kids can make it to the Nob it solves. To solve the problems in our Hill Plaza and back to school within school, the administration needs to a twenty-minute time period. Stu- acknowledge the issues and proacdents will be late by the time they tively solve them.
OPINIONS
DECEMBER 2015
This nation has become numb to traumatic events The nation’s response to the heartbreaking bombings in Paris and the most recent shootings in San Bernardino raises multiple questions about how we, as a society, deal with tragedy. Most reactions toward Paris were genuine. Shock and disgust at the heartless attacks filled Facebook feeds and news broadcasts, and for a moment, most of the world showed solidarity towards Paris’s pain. However, the shootings at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, albeit saddening, evoke feelings of deja vu. Why is it that major losses of life in our own country don’t surprise us anymore? Has it become an “American thing” to have increased gun violence? It seems so. According to Mass Shooting Tracker and MSNBC, the San Bernardino shooting is the 355th mass shooting in America this year. That’s about one almost every single day. With so much violence, it’s no wonder the general populace has become accustomed to hearing about and seeing bloodshed in the United States. It seems as if with every news report, we are less and less shocked by the extent to which humanity can
sink in terms of morality. Victims be- receive an education, to practice relicome mere numbers in a bar graph, gion, or simply to go to work. Let that and the repetitive debate over gun vi- sink in. As individuals, we should not olence and mental illness takes front familiarize ourselves with bloodshed. and center yet again. It’s needless. We need to make some We’ve become so used to tragedy kind of attempt to regain our humanthat we mourn not only the victims ity because our insensitivity and our of Sandy Hook and San Bernardino, ignorance has become the largest but we inevitably mourn the victims threat to our own survival. of the future tragedies as You could argue that well. It’s unclear how many every country has its mothers, fathers, daughters, problems, but simply and sons have to be lost for accepting a problem like us to finally make a change. this instead of making We seem to be growing old moves to make progonly to turn into statistics, ress is setting us back. another number added to an There are countless online poll calculating how solutions in front of us, many we’ve lost this time arand instead of taking ound. baby steps, we’re taking As a society, we are despergiant leaps backwards. TERRA ately in need of a wake-up More often than not, we WALLS call. We can’t seem to progdismiss these shootings ress past our initial recogand murders as nothing nition of the problem. As a more than numbers as country, coming to a consensus about time passes. a solution, whether it be strict gun We’re a country that has somehow control laws or the de-stigmatization managed to integrate mass shooting of mental illness, would be the first statistics into our casual water break step towards actual breakthroughs. conversations. We’re more surprised America’s overzealous need to pre- at Oscar winners and Black Friday serve the “right to bear arms” has tak- deals than at major losses of life. en prevalence over the basic right to
More public buses needed to transport students For the past four years of my high for the same route, at the same time, school career, I have taken pub- to address this issue for another lic transportation home via Valley route. Students who take Route 46 Transportation Authority’s (VTA) have the luxury of choosing one of Route 66 bus. While you may not care two buses that come at around 3:00, about how I get my sleep-deprived whereas those taking the 66 must self home every day, anydecide between enduring a one who has taken that cramped bus or going home bus right after school untwenty minutes later. The derstands the suffering current public transportaone must endure in that tion situation at MHS favors bus. The bus is so packed one group of students over that to the untrained another, and that disparity eye, one might suspect should be eliminated. It’s that he or she has sudunfair that some students denly been transported are crammed together like to a third-world country sardines while others aren’t. where one vehicle serves Adding an additional IVAN hundreds of people. Route 66 bus right after HUANG Milpitas isn’t a third school would also help alleworld country, and it cerviate the traffic along Escuetainly shouldn’t move its la. Milpitas is projected to students around like one. That’s why see dramatic increases in population MHS should contact VTA about an due to the many housing developadditional Route 66 bus coming after ments near Great Mall, and with the school to help alleviate these con- increase comes more children, who ditions that could be classified as a will one day be enrolled at MHS and crime against humanity. need to get home. Since Route 66 has VTA already sends multiple buses several stops in the area, providing
the current and future students in the area a viable alternative to driving to school would reduce the vehicle traffic around MHS in the years to come. In addition, Route 66 is also the sole VTA connecting MHS to the Milpitas Library. Adding another bus makes the prospect of going to the library after school to study, work on projects, and check out books more attractive. Many studies show a strong positive correlation between the amount of time spent in a library and academic achievement. In fact, I wouldn’t have been to use that terminology correctly if I didn’t spend time in the library studying. The addition of another 66 bus right after school can indirectly lead to increased academic performance amongst the students of MHS. In the present and years to come, MHS will have to address the issue of transportation. An additional bus after school for Route 66 would be a big step in doing so and can provide both direct and indirect benefits. Thus, MHS should contact the VTA about adding another 66 bus during peak traffic hours along Escuela Parkway.
Carcinogenic school foods ought to be eliminated Many of us love our processed and red meats. Bacon, sausage, burgers, and steaks: they taste like heaven to our taste buds. They also happen to feature frequently in our school food. However, would you still regularly consume these foods if their consumption has been associated with cancer? The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), recently released a report stating that processed meats are carcinogenic while red meats are “probably carcinogenic.” Carcinogenicity is a measure of how much a substance causes cancer. According to the IARC, processed meats are classified as Group 1, meaning that they are carcinogenic when consumed. Red meats are classified as Group 2A, which states that they are probably carcinogenic when consumed. The IARC states that “each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.” 50 grams of processed meat can be found in as little as two rashers of bacon. For those who enjoy crispy bacon once in a while, your risk for cancer is negligible. However, IARC’s statement will be disturbing to those who consume 50 grams or more of
processed meat daily. bled eggs. Adding some bell peppers As for red meat, its consumption is will also make these burritos more correlated to cancer based on limited colorful and healthy. evidence. However, correlation does Another carcinogen is the meat on not mean causation. Researchers pizzas. Pepperoni may be a piece of have not been able to accured, salty goodness to count for outside variables many, but it is a processed to prove that red meats do meat, and definitely should cause cancer. While eating not be served to students. red meats may cause canThese cured meats can be cer, red meats are still rich replaced with fresh chicksources of protein and othen, which is neither a red er vitamins. As long as you nor processed meat. don’t consume ten ounce As for red meat, some steaks every day, you probburgers offered during ably won’t have to worry lunch are made out of about getting cancer from beef, a red meat. While WEE JIN red meat. red meats have not been KOH Based on the aforemenproven to cause cancer, tioned research, it is evithey should still be eaten dent that school food choices can be in moderation. As such, the school improved to cut down on processed should offer them a few times a week, and red meats. While there are less rather than every day. processed meats in school food now Many meats offered in our school than in previous years’, there are still lunches are not processed or red some processed meats that can be meats, and I commend the school eliminated. for that. The processed hot dogs that For example, the breakfast bur- I remember from elementary and ritos served during brunch contain middle school have since been elimsausage. The sausage, which has the inated, and it is a good thing. A reductexture and taste of a flavored eraser, tion in the consumption of red and is an example of processed meat. The processed meats, cancer-causing or sausage in these burritos can be re- not, should be adopted for a healthier placed with more protein-rich scram- body and life.
EDITORIAL
DECEMBER 2015
THE
EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union
Lack of transparency evident in administration We, The Union, believe that the administration of MHS holds responsibility for notifying staff, parents, and students of MHS affairs. Despite the efforts of the administration to increase transparency, there is still a lack of communication between the administration and the MHS community. We emphasize that the administration must be transparent when enforcing new policies and explaining incidents relating to the school. A lack of communication in the MHS community leads to the spread of rumors. One instance of miscommunication between administration and the MHS community is the distribution of 14 suspensions in a single incident in early November, something usually unheard of in the community. This is partly due to the fact that the administration did not give an official statement of the situation to the faculty. In the past, the administration would release information to staff concerning any incidents at MHS. The information stated what the incidents were, when they happened, how they were started, and how they were solved. This year, the administration did not release any information regarding the suspensions. The administration has also neglected to inform the MHS community of changes such as the new tardy policies that were introduced at the beginning of the school year. When The Union asked teachers and students for their opinions on the new tardy policies, only a few had knowledge of the changes. The administration did not effectively notify the community of changes made in the first couple months of the school year. There were students unaware of the new policies and hence, received detentions. Awareness and understanding of some of these policies were not established until November. This is another example of the lack of communication from the administration. The lack of response when the fire alarms went off in late October can also be attributed to miscommunication between the administration and the MHS community. Teachers and students could not tell whether it was an emergency or a false alarm at the time, so many chose to not evacuate. If the administration and teachers fail to have a clear understanding on evacuation procedures, then the entire MHS population may be endangered when an actual fire occurs. The administration should better communicate with teachers to ensure that proper actions are taken during drills. Questions have also arisen regarding the sewage situation. Why was the sewage backed up? The ad-
ministration did not provide the MHS community with information regarding the issue. This concern affects both staff and students, since a staff member suffered injuries and students were inconvenienced. Because of a lack of communication, affected students and staff were not told of the extent of the situation. P.E. teachers were inconvenienced because the flooding had obstructed the use of their offices. Students were unable to change into P.E. clothes and as a result were not able to participate in physical activities. The administration did not communicate its solution to the sewage problem, and these inconveniences continued until early November. The administration’s lack of transparency has created significant inconveniences for MHS seniors. On the verge of graduating, many seniors do not have sufficient service learning hours but have limited time to complete them. Since their freshmen year, they were told the due date for service hours was in May of their senior year. This year, the policies were initially changed, moving the deadline to December. Additionally, certain community services performed by students were no longer accepted under the new qualifications required for the hours to count. If students feel that their hours should still count, they are now required to fill out an appeals form, something that has never been done before. Seniors were confused and felt that they had no say in the matter, which led them to create a petition directed to the school board in order to express their concerns with the new policies. In response to the complaints, administration has reverted the due date for both regular community service and Maroon Cord qualifications back to March. Despite the extra time, however, it is still an inconvenience for students, as they have to complete the extra paperwork and arrange more community service events within a shorter time. Better communication between the administration and the students would have prevented this confusing debacle. In light of these situations, we appreciate the efforts administration has taken to build trust and become more upfront with the community. Principal Cheryl Lawton has approached The Union to discuss how the administration can effectively communicate with students. Several alternative plans have been created in hopes to resolve all issues dealing with the lack of transparency. Hopefully, the steps taken will limit the spread of hearsay while promoting better communication between the administration and the MHS community.
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S TA F F Ivan Huang Aysha Rehman Editors-in-Chief
Abigail Ecal ƀɠNews Editor Wee Jin Koh ƀɠOp-Ed Editor Ashley Ricks ƀɠFeatures Editor Julia Nguyen ƀɠLifestyle Editor Sherry Lam ƀɠSpread Editor Terra Walls ƀɠEntertainment Editor Divyesh Chotai ƀɠSports Editor Ca-Zao Bui ƀɠCo-Copy Editor Brooke Tran ƀɠCo-Copy Editor Amanda Nguyen ƀɠPhoto Editor Crystal Tran ƀɠWeb Editor Krupa Patel ƀɠBusiness Manager Noemi Crisanto ƀɠAd Manager Stella Xu ƀɠAsst. News Editor Brenna Hentschke ƀɠAsst. Op-Ed Editor Amal Mulaomerovic ƀɠAsst. Features Editor brandon Wettenstein ƀɠ Asst. Lifestyle Editor Nicholas Luc ƀɠ Asst. Spread Editor Justin Nguyen ƀɠAsst. Entertainment Editor Mihir Hansalia ƀɠAsst. Sports Editor Justin Tso ƀɠAsst. Copy Editor Gurshaan Bariana ƀɠAsst. Photo Editor David Ngo ƀɠAsst. Web Editor Amandeep Dosanjh ƀɠAsst. Business Manager Daanya Anand ƀɠAsst. Ad Manager AnneAlice Descamps ƀɠReporter Misbah Surani ƀɠReporter Mihir Thummar ƀɠReporter Kevin ZhangƀɠReporter Jeff Colburn Advisor
L E T T E R S TO T H E E DI TOR Soccer requires new equipment Dear Editor, One issue that I would like to address is the inequality of equipment and funding between some sports. I’m one of the frosh/soph soccer players and we never seem to have enough of some things. The only things that we have an adequate amount of are goals and jerseys. We are told to buy all of our other game apparel ourselves. Like all other sports, we pay fair share donations for bus fees and equipment. We pay $100 just like swimming and football. Football gets $67,000 lockers and swimming gets a new swimming pool. We haven’t gotten anything when all we have are jerseys and goals. Our coach has to bring his own soccer balls and only three of them are game quality. The soccer field looks as if someone scraped most of the turf off and replaced that with an equivalent amount of rubber, which makes you easily prone to turf burns. We should be able to get at least some new soccer balls and game shorts instead of having to bring our own. This shouldn’t cost more than $2,000 for all the soccer teams’ shorts and for the soccer teams in need of new balls. This amount is minute compared to the incredibly large expenses for the football lockers and the new swimming pool. This little amount of money could provide us with ideal playing conditions.
With everyone paying the same donation it seems fair that the soccer teams get the equipment that they need. The things that we need are not very expensive and these needs deserved to be fulfilled.
Ayush Maheshwari Class of 2019
Throwing footballs around people dangerous, inconsiderate to others Dear Editor, Have people always thrown footballs around campus this frequently? Why do people feel the need to throw a football around during passing period in an area where many people walk through? And is it just me or do the people who throw the footballs have horrible aim? I can think of many times a student has thrown a football on campus and the catcher missed, letting the ball hurl towards the feet of random pedestrians. And even more numerous are the instances that a catcher has had to move him or herself in order to catch the airborne ball. Moving quickly combined with not looking where one is moving often results in collision. If that isn’t enough, a flying projectile could easily strike somebody in the head and cause a concussion. Why isn’t anything done about this? I’m not suggesting the outlawing of sports or fun, and I don’t even care whether the administration enforces anything. I’m just saying I think people should reconsider throwing footballs in an area where
people are walking. Even if there are no injuries involved, it’s just plain annoying to have to walk around your game, dodging balls being hurled in our direction.
Alisa Ren
Class of 2016
All classrooms need smartboards Dear Editor, All classrooms should have a smartboard. This is true because smartboards can have many advantages. If every classroom had a smartboard then it would make learning a lot easier and less stressful. You can practically think of it as a huge touchscreen laptop that students can use. It also promotes the students to pay attention and participate more. A smartboard is designed to allow students and teachers to stand up at the board and draw, write, and move text around. Smartboards can be a huge and helpful resource in a learning environment. Sure, smartboards can be expensive, but does learning really come with a price? A smartboard makes learning easier, more fun, and faster. Money shouldn’t be a problem; students can do fundraisers and other things to raise money. Smartboards can be a huge help at MHS. Every classroom should have them.
Michelle Omar
Class of 2019
MHS needs to construct a moat; plan provides numerous benefits Dear Editor, Yet again do I find an issue that has been plaguing my consciousness while lacking the means to convey it other than through a much-neglected section of The Union. There has been some conversation of a new high school being built with the budget hovering around 100 million dollars. However, I do not feel as if there is justification for such a massive quantity of money to be spent on such a frivolous reason. Rather, the financial assets should be redirected to building defensive aquatic features for our fine institution. I question why a moat has not been of the highest priority on the district agenda. Unlike some features of the school, a moat cannot possibly be grounds for a Title IX lawsuit, as it benefits the entire school uniformly. It easily removes the danger of fires, earthquakes, and school shooters. Thus, the school can easily eliminate the nonsensical drills that cause chaos in my extremely difficult and rigorous classes, disrupting my attempts at beating my Crossy Road high score. The average pedestrian may doubt the legitimacy of this proposal, but I hope you choose not to be on the wrong side of history. From my tedious years of arduous research into the Pokemon franchise, I have come to the startling
conclusion that water beats both fire and ground. Since a moat is mostly composed of that very liquid, it is super effective against both fires and earthquakes. If that itself is not a convincing argument, take heed. It is a well known fact that school shooters are weak to water, garlic, and the sun. Therefore a moat, being composed primarily of water, should provide adequate fortification against such perpetrators. An entire quarter of the moat has already been built. The school simply needs to integrate the creek into the plans. The ecosystem probably will be completely ruined, but I believe that the safety of our students comes before anything else. The main counter-argument may be that a moat does not even relate to the original problem of overpopulation. Who cares? You get a freaking moat. Send students to Mission College or something. Pioneering students have already started the migration, seeking riches ever since the first high schooler discovered unlimited GPA inflation. There must be a rallying cry for the construction of a moat. I hope you share similar sentiments.
Tony Zhao
Class of 2016
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DECEMBER 2015
FEATURES
DECEMBER 2015
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Hollerin’ at Hollenback BY ANNEALICE DESCAMPS
Get to know our very own Bank technician!
How long have you worked at MHS? This is my 3rd year.
What TV show describes the school year? “24 hours” because the main character, Jack is always very busy & productive in the 24 hours he is given.
Favorite holiday food and drink? Honey Ham and eggnog.
Courtesy of Jenna Zarbis
Zarbis shares aspirations for figure skating future
Most memorable thing a student has done? The ASB kids got me a birthday card, I thought that was nice.
BY KRUPA PATEL
Junior Jenna Zarbis discusses her passion for figure skating.
Words of wisdom for students? Enjoy being a student and make the most of your time in high school
MHS students organize tutoring BY WEE JIN KOH
Many MHS students tutor kids around the community. Some tutor in specialized skills such debating, some tutor for community service hours, and others tutor as a form of employment. Some MHS students have taken tutoring to the next level by organizing mass tutoring sessions for elementary and middle school children in the community. Next Gen Innovatrs is an organization that connects high school tutors with elementary and middle school students, according to Next Gen Innovatrs Co-President and MHS Senior Kent Lu. The high school tutors help elementary and middle school students with their academic struggles, Lu said. The mass tutoring sessions are held every Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Milpitas Public Library, Lu said. “We don’t have any affiliation with the school whatsoever, but the program is sponsored by the Milpitas Library,” Lu continued. “So far, we have about 70 students and tutors who have signed up for this program,” Lu said. “Our ultimate goal is to have approximately 100 students and tutors combined.” There are no major qualifications needed to be a tutor, Lu added. Tutors just need to be able to socialize and communicate with children,
according to Lu. “Tutors can get community service for teaching the kids, and one of the librarians will sign off on community service forms,” Lu said. Senior Kenneth Chau recently joined Next Gen Innovatrs as a tutor. Chau had heard about the program a couple of months ago when it was still in its infancy, but never got around to joining the program until recently. “I was really interested, but I never got around to do it,” Chau said. “After hearing about the new community service issues, I decided I needed to get my hours as early as possible, so I tutor every week now.” Senior Devon Do has been tutoring for Next Gen Innovatrs for a few sessions. “I enjoy helping kids, and have a lot of experience in tutoring so I decided to join the program,” Do said. “The tutors arrive before the kids between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.,” Do continued. “When kids arrive, they sign in with their parents, and get assigned to a tutor, usually in a oneon-one setting. We then help the kids with whatever they need help with.” “The experience was pretty fun initially, but it gets a little tiring and repetitive towards the second hour since the kids don’t really need much help,” Chau said. “They just needed someone to push them to do their work.”
1. How did you get into ice skating? At the 2014 Winter Olympics, there was a 15 year-old girl called Yulia Lipnitskaya skating to Schindler’s List. Not long after watching the Winter Olympics, I went skating with a friend. On that first day, I figured out how to not fall. A few weeks later, I went with some other friends and figured out how to skate backwards on my own, [and] when they all wanted to leave, I wanted to stay. I begged my mom to stay, and in the end, she promised to get me lessons. 2. Where and when do you skate? There are two rinks that are in reasonable proximity to Milpitas:
Sharks Ice at Fremont and Sharks Ice at San Jose. Last year, I skated before school everyday. I left the house at 5:30 a.m. and skated from 5:50-7:15. This year I only skate on the weekends due to the more demanding coursework of Junior year. On the weekends, I have to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to be on the ice in San Jose at 5:30 a.m. 3. What is your motivation? My motivation spurs from a feeling of joy and exhilaration I feel when skating, as well as a feeling of envy of all those who are more accomplished than me. It is a sport that is not terribly fun until you learn to skate properly with some speed. Once you learn the basics, the new fun comes from jumping and spinning. 4. Are you competing in any competitions? Originally I wasn’t going to compete until June of next
year, but after seeing my progress, my coach decided to have me jump into the last non-qualifying competition of the season, in October. It was my first competition in figure skating. We only had six weeks to get music, learn a program, and make it look decent. Against all odds, I placed third. 5. What’s the best part about going out into the rink? When I go to the rink, I feel relaxed and free. I don’t think about school. I don’t think about my future, I don’t even think about food . When I am on the ice, all I have to worry about is where my feet are, and what I am doing. 6. What do you plan to do with your ice skating skills? I want to skate on the UC Berkeley Skating Team in the collegiate league. If that doesn’t happen, then I just plan to enjoy it, and make as much progress as I can.
Tran develops powerlifting prowess and succeeds BY JUSTIN NGUYEN
Most students in high school pick up sports just as a hobby. For Senior Ryan Tran, powerlifting has become much more than just a recreational activity. Powerlifting is a sport that allows participants three attempts at lifting their maximal weight for three different events: squat, bench press, and deadlift. In just one meet, which took place in Las Vegas, on Nov. 14, Tran broke three world records in both his age and weight class. Tran first got into the sport at the end of the wrestling season of his junior year, when he asked his friend, MHS Alumni Dan Khay, about joining the powerlifting team that Khay was a member of, ‘Team Injury Prone.’ Seeing his friend participate in the sport piqued Tran’s interest, and he eventually joined the team that January. “When I lift, I feel like no one’s around me, like I’m just there by
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myself, just lifting at the gym, you know. I don’t really think about what’s happening. Sometimes when I actually think about what’s happening, I get nervous, and I tend to miss the lift, so then, it throws me off,” Tran said. During a meet at Old Skool Iron in Vacaville, Tran broke three state records for squat, deadlift, and total weight, an achievement which
qualified him for the International Powerlifting League (IPL) World Powerlifting Championships in Las Vegas. At that tournament, Tran then broke three world records in his weight class, lifting 501.55 pounds in the squat event, 584.22 pounds in the deadlift event, and 1372 pounds total. Tran described his experience at this recent international meet to be “really humbling.” “Everyone’s very supportive of each other, like, there’s many competition among others, but everyone’s always pushing each other to become better and stronger, so then they can become a better person and power lifters,” Tran said. In the future, Tran hopes to become a well known powerlifter, as well as one of the top ten lifters in the open 181 lb weight class. For aspiring powerlifters, Tran recommends being open to trying new things, and not being discouraged. “Everyone has a starting point, not everyone starts off strong,” Tran said.
Science camp volunteering: a ‘learning experience’ BY CRYSTAL TRAN
Courtesy of Kenneth Chau
From left: Melanie Paranoble and Melina Luu (11) tutor students through the Next Gen Innovatrs, held every Tuesday at the Milpitas public library.
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“Buuu naaa naaa slug slug slug slug!!” The things you can’t forget when going to science camp when you were in 6th grade were the awesome and catchy songs. Imagine being able to relive science camp all over again, but this time as a camp counselor. Being a senior, I was given the privilege of being a camp counselor for a 6th grade science camp. It was an experience I will never forget. The process of becoming a camp counselor starts with first showing up to the informational meeting at school, where a science camp coordinator gives a run-down of what being a science camp counselor means. Your contact information is then taken, and you pick a date for which school and time you want. A packet is given to you to complete within a time period, which includes a page for the camp coordinators to get to know you, permission slips to miss school, and a contract to abide by the
camp rules. Afterwards, you receive a call or an email if you were chosen. Before going to science camp, each counselor is emailed “The Counselor Survival Guide” and a packing list to help prepare them for the trip. The contents of the survival guide includes the schedule for the week, a list of recreational duties where counselors will receive shifts to each do, games and activities to play, and bedtime stories! The packing list is like every other packing list for camp just to make sure you’re bringing the appropriate items. At science camp is where the chaos and wildness begins. You’re assigned ten to twelve 6th graders that will need constant attention and care. You have to make sure they’re wearing a jacket before going on the night hike, they don’t drown at the beach, and they’re not wide awake the whole night. It’s a handful, but at the same time it’s honestly so fun, because you basically have twelve little brothers and sisters for a whole five days.
When you feel like the madness won’t end, there is the holy grail called Counselor Time Off (CTO). CTO occurs when the campers have teacher time; counselors are able to get together and all relax. It happens when all the students have gone to sleep, counselors get to leave their cabins and go spend counselor time off in a game room. It’s a the perfect time to relax and share stories with each other. To conclude, being a science camp counselor was a learning experience that I feel made myself grow as a person. You are responsible for not only yourself, but twelve other children. It also of course is a great way to escape from the stress of school and reality in general. On top of that being a science camp counselor does give you community service hours so you are contributing to your education. I would highly recommend that underclassmen take the chance and apply to be a science camp counselor next year.
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OPINION: Consumerism must be balanced Business Dictionary defines con- why we even need these things. sumerism as the “continual expanHowever, there are also some obsion of one’s wants and needs for vious benefits to consumerism. As goods and services.” In other words, a result of our consumer society, consumerism is the result of the hu- many goods and services have beman desire to want more come more readily availof everything. Today, we able to people. Corporamight identify consumtions and manufacturers erism in the ads we watch prosper when people buy or the ever-constant flow their products. In turn, of people at a mall. they can create a wider Many people will cite variety of products for Black Friday as a prime even more people. We are example of consumerism left with a system that is gone wrong. Every year, able to create products videos surface of shopcatered to people’s conpers packed in a store, venience and comfort.. fighting with each other Some may argue that over the latest television or NICHOLAS consumerism is harmful, game console. Some people because it distracts from LUC become so obsessed with the more important things buying things that they seem to lose in life. People are too caught up in regard for basic human decency. In making enough money to buy the these situations, it might seem to newest gadget they want that they us that consumerism and a mass will ignore things that truly make product culture have turned us into them happy, like family and friends. drones who are excited to gobble up To some, this is the explanation the next product that corporations for why so many people overwork throw at us, with little regard for themselves at their jobs, but end
up unsatisfied with life. Ultimately, that type of judgement is subjective. Consumerism and traditional values are not a zero sum game. It is possible to have a healthy balance of the two aspects of life. In addition, different people place different values on the things they buy. Someone could be content with what they already have and not want to buy anything, but for many, a new car or phone may make their lives more enjoyable. Consumerism should be a force taken in careful moderation. At its worse, we see things like the mobs of Black Friday. People should not center their whole lives around new products, but it is certainly not a bad thing if done reasonably. In general, our quality of life is improved by the things we buy, whether that be through entertainment or increasing convenience. It would be great if everyone could just be satisfied with what they have and live humble lives, but not everyone is capable of that. So long as that’s true, consumerism is here to stay.
Spend New Year’s having a fun adventure BY ASHLEY RICKS
When people see that the days of December and the year are dwindling, many begin to be increasingly reflective and sentimental. Along with this heightened mushiness comes the irrational but consuming notion that these final days must be treated as precious --the twelve days of YOLO, the resolve to lessen the regrets of the year by at least trying to “end 2015 with a bang.” However, knowing high school students, most will procrastinate. We will end up sitting on our couch, wondering how yet another year has flown by. Let’s change that. Here is a list of some (legal) local activities to partake in on New Year’s Eve! 1. Christmas in the Park | San Jose: The array of Christmas trees, holiday decorations, and unparalleled hot chocolate at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in Downtown San Jose is a familiar sight to most Bay Area natives. What some people might not know, however, is that there are extra festivities that take place on New Year’s Eve. There will be a special showing of Disney’s “Frozen,” followed by a live performance by SAGE, a local band. The park will be open on Dec. 31 from 9 a.m. until
a little past midnight. Admission is free! 2. Fireworks | San Francisco: There is an annual fireworks show that kicks off in San Francisco at 11:59 p.m., lasting for about half an hour. The best place to see the fireworks is anywhere along the eastern side by the waterfront, as the fireworks are on a boat that sits in the water between the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge. Admission is free, but parking may not be. 3. Winter Wonderland | San Jose: For a family-oriented event, there is the option of going to the Winter Wonderland in Downtown San Jose. Located near the Tech Museum on Almaden, Winter Wonderland offers a variety of rides and a festive arcade. It is open until 11:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and offers all-day passes, with unlimited rides, for $15. 4. Free Bowling at Boardwalk Bowl | Santa Cruz: New Year’s is an excuse to engage in some wonderfully embarrassing bowling. Even better, when you bring a can of food, your bowling is free! Grab some friends and head to Santa Cruz for an atypical way to spend the holidays, away from the crowds of San
Jose and the traffic of San Francisco. 5. Botanical Garden | San Francisco: This garden, one of the most diverse in the world, spans 55 acres. That’s a lot of cardio, a lot of Instagram posts, and a lot of conversations to be had (because honestly, our friendships will likely improve tremendously if we walk and talk in a garden every once in a while). Admission is free on New Year’s Day as well, so happy meandering! 6. Polar Bear Ice Skate | San Francisco:It is New Year’s tradition at the Union Square Ice Rink for skaters to be in their bathing suits, coupled with their best polar bear attire. It claims to be an event for all ages, although treat this with caution, as your little sister may be ice skating with polar-bear-resembling, shirtless men. Normal skating fees apply. 7. Friends | Anywhere: Meet up with some pals and exchange New Year’s resolutions that you may or may not keep. Gather around a bonfire and burn all of your first semester homework, make smores, and ring in 2016 with those you appreciate the most. 8. Sleep through it | Your bed: Time is a social construct anyway.
Abigail Ecal | THE UNION
Here’s a recipe for sugar cookies for this holid
OPINION: Mariah Carey should receive attention yearlong Winter is when people get togeth- men. Mariah’s vocals had the power er with their friends and family to to make us quiver, and reduce us to celebrate their respective holiday only be able to passionately mouth traditions and the upcoming new the words, “Yaaas queen.” year. It’s a great time filled with After a short stint on American cookies and pagan Starbucks, but Idol, and several run- ins with harsh it wouldn’t be anything without media attention, Mariah was fading Mariah Carey delivering her godly out of the limelight. The only time rendition of “All I Want she became relevant for Christmas is You.” was during the month Sadly, it seems as if the of December. Mariah’s only time mass media fans should not stand by cares about Mariah is in and let her legacy shrivel the winter. After a slew of away into obscurity. We embarrassing bad singing must continue to celescandals, Mariah seems brate it year- long. to be on a downturn, and To us, Mariah was it is our responsibility not just a singer. She to help her return to the was a sister, a preacher, spotlight. and our matriarch. She Ever since she retaught us what it means JUSTIN leased her self-titled debut to love and even brought up NGUYEN in 1990, Mariah was our an entire generation of gays queen. During her reign, (post-Madonna, of course). she slayed us over and over and We, as humans, as idiots who unover again with hits such as “Fan- abashedly attempt to belch out her tasy,” “One Sweet Day,” and “Emo- music every holiday season, owe it tions.” In the ‘00s, Mariah proved to Mariah to keep her in our focus. her longevity, presenting us with After all the musical favors she givmusical gifts like “We Belong To- en to us, paying her just a little more gether” and “Touch My Body.” She attention in other times of the year was untouchable, a goddess among is the least we can do in return.
Sherry Lam | THE UNION
Students were asked if they believed in Santa
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Christmas celebrations vary worldwide BY BRENNA HENTSCHKE
top 10 worst gifts
Christmas is celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike all over the world. Since it is so widespread, it has many unique variations on the way that it is celebrated. Let’s take a look at a few… Mexico: They celebrate with Las Posadas, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, starting on Dec. 16, going to Christmas Eve. Children go from door to door singing and asking for a place to sleep. People sing back that they do not have room, but one person sings a song of welcome. There, the children have a party and break open a piñata. Children in big cities believe in Santa Claus and open presents on Christmas Eve, but most live in villages and believe in the Three Kings who leave treats in children’s shoes on Jan. 5. France: In France, Christmas starts with the Feast Of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6, and goes to the Epiphany on Jan. 6. On Christmas Eve, there is a midnight church service followed by the meal Réveillon. The Père Noël-Father Christmas-brings gifts on Dec. 5 and Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, Père Fouettard-Father Whipper-finds who’s been naughty, so you’d better watch out! Germany: They start and end Christmas the same time as France.
St. Nick leaves presents in children’s shoes on Dec. 5, and on Christmas Eve, Weihnachtsmann-Christmas man brings more gifts. On the day of, people can visit Christmas Markets. Germans also spend a Second Day of Christmas, Dec. 26, with their families at home. Home to the Krampus legend, the horned Christmas devil will find the naughty children and take them down to his lair. Sounds fun, right? Australia and New Zealand: Since it is summertime in these countries during Christmas, families will often spend the day having a nice picnic at the beach with family. China: In China, those who celebrate Christmas put up “trees of light,” and decorate their houses with paper chains, lanterns, and flowers. Children hang up stockings for the Chinese equivalent of Santa, Dun Che Lao Ren, to fill. Iran: People begin a fast on Dec. 1, not eating eggs, meat, milk, or cheese. Christmas is called “Little Feast” and begins after a church service on Dec 25, when a dish called harasa, a chicken stew, is eaten. Although giving gifts is not traditional, children generally get new clothes to wear during Christmas time. Sweden: Christmas begins on Dec. 13, St. Lucia’s Day. People did not like Christians in the fourth century, so they would hide out in dark
tunnels, and St. Lucia would carry food to them every night wearing candles on her head. Thus began the tradition of the oldest girl dressing all in white, wearing a wreath with candles on her head, and bringing coffee and buns to her family’s rooms before sunrise. Iraq: On Christmas Eve, the family gathers around with candles as one of the children reads about the birth of Jesus. After reading, they sing around a bonfire made of thorn bushes and jump over the ashes to make a wish. On Christmas day, another bonfire is lit in the churchyard, and the bishop blesses one person by touching him. The touch gets passed on for everyone to feel the “touch of peace.” Spain: On Christmas morning, there is a church service, and the rest of day is spent with family. At night, people go to the village square and find the “urn of fate”into which each person puts his or her name on a slip of paper. Someone draws the names out, and each pair of names will be best friends for the coming year. On Jan. 6, children put their shoes out with barley in them, and in the morning there are treats, switched by the Three Wise Men. These are just a few of the different Christmases of the world, but it is important to respect that all people celebrate differently.
Play these gift-giving games this Gift-mas BY CRYSTAL TRAN
Sherry Lam | THE UNION
day season. Photo credits: vanessafahy.com.
Christmas season is upon us and with that not only includes Starbucks Christmas drinks, but also the spirit of gift giving. Gift giving is the act of buying and giving people you care about a gift to show your appreciation and love for them during the Christmas holiday. The gift giving process usually takes a whole lot of time, effort, and money, which shows the gift receiver how much you care about them. Don’t get me wrong, the money you spend on the gift itself shouldn’t show the person how much you care about them, but the thought you put into the gift should. But nowadays, not everyone has the time or money to go out and individually buy gifts for their loved ones. This is where Christmas gift-giving games come in. Gift-giving games are a fun alternative to individual gift giving and are used
in Christmas gatherings that allows everyone to receive a gift. These games can be used for any amount of people exceeding three. The two popular Christmas gift giving games are White Elephant and Secret Santa. White Elephant: Each each person is first required to buy and wrap one gift from any price range. Everyone then is given a random number from one to the number of how many people are playing. The person with number one is first in picking a gift, where he/she then opens in front of everyone. The person with the number two then proceeds to pick a gift and open it. Person number two can either choose to keep their gift, or swap their gift with person number one. Person number three proceeds to pick a gift and open it, and may choose to either swap it with person number
one’s gift or person number two’s gift. The game continues until each person has picked a gift. Secret Santa: Everyone’s name is is first placed into a container. Every person then picks a name out of the container. The name the person receives is the person that he/she must buy a gift for. Everyone does not tell each other which name they got, keeping everything a surprise. A day is then chosen, usually during the Christmas gathering or party, where everyone brings their gift to exchange with each other. These Christmas gift-giving games provide a twist to gift giving, allowing everyone to bond and connect more. The games also are time and money savers that are still come out as thoughtful and caring. This Christmas, get rid of your usual individual gift giving and plan a Christmas gift-giving game instead!
OPINION: There is a latte hate
brewing over Starbucks cups
Abigail Ecal | THE UNION
a Claus as a child. Out of the 688 students who participated, 604 said they believed in Santa Claus and 84 said they did not.
The holiday season is upon us, Christmas,” and the king of controand while it’s usually a time synony- versy himself, Donald Trump, stated mous with joy, giving, and humility, that boycotting Starbucks might be you can always leave it up to a se- a plausible solution. Unbeknownst lect few to ruin the cheer with their to Trump and his many hypersenoversensitivity and innate desire to sitive followers, Christmas isn’t the nitpick. This year, the controversy only holiday on the calendar during surrounds one of winter’s the winter, and the previmost staple products: ous designs—snowflakes Starbucks Coffee. It has and snowmen—have no become routine for the actual relation to the coffee company to debut religious holiday in any cups with festive designs way. Starbucks isn’t reevery year. From snowquired to fuel your overflakes to ornaments, your zealous, consumerist eggnog latte fix has never holiday resentment. The gone without decor. This company has even stated year, however, the cups they kept the cups simare barren of celebratory ple to allow customers design, traded instead for to “create their own stoTERRA a minimalistic ombre red ries.” It’s a coffee company, WALLS gradient. Although there are simple as that. If being told bigger things to be worrying to have a Merry Christmas about during the holidays, like ship- really matters that much, it might ping expenses and family dinners, be less stress-inducing to buy yourTwitter users, some being devout self a Hallmark Card and call it a day. Christians, have taken personal of- The lack of design on the cups isn’t fense to the lack of “Christmas spir- an impeachment of our holiday valit” on the cups. The company has ues —it’s just a cup. been blamed for starting a “war on
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ENTERTAINMENT
DECEMBER 2015
Rating key
Fallout 4 is addicting, surpassing all expectations RATING:
❄❄❄❄❄ BY DAVID NGO
It is time to spend the rest of your life with the new Fallout 4 game, released by Bethesda Softworks on Nov. 10, 2015. With great art and fluid controls, this game has enough gore, action, and drama to keep you sleepless. Fallout’s only setback is being rated mature for its blood and gore, so be sure to bring your parents to the local game store. Fallout 4 is the fifth game of the Fallout series. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic action-RPG video game set in an alternate universe. History has diverged from World War II, escalating into a global nuclear war in 2077. Now over two hundred years after the war, you roam apocalyptic Boston, Massachusetts, a place full of monsters, robots, raiders, and
other fellow wanderers. What’s left in humanity and modern civilization is with you, and you can save the lives of other people or terrorize the commonwealth of the wasteland. Fallout Four is a fantastic game with almost no faults with the exception of being near impossible to complete. The main storyline in the game lasts for at least fifteen hours, without taking everything else in the game into consideration. Players can roam the wasteland for weeks, exploring every settlement and meeting unique characters with their own stories. Fallout provides a wide spectrum of game play for a diverse gaming experience. The game can last for over four hundred hours, meaning no shortage of fun and interesting things to do in the wasteland. Fallout also displays aesthetically pleasing graphics,
endless development, and fluid movement. The game has polished graphics that allow it to fully express the harsh conditions of a post-apocalyptic world. With these flexible options, players are able to exercise more freedom than in most other games as of late. The game allows more player freedom and smoother movement than the average Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed franchises. Fallout 4 is basically one of the most well developed and expansive games of 2015. The game has a large map, an almost infinite amount of things for you to do, and enough player freedom to be called American. Expect comedic conversations with characters in the game and engaging combat against enemies of the wasteland. So join the gaming community, and join in on the hype.
Rudolph’s nose tons of holly not so jolly grandma’s sweater yellow snow
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Courtesy of Maguzz.com
One Punch-Man is a popular anime streaming on Hulu that features breathtaking animation and action.
One Punch-Man hits fans with humor and depth RATING:
❄❄❄❄❄ BY TERRA WALLS
If you combine parodical monsters, witty humor, action-packed battle scenes, and a bald-headed protagonist suffering from an existential crisis, the end result is something like the popular and fairly new anime One Punch-Man. The anime adaptation of the popular web comic has been rising in popularity since it’s debut in October , and there is no doubt that it deserves all the high praise it’s been receiving. Saitama, otherwise known by his hero alias as “Caped-Baldy”, is the main character of the anime. Hairless from excessive training, he’s an extremely powerful and resilient superhero whose biggest strength is
also his biggest weakness. Saitama’s strength is so great that he can decimate his enemies in just a single punch. As a hero, this sounds like an advantage that is impossible to beat, but Saitama has become bored with all the repetitive fights and weak enemies; he longs for a challenge. What makes One Punch-Man a standout show and anime is its unique underlying plotline and conflict. Anime like Attack on Titan and Blue Exorcist depict protagonists struggling with internal battles; obstacles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. In contrast, Saitama believes that he has already reached his peak, and his struggle lies with his disinterest in doing what he used to be passionate about. Although the inner conflict might be heavy, it doesn’t prevent the show from being truly funny, without try-
ing too hard to do so. From the way the characters move to the animation of the ridiculous enemies, it’s difficult not to appreciate the built-in humor in the anime. Some of the humor is so subtle, it doesn’t even require lines. When a battle begins to get heated, the structure of Saitama’s face shifts from wide eyed and egg shaped , to sharp, and detailed. You can almost feel the intensity when the change occurs, like Saitama is almost close to actually being engaged in a real battle. Heavy emphasis on almost. The series follows the hero as he protects his hometown, City Z, and searches for meaning while battling eccentric monsters and forming alliances. The animation is spot on, the music is spectacular, and the variety of strange characters and unique plotlines makes One Punch-Man an animated success with one swing.
‘Jessica Jones’ accurately portrays strong women and mental illness. So if you are looking for a feel good TV show this is not it, however if you are lookBY ANNEALICE DESCAMPS ing for an intense, captivating, and powerful show then this is it. The release of the entire first The main character Jessica season of Jessica Jones, a Marvel Jones, portrayed by Krysten Ritter, Cinematic Universe spin off, has is a former superhero who possess proved once again why Netsuperhuman strength and flix has become such a popthe ability to somewhat fly. ular streaming service. The Set in Hell’s Kitchen, Jones media has long been lacking struggles to find normalcy in a female driven show. How- TV-SERIES her life after suffering from ever, this dark film noir type REVIEW massive trauma. She works of show finally answers the in her own detective agency, prayers of those who have Alias Investigations, to make longed for strong relatable women. ends meet. Jones is truly not your Not only that, the show addresses average hero-she is an antisocial the important issues of power and alcoholic who suffers from severe consent women face everyday. post traumatic stress disorder. The show has a haunting ability Throughout the show, she strugto portray the reality of all the bat- gles to recover from her abduction tles women face everyday. It accu- by mind controller Kilgrave, porrately address the realities of those trayed by David Tennant, while who have suffered from abuse, both simultaneously coming to terms emotional and physical. It tackles with what she was forced to do untaboo subjects like rape, abortion, der his control. Though not much is RATING:
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known about her past in the beginning, each episode offers a unique insight into what made Jessica Jones the person she is today. Jones is surrounded by a cast of incredible women, like her best friend Trish “Patsy” Walker, portrayed by Rachael Taylor. Walker is the host of a popular radio show and a former child star who was physically abused by her mother until Jones came along. Then there is Jeri Horgath, portrayed by Carrie-Anne Moss, a lawyer who gives Jessica cases. There are many more fantastic characters that each reveal a complex and layered relationship with Jessica Jones. Overall, the show is focused on each woman fighting to remain in control of her life against every trauma possible thrown at her. The strong feminist ideas conveyed in the show are a breath of fresh air and a welcome change to the way women are normally portrayed in the media.
Amanda Nguyen | THE UNION
Bieber and One Direction compete BY NOEMI CRISANTO
PURPOSE by Justin Bieber Pop
MADE IN THE A.M. by One Direction Pop
RATING: (out of five stars)
RATING: (out of five stars)
Justin Bieber surprised everyone with his fourth album and a new grown-up feel and sound to it that left fans wanting more. There are many different songs in his new album which have an edgier feel to them and truly show how Bieber has matured and is now finding different ways to express himself. As I looked through the varying track list, I was surprised to see that I already knew about half of the songs from listening to them being constantly played on the radio. Cover: The cover was the first thing that I saw when purchasing the album, and the first thing that caught my eye was Bieber standing in a prayer like stance. I also noticed that he had a cross tattoo and various cross like symbols surrounding him. This seemed to make the cover religious although it probably was not what Bieber was going for. Nonetheless, the cover was intriguing and did prompt me to take a closer look at the album. Lyrics: The lyrics in the album were not the catchy pop lyrics I expected to hear. There was much thought put into every song, especially the ones dedicated to his ex-girlfriend which made me listen to the whole song and not just the chorus. Overall Rating: Bieber pleasantly surprised me with the new sound and feel, which led me to give the album five out of five stars. The album exceeded my expectations.
One Direction’s fifth album was the first album without one of the original members which had me believing that it wouldn’t be as good as a result. That turned out to be a silly worry once I finished listening to the album. The album does not disappoint since it still has the same catchy boyband feel to it while embracing other slightly edgier sounds along the way. There seems to be a little bit of everything which makes it good album to listen to as a pick-me-up. Cover: The cover of the album has the four band members on it hanging out. The one feeling that is conveyed through the album cover alone is familiar because it resembles other previous album covers by the group. Lyrics: The lyrics in the album made me feel as if I was experiencing deja-vu at some points, while others showed a new side of the band. One Direction’s fan base also includes many tween girls which is why many of the lyrics seem to never go past a certain point and always sing to a girl. Overall Rating: Made in the A.M. is a good album that follows the mold of previous One Direction albums. The mold has been working for the number one boy band worldwide which is why I would recommend the album to anyone who is in the mood for infectious songs full of catchy lyrics. As for my rating for the album as a whole, I give it four out of five stars.
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DECEMBER 2015
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LIFESTYLE
THE UNION
FASHION SPOTLIGHT
Creative wrapping techniques make gifts unique Map It: Instead of store bought wrapping paper, draw or use designs you have lying around such as maps. Customize the map to include a meaningful place for an added personal touch.
BY KRUPA PATEL
BY DAANYA ANAND
Ashley Ricks | THE UNION
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Pixel Weave: After cutting pieces of different colored construction paper into long strips, weave the paper to create an intricate, yet easy design.
Senior
DECEMBER 2015
Daanya Anand| THE UNION
Daanya Anand| THE UNION
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Customized Mason Jar: Pack up homemade treats or other gifts into an empty jar and decorate the outside with ribbons or paint. You can even wrap a handmade headband around the jar as part of the gift.
OPinion: Snapchat updates are unnecessary
Faux Fur Coat from Cotton On
BY CRYSTAL TRAN
The social media app, Snapchat, originally started out as a way for users to exchange temporary snapshots, whether it be a picture or video, to each other. Those snapshots include a couple of filters, the time, or the miles per hour the phone would be traveling during the taking of the picture or video. If you wanted to share your snapshot with your whole “Friends List,” or all the people you added on Snapchat, you could place the snap on your “story” for everyone to view as many times as they want for 24 hours. There was also a feature where your top three “best friends,” or the people you exchanged Snapchats with the most could be viewed by others, but that has long since been removed due to complaints of people wanting their usernames to be private. Over a span of a couple of months, Snapchat has added tons of new features, some fun and others just over-
Shirt handmade
Pants from Savers Shoes from Macy’s
HIS Fashion Inspir ation:
“My style is inspired by ‘90s movies, gas station chic, and design campaigns.”
Senior JACKET from Goodwill SHIRT from Mom’s closet NECKLACE from Savers
SCARF from Forever 21 SKIRT from Mom’s closet
BOOTS from H&M
Her Fashion Inspir ation:
“I get my inspiration from my mom’s closet and Muji. Anything that’s loose and drapey.”
whelming. The updates include animated selfies (or “lenses”), friends emojis, and trophy cases. The animated selfies feature allows users to choose from a variety of different special effects to apply on their faces. It’s a really fun feature to use, especially when noticing how your face can be transformed just with a tap of a button. The only con is that Snapchat has begun to charge its users for specific lenses. Many people would not pay 99 cents to have fake tears coming out of their eyes for a snapshot. The friends emojis are emoticons next to the usernames of the people you snapchat the most. Its purpose is to describe the relationship you have with that specific person based on how many Snapchats you exchange with him or her. There is a key for the meaning of each emoji in Snapchat’s main settings menu. The friends emojis, in my opinion, are a failure because the emojis have confused many people who
are not familiar with the emoji key. Trophy cases are used to unlock features on Snapchat that users would usually have to pay for. The “trophies” are offered to users for using specific features on Snapchat for the first time or for reaching a score for how many Snapchats they have sent. The “trophies” include unlocking specific emojis that can be used in your snapshot or being able to replay a snapchat sent to you for 24 hours. The trophy cases are a smart way to get users to use the app’s features more. To conclude, Snapchat’s new features are all very unique, but some are unnecessary. The animated selfies are very entertaining but charging for specific ones seems like a rip-off. Furthermore, the friend emojis are a failed concept because not everyone understands it. On the bright side, at least Snapchat provides a way for you to earn the usually paid for features through trophy cases.
DECEMBER 2015
SPORTS
THE UNION
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Boys volleyball currently unfeasible, Soccer teams have rocky starts to 'rebuilding year' club team may potentially be created BY JUSTIN TSO
BY ASHLEY RICKS
Plans for a boys volleyball team at MHS have been temporarily paused because of several barriers, according to Athletic Director Jeffrey Lamb. There are hopes that a program will be established once initial setbacks are overcome, Lamb said. One conflict at hand is that of maintaining a balance of boys and girls teams, Lamb said. Adding a boys volleyball team would result in the consequential need to add another girls team according to Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in federally funded activities, Lamb continued. Facilities also affect the possibility of adding the team. “As long as we only have one gym, it would be very difficult to add another activity in the large gym in the spring,” Lamb said. “The badminton program would be severely impacted as far as gym time, [and] current activities, like Trojan Olympics, would not be allowed to use the gym for practice.” The idea of starting a boys team has met significant support from MHS students, according to Senior Nicholas Huynh. Many students interested believe that if a team were to be created, it would be extremely successful, Huynh said. “First I had to find a few teachers [who] would be behind me and support it [and] find some student athletes who would want to play volleyball and would be committed,” Huynh said. “Next I had to create and get a petition which had to be signed
by over 200 students that would love to have a boys volleyball team.” The initial shutdown of the movement was due to insufficient funds for the addition of extra sports programs, Huynh said. However, there are plans for a volleyball club for any male students who want to play against other schools, he continued. Another issue involves the current volleyball equipment, which was purchased by the girls volleyball program, in accordance with the school district, MHS, the Athletic Booster Club, and the Athletic Department, according to Lamb. “The volleyball standards, nets, balls, uniforms, [...] have all been purchased strictly by [Girls Volleyball]. It would be an unfair assumption that another program would just be allowed to use the equipment purchased through fundraising efforts by another program.” A boys team will not be implemented until the facilities and finances are secured, Lamb said. Everything needs to be in place at least one year before the start of the season, he continued. “We would love to have a boys volleyball program,” Lamb said. “With competitive cheerleading becoming a sport in the spring of 2018, we may have a girls sport to add. If the school bond passes and an additional gym is built, we will look seriously at adding a boys volleyball team. Just like when we knew that a new pool would be added to our campus, we looked at adding water polo for both the boys and girls."
Soccer season has officially kicked off, and both the MHS boys and girls varsity teams look to establish successful seasons over the next three months. The girls started their season with three games in their first week against Prospect High School, Pioneer High School, and Washington High School, while the boys opened up their season away at Palo Alto High School and Willow Glen High School. In their season opener, the boys varsity team fell in a non-league game to Palo Alto 3-0, followed by a 4-1 loss to Willow Glen. In the match against Willow Glen, MHS had a decent first half, conceding an unlucky goal in what seemed like an evenly matched contest. In the second half, however, Willow Glen turned up the intensity and overpowered the Trojans, outscoring them 3-1 and taking the victory. Following its first undefeated season in school history, the girls varsity team was promoted from the El Camino division to the more prestigious De Anza division. This promotion, in combination with the overhaul of last year’s team (over half of last year's team has graduated), has contributed to mixed initial results. MHS started off strong with a debut win over Prospect 2-1, but then faltered in the following two games; falling 6-1 away at Pioneer and 2-0 at home to Washington. Girls Varsity Head Coach Mike
Justin Tso | THE UNION
Sophomore Defender Destinee Avalos (left) and Senior Defender Alyssa King (right) protect the ball in Girls Varsity's 2-0 loss against Washington on Dec. 5.
Tomlin attributed the start to a lack of initial chemistry but also said that such growing pains were to be expected from a new team. “This year's team is made up of mostly girls who are new to the varsity team,” Tomlin said. “ It is what is often referred to as a ‘rebuilding year.’ Because of this, we need to determine which girls fit best into the starting line-up, as well as which girls need to come off the bench during the match.” In its first three games, the girls varsity team showed flashes of quality but ultimately appeared unfocused and primarily defensive. The Lady Trojans’ most experienced players occupied the back line, providing a solid foundation to build upon, and the midfield was usually highly contested.
Unfortunately, finishing in the final third of the pitch was ultimately lacking, especially with the miss of a game-tying penalty kick in the second half of the Washington game. Boys Varsity played Gilroy High School on Dec. 8, followed by Aragon High School at home on Dec. 11. Girls Varsity played Piedmont High School on Dec. 8 and James Lick High School on Dec. 10. Boys Frosh/Soph starts its season at home against Aragon on Dec. 11, while girls JV kicked off at Piedmont on Dec. 8. The girls varsity team continues its season away at Del Mar High School on Dec. 14, while the boys varsity team looks to rebound from its opening loss as it moves through the Oak Grove Tourney on Dec. 19.
Fantasy sports growing in popularity, students incentivized by 'easy money' BY GURSHAAN BARIANA
Courtesy of Frank Bautista
Senior running back Dejaun Crummie (7) rushes against the Palo Alto Vikings in the 2015 CCS Open Division Semifinals held on Nov. 27. MHS won its home game 42-0, but fell 26-13 against the Bellarmine Bells in the Final on Dec. 4.
Football suffers CCS loss, remains in CIF playoffs BY BROOKE TRAN
The MHS varsity football team fell short of a win in the CCS Division 1 championship game against Bellarmine on Dec. 4. Its season is not over though; the team has a chance to become Northern California Champions in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) on Dec. 11 and State Champions the following week, according to Head Coach Kelly King. In only their third loss of the season, the Trojans were defeated 26-13 in a primarily defensive game. “We’re disappointed in the result and not getting the job done,” King stated. “But we have fortunately done some good things this year [in order] to be one of the stronger teams in Northern California that [get to] compete for the NorCal title.” According to Special Teams Coordinator Vito Cangemi, the team did really well against the Bells, a team ranked very high in state. “It was tough,” Cangemi added. “[Bellarmine] just made a couple
more plays than we did; we were really excited for the opportunity [to play them] . . . But we know [from this that] we still have more work to do, so that is the great thing about it.” Despite the team's loss in the championship game, there were still some highlights to the season. One of the best moments was winning the league two years in a row, according to Captain Tafua Mataele. “We stood undefeated two years in a row, so that was a little exciting,” Mataele said. “I’m looking forward to winning the state title." The Trojans have worked hard and performed well but still have unfinished business this season, Cangemi said. Fighting for a Northern California title is a position that the team expected to be in, Cangemi continued. “The possibility of being a participant in a Northern California championship was really exciting for us,” Cangemi explained. “The kids really worked hard and put in lots of time and effort.” According to Cangemi, the team is
playing the Campolindo Cougars in Moraga on Dec. 11 for the Northern California Champion title. The Cougars are the defending Division 3 Champions for the North Coast section and the reigning Division 3 State Champions, going undefeated, 16-0, last year, Cangemi said. “We have our work cut out for us,” Cangemi said. “But we’re definitely excited for the opportunity to play this week and to potentially move on to a state title.” If the Trojans win this Friday against the Campolindo team, they will become the Northern California Champions, King said. The team will then either go to Anaheim to play La Mirada or to Oceanside to play in the State Finals, King explained. With these upcoming games, the Trojans are the number two seed in the open division, as well as league champions, according to Cangemi. This was their third straight league win, and MHS is arguably the best public school in the whole section, which is a huge milestone for the whole team, Cangemi said.
A trending pastime of many students at MHS is participating in fantasy sports. Fantasy sports involve joining a league with others and competing to determine which person chose the best virtual team. The performance of each player in real games translates to fantasy points. At the end of each league game, the member with the greatest total fantasy points wins. After several games, the top teams from each league advance to the playoffs. Whoever champions the league receives a prize, depending on the league rules. Many students from MHS enjoy participating in fantasy sports. Sophomore Helen Cui previously played Fantasy Football, which correlates with the National Football League (NFL). Participating in the virtual competition enables people who do not fully understand sports to become familiar with the best players and teams, according to Cui. “If you are playing Fantasy Football, you will increase your knowledge of NFL teams and players,” Cui said. “It can be a lot of fun." The sudden popularity in fantasy sports can be attributed to several companies that advertise the chance to win large sums of money through their games. Freshman Jerzon Franco is actively involved in various fantasy sports and
explained how the spiked interest was a direct result of the advertisements. “I hear a lot about fantasy sports leagues on the radio, on the TV, and online, with main points of their ads being that they offer lots and lots of money if you win a league,” Franco said. “Everyone wants a way to make a fast amount of cash, and fantasy sports is one of those ways.” The monetary rewards of fantasy sports leagues have stirred a large debate over whether fantasy sports are forms of gambling. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 does not classify fantasy sports as gambling, but a game of skill. Despite the exception, many states believe fantasy sports are forms of gambling and banned fantasy sports leagues. Although California is not amongst these states, many students believe fantasy sports should be considered a form of gambling. “I'm not exactly sold on the idea that it's definitely more a result of skill than chance. Players' performances will vary week by week,” Cui said. “Fantasy sports isn’t really gambling if you know what you’re doing," Franco explained. "Lots of research goes into creating the best fantasy team, such as extensive research where you have to know a single player’s entire history to know if they’re good. It isn’t gambling because you do research to find out what players are good for certain roles.”
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T HE U NION
NEWS
DECEMBER 2015
Tardy policy brings back ‘sweeps’ BY KEVIN ZHANG
New tardy policies have been established, and they include cumulative tardies across all periods, detentions from tardy sweeps, and other penalties from exceeding the acceptable tardy count, according to Principal Cheryl Lawton. These policies are established as a result of an extensive number of tardies, especially from first period classes, Lawton said. “We’ve had students had Saturday school every single Saturday or detentions multiple times a week because they kept hitting those numbers,” Lawton said. “It was kind of getting insane.” Because many students have received a substantial number of tardies last year, administration and MHS staff have decided that new tardy policies were urgent necessities, according to Lawton. MHS staff was overwhelmed by constantly calling students to the office to distribute penalties such as detentions, Lawton said. “I like [the new tardy policy] just because it gives a sense of urgency for the kids to go to class,” Math Teacher Annie Nguyen said. “It is unfair that in the sense of what if you’re never tardy, but the one day you’re tardy, there’s a tardy sweep.” Tardy sweeps are an effective solution for students who are always late to classes, according to Nguyen. However, the policy may be unfair to
punctual students who were late to class because of certain delays that they have no control over, Nguyen said. Many students, including Junior Nitesh Chaudhari, agree that new policies should be enforced but simultaneously feels that certain aspects are unfair. According to Chaudhari, random and inevitable obstructions may occur and prevent students from arriving on time. “I think tardy sweeps are good because when there are tardy sweeps, people who are late always come to class before the bell rings,” Chaudhari said. “[However,] I don’t think they should be before first period.” According to Chaudhari, tardy sweeps are beneficial in that students who tend to be late arrive to class on time, but first period may not be the best placement for the sweeps. Arranging tardy sweeps in before other classes, however, can avoid unfair penalties placed against punctual students, Chaudhari said. “I think they’re unnecessary. Tardy sweeps aren’t effective at all,” Junior Kinbert Chou said. “They often catch unlucky people who are usually on time on other days. People who are late will continue to be late after the tardy sweep.” According to Junior Darrion Nguyen, tardy sweeps are unfair and ineffective, as the randomness of the sweeps often overlook the late students but punish the punctual students.
Trojan Access Cards to be available only to Class of 2016 BY AMAL MULAOMEROVIC
Trojan Access Cards are returning this January, according to Assistant Principal Amanda Gross. The cards will be based off the results of the SBAC test the Class of 2016 took last year. As a result, the cards are going to be exclusively for seniors, Gross said. The Trojan Access Cards are going to have three different levels: Blue, Gold, and Platinum. Each level will offer a set of perks, including excused tardies, excused detentions, preferred line seating, front of the line passes, and off-campus lunches, according to Gross. “If a student met SBAC standards in either English Language Arts or Math, they would get a Blue card,” Gross said. “If a student exceeded standards in either English or Math, they would get a Gold card. If a student exceeded standards in both English and Math, they would get the Platinum card.” These cards mark the return of off-campus lunches. However the school’s strict closed-campus policy will still be maintained, and all off-campus lunches require a parent permission slip that will be received with the card, Gross said. “In order for a student to be able to go off campus during lunch, the parent will have to give permission,” Gross said. “If a student is not given parent permission, we would be punching [the cards] out so that the [off-campus part] would not be available for the students to use.” If a parent does give permission,
students are going to have to exit through the gate down by the gym and show their Trojan Access cards and ID cards to make sure the names match, according to Gross. Either a teacher or security guard will be monitoring the exit with a hole punch to punch out their cards every time the passes are used. “With regards to the levels of the cards, we’re going to keep the off campus lunch [opportunities] at a standard level [for each card] because, say one parent doesn’t give permission, but another one does. It seems a bit unfair,” Gross said. While the amount of off-campus lunches for each card will be the same, the three cards will have a different number of uses for all other factors. For example, a Blue card will have less excused tardies than a Gold card has, and a Gold card will have less excused tardies than a Platinum card has, Gross said. “A big reason why we did that is we wanted to make sure that if a parent denied access to being able to go off campus, you still had as many of these other things as possible, so that not being able to go off campus was not giving you less incentives to do well,” Gross said. Out of approximately 700 students in the MHS Senior class, 543 are receiving Trojan Access Cards, Gross said. 230 students will be receiving a Blue card, 158 will be receiving a Gold card, and 155 will be receiving a Platinum card, come second semester. The cards will be passed out in class mid-January and will be effective immediately, Gross said.
PETITION: Deadline for service lifted FROM PAGE 1 mum community service graduation requirements and the hours required for the Maroon Cord have been extended, according to an email sent out by Lawton on Dec. 1. “We understand that there have been some additional concerns about the Service Learning requirements for seniors this year with regards to the change in deadlines,” Lawton writes. “The deadline for both the 20
Sherry Lam | THE UNION
The library at Thomas Russell Middle School has been replaced with what is called the “Learning Center,” shown above. The Learning Center is now primarily used by students that wish to access Chromebooks for their classes.
Thomas Russell Middle School goes digital
BY SHERRY LAM
The drive for a more digitized education has become more apparent in the last few years, according to Thomas Russell Middle School Science Teacher Joyce Tang. With the implementation of Chromebooks and the recent renovation of the learning center at Russell, students at Russell have been provided an education that incorporates less paper than they used in past years, Tang said. Many teachers at Russell have reduced the amount of paper usage with the application of chromebooks and wireless internet, according to Tang. Chromebooks became available to students two or three years ago, and the library was renovated into a learning center that was open for student access at the beginning of last year, Tang said. “There are no books in the library. We don’t have a library,” Tang said. “I am confident that the books we had went to good use, such as to local elementary schools. A lot of teachers take their students [to the learning center] to do projects and labs. You need the space for it. With 35 students and backpacks [in a classroom], there isn’t a lot of room for a lot of things. It allows teachers to be a little more innovative.” A site that students use at the middle school is i-Ready.com, according to Tang. This program is for both Language Arts and math and is designed uniquely for each student based on
his strengths and weaknesses in the respective subjects,” Tang said. “It’s kind of like Khan Academy,” Tang said. “i-Ready has video clips that teach kids. If you are stuck in one topic and you keep getting it wrong, they will keep reviewing it with you until you get it and pass it and then move on. For the advanced students, they have extra lessons to get you through the next level so you are never really bored at it.” Students were expected to finish a few lessons from i-Ready in a week, according to Freshman Thu Nguyen. When Nguyen started middle school at Russell in Aug. 2013, students and staff began to use the online program, Nguyen said. “The program allowed teachers to review test diagnostics and give specific lessons to students in their level,” Nguyen said. “We did a lot of i-Ready depending on the grade we got. A few lessons would be due every week, so in both math and language arts, we would have one day a week where Chromebooks would be provided.” Language arts and math classes were not the only classes that utilized the Chromebooks and online resources, according to Nguyen. Social studies and P.E. classes were also requiring their students to submit work online, Nguyen said. “For social studies, we had created blogs where we would post journals of topics that the teacher would assign,” Nguyen said. “We had online work portfolios where we would update from each class. P.E. had also
switched from using paper FIT works to online Google Forms. During the time period an online assignment would be assigned, the teacher would usually have a workday for students to complete assignments.” Going more digital with assignments and homework increases efficiency, according to Tang. The handouts and worksheets can become more engaging and interesting for the students, Tang said. “I don’t give out handouts anymore. Everything is online and digital. I turn the boring worksheets into something more engaging,” Tang said. “Many teachers are doing that too. It’s not just me. Many teachers are utilizing this new technology and trying to be more effective. It’s not effective to stand at the copy machine for half an hour making 3.000 copies of something. I think this digital route increases my efficiency and therefore increases the instructional minutes in a way.” This shift towards a more digitized education can be a great change with proper guidance, according to Tang. It takes at least three years for students to get comfortable with using Chromebooks for educational uses and not for games, Tang said. “At the beginning, three years ago, they would get on a Chromebook and the first thing they do is play games,” Tang said. “But now we have gotten to a point where students get on, do work, and log out because it is not as new to them anymore and they understand that this is a tool.”
ASB hosts “What Wishes Are Made Of” auction BY NOEMI CRISANTO
Santa Claus is coming to MHS in the form of the program Winter Wishes, which will run for 12 weeks, according to Committee Head Natalie Trinh. The program was created by the Associated Student Body (ASB) as a way to give back to the high school during the holiday season. Winter Wishes allows for students to ask for a gift of some kind for someone else, which will be delivered to them in the first six weeks of the new semester after the gifts are approved by ASB, said Trinh. The fact that you have to wish for someone else is a change that differs from last year when you could wish for something for yourself. “For the past two years, you were able to wish for yourself and we granted that wish right away for that person,” said Trinh. “But this year,
we added a twist because we feel that during the Christmas season, it is important to think about others more and give gifts to others.” One of the most popular wishes is food like McDonald’s or milk tea, which is quite easy to accommodate, Trinh said. Other examples of wishes from the past years include students asking for dates to school dances, electronics, or pricier items like cars. “Some people ask for a computer or a car, and that is a little bit harder to grant with the limited amount of money that we have,” Trinh said. “So what we do is that we put from $25 to $50 towards that gift so that we are still supporting the gift, but we can’t grant the full wish.” To be able to grant the wishes, ASB has to fundraise the money and can only spend whatever is raised, according to Committee Member Micaiah Anderson. The main fundraiser is the Winter Wishes Auction Face-
book page which allows students and staff to submit services which people can then bid on starting at seven dollars. “The auction includes voluntary services or items given by students/ staff and students/staff bid for the items they want. It’s very interconnected and includes everyone,” said Anderson. “Our goal this year was to raise $800 from the auction but we beat that goal and we reached $1000.” Wishes will be granted during the first weeks of the new semester, and although the auction is over, students can start wishing for gifts now, according to Committee Member Joselle Santillian. All wishes are accepted as long as they remain school appropriate. Link for placing wishes: www.tinyurl.com/MHSWinterWishes
SBAC: School results exceed compared to state averages hours required for graduation as well as the 150 hours required for the maroon cord has been moved to Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2016.” In addition, an appeal form has been created for students that have had their hours rejected, according to the MHS website. Students must write about why their work was originally rejected and why they think their work should be accepted.
FROM PAGE 1 factors, such as graduation rates and attendance rates,” Stocks said. “It’s likely that SBAC results will be one of those factors. However, school funding will not be affected by student test score results.” To maintain and improve the SBAC
scores this year, MHS plans to continue using strategies that they have employed in the past, according to Stocks. “I know there are a number of teachers working on projects intended to bolster the performance and
success of various subgroups of students,” Stocks said. “We’re discussing strategies to improve math performance, which was still quite good, by adopting strategies to promote problem solving and data analysis across subject areas.”