The Union - Milpitas High School - April 2012 by MHS The Union

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APRIL 2012 Volume XXIV Issue V

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

F E AT U R E S

LIFEST YLE

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STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL

N EWS IN BR IEF Local stores close Starbucks Coffee in the plaza near MHS closed on March 25 due to undisclosed reasons. Nob Hill will close if it is not able to renew its lease by August 2013. Berkeley Math Tournament MHS Math Club will attend the Berkeley Math Tournament on Saturday, April 7 at the University of California, Berkeley. Fashion Show MHS Fashion Club will host its annual fashion show on April 27 at the Milpitas Community Center. Proceeds will go to American Red Cross. Lake Merced Race The MHS and Mountain View High School Dragonboat teams are set to compete in the Youth Championships at Lake Merced on April 21. The team hopes to place in Divisions B and D. G.O. Bond The MUSD Board of Education voted unanimously to place a general obligation bond for local school facility repair on the June ballot. If passed by at least 55% of voters, the measure will generate $95 million, costing local property owners $50 annually per $100,000 of assessed value.

Seniors emerge victorious in Trojan Olympics BY YING LUO

Trojan Olympics (T.O.) is an annual tradition that pits classes against one another in a friendly competition of athleticism and spirit. This year, it was held on March 30 in the large gym at 7 p.m. Seniors earned their victory with 455 points, while juniors followed with a close 440 points, according to Sophomore Advisor Letta Meyer. Sophomores placed third with 305 points, and freshmen scored 120 points, Meyer continued. There had been miscalculations that Activities Director Joanna Butcher rectified before results were announced, Schwartz said. None of the judges actually knows the exact points totaled on the night of the event, Schwartz continued. “This year’s [T.O.] was so different in a good way,” T.O. Judge Kaila Schwartz said. “There was a lot more school spirit in general. Everybody was cheering on everybody else, and it became less about winning and more about having a great time.” Seniors chose the theme “Lost in Paradise,” while juniors opted for “Viva La Vegas.” Sophomores picked a similar theme of “New York, New York,” and freshmen decided on “Around the World.” Class officers were surprised all

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Senior Mark Evangelista celebrates the Senior Class victory with his team at Trojan Olympics. In the competition, the Class of 2012 scored 455 points and barely beat the juniors, who scored 15 points fewer.

the themes were somehow related, according to Senior Class President Dorothy Van. The correlations were not planned, Van continued. “I’m extremely proud of my Trojan Olympics team and my class officers and advisors,” Van said. “I

feel that it shows how hard we really worked during these last three weeks.” The greatest experience about T.O. was seeing the crowd excited and cheering, Sophomore Class President Biancka Dela Cruz said.

She also added that the Class of 2014 is going to aim for first place next year.

On the Web Visit www.mhstheunion.net for a photo essay

Loss of RDA funds causes library cuts BY LAURA COSGROVE

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City officials twice passed a measure to reduce Milpitas Public Library operating hours from 66 to 54 hours weekly and cancel the annual July 4 fireworks show, with an initial vote on Feb. 21 and a reaffirmed vote on March 6. These cuts are the city’s first efforts to balance the budget after the dissolution of the Milpitas Redevelopment Agency (RDA), according to Mayor Jose Esteves. Reports from Milpitas Patch after the initial 4-1 decision alleged a possible Brown Act violation. City Attorney Michael Ogaz investigated and found no violation, but the Council agendized the item again to reaffirm the vote, Esteves said. The library now closes at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and opens at 1 p.m.

on Mondays and Tuesdays, according to Community Librarian Linda Arbaugh. The reductions come as a result of the city’s cessation of $428,000 yearly funding to the library, a supplement to the approximate $3 million yearly the library receives as part of the county library system, Arbaugh said. “[The city’s funding] made it possible for us to be open an additional 13 hours each week,” Arbaugh said. “But the city has fallen on hard times, and they are scrambling, looking under every stone for money to save… While I’m not happy about the cuts, and I wouldn’t say I supported them, I do understand.” Esteves was the only councilmember to dissent in both votes, objecting that the public library should not be on the chopping block before benefits and salaries for city

employees are examined. “There are a few reasons: the importance of library hours to students, the library’s well-use, and that there should be other areas that are cut first,” Esteves said. “For example, paying employees too high a salary and benefits.” Another reason for Esteves’ dissent was that the $428,000 previously allotted to the library came from a 2 percent increase in the transient occupancy tax, he said. This tax increase was advertised to the voters as being directed to the library, but the city can legally use the money in any area, Esteves said. “Although it’s legal, I think it’s not moral,” Esteves said. “It should be used for the library and now it’s being used for other things.” SEE CITY ON PAGE 2

Science Olympiad Advisor Roberto Alvelais watches as Senior Priscilla Park (center) and Junior Marisa Louie test their balsa wood tower.

DECA, Science Olympiad Mandatory donations violate school law advance to higher rounds BY TIFFANY LAW AND MARISA LOUIE

BY LEANN WOO

Two MHS clubs placed in regional and state competitions in February. Science Olympiad and DECA competitors are now both preparing for the next rounds of competition. Science Olympiad is a national competition with 23 different science events that include building, knowledge, and application, according to Club Advisor Letta Meyer. The MHS Science Olympiad club is currently in its fifth year of operation, and this is the second year that Science Olympiad has moved on to the statewide competition, Meyer stated. “Five years ago, a student, Ivy Nguyen, approached me and asked

if I would be interested in starting Science Olympiad,” Meyer said. “It has exploded since that year. We placed third overall this year, and fourth last year. The top four teams get to go to state.” Meyer detailed the extensive prep work the team put in prior to the competition. Participants spent many Saturdays at school for four hours or more preparing for each of the 23 different events, according to Meyer. When asked her favorite part of advising the club, Meyer said, “I love seeing people get excited about science. Their science classes are the basis of what they know, but SEE CLUBS ON PAGE 2

Teachers who require students to bring in classroom donations for class credit violate a section of the California Code of Education, Principal Kenneth Schlaff said. Schools are not allowed to require students to pay fees or purchase assigned materials for academic courses, according to a court ruling from a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) last year. Under the California Code of Education, article IX, section 5, “a free school shall be kept up and supported in each district.” Since MHS is a public school, it is against the law for school faculty to require from students donations, fees, or school supplies, Schlaff said. These items should not be exchanged for academic credit, Schlaff said.

“You can’t require a donation, otherwise it’s a fee. It’s not a donation anymore,” Schlaff said. “It’s like you’re paying for your grade. Donations are donations, no strings attached. You can’t sanction a student for not paying money. It’s wrong,” Schlaff said. Students should receive credit in their grade for academic assignments and not for bringing in supplies or monetary donations, according to Schlaff. This causes grade inflation, Schlaff said. “You shouldn’t be sanctioned a grade for tissue boxes and reams of paper. What does that have to do with what you learned in the class or the standards?” Schlaff said. All students who are enrolled in California public schools have the right to a free education, according to an article by David Sapp of the ACLU of Southern California. Re-

quired classroom fees violate this right, Sapp wrote. “Public schools cannot charge students or families any fees as a condition for participating in ‘educational programs,’ including both curricular and extracurricular activities,” the article stated. This article cited several items that public schools commonly used the money for, including workbooks and materials for fine arts classes. These items are similar to items for which some teachers at MHS have been charging their students. Various departments have mandated students to bring in supplies. Junior Airon Alvarez, for example, had to bring in a ream of paper for his chemistry class. “[The teacher] would just put a zero on that part of my grade if I SEE DONATIONS ON PAGE 20

THE UNION NEWS APRIL 2012

Students found cheating in AP World History BY BRIAN KHAU

Copies of the Advanced Placement (AP) World History chapter tests were found under a desk in History Teacher Paul Harrison’s room in February. A student left a printed test with the web address in class, Harrison said. Harrison said that it was not ethical for students to be using tests they found on the Internet, even if they were public domain. He also said duplicates of chapter tests were posted on a Florida teacher’s website. “You have to look pretty hard to find such a site; I personally think that the time spent cheating could be used to actually study for the test,” Harrison said. “Ultimately, there’s no shortcut to learning the material; if you cheat throughout

the semester, passing the AP exam in May will be difficult.” Harrison also brought up an interesting point: is finding AP World tests from the Internet considered cheating, even if they are obtained from the Internet, which is public domain? “Under some people’s definition, this isn’t considered cheating. I think it is.” Harrison said. As a result, he rewrote questions on the test and included short answers to discourage cheating. Sophomore Jamie Lam, who is currently taking the class, said she believes half of the AP World class knew about the incident before Harrison discovered the test. Lam also said she did not like Harrison’s new tests. “There were quite a lot of people who knew about the website with;

it wasn’t just one person,” Lam said. “Now for his tests we have to actually learn and know the chapter. There’s free response, and it doesn’t help if you don’t understand.” Other teachers, like Physics Teacher Charles Schletzbaum, allow their students to use open notes for their tests. Schletzbaum said he rarely uses standardized tests, because of the likelihood of cheating. “Well, it’s [the teacher’s] responsibility to use a standardized test. It’s why some teachers, like in AP Physics, add lots of free responses to discourage cheating,” Schletzbaum said. “Part of the fault lies with the system, and some of it lies with the teacher. I personally think that it’s fine if students are using the online versions to study, but not during the test.”

CLUBS: MHS clubs advance to higher levels FROM PAGE ONE

Science Olympiad isn’t that kind of science. They apply what they know to their events. [Science Olympiad] is so much fun, and it’s really neat to see your product in the end.” Senior Brian Lam has been part of the Science Olympiad team for four years now. Lam said he has made many new friends and looks forward to coming back to help out the team after he graduates, which may struggle next year as many returning members graduate. “Next year Science Olympiad will consist of mostly new competitors and a lesser amount of veterans,”

Lam said. “So they have to work super hard in order to teach the newcomers how everything's done.” DECA is an international association that prepares high school students in business subjects, such as management, finance, marketing, and hospitality, according to Sophomore Brenda Su. Su recently placed second in the Principles of Business Administration event at the California State Career Development Conference, which qualified her entry into the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). “We participate in competitions in our areas of interests,” Su said. “Most of these events involve

a written exam and role play, while others involve writing a promotion plan.” Junior Caryn Tran and Senior Leanna Leung also qualified for ICDC, which is to be held in Salt Lake City this year, according to Su. MHS DECA is growing and has a lot of potential, Su remarked. She mentioned that MHS was awarded third highest membership increase. “I really encourage people to join DECA because it teaches you how to be a great speaker and leader,” Su said. “It’s really useful to learn about how businesses work along with the economy. DECA will definitely be a positive influence.”

EYE ON CAMPUS

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Music Director Christopher Kaldy leads a jazz band practice. The MHS jazz band played at the 25th Annual Santa Cruz Jazz Festival in March.

Jazz Band plays at festival BY THAOCHAU PHAN

The MHS Jazz Band took the stage at the 25th Annual Santa Cruz Jazz Festival on March 16 and 17. Middle and high schools from the Bay Area attended and performed during this two-day event at Cabrillo College, according to Music Director Christopher Kaldy. The MHS band featured four different jazz pieces during its performances, which included “Promise of Dreams,” “Take Five,” “Rocks in My Bed,” and “Tiger of San Pedro,” according to Kaldy. Judges score each band using a rating system based on such criteria as musical style, rhythm, tone, and choice of music. Overall, the MHS band received two superior ratings and two excellent ratings, Kaldy said. “I felt really good about [our performance],” Kaldy said. “We performed at 8:40 in the morning so it was really tough. I was really pleased with everyone. They worked really hard and represented Milpitas well.” The band has several strong individual players and vocalists who help strengthen the group, accord-

ing to Kaldy. However, unity and teamwork still play a vital role in shaping the band, Kaldy said. “I try to feature some of our strong players and pick music that feature them best, but they are nothing without the rest of the band,” Kaldy said. “Putting individual parts together to make the whole sound—it’s definitely a collaborative performance.” Despite the band’s various strengths, Senior Edward Laya stated that the team can still improve on its brass section. However, the team still did its best and delivered a decent overall performance, according to Laya. “We can get better by practicing regularly,” Laya said. “There is no other secret to getting better than by just practicing.” Freshman Zachary Barnes performed at the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival for the first time. The experience was enjoyable and enriching for him and everyone in the band, Barnes said. “I learned about being professional on the stage and about having the appearance affecting the results the judges give you,” Barnes said.

Theater students win silver performing in ‘Play in a Day’ BY ANNA TRI

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Sophomores Syboney Caballero, Deline Perez, Jessenia García Morales, and Kenia Perez (left to right) model quinceanera dresses. The Latino Student Union held a cultural fashion show on March 9.

CITY: Layoffs may be next step for Milpitas FROM PAGE ONE

Speech and Debate Adviser Charles Schletzbaum spoke at the March 6 city council meeting against the reductions in library hours. Schletzbaum said that his students used the library as a safe place to work on group projects when meeting as a male-female group in a home was not an option. “My concern as a teacher and as a debate coach is that there are certain ethnic groups in which male and female students are not allowed to meet at each other’s homes,” Schletzbaum said at the city council meeting. “And the library is one of those neutral areas where the parents will allow them to go.” In a later interview, Schletzbaum added, “These groups are not represented by the ethnic makeup of the

council.” Senior Amy Le said she often goes to the library after school to study. Le also said she stays after 6 p.m. about once a month, and more frequently during finals. “It’s a useful and convenient place to meet up and get work done, and if I have to leave early, that’s not good.” Le said. “I see a lot of students there. It’s mostly students.” Arbaugh said she has experienced negative reactions to the reductions, but that most understand the situation the city is in with the current economic climate. The library has been comparatively fortunate in terms of preserving its operating hours; San Jose Public Library branches are open only four days per week, Arbaugh said. “We’ve had some people be really upset about it, but most everyone

knows or should know about the financial difficulties cities are having,” Arbaugh said. “We still plan on providing wonderful service.” The next step for the city may be cutting jobs. Milpitas currently has a workforce of 356 people, 14 percent of which may be subject to layoffs, according to Arbaugh. “They’re looking at everything. It’s very possible that a whole bunch of people who work for the city are going to get laid off; the figure I heard was 42 people,” Arbaugh said. Milpitas will also evaluate employee compensation, according to Esteves. The relative cost of public employees versus private companies carrying out municipal tasks may push the city toward privatization, negotiating with unions for concessions, and contracting out, as well as layoffs, Esteves said.

Eight MHS Theater Workshop students participated in the 24 Hour Play Festival, called “Play in a Day,” according to Theater Teacher Kaila Schwartz. The event took place at Notre Dame High School. Seniors Rosie Barrass, Courtney Clemons, Jesus Hernandez, Junryl Molina, Samantha Pitts, and Kelly Torbet, Junior Diane Ho, and Sophomore Jared Pati took part in the 24 Hour Play Festival, which is a competition in which groups of five to eight individuals have to write, direct, and perform a five to eight minute play. Five out of seven of the following had to be included: a dance, an original song, two certain lines, a kiss, an item from a “grab bag,” and a conversation between two people in another language. Each group was given a theme to work with, according to Torbet. The MHS team’s theme was “The Stuff that Legends are Made of.” Using this theme, the MHS students created a play that revolved around a girl and priest who fall in love. The students’ plot was the “first idea that popped into their heads,” Torbet said. “The strange thing was we were in a Catholic school,” Torbet said. “The play was performed in a church. Creativity is pretty crazy.” The plays were judged on their use of actors, storytelling, originality, incorporation of the theme,

and the requirements. The MHS students won second place against nine other teams. Torbet said that the team did not expect second place. During the competition, team members grew tired and started arguing about the script, according to Torbet. “We were all leaders,” Torbet said. “Our ideas started clashing.” According to Torbet, members had no trouble with the acting and creativity. Whatever was contributed had to benefit the work and group as a whole, not just one individual, Torbet said. The competition was introduced to the MHS Theater students during a workshop by Theatre Works Education Administrator Jake Arky. Schwartz said she had previously heard of the competition, and was very proud of her students. “I was really thrilled when I had students who wanted to be a team,” Schwartz said. “I knew they would pull together in the end.” Schwartz said that she recommends students to participate in the competition. For students with no previous theater experience, it may be a bit of a challenge; however, this should not discourage anyone from partaking in the event, she added. Pati advises people who want to participate to not be afraid to be different. Nobody should be nervous, he commented. Pati said that he would do the competition again if he could. “It taught me a lot,” he commented.

THE UNION EDITORIAL APRIL 2012

EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

Closure of career center unfortunate; resource should have been more valued We, The Union, would like to express our regret for the end of MHS’s career center, which closed due to lack of sufficient funds, according to the administration. However, since very few students ever used the career center, we recognize that the school was saving money by getting rid of what had unfortunately become an undervalued expense. What made easy for the administration to say the career center a waste of funds was that students rarely took advantage of its resources. This is evident from the little impact its closing had on the school. Now, students make appointments with their counselor to retrieve post-high school information just like they always have. That there is no change seems to be due to the fact that students were unware of the career center, so its potential remained untapped. This would be more understandable if the career center were never advertised to the students, but the counselors did mention this resource in the presentation they give to sophomore English classes. This room contained an abundance of materials on not only post-graduate options, but information on colleges, scholarships, and internships. There was even a counselor assigned to the room to provide guidance—no appointment needed. Today, with counselor appointments having a wait time of up to days, this easily accessible information source would be an invaluable asset to any student. Despite this, students still complained during the career center’s existence that they did not know where to go to get post-high school information.

The responsibility for students being blind to the career center’s potential lies in multiple sources: the school could have made more of an effort to publicize the career center, students could have paid more attention to its existence, and the career center could have been in a more central place on campus. Creating a center for career and college information accessible to all students is something indispensable to a school the size of MHS; using it is an equally indispensable yet apparently less attainable pursuit. It can be said that the school shutting down the career center was actually an efficient way to save already dwindling funds. Just look at the response from the student body, or should we say lack thereof. Funding a room and having a counselor sacrifice a lunch when the targeted audience is uninterested is, logically, ludicrous. But the solution to this problem should not have immediately been shutting down the center. Efforts to advertise the career center or even an announcement that the end of the center was near should have come first. Perhaps this would have inspired previously unconcerned students to take an interest in the career center. The school’s decision to remove the resource is an example of a larger pattern: MUSD tends to save funds for hard times. This may have proven useful in the economic crisis, but should we not value resources for our current students as much as those for future students? Financial conservatism may be logical, but it is at the expense of current students’ education.

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he Union is a student-run publication that is partially funded by local businesses and private citizens. The patrons listed below have demonstrated their generosity by extending both moral and �nancial support to our newspaper for the 2011-2012 school year. The Union staff would like to thank them for their patronage and encourage others to contribute. If you are interested in becoming a patron ($25 donation), please contact our Business Manager.

Allied Waste Services of Santa Clara County Neal P. Swann, D.D.S. Custom Drywall inc. Denny and Marianne Wersgerber Commonwealth Central Credit Union David Schymeinsky O.D. (Milpitas Family Eyecare) José Esteves Mike & Nancy Mendizabal The Librande Family Mary Kay De Guzman Thriving Life Care of Milpitas Dixon Laundry Alan L. Grimm, D.D.S. Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza Jerry H. Glass, D.D.S. Over 30 years in Milpitas.

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EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

Open enrollment should not be adopted, leads to problems for classes and students We, The Union, believe that while a policy of open enrollment for AP classes is fair in theory, there are a number of practical problems that would have to be addressed. In addition, it is unlikely that a large number of students would be encouraged to take AP classes by the removal of many prerequisites and entrance examinations. The main stated purpose of the open enrollment policy is that any student can and should be able to enroll in AP classes, regardless of prerequisites, and that the administration will actively encourage these students to take a more difficult academic schedule. Unfortunately, while some students who currently refrain from taking AP classes would certainly take the chance to enroll, the large majority of the population would not. Not very many students are screened from AP classes through the early processes of teacher signatures and placement tests, and those that are were usually not as serious about taking the class anyway. If students do not have the desire to take AP classes, the removal of boundaries is not likely to spur them into action. Most students who would not take an AP class with the restrictions would not be spurred to take an AP class if prerequisites or writing samples were not needed. Another problem is that students who are unfamiliar with the fast-paced and difficult climate of an AP curriculum could easily become overwhelmed. A senior who decides to take an AP class he is unprepared for may be able to handle the course, but will face much more adversity than students who have adapted to the AP standard of work. This problem is expanded by the difficulty of dropping out of AP classes. If a student is behind and receiving a low grade, the school policy states that they still must complete the class. While it is true that

students should learn the importance of commitment, MHS should not be trapping unprepared students in classes where they can neither succeed nor drop out. Though highly unlikely, a student who has taken only standard math courses could suddenly decide to take AP Calculus without realizing just how difficult it is. This student would then find themselves without a way out of a class where they know they have little chance of success. There also may be problems with overambitious students. With the implementation of the new weighted GPAs, students will have another encouragement to take AP classes. But with the open enrollment policy, which would likely abolish the policy of a maximum of three AP classes, students would feel pressured to take as many classes as possible. Even for those who are used to the rigor of AP classes, four or more in one semester could easily overwhelm them. There will come a point where the student will try to maximize their weighted GPA by taking too many classes; their GPA will increase at the detriment of their learning. Many AP classes are already becoming very full, and having many students taking more than three and students who have not taken AP classes before could cause an overflow of students. A final problem is that, even though the AP teachers at this school all have experience with their subjects, classes could easily become watered down. Teachers may slow down the class in order to accommodate the struggling students at the expense of others in the class. The philosophy behind open enrollment is admirable, but has inherent problems. There are many ways to encourage students to increase their learning by taking harder AP classes, but adopting a policy of open enrollment is not the best.

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Journalism Advisor

L ETTER S TO TH E EDITOR

Spitting gum on ground unsanitary Chewing gum at school has been happening ever since teachers said not to do it. Almost everyone has done it once and many are doing it right now. Many teachers at school despise gum chewing and some do not really care. I personally do not have a problem with people who chew gum. The only thing that I have a problem with is what happens to gum after it is chewed. Decent human beings put it in its wrapper or some paper and throw it away. It’s even okay to spit the gum out in a trash can. Ignorant people swallow it and risk choking to death. Last are the jerks that merely spit it on the ground. I personally have nothing against gum chewers, but this just ruins a person’s day. I have multiple pairs of shoes, like many other students, and a majority of them have been the victim of a sticky piece of

gum. Gum kills wearing nice shoes because you always feel that awkward bump on the bottom of your shoes that you know will be nearly impossible to completely get rid of. A pair of perfect shoes that may be new can be ruined with someone’s insensitive choice. Maybe I am just unlucky, but I know I am not the only one who is a victim of this. So please do not spit gum on the ground. I understand many of you are lazy, but be considerate and walk to a trash can. So I challenge the students of Milpitas High School to put an end to spitting gum on the ground. This is not for my shoes, but for the shoes of tomorrow. Together we can stop the rude individuals that soil the fresh kicks of our own peers.

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THE UNION OP-ED APRIL 2012

PRO

Jobs teach vital life lesson, instill financial responsibility Work isn’t fun. If your goal was to Working helps you become more have a good time all the time, you’d responsible with your money, even be right to think it crazy to saddle as the bills—okay, coins—pile up yourself with more responsibilities. with the minutes as you heroically Even if you like your job at first, the wait tables or tell kids to do their routine of it eventually wears away homework. Having been working at you, stripping away your naïve for some time, I see prices through enthusiasm and leaving you bewil- a fresh and unpleasant lens. Condered as to how you ever thought sidering a $10 shirt, what comes this could be a source of pleasure. to mind is no longer the amount This process must sound familiar of gumballs it would buy, but the to all of us; ever notice how waking hour of tutoring that pays for it. I up for school becomes ask myself: how many increasingly difficult as confused looks is this the semester drags on? worth? Putting purchasThat’s what jobs are: es in terms of fresh and monotony punctuated painful work experiences by ticks of the clock and reveals a better picture of welcome divergences the product’s value than a in routine. Work is not price ever does, and may fun, at least not all of paradoxically lead to less the time, and things will spending, despite a growalways be this way. ing bank account. Yet, as with many situAnother lesson you LAURA ations in the adult world, will learn is professionCOSGROVE you would be wise to igalism: how to not be a nore this fact and get out slave to the whims and there anyway. slumps of childlike mood swings, At this point in our lives, pleasure- but to place yourself above them seeking should be sinking down on for the sake of doing a job right. To the list of priorities as more practi- some extent, this lesson has to be cal motivations cement themselves applied at school as well, but in a as our bases for reason. Sacrificing high school, classmates and teachpersonal time and freedom is the ers expect you to act like less than last thing any self-respecting young an adult, whereas your employers Western individualist wants, but will always expect consistency, relidelayed gratification is an all-too- ability, and competence. Maturity rare skill that is exercised when is not generally required as part of you drag yourself from Facebook a public education, and you don’t to the job site. The rewards you will want to move into the next stage of reap from working far outweigh your life shaking off the vestiges of the inconvenience of it, and they childlike habits. extend from the more immediate Entering the workforce as a teenand measurable benefits of pay- ager will force you to rise to high exchecks and résumé building to, yes, pectations. If you have school under the elusive and much more valuable control and time to spare, definitely life lessons. start the search.

CON

Working as student unwise; enjoy life while still young Every season, many students flock meaningless labor. If you have exto the local mall or amusement park tra time, you could instead be using for the chance of gaining some dis- it to study and improve your grades. posable income. A part time job is Instead of becoming a master at flipa common rite of passage for many ping burgers or folding clothes, you teenagers. It can be a catalyst for in- could instead be nurturing skills in dependence from parental control. something you actually enjoy doing By sacrificing a few hours of your such as a hobby or an extracurricuweek, you can make a little extra lar activity. cash to spend on clothes, food, or Your job as a student the latest technology. should be to further However, if you are yourself educationally. fortunate enough to afInternships, although ford to not have a job, you unpaid at times, can would be wise to refrain help you learn about the from doing so. Students career of your choice. who need to work durIf you are considering ing the school year for becoming a doctor in the financial reasons should future, try volunteering disregard the remainder at a hospital. If you want of this piece. to be a teacher, try findIt tends to be difficult ing a job where you can TIFFANY for the average student work with children. You LAW to juggle having a job, can learn more about getting good grades, the working world from getting enough sleep, and having an internship than you can from a a social life. Throw in some extra- retail or food service job. curricular activities and Advanced I am not recommending that you Placement or Honors classes and avoid part time jobs all together. But you might end up having too much maybe instead try having a job duron your plate. For example, if you ing the summer. At that time of the are scheduled for work on the night year, your job and your school work before a big project is due. There is will not have to compete with each not much you can do. You can at- other for your time and attention. tempt to reschedule your shift, but if You have the rest of your life the manager refuses to accomodate to work. You’re only young once. to your request, you have no other So take advantage of it. Pick up a choice than to work unless you do hobby, join a club, or participate in not mind losing your job. a sport. Do something you actually As a student, education should enjoy doing. Hopefully, this way you come first. Having a job means can figure out exactly what it is that that the time you could be using you enjoy doing so you can make a to further yourself academically career out of it. is instead spent towards hours of

Benchmark tests fail to measure progress Leave those notes you were studying in your binder, and quit analyzing that historical work of literature! Put those books that you were reading and put that essay you were writing on a brief hiatus. It’s time for a benchmark test! Although these exact words may not have been echoed in classrooms at MHS, every student knows that this scene basically occurs when the school district decides to mandate yet another benchmark test. Occurring about once or twice a year, the familiar announcement translates into a period of, to be blunt, wasted class time. This may sound harsh, but the reality of the situation is that students are not gaining any academic intellect whatsoever by taking these tests. Students could be filling their minds with knowledge gained from classroom lessons, but instead they are forced to spend precious time taking a 30-question multiple choice test that often has little to do with relevant subject matter. Benchmark tests are supposed to be a way for the school district to measure our progress in class. However, as a seasoned three-year benchmark-test-taking veteran, I have noticed that the tests do not change very much from one grade level to another. Each year, they seem to cover the same concepts: Match (enter vocabulary word) with its definition. What was the

(tone or mood) of this passage? This come incredibly confused on how to word from line (enter number) of find and interpret the return policy. (enter random essay title) most Students do not need to be tested on likely means what? The vocabulary this kind of stuff. It is merely comwords change, and the subjects mon sense. of the passages may be If the school district different, but let’s face wanted to measure our it, all of the benchmark progress, they should tests since freshman simply look at our STAR year seem to have been test scores or even our mimicking the same grades. The STAR test style of questions. What covers the same material, is the purpose of giving and all students are alstudents essentially the ready required to take it. same test each year? The That way, the class time test is not doing a very that would have been good job of progressing spent taking the benchMARISA at the rate that it expects mark test could instead LOUIE the students to. be used to teach a relAlso, regarding another evant lesson. I don’t see infamous part of the test, how many the purpose in wasting class time by times do we really need to prove administering a test when the same that we know how to read the di- results could be obtained through rections on how to operate some another source. I understand that outdated mechanical device such grades depend on the rigorousness as a transistor radio? This section of a course and, as a result, may not of the benchmark seems to test the be an equal way to measure student competence of the reader more so performance, but at least it shows than his actual academic ability. If which students are falling behind a high school student ever found and which are faring well. Then, a himself walking through a toy store comparison of a student’s previous and decided to purchase a Super and current grades could be used to Karaoke Star 2000 machine, I am show an improvement or decline. fairly confident that he would be Benchmark tests do not further able to figure out how to read the our educations in any way, but instruction booklet. Then, if he instead put us behind by impeding realized that he actually wanted to our lessons and consuming valubuy the Super Karaoke Star 3000 able time. version, I doubt that he would be-

Open campus lunch would benefit students Let’s imagine that you’re expe- confined to campus and occasionriencing extreme cravings for a La ally rewarded with a few off-campus Vic’s burrito, or that you desperately passes. Although it is not very diffineed to go home for a few minutes cult to receive an off-campus pass, because you forgot your home- getting one from a security guard or work, and your parents teacher is time consumaren’t available to help ing, cutting into already you out. Unfortunately short lunch breaks. This for you, you’re stuck could mean turning a at school during lunch precious 30 minutes into break watching people a meager 25. eat while you starve or I am certain that most feeling miserable bestudents, if MHS were cause that homework to have an open-campus assignment was worth policy, would either be 25 percent of your grade. indifferent or happily The MHS closed-camwelcome the policy, so CATHY pus policy is to blame why don’t we already FREY for all your woes. have this simple priviIn a time when MHS lege? I cannot think of a had an open campus, legitimate answer besides students roamed freely throughout minor safety concerns that the parMilpitas during their lunch break ents and school administrators may and free periods, able to spend have, but according to California their precious free time at school law, the school would not even be lito its fullest potential, but that no able for any accidents that occurred longer exists. Instead, students are off-campus, unless a student or a automatically punished by being parent could somehow prove that

the school was being negligent. If parents’ qualms about the safety of an open campus are the deciding factor in MHS campus policy, they should be dismissed. Parents need to place more trust in their children and teach them how to be responsible. Parents are only second in responsibility for their children’s actions. They should be able to control their own child’s actions, but only to a certain extent. In fact, it’s possible that by allowing their children off campus freely, they would be promoting trust in their relationship. I admit that not all students would be able to handle the freedom of an open campus, and some would probably abuse the opportunity by ditching classes or engaging in illegal behavior, but I propose that open campus be revoked from their privileges, depending on the severity of the offense and not taken from them based off of crimes they haven’t even had an opportunity to commit.

Language classes assign pointless reports This may just be me, but when someone tells me that they are going to French class, I assume that their curriculum will focus on learning how to speak and write fluently in French. For this exact reason, I cannot comprehend why the Language Department is required to assign research papers that are . . . wait for it . . . written in English. I am currently enrolled in Spanish, and when my teacher announced we would be doing a research report, I will admit, I freaked out a little because I automatically made the assumption that it would have to be written in Spanish. I relaxed a little when she announced that it would be in English, but I immediately questioned the purpose of the paper if it had nothing to do with Spanish. Ah, but my teacher was one step ahead of me. All of the topics for the research paper had Hispanic backgrounds or origins. I suppose that the topic having something to do with Spanish gave the paper its purpose: to educate us, the students, in culture. However, I

found that many of the topics lacked people writing about topics such as culture, making the paper a com- arroz con pollo, or rice with chicken. plete waste of time. I had to research I think that tipped the intellectual a famous singer whom I had never integrity scale before anyone had heard of previously, and through even chosen the topic. I do not mean it, I found that he was to be mean towards any practically American. I of the teachers who put learned about his career forth these papers. I am and his personal life, but sure there is some hidall of it had little to do den value in them that with anything related to I just cannot dissect the Spanish culture. The with my limited brain most Spanish-influenced capacity; however, I do thing I got out of the think that if we are to whole research paper write papers for certain was learning how to say classes, they should have pants on fire: pantalones a clear connection to LEANN en fuego! the courses. I shouldn’t WOO The fact that I was have to wonder about writing a research paper the value of an assignin Spanish class made me devalue ment; even the most painful and the paper itself. I know that I didn’t tedious assignments should have take it sincerely, purely because I some sort of significance towards didn’t think it would be taken as my education. I don’t want to waste seriously as a paper written for an my time, nor do I want to waste English course. I suppose the argu- the instructor’s time, with a halfment here would be that I should hearted report about something no have had some sort of intellectual one particularly cares about. integrity, but then again, there were

THE UNION OP-ED APRIL 2012

Spring break perpetuates unproductivity Spring break is here! You throw why you are still up so late even off the heavy burden of school for though you can go to sleep. Fast-fora week and once more become a ward to the present. You’ve gotten carefree youth. The first weekend out of bed, trying to get some food. is spent in the blissful folds of sleep Afterwards, you sit down thinking as you catch up on much-needed you might start on that essay that is snoozing or hanging out with due soon. Five hours later, you have friends. In the back of your mind, spent the whole time chatting with you think, “I’ll probably be produc- friends, checking your Facebook, tive this week. I won’t watching Youtube vidprocrastinate and put off eos of cats, and scrollthat (fill in your choice ing through Tumblr of homework) until the pages. Later in the week, night before school starts. you might go out with Besides, there’s seven friends to the mall or to days left.” Seven days, the beach. Your mind is each day an insulation in complete I-want-toagainst the inevitable rehave-fun mode. When turn to school, but not to you get home, you might worry: there is plenty of glance at the stack of time to have fun and work homework on your taKEWA later. Right? ble, but you’re too tired JIANG On the first day, you to do anything. wake up around eleven Then, all too soon o’clock looking blurry-eyed. Rewind comes the dreaded night before to eight hours earlier: you had been school starts, when you try to franon Facebook posting statuses about tically finish whatever is due the

next day. For me, being unproductive during break is maddening, because as the week comes to an end, I look over my list of things to do, and there are maybe three things checked off out of 20 items. I think back to try to remember exactly what I’ve done with my time during break, and I eventually realize that next to wasting it on the internet, I’ve just slept. My sleep-deprived body and mind just crashed, trying to pay off the mountain of sleep debt I owe. Then, in a spontaneous celebration of my hard work during school time, I give myself a day off to relax and the next day and the next day. As I look forward to the coming break, I’m once again on the internet, this time searching for ways to stay focused. The number one piece of advice that I’ve found, but one that is also the hardest to actually accomplish in our day and age, is to get off of the Internet.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH: IF YOU COULD MARRY ANY FICTIONAL CHARACTER, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? TIMOTHY SU, Freshman

POOJA PAL, Senior

TRI HOANG, Junior

RACHEL DE LEON, Freshman

School rules ridiculous; students not safe “This is just a drill.” We all know Earthquake drills are particularly this announcement, one that is usu- important here in the state of Calially followed by the annoying blare fornia, as this is, if you already didn’t of the fire alarm or the “sound” of know, an earthquake state. We are an earthquake. Drills are supposed expected to hide under our desk as to promote school safety and ensure the sound of an earthquake is playthat all students and staff know what ing over the intercom and again, line to do if a real emergency ever arises. up afterwards and go outside. Do However, if one puts even a little we honestly have to practice hiding thought into how the drills work at under our desks, though? Are we our school, one would realize how really seen as so incompetent by ridiculous some of the things we administrators to the point where have to do are. they have to make sure Let’s start with fire that we know how to put drills. Sure, when there is our heads underneath a fire, we will all get into a our desks? single file line and walk Intruder drills are even calmly to our designated more questionable than area. Once we reach the previous two drills that spot, we will all wait combined. We have all quietly and watch as the heard the “Teachers lock flames of a fire engulf our your doors” announceentire school, burning ment over the intercom, buildings down. This is signaling that we should ARTHUR completely idealistic. all lay down flat on our TRAN If a real fire were to chests and turn off the ever erupt, there would lights. That way, we can be mass chaos, no matter how many totally trick a real intruder into betimes we perform a drill per year. lieving that there is no one here at You can’t expect to have a classroom the school and that we all magically of teenagers quietly and peacefully took off when he or she entered camget into a line if they all know that pus. Honestly, if an intruder came, I their lives are in danger. There will doubt the first thought that would be people who will shove others to go through his mind is, “Where did get to safety and those who will get everyone go? They’re obviously not shoved. And we’re expected to re- in the classrooms because they’re main quiet? Why? Will the fire hear all dark.” I have actually heard that us talking? Or are we talking over there are some schools that have the the blaring and obnoxious alarm? doors barricaded during drills and

the windows actually blocked with a large object of some sort. I really don’t see what we’re accomplishing by just laying on the floor and pretending that we’re not really there. Now, I’m not saying to get rid of drills entirely. I understand why we have them; I just don’t see how lives can actually be saved if we merely assume that everyone will react calmly when a fire or an earthquake actually occurs. During the times that we should be having drills, I would rather us have a lesson on the safety triangle or on how to actually use a fire extinguisher. We could even use the time to learn about the NPFA 704, also known as the fire diamond. Learning something in class seems much more productive than going outside and lining up, which people are very unlikely to do. It may sound cynical, but it is a fact that people will put themselves before others in the case of an emergency. Sure, your best friend may say that they’ll stay with you through thick and thin. End up in a burning room surrounded by fire, and see if they’ll stick around. Lining up? More like people running for the door and screaming for their lives. We really need to consider learning how to deal with situations realistically, rather than assuming that everyone will follow procedures and calmly walk to the designated area on the other side of the school.

Claiming prom dresses unnecessary process As March rolls around, the hottest topic among juniors and seniors is prom. Students discuss dates, venues, pictures, and of course, their attire. Now, I’m pretty sure most guys don’t care what they wear. I mean, all they don is a tux and a tie. But I know girls can talk endlessly about what dresses they want to buy. Prom’s that one special moment, the one event that movies depict as the best (or most interesting) time in high school. And of course, for such a big and fancy occasion, girls naturally want to find the one dress they deem perfect and beautiful. But I’ve noticed something during this prom-planning time that I honestly find annoying. You see, girls get so excited over planning for prom that when one little mishap happens, their inner “Promzilla” comes out. A girl’s dress is the essence of her prom, and she wants to feel pretty and special in it. Being a girl, I understand. I mean, most girls I know love dressing up and feeling beautiful. But back to my point: some girls stress so much over their dress that they “claim” it or call

“dibs” on it. I’ve heard of Facebook prom for other people. You dressed pages where girls put pictures of up for yourself, and that’s all that their dresses up online for the world matters. Even if you call “dibs” on a to see so that they can make sure it’s dress, not every girl is going to know off-limits to other girls. And in my you did. It just shows that both of opinion, it’s just ridiculous. you have the same good taste. If Now, I understand why girls don’t you really are so determined to want to match with each prevent other girls from other. I mean, everybody donning the same dress, wants to look unique, just make your own or and everyone’s afraid of find one in a thrift store. the possibility that they Because otherwise, you’ll might be the one who be buying your dress in a looks worse in the dress. public store or website, But let me tell you someand you’re going to risk a thing: I ended up having chance of seeing another the same dress as somegirl in the same attire. one else at my Junior Girls, the only time you’re Prom. And guess what? guaranteed to not match ANNA It wasn’t the end of the dresses is at your own TRI world. I just had a good wedding, and for most laugh with the other perof us, that’s still too far son, and we went on to have fun at off into the future. Until then, just our prom. In the end, the question remember that although matchis, “Who cares?” Is it really neces- ing might not be the most pleasant sary to “claim” a dress? So what if outcome, you are at prom to have you end up matching with someone a good time. Go take wonderful else? What are you actually going to pictures, dance the night away, and do? Sure, other people might notice, make lifetime memories with your but remember, you didn’t dress up at beloved friends and date.

RYAN MCKENZIE , Junior

KATHERINE LIEN, Junior

PRINCESS DANGCA, Freshman

I would marry Zelda because I won’t have to work because of her magic powers.

I would marry Leo (Channing Tatum) in “The Vow” because he was always there for her, so I want someone like that.

I would marry Hermione Granger because she is so sugoi.

I would marry Prince Eric from ‘The Little Mermaid’ because he ignored her flaws, a.k.a. her fins.

Roger Robin’s girlfriend because she has a nice body and sexy lips.

I would marry Harry Potter because he can give me rides on his magical broom.

I would marry Prince Charming because he searched for Cinderella.

Being short has its benefits I’m very short, courtesy of my Bounce-a-rama. Can you? Other parents’ genes, and I admit that I than that, being younger isn’t really haven’t always been happy with helpful. But, just imagine what it’ll that; however, in my experience, be- be like when I’m 30, and I look 20; ing short isn’t as bad as you’d think. that’ll be fun. Let me tell you a couple of reasons Fifth, I always have an excuse to why being short is pretty awesome. get people to get things for me. I First of all, my petiteness helps me can sit in my seat and just announce cut lines. Yes, the people in line get that I cannot reach the book on the mad at me, but I never shelf, and almost always, get caught by the teachit appears on my desk in a ers on duty. It is so much few seconds. easier to disappear in a Sixth, it is most likely crowd of people when that I won’t be having you’re small. I fit into the back problems. You see, I small spaces in between never really have to bend people, making it easy over for hugs. Hugs are for me to slip in and out awesome when you’re without a problem. It’s short, by the way; hugs a great advantage when from tall people are all we all go to a high school encompassing. CARYN with the longest lunch Seventh, I will always TRAN lines ever. find the best hiding spots Second, I am very balfor Hide-n-Seek. I can anced. I’m short, so my center of fit on top of the vending machines gravity is closer to the floor. It helps without any limbs dangling. I me when I play sports, or when can curl up and hide in boxes and I’m balancing a dozen books while cabinets. This will also help when jumping over rain puddles. And if I there’s an actual earthquake. The happen to actually fall, I’m close to desk actually covers most of me. the floor. The impact is a lot less as Eighth, I’m always in front for all my knees fall one and a half feet to the pictures. Which means, not only the floor while yours falls three. can you see my face, but also my cute Third, (this only applies to girls) outfit, my shoes, and my hands (if I I can wear skyscraper heels. And decide to do a peace sign with them). I’ll never be taller than my date. It’s You pay as much as I do for all the pretty awesome. Many think that group pictures when I get to be front it’s awkward for a guy to be shorter and center. More for me. than a girl, but I never have to worry There are dozens of reasons more about that. as to why being short is actually Fourth, I look younger. I can pretty awesome, but you should get pull off a 12-year-old act and get the gist by now. Don’t look down on into a buffet for half the price that short people. On second thought, I should pay. I can also get into you really have no choice.

THE UNION FEATURES APRIL 2012

Yeh named Key Club Lieutenant Governor BY HANNA TRAN

Junior Vanessa Yeh will be appointed the position of Key Club Lieutenant Governor at the next District Convention for Division 12 East in April, Yeh said. She was elected for the position on Feb. 26. Yeh will overlook Key Clubs in San Jose, Fremont, and Milpitas, she said. She will work with other lieutenant governors and officers of her district. Yeh wanted to become Lieutenant Governor to be more involved, she said. “I will be the liaison between the international and the district and club level,” Yeh said. “I wasn’t happy with just working at the club level, and I wanted to be involved with [Key Club] more.” As Lieutenant Governor of Key

Club, Yeh will be working with other district officers in the states of California, Nevada, and Hawaii, she said. Each Lieutenant Governor holds a Division Council Meeting once a month. And a District Convention (DCON), where new Lieutenant Governors are elected, is held every year, she said. “A Lieutenant Governor is installed at DCON,” Yeh said. “DCON in April starts and ends each new year term.” Yeh said that generally, anyone who is familiar with Key Club can run for Lieutenant Governor. A person who is running needs to file all the paperwork, submit a platform of literature to the current Lieutenant Governor, and make a three-minute speech at the year’s District Convention. A platform of

literature is a submission that is published in a booklet displaying all of the runners of the position, their profiles, and self-listed reasons for qualification, Yeh said. “There are two delegates from every school,” Yeh said. “Each division has a different number of schools with 16 schools at the most, but we only have ten. Six can go from each school, but only two can vote.” Yeh’s main qualification for the position was her ability to lead MHS Key Club, as its president, and other Key Clubs to fundraise for the club’s current international project: the Pediatric Trauma Center.

On the Web

Go to www.mhstheunion.net for an extended version of this article

Krikorian reflects on 26 years of substitution BY DYLAN LIBRANDE

Substitute Teacher Arthur “Art” Krikorian has been a figure at MHS for 26 years, but how much is truly known about this elusive figure? Read on to unravel the mysteries of the mystical Mr. Krikorian! Krikorian can be seen on MHS campus almost every weekday. He is “a huge arts fan,” professing interest in opera, symphony, and cinema. These days, however, he has a new interest: technology. “I am obsessed with my Android phone,” Krikorian said. “I had never owned a computer until two years ago, when I got my first cell phone. I just never saw the reason to. These days, though, I am learning just how remarkable machines are.”

But to fully understand Krikorian, we must delve into his past. After receiving a BS in Meteorology and a Minor in Math, he got a job in weather forecasting. But it was hardly sun and games. “I was working 12-hour shifts in a small room filled with computers,” Krikorian recollected. “It was not enjoyable.” How, then, did this man make it to MHS? “It’s simple, actually.” Krikorian said. “Someone suggested it! After my other job, I loved being able to be with people, not computers.” In his many years at MHS, Krikorian has taught long-term English, math, special education, and summer school; he’s even been a librarian. Why, then, has he never become

a full-time teacher? “I just decided that I wasn’t cut out to have the same classroom every day,” Krikorian admitted, “especially if there were two or three challenging classes. It would be really trying for me. I admire teachers that can do that.” “Being a sub, I get different classes. For me, that’s part of the fun of teaching,” he continued. “I love being able to get a whole spectrum of students. It’s everything you could experience - it’s challenging and fun, but sometimes boring and aggravating. Overall, I love it. This is a job I look forward to.”

On the Web

Go to www.mhstheunion.net for an extended version of this article

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Seniors Keven Gallegos and Timothy Alcorn disc jockey together at a wedding reception. Gallegos is cuing a song while Alcorn adds effects.

Gallegos, Alcorn disc jockey; ‘went from hobby to business’ BY TIFFANY LAW

Student by day, disc jockey (DJ) by night. Senior Keven Gallegos first started his disc jockeying hobby in the 8th grade when his friend introduced to him to Virtual DJ, a computer program, according to Gallegos. Senior Timothy Alcorn had a similar start seven months ago when Gallegos introduced him to Virtual DJ, Alcorn said. Gallegos and Alcorn both DJ separately. But sometimes they team up and DJ at events together, Gallegos said. “Tim and I have done a few things together,” Gallegos said. “The last job we did together was a reception for his sister’s wedding. We combined our equipment and it worked pretty well.” “I started DJing by mixing songs on my laptop,” Gallegos said. “Now I’ve upgraded to different forms of hardware, but I still use Virtual DJ.” “Keven showed me the program and I started playing around with it,” Alcorn said, “Later on, I got more equipment and it eventually

went from a hobby to a business.” Gallegos got his first paid gig as a DJ for his cousin’s wedding last year, Gallegos said. His last paid gig was at a cotillion, Gallegos said. “They heard me DJing at a friend’s party,” Gallegos said. “They enjoyed my set so they asked me if I could play for their event.” Gallegos and Alcorn both particularly enjoy playing electronic music because it tends to be more danceable. Gallegos said that he likes to play anything good with a fast tempo. “I can DJ any type of music but I enjoy House, drum and bass, a lot of trance,” Alcorn said. “I like the thrill of having people get into the music I’m putting on and it’s fun dancing around up on stage.” Gallegos and Alcorn both plan to continue DJing. Gallegos said that he plans to continue while at college as a way to make extra money. “It’ll be a great way to supplement my income in college,” Gallegos said. “I’ll see where it goes from there. But it’ll be my hobby for the rest of my life.”

Academies personalize learning BY LAURA COSGROVE

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Members of the dance crew MVP San Jose practice one of their routines. The group is currently preparing for future performances and competitions on reality television shows, local competions, and bene�t concerts.

Students audition for ‘Dance Crew,’ ‘Talent’ BY LILLIAN KAO

Many students pursue the arts, but rarely do they audition for national television shows. Over the past few months, MVP San Jose, a local dance crew, auditioned for reality television shows “America’s Best Dance Crew” and “America’s Got Talent,” according to Junior Lareeza Oribello. Junior Ceejay Fangonilo, Freshman Patrick Ly, and Oribello are all part of the MVP San Jose dance crew. The crew consists of several different groups, including Block Rockas and MVP Seven, both of which participate in various performances and competitions. “MVP San Jose is a collection of 40 high school students from all over the Bay Area that share the

passion for dance,” Oribello said. “Dancing is a way of expressing ourselves and getting away from reality.” Oribello, who has been dancing since the end of eighth grade, has been in MVP San Jose since her freshman year. MVP San Jose is trying to “get out there and experience new things” by auditioning for reality television show competitions, Oribello said. “We downloaded the application for “America’s Best Dance Crew” online, presented it to the judges, then performed,” Oribello said. “It was a long process. For “America’s Got Talent,” the process was similar, but we went through the lines quicker, and the process was faster and more televised.” Fangonilo, who started dancing

in fourth grade, has been in MVP since Feb. of his sophomore year. After seeing MVP perform at the Filipino United Student Organization’s Battle of the Tribes event, Fangonilo was inspired to audition and try out for MVP. “For auditions, MVP San Jose gives us a set of choreography, and we basically learn it in two to three hours,” Fangonilo said. “Then we wait, and the judges, who are the directors, announce who made MVP a while later.” Oribello hopes to continue dancing in the future, she said. She hopes to be a professional dancer, a choreographer or something that has to do with the arts one day, according to Oribello. “Everything around me inspires me to dance,” Oribello said.

Each year, about 150 freshmen choose to spend their remaining high school years in what has been described by participating teachers and students alike as a kind of family. Academy students enjoy a personalization of education in a more intimate school, within and representative of MHS. Digital Business Academy (DBA), The Academy of Travel and Tourism, and The Academy of Engineering and Technology (E-tech) have a shared philosophy with distinct career focuses, DBA Lead Teacher Andrea Hutchison said: each wants to provide a smaller learning environment that motivates students to go to college and introduces them to career options early. Resources the academies provide include tutoring programs, career mentors in junior year, summer internship opportunities, college field trips, and field trips to businesses relating to the academies’ individual focuses, Hutchison said. “Some kids work well with 3,000 students. Our kids work better in a family-type environment, a school within a school,” Hutchison said. “They’re all college-bound; 100 percent of our students go on either to a four-year or a two-year college.” The academies began 30 years ago with the aim of retaining and reforming at-risk students, keeping them from slipping through the cracks in a growing school, according to Travel and Tourism Lead Teacher Pamela Fuqua. However, the academies have since widened their focus. “Nowadays, we recruit any student. There are some at-risk

students, but the numbers have gone down,” Fuqua said. "I think it’s because there are fewer at-risk students at MHS overall, though I don’t see the big picture." The diversification of academy students has been unofficial, however, according to Holland; 40 percent of the population of academy students should be at-risk, though the term is loosely and nebulously defined. The academies are seeking to change the policy, Holland said. "We’re looking at the idea of doing it so it’s proportional [to the MHS population]," Holland said. "If we look at our enrollment, though, it’s pretty much representational [of MHS] anyway." Senior Kathy Nguyen said she joined Travel and Tourism because she thought it would be good for helping with computer skills and skills with researching. The junior and senior year electives were productive, Nguyen said. “It was what I thought it would be,” Nguyen said. “Join if you’re willing to be brave, because in an academy, you go to a lot of places and meet adults you have to learn to speak to.” Not every student is as satisfied as Nguyen, however. Senior Martin Le said he joined E-tech on a whim and now wishes he would have considered it more carefully. Le said he learned “the basics of engineering," but there were not as many field trips as he had expected. "I joined on accident. I got too excited and put my name on everything," Le said.

On the Web

Go to www.mhstheunion.net for an extended version of this article

THE UNION FEATURES APRIL 2012

Cinequest ‘new experience’ for volunteers BY BRIAN KHAU

San Jose’s annual Cinequest Film Festival is a must for film aficionados. A two-week event from Feb. 28 to March 11, Cinequest showcases premieres of movie masterpieces around the world, according to the Cinequest website. The widely acclaimed festival spans many of the city’s theaters, ranging from the central San Jose Repertory Theater to the restored California Theater. The 22nd annual Cinequest Festival covered films from 44 different countries. The most notable among these films included the silent film “Faust” and a series of shorts collectively known as “Picture the Possibilities.” The latter was a studentrun production that covered scenes from East Palo Alto and other major

cities; the moving East Palo Alto film touched upon the horrors of daily shootings and bullying from a young person’s point of view. Numerous MHS clubs volunteered for the event, such as National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Interact, and Operation Smile. Interact President Isabel Bagsik highly recommended the event. “Many people should go to Cinequest,” Bagsik said. “The movies are different from mainstream movies you find in movie theaters; there’s also documentaries as well.” Volunteers at Cinequest do a variety of tasks: some collect ticket stubs, others hand out surveys, and a few clean up after the show. By working two or more shifts, volunteers can earn a free T-shirt,

and working more shifts results in bigger rewards. Junior Justin Le, who volunteered at Cinequest for Operation Smile, said he liked Cinequest but didn’t enjoy what he had to do. “I volunteered for two hours, but I didn’t like taking out the trash,” Le said. “The best part of my day was Mogo’s.” Some volunteers did not sign up with a club but submitted volunteer forms online. Junior Quan Van said that Mr. Krikorian, a substitute teacher at MHS, inspired him to go to the event. “There were a lot of new experiences at Cinequest. I especially liked the people. However, I thought it was a little bit dramatic, the actors overdramatized many of the things,” Van said.

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Sophomores Monica La and Jennifer Tu sell handmade bows for $2 to $4. They design both hairbows and bowties to appeal to both genders.

Sophomores craft accessories, donate part of profits to charity BY PRISCILLA PARK

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Junior Ryan Bui grinds his snowboard down a ramp. Since seventh grade, Bui has been regularly heading to the slopes in Lake Tahoe to compete in ‘rail jams,’ spending about 30 to 40 days a year snowboarding.

Many of us go out shopping for the perfect accessories. But Sophomores Monica La and Jennifer Tu approach the art differently by handcrafting their own accessories. Since Dec., La and Tu have been working together to make bowties for guys and have also made and sold hairbows for girls. La and Tu originally started making hairbows for girls, but decided to make bowties in order to make accessories that guys could wear as well, according to La. La and Tu buy different fabrics from Joann’s craft store to then make bowties from scratch, according to La. Together, La and Tu have sold over 300 bows, each of which takes around five to eight minutes to make, La said. "Currently, we have over 15 different designs and colors [of bowties]," La said. "One bow costs $4, but if people buy three or more bows, we charge $2 less off the total."

La and Tu advertise their bowties through a Facebook page, according to La. People are able to look through the designs and order the bowtie they want through Facebook, La said. "This month has been busier for me," La said. "People are buying more for prom season, and my friend from Saint Francis bought 33 [bowties] for Cultural Heritage." With generous thoughts, La and Tu use a portion of their profits to donate money towards different organizations such as The American Red Cross and Goodwill, according to La. Making bowties is an enjoyable hobby, according to La. The most enjoyable part of making bowties is seeing others wear the final product, La said. "My friends come up and tell me that they see others wearing my bows, which makes me feel accomplished and proud," La said. "Jennifer and I are experimenting to make new products in the future."

Bui shreds Lake Tahoe slopes on snowboard BY CINDY WU

Many of us like to play in the snow, and some of us probably even take a family trip up to Tahoe once a year in the winter. But for Junior Ryan Bui, snow trips are much more frequent, as he spends 30 to 40 days a year snowboarding. Bui snowboards with his parents and friends sometimes, but often makes the trip himself, taking a bus up to Lake Tahoe and back in one day. Bui has snowboarded in resorts all over Lake Tahoe and also in Southern California. “Boreal is my favorite resort,” Bui said. “It has the best park in Tahoe.” Bui has been dedicated to the sport since he was in seventh grade. “I was in Reno one day with

friends and it was really cold and we decided to snowboard,” Bui said. “I’ve stuck with it ever since.” Bui is greatly inspired by and looks up to Professional Snowboarder Todd Richards. “Todd Richards is a funny and chill snowboarder. He has great style when he rides, and his show AWSM on Alli is very entertaining,” Bui said. Though Bui enjoys snowboarding as a recreational sport, he occasionally competes in rail jams, which are competitions on one or two rails. “You try to do the best trick on it,” Bui said. “I really haven’t won a rail jam yet, just got best crash or top 5 at the Academy 5th Annual Camp Academy Jam.” Bui admits that there are drawbacks to such frequent snowboard-

ing. He mentioned the risk of injury or even death and “losing almost all your weekend time and missing out on random teenager things.” Frequent snowboarding also has an effect on his schoolwork. Since he is away for most of the weekend, Bui has to push homework back until late Sunday night, he said. Advantages to frequent snowboarding, however, include having fun with buddies or meeting new people on the mountain. “Snowboarding is really fun and there’s nothing else like it,” Bui admits. Bui uses the Academy Rhythm 151 Reverse Camber snowboard because “it’s the best board I’ve ever ridden that slays it all over the mountain from jibs to powder.”

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A carne asada beef taco is served with rice and beans in the MHS cafeteria. Optional sides include guacamole, sweet corn, and cilantro.

Lunches meet new standard BY ZOE MCCRACKEN

Students fundraise independently for Relay BY ANDREW VAN

Relay for Life is a popular event that clubs sign up to volunteer for. However, a group of friends, led by Seniors Kelly Torbet and Katherine Vuong, have participated in this event for three years outside of a club. Torbet said that she was tired of just setting up chairs at the event and wanted to actually do something to help Relay for Life, so she started to fundraise with a group of her friends without enlisting in a club. Their goal this year is to raise $2,000 by May 19, the day of their overnight Relay for Life run, according to Torbet. “It’s not hard,” Torbet said. “You just sign up and do it. There’s no

incentive, but you’re still doing a good thing.” One benefit of participating in a group instead of a club is that it is easier to manage, Torbet said. “[Club members] go, and they just goof off and have fun,” Torbet stated. “With just us, it is much more simple to manage.” Starting April 3, the group plans to sell baked goods such as peanut brittle and cake pops to raise money, according to Vuong. “We plan to sell a whole week for every two or three weeks with people switching each day,” Vuong said. “The money will go to the organization Relay for Life, which is fundraising money to fight against cancer.” Senior Cindy Ho is one of the

group’s new members this year. Although she has participated in Relay for Life previously, this is her first year raising money for the cause. “It’s just something I feel like I should be doing since I’ve been doing it ever since 7th grade,” Ho said. “I encourage everyone to go because it’s something everyone should experience.” Torbet also encourages more people to participate without a club. “Relay For Life is all about emotional hope,” Torbet said. “Relay for Life brings people together to share the same happiness and the same pain.” If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit: http://mainacsevents.org/goto/ zappyguns.

Throughout this year and last year, new items have been added to MHS’s cafeteria menu, said Head Kitchen Cook Penny Ryan. Students can expect even more food items to be offered over the course of the remaining 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school year, according to Ryan. Some of these changes are partially a response to new standards for California school cafeterias, Ryan said. These include the food requirements shifting from the food pyramid to a plate that divides food groups into fruits, grains, vegetables, proteins, and dairy. "We have to cut out some salt and fats [from our] foods," Ryan said. "Also, now that we use myplate.gov instead of the food pyramid, we need to lessen protein and increase whole grains. Students next year also must have at least one cup of leafy greens." Though the new standards begin

next year, cafeteria food has already been shifting towards healthy eating, Ryan said. These have been incorporated into the items over the past years. "You students are already eating healthily, and you don’t even know it yet," Ryan said. "We have been slowly integrating whole grains and vegetables into our food. Our pizza crusts, hamburger buns, and cornbread muffins are made from whole grains. We recently added a vegetable pizza. We have a head start." Some of the healthy dishes are the baked chicken dish and the salad dish, both of which are recent additions, Ryan said. More items are being added to the menu, according to Ryan. "At a Cisco food show, I tried and ordered some Carne Asada tacos," Ryan said. "We are also sampling a curry sauce and may start preparing Indian dishes."

THE UNION FEATURES APRIL 2012

Scouts of MHS find success BY MARISA LOUIE

Contrary to what many people may believe, the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America have a deeper meaning and purpose beyond satiating our cravings for cookies and popcorn. Both organizations strive to establish character in their troops through teaching life skills, according to the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts of America websites. Junior Annie Dao has been meeting with her troop once a week for the past nine years, she said. She developed strong friendships with the other girls in her troop and was eager to continue on. “Right when I joined, there was a group of friends who welcomed me in,” Dao said. “There’s no point in leaving [scouts] when you enjoy it. Everyone I’ve met through scouts has become family.” Through her years of being a girl scout, Dao has obtained the Bronze Award and the Silver Award, and is currently working on earning the highest honor of all, the Gold Award. In order to receive these awards, a girl scout has to plan and carry out a service project by a certain age, according to Dao. To get the Gold Award, Dao hopes to start a program to feed the homeless. Girl Scouts has helped her realize how even the smallest good deed can make a big difference in life. “There’s always little things you

can do to help society,” Dao said. “One of [the Girl Scouts’] main rules to follow is to pick up trash; it’s a little thing, but it helps a lot.” Senior Timothy Lequang has been a member of the Boy Scouts of America since 2005. He initially became a boy scout because he wanted to go camping and explore the wilderness, according to Lequang. Since then, Lequang has obtained the Eagle Scout Award—the highest award in boy scouting—by organizing and carrying out a landscaping project at his former school. Lequang has also reached the Silver Eagle Palm—the highest level of the Eagle Rank—and has been Scout of the Quarter four times and Scout of the Year once. The main goals of boy scouts are “to instill life-long values in boys to become socially active and involve individuals through community service, scout skills, and first aid,” Lequang said. In his troop, Lequang has the role of the Junior Assistant Scout Master, advising the leadership of the scouts. He enjoys his authority position because it allows him to give back to the younger scouts, according to Lequang. An important lesson that Lequang has learned through his years of scouting is to always “be prepared,” Lequang said. “Like on a camping trip, you should carry rain gear even when the forecast says it’s not going to rain.”

Officers detail life in A.S.B. BY LUIS DESCANZO

To most MHS students, A.S.B. works in mysterious ways. What is visible on campus are the products of their labor - for instance posters, noontime activities, and rallies - but many of the people who make these things possible remain hidden from public view. In the following series of interviews, several A.S.B. members reveal how the class functions and how it prepares for Spirit Week and the Trojan Olympics Rally. Biancka Dela Cruz Sophomore Class President Biancka Dela Cruz explains the A.S.B. committee system: “We have multiple committees going on at once. On average, everyone is part of two or three committees at a time. Our year-long committees are: Spirit, Student Store, Publicity, Intramurals, Noontimes, Fundraising/Community Service, Renaissance Breakfast, Student/ Staff Recognition, Rally, and CLOG. We also have short-term committees for larger events such as Homecoming, Jack Emery, Cultural Heritage, and Trojan Olympics. “Errands before school are usually to submit paperwork. Workdays are held after school; we work to prepare stuff for events when one class period isn’t enough. Usually, we paint posters or make decorations.” Patricia De Guzman Spirit Commissioner Patricia De Guzman discusses her role in preparing for Spirit Week: “Some of my duties are promoting and encouraging school spirit in

various ways. “During the summer, A.S.B. plans all the spirit theme days so it’s basically set for the whole year. All we have to worry about is advertising Spirit Week, which is also a job for the Publicity Committee. [One of my contributions] is to create an informational video explaining the theme days and sharing ways of how people can dress up for each Spirit Day. For other members of the Committee, I assign tasks like making posters, decorating Senior Nights, and brainstorming gimmicks that would encourage people to dress up.” Karen Granadosin Rally Commissioner Karen Granadosin explains how she and her partner, Amy Hoang, prepare for a rally: “[The Rally Committee] has six weeks to plan for a rally. The first week consists of thinking of the theme and decorations; once they are set, my partner Amy and I give tasks for the committee members. “Their tasks need to be done at a certain deadline. Here’s what needs to be done: a bell schedule, facility requests, a program for the rally, decorations, meetings with Butcher, meeting with participants, try-outs, script, choosing MCs, singers, and acts, printing permission slips, et cetera. “The day of rally, I come at 7 a.m. Amy and I order the committee on what to prepare for in the gym. We’ve got people who are in charge of lights, music, decorations, power points, projectors, and timing each rally. But Amy and I are the overall managers for the rally.”

DECA members qualify for internationals BY NATHAN NG

a �tness/wellness program for a �ctitious company.

DECA club participated in the State Career Development Conference from Feb. 22 to 26.

What is your favorite aspect of DECA? I enjoy interacting with people.

SENIOR LEANNA LEUNG, Co-president

What are your strengths when you compete? I am really personable and I am good at thinking on my feet.

What event did you place in to qualify for DECA internationals? LEUNG Human Resource Management

What are aspects that you could improve on? I could be more organized.

How does that event work? They give you a situation and you are supposed to play a role. I was given the role Director of Human Resources and I had to create a plan of action to implement

What are your plans for DECA next year? I am considering being an alumni member. Do you have any rituals or preparations that you do before a competition? I rid myself of toxins.

SOPHOMORE BRENDA SU, Member What event did you place in to qualify for DECA internationals? I placed second SU in Principles of Business Administration and Management at states. How does that event work? I had to take a hundred-question multiple choice exam worth a third of the score. I was also given a content interview, which involved roleplaying. What is your favorite aspect of DECA? Traveling and meeting new people.

Aimes takes over open bank clerk position BY ARTHUR TRAN

Whether it may be to pay AP testing fees or to make a deposit for a club, students go to and from the student bank for a variety of reasons. Little do people know, the student bank has gone through a few changes since the beginning of this year. The recently-hired banking clerk, Sherry Aimes, has been working at the student bank since Feb. 27. Along with Staff Member Yvonne Hunter, she helps run the bank and ensure that it functions smoothly, according to Aimes. Hunter does the deposits and

makes sure money actually goes into the bank. Aimes reconciles the accounts at the end of the month to make sure everything is accounted for and cuts the checks for student activities. “I’m still learning the ins and outs of the position,” Aimes said. “I hope we will have a very productive, streamlined bank running for the staff and students.” In addition, the time it takes for the money in the student bank to be deposited has been sped up. When money is deposited to the bank, it is stored in a vault until a designated person picks up the money and seals it in bags to be brought over

for deposit in an account outside of the school, according to Vice Principal Cheryl Rivera. This process is being carried out on a daily basis, preventing the money from sitting in the bank. There has been generally positive feedback on the current condition of the student bank from administrators. From the administrators interviewed, the general consensus is that the bank has been running more smoothly than ever before. “I know I’m happy,” Rivera said. “I think given the size of the school, [the student bank staff members] do an amazing job.”

THE UNION LIFESTYLE APRIL 2012

Search for jobs, internships during break BY LEANNA LEUNG

As the school year comes to an end and summer begins to make its inroads, it’s the optimal time to begin looking for something to fill the listless days of summer. Despite the economic downturn, job opportunities and internships for high school students are abound. The mall, where many retailers are hiring part-time workers, is a great way to begin a job search. Other options are tutoring centers and restaurants. On particularly busy days in popular restaurants, waiters can make as much as $120 solely in tips. The first step in the process to secure a job is to create a résumé. Résumés list accomplishments, experiences, and skills to allow employers to determine whether or not

the applicant is qualified for the job. Make sure to include a professional email on your résumé. Employers do not want to have to address an inappropriate email; it is a sign of immaturity. An important component of the résumé is prior work experience. However, many students do not have any prior work experience. Instead, you will want to make a “student profile” detailing your volunteer/community service experience, some academic as well as non-academic awards you have won, the clubs you have participated in, etc. Print out several résumés and visit businesses. Managers will most likely ask for a résumé, give you a form to complete, and call or email you sometime in the future

to schedule an interview. Interviews are not worth fretting over! Some retailers at the mall conduct group interviews in which several applicants meet with the employer simultaneously. Internships are also very helpful for those seeking to boost their résumé or college application. Paid internships are ideal, because they provide both a salary and good work experience. However, these are difficult to come around. Unpaid internships are much more easily found, such as at non-profit organizations. Various businesses might also offer unpaid internships, so get into contact with them as well. Finally, if you plan on working during the school year, make sure to secure a work permit with the school administration.

Summer volunteer activities abundant BY LORDESA FOK

Success! Learning Center Help tutor small groups of students (first grade to high school) in various subjects, such as history, Spanish, math, English, etc. Phone: (408)-263-9754 Address: 355 Dixon Road, Milpitas Website: www.cliveden.com City of Milpitas Volunteer with programs such as Adopt-A-Spot, Building Department, Clean-A-Park, Community Fire Aides, Finance Department, Graffiti Terminators and many more! Phone: (408)-586-3207 Website: www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov

Wisdom Chinese Culture and Education Organization Become a summer camp counselor for a week! Help middle school children adjust to camp life, complete arts and crafts projects, and participate in various other activities. Phone: (510)-252-9226 Address: 44599 S. Grimmer Blvd., Fremont Website: www.wceoprogram.org The Family Giving Tree Help with the August Back-toSchool-Drive by handling, sorting, checking the quality of, and distributing backpacks to low-income children. Also, you can help stamp and seal envelopes, organize materials, and prep for upcoming drives.

Simple-to-make crayon art BY ZOE MCCRACKEN

Still have crayons left over from childhood? If you do, then this DIY is perfect for getting rid of those unwanted crafts and turning them into a brilliant masterpiece. For those who got rid of their old crayons, go out and buy some! This project is so easy and fun, you can do it in no time. The best part about this simple project is that it can make even the most incompetent artist look like the next Van Gogh. You do not need even the slightest inkling of artistic talent; all you need are the following items: -A set of crayons -Blowdryer -Poster board or paper -Hot glue gun When it comes to the crayons, you can either choose to use a new

set or spare ones from around the house. Though new ones are nice in that there is a perfect ratio of colors to make a gaudy rainbow, they are not necessary. This art can use crayons of any condition and in any color combinations. If you want to combine obnoxious neon colors, then do so! I, however, cannot vouch for its aesthetic appeal; neon crayons are a substance that should not exist on this Earth. The amount of crayons to use varies with the size of the poster you want to make. Approximately 72 crayons are needed to create a significantly large poster. Be sure to also keep in mind that if you buy a new set of crayons and intend to create a rainbow, you will need to exclude the browns, greys, and blacks.

Phone: (408)-946-3111 Address: 606 Valley Way, Milpitas Website: www.familygivingtree.org Loaves and Fishes Help the needy in the Meal Program by setting up for, serving and preparing meals, as well as cleaning up. In the Grocery Program, volunteers set up and distribute grocery bags to families and put away food after the program. Phone: (408)-439-0915 Address: Eastside Neighborhood Center, 2150 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose; InnVision’s Montgomery Street Inn, 358 N. Montgomery Street, San Jose; St. Maria Goretti Kitchen, 2980 Senter Road, San Jose Website: www.loavesfishes.org

To begin the process, use the glue gun to glue down the crayons to the poster board. Here, I use a box of 24 spare crayons from around the house. You can leave the paper wrapping on the crayons if you only want the melted wax present. If you want the crayons to be part of the art, then glue them with their wrapping.

Once all of them have been glued, blow dry the crayons so that the wax melts. You can let the wind in the blow dryer be the force that moves the melted wax, or you can put the poster at an angle and let gravity do its job. This part of the procedure requires a lot of patience; the wax takes a while to reach the appropriate temperature.

Once the melted wax has come to a point you are happy with, then you are done! That is all there is to creating this spring masterpiece. If some crayons have become loose or fallen off, this is the perfect oppurtunity to glue them back on.

THE UNION SPREAD APRIL 2012

Plan out your prom night to ensur JUNIOR PROM WHERE Corinthian Grand Ballroom 196 North 3rd Street, San Jose WHEN April 20, 8 p .m. to 12 a.m. TICKET PRICE $50; $70 the day before DIRECTIONS The Corinthian Grand Ballroom is located in Downtown San Jose, a 15-minute drive from MHS. From Milpitas, take Interstate 880 south to San Jose. Exit at North 4th Street and continue south for two miles. Turn right onto East St. John Street. To access the main entrance to the Corinthians, turn right onto North 3rd Street. The entrance is located on the right, at the end of the block.

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NEAREST PARKING To access the nearest parking garage, continue along East St. John Street, and turn left on North 2nd Street. The entrance is located on the left side, near the end of the block. The evening rate is �ve dollars after 6 p.m. The Corinthians is about a �ve-minute walk along North 3rd Street.

SENIOR BALL WHERE Scottish Rite Center 1547 Lakeside Drive, Oakland WHEN May 12, 8 p .m. to 12 a.m. TICKET PRICE TBA DIRECTIONS The Oakland Scottish Rite Center is a 45-minute drive from MHS. From Milpitas, take Interstate 880 north to Oakland. Take the Oak Street exit and continue past 14th Street, where Oak Street becomes Lakeside Drive (a oneway street.) The front entrance of the Scottish Rite Center faces the shore of Lake Merritt.

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NEAREST PARKING To access the Center’s free parking lot, continue along Lakeside Drive and turn left onto Madison Street. The lot is located at 1558 Madison Street and accommodates up to 60 cars. If the lot is full, on-street parking is available along Madison Street. Although parking garages are located nearby, be aware that most of them close in the early evening.

Request that special someone to prom with originality

QUESTION OF BEST

BY GINNA LO

Round of Applause This is where you can go all out. There is no shame in singing or dancing your heart out to the girl or guy of your dreams. Rewrite bits of popular song lyrics to suit the circumstance. If singing is not your cup of tea, choreograph a dance with two other friends who are willing to help you court your love. The dorkier it is, the cuter it’ll be. Easter Treat Easter is around the corner and what better way to pop the question than with an Easter egg hunt? Simply gather your plastic eggs together and �ll them with sweet treats. You can either write P-R-O-M on the egg itself with a letter on each egg or hide a message in one of the numerous eggs, similar to the cupcake approach. Hide your eggs around the garden, lawn, or house and scavenge away.

Balloon Pop Balloons are a great way to ‘pop the question.’ First, write the letters P, R, O, and M on slips of paper and fold them as small as possible. Put the slips into balloons and convince your date to pop them!

Sweet Surprise Surprise your sweetheart with prom-themed cupcakes and an unexpected message inside. First, bake their favorite �avored cupcakes. Before adding icing, cut a moderately sized hole into the top of one cupcake and place your saran-wrapped message into the hole. Place the top back on and ice your cupcake. Be sure to remember which cupcake contains the message!

Break the Ice Freeze a large container of water in your freezer for at least a day with your name inside. Anonymously give your potential date the container with a note saying, “Will you go to prom with the name in the ice?” Not only will this approach cost you nothing, but it will drive your date crazy with anxiety!

Pizza My Heart If you’ve ever watched The Princess Diaries, you know pizza is the way to go. Call in for a standard pepperoni or sausage pizza at your local pizza place, and ask for a personalized order. Have them spell ‘prom’ with the toppings and have it delivered to your date’s house. If you don’t know his or her address, simply deliver it yourself with �owers in hand.

“My date got kidnapped and then when he came out of the van he had prom posters.” Senior Teresa Nguyen

“Best way: in person, obviously. I’d do it confidently.” Junior Sonny Banh

THE UNION SPREAD APRIL 2012

re great time Find classic dining options in San Jose 1 Pizza Bocca Lupo (0.3 mi away) 87 North San Pedro Street, San Jose until 10 p.m.; $10-30 per person An Italian restaurant that is well-known for its unique �atbread crust, Pizza Bocca Lupo is sure to be an inexpensive alternative for other mainstream pizza restaurants. The pizza is cooked in 1-2 minutes in a wood oven. 2 Little Chef Counter (0.3 mi away) 87 North San Pedro Street, San Jose until 10 p.m.; $15-30 per person Little Chef Counter is a new bistro that just opened in January. They offer a variety of foods that changes with season. The dishes ordered are prepared in front of you. Sandwiches, entrees, and salads are offered here. 3 Old Spaghetti Factory (0.8 mi away) 51 North San Pedro St, San Jose until 11 p.m.; $10-20 per person Old Spaghetti Factory offers traditional Italian dishes, such as pasta and meatloaf, for a decent price. Also, the Old Spaghetti Factory is a great place to reenact the scene from “Lady and the Tramp” with your date. 4 Bella Mia (0.4 mi away) 58 South First St, San Jose until 10 p.m; $20-30 per person Bella Mia is one of the ideal places to have a prom dinner! The place is formal and the food is decent, albeit somewhat expensive. Bella Mia offers more italian food for those a�cionados.

Popular stores offer a wide range of prom dresses BY KEWA JIANG

One of the biggest problems when trying to buy a prom dress is where to begin! There are countless of stores and online websites that offer a wide range of styles and colors to suit different budgets. But there are some stores that usually offer wider range of dresses that hopefully will satisfy anyone’s tastes. One such store is Macy’s, which offers dresses at practical prices. Macy’s prices range from $20 to some dresses over $100. They have both short dresses and long formal gowns, which is good news for both juniors and seniors looking for prom dresses. They also offer plus sizes to accommodate all body types. Another store that has a spectrum of prom dresses is Group USA. The selection of dresses at Group USA is more suited for students who have a larger budget to spend on dresses. The price ranges are at the high end, most dresses cost more than $50 and some can go up to about

$200. Last Call Neiman Marcus in the Great Mall also falls into the category of high prices, but the store has a large selection of long dresses like Group USA. BCBGMAXAZRIA is also a popular location to buy prom dresses. Many of the types of dresses sold here are more sophisticated. The store located in the Great Mall has more short dresses to choose from than long gowns. Also, the prices of the dresses are higher than Macy’s. Some other stores that usually don’t carry prom dresses specifically have dresses that might suit the occasion. For instance, Forever 21, H&M, Urban Outfitters, or ModCloth carry dresses for different occasions, and there might be some that will be suitable for prom. The price ranges for these stores are lower, and the styles of dress can be worn again for other events. A more inventive way of looking for a prom dress may be to go to boutiques or bridal stores. Some bridal stores have dresses for

bridesmaids that can look nice for prom, though these are usually far more expensive than actual prom dresses sold in other stores. Local boutiques will also carry more unique types of dresses that will add a twist to the usual fashion. Another option besides going into stores to pick out a dress is shopping online. There are countless websites devoted to selling prom dresses. For instance, the website New York Prom has a far greater selection of dresses than those in stores. Many of the dresses cost up to $700. On the other hand, Prom Girl has discounted dresses that still have very fashionable styles, yet costs are more economical, ranging from $50 to around $100. The choices are endless as to where to go to find the perfect prom dress. But when starting out, it’s important to keep in mind how much money you’re willing to spend because then you can begin to choose where to start looking.

Prom ‘12 trends span dresses, tuxedos, colors

Unique restaurants abound in Oakland 1 Telegraph (1.2 mi away) 2218 Telegraph Ave, Oakland until 10 p.m.; $10-20 per person Telegraph is a famous eatery that specializes in sausages. It also offers bagels, coffee, and beer. If you want to eat American food at an informal place right before prom, choose Telegraph.

BY LEANNA LEUNG

2 Green Papaya Deli (0.6 mi away) 1900 Franklin St, Oakland until 10 p.m.; $10-20 per person Specializing in Southeast Asian Food, Green Papaya Deli offers both Lao and Thai food. While the menu is limited, the restaurant offers delicious classic staples that will not disappoint. 3 Jong Ga House(1.0 mi away) 372 Grand Ave, Oakland until 11 p.m.; $10-15 per person A simple Korean restaurant, Jong Ga House is for those who like ample complimentary sides and an authentic, fresh Korean cuisine, or those who just have a taste for kimchi. 4 Enssaro (1.0 mi away) 366 Grand Ave, Oakland until 10 p.m.; $10-30 per person Enssaro is a restaurant that offers Ethiopian food, which is something new for a prom couple to try! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Yelp based on over 400 reviews, this is de�nitely a place to go for.

Prom season is in full throttle, and many are scrambling to catch up with this year’s unique trends. For females. high-low dresses (1), in which the front of the dress is reminiscent of a short dress, and the back, a maxi dress, are sure to make a substantial appearance on prom night. These dresses provide an image of formality with the benefit of more freedom, as opposed to the

“A scavenger hunt is pretty clever.” Senior Cody Huber

“Dress nice, [have] roses, get a lot of friends to help you out.” Junior Steve Dao

“Just by just simply being sweet and asking the one you want to go with in a cute way with flowers.” Junior Maecy Williams

“Something really meaningful that shows the relationship between the two people.” Senior Tiffany Do

traditional floor length dress. To aid your dress search, high-low dresses are also commonly referred to as “cascading” and “asymmetrical”. Pastels (2), which include colors like baby pink, mint, and lavender, are also trending. These soft tones add a sense of lightweightness. One-shoulder dresses (3), are making a comeback this year as well. These dresses are quite self-explanatory. The dress is supported by a

4 single strap that may span across the chest or simply ascend straight from the bust to the shoulder. Males unfortunately do not have as much as their female counterparts to experiment with. However, they can make a bold statement with non-traditionally colored tuxedos. For example, wearing a white suit (4) is sure to attract much attention, amidst a sea of black tuxedos on the dance floor.

Princess Project offers free dresses to girls; prom dresses must be picked in one hour BY REBECCA HUBENY

F THE MONTH: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE T WAY TO ASK SOMEONE TO PROM?

Dress up is one of a little girl’s favorite games to play. She can transform into a princess for a while, though, of course, her second choice is usually some sort of weapon-wielding character. High school has its own version of dress up: The Princess Project. The Princess Project was started by a group of women who noticed that there were some girls unable to afford gowns for events, such as prom, according to Vice Principal Cheryl Rivera. As a result, these women collected gowns from various sources to donate dresses to students. “They go to people who premier in movies and plays and different things like that,” Rivera said. “Everything was dry cleaned. Most of the stuff has been worn only once.” The Princess Project serves schools in the Santa Clara County, according to Rivera. Most students that sign up are juniors and seniors in high school, but some sophomores are able to participate as well, she said. MHS has been involved in The Princess Project for “probably five years,” Rivera stated. “A good three to four hundred girls have gotten dresses.” Students can sign up for The Prin-

cess Project with Rivera and only need to provide their names and ID numbers, according to Rivera. There is no income verification required, she said. “My feeling is that if you are coming and you’re saying ‘I need the dress,’ then I have no reason to believe otherwise. I don’t feel like I have the right to question that,” Rivera said. “If you’re saying that, I trust that you probably do, and given the times economically, there

“No one walks away with nothing.” �� are a lot of people whose parents are not working.” Once on the list, a student can go to the boutique on the designated day and choose a dress, Rivera stated. The boutique is conveniently located near a bus line, she continued. “They have dresses from size 0 to size 56,” Rivera said. “No one walks away with nothing.” In the store, there are women called “Fairy Godmothers” who help the girls find dresses to try on, according to Senior Victoria Yoon. In addition to the large selection of dresses, free accessories were avail-

able for the girls to take, she said. Yoon mentioned only one problem with the process. “There’s a time limit of only an hour which is really hard,” Yoon said. “Since there are so many dresses, there’s not really a lot of time for everyone to try as much as they want.” She continued, “I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to find my dress on time.” There is one helper assigned to each person, according to Senior Christine Nguyen. The dresses are categorized by dress and color, and either the helper or the student may walk around and select dresses to try on, Nguyen said. “You usually just tell the helper what you’re looking for, and they’ll just bring stuff in, or you’re allowed to go out yourself and just look around,” Nguyen stated. “They’re really great with giving you feedback.” Rivera stated that during both the senior and junior proms, girls have approached her and said, “This is the dress I got.” Rivera continued, “[The dresses] all look really nice to me.” Unfortunately, there is no Prince Project as of now. Hopefully, there will be a group of volunteers who decide to start the program. Not only the female students want to look good on prom night.

THE UNION LIFESTYLE APRIL 2012

Students sell handmade prom accessories

FASHION SPOTLIGHT

MHS students provide more affordable alternatives to corsages and boutonniéres.

DAVID CHEN Junior

BY GINNA LO

Prom is just around the corner, and it’s about that time to search for the perfect corsage and boutonniére. However, prom expenses are high enough as they are, and a simple flower shouldn’t cost you $45. Luckily, affordable alternatives are available. Handmade corsages and boutonniéres can be purchased from our very own MHS students. Junior Tatiana Almogela has begun selling corsages, boutonniéres, and garters amongst her friends and classmates as prom season approaches. After gathering customers’ orders, Almogela sends them off to her aunt, who owns a craft business called Just For You that specializes in handmade crafts for any occasion. The prices of Almogela’s prom accessories are set significantly lower than most corsages purchased online or at flower shops. “I’m selling corsages, boutonniéres, and garters for $10 each,” Almogela said. “To clarify, two of any item would be a total of $20.” Usually, student vendors tend to run out of stock quickly. But because of Almogela’s aunt’s business, she won’t have that problem. “The more [orders], the merrier,”

1. Glasses Ray Bans $150 2. Earrings Taiwan boutique $3

3. Dress shirt Taiwan boutique $35

4. Tie Foreign Exchange $25

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5. Sweater Macy’s $85

An example of one of the many different types of boutonniéres sold by students around school. They are beautiful and affordable for prom.

Almogela said. As Senior Ball comes around, demand increases again. Luckily, Senior Michael Nguyen provides his own set of corsages for his second high school prom. “This is my second year selling corsages,” Nguyen said. “I try to sell the corsages around school because my mom really enjoys making them, so I want to make her happy.” Nguyen’s corsage and boutonniére set is priced around $20 to $25, depending on the type of flower, Nguyen said. Couples can choose between a rose and an orchid. “I used to provide carnations too, but the price of flowers has risen a

lot in the past year,” Nguyen said. “Because of that, I can only sell about twenty sets this year.” Nevertheless, Nguyen’s mom arranges and designs each flower arrangement in a different way. Therefore, no two corsages will ever be the same, according to Nguyen. Purchasing corsages from students around campus can offer many benefits when shopping around for the right accessories. “It’s better to buy it from me or any other people at school because they’re great quality, just as good as other store [corsages], and they’re affordable for high school students,” Almogela said.

6. Watch 1960 Omega Seamaster $500

7. Backpack Herschel $75 8. Jeans Uniqlo $45

9. Shoes Sperry Topsiders $75

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Fashion Inspiration: “GQ Magazine.”

Lead found in many popular lipstick brands Levels of lead in lipsticks raise health concerns among consumer groups. BY HANNA TRAN

Four hundred lipsticks were found by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have trace amounts of lead, a Washington Post article stated. The article enumerated the top ten lipstick shades with the highest amounts of lead, including lipsticks produced by L’Oreal, NARS, and Covergirl. The FDA claimed that the levels of lead were not high enough to pose safety concerns, the article said. However, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a consumer group, said that the FDA has no scientific support for this claim. The group is rallying for government action.

“Lead builds in the body over time,” Co-chairman of the Environmental Health Task Force for the National Medical Association Mark Mitchell said in a published statement. “Lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels.” The FDA’s analysis revealed that some amounts of lead exceeded those of approved candy, according to an FDA article. However, the FDA claimed that the amounts remained within acceptable health limits for cosmetics. “It is not scientifically valid to equate the risk to consumers presented by lead levels in candy, a product intended for ingestion,” the FDA article stated. “Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested

only in very small quantities.” The issue of lead in lipsticks is not a new issue to the government, the Washington Post article stated. California upholds a law requiring businesses to notify customers of products containing chemicals posing health concerns. However, this law will not be triggered unless levels reach five parts per million. “In the FDA’s study, the overwhelming majority of the lipsticks fell below that threshold,” the article said. “But two exceeded it: Maybelline’s Pink Petal and L’Oreal’s Colour Riche Volcanic.” Often, there are no outward signs of lead poisoning, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency article. However, failing to treat lead poisoning can lead to long-term nerve damage and reproductive problems.

Han Do

Sophomore 1. Dress Kohl’s $8 2. Cardigan Charlotte Russe $5

3. Ring H&M $2

4. Tote bag H&M $17 5. Shoes H&M $30

4 3

Fashion Inspiration: “I read fashion blogs for street styles and also people around school. Try to be yourself!”

Sandwiches quick, nutritious lunch option BY PRISCILLA PARK

The lunch bell rings, and your stomach growls, asking you to fill it with some wholesome food. So what should you do? Pack your own nutritious meal at home! Whether it be the day before or the morning of school, set aside just five extra minutes to pack yourself this simple yet fulfilling meal. Not only will it satisfy your hunger, it will satisfy your consumption of at least one serving of each daily recommended food group . The recommended daily food choices include six to 11 servings of grains such as bread, three to five servings of the vegetable group, two to four servings of the fruit group, two to three servings of dairy such as milk, two to three servings of proteins such as meats and beans, and limited consumption of the fats, oils, and sweets group, according to the food guide pyramid on the National Agriculture Library website. For a tasty, nutritious meal, try packing the following foods for lunch:

-2 Romaine lettuce leaves -2 slices whole wheat bread Assembly: Place meat and cheese slices between two lettuce leaves, and place this stack in between two bread slices. Tightly wrap sandwich with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Turkey or Chicken Sandwich -2 (1 oz) slices turkey or chicken -1 slice of preferred cheese

Handful of almonds or walnuts “Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5

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Chicken sandwiches, crunchy almonds, and fresh fruits offer a healthy lunch that is convenient, easily prepared, and simply delectable.

ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fresh fruits Apples and banannas are convenient to pack, not to mention nutritious and tasty.

THE UNION ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2012

‘Community’ returns to NBC BY ARTHUR TRAN

NBC’s “Community” returned from a three-month-long hiatus on March 15 with its eleventh episode this season, titled “Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts.” This comeback has the same TV-SERIES eclectic cast and witty REVIEW humor that its fans know and love. But it is a bit on the serious side, as it contains a strong message about the true meaning of marriage. This episode focuses on the development of the character Shirley, a single mother of three and a devout Christian. Her ex-husband proposes to her for the second time in her life, and she happily accepts, as they have fallen in love again. However, she is urged on by her friend, Britta, to start a sandwich business while everyone else tries to help plan her wedding. Shirley finally gives in to Britta’s suggestion, but of course, not everything works out in the end. “Community” still retains its original humor in this return, but lacks its usual abundance of pop

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Man, played by Senior Terry Tsai, listens into an empty pitcher he placed on his wife’s head, who is played by Junior Diane Ho. This scene is from the Avante-Garde section, one of seven different plays parodied in Zap.

‘Zap’ performances ‘hilarious,’ electrifying BY BENJAMIN GARDNER

If at any point during this review you become bored, feel free to switch to another story before returning to this one. A similar concept was present in MHS Theatre’s production of “Zap,” a combination of seven seemingly unrelated plays parodying seven PLAY theater genres. The actREVIEW ing was superb, providing the audience with a host of laughter. In “Zap,” the zap sound heard at each transition elicited a response from the characters themselves, especially King Richard III, played by Senior Abraham Resngit, who responded with comical frustration whenever one of his grand mono-

logues was interrupted. Sharing the same set, the characters in one play often trigger an amusing string of events in another scene. As the cleverly orchestrated plays run together, the situations become more awkward for the characters and more amusing for the audience. With overwhelming action, Marsha, played by Senior Kelly Torbet, provides insight on what is happening. She skillfully captures her character, but her whiney monologues leave the audience wishing they could switch back to another play. “Zap” is filled with other strong performances, including those of Senior Terry Tsai, playing Man, and Junior Diane Ho, playing Woman. They give a convincingly stoic performance which is unnerving yet

hilarious. Some of the other plays are not so apt at capturing the audience’s enthusiastic attention, however. The endless instructions of Konstantin (Freshman Julian Watan) to Nikolai Volnikov (Sophomore Jared Pati) are drawn out for too long. Throughout “Zap,” corpses are a unifying component of the plays. As they all appear, “Zap” nears its finale, which leaves the meaning of the play open for interpretation. With so many storylines, it is easy to get lost searching for one, but the play is more satisfying when enjoyed simply as a comedy.

culture references. This episode simply cannot compare to the rest of the series and should have contained more inside jokes to amuse longtime viewers. I found myself frowning more than laughing, not because it is uninteresting or sad, but because I had expected it to be much more comical. The usual characters that bring comic relief also decided to act normally in preparation for the wedding, which does not help with laughs at all. Though the episode does end on a happy note, the depressing inner thoughts from the remaining cast members make this episode slightly dismal. Despite all of this, “Community” still impresses me with its highquality story and incredible acting from the cast. The episode is mixed with less comedy than usual, but it is still enjoyable. It just goes to show that even when serious themes are included, a comedy can still retain its brilliance. I look forward to watching the rest of Season 3 knowing that “Community” has not lost its touch over the long hiatus and continues to be one of the best comedies on television.

On the Web

Go to www.mhstheunion.net for an extended version of this article and additional images

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Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence,) volunteers for the 74th Hunger Games. Ef�e Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) congratulates Katniss.

ALBUM REVIEWS

‘Games’ whets hunger for more BY CARYN TRAN

THE HUNGER GAMES DIRECTOR: Gary Ross STARS: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth RELEASE DATE: March 23 RUNTIME: 142 min. MPAA RATING: PG-13 RATING (out of �ve stars):

 AMARYLLIS by Shinedown

ELECTRA HEART by Marina and the Diamonds

MDNA by Madonna

BY THAOCHAU PHAN

BY LEANNA LEUNG

BY REBECCA HUBENY

In one of its most mature albums to date, Shinedown deviates from the mainstream style of rock and delivers a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack over�owing with emotion and heart. “Amaryllis” proves that Shinedown is more than just your typical fast-paced, adrenaline-pumped rockers; it’s capable of creating sweeping, euphonious ballads and melodies as well. By far the most meaningful track in the album, “Bully” shows off Shinedown’s talent for crafting catchy, chillingly honest lyrics. Lead singer Brent Smith brings a powerful, raw vocal performance to the song that makes the song simply unforgettable. From an instrumental perspective, the album shows off several guitar riffs, solos, and quick drum beats that will please any die-hard rocker. The buildup of the drums and lightning-fast riffs in “For My Sake,” for instance, blend seamlessly with the vocals, echoing their aggressive nature. The closing track, “Through the Ghost,” is the perfect end to “Amaryllis.” Its sweet, melli�uous melody concludes this hard-hitting album in a grand, touching �nale that will surely resonate with all listeners.

After a chart-topping debut, Welsh indie pop singer, Marina Diamonds, returns with her sophomore album, “Electra Heart,” which is set to be released at the end of the month. The album features Marina Diamonds’s characteristic quirky lyrics and strong bass vocals. “Electra Heart” is a name given to Marina’s alter ego. The songs on the album depict every girl’s sassy and rebellious inner self as well; for example, the lyrics of “Primadonna” consist of: “I know I got a big ego / I don’t know why it’s a big deal though.” Brilliant and witty song titles like “Teen Idle” and “Bubblegum Bitch” reaf�rm Marina and the Diamond’s reputation as the most amusing indie pop queen. Marina’s distinct sound is electrifying and makes listeners want to sing along to her catchy songs. At times shrill, other times deep and resonating, Marina’s wide vocal range is sure to satisfy audiences of all genres. Judging from the songs already released, “Electra Heart” collectively tops her previous album and EPs in terms of catchiness and beat. The album’s of�cial release is set for April 30.

Madonna, now 53 years old and still one of the top pop musicians, recently released her twelfth studio album, “MDNA.” While the album is not an amazing comeback, it is decent for the singer’s �rst album in four years. A wide variety of styles is incorporated throughout the track list. “Some Girls,” the fourth track in the album, is a fast-paced song about how much better the woman in the song is than other girls. It is clearly not meant to be lyrically analyzed, but is de�nitely easy to dance to. The energizing beat nearly makes up for the shallow and self-centered lyrics. On the other end of the spectrum, the ballad “Falling Free” is an enamoring rendition of a woman whose heart is set “free” from a man who has found another woman. The melody, gently lulling, perfectly melds with Madonna’s voice. The ethereal quality of the song is further enhanced by the violin, harp, and bass. This album contains both admirable and unsatisfactory songs, but it is overall respectable. I recommend it with the reservation that there are a few songs not up to par with the great music.

Recommended

“The Hunger Games” induced great anticipation leading up to its release. Over 100 fans sat in the theater dressed up in full Hunger Games regalia waiting at 8 p.m. for the midnight premiere. My take on the movie? It is awesome. Having read the series, I was skeptical of the movie being better than the book. Although it isn’t, the movie adaptation is comparable to the book-to-screen adaptations of the “Harry Potter” series in satisfaction. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as Katniss was the best part of the movie. Although she didn’t really fit the descriptions of Katniss in the book, Lawrence played the role with emotional depth. I was really glad that they kept Katniss “rough” and didn’t “beautify” her character. The second best performance in the movie would have to go to Elizabeth Banks, who plays Effie Trinket. Even though her scenes are short, Banks brings comedic relief to the somber story line. Josh Hutcherson, who plays opposite of Lawrence as Peeta Mellark, also did a fairly good job. Although some of his line deliveries were a little awkward, Hutcherson

captured Peeta’s innocent nature. My biggest complaint for Hutcherson’s casting would be the fact that he is shorter than Lawrence. Director Gary Ross filmed many of the scenes using hand-held camera techniques, giving the movie a touch of authenticity. Since much of the movie is about survival and fighting in the wilderness, the shakiness provided by his camera technique puts the viewer in more of a first-person perspective. This technique also plays a large part in keeping the movie PG-13 while staying true to the blood and gore required by the book. The quick shots and shaky camera movement make the action scenes both brutal and watchable. The CGIs, however, could have been improved. I would’ve given a 4.5/5 if it weren’t for the horrible special effects. The chariot scene with Katniss and Peeta aflame was downright corny with the fake CGIs. I outwardly cringed at that scene. Suzanne Collins, author of “The Hunger Games” novel, was a part of the script writing process, so the movie was very true to the book. The one important aspect not adapted into the movie was Katniss’s thought process in defying the Capitol. Readers of the book who watched the movie could fill in the blanks, but those who hadn’t read the books can’t see the depth of Katniss’ thoughts. “The Hunger Games” exceeded my expectations. The acting, cinematography, and script is exceptional, and the overall experience is so satisfying that I watched it twice.

On the Web

Go to www.mhstheunion.net for an extended version of this article

THE UNION ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2012

‘House’ comes to an end with eighth season BY LAURA COSGROVE

The producers of “House,” a medical drama named for a drugaddicted, Holmes-esque doctor, announced in February that the eighth season will be its last. In their public statement, the producers wrote that their decision comes in part because they never envisioned Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) to be “the last one to leave TV-SERIES the party.” REVIEW “House” still possesses quite a bit of the appeal it had in its heyday, but the writers seem to be suffering from the same phenomenon that addles Vicodin-addict Dr. House: they have to work increasingly harder to achieve the same high. Most of the series’ appeal came from House’s mystery and hidden vulnerabilities, but his character has been dissected to the point that his actions really are not that surprising anymore. As the audience has seen House through rehab and relationships, many have grown tired of wondering if everyone’s favorite misanthrope will ever heal himself. Once he seemed to succeed—kicking the Vicodin habit and getting into a healthy relationship (more or less) with Boss Lisa Cuddy—two things happened: first, the show became boring because the battle was won; second and consequently, he falls off the wagon because the show stagnates with a healthy House. Though the series has dragged in its age, it still produces quite a few gems. Lately, the best episodes were the ones that deviated from cut-and-dried medical mystery plus a House revelation, multiplied by witticisms and character drama; the season-opener of House’s time

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Pho Dac Biet, from YoPho, is a specialty dish that consists of multiple cuts of meat. It combines tripe, brisket, tendon, and thin slices of beef.

Pho Kim Long ‘place to go’ BY ANDREW VAN AND LEANN WOO

Driving around Milpitas, one can easily see that there is no lack of Vietnamese pho restaurants. Our mission was to find the DINING best ones based on three criteria: atmosphere, REVIEW service, and taste. Pho Nam at 41 Serra Way offered great-tasting pho and quick service. The restaurant looked like a typical Asian restaurant with tiled flooring, potted plants, etc. The quality of food was somewhat questionable as we received the food about three minutes after we ordered, making us wonder if everything was already pre-made and not fresh. Compared to the noodles that were somewhat too soft and chewy, the meat was melt-in-your-mouth. Overall, the pho was decent. Wary of negative reviews from friends, we reluctantly decided to go to YoPho at 242 Serra Way. Surprisingly, we actually enjoyed the pho.

‰

YoPho’s big screen TVs and colored walls created a sophisticated, modern atmosphere. YoPho’s service was also fairly standard; we had to ask several times to get a small bowl. We enjoyed the meat, which was appetizing and lean, and the beef broth was quite flavorful. Yogurt and pho might not be the right match, but you should definitely give YoPho a try. Our winner, however, is Pho Kim Long at 2082 North Capitol Avenue. Be warned: expect some slow service and a bustling atmosphere during the crowded weekends. Nevertheless, this restaurant has the best pho, with its perfectly tender noodles and fresh, savory meat. The broth, however, was a bit bland for our liking. If you’re willing to drive a little farther for some quality pho, Pho Kim Long is the place to go. And so, with your stomachs full of noodles and Siracha, enjoy this Vietnamese staple. There are many other restaurants than those listed here, so explore Milpitas and find your personal favorite pho!

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Dr. House, played by Hugh Laurie, stars in the series “House.” For eight seasons, the show has been with House through addiction and rehab.

in prison was acclaimed for its originality. Also, the development of Dr. Chi Park’s (Charlyne Yi) character has been both fresh and hilarious. But in other ways, “House” is floundering. Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), a cast member of the series since its creation, is at his least likable. The recent Chasefocused episode seemed unrealistic

and failed to evoke empathy. And although Park was a good choice for a cast addition, Dr. Jessica Adams (Odette Annable) has little personality to speak of. Despite the series’ sustained success with viewers, the producers made the right choice abandoning the project. “House” hit a high point early.

THE UNION ADVERTISEMENT APRIL 2012

THE UNION SPORTS APRIL 2012

Softball implements video technology BY THANH TRAN

The Varsity Girls Softball team is confident about their upcoming season, according to Head Coach Deirdre Wyness. The team’s league record is 3-1, and their overall record is 7-8, Wyness said. This is Wyness’ first time coaching softball since the 2006 season, she said. Their goal is to win league and qualify for CCS, Wyness said. “I am 100% confident that we can take league and make it to CCS,” Wyness said. “Right now our team is working on improving hitting. That’s our main focus.” There has been little change for the team this year, losing only two seniors last year, according to Wyness. Recently, the team has been using video technology as a tool to improve, Wyness said.

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Junior Geary Cao grins as he hits the ball with his Babolat tennis racket. The team has “a lot of fast learners,” according to Coach Bill Conley.

Boys tennis season rough with overall record of 4-8 BY TERRY TSAI

The MHS Boys’ Tennis Team is not having a very strong season. The team currently stands with a league record of 3-5, and an overall record of 4-8, according to MHS Tennis Coach Bill Conley. Varsity Tennis Players Vince Ly and Allan Tang have stepped up as team captains this year. Both of them are new to the role, according to Conley. Los Gatos plays in the same league as MHS this year, according to Conley. In terms of strengths, the doubles teams have made gains this year and Sophomore Harrison Tran is the leading singles number one. Definitely all of the returning players have come back and are playing well, Conley said. “I think [we’ve] got some guys that are really hitting well,” Conley said. “We’re a young team. We’ve got some players developed in the off-season, particularly players like Harrison Tran, Thanh Tran. I’ve seen good things out of Brandon Phan, Allan Tang, stepping up and

making progress over the year, including some other players.” When it comes to weaknesses, the tennis team has a number of players that are newer to tennis—players that have been playing tennis for only the last couple of years. “I’d say we have a lot of fast learners on our team that have stepped up and really committed themselves in to learning tennis over the last year, but inexperience really is something that is hard to overcome and is apparent,” Bill Conley said. “If it wasn’t for the outstanding strength of our competition, I think that we would dominate most leagues that are in California.” Goals for this season include having each player develop their strengths and engage in more competitions, Conley said. There are a lot of players with different skill levels, different hitting styles and different strengths, Conley said. “I want to see people grow as athletes and be better sportsmen and be stronger leaders individually,” Conley said. “That’s really what tennis takes.”

“We just started videotaping the girls so they can see where they need to improve,” Wyness said. “It’s a tool to help them.” Defensively, Senior Jackie Castro has stepped up and made some outstanding plays, Wyness said. On offense, their starting pitcher has been consistent as well, according to Wyness. “[The girls] pick each other up when one is struggling, like to have fun,” Wyness said. “The girls are open to our suggestions, to improve.” Junior Sandy Olivera hopes for the team to make CCS Olivera said. Olivera feels that the video technology is a useful device, she said. “It’s like a sisterhood, bonding, being like a family,” Olivera said. “[The video lets us] see how we hit and our pitchers are doing.”

The team has been working on their hitting during practice, Olivera said. The team is coming together, according to Olivera. “[Video technology] does a lot,” Olivera said. “[We can] break down and actually see what we’re doing.” The team has strong hitters and fielders, according to Senior Kianna Ezell. Ezell is confident about the rest of the season, she said. “We have strong players,” Ezell said. “[One weakness is] losing faith towards the end.” Senior Idalia Campos said that the team’s strength is that the players bond well. A weakness is that the players stop believing at the end of games, according to Campos. “[I hope to] end my senior year on a good note with a good team,” Campos said. “I’m going to miss the team.”

Badminton team works on improving skills BY THANH TRAN

The Badminton team started off their season with a league record of 0-2, according to Head Coach Jonathan Huynh. Huynh hopes that the team will improve on their slow start, he said. The team’s strengths are in their doubles and mixed doubles team, according to Huynh. A weakness of the team is the strength of their girl singles, Huynh said. “As a team, [they are working] on being more consistent on their shots,” Huynh said. “Overall as a team, I hope they can do as much as they can.” During practice, the players are given a specific task to work on, according to Huynh. The players who work on their game outside of practice are the team’s stronger players, Huynh said. “[One task] is to keep the birdie on court as much as possible,” Huynh said. “Practice is divided by events

so I can focus on each event every day.” Huynh hopes that some of his players will do well for finals and CCS, he said. Overall, this year is a strong team, according to Huynh. “This year’s team is really lovable,” Huynh said. “My kids are strong. They give a lot of heart.” Senior Peter Yam hopes that the team finishes their season with a split half-win and half-loss record, he said. The team had a poor season last year, according to Yam. “Most people are working on where to place our shots and understand the game better,” Yam said. “Practices are somewhat fun and somewhat brutal.” Senior Vinh Do hopes that he can make it to CCS and for the team to continue improving, he said. During practices, the team is doing drills and playing games to improve, according to Do. “We’re hoping to keep our record as high as possible. We’re off to a bad

start,” Do said. “It might be hard. We’re going to work for it.” Senior Sharon Ho is working on her footwork, skill and stamina to perform better during her singles matches, Ho said. Her weaknesses are her defensive skills, while she is strong at smashing and making the opponent run, according to Ho. “The teams’ strength is that the varsity players are all well-trained and know how to improve their skills,” Ho said. “The team obviously lost many excellent players after the seniors graduated, but I don’t believe that our team is suffering.” Currently, the badminton team alternates practices, according to Ho. Mixed doubles and singles play on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while doubles play on Mondays and Wednesdays, Ho said. “Personally, I prefer practices to be everyday, two hours each day,” Ho said. “Right now the practices alternate days and are four hours long.”

Golf swings toward success, needs to be more confident BY BENJAMIN GARDNER

Members of MHS Varsity Golf are enjoying an 8-2 start to their season, according to Senior Jason Kuo. Despite losing their No. 2 player last year, the team has improved across the board, leading to their early success, Kuo said. MHS beat Wilcox on March 29, winning by a score of 218-256, according to Golf Coach Nathan Dixon. Clutch performances by certain players on the team played roles in contributing to the team’s success, Dixon said. “When one guy has a bad day, it seems like someone else steps up and scores really well,” Dixon said. “Golf is usually an individual sport, but this year we have come together as a team. It’s a team score that counts in our matches.” Success in the early going has given the team a good chance to make it to the CCS playoffs, Senior Aaron Ceuppens said. The overall competition in the division has not been particularly difficult, according to Ceuppens. “We have only lost one game so far, Ceuppens said. “The only threats to us are Los Gatos and Saratoga. Every other team has been close, but

they haven’t been able to top us.” The team must maintain focus and continue to improve their games if they want to make it to the playoffs, Dixon said. Players need to work on the mental side of the game in order to maximize their success this year, Dixon said. “I think we have a good chance of making it to CCS as long as the guys continue to practice and stay positive about their swings,” according to Dixon. “One of the issues we have had with this team is confidence. The guys have to be confident that they can win matches and that they can play to their potential,” Dixon added. Practices are held off-campus at Summitpointe Golf Course, according to Ceuppens. It is important to focus on whichever facet of your game that needs the most improvement, Ceuppens said. “There are basically two things you have to focus on: hitting the actual shots and your short game, putting and chipping,” Ceuppens explained. “On any given range day, you rotate in between. You chip some shots and putt some shots, and then you move on to the range to hit some longer shots.”

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Junior Carlos Trejo swims butter�y during afterschool practice at the MHS swimming pool. The Boys’ Varsity Team currently has a league record of 3-1, while the Varsity Girls’ Team has a league record of 0-4.

Swimmers kick off to an encouraging season BY ANNA TRI

The MHS swimming season has started as of Feb. 1, according to Varsity Swimming Coach Rocky Pagan. The season has been pretty good so far, Pagan said. The swim team has had only two big meets so far: one against Los Altos High School and one against Fremont High School, according to Pagan. All four squads, the Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Team, JV Boys’ and Girls’ Team, have recently lost against Los Altos, she said. During the meet against Fremont, both boys’ teams won while the girls’ teams lost, Pagan commented. The girls have a significantly smaller team this year, Pagan said. However, team members are doing quite well, Pagan said. Notable female swimmers include Team

Captains Junior Ana Peccin and Senior Amy Tran, Pagan said. Sophomore Miranda Le and Freshman Vivi Nguyen also have “very good swims”, Pagan commented. The Varsity Boys’ Swim Team is the biggest it has been in six years, according to Pagan. The team consists of 26 boys, headed by Team Captains Junior Eric Tao and Senior Kevin Vuong. Both the JV and Varsity Boys’ Swim Teams have a score of 1-1, and both JV and Varsity Girls’ Swim Teams have 0-2 so far, according to Pagan. Vuong said the team has fast freshman this year. According to Vuong, Freshman Tan Nguyen is already qualified for CCS. “I believe that this year we have very good potential in placing in league finals,” Vuong said. “I see more people this year that are going

to make CCS cuts.” Swim practices have been good so far, Pagan said. The swim team has been working very hard, according to Pagan. All the swimmers have their own individual goals,” Pagan said. “For me, my goal is to always do better than last year.” According to Pagan, he wants to try to beat the teams that the MHS teams have never won against before, such as Los Altos High School’s. His ambition is to improve the team with each new year, he said. Most of the seniors have swum all four years, Pagan said. They pass along advice and leadership, Pagan commented. Vuong advised to whoever wants to join swimming to always finish sets and practice. Swimmers should work hard, he said.

THE UNION SPORTS APRIL 2012

Varsity baseball team remains persistent BY REBECCA HUBENY AND MARISA LOUIE

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Sophomore Roberto Zeng smashes the birdie during a friendly game. He is aiming to place at the 2012 Junior International Olympic Trials.

Zeng commits to badminton, competes on national level BY NATHAN NG

Sophomore Roberto Zeng’s involvement in badminton is largely unknown. Little do people know that Zeng was once the top ranked doubles player nationally in his age group. For two hours a day, five days a week, Zeng trains at United Badminton Club in Fremont, he said. He first started competitive badminton about four to five years ago because he wanted to play with his friend, Zeng added. “I wanted to try to be successful at something,” Zeng said. “At first I joined badminton to play with my friend, [George Fang]. After he injured himself he couldn’t play anymore, so I tried getting serious.” In regards to competition, Zeng’s most notable feats include his participation in the 2010 and 2011 Junior Nationals, Zeng said. Despite winning boys’ doubles for his age group, age 15 and under, he fell short during last year’s 2011 Junior Nationals, according to Zeng. “In the 2010 Junior Nationals ,I won first place in boys’ doubles

with my partner, Ryan Liu,” Zeng said. “Last year I did not place at the tournament. But this year I am aiming to place first in everything: doubles, singles, and mixed.” Currently, Zeng is focusing on preparing for the 2012 Junior International Olympic trials, he said. Winning it would allow Zeng to represent USA in international badminton competition, Zeng added. “My long term goal is play on the USA team and win a medal at the Olympics,” Zeng said. “But I don’t really know how I am going to do that yet.” Zeng trains under retired former singles champion, Coach Liu Xiaomu. His commitment to competitive badminton can sometimes be very exhausting and overwhelming, especially when school is involved, Zeng added. “It becomes difficult when I have to miss school and when my coach pushes [my team and me] really hard, weeks before a tournament,” Zeng said. “I keep going because I am not alone. I endure it with all my friends there, which makes it easier.”

Despite a slow start, there are high hopes for the MHS Varsity Baseball team this season, according to Baseball Coach Jesus Zamudio. Currently, the team’s league record is 4-4, and overall, they are, including the preseason, 5-8-1, Zamudio said. The team needs to pick up its game, according to Zamudio. It is still early in the season, and there is time for improvement. However, the score as of now is not indicative of the team’s abilities, he said. With more practice and commitment, Zamudio expects them to have a good record by the end of the year. “We scheduled a tough nonleague season,” Zamudio said. “It explains the losses, but hopefully those tough non-league games will help propel us.” New varsity players this season include two members from the Frosh/Soph team and a senior, according to Zamudio. They are replacing members of the team who graduated last year. These new additions are expected to “bring big things” to the game, he added. “Hopefully, we can make the playoffs for the third straight year,” Zamudio stated. “Hopefully, we’ll win a championship for the first time in 12 years.” A weakness that the team needs to work on is its offense. In addition, each member must step up his mental game, according to Zamudio. On the other hand, the team is strong in its defense and speed, he said. “Speed and defense are key, and hopefully, as the season goes on, we start peaking at the right time,” Zamudio said. “It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon.” Senior Timothy Macaulay said

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Senior Raymond Fuentes �res towards the plate in a March 22 home game against Cupertino. The Trojans were defeated by a score of 4-5.

that another of the team’s strengths is pitching. Macaulay has been on varsity for two years and plays the position of left fielder. However, he believes that in order to become more competitive, the team needs to work on its batting. “We hit the ball, but it’s always right to [the other team], and we make outs,” Macaulay said. “We need to hit with more authority.” Recently, the team hosted the annual Michael de Jesus baseball tournament, named in honor of former player Michael de Jesus, who was slain in 2005. The team came in third place, winning one game, losing one, and tying another. The championship game was won by Carlmont Scots High School baseball team, according to Zamudio. Still, some members of

the MHS team found the tournament beneficial. “[The tournament] is a good experience because you get the chance to play in a game before the actual season,” Macaulay said. “It’s also nice to play teams from other leagues.” The team works well together, according to Zamudio. Although Zamudio expects that the team will be able to make it to the Central Coast Section playoffs, he stressed that the sport is more important as a tool for building character in students. “At the end of the day, it’s not about winning the game,” Zamudio said. “It’s about making our student athletes better human beings, and we’ve been fortunate enough to win games and lose games.”

Basketball player ‘Linspires’ BY YING LUO

The name “Jeremy Lin” by now has spread and made its way into every Asian-American family’s household. Seeming to appear out of nowhere, New York Knicks Point Guard Jeremy Lin garnered international attention with large fan bases around the world. Dubbed by the Associated Press as the “most surprising story in the NBA,” Lin literally became a basketball star overnight after leading the New York Knicks, out of its previous losing streaks. Since then, puns have sprouted from “Linning” and “Lincredible” to the most well-known of all, “Linsanity.” His sudden acclaim to fame may seem like a “Linderella” story at first. The truth is, however, that Jeremy Lin struggled to earn his way to the top as a graduate from the local Palo Alto High School and prestigious Harvard University. Despite Lin’s newfound success, racial tensions still lie brewing underneath. As the TaiwaneseAmerican anomaly playing in an African-American- and Caucasiandominant league, Lin was at the end of many racially insensitive comments, from ESPN’s headline “Chink in the Armor” to Fox Sports

Writer Jason Whitlock’s inappropriate tweet. America is simply not yet accustomed to seeing Asian-Americans playing in the professional basketball league, and consequently does not quite know how to react to this situation. Asian-Americans have always been underrepresented culturally and politically throughout the nation, despite the Bay Area’s large Asian population. Lin is able to reveal stereotypes deep-seated into American culture because his fan base has grown so large. Any unwarranted, racist remarks targeted at him elicit indignant reactions from fans. The irony of it all lies in that Lin accomplishes this by reaffirming Asian stereotypes rather than shattering them: he graduated high school with a GPA of 4.2 and earned an economics degree from Harvard. Nonetheless, he has the potential to emerge as not only a basketball star but also a cultural figure as well. While “Linsanity” has begun to cool down, we can definitely expect more from the twenty-three year old in future years. On March 24, Lin suffered a torn meniscus and must undergo surgery. The “Linjury” is expected to keep him out for six weeks.

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MHS long distance runners lead the pack in a March 15 meet against Saratoga at MHS. Senior Bryan Lucero, Junior Ryan Tan, and Sophomore Connor Prior pack run, with Junior Angelo Bazon following close behind.

Track and field adjusts well to new season BY CINDY WU

The MHS Track and Field season begun on Jan. 30, and the team has already participated in four meets, according to Head Coach Bridget Hall. The team had a successful win in all divisions during their first home meet against Saratoga High School on March 15, Hall said. JV girls scored 83-43, Varsity girls 73-53, and Frosh/Soph boys 76-51 at their first meet. The Varsity boys and girls currently both have League records of 1-3, Frosh/Soph boys 1-3, and JV girls 2-2. “Running a home meet is really stressful,” Hall said. “Overall, the meet went pretty smoothly, and I was very pleased; the kids put in a great effort, and it went fantastic.” The team is dealing with many transitions this year with the addition of new coaches, according to Hall. It can be difficult for both the athletes and the coaches, Hall said. “There are nine coaches this year,

and normally we have a staff of four to five [coaches], but I have two volunteers this year,” Hall said. “Many are also job-sharing, so I have more than one coach for some events.” As for the athletes, Hall said that there are not as many underclassmen this year. The team also has fewer seniors, according to Hall. “Last year we had a really strong Frosh/Soph team, but we don’t have as many freshmen and sophomores this year,” Hall said. “There’s also not as much senior leadership.” Hall said she feels like this will be a great season and sees potential in many of the athletes, including Long Distance Runner Yohaness Estifanos, the Varsity Girls’ 4x100 Team, and Hurdler Nicholas Doan. “I have a goal for Yohaness, that’s to run under nine minutes for the 3200,” Hall said. “That’s his goal also, and he also has a goal of making it to the State meet.” Estifanos, who placed fourth in last year’s CCS boys’ 3200, is the

fastest long distance runner on the MHS team. On March 11, he and Connor Prior competed in the 3200 event at the K-Bell Invitational. “I ran 9:22 and placed second,” Estifanos said. “It’s still early in the season, and I just wanted to see how fast I could run.” Junior Tri Hoang competes in the long jump and triple jump events. He said the jumper group has been receiving a lot of help and has lots of potential this year. “We always switch coaches every year, so that’s not very good, but we have a good coach this year,” Hoang said. “Also a lot of the seniors and alumni give us lots of advice.” Freshman Zachary Barnes is new on the team, and joined to stay in shape after Cross Country season. Barnes is on the Frosh/Soph team, and his events include the 800 (halfmile), mile, discus, and 4x400. “My goal this season is to hopefully hit 5:10 for the mile,” Barnes said. “That’s my main event.”

THE UNION SPORTS APRIL 2012

Former student returns as assistant coach BY BRIAN KHAU

Larry Chan is MHS Badminton’s new assistant coach for Varsity. Chan is an alumni who graduated last year and has participated in badminton for all four of his high school years. He placed fourth place at CCS in CHAN Boys’ Doubles for senior year. According to Chan, he decided to become coach because he enjoyed being able to help out former teammates and wanted to hang out for another year. Chan also said that forming closer relationships was his biggest motivation.

“It’s a great feeling when you watch someone grow partly due to the efforts you put in,” Chan said. “Overall, my favorite experiences are watching people get better, and watching players incorporate what they learn in practice into games.” His worst experiences are when “people panic during tense games and forget everything they learned, ending up suffering a demoralizing loss, that definitely is not good.” Chan knows how to play, and what to teach, Varsity Badminton Player Eunice Magat said. Magat has also been playing badminton for four years, she said. “I guess he’s irresponsible sometimes, but I only say that because we’re so tired and grouchy after conditioning,” Magat said. “If anything, he does know how to teach, and he’s

good at drilling people.” Chan is a good coach in general, Varsity Badminton Player Louis Tsai said. The fact that he was a former player is a factor, Tsai said. “He was once a player like us, so he knows what we’re thinking and what goes on in our minds,” Tsai said. “That’s what makes him a good coach.” Head Coach Jon Bryant Huynh also said that Chan is a rookie at coaching. While saying that Chan has a few negative qualities, he said that these are mainly due to Chan’s inexperience. “He’s learning and teaching at the same time, and he actually a decent coach,” Huynh said. “He’s really consistent, though. I’m sure he’ll get better after this year. He’ll know between right and wrong.”

Intramural Monopoly tests mental strength BY ANDREW VAN

Intramural sports have long been a test of students’ physical aptitude and abilities. Because Monopoly is a safe game that everyone knows from his or her childhood, A.S.B. decided to offer Monopoly as an intramural sport because it requires a different type of skill than athletics, according to A.S.B. Joanna Butcher. Junior Mikaela Castro, the intramural committee head for this semester, said that the purpose of Intramural Monopoly, which started on March 20, is for everyone to be able to sign-up and have fun. Because the theme of the Trojan Olympics rally is “Board Games,” A.S.B. originally wanted to include Monopoly in the rally in some way,

according to Castro. However, since Intramural Monopoly ends the last week of April, which is after Trojan Olympics, A.S.B. will not incorporate it, Castro said. “Because our upcoming rally theme is ‘Board Games,’ we just wanted to incorporate board games,” Castro said. “I just wanted something new, something people could try,” she added. Students who signed-up for Intramural Monopoly go to the library every Tuesday at lunch to play, and there are currently four players at each of the three Monopoly boards that are available. A.S.B. advertised the intramural by making posters and walking around campus to ask students to join, Castro said. She said that Monopoly will pro-

mote student interaction because students will play with different people. “Each board will have students from different grade levels,” Castro explained. “They will have to play each other, promoting bonding.” Freshman Neal Bansal joined Intramural Monopoly because he loves the business aspect of the game. He also enjoys how his opponents are not as worried about winning the game as about having fun. “[Monopoly] tests your mental strength rather than physical strength,” Bansal said. When asked about what could be improved with Intramural Monopoly, Bansal said that there “is not enough time” and that “they need more days to actually get something done.”

FEATURED ATHLETE

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Harrison Tran Sophomore Varsity Boys’ Tennis

What position do you play? Singles one.

What do you do in your free time? Just play tennis.

How long have you been playing tennis? I have been playing about two and a half years.

What is your favorite color? White.

How did you get into the sport? I always used to watch other people play tennis at the park or on television.

If you could be the best at any other sport, which would you choose? I would choose football because you get a lot of money, fame, and respect.

How do you train for tennis? I train by practicing out of school. I play every day with random people or whoever wants to play against me. Who is your favorite tennis player? My favorite tennis player is Roger Federer because he looks nice. He looks like a leaping tiger.

Would you rather be famous or rich? I’d be famous because a lot more people know who you are and what you do. Do you have any advice for future tennis players? Just keep practicing and train as hard as you can.

THE UNION NEWS APRIL 2012

Jung advocates ‘life skills,’ DONATIONS: Supplies required by teachers proposes new requirements paper or tissue,” Tran said. “[If you “The school position for a long FROM PAGE ONE

BY NATHAN NG AND Y-DAN BUI

The idea of adding life skills as a new graduation requirement was suggested by Milpitas Community Educational Endowment CEO Robert Jung in his opinion article to the “Milpitas Post” in February. The suggested life skills are defined as essential, everyday skills that people need throughout their life, according to Jung. In his opinion article to the “Milpitas Post”, Jung proposed a series of life skills that he thought would be crucial to have when students graduate and head on to college, he said. Some of these skills include financial skills such as knowing how to balance a checkbook and career skills such as interviewing for a job, Jung said. “I just thought of it because I just happened to have a senior who is getting ready to go to college, and we’re going to be teaching him some different things so that he would be successful,” Jung said. “It seems that it would be really nice if all of our seniors would understand this.” In order to implement life skills into our curriculum, MHS would need to add more courses and staffing, Principal Kenneth Schlaff said. Adding any new graduation requirements would require time and money from existing programs in

the midst of one of the biggest state deficits, Schlaff said. However, to have life skills be an actual graduation requirement would be suspect, Schlaff said. “I do believe that you should have a certain skill set,” Schlaff said. “Those particular things you could probably learn just under the circumstances of living.” The ideas presented by Jung were very good, Associate Principal Brian McGarry said. But for an actual requirement to be implemented, the proposal would have to go through the school board, according to McGarry. “There are some wonderful things that just don’t get taught in history, [but there are] a finite number of sections, classrooms, and teachers,” McGarry said. “How do I make that happen within what we have and do I have to remove something to do it?” The intent of the article was not so much to push for change but to throw out some food for thought and see how many people felt as he did, Jung said. If Jung receives enough positive parent and community input, then he may talk to the school board, Jung said. “So far no one has told me they were against the idea,” Jung said. “But you guys still have a long way before this becomes a requirement.”

WASC interviews students BY CARYN TRAN

On March 27, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) came to MHS for a threeyear midterm visit, according to Associate Principal Brian McGarry. The purpose of the visit was to check up on the school’s progress on goals set for the 2009 WASC Action Plan, McGarry said. WASC acknowledges MHS as a satisfactory institution, so classes taken at MHS are accepted by colleges, McGarry said. MHS received the six-year term with a three year midterm revisit, which is the second-best accreditation that WASC provides, according to McGarry. During the WASC midterm visit, the WASC team pulled about ten seniors out of class to be interviewed, according to Senior Melanie Narciso. The students met in the conference room by the cafeteria after lunch and were asked questions about their opinion of the school,

The third annual Book Club Book Drive, hosted by the Book Club and California Scholarship Federation (CSF), took place from March 12 to April 6. All donated books will go to San Jose’s Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT), which is a local organization that sells the books to teachers at a much lower price than can be found in stores, according to Book Club President Kewa Jiang. “RAFT takes the books it receives and sells [those books] to teachers,” Jiang said. “In general, the items it has for sale at the San Jose RAFT are a lot less expensive than in stores, so teachers can stock up on school supplies.” The Book Drive accepts children’s books and chapter books but is not interested in romance novels or magazines, Jiang stated. Donated books should be presentable and untattered, with all pages intact. Jiang generally uses this guideline: “The books should be something you wouldn’t be embarrassed

did not bring it in], you wouldn’t get a homework pass and you would be marked down 5 points.” However, it should not be mandatory for students to make up for a teacher’s lack of funding by bringing in paper, according to English Teacher Matthew Hanley.

to let your friends borrow.” Initially, the books donated to the Book Drive were to be given to Invisible Children, an organization that helps bring awareness to the conflict in Northern Uganda, according to Jiang. However, in light of recent events regarding the organization, including a controversial video called “Kony 2012” and questions about how much of the donated funds actually go to helping children in Uganda, CSF and the Book Club decided to change the recipient, according to Jiang. “The decision to not donate our books to Invisible Children was reached after discussing it with members of the club and officers,” Jiang said. “We decided on this course of action when the recent media attention Invisible Children received brought to light issues we had not been aware of when we were planning the book drive or when we did the book drive previously.” Anyone wishing to donate books can turn them in to the library or an English classroom.

time has been to ask for donations of paper in exchange for a late coupon,” Hanley said. “But we would never require donations for extra credit or homework credit. There’s an English department policy for not giving extra credit in place of regular assigned work.”

AP Boot Camp to be held this summer BY HANNA TRAN

An Advanced Placement (AP) Boot Camp will be held this summer, according to AP U.S. History Teacher Ann Mekis. The boot camp encourages participation by students who desire to take an AP course but are unfamiliar with the rigor, Mekis said. The camp will be instructed by current MHS AP teachers, Associate Principal Brian McGarry said. Discussions are still being held between the teachers as to who will be instructing and what events will proceed that day. “[Some topics covered may be] Cornell notes and some writing strategies, and the second day may be some math and science, and the afternoon will be humanities,” McGarry said. “We might be able to get away with social studies and English.” The boot camp gives priority to students who have signed up for their first AP course, McGarry said.

However, students who have taken an AP course but want to refresh their memory on certain skills or information are welcome as well. Announcements to enroll in the summer boot camp will be given before the end of the school year, McGarry said. “This is part of our overall approach to expand the opportunity for all students,” McGarry added. This summer’s boot camp will be MHS’s second camp, Mekis said. The first MHS AP Boot Camp was a one day event held in August during the summer of 2011, according to Mekis. She was the only teacher instructing at the boot camp, and it was mainly a skills workshop held primarily for AP World History students, she said. However, a couple AP U.S. History students attended as well. “We talked about skills and practice,” Mekis said. “[They learned] time management, how to approach the reading, how to go about taking notes, and how to best study.”

Narciso said. “They started off with having a conversation,” Narciso said. “Then, they asked us questions like: how we liked school, what would we change, what we would take from our experience here, and how our four years here were like.” Narciso said that the group had different opinions to the questions. While some said that they did not like their high school experience, Narciso said she felt like her high school experience was the best four years of her life. “People said stuff like ‘we’re not spirited enough’ and ‘this was the worst four years of my life,’ but I was looking at my friend and we were both like ‘we are hella spirited,’ and I was thinking about how this was the best four years of my life,” Narciso said. “They asked us what we would take from our [high school] experience. I told the WASC people that I would remember my friends and the people I met here.”

Book Drive donates to RAFT BY LORDESA FOK

didn’t bring it in,” Alvarez said. Freshman Tiffany Tran also had to bring in classroom supplies. In her English class, the supplies were required as part of her grade, according to Tran. “I had to bring in either a ream of

In an online interview, Sophomore Sharon Diep said she had attended the boot camp and learned how to outline, study efficiently and analyze documents. She recommended the camp to students. “The boot camp somewhat helped me in class this year, because I was already equipped with the knowledge of how to outline correctly,” Diep said. “I would recommend this boot camp to others who have never experienced an AP class before, because it gives an idea of how rigorous these courses are.” In contrast, Sophomore Rakshit Garg did not believe the boot camp was very helpful, he said in an online interview. He said he would not recommend the boot camp for students who were already familiar with the AP rigor. “[We did] nothing, really. We just learned how to be efficient,” Garg said. “I don’t really think it helped me, but that’s probably because I’m too lazy to use anything I learned.”

T�� L��//THE UNION

Ribbon dancers perform during the Vietnamese Student Association show, which took place on March 3. There were 20 acts, including a number of traditional dances, and all 375 tickets for the event sold out.

VSA holds 8-act day show for first time; 20 acts perform in sold-out night show BY LORDESA FOK

The annual Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) Show was held in early March to spread awareness of Vietnamese culture, according to VSA President Amy Nguyen. The day show occurred on March 1 during second through sixth period, while the night show took place on March 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the theater. The day show featured a total of eight acts, with a variety of both traditional and modern performances, while the night show included all 20 acts. This was the first year that a VSA day show was included with the night show, according to Nguyen. The night show sold out at about 375 tickets, with the proceeds being kept for next year, Nguyen said. “The day show really helped because it brought people closer together for the night show and gave performers more practice for the second show,” Nguyen said. “At

first, we weren’t planning to do a day show because we had no model to follow. But later, after watching the Lunar Show, we decided to do a day show because the Lunar Day Show looked so fun.”

“The show took a lot of time and dedication, but it was totally worth it.” �� Performances included various dances (such as fan, ribbon, hat, classical, and hip-hop), C4 demonstrations, singing in both Vietnamese and English, and a traditional and modern fashion show. Auditions were held the week before February Break, and 33 acts auditioned, according to Nguyen. Senior Michelle Duong, who was one of the masters of ceremonies for the show, expressed joy at par-

ticipating in the show. “Being the MC of such a wonderful show made me feel honored,” Duong said. “[The show] took a lot of time and dedication, but it was totally worth it.” Freshman Michael Chen said that he was highly impressed with the night show. His favorite act was the C4 demonstration team because it was based around martial arts; Chen said that he especially enjoyed the flips. All of the performances were high-spirited and outstanding, according to Chen. Sophomore Kimberly Garcia was a performer in the show. She said that she highly recommended that everyone see the show, especially after all the work that the cast put into making it. “Come see us perform; you’ll definitely enjoy yourself,” Garcia said before the night show performance. “Multiple acts are showing their talents, and they’re here to entertain you.”