The Union - Milpitas High School - February 2020

SSR: why does it exist? (2)

U NI N Student speaks at womxn’s march (5)

THE

FEBRUARY 2020 VOLUME XXXI ISSUE IV

Valentine’s Dedications (8)

Girl Scout Cookies Ranked (12)

School board recognizes football team (13)

MHSTHEUNION.COM For The Latest Updates

Student Voice of Milpitas High School

District data breach poses threat to privacy New math class for next year; alternative for Pre-Calculus

By Adarsh Burela Evelyn Fu Faria Moiz

Private information about the Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) teachers and administrators was released through the district’s law firm, Lozano Smith Law Firm, on Jan. 23, 2020. Later, on Jan. 27, the staff was notified that their information was accidentally released, according to district emails from Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations Jonathan Brunson given to The Union by a staff member.

The data was requested by two Milpitas residents, including Milpitas Resident George Liu, Teacher Charles Schletzbaum said through district emails. The district handed the information over to the Lozano Smith Law Firm, who gave out the unredacted version to the recipients. The data included Milpitas Unified staff’s social security numbers and other private information.

Schletzbaum elaborated on the process of filing for a request for information on MUSD staff. He

said they are legally allowed to ask for general information about teachers under the Public Records Act. But, teachers who no longer work here or substitutes should not have been included in the files.

“There’s a file going around the union where one of the people says that people who have retired who will still be on this file haven’t been notified,” Schletzbaum said. “Two days later, we finally got back that no, [substitute teachers] aren’t included.”

Attorney Gayle Ketchie who works for the Lozano Smith Law Firm was involved in the exchange. However, in an email, she refused to respond for comment because the issue is currently under litigation on both sides.

“Because this matter is currently under litigation, I am unable to comment,” said Ketchie in an email.

Liu said that on Nov. 25, 2019, he asked the MUSD for some information on the teachers working. He received a response with an attachment on Jan. 23, 2020 and claimed to have not glimpsed

at the content of files, Liu said.

He was later informed that some parts of data were mistakenly sent, such as the Social Security numbers of all staff members currently working and those of retirees. He was later told to delete the attachment from any location it could have been sent to.

“So I know the attachment but I did not even look at the content of the email, nor did I open the attachment. Only later on did the MUSD lawyer call me and tell me that the data [was sent] by mistake, and that attachment included sensitive information like the Social Security numbers of older teachers,” Liu said during a telephone interview. “[The lawyers] sent me instructions [on] how to delete [the file], delete it from the inbox, delete it from the junk folder, I did everything I can to make sure all copies of the data has been deleted.”

Other than Liu, no one had received the attachment other than one of his friends, he said.

Liu would not disclose the name SEE data on PAGE 16

By Kathleen Huynh

A new Mathematical Reasoning with Connections (MRWC) class will be offered at MHS, Principal Francis Rojas said. MRWC was designed by the CSU system to support students with necessary math skills to be successful in entry level college math classes, he said.

MRWC is expected to be launched next fall in the 20202021 school year, Rojas said.

Several teachers have begun to attend training courses that are necessary to teach MRWC, he said.

“Some teachers have gone to the training,” Rojas said. “It’s an investment on our part to train our teachers to be able to teach that class. In order to be the teacher for MRWC, you have to attend the trainings provided by the CSU system.”

The class is available for seniors who have passed Math 3, Math Department Co-Lead MeiHsiang Tseng said. A reason behind bringing MRWC to MHS is to encourage students to take a fourth year of math, Tseng said.

“Eventually CSUs will require four years of math class,” Tseng said. “[In] 2025 they will require four years of math, so the kids who are in sixth grade right now

will need to have four years of math. A lot of kids right now only take Math 1, Math 2, and Math 3.”

According to the course catalog, students are required to take only three years of math to graduate.

Many students stop taking math classes after Math 3, but colleges prefer for them to take four years of math, Rojas said.

“We look at our data and see that a population of students just stop taking math,” Rojas said.

“We know that one-year gap of you not taking math is not good for you if you decide to go to college because you have to reset. We did identify that it would be helpful for about 100 of our seniors.”

According to a document titled ‘Mathematical Reasoning with Connections’, Professor Tom Reisz of San José State University said that students will be placed into first-year classes at the CSU on the basis of their major, upon completion of MRWC. Students who take MRWC will not be required to remediate their math, Tseng said.

“A lot of kids cannot do well for the placement test when they get into state schools, and they cannot finish in a certain number of years,” Tseng said. “If they take this class, they can get into the first math class at a CSU and shorten their time.”

Parking lot at SJCC prohibited; considered an attendance issue

By Faria Moiz

alexander phan | THE UNION

Vendors turn off and refill the school’s vending machines during passing period, turning them on lunch.

Vending machines shut off during class, machines considered cause of tardies

By Alexander Phan

Vending machines will now be turned off during class time, Principal Francis Rojas said. This has been done to prevent students from leaving class when they are not supposed to be, Rojas said.

In the past years, MHS administration has noticed that the vending machines have been a source of tardiness, Rojas said.

Students have been going to class late since they spend time by the vending machines after lunch has ended, he said.

“We noticed vending machines cause a lot of students to be late.

If you look at them at the end of lunch, you’ll see some students there.” Rojas said, “We think,

‘why don’t you go to the vending machines five minutes earlier?’”

Junior Isaiah Rondez feels that the vending machines should be kept during class on for students who feel hungry during class. According to Rondez, snacks at the vending machine are important to busy students who skip meals throughout the day.

“Since we’re teens and we have bigger appetites, I would want the school to keep the vending machines at all times during school,” Rondez said. “Some kids don’t eat breakfast in the morning because they skip it. They’re in a rush in the morning. I, myself, would like to be able to eat in class since I’ve been skipping meals since I’ve been so busy.”

Students have also been using excuses to go to the vending machines in the middle of class, Rojas said. Students will often not return to their classrooms, but walk around campus, he said.

“We have people who ask to use the restroom and are gone for a really long time, then teachers say they came back with stuff from the vending machine.” Rojas said, “We’ve had a lot of issues with students wandering around campus when they’re supposed to be in class. Some students take advantage of going to the restroom, they go to the vending machine and go wander around.

It’s becoming an issue because they are missing class time.”

MHS students have been parking at the SJCC Extension’s parking lot before it was publicly announced on Jan. 13, 2020 that they no longer can park there, SJCC Director Michael Mooney said.

The SJCC Extension parking lot is generally off-limits to students during school hours, Mooney said. He said the extension boasts many dual-enrollment classes as well as some Advanced Placement classes during the day which generates a lot of traffic in the minimally sized area. Both the high school as well as the extension staff agreed that MHS students are banned from walking on the extension as of one week after second semester for the high school started, Mooney said.

“We decided to delay one week and for a week I stood in the parking lot every morning, and every young person that came to park,” Mooney said. “I watch and I know, I gave them a note saying that starting next week, there’ll be no parking. I had a one week grace period so they have a chance to get a parking permit or find other parking places around the campus.”

Mooney said students of all ages; from elementary, middle, high school, or college level attend classes offered at the extension. They were welcome to park before but Mooney said he

had to come up with this rule due to some students’ misuse of the parking space. They were avoiding the parking fee at MHS and there was no adult supervision to watch the students’ activities, littering, and ditching.

“The biggest issue probably was cutting,” Mooney said. “People were using the parking lot as a way to escape high school because it’s not monitored. They couldn’t do that on campus because it’s a closed campus is what the district and my board has decided, so there can’t be a secret backdoor out.”

Principal Francis Rojas agreed with Mooney, saying that it’s difficult to watch over student activity at the extension’s parking lot. He said that Mooney had been generous enough to allow students to snack and use the campus before and after school. Rojas said they are tackling the issue as well.

“We also do random checks for permits and we don’t make it security’s priority to check the cars,” Rojas said. “It’s more about making sure the right people are on campus; no one’s leaving and no one’s coming in.”

Senior Simrin Bains parks at the MHS parking lot. She said she knows students who park there and why they would park there.

“I think people park at SJCC because they may not be able to afford a parking permit so they should reduce the price,” Bains said.

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The Union

PRO

SSR is essential to students, teachers, and CLOG activities span of lunch and SSR. Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) Without SSR, the current sysis a unique feature of MHS’s tem of Clubs and Organizations schedule—20 minutes set aside (CLOGs) wouldn’t be possible. for students to read in their fifth CLOG Council and CLOG Conperiod class. Yet, few students acgress always take place during SSR tually spend the allotted time as on select Thursdays. Adintended. Though some ditionally, every club is argue that SSR is useless required to participate because of this, it is still in Campus Beautificaa useful part of the day tion for four Tuesdays that can be an advantage in the year during SSR. to many students.

These programs are esOne of the most comsential to keep CLOGs mon ways students organized, accountable, spend their time in SSR and informed of the Asis by doing their homesociated Student Body’s work. Having extra time (ASB) updates. Moving throughout the day to neval catch up on work is es- mulaomerovic these meetings to lunch would create a new set of pecially important for students taking multiple problems for clubs which host their meetings on Tuesdays or advanced classes with heavy workloads or students with after-school Thursdays. Again, meetings taking jobs and obligations that limit place after school would be inconvenient for students with jobs, their available study time. Since sports, or extracurricular comMHS doesn’t offer a homeroom or mitments. study hall period, SSR serves as this much needed opportunity for One of the biggest complaints students to study. against SSR is that students do not SSR is also often used by teachuse the time for academic purposes. Many students designate SSR ers. For many teachers, the 20 as their regularly scheduled nap minutes are default office hours time to catch up on their lack of where students can ask questions sleep from the night before. While and seek help on their homework.

This chance for one-on-one time is napping isn’t quite as academic as silent reading, no student deserves unique to SSR, since students may be unable to track down teachers to be sleep-deprived. If SSR is an opportunity for students to rest in during lunch or after school for help. In other cases, SSR is the time the middle of a long and stressful for students to retake or make-up day, so be it. There are always going to be some who are purely unprotests. Skipping an entirely different period for a retake or make-up ductive during SSR by scrolling on their phones or talking to friends, is never ideal, and no one wants to come to school at 7:00 a.m. or stay but that is up to the student. Every until 4:00 p.m. for something that student has the right to choose. can be done in the 50 minute time-

CON

SSR should not be sustained, waste of valuable class time Lunch is over, the bell rings, and required to, many students will you take your seat in your fifth penot read - there are more pressing riod. It’s not a Wednesday, so you things in their mind. begrudgingly wait for the period to SSR as a whole feels like a time start. Unfortunately or fortunatefor any other topic than for reading. Sleeping in class is a common ly for you, you have a solid 20 mins of nothing but reading, sight during SSR and for or free time to spend as good reason. Students you please. Sustained may have been stressed, Silent Reading (SSR), the stayed up too late doing use of which is ambiguone thing or another, ous, and though on the utterly bogged down by surface may seem like a their workload, or just well thought idea - givplain tired - what better time to catch up on ing students a portion of well needed rest than their school day to have a time where you can’t time to read, which they get in trouble for it? rarely get in their day to adarsh day life - it is rarely used ASB’s events, including burela for its true purpose. PerCLOG Committee, Camhaps the implementation pus beautification, and of SSR as a whole is the issue.

Spirit Counting, do not get their Having reading time at all seems own time because SSR is the most like a generally unproductive use interruptible time period where of time. The requirement to read students aren’t doing much. These is loosely followed by students can feel like interruptions to what through no fault of their own; the should have been a quiet time to rule is simply not enforced very one’s self.

Giving students the ability to often. There was a point where all students and staff would stop what make up work during lunch or SSR they were doing and just read, but or ask teachers questions is abas time progressed and school be- solutely useful, but labeling it as came more competitive, students a time for reading is misleading, seem to have deemed other things especially with an inability to enmore important. force it effectively. Seeing as it is The most common use of time so unstructured, most implemenfor students during SSR would be tations of SSR fail to provide stufor homework; last minute home- dents with time to actually read. work for either the fifth or sixth Moving it to another period, or givperiod, last minute studying for a ing students the choice to move to test coming up, or getting ahead for another designated classroom for the workload at home. While these an actual reading time whilst still are usually great things, this leaves managing time for other students absolutely no time for students to and their needs might be better have where they can read on their options the school could look into own peacefully. Without being implementing.

OPINIONS

february 2020

Open campus lunch opens new possibilities It’s fourth period. The bell rings they are too busy to eat or because and we’re all let out for lunch. I they lacked money, but because the don’t know about you, but when I school lunch isn’t even worth the think about school lunch, I think $3.25. If the school actually cares of waiting in ridiculously long lines about the students, they should for a mediocre cheeseallow students to go to burger and soggy fries. nearby restaurants to Of the four years I spent eat what they want to at MHS, I can not recall eat. This would help a single time I genuinely ensure that more students get food in their enjoyed any aspect of the school’s lunch system. I stomachs and more fuel think the only way that for their brains. Letting the school can increase them go out would also the satisfaction of stuhelp them relieve the dents is to allow the stustress of their school dents to go off campus day. and get food outside of All students know alexander phan school. that school is not the The lunch served at best place to be. The our school is greasy, sog‘freedom’ that we stugy, and just downright disgusting. dents are allowed to have at lunch I’m sure I share similar sentiments is in the same as being allowed yard with every other student when I say time at a prison. School is a stressthat I want an open campus lunch. ful place to be. I’m sure many stuI want to go out and eat a lunch dents would appreciate being althat I’d actually enjoy instead of lowed to leave the school grounds forcing another sad school cheese- for thirty minutes a day. Being givburger down my mouth. I can re- en a little bit of freedom each day call numerous times where I have and some time to relax away from seen students, such as myself, just campus would help students’ menchoose not to eat lunch not because tal states to increase their moods

all together.

Not only does allowing an open campus lunch improve general quality of life for students, it can also help improve time management skills and grant a sense of responsibility for students who choose to go out. Obviously, lunch is limited, so any student who does go out would have to keep track of their own time to ensure they make it back on time. In turn, this will help them grow into more responsible teenagers as they grow old enough to have to start worrying about their time management.

The main issue that the school may have would be that many students who leave the campus for lunch would just choose not to return or return late for class.

While this is always a possibility, the school’s administration should still allow students to go out for lunch. Rather than stopping all students from going out to eat, punish those who will abuse the system. Not having an open campus lunch is simply an injustice for the many students who wish to eat something they actually like.

Taking a crack at the use of ‘crackhead’ Why do teenagers want to be- age to African-American enclaves. come crackheads so bad? We call Unlike its more harmless cousin each other “crackheads” to illus- “pothead”, “crackhead” suggests trate our weird ways of being un- more dangerous implications beconventional as a catch-all term to cause of its affiliation with poverty describe how wacky and peculiar and crime.

The War on Drugs tarwe can be sometimes.

However, when you say geted black and brown the word “crackhead,” neighborhoods in order it actually derives from to institutionalize crack a place of affluence. Decocaine. The 1980s introspite our varying levels duced “powder cocaine,” on the socio-economic a much more clean and scale, using the word refined version of crack “crackhead” enables us cocaine for Hollywood to detach from the povstars. These two decades erty-stricken slums in highlight the socio-ecourban cities where drug nomic differences besean abuse is pervasive. The tween the more accesnguyen sible, rawer version of word “crackhead” allows us to be erratic, crack cocaine in low income neighborhoods as reckless, and haphazard without having to be held ac- opposed to more expensive, classcountable for crack cocaine. ier powder cocaine used by celebThe word “crackhead” is a mo- rities. The difference in the public mento from the War on Drugs in perception of powder cocaine on the 1970s and the crack Cocaine television and media as opposed Epidemic from the 1980s. The War to how we imagine crack cocaine on Drugs was an intense period of illustrates the racial biases that we mass incarcerations for non-vio- typically ignore subconsciously. lent drug offenders, demonstrat- “Crackhead” is a word that reining the highest incarceration rates states racial profiling and powers in the world. It was a period of time inequalities in black and brown where the Reagan administration neighborhoods because teenagutilized the War on Drugs as a ers are proactively dehumanizing political tool in order to “assign” drug abusers by conceptualizing a marijuana and crack cocaine us- default of the urban scene.

Morally, we acknowledge that racism is wrong, yet we bypass small pockets of discrimination like the word “crackhead” that aren’t as explicitly racist. I think it’s crucial to acknowledge these minor issues that trickle down to a wider view of injustice.

Political correctness aside, the word is not about infringing on someone’s personal feelings. It’s about reinforcing socio-economic strata that build boundaries between us and the poor. “Crackhead” is often used in a humorous sense; it’s said in common speech or as material for insult comics who typically document awkward or weird encounters with “crackheads” in their daily commute. In hindsight, it puts the actual “crackheads” in an inferior dynamic where we’re exploiting or extrapolating their behavior for entertainment purposes.

These basic-at-best jokes that we use to describe cringe-worthy behavior ripple into a bigger impact than we intend in the bigger picture of injustice. It’s time to step backwards from the “I wasn’t being racist, you’re just getting too sensitive” attitude and retire from slang with discriminatory backgrounds that is so detached from its original meaning that we counteract what we morally believe in.

It is now time to say goodbye to Tony the Trojan I have a bone to pick with Tony too much. MHS is a unique high the Trojan- he’s just not a good school, yet we allow ourselves to mascot. No offense to him; I’m sure be defined by a generic mascot. All he’s doing the best he of my favorite mascots can. In order to discuss say something interesting about the school. why MHS’s mascot is so UC Santa Cruz’s banana bad, it is important to slug, for example, makes remember that a good a lot of sense because bamascot should be representative of a school nana slugs can be found and its community. The in Santa Cruz’s forests.

Trojan fails at this task It is difficult to think of in two ways. any other school that First, the Trojan is could be represented not an original mascot. by banana slugs. That, A quick search reveals I think, is the mark of a Joshanne chiang good mascot. that there are over 110 Second, Trojans do high schools with Trojans as their mascot, in not really have a great addition to 11 universities and eight reputation. Perhaps a historian non-scholastic sports teams. In can tell you that the Trojans were fact, there are three other schools great warriors, but the average with the Trojan mascot in the Bay person probably only remembers Area alone: Castro Valley High the Trojans for accepting a susSchool, Terra Linda High School, piciously large wooden horse and and Petaluma High School. Even subsequently losing the war named Tony the Trojan’s name seems to after them. This isn’t exactly an resemble the University of South- image that strikes fear into our opern California’s unofficial mas- ponents’ hearts, nor does it speak cot Tommy the Trojan just a little to the great character of MHS ath-

letes.

Of course, it is difficult to denounce our Trojan mascot without knowing its origins. As far as I can tell, the Trojan mascot is simply a remnant of Samuel Ayer High School, which closed in 1980. If there is a meaningful origin story for our mascot, our school should really advertise it more. Learning about why the Trojan was chosen as our mascot could add depth to what currently seems like a really one-dimensional mascot.

I don’t expect MHS to ever retire Tony the Trojan, mostly because of the cost and effort it could require. If we must have a ordinary mascot, we should at least embrace it. For example, the names of both our yearbook and newspaper don’t seem to have any connection to the Trojans. While we’re embracing our mundanity, instead of copying the University of Southern California’s unofficial mascot, we should get a real horse to parade around our football games like their official mascot, Traveler.

February 2020

Editor i a l : The Opinion of The Union

Proper food disposal aids us and seagulls Too many students do not throw away their food waste, leaving the MHS campus constantly flooded with birds.

Seagulls perch on overhangs and buildings waiting for a moment to attack and fly off with their newly acquired food or trash.

After the bell indicating lunch is underway, students, and also seagulls, crowd the campus. The seagulls arrive at school as if their alarm clock rang, alerting them that there will be free food soon. They eye students as they walk out of the cafeteria, waiting for a chance to take their food.

Seagulls are starved and competitive birds. Seagulls flying around campus range from all different sizes, and those that we see can be pretty large. They approach lunch tables monitoring any food that is left. When they see food, a group of seagulls flock to anything that falls on the ground.

When they see that their companion has any morsel of food, they chase after the seagull.

When the food falls from the seagull’s beak, the other seagulls stop the chase only to continue it again when another seagull gains possession of the food. They are everywhere. Their large population has grown to the point where we can no longer ignore them.

These birds fly above our

heads and excrete their feces, which has a chance to land on students meandering around campus. No one is doing anything to solve this and students who litter continue littering. With the overflowing trash cans, unfinished food is left where seagulls can reach it. To prevent being pooped on, students should make sure trash is thrown away properly.

In any case, students should throw their trash into the trash cans with or without the existence of seagulls. If there is less trash and food for birds to prey on, seagulls would have no reason to fly so close to humans.

Our school is their cafeteria.

They know that they can obtain food here at MHS. Thus, they return every day when the lunch bell rings. Seagulls only come at lunch. Walking around school during, for example, third period, there will be no seagulls in sight, maybe a few crows here and there.

Thanks to the custodians cleaning up most of the trash, our campus is not littered with seagulls at every moment of the school day. However, they are not there 24/7 to keep our school clean, so we should at least throw away our food waste properly. Make sure that before you walk away from the trash cans, you check that nothing spilled out. Often

times people carelessly toss away saran wrap and walk back to their friends, and the plastic is blown away by the wind before it even gets into the garbage can.

As people walk out of the cafeteria, holding their lunch, they drop their food, such as potato wedges. Seeing as they don’t pick up those food bits, seagulls swoop down to pick them up. Since custodians begin cleaning after school, the seagulls are long gone as well as all the food people dropped.

Seagulls are also noisy birds.

As we walk to our classes, seagulls sit around screeching at people. Especially at the green, seagulls watch as you pass by and squawk.

Feeding seagulls what we eat is also detrimental to the health of seagulls. Our diets are different, as seagulls need different nutrients than people. Our school is a free cafeteria, and thus more seagulls come here to eat. Their natural diet includes fish and insects, but that is replaced by bread, food wrap, and potato wedges.

Seagulls are a major inconvenience to us at MHS. We. The Union, believe that people should make the effort to throw away their trash in the many trash cans located here at our school. Disposing of your waste properly is not such a difficult task.

Editor i a l : The Opinion of The Union

Morning announcement reforms viable Every morning at the start of second period, Milpitas High School students get to hear the morning announcements.

Well, technically, not everyone “hears” them. That is exactly the problem. Those five to 10 minutes at the beginning of second period can either fill students and teachers with dread or, due to the loud environment in some classes, can be completely ignored. As a result, people have seemed to stop caring.

Ignoring the morning announcements, even though it might not seem like a big deal, raises the question of whether it is important to even have them at all. Why waste time that can be spent teaching classes on advertising information that people don’t even care enough to listen to?

Additionally, what would be the implication of removing something as ritualistic as the announcements that are blasted through the old intercoms each morning? Lastly, if the delivery method of these announcements were to be changed, what are the possible options?

First, there is a five minute allotted time slot for the

morning announcements, so technically, nobody is actually “wasting” time listening to the announcements. Second period is still 53 minutes long, just like every other class.

However, whenever morning announcements start behind schedule, they do tend to go overtime and then cut into class time, which is not desirable. This could also be the reason why teachers dread announcements as they have a lot to teach on their agendas.

Additionally, getting rid of the morning announcements is not an easy task to do, nor is it practical. Although many classes do not listen to them, a portion of them still do. Additionally, the reason most classes stand up to do the pledge of allegiance in the first place is because of the morning announcements. Not only that, but a lot of important information about current school events is presented. For some of the sports and clubs on campus, morning announcements are an important way to spread the word about. If there is an upcoming event, like a football game or a fundraiser, informing students through the intercoms is necessary to

get participation. Half of the time, many students are not aware of the activities happening around campus because they miss out on the morning announcements. This leads to confusion and missed opportunities to participate in events that could have been in a field of interest for the student.

If the delivery method of the morning announcements were to be changed, there would be many ways to approach it. In some schools across the Bay Area, announcements are posted on the school’s website for students to easily access. Another great method would be to email students their morning announcements. Some schools even have a student-directed “news channel” where teachers can visually present the morning announcements. These are just a few out of the many possibilities in which morning announcements can be delivered.

Whatever the way, the morning announcements should be changed so that more students can be informed about the activities happening around campus.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Student remarks on the fight for the DREAM Act Dear Editor, What we know as “the DREAM Act” will at one point be an act not worth dreaming of.

What the President is trying to do is suspend the Act and no longer give the privilege for people to stay in the U.S. legally.

To an average American citizen, this might be a fight not worth fighting, but to me, I have had to live with the fear of my whole fami-

ly getting deported.

I was only six when they deported my dad. I remember the morning it happened and all the confusion that flourished in my brain.

I was fed all these lies, but as days went on and I kept on seeing tears fall down my family’s complexion, I realized that my dad wasn’t coming back.

Thousands of families are broken apart due to the fact that they were not born in this land, this soil, within the area codes of California, and that to me is nothing but unfair.

The Union

editorial

It is unfair that families have to live with this fear, to live with the fear of not coming back to their family day after day.

It is such a blessing that at the end of the day, my family has the privilege to come home safe, but I can’t say that will be forever.

I would not want any family to go through that.

That is why we need to push back and fight for the DREAM Act and against deportation.

Sincerely, Venus Zamora

U NION The

S t u d e n t V o i c e o f M i l p i ta s H i g h

The Union is published by the Journalism class of Milpitas High School.

The views in The Union are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the school, students, administration, or Milpitas Unified School District.

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THE UNION

FEBRUARY 2020

FEATURES

Who is behind morning reports?

A voice heard among all students

By Sean Nguyen

DEVIKA KUMAR | THE UNION

While at the San Jose Womxn’s March, I Am That Girl Club Members Roshini Gopala, Sanjana Venkatesh, Ashley Pang, Pranavi Manchikanti, and Saili Karkare show off their handmade posters together in the crowd.

Kenney takes a stand at Womxn’s March

By Faria Moiz

Several MHS students and club members attended the annual Women’s March. It took place on Jan. 18 at San Jose, according to I Am That Girl Club President Roshini Gopala.

The fourth Women’s March held in San Jose went from the city’s City Hall to the Arena Green from 11:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. It was known as the “Womxn’s March San Jose: Our Power Counts 2020,” according to womxnsmarchsanjose.org. The central message of the march revolved around the universal promotion of women’s rights as well as recognizing the feats of nonbinary individuals.

Junior Karrington Kenney said this was her first time participating in the march and she felt very motivated by the energy. She was scouted by Milpitas Council Member Karina Dominguez and felt she had a duty to uphold, she said. Her excitement for the march helped her overcome her anxieties, she said.

“I had prayed the night before and prior to the days leading up to the speech,” Kenney said. “I just felt super empowered because I knew I was speaking my truth.

There was nothing to be nervous about because what I was about to say was all factual and needed to be taught and put out there.”

Her speech was made to reach a

wide audience considering every woman at the march was unique, Kenney said. Her speech covered a variety of topics including local injustices, speaking out against unfair situations, and black history.

“My ultimate goal with this speech was to educate,” Kenney said. “I wanted the audience to hear our injustices and how we, as black people, are treated because of our skin color. They heard about our untold accomplishments they would have never known of because the education system doesn’t teach this kind of information to us in the history books. I wanted [the audience] to feel astonished at this new information, but I also wanted them to listen and feel hurt by how we get treated and how this country treats us after all we’ve done for it.”

Gopala went to the Women’s March as a club activity, she said.

Gopala added that this was the club’s first time marching since its start. The club promoted the event because of its own feminist-based agenda.

“We are very happy with the turnout for the women’s march and our first time marching as a club,” Gopala said. “We hope our undying involvement with the feminist movement inspires others to take a stand and strive for a society in which every type of human can coexist.”

I Am That Girl Club Secretary Pranavi Manchikanti also attended the march, she said.

Manchikanti said that 11 club members marched, listened to speeches, and visited booths promoting different organizations and their causes. They felt empowered by a particular speech by an student of MHS, she added.

“We were aware of Karrington’s speech,” Manchikanti said. “This wasn’t done in partnership with our club, but we wholeheartedly support her message and her club, Black Student Union (BSU).

Her speech was nothing short of amazing and powerful, and we were so proud of her for representing MHS.” Board of Education Vice President Chris Norwood said he had participated in this year’s march to support Kenney and other MHS students. He said he had gone to many marches back when he was in high school and mentioned the correlation between that and public speaking-based career pathways.

“Anything a student or student group does that aligns with these goals I will support,” Norwood said. “The Culture of We includes different opinions, viewpoints and more. In exploring educational pathways, I saw Karrington as well as the student clubs in attendance exploring civic leadership careers and networking.”

“Goooooooooooood Morning Trojans!” echoes from sidewalk to sidewalk, a morning call that beckons for a good day. But who are the students behind the intercom? The announcers are a team of students that, at the split second of the first period bell, rush to J-08. Sophomore Kush Brahmbhatt is just one of the many talented announcers on campus.

Q: What do you enjoy best about morning announcements?

A: I get the opportunity to greet people as one of the first things in the morning, and I also feel very energetic when I do the morning announcements. It really makes my day.

Q: Was there an embarrassing moment where you messed up?

A: The announcement script was printed in really small font and my hand was shaking the whole time, so I couldn’t read the script and flunked everything. I butchered, like, five names.

Q: Are you nervous when you do morning announcements?

A: Not anymore. I used to be.

Q: Do people recognize your voice as the morning announcer?

A: Yeah, they do. My teacher reacts very positively, saying she really enjoys hearing me whenever I announce. My other class-

mates and friends are always super impressed, like ‘Oh my God, you were on the announcements, that’s amazing!’ I just get super encouraged by my peers.

Q: You teach us about the news on campus, but is there anything that you personally learned from morning announcements?

A: It’s boosted my confidence, for sure. I’m not the introvert that I was before the announcements.

I also know all the announcements off the top of my head.

Q: How do you feel about reciting the pledge every morning? Do you feel as if it’s outdated?

A: As long as we’re not forcing the students to stand up. It’s up to the students to decide if it’s relevant or not. We mostly just do it for formality.

Q: Do you talk like you do on the intercom in real life?

A: No, because when I talk in real life, I talk more recklessly. On the mic, I have to bounce around between an enthusiastic and a formal tone. It’s really weird, because I feel like my voice changes when I hop on the intercom. It’s like my voice box just becomes deeper and clearer, but my friends tell me I sound like a baby in real life.

Q: Lastly, are you a morning person?

A: Yes. 100 percent.

Science Olympiad competes in viva Las Vegas; what happens in Vegas, comes back to Milpitas

By Celine Nghiem

On Jan. 4, 13 MHS students attended a Science Olympiad tournament in Las Vegas, Co-Captain Johnny Huang said. The event was primarily meant as a bonding experience for the Science Olympiad members, Huang added.

The competition, known as the Science Olympiad Las Vegas Invitational, was a practice tournament, Advisor Letta Meyer said.

There are several types of competitions, she explained.

“With Science Olympiad, there are invitationals, and then there are our regional competition,” Meyer said. “With the regional competition, based on how you place, you can advance to the state competition. Based on the state competition, the first place team from there goes to the national competition.”

Schools are given a list of invitationals that their Science Olympiad teams may attend, Meyer said. They then sign up for the competitions they wish to take part in, she added.

“Some invitationals are very

hard to get into and fill up very fast,” Meyer said. “The Mira Loma competition that we just went to filled up within 20 minutes, so you have to be registering as soon as it opens.”

The invitational was an opportunity for the members to get to know each other better, Co-Captain Ronie Chen said. The students traveled to Las Vegas in cars driven by parent chaperones, she added.

“We had a big van which seated around eight people,” Chen said.

“We had another car with five people, which one of our coaches drove, and then another car with four people, which another parent drove.”

Going in cars allowed the students to bond more, Huang said.

“It was really fun, because we could go out and sightsee Vegas,” Huang said. “We got to see a really pretty sunset halfway to Vegas.”

Although their main goal was to bond, the team performed very well at the competition, Huang said. The MHS students placed 10th out of 21 teams, he said.

“There were a lot of strong

teams,” Huang said. “For example, Ed W. Clark themselves were strong. We had Troy teams, from Troy High School, and they are renowned for their Science Olympiad.”

The members prepared for the tournament on their own or with a partner, Huang said. However, there were days when the students would come to school and study together, she added.

“A snapshot of what those sessions look like is a lot of people coming into the classroom, getting testing materials out, and having building materials out as well,” Huang described. “Some of us have already perfected our [projects], and we were just testing them at the gym or inside the classroom.”

There are more competitions planned for MHS Science Olympiad, Meyer said. There are five invitationals planned during this school year, she explained. “[The invitationals] all happen in Jan. and Feb.,” Meyer said.

“Our regional competition is in March.”

GENELLE GOGUE | THE UNION

FEBRUARY 2020

FEATURES

THE UNION

5

Coach King’s royal history all ‘added’ up

By Genelle Gogue

COURTESY OF JN PRODUCTIONS

Senior Valerie Lam is crowned the 2020 Miss Teen Vietnam California by predecessor Maggie Ly. Lam began her reign after her January win.

Lam crowned, earns title as new Miss Teen Vietnam

By Devika Kumar

Senior Valerie Lam was crowned as the 2020 Miss Teen Vietnam California. Lam won the title for her performance and platform about raising awareness for arts programs.

Lam began practicing for the pageant back in early November, she said. Lam said it was difficult for her to get used to the training schedule .

“At practice I would go over how to walk, my postures on stage, and my speeches,” Lam said. “I would go to the dance room and gym at least three times a week to practice in my heels. I would also prep my lines and eat clean so my skin would be clear.”

No matter how much stress Lam was under, she would always find a way to have fun, she said.

Her mom helped her overcome her stress and realize how much fun being in the pageant would be, she added.

“Along the lines of preparation was finding that passion and drive for this competition,” Lam said. “I really refined my passion for art programs and the kind of impact that I can leave on my community.”

According to Lam, 20 percent of the judges’ decision for who the winner will be comes from their interview, which is five minutes with a full panel the day before the competition. The rest of it

comes down to their walk, elegance, poise, recovery if things happen, and just the way they present themselves, Lam said.

“During the interview, the judges really try to get to know you,” Lam said. “This is their only chance to see you up close.”

Lam wanted to compete last year, but decided to hold off because she was doubtful of the pageant world at the time, she said.

According to Lam, many people are skeptical about pageants because they hear a lot of things about people being catty.

“I followed Maggie Ly’s reign last year when she won Miss Teen Vietnam California,” Lam said. “I was there with her on the day of, backstage, as her assistant. Once I realized that this is an honest organization, it made me want to compete in the pageant.”

Every competitor has their own platform about a cause they are passionate about, Lam said. According to Lam, her platform was about raising awareness for arts programs among the youth.

“I believe artistic principles encourage persistence and creativity, which transcends into innovative education,” Lam said.

“Financial burdens should not hinder children from pursuing their passions. Together, we can bring more awareness to these programs and create more opportunities for the youth.”

Students at MHS know the name “Coach Kelly King,” but what else do students know about him besides his success as a varsity football coach and a math teacher?

Coach King was born in Orange County then moved to Milpitas where he grew up in the city, he said. King attended Peter Burnett Elementary School, then went to Rancho, and graduated from MHS. After graduating, he applied to San Jose State University as an electrical engineer and was accepted, but decided to attend San Jose City College to continue playing football, he said. After two years, King transferred to California State University, Hayward.

He started his teaching career in 1990 and prior to that, he start-

ed coaching in 1985, he said.

Ever since attending Burnett, King had loved football and frequently played flag football, he said. When he started attending Rancho, he started playing for the Milpitas Knights football team, he said. Years later, one of his first jobs was working at the old Burger King warehouse on Milpitas Boulevard and shipping burgers out, King said. Adding to his resume, King also worked with truck rentals, and his father’s laminating company. He then moved to work with a suspension program at Calaveras High School Cal Hills and served as a substitute teacher while there.

King has spent many years in Milpitas and many years at MHS as well. One significant thing that he has gotten from his years here is his relationship with Coach Rodriguez, King said. He keeps

in contact with him on a weekly basis and Rodriguez often helps King out with football during the season, he said. Besides Coach Rodriguez, King has been able to see some of his old teachers that he has built a respect for, he said.

King has two kids, and both of his kids have been able to attend and graduate from MHS. Both children followed a similar path to him as his daughter works at Curtner as a teacher and for the last two years, his son has been coaching football at Leland High School, he said. His son had also continued on the football legacy by playing at MHS, King said.

“Don’t be afraid of greatness in [your] life. Go out and do something great. Success is often overshadowed by hard work,” King said, when asked what he wants students to know.

Jogi shares musical “Message” to thousands

By Rajvee Patel

Listening to music, whether through Airpods or a loudspeaker, has been and is still one of the biggest pastimes among teenagers. It can be nostalgic, and for some, it’s a part of their career.

Junior Maria Jogi is one of the few artists on campus that has decided to act on her passion of writing music.

On Halloween night, Jogi released her first song titled “Message” under her rap name, “RayBuno.” She came up with her rap name by mixing “Ray,” which is the name she uses for her Starbucks orders, and “Buno,” which is a nickname her parents gave her. She recorded the song with

another student on campus, Junior Ethan Frazier who also goes by his rap name “Vandal.”

“It’s for everyone who didn’t learn their lesson,” Jogi said, referring to the “message” behind her piece.

This song is something people can “gig” to, Jogi said. At first, she didn’t want to release her song, but it sounded too good not to.

Jogi added that the song is something even people’s moms can listen to.

“There’s nothing much [to the meaning], I just wanted people to have fun with [the song],” she said during a phone interview.

Her song cover depicts a person in a white mask reaching out towards the camera with neon signs

in the background, Jogi said.

“I was with my friends on Halloween and one of my friends took a sick picture of me, so I used it as my cover,” Jogi said.

Jogi has been writing music ever since the sixth grade. She mentions that she barely spent any time, only 15 minutes, to write “Message.”

She recorded her song in Sunnyvale and released it at midnight. It is now available on multiple platforms including Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, and Apple Music, Jogi said.

Over 4,200 people have listened to “Message” and even though this song is not a part of an album, Jogi plans to release more music in the future, she said.

High schoolers help 8th graders; transition day gets broken down

By Rajvee Patel

The transition from middle school to high school can be a scary one at first. On Jan. 29, ASB hosted an eighth grade transition event to help the incoming freshmen get used to the school, Junior Sherlene Wei said. She was in charge of coordinating the event along with Senior Joshua Carreon and Activities Director Jerrell Maneja.

Everyone was split into groups with two tour guides that led the eighth graders around campus.

After the tour, the eighth graders were brought to the theater where Maneja gave the students a presentation, Wei explained.

“It basically runs the same way every year,” Junior Diya Soneji, one of the tour guides, said. “It really just depends on the crowd that you have. Last year, I had a more talkative crowd and this year, I had a less talkative crowd.”

Wei coordinated this event last year and said that everything ran smoothly. This year, Wei didn’t feel the pressure as much. She hoped that this event helped the incoming eighth graders, from Thomas Russell and Rancho Mil-

pitas Middle School, feel less anxious for the new school year.

“Movies make high school seem really intimidating,” Eighth Grader Rachel Plummer said.

“This experience made me feel more ready for high school and made me feel excited to enroll in the many programs at MHS.” Even though she was disappointed with how short the event lasted, Plummer said she enjoyed seeing the cheerleaders and the military groups perform during the event. The event helped students learn which buildings were used for what subjects and where the satellite kitchens were located, Plummer continued.

“My tour guides were very helpful,” Plummer said. “One of the things that interested me, though, was the gym. It seemed like a well-kept and large gymnasium, and the fact that the seats spelled out “MHS” made me appreciate the pride that this school has,” Plummer said.

Soneji wanted the eighth graders to understand that coming into high school is not the end of the world. She advised the eighth graders to just be true to themselves.

COURTESY OF SJ AACSA

BSU President Nyla Choates (front) and Vice President Karrinngton Kenney (back) converse with a player from the San Francisco 49ers following an early screening of the film ‘Just Mercy’ at the AMC 20 Mercado.

BSU scores movie screening with SF 49ers

By Kathleen Huynh

Members of the Black Student Union (BSU) of MHS were able to enjoy an early screening of the movie Just Mercy with several 49er football players. Set in 1989, Just Mercy follows the career of Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), a newly graduated lawyer from Harvard, as he learns of the inequities of the justice system.

It was an eye-opening experience for BSU members to gain exposure to the struggles that Black Americans face in the justice system, BSU President Nyla Choates said. The African American Community Service Agency (AACSA) of San Jose reached out to them following the black face incident that happened, she added.

“They were proud of the way we handled the situation and invited us to see an early screening of the movie, telling us that it would

be sponsored by the 49ers,” Choates said. “We had no idea that the 49ers players were going to surprise us and actually watch the movie too. The entire opportunity was a once in a lifetime experience, but the reason we got it regarding the black face incident brought up sad emotions. But all of our members are beyond grateful.”

According to Club member Lailani Esparza, Just Mercy was a hit amongst BSU members. It informs viewers about what is actually going on in the justice system. Several parts were frustrating and difficult to watch but overall it was very thought-provoking and inspirational, Esparza described.

“Before the movie I was more excited to see the football players and I wasn’t really focused on the movie,” Esparza said. “Going into the movie, it started to make

me cry. It made me want to be involved in the justice system and help [others]. The football players were encouraging us to take a look into more of this stuff, so it encouraged me.”

Watching the movie with the 49ers added to the whole experience, Choates said. Their presence further solidified that the struggles that come with being black in America are limited to no one, Choates said.

“As they were sitting side by side with us, it was clear that we were equals,” Choates said. “Even though they are professional football players, the color of their skin does not change. They are still black males and the justice system would treat them just the same as any other black male. No matter your status, at the end of the day we were all black in America, and we will all face the same struggles.”

THE UNION

6

ENTERTAINMENT

RATING KEY Ghirardelli Ferrero Rocher lindor DOVE russell stover

YELLOW HEARTS

by Ant Saunders ft.

Audrey Mika

WHAT A MAN GOTTA DO

by Jonas Brothers

LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY

by TAEYEON

These two artists’ voices come together very amazingly to create a good and catchy song.

The Jonas Brothers deliver another hit in this upbeat, catchy track with an equally fun music video.

-Genelle Gogue

-Neval Mulsomerovic

Taeyeon just keeps coming back with powerful songs. Not as catchy as her other songs, but I still love her new song style.

CIRCLES

by Mac Miller

TATOOS TOGETHER

by LAUV

ME & YOU TOGETHER SONG by the 1975

Something about this song makes it universally appealing. Even on repeat, it never gets old.

Tatoos Together’ is a catchy, pop love song about the impulsiveness of falling in love and making rash decisions.

The 1975 brings yet another upbeat song that makes you want to dance everytime you hear it.

-Maliyah Fick

‘Like a Boss’ truly does not “boss up”

iness that is found in the business industry, and her excessive brand name attire and heavy makeup is clearly meant to represent the evil

By Sarah Khan of the beauty industry. The whole movie is from the perspective of “Like a Boss” is a comedy film people in the beauty industry, and that was released on Jan 10. The is supposed to be representative of movie, directed by Miguel Arte- how women feel about self-image ta, stars Tiffany Haddish as Mia, and female empowerment. HowRose Byrne as Mel, Salma Hayek ever, the movie fails to provide as Claire, Billy Porter as Barret, the sense of girl-power that it was and Jennifer Coolidge as Syd- aiming for, because it just makes ney. The film follows the lives of the characters seem one-dimensional and cliche while atbest friends Mia and Mel tempting at humor revolving as they struggle to manaround outdated sex jokes. age their growing business.

The two best friends both Mel and Mia, who have have different mindsets; been best friends since midMOVIE whilevery Mia sees Claire’s offer dle school and live together, REVIEW as ingenuine and suspicious, both run a beauty company Mel sees it as an opportunity together. The two girls appear to be like Yin and Yang, in- they would be foolish to not take. separable and connected at the Mia and Mel can’t see eye to eye, hip. They run into trouble when which causes a conflict in not only they find out their company is go- their business, but also their evering into debt. Desperate for a way lasting friendship. The two always to save their business, the girls believed they would be together begin searching for someone to through thick and thin, and that invest in their company. To their working together on a business luck, a rich, diva woman by the wouldn’t harm their friendship, name of Claire Luna is interested yet because of the stress of their in investing into their business, business, their friendship begins though she wants to bring her to falter. However, as predicted, own changes to their ideas. Claire the two girls realize that Claire is the textbook image of the greed- is trying to get in their head and RATING: 1 out of 5



Music Reviews

-Neval Mulaomerovic

FEBRUARY 2020

quickly end up apologizing and patching up their disagreements.

The main focus of the movie is on the friendship between Mia and Mel, and reiterates the idea that a strong friendship can last through any circumstances or challenges.

The entire plot of two best friends having their first fight because an antagonist tried to come in between their friendship is not a new trope, yet if it is done right, it can work. In the case of this movie, it did not work even the slightest because of how insanely cliche the entire movie was. The film’s attempt at feminist commentary fell short because the whole “girl boss” mentality felt so forced. I found myself cringing throughout the movie, as the humor was bland and the scenes that were supposed to be funny seemed like something that you would see in a skit in a middle school classroom. It was honestly hard to get through the entire 83 minutes of the movie because after the first 30 minutes in, it was already completely predictable what was going to happen next. Overall, “Like A Boss” was nothing but inferior and was an extremely mediocre movie with an unoriginal plot and non-relatable characters.

-Ginnie Lo

-Sarah Khan

COURTESY OF FREEFORM

The Acosta family (left to right) Valentina (Elle Paris Legaspi), Rafael (Arianna and Brianna Cardenas), Emilio (Brandon Larracuente), Beto (Niko Gauradado), and Lucia (Emily Tosta) trying to organize their new life roles.

‘Party of Five’ surely worth five stars; reboot catches up with the new times

tachment to the parents in the beginning, instead they start to develop it as the series continues.

Within the Acosta family, the

By Genelle Gogue oldest is Emilio. He is the only sibling on Deferred Action for ChildThe new series, “Party of Five,” hood Arrivals (DACA), because he was released Jan. 8 on Freeform. came to America when he was just This series is a remake of the 1994 a baby with his parents. Viewers version with the same name, and get to see how hard the transiwill contain 10 episodes, but only tion is for him. He has to choose has seven out currently. The show to put his dreams of being a mushowcases topics such as immi- sician on hold to step up and take gration, family and romantic rela- care of his siblings. Emilio did not have the best relationships tionships, and navigating life with his sibling prior to the which makes the show all the deportation of their parents more interesting to watch. so it takes a clear toll on the The 2020 version of the show is definitely with the TV-SERIES relationships of the siblings.

REVIEW The second oldests are the current times. The original twins, Lucia and Beto. Before show focused on five siblings learning to live together the Acostas had been deported, after their parents had passed Lucia was a perfect student and away, while the new version fo- daughter. She took care of her cuses on five siblings learning siblings, maintained her grades to live together after their par- and never gave her parents a hard ents have been deported. “Party time. Since the Acosta children of Five,” focuses on the Acosta have been sheltered for most of family: Lucia (Emily Tosta), Val- their lives, this is the first time entina (Elle Paris Legaspi), Beto Lucia has experienced a situa(Niko Gauradado), Rafael (Ari- tion that hasn’t gone her way and anna and Brianna Cardenas), and because of that, she acts out. She Emilio (Brandon Larracuente). begins to stay out late, not care The first episode, “Pilot,” hits about school, and hang out with watchers with a bang right away. a different crowd. With the other Within the first 10 minutes of twin, Beto, he is still continuing the episode, the Acosta parents, to struggle with school and even Gloria (Fernanda Urrejola) and more so now that he had to step Javier (Bruno Bichir), are picked up for a little bit to take care of up by ICE officers. It is unlike the restaurant and his youngany show right from the start be- er siblings. Viewers can also see cause creators don’t give you the the tension that builds up bechance to build an emotional at- tween the two brothers over a RATING: 5 out of 5

YUMMY

by Justin Bieber

SUM 2 PROVE

by Lil Baby

ELEVEN

by Khalid

A failure of a comeback, this repetitive, uninspired song is a stain on Justin Beiber’s discography.

Lil Baby releases another song with similar lyrics to his others, and delivers a new and fun beat.

Khalid’s first single of the year is a groovy R&B single with pop undertones, fitting the vibe of his past hits.

-Neval Mulaomerovic

-Genelle Gogue

-Vibha Sastry

THE STORY

by Conan Gray

RUN

by JOJI

HEADACHES

by Raveena

Conan’s new song with soft vocals is different from his other songs, yet still as much of a bop.

Joji’s smooth voice and romantic lyrics pair surprisingly well with a grunge-rock beat in the background.

A blissful melody that simultaneously takes you to a different dimension and soothes your aching soul.

-Sarah Khan

-Alexander Phan

-Tosha Sambhus



girl and how it affects the family.

The fourth in the Acosta family is Valentina, and she struggles the most parting with her parents. She’s a young girl going through puberty and doesn’t have her mom there to guide her. She is constantly trying to talk to her parents any way she can which makes it even harder for her to be independent. The youngest in the family is baby Rafael. Originally he was going to go to Mexico so he could be raised by his parents, but they ultimately knew that Rafael had to stay so he could have a better life. The Acosta siblings all try to navigate their new lives and on top of all that, take care of a baby.

Throughout the show, viewers can see how the siblings try their best to still keep in touch with their old lives while still maintaining their new ones. The series showcases hardships that people have to go through when occurrences like this happen. The show also touches on people who are advocates for people coming to America through the proper channels and how the family has to deal with people like that. Viewers see both sides of the argument.

New episodes of “Party of Five,” come out every Wednesday and I highly recommend you watch.

It is a unique show, not like any other currently out and shines a light on genuinely important topics. It is one of the most realistic and entertaining shows I have watched in a long time.

FEBRUARY 2020

THE UNION

ENTERTAINMENT

7

Seriously, do not f*** with ‘Don’t F**k with Cats’ series they analyze the video to a T, including dismantling the video frame-by-frame, studying the wall outlet to locate the video, and even

By Sean Nguyen locating the vacuum cleaner in the background. This montage of cy“In the seedy underbelly [of ber-investigative work shows the the Internet], there’s an unwrit- power of Internet dwellers and ten rule… Rule Zero. And Rule the wide amount of knowledge Zero is ‘Don’t F**k with Cats.’” that the Internet is capable of.

Something particular this doc“Don’t F**k with Cats,” a Netflix original documentary released umentary does is recreating in Dec 2019, asks two very real the Facebook interface in order questions: How far would you to backtrack Baudi and John’s go to achieve fame, familiarity, thoughts as they watched the and glory and on the other hand, murder unfold. The creators of how far would you go for justice? the documentary creatively utiThis documentary reimagines lized this interface to construct the Luka Magnotta investigation a narrative, crafting characters that tackled the globe by storm through their algorithms and cookies that help us imagin 2012 from an internet ine us in their shoes. For sleuth’s perspective. “Don’t example, Baudi Moovin’s F**k with Cats” follows Baupassword is short, but John di Moovin and John Green, the frontrunners of the on- TV-SERIES Green, someone who is line cat killer investigation, REVIEW more tech savvy, has a longer, more complex password. as they navigate through The Luka Magnotta case landmines of links, puppet accounts, and digital footprints in took the world by storm, robbing the open terrain of Facebook.com. headlines from news outlets like Baudi Moovin is Deanne Thomp- CNN, The Sun, and Global News. son’s Facebook pseudonym which However, all news seldom disshe uses to protect her identity; in cussed the Internet’s role in this real life, she’s a data analyst for a case, who solved the murder far casino in Las Vegas. John Green before the Montreal police could. preferred to keep his pseudonym They simply lacked authority.

The documentary especially for the entire documentary.

In 2010, a video went viral of a highlights Magnotta’s obsessive young man who caresses two kit- ambition for fame, depicting him tens on a bed and places them in as someone who was very vain an air-seal plastic bag, suffocating and luxurious. It’s no doubt that the kittens. Although the docu- this documentary feeds into exmentary does not explicitly show actly what Luka Magnotta wantthis clip, the descriptions and the ed; to bask in the infamy, no matreactions of Baudi Moovin are ter the cost. In the last seconds disturbing enough to make you of “Don’t F**k with Cats”, Baudi squirm. This video sends Face- pierces into the TV screen and book spiraling and the public goes asks if we’re accountable for his feral. However Baudi skeptically murders by watching this docquestions, “What is anyone go- umentary, and suggests that we ing to do about this?” She stum- “turn off the machine.” It’s a scene bles upon a Facebook group page that shattered the fourth wall plotting to discover who the cat and took me aback. The question killer was, which launches the she asked held onto me weeks documentary into full throttle. after, standing out as one of the The documentary follows the most psychological and impresonline sleuths’ techniques and sive true crime documentaries clue-solving skills that would I’ve ever seen. This review only make Sherlock Holmes shed real describes half of the Luka Magtears. In the Facebook group ded- notta case and is definitely worth icated to solve the cat murders, watching (in one sitting, too).

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Bustopher Jones (James Corden) singing “The Cat About Town” as he prances the steets with Victoria (Francesca Hayward) and Mistoffelees (Laurie Davidson). The movie received a 20 percent from Rotten Tomatoes.

‘Cats’ out of the bag as movie falls short; new adaptation shames popular musical of Memory, which was a moving and emotional performance. Macavity (Idris Elba) shows up to kidnap the other cats so he will

By Tosha Sambhus be chosen by default. Bombalurina (Taylor Swift) gives one of the “Cats” is wonderfully horri- worst performances of the entire ble. The movie features A-list cast, when she sings about being celebrities awkwardly crawl- an associate of Macavity. Old Deuing in fur suits, moving their teronomy (Judi Dench), shows arms and ‘tails’ in shockingly up to judge the Jellicle Ball and unnatural ways, and some stun- determine who will be ascending. ningly bad musical numbers.

“Cats,” when on Broadway, The movie starts with Victoria was never known for its plot.

(Francesca Hayward), our pro- It relied on musical and dance tagonist, being thrown out in a numbers, and mainly visuals sack. After being abandoned to attract an audience. by her owners, she starts This movie fell short on associating with the “Jelthat front too. The singers in licle Cats,” a gang of street the movie were far too natcats. The movie progresses ural and relied on a strong MOVIE voice that most of them with different cats taking REVIEW the spotlight. Jennyanydots didn’t have. Their voices (Rebel Wilson), a fat house didn’t mix well together. The cat sings about her troubles in songs lacked in emotion and raw a musical number. Bustopher talent. Honestly, a viewer can’t Jones (James Corden) is a rich focus on anything but the nudity street cat decked out in fancy of these cats. I just don’t underclothing. A particularly enjoyable stand why some of the cats wear musical performance was Rum clothes, while others slink around Tum Tugger’s (Jason Derulo), in their birthday suit. I believe whose refreshing style almost the CGI is designed to make you made me forget that he was naked uncomfortable because there’s in a cat suit. The Jellicle Cats tell honestly no other reason for the Victoria about the Jellicle Ball, editors to have gone that hard. where one special cat is chosen Why are they naked? I repeat, to be born into a new life. Griza- WHY are they naked? Bombalbella (Jennifer Hudson) is a ban- urina is the best example of the ished member of the tribe. One worst CGI I have ever experiof the only redeeming moments enced. Her face doesn’t move with of the film is Hudson’s rendition her body, and the whole dance RATING: 1 out of 5

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sequence feels awkwardly photoshopped. This movie inserted 50 cuts throughout one number.

The fast-paced editing doesn’t allow one to just enjoy the simple beauty of a musical performance.

This is NOT a movie you should watch alone. I made that dreadful mistake. Normally, I would welcome Idris Elba whispering in my ear, but that singing number made me so uncomfortable.

They were really trying some Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). One second, creepy street cats will wrap their tails around Victoria and then they’ll do ballet together. I just get so uncomfortable whenever they move. Why do their arms have to do that?? And WHY do their tails move with them? The movements feel forced and unnecessary and the movie would have been better off without them.

This movie honestly can’t decide what it is. Is it meant to make you uncomfortable? Is it meant to make you laugh? Does it know how bad it is? It’s like Wiseau’s infamous movie, “The Room”. It’s so bad, it’s good and you must experience it once in your lifetime. However, I’d like to reiterate: DO NOT watch it alone. I, personally, love to sleep and this movie has taken that away from me. Everyone hisses at each other. I hated myself 20 minutes in. Judi Dench and “Memory” are the only parts of this movie I enjoy. I’m literally exhausted. This movie drained me.

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‘Little Women’ “March”es to great heights the sisters all stick by each other through thick and thin. While Jo wants to be an author and is pertinacious, Meg is a realist and

By Sarah Khan wants to follow a more traditional lifestyle, Amy wants to pur“Little Women,” a coming- of- sue painting and is headstrong, age period drama directed by and shy Beth plays the piano.

Each of the sisters has a difGreta Gerwig, was released in theatres on Dec. 25. The film is ferent goal for life, which makes an adaptation of the classic novel them all well-developed and inby Louis May Alcott, and it stars dividual characters, despite the Saoirse Ronan (Jo March), Emma fact that Jo is usually considered Watson (Meg March), Timothée the main character. Jo’s narrative is the most controverChalamet (Laurie), Florence sial to the ideals of society Pugh (Amy March), Eliza at the time, as she wants to Scanlen (Beth March), and pursue a writing career in a Laura Dern (Mary March).

MOVIE time when female authors The film, set in the post-civil war era, follows REVIEW weren’t encouraged. Jo is opposed to the idea of marthe lives of the March sisters as they try to navigate their lives riage, which is something that is within their family while trying pushed as an expectation not only to figure out what they want for to her, but also to her sisters Amy their futures. Each of the March and Meg. Saorsie Ronan’s acting sisters is a bright, passionate, and as Jo beautifully captured the raw idealistic character, and through- emotion of frustration, drive, and out the movie I could truly empa- determination that young women thize with the emotions of each. feel when they are continuousThe dynamic the March sisters ly told by everyone around them share encapsulates the experi- to give up their passion to settle ence you’d expect from a group down and just get married. Jo of sisters, as despite their differ- embodies the image of a feminist ences and occasional arguments, icon, someone who continues to RATING: 5 out of 5

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push boundaries and persists regardless of what others tell her.

It wouldn’t be a coming of age film without romance, which presented itself in the lives of Meg, Amy, and surprisingly even Jo, who had never expressed much interest in romance through much of the movie. There were various blossoming romances, but the most emotion-stirring one was the development of Jo and the boy next door, Laurie’s relationship, that grew from a friendship to a one-sided romantic pining that left viewers sympathizing for both of them. That being said, the relationships in the movie change in unexpected ways, bur resolve and fall into place eventually.

Besides the beautifully acted narrative of the movie, the cinematography was also just as stellar, with gorgeous imagery that makes you feel like you are right there with the March sisters. Once I found out that Greta Gerwig was directing the movie, my expectations going in the theatre were set high, and the movie did not disappoint. Along with the cinematic excellence, the soundtrack was perfectly whimsical and elegant.

NEVAL MULAOMEROVIC | THE UNION

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FEBRUARY 2020

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it w o d u o hat do y

Dungeons and Dragons: slay your boredom

By Alexander Phan

Dungeons and Dragons! You’ve probably heard of it as that one really nerdy tabletop roleplaying game featured in shows like “Community,” “Freaks and Geeks,” and more. If you’ve heard about it before, you’ve probably been interested in playing it or just discarded it as a lame nerd’s hobby.

If you’ve ever thought about playing it before, but didn’t understand how the game works or what to do, this article is here to simplify and explain what exactly this geeky phenomenon is.

Very simply put, D&D is a game in which you and a group of friends play as fictional adventurers and roleplay through an adventure which is told entirely through storytelling. The story is created by the Dungeon Master (DM), another person who typically

has some background knowledge of D&D to lead the other players in the game. The DM moderates and runs the game while the other players have fun slaying monsters, exploring the world, and leveling up their own character while on their journeys.

The best part about D&D is that the only limit is the power of your imagination. Since the game takes place almost entirely in storytelling, you can do whatever you want! Want to throw your friend into the air? Want to tame a pack of hyenas? Want to be a super strong warrior? You can do it all and more!

D&D is essentially broken down into three different stages: action, rolling, and results.

In the action stage, players describe exactly what they want to do. This is where most of the fun in D&D takes place. You let your imagination fly

and you can do whatever you want to do! Whether you want to attack a monster, intimidate a shopkeeper, or climb a tree, players explain the action they want their character to do.

With rolling, the player simply rolls a die to determine if their action succeeds. Even if you don’t have dice laying around, an online number generator is always a good alternative.

With the results stage, the DM explains what happens and what the results of your action are. Did you fail and fall on your face? Did you perform an amazing trick and won over the entire city? The DM will let you know! You simply repeat this cycle over and over.

That’s essentially how to play D&D! Now you are ready to unleash your imagination with endless possibilities. Pick up a die, get some friends, and go have some fun!

FEBRUARY 2020

SPREAD

The knitty-gritty of knitting

By Kathleen Huynh

. em

it c i r t c e l hout e

y?

Knitting, which uses two needles, and crocheting, which uses a single hook, are fun and productive pastimes.

Mastering these skills can be rewarding and you would be establishing a lifelong skill. Starting out can be intimidating, so here are some helpful tips: 1. Take advantage of free resources: Between free patterns and tutorials, there are a plethora of resources available to help you kickstart your knitting career.

On YouTube, I recommend watching the tutorials of Jayda InStitches, Melanie Ham, and Daisy Farm Crafts.

Their videos are detailed, slow, and comprehensible. Also, they all have links to free printable patterns and instructions for when wifi isn’t available.

2. Invest in hook and needle sets: Crochet hooks and needles come in many sizes and have corresponding yarn weights. Different projects require different weights of yarn: for socks and bags, thicker and heavier yarn is preferred while for shirts and throw blankets, lighter weights of yarn are typically used. Buying a set of hooks or needles will allow you to have more freedom with your projects.

I recommend getting the sets from Amazon; you can find affordable and high quality hooks and needles.

3. Become a couponer: Knitting and crocheting should not be an expensive hobby. Sign up for the rewards programs at Jo-Ann and Michael’s and take advantage of the coupons. At the beginning of every year, Jo-Ann has their “Yarnormous” sale. I recommend compiling a project list and buying all of the necessary yarn during the sale.

4. Don’t underestimate how much time you’ll need: If you want to crochet or knit something as a gift, plan ahead of time. You’ll need time to learn the pattern, establish muscle memory, and actually make your project. Fair warning: scarves and blankets are very time consuming!

5. It’s okay to start over: To make sure your project turns out the way it’s supposed to for you and count your stitches after finishing every row! If you happen to add or lose a stitch, do not be afraid to redo the row. If you don’t, it’s very likely that your project will turn out wonky and you’ll be kicking yourself for not fixing it when you had your chance to do so.

Mafia: a great way to lose trust in your closest friends

By Kyle Nguyen

Card games are a simple and portable way of passing the time when electricity isn’t an option. In Mafia, a group of people are typically separated into two factions: the town and the mafia. The mafia’s goal is to eliminate and outnumber the town over the course of several night and day cycles while the town tries to collaborate and vote to remove suspected mafia members.

The entire time, a narrator is designated to tell stories of each night’s events and moderate each day’s discussion.

Roles are determined through a set of playing cards randomly distributed to the players by the narrator. In most games, numbers one to 10 are used to designate “townies,” while the royal cards often designate the smaller mafia. The town usually has access to at least two unique

roles: one investigative, one protective.

They are often referred to as the Sheriff and the Doctor (sometimes called the Angel), with the Sheriff assigned via an ace card and the Doctor assigned as a number 2 card.

The players’ roles are revealed to the narrator right before the first night sequence falls. Each “night,” while every other player has their eyes closed, the narrator calls upon the mafia, Sheriff, and Doctor to wake up and perform their unique nightly actions before sending them back to sleep. The mafia must silently communicate to pick a single townsperson to eliminate each night in order to dwindle the town’s number advantage. The Sheriff picks a single player each night to investigate, with the narrator quietly confirming to them whether or not the target is a member of the mafia. The Doctor chooses an

individual to heal or protect each night, preventing them from being eliminated by the mafia if they happen to be attacked. In most games, the Doctor may also choose to protect themselves if they feel the need to, though the number of times they may be able to is up to the narrator’s discretion.

The key aspect to Mafia is that nobody knows what the other players’ roles are, with the exception of the mafia. While the mafia work with each other to lead away suspicion and get the town to turn against itself, the townies should be wary of who they trust and focus on or listen to. Mafia members are encouraged to lie, argue, and do anything in their power to ward suspicion away from themselves during daytime discussions.

The town must figure out quickly who they can count on, or risk ultimately breaking apart at the hands of the mafia.

THE UNION

9

The Union

10 To: Fernan Valdez

From: Anon

you’re cute <3

To: ZZ

From: Someone

I think you’re really cute. GG CPDD <3

To: Gerg

From: Ging

Go to prom with me? //UWU\\

To: Eleanor Nguyen

From: Anonymous

I have loved you since the womb. Please marry me.

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

He He Who Who He He

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

this is the 8th i think lol

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

Hopefully you got the 12 grams I paid for LOL

To: Hugo Mahatdejkul

From: Hugo Mahatdejkul

Instagram: hugondnnd go follow me. Aaron Blume is not that cool, he commits crimes.

February 2020

dedications

It’s Cheesy but It’s True. . .

I Love You!

To: Lunna Li

To: Ellie Liu

To: Blanket Rich Kids

From: No One

Money is most important thing in this world.

To: Chloe Wang

From: Sven Morley

Thank you for being the greatest friend ever Chloe!

To: Mia Liu

From: Thi Nguyen, Vijeta Ramasamy, Jasroop Klair

Happy Early Birthday!!!

Best person, Joseph loves you :)

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

Happy 1 year anniversary!!!

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

I’m thinking what to put for the others :P

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

You should listen to the song I put on one of these

To: Shiva

From: Nelly

One of my favorite people ever, I’ll support you always.

Love you mister <3

To: Addison Nguyen

From: The Boys

Just remember, when you’re in a dark place the sun of hope will always rise again to empower you for another day.

To: Parleen Kaur

From: Camille Coriell

From: Lunna Li

Hey, you single Pringle!

Love yourself, support the Union!

From: ∆V=v

I love y’all more than electrons love high voltage!

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

Shoutout to Parleen for being such a generous and loving person! Love you, sis!

Listen to “Fly me to the moon” by Yoko Takahashi.

To: Felice Nguyen

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

Hope you enjoy the grams!!!

Thanks for always helping me.

To: Felice Nguyen

To: Fernan Valdez

From: Caton Nguyen

We should hang out more.

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

Pretty cool since I’ve known you for 9 years? (Think that’s right).

To: Felice Nguyen

From: Caton Nguyen

Thanks for making my decade :)

To: Collette Shu

From: Dennis To

Help me Collette. Rachel is holding me hostage and forcing me to write this against my will.

From: Anon

You’re cute <3

To: Shania From: Jotaro Kujo

Yare Yare daze.

To: Mr. Barrett

From: the monkies

thanks for our new catchphrase, MR DINO. 60 million years but you still look....at least 80!

To: Me (Giuliana)

From: Me (Giuliana)

Follow me @giulianasamonte and vote for me for senior class vice president (2021) :) Have a good Valentine’s

FEBRUARY 2020

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12

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LIFESTYLE

GINNIE LO | THE UNION

Shown in front of their “Instagram-worthy” flower background are the All Season Oolong Milk tea (left) and Passion Fruit and Peach Green tea.

Cha Cha not worth the hype; does not dance with tastebuds

By Ginnie Lo

Cha Cha is a new cafe that offers a variety of drinks, snacks, and activities. The shop has become known for its Instagram-able decorations.

When I first walked in, my jaw dropped. The walls were covered with murals and flowers, and there was a corner for people to pose in front of angel wings and a teddy bear. Everything in this shop was photo-worthy, especially the iridescent cups and angel cup holders. Surprisingly, there was also a karaoke booth where you could privately sing with microphones and headphones, and an area to

play games on an X-Box. I had high expectations once I saw the fairytale-like interior, but I do not think there is anything special about their drinks. I ordered the Passion Fruit and Peach Green Tea with lychee jelly and 50% sugar, and the Fresh Brewed All Season Oolong Milk Tea with tapioca pearls and 50% sugar.

The Passion Fruit and Peach Green Tea was the better of the two drinks I ordered. The passion fruit was strong, yet perfectly sweet. It had a peachy taste and the lychee topping complemented the drink well. There was no artificial taste in the tea and it tasted very refreshing. I liked everything

about the tea. I paid $4.75 for the drink, and I do not regret anything about it. Overall, 5/5.

The Fresh Brewed All Season Oolong Milk Tea was probably the worst milk tea I have ever tasted.

At first, it was not sweet enough, so I had to ask for more sugar. It was the blandest milk tea even with the added sugar. There was not even a hint of milk, oolong, or any tea flavoring at all. In addition, the tapioca pearls had no flavor at all. The texture was similar to a hard rubber. I really did not like the drink, even though its rainbow-like packaging was cuter than the fruit tea’s. I definitely do not think this drink was worth $5.25. I would rate it a 0.5/5 for its cute packaging.

If you check in on Yelp and buy two drinks, you can get one free set of fries. There were a lot of flavor options. The two most popular are BBQ and Sour Onion Fries. I chose the Sour Onion, and I enjoyed it. It was sweet yet salty. The fries were skinny and crunchy. For free fries, it is a 5/5.

Everything about the boba shop was so detailed and stunning, but the drinks tasted like any other boba place. The packaging was not that environmentally-friendly, since everything was made of plastic and paper. I would recommend the fruit drinks and just going for the Instagram photos. They have a lot of activities, seating, and open space. Cha Cha is a great place to go with friends and family.

The Rice House is a nice house for comfort food

By Ginnie Lo

This restaurant is perfect for anyone looking for a traditional, comforting, Chinese dish. Their menu consists of a variety of soups and clay pots to choose from.

I was not expecting much from this restaurant to begin with, especially because their dishes looked easy to make. Although their ingredients are simple, the dishes themselves are hard to perfect. I ordered the Chicken with Dried Mushrooms Clay Pot Rice and a Watercress Stewed with Dried Duck Gizzard.

My Chicken with Dried Mushrooms Clay Pot Rice dish looked plain. It was just rice, chicken, mushrooms, and two broccoli pieces on the top. However, after adding two teaspoons of their housemade sweet soy sauce, everything was enhanced. It was a mixture of comfort and sweetness. The chicken was lightly

seasoned. Additionally, my order took 20 minutes, which leads me to believe that I was eating something freshly made. The mushroom was a nice combination of saltiness with the sweet chicken. The rice itself was moist, not sticky, and crunchy at the bottom.

You can tell your server whether you want the rice to be a bit scorched or burnt. The bottom of my rice came to me in a light, caramel brown shade that is hard to perfect without overburning in a clay pot. The portion size was a bit small to have cost $12. In the end, I was satisfied with my meal, and I would rate this dish a 4/5.

The Watercress Stewed with Dried Duck Gizzard came in a small cup, but it was filling. This was the better of the two dishes I ordered, because it tasted like my grandma’s food. Everything about it was authentic, strong, and tasty.

The duck gizzard was soft, and it

MALIYAH FICK | THE UNION

The cafe’s “picturesque” interior includes pink and white florals hanging from the ceiling, many chandelliers, and sets of pink tables and chairs.

K Cafe was more than an okay cafe

By Maliyah Fick

ALEXANDER PHAN | THE UNION

With a very floral, pink and white enchanted forest ambience, K Cafe Patisserie & Tea House makes for an adorable and picturesque hangout spot. From their decor to their drinks and desserts, everything about this little cafe was nothing short of magical.

As far as the aesthetic decorations of the cafe go, I was com-

pletely taken away by them. The pictures that I saw online of their ceiling, which is adorned with white and pink flowers, green vines, small chandeliers, and cages with fake birds inside, first caught my attention. Standing inside of the cafe felt as if I were in a magical fairytale garden. On one of the walls is a mural of a street with buildings that also say, “K-Cafe and K Kitchen” right next

tasted and looked like pork. However, I did not like how much fat and bone there was on the meat, but that is part of the authenticity of a traditional meal. I think this dish made the distance between my grandma in Long Beach and me feel smaller as it reminded me of her cooking. The dish was worth the price of $5. I rate this a 5/5.

The Rice House was nice and welcoming. The walls have Chinese writing and the food was traditional. Everything about this place was clean and comforting.

The visuals of the dishes were not that great, but the taste was authentic. I would recommend The Rice House for anyone who misses traditional Chinese or Cantonese food, but I do not think the clay rice pots are worth the price.

Overall, I thought the food was delicious.

to their outdoor seating area. The entrance leading up to the cafe has a trellis arch with string lights all over it, as well as a garden area to add to the theme of the cafe.

When I took a look at the menu before deciding to pay the cafe a visit, I noticed that they have oat milk available upon request, with a $0.50 extra charge, for those who want a dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, carrageenan-free, and vegan friendly alternative to their drinks, but this is only available for select drinks.

When I visited, I tried their matcha latte, iced flan coffee drink with coffee jelly and boba, and strawberry french custard toast.

The matcha latte had a bitter aftertaste to it. The toast and the flan coffee drink, however, were the best part of the trip. The toast was crunchy on the crust and soft on the inside, and the cream wasn’t too sweet. The coffee flan had a strong coffee taste, but wasn’t too bitter.

The cafe was pleasing to the eye and also to my taste buds. I will definitely be going back to test out more of their menu. It wasn’t too crowded and seemed like the perfect place for dessert and to hang out with friends.

FEBRUARY 2020

SPORTS

THE UNION

13

Boys basketball team shoots and scores win

By Genelle Gogue

DEVIKA KUMAR | THE UNION

Senior Melodie Stice warms up during after-school practice before joining the rest of the basketball team.

Stice has been a part of the basketball team since freshmen year, though she began playing in third grade.

Student athlete of the month: Melodie Stice

By Devika Kumar

Senior Melodie Stice is on the Girls Varsity Basketball team.

Stice spoke about her experience in basketball and how much she loves this team-oriented sport. According to Stice, basketball is one of the most important things she has done throughout high school.

Q. When and why did you start basketball?

A. I started playing basketball in third grade because my parents wanted me to play a sport.

Q. What do you enjoy most about basketball?

A. I enjoy the camaraderie that comes with being on a team. The connections and friends you make are priceless. Plus, even though it is a team sport, there’s still room to grow and get better individually.

Q. How do you prepare for a game and what is your mindset before a game?

A. I prepare for a game both mentally and physically; you have to be in the mindset that you’re going into a game to work hard with your teammates and to win. Physically, I make sure I’m eating healthy and

drinking plenty of water. Also, listening to music that gets me hyped before a game is essential.

Q. What do you think about when playing basketball?

A. I think about how my teammates and friends are counting on me to do my part and put in 100 percent effort. I also think about everything my coach has taught me that I can use in the game.

Q. How do you deal with bad days?

A. I deal with bad days by remembering that bad days don’t last forever and that just because I didn’t play how I wanted to doesn’t mean I can’t take away things from the game in order to improve and be better the next time.

Q. What advice would you give to a new basketball player or someone who wants to be on the varsity team?

A. Some advice I would give would be to just go for it and try out because in the end, if it means a lot to you, you’re going to regret not trying out and participating. Also, practicing and conditioning before tryouts are the most important things

you can do to prepare yourself for the intensity of basketball.

Q. What do you consider to be some of your best accomplishments?

A. Some of my best accomplishments would be participating in basketball and putting in hard work every year for four years.

It takes a lot of dedication, and it made my high school experience much more fulfilling and fun. Also, coming back from injuries and putting in 100 percent effort even when it was difficult.

Q. How do you motivate yourself during a game if things are not going so well for you?

A. When things aren’t going good for me in a game, I take solace in the fact that no matter what, I still have teammates, friends, and family rooting for me and that motivates me to be better for them.

Q. How do you feel when you win versus when you lose?

A. When we win I am very happy and proud of my team, but am still aware of things we could do better. When we lose I am very proud of the effort and I’m always looking to find ways to improve.

School board goes full nine yards for football team

By Celine Nghiem

The Milpitas School Board recognized the MHS football team for winning the state championship at a meeting on Jan. 14, Football Player Andrew Avila said. The football coaches were also given recognition and received certificates for their hard work in leading the team to victory at the state championship tournament, he added.

The school board presented the awards and then allowed a brief intermission so that the team could take pictures, Cheerleader Elizabeth Heydon said. The rec-

ognition was well-deserved, she said.

“Not just the team got recognized, but all the coaches and all the cheer coaches [were recognized] as well,” Heydon said. “I think it was well-deserved and I am thankful that the cheer team was able to go with the football players.”

Receiving the recognition was a great honor, Coach Kelly King said. Winning a state championship was challenging, but rewarding, he said.

“It’s very difficult to do,” King said. “There are over 1200 schools in the state, and we were fortu-

RACHEL WU | THE UNION

Citizens of Milpitas and fans of the MHS football team march in the parade recognizing the team’s recent win in the state championships.

nate enough to win a state title.”

The team had been working toward state championships since Nov. 2018, Avila said. They began lifting weights after losing a playoff against Menlo-Atherton High School, he said. King had encouraged them throughout their training, he added.

“Coach King’s always been telling us that our goal is to never give up,” Avila said. “He’s always believed in us and he’s been telling us he believed in us.”

This is the second time the football team has been recognized by the school board in recent years, Avila said. The team won a state title in 2017 as well, he said. “[The recognition] was pretty cool because it was my second time doing it,” Avila said. “I was part of the 2017 state championship team, so the whole time I was like, ‘I remember doing this again.’”

The football team had not started this past season well, Avila said.

However, they were able to turn their situation around with the help of King, he added.

“After we started the season going one in six, everybody was kind of down, but he never lost faith in us,” Avila said. “And we just bounced back and went on a ninewin streak at the end and just did it all.”

Avila expressed his gratitude to the cheer team for encouraging the football players. He was glad they had supported the team throughout the season, he said.

“They’ve been there since the start,” Avila said. “It was nice for them to be there at the end.”

Over Winter break, the Varsity Boys Basketball team went undefeated and won first place in The Cain Classic Tournament, Captain Shivam Saraiya said. The tournament is two days long and MHS was one of four teams that participated, he said.

The Cain Classic Tournament is an annual tournament that celebrates the Former Varsity Head Coach Steve Cain, Saraiya said. The boys worked really well together in the tournament and were able to make good calls, he said.

“The tournament gave us a boost, not to say that we’re better than everyone else, but I think it boosted our confidence a little bit and sets an expectation on how we should play every other game for this season,” Saraiya said.

It was the first time playing in the tournament for Sophomore

Luke Dillon. The energy from the student section was infectious and made the tournament even more fun to play in, he said. In both games Dillon tried to contribute to the team’s wins as much as he could by giving his all on defense and making extra passes to help his teammates, he said.

“I felt like the teams we played this year were better than last year,” Dillon said. “This year the team performed at the same level last year did. The overall tournament this year just felt more energetic due to the student section.”

In the tournament, the team’s chemistry was good, Coach Champ Wrencher said. They were able to come together at the right time and play well offensively, he said. The team does a good job at getting shots, but they don’t always make them, he said. Although, the first-place title really gave the team confidence, Wrencher said.

GENELLE GOGUE | THE UNION

Captain Shivam Saraiya goes head to head with his Los Altos opponent.

Soccer girls kick it with mayor

By Faria Moiz

Evelyn Fu

Mayor Richard Tran paid for the Girls’ Varsity Soccer dinner as a response from a request from one of the team dinner organizers for the girls soccer team, Coach Michael Tomlin said. This dinner was located in the MHS food court on Jan. 9, he added.

The girls soccer team had a mid-season dinner catered by Taqueria Las Vegas. However they ate in the cafeteria as usual, according to Tomlin.

“A parent heard that the Mayor had bought dinner for the football team during their season so she called him out on it and suggested that he buy dinner for the girls varsity soccer team,” Tomlin said.

“He gladly agreed to it.”

Coordinator Barbara King was the primary coordinator with the Mayor for the dinner. Recently,

the Mayor has sponsored another one of the team’s dinners from Pizza Box, King said. She said that she thought of asking him after seeing his social media posts about the football dinners.

“The simple answer is that we as a team, parents, players, and coaches, were seeing the mayors social media posts about weekly team dinners for the football team,” King said. “I reached out to the mayor to ask about him sponsoring the varsity girls’ team dinners. He graciously agreed stating ‘anything for our kids.’”

Midfielder Ashley Magaña added that they heard that football had sponsored dinners by the mayor and thought it would be nice to also have one sponsored by the Mayor as well. As a matter of record, Transparent California recorded that Mayor Rich Tran has a regular pay of $13, 568.88 as of 2018.

Badminton welcomes new coach as Maneja balances new duties

By Kathleen Huynh

Despite also being the activities director, Varsity Badminton Coach Jerell Maneja believes balancing his two commitments will not be much of an issue, he said.

It will all come down to looking at the badminton and activities schedules, Maneja added.

There will also be a new Junior Varsity (JV) Badminston coach, Maneja said. Coach Johnny is a certified badminton coach and he is a parent of one of the varsity athletes, he added.

“It’s a valuable opportunity for us to get a second pair of eyes from someone who is experienced in the sport,” Maneja said. “I’m excited for the JV group this year to have someone who is experienced in coaching.”

Even with a new title as the ac-

tivities director, the same coaching style is to be expected, Maneja said. Players will continue to have some independence in practicing with light direction, he added.

“In the end, I’ve always tried to balance being a guide but also allowing [the athletes] to grow,” Maneja said. “In my mind, I’m a teacher first and coach second.

Part of my teaching philosophy is that everyone deserves an opportunity to grow on their own but they’re not going to do it on their own unless I give some input, so I’ve never felt myself to be a very strong hands-on coach.

Being a coach and activities director will take a lot of time and energy, Maneja said. However, whether or not he wants to continue to be a coach is not fully dependent on how the season goes, he added.

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Trojan Olympics selection revamped to ensure fairness

By Rachel Wu

The selection process for Trojan Olympics (TO) teams has changed from a random drawing to a merit-based system, Activities Director Jerrell Maneja said.

Students now showcase their talents to class officers, allowing for a more fair opportunity to be chosen, he added.

Before, the process was that the officers were able to select six reserved spots, and the remainder would be drawn randomly, one by one in different rooms, Maneja said. Historically, we found that a lot of the process wasn’t specific enough, leading to too many different interpretations of the reservation process, Maneja continued. We ultimately needed to create a more structured system that is much easier to follow so that all classes have a fair chance to create a team that is representative of their class, Maneja said.

“After discussion, we wanted to make adjustments to the process to give more influence to the officers to select teams and also take the process of random selection out from their hands so that

we can regulate and ensure it is completely transparent and fair to the process as a whole,” Maneja said. “We’ve had many significant changes in the procedure; for example, the senior officers did a tryout where they demonstrated the routine for a dance in a prior year,” Maneja added. “They asked people to learn it in a few days and show up to a dance tryout where they demonstrated the choreography, and the selections were made off of that, so people who have never been on the team are now being selected and are able to showcase their talents.”

There were some accusations that claimed that the process catered to those that the current officers favored or that the process wasn’t transparent because it was not known if all the names were even in the box, Maneja said.

There were a lot of murmurs, not ones that were necessarily credible, but we decided to act, Maneja continued. This is more of a proactive change than a reactive change, Maneja added.

“Ultimately what’s been happening is that a lot of classes have taken initiative to interview and

evaluate students based on what they can bring to the team, so the quality of the team in general may be higher because now, rather having a team purely selected through random chance, individuals who can showcase their artistic ability or their dance skills or their athleticism have a chance to have a way to get on the team by showcasing their skills,” Maneja said. “It’s created far more engagement, and we have more people than ever applying to the team.”

Since Trojan Olympics is very important to all of us, and we all want fairness during this time, this is very important, Leadership student Helen Nguyen said.

However, since things are changing, people shouldn’t be taking advantage of this opportunity so that we can continue to benefit from a new system, Nguyen added.

“The new selection process for TO sounds cool,” Junior Eleanor Nguyen said. “Auditioning for TO would benefit the team because you can make sure all the roles are filled by capable people.”

California amendment allows 17 year-olds to vote

By Rachel Wu

An amendment to Article II of the California Constitution lowering the voting age from 18 to 17 (ACA 8) may be on the November 23, 2020 ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, BallotPedia, a nonprofit and nonpartisan political encyclopedia written by researchers and writers, wrote. It must be approved by the State Assembly and State Senate first to appear on the ballot, BallotPedia continued.

California is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot, BallotPedia wrote. That amounts to a minimum of 54 (of 80) votes in the California State Assembly and 27 (of 40) votes in the California State Senate, assuming no vacancies, BallotPedia continued. On August 26, 2019, the California State Assembly approved ACA 4 in a vote of 57-

16, BallotPedia wrote. However, the California Legislative Information website published that the last recorded action on the amendment was on September 4th, 2019.

In a submitted argument to the State Assembly in support of the constitutional amendment, “Extending voting rights to 17-yearolds can spur a long-term increase in turnout, because voting is habitual, and research shows that age 17 is a better time than 18 to establish the habit,” Generation Citizen, a civic engagement organization, wrote. “ACA 8 builds on these efforts with a solution that has proven effective in the dozen countries that allow voting by citizens under age 18, and in the municipalities in the United States that have taken such a step.”

However, other organizations have expressed opposition to the constitutional amendment to the State Assembly. 17-year-olds are legal minors, children who live at home and are likely under the

strong influence of their parents, Election Integrity Project California, a nonprofit for defending election integrity, wrote. This is not conducive to independent thought and voting without undue pressure from their immediate superiors as 17- year-olds will almost always still be in high school and under the strong influence of their teachers, Election Integrity Project California continued. This again makes it less likely that they would be expressing their own, independently thought-out choices were they to be allowed to vote, Election Integrity Project California wrote.

“ACA 8 had the support of most Democrats—56 of 61,” BallotPedia wrote. “Most Republicans opposed the constitutional amendments—2 of 18 supported,” BallotPedia added.

“The 40-member state Senate is composed of 29 Democrats and 11 Republicans. At least 27 votes are needed in the Senate to pass a constitutional amendment.”

data: MUSD leaks staff’s personal information FROM PAGE 1 of this friend, but he guaranteed that his friend also did not open the attachment either and has deleted the file, Liu said. In general, the situation was handled very poorly, and the fault lies with the law firm he continued.

“Before [Lozano Smith Law Firm] contacted me and told me [the file] contained sensitive information, I did forward it to my friend,” Liu said. “After [Lozano Smith Law Firm] told me, I told my friend ‘Okay, don’t open it.’ My friend did not open the email and did not open the attachment, and all the copies were deleted. [Lozano Smith Law Firm] is not doing a good job. They should be sued.”

Teachers’ Union Site Representative Brett Webber said he was elected by the teachers of MHS to represent them in union matters. This position also includes the conditions for teachers’ interactions with the school district.

Webber added that the Milpitas Teachers Association (MTA) has not met about this matter, so there is no additional information besides the email sent to all teachers.

“I have no additional knowledge, except what has been shared with us by HR, Human Resourc-

es, and the district,” Webber said.

“I believe there are still a lot of questions that we would like answers to. I’m not sure that things have been settled. They have given us as much information, I think, as the district has.”

However, there was a meeting on Feb. 12, 2020 between the MTA and the law firm, Webber said. He added that after the meeting, the teachers would have more information than that which has been given by the district.

“There will be a meeting, I want to say [Wednesday] the 12th,” Webber said in an interview about a week after being notified.

“There will be a meeting at which the law firm who caused the breach will be here to talk to us.

And hopefully, by then, we will have more and better answers.”

The fault lies in the law firm even though it was the district who gave the information to them, Webber said. As for compensation, the law firm will provide two years of Equifax, a credit monitoring agency, for everyone who has been influenced by the data release, he added.

“So, what we have heard, and we’ve all been notified individ-

ually, the law firm will provide two years of credit monitoring for everyone affected,” Webber said. “The district office did what is absolutely normal and what is customary and what is expected of the district. So even though the district provided the information, the error lies with the law firm.”

From what he has heard from the district, the people who got the file deleted it, Schletzbaum said. He added that the law firm supposedly sent a cease and desist letter once they had noticed they sent the unredacted file.

What was supposed to be on the redacted file was the names of the teachers, where they worked, their salaries, et cetera, which is public information.

“This is the lawyer for the law firm of the district,” Schletzbaum said. “So as [the district’s] attorney, if they’re defending you about something or representing you, you need to give them all the information. They’re supposed to be doing this stuff in secret. So they’re supposed to redact it and then pass it on to the attorney for whoever’s requiring the other stuff.“

February 2020

Eye on Campus: Multicultural Rally

Sean nguyen | THE UNION

Members of MHS Chinese Club put on a stunning display during the Multicultrual Rally. They performed a traditonal fan and ribbon dance.

MUSD starts anti-vaping project to spread awareness on effects

By Neval Mulaomerovic

MUSD, in partnership with School Board Representatives Kush Brahmbhatt and Timothy Griggs, is implementing a district-wide anti-vaping initiative, Brahmbhatt said. The goal of the initiative is to spread awareness about the negative effects of vaping and to reach out to students who are currently addicted to vaping, he said.

The program plans to use teenagers rather than adults to get their messages across because students are more willing to listen to their peers, Brahmbhatt said. After spreading information about the harms, the program will provide different solutions and counseling resources to help them stop their dependence on vaping. “[Vaping] is becoming a big problem,” Brahmbhatt said. “We are planning to use social media as one of the main mediums to get people the information that we want to get across. We are planning to talk to not just high schoolers, but also middle schoolers so that they are aware of the dangers of vaping before they are exposed to it too much.”

Santa Clara County, the City of Milpitas, and MUSD are all working together on the program, Board of Education Vice President Chris Norwood said. To expand the program to reach more students, district-wide communication channels and city-sponsored rehab programs can be used, he said.

“Kids as young as 12 years old are permanently damaging their lungs all over the country,” Norwood said. “As a Board member, I can recommend tough rules [such as] suspension or expulsion. I’m interested in seeing if the Milpitas youth can come together with a better long term solution.

I asked [Brahmbhatt] to do the research, learn what’s going on, and to build a team of students to provide the best answers.”

In the future, the initiative may use a school-wide survey to get a count of how many people know about vaping or currently vape.

“If we gather data about how much students [vape], then we can figure out what to do,” Brahmbhatt said. “It’s a hard thing to admit and we probably won’t ever pinpoint who is doing it, but we can target the whole school in general.”

The district currently uses many informational materials, signs, and posters to educate students and discourage them from vaping, Norwood said. However, that might not be enough to solve the issue at hand, he said.

“Sometimes those materials have the opposite effect,” Norwood said. “Telling a kid not to do something is like saying ‘I think you should try this and not tell anyone.’ Different kids from different cultures vape for various reasons. What the district has discovered over the past 4 months is that we see each other everyday but aren’t close enough to each other to make a positive impact or assist in decision making. We need students to help work with students.”

Griggs got involved in the project because he saw his friends get punished for substance abuse, he said. Students may have begun vaping so frequently because vaping products are so accessible in stores and because some store owners do not even ask for identification from teenagers, he said.

“One of my ideas was to have some of the school’s staff check the bathrooms, especially during passing period, or have vacant areas or blind spots monitored,” Griggs said. “I don’t want students to feel subjugated and those with nicotine addictions to have an even harder time in school.

I figure that classes similar to sex-ed, but focused on substance abuse would make an impact to inform people of the risks of the choices they make.”

Corrections In the December issue of The Union, it was incorrectly stated that an ‘Ethnic Studies’ class was being considered at MHS and will be taught

by Teacher Tonichi Lorenzana. We stated that Lorenzana would be teaching the class. In fact, Lorenzana was simply considering teaching the class. We at The Union apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.

In the October issue of The Union, we incorrectly stated that a new California bill will push California school start times from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m by July 1, 2020. While school start times are being changed to 8:30 a.m., this change will not be effective until the 2022-2023 school year. We apologize for any inconveinence this may have caused.