OP-ED 2-3
UN
FE AT U R E S 4 - 5
FEBRUARY 2017
Volume XXVIII Issue V
D E D I C AT I O N S 6 -7
S PR E A D 8 - 9
T HE
L I F E S T Y L E 10 -11
STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL
Aeries Student Information System to replace SchoolLoop next semester BY NICHOLAS WAN
SchoolLoop is going to be fully replaced by the Aeries Student Information System next year because of the rising costs of using SchoolLoop software, according to Principal Philip Morales. The Milpitas Unified District Office made the decision to transition to Aeries earlier this year, with all schools in MUSD making the transition, Morales said. A committee of administrators and teachers was formed to determine alternative options to SchoolLoop, but no MHS teachers were included, Morales explained. Presentations by Aeries and a similar service, Infinite Campus, were given to the committee, with a survey being sent out to gauge opinions, Morales said. “The survey asked about the strengths and weaknesses of each software,”Morales said. “My guess is that the district office based their decision on the survey responses, with Aeries being chosen because of our previous experience with the software.” Teachers were informed of the change to Aeries during a recent meeting, according to Spanish Teacher Natalya Selitser. Though the announcement was unexpected, the underlying justifications were reasonable, Selitser said. “I understand that the district had to reconsider options due to the money issue,” Selitser explained. “As long as Aeries works the same as SchoolLoop, there should be no problems.” The decision to not include MHS teachers in the process of choosing which program to replace SchoolLoop with was disappointing, according to World Languages Department Lead Teresita Romero. Though it is helpful that the school website will all be on one platform, MHS teachers should not be underrepresented in important decisions in the district, Romero said. Science Department Lead Roberto Alvelais shared a similar opinion about the committee composition. The elementary schools had more priority during the decision making process, according to Alvelais.
N EWS IN BR IEF Upcoming standardized test dates The next SAT date is Mar. 11, and the deadline to register is Feb. 10. The upcoming ACT date is April 8.
“I don’t like how they didn’t check with the cadre of MHS teachers because our needs vary from department to department and also from the elementary schools,” Alvelais said. “And to have us use a program that is potentially catered towards an elementary setting isn’t going to work for us here; that said, I don’t know if Infinite Campus is the better option as I haven’t used it before.” Some students are outraged by the replacement of SchoolLoop. Not having SchoolLoop is going to make grade tracking extremely difficult, Junior Vedant Patel said. “SchoolLoop always helps you know what to do to improve your grade and allows you to immediately notice if something went wrong so you can notify your teacher,” Patel elaborated. “SchoolLoop has become a natural part of our student lives that helps us stay organized and on task; not having SchoolLoop would be detrimental to student grades.” The rising costs for using SchoolLoop is significant enough that other school districts are searching for alternatives, Morales said. The school website is also being changed, with a Google site being the next planned platform, Morales stated. “The district dropped SchoolLoop due to costs either doubling or tripling,” Morales said. “SchoolLoop was initially sold at a discount, but after we were locked in, SchoolLoop started charging more as time went on, prompting the district office to act.” The change was met with approval by some students. Junior Kevin Dai expressed his relief that SchoolLoop was being dropped. “I believe the cost to maintain SchoolLoop is a ripoff if that is what is happening,” Dai explained. “Our other school programs are already underfunded, so the change would greatly benefit the school.” A pilot course is planned in April for both teachers and students to familiarize themselves with Aeries, Morales said. Information Technology personnel from the district office will also be sending out the timeline for the transition within the coming month, Morales added.
S P O R T S 15
MHSTHEUNION.COM For the latest updates
Brandon Wettenstein | THE UNION
The new SJCECCD campus extension in Milpitas (left) offers its first two classes for Milpitas High and Calaveras Hills students. On Jan. 30, Dr. Jiang (right) began teaching the Introduction to Business class in one of the classrooms.
Dual-enrollment classes start at Milpitas extension BY BROOKE TRAN
The San Jose Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) extension campus in Milpitas has finally opened with two classes for Milpitas High and Calaveras Hills students after a lengthy process, according to Counselor Beth Harke. From conception to the opening of the first classes on Jan. 30, the process has taken over ten years, Harke said. Based off a survey asking for MHS student opinions in Nov. 2016 and what classes were most popular on the college campus, the two dual-enrollment classes chosen to be offered are Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (Anthro 63) and Introduction to Business (Bus 82), Harke explained. Approximately 30 students were enrolled in each of the classes, with a few people on the waiting list. The classes take place after school from 3:15 to 4:40 P.M. on Mondays and Wednesdays or on Tuesdays and Thursdays, depending on which class students are taking, Harke said. “Honestly, why we talked about [building a local extension campus] was to have something for the community,” Harke stated. “To have something in Milpitas that not only our students can utilize but the com-
Eye on Campus: Jan. 13
munity as well, so maybe people who can’t get out to Mission College or Ohlone or De Anza, or have time constraints, or whatever, can just come out here and take a class. Or even for you guys in the summer: they could just walk across the street and take a class.” The conception of the community college extension campus came into existence with former Superintendent of the Milpitas Unified School District Cary Matsuoka and SJECCD Chancellor Dr. Rita Cepeda, according to San Jose City College Vice President of Academic Affairs Duncan Graham. In May 2013, the SJECCD Board of Trustees passed a resolution to approve the project using bond funds, and the project was completed on Nov. 23, 2016, Graham stated. “SJECCD has been looking to better serve the needs of the resident in Milpitas and surrounding areas with accessible and relevant post-secondary course. They also looked to improve regional economic development opportunities by providing access to career and technical education,” Graham explained. “One of the unique features of the Milpitas Extension is that SJECCD owns the building and MUSD owns the land—a
Spring Play The spring play “She Kills Monsters” will premiere on Mar. 23 and will also be shown on Mar. 24 and 25. Trojan Olympics Trojan Olympics will take place on Mar. 31. The preceding week will be a spirit week from Mar. 27 to 31. ASB announcements ASB Commissioner applications are already available in J-17 and will be due on Mar. 9. Shreeya Aranake | THE UNION
DJ Strawberry from 99.7 NOW! Radio visits MHS during the hour-long lunch on Jan. 13. Students at the stage enthusiastically dance to the latest hits.
true collaboration between both districts,” Graham added. The whole process with the Milpitas extension campus has been a joint project between the two districts of MUSD and SJECCD. SJECCD includes Evergreen Valley College (EVC) and San Jose City College (SJCC), and so both will be utilizing the campus, Graham stated. “In January 2015, SJCC was appointed as the college that was to coordinate and run the site,” Graham continued. “And in fall 2017, EVC will also offer classes at Milpitas Extension. Along with our two colleges, the partnership includes Milpitas High, Calaveras Hills High, and Milpitas Adult Education School.” They are trying to start off slow with only two classes, Harke explained, but in the future they hope to be using the campus extension to its full capacity. There are four classrooms that seat about 35 students each, a Biology Lab, a Technology Center, and support spaces and offices for staff, that they will use for the future. “The future for the Milpitas Extension is to offer a full range of General Education courses for the Milpitas
SEE CLASSES ON BACK PAGE
Minimum wage raised by 50 cents BY JERALD MENDOZA
Ski Week School will not be in session from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24 for Ski Week
AP testing signups Sign up for AP tests have begun at the student bank; the deadline is March 9.
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E N T E R TA I N M E N T 12 -13
California raised its minimum wage on Jan. 1 to $10.50 an hour in accordance with the new senate bill SB3, according to the state site, ca.gov. The bill mandates a gradual minimum wage hike, which, by the beginning of 2022, will set the state minimum for most businesses to $15 per hour. The wage hike has generally been received well by many students, especially those working or looking for work. Senior Vy Han said that California raising its minimum wage is very beneficial to the community. “I think it’s good that California is raising the minimum wage,” Han said. “It’ll be used to better support people in lower-wage jobs and will be beneficial for the entire community in the long run. However, since it’s still below the California living wage, it still won’t be enough to bring families above the poverty line. So, the whole thing is slow, but positive progress to more livable conditions
for those people.” Some students are happy that pays have risen so they can get more money to buy things or save up for college. Senior Leona Lee, who works at Hollister, is glad she will be paid more so she can have more money to pay for college, she said. “It’s a good thing since I’m trying to save money for college.” Lee said. “I think it’s a good thing, if you’re raising the minimum wage [because] it would make people buy more things since they feel like they have more money, so it would be better for the economy.” However, not all students see mandated wage hikes as a positive thing. Junior Andy Chiang states that if California raises its minimum wage, people will lose their jobs if businesses can’t afford to pay them. “Personally, I don’t think I support California raising the minimum wage,” Chiang said. “I don’t support it SEE WAGES ON BACK PAGE
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THE UNION
PRO
Valentine’s Day is a day for love: familial, friendly, or romantic
Valentine’s Day should be some- bonds, and love are. These important thing we celebrate, regardless of qualities provide us with happiness— whether we are single or mingled. something we all work so hard for but The day is not only for sending cards can be achieved by simply expressing and chocolate, taking that significant love for one another on this holiday. other to a romantic dinner, and havImagine going home after a stressing sex, sex, and more sex, but also ful, strenuous school or work day, for expressing any type of love ex- walking into a kitchen, and finding ceptionally meaningfully. a romantic, candlelit dinEven if you do not have a ner table set with food significant other, crushes, and flowers prepared by family members, or friends your significant other, or to express your love for, a family dinner and game Valentine’s is still a day you night scheduled by all your can enjoy through themed loved ones. To top it all off, shopping and discounts. they give you well-written, Do you have that one emotional cards, delectaperson you can’t find the ble chocolate, and other confidence to tell them great gifts to show their about your feelings and love and appreciation for KEVIN admirations? Valentine’s you. Let’s be honest; we ZHANG Day is the perfect excuse to all love receiving gifts remake implications or even gardless of what they are. confess without making In contrast, imagine walkyour friendship awkward. If you want ing into your house alone and having to show them your mysterious side, nothing planned for the night but you could write an anonymous card; sleeping and starting the day all over or, better yet, submit a Valentine’s again. Isn’t this scenario more deDay in the school newspaper! pressingly typical? Even if you don’t Sure, the argument that love can have loved ones, shops and restauand very well should be celebrated rants still offer great discounts that everyday can be made, but many of you can treat yourself to. us are busy individuals who cannot Valentine’s Day roots from the third afford the time to spend each day century in Rome, where marriage in celebrating and appreciating love. the military was outlawed. Valentine, The argument is completely illogical a priest, covertly married couples unand is analogous to celebrating one’s til he was sentenced to execution. Imbirthday everyday; the occasion is no prisoned, Valentine fell in love with longer, well, an occasion, but rather a his jailer’s daughter. Before his death, normality. This is not to say that we he wrote a letter that signed “From do not have love for significant peo- your Valentine.” If other holidays ple in our lives everyday, but that des- celebrate great individuals and their ignating one day to doing so reminds accomplishments, Valentine’s Day us all of just how important gratitude, should not be excluded from the list.
CON
Valentine’s a heartless holiday; avoid the corporate commercial As Jim Carrey says at the begin- dia worthy promproposals. ning of “Eternal Sunshine of the Look, I’m not gonna be one of those Spotless Mind”: “[Valentines Day] is people that says that everyday should a holiday invented by greeting card be Valentine’s Day because you and companies.” Well Jim, you were your partner should express and priright. Over the past few years, it has oritize your love for each other over become incredibly apparent that all your other responsibilities . All the idea of Valentine’s Day has been of us know that’s not true. You have just one gigantic comschool, a job, and finals mercial to get you to buy coming up. You’ve earned certain products. There a bit of leeway. What I’m are the “Valentine’s Day saying is that designating flowers,” the “Valentine’s an entire day where sociDay chocolate,” and there ety expects us to express was even a movie released our love and intamacy for on Valentine’s Day called, each other shouldn’t exist rather unoriginally, “Valbecause we all have our entine’s Day.” But to first own special Valentine’s explain why Valentine’s Day that doesn’t lie on Day doesn’t deserve a celFebruary 14. A Valentine’s BRANDON ebration, we should start Day should be unique to WETTENSTEIN with the purpose of the each couple, say on the actual holiday. anniversary of when you The idea behind Valenmet, or the first time you tine’s Day is that it is a day where you kissed, or did other loving things. and your romantic partner celebrate Days like that are usually when you each other and the love that you both shower your love with gifts and whisshare. But do you really need a na- per sweet nothings into each others tional day for that? At the core of it, ear. the idea of a Valentine’s Day echoes Once upon a time, Valentine’s Day something such as an anniversary made sense. Today, however, Valbetween two people, or a special day entine’s Day has transformed into a that has an important meaning to day for corporations to milk you for both parties. On days such as an an- your money and society to shame niversary, both parties would spend you if you don’t express your love. the day celebrating each other and We shouldn’t be forced to express the success of the relationship, and feelings for someone on a specific if one of you were to miss the an- day and we shouldn’t be exploited by niversary you would be rightfully companies who seek to put a dollar penalized. Yet, for some reason, not sign on love by trying to persuade us celebrating Valentine’s Day yields an to purchase gifts and trinkets that equal punishment. We’ve become will have little to no impact on the forced by society to love someone relationship. Instead we should have and shower them with gifts on Feb- the freedom to choose which day we ruary 14th or be ostracized, the same should dedicate towards celebrating way high schoolers are pressured each other, rather than be pressured into crafting memorable, social-me- to do so.
OPINIONS
FEBRUARY 2017
Morales fails to follow through on his promise On November 10, two days after the presidential election, Principal Phil Morales was placed on leave for publicly cursing out Donald Trump. In the flurry of chaos that followed, as petitions were signed and apologies were made, Morales and the school board seemed committed to using the event as a way to bring the whole school together. School-wide meetings ensued, seminars were called, and “reflections” on unity started ringing out during SSR—Morales’s own special touch. In an interview with The Union shortly after his return, Morales said, “I’m going to read a reflection every single SSR from now until I leave this place. It’s something we need to think about.” It wasn’t a vague future plan: it was a commitment. And during that same interview, Morales committed to being there for his students, to representing MHS, to respect. “We are going to be the model of all our schools,” he said. “ People can say whatever they want to say. We’re going to show them by our actions that that’s not who we are.” It was a rallying cry that the entire school district seemed to take up. Less than two weeks later, the walkout was ancient history. Limping away after it were the meetings, the conversations, that “something we
need to think about.” It didn’t even There’s a reason so many people take two weeks for the intercoms to rallied behind Morales after his susfall silent, for the reflections to dry up. pension, and a reason so many stuAnd Phil Morales is still here. dents roared for him at the walkout. In truth, it’s really not about the re- They were defending and encourflections—they were a little corny, a aging someone who was finally real, little misplaced for a high school envi- who understood what the students ronment. The quotes were were going through and never going to magically was going to fight for those bring the school together, who were scared. It was but they never really had genuine action that creatto. It was a simple act to ed a very real dialogue. The see whether the princiaftermath, in contrast, has pal could follow through, just felt lackluster. It’s one an opportunity to show thing to say what you want he was serious about the to do; anyone can produce change he’d been preachsome leader-sounding ing. It’s not about what the buzzwords. But when my reflections accomplished, principal looks me straight JUSTIN or failed to: it’s about in the eyes and commits to TSO whether we can take the something, I can’t help but principal seriously or not. feel disappointed when my How can anyone believe Morales pleasant surprise ends up as resignwhen he says he’s going to fight for his ment to more of the same. students and advocate for a more uniTo be fair, Morales isn’t responsible fied school, when his grand resolution for the division of the school, and one lasts less than two weeks? It wasn’t man isn’t fixing an entire culture. The some sweeping, completely unrealis- principal of MHS shouldn’t be extic action that he’d promised--it was pected to be a superhero; it shouldn’t simply reading a sentence or two a be out of the question, however, that day. What kind of example is that for he is expected to follow through with the students who look up to him? The what he says. The principal said it principal, and the entire school board himself: until he matches words with behind him, have to understand that actions, we’re showing everyone that people are listening to what he says. we haven’t changed at all.
Misguided views on terrorism elicit irrational fears Undocumented refugees? Terrorhuh. Now, the token teenager can stay ism. Alt-Right Movement? Terrorat home safe, knowing that no terrorism. Black Lives Matter? Terrorism. ist will show up at his house to maim Any group can be outed as terrorist him in his sleep. Thanks to Trump’s these days, it just takes a few standout executive order, people from the examples. America has been stricken Muslim dominant countries of Iran, all over, whether it is from the woes Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, of warmongering repuband Yemen are not allicans, or exceptionally lowed to enter America. sensitive liberals. After all Additionally, all refugee these claims that terrorism resettlement into the U.S. is popping up like pimples is suspended. Whoop dee on a puberty-afflicted teen, doo, Mr. President. If we how safe is America really? don’t let anyone into the President Donald country at all, how can Trump’s view on the matanyone hurt us? ter, as expected, is wilder His actions are heavily than the aforementioned focused on preventing Isteen’s most bizarre dreams. lamic Extremism attacks DARRION According to Trump, the coming from these counNGUYEN terroristic threat known tries, like all the attacks as ISIS has formulated that we have faced before thanks to the aid of none from those oh-so-spooky other than our past president Barack refugees. So how many immigrants Obama and secretary Hillary Clinton. and refugees have killed anyone in Trump deems our regime building to America from these banned counbe a failure and points that we have altries? Funny enough, the number lowed these Islamic terrorist to grow coincides with that of our teenaged and thrive. Now that he’s President, friend’s scores on Valentine’s Day: it’s his time to shine. zero. According to the CATO InOf course, immediately after his stitute, 17 people in total from the election, Trump fulfills his promise banned countries have been convictof “extreme vetting.” Nice to have a ed of attempting a terror attack on the president that stays true to his ideals, U.S. over the last 40 years. But never
fear, our President’s executive order is still here to save us from any attack. Okay, so maybe foreign terroristic attacks are not as common as we thought, so what about our homegrown domestic terrorism? Where is the threat to our precious hormone-enraged teenager? These tragedies are constantly in the headlines, expanded and convoluted for views all over the news. The Alt-Right Mosque shooter appeared in Canada recently, as well as some police murders by extremists within the Black Lives Matters organization, both of which are shunted and seen as figureheads for both communities. The glorifying and generalization of these tiny minorities is the main problem in our view of terrorism. Both groups are antagonized in the end with no real progress to our country. Each side becomes more agitated against the other, the divisions rise further, and as a result, terrorism becomes larger because of this fear mongering. In the end, the chances of dying due to terrorism in all of its forms turns out to be a whopping 0.00002%. Maybe our focuses should be put elsewhere instead of fear-inspired yelping towards any group of people becoming a terrorist in America.
Milpitas’s newly-elected mayor off to a rocky start Milpitas inaugurated its new mayor Rich Tran on December 13, and what was hoped to be a seamless transition transformed into quite the interesting situation. During his speech, Tran “borrowed heavily,” as the “Mercury News” lightly puts it, a sizeable chunk of Barack Obama’s 2008 acceptance speech. And by sizeable chunk, I mean like 1600 words. Rich, Rich, Rich... what were you thinking? That was definitely the first impression out of a nightmare, probably the worst way to start your term. As a Milpitas High School graduate, I would expect him to have academic integrity and be cognizant of plagiarism and its consequences (haha..), but I guess we can’t hold the paragon of excellence of our city to that standard. Now personally, I wasn’t very annoyed or outraged by what Mayor Tran did. Sure, it was dumb, but I was willing to let it slide. His first time in a position of importance, I thought. Let him learn from his mistake and make our city great again. But what do you know, he did it AGAIN. Oh no, just once wasn’t enough for our Mayor
Tran. The feeling of plagiarizing was ing other’s intellectual property (I so exhilarating that he decided to give think). He promises to reduce the it another try. Ironically, it was when Newby Island Landfill and lower the he was explaining why he plagiarized water rates, as well as construct new in the first place. To give reason as to roads to combat the increasing trafwhy he lifted passages from Obama’s fic in Milpitas. He also plans to limit speech, he quoted a Jay-Z line from housing development to keep the city his 2008 song “My President.” When from congesting. All of these promI first heard about this, I ises, if followed through, was speechless (no pun inwould be great for Milpitended). I thought it was all tas. This was not a good a big joke, until I realized start to his term as mayor, he was dead serious, which but there’s always room for made it all the worse. As improvement. Also, I think the mayor of Milpitas, his plagiarizing days are this kind of behavior is in the past--after all, does unacceptable. It creates a he really want to quote damaging image of himour new president? To self as a mayor and the stay updated with our new people of Milpitas. Now if mayor, check his Facebook MIHIR some person from a neighpage “Mayor Rich Tran.” HANSALIA boring city hears about He posts frequently and Milpitas, the first thing is very involved with our they will think of is our plagiarizing community, although some find his excessive use of emojis unnervnature. To borrow from a famous hip hop rapper whose name I don’t ing. Personally, I appreciate his efknow, but he might, “Rich Tran got forts to connect with the youth. I 99 problems and plagiarizing is one.” feel like he truly knows me. Good luck Mayor Tran, make us proud.. At least Tran isn’t all about copy-
FEBRUARY 2017
EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union
The story of Milpitas is the story of immigrants The sky is black, blacker than anything you’ve ever seen. The moon is nowhere to be found; the light of any stars did not choose to make the journey with the refugee. He waits sleeplessly, pushed to the rail by the mass of passengers along the deck, as the boat sails through the night. A heavy wave makes the tiny wooden craft shudder, and the man’s thoughts churn as he thinks about his family. The last time he’d been on the ground of his home, there’d been eight of them. One by one, they’d made their goodbyes, and taken their own boats. Now it’s just him, his older sister, strangers, and the sea. He doesn’t know what had happened to them: whether their ships had sunk, broken by the ocean, or whether they’d been attacked by the pirates who preyed on those who fled. Perhaps they had all made it safely across, but at the moment, with nothing but the ocean and and other lost people around him, the thought is too crushing to entertain. He doesn’t know where they are; he doesn’t know where he is, either. In the darkness around him, he doesn’t know where he’s going. As the boat rocks on, all he knows is that he’s going away from everything he’s ever known. In that, there is hope. We know this story. People like that refugee are going through that terror right now, on the other side of the world. But this narrative isn’t theirs; we’re not going to take their story for our own. The story that we’re sharing is the truth of some of our fathers and mothers, one that took place forty years ago. This isn’t the story of the Syrian refugees—it’s the story of the Vietnamese boat people. In a country torn by civil war and a hostile Communist takeover, people fled Vietnam by the thousands on ships and boats in search of safety. They made their own journeys through refugee camps and had their own reunions with the families they lost. They landed here, in America, and more specifically, in cities like Milpitas. Now, they’re the people we interact with every day, in our schools, our hospitals, and our neighborhoods. It’s so easy to think of those on the other side of the world as “them”—a different skin color, different circumstances, different religion. Even as stories are released of the harrowing journeys they experience, stories that we should all fundamentally understand, it doesn’t really register as real. But in our community,
those refugees aren’t so far away: for many students at the school, the refugee story is right here, in a classmate or a best friend. For others, it’s as simple as the ride home. We might not have all heard this exact story growing up, but for many of us, it’s familiar. It might not be Vietnam we’re running from, and it might not be war that brought us here, but so many of us in this community have roots in other countries and other cultures. We’ve been offered our own opportunities off the back of the dream of the people who gave up everything to come here. Now, as thousands of Syrian refugees are rejected, immigrants are turned into scapegoats, and, most recently, our president has signed an executive order aggressively limiting immigration, we’ve come to a crossroads: do we focus on our own affairs and block out potential threats, or provide sanctuary for those who need it, opening ourselves up to infiltration from those who want to harm us? It’s not a simple question, and when we start to associate every stranger, every person abroad, as someone with the capacity to bring down skyscrapers, it’s easy to think of them as aliens and a needless risk. Letting even one radical refugee can hurt American citizens, and it’s something we have to take into consideration. But for so many refugees who are denied, they’re not people who want to harm us. They’re not people who are going to steal our jobs, steal our tax money, and disrupt our lives. They are people just like our friends, our relatives, our parents. They’re the people who flee from everything they’ve known, be it on plane or on foot or on boat, for something better, for the lives that so many of us have right now. It’s the combination of a few extreme individuals and a culture that’s developed against them that’s preventing that dream. We, the students of MHS, have a unique perspective on the effect of refugees and immigrants, in that we embody it. We’re the testament that the journey, all those fearful moments of not knowing what’s coming, is worth it. Turning away from their plight is a discredit to the stories that brought this community to where it is in the first place. It shouldn’t be about “them”: the stories they’re bringing are too similar to the ones we already know. The refugee story is shared by all of us, and it deserves a happy ending. We know, better than anyone.
EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union
More sex education necessary for MHS students To provide or not to provide sex ed: that is the question—the divisive question that has, for years, sparked heated debates between liberal and conservative school districts throughout the nation. Now, let’s focus on our very own MUSD, a small, moderate district in which students have access to sex ed, but very minimally. Despite MUSD’s opting to favor sex ed, the important subject is barely afforded any attention on the MHS campus and is downplayed in freshman biology classes at the expense of students’ knowledge and well-being. If high school is supposed to be a maturing and educational experience, then sex education needs to gain more traction in the academic curriculum. Although the average person loses his or her virginity in high school, the choice is largely impulsive and less educated, naturally resulting in negative consequences. Shouldn’t students be given relevant knowledge before making such a crucial decision and taking a potentially life-altering action? Suppose a teenager innocently has sex with their significant other; later, he or she discovers that their genitals are swelling and visits the doctor, who informs them that they’ve contracted AIDS. One of the last things anyone wants is to find out that someone they trust(ed) gave them an STD. Statistically, the likelihood of a teenager contracting an STD is not at all proportional to that of the rest of the population; the age group makes up a quarter of the sexually active population, but half of STD victims fall within this margin. Furthermore, approximately half of all high school students are sexually active, many with more than one partner; however, very few properly use any form of protection because they are uninformed. This lack of knowledge not only leaves students vulnerable to STDs, but also to pregnancy, which is a burden that no high schooler should be obligated to handle. To raise and nurture a child without the necessary resources and support is incredibly difficult and will inevitably place a strain on the parents and future child—higher education will be abandoned for work, and youthful experiences will be replaced by stressful ones. Not to mention, if the student-par-
THE UNION
EDITORIAL
ents decide that an abortion is the best option, the emotional turmoil that follows such a major decision is indescribable. No teenager should have to be familiar with these struggles when a simple remedy exists: sex ed. Becoming familiar with the consequences of sexual activity before engaging in it can drastically impact one’s life, as just one condom — a seemingly negligible roll of plastic—can protect a young adult from pregnancy or a potentially lifelong disease. Understanding of human biology and reproduction is key to illness and pregnancy prevention, and brushing over these sensitive topics in a couple of days, as our school does, is a dangerously ineffective method of instruction. Since high school dating is a common activity, sex education should receive more emphasis than a short segment in freshman science classes. With titillated couples passionately making out in every corner of campus, we can easily imagine what they are up to after school hours. These couples are at risk of engaging in unprotected sex without careful thought, and we should be taking action to help students become more informed. This is not to say that relationships in high school should be discouraged. In fact, dating is completely normal and acceptable; however, having unprotected or not-properly protected sex without considering or being educated on the consequences is not. In addition, dating is not anywhere near as harmful as unprotected sex. The worst that can result from dating is a broken heart, whereas unprotected sex can lead to a broken body, relationship, and future. Sex ed and providing condoms and birth control pills will be beneficial to the many students who cannot afford protection for sexual intercourse. Even with protection, many do not know how to properly use them, which just goes back to showing how essential the former truly is. With so many students who potentially engage in sexual activity, providing contraception and a more thorough biology unit on the issue would make MHS a safer and accepting campus, which is something we have worked on improving this year.
THE
U NION 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 2017
features
Clubs plan various cultural shows by Sherry Lam Henry xiong
Tsegenet Awoke | the Union
(From left to right) Senior Stella Xu, Psychology Teacher Lisa Gable, Junior Yen-vy Ngo, and Junior Tsegenet Awoke participate in the San Jose Women’s March on Jan. 21. Over 25,000 participants rallied in support of women’s rights.
Students, teachers walk in Women’s March by Harriet Do Katherine Hubeny
While many people spent Jan. 21 taking the SATs, a number of MHS students and faculty participated in the San Jose Women’s March to support immigrants’ and women’s rights in light of the recent presidential inauguration. At the Women’s March, approximately 25,000 participants took part in the march and rally. The Women’s March began with the master of ceremonies, who started a few chants at the city hall, according to Junior Tsegenet Awoke. Participants then marched from the City Hall to the Cesar Chavez plaza, about a 0.7 mile walk, where there were multiple speakers, Awoke added. “The experience at the Women’s March in San Jose was generally positive,” Awoke said. “We were surrounded by a lot of women, and men too, who had a hope within them and wanted to fight for what they thought was right.” Among the 25,000 people in attendance was also Junior Yen-Vy Ngo, who decided to go because she wanted to march and celebrate the humans rights that everyone should continue to have, Ngo stated. “It was very uplifting to be surrounded by such a diverse group
of people because there were over 25,000 people walking around,” Ngo said. “And you could see that everyone who was walking really cared and was really supportive.” At the march, there was a variety of speakers who shared their own stories and conveyed their thoughts on current issues, Ngo explained. It was inspiring to hear the different stories, and how different experiences can bring the world together, Ngo added. “I learned that hardships can bring people together, such a big diversity of people together,” Ngo said. “Because there were such diverse people who all supported the same thing.” Psychology Teacher Lisa Gable also attended the march and felt very supported in her beliefs, Gable said. The march was positive and upbeat; men and women of all colors were talking to each other about their signs and what they thought and meant, Gable continued. “I wasn’t alone in my beliefs; there are a lot of us,” Gable stated. “So many people marched all over the country, and I felt like this march had some value, and I think it’s the beginning steps of a resistance.” The Women’s March is a movement that should continue to progress, according to Gable. The unity among the collection of people affirmed the
support of certain issues, Gable said. “What we need to do is hold our [parties], for me I’m a Democrat, so my Democratic Party accountable to me,” Gable explained. “Also, to have [the party members] know that they have my support when they battle for and fight for the values that I think are important.” It was encouraging to meet people who had similar ideas, according to Gable. The positive environment of the march was a motivation to those in attendance, Gable continued. “I thought about [why I decided to go], and I decided that I can’t be quiet and just let our democracy be taken over the way it seems to be being taken over,” Gable said. “I can’t allow those things that I feel are antithetical to what our society should believe or does believe be stripped from us.” Nonviolent protest is essential to democracy, and it is important to speak up about issues, according to English Teacher Sanjit Roy. Many people of all colors, ages, and genders participated in the march, and the group was very diverse, Roy stated. “There were so many men that I didn’t feel anything,” Roy said. “Even though the march was called a Women’s March, it was much bigger than one issue. People spoke about rights of immigrants and other issues.”
Korean culture grows more popular in Bay Area by Grace Chang Ananya Donopati
Korean culture is still going strong in 2017, and its influence is rampant with each new day. With the first surge of Korean entertainment (TV dramas, pop music, movies, etc.) in the mid-1990s, Beijing journalists coined the term “Hallyu wave” which refers to the way Korean entertainment is spreading around the world. Since then, Korean pop culture has become more apparent in our daily lives. For this reason, many students at MHS like to share and enjoy the culture as well. One the most iconic and unique elements of Korean culture is their pop culture; korean music has become increasingly popular worldwide. The top five most popular Kpop groups are BTS, EXO, Girls Generation, Super Junior, and 2NE1. The appeal for Korean pop culture, specifically kpop, as expressed by MHS Junior Grace Chon is its uniqueness. When asked about the appeal of Korean culture, Chon answered,“I think it’s Kpop and the music. [People] think it’s more unique compared to western culture.” The uniqueness of Korean music extends from its creative use of costumes and color in
music videos to the different personalities portrayed by kpop stars. Kpop stars bring us to a whole new perspective and meaning of fashion. They are not afraid to stand out and express their fashion trends. Choreography is another major part of Kpop. Kpop artists are able to not only sing, but also perform elaborate dance routines that take huge amounts of practice and skill. On top of the eye-catching appearance of the music videos and their ability to draw audiences’ attentions through storytelling, the songs themselves are often very catchy and find their ways getting stuck in our heads even when the lyrics are in a different language. Korean dramas are popular among both Koreans and non-Koreans. People who are interested in learning about Korean culture can watch Korean dramas. What’s appealing is the fact that Korean shows and dramas are different from what is watched on television here. The plots, characters, and settings are different from what we are used to, which can create more excitement and interest. Korean dramas are able to successfully create emotional connections with viewers. The way that characters are developed and how they go through different challenges make the audi-
ences relate to the characters and feel the same emotions. The cliffhanger endings of nearly every episode leave viewers anticipating for the next installment to see how the story plays out. Tension is built up so strategically that it is more emotionally satisfying when little things, such as the main couple finally holding hands halfway through the series, can be so exciting. Recently more Korean restaurants have been popping up in Milpitas. These restaurants include Gen Korean BBQ House, Jang Su Jang, So Gong Dong Tofu House, and Kang Nam Tofu House. A well-known aspect of Korean food is its BBQ. The flavors in Korean barbeque are different, and being able to cook the meat yourself easily is unique. In the Bay Area, the popularity of Korean culture is seen through Korean restaurants, Kpop, and Kdramas. At MHS, Korean Culture is showcased through the Korean Dance Team (KDT) and Korean American Student Association (KASA). MHS also now offers Korean as one of four foreign language classes that can be taken. This year, KASA will be putting on a cultural show that will display different aspects of Korean culture, such as music and dancing. Korean culture has surely grown to be relevant at MHS, in the Bay Area, and worldwide.
The different cultural shows at MHS have always been amazing productions, and this year is no exception. How do these large productions come together? Here’s an inside look at what happens behind the scenes! Lunar Show: The Chinese Club started planning the Lunar Show in July by creating a calendar for deadlines and officially started working on the show in Sept., according to Chinese Club President Andy Nguyen. “I tasked certain people to complete specific tasks for each month and made sure that assignments were done promptly,” Nguyen said. “My main goal was to make sure that everyone was doing something and have it so not only one person was doing all the work.” Sophomore Maggie Ly took part in three of the performances, the modern and traditional fashion shows as well a cultural watersleeves act with Dawn. Ly started weekly practices for Dawn in September and for the fashion shows in December. “I absolutely loved it,” Ly said. “Performing already gives me a rush of excitement, but there’s something about being backstage, hearing the acts perform one by one, and seeing the production come together.” Dawn practiced during lunch in the dance room or guard room whenever it was necessary. Nguyen has been apart of the Chinese Club for three years, and planning for the Lunar Show has always been a rewarding experience for him. “I also really enjoy being able to get
in touch with the part of my culture and heritage that’s never really been discussed or talked about in my family,” Nguyen said. KASA Show: A new cultural show presented by the Korean American Student Association (KASA) will be held at the beginning of March, according to KASA Vice President Sally Seok. “So far, we’ve held auditions for acts in the show and have contacted a professional fan dance group as well as an adult who will let us borrow her hanbok, [Korean traditional clothing],”Seok said. The KASA show will be showcasing not only the popular and modern aspects of Korean culture, but also the traditional side, according to Seok. “I’m so excited,” Seok said. “I’m also nervous at the same time because it is our first time, and we aren’t completely familiar with how to do things yet.” Indian Show: The Indian Club started planning its cultural show several months ago. The theme was called “A Year through India,” which was based on festivals celebrated during the different months of the year. “Well, once we decided the theme was going to be festivals, we talked with Ms. George and some of our parents about prominent festivals in India,” Indian Show MC Amogh Dendukuri said. The script was written and finalized a week before the show, and they practiced the script over Skype for two to three hours a day, according to Dendukuri. He practiced the acts and the specific performances of the show individually.
Eric Yu| the Union
The MHS Engineering and Technology Academy students design their own 3-D printed solar cars as part of their Green Energy curriculum.
E-TECH uses 3D printers in classes by Eric Yu
Ever since the creation of the Engineering and Technology Academy (E-TECH) at MHS, there has been a focus on preparing students interested in a career in engineering to try out the many resources they may find in the field. Perhaps the most interesting addition to the curriculum and engineering experience is the acquisition of 3D printers by the E-TECH department. “Our curriculum has been praised by professors of several engineering departments at SJSU,” Former E-TECH Teacher Scott Keller said. Using new computers and the AutoCAD suite of programs for creating technical drawings of designs, the accessibility of the 3D printers is a really exciting experience to take advantage of. Over the course of the last few years, the E-TECH academy has been able to greatly overhaul the entire department to allow for an increased exposure to the the new fields of 3D printing. These upgrades included new desktop computers, smart boards, and laptops with the specs to run AutoCAD, a very graphically intensive program, as well as the acquisition of four 3D printers. The dramatic increase of equipment does not only benefit the education and
training to the academy students, but also benefits students enrolled in the CAD classes. The curriculum of the E-TECH and CAD courses has changed over time, changing to emphasize 3D modeling as well as the construction of models, including customly designed pieces by students. “This type of education has been successful, allowing the students to build their own unique designs,” Keller said. In addition, the classes of CAD and E-TECH are able to teach the construction and building of 3D models. That is the new focus of the curriculum: to learn the newest technologies of the engineering industry, teaching students the newest tools, primarily focused on AutoCAD. With all these new developments in the field of engineering, these courses offer a valid curriculum in demonstrating the latest tools. It is interesting for MHS to have these new resources to try and help students expand their skills and be prepared for their future careers in the various engineering fields. It is the complete overhaul of the department that makes these new courses much more educational and would provide a valuable experience to anyone that seeks to learn more about 3D modeling.
february 2017
features
THE UNION
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Cultural shows may be cancelled altogether by Jerald Mendoza
Many people have heard about the conflicts with scheduling events in the theater, whether they’re talent shows or club activities. Recently, there was a conflict between Indian Club and Chinese Club over who would have a day show on Jan. 20th. Indian Club had its day show that day, while Chinese Club held acts during lunch on a different day. However, while that compromise was reached, many were still disappointed. Even worse is the proposal to end day shows all together. There was initially some confusion over who turned in papers to the right people first. However, in the end, Chinese Club didn’t turned in a certain application, Director of StudentActivities Joanna Butcher said. “Chinese Club didn’t fill out the theater request form,” Butcher said. “Indian Club did. They got their date in Schwartz’s calendar.” Chinese Club President Andy Nguyen confirmed Butcher’s statement. The problem with day show scheduling was over paperwork, and who turned in their forms first he said. “Basically, Schwartz just had the final say and what went down went down,” Nguyen said. “I’m disappointed Lunar Show couldn’t get a day
show, but what happened happened. I’m glad Indian Club had a good show. I hope the best for them.” Some students, especially performers in Chinese Club’s day show, were disappointed in what happened. It was disappointing to hear the news, but it couldn’t be helped, and they made the best of it, KDT President Miah Ton said. “I think when the problem first came up, it should have been fully addressed,” Ton said. “It didn’t come up during the end of first semester, so I feel like it wasn’t resolved right away. It should’ve been talked about with everyone earlier.” Other students were disappointed and confused over why both shows couldn’t have had day shows on different days. After hearing from some people, it seems like it was a problem within administration, Senior Lander Alvarez said. “Any Friday could’ve been great for both, but I’m not entirely sure why they can’t do both,”Alvarez said. “But to be fair, Lunar Show already [had] a night show, so I think it was acceptable.” Despite the lack of a full day show, or perhaps because of it, Lunar Show’s lunch show proved highly popular. The theater was packed when I was there, Junior Chris Bui said. “I actually did go to the Lunar Show
at lunch,” Bui said. “It was really jampacked. Every seat was filled and people were standing on the side. It was hard to get through the door actually.” But perhaps more troubling to students than the problems with scheduling this year’s day shows is the prospect of having no more day shows at all next year. It was discussed during a CLOG Congress, Junior Abdullah Rehman said. “It was brought up in a CLOG Congress.” Rehman said. “There were speeches about having to move it all into the gym and have it performed there. Which I kind of don’t agree on, I think it should be kept in the theater, or somewhere close, but not grouped together.” Students dislike this idea because day shows are a form of cultural celebration, a way to advertise night shows, and could leave a toxic environment among clubs. If day shows are cancelled, it wouldn’t be good because people would blame each other for ending day shows, Bui said. “I feel like the day show scheduling wasn’t handled well,” Bui said, “because I feel like there’s going to be hard feelings between Chinese Club and Indian Club, especially since I heard rumors that they’re cancelling day shows, so Chinese club might blame Indian club and vice versa.
Tran plays for Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets by Derek vo
Sherry lam | the Union
Many of the students at MHS have hobbies that they do both at school and outside of school. For example, some students swim on the MHS swim team as well as swim for their local club team. The same can be said about marching band; some students play on the MHS marching band and also perform on an outside marching band team. One such student is Senior Tyler Tran, who plays for the MHS marching band and the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets. Tran started playing music in fourth grade and decided to join the MHS marching band in his sophomore year. In his junior year, he decided to take his talents to the next step and audition for SCVC. To his luck, he made the cut and began competing with SCVC in Drum Corp International competitions since last summer. He plays the euphonium for MHS and the baritone for SCVC. “The differences between high school marching band and SCVC are
huge,” Tran said. “It’s like comparing high school football to the NFL.” High school marching band doesn’t require an audition, and almost any music student can join whereas SCVC is the opposite, according to Tran. SCVC and other drum corps bands are all brass instruments unlike high school which includes woodwind instruments, Tran said. “SCVC also requires you to perform at a much higher skill level than high school does,” Tran said. Drum corp shows are much more intense, longer, and include much more difficult choreography, a higher level of music performance, and must be given more attention to detail, Tran added. Another key difference is SCVC competes on a national scale, whereas high school only competes against other local high schools. During a four-week period last summer, SCVC traveled across the United States to compete in competitions against other drum corps, Tran said. At the end of the four weeks, SCVC travels to Indianapolis to compete
in the DCI World Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium. “This activity wasn’t all fun and games though,” Tran said. “It was also about learning to challenge and push yourself every day even when you are tired, out of breath, or in pain and discomfort.” Waking up early in the morning and practicing until late at night every day for four weeks straight was a very big challenge, Tran said. Being away from home, family, and friends, living on gym floors, sharing restrooms, and taking cold showers made it an even greater challenge, Tran added. However, going through all this made the experience feel even better, he added. “I think the best part about SCVC was the unique experience, lifelong memories, and lessons it has given me,” Tran remarked. “Practicing every day for 11 hours a day in the hot summer sun in different places around the country has shown me how hard work and persistence can lead to greatness.” Tran has auditioned for SCVC again this year and has made the cut yet again. He plans to perform and compete for SCVC again this coming summer.
Science Olympiad takes first in competition by Emmy Yu
Members of the MHS Science Olympiad Team compete to create more than the average vinegar-and-baking-soda volcano. In their recent tournament at Mira Loma High School, students showcased their talents in events that ranged from tower and helicopter building to wind power physics. “The Mira Loma competition was one of our harder invitationals for sure,” Science Olympiad Co-Captain Long Dang said. “There were two schools that were national champions from past years.” The 4th Annual 2017 Mira Loma Invitational held in Sacramento featured teams from all across Northern California. “I believe that we’ll see a more accurate representation of our skills in the upcoming competition,” Advisor Christopher O’Connor said, “especially considering how competitive the teams based in the Bay Area are and the amount of teams that com-
pete.” Despite not placing in the Mira Loma invitational, the team went on to participate in the Wicklund Science Olympiad Tournament in Mountain House, winning first overall of the eighteen teams competing. “One word to describe Mountain House would be ‘unexpected,’” Junior Rachel Chiang said. “A lot of us went through the day thinking we wouldn’t do very well, but it was a nice surprise considering how hard we worked to study for our events.” The various events throughout the competition include both a written exam and a building portion. The teams are ranked based on the number of correctly answered questions and the building events are judged on how well students meet the parameters and specific guidelines. Compared to the Mira Loma competition, “Mountain House didn’t have the two national champions, but it was a competitive invitational nonetheless, Dang said. “In fact, one of the schools spent $6,000 on their
robot arm while our robot arm cost about $200 for reference.” With the newly earned win at Mountain House, the team moves on to the Golden Gate Invitational hosted in collaboration with Stanford and UC Berkeley students. “We’ll be able to compete against at least four teams from Washington, two teams from Texas, another two from Nevada, and one team coming all the way from Hawaii,” Advisor Letta Meyer said. Events featured at competitions include Ecology, Experimental Design, and Hydrogeology. Junior Jennifer Zhang is scheduled to compete in all of these categories. “In my Hydrogeology portion, we take a written test, work with computer groundwater simulations, and map possible contamination zones,” Zhang said. Other events include building balsa wood helicopter and constructing miniature wind turbines to compete to produce the most voltage.
Katherine Hubeny| the Union
Junior Abdullah Rehman (left) constructs a robot arm out of paint sticks while Junior Rachel Chiang (right) puts the finishing touches on a hovercraft.
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THE UNIoN
From: Patty Kan To: Mai Tran When we first talked, I thought you were Kelly. Now I know you’re so much better. #Delta5ever indeed.
From: Michelle To: Math Hello (not) dearest math, I don’t like you. <3
From: Jeevansh Lota To: Ivy Kong & Liy Liy Trinh I love you both equally, trust me.
From: Virginia Lien To: Alec Li <3 Thank you for always making me smile, supporting me, and being a part of my life. <3
From: Jiong Shi To: Ms. Parada Ms. Parada, you are an excellent teacher.
From: Karen To: Alice I love you <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
From: Roshni Sheth To: Timothy Villanueva Thanks for being the best thing that has happened to me! <3
From: Anonymous To: Mili Patel You are soo sweet and cute :) From: Phi-Long Bui To: Bryan Nguyen Con trai đẹp quá. Muôn di Prom không?
From: Albertoto To: Calculus BC This is an abusive relationship. But I want it to continue. That’s bad isn’t it?
From: Ms. Bellotti To: My Freshmen Avid Babies + tutors Thank you for putting a smile on my face every single morning! Love you mean it!!
From: Thu Nguyen To: Uyen Pham Thank you for being my wonderful friend! High school is an unforgettable memory and you’re a part of it! Guluglu!
february 2017
VAlentine’s Dedications
From: Sweet pea To: Millen I love you more than I love chicken fries.
From: Brandon Nguyen To: Albert Thai HAV MY BABIES! <3 <3 <3 <3
From: Tsegent Awoke To: Tsegent Awoke Love yourself boo Also ETG is cool, I guess
From: Michelle Li To: Chubby pandas I love you very much. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
From: Grace To: Harriet Your presence completes me. <3
From: Emily Pappas To: Madelyn Pappas You’re weird, but I love you.
From: Jackie Tran To: Janelle Jarapa Hunny, I love you! It’s almost our 1 year and I can’t wait to celebrate it with you!
From: Eugene Fitzherbert To: Jessie Chang All at once everything looks different Now that I see you
From: Anonymous To: Selena Lac Tran As Shawn Mendes once said, “I can treat you better...” than Eugene.
From: Eric Yu To: Victoria Huynh <3 I’ve been thinking of you Huynh I sleep at night for the past four years. <3
From: Stephanie Mancilla To: Gabby B. Andy V. Hyrum V. Vincent T. I really want to thank my best friends for always being here for me. I hope we stay tight as we are now and that they get a special freaky valentine ;)
From: Ryan Caguioa To: Vanessa Campana Thank you for being a great friend and an amazing’ 5ever! *heart*
From: Brandon To: Sonia City of stars, are you shining just for me?
From: Yen-Vy Ngo To: ETG (Angela, Tsegenet, Anna) ETG I ride for my hittas. I’d die for my hittas. Thanks for being emo teenagers together.
february 2017
valentine’s Dedications
From: Kevin Zhang To: Tuong-Vi Nguyen Hey beeb! It’s been six and a half months already? I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
From: Beeb To: Beeb Like you? Sometimes. Love you? Always; I know our LaLaLand will be a reality (probably before you finish the Fantasie...) From: GABBY To: STEPH ARE YOU MCDONALDS? CUZ I’M LOVIN IT ;)
From: Emily Pappas To: Erin Lin BOB ROSS IS DEAD! NO MORE HAPPY TREES! I love you. From: Kaito Hashimoto To: Michelle Nguyen What’s blue and smells like red paint? ... BLUE PAINT!
From: Snake To: Ryan Katayama Roses are red, your face makes me gag Be my Valentine or cash me outsside, Howbow dah
From: Speedster To: 21 Berries in the Allen House Y’all are smooth criminalz to me (yeah)
From: Chester Bui To: Pierre Nguyen In high school, while trying to find my Gabriella, I instead ended up finding my Troy Bolton.
From: Amy Nguyen To: Shreeya I’m ur greatest admirer. I like watching u serve in tennis because it’s so hard. Luv u. Pls notice me.
From: Armaan To: Celine You bring out the animal in me. From: Your lover, Harambe To: Nick T-ran You remind me of a girl I once knew. Amp it up. The sun shines in the night.
From: Chris Bui To: Khai Nguyen Are you an amorphous solid? ‘Cause my love for you is frozen in place and without organization.
From: Molly To: Amogh You are a patriarchy worth surrendering to. Love forever, Molly.
From: Ronie Chen To: Alexander Phan Oh Alex... you’ll alwaaaaays be in my heart <3 U will be in my baka.. XOXO <3 <3 <3 ^_^
From: Michelle Nguyen To: Kaito Hashimoto BA DUM TSS! HAHAHAHA THAT’S A KNEE SLAPPER! HAHAHAHAHA *GASPING FOR AIR*
From: Anonymous To: Christina Chiang You’re the coolest and best friend I could ask for! Winkwonk ;]
From: Yseth the Devourer To: Zorglon the Destroyer Just kidding guys just wondering what you would do if you thought I was dead.
From: Awkward Boi To: <3y Twenty words to say something special. Oh no, now ten! This seems familiar. Oh three words left. Better not waste-
From: Marple To: #ShadeSquad Roses are red, violets are blue, looking forward to having my weekends back, but I’ll miss roasting you.
From: Grandma Jells To: SciOly Pals Even if there wasn’t gravity, I’d still fall for all of you <3 Keep being smart and keep being kind!
From: Chi Huang To: Gretna Truong Thanks for being my big for colorguard!! From: Jordan Li To: Lisa Yan and Britney Weng From: our favorite sophomore to his favorite sophomores I couldn’t decide which of you I liked better, sorry.
THE UNion
From: The Salamander To: Brookfield You can always find me where the skies are blue (and gold Berkeley 2021, let’s go)! #12years
From: Yen-Vy Ngo To: CJ Molo Thanks Cj for everything! I hope you have a blast when you go to rainy Seattle and we love you!
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SPREAD
THE UNION
BY HELEN HUYNH
HELEN HUYNH | THE UNION
Make it your duty to keep away the cooties BY DARRION NGUYEN
As Valentine’s Day draws near, another danger follows suit in the form of a most dangerous phenomenon: cooties. Whispered throughout the days of elementary school, cooties have become commonplace in our high school environment. Here are some survival tips to keep the threat of cooties away. #1 Avoid low population areas. It is proven that locations with little to no people are the places with the most cooties. Areas such as those throughout the L-building, as well as some parking lots, are prime examples. These scourges are festered with cooties. The dark and isolated environment is perfect for cooties to maturate and grow. Just the sight of the area can infect a person, so make sure to avoid these places at all cost. #2 Keep your number secret and your social media private. Carriers of the
cootie are keen on spreading it, as an urge of advancing the disease is one of the symptoms. As such, they will often try many methods of infection such as the “Slide into DMs,” or the infamous “Pick-Up Line.” These strategies are usually only incorporated into online messaging, so to be safe, it is important to keep information private. #3 Keep a low profile. Sometimes infectants might try to attempt “flirting” in real life, seeking potential carriers to infect. They do so by scanning the area and analyzing the environment. Fear not, however, for those infected with cooties are simple-minded. Bright colors and fancy outfits draw their eyes to attention. As long as you do not attract too much attention, those with cooties will not come. #4 Don’t fall into infectant pressure. As said before, those with cooties are willing to do anything to get people to
join their ranks. This is usually reinforced with lies of “True Love,”“Emotional Comfort,” and sometimes even the elusive “Soul Mates.” THESE ARE NOT TRUE. I repeat, it’s are all trickery. In reality all cooties can bring is deceit and emotional stress. Beware of the scams carriers tell, for they are only putting up a masquerade. #5 Keep up good hygiene. Although it cannot be helped throughout the school day, contact between others happens often, whether it is during passing period, walking by during lunch, or the horror of P.E Therefore, it is important to shower every day and brush your teeth twice a day to cleanse the horrors known as cooties. Other health tips are highly advised, such as washing your hands, washing your face, and using hygiene products such as deodorant. Doing so will minimize the rate of cootie infection.
Say “I (don’t) love you” with these V-Day gifts BY TUONG-VI NGUYEN
1. Cash Roses Some people are just impossible to shop for; look to cash roses, a less impersonal alternative to cold, hard cash. As the giver, you’ll engage in origami-esque work to fold the bills (preferably Benjamins, and the recipient can purchase something they actually want, and have it technically be from you! 2. Tickets The ticket to your significant other’s heart could be, well, tickets! Whether you decide to attend a concert or visit a cool museum, tickets are a thoughtful, definite win. You’ll also be able to spend some extra time together and make invaluable memories at the event. If you and your S.O. are artsy or musically appreciative, consider gifting a couple of tickets! 3. Something Unique Find a gift that has to do with your partner’s latest obsession (it can be a themed shirt, book, pillow, etc.) and surprise them with it! This proves that you listen to their cute, obsessive rants; they’ll be ecstatic, and feel loved – trust me. 4. Book One of the fastest rising trends is compiling little love notes for your S.O. in a book. You can easily find websites that allow you to design and purchase a customized picture book about your love adventures. However, it is a bit pricey, so you could also create one on your own. It’ll be just as special, if not more! 5. Divorce Papers Sometimes, it’s just better to understand that not all things work out. Accepting this when the time comes (if it does) may be the best thing you can do for yourself and your partner.
1. Divorce Papers In short, Valentine’s Day is probably not the best time to give divorce papers to your partner, especially if the situation is messy. It may be best to wait until Feb. 15 before you whip out the documents. 2. STDs It’s okay to get a little rambunctious on Valentine’s Day, but please, make sure that you and your date are healthy before letting things progress.There’s little that’s worse than discovering your Valentine’s “V” has given you Venereal Disease or worse. Always know whether or not he or she is STD: Safe To Do, and you are, too. And just in case, MHS Trojans, use a Trojan. 3. Self-help Book Nothing says “I love you for you” like a self-help book...not. Using this as a gift will imply that you don’t appreciate your partner the way he or she is. A self-help book also screams, “Get your life together – you’re a mess!”This is probably not the loving message you want your Valentine’s Day gift to suggest.So, try to avoid getting self-help books (at least for your partner). 4. Gym Membership Even if you and your partner are exercise nuts, a gym membership isn’t the greatest gift to give. Its implications can be offensive, and an angry Valentine is tough to deal with; neither of you will even need to visit the gym after the recipient chases down the giver, AKA you. 5. Plastic Flowers Sure, they can represent your undying love, but look at it this way: they’re also fake! If a bouquet of plastic flowers can represent eternal love, it can also represent ingenuine love. That’s not great... HELEN HUYNH|THE UNION
FEBRUARY 2017
BY HELEN HUYNH SABA KHORSANI
FEBRUARY 2017
SPREAD
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THE UNION
Pamper yourself with a homemade spa day
BY SABA KHORASANI
BY WAFA MALIK
HELEN HUYNH & SABA KHORSANI | THE UNION
No one can treat you better than you can
BY KATHERINE HUBENY JUSTIN NGUYEN
HELEN HUYNH | THE UNION
BY WAFA MALIK
HELEN HUYNH & WAFA MALIK | THE UNION
HOPE DO | THE UNION
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LIFESTYLE
THE UNION
FA SHION
SPOTLIGHT
BY JUSTIN NGUYEN
aaron martinez Senior
scarf Gifted sweater from Nummi
Opinion: School is more than just studying BY EMMY YU
“If you work now, you’ll play later. If you play now, you’ll work later.” It’s a destructive mantra that many strict, but well-intentioned, parents instill in their children. The meaning is fairly simple: invest your time, sacrifice some fun, and your hard work and efforts will pay off. While this little piece of advice might have some merit in motivating people to work harder, it drives a stake into the hearts of every exhausted, high-pressured student in today’s competitive college race. For me, the strong and solid path to success has always been through a good education and a highly reputable college. I had been conditioned to believe that everything that was not academically related was also not worth doing. There is such an emphasis on test scores and GPA that I almost convinced myself that studying was the only means to a fulfillling life. Throughout my
high school years, I lived by the “work hard, play later” attitude to the detriment of my emotional and mental health. Instead of going out with my friends, I stayed home to study for the never-ending, continuous stream of tests. I sacrificed pursuing my hobbies, participating in clubs and sports, and spending time with family to obtain a grade. Many students dedicate their entire high school careers to maintaining immaculate GPAs on their transcripts. While this particular section on college applications may shimmer with well-deserved A’s and A+’s, I found that I lacked in other equally significant areas. When a college essay prompt asked, “What is one thing that sets you apart from other candidates applying?,” I was utterly incapable of answering. In all my four years of hard work and studying, I had managed to accomplish nothing truly interesting—at least interesting enough to write about. Without so much
as a cry in opposition, I stayed on the academic path that I was told I had to follow. While I was dutifully immersing myself in all my textbooks, I had become about as interesting as their contents. It’s a great sigh of relief to do something that you truly enjoy—not in fear of appeasing your parents or achieving a grade. As much as parents and teachers like to stress the importance of grades, there is a greater importance in pursuing a path or outlet that you actually like—go out, play some Pokémon GO, join Dragonboat, attend Winter Ball, or simply carve out some time to watch a movie with your friends because these experiences and interactions build character, develop a personality, and make for more stimulating conversation. Challenge yourself in high school to find the one thing that will set you apart from the other candidates. There is more to the college application, and there is more to life than simply grades.
Harriet’s Declassified Math Survival Guide
shorts from Old Navy
BY HARRIET DO
socks from Forever 21 shoes from Adidas
FEBRUARY 2017
His Fashion Inspir ation: “Pennywise the clown, the Muppets and 60’s college women fashion.”
jamie fr anco Senior
School, extracurricular activities, homework, eat, sleep, repeat—that’s the pattern most high schoolers go through. By this time of the year, second semester tends to seem like a drag, especially since the end of the school year is drawing near. You whizzed through the first semester of math class, but what can you do to survive the rest of this next semester? 1. Understand the material. Don’t just memorize concepts and formulas. Learn the background behind the formulas, so that you can always derive them on a test if you forget them. If you do not understand something, ask the teacher during class or go to office hours for extra clarification. Remember, the only bad question is the one not asked.
2. Practice, practice, practice! Doing homework is the best way to learn your material; the homework problems are usually, if not always, similar to the ones on the test. However, there is no harm in doing more! Do extra problems until you can do them relatively quickly, for tests are going to only get harder, not easier. Avoid the pressure of running out of time during the test when you do not throughly know your concepts. Since math is a cumulative subject, it is important to master previous skills before progressing onto mastering a new concept. 3. Take advantage of all opportunities. Remember to always take advantage of any extra credit opportunities that your teacher offers. For example, some
math teachers give extra credit for participating in math competitions. Many teachers do not round grades, so you never know when that extra point will make the difference between a B+ and an A- at the end of the semester. 4. Study in groups. While you study and bury your nose in equations or formulas, you can get stressed out over concepts you are unable to understand. While your textbook may as well be speaking a foreign language, your friend may be the key to your success. Bring your friends together for a mini study session and review concepts you have not yet mastered. Studying with friends may even bring everyone closer together! Follow these Math Survival 101 tips and you will be A-OK in your math class. Good luck!
Restaurant Review: Fogo de Chão BY DARRION NGUYEN
turtleneck Forever 21
jeans Savers
Socks Gifted shoes Gifted
her Fashion Inspir ation: “Androgynous fashion, people like Amandla Stenberg and magazines like ‘DAZED.’”
ditional buffet style where customers go and choose between What speaks better to a different type of meals, Fogo de meat lover’s heart than a nonChão is separated into two difstop feast at Fogo de Chão? ferent sections for the meal, the Although it provides a rather meat, and everything else. expensive meal, this Brazilian In the middle of the steaksteakhouse proves its worth house is all the supplemental with an all-you-can-eat meal food: many different flavors and where stomachs inflate and types of cheese, breads, salads, belts break. Providing a fanas well as other appetizers. There tastic salad bar as well were also different types as a rotation of of salami and cheese waiters coming that tasted great, table to table each with a diswith juicy tinct flavor. Alhunks of though all the meat, Fogo dishes served de Chão seem good, is sure to they’re just leave you d i s t r ac t ion s satisfied. from the main Located meal. in SantaWhat makes na Row, this Fogo de Chão so steakhouse is unique is its aroa little pricey at matic and tender Cou o ã h rtesy of Fogo de C $54.95 per person for meat. I recommend minthe full-experience dinner, so imal tasting of any appetizers make sure to come in with an and saving your stomach for the empty stomach. The price is steak, chicken, lamb, and many worth it, however, as the food other main selections. With so is amazing, and the restaurant many different options, all sepaprovides an absolutely unique rately looking tasty, you’re going atmosphere. Instead of the trato want to take a bite out of all of
them. The lamb chops in particular was one that I could not put down. With each bite I took out of the lamb chop, its succulent flavor brought me right back. There are a ton of other great dishes to order, such as the bacon-wrapped chicken cubes or roasted chicken. The style of servicing is a delight, as well. Instead of traveling around looking for different selections to eat, you can just wait at your table until the cycle of waiters begin their routine of endless meal options. With each person holding a different entrée, the smell of meat permanently permeates the area. A person holding a saucy rib may walk by, and he cuts it up right onto your plate. With many flavors to try and different animals to eat, don’t take too much of a single meal before trying everything else. As it stands, Fogo de Chão is one of the best places to go on a date for a couple with ravenous appetites. With its widely varied selection and fantastic atmosphere, I would definitely recommend this steakhouse to anyone and everyone craving a storm.
LIFESTYLE
FEBRUARY 2017
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THE UNION
DIYS for Your Valentine's Day Create your own sugary treat to treat your sugar this Valentine’s Day BY WAFA MALIK TUONG-VI NGUYEN
Whether you’re alone or in a relationship this Valentine’s Day, there’s one thing that reigns supreme for everyone on this sweet holiday: cookies. Fall for this recipe; the batch is perfect for sharing with your love(s) or eating all by yourself! Ingredients 1/2 cup unsalted butter, sof tened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 cup all purpose flour Gel food coloring (pink or red) 1 cup powdered sugar (option al) 3 tsps milk (optional)
Procedure: 1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla and then add salt and baking powder.
and no streaks remain. 4. Pinch off golf ball sized portions of dough, rolling into balls. Create a pattern of alternate colored balls of dough on your workstation. Gently, knead all dough together until swirls of color are visible. Be sure to not overmix.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick spray. 7. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Use heart cutter to cut out heart shaped cookies. Freeze cookies for 15 minutes. Freezing the cookies before baking is done to maintain the heart shapes. 8. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on pan for 2
minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. 9. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. 10. If you want to make icing for your sugar cookies, combine the powdered sugar and milk in a bowl and mix. Change the amount of milk if you want a thinner or thicker consistency.
Wafa Malik | THE UNION
2. Gradually mix in flour, increasing speed as needed until dough is fully combined and no streaks remain. 3. Divide dough in half, transferring half to a clean bowl, set aside. Add a small amount of dark pink gel food color to the remaining dough. Beat until fully tinted
Wa fa
Wa fa
M a lik | THE U N ION
5. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30-60 minutes.
Wafa Malik | THE UNION
ON M a lik | TH E U N I
11. Add red food coloring and mix. Spread on cooled cookies and serve.
Craft colorful, creative Valentine’s Day cards for that special someone BY SABA KHORASANI GRACE CHANG
Who said you have to spend money to show someone how much he or she means to you? There’s nothing like a cute DIY card to give to your special someone! Make one of these cards, and you’ll be sure to leave a smile on your significant other’s face! Watercolor Card Supplies: -paper (heavy paper works best i.e. cardstock paper, paint paper) -paintbrush -watercolor -masking liquid
-scissors -salt (optional) Procedure: 1. Start by cutting your paper into a heart shape, leaving enough room to write your message. 2. Using the end of the paintbrush, dip it into the masking liquid, and use it to write your message on the paper. 3. Allow for the masking liquid to dry completely. 4. Using watercolors of your choice (or red and pink to be extra spirited), paint over the words. 5. When the paint is still wet, sprinkle on some salt. (Absorbs the paint and gives a cool sort of texture)
6. Allow for the watercolor to dry completely. 7. Carefully peel off the masking liquid, and voila: a unique and cute card to show your love!
Saba Khorasani | THE UNION
Polka Dot Heart Card Supplies: -paper (any paper would work) -thick paper (use as stencil) -tape -pencil with an eraser at the end - q-tip -paint Procedure 1. Take your thicker paper and cut out a heart shape, or whatever other shape you would like. 2. Fold your paper in half and tape your heart shape onto the paper. 3. Take your pencil, dip the eraser end into the paint, and make dots around the heart shape. You can use a q-tip if you would like
instead of the eraser. Use more than one color of paint to make your card more colorful. 4. Once you are done making the dots, carefully peel the heart off the card. Be careful not to smear the dots. Write a message in the card once the card is dry, and you are done!
Grace Chang | THE UNION
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THE UNION
FEBRUARY 2017
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Hidden Figures’ astounds with powerful message RATING (Out of 5 Hearts):
The film is refreshing in its intersectional approach to conversaBY ELAKYA THIRUMOORTHY tions of privilege and oppression. Never are the main characters fac“Hidden Figures” is a biographing challenges specifically because ical drama that brings to modern they are part of the African-Amerlight the untold stories of three ican community or because they key people who were crucial are women, but rather beto launching an astronaut cause of distinct problems into orbit. Directed by Thethat are as a result of both. odore Melfi and set in the The three main characters 1960s, it follows the efforts, MOVIE find themselves mistrusted success, and subsequent eraREVIEW and treated condescendingly sure, of Katherine Goble (Tabecause they are women, and raji P. Henson), Mary Jackare thought to not be capable son (Janelle Monàe), and Dorothy of the mathematics and science Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) as they required to launch a man into orparticipate in some of the greatest bit. Even when they finally prove milestones of American aeronautithemselves as vital to their role in cal science. the women’s department, they are The movie is unique in its intreated as second-class citizens formative nature, and is not dry because of the color of their skin. or boring. Rather, the plot and cinThe movie does a fantastic job in ematography grips its audiences being honest about the systemic and does not let go even after the aggressions people of color faced end; instead, it fosters constant and still continue to face today thought about the world around us. while still motivating the audience
with sheer capability and skill of the three protagonists. The film highlights the struggle of obtaining such a job as African-American women in the 1960s, not due to a lack of skill, but rather because they had to fight for the classes and opportunities to even be considered qualified for the job. Past that, the movie showcases the discrimination and segregation that may be considered insignificant for those in power, but more than just a simple hassle for the women who have to live through it every day. The shooting of the movie, the dialogue, and screenplay are riveting. There is not a dull moment in the film. Overall, this movie was thought-provoking, well-directed, and educational. It is always a good idea to learn about events that the authors of our history might have covered up for their own benefits so that we can continue to learn and grow as people.
Courtesy of variety.com
From left to right: Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), and Mia (Emma Stone), perform an elaborate tap dance routine to the musical number, ‘A Lovely Night,’ choreographed by Mandy Moore, in front of the Los Angeles Skyline, after much flirting.
‘La La Land’ wows audiences visually and musically RATING (Out of 5 Hearts):
the dozens of performers. Soon after, we are introduced to the lead BY BRANDON WETTENSTEIN characters, aspiring actress Mia Watching vintage Hollywood mu(Emma Stone) and unapologetic sicals were always a highlight of my jazz-lover Sebastian (Ryan Goschildhood because of how magical ling). Mia is tired of attending authey were. Yet, fast forward five ditions where producers look at decades later, and the musical gentheir phones rather than at her, and Sebastian wants to own re has all but died out. That’s why it’s so remarkable that his own jazz club to preserve Director Damien Chazelle’s the purity of the genre. Both musical “La La Land” has beplayfully mock each other in come the most talked about entertaining back-and-forths MOVIE movie of the awards season by sparks begin to fly. REVIEW before having already garnered 71 of The music is a strength of the the 191 awards that it has been film that, fortunately, is never nominated for . overused as a crutch in place of sto“La La Land” takes place in modry. Instead, the music is used as a ern day Los Angeles and opens with tool to flesh out Mia and Sebastian’s a musical number that perfectly feelings or the setting of Los Angesets the tone for the rest of the film. les. Songs such as “Another Day of Immediately we are greeted to the Sun” set up the theme of unfulfilled first of Chazelle’s fantastic direcdreams that surrounds the film, tion with his decision to film the and “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” musical numbers in long, unbroken is used in important character motakes that do a great job showing off ments. Additionally, the musical
sequences are visually stunning. As actors, Gosling and Stone deserve the praise they’re receiving because there’s almost no supporting cast. In their third film together, it’s no surprise that their chemistry is palpable. Both of them are Oscar-worthy, though I believe that Stone was the better performer in the film because, as an already established actress, she was tasked with portraying an aspiring actress hoping to make it in Hollywood. Simply put, “La La Land” is a wonderful film that is worth the praise. Chazelle in particular deserves kudos for successfully reviving a dead genre, similar to how Sebastian tries to revive jazz. It’s a movie that doesn’t overstay its welcome, has characters you can relate to, and explores something that we’ve all experienced: dreams. “La La Land” will have you walking out of the theater with tears in your eyes and a song stuck in your hearts.
‘Resident Evil 7’ offers scary, dynamic gameplay RATING (Out of 5 Hearts):
endings, one of which is pretty dissatisfying. BY SUHAS SHEKAR A part of the survival horror genre, “Resident Evil 7” is compelled to do After more than four years since the best job it can in scaring players. the last main installment, “Resident The game does an effective job of Evil 7: Biohazard” has finally been representing an overall creepy theme leased. The general consensus throughout the story. of players is mainly positive, The superb quality of the though most do seem to agree sound design and graphics that the franchise is well past add to the realism of the game, its prime. Despite this, “Resimaking it more captivating GAME dent Evil 7” offers an immerand improving the overall exREVIEW perience that is offered. This is sive experience that all players can enjoy. especially highlighted during The story of “Resident Evil combat, where the grotesque 7” centers on a character named gore and blood of enemies combine Ethan Winters whose adventure is to immerse players even further. Unstarted by the disappearance of his fortunately, “Resident Evil 7” follows wife. Although the game didn’t have the trend of recent games in not havan impact to the point of driving one ing many features while costing $60. to tears, it was still interesting to see Unlike “Resident Evil 5” and “Resithe events of the story unfold. The dent Evil 6,” “Resident Evil 7” does story takes roughly eight to ten hours not have a multiplayer component or to complete and has two possible even a cooperative game mode. Some
would argue that since “Resident Evil 7” is played from a first-person point of view, having more players would break the immersion the game is dependent on in effectively attracting players. But would there really be any harm in at least giving players the option to play the game with their friends if they really want to? From a mechanics standpoint, “Resident Evil 7” takes a different approach from its predecessors by using a first person point of view. The combat is best described as being one of the fluid and dynamic ones of the series,. Also, the game is completely free of any quicktime events, so there’s no more having to mash a button to fend off an enemy. Ultimately, fans of the previous installments of the “Resident Evil” franchise and fans of horror survival games will likely be interested in buying “Resident Evil 7” for the riveting experience it offers.
beyonce’s twins treat yo self 2/14 gaga’s falling milk chocolate mariah carey anti-fan
HANG by Foxygen Genre: Indie Rock RATING (Out of 5 Heart):
I DECIDED by Big Sean Genre: Hip-Hop & Rap RATING (Out of 5 Hearts):
BY NOEMI CRISANTO
BY GURSHAAN BARIANA
Approximately three years after the duo’s second album, “...And Star Power,” the indie rock pair Foxygen returns with its latest album “Hang.” Sam France and Jonathan Rado introduce many new sounds in this album, which features a full symphony orchestra conducted by Trey Pollard and contributions from Matthew E. White, “The Flaming Lips” Steve Drozd, and The Lemon Twigs. Many of the songs in the album “Hang” fall into the same experimental music sound that Foxygen is known for, which is something that fans will enjoy. The duo has kept its original sound while adding many well-placed sounds among the melody. The album itself is full of wildly overloaded songs that are taken to entertaining extremes. Such extremes can definitely be heard in the song “Avalon.” The song “Avalon” begins with a raggedy feel that one might consider better heard in a jazz movie from the 70s. However, the feel aids the song’s funky vibe, which slowly transforms and brings forth a new sound through the piano’s continuous accelerando runs. Many of the songs make use of the full orchestra by incorporating plenty of saxophone and piano solos. The songs in “Hang” could easily be compared to the likes of Queen since they share the same bombastic, orchestral sound. Out of all the songs, I would say that “Upon A Hill” is the best in the eight-track album. It may be the shortest song in the whole album, but it has enough contrast between the instruments and the vocals to be enjoyable.
Big Sean has come back in one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. The 14-track “I Decided” was released Feb. 3 and features hit songs “Bounce Back”and “Moves.” The consistent flow of Big Sean since his emergence into the mainstream music industry gives original fans a chance to appreciate an album that has the potential to produce multiple successful tracks. The inspiration behind Big Sean’s newest album comes from the idea of a rebirth. After feeling like a failure, Big Sean chooses to distance himself from his past with a second chance in hopes that it will inspire listeners. “I Decided” is uniquely special and possesses a distinct power to move people through meaningful lyrics, rather than focusing on the dark times of his life and the pain that came along with it. One of the most powerful songs in the album is the track “Lights” featuring R&B artist Jeremih. As the first song in “I Decided,” “Lights” sets a precedent for the songs to come. Despite being known for catchy beats, Big Sean shifts away from this and instead focuses on the lyrics, which describes his regrets and explores America’s social injustices. “I Decided” shows a new side of Big Sean; listeners are in for a surprise in the lyrical creativity of each song in the album, incorporating the attractive music production that his existing audience appreciates. “I Decided” is the ultimate stylistic rebirth of Big Sean as he continues to prove his haters wrong while giving fans something to look forward to.
FEBRUARY 2017
ENTERTAINMENT
THE UNION
13
‘Z’ proves Zelda Fitzgerald to be more than just an author’s wife RATING (Out of 5 Hearts):
into a flesh-colored swimsuit to sneaking out to attend dances, she “I love her and that’s the begin- is often the talk of the town. ning and end of everything,” F. Zelda is unrestrained and rebelScott Fitzgerald wrote to his friend lious, believing wholeheartedly Isabelle Amorous about his love for that women in her time should be Zelda. more than just wives and daugh“Z: The Beginning of Everything” ters. Her defiant nature captures is a biography series that chroni- the attention of the young F. Scott cles the life of Zelda Sayre-Fitzger- Fitzgerald, who was a volunteer ald (Christina Ricci) from her teen- for the army stationed just outage years as a beautiful, defiant side of Montgomery. He writes, in southern belle to her glamorous the same letter to Isabelle, that he love affair with F. Scott Fitzgerald “fell in love with her courage, her (Gavin Stenhouse). Set in the 1920s sincerity and her flaming self reJazz Era, in which Zelda became spect.” an icon of the flapper girl revoluScott is propelled into New York’s tion, the series highlights the couhigh society following his ple’s quick rise to fame, their successful first novel, “This extravagant social life, and Side of Paradise,” and Zeltheir troubled marriage. da (not one to have just one The famed Zelda Saysuitor) finally agrees to marre-Fitzgerald was the inspi- TV-SERIES ry him. Together, they are ration to many of Fitzgerald’s REVIEW thrown into the fast-paced works. Female heroines such life of parties, money, alcoas Daisy Buchanan from hol, and fame. However, the Fitzgerald’s most famous novel, alcohol-infused social life and the “The Great Gatsby,” and Rosalind subsequent flops of Scott’s later Connage of “This Side of Paradise” novels took a toll on their seemingwere modeled to resemble Zelda. ly perfect marriage. Following the Scott also uses passages stolen glitz and glamor of their celebrity from Zelda’s diaries and love let- status, Zelda and Scott’s later years ters–something that Zelda was were plagued by debt, adulterous certainly not a fan of. It is a conflict love affairs, and mental illness. that the series explores, along with While it is generally frowned the couple’s other troubles with upon to use an author’s personmoney, alcoholism, adultery, and al life as a key to interpreting his mental illness. or her work, examining the lives The series unfolds in Zelda’s of the Fitzgeralds can prove to hometown of Montgomery, Ala- be too irresistible, and the series bama before she even meets her does well in recreating their relafuture husband. With her father tionship. How much of Zelda and holding a well-respected position Scott’s social lives can be seen in a of judge in the Supreme Court of description of Jay Gatsby’s opulent Alabama, Zelda’s family station parties? Although many know of makes her a “Golden Girl” of her F. Scott Fitzgerald for his classic town. Even from the pilot episode novels such as “The Great Gatsby,” of this ten-part series, it is clear the series is, at its core, focused on that Zelda is not a traditional aus- Zelda as its main character. She is tere or modest young lady. Zelda a stand-alone character in her own proves that she is anything but con- right. ventional– from stripping down
BY GRACE CHANG & KELLY LUE
BY EMMY YU
‘Our Revolution’: Sander’s call for a transfomation of America
Opinion: Hollywood needs more Asian roles We’ve all noticed it—Hollywood he is a perfect characterization of subtly sneaking in those nerdy Inwhat Hollywood has been doing dian guys who grew up in America to Asians for years. The success but somehow still have that offenof the show and the blindness of sive, unrealistic Indian accent in American audiences to this blunt movies or portraying racism is evidence of that skinny, Asian guy the normalcy in ridiculas a gross little nerd ing Asian characters in with no friends and abmainstream TV and cinsolutely no prospects of ema. ever finding a significant Luckily, times are other—or a friend for changing, and more that matter. It’s not that Asians have shows Hollywood is racist: it’s that do not limit them that the industry wants to these boxes—“The cheap comedy that they Mindy Project,” “Master SHREEYA know that people won’t of None,” “Quantico,” call out as racist, beand “Fresh Off the Boat.” ARANKE cause of Asians’ minoriBut three of these four ty status. shows are from producThe proof is in the pudding — ers who are of Asian origin. What whether you like him or not, Raj, Hollywood needs are TV shows from “Big Bang Theory” is one of and cinema that don’t necessarily the biggest examples of Hollywood revolve around Asian characters, getting away with racially profilbut revolve around characters that ing minorities. Sure, you may find happen to be Asian. The industry Raj extremely funny, but on paper, needs to include the portrayal of
Asians that shows them more like regular people than like these nerds who use computers all day and don’t have social lives. What Hollywood needs to do is not only to put Asians at the forefront of large franchises, but also be careful about typecasting when looking for the smaller, subtle roles. Think about it: in a typical movie, say in a high school setting, the main character is white, the best friend is black, the jock is white for sure, and most all of the friend group is white. But the weird guy sitting in the corner, doing his math homework, and saying that one thing in a weird accent is either Asian or Indian. It’s these types of roles that bother me the most. Why does the weird guy that nobody wants to be around have to be Asian? Hopefully, future increase in the Asian population in America will prompt change in their potrayal in Hollywood.
RATING (Out of 5 Hearts):
details the kinds of issues we need to focus on today as a changing naBY DAVID NGO tion. Issues include the decline of the middle class, healthcare, affordable In Bernie Sanders’ “Our Revolueducation, criminal justice reform, tion,” Sanders writes about his expeimmigration, and corporate media. riences as a mayor, congressman, senSanders explains why these issues ator, and most recently, a presidential are relevant for every individual, the candidate of the Democratic Party. importance of addressing them, and Tapping into grassroots and progreshow we as a people can come togethsive movements, Sanders tells us why er to solve it. the United States needs to move in “Our Revolution” gives us a clear a more progressive direction in ecomessage that allows any reader to nomic and social issues. His motives completely understand and feel and optimism gives us a reason to also what Sanders is trying to convey. He’s be part of the progressive movement frank with what he believes in and and democratic process. doesn’t hesitate to tell us why some“Our Revolution” begins with the thing is right or wrong. The details of details of Sanders’ childhood. his childhood and political caHis cramped apartment and reer give us a unique perspective similarly confined experiof what he does and how we can ence in a middle class family also be a part of the democratic influenced many of his views. process . I enjoyed “Our RevoDuring college, he took to the lution” because it gave mehope BOOK streets as a civil rights protesta greater understanding of REVIEW and er before settling in Vermont. American politics. Sanders tells us about the unThere are some issues with tapped potential of running a grassSanders’ book. “Our Revolution” roots movement, where the working gives us an unfiltered view of Sander’s and middle class massively funds and beliefs. This makes portions of the volunteers for the candidate, rather book unexciting and other parts feel than relying on a few wealthy indirepetitive. There are chapters where viduals. While both Republicans and Sanders mentions the noteworthy Democrats often ignore the people’s and extraordinary people who had popular views, Sanders uses the frushelped him throughout his life,. His tration and desire for change to fuel meticulous way of writing feels genuhis previous campaigns and progresine, but it is also difficult to keep track sive policies in office. of every significant event or detail. From the decades of campaigning Maybe I have a short attention span; and advocating for the people he repPortions of “Our Revolution” felt like resents, Sanders writes that it is more they could be left unread. important to side with the people, Despite some of its flaws, I enjoyed fighting issues such as workers benreading “Our Revolution.” I may be efits, campaign finance reform, social biased since I support Bernie Sandjustice, etc., rather than succumbing ers and his his progressive views. to wealthy private interests. In “Our However, his voice for a transformed Revolution,” he more thoroughly and better america is genuine.
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FEBRUARY 2017
February 2017
SPORTS
THE UNION
15
OPINION: Sports necessary for mental and physical growth by MIHIR HANSALIA
Most people, to be honest, flip to the sports page in the newspaper for entertainment —to see teams’ records and profiles of outstanding athletes. And I don't blame them. Historically, sports have been intended as entertainment and a fun means to stay in shape. Past the superficial level, however, it creates invaluable teaching opportunities that instill lifelong values. Many of us probably grew up playing one or two sports, and we can reflect on the skills that we acquired playing these sports that we would not have had if we didn't. For me, youth soccer introduced the skill of being able to effectively function as a member of a larger group and taught me leadership skills that I still use, whether it be in school or “real life.” Playing sports helps build character, integrity, empathy, and reinforces the value of hard work. Another benefit of sports—the Courtesy of stephen Balsbaugh
Sophomore DJ Gunabe navigates through defenders to get into the paint in the MHS basketball team's 51-29 win againt Cupertino High School.
Basketball team has slow start; hopes to end the season strong by NICOLAS WAN
With the last three games of the season coming up, the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team has an overall record of 8-13, with a 3-4 record in league play. The recent wins can be attributed to returning players from fall sports making up for lost time, according to Varsity Coach Clarence "Champ" Wrencher. Of the starters for the varsity team, four came from football and didn’t start playing basketball until Dec. 17, Wrencher said. Overall, there has been progress along with improvement in the team, and no players have been majorly injured, Wrencher added. “Now that everyone in the team is in shape and the rust is off, we’re starting to see good results,” Wrencher said. “We want to see improvement from beginning to end; we don’t want to level off our skills, we should be trending up.” A high point this year has been the team chemistry, since players have known each other for a long time, some even since elementary school, Wrencher said. This is in stark contrast with last year, when many players didn’t meet until senior year of high school, Wrencher explained. “We all like each other and get together very well,” Small Forward D’Vaughn Jones said. “We hang out with each other outside of practice and games; team chemistry is very good.” Many of the team’s wins can be attributed to the exceptional defense, according to Wrencher. The team had done a good job of stopping teams in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, Wrencher added. “Our defense has definitely helped us to gain easy points because of
steals and fast breaks,” Wrencher said. “This has allowed us to string together many of the wins of the season.” Power Forward Rajveer Dhaliwal had a similar opinion, citing defense as a strong point, but mentioned that the team needs to work on other areas to improve. The team hasn’t been scoring too well, and the crowd during away games has been affecting performance, Dhaliwal said. “We sometimes rely too much on shots, and they aren’t going in,” Dhaliwal said. “The loud crowd can really affect us during away games, especially those at Los Gatos, though we have been getting a good rhythm going in the last few games.” The basketball team has recently figured out how to win against good teams, especially after a loss to Palo Alto, according to Wrencher. The away game at Palo Alto High School, considered to have one of the best basketball teams in the Bay Area, proved to the team members that they could play against anyone, Wrencher said. “We were down five points in the game against Palo Alto with a chance to win,” Wrencher explained. “It’s hard to figure out how to win against good teams, as sometimes the players have to figure it out themselves; there isn’t much the coach can do.” For Jones, the most monumental game of the season was against Piedmont Hills High School. The win was a big morale boost for the team after losing four games in a row, Jones said. “The Piedmont Hills game was a big step towards generating wins for the team,” Jones said. “Since then, we’ve been doing good as a team; especially when we are at home, we can usually get the job done.”
Senior Alii Matau, recently was selected to go to Hawaii, among other talented football players, to play for the JBS league. After having examined Matau’s films, the coaches staff in Pittsburgh, Ca selected him. Matau was in Hawaii for close to a week last December in order to play with other carefully selected players, which Matau considers a great experience and an honor to represent the school at such a large occasion. Matau believes that he will be able to use the skill he acquired from Hawaii to improve his game at home, as a result of talking to other players from different schools and getting pointers from others.
“It feels good [to know that he I one of the few people selected to play]," Matau said. "It’s good to know that some people recognize my talent, from all the way from Pittsburgh, where the coaches staff is.” Matau was selected because the coaches liked his film, he said. Because his film has been watched since junior year, the coaches were able to see the improvement of his talent over time, and when the opportunity was given to him, he took it. Matau said, when asked if he had any sort of training while there, “I did a little running over there, to keep in shape, on the beach, because it’s beautiful over there, and it was fun to
revealed that playing sports can relieve symptoms of depression, although this research is not complete. Playing sports also enables people to gain access to opportunities that they may not have had if they didn't play sports. There are countless stories, some about people at MHS, of people who were able to overcome adversity in life through sports, and as a result, it became the passions that they pursue. It gives people voices that they didn't know they had. I think my point is pretty clear now—you should play a sport. There are countless benefits to playing sports; a sense of community, learning responsibility, and better health. And as far as I know, there are no significant harms. Remember that it is never too late to join a sport; MHS offers practically every major sport, and there are many recreational leagues to join. Make the effort to play a sport—you won't regret it.
Wrestlers pin obstacles during new season by DEREK VO
With the varsity wrestling team's season is coming to a close towards the tail end of February, the team’s current dual meet record stands at one win and three losses. when compared to previous seasons, the wrestling team hasn’t been performing as well as the members expected or at the level the team wanted to, according to Team Captain Kevin Nguyen. A reason for this is that the team moved from the El Camino Division to the higher-up De Anza Division. Even though the team is not performing as well as expected, there is still progress shown after moving up to the higher division, Nguyen added. “Practices are definitely more intense and more productive than last year, even if the results aren’t quite there yet,” Nguyen said. “The Los Gatos dual meet showed that most of our team can beat the
competition and even though we lost, we were very close in terms of points.” The varsity wrestling team’s one win has come against Monte Vista by a score of 43-21. The team’s three losses have come from W ilcox 15-48, Fremont 3-77, and Los Gatos 37-40. A shining spot in the team has been the team chemistry. Even though the team is young, everyone is open with each other, and there are no divisions between teammates, according to Nguyen. Each person has to be close with the people they spend three hours a day wrestling with, Nguyen said. “One of the team’s biggest challenges is that our current pace of teaching technique doesn’t give the younger wrestlers enough time to learn the more advanced moves,” Nguyen said. “This also causes the experienced wrestlers to not be able to practice the advanced moves they already know.” First-year Wrestler Khoi Le agrees
with this remark and also stated that another big challenge the team had was making, cutting, and maintaining their weights. Each member of the team had to make their certain weight divisions. If they didn't, they would have to wrestle against competitors with a different weight from theirs, which wouldn't be fair competition, Le said. This season hasn’t had many special or remarkably impressive moments, according to both Nguyen and Le. Everything has been relaxed, Nguyen added. “This season was really fun because I met new people and got to wrestle with my teammates,” Le said. “But at the same time, it was really long and tiring.” Nguyen had a similar opinion, but also went on stating that the season is going on strong and that the team had a lot of space to grow. Anyone looking for a challenge in the future should join the sport of wrestling, Nguyen added.
Courtesy of stephen Balsbaugh
Sophomore Kirk Tran grapples with an opponent in a match against Fremont High School (left). Senior Darren Foronda attempts to break free from his opponent's hold (right). The team hopes to improve in upcoming matches.
Matau represents MHS Football team in Hawaii by ARVIND KUMAR
one that is the most practical but the most important—is the health benefit of playing a sport and staying physically active. Modern life has made a sedentary lifestyle very easy, and oftentimes we overlook exercise, focusing on other “important” things. I'm sure we would all prefer sitting on our couch and eating potato chips while watching television over going for a jog. One-third of Americans are obese, and scientists predict that in 20 years, half of the country will be obese. You could be the most successful person on Earth, but without good health, you basically have nothing. Playing sports is a great way to force yourself to be physically active and is a great alternative to the “maybe I'll exercise today” mindset. Sports also have profound effects on our brains and states of mental health. Psychologists say that the feeling of being included in a group that is striving toward a common goal boosts self-esteem and makes us more happy. Some studies have
run alongside the beach and enjoy the beautiful sights.” A fight broke out among the parents on the bleachers around fourth quarter of the game Matau played, when the parents had a difference in opinion about a call referring to when a player hit the quarterback of the opposing team. As a result, the fourth quarter was canceled, and the game was unfinished. “The fourth quarter wouldn’t really make much of a difference," Matau said. "The play they hit them on, the other team scored a touchdown, so they were up by 16, with three minutes left, so there wasn’t much we could do. But there’s no saying that miracles can’t happen.”
16
T HE U NION
FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS
WAGES: MHS students earn more from shifts
FROM PAGE 1
Shreeya Aranake| THE UNION
Several trash-collecting vehicles line up across from the Newby Island Recyclery offices where people can dispose of their items for a fee. The Newby Island landfill in Milpitas is owned by San Jose and is scheduled for expansion.
Newby Dump expands despite extensive public resistance
BY CA-ZAO BUI JUSTIN TSO
Expansion of the Newby Island Landfill was unanimously approved by the San Jose Planning Commission on Dec. 7, 2016, San Jose Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Division Manager Sylvia Do said. The expansion would increase the maximum vertical height from 150 to 245 feet, extending landfill capacity by approximately 15.12 million cubic yards, Do said. The San Jose Planning Commision chose to uphold the Planning Director’s decision to allow the height increase, Do stated. This implements a 2012 San Jose City Council policy decision allowing the new maximum landfill height of 245 feet; this doesn’t expand the operational working face of the landfill, though, she continued. “The Planning Commission’s recent 2016 decision was based upon an October 2014 Planning Director’s decision to extend the landfill capacity and make it taller,” Do said, “but the permit doesn’t actually make the landfill’s operational working face any larger than it is currently; the open face of the landfill actually shrinks as part of this permit decision.” The Newby Landfill expansion poses an increase in an already prevalent odor problem in Milpitas, new-
ly elected Milpitas Mayor Rich Tran said. The expansion of the landfill will make the odor nuisance harder to combat for Milpitas residents if extensive odor mitigation is not enacted, Tran added. “I think the Newby Island Landfill expansion is one of the worst things to happen to our city,” Tran said. “The landfill height will increase from approximately 150 to 245 feet, making it one of the largest man-made creations in the South Bay.” Although the decision has been passed, there has been significant resistance throughout the city of Milpitas, Tran said. Over 2000 residents have organized a community group against the landfill expansion, but the location of the landfill puts the city of Milpitas at a disadvantage when it comes to overturning a decision. Despite this, the city is still involved in undisclosed legal actions against the process, Tran added. “The City of Milpitas and its residents have spoken out publicly against the landfill expansion before the San Jose Planning Commission,” Tran said. “There are legal actions that the City of Milpitas [are] currently involved in, which I cannot comment on publicly. Unfortunately, Newby Island is located in San Jose and not Milpitas, thereby leaving us with a limited impact on the decision. In my opinion, the only way to
beat this landfill expansion is to find an alternative waste disposal/landfill location that is economically feasible for the region.” The decision to expand the landfill was made after much consideration from many different sources, Do said. “The commission considers the validity of the Director’s decision, listens to public input and testimonies, and considers stakeholders’ views,” Do said. “At each decision-making hearing process, the City Council, Planning Commission, and Planning Director found the PD Permit to be consistent with the City’s General Plan.” The aforementioned Planned Development (PD) Permit is the city’s permitting mechanism to require stricter operations, Do said. Some of these conditions include expanding the facility’s misting system used to neutralize odors and investing at least $2 million in capital improvements to the landfill gas collection system over the next five years. “The permit includes requirements such as requiring that the operator reduce the size of the landfill’s open face,” Do said, “no outdoor storage of putrid material, the use of dry biosolids to cover the incoming waste, and no use of wet biosolids, [and] locating the facility’s composting operation nearly a mile further away from Milpitas.”
Substantial rains alleviate California drought BY ANANYA DONAPATI
Drought conditions in California have improved substantially due to the storms in the past several months, according to U.S. Drought Monitor Author David B. Simeral. The Bay Area is currently droughtfree and so is a large half of Northern California, according to analysis at the U.S. Drought Monitor, Simeral explained via email. Several of the storm events in these months delivered record levels of precipitation in some areas, Simeral stated. There is still a possibility that the storms could taper off in the coming months, but California would still have received average to above average precipitation totals for the winter and spring season, he stated. “However, it’s prudent to practice water conservation in case the situa-
tion changes in the coming months,” Simeral mentioned. “These types of storms, atmospheric rivers, are a normal part of the climate for California.” There are still lingering long-term impacts in various places around the state in relation to groundwater and some reservoirs in southern California that have not yet recovered, Simeral continued. Groundwater can take much longer to recover from the drought. “One of the worst areas of the state is the southern portion of the central coast near Santa Barbara where Cachuma Reservoir is well below normal,” Simeral said. “Overall, the storms have delivered a lot of snow to the Sierra and snowpack levels are above normal.” President Trump stated in his past campaign rally in Fresno that there
is no drought in California, and that water was being pushed out into the ocean instead. Fresno County was one of the hardest hit areas in the states in terms of the drought, Simeral said in response. “Yes, sometimes water does flow into the ocean from streams and rivers around the state, but often times this occurs during large storm events when releases are made from reservoirs for flood control purpose,” Simeral stated. “Essentially, they do this to make room in the reservoirs to accommodate large amounts of runoff that occurs during these storm events.” California is still probably in a drought, Junior Winnie Diep said. It would have to take a lot more storms than that, and possibly even greater magnitudes to really push the state back up, she said.
CLASSES: University courses offered to MHS students
FROM PAGE 1
community, including the business community, dual enrollment courses for Milpitas and Calaveras Hills High School students, [and] the Technest Coding Academy,” Graham stated. “[The plan is also to] increase courses that offer a smooth transition for the Milpitas Adult Education population; and be flexible so that we can meet the dynamic needs of the local area. As a joint use facility , Milpitas High School will also offer classes at the site to help with expanding needs for the high school.” According to Harke, the hope is that
the dual-enrollment classes at the Milpitas extension will be integrated into the school day for MHS students in the future. The accessibility that the extension campus offers can’t be beat, Harke said. “It’s actually convenient for us because we just walk over there after school,” Senior Tina Truong said. “But it’s just not convenient for traffic. But because [this one] happens after school and all the cars are gone, it doesn’t really make a difference, because we’re just walking over there.” Truong is currently taking the In-
troduction to social and cultural anthropology course at the extension campus, and she appreciates the opportunity to learn something she’s interested in. She has only taken the class for one week so far, but it has made a good impression, according to Truong. “It was kinda like a normal high school class, except it was just really chill,” Truong stated. “The professor for [Social and Cultural] Anthropology is really nice, and she’s really passionate about what’s she’s teaching, and it makes the class better.”
because people will start losing their jobs so businesses can afford to pay their workers more. Raising the minimum wage would also raise the prices of things.” There are worries that businesses and employers will suffer from job loss and the accompanying rise in workload for workers. Chiang would have had to take on a bigger work load and counsel more special-ed kids at his summer camp if his employers decide not to hire as many people, Chiang said. “I worked at VS Services at Palo Alto, a summer camp for disabled kids,” Chiang explained. “If they in-
creased the minimum wage, they would have to hire less people, and I would have to take care of more people, which I could not have handled.” These worries are shared even by supporters of the raise in the minimum wage, according to Han. Businesses will have to find other ways to cut costs and make money, Han explained. “Besides the price increases and possible decreases in their labor force,” Han said, “businesses will probably just reduce their spending in other parts of their budget and reduce the amount of benefits given to employees.”
ROTC Military Ball planned, cancelled BY HELEN PHAM
The MHS Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) will be hosting its first Military Ball since 2012, according to Officer of the Military Ball Andion Delmundo. The ball will be held at the Milpitas Community Center on February 17th from 7 P.M. to 11 P.M., Delmundo said. Military Ball is like any school dance and was a tradition at MHS until 2012, Delmundo said. Tickets can be purchased at the ROTC building until Feb. 15, Delmundo explained. “The ticket prices are $15 ROTC, $18 non-ROTC, and $25 for couples, [with] couples meaning just two people, whether they are in ROTC or not,” Delmundo said. “Ticket prices will go up after February 9.” The ball will crown a military ball king, queen, prince, and princess, Delmundo said. There will be a performance and a variety of food available to guests at the dance, he continued. “We’ll have a small routine performed by our honor guard team,” Delmundo said. “For food, we’ll have things from angus roast beef to scalloped potatoes and lotus root salad.” The dance is looking to be a success, Delmundo said. There is a student military ball planning committee that comes up with ideas and a set plan of things to do, where Delmundo then
takes into consideration to see what would work, he explained. “I think it will be a success with the work we have put into it because I’ve actually been planning this since the middle of my freshman year,” Delmundo said. “With the help of the committee, I think the plans will finally come to life.” Military Ball used to be a yearly tradition at MHS, Cadet Chief Petty Officer Jessica Nguyen said. Problems with the budget and planning have prohibited it from being held recently, she said. “For the past few years, we had a few problems with planning and funding,” said Nguyen. “This year, we were able to plan early and raise money for the ball.” Military Ball is an important event for ROTC, Nguyen said. It is a night that allows for ROTC to come together and bond, she continued. “Even though we can [bond in] our own time, there is something special about this event,” Nguyen said. “It’s an annual event that many people have put thought into.” As of press time, Feb. 8, the ball is officially cancelled becaused of insufficient ticket sales, according to Cadet Senior Chief Petty Officer Nick Tran. Seven more tickets remained to be sold out of the necessary 75 tickets, he said.
New Secretary of Education appointed BY SHREEYA ARANAKE
The Education Secretary under the Trump administration is Former Michigan Republican Chairwoman Betsy DeVos. DeVos has been an advocate for school choice and the voucher system, according to the New York Times. She has been confirmed by the Senate. DeVos was initially one Republican vote away from being denied the position. According to the Chicago Tribune, two GOP senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, have said that they will not vote for DeVos because of her inexperience concerning public schools. Vice President Mike Pence supported President Trump’s choice, and so DeVos has already been confirmed as Secretary of Education. DeVos’s voucher system is a plan in which each school-aged child receives a government funded entitlement, which allows that child to use that voucher to attend the school he or she wants, whether it be public, public charter, or private school, she said. In response to hearing about DeVos’s campaign to implement the voucher system in Michigan, Sophomore Avani Tamhankar voiced her doubts. According toTamhankar, she is concerned about DeVos’s approach to public education. “[I am] worried about DeVos’s attempt to privatize public education,” Tamhankar explained. “Because DeVos is rich and does not have experience with public education, she will not be the person we need to improve the public education system that Americans need in order to have a better future that is accessible to everybody.”
DeVos was also asked if guns have a place in school. To this question she responded that she believes that guns may indeed come in handy in the case of having to neutralize a potential grizzly bear threat at a school, according to her statements at the Senate confirmation hearing. In response to DeVos’s position concerning guns in school, Junior Andrew Ha said that it is the responsibility of school staff members to keep their students safe. Ha also stated that DeVos’s ideas are quite silly. “It is not the job of teachers and administrators to halt violent threats once they are occurring,” Ha said. “Their job is to keep children hidden and secured from assailants. The police can handle the rest. School shootings are on the rise, and Ms. DeVos would like to add more guns to schools? I think of it as a foolish idea merely influenced by her ties with Republican party ideology and the NRA.” During the Senate confirmation hearing, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia asked DeVos if all schools that receive taxpayer funding should be required to meet the requirements of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), legislation that allows students with disabilities to be get a free public education tailored to their individual needs. In response, DeVos said that the implementation of this act should be left up to the states. According to DeVos’ Spokesperson Greg McNeilly, DeVos had gotten 50 Republicans who pledged that they would vote for her. “One would hope that a U.S. Senator’s voice is their bond,” McNeilly stated, “and we have every reason to believe that it is.”