The Union - Milpitas High School - October 2023

GLORIFICATION OF UC SCHOOLS (2)

U NI N MCMURRAY, ANGLON AS NEW ADMIN (4)

THE

October 2023 VOLUME XXXVI ISSUE I

FASHION SPOTLIGHT (5)

CROSS COUNTRY STARTS OFF STRONG (6)

STUDENTS REFLECT ON HOMECOMING DANCE (7)

MHSTHEUNION.COM FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL

‘Passion project’: Querubin becomes activities director

By Savan Bollu

Courtesy of Scott Forstner

MUSD hosted the Innovation Campus ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 15, on the grounds of the new campus.

Innovation Campus update: students to attend next fall, E-Tech academy to move to new site

By Sanvi Parvatikar

The district celebrated the completion of phase one of the Innovation Campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept.

15. The phase-one buildings will house an extension site for MHS beginning in fall 2024, according to a district press release dated Sept. 21.

The campus will accommodate 500 MHS students and is intended to reduce the number of students on the main MHS campus, Innovation Campus Committee member and science teacher Rita Burmanroy said.

The Engineering and Technology (E-Tech) Academy will be among the first MHS students to attend classes at the Innovation Campus, Burmanroy said.

In deciding which MHS students will attend the Innovation Campus, the committee aims

“to engage underrepresented students in STEAM courses and careers through hands-on learning experiences,” according to a presentation at the committee’s meeting on April 4, 2023.

Students at the Innovation Campus and at the main campus will both have access to UC and CSU-approved A-G classes, and there will be unique courses at each site, according to the presentation.

“It’s supposed to be ninth or 10th grade (students),” Burmanroy said. “The hope is that the students would stay for the four years at Innovation.”

There will be no prerequisites for admission, and the committee plans to create an inclusive learning environment for English learners and students with disabilities and special needs, according to the April presentation.

“There will be some teachers

transferring to that side (the Innovation Campus),” Principal and Chief Innovator Greg Wohlman said. “There may be new teachers hired too; we’re not quite positive, but those are things that will be brought forward as we work with the committee.”

The Innovation Campus Committee was created to plan and give input on integrating students into the campus, Burmanroy said. The committee, which includes teachers and administrators, plans to visit schools with similar programs, she added.

“We’re talking about visiting sites that are similar to what we’re trying to create here—so, innovating sites that would have learning, engineering labs, testing labs, hands-on courses that are directly connected to industry sectors,” Wohlman said.

Basketball courts are back on campus for the first time since 2021, according to Assistant Principal Jennifer Hutchison.

The previous basketball courts beside the student parking lot were destroyed to move down the parking space and make room for the performing arts center, she added.

The basketball courts were funded by Bond Measure AA, MUSD Board Support and Communications Specialist Scott Forstner stated in an email. Measure AA updates and improves school facilities by providing funding to increase student safety, relieve overcrowding, and update learning technology in the classroom, according to the MUSD website.

“When we were working on the possible construction from the bond measure, unfortunately, COVID-19 interfered, so things became very delayed,” Hutchison said. “We finally said, ‘We need to look for an alternative location

(for the courts) right now,’ because that’s an important aspect of our PE curriculum.”

The planning of relocating the courts had been ongoing since before COVID-19, Hutchison said.

“We needed an open space that would be effective, so admin went with our lead contractor and measured out (the blacktop),” Hutchison said. “We made sure that it would be enough to actually fit in the size courts that we needed and to work out the logistics of timing and when it would be done.”

Rebuilding the basketball courts was a good decision as it allows students to develop closer bonds with each other, junior Jorel Hernandez said.

“I usually play basketball as a fun hobby, so I’m really inclined to practice at the basketball courts,” Hernandez said. “It acts as a way to relieve school stress and have a hobby to go to outside of school.”

Playing basketball with peers has made senior Vihaan Khandelwal feel closer to the school,

SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 7

Basketball courts rebuilt on campus

By Ruby Bui

Thousands of students waved their phone flashlights in unison at the first indoor rally since 2019.

Over 500 seniors went on a picnic at Saratoga Springs. Vendors and students gathered at the green for First Friday. These are the first few leadership events that new Activities Director and former English teacher Deana Querubin has led to kick off the 2023-24 school year.

After former Activities Director Jerell Maneja left to work at another high school, the school notified teachers of the vacant position, Querubin said. Querubin was the only teacher to express interest, she talked to the administration, and she ultimately became the new director, she added. Her goal as director is to build community within MHS, she said.

“This was always a role I wanted since I started teaching,” Querubin said. “It was always one of the goals to get to, if not the goal to get to, in terms of my career.”

This year’s leadership program is a “work in progress” in which leadership students teach Querubin about how events were conducted in the past as she provides

ideas for improvement, ASB President Nhuhao Nguyen said. Students face a difficult transition because the committee structure has changed and leadership is hosting new events, she added.

“In a way, it’s a little more organized,” Nguyen said. “(Querubin) definitely has it planned out how she wants some things done, and as student leaders, we work together to see how we can make an alternate plan to make it happen or make it come to life.”

Querubin has been proactive with introducing new ideas and has brought “more positive vibes” to the class, Nguyen said.

Students are collaborating and being more productive in class, she added.

“I love that the (leadership) kids are so fun,” Querubin said.

“They’re doers. It doesn’t take much to motivate them (…) People are probably still buying into how I do things because I do things very differently than what they’re probably used to in the past couple of years that they’ve been in it (leadership). So the approach is different, but I’m having fun with it.”

As the activities director, Quer-

he said. The clear view of the sunset as he plays enhances his after-school experience, he added.

“There’s a certain appeal to something that’s new, and I go play with my friends over there,” Khandelwal said. “Every Friday, we like to play games with each other, and it’s at school, so a lot of people know where to drop by.”

Physical fitness overall is important, which also makes the basketball courts a necessary addition on campus, Hutchison said.

“I think people have been appreciating (the courts) and enjoying them,” Hutchison said. “Every time I’m out there, there are people out there, which is awesome.”

However, the new basketball courts are imperfect and can still be improved, Khandelwal said.

“I feel like (our school) really decided to cut corners on them,” Khandelwal said. “They purchased pretty underwhelming basketball hoops. They also reduced the size and quantity of SEE PAGE 7

Courtesy of Avery Moran

Crossing Rain performed original songs at The Green to encourage donations.

Maui benefit concert fundraises money to support Maui schools

By Kevin Ting

MHS raised $10,688 for Maui through a benefit concert, Principal Greg Wohlman said. The money will be directly sent to the school district in Maui, Wohlman said.

The concert took place after school on the green on Sept. 15 and featured Crossing Rain, a Hawaiian-based pop group, and Manava, a Hawaiian cultural dance club on campus.

“We weren’t going to donate to a massive entity or a nationally sponsored group because we know they have administration costs and things tied into that,” Wohlman said.

Although the money has not yet been transferred to the Maui school district, MHS is currently in the process of determining where to distribute the money,

said Wohlman.

“So our next steps are to contact a school directly or contact the local superintendent and talk through how that money would have the highest impact coming directly from our community to theirs,” Wohlman said.

The discussion surrounding potential ways to help Maui began soon after the Lahaina fires had been extinguished, Wohlman said.

“It was about three weeks or a month before the actual concert happened,” Wohlman said. “The superintendent asked if the students were interested in doing something to support the victims of the Maui fires. There had been some chatter amongst students already, and I wanted to see where students are with it.”

SEE PAGE 7

2

THE UNION

PRO Teachers deserve compensation for letters of rec Aiding college-bound seniors There may be ethical concerns with their application process that might arise from paying is not part of a teacher’s job teachers to write these letters. description; their pay does not It might lead to teachers priinclude the time and effort they oritizing writing many recomput into writing these import- mendation letters rather than ant letters. Teachers should be writing good letters, or writing compensated for the time they a letter of recommendation for spend writing letters of recom- a student who might not deserve mendation for their students. one. If a teacher accepts the task According to the article of writing a recommendation “Berkeley teachers will get letter, knowing that they will pay or time off for writing rec not put the appropriate comletters” by Ally Markovich, in mitment into it, they might as Berkeley High’s system, teach- well not write it. Tying these ers get one day off for every 10 letters to a teacher’s formal job recommendation letters that description and paying teachthey write, or get ers for writing them, compensated for that would make teachers time; In Berkeley, more responsible for each recommendathe letters they write. tion letter is equivCarelessness in such alent to 45 minutes a vital task not only of work, the article harms a student ’s stated. prospects but damagThe district pays es the reputation of teachers for the time MHS as a whole. Medithey spend working ocre letters of recomERICK outside of the classmendation will hinder JOHNSON room. For example, our students’ chances teachers earn money to go to a prestigious for coaching school school and will, in teams and chaperoning school turn, paint our school as one events, as they rightfully should. that does not properly prepare Why then, do we not offer the students. same rewards when teachers Writing these letters is an inhelp us get into college? Getting vestment of time and resources, accepted into a college is not an two things that are valuable to easy task, and these letters can teachers. Like in any other ocmake a significant impact on cupation, if you work overtime, whether we get accepted or re- you get paid a bonus. We must jected by a college we wish to at- stop thinking of recommendatend. A personalized letter can tion letters as a favor and, inbe vital to a student’s college as- stead, view them as a teacher’s pirations, yet the compensation commitment to education and we show teachers for writing our students as promised by our them does not reflect that. school.

CON Compensation for letters of rec poses ethical issue As college application sea- doing “work” but are not getting son has kicked off, requesting paid. Teachers often help guide letters of recommendation be- students outside of the school comes increasingly crucial. day such as through office hours Currently, teachers are not ob- or simply being available to stuligated to write rec letters and dents. In this case, the teacher is are not getting paid for the let- providing their services, similar ters they do write, which should to if they were to write a letter remain the case. of rec, and are not getting paid.

Berkeley Unified School DisIf teachers were paid, there trict (BUSD) began during May would also come the problem of of 2023 offering teachers extra how much they should be paid pay or extra time off to those for writing letters. If there was who write letters of rec, accord- a flat amount per letter, teaching to berkeleyside.com. The ers would be more inclined to question thus arises: should this write more letters. If there is policy be utilized at MHS? an amount per hour writing a An issue that comes letter, this could lead with paying teachers to teachers dragging for letters of rec is out the time it takes ethics. Teachers moto write a letter in ortivated by financial der to be paid more for gain might accept their service. more recommendaThe other side to tion requests, which BUSD’s decision is will not benefit them teachers being grantor the students as ed time off for writing the teachers possibly letters of recommenwould not spend as dation. However, this SIDHANT much time on each seems counter proBURELA student’s letter. With ductive as this will less time on each stumake it so teachers dent ’s letter, their are away from their letters may become generic and classes, reducing the amount of may not truly represent the stu- learning opportunities for student. With the motivation of dents. money, teachers may write letTeachers allocate more time ters for everyone, even if those to students than they have to students did not perform well in because they care about their the class. students and their futures, While some may say that a which is what makes the relateacher writing letters of rec tionship between a student and is similar to a worker doing teacher so special. However, overtime and thus deserve to by introducing the prospect of be paid, I think that this is the financial gain, a motive other wrong analogy to make. In this than ensuring their students’ scenario, both teachers and the success could throw a wrench workers are doing work outside into the process and make of their hours. However, there teachers write letters for the are cases in which teachers are wrong reasons.

OPINIONS

OCTOBER 2023

Students focus too much on UCs, should consider other options “I have to go to a UC.” This is the typical answer when you ask teenagers where they want to go to college. However, the ubiquitous desire to be admitted to a University of California (UC) can lead to feelings of intense competition and pressure among students.

Most of these universities have relatively low acceptance rates, with UC Berkeley having an 11.6% acceptance rate and UC Los Angeles having a rate of 8.8%, according to the 2023-24 freshman admit data provided by the University of California website.

Some students put UCs on a pedestal compared to other schools, such as community colleges and California State Universities (CSU). Because it is a common desire among students to attend a UC, these schools are dignified and more students feel obligated to apply there to prove themselves successful. In actuality, each person’s career path is different and the college one decides to attend does not deem them a failure or a success. Choosing a college should be a personal and uninfluenced process, rather than being based on what route others are taking.

Hive mentality, which “is when a person has a strong tendency to fall for group decision-thinking,” according to WebMD, often has an influence on individuals when entering an unfamiliar stage

in life. As adolescents, thinking for certain individuals dependabout and entering college can ing on their personal preferencbe daunting as there are a vast es and ideal career paths. amount of possibilities. Some Another alternative is comstudents may feel inclined to munity college, which tends to enroll at a UC since that is what carry the stigma of being a last most of their peers are striving resort. The U.S. News article “5 for. Thus, lower achievement reasons to consider communitends to be associated with go- ty college” by Andrew Warner ing to a CSU or a community states that the benefits of comcollege, causing some students munity college include flexible to avoid considering these op- scheduling, which allows stutions. dents to work or tend to other Although some may argue areas of their lives, and focused that UCs unequivocally offer workforce training. “From cubetter education and lead to linary arts to automobile memore prosperous chanics, community careers, success can colleges offer a broad be equally achievselection of profesable when attending sionalized courseother colleges. Many work that four-year factors can lead to universities often a successful future, do not,” Warner including internsaid. Additionally, ships, extracurrictuition fees for CSUs ular activities, and are generally much rigor—not simply cheaper than that of the college one goes UCs, while commuRUBY BUI to. According to the nity college tends BestColleges article to be free, which is “UC vs. CSU: How a significant advando the two university systems tage for those who are looking compare?” by Genevieve Carl- to save money. ton, “UC schools were meant When many students strive to emphasize research and the- to attend a UC, it tends to be oretical subjects. In contrast, put on a pedestal, and other Cal State schools were meant to options are disregarded. CSUs train learners in practical top- and community colleges being ics with focused career paths.” less frequently discussed and The title “UC” is associated considered lower in value can with prestige and status, which be misinforming. In essence, plays a role in how students tend the type of college a student deto view themselves and others cides to attend should be based depending on the college they on personal needs and preferattend. Nonetheless, CSUs and ences, rather than what their UCs are both promising choices peers aspire to do.

Foreign language classes need improvement The necessity and effectiveness of foreign language classes at MHS has been a controversial debate among administrators and the student body for a long time, making a discussion about it long overdue. Many students argue that these classes have become nothing more than added stress and the amount of information they retain from these classes is often disproportionate to the amount of effort needed to pass. Administrators of high schools and many colleges across the country emphasize that foreign languages are imperative to the growth and development of students and allow them to be respectful of other cultures and more inclusive throughout adulthood. This emphasis also translates into admission requirements for many colleges around the world, including all of the UC’s. Top schools such as Stanford and Harvard also have these requirements. Upon reflecting on this topic, I have concluded that there are two main questions that need to be answered: Are these classes achieving their goal, and are these classes necessary?

Administrators and teachers often claim that the two main goals of these classes are to give students the opportunity to experience a new culture and to teach students a new language that they can use in a practical situation. The latter is often more emphasized.

For example, if I ever find myself sitting across from someone who prefers to converse in Spanish, the hope is that I would have learned enough from my high school language classes to engage in a smooth conversation with this individual.

However, many students who ineffective and lift their retake foreign language classes do quirements; however, right now, not come out with an adequate all we can do is understand how and proficient knowledge of the these classes can be improved language. At MHS, languages here at MHS. I believe that are being taught in a dull, me- improvement starts with the chanical way, in which students teachers and the culture of our are expected to complete te- foreign language department. dious daily homework and take When speaking with the othtests that may not be represen- er students, I have found that tative of their actual proficien- some teachers have not been cy. Many of the foreign language creating an environment fit for teachers at MHS assign home- maximizing learning. For exwork straight from the textbook ample, some language teachers that can easily be completed expect assignments to be comwith AI and other sites, like pleted in obscure formats and Quizlet. The uninspired nature punish students with a zero on of the assignments, along with the assignment if that format is the structure of the course itself not followed, even if the assignseem to be effectively useless ment is completed. Students in teaching the language, thus have claimed they received zeshowing that the origros on assignments inal intentions bedone in pencil instead hind expecting masof pen or even assigntery of these classes ments done withhave gotten lost. out skipping lines.

Students are exHomework is meant pected to put in hours to encourage learnof effort for a class ing and when teachthat doesn’t align ers create a classwith their major nor room culture that does it allow them to emphasizes things learn or retain anylike formatting over PAARTH thing, in a meaninglearning the material, GUPTA ful way. As a student it shows us that the wanting to develop classes aren’t even certain passions, I attempting to meet may want to put that effort into the original objective of helping another class that relates to my students achieve proficiency. area of interest. One of the most An improved class culture important parts of high school that encourages learning, reis schedule space, and the im- spects the time of students, and position of certain classes, adds value to the lives of these such as foreign language class- students could become a cataes, fills that space with mate- lyst for deeper understanding. rial students wouldn’t ideally Regardless of the specific imchoose to learn. Shouldn’t stu- provements made, it seems to dents have the right to choose me that if students are expected whether or not they want to and strongly encouraged by collearn a language? Why should leges to devote their time and colleges expect students to ab- energy to these foreign language sorb material that they don’t courses, the school should be choose to learn themselves, es- expected to try their hardest to pecially material that may nev- provide those learning opporer be applicable in their lives? tunities and give students the Ideally, colleges would realize ability to apply what they have that these classes have become learned in a meaningful way.

OCTOBER 2023

EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

ASB fosters school spirit, encourages student participation For a school as large as ours, school spirit is often scarce among students, generally only inspiring parts of the student population. However, this year, ASB has been significantly more active in promoting various activities around campus, which has benefited the school community by raising general student involvement within the school community.

Traditionally, school rallies have been crucial in fostering student enthusiasm, encouraging community among students.

However, due to the pandemic, all rallies were moved outdoors to the football field bleachers.

Thus, student enthusiasm for the rallies generally lowered, despite efforts from student government to generate school spirit for these events.

This year, with the switch back to an indoor setting in the gym, enthusiasm for rallies have seen noticeable improvement. Having students together

in a smaller area allows them to be more immersed in the event, creating an infectious enthusiasm that spreads throughout the audience; for example, everyone held up and waved their phone flashlights during the school’s alma mater in the homecoming rally. Although some of the competitions on the gym floor felt a little haphazardly put together, the rally was entertaining and had plenty of staff and student involvement.

There are also significantly more school-wide activities this year, with the introduction of First Friday and the planned Valentine’s Dance. Recurring events such as Homecoming have also seen some additions, such as the Homecoming Festival, which took place the day before the homecoming game. The festival has also helped connect the students to the wider Milpitas community, with local businesses participating along with student-run organizations.

THE UNION

EDITORIAL

Another new addition was the Maui benefit concert, which was partially organized by the student government, as they were in charge of the promotion and planning of the event itself.

The show included performances from Manava and Crossing Rain, encouraging students to donate money to Maui school districts, which suffered from the Lahaina fires. The event was well-received among students and raised over $10,000.

Ultimately, the student government has done an excellent job putting on school events this year, with more promotion and enthusiasm for events. Although the school’s population size will continue to make unifying the school community difficult, this year has already seen a step in the right direction, thanks to ASB and leadership. If they can continue to build on these efforts, the MHS community will have a much more unified and vibrant school environment.

U NION The

S T U D E N T V O I C E O F M I L P I TA S H I G H

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

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

ADVERTISEMENTS

Those who would like to advertise in The Union can contact the Ad Manager at milpitashightheunion@ gmail.com. Ads are available in full page, half page, quarter page, and business card sizes. Inserts are also accepted. Upon request, The Union staff will customize and design your advertisement.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

C O N TAC T U S

Yearly subscriptions to The Union are available for $25. Contact the Business Manager for more information.

1285 Escuela Pkwy, Room E-9 Milpitas, CA 95035 milpitashightheunion@gmail.com

S TA F F Savan Bollu Ruby Bui Sidhant Burela

EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

Paarth Gupta

Students need more college and career preparation

Stephanie iboa

Students need more college and career preparation throughout all years of high school. To improve the system, the College and Career Center and counseling department should consider emulating other high schools’ programs, publicizing announcements on more student-friendly platforms, beginning individualized college counseling from freshman year, and extending the academies’ internship opportunities to all students.

To preface this argument, we recognize the hard work of the staff in these departments — however, the school could benefit from additional staffing to facilitate these changes.

First of all, other high schools provide more support for their students. For example, Evergreen High School has a partnership with Prompt, an accredited college application and essay writing program, to help prepare their students for college. This program has both free and paid options that MHS should take advantage of. Similarly, Henry Gunn High School has an elective course called analytic college writing for upperclassmen that is dedicated to honing students’ writing skills for everything from college application essays to resumes— students are meant to leave the class with completed college essays and skills for their future

careers.

In addition, Palo Alto High School schedules a wide range of college visits nearly every month of the year, while MHS only has college visits in the first few months of the school year. Not to mention, Los Gatos High School students can use the school’s Follow Me job-shadowing program to shadow professionals from a wide range of careers, from healthcare professionals to real estate agents.

MHS could mirror this by starting a similar program with professionals in our community.

To help students take advantage of any current or future resources, communication is key. The primary methods of communication are currently the College and Career website, emails, and ParentSquare.

However, platforms like Instagram foster more student engagement.

The @MHS_CCC_ J15 Instagram account could be much more effective if the account is more active and up-to-date. It should be more publicized in the general @mhstrojans Instagram account, and students should be encouraged to follow the account from the beginning of high school; the account currently has about 180 followers out of over 3,000 students.

Moreover, the counseling department should begin college and career preparation from

the beginning of high school that targets students’ specific needs. While students should be proactive and schedule counseling appointments themselves, schools should step in for the first two years of high school to get students on track with posthigh school plans.

On this note, many counseling visits in freshman and sophomore year are focused on the four-year plan and high school credits. However, many freshmen enter high school clueless about how to achieve their post-high-school goals and need guidance on more than how to fulfill basic graduation requirements. Instead, counselors should discuss how to handle college applications, financial plans, scholarships, and internships. Students would be much more successful with this type of support, especially if their socio-economic disadvantages limit other resources, like private college counseling.

All in all, students need to work harder than ever in this current competitive climate to get into college. According to an article in the US News and World Report, “the number of submitted [college] applications rose by 21.3% between 2019-2020 and 2021-2022.”

Therefore, we urge MHS to take inspiration from other schools, provide more resources, and improve communication.

L ETTER TO TH E EDITOR Dear Editor, About 6 weeks ago, 39 of my classmates got together and celebrated our 40th Class Reunion. The day after, we walked the campus and told stories.

I can still remember my days on campus. Some high school memories will never leave you if you make the most of the time.

Back then we had lockers and carried lots of books. We had one computer lab and one food service area. We had a woodshop, metal shop, auto, choir, and foods. NJROTC was strong and I was able to participate in my freshman year. We had the MHS Student Union Newspaper and Yearbook as clubs. Our Senior trip was an overnight

bus ride to Magic Mountain.

The administrative offices were located in the book room and wellness center area. We didn’t have the walkways to protect us from the rain and the science building didn’t exist. Coach Jeff Lamb had just joined the MHS staff. Milpitas High had just combined with Samuel Ayer High School. Samuel Ayer was located where Calaveras Hills is located. The combination of the two cross-town rivals had some serious friction in the first two years. During that same time, we began to compete against other high schools in academics, athletics, creative arts, music, community service, and school spirit events. We began to win — a lot! We became stronger together. We expand-

ed our friendships, shared cultural experiences, and more.

We became Milpitas Unified!

As your team of young journalists write articles this year, I look forward to reading about the challenges, success, disappointments, human interest stories, and hopes of the students and staff. I hope the bigger societal issues of the opioid crisis, mental wellness, crime prevention, and school safety are a priority as well. The words of The Union reach many and matter. Keep up the great work. Go Trojans!

Chris Norwood MHS Class of ‘83

3

Yunxi Fang Erick Johnson Akshaj Kashyap Einbert Li Dhara Mehta Maryam Mohamed Tiffany Ng An Nguyen Sanvi Parvatikar Agna Soneji Kevin Ting Tanisha Varma

Sanjit Roy

Journalism Advisor

H AVE A N OPINION? HAVE A GRIPE WITH THE SCHOOL? WANT TO PRAISE THE SCHOOL? WANT YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD?

SUBMIT ALL LETTERS TO MILPITASHIGHTHEUNION@GMAIL. COM DO NOT FORGET TO WRITE DOWN YOUR NAME AND GRADE

FOR MORE STORIES, VISIT US AT MHSTHEUNION.COM

4

THE UNION

OCTOBER 2023

FEATURES

Students discuss affirmative action ban

By Ruby Bui

Sidhant Burela | THE UNION

McMurray (left) and Anglon (right) talk to students outside the attendance office about their college plans.

McMurray, Anglon build connections as new admin

By Sidhant Burela

Two new administrators have joined MHS for the 2023-2024 school year. Former Rancho Milpitas Middle School Principal Casey McMurray and former Thomas Russell Middle School Principal Sean Anglon have moved to MHS as assistant principals, according to musd.org.

McMurray previously worked at MHS for 20 years, first as a Spanish teacher for 11 years and later in the administration section as an assistant principal for nine years before having the opportunity to move to Rancho, McMurray said.

“The opportunity (to move to Rancho) presented itself, and I saw it as a learning experience to see something outside of what I’ve been doing for the last 20 years,” McMurray said. “Also, I thought it was a great way to really see the full scope of responsibilities for an admin (budgets, school plan, police)... I thoroughly enjoyed my nine years at Rancho, but there was an opportunity to come back to the high school, and I love the high school.

I think this is my element.”

One of the most enjoyable aspects of his job is the conversations he is able to make with students, he said.

“If I were to come here and not do that (stay in the office), I don’t know why I would be here,” McMurray said. “I love this position because it gives me the opportu-

nity to see the campus on a much broader scale, and to understand the different parts that are happening simultaneously that really make MHS such a great place.”

One of McMurray’s goals for the school year is to improve the visibility of administrators and to get to know students on a deeper level, he said.

“I’m not here for any other reason,” McMurray said. “I’m here to be of service in whatever way it might be for staff, students, and parents. I want to be a welcoming face and voice and someone that people can rely on for whatever they might need.”

The responsibilities of a principal and assistant principal at a middle school are much different compared to ones at the high school level, Anglon said.

“When you are an assistant principal or principal at a middle school, you have certain things covered…you’re looking at budgets a lot,” Anglon said. “Then when you’re at a high school, it shifts. You are a part of a larger team and you don’t have to worry about them (budgets) as much.”

Anglon, who has been a part of both Rancho and Russell, the two MUSD middle schools that lead into MHS, can recognize many of the students at MHS, he said.

“Coming to the high school hasn’t really required an adjustment,” Anglon said. “The big one is getting to know all the staff because I would say 70% of the students I either recognize by face or

know by name.”

One of Anglon’s goals for this year is to get to know the school through learning all of the teachers’ names and a large majority of the students’ names, he said.

“I’ve always been the administrator who’s out and about, and I think it’s really important for students to see their administrators and know who they are,” Anglon said. “If a strange adult starts to talk to you, some students aren’t going to listen, but if they know, ‘Oh wait, this is the principal or this is the assistant principal’, they’ll listen.”

Similarly, one of McMurray’s goals for the school year is to improve the visibility of administrators and to get to know students on a deeper level, he said.

“I’m not here for any other reason,” McMurray said. “I’m here to be of service in whatever way it might be for staff, students, and parents. I want to be a welcoming face and voice and someone that people can rely on for whatever they might need.”

Seeing familiar faces allowed Anglon to transition smoothly into the high school, he said.

“It’s nice seeing everybody (students) older and it makes me smile,” Anglon said. “I remember people when they were in 7th grade and 8th grade and now they are juniors and seniors and it’s just so great to see them choose their trajectory… and to know in some small way, I helped them go along that path.”

Affirmative action was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on June 29, and it was declared that race can no longer be a factor in college admissions, according to Education Week.

The affirmative action ruling mainly affects students applying to private colleges, considering how University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) schools banned affirmative action in 1996, counselor Julie Cler said.

“For students (applying to private colleges), it’s important that when they’re answering any type of essay question they bring in their experience, background, race, and ethnicity because that’s a way for them to let colleges know who they are,” Cler said.

With the ban on affirmative action, certain schools will be able to act in a discriminatory way when selecting students for admission, senior Anayeriss Dunn-Hubbard said.

“I definitely think I will be directly affected because just applying as a black student did have a little bit of benefit because of the diversifying factor,” Dunn-Hubbard said. “But with affirmative action being taken away, schools are going to be able to look past that and even maybe discredit me for it.”

Affirmative action would have been beneficial for senior Nidhi Bhat, who is applying to a humanities major, when being considered for admission since a small number of humanities students are Asian individuals, Bhat said.

Depending on one’s major, the ban on affirmative action may make their college application process easier or more difficult, she added.

“I know that for a lot of my peers who are applying to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), which is predominantly true for Asians, especially in our area, it becomes easier,” Bhat said. “It has been almost a barrier that’s been removed in terms of their college applications. Ultimately, even though this is better for Asian students predominantly and even if it’s worse for me, the system was beneficial for (other) people of

color, so the cost for me and my peers is outweighed by the potential for Black students.”

The overturning of affirmative action puts Dunn-Hubbard in a position where she feels she must excel and achieve more than before as a Black student, she said.

“I’m a minority at school, and I have to try my hardest to put myself out there because I’m already expected to be what people expect — that I’m just going to be lazy and things of that nature,” Dunn-Hubbard said. “So with this new ruling being passed, I’m going to have to jump twenty hoops to get half as far as another applicant who’s going to be already put up higher than me because they’re white or they have more money.”

Senior Jesus Ochoa feels that the different viewpoints on the affirmative action debate are all understandable, he said.

“People might be disagreeing with this decision because it provides them a lesser chance to get into college because of their race, but also, other people can see it as an equality matter,” Ochoa said.

Affirmative action was imperfect, and instead of being based solely on race, it should be based on class while race is taken into account, Bhat said.

“Asian and white students have innate advantages based on where they grew up and the families they were born into, so it’s really hard to say that banning affirmative action is not making it equal when there’s already systemic inequalities in place,” Bhat said.

Overall, the US seems to be regressing, Dunn-Hubbard said.

“We already had the taking away of Roe versus Wade, which is allowing women’s bodily autonomy to be put into question regularly,” Dunn-Hubbard said.

“That and also the taking away of affirmative action… It’s putting us back to a time when women and minorities were both seen as less than.”

It is important that the public voices individual opinions and speaks out when confronted with societal issues, Ochoa said.

“Sometimes I feel like the US is heading in a good direction, but other times, I feel like we’re pulling back,” Ochoa said.

Meteorologist to substitute: Krikorian reflects on journey, teaching atmosphere

By Erick Johnson

Substitute teacher Art Krikorian has been working at MHS since 1986 and has since evolved his teaching technique and formed valuable bonds with generations of students, he said.

Over time, students taught Krikorian how to be a better substitute teacher, he said. His style of handling a classroom has changed to be more compassionate and understanding, he added.

“I think (for) any teacher, you have to have your eyes and ears open and observe and listen,” Krikorian said. “The students teach you a lot over time, and they taught me how to be a better sub.”

Krikorian was born in 1961 in Southern California and moved to the Bay Area in 1967, he said.

He spent his teenage years attending Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, he added. “(My neighborhood) was the tail end of what’s called the Valley Heart Slice,” Krekorian said.

“I grew up with apricot orchards right across the street. It has all been demolished since.”

Krikorian attended San Jose State University, which was a great experience where people could be confident in their identi-

ty, he added.

“I always tell students, if they like high school, they’ll love college,” Krikorian said. “I also tell them if they don’t like high school, they’ll love college.”

During his time in college, Krikorian began to work in performing arts theater and got to see numerous ballet, symphony, and theater performances, he said. He sometimes bumped into celebrities, he added. Krikorian loved that job, which he worked for fifteen years, he said.

“I started running late in my college career and that was the beginning of a long running career,” Krikorian said. “There was a long period where I would do one or two races a month.”

Krikorian majored in meteorology with a minor in math, he said.

It was a rigorous course of study, involving a lot of physics and highly advanced math, he added.

“Out of college, I got a pretty good job in the private industry,” Krikorian said. “I was working in weather forecasting.”

Krikorian left that job after three months because the 12hour shifts were very demanding, he said.

“The worst part was every three weeks you would shift from day

Erick Johnson | THE UNION

Krikorian substitutes for a freshmen biology class in L32. He has worked as a substitute for over 37 years.

shift to night shift,” Krikorian said. “Your body was constantly having to adjust.”

Working at a desk job in meteorology taught Krikorian that he desired something more social and turned to teaching, he said.

Shortly after that, he began to work as a substitute teacher at MHS, he said.

Krikorian’s first decade as a substitute was spent mostly inside math classrooms, he said.

Because of his background in advanced mathematics, Krikorian felt comfortable in his abilities to keep the curriculum going in the absence of a teacher, he said.

“One of the things I’ve learned

is that you can’t change a student’s behavior in an hour,” Krikorian said. “In the hour I have with them, I try to get to know them. After I get to know them, maybe later I could change their behavior.”

Krikorian is a great substitute because he is friendly and sympathetic to students, while also being well-spoken, senior Nathanael James said.

“He is not super energetic for no reason, and not dull either,” James said. “He is really fun to have conversations with and a great listener.”

Teachers can trust Krikorian to do a good job, Danielson said.

“When I am looking for a sub, I always go to him first,” Danielson said. “To look at my schedule and have a day where I have him (substituting for me) matters to me; it makes me feel a lot better about missing a day.”

Krikorian is reliable, Danielson said. He follows the lesson plan that he is given, but he also takes time to interact with students and checks in the next day to make sure everything goes well, he added.

“The students know that he cares,” Danielson said. “They also know he has limits on what he will allow, so he gains respect automatically.”

OCTOBER 2023

ENTERTAINMENT/LIFESTYLE

THE UNION

5

‘One Piece’ live action breaks curse of poorly adapted Netflix TV shows RATING: 4 out of 5

By Sidhant Burela

Netflix’s live action “One Piece” adaptation does well in bringing the animated characters to life, but falls short in developing some of them.

The story follows Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), a boy who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit and had his body gain the properties of rubber, and his quest to become the Pirate King and find the infamous treasure: the One Piece. Along the way, he attempts to find worthy members for his crew, picking up the swordsman Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu Maeda), thief and ship navigator Nami (Emily Rudd), sniper and notorious liar Usopp (Jacob Romero), and ship cook Sanji (Taz Skylar).

One of the Netflix adaptations’ main caveat is how it sticks to the source material.

The adaptation cuts the original material short and transforms it into a more modern show structure. With only eight episodes that are an hour long each, packing 60 of the anime episodes into the series makes it so that there is not enough time to cover the story

in its entirety, leading to some endeavors the crew face in the anime and manga to be cut out. However, formatting the show in eight hour-long episodes does have its benefits in appealing to a wider audience and making the show more “watchable”. One of the main critiques of the “One Piece” anime is how long it is, with there being over 1000 episodes currently. By making the show more bite-sized, it allows viewers to consume the media more easily and not be intimidated by the amount of episodes in the anime.

Due to cutting some of the source material, there is a lack of development with some of the characters. In both the manga and anime, there are arcs, spanning many episodes at a time, to build characters and make them worthy of joining Luffy’s crew. For example, the anime and manga spend time showing how Usopp is more than a liar, which is exemplified when he puts his own life on the line and gets beaten to a pulp to protect those he considers his friends. However, the live action does not expand on this side of Usopp, making his acceptance on the ship less deserving.

Live action shows cannot

have the same fight scenes as an animated piece due to limitations in how a human’s body is able to move. Despite this, the showdowns between the crew and their opponents were exceptional. The animation of Luffy’s stretching abilities show how his body is made out of rubber, with the CGI adding a rubbery texture to his skin. Although the CGI is poor at times, such as a mannequin clearly being put in place during an explosion, the depiction of different characters’ “devil fruit” abilities were impressive.

Because the show deals with pirates, there are many shots of the crew on the open ocean.

The show does a great job of highlighting the vastness of the open, as well as the danger of crossing it. This choice of cinematography highlights the long path that lies ahead of the crew, especially with all of them chasing their own lofty goals.

Whether or not you have watched the anime or read the manga, I would recommend the live action as it delivers a feel-good story about people trying to accomplish their own individual dreams on the ocean, and navigating through life as a crew.

Courtesy of Big Hit Music

V poses with his dog, Yeontan, in a concept photo for “Layover,” in which his dog featured extensively.

BTS’ V’s solo debut album ‘Layover’ experiments with relaxed, R&B style, becomes too repetitive

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

By Savan Bollu

Not many artists would devote a third of their album’s focus track to a flute instrumental, but BTS’ V did on his solo debut album, “Layover.”

The title represents V’s slower pace in living life, according to an interview he did with Rolling Stone. Released on Sept. 8, the album contains five tracks with music videos and a piano version of the focus track, “Slow Dancing.”

The first track “Rainy Days” fully immerses listeners in V’s life with texting sound effects and relaxing piano to accompany V’s baritone voice, singing about missing a past lover on a rainy day. Overall, however, the song falls flat with the cliché of rainy days filled with yearning and the lack of a compelling melody, exacerbated by the slow tempo.

“Blue” serves as a transition after “Rainy Days” and is once again a forgettable, slow-tempo song that mainly consists of the word “blue” repeated over and over again.

“Love Me Again” is my favorite track on this album and the only one I have added to my playlist. The song grew on me

as I listened to it, and I found myself replaying the chorus in which V sings in Korean and English, “Fine, I will be honest with you / Put it all out there / I think about you all the time / Where you are, who you’re with / Lost without you, baby,” topped off with a beautiful run on the word “you.”

This minimalistic track meshes well with V’s deeper tone, allowing his clear and powerful vocals to do all the talking with few embellishments to distract from it. The listening experience isn’t complete without watching the music video, which captivates viewers because of V’s passionate delivery and expressions.

The title track, “Slow Dancing,” is a disappointing return to slow and uncompelling melodies reminiscent of the background music in a hotel lobby--except for the unexpected minute-long flute solo at the end. While most pop songs inundate listeners with fast beats to hold their attention, “Slow Dancing” unapologetically devotes time to this leisurely flute solo, a daring move that showcases V’s intention to make music for himself instead of for broader appeal.

The “Slow Dancing” piano version replaces the flute with a piano solo and makes the song

sound too similar to the others.

“For Us,” another average, piano-based track, showcases V’s vocal range, from a falsetto to his typical baritone. The music video is a compilation of bloopers from other music videos and solidifies the song’s purpose as an epilogue.

In general, these tracks were tied together through their use of instruments, their stunning music videos, and the central theme of heartbreak. “Layover” has moments of bold experimentation, with instrumentals and sound effects that aren’t typically showcased in pop songs, paired with a relaxed, R&B style.

The album certainly showcases V’s growth and experimentation as an artist, as he ventures into singing more in English and presents a more intimate side of himself than in past albums, singing about heartbreak and sprinkling the album with references to his dog, Yeontan.

Although many of these songs cross the line into generic and forgettable—with the exception of “Love Me Again” and “Slow Dancing”—for listeners that enjoy slower songs and want to hear a different side of V beyond what he shared in past BTS albums, “Layover” is worth a listen.

Courtesy of Geffen Records

Olivia Rodrigo poses in the “Guts” album cover. A standout song of the album was “bad ideas right?”, which deals with reconciliation.

‘Guts’ presents punk-pop styles RATING: 4.5 out of 5

By Sanvi Parvatikar

After months of anticipation, Olivia Rodrigo has returned not only with a riveting punkpop explosion but tender, evocative acoustics.With the unveiling of the lead single, “vampire,” followed by “bad idea right?,” the singer-songwriter released the album, “Guts,” on September 8, 2023.

Rodrigo concocts an eclectic mix of genres, seamlessly merging pop with indie rock.

Though I initially expected a repeat of her previous album, “Sour,” Rodrigo smoothly sidestepped predictability and brought fresher allure. The opener, “all-american b—-,” captivated listeners through its lyrical brilliance along with its fusion of sugary sarcastic lyrics and punk-like grit. “And I am built like a mother and a total machine / I feel for your every little issue, I know just what you mean,” Rodrigo sings.

In these lines, she explores the depths of modern feminism and sarcastic empathy alike.

Rodrigo’s attention to detail adds more depth to her song, making it an instant favorite.

Upon first listen, “vampire” offered nothing new from the prior album. The song had undeniable fervor, but it lost its momentum at the climactic line “Bloodsucker / Fame f—.”

However, I do appreciate its seamless transition from gentle melodies to fast rock beats, the main pattern of her new album.

A standout song of the album was “bad idea right?”. ”Yes, I know that he’s my ex, but can’t

two people reconnect?/ I only see him as a friend, the biggest lie I ever said.” The song captured the classic tug-of-war between logic and longing, almost humorously, to deal with the reconciliation of an ex-partner.

Beyond the revenge-filled numbers about an implied ex-boyfriend, Rodrigo plays into the relatability of being an insecure teenager. “Lacy” and “pretty isn’t pretty” speak about her relationship with anger, jealousy, and conflicting emotions. “Lacy, Oh Lacy, skin like puff pastry / Aren’t you the sweetest thing on this side of Hell,” Rodrigo sweetly sings.

“Lacy” acts as an excellent deification (Lacy is called an angel multiple times) of Rodrigo’s inferiority complex, bringing out an obsessive near homoerotic obsession with the other girl.

The song “pretty isn’t pretty” reminded me of the songs from the 2010s, despite the unapologetically self-loathing lyrics.

Rodrigo provides an exploration of the relentless pressures of societal beauty standards with the line, “I could change up my body and change up my face,” especially standing out because of its helpless desperation.

“Guts” firmly establishes Rodrigo as an important voice of Gen Z. Navigating through the tumultuous trials of love, self-image, and teenage angst, the album is a diary of raw emotion filled with relatability.

Though the shadows of “Sour” may linger, Rodrigo has matured in voice and in narrative, proving she’s more than a teen pop sensation. Olivia Rodrigo is here to stay, and I’m excited for what comes next.

Paarth Gupta | THE UNION

6

THE UNION

OCTOBER 2023

SPORTS

Football tackles new divi sion

By Kevin Ting

Courtesy of Lee Althouse

Agrawal leads Jarvis Hong, Shourya Kukkala and Abhinav Chakrad to victory at the Firebird Invitational.

Frosh-soph boys cross country team runs away with top 5 positions at first contest

By Savan Bollu

The top five runners in the frosh-soph (freshman and sophomore) boys division were all from MHS at the team’s first meet of the season, the Firebird Invitational, head cross country coach Yohaness Estifanos said. Such a sweep has never happened in MHS history, he added. Other highlights from the start of the season are that the frosh-soph boys team won the first three meets it competed at and freshman Arnav Agrawal broke the freshman school records for the three-mile and 5K runs, he said.

The underclassman athletes and the varsity boys team are particularly strong this year, and the cross country team overall is off to a promising start, Estifanos said. At the Firebird Invitational, Agrawal placed first in the frosh-soph boys division, freshman Aziza Acosta placed first in the Division B girls run, and senior Jordan Althouse placed first in the varsity boys division while simultaneously setting a course record, according to California MileSplit, a website for cross-country meet results.

Placing first “actually felt really good,” Agrawal said. “I remember all of us coming across the finish line, and I just saw ‘Milpitas, Milpitas, Milpitas, Milpitas’ (on the uniforms). I was like, ‘We really are that fast.’”

Last year’s varsity boys team won the Central Coast Section (CCS) title last year and participated in states as a team, Esti-

fanos said. After last year’s seniors graduated, the cross country team is now mostly made up of freshmen and sophomores, he added.

For example, the varsity boys team contains three seniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen, he said.

“The kids (underclassmen) were very inspired,” Estifanos said. “They want to work hard and do what the guys did last year.

They want to do the same thing; they want to continue the tradition.”

Estifanos’s goals for the season are for both the girls and boys teams to make it to CCS and for the varsity boys to place top two and qualify for states, though the girls team is not in a position to qualify for states, he said. For the varsity boys to reach states, the varsity underclassmen will need to push themselves to catch up with the three seniors on the team, Estifanos said.

“We’re optimistic,” Estifanos said. “It’s tough this year for us, as we only have freshmen and sophomores mostly, but I think we can come close to it (states) like we did last year.”

Along with hoping to perform well in CCS, Acosta aims to beat the freshmen school records, she said.

If Acosta continues to work hard, she may even reach states during her cross-country career, Estifanos said.

“This year is kind of a buffer for our team,” Althouse said. “Our varsity team is solid overall, but the underclassmen are very good

this time around, so they have a lot of potential and, if they keep working at it, in a couple of years, I think we have a chance to dominate the league.”

One strength of the team is the ability to take races seriously without stressing out, Acosta said.

“I think there’s good team bonding and good team mentality that everyone will wait at the finish line, give a high five to the other people finishing, (and) cheer them on,” Agrawal said. “That’s what makes Milpitas so strong — we run as a team.”

The team is also hardworking, Acosta said. She trained over the summer, intends to practice over breaks, and is preparing for the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon, she said. In high school, athletes need “mental game” and must push themselves instead of relying on others, she added.

“If you really love a sport and you want to do good at it, you have to be committed both mentally and physically,” Acosta said. “I think to get to this level, you have to focus an insane amount.”

For his last year of cross country at MHS, Althouse hopes to get a podium position at CCS finals, go to states again, and get recruited by a college for Division 1 cross country, he said.

“At the end of the season, I expect everybody to beat their personal records because if you’re not doing that, then you’re doing something wrong,” Althouse said.

“Maybe we can win a couple of meets, but I want everybody to be better than they were.”

Courtesy of Matt Robbins

The girl’s flag football club poses for a photo pre-practice. Players are looking forward to their first game.

A mass reorganization within the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League has left MHS in a lower division, Varsity Football Special Team Coach Vito Cangemi said. A merger of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with the Peninsula Athletic League was enacted last year due to concerns regarding the lower league schools, he said.

“A lot of schools that were suffering in football – Saratoga, South City San Francisco – like a lot of the smaller schools during COVID didn’t even play, so the numbers were all down,” Cangemi said. “So they thought putting a bunch of schools that were a lot like each other was going to help save football at these schools.”

Cangemi dislikes the decision because he believes that the decision was mostly fair to only lower league teams, while the upper league teams suffered from the change, he said.

“I think they did it for the wrong reasons because they said they were doing it for the best of everybody,” Cangemi said. “But when in reality, if they would have done that, they could have created, not two A leagues, but three A leagues, which would come along with extra playoff spots.”

The changes to the leagues have forced the football team to play against new teams, said Cangemi.

“We are the only team from the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, but we play in the peninsula. It’s schools like San Mateo and Arragon,” Cangemi said.

Despite these changes, Varsity Head Coach Kelly King is optimistic about the team’s future this season.

“It’s our effort level. We trained hard in the offseason, and it’s showing on the field,” King said.

The Varsity Football team has won four out of their six games this season, according to the MHS Athletics website. Senior Jacob Alvarado was nominated for the Bay Area News Group Athlete of the Week reward for his four touchdown game against Santa Clara high school, according to Mercury News.

Cangemi attributes these changes to the players themselves, as the coaching style has not changed significantly this year.

“This team has worked hard.

It’s a lot of kids that played on the JV team last year,” Cangemi said, “They work extremely hard in the weight room, on the field, studying; we just do so many things that give them the avenues to really be successful.”

King similarly noticed a change in mentality among the players this season compared to previous years.

“The players are definitely motivated this year. Our players are fully bought in, and they’re playing really well right now,” King said.

The varsity team’s main goal is to win the state title, which the team has done twice already, Cangemi said.

“We’re still the only school in the entire Central Coast Section that has two state titles. It’s something we’re really proud of and that’s a goal we set every year,” Cangemi said.

Both King and Cangemi believe that MHS still has plenty of potential beyond this season.

“We’ve been saying it in Milpitas: success is overshadowed by hard work,” Cangemi said.

Courtesy of Brian McGarry

Quarterback Adrian Chavez throws a pass against Santa Clara Bruins.

Girls flag football touches down

By Sanvi Parvatikar

Flag football is chartered as a club for the 2023-2024 school year, according to an email from Athletics Director Joanna Butcher.

“We’re just as competitive, just as fierce,” Coach Matt Robbins said. “(We) train just as hard, but we’re doing it three days a week instead of five,” he said.

Senior Arial Rodriguez joined the flag football team after hearing about it from a fellow team member and the Athletics Director, she said. “(We’re) all learning together and growing together,” she said.

Flag football doesn’t require any tryouts, Sophomore Mikayla Serena said.

“There was an email sent out to sign up,” Serena said.

The team focuses on a series of plays with a focus on misdirection and strength, Robbins said.

“This is a new sport for most of the team, and they’re actually extremely athletic with most of them playing other sports and excelling,” Robbins said. “I’m doing a lot of teaching about the rules, strategies, and fundamentals, as well as trying to design a play-

book. I’m trying to utilize what they’re best at,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges is learning the strategies and the terminology of flag football, Robbins said.

“Football is a different sport in that you have a bunch of action, and then you stop and you get together and you make a play,” Robbins said. “There’s way more opportunity for strategy and planning in (flag) football,” Everything is meticulously designed. All seven people (on the team), do something different on all 24 plays.”

Routes, a specific pattern or path taken by offensive players, have been challenging to learn, Serena said.

“There’s nine different routes, they’re all numbered,” Robbins said. “I’ve got to teach them the formations of where to stand, the plays, and play actions of how to fake to one person and give to another person and then pass forward to another person and what to do in different situations,” he said.

The team is anticipating their very first game, Rodriguez said.

“We are totally going to beat them,” Rodriguez said.

OCTOBER 2023

THE UNION

NEWS

7

Innovation Campus progresses FROM PAGE 1 The first committee meeting of this school year will take place in early October, Wohlman said.

“It’ll be a collaborative conversation about the planning for what’s going to happen at the Innovation Campus—what classes are going to be taught, the timing, perhaps scheduling, and, again, just trying to collect perspective,” Wohlman said. “We’ll have multiple topics on those agendas, and we’ll have student representation and staff representation; hopefully, some community partners will participate too.”

Plans call for the Innovation Campus to “accommodate a wide variety of programming for Milpitas students of all ages. The specific curriculum will include adult education, business entrepreneurship, robotics, biology, virtual reality, AV production, coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer science, and virtual design and construction, as well as simulation for legal, financial, manufacturing, and health career training,” the press release said.

Calaveras Hills High School, Adult Education, and the district

Tanisha Varma | THE UNION

The homecoming dance had a total of 1799 attendees, which was nearly 300 more students than the previous year.

Homecoming dance continues post-COVID success

By Kevin Ting

The homecoming dance took place on Sept. 30, with 1799 total students in attendance, ASB Secretary Gianna Le said. This year, students were allowed to bring guests to the event, and 90 such participants attended , Le said.

The dance occurred before other homecoming events, such as the homecoming game and homecoming festival, which marks a departure from tradition, Le said.

“Football was already earlier this year because the homecoming game is to be the sixth whereas normally we have homecoming like mid-October,” Le said. “But since the game was on the sixth (of October), the dance would be on a three day weekend, so we had to change it to a week before.”

The theme of homecoming was major cities, which was an idea that had been considered since last year, Le said.

“The other officers already had ideas for their decorations beforehand,” Le said, “A lot of club officers wanted that idea, and it tied into the whole idea of diversity.”

At the dance, the main venue, the area at the entrance of the large gym, was illuminated by string lights, with posters and

other decorations lining the nearby walls of classrooms. The dance also included photo booths in the gym, with both 360-degree photo stands and more traditional phone booths. The tennis courts also had activities, such as ring tossing and bowling.

“The atmosphere was good before,” senior AJ Diaz said, “The decorations are ten times better than last year – like it kind of sets the mood of everybody.”

The addition of new props and decorations was a great addition to the atmosphere of the event, sophomore Bowen Xu said.

“The Ferris wheel and the fancy lighting are cool, especially for taking pictures,” Xu said. “Last year, they had class floats displayed, which people could take pictures on. I think they should have done that again.”

An issue of the homecoming dances was always the wait times, such as the line to enter the event itself, senior Vanessa Lam said.

“This year, getting in was faster than last year,” Lamb said, “It’s much better.”

The lines to the various photo booths in the gym, however, were extremely long and congested, senior Dawit Negash said.

“The lines are too long, I feel

like I don’t even know where it starts,” Negash said.

Another change to previous years was the presence of more food trucks at the event, such as Spartan Tacos. The food also tasted better, Xu said.

“The food is a bit more expensive than average,” Xu said. “Still, I’d say it’s worth the price considering the selection and variety.”

The music selection was very good, with a lot of recognizable titles, but the DJing was not perfect, Negash said.

“I hope they finish a song,” Negash said during the dance. “It’s like every 30 seconds, and it’s a different song,” he said.

Senior Keryssa Li believes that the homecoming dance is an important experience for all high school students, she said.

“I think people should come out here at least once for their high school experience, even if they don’t like dances,” Li said.

The most enjoyable part of homecoming is seeing other people let loose and hanging out with friends, Diaz said.

“Everybody here is just letting each other vibe out and just chill,” Diaz said, “Like no one’s judging, you know what I mean? Just everybody’s having fun.”

office are currently utilizing the phase-one facilities, according to the press release. Calaveras Hills will move into phase-two facilities in fall 2024, and phase three will focus on integrating early childhood education and workforce development, the press release said.

“There will be spaces where there could be courses and classes that are attended by multiple schools, but the facility will be used throughout the day, most likely beyond Milpitas High School’s time,” Wohlman said.

MUSD received a $1.5 million grant from Assembly member Alex Lee’s District 24 Office to support local workforce development and Innovation Campus, according to an MUSD press release dated Aug. 4.

“This innovative campus, reflective of true partnership with our school district administration, teachers, staff, local businesses, elected officials, and community leaders, will contribute to both career pathway readiness and the City of Milpitas workforce economy for years to come,” School Board President Chris Norwood said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

New basketball courts pique student interest FROM PAGE 1 hoops, so less people can come and enjoy the facilities that the school has.”

One major aspect the school can improve on is granting student access to other facilities after school and during lunch, Khandelwal

said.

“The school could be opening other things like the baseball field with a renewed focus on people that come to the school to play afterward,” Khandelwal said. “It is a good place to bond and also to watch sports happen during lunch.”

Crossing Rain and Manava perform at concert FROM PAGE 1 Not long afterward, Activities Director Deana Querubin and Contemporary Asian Theater Scene President Leianne Lamb began the planning process together, Wohlman said.

“Ms. Lamb, offered to bring Crossing Rain here for a free concert because they were performing in our area,” Wohlman said, “And we tied that in with an idea to have our local dance club that’s run by Ms. Canez to perform as the opening act.”

The majority of the concert was organized by a combination of students from different organizations and various staff members, Wohlman said.

Although she didn’t know of Crossing Rain beforehand, the concert itself was very interesting, and surpassed her expectations, freshman Snigdha Tallam said.

“They were really good. I might even listen to their music in the future,” Tallam said.

The Mahava performance was also very well-received among students, junior John Lancanlale said.

“I liked their vibes. It was very entertaining,” Lancanlale said. “I heard about the show two weeks before, and I didn’t know what to expect.”

Wohlman was also impressed by the concert, and believed the students made a huge difference

for the Maui community, regardless if they donated, he said.

“I’m just really impressed about the care of our students and our community, about how well-received the event was and the excitement around it,” Wohlman said.

Wohlman believes that the success of the event can be primarily attributed to the overall Milpitas culture, which the students firmly adhere to, he said.

“It just reaffirms what I know about Milpitas and what I know about the students here: that there’s a lot of care about students and people in our community.

And that also means caring about people that aren’t here,” Wohlman said.

Ruby Bui | THE UNION

Students bond and play basketball together on the new courts during lunch time.

Tournaments are held occasionally between students and some staff members.

OCTOBER 2023

THE UNION

NEWS

8

Courtesy of Kaila Schwartz

Theater class performs their show “A Mess of Morality” in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Theater class performs in Scotland

By Erick Johnson Sanvi Parvatikar | THE UNION

Querubin takes charge as activities director FROM PAGE 1 ubin intends to revive lost traditions and create new events, focusing on quality over quantity of events, she said. The community has already positively responded to events like the indoor rally and First Friday, she added.

“I’m very proud of her for pulling stuff together over the summer so quickly, kind of last minute because (her role) didn’t become official until summer,” College and Career Specialist and Querubin’s fellow volleyball coach Marissa Canez said. “It was crazy to see her pull it all together and be so successful, and it was nice to have the rally back inside.

The energy and vibes were different.”

This year, leadership will focus on dances by hosting more dances like the winter dance and involving alumni in homecoming

festivities to uphold the traditional purpose of homecoming, Querubin said. Other potential events include seasonal movie nights and a multicultural rally, and in general, leadership will focus on promoting and celebrating the accomplishments of the student body and alumni, she added.

Querubin was in leadership when she was an MHS student and was vice president for her master’s program student association at Santa Clara University, she said. Her more recent leadership experiences include planning social events as a Digital Business Academy (DBA) teacher and being on the MHS sunshine committee that plans events for staff, she added.

Querubin is well-suited for the activities director role because she built relationships with students in a classroom setting, Canez said.

Courtesy of Deana Querubin

Querubin emceed at the 2021 Trojan Olympics, where she hoped to create a fun environment. She aims to create the same environment as activities director.

NEWS IN BRIEF Potential Threats to School Administration was notified about a potential threat to the school posted on social media on Sept. 22, according to a StudentSquare post from Principal and Chief Innovator Greg Wohlman on Sept. 22. “We want you to know that we, in collaboration with MPD, have swiftly taken action to assess the credibility and risk to our campus,” Wohlman said. “We have confirmed there is not a credible threat,” he said.

In a separate incident, administration received “a very vague tip about a 9th-grade student talking about guns,” which the police were investigating, according to an email from Wohlman to staff

on Sept. 26. “Extra police presence will be seen today as a cautionary measure,” the email said.

In a message to families on Sept.

26, Wohlman wrote, “Please continue to use the Say Something Anonymous Tip App or notify the school directly if you have a concern about student, staff, and community safety.”

National Merit Semifinalists 11 MHS students were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists after meeting the PSAT score index cutoff of 221 for California high schoolers: Savan Bollu, Brandon Chiang, Edward Cui, Isaac Jones, Keryssa Li, Roman Silivra, Kevin Ting, Natasha Ti-

“We’re the same—we’re kids at heart,” Canez said. “We want the kids to have fun and we know it’s all about the kids, and that’s something about her that I think will make her successful in this position.”

Inspired by her experience as an MHS leadership student, Querubin devotes Wednesdays to students’ personal development through journaling and reading texts like “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, she said.

“It’s funny because, at the beginning of the year, people were like, ‘Oh, I heard you’re going to make them read a book. I heard you’re gonna make them write an essay,’” Querubin said. “Yeah, because, in some ways, we need them to grow as leaders, and that has lots to do with reflecting on what they do.”

Querubin copes with the stress of her new role by keeping leadership and personal commitments separate to take care of her mental and physical well-being, she said. Querubin’s commitment to the role is a testament to how much she loves MHS, she added.

“This role is like a passion project for me,” Querubin said. “I love this school. I literally will go hours to do what I can for the school.”

Querubin plans to develop her system for teaching leadership over the next few years, she said.

“Once I get it down, I can really see myself being in this role for a while because I feel like this role is giving me space to make a real impact,” Querubin said. “I’m dealing directly with the kids. I love coaching, and I feel like this is another avenue of coaching— motivating them (the students), keeping them accountable, making sure we work together, having one main goal, and we all reach it together.” wari, Andrew Ton, Angie Wang, and Christine Wang. These students will compete for 2500 National Merit Scholarships, each worth $2500, and other scholarships, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

MHS theater program attended the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, over the summer, where they performed their show “A Mess of Morality” and were exposed to a wide range of theatrical styles and performances, theater department lead Kaila Schwartz said.

After attending the festival in the summer of 2019, MHS was reinvited to perform the following year, Schwartz said. The theater program was originally supposed to go to the festival in the summer of 2020, but that plan was interrupted due to the COVID pandemic, she added.

“The experience of watching students become international performing artists was the same magical experience,” Schwartz said. “We have a different relationship with each other now because we have this shared experience that has helped us see each other in a different way.”

After preparations for the show began in January, the first step was to assemble a team of students who could write and perform the show at Fringe, Schwartz said.

“I recruited trip participants from my pool of strong theater people,” Schwartz said. “I convinced their parents that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and worth every penny.”

Once the group had come together, the next step was brainstorming and deciding what their theme should be for the show, Junior Nick Onalfo said. Their presentation dealt with the different types of morality present within people; It was a compilation of short scripts that included inner monologues, comedies, and hero-villain confrontations, he added.

“I played way more characters on there than I ever have in a single show before,” Onalfo said. “I

played a whole array of people.”

Most of the city of Edinburgh was taken over by the festival, Schwartz said. Due to the enormity of the festival, most conventional venues were unavailable, forcing the MHS theater department to hold their shows in a repurposed church cafeteria, Schwartz said.

“Our back room was a kitchen,” Onalfo said. “Everywhere they could make a stage, they made a stage.”

The show was well received by audiences, Onalfo said. There was audience participation involved and they were very delighted with the show, he added.

“There were people who were part of the American High School Theatre Festival, who were quoting lines from our show after they saw it,” theater director Kaila Schwartz said. “(MHS students) also formed a bond with a professional cast from London, doing a show called ‘Potty the Plant’, and they became fans of our show.”

Performing for an international audience, the students never knew who would be coming to the show, senior Haleta Ayalew said.

Because of that, some performers were nervous at the beginning, but they gained confidence as time went on, she said.

“I learned to put myself out there,” Ayalew said. “I would see kids with their musical instruments and random people performing on the street, and they were getting that much-needed publicity because they were putting themselves out there.”

Through watching other shows, the students also got to see what theater really can be, Schwartz said. Participating in this festival opened them up to different theatrical possibilities, she added. “(Fringe) is the largest international Theatre Festival,” Ayalew said. “It’s an unforgettable opportunity.”

Eye on Campus: Homecoming Rally

Lorenzana wins award English teacher Tonichi Lorenzana was honored as “Teacher of the Game” at the 49ers game on Oct. 2. He was nominated for his work with MHS’ Pilipinx United Student Organization (PUSO).

DBA Apple Grant The Digital Business Academy (DBA) received a grant worth $44,986 from Apple to purchase iPads, AppleCare, and Apple Pencils for digital art students, according to the Sept. 12 MUSD board meeting minutes.

Maryam Mohamed | THE UNION

Students hold up their phone flashlights during the homecoming rally on Oct. 6.