OP: COMMUNITY SERVICE GUIDELINES NEED CLARIFICATION (5)
DECEMBER 2018 VOLUME XXX ISSUE III
U NI N MILPITIANS SUPPORT CAMP FIRE VICTIMS (7)
MILPITAS’ BEST HOT CHOCOLATE (9)
SMASH ULTIMATE REVIEW (13)
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STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL
December SAT ‘better’ By Neval Mulaomerovic
While some irregularities still exist, taking the December SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) at MHS went smoothly for testtakers, according to an anonymous survey administered by The Union. 30 randomly selected students were questioned on their proctor’s testing procedures and the overall efficiency of their testing experience on the day of the SAT. Proctors collected phones for 27 respondents (90%) while the other three respondents (10%) were allowed to keep their devices. Proctors are required to collect all electronic devices from students before the start of the test, according to the College Board testing manual. Proctors distributed testing materials when students were seated for 22 respondents (73%), while test booklets were placed on desks by the time students entered the room for eight respondents (27%). Most seats were arranged with sufficient space between each desk, with 21 respondents (70%) reporting two feet of space between each seat. However, six students (20%) had their desks arranged in rows with less than two feet of space between each seat, and three students (10%) had desks in their room touching with no space between them. 13 students (43%) were allowed to pick their own seats in the testing room while 17 students (57%) were assigned seats by their proctor. “[Proctors] assign seats at random or by prearrangement with the supervisor,” according to the College Board’s Testing Manual. “Never allow students to select their own seats.” Many proctors failed to follow College Board protocol, Social Studies Teacher Michael Cummins said. Students in multiple rooms were allowed to keep their phones and sit at desks facing each other, he said. “When a test is supposed to be standardized like the SAT, you would think that it should be given exactly the same not only in every
room in Milpitas, but in every room in the country,” Cummins said. “So it was shocking to me to learn that not every adult proctor felt that way.” The December SAT was an improvement from past SATs at MHS due to the feedback from students and teachers, SAT Supervisor Jonathan Mach said. Changes in testing protocol were made to prevent irregularities that occurred in November, such as students’ phones ringing during the test, he said. “We put cell phone pouches in each testing box,” Mach said. “We made everybody collect it. Before, it was up to [the proctors], but some proctors were just too loose on that and so those proctors were not asked to come back. We also put laminated signs into each box about what they need to do, open the door at what time, make sure all the chairs are facing this side. We made huge signs to make sure they followed all these rules.” Proctors who performed poorly were not asked to return in December, Mach said. In addition to instructing proctors to ensure that chairs were spaced out correctly, staff went to each room to make sure that chairs faced the same direction and that no seats were too close to each other, he said. “The December [SAT] was much much better,” Mach said. “[Students] gave me a list of things that they thought could have been done better and then I took that and then implemented it for the December SAT. With improving, we want to make sure we find our regular proctors to test and hopefully they just start coming back. It’s a matter of time and giving [proctors] the practice to do it.” Out of the 16 respondents who had taken the SAT at a different campus before, eight students (50%) considered MHS to be more efficient than the site of their previous test. The remaining eight students (50%) rated the MHS SAT as equally efficient as their prior testing experience.
Eye on Campus: Deck the Halls
COURTESY OF TANYA SAHARAN
Clubs and organizations decorate Sophomore Lane with banners during the annual winter Deck the Halls event.
CHARLENE YANG THE UNION
From left to right, Juniors William Nguyen, Jonathan Do, Andrew Nguyen, Geno Aldana, and Lance Ho gather during break while wearing face masks due to the unhealthy air.
Parents give feedback on air; school cancelled for two days By Paul Chon Alexander Phan
MHS closed Monday, Nov. 19, and Tuesday, Nov. 20, due to air quality, according to an email interview with Superintendent Cheryl Jordan. The decision was made in the best interest for students, parents, and staff, Jordan said. A survey was sent out to get feedback from parents on Saturday, Nov. 17, Jordan said. Then, the decision to close MHS was made on Sunday, Nov. 18, Jordan added. “There were two primary points of data that emerged, and that greatly influenced the decision [to close school],” Jordan said in an email. “The two data points were this: 92% of the 2,084 parent respondents said they preferred to keep their children at home if the AQI remained ‘unhealthy,’ [and] 17 of the staff respondents indicated that in the portable classrooms the air quality was not good, and in two of them, they could see a haze.” The school made a reasonable decision in closing school for the two days, Sophomore Harry Leung said. The survey that wassent out was a good way to gauge public opinion, but it was not enough, he added. “The district handled the situation pretty well in my opinion, but they could have done more to listen to students’ and parents’ opinions,” Leung said. “To be honest, at least they let people know in the email that calling in sick to avoid the air was an option, so in the end, everything was handled pretty well.” A waiver to shorten school from 180 days to 179 days has been sent to the California Department of Education because 180 days is required by the state, Jordan said. If the waiver gets denied, MUSD will try to appeal the California Department of Education’s deci-
sion within three months, Jordan said. “The Board took action at its Nov. 27th meeting to have school on March 29, 2019 (Cesar Chavez Day) and to designate Tuesday, Nov. 20th the local holiday instead as that is right before Thanksgiving,” Jordan said in an email. “For the closed day on Nov. 19th, the last day of school will be June 7th.” Some parents won’t see the air as a problem until they know for certain that the air is affecting the students, Junior Kimberly Ly said. So, parents will only allow their children to stay home if they get a notice from the school, Ly added. “I do think that the mass email the superintendent sent out should’ve at least been worded better [and] to generalize most students’ home life and situation is not exactly ideal,” Ly said. “As high school students, most of us know how to handle an emergency without help of an adult. To say that [the administration] went one step further is not accurate at all. They didn’t ask for the students opinion at all even though we’re the ones mostly affected by it.” Rojas sent out emails with guidelines for the sports teams to follow, he said. However, some people did not follow directions outlined in the emails he sent out, Rojas said. “We set down rules,” Rojas said. “[For example,] if it’s not below 150, you’re not outside. Maybe you can just stay inside and do the weight room or something, so we did set some parameters around that.” Lamb was told to have modified activities if the air quality for the day was under 150 on the Air Quality Index, he said. However, the potential harm of 150 in the AQI index is not standardized, Lamb added. “It would be really nice if there could be some type of standard
out there so that people know [what to do],” Lamb said. “I think from a competitive standpoint most coaches [and] most athletic directors would like to say, ‘Okay, this is the same for everybody.’ [For example], if we don’t practice, then Piedmont Hills who has the same conditions is not practicing. So, everybody is in the same boat when it comes to that situation.” School didn’t close on Thursday, Nov. 15, and Friday, Nov. 16, Jordan said. The decision to keep school open on Thursday and Friday was a decision based on guidelines meant to keep MUSD’s students and staff safe, Jordan said. “I consulted with a group of Santa Clara County superintendents including the SCCOE Supt. Dr. Dewan who spoke with the Santa Clara County Health Department Health Officer, Dr. Sara Cody,” Jordan said in an email. “We determined that we would follow the guidelines for keeping students and staff safe by limiting outdoor exposure as much as possible. I did speak with our board members, and ultimately, I determined we would be safe following the guidelines that the SCC Health Dept. and Environmental Protection Agency described.” Junior Nicholas Agleham was not bothered by the school closing, he said. The decision to close school was something normal that the school should do, he said. “Although the situation caused upsetting emotions from some students and families, I feel the school did a good job handling the situation, and the only big improvements I would’ve liked would be if the school asked for our opinions earlier,” Agleham said. “[Also,] I think the school did the best they could during school hours by instructing staff to keep rooms open to students if possible.”
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DECEMBER 2018
Service policies unclear; students must be informed It is a well known fact that stuis quite odd considering that comdents at MHS must complete a munity service is a graduation reminimum of 20 hours of commuquirement. nity service in order to graduate. Moreover, most of the student However, with the frequent changbody is unaware that community es in community service coordinaservice hours fall under the juristors resulting in changes in style of diction of labor laws, which do not operation, students are often left allow a minor to work for more confused about the policies and than 8 hours at a time. Due to the procedures to complete the comlack of awareness about this policy, munity service requirement. students often complete more than MHS has had three community 8 hours at a time and then find the service coordinators in the past amount of hours accepted for credit four years. Each individual has had to be lower than expected. a slightly different method of opIt cannot be ignored that Mrs. eration. For example, in the 2015Canez has made efforts to keep stu2016 school year, pre-approval of dents updated about some of these the community service agency was policy changes. Specifics have been required before students conveyed to students could submit hours to be through school email, yet counted towards graduit is also a well known fact ation. In later years, the that most of the MHS stupre-approval requiredent body does not check ment was removed, and their school emails on a the forms were adjustregular basis. Additioned. A new community ally, students can also service form was estabaddress their concerns lished for the 2016-2017 by directly speaking to school year but was rethe community service vamped by the new comcoordinator, who has MAANSI munity service coordiconsistently tried to enMASKAI nator for the 2018-2019 sure ease by remaining school year and onwards. available constantly in Although it is understandable the College and Career Center. that such changes follow when However, it would definitely be there is change in management, beneficial for students and the the school could do a better job of current community service comaking students aware of these ordinator if these updated policy changes, considering that commuchanges and specific legal guidenity service is a requirement for lines could be outlined and pubgraduation. licized through mediums such as On the first day of school, all studaily announcements, the MHS dents were given a copy of the upwebsite, or through school social dated Parent-Student Handbook media accounts. By doing so, much and were made to read crucial of the current ambiguity would be portions in each class period of the cleared, making the lives of the studay. However, this handbook does dents and community service coornot contain a detailed outline of dinator much easier. community service policies, which
Biking treads unsafe road; safety needs enforcement If you are an MHS student, end, one has to wonder what sort of teacher, or administrator, you are accident it would take before any without a doubt familiar with the change takes place. infamous commute: the majority This is not entirely the drivers’ of family cars in Milpitas congestfault. This is a flaw in the very infraed into Escuela Parkway and the structure of Milpitas: where would surrounding area in the morning students be dropped off if not in and afternoons. the bike lanes? And having three I believe those that bike to school schools’ worth of families drop have it much worse than anyone off their kids at the same time on else. Speaking from experience, Escuela Parkway was bound to be the tribulations bikers have to counterproductive and dangerous. struggle through on a Parents want their childaily basis are nothing dren to arrive to school less than life-threatenon time, but the commute ing. does them no favors. This The most constant leads to rushing, less care and tiresome issue bikin driving, and, ultimateers face is automobilers’ ly, the accidents previousapparent disregard for ly described. basic driving regulaIn spite of these probtions. Drivers forget to lems, MUSD must find use turn signals, and a way to ensure safety seem unaware of the for its students on the ERIC existence of bike lanes, road. The district needs DE GUZMAN considering them parkto relieve congestion in ing or drop off spaces the Escuela Parkway instead. As a result, bikers have to area, and the administration of weave in and out of the bike lanes, the MUSD must find a safer, more and things can get hairy real quick. efficient way for drivers to drop Recently I had been biking to off their children. Drivers must be school one morning, and I found reminded of the safety guidelines myself approaching a queue of cars surrounding bike lanes and overall in the bike lane leading into MHS. driving; if needed, further police I moved between the bike lane and presence should be implemented. the main road, rode for a couple of For the past few years I have meters, and without warning, a van biked down Escuela Parkway and door opened in front of me. Having have run into the same problems collided with the door, my bike and again and again. I have been frusI flew. Luckily, I made like a cat and trated and concerned about my landed on my feet, but it definitely safety and the safety of my friends; could have been worse. I’m sure others biking to school Last year I conducted a feature have felt the same. We are lucky story on, you guessed it, biking that there have been no fatal accisafety at MHS (which you can find dents yet, but we cannot wait for on The Union website). A student a tragedy before we decide to imbiker said he had been hit by a car prove. For the safety of MUSD’s two times. A teacher recounted students and staff, I implore the to me how she had been hit by a administration look into and deal car while biking home. And while with the problems discussed above. these people turned out fine in the
CHARLENE YANG | THE UNION
Six week progress reports unnecessary The six week progress report sys- point but the end of the semester. tem is a silly system that needs to Employers, obviously, won’t care be abolished. Convince me other- either. wise. Pro tip: you can’t. The California Education Code As far as I can tell, all holds that parents of relevant parties either enrolled or former puloathe the system or igpils have an “absolute nore it entirely. It’s not right” to all records conuncommon for teachers cerning those pupils in to complain about the Title 2, Division 4, Part 27, Chapter 6.5, Section large stack of papers that need grading when the 49069. Even MUSD’s end of a six week period very own policy states nears–some even bethat the Superintendent will set up regulations moan the system interfering with lesson plans. concerning student reKIRK Many of us students cords such that authoTRAN consider the end of the rized persons (i.e. parsix week grading period ents) may access them in “a timely manner”. These a deleterious stressor, and we fret over what colleges may statutes appear to be common think of our six week assessments. sense and reasonable. Here’s the rub: nobody cares. What is unreasonable is the conColleges don’t care about the tinued mailing of six week progfruits of our academic efforts at any ress reports. MUSD has used on-
line grade-recording programs for ages, so why are they still giving these paper progress reports out, anyway? Lack of internet access is generally precluded by the majority of MHS’ teaching staff. See: the use of turnitin.com to turn assignments in, the proliferation of teacher-built websites or at the very least a Google Classroom, and the use of e-mail to convey pertinent information to students when in-person announcements are not possible. The six week grading period should be abolished, and all on campus and all families associated with the school district should be immediately notified of the consequences of this action or rather, the aforementioned lack thereof. In the end, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Join clubs for interests, not college With the increase in competition to get into college, students feel the compulsion to stand out by being involved in clubs. Clubs are a great way for students to delve into their interests, but some people join clubs for the sole purpose of having something to put on their college applications. Students should be encouraged to join clubs for intrinsic value. Clubs are designed for people with similar interests to come together, which serves as a good opportunity for students to socialize and make new friends. Clubs are supposed to create a safe environment for these students to bond over and invest time towards their shared goals. However, the growth in impure motives to take part in clubs defeats the whole purpose of what a club should be. Colleges do not want students joining a bunch of clubs just for the
sake of college applications; rather, point of listing out extracurricuthey want to see dedication. They lars on college apps is for colleges are looking for students who are to be able to better understand willing to put time towards their students in terms of their interests goals and interests. Students tend and goals. They want to see personto have the misconception that ality. being in more clubs inMembership in rancreases their chances of dom clubs can give colgetting into their dream leges the wrong idea of college, but that is not you. In the end, it may necessarily the case. In not even be beneficial to fact, it is better to conyour application. Each sistently be in the same college is looking for club(s) rather than just certain students to take piling up on different part on their campus, clubs each year. Consisso joining clubs just for tency more accurately colleges apps displays an reflects your character insincere image of appliFERICA to colleges. cants. TING Some questions to keep Do not just show colin mind are: Is the club leges what you did, show related to your major or interests? them why you did it. By doing so Are you willing to dedicate time can increase your chances of gettowards the club? Do you enjoy the ting into that college you have been activities in the club? The whole dreaming of.
Traffic congestion a daily nuisance Every morning, traffic seems to sue was best left to local commube a huge problem on Escuela Park- nities, the Milpitas Unified School way. For the past three years, I have District should consider staggering dreaded coming to school. I feared start times more to minimize daily getting stuck in traffic. Leaving the inconveniences. house five minutes later than usual Having three schools on one always meant waiting in street points toward a logjam of cars for an exthe issue of overpopulatra fifteen minutes. The tion. Having too many congestion frustrates students means having me, especially because too many cars jamming solutions seem so simple. lanes every morning to Whoever thought of drop off kids. Portables building three schools to accomodate more all on the same street students end up taking clearly did not have space from potential much foresight. Alexpansion of the parkthough the schools may ing lot, thereby worsenANDREW differ in start times by ing traffic. By building DINH half an hour or so, a meaanother high school in sly thirty minutes does Milpitas, effects of overnot allow enough time for traffic to crowding will be alleviated.. disperse before it starts up again. MHS has one student parking lot In light of Governor Jerry Brown’s with only one point of entry and decision to reject the bill to delay exit, which is ridiculous for a school school start times because the is- of roughly 3,000 students. The
parking lot at the X building, which was built recently, has not helped relieve traffic congestion either. The inconvenience of the parking lot leads students to find parking in the surrounding neighborhoods, which is not exactly great for MHS and the community. One possible solution is to expand the parking lot by paving over the outdoor basketball courts and building more points of entry and exit. Doing so would speed up the flow of traffic, leaving room to maneuver, park, and drop off students. Although losing the blacktop courts may not be ideal for the PE department and aspiring basketball stars, it would be for the greater good. Poor design and lack of prudence led to the daily occurrence of ridiculous traffic on Escuela Parkway. Though potential solutions may be difficult to adjust to at first, anything is better than suffering in traffic.
DECEMBER 2018
EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union
MHS’ generosity should be admired The recent Camp Fire destroyed homes and communities. It has displaced thousands of families in Northern California. In a time of hardship and struggle, it’s always encouraging to see everyone stepping up to support their fellow Californians. This includes MHS staff and ASB members, who have all publicized and taken part in supporting the affected families through monetary donations and drives. Although MHS families were harmed by the smoke from the
fires, their condition was nothing compared to that of the Paradise victims. The efforts and generosity from donors should be applauded. ASB has done an amazing job supporting the Paradise victims. They are allocating a percentage of their profits from their annual Winter Wishes auction to donate to Paradise High School students. Another ardent supporter of the Paradise victims has been Athletic Director Jeff Lamb. He has actively promoted different facets of the Camp Fire
support effort, including a GoFundMe page for the victims and a supply drop off for the Camp Fire in Milpitas. MHS teacher Frank Castro was one of the first people to start backing the Paradise victims. Lamb learned about the GoFundMe from him and together, they encouraged Milpitas families to donate. It’s unfortunate that bad times are often the best times to bring everyone together, but during events like this, the importance of altruism cannot be overstated or overvalued.
EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union
MUSD should prioritize student health The impact of Paradise’s wildfires will be felt for years to come. Milpitas itself was affected by poor air quality that resulted in hazy air and, consequently, hazy decisions by MUSD authorities. Understandably, there is no precedent for the situation, yet it is necessary that our district prioritizes timely communication, creates better policies, and improves safety precautions. The Union believes that our district needs to prepare for similar circumstances in the future, and the process for change must start now. The district announced the school’s closure on Monday, Nov. 19 and Tuesday, Nov. 20 via email and StudentSquare at 3 PM on Sunday, Nov. 18. It is unclear whether the district attempted to make any announcement via phone. Nonetheless, students and staff were not even given a 24-hour notice, and it cannot be assured that in a campus of over 3000 students and staff, every person would check his or her email in the evenings. A faulty policy for unhealthy air conditions was potentially part of the reason the decision to close the school for health reasons was delayed. On Nov. 19, in a post titled “Air Quality and School Schedules - Frequently Asked Questions,” the Santa Clara County Office of
Education stated that “schools will consider closing” if the AQI is greater than 275. According to information presented by the Environmental Protection Agency, an AQI of 201–300 is considered “very unhealthy” wherein exposure may lead to “serious health effects.” Furthermore, an AQI of 275 is also close to the range of 301–500, which is considered “hazardous” and “of emergency condition.” According to an email sent on Nov. 15, 18 students reported of headaches when the forecast was at “181, unhealthy.” At these dangerous levels (far below 275), it seems as if the school waited too late to close, as the health of students and staff had already been risked. MHS did attempt to provide safety measures during the smoke for its denizens, and those steps deserve recognition: masks with filters were made available in the office, and teachers were asked to keep their doors open for students during break and lunch. However, both of these attempts were ultimately paltry at minimizing health risks. The supply of filtered masks was meager and ran out quickly, despite only a fraction of the population knowing they were available as there had been no announcement over the intercoms or otherwise. This prob-
lem can easily be remedied by stocking more filtered masks for future use and making students aware of such resources. Secondly, asking teachers to open their doors does not guarantee people on campus a place to be. Some teachers may have disregarded the message because it was worded as a request and might have assumed other teachers would step in, essentially the bystander effect in practice. Some students may have felt as if the air quality posed little risk and remained outside regardless, as it was not enforced for students to stay indoors. MUSD schools need to take a stronger stance on student health and act authoritatively to ensure that everyone remains safe. Districts can continue conducting earthquake drills, intruder drills, and fire drills, but the possibility of poor air quality becoming a recurring issue calls for a change in policy. The environment’s decline is an ongoing crisis and will continue to be. These changes are crucial as smoke can pose a health risk just as any other sickness. Important policy changes that may be occurring must be communicated to parents and students—it is essential that all groups work together for a better future lest it go up in smoke.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, At a White House event, the president shuts down a transgender undocumented immigrant asking him questions, saying “Shame on you... You’re in my house,” to which the audience cheers and the activist is escorted outside of the White House. When a CBS reporter asks the president a question that offends him, he refuses to answer the question and belittles the reporter, saying that “that’s nonsense, you should know better.” This same president also barred reporters whom he disagreed with ideologically from entering press conferences, and his administration prosecuted and spied on more reporters and whistleblowers than any other president in history. The president I’m talking about is Obama. If you’re thinking about Trump, you’d be a prime example of a NPC, knowing nothing more than what the leftist media tells you and incapable of discerning reality from propaganda. With the tension between the current administration and the left-leaning mainstream press, the progressive liberals, or leftists, have been quick to label Trump and his supporters as fas-
cists, yet another example of the blue pot calling the red kettle totalitarian. During his heydey, Republican Ronald Reagan—arguably the greatest contemporary president— predicted that “If fascism ever comes to America, it will come under the name of [progressive] liberalism,” which is scarily accurate considering the current political climate. Reagan then perfectly describes the overlap of progressive liberalism and fascism: “What is fascism? Fascism is private ownership, private enterprise but total government control and regulation. Well, isn’t this the liberal philosophy? The conservative, so-called, is the one that says, ‘less government, get off my back and get out of my pocket, and let me have more control over my own destiny,’” Reagan’s message has become all the more relevant with the rise of the silent majority and radicalization of the Left. The Left demonizes its opponents whenever they refuse to fully conform, like gay classic liberal Dave Rubin who is labeled as “far right” because he believes that all ideologies deserve the protection of free speech, or Kanye West who was
THE UNION
EDITORIAL
labeled “mentally ill” and “an illiterate negro” by CNN because of his support for Trump and national unity. I thought the Left supported gays and blacks. This how I was converted: I began looking at reality and discovered that libertarianism and classical liberalism, the belief in limited government and the free exchange of all ideas—and not just those deemed politically correct by the Left—is in fact right-wing. If you believe in individualism over collectivism, oppose surrendering your rights for security, and mature enough to not be triggered by ideas you disagree with, then right-wing politics might be worth looking into. I recommend looking up Prager University and FreedomToons. But hey, what do I know. I’m just an ignorant, authoritarian Nazi, according to the Left. Class of 2020 Edited for length. See the whole letter at mhstheunion.com.
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DECEMBER 2018
FEATURES
LinkedIn trip promotes technological careers By Andrew Dinh
MHS WorkAbility, Latino Student Union, and Horizontes visited LinkedIn on Nov. 16, Latino Student Union Advisor Monica Rivero said. On the field trip, students were introduced to the workplace environment. LinkedIn employees shared stories about their lives and how they overcame challenges, Rivero said. The employees sought to show the youth how they could pursue careers in technology through their studies. “LinkedIn has an initiative that seeks to connect with low-income young people not typically represented in certain careers,” Rivero said. “LinkedIn coordinates these events with NovaWorks, an organization that works intensively with youth who need pro-
fessional guidance.” Junior Ariana Jimenez, a member of LSU, enjoys attending educational field trips with the club, Jimenez said. She gained insight about the workforce after interacting with LinkedIn employees, she said. “I enjoy visiting companies and making connections,” Jimenez said. “The stories of the employees from the field trip taught me that not trying is failing.” Junior Neyda Flores, a first-year member of LSU, learned about the diversity of jobs that helps the company function, Flores said. Students learned about LinkedIn operations, she said. “I’ve had opportunities to attend similar outings to companies before, and I’ve always left inspired and excited for my future,” Flores said. “It’s very im-
portant to take opportunities to network with people in fields you are interested in looking to be a part of one day.” Although Flores networked with employees in the tech sector, she is still unsure of what career she would like to pursue, Flores said. However, Flores is in no rush, opting to focus on figuring out what field she loves enough to devote her life to, Flores said. “After talking to professionals, it’s very easy to get caught up in excitement for what your future can look like,” Flores said. “What the speakers said gave me confidence and made me realize that I shouldn’t brush off things that I didn’t think I was good enough for. If I want something that seems impossible to achieve, I just have to go for it knowing that I will.”
Bay Area ARK clubs create care packages By Whitney Tran
There are many clubs on our campus that are based on volunteer work and helping out the community. One of these clubs is Acts of Random Kindness, commonly known as ARK. Their main goal is to make our community a better place by organizing uplifting events that make the small things in life a great difference. Holiday Care pARKages is an annual event hosted by Acts of Random Kindness Clubs throughout the Bay Area during the holiday season, Co-President Elaine Tran said. Over 200 ARKers come together every year, and this year was its fourth consecutive year, she added.
“We come together to create care packages that include everyday things such as clean socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitizers, soap bars, and water bottles,” Tran said. “Everyone is welcome to help and to donate materials.” The holiday care packages were distributed throughout downtown San Jose to those who needed it, Co-President Maggie Ly said. They were specifically distributed to the homeless and to orphanages, she added. “Everyone [that] the ARK members met truly appreciated [the care packages] because we got to give them the package in person and see an immediate response,” Ly said. “It’s such a special event.” Students had the opportuni-
ty to bond with fellow ARKers from other schools while doing a good deed for their community, Ly said. Students did not have to be an ARK member to come, and anyone willing to lend a helping hand was welcomed, she added. The event was held at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in Downtown San Jose on Dec. 15 from 9:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tran said. People who were interested RSPV’d a few weeks ago on their Facebook page, she said. Students were able to make a huge impact through small acts of giving, Ly said. Volunteers were told to bring something to keep warm, and any of the following materials: clean socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap bars, and hand sanitizers, she added.
MELISSA NUNES | THE UNION
The foreign exchange students visiting Milpitas from the Philippines felt like winners when they met up at Dave & Busters in the Great Mall.
Exchange students visit MHS; receive a taste of local culture By Melissa Nunes
Visiting a foreign place for a week is an opportunity many people do not get in their lives. So to do so in an everyday life setting rather than just visiting some tourist spots that do not capture the center anywhere sounds like an amazing experience. A few lucky students from MHS’s sister city in the Philippines were given the opportunity to come and shadow some of our students for a week on Nov. 9. A group of both boys and girls were assigned to stay with some volunteer host families, and they were able to learn about each other’s cultures and everyday lives. Junior Alyssa Erickson found out about the foreign exchange student program through an announcement in her first period class and was immediately interested, Erickson said. “My mom said we might be interested in doing something like this if we had an extra room,” Erickson said. “My brother had left for college a little while ago so I was able to convince my mom to do it.” Exchange Student Lyndsey Velasquez discovered the program through a leadership organization in the Phillipines called MYA, Velasquez said. In this organization, they hold positions such as young city mayor and young city councilor, she said. “In our organization it’s like 70 students and there are 10 students that [came] to Milpitas,” Velasquez said. “And luckily I was one of those students.” The exchange students did an array of different activities with their host families on an itinerary set for them, and also visited places with their host families that were not on the itinerary such as San Francisco and Monterey. The students shadowed their host
students for two days, and then another Filipino student who spoke Tagalog on another day. “The subjects were really fun and so were the teachers,” Velasquez said. “I was shocked because there are a lot of subjects you can choose from that my school doesn’t have.” At their school in the Philippines, they are assigned classes every year, Velasquez said. There were not opportunities to take some of the elective classes MHS has, such as photography, and the population at their school is much smaller. Exchange Student Francesca Cuison shared similar views on the topic. “I also write for the newspaper in my school,” Cuison said. “We only have about 600 students at our school so it’s a big difference.” On Nov. 16, two days before the exchange students were set to leave to spend time in LA, a group of them met up at Dave & Buster’s to have some fun in the mall. The parents attending were very encouraging and accepting towards the foreign exchange students. Host Parent Pamela Kellas, Francesca’s host, had allowed her daughter to go through a similar program, and thought it would be a nice idea to take someone in. “She’s very polite and interacts very well with the family,” Kellas said. “We enjoy her company.” All of the students seem very excited just to be in the mall, and seemed especially to enjoy Old Navy. While they did purchase things in the mall, they also bought things from our student store to commemorate their time in Milpitas. “It was a great opportunity to come [to] the US,” Velasquez said. “I am so thankful I had time with Alyssa and her family. They accepted me like their own daughter and sister, and Milpitas High is cool.”
Teen center offers activities By Genelle Gogue
Milpitas has modernized their Senior Center into a Teen Center. With many amenities offered for teens of Milpitas, the new and improved center is sure to be a hit with teens. The teen center is open from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The first hour is shared with the seniors. At 4:30 p.m., they clear out and it becomes the true Teen Center. When you first enter the Teen Center, you must check in. The first time you arrive, you can go in without parent permission. If you want to go back after, you will have to come back with a parent signature on the form given to you on the first day you come. After entering, there is a living-room type area that offers
live TV and, upon request, workers can take out the Xbox. On one side, there’s a dance studio that is available to be rented out to teens for any clubs or dance teams that need it. There is also an open gym offered as well. On the opposite side, there are classrooms available for students as well as a game room and a ping pong room. In addition to all the rooms the Teen Center offers, they also offer different activities during the month. On Fridays, they offer cooking class and on other days they offer fabric classes. They even offer events like CASSY counseling and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) prep days. The Teen Center offers many different activities and amenities for teenagers. It is definitely a place to visit.
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GoFundMe helps support Paradise By Neval Mulaomerovic
COURTESY OF DANIEL ATWELL
Daniel Atwell, Diego Atwell, Jorge Atwell, and Carolyn Atwell (left to right) pose for a photo in Bogota to commemorate their new family.
Atwell reunites a family; hopes to adopt more kids By Chris Ha
Adoption is a difficult process, but it can also be one of the most rewarding decisions people make in their lifetime. Thomas Russell Middle School Teacher Daniel Atwell, who previously taught at MHS, experienced this himself after adopting two children from Colombia. The process started in 2017 when he traveled with his wife Carolyn to Ethiopia to sponsor a child, Atwell said. There, he met an American woman who had adopted an Ethiopian child herself, Atwell continued. “After we returned home, we became Facebook friends, and she posted stories about children who were waiting to be adopted,” Atwell said. “We saw a feature of two brothers that would be separated if they didn’t get adopted this year, and we called to see if we qualified.” Fortunately, he and his wife got a response saying they were qualified to adopt and began the adoption process in September of 2017, he added. “There is a lot of legal paperwork in the US and Colombia, and the training to help understand
adoption and the consequences of it was long,” Atwell said. “We had some real lows such as a four month delay phase and some real highs such as meeting the boys for eight days in December of 2017.” Atwell and his wife later found out that Jorge and Diego have two sisters, he said. They might be able to adopt one, but not the other because she is already an adult, he explained. “I would really like to have four siblings in our family,” he said. “We got to spend about five hours together with all of them when we were there. It was awesomeness!” Having no biological children of their own, he and his wife hope to give these boys a loving home environment, and provide them with a quality education so that they can grow up to be whatever they want to be. “We want to help their dreams become reality, and that is what all parents desire,” Atwell said. “We felt God leading us in this direction, and as long as He opens the doors in front of us on our journey, we will go through them. We only wish we could help more kids, but maybe reuniting this one family is enough,” he concluded.
Wildfires across the state have proven devastating to the communities affected, with the Camp Fire effectively destroying Paradise, California. People statewide, including Social Studies Teacher Frank Castro, have stepped up to offer support to help these communities rebuild. After reading about the destruction of the California wildfires, Castro shared the link to a GoFundMe page for Paradise High School upon receiving the link. Athletic Director Jeff Lamb emailed it to parents and students of MHS, Castro said. “I was bummed that the school burned down,” Castro said. “I had a lot of empathy for the community, so then I thought it would be nice if I shared it with everybody
so we could support it.” The GoFundMe closed after passing its $40,000 goal through 262 donations, many from MHS. Students, parents, and teachers mentioned they were from MHS in their donation to show support, Castro said. “I wanted them to know that we here at Milpitas were thinking about them,” Castro said. “I was so happy to hear that so many of us did give money to the fund.” The Leadership class also acknowledged the devastation of the Paradise Fires, ASB Student Alfa Belen said. Leadership will donate 50% of the earnings from the Winter Wishes Auction to Paradise High School, she said. “[Student Activities Director Joanna] Butcher first proposed the idea and I agreed and thought that it was a great idea,” Belen
said. “We should also give back to communities in need.” Winter Wishes is a way for ASB to give back to the staff and students of MHS through granting wishes to those in need during the holiday season. The auction, meant to raise funds for granting these wishes, will also support the Paradise community through buying and donating items to a local charity drive, Belen said. “We wanted to use our funds to help those who really needed it,” Belen said. “The whole purpose of Winter Wishes is to give to the less fortunate. As a student at MHS, we are more than blessed. It is a need to give back to those who are less fortunate than us.” Students can find information on Winter Wishes at tinyurl.com/ wwauction1819
Roy retires after lengthy career at MHS By Charlene Yang
After working for almost 30 years at MHS, Secretary Jackie Roy retired at the end of November, Roy said. In her time here, Roy has done so much for the school. Roy has been counselor secretary for 20 years and principal secretary for ten years, Roy said. As the counseling secretary, Roy made counseling appointments and calendars and talked to registration, she said. As the principal secretary, Roy’s duties included processing field trip paperwork and anything monetary, Roy said. She would also make appointments for the principals and create the calendars and online directories. With all this work, one may wonder how Roy was able to manage all of her responsibilities. “It’s confidence in yourself,” Roy said. “And then secondly, the people that I was able to reach out to in the district and different departments that I have to work
with. There’s a handful of people out there that were just wonderful and realized I was struggling and helped me.” It’s for that second reason that Roy agreed to return to train the next principal secretary. She did not want anyone else to go through the same struggle she did in the beginning, Roy said. Roy decided to retire because of her elderly parents. “Now my mom’s health is failing, so she can’t take care of my dad right now, so that’s telling me it’s time.” There is one thing that Roy said she would miss the most: the people she’s grown close to. “I mean, with almost no exception, like, I feel everybody here, they’re my friends,” Roy said. Assistant Principal Cheryl Rivera has known Roy ever since she started her job 19 years ago, Rivera said. As for Rivera’s favorite memory of Roy, she had this to say. “She could read people really well. And I had a death in my family, and she actually reached out to me at
home, and I got a really personal card at home,” Rivera said. As for Roy’s most important impact on the school, Rivera said that that would be Roy’s genuine caring for students and staff. Teacher Michael Cummins echoed this sentiment. “She’s like the cultural lynchpin of the whole campus. I don’t know how we replace her,” he said. “It’s like she’s the mom of the campus. Like, that’s essentially it, right? And if she retires, we got to find a new mom.” Roy’s favorite experience was when she worked in counseling and interacted with students, she said. Her favorite memory was when she won the Apollo award for most huggable staff member. “That meant more to me than getting employee of the year,” Roy said. “That was one of my favorite memories here.” But with her time here over, it is certain that Roy has done a great deal for this school. “She’s one of the best people I know,” Rivera said.
Club bags feminine products; packages donated to homeless By Ginnie Lo
The club, I Am That Girl, hosted a charity drive called “Helpful Handbags” as a way to give back to the community, Club Secretary Pranavi Manchikanti said. The club collected bags until Dec. 20 and filled them with necessities to donate to the Sacred Heart Community Service in time for the holidays, Manchikanti continued. The officers of I Am That Girl collected lightly used or brand new purses and packaged them with feminine hygiene products, non-perishable snacks, chapsticks, socks, and other necessities, Manchikanti said. These items went to women in shelters that were either homeless or victims of domestic abuse, she added. “We picked feminine hygiene products [to donate] mostly because of the Pink Tax,” Manchikanti stated. “On average, feminine hygiene products are 13% more expensive than men’s. Homeless shelters and shelters for women especially don’t have that many funds, and the discrepancy between the [male and female] products makes it harder.” She came up with the idea of collecting handbags to give to
women from a tweet, Manchikanti said. The purpose was for people to give out their old bags filled with necessities to homeless women on the streets whenever they saw them while driving, she continued. “I thought that it would be super cool to expand that idea and make it like a charity drive so that we could donate it to more women in need,” Manchikanti said. “We [the officers] thought that December would be the perfect time to do it because it’s the holiday time. The bags would be like a sort of gift for the women because bags are expensive and hard to come by.” I Am That Girl had the idea of “Helpful Handbags” since last year, Treasurer Merilyn Kuo stated. It took two months for them to find a shelter to donate to and finalize the drive, she continued. “We knew as a club that we wanted to do some community service type of thing and give back to the community centered around women empowerment,” Kuo said. “Just by helping [these women] get more pads or tampons eases their life. They’re already having such a hard time because there are so many health issues that come when [hygiene products] are not sanitary.”
COURTESY OF JANINE BUGAYONG
Senior Janine Bugayong showcases her extravagant snowflake costume for the Waltz of the Snowflakes. She poses in a giant teacup onstage with a dance partner for the Chinese Tea number of “The Nutcracker.”
Bugayong transforms into dancing snowflake By Maira Ramos
Ballet is an art form that takes incredible strength, technique, and stamina, while also expressing grace and elegance. For Senior Janine Bugayong, the difficulty of the art is what made her fall in love with ballet. Bugayong is performing in a production of “The Nutcracker” at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, which is among one of the most classic ballet performances and is a Christmas staple. This year, Bugayong was cast as a lead Chinese acrobat and a snowflake for the Waltz of the Snowflakes, Bugayong said. A challenging factor for both dances is making the difficult dance look effortless, she noted.
“[The Chinese dance] is a very fun, fast, upbeat, playful number,” Bugayong said. “Being a lead acrobat involves a lot of cartwheels, tumbling, and big jumps.” The Waltz of the Snowflakes is done with pointe shoes, so her legs and ankles must have the strength to keep her on her toes throughout the dance, Bugayong said. Additionally, it is a corps de ballet, which means that her and the other snowflakes must all dance in unison, she added. “If something as simple as one person’s arm being slightly higher than everybody else’s, the whole appearance of the number is thrown off,” Bugayong said. “The steps are more technical, and I have to keep up with dancers who have more experience than I do.”
“The Nutcracker” isn’t Bugayong’s first performance, but it is her first big production with the dance company, she said. For “The Nutcracker,” her dance company spent two weeks in the theater for rehearsals and shows and have a total of nine performances, she said. “This will be my first time performing to music played from a live orchestra,” Bugayong said. “Because the conductor watches the dancers on stage and makes sure that the tempo of the music goes well with the dancers, dancing with a symphony makes you feel more connected with the music. It has a more raw, real feeling when I dance, and I’ve never felt that before.”
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DECEMBER 2018
PRO Legalizing weed brings benefits
By Jonathan Tran
LOAN-ANH PHAM | THE UNION
The legalization of recreational marijuana is beginning to take place all across the United States. It is not the nightmare-ish drug that its attackers describe with terror and spite. The most immediate benefit of marijuana legalization can be found in the economic growth that it can create. In 2015, Colorado alone brought in more than $135 million in taxes solely from medical and recreational marijuana. Apply that growth to a much larger state such as California and suddenly a number as high as $3 billion in tax revenue appears, according to a 2016 study from ICF International, a technology and consulting company. Creating dispensaries and nurseries also sets the stage for new jobs and workers to move in. Legalizing marijuana also helps to combat the people who sell marijuana illegally. It’s nearly impossible to stop the individuals growing it covertly in their backyard, but larger, more established underground operations often have to cease work or register with the state to become a legal dispensary. The ones who do become registered with the state have to pay taxes, contributing towards further economic growth. It’s much easier to regulate marijuana itself when the government knows exactly what is being farmed and where. Many people are unaware that marijuana comes in different varieties, but with the government looking over their shoulder, dispensaries must report accurate numbersso buyers know exactly what they’re purchasing. This kind of monitoring has also had a positive effect
on the transparency of the tobac- c o and alcohol industries. The concentration (or proof ) of every alcohol is clearly printed on the label. The upsides of banning marijuana have been questionable at best. There are still teenagers and adults smoking marijuana illegally in every state. Trying to catch all of them has proven to be a task both impossible and tiring for police officers. Instead, let officers focus on catching actual violent offenders rather than nonviolent drug users.It has been fiercely argued that marijuana can be a n addictive drug that impairs judgment. So, why is it illegal when alcohol, which is just as addictive and judgement-impairing, is perfectly legal? Furthermore, alcohol is classified as a drug, blurring the line between it and marijuana even further. The government website drugabuse.gov states that nine percent of of marijuana users become addicted to it, with the number rising to seventeen percent when considering teen users. It does not feature the same e x treme withdrawal issues that other substances may have. For example, quitting nicotine is much more difficult than quitting marijuana, with drugabuse.gov stating that only six percent of nicotine smokers will be able to quit in any year. The stigma surrounding marijuana exists for no discernible reason when substances such as alcohol and nicotine are glorified.
Comparing tobacco and marijuana By Charlene Yang
Between smoking tobacco and marijuana, which is the more harmful of the two? Well, both definitely have adverse health effects and here they are, according to the Centers for Disease Control: Smoking is already well-known to cause many health problems, but let’s just review. For starters, people who smoke have a higher risk for heart disease and strokes, these two health problems being the leading causes of death in the U.S. How does smoking do this? Well, smoking causes blood vessels to thicken, blood pressure to rise due to a faster beating heart, and blood clots to form. Smoking can also cause lung disease through damage to the lungs and airways as well as cancer in almost any part of the body. Basically, tobacco is probably not the best thing for your health.
Now that we’re caught up on the problems with smoking tobacco, let’s talk about the problems with marijuana. Marijuana’s risks might not be as focused on as much as tobacco, but there are just as many problems with it. To begin with, marijuana can cause as many health problems as smoking tobacco does,problems with memory, attention, and learning which can affect everyday life at school or work. It also has long-term effects, especially with teenagers, causing problems with brain development. Marijuana can also cause the heart to beat faster, just as smoking tobacco can, leading to a higher risk of stroke and heart disease. Harmful substances in tobacco are also found in marijuana as well which can harm the heart and lungs. So, what can you take from this? Bottom-line is this: both tobacco and marijuana have adverse health effects.
NATHAN THAI | THE UNIO
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THE UNION
There are issues with weed legalization
By Andrew Dinh
Tesla’s stock plummeted after a video of Elon Musk smoking weed while on a podcast went viral. This event foreshadows what will happen to the value and brainpower of society if demands for legalization of weed continue to spread like wildfire in the United States. Recreational marijuana was legalized in California in early 2018, and potheads everywhere rejoiced. However, selling and consuming weed is still under much scrutiny nationwide. Federal law still conside r s marijuana an illegal substance. By the Constitution, federal law supersedes state law. Making marijuana easily accessible to all comes with several consequences. Even though marijuana still is illegal for minors, a percentage of youth still find ways to purchase and use drugs if they want to. Legalization and proliferation of marijuana poses a huge danger to the adolescents because the more available weed is, the easier it is to consume, even among youth. Marijuana, whose use is linked withpoor mental ability, dumbs down a budding population. Instead of being productive, people smoking marijuana fall into a state of lethargy, only desiring to satisfy their munchies and nothing more. Smoking of marijuana impairs cognitive ability while creating feelings of pleasure. Though harmful
for their brains, people do not stop smoking after hitting the blunt once. Instead, they constantly pursue that high and sense of relaxation, much like cigarette users. This results in a risk for addiction and abuse, habits evidently hard to break. Legalization of marijuana exacerbates this because the more accessible any product is, the more likely it is that consumers will test it out. If society can prevent well-functioning members from falling to the grips of addiction, it very well should. Addiction to smoking marijuana, in addition to creating a dependency on momentary dopamine rushes, damages lungs. Exposing oneself to carcinogens, abundant in both cigarettes and weed, can also lead to lung cancer. Each deep inhale of smoke increases the chance of contracting a potentially fatal sickness, even harming surrounding peers with emitted secondhand smoke. Riding the highs of marijuana also puts oneself and others at risk when driving. Just like how driving while intoxicated is illegal, driving while under the influence of marijuana immediately endangers those in the surrounding environment, and the chances of people doing so only increase as weed becomes more widely available. Marijuana harms society in the long run. As people develop a tolerance for the rush felt while smoking marijuana, they may turn to more dangerous drugs, like opioids, to find an escape. Legalization of marijuana promotes a taboo drug culture that hinders one’s ability to be a functioning member of society.
GINNIE LO } THE UNION
CHARLENE YANG | THE UNION
The hidden consequences and pitfalls of vaping By Maansi Maskai
Weathering the test of time, nicotine has remained a constant product of consumption in society over centuries. Recently, technology has advanced such that nicotine can be consumed via a battery operated e-cigarette, commonly known as a vape pen. Presently, e-cigarettes are being marketed as a safe alternative to the traditional cigarette. Pioneered by the Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003, they were officially introduced to American consumers in 2006. E-cigarettes or vape pens are battery operated devices that release vaporized nicotine in doses for a user to inhale instead of the smoke that comes from a cigarette. They are manufactured to resemble traditional modes of nicotine consumption such as cigarettes or ordinary objects such as pens or USB sticks. Regardless of their varying appearance, they all function in the same manner. When the user puffs on the mouthpiece, the battery powered heating device is activated, vaporizing the
flavored nicotine solution in the cartridge for the user to inhale. This is popularly known as vaping. In recent times, vaping has become extremely popular among American teens because of catchy advertising, easy accessibility, and variety in flavoring. Additionally, the concept that vaping is safer than normal cigarettes has made it even more attractive. In 2009, when President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the FDA was given the power to regulate the manufacture, sale, and distribution of tobacco products. In 2010, a court ruled that e-cigarettes fell under the jurisdiction of this legislation as well. Companies highlight that vape pens are a safer alternative as compared to traditional cigarettes because they do not contain tobacco. However, they conveniently do not mention that tobacco is not the sole ingredient that results in long term diseases such as cancer. Traditional cigarettes have an array of harmful chemicals, of which some are present in vape pens as well.
On numerous occasions, the FDA has publicly stated that e-cigarettes contain an array of harmful carcinogens and chemicals. In a study published by the International Journal for Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers tested 42 e-cigarette cartridges and found traces of formaldehyde, a toxic chemical known to cause cancer in humans in the long run. In another study from the Public Library of Science Journal, researchers found large quantities of the widely-known carcinogen benzene in many popular cigarette brands. Moreover, two preliminary studies have found linkage between e-cigarette usage and DNA damage. In one of the preliminary studies discussed during in 2018 at an American Chemical Society, researchers found an increase in formaldehyde and acrolein in the saliva of five adults after a fifteen minute vaping session. These chemicals are known to be associated with DNA damage and mutations, eventually leading to cancer. While the usage of e-cigarettes
are definitely harmful for the user, a study published by the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health stated that the usage of e-cigarettes lead to an increase in the amount volatile organic particles in the air, posing major respiratory risks when inhaled. Although the vapor is not as intrusive as traditional cigarette smoke, it still significantly affects the air quality. Due to the relatively recent introduction of e-cigarettes to the United States, scientists have not been able to study the long term health of e-cigarette users over the course of 15-20 years, which is why the exact effects are unknown. individuals to practice caution when considering ering the use of these products.
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Bundle up and stay warm this winter By Ashley Chen Ishrak Ramzan
As the year comes to an end and winter begins, so too do gloomy, sullen skies and frosty winds start to appear. To help you combat the cold weather, we have compiled a list of tips on how to stay warm and cozy. 1. Wrap yourself up with scarves. A good scarf serves a double purpose: to both keep you warm and to accentuate your outfit. A scarf with a bold print or color palette can be the focal point of an outfit. At the same time, a simpler one can complement other pieces. There are a variety of scarves out there, ready to help you combat any and all weather scenarios. Is it a temperate day with just some slight breezes?
Get a thin cashmere-esque scarf to halt the wind. Are frigid torrential downpours incoming? Suit up with a thick blanket scarf to wrap around yourself and keep in the warmth. With all of the different scarves out there, there’s something to suit everyone’s fancy. 2. Sport cozy boots. Boots are comfy, but footwear companies UGG and Bearpaw have gone above and beyond the classic boot design. Lined with high-quality sheepskin, their boots are designed for comfort. In addition to the classic boots, the brands also carry a wide array of patterns and shoe styles, all retaining the same quality that popularized the originals. While they may be a bit pricey, when taking into consideration the effectiveness of the boots in cold
weather, they are definitely worth their price. Pair your boots with warm socks, and you are ready to go! 3. Don puffy jackets. Puffy jackets, although bulky, are perfect for cold weather. Not only do they keep you warm and comfortable, but they also have great insulation specifically designed for low temperatures. Whether it’s raining or snowing, puffy jackets are a great barrier against the elements. We recommend layering with thermal wear in addition to wearing the puffy jacket to ensure maximum protection from the cold. After all, staying warm should be your top priority. Overall, no matter what you decide to wear, just make sure that you feel comfortable in it.
NATHAN THAI | THE UNION
Pictured above are 3D paper stars in gold, silver, and red as well as hand warmers, both elegant and useful. These simple do-it-yourself crafts can be made into different styles and shapes using a variety of materials.
Craft spirit with eco-friendly DIY projects By Nathan Thai
For those of you who like to decorate your living space come winter, you probably have a box or two of decorations stored somewhere in your house. These decorations have become winter staples in my own household, but I found plenty of other ways to spice up your seasonal trappings. Both DIYs are fundamentally simple but have results that, especially to someone who rarely dabbles in creative arts, feel elegant and sophisticated: threedimensional paper stars and stitched hand-warmers. 3D Paper Stars (adapted from “katescreativespace.com”) Materials: 1. Pencil 2. Compass 3. Ruler and protractor 4. Pair of scissors
5. Piece of paper Directions: 1. First I drew a perfect circle the size I wanted the star to be, then made five (or six) equidistant points around the center. 2. To create the shape, I drew a line through each point to the edge of the circle, then connected the end of that line to the ends of the two lines opposite it. 3. The last step was to cut along the outer edges and crease the star so that the “spines” of each point popped out. Hand Warmers (adapted from “raeannkelly.com”) Materials: 1. Needle and thread 2. Fabric (i.e. old tshirt) 3. Dry grains Directions: 1. For each hand-warmer, I took two squares of fabric (you could cut them in any shape you want,
really!) and stitched the edges together. 2. Once I had three edges seamed, I filled the pouch three quarters of the way full with pearled barley. 3. I microwaved my project for about forty seconds and it stayed warm for a cozy half-hour. 4. I also added a drop of lavender or other essential oil to remove any odor, but this is optional. With holiday vacation and the dreaded finals week coming up, it’s easy to say “I don’t have enough time for DIY!” Stepping away from my daily regime to build things with my hands was a great change of pace and even got me thinking about making decorations and gifts this year. If you have the time, just search Google for lists of holiday DIY projects and try a few out.
Explore California during winter break By Eric de Guzman
As the end of the semester and winter break draws near, some families may start planning where to go for their vacation, in some cases venturing out of state or even to other countries. But for others, the holidays are best celebrated here in the Golden State. Where may one go to enjoy the two week liberation from academics (or not)? For this winter break, I recommend visiting these fascinating locales. Monterey Famous for its expansive aquarium, Monterey offers visitors recreational outlets along with a view of the Pacific Ocean. The Monterey Bay Mirror Maze features a walk-through maze
enhanced with strobe lights and energetic beats, and the aforementioned Monterey Bay Aquarium exhibits sea life from sardines to octopi. Some of the restaurants and shops may be a tad expensive, and the area may seem more gentrified to tourist taste, but you can find reasonable prices if you look well enough. Solvang Solvang is a quaint town nestled in Santa Barbara County. Denmark’s cultural influence certainly shows in the architecture, shops and restaurants. You can sample some tasty Danish treats such as æbleskiver and medisterpølse. Solvang holds various Julefest events throughout December, and it is a treat taking a stroll in the evening amongst the
intricately lit streets. Universities and Colleges Many California schools are home to great architecture and have a decent selection of entertainment in the vicinity. At Stanford, you may enjoy a skyhigh view of the campus from the Hoover Tower, engross yourself in the campus bookstore, and appreciate the work of a French sculptor in the Rodin Sculpture Garden. In Palo Alto, you can also visit the outdoor Stanford Shopping Center or take a hike on the Stanford Dish. UC Berkeley, similarly, is neighbors with the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Of course, taking time in winter break to scout potential colleges is not a bad idea. Just make sure not to stress yourself out too much.
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Stuff holiday stockings with classic gifts By Alana Penn
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! For the people who already know what kind of gifts to buy for their loved ones, that is. The holidays should be an exciting time for everyone, a season filled with Christmas trees, hot chocolate, and quality time spent with loved ones. But if you’re anything like me, then you’re probably stressing out over what to get your family and friends. You’re probably wondering how you could buy gifts without going broke in the process too. If these apply to you, you’re in luck! Here are a few cool Christmas gift ideas to consider. 1. Gift cards Gift cards are some of the easiest gifts to find. Just make a stop at your local grocery store, and you’ll always find tons of cards to choose from. Not only are they convenient for lastminute gift shoppers, but they’re incredibly versatile. There are gift cards for everything ranging from restaurants to clothing
stores. Do you have someone in your life who can’t live without coffee? Another who is a video game enthusiast? Get them a Starbucks gift card, or one for Steam. The possibilities are endless. 2. Fuzzy socks It can get pretty cold around this time of the year. What better way to help keep your loved ones warm than by getting them a pair of fuzzy socks? They come in tons of different designs and colors for everyone on your list, and anyone can use them. Stores like Target usually put out a ton of fuzzy socks in their stores around Christmas time, and for cheap prices as well! 3. Earbuds People listen to music while doing a variety of tasks everyday, from doing homework to exercising at the gym. Why not give your loved ones a gift that they could use everyday? Earbuds would allow them to take their music everywhere they go without disturbing others around them. Stores such as
Ross and Marshalls usually sell earbuds for reasonable prices, and they can easily be found on Amazon as well. 4. Stickers Placing stickers on laptops and water bottles has become a massively popular trend lately. In a way, you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at the stickers on their belongings. Plus, stickers are an easy way to spice up just about anything, and are great conversation starters. Websites like RedBubble make lots of high quality, waterproof stickers from varied prices depending on the design. 5. Skincare items Everyone could use some skincare products to help keep their skin looking clear and healthy. Treat your friends and family to a little Christmas spa day with products like face masks, moisturizers, exfoliators, and more! With cold weather comes dry, irritated skin. Spare your loved ones from seasonal skin problems with skincare products this Christmas!
Who has the best hot chocolate in town? By Devyn Nguyen
With the decrease in temperature, it is no wonder that students are starting to hunker down and stay warm inside of their houses. With every coming winter, one certain drink always peeks its head out from around the corner. Here are the best and worse hot chocolates in town. Peet’s Coffee 5/5 Peet’s brings back their hot chocolate in style. I first noticed how visually appealing the drink was. The beverage came without a lid, showing off the generous amount of whipped cream. In taking my first sip, the first thought that came to mind was how well the ingredients complimented each other. The powder brought a burst of chocolate that leveled out the taste of the whipped cream, allowing the drink to retain its great chocolate taste. Also, the drink came out at just the right temperature. The only qualm I had with this drink was its price. For a small hot chocolate, $3.10 had to be
coughed up. Overall, this drink had the best taste, and I would definitely pay a bit extra for such an amazing boost. In-N-Out Burger 3.5/5 While looking for stores that sold hot chocolate, I found that In-N-Out sold Ghirardelli hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was quite good. It came with a small plastic bag filled with tiny marshmallows. The chocolate taste was very pronounced, which was expected as the color was much darker than the other hot chocolates. The marshmallows were just the right size to fit through the lid, adding an occasional burst of sweetness. Sadly, this drink did not come with whipped cream, a staple in any hot chocolate. The drink comes in one size, eight ounces, and costs $1.60, easily being the smallest and cheapest out of all the hot chocolates on this list. For those looking for a cheap and quick
drink, In-N-Out is the way to go. Starbucks 1/5 I expected Starbucks, one of the largest cafe chains, to have one of the best hot chocolates. Once I got my drink, however, I was quickly disappointed. The drink came in the fashionable d i s p o s a b l e Starbucks cup. My first sip brought in a wave of a very watered down chocolate taste. I was surprised and took another sip, thinking the whipped cream may have diluted the taste of the chocolate. However, I was wrong. There was a scant amount of whipped cream, which didn’t add any taste to the drink and served no purpose. The drink came out hot and had to be drank in moderation unless one wanted to risk burning their tongue. The drink also tasted waterd-down. Considering the cost of $2.95 for a small, I was certainly expecting better. As one of the more costly options and worse tasting, Starbucks gets the worse rating out of all of the hot chocolate places I’ve reviewed.
Electrify gift exchanges with simple technology By Jonathan Tran
With the holidays already upon us, some may be scrambling for a last-minute gift. The theme of this year’s list is “technology,” but fear not! These gifts are great for anyone, electronics enthusiast or not. Take advantage of Amazon’s two day shipping to expedite gift delivery. Every product referenced in this review will be at https://tinyurl.com/ uniongifts. Whether it’s a lastminute gift for one of your loved ones or a treat for yourself, this is our “ten under twenty” list! 1. Bluetooth speaker Bluetooth speakers are all the rage nowadays. They’re often portable, convenient, and put out great sound. This one is no exception, and does it all for exactly $19.99. 2. LED light strip Are you looking to spruce up that desk of yours with a little more pop and color? Maybe an LED light strip is exactly what you need! This one has red-greenblue (RGB) lights so you can choose from 9 different colors for your setup.
3. USB wall adapter Sick of waiting forever to charge up your phone? Don’t you wish sometimes you could just plug it in quickly and regain an obscene amount of battery? This 3-pack of QuickCharge 3.0 certified wall adapters is sure to solve your battery issue! 4. USB cable splitter Whether you have a different phone model from the rest of your friends, or simply forgot your own at home, this multiUSB cable might be your saving grace. One end is a standard USB connection, and the other end features two Micro-USB heads, one Lightning head, one Micro-B head, and one USB-C head. 5. Bluetooth AUX adapter Not everyone has Bluetooth naturally built into their audio systems. Whether you have an older home speaker set or an aging car, this Bluetooth to 3.5mm AUX cable receiver will address your issue. 6. Smart plugs Looking to make that leap into the smart home future as envisioned in the Jetsons? These two smart plugs have you
covered. 7. Wireless mouse This mouse features two extra buttons that allow you to click forward and back through web pages with ease. It’s full-sized and comes with a USB receiver. 8. Lamp This lamp from TaoTronics comes with three different color modes and has seven different brightness levels to fit your needs. The head also swivels, rotates, and translates to angle your light however you wish. 9. Power bank You know what it would go great with a multi-USB cable? A largecapacity power bank! This one has 20000 mAh of power, which means you could charge your iPhone X seven and a half times after charging this thing only once! 10. Bluetooth headphones Classic headphone jacks provide unrivalled sound, but for many people, Bluetooth’s convenience will win out when trying to choose between sound quality and convenience. They’re only $19, and feature magnetic ends that easily snap together.
ANDREW DINH | THE UNION
The large mango bingsoo (left) consists of condensed milk, shaved ice, and fresh mango. The taro ball dessert (right) is served with grass jelly.
Enjoy cool MandRo desserts By Kelly Nguyen
MandRo Teahouse, a Taiwanese style dessert cafe, recently opened on 200 Serra Way in Milpitas. MandRo is known for its assortment of bingsoo (Korean shaved ice) which come in several flavors. It also serves a variety of taro ball desserts and milk and fruit teas. The cafe was crowded on a Friday evening and there was a long line. It’s a smaller cafe, so there wasn’t much room to move around. However, there’s some seating outside to compensate. The mango bingsoo and taro ball dessert both took 15-20 minutes to come out. The top layer of the mango bingsoo had the same consistency as shaved ice. The bottom layer had a more creamy consistency. Both the snowy and creamy counterparts had a natural mango flavor. On the top, there were bite-sized mango pieces, which paired perfectly with the shaved ice. There was also condensed milk on the side, but
I opted out. Overall, the bingsoo was subtly sweet and refreshing, but nothing over the top. The taro ball dessert had an icy base with grass jelly, taro balls, and creamer. The concept was there, but the overall taste and texture were underwhelming. There wasn’t enough ice to mix around with the herbal flavoring and creamer, which made the dessert liquidy. The grass jelly tasted the same as anywhere else, but the taro balls were rather bland. I couldn’t taste much of the flavor until everything melted together; by then, it wasn’t that appetizing. Overall, I’d rate the mango bingsoo 4 stars out of 5 and the taro ball dessert 2 stars out of 5. Both of the portions were relatively large and fitting for multiple people. The sweetness, usually a concern, wasn’t too overbearing. I’d recommend trying MandRo, but it’s nothing special compared to other Asianinspired cafes, which offer better quality options.
Give the perfect gag gift By Edward Nguyen
As the holiday season quickly approaches, you may find yourself ensnared in your friend group’s gift giving festivities. Secret Santa and White Elephant are all the rage these days, as nothing is more hilarious than seeing somebody open your gift without knowing what’s inside. However, you may realize you’re at a loss for what kind of gift you’re going to give. Gag gifts are generally humorous gifts that are absurd enough to get surprised chuckles out of the receiver, but they are not without effort, as you must decide the perfect one in order to make the fun last. The most common type of gag gift is just a small throwaway addition to the main present. These are usually things like bacon band-aids or fake poop. This is easy and simple, and can be a reference to an inside joke, a keepsake, or just something plain dumb. You may want to have a more elaborate gift. These could be something that they would actually use, but may also be a little more expensive. It could be a terrible looking shirt, or an odd, niche gadget like a ketchup gun.
One of the best types of gag gifts are the custom ones. These require a little more time and money than everyday items, as you will likely need to order or customize it. The easiest and cheapest laugh is choosing your favorite unflattering picture of the recipient, maybe a closeup of their face while they were mid-yawn, or a snapshot of them caught off guard. Then choose your method of transport. You can spread the picture on a massive poster, or have it stitched onto a pillow. My personal favorite is ordering a sticker roll of their face and slapping it all over their belongings when they aren’t looking. Always remember that the best gift you can give is a good one, gag or not. It is always a good idea to get a secondary thoughtful item or a gift card that the person can actually use. If everyone else gets something amazing and your recipient is just sitting there with some garbage at their expense, they will probably be less inclined to laugh. Gift giving is fun, but always remember that in the end, this is a somewhat personal event, and you should always try and make your recipient happy. You know, for holiday spirit.
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THE UNION
DECEMBER 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
RATING KEY winter holidays halloween thanksgiving fourth of july st. Patrick’s Day Music Reviews
COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX
Computer algorithm Yesss (Taraji P. Henson) introduces main protagonists Wreck-it Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) to the Disney Company. Ralph and Vanellope stand in awe.
‘Wreck-It Ralph 2’ wrecks the box office familiar references and concepts that the audience just can’t help relating with. In typical Disney fashion, By Luke Ren “Ralph Breaks the Internet” tries to deliver a heartfelt, Did “Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph kid-friendly message through Breaks the Internet” wreck it? character conflict and heartOverall, yes. Disney was able warming resolutions. This film portray the relationship be- actually delivers a rather atypitween the dim-witted, ill-tem- cal message: separation is somepered title character and his times necessary for characters candy companion as meaning- to grow. The main character ful and dynamic while also cre- practically screams this theme atively personifying the digital to the audience as he has to teach it to himself by the world around them in a end of the movie. genuinely funny way. The “Wreck -It Ralph” se“Ralph Breaks the Inries is known for its unique ternet” prefaces itself as a film meant to throw the MOVIE video game color palette main protagonist into a REVIEW that includes a variety of textures and backgrounds. satirical representation of popular media and culture. Es- In both films, it is easy to pick sentially, Ralph breaks open the out characters who do not beinternet. The movie portrays big long in a certain context simmoney-making corporate domi- ply because of the contrast in nance and the almost scarily colors or art style. For example, rapid spread of internet sensa- Vanellope von Schweetz stands tions in a colorful and truthful out like a glowing blue dot when placed in the setting of the viofashion. The portrayal of the internet lent and chaotic Slaughter Race. “Ralph Breaks the Internet” through avatars, shady advertisement schemes, algorithms focuses on building simple and that determine what internet straightforward characters, but users see, and the interactions does it in a way that doesn’t between them all allowed for a limit their design space. Shank unique and almost didactic ex- is the cool racer girl, but she’s perience. Every scene includes also a wise friend who underRATING: 5 out of 5
stands Vanellope’s situation and wants to help. Spamley is the shady advertisement guy, but he’s also a genuinely funny and nice friend that tries to help out in any way that he can. The voice acting performance was honestly one of the best parts of this film, which is absolutely essential when bringing a fictional world to the big screen. Each character had a unique tone and speech pattern which made distinction incredibly easy and automatic. Bill Hader shows off his voice acting skills once again in this film by making the audience laugh simply with his voice when portraying the iconic Spamley. If you care about cinematography, the movie does a pretty great job at portraying the vastness of the internet through a variety of wide shots, pans, and close-ups. This is almost expected out of a high-budget Disney film. “Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet”, though cringy in certain scenes, does a great job of portraying difficult relationships and the complexity of the internet while maintaining a good level of humor for both children and adults. Good job Disney, you did it again.
‘Widows’ a somber and thrilling heist film of the money they stole as well. As a result of this, Veronica is suddenly widowed, and we see images of her alone in her house conBy Ishrak Ramzan trasted to flashbacks of time spent with Harry. She barely gets time to “Widows” is a brutal, gripping grieve the loss of her husband and heist film that was released on everything she had as she is soon Nov. 16 to audiences across the threatened by the city politician United States. The film stars pow- whose money Harry stole, Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henerhouse Viola Davis in the ry). Mannings warns Veronlead role as Veronica Rawlica that she has a month to ings, an executive of a Chicamake up the $2 million that go teachers’ union. She’s marup in smoke. Faced ried to Harry Rawlings (Liam MOVIE went with this daunting task, she Neeson), though Veronica is REVIEW finds Harry’s notebook, and unaware of his true career as goes about recruiting the other a successful criminal. The film opens up to Veronica widowed women so they can run and Harry blissfully embraced Harry’s next heist to get the monin bed. However, this happiness ey they need. The other widows were likewise doesn’t last for long. The film cuts to Harry’s crew exiting from left in poor circumstances. Verona successful heist, with him serv- ica is joined by Linda (Michelle ing as the getaway driver, but Rodriguez), the owner of a cloththings quickly devolve as police ing store whose husband gambled ambush them in the midst of their away all of their money while he escape. This leading to a high-oc- was alive, leaving her in finantane chase across the city with the cial peril and in danger of losing crew ultimately taking shelter in a her business. Shortly after, Alice warehouse, leading to a shootout (Elizabeth Debicki), whose husthat sparks an explosion, killing band abused her, joins the team the entire crew and blowing up all seeking to escape her manipulaRATING: 5 out of 5
tive mother who has since convinced her to work as a companion to make money. Eventually, the trio realize they need a driver, they are joined by Linda’s occasional babysitter Belle (Cynthia Erivo), who completes the group. The acting in “Widows” is truly a delight, with phenomenal performances all around. Davis commands every scene she’s in, conveying both raw grief and the fiery drive to do what’s necessary to get the job done. Even so, the other cast members manage to hold their own, and Debicki’s performance in particular stands out as she portrays Alice being thrust into a foreign and dangerous situation and the accompanying anxiety. “Widows” is not your typical heist thriller, avoiding overdone tropes and excelling on all grounds. The movie has good pacing and a dynamic plot that is sure to keep you engaged. Providing a gritty and intelligent take on the genre, compelling characters, complex undertones and social commentary, “Widows” is a masterpiece of a film that everyone should go out and see.
LM5 by Little Mix Genre: Pop RATING: 5 out of 5
ORIGINS by Imagine Dragons Genre: Pop Rock RATING: 4 out of 5
By Ishrak Ramzan
By Luke Ren
Little Mix continues their long history of delivering iconic and powerful tracks in their latest album, “LM5,” while also avoiding stagnation as a group by experimenting with new sounds. Both longtime fans and new listeners are sure to appreciate the diverse array of masterpieces Little Mix have brought us on “LM5.” “LM5” starts out strong with lead single “Woman Like Me (feat. Nicki Minaj),” drawing listeners in with a catchy reggae beat fading in and out beneath verses about embracing flaws. The song is bolstered by an excellent rap verse from Minaj, skillfully weaving together clever bars with a catchy flow to make the song truly phenomenal. The track “Joan of Arc” truly exemplifies Little Mix’s versatility as musicians, as it draws inspiration from a variety of styles. The song smoothly transitions between strong verses, a vocally powerful pre-chorus, and a breathy chorus that builds back into bold delivery, all while singing meaningful lyrics about both financial and sexual empowerment. ‘“American Boy” is another highlight from “LM5,” following a girl who suspects that the boy she loves has feelings for someone else. The song successfully conveys intense emotions of suspicion, paranoia, and heartbreak while staying catchy. Little Mix switches up their sound in “Wasabi,” using percussion to great effect. The fierce instrumental is matched by the powerful lyrical content of the track. Little Mix claps back at haters, singing about how while they’re always criticized, they enjoy how people can’t stop talking about them. Latin-influenced “Motivate” is another highlight of “LM5” and continues the diverse range of sounds they use on the album. A red-hot track, it’s sure to make you want to play it on repeat endlessly and just dance. “LM5” is an album that truly shows Little Mix’s endless talent as artists, going above and beyond all expectations. With a wide range of tracks, there’s something for everyone, whether it be an upbeat bop to dance to or a slow emotional ballad to cry to. I recommend that everyone takes a chance to listen to “LM5.”
Imagine Dragons continues their iconic sound in their most recent album, “Origins,” yet still manages to add its own unique twist. If you like Imagine Dragons’ quiet yelling that somehow ends up musical, you will definitely enjoy “Origins”. “Origins” errs on the side of mediocre on the first listen but changes your mind after a few replays. Even if you are not an Imagine Dragons fan, their style of alternative rock is just so addictive that you can’t help but jam out to it. The track that almost begs to be replayed over and over on the radio, “Natural,” starts with what will become an iconic melody of humming. Dan Reynolds, the lead singer, once again boasts his singing prowess by making simple speech sound like angelic chanting. Imagine Dragons has such an incredible talent for not only alternating between sequences of yelling and beautiful falsetto notes that they somehow turn the act of yelling into something genuinely musical and addicting. The amount of contrast in every verse, from shouts of glory to angelic high notes and glorified whispering, shows just how well Imagine Dragons has mastered the human voice. Imagine Dragons ends “Natural” with a soothing chant. Reynolds, simply by quieting his voice down a bit to deliver a verse, draws the audience in and holds them there until he’s ready to start the next chorus. Moving onto one of the lesser known tracks, “Cool Out” provides a genuinely unique twist on the typical Imagine Dragons color palette. Rather than revving up their vocal chords for somehigh energy shrieks, Imagine Dragons provides a soothing and playful sing-along that worms its way into your head. Although it has a slower start, the track “Bad Liar” is on par with “Natural” for the spot of catchiest tune. The grand tone that pervades the entire song just screams motivational track for when you are feeling down. Overall, Imagine Dragons has delivered yet again an unrivaled set of trendy and catchy alternative tunes. Keep up the fiery tracks, Imagine Dragons.
DECEMBER 2018
THE UNION
ENTERTAINMENT
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‘Pokemon Let’s Go’ catches all that wants you to make you feel a special bond with your Pokemon, each move you use just uses the same animation as dozens of By Alexander Phan other moves. I was disappointed seeing my Pokemon use the “Pokemon Let’s Go” is by far same animation for both a move one of my favorite games in the I learned at the beginning of the franchise so far due to changes game and a move I learned nearin some core mechanics and the ly twenty hours in. Aside from introduction of newer graphics. the animations, however, battle I know that a lot of people don’t feels a lot easier compared to the like the game since it is a stain other games. This is attributed to on the Pokemon series due to its Nintendo’s decision to make the simplicity and toned-down diffi- game much easier and more apculty, but I had a really good time pealing to newer audiences. The game did an incredible playing this game. The game is a really good experience to play job at making both Pikachu and through, and I feel that the game Eevee feel really special. Being made some improvements upon able to interact with them, pet their heads, and feed them berprevious installments. The gigantic difference that ries is honestly one of the cutest this game has over every oth- experiences I’ve experienced in er Pokemon game would be the a Pokemon game. You can even change in the iconic catching design them in matching clothing system. Instead of the traditional with you as you explore Kanto! Even though the game is direct“beat cute creatures half to death ed towards a younger and and throw a ball at them” newer audience, I still had a method, Pokemon Let’s Go really good time playing it. follows the catching system I had a strange mix of vague of Pokemon GO, the mobile GAME nostalgia and a sense of game that was popular for a couple of weeks in 2016. As REVIEW newness while playing the game. It was a joy to play camuch flak as I give Pokemon sually, just as something fun GO, I feel that their catching system of simply throwing I would open up on a car ride to a Pokeball at the Pokemon be- school or while procrastinating ing integrated into Let’s Go is on homework. The story is a direct copy from an improvement on the previous installations. Previously, I the first-generation Pokemon felt that random encounters of games, allowing a wider audience Pokemon and pressing the same to enjoy the magic that was the button three times per battle Kanto region. I felt immense joy was too repetitive, making go- re-exploring the original world ing through the game feel like a of Pokemon Red with beautiful, chore. Now, you’re able to choose childish graphics. There were your encounters instead of get- even some callbacks to the origting jumped by a random Zubat inal game, with the original rival every three seconds. When you Blue popping up to give advice. Overall, I enjoyed the carefree do decide to go into an encounter, catching has been changed feeling and the lack of repetition to just throwing a PokeBall at a throughout the game. Despite its Pokemon and hoping you can fi- change in the catching system, I feel like all the negative backlash nalize the catch. In battles, the same mechanics the game received for the change are copied over from previous in the catching system is undegames. The only problem I have served, and I encourage new and with the battling is, for a game old players to give the game a try. RATING: 4 out of 5
COURTESY OF NINTENDO
Iconic Nintendo characters Mario, Inkling, Donkey Kong, and Link fight to knock each other off of the stage. The battle is playing out on a revamped version of the “Smash Bros” series’ most popular stage, Battlefield.
‘Smash Bros. Ultimate’ joins the battle understated technical moves like short hopping or directional dashes are now more accessible. These changes may be seen as By Devyn Nguyen a step in the right direction or a Edward Nguyen step backwards, depending on the player. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” A major positive of the game the latest in the wildly popular lies in the convenience of its im“Smash Bros.” franchise, is the plementation into the Nintendo newest addition to the NinSwitch console. The last tendo Switch library. “Smash iteration of “Smash Bros.” Ultimate” adds a multitude of debuted on both the Wii U new content, characters, and console and the 3DS portamechanics that gives players GAME ble device. “Smash Bros.” a smashing new experience. REVIEW on the Switch combines the A definite selling point of benefits of both, serving “Smash Ultimate” is that as a console with multiple it features the largest roster of player capabilities as well as a characters in the franchise’s his- portable device that you can play tory, with every previous charac- anywhere you go. The Switch’s ter returning and several exciting joy-con controllers allow severnew ones being added, ensuring al other people to play with you, that there is a character for ev- a huge advantage considering eryone. Practically all characters how much of a multiplayer game had small tweaks and fixes in “Smash Bros.” is. You also have gameplay and graphics that help the option of using the Switch’s make the overall gameplay seem Pro Controller or the classic fluid and smoother than the last GameCube controller. While this edition of “Smash Bros.” Little may state more about the benefits changes in animation beautify of the Switch console itself, the every move, while the attempt sheer convenience of Smash Bros. to balance out everyone’s power on this system is very much aplevels was a nice touch. Count- preciated. less changes helped close the gap The “Smash Bros.” franchise between the weaker and stronger generally focuses on the main characters. “Smash” mode, in which players With every new “Smash Bros.” eliminate each other to be the last game, new mechanics and capa- man standing. This can be expebilities are added to polish old rienced in the base “elimination” gameplay and shake up the status ruleset, as well as in teams. Howquo. While the changes between ever, as is expected at this point, “Smash Ultimate” and the previ- “Smash Ultimate” offers a few ous game are not nearly as dras- other game modes as well. It featic as differences between past tures an expansive campaign—a iterations in the francise have mode that was absent from the been, there are a few idiosyncra- previous “Smash Bros.”—serving sies that players may need to get as the main game mode. In adadjusted to. Actions such as air dition, Classic Mode returns, in dodging have been tweaked to which you fight through different become more emphasized, while stages in order to earn rewards RATING: 5 out of 5
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and unlock characters. Lastly there is a small “horde” mode, in which you battle a multitude of characters and try and defeat as many as you can. While the campaign is definitely welcomed back, the somewhat lacking selection is mildly disappointing, as previous modes such as “All-Star” and “Boss Battle” are absent. A story-driven RPG adventure called “World of Light” takes over as the solo mode in “Smash Ultimate,” providing players with an incredibly fun experience through its tough challenges. During the campaign, you can collect spirits, providing buffs based on which spirit you have equipped. Bosses and enemies are particularly tough to defeat, encouraging players to persist and improve. Although there are a multitude of great points about “World of Light,” there are annoyances as well. Some enemies and battles are obnoxious, leaving players asking why such an enemy was created in the first place. Another problem was the lack of variety. Although each challenge is different, you are essentially fighting different characters multiple times, which quickly starts to feel stale. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” is a fantastic new release and absolutely lives up to its well deserved hype. It is not without its flaws, but with its massive character roster, interesting new mechanics, and the sheer convenience of it being on the Nintendo Switch, it is an excellent addition to the franchise and a must-have purchase for any Switch owners with $60 to spare. As one of the best switch games to date, “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” earns a well deserved 4.5 out of 5.
The Bandito Tour brings ‘Trench’ to Oakland RATING: 4.5 out of 5
By Alana Penn
Following the release of their album “Trench,” American music duo Twenty One Pilots embarked on the Bandito Tour. I had the fortune of attending their concert on Nov. 11, when they made a stop at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Considering TOP’s remarkable performance that night, now I can believe the hype about their shows. There were two opening acts, indie pop singer Max Frost and alternative rock band AWOLNATION. Both put on energy-packed sets, but most of the crowd didn’t appear to be very familiar with their songs. Nevertheless, this is usually the case for opening acts. The setlist for the Bandito Tour
was well planned. TOP played new songs like “Levitate” but also included older fan favorites like “Holding On To You.” They transitioned between energetic rock songs and mellow tunes with ease. TOP also surprised fans with covers of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls and “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. Members Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun brought energy to the stage with their signature flips and high-flying jumps. The tour featured the use of two stages, unique background visuals, and a suspended sky bridge, so there was never a dull moment. Between songs Joseph and Dun interacted with the crowd by telling jokes. They had established an incredibly intimate relationship with their fans, and these interactions made that clear. While TOP put on a sensational show, the Oracle staff was not as great. Navigating around the are-
na was difficult, and they didn’t offer me much help. Also, lines were chaotic as people entered the venue and purchased merch. Overall, I felt like the venue could’ve handled the event better, judging by their obvious lack of organization. Nevertheless, it was only a small part of my concert experience and wasn’t really a big deal. TOP finished off with an encore of two songs, “Leave The City” and “Trees.” Looking back, it’s safe to say this was one of the best nights of my life. I doubt I’ll forget my elation as the curtain dropped to reveal Joseph and Dun on the other side, or the sound of thousands of people singing in unity. It was an incredibly surreal night and a memory I’ll definitely treasure. Joseph’s farewell still rings out clearly in my mind: “We’re Twenty One Pilots, and so are you.”
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BTS film rallies a large army Narrated by BTS rapper Suga, the film ran for ninety minutes. It highlighted the pressure and struggle each member experiBy Ashley Chen enced on tour, and the immense time and dedication spent on BTS, short for Bangtan Sonyeo- each show. Even someone like me ndan, has gained popularity in who isn’t an ARMY can clearly the United States as the first see how seriously BTS takes their K-pop, or Korean pop, group to responsibility as performers to perform at the American Mu- live up to fans’ expectations and sic Awards and Billboard Music deliver a good performance. Despite their fame, the memAwards. With catchy songs such bers live simple lives during as “DNA” and “Fake Love,” their free time. The most BTS is quickly taking over entertaining parts of the the music scene. In addition, movie were when they the strong support of ARMOVIE were being normal people, MYs, the group’s fandom, is REVIEW such as having a barbeque evident as BTS continues and pool party. From these their world tour, Love Yourscenes, the audience can see that self. On Nov. 15, BTS’ first feature the members get along well with film “Burn the Stage: The Movie,” each other, not just as friends but was released. It follows BTS’ jour- as brothers. They all share the ney on their 2017 Live Trilogy Ep- same passion: to create meaningisode III: The Wings tour and in- ful music that spreads messages cludes personal footage from BTS of positivity and self-confidence. The film captures what BTS is: a members RM, J-Hope, V, Jimin, family that looks out for each othJungkook, Suga, and Jin. As someone who was recently er amongst the stress and anxiety introduced to K-pop, I was cu- that from being on tour. Perhaps rious as to what made BTS so that is what ARMYs love about appealing. Was it the members’ BTS: the feeling of belongingness. personalities or their exception- Speaking true to their album tial music that captivated so many tle, BTS teaches ARMYs to love themselves. The film pays hompeople? Entering the theater, I expected age to the impact that BTS has the room to be filled with ARMYs, had on others. It is no surprise, then, that decked out in their BTS merchandise. And that was exactly what I “Burn the Stage: The Movie,” was saw. The theater was mainly filled brought back to the theaters after with females, loudly chattering huge success. ARMYs and people about their favorite K-pop group. who are interested in learning It was clear from the moment I more about BTS can finally have entered that they were die-hard their chance to see what goes on behind the scenes. fans. RATING: 4 out of 5
14
SPORTS
THE UNION
DECEMBER 2018
Soccer teams kickoff with positive outlook By Chris Ha Whitney Tran
Soccer has had a rough start this 2018-2019 season. Because of the poor air quality from Nov. 8 to Nov. 20, practice was cancelled and players were not able to have much time practicing outdoors, Varsity Boys Soccer Coach William Leffler said. “Things were very difficult this year due to the school closing down on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20,” Leffler said. “This is by far the worst start to a soccer season in the 35 years I have been [coaching] at [MHS].” Fortunately, the rain was able to clear the air and practices were scheduled for two days during Thanksgiving break, Leffler said. However, only half of the team could show up because families had scheduled to leave town for Thanksgiving break, he continued. The girls’ soccer team also had
practice during break at the MHS soccer field, Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Michael Tomlin said. They were able to train because the air quality index was below 150, he added. “I did not receive any complaints or concerns regarding the poor air quality,” Tomlin said. “I made it a point to communicate with my players and their parents during this period of bad air. I basically explained the district’s policy and that there was nothing which could be done until the air got better.” Both varsity teams had their first games of the preseason on Nov. 27. The boys’ soccer team took a hard hit against the Vikings at Palo Alto High School and fell 0-10, Leffler said. “We had a huge problem with buses and did not get to Palo Alto until 45 minutes after [the] scheduled game time,” Leffler said. “The officials heard of our problem but could not give us
proper time to warm up and forced us on the field.” Varsity boys are looking forward to getting their first win in a while, Defender Mustafa Malik said. He hopes to win four games this season, he added. The girls’ soccer team pulled a close game against the Prospect Panthers at Prospect High School despite having five of their starters out because of injuries, Tomlin said. They fought hard but the game ended in Prospect’s favor 2-1, he added. “We have a positive outlook on the season because our captain’s goal is to go to CCS,” Right Halfback Melissa Nunez said. “Our lineup is strong [this year].” “As far as my expectations, I expect to have a competitive team this year if we can get healthy,” Tomlin said. “Several of our starters are beginning their season with injuries sustained from their club season.”
MAIRA RAMOS | THE UNION
Varsity Forward Justin Barnachea (right) has possession of the ball. The Trojans fought hard against Monterey High School but fell 50-73.
Varsity Basketball rebounds By Maira Ramos
With the start of the new season comes new challenges, goals, and opportunities for success for the varsity basketball teams. According to Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Clarence Wrencher, the boys’ basketball team has had changes that will help them be more competitive. The varsity boys team has gro wn in size and has more players that can contribute, Wrencher said. Having more people play will help the team keep their endurance throughout each game, he added. “We didn’t have a lot of depth last year, and that hurt us a lot,” Wrencher said. “I think we finished the season with maybe nine people, and this year we’re fifteen strong, and quite a few of those players are strong players.” Varsity Boys Point Guard Aaron Tumber said that there is a lot of good chemistry among the team members since many of them have played together for a long time. Although the team could improve on their communication during games, they are strong defensively, he said. “I feel that we can all play multiple positions,” Tumber said. “Everybody can guard every position, so it’s easy to play anything.” According to Wrencher, atten-
dance at the games is much lower now compared to games when he started coaching in the late 1990s. The gym was reasonably full back then, he said. “It would be really good to see more people at our games,” Wrencher said. “We play a lot of schools on the west side of the valley, [so] we run into hostile territory because they have a lot of fans and students at their games. Then here, we don’t have that, we don’t match it. We lose our home court advantage.” Varsity Girls Point Guard Allyson Hom said that the girls’ varsity team has new players and they are all trying to learn and adjust to playing with each other. They also have a new head coach, Tyrone Monroe, she said. “Some people may not like [his coaching style],” Hom said. “But he pushes you in a way where it’s out of more support than out of harshness, as some people might say.” The team’s strength is already having basic basketball knowledge, Hom said. They all know the fundamentals and are working to build on them, she said. “An expectation [for this season] would probably be to hopefully win league,” Hom said. “That’s one of our goals as a team.”
Wrestling team shoots high By Chris Ha
The MHS wrestling team has high hopes for the upcoming season, Wrestling Head Coach Jake Tanenbaum said. The team is looking solid this year with three returning CCS qualifiers: Tristan Kim, Maricar Ramos, and Scotty Gomez, he continued. “We are in the De Anza league again,” Tanenbaum said. “We also have a good group of tough freshmen coming in hoping to make an impact down the stretch,” he added. The Junior Varsity team competed at Overfelt High School on Friday, Nov. 30th, whereas the girls team competed at Overfelt on Saturday, Dec. 1st, he said. Varsity boys competed at the Peninsula Invite at Half Moon Bay, he added. “At the JV tournament, Sam Kumar took second, Julian Escobar took third, and Gavin Zamora and Benedict Mappala took fourth,” he added. “At the Lady Royals, Yesenia Avalos took sixth and
Maricar Ramos won the consolation bracket,” he continued. “[And] at the Peninsula Invite in Half Moon Bay, Tristan Kim took fourth place, Lou Noble took eighth, and Fritzjon Lucero was runner up in the consolation bracket,” Tanenbaum concluded. Senior Scotty Gomez has been on the wrestling team since freshman year, he said. He hopes to place in CCS again this year, Gomez added. “At the beginning of practice we usually do cardio, and then I have a warm-up, and after warm-up, we do drills and moves and work on a lot of technique,” he said. “To cut weight, you don’t eat a lot, you run a lot, and then you sweat out all of that water.” Other athletes returning from last year will make dual meets and tournaments exciting to watch, Tanenbaum said. The team will have three home meets this year against some tough teams and hopes to get a big crowd out for each of them, he added.
COURTESY OF ANNA KAENJAK
Senior Anna Kaenjak (third from left) and her Mixed Freestyle Poomsae Team win medals for second place. Kaenjak’s team represented USA at the 2018 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Taipei, Taiwan.
Kaenjak competes globally in Taekwondo By Chris Ha Whitney Tran
Students take Taekwondo for several reasons, among them self-defense, self-discipline, and self-esteem. Some even go out of the country to compete nationally. Senior Anna Kaenjak began her Taekwondo journey in fourth grade when one of her classmates brought in their uncle for Career Week, she said. He was a master of a nearby Taekwondo school and did a presentation on Taekwondo and what the sport had to offer, she added. “It was through his presentation that I learned of the many moral lessons that come with Taekwondo, alongside the very technical and precise physical aspect of the sport,” Kaenjak said. “In longing to try something new at the time, I took my chances with the sport and stuck with it for seven years to where I am now.” Throughout her seven years in Taekwondo, she has competed in roughly 50 local competitions, five state championships, four national championships, and one world championship, she said. In an average week mid-season, she trains for roughly nine hours a week, but after making the National Poomsae Team, a USA Taekwondo team, she has been training for 16 or more hours a week in preparation for the world championships, she explained. “Before the world champion-
ships, my coach required my team to fill out a weight tracker every week,” she said. “The tracker listed out the weight our coaches expected us to be at and our weight for that week.” In November, she competed in the 2018 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Taipei, Taiwan, she said. According to Kaenjak, she has competed in the 12-17 Mixed Freestyle Poomsae Teams for Team USA against ten other countries in her division: Taipei, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, and Ukraine. “My team and I scored a 6.600, placing us second, and falling short of Team Taipei in first place by 0.1,” she said. “Second place was still a major accomplishment for my team... considering that we were able to defeat the reigning world champions for that division, Team Vietnam, who placed third after my team,” she continued. Managing Taekwondo with school was a struggle for her, Kaenjak said. She would usually get home around 11:30 PM after marching band and Taekwondo practice and would finish homework at 2:00 AM, she continued. “As tough as it can get, I’ve had to balance both marching band and Taekwondo with school since my freshman year,” she said. “My time management has definitely improved over the years and I’ve built more perseverance to continue to pursue my dreams and
my passions alongside school.” Competing at the Poomsae Championships in Taipei is the highest level that Kaenjak can compete at in Taekwondo since the event that she does is not held in the Olympics, she said. Sparring, the combat aspect of Taekwondo, is the only Taekwondo event featured in the Olympics, she explained. “Some people in the Poomsae community also refer to the World Championships as the ‘Olympics of Poomsae Taekwondo,’” she said. One of her role models is her coach, she said. Two years ago, her coach had a major setback in his Taekwondo career when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, she said. “He had explained to me that he was emotionally distraught for months during the time of his injury and felt like he would never be able to compete or kick again,” she said. “Despite the severity of his injury, he overcame his doubts and slowly rebuilt his confidence and the strength in his injured knee.” Through endless physical therapy sessions, perseverance, and a strong-willed mind, he built himself back to an even better athlete than he was before, Kaenjak said. His experience truly inspired and motivated her to become better than she was the day before. To this day, she takes his experience to heart and reminds herself that giving up is never an option.
DECEMBER 2018
SPORTS
THE UNION
15
Intramurals aim for inclusivity By Chris Ha Maansi Maskai
COURTESY OF MARICAR RAMOS
Varsity Wrestler Maricar Ramos (right) competed against Yerba Bueno High School at Terra Nova High School. She won her match with a decision of 8-5, placing her first in her weight class for the girls division.
Ramos wrestles her way to victory By Ashley Chen
Senior Maricar Ramos is an experienced wrestler for Varsity Girls Wrestling. She has won many medals at tournaments over her four years on the team, including first place at Terra Nova High School and second place at Hidden Valley High School. “Originally, when I first joined wrestling, I really doubted myself, but then it’s just a great feeling to just be around so many people who want to be there,” Ramos said. “There’s so many people who join a certain sport, and they’re like, ‘Okay, I’m just doing this because of other people,’ or, ‘I’m just doing this because someone wants me to,’ but every single person in wrestling is fueled by determination.” Wrestling has helped her get over her insecurities, Ramos said. Even though there is a perception that wrestling is too difficult for
girls, she knows that she just has to believe in herself, she said. “[Wrestling] definitely changed me as in like body image,” Ramos said. “Freshmen year, there were a lot of insecurities but you get used to like, ‘This is your weight class. Be proud of it.’” For her past four years on the team, Ramos has been the only girl in the class of 2019, she said. Before joining the team, she really doubted herself since wrestling was the first and only sport she has ever done, she added. “I wasn’t very fit, didn’t have a lot of friends joining wrestling, but then as I started exercising, I met so many juniors and different people,” Ramos said. “A lot of the girls in the class of 2018 are who I’ve been looking up to. One of our team members from last year, Arriana Sotto, I really looked up to because she’s such a tiny girl but she beat everyone up, and she became a state qualifier.”
Her favorite match was in her sophomore year when she won a match during the team’s first tournament of the year, Ramos said. It was an amazing feeling having her hand raised, she continued. She does not plan on competing in wrestling in college as a career, but possibly as a club, Ramos said. Unfortunately, there are many wrestling scholarships for guys and not girls, she commented. “[The shortage of wrestling scholarships for girls is] really sad,” Ramos said. “You can really see how girls are changing their perception of wrestling over the years, and I really hope that changes the big picture. Since these past years, [those on the team are] mostly just guys, and there’s this perception that guys are mostly stronger than girls, and not many girls are joining because of that.”
Intramurals are tournament-based, physical activities organized by the second period Leadership class during lunch, Activities Director Joanna Butcher said. Through intramurals, students who did not make the athletic teams still have an opportunity to play, she added. “We have a lot of sports like basketball, which we currently have going on right now,” Leadership Student An Kieu said. “We [also] have table tennis and volleyball during the first semester, and then second semester, we have soccer and badminton.” The choice of sport and the intramural dates are determined according to the schedule of PE units, Kieu said. Students are sent a sign-up form to submit if they would like to participate; brackets are then created according to the type of sport and number of students signed up to play, she continued. “[Intramurals] are aimed at anyone that wants to play,” Butcher said. “We’ve always allowed the staff to have a staff team, but now they’re trying to specifically have separate student versus staff ones [intramurals].” Marching Band Teacher Moises Fagundes was a part of the staff team for the volleyball intramurals, he said. The thing that he enjoyed the most from that experience was playing against his own students even though his team lost. “[My most memorable moment] was when I blocked [one of my students], Edwin [Maldonado],” Fagundes said. “That was definitely one of the most memorable. I don’t think there was anything
else, other than just blocking him and being able to remind him of that every once in a while.” Biology Teacher Jerell Maneja also plays in intramurals and typically attends any games that he is invited to, Maneja said. He serves as a referee for a majority of the student intramurals, and so far this year, he has participated in the basketball intramural for the staff team, he added. “It’s a good break from the normal academic day,” Maneja said. “It’s a good way to interact with students in a competitive way, and it’s a good way to bond with other staff members who participate.” One of the students who participated in the volleyball intramurals was Senior John Vu, who was signed up as part of the team by his friends, he said. He missed playing volleyball from when he was on the middle school team. “What I liked about intramurals was that it was friendly but competitive at the same time, where you and your friends can have fun playing volleyball against other groups at school,” Vu said. “My highlight was being able to smash the scoring point on my first game.” Senior Shiv Pandya participated in the volleyball intramurals with a group of his friends as well, he said. He enjoyed spending time with his friends and creating an enjoyable environment for everyone, he added. “Although we lost, a good memory was smashing the ball at Mr. Fagundes,” he concluded. Intramurals have been running sporadically over the years, according to Butcher. However, Leadership has been organizing intramurals for around 8 years, she stated.
16
THE UNION
NEWS
DECEMBER 2018
MUSD recalls lettuce By Charlene Yang Vivian Tsang
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised the public to stop consumption of romaine lettuce due to an unknown source of contamination on Nov. 20, according to the FDA’s press release. The FDA is continuing to investigate the source of the outbreak, but advises all romaine lettuce on the market to be withdrawn and destroyed, the press release stated. MUSD students received an email regarding the “Product Recall of Romaine Lettuce” on Nov. 26 through StudentSquare. The email informed students about the contents of the press release and that romaine lettuce would be discontinued from the school lunch menu until further notice. “Major outbreaks like this are serious, and can be lifethreatening,” Director of Student Nutrition Services Sandy Huynh stated via email. “Our department receives and follows guidance from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Our produce vendors also quickly contacted us and halted all distribution of romaine lettuce.” The Student Nutrition Services has removed all romaine lettuce from the menu since Monday, Nov. 26, according to Huynh. Spring mix will substitute for romaine lettuce in the entree salad, Huynh continued. In a new email titled, “Update on Romaine Lettuce,” parents were informed that the district would begin serving lettuce again starting on Monday, Dec. 10, the email stated. The email was sent out on Friday, Dec. 7. “Our produce vendor has been approved by the FDA to resume distribution of romaine lettuce,” Huynh said via email. “Please be assured that our vendor is sourcing romaine lettuce only from approved growing regions. The packaging of the product will have labels
indicating growing location and harvest date.” Senior Kevin Dang eats school lunch at least twice a week, he said. The school should have taken more measures to inform students about the lettuce outbreak, Dang added. “I guess the school is handling it okay,” Dang said. “I think [the school] could announce it in the morning, because I think that would help people be more aware, because people don’t really look at emails enough. I think announcements would help and putting up signs around campus on how lettuce affects your diet.” Freshman Gina Huss buys lunch from school almost everyday and has been substituting the romaine lettuce salad by eating other salad types, she added. Huss said that she thought the school was doing the absolute best they could. “How easy would it be to get another salad type quickly?” Huss said. “My guess is not that quickly. The school actually did sell a spinach and red leaf mix, which is actually healthier. I think the school was being safe, and I empathize [with] them.” “Some romaine lettuce products have been found to be contaminated by E.Coli, and the source have been narrowed down to the Central Coastal growing regions of northern and central California,” Huynh said via email. The CDC recommended for consumers to avoid consuming romaine lettuce from Central Coastal growing regions of northern and central California, Huynh said. The CDC also recommended for students to not eat any lettuce without a label on the packaging, she continued. “In addition, I recommend practicing general food safety, such as washing your hands before and after you eat,” Huynh said. For more information about the outbreak, Huynh shared the following link to a CDC article: https://www.cdc. gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index. html
Band director leaves MHS By Ryanna Lui
Former Band Director Maxwell Lowe is no longer working at MHS as of Nov. 3, Principal Francis Rojas stated. Personal issues are cited as the reason behind Lowe’s departure, and the administration is actively searching for a new staff member to fill the vacant band director position, Rojas said. The selection process is still in its early stages, Rojas said. The job opening is posted, and the administration hopes that further action will be taken within two weeks, Rojas added. “I just spoke with Ms. Moore, who is our district band music lead [and] have been discussing when we're going to look at the applicant pool to start doing some interviews,” Rojas said. “Hopefully we have interviews done before the end of the year.” As Lowe left earlier this semester, his former classes are now being taught by the other two remaining band directors, Music Director Emily Moore said. Although she now has additional responsibility over two classes, Moore does not mind because she has experience teaching those subjects, she said. Furthermore, the teachers are compensated for the extra work, Moore said. “I took over Jazz Band and Symphonic Band, and Mr. Fagundes took Percussion and Wind Symphony,” Moore stated. “We get a stipend for all the marching band stuff and extra concerts and everything we do.” Regardless, Lowe’s presence did
contribute to the improvement of marching band this year, Senior Christina Jung said. Some students particularly enjoy his teaching methods, she continued. “Practices are more efficient, like, we get a lot more done than we did last year. Less yelling at the students,” Jung stated. “I know some people, really liked him and his style of teaching. He focuses a lot on individual parts, he nitpicks a lot to get all the details.” Nonetheless, Lowe’s absence did not heavily affect marching band’s performance, Moore said. He left at an undemanding time, Moore continued. “The season was almost over, and it got cut short because of air quality,” Moore elaborated. “We didn’t go to our last competition, so we were already almost done anyway.” Teachers are bound to their teaching job until the end of the school year, Rojas said. To resign, a teacher must discuss with and obtain permission from the administration regarding their situation, Rojas said. “Sometimes there are situations where the district will allow a teacher to leave because of family reasons, personal reasons, or health reasons,” Rojas explained. “The normal process if someone were to say ‘I'm out’ and they just stopped showing up, the courtesy is a two-week notice. But even with the two-week notice, we can hold you to the contract you signed for the year. But again, some people might have personal situations where they have to go, and we work with them on that.”
GINNIE LO THE UNION
Students in Science Teacher Jerell Maneja’s Summit Learning class collaborate on an assignment using Chromebooks. Work is done on the platform with teacher assistance.
PLP runs successful test trial; program set to expand next year By Neval Mulaomerovic
Summit Learning will likely be expanded in the next few years to include more core academic subjects for sophomores and juniors, Principal Francis Rojas said. In its current pilot year, the learning platform has been successful in providing students with an alternative to traditional teaching methods, he said. Summit Learning is a personalized learning system that combines online instruction with teacher assistance to allow students to work at their own pace, Rojas said. Math Teacher Nicholas Pham, Biology Teacher Jerell Maneja, and English Teacher Michael Triana attended a convention in Spokane, Washington to learn about the future potential of Summit Learning, Rojas said. “We’ll look at ways to better utilize the master schedule to fit this in to allow more students to participate,” Rojas said. “The ninth graders that are in it right now will most likely continue to a tenth grade program. For tenth grade, it would probably now include Chemistry, Math II, and English II, and World History. When it comes to junior year, it’s probably going to go to physics and just follow the core academic subjects.” Sixteen freshmen students are currently involved in the Summit Learning program, Rojas said. Their curriculum includes biology with Maneja, Math I with Pham, and English I with Triana, he said. “It’s a small program,” Rojas said. “I’m assigned some mentees so every Friday I meet with some of the students and talk to them about how they’re doing with their
goals and how they’re doing with their learning.” The convention focused on how to engage students in lessons and allow them more ownership of their learning, Pham said. The program encourages students to work at their own pace online and ask for help in class when necessary, he added. “They showed us how to get [students] to think outside the box and tackle problems using methods that aren't traditional methods where you’re lecturing,” Pham said. “Instead, you guide them, give them the basic framework of how to solve a problem, but then you let them explore and get answers on their own and work in groups. You learn math in a way that’s more exploring and applying the basic skills that they have in solving word problems.” Students focus on the mechanics of math while on the program at home, while the teacher focuses on the theory and application of their lessons in the classroom setting, Pham said. “A lot of it is exploring,” Pham said. “It is looking at this lesson, and thinking about how you would tackling this problem. They have all the resources on the website that they can click on to learn a specific skill. They can watch a Khan Academy video or look at a certain powerpoint that was created. Instead of me teaching it to them, they are actually learning on their own. I’m just the person that’s going to guide them through that process.” Summit Learning does not just focus on online learning, Rojas said. Instead, it is intended to foster new connections between students and teachers by providing
them with a variety of learning tools, he said. “There was not one computer out during that period that we were in,” Rojas said. “The computer was out just to do a warmup, then they closed it and talked about some closer presentation. It’s really the multi-model type of class, so there was still interaction between people, pencil, and paper.” Summit Learning is beneficial because it allows students to work at their own pace and consult mentors for assistance with assignments, Summit Learning Student Gustavo Lucrecio said. Designated mentors meet with students weekly to assist them with projects, assignments, and setting goals in the program, he said. “My mentor is [Director of Technology] Chin Song,” Lucrecio said. “Mentors help guide us with what to do on classwork and projects. It’s a good class. I like it because you learn at your own pace and the teachers and mentors are more helpful.” However, there is no intention to make Summit Learning a schoolwide requirement, Rojas said. The program is intended to serve as an option for students who prefer its teaching style, he said. “We have ninth graders who are here now who have had summit since their elementary years,” Rojas said. “When it comes down to it, if there are students who find that that learning style is best for their success in high school to reach their college career goals, then we need to provide a continuation of that learning. So there is no plan to make Summit schoolwide.”
Jack Emery drive’s minor goal achieved By Paul Chon
MHS’s annual Jack Emery Drive started on Nov. 13 and ended on Dec. 12, according to Associated Student Body (ASB) Vice-President Anvi Brahmbhatt. The major goal was 25,000 cans and the minor goal was 23,000 cans, Brahmbhatt said. If either the minor or major goal is reached, the prizes will have to be adjusted due to the two days that MHS closed because of poor air quality, Brahmbhatt said. The current prizes for reaching the major goal is getting a minimum day and reaching the minor goal will give students an hour lunch, Brahmbhatt said. “As of the last day of the drive, Wednesday, Dec. 12, we received a total of 22,852 cans,” Brahmbhatt said. “However, with final donations
coming in, we are reaching our minor goal of 23,000 cans.” In addition to the minor and major goal, there are prizes for classes that donated, Brahmbhatt said. Unlike the minor and major goal, these prizes will not be changed, Brahmbhatt said. “The incentives are: three cans per student enters a class into a drawing for $10 gift cards, five cans per student gives a class doughnut holes, seven cans per student [gives] a class full doughnuts or juice, nine cans per student gives two offcampus passes, and 10 cans per student enters a class into another drawing for huge prizes, such as a PC,” Brahmbhatt said. Brahmbhatt is satisfied with this year’s can totals, she said. She is excited for next year’s Jack Emery, Brahmbhatt said.
“I’m very happy because of the beginning we weren’t raising that much,” Brahmbhatt said. “I think that missing those two days of school before Thanksgiving break really affected everyone’s awareness about the drive. However, with more publicity and reaching out to the staff, we were able to achieve our goal!” ASB Treasurer Erin Roldan supports the Jack Emery Drive, she said. Students should also be excited because they are donating to a good cause, Roldan said. “I think Jack Emery is an amazing drive and it really helps those in our local community,” Roldan said. “Many of the proceeds our school raises, feeds about 6070% of the people reliant on the [Milpitas] Food Pantry. You can make a difference.”