The Union - Milpitas High School - February 2018

N E WS 1 , 2

UNI N

F E AT U R E S 3 , 1 3

FEBRUARY 2018 Volume XXIX Issue IV

OP-ED 4,5

D E D I CATI O N S 6 ,7

T HE

S PR E A D 8 ,9

L I F E S T YL E 10, 11

E N T E R TA I N M E N T 12

SPORTS 15

MHSTHEUNION.COM For the latest updates

STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL

Shortage of teachers ails the school; multiple impediments contribute

BY ANDREW HA

Hiring new teachers for MHS has become much more difficult in recent years, according to Principal Francis Rojas. There is an overarching teacher shortage, and it is, in part, due to the economy and teaching not being the highest paying profession, Rojas said.

The English department is still looking for a new teacher to fill a recent vacancy, Rojas said. However, the timing of this job opening–in the middle of the school year–makes it all the more difficult to find a permanent replacement teacher, he explained.

“Right now, I’m having a hard time hiring an [English] teacher. I’m interviewing someone and they got a job somewhere else,” Rojas said. “I called the principal of another school and I said, ‘Looks like this person was interviewing you too. They chose you. Do you have anyone leftover?’ and they say, ‘No. That was the only person we interviewed,’ and I said, ‘Same here.’

So we’re kind of stuck, and I think a

lot of it has to do with our economy.”

According to the Learning Policy Institute’s 2017 update on “California’s Growing Teacher Shortage,” there is an insufficient supply of teachers to address the growing demand for teachers. Based on a survey of more than 200 CA districts, 75% of districts face teacher shortages and a vast number of those schools project the situation to worsen.

Moreover, the math department had its own struggle when a teacher resigned a week before the 17-18 school year began, Co-Math Department Chair Mei-Hsiang Tseng said.

Since most qualified unemployed teachers find jobs during the spring, the department was in a difficult position: the applicant pool in August had fewer qualified teachers.

Once a person is accepted as a teacher at MHS, the school has to retain the teacher, Tseng explained.

“Young people stay one or two years and eventually they resign, because they think that industry pays more,” SEE TEACHERS ON PAGE 2

courtesy of Francis Rojas

Workers dig up part of the green to access the main electricity line. This is to resolve the damaged circuit breaker that caused a loss of power on Jan. 19.

Power shortage causes class issues

BY HOPE DO

A broken circuit breaker caused half of the J Building to lose power, and it disabled MHS’s network on Jan. 19, according to Principal Francis Rojas. Fluctuations in the main electricity line due to damaged wires caused the power failure, Rojas said.

During their investigation into the cause of the failure, workers found that something had chewed on the wires, exposing them, Rojas said. Fortunately, the cafeteria was unaffected by the loss of power, Rojas added.

“We got the network up around 5th or 6th period,” Rojas said. “The district did a really good job of sending people over to check it out.”

The loss of the internet was frustrating for everybody, Spanish Teacher Natalya Selitser said. Due to her classroom’s dependence on online activities and Chromebook use, her usual class routines were disrupted, but she was able to change up her lesson plans and use the textbooks, Selitser continued.

“The whole lesson plan and other things were messed up, but of course, we used the things that we have, ap-

plying old-school,” Selitser said. “It happened, unfortunately, but it was just a little disaster.”

Everything was working like nothing had ever changed, Senior Christopher Pham said. All of the teachers who were affected by the loss of power were coping well, producing backup plans and making sure class ran smoothly, Pham continued.

“I think the school’s response to the broken circuit was done as quickly as they could for an unexpected event and that they did the best they could with limited time,” Pham said. “I would like to say out of opinion that some routine maintenance checks should be conducted just as the elementary schools and middle schools have done earlier.”

Junior Dana Nguyen found out about the loss of power when her class was turned away from the school library during first period, Nguyen said. Throughout the rest of the day. some teachers declared study hall periods, allowing students to work on assignments from other classes, Nguyen said.

“I was disappointed by the loss of the internet,” Nguyen said. “I guess they fixed it in a timely manner.”

Theodore Do | THE UNION

Sophomore Nhu Hao Nguyen, Junior Lyn Loi, and Sophomore Jarvis Nguyen (left to right) perform a traditional Chinese fan dance at the Multicultural Rally on Feb. 9. The dance is a modern twist on performances dating back to 200 A.D.

Multicultural show replaces culture shows

BY THEODORE DO

The first MHS multicultural assembly took place on Feb. 9 as a double third period, serving as a replacement for the original cultural day shows, according to CLOG Commissioner Maggie Ly. The change occurred because of the problems that had existed with the day shows in previous years, Ly said.

In the past, each culture was able to do a whole hour show throughout the day, Teacher Liza Gable-Ferguson said. However, the system prevented some students from being able to watch the show, she continued.

“Some kids went six times a day, some didn’t go at all,” Gable-Ferguson said.

With the rally, everyone was able to see it, Ly said. Teachers also liked it because the show didn’t take any instructional time away from them,

she explained.

Seven CLOGs - Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), Black Student Union (BSU), Chinese Club, Manava, Korean American Student Association (KASA), Latino Student Union (LSU), Pilipino United Student Organization (PUSO) - participated at the rally. The rally included a dance of each culture, along with a fashion show, Ly said.

The multicultural rally was a great moment for the whole school to get together and celebrate the many cultures in the MHS campus, Senior Maricarmen Garcia said.

“The multicultural rally gave a chance for various cultural clubs to be highlighted, focusing on the variety rather than just putting the spotlight on one culture,” Garcia said.

However, there were drawbacks from the show, according to Junior Lyn Loi. The participants had to fit everyone’s acts together, and the

audience did not get the chance to explore every aspect of the different cultures, she said.

“Day shows helped my club improve their dancing because they got to practice the choreograph six times,” Loi explained. “From a performer’s perspective, being able to perform six times on stage felt very fun compared to only doing it twice in the gym.”

As a smaller club with less funding, PUSO had not organized day shows or Saturday shows in the past, Senior Charlize Alexa Semana said. The rally allowed the club to participate with all the others, she continued.

“I prefer the multicultural rally because it’s just so beautiful seeing it, even for just a glimpse, instead of just seeing one culture,” Semana said.

Even though the CLOGs are restricted from doing the day shows, they are still allowed to do a Saturday show in the theater to showcase their culture, Gable-Ferguson said.

New AP classes to be offered at MHS next year

BY GRACE CHANG KELLY LUE

New Advanced Placement (AP) classes are now available for the 2018-2019 school year, according to the Student Handbook. New classes include AP Environmental Science (APES) and AP Chinese, the handbook stated.

APES is a brand new class also being introduced at MHS, Science Teacher Glen Barrett said. It goes over the interrelationships of the natural world and how humans are connected to it, he explained. “[APES] is a combination of social

science concepts, like ethics, politics, and economics, with ecology concepts like biodiversity, energy, and ecosystems,” Barrett said. “This is a great class for a variety of potential careers and college majors, including business, politics, and law, as well as the more obvious environmental and biological pathways,” he continued.

AP Chinese is also a new class that students can potentially take next year, said Chinese Teacher Martha Chen. According to Chen, any student who has finished Chinese 3 can sign up for the AP Chinese course.

“Students will learn how to communicate based on information they

have learned, compare cultural products and practices, use metacognitive skills to acquire new information, and draw inferences from familiar information in authentic materials to formulate their own hypotheses and conclusions,” Chen said.

Students are recommended to take AP Chinese in order to obtain more practice through various exercises, Chen continued. In May, after taking the course, students will take the Advanced Placement Examination in Chinese. Chen clarified that you are still able to take the exam without taking the AP Chinese class by simply signing up and taking it at MHS.

Admin plans to replace campus security company

BY KATHERINE HUBENY

Security on campus is going to be replaced to give campus security supervisors an opportunity to create relationships and become invested into the campus, according to Principal Francis Rojas. The switch should be coming up toward the end of February, Rojas explained.

Currently, security on campus is from a private security firm, Rojas said. With the switch coming up, the new security officers will be employ-

ees of the district and will have a direct link to the administration and district office, Rojas continued.

“The people who we hire will be held accountable to us because right now it’s a third party,” Rojas said. “The private security firm has their own regulations, and they have certain processes in which they do things.”

The new security will have a different feel and different roles on campus, Rojas explained. The admin team plans to review expectations and provide direct instructions to them, he added.

“I’m hoping that every period they check the restrooms, make sure there are no kids hiding out in the restrooms, and they are on a rotation schedule going out the parking lot,” Rojas said. “So there’s actually a coordination of what they can do.”

This seems like it could be a positive change on campus, according to Senior Aaron Tran. However, he and most students think the current security is adequate, Tran continued.

“I like the security that we have right now,” Tran said. “I feel like they really cater to the students.”

FEBRUARY 2018

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Restrooms lack feminine products

BY ANANYA DONAPATI

Kelly Lue | THE UNION

Senior Michelle Wang and Sophomore Celine Phan (left to right) work on building and fine tuning their helicopter for the Golden Gate Invitational. The helicopter is meant to use a rubber band propellor to fly to the ceiling and remain flying.

Science Olympiad going to regional competition

BY THEODORE DO

The MHS Science Olympiad club, dubbed SciOly, started its invitational competitions in January, placing 4th and 5th out of 16 teams at Tracy, and placing 15th and 24th out of 50 teams at Golden Gate, according to Advisor Letta Meyer. The invitationals will help the students prepare for the regional tournaments in March and April, she said.

The club wants to qualify for the state tournaments, Meyer explained.

Through the tournaments, each team competes in 23 events against other competitive teams, she said.

“We want to place in the top four

teams to get to state, and our region is really, really tough,” Meyer said. “So if you can get out of our region, into the state tournament, you are very competitive at the state level.”

The teams have been doing well so far, winning medals in more than one event in two of the toughest invitationals, Senior Rachel Chiang said.

Students have spent a considerable amount of time studying, building, and preparing for competitions, she said.

“It’s helped me appreciate being a total nerd, and given me a safe place to be a total completely weird nerd,” Chiang said.

The comradery and lasting relationships between students through

Science Olympiad are amazing, Advisor Roberto Alvelais said. In addition, there are sciences that students would not normally be exposed to any place else, he noted.

“Someone almost majored in entomology,” Alvelais said. “He never realized how much he loved bugs.”

Song has competed since he was introduced to it in sixth grade, Song said. The club provides a good handson experience that he personally needs to learn faster, he added.

“Personally, I don’t feel like you’d ever get this kind of experience in a regular classroom,” Song said. “You get the chance to dabble in various fields and see what you might like in the future.”

Admin continues to enforce 3 AP class limitation

BY VIVIAN TSANG

The three AP class limit was put in place after administrators reviewed the UC and CSU admission requirements and noticed an increase in cases of panic attacks on campus, according to Principal Francis Rojas.

If students take more than eight semesters of AP classes just to hike up their GPA, it actually doesn’t translate to more points, Rojas said.

The UC and CSU systems do not count more than eight semesters worth of AP units in the GPA calculation for college admission, Rojas explained. We have also seen a dramatic increase in mental health issues when more and more students take AP classes, he added.

“We have students in our office when we are meeting with parents

and the students are looking at us and their parents are like “No you need to be in this class,” [when the] student is struggling.” Rojas said.

“I’m not saying [students] can’t do it, it’s just that [they] have to be very mindful about time management and commitments,” Rojas said.

Some parents are concerned that their students will not be as competitive as students at other schools who can take more AP classes, Rojas said.

We are able to level that by sending our school profile to colleges, he continued.

“The consortium that takes care of many private schools gets our school profile and on that profile, it says we limit our students to three AP classes a year,” Rojas said. “This is how we calculate grades, and so on and so forth. That means you are as competitive as anyone here on this campus.”

Junior Patrick Lee said that he understands why the school decided to prevent students from taking more than three AP classes.

“It’s a good amount because if you take more than three, it’s just going to overwhelm you,” Lee said. “It’s good that you’re challenging yourself, but if you push yourself way too hard, you’re just going to stress yourself out.”

Some students do not agree with the three AP class limit. The limit really restricts students from using their full potential, according to Junior Christian Santos. It also punishes students from wanting to take what they want, he added.

“I think it’s unfair to some people that can handle it, because they want to get into a better school,” Sophomore Chloe Tain said. “There are some AP classes that are not as hard.”

TEACHERS: MHS searching for solutions to lack of teachers FROM PAGE 1 Tseng said. “One of my colleagues left to Palo Alto, because they cover all the benefits: health insurance and also they pay more.”

In addition, with a low salary and high living costs, new teachers find it difficult to buy a house in Milpitas, Co-Science Department Chair Roberto Alvelais said. “Take for example my daughter, Teresa. She would like to be a teacher when she graduates college,” Alvelais said. “Where is she going to find a place to live around here that she can afford with a new teacher salary? It’d be pretty tough.”

Another major impediment to new teacher retention is the fact that new

teachers are often overwhelmed with the workload, Co-Social-Science Department Chair Liza Gable-Ferguson said. New teachers have to figure out how to control the classroom, engage students, and learn the subject material, Gable-Ferguson said. Programs like Induction help adjust teachers to the classroom environment, but it comes at the cost of writing many reports and answering many questions.

For students without a teacher and with long-term substitutes, learning can become unnecessarily challenging, Freshman Jose Mario de Guzman said. One of Guzman’s teachers, English IA Teacher Lindsay Gutier-

rez, has been on medical leave since October, Guzman said.

“Sometimes subs talk too much, and some, like today, don’t do anything,” Guzman said. “I think we’re missing out on a few things. It’s not like we’re doing nothing, we’re just not doing a lot. The stuff we actually do, it feels kind of random.” In order to combat this shortage, Rojas wants to develop a relationship with San Jose City College to encourage SJCC students toward a career in education, he said. Furthermore, MUSD will host a job fair in April or May to attract prospective teachers to work in the district, Rojas added.

Feminine hygiene products have not been available in the MHS bathrooms for at least four years. This is due to dispensing receptacles that do not work and the unknown cost of upkeep for them, according to Assistant Principal Amanda Gross.

There are currently feminine hygiene products available in the health office upon request, Gross stated.

But the idea of providing them in the bathroom has not come up during administration meetings, she added.

“I don’t know why the receptacles were put in the bathrooms in the first place when we have the products up in the health office,” Gross explained. “If anyone comes up and asks for anything, then we do show them where they are and how they can get them.”

The district would need to look at weighing the costs of upkeeping the products, Gross said. This means considering whether it is worth making the receptacles run or just continue with the status quo of having the products in the health office.

“[When I don’t have a pad] I usually ask my friends and if they don’t have one I usually go to the bathroom and roll up toilet paper,” Sophomore Pranavi Manchikanti said. “I think they should be provided in the bathroom because I didn’t know they were provided in the health office and if I didn’t know, I’m pretty sure a lot of other people don’t either.”

Walking to the health office from class is too difficult, Manchikanti stated. People go to the bathroom more often than they go to the health office, so the products should be more accessible, she added.

“I think as a society people think that menstrual cycles are just a taboo topic,” Manchikanti stated. “In a lot of cultures--I’m Indian and I know that a lot of people think that having a period is bad and when you have your period, you can’t touch stuff or it’s unholy.”

It’s a topic that no one talks about freely, Manchikanti said. If no one is comfortable to talk about it, then no one is going to provide hygiene products, she said. Menstrual cycles should be more normalized because it’s part of nature, she added.

Khanna holds town hall meeting

BY SHREEYA ARANAKE

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of the 17th Congressional District of California held his first town hall of the year on Jan. 14. The event took place at the MHS theater.

Constituents gathered to ask Khanna questions pertaining to an array of issues. One of the topics was the steps that have been taken and plans regarding Milpitas’ odor issue, caused

by Republic Services’ Newby Island Landfill. His representative, Christopher Moylan, answered the question.

“That terrible smell comes from when they have to turn over the compost,” Moylan said. “And all these sorts of incomplete products come

out, but if you just blow air through the bottom, the composting goes twice as fast and doesn’t make an odor. And they claim that’s going to be in place by January.”

Another issue discussed was a change in the H-4 dependent visa.

This rule currently states that spouses of skilled foreign workers are allowed to legally work in the U. S., according to a CNN article. However, it is now in the process of being revoked by the Department of Homeland Security, the article explained.

By a show of hands, a majority in the room agreed that the revoking of this rule affected them. The rule should not be revoked, according to one of Khanna’s Constituents Teenu Sharma.

Winter chartering welcomes new CLOGs

BY JONATHAN TRAN

The passage of January means another CLOG Rush, and with it, the many CLOGs that inhabit MHS campus.

“CLOG Rush involves all the chartered CLOGs,” CLOG Commissioner Maggie Ly said. “But this semester, CLOGs only received one day to publicize due to limited space and a high volume.”

However, Ly found a silver lining of the library for CLOG Rush. “I thought it went really well, [it was] really cozy. All the CLOG officers really got the chance to get to know each other better.”

There are no special benefits or

consequences when chartering second semester, Ly said.

“I do feel like we’re at a disadvantage because if our club had chartered first semester, it would already be up and running smoothly by now.

Trojans Test Tutoring Secretary Edward Nguyen said.

Second semester CLOGs are often previously chartered CLOGs that couldn’t charter first semester along with a lot of brand new CLOGs, more than Ly expected.

“Chartering at MHS is, for the most part, fairly simple,” according to Nguyen. “Some aspects of it could be streamlined a little better.”

Chartering for the upcoming school year will take place in April, Ly said.

Eye on Campus: After school

Foreign Language dept. grading system to be standardized

BY ASHLEY CHEN

Grading discrepancies were noticed as students were moved from teacher to teacher in similar classes, Principal Francis Rojas said. Students and parents brought this issue up, as students noticed that the work they did was worth differently in similar classes, he added.

Once made aware of this, he surveyed department leads, Rojas said.

Some of the departments reported that their grading policies were consistent, while others said that it depended on the teacher, he continued.

“A couple months ago, I asked department leads to collect everyone’s grading policies,” Rojas said. “I’m reviewing it, and hopefully as we go into next year, I will work with all de-

partments to make sure that among like courses they have very similar grading policies.”

The grading discrepancy conversation is nothing new, but the teachers have not had this conversation since Mr. Schlaff was the principal, Spanish Teacher Teresita Romero said.

The discussion was prompted by new teachers coming in from way different schools, she continued.

Kelly Lue | THE UNION

Members of the Korean Dance Team (KDT) CLOG practice after school for their Multicultural Assembly performance. The show was held on Feb. 9 in the gym.

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Sexual Harrassment and Rape Culture: Raising Awareness on the Issue Op: Rape culture persists; society incites sex crimes

BY MORGAN LEI

This statistical data is from www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Op: #MeToo campaign highlights injustices

BY MAANSI MASKAI

“Me too.” This seemingly insig­ nificant phrase raised an uproar worldwide when it became viral on various social media plat­ forms in October 2017. Individ­ uals from various backgrounds began sharing their personal en­ counters with sexual harassment in their personal and profession­ al lives by tagging their posts with “#MeToo.” Additionally, this online, worldwide campaign shed light on sexual harassment by highlighting the true degree of the problem. It also triggered serious deliberations on the tra­ ditionally, taboo topic.

The “#MeToo” campaign on social media platforms was initi­ ated by actress­singer Alyssa Mi­ lano, who wanted to bring aware­ ness to the growing prevalence of sexual violence, harassment, and objectification in societal cul­ ture. On October 15, 2017, Milano tweeted, “If you’ve been sexuaal­ ly harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” She added clarification to her tweet with a screenshot that said “If all the women who have been sexu­ ally harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give

people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”

The campaign gained momen­ tum after the renowned Holly­ wood producer, Harvey Wetten­ stein, was publicly accused of sexually harassing numerous ac­ tresses that had worked with him over the years. This development caused prominent actresses such as Reese Witherspoon, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Beckinsale to come forward to share their experiences with sex­ ual harassment. People around the world became inspired to come forward with their stories.

Individuals began replying to the initial tweet with “#MeToo” ac­ companied by their story.

A crucial motivation behind the viral campaign was to show that sexual harassment and violence are not limited to a select few, but that it can happen to anyone. In the flood of posts, individuals de­ scribed being sexually harassed, raped, or groped in public places, in the workplace, and at home.

Somechose to share their long­ lasting trauma of being sexually assaulted when they were mere children or teens. Senators and state legislators have also broken their silence on the subject. In an

interview with the Providence Journal, Rhode Island State Rep­ resentative Teresa Tanzi stated, “I have been told sexual favors would allow my bills to go fur­ ther.”

The movement gained criticism from men, who claimed to feel excluded from Milano’s original tweet. Critics raised the point that men were also victims of sex­ ual violence and harassment, al­ though at a lower rate than wom­ en. Though the original “Me Too” movement was created by an African American woman, many women of color did not feel quite represented in the movement, since the campaign did not shed much light on the racial objecti­ fication and fetishization they en­ countered when they were being sexually harassed or assaulted.

While such viral campaigns do have the ability to draw criticism and positive attention through thought provoking messages, one may wonder what it will take to curb this dangerous aspect of sexual harassment and assault in society, with sexual objectifica­ tion being such an integral part of popular culture. What will it take for society to truly understand the meaning of consent?

It is widely understood that sexual assault is a horrific crime that dehumanizes and harms victims both physically and men­ tally. So why is it so common?

While it is impossible to pinpoint the exact causes, some possibil­ ities include societal influences such as rape culture and gender stereotypes, and the perpetra­ tor’s psychological state. Also it is important to note that this is not a way of making excuses for the perpetrators, but a way to try and understand their mindset.

Society and culture send mixed messages. Sexual assault and its dangers are addressed, yet the oversexualization of both men and women is still present, which can lead people to think it is okay use others at their own disposal.

The extreme of this is known as rape culture, where sexual vio­ lence is seen as normal. Accord­ ing to the website, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, “exploitive images of women and children in the media, the status of women and children in our culture, and the assumption of sexual availability of women” are some examples of rape culture.

By normalizing such behaviors, perpetrators will think they have justification for their actions when they do not.

Rape culture is also intensified by gender stereotypes, the idea that men must be dominant and women must be passive. As a re­ sult, men might feel obligated to live up to these expectations and turn to forceful sexual advances.

The victims of these actions can be women and men. The article “Men and Sexual Assault” by the Association of Alberta Sexual As­ sault Service stated that “some offenders target males simply because it gives them a greater feeling of dominance, power and control than abusing a woman.”

Gender roles can pressure men into trying to take power, but deeper psychological factors are also at play.

In a study by Professor of Psy­ chology Robert Prentky examin­ ing various rapists, it was found that 23 percent were sexually abused as children, leading him to conclude that men who were abused as children were more likely to commit rape as adults.

If a person was abused as a child, they are likely to grow up wanting power over others that they nev­ er had as a kid. Despite the study being geared towards male perpe­ trators, the motive for female per­ petrators can be similar. As Men Against Sexual Abuse Now puts it, “Sexual assault is NOT a crime of passion, driven by a strong desire for sex; it is a violent crime driven by a desire for dominance.”

Perpetrators have complex de­ sires and conflicts that psycholo­ gists are still working to under­ stand. Perpetrators should not be exempt from their actions, yet learning about certain factors shows there are places to im­ prove. Reducing rape culture and gender stereotypes may be places to start. In spite of there being no clear set of answers, more good than bad can come from analyz­ ing the actions of others.

Op: Sex crime victims face long-lasting trauma

BY VIVIAN TSANG

When people think about sexu­ al harassment, they don’t always focus on the wide range of men­ tal effects it can have. In a world where allegations of sexual har­ assment seem to be dismissed in the face of all­powerful poli­ ticians, it may seem hopeless for victims to speak out. In some cas­ es, the victims themselves may feel responsible for what they ex­ perienced, even though what oc­ curred was beyond their control.

Sexual harassment such as de­ rogatory comments or unwant­ ed advances come at the cost of heightened anxiety, depression, and low self esteem.

A 2015 Compolitian survey of American women revealed that one in three women had expe­ rienced some form of sexual as­ sault during their life. Just how damaging can they be? In the workplace, researchers have found that sexual harassment can increase financial stress. Ad­ ditionally, the report found that only 29% of sexual harassment victims report their experience­ and 15% of those who reported were satisfied with how the re­ port was handled. People who don’t report incidences of sex­

ual harassment often become trapped in an unending cycle of guilt. Being lost in one’s self dep­ recating thoughts can lead to a cycle of depression and disorders such as post traumatic stress dis­ order (PTSD).

The symptoms of PTSD include vivid flashbacks of the incident and avoidance of people or ob­ jects that remind the victim of what took place. Left untreated, PTSD victims are prone to so­ cial isolation, substance abuse, financial instability, and medi­ cal problems such as high blood pressure, and insomnia.

While both men and women have reported incidences of sex­ ual harassment, the vast major­ ity of victims are women. In the workplace, women may not re­ port having experienced for fear of losing their job. Oftentimes their assaulters may be their own bosses or higher officials within the company that have more authority than the victims themselves. Trump has numer­ ous claims of sexual harassment against him, all of which he de­ nied as “false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met.” When the victims came forward to release their stories

of sexual harassment to the press, Trump further claimed that “The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over.” Cases such as these exacerbate the psycholog­ ical damage that victims experi­ ence.

The damaging mental health consequences of sexual harass­ ment should not be ignored; prop­ ersteps should be taken to pro­ vide the victim with the resources they need.

In a situation where you know of someone who has experiences sexual assault, it is beneficial to refer them to organizations and hotlines. Many hotlines offer vic­ tims a safe environment to con­ fess their thoughts and ask for advice on how to deal with what they experienced. While it is un­ likely to people for make up sto­ ries of sexual assault, many major allegations have been perceived as such. You may consider reas­ suring the victim that their emo­ tions were justified. Remember to be patient and respect the victim’s privacy. Victims have a difficult time sharing their experiences and much less want to report it, but providing the encouragement they need may go a long way to helping them recover.

Data from www.endsexualviolencect.org/resources/get-the-facts/national-stats/

Harassment is never tolerated; Disciplinary actions are serious

BY ARIANA KHATEEB

Sexual harassment reports have recently been steadily in­ creasing due to empowering movements inspiring sexual as­ sault victims to speak out and report misconduct. The #Metoo movement sparked social media awareness about the severity of sexual harassment. The charges alleging sex based harassment have increased by over 280 ad­ ditional cases between 2015 and 2016, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Com­ mission. These high numbers can be a result from the lack of knowledge of disciplinary ac­ tions taken against the attackers.

More sexual harassment cases should be taken to the proper authorities as the consequences havebeen shown to be moderate to severe. Sexual misconduct at MHS is followed through with these disciplinary actions.

According to the MHS parent student handbook, nonviolent sexual harassment which include sexual comments, abusive sexu­ al language, and other unwanted or unsolicited sexual commen­ tary, are punished with one to five day suspensions depending on administrative discretion and the number of occurrences. With each repeated occurance, possi­ ble police contact will be made and mediation will occur. Sexual assault and sexual battery which include rape, groping, and oth­ er unwanted sexual contact, are punishable with afive day suspen­ sion, police contact, and possible expulsion after just one occur­ rence.

If you are a victim of sexual har­ assment on campus immediately report the incident to a trusted teacher or counselor as soon as possible after the encounter. The National Sexual Assault Hotline number is 1­800­656­4673.

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THE UNION

PRO Standing for the pledge shows thanks; school should encourage patriotism “It’s a free country.”

to recite the Pledge. Understandably, there are words in it to spark “I can do whatever I want.” controversy among nonbelievers, as well as those who do not beThis was the response by many lieve in the same God the Pledge at MHS when asked why they is insinuating. However, this is don’t stand up for the Pledge not a reason for teachers to simof Allegiance. Beginning this ply talk over the announcements year, MHS has begun playing and disregard it as if it was an the Pledge every morning on the annoying ringtone in the backannouncements. However, few ground. The Pledge of Allegiance classrooms are actually standing is a piece of writing that reafup and reciting it. firms America’s values: equality According to the Caiamong all, despite our fornia Education Code, diversity; liberty, the each school is supposed country ’s indivisible to have one patriotic bond among its peomoment everyday. Beple; and justice for evfore this school year, eryone. It is a unifying MHS played the nationode to the ideals of the al anthem before school American people, and started. Now, the Pledge we must be able to take has taken the anthem’s a moment out of our place during school, but day to acknowledge and it has made little differrespect everything the SHREEYA ence in the school’s coflag stands for.

ARANAKE operation in each day’s The freedom that patriotic moment. those who claim to be The student body of MHS is too lazy to stand up in the mornmostly made up of families of ing proclaim to have, is because immigrants. The school’s acof the American military curceptance of people from all culrently fighting to maintain the tures is thanks to the Americountry’s protection. It is the can attitude toward those who loyalty that we demand our solare different than us. However, diers have, that we lack in our when we choose to disregard the daily lives. Everyday, American Pledge, we don’t express our alsoldiers are on foreign soil, fightlegiance to the institutions that ing wars, and thus reaffirming allow us to be here, equal in the their commitment to protecting eyes of the government, in the American citizens. What does it first place. We disrespect a counsay of private citizens if all we try that has allowed so many of are asked to do is stand for barely us to live under the blanket of two minutes in the morning, yet freedom that it provides. fail to do so?

Now, no one is forcing anybody

CON Pledging to the flag is unnecessary; patriotism lies in actions, not words The Pledge of Allegiance, like that students constantly have to afmany other patriotic rituals, is a firm their devotion to a pattern of point of contention in this day and stars and stripes, just so adults feel age. Why, if the US is a country assured that the next generation built on the idea of freedom, should does in fact love the country they MHS students be expected to stand live in? It just sounds like someone against their will? This is in no insecure about their relationship, way an argument against standing who keeps asking their significant for the Pledge if you so other whether they still choose; rather, it is an arlike them or not. It makes gument between free will no sense to ask people and expectations. to pledge like cultists The most obvious to show their loyalty. If problem with standing someone wants students for the Pledge is in its to show they value what wording. Expecting stuthe States have to offer, dents to utter the words encourage them to ex“under God,” when not ercise the rights they’re all of them share the fortunate to have--like same god, or any god at the right to not stand JERALD all, is unequivocally un--rather than putting MENDOZA fair. If proponents exwords into their mouths. pect students to say the It’s true that the CaliPledge, then logically they expect fornia Education Code mandates students to support what’s said in a patriotic moment at school every it--otherwise, there wouldn’t be a day. But one patriotic moment is point in saying it. This expectation not the difference between a good alienates so many students and citizen and an anarchist. It’s not wanting them to say the Pledge is the difference between an Ameriunreasonable. can fighting in a war or protesting The reasons we say the Pledge against it. Patriotic moments don’t should be addressed in this argumake patriots; nor do the lack of ment. Implementing the Pledge them make traitors. Good citizens in campuses across the country are not made by rituals; they’re is part of American society’s goal made by educating the youth about of indoctrinating its youth; that is the good in America, and what stuto say, rituals like standing for the dents can do to make it even better.

Pledge serve as a way to encourage Patriots are not just gun-toting, loyalty towards the country. It is flag-waving Christians. Patriots are an accepted form of propaganda, students who raise money for dimeant to make good citizens out saster relief; they’re teachers who of the youth. That’s not to say that promote political activism in loyal citizens are a bad thing; far youth; they’re people who work from it. But this fear that the youth toward making the country a betis becoming less and less patriotic ter place for others around them, is paranoid and would not be fixed be it in small acts of kindness or in just by having students say the advocating positive social change. same words every day.

When it comes to patriotism, acIs the American psyche so fragile tions speak louder than words.

OPINIONS

FEBRUARY 2018

School does not provide enough engagement Practically every day, I dread the idea of coming to school, and by first period, I want to go home. I know at this point in my high school career, most people would assume that this is because I have senioritis, which I admit that I have somewhat fallen a victim to. But regardless of my senioritis, I consider some of my classes to be ineffective and an unproductive use of my time. The idea of school is phenomenal—getting the chance to learn before going into professional fields and gaining experiences along the way. If classes are taught correctly, with passionate teachers who thoroughly go through concepts and students still feel unproductive, then it is the fault of the student. But when there are motivated students who are disheartened by their classes due to boredom as opposed to difficulty, that’s an issue. When I go to class and my teacher hands out a worksheet to do and leaves us alone for the rest of the period, I consider that a problem. It’s not conducive for learning, and it discourages students who aren’t as self-motivated.

What’s the point of spending seven hours in school, not learn-

ing anything, just playing around time however we wanted. or zoning out thinking about what I don’t do anything during some you’re going to eat for lunch if, in- of my classes, not because of I don’t stead, you could spend those seven want to pay attention, but because hours at home being significantly my teacher isn’t giving me somemore productive? School expects us thing worth paying attention to. to learn in class and then go home Some teachers occasionally even and study even more of admit they do not have the material, but if we’re lesson plans for the day not doing anything in and just show a movschool and we have to go ie. The majority of the home and learn the malearning that I do is done terial we already should at home. While some have learned in class, students thrive under it’s seven hours wasted. self-study, most students Some classes are actually need someone to give known for being low-efthem direction in order to get the most of their fort and when students go into the class with that time in class. It’s not a KATHERINE expectation, that’s what good look for teachers HUBENY they’re going to put in to when they don’t take the that class. When teachers time to guide students have a reputation for being easy and through curriculum; if they give the unproductive, that’s also a problem. impression that they aren’t putting Some teachers are unequipped to in effort, students will reflect that. teach their own classes and need to Even the brightest students can revisit their own curriculum. In one get lost without guidance, so teachclass, my teacher had completed all ers have to be more proactive and of the curriculum for that day, and hands-on with students, not only there were over twenty minutes left to assist the those who struggle the over, during which, the students most, but to keep more advanced were uninstructed, and spent the students engaged and challenged.

Cellphones cause disruptions to education Cellphone use in class, in my exsuch classes are in the minority. perience, has been something held Chromebooks are also easier to in scorn by many teachers. Many type on and lack many of the pestudents tap away in spite of this, ripheral apps, such as Snapchat and sometimes with a complete lack of Instagram, that many students use subtlety. during class to divert their focus. FiSome argue that cellphones can be nally, they are easier for the teacher used productively in the classroom to oversee and manage: one of my setting; we live in an age of technobetter teachers had used a function logical growth, after all, of the Chromebooks to and who are we to ignore open links to maps across the vast utility and reach all his class’s Chromeof such a device? I know books, even scaring some there are teachers at this of my peers into believing school that allow students their Chromebook had to take out their phones to been hacked--as a practiresearch a certain topic. cal joke, of course.

I could think of many

And even though other possible educawe have the expectationtional applications of or the hope, rather- that these devices, such as smartphones can be used, online polls, flashcards, well, in a smart way, most ERIC and group work, as well students would use their DE GUZMAN as many other creative phones for anything but applications. And since educational purposes. literally everyone and their mother Of course, the freedom of the has a cellphone, these tools are just smartphone is great, outside of about universally held by the stuclass. However, unless they are redent body. ally good at their job, teachers that However, one has to consider that give time for students to study or much of the potential seen in smartresearch on their phones have no phones is realized in the Chromereal control over what students books most students use from day are actually doing, which can range to day. It’s true that most classes from texting, scrolling through the cannot have access to Chromebooks bottomless Facebook feed, or going every day, or every week, but from a few rounds of “Clash of Clans” or what I’ve seen, only the classes that “Hearthstone.” need Chromebooks use them, and On another note, I don’t think

students are entirely to blame for unproductivity. Ideally, students should be stimulated by the classes they take.

However, in some cases students don’t take an interest in their classes. In some cases, students don’t have effective, motivating teachers.

I consider myself relatively well-off academically, but even I will start browsing a message forum on the internet when certain teachers that don’t do their job well do their job even worse. In some cases, students are forced by parents or pressured by peers to take classes they don’t want to take. And in some cases, students may be going through certain circumstances, circumstances that may or may not be more important to students than school.

So when I see my peers going on their phones rather conspicuously, updating their status or whatnot, in most cases I can’t say I know enough about them to judge or berate their lack of interest.

All in all, phone usage should be confined to out-of-class activity.

Passing period, break, lunch, and SSR provide ample time for whatever students need to do on their devices during school. Students have been unproductive since the dawn of studying, and smartphones are the opposite of the solution when it comes to getting a student to focus.

College acceptance much harder to achieve now It seems like it was a decade ago when you could get into any UC or CSU with some C’s and B’s and not many, if any, extracurriculars. Maybe for private schools it always felt that you needed many extracurriculars and straight A’s in order to have a chance to be accepted. However, times have changed, and now in order to get into a top UC or CSU it feels like if you do not have scores and grades close to perfect along with many extracurriculars, you will have little to no chance.

While all of the UCs use holistic review, reviewing an applicant based on every aspect and angle of life that cannot be accounted by scores, this review process poses questions that direct you to trying to find an event in your life that makes you unique among hundreds of thousands of other applicants.

These questions allow colleges to get a better feeling of who you are as a person, but they also have a drawback. These questions make people feel the need to be unique or try to find something that they may

not really feel passionate about in sequence from attending college order to boost their chances of get- drives many motivated and bright ting into a top UC. It feels like that students away because their family every second students have cannot simply cannot afford school even be used for relaxation and must be with government aid.Scholarships used in order to improve may be a way to resolve their chances to get into this issue, but even coma top college. All these peting for scholarships is things add up and create hard, as the competition an extremely competiis fierce tive and toxic environDo we really need to ment for students aiming do so much in order to for the top colleges. In have a chance to get into return, colleges become a competitive college? extremely picky and that Why are students stressmeans it becomes harder ing themselves out and for other students who pushing themselves so KEVIN may be less competitive hard, risking their health DAI to get in and pursue their and sanity, just to get a interests. “top” UC or CSU? I think The financial situations of stu- it’s unhealthy for students to be dents and the financial costs of pushing themselves so hard just for colleges have also changed over the the sake of going to a college with a years. Back in the old days, college, name. Going to a top college does specifically state schools, were free. not guarantee you any form of sucUCs also costed very little compared cess or material gain and that also to today. Nowadays many students applies to any other college. I think are in huge amounts of debt because that it’s your own efforts that get of schooling. This looming con- you to success.

FEBRUARY 18

EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

New school policies ensure student safety Last year, MHS’ safety left much to be desired. Fights broke out on a bimonthly basis, few safety drills were performed, and the principal quickly resigned at the end of the year, his first and last at MHS. In contrast, this year’s administration, headed by Principal Francis Rojas, has introduced minor yet productive change to the school environment. The school is overall more safe as a result of the actions of the administration.

The Union would like to show its gratitude to the current MHS administration for putting an end to MHS’ toxic table culture. For the last few years, the table wars at MHS have slowly spiraled out of control, with students waging underground battles for dominance over convenient table locations.

Students would place locks on

tables to claim them, destroy each others’ locks, and move the tables around, damaging them in the process. Students would even brawl over tables and their tightly packed positions would often hinder rather than help in breaking up these battles.

After several attempts to put an end to the table wars, the administration finally achieved this goal in November. With threats of social probation and outright removal of tables, Rojas finally put an end to the table wars. Because of this, and despite grumblings from the upperclassmen, the campus is overall easier to traverse and fights are easier to break up.

Another campus improvement introduced was a proliferation of safety drills, ranging from fire

drills to earthquake drills. Such drills are necessary to the school day, especially after the lockdown in October; it is obviously pertinent that students and staff be prepared for a real disaster situation.

Thus far, there have been five safety drills during the this school year, in contrast to the single safety drill in the last school year.

This is a marked improvement and everyone on campus, from teacher to administration to security guard to student, is more prepared as a result.

We at The Union are thankful for these changes and hope to see what further improvements, safety-wise or otherwise, the administration may bring to MHS.

EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

Inaction after gun violence leads to apathy On Tuesday, January 23rd, a school in Kentucky suffered a massive tragedy in the form of a school shooting. To some, this may come as a surprise. To others, it is just another school shooting in a country full of school shootings. In a different time, such a tragedy incited devastation across the states, and the public banded together as a nation. However, with the frequency of such horrors today, these occurrences have become something abstract: to the average American, news of a shooting is distant and impersonal. The emotions of Sandy Hook have been lost in the deluge of subsequent shootings and the inevitable inaction. The country has run out of thoughts and prayers for the victims, the empathy that gives us humanity. And most importantly, the country refuses to change.

It is the opinion of The Union that this apathy is unacceptable.

The desensitization of the general public is unacceptable. The fact that the United States is known to have more mass shootings than any country in the past 50 years, and the highest gun homicide rate in among developed countries is unacceptable. There is a way to prevent similar catastrophes from happening.

Thoughts and prayers are not Kevlar; they will not miraculously make the country’s schools and children bulletproof. Laws may be not be able to prevent every criminal from acquiring a firearm, but any action is better than getting on our knees after every shooting and praying these tragedies will stop on their own. The answer is in activism. It is in people caring enough to take action, to put in the work in order to reform gun laws.

After the events of Sandy Hook and Columbine, the majority of the public was outraged and in agree-

ment that America needs stricter gun control laws. However, the government ignored these demands.

As time goes on, and more shootings shake the nation, gun violence— whether in the form of mass shootings or homicides—slowly fade into the background, becoming just a fact of life. Congress’ refusal to act has led to a normalization of such disasters. Gun rights proponents say that such tragedies should not be politicized, but the sheer frequency of shootings would mean, by their logic, that there is no right time to talk about gun control. In addition, the media plays a strong role in the desensitization of the country. Gunviolencearchive.org shows that there is at least one mass shooting a week in the country, yet the public only hears about a few.

If our own government does not care, if the media does not say anything, then the people will not care, making it essentially impossible for the country to have the discussion about gun culture that it desperately needs. This vicious cycle regarding the general public indifference and the inaction of American legislators has been a continuous, prominent factor in the skyrocketing number of school shootings across the country.

The greatest source of apathy for gun violence comes from government inaction. It may be frustrating to many Americans how inactive Congress is in regards to gun laws. It may seem like nothing will ever change, so, indeed, why care about every mass shooting that happens in some distant town far from home? But it is at this time, when Congress is least receptive, that Americans have to be most vocal.

It is paramount in the gun debate that people be engaged in pushing for change. The public has already

THE UNION

EDITORIAL

seen how unresponsive Congress is to even the most bipartisan consensus: The Hill reported that 82 percent of Americans supported banning bump stocks, a gun accessory that lets semi-automatic weapons fire at a more rapid rate. Bump stocks allowed the massacre in Las Vegas to occur and are regarded even by gun owners as unnecessary for defense or hunting purposes.

Despite such widespread support, Congress failed to pass a ban on bump stocks when the NRA stopped supporting said ban. So—while Congress seems to cater more towards a minority rather than the 60 percent of Americans who support stricter gun laws, according to a recent Gallup Poll—the burden falls upon average Americans to take control of their country from the bottom up.

At local and state levels, laws have been passed banning bump stocks, taking action in spite of Congress’s failures. It is important to keep up this fight, even when it is not on the national spotlight, and especially when it is.

The effect that media coverage has on shootings is debatable. Some may say covering shooters prompt copycat shooters. Some argue that the media is too quick to politicize such tragic events. But the fact remains: if people aren’t constantly reminded of how destructive guns can be, there will never be any progress. The discussion is long; it is difficult; it is unsavory. But it has to occur. The dialogue must be had in order to find any consensus, and it must be loud to pierce the deaf ears of our government. But none of this can happen without people’s attention. None of this can happen if the collective consciousness of America does not wake up and realize—this is not normal. This is not normal.

U NION The

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

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

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

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

5

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C O N TAC T U S 1285 Escuela Pkwy, Room E-17 Milpitas, CA 95035 General Info: (408) 635-2800 Business Manager: (408) 896-8986 Ad Manager: (408) 908-9367 Fax: (408) 635-2848 Email: mhstheunion18@gmail.com

S TA F F Shreeya Aranake • Editor-In-Chief Hope Do • Editor-In-Chief Katherine Hubeny • News Editor Ashley Chen • Asst. News Editor Jerald Mendoza • Op-Ed Editor Kevin Dai • Asst. Op-Ed Editor Ananya Donapati • Features Editor Clara Marisol Dela Cruz • Asst. Features Editor Kirk Tran • Sports Editor Anthony Nguyen • Asst. Sports Editor Grace Chang • Lifestyle Editor Krystal Quiocho • Asst. Lifestyle Editor Kelly Lue • Entertainment Editor Mili Bhatnagar • Asst. Entertainment Editor Loan-Anh Pham • Spread Editor Kelly Nguyen • Asst. Spread Editor Andrew Dinh • Co-Copy Editor Erin Utter • Co-Copy Editor Ishrak Ramzan • Asst. Copy Editor Suhas Shekar • Co-Web Editor Vivian Tsang • Co-Web Editor Devyn Nguyen • Asst. Web Editor Jonathan Tran • Photo Editor Morgan Lei • Asst. Photo Editor Luke Ren • Business Manager Theodore Do • Asst. Business Manager Andrew Ha • Ad Manager Eric De Guzman • Asst. Ad Manager Ariana Khateeb • Reporter Roshni Sheth • Reporter Maansi Maskai • Reporter Jeff Colburn • Journalism Advisor

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6

VALENTINE’S DEDICATIONS

THE UNION

From: Phi Long Bui To: Pierre Nguyen We met on the second day of school, but you’ll always be first in my heart

From: Ziyuan Lei To: Key Club Cabinet Thanks for always being so loving and passionate in everything you all do - I’ll miss you lots. <3

From: Ruby Aguirre Plancarte To: Mr. Webber Thank you

From: KDT Official Fancam To: KDT Roses are red. Violets are blue. Sorry KDT I’m leaving the group.

JK. I love you koreaboos ~ <3

From: Ruby Aguirre Plancarte To: Mrs. Shannahan Thank you

From: Pratima Prabala To: Aira Roca, Anuja Samant, Isaac Chang, and Emily Hardy AYEEEE! YALL ARE SOME POPPIN’ PALS! I’ll always be cheering you guys on!! :)

From: Ashley Chen To: SAT Club Officers Thank you guys for all your hard work!!!

From: Chris Bui To: Khai Nguyen Thanks for the four years of friendship, without you there it would have been terrible and so suck.

From: Shreeya To: Union Staff with love Try harder.

From: Kelly Lue To: Milpitas Scioly Good work with your invitationals this year!

I’m so proud of all of you; let’s sweep Regionals this year :)

From: Jocelyn Chan To: Bhavya Gulati Bhavya looks awful in braces.

From: Darryl Remulla To: Brett Webber Hi Bretthany. South Africa is in trouble. No agua. Go Iran. Te amo

From: Min Natalie To: Lee Jihoon I’m way out of your league...even through your net worth is 1000x more than mine.

From: Harrison Lok To: Michelle Wang Dear Michelle, Happy nine months babe! I love you <3

From: Anonymous To: Neil Xia Dearest Neil, my favorite drum major, my heart flutters whenever I see your face. I love you more than you love your chicken ;)

From: Anonymous To: Winnie Diep Thanks for being the best friend I could ask for. I love you so much ~ <3 From: Henry To: Melanie Chen You’re okay I guess. The shrug emoji is kinda messed up but ¯\_(ツ)_ /¯

From: Marcus To: Nate You are pretty rad P.S. Rito$

From: Tim Tran To: Janelle & Huishan & Jackie & Corns & K-weebs I love you all!!! So much. Thnx for making high school worth it. To my friends, Interact, KDT <3

From: Anthony Nguyen To: Nina Pham Hey will you let me date you yet?

From: Hope To: Union Staff with love ILY all you amazing, hard-working people! :))

From: Preeti Tamhankar To: Shreeya Aranake Hello Shreeya. Please accept me. I love you.

From: Ann To: Cassandra Moran Cassie is cute.

FEBRUARY 2018

From: Charlie and Marisol To: Southcoast NEVER stop LOVING. You were made

by Love and called to Love. #versol’alto #L$G anth#rise #donotbeafraid #cluster1 #southcoastflies together

From: Khris Bui To: Bryan Nguyen Remember when we remet after 2 years of no contact, you forgot me as a person but remembered my smell

From: Bhavya Gulati To: Jocelyn Chan Dear Jocelyn, you’re not as ugly as you were last year. :)

FEBRUARY 2018

From: Shreeya Aranake To: Kelly Lue You’re my favorite Kelly Lue

From: Fish and Infant To: The Hikes Kingdom: Dust, Dino, and Rotini To more late nights RYING. To more procrastination… and less hours of sleep.

To more YIKES, HIKES, and LIKES moments!

From: Hu ngos To: Joanna Hu Your smiles are rather attractive... and contagious too! :))))

VALENTINE’S DEDICATIONS

From: Jerald To: Chris Bui Thank you for your Time, see you in Hawaii

From: Ariana Khateeb To: Thespian Society Members It has been real.

I <3 my officers. <3 Ms. Schwartz.

Good luck next year without me ;)

From: Tsegenet Awoke To: Tsegenet Awoke I love you. TAYA ETG is cool too. And so is Darryl.

From: Your Journalism Ruffians To: Mr. Colburn Thanks for having great jokes and for roasting Kirk daily ;)

From: anon To: Avani You know you love your sunshiney minion - it’s telepathy at its finest. ;) ily~

From: Anonymous To: Hope SANITY, you’re gorgeous and an angel, but you’re also infuriatingly sunshiney. Please stop, thanks. Love you. :)

From: Ruby Aguirre Plancarte To: Mrs. Loomis Thank you for being there for me

From: Ashley Chen To: TSU Officers Thanks for an amazing year! I look forward to making more happy memories with you guys!

From: Anon. Math Lover To: Joshua Than Your back looks so beautiful. I love your back muscles.

From: Elijah Liao To: all my AP Stats students If the P is low, drop the H0.

From: Krystal + Ariana To: Darryl Thanks for being a wholesome dude.

Stay true to you. H.A.G.S <3

From: Hot Anon. Girl To: Jerald Mendoza I think you’re super cute. I love your hair and the way you walk. YOU’RE SO HOT! BTW I heard you like blue.

From: Arianne Banlao To: Kelly Lue Kelly is the best. I love you!!

From: Ananya To: Winnie and Khai Bet you didn’t see this coming! ;) Thanks for being my friend even though I’m so lame. <3 (disappearing peace sign meme)

From: Devyn Nguyen To: Connor Lingle Are you still grounded?

From: TG To: Ms. Bellotti From your favorite students, Toa$t Squad

From: Krystal To: Madison Corpuz Thanks for spreading smiles always. I love you, dude!

From: Nate Doung To: Thuylinh Phan you’re my lobster

From Ariana Khateeb To: Jacob Hannigan Can I skate into your heart?

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THE UNION

From: Jerald To: Hot Anon Girl I know it’s you Kevin.

From: ???

To: Chloe Wang It’s so great and fun whenever I’m with you!

You make me laugh and have a great time!

Thank you!

From: Christopher To: Kevin Tran You do so much work for our school! Thanks for having me.

From: Chi Huang To: Grace Chon, Winnie Diep, Karina Huynh, Jasmine Kim, Sally Thai I love you guys sm, thnks fr th mmrs!!!

8

THE UNION

SPREAD

Opinion: Social media is useful for raising awareness Social media has evolved from serving as a means of communication to embracing its role as a platform for advocacy.

Social media raises awareness about pertinent issues that are plaguing our world.

Social media plays a crucial role in our society by producing a vast, extensive network. These sources appeal to a broader audience, who then have the option to voice their opinions on significant matters through the mere click of a button. Trending apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter use hashtags to connect people around the world.

Social media exposes the population to a variety of issues, such as gun control and sexual harassment, that we would not be normally aware of as teenagers who do not read the news. In today’s generation, a plethora of teenagers and adults have access to a technology device, whether that be a smartphone or computer.

There are more problems going on in the world than people think.

Teenagers conscious of global issues are socially responsible and can make positive impacts on the community. Social media

makes it more convenient to access to social media can be spread information to a larger powerful. population, instead of newspapers #MeToo, a widespread hashtag, and television, which not all emerged in October 2017. To raise people prefer. awareness for sexual harassment, Social media gives the social activist, Tarana burke, oppressed a voice and mobilizes spread the word through social popular support for good causes. media platformts to comfort Some individuals feel more those who had experienced comfortable expressing their sexual harassment. Along with opinions over social media, rather ordinary citizens, celebrities than confronting others shared their personal in person. The success expereinces with sexual of movements that arose assault through Twitter, from social media, like garnering the attention BLM and #MeToo, gives of thousands of people. people the courage to Today, the world is speak out and protest for more tight knit ever what they believe in. due to the prevalence The movement known of social media. Now as Black Lives Matter more than just a means originated as the hashtag of communication and KELLY “#BlackLivesMatter” on networking, social media NGUYEN social media and quickly makes information became international. available at the mere BLM garnered attention from all touch of a button. Recently, the social media platforms, evoking idea that social media corrupts millions of people around the and misleads youth has spread; world. Not all issues that stem however, it is integral to raising from social media remain solely awareness and creating change. on the Internet. Emerging from Social media has made lasting thousands of posts and pictures, positive impacts on society BLM petitions permeated through promoting knowledge of through the streets, proving that current events.

FEBRUARY 2017

Social Media: The Po

The effects of social media can be manageable

BY KRYSTAL QUIOCHO

As technology advances, the use of smart technology becomes more frequent. Smartphones have already made their way into our everyday lives and a big part of this is due to social media.

With platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, social media often affects aspects of all of our lives. But when does social media become too much? The answer is that it is all relative to the person. Most of all, it depends on their mental health.

Using smartphones and social media disrupts one’s perception of themselves and often makes them depressed. Facebook, the number one social media platform in the world, has the most occurrences of this. Frequent users of the site were asked if their disposition had changed since they started using the site and 53% of them said they had. 51% of these people said it had not changed for the better. On Facebook it’s nice to see what your friends are up to, and it’s a convenient way to contact people you don’t see often but the subconscious effects are damaging. People find

themselves comparing their own achievements to their friends and having the need to one-up what everyone else is doing.

Often times, with Instagram, the third most used social site in the world, and Facebook, users grow anxious from being judged on what they post. In addition, most social sites have a type of reward system whether it be likes, retweets, amount of friends or followers, and so on. This type of reward system creates a dependence of reassurance for the users which is also a problem.

Social media creates a form of escape from the real world, according to Dr. Shannon M. Rauch in an article published by MIT. This is dangerous because once someone logs off from their social media, they come down from this high it creates to reality, which might not be as fun as the online world is.

This can be especially true for adolescents. According to a study from the UK, children aged ten to fifteen are less satisfied with their lives just by spending an hour on social media.

So when it comes down to numbers, how much really is too

VIVIAN TSANG

much? Use of phones and social sites become disruptive once a user surpasses five hours of use.

But when it comes to children and teens, the number decreases as our minds tend to be more impressionable than others.

Despite the negative backlash social media has, there are also positive points, too. Social media helps improve student skills like writing and communicating with others. For example, more participation in online support groups has risen along with the increase of blogs.

In more recent times, movements of positivity and pride have taken place on social media platforms like Twitter, encouraging people to have more confidence in themselves. Social media is also a great platform to spread awareness of news and events on a local level or international level. Political participation has increased due to more accessible sources of news and political information. People are becoming more engaged in what is happening in their government.

Opinion: Be careful of your online prescence; Good behavior on social media is a necessity Everything posted on social media, a “digital footprint,” can leave permanent consequences on anyone’s life. Whether it’s promoting bullying or disruptive behavior, the internet is home to such conduct and more by users everyday. But when people go overboard on the internet, that is when the line is drawn, and society must reconsider the importance of good behavior on social media.

Such a situation occurred after the recent backlash towards Logan Paul for his lack of judgement when posting a video depicting the body of a man who had committed suicide in a Japanese forest infamous for its high suicide rate. The multimillionaire American vlogger’s videos are a prime example of the extent many content creators are going to for the sake of reeling in the most viewers. The impact of that single video sparked an uproar of disapproval globally,

LOAN-ANH PHA

suggesting the implications of bad impact of our current actions on behavior on the internet. social media. However, one thing You don’t have to be famous for sure is, many companies to have an impact on others typically run a google search of through social media. Online, their applicants before hiring. anyone has the opportunity to Our generation has been growing affect others’ judgement through up with social media; we have their behavior.

As already built up years idealistic as it sounds, it worth of data online. is necessary that good Just imagine your future behavior becomes more employer stumbling of a standard on social on what you uploaded media. There are also last night. Not only many students at MHS companies, but colleges who make videos to may also look into your share with the world digital footprint and which is incredible. that can play a factor in However, the important whether you receive an ANANYA thing is to not go down acceptance or rejection.

DONAPATI the wrong direction for The consequences of behaving badly on social media the sake of popularity. Mood can often precipitate bad behavior on may seem hazy now, but it is social media, so if you’re seething worth being actively aware. with anger, make an effort to step Making better judgements as a away from social media and relax. netizen is necessary to safeguard yourself and others.

Research on our uses of technology is still developing, so we are still unaware of the future ERIN UTTER / THE UNION

FEBRUARY 2017

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Opinion: My feed is full of fake news and fake people Pizzagate. I’m sure that many appear as real news. of you are wondering what this Fake news is a huge issue, means, because I sure was. The perpetrated by the widespread use Pizzagate conspiracy appeared of social media. Kids especially around the time of the 2016 are influenced by fake news. presidential election, with claims According to CNN, 31% of tweens, that Hillary Clinton was running which describes individuals ages a pedophile ring in the basement eight to twelve, shared a news of a pizza store called Comet story that later turned out to be Ping Pong. As it turns out, this fake, and 39% of them prefer to was just fake news, but get their news through it gained widespread social media. If kids are attention throughout continuously exposed social media. It first to fake news, they will appeared on Facebook, perceive them as fact, then spread to Twitter, thus distorting their and was later picked up views of reality. So by various fake news how do we solve this websites. Other than problem? The easiest fake news, social media solution would be to also seems to encourage fact check your sources. fake people in terms of Websites such as Snopes.

ASHLEY physical looks. com and FactCheck.

CHEN In a society where org are dedicated to social media seems to dominate debunking fake news. our lives, how can we tell what Not only does social media allow is real? Popular social media for the spread of fake news, but it sites such as Facebook and also leads to fake people. People Google are no strangers to fake try to attain a level of perfection news, which are published to at the expense of hiding their mislead readers and gain social true selves and insecurities, attention. Furthermore, it is believing that they must do this becoming increasingly harder to get validation. This is proven to differentiate fact from fiction by the popularity of apps and when fake news is written to filters designed to enhance photos

and make them “perfect.” It is amazing to learn about the extreme lengths that people go through to obtain an aesthetic photo.

As a result, many of the things posted on social media do not portray reality. On Jan. 19, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed the issue of fake news, posting that social media is what enables “too much sensationalism, misinformation and polarization in the world today.” As a result, Facebook has decided to let the community decide what is trustworthy through surveys. These surveys will influence what appears on users’ feeds. I do not see this completely solving the issue of fake news because it is difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction, but I will still give them the benefit of the doubt.

Authenticity means that we should not falsify information, or hide the imperfections in our lives. Unfortunately, social media fails to encompass this aspect, and probably never will as more people try to gain attention on social media or strive for perfection. So, how would I describe social media in one word? Fake.

Awareness on cyberbullying needs to grow

G/ THE UNION

BY MAANSI MASKAI

Imagine a world without Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or iMessage, where you would have to wait in order to communicate with your loved ones. However, with the recent advent of social media and instant communication, we now have the ability to contact our loved ones and get a response within minutes or even seconds.

Although, the virtual platform is a blessing in that regard, it is definitely accompanied by its own set of problems. With instant communication and social media platforms comes cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is a form of harassment that occurs over virtual platforms, which include Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. It involves sharing or posting false, defamatory content about a fellow user or someone not on the platform to cause feelings of embarrassment or humiliation for the victim.

In some cases, cyberbullying has transitioned into unlawful or criminal behavior, resulting in severe repercussions.

In statistics published by the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, an estimated 16% of high school students reported that they were bullied electronically in the 12 months prior to the nationwide survey. MHS School Psychologist Darinisha Williams notes that although cyberbullying is not as common at MHS, students have come to her feeling extremely betrayed and hurt after experiencing cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is even more dangerous than physical bullying because it is persistent, permanent, and difficult to notice. Since technology offers the capability to remain online for as long as one wants and whenever one wants, it makes it difficult for cyberbullying victims to seek relief from their bullies since the channel of communication is always open. Furthermore, whatever is posted on social media cannot be removed completely. Since social media is permanent, defaming posts have the potential to come back and haunt both the victim and the bully. Moreover, a negative reputation online can hinder future endeavours such as college admissions,

job applications, etc. Lastly, cyberbullying is difficult to recognize. Since responsible adults cannot overhear or physically see cyberbullying taking place, they have a difficult time in taking action against it.

Potential signs that cyberbullying is occuring is a change in the amount of time spent on a device, different emotional responses, changes in social media accounts, and changes in mood or behavior.

Depression or withdrawal from social activities in favor of using one’s device is also a warning sign, According to Williams, when faced with cyberbullying, “A student should tell their parents, and the police. A student should never handle a situation such as cyber bullying by themselves.

They need support” As a bystander, to help prevent cyberbullying, it is important to look out for changes in the behavior of loved ones, document slanderous posts, and report any harmful social media activity to a trusted adult.

Source: stopbullying.gov

Opinion: Trump and Twitter degrade the presidency; Commander in chief need not command in tweets

AM/ THE UNION

President Donald J. Trump has after the Ninth Circuit, a federal been in office for roughly a year court with jurisdiction over the now, and his time in the White western states, with accusations House thus far has been marked of holding bias against him and by his constant negative presence the laws he wishes to implement. on social media. Most notable . The recurrent presence of false is his Twitter account, tweets information and the fashion with from which can be seen in the which it is presented serves to news on a regular basis, further decrease the featuring one scandalous respect carried by the statement or another. title of president. Trump He often targets has also made posts those who are against on social media that him or the values and have criticized foreign policies, attacking them leaders. Last June, in a manner befitting a following the terrorist child throwing a temper attack on the London tantrum. Just a month Bridge, he famously ago, he lashed out on twisted the words of the ISHRAK Twitter, saying this, “It Mayor of London, Sadiq RAMZAN just shows everyone Khan. In a tweet Trump how broken and unfair said, “At least 7 dead and our Court System is when the 48 wounded in terror attack and opposing side in a case (such as Mayor of London says there is ‘no DACA) always runs to the Ninth reason to be alarmed!’”, though Circuit and almost always wins this is far from what Khan was before being reversed by higher referring to. When Trump makes court.” In the past he has also gone uninformed statements that are MORGAN LEI / THE UNION

directed at the actions of leaders of other countries, especially our allies, he threatens to strain our relations with friendly nations and makes the country as a whole look bad.

Trump has also used social media to promote prejudice against a variety of groups. Last month, a variety of sources reported that Trump had referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries in a derogatory manner, calling them “shitholes.”

In response, the White House press team didn’t deny the implications of what he said, but they denied the specific term he used. Trump has promoted bigotry before, notably spreading false anti-Muslim tweets that came from far-right extremist groups during late November and referring to immigrants as “Druggies, drug dealers, rapists and killers are coming across the southern border” back in the summer of 2015.

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LIFESTYLE

THE UNION

FASHION SPOTLIGHT

BY KRYSTAL QUIOCHO

Na tha n Li m p i n Sophomore

Jacket from Levi’s shirt from Forever 21

FEBRUARY 2018

Be your own Valentine with these tips

BY KELLY NGUYEN

Tired of seeing couples walk around and exchange Valentine’s Day gifts while you are feeling alone? Be your own valentine! Just because you do not have someone special to share Valentine’s Day with, does not mean you can’t make the most out of this day.

1. Treat yourself out.

It is always nice to treat yourself out. Go on a shopping spree and buy those pair of shoes or headphones that you have been eyeing. If you are on a tight budget, don’t worry.

There are other ways to treat your­ self that don’t involve spending money: enjoying city lights, reading a good book, or jamming out to a soothing playlist.

2. Have a spa day at home.

Having a spa day at home is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. All the materials you need are at home, ready for your disposal.

Light a candle and put on a face mask to freshen up. Fill your bath­ tub with warm water and pop in your favorite bath bomb.Detox by reading a book or turning on mu­ sic to pass the time. Lastly, pamper yourself by having a manicure or pedicure. Not only are these activi­ ties simple to do, but they also allow you to take time off for yourself.

3. Eat your feelings away.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect ex­ cuse to eat all the chocolates, ice cream, and sweets that you have been craving. Invite some friends over who may not have significant

others to share Valentine’s Day with.

Look up recipes and bake the most indulgent treats to share together!

Pinterest has recipes, such as cher­ ry white chocolate bark, cheesecake hearts, and red velvet cream cheese brownies, that are sure to make your mouth water and satisfy your crav­ ings.

4. Binge watch your favorite shows or movies.

Valentine’s day is notorious for the sappy, tear­jerking chick flicks or romantic comedies that you’ve been too ashamed to watch. Grab a tissue box and a cozy blanket, and begin the all­night marathon. “If I Stay,” “Me Before You,” and “A Walk to Remember” are just to name a few that have you crying and laughing by the end.

Hangout spots for you and your S.O.

BY ROSHNI SHETH

Are you and your significant other tired of going to the same places to hang out and want a good time? Do you want to avoid paying extra gas money and go on a date to a closer destination? Luckily, Milpitas has numerous shopping centers and entertaining areas for you and your special someone.

McCarthy Ranch Marketplace: In this area, you can find a lot of diver­ sity which ranges from excellent vegan food to a colorful taqueria.

This marketplace contains restau­ rants with different types of food including Mexican food at Los Cu­ nados Taqueria and vegan food at The Green Barn Restaurant. Be­ sides foods, there are shops located throughout the marketplace to buy items for your significant others.

Jeans from Aeropostale Shoelace belt from Converse

Shoes from Reebok

His Fashion Inspir ation: “Jhene Aiko and Kehlani”

Loga n He rnand ez Ba ke r Freshman

Jacket from Savers Shirt from Land’s End

There is also Michael’s where you can build crafts with your date or buy a scrapbook to add pictures of these memorable and new memo­ ries.

Ed R. Levin County Park: This 1,558 acre park has a beautiful view and is good for picnic dates and hiking.

You can take your date and fly a kite here or stare at the beautiful sunset.

Since Milpitas is on the smaller side for a city, it is amazing how there is a short trail to walk your dogs, and view wildlife at your convenience.

Additionally, you can bike around the trail or play golf.

Great Mall: Milpitas has one huge mall with hundreds of outlets and a giant food court. Some of these outlets have remarkable sales espe­ cially for couples. Besides outlets, there’s a new stand of sweets in the Great Mall called Woops! The

stand is located near Kipling and Marshalls and carries an assorted amount of sweets including maca­ roons and cookies.

More desserts: Milpitas has a di­ verse amount of ice cream shops such as Foster Freeze. You can treat your significant other to a cone of sweetness. Every Valentine’s Day, Baskin­Robbins introduces a cake called the “Be Mine” Heart Cake.

This cake comes with the choice of chocolate or white cake and any ice­ cream of your choice. Cold Stone Creamery will bring back their Fudge Truffle ice cream for Valen­ tine’s Day. This specific cone with remain an option up to Feb 27. Ad­ ditionally, Cold Stone Creamery will introduce a cake called the Fudge Truffle Decadence cake. This cake is heart­shaped with layers of red velvet and chocolate shavings on the side.

Value menu war runs rampant in fast food

BY ANTHONY NGUYEN

The rising competition between fast food branches, the emergence of the coveted value menu has been prevalent throughout the fast food industry. The dollar menu provides consumers with cheap options for fast food, contributing to the culture of fast food. Some restaurants have done better than others with their value menus, proving themselves as front­runners of the industry. Fast food restaurants such as Taco Bell, Del Taco, Burger King, and McDon­ alds have recently expanded their value menus, and comparing what you can get from each restaurant is imperative to ensuring you get your money’s worth for your food.

3. Another restaurant, Taco Bell has proven itself as a fast food giant with their spin on a dollar menu.

The Taco Bell dollar menu includes some of the most unique items of all of fast food, such as their cinnabon delights, caramel apple empana­ das, and stackers. With their large,

twenty­one item dollar menu, Taco Bell definitely has many options for consumers, however, ten of these items are only sold for breakfast which lowers their dollar choices to a still­respectable, eleven items.

Where Taco Bell falls short in dol­ lar options, it makes up for in taste.

The dollar menu at Taco Bell is both unique and tasty.

2. Jack is back with his brand new value menu. With a value menu ranging from one to five dollars, Jack in the Box does not technically have the largest dollar menu, but its unique take on the value menu provides consumers with many op­ tions to indulge upon. With deals as low as ninety­nine cents for two tacos, Jack in the Box has proven itself as a large competitor on the dollar menu war in fast food. Along with that, the restaurants’ value drink, value fries, mini pancakes, and churros all cost a single dollar.

1. From its famous golden arches to its iconic sandwiches, McDon­

ald’s has proven time and time again to be the premier restaurant of all of fast food, and with its new one, two, and three dollar menu, Mc­ Donald’s has once again delivered.

Ranging from one to three dollars, McDonald’s new value menu in­ cludes a unique range of food from soft drinks, Sausage McGriddles, and even its coveted Happy Meal, McDonald’s truly has it all. When it comes to the flavor of McDonald’s items, you can never be disappoint­ ed because you always get exactly what you expect from it, and more.

McDonald’s replicates its menu from location to location as close to perfection as consumers will ever see. With its new value menu, Mc­ Donald’s has solidified its place as the titan of all of fast food once again.

With competing menu items to aggressively cheap value menus, fast food restaurants have time and time again battled amongst each other to prove themselves as front­runners in the food industry.

What chocolate should you buy for your boo?

BY ISHRAK RAMZAN

Jeans from Levi’s Belt Her mom’s

Shoes from Madden Girl

Her Fashion Inspir ation: “90s, 80s, 70s....I love vintage.”

1. Ghirardelli chocolates are luxurious and there are several dif­ ferent kinds of them. They’re defi­ nitely an option if you want quality chocolate that won’t fail you. ­2. Godiva chocolates are rich, and they come in a wide variety of forms. From milky chocolate bars to exquisite truffles filled with creamy fillings, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

3. Lindt is a well­-known brand of chocolate, commonly purchased around the holidays and seen in stores everywhere. This fame is well merited, given the quality that the chocolates they make have. They chocolate is rich and creamy, and it possess a smooth texture.

4. Toblerone is a chocolate that is delightfully soft. Inside of the chocolate contains nuts that are chopped up, which blends in well with the chocolate, as well as add­ ing a nice texture. The shape of the toblerone bar makes it more inter­ esting and adds a little something to the experience.

5. The Hershey’s Kiss is a trade­ mark of Valentine’s Days, with the little chocolates wrapped in foil giv­ en to everyone by everyone during February. However, the chocolate itself, while by no means bad, lacks flavor and proves to be a pretty ba­ sic option. Instead, one could pur­ chase other Hershey’s chocolates, such as their classic milk chocolate or the more interesting Cookies ‘n’ Creme.

LIFESTYLE

FEBRUARY 2018

THE UNION

11

Take precautions when meeting online

BY ANANYA DONAPATI SUHAS SHEKAR

With the advent of the internet, the opportunities people have to connect and communicate has exponentially grown. It’s easier than ever to exchange information, meet new people, and form bonds.

Whether it be dating sites, forums, or online marketplaces, all of these services have unique applications.

Inevitably, with these arisen opportunities come risks. The importance of staying safe online cannot be stressed enough. While online communities in apps and websites have opened the way for a plethora of interactions, the impersonal nature of the Internet provides a cover for predatory and malicious activity. Thus, it is essential to practice precaution to enjoy the benefits of meeting people online.

Among any other service, dating sites and apps are arguably the most popular method that people use online to meet­up. However, this extensive popularity means that these types of services are the most likely

to harbor danger. And since we are approaching Valentine’s Day, forms of deception like catfishing are even more commonly observed than usual. As a result, it isimportant to be even more careful on these sites than anywhere else. For instance, catfishes will often lead people to talk with them on a site that isn’t as heavily monitored as dating sites.

In these situations, the obvious approach is to keep the conversation within the dating site. If the person you are talking to suggests that you move to a different social networking site, consider that a red flag. Dating websites often monitor safety through the website, and the person could betrying to change the platform to step out of that radar.

Catfishes tend to use fake profile pictures, so a reverse image search will often reveal the authenticity of the person’s account. When these precautions are kept in mind, online dating services can be have large impact on one’s life. After all, people have met their significant others and future spouses through apps like Tinder.

Many websites and apps provide services that allow the users to sell a menagerie of items online. Craigslist, for example, involves a seller and buyer who meet up to purchase an item or service. The dangers that can come with meeting a total stranger online can be daunting, so it is better to use discretion when doing so. Instead of meeting up in a private location, opt for a public space or even the new safety exchange zone located in the Milpitas Police Station’s parking lot.

In personal experiences, using others apps entirely focused on language learning like Hellotalk, can create help create long­lasting friendships and leave positive impacts. For example, Hellotalk protects the user by preventing minors from contacting adults until they turn 18. After meeting numerous language exchange partners from the app, it is worth stressing that you use good judgement when choosing who to meet with. By doing this, it is possible to encounter incredible people from all over the world by mindfully using social media.

Local taro milk tea is terrific

Do not use these terrible pick-up lines

BY KRYSTAL QUIOCHO

BY KELLY LUE

When going in to review these drinks, I tried to make it as unbiased as possible. I chose to order from milk tea places I do not have a preconception of. At most I have only been to some places once if at all. I also chose to review a drink I have not ordered before so I did not have any preconceived expectations.

Hey there! I can write all these words for the newspaper, but when I look at you, I’m speechless! Cheesy pick­up lines are most definitely the best way to earn yourself a significant other. At first glance, pick­up lines are overused and cringey, but I know a lot of people will appreciate the effort. After all, sometimes things are so bad, they’re good! Here are the best foolproof pick­up lines to use this Valentine’s Day: 1. You smell like trash. Can I take you out?: This one may offend a few people and probably won’t get you a date. Use it with caution.

Fantasia $4.50 Fantasia uses real taro in their drink which results in a more natural taste. Because no powder is used, the milk tea is just right on the sweetness level. The taro flavor is more subtle than the other milk teas I reviewed but that can just be due to the fact that there is no artificial flavoring for the taro. The natural taro also creates little taro chunks in the drink that I personally was not a fan of because I found them to be a weird texture. As for the pearls, they were just right and not too chewy.

The service was incredibly quick. causing the line moved swiftly.

Even before I could put my change back in my wallet after ordering, my drink was already in front of me.

T4 $3.95 T4’s taro milk tea is my favorite out of the five. They use the right amount of powder so the taro flavor is strong and not overbearing. The consistency of the milk tea was nice and smooth which I think is due to the amount of ice put into the drink.

The drink wasn’t watered down by the amount of ice as some drinks tend to do. The pearls were on the chewier side but I did not mind that too much because there was not an excessive amount of the pearls.

I waited the expected amount of time one would for a milk tea on a day off in Milpitas; maybe a little longer than I would have liked but it was understandable considering the amount of orders they had and the number of employees that were working.

Te n Re n $4.15 Ten Ren’s authentic tea flavors create great tasting drinks.Their taro milk green tea was enjoyable but the taro was difficult to find.

The taro flavor was very subtle so I found it hard to taste the taro after sipping on the milk tea for a while.

Though the taste of the green tea was strongly evident, it was not too bitter and the sweetness level was not too much either. This milk tea was not as milky as the others but still good.I enjoyed the open space so I was able to see my drink being made by the hardworking employees. There was not a long wait time but just enough to where I could look around the rest of the store.

Tea Vi lla $3.55 Tea Villa’s taro milk tea has a bold and rich flavor that makes the beverage sweet and creamy. I ordered a regular size and was pleasantly surprised at how much I got for just a regular; a lot more than expected.

The flavor was a bit stronger than the other powdered drinks but not the strongest which I did not mind.

The pearls were really nice and did not clump together. This was the longest wait time I had for my order out of the five but even then, it was not unbearable.

Chic k & Tea $3.49 Chick & Tea’s taro milk tea is very generous. For the size given, its price is worth it. The taro milk tea is also generous in flavor. The taro powder quantity is very large which can be seen in the drink’s dark purple color. The taro is strong which is good but at one point it got to be a little too much for me. Despite the sometimes overpowering powder flavor, I enjoyed the milk tea’s smooth feel and unique undertones that separated it from the other taro milk teas I had.

2. Are you a banana? Because I wouldn’t mind peeling you: Hint hint, wink wink. Use this one with caution as well.

3. Are you a Hydro Flask? Because I want to carry you around all day: Nowadays, everyone carries around their Hydro Flasks with love and care. People will appreciate that you care about them as much as they do their Hydro Flask.

4. Are you the Milpitas dump?

Because I can’t seem to get you out of my life: Again, I’m so sorry.

5. Are you Supreme street wear? Because I can’t wait to spend all my money on you: Supreme is an iconic brand at MHS—

your new significant other would definitely love this pick­up line.

6. Did you fall from heaven?

That’s okay because hell is much hotter now that you’re there: Proceed with caution.

7. Do you live in a state where marijuana is legalized? Because you’re smokin’: I actually don’t think you should try these. I’m terrible.

8. Are you a pair of Beats headphones? Because I want you around my neck all the time: This concludes my list of terrible pick­up lines. I lied. These won’t be foolproof.

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THE UNION

ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 2018

Expression made easy with spoken word poetry RATING (Out of 5 hearts):

BY CLARA MARISOL DELA CRUZ

Spoken word poetry is a form of art that involves reciting and performing poetry out loud. With deliberate conviction, spoken word artists connect with their audience through a collection of meaningful words carefully packaged together into a poem. What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than to be inspired by the following romantic spoken word performances?

1. “Postcards” by Sarah Kay In her spoken word piece “Postcards,” Sarah Kay pieces together the obstacles and barrier of separation people face in a long distance relationship. She eloquently describes how letters and phone calls do not always make up for the absence of the presence of one’s significant other. While conveying slight resignation, the narrator’s voice also expresses the yearning and persistence to keep the relationship alive despite the challenge of being separated by distance. “Postcards” stirs up a sense of longing that cannot simply be soothed with words printed on a postcard or a conversation over the phone.

2. “59” by Harry Baker

Harry Baker recites “59,” a poem about prime numbers, with a series of clever play on words. Baker tells the story of how 59 crushes on 60, but because of their differences, they do not end up together. However, upon meeting on several occasions and getting along quite easily, 59 and 61 prove to be a perfect match for each other, and 59 comes to realize that 61 is the one for him. Quirky and lighthearted, the poem “59” will tickle you into laughter and surely bring a smile on your face.

3. “Camaro” by Phil Kaye Phil Kaye delivers “Camaro” from the perspective of someone recounting the seemingly subtle details of memories from a past relationship. The narrator brings the audience through a handful of memories he once shared with his former significant other, which are eventually followed by a sudden separation between the two.

Throughout the spoken word piece, Kaye depicts how even the smallest of details carry a great significance to the narrator himself. Overall, “Camaro” evokes a bittersweet feeling over what can no longer be, no matter how many times you attempt to revisit it.

4. “Almosts” by Bianca Phipps Bianca Phipps passionately delivers “Almosts,” a spoken word piece that revolves around a

relationship between two people who share a unique, mutual affinity for words. As Phipps progresses through the poem, it is revealed that the narrator’s significant other is suffering from a brain tumor. The specific words used in the poem are at first lighthearted, then become heart-rending as their definitions relate back to the narrator’s painful reality of losing someone they love, leaving a strong emotional impact on the audience. “Almosts” elicits the bittersweet feeling that arises from dwelling over the tragedy of what could have been.

5. “Teen Movie” by Rudy Francisco In “Teen Movie,” Rudy Francisco takes the audience back into time when he was seventeen in high school, navigating his way through the search for his identity. Although not completely central to the poem, Francisco delineates his seventeenyear-old self’s nervousness and awkwardness when it came to a girl he had a crush on. Towards the end of the spoken word piece, Francisco speaks directly to his seventeenyear-old self. He encourages him to go up to his crush and ask her to dance with him at senior prom.

Heartwarming and hopeful, “Teen Movie” tugs tenderly at the heartstrings and is definitely a piece many will resonate with.

Courtesy of Disney

In this scene, after Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) betrays Snoke (Andy Serkis), he and Rey (Daisy Ridley) team up to battle Snoke’s guards. This scene, which takes place in Snoke’s throne room, was one of the movie’s more visually appealing set pieces.

The force is not with ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ RATING (Out of 5 hearts):

BY ERIC DE GUZMAN

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is a confusing, insubstantial flick incongruous to its predecessors, yet visually stunning and at least interesting in its themes.

The plot is as follows: Rey (Daisy Ridley) tries to get Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to teach her in the ways of the Force (much like how Luke sought out Yoda in “The Empire Strikes Back”), while a diminished Resistance is fleeing from the First Order (also similar to how the rebels are on the run from the Empire in “A New Hope”). Considering that the Resistance just destroyed the First Order’s Death Star planet in “The Force Awakens”, it’s confusing seeing the Resistance on the ropes instead of the First Order.

The movie finds itself catering to the lowest denominator at times: the first scene of the movie sees Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron, famed Resistance pilot, prank call the enemy fleet and sign off with a “your mom” joke. In the second scene we pick up where “The Force Awakens” ended: the heroine, Rey, is handing Luke Skywalker his long-lost lightsaber. Luke takes the lightsaber and tosses it over his back off a cliff, a gesture befitting a Robot Chicken episode. In this case, what should have been

an emotionally resonant scene between master and future apprentice is reduced to a visual gag. The injection of such cheap humor is tonally disorienting and feels out of place, as if the producers were trying to meet a quota for quips.

Characters are uninteresting, underdeveloped, or just plain bad for the most part. Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico, a newcomer to the series, is arguably a worse character than Jar Jar Binks: she becomes a forced romantic subject for John Boyega’s Finn as they venture into an unnecessary subplot about the ills of capitalism, and at the end of the movie actually prevents what could have been a much-needed heroic moment for Finn. Poe Dameron’s character is similarly disparaged by Laura Dern’s Admiral Holdo, the latter of which fails to achieve anything of worth, besides taking part in a cool looking scene that nevertheless breaks continuity with previous movies in the saga.

And Rey suffers from the same lack of character plaguing her since the first movie: she is magically good at everything, and never loses, even in her first fight with Luke Skywalker. Perfect characters don’t make for good characters.

However, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is surprisingly one of the best characters in the movie, and one of the most human. Driver does a good job of portraying the conflicted aspect of Kylo Ren and his development throughout the movie, and Mark

Hamill pulls off the disillusioned, cranky hermit very well in Luke.

“The Last Jedi” also has excellent cinematography going for it, with vivid shots of planetscapes and action scenes. There are least a couple scenes I could freeze and use as my wallpaper, the showdown on the new snow, I mean, salt planet comes to mind.

I do believe “The Last Jedi” was interesting in its attempts to deconstruct the idea of heroism in stories; that is, the idea that heroes should take risks, and that the world will stay saved after the hero wins. The latter is taken apart decently when we see Luke Skywalker struggling with the fact that he failed to restore order to the galaxy. But many other times, the execution of this deconstruction is shoddy, such as in the case of Admiral Holdo, who dismisses “flyboy” Poe for being reckless despite having no real plan of her own. By the end of the movie I feel more for the mistreated Poe than the holier-than-thou Holdo, because of the former’s proven competence and latter’s lack thereof.

Overall, “The Last Jedi” is all over the place. It is a mishmash of retreaded plotlines and themes with new ideas and twists, but fails to execute such new ideas effectively. A few actors give riveting performances compared to the rest of the cast, and the film is often nice to look at, at the very least.

RATING KEY Kylie Jenner’s Baby Banana Cats In-N-Out Date Smelly Trees Snapchat update Music Reviews

MANIA

by Fall Out Boy Genre: Electropop, Pop Rock RATING (Out of 5 hearts):

VERTIGO

by EDEN Genre: Alternative RATING (Out of 5 hearts):

BY KELLY LUE JERALD MENDOZA

BY JERALD MENDOZA

On Jan. 19, the iconic former rock band Fall Out Boy returned with a new full-length album, “MANIA.” As the band’s seventh album, “MANIA” definitely deviates from their original, pure rock sound. However, although it isn’t rock, it isn’t entirely bad. The album streamlines EDM and a perfect level of very vocal angst—only highlighting Fall Out Boy’s strengths.

The album opens with “Young and Menace,” which exemplifies the album’s attempt to mix EDM, instrumentals, and Patrick Stump’s powerful voice. The lyrics showcase what “MANIA” stands for.

In contrast, Fall Out Boy’s exploits into other genres end with mixed results. Some of the dislike for “Young and Menace,” and its butchering of what had the potential to be an anthem for angst with the use of EDM, carried over to “HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T.” However, while “Young and Menace” completely overused studio produced noise, the tropical house/reggae beats of “HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T” were kept mostly in balance with the band’s instrumentals.

The band’s other forays into different genres produced better results. “Heaven’s Gates” sounds like the band took inspiration from Sam Smith, successfully allowing Stump’s powerful voice to flourish.

It’s been accepted that Fall Out Boy is no longer the emo punk-rock band they were when they debuted, and perhaps that’s for the best.

They went from cult-classics to one of the leading pop-rock bands in the world, setting the benchmark for how bands like them should sound. They’re what bands like Maroon V and Walk the Moon should have become. And regardless of what they sound like, as long as the band members don’t change, they will always be Fall Out Boy.

On Jan. 19 indie-pop/electronica artist Jonathan Ng, known as EDEN, released his much-awaited first studio album, “Vertigo.” With the strong cult following EDEN built early in his career—producing three EP’s—EDEN continues using the blueprints to his success in his first album. EDEN has made a career out of using his melodious voice, talented instrumentation, and electronic ambience to express themes of heartbreak, doubt, and loneliness, and he continues these themes in “Vertigo.”

The album starts with “Wrong,” a short track full of forlorn lamentations of a failed relationship and bringing in depths of sorrow that set the tone for the rest of the album. “Start//End” continues with the ambient synth sound in “Take Care,” but any intrusive instrumentals are slowly paced. It’s at those moments, when the music is stripped down to its bare bone sound that EDEN shines the most.

The album at some points shifts to more uptempo, frenetic songs, like “Gold” and “Float,” with mixed success. “Gold” has a familiar guitar thumping sound and adds an extra dimension with synthy plucks and background beats. However, “Float” fails to have the same effect.

While the album does have some gems, “Vertigo” has its struggles.

EDEN is fortunate that his voice carries enough depth to express such a wide spectrum of sorrow.

However, the album’s fundamental problem is that: EDEN keeps playing at the same ideas, so each song sounds similar. The album itself is impressive, but nothing in the album truly stands out. “Vertigo” lacks the variance that EDEN’s older EP’s have. EDEN has a lot of potential, but if he wants to take the next step, he has to make his songs stand out not only from other musicians, but from his own songs.

february 2018

FEATUREs

THE UNioN

13

Be quick before the quake functioned as a reminder for Bay Area residents to be prepared, It was an abrupt trembling; come a disaster.

The Federal Emergency Man­ a warning of something much more threatening that could be agement Agency and the Ameri­ can Red Cross provide thorough coming.

An estimated 9.8 million peo­ guidelines and a checklist to fol­ ple felt a magnitude 4.4 earth­ low before, during, and after an quake that rolled across the Bay earthquake.

Before an earthquake, create Area early morning on Jan. 4, according to the U.S. Geological an earthquake kit to ensure that Survey’s reports. The epicenter you have stored enough supplies of this earthquake was located in to last at least 72 hours. These the areas running along the Hay­ may include provisions such as ward Fault, one which could pro­ non­perishable food items, water, duce a quake with a magnitude medication, hygiene products, 7 or greater. This fault has long blankets, clothes, etc. Practicing been a seismic hazard—trigger­ proper “drop, cover, and hold on” ing the 1989 Loma Prieta and the techniques is critical, and helps 1907 San Francisco earthquakes. foster quick reactions that are However, this was not the only imperative during quakes. Ac­ quake to hit the Bay Area—there tions before an earthquake to se­ have been a number of percep­ cure or remove items that can fall tible earthquakes this January, or become projectiles should be a with USGS estimating the total priority to create spaces, as well as identifying windows or other to be 26.

These include a 3.0 magnitude heavy objects that could fall on temblor 14 miles from San Jose you. Additionally, have a concrete on the seventeenth, and back to communication plan that will back quakes measuring 3.9 and form clarity on matters such as 2.7 near Gilroy on the twenty­ where to seek shelter and where third. The most recent earth­ to meet after an earthquake.

During an earthquake, if you quake, one measuring 2.9 mag­ nitude, was felt near San Jose on are inside, drop and cover and do not proceed to move outdoors Jan. 26.

Although these quakes were until the shaking has complete­ comparatively small, it leads us ly stopped in order to protect to wonder when the next big Cal­ yourself from falling debris.The ifornia earthquake will occur. Earthquake Country Alliance Especially with magnitude 5.0 advises getting as low as possible earthquakes taking place justup to the floor. If you are in bed, use pillows to shield your head and do north in Humboldt County.

The Uniform California earth­ not move; it will be more difficult quake rupture forecast version to avoid hazards and debris at 3 (UCERF3) is a 2013 published night.

When in a vehicle, stop it as report by the United States Ge­ ological Survey (USGS) which quickly and safely as you can— estimates the likelihood of po­ while avoiding buildings, over­ tentially damaging earthquakes passes, telephone poles—and in the state. According to the stay in the vehicle. When the report, the chances of a 7.0 mag­ shaking stops, look around. If the nitude earthquake occurring in building is damaged and there is the state in the next thirty years a clear path to safety, leave the are 93 percent. The most likely building and go to an open space source of such earthquakes will away from damaged areas. If you be the Hayward­ Rodgers Creek aretrapped, do not move about or kick up dust. Check for injuries Fault.

The earthquake has certainly and be prepared for aftershocks.

BY MILI BHATNAGAR

COURTESY OF WILLIAM KERR

Junior William Kerr plays the violin in front of a big audience to raise money for charity. His passion towards the community is shown through his hard work.

Student plays violin for charity

BY ANDREW DINH KELLY NGUYEN

Many students possess a nat­ ural gift for playing musical in­ struments, but few tend to use their talent for the benefit of their community. Junior William Kerr, exhibiting an intense passion­ for the violin, created Bay Area Beats, his own charity, to com­ bine his love for music with his desire to create a positive change.

From a young age, Kerr found beauty in playing violin strings, falling in love with Peter Tchai­ kovsky’s Violin Concerto and drawing influence from his mom’s friend, a professional vio­ linist, Kerr said. Intrigued by the melodious sound of the violin, Kerr started practicing it. How­ ever, learning how to play music was as expensive as it was compli­ cated, Kerr continued.

“The idea for Bay Area Beats came to me in sixth grade,” Kerr said. “I wanted to utilize my mu­ sical passion to give back to the

community.”

His most memorable fundrais­ ing experience was the first time he performed on the streets of Santana Row, Kerr said. Dona­ tions from performances go to­ wards local elementary schools, like John Sinnott Elementary School, Kerr said.

“I noticed there was a lack of funding in musical education from parents, due to the high cost of having a private teacher,” Kerr said. “I hope to also provide free music lessons for elementary and middle schoolers.”

Kerr strives to encourage local children to pursue their passion for violin. Hoping to reach out to those families who are less fortu­ nate, Kerr hopes to provide equal opportunity for quality violin les­ sons.

“Though my vision is still a work in progress, Bay Area Beats is positively impacting children in Silicon Valley,” Kerr said. “I’m excited to spread my passion for music to ambitious youth.”

ANANYA DONAPATI | THE UNION

The display case in the library (left) shares the artwork received from Takezono High School students in Milpitas’ sister city Tsukuba. The artwork (right) features elements of Japanese culture to share with the community in Milpitas.

Sister city art exchange prompts display

BY THEODORE DO

Sure, students of MHS stem from different backgrounds and ethnicities, but most have not had the chance to personally experience the expressions and cultures of outside countries.

Through a simple solution, the MHS Art Club surpassed 5000 miles of water to share a bond with Takezono high school in the city of Tsukuba in Japan. By ex­ changing artwork, the Milpitas and Tsukuba cities were able to strengthen their connections as sister cities.

The exchange was organized

by Ananya Donapati, who had completed a homestay in Japan throughout the past summer.

Among the participants who also sent their artwork were Seniors Sally Seok, and Jenny Yang.

Upon Donapati’s initiation of the project, members of the Art Club sent several artworks to Tsukuba, intending to share it with the school community.

In return, many artworks were sent back, consisting of elegant paintings, drawings, origami, and a Lego structure of a modern building in Japan.“ We wanted to try something new and we thought it would be a great opportunity to exchange our artwork with another school in a different area,” Yang said.

“I thought it was really exciting because I was able to share my artwork with a Japanese student and got the chance to see their different kinds of artwork and art skills; it really amazed me.”

Seok, having never been to Ja­ pan, said that it was a learning ex­ perience to see their lifestyle and works of art. Although she does not plan to become an art major, she finds art to be a fun way to get out of her daily intellectual activ­ ities.

“It was really interesting be­ cause I’ve never been to Japan.

I’ve never seen how they live,and they’ve never seen our lifestyle and our culture,” Seok said.

“Honestly, if we could, it would be really fun to get a whole bunch of countries involved and make it really international, but that’s probably really hard to do.”

This was the first time an art exchange was made with a sister city of Milpitas, Public Informa­ tion Specialist Leslie Stobbe said.

From 1996 to around 2005, there were regular exchanges between Milpitas and a smaller, more ru­ ral city of Japan in the form of cultural exchanges of people vis­ iting, Stobbe explained.

“But Tsukuba did not want to do that,” Stobbe said. “They’re such a large city that they were looking for other ways to express the interest as a sister city.”

The City of Milpitas helped the Art Club by absorbing the cost for mailing, Stobbe explained. It was a simple idea and a little time­ consuming, but it led to a greater understanding between people, cultures, and interests, Stobbe added.

“Even though it’s a relatively small group, there’s a learning and a greater understanding through art that comes with the expressions that people put into their artwork,” Stobbe said. “It was interesting to see the individ­ ual creativity that came from the students. I was just honored to be able to facilitate it.”

Ananya’s dedication to art ex­ change and her genuine excite­ ment of what would come from it was what made it a possibility, Stobbe added.

“I think it’s that individual drive and excitement that real­ ly makes things happen,” Stob­ besaid. “I’m just really pleased with the outcome, and I hope that other students would like to conduct something of this nature with either Huizhou (sister city in China), Dagupan (sister city in the Philippines), or even Tsukuba again.”

The artwork from Tsukuba, Ja­ pan is currently in and in front of the auditorium of the Milpitas Public Library as of Feb. 2, and is open for the public to see.

14

THE UNION

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FEBRUARY 2018

Girl wrestlers head to state meet

BY GRACE CHANG

Two girls on the Varsity girls wrestling team placed in the top four at the Girls Central Coast Sectional tournament and have thus qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation Girls Wrestling Championship tournament. Senior Linden Aly placed third in her weight class of 143 pounds and Senior Arriana Sotto placed third in her weight class of 101 pounds at CCS. The Girls Central Coast Sectional tournament for wrestling was from Feb. 2 to Feb. 3, Aly said. The California Interscholastic Federation’s State Finals for girls wrestling will be held from Feb. 24 to Feb. 25, also according to Aly. “Girls CCS and guys CCS work a little differently because guys have to place top 3, I believe, at league finals to qualify for CCS,” Aly explained.

“For girls CCS, it’s just one girl per weight class that automatically gets to compete.

And the top 3 who place at each weight class for CCS qualify for state,” Aly continued.

Both girls expressed their feelings about going to CCS for the last time.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling going into my last year of CCS,” Aly said. “I remember going in as a freshman simply competing just for the extra experience for my next upcoming years and now I’m here competing as my last year.”

She elaborated that she felt thankful to have the opportunity to even compete for all four years.

“It’s hard to put into words how I feel having the opportunity to go to state because I honestly never thought I’d be able to do it. I just

feel at ease because I’ve sacrificed a lot, not only this season, but my past 3 years for this sport and I’m just grateful it was all worth it,” Aly said.

Sotto shares the same excitement for the opportunity to be able to wrestle at the California Interscholastic Federation’s State finals. While she is excited to wrestle at state, she is also nervous at the same time because of how big the tournament is.

“Qualifying for State and being able to wrestle at State is one of my biggest accomplishments because never did I think that I’d be able to get this far in wrestling,” she explained.

Sotto shares her advice for future wrestlers. “Wrestle your heart out for any match you have and take any opportunity that you have to wrestle because it’s high school and who knows when the next time you wrestle would be,” she said.

She continues that, for anyone trying to reach a goal, they need to really believe in themselves in order to reach their goal.

“It won’t be easy achieving your goal because there will be many obstacles, but in the end it’ll all be worth it. Keep your head up no matter what,” Sotto said.

Aly shared her advice, which is to have patience. “Everything takes time, have dedication and strong determination because things are possible,” Aly continued.

It is important to remember to stay humble and be grateful for what you have, she said. “We all started somewhere and anything at any moment could be taken away so don’t take advantage of what you have, remember all the things you have around you,” Aly said.

Albrecht paints Sharks, Warriors

BY LOAN-ANH PHAM

He paints and he scores!

Teacher Jeff Albrecht’s paintings of various athletes of the Warriors and Sharks team are amongst numerous other paintings that he has done over the course of a long art career.

Currently, Albrecht’s works include two non-commissioned pieces of Warriors team members Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

Both pieces are pops of color and radiate the players’ energy through their fierce expressions.

“I have done things for the 49ers; the owner Jed York has got a painting of mine in his personal collection; the NFL’s David Akers, I have done several paintings for him,” Albrecht noted.

Albrecht’s roots have always been in Milpitas: first as a student of MHS, then as a Ceramics teacher for 16 years. “[It’s] why I teach here,” Albrecht noted, “I wouldn’t teach anywhere else.”

In fact, MHS was the scene of Albrecht’s initial debut as an artist and where he got his first commissions. Among these are a flower shop logo of a teddy bear holding a heart-shaped rose, a painting of twin sailboats in the sunset, and various t-shirts airbrushed with different designs.

“I would do a shirt for myself,” Albrecht reminisced, “And then you’re pretty much a walking billboard.”

As the years went on, Albretcht’s fame in the art world increased dramatically. Today, even a call from the San Jose Sharks asking for a portrait of the Sharks goaltender Martin Jones isn’t a first-time occurence.

“The San Jose Sharks had asked me a couple weeks ago if I would do a painting for them that they could auction off for their biggest fundraising night of the year,”

Albrecht explained, “I did [Joe] Pavelski for them, their team captain, a couple years ago,” The process is fairly simple: the team sends Albrecht some action shots of the subject for the portrait, and Albrecht creates a layout of the images to start painting. After three to four painting sessions (about 3-4 hours each), Albrecht is ready to send the painting off to his Los Angeles publishing house.

“They do a high resolution scan of it to turn it into a reproduction,” Albrecht noted, “Then, they get shipped to my studio, I hand highlight each one… so there are no two that are the same in the world.”

Each of Albrecht’s unique reproductions are numbered out of a series, signed, and ready to sell. Yet, the process isn’t so cut and dry; these reproductions are meaningful for each client and Albrecht makes sure that many of them go to a good cause.

“What typically happens is when [clients] buy artwork, especially when it is original or something that is special… it’s a heartfelt thing for them,” Albrecht said, “I love to see people’s faces light up.”

This year’s Sharks’ portrait of Jones will go to their biggest fundraising night of the year.

Proceeds from the night will go to various causes for children in sports, as well as raising funds for those that lost their homes in the recent wildfires.

“Last time, they raised $300,000 or $400,000 in one minute,” Albrecht said, “I’m honored to be part of those projects.”

Albrecht’s works can be purchased on jeffgallery.com, and he can be followed on Instagram @artistalbrecht.

SPORTS

THE UNION

15

Eye on the Track: Football celebrates state win

ANDREW DINH THE UNION

The football team celebrates its status as state champions by cheering with their trophy on Jan. 20. The marching band played prior to the ceremony and Mayor Rich Tran gave a speech commending the athletes.

MHS alumnus comes to coach JV badminton team

BY THEODORE DO

A new badminton coach has been hired to coach the JV team, Varsity Badminton Coach Jerell Maneja said. The recently hired JV Badminton Coach Felix Lieu, is an alumnus of MHS, Maneja said.

Lieu had been part of the MHS badminton team when he was in high school, Maneja explained.

His past experience as part of the team will help him guide the players, Maneja added.

“He has the experience of the system that we follow and he has

the passion for the sport that could be a positive influence for the JV team,” Maneja said.

Lieu looks forward to working with the badminton team to help them with their future competitions, Lieu said.

“The sport meant a lot to me while I was in high school, and I’d like to be a part of somebody else’s experience,” Lieu said.

A player’s passion and experience through practices and competitions are what make the player and ultimately the team successful, he said.

“It takes dedication and hard

work from both athletes and coaches, Lieu said. “[It involves] an open mind, pushing [through] limits and trying new things.”

In order to become a coach, Lieu had to go through a strict regimen of classes, Maneja said.

Maneja feels that the team will continue to find success, Maneja also added.

“We’ve been in the lower league for some time, but two years ago, we had our first year in the upper league and we came out with a winning record,” Maneja said. “I anticipate seeing us build off of that success from last year.”

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