The Union - Milpitas High School - April 2013 by MHS The Union

E D I TO R I A L 3

UN I O N

O PI N I O N S 4

APRIL 2013

Volume XXV Issue V

F E AT U R E S 6

T HE

LIFEST YLE 8

E N T E R TA I N M E N T 11

S P O R T S 15

MHSTHEUNION.NET For the latest updates

STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL

TR OJAN OLYMPICS S CORES 2013

2014

2015

2016

“Doomsday”

“Cirque du Merveille”

“Peter Pan”

“All that Jazz”

TICKET SALES

1st

3rd

4th

DECORATIONS

4th

1st

3rd

2nd

DANCE

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

PIZZA DELIVERY JUMP ROPE RELAY

WHIZZING WHEELBARROWS

FROZEN T-SHIRT

W 1st

3rd

FISHY WOBBLE WALK THREE-LEGGED RACE MUSICAL CHAIRS MANIA

BALLOON POP RELAY

2nd

4th

L L

1st

4th

2nd

3rd

SACK HOP

TUG OF WAR

3rd

2nd

1st

4th

BASKETBALL RELAY

SKATEBOARD DERBY

1st

CRAB CRAWL

L 2nd

4th

3rd L

SKY WALK

LEAP FROG

W 4th

2nd

EGG FLING

1st

2nd

OVER-UNDERTHROUGH

BUNNY CONES

3rd

2nd

1st

4th

PYRAMID

4th

1st

3rd

2nd

SPORTSMANSHIP

1st

3rd

2nd

4th

TOTAL POINTS

445

395

305

195

LeAnn Woo | THE UNION

Junior Jake Pham (left) races against Sophomore Jette Villanueva (right) and other participants in the ‘Skateboard Derby’ during Friday’s festivities. The junior team placed second, while sophomores came in third.

Seniors triumph at Trojan Olympics BY YING LUO

Trojan Olympics (T.O.) was held on Friday, March 29 at the large gym from 7 to 9 p.m., according to Activities Director Joanna Butcher. This competition began in 1999, Butcher confirmed, and since then has become an annual tradition. Seniors placed first with a total of 445 points, juniors followed suit with 395 points, sophomores with 305 points, and freshmen concluded the night with 195 points, Butcher affirmed. The competition was fairly close this year, Butcher continued. “T.O. is an opportunity to demonstrate school spirit, healthy com-

petition, some school pride, and memories,” Butcher said. “The sportsmanship [this year] was really positive among the four classes.” Senior Class President Cheverlyn Casta was proud to finally have won the trophy after four years, Casta stated. She felt every class proved to be a formidable opponent. “We spent the whole month of March, as well as February, [planning],” Casta said. “I was at school every day after school until five or six.” While the seniors did not have a specific strategy, Casta said that the seniors’ strength lied in their performance in their dance and games. Her favorite part is the feeling of familial

N EWS IN BR IEF Spring Break approaches in second week of April Spring Break will be from April 8 to April 12. School will resume on Monday, April 15. STAR testing week to commence in April STAR testing will begin on Wednesday, April 17. English will be on April 17, math on April 18, social studies on April 23, science on April 24, and 10th grade life science on April 25. The school’s goal is a 850 API score.

Ying Luo | THE UNION

Trojan Olympics comprised of 20 events, ticket sales, and campus decorations. ‘W’ signifies a win and ‘L’ symbolizes a loss. The seniors won overall.

T.O. selection processes questioned for fairness BY DAN LUO

Trojan Olympics (T.O.) drawings have been rigged in previous years, Associated Student Body (A.S.B.) Vice President Alexander Pham said. “Rigging” occurred when class officers would crumple pieces of paper with names of potential T.O. participants whom they wanted on the team during drawings. A.S.B. officers took precautions this year to make sure that rigging would not be possible, according to Pham. In previous years, students were allowed to turn in their slips themselves; this would allow the students to crumple up their papers which would affect their chances of being picked out of the box. “There are rumors about rigging every year, and it was actually rigged last year,” Pham affirmed. “However, this year the A.S.B. classes—which are supposed to be impartial—printed

and cut out each of the tickets themselves and put them in the box themselves.” A.S.B. officers also monitored the drawings themselves to make sure no student would receive an unfair advantage during drawing, according to Pham. However, some current T.O. policies that are in place might be considered “rigging” as well. “Each team is allowed to reserve six spots for people they want on the team,” Senior Class Advisor Lauren Byler said. “For example, if you have someone who knows how to do stunts, you want them on your team so they can teach you how to perform stunts safely.” Junior Class Advisor Letta Meyer added that the six people are chosen by class officers. If a person with a reserved spot is chosen during the drawing process, he or she may give up the spot to another potential team participant, Meyer added.

togetherness, according to Casta. Freshman Class President Krupa Patel also found the weeks leading up to T.O. to be stressful. Officers and participants struggled to find balance among school, sports, and T.O. activities, Patel stated. “[T.O.] was nothing like I imagined,” Patel said. “People always hear about it and see videos, though until they actually go to the event and support their team or participate as a team member they haven’t experienced the real deal.” Patel is proud of her class did, she said. Class of 2016’s accomplishments would have been impossible without their advisors, she concluded.

Andrea Wang | THE UNION

Sophomore Andrew Luu submitted a robot arm for his science fair project. The arm received first place in the Science Fair held on March 14 and 15.

First science fair hosted BY BRENDA SU

Science Club hosted the first MHS Science Fair on Thursday, March 14 and Friday, March 15. The purpose was to promote science and encourage more students to engage in independent scientific study, according to Science Club President Ivy Pham. 123 students entered 66 projects in total, according to Pham. Judges included MHS science teachers, and Science Club contacted businesses to donate prizes, Pham said. Principal Kenneth Schlaff donated money as well, Pham continued. “We had five first, five second, and 10 third place winners, with nice prizes, certificates and trophies, and every participant got a 1GB USB,”

Pham said. “The five judges used a rubric to judge the projects on [scientific approach, presentation, and research], and then we averaged the results for everyone and took the highest points as the winners.” Students could enter in anything related to science, according to Science Club Vice President Forrest Tran. Some students turned in experiments, others submitted research projects, and some even presented physics demonstrations, Tran said. Around 17 students entered in the construction challenge that took place at the Science Fair, Tran added. Juniors Albert Vu and Raymond Khau took first place, and winners received toolboxes and flashlights donated by Home Depot, Tran said.

Vietnamese Student Association hosts cultural show The VSA show will be held on Saturday, April 6 in the MHS theater. The day show will be held during all six periods on Friday, April 5. Annual MHS Art Show to be held in small gym The MHS Art show will be held in the small gym from May 21 to 24. The show will feature artwork from students enrolled in art classes, teachers’ works, and a demonstration by Ceramics Teacher Jeffrey Albrecht. Community service forms due for seniors For seniors, community service forms, with 150 hours, are due to P-10 by 4:00 p.m. on April 19 to receive the maroon cord for graduation. 20 hours are due by 4:00 p.m. on May 3 in order to graduate. Teachers selected as Teachers of the Year Teachers Kathleen Conradson, Nathan Dixon, and Leighann McCready were chosen.

T HE U NION

APRIL 2013

NEWS

Comp sci class added to curriculum BY GIANG HA

Courtesy of MHS Seniors

Three MHS seniors, who wish to remain anonymous, jump into the ocean at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz. They ditched on March 15.

Ditch days occur annually;

An Introduction to Computer Science class will be offered starting the 2013-2014 school year at MHS, according to Principal Kenneth Schlaff. The class was provided to offer students a chance for a teacherinstructed computer science, rather than an online, course, Schlaff said. This class will be offered during zero period, which is from 7 a.m. to whenever the bell rings, and will only last one semester, according to Schlaff. The class will be a part of a two-year rotation between Introduction to Computer Science and Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science, so students in the Introduction to Computer Science class will then take AP Computer Science the next year, Schlaff said. The AP Computer Science course will be a full-year course, Schlaff said. Unlike the online AP Computer Science course offered now, this new course will be taught by an actual teacher, according to Schlaff. “The person from industry will come in for the content knowledge … so [Ms. Hutchinson] will learn the content, but at the same time you have a

credentialed teacher that’s in there.” The class will be open to 10th, 11th and 12th graders, according to Schlaff. It will count as an elective, and still needs to be approved by the University of California, according to Schlaff. Those who take this class, however, are still limited to only six classes, Schlaff said. Students in this class will have class from zero to fifth period, with a sixth period open, Schlaff said. “They cannot have seven periods because that is unfair to anybody else,” Schlaff said. When asked if students can take a class only offered in sixth period with the zero period computer science class, Schlaff responded, “You will have to choose between one or the other, just like you do in life. You cannot have both.” The zero-period computer science class will be offered in conjunction with the already existing online AP Computer Science Class, Schlaff said. The online AP class is funded through the district, and can be cut at any time, and the zero period class may have problems, such as instruction, so having both provides insurance, according to Schlaff. The class, however, is still only

seniors absent in classes DECA advances to international BY JAMIE LAM

This year’s senior ditch days took place on March 8 and 15, according to Principal Kenneth Schlaff. As per usual, messages were sent out to parents to prevent seniors from cutting class, Schlaff said. The MHS administration finds out when senior ditch days are planned through the “eyes and ears of students and teachers,” Schlaff said. When word gets out that a senior ditch day is going to happen, Connect Messages are sent out to parents to warn them that their students’ absences can be considered as cuts, Schlaff said. “Seniors already have the option of having senior opens, university studies, and TA positions, and when they have those positions, they are already not in a ‘class’,” Schlaff said. “[Senior Ditch Days] are not necessary at all.” Attendance Secretary Jan Spearman agreed with Schlaff in that there was “no such thing” as senior ditch day. Spearman was in charge

of receiving messages from parents excusing their students on March 8. “I received 130 messages from parents on March 8,” Spearman said. “I had to send 120 messages home to inform parents that their students were at risk of getting a cut.” As of 10 a.m. on March 15, Spearan said she had received 63 messages from parents. Messages continued coming in throughout the day, Spearman said. On regular school days, the attendance secretaries receive 30 messages at most from parents, Spearman said. Attendance Secretary Lori Louie expressed her concern on how parents were willing to call in for students so they could have a day off. A student in the class of 2008 was paralyzed from the neck down when they took a trip to Santa Cruz on senior ditch day, according to Louie. Students have had accidents happen in the past, Louie said. “Parents would feel so guilty if something happened to their child,” Louie said.

AP Chemistry exam updated BY RACHEL ALVELAIS

Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry class will change next year to reflect revisions made on the AP examination, a Collegeboard website said. Some of the changes include the allowance of calculators during the free response portion and elimination of colligative properties from the test, the website said. In a move toward inquiry-based learning, the new AP Chemistry curriculum will encourage application of scientific concepts through labs, Collegeboard said. Teachers will delve deeper into topics as amount of content tested has bee reduced, the website said. AP Chemistry Teacher Letta Meyer will be attending a conference in August to learn more about the revision. She does not know how much MHS’s AP Chemistry course will change because it is already inquiry-based, Meyer said. Changes were catalyzed by a variety of factors, Meyer said. One of them being that some colleges no longer allow students who have scored well on the AP test to place out of freshman chemistry, according to Meyer. “Many times you can go in and petition the department head or chair to be able to get any credit,” Meyer said. “They’ll give you the credit, but most-

ly it’s general education credit, and if you’re doing a chemistry major most of them want you to go through their program from start to finish.” The AP Biology class at MHS underwent a similar change last year, AP Biology Teacher Darra Cacao said. Like AP Chemistry, many universities do not accept AP Biology students to place out of their first college biology classes. “I think the change came because so many people were failing the entry-level college class,” Cacao said. “A lot of college biology departments weren’t accepting the class anymore, because so many people were unprepared.” MHS Class of 2011 Alumnus Michael Nguyen took AP Chemistry in his junior year. Although he is pursuing a degree in computer engineering, he is currently finishing the chemistry series at his college. “I didn’t take any chemistry classes my freshman year,” Nguyen said in an online interview. “I thought I would have forgotten everything, but I earned an A last quarter. Throughout the year so far, I haven’t been taking any notes at all.” He attributes his success to the AP Chemistry course at MHS, according to Nguyen. The background knowledge he acquired prepared him for his college courses, Nguyen said.

BY VANESSA YEH

MHS DECA was represented by 20 members who competed at the California State Career Development Conference (SCDC), according to President Caryn Tran. The competition was located at the Santa Clara Marriott and Santa Clara Hyatt Convention Center from Feb. 28 to March 1, Tran continued. Only Tran placed in the top four, placing third in Retail Merchandising Individual Series, Tran stated. Other members who placed in the top eight of their respective events are Freshman Misbah Surani and Juniors Amy Zhao and Brenda Su, Tran said. “DECA ... is very business-oriented, centered on marketing, finance, and hospitality and tourism,” Zhao said. “Through this organization, students are exposed to real-world scenarios in these sectors and gain experience handling these situations.” Zhao initially placed sixth in Business Finance Individual Series, competing against 50 other people, Zhao continued. Su competed against 80 other people and placed in the Apparel and Accessories Marketing Individual Series. Surani competed in

the Principles of Business Management and Administration Individual Series, Zhao further mentioned. Surani, Zhao, and Su were individuals who were bumped up after having initially placed within the top eight to compete at The International Career Development Conference (ICDC), Surani said. “ICDC will take place in Anaheim, California, this year,” Zhao said. “It will be from Apr. 24 to Apr. 27 this year, which is also during prom.” This is Surani’s first year in DECA. Surani’s success was due to her efforts in preparing for the competition and all the help she received from the DECA upperclassmen, Surani explained. “I’m preparing for ICDC mainly through an online course called Competition University,” Surani said. “Whether I win or not, ICDC will definitely be an experience I will cherish forever.” This is Su’s second year competing at ICDC, Su said. “I got to meet people from all over the world. This year, I hope to place at ICDC, ” Su said. “I placed top 20 last year. But no matter how I do this year, I know I will be happy.”

EYE ON CAMPUS

Sidney Le | THE UNION

The Trojan mascot and students dance to the Harlem Shake on the green on March 7. About 80 students participated during this lunchtime activity.

conjecture, Schlaff said. “We don’t know if we’re part of the program yet,” Schlaff said. “I’m waiting to hear back from the program, and then I will work out the logistics.” When she heard about the zero period computer science course, Sophomore Amy Nguyen expressed a lack of interest. The fact that it is offered during zero period already dissuades students because they would have to wake up early, Nguyen reasoned. Junior Christopher Banh liked the fact that more computer science courses are being offered. Computer science should be taught in the classroom—not online, according to Banh. “Our school definitely should have more computer science classes ,” Banh said. “Since computers and other similar technology [are] being used more and more.” Funding for this class will be pulled out of the school fund, according to Schlaff. The program offering this course is called TEALS, which is an industry organization sponsored by Microsoft, and utilizes people to provide instruction, Schlaff said.

After signing an agreement in 2011, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast as well as other major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will finally begin implementing their “six strikes” system. According to the New York Times, the plan is meant to persuade people to stop breaking copyright laws by issuing warnings and slowing down their internet connection speed. This plan was created by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and it is finally being put in to action now that they have convinced the major ISPs to cooperate. According to the British Broadcasting Company, the plan was delayed several times, but the first warning letters have finally been sent out in early 2013. After several warnings, if users still do not comply with the rules, the companies will begin slowing down your connection. They may even forcefully redirecting your searches until you call the company. Many of the students either have Comcast or AT&T as their internet service provider. Senior Jonathan Nguyen has Comcast as his ISP, but he also claims to have a friend who received a letter. “A friend of mine got a letter from Comcast after he torrented,” Nguyen said. “I do not want to reveal his name for confidential reasons. The purpose of these letters is to educate the public, according to the companies sending them. They stated that they would not forcibly shut down someone’s internet connection, but that they wanted people to be aware that they were breaking the law, and hopefully convince people to cease in their actions. Senior William Yap also had an opinions on the subject of torrenting. Yap acknowledges that torrenting is stealing, but has some reservations about the involvement of ISPs.. “For reasons, I’m conflicted about the whole matter,” Yap said. “I don’t see why ISPs are concerned over the whole torrenting business.”

APRIL 2013

T HE U NION

EDITORIAL

EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

School elections lack candidates, relevance; student participation would improve school We, The Union, believe that the infrastructure of MHS’ Associated Student Body (A.S.B.) can be changed to improve the prevailing problem of having uncontested candidates in student body elections. For the past two years, elections have become increasingly irrelevant due to a lack of people running for office. As it is, student elections are a waste of time. It is pointless to ask students to vote or even participate in the election process when it is blatantly clear who will win. There is supposedly a rule in the school constitution stating that two-thirds of the student population must vote for a candidate regardless of whether the candidate having no opponents. But for two years in a row, A.S.B. has failed to recruit multiple contenders for many positions. Not only does that belittle the value and power behind the position, it mocks the work and effort behind holding office in our school’s student government. The question that arises is: Why don’t more people run for office? A possible reason may be that in order to serve in a position, the candidate is required to take Leadership as a class period, taking up fifth period. Many students who are hardworking, dedicated, and have the appropriate leadership skills are high achieving students who would rather be spending their fifth period in core class or Advanced Placement (A.P.) class that would make their transcript more competitive. With our school having transitioned to a weighted grade-point-average (G.P.A.) scale, Leadership and any non-honors/A.P. classes can depreciate a student’s G.P.A.

One solution to this problem is to make Leadership a pass/non-pass zero-period “Student Government” class. Then, not only will involved students get recognition of their hard work without hurting their G.P.A., but they will also not have to juggle their class schedules to take all of their desired courses. Another reason for few students campaigning for office is the lack of transparency in the current A.S.B. elections. Current officers are chosen by vote, attendance, and teacher evaluations; however only the popular vote process is emphasized and explained to the student body . While current officers may be chosen based upon deserving qualifications, it seems as if their outward appeal to the student body is their only qualification. Popular vote chooses the candidate people like most, not the best leader, making the position seem trivial. We believe that, like many other schools, the election process should include student debates to introduce candidates to the school. Also, we feel that G.P.A., attendance, past leadership experience, and current teacher evaluations should be factored publicly into the election system so that students have a better idea who they are voting for. These improvements would show that candidates and office holders are qualified and competent, adding value to the position itself. With the current numbers of candidates, there is a misrepresentation of the student population in A.S.B. Changes to improve this problem should be implemented quickly so it does not occur again in the years to come.

PATRONS

he Union is a student-run publication that is partially funded by local businesses and private citizens. The patrons listed below have demonstrated their generosity by extending both moral and financial support to our newspaper for the 2012-2013 school year. The Union staff would like to thank them for their patronage and encourage others to contribute. If you are interested in becoming a patron ($25 donation), please contact our Business Manager. Republic Services Jerry Glass D.D.S. and Staff Calaveras Montessori School Inc. Crescent Montesorri Mayor José and Susan Esteves Denny and Marianne Weisgerber Alan L. Grimm, D.D.S. Giorgio’s Italian Food & Pizzeria Thrive Milpitas - Dr. Kauffman Milpitas Rotary Club Luis Descanzo Milpitas Public Library

UNION THE

STA FF

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

LeAnn Woo Cindy Wu

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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Editors-in-Chief

Ying Luo • News Editor Brenda Su • Asst. News Editor Arthur Tran • Op-Ed Editor Sheldon Hentschke • Asst. Op-Ed Editor Marisa Louie • Features Editor Martin Yao • Asst. Features Editor Giang Ha • Sports Editor Alanna Tran • Asst. Sports Editor Lillian Kao • Entertainment Editor Sidney Le • Asst. Entertainment Editor Kimberly Vo • Lifestyle Editor Vivian Dinh• Asst. Lifestyle Editor Caryn Tran • Spread Editor Catherine Frey • Copy Editor Jamie Lam • Asst. Copy Editor Alicia Nguyen • Asst. Copy Editor Dan Luo • Web Editor Jimmy Nguyen • Asst. Web Editor Rachel Alvelais • Photo Editor Nicklaus Wu • Asst. Photo Editor Andrea Wang • Business Manager Andrew Hoang • Asst. Business Manager Karen Chi • Ad Manager Jonathan Ngo • Asst. Ad Manager Ruiting qin • Reporter Cindy Wang • Reporter Moshe Yang • Reporter Vanessa Yeh • Reporter

Jeff Colburn

Journalism Advisor

L ETTER S TO TH E EDITOR ‘Confessions pages’ lack integrity; Internet culture reaches new nadir

Since first gaining popularity in January of this year, Facebook Confessions pages have spread like wildfire. The pages serve as an outlet for students to voice their deepest secrets with their peers anonymously, allowing people to get things off of their chest, shielded by the ultimate anonymity of the Internet. What may seem as an innocent method of sharing school yard secrets is in fact far and away the most baffling, frustrating, and brainless entity I have ever encountered in the wide world of Facebook and possibly social media as a whole. The first in my enumerated list of problems is quite simply the fact that a hefty 90% of the posts on the page are not confessions. Most are just statements. A confession implies that the confession itself is the result of another action. IE “I stole the cookies from the cookie jar.” There is a problem (someone stole the cookies) and a resolution (I stole them). Saying something like “Those rude people that bump into u in passing period and expect YOU to say sorry by giving u a dirty look. Uh no I dont think so”

(Confession #56) is in no way a confession. Nothing is divulged by you saying that. But incorrect grammar and a liberal use of the word “confession” is without a doubt Milpitas HS Confessions’ smallest problem. The thing that frustrates me the most is the false sense of accomplishment that it seems most submitters have. Posts range from professing your love to a fellow classmate to coming out as a homosexual. While I understand that some of these things, mainly the latter, can be life changing moments, submitting them to an anonymous confession page does no one any good. No one knows who you are and your shocking reveal isn’t quite so shocking when you are a nameless, faceless collection of words popping up on someone’s Newsfeed. In fact, this can actually have a resounding negative effect because submissions frequently are soliciting advice. Asking someone how to chart the course of your actions who is likely just as lost and confused as you are is absolutely the wrong thing to do. But it doesn’t stop there! Numerous posts consist of cowardly passive aggressive nagging rather than at least telling even the most banal of secrets. Plus there seems to a penchant for

lies. Of course it being anonymous and completely consequence free, it’s no surprise that a submission that seems untrue will creep in, but it just further compromises the integrity of an already integrity-less institution. Speaking of false senses, most spectators have a false sense of superiority. Commenters are endlessly making quips and judgments of the people confessing. Internet anonymity is a two way street and if you aren’t going to put yourself forward as a real human person, you can expect people to treat you that way, which results in people making fun of the submitters. I guarantee that if people knew who they were talking to they would act with a lot more respect rather than be elitist and look down upon the people who could be their close friends. I also find it a bit depressing that the most liked and also most acclaimed item on the page is a story about a boy peeing in the girls’ bathroom and having to escape some weed-smoking girls also occupying the bathroom; it has so far received 2,166 likes which is about two and half times more than the page itself has received. As humanity socially rushes deeper and deeper into the recesses of the Internet and anonymity, the last thing

we need is a platform for people to hide behind and spew their lies, passive aggression, and non-problems. Hopefully this will burn out and die like the horrible fad it is before it makes a permanent stain on the face of human social interaction.

Riley Leggin Class of 2013

Americans blindly support country, unwilling to accept differing views

One of the things Americans are known for is our love of our country, The United States of America. Often times this attitude presents itself most strongly when it comes to foreign policy. I’ve met plenty of students who behave as though every action the USA enacts abroad is infallible and if someone from another nation dislikes what we’re doing abroad then they must be stupid or ignorant. The truth, however, is individuals from other nations have very valid reasons to dislike the American government and everything it stands for. How could they not hate us, when we send drones into their country and displace them when we obliterate their homes with bombs. How could

they not hate us, when drone strikes or soldiers kill their families. Now you might be saying “But I didn’t agree to that” or “But I didn’t want that to happen, so how could they hate me I just live in this country, I don’t always get a say in what happens”, and you’d be right but they didn’t necessarily agree with whatever happened to make our soldiers storm their borders. The anger goes both ways: if innocent civilians here are allowed to hate an entire nation for what a few individuals did then so are they. In my opinion it’s wrong to judge an entire country for the doings of its government or extremists, but it is also my opinion that we need to hold them accountable for their actions. Behaving as if we are an infallible country is preventing us, as a country, from moving forward socially and politically. If we look at our nation objectively we can finally deal with issues that have been plaguing our country for years. It might also inspire you get politically active and stand up for what you believe is morally right. This stand for all aspects of our nation, not just foreign policy but America as a society as well.

Rebecca Ceuppens

Class of 2013

T HE UNION

PRO

Rallies create positive energy; give students important bonds Every few months, the A.S.B. class but it’s a little thing that can make and others work hard to put together school better. When students know a rally for the students at this school. they are a part of something, they Why the complaints? Rallies are sim- will be more likely to contribute to it, ply a fun showcase of the many tal- allowing growth in a community of ents at this school and are important students at this school who are proud in maintaining a sense of MHS pride. and happy to be here. Let’s say rallies are a waste of time Rallies are important because of that could otherwise be spent learn- how much work that goes into them. ing. Rallies do not take away that They are a student-created event, much time—give or take a few min- and as students, it seems in our duty utes from each class. The to support our fellow stuschedule does not detract dents. much learning time, mostThe A.S.B. class spends ly just removing SSR; but months planning the ralwe know you aren’t readlies. Other students paring anyways. ticipate such as the dance The schedule is often class, band members and helpful for some classes singers. Without them, through the hour-long pemany talents would not riod. Teachers often plan be showcased. Hard work certain agendas on these would go to waste if rallies days with the knowledge were, let’s say, optional. KIMBERLY of an extra-long period, Awards such as the JefVO useful in learning things ferson award and recognithat may otherwise have tion are given and presentnot fit on the schedule. ed during rallies. Students Sure, there isn’t much of an educa- are rewarded for their hard work, tional value. The main purpose of ral- and that should be acknowledged by lies is to garner school spirit. Given by the student body—if not to motivate how pumped up students are during themselves than just as support. them what with the stomping and Also, without these mandatory deafening screaming, it seems that events, the school would not be able rallies successfully do just that. to raise money as easily at one time as Without rallies, there would not be in using the duct tape method of goa better way to express this excite- ing down the audience. Rallies are adment, and it would be harder to show ditionally useful to transmit informaspirit. Rallies are a glue that holds to- tion to the student body at one time. gether a sense of pride within a class So when rally time does roll around, and, overall, of our school. think about having an open mind School itself can bring about nega- and take in the work of the students tive attitudes. Rallies bring together around you. Rather than complain all students and provide a sense of about it being pointless or not enjoycommunity and togetherness. able, think of the work that went into School spirit may not be the most it. If it still bothers you so much, do important thing to have at the school, something to change it.

CON

School spirit forced on students; optional rallies appeal to many Every time the Associated Student no. I’m not trying to say that rallies Body, otherwise known as A.S.B., are terrible and serve no purpose or organizes a rally, the question of that education is the only important whether students should or should thing that exists in this world, but if not be forced to attend the rally aris- they are not serving as a catalyst for es. I, along with I believe is a majority student learning while students are of MHS, believe that students have at school, why should students be been unnecessarily forced to attend forced to attend them? rallies. Even if you don’t buy the aforeBefore I get into the reasons why mentioned arguments, if a majority I am taking this stance, I of students are on their want to make it clear that phones texting, browsthis is not, and will not, be ing through Facebook, an attack on A.S.B.’s abiltalking to their friends, ity to organize and host complaining about the a an entertaining rally. rally, or doing nothing This will simply be why all during the rally, what’s students deserve a choice the point in forcing them when it comes to attending to be there? Even if you a rally. feel compelled to force The problem with rallies students to attend the ralis that they do not have ly, what could they possiJONATHAN any other purpose besides bly get out of it besides a NGO trying to build school spirfalse sense of class pride? it. I’m not trying to imply Nothing. school spirit is a terrible thing, but Of course there are always the indistudents should not be forced to par- viduals who love school spirit and are ticipate in an event that tries to build willing to paint their faces, scream at school spirit. If we mandate that the top of their lungs, or run around students must attend rallies to build in silly outfits throughout the week to school spirit, it creates something support their class. However, at the called a slippery slope. Can we then same time there are an even greater mandate that students must attend number of individuals at this school the homecoming football game, Tro- who just don’t care about school spirjan Olympics, noontime games, or it or anything that involves it. This is other spirit building events? exactly why attending rallies should Rallies are also lacking in educa- always be a choice. tional value. Do rallies assist stuAt the end of the day, will going to a dents in grasping core concepts in rally kill me? Am I losing that much Science or Mathematics? Do rallies class time? No and No. However, do improve study habits? Do rallies help I feel like I’m being forced to waste prepare students for the California my time pretending I have spirit? Standards Test (CST)? The answer to Yes. Should you feel the same way? both of these questions is an absolute Absolutely yes.

OPINIONS

APRIL 2013

College acceptance posts clutter social media Joy, anger, excitement, disappointment. There is a variety of emotions experienced by seniors receiving their college admission notifications. Rejected, they may be saddened and feel hopeless for the remainder of the year. Accepted, they may be optimistic and oddly cheerful about their academic achievement. With so much to bank on college admissions, seniors strap themselves in an emotional roller coaster bound for dips and ascensions. For the ones who succeed in the lottery, however, it seems they are compelled to share their happiness on social networking sites, namely Facebook. Their posts are full of the ‘feels,’ using capital letters and acronyms to make it obvious that they are indeed happy to have been accepted. Some add in a more vivid description of their reaction, because obviously the image of “I AM SOBBING TEARS RIGHT NOW” gains sympathy “likes.” It wasn’t enough for me to address my opinion in the last issue regarding seniors seeking recommendation letters in poor fashion. Now we experience the aftermath; let us dismiss all the effort put into applications and focus solely on who got into what col-

lege based on the intermittent posts the clacking of a keyboard, one can on our news feeds that are always, easily “share” the happiness. As for undoubtedly, updating. the freshmen, sophomores, and juShould we care? Do we care niors, the entire show is irrelevant enough? Do they even unless one is close friends want us to care? As I look with the college-bound, at these posts before me, I wind-up student bouncing cannot help but wonder, as around the house. an audience: what can we Secondly, the attempt to do? Our options seem limmaintain positivity during ited to: A. “liking” the post, college lottery season and B. commenting with a makes everyone assume supportive message. And emotional overflow in the proof is in the pudding, place of elitism. Sure it is as Facebook is riddled great that you have made with seniors’ posts gaining it into your dream colMARTIN 100+ likes and repeated lege, but rather than being YAO comments of “Congratuproud, I should be equally lations” and “I knew you likely to regard your post would get in.” as ignorant. That’s right, Well this is certainly boring. First typical, run-of-the-mill, American off, how are we supposed to feel genuine, U.S. grade arrogance. And about another person’s admission? this would be fine if we were to see Certainly there is no small print in an equal number of rejection posts, each status instructing us on how to but sadly, we are forced to scroll past conduct ourselves, the audience. It a mind-numbing amount of accepseems only natural for most seniors tance stories no one needs to hear to be initially envious and aghast; giv- about. Wake me up when we finally en high school’s competitive nature, see rejection posts (OMG FINALLY it would not be surprising for seniors GOT REJECTED!) equally ecstatic to house jealousy towards their peer’s as the ones we see today. success. By the click of a mouse and

Name limit for graduation readers unfair Graduation is supposed to be a bit- thirty names at the past graduations. tersweet moment filled with anticiWhat happens if a senior goes up pation and excitement as we seniors to their favorite teacher and asks take the next step of our them to read their name, lives and leave high school. and the teacher responds, Naturally, we want some“Oh sorry, I already have one important to read our thirty.” Then they need to name at graduation. We find someone else? That’s want someone who we ridiculous. But let’s say have bonded with over the student then goes and the course of four years finds someone else to ask, and someone who underbut what does that teachstood the hardships we er say? “I’m not reading went through to read our names, sorry.” names. And that’s only if you’re VANESSA We want someone who lucky enough to even find YEH stuck with us for almost a second choice. Bonding a year if not more and with teachers is not as someone who we would easy as it sounds, and for be happy with reading our name at some students, we’re only close to a graduation with pride. This year, handful of teachers. Since there althe graduation name reading lim- ready are a grouping of teachers who its teachers to read only 30 names. volunteer to read names at graduaThat’s less than one classroom size. tion, our choices are already limited. The limitation on the number of As trivial as it may sound to some students each teacher can read now – “it’s only reading a name at gradis unfair to the student. There are uation, anyone can do it” – some of many popular teachers at MHS, most these teachers we have had the opof which have read over an average of portunity of learning from are truly

inspiring, helpful, and supportive. They’ve guided us through the year we had them, and as we go back to visit them in their classroom, they welcome us with open arms. They still care about us and what we’re up to, and they still manage to motivate us, even when they are no longer our teacher. This is why it’s important for them to read our names at graduation, and this is why the name limitation is such a hindrance. I’ve heard the administration say that the reason they’re posing this restriction is because they don’t want teachers to feel bad if they were asked by only a small amount of students. While that may be true, the number of students signed up per teacher to read should not matter. The entire signing up to read names is actually voluntary, so it is up to the teacher’s discretion. Their time and dedication to helping make our graduation even more meaningful is absolutely appreciated. The school should look at their newly implemented policy again and revise it.

Claiming prom dresses causes petty feuds Prom always brings about excitement among MHS students. You get to go on a fancy date, eat an expensive dinner, get all dressed up and spend the night having fun. What could possibly go wrong? Someone could have the audacity to get the same dress as you. It’s just absolutely terrible when someone has the same dress as you, isn’t it? This is supposed to be your night—how dare they buy the same dress as you? There is no way they just happened to buy the same dress as you with the intention of enjoying themselves in what they felt they look best in, right? It’s clear that they purposely wore the same dress as you in order to ruin your prom night. Now, these assumptions may seem absolutely ridiculous, and you’re right. They are. Yet, I see so many people fussing over their prom dress and getting upset just because one person has the same dress as them ;it’s almost laughable. People have gone to great lengths to keep their dresses exclusively for themselves by posting their dresses on Facebook, going to dress shops that allow you to register a dress under your name so that someone else doesn’t get the same dress, and even making an entire Facebook event dedicated to claiming your prom dress.

At first glance, these precautions that hard to tolerate someone wearare pretty harmless. If you are polite ing the same dress as you at prom, and understanding about it, there’s and going to such lengths to prevent nothing wrong with asking your someone from getting a dress they friends not to get the same dress as really like is absolutely ridiculous. you. However it’s gone beyond sim- Imagine going to the store and afple checking to the point where peo- ter hours of shopping, you find the ple verbally attack others because perfect dress, but when you go to they coincidentally bought the same the check out, they tell you that you dress. can’t buy the dress because someone Of course, the prom from your school already dress Facebook event was bought it. Or maybe you well-intended, but it just took a picture of your brings up more controverdream dress and posted sy as girls who were not it on Facebook only to be even Facebook friends in attacked by a few other the first place argue over girls with the same dress how “obviously, I called as you. Horrible, right? this dress first if you would So before you tear out just scroll past the othsomeone’s throat because er two hundred posts on they have the nerve to this page then you would have the same taste as ALICIA know.” Which brings me you, sit back and take NGUYEN to my next point: no one is a deep breath, because going to remember every you’re overreacting. Havsingle “taken” dress before ing the same prom dress they go dress shopping, so even if you as someone else is not the end of the did “call that dress first,” it’s pretty world and no one’s even going to care unlikely that anyone saw your post about your accidental matching in or even cared about what you were five years anyway. The point of prom planning on wearing to prom. is to have fun, so be considerate of It’s also pretty selfish to claim a other people instead of being angry dress and do so much to prevent and upset for the rest of the night and anyone else on your Facebook News stop making a big deal about matchFeed from getting a dress. It’s not ing prom dresses.

APRIL 2013

THE UNION

FEATURES

APRIL 2013

Internships benefit students BY RACHEL ALVELAIS

There is one question that appears on many college applications that many students dread: “What did you do over the past few summers?” Some students have held internships, taken on research positions, attended life-changing camps and taken classes at prestigious colleges across the country. But how did they find them? Senior Casey Lee has spent the past three summers studying at the Taipei Medical University, the University of Chicago, and Stanford University. At the Taipei Medical University, he attended introductory lectures and got hands-on experience in different fields of medicine from emergency care to forensics to lab research. At the University of Chicago, he attended the Research in Biological Sciences program, a four week introduction to basic lab research techniques that culminated in independent experimental exploration. At Stanford’s Institutes of Medicine Summer Research program, he was placed in a research lab and was mentored by a postdoctoral student, taking on a section of her research experimenting with antibody concentrations in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Lee found these programs by conducting a simple online search for “summer research programs/in-

ternships” and through perusing the “College Confidential” forums for program recommendations. Many programs have application deadlines in early spring, and sometimes it is not possible to apply the following year; for example, some programs only accept rising seniors. The typical application involves an essay describing why you are interested in the field of research the program covers and one to three recommendation letters from teachers. There is also the matter of applying for financial aid, as many of these programs can cost a few thousand dollars. The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) is a four-week program offered by many University of California campuses, and it costs roughly $3000, although there is a financial aid option. If you are a student interested in fields other than medicine or scientific research, there are still summer programs and internships for you. Nearly every major university offers a variety of summer programs. Cornell offers everything from a three-week course on animal husbandry to classes on business administration. Other prestigious universities such as Harvard and the University of Southern California offer a similar, if not greater variety of programs.

AMC high-scorers take AIME BY KIMBERLY VO

Some students get enough of math in class, but others find reason to continue their mathematical endeavors. The American Mathematics Competition (AMC) was recently hosted on campus. Of those who took the test, Senior Giang Ha, Junior Ivy Pham, and Freshman Yutong Zhao qualified to take the more advanced American Invitational Math Exam (AIME). The AMC is a multiple-choice, 25question test taken over the course of 75 minutes, according to Pham. It was broken into two parts—the AMC 10 for grades 10 and lower and the AMC 12 for juniors and seniors, Pham said. The AIME involved solving for a three-digit number and had 15 questions taken over the course of three hours, Pham added. “The AIME was much more difficult because there’s no multiple-choice and there are more complex concepts. If you score high enough on the AMC and the AIME, you get to go to the USA Mathematics Olympiad (USAMO),” according to Pham. Students were able to sign up for the AMC and take it during class in the theater. “I took the AIME in the

computer room behind Mrs. Sherbakov’s room on March 14, along with [the other two],” Pham said. The tests involved complicated math questions and use of logic, Zhao noted. The math problems did not simply require knowledge and memorization of formulas, instead requiring deep critical thinking, Zhao said. “The awesome thing about the AIME and AMC is that you don’t need to be in a high math class,” according to Zhao. “You just need to know the basic ideas like the Pythagorean theorem—it’s a very simple theorem, but so many problems use it.” Taking the tests can prove to be an experience more worthwhile than expected. “The math on the test is different from the math one might see every day in class. Again, it’s not like normal math. It’s competitive math,” according to Zhao. “It makes your mind somewhat open for more ideas. It lets you understand concepts faster or easier.” In regards to next year, both Pham and Zhao want to find time to practice and do more AMC and AIME problems. “The only really way to succeed in these competitions is to practice,” Zhao said.

Caryn Tran | THE UNION

Seniors Claudia Nguyen (left) and Monique Sico (right) look at the selection of dresses offered at the Princess Project Headquarters. Princess Project offers free prom dresses to girls who could not otherwise afford them.

Princess Project gives away free prom dresses BY CARYN TRAN

Students from all over the Bay Area congregated at the Silicon Valley Princess Project Headquarters in mid-March to choose a free prom dress and accessory from the large selection provided. The project provides prom dresses to girls that would otherwise not be able to afford them, with no questions asked. Several MHS students were among the girls that attended the dress giveaway. The upcoming MHS prom ticket costs $45 to $75, not including the transportation and pictures for the day. The Princess Project helps to make prom more affordable by providing the dress which could cost $100 and upwards.

“We went in and we signed in. Then we got pink slips to put our names on and waited for five minutes before they gave us the dressing room wristbands and opened the doors,” Senior Cynthia Tu described. “Then we were shown to our dressing room and we got to pick out dresses and try them on.” Each girl had a helper that spent 50 minutes helping them pick out their prom dress, Tu said. The Princess Project volunteers helped the girls pick out, try on, and rehang dresses, according to Tu. “There were a lot of racks and they were separated by color and by size. There was a lot [of dresses],” Tu said. “I chose a purple [dress], and it’s long.”

Junior Vivian Ly also attended the dress giveaway. She thought it would be fun to challenge herself and choose a unique dress, Ly said. “I love how the helpers ask me about what type of dress I wanted and actually pulled out the dress that I [described],” Ly said. After picking out a dress, the girls had they dresses bagged along with a lip gloss, Tu said. From there, they were sent into an accessory room where volunteers assisted them match an accessory with their dress. As the girls left, refreshments and snacks were provided by the door. “It was hectic, yet very fun to look for the perfect dress,” Ly said. “And plus, [the dress was] free! And who wouldn’t want free things?”

AP review books offer different advantages BY JONATHAN NGO

As the Advanced Placement (AP) exams approach, those planning on taking the exam have probably found a large variety of AP review books available for purchase. Though the concepts that are covered in these books may be similar, each review book offers its own way of helping AP students prepare for the exam. One of the most popular review books is the Princeton Review. This study guide offers a more broad review of the different topics that will be on the AP exam. The practice tests in the this book also represent a real AP exam fairly well. One con, however, is that for some students, the concepts that this book reviews are sometimes too broad. Before choosing a book it is still important that students browse through different books to see what

works for them, AP U.S. History Teacher Gregory Ducote said. “I’ve always liked Princeton Review. It’s easy for me to pick out what’s important,” Ducote said. “You have to work with a book that you like.” Another popular is Barron’s AP. This review offers a more comprehensive review of topics on the AP exam. Though this will helpful for students who may not have a full understanding of the material, Barron’s tends to cover some topics in depth even though they are not thoroughly covered in the exam. According to AP Biology Teacher Darra Cacao, some review books tend to provide more information than a student would need for the exam. “All of the review books have great information, it’s just that they have too much information,” Cacao said. “Students who don’t really listen in class, they’re going to go to those

review books and study too much.” A lesser known AP review book is the SparkNotes Power Pack. This review will not be sufficient as a review on its own, but will be helpful as a supplement. SparkNotes often comes with flash cards and can be used for a quick review. However, some students complain that concepts are not well explained. It may be useful to search on the College Board Website for supplemental information, Cacao added. “There are some sample questions on there and its supposed to be representational of what’s on the actual test,” Cacao said. “Go back and look for the free responses and scoring guidelines. That will really help.” Keep in mind that it may also be a good idea to see your teacher for more supplements. They may already have more practice questions and copies of previous exams.

Students win Verizon Innovative App Challenge BY LILLIAN KAO

A group of five MHS students entered the Verizon Innovative App Challenge and won Best in California in the high school category, Junior Ahsan Zahid said. The national competition, which started around September of last year and closed in mid-January, attracted thousands of competitors, according to Zahid. Sophomore Kate Wong, Juniors Catherine Hoang, Alex Schulz and David Nguyen, Senior Ariel Ongoco, and Zahid collaborated to create the application “School Navigation,” according to Zahid. The five came up with their app idea while sitting around a lab table at lunch in a chemistry room, Zahid said. “I hear around that our school is really big, and it is easy to get lost because of all the buildings,” Zahid said.

“Our idea came from the thought of: what if we had a map of the school so people can navigate around the school, in which we can search up the name of a room, look around to see which teacher teaches where?” The group found out about the competition from Digital Business Academy Teacher John Hodges, who emailed Zahid about the competition, according to Zahid. From there, the group came together, submitting an essay and a video presentation to the competition, Zahid stated. “Ariel actually did the majority of the writing, Kate did most of the video editing for the actual video, Alex helped with the writing, and Catherine helped with the brainstorming and other things,” Zahid said. “I did all the coding and the prototype.” Zahid picked up coding from one of his uncles, who started teaching him

programming when he was 10 years old. Later on, Zahid read books and taught himself from the books, he said. “I want to take my programming and software development and turn it into a business of some sort,” Zahid said. “That is also my overall hope for my little development, for it to turn into an actual small business later on.” The group is thinking of entering one or two other competitions in the future, according to Zahid. “Ideas evolve over time,” Zahid stated. “Most of it was really collaborative, as I coded up a little of the prototype, while one of my friends did the majority of the writing. We had a lot of brainstorming sessions. That is really what the most of it was, it was just people coming together to make something.”

APRIL 2013

THE UNION

FEATURES

Unity team composes letters to soldiers, demonstrates ‘gratitude,’ ‘appreciation’ BY RUITING QIN

Letters to Soldiers, a collection campaign organized by the MHS Unity Team, encouraged students to write letters to deployed troops from Feb. 13 to March 15, Unity Team Leader Alexander Pham said. Letters to Soldiers was the Unity Team’s chosen community service project for the year, supervised by the organization Operation Gratitude, which sends letters written by students with its next shipment of care packages, according to Pham. The letters that are being sent with the care packages, which also include snacks, hygiene supplies and homemade items, are for currently deployed troops, thanking them for their service, Pham said. The letters are encouraged to be decorated and be very colorful, with artwork if pos-

sible, Pham added. “I definitely recommend that MHS students write letters to our troops, since it is something so little that definitely brightens their day, and it is for a good cause,” Pham said. “MHS students will get that positive feeling after writing a letter, since the letter they personally wrote will be sent over.” Participating in this event is such a simple way to reach out to someone else and let them know that they are thought of and appreciated, according to Junior Biancka Dela Cruz. Writing letters to soldiers allows students to spend at least five minutes thinking of those who are out there protecting us, while soldiers reading the letters will have the opportunity to take a break and remember that there are others who care about them, Dela Cruz said. “Letters to Soldiers is a great and

simple way to show that you care for those who are out there risking their lives for us,” Dela Cruz said. “I have written many letters to soldiers, usually with short messages, but I have also just drawn a picture and put an inspiring quote,” Dela Cruz added. “I think that our troops can never receive enough gratitude and appreciation.” Letters to Soldiers is MHS’ way of appreciating our fellow soldiers who are risking their lives for our country, Junior Jason Lu said. I found this event as my opportunity to help give them the gratitude they deserve, and also participate in it myself, Lu added. “I have written about 10 letters in the span of this event,” Lu said. “When I write a letter, I want the soldier to know that I care, so I try to put in my best effort to let the soldiers know that they are awesome.”

Nguyen throws weaponry recreationally BY SIDNEY LE

For the vast majority of people, knives are not something to be played with. However, for Senior Luc Nguyen, those potential harbingers of death are more than just a play-toy; his throwing knives are a serious hobby. Though popularized and romanticized through the ninja mythology, the skillset required to use throwing knives effectively and safely is large and complex. Amassing a collection of Japanese throwing stars, colloquially known as hira shuriken, and Japanese throwing knives, colloquially known as kunai, Nguyen has, over the last year, surrounded himself with sharp and dangerous

weaponry, requiring great care. “There have been accidental ricochets that have lead to cuts and stabs,” Nguyen said. “One method of throwing the knives also requires you to hold the blade while throwing, so it cuts my fingers every once in a while.” While Nguyen has luckily avoided major injury, mastery of the various Japanese throwing weapons requires training and many hours of practice. There are an abundance techniques for throwing each of the various throwing weapons; shuriken can be thrown horizontally in a similar fashion to a frisbee or overhand with a variety of different grips and kunai can be held in several different positions.

They might seem esoteric and rather niche, but throwing weapons can be found rather simply. “I bought mine through Amazon,” Nguyen said. “They were really easy to find once I started searching.” Besides throwing weapons, there are numerous other hobbies Nguyen has taken up recently. He was an avid archer directly before transitioning into thrown weapons and has been fascinated with airsoft guns all throughout. “The troublesome life inspired me to begin throwing knives,” Nguyen said. “I take multiple target-shooting hobbies [...] just to keep my mind off of things; it’s just my little escape.”

Arthur Tran | THE UNION

Freshman Vincent Academia (left) plays his guitar as Freshman Darlene Paningbatan (right) sings ‘Suit and Tie’ during a practice outside Mr. Cao’s classroom. The two post their videos on their YouTube channel.

Freshmen cover songs in Cao’s, hope to raise funds for college BY ARTHUR TRAN

If you peer into History Teacher Paul Cao’s room, you’ll probably notice the huge microphone and tripod right next to his desk. If you didn’t know any better, you might even think that there’s a mini recording studio here at MHS. It’s in this room where Freshmen Darlene Paningbatan and Vincent Academia perform covers of various songs during lunch. With Paningbatan singing and Academia on his guitar (sometimes his ukulele), the pair focuses on performing songs that they find fun to learn and well known to most people. Songs that they have done in the past include “Don’t Judge Me” by Chris Brown and “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People. Their renditions are sometimes recorded and then uploaded onto their own YouTube Channel, “moofilmsofficial.” While their channel has only been started this school year, Paningbatan and Academia have been a duet for over two years now. They started working together in seventh grade, and later they even played in the Milpitas’ Got Talent competition on advice from their band teacher, Michael Vieyra. The duo have also had a quite

a bit of experience when it comes to music, with Academia capable of playing a myriad of instruments and Paningbatan singing since she was only two years old. “I noticed him playing the ukulele and guitar very well,” Paningbatan said when asked how the duo started out. “So I came up to him and said ‘We should perform together.’” Both Paningbatan and Academia noted that their Youtube channel is not as active as they want it to be, but are aiming to upload more videos and get as many subscribers as they can before they graduate. They also perform at open mikes, looking out for any opportunities out there. “Mr. Cao wants this Youtube channel to show other people what we’re capable of,” Academia said. “We’re hoping that eventually we can post our videos for money to save up for college.” “We thank Mr. Vieyra for giving our head-start and also a big thanks to Mr. Cao for helping us follow our dreams!” the pair said. You can check out their channel at www.youtube.com/moofilmsofficial and subscribe to them there. If you have any song suggestions, you can message them there as well.

HERO club hosts Cupcake Wars BY CARYN TRAN AND CATHERINE FREY

Sidney Le | THE UNION

Senior Luc Nguyen throws a knife at a block of wood on the positioned on the ground. Nguyen purchases his weaponry—throwing knives and Japanese throwing stars—online, and shoots arrows and airsoft guns as a hobby.

Wong’s film wins first place at SF festival BY CINDY WU

The majority of us spend much time browsing videos on YouTube, but for two years Sophomore Kate Wong has done more than watch and admire. She became inspired by “YouTubers” to create short films, and, through learning merely by observing other YouTube videos, she created one which placed first at a student film competition. Hosted by the San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival (SFIOFF), the second annual Student Film Competition drew in submissions from all across the country. Wong was among the 14 finalists whose films were screened on March 10 as part of the 2013 SFIOFF’s Free Student Education Program. Wong won a cash prize for first place and

had the opportunity to participate in live Q&A sessions with filmmakers and marine scientists after the screening of the film. “We had to film something about the ocean and either move or inform the public about the topic,” Wong said. Her two-minute short film titled “Sandcastles” explores “how our ignorance can influence the environment negatively.” Though the film may seem short, filming was no simple feat. Last October, Wong began her process for creating this stop-motion film, laying out a plot, creating props and music, and filming with a simple Samsung SL600 camera. Wong also enlisted the help of Sophomore Guinevere Huey as one of the voices and minimized the budget by spending only on a tripod and a fish featured in the film.

“I’m very proud of this award,” Wong said. “It’s the first competition I won outside of school.” Wong has entered in two other competitions which required video submissions: one hosted by a YouTube artist in which Wong submitted a music video for the artist’s single and the Verizon Innovative App Challenge which required a video that demonstrates how a phone application could improve the society. Wong does not plan on pursuing a career in filming in the future, as she expresses greater interest in art, science and engineering. “I’m probably going to film videos just for fun,” Wong said.

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On the Web

Go to http://youtu.be/cxlEwbRjWD0 to view “Sandcastles” by Wong

The first Cupcake Wars competition was held on Feb. 27 after school in Foods Teacher Rosemary Keith’s classroom, G-03. The event, hosted by the Helping Everyone Reach Out (HERO) Club, was open only to former and current students of Foods classes and consisted of a timed cupcake baking contest followed by judging and a cupcake auction. The contestants could get everything set up ahead of time and then had an hour and a half to bake and frost the cupcakes, according to Keith. Out of seven entrants, Senior Jai Dorlybounxou won $50 and Overall Best of Show with his “Chocolate Reese’s Surprise” submission. It was an unexpected win, according to Dorlybounxou. “My recipe is [a] bittersweet chocolate [cake] with a mini Reese’s in the middle and peanut butter frosting,” Dorlybounxou said. On top, he “sprinkled bittersweet chocolate and [crushed] Reese’s [chocolates].” Dorlybounxou found the experience really fun, but also stressful. There is a lot of pressure in making sure you don’t forget any steps in the recipe and the cupcake presentable as well, Dorlybounxou said. Another competitor, Junior Hao Wei, entered her “Cream Chocolate Cupcake” and won Best Presentation. Her entry consisted of a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate cream filling, topped with whipped cream, fresh fruit, and chocolate candy.

Catherine Frey | THE UNION

Junior Hao Wei’s “Cream Chocolate Cupcakes” are on display in her baking station. The cakes won best presentation in the competition.

“This is the kind [of cupcake] people like because it’s not very sweet and it’s more healthy because I use olive oil,” Wei said. “I joined the contest just for fun. Other people make beautiful [cupcakes], too,” Wei added. Sophomore Patricia Biala is the reporter for HERO club, a home economics club. She was at the event to make sure the fundraiser ran smoothly. “[HERO club is] a new club and we still need funding to get started,” Biala said. “We raised money from the entrance fee and the auction.”

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On the Web

Go to www.mhstheunion.net for the winning cupcake recipes

THE UNION

LIFESTYLE

FASHION SPOTLIGHT

Jessica Punzalan

1 2

BY BRENDA SU

1. Jacket eBay $12

In an environment with easy access to calorie-packed foods and electronic devices, it’s easy to give in to temptation. The morning jog can wait for another day, and another slice of pizza never hurt anyone. With potato chips, ice cream, and other distractions close by, how can anyone live a healthy and active lifestyle? It is recommended for teenagers to exercise for at least an hour daily, according to most doctors. Exercise should consist of both cardiovascular workouts and strength training. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventation (CDC) and Produce for Better Health Foundation have launched a national campaign with the theme, “Fruits and Veggies: More Matters.” This replaces the old “5 A Day” campaign because five servings of fruits and vegetables may not be enough. Adults need anywhere from seven to thirteen cups of produce daily to get all the health benefits of fruits and vegetables to protect themselves from obesity, diabetes, cancer, and other health problems. Modern high school students lead hectic lives filled with brutal courses, sports, and other extracurricular activities, and it’s easy to forget to eat right and exercise and make excuses for not doing so. However, Sophomore Ruth Park has always eaten a healthy diet because it was encouraged in her family. “Lunch is the same everyday, a wrap that consists of two slices of turkey or chicken, one slice of cheese, a fourth of an avocado, and six pieces of lettuce all in a multi-grain tortilla,” Park says. “During break, I eat half a pear and when I get home I eat the

3. Top eBay $5 4. Bag Crossroads $22

5. Tights Mom’s closet

6. Boots Crossroads $20

Fashion Inspiration: “The internet—more speci�cally Tumblr.”

6 N�� W� | THE UNION

Aldrich Quijano Sophomore 1. Glasses Ray Bans $150

2. Jacket Obey $60

3. Button-up H&M

4. Watch Timex $40 5. Pants Unbranded $80

4 5

6. Backpack Timbuk2 $80 7. Shoes Clark’s $60

6 Fashion Inspiration: “Simplicity and no over-branding. I get my inspiration from Reddit.”

7 N�� W� | THE UNION

Students catch onto health, fitness trend; emphasis placed upon exercise and diet

Sophomore

2. Scarf Cotton On $5

APRIL 2013

other half. Dinner is usually brown rice mixed with five different grains and three types of beans. We always have vegetables and for meat, we eat a lot of fish.” Park also exercises daily. On Tuesday and Thursday nights she plays for Club Volleyball Milpitas and attends volleyball tournaments on Saturday and Sunday mornings. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Park walks or runs about two to three miles each. “I did not always exercise,” Park said. “I started in middle school when there were more options to try out for sports. This year, I was unable to play in the school’s volleyball team, which made me want to get better and make it into Varsity volleyball next year. That definitely is motivating me now to play hard in Club Volleyball and stay in shape to be able to continuously play without getting tired.” Park exhorts the numerous benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy food and exercising makes her “feel good,” among other advantages. “[Healthy foods] are a lot more filling and refreshing,” Park said. “Snacks such as chips don’t satisfy my hunger and when I eat oily foods, it makes me feel really greasy and gross. Also, I usually walk or run after I do homework, so it helps me a lot with processing the information i just read, especially for history. Finally, running helps me relieve stress because I don’t have to focus on my grades, the next test, or a frustrating day with friends because it clears my mind.” Similarly, Junior Brian Lien exercises regularly. He began working out in middle school. “I was inspired to work out after

seeing a YouTube star, ice1cube, posting his work-out videos,” Lien said. “Staying in shape and maintaining good health motivates me to keep on exercising. I really enjoy pushing myself to my highest potential and even further because seeing progress really motivates me.” Lien acknowledges that it has become difficult to find time to exercise because of his schoolwork and extracurricular activities. However, he still finds time to work out whenever possible.

I really enjoy pushing myself to my highest potential and even further because seeing progress really motivates me. �� “Back in eighth grade, I would workout usually on the weekdays in my garage for 45 minutes,” Lien said. In freshman and sophomore year, I averaged about four to five days of working out a week for one and a half to two hours. Now, with school and extracurricular activities I work out twice a week only on school weeks, and more on breaks.” Lien advocates for everyone to exercise and he recommends looking for inspiration from other people. It’s also helpful to set goals and work toward it, according to Lien. He also advises making up small personal rewardings for completing workouts and punishments for not completing them. “Think about how good you’ll feel and look after constant workouts,” Lien said. “Working out with a friend also makes it much more fun.”

APRIL 2013

THE UNION

LIFESTYLE

Ultrabooks light, portable BY CARYN TRAN

Intel leads the new PC revolution with the uniquely coined Ultrabook. Ultrabooks, though similar to the ordinary laptop, offer a greater portability that can be compared to the Macbook Air. So for those interested in a Windows device emphasizing on portability, here follows a guide to the options and features that can be found in the Ultrabook category. Processor All Ultrabooks feature lower voltage 3rd generation Intel Core I-Series processors, so expect a less powerful performance compared to their full-sized counterpart in notebooks. Core i3s perform fairly well, with the ability to power standard computing along with basic photo and video editing. Core i5s are more powerful, providing a smoother and faster experience to support video production and high-end gaming. Core i7s are the best of its class due to quad-core hyperthreading for the hardcore gamers and extensive creative designers. Storage Memory It’s important to have enough memory to store all your files, around 500 GB should suffice for most people. There are two types: Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD). An SSD is smaller (commonly 256GB) and definitely more expensive, but it’s also faster in boot-up, launching a program, and less likely to get damaged when dropped. A HDD with a SATA-SSD provides space and faster performance. “An SSD-equipped Ultrabook will boot in under 20 seconds, while laptops equipped with a mechanical hard drive usually take over 40,” according to Matt Smith from Digital Trends. Physical Memory Physical Memory, or Random Access Memory (RAM), stores information on your current session, like the programs or tasks you’re running immediately. 2GB should be the standard minimum to use your system comfortably. Applications like Adobe Photoshop are supposedly usable with 2 GBs of RAM, but it’ll be painful. 4GB is probably the best for the average computer (I reccomend a 64-bit OS to fully use 4GB of RAM). Gamers and serious photo/video editors are going to want a 8GB system, with a 64-bit operating system. Graphics When dealing with a graphics card, there is integrated or the dedicated/ discrete graphics card. Most Ultrabooks come with integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000) in the processor which uses the system’s memory. Discrete graphic cards are separate from the processor and use their own memory, making them obviously faster under intensive graphics usage such as 3D gaming or video graphics. Nvidia and AMD are the two frontrunners in discrete GPUs. Touch and Screen With the Windowws 8 platform, touch is a viable and functional op-

tion. Before Windows 8, touch was a useless function because everything was so small, but the Windows 8 tiles make the touchscreen experience much friendlier. Consider the fact that touch screens have much more glare than matte and even glossy screens, not to mention annoying finger prints on your screen. On the topic of screens, do inquire about screen resolution, color, and viewing angles. With a really good screen resolution, you will be able to see much more on a small screen. Color saturation will make a big difference in watching videos. And wider viewing angles is good when sharing a screen with someone. Keyboard Some basic options out there include: mechanical, number pad, and backlit keys. Mechanical keyboards have independent switches for each key so you can really feel the click with each key press. Most Ultrabooks lack a numpad, but math and number intensive people might prefer a numpad (can usually only be found with 14” screen models or larger). Backlit keys are for any people who might be computing in dim or no lighting. Lenovo is toted to make excellent keyboards Battery Length Almost all Ultrabooks do not come with a removable battery. You cannot replace your battery if it runs out between charges so it will inconvenience you if a charge only lasts four hours. Size and Weight Ultrabooks are generally small and light, but you can find more robust devices that can even include a disk drive. Choose a screen size and weight that best fits your uses; however, do remember that a lighter and smaller device usually has to compromise on performance. Convertible Convertible Ultrabooks take advantage of the light form factor and the touch option by adding a mechanism that can convert an Ultrabook into a tablet. The Dell 12 XPS uses a double hinged frame that allows for the screen to be rotated to face outwards. The Lenovo Thinkpad Twist has a rotating hinge that lets the screen twist around. The Lenovo Ideapad Yoga has a 360 hinge that lets the screen fold back completely flat, exposing the keyboard. The Sony Vaio 11 uses a sliding mechanism to prop up the screen at a stationary angle in ultrabook mode. In tablet mode, the screen slides down flat over the keyboard. The Asus Taichi uses a dual screen, so that when closed, the lid acts as a fully functioning touch screen. Soon to be released, the Lenovo Helix and Asus Transformer Book will be the firsts of detachable Ultrabooks, meaning the screen and keyboard detach completely without compromising the Ultrabook’s computing performance.

Unique apps entertaining BY BRENDA SU

Your smart phone does much more than take calls and receive text messages. Programmers have created applications you never knew you needed.

A�� T�� | THE UNION

Senior Jennifer Mai dons on a backpack embellished with studs. Studs, along with spikes, have become increasingly popular on campus lately.

Spikes and studs add ‘punk vibe’ BY CINDY WANG

With all the trends rolling into MHS, the fashion of sporting spikes and studs are as popular as combat boots. Recently, I have been seeing a reoccurring trend of people wearing studs and spikes on clothes, accessories, and even backpacks. This edgy look creates a tough punk vibe to your outfit and gives people the impression that you are not to be messed with. Studs and spikes are popular among teens because they give a sense of rebellion and toughness. Inspired by rock stars, this bold statement gives a unique blend of sassy and punk. What’s cool about this new trend is that it can be worn by girls and guys. They have different ways of designing their look using spikes. Senior Paisley Carswell has a distinctive style that uses spikes to accentuate her outfits. "For me, I like wearing spikes because it adds like a grunge look to it, makes it look more edgy, and it turns a basic outfit into

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something more," Carswell said. Carswell also mentions doing some of the studding herself. "I do studding myself. I’ll experiment and throw spikes everywhere." Like Carswell, Senior Michael Cardenas follows the studs and spikes craze. According to Cardenas, he wears studded jackets and wristbands. "It’s cool, it catches people’s eye. I do it because it has something to do with the culture" Cardenas said. A heavy metal listener, he is often seen with these studded accessories on campus. "Old school people used to dress like this," Cardenas noted. You can start finding studs online as both Carswell and Cardenas recommend purchases on eBay for cheaper prices. This style is relatively inexpensive if you decide to do it yourself. Studs and spikes can be worn anywhere, but studded jackets and accessories are some of the items that you can bling. I’ve seen anything from phone cases to even spiked shoes to create that chic look.

Honey, It’s Me! $1.99 Feeling lonely? No problem! South Korean programmers have released an iPhone application that gives regular messages from a digital girlfriend named Mina. It offers four daily video calls from an attractive Korean woman who has recorded hundreds of messages, including, “Are you still sleeping? Time for breakfast!” and “Good night, sweet dreams!” Watching Cute Girl $3.99 A Japanese gentleman produced an application called “Watching Cute Girl.” It’s an always-on view of a cute girl who watches you, giggles, utters one of over 100 pre-recorded phrases, among other things. iFart $1.99 This iPhone application lets you play 20 different farting sounds. It includes extra features like “random farting,” “favorite a fart,” “tap to play a fart sound,” “tap to repeat fart sound,” and “time delay.” Pimple Popper $0.99 This app gives you the option of squeezing blackheads, whiteheads, or full-out pimples. It features realistic squeezing motions, oozing pimple pus, and a choice of five faces. Zips $0.99 Zips simulates a zipper and its only function is for you to unzip it. It features unzipping of pants, undergarments, and you can even take photos of your own undergarments to upload onto the application.

Prom traditions not sensible; options open BY LEANN WOO

Prom season is rolling around the corner, and with that comes a long list of traditions and obligations that many students seem compelled to fulfill. However, many aspects of prom are based off of stereotypes and are never questioned. Dresses Ladies, we are all well aware that juniors are supposed to wear short dresses and the seniors are supposed to wear long dresses. Why? Perhaps it is because seniors used to have a nicer venue and the formality of the event called for longer dresses. Regardless, there is no written mandate that one must wear a certain length at prom. It is actually a lot

more practical to wear a short dress. Given the current event page made specifically for calling "dibs" on prom dresses, it is an obvious concern of many girls to have a unique dress. Short dresses tend to have more variation, whereas long dressed all look more or less the same. Being restricted to a certain length is not helping anyone not match at prom. Transportation Because this year’s prom venue is in San Francisco, transportation has become a sticky issue. The most impractical, yet most stereotypical way of arriving at the event by a limousine. Renting a limo is easy; a quick Google search will give you multiple websites where you can book your car online. Ask yourself this: is it really worth

it? Company is what makes prom fun, not all of the extravagances. Photos Tradition has it that couple photos are traded like baseball card. Personally, I find the whole writing-messages-on-the-back-of-photos tradition extremely tedious and sometimes pointless, especially when I start giving photos to people I barely know. The pictures are probably most people’s favorite part about the whole ordeal. Unlike limos, corsages, dinner, and even prom itself, photos will last longer than a day. However, taking studio photos is unreasonably expensive. If trading photos is necessary to your prom experience, find a nice venue, take couple photos, and print out some wallet-sized photos.

Samsung reveals new, improved Galaxy S4 BY ARTHUR TRAN

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga props up in tent mode. The IdeaPad Yoga weighs 2.8 pounds for the 11” model and 3.4 pounds for the 13” model.

On March 15th, the Samsung Galaxy S4 was revealed in New York. With the Galaxy SIII winning the best smartphone of the year at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, what else could Samsung do to improve their successful product? The S4 has not been released (the US release date remains a mystery), but from the specs, it is clear that Samsung has taken the extra steps in making a great smartphone into an amazing one. To start off, the S4 still has the rounded edges and rectangular home button seen on the SIII. However, Samsung has slimmed down on this phone model, making the S4 lighter and thinner compared to the SIII. The screen is still high resolution and high-density when it comes to pixels, being only slightly larger than

the screen on the SIII (5 inches compared to the previous 4.8 inches). You can still share photos and music by just touching the backs of your phone with another. The camera specifications has changed significantly with this new TECH smartphone. While the REVIEW SIII had a 8 megapixel rear facing camera and 1.9 megapixel front facing camera, the S4 has a 13 megapixel rear facing camera and 2 megapixels facing the front. The front camera also now records at 1080p at 30 frames per second, compared to the previous 720p. With the Smart Pause feature, any video you are watching will automatically pause for you when your head is turned away from the phone and resume when you start looking at your phone again. In addition, the S4

sports a 2600 mAh while the S3 only had a 2100 mAh battery. What’s even better now is that the touch screen can be used without being touched. By just hovering your fingers over the screen, you can still use your phone, turning the term “touch screen” to “touch free.” With Air Gesture, you can answer a phone call or scroll through a website by just waving your hands. With Air View, you can preview items such as photos just by putting your finger above it. While the phone has yet to be released (Samsung has said that the new phone will be released towards the end of April), it seems to be a promising upgrade from the SIII that will have all Samsung fans raging over it. Be on the lookout when it hits stores, and as an SIII user, I just have to say that the S4 sounds like a worthy purchase.

THE UNION

APRIL 2013

THE UNION

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Game of Thrones’ returns;

new developments intriguing RATING: (out of five stars)

•••••

BY CATHERINE FREY

Sidney Le | THE UNION

In “Journey of the Sparrows,” three victims of El Salvador’s political unrest (left to right: Seniors Anthony Garay, William Yap, and Adrian Frailing) kneel in front of an officer (Senior Alvin Chow) before they are shot in the head.

‘Journey,’ ‘Giver’ deliver strong messages RATING: (out of five stars)

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BY CINDY WU

The MHS theatre department offered two book-adapted plays for the price of one in its spring production. Deviating from the department’s usual coPLAY medic plays, “Journey REVIEW of the Sparrows” and “The Giver” are dramatic and at times heartwrenching; both deliver powerful messages to the audience. “Journey of the Sparrows” follows two sisters and their baby brother

who illegally cross the border from Mexico in hopes of fulfilling the American Dream and to one day be reunited with the rest of their family. The journey is painful, daunting, and sometimes seemingly hopeless. The Latino culture and sense of family importance is apparent throughout the play. The cast especially deserves a round of applause for its Spanish pronunciations. “Journey of the Sparrows” is an important reminder for the audience to never forget about those less fortunate than us. The evening closes with “The Giver,” set in a homogeneous, utopian-like world. A courageous twelveyear-old boy named Jonas (Sopho-

more Khoa Hoang) is selected as the new Receiver of Memory, and, after gaining awareness of emotions and diversity that had long been eradicated by the society, he questions the justification of this riddance. Ultimately, with the support of the Giver (Sophomore Jonathan To), Jonas leaves the society to transmit his experiences to them. “The Giver” provides insight to why it is maybe better to have diversity, to feel love even at the price of being exposed to pain. Steering towards a more serious tone for this production offers a fresh change. Drama is harder to act than comedy, and the actors have adjusted well to display maturity and professionalism in this production.

MUSIC REVIEWS

Season three of the HBO television series “Game of Thrones,” which is based on George R. R. Martin’s series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” premiered March 31. The episode titled “Valar Dohaeris,” picks up right where the season two finale, “Valar Morghulis,” left off. This makes the show difficult for firsttime viewers to enjoy; it provides no recap of the previous seasons TV-SERIES REVIEW and characters, and with a show as dense as “Game of Thrones,” with dozens of characters, fictional languages and lands, and mythical creatures, it’s difficult for even seasoned viewers to keep up. For all you curious fans, “Valar Dohaeris” is the counterpart High Valyrian phrase to “Valar Morghulis.” These phrases translate as “all men must serve” and “all men must die,” respectively. “Valar Dohaeris” follows the storylines of fan-favorites Jon Snow, bastard son of Ned Stark, and Daenerys Targaryen, the “Mother of Dragons,” but leaves out Arya Stark who was last seen escaping the prison at Harrenhal with the help of the assassin Jaqen and only briefly shows former King’s Hand, Tyrion Lannister. Daenerys is on her way to making a strong comeback and claiming the Iron Throne. Her three dragons, Drogon, Raeghal, and Viserion, have grown considerably and are shown flying, breathing fire, and hunting fish, while Daenerys, Jorah, and the

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Dothraki sail across the Narrow Sea to the slave-city Astapor. On Astapor, Daenerys meets the Unsullied, an army of 8,000 eunuch-soldiers she seeks to enlist. The soldiers know no pain, and in the most graphic part of the episode, the slave owner, Kraznys mo Nakloz, cuts off a nipple of a soldier to prove his point. The soldier didn’t even flinch while vieweres grit their teeth in empathy-pain, but as Kraznys points out, men don’t need nipples. North of the Wall, Jon Snow finally meets the much-talked-about King of the Wildlings, Mance Rayder. Mance seems to trust Jon and allows him to join the Free Folk. We have yet to see if Jon truly wants to “be free,” or if he will continue his duty as a member of the Night’s Watch and act as a spy. Meanwhile, the show follows Robb Stark who returns to Winterfell to find hundreds of men slaughtered by his previous ally, Theon Greyjoy. We also get a glimpse of life at King’s Landing where Tyrion Lannister is harshly shot down by his father when he requests inheritance of Casterly Rock. Margaery Tyrell, seems to be her betrothed-boy-king Joffrey Lannister’s polar opposite, when she displays kindness and philanthropy to orphans, while Joffrey watches, shocked, from his litter. Luckily for Sansa Stark, Joffrey’s previously betrothed, Margaery provides distraction for Joffrey, and she is left in peace from his torment for the time being. “Valar Dohareis” shows promise for interesting developments this season and plenty of new characters to keep viewers on their toes. Winter is coming!

Comic art intricate, detailed RATING: (out of five stars)

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BY RACHEL ALVELAIS

NATIVE by One Republic

VOLUME 3 by She & Him

Pop

GIRL TALK by Kate Nash Indie Rock

RATING: (out of five stars)

BY NICKLAUS WU

BY VIVIAN DINH

BY YING LUO

Pop rock sensation OneRepublic released its fourth album Native on March 26th, 2013 four years after their last album Waking Up. Ever since the band’s very first single “Apologize” from 2007, they have hit the mainstream with full force, having many of their songs featured in movies and played on the radio. Native is no exception as the band keeps producing catchy tunes and appeal to a wide range of listeners. Native features OneRepublic’s current singles “If I Lose Myself” and “Feel Again.” In Native, OneRepublic dabs in the genre of electronic house with the song “If I Lose Myself” while still maintaining a spirit of pop rock at the core of Native. Lead vocalist Ryan Tedder’s falsetto is superb throughout Native, which bleeds with emotion and sincerity. Tedder, who has produced singles for many big shot music artists, shines with star appeal alongside a variety of instruments that are smoothly combined to a make this gem of an album. The 12-track album is filled with a plethora of refreshing songs. This is apparent when the album starts off with the skillfully constructed first track, “Counting Stars,” and first single, “If I Lose Myself.” “Preacher” has Tedder singing about days of his childhood. Tedder’s voice also moves the soul on mid-tempo tracks like “Burning Bridges.”

Kate Nash is back and more punk than we’ve ever seen her with her latest album, “Girl Talk.” Nash drifts from the cutesy pop and piano riffs of her debut and the acoustic strumming that characterized both previous albums as she moves toward more aggressive, morose rock. “Girl Talk” is Nash’s attempt to combine punk with pop and harsh screams with singing. She leaves her songs underwritten, rooted in bass or scratchy guitar as opposed to the refined production of her earlier work. The opening song, “Part Heart,” sets the tone, with Nash breathily singing over a stripped melody with just baseline, drums, and light guitar feedback. The guitar comes in halfway though, and the song slowly builds in power, as Nash’s voice grows more distressed and flippant. The following song, “Fri-end?,” sounds more like her earlier work, but it’s part of the album’s minority, along with “Conventional Girl” and “O My God!.” Chaotic and attitude-heavy rock dominates Girl Talk, from the surf rock of “Death Proof” to the shouting punk of “Cherry Pickin.” With 15 tracks on the album, Girl Talk provides a variety of sounds but lacks consistency. Nash’s attempt at combining indie rock and pop with electronic sounds and punk-rock themes is commendable, but her album was far from polished.

She & Him is set to release its fourth album on May 7. “Volume 3” is expected to be successful, following the trends of Volumes 1 and 2 and “A Very She & Him Christmas.” The duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward offers a snippet of “Volume 3” as indie fans anxiously await the album’s release. Its first single, “Never Wanted Your Love,” was released in early March. The single opens with a violin and guitar duet, accompanied by Deschanel’s swooning vocals and later percussions that set the rhythm. While the lyrics are relatively simple—“I never wanted your love, but I needed it all” is repeated throughout—the strength of the song lies in the masterful blend of instruments. “Volume 3” comprises a total of 14 songs, 11 originals and 3 covers, two of which could be Mel Carter’s “Hold Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” Regardless of the songs of choice, She & Him’s renditions never fail to soothe, the perfect soundtrack for an intimate café or cozy bookstore. “Never Wanted Your Love” follows the She & Him signature jazzy style, reminiscent of the musical pop culture in the 1960’s. It is upbeat, it is cozy, and it is elegant, all condensed into three minutes. If it is an indicator of what fans can expect from the entirety of “Volume 3,” then they will be with no doubt satisfied.

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Pop

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“Star Wars” and “A Game of Thrones” unite in “Saga”, the epic space opera and fantasy comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. In “Saga,” Marko and Alana are literally star-crossed lovers; their alien races have warred with each other for eons, and the hatred between their planets knows no bounds. The lovers flee from both sides of the galactic war and struggle to protect their infant daughter, Hazel, who narrates the comics from the future. Vaughan draws heavily from his experiences as a father to portray parenthood earnestly throughout the series. The comic seeks to address the common question of why anyone would want to bring a child into a broken and hate-filled universe, a question that Marko and Alana often ask themselves as they face bounty hunters, cross through war zones, and narrowly escape grotesque monsters. Marko and Alana are charismatic, three-dimensional characters who draw readers in from the moment they are introduced. Their love is strong and tangible from their interactions on the page, and their very different personalities mesh together rather than clash; Alana is a hot-headed, passionate woman with a soft side she does not like to show, while Marko is a hopeless romantic, a warrior who has renounced all violence. Although Marko and Alana do not always get along, their love for each other proves to be stronger than any other force in their galaxy. “Saga” is not for those with weak stomachs or who are easily offended. Staples, the comic’s artist, does not shy away from portraying nudity or potentially disturbing gore on the

page, and considers the planet Sextillion--a planet-wide red-light district--to be one of her best and most depraved work. Marko at one point in the story faces down a giant ogre with proportionally giant genitalia. It is not just the art that can appear crass at times. The opening pages show the heroine Alana giving birth to her daughter in the middle of a warzone, and her pain-induced ranting at Marko as she gives birth is hardly suitable for children. Part of the story follows the freelance bounty hunter The Will as he tries to find and capture Marko and Alana, and on his journey he passes through Sextillion. His moral relativism leads him to be unimpressed with naked dancers, depraved orgies and bondage. The pimp in charge of Sextillion attempts to impress The Will by bringing out a six-year-old slave girl, and although The Will kills the pimp and attempts to rescue the girl, the situation may offend and disgust some readers. Even so, the art of “Saga” is unique in style. Staples effortlessly captures fine details and emotions through body language and intricate character design, and her ability to capture unique facial expressions is unrivaled. Perhaps her greatest accomplishment is how she portrays the members of different alien races; each character, even minor and unnamed ones, has individual features and personality in their design. This sets Staples and “Saga” apart from the many science fiction works that often copy and paste a race’s features onto blank bodies, creating worlds of uninteresting designs with no variation between individuals. “Saga” has a compelling storyline, beautiful and enrapturing artwork and refreshingly charismatic characters. With a story unlike any other before it, it is a truly unique comic series that every science fiction, fantasy, and art enthusiast must read.

THE UNION

APRIL 2013

THE UNION

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Olympus’ thrills despite flaws RATING: (out of five stars)

••••

BY GIANG HA

Courtesy of Catherine Zhou

Tommy Siegel of Jukebox the Ghost performs at the Rickshaw Stop on Saturday March 9 in San Francisco. He plays guitar while singing the vocals to “Don’t Let Me Fall Behind” from their latest album “Safe Travels.”

‘Jukebox the Ghost’ gives epic performance RATING: (out of five stars)

••••

BY NICKLAUS WU

It was a cold San Francisco night and I was standing outside an obscure building with my friend, Catherine Zhou. I really wasn’t expecting to get much of a concert experience out of my 13 dollar ticket. I was wrong. Doors opened at around 8:40. As I entered the concert venue, I was engulfed in a toasty, homely feeling. The Rickshaw Stop felt like an extended coffee shop that also sold alcohol and its atmosphere felt welcoming. Moving past the merchandise stands, I quickly made my way toward the front of the standing

area to get a good view. After the concert openers finished playing, Jukebox the Ghost appeared before a banner draped on the back wall of the stage that depicted the band’s logo—a childish picture of a ghost with stick arms and googly eyes. Playing most of the songs off their new album “Safe Travels,” CONCERT REVIEW they brought an energetic vibe with their performance that roused everyone to chant along. I couldn’t help but dance along to “Empire” as the song ebbed from piano-prattled verses to a chorus where both singers belted, “My heart is a keep and you are threatening me.” “Dead” was an acoustic departure that suc-

ceeded in adding contrast to their fast-paced set. It was a bittersweet ending as they started playing their final and most popular song “Somebody.” Jukebox the Ghost powered through an epic set that featured over 20 songs, a commendable feat in terms of endurance alone, but Jukebox the Ghost went further, fighting at every moment to keep the show interesting, lively, emotionally resonant and catchy. Their lively stage presence coupled with their good humor was a great way to end the night. You could tell that they loved what they do with their unfaltering smiles, and that in turn made what they did even more of a pleasure to be a part of during that night.

Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, and Rick Yune star in a new action-packed thriller film named “Olympus Has Fallen.” Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this movie is about a group of Korean terrorists who attack the White House, leaving Mike Banning (Butler) to rescue the President (Eckhart) and save the nation from destruction. While the premise of the movie is unoriginal, the director adds his own unique flavor with interesting action scenes and added humor in the dialogue. The movie starts off with a flashback to two years prior, where Banning saves the President MOVIE from a car crash, but is REVIEW unable to save the First Lady. Banning is removed as head of Presidential detail, as his presence reminds the President of the tragedy. However, two years later, when the South Korean prime minister comes to meet with the President, a group of Korean terrorists attack the capital and hold the President hostage. They kill the whole United States security unit, leaving Banning as the only hope to save the President. This storyline is typical of many action movies, such as “Die Hard,” where one person has to save the country from destruction. The endings are always the same: the hostages are rescued, the one person emerges victorious, the intruders are killed and the nation is saved. The lack of uniqueness in terms of storyline makes this movie somewhat bland and dull, especially for viewers who are not looking for pure action. I

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found the plot itself to be fairly predictable and unsurprising. Despite the banality of the storyline, the exhilarating action-packed scenes make up for it. Fighting scenes involving Gerard Butler were especially thrilling. The last knife fight between Butler and the lead Korean terrorist, Kang Yeonsak (Yune), was very well-choreographed and exciting, unlike many anti-climactic last fights in other movies. The excitement stemming from the action gave the thrill lacking in the aboriginal storyline. I found the cinematography and visual effects to be great at times yet unfulfilling in others. While the scenes with Banning rescuing the President used visual effects and lighting excellently to create suspense, the scenes where the terrorists first attack the capital, especially the air raid, felt unrealistic. The raid looked like it belonged in a video game rather than a movie. The lack of realism in these scenes was disappointing considering its huge budget. The actors, however, performed their respective roles very well. Eckhart gave the President an air of both determination and kindheartedness. Butler was exceptional in his portrayal of Banning, in both the action scenes as well as dialogue. The humor in Butler’s dialogue was a huge positive throughout the movie, providing moments of laughter and levity throughout an otherwise suspenseful film. Overall, “Olympus Has Fallen” is a perfectly decent film that is fairly exciting, especially to one purely looking for action. While the plot is straightforward, the exhilaration of the action scenes and the humor in the dialogue, especially that of Banning, makes the film one worth watching.

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Jha plays with National Team BY JAMIE LAM

Table tennis is a sport that has been gaining popularity in recent years. Among the table tennis players at MHS is Sophomore Prachi Jha, who participated in the U.S. National Team Trials for table tennis held from Feb.7-10. Jha, who has been playing table tennis for well over six years, said she ranked fourth at the competition. The National Team Trials were held for only Men’s and Women’s Singles, Jha said. According to Jha, the 2013 U.S. National Team Trials were held at Topspin, which is Jha’s home table tennis club. Junior Nathaniel Chu and Sophomore Isabel Chu also participated in the event, Jha said. When asked how she thought she had performed at the competition, Jha said, “I actually did exactly as I expected to do at the Trials. I was ranked fourth, and ended up fourth. Overall, my performance was not exceptional, but I did win all the matches I needed to in order to make the team.” According to Jha, the top four men and women directly qualify for the National Team, with a fifth person chosen to join the team through the coaches’ selection. Jha said she will probably be playing both singles and

doubles events at the tournament. The National Team will play at the 2013 World Championships from May 13-20 in Paris, France, Jha said. “I am so proud and excited to be part of the 2013 Women’s Team and to represent my country at World Championships in May,” Jha said. “I am also extremely grateful to my parents and coaches, who have supported me throughout my entire career, no matter how I performed. Without them, I could have never even dreamed about making the U.S. Team at 15 years old.” Jha is currently ranked number one in America for table tennis girl players under the age of 16, number four in the whole nation among all female table tennis players, and number 61 in the world for table tennis female players under the age of 18. “Table tennis is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I honestly cannot imagine my life without the pressure and excitement that competing in a sport brings,” Jha said. “Some things, like cooperation, teamwork, and sportsmanship, cannot be taught in a classroom. Table tennis has given me the chance to meet new people from around the world [...] and accept both victory and disappointment with composure.”

Boys’ Tennis shows ‘potential’ BY MARTIN YAO

The current season for Boys’ Tennis is expected to be weaker than most, according to Team Captain Edward Liang. Reasons for the low expectations vary from too many underclassmen to missing players from last season, Liang said. Despite this, the season is still a good indicator for the next season to be much stronger, Liang said. This is because of the potential seen in the underclassmen. “We have a lot of young players that are really good now. Right now they are on Junior Varsity (JV) because we have a lot of seniors that we decided to put on Varsity,” Liang said, “so we had to put a lot of sophomores that are varsity level down in JV.” “Many people join tennis just for the merit. They want it on their college applications,” Liang said, “We have only three passionate players, and those three are the best players.” Varsity Boys Tennis Coach Bill Conley is taking greater strides this

season to coaching his team. The focus of this season as a coach is to develop each individual player and get them to work as a team, Conley said. “We have some new players and we have some players back from last year. Even the players that got back from last year are stronger players, so I look forward to watching my team develop and get better,” Conley said. The problem of lacking teamwork and motivation still remains in the team, however. Despite the poor performance in the season so far, Liang has high hopes for the new approaches in coaching the team. “[Conley] has been reading a few strategy guides from professional players and he’s been telling us how to play,” Liang said, “I cannot say it is effective yet because we just started, but I do see improvement.” Conley also gave props to Liang, Lam, and Junior Harrison Tran for leading the team well. While each of them plays well, the three of them manage to also motivate the team for games, Conley said.

Andrea Wang | THE UNION

Varsity Hurdler Nicholas Doan takes the lead in the 300-meter hurdle race in the dual meet against Gunn High School on March 14. Doan took first overall in this event. However, MHS lost to Gunn, the first loss of the season.

Track team ‘one of largest in MHS history’ BY MOSHE YANG

The MHS Track team competed at Lynbrook on Thursday, March 28, according to Track Head Coach Bridget Hall. The Frosh/ Soph. Boys and Junior Varsity Girls won, but both the Varsity Boys and Girls teams lost, according to Hall. The record this season for the Varsity Boys is two wins and two losses and for the Varsity Girls is one win and three losses, Hall said. The updated Frosh/Soph Boys and Junior Varsity Girls results were unavailable, according to Hall. “[At Lynbrook], we didn’t have our top guys for Varsity Boys at the meet, because they went to the Stanford Invitational and Frosh/ Soph. Top 8.” Hall said. “The Varsity Girls lost because they struggled.” New coaches this year include Throwing Coach Louisa Masika, Part-time Distance Coach Nastassua Hamor, Volunteer Jumps Coach Elizabeth Ho, and Sprint Coach Michael

Byers, Hall said. Except for Byers, all of the new coaches were previous MHS students, according to Hall. “This is one of the largest teams in MHS history with about 225 members,” according to Hall. “[Compared to last year] we have double the number kids.” Notable students in jumps include Senior Mazie Edusada who is among the top five in the triple jump in the league as is Senior Katherine Lien for the long jump, Jumps Coach Bernie Ramos said. This year’s team is much larger and has been difficult to coach with only two coaches, according to Ramos. “The Varsity Girls have been doing well and the Frosh/Soph. boys and JV girls are undefeated,” according to Bernie. “ Unfortunately, the Varsity Boys have held back because of injuries, but we are still developing and progressing.” This year’s sprinters have been working hard all year and are committed to representing their school,

according to the Byers. One particular bright spot on the team this has been Sophomore Sean Barnes, Byers said. “I’ve always wanted to be in youth development,” Byers said. “I hope to teach them a good work ethic, because it allows them to apply themselves in life.” Jumps Coach Jenny Bennett said Senior Nicholas Doan is excelling in hurdles this year after placing fifth last year at CCS. Sophomore Megan O’Brien, the top Varsity Girls hurdler, is also doing well, according to Bennett. “So far we’ve been dealing with this year’s large group pretty well.” Jenny said. “The boys teams have been excelling and there a lot of new girls this year.” At the Stanford Invitational, Senior Yohaness Estifanos won the 3000 meter and got third in the one mile, according to Hall. Also, Doan placed 11th overall, Hall said.

FEATURED ATHLETE What do you like about the sport? I can make new friends. It’s competitive and you get to play at tournaments so it’s fun. What was your most memorable badminton moment? There was this tournament at Affinity and I got my first win there. What was your most embarrassing moment in badminton? I had this mixed partner who was super good. He was a lot better than me and whenever we lost a point, it’d be my fault.

LeAnn Woo | THE UNION

Alice Lai

Freshman Badminton Varsity 1 Girls Singles How did you start playing badminton? I started two years ago when my brother was playing. My parents wanted me to play and I found it fun. Why did you decide to try out for the team? I play badminton and people from BBC suggested I join. I already met a lot of upperclassmen at BBC at open gym.

How do you train for badminton? I used to train 3-4 times a week at BBC but now I train once a week. What are your goals for this season? I want to stay V1 (Varsity 1) and beat as many people as possible. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Super speed because sometimes I can’t get to the bird! If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? A bat because they eat insects and insects are everywhere.

Moshe Yang| THE UNION

Sophomore Sammy Tran competes in the 500 yard freestyle at the meet in Santa Clara High. Frosh/Soph Boys won at the meet on March 29, 94-76. However, the Varsity Boys lost, 91-79, their third league loss of the season.

Swimming looks forward to challenging season BY VANESSA YEH

The 2013 swimming season officially started on the first week of February, according to Varsity Swim Captain Ana Peccin. The first swim meet of the season was on March 7 at Wilcox High School, Peccin said. The swim captains for Junior Varsity this year are Sophomore Don Huynh, Sophomore Andy Hoang and Junior Christina Luo. The Varsity Captains are Junior Amy Zhao, Sophomore J. Ryan Hinshaw, Sophomore Tan Nguyen, and Senior Ana Peccin, Peccin stated. “The swim season had a rocky start because the team lost so many fast swimmers,” Nguyen said. “However, there’s definitely room for improvement.” Coach Jennifer Loomis is now the only swim coach at MHS, Nguyen said. The other swim coach left when

he was offered another job at Washington High. It has been difficult without him because now there has been more stress on Coach Loomis, who has to manage four teams for this season, Nguyen continued. Coach Loomis is doing a great job, and the team appreciates her. We have been working very hard and are expecting a competitive season, Peccin stated. “Our most recent meet (as of Mar. 20) was at Lynbrook High School, and it was a bit more challenging,” Peccin informed. “Lynbrook was in a higher division but was placed in our league this season, so it was our first time racing against them. However, we still had a lot of great swims!” The team consists of around sixty swimmers, Nguyen said. To prepare for swim meets, practices consist of warm-ups, sprint sets, distance sets, and technique focused drills, Nguyen

continued. “Initially preseason, there was a lot of panic spread throughout the team about not having a pool, because of the new pool being built at MHS,” Nguyen said. “Many people thought there wasn’t going to be a season this year and were considering joining track instead.” Despite the commotion, the rumors were displaced at the parent-athlete meeting on Jan. 14. A majority of the team is really excited for the new pool, because swim meets can finally be held at MHS and the team would have a home advantage. Some members are also eagerly awaiting the installation of diving blocks, Nguyen added. Nguyen hopes for the team to place in the top four of the swim league this year, and to place individually within the top fifteen at CCS, Nguyen continued.

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Almogela, Len compete in States competition BY ALANNA TRAN

LeAnn Woo | THE UNION

Varsity 2 Mixed Doubles pair Kevin Chu and Jaime Tran prepare to return their opponents’ serve. Monta Vista were defeated by the Trojans, 27-3.

Badminton faces first defeat; JV, Varsity less experienced BY GIANG HA

The MHS Varsity Badminton team lost to Monta Vista 27-3 on March 28, according to Varsity Coach Jonathan (Jon) Huynh. This followed a defeat to Lynbrook 20-10, Huynh said. The Junior Varsity (JV) team also lost, 15-0, also suffering their second loss, according to Huynh. The only people that won were Varsity 1 Mixed Doubles pair Stephanie Hong and Darryl Yin, Huynh said. Huynh was not surprised by this loss, especially since the Varsity team was less experienced this year. “This year’s team consisted of many juniors who moved up from JV last year,” Huynh said. “The varsity team thus is much younger and lacking in varsity-level experience.” The JV team is also lacking in experience, as many of the players this year are freshmen, Huynh said. Despite their youth, Huynh felt that the JV team was actually more experienced than last year’s group. “JV this year has played much better than last year’s JV,” Huynh said. “Many of the freshmen played and trained over the summer.” Junior Timothy Hsu agreed that the Varsity team is inexperienced. The playing level has definitely gone down, according to Hsu. To make up for that, practices have been scheduled more frequently, Hsu said. “We have had many more prac-

tices this season,” Hsu said. “We have done a lot more conditioning as well.” However, Hsu sometimes feels that the conditioning drills are not always the most efficient use of the practice time. Some of the drills do not improve the playing level. “For instance, Coach Larry had us do 100 pushups as part of an exercise,” Hsu said. “Although I understand doing pushups, 100 seems a bit excess, and does not help in improving our badminton game.” Coach Jon nevertheless praised Assistant Coach Larry Chan. This year, Chan changed his teaching methods, and has improved in teaching intermediate and advanced badminton skills, Huynh said. A few underclassmen also made Varsity, Huynh said. This included freshmen Alice Lai and Martin Lopez, and sophomores Andrew Tsai and Aliza Truong. Lai in particular has been a bright spot on the Varsity team, Huynh said. “Alice Lai is our Varsity 1 Singles Player,” Huynh said. “She plays at the Junior National level.” Lai said she is excited about what the season has to offer. The upperclassmen are pretty good, and she is excited to play skilled players from other schools. The next home game is at Cupertino High, according to Huynh. He expects the team “to be on [their] toes and expect the unexpected.”

Golf has challenging season; practice, games unbalanced BY ANDREW HOANG

The MHS Golf Team has a record of 5-5 as of March 31, according to Golf Coach Nathan Dixon. The team has had quite a difficult year according to Dixon. This year was very different compared to last year, Dixon said. There are some notable differences between the state of last year and this year, Dixon said. An important strength is the number of seniors for leadership. Some of the more noteworthy players are Seniors Justin Parayno and Daniel Shak. A major weakness is the scheduling compared to last year, Dixon said. “The schedule is really compact so we don’t have enough time to practice,” Dixon said. He feels as if the team does not have enough practice time compared to the number of matches they have. When asked about the current state of the team, Dixon claims that the team is improving every match. A game occurred on March 26 against Wilcox High at Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club, where MHS lost 213-211. “We just didn’t play our best,” Dixon claimed. “Wilcox played really well.” Justin Parayno feels as if the lessened practice has a huge effect on the team. He claims, however, that if anyone has to the time to practice alone, they should practice whenever they want.

“It’s not a problem for me because I have my own schedule, less practice with the team does not affect me personally,” Paryano claims. “I feel as if some teammates aren’t as consistent as they could be,” Parayno says. Even though Parayno says that some players definitely got improved and some got rusty when compared to the team last year. Parayno feels as if strength of the team is that they have freshmen with potential. A weakness of the team has to be that new players have replaced the experienced players from the class of 2012. “It’s been stronger the last three years,” Parayno says. “Two really good players graduated and it definitely had an impact on the team.” He wants to do more because he wants to make up for the two players that graduated in 2012. A game that Parayno remembers is the game against Monta Vista, where he and Shak shot very well on the course. “Against Monta Vista, Daniel and I shot very well, and the team backed me up,” Parayno says. “It felt pretty good, it felt like the entire team earned the win.” The season is currently at 5-6. For future plans, Parayno does not have anything major in mind. “We do what’s on the schedule,” Parayno says. “We still practice hard and play hard.”

Two students, Senior Tatiana Almogela and Junior Mabel Len, from the MHS Wrestling team competed at state level competition on Feb. 19, according to Wrestling Coach Kent Mitchell. They competed at Lemoore High School, located in Lemoore, CA, Mitchell said. To qualify for the state level competition, the girls had to place in the top three in at CCS, according to Mitchell. Almogela placed first and Len placed third, Mitchell said. It was Almogela’s third time and Len’s first time competing at states, according to Mitchell. “[Almogela] went sophomore, junior, and senior year,” said Mitchell. “The two previous years she placed third at CCS. She didn’t place at state this year, but she made it to the second day at state, which basically

means the top twelve.” Almogela felt she has met her goal by placing first at CCS. To win first instead of third, as she did in the previous two years felt really good, Almogela said. “State was tougher this year,” Almogela said. “A lot of the girls this year from the different sections have gotten a lot better. It was a good experience though going against tougher students. It made me stronger.” Almogela and Len trained for states by going to other schools in CCS and practicing with their wrestlers, according to Almogela. They were wrestling with the best people in the section, which made for an intense practice, Almogela said. “The training helped a lot,” Almogela said. “The past years I went to state I was out of shape, so I took this practice more seriously and I was in really

good condition going into state.” This year is actually Len’s first year wrestling, Len said. She felt that she needed a change during her junior year and wished to challenge herself, according to Len. “I was actually pretty happy,” Len said. “I didn’t expect to do so well during CCS. I wish I did better at state because I feel like I could’ve done better, but then there’s always next year.” Len feels that she did and accomplished a lot this year, according to Len. She plans to do some wrestling over the summer to improve, Len said. “I feel accomplished and really good about my senior year,” said Almogela. “I feel like I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do and met all the goals I’ve wanted to reach so I feel like I’m ending it on a good note.”

Boys’ Soccer unable to participate in CCS BY CATHERINE FREY

The MHS Varsity Boys Soccer team was unable to attend the CCS tournament this year due to a problem with paperwork, according to Varsity Boys’ Soccer Coach Bill Leffler. MHS was skipped over when teams were being selected to go to CCS. The team’s record in the El Camino Division this year is 11–5 –4, so Coach Leffler thought the team would have performed fairly well in CCS. The team will most likely go next year, said Leffler. Both the league representative and CCS office said they had not received the necessary paperwork for the team to attend CCS, according the Leffler. Leffler has been taking care of team

paperwork for over 30 years, so the mix-up is unusual, according Senior Henry Tran, who plays defender for the team. “I felt like we got robbed of our hard work. We actually had to be at the top in the El Camino Division to get into CCS,” said Tran. “The season went well. We never gave up and got some good come-from-behind wins against Los Gatos and Palo Alto,” stated Tran. Teams are required to submit a completed season summary before the start of the seeding meeting for CCS. Milpitas did not turn in that completed form, Commissioner Nancy Lazenby Blaser said, according to an article by John Murphy on Prep2Prep. “The worst part is knowing that all

our hard work was wasted in the end because of paperwork. It is a shame because I believe that this year’s team was one of the most talented teams that I have ever played on,” stated Co-Captain Benjamin Leung. Teams that MHS had beaten won their first match in CCS, so Leffler assumes that the boys’ soccer team would have won their first game. Winning the first game gives you momentum for the second, so the MHS team probably would have ended in a higher division, said Leffler. “The eventual winner was Alisal, up in Salinas. They had not lost all year, so we probably couldn’t have beaten them unless something miraculously happened,” said Leffler.