INSIDE
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - PAGE 3 Ms. Lawton and Mr. Roy’s response to The Onion
SPREAD - PAGES 8-9 Presidential Elections
LIFESTYLE - PAGE 11 Prom Essentials
T HE
APRIL 2016
Volume XXVII Issue V
UN I O N
MHSTHEUNION.COM For the latest updates
STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL
Lawton, Brittan resign BY ABIGAIL ECAL
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Julia Nguyen | THE UNION
The Class of 2016 assembles its pyramid for its theme “Prepare for Takeoff” and won first place in the category.
Class of 2016 victorious at Trojan Olympics SEE TROJAN OLYMPICS ON PAGE 2
School board allocates $450,000 to create girls’ team room BY CA-ZAO BUI AYSHA REHMAN
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oney has been allocated to construct new girls team rooms, as decided on March 8 at a school board meeting, Principal Cheryl Lawton said. Money to build the new team rooms will be taken from previous bond money, and these new team rooms will be similar to the boys’, Lawton continued. The girls team rooms’ construction is in response to the previous Title IX controversy regarding the inequality between boys and girls athletics
with the boys team rooms, according to Athletic Director Jeffrey Lamb. About $67,000 was spent renovating the boys team rooms, and $450,000 will be spent breaking down the storage room and building the girls team rooms, Lamb said. “Title IX requires that you have equitable facilities for the boys and the girls,” Lamb said. “For this [construction], it’s $450,000, so that would be related to not only building the team room, but also replacing the storage rooms that have to be broken down. Because those rooms are not designed to be team rooms, they’re
going to have to tear stuff out, move stuff, and do all kinds of other stuff to make that happen.” The girls team rooms will be very similar to the existing boys team rooms, Lawton said. Cheaper options were looked at, but the more expensive choice was ultimately decided upon to ensure the rooms would be as equal as possible, she continued. “The plan that [the board] came up with, even though it’s the most expensive, gives the girls an exact carbon copy of what the boys have. It’s going SEE TEAM ROOM ON PAGE 2
The Union apologizes Regarding the recent satire paper The Onion, we, The Union, would like to formally apologize to the students and staff of MHS and to the larger community, and most especially to Ms. Brittan and the other administrators for publishing the “Keeping Up with the Admin” article. It was offensive and should never have been published, and we sincerely regret that it was.
N EWS IN BR IEF Spring Break There is no school from April 11 to April 15. Class will resume on Monday, April 18. Stanford Blood Drive California Scholarship Federation and National Honor Society are hosting the Spring Blood Drive on April 22. Junior and Senior Prom MHS “Fields of Dreams” is on April 23 at Levi’s Stadium from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Senior Awards Night Select seniors are to be recognized and awarded on May 18. The awards ceremony will start at 7 p.m. in the MHS gymnasium. Memorial Day - School Observed There is no school on May 30.
rincipal Cheryl Lawton and Assistant Principal Hilary Brittan have decided to resign from their positions, they announced in an e-mail on Mar. 1 and Mar. 23, respectively. According to Lawton, she resigned because of personal and family reasons. “My husband’s been entertaining some job opportunities up in the North Bay, and if he ends up taking one of those, we’re going to have to move,” Lawton said. The dynamics and size of MHS were a few reasons that working as the principal was a difficult job, Lawton said. According to Lawton, she made her decision to resign around March so it would alleviate the stress of finding a new principal. “I spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to go back and forth,” Lawton explained. “But this is the time of year when everybody’s looking, so waiting too late would be rough.” According to Brittan, she has accepted a principalship in Oregon for the upcoming school year. Her position was finalized earlier in the year, but she was unable to discuss her situation until her new superintendent allowed her to do so, Brittan said. “I’m looking forward to applying all that I have learned from this school, district, and community as I transition to a new school district in a different state,” Brittan wrote in an e-mail. “I’ll be taking over for a long-standing tenured leader and National Principal of the Year, so I have some very big shoes to fill!”
Search for new principal continues BY CA-ZAO BUI
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Crystal Tran & Courtesy of Michael Cummins | THE UNION
Mike Honda (left) and Ro Khanna address students during individual presentations in the theater. This is the first time either has come in person to MHS.
Khanna, Honda visit MHS
SEE CAMPAIGN ON BACK PAGE
CSL policy may change for next year BY ABIGAIL ECAL BRENNA HENTSCHKE
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he MHS community service policy may be revised for the 2016-2017 school-year, according to Vice President of the School Board Gunawan Alisantosa. According to Alisantosa, the School Board of Education voted 4-1 to approve Clerk Member Daniel Bobay’s proposals for community service. Alisantosa was the sole dissenter because he wanted to gather input from the community by forming a committee, he said. “I would support the modification later, but it would have to be done
with input from the community first,” Alisantosa said. According to Bobay, he proposed a number of changes to the current community service policy. Changes include approving an event that is sponsored by a teacher, an approved school organization, or an approved outside source, Bobay said. “Community service should be a mix of different activities, such as, for the athletics department, in support of sporting events, drama, band, other club-supporting activities, and ROTC,” Bobay said. “Regardless of that work being in a river-bend or at SEE CSL ON PAGE 2
Leaving MUSD has been one of the toughest decisions that she has had to make during her professional career, Brittan said. Another reason for her decision was that she needed to move closer to her family in Oregon, Brittan continued. “I love the [students] who make me smile everyday, the community members who dedicate themselves to creating a wonderful environment for our students, and the staff who go out of their way each and every day to make MHS an excellent place for kids,” Brittan said. In the meantime, Brittan has stated that she will be doing what she can to make the transition next year run smoothly and will remain in her position until June. According to Lawton, she will also maintain her position until June. “It’s going to be interesting to see who ends up [as principal], but I want to make sure I do whatever I can to get them settled,” Lawton said. “I think the district is working on setting something up before school starts too with some of the staff so that they can work with the new person coming in because I didn’t have that opportunity. I think they’re being wise by starting to have some meetings before school starts so that people have a chance to talk about things and get a sense of the culture. “This is an awesome school. We have amazing students; we have great staff. I’m going to miss it, and there’s a lot of great things going on in this community, so it’s going to be really hard to go,” Lawton said.
he process of choosing a new principal has changed to better select candidates, according to Superintendent Cary Matsuoka. The process is more authentic and effective in seeing how these potential future staff members would react in real-life situations, he continued. The process has evolved into a performance-based interview, Assistant Superintendent Matt Duffy said. Assistant principals are to be tested on April 5 and principals on April 7. Instead of just being asked questions, these candidates will spend time with a panel and get evaluated in a more true-to-reality manner, he said. “The first part is the paper screening. [Matsuoka, others, and I] will be leading the screening using criteria that we have,” Duffy said. “Then we’ll invite between four and eight finalists to a performance-based interview day.” Principals and assistant principals, on their respective days, will be put through different activities that test their leadership and management skills, according to Duffy. Different people will rate the candidates and voice their opinions and concerns, he said. “[The candidates] will go through five different activities that include case studies, instructional feedback, an interview about leadership and management, and a station about parent and family engagement,” Duffy said. “In each of those stations, there will be three observers, so we’re talking about twelve to fifteen total
people.” The panel to judge the candidates will include MHS staff representatives for more variety of opinion, Duffy said. The panel will then decide who moves on to the next stage of application, he continued. “[Matsuoka] and Cheryl Jordan are working on getting about nine representatives from MHS to be a part of [the panel], so there will be lots of eyes there,” Duffy said. “Then we’ll score them together as a big group and talk about who met the criteria and who didn’t. The folks who do well on those performance-based interviews will be passed down to the superintendent for final recommendations.” “[The old process] is not very authentic, and so what we’re going to do is create scenarios, case studies, and situations that a principal faces. Then [the candidates] have to demonstrate to [the panel] that they know how to lead a small group,” Matsuoka said. “If you ask them if they know how to lead a meeting, they’ll say ‘Of course I know how to lead a meeting; I do it every day.’ So, well, then do it.” The new principal should be able to listen to the rest of the MHS staff, Matsuoka said. He hopes that the new principal will build trust and strong relationships with his or her fellow staff members. “[The staff ] really needs someone who will get to know them, someone who will listen to them and build relationships,” Matsuoka said. “Without that, you could have the greatest vision in the world, but nothing would happen.”
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T HE U NION
NEWS
APRIL 2016
CSL: Community service policies may change FROM PAGE 1
Ashley Ricks | THE UNION
TROJAN OLYMPICS: Class of 2016 take back-to-back win FROM PAGE 1 BY JUSTIN NGUYEN
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he Senior Class of 2016 triumphed at the annual MHS competitive tradition, Trojan Olympics, held on March 25, according to Senior Class President Crystal Senados. This is the second year in a row that the Class of 2016 has won Trojan Olympics, Senados said. Rankings are determined by six categories: pyramid, dance, games, spirit, sportsmanship, and ticket sales. The seniors won every category, aside from ticket sales, which they tied for first along with the classes of 2017 and 2018, according to Senados. The classes of 2017, 2018, and 2019 placed second, third, and fourth, respectively, Senados said. “Trojan Olympics is a class competition [against] the other classes,” Senados said. “There’s a lot of different aspects [the judges] look at. A really important area that they judge you on is sportsmanship. Trojan Olympics is about unity of the school, not only your class.” The juniors and sophomores competed in a close game, with the juniors coming in second by a small margin of five points. Many sophomores, who came in just points short of second place, shared a slight disappointment at their loss, according to Sophomore Class Treasurer Vivian Le. “There are things that we could’ve done better, but it’ s a learning experience for us,” Le said. “We’re going to be doing much better next year.” According to Junior Class Secretary CJ Molo, she had a great time representing the Class of 2017 as a part of the dance, frozen t-shirt game, tug-of-war, and the pyramid. “It was a blur, it was fun [and] it was great. There was a lot of sportsmanship, and it was very sweet and fun. What team? ‘17!” Participants in Trojan Olympics had to stay after school for late-night
practices to make sure everything ran smoothly, according to Senior Class Secretary Sarah Huynh. Class officers were also required to look after the participants and oversee that everything was running smoothly, Huynh said. “I was at practice with [the seniors] since day one; they were really messy in the beginning,” Huynh said. “It was really cool to watch them grow into what they’ve actually done and what they’ve accomplished and how hard they’ve worked to actually get them to win the trophy.” For the seniors, winning for the second time in a row during their last year in high school was amazing, according to Senior Class Vice President Angela Bagsik. “The planning and everything was very stressful, but the actual Trojan Olympics was very fun. It made me anxious the whole time, and it was just a rush,” Bagsik said. “[The se-
niors] worked so hard for everything, and it was worth it.” Ginger Roy has been advising the Class of 2016 for the past four years. From participating in Trojan Olympics, students have been able to compromise, show determination, and work hard to support others and make everybody better, according to Roy. “[The seniors] have been my only class to advise at MHS, and I feel like I have just had a lot more children whom I’ ll always love and care for,” Roy said. “I want them to go out and do great things in the world and remember that when people show you who they are, believe them.” “It’s really indescribable,” Senados said. “It’s just so much work, time, and effort that you put into something, and the outcome is just so rewarding to see your whole entire class just unite.”
Julia Nguyen | THE UNION
Students from the Class of 2016 cheer as they participate during the pre-Trojan Olympic rally. Points gained at the rally add on to the overall score of each class.
school, it should regarded as community service.” According to Bobay’s proposals, community service does not count if it is done on campus during school time, in support of bipartisan political campaigns, or serving as an altar boy or acolyte for a directly religious event. “What I, as a board member, requested was a review of the policy and direction by the board to the staff,” Bobay said. “In response to my first request, the board received a report that I requested in October. This report from [the staff members] was to tell [the school board] what they wanted the community service program to be, and it mixed up the difference between community service and Service Learning.” “[The school board] gave direction on March 8, 2016 to form a committee to give input on the new [and] revised board policy,” Alisantosa said. “The board adopted the first revision on March 22, 2016. Therefore, the next step should be getting input from the community. The board gave direction to form a committee, but I, for one, want to make sure we uphold what we told the community.” Eleven people, including parents, students, teachers, and counselors, spoke out at the meeting against the way the new community service rules were implemented during the fall of the school-year, Bobay said. According to PFEL Coordinator Dena Chavez, she went to the school board meeting because there were concerns from the department leads at the school leadership meeting. “There were a lot of concerns from all the department leads that our system was just broken this year, and that frustration was so high that we’re looking at just getting rid of [community service] altogether,” Chavez said. “[The department leads] wanted to make sure that the school board was aware that the program had been changed without their approval and changed in such a way that basically was not working for our school anymore.” According to Principal Cheryl Lawton, there is a school panel to inspect the current community service policy. “What [has] caused a lot of issues this year is that how [community service has] been run in the past has
been very different from what was on the board policy,” Lawton said. “If you look at the board policy, it’s more service-learning-orientated. When Ms. Roche took it over this year, her goal was to align it with the board policy.” “We have heard concerns with the changes with the deadlines, so I think Ms. Lawton and Ms. Roche have listened to those concerns, and there have been changes and extensions to the deadline,” Superintendent Cary Matsuoka said. “We try to help students. Some have already met the 20 hour requirement; some still need to reach the maroon cord.” According to Lawton, some changes to the community service policy for this school-year were recommended by past Community Service Advisor John Ribovich. Ribovich’s recommendations affected the liability and deadline changes of the current policy, Lawton said. “There’s some liability issue,” Lawton said. “Then they moved the deadline up, so it wasn’t before the end of the school-year.” According to Ribovich, he did not make any formal recommendations, although he offered suggestions about the Maroon Cord program. Lawton and Roche never contacted him to clarify anything about the community service processes, Ribovich said. “From 2003-2015, when I was Community Service Coordinator, every single senior who fulfilled the other graduation requirements also fulfilled the Community Service requirements,” Ribovich said. “My focus was always on helping students graduate and serve their community. I would also note that the school board phased in the original graduation requirement so students would have time to fulfill it.” The official transcript stated that around 300 seniors did not make the 20-hour deadline on Dec. 2015, Bobay said. “It’s a little hard for the upcoming high schoolers since a portion of them don’t have cars to do community service off-campus which [is where most] of the community service opportunities [are],” Senior Vivian Banh said. Service Learning Advisor Reneé Roche declined to be interviewed for this story.
TEAM ROOM: Construction in works FROM PAGE 1 to be the same size; it’s going to be in the same exact location,” Lawton said. “We looked at different possibilities and combinations, and there were other ones that were cheaper, but then we’d always have the question as to why the boys have this, and [the girls] don’t have that. It would’ve been one of those kinds of things.” Whom the girls team rooms will be used by is currently unclear, Lamb said. Like the boys team rooms, they should be open for any sport to use if its team members so please, he continued. “I don’t know who’s going to use it. Right now, we have the team rooms on the boys’ side that are predominantly only used by football,” Lamb said. “Other sports could use it when football season is over; however, nobody chooses to do that. So, I don’t know what will happen on the girls’ side. We will probably have the girls’ team lockers in there, but how much it will be used is a different story.” Many are happy that this team room is getting built for the girls, P.E. Teacher Deirdre Wyness said. It is as if a battle for female athletes has finally been won, she continued. “We’re ecstatic [about the construction],” Wyness said. “I mean, it’s what we’ve been fighting for; for the girls on campus, the female athletes
on campus,” Wyness said. “We’re just happy that it all worked out and that the district worked with us to mutually come up with a design that is beneficial to everybody.” P.E. Teacher Corinne Osborne is also pleased with the announcement of the new construction plans, she said. She is delighted that the school board acknowledged the differences between the girls’ and boys’ facilities, Osborne continued. She believes that for those supporting women’s rights, this small step toward athletic equality recognizes that things need to be fair. Osborne thinks that administration harbored no ill-intent when renovating the boys’ rooms earlier this year, and she is confident that they will be more careful for the next time, she said. She also is pleased that the P.E. department will still get the same amount of storage space as before the planned renovations. Female athletes, such as Junior Gabby Avella, are pleased that the district is building a space for them. “At our school there aren’t many resources for the athletes, so adding something like that can be beneficial for a team like the Girls’ Track and Field team.” Avella said. “The girls have just as many teams as the boys do, and we deserve the same benefits.”
EDITORIAL
APRIL 2016
EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union
Nurse needed at MHS for assistance, guidance; school population too large to be without a nurse
We, The Union, believe that it is necessary for a school nurse to be present on a campus of this size, in addition to our current health clerk. With a student body population of 3,000 and counting, our campus is already facing the repercussions of overcrowding. Without a proper school nurse on campus, students are forced to be self-reliant and knowledgeable about possible medical emergencies when they aren’t qualified to do so. While the role of a health clerk is important, a certified nurse is crucial to the strength of the student body, staff, and district alike. Furthermore, other schools in the Bay Area—of all campus sizes—have school nurses on staff. Examples of this are Leland High School of San Jose and Wilcox High School of Santa Clara, both with student populations of just under 2,000. Even Live Oak High School of Morgan Hill, with a student population of only 1,151, has a school nurse on campus. On the other end of the spectrum, Independence High School, one of the largest high schools in the San Jose Unified School District, also employs a school nurse. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend states provide, at minimum, one nurse for every 750 students. With the wide range of student populations present, it poses the question: why doesn’t Milpitas High School have one yet? The benefits of having a school nurse are outlined in the California Education Code (CED). Section 49426 of the CED states, “School nurses strengthen and facilitate the educational process by improving and protecting the health status of children,” and also identify and assist in “the removal or modification of health-related barriers to learning in individual children.” The presence of a school nurse on campus would not only provide necessary medical assistance to students, but it could also encourage school attendance as well. School nurses are found to prevent chron-
ic truancy. According to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), having a certified nurse on campus can ensure student safety and provide outreach for families and students alike. Academics are compromised when a student’s health isn’t given the proper treatment or attention, which is where a school nurse can use his or her expertise to combat illness and foster healthy mental and physical well-being. Additionally, according to Section 49426 of the CED, school nurses are able to perform a plethora of services (authorized by the local governing board) that health clerks are not authorized to conduct. This includes running certain immunization programs, assessing the health status of students in order to identify physical disorders, working directly with students’ physicians in order to modify education plans, and even designing specialized health maintenance plans to meet individual needs of the students. Although Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) has district nurses on staff, The Union stresses that at a school this size, having only a health clerk on campus is not sufficient. The MUSD job description states that a health clerk “prepares, maintains and updates student health records and files,” and “maintains health office and administers first aid.” The health clerk is also “responsible for the accurate maintenance of student health records and for timely evaluation and referral of student illnesses and injuries.” Additionally, only a high school diploma is required upon entry as a health clerk. When comparing the CED’s description of a school nurse and MUSD’s job description of a health clerk, it is clear that there is a legitimate need for measures to be taken in order to fully ensure optimal safety and guidance for MHS students.
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L E T T E R S TO T H E E DI TOR Certain Onion articles harassing; ‘poking fun’ comes off as bullying
Journalists’ satire use warranted; need to address issues on campus
Dear Editor, In addition to my own concerns, I have received several messages of concern from staff and parents regarding the Spring 2016 edition of The Onion. While I believe that you have no ill intent when you wrote the articles, several were extremely hurtful to a variety of individuals and groups at MHS. In the process of trying to ‘poke fun,’ in many articles your words came across as harassing and cruel. In mid-March, several of our students and staff members completed a multi-day visit to Camp Everytown where they had a chance to explore and break down stereotypes and the types of verbally bullying disguised as ‘poking fun’ that are so prevalent on school campuses. The fact that this paper was released on the heels of Camp Everytown made it even more upsetting to many people on our campus. Hopefully you are able to understand the extent to which the line was crossed between satirical humor and outright verbal bullying. This is not the National Enquirer, nor should it try to be. This is a school newspaper geared for a teen audience. Intentional or not, I do believe that you owe an apology to the entire MHS staff, student body, and school community for the damaging comments made in several of The Onion articles. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Dear Editor, The Union should apologize to the MHS administrators for its satirical article “Try to Keep up with the Admin.” However, I believe some have overreacted to other parts of The Onion edition. The editorial and some of the articles have been criticized for espousing racial stereotypes. However, the student-journalists did not invent these stereotypes; these stereotypes are the everyday reality for many of our students, and the writers were obviously ridiculing at those who really hold such beliefs. Other articles highlight the absurdity of Donald Trump’s racism and the dim-wittedness of those who reduce ethnic cultures to food choices. I believe the vast majority of students and adults who read the newspaper were capable of understanding the satire and found the humor in these articles. For those who lacked the critical reading skills necessary to pick up on the authors’ tones, their calls for punishment, censorship, and disavowal are not the answer; instead, we should use education and discussion to resolve the conflict. As educators, we should encourage our students to stand up for what they believe is true and right and to support their views with reasoned analysis. One should not have to apologize in the face of other people’s ignorance and/or unwarranted sensitivity. In addition to discussion and dialogue, those who are offended by The Onion’s satirical comments on race would be well-served by some deep introspection in searching for the underlying assumptions at the root of their discomfort. Our school is full of many minority groups, yet our administration and teaching staff
Cheryl Lawton Principal
are overwhelmingly Caucasian. We should be very careful and thoughtful when the majority group in power claims to be offended on behalf of minority groups; it might be presumptuous for white adults to tell minority students how they should feel about satire and stereotypes. The issues of “white privilege” and cultural appropriation, alluded to in one article, are controversial to many, but they are certainly worthy of rational discussion and debate. I am astounded that any educator would suggest that we should not talk about issues of race and that the acknowledgement of the reality of racial stereotypes somehow equates to the support of them. In accordance with the Common Core, we need to teach our students to read critically (how to read tone is particularly crucial) and to think critically, and we can do this by modeling these skills for them. I applaud The Union for engaging in serious issues that are being discussed today. I’m proud of these students for producing thoughtful journalism, not mindless advertisements nor vapid, rah-rah newsletters. Furthermore, I would like to point out that many students—some on The Union and many who are not— do not have positive feelings about some of our administrators, but this has not always been the case, so how did this adversarial relationship come about? Anyone who has been at MHS for the last two to three years should know the answer. I remember when administrators interacted with our students on a daily basis—during lunch, at break, and before and after school. The friendly atmosphere and positive vibe on such a large campus were truly wonders to behold. However, our new administrators seem to prefer a hands-off approach that only focuses on discipline, and as a result, many of our students do not feel val-
ued or cared for. The effect is the same when many students perceive that an administrator only cares about certain groups of students. There are more specific reasons for the tension between some of our administrators and our student-journalists. Last school year, when The Union wanted to cover the fight that led to the unprecedented early ending of lunch, they were asked why they wanted to write about it and told if they didn’t get the story “right,” there would be consequences. When student-journalists decided to explore the issue of special treatment for student-athletes, such as non-special education students testing in special education rooms, they were intimidated and discouraged. The same obstruction and petulance occurred this year when The Union wanted to explore the locker-room scandal, which the current administration at first refused to discuss and still has not taken responsibility for; instead it chose to blame the previous principal for purchasing decisions made well after his departure. More than one student-journalist has reported leaving an administrator’s office in tears after an interview. Clearly, some administrators don’t want their actions questioned or exposed, so there has been conflict between the newspaper and them. Why bring up the past? Because all of this has contributed to the negative feelings that permeate our campus. For those who ask why The Union has been so negative in its coverage of the administration for the last two years, I’m trying to point out the actual reasons. Many negative events have occurred, and journalists have a duty to cover such events and get to the truth behind them. For those who claim The Union is not a “real” newspaper, I disagree; it has been the only voice willing to ask questions and
speak out, even when many teachers, such as myself, have been too afraid to raise objections for fear of retaliation. Also, would anyone tell a student-athlete he is not really playing a sport because he’s not in the pros? Hey, all of you musicians, don’t bother; you’re not in a real orchestra. The Union should continue its mission to find answers, especially when the powers-that-be insist on obstruction and lack of transparency. My goal is not to shame our administrators in public, nor do I think such a step is necessary; I do not have anything personally against them. Instead, I would like the entire community to know what has been going on at MHS for the last two years so we can find real solutions and get back to being the school we once were. The damage inflicted has hurt the morale of everyone—administrators, classified staff, teachers, and, most importantly, students. This conflict between The Union and the administration is just the latest manifestation of a larger problem. Rather than call for our student-journalists to issue a blanket apology for The Onion, perhaps we should demand an apology from those who have broken our school. Finally, I’d like to point out something from the satirical Onion issue that may have escaped many people’s outrage. That bit about math tutors who are not good at math but receive academic grade points to help their athletic eligibility—that’s real. That’s how satire works. Where are the outrage and calls for apologies for this unethical practice? If I was a parent of a student who struggles in math, I certainly would be outraged she was not getting the help she needed to succeed. But maybe we should only demand that children be held accountable.
Sanjit Roy
English Teacher
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THE UNION
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Mission offers unavailable classes, allows students to be productive At Mission College in Santa Clara, dents, it’s easier to go through a few high school students are allowed to weeks of classes at Mission rather enroll in college level courses for than an entire year of an AP class at credit on their transcripts. The class- MHS. es appear on their transcripts as if The main complaint people have they were taken at the high school with Mission classes are that they and are worth 5.0 GPA points. There are unfair to people who take AP are several benefits to having these classes at MHS. Mission classes are classes available to students. shorter, lasting only a few weeks in First, students who want to take the summer, and are oftentimes less advanced placement classes that are rigorous. On top of that, they appear not available at MHS can on transcripts exactly the simply opt to take the class same as would any normal at Mission College over AP class. It seems to some the summer. Classes like people that students who AP Economics or AP Encan’t handle the rigor can vironmental Science are simply sign up for a Misnot offered at MHS and sion class for an easy GPA can be taken at the college bump. for students who want the The idea that Mission opportunity. classes are “too easy” is the Second, students who do fault of the teachers who not have enough space in teach those classes and NICHOLAS their schedules can choose shouldn’t be linked to the LUC to take the class at Mission courses themselves. Like College. Not all AP classes with any course, there will are available to students from the get- be good and bad teachers, and a good go. Some are grade level restricted or teacher should make the course as have prerequisite classes, and as a re- difficult as a regular AP course. Given sult, students may not have enough that, we shouldn’t condemn the classtime to take all the classes they want. es, for that is the fault of bad teachers. Third, students can take classes at If you offer an alternative to rigorMission to avoid taking the course at ous AP courses that are both shorter MHS. Not all of the AP classes at MHS and easier, it is no surprise that some are known for their quality. Students students take advantage of that. But may not feel that they would learn taking Mission classes definitely is much in a particular teacher’s class or not a bad thing, and we can’t fault that they are interested in a subject. students for taking these classes At Lots of AP classes at MHS are rigor- the end of the day, Mission classes ous to the point that some students are a valuable resource for students will say that they are “not worth it.” to have, whether that be for GPA reaA lot of people only take AP classes sons or otherwise, and keep students in order to increase their GPA and to productive over the summer. look good to colleges. For these stu-
CON
Mission College classes too easy, unfair to pupils taking AP classes Mission College classes are three ple of weeks and get a year’s worth of to four week-long courses you can credit for it. take that count for 5.0 GPA points on Next, there is a sense of complayour MHS transcript and count as a cency that develops as more kids take yearlong course. A student may take summer classes. Students believe up to three classes at Mission Col- that there is no pressure or motive lege in any seasonal term. Now, this to dedicate so much effort in high seems perfect for high achievers try- school because they can just stack 5.0 ing to get into UC Berkeley, MIT, or classes at any community college. whichever top tier univerThis brings me to my sity they choose to go to. next point about the GPA. However, there are several Consider the scenario of key issues that arise with a student who takes the these classes. toughest AP classes MHS First off, as daunting has to offer and gets B’s in as a college class might those classes despite their seem, the courses at a best efforts (Calculus community college are BC, AP Chemistry, or AP ridiculously easy. ConsidBiology). However, this er the U.S. History class student might not be free at Mission College which in the summer because many students enroll in of internships, vacations, MIHIR their sophomore summer. volunteering, etc. so he THUMMAR This is literally a three or she may not be able to to four week-long course take summer classes. If teaching kids about a couple of main another student, who does not take events in American History with high level AP classes as the student about two tests and a final exam. It in the hypothetical scenario, goes is a stretch to even declare these ex- to Mission College over the summer aminations as worthy of testing stu- and takes any class, his or her GPA dents’ knowledge. Especially when will look incredibly better. This levthe tests are online and you have el of competition, in my opinion, is Google as your best friend. Not only close to cheating, where kids just are the tests ludicrously facile, but take rudimentary classes at a college the teachers do not even care and and increase the disparity between just hand out perfect scores because classmates to the point where learnthey want to enjoy their summers ing does not even matter because it’s and collect their summer session just a numbers game of GPA. bonuses. The most work a student Now, I may sound incredibly cyndoes in a Mission course is finishing ical, but when you see students inthe World Cup match he or she forgot furiated every day about their rank to watch the week before. Also, what dropping, one can tell that there is can a student even learn in three to something inherently wrong with four weeks? I took AP U.S. History the educational system. For a Misand the AP exam, and it’s not fair to sion College class to actually count, cover 200 years of history in a cou- academic rigor ought to be on par.
OPINIONS
APRIL 2016
Tax education should be taught in high school It is tax season. As a recent recipi- 540, used to file for state tax returns, ent of a part-time job, this is my first had more than 30 similar lines. foray into the period of angst and Some subjects listed are pretty frustration that millions self-explanatory, such as enof Americans endure tering your wages as listed every year in order to on your W-2 or other inforreceive tax refunds from mation return. Many other state and federal entiitem deductions, however, ties. While I didn’t make are specific enough that nearly enough in 2015 each tax return application to necessitate the procomes with its own instruccess of filing back taxes, tion manual. The two-page I wanted to go through long Form 1040 comes with the process just as an ex105 pages of instructions. perience. Even Form 1040EZ (note WEE JIN When I first got hired, the ‘EZ’), with just fourteen KOH I filled out a W-4 form, itemized lines, comes with a which told my employ44 page instruction manual. er approximately how America’s tax industry is much in tax to withhold from my incredibly complex, so why aren’t take-home pay. At the beginning of students taught to navigate it? Tax tax season, I received my W-2 form, education, including filing taxes, which listed wages as well as a series should be a compulsory part of high of withheld taxes. Armed with my school education. Students shouldn’t W-2, I proceeded to open up the rele- be thrown into the deep end of the vant tax return forms I had to fill out. pool as defenseless minnows against That was when I realized: what am I the IRS sharks when they have to do supposed to do? taxes for the first time. It seems logLines after lines of text appeared ical that high school students should on my computer screen. Form 1040, graduate with the basic skills to do used to file for federal income tax re- their own taxes in order to contribute turns, had 79 lines in which users had their share of income to promote the to input the amount of money appli- society around them. cable under the subject listed. Form “Ask your parents,” said my em-
ployer as I was handed my W-2 form. My employer was expecting my parents to help me with tax refund applications. However, shouldn’t we learn about such a complicated process from our knowledgeable teachers with teaching credentials? Students take many classes in high school where real-world applications of concepts are introduced, so why isn’t filing taxes one of these applications? The government and economics classes that students have to take are great avenues to introduce tax education. These classes deal with many concepts applicable to taxes. Teachers in economics classes can introduce mock exercises where students have to estimate their taxes by filling out a W-4, and then file their own taxes with a fake W-2. Such exercises definitely have greater chances of being applied in real life than any math problem I have encountered involving angles and hot air balloons. Without the basic skills needed to file taxes and along with the inherent laziness of senior year, I gave up on filing taxes this year. If I had learned to file taxes at school, however, I would have most likely applied to receive the back taxes the government currently holds that are rightfully mine.
Police issuing tickets near MHS impedes traffic Vehicle traffic has always been a problem at MHS with its overpopulation of students. What’s worse about this situation is that the Milpitas police officers are partially responsible for the traffic congestion at the intersection of Jacklin Road and N. Hillview Drive. At this right turn off of Jacklin Road onto N. Hillview Drive, drivers are not allowed to turn right between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Therefore, many cops give out tickets to drivers that make this illegal turn. The problem is that the police officers are giving the tickets right at the intersection, thus blocking traffic passing through from the other side of N. Hillview Drive. The street is already so narrow that the traffic situation only worsens with these officers and drivers in the way. The police officers are supposed to be reducing traffic by giving out tickets to those who take this illegal turn; however, the officers are really just
All of this traffic causes the drivcausing more traffic. The green light to go left or straight from N. Hillview ers waiting in line at the N. Hillview Drive past Jacklin Road only lasts for Drive stoplight to start cutting other about a minute, and barely any cars drivers. This is done by waiting next pass through. To add onto to a car and squeezing their this chaos, the cops, rathways through when a space er than helping the traffic becomes available or by flow, are only impeding it. going into the KinderCare and Fitness for 10 complex I believe that the police officers need to stop the in order to go around the cars that break this right traffic and overtake about ten to fifteen cars. turn violation farther down N. Hillview Drive Even leaving my house early doesn’t help the sitrather than right at the corner of the intersection. uation, often resulting in The street is simply just tardies and those horrifyKRUPA ing detentions from tardy too narrow for cars to easPATEL ily pass through with offisweeps. cers in the way. Let’s also If the police officers were to give out these tickets face the fact that almost every driver slows down or stops to away from the intersection corner and further down the main road, the look when an officer is around. Another problem with this situa- traffic situation would be tremention is ratio of police officers to of- dously better, and more cars would be fending vehicles. I don’t think it takes able to pass through at any given time. five officers to give two cars a ticket.
Increased housing diminishes education quality Despite the fact that MHS counts as Area Rapid Transportation (BART) one of the better schools in our state station being built near Great Mall. and country, it pales in comparison to The city’s plan in allowing this to hapother schools in our area. While MHS pen is clear: it hopes to draw on a conis certainly an academically high-per- sistent source of tax revenue through forming school, by any and every property taxes. While this policy may definition, the abundance of even bring financial benefits, some negahigher-performing schools around us tive side effects come with this, espeleaves one wondering: why are we not cially to public education. achieving the same level of success? The first problem that arises would When comparing the communities be overpopulation. The people buythat better performing schools are ing the newly-built homes are new in to our own, it’s clear to see. Many families with children that will enter cities have a major orgaMUSD schools for years to nization based there that come. This results in hunnot only generate huge dreds, possibly thousands, tax revenues for their cofof new students entering fers and in turn lead to the the district. We have alability to provide students ready begun to see this better resources and atin MHS, with consistent tract better teachers, but increases in the student also provide resources population in recent years. and opportunities to their Teachers and staff would schools. Cupertino has Apbe ill-equipped to cope ple; Palo Alto has Stanford; with increased class sizIVAN Mountain View has Gooes, decreasing the overall HUANG gle. While we have Cisco quality of education. Systems, the company’s Furthermore, the excesperformance in recent years means sive development of housing in Milfewer and fewer tax dollars are com- pitas could disconnect the city from ing into our education system. the world-class resources our neighOf course, the city has taken steps boring cities have as a result of being to replace the lost revenue. This is home to Silicon Valley giants. While it evident in the dramatic increase in is completely within the realm of reahousing developments in the city, es- son for Milpitas to develop the next pecially in the region around the Bay Facebook, Google, or Apple, the lack
of viable options to set up a headquarters and put down roots in the community can cause a potential next big company to go somewhere else. That would result in lost opportunities for the district to collaborate with said company on providing students innovative educational tools and resources, which have been important factors in the academic success of other schools in the region that produce winners of the Intel Science Fair on a regular basis. Thus, leaving more land for commercial purposes would be highly beneficial for Milpitas. The city is currently a sea of houses and apartment complexes with rivers of three lane roads and islands of commercial plazas. Think about it: Where is downtown Milpitas? Where is the walkable go-to place for culture and consumption in this town of former cornfields? Establishing an area dedicated to being a downtown in this city could effectively increase consumer spending and increase city coffers more significantly than any amount of housing. Property taxes have limits in terms of revenue; sales taxes do not. These next few years will define the Milpitas landscape, literally. For the sake of MHS and the community at large, more commercial properties should be included in the development of the little vacant land we have.
APRIL 2016
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MHS photographers hold photoshoots for prom prom through social media and ony Le T friends shouting me out,” Le sy of e t The hustle and bustle of prom said. “Then they can just r u season means deciding on what message me to make appointments.” to wear, choosing a place to eat, Although having and, of course, finding a location to more appointments take photos. Luckily, prom-goers means higher need not look further than their revenue, it also fellow students to be their prom photographers. means less time Some students on campus spent on taking have expanded their passion photos for each for photography into a business couple, according to Le. opportunity for the upcoming prom season. Being a prom photographer is “Currently I have a chance for extra practice and a way seven or eight groups, to make some money, Senior Tony Le but I’m going to see if said. anyone else wants [me to be his or her photographer],” “I wanted to do prom photography this year because I wanted to hone Le said. “The hardest part would and it’s mainly because I don’t in on my craft,” Le said. “I want to be letting the couples figure out what charge, so people always ask.” poses they want to do, and since I’m go on trips during the summertime Offering prom photography taking a lot of big groups, they’ll be so I realized that I’m going to need very disorganized.” services to others has opened money, which is why I decided to do [prom photography] this year.” Other student photographers have up doors to learn more about Students attending prom often find chosen to take photos for friends photography, as well as meet new people, Nguyen said. photographers through social media, free of charge. Taking prom photos Le said. Potential customers typically “I didn’t know anyone in [my for free has made Senior Khang contact the photographer directly, Le friend’s] group, but as I took photos, Nguyen a popular photographer not just amongst MHS students, but also said. I slowly got to know their group,” “People found out that amongst students from Evergreen Nguyen said, recounting a favorite I’m taking memory. “They also brought another High School and Silver Creek High gi and Erin Bui | C photographer, and I got to talk to School, Nguyen said. p h ot o s u s ou rO rt “My first two years I just him, and he actually gave me a lot for ife e n sy Je left a Facebook post and of really helpful advice, and that’s of let people comment how I furthered my career in [prom photography].” on it. Last year and One of the challenges of taking this year I didn’t really do anything, prom photos is choosing a location that is not too crowded, according to but people remembered that Senior Jonathan Dinh. I did it before and “I’m going to prom, but I’m taking photos for my friends the day before so they asked me just to avoid all the crowds,” Dinh beforehand, and that’s how it goes, said. “The Japanese Friendship and word spreads. Garden, Alviso Marina Park, and It’s a natural Communications Hill are all going to growth,” Nguyen be really crowded on the day of prom just because they are so close. If you said. “So far I already go earlier on a different day, you’ll have four requests. [The number of requests] have more choices in the places you can shoot photos.” has passed my expectations.,
APRIL 2016
On-Campus Makeup Artist: Holly Nguyen Senior Holly Nguyen expresses her creativity through makeup, refining her skills through practice and gaining inspiration from YouTube beauty gurus.
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BY JULIA NGUYEN
n uye Ng
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Homework Help Skills Review Tutoring ESL
Headin’ for Success!
Success! Learning Center a non-profit educational & tutoring center
355 Dixon Rd.
Milpitas CA 95035
(408) 263-9754
Visit us on the web! www.successlearningcenter.org
When did you get into make up?
I got into makeup during my freshman year of high school. This is when my mother would finally allow me to start applying makeup to my face. I've always loved watching YouTube ever since I was introduced to the application. I soon signed up to a plethora of different beautyrelated subscriptions. There was just something special about makeup tutorials, hauls, and chats that caught my attention, and then, all my time [...] I've spent hours on end just watching beauty video after beauty video. Ever since my freshman year, my makeup lust has turned into a really strong interest, or in other words, an addiction.
How do you get better at it? The only way to improve one's
makeup techniques is to practice. I remember those frightening days as a fourteen-year-old where my eyebrows were just a total embarrassment. And let's not even get started on not blending everything out as a beginner. The key to makeup is blending!
Courtesy of Holly Nguyen
WHAT IS YOUR INSPIRATION?
I don't have a sole inspiration in the makeup field. Makeup is just something I love to do and it's fun! Your face is essentially a canvas and all you need is some motivation to go create an art piece. The first ever beauty guru I subscribed to on YouTube would be Carli Bybel, so she does hold a special place in me. She somewhat inspires me to become a kind and genuine person since her mantra in life is to be positive and loving. Also, her makeup is absolutely flawless! Every time I see a new video on her channel, I just can't wait to watch!
Prom/event rates:
$25 | Full face including lashes $15 | Eyes including lashes $15 | Just face make up All make up is supplied unless the client has certain preferences, then they supply those specific products.
Contact Information: (408) 712-5728
FBLA acquires new members; anticipates larger future events BY MIHIR THUMMAR
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a club on campus that has made substantial progress since the beginning of the year, considering that this is its second year that it has officially logged competition hours. According to FBLA Vice President Sajel Shah, the club has tripled membership this year and is only projected to expand next year with many dedicated underclassmen. With FBLA’s growing popularity, it is concluding this competitive season with one of the largest tournaments of the year. “It’s the California State Level Competition for FBLA; so we had our Bay Section Conference in February,” FBLA Advisor Annie Marple said. “The kids who qualified in those events will compete at this event as well as kids who are entering events that are just starting at the state level.” Marple and the FBLA officers put forth plenty of time into preparing newer members for their events at Bay Sections, the annual regional competition, Shah said. “We held several mandatory study sessions, and our dedicated members studied and practiced on their own as well,” Shah said. “At Bay Sections, usually Homestead and Cupertino are the schools that take all the winning spots, but Milpitas really made their mark this year as the underdog.” Continuing off the success from Bay Sections, the state level competition is from April 14 to April 17 and the competitors will be leaving early in the morning of April 14, Marple said. There are around 21 people who are registered to go to the tournament of around 4000 students from different schools across the nation, Marple
furthered. Moreover, the events at this tournament will cover a wide variety of topics. “We have students competing in marketing, business ethics, emerging business issues, international business, a lot of different events like that,” Marple said. “So if a student wins, then we will be taking them to the national conference which is a week long competition held in Atlanta this year in June.” There are many ways that the competitors have been preparing for the state level competition. Since most of the competition consists of team events that have written tests, the students are provided with textbooks and sample tests to study with, Marple said. “If it’s a presentation, then they’ve been working with upperclassmen and with me to put their presentation together,” Marple said. “They’ve had quite a while to do research and refine that. The students who have products that they are building have been looking at industry examples online, examples of past winning reports, and have been steadily working on building those things.” With all this preparation, the competitors are using the same tactics they used for Bay Section competitions to prepare for this state level competition, but with twice the effort, Shah said. Shah, along with FBLA President Kinbert Chou and FBLA Secretary Tuong-Vi Nguyen, are studying for the Marketing Series Event, Shah said. “Last year, we barely missed qualifying for Nationals, and we don’t want that to happen again,” Shah said. “However, it is definitely uplifting to see so many students representing Milpitas at the State competition this year.”
Headin’ for Succes
APRIL 2016
FEATURES
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Debaters place at Berkeley Online art ‘zine’ launched by MHS student BY AYSHA REHMAN
BY BRENNA HENTSCHKE
In mid-February, many MHS students attended the annual speech and debate tournament held at UC Berkeley. However, several students managed to stand out at the prestigious national circuit tournament which had participants from all around the country and the world. Amongst the successful students, Junior Bea Palacio accomplished a feat that was unprecedented in the history of the MHS Speech and Debate team. Out of 248 total participants, Palacio was ranked the top speaker in her event, JV Policy Debate. After attending a single tournament her freshman year, Palacio refined her skills and began reading postmodern philosophy in order to win the game of rhetorical warfare known as policy debate. The preparation that led up to the accomplishment did not just come naturally, according to Palacio. “In the kind of debate I do, you have to stay updated with what’s happening all around the world. If you don’t, then you will get lost,” Palacio said. “I’ve been preparing this entire year by attending other tournaments, including some out of state. Berkeley was the last tournament of the year, so I’m glad I was able to leave on a high note.” Receiving the distinction came as a shock to Palacio, who was unsure how well she would rank amongst more experienced debaters at the tournament. “I was really surprised when they called my name for first speaker,” Palacio said. “When you debate, you don’t really know what’s going to happen.” Palacio not only placed high as an individual speaker, but was part of the top ranked team in the event out of a total of 124 teams with her partner Junior Gurshaan Bariana. Palacio and Bariana went 6-0 in their preliminary rounds and won
every round until they reached quarterfinals. Bariana was also recognized for his individual speaking and was the fifth speaker in the event. “I would also like to thank my partner Gurshaan for being supportive and helping me strive to be my best,” Palacio said. “We both improved a lot over the year, and hopefully we’ll be able to continue our success next year.” Speech and Debate helps students such as Palacio express themselves better and improve their public speaking skills tremendously. The tournaments held throughout the year help create a platform in which students can discuss issues concerning the status quo and methods to resolve them, according to Palacio, whose case revolved around the unfair treatment of marginalized bodies. “Prior to debate, I was aware of certain issues regarding racism, sexism, and problems with the government, but never really cared about them as much,” Palacio said. “Debate has allowed me to talk about issues that I care about in a safe environment, competitively, where I can continue to learn and grow as a person.”
Ricks to volunteer in Uganda BY AMAL MULAOMEROVIC
such as racism, what it’s like being a teenager in the modern world, and how he felt about people at school around him. Originally a blogger, he felt that his voice wasn’t being heard and decided to pursue another outlet, according to Duran. “I came up with the idea of writing my feelings and making something special out of them, and putting art and music came along with being a musician and artist,” Duran said. One of his most recent projects for Oozine was an interview with Jakob Danger Armstrong, son of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Duran said. He has also interviewed bands like The Trims, as well as local artists. Currently, Duran is organizing a music festival to take place on June 11. It features bands that he has interviewed and others who will be interviewed after the show, including Senior Vincent Academia,
CHERRIES, Paper Gods, and more artists to be determined. Something that Duran points out is that Oozine caught the attention of many people because of the unfamiliarity Milpitans have with zines. “Zines usually are more popular in places like Oakland and New York and Seattle,” Duran said. “I was ready to begin a music and art scene revolution here in Milpitas, a city that is yet to be painted as a blank canvas.” In the future, Duran plans on turning the online zine into a printed publication. For now, however, he feels that putting Oozine online is the best way to showcase all the work and writing sent in by contributors. “I hope for the zine to become a famous non-profit magazine a couple years from now,” Duran said. “I don’t see the zine ever dying out. For as long as there is art and music, the zine will continue!”
Project NOVO serves non-profits through coding BY MISBAH SURANI
Project NOVO is a studentled organization that focuses on making an impact in the community through the use of coding, Outreach Representative Sonia Tripathy said. This group renews and renovates websites for nonprofit organizations and has served two Milpitas-based nonprofits, Tripathy said. The Project NOVO team consists of ten MHS Juniors: Joshua Palis, Utsav Jain, Derick Phan, Shivansh Gupta, Willis Lam, Sonia Tripathy, Wafa Malik, Tuong-Vi Nguyen, Nhi Do, and Elizabeth Nguyen, who are split into teams that work on web development, mobile integration, and outreach coordination, according to Tripathy. The idea behind the organization originated through Co-Founder Joshua Palis’ prior experiences. “Over the summer, I worked with Berkeley students Jacky Lu and Kyle Nguyen, who wanted me to join their
project of making a new website for a nonprofit called Vision Literacy,” Palis said. “Though we never completed the project due to college and time, I realized that what it needed was structure and organization […] So one night I messaged Utsav about starting our own nonprofit in which we made websites for other nonprofit organizations. We researched for a few days on the potential benefits of our work and what it could mean for the community.” With this mission of the organization, Project NOVO began building its team and establishing itself, according to Palis. “Once we got our organization name out, we decided to reach out to people who were passionate about coding or wanted to learn, along with people who were great leaders and speakers to help get word out that we were willing to help,” Palis said. “The first few months of the organization were slow, and a lot of adjustments were made in terms of work, design,
What's new, Ms. Nancy? Wondering about the voice behind announcements? Meet our receptionist, Ms. Nancy Marchesano!
Random Fact?
I like the color. My hair is very very white so I don’t have to bleach it; I just put a semipermanent color in it and sleep in it and voila!
ui zao B | THE U Ca NI
What's your spirit animal? N
I used to teach ballroom dancing for Arthur Murray’s! Yeah I know you don’t know who that is. The teachers might but the students wont; they’ll think, “Who the heck is Arthur Murray?” Arthur and Kathryn Murray were actual people, and they opened up dance studios starting in ballroom dancing. It’s a big ballroom dancing studio. It was cool. You don’t get paid much, but I loved it, and that’s my favorite thing to do: to dance. I love to dance!
division of labor, and [publicity] but we managed to chip down the organization into a great team.” Thus far, Project Novo has almost completely refurbished the websites for two Milpitas organizations, Leave a Trail and Milpitas Food Pantry, and it plans to continue expanding to nonprofits outside the Bay Area, according to Tripathy. By doing this work, the team hopes to make a significant difference in the community. “Nonprofits are the foundation on which change begins. They work to improve our community and in the process have helped thousands of families,” Tripathy said. “Studies show that 94% of users’ decisions are made based on the design of the organization’s website. By minimizing and modernizing the websites’ concept design, we can extend their reach and make a huge positive impact.” Email: projectnovo.cs@gmail.com Website: projectnovo.io
Why is your hair pink?
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Most high school seniors can’t wait for graduation and the freedom and relaxation summer entails; however, MHS Senior Ashley Ricks is dedicating her time to charity. Just a few days after graduation, she is embarking on a 20-day service trip to Uganda where she will be volunteering at a center for disabled people and baby home. Ricks leaves June 6 but will fly to Texas first where she will meet up with a team of fellow volunteers, composed of other students from all over the country, Ricks said. There they will spend a day engaging in team building exercises and training in preparation for their trip, she continued. On June 7, they will travel as a group together to Uganda, first to the capital city of Kampala, where they will be spending the first half of the trip, and then to Masaka, where they will spend the later half. “In both of those locations we’re going to be working with a special aids center and a special needs center that was built,” Ricks said. “We’re going to be plugged into the community [and] we’re going to be building relationships with the people --really just finding more about what their needs are and how we can meet them.” In Uganda, families of special needs kids lack the resources to address any of the issues their kids may have, whether physical or mental, and are often forced to give the child away. Thus special needs homes for babies are especially overpopulated, Ricks explained. “We’re doing testimony sharing and just figuring out how to best love on the people in Uganda. [We’re]
learning about what kind of special needs are there and just figuring out how, as a group, we can tackle that and serve them, in the most respectful and helpful way possible,” Ricks said. In addition to volunteering at special needs centers, the trip will address the merging of cultures and religions. “We’re going to be figuring out how to culturally best serve them. [We’ll] learn how our culture and their culture will interact and possibly clash and how to be respectful, as well as spending time in prayer because it is a faith-based mission trip,” Ricks said. Ricks also participated in a service trip to the Philippines last summer, and it was her teammates from last year that informed her about this opportunity. “The team leader from my Philippines trip last year was the one who also contacted me for this one and personally invited me to go on it,” Ricks said. “Africa is just a place that’s been in my heart for a long time, even before I went to the Philippines.” The trip itself is very expensive, estimated at $3,500, so Ricks has been coming up with many creative ways to raise money. She has set up an online fundraising campaign and been selling homemade cookies. Her boyfriend’s family has also pitched in, selling bracelets as well as hosting a wine and canvas fundraiser event. “It’s been very humbling just because people who I don’t even know have been so generous [with donating],” Ricks said. “I’ve definitely had a lot of resources --that I didn’t even know I had-- just come together, and people who believe in me really have made this possible.”
While many students are a part of publications such as yearbook or journalism, very few have taken the initiative to start their own. One such student is Senior Carlos Duran, who runs his own online zine, an independent magazine featuring music and art, by the name of Oozine. “Oozine is a zine that features art, music, and entries about modern day problems in the world,” Duran said. “Problems ranging from finding yourself, to immigration, to sexism and more. I came up with the idea of forming Oozine around summer of 2015, and it wasn’t until October of 2015 when it took off.” The zine is found online and runs on the contributions of artists, writers, and photographers that submit their pieces of work, Duran said. Oozine was born out of Duran’s need to express his feelings on issues
Giraffes. They seem very regal. Y’know they kinda walk around with their heads held high, just cruising, laid back.
Soundtrack to your life?
I think it’d be “If I Told You You Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Hold it Against Me?” because I like the play on words.
‘Princess Project’ ideal for budget-friendly prom dresses BY NOEMI CRISANTO
A project conveniently titled the ‘Princess Project’ exists for all the girls who don’t believe in spending an arm and a leg for a prom dress that they will only wear once in their lives. The ‘Princess Project’ is a Californiabased program which provides free prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who wouldn’t usually be able to afford them. Although the ‘Princess Project’ is meant to be for girls who cannot financially afford prom, I realized that the program was a perfect way for others whose parents don’t believe in spending money on prom to get their dream dresses. Once I got to the store, which was located in Valley Fair, it finally hit me how big this project actually was. There were so many girls waiting
outside for the event to start, and plenty of girls were exiting the store carrying a black shopping bag with their dream prom dresses, making me all that more excited to go in and find mine. The process to pick out a dress was simple: all the girls in the store were from MHS, so we had to split up into groups of two or three, and were placed in the care of two volunteers who helped us try on the dresses and guide us through the checkout process. Once we were assigned to the volunteers, we were given 30 minutes to look and try on all the dresses we wanted in our assigned dressing rooms. There were dresses of every color ranging from poofy pink ballgowns to long, sequined evening gowns which were all offered from sizes 0-24 so no one would leave with empty hands.
The process to try on the dresses was quick and efficient, and there were volunteers who would help as much as they could, which I admired, because we only had 30 minutes to pick out our dresses. After we picked out the dresses and “bought” them at the counter, we were then given 15 minutes to choose one accessory which included either a necklace, a pair of earrings, or a handbag. The volunteers who were assigned to us stayed with us and gave us advice and reassurance throughout the last part of the event. The ‘Princess Project’ is truly an amazing experience, and I recommend it to all girls who are looking for a dress but don’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on one dress. My only piece of advice is to sign up early because spots fill up fast!
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Voting helps to shape the county’s future So you turned 18, and you’re open guns, abortion, marijuana legalizato a new, freer world: you can drive tion, or any other hot button issue, past midnight, sign legal contracts, your vote is the key to allowing your even call yourself in sick if you’re side of the argument to prevail. Not feeling lazy. Behind that heavy fog taking a side is one thing, but saying of senioritis, you’ve got college, bills, you don’t know enough to vote is and work on the brainno longer a valid excuse. there’s no room for the With the job market political scene. and rising college prices Sure, you know about looming, you want a perthe candidates and their son who will represent various inanities from you. Your vote is your the constant media attenticket to make these representatives listen and to tion, but voting is an issue make them realize that for a different generation. you’re a part of the comFor far too many newly munity too. emancipated teenagers, No doubt you’ve heard this complacent mindthe various problems set is all too familiar, and JUSTIN about the candidates: Donwhen combined across the TSO ald Trump’s hypermasnation, it can force America culine, racist comments; backwards. Our generation is growing up in a Hillary Clinton’s dishonest tendensociety with an unprecedented ac- cies; Bernie Sanders’ idealist views. cess to information, and with that Regardless of who you support and information comes more open con- what your views are, the choice not versation about controversial top- to vote only furthers the agenda of ics. Whether you are for or against the people you oppose. Not voting
when you have an opinion is tantamount to letting your future be shaped by others, which to some is perfectly fine; just don’t complain about our political system when things don’t go your way. The most important priority, however, is to dispel the mindset that there’s no point in voting because your vote won’t count, or that not voting is okay because it’s just one vote in the grand scheme of things. Teenagers across the nation have the same exact mindset, and their cumulative effect can change elections. As students on the verge of graduating from high school, you are the future of this community and this country. As you get older, your vote will still be there, but it will be there to change a country that was wrenched out of your hands if you choose not to act. The right to vote is your tool to sculpt and meld this country into your country; let other people bear the torch, and you’ll just get burned.
Bernie Sanders’ equality isn’t ‘too radical’ Democratic presidential candi- has called himself a “Democratic date Bernie Sanders has extremely Socialist,” and that self-imposed strong support from young people, label has cost him many potential but that support doesn’t carry over older supporters, especially as feelto the older voting population for a ings towards socialism are strongly couple of reasons. First, many of us correlated with age. have learned about Sanders through However, we shouldn’t evaluate our peers or on social media. How- candidates blindly and solely based ever, Hillary Clinton’s on labels like “socialname is much more ist,” “conservative,” or recognizable than Ber“liberal,” etc. Multiple nie’s, especially for oldstudies have shown er people who may not that Democrats supuse social media. When port policies more when people don’t really do rethey are labeled Demsearch on who to vote for, ocrat, but less so when they vote for the candithese same policies are date they have heard of, labeled Republican. and in many cases, that is These results have been Clinton. consistent throughout Secondly, younger peodifferent variations and STELLA XU ple have a more favorable for all major political ideview of socialism than oldologies. Similarly, a maer people do. For those who have jority of Americans support sociallived through the late Cold War ist-leaning ideas, such as a higher era, one of the pettiest conflicts in minimum wage, state-subsidized American history, socialism is like education, and higher taxation for a bad word. It incorrectly denotes the wealthy, when they are not laa dystopian, authoritarian govern- beled as socialist. ment that takes away all your earnIf anything, that should tell you ings rights. Socialism is the enemy that we need to be more careful of traditional American capitalism in evaluating candidates’ policies. and individualism. It sounds for- We shouldn’t oppose ideas just beeign and, therefore, evil. Sanders cause they’re socialist without truly
knowing what socialism means. I like Bernie, and not just because that’s where “the boys” are at either (I see you, Gloria Steinem). Bernie stands behind causes that I agree with, such as racial justice, economic equity, LGBTQ equality, women’s rights, free education in public universities, universal health care, and more. While there are some issues I think he could be firmer on (such as gun control and reparations), and I’m skeptical that the Democratic party can be fixed, I can still say that he is a candidate I trust. His views have remained largely consistent for decades, and he is not someone who can be bought. Many voters think Sanders is “too radical,” and his ideas too unrealistic. But ask yourself: Why should equality be considered unrealistic and radical? Why is the idea of a living wage, universal health care, and free higher education something so inconceivable that we incredulously shake our heads at it? In many cases, people in power use this excuse in order to crush any hope of a political or social revolution so they can maintain their power. That’s why we should be trying to reach equality instead of giving up and saying it’s too unrealistic
56 seniors were asked who they would prefer
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REVIEWS: Late night shows cover the elections BY ANNEALICE DESCAMPS
Daanya Anand| THE UNION
Want to stay informed about this year’s upcoming election without becoming bored out of your mind? Then you should probably try watching these late night shows. Here are some quick reviews of the many late night shows and how they each tackle the 2016 elections. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: John Oliver discusses the past week’s current events in these thirty minute episodes that air on Sunday nights on HBO. His dry, sarcastic, and very British humor is refreshing and highly amusing. During the episodes, he discusses topics from around the world. Although his episodes are not always focused on the 2016 elections, his recent segment dedicated to Donald Trump went viral and caused his show to gain even more viewers. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Previously known for his show The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert took over for David Letterman as host of The Late Show, airing weeknights on CBS. Colbert has
interviewed almost all of the presidential candidates, and segments of his show have been dedicated to the 2016 elections. In particular, his running segment of “The Hungry For Power Games” has become a favorite this unusual election year. The way he ties in this year’s election to the dystopian world inThe Hunger Games is both brilliant and also scarily accurate. Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Airing weeknights on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel is also another way for viewers to catch up with this year’s presidential elections. He was also the main performer at the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. His recent interviews with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have received millions of views on YouTube. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon: Hosted by SNL alum Jimmy Fallon, the show airs weeknights at 11:30 pm on NBC. Fallon usually addresses the political events in his monologue. His notable coverage usually comes in the form of his Donald Trump impression, and he has also interviewed nearly all the
presidential candidates. Late Night with Seth Meyers: NBC airs this show Tuesdays through Fridays. Although some segments can be a little dry, Meyers goes in depth discussing the latest political news in an interesting segment called “A Closer Look.” He has also interviewed some past and current presidential candidates, and in the past he was the main performer at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: Currently the only late night show hosted by a woman, Samantha Bee’s show airs Monday nights on TBS. Although she has not interviewed any presidential candidates, she discusses current political events in a smart and satirical way. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Replacing long term host Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah takes on the job of discussing the current political events Mondays through Thursdays on Comedy Central. During the last part of the show, Noah has guests on, ranging from celebrities to political figures.
Trump should not be a leading candidate Six months ago, stories of Donald Trump’s political endeavours were treated as what they then were: humorous jokes. It was ridiculous to even imagine that someone with such a lack of filter like Trump could even insult the American government by attempting to run for President. Now, Trump’s blasphemous speeches and absurd approaches to politics have somehow catapulted him into an appalling political success story. His slogan is “Make America Great Again,” a slogan Trump claims to have masterminded himself. In reality, Trump’s presence and habit of media grandstanding have shed a new light on racism and ignorance, inciting intolerance for women, Muslims, Jews, Blacks, and countless other minority communities. With hate comes ignorance, so it’s no surprise that aside from Trump’s spiteful speeches comes an overall ignorance in terms of politics. When the New York Times Editorial Board asked Trump about his approach
Sherry Lam | THE UNION
Source: Ontheissues.org
Sherry Lam | THE UNION
to win the 2016 presidential elections and whether or not they are registered to vote.
for solving racial disparities in law America, his asinine, uneducated enforcement, Trump responded by guesses at political policies somesaying, “I’ve read where there are, how resonate with people. His and I’ve read where there aren’t. racist and misogynistic views are I mean, I’ve read both. And, you inciting violence, sparking a kind of know, I have no opinion on that,” xenophobic mindset that has news and adding, “Mexico really is the outlets from the New York Times to new China.” Trump’s irrelevant and the Huffington Post alike denouncsimply uneducated reing his presidential casponses should be proof pabilities. enough that he isn’t Donald Trump is nothready to run anything ing but an entertainer other than his mouth. and reality show mogul, Instead of defending his and a poor one at that. By views, or even stating any allowing him to parade concrete ones, he spends around Washington like his time insulting womAmerica’s biggest joke, en on Twitter. we’re letting him turn As hilarious as his presthe presidential race ence on our televisions into mockery. Like a buland newspapers once ly in a schoolyard, when TERRA was, Donald Trump’s imthe American people and WALLS pact on the American peothe media stop shining the ple has become frightenspotlight on Trump’s hateing. Scarier still is the following: he’s ful antics and dismiss him as what gaining with each speech he makes. he is, an angry child with too much Trump is now the leading Republi- money, we’ll start to look for serious can candidate for the 2016 election. candidates and take the satire out of That means that somewhere in the future of this nation.
Gender card for Hillary Clinton backfires The gender card is continuously used in politics to the point that now, no matter what you do, whether you play it to gain female supporters or to point out sexism, it seems to backfire. Used to point out instances where sexism is prominent, playing the gender card is risky because people often believe those who use the gender card are just exploiting sexism. Why do we still have to play the gender card anyways? The sad truth is that female candidates are described as “ambitious,” and when they try to get a point across, they seem “shrill,” and no matter how much we believe we have gotten better, Hillary Clinton’s physique will be overanalyzed on CNN. All male candidates already benefit from the gender card by simply being male. No one talks about what kind of makeup they use before debates or how long it takes for them to go pee. When they choose to talk over each other to convey their ideas, this is seen as just men being powerful and using their voices; meanwhile, women candidates have to bite their tongues and wait for their turns. Bernie Sanders uses anger as a way to spurn some kind of reaction; he can say he is “sick and tired of her damn emails,” and this will add to his power. Clinton, however, when displaying some remote feelings of anger or speaking with passion, people will immediately wonder if
maybe her hormones have taken es and doubting whether he is fit to over and clouded her judgement. If run for president if he is unable to Clinton yells, she is seen as cold, de- maintain a successful mariage. tached, and just not a gal’s gal; SandShe, along with any woman, must ers, however, is expected to yell, and be able to balance the impossible every time he does, he gains more standard of women in positions of supporters. We are accustomed to power. Women need to be tough women being calm and composed, but gentle, competent but still femand any deviance from the norm inine and likeable. Clinton carries puts Clinton as an unlikthe bigger share of the able, unrelatable person. burden as the first seInstead of hosting large rious female contender rallies where she can raise for the White House. her voice and pump peoLike the first American ple up, her team takes her woman to be appointed to town halls in small into a major ambassadotimate groups where she rial post abroad, Clare use her voice in a way that Boothe Luce, once said, conveys passion but also “Because I am a womcomposure. an, I must make unusuIt is nearly impossible al efforts to succeed. If for her to be as charismatic I fail, no one will say, ANNEALICE as her male counterparts be‘She doesn’t have what DESCAMPS cause for men, being tough it takes.’ They will say, but warm is an easy thing. ‘Women don’t have what If a women seems tough and at the it takes.’” same time warm, she is deemed Although we as a country have untrustworthy, fake, inauthentic. gotten better in regards to gender We also cannot forget the fact that equality, there are still some masmany people seem to blame her for sive gaps, and these types of gender her husband’s infidelity; how or why stereotyping are still prevalent. This that is even brought up is irrelevant doesn’t mean all male candidates and goes to show how ridiculously should apologize for the inevitable judgemental we as a society can be gender bias; this is just the way of towards women. It seems ridiculous the world. However, we as a society to imagine people questioning Ted need to recognize the impact, intenCruz or John Kasich on their wives tional or not, these stereotypes have fidelity, or blaming Donald Trump upon women in powerful positions. for his two previous failed marriag-
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LIFESTYLE
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APRIL 2016
Milk & Wood fails to meet high expectations BY TERRA WALLS
If eating is any kind of stress re- don’t personally think any flavor liever, consider Milk & Wood to be beats Green Tea with Kit-Kat bars better than yoga. Similar to made into it, but if that’s not enough Popbar with uniquely heaven for you, feel free to try flavored popsicles other flavors, like Coffee and varied toppings, Gelato, Strawberry, Avocado, Taro, and Cookies Milk & Wood is a fairly new ice and Cream to name cream spot located just a few. Once you’ve within the SOFA picked a popsicle, pick market in downyour toppings! Another great thing about this town San Jose. place is unlimited topEating at Milk & pings is only a dollar extra. Wood is a pretty self-exThat means you can planatory process, Terra Walls | THE UNION pile oreo, sprinkles, but I’ll break it down just for the fun of mentally reimag- dark chocolate drizzle, and even ining how good the dessert is here. Fruity Pebbles miles high onto your First step: pick a popsicle flavor! I ice cream!
BY KRUPA PATEL
Junior Camo jacket from LA Crop Top from Top Shop
The only foreseeable downside about the ice cream here is location. It’s incredibly easy to just drive past the marketplace because the signs are small. It can be a little noisy, too. The restaurant aesthetics are mimalististic and clean. While the ice cream is also extremely tasty, it isn’t big, so it’s not exactly filling in the way CREAM or Cold Stone Creamery would be. Also, depending on the amount of people in the marketplace, there can be a lack of variety in the popsicle flavors that are available. All in all, Milk & Wood is a really great place for something sweet if you’re looking for novelty dessert that’ll look good on your Instagram feed, and it tastes good, too.
With the growing popularity of BuzzFeed food videos, it’s hard to come across quick, healthy recipes. Here are some unique ingredients to throw together a quick salad. Watch from Michael Kors Lok ai Br acelet from
Jeans from Top Shop Shoes Nike
Her Fashion Inspir ation: “My fashion inspiration is anyone I feel that can pull off the streetwear and girly look.”
Senior
Glasses from Ray Ban
Amanda Nguyen | THE UNION
Maximize tidiness with spring cleaning tips BY ANNEALICE DESCAMPS
Hoodie from Target Button Up from Cross Roads
Jeans from Uniqulo Shoes from Nike
HIs Fashion Inspir ation: “I get my fashion inspiration from online sources and magazines.”
It’s that time of the year again: When people start trying to get organized and tidy up their homes. Fun Fact: back in the 19th century, people in North America dusted their homes in April because it was the warmest time to open windows and doors, but not warm enough to attract bugs. Spring cleaning can be tedious chore, so here are a few tips and tricks on how to be more efficient and make it less of a bore.
1. Cleaning up your closet.
First, grab three boxes or trash bags and label them as following: “keep,” “donate,” or “throw away.” Put each article of clothing in the desired box. Be honest with yourself; are you really going to wear that cardigan ever again? Once you’ve finished sorting, you can take your donations to any thrift store. If you have heavier items of clothing, such
as thick sweaters or jackets, that you aren’t going to wear this season, stick them into some vacuum-sealed, space-saving bags.
2. Dress for the occasion.
Dress comfortably! You are going to be spending the day in your house cleaning, so there is no need to look fancy; any pair of sweats and a T-shirt is fine for spring cleaning.
3. Set the mood with some music.
Do your chores like a real Disney princess by blasting your favorite songs or whistle while you work. Cleaning is a hundred times more fun when you can dance and sing along. You can find some great playlists for spring cleaning on 8tracks, Spotify, or Pandora.
4. Pick up your clothes.
Putting away all of your clothes is a simple task that makes a big difference. During the week when you’re
busy, it is easy to get lazy and just pile clothes onto your chair or toss them on the floor. At some point, you need to grab some hangers and hang those clothes up, or fold them to put into your closet. You’ll be surprised by how much cleaner your room looks and maybe even find that favorite shirt you thought you lost.
5. When in doubt, throw it out.
When cleaning the kitchen, make sure to look at all the food hidden in the deep, dark corners of your pantry. Expiration dates can be tricky, so here is a general rule of thumb: anything that is over a year past the expiration date is not edible. The food poisoning is not worth it, so just throw it away.
6. Cleaning your cleaning supplies.
Sponges are chock-full of germs. To make sure your sponges stay sterile, microwave them on high for a minute after each use; this will kill the germs. Also, if that sponge is a shredded mess, throw it away. By following these easy tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to a clutter-free life in no time!
LIFESTYLE
APRIL 2016
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Since prom is coming up, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of the planning that it entails, but don’t trip! These articles are filled with tips on all things prom, so you can enjoy prom stress-free.
Educate yourself in the art of prom-posing BY NOEMI CRISANTO
Prom season has officially begun at MHS, which means witnessing promposals from left to right, varying from being disgustingly adorable to hilariously embarrassing. Here are some promposal tips to keep in mind in order to make that one special person in your life inclined to say yes to your promposal instead of running away in terror. What Not to Do 1. Let’s start off easy. The first rule of asking someone to prom is to never ask someone whom you have only talked to once during freshman year, because chances are that he or she will say no and be creeped out.
2. Don’t ask someone publicly just to increase the chances of him or her saying yes. 3. Don’t spend a lot of money for your promposal, so don’t buy a diamond ring. 4. Don’t horse around and bring animals to school as part of your promposal. 5. Don’t do anything illegal and permanent, like graffiti. 6. Don’t use any profanity or inappropriate jokes on your poster. What to Do 1. Make sure you are involved with the planning and know exactly what will happen and when. 2. Make sure to cater the promposal to the personality of the per-
son you are asking, to make it special. So if they like sports or food, use that information to your advantage. 3. When creating a promposal, try to keep it as simple as possible because the more complicated it is, the more likely something in your proposal will go wrong. 4. Double-check your spelling and grammar when proposing with a poster. 5. Ask the person about prom casually casually beforehand, or drop some hints so that you don’t take your special someone by surprise. In the end, it does’t really matter if you have a date for prom or not because prom should be about creating special memories.
D i y Corsage and boutonNiere BY DAANYA ANAND
Its prom season! Time to start planning outfits and accessories, the most important prom accessory being a corsage and boutonniere, of course! Since corsages and boutonnieres can be expensive, here’s how to make your own.
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Directions
Stay prepared for prom with these quick tips BY CRYSTAL TRAN
Prom is just around the corner, and I know I’m not the only one freaking out. Prom is supposed to be the most perfect day of your high school career. Not only do you want to have the time of your life, but you also don’t want to file for bankruptcy. As a three-time prom-goer (almost four now), I thought I’d share three tips on prom planning and saving money for the oh-so-expensive prom. 1. Take prom pictures on a different day from prom. On the day of prom, you have to get ready with your make-up and hair, take pictures, go to dinner, and then make it to prom on time all in one piece. It is this horrible rush that you may or may not enjoy. If you are willing to get ready on a different day before prom, you can spend that whole day taking cute prom pictures and getting the exact pictures that
you want. The only con is that you have to get ready twice for prom, but it balances out with the pro of you getting those beautiful prom pictures you’ll keep in a photo album to show off to your kids how hot you were in high school. 2. Make your own corsage and boutonniere (see adjacent DIY instructions). Corsages and boutonnieres can range from 15 dollars to 50 dollars when bought as a pair or a single. Imagine paying that much money for a flower on your hand or in your suit that dies within the next 24 hours. Well, you’re in luck because the lifestyle page of The Union offers a tutorial on how to DIY a corsage and boutonniere! The supplies can easily be bought at Michael’s for cheap or found around the house. You can turn this DIY into an activity with your prom date or friends before
prom! 3. Bring socks to prom or put tape on your heels beforehand. The pain in dancing in heels or any uncomfortable shoes for five hours will kill your feet. You can either suffer the pain or follow these two tips. If you are wearing heels, bring an extra pair of socks in your carry-on, put your heels into coat check, and slip those comfy babies on (especially if you plan on hard core dancing). If you don’t want to sport the socks, put clear tape on the back heel of your foot, so when the heel leather rubs against your heel it will rub against the tape instead, minimizing any pain. If you’re scared of people thinking you’re weird for wearing socks or taping your feet, they are most likely jealous they didn’t think of it themselves.
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Start by creating 2-4 loops with your ribbon. Make sure they’re not stacked on top of eachother.
Hold the loops in place and staple them together. Repeat until you’ve used as much ribbon as you want.
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After you’ve decided how to arrange your flowers and ribbon loops, apply hot glue to the ends.
To remove the flowers from their plastic stems, simply hold the base of the flower and pluck them off, no scissors required.
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Prom dress retailers accomodate variety of budgets BY JULIA NGUYEN
With prom just around the corner, finding the perfect dress may seem daunting; images of tulle, taffeta, and two-piece dresses become muddled in your mind until you’re not sure what you want or where to look. The following list of popular dress stores, both online and brick and mortar, highlights the pros and cons of each and will hopefully ease your prom-dress-stress. 1. Promgirl.com: Promgirl.com is one of the biggest and most diverse online dress stores with over 5000 different styles to choose from. Though Promgirl carries many designer brand dresses by Sherri Hill and Terani, it also has categories like “dresses under $100” and “dresses under $200.” By filtering out dresses that do not fit. On the other hand, Promgirl’s return policy is extreme-
ly restrictive. After you receive your prom dress, you have seven days to decide whether or not you want to keep it, and if you do decide to ship it back, you are required to pay the restocking fee which is 10% of the price of your dress. 2. ASOS.com: If you need a break from all of the sequins, ASOS has a variety of simple, yet unique designs and styles to choose from. Compared to Promgirl, ASOS return and shipping policies are more reasonable; ASOS offers free returns and shipping on orders over $40 and doesn’t charge an extra restocking fee on returns. 3. Trudy’s: Bustling with girls frantically searching for prom dresses on the weekends, Trudy’s is the cut-throat dress store of your nightmares or dreams. If you want to buy a dress that nobody else will wear at prom, then Trudy’s is the
store for you. Trudy’s prom dress policy is that they will only sell a particular dress to one student from each school. They enforce this policy by requiring customers to specify which school they go to before making a purchase. If you want to give Trudy’s a try, go on a weekday to avoid as much of the chaos as possible. 4. Nordstrom Rack: On the other side of the spectrum, the outlet store, Nordstrom Rack, carries heavily discounted dresses. There’s usually only one size of each style, which can be a plus if you’re concerned with accidentally matching with someone at prom. Dresses are strewn all around the racks and floors which makes shopping at Nordstrom Rack similar to shopping at a thrift store, but with a little more effort and luck, you can get amazing deals.
TOP 3 Convenient Prom Photo Spots BY AMANDA NGUYEN
Courtesy of Phillip Bui
ed levin county park
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For the wristband, cut off a strip of ribbon and glue the center to the back of your flower. Voila! You’ve completed your corsage. Feel free to add extra sparkle to your corsage by applying some glitter to the petals with Mod Podge. Now you’re ready to make the boutonnire.
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Use scissors to cut off a flower and about 2 inches of the stem.
ALVISO MAR COUNTY PA INA RK
Don edwards National wildlife refuge
Start off with a bigger flower as your centerpiece and glue each piece to the back.
Glue accent flowers and leaves to the top of the stem around the central flower. Wrap the ribbon around the entire length of the stem. Remember to apply the glue as you’re wrapping the ribbon around the flower to ensure that it stays in place, and you’re finished!
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Golf experiences successful season, driven by growing team and appeal BY GURSHAAN BARIANA
Full swing ahead, the golf team has almost completed a successful season, according to head coach Brett Burns. The team has tripled its total wins this season compared to the previous year already and has five more games left in the season, Burns said. Over the past several years, the MHS golf team has grown in popularity and has had a mass appeal to people of various backgrounds. “A key difference compared to last year is the size of the team,” Burns said. “The team has doubled its size over the past two years.” One factor that influenced many students to join the team was their love for the game. According to Senior Vivian Lam, the lack of females on the co-ed team did not discourage her from being actively involved in the sport. “ I decided to get back on the course and get ready for my very first season of high school league golf,” Lam explained. “I didn’t join because being the only girl on the golf team would make me stand out. I joined because of my passion for golf.” Lam explained how she was able to change her attitude and the way she approached problems over her years on the golf team. “Golf helped me become a more patient person and less aggressive. Golf is a mental game. It tests your emotions and patience,” Lam said. “The more patient and calm I got, the more likely that I will play a better round. These traits also help me apply to situations off the course ,including dealing with others.” Junior Eric Yu joined the team last
year and has seen a dramatic change in his behavior as a result of playing golf. “Playing golf has taught me a lot about sportsmanship and how to deal with losses,” Yu said. “Sometimes you just have to persevere and keep your head up. It’s something that has helped me grow as a person.” The year was highlighted with a recent win over Lynbrook. This was an obstacle the team had been unable to overcome for a long time, according to Burns. Although the team has progressed over the course of the season, no players were able to qualify for Central Coast Sections because of the competitiveness of the individuals in the league from other schools. However, the number one player on the team, Casey Santiago, was able to qualify for league finals. If more girls try out for the golf team next season, there will be an attempt to create a new girls team instead of the current co-ed team, according to Burns. For several seniors on the team, the final games will be bittersweet as they relish the memories while looking towards what the future holds for them. “It’s my very last season in this golf team. Everything is a highlight. Despite the losses, every moment was with the team and the coaches,” Lam said. “I’m glad to have been part of the golf team for four years, to share moments with my teammates, to share the position of team captain with Shawn, Casey, and Christian, and to have encouragement from not only my coaches, but my parents and teammates.”
SPORTS
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Swimming performs well off the blocks BY BRANDON WETTENSTEIN
The MHS swim team has been off to a great start, and both the boys and girls teams are hoping to establish a successful swim season. According to Swim Coach Jennifer Loomis, at a home meet against Fremont High School, the MHS varsity boys came out victorious while the MHS girls lost because of some absences. Nevertheless, Loomis said that she is extremely proud of how both teams performed. “The boys were great and won their meet, but the girls lost [because] four of some of our best swimmers were absent,” Loomis said. “Overall, I'm really proud at how we did against Fremont.” Varsity Swimmer Khoi Nguyen
was one of the male swimmers who won in the meet against Fremont. Nguyen said that he couldn't have done it without the help of his coach and team. “As cheesy as this probably sounds, this wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the support of my teammates and coaches,” Nguyen said. “It was like every other meet where everyone was supportive, and I tried my best.” Loomis said that part of the reason the teams have been doing so well is because Water Polo was introduced this year. According to Loomis, water polo prepared the team for the upcoming swim season. “Having water polo was a great help this season,” Loomis said. “It was like a warmup for the kids, and
Divyesh Chotai | THE UNION
The MHS swimming team practices diving and butterfly strokes in preparation for the upcoming swim meet at Cupertino High School on April 7.
now they're all used to getting in the water.” Varsity Swimmer Harvey Nguyen agreed with Loomis. Nguyen confirmed that participating in water polo before swimming was a great help. “I did water polo before I did swimming, [but] I didn't realize how much of a help it was,” Nguyen stated. “At the start of swim season it would normally take me a little bit to get used to the intensity of competing, but because I just finished doing water polo, I was already used to it.” Watching team members have a positive attitude, despite winning or losing, and communicating with one another makes the team almost like a family, Loomis said. This kind of positive teamwork is one of the various factors that contributes to the reason why people want to join water polo and swimming, according to Loomis. “Everyone is so supportive of each other, and I think one of the reasons people want to join [swimming and water polo] is because of the team; we're all like a family,” Loomis explained. “It's great to see swimmers who may not be the best still enjoy themselves because of the [team dynamic].” According to Varsity Swimmer Kelley Truong, team works well together. In fact, one of Truong's goals is to forward the team dynamic as the season progresses. “A goal of mine is to make memories with the swimmers on this team,” Truong explained. “I want to become closer to the people I see in their swim suits and speedos everyday as well as create new bonds that will last forever.”
Lam receives Hawai'i tennis scholarship BY WEE JIN KOH
Divyesh Chotai | THE UNION
Sophomore Andy Ly returns a smash alongside Freshman Jonathan Lai in a home game against Homestead on Mar. 31.
Badminton season starts off strong amid setbacks BY AMANDA NGUYEN
Spring sports have been well under way, starting as early as the beginning of the semester. Included in the spring sports roster is co-ed badminton. Tryouts for both the Junior Varsity and Varsity badminton teams ended in late February and were more competitive than those of last season, according to Varsity Badminton Coach Larry Chan. “Last year we barely had enough boys trying out for the team. This year we had over ninety people tryout compared to only about sixty last year,” Chan said. The team’s first match was during the second week of March, which cut down on practice and preparation time, according to Junior Varsity Coach Jerry Maneja. “It's always difficult at the beginning of the season because there is an overlap between sports,” Maneja said. “We spent a little more time conditioning rather than practicing in the gym, and matches started about a week-and-a-half earlier than last year.” In addition to this change in scheduling, there were also a few minor setbacks regarding the gym’s
ventilation system, according to Chan. “The air conditioning fans stay on until 5:00 which interferes with practices and games. Birds are light so their trajectory changes a lot when the fans are on, ” Chan said. “Before, there was a switch that we could turn on and off, but it doesn’t work anymore. The fans are timed now, which means only the district can change it.” Despite these inconveniences, so far both the Varsity and Junior Varsity badminton teams have gone undefeated during their second year in the El Camino division. “[The varsity team] has four wins and zero losses so far. Some of the matches were very close, but we were able to beat Homestead and Los Altos by slim margins,” Varsity Doubles Player Felix Lieu said. “Our goal is to win all 12 of our matches and get first place in our division.” Part of this success is due to the dedication of the players to practicing outside of school and off season, according to Maneja. “A lot of the returning players took the sport to heart and spent time playing and practicing on their own,” Maneja said. “It's great to see the
players get much better from where they were a season ago.” In addition to the players’ passion and commitment to the sport, the team’s success can also be attributed to the high amount of returning players, Chan said. “The competition level is about the same as last year, but it should be easier for us because the team has gotten stronger,” Chan said. “We have strong girls on our team because only two girls graduated last year," Chan added. "So we have a lot of strong returning players and some talented new players.” Some of these new players, including Junior Varsity Mixed Doubles Player Amy Li, see the team as an opportunity to try something new and learn from their experiences as a part of the team, Li said. “From being on the team, I’ve met so many new people already. They have all been very helpful during conditioning. We all encourage each other, and I joined knowing that it would be a great chance for me to step out my comfort zone,” Li explained. “I want to improve the way I play, and so far we have won all our games, so hopefully we will continue [winning].”
Senior Dillon Lam has accepted an athletic scholarship to play tennis for the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, according to Lam. He will soon sign his National Letter of Intent to confirm his decision to play collegiate tennis, Lam said. Lam has been playing tennis since the age of nine, and has played Varsity Boys Singles for the MHS tennis team for the past four years, according to Lam. His interest for tennis came from playing Wii Tennis, Lam said. “I played [Wii Tennis] all the time until I got to the pro level in the game,” Lam said. “My aunt noticed, and one day she asked me to come to the park to play [tennis] with another kid, and that’s how I started.” Colleges look at one's personality, level of play, skills, and also one's own needs and the amount one can offer when evaluating players for scholarships, Lam said. In general, tennis players do not get a lot of scholarships, and not a lot of funding goes into tennis, Lam continued. “For the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, they only have about three full scholarships that they can give out, and those are split between around nine people," Lam said. "I got around fifteen percent of the scholarships, and that pretty much covers only my room. I have an incentive to earn a higher spot on the school team,
as more scholarship money will be allocated to me the higher that I am on the team." Lam was recruited by many other schools, including the United States Naval Academy as well as many Division 3 schools, Lam said. "Out of all the schools I received offers from, the University of Hawai'i was the best in terms of finances for my parents," Lam said. "I also get to play at a higher level of tennis compared to the other schools." "The University of Hawai'i at Hilo plays at the Division 2 level in the PacWest Conference," Lam continued. "In the PacWest Conference, we will play a couple of schools in Hawai'i, but we will also play two schools in [Southern California] and a school in Oakland, so I will get a chance to come back and visit." Lam would play at the professional level if he could, but such an endeavor is very hard to accomplish, according to Lam. There are many levels in tennis leading up to the professional level. "Tennis is not like football, where you can go pro after college," Lam continued. "In tennis, there is college, amateur level, and then bottomlevel pro, where you don't make much money. To make money as a professional, you have to be in the top 150 players in the world, which is insanely hard."
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THE UNION
ENTERTAINMENT
APRIL 2016
‘House of Cards’ season four a gripping drama RATING:
licans in the field of Congress and in the presidential campaigns and BY DAVID NGO then struggling to find their own love and respect for each other. The Netflix TV series “House of Betrayal and death trails behind Cards” tackles another year of drathe race for power in this heartma with its fourth and latest seawrenching series. son. For thirteen episodes, Presi“House of Card’s” fourth season dent Francis Underwood, played expands on an already graceful by Kevin Spacey, journeys through and dramatic plot. This season an escapade of political schemes blends policy and drama into a and underhanded tactics in order show that any person would want to undermine conventional to watch. The meticulous dedemocracy and grasp powtail placed into the setting of er from the White House. each scene offers viewers a “House of Cards” fulfills our deeper understanding of the T.V. hearts’ desires with twisted story, nudging everyone into SHOW the incriminating mind of American politics resulting in REVIEW Francis Underwood and also a much more enjoyable show than the typical Republican giving viewers an imaginative primary debates on C-SPAN. glimpse of politics today. However, The Underwoods face both their the episodes aren’t without flaws. pasts and futures, battling RepubSome episodes proceed faster than
others, creating a rather chunky flow of time. The last few episodes seem to have a more rushed atmosphere in the show, sometimes fluctuating suddenly into a more dramatic scene without much regard as to how time or scenes transition. Despite these flaws, the show manages to showcase itself as one of the best political dramas on Netflix. It gives viewers the opportunity to love the power-mongering and sociopathic Francis Underwood and, more importantly, gives us the opportunity to imagine him as one of the coolest and darkest presidents of the 21st century. Whether reality allows us an Underwood presidency remains unknown, but reality does not deprive us of imaginative masterpieces such as “House of Cards.”
AMANDA NGUYEN | THE UNION Nick Bottom (Gavin Bains) expresses his feelings to castmates Peter Quince (Marel Vasquez), Francis Flute (Henry Tran), Tom Snout (Serena Abbot), Snug (River Awoke), and Robin Starveling (Helen Huynh) in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ enchants audiences RATING:
hundreds of years old, so the play dialogue could come across as a BY BRANDON WETTENSTEIN foreign language. However, to my surprise, it was a Shakespeare The MHS theater department play with very small scenes that performed “A Midsummer Night’s contained modern twists. Because Dream” for its annual spring prothe majority of the play had diaduction. “A Midsummer Night’s logue from a different time periDream” depicts the circumstancod, I, along with the people with es surrounding the marriage of whom I attended the play, found Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to some of the dialogue to be Hippolyta, Queen of the Amaconfusing because we didn’t zons. In addition to those two have enough time to process characters and the main stoand decipher certain lines. ryline, the play features multiple different storylines and PLAY Thankfully, the play’s program included summaries of characters, such as fairies. REVIEW the acts. I was curious as to whether The acting in the play was the play was a literal adaptaspot-on, as all the actors portrayed tion of the original Shakespeare their characters very well, and I play or not. To me, a high school never noticed anyone mess up or Shakespearean play is tasked with lose character. It was obvious that interpreting written work that’s
all the actors had practiced their lines to give the audience an enriching play experience. However, the scene-stealer was the hilarious character of Bottom, who was portrayed by Senior Gavin Bains. Bains delivered his humorous lines and monologues so perfectly that they caused members of the audience to be in contagious fits of giggles. In addition, the costumes and stage design were also spot on, especially for scenes in the forest where both stood out. The design created a sort of majestic environment that sucked the audience in. . I do still prefer the fall play “Almost Maine” more than this one; however, I do think this was a great production that has me heavily anticipating next year’s play.
‘Zootopia’ brings humor and unexpected life lessons RATING:
can work off of, going to various locations throughout “Zootopia.” They discover what happened to BY IVAN HUANG the missing persons and are able to In “Zootopia,” Disney’s latest recover them. However, that is not animated film, directors Byron the end of the story. Hopps butchHoward, Rich Moore, and Jared ers a press conference, causing a Bush create a universe where ani- purge against predators reminismals, predator and prey alike, have cent of the one Nazi Germany conevolved past their instincts and ducted on their Jewish population. live in harmony, with the gleaming Hopps then returns home, deflated, metropolis of “Zootopia” being the but goes back to solve the problems shining example of coexistshe caused with Wilde’s help. ence and harmony amongst The movie was highly enterthose of all walks of life, or so taining and visually stunning. one thinks. Disney once again brings a MOVIE feast to the eyes with the comJudy Hopps (Ginnifer GoodREVIEW position and detail placed in win), the first rabbit to become a police officer in “Zootopia,” each scene. Each of Hopps’s is initially relegated to being a me- 1.8 million hairs was individually ter maid before staking her career animated reflects the tremendous on a missing persons case that effort and dedication the animacauses turmoil in the city. She en- tors have for their craft. The story lists the help of Nick Wilde, a petty is also masterfully told; it can resocriminal who happens to be a fox. nate with adult and child alike. It is The duo follow what little leads impossible to be bored by this movand tidbits of information they ie. Various easter eggs and tributes
to other movies and TV shows like “The Godfather” and “Breaking Bad” were also amusing. I didn’t enjoy Shakira’s performance as pop star Gazelle, but you’re entitled to your own opinion. The timing of the release could also not be more fitting. With the rampant xenophobia and prejudice in our society being conducted left and right, a movie whose moral is to not judge others based on stereotypes, but rather by their own merits and actions, is certainly one that deserves to be celebrated. Disney should certainly be commended for producing one of its most socially relevant movies ever, while delivering a positive message in a non-imposing way. “Zootopia” is the type of movie that we have come to expect from Disney time and time again. Although the worst crime in the movie was felony tax evasion, you’ll be committing a worse one to yourself if you do not see the movie .
Amazing Good Average Ok Poor
THE LIFE OF PABLO by Kanye West Rap RATING:
MIND OF MINE by Zayn Malik R&B RATING:
BY MIHIR HANSALIA
BY DAANYA ANAND
Kanye West has returned from his musical hiatus after three long years, bringing with him his seventh studio album, “The Life of Pablo.” The album, named after artist Pablo Picasso, was released February 14 under Kanye’s label GOOD Music. The album starts off with “Ultralight Beam,” a gospel-heavy song that features a booming choir and swelling vocals. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, and it is clear off the rip that this album is nothing like any other Kanye album. The most notable tracks from The “Life of Pablo” are “No More Parties in LA” and “Father Stretch my Hands pt.1,” and if you are an old Kanye fan then definitely take a look at “I Love Kanye.” It will make you laugh and then feel sad that the reckless, egocentric fashion mogul we all grew to love is now gone. Overall, “The Life of Pablo” is a unique album, one that will appeal to many and turn others away. The different style brings a fresh perspective to West’s musical discography, and it is definitely an album you should not miss. Although “The Life of Pablo” lacks in upbeat songs and catchiness, it makes up in its attempted message and appeal, because hell, it’s a Kanye album and who doesn’t love Kanye? Who knows, maybe Kanye West can snap out of complacency, and we can get the “Late Registration” or “Graduation” Mr. West back. Either way, The Life of Pablo is an album that is definetely worth a listen.
As you may know already, Zayn Malik, One Direction’s former lead singer, left the boy-band in March of last year. Exactly one year after his announcement to the public about leaving, on March 25, Zayn released his first solo album Mind of Mine (Deluxe Edition). The album has been blowing up and is expected to hit No. 1 atop the Billboard 200 soon, according to billboard.com. The album artwork features a young, toddler Zayn, covered in tattoos and smiling, which is reminiscent of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV. Though Zayn received criticism about this similarity, in my opinion, it was an artistic decision that has little to no connection with the rap artist’s album. Moving onto the song titles, songs such as “IT’s YoU” and “BeFoUr” have some funky formatting going on. When fans noticed the oddity, they immediately made connections to AOL Instant Messenger. It seems that with the reference to AIM and the album cover, Zayn is throwing it back to when he was younger. Moving onto the music, there are some pretty great tracks on here. The ones that stand out most to me are “sHe,” “BoRdErSz,” “TiO,” and “INTERMISSION: fLoWer.” My favorite song, however, is definitely “INTERMISSION: fLoWer.” The song is sung completely in Urdu, Zayn’s father’s native language. Funnily enough, I personally understood every single lyric because I speak Hindi, and the lyrics are as beautiful as Zayn’s voice is as he sings them. This song is a proud tribute to Zayn’s culture, something that is pretty rare in our current society.
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ENTERTAINMENT
APRIL 2016
THE UNION
15
BY AMANDA NGUYEN & TERRA WALLS
Courtesy of People Magazine
The cast of the original 1990’s sitcom ‘Full House,’ except Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, were reunited to form the cast of Netflix TV Show ‘Fuller House.’ The show been renewed for a second season on Netflix after the success of its first season.
‘Fuller House’ popular with past and present fans RATING:
to help her take care of D.J.’s three children. BY CRYSTAL TRAN Original cast members Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, The first season of “Fuller House” and Andrea Barber who play premiered on February 28, 2016 D.J., Stephanie, and Kimmy have on Netflix, bringing back nostalgic returned to the show to play their memories to every 1990’s kid. original characters. Cast members “Fuller House” builds up upon the Bob Saget, David Coulier, and John original TV show “Full House,” the Stamos who play Danny, Joey, American family sitcom that first and Jesse have also returned. The aired in 1987 revolves around the only ones who have denied their life of single dad Danny Tanner as return are the twins Mary-Kate he takes care of his three daughters and Ashley Olsen, who both played Stephanie, D.J., and baby Michelle Michelle. New cast members (played by twins Mary-Kate and include D.J. Tanner-Fuller’s three Ashley Olsen). Best friend and boys, Max, Jackson, and Tommy comedian Joey and brother-in-law who are played by Elias Harger, and aspiring musician Jesse move Michael Champion, and twins Fox in with the Tanner family and Dashiell Messitt. The new to help Danny take care of additions also include Kimmy the kids. “Full House” was Gibbler’s husband Fernando, originally created by ABC and who is played by Juan Pablo Di lasted up to eight seasons, Pace, and their child Ramona T.V. racking up over 15 million SHOW Gibbler, played by Soni viewers . REVIEW Bringas. “Fuller House’s” plot is The first season definitely designed to mirror “Full House,” as does not disappoint viewers. D.J.’s daughter D.J. Tanner-Fuller is now old high school love interest Steve a single mom with three children. Hale (played by Scott Weinger), She asks for assistance from her who was also in “Full House,” aspiring musician sister Stephanie returns. D.J. has developed a new and best friend Kimmy Gibbler, relationship with her coworker who also has a teenage daughter, Matt Harmon (played by John
Brotherton). D.J. is forced to make a decision between who she wishes to be with. Meanwhile, the three brothers Max, Jackson, and Tommy are just as cute and quirky as the three sisters were in Full House. The difference between “Fuller House” and “Full House” is the subplots regarding Kimmy and her husband Fernando’s relationship with each other and with their daughter Ramona. Kimmy struggles with her current divorce from Fernando, and Ramona seems to get the short end of the stick throughout the season because of it. “Fuller House” also includes funny jokes directed towards the Olsen twins for not agreeing to return for sequel and jokes pertaining to criticism that have been thrown at the show for being rebooted. So far, “Fuller House” has compiled many mixed reviews, with some saying that the reboot of the original show has ruined the show while others are completely in love with it. Although Netflix has not released “Fuller House’s” ratings, the show has been a success, evident in its renewal for a second season. Hopefully, the second season, and maybe future seasons to come, will continue to satisfy viewers.
AMANDA NGUYEN | THE UNION
Pokémon’s 20th anniversary brings us back to a fun-filled and joyous gaming childhood BY JUSTIN NGUYEN
Taylor Tran
One time, I got so frustrated at the game that I threw my DS across the room and that was it. I haven’t played since.
Danielle Phan
My favorite memory was when I got lost in the cave, and I had to get my cousin to help me. I’m pretty bad at games; I get lost easily.
Bryan Chau
My favorite memory of Pokemon Fire Red: getting my Pidgey evolved to the final evolution, and wrecking everyone in the Elite Four.
Tatsuya Ishikawa
My favorite memory is buying a new game and just endlessly playing it and waking up early on weekends to watch new episodes. AMANDA NGUYEN | THE UNION
Pokémon has been around for as long as many of us can remember. It’s been ingrained in our childhoods and continues to be such an important part of our lives. All Pokémon fans remember the magic of that expansive world they entered when they first picked up copies of the game and inserted them into their Gameboys or DS’s. Who can forget how hard they cried during Pokémon: The First Movie when Pikachu teared up at the sight of Ash’s body being turned to stone? No matter who you are what your interests are, Pokémon has a special place in our hearts and never fails to warm us up. Growing up, we all had our Friday clubs, where we circled around our friends who brought their Nintendo DS consoles and watched them battle each other. Experiences like these just prove how Pokémon is one of the greatest interactive videogame experiences out there. We make friends through trading and discussing each other’s Pokémons’ stats. We geek out every time we encounter a legendary or shiny Pokémon, and some of us even stay up to the latest hours of the morning, trying to catch or breed the perfect Pokémon. What made the Pokémon franchise so much more valuable was that it reached out through every media for
fans to consume. Most of us remember the anime adaptation that aired daily on Cartoon Network. Meowth and Team Rocket, in their constant pursuit of Ash Ketchum’s little plump Pikachu, were some of our earliest sources of comedy. The Pokémon franchise has even surpassed its initial value as a game and TV show. It also made its way into other iconic games such as Super Smash Bros, extending its influence well into the development of the Wii and Wii U. Despite its age, Pokémon has solidified itself as a modern icon of gaming and entertainment. Amongst many things, fans of Pokémon have even dedicated themselves to making art, parodies, or commentary on Pokemon. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Youtube sensations have made videos based on Pokémon. 90’s kids will definitely remember the Smosh parody of the Pokémon Theme Song in 2005. It’s safe to say that Pokémon has helped pioneer a new modern culture of gaming. Unfortunately, the many A s h Ketchums and Misty Yawas out there have grown out of their shell and left the hours of endless gameplay and Pokémon catching behind. As everyone grows older, the responsibility of adulthood blos-
soms into our daily lifestyle and the hours of gameplay are reduced until we are either not interested anymore or are too busy to bother pressing A. The majority of us simply grow out of Pokémon. How e ve r, the the level seventeen Eevie or the annoying level seven Zubat will always remain as part of our childhood memories. Whether it’s between the silent car rides or the nerd-rage against your Yu-gi-oh! friends, Pokémon, for those who played it, will remain a memorable childhood memory. If not for the fun, than we will also remember the frustrating times trying to evolve your Magikarp. In light of Pokémon’s recent 20th Anniversary and a flurry of new games in the franchise coming out like Pokémon Go, Pokkén Tournament, and the new Sun/Moon, all of the childhood nostalgia is rushing back. The mania going around with Pokémon fans right now is wild. After the death of the Nintendo President, and the Executive Producer for the Pokémon games Satoru Iwata last summer, all of the fans are on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next release.
16
T HE U NION
NEWS
APRIL 2016
Tardy sweeps policy ‘successful’ BY BRENNA HENTSCHKE
Crystal Tran | THE UNION
Eighth grader Marc Flores (center) shakes hands with Mayor Jose Esteves after earning second place on his project.
MHS hosts third Interschool Science Fair BY SHERRY LAM
M
HS held its annual Interschool Science Fair on Saturday, March 19, at the MHS large gym, according to Science Club Advisor, Karen Truesdell. The event started off with a viewing session at 1:30 p.m. and transitioned into an awards ceremony starting at 3 p.m., Truesdell said. Over two hundred students submitted projects to be displayed and judged at the science fair, according to Science Club President, Alan Pham. Each year, the coordinators of the science fair strive to increase participation in this event, Pham said. “We had about 260 students registered, and many of students worked in a group,” Pham said. “I estimate there were 150 projects at the fair, and over two-thirds were from grades five to eight.” Pham and the officers of Science Club began to plan this year’s science fair last semester, according to Pham. The original due date for project submissions was Feb. 27, but extensions were granted, Pham said. Students
had to register before submitting their boards and registration opened in the summer of 2015, according to Pham. “Many of the students kept needing more time to do their projects, and many people told me that they wanted to participate, but thought that they wouldn’t be good enough to win,” Pham said. “One of our rules is that only projects that have not won any science fairs before could be entered. This is one of the reasons I organized this fair,” Pham added. One of the prerequisites to enter this fair was to not have won any science fairs in previous science fairs, according to Pham. This was made a rule so that every participant would have a fairer chance at winning, Pham said. “The reason I organized the science fair for projects that have not won awards yet is to give students a fairer chance and encourage them to participate,” Pham said. “It was also to promote interest in science among students ranging across all grade levels.” Projects were judged based on a rubric by six judges, Pham said. The
group of judges for the science fair consisted of science and math teachers here at MHS, according to Pham. “We had a standard judging rubric with teacher judges who examined the projects based on the scale,” Pham said. “The judges then discussed and decided the winners. We awarded the winners with a certificate and trophy. But all participants receive a free raffle ticket for the many great prizes we had, in order to encourage them.” Pham realized that communicating to students through teachers is more effective in reaching out to students, according to Pham. The science fair planning team will work with more teachers and will start preparing now for next year’s fair, Pham said. “Although I’m just a student who has many classes and other commitments, I put a lot of time and effort into this event because there are so many things to do in preparation,” Pham said. “Other science fairs usually take the full-time work of many professionals to be successful.” Students can register for the 2017 science fair at: http://tinyirl.com/jeo9ahg
The tardy sweeps put in place this year have been successful, according to Principal Cheryl Lawton. The sweeps were implemented to decrease tardiness on MHS, and they have done that, she said. The leadership team members wanted the tardy sweeps back in place, Lawton said. They thought that the tardy sweeps would help students get to class on time, she explained. Lawton said that the success other schools have been having with their tardy sweep systems has translated to MHS. “On days we have tardy sweeps, we hardly have any tardies,” Lawton said. Tardy sweeps will not help permanently fix the tardy problem, says Junior Jaiana Bugayong. They are only a temporary solution, she said. “Tardy sweeps aren’t effective because students only rush to class if there’s a sweep, but they still come late if there is no sweep,” Bugayong said. “Looking at the big picture, tardy sweeps don’t fix the problem.” Regardless, students are expected to be in class on time, Lawton said. One of the biggest issues is morning tardies. However inconvenient it may be to get to school on time, it is just as important to be on time to first period, Lawton said. Lawton also said that bell schedule change discussions were in part due to morning tardiness. “One of the reasons we were looking at changing the bell schedule was to try and alter start times,” Lawton said. “As for right now, however, the expectation is school starts at eight.” If the student has no pass or note, then the expectation stands that one should get to school at 8:00 a.m., despite traffic conditions or other extenuating circumstances, Lawton said. Students with written tardy passes may be excused from a detention, according to Lawton. “If they have an excuse, some [students] have passes and things like that, that’s fine,” Lawton said. Lawton said that possibilities for students to oppose their detentions are also being discussed. It seems like something akin to the appeal introduced for the service learning program is a real possibility, according to
Lawton. “Kind of like what we did with the community service and service learning, we put in an appeal form,” Lawton said, “In the case of the tardy sweep, that’s a possibility.” For those who cannot make time for the detention, there are a few options, according to Lawton. “We have morning detention; we have afternoon detention,” she said. Tardy sweeps are ineffective and the detentions are unjust, according to Senior Yvette Cervantes. Giving kids detention when they are late is not fair and has not changed anything, she said. “I can’t risk getting a detention when I have work after school,” Cervantes said. “I also have homework and lots of studying to do for my AP class.” It’s also not fair for the kids who need to leave school right away, According to Cervantes. “Some kids don’t have a way of going home, so they have to take the bus right after school,” Cervantes said. Although the tardy sweeps have been effective, they have been received poorly, according to Lawton. “Right now, unfortunately, it’s been punitive,” Lawton said. “It’d be great if we could find a way to be more positive with it. [The] goal is not to be punishing students, [the] goal is to get students to go to class.” Conversely, Junior Chandan Pearce says tardy sweeps are not good for the school. They are not only
“Looking at the big picture, tardy sweeps don’t fix the problem.” Junior jAIANA bUgAYONG ineffective and fuel fires between administration and students, but they are also dangerous, Chandan said. “[Tardy sweeps] are dangerous, ineffective, and often elicit feelings of animosity towards MHS administration,” Pearce said. “I saw a guy wipe out under the L building because he was sprinting to class.”
Fullbright named “Role Model of the Year” BY ASHLEY RICKS
Courtesy of Michael Cummins
Ro Khanna (left) and Mike Honda (right) address platforms and answer student’s from AP and regular government classes.
CAMPAIGN: Ro Khanna, Mike Honda visit MHS FROM PAGE 1 BY AMANDEEP DOSANJH MISBAH SURANI
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o Khanna and Mike Honda, the 2016 Democratic candidates for the position of U.S. Representative for California’s 17th congressional district, spoke to over 600 total students and staff at MHS on Mar. 10 and Apr. 5, according to Social Studies Teacher Michael Cummins. The candidates discussed various elements of their campaign platforms and answered questions from students, Cummins said. The visit from Khanna and Honda to MHS was coordinated by Cummins, who wanted the students to be more aware of the local elections and to understand the representatives’ power. “What I want students to realize is these guys are closer to us. They live locally and know our concerns... so they are actually way more valuable to us in Congress than the President even is,” Cummins said. “I thought it was a rare opportunity to perhaps meet the guy that is going to represent us in Washington.”
During the presentation, Khanna focused on race relations, youth voter turnout, and college tuition, according to Cummins. “Education is my passion. We need to increase the budget for K-12 education,” Khanna said. “We also need the UC’s to prioritize California students and do a better job of making sure that college is free.” During Honda’s talk, he mainly spoke about his background and how that shaped his political values, according to Senior Karis Yang. Regarding policies, Honda covered a wide variety of topics, including the war on drugs, affirmative action, gender equality, racism, and most importantly, education. “I agree that we should have free community college, and I’ve done research on how to finance it,” Honda said. “I don’t want youngsters to avoid going to the college they desire because they can’t afford it.” The toughest question for both candidates was about what differentiates them from each other because there is nothing of significant difference between them, according to Cummins.
“We need to move towards free college education, and Honda said that we just need to lower student interest loans,” Khanna said. “I propose increasing dramatically the budget for K-12 education for music, art, and career technical education.” When Honda was asked about the differences between him and Khanna, he primarily addressed the advantage that his experience gave him. “The difference between [Khanna] and me is the experience,” Honda said. “In Congress, I learned to use all my history and my experiences to think things through.” In regards to the overall presentation, Cummins thought the students definitely gained something and were able to compare the candidates accurately. “[Honda] sees a lot of parallels in how Japanese Americans, such as his family, were discriminated in WWII and Muslims in the war on terror,” Yang said. “I thought that Honda seemed very approachable and much more social than Khanna. I was a bit disappointed that Honda did not focus on specific policies.”
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ay Custodian Michael Fullbright won “Role Model of the Year,” through the YMCA program Project Cornerstone, according to Fullbright. He was presented with the award at a ceremony on Mar. 24, at Project Cornerstone’s “Asset Champions” awards breakfast, which had over 1,000 people in attendance, he continued. Project Cornerstone works within the YMCA of Silicon Valley, and partners with over 400 schools in the area, according to their website. They aim to provide “training and consulting on building strength and resiliency in youth to thousands of adults who regularly touch young people’s lives” through their Community Partnerships. “It’s an honor when you see other people think good thoughts and think about you and they speak to other people about you, and think you deserve this,” Fullbright said. “I mean that’s so big for my heart, [for someone to] think about you for something like that, and you end up getting it, like wow, thank you so much.” Principal Cheryl Lawton worked with Assistant Principal Cheryl Rivera to nominate Fullbright for the award, Fullbright said. MHS students were also selected to interview with Project Cornerstone and talk about the impact Fullbright has made on their lives, he continued. One such student was Senior Rebecca Tan. “I’ve known Mr. Fullbright
since freshmen year and have gotten to know him more and more from these past four years. He’s one of the few staff members I’ve gotten to know really well,” Tan said. “The interview was in downtown San Jose. We just had to answer a few questions about Mr. Fulbright and why we thought he deserved to win the award, and how he’s made an impact in our personal lives.” “Every day out at lunch I see him interacting with students, giving pep talks to those who need a boost, or just reminding students to get to class. Even though his work day ends at 2:30 p.m., he still comes back in the evening to support our athletes at athletic events. In addition, he is a regular participant at Camp Everytown,” Lawton said. “When we were notified that Mr. Fullbright had been chosen, we were so happy. [...] We are all very proud that Mr. Fullbright is receiving the recognition he truly deserves.” A commercial was also shot by ABC News featuring Fullbright working on campus, he said. They interviewed him about his experiences working with MHS students, he continued. “ It just happened, so it was all really in the making, so that’s God working. It’s big,” Fullbright said. “I’m honored, I’m surprised, I’m to the top of my head with appreciation for Ms. Lawton and also Ms. Rivera for thinking of me as a person who they think should deserve something like this, and through God’s grace, I’m about to get an award for His reward of being so good to me. And it’s all so good.”