Issue 3, 2013 by Matthew Chow

epitaph

the

HOMESTEAD HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 51

ISSUE 3

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013

ACROSS THE LINES An in-depth comparison of FUHSD schools See SPREAD page 6 21370 HOMESTEAD RD. CUPERTINO, CA

One month later Homestead s Filipino community speaks out on the devastation caused by Haiyan By Shiri Huber Junior Hayne Navarra was traveling in Manila, Philippines with his family on November 7th when his vacation was cut short by the arrival of an inordinately strong storm. “The rain was falling so hard it hurt when it hit you,” said Navarra. “The winds were so strong you could barely walk forward.” Navarra took shelter inside of his cousin’s house for two days, where he had no connection with his parents. “I didn’t know what happened to them.” Navarra and his family are some of the many members of the Filipino community at Home-

Typhoon Haiyan, one of the deadliest typhoons to ever hit land. In Tacloban, the center of the typhoon’s impact, no buildings survived the disaster. Currently the death toll stands at over 5,920 people and over 1,770 people are still missing. As a member of the Philippines Red Cross, Navarra helped clean up the damage Manila endured. Sometimes Navarra had to distract kids from their injured, or dead, parents. Navarra recalls, “I had to pull away these kids from their mother so that she could receive medical needs. I had a pretty lie to them about their mom [...]

my cousin and I had to calm the kids by telling them that everything was going to be okay.” On the other side of the world in Cupertino, Homestead students and teachers with connections to the Philippines have felt the impact of the disaster. Junior Guinevere Abello’s grandfather grew up in the Philippines. “My grandpa’s hometown is where [the typhoon] hit...so this had a Abello was inspired when she watched a video about her Mormon church, located in Tacloban, which assisted and provided aid for victims of the typhoon. typhoon], I was kind of like, ‘oh

that’s sad’” said Abello, “but when it really struck me, was when I watched the video on Sunday and they showed how one of the bishops helped all these people [...] and how devastated the area was, and there was no buildings standing. That’s when I really gained a connection.” Chemistry teacher Richard

was very disconcerting, because my parents are from there.” A huge international relief effort surged in response to the devastation. Navarra himself has donated old clothes, money, and canned food to the victims since he returned to the United States a week after the typhoon. Although initial aid is vital, Porticos reminds us that the consequences of the typhoon contin-

by the typhoon. Although Porticos has not been to the Philippines since he was a teen, he was still moved by the devastation taking place across the globe. “I heard the numbers; thousands of people were killed, or estimated to be killed,” he recalled. “When I found out where it took place, it

time. “If you think of these people, and their homes are completely destroyed [...] for them, it just keeps going on, for months and years. We can’t forget about that.”

City of Sunnyvale plans to build new public library By Donnie Denome

Over a year after the Sunnyvale City Council and the Board of Library Trustees met to address space issues in the library, steps are being taken to remedy the problem. built, the city had a population of about 52,000. Now, that number is over 140,000, and increases during the day due to ers, according to the Friends of the Sunnyvale Library. “We’ve library is not big enough,” said The library has undergone dates, however, these have not been enough to keep up with the challenges of a growing popula-

tion with evolving needs. “We have a one book in, one book out policy for the children’s section,” said Lisa Rosenblum, Director of the Library and Community Services Department. “That is, for every book we buy, we must get rid of a book.” While 40 percent of circulation currently lies in children’s material, only eight percent of space is allocated to it. According to Rosenblum, the Sunnyvale library has the lowest square footage of any library in the Bay Area and is below the California mean. Another issue brary building is that it is made primarily of bricks, which inhibit Wi-Fi and make Internet access impossible in places. Sunnyvale Library of the Future, a study done in 2006, found that the current library would

Intellectual Independence Learn not what, but how, to think See page 4

need 55,876 square feet more in order to meet community needs. The question lies not in whether or not the current library can support the population, but rather in how the problem is to be remedied. The two main ideas proposed by the Board of Library Trustees in a joint study session with the City Council on July 31, 2012 were to build a branch library, or to build ent location. The proposal to build a new main library comes alongside proposals to renovate other city main concepts is to build an 80,000 square foot facility near the Community Center. The estimated cost is $66-74 million. However, “[t]here is no funding available for this, so this would

require going to the voters to apter the meeting. Another option is to build a new multiple story building near the current library to house all civic operations. This would be done “through a public/private partnership with a developer… Total construction cost to the city equals zero dolThe proposed branch library would be situated in Lakewood Park. The site was chosen because it is in the middle of Sunnyvale’s residential district -- yet its residents live over two miles from the library. The Lakewood area is bounded by the Bayshore Freeway, the Southbay Freeway, and Lawrence

reports the Branch Library Concept page on the city’s Web site, “the Lakewood area has the lowest percentage of residents with Sunnyvale Library cards of any neighborhood in Sunnyvale.” Seniors and children in particular rely heavily on the library but may not have transportation. A library in the area would not only provide access to books and movies but would also computers, the Internet, and other material. It would also have quiet study spaces and host programs for all members of the community. The branch library would be linked with the main library and other libraries in California through a subscription

Continued on page 2, New Library

seniors and youth in this area,”

Natural Beauty

Inside:

Students embrace the fresh face

News

Entertainment 10

Opinion

Sports

Spread

Last Word

See page 9

Lifestyles

PAGE DESIGN AND PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA TANG

news

Thursday, December 12, 2013

ObamaCare for Dummies by Marissa Lee

These illustrations depict effects of the new reforms made by Obamacare as explained by the winner of YouTube’s EDU Next Guru Award and professor at University of Buffalo, Keith Hughes. On Mar. 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed The Patient Protection Act, better known as ObamaCare, into law. ObamaCare has an individual mandate that requires all Americans to have health someone does not have insurance

be taxed and the tax will gradually increase each year. Americans will be provided with ance through the health insurance marketplace. “The health insurance marketplace is like a virtual insurance megamall,” according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Amerifrom private insurers and decide the coverage and the price they

Sunnyvale adopts new gun law By Nicole Chung

With mass shootings come mass reforms. Shootings such as those at Sandy Hook Elementary School and at Virginia Tech have prompted the nation to take a closer look at the current gun law and to take sides in the ongoing and controversial gun law reform debates. Sunnyvale is no exception to this. On Nov. 5, 2013, Sunnyvale community members voted to pass Measure C, the new gun regulation law. According to KQED.org, this new law will reany gun theft(s) to the police within the next 48 hours and when not in the owner’s possession. As a whole, members of the Sunnyvale community are prohibited from possessing guns that can hold more than ten rounds and are warned that tracked. The new regulations are two sides to the debate surrounding Measure C. The opAssociation (NRA), claims that

the new law includes parts of a proposed bill that was vetoed by and that the new gun law makes the already-strict Californian gun laws stricter than before. Additionally, the NRA says that tightening up the gun laws will Those opposing the NRA’s viewpoints and supporting the new gun law state that these gun laws are necessary safety precautions that even a safe city like Sunnyvale needs and even proceeds to point to the tragic shootings that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Of course, just like any law, lihood of the Sunnyvale residents, some more than others. The downside of this law is that the regulations for purchasing come more tedious than before. On a brighter note, it will be harder for those with questionable backgrounds to legally get their hands on a gun.

want. However, senior citizens will be required to pay less than younger low, children will be able to stay on their parent’s health plan until they are 26. ent sectors of economy such as the health industry, tanning services, and the wealthy and will also pay less to the insurance companies and hospitals who participate in Medicare to supplement costs for the insurance.

T h e Kaiser Family Foundation continues to explain that each available plan meets the basic necessities such as hospital visits, doctor visits, mental health care and prescription drugs. People who pay out of pocket may be eligible to receive a tax credit.

Homestead s newest clubs aim to make a diﬀerence By Rachel Hildebrand Currently, there are 47 clubs available to Homestead students. By the beginning of the second semester, that number will rise to 49. Homestead’s two newest clubs, The Cancer Society of Homestead and Women’s Empowerment Ambassadors, will give students an opportunity to “The main goal of our club is to help out the community by spreading general knowledge and awareness, donating to charities, and encouraging members to becancer.” said Sudeep Dutta, who founded The Cancer Society of Homestead along with Samaan Faridjoo. Motivated by family the disease, the juniors want to

Continued from page 1 New library service, allowing patrons to request materials they wouldn’t community spaces,” said Rosenblum. “Putting up a branch in North Sunnyvale would serve an underserved community.” Funding for such a library would come from the sale of

make as big of an impact as possible. awareness, members will visit cancer research labs, listen to guest speakers, and volunteer at local events, cancer research labs, listen to guest speakers, and volunteer at local events. The Women’s Empowerment Ambassadors are also aimed at making the world a better place. According to junior Eleni Reynolds, who created the club with Women’s Empowerment Ambassadors is to spread awareness about gender inequality and work to improve the lives of women across the globe.” The club will participate in

the Raynor Activity Center. On Nov.19, the City Council voted to sell the property to Stratford School and use the proceeds to fund the construction of the branch library. They also voted on whether to give Stratford use of some of Raynor Park but the motion failed and so the sale could not go through. The council voted on the motion again on Dec. 3, but as of the time of this

programs throughout the year to improve women’s’ lives, such as supporting women going through school in developing countries, volunteering at local women’s shelters, and fundraising for charities. The Cancer Society of Homestead will meet every other Friday in Mr. Welc’s room and the Women’s Empowerment Club will convene in Ms. Hurst’s room. Both of these clubs will start meeting second semester. “The more members that join the club, and the bigger the club gets, the more successful it will become in helping the community and the bigger positive impact it will have.” says Sudeep.

writing the outcome of that vote has not been released. struction on the branch is able to begin, it is estimated that it will open in spring of 2015. Once construction is complete, talks about a new main library could begin. “Building [a branch library] would inspire people to want a new library at the current branch,” said Rosenblum. PAGE DESIGN BY NANCY ZHOU

Thursday, December 12, 2013

4 \

opinion

Thursday, December 12, 2013

epitaph STAFF

the

Students must develop intellectual independence the inevitable independence of adulthood.

Reporters Nicole Chung

Dipshikha Kandel

Donnie Denome

Marissa Lee

Michelle Fuller

Andrew Reyes

Rachel Hildebrand

Priya Sodlapur

Shiri Huber

Nancy Zhou

Editors News

Laura Tang

News

Camille Miller

what we’ve discovered recently is how easily a ber’s opinions can tip an adolescent’s beliefs and skew their views. One of our Expected Results (ESLRs) is “pre-

Greg Schrader

how much are teachers

Lifestyles

Eugene Cheng

critically and independently for themselves? It isn’t just coincidence that more

Anthony Garcia

Entertainment/Sports

Khalil Bourgoub

Editor in Chief

Matthew Chow

Production Team Grace He

Design Editor

Natalie Calderon

Adviser

themselves as liberals, just as it isn’t mere chance that more students in Texas would identify themselves as conservatives.

Emi Kamezaki

Business Manager

epitaph

and role models, which ers say in class matters. Simply put: a teachers’ job is to become obsolete. Successful teachers are those who come independent and to rely

their beliefs for themselves without bias. Students, explore the world. Ask quesnever assume. Teachers, we don’t come to school to learn how you come to learn

WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Opinion

Entertainment/Sports

campus, and when students spend nearly as much time at school as they do awake at home, then the job of a teacher cannot be any less important than that of the students’ own parents. Students respect and see their teach-

of their teachers. This means teachers have the most important duty to cultivate the intellectual independents can discover their own beliefs and opinions. However, this duty becomes diluted when teachers insert personal

how w e think. only when we discover how we think will we be able to mold our ideas and make the world a better place for us.

adults and role models do, too. teachers are culpable for adolescents’ not to fervently support a cause, but

the

The Epitaph is a non-profit publication at Homestead High School, 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014. The Epitaph is a forum for student expression and not subject to prior review, in accordance with Education Code 48907. The staff is comprised of Homestead Journalism students. Views expressed do not necessarily represent views of the school, its staff, or the district. Editorials are opinions of the editorial board. The Epitaph welcomes all letters to the editor but reserves the right to edit all submissions. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Include contact information. Unsigned letters cannot be published, but names will be withheld upon request. Send via Homestead.Epitaph@gmail.com, or drop letters in the newsroom or the office mailbox. If The Epitaph has made an error, please send corrections to Homestead.Epitaph@ gmail.com. The corrections will be published in the corrections box for the next issue.

and show students both sides of any

A fresh outlook: Freshman Advisory misses the mark By Rachel Hildebrand

Sophomore Koodrut Panesar, who atin reality, it just adds additional stress to torial time. Students often rely on tutorial time

careers. With lectures and powerpoints dents are left to question whether it is really worth their time

fax (408) 738-8631.

Advertising One email and you can reach nearly 2,300 students and teachers from Northern Sunnyvale to Southern Los Altos. If your target market is between the ages of 14 and 18, contact The Epitaph at epitaph.ads@gmail.com and we can make it happen.

Schoolloop accounts, Freshmen Advisory -

To reach the Epitaph staﬀ in C-105: call (408) 522-2572 or

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE CHUNG

their students. At Homestead, students

While some of the information is help-

others,” said Stephanie Crosby, the Freshmen Advisory Group Leader and SPED teacher. ment, student resources, and school events.

sources such as student planners, daily announcements, posters around school, teachers, and most of all Schoolloop, there is no need for a ten-minute PowerPoint on

“I feel like Freshmen Advisory is an indon’t necessarily learn much,” said fresh-

school.” “The transition from middle school to -

formation presented was common knowl-

Canned Food Drive. The information presented was the same information available to students all over campus. a month could solve many of these problems because it would be less of a strain on busy schedules, have a better chance of as disruptive to the student body. Another teractive than lectures and worksheets in order to liven up the tutorial. While the adup to its full potential.

minutes of focus in class.

Donors

Corrections

Your ongoing support is appreciated.

We apologize for the following mistakes in the previous issue:

Jing Xu Donna & Avi Huber Valerie Fermor Xiaoming & Holly Zhang Debbie Vanni

Page 1: The Google Plus logo was ﬂipped Page 3: Priya Sodlapur was incorrectly attributed. Page 7: HHS was incorrectly introduced as HHS HS. If you see any corrections, please let us know by emailing homestead.epitaph@gmail.com PAGE DESIGN BY MATTHEW CHOW AND NICOLE CHUNG

opinions

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Mixed feelings

Are mixers appropriate for students? Not a MIXtake

Mix no more

By Eugene Cheng

By Nancy Zhou

High school students have always looked for ways to get away from life and just dance the night away. Outside-school dances have been popular for these individuals ever since teenagers were foolish and rebellious. The current versions of these dances are called ‘mixers,’ which are held at independent venues, and organized by other high school students. A mixer dance is a good source of stress relief for frustrated students. When school, friends or family give you pressure, mixers provide the escape from reality that you need sometimes. In this view, it is comparable to any other hobby or activity that acts as a conventional stress reliever, like video games and sports.

The word “mixer” originated from networking parties arranged by businessmen, with high-end venues lighted with chandeliers and candles. Modern high school mixers are dark, damp, and dirty, the overall atmosphere is similar to an unsupervised middle school dance – without the awkward separation of genders on opposite sides of the room. Mixers should not be a part of a high school student’s agenda. The need for mixers is nonexis-

chance to meet and interact with new people. The most recent mixer, Doin’ it Grand, boasted nearly 700 people who planned on going through its Facebook page. At such a large gathering, a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and ideas “mix” together, creating a salad bowl of different opinions. Of course, no one is going to be discussing Machiavellian politics during the mixer, but contacts that spawn from the mixer can lead to long friendships.

students, nor does they provide something that is otherwise missing in their curriculum. There is not a lack of social gatherings or events at school, or even inter-district; there are multiple dances organized by the schools throughout the year. There is no need for additional dances since schools already numerous provide social activites. Actual dancing doesn’t even occur at mixers, only people circulating in groups, grinding or “freaking” to the music. Grinding and daggering are basically the only ways people “dance” at these gatherings. If you

humanitarian causes. The Vision for a Brighter Future mixer used the money generated from ticket sales as a gift to two schools in India. Unfortunately, mixers have a bad “rep” due to the type of dancing regularly seen at mixers, commonly referred to as “grinding” or “freaking,” which is viewed as lewd and misogynistic. Others hold the misconception that drugs and alcohol are consumed at mixers. To say that “freaking” is misogynistic in nature is preposterous. The whole process of the dance, from initiation to escalation, is at the consent of both parties. The perpetuated myth of substance abuse holds no ground, either. Organizers often hire professional security personnel that are trained to remove any presence of illegal activity in the dance room. Students are also often TSA-style frisked by security before entering the front doors. To argue that mixers, which pop up around ten times a year, are hazardous to students’ academic focus is ridiculous. Students should take responsibility for maintaining their grades instead of pushing the blame to a three-hour social event. Mixers are, above all, about having a good time, in a safe and legal manner. It may not be for everyone, but for some, it is a good way to spend three hours of a Saturday night. As long as the unfounded criticism against mixers stays baseless, mixers will remain a common destination for high school students.

grinding and daggering looks like frantic full-frontal dry humping. For the full two to three hours you are at one of these gatherings, at least half of that time you are grinding against one or multiple strangers. This encourages students to behave inappropriately, and leaves much for them to regret in their future careers. Worse than mere grinding, however is the “Pregame” and “After Party” rituals. Since alcohol and other illegal substances are (supposedly) banned at the mixers, most students tend to get intoxicated before and/or after the actual mixer. These mixers not only induce students to act inappropriately, but also may introduce drugs into their lives. Another concern is time, as most mixers and dances stretch out to at least two hours, some students may projects so they can go to mixers. A person’s values can be determined by their participation in mixers. It seems as if those who go to mixers purely go to “hook up” with someone, or to get attention, and they place these concerns before their schoolwork. Nothing. ILLUSTRATION BY NANCY ZHOU

By Greg Schrader

Emi Kamezaki

Donnie Denome

Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen

Cinder By Marissa Meyer

The commonly hated piece features biting commentary on gender roles, set in 17th century England.

A futuristic retelling of Cinderella that perfectly balances technology and humanity.

ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW CHOW

Laura Tang

Eugene Cheng

Nicole Chung

Priya Sodlapur

Count of Monte Cristo By Alexander Dumar

Voltaire: A Life By Ian Davidson

The Little Prince By Antoine de Saint Exupéry

Eat, Pray, Love By Elizabeth Gilbert

from the beginning to end.

A look into one of the most revered men in history; the voice of the Enlightenment.

Gives you a thoughtful insight into human nature and presents important lessons useful for life.

The book is extremely inspirational and cultural and has such a deep, personal insight on life.

PAGE DESIGN BY EUGENE CHENG AND MARISSA LEE

spread

Thursday, December 12, 2013

A C R O S S / the / L I N E S The voices and ﬁgures of Fremont Union High School District

HOMESTEAD 2-year

4-year

59%

30%

21% other

2,405

36% white

post-graduation destination 723

AP exams taken

1821 SAT avg

SAT avg

post-graduation destination

white

2,343

21%

Homestead High School

35% other

Cupertino High School

students

94% passed

81% asian

students

17%

post-graduation destination

white

81%

19%

2,000

CUPERTINO

Fremont High School

4-year

17%

other

white

asian

MONTA VISTA 2-year

40%

62%

158 tested

AP exams taken

51%

21%

1545

asian

1,208

4-year

passed

42%

passed

2-year

67%

427 tested

students

86%

FREMONT

10,673 students / 5 schools / 1 district

post-graduation destination

4-year

29%

52%

2,079 students

Monta Vista High School

1959 SAT avg

2-year

44% asian

Lynbrook High School

573 tested

1,053 AP exams taken

94%

1833 SAT avg

passed

2,842 AP exams taken

LYNBROOK

94%

post-graduation destination 2-year

What is a common misconception about your school? "We are viewed as immature because of the code red drill we had two years ago because of a student simply in possession of a nerf gun in the student parking lot."

"The idea that Fremont is ﬁlled with a bunch of violent gangbangers. Most people here are actually incredibly friendly whether they look like a 'cholo' or not."

Senior Nathan Duong

Junior Matthew Greene

Cupertino High School

Fremont High School

12%

"I feel that Lynbrook students have the reputation for focusing solely on academics. Most people don't recognize or hear about the other talents students have whether it be in sports, art, or music."

"That our school is very study oriented and most students dont have time for a social life or athletics. Many students at our school are well balanced and handle both very well."

Senior Sarah Tang

Monta Vista High School

Lynbrook High School

Senior Takuto Doshiro

"People at Homestead are rich, cocky, and 'smart' without an eﬀort. In reality many students have ﬁnancial struggles, put in many hours into having successful grades, and actually do not really compare themselves to other schools thinking we are better than them."

passed

4-year

83%

13%

other

1676 AP exams taken

white

1846

students

83% asian

2004 SAT avg

407 tested

Senior Sophie Lee

Homestead High School

* SAT, Advanced Placement testing, and college information is based oﬀ of students that graduated in 2013. Enrollment statistics pertain to currently enrolled students. ILLUSTRATIONS AND PAGE DESIGN BY CAMILLE MILLER, MATHEW CHOW AND KHALIL BOURGOUB

spread

Thursday, December 12, 2013

A C R O S S / the / L I N E S The voices and ﬁgures of Fremont Union High School District

HOMESTEAD 2-year

4-year

59%

30%

21% other

2,405

36% white

post-graduation destination 723

AP exams taken

1821 SAT avg

SAT avg

post-graduation destination

white

2,343

21%

Homestead High School

35% other

Cupertino High School

students

94% passed

81% asian

students

17%

post-graduation destination

white

81%

19%

2,000

CUPERTINO

Fremont High School

4-year

17%

other

white

asian

MONTA VISTA 2-year

40%

62%

158 tested

AP exams taken

51%

21%

1545

asian

1,208

4-year

passed

42%

passed

2-year

67%

427 tested

students

86%

FREMONT

10,673 students / 5 schools / 1 district

post-graduation destination

4-year

29%

52%

2,079 students

Monta Vista High School

1959 SAT avg

2-year

44% asian

Lynbrook High School

573 tested

1,053 AP exams taken

94%

1833 SAT avg

passed

2,842 AP exams taken

LYNBROOK

94%

post-graduation destination 2-year

"The idea that Fremont is ﬁlled with a bunch of violent gangbangers. Most people here are actually incredibly friendly whether they look like a 'cholo' or not."

Senior Nathan Duong

Junior Matthew Greene

Cupertino High School

Fremont High School

12%

"I feel that Lynbrook students have the reputation for focusing solely on academics. Most people don't recognize or hear about the other talents students have whether it be in sports, art, or music."

"That our school is very study oriented and most students dont have time for a social life or athletics. Many students at our school are well balanced and handle both very well."

Senior Sarah Tang

Monta Vista High School

Lynbrook High School

Senior Takuto Doshiro

passed

4-year

83%

13%

other

1676 AP exams taken

white

1846

students

83% asian

2004 SAT avg

407 tested

Senior Sophie Lee

Homestead High School

lifestyles

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Homestead playwrights put on their own shows

Brooke Martinez steps in as assistant principal secretary By Laura Tang With Christine Glenny taking over Gabrielle Horwege as Executive Assis-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICAELA SALACUP

ABOVE: Sophomore Ryan Hartley, Daniel Vainish (‘13), senior Emi Kamezaki, senior Linnea Lynch, Anisha Jagganathan (‘13), and Micaela Salacup (‘13) performed “The Census Taker,” co-directed by Kamezaki and Lynch in Jan. 2013. stagecraft and acting throughout the year, but only a few students have the chance to direct and write through the opportunity of

By Anthony Garcia Acts will open on Jan. 23, 2014 in showings on Jan. 24 and 25, starters of these short plays dedicate a

challenge of writing an original alties to own the rights of using a selves. However, directors undergo a rigorous process, as well. Junior Casey Bisted, the direc-

“You have to consider if your story is going to translate well to the

of interpretation in rehearsing.

They are intuitive, creative and very talented writers [who] are very serious about their pieces and take the process very seriously.” Although the plays/scenes are shorter in length, participat-

“Writers are encouraged not to play on very heavy tones if it is

supposed to be a fun and lifting

volved,” explained senior Chris-

but that [actors] can be silly as well.” they want their play to be pernational Thespian Society (ITS). length plays since they have no

“[One Act writers] are intuitive, creative and very talented writers [who] are very serious about their pieces.” - Leslie Lloyd experience,” he said. “When I do write plays, I norwould like to give to the audience,” that fall in the period the piece

able to direct and write their own show. Students receive a consid-

try to think about what has been successful in past years and try

According to director and se-

pieces.” If a student is not up to the

ing an essay or a short story or even a full play,” she explained.

Be initiated into ITS Troupe 3553 - International Thespian Society

2 Be a member of Drama Club.

3 ITS directors choose which One Acts to direct, and drama teacher Leslie Lloyd approves their decisions.

4 Directors hold auditions.

LEA [Local Educational Agency] Billing Coordinator for CUSD,” said Martinez. “During the last eleven school site. When I heard about the wonderful opporapplied for the position.” -

thoughts running through your head. I kept thinking, dents react when they see and challenging for everyone, especially the student director.” eryone contributing to the play is veil their countless hours of work

“I think they are seen as lighter shows by the other students, and

Five steps to putting on a One Act 1

two-and-a-half years until early 2013. “In January of this year, I decided I was ready for

who the characters are as a person and create a backstory that causes

short plays have fewer scenes -

High School said, “Those that do write are very talented and have

School as Assistant Principal Secretary -- Brooke Martinez. In 2007, Martinez began working for the Cupertino Union School District, originally the Registrar and Attendance Secretary for Kennedy Middle School. Three years later, she betary at Hyde Middle School,

they have the best turn outs.”

here proved these thoughts Martinez. By working at a high school, a critical steppinglives as they transition to adulthood, Martinez hopes to see students do well, succeed, and follow the education and career paths they desire. “I look forward to learnbuilding relationships with

5 One Act directors cast students, who rehearse and perform.

being part of a fantastic

chine. This is a great place

PAGE DESIGN BY MICHELLE FULLER AND DIPSHIKHA KANDEL

lifestyles

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Helping out for the holidays

Homestead s canned food drive delivers a success By Priya Sodlapur

California is at a constant struggle to care for its low-income families, with a 15.6 percent household food insecurity rate, which is the percent of families that cannot obtain the necessary amount of food in a socially acceptable way according to feedingamerica.org. Every year Homestead students participate in the Canned Food Drive families, which is vital during the holidays. Sophomore Cyrus Miremadi, the Associated Student Body social manager observed bility but the sense of giving back provides an emotional response from the student body as well as the families.” Homestead accumulates a prodigious amount of food and other items for people in need which allows many low-income families to celebrate the holidays because of the dedication from Homestead students to help others. Homestead teachers and students alike were united in the strive to beat last year’s record of 610,184 points. This year, Homestead successfully surpassed the previous record with a grand total of 743,981 points. Students were motivated to donate not only to help others, but this year for the reward of principal Greg Giglio’s rap at the Winter Wonder rally. With the different motivations in mind, Miremadi said, “I don’t care about the point value in what I donate, I

only care about what I donate for the families in need.” But students this year have really dedicated themselves to donating items 105,692 95,571

78,672

and food products that are really needed. Students donated a wide variety of items ranging from canned meals and cake mix to bicycles and televisions. Together, the student body and teachers also accomplished donating $8,291. Throughout the canned food drive, classes within the student body compete against

TOP TEN TEACHERS BY POINT VALUES 53,563

27,215

Ronsheimer

Heaton

Murray

Nafrada

Embracing natural beauty Students forego makeup By Michelle Fuller One out of three women said they would not leave the house without makeup on, even if it is just to run an errand, according to an article on Lovelyish.com. The article later states 37 percent of women think that their “management would assume they didn’t take care of themselves” if they did not wear any makeup at work. The way society views beauty is starting to affect the younger generation as well.Teenage girls encounter makeup commercials and ads wherever they look. Media pressure girls of all ages, especially teenagers, to use their products to live up to society’s standard of beauty. Children of

young ages can be seen wearing makeup now as a result of these external pressures. Many students at Homestead wear makeup to school and to social occasions. Junior Ali Pennypacker says she started wearing makeup in eighth grade to cover up parts of her face she was insecure about. Pennypacker continued to say that she started wearing makeup “to show that I [could] actually wear [it].” Though she usually wears makeup on a daily basis, she still maintains her

makeup. “I didn’t wear makeup [last week], and I felt really good,” she said. Freshman Katy Moylan also wears makeup. She thinks of it as “another form of creative art.” “It’s fun to be able to express yourself through a makeup look,” Moylan added. Sophomore Eli Song wears makeup to school, but when she gets home, she usually takes it off because “I don’t like the feeling of old makeup on my face and it’s not good for your skin,” she said. Junior Kerri Bryan used to wear makeup until she decided that people who wear makeup “are hiding from the world” and that she wanted “to face the world and anything it has to offer.” Bryan said that she would much rather sleep than to get up early to do her makeup. And though she doesn’t wear it on a daily basis, she does IMAGE COURTESY OF POETRY GENIUS

enjoy wearing it on special occasions. “It makes me feel pretty and important,” Bryan stated. “I wear at least [the minimal] amount of makeup to special occasions.” Junior Becky Want organized a whole day for girls to come to school without makeup or doing their hair. The idea was sparked when she was asking herself, “Why do I wear makeup and why do I feel like it’s necessary?” She was also inspired by some of her friends that do not wear makeup on a daily basis. “I’ve always admired them so much because dence naturally in themselves.” The day was created to help her ty. About 40 out of the 80 people who RSVP’d participated on this day. Want acknowledged she would receive some negative judgement from others, but she decided to host the event anyway. She explained that some of the girls told her, “‘I can’t believe I’m doing this. I don’t feel comfortable.’” Other participants, however had a more positive reaction. Want heard other girls felt “proud,” which was her goal for this event. Want continues to wear makeup, but said she was never one to wear a lot of makeup. People can call her hypocritical for hosting this event and continuing to wear makeup, but Want said “what’s important is you’re comfortable with makeup on and with makeup off,” she said. “Makeup should be an accessory, not a necessity.”

Gunderson

24,125

Wright

each other to win most generous class, this competition spurs an exponential amount of donations. This year the honor of most generous class was awarded to Kelly Ronsheimer’s third period class. This year especially, Homestead has truly made an impactful donation to the Sunnyvale Community Services Center. Senior Anne Gahart, the Associated Student Body president recalled when Sunnyvale Community Service Center picked up the ed by the amount of donations we were able to donate.” Looking back, Leadership teacher Sara Frausto was surprised at how altruistic the Homestead students were. “I had no idea how generous high school students could be!” she said. “It was very eye-opening and it was incredible to see how the Homestead Community comes together for something

21,461

Yoshida

19,575

Calderon

16,614.5

Hurst-Ruiz

15,681.5

Mr. Wilson

Like the way they ask

Senior ASB members create Winter Formal Facebook page

By Laura Tang With Winter Formal just around the corner, the senior students of Homestead High School’s Associated Student Body are trying something new this year: utilizing social media to share Winter Formal stories. The idea originated with Catherine Chang, senior class Treasurer, who created the HHS Winter Formal Askings 2013 page on Facebook, urging students to “post videos, pictures, and personal thoughts” on how they invited someone, or were invited themselves, to Winter Formal. The page has gained considerable attention on Facebook, having accumulated 367+ likes, 12 pictures and videos of Winter Formal askings, and plenty of comments. “I wanted to give students the opportunity to share their great experiences being asked, or asking, to Winter Formal with everybody,” Chang said. “With so many Homestead students using Facebook, it’s the easiest way to share your stories with people, especially because people often don’t know about individual askings.” Students are encouraged to post recordings and/or detailed stories of their asking process. For instance, Samuel Arthur Wilhelm, senior, recounts how he asked his date, Brynn Larry, to Winter Formal. “I hid in a box in Brynn’s physiology classroom, and when she opened the box, I asked her,” Wilhelm explained.

Joanne Kim, sophomore, was on the opposite end of the asking. Her friend and fellow sophomore student, Nathan Mijares, asked her to Winter Formal and posted an accompanying video on the Facebook page. “Nathan made posters with letters on them spelling ‘Winter Formal,’” Kim said. “He gave each of them to one of his friends, and then he made me unscramble the words to spell out ‘Winter Formal.’ When I unscrambled all the words, he came out with a question mark taped to asked me to Formal. There were so many people watching...but overall it was a cool experience.” Raymond Zhuang, junior, asked fellow junior student Gayatri Krishnan with rows of signs mixed in Spanish and English, a playful reference to to the three years they’ve had Spanish class together, before serenading her with the song “Hey Soul Sister” by Train on the ukulele with the help of a friend. “I felt that it was a perfect balance of cheesy and cute,” Zhuang said. Overall, the page has received largely positive feedback. “I think the Facebook page encourages more people to go to Winter Formal because you see all the people asking in all these cute ways,” Kim said. Added Zhuang, “It’s a really good marketing tactic...but more than that, it brings Homestead students closer together.”

ILLUSTRATIONS AND PAGE DESIGN BY DONNIE DENOME

entertainment

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Nutcracker performs in Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts By Greg Schrader

TOP RIGHT: Samantha Gerraty and George Ou perform a fish dive as the Snow Queen and King, respectively.

Western Ballet’s production of last Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. The cast rehearsed for three and a half months before performing this holiday classic last weekend under the instruction of Rosselyn Ramirez, and the show was directed by Alexi Zubiria and his assistant Alison Share. The Nutcracker is a ballet written and scored by Tchaikovsky. It tells the story of a young girl named Clara, and her surreal, dreamlike adventures. Western Ballet’s 2013 The Nutcracker was a heartwarming, two hour long rendition that utilized both professional dancers, and children of all ages. Kudos are due to the younger children, as they performed their roles of soldiers, mice, angels and gingerbread

TOP LEFT: Jennifer Peterson, who plays Clara, holds the newly repaired Nutcraker aloft, right before falling asleep and entering a surreal dream world. BOTTOM LEFT: Junna Ige and Maykel Solas execute a lift. BOTTOM RIGHT: Alaisha Sharma, who plays Clara in another cast, holds a doll and dances with her friends on Christmas Eve.

of a sold out house. The elder students of the youth program, Samantha Gerraty, and Lieza Chan, were the student coordinators, as well as the Dewdrop Fairy and Snow Queen, and Arabian, respectively. Standouts among the professionals include Alison Share, who performed as Sugarplum, and Maykel Solas from San Josè Ballet, who performed as the Sugarplum Cavalier. PHOTOS BY GREG SCHRADER

Hollywood hits and misses

Your guide to movie watching this break By Emi Kamezaki

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire leaves viewers hungry for more Catching Fire, which premiered Nov. 22 stole the screen, proving that sequels can be much more than a cliché repeat of their original. With breathtaking special effects and biting social commentary, director Francis Lawrence tells the tale of Katniss Everdeen in her life after her victory in the 74th annual games. While much of the audience is composed of longtime readers of the literary series, Catching Fire stands out as an enjoyable experience for action and suspense, perfectly softened by the emotional entanglements of the citizens of tional strife, action and satire

to create an unforgettable picture, and a must-see for the 2013 holiday season. However, the intensity of the initial plot twist that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats, the storyline s l o w s considerably. The audience sits through much of witnessing humd r u m scenes which are hauntingly similar to the events of

Still,

director

Hunger Games movie. Lawrence

from the dark recesses of mediocrity with the surprising release of the next movie in the series next year.

Disney s Frozen melts hearts this holiday season The premiere of Frozen on Nov. 27 marked the cinematic accomplishment of Disney, in mastering storytelling through modern animation. Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee music with humor to bring Princesses Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) to life. Straying from the conventional fairy tale plotline, story writers opted to focus on the relationship between the two sisters, with romance serving only as a sub-plot. This fast-paced, wintry adventure takes Princess Anna on an epic journey with the company of Olaf, a magical snowman who loves warm hugs, and Kristoff, an ice-block seller who leaves everything behind to help her. Set in a frosty Scandi-

as a perfect wintertime spectacle to get into the holiday spirit. Disney’s mastery of modern animation techniques shines through as animators are able to manipulate light and shadow seamlessly into the snowy b a c k ground. Disney’s mastery of modern animation techniques s h i n e s through as animators are able to manipulate light and shadow seamlessly into the snowy b a c k ground. But as with any children’s movie, there is an aspect of clichéd optimism in Disney’s unparalleled storytelling and attention to detail make for an unforgettable piece that will become a holiday classic in years to come. PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMDB

National novel writing month inspires writers By Matthew Chow

Nov. 30 marked the end of a month-long project for many writers as they faced the challenges of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). In 1999, only 21 people participated, according to nanowrimo. org. This year, 341,375 participants attempted the 50,000 word feat. “If there’s one thing you love to know while working, it’s the knowledge that there are others suffering with you,” said senior Gabi Soleimanipour. After two years of participating and falling short of the word count, Soleimanipour succeeded this year, reaching 50,499 words by the onemonth deadline. “It’s really just for bragging rights,” she said. Sophomore Emily Hering added, “If you want, there is an option to publish your book after you reach 50,000 words. Or you could keep writing, edit or leave it alone.” Hering started NaNoWriMo in 2010 as “a way to take my mind off of things.” She had written more in her younger years, but with increasing time commitments, has resorted to writing only during November. constant inspiration for stories from the characters in her mind. “I have a whole bunch of people in my head,” she said. “They say things to me and give me ideas and advice. And through my writing, they can come to life.” On the other hand, Hering bases her characters off of actual people. “If I know the person, I can create archetypes off of that [...] Sometimes I rant about people but just change their names,” she said. Through writing novels, Hering has learned to appreciate books more. “I can analyze them more deeply, and I know how much work it takes to write all that.” “It’s great to just compare your work with someone else’s,” Soleimanipour teresting that I can take out of a book and use in my own stories.” To aspiring writers, Soleimanipour advises to “just does something silly, write it down. Some time, you’re a useful place for that scene. “If you want to show one that doesn’t know you very well,” Soleimanipour added. “Do a lot of reading and observe other people’s’ writing styles. Then try to imitate it the next time you write. Most importantly, don’t stop writing.”

PAGE DESIGN BY EMI KAMEZAKI

sports

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Homestead sports advance to CCS By Nancy Zhou

This year, Homestead’s girls varsity volleyball and men’s varsity football teams had a very successful season, which led them to play in the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournaments. Girl’s volleyball made their won 3 to 0 against Gunn High School. During the second alarm right after halftime. Morgan Robinson, one of the team captains, said, “Having to evacuate halfway through the second game was pretty alarming but our team motto all season has been ‘NEP,’ which means “not even phased’. It was could be and I feel like we han-

dled it very nicely.” They went on to win the match against Salinas 3 to 1. They also beat Palo Alto and Heritage 3 to 1 for their third and fourth consecutive wins. The girls fought their played their last game against St. Francis and lost 1 to 3. Homestead’s football team won six out of seven league games this season after dropping a division from last year. The football team’s success led them to the second round of CCS, during which they played their score of 28 to 62. Varsity cross country also advanced to CCS after winning their division outright at leagues. They placed third at CCS, advancing to school history.

The varisty team ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF EDMOND KWONG

CAPTION: The girls varsity volleyball team lines up to high-five Salinas High School’s team after winning 3 to 1.

SPORTS Scoreboard Fall Sports

Women s Volleyball CAPTION: During half-time, the varisty team huddles and gets pumped up. At the end of the first half, they were tied, having won one game and lost another.

Our varsity women s volleyball team made it to semi-ﬁnals after playing a great season.

Men s Football

The men s varsity team placed ﬁrst in play and made it to the ﬁrst round of CCS.

Winter Sports

Women s Basketball

The varsity women s basketball started their season oﬀ with a victory from their ﬁrst game.

Men s Basketball

The mens varsity team was defeated 57-63 in their last game.

Men s Soccer

The varisty men s soccer team was defeated 0-1 in their last game. PAGE DESIGN BY PRIYA SODLAPUR

last word

Cultivating Careers Thursday, December 12, 2013

A peek into the different pursuits of Homestead students

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM WILLHALM

GRACE HE

ABOVE: Senior Theresa Xu types on a com-

puter as she researches public and private schools on the East Coast. Xu works for the startup company Chalk Schools, which was founded by two Stanford graduates, along with two other Homestead students.

ABOVE RIGHT: Senior Sam Willhalm plays

in the Los Altosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; art gallery Outer Space. At the age of 15, Willhalm started performing in public areas. Since then, he has played at several locations including downtown Los Altos and Stinson Beach. Some of his favorite artists to cover are Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Andrew Jackson Jihad. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER BRYNER

ABOVE: Senior Peter Bryner photo-

graphs Monica Alvarez during a session. Bryner first started photographing friends his freshman year, and his business has grown since then. In addition to his photography ventures, Bryner also works at a local YMCA as a cheerleading coach.

FAR LEFT: Junior Jimmy Wong cleans

up a table after the dinner rush. Wong was introduced to the job by his teacher Gary Yoshida as a way to gain the credits required to qualify for entry into the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

LEFT: Senior Alison Takahashi checks

GRACE HE

the tips on the receipts during dinner rush. She first started working at Kiku Sushi at the beginning of her senior year. As a hostess at the restaurant, Tahakashi has the tasks of greeting customers, seating customers and calculating bills. PAGE DESIGN BY GRACE HE