Issue 7, 2014

epitaph

BRIDGING

the

HOMESTEAD HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 51

ISSUE 7

G AP

THE

Letters to the Editor provide a voice for the Homestead community

See

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014

SPREAD page 6

21370 HOMESTEAD RD. CUPERTINO, CA

Changes in policy enforcement and tradition invoke student reactions

By Camille Miller

With the renewed emphasis on the school dress code, students have expressed dissent toward the longstanding district policy.

Although the policy itself has existed for a number of years now, students and staff members alike have experienced a shift within the enforcement of the code in recent weeks, generating an atmosphere of frustration on campus. “It’s not like I can fix it, because I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” said senior Hyesung La, who has encountered frequent warnings regarding her attire from administrators during her leadership class this past month. “It just makes me reconsider my outfits, it makes me think twice.”

The issue of dress code violation was initially brought up during a Staff Senate meeting in March, where teachers raised their concerns regarding students’ failure to follow these rules. For the next few days, administrators stood in the quad where, according to Principal Greg Giglio, “it was very clear that rules were being flagrantly violated.”

On March 21, the School Climate Office sent an email to the student body detailing the various provisions of the policy, reminding students that “the school dress code will be enforced.” In the weeks that followed, students that were unaware of the specific provisions proceeded to receive warnings and were asked to change their outfits.

Sophomore Kyle Bugee was asked to change out of a muscle shirt by an administrator a couple of days after the email was sent. Bugee had not known about the rule prohibiting muscle shirts when he left his home that morning, but complied once he was notified.

Senior Zoe Tentoglou was approached by a teacher while wearing

ABOVE: A screenshot of the email that was sent to the student body on March 21. a strapless ankle-length dress and was told to wear a shirt over it. “I was actually showing barely any skin, just my shoulders,” Tentoglou said. “I was honestly insulted because I felt that what I was wearing was appropriate and there was nothing wrong with it.”

The most common voices of aggravation stemmed from female students, who feel that the dress code unfairly targets girls.

The week before Spring Break, boys in the seventh period leadership class were asked to leave the classroom while ASB Activities Director Sara Frausto made an announcement to the girls. “There was a conversation among staff members that leadership students should be setting an example in all ways,” Frausto said. “I did ask the boys to step out because it was more of a female focused conversation with the change in the weather and style.”

The female students in the room were no-

tified that any violation of the dress code on their behalf would result in an automatic detention.

“Frausto has been getting a lot of emails from administration about certain girls in leadership and I think she acted on the pressure she was receiving,” said Senior Class President Paul Baik.

“I thought that it was extremely sexist because the dress code does not only apply to girls, it’s also for boys, and I feel like she could have just addressed it in front of everyone,” La stated.

La also added that she has been approached by an administrator every week concerning her attire since the announcement was made.

“It’s not like second semester, I started dressing more skimpy, I’ve always dressed the same and [Frausto] never said anything to me,” La said. “Now I’m just self conscious about my

body, I just don’t feel comfortable with it.”

“On my end, it’s just about doing a better job of calling attention to dress code violations when I see them,” said Frausto.

In an Epitaph survey conducted at the end of March, 100 male and 100 female students were asked if they had ever been accused of violating a dress code at school throughout their lives. With 44 “yes” answers from girls, the results showed that female students are in fact more affected by the policy than male students, who produced 14 “yes” answers.

“Girls tend to be the bigger violators because in the dress code, there are way more things that relate to them,” Giglio said. “A guy is not going to walk around in a half-shirt [...]

That’s not a normal mode of dress.

For girls, that is a normal mode of dress, it’s just not appropriate for school.”

One student offered his perspective as to why females are more often in violation of the code. “There’s a lot more incentive for girls to break the dress code,” sophomore Nathan Switchenko said. “Girls feel more pressures to attract guys, through wearing short-shorts or tank tops.”

Junior Madeleine Allen who is currently enrolled at De Anza College explained how Switchenko’s mindset can be harmful to females. “When this whole system lets girls be sexualized and pretty much forces it upon them, the guys see that and think it’s okay for them to do the same and it’s not,” she said. “The point is that they shouldn’t focus on how [a girl’s attire] affects the boys, they should focus on how dress coding a girl makes her feel – which is not good.”

Continued on page 2, Dress Code

Ro Khanna visits Homestead to address campaign platforms

By Matthew Chow

California’s 17th District Representative Candidate Ro Khanna visited Homestead High School on Thursday, April 10, to speak to students about the upcoming congressional election and the platforms upon which he is running.

Through the presentation, Khanna addressed topics such as promoting women to working in STEM fields, implementing more effective teacher evaluations, making education more affordable and facilitating the political efficacy of immigrant.

California’s 17th District, which encompasses the cities of Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Fre-

mont, Newark, North San Jose, and Milpitas, includes many immigrant families. As such, “many adults here are not interested in the campaigns and politics,” Khanna said. “but I think the students at Homestead can get them more involved in campaigns.”

In an effort to reach out to students, Khanna’s campaign includes visiting every high school in the 17th District. “We have a huge social media campaign; I want everyone to like the Facebook page, RoKhannaUSA,” Khanna said. “We’ve also recruited at least 20 students in each school to help us campaign.”

For the Congressional election,

Madame Ronsheimer speaks out about her battle with cancer See page 5

absentee ballots will be mailed out on May 3 and must be returned by the June 3 election. “I hope this campaign inspires high school students to take advantage of the social media that they have,” Khanna said. “Even if they’re not 18 and cannot vote, they can still make a huge impact within their family and friends [...] We are really running a campaign inspiring young folks to get involved and bring change to Washington.”

“I encourage everyone to go to the website and do some research,” Khanna added. “See where you stand on issues and make informed decisions.”

KREW caters K-pop fever to the masses See page 8

MATTHEW CHOW

ABOVE: Ro Khanna, candidate for California’s 17th District Representative, addressed topics relevant to the Silicon Valley, including rising prices for college education as well as women working in STEM fields.

Inside:

Lifestyles

5,8

News

1

Entertainment 9

Opinion

3

Sports

11

Spread

6

Last Word

12

PAGE DESIGN BY NANCY ZHOU

2

news

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Homestead’s Econ Challenge journey Students win state, fall short of finals

By Eugene Cheng

CAPTION: Seniors Vaibhav Ramamoorthy, Matthew Kim,

Marie Maier, Soumita Bose, Theresa Xu, Kerry Jones, Won Park, Tabitha Sugamar, Catherina Xu, Jieun Lee, Diana Zhou, Aleksandra Popovik, Rainia Lee, Laura Tang, Iniya Adhan, Sarah Lessing, Alexandra Genovese, Samantha Rhodes and Lucy Yao traveled to the Econ Challenge with teacher Christy Heaton.

You know the prompt: the underdog team of hardworking high school students, through sheer determination and fashionable wit, defy all odds and haters to go on and win the championship. Did Homestead High School produce such a scenario that could double as a screenplay for a Steven Spielberg blockbuster? Partially.

“I mean, I knew my teammates were really smart people,” said Senior Vaibhav Ramamoorthy, “so I thought we had a chance, but I didn’t know we would get this far.”

Since 2008, Homestead has had students participate in the annual National Economics Challenge, a competition run by the Council for Economic Education, with the goal of applying “the excitement of an athletic competition to academic excellence and encourage students to apply their economics knowledge and work in teams.” Each school can qualify multiple teams of four to an online test, with the top five teams of each division qualifying for the next level of competition. The top four teams in the nation are awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City for a final round of competition.

This year, Homestead’s own

Sweet 16: FBLA Wins State Championship

By Laura Tang On April 10 through April 13, Homestead Future Business Leaders of America attended the annual State Leadership Conference, held in Ontario, California this year.

Competing amongst 105 high schools and over 2,000 students, Homestead FBLA won the state championship for its sixteenth consecutive year.

This year, 100 Home-

stead students qualified to compete at the State Leadership Conference and competitors placed in 45 out of 61 events. 52 members will be representing Homestead FBLA and competing at the National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee June 29 to July 2.

Competitive events covered a wide range of written, produced, and

public speaking events such as Accounting, Introduction to Business, Digital Video Production, and Entrepreneurship.

Additionally, year-long projects American Enterprise, Partnership with Business, and Community Service represented the Homestead FBLA chapter at the conference.

Science Bowl Competes at Regionals, Nationals

By Laura Tang

This past February, Homestead’s National Science Bowl Team won first place at the regional championship competition. The team then went on to represent the Bay Area at the National Competition in Washington D.C. last week, Thursday, April 24 through Monday, April 28.

The competition consisted of a fast-paced verbal forum in which

students were required to solve technical problems and answer questions in a wide range of scientific and mathematic topics.

Homestead’s Science Bowl A Team competed at Nationals, consisting of a total of five students: Jay Desai (12), Nikhil Ghosh (11), Daniel Guo (10), Won Park (12), and Shirley Shao (12).

“Team Andrew Kim”, composed of Ramamoorthy and seniors Lucy Yao, Won Park, and Arthur Pan, took first place in the state of California, and finished twelfth in the national semi-finals. “We had six different teams of four that competed in the Econ Challenge,” explained Christy Heaton, one of the Economics teachers on campus. “We had the top five teams in our division (out of five available spots)...go to compete at the state championships.”

While no one questions Team Andrew Kim’s economics prowess, some questions and puzzled looks were raised concerning their choice of team name. “It’s actually a really interesting story,” Ramamoorthy said. “So we were trying to think of a team name, Won and I, and Andrew was there, and he was like ‘You should just name the team after me.’ So, we did.”

Team name aside, Homestead’s performance this year was no anomaly. “Our school has always had at least one school go to the state championships, except for the last two years,” Heaton elucidated. No Homestead team has made it all the way to the national finals, held at the New York Federal Reserve, yet, but Team Andrew Kim’s achievements sig-

nified the approaching eradication of that Econ Challenge drought.

On preparation for the events, the team “did a lot of study sessions,” said Ramamoorthy. “We studied independently outside the classroom...and we also came together at Arthur’s house to study.” And in addition to the regular Economics course, Heaton provides students with a “packet of resources and information so they can go study it on their own, and I check out AP textbooks to them.” She also posts pasts tests online for her students to practice with. “I tell people,” she said, “if you have any questions, you can ask me questions, but nobody ever does. They just study on their own.”

Although this story of economic competition might not pan out as a Hollywood romantic comedy, Ramamoorthy has “no regrets, because we got pretty far and I’m proud of how far we got.” But if Team Andrew Kim did secure first place at nationals? “[I would] just scream in the streets of New York,” he said.

Science Olympiad competes at Regionals, NorCal

By Laura Tang This past month, Homestead’s Science Olympiad team, consisting of 15 members, won second place at the Division C Regional Competition.

The competition’s 23 topics covered a diverse array of scientific fields, from mechanical engineering, geology, and physics to biology and chemistry, and comprised build, test, and

Continued from page 1 Dress Code “I just want staff and administration to remember that we don’t necessarily wear the clothes we do to show off our bodies,” said Tentoglou. “We wear what we choose because it makes us feel confident and it’s a way to express how we’re feeling.”

In addition to the reinforcement of the dress code, students are also responding to another change on campus.

During the senior class meeting last Wednesday, Giglio announced an alternative to the traditional senior walkin that takes place at the senior farewell rally each May. Rather than entering the quad

lab events in which sets of partners engaged in hands-on construction of scientific projects.

Events that Homestead students competed in included MagLev, in which students tested their magnetic levitation vehicles; Technical Problem Solving, consisting of a written test on thermodynamics and chemistry; and Circuit Lab, in which

through the student center, seniors will now enter in through the back doors closest to the senior’s section of the bleachers and are expected to follow the dress code while doing so.

Any form of stripping or inappropriate attire is prohibited and students who disregard these conditions will be pulled out of the rally.

The decision to reorganize the walk-in for this year’s rally was made by Giglio, who felt that the tradition had become a mockery of what it is supposed to be. The senior class officers were notified of this change in January, and held a meeting with the principal in order to reach a compromise and salvage as much of the tradition as they could. According to Baik, the circumstances of the upcoming rally were “not

competitors worked on breadboards with multiple circuits.

Through Science Olympiad, Homestead students were afforded the opportunity to apply their scientific knowledge to real-world situations.

The team then advanced to the NorCal State Competition, where it placed seventh.

up for discussion.”

“We came to a middle ground, at least in my mind, about still having a walk-in honoring what the intent of the walk-in is about which is to celebrate the seniors and honor the seniors while also adhering to what is appropriate for school behavior,” Assistant Principal Denae Nurnberg said.

“My hope is that people censor themselves when they dress up. We’re not limiting the way you walk in, we are controlling the situation so it doesn’t become a mockery,” said Giglio. In regard to the negative feelings that this decision has induced within the student body toward administration, Giglio stated that “If you don’t like rules, there are other ways to change them.”

PAGE DESIGN BY EMI KAMEZAKI

opinion

Thursday, May 1, 2014

3

Tension on campus results epitaph from lack of communication STAFF \ the

What we are not saying and why we need to say it WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD Clear communication is essential in any thriving community, and in its absence, dissention has arisen on Homestead’s campus.

People of all perspectives can agree that a tension is growing - stemming from the lack of effective communication between various groups on campus. The resulting shift in focus - from academics to school climate - is not the result of one party’s failure to act appropriately but collectively by every party that is not communicating its viewpoint effectively.

This isn’t just a problem that administration needs to address, as many students have suggested.

In response to recent administrative policies, such as the enforcement of the dress code, alteration of senior walk-in, addition of bike safety rules and senior quote censorship, many students have turned to social media to express their opposition. According to responses from random student surveys, many feel their voices are

not being represented on campus.

Yet, from the perspective of the administration, these very same students have not directed their views to the proper outlets.

“I have been shown a couple of tweets and have heard that students are angry,” said Principal Greg Giglio. “It’s okay to not like what I have done, but not a single student has approached me to complain or ask questions.”

Though useful for personal expression, livid statements via social media outlets seldom articulate one’s perspective directly to those with the influence to take action. In this way, some guilt sits with the student body, for to solve disagreements on campus, we must respectfully and collectively reach compromises.

Still, the student body must rely in part on its elected leadership students to represent its views to the administration. Senior class president, Paul Baik wants “students to know that they can come and talk to people in leadership, because we can then deliver their thoughts and opinions to administration. They need to know that their ideas can be heard, and they can be heard through us.” Baik stated that the senior class officers voiced their dissatisfaction when the senior

walk-in was at risk of cancellation.

The resulting shift in focus - from academics to school climate - is not the result of one party’s failure to act appropriately but collectively by every party that is not communicating its viewpoint effectively.

Assistant Principal Denae Nurnberg agreed that the senior class officers advocated for the continuation of the senior walkin; as a result, the administration loosened some of the restrictions.

The decision was ultimately left to the administration, who believed that the “New Tradition” served as an adequate compromise.

However, the flow of communication between the administration and leadership students is

similarly broken. Senior and IDC Representative Hyeseung La suggests having “an anonymous forum between leadership and [administration] because a lot of us are scared to voice our opinions.”

While administration took into account the perspectives of the senior class in altering the senior walk-in, the same was chance was not afforded when dress code enforcement came into question.

“We never talked about it afterwards,” said La, in response to leadership teachers’ in-class announcement of the dress code policy enforcement. “We are only asked about our opinion when it specifically pertains to leadership activities, not about school guidelines or what would be the best for the student body [...].”

Clearly, miscommunication on both sides has resulted in a general dissatisfaction with the campus climate. Homestead’s harmony can only be restored if all parties find a way to improve communication and ensure that all perspectives are being effectively represented in the policy-making process. Every person on campus should take the responsibility to think about the effectiveness of his communication methods, so all can form a way to all work together for the good of the school.

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

Opinion

Greg Schrader

Lifestyles

Eugene Cheng Anya Kishen

Lifestyles Entertainment/Sports

Anthony Garcia

Entertainment/Sports

Khalil Bourgoub

Editor in Chief

Matthew Chow

Production Team Emi Kamezaki

Business Manager

Grace He

Design Editor

Adviser

Natalie Calderon

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The Epitaph is a non-profit publication at Homestead High School, 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014.

The Epitaph is a forum for student expres-

Advertisements Attack

How companies sexually objectify men and women

By Priya Sodlapur

Women and men are often placed under the scrutiny of society in regards to their bodies, and are often subjected to sexual objectification. Degrading advertisements are constantly surfacing, treating women as sexual props in order to sell a product.

Homestead junior Sarah Amiraslani noted that “Ads that degrade women shock me because it shows how low retailers are willing to go to make a buck, and it really says a lot about our morals today.” Companies like American Apparel and Veet are so driven to make money through their advertisements that they disregard the respect that everyone deserve.

An example of sexual objectification would be American Apparel using the woman’s body as a prop. There is an ad displaying a women bending over, in such a manner that no one really knows what the skirt looks like – we only see what’s going on underneath.

American Apparel is well known for its suggestive advertisements, often displaying women in vulgar ways to encourage sales for clothing. The purpose of an ad is to sell a product, not sell a woman’s body. While women are free to express their bodies in any way they wish, companies should not be promoting women as nothing more than submissive sexual objects. These ads are, in fact, also

offensive to men. They show that these companies believe the only way to sell their product is to appeal to man’s raging libido. It is just as degrading for men to have companies advertise products by sexually humiliating women as it is to women as well.

American Apparel has also limited itself to merely the sexual objectification of only females, and complete disregard for this type of advertisement when it comes to men. Men’s clothing and even unisex clothing worn by men are displayed without the use of any profane advertisement. However, when women model the same unisex clothing they are displayed in demeaning ways. The purpose of American Apparel’s advertisements are to sell clothing, and if men are being treated as models not sex objects, then so should women.

Degrading ads are not limited to just women used as props for sex appeal, but has also surfaced with degrading women by preying on insecurities. A new Veet hair removal commercial has recently surfaced proclaiming that it is unappealing and unacceptable for a women to go without shaving, otherwise she risks the horrific outcome of “dudeness” according to Veet. The idea is extremely degrading because it preys on the insecurities of women and attempts to shame them and their bodies in hopes of these women purchasing

their new product. The advertisement implies that women cannot be happy naturally, in their own skin, in their own hair. But rather they need to constantly be up to par for their partners because it would be seemingly unfair if they had to endure one day of prickly skin.

Other examples of ads objectifying men and women include Suit Supply’s Spring/Summer campaign involving pictures of nude women next to suited men, and Voodoo Winter Hosiery advertisement displaying two naked men on leashes being “walked” by a fully clothed woman. These advertisements are demeaning to every party involved. People are degraded and portrayed as sexual objects.

People are not sexual objects to be displayed for selling products, they are human beings, models that should be treated and represented with respect. Companies should not use sexual objectifica-

tion nor preying on the insecurities of bodies to sell products. Ultimately, companies need to stop promoting these degrading advertisements.

Let us hear your voice!

If you have any opinions, articles, or ideas you want to submit; 1. Send them to homestead.epitaph@gmail.com OR 2. Bring them to room C105

sion 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.

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

Donors Your ongoing support is appreciated.

Jing Xu Donna & Avi Huber Valerie Fermor Daniel Schrader

...and you might have your letter to the editor printed in the next issue!

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PAGE DESIGN BY GREG SCHRADER

4

opinion

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Neutral Net No More

The FCC may end net neutrality – but is it a wise move?

By Greg Schrader

This should be easy. We’re all in favor of free speech and unregulated internet access. Activists around the world have been calling for net neutrality for years.

However obvious the issue looks, nothing about net neutrality is as simple as it appears.

It’s a simple fact that bandwidth is not infinite – nor is internet bandwidth free to maintain.

Carriers and network service providers have invested billions in expanding networks. Even so, the release of this season’s premier of “House of Cards” brought parts of the internet to its knees. The question of net neutrality arises in this situation – that is, the principal that service providers ought to allow access to all content regardless of the source without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.

In 2010, the Federal Communications Commission, otherwise known as the FCC, felt they had squared the circle with a set of regulations designed to allow service providers to maintain their networks so long as the service providers didn’t favor their own content.

U.S. courts then threw a monkey wrench into this plan in January when they invalidated this approach.

Almost immediately, service providers and content providers started striking deals guaranteeing that certain content would get privileged access to parts of the internet. The result is that we are

looking at an internet with service providers and a few large content providers such as Netflix and Google, who can control a great deal of the nation’s bandwidth – and potentially limit what you and I get to see. The FCC errored yet again just last week when they declared they would propose new rules allowing service providers to sell “Fast Lanes” for internet traffic. This threatens both the development of new services and businesses that can

contribute to our economy, and all of our free access to information.

The court’s ruling was based on a decision the FCC made years ago, classifying internet service providers not as common carriers (and hence subject to considerable regulation), but rather as information services – a designation relatively free of regulatory oversight. With the 20/20 vision of hindsight, it is clear that the FCC errored in this designation.

Access to the internet needs to be treated as a utility, available to all, at a reasonable fee. Like utilities, service providers must be unable to prefer one customer over another.

While service providers will need to set bandwidth limits, for as we know, bandwidth is not infinite, they must do so in a manner that’s both transparent and free of preferences for their own content.

A student debt bubble that’s going to burst

By Emi Kamezaki and Nancy Zhou Congratulations! You’ve been accepted.

Years of hard work – acing AP tests and excelling at extracurriculars – have finally paid off, and you have reached the academic promised land.

But what have you accepted, exactly?

The joy surrounding college acceptance letters only prolongs the inevitable stress of student loans, and closer investigation into one’s financial aid packet reveals a grim future of loan repayment and crippling interest.

According to the Project on Student website, “Seven in 10 college seniors (71%) who graduated last year had student loan debt,” which means, for most, student debt is an inescapable reality.

On average, students accumulate about $29,000 in student debt over four years, though average loans from private universities can amount to nearly $50,000, according to US News.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s “Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit,” shows similar evidence, stating that student loan balances increased by $53 billion in the last quarter, 11.5% of which are 90 or more days delinquent, or in default.

With this massive debt spiraling out of control, students must take responsibility, and balance their desire for specific colleges with fiscal responsibility.

The problem stems from educational elitism, which, according to the “American Scholar’s” William Deresiewicz, occurs “when academic excellence becomes excellence in some absolute sense, when ‘better at X’ becomes simply ‘better.’” In other words, those with a college degree are perceived as inherently more successful, intelligent and superior.

Because of the very same societal expectation, it is nearly impossible to be hired without a college degree, thus explaining why students are leaping into such overwhelming debt. With societal position at risk, it is easy to push the idea of loan repayment far into the future; perhaps, in the pursuit of another person’s definition of success.

With students being forced to choose between extreme debt or potential unemployment, a clear solution remains to be seen.

Until the government can develop a more accessible higher education system, or society change expectations regarding degrees, students must learn to balance fiscal responsibility with their dreams of attending a certain school.

Smarter Balanced test review

By Anthony Garcia

On Tuesday April 22, I participated in the administration of the Smarter Balanced test.

For me, the first part of the assessment took place in the 3D art room, where Chromebooks were issued in lieu of desktop computers.

The initial portion of the test involved a debrief from the test administrators regarding the function and mechanics of a zipline. This lasted for approximately thirty minutes, and once the explanation was provided, students were prompted to log onto the computers.

During the login process, a few issues occurred. For example, a student’s test was delivered in Spanish, and other students had trouble finding the test application. Despite these problems, however, the test prompters were very patient and successfully solved all of these errors.

When it came to the actual questions on the test, I am unable to provide specific details in regards to the questions. I can reveal, however, that the level generally did not go beyond Algebra 2, with very basic trigonometry, for the mathematics section of the exam. The zipline question contained a total of six parts, each dealing with the same scenario. I appreciated the attempt to have questions relating to real-world applications, and would like to see more of these moving forward.

The second portion of the math test was administered on Friday April 25, during history class. This part contained problems formatted more similarly to the ones found on other standardized tests. Overall the dif-

ficulty of the math was not any more difficult than the Summative Mathematics version of the STAR test.

The literature segment of the test came after the zipline problem and the format was unique, in comparison to the types of questions I have seen in the past. Some questions required the students to type in the main idea of the passages they read, while others had students select the sentences in a passage that featured a grammatical error. Again, the actual content was nothing students had not seen before, and the concepts and skills were similar in nature to questions we’ve seen on the STAR test in the past.

The true difficulty of the test came from using the program itself. I experienced glitches with some of the tools, such as the calculator’s square root function not working properly. In addition, the wording of some of the questions was confusing, and at times, I was unable to determine what the question was asking me to do.

These small annoyances did not impede my progress to complete the exam, and with a couple of years, and maybe some practice with the formatting before hand, these problems will most likely go away entirely.

In the end, the Smarter Balanced test is the precursor for future standardized tests. Test booklets and bubble sheets are becoming outdated in this day and age, and the Smarter Balanced test takes the first step in moving toward a smarter, more balanced test. Consequently, the test will contain bugs and glitches and will take years before it is perfected, but for a first attempt, the test managed to do a fine job.

Additional Costs to College

With the addition of maintaining one’s lifestyle on top of tuition and possible costs of housing fees, a year at college may be more expensive than one may expect.

Below are the national averages of a typical college student’s expenses.

Each of these expenses have a range of up to $2,000.

FOOD

TEXTBOOK &

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

≈ $1,200

≈ $3,300

CLOTHING & APPAREL

TOTAL=

$11,600

≈ $ 1,700

* Plus the average cost of tuition and housing fees of either $30,094 at private colleges, $8,893 for state residents at public colleges, or $22,203 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.

TRANSPORTATION

≈ $2,900

RECREATION &

ENTERTAINMENT

≈ $2,500

SSTATISTICS COURTESY OF WELLS FARGO BANK, COLLEGE BOARD, AND BUREAU OF

LABOR STATISTICS PAGE DESIGN BY ANTHONY GARCIA STATISTICS COURTESY OF WELLS FARGO BANK, COLLEGE BOARD, AND BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

5 lifestyles Q&A with Madame Ronsheimer Thursday, May 1, 2014

By Shiri Huber and Marissa Lee

TE: Now, the question we have been dying to know...what level are you on on Angry Birds?

KR: I’ve actually switched games now. It’s Pet Rescue. I’m on Level 200-and-something of Pet Rescue [and] I’m on Level 500 in Candy Crush. I can’t beat it. I’m currently not playing Angry Birds as much because I beat most of them.

Another one I’m playing is Farm Frenzy.

The Epitaph: The Homestead community would love to know how you are doing. What would you like to tell them?

Kelly Ronsheimer: I’m doing very well. I’m healing well.

There is no visible cancer in my body. They are trying to see if there is anything microscopic, so they are giving me the treatment as if I have Stage IV, but I didn’t have Stage IV, I only had Stage III.

TE: How is your rat doing? His name is Remy, right?

KR: My rats...my baby rats. I’m always with them. They are getting calmer. [I’ve got more. Their names are] Remy, Algernon and Clovis. [Clovis] is named after the first king of France. Remy is named after Remy in Ratatouille. Algernon is from a book called Flowers for Algernon.

TE: This year has undoubtedly been a challenge.

Would you like to tell us about your experience with cancer?

KR: First, I want to say that I’m thankful for cancer because it made me a better person. I’m going to be a better teacher because of cancer. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I feel like I have a huge compassion now. I had compassion before, but I really get if someone’s family member is going through it.

TE: Do you have any plans for the summer?

KR: Chemo. That’s really all my plans. When I have chemo, I pretty much am really tired and nauseous. Maybe in August, a small vacation, but I don’t think I can go on an airplane until October because of my blood cell count.

TE: How many rounds of chemo have you had and do you need?

KR: I have had six [rounds of chemo] and I have six more. It’s twelve weeks for six rounds because if they give you them one after another, it will basically almost kill you because it is poison.

TE: People admire your ability to stay positive all the time. What’s your secret?

KR: I’m not positive all the time. I do sleep a lot right now, so getting rest has helped a lot. But also, when I feel something, I do let it out. When I’m at school, I always put my best foot forward because it is where I am a professional. I look at the big picture: my daughter’s okay, I still have my job, my husband is happy, and I’m going to be alive, so I can’t complain.

TE: What do you think the biggest emotional change is?

KR: I feel vulnerable because the medication makes you mentally slow and [the chemo and different medication for

TE: What are you looking forward to the most after you are done with chemo?

KR: I’m looking forward to coming back to school. I can’t wait until I can set up my classroom. I also can’t wait until I can eat normal food again, like nachos, desserts, or popcorn because the entire lining of my digestive system is gone right now.

things like the side affects]. I feel very dependent which I’m not use to. I’ve learned to rest and be okay with relaxing.

TE: Did you meet any people who are also going through the same thing?

KR: I met one lady and she had the same diagnosis as me, except a different type of tumor at the same place. She and I have kept in contact.

TE: Were you expecting this degree of support by Homestead staff and students?

KR: Honestly, no. You know, when anyone has a baby or gets married, people come around and support them, but this has been just beyond [my expectations].

TE: We really miss you, are you coming back next school year? Will you be teaching the same levels of French?

KR: Yes. I’m teaching French. I know for sure French 2 and 4. I am coming back for sure.

MARISSA LEE

Students discover their freedom in Middle College

By Priya Sodlapur

Every stage of education helps students prepare for the next level of their lives; elementary school for middle school, middle school for high school, and high school for college. However, with the Middle College program, high school students have the opportunity to begin their college life early.

The Middle College program enrolls both junior and senior students from around the Fremont High School District (FUHSD) in courses at De Anza Community College. The program allows students to complete their high school graduation credit requirements while simultaneously earning credits toward college.

Students are required to take specific courses, and according to the Middle College page of FUHSD’s website, “Juniors take an integrated course in American Literature and US history, while seniors take contemporary literature as well as semester courses in economics and US government.” In addition to the regular run-of-the-mill high school level classes, the program also allows students to enroll in a diverse amount of college classes.

“I was drawn by [...] the way it was not structured with periods every day like HHS is,” said junior and Middle College student Madeleine Allen.

One incentive De Anza uses to encourage students to apply for the Middle College program is the low cost. “Middle College

students do not pay De Anza registration fees unless they enroll in more than 11.5 college units, but are responsible for materials fees, transportation and the cost of books and exceeding $65 per quarter,” according to the FUHSD Middle College website.

By reducing the price tag, the program aims for a smoother transition from public school to Middle College.

Another incentive for students to join the program is the mature environment that a college campus fosters. According to Allen, “Nobody really knows each other at De Anza so the conversations I have with those friends usually consist of personal endeavors and analytical ideas.”

High school students are often drawn to this program because of the freedom that comes along with being a college student. Allen noted that “...there are no limits on self expression.

Things like sexuality and politics and people’s feelings are never censored or looked down upon because everyone there is becoming an adult together.”

The Middle College program “allows people to create their own school experience and not live by the high school standard,” said Allen. “Middle College has helped me grow and develop into my own person.” High school students are often in a rush to grow up and head off to college, but this alternative allows students to continue their high school career with the freedom that college offers.

Hooping trend reaches local enthusiasts

By Camille Miller

The ancient Greeks did it, as well as Beyonce and the First Lady. Now, the growing hula hoop trend, often referred to as “hooping”, has extended its allure to both adults and teens of the Bay Area.

The modern hooping movement gained momentum due to its prominence within dance and music festivals popular to youth culture, in addition to its recently proven health benefits. According to a fitness study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise, hooping workouts burn approximately 420 calories per hour, and provide similar benefits as bootcamp classes, step aerobics, and cardio kickboxing.

Senior Hannah Want was first introduced to the art of hooping at last year’s Identity Music Festival, and has since then nurtured her newfound passion through watching tutorials online and practicing new moves at parks and in her backyard. “I’ve always found that I like to do dance but I like to do dance with props,” she said.

Want was a member of Homestead’s Colorguard for all four years of her high school career and needed an activity to fill up the second semester of her senior year. After discovering a hooping class close to home, she purchased her first hula hoop and has been honing her skills since.

Want also provided some insight regarding certain stereo-

types that surround the activity.

“Anyone can do it,” she said. “If you think it’s just teenage girls doing it, you’re wrong. One day, two engineers from Apple showed up to my class.”

Kerri Alaimo, a high school senior attending De Anza College, began her hooping journey at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last summer, and bought her first dance hoop that November. “It has given me a place to release myself from everything,” Alaimo said. “When I hoop, there is nothing else going through my head and I am fully able to enjoy the present moment.”

According to Alaimo, hooping is the only hobby she has kept up with throughout her life. “It is something that takes a while to be good at, but it is a super fun journey,” Alaimo said. “Being able to

see yourself grow stronger and more confident is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced.”

Senior Francisca Finkel’s first experienced hooping during a camping trip with her friends.

Although she does not actively hoop, she recommends giving the activity a shot. “Just practice. Talk to someone who does it and fall in love with the process of learning moves and working on your flow.”

Although this form of exercise and expression is not for everyone, the physical and mental benefits of hooping have recently risen to the surface of society’s knowledge. The hula hoop has come a long way from its original wooden ancestor of the 1950’s, now sporting a fresh image of fun, relaxed fitness.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATRINA RYAN

ABOVE: Senior Hannah Want poses for a photo while exercising her hooping skills PAGE DESIGN BY MARISSA LEE

“ 6

spread

Thursday, May 1, 2013

Dear Homestead, Homestead is a great school with great students and staff. Seeing the angry reaction to the senior walk-in or dress code has made me realize that perhaps the students are feeling let down that perhaps I don’t trust them or that I have some ulterior motive for “oppressing” the masses. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I think so highly of all of you that I feel it is important that you conduct yourselves with the upmost respect for yourself and others. School is not about how many rules can you get away with breaking but about learning rules to the game of life that will help you be “successful” at whatever you do once you move on from our campus. You will face rules and regulations as much if not more so when you leave here, with consequences that will be much more severe or drastic than asking you to change your shirt or to stay in the stands. So why the big fuss over shorts that might be too short or a boy wearing a tutu with a sports bra as he runs across the gym and freaks up against a cheerleader? Because that behavior and those actions are inappropriate for a school, especially one like Homestead which is a cut above most other schools and can stand proud about our numerous accomplishments in local, state and national endeavors. It is also not acceptable at a school like ours that embraces and respects diversity the way that we do. What these enforcements are intended to do is ask students to stop and think about how their choices or behaviors might affect those around them and to make the choice to move back towards something more positive. That would be the truly revolutionary behavior.

Mr. Giglio Principal

ASB

Dear Students, Here are some general thoughts on the recent decisions regarding rallies, dress code, etc: 1. In a very short time you will not care about this at all– a magical transformation happens the summer after you graduate from high school, and a lot of the drama, back-stabbing (some of y’all are SHADY), and “omg this is the worst thing that’s ever happened EVER”-ness of high school is just kind of let go, and it’s awesome: So pick your battles– think about what’s really important to YOU, your well-being, and your future, and by all means go after those causes for which you care a great deal, but don’t get all hot and bothered just because everybody else is.

2. The people who made these decisions care about you. I promise they do. They want you to be respectful of not only each other but of yourselves, too. Also TRUST when I say we adult-types on campus were also young, dumb, constantly “thirsty” teenagers as well… we were just LUCKY enough not to have social media to fan our flames.

3. Anytime a unilateral (or even oligarchical) decision is made, it’s important to question those decisions and the impetus for them; but understand you are not always going to get your way in life. Be respectful (even if you don’t feel like you’ve gotten the respect to have been consulted about this in the first place). If anything, let this inform you as to what kind of leader you will be in the future.

For transparency’s sake, no, I do not agree with the decision/s that have been made on your behalf; if anybody knows anything about me, they know one of my favorite things is to judge and roll my eyes at my students’ ridiculousness, and the Senior Walk-in has provided RICH fodder for me for years, ha. Have a GREAT end to the school year– let go of old grudges, say you’re sorry to friends you’ve wronged, and become the super smart, sexy, powerful adult you all want to be inside.

Best, James E. Ratti, MA English teacher

ASB

From a purely safety point of view, I believe that normal and fitting end-of-year student exuberance [of the Senior Farewell Rally] -- “controlled chaos” in a supervised school environment -- is very healthy for our kids. Better that our seniors let off steam dressing up in silly costumes and parading for five minutes than that they drink, drive highway 17 to Santa Cruz, or kill themselves with drugs or speeding in cars. Students will express their desire to celebrate one way or another. We can facilitate their celebration safely on campus.

- Susan Wilson, English teacher I have enjoyed observing the laughter and frivolity of 400+ teenagers mired in the bittersweet knowledge that this is IT, the beginning of the end of their years at Homestead. I admit that I like a little bit of organized chaos at times, as well as the cacophony that individuality brings to any given situation. I’ve always appreciated the wackiness of the seniors as they enter the gym for their last time as the reigning class, having spent four years to get to the top of the heap! I’ve never seen this as disrespectful or brazen in their antics, but merely that they get to do what no other class is allowed to do — one small benefit to their seniority before falling once again back down to lowly Freshmen in the Fall. I see it as a time when, for 10 minutes, the other classes pay a bit of homage to the seniors, allowing them to ‘strut their stuff” one last time. I’ve never been offended by the goofiness of it all, but just enjoyed seeing teenagers act like teenagers, a momentary respite from the stress and expectations they live with in their academic and extracurricular world. I’ve always felt it was a show of team spirit, a bonding, a good time being had by all.

But now we get to the part of me that often retreats to literature-based messages to help me make sense of anything confusing. Why has this become an issue? Has there been unhappiness because of Senior walk-in? Are others upset, bothered, annoyed, or offended by the activity? Is there something the seniors can offer to do, to compromise, to keep the tradition alive? Is there a line of communication open at this time?

We each have our own personal truth, our own perspective, that leads us to that truth. I can only offer mine, based on my experiences and my observations.

Now it’s up to you seniors to seek the true truth, and to do that, you must listen to all perspectives that are offered, to intelligently arrive at your own conclusions and then know what path of action to take. It’s always good advice, for all of us, to listen, to communicate, to be respectful through the process, to try to understand the other’s perspective rather than judging him, and to then know yourself and believe in yourself so that you can confidently take steps forward in your life.

- Liz Williams, English teacher

BRIDGING

Thursday, May 1, 2013

Regarding clothing regulations, administrators have stated that these rules have been there even before Mr. Giglio came to be our principal. While that may be true, I believe that they must also be lenient towards freedom of expression. I have seen students be scolded for wearing bro-tanks, because armpit hair is distracting for other students. First of all, no one even bothers looking at other people’s armpit hair, and as high school students, strict regulation is not necessary. We aren’t elementary school children, and most of us know the difference between what is acceptable to wear and what shows too much cleavage.

Furthermore, in Leadership, administrators have told us that we are the role models of the school, and thus we should follow all of the rules that the administrators are enforcing upon us. True, we are role models so we should behave like it, but at the same time, we are also representatives of the student body.

We still have the right to voice our opinions on important decisions that affect our class, and we have the right to say what is necessary to reflect the majority opinion of the students.

- Anonymous

THE

G AP Letters to the Editor provide a forum for collective communication for the Homestead community

ASB

When I was in high school my mom used to tell me that my exposed bra straps were vulgar. She also told me that boys would not be able to concentrate if I had my bra exposed or a strategic tear in my jeans would distract people and make them think I was “slutty”. “People will judge you” was her mantra. My teenage retort was, “so what. Let them judge. I know who I am and what I stand for. It’s none of my business what they think of me anyway.” That ended most fashion disagreements in my house.

All this coming from a woman who rarely wore a bra – those hippies, full of contradictions. This makes me take pause when I think about what is going on here at HHS. There are adults who are concerned about the fashion choices of students at this high school.

Fast forward 20+ years and it is me who is standing in judgment of teenagers and their fashion choices. I catch myself thinking, “this is a classroom, why do some boys look like their pants are going to literally fall down if they don’t walk like a duck? Why is that girl wearing denim underwear? I have underwear that is bigger than those shorts and they aren’t even granny panties.”

Then I am reminded of that teenaged me from loooooong ago and I remind myself, that it doesn’t matter what some “old” lady thinks about their fashion choices. What really matters is that these students are here to learn and it is my job to make sure that ALL students feel safe, loved and celebrated. This means that I need to have the conversations when young women are feeling shamed for exposing their legs or shoulders or midriffs. I have to talk with cherubs about who they are and they image that they want to portray. I have to talk with students and tell them that it’s more of a social construct not to stare.

This goes further than trying to uphold some patriarchal view that women’s bodies are to be covered up because boys can’t concentrate. Or that people will judge you.

It’s a human truism. People judge. But at the end of the day all that matters is what you think about yourself. In our world of Snapchats and Facebook and the Twitterverse you WILL find out what people think about you…even though it’s none of your business.

- Shawnee Rivera, English teacher

7

I’ll start by saying there is a significant amount of hate that is traditional, and that we as students should be open to “new traditions” and new ways of thinking. However, I feel that the mutilation of the senior walk-in, and the newly-strict enforcement of dress code is an abysmal and negative change in the culture of the school.

The strict enforcement of the dress code is a step backwards. It nurtures conformity in a dangerous way, promoting the idea that people can and should be judged based on what they wear, in direct contradiction to the speech the guest speaker gave during the senior meeting. If someone was hurt by our school’s tradition, and to the best of my knowledge it hasn’t, then that could warrant a change.

- Anonymous

ASB

When I came to Homestead High School as a freshman, I witnessed the spirit and life within the student body. As an underclassman, I always admired how the upperclassmen were never afraid to show their passion, and hoped that one day, I would be able to spread the same energy and devotion to my classmates and friends. This was the reason why I joined leadership as a freshman, and it’s the reason why I am still representing the student body as a senior. As a leader on campus and a marcher in the band, I watched and participated in traditions. These traditions were valuable chances for me to feel ecstatic when I had numerous exams to study for and were a big part of why I believed that I enjoyed attending Homestead High School these past four years.

Working with numerous teachers and administrators, I have always been told that staff members are there to guide students throughout not only their educational career, but also their personal journey. By taking away students’ freedom to express themselves and by taking away students’ ways of celebrating their dedication and passion, the administration is advocating students to become voiceless puppets. When I asked Ms. Frausto the reason behind Mr. Giglio’s decision on the senior walk in and questioned when he made up his mind, she responded, saying, “Students have no say in this. Just accept it and be positive about it.” That completely goes against everything I learned in high school. If the administration really wants school to be a safe learning environment, first allow students to first voice their thoughts and express their individuality to become matured young adults, not hopeless robots.

- Hyeseung La, Senior

As a part of the leadership program, I have worked with the administration closely over the past four years and, most of the time, it’s been a very rewarding and fun experience. Normally it’s very difficult for me to openly speak out against administrative decisions, but at this point I can’t just suppress my opinion.

My basic opinion on these recent decisions about the “appropriateness” of school events/clothing is that certain members of the administration created a problem out of nothing and over-exaggerating current rules. This is especially relevant for the dress code; this year, the enforcement of the rule has gotten out of hand to the point where it’s severely hindering people’s ability for self-expression, and I’ve even heard that it affects people’s self-esteem, which is unacceptable.

We are Homestead, we are unique, and we have our way of doing things that doesn’t need to be changed just because admin has changed. The way the system was in years past was not perfect, but it was more accepting and more considerate to the needs and desires of the students, which made school a more enjoyable environment. I know that I will be graduating soon, and I could just sit back and deal these strict regulations for another month or so and be done with it, but I want to help Homestead be a more welcoming and fun environment for current and incoming students, especially the Class of 2018.

- Anonymous

Senior walk-in is something that we’ve been looking forward to since freshman year, and it starts the year off on a good note. Calling it “inappropriate” is so far from the truth, it hurts. There is nothing inappropriate about it, and it’s really fun and exciting. I know the staff has our best interest at heart, but when they cancel stuff like this without a real, good reason (beyond being overly cautious) it really doesn’t seem like it. We’re kids; we should be having fun, and the walk-in is a safe, fully-appropriate way for us to do that.

- Anonymous

It seems to me that whether or not students make an attempt to take action against Homestead’s new school policies, they’re going to happen. With that being said, I do not believe that these policies should be put into effect this year. I think that they should be implemented next year right from the start. I’m not advocating for the new policies at all, because I don’t agree with them. I feel that the new dress code policy belongs in the past century when women had to cover up completely. Everybody has a human body that we shouldn’t be censored from. I don’t find girls wearing a thin strapped shirt to be distracting in any way. To be fair, guys with sagging pants isn’t very nice to look at, but all I have to do is turn away and they’re gone. This couples with the senior walk-in. I know that Giglio said the walk-in had to be more appropriate or else they would be pulling people out of the rally, which I think is a bit extreme. I don’t think sheltering students is right. High school is a place where teenagers become young adults and censoring us from each other hinders how we progress socially.

- Jordan Byrnes, Senior

What I am hearing is that the senior walk in is now strictly enforced. As Mr. Giglio explained to us in the senior class meeting, he disliked the way students were stripping off their clothes into bathing suits. Now the consequences are removal from the rally and possibly the graduation walk. This is very similar to the papaya tradition that the marching band experienced. I want to say that the administration does not hate us; they are trying to train us to be more appropriate.

- Kevin Su, Senior

I understand that our school needs special rules that fit the school environment. However, I have realized that the newly-imposed, harsher restrictions are attempting to fix non-existent problems. Furthermore, when students try to voice their opinions and concerns about the new rules, the school fails to act in a reasonable manner. Why is the administration threatening leadership students, preventing them from openly sharing their opinions? The First Amendment, taught in history classes at Homestead, is somehow not recognized by the administration. Moreover, leadership is a class designed to allow students to further develop their individual and team administrative skills, yet they are severely restricted in all decisions that they make and are a figurehead student “government” controlled by a megalomaniacal administration who seeks to pull the strings on every aspect of student life. Our school administrators have attempted to solve nonexistent issues, and after angering students, they attempt to cover up their mess by figuratively duct-taping the mouths of our student leadership shut.

- Anonymous

”

Dear Homestead, On April 23, Epistaffers posted this message on Facebook: “In light of recent events, we at the Epitaph are asking students to voice their thoughts. Within the past few weeks, we have observed student reactions to changes within policy enforcement and school tradition. We can write all we want regarding what has been occurring on campus recently, but ultimately, we represent you and believe that you have the right to have your voice be heard. If you have something to say, send an email to homestead.epitaph@gmail.com, bring a document to C105, or message a staff member through facebook or email. There is a chance that your input will be published in our next issue, which comes out on May 1st, so if you prefer to remain anonymous, that is understandable and will be respected. We welcome any and all opinions.”

We are overwhelmed by the responses we have received from both students and staff members, and are privileged to serve as a voice for Homestead’s community. These responses do not necessarily reflect the views of the Epitaph and Epistaffers, but are an amalgam of perspectives that constitute Homestead’s community. Because of space constraints, we have displayed only excerpts of responses, and not all responses are included; however, we we will post complete responses on The Epitaph’s Facebook page. Thank you for sharing your perspectives and for contributing to our efforts.

Sincerely, The Epitaph PAGE DESIGN BY MATTHEW CHOW

“ 6

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Thursday, May 1, 2013

Dear Homestead, Homestead is a great school with great students and staff. Seeing the angry reaction to the senior walk-in or dress code has made me realize that perhaps the students are feeling let down that perhaps I don’t trust them or that I have some ulterior motive for “oppressing” the masses. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I think so highly of all of you that I feel it is important that you conduct yourselves with the upmost respect for yourself and others. School is not about how many rules can you get away with breaking but about learning rules to the game of life that will help you be “successful” at whatever you do once you move on from our campus. You will face rules and regulations as much if not more so when you leave here, with consequences that will be much more severe or drastic than asking you to change your shirt or to stay in the stands. So why the big fuss over shorts that might be too short or a boy wearing a tutu with a sports bra as he runs across the gym and freaks up against a cheerleader? Because that behavior and those actions are inappropriate for a school, especially one like Homestead which is a cut above most other schools and can stand proud about our numerous accomplishments in local, state and national endeavors. It is also not acceptable at a school like ours that embraces and respects diversity the way that we do. What these enforcements are intended to do is ask students to stop and think about how their choices or behaviors might affect those around them and to make the choice to move back towards something more positive. That would be the truly revolutionary behavior.

Mr. Giglio Principal

ASB

Dear Students, Here are some general thoughts on the recent decisions regarding rallies, dress code, etc: 1. In a very short time you will not care about this at all– a magical transformation happens the summer after you graduate from high school, and a lot of the drama, back-stabbing (some of y’all are SHADY), and “omg this is the worst thing that’s ever happened EVER”-ness of high school is just kind of let go, and it’s awesome: So pick your battles– think about what’s really important to YOU, your well-being, and your future, and by all means go after those causes for which you care a great deal, but don’t get all hot and bothered just because everybody else is.

2. The people who made these decisions care about you. I promise they do. They want you to be respectful of not only each other but of yourselves, too. Also TRUST when I say we adult-types on campus were also young, dumb, constantly “thirsty” teenagers as well… we were just LUCKY enough not to have social media to fan our flames.

3. Anytime a unilateral (or even oligarchical) decision is made, it’s important to question those decisions and the impetus for them; but understand you are not always going to get your way in life. Be respectful (even if you don’t feel like you’ve gotten the respect to have been consulted about this in the first place). If anything, let this inform you as to what kind of leader you will be in the future.

For transparency’s sake, no, I do not agree with the decision/s that have been made on your behalf; if anybody knows anything about me, they know one of my favorite things is to judge and roll my eyes at my students’ ridiculousness, and the Senior Walk-in has provided RICH fodder for me for years, ha. Have a GREAT end to the school year– let go of old grudges, say you’re sorry to friends you’ve wronged, and become the super smart, sexy, powerful adult you all want to be inside.

Best, James E. Ratti, MA English teacher

ASB

From a purely safety point of view, I believe that normal and fitting end-of-year student exuberance [of the Senior Farewell Rally] -- “controlled chaos” in a supervised school environment -- is very healthy for our kids. Better that our seniors let off steam dressing up in silly costumes and parading for five minutes than that they drink, drive highway 17 to Santa Cruz, or kill themselves with drugs or speeding in cars. Students will express their desire to celebrate one way or another. We can facilitate their celebration safely on campus.

- Susan Wilson, English teacher I have enjoyed observing the laughter and frivolity of 400+ teenagers mired in the bittersweet knowledge that this is IT, the beginning of the end of their years at Homestead. I admit that I like a little bit of organized chaos at times, as well as the cacophony that individuality brings to any given situation. I’ve always appreciated the wackiness of the seniors as they enter the gym for their last time as the reigning class, having spent four years to get to the top of the heap! I’ve never seen this as disrespectful or brazen in their antics, but merely that they get to do what no other class is allowed to do — one small benefit to their seniority before falling once again back down to lowly Freshmen in the Fall. I see it as a time when, for 10 minutes, the other classes pay a bit of homage to the seniors, allowing them to ‘strut their stuff” one last time. I’ve never been offended by the goofiness of it all, but just enjoyed seeing teenagers act like teenagers, a momentary respite from the stress and expectations they live with in their academic and extracurricular world. I’ve always felt it was a show of team spirit, a bonding, a good time being had by all.

But now we get to the part of me that often retreats to literature-based messages to help me make sense of anything confusing. Why has this become an issue? Has there been unhappiness because of Senior walk-in? Are others upset, bothered, annoyed, or offended by the activity? Is there something the seniors can offer to do, to compromise, to keep the tradition alive? Is there a line of communication open at this time?

We each have our own personal truth, our own perspective, that leads us to that truth. I can only offer mine, based on my experiences and my observations.

Now it’s up to you seniors to seek the true truth, and to do that, you must listen to all perspectives that are offered, to intelligently arrive at your own conclusions and then know what path of action to take. It’s always good advice, for all of us, to listen, to communicate, to be respectful through the process, to try to understand the other’s perspective rather than judging him, and to then know yourself and believe in yourself so that you can confidently take steps forward in your life.

- Liz Williams, English teacher

BRIDGING

Thursday, May 1, 2013

Regarding clothing regulations, administrators have stated that these rules have been there even before Mr. Giglio came to be our principal. While that may be true, I believe that they must also be lenient towards freedom of expression. I have seen students be scolded for wearing bro-tanks, because armpit hair is distracting for other students. First of all, no one even bothers looking at other people’s armpit hair, and as high school students, strict regulation is not necessary. We aren’t elementary school children, and most of us know the difference between what is acceptable to wear and what shows too much cleavage.

Furthermore, in Leadership, administrators have told us that we are the role models of the school, and thus we should follow all of the rules that the administrators are enforcing upon us. True, we are role models so we should behave like it, but at the same time, we are also representatives of the student body.

We still have the right to voice our opinions on important decisions that affect our class, and we have the right to say what is necessary to reflect the majority opinion of the students.

- Anonymous

THE

G AP Letters to the Editor provide a forum for collective communication for the Homestead community

ASB

When I was in high school my mom used to tell me that my exposed bra straps were vulgar. She also told me that boys would not be able to concentrate if I had my bra exposed or a strategic tear in my jeans would distract people and make them think I was “slutty”. “People will judge you” was her mantra. My teenage retort was, “so what. Let them judge. I know who I am and what I stand for. It’s none of my business what they think of me anyway.” That ended most fashion disagreements in my house.

All this coming from a woman who rarely wore a bra – those hippies, full of contradictions. This makes me take pause when I think about what is going on here at HHS. There are adults who are concerned about the fashion choices of students at this high school.

Fast forward 20+ years and it is me who is standing in judgment of teenagers and their fashion choices. I catch myself thinking, “this is a classroom, why do some boys look like their pants are going to literally fall down if they don’t walk like a duck? Why is that girl wearing denim underwear? I have underwear that is bigger than those shorts and they aren’t even granny panties.”

Then I am reminded of that teenaged me from loooooong ago and I remind myself, that it doesn’t matter what some “old” lady thinks about their fashion choices. What really matters is that these students are here to learn and it is my job to make sure that ALL students feel safe, loved and celebrated. This means that I need to have the conversations when young women are feeling shamed for exposing their legs or shoulders or midriffs. I have to talk with cherubs about who they are and they image that they want to portray. I have to talk with students and tell them that it’s more of a social construct not to stare.

This goes further than trying to uphold some patriarchal view that women’s bodies are to be covered up because boys can’t concentrate. Or that people will judge you.

It’s a human truism. People judge. But at the end of the day all that matters is what you think about yourself. In our world of Snapchats and Facebook and the Twitterverse you WILL find out what people think about you…even though it’s none of your business.

- Shawnee Rivera, English teacher

7

I’ll start by saying there is a significant amount of hate that is traditional, and that we as students should be open to “new traditions” and new ways of thinking. However, I feel that the mutilation of the senior walk-in, and the newly-strict enforcement of dress code is an abysmal and negative change in the culture of the school.

The strict enforcement of the dress code is a step backwards. It nurtures conformity in a dangerous way, promoting the idea that people can and should be judged based on what they wear, in direct contradiction to the speech the guest speaker gave during the senior meeting. If someone was hurt by our school’s tradition, and to the best of my knowledge it hasn’t, then that could warrant a change.

- Anonymous

ASB

When I came to Homestead High School as a freshman, I witnessed the spirit and life within the student body. As an underclassman, I always admired how the upperclassmen were never afraid to show their passion, and hoped that one day, I would be able to spread the same energy and devotion to my classmates and friends. This was the reason why I joined leadership as a freshman, and it’s the reason why I am still representing the student body as a senior. As a leader on campus and a marcher in the band, I watched and participated in traditions. These traditions were valuable chances for me to feel ecstatic when I had numerous exams to study for and were a big part of why I believed that I enjoyed attending Homestead High School these past four years.

Working with numerous teachers and administrators, I have always been told that staff members are there to guide students throughout not only their educational career, but also their personal journey. By taking away students’ freedom to express themselves and by taking away students’ ways of celebrating their dedication and passion, the administration is advocating students to become voiceless puppets. When I asked Ms. Frausto the reason behind Mr. Giglio’s decision on the senior walk in and questioned when he made up his mind, she responded, saying, “Students have no say in this. Just accept it and be positive about it.” That completely goes against everything I learned in high school. If the administration really wants school to be a safe learning environment, first allow students to first voice their thoughts and express their individuality to become matured young adults, not hopeless robots.

- Hyeseung La, Senior

As a part of the leadership program, I have worked with the administration closely over the past four years and, most of the time, it’s been a very rewarding and fun experience. Normally it’s very difficult for me to openly speak out against administrative decisions, but at this point I can’t just suppress my opinion.

My basic opinion on these recent decisions about the “appropriateness” of school events/clothing is that certain members of the administration created a problem out of nothing and over-exaggerating current rules. This is especially relevant for the dress code; this year, the enforcement of the rule has gotten out of hand to the point where it’s severely hindering people’s ability for self-expression, and I’ve even heard that it affects people’s self-esteem, which is unacceptable.

We are Homestead, we are unique, and we have our way of doing things that doesn’t need to be changed just because admin has changed. The way the system was in years past was not perfect, but it was more accepting and more considerate to the needs and desires of the students, which made school a more enjoyable environment. I know that I will be graduating soon, and I could just sit back and deal these strict regulations for another month or so and be done with it, but I want to help Homestead be a more welcoming and fun environment for current and incoming students, especially the Class of 2018.

- Anonymous

Senior walk-in is something that we’ve been looking forward to since freshman year, and it starts the year off on a good note. Calling it “inappropriate” is so far from the truth, it hurts. There is nothing inappropriate about it, and it’s really fun and exciting. I know the staff has our best interest at heart, but when they cancel stuff like this without a real, good reason (beyond being overly cautious) it really doesn’t seem like it. We’re kids; we should be having fun, and the walk-in is a safe, fully-appropriate way for us to do that.

- Anonymous

It seems to me that whether or not students make an attempt to take action against Homestead’s new school policies, they’re going to happen. With that being said, I do not believe that these policies should be put into effect this year. I think that they should be implemented next year right from the start. I’m not advocating for the new policies at all, because I don’t agree with them. I feel that the new dress code policy belongs in the past century when women had to cover up completely. Everybody has a human body that we shouldn’t be censored from. I don’t find girls wearing a thin strapped shirt to be distracting in any way. To be fair, guys with sagging pants isn’t very nice to look at, but all I have to do is turn away and they’re gone. This couples with the senior walk-in. I know that Giglio said the walk-in had to be more appropriate or else they would be pulling people out of the rally, which I think is a bit extreme. I don’t think sheltering students is right. High school is a place where teenagers become young adults and censoring us from each other hinders how we progress socially.

- Jordan Byrnes, Senior

What I am hearing is that the senior walk in is now strictly enforced. As Mr. Giglio explained to us in the senior class meeting, he disliked the way students were stripping off their clothes into bathing suits. Now the consequences are removal from the rally and possibly the graduation walk. This is very similar to the papaya tradition that the marching band experienced. I want to say that the administration does not hate us; they are trying to train us to be more appropriate.

- Kevin Su, Senior

I understand that our school needs special rules that fit the school environment. However, I have realized that the newly-imposed, harsher restrictions are attempting to fix non-existent problems. Furthermore, when students try to voice their opinions and concerns about the new rules, the school fails to act in a reasonable manner. Why is the administration threatening leadership students, preventing them from openly sharing their opinions? The First Amendment, taught in history classes at Homestead, is somehow not recognized by the administration. Moreover, leadership is a class designed to allow students to further develop their individual and team administrative skills, yet they are severely restricted in all decisions that they make and are a figurehead student “government” controlled by a megalomaniacal administration who seeks to pull the strings on every aspect of student life. Our school administrators have attempted to solve nonexistent issues, and after angering students, they attempt to cover up their mess by figuratively duct-taping the mouths of our student leadership shut.

- Anonymous

”

Dear Homestead, On April 23, Epistaffers posted this message on Facebook: “In light of recent events, we at the Epitaph are asking students to voice their thoughts. Within the past few weeks, we have observed student reactions to changes within policy enforcement and school tradition. We can write all we want regarding what has been occurring on campus recently, but ultimately, we represent you and believe that you have the right to have your voice be heard. If you have something to say, send an email to homestead.epitaph@gmail.com, bring a document to C105, or message a staff member through facebook or email. There is a chance that your input will be published in our next issue, which comes out on May 1st, so if you prefer to remain anonymous, that is understandable and will be respected. We welcome any and all opinions.”

We are overwhelmed by the responses we have received from both students and staff members, and are privileged to serve as a voice for Homestead’s community. These responses do not necessarily reflect the views of the Epitaph and Epistaffers, but are an amalgam of perspectives that constitute Homestead’s community. Because of space constraints, we have displayed only excerpts of responses, and not all responses are included; however, we we will post complete responses on The Epitaph’s Facebook page. Thank you for sharing your perspectives and for contributing to our efforts.

Sincerely, The Epitaph PAGE DESIGN BY MATTHEW CHOW

8

lifestyles

Thursday, May 1, 2014

fwd: love

New club on campus aims to bring the people of Homestead together through acts of compassion

By Grace He Kindness, love and acceptance. These are the three core values that are emphasized by the newly created fwd: Love (pronounced forward, love) club at Homestead.

The club was created in the summer of 2013 when fwd: Love president junior Jimmy Wong heard of a club called Acts of Random Kindness that had been started at Independence High School. “I heard about his club and I thought, ‘Wow, this is really interesting,’” said Wong. “I decided that I wanted to bring something like this to Homestead but kind of with my own twist on it.”

With an idea in mind, Wong approached others including senior Zoya Hsiao who currently serves as vice-president for the club. Brainstorming together, they and several others decided to derive what would become the club’s principles from the Christian faith. “Our foundation is on Christian ideals but what I just want to stress is that the focus isn’t on the religious aspect but it’s on the campaigns and the projects that really demonstrate our core values,” said Wong. fwd: Love has established itself as a club that does acts, campaigns and projects that promote kindness and inspire everyone on campus to care for one another. Some events that will be started soon in the future include the Love Out Loud week and Bags of Love.

To ensure success of their first event, fwd:

Love has partnered with Interact to bring Love Out Loud week to the students. Going from May 19 to May 23, these daily activities will be targeted to a certain grade level with a specific theme in mind. “[Interact] also wanted to start a lot more inter-club kind of activities and we felt that this would be a great way to kick it off with fwd: Love,” said Interact president senior Ilina Bhaya-Grossman.

Another project that they have planned for the end of the school year is Bags of Love, which will be sponsored by Footprints Christian Club on campus. This project will occur during finals week and will be similar to Love Out Love week in that gift bags will be given out to students and filled with items and food with the goal of making finals week easier.

In addition to hosting projects and campaigns for the students on campus, fwd: Love hopes to also show appreciation towards the staff through care packages, door to door post-its and appreciation dinners. “We’ve gotten a lot of support from our friends, from teachers and from administration; it’s been very encouraging,” said Hsiao.

Discussing the future of the club, Hsiao and Wong are optimistic. “We just established it recently so we’re trying to finish off our year by getting our name out and getting members to join,” said Hsiao. “Next year is when we go full blast.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIMMY BECKMANN

Krew popularizes K-pop on campus

Students at Homestead learn about Korean culture through dance

By Marissa Lee

Krew has become one of the most popular dance groups at Homestead High School. The group members practice every Wednesday and Friday on campus or nearby Serra Park. These practices have helped them prepare for performances at various events, such as the Winter Wonderland Rally, FBLA Bay Section, Bunkasai, and Interact’s International Night.

Krew is not a school club, but actually a subset of the Korean Student Association (KSA). Junior Megan Kang, an officer for KSA and Krew captain, created

the dance group at the beginning of this school year. “I thought it would be nice to use what I learned in Korea to teach K-pop [because K-pop is really big here].” Kang also uses YouTube videos as inspiration for dance routines, including K-pop artists Sistar, Wonder Girls, and Taeyang. She then adds her own style and teaches it to the members.

Starting out with only seven people, Krew has grown into a family of 41 members and counting. The Blacklight Rally was Krew’s first performance, and since then, the amount of members who joined grew exponen-

tially. “I think we proved that we [can do] it and showed [Homestead] that even a student lead dance crew can be really be powerful,” said Kang.

Krew provides encouragement to those who are new to dance. “Krew is what really got me started on dancing,” revealed Senior Keane Virola, another Krew coach.

Krew member Megan Cheng enthusiastically recounts the team’s mental state after performing at Interact’s International Night. “We are just really proud of each other in the end when we see how well we do [...] when we were

watching our recording, we were all cheering every time we did something perfect that maybe we were struggling with before and now it is much better.”

Anyone is allowed to join Krew and has the chance be in performances, which is why Krew coach, senior, Paul Baik believes Krew is so unique. “We accept everyone to join for cer-

tain parts of the routines so everyone can experience the amazing feeling of being able to practice for something so hard and then perform it as a team.”

Regardless of a person’s ability to dance, Kang encourages anyone to join Krew. “Go for it. I believe that everyone can dance and everyone can challenge themselves.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRACE KIM

ABOVE: Junior Megan Kang leads Krew during a weekly practice in the quad. In this specific practice, students learn how to dance to Korean girl group A Pink’s song “NoNoNo.” RIGHT: Senior Daniel Jeon, Junior Kendrick Olero, Junior Andrew Kojo and Junior Braden Wong practice to Korean singer Taeyang’s song “Ringa Linga.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGAN KANG PAGE DESIGN BY GRACE HE

entertainment

Thursday, May 1, 2014

‘Noah’ sails into Hollywood

9

A review of the film that stormed theaters worldwide

By Nicole Chung

We’ve all heard the story of Noah’s ark, how God commanded Noah to build an ark to house Noah and his family, and to take a pair of every animal while he rid the entire world of its evil through the use of a deadly flood. To some, the story of Noah’s ark is a clear example of God’s intolerance against all things sinful. To others, the story of Noah’s ark is generic, uninteresting and in much need of a dramatic twist.

For those who want that twist, director Darren Aronofsky depicts the story of Noah’s ark in a way that many of us have not previously considered.

Aronofsky’s version of the story of Noah’s ark is simple enough on the surface. God shows Noah signs to tell him that he wants Noah to start building the ark. Noah builds the ark and from there, he comes across more problems, which are supposed to uncover the conflicts that he [Noah] has to wrestle both externally and internally. Sounds simple, just like the original Bible story, right? Not quite.

The theatrical version of Noah’s ark is dark. The film shows God as a sick, twisted deity who is angry at humanity for nearly obliterating his beloved creation; not the heartbroken, regretful creator depicted in the

Bible. Noah is portrayed as a man who has bouts of insanity from time to time. Biblically, Noah was a righteous man, not an insane one. The group led by the main antagonist, the Tubal-Cain group, tears a live lamb to pieces and consumes the meat raw. The same group also kidnaps women from various places and violates them in nearly every way possible.

This group never existed in the original story, and Tubal-Cain and Noah didn’t even live in the same time period.

There is also an unbridled, major theme that sometimes diverts from the plot of the story: extreme environmentalism.

Several times, it is mentioned that humanity destroys the environment, which makes sense.

When careless, humanity does hurt the environment in various ways (think: BP oil spill, fuel emissions, toxic factory wastes). But the movie goes as far as to say that the only way the environment can recuperate is if humanity as a whole is completely wiped off of the face

LEFT: The controversial movie ‘Noah’ stars Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, and Logan Lerman.

of the Earth, and even justifies this thought process when Tubal-Cain says that “the beasts are for us,” implying that humanity only views the environment as something to dictate over and ravage.

This viewpoint at times can distract from the real story at hand in that it twists the plot to make it seem like God wants to destroy humanity to save the environment, and even puts the environment above humanity at times. Not that this is wrong, but humanity and the environment are supposed to live in harmony. Neither is above the other.

Besides the concepts that unravel as the movie deepens, the movie itself is visually appealing. At times, it borders on being overly computerized, especially when they show the scenes where the group of evil men tear apart the innocent lamb and when the “Watchers,” which basically are angels banished from Heaven for helping the “evil” humanity, fight Tubal-Cain’s evil group to give Noah and his family just enough time to board the ark. The beauty of the movie, however, is seen in the familial interactions between Noah and his family members. It’s almost angled to make you feel as though you are the character talking to Noah, which allows the viewer to resonate with the emotions tied to these personal encounters.

Overall, the movie itself is not as bad as many critics seemed to put it, but it’s also not extraordinarily good.

It’s honestly not a movie worth paying for; waiting for the movie to come out on DVD or Netflix might be the better option.

Another thing to consider, however, is the reason why you might want to watch this movie. If you want a movie to simply enjoy without having to overly analyze the nittygritty details, then this is the movie for you. If you want an accurate depiction of the story of Noah’s ark, reconsider your decision to watch the film.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOVIEPOSTER.COM

NAHS and Art Club to host “Student Art Show” together at Homestead

By Dipshikha Kandel

The National Art Honor Society (NAHS) is hosting the Student Art Show on Friday, May 2, during lunch, from 5-7 P.M. on the D-2 classroom patio, which is near the bike racks. The pieces to be displayed range from drawings and paintings created by NAHS members, artwork from De Vargas Elementary School students and photography from Homestead’s art clubs. This year, the Art Club and Frontier Club have come together to create this amazing art show.

“The NAHS officers have had an art show in mind for a couple of years,” said NAHS president, senior, Catherine Huang, “but seriously began thinking about hosting an art show since last year, when we finished painting the second Sadies backdrop, and partnered with De Vargas Elementary School to teach children art history through our new program, Project ARC.” When NAHS realized that they would have enough artistic materials for a show, they decided to put their plan into action.

Additionally, NAHS and Art Club’s members and partners thought it would be beneficial for all of the art clubs at Homestead to have the opportunity to display their pieces, especially since many art club members are not currently enrolled in an art course. “We hope that this show will encourage all students to be more open about their creativity,” said Huang, “as it is a display of their passions and hard work.”

“This event will be a wonderful opportunity for the members to appreciate each other’s talents and the ideas behind their pieces,” said Art Club vice president, senior, Cathy Zhang. In addition to working with their own mem-

bers, NAHS sought help and contributions from other art clubs, such as Frontier and Photography Club, as well as De Vargas Elementary School, and Art Club advisor, Carolyn Daily, to make this event possible. For the most part, the show is an end-of-the-year culmination of works from various artists in different groups.

Fashion show meets exotic culture

Homestead hosts fashion show with “Bollywood” theme

By Khalil Bourgoub

ABOVE: The Student Art Show will showcase fresh and beautiful pieces created by members of NAHS/Art Club, students from De Vargas Elementary School, and members of the various art clubs at Homestead.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NAHS AND ART CLUB

On Friday, April 25, Homestead’s Fashion Club successfully held their fourth annual fashion show. This year was the first year the fashion show moved out of the small gym and into a larger more fitting space: the new field house. This year the Fashion Club’s theme was “Bollywood”. To enhance this theme, there were different types of Indian-themed decorations, a henna booth, where you could get your own henna tattoo, Indian-style clothing and also a large table that served Indian food.

To start out the show, many members of the Fashion Club modeled special outfits that they had been sketching and sewing for months in advance. After the special outfits were presented, there was a brief intermission to let the models get ready for their next appearance on the runway.

Senior Sarathi Garimella sang four songs and played the piano during intermission; one of the songs he had written himself.

After intermission, the fashion show concluded with their final presentation of club members’ new styles. During the final walk through the gym, the models showed off the upcoming and still-relevant fashion trends. Each girl and guy modeled two different outfits, and each member that was a part of the final walk through had on outfits that were selected by them to personally to reflect their own personal style.

PAGE DESIGN BY NICOLE CHUNG

10

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Hungry near Homestead?

entertainment

Hidden food gems to break the daily Starbucks grind

By Shiri Huber

a

halo Bowl

The Asian Box is pretty self-explanatory: it serves Vietnamese food, in a box. Started in 2012 by the chef of the famed San Francisco restaurant, The Slanted Door, the food at the Asian Box is understandably delicious. Customers can “build” their box of food choosing from a list of menu options in four categories: a base, a meat or tofu, toppings, and a sauce. This leaves room for flexibility, but one example of an assembled Asian Box is shrimp on glass noodles with peanuts, stir-fried vegitables, and Tamarine Vinagrette. Located at 142 Castro Street in Mountain View, and 855 El Camino Real in Palo Alto.

Th e

The purple Mahalo Bowl food truck has a long line in front of it, and for a good reason. Its Acai bowls are refreshing, both in taste and as a break from the typical Starbucks routine. The base of each bowl is a smoothie-like blend of Acai berries, a popular berry from South America that is famous for its extensive list of antioxidants. At Mahalo Bowl, the acai is then topped with healthy options such as fresh fruit, granola, coconut shavings, or honey.

The whole bowl is reminiscint of a guilt-free frozen yogurt. The Mahalo Bowl food truck also sells smoothies. It stops in Sunnyvale once or twice a week on El Camino; its scheudale can be found on the Mahalo Bowl Facbeook page.

M

ian Box s A

Falaf el

op St

Falafel Stop’s falafel comes steaming hot, in a fluffy and bready pita stuffed with salad, hummus, tahini and herbs. Although falafel purists may be quick to notice that it doesn’t taste like “real falafel,” the creamy and filling treat is likely to delite both falafel vetarans and amateurs alike. The Falafel Stop makes getting delicious falafel a casual and fast affair; orders are taken and paid for through a window, after which customers can watch their falafel being made. The final falafel is handed through the same window, which customers can chose to eat on rusty picnic tables outside or take on the go.

The Falafel Stop is located at 1325 Sunnyvale Saratoga Road in Sunnyvale.

Helix Has the Genes for Greatness Exploratorium opens community science center in Los Altos

By Donnie Denome Nestled between shops in downtown Los Altos is Helix, a self-described “science museum, retail space and community center.” It’s a small offshoot of the Exploratorium, the longtime San Francisco science museum and community laboratory. “Helix’s mission is to be an off-site lab for the Exploratorium and to make the Exploratorium more accessible to the community,” said staff member Kerrick Lucker. Operating on a yearlong grant, the museum will most likely stay open and free of any admission fees through November.

To walk into Helix is to walk into what at first seems like just another store. The door opens to its retail space: a long hallway lined with shelves full of books, notepads, art prints and boxed kits of all different scientific disciplines just waiting to be opened. The corridor leads first to an open doorway into the Experiment With Light and Color exhibit. Here, a system of lit tables and mirrors combine with colored plastic shapes to create an odyssey of color displayed on the walls.

A turn just outside the exhibit leads to the stairs and the second floor. Just inside the door is a simple motor with placards explaining how the electromagnets inside power it. Closer to the windows is a glass cylinder filled with sand. Atop it is the hand crank that creates the winds inside it that sculpt the sand into intricate shapes. On the other side of the second floor is the programming area. Boards inside it display the current theme being explored – when I visited, they were covered in symbols to illustrate language.

If Helix’s mission is to bring the combination of science and art the Exploratorium has become so intrinsically linked with to the South Bay, they are succeeding to a point. All of their exhibits – of which there are at most twenty spread out over two floors – are nothing new to someone

ABOVE: In “Experiment with Light and Color,” visitors use plastic pieces to create flickering projections of all colors and shapes. who has been to the Exploratorium. The center seems to be oriented more towards younger children. However, just like its parent museum, it has something for everyone.

The real worth of Helix lies in its programming. While it could easily spend most of the grant money on fancier exhibits or more space, it instead puts a large portion of funding towards creating activities that all members of the community can enjoy. “We have programs on planetary motion, botany, animals, physics… basically everything,” explains staff member Amisha Gadani. “We also have programs for adults. It’s a safe place for people to ask questions they think they should already know the answers to.” Helix also offers activities for school groups – making the wonder of a field trip to the Exploratorium more accessible to the South Bay. Still, for a solo visitor who is interested in focusing on one subject in-depth rather than pace through a scientific smorgasbord, Helix pales in comparison to the Exploratorium. It’s well on its way to igniting scientific curiosity within the

ABOVE: Helix endeavors to be a safe place for people to ask questions and explore the world around them.

BELOW: “Ciphers, Codes, and Riddles” explores the basics of what makes a language a language.

BELOW:The exhibit “Gaussian Melody” uses marbles rolling through a pattern of nails to make music.

community as a whole but falls short in giving the average visitor any more than a tiny taste of what its parent museum can offer. That’s not to say that Helix fails outright – their mission statement obviously prioritizes larger-scale education over a wealth of exhibits – but for individual adventures, one should venture to the Exploratorium if at all possible.

Once their year is up, Helix’s future is uncertain. “While it is unlikely the Exploratorium will open another such offshoot, one of our goals is to take what we can learn and help other organizations,” Lucker says. In the mean time, the museum is worth a short visit – though it certainly does not make for the main feature of an afternoon.

PAGE DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION BY SHIRI HUBER PHOTOGRAPHS BY DONNIE DENOME

11

sports

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Total Fitness

By Matthew Chow

Homestead’s physical education department will introduce a total fitness class in 2014-15 school year. Taught by Kyle Bonvechio and Shawn Hook, total fitness will encompass a more general approach to fitness education. The class will incorporate five components: cardio endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.

“Activities in the class will include weight lifting, circuit training, possibly yoga and water aerobics,” Bonvechio said. “ In this class, we’ll also be going over health and nutrition as well as the basics of anatomy and physiology at a minute level.”

The decision to initiate the class originated because the cost of the current PE bowling class had become too high. “It costs 20 grand to run two sections of the [bowling class],” Bonvechio said. “Also, in terms of safety, it’s tough for us to have 77 kids off campus [at the bowling alley] during the morning.”

Bonvechio and Hook received inspiration for this course from Cupertino High School, which already has this same class in its curriculum. “Our assistant principal John Rodriguez used to work in Cupertino High,” Bonvechio said. “He saw the success of the class there and was helpful in bringing this idea to our campus.”

This new addition to the department will provide an option for a balanced fitness education, according to Bonvechio. “I think this class will be very beneficial to the department as well as to the students,” he said. “It really stresses the importance of having a healthy body, because if you have a healthy body, it’ll help you have a healthy mind. It’s our goal to promote healthy long lifestyles.”

Another goal of this class is to get more female students involved in fitness, according to Hook. “This class is more appealing to females than the weight room,” he said.

“I’m really excited for this class,” Hook said. “It’ll give us a break from being stuck in the weight room all the time.

JV Softball: a big hit

JV Softball on track for an undefeated season

SPORTS

Scoreboard Spring Sports Softball

Records courtesy of http://www.hhsathletics.com/

JV Varsity Wins: 12 Wins: 11 Losses: 9 Losses: 0

Badminton Varsity JV Wins: 5 Wins: 3 Losses: 2 Losses: 2

Men’s golf Wins: 3 Losses: 2 Ties: 1

Baseball

JV Varsity Wins: 11 Wins: 1 Losses: 9 Losses: 6

Men’s tennis Varsity Wins: 16 Losses: 0

JV Wins: 11 Losses: 2

Men’s Volleyball Varsity Wins: 18 Losses: 4

JV Wins: 7 Losses: 3

PHOTO COUTRTESY OF WWW.SPORTSWURLS.COM

By Rachel Hildebrand When the players of the Homestead’s JV softball team come onto the field, they intimidate even the toughest opponents.

Whether it’s their perfect ponytails, stone hard expressions, or undefeated record, the Lady Mustangs are known for winning games by five runs or twenty.

“I really enjoy playing softball because it is fast paced and unique.” Freshman Kellie Halden, who plays first base and in the outfield, has been playing softball for six years. She credits her teams success to the talented players and good hitting skills of the team.

Unlike baseball, softball is played with an 11 or 12 inch ball, the field has a dirt infield, players can not lead off, and pitchers are required to pitch underhand. Still, the players know first hand how intense the sport is.

“Softball is a fast paced sport that requires a lot of hand-eye coordination.” Halden explained. Though some may perceive it as girly or too slow, the players would be the first to correct anyone who doubts the skills of any of their teammates.

Homestead is known for it’s success in softball. In the past five years, they have placed in the top three in their league. Last year, the girls took home the first place award.

“Come out and check out our kids, they’re phenomenal,” said Lisa Nakamatsu, the junior varsity softball coach. “They’re hitters, their offence is as good awesome as their defense. They play really good, fast ball.” Nakamatsu, who also teaches PE, had coached softball at Homestead for the past seven years. She credits the girls’ trust for one another as one of the main reasons for their success.

Though the team has only ten players, with a minimum of nine needed to play a game, Nakamatsu believes her girls can take first in the league as they did the year before. Coming off win after win, the team is optimistic about the rest of the season.

Currently undefeated, the girls will take on Saratoga this Friday in their last home game before finishing the season with two road games.

ILLUSTRATION AND PAGE DESIGN BY DIPSHIKHA KANDEL

12

last word

Thursday, May 1, 2014

University

of

Homestead

Homestead seniors share their experiences in discovering and choosing the right college for them

stephanie bednarek

“It was strange because it was rainy and

Western Washington University

the weather and environment were very different from California...there were a lot of drive-through coffee [places].”

eshita mathur University of Southern California “Random people were telling me ‘fight on’ and I felt like I was part of something bigger, [not to mention] all the trophies they had. They were like ‘if USC [was its] own country they would be behind China in the number of Olympic medals.’”

hannah want STEPHANIE BEDNAREK

Loyola Marymount University

ESHITA MATHUR

“It had a completely different feel than some of the larger public schools

I had visited previously...it took one look from the bluff to seal the deal

– a viewpoint at LMU spans from the ocean to the LA skyscrapers all the way to the Hollywood sign!”

jules blackwell University of Colorado, Boulder “It's like a playground for young adults in terms of hobbies; a mountain resort, if you will.”

JULES BLACKWELL

HANNAH WANT

LANE ROBINETTE

lane robinette

Columbia University

“I went in August [after] being recruited for baseball, so the coaches gave me and my family a private tour around the campus and inside the facilities. It was a very convincing visit, and I loved the feel of the campus being in the heart of NYC.”

PAGE DESIGN BY ANYA KISHEN AND EUGENE CHENG