Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA ■ December 13, 2019 ■ Volume XXXV, Issue 3
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
IMPEACHMENT
Learn about the impeachment process and the current case involving President Donald Trump. News, 2
LAHS Debationships Read about Los Altos Speech and Debate partnerships in every debate event. Features, 6
School district to restructure bell schedule
KYLIE AKIYAMA
The district is considering changes to school start times and period lengths for next year.
CEDRIC CHAN
Political Bubbles Find out why staff writer Kaavya Butaney believes we should pop political bubbles. Opinions, 10
Holiday Traditions Four students share their holiday traditions and tasty family recipes. Arts & Culture, 11
Foothills Park Hear about staff writer Tomoki Chien’s opinion on the illegality of running through a park. Sports, 16
Staff Writer
Later start times might not be the only things the Mountain View-Los Altos (MVLA) district is changing next year; the format of the bell schedule, including period length and end times, will likely be restructured as well. MVLA School Board president
Dr. Phil Faillace explained that new legislation on 8:30 a.m. start times are an opportunity for the district to re-do the bell schedule for more efficient and effective learning, not just a mandatory 20-minute shift. The new schedule, in theory, would increase students’ academic performance and overall educational experience. In deciding on a new bell schedule, the district is looking at a variety
Marching band competes in WBA championships
of considerations, such as teaching efficiency, student stress, instructional minutes and transportation. To proceed, there must be general agreement from teachers, the District Teacher Association (DTA), both high school administrations, students, parents and the school board itself. In April of last year, the district hired Hanover Research, which provides research and analytics, in a
Staff Writers
KATRINA ARSKY
JULIE VARGAS Senior Writer
UPCOMING EVENTS December 22
Hanukkah begins December 23
Holiday Tree Lot closes December 24-25
Christmas
December 30
Hanukkah ends January 1
New Year’s Day January 6
Teacher Service Day January 7
All students return January 8-10
Challenge Day News Editorial Features
2 5 6
In-Depth Opinions Entertainment Sports
8 10 11 14
The Los Altos Eagles Marching Band and Color Guard’s production titled “Les Plumes” placed fourth out of 11 schools at the Western Band Association (WBA) championships, which they have not qualified for since 2015. The marching band placed at a number of competitions this season, allowing them to proceed to the finals at the WBA championships. They received second place at the Gilroy Garlic City Classic, first place at the Irish Guard Invitational, first place at the NorCal Super Show, second place at the Independence Band Tournament and third place at the James Logan Invitational Tournament. On average, they compete with about five to six other high schools. “We had a great season,” Band Director Ted Ferrucci said. “Their performance was phenomenal. We had outstanding student leaders that led section rehearsals and worked with individuals, particu-
larly during brunch and lunch and outside of class time.” For competitions, marching bands are split up into classes according to size. This year, only eight new members joined, so the marching band consists of 55 members. This size would typically qualify them to compete with the smaller 1A bands, but they compete at a higher level in the 2A class. “The seniors make up a majority of the band,” drum major senior Peter Sage said. “This has probably been one of the most focused and best marching band groups in a long time.” Los Altos alumnus Timothy McAfee performed in the marching band when he was a student, and now he sets the schedules for rehearsals, teaches music and drills. “I have to credit the members for their grit,” McAfee said. “Without their dedication and willingness to improve, we could not be where we are now. Their show is both complex and dynamic.”
“Bell Schedule”
continues on page 4
“Frozen II”: It’s got plenty of ice but no dice CEDRIC CHAN VAISHU SIRKAY
The Los Altos Marching Band and Color Guard placed fourth with their production titled “Les Plumes” at the WBA championships.
three-year subscription with an annual cost of $37,500. Under this contract, the school board can direct Hanover’s resources to whatever area is deemed necessary. Among other projects, Hanover has been used to perform in-depth research into possible bell schedule changes, including the collection of student, parent and teacher opinions.
“Frozen”: You either love it or you hate it, but it’s impossible not to have an opinion about it. In 2013, “Frozen fever” swept the globe, immortalizing the movie as a cultural phenomenon. After six years, “Frozen II” has finally arrived, catering to all ages, whether it be the elementary-school target audience, the teenagers reminiscing about their youth or the parents being dragged along. While “Frozen II” was a wild success at the box office, the reality is, it falls just short of its iconic predecessor. Set three years later after “Frozen”, the movie starts off with Elsa hearing a mysterious siren calling to her, which prompts her to inadvertently awaken dormant nature
spirits. The awakened spirits are bitter because of fighting between Arendelle and the indigenous Northaldra people. They set their sights on Arendelle, forcing Anna and Elsa to confront their family’s complicated past in order to right a wrong and find out the origin of Elsa’s powers. While the overall premise of finding out more about Elsa’s powers was an interesting one, the labyrinthine plot left more to be desired. The plot was convoluted and chock-full of plot holes and unanswered questions. Moreover, because the plot relied so heavily on new information, there was prolonged exposition that could’ve had smoother transitions. Although these details were interesting, “Frozen II” failed to find a balance between backstory and plot, ultimately biting off more than it could chew.
“Frozen II”
continues on page 11
WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS
Olaf (Josh Gad) sings his solo “When I Am Older” in the Enchanted Forest. “Frozen II” follows Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) as they try to save Arendelle from nature spirits. In the process, they discover more about their family’s history and the origin of Elsa’s powers.