E D I TO R I A L 3
O PI N I O N S 4
F E AT U R E S 6
LIFEST YLE 9
D E D I C AT I O N S 12
S PR E A D 1 4
E N T E R TA I N M E N T 17
S P O R T S 19
T HE
FEBRUARY 2014 Volume XXV Issue IV
UN I O N
MHSTHEUNION.COM For the latest updates
STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL
Schlaff announces retirement, to end six years as principal BY BRENDA SU
Principal Kenneth Schlaff announced his plans to retire at the end of this school year during a staff meeting on Jan. 31, ending his sixth year as principal of MHS. A successor has not yet been selected, Schlaff said. Schlaff, who has been working as an administrator at MHS for 17 years, was previously an assistant principal and then an associate principal before becoming principal in 2008. As principal, he introduced new safety, discipline, and operation protocol; he also helped academically underperforming students and expanded opportunities for high-achieving students, he said. “I helped students that needed intervention, targeted populations, and brought scores up,” Schlaff said. “At the other end, I’ve organized a number of things for students that are upper level that weren’t available prior, like more [Advanced Placement] classes.” Schlaff worked with the late Speech and Debate Advisor Stephen Stewart to create the Speech and Debate program and helped fund the Science Olympiad team, both programs which have become successful, Schlaff said. Schlaff also expanded fine arts programs and turned the auto-shop studio into a dance studio around ten years ago, Schlaff said; he hopes that the school can continue to grow its educational programs and add new ones. “There is so much potential here,
so many things that the kids can do,” Schlaff said. “[I hope] that we keep creating curriculum and program s that match their talents and their particular needs for the next stages in their lives. For example, I’ve always wanted to see a biotech program.” “The vast majority of students have been great,” Schlaff said. “It’s been a pleasure interacting with them, absolutely.” The school district will post the availability of the position of principal. A number of committees will review the applicants and interview them before giving a recommendation to the superintendent, who makes the final decision, Schlaff said. “[To my successor], all I can say is you have to really, really, really enjoy the students, because that’s the bottom line, and have their best interests in heart,” Schlaff said. “And you do it not because it’s a job, but because you like doing it.” Before working at MHS, Schlaff had worked in administrative positions at other schools, as city manager, and as a middle school science teacher. He finalized his decision to retire during the last winter break. Secretary Jackie Roy, who has worked with Schlaff for about eight years, said she will be sad to see Schlaff leave. Schlaff has contributed enormously to MHS, she said. “We’re respected by the area, we get awards,” Roy said. There’s not a whole lot to improve upon, really. The next principal has big shoes to fill.”
Shelly Hsu | THE UNION
Sophomore Ada Lee (right) gives Junior Manasi Aranake (left) an Apollo Award for Highest STAR Scores in Summative Math and Life Science. 181 Apollo Awards were given out for students’ performances in classes, on standardized tests, and for having the highest cumulative grade point averages during a double third period on Friday, Feb 9.
Apollo Awards recognize achievements BY SHELLY HSU
The seventh Apollo Awards Ceremony, an annual celebration of academic excellence, was held on Friday, Feb. 6 in the large gym, according to Principal Kenneth Schlaff. This year, 181 awards were given out, Schlaff said.
Cultural Heritage Week Cultures were celebrated MHS from Jan. 27 through Jan. 30. Cultural Heritage Week celebrations included a CLOG food sale at lunch on Jan. 28, and a Quincinera show also held during lunch.
BY ZAHRA SURANI
February Break The first day of February Break is Feb. 15 and the last day of the break is Feb 23.
MHS Interschool Science Fair The MHS Interschool Science Fair will be held March 1 in the large gym from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Students may sign up online to participate and submit a project by Feb. 24. Battle of the Sexes Battle of the Sexes is a competition between female students and male students. This year, Battle of the Sexes rally will be held March 10 at lunch. Trojan Olympics Trojan Olympics will be held March 28 in the large gym. Trojan Olympics is a competition between the classes. Class teams compete in games, a dance, and a pyramiad. Coach Jeff Lamb honored Lamb was selected as the 2014 California State Athletic Directors Association (CSADA) California State Athletic Director of the Year
The number of students that receive Apollo Awards have increased from last year, according to Schlaff. Some students received more than one award, Schlaff said. “The purpose of the Apollo Awards is to reward people of academic excelSEE APOLLO ON PAGE 2
Renovations to improve campus
N EWS IN BR IEF
CAHSEE testing CAHSEE testing will be held on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19. The CAHSEE is the California high school exit examination for sophomores.
Awards were given to students teachers deemed by their teachers as the top student in their respective advanced placement (AP) classes and electives. Students were also rewarded for having the highest cumulative grade point average, and highest scores on the California Standardized Test (CST), Schlaff said.
Sidney Le | THE UNION
The Chinese Club officers perform a ribbon dance during the day show in the theater on Thursday, Jan. 23. The day show was held all six periods.
Chinese Club hosts Lunar Show BY PRANAY PATNI
The Lunar Show was hosted by the MHS Chinese Club on the weekend of Jan. 25, according to Chinese Club Co-President Stacey Tran. The purpose of the lunar show was to celebrate the New Year and to showcase the multiple cultures that celebrate it, Tran said. Many people auditioned to be a part of the show, but not everyone was selected, Tran said. “There were over 60 people that auditioned,” Tran said. “In the end, 17 acts were selected.” The Korean Dance Team, the Korean American Student Union, and the Hip Hop Club were among groups that participated in the show, according to Tran. There were also some performers in the show who weren’t from MHS, Tran said.
“I knew the outside acts from friends, so I asked them to perform,” Tran said. “The Korean American Student Association also had two people from Piedmont.” The biggest challenge that the club faced in organizing the event was being underprepared for possible problems, Tran said. “The key point is to do everything early,” Tran said. “It includes planning auditions, getting theater time, putting all the acts together and in order, making sure all the models have their costumes, and making sure that we receive the music from each act.” The audience seemed to love the show and it seemed to run smoothly and according to plan, Tran said. “It’s a long and stressful process, but once the show begins, it’s fun,” Tran said.
MHS will be undergoing many different renovation and construction projects, all of which are estimated to be finished by November 2015, according to Principal Kenneth Schlaff. These projects are designed to improve learning conditions, add classroom space, and maintain the campus, Schlaff said. The time length for all the projects is staggered across the two years allocated for renovation and construction work, Schlaff said. The different projects include the Learning Commons, buildings, portables, restrooms, as well as the old and new swimming pools, according to Schlaff. “[The Learning Commons] include conference rooms, mobile space for instruction, meeting areas with different configurations of furniture and different types of furniture, project storage areas linked up with the video production room,” Schlaff said. The purpose of the Learning Commons Center is to provide students a flexible learning space, according to Schlaff. The designated space includes the current library, career center, and cafeteria, all of which are planned to be remodeled to imitate a college setting, Schlaff said. The project is set to start in June 2014 and end in October 2014, Schlaff added. “We will turn space that has never been used into usable space, which is just wasted right now,” Schlaff said. From June 2014 to August 2014, Buildings E, F, G, J, and L will be renovated, and from June 2015 to August 2015, Buildings A, B, D, H, K, and portables will be renovated, according to Schlaff. All are getting new carpeting
and new Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system; in addition, the L-building will be repainted, Schlaff said. Three restrooms will be renovated at different times: October 2014 to December 2014, December 2014 to February 2015, and February 2015 to March 2015 “You have to do preventive maintenance,” Schlaff said, and the reconstruction work fits this theme. The purpose of changing the HVAC system is to improve basic climate and comfort in class and of changing the carpeting is to ensure cleanliness and health, according to Schlaff. To accommodate for the growing population on campus, new classroom space is being arranged, according to Schlaff. The old pool will be filled in, and a wet lab will be constructed over it, Schlaff said. The inside of the G-building contains a teacher work area that will be converted into a classroom, according to Schlaff. Across the street, the Evergreen college campus is also being built; there will be around eight to ten classrooms and will accommodate approximately 250 to 300 students, Schlaff said. “Yes, the population is growing, and yes, there is a need for classroom space, and the campus, in certain respects, needs to have a redesign with two stories,” Schlaff said. “Fill in particular areas that are open space with buildings.” Long-term solutions include building and filling open spaces. With the growing population, an auxiliary gym may have to be added and the theater may need to be enhanced, said Schlaff. Money for future renovations may be funded by more taxes, he said.