The Union - Milpitas High School - November 2021

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GIRLS’ SPORTS UNIFORMS SEXIST (2)

MX. BARR TELLS XYR STORY (5)

ART SPREAD: FROM BOB ROSS TO BANANAS (6-7)

POLL: APPLE MUSIC OR SPOTIFY? (8)

INJURED ATHLETES (10)

THE

NOVEMBER 2021 VOLUME XXXIIII ISSUE II

UNI N

MHSTHEUNION.COM FOR OTHER STORIES AND THE LATEST UPDATES

STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL

District provides mental health services after student death By Ryan Teoh

Vyomi Seth | THE UNION

Students mingle on the dance floor by the large gym at the end of the homecoming dance on Oct. 23.

Homecoming Dance 2021 breaks attendance records despite setbacks By Vyomi Seth

On Oct. 23, MHS’s homecoming dance had a record number of 900-1,000 attendees despite rain, which was more than expected, ASB secretary and dance coordinator Vyvy Nguyen said. The theme was “A Fairly Odd Dance.” The dance, which was originally planned to be on the tennis courts, was extended to the area in front of the gym and portable classrooms due to concerns of rain, Nguyen said. because of county-wide COVID-19 guidelines, the dance could not have been hosted indoors, she added. All students allowed in the dance had to have been fully vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test from the past three days. Following the strict guidelines proved to be a challenge, according to Nguyen. But with the help of additional funding from ticket sales, they were able to make it happen. Due to a lack of volunteers checking ID and vaccination cards, the line to get into the venue was 45-50 minutes long for many students. A majority of

students kept their masks on outside. While the main dance area was located in front of the gym, there was a selection of games and activities available on the tennis courts: air hockey, beanbag toss, bowling, ladder toss, and a themed photo backdrop. Behind the rumbling mosh pit, several classrooms were open as shelter from the rain. There were cartoons playing on the TVs and they had a few games, such as Apples to Apples and Telestrations, but they were sparse. No food or drink was allowed indoors, and masks were mandated. The theme, “A Fairly Odd Dance,” continued the cartoon theme throughout homecoming week. It was finalized by Nguyen, who said she “asked around what everyone’s favorite childhood cartoon was, and mostly got ‘Fairly Odd Parents.’” The radio station 99.7 NOW served as the DJ for the dance. The music selection consisted of latest hits and throwback 2010s dance music. Some songs played

were “Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo and “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Nguyen pre-approved all songs. There were a few options for food or drinks: Celsius Ice Cream (only drinks), Indian Express Food Truck, and Hawaiian Poke. “I think there should have been more... but the food smelled good,” senior Anthony Tran said. This was his first homecoming experience, and he recommended underclassmen to attend in the future. An unusual presence at the dance was the enigmatic student dressed head-to-toe in a Spiderman costume. However, the dance wasn’t as enjoyable for some students. Homecoming royalty nominee, EJ Loria, said “I don’t want to be here”, in tears. He described his experience as underwhelming compared to Homecoming 2019. The last song of the night was “Crank That” by Soulja Boy. On the way out, students were handed a slip of paper to redeem for “One Free Homecoming 2021 Sticker.”

Principal Rojas proposes PE waiver for marching band, NJROTC, color guard, athletics By Riya Vyas

A proposal for allowing students in the marching band, color guard, Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC), and athletics to get physical education (PE) credit for their electives was proposed by MHS Principal Francis Rojas at the Milpitas Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 9 following parent and student appeals. If the proposal is approved, students would still have to take PE their freshman year, but get PE credit for their second year in their elective, Rojas said. Future seniors in marching band, color guard, or NJROTC who took PE their freshman year may be able to earn credit for PE through their elective participation, Rojas

said. “A lot of my students have to take zero period for PE to meet the requirement, and if they’re in an academy, they have to get out of the program,” Jackson said. “I think that [the PE waiver] would be very beneficial to them and provide more opportunities for them to take something they would like to take.” If a PE waiver were offered, it would be easier for students to organize classes, get enough sleep, and finish homework, senior Gina Huss, who plays tenor drums in the marching band, said in an interview. Some students have to wake up early for zero period PE, stay in school as late as 9 p.m. for marching band, and then finish their homework, she said. “Marching band is way harder

[than PE],” Huss said. “My drum is the biggest instrument that marches … it weighs 32 pounds.” The PE waiver would also help the marching band recruit students because they would be able to offer more than performances and recreation, Huss said. “In color guard, we start off with a dance movement warm up, which is already more strenuous or demanding than basic stretches done in PE,” senior and color guard captain Rachel Yen said. Having to take PE and color guard in the same year was draining because the classes were only a few hours apart and both required strenuous physical activity, Yen said. “My sophomore year, I had to SEE PAGE 12

MUSD has provided mental health services to support students in the aftermath of the death of a MHS student, Principal Francis Rojas said in an interview. Even before the student’s death, the district had been working to create its own mental health support team to be self-sufficient and not rely on outside resources, Superintendent Cheryl Jordan said. “Whenever there is a crisis or tragedy at the school campus, the school or district has a crisis response team, and we meet immediately to discuss what students might need,” Assistant Principal Jennifer Hutchison said. “We made a plan of support we would be giving to students and staff, both at MHS and at other schools or communities that might be affected. We set up the library as a counseling station where kids could come in and meet with support staff, which included our school counselors, CASSY therapists, school psychologists, and partnership with the Bill Wilson Center.” The Bill Wilson Center is an organization that works with schools in crisis to meet needs that arise, Hutchison said. School administrators drafted letters and sent them to families, contacted teachers who had the student in their classes, and had mental health professionals go to each class the student was in when the announcement was made, Hutchison stated. They also hosted staff meetings to inform staff how to look for signs a student needs help, Hutchison added. “Our assistant principals, especially Mr. Mach, have kept in touch with the student’s close circle of friends, to support them with coping,” Principal Francis Rojas said. “He has planned some activities for that close circle of friends for that.” In addition, MHS administration is looking to hold an optional school-wide assembly where experts can talk about what happened for interested students, Rojas said. Instead of a crisis response, the assembly is meant to aid students dealing with unresolved emotions and to help students to move forward, Rojas added. “Other than that, staff here, we’ve tried to give as much support as possible to the family,”

Rojas said. “As a community, we’re there for them.” MHS has added more counselors in the last few years, leading to a total of eight from previously four, in addition to CASSY, a counseling and support service for youth on campus, Hutchison said. “Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, we’ll start looking at one-on-one mentoring staff, with students who are struggling, and making sure that our students have an adult advocate here on campus that they can turn to for advice or advocacy with their teachers, or anything else that they may need,” Rojas said. The mentoring program was implemented during distance learning for ELD students, and now MHS is looking to extend it to other students, Rojas added. “I think the adults here on campus thought, ‘We’re going to come back to school and everything’ll be alright again,’ and the answer is, it’s not,” Rojas said. “A lot of people will say this year is actually harder than last year. Think about our freshmen and sophomores. Some of them came straight from seventh, sixth or eighth grade. That’s going to create immaturity, uncertainty.” The lack of social interaction for more than a year and a half has caused a lot of conflict, even among adults, Rojas said. “We have to really be patient with ourselves, give each other grace and space to transition back in, know that we make mistakes, but also know that we’re not alone,’’ Rojas said. “That’s the biggest thing.” All students can go to school counselors or the CASSY counselor on campus, or check MUSD’s website under “Get Involved” to see mental health resources such as CareSolace, Jordan said. Crisis Lines Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800)-273-8255 Bill Wilson Center: (408) 8506125 CASSY: (855)-278-4204 Bilingual Spanish Hotline: (800) 572-2782 Crisis Text Line Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support and is available 24/7 for those who need help. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741.

Ryan Teoh | THE UNION

Counselors are available for students in the office.


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