The Union - Milpitas High School - December 2024

UNI N THE

New Performace Arts Center expected to open January 2026, benefits community

By Harold Hong

The MHS Music and Performing Arts Center (PAC) is scheduled to open in January 2026, according to the MHS website. The company leading the PAC project is TBK Construction Management Corporation. The PAC, which is just under 40,000 square ft., is at roughly 40% completion and may possibly reach 50% by the end of this year, company founder and CEO Travis Kirk said.

At the peak, there are around 80-100 people working daily on the site of the PAC, TBK Construction Management Corporation’s Project Manager Kyle Kirk, the lead on the PAC, said. The part of the PAC currently under construction is the choral, band, and orchestra rooms, all cumulatively called the classrooms section, Travis Kirk said. The classrooms section and theater with over 557

seats will all have high ceilings and lots of acoustics, he added.

“It’s (PAC) a one-story building with the exception that it’s 54 feet high because it’s a theater, and that gives you better acoustics,”

Travis Kirk said. “There is a set of stairs and an elevator, but it goes to a control room – a control room that is in the back of the theater, looks on the stage, and can control your sound and lights. Then above that is what’s called a follow spot room, and that’s a guy with a spotlight.”

Rain is a major cause of delays in the project, which is able to be mitigated by lime treating the soil, Travis Kirk said. Lime is laid on top of soil to help it firm up and shed water, he added. The pandemic was also a big cause of delays, he said.

“The pandemic impacted the overall budget of the district,”

Travis Kirk said. “The original

project was the Performing Arts Center, a second gym, and a fitness center. And so when the pandemic hit, the cost of everything went up maybe 30%, so the district had to make a decision on what to build. Because they didn’t have enough money to build all three, they decided that the theater and Performing Arts Center was probably the most impactful to the community as a whole.”

The first focus meetings for the PAC started around Feb. 14, 2019, Assistant Principal Jennifer Hutchinson said. Meetings on architecture and design took place between February 2020 to December of that year, she said.

“We had meetings with community members, what they wanted to see in it (PAC),” Hutchinson said. “The whole school staff, what they wanted to

SEE PAGE 20

Teachers attend new boundaries training

By Prisha Jain

Employees across the district are being required to attend a new in-person training on preventing child sexual abuse through boundaries for staff, Director of Human Relations Kristin Stonehouse said.

The training is being offered in batches to all district employees between Oct. 31 and Jan. 29, Stonehouse said. This training comes with an anonymous staff-only form which allows them to report behaviors from other staff members that they deem inappropriate to HR, Stonehouse added.

“What we know about child sexual abuse is, it’s predictable and preventable,” Stonehouse said. “Behaviors that are commonly seen can be addressed, (and) can be reported.”

During his time working in the district, biology teacher Kenn Lewis has not attended a training similar to this one, he said. The training’s suggestion that there

should be no one-on-one interactions between staff and students do not seem feasible, he added.

“Some of the things they were describing were kind of like middle school, but in high school, it’s different,” Lewis said. “There are times where kids need to come in and do something, especially in science class. You got labs, you can’t do the lab at home, can’t do the test at home either.”

He already implements policies that establish clear boundaries with students, and will continue to do so, Lewis said. Students come to his class during zero period to make up tests and labs, and he will accommodate his policies to match the district’s guidelines, Lewis added.

“When kids come in the morning, I’ll go over and open that door (connecting door in the L building) so that’s open,” Lewis said. “l’ll go out and talk to my colleagues so they can see (that) I’m in and out. I’m not just in here alone with the student non-stop.”

The boundary training en-

couraged teachers to regularly evaluate whether they had seen any suspicious behavior, Spanish teacher Teresita Romero said. The training also provided a phone number that teachers can call to self-report if they thought that they felt any attraction to a student, Romero added.

“It would be scary for a teacher because you’re raising your hand saying, I’m a predator,” Romero said. “You might be attracted to somebody. You have to be the adult and get the help to turn that off, right?”

The suggestions made by the district regarding faculty reporting other faculty members were slightly uncomfortable, English Teacher Tonichi Lorenzana said. The parameters for what would be considered questionable are not clear cut due to Milpitas being such a tight-knit community, he added.

“Are there cases where, you know, that kind of closeness

ASB reflects on Winter Ball cancellation, ticket refunds

By Akshaj Kashyap

The Winter Ball, originally scheduled for Dec. 7, 2024, was canceled due to a lack of ticket sales, Associate Student Body (ASB) President Atharv Vyas said. All students who bought a ticket will receive a full refund, he said.

Before the winter ball was canceled, ASB had sold roughly 115-120 tickets, Vyas said. ASB ultimately determined there to be four main reasons why enough tickets hadn’t been sold, Vyas added.

“It could have been the timing of the event, the ticket prices, poor publicity on our part, and the fourth was not publicizing in a way where we called it ‘winter ball,’” Vyas said. “Just because we had to get approved by admin, we called it ‘Jack Emery Benefit Ball,’ and people thought it would be more of a middle school benefit dance rather than something similar to Hoco (Homecoming).”

ASB secretary Billy Banh also believed that ASB could have done a better job at publicizing the dance to better reflect its true nature without overworking the publicists, Banh said.

“I think what happened was an oversaturation (of work) on our publicists because it was very difficult for them to get out all the information for everything and then also have all the events (like Pie Wars, Duct Tape Wars, etc.),” Banh said. “There were a ton of events, but it was only a

few people working on that. (...) They were working on all the events and there were so many, that it became difficult for them to keep track of what needed to go and what had to come out. So I think it’s on us for not planning properly and giving them a proper schedule.”

Originally, the ticket prices were placed at $20 (ASB cardholder) and $30 (regular), before the price went up to $25 (ASB cardholder) and $35 (regular), Banh said. A $10 discount was then given for the special, Banh added. ASB needed to sell roughly 800 tickets at the original prices and 450 tickets for the regular prices, Banh said.

“We wanted to make it (Winter Ball) $20 because we believed every dance should increase in price and formalities because the dance is supposed to be a lot more inclusive and higher quality,” Banh said. “Then we would also give a portion of the proceeds to hit the Jack Emery goal so we hit two birds with one stone by pricing the dance a bit more, but I think people were shut down by the doubling (of price) from homecoming, especially because it (Winter Ball) was seen as another homecoming.”

The refund process, for those who bought a Winter Ball ticket, should be fairly straightforward and can be handled at the student bank with Jim Hollenback, ASB treasurer Armaan Raj said.

Eye On Campus

Harold Hong | THE UNION

The Performance Arts Center, currently under construction, is expected to open its doors in January 2026.

Courtesy of Mazaria Aldrich Symphony Orchestra performs during the Winter Dreams Concert on Dec. 11. The performance features percussion, wind, and string instruments. The Winter Dreams Concert also features Choir and String Symphony.

PRO

Gambling provides chance to learn, win

Most people would say the main appeal of gambling is the thrill of it because even if a person loses money, they’re enjoying the game and having fun in the long run. However, what if people could gamble without losing significant money?

Typically, gambling provides hope for a wealthy future and a fun time, but through skillbased games, gamblers can make money more consistently while also learning life lessons and gaining statistical expertise for the future.

One way to make money is through sports gambling, which involves actual skill and knowledge instead of a chance-based game like roulette.

There are typically 2 types of general sports gambling a person can bet on: over/under, a certain statistic for a team or player, or moneyline: betting on the team if a team/player wins or loses.

Non-sports-inclined gamblers can also gamble in casinos and win in skill-based games. People have said it’s impossible to win against the house, which is true if a person indulges in a skilless game such as roulette, but it doesn’t hold for all casino games.

The most well-known casino game that individuals can play to consistently make money is Blackjack, with only a 49% loss rate, according to Techopedia.

Gambling in a game of Blackjack might seem unappealing to others because of the 49% loss rate, but individuals can improve the winto-loss ratio through card counting, which is keeping track of a point value for every game.

The concept of card counting isn’t hard to learn, so most people could pick it up rather quickly. In the process, people can also learn game theory, which has applications in microeconomics.

US Military draft should include women

The Selective Service System, precursor to the draft, impacts the lives of millions of American families during wartime. Men of ages 18 to 25 must register and may train for military service. Complying with gender equality laws, women should be required to register for the draft.

Currently, the government mandates that men register within thirty days of reaching age 18. The system provides data for the draft, ensuring that the United States military has enough manpower should a global conflict break out. Recruitment would increase in the event of an all-gender draft, boosting manpower for rapid response to crises globally.

Since the creation of feminist movements, more argue that women should have equal job opportunities. Subsequently, there should be laws including women in the draft. Such laws would revolutionize equality for both genders, and jobs across the military would be filled without consideration of gender.

In the nation’s past, women

fought for basic liberties within society. Movements such as suffrage made significant impacts on the process of guaranteeing women the freedoms of voting, education, and employment.

According to the Selective Service website, drafts are equitable by registering all eligible men. If they choose not to, privileges such as a driver’s license, financial aid, and federal job training will be forfeited. There is also a fine of up to $250,000 or five years in prison.

CONNOR LONG

What about women? Women fought for their rights, but should have to sacrifice similarly. These privileges should be at stake for women, providing similar incentives as it does for men.

Nowadays, sports gambling mainly happens online where individuals can bet on one of these two types of gambling on sites such as Stake, Fanduel, and DraftKings. Take basketball as an example. People can use knowledge to figure out which player might do well by betting the over on Norman Powell’s three-pointers against the Golden State Warriors because every time the Warriors play the Los Angeles Clippers, Powell doesn’t miss many catch-and-shoot threes.

Overall, gambling may seem like a mess to navigate, but there are skills people can use to win money through actually knowing the sport and matchups you’re betting on if you’re sports gambling. In addition, learning the theory and statistics behind casino games like card counting may even extend to a career as a data analyst, as the logical foundation behind card counting is just another type of analyzing the data you have to make an informed decision.

Pathological gambling has consequences

The popularity of online betting and sports betting has risen in the United States, with the American Gaming Association reporting total revenue from casino games, sports betting, and iGaming reached $66.52 billion, a 10% increase over the previous record set in 2022.

Nobody should participate in online betting or gambling because of the increased risk of gambling disorders that can lead to mental health and relationship issues.

For most adults, gambling remains a form of entertainment. However, 2.5 million adults in the U.S. meet the criteria of having a severe gambling problem, characterized by compulsive gambling and the urge to gamble even at a great personal cost, according to the U.S. World News and Report.

ing to the National Institute on Drug Abuse(NIDA).

Gambling’s effects on mental health even transcend into physical health as gambling stress in casinos leads to chronic stress and even cardiovascular disease, according to the Mental Health Foundation.

Many pathological gamblers go on gambling streaks that can last multiple days, leading to sleep deprivation. The level of cognitive dissonance that these gamblers have is unmatched as they “chase” for the “big win” that will solve it all.

Pathological gamblers often find themselves preoccupied with gambling, using it as a means to escape their problems.

In addition, pathological gambling can severely impact a person’s mental health, often leading to feelings of depression, guilt, and anxiety. Neurologically, gambling affects the brain similarly to drugs, increasing dopamine release and altering reward pathways. Furthermore, pathological gamblers tend to have higher addiction rates to substances like nicotine and alcohol than the general population, accord -

Gambling also notoriously causes problems in relationships, according to the Promises Behavioural Health. Financial issues from gambling lead to hostility between family members, a common cause of depression. Additionally, gamblers often have inplace defense mechanisms because they are ashamed of their behavior and will defend it at all costs.

The chaos that ensues within these relationships leads to higher reported levels of domestic violence, likely because of the behavioral problems that arise from intense gambling. Ultimately, the general population should be wary before engaging in gambling, as 1-3% become pathological gamblers. It’s essential to recognize that gambling isn’t just a financial risk—it’s an issue affecting the mind, body, and relationships.

In contrast to Hudson’s statement, requiring women to register significantly contributes to equality, and reduces gender gaps within the military. Women have served in combat and have proven themselves capable of adequate performance.

With today’s recruiting crisis, a draft may be necessary. The nation needs troops in order to be fully prepared. Between the Civil War and the Second World War, women tried helping in the military in any way– whether it was by nursing, manufacturing, or performing on stage. Now, they have more freedom in job selection and should use it to equalize gender representation in the workforce.

Today, these rights are given to every citizen, yet not all sacrifice at the same extent as men. Modern-day feminists fight the gender pay gap and gender preferences in jobs. Their fight would be honored by requiring female registration for the draft. However, some do not share the viewpoint of being eligible for the draft. According to Valerie Hudson on “Deseret,” women are delicate, and mandatory registration would burden them more than it would men.

AP, Weighted class limits ‘hinder

Trojans are highly restricted by the limit on the number of weighted classes (AP, Honors, Dual/Concurrent enrollment) a student can take. Weighted classes offer students an extra GPA point per class.

Students are limited to four weighted classes each year with only three AP classes, likely due to worries over stress.

They are also limited to the number of college classes they are allowed to take over the summer with only two for incoming seniors and only one for all other grades according to the MHS 2024-25 school profile. Furthermore, only juniors and seniors are allowed to take college classes during the school year. x

However, 60% of 110 respondents said that they don’t feel stressed with their AP courseload, according to a survey by The Union. It appears reasonable to remove the problemat-

ic limit on weighted classes. Firstly, the limit restricts the potential of high-achieving students.

From the survey, we see many students want to take more weighted classes. Oftentimes, students’ schedules work out to make it easy for them to do so.

The limit cuts down the amount of coursework a student can take while also depriving them of the opportunity to earn college credit.

It also decreases college readiness.

Another issue is that the limit makes students’ college applications less competitive.

performance’

it does state students are limited to three AP classes, makes no mention of the constraints of the weighted class limit and restrictions on college classes.

Admissions officers understand the context of the student’s application using the school profile, sent by the school to colleges every year. The official MHS school profile for 2024-25, while

These policies are a detriment as it appears that students do not push themselves as much as other applicants do, making them seem less prepared. Admissions officers review by state, according to an article by Collegemoneytips. When applications are compared to other schools in Santa Clara County, students face the disadvantage of having fewer weighted classes. It appears that MHS students are less prepared for college in the view of college admissions officers.

Overall, the limits on weighted classes work against students and limit potential.

Lana Del Rey encourages smoking, harassment

Issues such as smoking cigarettes, vaping, pedophilia, or hebephilia (attraction to pubescent adolescents ranging from ages 11-14) are being romanticized by some celebrities, causing teenagers to follow in their lead and damage their health and mindset. An example of such a celebrity is Lana Del Rey, a popular American singer and songwriter.

Teenagers have created a vintage “grunge aesthetic” with Lana Del Rey as the inspiration, according to social media posts by people. Many photos of her include a cigarette in her hands, and she also often holds a vape in some performances, according to “Lana Del Rey Asks Fans ‘Can You Find My Vape on Stage?’ During Brazil Music Festival Performance”.

At a concert she held in Rio De Janeiro, she lost her vape on stage and asked the audience to look for it, according to People.com. This act is significant because it may

normalize vaping to the many teenagers in her fanbase.

Del Rey is known for many of her songs, but two popular songs have been looked over and seem to have lines of glorification of pedophilia.

“Lolita” is a famous novel by Vladimir Nabakov, a Russian-American novelist, and Del Rey took a liking to this book and used it as an inspiration for her songs.

The book is about a European man who has a sexual obsession with young girls. Dolores, whose nickname is Lolita, is a twelve-year-old girl who is physically and mentally abused by the man.

ic issues of teenagers seducing older men, which should not be occurring for young girls in this generation.

Lana’s album “Born to Die” has multiple references to “Lolita.” Songs such as “Off to the Races,” “Carmen,” “This is What Makes Us Girls,” “Cola” and “Gods and Monsters” mention pedophilic and hebephilic references in her lyrics.

Del Rey has written many songs revolving around Nabakov’s novel, and even includes quotes in her music. Lyrics speaking about her interest in older men are mentioned as well, which glorifies problemat-

“Runnin’ from the cops in our black bikini tops / screamin’ ‘Get us while we’re hot, get us while we’re hot,’” Del Rey sings in “This is What Makes Us Girls.”

Del Rey glorifies the idea of girls seducing older men, creating a bad example for young girls. Her recent popularity has brought a bigger fanbase, influencing teenagers and young adults to romanticize smoking and pedophilia.

VASISTA RAMACHANDRUNI

RONAK SRIVASTAV

VED VYAS

JAYDEN HERNANDEZ

New NFL game schedules becoming ‘too busy’

For the 2024 season, the NFL has unveiled a grueling new scheduling twist: ten teams face condensed schedules, including three games within 11 days. These demands push players to their limits, leaving them with minimal recovery time.

The innovations developed by the NFL have helped protect players ensure safer play, but any player, coach, or fan knows the truth – quick turnarounds inevitably wear players down.

Teams have suffered a total of 328 injury reserves and players out for the season, not including players deemed questionable for return. The average injury reserve/out-for-season rate is 10.25 players on each roster which is after week 14 of the 2024-2025 football season, according to ESPN’s website.

In previous seasons, no team was subjected to such a brutal schedule. In contrast, this year, six teams face the Monday-Sunday-Thursday

grind, which is a series of games spread out over the traditional days of the week also known as Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, and Sunday football including Sunday morning, afternoon, and night, while four others must endure a Sunday-Saturday-Wednesday schedule due to holiday programming according to NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk.

The NFL should be alarmed by the growing list of sidelined players, but the bottom line–filled with profit money–continues to take precedence. The push for more games in shorter windows risks not just players’ health but the future of the sport, where longevity are under threat.

ATTICUS

ROBERTS-DANIELS

The league is using the flexible schedule to maximize profits, testing how much they can push players without seeing immediate blowback. Injuries across the league are stacking up, as reflected in each team’s injury reserve list. Local fan favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers, have suffered injuries affecting their star players George Kittle, Nick Bosa, and many others, forcing the franchise into a mid-season crisis.

If the NFL truly values the integrity of the game, it’s time to reevaluate the scheduling process. Let’s bring the focus back to the players, who put their bodies on the line every week. Prioritizing health and recovery isn’t just a player’s issue – it’s a matter of respect, safety, and the long-term legacy of the sport.

Players deserve to compete at their best. For the NFL, this shift will require moving beyond short-term profits to make choices that sustain the players and the game.

EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The Union

Brainrot negatively affects youth behavior

“Brainrot,” the 2024 Oxford Word Of The Year, is defined as “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of (online) material considered to be trivial or unchallenging,” according to The Oxford University Press. The increasing popularity of so-called “brainrot” content among teenagers is detrimental to both the individuals consuming it and society as a whole.

Internet slang terms like “skibidi,” “sigma,” “gyatt,” and “rizz” often come to mind when brain rot is mentioned. Though many teens see this terminology as humorous, it indicates how brainrot affects language and makes words lose meaning. None of these terms have well-defined meanings and can be used in many different ways to convey the same message— describing something as “skibidi” or “sigma” has virtually the same meaning.

It could be argued that this is true for most slang words; however, this particular subset has dominated the internet. It is common to see variations of

the same few brainrot terms in social media comment sections.

This slang is causing diction to lose its value as more and more people begin to narrow their lexicons and decrease the diversity of their word choices.

Additionally, many slang terms that originate from the internet today trivialize problematic topics. For example, take rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs will stand trial in May 2025 for sex trafficking and racketeering, according to the British Broadcasting Company. However, the internet has made a meme out of this crime, with Combs’ name and the term “diddy party” being used as a piece of humorous brain rot content.

Further on this topic, the threat “I hope you get touched,” referring to one being sexually assaulted, has been made popular through the internet. It is treated as a harmless threat that one could administer to a friend. This watering down of problematic behaviors desensitizes us towards them. As a consequence, they are treated as much less serious than they actually are, diminishing the

gravity of the action. There is also no justifiable reason for them to be considered funny. In addition, consuming the short-form content that dominates the internet these days— from Instagram reels to TikTok videos—lowers one’s attention span, according to the National Library of Medicine. The addictive nature of this content can also take time away from more meaningful activities. To combat these effects of brain rot, we need to be mindful and more sensitive. When we consume content online, it is important to pick valuable content that truly entertains or provides us with insight. We must also consider the implications of the terminology and actively diversify our world views

In addition, we should all try to consume a variety of media that isn’t limited to only shortform content to avoid negative effects on our attention spans — movies, shows, and books are alternatives to consider. Overall, although brainrot content seem relatively harmless, the implications of overconsuming are severe, and we must all be proactive about avoiding them.

EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The Union

Innovative Jack Emery donation events, ASB fundraising efforts were not in vain

The 2024 Jack Emery drive, which raised a total of $12,306.26, fell short of hitting the projected goal of $15,000. However, this deficit should not take away from the efforts of the Associative Student Body (ASB), which held many events throughout the past few weeks to promote the Jack Emery Drive.

We, The Union, commend this creativity in new charity events that have provided for the less fortunate in our community. For example, ASB held new class competitions like Pie Wars on Dec. 4 where students between years were competing for who could sell the most pies, with the winners getting the chance to throw pies at ASB representatives. This generated

a lot of attention and was highly publicized with many morning announcements and emails. Although the Winter Ball Dance was canceled, an event that Jack Emery was going to rely on for donations, ASB handled the situation very well by agreeing to refund everyone who bought tickets while also avoiding monetary loss. They did not lose any money because the budgeted costs for the Winter Ball will go to another event because of MHS’s loyalty to one company, for all school events, according to ASB president Atharv Vyas.

The Winter Ball Dance hasn’t occurred since 2019, so the fact that ASB heard that people would be interested in a possible Winter Ball event and organized

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STAFF

Akshaj Kashyap • E ditor - in -C hi E f

Prisha Jain • News Editor

Marie De Vre • Asst. News Editor

Jerry Yong • Op-Ed Editor

Javier Alfaro • Asst. Op-Ed Editor

Angelrain Bacungan • Asst. Op-Ed Editor

Ved Vyas • Features Editor

Harold Hong • Asst. Features Editor

Akshata Bhuskat • Asst. Features Editor

Ronak Srivastav • Sports Editor

Andy Nguyen • A sst. Sports Editor

Shrihan Sham • A sst. Sports Editor

Namana Balakrishna • Lifestyle Editor

DieuUyen Vu • Asst. Lifestyle Editor

Ian Choi • Asst. Lifestyle Editor

Misheel Enkhtur • Entertainment Editor

Jayden Hernandez • Asst. Entertainment Editor

Atticus Roberts-Daniels • Asst. Entertainment Editor

Yunxi Fang • Spread Editor

Kiara Cassandra • Asst. Spread Editor

Vasista Ramachandruni • Web Editor

Reba Vishwandhini Prabhakar • Graphics Editor

Connor Long • Photo Editor

Sowmya Sundar • Copy Editor

Ilana Ramzan • Copy Editor

Alice Nguyen • Social Media Editor

Gengyang Lin • Business/Ad Manager

Sanjit Roy Journalism Advisor

it is commendable and shows that ASB is more than willing to listen to the student body.

Some other events that ASB did include Pumpkin Painting on Nov. 20, Duct Tape Wars on Nov. 15, and Jack Emery Spirit Week from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6. All of these events were unique and creative ways to increase donations for the Jack Emery Drive this year, and although MHS as a whole did not reach its goal because the Winter Ball wasn’t held, ASB still put their best effort to encourage students to donate to charity.

We hope there will be a winter ball dance next year and that more students will support the event and help raise more money for the Jack Emery Drive so that we can hit our goals.

WANT TO REPRESENT THE STUDENTS?

Teachers discuss experiences at Innovation Campus extension

With the opening of the new Innovation Campus this year, many may wonder what life is like at the new extension.

English teacher Sejee Kim is in her 6th year of working for MUSD and moved from the main MHS campus to the extension when it opened this year, Kim said.

Regarding what motivated her to teach at the extension, Kim said, “I realized that a lot of the goals of this campus are really closely aligned with my personal goals of trying to provide equitable education and increasing underrepresented populations in our workforce.”

She also wanted an opportunity to do something new, Kim said.

“I’d already been teaching at MHS for five years, and everything was stable, but I wanted to challenge myself,” Kim said.

Kim believes the student environment at the extension is very different from the environment at the main campus, she said.

“For one, just the fact that it’s a smaller school already makes the environment more close,” Kim said. “Everyone is like a friendly, familiar face to each other.”

Kim’s teaching standards are the same, but she can do more creative things because of the extra resources teachers have at the extension, Kim said.

“For example, if I wanted them to write a personal narrative, instead of just having them write that down, I can also have them record a podcast of a video clip,” Kim said. “There’s access to the district’s recording studio. The kids all have Macbooks so they have better software. The technology and resources here just

lend better to being able to do more things.”

Kim is looking forward to having a fully fundraised trip to Japan in 2026, she said.

“We want to fundraise all of it so that way kids that can’t afford to go to Japan or travel abroad can go.”

Some of the students’ projects are tied to fundraising events, Kim said.

“For example, some of them are designing merch, designing logos that can be put on merch, or just designing websites,” Kim said.

Math teacher Mimi Nguyen taught at the MHS main campus for five years before teaching at the extension, Nguyen said.

“When I was a part of the planning process and saw how (the planning committee) was building out the school, I was really interested in it, so that’s why I volunteered to come over here,” Nguyen said.

The MHS Innovation Campus Extension extension uses a block schedule, where students take their 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th periods on Monday and Wednesday and 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 7th periods on Tuesday and Thursday, Nguyen said. Friday is the extension’s minimum day and students attend periods one through six, she added.

“For the most part, I do like the bigger blocks of time, (...)” Nguyen said. “The main adjustment I’ve made is, instead of giving students homework and not being sure whether they did it on their own or not, this is the time that I’ll give them in class to actually work on the assignments, and I could just help them immediately.”

Nguyen is trying different teaching methods at the extension, she said. She is trying to assign more projects that she did not have time to develop or execute on the main campus, she added.

“I definitely do less homework and more work in class to make sure that they (students) actually are developing that proficiency,” Nguyen said.

History teacher Sherilyn Roy taught at the main campus for two years before moving to the extension, Roy said.

“I’m still doing (teaching) the same things,” Roy said. “The only new class for me is ethnic studies, but I believe at MHS they’re also doing (requiring) ethnic studies.”

The class sizes at the extension are small, Roy said. Her largest class has 22 students and her smallest class, ethnic studies, has three students, she added.

“I’m sure that next year when there’s more of an interest, we’ll get more and more people to join,” Roy said.

A big difference between the main campus and the extension is that the extension has a beautiful STEAM lab that is being set up, Roy said.

“We have a ton of 3D printers and a lot of machines that the kids can use,” Roy said.

Roy thinks that a lot of people are hesitant to come to the extension because it’s brand new, she said.

“And I think everyone here took a leap of faith in us,” Roy said. “ They see that the school is still running, nothing is on fire. So a lot of parents in the community are like, ‘Ok, we can breathe.’ Everything was going to be okay.”

Student musicians give insight

By Rain Bacungan

Many students take joy from playing instruments as a form of self-expression and exercising their independence. Their passion can be deeprooted from family members or just musical influences.

Freshman Brody Nguyen, former guitarist of the band Estranged Individuals, plays two instruments, the guitar and bass, and is currently learning how to play the piano, he said. “When I was in fifth grade, my (older) brother picked guitar (to play),” Nguyen said. “He taught me ‘Hey There, Delilah’ and after that, I started just learning my own songs and then stuck with it.”

Nguyen’s band had to break up because their drummer moved to Japan. However, he is looking forward to joining another band in the future, he added.

“I like playing solo, but I do also enjoy playing in a band,” Nguyen said. “I want to pursue music for the rest of high school and even in college. I want to make a band, and maybe (be) a music teacher in the future.”

Senior Jorel Hernandez plays the guitar for the band Peach Skies and can play three instruments –the alto saxophone, guitar, and piano, he said.

“There wasn’t a single factor that drove me to music,” Hernandez said. “There were a lot of factors; there was my uncle, there was my cousin, but also just listening to music. As a kid, I fell in love with music that way, and when I got introduced to instruments, it really drove my passion to recreate songs and start creating my own music.”

Hernandez takes musical inspiration to artists such as Charlie Puth, Pharrell Williams, and Bruno Mars, he said.

“It’s not their music that caught my attention — it’s how they approach their music,” Hernandez said. “The way they approach their music involves a lot of music theory and that really spoke to me because it gives a bigger depth of meaning to the music, rather than just really common chords that one may hear in a pop song.”

Freshman Neil Prabhu playstwo instruments, he said. Prabhu can play the piano and a bit of the trombone, and is learning how to play the bass, he added.

“On piano, I can play anything you play in front of me,” Prabhu said. “I’m a D1 sight reader. Trombone – I know three songs.”

Despite his parents introducing him to music, Prabhu slowly lost interest in it during quarantine due to the unavailability of in-person classes and not wanting to learn by himself, he said. However, his interest in music sparked again in sixth grade because of Nguyen, he added.

“Brody (Nguyen) is the one that brought me back into music in the sixth grade,” Prabhu said. “During that (year), there was a talent show. He said (that) we should start playing again. Ever since then, I’ve been playing piano more.”

With a rediscovered passion for music, Prabhu has a new perspective on music, he said.

“Music is like an art – it’s a way to express yourself,” Prabhu said. “ Music has multiple levels to it. You have to really think about what you’re listening (to). Each lyric has a story behind it.”

Underappreciated cafeteria workers shine light on tough aspects of serving students, managing time during school day, other work

By Shrihan Sham

Every day the cafeteria crew serves thousands of meals to students at our school, but what happens behind the counter to make this a reality? Rachelle Dalisay, one of the kitchen leads in charge of overseeing the daily food operations, talked about her daily work, teamwork, and dedication that keep the cafeteria running.

Dalisay’s day starts at 6:15 a.m., by firing up equipment, performing temperature checks, opening the registers, and checking emails, she said.

“Every day is different. Sometimes we don’t have the ingredients we need and have to adjust,” she said.

Special schedule days, like rally days or AP exam days, add another layer of difficulty, requiring the team to extend hours and adjust workflow, Dalisay said.

Things don’t always go right, sometimes equipment breaks and there is nothing they can do at that moment, she explained.”If something breaks, we have to think quickly,” Dalisay said.

Dalisay recalls a time when one skillet in the pasta line stopped working. The group resorted

to stovetop cooking in smaller batches – a slow process that required a tremendous amount of team effort to stay on schedule, she said.

Teamwork is the most important thing of the cafeteria’s operations, Dalilsay said. Each team member has a designated role, and they support one another to ensure the job gets done, she said.

“Everyone focuses on their target for the day,” Dalisay said. “If someone falls behind, we step in to help.”

Managing the time is the hardest part of the job, sometimes they run out of time, Dalisay said.

“We need to meet the count because we’re serving like 1600 right now. Meals, breakfast and lunch. So we need to make it on time, because there’s a time frame” she said.

A lot of people think heating up and cooking the food is the hardest part, but it is not. It is the unpacking, of the food and equipment, Dalisay said.

While the job is demanding, it’s also deeply fulfilling, Dailsay said. Students’ simple acts of gratitude — like saying “thank you” or

complimenting a meal — makes a huge difference, she added.

“It’s the simple things, but they mean a lot, especially when you’re working so hard,” Dalisay said. Emotional moments with students make her job incredibly rewarding, she said.

A student aide “told me, ‘Working here changed me a lot.’ On his last day, he cried and promised to come back to visit,” Dalisay said. However, she wishes that the cafeteria staff received more recognition, she said.

“Sometimes people don’t notice us,” Dalisay said. “We’re also employees, and we play a big part in the school. When you come to school hungry, you can’t focus. We’re the ones filling that need.”

Right after lunch ends, we clean up and we go to our second job, Dalisay said. “After lunch we clean the kitchen and many of us go to our second job. I work for the city” she said. Despite the challenges, Dalisay takes pride in her work, she said.

This might be a hard job, but it’s always nice to see the students eat and enjoy the food we make, she explained.

A large green field surrounded by two-story classrooms at the Milpitas High School Innovation Campus.

Shrihan Sham | THE UNION

Courtesy of Jessica Pham

By Yunxi Fang

Brody Nguyen (left) playing a solo on the song “Audrey” at a showcase.

Rachelle Dalisay, cafeteria lead, operates the cash register at lunch.

Yunxi Fang | THE UNION

Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps annual military inspection aims to impress Navy inspectors

By Connor Long

The Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps had its Annual Military Inspection (AMI) on Dec. 12. AMI is a formal event in which representatives from the United States Navy come to the high school to personally inspect the program’s performance and decide whether or not it is worth running for another year.

Each year, the inspection takes in the large gym and is critical in deciding the unit’s future, Executive Officer Senior Chief Akshat Paliwal, a junior said. Each detail is inspected with nuance, regardless of how minor, he continued.

“The point of the inspection is so he (the area manager) can see how we’re doing, but also so that he can see if there are major flaws,” Paliwal said. “Then we get a certain amount of time to fix those flaws. If we don’t, our program will be shut down.”

Some aspects the area manager assesses are drills, such as marching and faces, and knowledge of the Navy plus its core values, Commanding Officer Kaydence Foronda, a senior said. One additional aspect he or she inspects is leadership, she added. The NJROTC staff trains and educates cadets on drill performance, recitation of phrases and clauses, and responding to certain prompts, she said. Last year, a rearrangement in the chain of command negatively impacted the inspection, she continued.

“Last year, we had completely

new staff, which definitely impacted our annual military inspection by a lot because everybody was learning what they had to do, and we were all very new to the jobs,” Foronda said. “This year, we definitely have a stronger leadership core, and that spreads out into having better drill, better knowledge. The main thing that we hope to improve from last year is just our involvement with our guests, our leadership portion of the AMI.”

Since the 2023-2024 school year, the NJROTC has had low recruitment and numbers; they couldn’t meet their requirement of 100 cadets to maintain funding and support from the United States Navy, Senior Naval Science Instructor Lieutenant Margie Jackson said. This year, the senior leaders are optimistic, with the program being at about 80 percent of the hundred-member goal, she said.

“If we weren’t meeting all requirements, then we would go on probation,” Jackson said. “In the past, if we were on probation for two years in a row, they (the Navy) could close us down.”

Despite not meeting the hundred-member goal, the senior cadet leaders hope that the unit’s tenacity and spirit will have convinced the area manager to allow the unit’s continued operation, Jackson said.

“When they see that the cadets are really meeting that standard and (helping) the community, they know the program’s doing

what it should be doing,” Jackson said.

On the inspection day, the large gym is cordoned off and any physical education classes using it are instructed to host classes elsewhere so that the cadets and area managers can use the facility, Paliwal said. The inspection lasted about four periods, and cadets are excused from classes they miss, he continued.

“We’ve given them enough time to prepare for this inspection,” Paliwal said. “This is one of those things that they’re supposed to learn in our program, which is time management. They need to be able to manage their time so the coursework that they miss in their classes then, they can make up before or after their classes.”

The NJROTC’s performance in the AMI is instrumental in their continued operation in Milpitas, Jackson said. Shutting the program down would also shut down the only JROTC unit within Santa Clara County, she added. The program gives students life skills that they can employ beyond the classroom, and its shutdown would deny students the opportunity to improve self-esteem, composure, fitness, and discipline, she continued.

“We (all JROTC programs) all have the same directive, that is a citizenship leadership program,” Jackson said. “It offers cadets opportunities to set them up for anything they want to do in their career.”

National table twennis players achievements

By Akshata Bhuskat

Table tennis, a popular worldwide sport which challenges players mentally, is played nationally by some students attending MHS.

Senior Diyan Shah plays competitively nationally, he said.

“My favorite memory was last year, the 2023 US Nationals. I won gold in my rating event in Fort Worth, Texas,” Shah said.

He practices every day for around 2-3 hours a day, said Shah.

“I try to properly schedule my classes right after school, so then I finish up with that, and right after I end my class, I just work on homework and stuff.” said Shah.

Shah has been playing table tennis for six years, nationally, he said. He prefers singles because he can fully utilize his forehand and backhand, he said.

Junior Anish Sivakumar has learned that it takes time to succeed, he said.

“Success is not fast and failures are inevitable,” Sivakumar said.

Sivakumar, also a national player, has been playing a mix of singles and doubles table tennis for six years, he said.

Junior Tanish Balamurugan plays nationally and has also been playing table tennis for 6 years, he said. He won first place in his latest club tournament, Balamurgugan said.

He started off playing table tennis at a summer camp where he found it interesting and decided he wanted to play, he said.

“My favorite memory is playing table tennis with my 9-year-old sister, who also plays table tennis,” Balamurugan said.

Table tennis has given Shah a lot of time to think and taught him many morals that help him in his daily life, he said.

“Don’t think, become. Which is like, don’t just get stuck in thought, but like, actually try to do those things.” said Shah.

Table tennis tournaments are played based on your rating over time and depending on different categories, Sivakumar said. These tournaments are done within brackets to find who won first place, he said.

“I played many sports like soccer and basketball. I found table tennis at a summer camp at ICC, and I really liked it, so I just continued with table tennis.” Shah said.

For beginners, take the process slowly and master the basics. Once you get that down, you can become more strategic, said Shah, encouraging those who want to start playing.

“I try to cut off things that distract me (to balance my social and academic life).” said Balamurgugan.

He prefers to play singles because there are more tournaments for singles, said Balamurgugan.

“Table tennis has made me mentally stronger. I’m able to think better during high pressure situations.” said Balamurgugan.

High screen times rampant among students cause time management, mental health issues for all

By Harold Hong

Electronic device usage has surged in the past decade among high school students all across the U.S. Out of 306 MHS students, 64.1% believe that their main device of use causes them to procrastinate on school assignments, according to a survey conducted by The Union. In this same pool of students, 56.7% believe they are addicted to their main device, and 34.6% attribute social media to a majority of their screen time.

Excessive screen time is linked to mental health issues, and can possibly increase stress and anxiety, cause mood swings, decrease sociability, and negatively affect sleep, according to Nexus Health Systems, a network of hospitals and treatment centers.

Senior Jeremiah Angeles acknowledges that many of his peers are addicted to their devices which has negatively impacted their social lives, he said.

“I have this one friend, when he’s talking to (no one) he always has his phone out,” Angeles

said. “You know, gatherings, no one’s ever talking to him. It’s (his phone) always out.”

People lose time on their devices that can be better spent on other activities, Angeles said. Screen time and content on the internet can have an adverse negative impact on a person mentally and physically, with symptoms of headaches, eye strain, poor posture, and sleep problems possibly occurring, he added.

“Sometimes there’s things on the internet you wouldn’t want to see,” Angeles said. “There are some illegal things on there, for sure.”

Junior Zack Xiong said that his weekend screen time is usually more than 4-5 hours per day.

Scrolling on social media contributes to roughly 80%-90% of Xiong’s screen time, he said. Xiong believes that he is addicted to his device and is currently taking steps to address it, he said.

“This week I’ve just uninstalled Instagram because I have a lot of missing work,” Xiong said. “Instagram was filling my life up with a lot of unnecessary screen time,

and with that, it didn’t really give me much time to do my homework.”

Many of Xiong’s peers are addicted to their devices, with their screen times similar to his, Xiong said. Screen time can physically harm how often and how much a person eats and exercises, he added.

“I’d say it’s a bit harmful,” Xiong said. “But then again, with using your devices, there are pros and cons, and one of the cons is that it will be harmful to your health, but the pro is that you have a lot of useful information out there you can still use.”

Junior Tyler Le, whose main device is his computer, said he averages 10-15 hours of screen time on weekends. There are positive ways to use one’s device, he said. “I use (my device) for my hobbies (programming),” Le said. “There’s also other stuff out there, like my brother who did an opportunity, like business stuff online. (...) I say how disciplined you are is how you use it. Because if you weren’t very disciplined, you’d just be wasting your time.”

Senior Chief Akshat Paliwal trains the NJROTC’s armed drill team for their performance in the inspection.

Courtesy of USA Table Tennis

Sai Anish Sivakumar hits a forehand at Table Tennis Competition.

Harold Hong | THE UNION

Conner Long | THE UNION

The average screen time of MHS students on weekdays from the Union.

Students who self-study for AP exams give advice, share their experiences

By Ved Vyas

Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of students who are self-studying for AP exams, but what goes on behind the scenes of studying for these exams, and is self-studying worth it?

With AP exams becoming increasingly popular among ambitious students, many are opting to self-study to get ahead in their studies and work around other scheduling conflicts, as in the case of junior Nia Gupte.

“(I) wanted to make room for courses that I wanted to take. And like for example, I wanted, really wanted to take AP Statistics this year. And I also wanted to take on AP Spanish and AP chemistry. And as we know there is the three AP limit,” Gupte said.

In another case, senion Kyle Tse said that he self-studied the AP Chinese exam to avoid taking it in college and save money. Tse also provides insight into the AP limit.

“I feel like for some people, they should be able to, like, extend the limit to like, four or five like, based on their academic history,” Tse said. “But otherwise, I think three is a good amount so that people

keep a good balance of academic prowess while not stressing themselves out.”

Gupte mentions taking the U.S. history course over the summer and combining that information with online resources.

“For anyone taking AP History, we always rely on Heimler (a YouTube channel),” Gupte said. “And then also, what I’ve learned in AP World History was a resource called liveable, and they have like these AP cheat sheets and like, cram slide shows, and those were really helpful in me to just, like, get, like, a really just general gist of what, like, where the students were”.

Meanwhile, Tse relied on the Barons AP Chinese exam textbook and studied consistently over seven to eight months.

“That was the only self-study book that I used,” Tse said. “I used that book because it was like proven to help a lot of other kids, and my parents recommended it to me, so I listened to them, and it helped.”

Senion Aahan Shah found the MIT Workbook, YouTube videos, and past FRQs helpful when

self-studying for AP Physics 1.

“I focused on the right units. I didn’t focus too much on units that didn’t show up as much on the AP exam, because they have weightages for each unit, so maximize them,” Shah said.

Gupte and Tse gave similar answers when asked to give tips and tricks.

“If you cram the last two or three months, it usually won’t end up well, so you spread out your studying throughout the entire year,” Tse said. “I would recommend, like, maybe two or three hours, just every weekend, just studying. That’s what I did, and it worked pretty well for me.”

Gupte shared a similar sentiment.

“In terms of if you’re thinking about self-studying an AP exam, if you’re really passionate about the subject, or you’re really passionate about the major one, dude, I would say, do it,” Gupte said. “But also keep in mind, do not cram the whole course in two weeks, because I did that and I still passed, but I think I could have done better if I studied like, way more in advance”.

Shah also warns against self-studying for certain more involved exams.

“When it comes to physics? No, don’t do that to really dumb idea, but I guess every other subject you could probably (self-study),” Shah said.

The students did well on the exam with Tse getting a 5 on AP Chinese and Gupte getting a 3 on APUSH. However, these scores came at a cost, limiting the student’s free time and enjoyment with friends.

“I feel like I still had enough time to hang out with my friends during school lunches and breaks, what is usually the optimal time of hanging out with your friends, because everyone’s just talking while eating,” Tse said.

Gupte shared a similar experience of not having much time to hang out with friends after school.

“It’s not that I’m always like, in my head, down in my computer, like I still do talk to people, but in terms of, like, hanging out with people, outside of school, that’s really different,” Gupte said.

Students, teacher share different holiday

traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah

By Ronak Srivastav

It’s almost winter break, and while many may be looking forward to this time just for the days off, others also celebrate holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah. But why do they celebrate them and what do these traditions have in common?

Theater director Kaila Schwartz is Jewish and celebrates Hanukkah, she said. She finds pleasure in Hanukkah through the cultural symbolism behind the traditions, she said.

“I really enjoy lighting Hanukkah candles,” Schwartz said. “And I like that each night you add more light, because of the symbolism of adding more light to the darkness at the darkest time of the year.”

Besides just celebrating Hanukkah with candles, Schwartz also participates in some activities that overlap with Christmas traditions, such as gift-giving, which some Jewish people have historically assimilated into Hanukkah, she said.

“What we’re supposed to do is rededicate ourselves to education and the community,” Schwartz said. “And so I tend to give gifts that are more practical, like books. I give my nieces and neph-

ews gift cards to bookstores, and they all love reading, so that’s our little tradition.”

Senior Stephen Jeyakumar is a Christian and celebrates Christmas like many other people, he said. Jeyakumar regularly attends church and participates in activities like candlelight services - shutting all lights in a room and lighting candles surrounding the room, he added.

“I don’t really know its origins, and I’m pretty sure churches all around the world do it, but it’s just a nice moment with just the candles lighting up the whole room,” Jeyakumar said. “It’s a night service and the pastor goes out to give a message, and then we all light up candles and they turn off the lights.”

Jeyakumar’s family decorates the house, which gives him and his family a better holiday experience because of all the random festive decorations, he said.

“We’d normally hang things on the ceiling, like icicles or snowflakes, and it just feels like more of a festive difference compared to the normal time,” Jeyakumar said. “Spending time with family and friends around the holiday times also makes me feel the same feeling.”

Glimpse into Milpitas Middle College

By Sowmya Sundar

Despite the short six-minute walk to the Milpitas Middle College High School (MMCHS), few MHS students know about the Middle College program or why some students choose to join it.

For junior Janvi Balakrishnan, the decision was clear: the Milpitas High School Middle College offered the supportive environment she had been searching for, she said.

Balakrishnan transferred from MHS to the Middle College at the start of this year, due to a challenging experience at Milpitas High, she said. She appreciates the smaller environment of the Middle College as she had felt undervalued in the larger community of MHS, she said.

“There’s a huge shift in how positive people are here (MMCHS),” Balakrishnan said. “People actually want to try, and people are here to acknowledge other people’s trying.”

Junior Elyse Huynh, who also attends the Middle College, dislikes the small setting of the Middle College, she said. Elyse had been stressed academically and joined the Middle College for hands-on teaching, but will be leaving next semester, Huynh said.

“I kind of miss MHS, even though there’s more academic support here … I feel like there’s more options (of people) to talk

to at MHS,” Huynh said. “If you don’t get along with one group, you basically don’t get along with anyone, because (the Middle College’s size) it’s so small.”

Sophia Do, a junior who joined the Middle College this year, transferred since she felt behind in bolstering her college application, compared to other students, she said. She didn’t get the support she needed from teachers at MHS, Do added.

“My experience with teachers was that they’re this whole entirely different entity,” Do said. “It was always so hard for me to talk to teachers and be myself around them. I get to be more one-on-one with the teachers here, and they being super nice and helpful allowed me to open up.”

Do didn’t have an established friend group before high school and struggled to make friends at MHS, she said. The smaller environment at the Middle College was perfect for her, Do added.

“Instead of having a new group of students in every single different class, you get to stick with the same people, and that allows you to get to know people more like you used to back in elementary,” Do said. “You get to stick with the same people who are willing to help you out. If you feel like you’re kind of lost in life right now, school-wise or mentally-wise, then I think you should come here. It’s like turning over a new leaf.”

Kyle Tse studying in Ms.Doan’s classroom during his fourth period.

Janvi Balakrishnan at the MHS main campus smiling at the camera.

Sowmya Sundar | THE UNION

Sowmya Sundar | THE UNION

An illustration of a Christmas tree with festive ornaments .

Akshata Bhuskat| THE UNION

Boys varsity basketball returns with strong team

By Ian Choi

The boys’ varsity basketball team has won three of their four games so far in the season according to Maxprep.com.

The starters are all returning from last year and have been playing together for a long time, Head Coach Champ Wrencher said.

“We have a few new players from JV, but most of the guys on varsity are back, and we will mostly rely on the experience of the veterans,” Coach Wrencher said.

The team has never had as many talented players, with at least seven having the potential to play at college level after high school, Coach Wrencher said.

“In the 26 years I’ve been here, there have been some teams with two or three really good players,” Coach Wrencher said. “This team has eight to ten good players.”

The team has been working hard off-season, playing 30-40

practice games, Coach Wrencher said.

“We played against a few people that we’ll see, and I’m pretty confident about our chances, against almost anybody,” Coach Wrencher said.

The team needs to work on being on the same page and working together, senior boys varsity basketball player Lamont Davis said.

“We got all four returning players but we’re still a relatively new team,” Davis said. “We have to understand who our teammates are and what to do in certain situations when they’re in the game, and how to handle adversity as a group.”

Davis believes the team has a very good chance to advance far into the CCS playoffs this year, he said.

“I’m very confident with what I’ve seen,” Davis said. “I have played with these guys for a while, and I feel like we do great things.

Freshmen set-up pickleball classes for student enjoyment

By Rain Bacungan

Freshmen Ben Zhang and Aiden Lai, two self-taught pickleball players, run and own Ace Pickleball, a program dedicated to providing a welcoming learning environment for enthusiasts of the game. Classes currently take place at Hall Memorial Park, Lai said. Both Zhang and Lai have owned this course for about a month now and have 12 students at their course, he added.

In pickleball, the court is separated into two parts – usually the back and the front, Lai said. The kitchen is the front portion where you cannot step in to volley the ball, Lai said. Dinking is where you can drop the ball really short into the kitchen, he added.

In their course, students learn techniques such as dinking and volleying, and even techniques that Lai and Zhang created themselves, Lai said. Most of their lessons right now are beginner-friendly, so they’re starting with teaching simple material that they’re planning to expand, he added.

“We use dinking and light

touches with the ball as warmups,” Lai said. “We then assign our students to different (sections), and then we start doing drills – like dinking and volleying. And then in the very end, we teach them how to play the game, because in pickleball there’s serving rules and (other) stuff.”

Before being introduced to pickleball in the seventh grade, Zhang played table tennis while Lai played badminton, Lai said. Part of the reason they decided to create a pickleball program was because of the sports inclusive nature, he added.

“Pickleball is open to whatever age or skill level, even if you’re just starting out or if you’re advanced,” Lai said. “It’s open to everyone, so that’s why we got into it. If it’s inclusive, we can play it with all types of people – it’s really nice.”

Zhang and Lai have both been playing pickleball since seventh grade, Zhang said.

“The first time I played, I found the sport really interesting, and I also found myself good at it,” Zhang said. “Pickleball can sometimes be very fast-paced – it’s very

exciting. There’s a lot of teamwork going on – especially if we play doubles. There’s a lot of coordination required.”

Zhang and Lai strive to help their students succeed, Lai said.

“We want to help them improve and get them to a high enough level, and then maybe they can participate in tournaments themselves so that they can actually have a fun competitive experience,” Lai said.

Zhang and Lai observe their students as they play to ensure that they are successful, Ace Pickleball student and freshman Arjun Viswanadhal said. Viswanadhal previously had issues with his cross-drops; a cross drop is when two opposite players are at the front, but instead of being directly close, they’re across the court from each other, said Viswanadhal. They would dink the ball across the court lightly, he added.

“My teacher already noticed the flaws in my gameplay, so the first thing that we did was review it – my cross drops,” Viswanadhal said. “What we did is we dinked the ball across the court – I think it really taught me a lot.”

The group dynamic between the students at Ace Pickleball is really strong – each student at the course is already familiar with each other, Viswanadhal added.

“I haven’t really made any new friends (at the course), but deeper friendship connections I would say,” Viswanadhal said.

Their goal for Ace Pickleball is to gain at least 30-50 students by the end of 2024, Zhang said.

“There’s not that many people that really like playing sports in general, but we’re trying to convert those people to start (liking sports),” Lai said. “Most of our audience that we’re trying to get are people who are newer to sports. We want to try to get them more active.”

Deep dive into student athelete training during off-season months

By Andy Nguyen

The life of a student-athlete is not all fun and games. Winning glory on the field of play takes dedication and hours and hours of training.

Senior Noah Deleon played varsity football this past fall and plans to run for the varsity track team in the spring. Although he currently is taking time off from sports to enjoy his senior year, he still trains during the off-season, Deleon said.

“My current schedule consists of waking up at around 5:00 am to go to the gym and lift weights,” Deleon said.“At around 6:45 pm to 6:50 pm, I get ready for school. Once I get to school, I go through the day as usual.”

Deleon broke his collarbone during a track event earlier this year and hasn’t had the time to complete his physical therapy. That’s why it is an important part of his current schedule, he added.

“After school, I either go to my physical trainer’s office, or I’ll go to the track and prepare for the upcoming track season by doing workouts that’ll get me in shape once the season starts.”

Another type of preparation he does is reviewing film on games and other athletes, Deleon said. The football team analyzes other opponents to get an understanding of what they play like, and he also watches specific athletes to improve his skills, he added.

“When it comes to track, I’ll watch a lot of sprinters, like Noah Lyles for example, on his techniques and what he does to be a successful athlete,” Deleon said.

“Right now, he is arguably the fastest person in the world, and I try to get as close to his form and his technique as I can.”

Deleon believes that practice is

intense, but more of a mental obstacle, rather than a physical one, he said.

“Everybody is capable of practicing and showing up every day,” Deleon said. “It’s just if everyone is willing to do it.”.

As a senior, Deleon’s main motivation is the little amount of time he has left in high school and the thought of other people training harder than him, he said.

“If they’re the only ones getting better, then that means they’re going to be the winners at the end of the day,” Deleon said. “So as long as I keep working, I’m going to continue to become a better athlete, and also fulfill my dreams of finishing my senior season.”

Diet and nutrition are also very important for athletes, according to varsity wrestler Ethan Nguyen, a junior.

“I just eat whatever my parents make me, but I try to remove unhealthy parts like fats,” Nguyen said. “And the day before tournaments, I usually try not to eat a lot and also cut down water weight to try to make weight.”

He explains that weight is very important in a sport like wrestling, Nguyen said.

“I used to be underweight my freshman year, and I would feel weak wrestling, so it’s always better to try to be at a weight class where you feel strong and fast at,” Nguyen said.

Diet and nutrition differs during the season and during the off-season, Nguyen said. When he’s overweight, he puts on layers of clothes and does a hard workout to sweat it off, Nguyen added.

“Over this summer, I gained twenty pounds, and I’m working to cut some of that,” Nguyen said.

Even though wrestling is an individual sport, there are some team aspects to it, Nguyen said.

“(In) practices you have a drilling partner,” Nguyen said.

“There’s a lot of responsibilities for being the drilling partner, because you work hard to get your partner to work hard too.”

Varsity tennis player Ranvir Sakhalkar, a sophomore, describes tennis as an individual sport but explains the significance of having a coach for training, Sakhalkar said.

“Typically you should be work-

ing with a coach individually to see if they can assist you better than with the group,” Sakhalkar said.

Sakhalkar balances cardio, skills training, and weightlifting by combining several exercises at the same time, he said.

“I start it off with weights, then I wear the weights while I work on my skills,” Sakhalkar said. “Then, I take that off once I finish with my skills practice, and I go to the

gym and do some cardio,” Sakhalkar added.

Sakhalkar believes that tennis requires a resilient mindset, and mentally prepares himself before every competition, he said.

“Usually, I like listening to music,” Sakhalkar said. “It helps me get my mind off what I have to do. Moments before I go on the court, I think about what I need to work on and how I can best exploit my opponents’ weaknesses.”

Courtesy of Aiden Laii

Ben Zhang finishing a practice game at Hall Memorial Park on Nov.2.

Ian Choi | the Union Lamont Davis dribbling and preparing to pass to teammate Jesiah Caampued as part of a team exercise at Milpitas Sports Center on Dec.9.

Courtesy of Noah Deleon

Noah Deleon sets up his blocks before he runs for the 4 x 400 relay at the Rustbusters Invitational on Mar.2.

Newly formed competitive cheerleading team is first for Milpitas High School

By Reba Prabhakhar

Cheerleading has implemented a competitive team for the first time in school history, according to cheer co-captain Saniya Mirwani.

Previously, the cheerleading team focused solely on sideline cheer, but now, we are competing against other schools in California, Mirwani said.

“It’s a competitive environment,” Mirwani said. “It takes away the feel that we’re doing this for a crowd, and it’s more like we’re doing this to represent the school and win,”

The team has been asking for this change for a while, according to coach Maecy Williams.

“We wanted to give the girls an opportunity to use all their skills, techniques, dances and compete to get feedback on how they can improve,” Williams said.

Co-captain Alexa Garcia explained the dance sets are now more difficult due to rising competition levels for high-school competitive cheer.

“It’s completely different than the set we do for half-times,” Gar-

cia said. “Half-time dances are for entertainment, and are more flowy, while competitive dances are faster and much more precise.”

The dances are created by a choreographer, who examines the competition rubrics to come up with dances and stunts that would receive the maximum level of points, Williams said.

“We give them the hardest ones and see if they can work their way up to it,” Williams said. “If they can’t, we modify it to go a little lower.”

Junior Kaylynn Dang said the teams are judged based on their stunt’s skill level and the team’s accuracy in performing the stunt.

“Every team has two pyramids where everyone is connected, as well as two individual stunts,” Dang said. “If your knees are bent, or you don’t have the right technique, that’s when you get docked points.”

As a result of the stunt-based nature of competitive cheer, there have been big changes to the practice schedule, with practices and strength training occurring more frequently, Garcia said.

“We have practices every day except Friday,” Garcia said. “On Monday, it’s at 6:30 in the morning, while on Tuesday and Wednesday, we have 2-hour practices, depending on the coach’s schedule.”

There are benefits to both competitive and sideline cheer, Mirwani said. Competitive cheer takes more dedication and commitment, but sideline cheer is more light and fun, she added.

“I love sideline because you get to connect with the audience,” Mirwani said. “But for competition, I like the adrenaline of it.”.

Everyone on the team is happy about the change, according to Garcia.

“I think it’s a great change,” Garcia said. “A lot of people don’t see cheer as a sport, but since now we’re competing, it is technically a sport.”

The cheer team’s most recent competition was on December 7th, at the Branham High School Invitational, said Williams.

“We’re super proud of the girls for their first competition,” said Williams. “We can’t wait to see all that they will accomplish.”

Differences in boys and girls wrestling

By Namana Balakrishna

Wrestling is one of the few co-ed sports offered at MHS, with both girls wrestling and boys wrestling seen as two different sports on the Central Coast Section, wrestling coach Roberto Clemente said.

The main reason the sport was deemed as a co-ed sport by the school was because of budget issues, Clemente said. There was also a concern of not having enough space for girls and boys to wrestle separately, he added.

Still, “the girls wrestle the girls,” Clemente said. “They have their own tournaments, they have their own matches, they have their own dual meets.”

During practice, sometimes a girl wrestles against a boy, but there is no advantage one gender has over another, Clemente added. “Wrestling is wrestling. Matches are matches. The more you have, the better you are,” Clemente said.

However, wrestling with boys can help girls improve their skills,

senior wrestler Tuongvi Le, currently ranked top eight in the state for girls wrestling, said. It pushes them physically and can help them get better, she added.

“It’s definitely tougher, and that physically prepared me to wrestle,” Le said. “Just being able to be tough mentally, and practices are always beating you up. I know at the end all my results will be better and I’ll be a better wrestler.”

When it comes to wrestling, the weight is the equalizer, not the gender, Clemente said.

“If you’re at 132 pounds, you’re going against someone who’s 132 pounds,” Clemente said. “They may be taller, they may be wider, they may be shorter – it doesn’t matter. The weight’s the weight, the wrestling’s the wrestling.”

Having wrestling remain as a co-ed sport benefits all the wrestlers, as it can help all them improve their own skills, Clemente said.

“When they get to grill and work out with the boys, it’s a different pace, and it shows how good they are,” he said.

Girls soccer varsity coach strikes with new play-style

By Misheel Enkhtur

The new girls’ varsity soccer coach James Sampson teaches student-athletes strategic thinking, teamwork, a positive outlook on failure, and application of skills learned in soccer to everyday life through diverse team-building drills, he said. Sampson coached at Rancho for the past six years before coaching MHS this year and has played soccer for over twenty years, he said. He wants players to learn how to think strategically on the field, he added.

“I don’t like the long ball game,” Sampson said. “I like the short passing game. Find the open space, and then we pass it. Our team will do a lot of running, but it won’t be useless running. It’ll be smart. It’s trying to play the game with your head versus your feet.”

The team practices with Rondo drills to improve their soccer skills and strategies, Sampson said. In a Rondo drill, a group of players tries to keep the ball away from a smaller group of players in a similar manner to ‘monkey in the middle’, according to 360player.com.

“Through the Rondo drills, we learn how to pass the ball efficiently in small, tight quarters, and then we expand that out to the larger field,” Sampson said. “We learn to be aggressive. We need to be aggressive when the ball comes across so that we can potentially score. Focus on the next play even if the previous play was negative. The biggest thing I try to tell the girls isn’t necessarily what they’re successful at, but what they should do after they aren’t successful.”

The biggest improvement areas for the team are communication skills and accepting negative results to learn from them, Sampson said.

“We need to improve on communication and learning that it’s okay to fail,” Sampson said.

“That’s one of the biggest things I’ve noticed. The girls sometimes get down on themselves because their play was not successful. We’re working on being okay

with failure and turning it into something positive.”

Sampson teaches the team members to apply the teamwork and character-building skills they learned from soccer to other areas of life, he said.

“I want them to realize that those skills do apply to soccer, but they also apply way beyond soccer,” Sampson said. “They apply way beyond high school, well beyond college. They can apply those skills to everyday life.”

Varsity player Marissa Agraz, a senior, has a positive view of Sampson, she said.

“I think he’s a good coach,” Agraz said. “I think he’ll keep us focused. He wants us to win too, and I can see it. His methods are a little different from what I’m normally used to, but I can see them helping the team already.”

Sampson wants the team to develop teamwork and close relationships with each other, he said.

“I want them to feel like this is their extended family,” Sampson said. “They can rely on each other, not only on the soccer field but also outside of it.”

Agraz also supports the emphasis on team building, she said.

“My favorite thing about soccer is the people,” Agraz said. “The most important thing I learned is how to get along with my teammates, stay consistent, and work harder.”

The team’s strong bonds between its members is one of its strong points, varsity player Sydney Bada, a junior, said.

“I like how even though we barely started, we’re pretty close,” Bada said. “We all really know each other, so we have a good bond.”

Sampson wants the team members to understand his philosophy for being a student-athlete, he said.

“It’s unique playing for a high school because it’s like a name brand,” Sampson said. “Everybody knows Milpitas High School. When you say, ‘I play for Milpitas High School’, that means a lot. So I want the girls, regardless of how the season turns out, to be proud to wear that name.”

Even if there was enough budgeting to get girls their own wrestling team, practices should be held together for girls and boys, senior wrestler Tovie Pascual said.

“During practice, it’s good as co-ed because you get to work with different people with different skills, perspectives, and body types,” he added.

Despite wrestling currently being a co-ed sport, it may not remain like that for much longer, Pascual said. Though this hasn’t been confirmed, it is a possibility, he added.

“The popularity for women’s wrestling is going up so much,” Pascual said. “Our coach was talking about how girls could have their own dual meets with girl-only teams.”

Out of both wrestling teams, the girls’ wrestling team is more successful despite being so small, Clemente said.

“It is the fastest growing sport in the country,” Clemente said. “For girls, it is the newest sport that comes to high school sports.”

Courtesy of Maecy Williams

Zhajera Collados (back), Brooklyn Kirkland (left), Kaylynn Dang (middle), Aundreyah Gayo (right) all doing a lifted arabesque for the first cheer competition of the year atthe Branham High School Invitational on Dec.7.

Boys varsity soccer rebuilds with only six returning players

By Javier Antonio Alfaro

With only six returning players from last year, the boys varsity soccer team is different but aims to reach the Central Coastal Section (CCS) playoffs again, head coach James Williams said. This season will be difficult with so much turnover as the core players from the past three years leave and a new group comes in, Williams said.

Last year’s soccer season was his most successful one with MHS after breaking a 14-year playoff drought, getting to the semi-finals, and placing 3rd in the league, Williams said. With more time this, new group will

reach the same heights as last year, he said.

“They’ve got to learn what it means to be on varsity and how to play, what it means to play with each other, (...) what it means to look at each other like family when you’re on the field, and it’s just a challenge to be overcome,” Williams said. “It’s part of having a team and playing high school sports because you’re going to have those rotations most every year.”

The team’s strategy for games changes day-to-day based on injury and circumstance; however, this year’s goal is always the playoffs, Williams said. He already

likes what he sees in this group, despite some defensive issues and younger players still learning what it means to be on varsity, he said. The returning players are in leadership roles and helping, he added.

“We have six returning seniors that are stepping up to try to lead the way and show what it means to be a part of the team,” Williams said. “We look to create numerical advantages and places on the field that other teams are not used to seeing them.”

Senior and striker Jason Aguiar has played on varsity for three years and will always remember playing on last year’s team and

being able to finally make it to the CCS playoffs, Aguiar said.

“It was really amazing to experience just being around a lot of players and playing more games with the seniors, especially, because there were 19 seniors last year,” Aguair said. “There’s been a really big change in part of our team, but as long as we can work on our defense more and work on the team that’s together, we will be better.”

Aguiar is one of the leaders on the team and tries to help the younger players know what it means to play for the team, he said.

“I’m here to make CCS and actually make it to the finals because that’s what we’re here for,” Aguiar said. “We have to go one game at a time. We’ll do one game at a time, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

Senior and midfielder Luqman Abas remembers being right on the edge of not making the playoffs last year, before making a five-game push to finish the season and make CCS.

“Since most of the remaining seniors made us see what it takes to get to CCS last year,” Abas said. “We need to help everyone else make sure that they know what they need to get there.”

Williams is trying to build a family out of the team that outlasts the soccer season, and build a group that will be back in the playoffs by February, Abas said.

“It’s got to be teamwork because soccer is an 11-man sport.” Abas said. “One player can’t make a difference but in order to get somewhere, everyone needs to step up – running those extra five yards, making that last tackle, working just past your own tiredness to make sure that the team wins and the team succeeds.”

The season is starting slowly with one loss and one tie (as of Dec 9 they are 1-1-1); they need to work on stronger defense and better chemistry to start winning, Abas said.

“We have no chemistry,” Abas said. “That’s something we need to build, and we need to start winning games. The midfield is the core of the team, but the defense needs to be strong. If you can’t get scored on, you can’t lose, right? And then the attack will come as time goes on, as time progresses.”

On Sunday, Dec. 6 the team had their first win of the season against Woodside, and Williams praised his players postgame.

“Today’s game was a real testament to just the boy’s ability to pick their head up,” Williams said. “The end of the first half was atrocious, and to come back when things looked like they were falling apart, to actually keep fighting. And then remember who they are, they just keep digging and then find a way to get the goals.”

Javier Antonio Alfaro | The Union

Midfielder, senior Luqman Abas (#10) staying back to defend a counter attack before Milpitas’ second goal of its 4-1 win over Woodside on Dec.6.

Girls Empowerment Leader Club inspires self-confidence, builds community

By Sowmya Sundar

The Girls Empowerment Leaders Club inspires students to push through difficulty to find success. It provides a safe space for students of every identity to celebrate the achievements of women and cultivate confidence, Girls Empowerment Leaders Club President Pavani Kshirsagar said.

Kshirsagar is planning to expand the club further over the next year, she said. They have held one session after school at the Innovation Campus Extension and would like to do more in the future, Kshirsagar added.

“I see the Girls Empowerment Club as an organization in MHS,” Kshirsagar said. “I really want to expand a lot, like the way it’s expanded to the Innovation Campus. I also want to expand to middle schools and connect to them, so that they know about it, and then when they get to high school, they can easily join in.”

The club holds one meeting every month, each one focusing on a different historical female leader, ending with a fun Kahoot, Kshirsagar said. The goal of the club is empowerment, she added.

“The primary goal of our club has always been to empower women to join the workforce,” Kshirsagar said. “Women usually prefer or are forced to be at home, so we’re just showing them they have the opportunity, by showing examples of those who have done the same: breaking societal norms and then doing something really exceptional that we now really value.”

in STEM, Kshirsagar said. Now, their featured leader of the month ranges from every profession and every time period, she said. She felt personally connected to the issues the club was facing, Kshirsagar added.

“I have always been empowered by my parents,” Kshirsagar said. “My dad wanted me to learn martial arts and do what is usually known as manly. Even my mom, she wanted to be really strong, really soft at the same time too.”

The club has helped her develop from a nervous person to someone now confident in public speaking, publicist Rithika Parkar said. The club also has a positive and supportive environment, she added.

“I think this club is a great place to influence other women, to become leaders or to follow their career path, no matter what other people say,” Parkar said.

Before Kshirsagar was president, the club had only focused on leaders

Trans-masculine sophomore Reese Durante had been looking for a club that focused on important people in history, and had discovered the Girls Empowerment Leaders Club, Durante said. Despite the small number of attendees and the emphasis on women, he felt a sense of belonging, he added.

“I think while the focus is, of course, going to be on women in history, it’s great for everyone to know,” Durante said. “These women who have made so many advancements and introduced different things are rarely mentioned (...) So I really think if you want to learn more about that, I think it’s (the club) really important, and you get to talk about it in the club too if you have any questions.”

By Alice Nguyen

A Korean man with the surname Kim had felt that he had been ignored by women his whole life. The tipping point for him? Another Korean woman in her twenties had rejected and ignored Kim, leading to her subsequent murder. This murder sparked outrage amongst many women because he had not been charged with a hate crime, according to the CNN article “After Trump’s win, some women are considering the 4B movement.”

Discrimination in the workplace, a 31% pay gap and strict maternity leave, along with unrealistic beauty standards, and continuously pushed gender roles, specifically regarding reproduction, are just some examples of sexism that plague South Korea, according to the NPR article “Feminists are protesting against the wave of anti-feminism that’s

No marriage, sex, dating, or children: Behind South Korea’s 4B Movement

swept South Korea.”

The murder, along with South Korea’s long history of sexism, had built the momentum for the 4B movement to start. 4B is short for the four b’s (or no’s) in Korean: no heterosexual marriage, no heterosexual sex, no heterosexual dating, and no children. In short, women will have cut out men from their intimate lives altogether.

The 4B movement is not centralized or documented; it has no headquarters, website, or leaders. However, its impact is profound. The 4B movement has contributed to a drop in South Korea’s birth rate, along with economic factors (such as the cost of raising a family), according to “South Korea’s 4B Movement Lowers the Birth Rate in a Fight for Gender Equality” by The International Affairs Review. South Korea’s birth rate is the

lowest in the world at 0.8 birth rate, compared to the U.S.’s 1.7 birth rate, according to data from the World Bank. Beyond numbers, the 4B movement raises significant awareness in certain issues. Ultimately, the goal of the 4B movement is to challenge heteronormativity and traditional gender roles, liberating women from their expectations of birthing and raising children. Additionally, the movement sparked conversation about other issues regarding the gender gap, such as the wage gap, revenge pornography (people sending explicit videos of other people without their consent as a means of revenge), and other sex crimes in South Korea.

Still, the 4B movement remains a radical and questionable movement. The movement may oversimplify social dynamics by avoiding all relationships with men, and while it offers women freedom from family responsibility, it does not address the root issues underlying gender inequality, according to the article “Defying Patriarchy: South Korea’s 4B Movement and Women’s Rejection of ‘Future-Maker’ Role” on the Modern Diplomacy website. Unfortunately, sexism in South Korea is deeply rooted within their history and

culture, stemming from Confucian ideology emphasizing a patriarchal figure in a family. The 4B movement may not interact directly with these ideals, but it serves as a starting point for women reclaiming their freedom.

With the re-election of Donald Trump this November, many American women on social media platforms have begun to talk about the 4B movement and how they may implement it in their own lives. We may look at the effects the 4B movement has in South Korea setting the precedent, but again, it’s important to ask the question of whether this movement will have a drastic effect, if any at all, in the United States.

Girls Empowerment Leaders Club President Pavani Chir and Vice President Valentine Nguyen

courtesy of Agence France-Presse

The 4B movement emerged in the mid2010s in South Korea

Opinion: Hypersexualization of women detrimental; not empowering

In modern Western culture, the hypersexualization of women is hypocritically marketed as empowerment. Society encourages us to embrace our sexuality as a means of self-expression, and showing more skin is seen as a bold move that reclaims one’s femininity. But this final, paradoxical action of self-sexualization ultimately does not serve any purpose for the person being sexualized.

Hypersexualization refers to the overt placing of women’s bodies solely in the context of sexual acts. It is done in the media through song lyrics, magazine covers, or film scenes. It can also be seen in real life through objectifying comments, or a sexual portrayal of a woman. The hypersexualization of a woman reduces her inherent value to being simply what her body can offer. For instance, if accomplished celebrities are portrayed sexually, it causes the focus to shift from their accomplishments to their outward appearance, perpetuat-

ing the idea that women must be beautiful and sexual objects to be considered worthy of one’s attention. This idea is an inherently patriarchal notion because it implies that women owe these qualities to a consumer. So, why is self-sexualization seen as empowering? Some say that if a woman takes agency over her sexuality, she is reclaiming her body from a system that would exploit it nevertheless. For instance, if a woman sexualizes herself to receive more media attention and consequently more fame, it can be said that she is profiting off of it. But it is important to realize that by carrying the action of sexualization out, she remains a part of a system that commodifies her sexuality. Even if a woman attempts to use this system to her advantage by sexualizing herself, she is perpetuating the idea that her body is a selling point: an object to be admired and consumed.

Often, people also claim that if a woman chooses to sexualize herself with no

external pressures, or perhaps as a form of self-expression, it is in fact beneficial and empowering. Though this would be true in an ideal world, it is not the case in our world today -- a world where overt patriarchy and internalized misogyny make an objective choice impossible. Because no one can be separated from the society in which we live, one can always be sure that the choice to sexualize oneself is not free from external motivations, and hence, boils down to serving the same interests as any other reason to sexualize.

One could also argue that hypersexualization is empowering because a woman taking agency over her sexuality directly opposes purity culture -- the idea that women should hide and save their sexuality for a future partner. There is a simple counterargument: the fact that both ideas place a woman’s value in her sexuality. Whether she is encouraged to be sensuous and own her sexuality, or asked to suppress it, both ideas use her

sexuality as a focal point to define her. This hyperfocus on sexuality as a defining characteristic of one’s identity has patriarchal ties because a woman’s sexuality is generally seen as a means to an end.

Whether a man does it, or she does it herself, the hypersexualization of a woman’s body reduces her to simply that facet of her identity and is patriarchal. It is marketed as empowering to serve the interests of those who wish to profit off of women’s sexuality; true empowerment should allow women to come to terms with their sexuality however they see fit. A culture that truly wanted to empower women would not emphasize messaging that tells them how to correctly perform their sexuality, but allow them to explore their sexual identity on their terms. Until we reach such a world, the sexualization of women’s bodies will never illustrate women’s freedom of choice or agency, but continue to serve consumers.

RATING: 4 out of 5

By Uyen Vu

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen is among the most popular and critically acclaimed English novels in history, with adaptations in various genres and mediums. The MHS Theatre Department put on Kate Hamill’s theatrical adaptation, a comedized and exaggerated version of the novel, from Nov. 14-16. Overall, it was a very entertaining comedy with great physical acting and a generous amount of British accents.

Like the novel, the play takes place in Regency England and centers around the Bennet family, whose modest lifestyle pushes Elizabeth Bennet's (Paulina Peters) main love interest, Fitzwilliam Darcy (Shawn Joseph), away from marriage. Bennet's mother encourages her daughters to marry while the Bennets' lack of wealth repulses Darcy's family. In short, Hamill's version keeps the original's enemies-to-lovers romance and criticism of class elitism with a generous amount of satire.

The stage had beautifully painted windows, adorning vines of bright red flowers on wooden doors, which were cleverly opened and closed to signal changes in setting.

Only one scene was unclear.

The backside of the doors was painted as a garden but it wasn't a large issue.

Comedy wise, the department did a fantastic job.

Mazaria Aldrich played Mrs. Bennet, the mother of the four Bennet sisters, who is an overbearing mother and aims to gain riches through her daughters. Aldrich portrayed her overzealous nature well, as shown by the audience's repeated laughter during her loud, comedic outbursts.

The fourth daughter, played by Artemis Kwok (Mary Bennet), was a running gag throughout the performance since simply her presence, coughing, or occasional lines of dialogue incited many screams of terror from her family. Generally, she's treated as an outcast. The reasoning for why is never explained in the play, but it was humorous nonetheless.

Even though it was Kaleb Saldana's first MHS production, he played the role of Mr. Collins well, as Mr. Collins' awkward dialogue and oaf-like character translated fittingly into his acting.

Overall, there was a balanced amount of physical humor as well. Even though the dance scenes were somewhat awkward, the actors made great use of the stage area by having the characters run, chase,

scoot, throw props, and dramatically gesture, making for dynamic visuals on top of the spoken script. Darcy's appearance through the theater aisle was a good use of the offstage area, as it added to the unexpectedness of his visit.

However, plot details in the script were slightly hard to follow, especially for those who have never read the original novel, as some of the actors' volume and enunciation slightly fluctuated over the play. But overall, the general plot was easy to understand.

There's an evident difference in the quality of the costumes as well. Most of the dresses were coherent with their soft pastels and ruffles, making the brightness of the red soldier costumes seem out of place. Generally, the male costumes were lackluster compared to the lace, feathers, gloves, and satin in the female characters' costumes. However, the quality difference made sense to differentiate Mary, the odd Bennet sister, from her sisters and to portray the wealth of characters such as Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Yadira Ramirez).

Criticisms aside, the performance was an enjoyable comedy spin-off of the original "Pride and Prejudice", complete with exaggerated characterizations and enthusiastic actors.

Epic Games continues promoting epic promotions

By Connor Long

Epic Games, one of many famous video game developers and publishers, runs a promotion every Thursday, allowing free access to selected video games, including all genres. Since its creation in 2018, the company has provided free games to attract customers as opposed to those like Steam, that seasonally promote games, or XBOX, which has a yearly game pass.

One of the first games I acquired from the promotion was Grand Theft Auto: V back when it was free in 2020. After a few days of playing through the campaign, I was completely drawn in. The story featured many well-engineered heists such as robbing banks, driving into moving trucks, and playing dead just for information.

Within Fallout 1, 2, and New Vegas of the Fallout franchise, I was astonished at the story-writing and campaign op-

tions offered in comparison to Fallout 4's limited dialogue. Although the visuals are not as modern, the other content makes up for it. New Vegas featured a courier who was left for dead in the Mojave, searching for his 'killer' and determining the features of the region.

Many Fallout players have hailed such an arc as the most adaptable and story-rich part of the franchise.

These are not all of the games available, and I have not downloaded every single game offered as part of the promotion. I have seen the genre of promoted games fluctuate between science fiction, fantasy, simulation, and more over the years.

Some may prefer single-player fantasy games, while others would enjoy fast-paced fighting games. As of Nov. 12, the promotion features Apex Legends: Ash Free Unlock Bundle, as well as Deceive Inc. Although I am not a fan, others

'Moana 2' offers stunning visuals but struggles when navigating fresh waters

RATING: 2.5 out of 5

By Javier Antonio Alfaro

Disney’s “Moana 2,” the highly anticipated sequel to the 2016 animated hit, was released on Nov. 27 over Thanksgiving break. While the film is visually beautiful and the characters feel as familiar as ever, the sequel’s story falters and leaves the movie feeling lost in a sea of unfulfilled potential and recycled material.

The movie picks up after the first film in which Moana, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, saves her people from doom with the help of the demi-god Maui. Moana is now her island’s leader and wayfinder and she has become a legend, and her people are now idolizing her.

When she is called upon to break the curse on the island of Motufetu, she sets sail again with a rag-tag group of forgettable side characters. All of them feel like they are just there to have more marketable characters and their undeveloped stories seem like Disney is more focused on setting up a sequel and selling toys than making this one good.

Dwayne Johnson’s Maui returns, though his once-refreshing humor feels somewhat reused here and the relationship between Maui and Moana is inverted from the first movie creating a new one where the maturity levels feel very weird, and Maui can come off as childish.

ronmentalism, leadership, and intergenerational struggles. All of these underdeveloped ideas result in an overstuffed movie with a weak throughline. The movie was originally conceived as an Disney+ Moana TV series, but when Disney saw an opening in their winter film schedule, they reworked the show together into a feature film and that switch can sadly be felt in the film's rough pacing.

The lack of Lin Manuel Miranda’s phenomenal music from the first film can be painfully felt throughout. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear’s songs simply don’t hold a candle to the originals and can range from forgettable to just bad imitations of the first movie’s songs. Even the film’s dialogue seems to recognize how much Miranda’s lyrics meant to the first with characters talking about “knowing the way,” “telling our stories,” and “how far we’ll go.”

One of the film’s most noticeable shortcomings is it’s handling of character development. While admirable, Moana’s journey feels less personal and more plot-driven this time. The stakes are high, but the story doesn’t give enough time to explore her internal struggles. Again, the episodic nature is apparent as conflicts appear but are just as soon resolved so the film can move on to the next.

may be, and it is a good time to add as many of the games to one's library as possible.

The only downside to the promotion is that getting every game you want is nearly impossible. By now, many games have already been featured and rolled back into pay-only access. Some people may get excited about games both old and new, only to find out that they were too late and feel disappointed.

There is no exact solution, but the best way to maximize one's experience is to sign up for an Epic Games account and add as many of the promoted games into the library as possible every week.

If you’re looking to save money, following the promotion for months or even years could provide you with hundreds of dollars worth of games for free. Epic Games runs a strong marketing strategy, benefiting both themselves and those who wish to game frugally.

Visually, “Moana 2” is a triumph. The animation team pushes boundaries, offering breathtaking landscapes, and the most amazing water animation I have ever seen. The water is gorgeous and looks real during every scene. Whether it’s just a boat sailing in the water or a giant action set piece, the visuals never falter and consistently seem to expand the limits of animation quality.

But beneath the shimmering surface, the film’s narrative lacks the cohesion and emotional resonance of the original. The screenplay juggles too many themes like envi-

All the conflict in the film just feels empty and makes the movie seem more like a series of vignettes loosely sewn together. Similarly, Maui’s arc, which was so integral to the first film’s success, feels sidelined, his presence reduced to a series of quips and convinces to get out of situations. Despite these flaws, “Moana 2” is not without its merits. It remains a visually stunning piece of cinema with moments of humor and heart that will entertain younger audiences. Although the movie is not terrible, it's not good either, and for fans of the original, the film may feel like a missed opportunity. It is an ambitious sequel that aims for the stars but doesn’t quite reach them.

Courtesy of Uyen Vu

Yadira Ramirez passionately portrays Lady Catherine de Bourgh to Sara Lu (Charlotte Lucas) and Paulina Peters (Elizabeth Bennet).

Courtesy of Disney

Auli'i Cravalho’s Moana in “Moana 2”

MOVIE REVIEW

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

By Misheel Enkhtur

“Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Cour 3”, a popular anime, follows Ichigo Kurosaki (Masakazu Morita) on his quest to stop Yhwach (Takayuki Sugo) from endangering the three realms. The first episode released Saturday Oct 5, and new episodes release every Saturday. The last two episodes release Saturday Dec 21. The season's available on Hulu.

This new season of “Bleach” continues to faithfully adapt Tite Kubo’s beloved manga and add anime original scenes that flesh out the story, establishing itself as one of the best arcs in “Bleach”. Both longtime fans and people new to “Bleach” will be blown away by the outstanding animation and action.

"Cour 3" blasts off from the previous season's cliffhanger with a beautifully animated opening episode with well choreographed fight scenes. This high-quality standard continues in each of the following episodes. The ominous backdrop of the Soul Palace and the hauntingly beautiful floating city of Wahrwelt enhanced the explosive action and demon-

'Call Of Duty

6':

Newest drop returns to classic form?

strated stunning cinematography. However, the CGI is a little awkward and stands out against the mainly 2D animation.

One of the best aspects of this season is the expansion of Uryu Ishida’s character (Noriaki Sugiyama). Anime original scenes further explain Uryu’s motivations for betraying Ichigo to join Yhwach’s army. He also has more fight scenes to show off the new abilities he developed since siding with Yhwach.

Another highlight is a spectacularly animated anime original fight scene featuring Renji Abarai (Kentaro Ito) that explores his newfound abilities.

Sosuke Aizen, the major villain voiced by Show Hayami, makes an epic return. His intimidating aura dominates the screen whenever he appears. This powerful, charismatic, and cunning character continues to elevate the story.

The new season includes backstories and new moments for Jushiro Ukitake (Hideo Ishikawa), Shunsui Kyoraku (Akio Otsuka), Nemu (Rie Kugimiya) and other characters.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaques (Junichi Suwabe) and Nelliel Tu (Tomoko Kaneda) return in

the new season. For all its successes, the anime still has room for improvement. Major characters Orihime Inoue (Yuki Matsuoka) and Chad (Hiroki Yasumoto) don't get enough characterization in the manga and prior seasons. They're mostly in the background and don't get much attention. They need more screen time to develop their characters further.

Shiro Sagisu continues to produce Bleach’s electrifying soundtrack which elevates its dramatic moments. A standout track is 1106 TYBW CH United, which sounds futuristic, grand, and tragic all at once. The voice acting is on point. Each character’s voice actor returns to deliver unique personalities, from Hayami’s charismatic portrayal of Aizen to Suwabe’s representation of Grimmjow’s constant aggression. Tayaki Sugo’s performance is especially noteworthy as he captures Ichigo’s dismay over Uryu’s betrayal. Overall, the new season of “Bleach” is a masterpiece that builds on the characters and lore. The excellent voice acting, crisp animation, beautiful score, and expansion of the story will delight any “Bleach” fan, new or old.

Top ‘___’ of 2024 according to students

By Jayden Hernandez

2024 has been filled with memorable trends and exciting new releases of movies, games, and more. The Union surveyed around 280 students about of their favorite trends of this year.

Top Movie

“Deadpool and Wolverine,” a movie combining popular characters, released July 26 and has earned about $1.3 billion.

Characters Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) star in it together and have great chemistry, according to IMDB.

Deadpool is offered a position in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but instead, he recruits a different version of Wolverine, in hopes of saving his universe from going extinct, added IMDB.

ing to 89 out of 280 (31.9%) respondents.

The Samyang brand sells many different flavors, but the most known one is the Carbonara flavor, seen on TikTok. Flavors include cheese, extra spicy, original spicy, corn, and more. Many people enjoy adding their own ingredients to the dish, such as green onions, sesame seeds, cheese, and others. Furikake, a combination of sesame seeds and seaweed originally used to season rice, is also a favorite ingredient to add to the noodles, according to TikTok.

These packs can be found at most Korean grocery stores as well as other stores such as Safeway and Walmart. A pack of six can range from $10-15, depending on the flavor.

Top Video Game

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

The Call of Duty (CoD) series has remained a major influence in the world of first-person shooters, and Black Ops 6 breathes fresh life into its single-player campaign. This installment combines the classic intensity of CoD’s best moments with bold new ideas, delivering a gripping spy thriller that stands out as one of the series’ strongest narratives.

of a game-changing bioweapon from the Pantheon swirl and pull players into the dark and dangerous world of espionage. Unlike previous entries like Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare and others that focused on large-scale war, this campaign is all about stealth, deception, and work in the shadows.

Two standout missions highlight the campaign’s creativity.

Set in 1991, Black Ops 6 follows returning fan favorites Frank Adler and Russell Woods, who team up with a fresh group of operatives, highly skilled agents trained to handle dangerous missions and are going to face a global threat: The Pantheon.

The Pantheon, is “an international paramilitary terrorist organization that was previously a top-secret division of the Central Intelligence Agency before it was disbanded for its bioweapons program,” according to Call of Duty Wiki. The stakes are high as rumors

In “Most Wanted,” you infiltrate a political gala with multiple paths to success. Whether you manipulate a silent auction or sneak through alternate routes, the mission's variety encourages replayability.

On the other hand, “High Rollers” thrusts you into a casino heist, swapping between different operatives in a fastpaced, cinematic adventure. From the beautiful casino floors to the dark shadowy underground tunnels, this mission delivers nonstop tension and style.

The gameplay of this game is just as engaging. Stealth is often the best approach, but going loud is valid – and a thrilling alternative. Suppressed headshots feel satisfyingly pre-

cise, while the revamped “omnimovement” system lets you move and shoot with incredible fluidity. Whether spinning in all directions or diving sideways while firing, the freedom of movement enhances every firefight.

The game also introduces cool spy gadgets also known as score streaks, like a homing throwing knife and the return of the RC-XD, explosive remoted controlled cars to catch opponents off-guard, adding variety to combat. While the enemy design could be more creative – juggernauts, a classic difficult enemy to encounter in the campaign who are covered in layers of armor and hard to bring down, still feel like a crutch for difficulty spikes – but the variety of tools you have makes battles feel fresh and exciting.

With its dynamic missions, inventive mechanics, and a story that rivals the intensity of an action movie film, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a triumphant return to form. It proves that the series still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve and offers a thrilling ride for fans of espionage and action alike.

112 out of 260 students voted this movie at the top of their list for 2024 releases, according to the Union survey (42.1%).

If you like Marvel movies, you will probably enjoy this one.

Top YouTuber/Streamer

Caesoh, a YouTuber and viral Twitch streamer, has brought interest to those who enjoy watching games and listening to the “Just Chatting” category found on Twitch. He was voted as the top YouTuber/streamer of 2024, according to our survey, 68 out of 250 (27%) respondents.

Caseoh has become popular partly because of watchers making fun of him for his weight; however, he doesn't mind these jokes and often encourages them, he said in a YouTube video.

Caseoh also posts regularly on social media platforms, mostly TikTok, and provides comedic and engaging content for his viewers.

Top Food Trend

Buldak Ramen, a student-favorite food, is a comfort food made by Samyang. It is a spicy and creamy ramen noodle dish that's become popular through TikTok. This quick meal is the top food trend of 2024 accord-

Roblox was voted as the top game of 2024, according to 91 out of 260 (34%) respondents. Roblox has been around for about eighteen years and has never lost its spark.

This game is designed for most ages and is estimated to have over forty million different games to choose from, according to Playbite, a website giving insight to games and provides games. With games ranging from obstacle courses to horror games, being on Roblox for hours is easy to do.

Brawl Stars, a third-person shooting video game, is the second best video game of the year, according to 88 out of 260 (32.8%) respondents.

From the makers of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, this game takes place in a battle arena, and you can play with friends.

Many people enjoy this game because of its short elimination rounds, averaging about three minutes or less, according to Naavik, a gaming research website. These rapid rounds are what makes this game addicting.

With all of these popular trends, it’s exciting to think about what’s in store for the upcoming year.

An up-close look at the in-game omnimovement feature in Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6. In game screenshot.

Promotional poster features Uryu Ishida, a major character

Courtesy of Xboxacheivements.com

COURTESY OF TV TOKYO

By Atticus Roberts-Daniels

'Arcane Season 2': Quality soundrack, visuals, storytelling

RATING: 4 out of 5

By Marie De Vré

With the long-awaited release of Season 2 of “Arcane,” viewers get to dive into the world of Vi and Jinx for a final time. “Arcane” is a popular TV series on Netflix based on the video game League of Legends. The show is definitely worth a watch, but it is difficult to follow along with relationships and plot twists if you don’t have any background knowledge from Season 1.

Season 1 of “Arcane” ends on a dramatic cliffhanger. The rivalry between the two cities has torn apart Vi and Jinx, and fans are restless to see how their relationship plays out over the next season. Fans of “Arcane” have been waiting for 3 years for a new season. Season 1 was released in 2021 and Season 2 was released as three acts throughout November 2024.

The two main characters are Violet, known as Vi and voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, and Pow-

der, later known as Jinx and voiced by Ella Purnell. The two sisters are on opposing sides of the rivalry between Zaun, a poor city where crime runs rampant, and Piltover, a city where the more wealthy people live.

“Arcane” has amazing visuals and unique graphics. The characters are 3D, but the backgrounds are all hand-painted 2D scenes. Additional effects such as smoke, water, fire, and dust are all also 2D.

The animation style draws inspiration from many different sources, including anime to showcase Jinx’s fighting style. This blend of styles adds uniqueness to the show and immerses the viewer into a video game world that feels realistic.

“Arcane” also has an excellent music selection that perfectly matches the mood of each scene. The show does a great job highlighting the differences between Vi and Powder by contrasting the music that accompanies them.

The soundtrack utilizes repeated lyrics or rhythms to emphasize certain scenes or

reference a past episode. Repeated lyrics are also overlaid with different instruments to demonstrate how a character’s beliefs or feelings have changed.

Along with music, Season 2 shows the internal emotions of the characters by matching the setting with a character’s mood, often by adding rain to symbolize their inner turmoil and sadness during difficult moments.

Overall, the show does an excellent job telling the story of Vi and Jinx. It blends heavy, emotional scenes with action-packed drama, making it perfect for a wide range of viewers. It also builds strong characters with their own motives and relationships with each other. The character depth makes the story much more believable because the viewer can understand why a character makes certain decisions.

“Arcane” is a fantastic show that anyone can watch, even if they’ve never played League of Legends before. But it would definitely help to watch Season 1 before diving into Season 2.

'The Apprentice': Villanizing, humanizing Trump

RATING: 4 out of 5

By Ved Vyas

“The Apprentice”, directed by Ali Abbasi, offers a dramatic and intriguing portrayal of a young Donald Trump’s (Sebastian Stan) rise in 1970s New York real estate and explores his relationship with Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), a controversial American lawyer and political fixer, known for his role as chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s anti-communist investigations. The movie highlights Trump’s early struggles and nuanced relationship with Roy Cohn.

The movie depicts Trump’s gradual shift from a naive young adult to someone willing to compromise his integrity in pursuit of power and success, highlighting Cohn's influence, and making viewers think about the dynamics of power and corruption.

Trump is initially hesitant to engage in illegal and risky behavior. He questions Cohn’s decisions to blackmail judges

and pay off officials, but Trump soon gets behind the wheel as he becomes increasingly desperate to expand his real estate empire. For example, in one scene, Trump arranges an agreement to evict the tenants from a rent-controlled building, showcasing his transformation into someone who doesn’t care about putting profit over morals. This scene highlights the tension between Trump’s ambition and his conscience. Hence, this early section of the movie overemphasizes Cohn’s negative influence on Trump, underplaying Trump's active decisions to partake in illegal activities. This may lead people to excuse Trump’s early actions as simply being derived from bad influences from Roy Cohn. However, Stan does a great job portraying Trump, showing a lot of ambition in his facial expressions when talking about his real estate empire and being nonchalant when ignoring others.

At the movie's beginning, it is painfully obvious how desperate Trump is to expand his empire. Stan makes eager gestures when talking to Cohn

RATING: 4 out of 5

By Reba Prabhakhar

On November 2nd, Fortnite, a video game, released its new season Chapter 2 Remix, according to the Fortnite website. The season is intended as a throwback to 2019-2020 when the original Chapter 2 first came out. Some of the main changes from the previous seasons include modifications to the map, weaponry, and transportation.

Locations

For the new season, Fortnite brought back most of the original locations from the earlier Chapter 2, including Lazy Lake, Pleasant Park, and Salty Springs. However, the Agency was replaced with The Doggpound, a mansion home to Snoop Dogg. In addition, The Grotto was replaced by a new Eminem-themed location called Spaghetti Grotto. The Doggpound is well-designed, but the Spaghetti Grotto is not a very exciting place; it’s only worth going there to get Eminem’s mythic RG minigun and the helicopter. Overall, the map is nostalgic and simple, but it can feel barren and boring to explore, especially for players who didn’t experience the original Chapter 2. Since there is so much land between each POI, or point of interest, a lot of time in the game is spent driving.

Transportation

and almost emulates an attentive animal to show young Trump’s behavior.

While Trump is under Cohn’s manipulation, Stan’s portrayal of Trump becomes more imposing, embodying Trump’s growing confidence and moral deterioration.

Stan’s performance avoids stereotypes and instead captures Trump’s evolving persona through nuanced changes in his mannerisms as Trump slowly becomes more and more indifferent towards Cohn when Trump no longer needs him. Stan portrays this indifference by not looking directly at Cohn while talking and often ignoring Cohn’s messages altogether.

Strong also portrays Cohn very well, he exudes confidence at the beginning of the movie, dismissing concerns with a condescending attitude that shows his commanding presence and moral indifference. This contrasts starkly with his later portrayal of a weakened, frail Cohn. He shifts to a weaker personality when he starts to get sick, and portrays a sick Cohn by making his face more pale and emotionless; he even changes his voice to become

Doggpound, and the other in Spaghetti Grotto. The main problem with all the vehicles is that they run out of fuel very quickly, especially the helicopters, but that was the case in the previous seasons as well.

Weapons

The weapons have changed significantly from the previous Marvel-themed season, in which most weapons weren’t guns. This has changed completely in the new Chapter 2 Remix where almost all the weapons are guns, making the playing field more fair. The biggest issue is Eminem’s RG minigun, which is very overpowered in comparison to all the other guns. However, overall, this season’s weapons are much more balanced when compared to the overpowered and chaotic weapons of the last one.

Other features

There are a lot of other small changes and new additions to the new season. First, there are no longer any drones or underground bunkers to access weapons, but Fortnite did bring back the loot llamas. Since there are no bunkers, there are no weapon modifications, and since most guns already don’t have scopes, it can be hard to shoot. Another change is the medallions; in the previous seasons, defeating the bosses of certain locations allowed players to access a medallion that would give them special abilities. This feature has been removed, making the game less exciting to play.

The new season still has drivable cars, but they have varying speeds for different terrains. Using the slower cars can annoy players since it takes a long time to get anywhere on the map. In addition, since there are no more nitro (season 3), nitro fists (season 3), or jetpacks (season 4), it is very hard to move quickly around the map.

There are also two helicopters, one located near The

The “Remix” season is an interesting twist on a classic chapter, bringing back nostalgic memories for many players. The best improvement from the modern seasons are the weapons, where guns are more common. For people uninterested in nostalgia, the map may seem too big and boring, but for others, the memories from the original Chapter 2 make up for it.

monotonous. The cinematography is raw and gritty, often having grading and lines across the screen, giving the movie an 80’s aesthetic. Whenever the filmmakers were emulating news on a television set, they would have more lines across the screen to represent television sets in the 80’s. Like its plot, the movie did not try to make things pretty. It often has little exposure and a plethora of shadows to foster a dark atmosphere and parallel the dark themes the movie covers.

up shots of Trump and Cohn’s faces to highlight their emotions in the current moment. These shots are often shot from low to high to represent that Trump is in a position of power. Ultimately, “The Apprentice” isn't afraid to expose the dark undercurrents of Trump’s rise, portraying his descent into corruption under Roy Cohn’s teaching. This film is a mustwatch for those curious about Trump's ambitious rise as it challenges viewers to grapple with the consequences of unchecked power and influence.

Courtesy of Netflix

As a result of the sisters’ anger with one another and the other’s city, the confrontation between Vi (left) and Jinx (right) in the third episode is intense and dramatic.

The director also uses close-

Courtesy of Netflix

A Young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), on the right, talks to Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), on the left, in a pivotal car scene.

MOVIE REVIEW

Road to freedom: Getting your driver’s permit, license

By Yunxi Fang

Obtaining a driver’s license is always one of the most important goals that many high school students want to accomplish. A license is a symbol representing the new-found independence, freedom, and maturity older students are supposed to have, and traits I wanted to show. Even more importantly, learning to drive is just an important milestone in life.

I knew I needed to learn how to drive someday, so I decided the summer after 10th grade was the best time. Learning to drive in the future seemed inconvenient, as I signed up for multiple AP classes for 11th grade and needed to finish college applications in 12th grade Any time beyond seemed a bit too late.

Since I was under 18, I first needed to complete my driver’s education course and take a written test at the DMV before I could even start practicing driving. I took an online course, which should not have been as easy as it was. Some of the questions were based on common sense and could have been answered mostly accurately based on someone just observing how other people drive.

However, there were many questions about traffic laws and lane markings that I either had a hard time applying when actually driving or immediately forgot after I passed my online test. The questions were all multi-

ple-choice and allowed for retries on multiple mini-tests. I passed the online course while often not paying attention and just taking educated guesses. After completing my online course, I went to the DMV to take my learner’s permit test.

Before testing, I first had to do an eye exam. The exam I took was very simple, with a chart high on the wall behind the desk with letters of varying sizes which I had to identify. The DMV also offered another eye test, for which I would have had to put my eye into a microscope-like device, but it cost money.

The testing machine was just like an ATM. I used the touch screen to answer multiple-choice questions.

I failed my first test. Besides having to drive to the DMV again and my parent’s disappointment, failing does not cause any problems. A person gets three tries before they have to redo their driver’s education course. On my second trip to the DMV, I passed the test.

To get my license, I now had to drive six hours with a licensed driving instructor before I could take the driving test. Through some sort of miracle and a bit of skill, I never crashed. I did not like practicing driving. I felt calm and confident when the road was clear and I was sure what to do, but anxiety and stress were just as common, especially when I missed important street signs.

The hardest part of driving was

driving on a highway and reversing on a curb. I kept forgetting to turn my head to look back and kept looking at my mirrors, which would be counted as an error on the driving test. The main problem with driving on the highway was just that I kept thinking how awful it would be to die in a highspeed collision, so most people shouldn’t have to worry about this.

In the end, what really improved my driving was just practicing every day. While I had less than one practice a week, I started driving to school, to the store, and to wherever else I had to go. Being on the road for such a long time helped me visualize and put into practice all the rules and methods I read during my driver’s education.

The driving test was surprisingly hard. I needed to receive at least 15 minor errors or one major error to fail the test. During my first two attempts, I was very confident while driving and received very few minor errors from the proctor. However, I received a major error, which automatically failed me, at the end of both my tests. If I failed my third attempt, I would have to retake the learner’s permit test, but fortunately, I passed.

It’s been nearly a year since I received my driver’s license, and I haven’t used it much. Still, I don’t regret obtaining my license early. I needed to get my license at some point, and I was probably never to enjoy learning to drive.

‘Grandma’ hobbies to try out during winter break

By Ilana Ramzan

“Grandma Hobbies” are the hobbies that are often associated with what older people spend their time doing. Some common ones include crocheting, knitting, sewing, embroidery, and baking. I chose to test out baking and crocheting to see how easy it would be for someone to pick up one of these hobbies.

I ordered a crochet kit from Michaels and used the materials provided with the kit. I know the basics of crochet and have worked on a few different crochet projects in the past, so I chose an intermediate crochet kit. The kit provided an instruction manual, a plastic crochet hook, a needle, some plastic buttons, and all of the yarn and materials needed to put together the final product: Beau, a stuffed bear. The kit came with buttons for Beau’s eyes and nose.

The instructions were fairly straightforward, though they did seem overwhelming at first. I hadn’t worked on a crochet project in a few months, and trying to create the basic stitches to begin the project was very difficult. Soon, I got the hang of it and created the body of the bear in less

than an hour.

Building up the arms, legs, and ears of the bear didn’t take much time. I moved on to making the mouth of the bear before crocheting the bear’s suspenders for the outfit.

For assembly, I began by sewing the arms and legs to the body of the plushie. I sewed the eyes and nose onto the bear and then attached the head of the bear to its body. The finishing touch was sewing on the bear’s suspenders. Overall, the instructions of the kit were fairly easy to follow and weren’t as difficult as I thought they would be. The project was also easy to put together, aside from the time that it took to sew on the eyes and the mouth of the bear.

My next project was to bake a recipe that my family has loved for years. Zucchini Bread has always been something that my aunt and grandma love to make for the holiday season. Baking has been an interest for me because of my family, so it felt very fitting to try to bake this on my own and review my experience. Rather than traditional loaves of this delicacy, I wanted to make Zucchini Bread muffins. I found the recipe for the batter from a cooking vlog called

Master the art of gift-giving: Tips to find the perfect present this

holiday season

By Sowmya Sundar

During the holiday season, it’s common to feel some gift-giving paralysis. You may already be worrying about how your loved ones will react if your present doesn’t hit the mark. Though good gift-giving may feel like an impossible feat, it is not as difficult as you think to give someone a present they’ll treasure.

The core of gift-giving is understanding the person who will be receiving your gift. People have unique personalities and varied expectations when it comes to presents. Though some would love a surprise, others would prefer to help select it. Some people may appreciate an expensive gift over a practical gift and vice versa. The type of present you choose should depend on them, not your own preferences.

You may feel like a store-bought gift is impersonal, but, if you know them well enough, you may know if there’s a new video game or book that they’ve been looking forward to. If your friend is a gamer, you might pick the latest release in their favorite series or a collectible from the game. For book lovers, consider a signed edition or a book by their favorite author along with a cozy blanket.

Pair that with some other trinkets, such as key chains, tech gadgets, and board games that they like. Everyone loves feeling seen and your gift should reflect that.

However, if you aren’t sure about the person’s preferences,

Crazy for Crust by Dorothy Kern.

To make the zucchini bread, I needed one medium-sized zucchini, two eggs, some neutral oil, brown sugar and white sugar, a tiny bit of vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, flour, and cinnamon. Measuring out the dry ingredients and then combining them with the rest of the ingredients went by quickly. I then prepared the zucchini before preparing the shredded zucchini pieces, went by quickly. I chose to shred the zucchini pieces using a vegetable slicer, which not all people may have access to. Then, combining the zucchini with the rest of the batter was very simple. However, the baking times and temperature of the oven presented some difficulty. I didn’t want to overbake or underbake the muffins, so I chose to follow the exact temperature that the recipe called for and to increase the time that they would be in the oven. This led to some of the muffins being firmer than others.

The taste of the muffins was well-balanced, with a great flavor and notes of sweet brown sugar and cinnamon. I enjoyed the process of baking very much and would definitely want to find other recipes to try out in the future.

you can try to make the entire present yourself or add onto a store-bought gift with your creation. Even if they don’t love it, they’ll feel honored that you put the time and effort into making it. This is where you can utilize your talents. If you’re a baker, bake them a treat. If you can knit or crochet, create handmade crafts. However, you don’t need any specific talent to look up tutorials on cute crafted paper flowers or animals. You can make personalized touches to your handmade gifts to make them even more memorable. Bake them the cookies you know they love and add references to their favorite show in frosting. Base the colors of the scarf you’re knitting on the hoodie they wear religiously. Those intimidated by the idea of crafting a present should keep in mind that the simplest of personalized gifts can be meaningful. For example, during a last-minute rush, I created small cards with drawings of when my friend and I first met and little things I know about her. Wrap up your present with a card and a heartfelt message.

At the end of the day, gifts are just a way of appreciating the people you love. Whether it’s a thoughtful store-bought item or a handcrafted treasure, the effort you put into understanding and celebrating your loved ones is what truly matters. Have fun, show them you care, and you’ll find that the perfect gift isn’t hard to find at all.

After getting a drivers license, students can finally upgrade from the passenger to driver’s seat.

Sowmya Sundar | The Union

Sowmya Sundar | THE UNION Ilana Ramzan | THE UNION

Mario Mushroom earrings 3d printed and painted from Sundar’s sister’s friend.

New year’s resolutions prove ineffective

By Alice Nguyen

Let’s face it, most New Year’s resolutions don’t last until the end of the year. According to a survey sent out by The Union, 28.1% out of 224 respondents reported that they kept their resolutions year-round. Not following through with a resolution is inconsequential, and while true, means that you’re ultimately not reaching a goal you set for yourself, which could arguably be a problematic thing.

One of the main reasons why New Year’s resolutions don’t work is simply a lack of change in motivation. An inability to increase your motivation or to handle stress or discomfort that comes with the change can hinder the process of achieving the goal itself, according to a U.S. News Health article. Without motivation, no significant change can happen.

There may be several ways to increase motivation. For exam-

ple, one way is to set a goal with a friend. Having a buddy gives a source of support and someone to work with to achieve your goals. Give yourself a reality check whenever you fail to meet your expectations. Instead of being frustrated that you were unable to achieve your goal, take the time to assess your progress.

Journal progress or keeping a spreadsheet and updating it every month or so may be some ways to reflect properly.

If you want to experience some real change, start small. A simple change can make a difference, like taking a short walk whenever free or drinking more water every day, which eventually builds into habit.

Studies have shown that setting more challenging goals motivates you even more to reach them; however, setting and celebrating even the small steps and milestones will help you to pursue that goal, according to an Ohio State University article “Why

Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail.” Make sure they’re realistic goals too – ones that you’re confident enough to reach but not too easy to do.

Even more ways to keep resolutions are to set very specific goals and plan for them thoroughly, according to a UC Davis Health article. A very broad resolution like “lose more weight” or “eat healthier” will result in a lot of gray areas when it comes to actually achieving your goals. For a day, you may eat relatively healthy, and then the next, end up eating a bunch of junk food. On the other hand, if you were to set a specific goal like “eat at least two cups of vegetables a day,” then you are more likely to be able to perceive and achieve the goal.

New Year’s resolutions are undoubtedly a big part of the new year, and besides, they’re a fun and harmless tradition. However, if you’re up for some real change, then start now. Why wait until the new year?

Vu |

Out of 224 responses, more than half the respondents are keep their resolutions for 1-3 months.

Origins of ugly christmas sweaters

By Andy Nguyen

Ugly Christmas sweaters have spiked in popularity in recent years, becoming a fun holiday tradition. These are the seasonal wooly sweaters with red, white, and green Christmas-themed designs that come out in the wintertime. There are many Christmas-themed designs such as a snowman, an elf, and reindeer. Ugly Christmas sweaters seem to have gained relevance recently, but they have only been around for a couple of decades, according to “A cozy history of the ugly Christmas sweater” by CNN.com. It isn’t clear who popularized the garments, but they first appeared in the 1950s. However, at the time, they were just knitted sweaters with Christmas decorations. These jumpers were not considered ugly, just normal sweaters with Christmas-themed designs. They got their name from their flashy designs, bright colors, and corny style. The ugly Christmas versions started to gain traction in the 1980s. They were called “jingle bell sweaters” at the time.

Clinton’s impeachment, the O.J. Simpson trial, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the birth of the internet, which distracted people from the trend of ugly Christmas sweaters.

According to “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book: The Definitive Guide to Getting Your Ugly On,” the ugly sweaters regained popularity in Vancouver around 2002, where the first ugly Christmas sweater party was held. Instead of hating its ugliness, people started embracing the comical article of clothing because it was something different. Big brands like Nordstrom and Asos started jumping in on the action. Many clothing companies started releasing their own versions ugly Christmas sweaters. There are many places where you can get these sweaters: Amazon.com, the largest online retailer; tipsyelves. com; and they now sell them at basically any clothing store.

Holiday dishes from around the world to cook

By Vasista Ramachandruni

Introduction Christmas is a beloved holiday celebrated by 2.4 billion people worldwide, according to populationeducation.org. Such a large population would inevitably have different Christmas traditions based on their geographical location and the holiday’s history. The food in particular is one of the ways the difference in tradition is seen. Here are some different traditional Christmas dishes from across the world.

Sarmale - Romania

Sarmale is Romania’s national dish. It is always present during Easter and Christmas in Romanian house holds. It is made of sour cabbage rolls stuffed with meat, rice, herbs, and seasoning and each Ro manian family has a unique twist on Sarmale.

Some make it using sweet cabbage rolls, and many use a combination of pork, beef, or veal instead of purely ground pork as the stuffing. With many variations, it is a true Christmas tradition in Romanian homes.

Vitel Toné - Argentina

Argentinians enjoy slices of veal served with anchovy and prickly pear sauce, also known as Vitel Toné. Vitel Toné, original ly called “vitello tonnato” from the Italian region of Piedmont is a standard dish during festivals in Argentina, including Christmas. Each household has its spin on the recipe, with different seasonings and sauces. These include olive oil and canned tuna in the sauce, but others opt for canned tuna in water. Some prefer the sauce on the side despite the sauce being meant to infiltrate the veal over a few hours to a few days.

Jollof Rice - West Africa

ingredients to Jollof Rice is of course long grain rice, tomatoes, chilies, and onions with lots of spices, and sometimes other vegetables and meat. Its smoky and spicy flavor with hints of sweetness is a dish to remember. Ghanaians prefer to use fragrant basmati rice while Nigerians prefer to use long-grain rice. Meanwhile, in Senegal, jasmine rice is more commonly used. Nigerians also prefer Jollof rice to be more spicy while Ghanaians prefer a more nuanced and complex flavor profile, not relying on spiciness. The dish is also called Benachin in Gambia, riz au gras in Benin, and zaamè in Nigeria, and is eaten as the main course of a meal. The recipe for the dish varies by region and slightly by household.

Pavlova - New Zealand and Australia

Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, pavlova is believed to have been made during one of her tours of Australia or New Zealand in the 1920s. It is a cake-like block of baked meringue topped with whipped cream and fruit and is known for its crispy outside and soft inside. Both nations have contested a controversy over the true nationality of the dish since the 1930s. Regardless, as a simple summer recipe, it is frequently consumed during the summer Christmas in Australia and New Zealand.

Conclusion

In the ‘90s, the trend died down because there were more significant events such as President

Jollof Rice is common at celebrations and festive events like Christmas in Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. The key

These dishes reflect the diversity of Christmas traditions around the world. From Europe to Africa to Down Under, each meal tells a story of history within households. These dishes remind us that while people celebrate Christmas differently, the connection we make in food stays the same everywhere.

Ugly Christmas sweaters are a fun and light-hearted tradition that the world should continue. They evolved from being weird, and cringeworthy articles of clothing, to a humorous way to express creativity and the holiday spirit. Today, this fun tradition helps bring people together at Christmas, a holiday that celebrates joy, family, and love.

This dish was named after a Russian ballerina

Time of year the author started to learn how to drive

uyen

THE UNION

Crumbl

cookies’ most memorable bites

By Reba Prabhakhar

Crumbl Cookies has gained in popularity over the last few years as a unique dessert chain with weekly changing flavors, going from a small family-owned shop to a nationwide franchise. Branching out from the initial focus on cookies, Crumbl has grown to include a variety of desserts and dessert-inspired cookies, including brownies, pies, and cakes. Despite the weekly rotation, there are 5 Crumbl flavors that stand out:

1. Sticky Bun

This cookie features a butter and cinnamon sugar filling with a butterscotch glaze. It is topped with cinnamon sugar and crushed pecans. The cookie is served warm, and the sugary filling makes the center super soft and delicious. The cookie tastes like a more dense version of a cinnamon bun, but with a distinct toffee flavor.

(5/5)

2. Red Velvet

Not to be confused with the Red Velvet White Chip cookie, the Red Velvet cookie has a cake-like base with a cream-cheese frosting, topped with cookie crumbs. It has a slightly more chocolatey, cocoa-heavy flavor than a typical red velvet cake, but it’s still very similar. If red velvet cake is a favorite, the cookie is likely to be one too! (4.9/5)

3. Holiday Birthday Cake

This cookie has a buttery sugar

LIFESTYLE

Credit, debit cards; figuring out what works best for you

By Ian Choi

cookie base with a vanilla cream cheese frosting, topped with circular sprinkles. The cream cheese in the frosting balances the sweetness of the cookie, and the sprinkles add to the taste as well. Overall, it feels like a more interesting version of a typical birthday cake, where the overly-sweet buttercream is swapped for a tasteful cream cheese frosting. (4.7/5)

4. Banana Bread Cookie

This cookie features a banana cookie base with a cream cheese glaze topped with crushed brown sugar. The unique glaze works perfectly with the airy, soft cookie to create a light, sweet flavor that isn’t too overwhelming. This

cookie is closer in taste to banana pudding than banana bread, due to its nilla-wafer-like base. If you’re a fan of banana pudding, you’ll likely be a fan. (5/5)

5. S’mores Brownie

The cookie version of the crowd-favorite dessert, this cookie has a brownie base mixed in with graham pie crust. There are chocolate chips mixed in throughout and a melted marshmallow in the center. The cookie is perfectly mixed, and each bite has an equal portion of the marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker flavor. (4.5/5)

Credit and debit cards are the most commonly used method of payment worldwide according to Adyen. They are used everywhere to shop and pay for services without needing cash. However, the way that they work is distinctly different from each other, and they both provide different benefits and drawbacks.

Debit cards are simple in their design; they are directly connected to your checking account and pull money from it to pay for your purchases.

This makes debit cards good for daily use and small purchases. However, large purchases and emergencies can be hard to pay for if your bank account is low on balance.

Debit cards do not have annual fees like credit cards and don’t charge interest. They are also great at getting people to budget their expenses due to having limited spending capabilities.

Debit cards also do not usually have benefits or perks like many credit card companies provide.

Credit cards on the other hand offer many benefits. For example, getting cash back, points, and flight miles are just some of the benefits of a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. Other benefits that credit card companies provide are introduction bonus-

es, zero liability protection, and more.

Introduction bonuses, also called a sign-up bonus, are incentives to drive people to sign up for credit cards and spend your

money, according to Chase. A common introduction bonus are reward points that you earn by spending money, which can be cashed out for various rewards, according to Chase.

Zero liability protection means that if someone compromises

your account, whatever money they used while in control of your account will be reimbursed, according to Investopedia.

Credit cards offer a line of credit: a specific amount of money

that you can spend that needs to be paid back over time. It comes with payment, which is the cost of borrowing the money; this is called annual rate percentage (APR), which is the yearly interest you pay for the money you have on your credit card, according to the Citizens bank. There are 3 things that can happen when paying back the payment. Paying back the full payment will leave you with no interest, paying back the minimum will mean you have to pay interest on the money you have left, and paying back none of the payment will earn you a fine, damage your credit score, and your APR% could be canceled. The balance can build up and gain more interest on top of that as well. Additionally, being on time with your credit card payments can allow you to improve your credit score. A credit score is how likely banks believe that you will pay your loans back on time. Having a high credit score creates higher chances of getting better deals and interest rates when looking for loans for homes and cars.

Both credit and debit cards have their advantages and disadvantages. In the end, choosing between debit or credit cards really depends on your situation and what fits best for you.

Courtesy

New LGBTQ+ Studies class broadens perspectives, encourages acceptance Akash Sriram accepted into National Honor Choir

By Atticus Roberts-Daniels

Milpitas High School has recently introduced an elective unlike any other on campus: LGBTQ+ Studies. The elective dives into LGBTQ+ history, literature, and identity. Taught by English teacher Brett Webber, the course aims to give students a meaningful, inclusive experience while highlighting voices often overlooked in traditional education, Webber said.

For Webber, this class is something he’s always wished for, Webber said.

“I have always that I could teach a course that widened the literature that we read at the school to include LGBTQ+ literature,” he added.

Webber said as a english teacher he thinks it’s an important thing that we see ourselves in what we read.

“Students can go through 12 years of school and never encounter LGBTQ+ representation in the literature they read,” Webber said. “I believe it’s important that we see ourselves in what we read, in what we study. That’s where this course comes in.”

The LGBTQ+ Studies elective is part of a state-led push to expand ethnic studies offerings in California schools, Webber said. When Milpitas High sought ideas for new electives, Webber proposed the course as a way to bring LGBTQ+ perspectives to the forefront, he added.

“This is about telling stories,” Webber explained. “Stories about identity, about struggle, and about triumph. I want students to understand the broader human experience.”

The curriculum blends structure with creativity, Webber said. Students lead lessons on topics they’ve researched, ranging from famous LGBTQ+ figures like Oscar Wilde to lesser-known movements like LGBTQ+ activism in the Philippines, Webber added.

“I try to keep things lighthearted and fun,” Webber said. “Electives shouldn’t feel like a core class – they should be something

students look forward to. That doesn’t mean we avoid serious topics, though.”

Students choose research topics based on their interests and present their findings through class discussions, Webber said.

“The class isn’t about reading from slides,” Webber added. “It’s about bringing these stories to life, making them resonate.”

The focus is of the class is to broaden our perspectives and our perceptives to broaden how we think, he added.

“This class is for everyone,” Webber added. “The goal is to foster empathy and allyship. I want my students to understand the challenges others face and learn how to support one another.”

The first semester has been an opportunity for learning – not just for students but for Webber as well, Webber said.

“The students have been amazing,” he said. “They’ve given me great feedback, and I’m already thinking about how to make next semester even better.”

When asked about his hopes for the class, Webber was optimistic, he said.

“If we can normalize what others see as different and help students build empathy, then we’ve succeeded,” Webber added.

Junior Yzzabelle Fantone said, “I’m a part of the LGBTQ+ community, so I just thought it was cool that we had this class.”

The class strengthens her knowledge of the LGBTQ+ history and she’s learning things that she didn’t know before, she said.

Despite this being the first year teaching this class, Webber does a good job of teaching LGBTQ+ history, senior Princeton Nguyen said.

“I was an ally before, but there was a lot I was confused about,” Nguyen said. “This class helps me learn not just history, but also useful stuff about respecting pronouns and gender.”

Some of the lesson plans include presentations on LGBTQ+ topics, and lessons on events like the Stonewall riots and figures such as Freddie Mercury, Fantone said.

“The first part of the semester focused a lot on the history of the LGBTQ+ communuty, especially around the AIDS crisis, which was really useful to learn,” Nguyen said.

The class could be more publicized next year to encourage more people to join, Fantone said. Despite its small size, the class has made a big impact, she added.

“It’s not just a class,” Fantone said. “It’s about learning how to respect and understand others.”

By Jayden Hernandez

Sophomore Akash Sriram, a choir student, is the first student at MHS to be accepted into the American Choral Directors Association National Honor Choir in Dallas, Texas in the middle of March 2025 and the second student at MHS for the Coastal Regional Choir at Santa Clara University on November 9, according to choir director, Emily Moore.

Sriram’s talent and dedication to choir have helped open up many excellent opportunities for his future, as he plans to bring his passion for choir to college while pursuing medicine, he said.

“I loved that I was able to represent my school and be in the choir,” said Sriram.

Sriram’s audition for the Regional Honor Choir was successful but complex because of the many components he had to take part in, he said.

“So first, of course, I’d have to do a solo, like an excerpt from a famous Italian aria song.” Sriram said. “Then after that, what I did was I went through some vocal exercises to test my range, and they found out I’d be good for tenor one, which was the voice part that I ended up singing in.”

Sriram is extremely appreciative for this experience of singing in top competitions and having this exciting experience, he said.

“I really do like choir, and I’m really grateful for having this opportunity and especially having Mrs. Moore, I wouldn’t have even known about the Regional Honor choir, or any of the honor choirs, in fact,” Sriram said. “I’m really, really grateful that I was there and I was really, really excited because honor choir is like a place where you get to meet a lot of people who are like you, who love music and stuff, and that fact that in three days we’re able to make such great music; that’s really something which I feel proud of and really happy about.” Moore has helped Sriram grow as a choir student and acknowledged his natural talent for singing since he was a freshman, she

said. Sriram is always improving and always getting better; from making regional and all-state as a freshman to making regional all-state and nationals as a sophomore, his dedication and hard work are recognized, she added.

“He’s amazing, like everything, he’s probably one of the best singers I’ve ever had, probably in my career,” Moore said. “He just keeps getting better.He started out wonderful, and just, it’s always improving.”

Sriram’s mother, Srividhya Vijayakumar gave insight into Sriram’s childhood and about his personality as a person and a choir student, she said. Sriram’s passion for singing and dancing at a very young age was clear, and he has always been musically intelligent, she said.

“When he was three, four months old, and if he liked (the music), he would dance,” Vijayakumar said. “He has a way of expressing that he’s very happy.”

Sriram’s father, Sriram Srinivasan spoke about Sriram’s musical journey from middle school and how he has brought that passion into high school, he said.

“He joined choir in seventh grade for his elective because he was interested in music, and he loved singing,” Srinivasan said. “And from then on, he was really motivated to be in the choir program.”

Vijayakumar enjoys seeing her son pursue his passions at this young age and is excited for the upcoming years ahead, she said.

“From there all the way to his interest and the opportunities he’s been given, and for him to make use of opportunities, it’s a warm, good feeling for us,” Srinivasan said.

As an adviser, he tells Sriram to try to have an optimistic attitude on all the experiences he brings to his life, Srinivasan said.

“Just always keep it positive, you know, enjoy it,” Srinivasan said. “And then, you know, sometimes you may get in, sometimes you may not. It’s a journey and that is something that should be more scenic and enjoyable.”

Counselors host college application workshops for seniors, answer student questions

By Marie De Vré

The Counseling Department organized college application workshops to help seniors working on their applications, throughout October and November, Counselor Cory Nakamoto said.

The workshops are designed to help seniors understand the applications and answer questions they have about them, Counselor Beth Harke said.

“I think the idea of an application workshop is to go through the application and kind of show them what’s in there,” Harke said. “But again, kids are also starting earlier. They see them (the applications) in the summer, they talk to their friends, and so again, (we have) the one-on-one (meetings). I think the application workshop is an overview, and then you go from there.”

Previously, students sought out their counselors on a one-on-one basis for college application help, Nakamoto said. However, it was difficult for the counselors to meet with every senior individually, so they began hosting the workshops, he added.

“It’s very similar,” Nakamoto said. “It’s just that we’re in the library instead of in our offices. And there’s more help up there available when we have two, three, or four counselors up there helping.”

Senior Micah Corpuz believes that these workshops should be continued in the future, Corpuz

said. She came in for help because she was struggling with her art portfolio and heard about the workshops, they added.

“I think it’s really significant for students, especially those who are having trouble with their applications,” Corpuz said. “Even if it’s a small space for students, it helps them be more comfortable with their counselors or other adults.”

Alongside the workshops, counselors’ offices are still open for seniors to drop in if they need any college application help, counselor Jenna Irvine said.

We are “helping students with any questions they have in filling out the applications and giving them feedback if they want me to read any of their essay writing or short answer question writing,” Irvine said.

Based on student visits, counselors will likely keep hosting these workshops in the future, Nakamoto said.

“We want to see how many students show up to all of these, and I think that’s probably what we’re going to continue to do in the future – is just offer more (application workshops), but probably more closer to the deadline,” Nakamoto said. “It’s just we’re seeing the students are needing the help.”

Irvine agrees that counselors should continue hosting these workshops in the future, she said. Seniors can quickly get help

on something they are stuck on during these workshops, she said.

“If anything comes up, they can get that support where they don’t have to book a specific appointment to come in and take time from class,” Irvine said. “They can just drop in during lunch or after school when they’re not in class,” she said.

Counselors have been working to give students more opportunities to prepare for college, Harke said. Students can arrange a one-on-one meeting with their counselor, attend the workshops, and learn more about colleges through the college visits, but not all students make use of these resources, she said.

“I think there’s students who are really motivated and will come in and follow up on things,” Harke said. “And then there’s other kids where you have to pull them out and talk to them as well.”

Counselors primarily communicate with students through email, but it’s hard to reach students because not all of them are checking their email, Harke said. However, the counselors are willing to try other ways of reaching students, she said.

“I think we’re here and we’re giving them options and we’re giving them opportunities,” Harke said. “They have to take advantage of those opportunities. I don’t think we’re just sitting here and waiting for kids to show up. I

think we’re giving them opportunities. It just depends on if they’re going to take them and if they’re going to do it in a timely manner.”

Counselors have a wide range of roles including making sure that students are able to graduate, preparing students for post-grauation plans, helping students with crisis management, and answering questions students or parents may have about academic planning, Irvine said. They also help

students come up with a fouryear course plan for high school, she added.

“If they (students) have any question or any doubt whatsoever, (they should) definitely seek our guidance,” Irvine said. “We’re here for their success into college, and helping with that transition. So if there’s anything that comes up there for you, meet with us in person in the office or drop on by for the workshops.”

Marie De Vre | THE UNION

Counselors answer questions seniors have about CSU and UC applications during a college workshop session in the school library in November.

Marie De Vre | THE UNION

Students in Webber’s fifth period LGBTQ+ studies class read ‘I’ll Give You The Sun,’ a novel Webber added himself to the class’s curriculum.

French program faces decline of students

By Akshaj Kashyap

The French program has declined 1200 from 700 students, Assistant Principal Jonathan Mach said. The retirement of former french teacher Joanne Mollot last year left Lisa Topping as the only french teacher still left at the high school, he added.

There are now only five total french classes left—three French 1 periods, and one of both French 2, and French 3, Topping said. She hopes to regrow the french program back up to nine to ten 9-10 periods of French including an AP French but understands that she will need the help of another teacher, Topping added.

“We used to have it (AP French) almost every year,” Topping said. “We would only get one (class) and that was pretty good for us, considering all the Spanish classes, like eight teachers, and I don’t know how many level ones and they only had one (class).”

While it may appear to be a chicken and egg problem between student enrollment and num-

ber of teachers, ultimately there needs to be student interest before the number of sections can be determined, Mach said.

“To grow a program, I wouldn’t hire just a teacher and hope that the program grows, because a teacher costs a lot of money,” Mach said. “And if I don’t know that I have those kids to be able to put in those classes, then how do I know (whether to hire a teacher)?”

The reality for elective programs is that they do have to compete with each other, whether it is a similar program like another language or another elective altogether like photography, etc., Mach said.

“If you want to grow the program, you’re growing from the same number of kids,” Mach said. “It’s not like we’re getting more kids, and they (elective programs) have to compete with art, or they have to compete with the academy, or they have to compete with social (sciences).”

When it comes to world language classes, there tends to be a

Prisha Jain | The Union

huge drop-off after the first few levels and very few students actually make it all the wayall way through to the highest level, Mach said. All the world languages have similar drop-off rates between levels, Mach added.

“There’s an 80 plus retention rate for Spanish from (level) one to two,” Mach said. “Most colleges don’t ask for more than (two years of language credits) so then there’s about 40-50 percent retention rate.”

Sophomore Risha Jain doesn’t think that French is a dying language and still believes that there is a lot of interest for french, she said. Jain chose french because of what the language symbolized for her, she added.

“I picked the language because I think it’s more elegant,” Jain said. “I know Spanish is more popular but I like French because it is elegant, I like the culture, and I think French is beautiful, the architecture is nice. Their food is also really pretty, like the way they make things, it’s fancy.”

Topping also agrees that French isn’t a dying language and that it continues to remain important and relevant, she said.

“It’s the second language of the Olympics, of Nato, of UN (United Nations) and people don’t always see that,” Topping said. “Learning french helps learn our own language of English because we have like ⅓ of the words in English are stolen from French.”

Topping also implores the school district to support the French program at the high school and in the district as she believes that a healthy program is beneficial for everyone, she said.

“To our district, I would say: don’t you think French having a French program that goes all the way to AP, wouldn’t that be an asset to our community and that it would look good?” Topping said.

Monetary Jack Emery drive

By Alice Nguyen

This year’s district-wide Jack Emery Drive collected about $12,306.26 out of the $15,000 goal, according to ASB President and Jack Emery District Coordinator Atharv Vyas.

The Jack Emery Drive is an annual season where schools in the district donate money or cans to the Milpitas Food Pantry, Vyas said. Jack Emery, a man from Nebraska, wanted to help families that may have had no food during the holiday season, Vyas added.

“Jack Emery started, along with the Milpitas Food Pantry, a donation drive that would collect money and cans and hold events to help these low income families,” Vyas said. “And after he died, he kind of handed off to someone at the district. So ever since then, along with all the other schools in the district, Milpitas High School has been planning and running this whole drive in honor of his legacy.”

ASB made the decision to only accept monetary donations rather than also accepting cans because it was easier logistically, Vyas said.

“What we would always have to do is sort the cans, box them, and have to pay transportation, try to get it all to one area, and then hand it over to the food pantry,” Vyas said. “But with cash, it’s just much easier, just because the money goes directly to the food pantry. They can use it for other things, like plates or better facilities.”

To make up for the lack of donations of cans, clothes, or other necessities, ASB initially planned to host a winter ball in order to raise enough money to meet the goal, Vyas said. However, the Winter Ball was cancelled due to a lack of ticket sales, he added. The original idea for the winter ball was for

it to be a charity event, Vyas said.

“A large sum of the proceeds that we earn profit from the dance will go towards Jack Emery,” Vyas said. “Our primary focus right now for Jack Emery will be selling dance tickets and making sure the publicity gets out that there is a dance happening, because this is the first time in five years that we’ve done the dance.”

ASB started planning for the Jack Emery season right after Homecoming, according to Jack Emery PR Commissioner Annaya Bhardwaj. However, something she would’ve done differently is to get publicity out faster, Bhardwaj added.

“Honestly, it’s been kind of slow, but I’m hoping that we can definitely get out more pub(licity),” Bhardwaj said. “It’s kind of up and down. I think that it has been successful, but obviously there’s always room for improvement.”

This year, like past years, the middle schools and the elementary schools in the district are competing against MHS to see which school can raise the most money, Raj said.

“If we lose, then we have to plan a field day for the elementary schoolers, and then we have to dress up as their mascots and do a dance,” Raj said. “If we lose to the middle schools, we have to get pied in the face by their officers, and then put feathers on the pie and pluck around like chickens.” Despite the competition to see who can raise the most amount of money with the elementary and middle schools in the district, the emphasis on the community remains the same, according to Vyas.

“The visions always stay the same,” Vyas said. “That vision has always been bringing the community together as a whole and contribute it towards doing good in the community.”

Marching band achieves success in State and Regional competitions

By Albert Lin

The marching band is performing at a relatively high level and also enjoying their show, Director of Bands Chris Hoefflinger said. At times in the past, the students of the marching band were not enjoying their performances, he added.

The students did their best and he appreciated it, but they were not connected to the show, Hoefflinger said.

“I and my volunteer staff wanted to make sure that the students felt connected. They could feel bought in. It’s a very visceral show, and so that’s something that I think we succeeded very highly in that we made a show that the students could connect to while also being able to perform it at a high level,” Hoefflinger said.

The marching band placed second out of five in their Dublin Competition, junior drum major Aidan Quiroz said.

“We had productive rehearsals leading up to it and we got rewarded for it,” Quiroz said.

At the Western Band Association (WBA) 4A/5A Grand Championships hosted in Fresno, the marching band placed 16th out of 19th, Quiroz said. The Marching Band was up against bands like James Logan and Chino Hills High School: renowned high schools in their marching bands, he said.

“Placement was not a big concern for most of us as we know that we are competing against some pretty fantastic schools,” Quiroz said. “Our satisfaction came from putting on the best possible show regardless of our placement. Nothing really went wrong honestly.”

This competition was especially special to the marching band being the last competition of the season, Quiroz said.

“Overall, it was a very emotional run-through of the show,” Quiroz said. “This season was very special to many of us,myself included, so seeing it come to a satisfying end meant a lot.”

To prepare for competitions, the marching band rehearses on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Hoefflinger said.

“We rehearse on the football field,” Hoefflinger said. “That’s kind of(the) main method, and we kind of make sure that we are teaching the material in a way that’s very approachable but starts to challenge the students a little bit, to make sure that we are definitely giving them something to really move forward with and achieve at a high level.”

Specifically, the woodwinds and brass section will warm up and then start their athletic breathing exercises, Hoefflinger said. Afterward, the marching band will start practicing their show, Hoefflinger said.

“We will take some of our parts of our show, and we’ll run those,” Hoefflinger said. “We’ll get a few reps on them and run through certain chunks of the show, give comments, and then we’ll put it all together with the rest of the ensemble. That includes snare drum, and the xylophone, and our color guard, and then we end off our rehearsal with a full run of the show.”

The marching band has a hierarchy system to deal with communication problems, Quiroz said.

“Within the marching band, we have section leaders, which are

leaders of that same instrument group that would help keep the section in check,” Quiroz said. “So we would go up to the leaders, and then address the issues that we have been facing to them, and they would go to the members individually. So it goes down the hierarchy. It goes from the director, to the drum majors to the leaders to the individual members.

Band members could also work more on their communication, Quiroz said.

“About communication, it is pretty good, but you could always have more communication, more clarification, like responding to comments rather than just standing there, listening to it – having verbal responses to show that you actually understand what‘s going on, and you’re actively listening,” Quiroz said.

The high school’s marching band holds multiple positive attributes: their high level of trust in each other, their relatively small-

er size, the higher number of experienced players, and good show writing, Nguyen said. The marching band’s relatively small size compared to competitors allows them to coordinate in a way that others could not, Nguyen added.

“As in the past years, our average scores have been increasing throughout the season. So we’re starting to build a name for ourselves. So I do see us winning again or winning in the future,” Quiroz said.

Courtesy of Ray Heraldo

Marching band members come together for a group photo of the band during the Western Band Association (WBA) Grand Championship, which took place at Fresno State Universty on November 24, 2024.

Madame Topping teaching her third period French three class.

New boundaries training for teachers

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and connection is detrimental and unhealthy? Absolutely. But there’s also situations where it is completely community-oriented and not at all questionable, and deeply wholesome,” Lorenzana said. “I think the challenge that we face is that it’s not necessarily a one-size-fits-all situation.”

At the same time, the training provided useful information, Lorenzana said. Given the emphasis placed on the training, he expects more formal guidelines from the district soon, he added.

“I’d be kind of cautiously optimistic that what ends up as a result is a nice balance – trying to maintain the community atmosphere that we have as a district,

while also recognizing that there are serious situations that need to be addressed and prevented in the future,” Lorenzana said.

Many of his colleagues already understand the boundaries suggested by the training, history teacher Paul Harrison said. He feels frustrated because he feels like there are no clear problematic cases pointed out by the administration, he added.

“It’s something I already know, and we learn, and so I guess I’m just wondering, where is the problem exactly?” said Harrison.

“I mean, obviously there’s been some kind of issue here, but we’re kind of in the dark (about) exactly what the issue is, because there’s certain confidentiality, so it’s difficult.”

He and his colleagues want clearer guidelines from the district about what constitutes questionable behavior, Harrison said.

“Can you give us a hard line(…)? For example. I’ve asked the question, ‘if a teacher hugs a student, have they crossed a line?’” Harrison said. “I’ve never seen really clear guidelines.”

The ability for every employee to attend this training is the main way the district is tackling this issue, Stonehouse said. All new hires interacting with students must also complete the training, she added.

“The students are our biggest priority,” Stonehouse said. “Your education, your safety, and your well-being are our biggest priority.”

Club, organizations committee sheds light on new requirements, expectations

By Vasista Ramachandruni

Requirements for CLOGs (Clubs and Organizations) have become significantly stricter for the current academic year, Activities Director Deana Querubin said. This decision was taken after she spent a year evaluating the old systems in place for CLOGs, she added.

With the new academic year, the goal was to increase accountability and visibility for CLOGs on campus, Querubin said. More opportunities for CLOGs to be recognized were needed, which is why this year the CLOG Catalog is public and CLOGs were asked to host one big event or two little events, she said.

“Sometimes people just make clubs because it looks good on the transcript (college applications),” Querubin said. “We didn’t want that. We had 130 clubs before I got the position, but now we’re closer to 80, because that is the real number that actually operate, and we wanted to make sure that those numbers were honest.”

Together with the current CLOG Commissioners, seniors Mary Kanoon and Owen Song, the goal was to support CLOGS as much as they could, Querubin said. In regards to event forms, the title of the event listed on the form sometimes gave little information about the actual event, and this new form (which includes space for event info) is important to understanding what is going on at MHS for both ASB and administration, Querubin said.

“There’s the event proposal and the fundraiser proposal, that is above me (coming from admin) because the feedback was, we don’t know what’s happening on campus, and I didn’t either sometimes,” Querubin said. “Now we have a binder with everything that’s been approved in ECAB (Executive Cabinet) and with all the events that are happening so that if someone asks me about an event or about a fundraiser that happened or is going to happen, I

know how to respond.”

This system is equitable since there would be no CLOGS competing for resources, Querubin said. For example, in a scenario where two CLOGS wanted to do a fundraiser at the same time and place, the new system would prevent this conflict and ensure CLOGS are not competing against each other, she added.

“It (facility use form) requires my signature, but it just has the event title and who the group is,” Querubin said. “So you can have a title for it but I don’t know what that is. So that’s why the event proposal was created.”

Having meeting minutes helps keep CLOGs accountable, Song said.

“Having meeting minutes ensures that meetings will happen and getting a wet signature will ensure that the meetings did happen and that the advisor is aware that the club is active and doing what they need to be doing,” Kanoon said. ”It’s also helpful for CLOGs to see what goes on during meetings, for them to remember or have a record of what goes on during meetings just in case they forget something or forget business that they talked about.”

When it came to the new presentations each CLOG had to do before getting approved, CLOG officers did not have enough context on what their CLOG would be like, Querubin said. CLOG officers need to show commitment to the CLOG and that was measured through the willingness to come and do a presentation, she added.

“Another reason why I wanted presentations was when you’re up there and we have questions, now we can ask you, and you can respond (immediately) and tell us,” Querubin said.

When a was not allowed to charter, they were mostly denied at due to a CLOG with the same concept already existing, according to Ms. Querubin. It was never about not liking a CLOGfor external reasons, she elaborated. “I knew that there were some

Opening expectations for the performance arts center

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Hutchinson said. “The whole school staff, what they wanted to see in this plan, and then smaller, into concentrated groupings to determine what the seat cover in the theater will look like, or what color the lobby is. We held a public forum (February - April 2019) where anybody could come, and we made special invites to have people come in to give feedback and input.”

TBK Construction Management Corporation is seven years old and has managed $700 million worth of K-12 school facility projects, Travis Kirk said. The PAC is a project funded by the Measure AA bond issue, allowing MUSD to issue up to $284 million in taxes to fund facilities, classrooms, and equipment, according to the MUSD website.

“The moment a school district passes a bond, which is how you fund school construction, we come in and help them with

the programming,” Travis Kirk said. “We do the programming. So we’re working with the architect and with the end user (MUSD). (...) Sometimes you get what’s called scope creep, which is where everybody wants Carnegie Hall, but you have a budget for something much less. And so we try to help control and navigate through that process with all the end users, and then we put it out to bid .”

The biggest difference between the PAC and current band rooms is size, since the current band classrooms are too small, have low ceilings, and bad acoustics, music teacher Emily Moore said.

“The (new) theater will hold larger crowds,” Moore said. “Then it’s going to help boost our music program. We have 700 kids in elementary music right now, so we will need a place to have all of them. The community of Milpitas really doesn’t have something like this.”

Model United Nations wins awards, discusses success

By Jerry Yong

The Model United Nations (MUN) of Milpitas High School recently won several top awards at various prestigious conferences in the Bay Area, MUN president Ashton Chen said.

The group sent several delegates to universities, such as UC Berkeley and Stanford, and won awards at each event. Several top titles were won, with Ashton Chen and Atharv Vyas receiving Best Delegate and Katelyn Tu receiving Outstanding Delegate, according to the organization.

people who were upset when they didn’t get approved, when we did the presentations.” Querubin said.. “They were new charters with the same vision and purpose as a club that already existed. We didn’t want to create competition between clubs. We want people to be unified.”

Regarding meeting minutes, Querubin said she felt that they were the minmum expectation.

““If you say you’re a club, our only expectation is you meet once a month,” she said. “I feel like that’s not too hard to ask.”

ASB has been understanding of any issues that arise and has given exceptions for CLOGs when unexpected delays arise, Oxfam President Anish Gopala said. While the timings for some presentations were inconvenient, the presentations were useful in making sure that CLOGs would stay active after being approved, he added.

“Before school started, there was a CLOG orientation in which two officers were required to come in person during summer break,” Gopala said. “I was dissatisfied with that. I did think it was a little bit demanding on clogs to have two officers per CLOG come in during the summer break. It was definitely something ASB should have done differently in past years.”

Although sometimes the presentations got really intense, CLOGs will need to expect these presentations again for chartering next year, Querubin said.

“In the future, I think that people will get used to it, and it will just be part of the norm, Querubin said. “And then I think more visibility on campus is definitely what I would like for CLOGs to do. I want there to be more for you as clubs so that people can see that they’re not just meeting in classrooms. There’s a lot more that they do. So that’s the next step, the next big part of what we want to see from clubs and organizations.”

“We’ve seen well over double in the amount of the awards that we brought back”, said current president and lead Ashton Chen. He added, “Specifically at Berkeley, we saw percentage-wise, I think a twenty percent increase.”

These recent successes have resulted from a change in leadership structure, as prior core officers graduated last year. The organization faced many challenges during this transition, added Chen.

“I started (attending) MUN in my freshman year, and to be completely honest, the way that our team functioned, we had a couple heavy hitters (…) the rest of the delegation that would just sit on the backboard”, said Chen. “As the administrations changed between officers, we saw more and more emphasis on actually help -

ing our newer members develop their skills and actually perform better.”

Club advisor Rylie Zea, who has been the MUN advisor for three years, says the club has been stepping up the fundraising efforts to help sustain the various expenses.

“Conferences are expensive and they have fees that need to be paid, and they’re able to help cover those costs so more people are able to participate”, she said. Some of the goals the club hopes to achieve include expanding their participation, according to Zea

“I’ve now seen them planning months advance for conferences that are far out, and that is great, because the hardest part sometimes is just signing people up and then actually getting them to show up and perform”, Zea said.

The MUN executives are also planning on expanding their operations next semester, secretary Lauren Lee, a senior, said.

“I do hope that for our next semester, we will host our own conference”, Lee said.

Their advisor also approves of their goals for the next semester.

“Hosting our own conference at Milpitas High School is definitely something that we want to do.” Zea said. “We participated in many conferences, but having our own (...) is something that we would love to do.”

ASB talks Winter Ball cancellations, ticket refunds

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with my conversation with Hollenback, it’s that they (students) will have to provide proof of purchase and then they will sign a statement that says ‘Hey, I bought this ticket, and I got my refund,’” Raj said.

With the benefit of hindsight, ASB and the district as a whole believe they miscalculated by not accepting cans as donations and only taking money, Raj said. ASB is considering going back to collecting cans alongside money to increase total donation amounts, Raj said.

“Cans have been one of the main sources of the food pantry, and that a large proportion of the donations had been from actual cans,” Raj said. “I think it messed with people visually because normally when you can see cans during Jack Emery, ‘Oh, it’s Jack Emery season’ and it provokes

more people to donate. So then since that didn’t happen, and we only collected money, that lowered the number (donation number) and people are more stingy with giving money away rather than cans.”

The high school ultimately raised $11,500 which is short of the $15,000 goal, Vyas said.

“As one of the biggest districts contributing towards the food bank, we’ve built up a reputation towards the food bank, and not meeting our goals this year stained that reputation a bit,” Vyas said.

Despite struggles with Jack Emery this year, Vyas still believes in the Milpitas population and hopes that people understand the cause and meaning behind Jack Emery, Vyas said.

“I would urge people to donate more,” Vyas said. “I know it was difficult this year (...) but remember, it is for charity.”

A slide from the presentation shown during the boundary training, emphasizing the recognition of abusers.

Courtesy of Diane Cranley