T H U RS DAY, M AY 26, 2016
Teaser Teaser Teaser Teaser
A positive step: providing Sports condoms to page 11 middle-school students
Summer Service Trips
Sibling pressure
Making waves
Boys’ swim team makes a comeback
OPINIONS pages 4 & 5
VOLUME 57 NO. 8
You do you
FEATURES pages 6 & 7
SPORTS page 10
Flipside page 12
The Prospector
CHSPROSPECTOR.COM
Student Newspaper of Cupertino High School
10100 FINCH AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CA 95014
Teachers leaving Tino
JENNIFER ZARATAN
DEPARTING TEAHERS | Adirenne Harber (left), John Bruce (middle), and Jacob Douglas (right), will not return next school year
ETHAN QI news editor
Since its establishment in 1958, Cupertino High School has always taken pride in its stellar teachers. Without their watchful guidance and discerning instruction, Cupertino would not be the diverse and academically-driven setting it is today. This year, we bid farewell to three of them as they venture onto new chapters in their lives. One of these teachers is English teacher John Bruce. This was his first year and last year teaching English here: with an internship teaching credential in the state of California, he is at the whim of being moved to another school at the state’s request. On his past year here, said Bruce, “The students that I’ve had this year –– I just have so much respect for them [...] what I will take away will be a very, very potent slice of human potential.” English teacher Adrienne Harber is another one of the teachers who will not be joining the school next year. For the past 15 years, she has worked in the school’s English department and
will be very dearly missed in her retirement. “When I came to Cupertino, I just felt at home. I just liked the size and the feel. I chose this school and I have never looked back since. I can’t imagine being as happy at any of the other schools as I have been at Cupertino High,” Harber said. Stated junior Sanika Mahajan, “Ms. Harber is the type of teacher that has this endearing firm kindness. She was never afraid to tell us when we were out of line, yet she was just as quick to reward us with candy for doing the smallest things right. Her unique quirks, like her love of acronyms (GTW is get to work) and her joke calendar made her class special and brought laughter into the everyday routine.” The last of the three teachers leaving the school is history teacher Jacob Douglas. In his second year here, Douglas has taught both mainstream and sheltered history and has served as the advisor for the Model United Nations club. With the arrival of his newborn daughter, he will begin a new chapter of his life in
Utah, where he will be closer to his family. Said Douglas, “I came to Cupertino two years ago because I decided it was time to move on from the place I had been teaching for the previous six years. I’ve loved the time that I’ve spent here [...] but I wish I had more time to spend here so I could continue to build the relationships that I have and continue to be a part of so many great traditions that are here.” His students appreciate him both in and out of his classroom, especially with his work in the school’s Model UN. “I like Mr.Douglas because he is very approachable and is somebody that you can have a discussion on just about any topic related to history or current events. Every Wednesday after school we would [talk] about the 2016 elections, even though it had nothing to do with the UN,” sophomore Ronak Bhatia said. These three teachers have contributed greatly to the school during their time here, but the new chapters in their lives lead them elsewhere.
closer look behind FUHSD hosts ELD speech contest A class scheduling SAAGAR SANGHAVI online editor
FUHSD students in the English Language Development (ELD) program presented speeches on a variety of topics ranging from gun control and cultural literacy to corporal punishment. Despite the hurdle of a limited knowledge of the English language, the students prepared a speech over several months that allowed them to shine. This year’s contest involved 20 student volunteers, many of whom served as judges, and 107 participants from the school. Said ELD coordinator Kate Wilson, “The ELD speech contest is about getting English learners more involved in the community. It is about having an event that is especially just for them, It gets them speaking and helps build their confidence. A lot of times, ELD students lack confidence, and it is a great event that is specifically for them and lets us celebrate their achievements.” Many students who come to the Bay Area from other countries struggle to communicate in English, especially to an audience.
ELD Speech Contest, continued on page 3
SHALMALI PATIL managing editor
JENNIFER ZARATAN
SPEAK UP | Juniors Babak Talsoleiman (left) and Tatsuya Tatsumi (right) present on the importance of family coming first
Since course verification in April 2016, the guidance counselors and assistant principals have been organizing the class schedule for the upcoming 2016-2017 school year and will continue placing students in their classes throughout the summer. Students are rarely able to see the inner-workings of the course selection process, often leading to numerous rumors among the student body about future classes. One of these rumos suggests that students will be unable to get seven classes the upcoming school year. Says assistant principal Mrs. Cathleen Rodriguez, “As long as I have been doing this job, the district policy is that students are guaranteed six classes and they get a seventh class on a space available basis [...] In the past, when our school was smaller, I was able to get more students into a seventh class, especially if it was a program that was running small [...] We have gotten bigger as a school, so I cannot give [classes] out as liberally now but I am better able to make those decisions in August.” “Some of our classes have gotten so popular, students want to be in multiple ones. In the past, students have been able to say, ‘I want to be in choir, and I want to be in drama,’ but both of those programs are so popular right now that I cannot give students both. Because if I give a student both I might not be able to give it to someone else who wants it as one of their
Class Scheduling, continued on page 3