T U ES DAY, D E C EM B ER 5, 2017
Alleviating Poaching
OPINIONS page 4
VOLUME 60 NO. 3
Why do we drop classes?
Visual art at Tino
The 90s are back!
INSIGHTS page 12
FEATURES pages 8 & 9
LIFESTYLES page 11
Separation Anxiety
FLIPSIDE page 16
The Prospector
CHSPROSPECTOR.COM
Student Newspaper of Cupertino High School
10100 FINCH AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CA 95014
CHINESE TEACHER YING JIN RECEIVES AWARD FOR HER WORK AT TINO HS
CHS CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AND PLANS
GENE KIM business manager MICHELLE MA
ALL PHOTOS BY JENN ZARATAN
JENN ZARATAN photo editor
Almost four years after unveiling a project that drastically changed the school’s look, Cupertino High School nears the end of another wave of construction. Along with the most obvious addition, a massive two-story structure, the school has been working on temporary housing and a “black box” performing arts theater. The completion of the building, originally set for the end of first semester, is now projected to be in February due to construction delays. Comprised of a central science building connected to a second surrounding structure, it holds a total of 30 classrooms, replacing the 14 that sat in the same plot not two years ago. The expansion seeks to address Cupertino’s population issues; three years ago, a FUHSD report predicted an increase of 260 students by 2018. Just this month, the administration and staff held meetings to work out who will be switching rooms; the outer building has yet to be determined. Many of the life science teachers will be moving into it, while most of the chemistry classes and AP sciences will remain in the 500s wing. Said AP Physics teacher Charles Williams, “The idea is that things that require a lot of dangerous chemicals, we didn’t want to separate. Things that were a bit lighter, like the freshman biology class, we would move into the new building.” Williams’ classes will be moving out from his shared room in the 400s wing, but whether Physics will be moved into the new building or the existing 500s wing is still to be decided. If the new projected timeline goes as planned, the moving process will start and finish during Winter Break. “We’re moving racks of equipment in Physics, so it would be magic to move it all in seamlessly. But everybody’s working on this together, and many of us will be there over break to make it happen,” Williams said. In addition to floor-to-ceiling windows and a new courtyard, the building boasts new facilities for special programs such as robotics. Williams is also the advisor for Tino’s robotics team, the Gold Strikers. “We have a much larger facility. It looks like an actual industrial laboratory, so it’s going to be much easier for us to keep organized. It has a very high ceiling, which helps because the robots have a tendency to reach high,” Williams said. “[AP Chemistry teacher Larry Demuth] and I gave input early on, both for the science wing and for robotics. We got everything from the electrical power, to the internet connectivity, to the floor we need.” The drama program also gained new facilities. Back in October, the construction crew already finished renovating the Tots Center into a new black box theater. Unlike the Robert L. Gomez center, the new theater will allow for a 360 degree experience, with the stage in the center of a curved
audience. The Tots Center was opened in the late 90s, as a district daycare for teachers’ and students’ children. It was later leased to a private company before closing down. Prior to that, the space was for an auto shop elective. Said senior and CAT members Sam Kernaghan, “It’s really exciting. [Acting in the black box theater] is completely different, because you have to cater to a whole different kind of audience. Most of the time you can just project out, but [in the black box theater] there’s a lot more movement.” CAT has yet to make definite plans, but the Robert L. Gomez theater will still be used for musicals and other theater productions. The black box theater, on the other hand, offers a tighter space for smaller productions; for example, many of the scenes CAT prepares for literature classes will no longer have to be performed in classrooms or the library. It also doubles as space for Drama classes. “It’s been great because we have an actual rehearsal space, rather than a cramped classroom where we had to be more quiet because ASB was next door,” said Kernaghan. “[We couldn’t always use the Robert L. Gomez theater] because we share it with every other arts program, so there’s been times we had to rehearse for plays in the cafeteria.” The Board of Trustees approved the entirety of the construction plans back in April of 2016, as part of “Measure K” for a budget of over $38 million. The cost surpasses the 2014 project for the library, cafeteria and College and Career center, which came up to about $20 million. For both projects, the district hired Blach Construction and Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, which designed the new building with similarities that provide some consistency with the student union and quad. Measure K also included construction projects for each of the other five FUHSD schools, as well as district site, technology and program allocations. Come early next semester, students will finally get a chance to see the outcome of what has been a noticeable and sometimes distracting part of campus, as the last of the construction comes to an end.
FUTURE CAMPUS LOOK: COURTESY OF FREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
EXPECTED LOOK AFTER CONTRUCTION IS COMPLETE | The new building is likely to be two stories with classrooms upstairs and downstairs and will feature bridged pathways. There will also be trees planted and many classes will have windows
YING JIN | Ying Jin teaches her Chinese class by employing visuals
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) awarded CHS Chinese teacher Ying Jin the national teacher of the year seat for 2018. The ACTFL is a nation-wide organization which aims to enhance the foreign language teaching and learning experience across the country. Consisting of more than 12,500 educators, administrators and government workers, the ACTFL helps to set standards for foreign language curriculum, as well as provide proficiency guidelines for students learning a foreign language. Being widely regarded as a very influential and vital organization, much excitement followed when ACTFL announced Jin as the Teacher of the Year for 2018. “It was a really big surprise for me,” Jin said. “ACTFL is the organization that sets the standards for foreign language curriculum for the whole country. On the one hand, I was really happy and excited, and on the other, I felt that a new door had opened for me.” Jin was first nominated as Teacher of the Year for California, then was selected as one of five regional nominations. Jin, along with the four other finalists, was interviewed by ACTFL committee members and asked to deliver an advocacy speech. Finally, during a convention held in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this month, to which more than 7000 educators attended, the ACTFL announced that Jin was selected to be the national Teacher of the Year. “It was a long and rigorous process.” said Jin. As the Teacher of the Year, Jin will have a major role in promoting and educating our society about the importance of World Language learning. Jin will be able to share her stories of how World Language education has shaped her life and the lives of her students for the better. Jin will take part in conferences, travel to Washington D.C. and even meet with national legislatures to develop new ways to improve foreign language learning in the nation. Jin will also travel to each of the five regions of the U.S. and share her personal teaching methods with educators nationwide. “I am really happy and excited. I also know that I will learn a lot, and I think it will be really fun. I am sure it will be an exciting and busy year,” Jin said. At CHS, Jin feels that building a safe community within her classroom greatly enriches the students’ learning experiences. Jin also feels that beyond academics, it is important to establish a personal connection with her students. “My job is to create a united group for my students, who come from a lot of different circum
Ying Jin ACTFL Award, continued on page 2