Mobile Home Eviction

As of January, two mobile home parks are experiencing the results of the changing conditions in the Bay Area. The residents of the Winchester and Westwinds mobile home park are being evicted within a week of each other due to redevelopment plans in the area.

A trailer park is filled with trailers and mobile homes that exist either permanently or temporarily in an allotted area: They are forms of alternative housing primarily for low income individuals or families.

The issue is that San Jose has little viable land for dev e l o p m e n t s leading to areas such as the W i n c h e s t e r mobile homes to be at risk of eviction. As mobile homes occupy these “vestiges of affordable housing” according to City Councilman Lan Diep, there is a push to dissolve these communities in favor of building more units of residential housing in those prime areas.

For example,the Winchester mobile home park is located only two blocks away from Santana Row, an area of valuable land for future developments. This eviction happening in San Jose’s first mobile home park highlights the struggles of the rising house market prices and lack of suitable housi n g leading to the official decision to evict residents. The news of Winchester mobile home park eviction closely follows the eviction notices received by the Westwinds residents. As a result, roughly 1,600 people will face the pressure of finding affordable housing due to potential redevelopment plans in their current mobile home parks.

The ever increasing prices in the house market of the Bay Area have increased concerns in the Cupertino High School’s student body. Junior Camelia Siadat said, “We quickly realized how expensive living in this area was, and I think this might partially be the reason why many people have gravitated away from the Bay after college or high school.”

W h e n asked about her future, Siadat said “My worries about housing in the future pertain to the cost of living. If prices of houses in the Bay Area continue to increase, then the amount of people that can afford the cost of living will decrease.”

The growing problem of housing costs in the Bay Area seems to be part of the concern on the minds of members of other mobile home parks in the community.

The news of the mobile home evictions has spread fear to residents of other parks as many fear that their home will become “targets for redevelopment” as said by Martha O’Connell, a mobile home owner and activist in San Jose in a recent interview with Mercury News.

The situation is constantly shifting especially as factors such as population play an avoidable role in developing San Jose further. ARIANA FAHRI photo editor/copy editor

“We quickly realized how expensive living in this area was, and I think this might partially be the reason why many people have gravitated away from the Bay after college or high school.”

- Junior Camelia Siadat 6 | DESIGNED BY STELLA JIA

EVICTION Mobile Home

8 | THE PROSPECTOR FEATURES

ALEX CORRALES

SYDNEY LIAO online editor/photo editor

It is among the concrete bowls and metals rails of the skatepark that Sophomore Alex Corrales feels at home. In 6th grade, Corrales picked up skating because he needed a method of transportation.

“Most of my friends were into skating too, so we thought that was a good way to bond,” Corrales said.

However, as he got more comfortable on the board and delved deeper into the realm of skateboarding, he discovered forms of the hobby beyond simply cruising—particularly the complexities and thrills of doing tricks with the board. He started hitting up the local Fair Oaks Skatepark, where he found a community.

Said Corrales, “I usually go every other weekend with my friend. He takes skateboarding lessons, which last an hour, and then we hang out and practice.”

The skatepark may seem intimidating to amateurs at first. However, Corrales reassures that all levels are welcome, and the park and its frequenters nurture an environment of growth and positivity.

“I’ve made new friends at the park. Even if [other skaters] don’t know who you are, if you’re attempting a trick you’ve never done or are just practicing, they’ll be really supportive, tell you “good job” if you land it,” Corrales said. Skaters often make tricks look effortless, but the reality is months and months of Corrales has dedicated hours to learning and polishing tricks, watching videos to help him master them (so far, the quick grind has been the hardest for him to grasp). Both mentally and physically demanding, skateboarding involves patience and risk-taking. In fact, the moments in Corrales’s skating journey that stand out to him most are of injuries.

“I have a lot of injury stories,” he said. “One time I was ollieing off something five feet high off the ground, just to practice ‘cause I like to ollie off and up obstacles, but I got wheelbite hard, landed on the ground, and fell on my head. I had to stop skateboarding for a while.” The ollie forms the basis for nearly all other flip tricks and allows a skater to jump over obstacles. Though it is fundamental, it is one of the most challenging tricks to master. A wheelbite is where one lands too much off to one side, causing the wheels to make contact with the deck, in turn causing the board come to a complete stop

Said Corrales, “Tricks can be hard, but if you keep going at it, you’ll eventually get it. Practice everyday. Don’t stop riding and don’t give up.”

Corrales looks up to NYC-based skateboarder John Hill, who documents his skate journey to a YouTube audience of over 700k. He is inspired by Hill, who is not only an adept skater, but who has successfully turned his passion into a sustainable job and uses the Internet to contribute to the growing community of skateboarders.

“I don’t really know what I want to do in life yet, but if I could make skateboarding a career, I absolutely would,” Corrales said.

RINGER TWINS

JENNY WU writer

JAK JON +

From skateboarding to BMX riding to scootering, the popularity of skatepark sports ties together a variety of action sports that have widely influenced pop culture for being artistic, entertaining, and a contemporary form of transportation. Just by walking through campus, one is bound to spot a skateboarder cruising through the hallways or a BMX rider wheeling past crowds of students. Freshmen twin brothers Jak and Jon Ringer are prime examples of many students on campus who enjoy performing tricks on a variety of different skatepark equipment, most recently focusing on bikes.

After watching videos of bikers online, Jak and Jon Ringer have spent the past two years switching between BMX riding, skateboarding and scootering, building up a tight-knit group of friends as they go. Said Jak Ringer, “I’ve always had these friends, and then once we started biking, we just started doing it together and progressed as a group.”

Having a twin to bike with, the Ringer Twins have been able to push each other to achieve their best abilities. Said Ringer, “Biking by myself is kind of fun, but once you have somebody to do it with, it kind of pushes you and gets you to do bigger stuff.”

But even with a supportive community behind them, the journey to success hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Said Ringer, “The first time I tried something, I hurt myself pretty bad. I fell off [my bike] and twisted my ankle. I had to go to the hospital.”

However, with all of the falling and possible broken bones that trying new tricks brings them, the passion for biking drives them to continue trying. Said Ringer, “You just want to keep riding until you notice that you can’t get back onto your bike.” For the Ringer Twins, biking has become an outlet for making new friends and continues to serve as their getaway from boredom. Said Ringer, “I think [extreme sports] has given people things to do. If you don’t have anything to do, grab your skateboard, scooter or bike and go to a skate park. It’s been a good thing.

SLAVA

NIKITA SRINIVAS writer

MIROSHNICHENKO

There is no special quality that makes people more inclined to skate. You could be a loner, a goth, or LGBTQ+ and still find a strong community through skating.” Sophomore Slava Miroshnichenko first became involved in skating a year ago after being introduced by a friend. Over time, he has developed a respect for the creativity he is allowed through skating. Miroshnichenko can go somewhere as familiar and accessible for Cupertino High School students as Main Street, and his board still completely transforms his experience.

With a skateboard, “you can do anything anywhere and don’t need to go somewhere special. Any staircase or ledge can become the place where you master a new trick.”

Said Miroshnichenko concerning the skating ban on campus, “I wish I could practice here without having my board taken away.”

However, despite the typical spontaneity, Miroshnichenko still enjoys visiting formal skating areas like the Sunnyvale Skate Park.

When asked how the sport has influenced his life, he cites his higher pain tolerance as the definite, most dramatic change that has occurred.

“At the skatepark … you fall a lot. You just get up and try again.”

Accompanying his shift in mentality, he has also gained better balance and footwork in the result of his practice.

For Miroshnichenko, skate culture at Cupertino High School varies, including people who are interested in the aesthetic, wearing brands like Vans and Thrasher, and people who are passionate about the sport itself.

“Some students pour hours into skating to increase their skill level. I focus more on my existing technique than learning new tricks, but I am constantly trying to improve.”

However, he disagrees with students who discourage others from skating or from participating in skate culture.

“Some people can be competitive and nit-picky, but I believe the point of skating is to have fun and be creative about it.”

For him — depending on the day — skating is a stress reliever, a method of bonding with friends, and also a way to have fun.

“My advice to others is that if you want to learn a trick — do it — even if it may take hours, weeks, or maybe even years to do so. It’ll feel amazing when you land it.” “